Hadith Silsilat al-Dhahab: Difference between revisions

The Golden Chain Hadith is a short narration given by Imam al-Rida (a) on his way to Marw through Nishapur, on the unity of God and one of its main conditions. Since all the narrators of this hadith are the infallible Imams (a), all the way to the Noble Prophet (s), whom himself has narrated it from God, thus it has been called Silsilat al-dhahab, which means Golden Chain.

The text of the hadith as recorded by [[al-Shaykh al-Saduq]] in his Kitab al-Tawhid is as follows:

“There is no lord but Allah” is my stronghold, thus whomever enters my stronghold shall be safe from my punishment. When the caravan started to move [Imam al-Rida (a)] said: [but ofcourse] it has conditions, and I am one of its conditions.”

==Explanation==

This hadith is famously called Hadith Silsilat al-dhahab (The Golden Chain Hadith) because of its chain of narrators whom are all infallibles, starting from Imam al-Rida (a) who quotes the seventh Imam, who narrates from the sixth Imam and goes all the way to the first Imam who himself has obtained it from the Noble Prophet (s) who has received it from God. Therefore, this narration is a [[hadith qudsi]].

After narrating this hadith in his Kitab al-Tawhid, al-Shaykh al-Saduq writes, “The meaning of what the Imam (a) said is that one of the conditions of [confessing to] “There is no god but God” is confessing to his Imamate and that he was appointed by God as the Imam who must be obeyed.”