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Text and translation
English translation
116. It was narrated that Barā' bin 'Azib said: "We returned with the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ from his Hajj that he had performed, and we stopped at some point on the road. He commanded that prayer should be performed in congregation, then he took the hand of 'Ali and said: 'Am I not dearer to the believers than their own selves?' They said: 'Yes indeed.' He said: 'Am I not dearer to every believer than his own self?' They said: 'Yes indeed.' He said: 'This man is the friend of those whose master I am.' O Allāh, take as friends those who take him as a friend, and take as enemies those who take him as an enemy.'" (Da'if)
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Commentary
The Prophet ﷺ spoke these words in praise of 'Ali ﷺ when he reached the place known as Ghadir Khum (Lake of Khum) on his way back from the Farewell Pilgrimage. An expression of proximity and close relationship with 'Ali ﷺ was considered necessary by the Prophet ﷺ because some people had come up with complaints against him who had just returned from Yemen.
b. Some people have used even these remarks to establish 'Ali's title to being Prophet's immediate successor as caliph, although proximity of relationship or friendship has nothing to do with title for caliphate.
c. The tradition also contains condemnation of the Khārijites who denied the merits of 'Ali ﷺ, as well as of those extremists among Shi'ahs who had deified 'Ali ﷺ, as a consequence of which he had punished them with death. (Bukhārī: 6922) As regards our attitude towards 'Ali ﷺ, the Hadīth simply means that we must have a feeling of love and not of hatred or ill-will towards him.
