By the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
What
is Thaqalayn?
What is Thaqalayn?
Shortly after completing his final pilgrimage, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his progeny) made a proclamation to the entire Muslim community, known as the Hadeeth of Thaqalayn. It has been recorded in Sahih Muslim as follows:
Someday (after his last pilgrimage) the Messenger of Allah stood to give us a speech beside a pond which is known as Khum (Ghadir Khum) which is located between Mecca and Medina. Then he praised Allah and reminded Him, and then said: ‘O' people! Behold! It seems the time approached when I shall be called away (by Allah) and I shall answer that call. Behold! I am leaving for you two precious things. First of them is the book of Allah in which there is light and guidance, so hold fast to it and adhere to it... The other one is my Ahlul-Bayt. I remind you in the name of Allah about my Ahlul-Bayt. I remind you in the name of Allah about my Ahlul-Bayt. I remind you in the name of Allah about my Ahlul-Bayt.
[Sahih Muslim, Chapter of the Virtues of the Companions, [Hadeeth #031.5920]
Sadly, very few Muslims are aware of this hadeeth. Many will express their confusion regarding it, or even deny that it exists at all. Instead, some will cite a hadeeth recorded in al-Mustadrak al-Hakim, one of the six authentic Ahle Sunnah hadeeth collections, in which it is reported on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his progeny) said "I leave amongst you two things that if you follow or act upon, you will not go astray after me: The Book of Allah and my Sunnah."
A survey of the two variant ahadeeth reveals a startling discovery. The version that reads "The Book of Allah and my Sunnah" has been recorded in only one source (al-Mustadrak) while the version that reads "The Book of Allah and my Ahlul Bayt) has been recorded in over thirty different sources. These sources include Musnad Ahmed ibn Hanbal, Sahih Muslim, Sahih Tirmidhi, Mustadrak al-Hakim, and many others. Given such overwhelming evidence, it is strange to find that so many Muslims quote the weaker version of the hadeeth, even though the version that reads "The Book of Allah and my Ahlul Bayt" is far more authentic, by even the most stringent standards.
Different Interpretations of the Sunnah
All Muslims have been commanded, both in the Qur’an and in the authentic ahadeeth, to follow the Sunnah, or example, of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his progeny). In today's world, however, there is not just one version of the Sunnah. Disagreements over the validity of the transmitted ahdeeth resulted in numerous versions of Sunnah. All Muslims, as a result, splintered into different schools of thought, groups, and sects. Today there are Malikis, Hanbalis, Shafi'is, Hanifis, Salafis, etc. Each group upholds the version of the Sunnah that was propounded by their founder (e.g. Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab for Salafis, Ahmed ibn Hanbal for Hanbalis, etc.) and which they claim to be the true one.
Reason, however, dictates that they cannot all be following the truth. Which of these groups follows the true Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny)? Which one (out of 73 groups) will be the prosperous one and will survive? Other than the tradition of Sahih Muslim mentioned above, the following mutawatir (wholly authentic) version of Hadeth of Thaqalayn provides a unique, detailed answer for this question:
The messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) said: "I am leaving for you two precious and weighty Symbols (Al-Thaqalayn) that if you adhere to BOTH of them you shall not go astray after me. They are the Book of Allah and my progeny, that is my Ahlul Bayt. The Merciful has informed me that these two shall not separate from each other till they come to me by the Pool (of Paradise).
All Muslims -- Sunni’s and Shi’as alike -- consider this hadeeth to be 100% authentic. It has been narrated by so many sources and so many generations of Muslims that it is considered mutawatir, i.e. its authenticity is beyond doubt. Some of the famous Muslim scholars who have attested to its authenticity include:
1. Sahih al-Tirmidhi, v5, pp 662-663,328, report of 30+ companions, with reference to several chains of transmitters.
2. al-Mustadrak al-Hakim, Chapter of "Understanding (the virtues) of Companions, v3, pp 109,110,148,533 who wrote "this tradition is authentic (Sahih) based on the criteria of the two Shaikhs (Bukhari and Muslim)."
3. Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v3, pp 14, 17, 26, 59, v4, pp 366,370-372, v5, pp 182,189,350,366,419
4. Fadha'il al-Sahaba, by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v2, p585, Tradition #990
5. al-Khasa'is, by al-Nisa'i, pp 21,30
6. al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p230
7. al-Kabir, by al-Tabarani, v3, pp 62-63,137
8. Tafsir Ibn Kathir, under commentary of verse 42:23 of Quran (four traditions).
9. Abu Dawud, Sunan, as mentioned in Sibt ibn alJawzi, Tadhkirat khawass al’ummah, 322.
10. alBayhaqi, alSunan alkubra, ii, 148, vii, 30, x, 114
11. Ibn Taymiyyah, Minhaj alSunnah, iv, 85
12. Ibn Kathir, alBidayah wa alnihayah, v, 209, vi, 199, from alNasa’i, where he quotes alNasa’i’s statement that this narration is sahih.
13. adh-Dhahabi, Talkhis alMustadrak, iii, 109
On the Two Weighty Things:
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny) left behind him two weighty things, both of which command obedience. By exhorting the Muslims to follow BOTH the weighty things, the Hadeeth shows that the Qur’an and the Ahlul Bayt can never contradict each other, even in the slightest manner, and If a person were to follow only one of the two, he or she would be receiving only partial guidance. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny) also said that those who follow the two weighty things would "never go astray." This indicates infallibility of both the weighty things. If either the Qur’an or the Ahlul Bayt were fallible, it would be possible for people to be misguided by them, but that would render the Hadeeth futile, since the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his progeny) could never have ordered humanity to follow anything that could mislead others.
Importance of Following the Sunnah:
"... And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and from whatever he forbids you, keep back." [59:7]
Allah ordered Muslims to accept whatever the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) gave them. He left the Qur'an and the Ahlul-Bayt as his legacy, and said that those who followed them would never go astray. A simple survey of the different groups in the Muslim world today reveals that none of them follow both the Qur’an AND the Ahlul Bayt, except for those who are called Shi’a. This group is the only group that follows the "Two weighty things" left by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his progeny).
Thaqalayn Muslim Association
In response to the need for Muslims to organize themselves free from cultural, linguistic, sectarian, and regional boundaries, the Thaqalayn Muslim Association has been formed.
The heart and core of Thaqalayn Muslim Association (TMA) revolves around the two weighty things, al-Thaqalayn, of which the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny) said:
"I have been summoned (by Allah) and the moment is near for me to answer (to die). I leave among you the two weighty things: the Book of Allah the Almighty and my progeny; Allah’s book is (like) a rope extending from heaven to earth, and my progeny are the (Ahlul-Bayt). The Merciful informed me that the two will never part, until they come to me at the Pool (of Kawthar in Paradise), I warn you against deserting them."
Islam from our point of view has two sides. The first is revelation, al-tanzeel. The second is correct interpretation, al-ta’weel. Interpretation without revelation is impossible. Meanwhile revelation, without correct interpretation simply means deviation and loss of the message. Therefore we should look at revelation and correct interpretation as two sides of the same coin, al-Islam.
Upon this foundation, and only this foundation, does TMA rest. TMA is not affiliated with any organization. TMA encourages a diversity of opinions provided that they are expressed in a civilized and orderly fashion.
On this platform, TMA aims to:
Promote the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the purified Ahlul-Bayt.
Unite and defend the followers adhering to the Holy Qur’an and the Ahlul-Bayt from misconceptions and false propaganda.
Create bridges of peace, unity, and harmony amongst humankind in general and Muslims in particular.
To these ends, TMA has established a wide network of resources available to Muslim students throughout North America. As a final note, it is the belief of TMA that all of its members are valuable contributors. We are not a hierarchy of individuals, but are instead a closely-knit group of dedicated students working for the pleasure of Allah (SWT).
Yours Sincerely,
Thaqalayn Muslim Association