Questioner: There is a statement concerning the issue of al-Jarh and at-Ta’deel which the questioner wants to put to you: when respected scholars differ in their criticism [jarh] or praise [ta’deel] of someone, this variance [in opinion] remains present among Ahlus-Sunnah, thus whoever follows one of these scholars is not to be declared an innovator nor boycotted, and we hope that he receives a reward for the purity of his intention?

Al-’Abbaad: Firstly, the scholars used to use al-Jarh and at-Ta’deel to determine whether or not hadiths were valid, for this reason the books of narrators are replete with biographies that contain what the scholars said about people, “So and so said this … and so and so said that … and so and so said this … and so and so said that,’ some of them would praise and others would criticise.

But some of the scholars who praise [a certain individual] may not have come across anything [in terms of jarh] regarding a person who has been criticised [by others], and as a result they praise a person based upon what is apparent to them.

Others may criticise a person about something which does not stand up as a criticism. Some scholars are harsh in their jarh such that they perform jarh over an issue which does not stand up as a point of jarh.

[Anyway,] the important thing here is that they used to busy themselves with al-Jarh andat-Ta’deel in order to become acquainted with which hadiths were authentic and which weren’t, which were valid and which weren’t, this was the way they used to use it.

Preoccupying oneself with al-Jarh and at-Ta’deel in this day and age, speaking about people, abandoning them, tracking what is said about them, collecting what is said about them the result of which is that they are warned against—these are all.

taken http://giftsofknowledge.net/2015/10/19/al-abbaad-on-al-jarh-and-at-tadeel/

unbecoming actions, what is proper for a Muslim is that he knows the truth and acts on it.

Whoever is known to be from the people of an innovation which is open and plain to see and concerning which there is no ambiguity, and who has a way and manhaj which is in accordance with the people of innovation, then such a person deserves [the jarh].

As for a person who erred in a statement, who made a mistake in a statement after which an all out onslaught is made against him and he is warned against, then this is not just and nor is it fair.”