Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

'Ali ibn Abi Trilib 63
one another and only increase it in weakness. With regard to the text,
it is to be rejected for several reasons:
- In this hadith, there is exaggeration and excessive praise, going
beyond what was the norm at the time of the Prophet (a).
-This hadith is contrary to the teachings and Sumah of the Prophet
(g) with regard to washing the body of a woman on several
counts, including the following: His pouring the water himself,
which is mentioned only in this story. With regard to the
reports about the washing of his daughter Zaynab, he told
others to wash her and he did not pour the water himself.
Bukhari and Muslim narrated from Muhammad ibn Sireen that
Umm 'Atiyyah said: The Prophet (B) entered upon us when
we were washing his daughter and said: "Wash her three
times, or five, or more than that, if yon see fit, with water and
lotus leaves, and put camphor in the last time. And when you
have finished, let me know," When we had finished, we let
him know, and he gave us his waist wrapper and said: "Put it
next to her body." And he did not do any more than that.57
- Digging with his own hand and taking out the dirt with his own
hand and lying down in the grave are only narrated in this
weak hadith, which is contrary to his normal way, and it is a
kind of exaggeration and excessive praise.
Moreover, the wording of the supplication, which begins in the
third person and then moves to the second person, is very
different from his usual style in the supplications which are
narrated in hadith ("0 Allah, You..."). We do not see in any
supplication apart from this one the words "0 AUah, Who ..."
- Another indication of its weahness is that the narrator admits that
the Prophet (B) did not do these actions except on this
occasion, but he wants to highlight this fact as a justifi~ation.~~