Can a researcher, if he pauses due to a difficulty that arises in the chain of a hadith, critique it by researching and examining the science of narrator criticism to discover the cause of an anomaly or another cause that clarifies the difficulty?
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The questioner : I want to say that there is a response in your words, meaning a phrase was mentioned: can a researcher, while researching the text, if the issue stops him and it appears in the text, return to researching the chain, within the guidelines of hadith science? This issue may have been completely missed by the Islamic scholar, just as we research the causes (‘illah). Initially, we pause. I hear this text; it is not, of course, the research. The hadith is not, as you see and know?
The Shaykh : What is the actual intent?
The questioner : It is not the intent, meaning, until we reach the limits of reason, and an issue concerning the rules of applying hadith science. I can use the external criteria of criticism, which are the spirit of the Shari'ah, reason, mass transmission...
The Shaykh : You cannot!
The questioner : Excuse me, what stops me initially so that I return, perhaps to discover an anomaly or a cause or so on, exactly like the research into causes?
The Shaykh : This is hadith science; it gives you room for this... Hadith science gives you room for this. You know, for example, one of the criticisms leveled against us is that I critique some hadiths in the two Sahihs. I did not use this material reason in this critique; I used the religious, scientific, hadith-based reason. So you do not need to expand the topic and bring up this specific example to finally ask: can you critique a hadith whose authenticity is agreed upon? Perhaps I will find a cause for it based on the principles of hadith scholars. I tell you, you have that right!
The questioner : I want to expand on what you started with and use the religious, scientific reason in it. How? For example, I have premises that it is impossible for a text to contradict reason; it is impossible.
The Shaykh : There is a detail here.
The questioner : Yes, with the detail, of course.
The Shaykh : What is the detail?
The questioner : The text must be definitive in its meaning, for example!
The Shaykh : Okay. And reason.
The questioner : And reason is also definitive in its meaning, based on the content... For example, if we come to a scientific issue, as the brother emphasized in his speech, it becomes a law.
The Shaykh: Okay, do we have such a thing regarding this hadith?
The questioner : No, I brought this as an example.
The Shaykh : No problem, may Allah guide you.
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : Someone has an answer...
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : May Allah be pleased with you; we do not want words that have no scientific benefit! We all know that you brought it as an example, but we do not all know the answer to this last question you directed at you. You should have answered instead of saying "I brought it as an example." You should say, "Yes, this principle is true here" or "It is not true." Does the definitive knowledge that does not accept discussion prove the invalidity of this hadith or not?
The questioner : I do not say invalidity; I say definitive knowledge...
The Shaykh : Do not argue about the words. Did it prove...
The questioner : I prefer to be precise. I do not say the hadith is invalid initially. I want to pause on it and research. You are asking me now... I am authenticating it for you, meaning!
The Shaykh : Okay... I am saving your words... Look, how is your speech, my brother? May Allah be pleased with you. Remove the word "invalidity."
The questioner : Okay.
The Shaykh : Allow me to put a substitute for it.
The questioner : I pause on this hadith. This is realistic, sincerely realistic, meaning.
The Shaykh : No problem.
The questioner : I am pausing on this hadith now!
The Shaykh : Why?
The questioner : Because I believe it is true that the Nile does not flow from Paradise.
The Shaykh : This is not correct. This speech, when you say it is based on definitive knowledge!
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : How is this knowledge?
The questioner : Definitive knowledge that geographers and researchers have agreed upon...
The Shaykh : You have returned to your old habit! ... My brother, we gave you an example with Dhul-Qarnayn and Ya'juj and Ma'juj!
The questioner : This detail, meaning, when I told you I built...
Another questioner: Two or three hundred years ago, it was not known to you!
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
Another questioner: You are arguing with this knowledge... that there are facts... by proof. If the prevailing law was the smallest unit... this was a law, then it was later revealed that this law was formed based on... then the law became... it became a law... If the knowledge itself, which I believe definitively based on it, is... it has now become one of the characteristics of the law that it is not permanent, and that there is nature and beyond nature. Therefore, scholars expanded... No problem, I want to withdraw this position to what you say... It has been definitively proven to you that the Euphrates...
The questioner : This is not the research I want... Between the unseen, the unseen to which my senses do not relate, I do not intervene in it. I research issues that relate to my senses. Beyond nature, I do not research it...
The Shaykh : My brother, I explained to you and decided on the call that was discussed and killed the discussion. The hadith has two sides. One side... his speech is correct!
The questioner : I am speaking about a principle. I want to reach a principle now. This hadith does not concern me much, as I said, I cited it as an example only.
The Shaykh : My brother, may Allah reward you and be pleased with you. This hadith concerns us because we fear your assertion that this hadith definitively contradicts reality. With this view, you will handle other hadiths, while you are mistaken in this statement. Now you are saying this hadith is definitively wrong. Why?
The questioner : I say definitively that the Nile does not flow from Paradise!
Another questioner: What is the proof!
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you.
The questioner : Definitively, it flows from the earth!
The Shaykh : And I told you definitively that the water follows al-Qasiyyun and comes from this reservoir, but I did not know that it flows from there...
The questioner : The one who used to say that the spring of al-Qasiyyun flows from the well that has been deactivated is shown to him, but he remains on his certainty! But I am sincere with... Yes.
The Shaykh : It is shown to you... in your capacity as a Muslim who believes in the unseen, that this flows from Paradise.
The questioner : This means the issue that you enter, that I believe in the unseen, is not a field for research. Prove to me...
The Shaykh : What is the actual intent?
The questioner : It is not the intent, meaning, until we reach the limits of reason, and an issue concerning the rules of applying hadith science. I can use the external criteria of criticism, which are the spirit of the Shari'ah, reason, mass transmission...
The Shaykh : You cannot!
The questioner : Excuse me, what stops me initially so that I return, perhaps to discover an anomaly or a cause or so on, exactly like the research into causes?
The Shaykh : This is hadith science; it gives you room for this... Hadith science gives you room for this. You know, for example, one of the criticisms leveled against us is that I critique some hadiths in the two Sahihs. I did not use this material reason in this critique; I used the religious, scientific, hadith-based reason. So you do not need to expand the topic and bring up this specific example to finally ask: can you critique a hadith whose authenticity is agreed upon? Perhaps I will find a cause for it based on the principles of hadith scholars. I tell you, you have that right!
The questioner : I want to expand on what you started with and use the religious, scientific reason in it. How? For example, I have premises that it is impossible for a text to contradict reason; it is impossible.
The Shaykh : There is a detail here.
The questioner : Yes, with the detail, of course.
The Shaykh : What is the detail?
The questioner : The text must be definitive in its meaning, for example!
The Shaykh : Okay. And reason.
The questioner : And reason is also definitive in its meaning, based on the content... For example, if we come to a scientific issue, as the brother emphasized in his speech, it becomes a law.
The Shaykh: Okay, do we have such a thing regarding this hadith?
The questioner : No, I brought this as an example.
The Shaykh : No problem, may Allah guide you.
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : Someone has an answer...
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : May Allah be pleased with you; we do not want words that have no scientific benefit! We all know that you brought it as an example, but we do not all know the answer to this last question you directed at you. You should have answered instead of saying "I brought it as an example." You should say, "Yes, this principle is true here" or "It is not true." Does the definitive knowledge that does not accept discussion prove the invalidity of this hadith or not?
The questioner : I do not say invalidity; I say definitive knowledge...
The Shaykh : Do not argue about the words. Did it prove...
The questioner : I prefer to be precise. I do not say the hadith is invalid initially. I want to pause on it and research. You are asking me now... I am authenticating it for you, meaning!
The Shaykh : Okay... I am saving your words... Look, how is your speech, my brother? May Allah be pleased with you. Remove the word "invalidity."
The questioner : Okay.
The Shaykh : Allow me to put a substitute for it.
The questioner : I pause on this hadith. This is realistic, sincerely realistic, meaning.
The Shaykh : No problem.
The questioner : I am pausing on this hadith now!
The Shaykh : Why?
The questioner : Because I believe it is true that the Nile does not flow from Paradise.
The Shaykh : This is not correct. This speech, when you say it is based on definitive knowledge!
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : How is this knowledge?
The questioner : Definitive knowledge that geographers and researchers have agreed upon...
The Shaykh : You have returned to your old habit! ... My brother, we gave you an example with Dhul-Qarnayn and Ya'juj and Ma'juj!
The questioner : This detail, meaning, when I told you I built...
Another questioner: Two or three hundred years ago, it was not known to you!
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
Another questioner: You are arguing with this knowledge... that there are facts... by proof. If the prevailing law was the smallest unit... this was a law, then it was later revealed that this law was formed based on... then the law became... it became a law... If the knowledge itself, which I believe definitively based on it, is... it has now become one of the characteristics of the law that it is not permanent, and that there is nature and beyond nature. Therefore, scholars expanded... No problem, I want to withdraw this position to what you say... It has been definitively proven to you that the Euphrates...
The questioner : This is not the research I want... Between the unseen, the unseen to which my senses do not relate, I do not intervene in it. I research issues that relate to my senses. Beyond nature, I do not research it...
The Shaykh : My brother, I explained to you and decided on the call that was discussed and killed the discussion. The hadith has two sides. One side... his speech is correct!
The questioner : I am speaking about a principle. I want to reach a principle now. This hadith does not concern me much, as I said, I cited it as an example only.
The Shaykh : My brother, may Allah reward you and be pleased with you. This hadith concerns us because we fear your assertion that this hadith definitively contradicts reality. With this view, you will handle other hadiths, while you are mistaken in this statement. Now you are saying this hadith is definitively wrong. Why?
The questioner : I say definitively that the Nile does not flow from Paradise!
Another questioner: What is the proof!
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you.
The questioner : Definitively, it flows from the earth!
The Shaykh : And I told you definitively that the water follows al-Qasiyyun and comes from this reservoir, but I did not know that it flows from there...
The questioner : The one who used to say that the spring of al-Qasiyyun flows from the well that has been deactivated is shown to him, but he remains on his certainty! But I am sincere with... Yes.
The Shaykh : It is shown to you... in your capacity as a Muslim who believes in the unseen, that this flows from Paradise.
The questioner : This means the issue that you enter, that I believe in the unseen, is not a field for research. Prove to me...