Ali [rta] Is Door To Knowledge


Question

I am in a process of learning and I would like to consult you in this context. Following is a piece of Hadith, I would appreciate it if you would send me the complete Hadith with reference, along with the authenticity of the Hadith. I heard that three caliphs are also included in some versions of this Hadith.

أنا مدينة العلم، وعلى بابها

I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its door.

Answer

The complete text of the hadith follows:

أَنا مَدينةُ العلمِ ، وعلي بَابها

The ḥadīth appears in al-Mustadrak al-Haakim. The authorities differ over the authenticity. The author of al-Mustadrak considers it sahih (sound), some others think it is relatively sound (hasan), some others declare it to be very weak and unreliable and yet some others consider it a fabrication. From among those who declared it unreliable and not worthy to be attributed to the Prophet are Imam Bukhari and Imam Nasir al-Deen al-Bani. We believe that the view of Imām Bukhārī and Albani is the soundest.

Answered by: Tariq Mahmood Hashmi

Date: 2014-12-08