and knowledgeable; otherwise, his statement is not considered authoritative. Some Companions used to come to the Prophet ﷺ, learn a few legal rulings from him, yet they were neither jurists nor counted among the scholarly Companions, so their individual statements do not serve as proof.
This opinion strikes a middle course between the other views and, in my estimation, is the soundest position on the matter.
A further question arises: if a Successor says, “It is part of the sunnah to do such-and-such,” does his wording carry the force of a marfūʿ report or not?
Hadith scholars have differed:
• Some hold that it is mawqūf (halted at the Successor) and therefore not classed as marfūʿ, because the Successor did not live in the Prophet’s era. Hence, we cannot be sure that by “sunnah” he means the Prophet’s Sunnah; he may intend the practice of the Companions.
• Others maintain that it is indeed marfūʿ but mursal (missing a link), for the Companion has been omitted, and the word “sunnah” in his usage refers to the Prophet’s Sunnah.
In either case, if the report is mursal it is weak due to the break in the chain; and if it is mawqūf, it falls under the heading of a Companion’s statement or deed.
The dispute over the probative force of a Companion’s statement has already been discussed, and the correct view is that it constitutes proof when three conditions are met:
- The Companion must be among the jurist Companions.
- His statement must not contradict a revealed text.
- It must not conflict with the statement of another Companion.
If the Companion is not a jurist, his statement is not proof, and if it