An Analysis of the Foundations of the Exceptionality of Single Traditions Narrated by Muhammad ibn ‘Isa ibn Ubayd, as recorded by Yunis ibn Abd al-Rahman

The question of exceptionality has been discussed in certain field of Islamic sciences such as the principle of Jurisprudence, Qur’anic commentaries, and Hadith. In most bibliographic sources, especially in Qum circles, we find frequent references to the issue of “exceptionality” with a peculiar meaning. When we revisit the entry on Yunis ibn Abd al-Rahman in the concordance of Shaykh Tusi and Najashi’s (Biographical dictionary) we find a statement by ibn Walid that contains a discussion of the exceptionality of single hadiths narrated by Muhammad ibn ‘Isa ibn Ubayd that have been subject to different interpretations and analysis. In this article we discuss the approach to Shi’a hadiths and their development by jurists since the 5th century with special reference to Muhammad ibn ‘Isa’s narration of Exceptional hadiths and their authentication on the one hand; and on the other hand, we concentrate our analysis on the critic and rejection of views about the foundation of these exceptions. Such an approach is not found in earlier writings in any collection. In addition, by introducing a new hypothesis in this article, we attempt to analyze the foundations of exceptionality of single hadiths narrated by Muhammad ibn ‘Isa in their historical context.