Ibn Hajar stipulated conditions for acting upon a weak hadith; give me an example in which these conditions were met.

The questioner : The rule of Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani.

The Shaykh : Do not stress the lam.

The questioner : Yes, al-Asqalani.

The Shaykh: All right.

The questioner : Regarding the acceptance of a weak hadith within the conditions... can you give examples, I mean, like this, one or two examples of a hadith that is accepted under these conditions.

The Shaykh : First, a request like this is directed to one who adopts this... Second: We will give you an example, his saying (peace be upon him): This is a weak hadith, and it is permissible to act upon it in the virtues of deeds. This person of yours has a long discussion on the weak hadith... But I was impressed by his frankness in saying that it is permissible to narrate a weak hadith without mentioning its weakness, without mentioning its weakness. He did not say it is permissible to act upon a weak hadith in the virtues of deeds; that is another matter. It is permissible to narrate a weak hadith without explaining its weakness. I wished someone would say to him, "O Shaykh, is this scholarly integrity? That you say, 'The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said such and such,' and 'The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said such and such,' and 'The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said such and such,' and the first hadith is weak, the second is weak, the third is good, the fourth is authentic, and so on, so the truth and falsehood become mixed up. This is what scholarly integrity and not concealing knowledge, especially... So I... The weak hadith in the virtues is, in fact, one of the points where the understandings of the later scholars became mixed up. They transmit phrases from some of the early imams regarding the permissibility of narrating a weak hadith as long as it does not contain a legal ruling. I understand that they mean narrating the hadith as they themselves understood it, meaning with the chain of narration, because the chain of narration contains the rank of the hadith. Therefore, they themselves, the later scholars, say, "Whoever narrates the hadith... its chain of narration, his responsibility is discharged," meaning... this is the responsibility, because he presented you with the hadith and the chain of narration. Look, and on this basis... Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah be pleased with him) has six volumes of Musnad, forty thousand five hundred hadiths... The chain of narration, so he narrated the weak hadith without explanation. Does he come and say, "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said," and it is weak with him, and he does not explain it, concealing it? I seek refuge in Allah. The point is, when the Hafiz Ibn Hajar sets these conditions for acting upon a weak hadith, he stipulates imaginary conditions that cannot be fulfilled. And as a result of these conditions, it is as if he understood that he did not want to argue with the majority who say it is permissible, but rather he set conditions according to the saying of some common people that if you do not want to marry your daughter, raise her mahr. So instead of saying, as some of the theologians say... the Maliki Arab... and as al-Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on him) says, "Acting upon a weak hadith is a ruling." Acting upon a weak hadith is a ruling. How do you say "as long as it does not contain a ruling"? The legal rulings, he expresses it in a somewhat strange way, saying "equal in status," whether it is recommended, confirmed, obligatory, or a legal ruling. So when he set these conditions... reality supports it. I remember in Damascus we would see some of the shaykhs acting upon weak hadiths... But it was not possible for them to accept the book when I tell you this hadith is weak... how do you act upon it? It is permissible to act upon a weak hadith... But it is stipulated that you know its weakness. Ibn Hajar stipulates that you know its weakness. You are not weakening it, and up to this hour, so you have excluded... And practically, who are... the millions of Muslims? What is the proportion of the few individuals who first knew that this hadith is weak and then acted upon it? No, by Allah, one like my story, I do not act upon a weak hadith; I go and do without the weak ones, with the tongue and with the deeds. Yes.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Yes, that is right.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : ... Ah, therefore the conditions mentioned by Ibn Hajar actually mean that it is not permissible to act upon it.

The questioner : This sock is... thin, so the veins of the foot show through it. This sock is in this shape, it is a women's sock. Is it permissible to wipe over it?

The Shaykh : Before you ask this question, is it not more correct that...