We do not find any friend and enemy, who has expressed any doubt about the tradition. Whoever has studied the trustworthy reporters of this tradition, has accepted its authenticity, except for Ibne Taymiyyah1 in Minhajus Sunnah,2 who has refuted this tradition due the malice that he harbors in his heart. And this style was his habit in every matter, in order to create dissension in the Muslim communities, in which he was expert. We shall mention his objections in brief and rebut them.
First objection
On one side, there is consensus that the incident of Ghadeer occurred on the return of the Prophet after the Farewell Hajj and on the other side and it has come in a report that when the tradition of Ghadeer spread in all areas, Harith3 came to the Prophet and he was in Abtha, in Mecca at that time [thus on the basis of this traditional report, the incident of the inquirer (saael) occurred in Mecca] while the circumstances demand that this should have occurred in Medina. Thus the fabricator of the traditional report [incident of the inquirer (saael)] was ignorant of the date of the incident of Ghadeer.
Reply: Firstly:
It is mentioned in the report of Halabi in Seerah,4 Sibte Ibne Jauzi in Tadhkira5 and Shaykh Muhammad Sadrul Aalim in Moalijul Oola: The arrival of the questioner took place in the Masjid. [although this statement is itself a reply to the objection since ‘Masjid’ implies Masjid of Medina]. Halabi has also clarified that the arrival of the questioner was in Medina, but these statements remain concealed for Ibne Taymiyyah and in a decisive refutation he has hastened to refute the traditional report.
Secondly
Neglect of this person regarding grammatical facts or his blind prejudice is a barrier between him and the facts, it has cast a veil of darkness and he has sunk into this whirlpool; that is why he thinks that the term ‘Abtha’ which is restricted to the outskirts of Mecca, while the fact is that if he referred to books of traditions, encyclopedias, glossaries, books of geography and literature,6 he would have realized that writers of these books have clarified: The term ‘Abtah’ implies every stony path having pebbles and gravel. After that they have hinted at some sources, which mention ‘batha’ of Mecca.
And he would understand that every valley, which has this specialty is called ‘batha’. So it is possible that there were other places called ‘batha’ in Arabia.
Second objection
According to the consensus of scholars, Surah Maarij is Meccan, therefore, it was revealed within ten years preceding the incident of Ghadeer.
Reply
What is confirmed from the above mentioned consensus is that when a Surah as a whole is Meccan, it is not necessary that all its verses should also be Meccan. Therefore it is possible that this verse is especially Medinan and such examples are present in many other Surahs as well.