Thus they both overlooked the corroborating report transmitted by Ḥasan ibn Thawbān and ʿAmr ibn al-Ḥārith which would have strengthened the hadith. That omission once embroiled me—as it was before the printing of al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr—into listing the narration in al-Ḍaʿīfah under no. (3021), merely following their judgment. I had no alternative so long as the source they cited was beyond my reach, as I clarified in the introduction to my book Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhīb wa-l-Tarhīb.

See al-Ṣaḥīḥah (7/1417) and the introduction to Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhīb.

5/ The publication of certain sources that had not previously been printed—sources containing additional chains, corroborations, and supporting evidence—has also helped to establish a hadith’s authenticity or expose its weakness.

Examples include the printing of Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān (in the arrangement of Ibn Balbān), al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr and al-Awsat, the compilations of ʿAbd al-Razzaq and Ibn Abī Shaybah, the Musnad of Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh, the Musnad of al-Bazzār, and other works.

6/ Human error and shortcoming: at times the Shaykh—may Allah have mercy on him—was unable to exert his full effort in ruling on a hadith for incidental reasons for which, Allah willing, he is excused. Because of this, a flaw might creep into his judgment.

Such is the nature of mankind, for “every son of Adam errs.”

Among the examples are his annotations to al-Mishkāt: despite the scholarship they contain, they also show clear deficiency. A similar defect affected no small number of narrations in Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ and Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ.

See, for instance, al-Ṣaḥīḥah (7/1518–1519 no. 3559), and other causes besides.

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Having mentioned some of the factors that led the Shaykh to revise his ruling on a given hadith, I now set forth my methodology in this study:

1/ I cite the text of the hadith whose weakening the Shaykh later retracted, and beside it I record his most recent judgment.

2/ I identify the source in which he had previously declared it weak.

3/ I indicate the place where he withdrew that verdict and quote his very words there.

4/ If I have an observation or comment, I add it after the above.

5/ I confine myself to passages in which the Shaykh explicitly stated—or alluded to—his retraction; I have not attempted to comb through all his works for every instance, for he may have changed his mind without declaring it, and that would require twice the effort. Perhaps, Allah willing, this will become possible later, and I will add an appendix to this study.

6/ I shall begin with volume seven, Allah willing, and I will present this research in successive instalments, Allah willing, each containing five hadiths.

Finally, I draw attention to an important point:

This study is simply a facilitation for students of knowledge, enabling them to know the Shaykh’s latest views on each hadith. It embodies the fruit of his learning, his ijtihād, and his long engagement with the discipline.

I am under no obligation to present my own opinion on the Shaykh’s final ruling; he may have been correct, and he may have erred in his retraction.

My effort is one of accessibility and convenience, not of critique and investigation—there is another place for that, and the present time is too constrained.

For the most part, then, this work merely records the statements and views of Shaykh al-Albani—may Allah have mercy on him. I beseech Allah to envelop him in His mercy, to illuminate and expand his grave, and to gather us with him in Paradise.

I ask Allah to reward him well for what he gave to this religion, and I ask Allah to enable me to thank the Shaykh for being the reason I adopted the methodology of the people of hadith in their creed, their Salafi way, their approach to research and argumentation, and their love of the science of hadith, of source-tracing, and of grading narrations.

Part of truly thanking the Shaykh is to clarify whatever mistakes of his have come to light, for that is the counsel owed to Allah, His Messenger, His religion, and to the leaders and the common folk of the Muslims.

I ask Allah for success, accuracy, guidance and rectitude; to show me the truth as truth and grant me the grace to follow it, and to show me falsehood as falsehood and grant me the grace to avoid it.

Written by:
Abū ʿUmar al-ʿUtaybi
Usāmah ibn ʿAṭāyah ibn ʿUthmān al-ʿUtaybi, the Palestinian—may Allah aid him and grant him success.

The hadiths that Shaykh al-Albani retracted from weakening, taken from al-Silsilah al-Ṣaḥīḥah (7)
First instalment

The first hadith:

1/ Text of the hadith: from Ibn Shihāb—al-Zuhri—that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Ḥaḍramawt is better than Banū al-Ḥārith.” (Sound through external corroboration).

This wording occurs within a longer narration reported by ʿAmr ibn ʿAbasah, Allah be pleased with him. The Shaykh authenticated it under no. 2606 and repeated it under no. 3127.

2/ Place where he had judged it weak—the Zuhri version: Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ (p. 402 no. 2726, third edition).

3/ Place where he retracted: al-Ṣaḥīḥah (7/120–121 no. 3051).

Shaykh al-Albani said: “The hadith under discussion slipped into Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ (7225) by a lapse; it rightfully belongs in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ, so let it be transferred there. I ask Allah’s forgiveness and repent to Him.”

4/ Comment: A typographical error occurred in the hadith number the Shaykh cited in Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ, namely 7225; it seems he meant 2725, but in the edition I possess it is 2726—and Allah knows best.

The second hadith: