The Islamic Personality by Sheikh Taqīuddīn An-Nabahānī

The individuals report is what was narrated by a number which does not reach the extent of the tawaator in the three eras (Al Sahaabah, Al Taabi'ine, and Taabi'y Al Taabi'ine), and no consideration to what came after them. It denotes the most probability, not the certainty. The verdicts base on it in their derivation as they base on the mutawaatir Hadeeth and on the mashhour Hadeeth. The research of khabar Al Aahaad is from among the most important usoul issues, because it is the basis of most of the verdicts for the fewness of the mutawaatir Sunnah. Khabar Al Aahaad must be taken as basis for the actions when it fulfills both: the conditions of the transmission (riwayah) and the knowledge of its content (dirayah). The Messenger (SAW) used to send individuals from the sahabah to the countries to call to Islam, teach the verdicts, and narrated the ahaadeeth, the way He sent Muazth to Yemen. So had it not been a must for the Muslims to act according to khabar Al Aahaad; the Messenger (SAW) would not be satisfied by sending individuals from among the Sahabah, but he would then send groups.

The Sahabah consented on acting according to khabar Al Aahaad and that has been transmitted from uncounted and various situations which support their action according to the individuals report, and the obligation to act according to it. Ibn Majah narrated in his Sunnah book that Abu Bakr Al Siddiq acted according to the report of Al Mugheerah and Muhammad Ibn Maslamah in the inheritance of the grandmother that the prophet (SAW) gave her the sixth. And from that is what Al Bukhari narrated that Omar Ibn Al Khattaab acted according to the khabar of Abd Al Rahmaan Ibn Awf in taking the jizyah from the magus (magi), in His (SAW) saying: ِ Do treat them the way you treat the people of the book" Maalik narrated it. And from that is the action of Othmaan and Ali according to the report of faree'ah Bint Maalik, that the widow (whom her husband died) spends her iddah in the house of her husband, and that is when she said: I went to the Prophet (SAW) seeking His permission about the place of the iddah, then He (SAW) said "stay in your house until the end of your waiting period" Abu Dawood and Maalek narrated it. And from that is what became famous about Ali's action according to the individual report, and :saying his ُ when I used to hear a Hadeeth from the Messenger of Allah (SAW) Allah made me benefit from it as much as he wills, and if someone reported to me from the Messenger, I used to ask him to swear, if he swears I believe him" narrated by Ahmad.

And from that is what Al Bukhari and Muslim narrated that Ibn Abbaas acted according to the report of Abu Sa'eid Al Khudry about the riba in the cash transaction after he used not to consider any riba in other then the credited sale. And from that is the action of Zaid Ibn Thaabit according to the report of a women from the Ansaar (proponents) that the menstruous can hasten in the Hajj without the farewell walking around the Ka'bah (tawaaf al wadaa') i.e. she can return to her county without performing tawaaf al wadaa'. And from that is what Al Bukhari and Muslim narrated on the authority of Anas Ibn Maalik that he said: I was giving Abu Talha Al Ansari, Abu Obaidah Ibn Al Jarrah and Obay Ibn Ka'b drink made from (fadheekh) dates, when a man came to them and said: the intoxicant became haraam, then Abu Talha said: O Anas stand up to these jars and brake them, Anas said: I got to our large pestle (mihraas) and hit them with its bottom until they broke. And from that is what Al Bukhari narrated about the deviation of the Qibaa' people from the Qiblah according to the report of an individual that the qiblah has been abrogated, and then they turned to the Ka'bah direction for his report. … Many other reports indicate the consensus of the Sahabah on the obligation to act according to the individuals report.