The Shaykh mentioned some of the evidence al-Bukhari cited regarding the obligation to act upon the report of a single narrator, as well as the argumentation using the words of Imam al-Shafi'i in *al-Risalah*, and likewise
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The Shaykh : Then Imam al-Bukhari cited hadiths, using them as evidence for what he mentioned regarding the permissibility of the report of a single narrator. By this is meant the permissibility of acting upon it and declaring it a proof. We will present some of them.
The first: From Malik ibn Huwayrith, who said: We came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and we were young men of similar age. We stayed with him for about twenty nights. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was merciful and gentle. When he thought that we had grown fond of our families or were missing them, he asked us who we had left behind. We informed him, and he said:Sahih al-Bukhari 631 So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered each of these young men to teach his family. Teaching encompasses creed, and indeed creed is the first thing included in this generality, as mentioned previously. If the report of a single narrator did not constitute a proof, this report would have no meaning.
The second: From Anas ibn Malik, that the people of Yemen came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: Send with us a man who will teach us the Sunnah and the Book. He said: So he took the hand of Abu 'Ubaydah and said:Sahih Muslim 2419b It was narrated by Muslim, and al-Bukhari narrated it in a shortened form. I said: If the report of a single narrator did not constitute a proof, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would not have sent Abu 'Ubaydah to them alone. The same can be said regarding his sending (peace and blessings be upon him) to them on different occasions, or to various scattered lands, of other Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), such as 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, Mu'adh ibn Jabal, and Abu Musa al-Ash'ari. Their hadiths are in the two Sahihs and elsewhere. There is no harm in the fact that these ... who were sent to them included creed among what they were to teach them. If the proof were not established by them over them, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would not have sent them individually, for that would be a futile act from which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is free. This is the meaning of the statement of Imam al-Shafi'i in "al-Risalah", that he (peace and blessings be upon him) does not send with his command unless the proof for those to whom he is sent, and over them, is established by accepting his report from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). And he was capable of sending to them someone who would resemble them, or sending a number of people, but he sent one whom they knew by ...
The third: From 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, who said: While the people were at Quba' in the Fajr prayer, a messenger came to them and said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has been revealed to him tonight the Qur'an, and he has been ordered to face the Ka'bah. So they faced it, and their faces had been toward Sham, so they turned toward the Ka'bah. It was narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim. So I ... that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) accepted the report of a single narrator in the very matter that was certain to them regarding the obligation of facing the House of the Sacred Mosque. So they left that and faced the Ka'bah based on the report. If it were not a proof to them, they would not have contradicted what was certain to them regarding the first qiblah. Ibn al-Qayyim said: And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not deny them, but rather they were thanked for it.
The fourth: From Sa'id ibn Jurayr, who said: I said to Ibn 'Abbas: Nu'f al-Bakali claims that Musa, the companion of al-Khidr, is not Musa ibn Israel. Ibn 'Abbas said: The enemy of Allah lies. Abi ibn Ka'b informed me. He said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered a sermon to us, then mentioned the story of Musa and al-Khidr with something indicating that Musa (peace be upon him) was the companion of al-Khidr. It was narrated by the two Shaykhs in full, and al-Shafi'i ... in a shortened form. He said: So Ibn 'Abbas, with his jurisprudence and scrupulousness, affirmed the report of Abi ibn Ka'b from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) until he declared a lie upon a man among the Muslims, because Abi ibn Ka'b narrated to him from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) what indicated that Musa ibn Israel was the companion of al-Khidr.
I said: And is the statement of Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) evidence that he does not see a distinction between creed and action in arguing with the report of a single narrator? Because the fact that Musa (peace be upon him) is the companion of al-Khidr (peace be upon him) is a scientific issue, not a practical ruling, as is clear. And this is supported by the fact that the Imam (may Allah be Exalted have mercy on him) established an important chapter in *al-Risalah* under the title "The Proof in Affirming the Report of a Single Narrator," and cited under it many proofs from the Book and the Sunnah, from page one hundred and forty to page four hundred and fifty-six. These are absolute or general proofs that, by their absoluteness and generality, include that the report of a single narrator is a proof in creed as well. And his speech on it is also general. He concluded this research by saying: "And in affirming the report of a single narrator, there are hadiths, and some of these suffice. And the path of our Salaf and the generations after them, up to those we have witnessed, has been this path. And it has been related to us from those from whom it was related to us among the people of knowledge in the lands." This is also general. And his statement on page four hundred and fifty-seven: "If it were permissible for anyone among the people to say: 'All the Muslims, past and present, have agreed upon affirming the report of a single narrator and adhering to it, and it is not known that any one of the Muslim jurists has not affirmed it,' it would be permissible for me. But I say: I have not memorized from the Muslim jurists that they differed in affirming the report of a single narrator." This is from his scrupulousness and precision (may Allah have mercy on him) in expressing his intent with precise scientific expression.
In summary, the proofs of the Book and the Sunnah, the practice of the Companions, and the statements of the scholars indicate with decisive clarity what we have explained, which is the obligation to act upon the hadiths of single narrators in all chapters of the Shari'ah, whether in matters of belief or practice. And distinguishing between them is a religious innovation that the Salaf did not know. Therefore, the scholar Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah be Exalted have mercy on him) said: "And this distinction is false by the consensus of the Ummah, for they did not refrain from arguing with these narrative, scientific hadiths—meaning creed—just as they argue with them in the practical, obligatory matters. Especially since the practical rulings include the report about Allah that He legislated such and such, obligated it, and accepted it as religion. So His legislation and His religion refer to His names and attributes. And the Companions, the Tabi'un, those who followed them, and the people of hadith and the Sunnah have not ceased to argue with these reports in matters of attributes, divine decree, names, and rulings. And it has not been transmitted from any of them, at all, that he permitted arguing with them in matters of rulings without arguing with them in matters of reports, without reporting about Allah ... So practice is two things: knowledge and action. And what is required of the scientific matters is also knowledge and action, which is the love of the heart and its hatred, and its love for the truth that they indicate and contain, and its hatred for the falsehood that contradicts them. So action is not limited to the actions of the limbs, but the actions of the hearts are the foundation for the actions of the limbs, and the actions of the limbs are a consequence. So every scientific issue is followed by the faith of the heart and its affirmation and its love, and that is the action ... the foundation of action."
The first: From Malik ibn Huwayrith, who said: We came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and we were young men of similar age. We stayed with him for about twenty nights. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was merciful and gentle. When he thought that we had grown fond of our families or were missing them, he asked us who we had left behind. We informed him, and he said:
Then he asked us to go back to our families and stay with them and teach them (the religion) and to order them to do good things. He also mentioned some other things which I have (remembered or [??] ) forgotten. The Prophet (ﷺ) then added, "Pray as you have seen me praying
ارجعوا إلى أهليكم فأقيموا فيهم وعلموهم ومروهم وصلوا كما رأيتموني أصليThe second: From Anas ibn Malik, that the people of Yemen came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: Send with us a man who will teach us the Sunnah and the Book. He said: So he took the hand of Abu 'Ubaydah and said:
He is a man of trust of this Umma
هذا أمين هذه الأمةThe third: From 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, who said: While the people were at Quba' in the Fajr prayer, a messenger came to them and said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has been revealed to him tonight the Qur'an, and he has been ordered to face the Ka'bah. So they faced it, and their faces had been toward Sham, so they turned toward the Ka'bah. It was narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim. So I ... that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) accepted the report of a single narrator in the very matter that was certain to them regarding the obligation of facing the House of the Sacred Mosque. So they left that and faced the Ka'bah based on the report. If it were not a proof to them, they would not have contradicted what was certain to them regarding the first qiblah. Ibn al-Qayyim said: And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not deny them, but rather they were thanked for it.
The fourth: From Sa'id ibn Jurayr, who said: I said to Ibn 'Abbas: Nu'f al-Bakali claims that Musa, the companion of al-Khidr, is not Musa ibn Israel. Ibn 'Abbas said: The enemy of Allah lies. Abi ibn Ka'b informed me. He said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered a sermon to us, then mentioned the story of Musa and al-Khidr with something indicating that Musa (peace be upon him) was the companion of al-Khidr. It was narrated by the two Shaykhs in full, and al-Shafi'i ... in a shortened form. He said: So Ibn 'Abbas, with his jurisprudence and scrupulousness, affirmed the report of Abi ibn Ka'b from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) until he declared a lie upon a man among the Muslims, because Abi ibn Ka'b narrated to him from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) what indicated that Musa ibn Israel was the companion of al-Khidr.
I said: And is the statement of Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) evidence that he does not see a distinction between creed and action in arguing with the report of a single narrator? Because the fact that Musa (peace be upon him) is the companion of al-Khidr (peace be upon him) is a scientific issue, not a practical ruling, as is clear. And this is supported by the fact that the Imam (may Allah be Exalted have mercy on him) established an important chapter in *al-Risalah* under the title "The Proof in Affirming the Report of a Single Narrator," and cited under it many proofs from the Book and the Sunnah, from page one hundred and forty to page four hundred and fifty-six. These are absolute or general proofs that, by their absoluteness and generality, include that the report of a single narrator is a proof in creed as well. And his speech on it is also general. He concluded this research by saying: "And in affirming the report of a single narrator, there are hadiths, and some of these suffice. And the path of our Salaf and the generations after them, up to those we have witnessed, has been this path. And it has been related to us from those from whom it was related to us among the people of knowledge in the lands." This is also general. And his statement on page four hundred and fifty-seven: "If it were permissible for anyone among the people to say: 'All the Muslims, past and present, have agreed upon affirming the report of a single narrator and adhering to it, and it is not known that any one of the Muslim jurists has not affirmed it,' it would be permissible for me. But I say: I have not memorized from the Muslim jurists that they differed in affirming the report of a single narrator." This is from his scrupulousness and precision (may Allah have mercy on him) in expressing his intent with precise scientific expression.
In summary, the proofs of the Book and the Sunnah, the practice of the Companions, and the statements of the scholars indicate with decisive clarity what we have explained, which is the obligation to act upon the hadiths of single narrators in all chapters of the Shari'ah, whether in matters of belief or practice. And distinguishing between them is a religious innovation that the Salaf did not know. Therefore, the scholar Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah be Exalted have mercy on him) said: "And this distinction is false by the consensus of the Ummah, for they did not refrain from arguing with these narrative, scientific hadiths—meaning creed—just as they argue with them in the practical, obligatory matters. Especially since the practical rulings include the report about Allah that He legislated such and such, obligated it, and accepted it as religion. So His legislation and His religion refer to His names and attributes. And the Companions, the Tabi'un, those who followed them, and the people of hadith and the Sunnah have not ceased to argue with these reports in matters of attributes, divine decree, names, and rulings. And it has not been transmitted from any of them, at all, that he permitted arguing with them in matters of rulings without arguing with them in matters of reports, without reporting about Allah ... So practice is two things: knowledge and action. And what is required of the scientific matters is also knowledge and action, which is the love of the heart and its hatred, and its love for the truth that they indicate and contain, and its hatred for the falsehood that contradicts them. So action is not limited to the actions of the limbs, but the actions of the hearts are the foundation for the actions of the limbs, and the actions of the limbs are a consequence. So every scientific issue is followed by the faith of the heart and its affirmation and its love, and that is the action ... the foundation of action."