Proving Amir al-Mu'minin’s Imamate during the Prophet’s life and thereafter, with an emphasis on The Hadith of Position and a review of Qurtubi's doubts

One of the most fundamental issues that has long been disputed by Islamic theologians is the guardianship of Amirul Momineen in succession to the Prophet (PBUH). The Sunnis of the Islamic Ummah, especially Qortubi, a great popular scholar, emphasizes the unprovable Imamate of Amir al-Mu'min in documents on the guardianship of Imam Ali and especially doubts raised against the Hadith of Position. Following a documentary and analytical approach, relying on rational and narrative debates, and using the necessity rule, the present article attempts to deeply examine the claims by Ahl al-Jamah and Qurtubi regarding the fallibility of The Hadith of Position regarding the guardianship of the Amir al-Mu'minin. The findings indicate that based on resolution of doubts regarding the Hadith of Position, the caliphate and the succession of Imam Ali are absolutely proven both during the Prophet's life and thereafter. The first step in the resolution of doubts was referring to the confirmations by popular elders and using their reliable sources, which indicated authenticity of The Hadith of Position for the imamate of Amir al-Mu'minin. The second step was a detailed study of the documents presented by reliable public sources and figures, which indicated infallibility of the hadith, thus, showing the all-inclusive guardianship of Amir al-Mu'min. The third step was rejecting Qurtubi's documentary doubts, which showed the strength of The Hadith of Position on guardianship of Amir al-Mu'minin over the public.