The Semantics of the Narration of the Ahmarain [=Two Red Things] from the Perspective of Two Major Islamic Sects

The narration of “Ahmarain” is one of the narrations that has been narrated in Shiite and Ahl al-Sunnah hadith compilations albeit with some differences in expressions ascribing to the Holy Prophet (P). There was no comprehensive explanation found about the concept of narration among Shiite research. This article seeks to provide precise semantics of the Shiite narrations of this hadith by descriptive method and textual analysis and considering different narrations of the two major Islamic sects. It was possible that the great similarity of the narrations of the two sects would strengthen the unity of the two narrations, but the existence of some points shows that no convincing reason can be presented for the unification of the two narrations. However, paying attention to both narrations leads to the exact semantics of the Shiite narration of this hadith and the correct meaning of the narration is that “The destruction and downfall of the women of my ummah is due to two red things (in terms of preponderance [taghlib]): the gold and thin and body revealing clothes same as the destruction and of the men of my ummah is in leaving Divine and religious sciences and teachings as well as the accumulation of worldly assets that lead to sins”