In our time there are some sincere people who quote ahadith attributed to the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam without declaring whether its Sahih, Hasan, Daeef (weak) or Maudu (fabricated), they are being too lazy to refer to the books of the experts in that field to determine the authenticity. It is not permissible to quote a hadith until its authenticity is made clear.

The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam said : “It is enough lying for a person that he narrates everything which he hears” [Reported by Muslim in the introduction of his ‘saheeh’ and Sahih Al Jami 4482, in another narration the words are “It is enough sin” Silsilah Sahiha 2025].

Al-‘Allaamah Zakariya al-Ansaari said: “The one who wants to quote as evidence a hadeeth from the Sunans or Musnads, if he is qualified to distinguish between what may be quoted as evidence and what may not, then he should not quote it as evidence unless he examines its isnaad and its narrators. Otherwise if he can find one of the imams who classed it as saheeh or hasan, he may follow him, otherwise he should not quote it as evidence”. End quote. Fath al-Baaqi Sharh Alfiyyat al-‘Iraaqi.

Ibn Hibban said about the above hadith that, “And this narration contains a strong warning against a person’s narrating everything which he hears until he knows for certain that it is authentic.” Quoted by Albani in Tamam Al Mina 1/31

An-Nawawee said, “The one who does not know whether Ahaadeeth is weak or not then it is not permissible for him to use it as a proof without researching and checking it if he knows how – or by asking the people of knowledge if he does not know”. Quoted by Albani in Tamam Al Mina 1/31

Imam Malik said, “A man will not be safe if he narrates everything which he hears and will never be an Imam if he quotes everything which he hears” Introduction of Sahih Muslim (1/10).

Abdur Rahman ibn Mahdee said, “A man will never become an Imaam who is taken as an example until he withholds a part of what he heard.” [i.e. That which is not known to be authentic – since concealing authentic knowledge is forbidden]. Introduction of Sahih Muslim (1/10)

Shaikh Albani said about a person who quoted a hadith but does not know that its sahih or weak that,”He is also sinful due to his taking it upon himself to attribute it to the Prophet PBUH without knowledge”. Tamam Al Minah (1/30-31)

Imaam Muslim said, “It Is Sinful To Report Something From A Weak Narrator Without Making Its Weakness Clear: He says in the introduction of his ‘saheeh’: “But they made it incumbent upon themselves to reveal the weaknesses of hadeeth narrators and they fatwaa according to that – because of the great danger involved in it, since the narrations about matters of Deen convey allowance (Tahleel) and Prohibition (Tahreem), or orders and forbiddances, or encouragement and warning (targheeb wa tarheeb), so if the narrator is not truthful and trustworthy – then someone who narrates from him, knowing that, and does not make his weakness clear to others who do not know him, then he is sinful through that action, deceiving the common Muslims – since he cannot be sure that some of those who hear those narration’s will not use some or all of them, and perhaps they – or most of them – are lies which have no basis. And the authentic narrations form reliable narrators and people of precision are so plentiful that there is no need of the narration of someone who is not reliable”Introduction Sahih Muslim

And Allah Knows Best !

by Brother Syed Mohammad Asif