Analysis and Review of the Theory of "Validity of Khabar al-Wāḥid in case of Agreement with the Spirit of the Qurʼān and Definite Sunnah"

The basics of the validity of Khabar al-Wāḥid (tradition narrated by a single source) have been discussed by contemporary Uṣūlī scholars in detail during the discussion of the subject of Qaṭʻ and Ḍann (certitude and presumption) in Uṣūlī books, and various criteria have been presented for accepting the narrations of Āḥād, such as the existence of definite evidence, the reliability of the narrators of the chain transmission, and assurance of narration issuance. Meanwhile, the theory of "agreement with the spirit of the Qurʼān and the Sunnah" is one of the emerging theories that tries to express a criterion for the validity of Khabar al-Wāḥid and to attributes its issuance and non-issuance to the holy infallibles (ʻA). Āyatollāhs Martyr Sayyid al-Ṣadr and al-Sīstānī are among those who support this theory. Of course, Martyr Sayyid al-Ṣadr has accepted the validity of Khabar al-Thiqah, along with it, raised the possibility of the completeness of this theory, but Āyatollāh al-Sīstānī has not accepted the validity of Khabar al-Thiqah and considers his only criterion in the validity of Khabar al-Wāḥid to be its spiritual agreement with the Qurʼān and the Sunnah. His main reason for proving the mentioned theory is the Mutawātir narrations (narrations narrated by several sources), which the contents of them is to obtain the Khabar in case of agreement with the Qurʼān and the Sunnah, and to reject it if it is contrary to the Qurʼān and the Sunnah. Since there is no correct and comprehensive explanation and analysis of this theory and its foundations in books and articles, even from the theory's cofounders, the present study, with the aim of explaining the contents of the theory and analyzing the limits and gaps of the evidence and in the shadow of describing and analyzing the Uṣūlī and narrative propositions and by collecting library data and by categorizing the narratives considered by the theory's supporters and by examining the way of their implication and explaining its various aspects, has tried to provide a correct explanation and analysis of the theory and to answer possible problems with the theory.