Who are the Scholars of al-Jarh (Disparagement) wat-Ta’deel (Recommendation) in this Day and Age? Q&A by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan

Noble Shaykh, who are the Scholars of al-Jarh (Disparagement) wat-Ta’deel (Recommendation) in this Day and Age?

Answer: “By Allah, we don’t know of anyone who is from the Scholars of al-Jarh (Disparagement) wat-Ta’deel (Recommendation) in this Day and Age. The Scholars of al-Jarh (Disparagement) wat-Ta’deel (Recommendation) are in their graves now but their words are present within their books of al-Jarh (Disparagement) wat-Ta’deel (Recommendation). Al-Jarh (Disparagement) wat-Ta’deel (Recommendation) concerns the knowledge of the chain of transmission and the (knowledge) of the narrators of the prophetic narrations. Al-Jarh (Disparagement) wat-Ta’deel (Recommendation) is not abusing people and belittling them, “Such and such a person is this”, and “such and such a person is that”. Some of the people are praised and some of the people are disparaged. This is backbiting and gossip not al-Jarh (Disparagement) wat-Ta’deel (Recommendation).

Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, on the 14th of Muharram, 1427 A.H. at Masjid al-Ameer Mu’tib bin ‘Abdil-‘Azeez during the lessons given on Sharh-us-Sunnah by al-Barbaharee.
Translated by Thomas Maldonado