An introduction to the book “Ḥadīth al-Manzila” by Muhammad Sālim al-Khidr

In past years different articles have leveled criticism at the Shi’a hadiths. One of the works written to criticize the Shi’a hadiths is the book “Ḥadīth al-Manzila” by Muhammad Sālim al-Khidr. The author has criticized the isnad and denotation of the well-known hadith “anta minni bi-manzilat Hārūn min Musā” (You – i.e. ‘Ali – are in the same position with respect to me – i.e. Muhammad – as Aaron was to Moses except that there is no prophet after me). He has also analyzed the issuance atmosphere of the above hadith historically and exegetically. Among the weak points this book suffers from, mention can be made of: inattention to the fundamentals of validity assessment of Shi’a hadith, superficiality in analyses, and the confusion of the theological, historical and exegetical data with specialized discussions of hadith. This article introduces the above book and explains its weak points and strong points to pave the way for criticism of the book by [the scholars of] hadith.