The Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) tells us about his debate with the Tahrir Party regarding mass-transmitted and individual reports?
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The Shaykh : ... Therefore, when a certain Islamic party recently emerged and said, "Individual reports (ahad) are not to be used for deriving beliefs; only mass-transmitted reports (mutawatir) are," we said to them, "This means that no beliefs are to be derived from hadith at all." They asked, "Why?" We said to them, "Because you are the ones who carry this belief. Bring us a belief that you have established with a mass-transmitted hadith, for you have no way of doing so. Why? Because..."The Shaykh : ... and the imam and scholar in whom you trust is...The Shaykh : Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani (may Allah have mercy on him).
The questioner : Shaykh, is a specific number established for mass transmission?
The Shaykh : Is there an obstacle to completing the story of the Tahrir Party for you?
The questioner : Yes, please.
The Shaykh : Yes. I said to them, "It is impossible for you to have a belief that you have established with a mass-transmitted hadith." They asked, "Why?" I said to them, "First, in reality, you are unable to provide what I am asking for. But if we ask you, what is your position regarding the hadiths about the punishment of the grave? You would say these are individual reports and it is not permissible to believe in them, and so on. Second, and this is the important point, mass transmission is a relative issue. I explained this issue to them in great detail, and I said to them..."The Shaykh : Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani is the distinguished and noble scholar among you who has gathered all the sciences. So, suppose it was established with him that a certain hadith is a mass-transmitted hadith, coming to him through many, many chains. We are not discussing that now, because the important thing is his opinion that this hadith is mass-transmitted with him. When he transmitted this opinion to you, it became an individual report with you. Do you understand how?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Do you accept it? If you accept it, you have contradicted your principle, because it is an individual report. As for...The Shaykh : ...it is obligatory for him to accept it because it was established with him that it is mass-transmitted. But with you, it is not mass-transmitted, because mass transmission requires the continuity of mass transmission in every layer. In other words, you, the individuals of the Tahrir Party, have, by the will of Allah, a large number of distinguished scholars specializing in the science of hadith, scattered throughout the Islamic lands—twenty, thirty, forty. Each one of you is connected to this number. Each one says that such-and-such a hadith is what? Mass-transmitted. At that point, it becomes mass-transmitted with you. But merely your imam and Shaykh telling you that this hadith is mass-transmitted does not make it mass-transmitted in your own selves.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, and peace be upon you. Praise be to Allah, in good health. May Allah preserve you. Please go ahead... It is permissible if no major harm results from it... Yes, what is the difference, meaning, if he says between himself and his Lord, "May Allah curse so-and-so," or if he makes her hear it? Was your question about cursing in general, or was your question about making her hear the curse?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Cursing specifically is permissible if the person deserves to be cursed. Otherwise, what is the meaning of the hadith of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 2128b, and why not, if no harm results from it? Yes... It is all permissible... What is the hadith that you saw?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : For example, Is this the hadith? If you mean this one, it is weak. If you mean another, bring it so that we can recall it, and we will bid you farewell and say, "Peace be upon you."
The Shaykh : The point is that we proved to them, in the end, that the rule established by the party is the invalidation of accepting hadith, absolutely, because it is not possible...
The questioner : ...whether mass-transmitted or individual.
The Shaykh : Absolutely not. However, we say that this is a foreign philosophy in Islam.
The questioner : Shaykh, is a specific number established for mass transmission?
The Shaykh : Is there an obstacle to completing the story of the Tahrir Party for you?
The questioner : Yes, please.
The Shaykh : Yes. I said to them, "It is impossible for you to have a belief that you have established with a mass-transmitted hadith." They asked, "Why?" I said to them, "First, in reality, you are unable to provide what I am asking for. But if we ask you, what is your position regarding the hadiths about the punishment of the grave? You would say these are individual reports and it is not permissible to believe in them, and so on. Second, and this is the important point, mass transmission is a relative issue. I explained this issue to them in great detail, and I said to them..."The Shaykh : Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani is the distinguished and noble scholar among you who has gathered all the sciences. So, suppose it was established with him that a certain hadith is a mass-transmitted hadith, coming to him through many, many chains. We are not discussing that now, because the important thing is his opinion that this hadith is mass-transmitted with him. When he transmitted this opinion to you, it became an individual report with you. Do you understand how?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Do you accept it? If you accept it, you have contradicted your principle, because it is an individual report. As for...The Shaykh : ...it is obligatory for him to accept it because it was established with him that it is mass-transmitted. But with you, it is not mass-transmitted, because mass transmission requires the continuity of mass transmission in every layer. In other words, you, the individuals of the Tahrir Party, have, by the will of Allah, a large number of distinguished scholars specializing in the science of hadith, scattered throughout the Islamic lands—twenty, thirty, forty. Each one of you is connected to this number. Each one says that such-and-such a hadith is what? Mass-transmitted. At that point, it becomes mass-transmitted with you. But merely your imam and Shaykh telling you that this hadith is mass-transmitted does not make it mass-transmitted in your own selves.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, and peace be upon you. Praise be to Allah, in good health. May Allah preserve you. Please go ahead... It is permissible if no major harm results from it... Yes, what is the difference, meaning, if he says between himself and his Lord, "May Allah curse so-and-so," or if he makes her hear it? Was your question about cursing in general, or was your question about making her hear the curse?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Cursing specifically is permissible if the person deserves to be cursed. Otherwise, what is the meaning of the hadith of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):
These women would not get into Paradise and they would not perceive the odour of Paradise, although its frag- rance can be perceived from such and such distance (from great distance).
العنوهن فإنهن ملعونات لا يدخلن الجنة ولا يجدن ريحها ، وإن ريحها لتوجد من مسيرة كذا وكذاThe questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : For example,
Redness is the adornment of Satan.
الحُمرة زينة الشيطانThe Shaykh : The point is that we proved to them, in the end, that the rule established by the party is the invalidation of accepting hadith, absolutely, because it is not possible...
The questioner : ...whether mass-transmitted or individual.
The Shaykh : Absolutely not. However, we say that this is a foreign philosophy in Islam.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.