The Hadith of Position ( ar, حديث المنزلة, translit=hadith al-manzila) is a widely-reported saying ( ) attributed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad which equates the standing of his cousin Ali to him with the standing of

Aaron According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron ''′aharon'', ar, هارون, Hārūn, Greek (Septuagint): Ἀαρών; often called Aaron the priest ()., group="note" ( or ; ''’Ahărōn'') was a prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of ...

Moses Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu ( Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pr ...

, with the exception that Ali is not a prophet. In

Shia Islam Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, mos ...

, this hadith signifies Ali's usurped right to succeed Muhammad. In

Sunni Islam Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disag ...

, the Hadith of Position primarily supports the finality of Muhammad in the chain of prophets.

Hadith of Position

Ibn Hisham Abū Muḥammad ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Hishām ibn Ayyūb al-Ḥimyarī al-Muʿāfirī al-Baṣrī ( ar, أبو محمد عبدالملك بن هشام ابن أيوب الحميري المعافري البصري; died 7 May 833), or Ibn Hisham, e ...

() ascribes to Muhammad that A slightly different wording of this hadith appears in the canonical Sunni collection ''

Sahih Muslim Sahih Muslim ( ar, صحيح مسلم, translit=Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim), group=note is a 9th-century '' hadith'' collection and a book of '' sunnah'' compiled by the Persian scholar Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj (815–875). It is one of the most valued b ...

.'' This tradition is also found in the canonical Sunni works ''

Sahih al-Bukhari Sahih al-Bukhari ( ar, صحيح البخاري, translit=Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī), group=note is a ''hadith'' collection and a book of '' sunnah'' compiled by the Persian scholar Muḥammad ibn Ismā‘īl al-Bukhārī (810–870) around 846. A ...

'', ''

Sahih at-Tirmidhi Jami at-Tirmidhi ( ar, جامع الترمذي), also known as Sunan at-Tirmidhi, is one of "the six books" ('' Kutub al-Sittah'' - the six major hadith collections). It was collected by Al-Tirmidhi. He began compiling it after the year 250 A.H. ...

'', and ''Sunan Ibn Maja''. In particular, '' Musnad Ibn Hanbal'' includes ten different traditions containing the above sentence. The hadith also exists with similar wordings in Shia sources, including the canonical ''

Kitab al-kafi ''Al-Kafi'' ( ar, ٱلْكَافِي, ', literally "''The Sufficient''") is a Twelver Shia hadith collection compiled by Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni. It is divided into three sections: ''Uṣūl al-Kāfī'', dealing with epistemology, theolo ...

''.

Context

The Hadith of Position is associated with multiple occasions, including the two pacts of brotherhood between Muhammad and Ali, one before and one shortly after the migration to

Medina Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the Holiest sites in Islam, second-holiest city in Islam, ...

. Muhammad also made this biblical analogy at

Ghadir Khumm The Ghadīr Khumm ( ar, غَدِير خُم) refers to a gathering of Muslims to attend a sermon delivered by the Islamic prophet Muhammad on 16 March 632 CE (18 Dhu al-Hijjah 10 AH). The gathering is said to have taken place at the Ghadir K ...

, as noted by Donaldson and Poonawala. Most frequently, however, the Hadith of Position is linked to the Expedition of Tabuk in 9-10/630-631 against the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

. Muhammad is said to have left Ali in charge at Medina before leaving on his longest expedition. Afterwards, rumors began to spread by the hypocrites (s), saying that Ali was left behind because he was a burden to Muhammad, according to the Sunni

(). Upon hearing this, the account continues, Ali left Medina and caught up (possibly in al-Jurf) with Muhammad, who reassured him, "Are you not content, Ali, to stand to me as Aaron stood to Moses, except that there will be no prophet after me?" The Shia

al-Mufid Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu'man al-'Ukbari al-Baghdadi, known as al-Shaykh al-Mufid () and Ibn al-Mu'allim (c.9481022 CE), was a prominent Twelver Shia theologian. His father was a teacher (''mu'allim''), hence the name Ibn ...

() includes a more detailed response in his famous ''

Kitab al-irshad ''Al-Irshad'' ( fa, ارشاد), also called the ''Book of Guidance into the Lives of the 12 Imams,'' is a biography of the lives of the 12 Shia Imams. It describes their historical circumstances, miracles and virtues. The book also includes evidenc ...

.'' Most accounts of the expedition hold that Ali was the one left in charge of Medina, including those found in ''Sahih''s by al-Bukhari,

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

, and al-Tirmidhi''.'' Some Sunni authors place others in charge of Medina: Al-Halabi () names three candidates, while

Ibn Kathir Abū al-Fiḍā’ ‘Imād ad-Dīn Ismā‘īl ibn ‘Umar ibn Kathīr al-Qurashī al-Damishqī (Arabic: إسماعيل بن عمر بن كثير القرشي الدمشقي أبو الفداء عماد; – 1373), known as Ibn Kathīr (, was ...

() and Mughulta'i () name two. In particular, Ibn Kathir includes an account that Ali was left only in charge of Muhammad's family and not Medina, though he also acknowledges the opposite view of the ''Sahih''s. Related to this biblical analogy, Muhammad is said to have named the two sons of Ali and

Fatima Fāṭima bint Muḥammad ( ar, فَاطِمَة ٱبْنَت مُحَمَّد}, 605/15–632 CE), commonly known as Fāṭima al-Zahrāʾ (), was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his wife Khadija. Fatima's husband was Ali, ...

as Hasan and Husayn after the two sons of Aaron, namely, Shabbar and Shabbir. Hyder writes that this connection is well-known today in

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;; ...

, and in Persian and

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Abbas.

Status of Aaron

The

Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , ...

and the rabbinic literature are replete with references to the special status of Aaron and his progeny, writes Miskinzoda. In verses 20:29-32 of the Quran, Moses asks God to include his brother Aaron in his prophetic mission. His prayer is answered by God, as evidenced by verses 20:36-42, 25:35, and 28:35. Aaron thus becomes the chosen associate of Moses in his prophetic mission and in revelation, as described in verses 21:48-9 and 2:248. In

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' aron Aron may refer to: Characters *Aron (comics), from the Marvel Universe comic ''Aron! HyperSpace Boy!'' *Aron (Pokémon), in the ''Pokémon'' franchise * Aron Trask, from John Steinbeck's novel ''East of Eden'' *Áron or Aaron, the brother of Mos ...

My covenant of peace. And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood." This divine elevation of the prophets' families above others is a recurring theme in the Quran, where the families of Muhammad and the past prophets are given a prominent role. In particular, after the past prophets, God often selects the spiritual and material heirs to the prophets from their own kin.

Golden calf

Aaron failed to prevent the Banu Israil from returning to idolatry, notes Miskinzoda. She also suggests that Aaron joined the Banu Israil in worshiping their idol, though this is rejected by Nasr et al. who write that Aaron rebuked the Banu Israil and enjoined them to worship God in verse 20:90 of the Quran. Lumbard writes that verse 20:88 identifies Samiri as responsible for this transgression.

Shia and Sufi views

In Shia and

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...

sources, Moses represents the function of prophecy () and Aaron that of sainthood (), as with Muhammad and Ali, respectively. In Isma'ili Shia, Moses is counted as one of the seven "speaking" prophets who revealed God's law, whereas Aaron is one of the seven "silent" prophets who convey the hidden truths of God's revelation to a select group of believers.

Significance in Shia Islam

Succession to Muhammad

As early as al-Kulayni (), Shia authors have used the Hadith of Position to argue for the special status of Ali and his designation as the successor of Muhammad. For instance, al-Mufid writes that this hadith invested in Ali all the privileges which Aaron had received from Moses except prophethood. In particular, Ali was the deputy of Muhammad just as Aaron was the deputy of Moses, which implies that Ali was the rightful successor to Muhammad. Similarly, the contemporary

Aslan Aslan () is a major character in C. S. Lewis's ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' series. Unlike any other character, he appears in all seven chronicles of the series. Aslan is depicted as a talking lion, and is described as the King of Beasts, the ...

notes the succession of the previous prophets by their kin in the Quran and invokes the analogy between Ali and Aaron. Based on these, he argues that Ali was the natural successor of Muhammad and his exclusion from the Saqifa affair after Muhammad's death in 632 was a deliberate move reflecting the Quraysh's fear that combining prophethood and

caliphate A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...

in the

Banu Hashim ) , type = Qurayshi Arab clan , image = , alt = , caption = , nisba = al-Hashimi , location = Mecca, Hejaz Middle East, North Africa, Horn of Africa , descended = Hashim ibn Abd Manaf , parent_tribe = ...

(Muhammad's clan) would have made them too powerful. A conversation to this effect between the Hashemite Ibn Abbas and the second caliph

Umar ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate ...

is cited by Madelung and Momen.

Imamate

A broader Shia interpretation of this hadith is that its biblical analogy attaches the authority of Ali and his descendants to the authority of Muhammad, implying that the political and spiritual leadership of the Shia Imams is the natural continuation of Muhammad's prophetic authority. In connection with this hadith, Mavani notes the Shia belief that the Imams have inherited the prophet's esoteric knowledge and his functions, excluding only direct revelation. In particular, the divinely-inspired Imams are the interpreters par excellence of the inner dimension () of the Quran, and these two "weights" are said to never separate in the prophetic Hadith al-Thaqalayn.

Significance in Sunni Islam

Al-Shahrastani () argues that the descendants of Muhammad have special knowledge of the Quran, just as the descendants of Aaron posses a special version of the

Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...

.' In his commentary of ''Sahih Muslim'',

al-Nawawi Abū Zakariyyā Yaḥyā ibn Sharaf al-Nawawī ( ar, أبو زكريا يحيى بن شرف النووي;‎ (631A.H-676A.H) (October 1230–21 December 1277), popularly known as al-Nawawī or Imam Nawawī, was a Sunni Shafi'ite jurist and ...

() acknowledges the Shia implications of this hadith. So do al-Halabi in his ''al-Sira'' and the contemporary Siddiqi in his edition of ''Sahih al-Muslim.'' Despite its Shia coloring, the Hadith of Position nevertheless remains prominent in Sunni sources as one of the most important pieces of evidence supporting the finality of Muhammad in the chain of prophets.'

Debates

In response to the Shia claims, Sunni scholars argue that the Hadith of Position is irrelevant to Muhammad's succession because Aaron died before Moses. The Shia Sharif al-Murtaza () counters that had Aaron survived Moses, the former would have surely succeeded the latter. The Shia al-Kulayni adds that Moses' successor

Joshua Joshua () or Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' lit. 'Yahweh is salvation') ''Yēšūaʿ''; syr, ܝܫܘܥ ܒܪ ܢܘܢ ''Yəšūʿ bar Nōn''; el, Ἰησοῦς, ar , يُوشَعُ ٱبْنُ نُونٍ '' Yūšaʿ ...

later designated the progeny of Aaron to succeed him instead of his own or Moses'. Al-Kulayni suggests that Joshua did so because it was the divine choice. The Sunni Siddiqi refutes the Shia interpretation of the Hadith of Position, saying that it refers to the family relationship between Muhammad and Ali rather than the caliphate. He argues, "Aaron was the cousin of Moses and so was the case with Ali and the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him)."' Alternatively, Miskinzoda notes that the Quran frequently refers to Aaron as a brother of Moses in verses 7:142, 19:53, and 28:25. In Jewish tradition,

Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * E ...

6:20 similarly holds that

Jochebed According to the Bible, Jochebed (; hbo, יוֹכֶבֶד, translit=Yōḵeḇeḏ, lit= YHWH is glory) was a daughter of Levi and mother of Miriam, Aaron and Moses. She was the wife of Amram, as well as his aunt. No details are given concern ...

bore Amran (Imran) his sons Aaron and Moses.' That Aaron was Moses' brother whereas Ali was Muhammad's cousin is a limitation of this biblical analogy for Miskinzoda. She suggests that the two pacts of brotherhood () between Muhammad and Ali partially addressed this limitation by emphasizing the closeness of the two men.'

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

The Hadith of the Analogy "You Are to Me Like Aaron to Moses"

Peshawar Nights (Fifth Session, Tuesday night, 27th Rajab 1345 A.H.)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hadith Of Position Hadith Ali Shia Islam Sunni Islam