ADISTORTIONINTHAQALAINTRADITIONSayyidAlial-Husaynial-Milani-XKP

Published:2016Tag(s):islam

ThaqalainTradition

IntheNameofGodtheBeneficenttheMercifulJabirbinAbdullahAnsariquotestheHolyProphet(s)assaying:یتیب لهأ یترتع و الله باتک : اولضت نل هب متذخا نا ام مکیف تکرت ینا ! سانلا اهیا ای

O’people!Ihaveleftsomething(amongyou)towhichifyouholdfast,

youwillnevergoastray:Allah’sBookandmyprogeny.1

1. SahiheTirmidhi,vol.5,p.662,Tradition,no.3786.

1ChapterPREFACE

With the prophetic mission of ProphetMuhammad (s), the seal of the

prophets, the last and the most perfect divine religion was conveyed tohumanityandprophethoodcametoanend.The religionof Islamemerged inMeccabutafter twenty threeyearsof

arduouseffortsmadebytheMessengerAllah(s)andahandfulofhisloyalcompanionsitspreadallovertheArabianPeninsula.The continuation of this divine mission was a task that was entrusted

publiclyonDhulHijja, theeighteenth,byAllah, theGlorious, toAli(a.s),the commander of the faithful and the first personality after the HolyProphet(s)intheworldofIslam.With the proclamation of Hazrat Ali‟s guardianship and succession on

this day, divine blessings were completed and the religion of Islam wasperfected,beingannouncedastheonlyreligionchosenbyAllah.ThatwashowunbelieversandpagansgotdisappointedfromdestroyingIslam.Soon after the demise of the Messenger of Allah (s), some of the

companionsoftheHolyProphet(s)basedontheirpre-hatchedconspiracies,broughtdeviationinthecourseofguidanceandleadership.TheyclosedthegateofthecityofknowledgeputtingMuslimsinperplexity.Fromtheverybeginning of their rule, they placed the truths of Islam – that were likeshinningsun–behindthedarkcloudsofdoubtandskepticismbyputtingaban on recording prophetic traditions , spreading fabricated traditions ,castingdoubtsandusinghypocrisyanddeception.

Obviously, in spiteof all conspiracieshatchedby theenemiesof Islam,the truths of Islam and noble sayings of theMessenger ofAllah (s)werepromulgated by the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (a.s.), his successorsand a few of his devout companions and those truths kept flowing andmanifestingthemselvesinonewayortheotherinthecourseofhistory.Byexplaining the truths, they did away with the doubts, hesitation,illusions,andunfoundedbeliefsinculcatedbytheenemiesofIslam,makingtruthscleartoall.In this respect, great scholars and men of knowledge such as Sheikh

Mufid,SayyidMurtadha,KhajaNasir,AllamahHilli,QadhiNurullah,MirHamid Husain, Sayyid Sharafuddin, Allamah Amini etc. are like shiningstars for they are the ones who defended Islamic truths, explained therealitiesoftheschoolofAhlulbayt(a.s.)anddealtwithspuriousargumentsusingtheirtonguesandpens.Inourera,oneof theof the scholarsand researcherswhohas,withhis

eloquentpenandexpressivewriting,explainedthetruthsofthereligionofIslam and astutely defended the leadership andwilayah (guardianship) oftheCommanderof theFaithful,Ali (a.s.) isAyatollahSayyidAliHusainiMilani.TheIslamicTruthsCenterisproudtoembarkonrevivingthefruitfuland

precious works of that great researcher by reviewing, translating andpublishing them in a bid to make them available to students, scientificfiguresandthosewhoareinsearchforIslamictruths.Thebook inyourhand isa translationofoneofhisworks, intended to

acquaint the English audiencewith Islamic truths. It is expected that thishumbleeffortwillearnthepleasureoftheRemnantofAllah,theImamofTime[thetwelfthShiiteImam]mayAllahhastenhisreappearance.

2ChapterFOREWORD

InthenameofAllah,theBeneficent,theMercifulAll praise is due toAllah, the Lord of theworlds andmay prayer and

peacebeuponourmasterandProphet,Muhammad,andhispureprogeny,andmayAllah’s curse be upon all their enemies from the first to the lastone.Thaqalaintraditionisafamousandwell-knowntraditionthatisreported

by [both] Sunnites and Shiites. Hundreds of prominent narrators andtradition memorizers belonging to various centuries, have narrated thistradition from around forty male and female companions of the HolyProphet(s),usingnumerousways.Since there is no objection about the reporters and the content of this

tradition, some self-interested figures have fabricated the tradition ofadherence toBook (Quran) andTradition (Prophets Tradition) [instead ofQuranandProphetsProgeny]astwoweightythings.TheHolyProphet(s)accordingtothistraditionwhichisquotedbySunnites,said:“Iamleavingtwopreciousthingsamongyou:Allah’sBookandmy

tradition.”It isworthmentioning thataccording tosomesources theHolyProphet

(s)saidthiswordinhisspeechinFarewellHajj.The present pamphlet studies this tradition and its reporters, critically

examinesthemandshowsthetruthtothosewhoseekit.

Part1THENARRATORSOF

THAQALAINTRADITIONANDTHEIRTRADITIONS

AninquiryintothenarratorsofThaqalaintraditionandtheir

Traditions

No doubt, the version of Thaqalain tradition that contains ‘Book andTradition’[inplaceofBookandProphet’sprogeny]hasappearedonlyinafewHadithbooksandbiographicalworks,whichwewillnowstudy.TheTraditionofMalikbinAnasBased on researchesmade themost ancient narrator of this tradition is

MalikbinAnas(d.179AH).Inhisal-Muwatta,hequotestheHolyProphet(s)1assaying:“Ileavetwothingsamongyou,as longasyoufollowthem,youwill

nevergoastray:Allah’sBookandHisProphet’stradition.”TheTraditionofIbnHishamAnother person who has narrated this tradition is Ibn Hisham (d. 218

AH). In his al-Sira al-Nabaviyya, which is an abridgment of al-Sira byMuhammadbinIshaq,hequotestheHolyProphet(s)ashavingsaidinhisFarewellHajj:“…AndIhaveleftsomethingamongyoutowhichifyouresort,you

will never go astray and they are clear issues: Allah’s Book andHisprophet’stradition.”Hakim’sTraditionHakimeNayshaburi(d.405AH)hasalsonarratedthistradition.Hehas

mentioneditinhisal-Mustadrakand,commentingonit,hesays:It is narrated fromAbuBakrAhmad Ibn Ishaq Faqih, fromAbbas Ibn

Isqati, from Ismael Ibn Abi Uwais fromMuhammad Bin Fazl Sha‟aranifromhisgrandfather,fromIbnAbiUwais,fromhisfather,fromThawrIbnZiyadDily,fromAkrama,fromIbnAbbasthathequotedtheHolyProphet

assayinginhisFarewellHajj:“Satan is disappointed from being worshiped in your land, but he is

satisfied to be obeyed through those acts of you which are not acts ofworshipandwhichyouunderestimate.Sobecareful.O’ people! I left two things among you as memorials to which if you

resort,youwillnevergoastray:Allah’sBookandHisProphet’stradition.As a matter of fact each Muslim is a brother of another Muslim and

actually allMuslims are brothers. No one is allowed to use his brother’spossessionwithouthispermission.Andnevercommitoppressionanddonotreturntothestateofdisbeliefafterme,killingeachother.”After narrating this tradition, Hakim begins assessing its chain of

reporters. He says: While narrating this tradition, Bukhari has relied onAkrama,whereasMuslim has referred to IbnAbiUwais.As to the otherreportersofthistradition,theyareacceptedbyallscholars.Afterassessingitschainofreporters,Hakimassessesitstext,saying:This

traditionisapartoftheHolyProphet’ssermon.AllscholarsagreethattheHolyProphet(s)hassaid:“Opeople!Ilefttwothingsamongyou,towhichifyouresort,youwill

nevergoastray:Allah’sBook(aboutwhichIwillaskyouandtowhichyouwillbeanswerable)[andHisProphet’stradition].Tomention the issue of resorting to Prophet’s tradition sounds strange,

butthisisreallysomethingthatisneeded.Hakimthereuponsays:NeverthelessIhavefoundsomeevidenceinAbu

Huraira’snarrationsthatatteststothetruthofthesubjectunderdiscussion.It isnarrated fromAbuBakrbin IshaqFaqih, fromMuhammadbin Isa

binSakanWasiti,fromDawoodbinAmrDabbi,fromSalihbinMusaTalhi,fromAbdal-AzizbinRafi’a, fromAbiSalih, fromAbuHuraira, fromtheHolyProphet(s)thathesaid:

“I leave two things among you. You will never go astray after

[following]them:Allah’sBookandmytradition.Thesetwowillnevergetseparatedfromeachotheruntiltheyjoinmebythepool.”2Bayhaqi’sTraditionAbuBakrBayhaqi(d.458AH)hasnarratedthistraditionviatwochains

ofnarrators.FirstChainAbu Abdullah Hafiz narrates from Ismael bin Muhammad bin Fazl

Sha‟arani,fromhisgrandfather,fromBinAbiUwais,fromhisfather,fromThawrbinZaidDily, fromAkrama, fromIbnAbbaswhoquotes theHolyProphet(s)ashavingsaidinFarewellHajj:“O’people,nodoubt, I leave somethingamongyou towhich ifyou

resort, you will never go astray: Allah’s Book and His prophet’stradition.”SecondChainAbu al-Husain Bin Bushran al-Adl in Baghdad reports from Ahmad

HamzatBinMuhammadBinAbbas,fromAbdulKarimBinHaytham,fromAbbasBinHaytham,fromSalehBinMusaTalhi,fromAbdulAzizBinRafi,fromAbi Saleh, fromAbuHurairahwho quoted theHoly Prophet (s) assaying:“ThereisnodoubtthatIhavelefttwothingsamongyouaftermeto

whichaslongasyouholdfastorbywhichaslongasyouabide,youwillnevergoastray:Allah’sBookandmy tradition.These twowillneverseparatefromeachotheruntiltheyjoinmebythepool.”3IbnAbdal-Barr’sTraditionIbn Abd al-Barr (d. 463 AH) is another person who has narrated this

tradition,usingtwochainsoftransmitters4FirstChainBasedonthischain,IbnAbdal-BarrnarratesthistraditionfromDawood

binAmrDabbi, fromSalihbinMusaTalhi, fromAbdal-AzizbinRafi’a,fromAbiSalih,fromAbuHuraira.ThistraditionisthesameasthetraditionreportedbyHakiminhisbook,whichwewillassesslateron.SecondChainInthischain,IbnAbdal-Barrhas,linkingonetraditiontoanotherinAl-

Muwattastates:Abdal-RahimBinYahyanarratesfromAhmadBinSaeed,fromMuhammadBin Ibrahim, fromAliBinZaidArayezi, fromHunaini,from Kathir bin Abdullah Bin Amr Bin Auf, from his father from hisgrandfather,fromtheHolyProphet(s)whosaid:“Ileaveamongyoutwothingstowhichaslongasyouholdfast,you

willnevergoastray:Allah’sBookandHisProphet’stradition.”QaziAyad’aTraditionQaziAyazaYahsibi(d.544AH)concerninghowherelatedthistradition,

said:“IreadthistraditiontoQaziAbuAliHusainBinMuhammadandhe[commentingonthetradition]said:“InarratethistraditionfromSheikhImamAbal-FazilAhmadBinAhmad

Isfahani, fromAbuNaeemAhmadBinAbdullahHafiz, fromAbdullahBinMuhammadBinJa’afar,fromBananBinAhmadQattan,fromAbdullahBinUmarBinAban,fromShuaibBinIbrahim,fromSiafBinUmar,fromAbanBin IshaqAsadi, fromSabahBinMuhammad, fromAbuHazim, fromAbuSaeedKhedrifromtheHolyProphet(s)thathesaid:“O’people!Ileaveamongyoutwopreciousthings:Allah’sBookand

mytradition.So,donotdestroythem,becauseaslongasyoukeepthemboth,youreyeswillnevergetblind,yourstepswillneverstumbleandyourhandswillneverbeinneedofanything.”5

Suyuti’sTraditionJalalal-DinSuyuti(d.911AH)hasalsonarratedthistradition.Inhisal

‘Jami’a al-Saghir’, he says thatHakim in his al-Mustadrak, narrates fromAbuHurairathathequotestheHolyProphet(s)assaying:“I leave among you two things. You will not go astray after

[following]them;Allah’sBookandmytradition.Thesetwowillneverseparatefromeachotheruntiltheyjoinmebythepool.”6TheTraditionofMuttaqiHindiSheikhAliMuttaqiHindi(d.975AH)hasdevotedthesecondpartofthe

firstvolumeofhisKanzulUmmal, to[adiscussiontitled]“holdingfast to[Allah’s]bookand[Prophet’s] tradition”.Herehehasrelatedthis traditionviamanychannels:InhisGhilaniyat,AbuBakrShafi’aisaysthatAbuHurairahasquotedthe

MessengerofAllah(s)assaying:“Ilefttwothingsamongyouafterme.Youwillnevergoastrayafter

[following]them;Allah’sBookandmytradition.Thesetwowillneverseparatefromeachotheruntiltheyjoinmebythepool.”Inhisal-Mustadrak,HakimNayshaburisaysthatAbuHurairahasquoted

theMessengerofAllahassaying:“Ilefttwothingsamongyouafterme.Youwillnevergoastrayafter

[following] them; Allah’s Book and my tradition. They will neverseparatefromeachotheruntiltheyjoinmebythepool.”In his al-MustadrakHakimNayshaburi says that IbnAbbas has quoted

theHolyProphet(s)assaying:“Satan has become disappointed from being worshiped in your

land….”

BayhaqinarratesfromIbnAbbasthattheHolyProphet(s)said:“O’people!I leave thingsamongyoutowhich ifyouhold fast,you

willnevergoastray;Allah’sBookandHisProphet’stradition.”In his al-Abana, AbuNasr Sajzi says that AbuHuraira has quoted the

HolyProphet(s)assaying:“Allah’sBookandmytraditionwillneverseparatefromeachother

untiltheyjoinmebythepool.”Afterquotingthistradition,hesays:Thistraditionisreallystrange7.

1. Theletter‘s’standsfor‘peacebeuponhimandhisprogeny’.ThoughtheSunnitesourcessufficetosaying‘peacebeuponhim’aftermentioningthenameoftheProphet(s),omitting‘andhisprogeny‟,wehaveintendedtomentionthewholeversionofthissupplication,wheneverwehaveusedtheabbreviation‘s’.

2. Al-Mustadrak,vol.1,p.93.3. Al-SunanalKubra,vol.10,p.1144. ItisworthmentioningthatIbnAbdal-Azizhaswrittentwobooks

concerningAl-Muwattaanditschainsofreporters.TheauthorofKashfal-Dunoonhasmentionedthenamesofthesetwobooks.(see,Kashfal-Dunoon,vol.2,p.1907).Oneofthesebooksisal-TamheedlimafiAl-Muwattamial-Ma’aniwaal-Asanid.Thetraditionquotedaboveisthe32ndofthetraditionsundertheheading‘Balaghani’,takenfromamanuscript.Wecouldnot,duelackofspace,relatetheentirechain.

5. Al-Ilma’aFiDabtiAl-RiwayahwaTaq’yiidiAl-Sama’a,pp.8&9.6. Faizal-Qadir,Sharhal-Jami’aal-Saghir,vol.3,p.240.7. KanzulUmmal,vol.1,p.73;TraditionsNo.875,876,184,941,187,

954and955.

Part2ANASSESSMENTOFTHE

CHAINSOFTHISTRADITION

AGlanceattheChainofthisTraditionIn part one, we mentioned the most important chains of the forged

ThaqalaintraditionavailableinSunnitesources.Beforeassessingthechainsofthistradition,itisnecessarytomentionafewpoints.

1. ThistraditionisoneofthosetraditionsthataredisregardedbyBukhariandMuslim.Theyhavenotmentioneditintheir“Sahihain”.ThisiswhileSunnitesleaveasidemanycorrectlytransmittedtraditionsjustbecausethesetwoSheikhshaveunanimouslyavoidedmentioningthemintheirbooks.

2. ThistraditionismentionedinnoneoftheotherSunnitesourcescalled“Sihah”andthustheauthorsofal-Sihahal-Sit,haveagreedtoavoidmentioningit.

3. ThistraditionhasnotappearedinanyoneofthereliableMusnadsliketheMusnadofAhmadBinHanbal.AhmadbinHanbalisontheotherhand,quotedashavingsaidthatthetraditionsthathavenotappearedinhisMusnadarenotcorrect.

4. Mostofthenarratorsofthistraditionhavesaidthatitisastrangetradition.Commentingonthistradition,HakimNayshaburisaysthatthephrase“holdingfasttotraditioninthissermon”isverystrange.

Let us now assess the chains of this tradition in the above-mentionedbooks.TheChainofthisTraditioninal-MuwattaThepositionofthistraditionisthesameisthatofthetraditionofMalik

BinAnasinal-Muwatta.Wewillassessitfromthreeangles.1.Anevaluationofal-MuwattaCommenting on this book, the author of Kash al-Dunoon, says: “As

pointedoutbyal-Nukatal-Wafiyya,al-Muwattaisanoldandblessedbook.Hisauthorwanted to include in itonly thesahih (authentic) traditionsbutthe traditionshis book contains are sahihonly fromhis point of viewnot

fromtheviewpointofpeopleof tradition.This isbecauseMalikconsidersmarasil and balaghat 1 (formats of tradition that are generally below thestandardsofanauthentictradition)assahih.2Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, commenting on al-Muwatta, says: “Khatib

Baghdadi and other scholars have mentioned that Al-Muwatta is[historically]priortoallJawami’aandMasanid”.He then points out: “Al-Muwatta is thus historically after Hakim

Nayshabruri‟sSahih”.3InhisTanwiral-Hawalik,Suyuti,commentingonal-Muwatta,says:“Ibn

HazminhisMaratibDiyanat,saysthathehascountedthetraditionsin[al-Muwatta],ofwhichmorethan500weremusnad,morethan300mursalandmorethan70traditionsignoredbyhimself.Itdefinitelyincludestraditionsweakenedbythemajorityofscholars”.42.AglanceatMalik’sbiographyThe secondpartofourdiscussion isdevoted to thebiographyofMalik

binAnas.Heiscriticizedandweakenedduetomanythings.Letusnowgothroughhisbiography.A.MalikwasamemberofKhawarij(anotoriousgroupinearlyIslam)InadiscussionpertainingtoKhawarij,Abual-Abbasal-Mubarrad,says:

“Somescholars includingAkrama, IbnAbbas‟s freed slave, are related toKhawarij. Malik Bin Anas is also said to have had ties with Khawarij.Zubayriyun believe thatMalik binAnas used to speak ill ofUthman,Ali(a.s),TalhaandZubair,saying:“ByAllah,theydidnotfightwitheachotherexceptforadustybroth”5B.MalikwasaMudallisDescribing some Mudallisin6 [the plural form of Mudallis], Khatib

BaghdadipointsoutthatMalikbinAnaswasaMudallis.7

C.MalikjoinstherulingclassignoringtheircrimesAbdullah Bin Ahmad quotes his father as saying: “Ibn Abi Daeb and

Malik were regularly visiting the rulers. The former used to give themdirections whereas the later was silent. Ibn Daeb was far better thanMalik”.8D.PlayingmusicalinstrumentsInhisal-Aghani,Abual-FarajIsfahanimentionsthatMalikusedtoplay

musicalinstruments.9E.ScholarsonMalikCommentingonhim,KhatibBaghdadisaid:“During the timeofMalik,

somescholarswerecriticalofhim”.Among thosecriticizedbyscholarsareaccording tohimIbnAbiDaeb,

Abdal-AzizMajeshun,IbnAbiHazimandMuhammadBinIshaq.10ConcerningMalik,IbnAbdal-Azizsays:“IbnAbiDaebhasmadeabout

Maliksomeunkindremarks,whichIdonotliketomention”11.Other people have also commented aboutMalik. IbrahimBin Sa’d has

cursedMalik.Abdal-RahmanBinZaidbinAslamandBinAbiYahyahavealsomadesomeremarksaboutMalik.123.AnevaluationofthechainoftraditionofMalikThe thirdpartofourdiscussiongoes toassessing the traditionofMalik

from the viewpoint of its chain of transmitters. There is no chain oftransmitters for this tradition in al-Muwatta. In his commentary on al-Muwatta, Suyuti says: “Bin Abd al-Barr has connected this book [to theHolyProphet(s)]throughthetraditionofKathirbinAbdullahBinAmrBin‘Awffromhisfather,fromhisgrandfather.13We will speak about the chain of this tradition in accordance with the

traditionofBinAbdal-Aziainal-Tamheed.ThechainofthistraditioninIbnHisham’sal-Siraal-NabawiyyaThistraditionhasappearedwithoutanychaininIbnHisham’sal-Siraal-

Nabawiyya.Under a heading “Prophet’s sermon in FarewellHajj” in thisbook, the authorwrites: “Ibn Ishaq says:Thereupon theHoly Prophet (s)went on Hajj pilgrimage… After performing the Hajj rituals, he gave asermon”.14The narrator of this tradition is Ibn Ishaq. According to most great

scholarsofrijal,IbnIshaqisaweakperson,notimmunefromcriticisms.HewasaccusedofbeingadeceitfulpersonwhowasfollowingShiism.Agreatnumber of scholars including Sulaiman Timi, Yahya Qattan, Wahab BinKhalid andMalikBinAnas, commenting on Ibn Ishaq, have said that hewasprofuselylying.15Thechainofthistraditioninal-MustadrakAs mentioned before, this tradition has also appeared in Hakim‟s al-

Mustadrak,whichhasrelatedthistraditionthroughtwoways:1.throughIbnAbbasThe focalpoint inHakim’s tradition fromIbnAbbas is ‘IsmaelbinAbi

Uwais’.WethussufficetoevaluatingIbnAbiUwais.HeisMalik’snephew.SomescholarsofthescienceofJarhandT’adil16(criticizingandpraising)havesaidsomethingaboutthisperson,whichIwillrelateonthebasisofIbnHajar’s words17: “Muawiyya bin Salih, commenting on Ibn Abi Uwais,quotesIbnMua‟eenassaying:Heandhisfatherareweakintransmittingtraditions”.HefurtherquotesIbnMu’aeenassaying:“IbnAbiUwaisandhisfather

usedtostealtraditions”.HelikewisequoteshimassayingthatIbnAbiUwaismixesuptraditions,

liesandisnotreliable.

Commenting on Ibn Abi Uwais, Nisaee says that he is weak in terms oftransmittingtraditions.ElsewherehesaysthatIbnAbiUwaisisnotathiqa(areliableperson).Referring to Nisee’s views, Lalkaee says: “Nisaee did not hesitate to

speakillofIsmaelbinAbiUwais.Hehasseriouslyspokenagainsthimtothe extent that he has abandoned his traditions. Probably Nisaee knewsomethingaboutIbnAbiUwais,whichothersdidnotknow.AllscholarsofIlmRijal(asciencethatevaluatesthetransmittersoftraditions)eventuallyagreethathewasweakintransmittingtraditions.Concerning Ibn Abi Uwais, Ibn Udai says that he has narrated gharib

(strange)traditionsfromhisunclewhomnooneelsehasfollowed.In his al-Du’afa, Dulabi has also talked about him, quoting Nasr Ibn

SalmaMaruziashavingsaid:“IbnAbiUwais isa liar.Heused tonarrateIbnWahab’sissuesfromMalik.‘Aqilihasalsopaidattentiontohiminhisal-Du’afa,sayingthatUsama

ZaffafBasritoldmethathehadheardYahyaIbnMu’aeensaying:“IbnAbiUwaisisnotworthapenny”.Commentingabouthim,DarQutnialsosaysthathedoesnotincludehim

inthechainofanyauthentictradition.Inhisal-Muhalla,IbnHazmquotesAbual-Fathashavingsaid:“SaifIbn

MuhammadtoldmethatIbnAbiUwaisfabricatedtraditions”.RegardinghimSalma IbnShabib says:“I heard IsmaelBinAbiUwais

say: “When the people ofMadinawere divergent on a particular issue, Ifabricatedmanytraditionsforthem”.2.throughAbuHurairaThereisapersoninthechainofAbuHuraira’stradition,called‘Salihbin

Musa Talhi Kufi’ aboutwhom the scholars of Jarh and Ta’adil have saidcertainthingswhichIwillrelate–asinthecaseofIbnAbiUmair-through

thewordsofIbnHajar‘Asqalani.18Regarding Salih Ibn Musa, Ibn Mu’aeen says that he is not reliable.

ElsewherehementionsthatSalihandIshaq, the twosonsofMusaarenotreliableandthustheirtraditionsarenotrecorded.HashimbinMurtadquotesIbnMu’aeenassayingthatSalihIbnMusais

notreliableintermsoftransmittingtraditions.CommentingonhimJuzjanisaysthathe,thoughgood,isweakintermsoftransmittingtraditions.IbnAbiHatamisquotedashavingsaid:MyfathercommentingonSalih

said: He is really weak in terms of transmitting tradition. He narratesunacceptabletraditionsfromreliablepersons.Isaid:Canwerecordhistradition?Hesaid:Idonotlikehistraditions.Concerning this person, Bukhari says that the traditions of Salih are

unacceptableduetohisrelianceonSahlIbnSalih.Describing Salih, Nisaee says that his traditions being weak are not

recorded.Elsewherehepointsoutthathistraditionsarerejected.Concerning on Salih, Ibn Udai says: “No one narrates the traditions

narratedbySalih. Inmypointofview,he isapersonwhopurposely lies,withoutthingsbeingmixedupforhim,causinghimthustocommiterror.Noonehasnarratedthetraditionshehasnarratedinfavorofhisgrandfather”.Commenting on him, Tirmidhi also confirms that some scholars have

spokenillofhim.AbdullahbinAhmadsays:IaskedmyfatheraboutSalihbinMusabuthe

said: Idonotknowanythingabouthim.However it seemsas ifhe isnotliked.‘Aqilitalkingabouthim,saysthatnoonefollowshistraditionsinorder

toproveanything.

IbnHannan, speaking about him, says that heused tonarrate traditionsfrom reliable people in a manner that did not resemble the tradition ofreliablepeople.Whenapersonhearshistraditionshetestifiesthattheyarefabricatedorinverted.Thusonecannotappealtothem.AbuNa‟eem,regardinghimsaysthatheisrejectedfromtheviewpointof

transmittingtraditionsashehasnarratedunacceptabletraditions.ThechainofthistraditioninBayhaqi'sal-Sunanal-KubraThistraditionhasalsoappearedinBayhaqi'sal-Sunanal-Kubrathrough

two chains of transmitters, one of thembeing through IbnAbbas and theotherthroughAbuHuraira.TheformerincludesIbnAbiUwaiswhereasthelaterSalihbinMusaTalhi.Weevaluatethecasesofbothtransmitterswhileassessingthechainofthetraditioninal-MustadrakbyHakimNayshaburi.Thechainofthistraditioninal-TamheedIbnAbdal-Barrhassimilarlymentionedthistraditioninhisal-Tamheed.

Althoughitschainoftransmittersincludemanyindividualswhomweneedto assess, the assessment of the biography of Kathir bin Abdullah issufficient.KathirbinAbdullahistheonethroughwhomIbnAbdal-Birhaschangedamursal(disconnected)traditionintoamuttasil(connected)one.We will now assess his biography through the words of Ibn Hajar

Asqalani.19AbuTalibquotesAhmadassayingthatKathirbinAbdullahwasaperson

whosetraditionswerenotacceptableandreliable.Abdullah bin Ahmad says: My father did not accept the traditions by

Kathir bin Abdullah in hisMusnad and thus he did not narrate anythingfromhim.Abu Khatima quotes Ahmad as saying: Do not quote anything from

KathirbinAbdullah.

DawriquotesIbnMu'aeenassaying:Hisgrandfatherwasacompanionofthe Holy Prophet (s), but he himself is weak in terms of transmittingtraditions.Commenting onKathir,Marra says:He is not reliable.Darmi says the

samethingabouthim.Ajuri says:WhenAbuDawoodwas asked about him, he said:He is a

personwholiesalot.IbnAbiHatamsays: IaskedabouthimfromAbuZar'ahwhosaid:His

tradition is weak andworthless. ElsewhereAbuHatam says: He is not arighteousperson.Nisaeesaysthatheisnotareliableperson.Commenting on him, Ibn Udai says: His entire traditions are not

acceptable.Abu Na'aeem Isfahani, commenting on him, says: Ali bin Madini has

regardedhimasweak.IbnSa'adinregardwithhimsays:KathirbinAbdullah'straditionswere

fewandfarbetweenandhewasconsideredasweak.IbnHajar,describinghim,says:SajihasregardedKathirasweak.IbnAbd al-Barr has claimed that there is a consensus on hisweakness

saying:Kathir isweak in terms of transmitting traditions. It is rather saidthathisweaknessintermsoftransmittingtraditionisamatterofconsensusamongscholars.Kathir narrates from his father and grandfather! Commenting on this

issue,IbnHayyansays:Henarratesfabricatedtraditionsfromhisfatherandgrandfather,whichwearenotpermitted tomention inourbook.Wemustnotnarrateanytraditionfromhimexcepttoshowourastonishment.Speakingabouthim,IbnSikkinsays:Kathirnarratesfromhisfatherfrom

hisgrandfather–athingthatdemandsreview.

CommentingonhimHakimsays:Kathirnarratesfromhisfatherfromhis

grandfathertraditionsthatincludeunacceptabletraditionsMentioned above were the criticisms about Kathir bin Abdullah by

scholarsofrijal.Fromamongthesecriticisms,thecriticismofIbnAbdal-Barrisenough.Hesays:Hisweaknessintermsoftransmittingtraditionsisamatterofconsensusamongscholars.Thechainoftraditioninal-Ilma'aThistraditionhasalsoappearedinal-Ima'a, thechainofwhichincludes

morethanoneweakandobjectionableperson.Thisisbecausethenarratorof this tradition isShu'aibbinIbrahimwho is thenarratorof thebooksofSaifbinUmar.IbnUdaihascriticizedhimsaying:Heisnotafamousandwell-knownperson.20AnothernarratorofthischainisAbanbinIshaqAsadi,aboutwhomAzdi

says:Histraditionsarenotacceptable.21The third person included in this chain is Sabbah bin Muhammad

Ahmasi. No one other than Tirmidhi has reported from him. HoweverTirmidhihasoncenarratedatraditionfromhim,fromIbnMasud,whichhehimself has considered as gharib (strange). He is a person who used tonarratefromreliablenarrators,fabricatedtraditions.Concerning him 'Aqili says: His tradition is false and incorrect. He

narratesmawquftraditionsasmarfu'atraditions.22ItisenoughfortheevaluationofthischainthatitincludesSaifbinUmar

as one of its transmitters. Concerning him, Ibn Hajar 'Asqali states:Concerninghim,IbnMu'aeensaysthatheisweakintermsoftransmittingtraditions.Describing him, Abu Hatam says: His traditions are not acceptable.

Concerninghim,AbuDawoodsays:Histraditionsarenotreliable.

Thechainofthistraditioninal-Ja'mi'aal-SaghirAl-Jami'aal-SaghirhasquotedthistraditionfromHakim'sal-Mustadrak.

Sincewehavetalkedaboutthisindetailbefore,wearenotgoingtomakeanyrepetitionnow.ThechainofthistraditioninKanzal-UmmalAnother figurewhohas reported this tradition isMuttaqiHindi.Hehas

narratedthistraditionfromHakimNayshaburiandAbuBakrSha'fi'ai,fromAbuHuraira.Itgoeswithoutanysayingthatbasedonwhatwehavesaidthusfar the

fateofAbuHuraira's tradition isalsoobvious.MuttaqiHindihasnarratedthistraditionfromHakimNayshaburiwhohasnarrateditfromIbnAbbas.This chain was also evaluated before. Bayhaqi has narrated this traditionfromIbnAbbas,acasethatwasalsomadeclearbefore.MuttaqiHindihasnarratedthistraditionfromal-Ibanawhichhasnarrated

itfromAbuHuraira.Afternarratingthistraditionhesays:Theauthorofal-Ibanahasmentioned that this tradition isgharib (strange).This isbecausethistraditionisnarratedfromAbuHuraira.24

1. MarasilisthepluralformofMursal.Itdescribesatraditioninwhosechainoneormorethanonetransmittersareomitted.Balaghatstandsforthosetraditionsthatarebegunwiththeterm‘balaghani’,meaning‘itreachedme’.

2. Kashfal-Dunoon,vol.2,p.1907.3. Tadribal-Rawi,vol.1,p.83.4. Tanwiral-Hawalik,vol.1,p.9.5. Al-Kamilfial-Adab,vol.1,p.159.6. Mudallisisapersonwhodeceiveshiscustomersbyveilingthedefects

[ofhisgoods].InHadithterminology,Tadlisisusedintwosenses:a)TadlisinIsnad(chainoftransmitters)inwhichthetransmitternarratesatraditionfromapersonwhomhehasnotseenoromitsmentioningaweaktransmitterinordertomakethetraditioninquestionlook‘hasan’

or‘sahih’.Itissaidthattadlishissimilartolying.B)Tadlisinatransmitter’sattributesinwhichapersondescribesatransmitterusingunrealattributesinordertoconcealtherealidentityofthetransmitter.

7. Al-KifayafiIlmal-Riwaya,p.365.8. Al-IlalwaMa’arifaal-Rijal,vol.1,p.179.9. Al-A’ani,vol.2,p.224.10. TarikheBaghdad,vol.10,p.224.11. Jami’aBayanal-IlmwaFadlihi,vol.2,p.157.12. Ibid,p.158.13. Tanwiral-Hawalik,vol.2,p.208.14. Al-Siraal-Nabawiyya,vol.4,p.603.15. SeeRijalsourcesforhisbiography.Youcanalsoreferforfurther

informationabouthimtowhatHafizBinSayyidal-Nas(d.734AH)hasmentionedinhisprefacetoYunal-Athar.

16. JarhwaTa’adil(criticizingandpraising)isabranchofRijalScience.JarhmeanscriticizingandobjectingwhereasTa’adilmeanspraisingandconsideringanarratorasjustandfair.

17. Tahdibal-Tahdib,vol.1,p.271.18. Ibid,vol.4,p.354.19. Ibid,vol.8,p.377.20. Lisanal-Mizan,vol.3,p.145.21. Tahdibal-Tahdib,vol.1,p.84.22. Ibid,vol.4,p.358.23. Ibid,vol.4,p.259.24. Seerelateddiscussionsinthisbook,aboutthecontentofthistradition.

Part3AREFLECTIONONTHETEXTOFTHISTRADITIONANDIT'S

MEANING

FabricatedTraditionGiven the preceding discussions, it is clear that the tradition containing

theword‘thaqalain’(twoweightythings)anditslikeshasnooriginalityandisnotthuscorrect.Thisisbecauseonecannottraceanytraditioncontaininganyrecommendationto‘BookandTradition’undertheheading‘thaqalain’inSihahorMasanid.The traditions that have appeared in some books – though they have

originally appeared in al-Muwatta and Hakim’s al-Mustadrak- have nosound basis, particularly the rare versions of this tradition that is togetherwiththisphrase:theHolyProphet(s)madethiscommentinhissermoninFarewellHajj.ThemotiveandgoaloftheinventorThere isa strongprobability that thosewho invented this traditionwith

thistextaimedatconfrontingandchallengingthereal„thaqalain‟traditionbythisinventedtradition.Therealthaqalaintraditionisthetraditionthatisa matter of consensus amongMuslims and there exists certainty that theHolyProphet(s)hasmentionedit.Thereal‘Thaqalain’traditionTheHolyProphet(s)haspresentedthaqalaintraditionindifferentplaces,

themostwell-knownofwhich isGhadirwhere theHolyProphet (s) afterperforminghisFarewellHajjgavehiswell-knownGhadir sermon.This iswhere he recommended his community to hold fast to the Book andTradition and ordered them to follow these two precious things and stopopposingthem.“…Ileftsomethingamongyou.Aslongasyouholdfasttothem,you

willnevergoastrayafterme:Allah’sBookandmyprogeny”.1TheHolyProphet(s)inthissermonsaysemphaticallythataslongashis

community holds fast to theHolyQuran and theHoly Prophet’s progeny

(whichdonotseparatefromeachotheruntiltheyjoinhimbythepool),theywillnotgoastray.ThaqalainTraditionanditsNarratorsNumerous narrators including hundreds of Hadith scholars and Huffaz

(memorizers of traditions), belonging to various centuries, have narratedthaqalain tradition from around fortymale and female companions of theHoly Prophet (s) through innumerable channels, to the extent that somegreat scholars have compiled a book in order to collect the chains of thetransmitters of this tradition. For instance scholars including Muslim binHajjaj, Ahmad bin Hanbal, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood, Ibn Maja, Nisaee,HakimNayshaburi,Tabari,Tabaranietc.haverelatedthistradition.ThaqalainTraditionanditsSignificationThaqalain tradition clearly signifies that it is obligatory onMuslims to

followProphet’sprogeny ineverymatter, religiousorsecular.There isnodoubt in the authenticity of its chain of transmitters and the clarity of itscontent (inexplaining thepositionof theHolyProphet’sprogeny), thoughsomehavehowever,attemptedinvaintoquestionitschainandsignificationor distort itswords and text.Others have tried to introduce the fabricatedtradition of laying emphasis on holding fast to Book and Tradition, as‘thaqalaintradition’.TheyhavetakenrefugetothisfabricatedtraditionwiththeaimtoreplaceitwiththerealthaqalaintraditionthatisnodoubtstatedbytheHolyProphet(s)!Basedon theassessmentsmade,wemade it– thanks toGod-clear that

the traditionofenjoiningadherence toBookandTradition is inventedandfabricated.AmereprobabilityThetraditionofadherencetoBookandTraditionisforgedandinvented.

Ifwesupposethatthistraditioniscorrecthavingasoundorigin,thereisnoincoherencebetween recommendingadherence toBookandTraditionandrecommending adherence toBook andProphet’s progeny.This is because

thereisaconsensusamongMuslimsthatallisobligedtoactinaccordancewith the Book and prophetic tradition. The tradition of adherence to theBookandProphet’sprogeny intends to say that it isnecessary to take theHolyProphet’straditionfromProphet’sprogeny–notanyoneelse.Thisiswhat the scholars of Hadith and the commentators on this tradition havepointed out. As an instance, Muttaqi Hindi has mentioned both of thesetraditionsundertheheading“holdingfasttoBookandTradition”-athingthatdoesnotremainhiddenfromthesightofthosewhoreadit.PeaceandblessingofAllahbeuponMuhammadandhispureprogeny.AllpraisebelongstoAllah.1.Kanzal-Ummal,vol.13,p.140,Traditionno.36441.

3ChapterBIBLIOGRAPHY

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"Wisdom is the lost property of the Believer,

let him claim it wherever he finds it"

Imam Ali (as)