Ahad Reports in Establishing Creed and the Response to Those Who Deny Ahad Reports in Establishing Creed (The Dispatch of Mu'adh for Da'wah, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib)

The Shaykh : The punishment of the grave is one of the beliefs. Those who say that a single-narrator hadith does not establish a belief mean that if a hadith comes to us from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) stating that the punishment of the grave is a reality, then even if this hadith is authentic, they do not accept it. This is because it falls under their claim that a single-narrator hadith does not establish a belief. This principle, or this alleged rule, encompasses dozens of authentic, established hadiths from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that these people, who formulated this rule based purely on their own opinions—indeed, I say based on their philosophy—do not accept. They have no evidence for this from the Book or the Sunnah. In fact, it contradicts the Sunnah in the sense I mentioned earlier, namely what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was upon. Now, let us remind you of a Sunnah from these Sunnahs, after you have understood the true meaning of the word "Sunnah" when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used it, such as in the first hadith: It is well known that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to send messengers from his side (peace be upon him) to distant lands to call the polytheists to enter Islam. He sent Mu'adh to Yemen, and he sent Ali, and he sent others such as Abu Musa al-Ash'ari. He sent these individuals as callers to Islam. It is observed that the caller here is a single person, and this represents a single-narrator hadith in the terminology mentioned earlier. Perhaps the matter requires some clarification. What is meant by a single-narrator hadith? It is not meant only that one person narrates a hadith from the Messenger, and this is called a single-narrator hadith; it is so. But even if two people narrate a hadith from the Messenger (peace be upon him), it is also called a single-narrator hadith. And three, and four, until the number reaches the level of mass transmission. They differed, both in the past and in the present, in determining the number for mass transmission. I am not in need of delving into this disagreement now because it is not important. The important thing is that the number for mass transmission is a number that establishes certainty in the heart of the listener of this news from this large number, whether they were ten, twenty, or more. But if two or three people narrate a hadith, the terminology mentioned earlier calls it a single-narrator hadith. I say this so that the meaning of "single-narrator hadith" does not come to mind as "individuals" for those who have not read anything of the science of hadith terminology, because the intent is that even if it is a hadith from a group, and they are three, let alone two, this is called a single-narrator hadith. So, if the hadith comes from the path of a single Companion from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), this is a single-narrator hadith. And if a single Successor narrates it from this Companion, it is a single-narrator hadith, and so on, until it is classified in the books known as books of the Sunnah. If such a hadith comes, a single-narrator hadith, or from two or three, the important thing is that it is a single-narrator hadith and not a mass-transmitted hadith. Those who said that a single-narrator hadith does not establish a belief say: "We do not accept this hadith. Why? Because it is a single-narrator hadith." Well, what do they say? Here is the point. What do they say about the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) when he sent those Companions, sometimes Abu Musa, sometimes Mu'adh ibn Jabal, sometimes Ali ibn Abi Talib, sometimes Dhiyyah al-Kilabi, many and very many? These were individuals who conveyed to the people who had heard of the name of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) but did not know what he was calling to. So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent one of them to make them know the religion of Islam. If a single-narrator hadith does not establish a proof, then the meaning of their words is that the Messenger (peace be upon him) did not choose a good method of da'wah (calling) because he sent individuals who do not establish a proof, based on the rule that a single-narrator hadith does not establish a proof. As for those who believe in his (peace be upon him) previously mentioned statement, regarding my methodology and my path in everything I brought, whether it is a method or a goal, the goal is Islam and the method is conveying Islam, if there are today, as there were many years ago, those who say that a single-narrator hadith does not establish a belief, this means that Islam is not established by the statement of such-and-such a scholar or such-and-such a scholar teaching those who do not know. And you know the statement of the Lord of the Worlds: And some of them said to others, those who adopt this foreign philosophy in Islam and which contradicts the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him), namely that a single-narrator hadith does not establish a belief. One of you sometimes goes to some disbelieving lands, such as Japan for example, to call to Islam. The first thing you start with in calling to Islam is necessarily the belief, because the foundation of Islam is built upon the statement of the Exalted: So when you call to Islam, you contradict yourself. How? You are an individual, and you call the disbelievers to believe in this Islam that you convey to them, and you affirm to them that a single-narrator hadith does not establish a proof. There is a conflict here and a contradiction. And the meaning of this is that the proof of Allah cannot be established against any disbeliever or any group of disbelievers unless a group of Muslims goes to convey the religion of Islam to those peoples. It is a good thing for a group of scholars to go and convey Islam; this is a good thing. But if only one or two are available, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did, the proof of Islam is not established by this one or two. That foreign philosophy in Islam says that the proof is not established. And this is a known rule: "A single-narrator hadith does not establish a proof." And you have known that it contradicts the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when he sent callers from his side as individuals and single narrators. Indeed, it has come in Sahih al-Bukhari from the hadith of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he sent Mu'adh to Yemen, said: and by fasting. And so on. He ordered him to start, when calling those Christians, with the belief in the oneness of Allah. The belief in the oneness of Allah is the foundation of all beliefs. If a single-narrator hadith, and here it is Mu'adh, does not establish a proof, then the necessary consequence of this statement is to invalidate what is most valid, which is that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was obligated to send dozens of such Companions, and they would all gather and convey Islam to them. And this did not happen from the Messenger (peace be upon him). Why? Because the proof is established even by a single individual, provided that he is knowledgeable, provided that he is a jurist. I said earlier that if a group of scholars goes to a certain land and calls them to Islam, without a doubt this is stronger. But it is required that these people be from the scholars. I said a little while ago that I would give you two examples related to the reality of some callers today. This is the first example: that a single-narrator hadith does not establish, does not establish a proof. And this contradicts his (peace be upon him) statement and his action. The second example: you have known from some of the examples I mentioned earlier that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to send individuals. He did not send groups of the general Companions with these individuals, meaning those who are included in the statement of the Exalted: Meaning, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not send with those callers, some of whom we named for you, such as Mu'adh, five or ten or more of the Companions of the Messenger (peace be upon him) who were not scholars. And we know today that a group of Muslims, and their outward appearance is predominantly righteousness and mindfulness of Allah and the desire to follow the legal rulings, but they nonetheless contradict the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in many of their actions. Why? Because either they do not know the Sunnah about which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Either they do not know this Sunnah, or they know it and understand it well, but their methodology of da'wah is not based on the Sunnah. And as is said on such an occasion, the sweeter of the two is bitter. If they do not know the Sunnah, then for that reason they contradict it, and this is without a doubt bitter. And if they know it and understand it well, as they know their children, and then they deviate from it, this is more bitter. And in that case, the previous hadith applies to them: So these are two examples of what results from the multiplicity of parties, or the multiplicity of sects, or the multiplicity of groups, due to the multiplicity of methodologies. And the methodology is only what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions were upon, as you have known from the hadith of the saved sect: And I emphasize the meaning of this hadith with the statement of the Exalted, and I hope you pay attention to the meaning of this verse, and that an idea established since ancient times does not overcome any one of you, so that he does not pay attention or heed what he hears of new from the previously mentioned statement of the Messenger (peace be upon him).