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Khabar (report and its kinds; its evidential force)

الخبر

Khabar (report) lexically is what is conveyed and spoken of; among the traditionists it usually means the same as hadith, athar is wider, and naba' is a report of great benefit. 1 2 A report about a particular matter is confession, testimony or claim; a report about a general matter is narration, judgement or legal opinion. 2 3 A trusted man's report that water, cloth or food is impure is accepted when he states the cause; an unbeliever, a sinner or a madman is not believed in impurity, and the discerning child is disputed. 3 The report of a trusted man about the qibla is accepted by the majority; the unbeliever, the mad and the non-discerning child are rejected, and the discerning child and the sinner are disputed. 4 On the sighting of the Ramadan crescent, the Shafiis, Hanbalis and a Hanafi report accept one just witness; the Hanafis require several witnesses when the sky is clear. 4 On the Ramadan crescent, the Malikis require the completion of thirty days of Sha'ban or the sighting by two or more just men, a view also held by a Shafii opinion and a report of Ahmad, from the hadith 'fast on its sighting and break fast on its sighting; if it is hidden from you, complete thirty days'. 5

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Early Abbasid Caliphate
Region
Global / Diaspora
Review
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Law and courts

Summary

Khabar (report) lexically is what is conveyed and spoken of; among the traditionists it usually means the same as hadith, athar is wider, and naba' is a report of great benefit. 1 2 A report about a particular matter is confession, testimony or claim; a report about a general matter is narration, judgement or legal opinion. 2 3 A trusted man's report that water, cloth or food is impure is accepted when he states the cause; an unbeliever, a sinner or a madman is not believed in impurity, and the discerning child is disputed. 3 The report of a trusted man about the qibla is accepted by the majority; the unbeliever, the mad and the non-discerning child are rejected, and the discerning child and the sinner are disputed. 4 On the sighting of the Ramadan crescent, the Shafiis, Hanbalis and a Hanafi report accept one just witness; the Hanafis require several witnesses when the sky is clear. 4 On the Ramadan crescent, the Malikis require the completion of thirty days of Sha'ban or the sighting by two or more just men, a view also held by a Shafii opinion and a report of Ahmad, from the hadith 'fast on its sighting and break fast on its sighting; if it is hidden from you, complete thirty days'. 5

People and things also explored

Ahliyya (legal capacity: to have rights and duties, and to act; its stages from the womb to full maturity, and what impairs it)· Democracy and the Sharia — compatibility and conflict· Fatwa on the satellite channels — its benefit and harm· Secularism and Islam — conflict or concord· Stoning (rajm) as a penalty for zina· Allusion to a proposal during the waiting period· Aman (safe-conduct granted to enemies in war)· Amana (trust, deposit and what is entrusted)

Sources

  1. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.7537
  2. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.7538
  3. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.7539
  4. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.7540
  5. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.7541
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Khabar (report and its kinds; its evidential force)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/khabar-report/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-23.

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Ideas

Beliefs, concepts, sciences and schools, explained in plain words. Related

Ahliyya (legal capacity: to have rights and duties, and to act; its stages from the womb to full maturity, and what impairs it)

Ahliyya is lexically suitability, and it is of two kinds: capacity to have rights and duties, the capacity of liability; and capacity to act, that is to perform acts recognised by the law. Its bearer passes through the stages of the foetus, childhood, discernment, puberty and maturity. Liability is complete from birth and incomplete for the foetus; the capacity to act is partial at discernment and full with puberty and reason. It is affected by heavenly impediments such as madness, imbecility, sleep, fainting, illness, slavery, menstruation, childbirth and death, and by acquired ones such as ignorance, drunkenness, jest, folly, travel, error and coercion.