Critical Analysis of the Wahhabi Approach to the Hadith “Alī is the Divider of Paradise and Hellfire,” with Emphasis on Sunni and Shiʻi Sources

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Collaborative Researcher, Department of Comparative Studies of Islam and Religions, Imam Reza International Research Institute, Al-Mustafa International University, Khorasan Branch, Mashhad, Iran (Corresponding Author).

2 Associate Professor, Department of Shia Studies, Faculty of Shia Studies, Qom University of Religions and Sects, Qom, Iran

Abstract

The Wahhābī movement has consistently exerted considerable effort in criticizing and repudiating the virtues attributed to Amīr al-Muʾminīn ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib (ʿa). Among these virtues, the traditions that underscore his exalted status among the Companions have received particular attention and dispute. The ḥadīth ʿAlī qasīm al-nār waʾl-janna (“ʿAlī is the Divider of Paradise and Hellfire”) is one such narration that has become a central target of Wahhābī critique. Contemporary Wahhābī scholars regard this report as fabricated and lacking both textual and isnād authenticity. However, a close examination of authoritative Sunnī works in faḍāʾil literature, historiography, ʿilm al-rijāl, kalām, and ḥadīth studies reveals a perspective contrary to Wahhābī claims. Adopting a descriptive-analytical method and a critical approach, this article examines the objections and doubts raised by Wahhābī scholars concerning this ḥadīth. The study concludes that the narration in question is indeed transmitted in reliable Sunnī sources, with numerous prominent scholars affirming the trustworthiness of its transmitters. Furthermore, additional evidence highlights the ḥadīth’s indication of Imām ʿAlī’s (ʿa) exalted spiritual rank in distinguishing truth from falsehood, as well as his elevated metaphysical status.

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References

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