How to deal with conflicting ahadith?

This is one of the standard questions in the arsenal of missionaries (aka clerics, maulanas, shaikh etc) and their brainwashed followers, that if you do not do taqlid of a fallible marja and decide to read ahadith yourself (our clerics tend to follow in the footsteps of brahmin pundits and consider it grave blasphemy for non clerics to read ahadith), then what will you do when sometimes faced with conflicting ahadith? So.............is it really that difficult to solve? This post will insha'Allah briefly address this issue. An important thing, in this post I am straying from my usual policy and would aim to provide detailed references (otherwise I only tend to post name of the book, although I don't consider it a shari'i obligation to give the detailed reference i.e. vol, pg number etc, but if any reader requires the source they're always welcome to drop a comment and I'll provide it) as well as grading of hadith. Although I do not consider it necessary, but nevertheless, this is so that readers do not feel that circular logic is being used i.e. an unverified hadith is being used to determine how to judge other ahadith.

 

Kafi

 

علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن عثمان بن عيسى، والحسن بن محبوب جميعا عن سماعة، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: سألته عن رجل اختلف عليه رجلان من أهل دينه في أمر كلاهما يرويه: أحدهما يأمر بأخذه والآخر ينهاه عنه، كيف يصنع؟ فقال: يرجئه حتى يلقي من يخبره، فهو في سعة حتي يلقاه، وفي رواية اخرى بأيهما أخذت من باب التسليم وسعك

 

Ali b. Ibrahim, from his father, from Uthman b. Isa, and al Hasan b. Mahboob both from Sama'a, from Abi Abdullah(as) said: (Narrator) asked (Imam(as)) about a man differed upon him 2 men from his religion in a command (regarding which) both are narrating: One of them (hadith) commands him to take it and the latter forbids him from it, how to solve it? So (Imam(as)) said: He should wait till he meets the one who informs him (of the solution), till he meets him he's not in pressure, and in another narration by whichever of the two(ahadith) you took(follow/act upon)  from door/section(point of view) of obedience(to the Infallibles(as)) and expansion/ease for yourself.

 

Source: Kafi, vol 1, p. 66, hadith no. 7

 

Grading: 

        

    Majlisi:  مرآة العقول في شرح أخبار آل الرسول، ج‏1، ص: 218

                   حسن أو موثق

                   

                 Hasan or muwaththaq (Miratul uqool, vol 1, p 218)

             

     Bahboodi: صحيح

                       

                      Sahih (Vol 1, p 10)