Hadith of position
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Hadith-i manzilah 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.
In 9 A.H. (630 CE), Muhammad prepared to lead an expedition against Syria. This was the well-known expedition of Tabuk. He did not want to leave the capital city unguarded, since there were suspicions regarding the safety of the city, and decided to leave Ali behind as his deputy. Ali asked if he was going to be left behind with the women and children [1]. Muhammad is reputed to have said:
- "Are you not pleased to have the position (manzilah) in relation to me as that Aaron had in relation to Moses, except that after me there will be no other prophet?"
That was the only time Ali did not accompany Muhammad in a battle.
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[edit] Sunni view
Sunnis don't consider this hadith as a proclamation from Muhammad Ali to succeed him after his death. Ali and the prophet's companions thought then that the Prophet dishonored him by not letting him accompany him. Ali also had an illness in his eyes that could not see. The Prophet instructed several people to govern Medina while he was away in many battles. Aaron and his lineage were prohibited by the Law of Moses to take executive roles, but only religious ceremonial duties. Joshua, not the descendants of Aaron, led Israel after Moses. Sunnis consider Ali one of the best Muslims after the death of the Prophet. They do not see this hadith as assigning to Ali any greater merit than the many other hadiths have assigned to the other Companions of the Prophet such as Abu-Ubaidah of whom the Prophet said "You are the Secretary of this nation." such quotes only appear in sunni narrations while those in praise of Ali appear in both Sunni and shia ones
Sunnis also have a similar hadiths for the second Sunni Caliph Umar, the Hadith of Umar and prophecy.
[edit] Shia view
Shias, in addition to holding that this hadith was repeatedly mentioned by the prophet in a number of different occasions (e.g. brotherhood contract between the prophet and Ali), point out that the hadith is very general in its statement, particularly due to the word showing exception, indicating, to the word, a status for Ali with respect to the prophet exactly similar to that of Aaron with respect to Moses (with the exception of prophethood).
The shia point out that the Quran mentions (7:142) Moses having assigned Aaron as his successor during his retreat unto the Mount; additionally, they assert, the Quran has shed light onto Aaron's status with respect to Moses through the latter's well-known prayer:
20:25-32 (Moses) said:: "O my Lord! expand me my breast; Ease my task for me; And remove the impediment from my speech; So they may understand what I say; And give me a vizier (Minister) from my family; Aaron my brother; Add to my strength through him; And make him share my task..."
The shia also point out that this hadith, which makes use of a figurative reference, has the exact same implication of the more direct Hadith of Invitation in which the prophet is reported to have explicitly referred to Ali as his brother, inheritor and vicegerent (Arabic: Khalif).
[edit] See also
- Hadith of the pond of Khumm
- Hadith of the dinner invitation
- Hadith of the two weighty things
- Hadith of the ship
- Hadith of truth
- Hadith of the dinner invitation
[edit] References
- Dhakhad'ir- al-'uqba. p.63
- al-Fusul al-muhimmah, p.21
- Kifayat al-talib of Kaoji Shafi'l, Najaf, 1356,pp. l48-154
- Khasa'is, pp.19-25
- Sawa'iq al-muhriqah, p. l77
[edit] External Links
Sunni
- Sahih Bukhari 59.700
- Sahih Muslim 31.5914
- Ibn Kathir in his Al Bidayah wa-Nihayah, vol. VII. p. 339
Shia
- al-Bahrani's Ghâyat al-marâm wa-hujjat al-hisâm, p.109,: one hundred versions of this hadith have allegedly been recounted from Sunni sources and seventy from Shi'a sources.
- http://www.al-islam.org/peshawar/5.1.html; analysis of the generality of the hadith from the shia perspective
