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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books A Distortion in Thaqalain Tradition Part 3: A reflection on the text of this tradition and its meaning Fabricated Tradition Given the preceding discussions, it is clear that the tradition containing the word ‘thaqalain’ (two weighty things) and its likes has no originality and is not thus correct. This is because one cannot trace any tradition containing any recommendation to ‘Book and Tradition’ under the heading ‘thaqalain’ in Sihah or Masanid.

The traditions that have appeared in some books – though they have originally appeared in al-Muwatta and Hakim’s al-Mustadrak- have no sound basis, particularly the rare versions of this tradition that is together with this phrase: the Holy Prophet (s) made this comment in his sermon in Farewell Hajj.

The motive and goal of the inventor There is a strong probability that those who invented this tradition with this text aimed at confronting and challenging the real „thaqalain‟ tradition by this invented tradition. The real thaqalain tradition is the tradition that is a matter of consensus among Muslims and there exists certainty that the Holy Prophet (s) has mentioned it.

The real ‘Thaqalain’ tradition The Holy Prophet (s) has presented thaqalain tradition in different places, the most well-known of which is Ghadir where the Holy Prophet (s) after performing his Farewell Hajj gave his well-known Ghadir sermon. This is where he recommended his community to hold fast to the Book and Tradition and ordered them to follow these two precious things and stop opposing them. ....

و قد ترکت فیکم ما ان اخذتم بهما لن تضلوا بعدی: کتاب هللا و اهل بیتی “… I left something among you. As long as you hold fast to them, you will never go astray after me: Allah’s Book and my progeny”. [^1] The Holy Prophet (s) in this sermon says emphatically that as long as his community holds fast to the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet’s progeny (which do not separate from each other until they join him by the pool), they will not go astray.

Thaqalain Tradition and its Narrators Numerous narrators including hundreds of Hadith scholars and Huffaz (memorizers of traditions), belonging to various centuries, have narrated thaqalain tradition from around forty male and female companions of the Holy Prophet (s) through innumerable channels, to the extent that some great scholars have compiled a book in order to collect the chains of the transmitters of this tradition.