This excerpt is taken from the book of the contemporary scholar Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai رحمه الله Noor al-Aynayn fi Ithbat Raf' al-Yadayn 'Ind al-Ruku' wa Ba'dahu fi al-Salah.
Muhammad Rafiq Tahir حفظہ اللہ asked: Every narration of a mudallis narrator is rejected unless there is some evidence to support it. What is the status of the classes of mudallis narrators under this principle?
Hafiz Abdul Manan Noor Puri رحمه الله replied: The principle is indeed that the narration will be rejected. The classes are a later development. The earlier scholars followed the method that if there is a clear statement of hearing or corroboration, then it is accepted; otherwise, it is rejected. The mention of this class and that class is not necessary; these are merely the investigations of later scholars and not a solid and established principle.
Muhammad Rafiq Tahir: There are some mudallis narrators whose narrations have been accepted by the earlier scholars.
Hafiz Abdul Manan Noor Puri رحمه الله: They have also accepted weak narrators. So what? The earlier scholars would also accept the narrations of weak narrators; does that mean a weak narrator becomes trustworthy?
Muhammad Rafiq Tahir: No.
Hafiz Abdul Manan Noor Puri رحمه الله: Accepting or issuing a fatwa based on that narration is a separate issue, and the correctness of the narration is a separate issue. The matter may be that he is expressing it through ijtihad, and it is possible that he is not even using it as evidence.
Muhammad Rafiq Tahir: Then the issue is quite straightforward.
Hafiz Abdul Manan Noor Puri رحمه الله: Yes, indeed, this is the straightforward and solid principle, as held by the scholars before the classes, that the narration of a mudallis is rejected. (22 Sha'ban 1431 AH)
Reference: (Quarterly Magazine Al-Mukarram, Issue: 13, April to June 2012, pp. 37-38)
