Ḥadīth al-Thaqalayn

Much hue and cry has been raised with regards to the famous hadith known as Hadith al-Thaqalayn, with the Shi`i propagator often fervently claiming that it, 1) is Mutawatir (so authentically and abundantly narrated that it is impossible to deny), 2) establishes the Ahl al-Bayt as the only source of shari`ah after the Qur’an (or rather equal to the Qur’an as a source of guidance), 3) and that the authority of the twelve (shi`i) Imams is proven from it. Closer inspection of the chains of narration, however, reveal matters to be quite the opposite; this hadith being neither Mutawatir, and neither establishing the authority of the Ahl al-Bayt, making the claim in favour of the twelve Imams even more far-fetched. The author, Mowlana Muhammad Nafi` has traced this narration in all references cited by the Shi`ah, as well as those not cited by them, after which two versions of this hadith emerge: that which is authentic and proves the virtue of the entire Ahl al-Bayt (not only twelve as is the dogmatic view of the Shi`ah) and that which is weak and has been subjected to distortion by Shi`i narrators; and thereafter he goes on to prove the veracity of the Ahl al-Sunnah’s view.