Question 621: Sallam O Alaikum. This Hadith is circulating in the social media and I really wanna know the authenticity of the Hadith will you confirm if it’s fake or a real Hadith. A man entered on Imam Sadeq and said: Salam Alikum ya Ameeral Mu’meneen. The Imam have stood up and said angerly: Behold! This is a title only suitable for Imam Ali! Allah have named him with it, and anyone who claim the title for himself, he is a penetrated homo [and if he isn’t, he will be]. Only Imam Ali (as) is Amir al-Mu’minin? Tafsyr Al Ayashi v1 p276. Wasael al Shia v14 p600. I would appreciate it. Thank you very much
Answer 621: As for the Hadith narrated from an unknown man without mentioning other chain of narrations it is considered as mursal and a weak hadith.
Note: Mursal is a hadith whose chain of transmitters lacks one or more narrators, and asserts that: The hadith is mursal and therefore unacceptable.
The Arabic version of this hadith is as follows:
اللَّهِ ع فَقَالَ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَقَامَ عَلَى قَدَمَيْهِ فَقَالَ مَهْ هَذَا اسْمٌ لَا يَصْلُحُ إِلَّا لِأَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع- سَمَّاهُ اللَّهُ بِهِ وَ لَمْ يُسَمَّ بِهِ أَحَدٌ غَيْرُهُ فَرَضِيَ بِهِ إِلَّا كَانَ مَنْكُوحاً وَ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنِ ابْتُلِيَ بِهِ (ابْتُلِيَ بِهِ) وَ هُوَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ فِي كِتَابِهِ إِنْ يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ إِلَّا إِناثاً وَ إِنْ يَدْعُونَ إِلَّا شَيْطاناً مَرِيداً- قَالَ قُلْتُ: فَمَا ذَا يُدْعَى بِهِ قَائِمُكُمْ قَالَ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا بَقِيَّةَ اللَّهِ- السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ.
The followings are some ahadith narrated from Infallibles (pbuth) in which relied on using this title only for Imam Ali (as).
- A man asked Imam Sadiq (as) if we are allowed to call Imam of the time (as) by Amir al-Momenin (Commander of the Faithful)? He said: No. Because, this name is specialized by Allah to Imam Ali (as). No one before him has been called by this name nor after him will be called, unless they are Kafir. The man asked how to say Salaam to Him? The Imam replied: say: Assalamu Alaika Ya Baqiyatallah.[1]
- The holy Prophet (pbuh) said: O people, Say whatever I’ve been telling you and say Salaam to Ali by Amir al-Momenin and say: O Allah, we understood and obeyed and seek your forgiveness, we will return to you. Say: All praises are for Allah who guide us to this order of Wilaya and if there wasn’t your guidance we have never guided, O people, the values that Ali bin Abi Talib has toward Allah that have been sent down in the holy Quran are more than what we can count and say.[2]
- Salman Farsi (ra) said: O people, follow Ale Muhammad who guide you to the Heaven and obey Amir al-Mu’minin Ali bin Abi Talib, I swear to Allah that we said salaam to Ali (a) by Wali and Amir al-Momenin in front of the holy Prophet (pbuh) and He (the Prophet) bided us and relied on doing so.[3]
- Sulaim bin Qays said: I sat beside Salaman, Abuzar and Miqdad that a man of Ahl e Kuffa said to them: Be upon you to follow the holy Quran and Ali bin Abi Talib. Because, He is with the Quran and never be separated from it. We give testimony that
According to the holy Prophet’s (pbuh) order, we are all being ordered to call Ali bin Abi Talib by Amir al-Momenin.[4]
According to the previous mentioned traditions especially the first one, Amir al-Momnin is one of the specialized titles of Imam Ali (as) that chosen by Allah (swt) and the holy Prophet (s). Their saying was to call Ali bin Abi Talib by Amir al-Momenin. This title has never used for other Imams (as) in Shia sect. Because, it is only specialized to Imam Ali (as) [5]. [6]
For further information in this regards, please refer to the following answer:
Index: Birthplace of Ali ibn Abi Talib / He was born in Kaaba, answer 069.
Index: The Wilayah of Imam Ali (as) / Political Authority in Ghadir Khumm, answer 470.
[1] . Kuleini, Kafi, Vol. 1, Pg. 411, Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyyah, Tehran,
[2] . Alam al-Huda, Khurasani, Nahj al-Khitabah, Sukhanan Payambar (s) wa Amir al-Momnin, Vol. 1, Pg. 154, Sadr Library, Tehran, second edition,
[3] . Allamah Majlesi, Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 29, Pg. 81, Al-Wafa Institution, Beirut, Lebanon, 1404 A.H.
[4] . Al-Ihtijaj ala Ahl al-Lujaj, Vol. 1, Pg. 157.
[5] . Atarodi, Azizullah, Zendegani Chahardah Masoom (as), Pg. 229, Islamiyyah, Tehran, first edtion, 1390 A.H.
[6] . Adopted from answer 11125 IQ.