He replied that...

He replied that, no, the truth is only one; and when he was asked about the disagreement of the companions ( ikhtilaaf al-sahabah ), he said that one side is right and the other is wrong, and that the matter had to be investigated.[^14] Imam al-Shaf’i states that he does not accept the testimony of four known companions: Mu’awiyah Ibn Abu Sufyan, ‘Amr Ibn al-Aas, al-Mugheerah, and Ziyad.[^15] Hadith of “the Stars” In the Sunni tradition, a famous hadith, known as the Hadith of the Stars reports that the Prophet said, “My companions are like the stars: whichever you follow, you will be guided.”[^16] Although this hadith is pivotal to the Sunni belief since it gives absolute certainty that all of the companions were entitled to lead others toward Paradise; nonetheless, Imam Ahmad Ibn al-Hanbal states that this hadith is unauthentic.[^17] Abu Ibrahim al-Muzni, a student of al-Shaf’i, and his companions also doubted the authenticity of this hadith.[^18] Abu Bakr al-Bazzaz criticized this hadith and expounded upon its flaws.[^19] Other narrators ( huffaz ) also mention its weakness and the unreliability of its chain of narrators.

They include: Abul Hasan al-Darqutni, al-Bayhaqi, Ibn Hazm, Ibn Abd al-Birr, Ibn Asakir, Ibn al-Jawzi, Ibn Dahiyah, Abu Hayan al-Andalusi, Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi, and surprisingly, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyah.[^20] In addition, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani has stated that although famous, this hadith had an unreliable and weak chain of narrators ( isnad ).

Given these doubts, this hadith - one of the most important pillars of the concept of absolute righteousness of the companions - falls apart and is nothing more than a fabrication. Flaws found in the in the Established Hadith The Prophet has been quoted as saying, “I am the first who will reach the fountain of Hawdh…