Perhaps some of the people find it unusual that these scholars have
explained the "Taa'ifah Al-Mansoorah" (Victorious Party) and the "Firqah An-Naajiyah"
(Saved Group) as being the scholars of Hadith. But there is no strangeness
in that sharh if we recall the following:
One: The scholars of Hadith are without exception the most knowledgeable of
the Sunnah of the Prophet, his guidance, manners, battles, etc. (may peace
and blessings be upon him.) This is due to their particular study of the
Sunnah and whatever is connected to it from knowing the biographies of the
narrators and stories behind the Hadith.
Two: The nation has divided into groups and schools of thought that are not
found in the first Muslim generation. For all of these mathaahib (schools of
thought) are separate principles, branches, and certain ahadith that that
specific mathab (school of thought) uses as daleel (proof) and depends on.
The one who follows one particular school of thought is fanatically engaged
in it, and holds tightly to it without taking a look at the other schools of
thought. Although he should look because perhaps he will find in them what
he does not find in his own. What is confirmed with the scholars is that in
every mathab exists information of the Sunnah that is not found in other
mathaahib.
Thus, the one who holds on to only one mathab will be ignorant of
a magnificent other side of the Sunnah that is preserved in other mathaahib.
But the scholars of hadith are not upon this. For they take any hadith that
has been authentically confirmed on the Prophet through an authentic chain
of narrators regardless of the mathab it was reported by. They accept it from
the person regardless of what group he was a part of so long that he is a
trustworthy Muslim that can be depended on for narrations of hadith.
Additionally, authentic Hadiths cannot be rejected from someone even if he
was a communist, Qadari, or Khaariji, so how much more so from someone who
considered himself a Hanafi (person who particularly follows the school of
thought of Imam Abu Haneefah) or Maaliki (person who particularly follows
the school of thought of Imam Maalik) or other than that.
Indeed Imam Ash-Shafiee made this clear, may Allah be pleased with him, when
he spoke with Imam Ahmad and said: "You are more knowledgeable of the
ahadith than me. So if the authentic hadith comes to you, inform me of it so that it
would be my position, regardless if the reporter is from al-Hijaz, Koofah,
or Misr."
Thus, Ahlul Hadith (People of Hadith), may Allah gather us with them, do
not fanatically blind follow the statement of one person no matter how high this
person was. This method is contrary to other than them from those who do not
associate themselves or their actions with the Hadith. Indeed those people
fanatically blind follow the statement of the scholars when the scholars
themselves warn them of that. Those people blind follow these statements to
the same degree the people of Hadith are zealous in accepting the statement
of their Prophet. So there is no amazement after this clear explanation that
the People of Hadith are the Victorious Party and the Saved Sect, rather,
they are the middle-grounded nation, and the witnesses over the creation.
The Way of As-haab ul-Hadeeth and Their Following the Evidences