Criticizing Dhahabi's Viewpoints on Traditions about Ahlul-Bayt in  Al-Mustadrak of Hakim

There are numerous Hadiths about the merits of Ahlul-Bayt(AS) in Sunni hadith sources. These have been treated differently by Sunni experts and traditionists. Hakim Nayshaburi (405 AH) mentions some of the merits of Ahlul-Bayt (AS)) in his book entitled ‘Al Mustadrak’. On the other hand Dhahabi (748 AH) while selecting and summarizing the mentioned book in his ‘Talkhis Al-Mustadrak’ evaluates the Hadiths quoted by Hakim, which in due course ends in asserting some of them as invalid or ‘weak’. The question is whether or not Dhahabi in his evaluation of Hakim’s Hadiths has employed an identical and precise method. A categorisation and analysis of Dhahabi’s viewpoints clarifies that he has not dealt with these hadiths similarly and that his attitude, apart from being inconsistent sometimes, is not valid enough. At times he mentions his reasons for asserting a Hadith weak; at other times he deletes a Hadith in his selection without referring to its reason. Ignoring the stand point of former experts in Hadith while evaluating the Hadith is another of his weaknesses. This could be taken as an evident to his biased attitude towards the Hadiths on the merits of Ahlul-Bayt in Sunni sources. It can be concluded, therefore, that Dhabi has violated the academic methods; hence, his viewpoints cannot be trusted.