Hadeeth Al-Manzilah in Shee`ah Books

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السلام عليكم

The Hadeeth Al-Manzilah is the famous hadeeth by Rasoolillaah صلى الله عليه وآله saying to Imaam `Alee عليه السلام, “You are to me as Haroon was to Moosa, except that there is no prophet after me” (أَنْتَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى إِلَّا أَنَّهُ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي). Shee`ahs quote this hadeeth in Sunnee books to the Sunnees for another reason why Imaam `Alee عليه السلام is successor of Rasoolillaah صلى الله عليه وآله.

Lately, I have seen such claims from the Sunnees that they say, “You guys always quote from our books, is this hadeeth even SaHeeH by your standards in your books?”. Unfortunately this claim is baseless! I am going to present to you two impeccable chains that have the hadeeth Al-Manzilah in there. Just these two chains should be enough to prove that this specific hadeeth is found in Shee`ah books and is SaHeeH according to our standards. On a side note, there are over many other chains that are ALMOST SaHeeH, but are da`eef because of maybe one or two people present in the chain. This specific hadeeth goes through MULTIPLE routes in both Sunnee and Shee`ah books.

Hadeeth #1 (Long hadeeth)

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص أَنْتَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى إِلَّا أَنَّهُ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي

Source:

1.       Al-Kulayni, Al-Kaafi, vol. 8, pg. 106, hadeeth # 80

2.       Al-Barqee, Al-MaHaasin, pg. 169, hadeeth # 97

Grading:

1.       Al-Majlisi said this hadeeth is Muwaththaq (Reliable)

è Mir’aat Al-`Uqool, vol. 25, pg. 257

Even though Al-Majlisi has said this hadeeth is Muwaththaq (reliable), we will still break down the chain again to double check the isnaad for ourselves. Here is the chain to this hadeeth.

أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الْأَشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنْ ثَعْلَبَةَ بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ عَنْ أَبِي أُمَيَّةَ يُوسُفَ بْنِ ثَابِتِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع

 َبُو عَلِيٍّ الْأَشْعَرِيُّ (Ahmad bin Idrees Al-Qummee) is Thiqah (Trustworthy) and a Faqeeh (Jurist) according to:

1.       Al-Najaashee, Rijaal, pg. 92, person # 228

2.       Al-Toosi, Fihrist, pg. 64, person # 81

3.       Al-Hillee, Al-Khulaasah, pg. 16,  person # 14

4.       Al-Khoei, Mu`jam Rijaal Al-Hadeeth, vol. 2, pg. 41, person # 426

مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ (Muhammad bin Abee Al-Sahbaan) is Thiqah (Trustworthy) according to:

1.       Al-Toosi, Rijaal, pg. 391 & pg. 401, person # 5765 & 5889

2.       Al-Hillee, Al-KhulaaSah, pg. 142, person # 25

3.       Al-Khoei, Mu`jam Rijaal Al-Hadeeth, vol. 14, pg. 263, person # 9997

الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ فَضَّالٍ (Al-Hassan bin `Alee bin FaDDaal) is Thiqah according to:

1.       Al-Toosi, Rijaal, pg. 354, person # 5241

2.       Al-Toosi, Fihrist, pg. 124, person # 164

3.       Al-Hillee, Al-KhulaaSah, pg. 38, person # 2

4.       Al-Najaashee, Rijaal, pg. 35, person # 72

5.       Al-Khoei, Mu`jam Rijaal Al-Hadeeth, vol. 5, pg. 44, person # 2983

ثَعْلَبَةَ بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ (Tha`labah bin Maymoon) is Thiqah according to:

1.       Al-Najaashee, Rijaal, pg. 118, person # 302

2.       Al-Hillee, Al-KhulaaSah, pg. 30, person # 1

3.       Al-Khoei, Mu`jam Rijaal Al-Hadeeth, vol. 3, pg. 408, person # 1993

أَبِي أُمَيَّةَ يُوسُفَ بْنِ ثَابِتِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدَةَ (Yoosuf bin Thaabit Abee Sa`dah) is Thiqah according to:

1.       Al-Najaashee, Rijaal, pg. 452, person # 1222

2.       Al-Hillee, Al-KhulaaSah, pg. 2

3.       Al-Khoei, Mu`jam Rijaal Al-Hadeeth, vol. 20, pg. 163, person # 13783

أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع (Our 6^th Imaam عليه السلام)

The ONLY reason why this hadeeth has been deemed as Muwaththaq (Reliable) instead of being fully SaHeeH, is because of Al-Hassan bin `Alee bin FaDDaal. It has been said that he isn’t a 12’er shee`ah but a FaTHee (different sect). Even though he isn’t an Imaam Shee`ah, he is still considered VERY much thiqah (trustworthy). It has actually been said that ibn FaDDaal repented and returned to the Imaam belief on his deathbed before his death. (كان فطحيا فرجع قبل موته )(See: Ibn Dawood, Rijaal, pg. 114, person # 437; ph. 441, person # 125; Al-Khoei, Mu’jam Rijaal Al-Hadeeth, vol. 5, pg. 44, person # 2983).

This hadeeth is still taken as a SaHeeH hadeeth since ibn FaDDaal is one of our greatest narrators, and this hadeeth is not contradicting any beliefs of the Shee`ahs and it is not promoting any beliefs of the FaTHee sect.

Hadeeth #2 (Long Hadeeth)

يا علي إنما أنت مني بمنزلة هارون من موسى إلا أنه لا نبي بعدي

 Source:

1.       Al-Sadooq, Al-Amaalee, majlis # 32, pg. 173, hadeeth # 7

2.       Al-Sadooq, `Ilal Al-Sharaa’i`, vol. 2, ch. 222, pg. 473, hadeeth # 35

3.       Al-Noori, Mustadarak Al-Wasaa’il, vol. 18, ch. 20, pg. 366, hadeeth # 22971

4.       Al-Majlisi, BiHaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 21, ch. 27, pg. 142, hadeeth # 5

Here is the chain to this hadeeth, we will break down this chain together. (Taken from Al-Amaalee)

7-  حدثنا محمد بن الحسن بن أحمد بن الوليد ره قال حدثنا محمد بن الحسن الصفار عن العباس بن معروف عن علي بن مهزيار عن فضالة بن أيوب عن أبان بن عثمان عن محمد بن مسلم عن أبي جعفر الباقر ع قال

محمد بن الحسن بن أحمد بن الوليد (better known as Ibn Waleed) is Thiqah(trustworthy) and Scholar according to:

1.       Al-Najaashee, Rijaal, pg. 383, person # 1042

2.       Al-Toosi, Fihrist, pg. 442, person # 709

3.       Al-Toosi, Rijaal, pg. 439, person # 6273

4.       Al-Hillee, Al-KhulaaSah, pg. 147, person # 43

5.       Al-Khoei, Mu`jam Rijaal Al-Hadeeth, vol. 15, pg. 252, person # 10513

محمد بن الحسن الصفار (Muhammad bin Al-Hassan Al-Saffaar) is Thiqah according to:

1.       Al-Najaashee, Rijaal, pg. 354, person # 948

2.       Al-Hillee, Al-KhulaaSah, pg. 157, person # 112

3.       Al-Khoei, Mu`jam Rijaal Al-Hadeeth, vol. 15, pg. 248, person # 10505

العباس بن معروف (Al-`Abbaas bin Ma`roof) is Thiqah according to:

1.       Al-Najaashee, Rijaal, pg. 281, person # 743

2.       Al-Toosi, Rijaal, pg. 361, person # 5348

3.       Al-Hillee, Al-KhulaaSah, pg. 118, person # 4

4.       Al-Khoei, Mu`jam Rijaal Al-Hadeeth, pg. 9, pg. 239, person # 6200

علي بن مهزيار (`Alee bin Mahziyyaar Al-Ahwaazee) is Thiqah according to:

1.       Al-Najaashee, Rijaal, pg. 254, person # 664

2.       Al-Hillee, Al-KhulaaSah, pg. 93, person # 6

3.       Al-Toosi, Rijaal, pg. 388, person # 5708; pg. 360, person # 5336

4.       Al-Toosi, Fihrist, pg. 266, person # 379

5.       Al-Khoei, Mu`jam Rijaal Al-Hadeeth, vol. 12, pg. 193, person # 8539

فضالة بن أيوب (FaDaalah bin Ayoob Al-Azdee) is Thiqah according to:

1.       Al-Najaashee, Rijaal, pg. 311, person # 750

2.       Al-Hillee, Al-KhulaaSah, pg. 133, person # 1

3.       Al-Toosi, Rijaal, pg. 342, person # 5092

4.       Al-Khoei, Mu`jam Rijaal Al-Hadeeth, vol. 13, pg. 271, person # 9328

أبان بن عثمان (Abaan bin `Uthmaan Al-aHmaree Al-Bajalee) is Thiqah according to:

1.       Al-Khoei, Mu`jam Rijaal Al-Hadeeth, vol. 1, pg. 157, person # 37

محمد بن مسلم (Muhammad bin Muslim bin RiyyaaH Al-Thaqafee) is Thiqah according to:

1.       Al-Najaashee, Rijaal, pg. 324, person # 882

2.       Al-Hillee, Al-KhulaaSah, pg. 150, person # 50

3.       Al-Khoei, Mu`jam Rijaal Al-Hadeeth, vol. 17, pg. 247, person # 11779

أبي جعفر الباقر ع (our 5^th Imaam عليه السلام)

As you can see, these two aHaadeeth have impeccable chains that no one can question its authenticity. As I have mentioned before, there are many more aHaadeeth in other books with different chains that have this Hadeeth Al-Manzilah in them, some of them are really close to being fully SaHeeH with only 1 or 2 people being the weak link in the chain. Next time someone makes this baseless claim that the Hadeeth Al-Manzilah isn’t SaHeeH in the Shee`ah books, just present them with these aHaadeeth and that will answer their claim.

السلام عليكم