Q: Are there any examples of ahadees reffered / attributed to one source and considered authentic vs “ muttaqun alai” kind of ahadees. Are ahad ahadees in large numbers or rare?

AI:

Excellent and very precise question — this goes to the heart of hadith classification science (Mustalah al-Hadith). Let me answer systematically.

First: The Classification Hierarchy

1. 📚 Mutawatir Hadith
   Narrated by so many narrators at every level of the chain that fabrication is rationally impossible. These carry certain knowledge (’ilm yaqini).
   How many are there?
   This is where most people are surprised. Classical hadith scholars differ but the numbers are remarkably small:
   ∙ Imam al-Suyuti collected them in his work Al-Azhar al-Mutanathira — he found approximately 113 mutawatir ahadith
   ∙ Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani and others estimated fewer than 100 by the strictest definition
   ∙ Some scholars like Ibn Hibban were even more restrictive
   So mutawatir ahadith are actually rare — a small, precious core of the hadith corpus.
   Examples of Mutawatir:
   ∙ “Whoever intentionally lies about me, let him take his seat in the Fire” — narrated by over 70 Companions
   ∙ “Actions are by intentions” — though some debate its mutawatir status
   ∙ The description of the Prophet’s ﷺ physical appearance (Hilya)
   ∙ Raising hands in prayer (raf’ al-yadayn) — mutawatir by practice
   ∙ The Mi’raj itself — mutawatir as an event, which is precisely why Ghamidi’s reinterpretation is so problematic
2. 📖 Mashhur / Mustafid Hadith
   Narrated by at least 3 narrators at each level — not reaching full mutawatir but widely spread. Carries strong presumptive knowledge.
   Example:
   ∙ “Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim” (Ibn Majah — widely transmitted)
3. 📄 Ahad Hadith — The Critical Category
   This is the vast majority of the hadith corpus. Ahad means narrated through one, two, or a limited number of chains — not reaching mutawatir level.
   Are Ahad ahadith rare or numerous?
   They are overwhelmingly the majority — perhaps 95%+ of the entire hadith literature consists of ahad narrations. The six major collections (Kutub al-Sittah) — Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasai, Ibn Majah — are predominantly ahad.
4. ⭐ Muttafaqun ’Alayh — What It Actually Means
   This is a specific technical term meaning:
   Agreed upon by BOTH Imam Bukhari AND Imam Muslim — i.e., both independently included it in their Sahihayn.
   This is NOT the same as mutawatir — it is still technically ahad in chain structure, but it carries the highest degree of authentication because:
   ∙ Both Bukhari and Muslim independently verified it
   ∙ Both applied the most rigorous standards of narrator criticism (rijal)
   ∙ The Ummah has received these collections with universal acceptance (talaqqī al-ummah bil-qabūl)
   How many muttafaqun ’alayh ahadith exist?
   Approximately 2,326 hadith are agreed upon by both Bukhari and Muslim — out of:
   ∙ Bukhari: ~7,563 with repetitions (~2,602 unique)
   ∙ Muslim: ~7,500 with repetitions (~3,033 unique)
5. The Key Scholarly Debate: Do Ahad Ahadith Establish Binding Law?
   This is directly relevant to Ghamidi’s methodology — and the answer of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah is clear:

Position Scholars Ahad in Sahihayn = binding in ’aqeedah AND law Imam Ahmad, Ibn Hazm, Ibn Taymiyyah, majority Ahad = binding in law, not necessarily ’aqeedah Some Hanafi and Ash’ari positions Ahad = not independently binding without Quranic support Ghamidi, Quranists — rejected by ijma’

The mainstream position — held by all four madhabs — is that an authenticated ahad hadith creates obligatory action (wujub al-’amal), even if it creates presumptive rather than certain knowledge theoretically.

6. A Concrete Illustration of the Problem
   Consider the punishment of stoning (rajm) — which Ghamidi rejects:
   ∙ It is narrated in Bukhari, Muslim (muttafaqun ’alayh)
   ∙ It was practiced by the Prophet ﷺ personally
   ∙ It was practiced by all four Rightly Guided Caliphs
   ∙ All four madhabs agree on it unanimously (ijma’)
   ∙ Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه explicitly stated it was in the original Quran before being abrogated in recitation but retained in ruling (naskh al-tilawa duna al-hukm)
   For Ghamidi to reject it, he must simultaneously reject:
   ∙ A muttafaqun ’alayh hadith
   ∙ The practice of the Sahaba by ijma’
   ∙ 1400 years of continuous scholarly consensus
   ∙ The independent ijtihad of all four imams
   This illustrates precisely why his methodology is so problematic — it is not a nuanced scholarly disagreement on a peripheral matter. It is a systematic dismantling of the architecture of Islamic law.

Summary Category Numbers Knowledge Level Mutawatir ~100-113 Certain (qat’i) Muttafaqun ’alayh ~2,326 Highest authenticated Mashhur/Mustafid Thousands Strong presumptive Ahad (overall) Vast majority — tens of thousands Presumptive — but binding

The smallness of mutawatir numbers is actually a sign of the rigour of hadith science — scholars were extraordinarily strict about what qualified. But this does NOT mean the rest are weak or dismissible. The entire edifice of fiqh, ‘ibadah, and Islamic civilisation rests on authenticated ahad narrations — and this is by Allah’s design, as the Quran itself commands obedience to the Prophet ﷺ as a separate, independent obligation:
مَّن يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ
“Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah.” (An-Nisa 4:80)
والله أعلم​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​