Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Asalamoalikum Brother burhan!y

There is one hadith somethinglike this that tha prophet mohammad (SAW) said that "jiska main moula uska yeh moula Ali" .Brother can u explain me about this hadith that y Propher mohammad (SAW) said this ? .Or is this a sahih hadith or fabricated,brother plz reply me soon about this,

May Allah reward you the best.

Ma assalama 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Maula Ali hadith

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 6094 Narrated by Al-Bara' ibn Azib and Zayd ibn Arqam

When Allah's Messenger (saws) alighted at the pool of Khumm, he took Ali by the hand and asked those present, "Do you not know that I am closer to the believers than they themselves?" They replied, "Certainly." He (saws) then asked, "Do you not know that I am nearer to every believer than he himself?" They replied, "Certainly." He (saws) then said, "O Allah, he whose ‘Maula’ I am has Ali as his ‘Maula’. O Allah, be friendly to those who are friendly to him and hostile to those who are hostile to him." After that Hadrat Umar (r.a.) met him (Hadrat Ali (r.a.)) and said, "Congratulations, O son of Abu Talib. Morning and evening you are the ‘Maula’ of every believing man and woman."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 6082 Narrated by Zayd ibn Arqam

The Prophet (saws) said, "When I am anyone's ‘Maula’, Ali is his ‘Maula’ also."

The above statement is indeed considered amongst the authentic hadiths of the Noble Messenger of Allah (saws) according to the criteria of the eminent scholar Tirmidhi.

The Arabic term ‘Maula’ has many meanings depending on the context in which the term is used. It could mean a slave, a master of a slave, a leader, a friend, a patron, one who loves, one who follows, a companion, etc.

In the context of the above hadiths, where the Noble Messenger of Allah (saws) declared his noble companion and cousin, Hadrat Ali (r.a.) a ‘Maula’ of the believers, it is absolutely evident from the context that it would mean a friend or a patron of the believers. Without a doubt Hadrat Ali (r.a.) is a ‘Maula’ or friend or patron of the believers; but It is indeed unfortunate that some ignorant people have taken this specific hadith and specifically the term ‘Maula’ completely out of context, and have tried to propagate this hadith as evidence that Hadrat Ali (r.a.) was chosen the heir-apparent of the Prophet (saws) through this narration; whereas nothing could be further from the Truth! Instead of aligning their belief to the context of the Quran and the Sunnah, these ignorant people have tried to align the Quran and Sunnah to their set of beliefs!

The Messenger of Allah (saws) would occasionally praise some of his noble and eminent companions due to their selfless service in the Noble Cause of Allah Subhanah. Here are some examples of the authentic narrations regarding some of the most eminent and noble companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah be pleased with all of them); but that would in no way indicate or mean that the Messenger of Allah (saws) had chosen any of them as his heir-apparent!

Abu Ubaidah ibn Jarrah (r.a.):

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 5.87 Narrated by Anas bin Malik

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, " Every nation has an ‘Ameen’ (an extremely trustworthy man), and the ‘Ameen’ man of this (i.e. Muslim) Ummah is Abu 'Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah."

Umar al Khattab (r.a.):

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said, : “If there were to be a Prophet after me, it would have been Umar.”

Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r.a.) :

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 5.18 Narrated by Abu Huraira

I heard Allah's Messenger (saws) saying, "Anybody who spends a pair of something in Allah's Cause will be called from all the gates of Paradise, 'O Allah's slave! This is good.' He who is amongst those who pray will be called from the gate of the prayer (in Paradise) and he who is from the people of Jihad will be called from the gate of Jihad, and he who is from those who give in charity (i.e. Zakat) will be called from the gate of charity, and he who is amongst those who observe fast will be called from the gate of fasting, the gate of Raiyan." Abu Bakr asked, "Will anyone be called from all those gates, O Allah's Messenger (saws)?" He (saws) said, "Yes, and I hope you will be among those, O Abu Bakr."

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said, : “All of you (his companions) who have done favors on me, I have repaid them, except to Abu Baqr as Siddiq.”

Zubair ibn al Awwam (r.a.):

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 5.439 Narrated by Jabir

On the day of Al-Ahzab (i.e. clans), Allah's Messenger (saws) said, -Who will bring us the news of the people (i.e. the clans of Quraish infidels)?" Az-Zubair said, "I." The Prophet (saws) again said, "Who will bring us the news of the people?" Az-Zubair said, "I." The Prophet (saws) again said, "Who will bring us the news of the people?" Az-Zubair said, "I." The Prophet (saws) then said, "Every Prophet has his Hawari (i.e. disciple-special helper); my disciple is Az-Zubair."

Saad ibn Abi Waqqas (r.a.):

During the battle of Uhud, the Messenger of Allah (saws) told this brave fighter to shoot his arrows with the following words which he did not use for any of the other noble companions ever. He (saws) said to Hadrat Saad, “May my father and mother be sacrificed for you……”

Bilaal ibn Rabah (r.a.):

When the Messenger of Allah (saws) went to the heavens on the night of Mairaaj, he came back and told the companions that he heard the footsteps of Hadrat Bilaal in the highest heavens.

Hadrat Hassan ibn Thabit (r.a.):

This noble companion was a poet and used to answer the poetry of the disbelievers which they would make against Islam and the Messenger of Allah (saws). He was the only person whom the Messenger of Allah (saws) honored to stand along with him on his ‘mimbar’, and recite the answers to the disbelievers. This honor of standing together with the Prophet (saws) on his mimbar, was not given to any of the other companions.

Saad bin Muadh (r.a.):

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 5.147 Narrated by Jabir

I heard the Prophet (saws) saying, "The Throne (of Allah) shook at the death of Sad bin Muadh."

Uthman ibn Affan (r.a.):

During the preparations of the Battle of Tabuk, when Uthman donated a lot of money for this Cause and Jihad in the name of Allah, the Messenger of Allah (saws) said, : “Whatever Uthman does after this day, he will never incur a loss with Allah.”

The hadith quoted whereby the Prophet (saws) honored and called Hadrat Ali (r.a.) as a “Maula” or friend and patron of the believers is indeed considered authentic according to the criteria of the eminent recorder and documenter of hadith, Tirmidhi; but under no circumstances does the hadith allow Hadrat Ali (r.a.) to be the chosen heir-apparent or ‘wasi’ of the Prophet (saws) as propagated by some ignorant people, nor did Hadrat Ali (r.a.) ever claim to be one!

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan