Most editors these days are awful if not horrible. For some of them, editing books is simply their job and source of income, not a craft they have to master before practicing. And this is multiplied by most bookstores being driven by profit and money also. Bookstores don't care about quality = anything goes so long as it makes me money. And this problem goes further into kitmān (suppression) of knowledge if they don't monetarily benefit from it. No doubt there is benefit from a surplus of average editors (like more books being readily available), but the negatives immensely outweigh the positives when this becomes 95% of editors

Gone are the days of Shaykh ‘Abd al-Fattāh Abu Ghuddah and Shaykh Nūr al-Dīn ‘Itr. There are still amazing editors today no doubt, the likes of Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwāmah, Shaykh Hasan Hīto, Shaykh Anas al-Sharfāwī, Shaykh Nizār Hammādī... But for each great editor there are 200+ atrocious ones

Shaykh Anas is working on a book which had already been edited and printed as someone's PhD paper in the past. I had it, and so he requested it from me so he could take a look at his work on it. When he was handing it back to me I said: Hopefully you benefited from it, Shaykh? So he shook his head and told me: My work on the book is immeasurably better than this, even though it's for a PhD. It's riddled with mistakes, mixing up names and books, and confusing different issues, لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله

Most chains to al-Bājūrī today have at least 4 if not 5 and 6 connections But the shortest is of Shaykh Dr. Mutī‘ al-Hāfidh, from → Shaykh Abu al-Khayr al-Maydānī, from → Shaykh ‘Isā al-Kurdī, who went to Egypt and took from al-Bājūrī Making it only two…

Most chains to al-Bājūrī today have at least 4 if not 5 and 6 connections

But the shortest is of Shaykh Dr. Mutī‘ al-Hāfidh, from → Shaykh Abu al-Khayr al-Maydānī, from → Shaykh ‘Isā al-Kurdī, who went to Egypt and took from al-Bājūrī

Making it only two connections, and three for his students, which is still the highest possible

Many don't know that Shaykh Sāmir al-Nass’ grandfather (Shaykh Muhammad Sharīf al-Nass) was himself a scholar

Shaykh Sharīf accompanied Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Ja‘far al-Kittānī, Shaykh Badr al-Dīn al-Hasanī, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Hakīm al-Afghānī, and others of that Tabaqa. And he was close friends with Shaykh Zāhid al-Kawtharī

The permissibility of acting on weak Hadīth is an issue which is almost unanimously accepted by the scholars of Hadīth let alone the Fuqahā’. Shaykh Dr. Hātim al-‘Awnī (may Allāh preserve him) holds to a fringe opinion that says it is impermissible, and unfortunately his followers have turned this into dogma. This isn't where the issues lies, they're free to believe whatever they want. The issue is that some ignoramuses have decided to relentlessly attack and insult al-Imām Ahmad Ridā Khān and Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwāmah, because both of them authored supporting the majority view, as if they are the only ones who believe this! Why don't you include Shaykh ‘Abdullāh Sirāj al-Dīn, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Fattāh Abu Ghuddah, Shaykh Nūr al-Dīn ‘Itr, Shaykh Khalīl Mullā Khātir, etc. etc. into your list of scholars you insult? They all (and countless others, everyone knows the classical texts on this issue) supported and defended this, why focus on insulting Shaykh ‘Awwāmah alone? Forget that, assume he is totally wrong, has your Ta‘assub reached such an extent that even a major ‘Allāmah like him is fine to insult??

But to answer my own question, it's easier to turn 1 person into a scapegoat than to face the bitter reality of the ocean of scholars you are at odds with

PDF available here for anyone to view, print out, or distribute

I only ask you pray for Allah to reward him and have mercy on him if you benefit from it

Some pointers on Adab when speaking to Shuyūkh (by text also):

1. In Arabic, use the plural form when addressing the Shaykh as it is more respectful

2. Never phrase your questions or requests as commands, rather use “if you can”, “if you are able to”, etc.

3. Always end with a prayer for them