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5) Hadith Al-Thaqalayn: The Prophet At Ghadir Khumm (Part 3)

The Prophet, sallallahu ‘alaihi wa alihi, conveyed Hadith al-Thaqalayn in different words to absolutely ensure that the message was not lost on his audiences. At ‘Arafat, he declared:

يا أيها الناس إني قد تركت فيكم ما إن أخذتم به لن تضلوا كتاب الله وعترتي أهل بيتي

O mankind! I have left behind over you that which if you hold fast to it you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and my offspring, my Ahl al-Bayt.

Later, at Ghadir Khumm, he again statements:

أنا تارك فيكم ثقلين أولهما كتاب الله فيه الهدى والنور من استمسك به وأخذ به كان على الهدى ومن أخطأه ضل فخذوا بكتاب الله تعالى واستمسكوا به وأهل بيتي

I am leaving behind over you Two Weighty Things (thaqalayn). The first of them is the Book of Allah. In it there is guidance and light. Whoever adheres to it and holds fast to it, he will be upon guidance; and whosoever belittles it, he will go astray. So hold fast to the Book of Allah the Most High and adhere to it and my Ahl al-Bayt.

Then, at that same Ghadir Khumm, he made some other pronouncements, which were clearly intended to drive home the point more forcefully. Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir (d. 774 H) affirms this in his Tafsir:

و في الصحيح: أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال في خطبته بغَدِير خُمّ: "إني تارك فيكم الثقلين: كتاب الله وعترتي، وإنهما لم يفترقا حتى يردا علي الحوض "

In the sahih report, it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said in his sermon at Ghadir Khumm: “I am leaving behind over you the Two Weighty Things (al-thaqalayn): the Book of Allah and my offspring. Verily, both shall never separate from each other until they meet me at the Lake-Fount.”1

Meanwhile, Imam al-Hakim (d. 403 H) has equally recorded this riwayah which identifies the main narrator of the hadith:

حدثنا أبو بكر محمد بن الحسين بن مصلح الفقيه بالري ثنا محمد بن أيوب ثنا يحيى بن المغيرة السعدي ثنا جرير بن عبد الحميد عن الحسن بن عبد الله النخعي عن مسلم بن صبيح عن زيد بن أرقم رضي الله عنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إني تارك فيكم الثقلين كتاب الله وأهل بيتي وإنهما لن يتفرقا حتى يردا علي الحوض

Abu Bakr Muhammad b. al-Husayn b. Musalih al-Faqih - Muhammad b. Ayub - Yahya b. al-Mughirah al-Sa’di - Jarir b. ‘Abd al-Hamid - al-Hasan b. ‘Abd Allah al-Nakha’i - Muslim b. Subayh - Zayd b. Arqam, may Allah be pleased with him:

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “I am leaving behind over you the Two Weighty Things (al-thaqalayn): the Book of Allah and my Ahl al-Bayt. Verily, both shall never separate from each other until they meet me at the Lake-Fount.”2

Al-Hakim states:

هذا حديث صحيح الإسناد على شرط الشيخين

This hadith has a sahih chain upon the standard of the two Shaykhs.3

Imam al-Dhahabi (d. 748 H) concurs:

على شرط البخاري ومسلم

Upon the standard of al-Bukhari and Muslim4

Imam al-Tabarani (d. 360 H) too has an additional sanad for the hadith:

حدثنا علي بن عبد العزيز ثنا عمرو بن عون الواسطي ثنا خالد بن عبد الله عن الحسن بن عبيد الله عن أبي الضحى عن زيد بن أرقم قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم : إني تارك فيكم الثقلين كتاب الله وعترتي أهل بيتي وإنهما لن يتفرقا حتى يردا علي الحوض

‘Ali b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz - ‘Amr b. ‘Awn al-Wasiti - Khalid b. ‘Abd Allah - al-Hasan b. ‘Ubayd Allah - Abu al-Dhuha - Zayd b. Arqam:

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “I am leaving behind over you the Two Weighty Things (al-thaqalayn): the Book of Allah and my offspring, my Ahl al-Bayt. Verily, both shall never separate from each other until they meet me at the Lake-Fount.”5

Shaykh al-Arnaut says about this hadith:

وهو صحيح

It is sahih6

This is an authentication of all the parts of the hadith by our typically reluctant Shaykh. This, of course, means a lot.

Meanwhile, there is no sin in independently verifying the authenticity of the hadith. As such, al-Dhahabi says about the first narrator:

علي بن عبد العزيز ابن المرزبان ابن سابور: الامام، الحافظ، الصدوق، أبو الحسن البغوي

‘Ali b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz b. al-Marzaban b. Sabur: the Imam, the hafiz (hadith scientist), the saduq (very truthful) narrator, Abu al-Hasan al-Baghwi.7

Elsewhere, he adds:

علي بن عبد العزيز البغوي الحافظ المجاور بمكة. ثقة، لكنه يطلب على التحديث، ويعتذر بأنه محتاج. قال الدارقطني: ثقة مأمون

‘Ali b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Baghwi: the hafiz (hadith scientist), adjacent to Makkah: Thiqah (trustworthy). However, he used to request (payments) for narrating ahadith, and he is excused on the ground that he was needy. Al-Daraqutni said: “He was thiqah (trustworthy) and totally reliable.”8

Al-Hafiz (d. 852 H) states about the second narrator:

عمرو بن عون بن أوس الواسطي أبو عثمان البزاز البصري ثقة ثبت

‘Amr b. ‘Awn b. Aws al-Wasiti, Abu ‘Uthman al-Bazzaz al-Basri: Thiqah (trustworthy), thabt (accurate).9

Concerning the third narrator, al-Hafiz also says:

خالد بن عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن بن يزيد الطحان الواسطي المزني مولاهم ثقة ثبت

Khalid b. ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Yazid al-Tahan al-Wasiti al-Muzni, their freed slave: Thiqah (trustworthy), thabt (accurate).10

The fourth narrator is thiqah (trustworthy) too, as affirmed by al-Hafiz:

الحسن بن عبيد الله بن عروة النخعي أبو عروة الكوفي ثقة فاضل

Al-Hasan b. ‘Ubayd Allah b. ‘Urwah al-Nakha’i, Abu ‘Urwah al-Kufi: Thiqah (trustworthy), fadhil (virtuous).11

Finally, al-Hafiz proclaims about the last narrator:

مسلم بن صبيح بالتصغير الهمداني أبو الضحى الكوفي العطار مشهور بكنيته ثقة فاضل

Muslim b. Subayh al-Hamdani, Abu al-Dhuha al-Kufi al-‘Attar, well-known with his kunya: Thiqah (trustworthy), fadhil (virtuous).12

Imam Muslim (d. 261 H) also states concerning him:

أبو الضحى مسلم بن صبيح سمع ابن عباس والنعمان بن بشير وزيد بن أرقم روى عنه الأعمش وحبيب بن أبي ثابت

Abu al-Dhuha, Muslim b. Subayh: He heard (ahadith from) Ibn ‘Abbas, al-Nu’man b. Bashir and Zayd b. Arqam. Al-A’mash and Habib b. Abi Thabit narrated from him.13

So, all the narrators are thiqah (trustworthy), and the sanad, of course, is fully connected. As such, it is a perfectly sahih chain.

But, there is more! Imam al-Tabarani again documents:

حدثنا معاذ بن المثنى ثنا علي بن المديني ثنا جرير بن عبد الحميد عن الحسن بن عبيد الله عن أبي الضحى عن زيد بن أرقم قال قال رسول الله : إني تارك فيكم الثقلين كتاب الله وعترتي أهل بيتي وإنهما لن يتفرقا حتى يردا علي الحوض

Mu’adh b. al-Muthanna - ‘Ali b. al-Madini - Jarir b. ‘Abd al-Hamid - al-Hasan b. ‘Ubayd Allah - Abu al-Dhuha - Zayd b. Arqam:

The Messenger of Allah said: “I am leaving behind over you the Two Weighty Things (al-thaqalayn): the Book of Allah and my offspring, my Ahl al-Bayt. Verily, both shall never separate from each other until they meet me at the Lake-Fount.”14

There are only three new names in this chain.

Al-Dhahabi says about the first narrator:

معاذ بن المثنى أبو المثنى: ثقة، متقن

Mu’adh b. al-Muthanna, Abu al-Muthanna: Thiqah (trustworthy), extremely precise.15

About the second narrator, al-Hafiz states:

علي بن عبد الله بن جعفر بن نجيح السعدي مولاهم أبو الحسن بن المديني بصري ثقة ثبت إمام أعلم أهل عصره بالحديث وعلله

‘Ali b. ‘Abd Allah b. Ja’far b. Najih al-Sa’di, their freed slave, Abu al-Hasan b. al-Madini Basri: Thiqah (trustworthy), thabt (accurate), an Imam, the most knowledgeable of his time in hadith and its ‘ilal.16

The third narrator is like that too, as al-Hafiz submits:

جرير بن عبد الحميد بن قرط بضم القاف وسكون الراء بعدها طاء مهملة الضبي الكوفي نزيل الري وقاضيها ثقة صحيح الكتاب قيل كان في آخر عمره يهم من حفظه

Jarir b. ‘Abd al-Hamid b. Qurt al-Dhabi al-Kufi, a resident of al-Rayy and its judge: Thiqah (trustworthy), sahih al-kitab (i.e. whatever he narrated from his books was sahih). It is said that he used to hallucinate due to his memory during the last part of his lifetime.17

Al-Hafiz refers to the criticism against Jarir with “it is said”, which is a term employed to express doubt. In other words, al-Hafiz does NOT confirm that Jarir really used to hallucinate during the last part of his lifetime. Secondly, even if the allegation were accepted, it would still not harm Jarir. The claim was that he hallucinated, but not “a lot”. That shows that his memory problem was not serious, and therefore would not affect his ahadith. In any case, there is a mutaba’ah for Jarir by Khalid b. ‘Abd Allah. Therefore, this second chain is impeccably sahih too, in any case.

Notes

1. Abu al-Fida Isma’il b. ‘Umar b. Kathir al-Qurashi al-Dimashqi, Tafsir al-Qur’an al-‘Azim (Dar al-Taybah li al-Nashr wa al-Tawzi’; 2nd edition, 1420 H) [annotator: Sami b. Muhammad Salamah], vol. 7, p. 201

2. Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b. ‘Abd Allah al-Hakim al-Naysaburi, al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-’Ilmiyyah; 1st edition, 1411 H) [annotator: Mustafa ‘Abd al-Qadir ‘Ata], vol. 3, p. 160, # 4711

3. Ibid

4. Ibid

5. Abu al-Qasim Sulayman b. Ahmad b. Ayub al-Tabarani, Mu’jam al-Kabir (Mosul: Maktabah al-‘Ulum wa al-Hukm; 2nd edition, 1404 H) [annotator: Hamadi b. ‘Abd al-Majid al-Salafi], vol. 5, p.169, # 4980

6. Muhammad b. Ibrahim al-Wazir al-Yamani, al-‘Awasim wa al-Qawasim fi al-Dhabb ‘an Sunnah Abi al-Qasim (Beirut: Muasassat al-Risalah; 2nd edition, 1416 H) [annotator: Shu’ayb al-Arnaut], vol. 1, p. 178, footnote # 1

7. Shams al-Din Muhammad b. Ahmad b. ‘Uthman al-Dhahabi, Siyar A’lam al-Nubala (Beirut: Muasassat al-Risalah; 9th edition, 1413 H) [annotators: Shu’ayb al-Arnaut and ‘Ali Abu Zayd], vol. 13, p. 348, # 164

8. Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b. Ahmad b. ‘Uthman al-Dhahabi, Mizan al-I’tidal fi Naqd al-Rijal (Beirut: Dar al-Ma’rifah) [annotator: ‘Ali Muhammad al-Bajawi], vol. 3, p. 143, # 5882

9. Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Hajar al-‘Asqalani, Taqrib al-Tahdhib (Beirut: Dar al-Maktabah al-‘Ilmiyyah; 2nd edition, 1415 H) [annotator: Mustafa ‘Abd al-Qadir ‘Ata], vol. 1, p. 742, # 5104

10. Ibid, vol. 1, p. 259, # 1652

11. Ibid, vol. 1, p. 206, # 1258

12. Ibid, vol. 2, p. 179, # 6653

13. Muslim b. al-Hajjaj, al-Kuna wa al-Asma (Madinah al-Munawwarah: al-Jami’ah al-Islamiyyah; 1st edition, 1404 H) [annotator: ‘Abd al-Rahim Muhammad Ahmad al-Qushqari], vol. 1, P. 455, 1722

14. Abu al-Qasim Sulayman b. Ahmad b. Ayub al-Tabarani, Mu’jam al-Kabir (Mosul: Maktabah al-‘Ulum wa al-Hukm; 2nd edition, 1404 H) [annotator: Hamadi b. ‘Abd al-Majid al-Salafi], vol. 5, p.170, # 4981

15. Shams al-Din Muhammad b. Ahmad b. ‘Uthman al-Dhahabi, Siyar A’lam al-Nubala (Beirut: Muasassat al-Risalah; 9th edition, 1413 H) [annotators: Shu’ayb al-Arnaut and ‘Ali Abu Zayd], vol. 13, p. 527, # 259

16. Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Hajar al-‘Asqalani, Taqrib al-Tahdhib (Beirut: Dar al-Maktabah al-‘Ilmiyyah; 2nd edition, 1415 H) [annotator: Mustafa ‘Abd al-Qadir ‘Ata], vol. 1, p. 697, # 4776

17. Ibid, vol. 1, p. 158, # 918

6) Hadith Al-Thaqalayn: The Prophet At Ghadir Khumm (Part 4)

The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alaihi wa alihi, proclaimed at Ghadir Khumm to all humanity:

إني تارك فيكم الثقلين كتاب الله وعترتي أهل بيتي وإنهما لن يتفرقا حتى يردا علي الحوض

I am leaving behind over you the Two Weighty Things (al-thaqalayn): the Book of Allah and my offspring, my Ahl al-Bayt. Verily, both shall never separate from each other until they meet me at the Lake-Fount.

The Qur’an and the offspring of the Prophet are referred to as “the Two Weighty Things” (al-thaqalayn) in the ahadith. Both of them are “left behind over” us by him, and are further described as being eternally inseparable till the Day of al-Qiyamah. What exactly did the Rasul intend with these statements?

When the leader of a nation or community tells his people “I will die soon. But, I have left behind over you so-and-so”, what possibly could he be telling them? It is clear, of course. The designated person - “left behind over” his people - is to take his place and perform his role among them. Hadith al-Thaqalayn, obviously, is in this sense too. The Prophet was declaring the Qur’an and his offspring as his substitutes over his Ummah after him. Shaykh al-Arnaut too has something for us in this regard:

قال السندي: قوله: "إني تارك فيكم"، أي: بعد موتي

الثًقلين: الثقل، بفتحتين: كل شيء نفيس مصون، ومنه هذا الحديث، كذا في "القاموس ".

أحدهما أكبر: هو الكتاب، لأنه إمام الكل: العترة، وغيرهم …

وعترتي: كأنه صلى الله عليه وسلم جعلهم قائمين مقامه، فكما كان في حياته القرآن والنبي، كذلك بعده القرآن وأهل بيته، ولكن قيامهم مقامه في وجوب المحبة والمراعاة والإحسان، لا في العمل بأقوالهم وآرائهم، بل المرجع في العمل: الكتاب والسنة، والله تعالى أعلم

Al-Sindi said: “His statement {I am leaving behind over you}: that is, after me death.

{The Two Weighty Things}: every priceless treasure is called a ‘weighty thing’, and this hadith is from it, as stated in al-Qamus.

{One of them is greater}: that is the Book, because it is the Imam for everyone - whether the offspring (of the Prophet) or others…

{and my offspring}: it is like he, peace be upon him, appointed them TO STAND IN HIS PLACE, such that just as it was the Qur’an and the Prophet during his lifetime, it was the Qur’an and his Ahl al-Bayt after him. However, their standing in his place is (only) with regards to the (Ummah’s) obligation of love, kindness and care (to them), not in adherence to their words and opinions. Rather, the reference for actions are the Book and the Sunnah, and Allah the Most High knows best.”1

This is further strengthened by the fact that he called them both “the Two Weighty Things”, al-thaqalayn. Imam Ibn Manzur (d. 711 H), the leading classical Sunni linguist, explains what this means:

وروي عن النبي، صلى الله عليه وسلم، أنه قال في آخر عمره: إني تارك فيكم الثقلين: كتاب الله وعترتي، فجعلهما كتاب الله عز وجل وعترته، وقد تقدم ذكر العترة. وقال ثعلب: سميا ثقلين لأن الأخذ بهما ثقيل والعمل بهما ثقيل، قال: وأصل الثقل أن العرب تقول لكل شئ نفيس خطير مصون ثقل، فسماهما ثقلين إعظاما لقدرهما وتفخيما لشأنهما

It is narrated from the Prophet, peace be upon him, that he said during the end of his lifetime: “I am leaving behind over you the Two Weighty Things (al-thaqalayn): the Book of Allah and my offspring.” So, he identified them both as the Book of Allah the Almighty and his offspring. The word “itrah (offspring)” has already been explained. Tha’lab said: “He named them thaqalayn because holding fast to them both and following them both are weighty (responsibilities).” He said: “The origin of (the word) thaqal is that Arabs referred to every priceless weighty thing as a thaqal. Therefore, he named them thaqalayn to highlight their significance and to extol their importance2

Imam Ibn al-Athir (d. 606 H), an ace Sunni hadith linguist, has the same submission:

] إني تارك فيكم الثقلين : كتاب الله وعترت] سماهما ثقلين لأن الأخذ بهما والعمل بهما ثقيل ويقال لكك خطير نفيس ثقل فسماهما ثقلين إعظاما لقدرهما وتفخيما لشأنهما

[I am leaving among you the Two Weighty Things: the Book of Allah and my offspring], he named them both thaqalayn because holding fast to them both and following them are weighty (responsibilities). And every priceless weighty thing is called thaqal. Therefore, he named them thaqalayn to highlight their significance and to extol their importance.3

Another leading Sunni linguist, al-Zubaydi (d. 1205 H), backs him:

وكذلك الحديث} إني تارك فيكم الثقلين، كتاب الله وعترتي {جعلهما ثقلين إعظاما لقدرهما وتفخيما لهما. وقال ثعلب: سماهما ثقلين؛ لأن الأخذ بهما والعمل بهما ثقيل

And it is like that in the hadith: “I am leaving among you the Two Weighty Things (al-thaqalayn): the Book of Allah and my offspring”. He called them thaqalayn to highlight their significance and to extol them both. Tha’lab said: “He named them thaqalayn because holding fast to them both and following them both are weighty (responsibilities).”4

Yet another leading Sunni linguist, Abu Mansur al-Azhari (d. 370 H), confirms them:

روي عن النبي (صلى الله عليه وسلم) أنَّه قال في مرضه الذي مات فيه: (إني تارك فيكم الثقلين: كتابَ الله وعِتْرتي، ولن يفترقا حتى يردا علي الحوض)، فسَّر النبي (صلى الله عليه وسلم) الثقلين فجعلهما كتاب الله جلّ وعزّ وعِترته عليه السلام؛ وقد فسّرت العترة فيما تقدّم وهم جماعةُ عشيرته الأدْنَوْن. وقال أبو العباس أحمد بن يحيى: سميا ثقلين لأن الأخذ بهما ثقيل، والعمل بهما ثقيل

It is narrated from the Prophet, peace be upon him, that he said in his fatal illness: (I am leaving behind over you the Two Weighty Things: the Book of Allah and my offspring. Both shall never separate from each other until they meet me at the Lake-Fount). The Prophet, peace be upon him, explained the Two Weighty Things and identified them both as the Book of Allah the Almighty and his offspring, peace be upon him. The word “itrah (offspring)” has already been explained, and they are his closest blood relatives. Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad b. Yahya said: “They are named thaqalayn because holding fast to them both is a weighty (responsibility), and following them both is also a weighty (responsibility).”5

Imam al-Nawawi (d. 676 H), the well-known hadith scientist, tables the view of the classical Sunni scholars as well:

قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم( وانا تارك فيكم ثقلين) فذكر كتاب الله وأهل بيته قال العلماء سميا ثقلين لعظمهما وكبير شأنهما وقيل العمل بهما

His statement, peace be upon him (I am leaving behind over you Two Weighty Things) and he mentioned the Book of Allah and his Ahl al-Bayt. The ‘ulama said: He named them thaqalayn due to their magnificence and the greatness of their significance. It is also said: (they are named thaqalayn due to the fact that) both are to be followed.6

And Shaykh ‘Abd al-Baqi, in his annotation of Sahih Muslim, writes these words under Hadith al-Thaqalayn:

(ثقلين) قال العلماء سميا ثقلين لعظمهما وكبير شأنهما وقيل لثقل العمل بها

(Two Weighty Things [thaqalayn]): The ‘ulama said: He named them thaqalayn due to their magnificence and the greatness of their significance. It is also said: (they are named thaqalayn due to the fact that) both are to be followed.7

So, our Prophet indicated that he was leaving behind the Qur’an and his offspring as his replacements over us after him. He equally very strongly emphasized that we must “adhere to” and “follow” both the Qur’an and his offspring after him, by naming them “the Two Weighty Things” (al-thaqalayn). It is thus impossible to miss his message in any circumstance: the offspring of the Messenger of Allah are his khalifahs and the masters and guides over his Ummah after him.

Meanwhile, the Rasul also described his offspring as being eternally inseparable from the Qur’an until the Day of Resurrection:

وانهما لن يفترقا حتى يردا على الحوض

Verily, both shall NEVER separate from each other until they meet me at the Lake-Fount.

What does this mean?

There is no doubt: the Messenger of Allah is the most eloquent of all of his Lord’s creation. This is why he was able to convey some of his most significant messages through that single statement. He absolutely ruled out the possibility of any form of separation between the Qur’an and his offspring at any moment in the lifetime of this earth. So, we ask:

Does sin cause a separation between us and the Qur’an in our sinful acts? Of course, there is no doubt about this! This means then that the offspring of the Prophet never commit sinful acts. Otherwise, they would be separated from the Qur’an, at least for the duration of their sinful acts.

Does heresy - whether in beliefs or actions - cause a separation between us and the Qur’an? There is no doubt about this too. Heresies of all sorts contradict the Qur’an, and whoever possesses any heresy is in contradiction to the Book of Allah.

Therefore, whatsoever the offspring of the Prophet believe, say, do or teach is the true, pure guidance from Allah and His Messenger. It is absolutely impossible for the offspring to be heretical in absolutely anything. Otherwise, they would be separated from the Qur’an, at least for the duration of the heresy.

Allah and His Messenger have joined together the Qur’an and the offspring, and have made them eternally inseparable till the Day of al-Qiyamah. This is also a command to every believer not to ever separate them in any circumstance. If you love the Qur’an, you must love the offspring too. If you respect the Qur’an, you must respect the offspring too. If you follow the Qur’an, you must follow the offspring too. If you obey the Qur’an, you must obey the offspring too. If you consider the Qur’an to be your Imam, you must take the offspring too as your Imams. If you consider the Qur’an to be your supreme guide in any affair, you must take the offspring too as your supreme guides in all your affairs.

This last point is re-emphasized by ‘Allamah al-Albani (d. 1420 H) in these words while writing about the Qur’an and Sunnah:

بل يجب اعتبار الكتاب والسنة مصدرا واحدا لا فصل بينهما أبدا كما أشار إلى ذلك قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم : " ألا إني أتيت القرآن ومثله معه " يعني السنة وقوله: " لن يتفرقا حتى يردا علي الحوض "

Rather, it is obligatory to consider the Book and the Sunnah as a single source, with no difference between them both, AS INDICATED IN THE STATEMENT of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him: “I have been given the Qur’an and its likeness with it”, that is the Sunnah, AND HIS STATEMENT, “Both shall never separate until they meet me at the Lake-Fount.”8

The ‘Allamah considers the phrase “both shall never separate from each other” to be an order against discrimination between the two. Of course, he has applied the phrase to the Sunnah, even though its only reliable chains link with the offspring of the Prophet and nothing else. Yet, we understand from al-Albani’s submission that it is “obligatory” to consider the Qur’an and the offspring as a single source of guidance and knowledge in Islam, with no difference between them both, as indicated in the words of the Prophet: “both shall never separate from each other”. As such, whosoever follows the Qur’an in all matters, but does not obey the offspring in all matters, has defied the Order of Allah and His Messenger, and has thereby become a plain heretic.

Notes

1. Abu ‘Abd Allah Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Hanbal b. Hilal b. Asad al-Shaybani, Musnad (Muasassat al-Risalah; 1st edition, 1421 H) [annotators: Shu’ayb al-Arnaut, ‘Adil Murshid and others], vol. 17, pp. 174-175, # 11104. Al-Sindi’s submission is indeed very weird. The Ahl al-Bayt stand in the place of the Prophet in his Ummah after him. Yet, none is obliged to follow them! Moreover, al-Sindi seems to think that following the Ahl al-Bayt leads away from the Kitab and Sunnah! Alas, they are actually the purest route to the Qur’an and the original teachings of Muhammad.

2. Abu al-Fadhl Jamal al-Din Muhammad b. Mukram b. Manzur al-Afriqi al-Misri, Lisan al-‘Arab (Beirut: Dar Sadir; 1st edition), vol. 11, p. 85

3. Abu Sa’adat al-Mubarak b. Muhammad, Ibn al-Athir al-Jazari, al-Nihayah fi Gharib al-Hadith wa al-Athar (Beirut: al-Maktabah al-‘Ilmiyyah; 1399 AH) [annotator: Tahir Ahmad al-Zawi and Mahmud Muhammad al-Tanahi], vol. 1, p. 216

4. Muhibb al-Din Abu Faydh Sayyid Muhammad Murtadha al-Husayni al-Wasiti al-Zubaydi al-Hanafi, Taj al-‘Urus min Jawahir al-Qamus (Beirut: Dar al-Fikr; 1414 H), vol. 14, p. 85

5. Abu Mansur Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Azhari, Tahdhib al-Lughah (Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-‘Arabi; 1st edition, 2001 CE), vol. 9, p. 78

6. Abu Zakariyyah Yahya b. Sharaf al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim (Beirut: Dar al-Kitab al-‘Arabi; 1407 H) vol. 15, p. 180

7. Abu al-Husayn Muslim b. al-Hajjaj al-Qushayri al-Naysaburi, Sahih Muslim (Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-‘Arabi) [annotator: Muhammad Fuad ‘Abd al-Baqi], vol. 4, p. 1873, # 2408 (36)

8. Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Nasir al-Din b. al-Hajj Nuh b. Tajati b. Adam al-Ashqudri al-Albani, Manzilah al-Sunnah fi al-Islam (Kuwait: Dar al-Salafiyyah; 4th edition, 1404 H), p. 22

7) Hadith Al-Thaqalayn: The Prophet At Unindentified Places

There are reports of Hadith al-Thaqalayn which do not name the locations where it was delivered. It is therefore possible that the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alaihi wa alihi, also uttered them at Ghadir Khumm, in addition to his other pronouncements. Meanwhile, it is equally probable that the sermons were given at other places, before or after Ghadir Khumm. Let us start with this riwayah by Imam al-Fasawi (d. 277 H):

حدثنا يحيى قال :حدثنا جرير عن الحسن بن عبيد الله عن أبي الضحى عن زيد بن أرقم قال: النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم :إني تارك فيكم ما إن تمسكتم به لن تضلوا كتاب الله عز وجل وعترتي أهل بيتي وإنهما لن يتفرقا حتى يردا علي الحوض

Yahya - Jarir - al-Hasan b. ‘Ubayd Allah - Abu al-Dhuha - Zayd b. Arqam:

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “I am leaving behind over you that which if you adhere to it you will never go astray: the Book of Allah the Almighty and my offspring, my Ahl al-Bayt. Verily, both shall never separate from each other until they meet me at the Lake-Fount.”1

Al-Hafiz (d. 852 H) states concerning the first narrator:

يحيى بن يحيى بن بكير بن عبد الرحمن التميمي أبو زكريا النيسابوري ثقة ثبت إمام

Yahya b. Yahya b. Bukayr b. ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Tamimi, Abu Zakariyyah al-Naysaburi: Thiqah (trustworthy), thabt (accurate), an Imam.2

What about the second narrator? Al-Hafiz submits:

جرير بن عبد الحميد بن قرط بضم القاف وسكون الراء بعدها طاء مهملة الضبي الكوفي نزيل الري وقاضيها ثقة

Jarir b. ‘Abd al-Hamid b. Qurt al-Dhabi al-Kufi, a resident of al-Rayy and its judge: Thiqah (trustworthy).3

The third narrator is thiqah (trustworthy) as well, according to al-Hafiz:

الحسن بن عبيد الله بن عروة النخعي أبو عروة الكوفي ثقة فاضل

Al-Hasan b. ‘Ubayd Allah b. ‘Urwah al-Nakha’i, Abu ‘Urwah al-Kufi: Thiqah (trustworthy), fadhil (virtuous).4

And the last narrator is like that too, as affirmed by al-Hafiz:

مسلم بن صبيح بالتصغير الهمداني أبو الضحى الكوفي العطار مشهور بكنيته ثقة فاضل

Muslim b. Subayh al-Hamdani, Abu al-Dhuha al-Kufi al-‘Attar, well-known with his kunya: Thiqah (trustworthy), fadhil (virtuous).5

All the narrators are thiqah (trustworthy), and the chain is fully connected. So, it is an absolutely sahih chain!

Meanwhile, Imam al-Tirmidhi (d. 279 H) has also recorded a shahid for it:

حدثنا علي بن المنذر كوفي حدثنا محمد بن فضيل قال حدثنا الأعمش عن عطية عن أبي سعيد و الأعمش عن حبيب بن أبي ثابت عن زيد بن أرقم رضي الله عنهما قالا : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم إني تارك فيكم ما إن تمسكتم به لن تضلوا بعدي أحدهما أعظم من الآخر كتاب الله حبل ممدود من السماء إلى الأرض وعترتي أهل بيتي ولن يتفرقا حتى يردا علي الحوض فانظروا كيف تخلفوني فيهما

‘Ali b. al-Mundhir Kufi - Muhammad b. Fudhayl - al-A’mash - ‘Atiyyah - Abu Sa’id (al-Khudri): AND al-‘Amash - Habib b. Abi Thabit - Zayd b. Arqam, may Allah be pleased with them both:

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, “I am leaving behind over you that which if you adhere to it you will never go astray after me. One of them is greater than the other: the Book of Allah - a rope stretching from the heaven to the earth - and my offspring, my Ahl al-Bayt. Both shall never separate from each other until they meet me at the Lake-Fount. Therefore, watch carefully how you treat them after me.”6

Al-Tirmidhi says:

وهذا حديث حسن غريب

And this hadith is hasan gharib (i.e. has a hasan chain).7

And ‘Allamah al-Albani (d. 1420 H) states:

صحيح

Sahih8

Sayyid Hasan al-Saqqaf also has this comment:

ورواه الترمذي 663/5) برقم (3788 بسند صحيح بلفظ إني تارك فيكم ما إن تمسكتم به لن تضلوا بعدي أحدهما أعظم من الآخر كتاب الله حبل ممدود من السماء إلى الأرض وعترتي أهل بيتي ولن يتفرقا حتى يردا علي الحوض فانظروا كيف تخلفوني فيهما

Al-Tirmidhi (5/663, # 3788) recorded it WITH A SAHIH CHAIN, with this wording:

“I am leaving behind over you that which if you adhere to it you will never go astray after me. One of them is greater than the other: the Book of Allah - a rope stretching from the heaven to the earth - and my offspring, my Ahl al-Bayt. Both shall never separate from each other until they meet me at the Lake-Fount. Therefore, watch carefully how you treat them after me.”9

Imam Ahmad (d. 241 H) further documents:

حدثنا عبد الله حدثني أبي ثنا بن نمير ثنا عبد الملك بن أبي سليمان عن عطية العوفي عن أبي سعيد الخدري قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم: اني قد تركت فيكم ما ان أخذتم به لن تضلوا بعدي الثقلين أحدهما أكبر من الآخر كتاب الله حبل ممدود من السماء إلى الأرض وعترتي أهل بيتي الا وانهما لن يفترقا حتى يردا على الحوض

‘Abd Allah (b. Ahmad) - my father (Ahmad b. Hanbal) - Ibn Numayr - ‘Abd al-Malik b. Abi Sulayman - ‘Atiyyah al-‘Awfi - Abu Sa’id al-Khudri:

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “I have left behind over you that which if you hold fast to it you will never go astray after me: the Two Weighty Things (al-thaqalayn). One of them both is greater than the other: the Book of Allah - a rope stretching from the heaven to the earth - and my offspring, my Ahl al-Bayt. Take note: verily, both shall never separate from each other until they meet me at the Lake-Fount.”10

Shaykh al-Arnaut comments:

حديث صحيح دون قوله " وإنهما لن يفترقا حتى يردا علي الحوض "

It is a sahih hadith, with the exception of the statement “And, verily, both shall never separate from each other until they meet me at the Lake-Fount”.11

Apparently, al-Arnaut rejects the authenticity of the last phrase of the hadith, and accepts all the others. But, this is strange, indeed! We have already quoted absolutely sahih chains - in the reports of Zayd b. Arqam - in this book which establish the authenticity of that phrase. Shaykh al-Arnaut apparently rushed to his conclusion without adequate research. Besides, the chain of this last riwayah above is reliable as well, as ‘Allamah al-Albani declares, after quoting that exact same report from Musnad Ahmad:

وهو إسناد حسن في الشواهد

And it is a chain that is hasan through the shawahid (corroborating evidences).12

Interestingly, this is what al-Arnaut himself says about the same hadith of ‘Atiyyah above from the same Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, with the same chain, in another book:

سنده حسن بالشواهد

Its chain is hasan through the shawahid.13

So, indeed, all the parts of the hadith are firmly established through this sanad and the sahih others.

Notes

1. Abu Yusuf Ya’qub b. Sufyan al-Fasawi, al-Ma’rifah wa al-Tarikh (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah) [annotator: Khalil al-Mansur], vol. 1, p. 294

2. Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Hajar al-‘Asqalani, Taqrib al-Tahdhib (Beirut: Dar al-Maktabah al-‘Ilmiyyah; 2nd edition, 1415 H) [annotator: Mustafa ‘Abd al-Qadir ‘Ata], vol. 2, p. 318, # 7696

3. Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Hajar al-‘Asqalani, Taqrib al-Tahdhib (Beirut: Dar al-Maktabah al-‘Ilmiyyah; 2nd edition, 1415 H) [annotator: Mustafa ‘Abd al-Qadir ‘Ata], vol. 1, p. 158, # 918. We have already mentioned his trustworthiness previously in this book.

4. Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Hajar al-‘Asqalani, Taqrib al-Tahdhib (Beirut: Dar al-Maktabah al-‘Ilmiyyah; 2nd edition, 1415 H) [annotator: Mustafa ‘Abd al-Qadir ‘Ata], vol. 1, p. 158, # 918, vol. 1, p. 206, # 1258

5. Ibid, vol. 2, p. 179, # 6653

6. Abu ‘Isa Muhammad b. ‘Isa al-Sulami al-Tirmidhi, al-Jami’ al-Sahih Sunan al-Tirmidhi (Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-‘Arabi) [annotator: Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani], vol. 5, p. 663 # 3788

7. Ibid

8. Ibid

9. Hasan b. ‘Ali al-Saqqaf al-Qurashi al-Hashimi al-Husayni, Sahih Sharh al-‘Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah (Amman: Dar Imam al-Nawawi; 1st edition, 1416 H), p. 654

10. Abu ‘Abd Allah Ahmad b. Hanbal al-Shaybani, Musnad (Cairo: Muasassat Qurtubah) [annotator: Shu’ayb al-Arnaut], vol. 3, p. 59, # 11578

11. Ibid

12. Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Nasir al-Din b. al-Hajj Nuh b. Tajati b. Adam al-Ashqudri al-Albani, Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Sahihah wa Shayhun min Fiqhihah wa Fawaidihah (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Ma’arif li al-Nashr wa al-Tawzi’; 1st edition, 1415 H), vol. 4, p. 357, # 1761

13. Muhammad b. Ibrahim al-Wazir al-Yamani, al-‘Awasim wa al-Qawasim fi al-Dhabb ‘an Sunnah Abi al-Qasim (Beirut: Muasassat al-Risalah; 2nd edition, 1416 H) [annotator: Shu’ayb al-Arnaut], vol. 1, p. 178, footnote # 1