Mutawatir & Ahad?

[Farhan]

Assalaamu alaikum

When did the division of a report into Mutawatir and Ahad first occur? Did the earlier scholars of Hadith differentiate (as is suggested by some) between the two and advocate that the Mutawatir narration provides Ilm al-Yaqeeni whilst the other does not?

[Abu Maryam PK]

Bismillah
Assalaamu alaikum

When did the division of a report into Mutawatir and Ahad first occur? Did the earlier scholars of Hadith differentiate (as is suggested by some) between the two and advocate that the Mutawatir narration provides Ilm al-Yaqeeni whilst the other does not?

Wa'alaikumussalam

To me it seems it started with the mu'tazillah and later carried on by off-shoots like asha'irah.
If the khabar al-wahid is saheeh (authentically reported) it gives knowledge ('ilm) in itself. The more it becomes covered with pointers (متحف بالقرائن), the more compelling knowledge (dharoori) it provides. Anyway it is all kalami logic to first categorize the khabar into mutawatir and ahaad, then divide the type of knowledge all to pave way to reject them in aqaid.

For example a khabr al-wahid narrated by Bukhari/Muslim or both gives compelling knowledge(al-'ilm al-dharoori). Every sane individual believes that it is what the Prophet sallallahoalaihiwasallam said.

Similarly, the Prophet sallallahoalaihiwasallam sent Mu'aadh alone to yemen to teach them both aqeedah and ahkaam. Infact he said "The first thing you call them toward is the testification that their is no diety except Allah..." (Bukhari). Thank Allah, there was no maturidi/ash'ari there to reject his call and say 'Bring 9 more people from Medina, to make your khabar mutawaatir'.

And the Prophet sallallahoalaihiwasallam said that we will not be misquided so long as we hold on to his sunnah, and he did not say just hold on to the mutawaatir sunan

As Al-Albani said, rejecting ahaad in aqaid is an aqeedah itself, for which a proof is needed!

SAheikh Al-Albani has a beutiful book on this subject but can't find it just now.

http://www.bin-baz.org.sa/display.asp?f=kb00008
http://www.ahlalhdeeth.com/vb/showthread.php?t=111967
http://www.ahlalhdeeth.com/vb/showthread.php?t=34635
http://www.ahlalhdeeth.com/vb/showpost.php?p=186543&postcount=1

[Abu_Abdallah]

See also: http://www.islamacademy.net/index.aspx?function=Item&id=3001&lang=

The first Mu'tazilite who mentioned specific shurût for the Mutawatir and Ahad is 'Isa b. Aban, a younger contemporary of Imam al-Shafi'i.

[abu hafs]

This book has a chapter on the topic ...Its by Sh. Albani
http://diversatility.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/hadithisproofitselfinbelieflawsalalbaani.pdf