wikishia:Featured Article/2018/3

Hadith al-Thaqalayn (Arabic: حَديث الثَّقَلَين, literally: hadith of the two weighty things) is a famous hadith from the Prophet (s) and has been numerously reported by different narrators (mutawatir). The Hadith implies that after the Holy prophet's (s) demise, people should follow the Qur'an and Ahl al-Bayt (a) and these two are inseparable.

The hadith is accepted by all Muslims, both Sunni and Shi'a, and has been mentioned in the hadith collections of all Islamic sects.

Relying on the hadith of thaqalayn, Shi'a scholars prove the necessity of Imam, necessity of infallibility of Imams, and the necessity of continuation of Imamate in all times.

The Holy Prophet (s): "Indeed I am leaving two things among you, to which if you hold yourself, you will never astray: the book of Allah –who is almighty and great- and my household (Ahl al-Bayt), my family ('itra). O people hear! And I have announced to you that: indeed you will enter my presence and I will ask you about what you did to the thaqalayn (two weighty things) and the thaqalayn are the book of Allah and my ahl al-bayt."

According to the book Hadith al-thaqalayn wa maqamat ahl al-bayt, the hadith has been narrated by 25 companions of the Prophet (s) in Sunni sources, some of which are:

1. Zayd b. Arqam: the hadith of thaqalayn is narrated through six chains of narration from him in the books: Sunan an-Nasa'i, al-Mu'jam al-kabir, Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Mustadrak al-Hakim, Musnad Ahmad.
2. Zayd b. Thabit: in Musnad Ahmad and al-Mu'jam al-kabir.
3. Jabir b. 'Abd Allah: in Sunan al-Tirmidhi, al-Mu'jam al-kabir, and al-Mu'jam al-awsat.
4. Hudhayfa b. Usayd: in al-Mu'jam al-kabir.
5. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri: in Musnad Ahmad and Du'afa' al-kabir.

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