In this fantastic lecture Syed Ammar analyses Hadith al-Manzilah, the Hadith in which the Prophet of Islam, Mohammed (saw), has been reported to say "Oh Ali, you are to me like Harun was to Musa"
Syed Ammar covers the following in his superb lecture: -Is this Hadith authentic,who has narrated it, and in which books can the Hadith be found? -What was the relationship between Musa and Harun? -Was their any difficulties/tests in the relationship between Musa and Harun? -Was their any difficulties/tests in the relationship between Ali and the Prophet? -Who were those who tried to destroy the friendship of Harun and Musa? -Who were those who tried to destroy the relationship of Ali and the Prophet? -How is the relationship of Musa and Harun similar to the relationship of Ali and the Prophet? -Why would the Prophet narrate this Hadith? What is the importance of the Hadith? -What does this Hadith have to do with the events which led up to the Day of Ghadir?
"...and appoint for me (Musa) a helper from my family, Aaron, my brother; increase my strength with him and let him share my task (of conveying Allâh's Message and Prophethood)..." (20:29-32)
"...and Musa said to his brother Haroun: Take my place among my people..." (7:142)
The way Prophet Musa told Harun to be his representative during his absence, Ali also, was told by the Prophet to be a representative of the Prophet amongst the people during the battle of Tabuk. However, was the Battle of Tabuk the only time Imam Ali was a representative of the Prophet and the Caliph of the People? Or did the Caliphate extend to after the Prophet's life? Because the Hadith says "except that there is no prophet after me". Why did the Prophet talk about what was after him? Why didn't the Prophet end the Hadith saying "except that you are not a Prophet"?
The only way to understand these words is to say that the similarity (between Harun/Musa & Ali/Prophet) mentioned in the hadith was not specific to that one incident of Tabuk; but that Ali continually held this position of being a representative of the Prophet amongst the people, and he held it both during and after the life of our Prophet [saw], because otherwise the Prophet would not have talked about what was after him.
