in jurisprudence and the principles of ḥadith—in other words, in technical terminology and in uṣūl al-fiqh. When a solitary report (khabar al-āḥād) is accepted by the Ummah—being believed when it conveys information and acted upon when it conveys a command—does it yield knowledge and certainty? This is the point of contention the author mentioned. Yet the great majority of Muslim scholars hold that it does, and Ibn Ḥajar observed that it imparts knowledge once accompanied by corroborating indications; this is the correct view. No one entertains any doubt that the Messenger ﷺ said, “Actions are only by intentions, and each person shall have only what he intended” (1), even though it is a solitary report. Nor do we doubt that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever performs an action that is not upon our way, it is rejected” (2), although it too is a solitary report. Many other narrations are the same: despite being solitary, they provide certain knowledge because of the abundance of supporting proofs and the Ummah’s reception of them.

If consensus on affirming a report renders it definitive, then the consensus to be considered here is that of the scholars of ḥadith, just as the consensus that matters for legal rulings is that of the scholars versed in command, prohibition and permissibility.

Explanation
The author—may Allah have mercy on him—means that the consensus of each discipline rests with its own experts. Thus, in the science of ḥadith we refer to the agreement of the ḥadith specialists: if they concur that a solitary report, once accepted and reinforced by corroborating evidence, yields knowledge, the dissent of some jurists is of no consequence. Likewise, consideration is given to the consensus