The necessity of following the teachings of the household of prophet Muhammad(pbuh) becomes crystal clear when we refer to the traditions from the Prophet about his household, and examine sayings of Sunni scholars about the knowledge of Ali and members of the household of the Prophet. For example, Imam Malik [1] says:
“No eyes have seen, no ears have heard, and nothing has come to the heart of any human being better than Ja’far[2] b. Muhammad in his knowledge, in his piety, in his asceticism and in his servitude to God.”
This is what Ibn Taymiyah reports from Imam Malik in his book. [3]
The Tradition of Noah’s Ark
The other hadith is the hadith of Safinah (ship). All Muslims have narrated that the Prophet said:
“Be aware that surely the example of my household among you is like the example of the ship of Noah. Whoever boarded the ship of Noah was saved and whoever refused to enter the ship of Noah was drowned.”[4]
Noting that the ark of Noah was a place of refuge and a means of salvation for when the great storm came, this truth becomes clear that the Islamic ummah will be saved in the storm which came after the death of the Prophet through the Ahlul Bayt. Thus, according to this hadith and its likes, the appeal to the guidance of the household of the Prophet is of the utmost necessity.
Noting that the ark of Noah was a place of refuge and a means of salvation for when the great storm came, this truth becomes clear that the Islamic ummah will be saved in the storm which came after the death of the Prophet through the Ahlul Bayt. Thus, according to this hadith and its likes, the appeal to the guidance of the household of the Prophet is of the utmost necessity.
[1] He was one of the respected scholars of fiqh inSunni Islam. TheMaliki Madhab/, named after Malik, is one of the four schools of jurisprudence that are followed by Sunni Muslims to this day. Imam Malik was a student of Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq.
[2] commonly known as Jaʿfar al-Sadiq or simply al-Sadiq (The Truthful), is the sixth Shia Imam. He was a descendant of Imam Ali and Lady Fatimah.
[3] Al-Ta wassul wa al-Wasila h, p. 52, firs t edition.
«ما رأت عین ولا سمعت اذن ولا خطر على قلب بشر افضل من جعفر بن محمّد الصادق علماً وعبادة وورعاً»
[4] «اِنَّ مَثَل اَهل بَیتی فی اُمَّتی کَمَثلِ سَفینةِ نوح، مَن رَکَبَها نَجی وَ مَن تَخَلَّفَ عَنها غَرِق
The hadith of Safinah in its different versions can be found in different Sunni books. For example, it can be found in Mustadrak by Hakim Nishaburi, Vol. 3, pp. 149&151, Arba’in Hadith by Nabahani, al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah by Ibn Hajar amongst other sources.
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