As long as you adhere to these two you will never ever go astray after me.

As long as you adhere to these two you will never ever go astray after me.’310 In another tradition he said: ‘I am leaving with you two successors (khal:fatayn) - the book of Alla>h which is a rope extending between heaven and earth, and my family the people of my house (). They will never separate until they join me at the well of Paradise.’311 He also said: ‘I am leaving with you two successors - the book of Allah and the people of my house.

These two will never separate until they both join me at the well of Paradise.’312 He also said: ‘I am leaving behind me two things so you will never go astray - the book of Alla>h and my lineage. They will never separate until they join me at the well of Paradise.’313 He also said: ‘I shall shortly die and I have left with you the two weighty things - the book of Alla>h and the people of my house. You will never go astray with these two things.’314 6.

The tradition of the Ark The Messenger of Alla>h (N) likened the people of his house to the ark of the prophet Noah (a.s.) saying: ‘The similitude of the people of my house () amongst you is as the ark of Noah amongst his nation - whoever boards it will be saved and whoever lags behind it will drown.’315 He also said: ‘The stars protect the people of the earth from drowning. The people of my house protect my nation from disputing.

If an Arab tribe goes against them they will fall into dispute and they will become the party of the devil.’316 Shi!ism in the eyes of Sunni scholars Islam makes Muslim unity mandatory as Almighty Alla>h has said: eThis is your nation - a single nation, and I am your Lord so worship mef317 Therefore for Muslims to distance themselves from one another goes against the commandments of Islam and goes against what the great Sunni scholars have said throughout history.

Here are some examples: Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi In his book mizan al-iatidal, al-Dhahab: said: ‘Shiism was frequent amongst the generation after the Prophet (tabieYn) and in subsequent generations together with religiosity, piety and truthfulness.

Were the traditions narrated by these people (the Sh:!a) to be rejected then the whole body of the Prophetic traditions would be lost.’318 The great scholar Sharaf al-D:n al-MYs"w: in his valuable book al-mur"ja!"t mentions the names of one hundred Sh:!a men from whom the scholars of traditions and others have obtained their sources.319 Shaykh Shaltut Modern scholars are no different to their predecessors in this regard.