In answer to a question someone had asked, Imam Sadiq (a.

In answer to a question someone had asked, Imam Sadiq (a.s) said, Any answer I gave you has come from God's Messenger (a.s); we do not utter things of our own will.[1] On another occasion, the same Imam said, My words are those of my fathers, and what my father has said has come from my grandfather; the words of my grandfathers are those of al-Husayn, and his words and the latters words are those of al-Hasan; Al-Hasans words are those of the Commander of the Faithful, and what the Commander of the Faithful has said is what the Messenger of Allah (a.s) has said, and the words of the Messenger of God are the words of God Himself, may He be exalted.[2] [1] Jami` Ahadith al-Shiah, vol.

1, p. 129. [2] Ibid, p. 127. Imam Baqir, (a.s) tells Jabir the following: My father quoted traditions from the Messenger of God and he from Gabriel, and Gabriel from the Exalted God; this is the chain of the narrations I have narrated.[1] Thus, the nature of the statements the Imams of the Shiites have made is clearly understood to be that of the Prophets Sunnah.

Reasons for the authenticity of and the necessity to follow them Both Shiite and Sunni traditionists maintain that the Messenger of God left two precious things behind invited all Muslims to follow them and made Muslims prosperity dependent upon following these two: The Book of Allah and his household, .

Below are a few sample traditions in this respect: a) In his Sahih, Tirmidhi has narrated the following hadith from Jabir ibn `Abdullah Ansari, on the authority of the Messenger of God: O people, I leave two things among you: The Book of Allah and my itrah, my household; if you stick to them, you shall never be misguided.[2] b) Tirmidhi has also narrated the following hadith in the same book: The Messenger of Allah (a.s) said I leave behind two things among you; if you stick to them, you will never be misguided after me; one of them is greater than the other: One of them is The Book of Allah, which is a [1] Ibid, p.128.

[2] Sahih al-Tirmidhi , the book of al-Manaqib, chapter: Manaqib Ahl Bayt al-Nabi, vol. 5 pp 662 and 3786, printed in Beirut. rope extended from the heaven to the earth, and the other one is my itrah, my household; these two will never separate until they return to me by the pond (of Kawthar). So heed how you will deal with them.[1] c) In his Sahih, Muslim ibn Hajjaj quotes the Holy Prophet (a.s) as having said: O people!