This excerpt is taken from the book "Hujjat al-Hadith" by Fazilat al-Sheikh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri .
Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) (463 AH) writes:
ليس في الاعتقاد كله في صفات الله وأسمائه إلا ما جاء منصوصا في كتاب الله أو صح عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أو أجمعت عليه الأمة وما جاء من أخبار الآحاد في ذلك كله أو نحوه يسلم له ولا يناظر فيه.
“The only proof in Aqeedah regarding Allah’s names and attributes is that which is clarified in the Book of Allah or authentically established from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, or established by the consensus of the Ummah. If solitary reports occur in all or some discussions of Aqeedah, they will be accepted; there will be no debate or argument regarding their acceptance or rejection.”
Reference: Jami' Bayan al-'Ilm wa Fadlih: 942/2
He also states:
الذي نقول به إنه يوجب العمل دون العلم كشهادة الشاهدين والأربعة سواء وعلى ذلك أكثر أهل الفقه والأثر وكلهم يدين بخبر الواحد العدل في الاعتقادات ويعادي ويوالي عليها ويجعلها شرعا ودينا في معتقده على ذلك جماعة أهل السنة ......
"(Regarding solitary narration) Our position is that acting upon it is obligatory, but it does not provide the benefit of certain knowledge. Whether it is the testimony of two or four, it is the same. This is the position of most jurists and hadith scholars. All scholars consider the solitary narration of a just narrator as proof in belief, and because of it, they harbor enmity and love. A large group of Ahl al-Sunnah have considered solitary narration as proof in belief, religion, and Shariah, ........"
Reference: Al-Tamhid li ma fi al-Muwatta min al-Ma'ani wa al-Asanid: 8/1
Commenting on this, Abd al-Salam ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him, 652 AH) writes:
هذا الإجماع الذي ذكره في خبر الواحد العدل في الإعتقادات يؤيد قول من يقول: إنه يوجب العلم وإلا فما لا يفيد علما ولا عملا كيف يجعل شرعا ودينا يوالى عليه ويعادى.
"The statement of the great scholar Ibn Abd al-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him), who mentioned that there is consensus on the solitary narration of a just narrator being proof in beliefs, is supported by this statement: It also provides the benefit of certain knowledge, because that which does not provide the benefit of knowledge and action, how can it be called Shariah or religion that it can be made a criterion for love and enmity?"
Reference: Al-Musawwadah fi Usul al-Fiqh, p. 245
The great scholar Ibn Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him, 751 AH) says:
لم يفرق هو ولا احد من أهل الحديث البتة بين أحاديث الأحكام وأحاديث الصفات، ولا يعرف هذا الفرق عن أحد من الصحابة ولا عن أحد من التابعين، ولا من تابعهم ولا عن أحد من أئمة الإسلام، وإنما يعرف عن رؤوس أهل البدع ومن تبعهم.
"There is no difference made by Imam Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him, between Ahadith of rulings and Ahadith of attributes, nor by any other Muhaddith, nor is this difference established from any Sahabi, Tabi'i, Tabi' al-Tabi'in, or Imam. Rather, this division is found only at the end among the people of innovation and their followers."
Reference: Mukhtasar al-Sawa'iq al-Mursalah, pp. 606-607
Imam Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him (204 AH), says:
إذا حدث الثقة عن الثقة حتى ينتهي إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فهو ثابت عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم.
"When all the narrators in the chain of transmission up to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, are trustworthy, then this Hadith of the Prophet will be established."
Reference: (Kitab al-Umm: 201/7)
He also says:
أجمع المسلمون قديما وحديثا على تثبيت خبر الواحد.
"There is consensus on the authority of solitary reports among all the earlier and present Muslims."
Reference: Kitab al-Risalah, p. 457
He also says:
لم يزل سبيل سلفنا والقرون بعدهم إلى من شاهدنا هذا السبيل.
"This is the position of the Salaf of the Ummah and all Muslims from the early generations until now."
Reference: Kitab al-Risalah, p. 453
Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari, may Allah have mercy on him (324 AH), says:
جملة ما عليه أهل الحديث والسنة الإقرار بالله وملائكته وكتبه ورسله وما جاء من عند الله وما رواه الثقات عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لا يردون من ذلك شيئا.
"In short, the belief of Ahl al-Hadith wa Sunnah is that they affirm Allah, the angels, the books, and the messengers, and they also affirm what has been conveyed from Allah or through trustworthy narrators from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. They do not deny any of these matters."
Reference: (Maqalat al-Islamiyyin, p. 290)
Allama Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Abi Ahmad al-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him (335 AH), says:
لا خلاف بين أهل الفقه في قبول خبر الآحاد إذا عدلت نقلته وسلم من النسخ حكمه، وإن كانوا متنازعين في شرط ذلك، وإنما دفع خبر الآحاد بعض أهل الكلام لعجزه والله أعلم عن علم السنن زعم أنه لا يقبل منها إلا ما تواترت به أخبار من لا يجوز عليه الغلط والنسيان، وهذا عندنا منه ذريعة إلى إبطال سنن المصطفى صلى الله عليه وسلم لوجهين؛ أحدهما: أن ما شرط من ذلك صفة الأمة المعصومة، والأمة إذا تطابقت على شيء وجب القول به وإن لم يأت خبر والثاني: أنه لو طولب بسنة يتحاكم إليها المتنازعان تواترت عليها أخبار نقلتها وسلمت من خوف النسيان طرقها لم يجد إليها سبيلا.
"There is no disagreement among the jurists regarding the acceptance of solitary (ahad) reports, provided their transmitters are just and the ruling is not abrogated, although jurists differ on its conditions. Some theologians have rejected solitary reports, and Allah knows best, this is because they lack knowledge of the Sunnah; they believe that only mutawatir (mass-transmitted) reports should be accepted, in which there is no fear of error or mistake. According to us, this is a reason for rejecting the Prophetic Sunnah for two reasons: ① The stated condition is a characteristic of the infallible Ummah, whereas if the Ummah agrees upon something, it becomes obligatory to act upon it, even if there is no hadith regarding it. ② If one searches for a Sunnah whose transmitters are mutawatir, then the existence of Sunnah in the world will not be found."
Reference: (Al-Faqih wal-Mutafaqqih lil-Khatib: 281/1, and its chain is Hasan)
Allama Ibn Battal, may Allah have mercy on him (449 AH), writes:
هذا الباب يرد به على الرافضة وقوم من الخوارج زعموا بأن أحكام النبي وسننه منقولة عنه نقل تواتر، وأنه لا سبيل إلى العمل بما لم ينقل نقل تواتر، وقولهم في غاية الجهل بالسنن وطرقها، فقد صحت الآثار أن أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أخذ بعضهم السنن من بعض ورجع بعضهم إلى ما رواه غيره عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وانعقد الإجماع على القول بالعمل بأخبار الآحاد.
"This chapter refutes a group among the Rawafid and Kharijites who say that the commands and Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, have been transmitted through mutawatir (continuous) narration, therefore there is no need to act upon a hadith that is not transmitted mutawatir. Their statement is a result of ignorance of the Sunnah and its chains of transmission. It is established in authentic narrations that the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, obtained the Sunnah from one another and referred to each other's hadith. Thus, there was consensus on acting upon solitary reports (akhbar al-ahad)."
Reference: Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari: 10/384-385
Allama Ibn Hazm, may Allah have mercy on him (456 AH), writes:
قال أبو سليمان والحسين عن أبي علي الكرابيسي والحارث بن أسد المحاسبي وغيرهم أن خبر الواحد العدل عن مثله إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يوجب العلم والعمل معا وبهذا نقول.
"Abu Sulayman and Husayn, may Allah have mercy on them, narrated from Imam Abu Ali Karabisi and Harith ibn Asad al-Muhasibi and others that a chain of transmission consisting of just and reliable narrators which reaches the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, provides certain knowledge ('ilm yaqini) and benefit for action. This is also our position."
Reference: Al-Ihkam fi Usul al-Ahkam: 119/1
Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Barr, may Allah have mercy on him (463 AH), writes:
أجمع أهل العلم من أهل الفقه والأثر في جميع الأمصار فيما علمت على قبول خبر الواحد العدل وإيجاب العمل به إذا ثبت ولم ينسخه غيره من أثر أو إجماع، على هذا جميع الفقهاء في كل عصر من لدن الصحابة إلى يومنا هذا إلا الخوارج وطوائف من أهل البدع شرذمة لا تعد خلافا.
"To the best of our knowledge, there is consensus and agreement among the jurists and hadith scholars of every region that the solitary report of a just narrator is acceptable and it is obligatory to act upon it, provided that the narration is established and is not abrogated by any other hadith or consensus. This position has been held by all jurists of every era and region from the time of the Companions until today, except for some groups among the Kharijites and innovators. This is a small group, and their disagreement holds no weight."
Reference: Al-Tamhid li Ma fi al-Muwatta min al-Ma'ani wa al-Asanid: 2/1
Abu al-Muzaffar Sam'ani, may Allah have mercy on him (489 AH), says:
إن الخبر إذا صح عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ورواه الثقات والأئمة وأسنده خلفهم عن سلفهم إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وتلقته الأمة بالقبول فإنه يوجب العلم فيما سبيله العلم. هذا قول عامة أهل الحديث والمتقنين من القائمين على السنة، وإنما هذا القول الذي يذكر؛ أن خبر الواحد لا يفيد العلم بحال ولا بد من نقله بطريق التواتر لوقوع العلم به، شيء اخترعته القدرية والمعتزلة وكان قصدهم منه رد الأخبار وتلقفه منهم بعض الفقهاء الذين لم يكن لهم في العلم قدم ثابت ولم يقفوا على مقصودهم من هذا القول.
"If a hadith is established from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, narrated by trustworthy narrators and imams, with the chain of transmission from later generations back to the first and to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and it is accepted eagerly by the Ummah, then it provides the benefit of certain knowledge. This is the view of Ahl al-Sunnah who adhere to the Sunnah. The statement that a solitary report does not provide the benefit of knowledge until its transmitters reach the level of mutawatir is a view invented by the Qadariyyah and Mu'tazilah. These people use it to reject hadiths. Some jurists, who lack maturity in knowledge and do not understand the purpose and meaning of this view, have adopted it from them."
Reference: Al-Intisar li-Ashab al-Hadith, pp. 34-35; Sawn al-Mantiq by Al-Suyuti, pp. 212-213
Imam Qawam al-Sunnah Abu al-Qasim Asbahani, may Allah have mercy on him (535 AH), says:
الخبر اذا صح كان كالمشاهدة، فان قيل: اخبار الاحاد كالشهادات، والشهادة لا يجوز ان يقطع على مغيبها بالاجماع، قيل : الشهادة تخالف اداء الحديث في مواضع، منها انها لا تقبل لابن الشاهد، ولا لابيه وامه، وليس كذلك الحديث؛ لانه اذا حدث عن ابنه او ابيه او امه يقبل حديثه.
"When the chain of narration is authentic, it is like an observation. If someone says that the report of solitary narrations is like testimonies and there is consensus that testimony is not definitive, then the answer is that there is a great difference between testimony and the narration of Hadith. Firstly, testimony from a son or father or mother is not accepted, but the matter of Hadith is not like this, because here even if a son narrates from his father or mother, it will be accepted."
Reference: Al-Hujjah fi Bayan al-Mihjah: 379/1
Allama Ibn Arabi, may Allah have mercy on him (543 AH), says:
خبر الواحد اصل عظيم لا ينكره الا زائغ، وقد اجمعت الصحابة على الرجوع اليه، وقد جمعناه في جزء.
"The solitary report is a very great foundation of religion, and only a perverse heart can deny it. All the Companions unanimously referred to solitary reports; on this, we have compiled a section (booklet)."
Reference: Ahkam al-Quran: 73/2
He also writes:
قد كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يرسل كتبه مع الواحد، ويأمر الواحد أيضا بتبليغ كلامه، ويبعث الأمراء إلى البلاد وعلى السرايا؛ وذلك لأن الأمر لو وقف فيها على التواتر لما حصل علم، ولا تم حكم.
"The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to send his letters through one person only and would command only one person to propagate his message. He would appoint commanders to regions and military expeditions. This was because if continuous transmission alone was relied upon in this matter, acquiring knowledge would not have been possible, nor would the completion of rulings have been achieved."
Reference: Ahkam al-Quran: 607/2
Allama Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi (may Allah have mercy on him, 620 AH) writes:
الإيمان بكل ما أخبر به الرسول ويجب الإيمان بكل ما أخبر به النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وصح به النقل عنه فيما شاهدناه، أو غاب عنا، نعلم أنه حق، وصدق، وسواء في ذلك ما عقلناه وجهلناه، ولم نطلع على حقيقة معناه، مثل حديث الإسراء والمعراج وكان يقظة لا مناما فإن قريشا أنكرته وأكبرته، ولم تنكر المنامات، ومن ذلك أن ملك الموت لما جاء إلى موسى عليه السلام ليقبض روحه لطمه ففقأ عينه فرجع إلى ربه فرد عليه عينه، ومن ذلك أشراط الساعة، مثل خروج الدجال ونزول عيسى ابن مريم عليه السلام فيقتله، وخروج يأجوج ومأجوج، وخروج الدابة، وطلوع الشمس من مغربها، وأشباه ذلك مما صح به النقل.
"It is obligatory to believe in whatever the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, has informed us about, provided that the narration is authentic. Whether we have witnessed it with our own eyes or the matter is hidden from us, we know that it is true and real. Whether it makes sense to our intellect or not, or whether we are able to comprehend its true meaning or not. For example, the Hadith of Isra and Mi'raj. The Mi'raj occurred while awake, not in a dream, because the Quraysh denied this event of Mi'raj and considered it a great matter, whereas the Quraysh did not deny dreams. Similarly, (they also denied the Hadith that) when the Angel of Death came to seize the soul of Sayyiduna Musa (Moses), peace be upon him, Musa struck him and blinded his eye. The angel went to Allah, and Allah restored the eye. Likewise, the signs of the Day of Judgment such as the emergence of the Dajjal, the descent of Jesus son of Mary, peace be upon him, and his killing of the Dajjal, the emergence of Gog and Magog and the Beast of the Earth, the rising of the sun from the west, and other similar authentic Hadiths."
Reference: Luma'at al-I'tiqad, p. 28
Hafiz Muzi, may Allah have mercy on him (742 AH), writes:
نقبل خبر الواحد ونستعمله، تلقاه العمل أو لم يتلقه، وهو مذهب أهل الحديث.
"We accept and act upon a solitary report, whether it is acted upon continuously or not; this is the creed of the Muhaddithin."
Reference: (Tahdhib al-Kamal: 37/1)
Allama Ibn Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him (751 AH), says:
نحن نشهد بالله ولله شهادة على البت والقطع ...... ومن هذا إخبار الصحابة بعضهم بعضا فإنهم كانوا يجزمون بما يحدث به أحدهم عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ولم يقل أحد منهم لمن حدثه عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم خبرك خبر واحد لا يفيد العلم حتى يتوافر، وتوقف من توقف منهم حتى عضده آخر منهم لا يدل على رد خبر الواحد عن كونه خبر واحد، وإنما كان يستثبت أحيانا نادرة جدا إذا استخبر .ولم يكن أحد من الصحابة ولا أهل الإسلام بعدهم يشكون فيما يخبر به أبو بكر الصديق عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ولا عمر ولا عثمان ولا علي ولا عبد الله بن مسعود وأبي بن كعب وأبو ذر ومعاذ بن جبل وعبادة بن الصامت وعبد الله بن عمر وأمثالهم من الصحابة، بل كانوا لا يشكون في خبر أبي هريرة مع تفرده بكثير من الحديث، ولم يقل له أحد منهم يوما واحدا من الدهر: خبرك خبر واحد لا يفيد العلم.
"We bear firm witness by Allah: ........ Similarly, the Companions would inform each other of the hadith; if a Companion narrated a hadith, the Companions would accept it categorically, and no Companion would say to the one narrating the hadith that your hadith is a solitary report, and it will not provide the benefit of certain knowledge unless it becomes mutawatir. Among the Companions, whoever hesitated in narrating from a single Companion did so only to have the support of another Companion as well. Their hesitation does not indicate rejection of solitary reports; sometimes it was only due to extreme caution. Neither any Companion nor any later Muslim ever doubted a hadith reported to them by Abu Bakr Siddiq, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Abdullah bin Mas'ud, Abu bin Ka'b, Abu Dharr, Mu'adh bin Jabal, Ubada bin Samit, Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) or other Companions. In fact, they did not even doubt the narrations of Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), despite the fact that he was unique in many narrations; no Companion ever said to him that your hadith is a solitary report and does not provide the benefit of certain knowledge."
Reference: Mukhtasar al-Sawa'iq al-Mursalah, p. 552
He also says:
هذا الذي اعتمده نفاة العلم عن أخبار رسول الله خرقوا به إجماع الصحابة المعلوم بالضرورة بإجماع التابعين وإجماع أئمة الإسلام، ووافقوا به المعتزلة والجهمية والرافضة والخوارج الذين انتهكوا هذه الحرمة، وتبعهم بعض الأصوليين والفقهاء، وإلا فلا يعرف لهم سلف من الأئمة بذلك بل صرح الأئمة بخلاف قولهم.
"Those who hold the view that the report of the Messenger does not provide beneficial knowledge have fabricated this opinion against the consensus of the Companions, the Followers, and the consensus of the Imams of Islam. These people have aligned themselves with the Mu'tazila, Jahmiyyah, Rawafid, and Kharijites, who violated this sanctity. Then some Usulis and jurists derived this opinion from them. However, among the Salaf, no one shares this view; rather, opposing opinions exist."
Reference: (Mukhtasar al-Sawa'iq al-Mursalah, p. 553)
Allama Ibn Abi al-Izz Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him (792 AH), writes:
خبر الواحد إذا تلقته الأمة بالقبول، عملا به وتصديقا له: يفيد العلم اليقيني عند جماهير الأمة، وهو أحد قسمي المتواتر، ولم يكن بين سلف الأمة في ذلك نزاع.
"If a solitary report is accepted practically and affirmatively by the Ummah, then according to the majority of scholars, it provides certain knowledge. This is also one of the two types of mutawatir. Among the Salaf of the Ummah, there is no disagreement on this matter."
Reference: Sharh al-Aqeedah al-Tahawiyyah, p. 355
Warning: Khatib Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, may Allah have mercy on him (463 AH), writes:
لا يقبل خبر الواحد في منافاة حكم العقل وحكم القرآن الثابت المحكم، والسنة المعلومة، والفعل الجاري مجرى السنة، وكل دليل مقطوع به، وإنما يقبل به فيما لا يقطع به.
"If a solitary report contradicts reason, a decisive verse of the Quran, an established Sunnah, continuous practice, or any conclusive evidence, it will not be accepted, except only when it does not pertain to matters of definitive proof (such as beliefs)."
Reference: Al-Kifayah fi Ilm al-Riwayah, p. 432
Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy on him (597 AH), writes:
ألا ترى أنه لو اجتمع خلق من الثقات فأخبروا أن الجمل قد دخل في سم الخياط لما نفعنا ثقتهم ولا أثرت في خبرهم، لأنهم أخبروا بمستحيل، فكل حديث رأيته يخالف المعقول، أو يناقض الأصول، فاعلم أنه موضوع فلا تتكلف اعتباره.
"Do you not see that if a large group of trustworthy narrators report that a camel entered the eye of a needle, their trustworthiness will neither be beneficial nor prevent the rejection of this report, because these narrators have reported an impossible thing. Therefore, every hadith which appears to you to be against reason or principles, know that it is fabricated; do not bother to look for evidence to support it."
Reference: Al-Mawdu'at: 106/1
Allama Abdul Qahir al-Baghdadi, may Allah have mercy on him (429 AH), writes:
أما أخبار الآحاد فمتى صح إسنادها وكانت متونها غير مستحيلة في العقل كانت موجبة للعمل بها دون العلم وكانت بمنزلة شهادة العدول عند الحاكم في أنه يلزمه الحكم بها في الظاهر وإن لم يعلم صدقهم في الشهادة، وبهذا النوع من الخبر أثبت الفقهاء أكثر فروع الأحكام الشرعية في العبادات والمعاملات وسائر أبواب الحلال والحرام وضللوا من أسقط وجوب العمل بأخبار الآحاد في الجملة من الرافضة والخوارج وسائر أهل الأهواء.
"When the chains of transmission of ahad reports are sound and their texts are not considered impossible by reason, it is obligatory to act upon them, but this does not provide the benefit of certain knowledge. They become like testimony, which an honest person gives before a judge, making it necessary for the judge to decide according to it based on apparent evidence, even if he does not consider it truthful in the testimony. Jurists have established most subsidiary issues of worship, transactions, and the legal rulings of halal and haram through this type of hadith. The Rafidah, Kharijites, and all innovators have gone astray by declaring ahad reports entirely non-actionable."
Reference: Al-Farq Bayn al-Firaq, pp. 312-313
❀ The statement of Khateeb Baghdadi, may Allah have mercy on him, and Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy on him, requires some elaboration, because there are further questions, for example: Is every matter that appears contrary to reason to be rejected? Or if I feel that it is against the Quran, will it be rejected? Even if the Companions, the Followers, and the Imams of Hadith do not consider it contrary to the Quran?
Was it the practice of the Salaf to reject extraordinary matters? The answer is absolutely not; rather, these two great scholars themselves narrated karamat (miracles of saints), trusted them, and accepted miracles, even though miracles and karamat are things beyond reason.
Many minds and scientists of the present time even deny magic; they believe that jinn do not exist at all, nor is there any reality to magic. However, the Quran brings a Surah named after the jinn, acknowledges magic, and informs that the prophets of Allah also faced magicians.
So what should be done now? Should it be accepted that thousands of people are stating something against reason, and therefore this part of the Quran should be considered distorted or rejected?
Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him (728 AH), writes:
إن وجوب تصديق كل مسلم بما أخبر الله به ورسوله من صفاته ليس موقوفا على أن يقوم عليه دليل عقلي على تلك الصفة بعينها فإنه مما يعلم بالاضطرار من دين الإسلام أن الرسول إذا أخبرنا بشيء من صفات الله تعالى وجب علينا التصديق به وإن لم نعلم ثبوته بعقولنا ومن لم يقر بما جاء به الرسول حتى يعلمه بعقله فقد أشبه الذين قال الله عنهم: [قَالُوۡا لَنۡ نُّؤۡمِنَ حَتّٰی نُؤۡتٰی مِثۡلَ مَاۤ اُوۡتِیَ رُسُلُ اللّٰہِ ؕ اَللّٰہُ اَعۡلَمُ حَیۡثُ یَجۡعَلُ رِسَالَتَہٗ ؕ] ومن سلك هذا السبيل فهو في الحقيقة ليس مؤمنا بالرسول ولا متلقيا عنه الأخبار بشأن الربوبية ولا فرق عنده بين أن يخبر الرسول بشيء من ذلك أو لم يخبر به فإن ما أخبر به إذا لم يعلمه بعقله لا يصدق به بل يتأوله أو يفوضه وما لم يخبر به إن علمه بعقله آمن به، وإلا فلا فرق عند من سلك هذا السبيل بين وجود الرسول وإخباره وبين عدم الرسول وعدم إخباره، وكان ما يذكره من القرآن والحديث والإجماع في هذا الباب عديم الأثر عنده وهذا قد صرح به أئمة هذا الطريق.
"The obligation for a Muslim to affirm the attributes of Allah Almighty based on the report of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ is not dependent on reason proving the reality of that attribute. Because it is a fundamental principle of the religion that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ informs us about any attribute of Allah, it is obligatory for us to believe in it, even if our reason does not accept it. Whoever does not confirm the words of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ until reason accepts them is like those about whom Allah says: [قَالُوۡا لَنۡ نُّؤۡمِنَ حَتّٰی نُؤۡتٰی مِثۡلَ مَاۤ اُوۡتِیَ رُسُلُ اللّٰہِ ؕ اَللّٰہُ اَعۡلَمُ حَیۡثُ یَجۡعَلُ رِسَالَتَہٗ ؕ] 'The disbelievers say, "We will never believe until we are given like that which was given to the messengers." And Allah is most knowing of where He places His message.' Whoever follows this path neither truly believes in the Messenger of Allah ﷺ nor accepts the hadiths narrated by him about the Lord Almighty. For such a person, it makes no difference whether the Messenger of Allah ﷺ reports something or not, because if the matter does not appeal to his reason, he does not confirm it; rather, he interprets it or resorts to delegation (tafwid). And if something is not reported by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ but is accepted by his reason, he believes in it. For such a person, the presence or absence of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his hadiths is the same; the evidences of the Qur'an, hadith, or consensus have no effect in this regard. The guides of this path have also explicitly stated this."
Reference: (Sharh al-Aqaid al-Asfahaniyyah, p. 44)
❀ It is clear that these elders did not mean individual intellect, but rather collective consciousness, and they have presented this as an indication that a correct narration fully conforms to the collective principles of intellect and cannot contradict them. A hadith whose chain of narration is authentic, which passes correctly and soundly through the sieve of the Imams of causes, is neither contrary to the Quran, nor to hadith, nor to sound intellect.
Or the use of intellect in the matter of transmission, meaning if a narrator is reporting from a person whom he has never met, or from a narrator whom it is impossible to have met, then the general principle of intellect is that such a narration will not be accepted, even if the one reporting is trustworthy. But when a trustworthy narrator reports from another trustworthy narrator, with no hidden defect or deceit, and the Imams of causes have accepted it, then such a narration cannot be rejected by weighing it on the scale of intellect or by calling it contrary to the Quran, consensus, etc.
Before concluding, I will also mention another point that according to some jurists, a solitary report (khabar-e-wahid) does not provide the benefit of knowledge, though acting upon it is obligatory. However, the initial part of their statement—that a solitary report does not provide the benefit of knowledge—is open to criticism.
Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him (728 AH), says:
إن قيل: أما الجزم بصدقه فلا يمكن منهم، وأما العمل به وهو الواجب عليهم وإن لم يكن صحيحا في الباطن، وهذا سؤال ابن الباقلاني.
قلنا: أما الجزم بصدقه فإنه قد يحتفي به من القرائن ما يوجب العلم، إذ القرائن المجردة قد تفيد العلم بمضمونها، فكيف إذا احتفت بالخبر، والمنازع بنى على هذا أصله الواهي أن العلم بمجرد الأخبار لا يحصل إلا من جهة العدد، فلزمه أن يقول ما دون العدد لا يفيد أصلا، وهذا غلط خالفه فيه حذاق أتباعه، وأما العمل به فلو جاز أن يكون في الباطن كذبا وقد وجب علينا العمل به لانعقد الإجماع على ما هو كذب وخطأ في نفس الأمر، وهذا باطل، فإذا كان تلقي الأمة له يدل على صدقه لأنه إجماع منهم على أنه صدق مقبول فإجماع السلف والصحابة أولى أن يدل على صدقه، فإنه لا يمكن أحد أن يدعي إجماع الأمة إلا فيما أجمع عليه سلفها من الصحابة والتابعين، وأما بعد ذلك فقد انتشرت انتشارا لا تضبط أقوال جميعها.
"Allama Baqalani says that the confirmation of a solitary report (khabar-e-wahid) through absolute certainty (jalzom) is not possible, but acting upon it is obligatory, even if it is not actually true.
The answer to this is that when the report is supported by indications (qara'in), it provides the benefit of knowledge, because sometimes even if there is no report, the indications alone provide the benefit of knowledge. So when these indications coincide with the report, they certainly provide the benefit of knowledge. In reality, the problem arose from a baseless rule, which is that people assumed that a matter is only reliable if many people narrate it, whereas this is incorrect, and the people of understanding deny this. Consider if you accept something as false inwardly, then you must accept that there is consensus on falsehood and error, and this is inherently false. When the Ummah gives a report the status of acceptance (taqlee bil-qubool), it indicates its truthfulness, because the consensus of the Ummah cannot be on falsehood. This consensus of the Salaf, the Companions, is even more worthy of being considered true, because it is not possible to claim consensus on any matter other than that of the Companions and the Salaf, since after them such division arose in the Ummah that it was impossible to regulate statements."
Reference: Mukhtasar al-Sawa'iq al-Mursalah by Ibn al-Qayyim, p. 560
Regarding Sayyiduna Abu Musa Abdullah bin Qais Al-Ash'ari, may Allah be pleased with him:
استأذن على عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه، فلم يؤذن له، وكأنه كان مشغولا، فرجع أبو موسى، ففرغ عمر، فقال: ألم أسمع صوت عبد الله بن قيس ائذنوا له، قيل : قد رجع، فدعاه فقال: كنا نؤمر بذلك، فقال: تأتيني على ذلك بالبينة، فانطلق إلى مجلس الأنصار، فسألهم، فقالوا: لا يشهد لك على هذا إلا أصغرنا أبو سعيد الخدري، فذهب بأبي سعيد الخدري، فقال عمر: أخفي هذا علي من أمر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ألهاني الصفق بالأسواق يعني الخروج إلى تجارة.
"He sought permission from Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, by greeting him (with Salaam), but permission was not granted (in response to the greeting), perhaps Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, was busy. Then Abu Musa, may Allah be pleased with him, returned. Sayyiduna Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, became angry and said: Did I not hear Abdullah bin Qais asking for permission? It was said: He has gone back. So Umar bin Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, called him back, to which he replied: We were commanded (by the Prophet, peace be upon him) to do so."
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari: 2062, Sahih Muslim: 2154
❀ From this narration, it might be suspected that Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه did not consider solitary reports (khabar wahid) as proof, but this is not correct, because Sayyiduna Umar's intention was caution and verification. As Sayyiduna Ubayy ibn Ka'b رضي الله عنه also narrated this hadith from Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه and said: "Ibn al-Khattab! Do not become a cause of punishment for the Companions of the Messenger." To which Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه replied: سبحان الله، إنما سمعت شيئا، فأحببت أن أتثبت.
"SubhanAllah! I only wanted to gain further confirmation after hearing the hadith."
Reference: Sahih Muslim: 2154
❀ This is similar to the statement of Sayyiduna Ibrahim عليه السلام, who said that he only wanted further reassurance about Allah the Most Generous, while he already believed.
