Are the reports from the Successors regarding unseen matters considered valid?
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The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you with good: Regarding the blessings in Paradise or the punishment in the Fire, when reports from the Successors are transmitted that provide a detailed description of what is in Paradise or the Fire, some people accept these reports based on the authentication of the chain by some reputable scholars. They say: The scholars' authentication of the chain means they consider these reports valid; otherwise, they would not have authenticated them or taken an interest in them. So, he accepts them based on that. Is this correct?
The Shaykh : No, it is not correct, because the statements of the Successors regarding unseen matters are not like the statements of the Companions. The Companions may have had the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) as their basis, while the Successors may have had the Isra'iliyyat (Jewish and Christian traditions) as their basis, which became widespread after the Islamic conquests. And at the highest estimate, we say: the chain is broken. That is, if we say that they are basing this on the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), the chain is broken. And the broken chain—pay attention, O Musa—the broken chain is one of the categories of weak hadith. And the authentication of the chain to these people by some scholars, their intention by that is: if there are corroborating narrations from another angle indicating that the chain is connected to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), then this broken chain becomes a support for it.
The questioner : Not as a validation of it?
The Shaykh : No, it is not an authentication of the hadith.
The Shaykh : No, it is not correct, because the statements of the Successors regarding unseen matters are not like the statements of the Companions. The Companions may have had the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) as their basis, while the Successors may have had the Isra'iliyyat (Jewish and Christian traditions) as their basis, which became widespread after the Islamic conquests. And at the highest estimate, we say: the chain is broken. That is, if we say that they are basing this on the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), the chain is broken. And the broken chain—pay attention, O Musa—the broken chain is one of the categories of weak hadith. And the authentication of the chain to these people by some scholars, their intention by that is: if there are corroborating narrations from another angle indicating that the chain is connected to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), then this broken chain becomes a support for it.
The questioner : Not as a validation of it?
The Shaykh : No, it is not an authentication of the hadith.