DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47980/TLOI/2026/2/17-22Keywords:
khabar al-wahid solitary report legal proof madhhab zanni usul al-fiqh isnad qiyas faqih.Abstract
This article provides a comprehensive theoretical analysis of the concept of khabar al-wahid (solitary report) and its status as a legal proof (hujja) in Islamic legal schools, along with the methodological criteria for its acceptance. Although khabar al-ahad (khabar al-wahid) is classified as a speculative (zanni) source of evidence within the framework of Islamic legal sources, its significant role in the derivation of practical Shari’ah rulings has been substantiated through scholarly analysis. The study comparatively examines the criteria for the acceptance of khabar al-ahad and the methodological approaches adopted by the Ḥanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, and Ḥanbali schools of Islamic jurisprudence. The article elaborates in detail on the five unanimously accepted conditions for the acceptance of khabar al-wahid—namely, that the narrator be Muslim, sane, upright, truthful, and possess accurate retention (dabt)—as well as the additional requirements stipulated by the Ḥanafi and Maliki schools. While the Maliki jurists rejected reports that contradicted the established practice of the people of Madinah (amal ahl al-Madinah), the Ḥanafi jurists introduced additional conditions, including that the report should not pertain to matters of “umum al-balwa” (issues of widespread public concern requiring universal legal awareness), that the narrator possess juristic competence (fiqh), and that the narration not contradict firmly established Shari’ah principles. In contrast, the Shafi’i and Ḥanbali schools adopted a relatively broader acceptance of khabar al-ahad, considering the authenticity of the chain of transmission (sahih isnad) as the principal criterion.
The article also examines the methodological differences between the ahl al-ray and ahl al-hadith schools. It analyzes the relationship between khabar al-wahid and qiyas (analogical reasoning), with particular attention to the theoretical disagreement between al-Karkhi and al-Dabusi within the Hanafi school regarding the requirement that the narrator be a jurist. The study demonstrates that the differences among the jurisprudential schools did not arise from the rejection of hadiths themselves, but rather from differing approaches to their interpretation and application as legal evidence.
As a result, the study concludes that khabar al-wahid occupies a significant position within the system of Islamic legal sources, and that the differences among the jurisprudential schools reflect the richness and diversity of Islamic legal thought.
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