Hadith of the Ark ""perished whoever turned away from it"" also comes along." And in his another book, Al-Heithami indicates this hadith as authentic (sahih). According to Dahlan, the authenticity of this hadith is confirmed by different sources. The hadith implies the absolute priority of "Ahl al-Bayt" to all others, otherwise Muhammad would have forbidden to follow them. According to Shia scholars, the only path to salvation is by following the "Ahl al-Bayt", so they must be infallible ("Ma'sum"), otherwise they will mislead their followers. If they are infallible, they must be Imam definitely. According to this hadith, they are the criterion of distinguishing
Hadith of the Ark follows: Behold! The similitude of my Ahlul Bayt, is like that of the Ark of Noah: The one who embarks it, will have saved himself, and the one who turns away from it, is doomed. Many Sunni books narrate this Hadith. Some significant Sunni books that narrate this Hadith are: Al-Hakim al-Nisaburi, one of the greatest Sunni scholars, narrated this hadith as authentic (sahih) in his Mustadrak. Al-Heithami in his book ("written against Shia") states: By many narrations of this hadith which strengthen each other;""certainly Ahl al-Bayt are like the Ark of Noah, saved Whoever boarded"", and in Sahih Muslim