Hadith al-Thaqalayn

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hadith al-Thaqalayn
Arabicحديث الثقلين
RomanizationHadith at-Thaqalayn
Literal meaningNarration of the Two Precious Weights
Part of a series on
Islam
Allah3.svg
Beliefs
Practices
History
Culture and society
Related topics
  • Allah-green.svg Islam portal
  • v
  • t

The Hadith al-Thaqalayn, also known as the Hadith of the Two Treasures, refers to a statement by the Islamic prophet Muhammad about the importance of the Quran and the Ahl al-Bayt. Quran is the central religious text of Islam and Ahl al-Bayt literally translates to the people of the house (of Muhammad). The hadith of al-Thaqalayn is widely reported by both Sunni and Shia sources.[1] The version that appears in Musnad Ahmad, a canonical Sunni source, is as follows:[1]

I [Muhammad] left among you two treasures which, if you cling to them, you shall not be led into error after me. One of them is greater than the other: The book of God [Quran], which is a rope stretched from Heaven to Earth, and [the second one is] my progeny, my Ahl al-Bayt. These two shall not be parted until they return to the Pool [of Abundance in Paradise].

The above version of the hadith al-Thaqalayn was recorded during Muhammad's return trip to Medina after his farewell pilgrimage to Mecca.[1] Nevertheless, there are many slightly different versions of the hadith in Sunni sources, suggesting that Muhammad might have repeated this statement on multiple occasions.[1] For instance, the version that appears in (Sahih) as-Sunan al-Kubra, another canonical Sunni source, also includes the warning, "Be careful how you treat the two [treasures] after me."[2]

Ahl al-Bayt[]

Main article: Ahl al-Bayt

Sunni sources often list various contradictory views regarding who the Ahl al-Bayt are.[3] In particular, in the event of Mubahala, Muhammad defined his household as being his daughter, Fatimah, her husband, Ali, and their two sons, Hasan and Husayn.[1][3] Similarly, according to at-Tirmidhi, Muhammad limited his household to these four persons when the verse of purification was revealed.[1] However, the current orthodox view is that Ahl al-Bayt consists of Fatimah, Ali, Hasan and Husayn, along with Muhammad's wives.[3][4]

Shia hadiths confine the Ahl al-Bayt to Fatimah, Ali, Hasan and Husayn, along with nine Imams that descended from Husayn.[5] The last of these Imams, Mahdi, went into occultation in 260 AH and his advent is awaited by the Shia and the Sunni alike, although the two sects hold different views about Mahdi.[6]

Shia sources cite the hadith al-Thaqalayn to prove that, at any time, a divinely-appointed Imam exists who never separates from the Quran and shall be the true guide for all Muslims. An implication of this view is that Mahdi is alive, in contrast to the Sunni belief that he has not yet been born. According to the Shia, it is through the Quran and Ahl al-Bayt that God has provided for all the religious and intellectual needs of Muslims after Muhammad's demise.[7]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Momen, Moojan (1985). An introduction to Shi'i Islam. Yale University Press. p. 16. ISBN 9780300035315.
  2. ^ Abbas, Hassan (2021). The Prophet's heir: The life of Ali ibn Abi Talib. Yale University Press. p. 81. ISBN 9780300252057.
  3. ^ a b c Goldziher, I.; Arendonk, C. van; Tritton, A.S. (2021). "Ahl al-Bayt". In Bearman, P. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Islam (Second ed.). Brill Reference Online.
  4. ^ It is worth noting that polygamy was a widely practiced means for building alliances between tribes in Muhammad's society. Some of Muhammad's marriages were also aimed at providing a livelihood for widows, see Esposito, John (1998). Islam: The straight path. Oxford University Press. pp. 16–18. ISBN 0-19-511233-4.
  5. ^ Subḥani, Jafar (2001). Doctrines of Shiʻi Islam: A compendium of Imami beliefs and practices. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 204. ISBN 9781860647802.
  6. ^ Momen (1985, p. 168)
  7. ^ al-Tabataba'i, Muhammad H (January 1977). Shi'ite Islam. SUNY Press. p. 180. ISBN 978-0873953900.
Retrieved from ""