Do we apply the rule that the narration of the narrator is the standard, not his opinion, in the issue of the beard?

The questioner : Some people have raised an objection to us regarding the issue that the narrator is more knowledgeable than those he narrates from. They said, "In this research, regarding the issue of the beard and taking from it, I apply another rule, which is that the standard is his narration, not his opinion. How do we respond to this objection?"

The Shaykh : Here, when the opinion contradicts the narration, as is the case with the hadith of Abu Hurayrah. Abu Hurayrah narrated the hadith of seven washings: It came from him with a chain containing a man named 'Abd al-Malik ibn Abi Sulayman, who is one of the narrators in Muslim, and there is some discussion about him. I say this for clarification, even though I am confident in his reliability. He narrates from Abu Hurayrah that he said, "Wash the vessel in which the dog has licked three times." Here the rule applies, my brother, because this contradicts that. It cannot be said that this can be interpreted by that. As for the general text, the absolute text, this is not like that. Understanding the text, as I gave you an example earlier: "O Sa'id, bring such-and-such a cloth." You do not respond to him. Now, is this command for obligation or for recommendation? It is possible that the matter revolves around the command sometimes being for obligation. But here, regarding the hadith of Abu Hurayrah about seven washings and three washings, it is absolutely impossible for anyone to interpret one of the two texts without one remaining in conflict with the other. Here, the narrator's narration is preferred over his opinion. But here it is not an opinion; it is understanding the text and acting upon the text. What do we say, my brother? If Ibn 'Umar were to take from his beard, living in a society like our society today, where there is no enjoining of good and forbidding of evil, on the contrary, back then, as soon as a person stood out in opposition, you would find criticisms and objections from every side. So if one did that, what about the Companions of Ibn 'Umar, Abu Hurayrah, the Tabi'un, 'Ata ibn Abi Rabah, al-Hasan al-Basri, and so on? Many of them did so, and this is just one book, the one compiled by the author. But if we opened, for example, the book *Shu'ab al-Iman*, which was recently printed, we would find other reports. So if we understand that taking from the beard is the Salafi Sunnah that was prevalent in that era, then the objection does not hold. The rule that the narrator's narration is preferred over his opinion applies here only when it is not an opinion. So I hope you always keep in mind the valid example for this rule: when the opinion is in conflict with the narration. Here, there is no doubt that the standard is the narrator's narration and not his opinion. And I say that, in reality, whether one has read and studied the science of hadith terminology theoretically, it will not benefit him unless he applies it practically. Because practical application will explain it to him clearly, like the sun at noon. What he studied theoretically, and this practical application will reveal to him his misunderstanding of some of those theories that he contradicted, or perhaps there are two opinions in the issue, like the disagreement existing in the principles of jurisprudence between the Hanafis and the Shafi'is and others. So practical application will confirm for him the viewpoint of one of the two groups, because he will see that practically the second opinion cannot be applied.