This beautiful Hadith exemplifies the beautiful relationship between Muhammad (s) and Ali (as). Those that desperately seek to hide the excellences of Ali (as) insist that the tradition be limited a context and that no further thought should be given to it. They are of course seeking to hide their Sunni followers from its significance, since recognising this tradition debases the Sunni doctrine of man made Khilafath, why else would we read this reaction by an esteemed scholar of the Sunni Sect cited in al-Sunnah, by Khalal, Volume 2 page 347:
Abu Bakr al-Marozi said: ‘I asked Abu Abdullah (Ahmad ibn Hanbal) about the meaning of the hadith of prophet to Ali “you are to me as Aaron was to Moses”.
He replied: ‘Keep quiet don’t ask about this tradition, leave it as it is’’.
The margin writer Sheikh Dr. Atya al-Zahrani said: ‘The chain is Sahih’.
The silence of Ibn Hanbal speaks volumes, for it exposes a reality that he was unprepared to face up to. Those prepared to look beyond such blind bigotry will soon recognise Hadith invites seekers of knowledge with the opportunity to delve into the realties of this wonderful relationship be examining the relationship that existed between Musa (as) and Harun (as) from the Quran. Once one recognises the relationship between these two Israelite Prophets, one can likewise recognise the relationship between the Prophet (s) and Ali (as) – a relationship wherein Ali (as) was the brother, vizier and Khalifa of the Prophet (s). Rather than run away from this reality, and downplay the excellences of Imam Ali (as) it would be far better for them to sit down and examine their assertion that the Prophet (s) left neither successor, nor system of succession. We would ask that they assess this belief and measure it against Hadith Manzila. Nawasib should recognize that there is life beyond the lure of Saudi petro dollars. Would it not be better to take an honest position now, before it is too late?