An Examination and Criticism on Ibn Taymiyyah’s View on Hadith Thaqalayn

Ibn Taymiyyah addresses drawbacks to Hadith Thaqalayn and Shia interpretations of it in terms of both its document and its content. He believes that the document of the Hadith is distorted and the implications of its meaning don’t prove anything beyond or more than the necessity of feeling affection and respect towards the Prophet’s Progeny (Itra or Ahlulbait). Whereas, a look on the Sunnis’ Hadith sources and references reveals that this Hadith has been narrated through 20 of the Prophet’s companions; and as a result of an analysis of the texts of these hadiths, we can reach to exclusive traits proven for both the Quran and the Progeny at the same time; the fact that indicates that this hadith is the most important will of the Prophet and a divine guarantee for the salvation of the Islamic Nation and saving it from going astray. Furthermore, none of the traditions (hadith) about the Prophet’s emphasis on “Allah’s Book and my Tradition”, which Ibn Taymiyyah considers as trustworthy, are actually authentic in terms of their document.