Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
If a majhūl (unknown) narrator is narrated from by a trustworthy (thiqah) narrator, does this remove his jahālah (unknown status)?
If a trustworthy narrator, who is known for narrating only from other trustworthy narrators, narrates from someone, this is sufficient to remove that narrator’s jahālah. This principle is based on predominance (ghalabah).
However, if the narrator is already known for weakness (ḍaʿf), then a trustworthy narrator reporting from him does not remove his weakness, nor does it count as a form of authentication.
✔ Imam ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Ḥātim رحمه الله:
“I asked my father about trustworthy narrators reporting from someone who is not trustworthy — does this strengthen him? He replied: If he is known for weakness, their reporting from him does not strengthen him. But if he is majhūl (unknown), then the narration of a trustworthy narrator from him benefits him.”
(الجرح والتعديل: 2/36)
✔ He further narrates:
“I asked Abū Zurʿah about trustworthy narrators reporting from someone — does this strengthen his ḥadīth? He replied: Yes, by my life. I said: Al-Kalbī was narrated from by al-Thawrī. He said: That principle applies when the narrator has not been criticized by the scholars. As for al-Kalbī, he has indeed been criticized.”
(الجرح والتعديل: 2/36)
Conclusion:
If a trustworthy narrator reports from someone unknown, this can raise the narrator’s status from majhūl to being acceptable. But if the narrator is already criticized for weakness, then the trustworthy narrator’s reporting does not remove his weakness.
◈ Question:
If a majhūl (unknown) narrator is narrated from by a trustworthy (thiqah) narrator, does this remove his jahālah (unknown status)?
◈ Answer:
If a trustworthy narrator, who is known for narrating only from other trustworthy narrators, narrates from someone, this is sufficient to remove that narrator’s jahālah. This principle is based on predominance (ghalabah).
However, if the narrator is already known for weakness (ḍaʿf), then a trustworthy narrator reporting from him does not remove his weakness, nor does it count as a form of authentication.
❀ Statements of the Scholars
✔ Imam ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Ḥātim رحمه الله:
“I asked my father about trustworthy narrators reporting from someone who is not trustworthy — does this strengthen him? He replied: If he is known for weakness, their reporting from him does not strengthen him. But if he is majhūl (unknown), then the narration of a trustworthy narrator from him benefits him.”
(الجرح والتعديل: 2/36)
✔ He further narrates:
“I asked Abū Zurʿah about trustworthy narrators reporting from someone — does this strengthen his ḥadīth? He replied: Yes, by my life. I said: Al-Kalbī was narrated from by al-Thawrī. He said: That principle applies when the narrator has not been criticized by the scholars. As for al-Kalbī, he has indeed been criticized.”
(الجرح والتعديل: 2/36)
Conclusion:If a trustworthy narrator reports from someone unknown, this can raise the narrator’s status from majhūl to being acceptable. But if the narrator is already criticized for weakness, then the trustworthy narrator’s reporting does not remove his weakness.
