What is the benefit of naming the female Companion, given that ignorance of her identity does not cause harm?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : ... It has been established with us that the ambiguity of a Companion does not cause harm. So what is the benefit of naming Aisha, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), the female Companion Fatimah, when if you had left her unnamed, it would not have harmed the hadith?
The Shaykh : How so?
The questioner : I mean, what is the benefit of naming Aisha?
The Shaykh : Does this question apply to every hadith narrated by a woman?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is not necessary, because there is a difference between the unknown person whose integrity is established by ruling, and the specific person whose integrity is known. The unknown among the Companions is considered upright by ruling, but the known upright person is one we recognize specifically. This is the difference, so it is necessary.
The Shaykh : How so?
The questioner : I mean, what is the benefit of naming Aisha?
The Shaykh : Does this question apply to every hadith narrated by a woman?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is not necessary, because there is a difference between the unknown person whose integrity is established by ruling, and the specific person whose integrity is known. The unknown among the Companions is considered upright by ruling, but the known upright person is one we recognize specifically. This is the difference, so it is necessary.