Imam Ali : The distributor of the Fire

Part 1 : The Hadith and its Sanad

Part 2 : Those who authenticated it and commented on it

Part 3 : Imam Ali at the Hawdh

Welcome to our Blog! In this article, we shall discuss the Hadith that Imam Ali is the divider of Jannah and the fire.

Part 1 : The Hadith and its Sanad

1) Abu Yusuf al-Fasawi mentioned :

 حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُسْهِرٍ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ ‌مُوسَى ‌بْنِ ‌طَرِيفٍ ‌عَنْ ‌عَبَايَةَ بْنِ رِبْعِيٍّ الْأَسَدِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ: أَنَا قَسِيمُ ‌النَّارِ

Ali Ibn Mushir narrated from al-Amash that Musa Ibn Tareef narrated on the authority of Abayyah Ibn Rabi’ al-Asadi that – 

Imam Ali said : ‘I am the distributor of hell.’

~al-Ma’arifat wa al-Taarikh vol 2:764

The Sanad of this Hadith – al-Amash > Musa Ibn Tareef > Abayyah Ibn Rabi’ > Imam Ali.

The Nawasib say that al-Amash never narrated this, as they quote Abu Ja’far al-Uqayli :

حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا شَبَابَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا وَرْقَاءُ، أَنَّهُ انْطَلَقَ هُوَ وَمِسْعَرٌ إِلَى الْأَعْمَشِ يُعَاتِبَانِهِ فِي حَدِيثَيْنِ بَلَغَهُمَا عَنْهُ قَوْلِ عَلِيٍّ: أَنَا قَسِيمُ النَّارِ، وَحَدِيثٍ آخَرَ: فُلَانٌ كَذَا وَكَذَا عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ، قَالَ: مَا رَوَيْتُ هَذَا وَلَا قُلْتُ هَذَا قَطُّ

al-Hasan Ibn Ali narrated from Shabab who narrated from Waraqah that he and Misar went to al-Amash to refute him for the two Hadiths he narrated, one of them, ‘I am the distributor of hellfire.’

al-Amash replied : I have never narrated this, nor did I ever say this. 

~al-Du’afa al-Kabeer vol 3:415

This assertion is inaccurate. al-Aʿmash is known to have narrated the hadith, and he was later questioned about it solely because of its perceived support for Shiʿi views, as noted by Abu Ja’far al-Uqayli :

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ الْحُدَّانِيُّ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ عِيسَى بْنَ يُونُسَ يَقُولُ: مَا رَأَيْتُ الْأَعْمَشَ خَضَعَ إِلَّا مَرَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَإِنَّهُ حَدَّثَنَا بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ: قَالَ عَلِيٌّ: أَنَا قَسِيمُ النَّارِ، فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ أَهْلَ السُّنَّةِ فَجَاءُوا إِلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا: أَتُحَدِّثُ بِأَحَادِيثَ تُقَوِّي بِهَا الرَّوَافِضَ وَالزَّيْدِيَّةَ وَالشِّيعَةَ فَقَالَ: سَمِعْتُهُ فَحَدَّثْتُ بِهِ، فَقَالُوا: فَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ سَمِعْتَهُ تُحَدِّثُ بِهِ؟ قَالَ: فَرَأَيْتُهُ خَضَعَ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ

Muhammad Ibn Dawood al-Huddani narrated that Isa Ibn Yunus said : I never saw al-Amash back down except once when he narrated the Hadith of Ali – ‘I am the distributor of the fire.’

When this reached the Ahl al-Sunnah, they went to him and said ‘Do you narrate Hadiths by which you strengthen the Rafidah, the Zaydiyyah and the Shia’a?’

He replied : ‘I heard, hence I narrated.’ They said ‘So do you narrate everything you hear?.’ Isa Ibn Yunus said ‘and that day I saw him back off.’

~al-Du’afa al-Kabeer vol 3:416

We also find al-Amash giving a commentary of this Hadith, why comment on it if he never narrate it?  Ibn al-Adeem al-Hulbi mentioned :

قال أبو مُعاوِيَة: قال الأَعْمَشُ: وإنَّما يَعْني بقَوله أنا ‌قَسِيم ‌النَّار أنَّ مَنْ كان مَعي فهو على الحَقِّ، ومَنْ كان مع مُعاوِيَةَ فهو على البَاطل

Abu Mu’awiyyah said I asked al-Amash what is the meaning of the Hadith ‘I am the distributor of hell.’ He replied : Those who are with Ali are upon truth and those who are with Mu’awiyyah are on falsehood. 

~Bughayat al-Talab fee Taarikh Halab vol 1:289

Thus, it proves al-Amash narrated it. Now the Sanad goes up to Musa Ibn Tareef > Abayyah Ibn Rabi’

It is known that Musa Ibn Tareef is a weak narrator and he was a Nasibi, someone who hated Imam Ali; however, his weakness is irrelevant here, as he is not narrating this Hadith, but rather referencing it sarcastically with the intent of mocking the Shiʿa. As,  Abu Ja’far al-Uqayli mentioned – 

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ قَالَ: رَأَيْتُ مُوسَى بْنَ طَرِيفٍ وَصَلَّيْتُ عَلَى جَنَازَتِهِ ، وَكَانَ يَقُولُ فِي هَذِهِ الْأَحَادِيثِ الَّتِي يَرْوِيهَا ، مِثْلُ: ‌قَسِيمُ ‌النَّارِ وَغَيْرِهِ ، إِنَّمَا أَسْخَرُ بِهِمْ.

Abu Bakr Ibn Ayyash said : I saw Musa Ibn Tareef and I prayed his Janazah, and he used to say about the Hadith be narrated such as ‘The divider of hell’ and others that he only narrated them as he was mocking them.

حَدَّثَنَا مُخَوَّلٌ، عَنْ سَلَّامٍ الْخَيَّاطِ، عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ طَرِيفٍ، عَنْ عَبَايَةَ الْأَسَدِيِّ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ عَلِيًّا، يَقُولُ: «أَنَا قَسِيمُ النَّارِ، هَذَا لِي وَهَذَا لَكِ» . قَالَ سَلَّامٌ: وَكَانَ مُوسَى يَرَى رَأْيَ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ ، وَكَانَ يَتَحَدَّثُ بِهَذَا يَتَعَجَّبُ بِهِ وَيُشَنِّعُ بِهِ.

Makhool narrated on the authority of Salaam al-Khayyat that Musa Ibn Tareef narrated from Abayyah Ibn Rabi’ that he heard Ali say : 

‘I am the distributor of hell. I shall say to the people, this is for me and this for the fire.’

Salaam al-Khayyat said : The Aqeedah of Musa Ibn Tareef was the Aqeedah of the Syrians (Nawasib) and when he narrated these Hadiths, he did so expressing his astonishment and condemning it. 

 ~al-Dua’fa al-Kabeer vol 4:158

Apart from him, we find others narrating this same Hadith from Abayyah Ibn Rabi’. as Ibn Adee’ al-Jurjani mentioned :

حَدَّثَنَا الساجي، حَدَّثَنا مُحَمد بن خالد، حَدَّثَنا مخول بن إبراهيم، حَدَّثَنا قَيْسٌ، عَن أَبِي حُصَيْنٍ عَنْ عُبَايَةَ سَمِعْتُ عَلِيًّا يَقُولُ أَنَا ‌قَسِيمُ ‌النَّارِ.

al-Saaji’ narrated from Muhammad Ibn Khalid who narrated from Makhool Ibn Ibrahim who narrated from Qays on the authority of Abu Hosayn that Abayyah said I heard Imam Ali say :

‘I am the distributor of hell.’

~al-Kamal fee Du’afa al-Rijal vol 7:160

Here we find, Abu Hosayn Uthman Ibn Aasim al-Asadi who is a narrator of al-Sahihayn, narrating it from Abayyah Ibn Rabi’ al-Asadi instead of Musa Ibn Tareef.

This proves that this narration traces up to Abayyah Ibn Rabi’, who narrates it from Imam Ali and he is an acceptable narrator – Musa Ibn Tareef, who himself cited this Hadith from Abayyah Ibn Rabi’ to mock him and the Shia’a, agreed that Abayyah was sincere and not a liar – as Abu Yusuf al-Fasawi mentioned :

وَرَأَيْتُ فِي كِتَابِ عُمَرَ بْنِ حَفْصِ بْنِ غِيَاثٍ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ حَدِيثَ عَلِيٍّ: «أَنَا قَسِيمُ النَّارِ» . فَقُلْتُ لِمُوسَى: مَا كَانَ عَبَايَةُ عِنْدَكُمْ؟ فَذَكَرَ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَمِنْ صَلَاتِهِ وَمِنْ صِيَامِهِ وَصِدْقِهِ.

I saw in the book of Umar Ibn Hafs Ibn Ghiyath that his father narrated from al-Amash this Hadith of Ali that – ‘I am the distributor of hell.’

Then al-Amash asked Musa Ibn Tareef about Abayyah Ibn Rabi’. He mentioned his virtues, his prayers, his fasting, and his truthfulness. 

~al-Ma’arifat wa al-Taarikh vol 2:764

• Further, we have Allamah Ibn Hibban, who mentioned him in al-Thiqat (Book of trustworthy narrators)  vol 5:281 :

• Ibn Saad mentioned :

‌عباية ‌بن ‌ربعي الأسدي. روى عن عمر وعلي بن أبي طالب وكان قليل الحديث. رحمة الله عليه وبركاته.

Abayyah Ibn Rabi’ al-Asadi, he used to narrate from Umar and Ali Ibn Abi Talib. He narrated a few Hadiths. May Allah have mercy on him and send His blessings on him. 

~al-Tabqat al-Kubra vol 6:179

 • Ibn Abi Haatim al-Raazi mentioned him without criticism (al-Jarh wa at-Ta’deel vol 7:29) and the Usool is that the sukoot of Ibn Abi Haatim is considered Ta’deel for the narrator, as we have discussed in previous articles.

2) Yahya Ibn al-Husayn al-Shajari mentioned : 

 أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو طَاهِرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْوَاعِظُ الْمُقْرِيُّ الْمَعْرُوفُ بِابْنِ الْعَلَاءِ، بِقِرَاءَتِي عَلَيْهِ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُيَتَّمٍ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو أَحْمَدَ الْقَاسِمُ بْنُ جَعْفَرِ العلوي قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أَبِيه، عَنْ جعفر بن مُحَمَّدِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ الْحُسَيْنِ عليهما السلام، قَالَ: قَالَ لِي أَبِي أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ عليه السلام: «أَنَا ‌قَسِيمُ ‌النَّارِ.

Abu Tahir Ibn al-Aala reported from Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Muyyatam who narrated from Abu Ahmad al-Qasim Ibn Ja’far al-Alawi who narrated from his father that Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq narrated from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir who narrated from Imam Ali al-Sajjad who narrated from Imam al-Husayn that :

 Emir al-Mu’meenin Ali Ibn Abi Talib ع said : I am the distributor of hellfire. 

~Tartib al-Amali al-Khamsiyyah vol 1:135

•Imam al-Sadiq to Imam Ali is the Sanad of the Aimmah Ahl al-Bayt and al-Qasim Ibn Ja’far al-Alawi and his father are the 5th and 6th descendants of Imam Ali.

3)  al-Hakim al-Haskani mentioned :

حدثنيه : أبو الحسن المصباحي ، حدثنا : أبو القاسم علي بن أحمد بن واصل ، حدثنا : عبد الله بن محمد بن عثمان ، حدثنا : يعقوب بن اسحاق من ولد عباد بن العوام ، حدثنا : يحيى بن عبد الحميد ، عن شريك ، عن الأعمش ، قال : حدثني : أبو المتوكل الناجي ، عن أبي سعيد الخدري ، قال : قال رسول الله (ص) : اذا كان يوم القيامة ، قال الله تعالى لمحمد وعلي أدخلا الجنة من أحبكما وأدخلا النار من أبغضكما ، فيجلس علي على شفير جهنم ، فيقول لها : هذا لي وهذا لك 

Abu al-Qasim Ali Ibn Ahmad narrated from Abd-Allah Ibn Muhammad Ibn Uthman who narrated from Ya’qoub Ibn Ishaq Ibn Abad Ibn al-Awwam who narrated from Yahya Ibn Abd al-Hameed that Shareek al-Qadhi narrated from al-Amash who narrated from al-Mutwakkil al-Naji that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri said that : 

Rasul-Allah ﷺ said on the day of Qiyamah, Allah ﷻ will say to Muhammad & Ali, admit into Jannah those who love you and admit to hell, those who hate you. Then Ali will say to hell, This is for me and this is for you.

~Shawaid al-Tanzeel vol 2:264

• All of the narrators are Thiqah, except Yaqoub Ibn Ishaq, who was criticised by al-Daraqutni without any explanation, hence Jarh’ Ghayr al-Mufassar, which carries no decisive weight.

4) Abu Bakr al-Khallal mentioned :

ثَنَا يَحْيَى، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ خَالِدَ بْنَ خِدَاشٍ، قَالَ: جَاءَ سَلَّامُ بْنُ أَبِي مُطِيعٍ إِلَى أَبِي عَوَانَةَ، فَقَالَ: هَاتِ هَذِهِ الْبِدَعَ الَّتِي قَدْ جِئْتَنَا بِهَا مِنَ الْكُوفَةِ، قَالَ: فَأَخْرَجَ إِلَيْهِ أَبُو عَوَانَةَ كُتَبَهُ، فَأَلْقَاهَا فِي التَّنَّورِ، فَسَأَلْتُ خَالِدًا مَا كَانَ فِيهَا؟ قَالَ: حَدِيثُ الْأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ سَالِمِ بْنِ أَبِي الْجَعْدِ، عَنْ ثَوْبَانَ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: «اسْتَقِيمُوا لِقُرَيْشٍ» ، وَأَشْبَاهِهِ، قُلْتُ لِخَالِدٍ: وَأَيْشِ؟ قَالَ: حَدِيثُ عَلِيٍّ: «أَنَا ‌قَسِيمُ ‌النَّارِ» ، قُلْتُ لِخَالِدٍ: حَدَّثَكُمْ بِهِ أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ.

Yahya Ibn Ma’in said I heard Khalid Ibn Khidash say Salam Ibn Abi Muti’ went to Abu Awanah and said ‘Bring out these innovations that you have brought to us from Kufa.’ So Abu Awanah brought out his books and burnt them.  

I (Yahya Ibn Ma’in) asked Khalid ‘What was in those books?’ He replied ‘In them were Hadith from al-Amash who narrated from Salim Ibn Abi al-Ja’ad from Thawban.’

I asked Khalid, what else? He replied, ‘The Hadith of Ali saying ‘I am the distributor of paradise and hell.’ I asked Khalid, Did Abu Awanah narrate it to you from al-Amash? He affirmed. 

~al-Sunnah vol 3:510

5) Ibn Hajr al-Haythami wrote :

وَأخرج الدَّارَقُطْنِيّ أَن عليا قَالَ للستة الَّذين جعل عمر الْأَمر شُورَى بَينهم كلَاما طَويلا من جملَته أنْشدكُمْ بِاللَّه هَل فِيكُم أحد قَالَ لَهُ رَسُول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم (يَا عَليّ أَنْت ‌قسيم ‌الْجنَّة ‌وَالنَّار يَوْم الْقِيَامَة غَيْرِي قَالُوا اللَّهُمَّ لَا

al-Daraqutni reported that Ali said to the six council committee made by Umar – “I adjure you by Allah, is there anyone amongst you about whom Rasul-Allah ﷺ said ‘Ya Ali, you are the distributor of paradise and hell on the day of resurrection.’ other than me? They said ‘By Allah, nobody.'”

-al-Sawaiq al-Muhariqah vol 2:374-375

• This is a Hadith of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari narrated from Yazid Ibn Shaarik

Part 2 : Those who authenticated it and commented on it

1) Abu Sa’ad al-Raazi al-Aabi mentioned :

وَقَالَ لَهُ الْمَأْمُون: يَا أَبَا الْحسن؛ أَخْبرنِي عَن جدك عَليّ بن أَب يُطَالب بِأَيّ وجهٍ هُوَ ‌قسيم ‌الْجنَّة ‌وَالنَّار؟ فَقَالَ: يَا أَمِير الْمُؤمنِينَ، ألم ترو عَن أَبِيك عَن آبَائِهِ عَن عبد الله بن عَبَّاس أَنه قَالَ: سَمِعت رَسُول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُول: ” حب عَليّ إيمانٌ وبغضه كفرٌ “. فَقَالَ: بلَى. قَالَ الرِّضَا: فَقَسمهُ الْجنَّة وَالنَّار إِذا كَانَت على حبه وبغضه فَهُوَ ‌قسيم ‌الْجنَّة ‌وَالنَّار

al-Mamoon al-Abbasi said to Imam Ali Ibn Musa al-Ridha, ‘O Aba al-Hasan, tell me how is your grandfather, Ali Ibn Abi Talib, the divider of paradise and hell?’

Imam al-Ridha replied “Have you not heard from your forefathers that Abd-Allah Ibn Abbas narrated from Rasul-Allah ﷺ ‘Loving Ali is Iman and hating him is Kufr.?'” al-Mamoon affirmed. 

Imam al-Ridha then said ‘So he divides the paradise and hell based upon his love. He is the divider of paradise and hell.’

~Nathr al-Durr al-Muhadarat vol 1:252

2) Ibn Abi Ya’ala mentioned :

قَالَ: وسَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بنَ مَنْصُوْرٍ يَقُوْلُ: كُنَّا عِنْدَ أَحْمَدَ بن حَنْبَلٍ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ: يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ، مَا تَقُوْلُ فِي هَذَا الحَدِيْثِ الَّذِي يُرْوَى: أَنَّ عَلِيًّا قَالَ: “أَنَا ‌قَسِيْمُ ‌النَّارِ”؟ فَقَالَ: وَمَا تُنْكِرُوْنَ مِنْ ذَا؟ أَلَيْسَ رَوَيْنَا أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قالَ لِعَلِيٍّ: “لُا يُحِبُّكَ إلَّا مُؤْمِنٌ، ولَا يُبْغِضُكَ إلَّا مُنَافِقٌ”؟ قُلْنَا: بَلَى، قَالَ: فَأَيْنَ المُؤْمِنُ؟ قُلْنَا: في الجَنَّةِ، قَالَ: وأَيْنَ المُنَافِقُ؟ قُلْنَا: في النَّارِ، قَالَ: فَعَلِيٌّ ‌قَسِيْمُ ‌النَّارِ.

Muhammad Ibn Mansoor narrated : We were with Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and a man asked him “What do you say about the Hadith that Ali said ‘I am the divider of Hellfire?'” 

He replied : What is the problem in this? Has it not been narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said ‘None but a believer loves Ali and none but a Munafiq hates him.’ and the believer is in Jannah and the Munafiq in the fire. Hence, Ali is the divider of hell. 

~Tabqat al-Hanabilah vol 2:358

3)  Ibn al-Maghizali al-Maliki mentioned :

وبإسناده عن علي عليه السلام أنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ((أنت قسيم النار، وإنك تقرع باب الجنة، وتدخلها بغير حساب

And on the chain to Ali ع who said that Rasul-Allah ﷺ said ‘You are the divider of hell, and you will knock on the door of paradise and enter it without reckoning.’

~Manaqib Emir al-Mu’meenin page 133

• According to Allamah Ibn al-Maghizali al-Maliki, He has only quoted Sahih & Mutawattir Hadith in this book :

ﻓﺠﻤﻌﺖ ﻓﻲ ﻓﻀﺎﺋﻠﻬﻢ ﻣﺎ اﻧﺘﻬﺖ ﺇﻟﻴﻪ ﻣﻌﺮﻓﺘﻲ، ﻭﺑﻠﻐﻪ ﺟﻬﺪﻱ ﻭﻃﺎﻗﺘﻲ، ﻣﻤﺎ ﺃﻧﺰﻝ اﻟﻠﻪ ﺗﻌﺎﻟﻰ ﻓﻴﻬﻢ ﻣﻦ اﻵﻳﺎﺕ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺴﻮﺭاﺕ، ﻭﻣﺎ ﺟﺮﻯ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻟﻔﻆ اﻟﺮﺳﻮﻝ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺪﻻﻻﺕ، ﻭﻣﺎ ﻇﻬﺮ ﻣﻨﻬﻢ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﻌﺠﺰاﺕ، ﻣﺎ ﻻ ﻳﻤﻜﻦ اﻟﻤﻨﺼﻒ ﺑﻌﻘﻠﻪ ﺇﻧﻜﺎﺭﻩ

I have collected in this book the Fadhail of the Ahlul Bait of what was well known to me, about what Allah ﷻ revealed about them in the Qur’an and what was reported from the words of Rasul-Allah ﷺ and their apparent miracles, what a FAIR-MINDED person cannot deny.

~Manaqib Ahl al-Bayt page 52

4) Kamal ad-Deen Ibn al-Fuwati al-Shaybani al-Hanbali wrote :

قسيم النار أبو الحسن علي بن أبي طالب بن عبد المطلب الهاشمي، أمير المؤمنين

The divider of people between paradise and hell – Abu al-Hasan, Ali Ibn Abi Talib al-Hashmi, the leader of believers. 

~Majmaa’ al-Adab fee Mu’jam al-Alqab vol 3:351

5) al-Qasim Ibn Thabit al-Awfi (D.302 H) wrote :

 وَقَالَ فِي حَدِيثِ عَلِيٍّ رضي الله عنه ” أَنَّهُ قَالَ: أَنَا ‌قَسِيمُ ‌النَّارِ “. قَالَ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِ الْحَدِيثِ مَعْنَاهُ: أَنَّ كُلَّ مِنَ اتَّبَعَنِي كَانَ عَلَى الْحَقِّ،

The Hadith of Ali, that he said : ‘I am the divider of hellfire.’ Some of the scholars of Hadith said its meaning is that everyone who follows Ali is on the true path. 

~al-Dalail fee Ghareeb al-Hadith vol 2:678

6) Ibn al-Athir al-Jazari wrote :

وَفِي حَدِيثِ عَلِيٍّ «أنَا قَسِيم النارِ» ‌أَرَادَ ‌أَنَّ ‌النَّاسَ ‌فرِيقان: ‌فريقٌ ‌مَعِي، ‌فهُم ‌عَلَى هُدًى، وَفَرِيقٌ عليَّ، فهُم عَلَى ضَلال، فنِصفٌ مَعِي فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَنِصْفٌ عليَّ فِي النَّارِ

In the Hadith of Ali ‘I am the distributor of hell.’ He meant that people are of two groups : one group is with him and they are on guidance and the other group is against him and they are misled. Those are with him are in Jannah and those against him are in the fire. 

~al-Nihayah fee Gharib al-Hadith vol 4:61

7) Mulla Ali al-Qaari wrote :

(وأنّه) أي عليا (‌قسيم ‌النّار) أي والجنة كما قيل على حبه جنة … ‌قسيم ‌النار والجنة فهو من باب الاكتفاء ويشير إليه قوله (يدخل أولياؤه الجنّة وأعداؤه النّار

And that Ali is the distributor of paradise and hell as it has been said ‘Love for Ali is paradise.’ This is an example which indicates ‘His allies will enter Jannah and his enemies Hell.’

~Sharah Shifa vol 1:687 

Part 3 : Imam Ali at the Hawdh

Abu Bakr Ibn Abi Aasim mentioned :

 عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ ‌أَبِي ‌طَلْحَةَ مَوْلَى بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ، قَالَ: حَجَّ مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ وَحَجَّ مَعَهُ ‌مُعَاوِيَةُ ‌بْنُ ‌خَدِيجٍ، فَمَرَّ فِي مَسْجِدِ الرَّسُولِ، وَالْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ جَالِسٌ، فَدَعَاهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْحَسَنُ: أَنْتَ السَّابُّ لِعَلِيٍّ رضي الله عنه، أَمَا وَاللَّهِ لَتَرِدَنَّ عَلَيْهِ الْحَوْضَ، وَمَا أَرَاكَ أَنْ تَرِدَهُ فَتَجِدَهُ مُشَمَّرَ الْإِزَارِ عَلَى سَاقٍ يَذُودُ عَنْهُ. لَا يَأْتِي الْمُنَافِقُونَ ذَوْدَ غَرِيبَةِ الْإِبِلِ. قَوْلُ الصَّادِقِ الْمَصْدُوقِ، وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنِ افْتَرَى

Ali Ibn Abi Talha said Mu’awiyyah Ibn Abi Sufyan performed Hajj and with him was Mu’awiyyah Ibn Hudayj. They passed through Masjid al-Nabwi and al-Hasan Ibn Ali was sitting there.

Mu’awiyyah called him over. al-Hasan said to him ‘You are the one who insults Ali. I swear by Allah, when you see him at the Hawdh and I do not think you’ll reach there, you’d find him charging away the enemies. He shall drive away the Munafiqeen from the Hawdh. The most truthful ﷺ told me this and whoever fabricates lies is doomed.’

~al-Sunnah vol 2:360

al-Albani in his ignorance said the Sanad is weak as he doesn’t know if Ali Ibn Abi Talha was present there or not but someone who claims to be a scholar of Hadith and saying something like this is ridiculous. In the narration of Mustadarak ala al-Sahihayn we find out that Ali Ibn Abi Talha was present there.

Also, al-Albani said al-Walid Ibn ‘Masar’ al-Hamidani is unknown, little does he know that it’s a print error and it’s actually al-Walid Ibn ‘Yasar’ al-Hamidani as mentioned in the Sanad of al-Haakim and al-Walid is an accepted narrator. 

عَنِ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ الْهَمْدَانِيِّ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ قَالَ حَجَجْنَا فَمَرَرْنَا عَلَى الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَمَعَنَا مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ حُدَيْجٍ فَقِيلَ لِلْحَسَنِ إِنَّ هَذَا مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ حُدَيْجٍ السَّابُ لِعَلِيٍّ فَقَالَ عَلَيَّ بِهِ فَأُتِيَ بِهِ فَقَالَ أَنْتَ السَّابُّ لِعَلِيٍّ؟ فَقَالَ مَا فَعَلْتَ فَقَالَ «وَاللَّهِ إِنْ لَقِيتُهُ وَمَا أَحْسَبُكَ تَلَقَّاهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ لَتَجِدَهُ قَائِمًا عَلَى حَوْضِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَذُودُ عَنْهُ رَايَاتِ الْمُنَافِقِينَ بِيَدِهِ عَصًا مِنْ عَوْسَجٍ» حَدَّثَنِيهِ الصَّادِقُ الْمَصْدُوقُ ﷺ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنَ افْتَرَى

Ali Ibn Abi Talha said we performed Hajj and visited al-Hasan Ibn Ali in Madinah and with us was Mu’awiyyah Ibn Hudayj. It was said to al-Hasan, This Mu’awiyyah insults Ali. 

So al-Hasan said ‘By Allah, When I meet Ali and I do not think you will meet him on the day of resurrection. You’d find him standing at the Hawdh of Rasul-Allah ﷺ defending it against the Munafiqeen with a staff in his hand. The most truthful ﷺ told me this and whoever fabricates lies is doomed.’

~al-Mustadarak ala al-Sahihayn 4669 

• al-Haakim al-Nishapuri said :

هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحُ الْإِسْنَادِ وَلَمْ يُخَرِّجَاهُ

This Hadith is Sahih in its chain but they Bukhari/Muslim didn’t record it. 

This is the reason the Nawasib and Bani Umayyah rejected the existence of al-Hawdh as they rejected the status of Imam Ali at the Hawdh or feared facing him at the Hawdh. An incident we find in the book of Abu Dawood al-Sijastani :

عن أَبُو طَالُوتَ، قَالَ شَهِدْتُ أَبَا بَرْزَةَ دَخَلَ عَلَى عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ فَحَدَّثَنِي فُلاَنٌ، سَمَّاهُ مُسْلِمٌ وَكَانَ فِي السِّمَاطِ فَلَمَّا رَآهُ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏:‏ إِنَّ مُحَمَّدِيَّكُمْ هَذَا الدَّحْدَاحُ، فَفَهِمَهَا الشَّيْخُ فَقَالَ مَا كُنْتُ أَحْسِبُ أَنِّي أَبْقَى فِي قَوْمٍ يُعَيِّرُونِي بِصُحْبَةِ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ إِنَّ صُحْبَةَ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ لَكَ زَيْنٌ غَيْرُ شَيْنٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏:‏ إِنَّمَا بُعِثْتُ إِلَيْكَ لأَسْأَلَكَ عَنِ الْحَوْضِ سَمِعْتَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَذْكُرُ فِيهِ شَيْئًا فَقَالَ أَبُو بَرْزَةَ ‏:‏ نَعَمْ لاَ مَرَّةً وَلاَ ثِنْتَيْنِ وَلاَ ثَلاَثًا وَلاَ أَرْبَعًا وَلاَ خَمْسًا، فَمَنْ كَذَّبَ بِهِ فَلاَ سَقَاهُ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ مُغْضَبًا ‏.‏

Abu Talut said I saw Abu Barzah visited Ubayd-Allah Ibn Ziyad. So Ubayd-Allah said This Muhammadan (companion of Muhammad) is short and fat. Abu Barzah understood the taunt and he replied ‘I did not think I would remain alive amongst people who would criticize me for being a companion.’

Ubayd-Allah Ibn Ziyad said : ‘I called you here to ask about the Hawdh. Did you really hear Rasul-Allah ﷺ say anything about it?’

Abu Barzah said ‘Yes, not once or twice but many times. May Allah not allow him to enter the Hawdh who disbelieves in it. 

~Sunan Abi Dawud, 4749

https://sunnah.com/abudawud:4749

Thank you for reading! May Allah keep us with Imam Ali in this world and the next.