What is the explanation of al-Tirmidhi’s statement: “This hadith is hasan sahih”?
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The questioner : The Shaykh, may Allah reward you: I am confused by al-Tirmidhi’s statement in his Sunan: “This hadith is hasan sahih”?
The Shaykh : Yes, the meaning according to the scholars is that it is possible that “hasan sahih” means combining hasan and sahih, in that it has two chains, one of which is hasan and the other is sahih. On this possibility, the hadith critic’s statement “hasan sahih” is stronger than his statement “sahih.” The second possibility is that the meaning is “hasan or sahih,” meaning that the hafez was hesitating whether the chain reaches the level of sahih or is at the level of hasan. On this possibility, his statement “hasan sahih” is weaker than his statement “sahih.”
The Shaykh : Yes, the meaning according to the scholars is that it is possible that “hasan sahih” means combining hasan and sahih, in that it has two chains, one of which is hasan and the other is sahih. On this possibility, the hadith critic’s statement “hasan sahih” is stronger than his statement “sahih.” The second possibility is that the meaning is “hasan or sahih,” meaning that the hafez was hesitating whether the chain reaches the level of sahih or is at the level of hasan. On this possibility, his statement “hasan sahih” is weaker than his statement “sahih.”