Expressing Doubt or Negating Authenticity of News on Ghadir Khumm
The author of Tafsir al-Manar is a critic of Shia viewpoint on the story of Ghadir Khumm and leadership of Imam Ali (A.S). To begin, Rashid Reza considers this a scientific issue and warns fanatic scholars and people against expressing their opinions on Ghadir Khumm. He is of the opinion that the discord in ideas would harm Islamic unity. Then, he rejects all hadiths and narrations related to us by successive narrations, but proceeds himself with adding fuel to the discord ignorantly. He confesses himself that Ghadir Khumm event has been narrated by virtue of private documents and by various ways and means by Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Termezi, Nessaei, Ibn Majeh and Zahabi in their works, but says all hadiths have been issued after the formation of religious sects and their biased support of their followers. Consequently, he says, they are not reliable and authentic sources to prove the leadership of Islamic Ummah. He concludes that ultimately, these hadiths express friendship of the followers of Imam Ali (A.S) and enmity with his enemies.[1]
Response:
The news on Ghadir Khumm are based on successive and convincing narrations, expressed by 110 companions and 84 followers in over 360 books by the scientists of various Islamic sects in detail and in brief. One of the renowned Sunni exegetists is Fakhr Razi who has expressed 10 lists of the narrations of the companions, followers and exegetists. The author of Ghayat al-Maram has brought together 89 narrations from Sunni hadiths and 43 narrations from Shia scholars along with related earlier documents. Alusi and Rashid Reza had better criticize the authenticity of the documents and the manners of narration without considering these issues. This is because when a certain narration is rejected despite solid evidences, how can one trust a single narration that some Sunni scholars accept and trust it. Therefore, rejecting documents on Ghadir Khumm is not in conformity with any criterion.[2]
Translated by: Sadroddin Musawi
Notes:
[1] Al-Manar, Vol. 6, Pp. 466-467
[2] Refer to Al-Ghadir, Allameh Amini; Abaqat al-Anwar, Hamid Hussain Kintoori; Ehqaq al-Haq, Qazi Nurollah Shoushtari
Other links:
First Argument: Reviewing Doubts of some Sunni Exegetes and scholars about the Verse of Proclamation and Shia response
Second Argument: Reviewing Doubts of some Sunni Exegetes and scholars about the Verse of Proclamation and Shia Responses
Third Argument: Reviewing Doubts of some Sunni Exegetes and scholars about the Verse of Proclamation and Shia Responses
