Allah Almighty says:
«مَنۡ يُّطِعِ الرَّسُوۡلَ فَقَدۡ اَطَاعَ اللّٰهَ»
“Whoever obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah.” [An-Nisa: 80]
This verse and others clearly establish the obligation of obeying the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is narrated from Abdullah ibn Umar رضی اللہ عنہ that people were offering Fajr prayer in Quba (near Madinah) when a man came and said: “A command has been revealed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ last night directing him to face the Kaaba.” So the congregation, who were facing Sham, turned during the prayer towards the Kaaba.
[Muwatta Imam Malik (Ibn al-Qasim): 277 – Sahih, also in: Bukhari: 403, Muslim: 526]
This demonstrates that the Companions considered an authentic solitary report a valid proof even in matters of belief.
The Prophet ﷺ sent a letter inviting the Byzantine emperor Heraclius to Islam through Dihyah al-Kalbi رضی اللہ عنہ.
[Sahih Bukhari: 7]
This proves that an authentic khabar wahid (solitary report) is not speculative, but certain, definitive, and binding.
Scholarly Views on the Authority of Authentic Hadith
Hafiz Ibn al-Salah wrote:
“All hadiths in the Sahihayn (Bukhari and Muslim) reported with ‘haddathana’ are definitively authentic because the Ummah has accepted them unanimously, and the Ummah is protected from error in consensus. Therefore, these must be truly authentic.”
Despite Imam Nawawi mentioning differing views, Ibn Kathir رحمہ اللہ said: “This is a sound deduction. I agree with Ibn al-Salah’s conclusion.”
[Ikhtisar ‘Uloom al-Hadith, ed. Albani, vol. 1, pp. 125–126]
Ibn Kathir further noted:
I later came across the words of our teacher Ibn Taymiyyah, who mentioned that hadiths unanimously accepted by the Ummah are considered definitively authentic. This view is supported by major scholars such as Qadhi Abdul Wahhab al-Maliki, Abu Hamid al-Isfara’ini, Qadhi Abu Tayyib al-Tabari, Abu Ishaq al-Shirazi (Shafi’i), Ibn Hamid al-Hanbali, Abu Ya’la, Ibn al-Zaghuni, and others. Among the Hanafis, Shams al-A’immah al-Sarakhsi held this opinion.
Ibn Taymiyyah also said that even Ash‘ari scholars like Abu Ishaq al-Isfara’ini and Ibn Furak agreed with this, and it is the stance of all Ahl al-Hadith and most of the Salaf. This confirms what Ibn al-Salah deduced.
[Ikhtisar ‘Uloom al-Hadith, vol. 1, pp. 127–128]
Statements of the Imams
Imam al-Shafi‘i said:
“If an authentic hadith from the Prophet ﷺ reaches us, it is not permissible to abandon it.”
[al-Bayhaqi, Manaqib al-Shafi‘i, vol. 1, p. 483]
He also said:
“When a sahih hadith from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is presented to me, and I don’t act upon it, testify that my intellect has departed.”
[ibid. p. 474]
This proves that in Imam Shafi‘i’s view, not acting on a sahih hadith is irrational.
He also considered it obligatory to accept a sahih khabar wahid.
[Jima‘ al-‘Ilm, p. 8]
Imam Shafi‘i once told Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal:
“You know authentic hadith better than we do. If you find any hadith to be authentic, inform me so I may act upon it — regardless of whether it’s from Kufa, Basra, or Sham.”
[Hilyat al-Awliya 9/170]
Obligation to Follow Any Authentic Hadith
This confirms that if an authentic hadith exists in Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, the Sunan, Musnad Ahmad, or any reliable book, it is obligatory to believe and act upon it. Rejecting it by labeling it speculative, solitary, doubtful, irrational, or contradictory to the Qur’an is false and deviant.
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said:
“Whoever rejects a sahih hadith of the Messenger ﷺ is on the brink of destruction.”
[Manaqib Ahmad, p. 182]
When a hadith was mentioned to Imam Malik, he said:
“This is a good hadith. I’ve never heard it before.” Then he started giving fatwa according to it.
[Taqdimat al-Jarh wa al-Ta‘dil, vol. 1, pp. 31–32]
Hanafi scholars also affirm that accepting a sahih hadith was Imam Abu Hanifa’s real madhhab. Abdul Hayy Lucknawi wrote:
“All four Imams accept using sahih khabar wahid for legal rulings.”
[Ghayth al-Ghamam, p. 277]
Conclusion
After the compilation of hadith and based on the principles of hadith sciences, it is obligatory to accept any sahih hadith in all matters — belief, divine attributes, and legal rulings.
(14 February 2007)
