Examining the Authority of Āḥād Narrations inEstablishing Doctrines and Legal Rulings

چکیده

Abstract
In the noble religion of Islam, the Holy Qur’an constitutes the primary source of
legislation, while the Sunnah and the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace
and blessings be upon him) serve as the second principal source from which
legislative rulings are derived. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)
and the scholars of the Muslim Ummah (may Allah have mercy on them) devoted
their utmost efforts to preserving, understanding, and defending the Sunnah as the
second foundation of Islamic law, transmitting and promoting it to subsequent
generations. The issue of akhbār al-āḥād (solitary reports) and their use as
evidence in matters of doctrine (ʿaqīdah) and legal rulings (aḥkām) has long been
a central concern for scholars of uṣūl al-fiqh and ḥadīth, with its probative
authority substantiated by Qur’anic verses and Prophetic traditions and affirmed
by the majority of scholars. This study aims to affirm the probative status of
solitary reports and clarify the validity of employing them as proof in doctrinal
and legal contexts, focusing on their conditions for authenticity and the evidences
for their authority. Adopting a library-based research method and a descriptive
approach, the findings show that the Sunnah serves as an explanation of the
Qur’an, elaborating its general principles, clarifying its concise statements,
detailing its summaries, and resolving its ambiguities. A solitary report, defined
as a narration whose number of transmitters does not reach that of mutawātir
reports and which does not meet the criteria of mutawātir ḥadīth, is authoritative
and valid as evidence in Islamic law and theology, provided that the necessary
conditions are fulfilled.
Keywords: Proof, Legal Rulings, Authority (ḥujjiyyah), Solitary Report (khabar
al-wāḥid), Islam, Doctrine, Qur’an.