and the word ṭāʾifah in Arabic may refer to a single person and upward. Had a solitary report not been sufficient to establish proof—whether in creed or in law—Allah would not have urged that ṭāʾifah to convey what they learned in such general terms, linking the exhortation to His words, “so that they may take heed.” The phrase is explicit that knowledge is acquired through the warning delivered by the ṭāʾifah; it is parallel to His statement in other legislative and cosmic signs: “so that they may reflect,” “so that they may reason,” and “so that they may be guided.” The verse, then, is a clear proof that an individual report is binding evidence in transmitting both doctrinal beliefs and practical rulings.

Second proof: the Almighty says, “Do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge” (17:36), meaning: do not follow it, nor act upon it. It is well-known that from the era of the Companions onward, Muslims have continually relied on solitary reports, acting upon them and affirming through them matters of the unseen and doctrinal truths—such as the beginning of creation, the portents of the Hour, and even the divine attributes. If such reports did not convey knowledge and could not establish doctrine, the Companions, their Successors, the generation after them, and all the leading imams of Islam would have been guilty of pursuing that of which they had no knowledge—something Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) points out in Mukhtaṣar al-Ṣawāʿiq, 2/396—and no Muslim would ever claim such a thing.

Third proof: the Almighty says, “O you who believe, if a wicked person comes to you with some news, verify it” (49:6); in another canonical reading: “then ascertain.” This indicates that when a trustworthy person brings a report, the proof is thereby established and no further verification is required; the report is to be accepted immediately. Accordingly, Ibn al-Qayyim ﵀ states in Iʿlām, 2/394: