Question
Is Khabar al-Wāḥid (a solitary narration) authoritative in both creed and practice?
Answer
Yes. When a Khabar al-Wāḥid is authentically established, it is authoritative in both creed (ʿaqīdah) and practice (ʿamal). The Qur’an, Sunnah, and ijmāʿ of the Ummah all affirm this.
Evidence from the Companions
❀ Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) said:
يقولون إن أبا هريرة يكثر الحديث... والله لولا آيتان فى كتاب الله، ما حدثتكم شيئا أبدا: ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَا أَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالْهُدَى﴾
“They say, ‘Abū Hurayrah narrates too many ḥadīth!’ But my Muhājir brothers were busy in the markets, and my Anṣār brothers were busy with their lands, while I was poor and remained with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ only to fill my stomach. I was present when they were absent, and I memorized when they forgot… By Allah, had it not been for two verses in the Book of Allah: ﴿Indeed, those who conceal what We have sent down of clear proofs and guidance…﴾ (al-Baqarah 159-160), I would not have narrated anything to you.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2350; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2493)
This demonstrates the obligation to convey solitary reports and to act upon them.
Scholarly Commentary
❀ Imām Ibn Baṭṭāl (رحمه الله, d. 449H) said:
يرد به على الرافضة وقوم من الخوارج... وانعقد الإجماع على القول بالعمل بأخبار الآحاد، وبطل قول من خرج عن ذلك من أهل البدع
“Imām al-Bukhārī (رحمه الله) refuted the Rāfiḍah and a faction of the Khawārij who claimed that the Prophet’s rulings and Sunnah are only transmitted through mutawātir reports, and that it is not permissible to act upon anything less. Their claim is utter ignorance of the Sunnah and its chains. Authentic reports establish that the Companions took aḥādīth from one another, and they sometimes relied on solitary reports. Consensus (ijmāʿ) has been established on acting upon Khabar al-Wāḥid, and the statement of those innovators who oppose this consensus is invalid.”
(Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 10/384–385; Fatḥ al-Bārī 13/321)
Additional Report
❀ Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah (رضي الله عنها) once said to Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
يا أبا هريرة، ما هذه الأحاديث التى تبلغنا أنك تحدث بها عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم...؟ قال: يا أماه... وإني والله ما كان يشغلني عنه شيء
“O Abū Hurayrah, what are these aḥādīth that reach us from you about the Prophet ﷺ? Did you hear anything other than what we heard? Did you see anything other than what we saw?”
He replied: “O my mother! You were occupied with the mirror, kohl, and beautifying yourself for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, but by Allah, nothing distracted me from him.”
(al-Mustadrak 6160 – Imām al-Ḥākim declared its isnād ṣaḥīḥ, and Ḥāfiẓ al-Dhahabī agreed)
This indicates that even if only one Companion narrates a report, it is authoritative.
Conclusion:An authentic Khabar al-Wāḥid is binding in both creed and practice. The Qur’an, the Sunnah, the practice of the Companions, and the consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah all affirm its ḥujjiyyah. Rejecting it is the way of innovators such as the Rāfiḍah and certain Khawārij and Muʿtazilah.
