Imam Sha’bi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: A man came and asked about something. I said, “Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) says such and such about this.” He said, “What is your opinion?” Sha’bi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Are you not amazed at this man? I told him that Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) says this, and he says, “Tell me your opinion,” even though my method (i.e., narrating the opinions of others) is more preferable to me. By Allah, I would rather go around singing songs than express my own opinion.
Hadith Takhrijعیسیٰ الحناط کی وجہ سے یہ روایت ضعیف ہے۔ اس کو خطیب نے [الفقيه والمتفقه 492] میں ذکر کیا ہے۔
Brief Explanation
(Commentary on Hadith 108)
From this narration, if authentic, it is established that singing songs is better than issuing a legal verdict (fatwa) based on one’s own opinion. Although singing is a reprehensible act, in their view, it is still better than fabricating fatwas. From this, the virtue of Imam Sha’bi and the respect for the opinions of others is established.