If trustworthy narrators disagree regarding connecting or stopping a report, is the stronger opinion that of the majority or that of the most memorizing?
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The questioner : If trustworthy narrators disagree regarding connecting or stopping a report, is the stronger opinion that of the majority or that of the most memorizing?
The Shaykh : The reality is that the issue relates to studying the group of narrators who contradicted the trustworthy narrator, because if the issue is between one trustworthy narrator and another trustworthy narrator, it is easy. If one trustworthy narrator connected the report and the other stopped it, then either they are equal in trustworthiness and precision, in which case the addition of the trustworthy narrator is accepted, or the one who stopped it is more memorizing than the other, in which case his stopped report is preferred. However, when the disagreement is between one trustworthy narrator and others who are not like him in trustworthiness and precision, then in that case, in my critique—and I do not think I have come across such a warning in what I have read—one must study these narrators who contradicted the trustworthy narrator. Are they, for example, accused of something? The answer is no. Are their defect, for example, poor memory? The answer is yes. So, if the group is such that there is no defect in them, but they are truthful and accused of some degree of poor memory, then based on the number of these people, it is possible to prefer their report over the report of the trustworthy narrator, or not, or not. And this reminds us of the poet’s saying:
"Do not fight my heart with your eyes, *** For two weak ones can overpower a strong one."
The questioner : In the book of Defects.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : In the book of Defects by Imam Ahmad.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I once saw that al-Zuhri contradicted more than one narrator, and Imam Ahmad preferred al-Zuhri’s report over theirs, even though they were more numerous than him, but they were inferior to him in memory and precision.
The Shaykh : This is what should be the case. From you, from you, you do not get confused, the Sunnah guides you to the path, if Allah wills, and frees you from formalities and idols. There is no god but Allah. Take a breath now.
The Shaykh : The reality is that the issue relates to studying the group of narrators who contradicted the trustworthy narrator, because if the issue is between one trustworthy narrator and another trustworthy narrator, it is easy. If one trustworthy narrator connected the report and the other stopped it, then either they are equal in trustworthiness and precision, in which case the addition of the trustworthy narrator is accepted, or the one who stopped it is more memorizing than the other, in which case his stopped report is preferred. However, when the disagreement is between one trustworthy narrator and others who are not like him in trustworthiness and precision, then in that case, in my critique—and I do not think I have come across such a warning in what I have read—one must study these narrators who contradicted the trustworthy narrator. Are they, for example, accused of something? The answer is no. Are their defect, for example, poor memory? The answer is yes. So, if the group is such that there is no defect in them, but they are truthful and accused of some degree of poor memory, then based on the number of these people, it is possible to prefer their report over the report of the trustworthy narrator, or not, or not. And this reminds us of the poet’s saying:
"Do not fight my heart with your eyes, *** For two weak ones can overpower a strong one."
The questioner : In the book of Defects.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : In the book of Defects by Imam Ahmad.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I once saw that al-Zuhri contradicted more than one narrator, and Imam Ahmad preferred al-Zuhri’s report over theirs, even though they were more numerous than him, but they were inferior to him in memory and precision.
The Shaykh : This is what should be the case. From you, from you, you do not get confused, the Sunnah guides you to the path, if Allah wills, and frees you from formalities and idols. There is no god but Allah. Take a breath now.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.