Hadith of Thulfiqar

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Hadith of Thulfiqar is a famous Hadith in Islam.

It is one of the primary hadiths used by the Shia to justify Ali's right in the Succession of Muhammad. The Sunnis interpret it otherwise.

1 The Narration
2 Sunni view
3 Reference
4 External links

[edit] The Narration

Muhammad is reported as saying during the battle of Uhud:

لا فتى إلا على لا سيف إلا ذو الفقار

La fata illa `Ali, La saif illa dhu 'l-fiqar."

"There is no man like Ali, there is no sword like Zulfiqar"

[edit] Sunni view

The Sunnis consider this report a forgery. It is recorded in the Tarikh of al-Tabari [v2 p197] on the authority of Muhammad ibn 'Ubaydullah ibn Abi Rafi' who is an unreliable narrator and Ibn al-Athir has copied this report from al-Tabari in his Kamil. Ibn Hajar al-Haythami states about Muhammad ibn 'Ubaydullah in Majma' al-Zawaid wa al-Minba' al-Fawaid [v1 p131]:

"He is disclaimed in his narrations."

Shams ul-Deen al-Dhahabi in al-Mizan al-I'tidal fi Naqd al-Rijal [v3 p634-635] has confirmed his unreliability from prominent Scholars like al-Bukhari, Yahya ibn Ma'in and Abu Hatim apart from his own testifaction of his weakness in narrating Hadith. He also records that Muhammad ibn 'Ubaydullah was amongst the Shi'i masses in Kufa according to Ibn 'Adi.

Apart from that, this report is missing from the major books of Hadith collections compiled by trustworthy people. It has no signs in authoritative texts like Sahih of al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ibn Hibban, Ibn Khuzayma, Muwatta of Imam Malik, Muhammad, Sunan of al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, al-Nisa'i, Ibn Majah, al-Darqutni, al-Darimi, Musnad of Imam Ahmed, Abu Ya'la, etc. but it does have entries in the books compiled in honor to discuss forgeries. Ibn al-Jawzi discusses the flawed chains of narrators of this Hadith in al-Mawduat [v1 p381-382] and states:

"This Hadith is not authentic."

Similarly, Muhammad ibn Ali al-Shawkani records it in al-Fawaid al-Majmu'a fi al-Ahadith al-Mawdu'a [p371] and then states:

"Narrated Marfu by Ibn 'Adi from Abi Rafi', in its chain of narrators is: 'Isa ibn Mehran, he was a Rafidhi ( the name Salafis call Shia), who narrated forgeries and Ibn al-Jawzi has included this tradition in al-Mawduat (the forgeries) and Ibn Hibban followed him in that."

And Ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi stated after recording it in al-Bidayah wa al-Nihaya [v7 p293]:

"Its chain of narrators is weak and this Hadith is rejected."

Please also refer to Al-La'ali' al-Masnu'a fi al-Ahadith al-Mawdu'a (The artificial pearls or forged hadiths) by Jalal al-Deen al-Suyuti [v1 p333]

Anyhow, this Hadith does not prove Ali's right in the succession of the Prophet as it is against the general Islamic concept of the Prophet being the best of examples proven from the Holy Quran, which makes him a better man than Ali and collapses the concept of "no man like Ali" being used as a proof of superiority for succession of the Prophet (saws). If a special man can be superior and better even after the explicit "no man", so can be another man for being special.

Shia's argue that this hadith does not claim ali is a better man....as the word 'fata' referrs to warrior and is a reference to ali's well known bravery and courage. All shia agree that the prophet is the perfect human being and a guidance for all and there will never and was never a more perfect man than him. However, one cannot deny the excellent qualities and closest relationship with the prophet of Ali.