The Ghadir Declaration

The Ghadir Declaration


In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful



The event of Ghadir Khumm is an event that anti-Shi’a elements love to deny. Therefore, we will take pains to show them its authenticity. The event took place after the Holy Prophet’s (pbuh) Farewell Hajj, on his way home. Ghadir Khumm, where the event took place, is between Makkah and Madinah.





Ibn Kathir has recorded in his esteemed book, Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah[1]:



Al-San`ani, Abu Bakr `Abd al-Razzaq b. Hammam b. Nafi` al-Himyari (Humam) - Ma`mar (Mu`ammar) b. Rashid, Abu `Urwah al-Azdi al-Basri - `Ali b. Zayd b. Jud`an, Abu al-Hasan al-Taymi al-Basri - `Adi b. Thabit, al-Khatmi al-Ansari al-Kufi - Al-Bara' b. `Azib b. al-Harith al-Awsi al-Ansari:



Traveling with the Messenger of Allah , we stopped at the pond of Khumm and the Prophet sent someone to call upon people to gather. When we came together he said: ‘Do I not have more right with you than your own selves?’ We said: ‘Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah!’ He continued: ‘Do I not have more right with you than your mothers?’ We said: ‘Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah!’ He continued: ‘Do I not have more right with you than your fathers?’ We replied: ‘Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah!’ He kept asking ‘Do I not have’, and we kept answering ‘Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah!’ He concluded: ‘To whomever I am his master, ‘Ali is his master. O' God, love those who love him, and be hostile to those who are hostile to him.’ 'Umar b. al-Khattab said: ‘Congratulations O Ibn Abi Talib, today you have become the master of every believer.’



All the narrators are reliable:



1. Al-San`ani, Abu Bakr `Abd al-Razzaq b. Hammam b. Nafi` al-Himyari (Humam):



Al-Dhahabi[2] writes about him:



Many scholars have considered him reliable. His traditions have been narrated in the Sahih books (Bukhari, Muslim and others) and he is unique for other than that as well.



Sunni authorities that have accepted hadiths from him are Abu Dawud, Bukhari, Darimi, Ibn Hanbal, Ibn Majah, Muslim, Nasa'I, and Tirmidhi.



2. Ma`mar (Mu`ammar) b. Rashid, Abu `Urwah al-Azdi al-Basri:



Ibn Hibban[3] writes:



He used to prostrate to Allah (swt) one thousand times everyday, as well as praise Him a similar number of times.



He considered him reliable, and has included his name in his book of reliable narrators.



Al-Dhahabi[4] has described him an “Imam” and “hujjah”. He also cites the fact that al-`Ijli, al-Nasa'i, and al-Sam`ani also considered him reliable. He states[5] clearly:



He was a righteous person.



3. `Ali b. Zayd b. Jud`an, Abu al-Hasan al-Taymi al-Basri:



Al-Dhahabi[6] has described him as an “Imam”. He has also stated:



Ibn Abi Shaybah has considered him reliable. Al-Tirmidhi has considered him reliable (saduq).



He is relied upon by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Darimi, Ibn Majah, Muslim, Nasa'i and Tirmidhi.



4. `Adi b. Thabit, al-Khatmi al-Ansari al-Kufi:



Al-Dhahabi[7] has stated:



A truthful narrator.



Those who have relied upon him are Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Bukhari, Darimi, Ibn Majah, Malik, Muslim, Nasa'i, and Tirmidhi.



Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal[8] too has recorded the same hadith from `Affan b. Muslim b. `Abd Allah, Abu `Uthman al-Saffar al-Basri al-Ansari - Hammad b. Salamah b. Dinar, Abu Salamah al-Khazaz al-Basri - `Ali b. Zayd b. Jud`an, Abu al-Hasan al-Taymi al-Basri - `Adi b. Thabit, al-Khatmi al-Ansari al-Kufi - Al-Bara' b. `Azib b. al-Harith al-Awsi al-Ansari.



All the narrators are reliable:



1. `Affan b. Muslim b. `Abd Allah, Abu `Uthman al-Saffar al-Basri al-Ansari:



Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani[9] writes:



Ibn `Adi said: He is so famous, trustworthy and reliable that nothing more can be said about him.



Ibn Hajar has quoted Ibn Ma`in, Ibn Sa`d, Ibn Kharrash and Ibn Qani` to show `Affan's reliability.



Al-Dhahabi[10] too adds his voice:



Al-`Ijli said: `Affan was reliable, trustworthy, a man of Sunnah (sahib al-Sunnah). Abu Hatim said: `Affan was reliable, perfect, and solid [in his field].



Those who have relied upon him include Abu Dawud, Bukhari, Darimi, Ibn Hanbal, Ibn Majah, Muslim, Nasa'I, and Tirmidhi .



2. Hammad b. Salamah b. Dinar, Abu Salamah al-Khazaz al-Basri:



Al-Dhahabi[11] writes:



He was skilled in Arabic, a jurist, eloquent, and a man of Sunnah (sahib sunnah).



He also writes:



Ibn Ma`in said: He is reliable. Ibn Mu`ammar said: He was counted amongst the 'abdal. Al-Qattan said: When I come across a man who belittles Hammad then I doubt his Islam. Wuhayb said: Hammad was our leader and from our most learned.



3 and 4. `Ali b. Zayd b. Jud`an, Abu al-Hasan al-Taymi al-Basri and `Adi b. Thabit, al-Khatmi al-Ansari al-Kufi: We have already dealt with them during the analyses of the first chain.



Of course, there are lots of other authentic chains for the above hadith, verbatim. However, these two are sufficient for our purpose. We learn the following crucial facts from it:



1. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) declared Imam Ali (as) the master of all believers till the Day of Resurrection. Whoever considers the Holy Prophet (pbuh) to be his master, then Imam Ali (as) too is his master. Whoever rejects this has certainly also rejected the mastership of the Holy Prophet (pbuh). Both are inseparable.



2. This makes Imam Ali (as) the master of Abubakr, Umar, Uthman, Mu’awiyah, Aisha, Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Imam Shafi’i, Ibn Taymiyyah and all other Sunni leaders. Whichever of them rejected his wilayah, by word or action, died a kafir.



3. Umar congratulated Imam Ali (as), a fact that shows clearly that it was an appointment. Many Sunnis argue that mawla in the above verse means “friend”. In that case, why did Umar congratulate him? Besides, was Imam Ali (as) not already a friend of the believers?



4. Also, whoever loves Imam Ali (as) is loved by Allah (swt). Whoever is hostile to him is hated by Allah (swt)[12].



But, that was not the only thing that happened there. Some other hadiths have provided more details here:



Imam Muslim records:



Zuhayr ibn Harb and Shuja` ibn Makhlad narrated to me from `Ulayyah that he said: Zuhayr said: narrated to us Isma`il ibn Ibrahim, from Abu Hayyan, from Yazid ibn Hayyan, who said: "I, Husayn ibn Sabrah and `Umar ibn Muslim went to see Zayd ibn Arqam. When we sat down with him, Husayn said to him, 'O Zayd, you have been greatly fortunate. You have seen the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be Allah's peace and benedictions, heard his speech, fought with him in battles and have prayed behind him. Indeed, O Zayd, you have been enormously fortunate. Narrate to us what you have heard from the Messenger of Allah , may Allah's peace and benedictions be upon him.'



"Zayd said: 'O brother, by God, I have become aged and old and I have forgotten some of what I used to remember from the Messenger of Allah , upon whom be Allah's peace and benedictions. So accept what I narrate to you and as to what I don't, trouble me not regarding it.' Then he said: 'One day the Messenger of Allah , upon whom be Allah's peace and benedictions, addressed us near a pond called Khumm between Makkah and Madinah. He praised God and extolled Him and preached and reminded (us). Then he said, "Lo, O people, I am only a human being and I am about to respond to the messenger of my Lord [i.e. the call of death]. I am leaving behind two precious things (thaqalayn) among you. The first of the two is the Book of Allah. In it is guidance and light. So get hold of the Book of Allah and adhere to it." Then he urged and motivated (us) regarding the Book of Allah . Then he said, "And my Ahl al¬-Bayt (family). I urge you to remember God regarding my Ahl al¬-Bayt. I urge you to remember God regarding my Ahl al¬Bayt. I urge you to remember God regarding my Ahl al¬Bayt"”[13]



While the above is sufficient, it is important to emphasize that Imam Muslim has not recorded the full tradition. Imam Hakim was very explicit about this. He recorded it in this manner:



Narrated to us Abu al¬Husayn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Tamim al¬Hanzali in Baghdad, from Abu Qallabah `Abd al¬Malik ibn Muhammad al¬Raqqashi, from Yahya ibn Hammad; also narrated to me Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Balawayh and Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ja`far al¬Bazzaz, both of them from `Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal, from his father, from Yahya ibn Hammad; and also narrated to us Abu Nasr Ahmad ibn Suhayl, the faqih of Bukhara, from Salih ibn Muhammad, the hafiz of Baghdad, from Khalaf ibn Salim al¬Makhrami, from Yahya ibn Hammad; and Yahya ibn Hammad narrated from Abu `Uwwanah from Sulayman al¬'A`mash, from Habib ibn Abi Thabit, from Abu al¬Tufayl, from Zayd ibn Arqam, may God be pleased with him, who said: "The Messenger of Allah , may God's peace and benedictions be upon him and his progeny, while returning from his last hajj (hijjat al¬wada') came down at Ghadir Khumm and ordered (us) towards the big trees, and (the ground) underneath them was swept.



"Then he said, 'I am about to answer the call (of death). Verily, I have left behind two precious things amongst you, one of which is greater than the other. The Book of Allah , the Exalted, and my `itrah (kindred). So watch out how you treat these two after me, for verily they will not separate from each other until they come back to me by the side of the Pond.'



Then he said 'Verily, Allah , the Almighty and the Glorious, is my master (mawla) and I am the master of every believer (mu'min).' Then he took `Ali, may God be pleased with him, by the hand and said, 'This (`Ali) is the master of whomever I am his master. O God, love whoever loves him and be the enemy of his enemy.'"[14]



Imam Hakim comments: This hadith is sahih in accordance with the conditions of sihhah laid down by the Shaykhayn (al-Bukhari and Muslim), although they have not recorded it in its full length."[15]



There is one more version that gives even more information:



The first tradition (mentioned above) is supported by this one narrated by Salamah ibn Kuhayl, from Abu al¬Tufayl, which is also sahih according to the requirements of al¬Bukhari and Muslim. Narrated to us Abu Bakr ibn Ishaq and Da`laj ibn Ahmad al-Sijzi, both of them from Muhammad ibn Ayyub, from al¬'Azraq ibn `Ali, from Hassan ibn Ibrahim al¬Kirmani, from Muhammad ibn Salamah ibn Kuhayl, from his father, from Abu al-Tufayl, from Ibn Wathilah that he heard Zayd ibn Arqam, may God be pleased with him, say: "The Messenger of Allah , may Allah 's peace and benedictions be upon him and his progeny, came down at a place between Makkah and Madinah near the trees with five big shades and the people swept the ground under the trees. Then the Messenger of Allah , may God's peace and benediction be upon him and his progeny, began to perform the evening prayer. After the prayer he began to address the people. He praised God and extolled Him, preaching and reminding (us), and said what God wanted him to say.



Then he said, 'O people! Verily, I am leaving behind two matters (amrayn) among you¬ if you follow them (the two) you will never go astray. These two are: the Book of God and my Ahl al-¬Bayt, my `itrah.' Then he said thrice: 'Do you know that I have more right over the believers (Inni awla bi al¬mu'minin) than they over themselves?' The people said, 'Yes.' Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's peace and benedictions be upon him and his progeny said, 'Of whomever I am his master (mawla) `Ali also is his master.'"[16]



Albani[17] too has recorded that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) also explicitly used the word “successors” to refer to his Ahl al-Bayt at Ghadir Khumm:



Zaid bin Thabit said that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) said: “I am leaving among you two successors (khalifatayn) after me, the Qur’an and my itrah, Ahl al-Bayt. They will never separate from each other until they meet me at the Pool”.



Here is another one from him:



Zaid bin Thabit said the Prophet (s) said: “I am leaving among you two successors, the Book of Allah that is a rope connected to the heavens and the earth, and my itrah, Ahl al-Bayt. They will never separate until they meet me at the Pool”.[18]



Imam Tabarani too records in Al-Muj'am al-Kabir, Volume 5 page 154:



Zaid bin Thabit said that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “I am leaving among you two successors, the Book of Allah and Ahl al-Bayt. They will never separate until they meet me at the Pool”.[19]



Here is one powerful hadith:



And whosoever Allah and His Messenger are his Master, then certainly this one (Ali) is his master. I have left among you what, if you hold firmly, you will never go astray: the Book of Allah, one end is in His Hand while the other end is in your hands, and my Ahl al-Bayt[20].



Other hadiths are:



One:



Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Sufi - Hasan ibn Husayn al-Ansari - Mu'az ibn Muslim - al-Harwi - 'Atau ibn Saaib - Sa'eed ibn Jubayr - Ibn 'Abbas - The Holy Prophet (pbuh), while commenting upon Qur’an 13:7 (“You are only a warner, and for every people there is a guide”):



I am the warner, and for every people there is a guide. And you Ali are the guide. Those seeking guidance will attain it through you after me.

Tafsir al-Tabari, Vol. 13, p. 108: narrated through a sahih chain.



Besides, Imam Al-Hakim has recorded it in his al-Mustadrak and declared it sahih.

Al-Haythami too in his Majma al-Zawaid has said: All the narrators are thiqah.

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalan in his Fath al-Bari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari says: it is hasan. They have related it through authentic chains. Ibn Arabi has related it, in his Mu’ajmam through two chains, Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, in his Tafsir (Vol. 3, 142) from two chains, al-Haskani in Shawahid Tanzil (Vol. 1, p. 381) through thirteen chains, Ibn Asakir in his Tarikh (Vol. 40, p.359) through four chains, Imam al-Hakim (Vol. 3) through one chain, and Ibn Hatim in his Tafsir (Surat al-Ra’d) through one chain.



Two:



O People, I am leaving that which if you hold firmly onto, you will never go astray after me. One of them is greater than the other. It is the Book of Allah (swt), a Rope from the heavens to the earth, and (then) my itrah, Ahl al-Bayt. The two will never separate until they meet me at the Pool. Take care how you treat both after me.

Albani has included it among his collection of the sahih narrations from Sunan Tirmidhi, called Sahih Sunan Tirmidhi No. 3788, Chapter on the Merits of the Ahl al-Bayt (as).



Three:



O People, I am leaving among you the Two weighty Things. One of them is greater than the other: The Book of Allah and my itrah, my Ahl al-Bayt. Take care how you treat them after me. The two will never separate until they return to me at the Pool. Allah is my Master, and I am the master of all believers. For whomsoever I am master, this (holding Ali’s hand) is also his master. O Allah, love whoever loves him, and hate whoever hates him.

Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, Vol. 5, p. 209. Ibn Kathir comments: Our Shaykh al-Dhahabi said “this hadith is sahih”.



Four:



Am I not the master of all believers? (They said: You are) Then this (Ali) is the Wali (master) of whomsoever I am mawla (master). O Allah, love whoever loves him, and hate whoever hates him.

Albani declares it sahih in his Silsilah Ahadith Sahihah, 1750.



In his Silsilah Ahadith Sahihah, Vol. 3, p. 287, No. 1299, Albani writes:



Al-Mukhlis has narrated in Fawaid al-Muntaqaat (10/5/1) with a sahih chain from Umm Salamah, who said: I bear witness that the Merssenger of Allah (pbuh) used to say:



Whoever loves Ali, loves me; and whoever loves me, loves Allah (swt). Whoever hates Ali, hates me; and whoever hates me, hates Allah (swt).



Five:



Now, we have this irrefutable declaration:



Certainly, Ali is from me, and I am from him. He is the Wali of EVERY believer after me.



Albani declares it sahih in his Silsilah ahadith Sahihah, 2223. Imam Ibn Hibban recorded it in his book of Sahih traditions 'Sahih ibn Hibban' volume 15 page 374. Imam Tirmidhi recorded it in his book 'Sunan al-Tirmidhi' volume 5 page 296 and declared it as Hasan. Imam Ibn Uday said: “Nisai recorded it in his Sihah” (Mizan al-Etidal, v1 p410). Dhahabi who was also one of the students of Ibn Taymiyyah recorded it in his book 'Tarikh al-Islam' volume 11 page 71 and declared it as Sahih according to the condition of Muslim. Imam Ibn Hajar recorded it in his book 'al-Isaba' volume 4 page 468 and declared the chain of the tradition as strong. Hussain Salim Asad in his footnote on 'Musnad Abi Y'ala' volume 1 page 294 declared the narrators of this tradition as the narrators of Sahih. Al-Hakim recorded it in his book 'al-Mustadrak' volume 3, page 134 and declared it as Sahih. Imam Dhahabi in his book 'Talkhis al-Mustadrak' also declared it as Sahih. Albani again in his book 'Zilal al-Janah' volume 2 page 338 declared it as Sahih[21].



Albani however has these words for his master, Ibn Taymiyyah:



It is really strange that Shaykh al-Islam dared to deny this hadith and deemed it a lie in his book Minhaj al-Sunnah.

'Silsila Sahiha' volume 5, page 222



There is a support for this hadith in the following one:



On the day of Juhfa, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) held the hand of Ali and delivered a khutbah, praising Allah, and then said:



O people, I am your Wali (master).



The people answered: You have spoken the truth.



Then he raised the hand of Ali and said:



This is my wali (successor), and the one to repay my debt. I am the friend of whoever befriends him, and the enemy of whoever is hostile to him.

Silsilah Ahadith al-Sahihah, Vol. 4, p. 631, No.1980



Albani comments:



Its narrators are thiqah, except that Musa ibn Ya’qub al-Zumi is poor in memory as al-Hafiz has said in al-Taqrib. But, if this hadith is combined with the one before it (Albani has cited a similar hadith before this), the two of them will elevate this hadith to the level of hasan, inshallah.



There is further witness in this hadith:



Ali is from me and I am from him and no one can act on my behalf save me or Ali.



Al-Tirmidhi, in his Sunan, Vol. 5, p. 300, No. 3803 has declared it sahih. In his Siyar Alam al-Nubala, Vol. 8, p. 212, al-Dhahabi declares it hasan, just as al-Albani has called it hasan in his Sahih al-Jami al-Saghir, Vol. 2, p. 753 and in his Sahih Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 1, p. 75. Al-Huwayni al-Athari in his Tahdhib Khasais al-Imam Ali, p. 67; the annotator of Suyar Alam al-Nubala, Vol. 8, p. 212; and Hamza Ahmad al-Zayn in his tahqiq of Musnad Ahmad, Vol. 13, pp. 395-396 have all declared it sahih.



Further support again is in this hadith:



Ali will fight for the interpretation of the Qur’an just as I fought for its revelation.

Silsilah Ahadith Sahihah, Vol. 5, p. 639, No. 2487



Albani says:



The hadith is sahih. There is no doubt about that!







Six:



This one confirms Imam Ali (as) as the only source of correct Sunnah after the Holy Prophet (pbuh):



I am the City of Knowledge and Ali is its Gate.



Al-Hakim recorded it in his book al-Mustadrak, volume 3, page 126 and declared it as Sahih. Imam Yahya ibn Mu’in declared it as Sahih (Tahdib al-Kamal, v18 p72 Translation 3421). Imam Ibn Jarir al-Tabari in his book 'Tahdib al-Athaar' page 104 declared it as Sahih. Imam Ibn Hajar Asqalani declared it as Hasan (al-Fawaid al-Majmoa, Volume 1, p348 by Shawkani). Suyuti said: ‘Hasan’ (Tarikh al-khulafa, v1 p69). Al-Shawkani in his book 'al-Fawaid al-Majmoa' volume 1 page 348 declared it as ‘Hasan le Gharyu’. Al-Sakhawi in his book 'al-Maqasid al-Hasana' page 123 declared it as ‘Hasan’. Abdullah al-Ghemari in his book 'Rad Itibar al-Jami al-Saghir' page 15 declared it as Sahih. Ahmad bin al-Sidiq in his book 'Fath al-Malik' page 10 declared it as Sahih. Allamah Hassan al-Saqaf in the footnote of his book 'Tanaqudat Albani' volume 3 page 82 declared it as Sahih. Al-Zarkashi in his book 'al-Leale al-Manthura' page 163 declared it as Hasan. Muhammad ibn Tulun al-Hanafi (d. 953 H) in his book 'al-Shazara' page 130 declared it as Hasan. Imam Al-Zarqani in his book 'Mukhtasar al-Maqaed' page 170 declared it as Hasan. While Mullah Muttaqi Hindi wrote:



‘I answered (that the hadith is Hasan) for years until I noticed that Ibn Jarir declared this hadith Sahih in his book Tahdib al-Athaar beside the declaration of being Sahih by al-Hakim of this tradition that is narrated by ibn Abbas. I then performed isthikhara and became convinced that the Hadeeth 'I am the City of knowledge and 'Ali is its Gate' is Sahih not Hasan. Allah knows best.’

Kanz al Ummal, Volume 13 page 148 Tradition 36464



Allamah Muhammad bin Yusuf al-Salehi al-Shami (d. 942 H) declared it Hasan (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Volume 1, p501). Imam Samarqandi declared it Sahih (Fath al-Malik by Hafiz Ibn Sidiq, p60). Hanafi Imam Mullah Ali Qari in his famed work Mirqat Sharh Mishkat, Volume 5 page 571 records that according to Imam Darqutni this hadith is Thaabit (proven). Sunni Imam Salahuddin Khalil al-Alaai (d. 761 H) declared this Hadith as Hasan (Kashf al-Khafa by Ajloni, v1 p203) and while regarding all those who have criticized this Hadith, he stated:



‘Neither Abu al-Faraj nor others provided any tangible argument for the hadith except the claim of being fabricated and they reject it because of its content’ [22]

al-Laale al-Masnoa by Suyuti, Volume 1 page 306



This hadith has strong support in this statement of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) to his beloved daughter, Fatimah al-Zahra (as):



Are you not pleased that I have married you to the first (male) of my Ummah to accept Islam, the most knowledgeable among them, and the most clement?

Majma al-Zawaid, Vol. 9, p. 114, chapter on the knowledge of Imam Ali (as).



Al-Haythami comments:



Ahmad and Tabarani have narrated it through thiqah narrators.



Ibn Kathir also states in his al-Bidayah wa Nihayah, Vol. 7, p. 359:



It has been firmly established that Umar used to say: “The best judge among us , and the best reciter of the Qur’an, is Ali”. He also used to say: “I seek refuge of Allah from a complex question that Abul Hasan (Ali) will not be around to help me solve!”.



The hadith master, Ibn Abd al-Barr, in his al-Isti’ab, Vol. 3, p. 1103, tarjamah of Imam Ali (as), reports from Yahya ibn Ma’een, from Abdul-Malik ibn Saliman who asked Ata: Is there any among the Sahabah who was more knowledgeable than Ali? He answered: None. I swear by Allah, I know none!



Another prominent Sunni hadith master, Shaykh Hasan al-Saqqaf, states:



It is authentically narrated from the Holy Prophet (pbuh) that he said: “I am the City of Knowledge and Ali is its Gate”. Al-Hafiz Ibn Ma’een declared the hadith sahih as recorded in Tarikh Baghdad, Vol. 11, p. 49; just as al-Imam al-Hafiz Ibn Jarir al-Tabari as in Tahdheeb al-Athar (musnad of our master Ali), p. 104, Hadith 8; and al-Hafiz al-Alai in al-Naqd al-Sahih; and al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar; and al-Hafiz al-Suyuti as in al-Lali al-Lmasnoo’at, Vol. 1, p. 334; and al-Hafiz al-Sakhawi as in al-Maqasid al-Hasanah.

Tanaqadat al-Albani, Vol. 3, p. 82



He wrote that to refute al-Albani’s dishonest weakening of the hadith. Another prominent Sunni hadith master, Allamah Ahmad ibn al-Siddiq al-Maghribi (a Professor in Hadith) has devoted an entire book called Fath al-Mulk al-Ali bi Sahat Hadith Bab Madinat al-Ilm Ali to refute Ibn Taymiyyah, al-Albani and others who have weakened the hadith and to prove its absolute authenticity!



There is also a further witness to the hadith in this testimony of Imam al-Hasan (as). Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his Fadail al-Sahabah, Vol. 1, p. 674, No. 922, narrates:



Amr ibn Jubshi narrates:



Al-Hasan ibn Ali delivered a sermon to us on the death of Ali, saying: Yesterday, you were separated from a man who none from the past ever surpassed in knowledge, and whom none will ever equal in knowledge.



Its annotator states:



Its chain is sahih.



It is strange that Albani himself has rejected the City of Knowledge hadith, knowing fully well that it has so many witnesses! Yet, he even declared sahih a chainless hadith simply because it has a single witness! He cites the hadith:



Hold onto my Sunnah and the sunnah of the rightly guided successors



He then states:



And this hadith (i.e. ... and the sunnah of the rightly guided successors) is a strengthening witness to the Muwatta hadith with the wording "I have left among you two matters that if you hold onto them both you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger". Many of our contemporary brethren have concealed this fact from the blackened pages of their books in their efforts to weaken the hadith of Muwatta.

Silsilah Ahadith Sahihah, Vol. 4, p. 360



Yet, Albani himself knows that the Muwatta hadith has no chain of narration!



If Salafis can upgrade a hadith in that manner, what stops them from accepting this one???? Besides, even the witness he has cited is not enough, since it, on its own is not authentic in its matn. Also, it supports only the Sunnah aspect of the chainless hadith!



Seven:



Another is:



Abu Dharr narrates that Holy Prophet (s) said 'Beware! My Ahlul-Bayt are like the Ark of Noah. Whoever embarked in it is SAVED, and whoever turned away from it is perished'.



Al-Hakim recorded the tradition in his book 'al-Mustadrak' volume 2 page 343 and declared it as Sahih according to the condition of Muslim. Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti in his book 'Al-Jame al-Saghir' volume 2 page 533 declared it as Hasan. Imam Al-Sakhawi in his book 'Al-Baldanyat' page 186 declared it as Hasan. Moreover, the great Hanafi Imam Mullah Ali Qari in Mirqat Sharh Mishkat, Volume 18 page 48 explicitly writes:



This Hadith is Sahih, there is no room to refute it.

Mirqat Sharh Mishkat, Volume 18 page 48

(You can read it here http://islamport.com/d/1/srh/1/55/2471.html)[23]







Ibn Hajar al-Makki, in his Sawaiq al-Muhriqah (p. 352), has said:







It has been narrated through lots of chains, each one of them strengthening the other.







Al-Sakhawi too in his al-Istijlab (Vol. 2, p. 484) says:







Each one of its chains strengthens the other.[24]



It also has a witness in this hadith, all of whose narrators are sahih:







Mu’awiyah ibn Hisham – Ammar ibn al-A’mash – al-Minhal – Abdullah ibn al-Harith – Ali (as)







Our example in this Ummah is like the Ark of Nuh.







Eight:



‘Don’t you (Ali) like to be to me as what Aaron was to Moses except there is no prophet after me and I shall not leave without you being my successor’.



Al-Hakim declared it (verbatim) as Sahih in his book al-Mustadrak, Volume 3 page 133 while Dhahabi in his book al-Talkhis agreed with al-Hakim and declared it as Sahih. Imam Al-Haythami declared it as Sahih in his book Majma al-Zawaed, Volume 9 page 120. Shaykh Ahmad Shakir in his footnote on Musnad Ahmad declared it as Sahih. Albani in his book Dilal al-Janah, Volume 2 page 337 declared it as Hasan.[25]



The Holy Prophet (pbuh) clearly declared Imam Ali (as) his brother and successor in the above hadith. In another hadith, he said:



You (Ali) are my brother in this world and the next.



Imam Tirmidhi has recorded it in his Sunan (Vol. 3, p. 500) and declared it hasan. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani has also confirmed its authenticity in his al-Isabah (Vol. 2, p. 507). We must add quickly that Ibn Taymiyyah and his supporters reject it, although without any sound basis!



To better understand what kind of “brother” Imam Ali (as) was to the Holy Prophet (pbuh), we need to read this:



"I myself, and Ali were one light in the Hand of Allah fourteen thousand years (14,000) before He created Adam. When Allah created Adam He divided that Light into two parts, one part is me and one part Ali." In another narration: "He created me and Ali from the same light".



This is the verbatim quotation of the tradition as recorded by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his Fadail, volume 2, p 663, Tradition #1130, from Abdur-Razzak, from Mu'amar, from al-Zuhri, from Khalid ibn Mu'dan, from Zadan, from Salman al-Farsi. Sibt ibn Jawsi writes:



If it is said: "This hadith has been declared weak", the answer is that the hadith that has been weakened is NOT this one. It has a different text, and chain. There is also another one with a slightly different text and an entirely different chain. … As for the above hadith, all its narrators are thiqah.

Tadhkirat al-Khawwas by Sibt Ibn Jawsi, p. 50-51



Obviously, the brotherhood in all this is NOT the general one (i.e. of Islam) mentioned in this verse:



The believers are but brothers.

Qur’an 49:10



Every true believer is a brother to the Holy Prophet (pbuh). However, this type of brotherhood, as we can see, is different. This is why he specifically mentioned it. And that proves that Imam Ali (as) is the closest creature ever, in rank and love, to the Holy Prophet (pbuh).



Nine:



The stars are the security for the people of the heaven, while my Ahl al-Bayt are the security of my Ummah.



Imam al-Hakim has declared it sahih in his al-Mustadrak (Vol. 2, p. 488, and Vol. 3, p. 149). Ibn Hajar al-Makki too has declared it sahih in his Sawaiq al-Muhriqah (p. 351). Imam al-Suyuti has declared it hasan in his Jami’ al-Saghir, while al-Munawi in his Fayd al-Qadir (a commentary of Jami’ al-Saghir), Vol. 6, p. 386 states that it has been narrated through several chains.



So, to be safe from eternal perdition, the Ummah must love the Ahl al-Bayt (as) and follow their teachings.



Ten:



"The stars protect the inhabitants of earth against drowning, and my Ahl al¬Bayt protect my nation against dissension. If a tribe among the Arabs differs from them, they will all then differ and become the party of Satan."

al-Hakim on page 149, Vol. 3, of Al-Mustadrak from Ibn `Abbas.



Al-Hakim adds: "This is an authentic hadith though they (both Shaykhs, i.e. Bukhari and Muslim) did not include it (in their own books)."



This establishes the cause of the division in the Ummah.



Eleven:



The Holy Prophet (pbuh) told Ali (as), Fatima (as) and their two sons:



I am at war with whosoever is at war with you. And I am at peace with whosoever is at peace with you.



Ibn Hibban has recorded it in his Sahih, Vol. 15, p. 434.







THE POEM OF HASSAN IBN THABIT



This poem pin-pointedly establishes the purport of the whole incident:



Muhammad b. Ahmad b. `Ali b. Mukhallad (d. about 357 A.H) narrated to us, he said that Muhammad b. `Uthman b. Abi Shaybah narrated to us, he said: Yahya al-Himmani narrated to me, he said; Qays b. al-Rabi` narrated to me from Abi Harun al-`Abdi from Abi Sa`id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him:

The Prophet, blessings and salutations of Allah on him, summoned people to `Ali in Ghadir Khumm. He gave instructions about the thorns under the tree and they were swept up. That was a Thursday. He called `Ali and took him by his upper arms and raised them up until the people saw the whiteness of the armpits of the Messenger of Allah. They did not disperse until this verse was revealed: ‘Today I have perfected for you your religion...’ (5:3).

The Messenger of Allah, blessings and salutations of Allah on him, said: "Allah is most Great at the perfection of religion and the completion of blessings, and the Lord’s acceptance of my mission and the mastership (wilaya) of `Ali, peace be upon him, after me."

Then he said: "Of whomsoever I am master, `Ali is his master. O Allah, befriend one who befriends him and be at enmity with one who is hostile to him; help the one who helps him and forsake the one who forsakes him."

Hassan said: "Permit me, O Messenger of Allah, to recite some verses on `Ali for you to hear." He said: Recite, with the blessing of Allah."

So Hassan rose and said: "O elders of Quraysh, I follow it with my profession of the testimony of the Messenger of Allah concerning the mastership (wilaya) that is decreed." Then he recited:

"On the day of al-Ghadir their Prophet calls to them at Khumm, so listen to the Messenger calling;

He says: Who is your master and your guardian? They said, without displaying blindness there:

Your God is our Master and you are our guardian, and you will not find among us anyone disobedient concerning the Wilaya.

He said to him: Rise, O `Ali, for I approve of you as Imam and guide after me;

Of whomsoever I am master (mawla), then this is his guardian;

Be to him followers of truth, adhering;

Thereupon he called out: O Allah befriend his friend and to him who opposes `Ali, be at enmity."[26]

This is another version, narrated through another chain:



Al-Hafiz Abu al-Fath Muhammad b. `Ali al-Natanzi related in "al-Khasa'is al-`Alawiyyah" from al-Hasan b. Ahmad al-Muhri [al-Muqri] from Ahmad b. `Abdallah b. Ahmad who said: Muhammad b. Ahmad b. `Ali narrated to us, he said: Muhammad b. `Uthman b. Abi Shaybah narrated to us, he said: Yahya al-Himmani narrated to us, he said: Qays b. al-Rabi` narrated to us from Abi Harun al-`Abdi from Abi Sa`id al-Khudri who said:

The Messenger of Allah, blessings and salutations of Allah on him, summoned the people to `Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, in Ghadir Khumm. He gave instructions about the thorns under the tree and they were swept up. That was a Thursday. He called `Ali and took him by his upper arms and raised them up until the people saw the whiteness of the armpits of the Messenger of Allah. They did not disperse until this verse was revealed: ‘Today I have perfected for you your religion...’ (5:3).

The Messenger of Allah, blessings and salutations of Allah on him, said: "Allah is most Great at the perfection of religion and the completion of blessings, and the Lord’s acceptance of my mission and the mastership (wilaya) of `Ali, peace be upon him, after me."

Then he said: "Of whomsoever I am master (mawla), `Ali is his master. O Allah, befriend one who befriends him and be at enmity with one who is hostile to him; help the one who helps him and forsake the one who forsakes him."

Hassan said: "Permit me, O Messenger of Allah, to recite some verses on `Ali for you to hear." He said: "Recite, with the blessing of Allah."

So Hassan rose and said: "O elders of Quraysh, listen to my profession of the testimony of the Messenger of Allah, blessings and salutations of Allah on him, concerning the confirmed Wilaya:

On the day of al-Ghadir their Prophet calls to them at Khumm, so listen to the Messenger calling;

He says: Who is your master and your guardian? They said, without displaying blindness there:

Your God is our Master and you are our guardian, and you will not find among us anyone disobedient concerning the Wilaya.

He said to him: Rise, O `Ali, for I approve of you as Imam and guide after me."

This hadith has many chains of transmission leading up to Abu Sa`id al-Khudri.[27]

A tradition narrated through many chains is hujja (accepted proof) even if all the chains are weak. Ibn Uthaymin, the current Imam of Salafis, records in Sharh al-Manduma al-Bayqunya, page 26;



Hasan li Ghayrih: are the weak (traditions) if they carry multiple chains, that support each other, then they are deemed "hasan li ghayrih". Why? Because if we look at each chain separately, it will not reach to 'the level of being 'hasan' but by gathering all the chains with each other, they become 'hasan'.

We read in Muqadima fi Usool al-Hadith by Abdul Haq al-Dehlawi, page 59:

Hasan li Ghayrih: Is the weak (tradition) with multiple chains and if weak reports support each other, it will be called "hasan li ghayrih".

Such hadiths are hasan, and thus acceptable, although none their chains is sahih.

And here is another one:

40. (With the previous chain of transmission from al-Khawarizmi who said): The chief of the memorisers (of hadith), Abu Mansur Shahrdar b. Shayrawiyah b. Shahrdar al-Daylami reported to us, he said: Al-Hasan b. Ahmad b. al-Hasan al-Haddad al-Muqri` al-Hafiz reported to us, he said: Ahmad b. `Abdallah b. Ahmad narrated to us, he said: Muhammad b. Ahmad b. `Ali narrated to us, he said: Muhammad b. `Uthman b. Abi Shaybah narrated to us, he said: Yahya al-Himmani informed us, Qays b. al-Rabi` informed us: From Abi Harun al-`Abdi from Abi Sa`id al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allah, blessings of Allah on him and his family, summoned the people to `Ali, peace be on him, in Ghadir Khumm. He gave instructions about the thorns under the tree and they were swept up. That was a Thursday. He called `Ali and took him by his upper arms and raised them up until the people saw the whiteness of the armpits of the Messenger of Allah. They did not disperse until this verse was revealed: ‘Today I have perfected for you your religion, and I have completed My blessing upon you, and I have approved Islam for your religion’ (5:3).

The Messenger of Allah, blessings of Allah on him and his family, said: “Allah is most Great at the perfection of religion and the completion of blessings, and the Lord’s acceptance of my mission and the Wilaya of `Ali after me.” Then he said: “Of whomsoever I am master (mawla), `Ali is his master. O Allah, befriend one who befriends him and be at enmity with one who is hostile to him; help the one who helps him and forsake the one who forsakes him.”

Hassan said: “Will you permit me, O Messenger of Allah, to recite some verses on `Ali, peace be upon him, for you to hear.” He said: “Recite, with the blessing of Allah.”

So Hassan rose and said: “O elders of Quraysh, listen to my profession of the testimony of the Messenger of Allah, blessings of Allah on him and his family, concerning the confirmed Wilaya:

On the day of al-Ghadir their Prophet calls to them at Khumm, so listen to the Messenger calling;

He says: ‘Who is your master and your guardian’? They said, without displaying blindness there…"[28]

Al-Hafiz Abu Nu’aym al-Isfahani has recorded it in his Man Nazala Min al-Qur’an Fi Ali, Vol. 1, p. 232. Al-Hafiz Abu Sa’eed al-Sijistani has recorded it in his Kitab al-Wilayah, Vol. 1, p. 233. And Imam Sibt ibn Jawsi al-Hanafi[29] has recorded it in his Tadhkirat al-Khawass, p. 20. Numerous other prominent Sunni ulema have recorded it, accepting its authenticity and relying upon it in its various versions. All the versions state the same message. The Holy Prophet’s (pbuh) silent approval of its wording confirms that it conveys the correct meaning of the Ghadir declaration.

OVERALL SUMMARY



The following can be arrived at from the hadiths:



1. Whosoever claims to be the master of Imam Ali (as) or imposes himself over him, or supports anyone that does so, has actually rejected the mastership of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), and is thus a kafir[30].



2. Anyone that is not from the itrah (kindred) of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) is not from his Ahl al-Bayt (as).



3. Anyone that is not from his Ahl al-Bayt (as) is not his true successor.



4. It is compulsory for all believers to make the Ahl al-Bayt (as) their masters. This obligation applies also to Abubakr, Umar and Uthman.



5. The Ahl al-Bayt (as) are the only infallible interpreters of the Qur’an. As long as the Qur’an exists, one of them is alive. Also, they will never contradict the Qur’an in any sense or to any degree. They will never in any manner separate from the Qur’an. This proves their infallibility.



6. The Ahl al-Bayt (as) are to be put on the same level as the Qur’an whenever it comes to Islamic matters. Since it is compulsory to always refer to the Qur’an and accept its judgments absolutely, the same merit applies equally to the Ahl al-Bayt (as). Note that Abubakr, Umar and Uthman were NOT weighty things, of equal importance to the Qur’an, in Islam.



MERIT OF THE DAY OF GHADIR

Abdullah ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Bashran – Ali ibn Umar the Hafiz – Damrah ibn Rubay’at al-Qurshi – Ibn Shawzib – Matr Waraaq – Shahr ibn Hawshib – Abu Hurayrah, who said:



Anyone who fasted on 18 Dhul-hijjah will receive a reward equal to 60 months of fasting. This was the day of Ghadir Khum when the Prophet (pbuh), holding ‘Ali bin Abi Talib’s hand, said: Am I not the master of the believers? They said: why not, O Messenger of Allah! He said: One who has me as his master has ‘Ali as his master. At this ‘Umar bin al-Khattab said: Congratulations! O Ibn Abi Talib! You are my master and (the master of) every Muslim. (On this occasion) Allah revealed this verse: Today, I have perfected your religion for you.”

Tarikh Baghdad, Vol. 8, p. 284



Al-Haskani, in Vol 1, pp. 200, 203, 213, Vol. 2, p. 200 of his Shawahid Tanzil has narrated the hadith from three different chains. Ibn Asakir, in his Tarikh Madinat Damashq, Vol. 42, p. 232 has narrated it from five different chains! These different chains strengthen one another, thus giving the hadith at least a hasan grading. It proves that the Day of Ghadir is the most blessed day in Islam! Obviously, Nawasib do not like this. But, what are you gonna do, rather than yap at Abu Hurayrah!



Imam al-Hakim, in his Mustadrak, Vol. 3, p. 127 records:



O Ali, you are a leader in this world and in the next. Your friend is my friend and the friend of Allah. And your enemy is my enemy and the enemy of Allah. Woe unto him who hates you after me.



Al-Hakim says:



It is sahih on the conditions of the two Shaykhs.



Salafi Imam, Nasiruddin al-Albani, in his Sahih Sunan Ibn Majah, No.113, records:



The Holy Prophet ordered a congregational prayer. Then, he held the hand of Ali and said: Am I not more entitled (awla) to the lives of the believers than they themselves? They answered: Yes, you are. He asked again: Am I not more entitled to the life of every single believer than he himself? They said: Yes, you are. Then he said: Then, this (Ali) is the Wali of whosoever I am master. O Allah, love him who loves him. Hate him who hates him.



Albani says: Sahih.



The same Albani in his commentary of al-Sunnat by Ibn Abu Asim, p. 552 writes:



The hadith: “Whosoever I am his master, Ali is his master. O Allah! Love him who loves him, and hate him who hates him” is extremely sahih.



This is what happened that day, that made it so important. Let us attempt further to create certainty in the minds of our opponents, with regard to the authenticity of what happened.



For the benefit of Salafis who still deny the authenticity of Hadith Thaqalayn, this seems to be the final moment for you. I am going to provide scans from the fourth majlid of Silsilah Ahadith Sahihah by Sheikh Nasiruddin al-Albani al-Salafi:



The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said:



O People, I have left among you that which if you hold firmly you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and my nearest kindred, my Ahl al-Bayt.

Silsilah Ahadith Sahihah, Hadith 1761



Albani says: The hadith is sahih.



Albani supports it with this one:



Ali ibn Rubay'at said:



I met Zayd ibn al-Arqam when he was entering upon Mukhtar or leaving him and asked: Is it true that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) said: I leave among you the Two Weighty Things: the Book of Allah and my nearest kindred? He answered: Yes.



Albani said: The chain is sahih. Its narrators are narrators of sahih (p. 356).



AN EYE-OPENER

Ibn Abu Asim, in his book al-Sunnat, pages 519-520, through a chain leading to the Holy Prophet (pbuh) through Ibn Abbas(ra), that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) said to Imam Ali (as):



"( O Ali) Your position to me is like the position of Harunn to Musa, except that you are not a prophet. It is not fitting for me to leave (this world) unless with you as my khalifah upon every believer after me"



Albani, in his commentary of the hadith, writes:



The chain is hasan, and all its narrators are thiqat.



He also cites the fact that both al-Hakim and al-Dhahabi declared it sahih!!



REFUTING SOME SPURIOUS ARGUMENTS Uncomfortable with the truth of Hadith Thaqalayn and Hadith al-Ghadir, and all the supporting hadiths that we have cited, some Sunni scholars have sought to downplay their significance by weaking them! This would be a major shock to anyone familiar with the facts. The summary of their arguments is:

The fact that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) did not deliver either hadith at Arafat, where everybody was present, shows that he never meant Imamah with them. Instead, he simply wanted the people of Madinah to imbibe love of his near kindred in their heart! Hadith Thaqalayn is not mutawatir, and therefore cannot cancel out the other hadiths that Sunnis use to contradict it, all of which are ahad.

The truth of the matter is that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) actually delivered the message at Arafat! He merely repeated it at Ghadir Khumm. Imam ¬Tirmidhi in his Sunan (Vol. 5, p. 662, no. 3786) records the following tradition:



Jabir ibn `Abd Allah said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah - upon whom be God's peace and benedictions - in the course of his hajj pilgrimage on the day of `Arafah. The Prophet (S) was seated on his camel, al¬Qaswa', and was delivering a sermon. I heard him say: 'O people, I am leaving among you that which if you hold on to you shall never go astray: the Book of Allah and my kindred, my household."



Imam ¬Tirmidhi states that the same tradition has been narrated by Abu Dharr, Abu Sa`id, Zayd ibn Arqam and Hudhayfah ibn Usayd. FIVE Companions have narrated it, and there is thus absolutely NO doubt about its authenticity. Anyway, Al-Albani has recorded this hadith verbatim in his Silsilah Ahadith al-Sahihah, Vol. 4, p. 355, No. 1761 and declared it sahih.

Among others who have recorded this tradition are:

al¬Hafiz Ibn Abi Shaybah, as in Kanz al¬`ummal (1st ed.), i, 48; al¬`Uqayli in al¬Du`afa' al¬Kabir, ii, 250; al¬Hakim al¬Tirmidhi, Nawadir al-'usul, 68, 50th asl; al¬Tabarani, al¬Mu`jam al¬kabir, iii, 63, no. 2679; al¬Khatib, al¬Muttafiq wa al¬muftariq, cf. Kanz al¬`ummal, i, 48 and Majma' al¬zawa'id, v, 195; ix, 163, x, 363, 268; al¬Baghawi, al-Masabih, ii, 206; Ibn al¬'Athir, Jami` al¬'usul, i, 277, no. 65; al-Rafi`i, al¬Tadwin, ii, 264 (in the biographical account of Ahmad ibn Mihran al¬Qattan; this hadith has been deleted in the Indian print, but is present in the manuscripts of the book ! ); al¬Mizzi, Tahdhib al¬kamal, x, 51, and Tuhfat al¬'ashraf, ii, 278, no. 2615; al-Qadi al¬Baydawi, Tuhfat al¬'ashraf; al¬Khwarazmi, Maqtal al¬Husayn (A), i, 144; al¬Khatib al¬Tabrizi, Mishkat al¬masabih, iii, 258; Ibn Kathir, Tafsir (Bulaq edition, on the margin of Fath al¬bayan), ix, 115; al-Zarandi, Nazm al¬durar al¬simtayn, 232; al¬Maqrizi, Ma`rifat ma yajib li Al al¬Bayt al¬Nabawi, 38. Even after Ghadir Khumm, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) still repeated the message. Ibn `Atiyyah in the introduction of his tafsir, al¬Muharrar al¬wajiz, i, 34 records the following narration:



It is narrated that he (i.e. the Prophet) - upon whom be peace - said in the last sermon that he delivered during his illness: "O people, I leave behind two precious things (thaqalayn) amongst you...: the Book of God - which is a rope between Him and you, whose one end is in His hand and whose other end is in your hands ¬ so act according to its muhkamat and believe in its mutashabihat; consider as lawful that which it regards as lawful and consider as forbidden that which it regards as unlawful - and my `Itrah and my Ahl al¬Bayt, who are the second thaql. So don't outstrip them (fa la tasbiquhum ), for then you shall perish."

Unfortunately in the printed versions of it fa la tasbiquhum has been altered as fa la tasbi`uhum (a meaningless expression). This tradition has also been narrated by:

Abu Hayyan in his tafsir, al¬Bahr al¬muhit, i, 12 (with identical wording, except that in a published version of it there is fa la tasubbuhum, i.e. so don't curse them, instead of fa la tasbiquhum); Ibn Hajar, al¬Sawa`iq al¬muhriqah, 75, 136; Yahya ibn al¬Hasan, Akhbar al¬Madinah with his isnad from Jabir, as cited in Yanabi` al¬mawaddah, 40. The hadith has a witness in the other one, and is thus authentic. Lastly, on his deathbed, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) again repeated it. Ibn Abi Shaybah, as cited by Al¬`Isami in Simt al¬nujum al¬'awali, ii, 502, no. 136, has narrated the following tradition:

The Messenger of Allah (S) said during his last illness: "Soon I am going to pass away and I have extended to you my plea of excuse. Lo, verily I leave behind amongst you two precious things: the Book of Allah , the Almighty and the Glorious, and my kindred (`Itrah)." Then he took `Ali's hand and raised it, saying, "This `Ali is with the Qur'an and the Qur'an is with `Ali. The two will not separate until they return to me by the Pond. Then I will ask the two as to how they were treated after me."

Among the narrators of this tradition are:

al¬Bazzaz, Musnad, as mentioned in Kashf al¬'astar, iii, 221, no. 2612; Muhammad ibn Ja`far al¬Razzaz, from Umm Salamah (where she is explicit that the Prophet made this pronouncement in his chamber which was filled by the Companions), as cited in Wasilat al¬ma'al; Al¬'Azhari, Tahdhib al¬lughah, ix, 78; al¬Khatib al¬Khwarazmi, Maqtal al¬Husayn (A), i, 164, from Ibn `Abbas; Ibn Hajar, al¬Sawa`iq al¬muhriqah, 89, from Umm Salamah. As for the other claim (that it is not mutawatir), let us cite this crucial verdicts. Imam al-Tirmidhi has recorded this hadith again:

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: "I am leaving for you two precious and weighty Symbols that if you adhere to BOTH of them you shall not go astray after me. They are, the Book of Allah, and my progeny, that is my Ahlul-Bayt. The Merciful has informed me that These two shall not separate from each other till they come to me by the Pool (of Paradise)."

Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Vol 5, pp 662-663,328

Imam Tirmidhi states that this version of the hadith has been narrated by more than thirty Companions.

Ibn Hajar al-Haythami also states:

Hadith Thaqalayn has been handed down through a large number of sources and more than twenty of the Companions have related it.

al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p230

A mutawatir hadith is one narrated by at least 10 Companions. So, it basically cancels out all the hadiths that contradict it!

Al-Samhudi in Jawahir al-Iqdayn, p. 234, writes:

And it (Hadith Thaqalayn) has been narrated by more than 20 Companions, may Allah be pleased with them.

Those who claim that the hadith is merely talking about loving the Ahl al-Bayt (as) are saying complete nonsense. Anyone who reads the hadith with an open mind will clearly see that this talk is nonsense. Besides, since the Holy Prophet (pbuh) has used the same verb for both the Qur’an and the Ahl al-Bayt (as), why don’t we just love the Qur’an too??

Mullah Ali al-Qari puts it nicely here:

Holding firmly onto the Ahl al-Bayt (as in Hadith Thaqalayn) means loving them, defening their rights, acting by their narrations (of the Sunnah) and basing one’s religion upon their words.

Mirqat al-Mafatih, Vol. 9, p. 3974



We all know who Mullah Ali al-Qari is of course! He is one of the highest ranking Sunni Imams ever!



Shaykh al-Munawi states:



The Holy Prophet (pbuh) made the Holy Qur’an and the Ahl al-Bayt his successors and instructed his Ummah to be kind to them both, to place their rights above their own and to hold onto them both in the religion.

Fayd al-Qadeer, Vol. 3, p. 20



Shaykh Hasan al-Saqqaf writes:



Holding firmly onto the Ahl al-Bayt (as in hadith Thaqalayn) means loving them, defending their rights, copying their manners, following their guidance and conduct, acting by their narrations (of the Sunnah), basing one’s religion upon their opinions, statements and jurisprudence and to prefer them above all others.

Sahih Sharh al-Aqidat al-Tahawiyah, p. 653



Ibn al-Athir said:



The two (i.e. Qur’an and Ahl al-Bayt) have been called Thaqalayn (i.e. the Two Weighty Things) because holding firmly onto them and acting by their instructions is a heavy (responsibility), and it is said that everything that is weighty is precious. The two have been called Thaqalayn in recognition of their authority and importance.

Al-Nihayah fi Gharib al-Hadith, Vol. 1, p. 216



Al-Nawawi said:



The scholars said: The two have been called Thaqalayn to show their ealtedness and the greatness of their importance. It has also been said that the word is used to show the heaviness of the (responsibility to) act by their instructions.

Sharh Sahih al-Muslim, Vol. 15, p. 180



Al-Zamakhshari states:



Jinn and man have been called the Two Weighty Things (i.e. Thaqalaan, as in Qur’an 55:31) because both of them dwell on the earth, and are actually the two most important beings on it. The Qur’an and the itrah have been likened to them because the good health and survival of the religion is dependent upon them, just as the survival of the earth is dependent upon the existence of jinn and man on it.

Al-Faiq fi Gharib al-Hadith, Vol. 1, p. 150, Dar al-Kutub al-Alamiyah, Beirut



Imam al-Hasan (as) said:



O People of Iraq! Fear Allah in our matter, for we (Ahl al-Bayt) are your commanders. We are the Ahl al-Bayt in favour of whom Allah (swt) states: Allah only wishes to keep off from you all abomination, O Ahl al-Bayt, and to purify you absolutely (Qur’an 33:33).

Majma al-Zawaid, Vol. 9, p. 119



Al-Haythami states:



Al-Tabarani has narrated it and its narrators are thiqah.

This hadith, recorded by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his Musnad, Vol. 4, p. 370 sheds more light on the situation:

Abi Tufayl said: Ali ra grouped the people in Masjid Kufa and said: 'I ask every person to bear witness and narrate what they heard the Prophet say on the day of Ghadeer. 30 people got up and many people bore witness that the Prophet took Ali’s hand and said to the people ''Do you know that I have more authority over the believers than themselves?'' They said: ''Yes Messenger of God''. He said: ''Whoever I am his master, Ali is his master, O Allah befriend all who befriend him and be an enemy to all his enemies''. Abi Tufayl said: So I left and in my heart there was something uncomfortable (about what I heard), and I met Zayd ibn Arqam and told him that I heard Ali say so and so. He said: So don’t deny it as I heard the Prophet (pbuh) say that to him.

Shu’ayb Arnaut has declared it sahih. We also read another one:

“Riyāh bin al-Harth has narrated that a delegation met ‘Alī (ra) and said: Salamun Alaykum Mawlana! ‘Alī (ra) asked: how am I your master (mawlakum) as you are Arabs (and they do not readily acknowledge someone as their leader)? They said: we have heard it from the Messenger of Allāh (pbuh) on the day of Ghadīr Khum: one who has me as his master (mawla), surely he has this (‘Alī) as his master. Riyāh said: when those people left, I asked him: who are these people? He said: it is a delegation of (Medinan) Helpers and Abū Ayyūb al-Ansārī (ra) is also one of them.”

Albani in his Silsilah Ahadith Sahihah, Vol. 4, p. 340 states:

This chain is good, and the narrators are trustworthy. Haythami has said: ''Ahmed narrated it and Tabarani, and the narrators of Ahmed (ibn Hanbel) are trustworthy''

Abu Tufayl (ra) was confused why followed Abubakr instead of Imam Ali (as), and this understanding came from the hadith. Also, the Arabs interpreted mawla to mean master, and not friend!

Imam al-Hakim in his al-Mustadrak, Vol. 3, p. 143, records:

Umer ibn Maymun narrated: "I was sitting once in the company of Ibn `Abbas when nine men came to him and said `O Ibn `Abbas! Either come to debate with us, or tell these folks that you prefer a private debate.' He had not lost his eye-sight yet. He said: `I rather debate with you.' So they started talking, but I was not sure exactly what they were talking about. Then he stood up and angrily said: `They are debating about a man who has ten merits nobody else ever had. They are arguing about a man whom the holy Prophet has said, `I shall dispatch a man whom Allah shall never humiliate, one who loves Allah and His Messenger and who is loved by both,' so each one of them thought to him such an honour belonged. The holy Prophet inquired about `Ali. When the latter came unto him, with his eyes swelling in ailment, he blew in his eyes, shook the standard thrice and gave it to him. `Ali came back victorious with Safiyya bint Huyay [al-Akhtab] among his captives.'" Ibn `Abbas proceeded to say, "Then the Messenger of Allah sent someone with surat al-Tawbah, but he had to send `Ali after him to discharge the responsibility, saying: `Nobody can discharge it except a man who is of me, and I am of him.'" Ibn `Abbas also said, "The Messenger of Allah, with `Ali sitting beside him, asked his cousins once: `Who among you elects to be my wali in this life and the life hereafter?' They all declined, but `Ali said: `I would like to be your wali in this life and the life to come,' whereupon he responded by saying: `You are, indeed, my wali in this life and the life hereafter.'" Ibn `Abbas continues to say that `Ali was the first person to accept Islam after Khadija, and that the Messenger of Allah took his own robe and put it over `Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husayn, then recited the verse saying: "Allah wishes to remove all abomination from you, O Ahl al-Bayt [people of my household] and purify you with a perfect purification (Qur'an, 33:33)." He has also said: "`Ali bought his own soul. He put on the Prophet's garment and slept in his bed when the infidels sought to murder him," till he says: "The Messenger of Allah went on Tabuk expedition accompanied by many people. `Ali asked him: `May I join you?' The Messenger of Allah refused, whereupon `Ali wept. The Prophet then asked him: `Does it not please you that your status to me is similar to that of Aaron's to Moses, except there is no Prophet after me? It is not proper for me to leave this place before assigning you as my vicegerent.' The Messenger of Allah has also said the following to him: `You are the wali of every believing man and woman.'"

Ibn `Abbas has said: "The Messenger of Allah closed down all doors leading to his mosque except that of `Ali who used to enter the mosque on his way out even while in the state of janaba[31]. The Messenger of Allah has also said: `Whoever accepts me as the wali, let him/her take `Ali as the wali, too.'"

Al-Hakim states:

"This is an authentic hadith according to isnad, yet both shaykhs did not narrate it this way."

Al-Dhahabi too agrees with him in his Talkhis.

Sunnis claim that "Wali" and "mawla" in the hadiths mean "friend". Basically, Imam Ali was the friend of whosoever the Holy Prophet was a friend to! However, friendship among believers is NOT an exclusive merit of anyone! Every believer is a friend (wali) to another.

[Shakir 9:71] And (as for) the believing men and the believing women, they are guardians (walis) of each other; they enjoin good and forbid evil and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, and obey Allah and His Messenger; (as for) these, Allah will show mercy to them; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise.

Ibn Abbas has however mentioned the meaning of "wali" and "mawla" here to be EXCLUSIVE to Imam Ali. And the only meaning that can be such exclusive is "master".

VERY RIDICULOUS!

There is a particularly ridiculous argument now being circulated by Salafis: the Holy Prophet (pbuh) was not the father of anyone! This way, they cancel out people like Fatima al-Zahra (as), Imam Hasan (as) and Imam Husayn (as) from the Ahl al-Bayt (as), and from his lineage!! Of course, we would not have even addressed this point since it is evidently insane. However, since our opponents love to repeat it, we will inshallah address it.

They support their assertion with this verse:

[Shakir 33:40] Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Last of the prophets; and Allah is cognizant of all things.

Of course, this verse is addressing the other members of the Ummah apart from the Holy Prophet’s (pbuh) close relatives. That is the reason for the use of “your”. In 3:61, the Qur’an has referred to the Ahl al-Bayt (as) using “our”. It even explicitly calls Imam Hasan (as) and Imam Husayn (as) the “soms” of the Holy Prophet (pbuh)! So, what else do these people want?

Our argument is further supported by the fact that the Holy Prophet’s (pbuh) popular kuniyah was Abul Qasim (father of Qasim)! Surat al-Kawthar was actually revealed to refute the Quraysh, who made a similar argument against the Holy Prophet (pbuh), deriding him with the title “al-Abtar” (an animal with no tail, i.e. a man with no progeny).

Besides, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) cannot marry the daughter of either Imam Hasan (as) or Imam Husayn (as) or their descendants because of no other reason than he is their father! Even Ibn Taymiyyah also accepts that Imam Mahdi (as) will be a descendant of the Holy Prophet (pbuh).

Let us now cite a few hadiths. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) said:



"Do not salute for me in short!" The companions asked, "What is saluting in short?" The Prophet replied, "Saying that Blessing of Allah be upon Muhammad." They asked, "what should we say?" the Prophet (PBUH&HF) answered, "Say: Blessing of Allah be upon Muhammad and his Ahlul-Bayt." In another wordings the Prophet replied: "Say: O Allah bless Muhammad and his household the same way as you blessed Abraham and his household. Verily you are worthy of all praise full of all glory!".

al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar, Ch. 11, section 1, p225



Abu Masud Badri relates:



(Once) we, were sitting with Sad bin Ubadah when the Holy Prophet came to us. Bashir Ibn Sad asked the Holy Prophet: O Messenger of Allah, we have been commanded by Allah to invoke blessings on you by reciting Salat, then how shall we do this ? The Holy Prophet kept quite for sometime, so much so that we wished that Bashar bin Sad had not asked the question from the Holy Prophet. After some time the Holy Prophet said these words :



O Allah, send Thy blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad as Thou didst send Thy blessings on Abraham, and bless Muhammad and the children of Muhammad as Thou didst bless Abraham. Indeed Thou art the praiseworthy, the Glorious. Continuing, the Holy Prophet said : and the salutation is already known to you.

Riyadh al-Saliheen, by al-Nawawi, English version, Tradition #1406



The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) said:



"If one prays, and in it he does not send blessings to me and my family, his prayer will not be accepted."

al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, p349





[1] Cairo: Matba`at al-Sa`adah (14 vols), 1932- vol. 7, p. 349

[2] Tadhkirat al-huffaz, al-Dhahabi, Shams al-Din Muhammad b. Ahmad b. `Uthman, Abu `Abd Allah, Haydarabad: Da'irat al-ma`arif al-nizamiyyah, 1333 AH, v. 1, p. 334

[3] Kitab al-Thiqat, Ibn Hibban, Muhammad b. Hibban b. Ahmad, Abu Hatim al-Busti al-Tamimi al-Shafi`i, Unidentified edition, , vol. 7, p. 484

[4] Tadhkirat al-huffaz, al-Dhahabi, Shams al-Din Muhammad b. Ahmad b. `Uthman, Abu `Abd Allah, Haydarabad: Da'irat al-ma`arif al-nizamiyyah, 1333 AH, v. 1, p. 171

[5] Al-`Ibar fi khabar man ghabar, al-Dhahabi, Shams al-Din Muhammad b. Ahmad b. `Uthman, Abu `Abd Allah, Kuwait: Matba`at Hukumat al-Kuwayt, 1960-61, events of year 153

[6] Tadhkirat al-huffaz, al-Dhahabi, Shams al-Din Muhammad b. Ahmad b. `Uthman, Abu `Abd Allah, Haydarabad: Da'irat al-ma`arif al-nizamiyyah, 1333 AH

[7] Mizan al-I`tidal fi Naqd al-Rijal, al-Dhahabi, Shams al-Din Muhammad b. Ahmad b. `Uthman, Abu `Abd Allah, Unidentified edition, , v. 2, p. 193

[8] Al-Musnad, vol. 4, p. 281, No. 17749

[9] Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalani, Shihab al-Din Ahmad b. Nur al-Din `Ali, Abu al-Fadl al-Shafi`i, Haydarabad: Da'irat al-ma`arif al-nizamiyyah (12 vols), 1325-7 AH, v. 7, p. 230-235

[10] Tadhkirat al-huffaz, al-Dhahabi, Shams al-Din Muhammad b. Ahmad b. `Uthman, Abu `Abd Allah, Haydarabad: Da'irat al-ma`arif al-nizamiyyah, 1333 AH, v. 1, p. 347

[11] Tadhkirat al-huffaz, al-Dhahabi, Shams al-Din Muhammad b. Ahmad b. `Uthman, Abu `Abd Allah, Haydarabad: Da'irat al-ma`arif al-nizamiyyah, 1333 AH, v. 1, p. 182

[12] This is one fact that Ibn Taymiyyah did not like. So, he wrote this lie in his Minhaj al-Sunnah, Volume 4 page 417:



His statement ‘Whoever I am his leader master, Ali is his master, Oh Allah support those who support him…’ etc this is not recorded in the main books except in Tirmidhi. But it is only recorded ‘Whoever I am his leader Master, Ali is his Master’. However, the addition is not part of the hadith.



Of course, the hadith we have cited from Ibn Kathir and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal is enough refutation. Yet, it is important to cite the words of his follower, Albani, in his 'Silsila Sahiha' volume 4 page 249, here:



I saw Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah state that he deemed the first part as weak and deemed the second part as a lie! And this is of his exaggeration due to his haste in rejecting the traditions before he collated the other chains and revised them accurately. And it is the help Allah that is sought in that.



That is the Ibn Taymiyyah style. Without doing adequate research on the authenticity of a hadith, he declares it weak! Albani declares it Sahih.



Imam Ibn Haban recorded this hadith in his book of Sahih traditions 'Sahih ibn Haban' volume 15 page 376 with the additional part. Al-Hakim in his book 'al-Mustadrak' volume 3 page 109 recorded that hadith with the additional part and declared it as Sahih according to the conditions of the two Sheikhs while Dhahabi in his book 'Talkhis al-Mustadrak' kept silent which means he agreed with al-Hakim. Imam Al-Haythami recorded it with the additional part in his book 'Majma al-Zawaid' volume 9 page 103 and declared its narrators to be authentic. Ibn Hajar said in his book 'Fath al-Bari' volume 7 page 61 about the tradition: ‘Many of it chains are Sahih and Hasan’. Al-Ejloni in his book 'Kashf al-Khifa' volume 2 page 274 said: ‘Thirty companions narrated it with the addition ‘Oh Allah support whoever support him’ hence the hadith is Mutawatir’.

Ibn Taymiyyah has also ignorantly denied Umar’s congratulations in his “prestigious” Minhaj al-Sunnah, Vol. 7, p.170.

[13] Sahih Muslim, part 7, Kitab fada'il al¬Sahabah [Maktabat wa Matba`at Muhammad `Ali Subayh wa Awladuhu: Cairo] pp. 122-123.

[14] al¬'Imam al-Hafiz Abu `Abd Allah al¬Hakim al¬Naysaburi, al¬Mustadrak `ala al-Sahihayn [Dar al¬Ma`rifah li al¬Tiba`ah wa al¬Nashr: Beirut), vol. iii, pp. 109

[15] Ibn Taymiyyah again, in his usual “knowledgeability”, claims this in Volume 7 page 279 of his Minhaj al-Sunnah:



His statement, “(the Book and) my itrah, my Ahl al-Bayt and they will never separate till they meet me on the Pool” that is narrated by Tirmidhi; and Ahmad ibn Hanbal was asked about it therefore he declared it weak. Similarly more than one scholar declared it weak and said that it is not Sahih.



However, those claims are baseless. Tirmidhi recorded it in his book 'Sunan al-Tirmidhi' volume 5 page 328 and declared it as Hasan. Al-Baghawi in his book 'Sharh al-Sunnah' volume 7 page 206 declared it as Hasan. Ibn al-Arabi in his book 'Aridat al-Ahwadi' volume 7 page 159 declared it as Sahih. Imam Al-Haythami recorded it in his book 'Majma al-Zawaid' volume 9 page 163 and declared its chain to be good. Imam Tahawi in his book 'Mushkel al-Athaar' volume 5 page 18 declared it as Sahih. Albani recorded it in his book 'Silsila Sahiha' volume 4 page 260 and declared it as Sahih.



In fact, countless scholars have declared it sahih! Our main problem is Ibn Taymiyyah’s claim that Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal too was ignorant concerning the science of hadith! We just hope it is not true.

[16] al¬'Imam al-Hafiz Abu `Abd Allah al¬Hakim al¬Naysaburi, al¬Mustadrak `ala al-Sahihayn [Dar al¬Ma`rifah li al¬Tiba`ah wa al¬Nashr: Beirut), vol. iii, pp. 110

[17] Zilal al-Janah, by Al-Albani who declared it ‘Sahih’, hadith 754.

[18] Shaykh Shu'aib al-Arnaout in his margin of the book Musnad Ahmed, Volume 5 page 182, declared the tradition as ‘Sahih’ so did Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti in Al-Jame'a al-Saghir, v1 p402 and Imam Nasiruddin Al-Baani in Sahih al-Jame'a, Hadith 4222 while Imam Al-Haythami said: ‘The chain is good’ (Majm'a al-Zawaid, v9 p162).



Hamza Ahmad Zayn in his authentication of al-Musnad (Vol. 16, p. 28, Dar al-Hadith, Cairo) declares its chain hasan. Al-Haythami again has recorded it in his Majma' al-Zawaid (Vol. 1, p. 170, Dar al-Kitab al-Alamiya) and declared: Tabarani has recorded it and its narrators are thiqah. The authenticator of Musnad Ahmad (Vol. 16, p. 50, Dar al-Hadith Cairo), Hamza Ahmad Zayn, in another version, says: "Its chain is hasan".

[19] Imam Abi Bakar Al-Haythami said: “The narrators are reliable” (Majm'a al-Zawaid, v1, p170).

[20] Busayri said: Ishaq has narrated it from a sahih chain (Itihaf al-Khaerati al-Mahr, Vol. 9, page 279, No. 8974, Maktaba al-Rushd, Riyadh). Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani too in his Matalib al-Aliya (Vol. 4, p. 65, No. 3972, Dar al-Ma'rfat) states: This is a sahih chain. The authenticator of Al-Sakhawi's al-Istijlab (Vol. 1, p. 357, Dar al-Bashaira al-Islamiyyah), Khalid ibn Ahmad Samee says: The chain is sahih.

[21] The hadith has also been recorded in:

1. Musnad Ahmad, Volume 4, p438

2. Musnad al-Tiyalsi, p111

3. Al-Ahad wa al-Methani, by Dahak, Volume 4, p279

4. Khasaes amir almominin, by Nisai, p98

5. Mu'ajam al-kabir, by Tabarani, v18, p129

6. Mwared al-Daman, by Haythami, Volume 7, p136

7. Tarikh Dimashq, by ibn Asakir, v42, p198



[22] The Mufti of Dar ul Uloom Qadiriyah Jilaniyah, London namely Mufti Ghulam Rasool al-Hanafi refutes the statement of Ibn Taymiyyah in the following manner:



“Question: Ibn Taymiyyah in his book Minhaj al-Sunnah has stated that the Hadith of ‘I am the City of Knowledge and Ali is the Gate’ is extremely weak and it has been counted amongst the mawdoo’at (fabrications). When it is weak and mawdoo then it cannot be used for inference.



Answer: The statement of Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728) that the Hadith of ‘I am the City of Knowledge and Ali is the Gate’ is weak and mawdoo’ is void (Batil) and evil (Mardood). Yahya ibn Mu’een has declared this hadith as Sahih and has called its main narrator Abu Sulat as Thiqa and Seduq. Since Yahya ibn Mu’een has declared this hadith as Sahih therefore there should not be any doubt about this Hadith being Sahih and worthy of being inferred because Yahya ibn Mu’een is Imam of Jarh and Tadil.

Subeh Sadiq, page 156 (Published in London)







This is the statement of Ibn Taymiyyah himself:



‘Yahya ibn Mu’een and others have more capability of knowing the Sahih hadiths. They have more eligibility of distinguishing between truth and lie, Sahih and mawdoo’ hadith. If someone wants to investigate whether a particular Hadith is Sahih or weak or mawdoo’, one should refer to Yahya ibn Mu’een and his likes’

Minhaj al-Sunnah, Volume 8 page 418

http://arabic.islamicweb.com/Books/taimiya.asp?book=365&id=4254.

Often, Salafis critcize this hadith by citing criticisms of its main narrator Abu Sulat by some Sunni scholars. What they fail to realize, however, is that the criticisms are NOT sufficient to refute his reliability. Maybe they need this explanation from Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, who in his Lisan al-mizan:

The weakening of the tradition assumes preponderance over its accreditation when the reason for doing so is made explicit. Otherwise, the opinion of the person rendering the tradition weak has no value.

Abu Bakr Ahmad b. 'Ali al-Baghdadi writes: It must be pointed out that as for the traditions accepted and used as evidence by Bukhari, Muslim and Abu Dawud, although some of their transmitters have been criticized and have been declared unreliable, the reason for their criticism and unreliability has not been well established and proven by them. Moreover, he says, if weakness and reliability of a tradition are of equal weight, then its weakening is preponderant. However, if weakness is less obvious than reliability, then there could be varying opinions about that tradition. The best way to resolve this problem of authenticating a tradition is to say that if the reason for weakness is mentioned and if that reason is convincing, then weakness has preponderance over reliability. But if the reason is not mentioned, then reliability has preponderance over weakness.

Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, Lisan al-mizan, Vol. 1, p. 25.

Lisan al-mizan, Vol. 1, p. 16.

[23] Ibn Taymiyyah writes:



His statement 'the likeness of my Ahl al-Bayt is the likeness of Noah’s Ark’; verily there is no correct chain for it and it is not recorded in any reliable hadith book.

Minhaj al-Sunnah, Volume 7 page 280



Obviously, the statement is utter nonsense!



Well, some people have mischievously graded A’mash “thiqah (trustworthy) but mudallis (dishonest)”. Obviously, it is not possible for a person to be both at the same time! So, the illogicality of their submission itself is a sufficient rebuttal for it.

[24] When Sunni scholars state that a hadith has been narrated through lots of chains, they mean it is either sahih or hasan. There are hadiths with no single sahih chain. But, there are lots of weak chains. A fundamental rule in Sunni ilm al-hadith is that in such cases, each weak chain strengthens the other. Together, they form a sound hadith. But, individually, they cannot stand. Allamah Abdul Wahab Sherani records in "Rudud Ulema al-Muslimin" page 66 states:



"The majority of hadith scholars rely on the weak hadith if it carries multiple chains and they attributed it as Sahih or Hasan"



Allamah Muhammad bin Yusuf al-Salehi al-Shami (d. 942 H) records in "Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad" Volume 1 page 254:



"The traditions support one other, because weak traditions with multiple chains constitute strength, as is known from Ilm hadith (science of hadith)."



Salafis try to deceive those with little knowledge of hadith by criticizing individual chains abd citing only a few of them. This is wrong.

[25] Ibn Taymiyyah, as expected, as declared the hadith a lie in Minhaj al-Sunnah, Volume 5 page 16. He particularly hates the last part. But, what could he do? Even his own students have narrated the above hadith, verbatim, through sahih chains!

[26] Abu Nu`aym, Ahmad b. `Abd Allah, al-'Isfahani, Ma nazala min al-Qur'an fi `Ali ,(Manuscript)

[27] Muhammad b. `Ali b. Ibrahim, Abu al-Fath al-Natanzi, al-Khasa'is al-`Alawiyyah (Manuscript)



[28] al-Juwayni, Ibrahim b. Muhammad b. al-Mu'ayyad, Sadr al-Din Abu al-Majami` al-Hamawayni or al-Hamawi al-Shafi`i, Fara'id al-samtayn fi fada'il al-Murtada wa al-batul wa al-sibtayn Beirut: Mu'assasat al-Mahmudi (2 vols), 1978 vol. 1, p. 74



This is what al-Dhahabi says about al-Juwayni:



“I heard (hadith) from the superior, the most perfect Imam and hadithist, pride of Islam, Sadr al-deen Ibrahim bin Muhammad Al-Mouayed bin Hamaweh Al-Khurasani Al-Juwayni, the Sheikh of Sufis, he came to us to obtain hadith and he narrated for us from two men who were Al-Muayed Al-Tusi’s companions, he (Hamwini) was too careful in obtaining the traditions, he was a good reciter, good looking, magisterial, pious and through him Ghazan the king converted to Islam, he died in year 722 in the age of 78. May Allah have mercy on him.”

Tadhkirat al-Huffaz, Volume 4, page 298



Here is a Salafi Imam calling a Sufi Imam “pride of Islam”. Yet, today’s Salafis only brandish their takfir swords.

[29] Al-Dhahabi has unjustly accused him of Shi’ism. Mufti Ghulam Rasool al-Hanafi of ‘Daar-ul-uloom Qadriyah Jilaniyah, London’ states on this issue:



“…To state that Sibt Ibn Jawzi was a Shi’a Rafidi, even though some have said he was a Shi’a Rafidi is wrong. He was not a Shi’a Rafidi but was in fact a Sunni Hanafi, and Ibn Emaad Hanabali (died 1089 Hijri) wrote that:



‘Shams al-Din Yusuf ibn Qazghali al-Hanafi - Sibt al-Jawzi was the grandson of Allamah Abu al-Faraj ibn al-Jawzi. He was initially Hanbali, but left this madhab and became Hanafi. He wrote a 29 volume Tafseer of the Qur’an. He wrote a biography of Imam Abu Hanifa and wrote Miraat al-Zamaan fee Tareekh al Ayaan (spanning 40 Volumes). He died in 654 Hijri. The Sultan of Syria Malik al Nasir was present at his funeral and burial, may Allah (swt) have mercy on him’ [Shazarath al Dhahab Volume 5 page 267].



After writing the above arguments about him, Dhahabi issues his verdict on him in Mizan al-Itidal Volume 4 page 471:



’Sibt Ibn Jauzi was a great learned scholar and was a teacher of Hanafis”.



Many hadith scholars and writers have referred to him as a Hanafi. That proves that Sibt Ibn Jawzi was a Hanafi not a Rafidi Shi’a. As for the comments made about him by Dhahabi, that ‘he wrote a book Miraat al-Zaman wherein you will see that he has recorded very unusual events, and I do not deem him Thiqa for copying them down, and he says the things which are not right and he just tells stories. And the thing is that he is Rafidi and he has a book to this effect’ [Mizan al-Itidal, vol 4 page 471]. “This is an uncultured method of Dhahabi against Sibt Ibn Jawzi. He (al-Dhahabi) was himself distanced from the Ahl al-Bayt. he would comment on any person from whom he would smell his love for the Ahl al-Bayt; the Ahl al-Bayt from whom Allah removed all blemishes that He (swt) disliked, and purified them from all dirt. The things that Hafiz Dhahabi said about Sibt Ibn Jawzi, namely that ‘he was a Rafidi, and he has written a book on Rafidism’ refers to this very book ‘Tadhkiratul Khawwas‘ which is about the virtues of the Ahl al-Bayt, but Dhahabi did not like taking its name, and used the word ‘muallif’ [writer] for that. Hafiz Dhahabi and his likeminded people do not like such books, and every person will be judged according to his deeds. Good deeds will be rewarded accordingly and bad deeds accordingly, and Allah (swt) is with those that fear Allah and are pious [Hashiyah Tadhkirathul Khawwas page 5]”.”

"Hasab aur Nasab" by Mufti Ghulam Rasool al-Hanafi, Volume 3 page 88-90 (published in London



Ibn Kathir has relied upon Sibt ibn Jawsi in his al-Bidayah wa Nihayah, Vol. 13, p. 101, under the topic “Year 599), Vol. 13, p. 157, under the topic “Year 613, Zayd ibn Hasan”, Vol. 13, p. 201, under the topic “Year 620, Muwafiquddin Abdullah ibn Ahmad” and Vol. 13, p. 328, under the topic “Year 652”.

[30] This is a Shi’a hadith:



"Ali (as) is my brother, my vizier, my heir, my legatee and my vicegerent amongst my Ummah and the master of every believer after me. Then, my son Hasan (as), then Husayn (as), followed by nine more from the progeny of Husayn (as). They are with the Qur'an and the Qur'an is with them. They shall not separate from it and the Qur'an too shall not separate from them until they will meet me at the Pond in Paradise.



O people! I have shown you your place of refuge as well as your leader, master and guide after me. He is my brother, Ali ibn Abi Talib (as). His position amongst you is the same as my position amongst you. Follow him in religion and obey him in all the affairs. Verily, with him is all the divine knowledge and wisdom which Allah (swt) has bestowed upon me. Thus, you should solve your problems and acquire knowledge from him and his legatees.



Do not try to teach them or take precedence over them and do not disobey them as they are with the truth and the truth is with them. They shall never separate from the truth and the truth shall over separate from them".

Al-Ghadir, al-Amini, Vol. 1, p. 163-166.

[31] This hadith confirms the effect of the Verse of Purification. The fact that the wives of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) had no such privilege shows that the Verse does not apply to them.