BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
أنت مني بمنزلة هارون من موسى
You are to me as Harun was to Musa.
This hadith is reported by the following Sahabah radiya Llahu ‘anhum: Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas, Abu Sa’id al Khudri, Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah, Asma’ bint ‘Umays, ‘Ali, Jabir ibn Samurah, Hubshi ibn Junadah, Abu Ayub, Bara’ ibn ‘Azib, Zaid ibn Arqam, Zaid ibn Abi Awfa, Ibn ‘Abbas, Malik ibn al Huwayrith, Ibn ‘Umar, Mahduj ibn Zaid, Sa’id ibn Zaid, Muawiyah, ‘Umar ibn al Khattab, Abu Hurairah, ‘Abdullah ibn Jafar, Anas, Nubayt ibn Shurayt, Ibn Mas’ud, Abu al Tufayl, Umm Salamah, Fatimah bint Hamzah radiya Llahu ‘anhum.
Aside from the ahadith of Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas and Asma’ bint ‘Umays, all the other versions are da’if (unreliable).
عن سعد بن أبي وقاص أن رسول الله ﷺ خرج إلى تبوك واستخلف عليا فقال أتخلفني في الصبيان النساء؟ قال ألا ترضى أن تكون مني بمنزلة هارون من موسى؟ إلا أنه ليس نبي بعدي؟
(Narrated from) Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas radiya Llahu ‘anhu: The Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam departed for Tabuk and appointed ‘Ali as his deputy (in Madinah).
‘Ali said, “Are you leaving me (behind) with women and children?”
The Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Are you not pleased that you are unto me as Harun was to Musa; but there is no Nabi after me?”[1]
عن سعد بن أبي وقاص t قال أمر معاوية بن أبي سفيان سعدا فقال ما منعك أن تسب أبا التراب؟ فقال أما ذكرت ثلاثا قالهن له رسول الله ﷺ فلن أسبه لأن تكون لي واحدة منهن أحب إلي من حمر النعم سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول له خلفه في بعض مغازيه.فقال له علي يا رسول الله خلفتني من النساء والصبيان؟ فقال له رسول الله ﷺ أما ترضى أن تكون مني بمنزلة هارون من موسى؟ إلا أنه لا نبوة بعدي.وسمعته يقول يوم خيبر لأعطين الراية رجلا يحب الله ورسوله ويحبه الله ورسوله قال فتطاولنا لها.فقال ادعوا لي عليا؟ فأتي به أرمد فبصق في عينه ودفع الراية إليه ففتح الله عليه ولما نزلت هذه الآية:
فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْنَآءَنَا وَأَبْنَآءَكُمْ
دعا رسول الله ﷺ عليا وفاطمة وحسنا وحسينا فقال اللهم هؤلاء أهلي
(From) S’ad ibn Abi Waqqas who said:
Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan appointed Sa’d as the governor and said, “What prevents you from cursing Abu Turab (ref. to ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu)?”
(He responded and said,) I heard three things which the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said on account of which I will never curse him. To possess even one of these three things would be more beloved to me than red camels. When Allah’s Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam left ‘Ali behind in one of his campaigns, ‘Ali said to him, “O Messenger of Allah! Are you leaving me (behind) with women and children?” Thereupon Allah’s Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said to him, “Are you not pleased that you are unto me as Harun was to Musa; but that there is no prophethood after me?” I (also) heard him say on the day of Khaybar, “I will give this banner to a person who loves Allah and his Messenger, and Allah and his Messenger love him too.’ We had been anxiously waiting for it, when the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Call ‘Ali!” He was called. ‘Ali’s eyes were suffering from inflammation (at that time). The Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam applied saliva to his eyes and handed over the banner to him. Allah granted victory on his hands. (The third occasion) was when the (following) verse was revealed:
فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْنَآءَنَا وَأَبْنَآءَكُمْ
Say, “Come, let us call our sons and your sons…”[2]
The Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam called ‘Ali, Fatimah, Hassan, and Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhum and said, “O Allah! This is my family!”[3]
عن موسى الجهني قال دخلت على فاطمة بنت علي فقال لها رفيقي أبو مهل كم لك؟ قالت ستة وثمانون سنة. قال ما سمعت من أبيك شيئا؟ قالت حدثتني أسماء بنت عميس
(From) Musa al Juhani who said:
I entered the presence of Fatimah bint ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhuma. My friend (Abu Mahl) said to her, “How old are you?”
Fatimah said, “Eighty-six years.”
He said, “Did you not hear anything from your father?”
She replied, “Asma’ bint ‘Umays informed me… (She went on and quoted the above hadith)”[4]
The chain of transmission is authentic. The other (remaining) chains are mentioned in the original work.
Abu Ishaq al Marwazi mentions that the following two reasons are of the strongest evidences that Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam did not imply Caliphate (for ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu) when he said those words (in the hadith):
The second reason is supported by the fact that this hadith actually came to restore ‘Ali’s radiya Llahu ‘anhu reputation when he was treated unjustly, as the following hadith of Sa’d indicates towards:
قال علي: يا رسول الله إن المنافقين ليقولون إنما خلفتني استثقالا! فقال: يا علي أما ترضى أن تكون مني بمنزلة هارون من موسى، إلا أنه لا نبي بعدي؟ فارجع فاخلفني في أهلي وأهلك.
‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu said, “O Messenger of Allah! The Munafiqin are saying that you left me behind because of your dislike (for me).”
The Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “O ‘Ali! Are you not pleased that you are unto me as Harun was to Musa; but there is no Nabi after me? Return and be my deputy for my family and yours.”[6]
This hadith is textual proof (nass), for the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Return and be my deputy for my family and yours.” Is there any further explanation required after this (explanation)?
Ibn Hajar says:
Since a similitude was drawn with Harun ‘alayh al Salam, Harun ‘alayh al Salam was the deputy of Musa in his lifetime; this proves that ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu was (only) selected as the khalifah by Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam in his lifetime.[7]
Abu Nuaim al Asbahani says:
If someone says: It is has been established that Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said to ‘Ali, “You are unto me as Harun was to Musa.’’ It will be said to him: This is what we say about his Caliphate over Madinah during the Prophet’s salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam life, as Harun was to Musa. These remarks came from Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam in the year of Tabuk when Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam left him behind (in charge) in Madinah. The Munafiqin mentioned that the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is fed-up with him and dislikes his company. He met with Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and told him what they said (about him), to which Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “I left you behind as Musa left Harun behind.”[8]
[1] Sahih al Bukhari, #3503, #4154; Sahih Muslim, #2404. Many others also narrate this version. I have explained this in the original work.
[2] Surah ‘Al ‘Imran: 61.
[3] Sahih Muslim, #2404.
[4] Imam Ahmed: Musnad Ahmed, 6/369-438; Fada’il al Sahabah, 1020-1091.
[5] Ibn ‘Abdul Barr: al Tamhid, 22/132.
[6] Al Bazzar: Musnad al Bazzar, # 1194.
[7] Ibn Hajar al ‘Asqalani: Fath al Bari, 7/74.
[8] Abu Nuaim al Asbahani: al Imamah, pg. 221.