What is your preferred position regarding the ruling on acting upon weak hadiths in the virtues of deeds?
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The Shaykh : What did you hear?
The questioner : Your preferred position.
The Shaykh : Ah, I did not hear the preferred position. Yes, as for me, I lean toward the view that it should not be mentioned at all, but I do not forbid saying it if the three conditions are met. I lean toward this because if a person mentions a weak hadith and does not know what the common people believe, the common people’s fundamental rule is that what is said in the mihrab is correct. Do you understand? How do you put dirt in the water and then bring a sieve to strain the water from the dirt? But who are the ones who most often mention weak hadiths?
The student: The preachers.
The Shaykh : The preachers and the storytellers. It is mentioned that Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya ibn Ma’in (may Allah have mercy on them both) were in the al-Risafah mosque in Baghdad when a man stood up to narrate a false hadith, not just a weak one! He said, “Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya ibn Ma’in narrated to me,” and he presented the chain of narration for all of it... that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said من قرأ قل هو الله أحد خلق الله من كلّ حرف منها مدّ كذا وكذا من الملائكة وكذا والملك أيضا معه أيضا ملائكة آخرون يسبّحون ثوابه لهذا القارئ Whoever recites "Say: He is Allah, the One," Allah created from each letter of it such and such a number of angels, and such and such a number of kings, and with them are other angels who glorify [Him]; this is the reward for this reciter.. The man was a storyteller seeking money, and it is the custom of people to feel pity for such a man and give to him. The people dispersed, leaving only Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya ibn Ma’in, so they called him. He came to them with a bright face, thinking that they would give him dirhams; they would give him the dirhams. They said, “What is the hadith you brought?” He said, “Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya ibn Ma’in narrated to me!” Ahmad ibn Hanbal said, “I am Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and this is Yahya ibn Ma’in; we did not narrate this to you.” He said, “I thought you had some sense, O Ahmad! There is no Ahmad ibn Hanbal in the world except you!”
The student : Hmm.
The Shaykh : He let him go. The storytellers generally bring weak hadiths, and I think there are thirteen or one person named Ahmad ibn Hanbal; I forgot. Yes?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes, yes.
The questioner : Your preferred position.
The Shaykh : Ah, I did not hear the preferred position. Yes, as for me, I lean toward the view that it should not be mentioned at all, but I do not forbid saying it if the three conditions are met. I lean toward this because if a person mentions a weak hadith and does not know what the common people believe, the common people’s fundamental rule is that what is said in the mihrab is correct. Do you understand? How do you put dirt in the water and then bring a sieve to strain the water from the dirt? But who are the ones who most often mention weak hadiths?
The student: The preachers.
The Shaykh : The preachers and the storytellers. It is mentioned that Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya ibn Ma’in (may Allah have mercy on them both) were in the al-Risafah mosque in Baghdad when a man stood up to narrate a false hadith, not just a weak one! He said, “Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya ibn Ma’in narrated to me,” and he presented the chain of narration for all of it... that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said من قرأ قل هو الله أحد خلق الله من كلّ حرف منها مدّ كذا وكذا من الملائكة وكذا والملك أيضا معه أيضا ملائكة آخرون يسبّحون ثوابه لهذا القارئ Whoever recites "Say: He is Allah, the One," Allah created from each letter of it such and such a number of angels, and such and such a number of kings, and with them are other angels who glorify [Him]; this is the reward for this reciter.. The man was a storyteller seeking money, and it is the custom of people to feel pity for such a man and give to him. The people dispersed, leaving only Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya ibn Ma’in, so they called him. He came to them with a bright face, thinking that they would give him dirhams; they would give him the dirhams. They said, “What is the hadith you brought?” He said, “Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya ibn Ma’in narrated to me!” Ahmad ibn Hanbal said, “I am Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and this is Yahya ibn Ma’in; we did not narrate this to you.” He said, “I thought you had some sense, O Ahmad! There is no Ahmad ibn Hanbal in the world except you!”
The student : Hmm.
The Shaykh : He let him go. The storytellers generally bring weak hadiths, and I think there are thirteen or one person named Ahmad ibn Hanbal; I forgot. Yes?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes, yes.