International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities Research · Vol. 2 No. October Issue (2026)

The Role of Āḥād Reports in Matters of Islamic Belief

Authors

  • Mukhlisa Narzullayeva Second year master’s student in Islamic Theology, Philosophy, and Māturīdī Studies Imam Bukhari Tashkent Islamic Institute

Keywords

āḥād reports mutawātir Islamic theology Māturīdism hadith epistemic certainty

Abstract

This article examines the evidentiary status of āḥād reports, understood as reports that do not meet the conditions of mass transmission, in Islamic theology. Through a conceptual reading of theological, hadith, and legal theoretical sources, it distinguishes certainty and probability in both transmission and meaning. The analysis argues that the authority of a report depends on the level of assent required by the proposition it supports. Within the theological framework adopted here, mutawātir reports yield certain knowledge, whereas āḥād reports ordinarily warrant probabilistic assent. Nevertheless, āḥād reports may elucidate doctrinal details, corroborate other evidence, and support propositions for which certainty is not required. Reports concerning prophetic miracles illustrate the argument that individually transmitted accounts may collectively establish a shared meaning through tawātur in meaning. The discussion also considers corroborating indications, the distinction between hadith authenticity and epistemic certainty, and the implications of these distinctions for accusations of unbelief. The article concludes that scholarly disagreements should be examined in their evidentiary and doctrinal contexts rather than reduced to an unrestricted acceptance or rejection of āḥād reports.

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