He may at times quote a weak ḥadith even though he is well aware of its weakness, because it contains a point that is supported by Quranic verses and other traditions—just as he did with the ḥadith of al-aṭīṭ (the creaking of the Throne). Directly after citing it he said (p.39): “We have only mentioned this report because it affirms—just as the well-attested texts do—that Allah is exalted above His Throne, in accordance with the verses of the Book.”
As for me, in this Abridgement I have chosen to omit that narration and everything similar to it among the weak reports. Although such narrations may include a measure of truth that is already established by sound texts, they usually contain additional wording which—if not downright false or objectionable—is at least peculiar and unsupported. Some readers, seeing them quoted, might assume that the entire narration is reliable, unaware that the corroboration applies only to part of it, as has been explained. That is when the reader’s intention is sincere; if not, people of whims and malicious bias against the scholars of ḥadith may seize upon such reports, citing them in order to deflect the clear import of authentic narrations and force upon them false meanings, relying solely on the author’s having mentioned the weak report—even though he cited it only as general corroboration, not for every detail.
A striking example is what al-Kawtharī did with the well-known ḥadith of the slave-girl, which will appear below as ḥadith 2. He exploited to the worst degree the second version that the compiler set down after the sound narration merely as broad corroboration. Al-Kawtharī adopted that weak version wholesale, attributed it to the compiler, and led the reader to believe that the compiler held it to be authentic. He then used it to invalidate the sound narration and to cancel its explicit proof for the permissibility of asking, “Where is Allah?”—because that wording does not occur in the weak version, whose chain of transmission is itself defective, as will be clarified in the forthcoming commentary, Allah willing.
For this reason and others, I have refrained from including that narration and others like it among the weak reports. What is authentically established is sufficient, blessed, and enriching.
- I may also omit material that the author himself declared sound, or that he transmitted from others, if a decisive flaw has become apparent to me—such as the marfūʿ ḥadith of Abū Hurayrah: “When Abraham—peace be upon him—was thrown into the fire, he said: …”