there is no room to suppose that a narrator has erred. Moreover, since ordinary experience shows that a trustworthy, precise narrator is neither inattentive nor dishonest, his report cannot be rejected merely because of a theoretical possibility that ordinary experience rules out.

Evidence for Accepting an Individual Report

Now that the falsity of the basis for rejecting individual reports in matters of belief has become clear, there is abundant evidence in the Quran and Sunnah requiring their acceptance. This includes the following:

The evidence from the Quran is extensive. Among it is:

1 — The saying of Allah Most High:

“It is not for the believers to go forth all together. If only a group from each section of them were to go forth to gain understanding of the religion and warn their people upon returning to them, so that they might beware (122).” [al-Tawbah: 122]

This verse urges believers to gain understanding of the religion, and the word “group” may refer to one person or more.

Imam al-Bukhārī said: “A single man may be called a group, as indicated by the saying of Allah Most High: ‘If two groups of believers fight, make peace between them (9)’ [al-Hujurāt: 9]. Thus, if two men fought, they would fall within the meaning of the verse” (1).

If a person’s report concerning religious matters is to be accepted, this demonstrates that his report constitutes authoritative proof. Gaining understanding of the religion encompasses both matters of belief and legal rulings; indeed, understanding matters of belief is more important than understanding legal rulings (2).