What is the ruling on one who says that a report from a single narrator (khabar al-ahad) yields only probability?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : And may Allah bless you.
The questioner : Some scholars of hadith say that a hadith transmitted via a report from a single narrator does not yield definitive scientific certainty, but rather yields theoretical knowledge.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Is it permissible for these people to cite the hadiths transmitted via the path of single-narrator reports as evidence for the miracles of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?
The Shaykh : My brother, you are asking a question that mixes our view with the view of others.
The questioner : Yes, that is the view of those other than you.
The Shaykh : Well, we say that distinguishing between single-narrator hadiths and mass-transmitted hadiths, and distinguishing between hadiths of rulings and hadiths of creed, is a distinction introduced by an innovator with no basis in Islam.
The questioner : What is the reason for this distinction? Do you disagree?
The Shaykh : How do we disagree?
The questioner : Meaning, you do not agree with this statement.
The Shaykh : Yes, we say this is an introduced matter.
The questioner : So, does that mean citing single-narrator reports as evidence for miracles is like citing mass-transmitted reports?
The Shaykh : Yes, there is no difference for us.
The questioner : Does a single-narrator report not allow for the possibility, for example, of error from the narrator, as we hear?
The Shaykh : Yes, we say this is a possibility, except for hadiths, and there are many of them, which the Ummah has accepted.
The questioner : So do such hadiths attain the status of mass transmission?
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : May Allah reward you. There is a hadith in Sahih Muslim; the summary of the hadith is How do we understand this hadith?
The Shaykh : First, I do not recall that the hadith of the white spot is in Sahih Muslim. Are you newly acquainted with looking into the hadith in Sahih Muslim?
The questioner : No, the text of the hadith says...
The Shaykh : No problem, I am not asking you about the text of the hadith, but rather about your citing the hadith to Sahih Muslim?
The questioner : No, I am very familiar with it and have read it.
The Shaykh : Did you read it in Sahih Muslim?
The questioner : Yes, and I have it memorized if you want it.
The Shaykh : Give it to me. What is its beginning?
The questioner : In meaning, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said, in the meaning of the hadith...
The Shaykh : Where is he speaking from?
The questioner : From Egypt, from the post office...
Another questioner : Perhaps they did not like it...
The Shaykh : You may
The questioner : Yes, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : What were we discussing?
The questioner : These groups, O Shaykh...
The Shaykh : Yes, in fact, now the Salafi da'wah is being exploited by many groups, and those who did not mention the phrase "Salafi da'wah" in their lectures and lessons before these recent years now declare it, and this is a matter of politics.
The phone rang from Algeria.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: The
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh: The
The questioner : Speak with your uncle.
The questioner : Peace be upon you
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace
The questioner : How are you, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh: I praise Allah to you. How are you?
The questioner : Meaning, I am from Algeria.
The Shaykh : Hello.
The questioner : I have four questions, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Go ahead.
The questioner : Some scholars of hadith say that a hadith transmitted via a report from a single narrator does not yield definitive scientific certainty, but rather yields theoretical knowledge.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Is it permissible for these people to cite the hadiths transmitted via the path of single-narrator reports as evidence for the miracles of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?
The Shaykh : My brother, you are asking a question that mixes our view with the view of others.
The questioner : Yes, that is the view of those other than you.
The Shaykh : Well, we say that distinguishing between single-narrator hadiths and mass-transmitted hadiths, and distinguishing between hadiths of rulings and hadiths of creed, is a distinction introduced by an innovator with no basis in Islam.
The questioner : What is the reason for this distinction? Do you disagree?
The Shaykh : How do we disagree?
The questioner : Meaning, you do not agree with this statement.
The Shaykh : Yes, we say this is an introduced matter.
The questioner : So, does that mean citing single-narrator reports as evidence for miracles is like citing mass-transmitted reports?
The Shaykh : Yes, there is no difference for us.
The questioner : Does a single-narrator report not allow for the possibility, for example, of error from the narrator, as we hear?
The Shaykh : Yes, we say this is a possibility, except for hadiths, and there are many of them, which the Ummah has accepted.
The questioner : So do such hadiths attain the status of mass transmission?
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : May Allah reward you. There is a hadith in Sahih Muslim; the summary of the hadith is
That the servant, if he rejects what is wrong and a white spot has appeared in his heart
أن العبد إذا أنكر المنكر وقد نكتت في قلبه نكتة بيضاءThe Shaykh : First, I do not recall that the hadith of the white spot is in Sahih Muslim. Are you newly acquainted with looking into the hadith in Sahih Muslim?
The questioner : No, the text of the hadith says...
The Shaykh : No problem, I am not asking you about the text of the hadith, but rather about your citing the hadith to Sahih Muslim?
The questioner : No, I am very familiar with it and have read it.
The Shaykh : Did you read it in Sahih Muslim?
The questioner : Yes, and I have it memorized if you want it.
The Shaykh : Give it to me. What is its beginning?
The questioner : In meaning, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said, in the meaning of the hadith...
The Shaykh : Where is he speaking from?
The questioner : From Egypt, from the post office...
Another questioner : Perhaps they did not like it...
The Shaykh : You may
The questioner : Yes, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : What were we discussing?
The questioner : These groups, O Shaykh...
The Shaykh : Yes, in fact, now the Salafi da'wah is being exploited by many groups, and those who did not mention the phrase "Salafi da'wah" in their lectures and lessons before these recent years now declare it, and this is a matter of politics.
The phone rang from Algeria.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: The
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh: The
The questioner : Speak with your uncle.
The questioner : Peace be upon you
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace
The questioner : How are you, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh: I praise Allah to you. How are you?
The questioner : Meaning, I am from Algeria.
The Shaykh : Hello.
The questioner : I have four questions, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Go ahead.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.