Is there in the hadith: (For the witness may convey it to one who is more mindful of it than he is) a refutation of the rule that the narrator of a hadith is more knowledgeable about his narration than others, and does this include the Companions?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. Is there in His saying: Sahih al-Bukhari 67 a refutation of the rule that states that the narrator of a hadith is more knowledgeable about his narration than others, and does this include the Companions as well?
The Shaykh : Yes, you have done well. This is correct; it is possible that the one who conveys a hadith is less knowledgeable in jurisprudence than the one to whom the hadith was conveyed, and this is clear. However, the question remains: do we accept the statement of a Companion? We say yes, we accept the statement of a Companion when his statement conflicts with that of others in understanding the hadith, meaning in understanding its meaning, not in an action that contradicts the hadith. Here there is a difference between a Companion narrator interpreting the hadith and acting contrary to what the hadith indicates. The first case: the Companion’s statement is, what? Closer to the truth without doubt, if not the definitive one. The second case: no. If a Companion acts contrary to the hadith, or sees something contrary to the hadith, we do not accept it; rather, we follow the hadith as it was narrated. For this reason, they have among their rules that the criterion is what was narrated, not what was seen. We give as an example for this what has become widespread this year regarding the beard, letting it grow longer than the fistful. Some people said, take what exceeds the fistful based on the action of Ibn 'Umar. Some said there is no harm in taking it based on the action of Ibn 'Umar. And some said it is obligatory to take it based on the action of Ibn 'Umar. Letting it grow longer than the fistful is from the isbal (letting garments hang below the ankles) that is prohibited. Glory be to Allah, I let it hang down and the Lord of the Worlds, the Lord of the Worlds is the one who created it, how can it be from the forbidden isbal?!
In any case, we say that Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), first: his action was not an understanding of the hadith, for if it had been an understanding of the hadith, he would have conveyed it to the people, he would have conveyed it to the people and said, he would have said a clear statement specifying the generality of the hadith. Second: he did not do it constantly; he only did it during Hajj or 'Umrah. Third: the hadith is general, and on the Day of Resurrection you will not be asked about the action of Ibn 'Umar. [Al-Qasas 28:65] What do we answer Allah? The Messenger says, let it grow, let it be full. We say Ibn 'Umar says, gather the fistful and cut what exceeds it. This is what is always consistent.
Some people say, well, if the beard reaches the knee, or reaches the ankle? We say, who said that a beard reaches the knee? Show us. Yes, and this is the reality: we have not seen anyone whose beard reaches his knee or the ankle of his foot. But if we suppose that this is found, then it might be said that he takes from it what is considered disfiguring and ugly. For this reason, some scholars qualified it, saying, as long as its length is not disliked. When they said it is obligatory to let it grow, they said, as long as its length is not disliked, meaning as long as it is not a length that goes beyond the norm and is disliked. So it might be said that this is permissible to remove the ugliness that the man faces, because every person whose beard, for example, reaches his knee will have a psychological reaction and depression. Yes, and he might try other things, yes.
The questioner : Those who said this statement said there is a photographic book by Abu Bakr al-Khallal named al-Tarjal, and they mentioned reports in it from Ibn 'Umar, Abu Hurayrah, and others, and they said they are authentic that they used to take from their beards.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is Ibn 'Umar, and Abu Hurayrah and others. It is not consistent if you want to contradict all the Companions. What is consistent? So from whom?
The questioner : Some of the Companions, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And does the action of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), the mere action that is not an interpretation of a hadith, does it count as proof?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : It does not count as proof.
The questioner : Well, O Shaykh, they said that their chains of narration are authentic; we have not seen them.
The Shaykh : Even if they are authentic, if Ibn 'Umar came to us now, or if Abu Hurayrah came before us and cut, we would not agree with him on this.
The questioner : Do we accept their statement that their chains of narration are authentic until we look at them?
The Shaykh : We do not know, this is another matter. We are responding to the critic.
The questioner : They said so, they said the chains of narration are authentic.
The Shaykh : It is looked into, it is looked into. For this reason, I like the method of the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) in his refutation of the Rafidah in al-Minhaj al-Sunnah. When he brings their speech, this speech of the Rafidah, the book al-Minhaj al-Karamah which the Shaykh al-Islam said should be named al-Minhaj al-Nadamah (The Path of Regret), when he brings their speech he says: First: the first aspect is demanding the authenticity of the transmission. For what? If the transmission is not authentic, that is sufficient for us, there is no need. And if the transmission is authentic, then we look at the aspects. The third is this.
The student: No, the second.
because those who are absent might comprehend (what I have said) better than the present audience.
فإن الشاهد عسى أن يبلغ من هو أوعى له منهThe Shaykh : Yes, you have done well. This is correct; it is possible that the one who conveys a hadith is less knowledgeable in jurisprudence than the one to whom the hadith was conveyed, and this is clear. However, the question remains: do we accept the statement of a Companion? We say yes, we accept the statement of a Companion when his statement conflicts with that of others in understanding the hadith, meaning in understanding its meaning, not in an action that contradicts the hadith. Here there is a difference between a Companion narrator interpreting the hadith and acting contrary to what the hadith indicates. The first case: the Companion’s statement is, what? Closer to the truth without doubt, if not the definitive one. The second case: no. If a Companion acts contrary to the hadith, or sees something contrary to the hadith, we do not accept it; rather, we follow the hadith as it was narrated. For this reason, they have among their rules that the criterion is what was narrated, not what was seen. We give as an example for this what has become widespread this year regarding the beard, letting it grow longer than the fistful. Some people said, take what exceeds the fistful based on the action of Ibn 'Umar. Some said there is no harm in taking it based on the action of Ibn 'Umar. And some said it is obligatory to take it based on the action of Ibn 'Umar. Letting it grow longer than the fistful is from the isbal (letting garments hang below the ankles) that is prohibited. Glory be to Allah, I let it hang down and the Lord of the Worlds, the Lord of the Worlds is the one who created it, how can it be from the forbidden isbal?!
In any case, we say that Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), first: his action was not an understanding of the hadith, for if it had been an understanding of the hadith, he would have conveyed it to the people, he would have conveyed it to the people and said, he would have said a clear statement specifying the generality of the hadith. Second: he did not do it constantly; he only did it during Hajj or 'Umrah. Third: the hadith is general
Let the beards grow.
وفروا اللحىLet the beards hang down.
أرخوا اللحىLet the beards grow full.
أوفوا اللحىAnd [mention] the Day He will call them and say, "What did you answer the messengers?"
ويوم يناديهم فيقول ماذا أجبتم المرسلينSome people say, well, if the beard reaches the knee, or reaches the ankle? We say, who said that a beard reaches the knee? Show us. Yes, and this is the reality: we have not seen anyone whose beard reaches his knee or the ankle of his foot. But if we suppose that this is found, then it might be said that he takes from it what is considered disfiguring and ugly. For this reason, some scholars qualified it, saying, as long as its length is not disliked. When they said it is obligatory to let it grow, they said, as long as its length is not disliked, meaning as long as it is not a length that goes beyond the norm and is disliked. So it might be said that this is permissible to remove the ugliness that the man faces, because every person whose beard, for example, reaches his knee will have a psychological reaction and depression. Yes, and he might try other things, yes.
The questioner : Those who said this statement said there is a photographic book by Abu Bakr al-Khallal named al-Tarjal, and they mentioned reports in it from Ibn 'Umar, Abu Hurayrah, and others, and they said they are authentic that they used to take from their beards.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is Ibn 'Umar, and Abu Hurayrah and others. It is not consistent if you want to contradict all the Companions. What is consistent? So from whom?
The questioner : Some of the Companions, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And does the action of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), the mere action that is not an interpretation of a hadith, does it count as proof?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : It does not count as proof.
The questioner : Well, O Shaykh, they said that their chains of narration are authentic; we have not seen them.
The Shaykh : Even if they are authentic, if Ibn 'Umar came to us now, or if Abu Hurayrah came before us and cut, we would not agree with him on this.
The questioner : Do we accept their statement that their chains of narration are authentic until we look at them?
The Shaykh : We do not know, this is another matter. We are responding to the critic.
The questioner : They said so, they said the chains of narration are authentic.
The Shaykh : It is looked into, it is looked into. For this reason, I like the method of the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) in his refutation of the Rafidah in al-Minhaj al-Sunnah. When he brings their speech, this speech of the Rafidah, the book al-Minhaj al-Karamah which the Shaykh al-Islam said should be named al-Minhaj al-Nadamah (The Path of Regret), when he brings their speech he says: First: the first aspect is demanding the authenticity of the transmission. For what? If the transmission is not authentic, that is sufficient for us, there is no need. And if the transmission is authentic, then we look at the aspects. The third is this.
The student: No, the second.