The Door To The City Of Knowledge

"... However, piety does not consist in your entering houses from the rear, [as it were] but truly pious is he who is conscious of God. Hence, enter houses through their doors, and remain conscious of God, so that you might attain to a happy state."
~Holy Qur'aan {2:189}

The holy prophet (saws) was reported to have said:
"I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate; therefore, whoever want the city should enter through the gate" ~Tirmidhi, Al-Hakim, Suyuti et al

Objection

Ibn Taymiyyah:
And what has been narrated from the Prophet (saw): "I am the city of knowledge and Alee (a.s) is its door." This hadeeth is weak, it is rather fabricated among scholars of hadeeth, but Al-Tirmidhi and others have narrated it, despite that it is lie.
Source: Majmu'a Al-Fatawa. Vol. 18, Pg. # 216.

View Of Other Scholars On The Hadith

Al-Suyuti:
Al-Bazzar recorded, as well as Al-Tabarani in Al-Awsat, from Jabir b. Abd Allah, and Al-Tirmidhi and Al-Hakim recorded from Ali that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate!"

This Hadeeth is Hasan (Reliable) in the correct view. It cannot be correctly graded as "Saheeh" (Authentic) as Al-Hakim said, while it is also not a fabrication as many said, among them ibn Al-Jawzi and Al-Nawawi.
Source: Tarikh Al-Khulafa. Pg. # 138.

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Interestingly, in modern editions of Sunan Al-Tirmidhi, the hadeeth has been removed! Several other classical scholars have confirmed that it was originally in Sunan Al-Tirmidhi.

Ibn al-Athir:
Narrated Ali b. Abi Talib: The Messenger of
Allah (saw), said: "I am the city of knowledge, and Ali is its gate." Al-Tirmidhi recorded it.
Source: Jami Al-Usool Fi Ahadeeth Al-Rasul.
Vol. 8, Pg. # 657, H. # 6501.

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Shaykh Al-Salihi:
Al-Tirmidhi and others narrate that the Prophet (saw) said, "I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate."

The correct opinion is that the hadeeth is Hasan (Reliable), as Al-Hafiz Al-Alai and Al-Hafiz ibn Hajar said.
Source: Subul Al-Huda Wa Al-Rashad fi Sirah
Khayr Al-Ibad. Vol. 1, Pg. # 631.

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Sayyid Al-Saqqaf:
It has been narrated in a Saheeh (Authentic)
Hadeeth from him (i.e. the Prophet), peace be upon him and his family, that he said: "I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate."

Al-Hafiz ibn Mo'een declared it authentic as in Tarikh Baghdad 11/49, as well as Imam Al-Hafiz ibn Jarir Al-Tabari in Tahdhib Al-Athar, and Al-Hafiz Al-Alai in Al-Naqd Al-Sahih, and Al-Hafiz ibn Hajar and Al-Hafiz Al-Suyuti as in Al-Lali Al-Masnu'at 1/334, and Al-Hafiz Al-Sakhawi as in Al-Maqasid Al-Hasanah.

Source: Tanaqadat Al-Albani Al-Wadihah. Vol. 2, Pg. # 82.

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Muttaqi Al-Hindi:
(Musnad Alee) al-Tirmidi and Ibn Jarir both said: Ismael b. Musa al-Asdi, from Muhammad b. `Umar al-Rumi, from ShurAk b. Salmah b. Kubyal, from Suwayd b. Ghafla, from al-Sanabihi, from Alee, he said: Messenger of Allah [saws] said: "I am the house of wisdom and Alee is its door"

Al-Tirmidhi said: This Hadeeth is Ghareeb [i.e. a narration that has been narrated through multiple chains] and in another manuscript, he says: it is Munkar [denied], some have narrated this Hadeeth on the authority of Shareek, and they have not
mentioned: From al-Sanabihi. Furthermore, this Hadeeth is not known through other Thuqat [Trustworthy narrators] except through Shareek, and a similar narration have been also narrated from Ibn`Abbas.

Ibn Jarir said: This Hadeeth is Saheeh
(Authentic) in its chain of transmission, and it seems far fetched according to some other scholars due to these two reasons: One of the reasons is that this narration is not known to be narrated from Ali from the Prophet (saw) through other than this chain.

The second reason, is that Salmah b. Kubyal
according to them is not regarded as Hujjah (proof). However in this case some others have also narrated the narration from Ali from the Prophet (saw).
Source: Kanzul Ummal Vol. 13 Pg. # 147. H. # 36422.

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Ibn Hajar:
This hadeeth has a lot of chains in Mustadrak of Al-Hakim. Its lowest grading is that the hadeeth has a basis (i.e. is authentic). It is not correct to declare it a fabrication.
Source: Lisan Al-Mizan. Vol. 2, Pg. # 465.

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Conclusion
The hadeeth is clear. Imam Ali (a.s) is the
only key to the authentic Sunnah of Muhammad (saws). The Prophet (saw) did not say "and Ali (a.s) is one of its gates." The language is unequivocal.

This hadith is explicit and comprehensive enough that the complete understanding and correct interpretations of the 'ilm Nabiyy' (prophetic knowledge), be it the Book of God and Sunnah, is exclusively endowed in Ali ibn Abi talib.

This is testified by the fact that Ali was brought up and trained by the holy prophet (saws) himself right before he (saws) was appointed as prophet till he (saws) breathed his last.

Al-Hakim:
Narrated ibn Abbas: Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him said: "I am the city of knowledge and Ali (a.s) is its gate. Therefore, whosoever wants the city, let him go to the gate!"

Source: Al-Mustadrak Ala Al-Saheehain. Vol. 3,Pg. # 31, H # 235 / 4637.

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Al-Baghdadi:
Narrated ibn Abbas: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "I am the city of knowledge and Ali (a.s) is its gate. Therefore, whosoever wants the city, let him go to the gate!"

Al-Qasim said, "I asked Yahya b. Mo'een concerning this hadeeth, and he said, 'It is Saheeh (Authentic).'"
Source: Tarikh Baghdad. Vol. 12, Pg. # 320.
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Salam baqir, are you of the sect shi'a?

reedbam: Salam baqir, are you of the sect shi'a?

Wa alaykum salam. I am a muslim following Jafari school of thought so technically I am a Shi'a (partisan, follower) of ahli Muhammad (household of Muhammad (saws)).