Is Acting Upon a Reliable Woman’s
Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
❖ Question:
Is it obligatory to act upon a solitary report (khabar al-wāḥid) narrated by a trustworthy woman?
❖ Answer:
Yes, it is obligatory to act upon the solitary report of a trustworthy narrator, whether male or female. Such a report provides certain knowledge (ʿilm yaqīnī).
Evidence from Qur’an
Allah Almighty says:
﴿وَاذْكُرْنَ مَا يُتْلَى فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ لَطِيفًا خَبِيرًا﴾
(al-Aḥzāb: 34)
“O wives of the Prophet! Remember what is recited in your houses of the verses of Allah and wisdom. Indeed, Allah is Subtle and All-Aware.”
Scholarly Explanations
❀ ʿAllāmah al-Qurṭubī (رحمه الله, d. 671H) wrote:
هذا يدل على جواز قبول خبر الواحد من الرجال والنساء فى الدين .
“This verse indicates the permissibility of accepting a solitary report in matters of religion, whether narrated by men or women.”
(Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī: 14/184)
❀ Ḥāfiẓ Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr (رحمه الله, d. 463H) said:
إيجاب العمل بخبر الواحد الثقة ذكرا كان أو أنثى وعلى ذلك جماعة أهل الفقه والحديث أهل السنة ومن خالف ذلك فهو عند الجميع مبتدع .
“It is obligatory to act upon the solitary report of a trustworthy narrator, whether male or female. This is the position of the jurists and hadith scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah. Whoever opposes this is considered an innovator by all scholars.”
(al-Tamhīd: 5/115)
Conclusion:The solitary report of a trustworthy woman holds the same authority as that of a trustworthy man, and it is obligatory to act upon it. Denying this is considered innovation.
