The Taba’ Tabi’ee Imam Saeed bin Abee Burdah bin Abi Moosa al-Asharee rahimahullah took out a letter written to his grandfather (Abu Musa al-Asharee radhiyallahu anhu) from Umar (radhiyallahu anhu).
In it was written:
‘ لا يَمْنَعْكَ قَضَاءٌ قَضَيْتَهُ بِالأَمْسِ رَاجَعْتَ فِيهِ نَفْسَكَ وَهُدِيتَ فِيهِ لِرُشْدِكَ أَنْ تُرَاجِعَ الْحَقَّ ، فَإِنَّ الْحَقَّ قَدِيمٌ ، وَإِنَّ الْحَقَّ لا يُبْطِلُهُ شَيْءٌ وَمُرَاجَعَةَ الْحَقِّ خَيْرٌ مِنَ التَّمَادِي فِي الْبَاطِلِ ‘
Whatever you judged yesterday, if you reviewed it(today) and you are directed towards something which is correct, then don’t stop yourself from returning to what is the truth. Because the truth is old and there is nothing that invalidates it. And to return towards truth has goodness (khayr) rather than being argumentative (defending) for the baatil (falsehood).(Sunan ad-Daraqutnee 4/207 hadith no. 4426, Akhbaarul Qadhaat by Muhammad ibn Khalaf ibn Hayyan 1/17,72)
The chain of this true pearl and statement of al-Farooq (Umar radhiyallahu anhu) is saheeh till Saeed bin Abee Burdah. Saeed’s student i.e. Idrees bin Yazeed bin Abdi-rahmaan al-Awadi was Thiqah [see Taqreeb (296)]
Saeed had the letter which was sent by Umar to Abu Musa al-Asharee (radhiyallahu anhuma). This letter was obtained by Saeed from his father (Abu Burdah rahimahullah). And narrating from a book because of it being from Wajaadah(a form of narration) is Saheeh and a Hujjah (evidence). [see Musnad al-Farooq by Imam Ibn Katheer (2/546.547)]
Haafidh Ibnul Qayyim said: This book has a great honor. It has got the approval and acceptance from the Ulemas (scholars). [see I’laam al-Muwaqqieen p. 77]
This is the fundamental manhaj on which we are on course all the time. And the pages of the monthly magazine Al-Hadith Hazro is a witness to this (manhaj).
Mullah Marghinaani has written several times about Abu Haneefah that he recanted from this mas’alah(issue).[for example see al-Hidaayah Vol. 1 p.61]
Sheikh al-Albanee rahimahullah’s book based on his recantations and corrections has been published in one or two volumes.
Fortunate is the one who recants from his errors and returns to the truth after he comes to know of it.
[translated from: Tahqeeqi Islaahi wa Ilmi Maqalaat by Sheikh Zubair AliZai rahimahullah Volume 2 page no.50]
Sheikh Zubair Ali Zai (rahimahullah) 