Applying weak Ahaadeeth in virtuous deeds is conditioned
23-1-2014 | IslamWeb
Question:
What is the ruling of acting upon Dha‘eef Hadeeths in virtuous deeds such as Athkaar and the like, specially such Hadeeths deemed weak by Imaam Al-Albaani, may Allaah have mercy upon him?
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
Imaam An-Nawawi 
said: “Scholars have unanimously agreed that a Dha‘eef Hadeeth is applicable regarding the virtuous deeds, not in matters regarding what is lawful and unlawful.”
Ibn Muflih the Hanbali scholar said: “Many of those who wrote about the science of Hadeeth narrated that the scholars agreed that a Dha‘eef Hadeeth is applicable regarding matters other than what pertains to what is lawful and unlawful, such as virtuous deeds. Additionally, it was reported that Imaam Ahmad said what agrees with that.”
Muhammad Al-Khattaab the Maalili scholar said: “Scholars have unanimously agreed that a Dha‘eef Hadeeth is applicable in virtuous deeds.”
Shihaab Ad-Deen Ar-Ramli the Shaafi‘i scholar, said, while answering a Fatwa concerning acting upon a Dha‘eef Hadeeth and whether it enacts a ruling or not: “An-Nawawi reported in many of his books that there is a general consensus among the scholars of Hadeeth that a Dha‘eef Hadeeth is applicable in virtuous deeds and the like. Also, Ibn Abd Al-Barr said: ‘The Hadeeths on virtuous deeds do not need to be reported through reliable narrators.’ Al-Haakim said: ‘I heard Abu Zakariyya Al-‘Anbari say: ‘If any report that does not prohibit what is lawful or allow what is unlawful, or enjoin an act and it just encourages or intimidates, then it can be accepted and its narration may be overlooked.’’”
Al-Khateeb Ash-Shirbeeny the Shaafi‘i scholar said: “The conditions for it to be permissible to act upon a Dha‘eef Hadeeth regarding virtuous deeds are that it should not be very weak. It should be within a general principle (of the Sharee‘ah), and when acting upon it one should not believe that that is an act of the Sunnah.”
Deeming a Hadeeth as Saheeh or Dha‘eef can be accepted from a qualified scholar of the early or later generation. However, the judgment of the early scholars is more worthy because of the wide scope of their knowledge. Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said: “The early generations of traditionists were by far more knowledgeable about the Sunnah than the later generations, for many reports that they deemed Saheeh may not reach us except by an unknown person or an interrupted chain of narrators or may not reach us at all. Their hearts were their books that contain many times as much as the books contain. In fact, none of the specialists in the science of Hadeeth may have doubt in this matter.”
Allaah Knows best.