If two Zhanniy evidences are in conflict and the Raajih (outweighing or stronger) one is not worked with, it means working with the Marjooh (outweighed or weaker) whilst outweighing the Marjooh (outweighed/weaker) over the Raajih (outweighing/stronger) is rationally not possible.

It has been confirmed that conflict amongst the Shar’iyah texts can happen and it has indeed happened between some of the texts. It is therefore necessary to outweigh one of the two evidences because the Hukm of Allah for a single issue is one. The Messenger of Allah (saw) and the Sahaabah (rah) after him worked with Tarjeeh and their Ijmaa’ (consensus) has fallen upon working with At-Tarjeeh.

There are evidences for working with At-Tarjeeh. They include both Shar’iy and ‘Aqliy evidences.

1 – The Messenger’s (saw) working with At-Tarjeeh.

Abu Hurairah (ra) said: “The Nabi (saw) prayed Salaat ul-‘Asr with us and he made the Tasleem after two Rak’ah. Dhu-l-Yadain stood and said: Have you shortened the Salaah O Messenger of Allah or did you forget? And so he (saw) said: None of that happened. And so he said: Some of that had (taken place) O Messenger of Allah. So the Messenger turned towards the people and said: Did Dhu-l-Yadain speak the truth? They replied: Yes, O Messenger of Allah. So the Nabi (saw) completed what remained of the Salaah and then prostrated two prostrations whilst he was sitting after the Tasleem” (Muslim). And it was added in a Riwaayah of the Hadeeth recorded by Abu Dawud: “Abu Bakr and ‘Umar were amongst the people”.

Therefore, the Messenger of Allah (saw) did not take the statement of Dhu-l-Yadain to begin with and then took it after the people supported or gave weight to it. This indicates that the Messenger (saw) gave weight to the second report that the people supported over the first report that Dhu-l-Yadayn was alone in presenting.

2 – Ijmaa’ As-Sahaabah upon At-Tarjeeh:

It was related from Maalik that he said: “The grandmother approached Abu Bakr asking him about her inheritance. So Abu Bakr said: You do not have in the Kitaab of Allah ‘Azza Wa Jalla anything and I am not aware that you have anything in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saw). So return until I have asked the people. So Al-Mugheerah Bin Shu’bah said: She (i.e. the grandmother) attended the Messenger of Allah (saw) and he gave (or allocated for) her the sixth. So Abu Bakr asked: Do you have anyone to support that? So he said: Muhammad Bin Salamah. He then said the same as Al-Mugheerah. Abu Bakr then allocated it for her” (Al-Maalik in Al-Muwatta’).

Therefore, Abu Bakr gave weight to the report (Khabar) taking it after Muhammad Bin Salamah backed it up and then acted by it. None of the Sahaabah (rah) rebuked him for that and as such it represents an Ijmaa’.

Another example:

The outweighing of the Sahaabah of the Hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (ra) over the Hadeeth of Abu Hurairah (ra) in regards to the Messenger of Allah (saw) waking up in a state of Janaabah (major impurity) in Ramadan and then fasting. We have mentioned the two Hadeeth and the Tarjeeh between them previously in the section about At-Tarjeeh.