WHAT IS THE HARM IN ACCEPTING THE REPORT OF A SOLITARY REPORT IN MATTERS OF CREED?

﷽

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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad, his pure and virtuous family, and the curse of Allah upon all their enemies.

Peace and blessings be upon you.

Upon reviewing the Shaykh's statements,

There is no harm in relying on supporting indicators [1] that lead to reassurance in the branches of religion [فروع الدين] and details of faith [تفاصيل العقيدة].

Perhaps this is what the late Shaykh al-Mufid, may Allah have mercy on him, intended when he said:

ولا يجوز لأحد أن يقطع بخبر الواحد في الدين الا أن يقترن به ما يدل على صدق راويه على البيان، وهذا مذهب جمهور الشيعة

‘No one is permitted to decisively accept a solitary report [khabar al-ahad] in religious matters unless it is accompanied by circumstantial evidence that affirms the truthfulness of its narrator in terms of clarification. This is the view of the majority of Shia scholars’ [2]

However, regarding the fundamentals of faith [and not its details], this is not the case, for even if the chain of transmission of a solitary report is authentic, it remains probabilistic, and certainty must be attained.

Relying on supporting indicators – if it is of a legal (shar‘ī) nature – leads to a fallacy of circular reasoning.

If it is of a rational nature, the proof becomes valid through it, making the rational evidence the primary source, not the report itself.

May Allah grant you success in achieving His pleasure.

Office of Shaykh al-Habīb in the land of Fadak al-Sughra

References

[1] The Shi'a Scholar Al-Muhaqqiq Al-Hilli has stated the following: 

المسألة الرابعة : قد يقترن بخبر الواحد قرائن تدل على صدق مضمونه وان كانت غير دالة على صدق الخبر نفسه لجواز اختلافه مطابقا لتلك القرينة والقرائن أربع : احداها أن يكون موافقا لدلالة العقل ، أو لنص الكتاب خصوصه أو عمومه أو فحواه ، أو السنة المقطوع بها ، أو لما حصل الاجماع عليه.

"The Fourth Issue: A solitary report (Khabar al-ahad) may be accompanied by supporting indicators that indicate the truth of its content, even if they do not directly prove the truth of the report itself, as there is the possibility of the report differing from the evidence it aligns with. The types of circumstantial evidence are four: The first is that it is consistent with the guidance of reason, or with the specific or general text of the Qur'an, or its implied meaning, or with an established, conclusive tradition (sunnah), or with what has been agreed upon by consensus."

[Ma'arij Al-Usul, Al-Muhaqqiq Al-Hilli, Volume 1, Page 148]

[2] Awa'il Al-Maqalat, Shaykh Al-Mufid, Page 122

The orginal text in Arabic can be found here

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Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings...

What harm is there in accepting the report of an individual (Khabar Al-Ahad) in matters of belief, provided its chain of transmission is authentic and its supporting indicators [Qara'in] are authentic?

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Answer

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