840 H) holds the same view, concerning the chain: سند صحيح A sahih chain.

840 H) holds the same view, concerning the chain: سند صحيح A sahih chain.[^7] This hadith is explicit, straightforward, and authentic[^8]. It leaves no room for doubt or manipulation. It absolutely establishes that Imam ‘Ali was indeed the designated khalifah of Muhammad, the Messenger of the Lord of the worlds.

‘Allamah al-Albani has a second hadith for our research: إني تارك فيكم خليفتين: كتاب الله حبل ممدود ما بين السماء والأرض وعترتي أهل بيتي وإنهما لن يتفرقا حتى يردا علي الحوض I am leaving behind over you two khalifahs **: the Book of Allah** - a rope stretching between the heaven and the earth – and my offspring, my .

Verily, both shall never separate from each other until they meet me at the Lake-Font.[^9] Then, the ‘Allamah comments: صحيح Sahih ^10 On the same page, al-Albani copies another similar hadith : إني تارك فيكم ما إن تمسكتم به لن تضلوا بعدي أحدهما أعظم من الآخر كتاب الله حبل ممدود من السماء إلى الأرض وعترتي أهل بيتي ولن يتفرقا حتى يردا علي الحوض فانظروا كيف تخلفوني فيهما I am leaving behind over you that which if you adhere to it you will never go astray after me , one of them both is greater than the other: the Book of Allah – a rope stretching from the heaven to the earth – and my offspring, my .

Both shall never separate from each other until they meet me at the Lake-Font. Therefore, watch carefully how you treat them in my absence.[^11] Again, ‘Allamah al-Albani says: صحيح Sahih ^12 This hadith too grants and limits the khilafah to ‘Ali and his offspring through Sayyidah Fatimah[^13]. We therefore ask our brothers from the Ahl al-Sunnah, especially the Salafiyyah: are you going to play your “Ibn Saba” card against the Messenger of Allah too?!

With regards to the second issue, there is need for some little explanations in order to make the matter clearer. The word al-raj’ah literally means “the return”. Any “return” to anything is a raj’ah . For instance, an ex-Muslim who “returns” to Islam has done a raj’ah back to the true faith. In the same manner, a traveller who “returns” home has done a raj’ah . Technically, however, al-raj’ah is the “return” of any dead person into this world through resurrection .

It is therefore completely different from other concepts such as rebirth or reincarnation. It is the same body, with the same soul, that returns to this world from Barzakh by Allah’s Command.