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Hadith al-Aman
Issued byProphet (s)
NarratorsImam 'Ali (a), Ibn 'Abbas, Salama b. al-Akwa', Jabir b. Abd Allah al-Ansari, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri
Validity of the chain of transmissionMutawatir, Sahih
Shi'a sources'Uyun akhbar al-Rida (a), Amali of Shaykh al-Tusi, Kamal al-din of Shaykh al-Saduq
Sunni sourcesAl-Mustadrak, Fada'il al-Sahaba of Ibn Hanbal, Al-Mu'jam al-kabir of al-Tabarani


Hadith al-Amān (Arabic: حدیث الأمان) or Hadith al-Nujūm (Arabic: حدیث النجوم) is a prominent hadith attributed to the Prophet (s). It identifies the Ahl al-Bayt (a) as the ultimate source of security and salvation for the inhabitants of the earth, drawing a profound parallel to how the stars provide security for the inhabitants of the sky. This tradition is recorded with various phrasings in both Shi'a and Sunni sources, having been transmitted by the companions of the Prophet through numerous chains of transmission. The multiplicity of these chains is widely regarded by scholars as an indicator of the narrators' confidence in the hadith's authenticity. Al-Hakim al-Nishapuri, a distinguished Sunni hadith scholar, cited the tradition in his al-Mustadrak and classified it as sahih (authentic). Furthermore, certain Shi'a researchers categorize this hadith as Mutawatir (frequently transmitted).

According to specific narrations, the term "Ahl al-Bayt" refers exclusively to the Shi'a Imams. Consequently, Shi'a theologians interpret the Ahl al-Bayt's role as guarantors of terrestrial security as definitive evidence of the infallibility of the Imams, their superiority over others, and the theological validity of their Imamate. Grounded in Hadith al-Aman, the Ahl al-Bayt are viewed as the perpetual agents of guidance for humanity until the end of time, safeguarding mankind from descending into misguidance, disbelief, corruption, and sin.

In a selection of Sunni sources, the term "Sahaba" (companions) is substituted for "Ahl al-Bayt." However, these textual variations are widely considered fabricated due to inherent weaknesses in both their chains of transmission and their substantive content.

Text of the Hadith

Hadith al-Aman, occasionally referred to as Hadith al-Nujum,[1] is a celebrated tradition from the Prophet (s). It is narrated across both Shi'a[2] and Sunni[3] corpora with various wordings. The most predominantly cited iteration[4] reads: "Al-nujumu amanun li-ahli l-sama'i wa ahlu bayti amanun li-ahli l-ardi; The stars are the security for the people of the sky and my Ahl al-Bayt are the security for the people of the earth."[5] The phrase "people of the earth" (ahl al-ard) is expansively interpreted to encompass both human beings and Jinn.[6]

Certain narrative sources document the phrase "amanun li-ummati" (security for my Umma) in place of "amanun li-ahli l-ard," thereby explicitly designating the Ahl al-Bayt (a) as the security for the Prophet's (s) Umma.[7] Scholars contend that no contradiction exists between being the security for the earth's inhabitants and the security for the Islamic Umma; rather, this illustrates the rhetorical device of mentioning the specific (the Umma) alongside the general (people of the earth). Highlighting the Islamic Umma underscores its nobility and elevated status relative to other communities; nonetheless, the Ahl al-Bayt retain their indispensable role as the overarching security for the Islamic Umma, other communities, and all inhabitants of the earth.[8]

Explanation of the Hadith Text

Various sources append explanatory phrases to the standard narration, including: "If the stars fall, the people of the sky will perish, and if the Ahl al-Bayt are absent, the people of the earth will also perish."[9] In the exegesis attributed to Imam al-Hasan al-Askari (a), the Ahl al-Bayt are characterized as the means of the Umma's salvation from religious discord and misguidance, stipulating that whoever follows their path and Sunna will be preserved from destruction.[10] Al-Hakim al-Nishapuri narrates in al-Mustadrak 'ala al-sahihayn that the Ahl al-Bayt serve as the Umma's security against internal discord; should an Arab tribe oppose them, that tribe would effectively join the party of Satan.[11]

This hadith has also been narrated with slight variations by several Shi'a Imams, including Imam 'Ali (a),[12] Imam al-Sajjad (a),[13] and Imam al-Sadiq (a).[14]

According to Nasir Makarim Shirazi, a prominent Shi'a Marja', Hadith al-Aman asserts that the Ahl al-Bayt function much like stars, saving humanity from misguidance, corruption, disbelief, and sin. They illuminate the path toward the ultimate spiritual destination and prevent the distortion of Islam and its rulings. Just as the stars provide perpetual security for the sky—where as one sets, another rises—the guidance of the Ahl al-Bayt is continuous, ensuring their constant presence as beacons on the path of guidance.[15]

In Nahj al-balagha, Imam 'Ali (a) eloquently states: "The Family of Muhammad are like stars; whenever a star sets, another star rises."[16]

Authenticity and Documentation

Hadith al-Aman is reported to possess 22 independent chains of transmission[17] and has been transmitted through several prominent companions of the Prophet, including Imam 'Ali (a),[18] Jabir b. Abd Allah al-Ansari,[19] Ibn 'Abbas,[20] Salama b. al-Akwa',[21] and Abu Sa'id al-Khudri.[22][23] The Sunni scholar Al-Hakim al-Nishapuri narrated Hadith al-Aman from both Ibn 'Abbas and Jabir b. Abd Allah al-Ansari, formally classifying it as sahih.[24] The extensive number of chains is considered compelling evidence of the narrators' confidence that the hadith was genuinely issued by the Prophet.[25] Furthermore, some scholars argue that, based on established Sunni methodological principles—where a multiplicity of narrations effectively compensates for weaknesses in individual chains of transmission—this hadith is unequivocally authentic and reliable.[26]

According to Ali Rabbani Gulpaygani, a specialist in Shi'a theology, a comprehensive analysis of the hadiths narrated in both Shi'a and Sunni sources substantiates the claim that Hadith al-Aman is Mutawatir and directly originates from the Prophet (s).[27]

The chain featuring "Salama b. al-Akwa'" is recognized as the most renowned chain for this hadith, and its narrators are universally deemed trustworthy.[28]

Meaning of Ahl al-Bayt

Main article: Ahl al-Bayt (a)

In specific narrations, the term "Ahl al-Bayt (a)" within Hadith al-Aman is interpreted as a direct reference to the Shi'a Imams.[29] Conversely, certain Sunni scholars posit that "Ahl al-Bayt" denotes Fatima (a) and all her descendants, both direct and indirect.[30] From this perspective, the creation and continued preservation of the world are intrinsically contingent upon the Prophet (s), who, according to Qur'an 8:33, functions as the security of the Umma. The Ahl al-Bayt are inextricably linked to the Prophet in this capacity, acting as the security of the Umma and the preservers of the world; this is predicated on the view that his Ahl al-Bayt are comparable to the Prophet (s) in many respects, and through Fatima (a), they are fundamentally considered his flesh and blood (part/bad'a).[31]

Nasir Makarim Shirazi asserts that the term "Ahl al-Bayt" logically cannot refer to the Wives of the Prophet (s), as they lived during a strictly delimited period and played no enduring role in preventing discord or misguidance in subsequent eras.[32]

Theological Interpretations

Theologians have extrapolated several paramount principles regarding the Ahl al-Bayt from Hadith al-Aman, notably:

  • Infallibility of the Ahl al-Bayt: Muhammad Hasan al-Muzaffar, drawing heavily on Hadith al-Aman, posits that only those endowed with divine nobility and infallibility can legitimately serve as security for the people. He maintains that a sinner, inherently lacking security for themselves, is fundamentally incapable of providing it for others. Consequently, the explicit designation of the Ahl al-Bayt as security strongly implies their infallibility.[33] It is additionally argued that the Prophet's (s) depiction of the Ahl al-Bayt as stars of guidance and safeguards against misguidance logically necessitates their infallibility, as fulfilling such a role would be ostensibly impossible without it.[34] The narration preserved in Kifayat al-athar also contains explicit affirmations of the infallibility of the Ahl al-Bayt.[35]
  • Superiority of the Ahl al-Bayt: Hadith al-Aman is frequently cited as incontrovertible evidence for the Superiority of the Ahl al-Bayt (a), given that functioning as the source of security for the earth's inhabitants inherently signifies a spiritual rank vastly superior to that of the general populace.[36]
  • Imamate of the Ahl al-Bayt: In the scholarly estimation of Muhammad Hasan al-Muzaffar, this hadith serves not merely as proof of the infallibility and superiority of the Ahl al-Bayt (a), but crucially acts as one of the most robust theological arguments for their Imamate; once their unparalleled superiority and infallibility are firmly established, their intrinsic right to the Imamate is correlatively proven.[37]

The Sahaba as Security in Sunni Sources

In select Sunni sources, the word "ashabi" (my companions) is documented instead of "ahli bayti," thereby framing the companions of the Prophet (s) as the security of the Umma.[38] These specific narrations are generally classified as fabricated due to notable discrepancies within both their chains of transmission and their textual content.[39] A primary textual critique asserts that if the Prophet's (s) companions were genuinely the security of the earth or the Umma—meaning their total absence would precipitate destruction—then at least one companion would logically need to remain alive among the people at all times. Yet, definitive historical records confirm that all companions of the Prophet (s) had passed away by the end of the 1st/7th century.[40] Furthermore, critics emphasize that both the Qur'an[41] and historical consensus testify that certain companions committed grievous sins (such as the consumption of intoxicants) or succumbed to ideological deviations (such as hypocrisy), thereby rendering them categorically unfit to serve as the infallible security of the Umma.[42]

Certain Sunni sources also incorporate the statement: "My companions are like stars; whichever one of them you follow, you will be guided."[43] However, Shi'a scholars such as Nasir Makarim Shirazi[44] and Ja'far Subhani,[45] alongside prominent Sunni scholars including Abu Hayyan al-Andalusi and Ibn Hazm,[46] categorically reject this hadith as a fabrication, maintaining that the Prophet never uttered such words.

Notes

  1. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Payām-i Qur'ān, 1386 Sh, vol. 9, p. 85.
  2. ↑ For example see: Al-Tafsīr al-mansūb ilā l-Imām al-Ḥasan al-ʿAskarī, 1409 AH, p. 546; Al-Ṣadūq, ʿUyūn akhbār al-Riḍā (a), 1378 Sh, vol. 2, p. 27; Al-Ṭūsī, Al-Amālī, 1414 AH, pp. 259 & 379.
  3. ↑ For example see: Ibn Ḥanbal, Faḍāʾil al-ṣaḥāba, 1403 AH, vol. 2, p. 671; Al-Ḥākim al-Nayshābūrī, Al-Mustadrak ʿalā l-ṣaḥīḥayn, 1411 AH, vol. 2, p. 486 & vol. 3, pp. 162 & 517; Al-Ṭabarānī, Al-Muʿjam al-kabīr, vol. 7, p. 22; Ibn ʿAsākir, Tārīkh madīnat Dimashq, 1415 AH, vol. 40, p. 20.
  4. ↑ Rabbānī Gulpāygānī & Fāṭimīniyād, "Ḥadīth-i amān wa imāmat-i ahl-i bayt ʿalayhim al-salām", pp. 9-10.
  5. ↑ Khazzāz al-Qummī, Kifāyat al-athar, 1401 AH, pp. 29 & 210; Ibn Ḥanbal, Faḍāʾil al-ṣaḥāba, 1403 AH, vol. 2, p. 671; Al-Qāḍī al-Nuʿmān, Sharḥ al-akhbār, 1409 AH, vol. 2, p. 502 & vol. 3, pp. 10 & 13; Al-Ṭabarī, Dhakhāʾir al-ʿuqbā, 1356 AH, p. 17.
  6. ↑ Rabbānī Gulpāygānī & Fāṭimīniyād, "Ḥadīth-i amān wa imāmat-i ahl-i bayt ʿalayhim al-salām", p. 18.
  7. ↑ For example see: Al-Ṣadūq, ʿUyūn akhbār al-Riḍā (a), 1378 Sh, vol. 2, p. 27; Al-Ṭūsī, Al-Amālī, 1414 AH, pp. 259 & 379; Al-Ḥākim al-Nayshābūrī, Al-Mustadrak ʿalā l-ṣaḥīḥayn, 1411 AH, vol. 2, p. 486 & vol. 3, pp. 162 & 517; Al-Ṭabarī, Dhakhāʾir al-ʿuqbā, 1356 AH, p. 17.
  8. ↑ Rabbānī Gulpāygānī & Fāṭimīniyād, "Ḥadīth-i amān wa imāmat-i ahl-i bayt ʿalayhim al-salām", p. 18.
  9. ↑ See: Al-Ṣadūq, Kamāl al-dīn wa tamām al-niʿma, 1395 AH, vol. 1, p. 205; Ibn Ḥanbal, Faḍāʾil al-ṣaḥāba, 1403 AH, vol. 2, p. 671.
  10. ↑ Al-Tafsīr al-mansūb ilā l-Imām al-Ḥasan al-ʿAskarī, 1409 AH, p. 546.
  11. ↑ Al-Ḥākim al-Nayshābūrī, Al-Mustadrak ʿalā l-ṣaḥīḥayn, 1411 AH, vol. 3, p. 162.
  12. ↑ Al-Laythī al-Wāsiṭī, ʿUyūn al-ḥikam wa l-mawāʿiẓ, 1376 Sh, p. 165; Tamīmī Āmidī, Ghurar al-ḥikam wa durar al-kalim, 1410 AH, p. 262.
  13. ↑ Al-Ṣadūq, Kamāl al-dīn wa tamām al-niʿma, 1395 AH, vol. 1, p. 207.
  14. ↑ Ibn Qūlawayh, Kāmil al-ziyārāt, 1356 Sh, p. 36; Ibn ʿUqda al-Kūfī, Faḍāʾil Amīr al-Muʾminīn (a), 1424 AH, p. 138.
  15. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Payām-i Qur'ān, 1386 Sh, vol. 9, pp. 89-90.
  16. ↑ Al-Sharīf al-Raḍī, Nahj al-balāgha, Sermon 100, p. 146.
  17. ↑ Rabbānī Gulpāygānī & Fāṭimīniyād, "Ḥadīth-i amān wa imāmat-i ahl-i bayt ʿalayhim al-salām", p. 11.
  18. ↑ Ibn Ḥanbal, Faḍāʾil al-ṣaḥāba, 1403 AH, vol. 2, p. 671; Al-Ṭabarī, Dhakhāʾir al-ʿuqbā, 1356 AH, p. 17.
  19. ↑ Al-Ḥākim al-Nayshābūrī, Al-Mustadrak ʿalā l-ṣaḥīḥayn, 1411 AH, vol. 2, p. 486.
  20. ↑ Al-Ṭūsī, Al-Amālī, 1414 AH, p. 379; Al-Ḥākim al-Nayshābūrī, Al-Mustadrak ʿalā l-ṣaḥīḥayn, 1411 AH, vol. 3, p. 162.
  21. ↑ Al-Qāḍī al-Nuʿmān, Sharḥ al-akhbār, 1409 AH, vol. 3, p. 13; Al-Ṭabarī, Dhakhāʾir al-ʿuqbā, 1356 AH, p. 17.
  22. ↑ Khazzāz al-Qummī, Kifāyat al-athar, 1401 AH, p. 29.
  23. ↑ See: Shūshtarī, Iḥqāq al-ḥaqq, 1409 AH, vol. 9, pp. 294-308 & vol. 18, pp. 323-330.
  24. ↑ Al-Ḥākim al-Nayshābūrī, Al-Mustadrak ʿalā l-ṣaḥīḥayn, 1411 AH, vol. 2, p. 486.
  25. ↑ Rabbānī Gulpāygānī & Fāṭimīniyād, "Ḥadīth-i amān wa imāmat-i ahl-i bayt ʿalayhim al-salām", p. 11.
  26. ↑ Rabbānī Gulpāygānī & Fāṭimīniyād, "Ḥadīth-i amān wa imāmat-i ahl-i bayt ʿalayhim al-salām", p. 13.
  27. ↑ "Imamate Lesson - Al-Muraja'at - Professor Rabbani", Eshia website.
  28. ↑ Rabbānī Gulpāygānī & Fāṭimīniyād, "Ḥadīth-i amān wa imāmat-i ahl-i bayt ʿalayhim al-salām", pp. 11-13.
  29. ↑ See: Al-Ṣadūq, ʿIlal al-sharāʾiʿ, 1385 Sh, vol. 1, p. 124; Khazzāz al-Qummī, Kifāyat al-athar, 1401 AH, p. 29.
  30. ↑ Samhūdī, Jawāhir al-ʿiqdayn, 1405 AH, vol. 2, pp. 124-125; Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī, Al-Ṣawāʿiq al-muḥriqa, 1417 AH, vol. 2, p. 446.
  31. ↑ Samhūdī, Jawāhir al-ʿiqdayn, 1405 AH, vol. 2, pp. 124-125; Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī, Al-Ṣawāʿiq al-muḥriqa, 1417 AH, vol. 2, p. 446.
  32. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Payām-i Qur'ān, 1386 Sh, vol. 9, p. 90.
  33. ↑ Al-Muẓaffar, Dalāʾil al-ṣidq, 1422 AH, vol. 6, p. 259.
  34. ↑ See: Makārim Shīrāzī, Payām-i Qur'ān, 1386 Sh, vol. 9, p. 90; Rabbānī Gulpāygānī & Fāṭimīniyād, "Ḥadīth-i amān wa imāmat-i ahl-i bayt ʿalayhim al-salām", p. 31.
  35. ↑ Khazzāz al-Qummī, Kifāyat al-athar, 1401 AH, p. 29.
  36. ↑ See: Ibn ʿAṭiyya, Abhā al-midād, 1423 AH, vol. 1, p. 819; Al-Muẓaffar, Dalāʾil al-ṣidq, 1422 AH, vol. 6, p. 259.
  37. ↑ Al-Muẓaffar, Dalāʾil al-ṣidq, 1422 AH, vol. 6, p. 259.
  38. ↑ For example see: Muslim al-Nayshābūrī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, vol. 4, p. 1961; Al-Ṭabarānī, Al-Muʿjam al-kabīr, vol. 11, p. 53 & vol. 20, p. 360.
  39. ↑ See: Zaynalī, "Ḥadīth-i amān", pp. 56-61.
  40. ↑ See: Zaynalī, "Ḥadīth-i amān", pp. 56-57.
  41. ↑ For example see: Qur'an 24:11-12; Qur'an 9:101.
  42. ↑ See: Zaynalī, "Ḥadīth-i amān", pp. 58-61.
  43. ↑ Ibn ʿAsākir, Tārīkh madīnat Dimashq, 1415 AH, vol. 22, p. 359.
  44. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Payām-i Qur'ān, 1386 Sh, vol. 9, p. 91.
  45. ↑ Subḥānī, Al-Ilāhiyyāt, 1412 AH, vol. 4, p. 443.
  46. ↑ See: Abū Ḥayyān al-Andalusī, Al-Baḥr al-muḥīṭ, 1420 AH, vol. 6, pp. 582-583.

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