Ashrat al-Saah - al-Wabil - Yusuf al-Wabil - (48)

Ashrat al-Saah - al-WabilYusuf al-Wabil

2 — Allah Most High says:

“O you who believe, if an evildoer brings you any news, verify it (6).” [al-Hujurāt: 6]

In another reading, it is: “make certain”—that is, through careful verification (1).

This therefore establishes decisively and conclusively that the report of a single trustworthy narrator must be accepted and requires no further verification, since such a narrator does not fall under the category of an evildoer. Had his report not imparted knowledge, verification would have been commanded in every case until knowledge was attained (2).

3 — Allah Most High says:

“O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. If you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger (59).” [al-Nisā’: 59]

Ibn al-Qayyim said: “The Muslims unanimously agree that referring a matter to the Messenger meant turning to him during his lifetime and means turning to his Sunnah after his death. They also agree that the obligation to refer matters to him did not cease with his death. If neither his mass-transmitted reports nor his individual reports imparted knowledge or certainty, there would be no point in referring matters to him” (3).

As for the evidence from the Sunnah, it is exceedingly abundant; I shall mention only some of it:

1 — The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—would send his messengers to kings, one after another, and likewise his governors to the various regions. The people would refer to them concerning all practical and doctrinal rulings. Thus, he sent Abū Ubayda Āmir ibn al-Jarrāh—may Allah be pleased with him—to the people of

(1) See *Tafsīr al-Shawkānī*, 5:60. (2) *The Obligation to Accept Āhād Hadith in Matters of Creed*, p. 7, by Muhammad Nāsir al-Dīn al-Albānī, the hadith scholar of Syria. (3) *Mukhtasar al-Sawā'iq al-Mursala 'alā al-Jahmiyya wa-l-Mu'attila* (Abridgment of *The Thunderbolts Sent against the Jahmiyya and the Deniers of the Divine Attributes*), 2:352, by Imam Ibn al-Qayyim.

٢ - قال تعالى: ﴿يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا (٦)﴾ [الحجرات: ٦]، وفي قراءة: (فتثبَّتُوا)؛ من التثبُّت (١). ولهذا يدلُّ على الجزم والقطع بقبول خبر الواحد الثقة، وأنّه لا يحتاج إلى التثبُّت، لعدم دخوله في الفاسق، ولو كان خبره لا يفيد العلم؛ لأمر بالتثبُّت مطلقًا حتّى يحصل العلم (٢). ٣ - قال تعالى: ﴿يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ (٥٩)﴾ [النِّساء: ٥٩]. قال ابن القيم: "وأجمع المسلمون أن الردَّ إلى الرسول هو الرجوع إليه في حياته، والرجوع إلى سنته بعد مماته، واتَّفقوا على أن فرضَ هذا الردِّ لم يسقط بموته، فإن كان متواتر أخباره وآحادها لا تفيد علمًا ولا يقينًا؛ لم يكن للردِّ إليه وجهٌ" (٣). وأمّا الأدلَّة من السنة؛ فهي كثيرة جدًّا، أقتصر على بعضٍ منها: ١ - كان النبيُّ ﷺ يبعث رسله إلى الملوك واحدًا بعد واحدٍ، وكذلك أمراءه على البلدان، فيرجع النَّاس إليهم في جميع الأحكام العمليَّة والاعتقاديَّة، فبعث أبا عُبيدة عامر بن الجرَّاح ﵁ إلى أهل

(١) انظر: "تفسير الشوكاني" (٥/ ٦٠). (٢) "وجوب الأخذ بحديث الآحاد في العقيدة" (ص ٧) لمحدث الشّام محمّد ناصر الدين الألبانى. (٣) "مختصر الصواعق المرسلة على الجهمية والمعطَّلة" (٢/ ٣٥٢)، للإِمام ابن القيم.