We find in this hadīth the order of the Messenger of Allāh (ṣ)...

We find in this hadīth the order of the Messenger of Allāh (ṣ), as clearly as can be, that we should uphold Ahlul Bayt (‘a) after his demise, and that such upholding, in addition to adhering to the Glorious Qur’ān, is the condition for one’s salvation versus straying. Although Muslim and many other scholars of hadīth from among the Sunnis have included this hadīth in their Sahīh and musnad books, it is to my great amazement that I find most Sunnis not familiar with it.

They deny it when they hear about it, as if it does not exist, saying that what is accurate in this regard is what Abū Hurayrah had said, that is, the Messenger of Allāh (ṣ) said, “I have left among you two things that will never let you stray so long as you adhere to them or act upon them: the Book of Allāh and my Sunnah.”[^3] Having investigated the source of this tradition, I found out that it was not recorded in any of the Sahīh books.

Al-Bukhāri, al-Nisā’i, al-Dhahabi and others have labelled it as “weak” ^4 . It is narrated by al-Hākim in his Mustadrak which, according to the consensus of Sunni scholars, is regarded as being less [in prestige] than the Sahīh book of Muslim who stated it in this wording: “...the Book of Allāh and my ‘itrat , my Ahlul Bayt (‘a).” Even if we suppose there is no difference between both narratives, we have to surrender to the fact that what is meant by the phrase “my Sunnah”, as it exists in al-Hākim’s narrative, is the Sunnah derived from the venue of the Household of the Prophet (ṣ), not from that of others, as is quite obvious in Muslim’s narrative.

As for sticking to the narrative of al-Hākim wherein he says, “... the Book of Allāh and my Sunnah,” rejecting Muslim’s version of “...

the Book of Allāh and my ‘itrat , my Ahlul Bayt (‘a),” This goes against not only the consensus of the Sunni scholars of hadīth, who all regard the traditions narrated by Muslim with higher regards than those narrated by al-Hākim, it is also contrary to logic and reason because the word “Sunnah” by itself as narrated by al-Hākim does not convey a specific meaning, since all Islamic sects claim they follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (ṣ).

Moreover, there are many differences among these sects, and the reasons behind such differences are rendered to the differences in how the Prophet’s Sunnah was transmitted to them, i.e. through various venues, the Sunnah which explains and complements the Holy Qur’ān, the Sunnah the accuracy of which is agreed upon by all Islamic sects.