Revisiting the Legacy The Ongoing Discourse on Ḥadīth of Ghadīr Khumm in Shiʻa Studies
Main Article Content
Abstract
The study of the hadith of Ghadīr Khumm has long been at the center of the Sunni-Shiʻa polemic. While previous research primarily focused on analyzing the sanad (chain of transmission) and matan (text), contemporary Shiʻa scholarship has increasingly employed it as a tool to continuously reinforce the doctrine of imāmah and counter Sunni epistemic dominance. This study examines how the hadith of Ghadīr Khumm is utilized in Shiʻa academic discourse by exploring the extent to which the polemic surrounding this hadith has evolved beyond mere authentication and how it functions in response to Sunni historiography. The findings indicate that, although many Sunni sources acknowledge the authenticity of the hadith of Ghadīr Khumm, stark differences in interpretation have led Shiʻa scholars to continue engaging with this hadith academically. This ongoing engagement is driven by the perception that the dissemination of Sunni perspectives remains a dominant force that must be challenged. Recent trends reveal that academic studies are increasingly directed toward integrating hadith interpretation into civilizational narratives as a response to marginalization. However, despite appearing innovative, the underlying argumentative patterns largely follow established precedents. This study opens avenues for further research into how hadith texts hold strong foundational value, ensuring their continued role as primary references in asserting theological legitimacy and shaping the identity of religious sectarian communities within Islam.
Keywords: Hadith of Ghadīr Khumm, Sunni-Shiʻa polemic, discourse defense
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
References
Afzal, Sayyad Mohd. “Shi’i in India: A Minority within the Minority.” In Islam in India, 9. London: Routledge, 2023.
Al-Bukhārī, Muḥammad ibn Ismā’īl. Al-Tārīkh Al-Kabīr. 4. Damascus: Dar al-Fikr, n.d.
Al-Ḥajjāj, Muslim ibn. Al-Jāmiʿ Al-Ṣaḥīḥ. Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 2003.
Al-Hassani, Karim Jihad. “Al-Ghadeer in the Oriental Studies Quranic and Ḥadīth Approach.” Almissbah Journal, no. 44 (2021): 303–326.
Attarzadeh, Mujtaba. “Ghadir Khum: Prophetic Initiative to Negate Dominative Power.” Imam Ali΄ s Studies 2, no. 3 (2011): 133–151.
Cohen, Ronen A. “The Story of the Shi’a.” In The Hojjatiyeh Society in Iran, 3–19. New York: Palgrave Macmillan US, 2013.
Dadashnejad, Mansur. “Ghadir Geography in the Midst of Historical and Religious Development.” Scientific-Specialized Bi-Annual Journal 1, no. 1 (2021): 100–124.
Hasmi, Arshi Saleem. “Iranian Synthesis of Ideology & Pragmatism: It’s Role in Regional Politics.” Focus on Regional Issues 26, no. 1 (2008): 1–29.
Husein, Alwi. Diskursus Ahl Al-Bait Nabi Saw Dalam Hadis. Jakarta: Zahra, 2015.
Koopaee, Fahimeh Kharrati, Mahdi Ahmadi, Mohammad Mahdi Ajilian Mafogh, and Hamid Imandar. “Methodology of the Ḥadīth of Ghadeer in Sunni Theological Sources During the 5th to 8th Centuries AH.” Studies on Understanding Ḥadīth 11, no. 1 (2024): 255–280.
Masrukhin, Agus, Reiza Dienaputra, Dadang Suganda, and Titin Ma’mun. “Islamic Tradition: Islamic Mass Organization Responses To Shia’s Eid Ghadir Tradition In Jakarta Bandung.” In International Conference of Global Education and Society Science, 1–9, 2020.
Moghaddam, Mahyar Khani. “A Critical Analysis of the Maria Dakake’s Method in Understanding the Ḥadīth of Ghadir.” Imam Ali’s Studies 11, no. 2 (2021): 55–79.
Mosapur, Jasim, and Abdulhossein Khosropanah. “A Study on the Existence of the Phrase «أ لست أولی بکم من أنفسکم» in the Sermon of Ghadir Khumm in Sunni Sources.” Emamat Pajouhi 1 (2021): 257–293.
Motahari, Hamidreza, and Najmeh Salehi. “Narration of Ghadeer in the Book " Tarikh Al-Islam " by Shams Al-Din Dhahabi.” Quarterly Journal Discourse of History 17, no. 43 (2023): 93–108.
Musavi, Sayyid Naser, Mohammad Ali Chelongar, and Shokuh al-Sadat A’arabi Hashemi. “The Evolution of Ghadir Festival in the Fatimid Era of Egypt.” The Quarterly Journal of Islam and Social Studies 7, no. 28 (2020): 152–178.
Najafabadi, Rohullah Kazemi, Mohammad Taghi Sobhani, and Sayyed Zia al-Din Mirmohammadi. “The Impact of Theological Assumptions of Muslim Historians on the Report of the Ghadir Incident.” Emamat Pajouhi 2, no. C (2021): 94–118.
Nasr, Vali. “When the Shiites Rise.” Foreign Affairs. Last modified 2006. Accessed July 12, 2024. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/iran/2006-07-01/when-shiites-rise.
Panāhī, Muḥadditha, and Fāṭima Ṣābirī. “Investigating and Criticizing Ālūsī’s Objection in the Tafsīr Rūḥ Al- Ma’ānī to Ḥadīth of Al-Ghadīr.” Religious Teachings Publication 2, no. 2 (2023): 63–80.
Sanders, Paula. “Claiming the Past: Ghadîr Khumm and the Rise of Ḥâfiẓî Historiography in Late Fâṭimid Egypt.” Studi Islamica, no. 75 (1992): 81–104.
Wase’ei, Sayyid Alireza. “Ghadir Khum at the Level of Civilization; Today’s Approach to the Appointment of the Imam.” Journal of Al-Tarikh Va Al-Hazarah Al-Islamiyah; Royato Mu’asirah 1, no. 2 (2022): 66–89.
Yahya, Muhammad, Darsul Puyu, . Ilyas, Zulfahmi Alwi, and . Mujahid. “Comparative Critical Analysis of Methodologies for Establishing the Validity of Ḥadīth Among Sunni and Shia.” International Journal of Religion 5, no. 6 (May 1, 2024): 777–792. https://ijor.co.uk/ijor/article/view/4098.