piety, moral probity, and service to him. In biographical dictionaries, he has been regarded as reliable, and several Sunni scholars have mentioned him and praised him. Thus, AI:Imad b.
Ali ibn J:Iajar al-Asqalani, Tahdhfb al-tahdhlb, ١٢ vols. (Beirut: Dar adir,
on al-I:Iarith, cites several authorities like al-Duri, Uthman al-Darimi, Ashab b. Sawar, and Ibn Abi Dawud, who have accredited him and have regarded his transmissions as reliable. Mui:Iammad b. AI:Imad al-Qurtubi, Al-lam ili-A/:lkam al-Qur{m [Tofslr al-Qurrubl] ٢٠ vols.,
٣d ed. (Cairo: Dar al-Kitab al-Arabi, ١٣٨٧١١٩٦٧); in vol. I, p. ٥, he mentions that al-Shabi
had tarnished the reliability of al-I:Iarith by ascribing a falsehood to him, which was baseless since there was no evidence to support such an accusation. Apparently, al-Ququbi says, it was his excessive love for Ali b. Abi Talib, and his placing him above all other associates of the Prophet, that prompted al-Shabi to impute a falsehood to him. Also, Ibn I:Iajar has vindi‌ cated al-I:Iariths reliability and has regarded al-ShabTs charge against him as lacking evi‌ dence. There is little doubt that al-I:Iarith was accused of a falsehood simply because of his love for Ali b. AbT Tali b. In that case, what should one say about those traditions-reported by all Muslim traditionists-in which the Prophet himself is engaged in relating the merits of
Ali b. Abi Talib and demonstrating his excellence? On one occasion, when Muawiya was
reviling Ali b. Abi Talib in the presence of Sad b. Abi Waqqas, the latter objected, saying that how could anyone malign a person who shared the character of the Prophet. See: J:Iakim, Al-Mustadrak, vol. ٣, p. ١٠٨.
٦. Darimi, Sunan, vol. ٢, pp. ٣١٢-١٣; cf. variants in TirmidhT, $a/:ll/:l, vol. a, pp. ٣٠-٣١, and in Majlisi, Bi/:lar, vol. ٩٢, pp. ٢٤-٢٥, citing AyyashT,tafsir.
٧. Majlisi, Bi/:lar, vol. ٩٢, p. ٢٧.
٨. Ali b. Abd al-Muttaqi, Kanz a/- Ummalfi Sunan al-Aqwal wa al-A]al, ed. J:Iasan Razziq and afwat
tion is mentioned by Sahl b. Sad. It is also cited in AI:Imad b. I:Ianbal, Musnad, vol. ٥, p. ٢١٨; Mui:Iammad b. IsmaIl al-Bukhari, Al-Jami al-$a/:ll/:l, edited, with an English trans., by Mui:Iammad Mui:Isin Khan, ٨ vols. (n.p.: Dar al-Fikr, n.d.), vol. ٧, p. ١٥١; Muslim Ibn al‌ J:Iajjaj, $a/:ll/:l, vol. ٣, p. ٧٤.
٩. Mui:Iammad Jawad al-BalaghT, Al-Huda ila Dfn al-Mu rafti,
n.p., ١٩١١-١٢), vol. I, pp. ١٩-٣٤.
١٠. See note ٤ for a reference to the tradition about the "two weighty things." In some versions of this tradition, it is explicitly mentioned that the vicegerents of the Prophet are the Quran and the Prophets descendants.
a. Ali b. Abi Talib, Nahj al-Balagha, compiled by al-Sharif al-Ra<;a Mui:Iammad b. al‌
J:Iusayn, commentary by Muryammad Abduh, ed. Abd al-Aziz Sayyid al-Ahl, ٤ vols. (Beirut: Dar al-Andalus lil-Tibaa wa al-Nashr, ١٩٦٣) vol. ٣; pp. ٣٩٠-٩٢.
١٢. Abu al-Qasim al-Furat b. Ibrahim b. al-Furat al-Kufi, Taj١•fr ai-Furtit al-Kufi, ed.
Muryammad Ka im
١٣. Abu al-Hasan al-Amili al-I fahani,
ai-Asrar fi Tajsfr a/-Quran (Tehran: Chapkhanah-i Aftab, ١٩٥٤ ).
١٤. Athilfi (sing.: uthfi.m) are the stones (usually three) which arc placed under a pot to steady it.
١٥. Kulayni, al-Kafi, vol. a, pp. ٣٤-٣٥; Mul,lammad b. al-I:I ١٦. Kulayni, al-Kafi, vol. ١١, p. ٣١; J:Iurr al-Amili, Wasail, vol. ٢, pt. ٢, p. ٨٤٩.
١٧. Kulayni. al-Kafi, vol. a, p. ٣٣; J:Iurr alAmili, Wasail, vol. ٢, pt. ٢, p. ٨٥١.
١٨. Kulayni, a/-Kafi. vol. ١١, p. ٢٧; I:Iurr al- A mill. Wasa if. vol. ٢, pt. ٢, pp. ٨٤٠. ٨٤٢.
١٩. Kulayni, al-Kafi, vol. a. p. ٣٧; I:Iurr al-Amili. Wasail, vol. ٢. pt. ٢. p. ٨٥٤.
٢٠. Kulayni. a/-Kafi. vol. a. pp. ٣٦-٣٧.