"لا اسألكم عليه اجراً الاّ المودّة في القربى "
NABI MUHAMMAD SAWW TIDAK MEMINTA SUATU APAPUN DARI KITA ATAS DAKWAHNYA KECUALI KASIH SAYANG KEPADA AHLULBAYTNYA
hsndwsp
Acheh - Sumatera
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp7p30P_4OI&list=PL8t6K-KEoDoljPYjF7u4zmTAhiwBNc7sb
Billaahirrahmaanirrahiim
Cinta kita kepada Keluarga Nabi saww (Ahlulbayt as) adalah cinta kita kepada Nabi saww itu sendiri, tanpa kecintaan kita kepada Ahlulbayt as maka kecintaan kita kepada Nabi saww tidak terhitung sebagai cinta, jika kecintaan kita kepada Nabi saww tidak ada maka mustahil kita bisa mencintai Allah swt, karena Nabi saww adalah orang yang paling Allah swt cintai dan kecintaan kepadanya adalah kewajiban bagi kita dari sisiNya. Karena Ahlulbayt adalah dari Nabi saww dan Nabi saww dari Ahlulbayt as maka kecintaan kepada Ahlulbayt adalah kewajiban dari kita. Cinta kepada Ahlulbayt as adalah keindahan. Cinta kepada Ahlulbayt as adalah kesuk sesan. Cinta kepada Ahlulbayt as adalah kemenangan. Cinta kepada Ahlulbayt as adalah "rizki" yang melimpah. Cinta kepada Ahlul bayt as adalah kedahsyatan energi. Cinta kepada Ahlulabyt as adalah kebaikan. Cinta kepada Ahlulabyt as adalah keselamatan. Cinta kepada Ahlulbayt as ada lah kebahagiaan. Cinta kepada Ahlulabyt as adalah keabadian. Cinta kepada Ah lulabyt as adalah keridhaan Allah swt.
Nabi saww adalah orang yang paling Allah swt cintai, dan Allah swt wajibkan bagi para makhluknya untuk mencintainya, dan Allah swt tekankan bahwa kecin taan kepadanya tidak ada gunanya tanpa kecintaan kepada keluarganya (Ahlul baytnya as).(قل لا اسألكم عليه اجراً الاّ المودّة في القربى ومن يقترفْ حسنةً نزد له فيها حسناً) {الشورى:23} Nabi saw bersabda: “sesungguhnya Allah swt telah menciptakan pa ra Nabi as dari pohon-pohon yang berbeda-beda dan menciptakanku dari pohon yang satu dan aku adalah aslinya/akarnya/pankalnya, Ali adalah batangnya, Fati mah adalah bunganya, Hasan dan Husain adalah buahnya, maka siapa yang ber gantung di salah satu ranting dari ranting-rantingnya maka akan selamat dan siapa yang menyimpang darinya maka akan jatuh dan celaka, walaupun telah beribadah antara shofa dan marwa selama seribu tahun kemudian seribu tahun lagi kemudian seribu tahun lagi kemudian tidak memahami perkataan kami maka Allah swt akan memasukkannya kedalam neraka” kemudian Nabi saww membaca ayat: “قل لا اسألكم عليه اجراً الاّ المودّة في القربى” hadis ini terdapat di kitab-kitab sunni (ahlu sunnah) seperti di Tarikh Demasyq 12/143 , di kitab syawahid al-Tanzil (2/203 hadis837) dan di kitab Kifayah al-Thalib:178 (h318 bab87). Nabi saww tidak meminta dari kita sesuatu apapun atas dakwahnya kecuali kecintaan kepada Ahlulbaytnya as, permintaan ini adalah kemuliaan bagi kita. Karena kecintaan kepada Ahlulbayt as adalah perintah Allah swt dan keridhaanNya.
Sebahagian catatan Hadist yang berhubungan dengan Ahlulbayt:
At-Thabarani dan lain-lain mengketengahkan sebuah Hadits yang bermaksud; “Belum sempurna keimanan seorang hamba Allah sebelum kecintaannya kepa daku melebihi kecintaannya kepada dirinya sendiri; sebelum kecintaannya kepa da keturunanku melebihi kecintaannya kepada keturunannya sendiri; sebelum ke cintaannya kepada ahli-baitku melebihi kecintaannya kepada keluarganya sen diri, dan sebelum kecintaannya kepada zatku melebihi kecintaannya kepada zat nya sendiri .”
Diriwayatkan oleh Ahmad dan At-Tarmizi dari `Ali as bahawa Rasulullah saww bersabda :”Barangsiapa mencintai kedua orang ini, yakni Hassan,Hussein dan ayah serta ibunya, maka ia bersama aku dalam darjatku di Hari Kiamat
Ibnu `Abbas ra berkata bahawa Rasulullah saww pernah bersabda : “Cintailah Allah atas kenikmatan yang diberikanNya kepadamu sekalian dan cintailah aku dengan mencintai Allah dan cintailah ahlul-baitku kerana mencintaiku”
Ad- Dailami meriwayatkan sebuah Hadits dari `Ali ra yang menyebut sabda Ra sulul lah saww: “Di antara kalian yang paling mantap berjalan di atas sirath ialah yang paling besar kecintaannya kepada ahlul-baitku dan para sahabatku.”
Hadits Thaqalain riwayat Zaid bin Al-Arqam RA menyebut : “Kutinggalkan di tengah kalian dua bekal. (Yang pertama): Kitabullah, di dalamnya terdapat pe tunjuk dan ca haya terang. Hendaklah kalian ambil dan berpegang teguh pada nya.dan (kedua) :Ahli Baitku. Kalian kuingatkan kepada Allah mengenai Ah li-Baitku! Kalian kui ngatkan kepada Allah mengenai Ahli-Baitku!”
Imam Ahmad bin Hambal meriwayatkan dalam Hadits lain: “Apabila bintang-bintang lenyap, lenyaplah penghuni langit; dan apabila ahli-baitku lenyap, lenyap pula penghuni bumi.”
Sebuah Hadits riwayat Al Hakim dan disahihkan oleh Bukhari & Muslim menyebut : “Bintang-bintang merupakan (sarana) keselamatan bagi penghuni bumi (yang sedang belayar) dari bahaya tenggelam/karam sedangkaan ahlul-baitku sarana keselamatan bagi umatku dari perselisihan (dalam agama). Bila ada satu kabilah Arab yang membelakangi ahlul-baitku, mereka akan berselisih kemudian menjadi kelompok Iblis.”
Hadits Rasulullah SAW dari Abu Dzar menyatakan :” Ahlul- baitku di tengah kalian ibarat bahtera Nuh. Siapa yang menaikinya ia selamat dan siapa yang ketinggalan ia binasa.”
Abu Dzar Al- Ghiffari RA menuturkan bahawa ia mendengar sabda Rasulullah saww: "Jadikanlah ahlul-baitku bagi kalian sebagai kepala bagi jasad dan sebagai dua belah mata bagi kepala.”
Hadits riwayat Imam At-Tarmidzi, bahawa Rasulullah saww telah bersabda : “Dunia tidak akan berakhir sehingga bangsa Arab dipimpin oleh seorang lelaki dari keluarga ku yang namanya menyerupai namaku. (baca Muhammad Mahdi al Muntazhar)
Billaahirrahmaanirrahiim
Cinta kita kepada Keluarga Nabi saww (Ahlulbayt as) adalah cinta kita kepada Nabi saww itu sendiri, tanpa kecintaan kita kepada Ahlulbayt as maka kecintaan kita kepada Nabi saww tidak terhitung sebagai cinta, jika kecintaan kita kepada Nabi saww tidak ada maka mustahil kita bisa mencintai Allah swt, karena Nabi saww adalah orang yang paling Allah swt cintai dan kecintaan kepadanya adalah kewajiban bagi kita dari sisiNya. Karena Ahlulbayt adalah dari Nabi saww dan Nabi saww dari Ahlulbayt as maka kecintaan kepada Ahlulbayt adalah kewajiban dari kita. Cinta kepada Ahlulbayt as adalah keindahan. Cinta kepada Ahlulbayt as adalah kesuk sesan. Cinta kepada Ahlulbayt as adalah kemenangan. Cinta kepada Ahlulbayt as adalah "rizki" yang melimpah. Cinta kepada Ahlul bayt as adalah kedahsyatan energi. Cinta kepada Ahlulabyt as adalah kebaikan. Cinta kepada Ahlulabyt as adalah keselamatan. Cinta kepada Ahlulbayt as ada lah kebahagiaan. Cinta kepada Ahlulabyt as adalah keabadian. Cinta kepada Ah lulabyt as adalah keridhaan Allah swt.
Nabi saww adalah orang yang paling Allah swt cintai, dan Allah swt wajibkan bagi para makhluknya untuk mencintainya, dan Allah swt tekankan bahwa kecin taan kepadanya tidak ada gunanya tanpa kecintaan kepada keluarganya (Ahlul baytnya as).(قل لا اسألكم عليه اجراً الاّ المودّة في القربى ومن يقترفْ حسنةً نزد له فيها حسناً) {الشورى:23} Nabi saw bersabda: “sesungguhnya Allah swt telah menciptakan pa ra Nabi as dari pohon-pohon yang berbeda-beda dan menciptakanku dari pohon yang satu dan aku adalah aslinya/akarnya/pankalnya, Ali adalah batangnya, Fati mah adalah bunganya, Hasan dan Husain adalah buahnya, maka siapa yang ber gantung di salah satu ranting dari ranting-rantingnya maka akan selamat dan siapa yang menyimpang darinya maka akan jatuh dan celaka, walaupun telah beribadah antara shofa dan marwa selama seribu tahun kemudian seribu tahun lagi kemudian seribu tahun lagi kemudian tidak memahami perkataan kami maka Allah swt akan memasukkannya kedalam neraka” kemudian Nabi saww membaca ayat: “قل لا اسألكم عليه اجراً الاّ المودّة في القربى” hadis ini terdapat di kitab-kitab sunni (ahlu sunnah) seperti di Tarikh Demasyq 12/143 , di kitab syawahid al-Tanzil (2/203 hadis837) dan di kitab Kifayah al-Thalib:178 (h318 bab87). Nabi saww tidak meminta dari kita sesuatu apapun atas dakwahnya kecuali kecintaan kepada Ahlulbaytnya as, permintaan ini adalah kemuliaan bagi kita. Karena kecintaan kepada Ahlulbayt as adalah perintah Allah swt dan keridhaanNya.
Sebahagian catatan Hadist yang berhubungan dengan Ahlulbayt:
At-Thabarani dan lain-lain mengketengahkan sebuah Hadits yang bermaksud; “Belum sempurna keimanan seorang hamba Allah sebelum kecintaannya kepa daku melebihi kecintaannya kepada dirinya sendiri; sebelum kecintaannya kepa da keturunanku melebihi kecintaannya kepada keturunannya sendiri; sebelum ke cintaannya kepada ahli-baitku melebihi kecintaannya kepada keluarganya sen diri, dan sebelum kecintaannya kepada zatku melebihi kecintaannya kepada zat nya sendiri .”
Diriwayatkan oleh Ahmad dan At-Tarmizi dari `Ali as bahawa Rasulullah saww bersabda :”Barangsiapa mencintai kedua orang ini, yakni Hassan,Hussein dan ayah serta ibunya, maka ia bersama aku dalam darjatku di Hari Kiamat
Ibnu `Abbas ra berkata bahawa Rasulullah saww pernah bersabda : “Cintailah Allah atas kenikmatan yang diberikanNya kepadamu sekalian dan cintailah aku dengan mencintai Allah dan cintailah ahlul-baitku kerana mencintaiku”
Ad- Dailami meriwayatkan sebuah Hadits dari `Ali ra yang menyebut sabda Ra sulul lah saww: “Di antara kalian yang paling mantap berjalan di atas sirath ialah yang paling besar kecintaannya kepada ahlul-baitku dan para sahabatku.”
Hadits Thaqalain riwayat Zaid bin Al-Arqam RA menyebut : “Kutinggalkan di tengah kalian dua bekal. (Yang pertama): Kitabullah, di dalamnya terdapat pe tunjuk dan ca haya terang. Hendaklah kalian ambil dan berpegang teguh pada nya.dan (kedua) :Ahli Baitku. Kalian kuingatkan kepada Allah mengenai Ah li-Baitku! Kalian kui ngatkan kepada Allah mengenai Ahli-Baitku!”
Imam Ahmad bin Hambal meriwayatkan dalam Hadits lain: “Apabila bintang-bintang lenyap, lenyaplah penghuni langit; dan apabila ahli-baitku lenyap, lenyap pula penghuni bumi.”
Sebuah Hadits riwayat Al Hakim dan disahihkan oleh Bukhari & Muslim menyebut : “Bintang-bintang merupakan (sarana) keselamatan bagi penghuni bumi (yang sedang belayar) dari bahaya tenggelam/karam sedangkaan ahlul-baitku sarana keselamatan bagi umatku dari perselisihan (dalam agama). Bila ada satu kabilah Arab yang membelakangi ahlul-baitku, mereka akan berselisih kemudian menjadi kelompok Iblis.”
Hadits Rasulullah SAW dari Abu Dzar menyatakan :” Ahlul- baitku di tengah kalian ibarat bahtera Nuh. Siapa yang menaikinya ia selamat dan siapa yang ketinggalan ia binasa.”
Abu Dzar Al- Ghiffari RA menuturkan bahawa ia mendengar sabda Rasulullah saww: "Jadikanlah ahlul-baitku bagi kalian sebagai kepala bagi jasad dan sebagai dua belah mata bagi kepala.”
Hadits riwayat Imam At-Tarmidzi, bahawa Rasulullah saww telah bersabda : “Dunia tidak akan berakhir sehingga bangsa Arab dipimpin oleh seorang lelaki dari keluarga ku yang namanya menyerupai namaku. (baca Muhammad Mahdi al Muntazhar)
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HADIST THAQALAYN IS THE FIRST THING SHOULD BE LEARNRD, IN ORDER YOU UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE ISLAM CLEARLY. IF NOT, YOU WILL BE WRONG PERSPECTIVE OBOUT THE AUTHENTIC MOSLEMS IN THE WORLD
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Acheh - Sumatra
Bismillaahirrahmaanirrahiim
The Messenger of Allah - may Allah bestow peace and benedictions upon him and his Progeny - said: "Verily, I am leaving behind two precious things (thaqalayn) among you: the Book of God and my kindred (`itrah), my household (Ahl alBayt), for indeed, the two will never separate until they come back to me by the Pond (of alKawthar on the Judgement's Day)."
Imam Khumayni - ridwan Allah `alayh - began his wasiyyah or will with the mention of this tradition of the Prophet (S), known as Hadith alThaqalayn. In the prologue to his wasiyyah he pointed out that whatever tragedies and disasters befell the Muslim world during the last fourteen centuries have been mainly due to its estrangement from the Thaqalayn, the twofold legacy of the Prophet (S) in the form of the Qur'an and the Ahl alBayt (A).
The extent of the estrangement of the Qur'an will be obvious to anyone who closely examines its teachings and contrasts them with the popular religion of the masses and the prevailing religious ethos, even among the scholars and the intelligentsia. There is certainly a wide gulf that lies between the message and spirit of the Glorious Qur'an and the way Islam has come to be practised in Muslim society, a gulf which has never been so wide as it became in recent centuries under the influence of the West and the tyrannical regimes that have been ruling over Muslims.
The extent of the estrangement suffered by the Prophet's Household will be obvious to anyone who studies the history of the Imams of the Ahl alBayt (A), who were isolated from the Muslim masses by despots and left without support in their struggle against the tyrannical regimes of Banu Umayyah and Banu `Abbas.
The result was that the most authentic exponents and defenders of the Qur'an - whom the tides of time will never separate from the Qur'an until the Day of Judgement, as stated by the Noble Prophet (S) - were put under severe surveillance, exiled, imprisoned, poisoned and martyred, and the masses were deprived of their guidance and leadership.
Having removed the Ahl alBayt (A) from their way, the road was opened by the selfseeking tyrants for making the Holy Qur'an itself an instrument for the justification of their antiQur'anic rule. "They forced," as Imam Khumayni says, "the true exponents of the Qur'an... off the stage with various ploys and systematic plans. In this way, they in fact, eliminated the Qur'an itself, the Qur'an which was the greatest programme for organizing man's material and spiritual life, and rejected its plan of government based on Divine justice, which was and remains one of the ideals of this sacred scripture. Thus they laid the foundations of deviation from the Din and the Book of God, bringing things ultimately to an indescribable extreme."
If today the custodians of American Islam with their petrodollars conspire against the aspirations of the Muslim masses inspired by the genuine Islam, so did once the Umayyad and `Abbasid tyrants stand in the way of Islam and seek to isolate and destroy its exponents, the Imams of the Ahl alBayt (A), and promote a counterfeit version of Islam. But no matter how much they tried they could not extirpate the Prophet's exhortations regarding the Ahl alBayt and conceal the unbreakable link between the Book of God and the Prophet's `Itrah, in the form of Hadith alThaqalayn and scores of other traditions similar to it.
This hadith has continued to be narrated by each generation of authentic Shi`i and Sunni traditionists and scholars throughout the last fourteen centuries. Reliable and trustworthy narrators of each generation, from the days of the Prophet's committed Companions - may God be pleased with them - to the present, including many or rather most of the greatest and leading figures in the history of Islamic scholarship have narrated this hadith. It is in view of this undeniable fact that Imam Khumayni declared in his wasiyyah:
It is essential to point out that Hadith alThaqalayn is a mutawatir tradition amongst all Muslims. It has been narrated in Sunni sources - including the Six Sihah as well as other books - from the Holy Prophet (S) in different wordings, and as having been spoken by him on repeated occasions. This tradition is a definite proof (hujjah) for all mankind, in particular for the Muslims, regardless of sect. And all Muslims are answerable (before God) concerning it. For it leaves no room for any excuse for any one. And should there be room for an excuse for the ignorant and the uninformed, there isn't any for the scholars of various schools.
The Meaning of Tawatur:
As we know, the tradition or ahadith of the Holy Prophet (S) recorded in the books of Muslim traditionists begin with chains of transmitters on whose authority the traditionist reports the Prophet's acts or statements. Experts of hadith amongst Muslims have developed certain criteria for assessing the reliability of different chains of transmission and ascertaining the authenticity of the contents of traditions. They have developed a terminology with terms denoting various classifications of hadith depending on the character, strength or weakness of narrators and other factors, such as mutawatir, ahad, sahih, hasan, qawi, da`if, etc.
The Meaning of Tawatur:
As we know, the tradition or ahadith of the Holy Prophet (S) recorded in the books of Muslim traditionists begin with chains of transmitters on whose authority the traditionist reports the Prophet's acts or statements. Experts of hadith amongst Muslims have developed certain criteria for assessing the reliability of different chains of transmission and ascertaining the authenticity of the contents of traditions. They have developed a terminology with terms denoting various classifications of hadith depending on the character, strength or weakness of narrators and other factors, such as mutawatir, ahad, sahih, hasan, qawi, da`if, etc.
By tawatur is meant the multiplicity of the sources of a certain report that leads to certitude in the listener that the report is indeed true. One's knowledge of the existence of distant countries and towns and such historical figures as Cyrus or Napolean may be said to be based on the tawatur of reports that one hears about them. So also is one's knowledge of the contemporary events not witnessed by him.
A mutawatir hadith is one which has been reported by so many different chains of transmission and such a number of narrators in every generation as normally could not agree to fabricate a tradition without the fact of its fabrication becoming known. Although some jurisprudents have specified a particular minimum for the number of narrators, such as five, seven, ten or even hundred, it is generally held that no particular number can be specified and the number capable of producing certitude depends on the experience of the listener.
Islamic jurisprudents have set forth certain conditions for a tradition to be muta watir. AlGhazali in alMustasfa min `ilm al'usul [1] mentions the following conditions.
(1) That the transmitters should report on the basis of knowledge (`ilm) and not conjecture (zann).
(2) Their knowledge should have been acquired through the senses.
(3) That the number of narrators should be sufficient to produce certitude.
(4) That all the links in the chains of transmission of a report should fulfil the first two conditions and their number in every stage of transmission must fulfil the third condition.
(1) That the transmitters should report on the basis of knowledge (`ilm) and not conjecture (zann).
(2) Their knowledge should have been acquired through the senses.
(3) That the number of narrators should be sufficient to produce certitude.
(4) That all the links in the chains of transmission of a report should fulfil the first two conditions and their number in every stage of transmission must fulfil the third condition.
Al Shaykh al Hasan ibn Zayn al Din, the Shi`i author of Ma`alim al'usul, men tions similar conditions for a report to be mutawatir. As can be seen, the legal condition of `adalah (justice) is not required for the narrators nor are they required to be thiqah when the conditions of tawatur are fulfilled. Rather, alGhazali states explicitly that in such cases knowledge is attained even if the narrators should be fasiq. The author of Ma`alim states two conditions in order for a mutawatir report to produce knowledge in the listener:
(1) The listener should not have previous knowledge of the matter, for it is not possi ble to know something that one already knows.
(2) The listener should not be inhibited by doubt or imitation (taqlid) in his belief, for then the report will fail to make any impression upon him.
Some Sahih Versions of the Hadith:
Hadith alThaqalayn is a mutawatir tradition which has been narrated - as we will presently see in our introductory study of `Abaqat al'anwar, a book written to establish the fact of its tawatur - through scores of different chains of transmission (turuq) only in the Sunni hadith corpus. If we add to these the Shi`i turuq of the tradition, the total number of its narrators becomes considerable.
Apart from being mutawatir, the hadith has been transmitted through several sahih turuq, that is, through chains in which all the transmitters are regarded as thiqah or as of confirmed trustworthiness and reliability. Following are four of these sahih narrations of the tradition as recorded by Muslim and alHakim alNayshaburi in their compilations:
(Muslim says:) 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 alBayt (family). I urge you to remember God regarding my Ahl alBayt. I urge you to remember God regarding my Ahl alBayt. I urge you to remember God regarding my Ahl alBayt"'" .... (Sahih Muslim, part 7, Kitab fada'il alSahabah [Maktabat wa Matba`at Muhammad `Ali Subayh wa Awladuhu: Cairo] pp. 122-123.)
(AlHakim says:) Narrated to us Abu alHusayn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Tamim alHanzali in Baghdad, from Abu Qallabah `Abd alMalik ibn Muhammad alRaqqashi, from Yahya ibn Hammad; also narrated to me Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Balawayh and Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ja`far alBazzaz, 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 alMakhrami, from Yahya ibn Hammad; and Yahya ibn Hammad narrated from Abu `Uwwanah from Sulayman al'A`mash, from Habib ibn Abi Thabit, from Abu alTufayl, 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 alwada') 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."
(AlHakim adds:) "This hadith is sahih in accordance with the conditions of sihhah laid down by the Shaykhayn (alBukhari and Muslim), although they have not recorded it in its full length." (AlHakim says:) The first tradition (mentioned above) is supported by this one narrated by Salamah ibn Kuhayl, from Abu alTufayl, which is also sahih according to the requirements of alBukhari and Muslim. Narrated to us Abu Bakr ibn Ishaq and Da`laj ibn Ahmad alSijzi, both of them from Muhammad ibn Ayyub, from al'Azraq ibn `Ali, from Hassan ibn Ibrahim alKirmani, 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 albayt, my `itrah.' Then he said thrice: 'Do you know that I have more right over the believers (Inni awla bi almu'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.'"
(al'Imam al-Hafiz Abu `Abd Allah alHakim alNaysaburi, alMustadrak `ala al-Sahi hayn [Dar alMa`rifah li alTiba`ah wa alNashr: Beirut), vol. iii, pp. 109-110). (Al Hakim says:) Narrated to us Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn alHusayn ibn Muslim, the faqih of Ray, from Muhammad ibn Ayyub, from Yahya ibn al-Mughirah alSa`di, from Jarir ibn `Abd alHamid, from alHasan ibn `Abd Allah alNakha`i, from Muslim ibn Subayh, from Zayd ibn Arqam, may God be pleased with him, who said:
"The Messenger of Allah , may Allah's peace and benedictions be upon him and his progeny, said, 'Verily, I leave behind two precious things amongst you: the Book of Allah and my ahl albayt. Verily, the two will never separate until they come back to me by the side of the Pond.'"
(AlHakim says:) This hadith is sahih al'isnad according to the conditions laid down by the Shaykhayn (alBukhari and Muslim), though they did not record it. (alHakim, op. cit., vol. iii, p. 148) These are four versions of the tradition narrated on the authority of Zayd ibn Arqam. Their sihhah (authenticity) is confirmed by two of the great Sunni Imams of hadith. In addition, as we will see in our study of `Abaqatal'anwar, the tradition has been narrated by more than thirty Companions of the Prophet (S) and a host of narrators and leading traditionists of every generation up to the contemporary era.
The Various Occasions Related to Hadith alThaqalayn:
The various narrations of Hadith alThaqalayn also indicate the occasion on which the Prophet (S) proclaimed it publicly. `Allamah `Abd al-`Aziz Tabataba'i, who has studied the various narrations of Hadith al-Thaqalayn as recorded by various traditionists mentions four occasions on which the Prophet (S) proclaimed it publicly. First of these is the occasion when the Prophet (S) proclaimed it during his last hajj at `Arafat.
The Various Occasions Related to Hadith alThaqalayn:
The various narrations of Hadith alThaqalayn also indicate the occasion on which the Prophet (S) proclaimed it publicly. `Allamah `Abd al-`Aziz Tabataba'i, who has studied the various narrations of Hadith al-Thaqalayn as recorded by various traditionists mentions four occasions on which the Prophet (S) proclaimed it publicly. First of these is the occasion when the Prophet (S) proclaimed it during his last hajj at `Arafat.
On this occasion, the Prophet (S) was accompanied by more than a hundred thousand Muslims. The second occasion relates to his proclamation at Ghadir Khumm, during the course of his return journey to Madinah. The third occasion relates to his proclamation in the Mosque of Madinah. The fourth one relates to his pronouncement of Hadith alThaqalayn in his chamber during his last illness. All these occasions lie within a period of ninety days and pertain to the Prophet's last days.
There are, however, many narrations of the hadith - in fact, most of them - which do not contain any clue about the time and place of its pronouncement. In the following are given instances of the narrations of Hadith alThaqalayn relating to each of these occasions, accompanied by the sources which record them. [2]
1. At `Arafat
AlTirmidhi in his Sunan (v, 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, alQaswa', 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." AlTirmidhi states that the same tradition has been narrated by Abu Dharr, Abu Sa`id, Zayd ibn Arqam and Hudhayfah ibn Usayd.
1. At `Arafat
AlTirmidhi in his Sunan (v, 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, alQaswa', 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." AlTirmidhi states that the same tradition has been narrated by Abu Dharr, Abu Sa`id, Zayd ibn Arqam and Hudhayfah ibn Usayd.
Among others who have recorded this tradition are:
alHafiz Ibn Abi Shaybah, as in Kanz al`ummal (1st ed.), i, 48;
al`Uqayli in alDu`afa' alKabir, ii, 250;
alHakim alTirmidhi, Nawadir al-'usul, 68, 50th asl;
alTabarani, alMu`jam alkabir, iii, 63, no. 2679;
alKhatib, alMuttafiq wa almuftariq, cf. Kanz al`ummal, i, 48 and Majma' alzawa'id, v, 195; ix, 163, x, 363, 268;
alBaghawi, al-Masabih, ii, 206;
Ibn al'Athir, Jami` al'usul, i, 277, no. 65;
al-Rafi`i, alTadwin, ii, 264 (in the biographical account of Ahmad ibn Mihran alQattan; this hadith has been deleted in the Indian print, but is present in the manuscripts of the book ! );
alMizzi, Tahdhib alkamal, x, 51, and Tuhfat al'ashraf, ii, 278, no. 2615;
alQadi alBaydawi, Tuhfat al'ashraf;
alKhwarazmi, Maqtal alHusayn (A), i, 144;
alKhatib alTabrizi, Mishkat almasabih, iii, 258;
Ibn Kathir, Tafsir (Bulaq edition, on the margin of Fath albayan), ix, 115;
al-Zarandi, Nazm aldurar alsimtayn, 232;
alMaqrizi, Ma`rifat ma yajib li Al alBayt alNabawi, 38.
2. At Ghadir Khumm:
AlNasa'i in his alSunan alkubra, 96, No. 79, records the following tradition in the chapter "Khasa'is `Ali": Al Nasa'i narrates from Muhammad ibn alMuthanna, he from Yahya ibn Hammad, from Abu 'Uwwanah, from Sulayman, from Habib ibn Abi Thabit, from Abu alTufayl, from Zayd ibn Arqam, who said, "When the Messenger of Allah (A) returned from the last hajj and came down at Ghadir Khumm....
alHafiz Ibn Abi Shaybah, as in Kanz al`ummal (1st ed.), i, 48;
al`Uqayli in alDu`afa' alKabir, ii, 250;
alHakim alTirmidhi, Nawadir al-'usul, 68, 50th asl;
alTabarani, alMu`jam alkabir, iii, 63, no. 2679;
alKhatib, alMuttafiq wa almuftariq, cf. Kanz al`ummal, i, 48 and Majma' alzawa'id, v, 195; ix, 163, x, 363, 268;
alBaghawi, al-Masabih, ii, 206;
Ibn al'Athir, Jami` al'usul, i, 277, no. 65;
al-Rafi`i, alTadwin, ii, 264 (in the biographical account of Ahmad ibn Mihran alQattan; this hadith has been deleted in the Indian print, but is present in the manuscripts of the book ! );
alMizzi, Tahdhib alkamal, x, 51, and Tuhfat al'ashraf, ii, 278, no. 2615;
alQadi alBaydawi, Tuhfat al'ashraf;
alKhwarazmi, Maqtal alHusayn (A), i, 144;
alKhatib alTabrizi, Mishkat almasabih, iii, 258;
Ibn Kathir, Tafsir (Bulaq edition, on the margin of Fath albayan), ix, 115;
al-Zarandi, Nazm aldurar alsimtayn, 232;
alMaqrizi, Ma`rifat ma yajib li Al alBayt alNabawi, 38.
2. At Ghadir Khumm:
AlNasa'i in his alSunan alkubra, 96, No. 79, records the following tradition in the chapter "Khasa'is `Ali": Al Nasa'i narrates from Muhammad ibn alMuthanna, he from Yahya ibn Hammad, from Abu 'Uwwanah, from Sulayman, from Habib ibn Abi Thabit, from Abu alTufayl, from Zayd ibn Arqam, who said, "When the Messenger of Allah (A) returned from the last hajj and came down at Ghadir Khumm....
"Then he declared: 'I am about to answer the call (of death). Verily, I have left two precious things (thaqalayn) among you, one of which is greater than the other: the Book of God and my `Itrah, my Ahl alBayt. So watch out how you treat them after me. For, indeed, they will never separate until they return to me by the side of the Pond.' Then he said, 'Verily, God is my master (mawlaya) and I am the wali of every believer.' Then he took `Ali's hand and declared, 'To whomever I am his wali, this one is also his wali. My God, befriend whoever befriends him and be hostile to whoever is hostile to him.'" Abu alTufayl says: "I said to Zayd, 'Did you hear it from the Prophet(S)?' He replied, 'There was no one in the caravan who did not see it with his eyes and hear it with his ears,'"
Khasa'is `Ali is part of alNasa'i's alSunan alkubra as shown by the 3rd volume of the MS in the king's collection in Morocco, written in 759/1358 folios 81-117. See also in this regard the introduction of alKhasa'is (Kuwait: Maktabat alMu`alla, 1406), ed. by Ahmad Mirayn Balushi. The editor states that this tradition is sahih and its transmitters are thiqah.
Among others who have recorded it in their books are:
Al-Bukhari, alTa'rikh alkabir, iii, 96;
Muslim, Sahih, bab fada'il `Ali, no. 2408;
Ahmad, Musnad, iii, 17, iv, 366;
`Abd ibn Humayd, Musnad, no. 265;
Ibn Sa`d, and Abu Ya`la from Abu Sa`id, as mentioned in Jam` aljawami` and Kanz al`ummal; Ishaq ibn Rahwayh, in his Sahih., as mentioned by Ibn Hajar in alMatalib al`aliyah, iv, 65, no. 1873, where he states that its isnad is sahih, and also by al-Busayri in Ithaf alsadah (MS in Topcopi Library, vol. 3, F.55b) who, too, considers the isnad as sahih; Ibn Khuzaymah, Sahih, MS in Topcopi Library, F.240; alDarimi, Sunan, ii, 310, no. 2319; Abu Dawud, Sunan, as mentioned in Sibt ibn alJawzi, Tadhkirat khawass al'ummah, 322; Abu 'Uwwanah, Musnad, as mentioned in alShaykhani, alSirat alsawi; alBazzaz, from Umm Hani, as mentioned in Wasilat alma'al; Ibn Abi 'Asim, Kitab alSunnah, 629, no. 1551, 630, no. 1555, 629, no. 1551;
alYa`qubi, Ta'rikh, ii, 112; alBaladhuri, Ansab al'ashraf, 110, no. 48, the biographical account of `Ali (A); alHafiz alHasan ibn Sufyan alNasawi, the author of Musnad, from Hudhayfah ibn Usayd, as mentioned by Abu Nu`aym, alHilyah, i, 355, alFasawi, alMa`rifah wa alta'rikh, i, 536; Ibn Jarir alTabari, from Hudhayfah ibn Usayd, Zayd ibn Arqam (with alNasa'i's wording as well as with the wording of Muslim), Abu Sa`id alKhudri, as cited in Jam` aljawami`, ii, 357, 395, Kanz al-`ummal, 12911, xiii, 36441, 36340, 37620, 37621, 36341, Jami` al-'ahadith, vii, 14523, 15112, 15122, 15113, iv, 7773, 8072, 8073; alDulabi, alDhurriyyat altahirah, no. 228;
alHafiz alTahawi, Mushkil al 'athar, ii, 307, iv, 368; alHakim alTirmidhi, Nawadir al-'usul, from Hudhayfah ibn Usayd; alTabarani, alMu`jam alkabir, iii, 2679, 2681, 2683, 3052, v, 4969, 4970, 4971, 4986, 5026, 5028; alHakim, alMustadrak `ala alSahihayn, iii, 109, 110 where he expressly states, as mentioned above, that the tradition is sahih in accordance with the criteria of alBukhari and Muslim; alDhahabi has confirmed his judgement; Abu Nu`aym, Hilyat al'awliya', i, 355, ix, 64; alBayhaqi, alSunan alkubra, ii, 148, vii, 30, x, 114; alKhatib, Ta'rikh Baghdad, viii, 442; Ibn alMaghazili, Manaqib Amir alMu'minin (A), 23; Ibn `Asakir, Ta'rikh Dimashq, ii, 45, no. 547, the biographical account of `Ali (A), and v, 436 of Badran's edition in the biographical account of Zayd ibn Arqam; alBaghawi, Masabih alSunnah, ii, 205 and Sharh alSunnah (MS in Topcopi Libary, vol. 2, F. 718), bab Manaqib Ahl alBayt; Ibn al'Athir, Usd alghabah, iii, 92 in the biographical account of 'Amir ibn Layla, no. 2727; Ibn Hajar, al'Isabah in the biographical account of 'Amir;
al-Mizzi, Tuhafat al'ashraf, iii, 203, no. 3688 from Muslim and alNasa'i; alDiya' alMuqaddisi, alMukhtarah, as cited by alSamhudi and alSakhawi; Ibn Taymiyyah, Minhaj alSunnah, iv, 85; al-Dhahabi, Talkhis alMustadrak, iii, 109; Ibn Kathir, alBidayah wa alnihayah, v, 209, vi, 199, from alNasa'i, where he quotes alNasa'i's statement that this narration is sahih; alKhazin, Tafsir under verses 42:23 and 3:103;
alMulla, Wasilat almuta`abbidin, v, 199; al-Haythami, Majma` alzawa'id, ix, 163 from Zayd, 164 from Hudhayfah.
3. In the Mosque of Madinah:
Ibn `Atiyyah in the introduction of his tafsir, alMuharrar alwajiz, 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 alBayt, who are the second thaql. So don't outstrip them (fa la tasbiquhum ), for then you shall perish."
Al-Bukhari, alTa'rikh alkabir, iii, 96;
Muslim, Sahih, bab fada'il `Ali, no. 2408;
Ahmad, Musnad, iii, 17, iv, 366;
`Abd ibn Humayd, Musnad, no. 265;
Ibn Sa`d, and Abu Ya`la from Abu Sa`id, as mentioned in Jam` aljawami` and Kanz al`ummal; Ishaq ibn Rahwayh, in his Sahih., as mentioned by Ibn Hajar in alMatalib al`aliyah, iv, 65, no. 1873, where he states that its isnad is sahih, and also by al-Busayri in Ithaf alsadah (MS in Topcopi Library, vol. 3, F.55b) who, too, considers the isnad as sahih; Ibn Khuzaymah, Sahih, MS in Topcopi Library, F.240; alDarimi, Sunan, ii, 310, no. 2319; Abu Dawud, Sunan, as mentioned in Sibt ibn alJawzi, Tadhkirat khawass al'ummah, 322; Abu 'Uwwanah, Musnad, as mentioned in alShaykhani, alSirat alsawi; alBazzaz, from Umm Hani, as mentioned in Wasilat alma'al; Ibn Abi 'Asim, Kitab alSunnah, 629, no. 1551, 630, no. 1555, 629, no. 1551;
alYa`qubi, Ta'rikh, ii, 112; alBaladhuri, Ansab al'ashraf, 110, no. 48, the biographical account of `Ali (A); alHafiz alHasan ibn Sufyan alNasawi, the author of Musnad, from Hudhayfah ibn Usayd, as mentioned by Abu Nu`aym, alHilyah, i, 355, alFasawi, alMa`rifah wa alta'rikh, i, 536; Ibn Jarir alTabari, from Hudhayfah ibn Usayd, Zayd ibn Arqam (with alNasa'i's wording as well as with the wording of Muslim), Abu Sa`id alKhudri, as cited in Jam` aljawami`, ii, 357, 395, Kanz al-`ummal, 12911, xiii, 36441, 36340, 37620, 37621, 36341, Jami` al-'ahadith, vii, 14523, 15112, 15122, 15113, iv, 7773, 8072, 8073; alDulabi, alDhurriyyat altahirah, no. 228;
alHafiz alTahawi, Mushkil al 'athar, ii, 307, iv, 368; alHakim alTirmidhi, Nawadir al-'usul, from Hudhayfah ibn Usayd; alTabarani, alMu`jam alkabir, iii, 2679, 2681, 2683, 3052, v, 4969, 4970, 4971, 4986, 5026, 5028; alHakim, alMustadrak `ala alSahihayn, iii, 109, 110 where he expressly states, as mentioned above, that the tradition is sahih in accordance with the criteria of alBukhari and Muslim; alDhahabi has confirmed his judgement; Abu Nu`aym, Hilyat al'awliya', i, 355, ix, 64; alBayhaqi, alSunan alkubra, ii, 148, vii, 30, x, 114; alKhatib, Ta'rikh Baghdad, viii, 442; Ibn alMaghazili, Manaqib Amir alMu'minin (A), 23; Ibn `Asakir, Ta'rikh Dimashq, ii, 45, no. 547, the biographical account of `Ali (A), and v, 436 of Badran's edition in the biographical account of Zayd ibn Arqam; alBaghawi, Masabih alSunnah, ii, 205 and Sharh alSunnah (MS in Topcopi Libary, vol. 2, F. 718), bab Manaqib Ahl alBayt; Ibn al'Athir, Usd alghabah, iii, 92 in the biographical account of 'Amir ibn Layla, no. 2727; Ibn Hajar, al'Isabah in the biographical account of 'Amir;
al-Mizzi, Tuhafat al'ashraf, iii, 203, no. 3688 from Muslim and alNasa'i; alDiya' alMuqaddisi, alMukhtarah, as cited by alSamhudi and alSakhawi; Ibn Taymiyyah, Minhaj alSunnah, iv, 85; al-Dhahabi, Talkhis alMustadrak, iii, 109; Ibn Kathir, alBidayah wa alnihayah, v, 209, vi, 199, from alNasa'i, where he quotes alNasa'i's statement that this narration is sahih; alKhazin, Tafsir under verses 42:23 and 3:103;
alMulla, Wasilat almuta`abbidin, v, 199; al-Haythami, Majma` alzawa'id, ix, 163 from Zayd, 164 from Hudhayfah.
3. In the Mosque of Madinah:
Ibn `Atiyyah in the introduction of his tafsir, alMuharrar alwajiz, 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 alBayt, 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: A bu Hayyan in his tafsir, alBahr almuhit, 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, alSawa`iq almuhriqah, 75, 136; Yahya ibn alHasan, Akhbar alMadinah with his isnad from Jabir, as cited in Yanabi` almawaddah, 40.
4. In the Prophet's Chamber During His Last Illness:
Ibn Abi Shaybah, as cited by Al`Isami in Simt alnujum 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."
4. In the Prophet's Chamber During His Last Illness:
Ibn Abi Shaybah, as cited by Al`Isami in Simt alnujum 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:
alBazzaz, Musnad, as mentioned in Kashf al'astar, iii, 221, no. 2612; Muhammad ibn Ja`far alRazzaz, from Umm Salamah (where she is explicit that the Prophet [S] made this pronouncement in his chamber which was filled by the Companions), as cited in Wasilat alma'al; Al'Azhari, Tahdhib allughah, ix, 78; alKhatib alKhwarazmi, Maqtal alHusayn (A), i, 164, from Ibn `Abbas; Ibn Hajar, alSawa`iq almuhriqah, 89, from Umm Salamah.
Abaqat al'Anwar:
Among Sunni authors one who has written a book on the topic of the chains of transmission (turuq) of this tradition is alHafiz Abu alFadl Muhammad ibn Tahir alMaqdisi (448 507/1056 1113), known as Ibn al Qaysarani as mentioned by the biographers (Isma`il Pasha in Hadiyyatal`arifin (ii, 82), al'Ansab almuttafiqah and alJam` bayn rijal alSahihayn [Hyderabad]). [3]
However, the most exhaustive study of the subject is the one undertaken by al'Imam Sayyid Hamid Husayn Lakhnowi quddisa sirruh in the twelfth part of his great work `Abaqat al'anwar fi imamat al 'A'immat al'athar. Sayyid Hamid Husayn (1246 1306/ 1830 1888) wrote this work in Persian as a refutation of the seventh chapter of Tuhfehye ithna `ashariyyah of Shah `Abd al`Aziz alDehlawi (1159 1239/1746 1823).
In twelve chapters of this work, which is said to be a plagiary in Persian of alSawa`iq almubiqah by an obscure writer Nasr Allah alKabuli, Shah `Abd al`Aziz severely attacked Shi`i doctrines, beliefs and practices. Shah `Abd al`Aziz's book was an effort to check the expanding influence of Shi'ism, which had begun to flourish under the patronage of the Shi`i kingdom of Awadh and under the religious leadeship of the great Shi`i scholar and mujtahid Sayyid Dildar `Ali ibn Muhammad Mu`in alNaqawi alNasirabadi (116 1235/1752 1819), known as Ghufran Ma'ab.
In twelve chapters of this work, which is said to be a plagiary in Persian of alSawa`iq almubiqah by an obscure writer Nasr Allah alKabuli, Shah `Abd al`Aziz severely attacked Shi`i doctrines, beliefs and practices. Shah `Abd al`Aziz's book was an effort to check the expanding influence of Shi'ism, which had begun to flourish under the patronage of the Shi`i kingdom of Awadh and under the religious leadeship of the great Shi`i scholar and mujtahid Sayyid Dildar `Ali ibn Muhammad Mu`in alNaqawi alNasirabadi (116 1235/1752 1819), known as Ghufran Ma'ab.
Shah `Abd al`Aziz's attack and accusations drew a massive response from Shi`i scholars. `Allamah `Abd al`Aziz Tabataba'i mentions the following authors who wrote refutations of Tuhfehye ithna `ashariyyah: [4] 1. Sayyid Dildar `Ali alNaqawi alNasirabadi, who wrote five books refuting various chapters of the Tuhfah: alSawarim al'ilahiyyat fi qat` shubuhat `abid al'Uzza wa alLat (1215/1800), a refutation of the fifth chapter of the Tuhfah regarding theological issues; Khatimat alSawarim, a refutation of the seventh chapter concerning the Shi`i doctrine of Imamate; Husam al'Islam wa siham almalam (Calcutta, 1215/1800), a refutation of the sixth chapter of the Tuhfah concerning prophethood; Ihya' alSunnah wa imatat albid`ah bi ta`n al'asinnah (1281/1864), a refutation of the eighth chapter of the Tuhfah; alZulfiqar, a refutation of the twelfth chapter.
2. Shaykh Jamal alDin Abu Ahmad Mirza Muhammad ibn `Abd alNabi Akbarabadi (d. 1232/1816), who wrote Sayf Allah almaslul `ala mukharribi Din alRasul, in six big volumes, as refutation of all the chapters of the Tuhfah.
3. `Allamah Mirza Muhammad ibn 'Inayat Ahmad Khan Kashmiri Dehlawi (d. 1235/1820), who wrote Nuzhat al'Ithna `Ashariyyah fi alradd `ala alTuhfat al'ithna `ashariyyah in twelve volumes, of which the first, third, fourth, fifth and seventh volumes were published (1255/ 1839) and others remained incomplete.
4. Mawlawi Hasan ibn Aman Allah Dehlawi `Azimabadi (d. c. 1260/ 1844), who wrote Tajhiz aljaysh li kasr sanamay Quraysh, as a refutation of all the chapters of the Tuhfah.
5. `Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Quli ibn Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Lackhnowi Kanturi (d. 1260/1844), father of Sayyid Hamid Husayn, who wrote five books in refutation of different chapters of the Tuhfah: alSayf alnasiri on the first chapter, Taqlid almaka'id (Calcutta, 1262/1846) on the second chapter, Burhan alsa`adah on the seventh chapter, Tashyid almata'in li kashf aldagha'in in two volumes (1283/1866) on the tenth chapter, and Masari` alafham li qal` al'awham.
6. Mawlawi Khayr alDin Muhammad Allahabadi, who wrote Hidayat al`Aziz (or Hadiyyat al`Aziz) as a refutation of the fourth chapter of the Tuhfah about usul alhadith and rijal.
7. `Allamah Sayyid Muhammad ibn Sayyid Dildar `Ali (d. 1284/ 1867) known as Sultan al`Ulama', who wrote two books, one in Persian and the other in Arabic, in refutation of the seventh chapter of the Tuhfah concerning Imamate, of which the former was entitled alBawariq almubiqah. He also wrote Ta`n alrimah in refutation of the tenth chapter.
8. Sayyid Ja`far Abu `Ali Khan ibn Ghulam `Ali Musawi Banarasi, who wrote Burhan alsadiqin and Mahajjat alBurhan (a condensation of the former) in refutation of the seventh chapter and Taksir alsanamayn in refutation of the tenth chapter.
9. `Allamah Sayyid Mufti Muhammad `Abbas Musawi Tustari Jaza'iri (d. 1306/1888), who wrote alJawahir al`abqariyyah in refutation of the Tuhfah's seventh chapter.
10. AlShaykh Ahmad ibn `Ali Kirmanshahi (d. 1235/1819), who wrote Kashf alshubhah `an hilyat almut`ah (MS dated 1227 H. in the National Museum, Karachi), in refutation of the ninth chapter. However, the most important work that was written as a refutation of the seventh chapter of the Tuhfah conceming the Shi`i doctrine of Imamate was `Abaqat al'anwar, which was destined to take its place not only as the greatest work on Imamate ever written but also perhaps as one of the greatest masterpieces of scholarship ever compiled on a doctrinal issue anywhere in the history of religion.
In the seventh chapter of the Tuhfah, where Shah `Abd al`Aziz attacks the Shi`i doctrine of Imamate, he claims that the Shi`i claim is based on only six verses of the Qur'an and twelve traditions of the Prophet (S). Accordingly, Sayyid Hamid Husayn wrote his book in two sections, the first concerning the Qur'anic basis of Imamate and the second concerning its basis in the Prophet's hadith. The first section has not been published. The second section consists of 12 parts, each of which deals with the sanad (chains of transmission) and the meaning (dalalah) of one of the twelve traditions of the Prophet (S) concerning `Ali ibn Abi Talib (A) or the Ahl alBayt (A) rejected by Shah `Abd al`Aziz as supporting the doctrine of Imamate.
The first part studies the isnad and dalalah of what is called Hadith alGhadir. [5] It is contained in three volumes, of which the first was published in 1293/1876, in 1251 pages and the remaining two, of 609 and 399 pages, in 1294/1877. The second part deals with Hadith alManzilah. [6] It appeared in 1295/1878 in 977 pages. The third part deals with Hadith alWilayah. [7] It was published in 1303/1885 in 585 pages. The fourth part deals with Hadith alTayr. [8] It was published in 1306/1888 in two volumes of 512 and 224 pages from Matba`ahye Bustan, Lucknow.
The fifth part deals with Hadith Madinat al`ilm. [9] It consists of two volumes, of which the first, in 745 pages, appeared in 1317/1899 and the second, in 600 pages, in 1327/1909. The sixth part deals with Hadith alTashbih. [10] It was published in 1301/1883 in two volumes of 456 and 248 pages. The seventh part, which deals with Hadith alMunasabah [11] and was completed by Sayyid Muhammad Sa`id ibn Sayyid Nasir Husayn ibn Sayyid Hamid Husayn, has not been published yet. The eighth part, dealing with Hadith alNur, [12] was published in 1303/1885 in 786 pages by Matba`ahye Mashriq al'anwar, Lucknow. The ninth part, dealing with Hadith alRayah, [l3] has also remained unpublished. The tenth part dealing with the hadith... (al-haqqu ma`a `Aliyyin wa `Aliyyun ma`al haqq) [14] also remains unpublished.
The eleventh part dealing with Hadith alMuqatalah [15] also remains unpublished.
The twelfth part deals with Hadith alThaqalayn and Hadith alSafinah. [16] It was published in two big volumes, the first of which in 664 pages appeared in 1314/1896 and the second in 891 pages in 1351/ 1932.
The eleventh part dealing with Hadith alMuqatalah [15] also remains unpublished.
The twelfth part deals with Hadith alThaqalayn and Hadith alSafinah. [16] It was published in two big volumes, the first of which in 664 pages appeared in 1314/1896 and the second in 891 pages in 1351/ 1932.
Sayyid Hamid Husayn and his work `Abaqat have been held in great esteem amongst leading Shi`i scholars and many of them, from Mirza Sayyid Hasan Shirazi, the great marji` and juristic authority of his days, to contemporary scholars, have extolled the author and his great work. Sayyid `Ali Milani, in the first volume of his condensed translation of `Abaqat into Arabic, quotes the statements of various scholars. Here we will confine ourselves to the opinion expressed by the great scholar `Allamah Aqa Buzurg Tehrani, the author of alDhari`ah ila tasanif alShi`ah, about Sayyid Hamid Husayn and his work. He says about the author: (He is) one of the greatest of Imami theologians (mutakallimun) and one of the greatest and deeply learned of Shi`i scholars who lived in the early part of this century. He was profoundly learned, and had extensive knowledge and mastery over the Islamic traditions and heritage and attained such a station in it that none of his contemporaries or anyone of those who came after him, or even most of the celebrities of the preceding centuries, have been able to attain. He spent his entire noble life in fathoming the mysteries of religiosity and in the defence of Islam and the realm of sincere religion. I don't know of anyone in the latter centuries who waged a jihad like him and sacrificed everything in his possession in the way of everlasting truths. The times, in all ages and periods, will never see a compeer of him in his research, his extensive knowledge, his precision, intelligence, and the immensity of his memory and retention.
Aqa Buzurg Tehrani says about the `Abaqat: "It is the greatest of books compiled on the subject (ie. Imamate) from the outset of the Islamic era to the present." And what he says about the author and his book is perfectly representative of the opinion of leading Shi`i scholars on this matter. [17]
The Author's Approach in `Abaqat:
`Abaqat al'anwar was written in Persian because Shah `Abd al`Aziz's Tuhfah, which it refuted, was also in Persian. As mentioned above, Shah `Abd al`Aziz had cited five verses of the Qur'an and twelve traditions of the Prophet (S) as constituting the basis of Shi`i argument conceming the Imamate of the Imams of the Ahl alBayt (A). This was itself a misrepresentation of the Shi`i case, for there are hundreds of verses and traditions, many of which are scattered throughout the Sunni hadith corpus as well as works in tafsir. Even the verses and traditions that he cites are dismissed summarily by him on, as Sayyid Hamid Husayn shows, flimsy and untenable pretexts.
The Author's Approach in `Abaqat:
`Abaqat al'anwar was written in Persian because Shah `Abd al`Aziz's Tuhfah, which it refuted, was also in Persian. As mentioned above, Shah `Abd al`Aziz had cited five verses of the Qur'an and twelve traditions of the Prophet (S) as constituting the basis of Shi`i argument conceming the Imamate of the Imams of the Ahl alBayt (A). This was itself a misrepresentation of the Shi`i case, for there are hundreds of verses and traditions, many of which are scattered throughout the Sunni hadith corpus as well as works in tafsir. Even the verses and traditions that he cites are dismissed summarily by him on, as Sayyid Hamid Husayn shows, flimsy and untenable pretexts.
The published parts of `Abaqat deal with eight of these traditions, each part dealing with the sanad and doctrinal import of one of them. Sayyid Hamid Husayn's approach in each of these parts is to show that the hadith is a mutawatir one, having been narrated by Sunni traditionists of every generation from the time of the Companions to the scholars of his own era. He devotes a section to each of the narrators, quotes the tradition as narrated by him, and cites the opinions of biographers and Sunni authorities of `ilm alrijal regarding his reliability, trustworthiness and his scholarly station.
After discussing the sanad aspect of the tradition, he goes on to deal with its meaning, dealing one by one with all the various arguments that have been advanced by Sunni scholars to refute what the Shi`ah assert to be its doctrinal implications. His treatment is so logical, meticulous, precise, thorough and exhaustive that one cannot but be struck with wonder at his prodigious, or rather miraculous, learning and his encompassing mastery over the entire Islamic heritage of thirteen centuries before him which lies in front of him like an open book.
This sketchy study of `Abaqat relates to its part concerning the Hadith alThaqalayn. At first we will give a list of its narrators belonging to every century of the Hijrah calendar. A brief reference is given under the name of each narrator concerning his standing with Sunni authorities on rijal. We have included the names of other narrators from the appendix (mulhaqat) to `Abaqat by Sayyid `Abd al`Aziz Tabataba'i, which has been included in the condensed Arabic translation by Sayyid `Ali Milani.
Reprints of most parts of `Abaqat al'anwar have appeared in Iran. The first section of the first part, dealing with the sanad aspect of Hadith alGhadir was published in 1369/1949 in 600 pages from Tehran. The twelfth part, dealing with Hadith alThaqalayn and Hadith alSafinah, was published in six parts and three volumes (vol. 1 in 1379, vol. 2 in 137879, and vol. 3 in 1381 and 1382) by Mu'assasehye Nashre Nafa'ise Makhtutat, Isfahan. Madrasat al'Imam alMahdi, Qumm, has published offset reprints of the first Indian lithographed print on the occasion of the author's first death centenary (vol. 3 on Hadith alWilayah, 1406; vol. 4 on Hadith alTayr, 1405; vol. 5 on Hadith Madinat al`ilm, 1406; vol. 6 on Hadith alTashbih, 1406; vol. 8 on Hadith alNur, 1406). `Allamah Shaykh Ghulam Rida Burujerdi has prepared a new edition of the book giving all the necessary references. His edition is under print.
Sayyid `Ali Milani has published ten volumes of Khulasat `Abaqat al'anwar, which is a condensed translation of the book in Arabic. The first two volumes of his translation, which begins with Hadith alThaqalayn, were published in 1398. Bunyade Bi'that, Tehran, has published a new edition of the Khulasah, of which ten parts, dealing with Hadith alThaqalayn, Hadith alSafinah, Hadith alNur and Hadith alGhadir, have appeared. Source: http://www.imamreza.net/eng/imamreza.php?print=678
Sayyid `Ali Milani has published ten volumes of Khulasat `Abaqat al'anwar, which is a condensed translation of the book in Arabic. The first two volumes of his translation, which begins with Hadith alThaqalayn, were published in 1398. Bunyade Bi'that, Tehran, has published a new edition of the Khulasah, of which ten parts, dealing with Hadith alThaqalayn, Hadith alSafinah, Hadith alNur and Hadith alGhadir, have appeared. Source: http://www.imamreza.net/eng/imamreza.php?print=678
Billahi fi sabililhaq
hsndwsp
at The End of the 
