In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Blessings and peace be upon the noblest of the Prophets and Messengers, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon all his family and Companions.
This is a summary of what was covered in this part of the explanation of al-Risalah by Imam al-Shafi’i, focusing on the important points and clarifications.
The chapter on the solitary report (khabar al-wahid) (paragraph 998):
- A question about the establishment of proof by the report of the few (the solitary report): Imam al-Shafi’i was asked about the threshold at which evidence becomes valid so that proof is established by it; that is, what are the conditions for accepting a solitary report?
- Al-Shafi’i’s answer: It is the report of one from one until it reaches the Prophet ﷺ, or reaches the one at whom it stops short of him (that is, a report mawquf on a Companion). This indicates that, for al-Shafi’i, the mawquf report is also a proof if no Companion is known to have contradicted it.
- Al-Shafi’i’s conditions for accepting a solitary report: Proof is not established by a solitary report until it combines several things:
- That the one narrating it be trustworthy in his religion: that is, upright, not suspected of innovation or sin.
- Known for truthfulness in his speech: well known among people for truthfulness.
- Understanding what he narrates: aware of what he is saying.
- Knowing what in the wording alters the meanings of the hadith: having an understanding of the Arabic language and the signification of words, so that he does not change the meaning of the hadith. This points to the importance of the science of grammatical signification.
- That he be one who conveys the hadith in its exact words as he heard it: this is precision (dabt), that is, narrating the hadith in the wording he heard, not by its meaning. This is a response to those who say that narrating hadith by meaning is permissible without restriction. The Prophet ﷺ praised whoever conveys the hadith as he heard it.
- Retentive if he narrates from memory, and preserving his book if he narrates from his book: that is, he must be precise in the hadith either by memory or in writing.
- When he shares a hadith with those who memorize it, his hadith agrees with theirs: that is, his hadith must agree with the narration of the other trustworthy narrators.
- Free of being a mudallis: tadlis is when a narrator narrates from his shaykh something he did not hear from him.
- Al-Shafi’i’s explanation of tadlis: It is narrating from someone one met something one did not hear from him, and narrating from the Prophet ﷺ something that contradicts what the trustworthy narrators report.
- Connection of the chain: The chain must be connected from beginning to end, each narrator from his shaykh by hearing or by a valid licence (ijazah), until it reaches the Prophet ﷺ (marfu’), or a Companion (mawquf), or a Successor (maqtu’).
- The importance of these conditions: If any one of these conditions is missing, the chain is defective and the report is rejected.
A request for clarification by an example:
- The questioner asked al-Shafi’i to clarify these conditions with a tangible example that he knew.
- Al-Shafi’i declined to use analogy here, because the solitary report is a foundation in itself and is not to be measured against anything else.
- The questioner suggested using testimony as the comparison, since knowledge of it is widespread.
Comparison between the solitary report and testimony:
- Al-Shafi’i explained that the solitary report may differ from testimony in some respects and agree with it in others.
- Points of difference between the solitary report and testimony:
- Accepting the narration of one person or of a woman in hadith, but not accepting them alone in testimony: the narration of a single woman is accepted in hadith, and the narration of a single narrator is accepted, whereas in testimony the testimony of a woman alone is not accepted in some cases, and the testimony of a single man is not accepted in others.
- Accepting ‘an’anah in hadith but not in testimony: ‘an’anah is accepted in hadith (“So-and-so narrated to me from so-and-so”), whereas in testimony an explicit statement of hearing, seeing, or being called to witness is required (“I heard,” “I saw,” “He called me to witness”).
- The difference with respect to inference: some hadiths are taken and inferred from by means of the Book, the Sunnah, consensus, or analogy, whereas testimony does not require inference but requires an explicit statement.
- Accepting the testimony of someone whose narration is not accepted: a person’s testimony may be admissible while his narration of hadith is not accepted, because he frequently alters and changes some of the wording and meanings of the hadith. This points to the importance of the science of mukhtalif al-hadith (reconciling apparently conflicting hadith), since a hadith may have an authentic chain but contain a difficulty in its meaning.
Conclusion:
- Al-Shafi’i set out the conditions for accepting a solitary report, which are precise conditions showing his concern for the authenticity of hadith.
- He compared the solitary report with testimony and explained where they agree and where they differ.
- He pointed to the importance of the science of mukhtalif al-hadith.
Some important benefits:
- Al-Shafi’i’s conditions for accepting a solitary report.
- The difference between the solitary report and testimony.
- The importance of the science of grammatical signification.
- The importance of the science of mukhtalif al-hadith.
- The importance of precision in narrating hadith.
- The response to those who say that narrating hadith by meaning is permissible without restriction.
We ask Allah the Exalted for acceptance and ease.
All parts of Summary of the Explanation of al-Risala by Shaykh Dr. Ahmad al-Naqeeb