and one of the factors that facilitates this—beyond the human limitation I have already mentioned—is that from time to time we gain access to newly printed works whose originals existed only as manuscripts or photographic reproductions, far beyond the reach of researchers and critical editors…

This, together with the preceding point, is the secret behind the abundance of corrections and amendments that appear in some of my new publications, as well as in those that are reprinted…

So may Allah have mercy on the servant who points out my error and gifts me my shortcomings, for—with His permission and aid—it is easy for me to withdraw an error once its reality becomes clear to me. The books of mine that are printed for the first time and those whose editions are renewed stand as the greatest witness to this.’ End of his words.

One illustration of this is the ḥadith Abu Dawud recorded in his Sunan (Book of Jihad), no. 2205. He said:

Muhammad b. Rafiʿ narrated to us; Ibn Abi Fudayk narrated to us; ʿAbd Allah b. Abi Yahya narrated to me, from Saʿid b. Abi Hind, who said: Abu Hurayrah said: the Messenger of Allah said:

‘There will be camels belonging to devils and houses belonging to devils. As for the camels of the devils, I have seen them: one of you goes out with several well-fattened mounts yet refuses to ride a single one of them, and when he passes his brother who has been stranded, he does not offer him a ride. As for the houses of the devils, I have not seen them.’

The Shaykh originally cited it—judging its chain sound—in Silsilat al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah, no. 93 (old edition). He later removed it in the new edition and inserted it into Silsilat al-Aḥādīth al-Ḍaʿīfah, new edition, 4/327–328, no. 2303.

At the new location he wrote: ‘I had previously included the ḥadith in al-Ṣaḥīḥah, no. 93, before the discontinuity mentioned above became clear to me.(1) All praise is due to Allah who guided us to this; we would never have been guided had Allah not guided us.’ End of quote.