Regarding what is stated in the Quran that conjecture is not sufficient for proving the truth, are there any definitive pieces of evidence that the intended meaning is conjecture in general, regardless of creed or religion? Those who defend ahad reports may argue that the intended meaning is polytheists, who did not have a book or any knowledge at all, while we have guidelines, principles, methods of evaluating hadith narrators, and similar things, to justify following ahad reports and making them part of the religion.
The statement of Allah Almighty: ﴿إِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا﴾[1]; “Indeed, conjecture is not sufficient for (proving) the truth,” is an explicit text that does not require interpretation, nor does it allow for it. The word «الظنّ»; “al-Dhan” in it, which means conjecture, has become definite with «ال للجنس»; “Alif-Laam Li al-Jins,” which indicates a general concept, thus encompassing all conjecture regardless of the reason for its occurrence. This is the rule in the view of all scholars[2]. Therefore, none of them have said that the words of Allah Almighty do not include the conjecture arising from ahad reports. However, those who see these reports as having authority have said that the conjecture arising from them is excluded from the scope of the verse by a specified reason. Therefore, they call it “specific conjecture,” and the specified reason for ahad reports, in their view, is the statement of Allah Almighty, where He has said: ﴿إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا﴾[3]; “If a sinner brings you a report, verify it.” However, the obligation to verify the report of a sinner does not indicate that verifying the report of a just person is not obligatory, just as it is said that proving something does not negate things other than it; especially considering that the possibility of sinning always exists for a just person if he is not infallible, in addition to the possibility of error and forgetfulness, and this necessitates verifying the report of whoever is not infallible, absolutely. Therefore, the statement of Allah Almighty means: “If someone whose sinning is known or possible brings you a report, verify it,” and in other words: “If someone who is actually or potentially a sinner brings you a report, verify it.” Therefore, many scholars have not relied on this verse to prove the authority of ahad reports, and have only relied on reports that they claim are mutawatir. However, even if reports are mutawatir, they cannot specify the Quran; because they are weaker than the Quran. When a weaker proof contradicts a stronger proof, the weaker one is waived and nothing is waived by it. This is well-known among scholars; regardless of the fact that mutawatir reports do not indicate the authority of ahad reports; because their utmost indication is the authority of ahad reports accompanied by pieces of evidence that lead to knowledge, which are usually available to those who live in the time of the Imam, but not to those who come after him. Therefore, His Eminence Mansoor holds the view that ahad reports narrated from the Imam to those who live in his time are proof, especially when he can reject and correct them in cases of error and falsehood[4].