Hadith of Golden Chain

Hadith al-Silsilah al-Dhahab (Arabic: حدیث سلسلة الذهب) (Hadith of the Golden Chain) is a hadith narrated from Ali al-Ridha, the eighth Imam of the Shia.^[1] The "chain" is a reference to the continuity of spiritual authority which is passed down from Muhammad to Ali ibn Abi Talib, through each of the Imams, to Imam Ridha.^[2] As transmitters of Hadith, the Imams link subsequent generations to the teachings of Mohammad.^[3] This transmission makes the Hadith of the Golden Chain valued as among the most truthful and accurate of all Hadiths for the Shi'ite.^[4]

The hadith is important to Shia because it implies that, on the one hand, monotheism takes believers to "Allah's fortress", which is a safe shelter, and on the other hand the Imamah is a fundamental precondition of entering this shelter.^[5]

^ Abdul Aziz Abdulhussein Sachedina (1998). The Just Ruler in Shi'ite Islam: The Comprehensive Authority of the jurist in Islamic Jurisprudence. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19535-329-7. Pages 58-60
^ Mohammad Ali Sabzvari. Translated by Mohammad H. Faghfoory (2007). Tuhfah Yi-Abbasi: The Golden Chain of Sufism in Shi'ite Islam. University Press of America. ISBN 978-0-76183-801-2. Page v-xiii
^ Liyakat N. Takin (2006). The Heirs of the Prophet: Charisma and Religious Authority in Shia Islam. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-79148-191-2. Page 69
^ Abdul Hadi Al-Fadhli (2011). Introduction to Hadith 2nd. ICAS Press The Islamic College. ISBN 978-1-90406-347-6. Page 64
^ Tarkhan, Ghasem (2011). "The relationship between guardianship and monotheism". Ghabasat (62). Archived from the original on 2014-07-19. Retrieved 2014-10-06.

[Sachedina-1] Abdul Aziz Abdulhussein Sachedina (1998). The Just Ruler in Shi'ite Islam: The Comprehensive Authority of the jurist in Islamic Jurisprudence. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19535-329-7. Pages 58-60

[Faghfoory-2] Mohammad Ali Sabzvari. Translated by Mohammad H. Faghfoory (2007). Tuhfah Yi-Abbasi: The Golden Chain of Sufism in Shi'ite Islam. University Press of America. ISBN 978-0-76183-801-2. Page v-xiii

[Takin-3] Liyakat N. Takin (2006). The Heirs of the Prophet: Charisma and Religious Authority in Shia Islam. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-79148-191-2. Page 69

[Fadhli-4] Abdul Hadi Al-Fadhli (2011). Introduction to Hadith 2nd. ICAS Press The Islamic College. ISBN 978-1-90406-347-6. Page 64

[Tarkhan-5] Tarkhan, Ghasem (2011). "The relationship between guardianship and monotheism". Ghabasat (62). Archived from the original on 2014-07-19. Retrieved 2014-10-06.

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