Is the ahad hadith speculative in its indication?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Our brother asks and says: Is the ahad hadith speculative in its indication?
Answer:
This requires a detailed explanation:
If its routes are numerous, or if the narrators possess special qualities in knowledge, virtue, and piety, then it yields certainty. However, if it is an ahad hadith without numerous routes or qualities that serve as a substitute for numerous routes, then it is speculative. The scholars have mentioned this, such as al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar and others. He said regarding ahad hadiths: "And it may contain what yields theoretical knowledge through circumstances, according to the preferred view." Some said regarding the two Sahihs: "Its hadiths are certain and they yield certainty." Others said: "Rather, they yield speculation, unless they become mutawatir or the routes become numerous."
The correct view is that ahad hadiths yield certainty if the circumstances are present, either through the multitude of routes or through the qualities of those who narrated them, for narrators differ. For example, if it is narrated from two routes or more from the imams, it yields certainty. For instance, if it is narrated from the route of Imam Malik from Nafi' from Ibn Umar that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said such and such, and the second route comes, for example, from Imam Ahmad from al-Shafi'i from—say—one of al-Shafi'i's trustworthy sheikhs from al-Zuhri from Anas and the like, this gives it great strength. Some of the meticulous scholars see it as yielding knowledge and certainty in that case. And so on with similar cases, as the routes multiply, especially through imams known for trustworthiness and integrity, the hadith becomes a source of certainty and knowledge. However, it is an argument in all cases, in every scenario, it is an argument. Even if it does not yield knowledge, as long as its chain is good and its narrators are trustworthy, it yields the obligation to act upon it: in obligating what is obligatory, in forbidding what is forbidden, and the like.
Therefore, acting upon the established, authentic hadith is obligatory, even if it does not yield knowledge, and even if it yields only speculation, according to the opinion of those who said so. The argument stands with it, whether it yields knowledge or speculation, once the chain is established. This is the position of the scholars, and some of them reported it as consensus, such as al-Khatib al-Baghdadi and Ibn Abd al-Barr. They reported that ahad hadiths are used as evidence in matters of creed and rulings, and that there is no distinction between rulings and other matters if their chains are established, whether we rule that they yield knowledge or do not yield knowledge and only yield speculation. In this case, speculation is in the position of knowledge regarding the obligation to act upon it. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Our brother asks and says: Is the ahad hadith speculative in its indication?
Answer:
This requires a detailed explanation:
If its routes are numerous, or if the narrators possess special qualities in knowledge, virtue, and piety, then it yields certainty. However, if it is an ahad hadith without numerous routes or qualities that serve as a substitute for numerous routes, then it is speculative. The scholars have mentioned this, such as al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar and others. He said regarding ahad hadiths: "And it may contain what yields theoretical knowledge through circumstances, according to the preferred view." Some said regarding the two Sahihs: "Its hadiths are certain and they yield certainty." Others said: "Rather, they yield speculation, unless they become mutawatir or the routes become numerous."
The correct view is that ahad hadiths yield certainty if the circumstances are present, either through the multitude of routes or through the qualities of those who narrated them, for narrators differ. For example, if it is narrated from two routes or more from the imams, it yields certainty. For instance, if it is narrated from the route of Imam Malik from Nafi' from Ibn Umar that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said such and such, and the second route comes, for example, from Imam Ahmad from al-Shafi'i from—say—one of al-Shafi'i's trustworthy sheikhs from al-Zuhri from Anas and the like, this gives it great strength. Some of the meticulous scholars see it as yielding knowledge and certainty in that case. And so on with similar cases, as the routes multiply, especially through imams known for trustworthiness and integrity, the hadith becomes a source of certainty and knowledge. However, it is an argument in all cases, in every scenario, it is an argument. Even if it does not yield knowledge, as long as its chain is good and its narrators are trustworthy, it yields the obligation to act upon it: in obligating what is obligatory, in forbidding what is forbidden, and the like.
Therefore, acting upon the established, authentic hadith is obligatory, even if it does not yield knowledge, and even if it yields only speculation, according to the opinion of those who said so. The argument stands with it, whether it yields knowledge or speculation, once the chain is established. This is the position of the scholars, and some of them reported it as consensus, such as al-Khatib al-Baghdadi and Ibn Abd al-Barr. They reported that ahad hadiths are used as evidence in matters of creed and rulings, and that there is no distinction between rulings and other matters if their chains are established, whether we rule that they yield knowledge or do not yield knowledge and only yield speculation. In this case, speculation is in the position of knowledge regarding the obligation to act upon it. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.