Written by: Fazilat al-Sheikh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri Hafizahullah
Imam Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him (290 AH), states:
[سألت أبي عن الرجل يريد أن يسأل عن الشيء من أمر دينه- يعني مما يبتلى به من الأيمان في الطلاق وغيره، وفي مصره من أصحاب الرأي، ومن أصحاب الحديث لا يحفظون ولا يعرفون الحديث الضعيف ولا الإسناد القوي، فمن يسأل؟ أصحاب الرأي أو هؤلاء- أعني أصحاب الحديث- على ما كان من قلة معرفتهم؟ قال: يسأل أصحاب الحديث، ولا يسأل أصحاب الرأي. ضعيف الحديث خير من رأي أبي حنيفة.]
I asked my honorable father (Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him) that if a person wants guidance regarding a religious matter that has arisen, such as divorce or oaths, but in his city the majority are people of reason (Ahl al-Ra'y), and some people of Hadith are also present, but they do not have much knowledge of the hadith, they cannot distinguish between weak and strong hadith, then from whom should that person seek guidance? From the people of reason or from those less knowledgeable people of Hadith? The Imam, may Allah have mercy on him, said: He should seek guidance from the people of Hadith rather than the people of reason, because a weak hadith is in any case better than the opinion of Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him.
Reference: (Tarikh Baghdad - Scientific Edition: 13/420 and its chain is authentic)
Sunni Imam Abu Muzahim Musa bin Ubaidullah Khāqāni Baghdadi, may Allah have mercy on him (325 AH), said a couplet:
أهل الكلام وأهل الرأي قد عدموا
علم الحديث الذي ينجو به الرجل
لو أنهم عرفوا الآثار ما انحرفوا
عنها إلى غيرها، لكنهم جهلوا
The theologians and the people of opinion do not possess the knowledge of Hadith, through which a person can attain salvation. If these people had known the Ahadith and traditions, they would not have deviated from them, but they remained ignorant of them.
Reference: (Sharaf Ashab al-Hadith by Al-Khatib Al-Baghdadi: p.79, and its chain is Hasan)
