in accordance with it, which is impossible for the community.

Other authentic hadiths are those that hadith scholars have accepted and affirmed as true, such as the majority of the hadiths in al-Bukhārī and Muslim. All hadith scholars are certain of the authenticity of the majority of the hadiths in these two collections, and everyone else follows their lead in knowledge of hadith. The consensus of hadith scholars that a particular report is true is like the consensus of jurists that a particular act is lawful, unlawful, or obligatory. When the scholars agree on something, the rest of the community follows them. Their consensus is protected from error: they cannot agree upon something mistaken.

Among the reports that may be called authentic are those that some hadith scholars grade as authentic while others dispute their assessment, saying, “It is weak, not authentic.” Examples include certain wordings narrated by Muslim in his Sahīh whose authenticity other scholars disputed, whether those scholars were his equals, below him, or above him in rank. Such reports cannot be affirmed as true with certainty without evidence.

One example is the hadith narrated by Ibn Waʿlah from Ibn ʿAbbās that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Any hide that has been tanned has become pure.”

Muslim alone, rather than al-Bukhārī, narrated this report. Imam Ahmad and others judged it weak, although Muslim narrated it.

Another example is Muslim’s report that:

“The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, performed the eclipse prayer with three bowings and with four bowings.”

Muslim alone, rather than al-Bukhārī, narrated this. The most discerning scholars judged it weak and said that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, performed the eclipse prayer only once, on the day his son Abraham died. In these very hadiths, which describe the prayer as having three bowings