BENEFIT 256: "I accept Sheikh Rabee's disparagement of Sheikh Yahya's because, as in the science of hadith, scholars used to accept the statements of scholars l

Sheikh Yūsuf Al-Jazaa’iri hafidahullāh: The principle amongst the scholars of hadith, as is established in their books and in the science of hadith terminology, is as follows: When someone is disparaged (jarh), there are two possible cases. Either (1) the person in question had previously been praised, or (2) they had not. The scholars of hadith are the qualified authorities in the matters of jarh and ta'deel. When they criticise someone, there are two possibilities: 1. The person criticised had previously been praised by reputable scholars, or even just one respected scholar, as one authority suffices for both Jarh and ta'deel. 2. The criticised person had not been praised previously, meaning they are either unknown in terms of reliability (majhool Al-haal), unknown in person (majhool Al-ayn), or considered concealed (mastoor). In the first case, where the person had previously been praised, the scholars of hadith require that any Jarh be detailed and explained. It is not enough to merely issue a general statement of criticism without clarifying the reasons. Why? Because a person's trustworthiness, once established with certainty, cannot be removed without clear evidence. This person’s integrity was confirmed by a recognised scholar, and this confirmation stands as a firm principle. Therefore, this praise cannot be disregarded unless accompanied by detailed and valid proof. In the second case, if the person being criticised had not been previously praised, i.e., if they are unknown in terms of status or person, or are generally concealed, then the scholar’s criticism is accepted, even if it is not explained in detail. Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar mentions in his commentary on "Nuzhah" that the criticism of such an individual is accepted without the need for detailed explanation. This is because if we do not accept the scholar's criticism, the person in question would remain unreliable both in narration and in seeking knowledge from them. Why? Because they remain Majhool whatever the case, even if we didn't accept the criticism. Thus, accepting the criticism from a qualified scholar in this situation is what is appropriate. However, if the person had previously been praised, criticism is not accepted unless it is detailed and explained. This, in summary, is the principle followed by scholars regarding narrators and individuals, are confined to this established guideline. The closes example of this can be found in the book 'An-Nuzhah', the commentary on 'Nukhbat Al-Fikar' by Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar.