اَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللّهِ ﷺ اِنِّي قَدْ تَرَكْتُ فِيكُمُ الثَّقَلَيْنِ مَا اِنْ تَمَسَّكْتُمْ بِهِمَا لَنْ تَضِلُّوا بَعْدِي وَ اَحَدُهُمَا اَكْبَرُ مِنَ الْآخَرِ كِتَابُ اللّهِ حَبْلٌ مَمْدُودٌ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ اِلَى الْاَرْضِ وَ عِتْرَتِي اَهْلُ بَيْتِي اَلَا وَ اِنَّهُمَا لَنْ يَفْتَرِقَا حَتَّى يَرِدَا عَلَيَّ الْحَوْضَ
Abu Saeed al-Khudri reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) said,
“I am leaving behind you two precious things; if you fasten unto both of them, you will NEVER be deviated after me. One of them is greater than the other. The Book of Allah is the extended rope from the sky to the earth and my progeny, my Ahle Bait (peace be upon them). Beware! The two will not be separated from each other they meet me at the Pond.”
Note:
The Holy Quran is present in the libraries and houses of the disbelievers. Books of traditions too abound in their libraries. But do they fasten unto them? No. Hence, these are not a source of guidance for them. In most of the Muslim cities and countries too, the same applies. They don’t fasten unto them.
Extended rope is a metaphorical term used here. It means it is the thing to be fastened unto.
You will never see any contradiction between the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Ahle Bait (peace be upon them) even in a single instance. You will see contradiction between the Holy Quran and the actions or teachings of other rulers/tyrants/despots but never with the Ahle Bait (peace be upon them) till the Day of Judgment. What does this mean? It means that that there is no path other than that of the Holy Quran and the Ahle Bait (peace be upon them). Together they form the path of salvation. Independently, neither of them are self-sufficient.
References:
1. Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 23, p. 106, H. 7
2. al-Taraaef of Sayyed Ibn Taawoos (r.a.), vol. 1, p. 113, H. 171