1

Chapter

Abu Talib: The Staunch Believer

The Quranic verse states: It is not ( fit ) for the Prophet and

those who believe that they should ask forgiveness for the poly-

theists, even though they should be near relatives,after it has

become clear to them that they are inmates of the flaiming fire.

[9:113]

Sunnis claim this verse to be revealed when Abu Talib died

and the prophet plead for his forgiveness. This is not true. The above sura is totally a Medinite sura, except the verses

128-129. The above sura was revealed after the migration of

prophet and logically, a lot later after the death of Hz Abu

Talib. Now since we have already proved that the above verse

was not revealed for Abu Talib, where the Prophet and the

Muslims have been advised not to pray for the polytheists, it

would help us to look at those verses that asked the Prophet

and the Believers not to establish relations for the polytheists, let alone pray for them, out of love and respect !

Surah 4 Verses 139 and 144: Those who take the unbelievers

for guardians rather than believers. Do they seek honor for

them? Then surely all honor is for Allah… ..O you who believe !

do not take the unbelievers as protectors instead of than be-

lievers; do you desire that you should give to Allah a manifest

proof against yourselves ?

This is a Mecci Surah, where the above verses advise the be-

lievers not to take unbelievers as helpers or protectors. How

could the Prophet get help from an unbeliever if we assume

Abu Talib is unbeliever?! Of course, this verse was revealed

well before Chapter 9, that has been the focus our attention!

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Surah 9 Verses 23 and 80: O you who believe ! do not take your fathers and your brothers for guardians if they love unbelief more than belief; and who ever of you takes them for

aguardian, these it is that are the unjust… … Ask forgiveness

for them or do not ask forgiveness for them; even if you ask

forgiveness for them seventy times, Allah will not forgive them; this is because they disbelieve in Allah and the Apostle, and Allah does not guide the transgressing people.

The readers of Islamic History know how the Quraish clans

delivered to Abu Talib anultimatum, to stop his nephew from

defaming their fathers and be littling their gods and ridiculing their minds; otherwise, they would confront him and the Prophet (PBUH&HF)on a battle field untill one of the two parties

perished. Abu Talib had no doubt that his acceptance of the

Quraishite challenge meant his death and total annihilation of

his clan;yet he did not pressure his nephew to stop his cam-

paign. He only informed him of the Qurashite ultimatum, and

he told him kindly Save me and yourself, my nephew, and bur-

den me not with what I cannot bear.

When the messenger rejected the ultimatum, declaring to his

uncle that he would not exchange his message with the posse-

sion of the whole universe, Abu Talib immediately reversed his

attitude and decided to go along with the Messenger to the

end.

This is evident from the statement he made to the prophet

(PBUH&HF). Come back, my nephew, go on, say what ever you

like. I shall never let you down at any time. Ibn Husham, Bio-

graphy of the Prophet, v 1 p 266 - Tabaqat of Ibn Sa'ad, v 1 p

186 - History of Tabari, v 2 p 218

Abu Talib fulfilled this huge promise with distinction. When a

Meccan threw some dirton the Messenger while he was pros-

trating, Abu Talib went on brandishing his sword and holding

the hand of his nephew untill he came to the sacred mosque. A

group of the enemies were sitting there, and when some of

them tried to stand for Abu Talib, he saidto them "By the One 3

in whom Muhammad (PBUH&HF) believes, if any one from you stands up I will hit him with my sword."

When a person wants to swear, he swears by something that

has sanctity for him, and not something that he does not be-

lieve in it. The above diplomatic/political statement provesfor

those who have intelligience that he believed in the God of

Muhammad (PBUH&HF),The One, The Great.

Then Abu Talib asked the Prophet (PBUH&HF) who was the

person responsible for the shameful act, and upon his (

Prophet's ) answer, Hamza as instructed by Abu Talibsmeared

the dust on the individuals who showed animosity towards the

Prophet(PBUH&HF). It was on this occasion that Abu Talib

said : I believe that Mohammed's faith is the best of all the religions of the Universe. Khazanatal Adaab by Khateeb Baghdadi,

v 1 p 261 - Tareekh of Ibn Katheer, v 3 p 42 - Sharh of Ibn al

Hadid, v 3 p 306- History of Abul Fida, v 1 p 120

The Quraish could see that despite their obstructive efforts

the progress of Islam had continued. They now decided to put

an end to the Prophet and his family in a state of siege and ex-

communication till they were all done away with. With this end

in view apact was drawn, to which each tribe was a party and

it was to the effect that none should have marital ties with

Banu Hashim or do any buying or selling with them; and none

was to associate with them or allow any provision to them.

This was to continue till the Prophet's family handed him

over for execution. This pact was then hung on the door of the

Kaaba. Thus forced Abu Talib with the whole family moved to a

mountain cave known as ' Shi'b Abi Talib '. Now the Hashmites

were entirely alienated from the rest of the town dewelers. The

fortress was also beleagured at times bythe Quraish to enforce

the ban in all its rigour, and to prevent the possibility of supplies.They found themselves sometimes reduced to starvation

for want of supplies. Under constant surveillance by the

Quraish, Abu Talib even feared night attacks and for this reas-

on he was on guard for the safety of Muhammad (PBUH&HF),

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and often chaged room as a precaution aganist sudden violence.

At the close of the third year of the Interdict, Mohammad

(PBUH&HF) told his uncle Abu Talib, that Allah had shown His disapproval of the convention against him, and had sent out

worms to eat every word of the document placed in the Kaaba,

except His own name written thereon.

Abu Talib believing his nephew (PBUH & HF) as the receiver

of the revelations from heavens, unhesitantly went to the

Quraish and told them what Muhammad (PBUH & HF)had

spoken. The discussion is recorded as follows: Muhammad has

informed us and I askyou to confirm it for yourselves. For if it is true then I ask you to re think, instead of troubling

Muhammad or putting our patience to the test. Believe us, we

would prefer to lay down our lives; rather hand over

Muhammad to you. And if Muhammad proves to be wrong in

his words, then we would hand over Muhammad to you uncon-

ditionally. Then you have the liberty of treating him any way

you like; kill him or keep him alive.

To these proposals of Abu Talib, the Quraish agreed upon to

inspect the document, and to their ashtonishment they found it

worm eaten; only the name of Allah was still there and no

more, and they said that it was an enchantment of Muhammad

(PBUH&HF). AbuTalib enraged upon the Quraish and deman-

ded that the document be declared void and the ban be re-

moved. Then he clutched to one end of the cloth of the Kaaba,

as he raised the second hand in the air and prayed O Lord !

Help us against those, who have subjugated us to torture …

Once during the childhood of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) on the

occasion of a scarcity of rains Abu Talib took him (PBUH&HF) to the Holy Kaaba and standing with his back touching the wall

of the sanctuary lifted up the Prophet (PBUH&HF) in his lap

and sought medium in his prayers to the Almighty for the rains.

The Prophet (PBUH&HF)also joined him in his prayers with his face upturned. The prayers were not finished when the clouds

began to appear and the rain fell in torrents.

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This incident is alluded in the following verses composed by Abu Talib: "Don't you see that we have found Mohammed a

prophet like Moses; he is already predicted in the previous

Scriptures. He is the illumined face which is the medium for

the rains; he is the spring for the orphan and a protector for

the widow." Sharah of Bukhari by Qastalani, v 2p 227 - Al

Seerah Al Halebeyah, v 1 p 125

Abu Talib was a man of great faith and had strong belief in

the truthfulness of Mohammed (PBUH&HF). He lived with that

mission for about eleven years, and the difficulties for

Muhammad and him increased in size by the passage of time.

This wasespecially noticeable after his death, since the Quraish subjected him to more sufferings;sufferings that were not imaginable during the life time of Abu Talib.

Ibn Abbas narrates a tradition that when a person from the

Quraish put dirt on his head,he went home. It was on this occa-

sion that the Prophet remarked : … The Quraish nevermet me

with such treatment during the life time of Abu Talib, since

they were cowards.History of Ibn Asakeer, v 1 p 284 -

Mustadrak of Al Hakim, v 2 p 622

Abu Talib addresses the men of Quraysh, who were present

at the marriage ceremony of his nephew, Muhammad, as fol-

lows: Praise be to Allah Who made us from the seed of Abra-

ham and progeny of Ishmael. He granted as a Sacred house

and a place of pilgrimage. He made us to dwell in a secure

sanctuary (haram), to which the fruits of everything are

brought. He made us, moreover, arbiters in men's affairs, and

blessed forus this land in which we dwell. Were Muhammad

(PBUH&HF), the son of my brother'Abdullah son of Abdul Mut-

talib ', to be weighed any man among the Arabs, he wouldexcel

him. Nor would any man be comparable to him. He is peerless

among men, eventhough he is a man of little welath. Yet riches

are only transient possesions, and an epheramel security. He

has expressed a desire for Khadijah, and she likewise has

shown interest in him. As for any bride gift (mahr) you de-

mand, both the part to be presented now and the one

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presented at a later date - it will be of my own wealth. - Seerah al-Halabiyyah, vol 1 p 139

In spite of his concealing his faith, Abu Talib, on more than

one occasion made his beliefin Islam clearly known (as already

mentioned above) long before his death. But it would be inter-

esting to quote his saying at his death bed.

While on his death bed, Abu Talib said to the Hashimites : I

command you to be good to Mohammed. He is the most trust-

worthy of the Quraish and the ever truthful of the Arabs.He

brought a message which is accepted by the heart and denied

by the tongue for fear of hostility. By God whoever walks in the way of Mohammed shall be on the right road and whoever follows his guidance shall have the happy future. And you

Hashimites, respond to Muhammaed's invitation and believe

him. You will succeed and be well guided;certainly he is the

guide to the right path. - Al Muhabil Dunya, v 1 p 72

It is reported in the book of al-Bayhaqi (Dalail al-Nubuwwah)

that when Abu Talib wasat the point of death, he was seen

moving his lips. al Abbas (the Prophet's uncle) bent down to

listen to what he was saying. he then lifted his head and said:

By Allah, he has uttered the word which you requested, O Mes-

senger of Allah!. - Dalail al-Nubuwwah byal-Bayhaqi, vol 2 p

101 - Ibn Hisham, Cairo Edition, p146 , v1, pp 219-220

Imam Jafer al-Sadiq (AS) said: While Imam Ali (AS) was sit-

ting with Ruhbah in Kufa,surrounded by a group, a man stood

up and said : ' Commander of the Believers, you arein this

great position at which God has placed you while your father is

suffering in hell. 'The Imam replied, saying : Be silent. May

God disfigure your mouth. By the One Who sent Mohammed

(PBUH&HF) with the truth, if my father intercedes for every

sinner onthe face of the earth, God would accept his interces-

sion. - al-Ihtijaj, by al-Tabarsi, v1,p341

Some questions arise:

1. Why is it that we accuse Abu Talib of paganism, when he

chose to believe in the Prophet's (PBUH&HF) message and

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declared it by political statements and sometimes by frank declarations?

2. What benefit does it have for us to daclare him Kafir when

there are strong proofs to the contrary? Do we get any other

benefit except to make ourselves Kafir by pronouncing one of

the early Muslim as Kafir?

3. Why do we accuse him of paganism when he defended the

Prophet (PBUH&HF) by allof what he had of men and means?

Why do we attribute paganism to such a personality who was

so benevolent to all the Muslims by guarding the life of the

Messenger of Allah(PBUH & HF) for 11 years ?

4. Why do we attribute paganism to the man who read the

Nikah for the Prophet(PBUH & HF) ? How can your mind com-

prehend the notion of a pagan/disbeliever carrying out the ce-

remony of the marriage for a Prophet?

1. The Holy Prophet says in a hadith (joining his two fingers):

"I and the supporter of the orphan are together in Paradise like these two fingers."

Ibn Abi'l-Hadid also has reported this hadith in his Sharh-e-

Nahju'l-Balagha, vol.IV,p.312, where he says that it is obvious

that the Holy Prophets statement does not mean all supporters

of orphans, since most of the supporters of orphans are sin-

ners. So the HolyProphet meant by it Abu Talib and his distin-

guished grandfather, Abdu'l-Muttalib, wholooked after the

Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet was known in Mecca as the

yatim(orphan) of Abu Talib because after the passing away of

Abdu'l-Muttalib, the Prophet,from the age of eight, had been in

the care of Abu Talib.

2. There is a well known hadith which both the Shia and

Sunni sects have narrated indifferent ways. Some of them say

that the Holy Prophet said: "Gabriel came to me andgave me

good news in these words: 'Allah has definitely exempted from

the fire the loinsthrough which you appeared, the womb which

sustained you, the breasts which suckled you, and the lap

which supported you.'

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"These reports and hadith clearly prove the faith of the Prophet's supporters, namely,Abdu'l-Muttalib, Abu Talib and

his wife Fatima Bint Asad, and also the Holy Prophet's father,

Abdullah, and mother, Amina Bint Wahhab, and his wet nurse,

Halima.

Why did Abu Talib Conceal his Faith? If Abu Talib had re-

vealed his faith, all of the Quraish and the entire Arab nation

would have united against the Bani Hashim. AbuTalib under-

stood the expedience of concealing his Islam. He pretended to

be loyal to the Quraish in order to thwart the activities of the enemy. So long as Abu Talib remain edalive the same condition

continued, and the Holy Prophet was protected. But at the

death of Abu Talib, the Angel Gabriel appeared before the Holy

Prophet and said: "Now you should leave Mecca. After Abu

Talib, you have no helper here."

Just a passing thought… .. Isnt it weird how the man who

protected the Prophet Muhammad with all his strength since

he was a child and helped propogate the religionof Islam in its

infancy (I talk about Abu Talib ) can be labeled as a kafir, while those whoran away from the Battle of Uhud and numerous ather conforntations are labeled as the champions of the faith and

the caliphs of Islam. Its weird how Sunnis call Abu Talib aKafir, simply on the basis that history does not provide any legal document of Abu Talib reciting the Kalimah.

For 40 years the Prophet SAW ate at Abu Talibs house, so

does that mean that the food our Prophet ate for the majority

of his blessed life was haraam? Did he or did he not read the

Prophets SAW Nikah? Does that also mean that his weddding

was invalidated?

Common Sense should prevail… it obviously doesnt! I im-

plore them to reflect upon the following.

1. Hadrat Abu Talib A.S. raised up two of the greatest dignit-

aries of Islam, one was theSeal of the Prophets Muhammad

Mustafaa SAWW. and the other was Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib A.S.

the first and foremost of the Imams A.S. What a blessed

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personality was Hadrat Abu Talib A.S. to have received such an honour.

2. History tell us that Hadrat Abu Talib A.S. read the Nikkah

of Prophet Muhammad and Ummulmomineen Khadeejah binte

Khuwaylid A.S. Is it possible for a kafir to conduct the mar-

riage of the Prophet of Islam?

3. Hadrat Abu Talib A.S. was the one who offered protection

to Prophet Muhammad and the early Companions at the Shibb-

e-Abi Talib when the Quraishis of Makka boy cotted Prophet

Muhammad SAWW. and the early Muslims. The early Muslims

were besieged by the kafirs. If Hadrat Abu Talib A.S. was a

kafir why would he want to shelter the Muslims?

4. Hadrat Abu Talib A.S. gave his Son Imam Ali A.S. into the

care of Prophet Muhammad SAWW. at a very early age. Why

would he need to do this if he was a kafir?What did he have to

gain from this?

5. All the direct Ancestors of Prophet Muhammad SAWW.

and Imam Ali A.S. were pure Muwahhids, ie, they were the fol-

lowers of the concept of Tawhid, the Oneness of ALLAH SWT.

The Holy Quran refers to them as Hanifs. Please note that the

Barelawisect of the Sunni Bretheren, and those like them be-

lieve that Hadrat Abu Talib A.S. was aMuslim.

Furthermore, was Abu Talib a kaafir only because history

fails to testify that he did not recite the kalimah??? Actions are judged by intentions and his actions were as if he feared Allah

more than anyone would and he believed in his last prophet

more than anyone else could have believed.

022.018: Seest thou not that to Allah bow down in worship

all things that are in the heavens and on earth,- the sun, the

moon, the stars; the hills, the trees, the animals; and agreat

number among mankind? But a great number are (also) such

as are fit for Punishment: and such as Allah shall disgrace,-

None can raise to honour: for Allah carries out all that He

wills.

This verse testifies that even the sun and the moon are

muslims who believe in Allah,they are believers. And I chal-

lenge anyone to give me an authenticated report if the sun and

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the moon ever recited the kalimah? Did anyone hear their kalimah or see their prostration? Yet they are believers… . And

pitty, Hz Abu Talib is a kaafir… …

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2

Chapter

Ahl e Bayt – The Prophet’s Household

The love of the household of the prophet is necessary, as the

Quran orders. As it has been proved that the Verse of purity

was revealed for the holy 5, the household of prophet of

Muhammad, The Ahl-e-Bait. These include Hz Ali, Hz Fatima,

Hz Hassan and Hz Hussain.

"Finally the Prophet's Waris (Executors) are of three types, those that possess Hikmah(Sagacity, wisdom), Ismah (Infallibility) and Qutbiyat Batiniyah (are Spiritual Pivots)they are his

Ahl'ul bayt". - At-Tafhimatu l-Iahiyah Volume 2 page 14

Leaving aside these arguments, the wives of the Holy Proph-

et are not included in the Ahle Bait. It is narrated in Sahih

Muslim and Jam'u'l-Usul that Hasan Ibn Samra asked Zaid Ibn

Arqam whether the wives of the Holy Prophet were included in

his Ahle Bait.Zaid said: "By Allah, no. A wife remains with her husband for a certain period, but when he divorces her, she

goes to her father's home, joins her mother's family, and is

completely cut off from her husband. The Ahle Bait are those

members of the family ofthe Holy Prophet for whom charity is

forbidden. They will not be separated from the Ahle Bait

wherever they go.

"Apart from the unanimity of views among the Ithna' Ashari

Shias about the holy progeny,there are many hadith recorded

in your own books, which disprove the assumption that the

wives of the Prophet are included in his Ahle Bait.

12

During Mubahila, the prophet took none other than these 4

holy personalities with him for the mubahila with the

Christians.

Ahlul Bayt (AS) who must be followed by all people are nieth-

er his wives,nor the whole Muslim Ummah, but the Prophet`s

closest family members who were explained by him,in many

Prophetic Hadeeths narrated by Sunni and Shia scholars

Some of the Sunni Narrations are:- From Aeysha, daughter of

Abu Bakr, and a wife of the Prophet, that the Prophet (SAWA)

had a black cover under which he put Hasan and Hussain, and

Fatema, and Ali, then recited (Surely Allah wants to kep away

from you allimpurities OÀhlul Bayt, and purify you best puri-

fying). 33:33

This Hadeeth explains who are Ahlul Bayt (AS), and is nar-

rated in : Saheeh Muslim vol.7, p130. And Mustadrak Al-Sahee-

hayn by Al-Haakim Al-Neesabori vol.3, p. 147.And Al-Sunan Al-

Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi vol.2, p. 149. And Tafseer Al-Tabari vol.

22, p.5. And Tafseer Ibn Katheer vol.3, p.485. And Tafseer Al-

Durr Al-Manthoor by Al-Soyooti vol.5, p. 198 & 199.

There are many Hadeeths in this regard stating that this

Quranic verse (33:33) was revealed on the Prophet (SAWA)

when he was at the house of his wife Um Salamah, and he

called Ali, Fatemah, Hasan, and Hussain and put them under a

cover and said :-OÀllah, these are my Ahlul Bayt, OÀllah,

keep from them all impurities, and purify them best purifying).

Um Salamah wished to be with them, but the Prophet (SAWA)

didnot include her, but told her: you are on good.Yet again we

see Ali is also menchoned in Ahl al bait(AS)

The following of Quran and (Ahlul Bayt) is - No Doubt - the

only way to be on the straight path of Real Islam, the Islam of

the Prophet (SAWA) and his holy progeny(Ahlul Bayt).

1-The Prophet Ebrahim (AS) was ordered by Allah (SWT) to

guide people to following his progeny, as was our last Prophet

Mohammed (SAWA) ordered by Allah (SWT) to do the same. Al-

lah (SWT) says in Quran:- ..Surely Allah has chosen Adam,

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Noah,Ebrahim’s Progeny and Imran’s Progeny above everyone else. 3:33.

2-Ahlul Bayt (AS) who must be followed by all people are ni-

ether his wives,nor the whole Muslim Ummah,but the Prophet-

`s closest family members who were explained by him, in many

Prophetic Hadeeths narrated by Sunni and Shia scholars. Some

of the Sunni Narrations are:-

From Aeysha, daughter of Abu Bakr,and a wife of the Proph-

et, that the Prophet (SAWA)had a black cover under which he

put Hasan and Hussain, and Fatema, and Ali, then recited

(Surely Allah wants to kep away from you all impurities OÀhlul Bayt, and purify you best purifying). 33:33

This Hadeeth explains who are Ahlul Bayt (AS), and is nar-

rated in : Saheeh Muslim vol.7, p130. And Mustadrak Al-Sahee-

hayn by Al-Haakim Al-Neesabori vol.3, p. 147.And Al-Sunan Al-

Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi vol.2, p. 149. And Tafseer Al-Tabari vol.

22, p.5. And Tafseer Ibn Katheer vol.3, p.485. And Tafseer Al-

Durr Al-Manthoor by Al-Soyooti vol.5, p. 198 & 199.

From Um Salamah,a wife of the prophet(SAWA) that when

the verse ( Surely Allah wants to keep away from you OÀhlul

Bayt all impurities, and purify you best purifying)was revealed, then the Prophet (SAWA) called Ali, Fatema, Hasan, and Hussain, and

covered them with a cover and said (OÀllah these are my

Ahlul Bayt…..).

This Hadeeth was narrated by Abu Saèed Al- Khidri fom Um

Salamah, Tafseer Al-Tabari vol.22, p. 6. And Tafseer Al-Durr Al-

Manthoor by Al-Soyooti vol.5, p. 198.

This Hadeeth shows that even the wives of the Prophet

(SAWA) were not included in(Ahlul Bayt) as Um Salamah

wished to be included and that Ali(as) was part of Ahl al-

bait(AS), but was told by the Prophet (SAWA):- You be at your

place, and you are on good.

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You may refer to find some of these Hadeeths to:- Al-Sunan Al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi ;vol. 2, p. 150, Tafseer Ibn Katheer; vol.

3, p. 483. Al-Durr Al-Manthoor by Al-Sayooti;vol.5, p.198. Al-

Mustadrak by Al-Hakim Al-Nisabori; vol. 2, p. 416. Tareekh

Baghdadby Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi; vol. 9, p. 126. Tafseer Al-

Thaàlibi; vol.1 , p. 334. SaheehAl-Tirmithi; vol. 13, p. 248

&249. Musnad Ahmad Bin Hanbal; vol.6, p. 292. AndTahtheeb

Al-Tahtheeb; vol. 2, p. 297.

3-The prophet (SAWA) ordered all Muslims to keep following

Quran, and Ahlul Bayt, so that they will never go astray if they keep

following

both

of

them.

(Saheeh

Muslim

vol.4p.1874,Sunan Al-Tirmithi vol.5 p.662,Munad Ahmad Ibn

Hanbal vol.3 p.14,and many other sources), So how can you ac-

cept the claim that (Ahlul Bayt) are all the Muslims?.

Can the Prophet order the Muslims to keep following them-

selves?. What about the great differences which happened

among the Muslims,and obviously had right and wrong?Whom

to follow from the different groups amongst the Ummah ? Does

it make sense forthe greatest leader in the history to order his followers to follow anyone or any group among themselves,without guiding them to the proper and pious leader-

ship?. No doubt,this is a base less claim from people who try to degrade the proper leadership of (AhlulBayt), and empty it

from its meaning.

The Ahlul Bayt are infallibles, as Quran testifies in At-Tahera, pure from all rijs. But his wives did disobey the prophet and Allah was angry at his wives, namely Hafsa and Ayesha. Disobey-

ance to Allah is Ar-rijs and the Ahlul Bayt are free from it, but the wives are not. Thus the wives are not included in the

AhlulBayt.

As the Quran says: “O (Our) Prophet! Why dost thou forbid

(unto thyself) what God hath made lawful unto thee? Thou

seekest to please thy wives; and God is Oft-Forgiving, the Most

Merciful.” (66:1) “Indeed, hath God made lawful for you the

dissolution of your oaths (in such cases), and God (alone) is

your Lord, and He is the All-Knowing, the AllWise.” (66:2)

15

“When the Prophet confided unto one of his wives a matter, but when shedivulged it (unto others) and God apprised him therefore, he made known a part of it and avoided a part; so when

he informed her of it, said she: ‘Who informed thee of this?’

Hesaid: ‘Informed, me, the All-Knowing, the All-Aware’.” (66:3)

“If ye two turn (inrepentance) unto Him, then indeed your

hearts are inclined (to this) but if ye two back upeach other

against him, then verily God it is Who is his Protector, and

Gabriel, and the(most) Virtuous one among the believers, and

the angels thereafter will back (him) up.”(66:4) “Happily his

Lord if he divorceth you, will give him in your place wives bet-

ter than you, submissive, faithful, obedient, repentant, prayer-

ful, observers of fast, widowsand virgins.” (66:5)

Thus God threatened to substitute Prophet's wives with bet-

ter ones. This clearly explains that the wives were not included in the AhlulBayt, they were not even the best women of their

own times save the whole world.

Allah SWT is showing the Muslims that Aisha and Hafsa con-

trived behind the Prophet's back, causing him (s.) to make an

oath, restricting himself from something for their sake.Allah

SWT is telling our beloved Messenger (s.) that he need not do

this, that such oaths hold no weight and therefore he did not

have to keep it.

Allah is further letting us know that these two should repent

and if they are inclined then Allah will forgive them. BUT He,

the Most High, warns them that if they persist in their

wretched deed, then, "verily God it is Who is his Protector, and Gabriel, and the (most)Virtuous one among the believers, and

the angels thereafter will back (him) up."

Such a statement by the Lord of the Worlds is not a vain

statement. Allah is very serious about Aisha and Hafas's wrong

deed towards His Messenger. Further Allah warns that"Hap-

pily his Lord if he divorceth you, will give him in your place

wives better than you,submissive, faithful, obedient, repentant, prayerful, observers of fast, widows andvirgins.

16

"Obviously by this statement Aisha and Hafsa were not the best Muslim at out there. Andthe fact that they committed sins

shows that they are not infallible, therefore, they and therest of the wives are not of the Ahlul Bayt which Allah (SWT) speaks of

so reverently inthe Qur’an; those whom He purified and those

whom He said can only touch the Hidden Book.

The following of Quran and (Ahlul Bayt) is - No Doubt - the

only way to be on the straight path of Real Islam, the Islam of

the Prophet (SAWA) and his holy progeny(Ahlul Bayt).

17

3

Chapter

Ahl e Bayt and Their Enemies

Hadhrath Umar played an instrumental role at the Saqifa and

Hadhrath Abu Bakrrecognized and rewarded him for this by

appointing him as his successor. If we are toaccept the argu-

ment that the Prophet (saaws) left no successor then what

right did Hadhrath Abu Bakr appoint a successor (He appoin-

ted Hz Umer as a successor)? He should have likewise left the

issue to the Ummah to decide, as the Prophet (saaws) did(ac-

cording to the Ahlul' Sunnah belief).

During his reign, Hadhrath Umar, the post as Governor of

Syria was successively givento the 2 sons of Abu Sufyan, Yazid

and then Mu'awiya. What was the aim behind these

appointments?

These two men were not from among the Muhajireen or the

Ansar, they were not from amongst those who had pledged al-

legiance at Hudaibiya, and on the contrary they embraced

Islam following the conquest of Makka.

Al Alwani writes that during his reign Hadhrath Abu Bakr de-

cided: "…that everyone should receive an equal share from the public treasury. 'Umar asked him: "How can you consider one who entered Islam with misgvivngs to be equal to one who left

his home and wealth behind, and migrated and migrated to be

with the Prophet? Abu Bakr however insisted that: "They all entered Islam for the sake of Allah, and their reward is with

Him;this world is nothing". When however 'Umar became khal-

ifa, he differentiated between people and paid the "stipend" according to how early each person had entered Islam,whether

they had migrated, and how much they had suffered for the

18

sake of Allah". -Usul al Fiqh al Islami - Source methodology in Islamic Jurisprudence, Taha Jabir AlAlwani, pg 19

If Hadhrath 'Umar had taken such a staunch line when dis-

tributing money amongst the faithful, salaries being rewarded

on account of when an adherent embraced Islam and their sub-

sequent service to the faith, why did he adopt a completely dif-

ferent approach when it came to granting positions of power?

If those who had embraced Islam later and had no service to

Islam, received less money than the early converts, why were

these same individuals more entitled to receive administrative

control / 'physical power' over an entire region? Why was pref-

erence given to them over prominent Sahaba who had accom-

panied the Prophet (saaws) very early on in his mission? Why

appoint them when they had provided no service to Islam in

the past?

The position of Governor of Syria passed from Yazid ibn Abu

Sufyan to Mu'awiya ibn Abu Sufyan, following his death, this

was direct lineal succession - the sons of Abu Sufyan were able

to inherit the land of Syria. Is it not unusual that the Banu Ummaya could inherit land, but the family of the Prophet (saaws)

was not allowed to inherit anything?

The History of Al-Tabari,Volume 14 page 137 -138, English

translation, by G. Rex Smith: This scheme paved the way for

Hadhrath Uthman to become the next khalifa,once in power his

position was strengthened by the presence of Mu'awiya in

Syria. This would probably result in checkmate for Imam Ali,

who was hated vehemently by the Banu Ummaya since he and

his clan, the Holy Prophet's clan of Banu Hashim, had

slaughtered so many of their closest kin. A perfect example of

this is the reaction of 'Abu Sufyan when Hadhrath Uthman was

made the khalifa, Ibn al-Hadid records: "…he went to Uhud

and kicked at the grave of Hamzah (the uncle of the Prophet)

and said: "O AbuYa'la! See that the kingdom which you fought against has at last come to us". - Sharh Nahjul-balaghah, by Ibn al Hadid,Volume 16, page 136 second edition, Egypt.

19

Syria was an agriculturally rich land; it generated a high amount of income. Hadhrath Umar knew that there was a long

standing hatred by the Banu Ummaya towards the Banu

Hashim, they would never tolerate a member of the Ahlul'bayt

becoming khalifa in the long run and that this would cause in-

evitable rivalry… .this happened on the plains of Siffeen.

Mu'awiya in fact justified his hostility pointing to the fact that he was merely adhering to a policy of opposition that had been

created by the earlier khalifa's. This is what he wrote in reply to a critical letter by Muhammad bin Abu Bakr: "We and your father during the lifetime of the Prophet, used to consider the

right of Ibn Abi Talib binding upon us, and his excellence was

well above ours. Despite this when Allah chose for the Prophet

what he had in store for him…He took him to Himself. Then

your father and his Faruq were the first to snatch it and oppose him, they both worked together on this…If it was injustice,

then your father founded it and we are his partners. We fol-

lowed his guidance and imitated his action". - Waq'at Siffin by Minqari p118-120 (Cairo edition1962); Ansab al Ashraf by

Baladhuri Volume 2 page 393-397 (Beirut edition 1974);Masudi

Muruj ud Dhuhab Vol 3 page 197 - 201 (Beirut 1969 edition)

Hadhrath Uthman became Khalifa at the age of 74, again the

question arises why was hepreferred to younger more able Sa-

haba? This was part of Hadhrath Umar's thinking tovest abso-

lute power to the Banu Ummayya clan. This was secured via

the coming to power of Hadhrath Uthman. Hadhrath Uthman

appointed the enemy of the Prophet(saaws) his cousin Abdullah

bin Sarh to quote Ameer Ali: "…the satrapy of Egypt. This Abdullah was at one time a Secretary to the Prophet, and when

the Master dictated his revelation he used to change the words

and 'deneutralise' their meanings". - The Spirit of Islam, by Syed Ameer Ali, p 294 He appointed Waleed as Governor of

Kufa. Walid was a transgressor according to the word of Allah

(swt). Once when ordered by the Prophet (saaws) to collate

Zakat from atribe, he lied alleging they had refused to hand

over their due, this lead to the descent of this verse: "Oh you who believe, if a transgressor comes to you with news try to

verify it.." (49:6-7). - See Tafseer of Surah Hujuraat by Bilal Philips, commentary of the above verse

20

Most significantly Hadhrath Uthman appointed Marwan, who to quote Baladhuri:"…embraced Islam following the conquest

of Makka, but continued to insult the Prophet,as a result

Hakim and his sons were banished from Madina, this ruling

was upheld byUmar and Abu Bakr.When Hadhrath Uthman

came to power he chose to ignore theProphet (saaws)'s order,

he called back Marwan and Hakim, and made Marwan his

Assistant and Chief Officer of the Court". - Ansab al ashraf, by al Baladhuri, Vol 5 p 17.It was this same Marwan who then

shaped the long-term policy for the Banu Ummaya.So in these

three key posts Hadhrath Uthman appointed three men, one

who the Prophet (saaws) wanted executed, a transgressor and

a man who was banished by the Prophet (saaws). Even the

revered Sunni scholar Sayyid Qutb Shaheed was unable to

mask his discontent over these facts, he writes: "the khalifa - in his old age, and his state brought about by advanced age - did

not possess control of his affair to the expense of Marwan. Itis difficult to accuse the spirit of Islam in the person of Islam, but it is likewise difficult to pardon him for the error of the unfortunate occurrence of his taking the khilafa whilst hewas a

weakened old man, who was surrounded by evil courtiers from

Banu Umayyah". -Al-Adaalat ul-Ijtimaa'iyyah by Sayyid Qutb

Shaheed p.189, 5th edition

When prominent pious Sahaba were still living why was pri-

ority given to such men? The answer is that the objective was

to have a Caliphate that would permanently belong to the Banu

Ummaya. A clan whose supremacy had been effectively extin-

guished with the coming to power of Islam, now had the reigns

of power, nothing no one, especially theirs worn enemies the

Banu Has him were going to stand in their way or humiliate

them again.

Absolute favoritism was given to the Banu Ummayya they

were rewarded with power and financial clout a means to elim-

inate any likelihood of Banu Hashim attaining the Khilafath.

Hadhrath Uthman gave a fifth of the spoils of the first expedi-

tion of Africa tohis foster brother Abdullah Ibn Abu Sarh. Mar-

wan purchased a fifth of the second expedition of Africa; then

21

the Caliph gave him the whole amount(1). Fadak land belonging to the Prophet (saaws) that Hadhrath Abu Bakr had confis-

cated and made apart of the State was awarded to Marwan(2).

He gave his cousin Harith a gift of camels that had been collec-

ted as part of alms tax and brought to Madina(3). Is it not curious that land that Hadhrath Abu Bakr stated belonged to the

State which Ahlul'bayt could not claim was 'given' to Marwan?

Hadhrath Uthman gave Harith the Zakat of Qud-ah that

amounted to 300,000 dirhams(4) and Abdul Rahman bin Auf

had 3 million dirhams(5). -Tarikh, Ibn al Athir, Volume 3 page

49 publishers, Dar ul Kitan al Lubnani, 1973al Ma'arif by Ibn

Qutayba, page 190 edited by Tharwat 'Ukasha, Cairo edition

1960

It may alternatively be viewed that Hadhrath Umar, realizing

the greed of the Banu Ummaya, stalled a civil war by handing

it over to them in all but name and thus preserved the integrity of the Muslim state for a while longer before the Banu Ummaya would tear it apart. This also excluded Imam Ali.

It explains how the terrible wars of Jamal and Siffeen, the

first Muslim civil wars afterthe earliest period came to be. It

also explains the later genocide of the family of the HolyProph-

et (saaws) and persecution of the Shi'i Imams. In here lie fur-

ther origins of Muslim disunity.

22

4

Chapter

Ali is to Muhammad as Aaron to Moses

A very authentic hadith, narrated by tons of shia and sunni

hadith and history books confirms that Hz Ali was To Hz

Muhammad As Hz Haroon was to Hz Musa.Narrated Ubaida:

Ali said (to the people of 'Iraq), "Judge as you used to judge, for I hate differences (and I do my best ) till the people unite as

one group, or I die as my companions have died." And narrated Sad that the Prophet said to 'Ali, "Will you not be pleased from this that you are to me like Aaron was to Moses?"

Sa'd reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as

saying to 'Ali: Aren't you satisfied with being unto me what

Aaron was unto Moses? - Sahih al-Bukhari, Arabic-English ver-

sion, Traditions 5.56, 5.700 - Sahih Muslim, Arabic, v4, pp

1870-71 - Sunan Ibn Majah, p12 - Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal,

v1, p174 - al-Khasa'is, by al-Nisa'i, pp 15-16 - Mushkil al-Athar, by al-Tahawi, v2, p309

The authenticity of this hadith can neither be questioned, nor

can it be doubted. The hadith implies that the Story of Moses,

or Hz Musa was similar to that of Hz Muhammad,and the story

of Aaron or Hz Haroon, was similar to that of Hz Ali. The rela-

tionship between Aaron and Moses was similar to that of Hz Ali

and Hz Muhammad. After coming this far, I will go on to quote

the Quranic stories of Moses and Aaron, and will compare it to

Hz Muhammad and Hz Ali. This might give you some historical

hints,flashbacks or answers to your queries. Haroon (as) was

Musa (as)'s Brother (19:53),Vizier (20:29-36) and in his ab-

sence the Khalifa (7:142). And thus so was Ali (as).

23

(Note: All Quranic translations used here are of Shakir's, due to his use of easy english) 043.046: And certainly We sent

Musa with Our communications to Firon and his chiefs,so he

said: Surely I am the messenger of the Lord of the worlds.

043.047: But when he came to them with Our signs, lo! they

laughed at them.

Remember the feast of Banu Hashim, when the Prophet

Muhammad invited the tribe to Islam, they laughed at him and

made fun of him… .

007.103: Then we raised after them Musa with Our commu-

nications to Firon and his chiefs, but they disbelieved in them; consider then what was the end of the mischief makers.

007.104: And Musa said: O Firon! surely I am a messenger

from the Lord of the worlds:

007.105: (I am) worthy of not saying anything about Allah ex-

cept the truth: I have come to you indeed with clear proof from

your Lord, therefore send with me the children of Israel

007.106: He said: If you have come with a sign, then bring it,

if you are of the truthfulones.

007.107: So he threw his rod, then lo! it was a clear serpent.

007.108: And he drew forth his hand, and lo! it was white to

the beholders.

007.109: The chiefs of Firon's people said: most surely this is

an enchanter possessed of knowledge:

Interestingly, same was the case with Hz Muhammad. The

Meccans asked him to show miracles if he was the true proph-

et. The Holy Prophet divided the moon into two partswith the

orders of his fingers, where the Meccans went away blaming

Prophet Muhammad of sorcery.

010.075: Then did We send up after them Musa and Haroun

to Firon and his chiefs with Our signs, but they showed pride

and they were a guilty people.

010.076: So when the truth came to them from Us they said:

This is most surely clearenchantment!

010.077: Musa said: Do you say (this) of the truth when it

has come to you? Is it magic?And the magicians are not

successful.

24

010.078: They said: Have you come to us to turn us away from what we found our fathers upon, and (that) greatness in

the land should be for you two? And we are not going to be-

lieve in you.

010.079: And Firon said: Bring to me every skillful magician.

010.080: And when the magicians came, Musa said to them:

Cast down what you have to cast.

010.081: So when they cast down, Musa said to them: What

you have brought is deception; surely Allah will make it

naught; surely Allah does not make the work of mischief-

makers to thrive.

010.082: And Allah will show the truth to be the truth by His

words, though the guilty may be averse (to it).

010.083: But none believed in Musa except the offspring of

his people, on account of thefear of Firon and their chiefs, lest he should persecute them; and most surely Firon was lofty in

the land; and most surely he was of the extravagant.

We must note that Aaron accompanied Moses since the be-

ginning of his prophetic mission. So did Hz Ali. Since the Feast of Banu Hashim, he accompanied the prophet and assisted him

in his mission. The Kuffars of Mecca had been blaming Hz

Muhammad for sorcery, rejecting his miracles.

020.025: He (Moses) said: O my Lord! Expand my breast for

me,

020.026: And make my affair easy to me,

020.027: And loose the knot from my tongue,

020.028: (That) they may understand my word;

020.029: And give to me an (aider, Henchman, Minister)

from my family:

020.030: Haroun, my brother,020.031: Strengthen my back

by him,

020.032: And associate him (with me) in my affair,

020.033: So that we should glorify Thee much,

020.034: And remember Thee oft.

020.035: Surely, Thou art seeing us.

020.036: He said: You are indeed granted your petition, O

Musa

25

This is a crucial text. Musa asked for a helper from Allah.

This helper would assist him in his mission. This helper would

be from his family. He would be his minister, vizier,khalifa,

brother and a prophet… .. But the prophethood ended after Hz

Muhammad, and Immamate started. The role of immamate is

to nourish Islam, spread it, protect it, defend it. Imam Ali could not attain the title of a prophet, but of an imam, a caliph, and the rightful vizier of prophet Muhammad. Thus we learn, Khilafat comes from Allah, and stays in the family… .

020.088: So he brought forth for them a calf, a (mere) body,

which had a mooing sound,so they said: This is your god and

the god of Musa, but he forgot.

020.089: What! could they not see that it did not return to

them a reply, and (that) it did not control any harm or benefit

for them?

020.090: And certainly Haroun had said to them before: O

my people! you are only tried by it, and surely your Lord is the Beneficent Allah, therefore follow me and obey my order.

020.091: They said: We will by no means cease to keep to its

worship until Musa returns to us.

020.092: (Musa) said: O Haroun! what prevented you, when

you saw them going astray,

020.093: So that you did not follow me? Did you then disobey

my order?

020.094: He said: O son of my mother! seize me not by my

beard nor by my head; surelyI was afraid lest you should say:

You have caused a division among the children of Israel and

not waited for my word.

To shorten the episode, when Musa left for 40 days to com-

municate with Allah, his people started to worship a calf.

Moses on his return was furious at Aaron who didnt stopped

them from doing so. Aaron replied that he feared divisions.

Similarly, after the demise of Prophet Muhammad when he left

this world to meet Allah, Hz Ali was the lawful Caliph/Imam/

Vizier. People disobeyed him and his orders, objecting his right to khilafat and usurping the property. Sunnis question, why

didnt Hz Ali Asked for his rights? The answer is simple, ayats

020.090 and 020.094. Hopes this clearifies the matter.

26

032.023: And certainly We gave the Book to Musa, so be not in doubt concerning the receiving of it, and We made it a guide

for the children of Israel.

032.024: And We made of them Imams (leaders) to guide by

Our command when they were patient, and they were certain

of Our communications.

032.025: Surely your Lord will judge between them on the

day of resurrection concerning that wherein they differ.

002.087: And most certainly We gave Musa the Book and We

sent messengers after him one after another; and We gave Isa,

the son of Marium, clear arguments and strengthened him with

the holy spirit, What! whenever then a messenger came to you

with that which your souls did not desire, you were insolent so

you called some liars and some you slew.

002.088: And they say: Our hearts are covered. Nay, Allah

has cursed them on account of their unbelief; so little it is that they believe.

The progeny of Moses produced Imams/Prophets/Leaders to

guide mankind. Similarly,the progeny of Muhammad bore 12

Imams, whose duty is the same. And a very interesting pro-

spective is the mentioning of Jesus… as Imam Mahdi's disap-

pearance and reappearance before the resurrection is similar

to that of Jesus… ..

061.005: And when Musa said to his people: O my people!

why do you give me trouble?And you know indeed that I am

Allah's messenger to you; but when they turned aside,Allah

made their hearts turn aside, and Allah does not guide the

transgressing people.

007.159: And of Musa's people was a party who guided

(people) with the truth, and thereby did they do justice.

Notice that not all of the companions/people of Moses were

truthful, righteous and the guided ones. There were factions

among them. I assume, similar was the case with Prophet

Muhammad?

037.120: Peace be on Musa and Haroun.

27

5

Chapter

Ali Mawla

Once a learned Christian told me that Abu Bakr is more

knowledgeable than Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) (Na'oozo Bil-

lah)! I asked him how come?! He said because Abu Bakr under-

stood that he should assign a person as his successor to keep

the system and community working in order. As it is well-

known Abu Bakr assigned Umar as his successor. But the

Prophet failed to realize this important task that the Islamic

community needs a qualified leader after him, or perhaps it

was not important for the prophet that who is going to take

over the power after him!

When I heard that, I started asking the following question

from myself: Is it possible that the Prophet of Islam who has

tried hard to implement Islam, and tolerated a lot of problems,

disasters, and paid big price to establish Islam in Arabian pen-

insula, leaves people without assigning any person to keep this

religion alive after him?! If the companions gave so much im-

portance to the appointment of a successor that they failedto

attend the prophet's funeral, why didn' the prophet gave as

much importance to the matter?

The religion that is to be the last religion of God for this

world; the religion that was supposed to be for every nation all over the world both in wardly and outwardly (political authority). What happened that we Muslims are in this miserable situ-

ation in the world for centuries? What happened that the chain

of successors/rulers (Ulul-Amr) has reachedto people like King

Fahd, King Husain, Saddam Husain, Husni Mubarak, … ? So-

methingis terribly wrong!

28

Yes, The problem is leadership and Guardianship. Was this problem not so important for prophet or he didn't take it serious? Of course, he did take it serious and he must have as-

signed a chain of successors (Caliphs) who where the most

qualified as the head of Islamic state and as the guardian of

Shari'ah (divine law).

Another question that came out to my mind was that: Are Al-

lah and His prophet more qualified to assign the Caliphs, or

people? Is Islam on the basis of democracy(government of

people over people) or on the basis of theocracy (Kingdom of

Allah overthe earth)? The history of Islam testifies that the government after the death of prophet was neither democratic nor

theocratic. Just a few people gathered in "Saqifah bani

Saaedah" and assigned Abu Bakr as Caliph while Imam Ali was busy of the burial of the holy prophet in Medina.

The Messenger of Allah said to Ali: "Your position to me is like the position of Aaron(Haroon) to Moses, except that there

shall be no Prophet after me" - Sahih al-Bukhari,Arabic-English version, Traditions 5.56, 5.700 - Sahih Muslim, Arabic, v4, pp

1870-71Sunan Ibn Majah, p12 - Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal,

v1, p174 - al-Khasa'is, by al-Nisa'i,pp 15-16 - Mushkil al-Athar, by al-Tahawi, v2, p309

Haroon (as) was Musa (as)'s Brother (19:53), Vizier

(20:29-36) and in his absence the Khalifa (7:142). And thus so

was Ali (as). The Prophet (PBUH&HF) thereby meant that as

Moses had left behind Aaron to look after his people when he

went to Miqaat (meetingAllah), in the same way he was leaving

Ali behind to look after the affairs of Islam afterhe met Allah

(i.e., his death). Let this reminder be food of thought for the

possessors ofpure heart and open mind.

The verses of Quran concerning Aaron show that even the

prophet does not assign his deputy/successor, and it is rather

Allah who does that. Prophet Moses prayed to Allah and re-

quested that Aaron becomes his deputy, and Allah approved

the suggestion/request of Prophet Moses (AS).

29

The Prophet Announced. His Successor in His First Preach.

The following two traditions are written, one after the other, in the History of al-Tabari which is one of the important history

book for the Sunnis. Besides al-Tabari, many other historians

and traditionists and commentators of Quran from among Sun-

nis have recorded this tradition in their books.(see below for

the list of references).

The two traditions explicitly indicate that the Holy Prophet of

Islam (peace be upon him and his family), with the order of Al-

lah, has introduced Ali Ibn Abi Talib as his successor even in

his first open preach to the people: Narrated Ibn Humayed,

from Salamah, from Muhammad Ibn Is'haq, from Abd al- Ghaf-

far Ibn al-Qasim, from al-Minhal Ibn Amr,from abdallah Ibn al-

Harith Ibn Nawfal Ibn al-Harith Ibn Abd al-Muttalib, from Ab-

dallah Ibn Abbas, from Ali Ibn Abi Talib:

When the verse "And warn your close tribe (Quran 26:214)"

was revealed to the prophet,he called me and said to me, "Ali, God has commanded me to warn my tribe of near kindred. I

was troubled by this, since I knew that when I discuss the mat-

ter to them they would respond in a way which I would not

like. I kept silent until Gabriel came to me andsaid "If you do not do what you are commanded, your Lord will punish you."

So prepare a measure of what for us, add a leg of lamb to it, fill a large bowl of milk for us, and then invite sons of Abd al-Muttalib for me so that I may speak to them what I have been com-

manded to tell them." I did what he had told me to do. At that time they numbered forty men more or less, including his

uncles Abu Talib, Hamzah, al-Abbas, and AbuLahab. When they

had gathered together, he called me to bring the food which I

had prepared. I brought it, and when I put it down, prophet

took a piece of meat, broke it with his teeth, put it in the dish.

Then he said, "Take in the name of God." They ate until they could eat no more, and yet the food was as it had been. I swear

by God, in whose hand Ali's soul rests, that a single man could

have eaten the amount of food which I prepared for them. Then

he said "Give them something to drink." So I brought them the bowl andthey drank from it until they became full, and I swear

30

by God that one man could haved runk that amount. When prophet wanted to speak to them, Abu Lahab interrupted him

and said "Your host has long since be witched you." Then they dispersed without the prophet speaking to them. On the following day he said to me "Ali, this man interrupted what I wanted to say so that people dispersed before I could speak to them.

Prepare the same food for us as you did yesterday, and invite

them here." I did this, and brought them food when he called me. He did as he had done the other day, and they ate until

theycould eat no more. Then he said, "Bring the bowl," and they drank until they could drink no more.

Then he spoke to them, saying, "Banu Abd al-Muttalib, I don't know of any young man among Arabs who has brought for his

people something better than what I have brought to you. I

bring the best of this world and the world after, since God has

commanded me to summon you to him. Which of you will aid

me in this matter, so that he will be my brother, my executor

(Wasi), my successor (Caliph) among you?" They all held back, and even though I was the youngest, I said "I will be your helper, O' prophet of God." He put his hand on the back of my neck and said "This is my brother, my executor (Wasi), mysuccessor (Caliph) among you, so listen to him and obey him." They rose up laughing and saying to Abu Talib, "He has commanded you

to obey your son and to obey him!" -History of al-Tabari, English version, v6, pp 88-91 - History of Ibn Athir, v2, p62 -His-

tory of Ibn Asakir, v1, p 85

As we see, Prophet ordered people to LISTEN AND FOLLOW

ALI even in his first open preach, that is, when he declared his prophethood openly. "Shia" means "The Followers",and it is exclusively used for "The Followers of Imam Ali". Thus Shia school of thought was in fact established by the Holy Prophet

of Islam (PBUH&HF) from the beginning of his mission.A Sunni brother mentioned that in the above incedent the Prophet was

only addressing his own family Banu Abd al-Muttalib and not

the whole of the Muslims. The prophet according to the orders

and laws of god wanted to mantain the pure lineage of caliphs

and imams. Besides, a heir or wasi comes from your own fam-

ily, not an outsider.

31

Moreover, it was not the only time that the prophet declared Ali as his successor.However, it was the first time. There are

many traditions inside Sunni collections of traditions which

either implicitly or explicitly indicate whom the Prophet

(PBUH&HF)chose as his successor. The official announcement,

however, was in "Ghadir Khum" as Sihah Sittah (the six Sunni collections of the traditions) testify.

Prophet (PBUH) said: Ali is with truth, and truth is with Ali -

Tarikh, by al-Khateeb al-Baghdadi

"The One with whom was just a part of the Knowledge of the

Book said: 'I shall bring it to you within the twinkling of an

eye!' Then when (Solomon) saw (the throne) set in his pres-

ence, he said: 'This is by the grace of my Lord! to test me

whether I am grateful orungrateful!'" (Quran 27:40)

A Non Prophet was able to transport the atoms inside of the

throne of Bilqis before Hadhrath Sulayman within the twink-

ling of an eye. He had a control over these atoms,this does not

mean that this faithful Servant was Allah (swt)! How did he at-

tain that feat?Simple the verse states he had a ‘partial’ know-

ledge of the book. If one with partial knowledge can obtain

control over the atoms, what power do you think is possessed

by Imam Ali (as) who has a complete knowledge of the Book?

As the Sahaba and Hafiz ofthe Qur’an Ibn Masud himself

testified:

"The Holy Quran has outward and inward meanings, and Ali

Ibn Abi Talib has the knowledge of both." Hilyatul Awliyaa, by Abu Nu'aym, v1, p65

If Imam Ali possessed a complete knowledge of the Book as

is vouched by Ibn Masud and other traditions then he to by the

will of his Creator had the ability to control the atoms of the

Universe.

In addition contemplate these words of Imam Ali (as): “Ask

me about the Book of Allah,because there is no Ayah but that I

32

know whether it was revealed at night or in daytime,on the plain or in the mountain” History of the Khailfa’s who took the

right way by Jalaladeen Suyuti, pg 194

It is incumbent that we search for that wasila through which

deen can be recognised.Allah (swt) tells us in his glorious book

"Guide us to the right path, the path of those you have fa-

voured" (1:6-7) and your priority should be to seek those persons on the right pathwho will likewise guide you to it. This

point can not be ignored; particularly when Rasulullah (saaws)

warned that the Ummah would be divided in to 73 sects and

that onlyone would be saved.

At the same time the Prophet (saaws) told us which party

would be saved, when he said"I am leaving amongst you two

things, the Qur'an and my Ahlulbayt, if you follow them you

will never go astray". - Sahih Muslim, part 7, Kitab fada'il al Sahabah pp. 122-123

The Prophet recounted this tradition to his Sahaba, which

proves the Sahaba could goastray if they turned away from

these two sources of guidance. When the Christians of Najran

came to debate with the Prophet (saaws) he first presented

Islam as a theory via verses from the Qur'an, when the chal-

lenge of mubahila was made to prove which Deenis correct, the

Prophet (saaws) took with him those who presented Islam on a

complete practical level, he took his Ahlulbayt and no one else.

Muslims are dependent on Islam while Islam is dependent on

the Ahlulbayt, that is why when a prominent sahabi advised

Imam Hussain (as) to pledge allegiance to Yazid the reply from

the Imam was "by my doing so do you think Islam will remain on the earth?".

It is the Party which has taken hold of both the Qur'an the

Ahlulbayt who are on the right path, for they have grasped the

Qur'an which sets out deen and the Imams from Ahlulbayt who

are walking commentaries of deen, through which Islam can be

recognised.

33

As further evidence of the inherited power of Ghayb, we shall cite this incident recorded by the renowned Hanafi scholar Abdul Rahman Jami: “During the Battle of Sifeen, the army under

the command of Ali were unable to find any water. There was a

church nearby and Ali went there to ask the people inside

where water could be obtained from.They replied that water

could only be found several miles away. The army then asked

Aliif they could go and drink from it, Ali told them not to worry.

The army began to travelwest, all of a sudden he stopped and

pointed to the ground and told the army to start digging there.

They began to dig, and they found a big stone, Ali (as) told

them to lift the stone, but they were unable to do so. Ali, then pulled the stone out with his hand, and fresh water began to

spurt out of the ground. A Christian priest had been watching

the episode, he went up to Ali and asked: ‘Are you a Prophet?’

to which Ali replied ‘No’, the priest then asked ‘Are you an An-

gel?’, Ali replied ‘No’. The Priest then said ‘You are nota Proph-et or Angel, so what are you?’. Ali replied ‘I am a wasi of the

Seal of all Prophet’s, Muhummud al Mustapha’. The Priest then

said ‘Take out your hand so that Ican embrace Islam’. Ali told

him what to say (ie. the shahada) and the Priest then said the

following “I testify there is no God but Allah. I testify that

Muhummud is the Prophet of Allah, and I testify that Ali is the

wasi of the Prophet Muhummud” Shawahid un Nubuwwa, by

Abdul Rehman Jami, (Urdu edition printers Maktaba Nabavi,

GunjbakshRd, Lahore), p 287.

Clearly the existence of the spring was ghayb but Allah (swt)

had unlocked the key in this regard on account of Maula Ali

(as)’s position as the Wasi of Rasulullah (S).

"Only Allah is your Wali, and His messenger and those

among believers who keep alive prayers and pay Zakat while

they are in the state of bowing". (Quran 5:55)

"Hazrat Ali was the only one at the time of Prophet who paid Zakat while he was in the state of bowing (ruku'). Muslim

scholars are unanimous in reporting this event. here are few

sunni references which mentioned the above revelation is in

the honour of Imam Ali .Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v5, p38.

34

Tafsir al-Kashshaf, by Al-Zamakhshari, v1, p505,649. Tafsir al-Khazin, v2, p68. Tafsir al-Bayan, by Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, v6,

p186, 288-289.

Quran 53.1: I swear by the star when it goes down.[Pooya/Ali

Commentary 53:1]: It is reported by Ibn Abbas that one night,

after prayingthe Isha salat, the Holy Prophet told his compan-

ions: "At dawn, tomorrow, a star will descend on the earth

from the heaven. On whomsoever's house it will come upon will

bemy heir, my successor, and he is the divinely commissioned

guide." The star descended on Ali's house. The hypocrites

began to whisper that in love of Ali the Holy Prophet had gone

astray. On this occasion these verses were revealed. The Holy

Prophet is mentioned as sahib (companion) because he was liv-

ing among the people addressed in this verse Hedoes not

speak of his own will"

35

6

Chapter

Asahab e Muhammad: The Shia Perspective

I always wonder if all companions are good, for whom was

sura-e-munafiqeen revealedfor? The Shia do not have a unique

opinion towards the companions of the Prophet.Based on the

relative authenticity and interpretations of the transmitted traditions, somearrive at different conclusions for the second fac-

tion of the companions mentioned below.Which tradition is

more authentic and what is its correct meaning, is something

debatable. However, here, I provide what is considered to be a

typical Shi'ite position inthis regard.

The Shia divide the companions into three factions: First, are

those who believed in Allah(SWT), believed in the Prophet

(PBUH&HF), and gave all they could for the sake ofIslam.

These are the highest in rank. These companions ALWAYS sup-

ported the Prophet and were WITH him. They never disobeyed

him in every other issue, nor did they everaccused him of

talking non-sense! (may Allah protect us). Examples include,

but are not limited to, Ali Ibn Abi Talib (AS), Abu Dhar al-Ghi-

fari, Salman al-Farsi, Miqdad,Ammar Ibn Yasir, Jabir Ibn

Abdillah al-Ansari, … may Allah (SWT) be pleased with them.

The second group, are those who were Muslims, but were

not sincere in their acts.

The third group, are those who became apostate after the

death of Prophet as al-Bukhari recorded (see below), or those

who neither believed in Allah (SWT), nor the Prophet

(PBUH&HF) in the first place, but managed to infiltrate the

Islamic isles to be included among the Muslims. These are the

36

hypocrites, like Abu Sufyan, his son Muawiyah, and his grandson Yazid. Yazid, when he became caliph, said: "Hashimite

played with the throne, but no revelation was revealed, nor

was there a true message!!!" - History of al-Tabari, Arabic, 13, p2174 - Tadhkirat al-Khawas, Sibt Ibn al-Jawzi al-Hanafi, p261

"Hashimite" is the clan and tribe of the Prophet (PBUH&HF), and this is an intentional pun suggesting that the Prophet

(PBUH&HF) was a liar, not a true prophet. The "throne(sover-eignty)" is an allusion to the control of the affairs of Mecca and the entire region,meaning that the tribe of Hashim controlled

the entire region by virtue of the Message of Islam and that

Muhammad (PBUH&HF) is the chosen Prophet, but really

there was no revelation and there was no message!!! That is

Yazid's opinion of Allah (SWT), Islam,and the Prophet

(PBUH&HF).

His father, Muawiyah, and his grandfather, Abu Sufyan, were

no better. At the beginning the reign of Uthman when Umayad

occupied the prominent positions, Abu Sufayn said:"O Children of Umayyah! Now that this kingdom has come to you, play with

it as the children play with a ball, and pass it from one to an-

other in your clan. We are not sure whether there is a paradise

or hell, but this kingdom is a reality." - al-Isti'ab, by Ibn Abdal-Barr, v4, p1679

Sharh Ibn Abil Hadid, v9, p53 quotes the last sentence as fol-

lows: Then Abu Syfyan went to Uhud and kicked at the grave of

Hamza (the uncle of the Prophet who was martyred in the

Battle of Uhud in fighting against Abu Sufyan) and said: "O

Abu Ya'la! See that the kingdom which you fought against has

finally come back to us.

"Now let us look at the Holy Quran for different categories:1.

The first faction of the companions are characterized by Allah

(SWT) in this verse:"Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those who are with him are strong against the unbelievers,

(but) compassionate amongst each other. Thou wilt see them

bow and prostrate themselves (in prayer), seeking Grace from

Allah and (His) Good Pleasure. Ontheir faces are their marks,

37

(being) the traces of their prostration. This is their similitudein the Taurat (Torah); And their similitude in the Gospel is: Like a seed which sends fort hits blade, then makes it strong; it then

becomes thick, and it stands on its own stem,(filling) the

sowers with wonder and delight. As a result, it fills the Unbe-

lievers with rageat them. Allah has promised those among

them who believe and do righteous deeds Forgiveness, and a

great Reward. [48:29]"

These companions (May Allah (SWT) be Pleased With Them),

the Shia and the Sunnis have NO quarrel about. As such, they

will not be discussed here. However, note what Allah (SWT) in

His (SWT) infinite wisdom states in the last line: "Allah has promised those among them who believe and do righteous

deeds Forgiveness, and a great Reward."Now, note "… those, among them… " Why didn't Allah (SWT) say "Allah has promised ALL OF THEM?" Because not all of them were righteous!

That's what the Shia are trying to convey to the world! The

Sunnis, whenever they bless the Prophet(PBUH&HF), they also

bless ALL the companions, with NO exception. Why did Al-

lah(SWT), their Creator (SWT), make an exception, while the

Sunni Muslims don't?

2. As for the second faction of the companions, Allah (SWT)

said: "O ye who believe!What is the matter with you, that when ye are asked to go forth in the Cause of Allah, yecling heavily

to the earth? Do ye prefer the life of this world to the Here-

after? But little is the comfort of this life, as compared with the Hereafter. Unless ye go forth, He will punish you with a griev-ous penalty, and put others in your place; But Him ye would

not harm in the least, For Allah hath power over all

things."[9:38-39]

This is a clear indication that some of the companions were

lazy during the call to Jihad and other activities, and, thus, deserved the above reprimand by Allah (SWT). This is not the

only instance where Allah (SWT) threatened to replace them:

"… If you turn back(from the path), He will substitute in your stead another people; then they would not belike you! [47:38]

38

"Could you tell me Who Allah is referring by "you" in the above verse? Allah also said:"O you who believe! Do not raise your voices above the voice of prophet … lest your deeds become null while you do not perceive." (Quran 49:2).

Authentic Sunni traditions confirm that there have been

some companions who used to oppose the Prophet's order and

quarrel with him in several occasions. There was the issue of

the captives of the battle "Badr" that the Prophet ordered their freedom for payment ofthe ransom money (Fidyah), and these

companions went against it. There was the battle of "Tabook"

that the Prophet ordered to slaughter the camels, to save their

lives, and the same people went against it. There was the

treaty of "Hudabiyyah" that the Prophet wanted to make peace with people of Mecca, and the very same companions went

against it and they even cast doubt about the prophethood of

Muhammad (PBUH&HF). There was the battle of "Hunain"

where they accused the Prophet of injustice in distributing the

war booty.

There was the appointment of "Usamah Ibn Zayd" who was assigned as the leader of Islamic army by the Prophet, and

these companions disobeyed the order to follow him.There was

a tragic Thursday when the Messenger of Allah wanted to state

his will, andthe very same companions accused him of talking

non-sense and prevented him to do so.And there are many

more of such reports which can be even found in Sahih al-

Bukhari.

3. As for the third faction of the companions, there is a whole

chapter in the Quran addressing them: "al-Munafiqun -The Hypocrites - Ch. 63", and beside that there are many other verses in this regard as well.

Allah (SWT) states in the Quran: "Muhammad is no more

than a Messenger: many were the Messengers that passed

away before him. If he died or were slain, will ye then turn

back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the

least harm will he do to Allah; But Allah (on the other hand)

39

will swiftly reward those who (serve Him) with gratitude.

[3:144]"

This verse was revealed when some of the companions ran

away from the battle of Uhud,when they falsely heard that

Prophet was killed. Although they were forgiven by Prophet

later, but the above verse gives a possibility that some of the

companions may abandon Islam if the Prophet (PBUH&HF)

dies.

But Allah (SWT) makes exceptions: "… those who (serve

Him) with gratitude." Again,Allah (SWT) states: "O ye who believe! If any from among you turn back from his faith,soon will

Allah produce a people whom He will love as they will love

Him, —Lowly with the Believers, Mighty against the Rejecters,

fighting in the way of Allah, and never afraid of the reproaches of such as find fault. That is the Grace of Allah, which He will besto won whom He pleaseth. And Allah encomp asseth all,

And He knoweth all things. [5:54]

"Before giving more straightforward verses from Quran for

this third group, let me give you some traditions from Sahih al-

Bukhari which confirms apostasy for them. Since al-Bukhari

has CONFIRMED the authenticity of the following tradition, I

hope you do not consider him a "Kafir" after reading these traditions.

Sahih-Al-Bukhari volume 8, tradition #578. Narrated 'Abdul-

lah: The Prophet said, "I am your predecessor at the Lake-

Fount." 'Abdullah added: The Prophet said, "I am your predecessor at the Lake-Fount, and some of you will be brought in

front of me till I willsee them and then they will be taken away from me and I will say, 'O Lord, my companions!' It will be

said, 'You do not know what they did after you had left.'

These

traditions,

nonetheless,

indicate

the

Prophet's

(PBUH&HF) knowledge and awareness that some of his com-

panions will change after him (PBUH&HF), and,therefore, will be condemned to hell. This is another reason why the Shia

maintain that the Prophet (PBUH&HF) MUST have had a

40

special vicegerent to trust the affairs of the Ummah (Nation) to

— a vicegerent that will NOT mutilate the religion and will re-

main steadfast until he meets his Creator (SWT).

It is a known fact that the companions quarreled after the

death of the Prophet(PBUH&HF), and wars were waged. The

fact, again and again, that the companions were divided is illu-

minated by Allah (SWT) in the following verse: "Let there be among you an Ummah inviting to all that is good, enjoining

what is right, and forbidding what is wrong. They are the ones

to attain felicity. Be not like those who are divided amongst

themselves and fall into disputations after receiving Clear

Signs: For them is a dreadful Chastisement. On the Day when

some faces will be (lit up with) white, and some faceswill be (in the gloom of) black: To those whose faces will be black, (will be said): Did ye reject Faith after accepting it? Taste then the

Chastisement for rejecting Faith." 3:104-106

The above verse shows among the companion there were a

group (Ummah) who will remain righteous. The verse emphas-

izes that this Ummah is AMONG THEM so it does not cover all

of them. However. the latter part the verse describes the thrid

group who were apostatized (turned back on) their faith after

the Prophet (PBUH&HF) died. Theverse indicates that on the

Day of Judgment, there will be two factions: one with white-

lit faces, and the other with black-lit faces; that's another hint that the companions will bedivided.

There were companions who are in great respect for us.

These are those whom Allah admired in the Holy Quran. As you

might have noticed, those verses in the Holy Quran do not in-

clude all the companions.

When Allah states: And those who preceded (in belief),

FROM AMONG Immigrants and Helpers and those who fol-

lowed them in what was good, Allah WAS satisfied with

them;He has prepared for them gardens under which rivers

flow to dwell therein for ever. Thatis the great felicity. (9:100) 41

And (however) among the ARABS AROUND YOU ARE

HYPOCRITES, and also among the people of Madina (there are

some who) persist in hypocrisy whom you (O Muhammad) DO

NOT KNOW. We, We know them, and We shall punish them

twice;then they will be sent to a painful doom. (9:101)

The above verses show that: Allah WAS satisfied with them,

but may not be applicable later. Allah addressing those who

preceded in belief from among them, thus it means Heis not

addressing all of the companions. Immediately in the next

verse, Allah talks about the hypocrites arround Prophet who

pretend to be his sincere companions and even Prophet does

not know them according to the above verse.

Allah Also states: "Fulfill your propmise, so that I fullfill My Promise." (Quran 2:40).Thus even if we assume for the sake of argument that the verse 9:100 implies "all" the companions have been promised Paradise, the verse 2:40 clearly states that

if those people break their convenant after the death of the

messenger of Allah and kill innocents,then Allah will not fulfill His promise for them either.

Allah also said: "And if any of you turn back from their faith and die in disbelief, their works BURN OUT and will be of no

use in this world and Hereafter, and they will be companions of

Fire for ever." (Quran 2:217)

So it is quite possible for a believer whom Allah is satisfied

with him, to become unbeliever tomorrow. Otherwise if some-

body is promised that Allah is satisfied with himfor ever and

unconditionally (no mater he kills innocents or does any other

wrong thinglater), then it means that he is no longer under the

test of Allah, which is in contradictionwith several verses of

Quran.

42

7

Chapter

Ashra Mubashra: The Ten Blessed

Companions

According to our sunni friends, there is a hadith which prom-

ises paradise to tencompanions of the prophet, which gives

them a license to do anything, and a ticket toheaven at all

costs. This promise opposes the concept of questioning/an-

swering on theday of judgment. These ten blessed companions

are called Ashra Mubashra, which includes Hz Ali, and the oth-

er 9 who opposed him, and some fought him. And yes, theyall

will go to heaven I guess.

Ten of the companions are claimed to have been promised

Paradise during their lives.They are:

1) Abu Bakr

2) Omar

3) Ùthman

4) Ali

5) Talha

6) al-Zubair

7) Saad bin Abi Waqqass

8) Saeed bin Zaid

9) Abdulrahman bin Àwf and

10) Abu Ùbaida binal-Jarrah

Note the placement of the Imam Ali is, conveniently, the

fourth in a group which does not contain a single supporter of

the Imam from among the companions of the prophet(s). Ac-

cordingly, the people of the Sunna have agreed on holding

these ten in high regard.Clearly, the nine mentioned with the

Imam are his adversaries and none were on his side.This

43

suspicious hadeeth was not even mentioned by Bukhari or Muslim, but it was narrated within al-Tirmithi's, abu- Daoud's,

and Ibn Maja's collections in two flavors.Let's take a look at the hadeeth to see the extent of amplifying selected personalities.

1. Abu Daoud in his book , narrates from "Saeed bin Zaid

said: I bear witness, I heard the messenger of Allah (s) say: Ten are in Paradise: The prophet is in Paradise, Abu Bakr in-Paradise, Talha in Paradise, Omar in Paradise, 'Uthman in

Paradise, Saad bin Malik in Paradise, and Abdul Rahman bin

Àwf in Paradise. If you wish I could tell you the tenth?He said.

They said: Who is he? He said: Saeed bin Zaid."

2. al-Tirmithi in his book under #3747, narrates from "Abdul Rahman bin Àwf said: Theprophet (s) said: Abu Bakr in

Paradise, Omar in Paradise, 'Uthman in Paradise, Ali in

Paradise, Talha in Paradise, al- Zubair (bin al-'Awwam) in

Paradise, Abdul Rahman binÀwf in Paradise, Saad (bin Abi

Waqqass) in Paradise, Saeed (bin Zaid), and abu 'Ubaidabin al-

Jarrah in Paradise." (Saad is not in Abu Daoud's book)

3. al-Tirmithi , under #3748, narration by "Saeed bin Zaid, that the prophet (s) said in a number of people, ten are in

Paradise: Abu Bakr in Paradise, Omar in Paradise, 'Uthman,Ali,

al-Zubair, Talha, Abdul Rahman, Abu 'Ubaida, and Saad bin Abi

Waqqass. He counted these nine and was quite about the

tenth. They said: By Allah, abu-alAawar (i.e.Saeed), who is the

tenth? He said: You swore by Allah - abu-al Aawar is in

Paradise." al-Tirmithi commented that abu-alAawar is Saeed

bin Zaid bin Amr bin Nawfal. - al-Tirmithi, v5, p605, #3747 and

#3748 - abu Daoud, #4649 and #4650

Several things raise the doubts about these traditions and

supports the belief that they were fabricated forgeries for political reasons to elevate the adversaries of the Imam Ali and the

remainder Family of the Household of the prophet (s), as

follows.

1. They struggle in narrowing down who the ten are. One

time they insert Saad bin Abi Waqqass and another they put

Saad bin Malik in his place.

44

2. The first of the hadeeths did not mention Imam Ali, nor Ibn al-Jarrah; yielding only seven promised Paradise, of course, not counting the prophet (s).

3. The first and third are essentially the same hadeeth, by

the same person, but the order of those in Paradise is different, one person added and another dropped, and only seven people

are listed in Abu Daouds'.

4. Listing of the prophet (s) among those promised Paradise

is something that confirms forgery! Does anyone really believe

that his companions enter Paradise and he will be left behind?

He need not advertise that - it is a given!

5. Both narrators are telling the hadeeth about themselves!

According to Islamic law,when someone praises others by

praising himself, it is disregarded altogether. The sameis true

if someone bears witness for someone else, while at the same

time, even partially self serving, his testimony is rejected.

"Therefore justify not yourselves; He knows best who it is that guards against evil." [53:53]

6. The history of the so called ten does not man date this

great reward, at the expense of exclusion of other pious com-

panions, who in fact remained un blemished till their demise.

7. The narrator of the tradition is one of those promised

Paradise, this way he is bringing good tidings to himself!8.

Bukhari and Muslim did not even set aside a virtues section on

neither Saad bin Zaidnor Abdul Rahman bin Àwf, while

Bukhari has a sections for Mu'awiya, one hadeeth for Khalid

bin al-Waleed and just a section heading for Mus'ab bin Ùmair

(see volume 5,Book of Virtues).

8. Saad bin Malik, in fact, is not among the 10 highly re-

garded by the people of the Sunna.

9. The second narration only named nine persons in addition

to dropping out Saad bin Abi Waqqass.

10. Bukhari adds to the suspicion, by considering only three

to have been promised paradise by the prophet (s): Abu Bakr,

Omar and Ùthman (see Bukhari, v5, p68, #194).Nevertheless,

the narrator "Mohammed bin Miskeen is weak, not well

known," (Lisan al-Mizan, al- 'Asqalani, v5, p380, #1233).

A reasonable person can not judge, unconditionally, that an

ordinary fallible human being is guaranteed paradise,

45

therefore, is immune from Hell Fire. One who is open to the possibility of committing sinful acts, by his nature, can not be predictable. Especially, if promised paradise while not infallible, he would have the tendency to act freely due to his feel-

ing of assurance that his acts will have no bearing on his

outcome.

It is, therefore, not logical nor reasonable that the prophet

(s) would promise such an outcome early on to people of an un-

known future.

If this hadeeth were indeed true, then how come one did not

see the khalifa Ùthman use it in protest against those who

found it lawful to murder him. Nor did any of his companions

come to his aid, protesting the unlawfulness of killing someone

who is guaranteed paradise. Actually, it would have been un-

lawful for them to stay silent in this matter. The fact of the

matter is: the hadeeths were fabricated at a later date.

If one accepts the hadeeth to be true, one must also accept

that other than these ten from among the companions of the

prophet (s), will certainly go through Hell Fire, because there

is no in-between on the day of judgment. And this is, by neces-

sity, is wrong by reasoning and religion.

Besides the questionable hadith, what convinces you that the

10 are guaranteed heaven?Talha and Zubair fought Imam Ali,

resulted the killing of thousands of Muslims (Jamal),and all

three of them will be in heaven. History testifies that anyone

who fought Hz Ali,was on the wrong path, wether it be the Ku-

far of mecca, the jews of Khaiber, the wife ofthe prophet, Aye-

sha, or the great companion Muawiya. Abu Bakr did not give

Hz Fatimaher rights, Umer has a long list on his name which

goes from the Tragedy Of Thursday till the Attacking The

House Of Fatima.

Logically, the ones who have been promised Heaven, or the

ones which are understood to go to Heaven are, The prophets,

All those who are connected to the verse of purification and All 4 chosen women (Asiya (not aisha), Khadija, Maryam, Fatima)

46

Others may or may not go through the process of judgement.

It doesn't mean they'regoing to hell, just that Allah know's

best.

I also cannot be convinced by the hadith, if these people, dur-

ing their lifetime:

1- Raised their voice against the prophet SAWA

2- Did not follow the prophet's SAWA order to go on the ex-

pedition with the army ofusama

3- Went to war against Ali AS

They will be judged on their account.

47

8

Chapter

Attacking The House of Fatima Zahra (AS)

After the demise of the Prophet (PBUH&HF), those who heed

what the Messenger of Allah ordered them such as Ammar Ibn

Yasir, Abu-Dhar al-Ghafari, Miqdad, Salman al-Farsi, Ibn Ab-

bas, and others such as al-Abbas, Utbah Ibn Abi Lahab, Bara

Ibn Azib,Ubay Ibn Ka'b, Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas … etc., all

gathered in the house of Fatimah (AS).Even Talha and al-

Zubair were loyal to Imam Ali at the beginning and joint the

others in the house of Fatimah (AS). They assembled in the

house of Fatimah as a place of refuge since they were opposing

the majority of people. According to the authentic traditions in Sahih al-Bukhari, Umar confessed that the Imam Ali (AS) and

his followers OPPOSED Abu Bakr.

Al-Bukhari narrated: Umar said: "And no doubt after the

death of the Prophet we were informed that the Ansar dis-

agreed with us and gathered in the shed of Bani Sa'da. 'Ali

and Zubair and whoever was with them, opposed us, while the

emigrants gathered with AbuBakr."- Sahih al-Bukhari, Arabic-English, v8, Tradition #817

Other Sunni traditionists narrated that on the day of Saqifah:

Umar said: "Ali Ibn AbiTalib, Zubair Ibn Awwam and those who were with them separated from us (andgathered) in the house

of Fatimah, the daughter of the messenger of Allah." - Ahmad IbnHanbal, v1, p55 - Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, by Ibn Hisham, v4,

p309

They demanded confirmation of the oath, but Ali and al-

Zubair stayed away. Al-Zubairdrew his sword (from the

48

scabbard), saying, "I will not put it back until the oath of allegiance is rendered to Ali." When this news reached Abu Bakr and Umar, the latter said, "Hit him with a stone and seize the

sword." It is stated that Umar rushed (to the doorof the House of Fatimah) and brought them forcibly while telling them that

they mustgive their oath of allegiance willingly or unwillingly. -

History of al-Tabari, English version, v9, pp 188-189

Sunni historians reported that: When Umar came to the door

of the house of Fatimah, he said: "By Allah, I shall burn down (the house) over you unless you come out and give theoath of

allegiance (to Abu Bakr)." - History of Tabari (Arabic), v1, pp 1118-1120 -History of Ibn Athir, v2, p325 - al-Isti'ab, by Ibn

Abd al-Barr, v3, p975 Umar Ibn al-Khattab came to the house

of Ali. Talha and Zubair and some of the immigrants were also

in the house.

Umar cried out: "By God, either you come out to render the

oath of allegiance, or I will set the house on fire." al-Zubair came out with his sword drawn. As he stumbled (upon

something), the sword fell from his hand so they jumped over

him and seized him." - History of Tabari, English version, v9, pp 186-187

In the footnotes of the same page (p187) in the English ver-

sion of the History of al-Tabari the translator has commented:

Although the timing is not clear, it seems that Ali and his group came to know about Saqifa after what had happened there. At

this point, his supporters gathered in Fatimah's house. Abu

Bakr and Umar, fully aware of Ali's claims and fearing a seri-

ous threat from his supporters, summoned him to the mosque

to sweart he oath of allegiance. Ali refused, and so the house

was surrounded by an armed bandled by Abu Bakr and Umar,

who threatened to set it on fire if Ali and his supporters re-

fused to come out and swear allegiance to Abu Bakr. The scene

grew violent and Fatimah was furious. - See Ansab Ashraf, by

al-Baladhuri in his , v1, pp 582-586; TarikhYa'qubi, v2, p116;

al-Imamah wal-Siyasah, by Ibn Qutaybah, v1, pp 19-20.

49

Abu Bakr said on the authority of an authentic report that, after the demise of the holy Prophet when the people had paid

fealty to him, Ali and Zubair used to go to Fatimah al-Zahra,

daughter of the Prophet, for consultation. When this fact was

known to Umar, he went to Fatimah and said: "O' daughter of the Prophet! I didn't love anyone as much as I loved your father, nor anyone after him is more loving to me as you are. But I

swear by Allah that if these people assemble here with you,

then this love of mine would not prevent me from setting your

house on fire." - History of Tabari, in the events of the year 11

AH - Iqd al-Farid, by Ibn Abd Rabbah al-Malik, v2, chapter of

Saqifah

Also it is reported that: Umar said to Fatimah (who was be-

hind the door of her house): "I know that the Prophet of God did not love any one more than you, but this will not stop me to carry out my decision. If these people stay in your house, I will burn the door infront of you." - Kanz al-Ummal, v3, p140

"From Umar's irritable and peevish temperament such an ac-

tion on his part was notimprobable." - al-Faruq, by Shibli Numani, p44

It is also reported that: Abu Bakr said (on his death bed): "I wish I had not searched for Fatimah's house, and had not sent

men to harass her, though it would have caused a war ifher

house would have continued to be used as a shelter." - History of Ya'qubi, v2, pp 115-116 - Ansab Ashraf, by al-Baladhuri, v1,

pp 582,586

The historian named the following people among those who

attacked the house of Fatimah to disperse people who

sheltered there: Abu Bakr - Umar Ibn al-Khattab - KhalidIbn

Walid - Abdurrahman Ouf - Thabit Ibn Shammas - Ziad Ibn La-

bid - Muhammad Ibn Maslamah - Salamah Ibn Salem - Salamah

Ibn Aslam - Usaid Ibn Hozair - Zaid Ibn Thabit

Everybody came out of the house except Imam Ali (AS), who

said: "I have sworn to remain home until I collect the Quran."

Umar refused but Lady Fatimah's remonstration caused him to

50

return. He instigated Abu Bakr to pursue the matter, and he send Qunfuz(his slave) several times but received a negative

reply each time.Ultimately, Umar wentwith a group of people

to the Fatimah's house. When she heard their voice, she cried-

loudly; "O father, O Messenger of Allah, how are Umar Ibn al-Khattab and Abu Bakr Ibn Abi Quhafah treating us after you

and how do they meet us."

The Sunni scholars, Ahmad Ibn Abdul Aziz al-Jawhari in his

book 'Saqifah', Abu Waleed Muhibbuddin Mohammad al-

Shahnah al-Hanafi in his book 'Rawdhat al-Manadhir Fi

Akhbaar al-Awayil wal-Aawaakhir', Ibn Abil Hadid in his book

'Sharh al-Nahj', and others have reported the events to the

same effect.

Also refer to the esteemed Sunni historian Abul Hasan, Ali

Ibn al-Husain al-Mas'udi who in his book 'Isbaat al-Wasiyyah'

describes the events in detail and reports that: "They surrounded Ali (AS) and burned the door of his house and pulled him

out against his willand pressed the leader of all women

(Hadhrat Fatimah (AS)) between the door and the wall killing

Mohsin (the male-child she was carrying in her womb for six

months)."

Salahuddin Khalil al-Safadi another Sunni scholar in his book

'Waafi al-Wafiyyaat' under the letter 'A' while recording the

view of Ibrahim Ibn Sayyar Ibn Hani al-Basri, well known as

Nidhaam quotes him to have said: "On the day of 'Bay'aat'

(paying allegiance),Umar hit Fatimah (AS) on the stomach such

that child in her womb died."

Why do you think an 18 year old young lady was forced to

walk with the help of a walking-stick? Unbelieveable acts of

cruelty and oppression had led Hadhrat Fatimah al

Zahra (AS) to lament: "Such calamities have visited me that had they descended on theday it would have darkened it." She fell into bed till she was martyred as a results of thesecalamit-ies and injuries while she was just eighteen years old!During

her last days, when Abu Bakr and Umar sought the mediation

51

of Imam Ali (AS)to visit the ailing Hadhrat Fatimah (AS), as quoted by Ibn Qutaybah, she tured her face tothe wall when

they greeted her and in response to their plea for appeasement

remindedthem of the prophetic declaration that one who dis-

pleases Fatimah (AS) has displeasedthe Prophet and finally

said: "I take Allah and the angels to be my witness that you havenot pleased me; on the other hand, you have angered me.

When I shall meet the Prophet(PBUH&HF) I will complain

about you two." - al-Imamah wa al-Siyasah, by IbnQutaybah,

v1, p14

… . Fatimah became angry with Abu Bakr and kept away

from him, and did not talk to himtill she died. She remained

alive for six months after the death of the Prophet. When

shedied, her husband 'Ali, buried her at night without inform-

ing Abu Bakr and he said thefuneral prayer by himself. - Sahih

al-Bukhari, Chapter of "The battle of Khaibar", v5,tradition

#546, pp 381-383

Howsoever they tried, people failed to locate her grave. It

was known only to a handful of Imam Ali (AS)'s family mem-

bers. And to this date, the grave of the daughter of prophetis

unknown which is another sign of her unhappiness from some

of the companions.

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) had frequently said:

"Fatimah is a part of me.Whoever makes her angry, makes me

angry." - Sahih al-Bukhari, Arabic-English, v5,Traditions #61

and #111 - Sahih Muslim, section of virtues of Fatimah, v4, pp

1904-5

According to al-Bukhari and Muslim, the Messenger of Allah

has testified that Fatimah is the best of the ladies of the

worlds: Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 4.819: Narrated 'Aisha:

The Messenger of Allah said to Fatimah (who was crying at

her father's deathbed): "Are you not satisfied that you are the chief of all the ladies of Paradise or the chief of all thebelieving women?"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) said: Four women are the mistress of the worlds:Mary, Asiya (the wife of

52

Pharaoh), Khadija, and Fatimah. And the most excellent one among them in the world is Fatimah." - Ibn Asakir, as quoted in Tafsir al-Durr al-Manthoor

Allah, Exalted He is, said in Quran:"(O Prophet) tell (people) I don't ask you any wage except to love my family." (Quran

42:23).

People ask that why did not Ali, the war hero and the bravest

of all the companionsunshea the his sword which won the

ghazwas and battles single handedly to defend himself and his

wife. The character of Ali was unmatched by anyone. During a

battle,when Ali gained the upper hand and his enemy was un-

der his feet, Ali went for the kill,but the very moment, the man spit at the face of Imam Ali. At the very moment, the

man asked why didn’t Ali kill him, on which Ali replied that his fight was only in the way of Allah almighty, as soon as the man

spit on him, he got angry and Ali feared that if at that moment

he killed the man, it would have been due to his personal fury,

personal reason,that is why Ali didn’t kill him then. So Imam

Ali was a man who never used his sword,the gift from Allah for

his personal reasons. This might help answering the different

allegations regarding the cowardice of the Islamic hero.

53

9

Chapter

At-Tahera: Verse of Purity

The Holy Book tells us about the Words of Allah, the Great

and Almighty, concerning them: "Allah only desires to keep

away uncleanness from you, O members of the House!and to

purify you a (thorough purification)." (33:33)

It is a virtue for them. No one of all people has this virtue.

There is no dignity more precious than keeping away unclean-

ness from them and purifying them from all defects,that is the

purifying which the Most kind (Allah) likes for them with His

care, and it is not limited to a certain uncleanness or from a

certain thing. So, it implies general purifying from every defect and sin. From this holy verse, we conclude the infallibility of

the members of the Prophetic House (Ahlul-Bayt), because

every sin is uncleanness and committing sins does not agree

with their keeping away from them and their purification from

them, so, they are, according to this verse purified from un-

cleanness and sins.

Is infallibility a thing behind this? Yes, all importance is in

the concerned persons with this virtue which no one of the

community had, except them. Does this virtue concern those

who were in the House when the above- mentioned Holy Verse

came down or does it concern every one who belonged to the

most purified Prophet because of a certainaffinity or ancestry?

If the second question is accepted, then the reality opposes

it, because some of the Prophet's wives disobeyed him, and no

uncleanness is greater than this disobedience. So,certainly his

wives are not concerned with this virtue. Also some of those

54

who belonged to the Prophet because of ancestry committed grave sins and crimes, and it is not right that Allah, the

Almighty, wants to do a thing by the creation will, but the thing does not happen. As it is impossible that Allah wants to create

a thing and the thing does not happen, so all the Prophet's

wives and all the Hashimites are not included in the foregoing

verse, because the women and the Hashimites might commit

what conflicts with purification, besides no one has said that

all his wives and all the Hashimites were infallible. And if the intended meaning in the verse was the legal will, then no sense

would the will of purification concerning the members of the

House (Ahlul-Bayt) have because Allah, the Exalted, wants it

from all people. As the verse concerns the outstanding merit of

Ahlul-Bayt, it indicates that the creation will is confined to

them.Then the legislation will is related to the acts of

creatures, while the verse concerns theact of Allah.

Discourse can only be logical when first we explore the justi-

fication of Ahlul-Bayt and then we introduce their attributes.

The Identity of Ahlul-Bayt: Umm Salama, the wife of our be-

loved Prophet says, "Ayah33 of surah 33 (Al-Ahzaab) was re-

vealed to the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) when he was at myhouse. After

this revelation, the Messenger of Allah called upon Ali, Fatima, Al-Hasanand Al-Husain to come to him and be under the

mantle with him; then he proclaimed "O'Lord, these are my

Ahlul-Bayt, I implore thee to cleanse them of all stigmas, and

topurify them.

"Thus, the Prophet made known the identity of Ahlul-Bayt so as to prevent any exploitation of this verse in the future.

Umm Salama then remarked, "I asked if I could join them,

but the Prophet said "halt" and declared that "I am in good-ness", meaning she was not of Ahlul-Bayt as mentioned in the Ayah.

No statement could have more clearly identified Ahlul-Bayt

than this one. The Messenger of Allah did not even permit his

wife Umm Salama to join the ranks of Ahlul-Bayt, thus by so

55

doing he hindered any claims by his other wives in the future to that honor.

Tibari, the great historian, writes in his interpretation of the Holy Qur'an that Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) said, "This

Ayah was a revelation about me, Ali, Fatima, Al-Hasanand Al-

Husain. It is true that this Ayah is revealed amidst verses referring to the wives of the Prophet, however, references to the

masculine gender (words like An'kum andYu'tahirukum) pre-

vents one from assuming that these verses were referring to

the wives of Allah's Messenger, too. On the contrary, according

to oft-repeated narrations and testimonials, no one but the

daughter of the Prophet and her husband and their two be-

loved boys, meaning the progeny of the Messenger of God, are

intended when references are made to Ahlul-Bayt.

Fundamentally, this verse cannot be referring to the wives of

the Prophet because the language of the Qur'an in revelations

about the spouses of the Prophet is harsh and assertive where-

as the references in the afore mentioned Ayah are affectionate

and benevolent.

To clarify these two languages, we point to the following

judgments rendered by the Qur'an regarding the wives of the

Holy Prophet.

1. At times the Revelation threatens them with distress and

declares:

"O' Wives of the Prophet, those of you who commit misdeeds

will face twice the punishment and this is easy for Allah to do."

(33:35)

2. At times, the Holy Book forbids them from treading the

same course as the women of Jahiliya. When such references

are seen in the Qur'an (regarding the spouses of the Prophet),

is it fair to attribute the Ayah (which declares God's affection towards Ahlul-Bayt) to no one but the Prophet's Pure Family?

56

3. In the 3rd Ayah, two spouses of the Prophet (who revealed his secret) are reprimanded.They are told to repent and that

repentance is to their benefit since their hearts haveveered

from righteousness and that if they conspire against the Proph-

et they will nottriumph since Allah and Gabriel, and the right-

eous and the angels are the protectors andsupporters of the

Prophet.The nature of the secret that was about to be revealed

is not pertinent at this point but theimportant fact is that such people who are at the verge of openly opposing the Prophetand

are asked to repent are not in position to be pronounced im-

maculate and cleansed. ofsin as such.There is no doubt that all

the spouses of the Prophet deserve special respect due to

thefact that they are related to the Messenger of God.

However, such respect does not meanthe Qur'an's judgment

about them can be ignored or that if anyone would speak un-

kindlyabout them should be condemned.Besides, according to

the verse, god has purified the AhlulBait of the prophet. On

theother hand, he is asking the wives of the prophet to ask for

forgiveness and try to stayaway from sins, thus the wives are

not infallibles and pure, according to the verses.Now that we

familiarized ourselves with the meaning and the usage of the

term "Ahlul-Bayt" the time has come for recounting some of their attributes.

According to Ayah 80 of Surah Wa'qi'ah, these individuals

are the ones who have theability to come in contact with this

fountain of knowledge in the Qur'an.

Therefore, it can be concluded that the Ahlul-Bayt of the

Prophet who are (according toSurah 33, Ayah 33), free of all

ignominy, are the ones who shall witness the true status(mean-

ing) of the Qur'an.

The Love of Ahlul-Bayt is incumbent upon us. The Messen-

gers of God propagate Allah'sWord in order to please the

Almighty, and the motto of the final Messenger of God,

Muhammad (p.b.u.h.), was commanded by the Qur'an in Surah

Al-Shoora, Surah 42,Ayah 23: " Declare [O' Muhammad]: "I ask you of no recompense for my toil except the love for my kin

(family)." Whose earns good, We shall expand it for him. Verily 57

Allah isoft-forgiving, appreciates good works".Sahih-e-Muslim -

Book 031, Number 5955:

'A'isha reported that Allah's Apostle (maypeace be upon him)

went out one norning wearing a striped cloak of the black

camel'shair that there came Hasan b. 'Ali. He wrapped him un-

der it, then came Husain and hewrapped him under it along

with the other one (Hasan). Then came Fatima and he tookher

under it, then came 'Ali and he also took him under it and then

said: Allah only desires to take away any uncleanliness from

you, O people of the household, and purify you (thorough

purifying)

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10

Chapter

Ayesha’s Actual Age

Have we ever thought that why will the Prophet of Islam

marry a 9, 6 in some places,year girl. What was the require-

ment for it? Sunni historians have recorded that the prophet

didnot allow Abu Bakr or Umer to marry with his daughter, Hz

Fatima, due tothe vast age difference. She was too young for

them. The prophet refused to marry her YOUNG daughter with

older men, and he himself would marry a 9 year old minor,

with an age difference of more than 35 years?

Many anti-Islamic sites accuse our Beloved Holy Prophet,

Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, of , God

Forbid, marrying a minor. We present here an article that will

clear our Beloved Holy Prophet (pbuh) off this blasphemous

charge.

Most narrations carry misstatements about the age of Hazrat

‘Aishah Siddiqah at the time of her marriage to the Holy Proph-

et, (peach and blessings of Allah be upon him). They place this

marriage in the tenth year of the Call and state that Hazrat

‘Aishah was only 6years old at that time. On proper sifting of

the material facts, these statements turn out tobe incorrect

and it becomes evident that she, in fact, was about 19 or 20

years of age when she arrived in the house of the Holy Prophet

Muhammad (pbuh) as his wife in 2 A.H.

It will be in the fitness of things to quote from the writings of two well-known Muslim scholars of the present century who

are the main exponents of the view that Hazrat‘ Aishah Sid-

diqah was 6 years old at her Nikah and 9 years old at the time

59

of the consummation of her marriage. Both Maulana Syed Sulaiman Nadvi and Maulana SyedAbul Ala Maududi are well-

known Muslim authors of Seerat (biography).

Maulana Syed Sulaiman Nadvi writes on page 21 of his book

'Seerat-i-Aishah': "Books of history and biography are generally silent about the birth date of Hazrat ‘Aishah. The historian Ibn Sa’d, whom many later biographers have followed, has written

that Hazrat‘ Aishah was born in the fourth year of the Call, and was married at the age of 6 years inthe tenth year of the Call.

Apparently this cannot be correct, because if her birth in the

fourth year of the Call be admitted as correct then her age at

the time of her marriage in the tenth year of the Call works out to 7 and not 6 years. The fact remains that some matters about

the age of Hazrat ‘Aishah are admitted to be correct by most

historians and biographers, and these are: She was married

three years before Hijrah at the age of six years; the marriage

was consummated in the month of Shawal in the year 1 A.H.

when she was 9 years old, and she became a widow in Rabi-al-

Awwal 11 A.H., at the age of 18years. According to this ac-

count, the correct date of her birth works out to the end of the fifth year of the Call or 614 A.D. of the Christian calendar. For a proper comprehension of the events of history, one should

bear in mind that out of a total period of 23 years ofthe Call,

the first 13 years were passed in Mecca and the last 10 years

in Madina. Thus,the fourth year of the Call had already been

out before her birth and the fifth year was running."

In the article, "The Nikah Date of Sayedah ‘Aishah," published in the 'Tarjuman al-Quran' of September 1976, Maulana

Abul Ala Maududi wrote: "It is apparent from the detailed reports of Imam Ahmad Tibrani, Ibn Jareer and Baihaqi that the

Nikah of Sayedah ‘Aishah was solemnised before the Nikah of

Sayedah Saudah. It is also evident that her Nikah with the Holy

Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was solem-

nised in the month of Shawal of the tenth year of the Call,

three years before Hijrah, when she was 6 years old. Here a

question arises, that if Sayedah ‘Aishah was 6years of age in

the Shawal of the tenth year of the Call, then she should have

been 9 years of age at the time of Hijrah and should have been

60

of 11 years in 2 A.H. at the time of consummation. But all narrators agree that her Nikah was solemnised when she was 6

years old and the marriage was consummated when she was 9

years old. Some Ulema have tried to meet this discrepancy by

saying that the marriage was consummated seven months after

Hijrah. Hafiz Ibn Hajar has preferred this view. On the other

hand, Imam Nauvi in his 'Tahzeeb al-Asma’a al-Lughat', Hafiz

Ibn Katheer in his 'Al-Badaya' and Allama Qustalani in his

'Mawahib al-Deeniah' report consummation in 2 A.H. Hafiz

Badr-ud-Din Aini has written in his Umdat al-Qari that the mar-

riage of ‘Aishah Siddiqah was consummated in Shawal 2 A.H.

after the return of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) from the battle of

Badr. Both Imam Nauvi and Allama Aini consider the above-

quoted reports of consummation of marriage seven months

after Hijrah as irresponsible and untrustworthy.Thus we are

faced with a question that if the marriage was consummated at

the age of 9 years in Shawal 2 A.H., then what should be the

date of Nikah which should tally withher age of 6 years? An an-

swer to this question is found in Bukhari wherein it is reported from Urwah ibn Zubair, "Sayedah Khadijah died three years

before Hijrah; the Holy Prophet solemnised Nikah with

Sayedah ‘Aishah two years after that. Then it was consum-

mated at the age of 9 years." This works out to be correct that Nikah was solemnised one year before Hijrah when she was 6

years old and consummation took place in 2 A.H. when she was

9 years." The above quotations amply bear out that both Syed Nadvi and Syed Maududi agree to the correctness of reports

stating the age of Sayedah ‘Aishah at 6 years at Nikah and 9

years at the consummation. Their only worry seems to be the

calculation of the correct year of the Call and the Hijrah for fix-ing these ages in those calendar years. Both of them start with

a preconception that the age of 6years for Nikah and 9 years

for consummation are correct and true, and set out in search of

the correct year of the Call and Hijrah in which these precon-

ceived ages will fit in.This hardly can be called a scientific

method of finding her correct age. This rather maybe called an

effort to find a correct date for a given age.

As far as my information goes the first voice against the com-

mon misconception about the age of Sayedah ‘Aishah at her

61

marriage was raised by Maulana Muhammad Ali,M.A., LL.B., in 1924 in his 'Muhammad the Prophet', wherein he wrote: "The

popular misconception as to Aishah’s age may be removed

here. That she had not attained majority is clear enough, but

that she was not so young as six years of age is also true. In

the first place, it is clear that she had reached an age when betrothal could take place in the ordinary course and must there-

fore have been approaching the age of majority. Again,the Isa-

bah, speaking of the Prophet’s daughter Fatimah, says that she

was about five years older than ‘Aishah. It is a fact (According to the Sunnis/The Shia Version Differs)that Fatimah was born

when the Ka’bah was being rebuilt, i.e., five years before the

Callor a little before it, and so ‘Aishah was certainly not below ten years at the time of her marriage with the Holy Prophet

(pbuh) in the tenth year of the Call. This conclusion is borne

out by the testimony of ‘Aishah herself who is reported to have

related that whenthe chapter entitled ‘The Moon’ (the 54th

chapter) was revealed she was a girl playing about and that

she remembered certain verses then revealed. Now the fifty-

fourth chapter could not have been revealed later than the fifth year of the Call, and therefore the report which states her to

have been six years old in the tenth year of the Call when her

marriage ceremony was gone through cannot be correct, be-

cause this would show her to have born about the time of the

revelation of the 54th chapter. All these considerations show

her to have been not less than ten years old at the time of her

marriage. And as the period between her marriage and its con-

summation was not less than five years, because the consum-

mation took place in the second year of the Fight, it follows

that she could nothave been less than fifteen at that time. The

popular account that she was six years at marriage and nine

years at the time of consummation is decidedly not correct, be-

cause it supposes the period between the marriage and its con-

summation to be only three years,while this is historically

wrong."

In spite of this severe criticism of Muhammad Ali’s view,

Nadvi not only contradicts himself about the age of Hazrat

‘Aishah, but provides supporting evidence to Muhammad Ali’s

views when, writing about the last days of the life of Hazrat

62

‘Aishah, he writes at page 111 of the same 'Seerat-i-Aishah':

"Hazrat ‘Aishah was a widow and she passed 40years of her

life as a widow.

"Further, at page 153 he writes: "The last days of Khilafat (Caliphate) of Amir Muawiyya were the last days of the life of

Hazrat ‘Aishah and her age at that time was 67 years."Now if we deduct 40 years of her widowed life from 67 years then we

find she was 27 years of age at the time of the passing away of

the Holy Prophet in 11 A.H. and not 18 years as reported by

Nadvi in the earlier pages of the same book. Since the total

period ofthe Call is 23 years, therefore, according to this ac-

count she was born about four years before the Call and not in

the fourth year of the Call as Nadvi tried to make us believe inhis earlier pages quoted herein above. Consequently, her age

at the time of the Nikah in the tenth year of the Call works out to 14-15 years and not 6 years, as Nadvi himself soassertively

reported. According to this account, Hazrat ‘Aishah’s age at

the time of consummation of her marriage in 2 A.H. works out

to 19-20 years and not 9 years asstated in earlier pages of

Seerat-i-Aishah. A further enquiry is most naturally necessit-

ated to find out which of the reports of Nadvi should be given

credence.

There are other important events recorded in history which

provide definite evidence about the age of Hazrat ‘Aishah.

1. The well-known historian Ibn Jareer al-Tabari writes at

page 50 of volume 4 of his'Book of History': "Abu Bakr married two ladies in the days of ignorance (pre-Call era).Fateelah

daughter of Abd al-Aza was the first, from whom Abdullah and

Asma were born. Umm-i-Rooman was the second, from whom

Abd al-Rahman and ‘Aishah wereborn. All the four children of

Abu Bakr were born in the days of ignorance (Jahiliyyah,i.e.,

pre-Islamic days) from the above-named two ladies.

2. It is a well-known fact of history, that Abu Bakr’s son Abd

al-Rahman fought against the Muslims in the battle of Badr.

His age at that time was 21-22 years, and although he was

older than ‘Aishah, there is no evidence to show that the difference between their ages was more than three or four years.

63

This fact lends support to the view that Hazrat‘ Aishah was born four or five years before the Call.

3. The well-known historian and scholar ‘Allama ‘Imad-ud-

Deen Ibn Katheer writes in his 'Al-Badayah' about Sayedah

Asma’ daughter of Hazrat Abu Bakr’: Asma’ died in 73 A.H. at

the age of 100 years. She was ten years older than her sister

‘Aishah. Now according to this report ‘Asma’ would have been

27-28 years old at the time of Hijrah and since she was ten

years older than Sayedah ‘Aishah, therefore the age of

Sayedah‘Aishah would have been 17 or 18 years at the time of

Hijrah. Accordingly, her birth falls about four or five years before the Call, and her age at the time of the consummation of

marriage in 2 A.H. will work out to 19-20 years.

4. The author of the well-known collection of Hadith 'Mishkat

al-Masabeeh', Sheikh Waheed-ud-Deen, writes in his well-

known book 'Ahmal fi Asma’ al-Rijjal': "At the time of the consummation of her marriage Sayedah ‘Aishah’s age was not less

than 18-19years.

"Besides the above, there are many evidences as well.

1. Evidence 1: Reliability of Source

Most of the narratives printed in the books of hadith are re-

ported only by Hisham ibnÙrwah, who was reporting on the

authority of his father. First of all, more people than just one, two or three should logically have reported. It is strange that

no one from Medina, where Hisham ibn Ùrwah lived the first

71 years of his life narrated the event,despite the fact that his Medinan pupils included the well-respected Malik ibn Anas.

The origins of the report of the narratives of this event are

people from Iraq, where Hisham is reported to have shifted

after living in Medina for most of his life.

Tehzibu’l-Tehzib, one of the most well known books on the

life and reliability of the narrators of the traditions of the

Prophet, reports that according to Yaqub ibn Shaibah:“He

[Hisham] is highly reliable, his narratives are acceptable, ex-

cept what he narrated after moving over to Iraq” (Tehzi’bu’l-te-

hzi’b, Ibn Hajar Al-àsqala’ni, Dar Ihya al-turathal-Islami, 15th century. Vol 11, p. 50).

64

It further states that Malik ibn Anas objected on those narratives of Hisham which were reported through people in Iraq:

“I have been told that Malik objected on those narratives of

Hisham which were reported through people of Iraq” (Tehzi’b

u’l-tehzi’b, Ibn HajarAl-àsqala’ni, Dar Ihya al-turath al-Islami, Vol.11, p. 50).

Mizanu’l-aìtidal, another book on the life sketches of the

narrators of the traditions ofthe Prophet reports: “When he

was old, Hisham’s memory suffered quite badly”(Mizanu’l-

aìtidal,

Al-Zahbi,

Al-Maktabatu’l-athriyyah,

Sheikhupura,

Pakistan, Vol. 4, p.301).Based on these references, Hisham’s

memory was failing and his narratives while in Iraqwere unreli-

able. So, his narrative of Ayesha’s marriage and age are

unreliable.

It is vital also to keep in mind some of the pertinent dates in

the history of Islam:pre-

610 CE: Jahiliya (pre-Islamic age) before revelation

610 CE: First revelation

610 CE: AbuBakr accepts Islam

613 CE: Prophet Muhammad begins preaching publicly.

615 CE: Emigration to Abyssinia

616 CE: Umar bin al Khattab accepts Islam

620 CE: Generally accepted betrothal of Ayesha to the

Prophet

622 CE: Hijrah (emigation to Yathrib, later renamed Medina)

623/624 CE: Generally accepted year of Ayesha living with

the Prophet

2. Evidence 2: The Betrothal

According to Tabari (also according to Hisham ibn ‘Urwah,

Ibn Hunbal and Ibn Sad),Ayesha was betrothed at seven years

of age and began to cohabit with the Prophet at the age of nine

years.

However, in another work, Al-Tabari says: “All four of his

[Abu Bakr’s] children were born of his two wives during the

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pre-Islamic period” (Tarikhu’l-umam wa’l-mamlu’k,Al-Tabari (died 922), Vol. 4, p. 50, Arabic, Dara’l-fikr, Beirut, 1979).

If Ayesha was betrothed in 620 CE (at the age of seven) and

started to live with theProphet in 624 CE (at the age of nine),

that would indicate that she was born in 613 CE and was nine

when she began living with the Prophet. Therefore, based on

one account of Al-Tabari, the numbers show that Ayesha must

have born in 613 CE, three years after the beginning of revela-

tion (610 CE). Tabari also states that Ayesha was born in the

pre-Islamic era (in Jahiliya). If she was born before 610 CE, she would have been at least 14 years old when she began living

with the Prophet. Essentially, Tabari contradicts himself.Al-

Tabari is unreliable in the matter of determining Ayesha’s age.

3. Evidence 3: Ayesha’s Age in relation to Asma’s Age Ac-

cording to Abda’l-Rahman ibn abi zanna’d: “Asma was 10 years

older than Ayesha(Siyar Àla’ma’l-nubala’, Al-Zahabi, Vol. 2, p.

289, Arabic, Mu’assasatu’l-risalah,Beirut, 1992).

According to Ibn Kathir: “She [Asma] was elder to her sister

[Ayesha] by 10 years” (Al-Bidayah wa’l-nihayah, Ibn Kathir,

Vol. 8, p. 371, Dar al-fikr al-àrabi, Al-jizah, 1933).

According to Ibn Kathir: “She [Asma] saw the killing of her

son during that year [73AH], as we have already mentioned,

and five days later she herself died. According to other narrat-

ives, she died not after five days but 10 or 20, or a few days

over 20, or 100 days later. The most well known narrative is

that of 100 days later. At the time of her death, she was 100

years old.” (Al-Bidayah wa’l-nihayah, Ibn Kathir, Vol. 8, p. 372, Daral-fikr al-àrabi, Al-jizah, 1933)

According to Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani: “She [Asma] lived a hun-

dred years and died in 73or 74 AH.” (Taqribu’l-tehzib, Ibn

Hajar Al-Asqalani, p. 654, Arabic, Bab fi’l-nisa’, alharfu’l-alif, Lucknow).

According to almost all the historians, Asma, the elder sister

of Ayesha was 10 years older than Ayesha. If Asma was 100

66

years old in 73 AH, she should have been 27 or 28 years old at the time of the hijrah.

If Asma was 27 or 28 years old at the time of hijrah, Ayesha

should have been 17 or 18 years old. Thus, Ayesha, being 17 or

18 years of at the time of Hijra, she started to cohabit with the Prophet between at either 19 to 20 years of age.

4. Evidence 4: The Battles of Badr and Uhud

A narrative regarding Ayesha’s participation in Badr is given

in

the

hadith

of

Muslim,(Kitabu’l-jihad

wa’l-siyar,

Bab

karahiyati’l-istiànah fi’l-ghazwi bikafir). Ayesha, while narrating the journey to Badr and one of the important events that

took place in that journey, says: “when we reached Shajarah”.

Obviously, Ayesha was with the group travelling towards Badr.

A narrative regarding Ayesha’s participation in the Battle of

Uhud is given in Bukhari (Kitabu’l-jihad wa’l-siyar, Bab

Ghazwi’l-nisa’ wa qitalihinnamaà’lrijal): “An as reports that on the day of Uhud, people could not stand their ground around

the Prophet. [On that day,] I saw Ayesha and Umm-i-Sulaim,

they had pulled their dress up from their feet [to avoid any

hindrance in their movement].” Again, this indicates that Aye-

sha was present in the Battles of Uhud and Badr.

It is narrated in Bukhari (Kitabu’l-maghazi, Bab Ghazwati’l-

khandaq wa hiya’l-ahza’b):“Ibn Ùmar states that the Prophet

did not permit me to participate in Uhud, as at that time, I was 14 years old. But on the day of Khandaq, when I was 15 years

old, the Prophet permitted my participation.

”Based on the above narratives, (a) the children below 15

years were sent back and were not allowed to participate in

the Battle of Uhud, and (b) Ayesha participated in the Battles

of Badr and Uhud. Ayesha’s participation in the Battles of Badr

and Uhud clearly indicates that she was not nine years old but

at least 15 years old. After all, women used to accompany men

to the battlefields to help them, not to be a burden on them.

This account is another contradiction regarding Ayesha’s age.

5. Evidence 5: Surat al-Qamar (The Moon)

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According to the generally accepted tradition, Ayesha was born about eight years before hijrah. But according to another

narrative in Bukhari, Ayesha is reported to have said: “I was a

young girl (jariyah in Arabic)” when Surah Al-Qamar was re-

vealed (Sahih Bukhari, kitabu’l-tafsir, Bab Qaulihi Bal al-saàtu Mawìduhum wa’l-saàtu adha’ waamarr).

Chapter 54 of the Quran was revealed eight years before

hijrah (The Bounteous Koran,M.M. Khatib, 1985), indicating

that it was revealed in 614 CE. If Ayesha started livingwith the Prophet at the age of nine in 623 CE or 624 CE, she was a new-born infant(sibyah in Arabic) at the time that Surah Al-Qamar

(The Moon) was revealed. According to the above tradition,

Ayesha was actually a young girl, not an infant in the year of

revelation of Al-Qamar. Jariyah means young playful girl

(Lane’s Arabic English Lexicon). So, Ayesha, being a jariyah

not a sibyah (infant), must be somewhere between6-13 years

old at the time of revelation of Al-Qamar, and therefore must

have been 14-21 years at the time she married the Prophet.

6. Evidence 6: Arabic Terminology

According to a narrative reported by Ahmad ibn Hanbal,

after the death of the Prophet’s first wife Khadijah, when Khau-

lah came to the Prophet advising him to marry again, the

Prophet asked her regarding the choices she had in mind.

Khaulah said: “You can marry avirgin (bikr) or a woman who

has already been married (thayyib)”. When the Prophet asked

the identity of the bikr (virgin), Khaulah mentioned Ayesha’s

name.

All those who know the Arabic language are aware that the

word bikr in the Arabic language is not used for an immature

nine-year-old girl. The correct word for a young playful girl, as stated earlier, is jariyah. Bikr on the other hand, is used for an unmarried lady without conjugal experience prior to marriage,

as we understand the word “virgin”in English. Therefore, obvi-

ously a nine-year-old girl is not a “lady” (bikr) (MusnadAhmad

ibn Hanbal, Vol. 6, p. .210, Arabic, Dar Ihya al-turath al-àrabi, Beirut).

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7. Evidence 7: The Qur’anic Text

All Muslims agree that the Quran is the book of guidance. So,

we need to seek the guidance from the Quran to clear the

smoke and confusion created by the eminent men ofthe classic-

al period of Islam in the matter of Ayesha’s age at her mar-

riage. Does the Quran allow or disallow marriage of an imma-

ture child of seven years of age? There areno verses that expli-

citly allow such marriage. There is a verse, however, that

guides Muslims in their duty to raise an orphaned child. The

Quran’s guidance on the topic ofraising orphans is also valid in the case of our own children. The verse states: “And make not

over your property (property of the orphan), which Allah had

made a (means of)support for you, to the weak of understand-

ing, and maintain them out of it, clothe themand give them

good education. And test them until they reach the age of

marriage.

Then if you find them maturity of intellect, make over them

their property… ” (Quran,4:5-6).

In the matter of children who have lost a parent, a Muslim is

ordered to (a) feed them, (b)clothe them, (c) educate them, and

(d) test them for maturity “until the age of marriage”before en-

trusting them with management of finances.

Here the Quranic verse demands meticulous proof of their in-

tellectual and physical maturity by objective test results before the age of marriage in order to entrust their property to them.

In light of the above verses, no responsible Muslim would

hand over financial management to a seven- or nine-year-old

immature girl. If we cannot trust a seven-year old to manage

financial matters, she cannot be intellectually or physically fit for marriage. Ibn Hambal (Musnad Ahmad ibn Hambal, vol.6,

p. 33 and 99) claims that nine year-old Ayesha was rather more

interested in playing with toy-horses than taking up the re-

sponsible task of a wife. It is difficult to believe, therefore, that Abu Bakr would betroth his immature seven-year-old daughter

to the 50-year-old Prophet. Equally difficult to imagine is that the Prophet would marry an immature seven-year-old girl.

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8. Evidence 8: Consent in Marriage

A women must be consulted and must agree in order to make

a marriage valid (Mishakatal Masabiah, translation by James

Robson, Vol. I, p. 665). Islamically, credible permission from

women is a prerequisite for a marriage to be valid.By any

stretch of the imagination, the permission given by an

immature seven-year-old girl cannot be valid authorization for

marriage. It is inconceivable that Abu Bakr, an intelligent man, would take seriously the permission of a seven-year-old girl to

marry a 50-year-old man. Similarly, the Prophet would not

have accepted the permission given by a girl who, according to

the hadith of Muslim, took her toys with her when she went

live with Prophet.All the above quotations give ample refuta-

tion to the common misconception that‘ Aishah’s age at the

time of her Nikah was 6 years and at the time of consummation

of marriage it was only 9 years. If Muslim scholars of the

present era deem fit to make an objective research instead of

beating the old track, they will find ample material in the

pages of history to arrive at a correct age for ‘Aishah. This indeed would be a great service to the cause of Islam.

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11

Chapter

Ayesha’s Rebellion Against Imam Ali

Hadhrath Ayesha's entry onto the battlefield of Jamal was a

violation of the Qur'an. Allah(swt) states clearly with regards to the wives of Rasulullah (s): "And stay quietly in your houses, and make not a dazzling display, like that of the former Times

of Ignorance;… ." -Al-Quran 33:33

In Tafsir Durre Manthur Volume 5 page 196 under the com-

mentary of this verse we read a narration that states "when Hadhrath Saudah (RA), wife of the Prophet (s), was asked why

she did not perform Hajj and Umrah (regularly) like other

wives of the Prophet (s)? Saudha (RA) said, "I have performed Hajj and Umrah (before) and Allah has given methe order to

stay at home. By God I will not leave home until my death." The narrator added "by God, Saudah (RA) did not leave her home

after the Prophet (s) until her death,when her funeral was

taken out".

This verse came down exclusively for the wives of Rasulullah

(s) and in the commentary of this verse we can see that

Hadhrath Sauda deemed it as a clear injunction for her to re-

main at home.Rasulullah (s) had told his wives during Hajjatul

Wida (final pilgrimage) that this WAS their first and last Hajj

and that in future they were to remain within their homes. To

prove our claim we present al Bidaya wa al Nihaya Volume 7

page 104, where Ibn Kathirunder the Chapter "Zainab binte

Jahsh" records the following: "During the Farewell Hajj,Prophet (s) had told his wives that "This is your last Hajj, after that you have to pray on floor mats". The narrator then added that except for Zainab bint e Jahsh (RA) and Saudah(RA) all other

71

wives used to go for Hajj but these two used to say that "nothing shall move us".

Rasulullah's order and Hadhrath Saudah's commentary of

this verse is clear proof that there was a mandatory duty

placed by Allah on the wives of Rasulullah (s), that they remain within the confines of their homes. Despite this Hadhrath Ayesha opposed this explicit verse of the Qur'an and left her home

to instigate opposition against the Imam ofthe time. We have

already proven that this verse placed an unconditional order on

the wives to stay at home.

On the contrary we read in Tafsir Durre Manthur Volume 5

page 196 commentary of Surah Ahzab, Hilayat al Awliya

Volume 2 page 48, Chapter "Dhikr Ayesha" and Tabaqatal Ka-beer Volume 8 page 81 under the Chapter "Dhikr Ayesha" that:

"When Hadhrath Ayesha used to recite the Ayat ("And stay quietly in your houses, and make not adazzling display, like

that of the former Times of Ignorance;.." Al-Quran 33:33) she used to cry so much that her cover used to get wet with tears".

Therefore we can say that it was mandatory for Hadhrath

Ayesha to stay at home. Thecrying of Hazrat Ayesha at the re-

citation of the verse is clear proof that during her battle with Imam 'Ali (as) she had gone against this ayat which is specific

for the Prophets (s)wives. By leaving her house and fighting

Imam 'Ali (as) she had violated this Qur'an icorder, one that

placed a condition on the wives of Rasulullah (s) to remain

within their homes.

Imam Ali (as)'s letter to Hadhrath Ayesha testifies to her be-

ing on the wrong path We read in al Tadkhirath al Khawwas

page 38, Matalib al Sa'ul page 112 and Fusul ul Muhimma

page 72 that: "Prior to the Battle of Jamal he [Imam Ali] wrote a letter to Ayesha in which he said 'by leaving your home you

have opposed the order of Allah(swt) and his Rasul (s)"

Hadhrath Ayesha's reply demonstrates her uncompromising

attitude towards an amicable settlement Matalib al Sa'ul page

116 and Fusul ul Muhimma page 72 both record Hadhrath

72

Ayesha's defiant reply to Imam 'Ali (as)'s letter: "Son of 'Abu Talib, the difference between us is irreconcilable, time is running out, and we shall not submit to your authority, whatever

you wish to do, do it".

Hadhrath Ayesha had demonstrated open opposition to Imam

'Ali (as), a refusal to accep this authority and a challenge to

him to stop her opposition party. Imam 'Ali (as) hence was left

with no other choice but to quash the opposition. Hadhrath

Ayesha had madeclear that her intention was that of open defi-

ance and disobedience to the Imam of the time. Letter of Um-

mul Momineen Hadhrath Umme Salmah to stop Hadhrath Aye-

sha from participating in the Battle of Jamal is concrete evid-

ence that Hazrat Ayesha was in error."When Ummul Momineen

Aisha decided to go for Jamal, Ummul Momineen Umme

Salmah wrote to her: "From Umme Salmah wife of the Holy

prophet to Aisha Ummul Momineen, And I praise Allah, There

is no God except Allah, and then (I want to say),you are the me-

dium between the prophet and his followers (Ummah). And you

are guardian of his honour. The Holy Quran has gathered you

so don't despair…. Pillars of this religion cannot be upheld on

women. Women are praised for keeping down theireyes and

hiding their bodies. Allah has exempted me and you from this

task (of leading the battle). What will you say on the day of

Judgement when Allah's Prophet will denounce you from

Paradise on the deserts that you torn the veil which Allah had

concealed you with". Then the announcer will announce that

the mother (Umme Salmah)remained here (didn't go for the

battle) so should you".

We read in al Bidaya Volume 7 page 231 that: "Hadhrath

Hafsa binte Umar made preparations to join Ayesha, but (her

brother) Abdullah Ibne Umar prevented her from going".

If the stance of Ayesha was correct then why did 'Abdullah

Ibne Umar; a leading companion prevent his sister from joining

in the rebellion? Clearly he deemed it inappropriate for the

wife of Rasulullah (s) to behave in such a manner.

73

Ayesha wanted to install herself as the Imam over the nation.

In Tadkhirath al Khaw was page 43 Chapter "Dhikr Jamal" the narrator states: "I was walking through Jamal and witnessed a man on the ground rubbing his heels and reciting poetry, another narrators states that someone asked (the same man)

'Who are you?' to which he replied 'I am in that woman's army

who intends to become Ameerul Momineen".

Rasulullah (s) condemned women at the helm of a people. We

read in Sahih al Bukhari Volume 9, Book 88, Number 219: Nar-

rated Abu Bakra: During the battle of Al-Jamal,Allah benefited

me with a Word (I heard from the Prophet). When the Prophet

heard the news that the people of the Persia had made the

daughter of Khosrau their Queen (ruler),he said, "Never will succeed such a nation as makes a woman their ruler."

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12

Chapter

Ayesha’s Role In Islam

Ayesha is a wife of prophet Muhammad but her role in Islam,

infact distorting it is great.Her character, her role, her status is revealed in the Quran as well as the sunni books. Her being

the wife of prophet Muhammad gives her neither any merit nor

a blood relation, aswives of Hz Nug and Lut will be in hell as

per the Quranic order.

Quran 66:3 “When the Prophet confided unto one of his

wives a matter, but when she divulged it (unto others) and God

apprised him therefore, he made known a part of it and

avoided a part; so when he informed her of it, said she: ‘Who

informed thee of this?’ He said: ‘Informed, me, the All-Know-

ing, the All-Aware’.”Quran 66:4 “If ye two turn (in repentance)

unto Him, then indeed your hearts are inclined(to this) but if ye two back up each other against him, then verily God it is Who

is his Protector, and Gabriel, and the (most) Virtuous one

among the believers, and the angels thereafter will back (him)

up.”

Quran 66:5 “Happily his Lord if he divorceth you, will give

him in your place wives better than you, submissive, faithful,

obedient, repentant, prayerful, observers of fast,widows and

virgins.”

Thus according to these verses, two wives of prophet

Muhammad (ayesha and hafsa)disobeyed the prophet. They

were told to repent or else face Allah, Gabriel and some virtuos believers (Hz Ali perhaps!!?). Allah tells them that if he wills he will get them divorced by Prophet and be replaced by better

women who are more submissive and faithful. This Ayesha was

75

not even the best women of her own time, save the best wife.She was replaceable.

Sahih Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 436: Narrated

Ibn Abbas: I intended to ask' Umar so I said, "Who were those two ladies who tried to back each other against the Prophet?" I hardly finished my speech when he said, They were 'Aisha and

Hafsa."

Sahih Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 438: Narrated

'Umar: The wives of the Prophet out of their jealousy, backed

each other against the Prophet, so I said to them, "It may be, if he divorced you all, that Allah will give him, instead of you

wives better than you." So this Verse was revealed. (66.5)

Sahih Bukhari Volume 7, Book 63, Number 192: Narrated

'Ubaid bin 'Umar: I heard' Aisha saying, "The Prophet used to stay for a long while with Zanab bint Jahsh and drink honey at

her house. So Hafsa and I decided that if the Prophet came to

anyone of us, she should say him, "I detect the smell of

Maghafir (a nasty smelling gum) in you. Have you eaten

Maghafir?' " So the Prophet visited one of them and she said to him similarly. The Prophet said, "Never mind, I have taken

some honey at the house of Zainab bint Jahsh,but I shall never

drink of it anymore." So there was revealed: 'O Prophet ! Why do you ban (for you) that which Allah has made lawful for

you … If you two (wives of Prophet)turn in repentance to Al-

lah,' (66.1-4) addressing Aisha and Hafsa. 'When the Prophet

disclosed a matter in confidence to some of his wives.' (66.3)

namely his saying: But I have taken some honey."

Similar hadith is also found in Sahih Bukhari Volume 7, Book

63, Number 193, Also in Sahih Muslim Book 009, Number

3496

Sahih Muslim Book 008, Number 3453: 'A'isha (Allah be

pleased with her) reported: I felt jealous of the women who

offered themselves to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon

him) and said: Then when Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, re-

vealed this:" You may defer any one of them you wish, and take 76

to yourself any you wish; and if you desire any you have set aside (no sin is chargeable to you)" (xxxiii. 51), I ('A'isha.) said: It seems tome that your Lord hastens to satisfy your desire.

Sahih Muslim Book 039, Number 6759: A'isha the wife of

Allah's Apostle (may peace beupon him), reported that one day

Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came outof her

(apartment) during the night and she felt jealous. Then he

came and he saw me (inwhat agitated state of mind) I was. He

said: A'isha, what has happened to you? Do youfeel jealous?

There upon she said: How can it he (that a woman like me)

should not feeljealous in regard to a husband like you. There

upon Allah's Messenger (may peace beupon him) said: It was

your devil who had come to you, and she said: Allah's Messen-

ger,is there along with me a devil? He said: Yes, everyone has

a devil with him…

Sahih Muslim Book 031, Number 5991: 'A'isha reported that

when Allah's Messenger(may peace be upon him) set ont on a

journey, he used to cast lots amongst his wives.Once this lot

came out in my favour and that of Hafsa. They (Hafsi, and

'A'isha) both went along with him and Allah's Messenger (may

peace be upon him) used to travel (oncamel) when it was night

along with 'A'isha and talked with her. Hafsa said to

'A'isha:Would you like to ride upon my camel tonight and allow

me to ride upon your camel and you would see (what you do

not generally see) and I would see (what I do not see) gener-

ally? She said: Yes. So 'A'isha rode upon the camel of Hafsa

and Hafsa rode upon the camel of 'A'isha and Allah's Messen-

ger (may peace be upon him) came near the camel of 'A'isha.

(whereas) Hafsa had been riding over that. He greeted her and

then rode with her until they came down. She ('A'isha) thus

missed (the company of the Holy Prophet) and when they sat

down, 'A'isha felt jealous. She put her foot in the grass and

said: O Allah, let the scorpion sting me or the serpent bite me.

And so far as thy Messenger is concerned, I cannot say any-

thing about him.

Sahih Bukhari Volume 5, Book 58, Number 164: Narrated

'Aisha: I did not feel jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet 77

as much as I did of Khadija (although) she died beforehe married me, for I often heard him mentioning her, and Allah had

told him to give herthe good tidings that she would have a

palace of Qasab (i.e. pipes of precious stones and pearls in

Paradise), and whenever he slaughtered a sheep, he would

send her women friends a good share of it

Sahih Bukhari Volume 5, Book 58, Number 166: Narrated

'Aisha: I did not feel jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet as much as I did of Khadija though I did not see her,but the

Prophet used to mention her very often, and when ever he

slaughtered a sheep, he would cut its parts and send them to

the women friends of Khadija. When I sometimes said to him,

"(You treat Khadija in such a way) as if there is no woman on earth except Khadija," he would say, "Khadija was such-and-such, and from her I had children."

Sahih Muslim Book 041, Number 6939: Ibn 'Umar reported

that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) stood by the

door (of the apartment of) gafsa and, pointing towards the

east, he said: The turmoil would appear from this side, viz.

where the horns of Satan would appear, and he uttered these

words twice or thrice and Ubaidullah b. Sa'ld in his narration

said. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had

been standing by the door of 'A'isha.

Sahih Muslim Book 041, Number 6941: Ibn Umar reported

that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came out

from the house of 'A'isha and said: It would be from this side

that there would appear the height of unbelief, viz. where ap-

pear the horns of Satan.i. e. cast.

Then her greatest sin, fighting the Khalifa e rashid and Imam

e waqt, Ali ibne Abu Talibin the battle of Camel (Jamel).

Quran 033:030 O wives of the prophet! whoever of you com-

mits an open indecency, the punishment shall be increased to

her doubly; and this IS easy to Allah.

Quran 033:031 And whoever of you is obedient to Allah and

His Messenger and does good, We will give to her her reward

78

doubly, and We have prepared for her an honorable sustenance.

Quran 33:32 O Consorts of the Prophet! Ye are not like any

of the (other) women: if yedo fear (Allah), be not too compla-

cent of speech, lest one in whose heart is a disease should be

moved with desire: but speak ye a speech (that is) just.

Quran 33:33 (O wives of Prophet) And stay in your houses

and do not display your finery like the displaying of the ignor-

ance of yore; and keep up prayer, and pay the poor-rate,and

obey Allah and His Messenger…………………

Quran 033:034 And keep to mind what is recited in your

houses of the communications of Allah and the wisdom; surely

Allah is Knower of subtleties, Aware.

Allah strictly orders all wives of Prophet to stay in their

houses after death of Prophet Muhammad, no matter what the

circumstances are. If they sin, their punishment will be

doubled.

Allah also sets examples of previous prophets whose wives

were sinners and companions of hell.

Quran 066:010 Allah sets forth an example to those who dis-

believe the wife of Nuh and the wife of Lut: they were both un-

der two of Our righteous servants, but they acted treacher-

ously towards them so they availed them naught against Allah,

and it was said:Enter both the fire with those who enter.

Thus according to the Quran, the wives of previous prophets

were not free from hell punishment if they did wrong. There-

fore we can say that it was mandatory for Hadhrath

Ayesha to stay at home. The verse is clear proof that during

her battle with Imam 'Ali (as)she had gone against this ayat

which is specific for the Prophets (s) wives. By leaving her-

house and fighting Imam 'Ali (as) she had violated this Qur'anic order, one that placed acondition on the wives of Rasulullah (s) to remain within their homes.

79

Imam Ali (as)'s letter to Hadhrath Ayesha testifies to her being on the wrong path We read in al Tadkhirath al Khawwas

page 38, Matalib al Sa'ul page 112 and Fusul ul Muhimma

page 72 that: "Prior to the Battle of Jamal he [Imam Ali] wrote a letter to Ayesha in which he said 'by leaving your home you

have opposed the order of Allah(swt) and his Rasul (s)"

Ayesha had demonstrated open opposition to Imam 'Ali (as),

a refusal to accept his authority and a challenge to him to stop her opposition party. Imam 'Ali (as) hence wasleft with no other choice but to quash the opposition. Hadhrath Ayesha had

made clearthat her intention was that of open defiance and dis-

obedience to the Imam of the time.Letter of Ummul Momineen

Hadhrath Umme Salmah to stop Hadhrath Ayesha from parti-

cipating in the Battle of Jamal is concrete evidence that Hazrat Ayesha was in error.

Ayesha wanted to install herself as the Imam over the nation.

In Tadkhirath al Khawwas page 43 Chapter "Dhikr Jamal" the narrator states: "I was walking through Jamal and witnessed a man on the ground rubbing his heels and reciting poetry, another narrators states that someone asked (the same man)

'Who are you?' to which he replied 'I am in that woman's army

who intends to become Ameerul Momineen".

Rasulullah (s) condemned women at the helm of a people. We

read in Sahih al Bukhari Volume 9, Book 88, Number 219: Nar-

rated Abu Bakra:… When the Prophet heard the news that the

people of the Persia had made the daughter of Khosrau their

Queen (ruler),he said, "Never will succeed such a nation as makes a woman their ruler."

Anyhow, read the above ahadith and quranic verses clearly.

And we have the right to judge between right and wrong, that

is why we have the quran with us, and our aql (logic)which

helps us judge the right and wrong.

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13

Chapter

Azadari: The Mourning

Sunnis usually attack the twelvers by calling them kaafirs,

because they perform Matamand shed blood at ashura

(zanjeer). The question arises, Is shedding of blood on Ashur-

aallowed. Is this the Sunnah of the Ahl-ul-Bayt at all?

The shedding of blood during Muharram for Imam Hussain,

peace be upon him, is not only Halal, but it is also very Musta-

hab indeed, and all PROMINENT scholars and religious author-

ities - Maraje' - always encouraged it throughout the history of Islam.This included the Tatbir or Qamah-Zani - which is the hit-ting of the head with swords.The Maraje' have even decreed

that it is acceptable and permissible if one is harmed inthis

process, provided of course the injuries sustained do not con-

stitute permanent injuries or endanger the life of the

individual.

The people who practice Tatbir take lead, amongst the teach-

ings of other infallibles, from Zaynab al-Kubra, heroin of Kar-

bala and sister of Imam Hussain peace be upon them.Zaynab

peace be upon her was the first person who hit her forehead to

a bar inside the carriage she was in, causing considerable

bleeding, when the head of al-Hussain (AS)was being paraded

in Kufa. This is one evidence that the shedding of blood is per-

missible; whether from the head or from the back etc. It is a

sunna of Hz Zainab Binte Ali. The infallible Imam Zayn-el-

'Aabidin (AS) used to address Lady Zaynab al-Kubra (AS) by

saying to her: "You are al-Hamdu-Lillah an untaught scholar" -

"Anti

al-Hamdu-Lillah

'Alimah

Ghayr

Mu'allimah"

This

81

statement is seen by scholars as indicating a degree of infallibility for Lady Zaynab (AS).

There are also reports that Imam al-Saadiq (AS) arranged for

SHABEEH or enactment about Ali the Junior (Ali al-Asghar the

son of Imam Hussain (AS) whose throat was slashed by Harma-

lah when the imam sought water for him) to recreate the scene

of Karbala for the people, and the Imam (AS) does not hold this

enactment solely for the Alial-Asghar but for all the martyrs of Karbala.

On another occasion a poet comes to the Imam (AS) and asks

permission to recite a poem about al-Hussain (AS). The Imam

(AS) said to the poet to wait so that he could set up a Hijaab to that the women could come to the Majlis and listen to the lamentation. When the Hijaab was set up the imam invited the wo-

men to come to the Majlis and asked the poet to start reciting,

which he did. The imam (AS) stopped him asked him to recite

the lamentation in way and dialect, which he does it in their

hometown (in Iraq for example).

All these indicate that the Ahl-ul-Bayt (AS) used to teach and

proactively encourage their followers to uphold the memory,

torment, and the teachings of Imam Hussain by words and po-

etry, by enactment - SHABEEH - to recreate the scenery of the

day of Ashura in Karbala, and by show devotion to Imam Hus-

sain in Tatbir as shown by Zaynab al-Kubra(AS).

Last, but not least, al-Imam al-Mahdi (AS) states in his

"Zeyarat al-Nahiya" addressing Imam Hussain (AS): " … . now that I could not help you when you needed most help … I shall

mourn you every morning and every evening, and I shall cry

blood for you instead of tears… "

Thus to perform matam, shed blood at ashura and to hold

majlis-e-aza for Hussain is the sunna of the Ahl-e-Bait. This is not anti-Islamic at all. And this does not increase the sectarian gap. I will like to mention another incident.

82

Did ever Oways Kerni (ra) the famed contemporary of the Holy Prophet (saws) who punched his own teeth out when he

heard of the news of the Holy Prophet losing a too thin jihad

ever see Mohammad (saws)? Yet he is acclaimed as a great

companion and anexemplar of the teachings of the Holy Proph-

et (saws). This is nothing but love and respect for the holy

prophet Muhammad. Shi'a perform Matam and zanjeer zunni

just out of the love for the prophet's ahl-e-bait.

The Tazia taken out in the procession is a shabi. This is as

stated above, a sunnat of Imam Al-Sadiq.

When we respect the Maqam-e-Ibrahim, we are not worship-

ping a stone or a place, rather cherishing and re-living the

memory of Hazrat Ibrahim, whom we love. And we love Hazrat

Ibrahim for his love for Allah and because Allah loves him…

Therefore, when we trace this line of "love", we find that it originates from and ends at the Almighty Creator,the Most Merci-

ful!!!! Similarly, the ziarats in the procession are shabis, as

Imam Jaffer-Al-Sadiq did. We re-live the memories of AL-Hus-

sain and his sufferings. This is the loveof Shi'a towards

prophet's ahl-e-bait.

"Say (O Muhammad!): I do not ask of you any reward (or fee) for it (my service to you)but love for my near relatives" [Quran, 42:23]

Imam Zayn al-Abidin wept for his father for twenty years un-

til he breathed his last, andevery time he was served food and

drink, he wept for Imam Hussain , until on one occasion his

servant said to him, "Is your sorrow and grief not going to end?", Imam Zayn al-Abidin, replied, Woe unto you! The prophet Jacob had twelve sons, and (when)Allah made one of them

disappear, his eyes turned white (i.e. blind) because of hisin-

creasing crying for him, his head turned gray because of grief,

and his back humped because of sorrow, and all this while his

son was alive in the world. Whereas I saw my father, my broth-

er, my uncle, and seventeen members of my family killed

around me … so how can my grief and sorrow end?"

83

As the Ummah enters a new millennium and the coming of our Imam (as) comes ever closer, the Shi'a community is now

being faced with new challenges, the traditional opposition

from the majority school but also from the Shi'a community it-

self. Voices of opposition to the mourning rituals for Imam

Hussain (as) is becoming all the moreprevalent. This is why we

felt that it was our duty to defend the traditions of Aazadari.

Is Mourning for Imam Hussain (as) Bidah? This is the com-

mon argument of the Ahl'ul Sunnah. Our response is that such

rituals have passed through history and were rituals cited in

the Bible, the Qur'an and in the practices of the Sahaba.

1. Christian sourcesThe Bible, Isaiah 22:12 - "On that Day

the Lords called for weeping and beating the breast, for shav-

ing the head and putting on sack cloth"

"You are now at ease, be anxious; tremble, you who have no

cares. Strip yourselves bare;put a cloth round your waists and

beat yourselves" The Bible, Isaiah 32:11"

Howl, Heshbon, for Ai is despoiled. Cry aloud you villages

round Rabbath Ammon, puton sack cloth and beat your breast

and score your body with gashes" The Bible, Jeremiah 49:3

"The crowd that had assembled for the spectacle, when they

saw what had happened wenthome beating their breasts" The

Bible, Luke 23:482. Mourning from the Qur'anFrom the Holy

Quran from the Chapter ADH-DHAARIYAAT we learn that

HadhrathSara (as) struck her face when she was told that she

would conceive a baby."Then came forward his wife in grief, she smote her face and said (what! I) an old barrenwoman?"

Quran 51:29Thus it is evident that smiting the face was not an

objectionable act in the sight of Allah,otherwise Allah would

have reprimanded her for doing so.

3. The mourning rituals of the Sahaba, wives and Ahl'ul bayt

(as)We can read from the book of Muwatta of Imam Malik, that

a Bedouin came to Holy Prophet (s.a.w) while beating his chest

84

and tearing his hair in front of the holy prophet(s.a.w) because he slept with his wife while fasting during month of Ramadhan.

Malik's Muwatta - Book 18, Number 18.9.29: Yahya related

to me from Malik from Ataibn Abdullah al-Khurasani that Said

ibn al-Musayyab said, "A bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, beating his

breast andtearing out his hair and saying, 'I am destroyed.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allahbless him and grant him peace,

said, 'Why is that?', and he said, 'I had intercourse withmy wife while fasting in Ramadan.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah

bless him andgrant him peace, asked him, 'Are you able to free

a slave?', and the man said, 'No.' Then he asked him, 'Are you

able to give away a camel?', and the man replied, 'No.' He

said,'Sit down,' and someone brought a large basket of dates to

the Messenger of Allah, mayAllah bless him and grant him

peace, and he said to the man, 'Take this and give it awayas

sadaqa.' The man said, 'There is no one more needy than me,'

and (the Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him

peace), said, 'Eat them, and fast one day for theday when you

had intercourse.' "

The incident should be considered in the light of the follow-

ing facts :-The Bedouin being a Muslim was Sahabi

(companion) of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w). Hewas beating his

chest and tearing his hair in presence of Holy Prophet (s.a.w)

who neither objected to it nor reprimanded him for the same.

The action of the Bedouin was a resultof spiritual pain he

suffered as his fast was invalidated.This incident has been au-

thentically recorded by Sunni traditionists.

Sheikh Abdul Haq Mohaddis Hanafi Dehlavi who is regarded

as one of the greatest Scholars of the Sunni Sect, describing

the events at the fatal illnes of the Holy Prophet(s.a.w) in his book 'Modaarejun Nubuwwat' vol II page 544 records:- "Bilal emerged beating his head and loudly wailing (from the room of

Aisha).

Even in this case none of the companions raised any objec-

tion at the action of Bilal, the special Muezzin of the Prophet

85

(s.a.w). Moreover, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) was yet aliveand not dead. This is the extreme extent of grief. Then how can

similar action for Imam Hussain (a.s) be prohibited?

Allamah Shibli Numani al Hanafi is a renowned Sunni schol-

ar from the Indian subcontinent, in his Sirat-un Nabi (Eng

translation Volume 2 pg 74) quoting Sirat Ibn Hisham we read

following Hadhrath Humza (ra) martyrdom:"

The Holy Prophet (P) returned to Madina and found the

whole city gone into mourning.Whenever he went, he heard

wailing and lamentation in every house. He was grieved tofind

that all who fell in the battle had their mourners doing their

duty to the memory of their dear ones; but their was none to

mourn the death of Humza (ra). Over whelmed with grief the

words that there was none to mourn the loss of Hamza escaped

his lips. The Ansaris were touched to the core when the remark

came to their ears. They asked their women to go to the house

of the Prophet (S) and lament over the death of Humza. The

Prophet (p) thanked them for their sympathy, prayed for their

well being, but added that it was not permissible to cry lament-

ations in memory of the dead. (Women in Arabia wereused to

wailing and lamenting aloud, they would tear off their gar-

ments, dig their nails into their cheeks, slap themselves on the face and put up loud screams. This undesirable practice was

from that day stopped for future".

Suffice it to say:The Sahaba's wives performed mourning

rituals upon the death of Amir Humza (ra).Coming back to

Numani's final comments I would pose these questions: If La-

menting was haraam why would the Prophet (S) had been

saddened that no-one was mourning his slain Uncle? Why

would the Prophet (S) allow the women to do something that is

haraam? If as Numani tells us that this was a common practice

amongst Arab women and it was banned it would have defin-

itely received maximum publicity.

Curiously, not a single wife of the Prophet (S) ever heard of

this ban (as claimed by Numani). On the contrary Hadhrath

Aisha regarded by Ahl'ul Sunnah as the most knowledgeable

86

women on Qur'an and Sunnah performed the following when the Prophet(S) left this earth:

As narrated by al Tabari in History Volume 9 page 183 (Eng-

lish translation by Ismail Poonawalla) Abbas narrates: "I heard Aisha saying "The Messenger of God died on mybosom during

my turn, I did not wrong anyone in regard to him. It was be-

cause of my ignorance and youth fulness that the Messenger of

God died while he was in my lap. ThenI laid his head on a pil-

low and got up beating my chest and slapping my face along

with the women".

Need we say anymore? Would the wives of the Prophet (S)

indulge in a haraam activity?According to Musnad of Imam

Ahmad Hanbal Vol. 6, page 274; Aisha mourned the demise of

the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) with other women by beating her

head.

Again the same book of 'Modaarejun Nubuwwat' Vol 2, page

163, the high ranking Sunni Scholar, Sheikh Abdul Haq Mo-

haddis Hanafi Dehlavi recorded that: "Fatima Zahra (a.s)hearing the rumour of the martyrdom of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) at

Uhud came out of her house running and beating her head".

Does it not transpire from the above that beating of head

during the act of mourning for amartyr is also allowed by the

religion as Sayyeda (a.s) was well aware of the religious code

and was also infallible according to aya tat-hir (33:33). In addition an action of any member of Ahl'ul bayt is a Sunnah for the

Ithna Ashari Shia's, mourning is not bidah it isa Sunnah of

Sayyida Fatima Zahra (as).

From these sources it is evident that to mourn in this way is

a natural reaction to distress.Who in this life can claim that he never and will never beat himself, if he dare to claim that than he just deceive himself! We human being naturally beat

ourselves at the time when something make us happy or sad.

We all goes to the conference, meeting, party and other occa-

sions when the time come to cheer someone for what he has

87

done we start clapping. Some people will clap so much that their hands become red, but here there is no one to protest

that we are hurting ourselves. Not only is there no one to

protest but we join other people by beating ourselves with our

hands.

Also when we hear surprise or sad news we hit ourselves on

the forehead, on our chest or any place in our body. You can

see this behavior to all human beings it does discriminateb-

etween Sunni, Shia, Christians, Jews or any one. Again we do

not hear condemnation from those who accuse the Shia of

beating themselves for the sake of Imam Hussain!Take the ex-

ample from the Bible you see how it is the human nature:

The most explicit proof of self inflicted injury comes Owais

Qarni, the great Muslim Sahaba, praised by both Shia as well

as Sunni erudites, had an immense love for the Holy Prophet

(s.a.w). When the news reached him in Yemen that two teeth of

the Holy Prophet(s.a.w) were broken in the battle of Ohad, he

extracted all his teeth. When the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) got the

news in Medina that Owais had struck down all his teeth,

he(s.a.w) exclaimed, "Indeed Owais is our devoted friend."

This event can be found written in 'Tazkeratul Aulia' by

Sheikh Fariddun Attar, also'Ihsanul Uyun' commonly known as

'Seerate Halbia' vol II, page 295.

We should point out that breaking one's teeth is a thousand

times more painful than the beating of one's chest for a few

hours. It is even more extreme than breast beating with chains

or knives (Zanjir) because those who have suffered from tooth

ache will understand the immense pain that circulates in the

mouth and head. Compare the removalof a tooth to the forced

removal of a full set of teeth without the benefit of modern day anaesthetic and instruments the pain must have been unbear-able. This was clearly an act of great courage.

It is quite clear for the holding mourning of Imam Hussain

(a.s) by means of beating the chest or Zanjir is to give Physical expression of sympathy for the grief that be fall ImamHussain

88

(a.s) and it expresses nothing but love and loyalty.Zaynab[sa]

was the first person who hit her forehead to a bar inside the

carriage she wasin, causing considerable bleeding, when the

head of al-Hussain (AS) was being paradedin Kufa. - Bihaar al-

Anwaar; volume 45, page 114 Are we really losing the Message

of Imam Hussain(AS) performing by these rituals?People op-

posed to the mourning rituals will make comments like: "In-

stead of telling theworld that Human Rights, Truth, Justice, In-

tegrity is what Imam Husayn stood for we are shown as bar-

barians who cut the heads of their babies"The message of

Imam Hussain(AS) is strong!! As promised by the Prophet (S),

it will remain intact till the day of Judgement!! To say that the message of Imam Hussain(AS) islost is ludicrous as it goes

against the traditions of the Prophet(S).On the birth of Imam

Hussain(AS), when Angel Gabriel informed that this child

would be one day be martyred, Lady Fatima(AS) wept and

asked the Prophet(PBUMHF) who will be there to mourn for

him? , The Prophet(PBUMHF) assured her that group of people

shall arise and will mourn her child till the day of Judgement.

No where did hestate that Shias shall indulge in Haram acts,

when they will mourn for Imam Hussain(AS).Had the message

really been lost, we would have been seeing a very different

Islam today Islam is alive today because of their sacrifice,

therefore on what basis do you state that the Imam Hus-

sain(AS) values and teachings are lost. If this was the case then the ISLAM that we would be seeing today would not have been

in the original form.

Zaynab[sa] was the first person who hit her forehead to a bar

inside the carriage she was in, causing considerable bleeding,

when the head of al-Hussain (AS) was being paradedin Kufa.

This is one evidence that the shedding of blood is permissible;

whether from the head or from the back etc. The infallible

Imam Zayn-el-'Aabidin (AS) used to address Lady Zaynab al-

Kubra (AS) by saying to her "You are al-Hamdu-Lillah an un-

taught scholar" - "Anti al-Hamdu-Lillah

'Alimah Ghayr

Mu'allimah" Bihaar al-Anwaar; volume 45, page 114, Jalaa’

al-‘Oyun; volume 2, page 238, Zaynab al-Kubra; page 112,

Asraaral-Shahadah; page 474, Al-Muntakhab; volume 2, page

478, Nusrat-ul-Madhlum; page18.

89

Thus the act of self-flagellation is nothing more than the believer trying to feel as his Master felt and more, realising he

cannot be at Karbala the anguish this causes him - the anguish

of separation - the helplessness creates this phenomenon of

self-flagellation. The shedding of blood is a message to Imam

Hussain and to the world, that if we were present with Aqa

Hussain at Kerbala, we would not refrain from shedding our

blood for the Holy Imam and Islam.

The symbolism of the spilling of blood by the devotee, his

own blood, is thus symbolic of the very nature of Karbala and

brings that event, the supreme sacrifice, to the fore, a sacrifice that for which the lamb was sacrificed instead of his son by a

knife by Ibrahim Khalilullah. And what, if Mohammad (saws)'s

blood is spilt will man not spill his own blood? And even then

the spilling of the blood has a deeper, more personal reason -

the heart of worship is love, and here we find love of ahl-ul-

bait.

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14

Chapter

Bida: Innovation in Islam

Bid'ah is a very common word used in Saudi Arabia, the cen-

ter of wahabism. Anything which is new to religion is bada to

them. As a matter of fact, most sunnis themselves donot know

the exact meaning of bidah, or innovation.

According to the sunnis, a Bid'ah is that innovation which

came into practice after the blessed age of the Prophet be it

worldly or religious. Things which were not present at the time

of Rasool and were brought in the religion later on is

innovation.

If this is the case, then Construction of Madressas is innova-

tion, Dividing the Quran into thirty parts and printing the Holy Book and other religious books in the press is bida, The compil-ation of I'lm-e-Hadith and Fiqh is bida and to put down the

Holy verses of the Quran in paper form is innovation.

The Hadith: "Whosoever invents a new thing in our religion

is rejected" means that whoever innovates a new belief or whoever innovates a new action which is in contradiction with the

Quran and Sunnah will be rejected. This is the true definition

of Innovation according to Shiaism. Bidah is divided into 2

parts.

Bid'ah-e-Hasana (praiseworthy innovation) is that action

which does not contradict with the Holy Quran and the Sunnah

and was brought into practice after the time of the Holy Proph-

et for example, to construct religious institutions, to print the Holy Quran in the press, to hold gatherings of Meelad, to hold

91

Majalis-e-Hussain etc. Bid'ah-e-Hasana is not only permissable (Ja'iz) but at times it can be appreciable (Mustahab) and even

essential(Waajib).

Bid'ah-e-Sai'iyya (offensive innovation) is that action which

was not in practice in the blessed age of the Holy Prophet and

which contradicts with the Holy Quran and the Sunnah, for ex-

ample, praying Tarawih in congregation (Discussed Later On).

Bid'ah-e-Sai'iyya can be Makruh Tanzhi or Makruh Tahrimi or

even Haraam. It is Bidah e Saiyya which takes the innovator

outside the boundaries of Islam.

Hizb at Tahir states: "… As for the appointment of the six

people by 'Umar, it was anomination to them by him upon the

request of the Muslims. Then 'Abdul Rahman ibn'Auf consulted

the Muslims about whom they wanted from the six people. The

majority wanted 'Ali if he adhered to the practices of Abu Bakr

and 'Umar, otherwise they wanted' Uthman. When 'Ali rejected

to adhere to the practices (/Sunnah/Bidah) of Abu Bakr

and'Umar, 'Abdul Rahman ibn 'Auf gave the pledge to 'Uthman

and the people gave their pledge ……" - Tareekh Abu Fida

Volume 1 page 166 Dhikr Maqaathil Umar - Tareekh Tabari

Volume 5 page 2793 Dhikr Sunnat Chapter 23

Khilafat has always been the most important issue in Islam.

What made Imam Ali Reject it? What was wrong in following

the previous to Caliphs? Let us take some hadith from the

sunni sahihs.

Allah has told very clearly in "Sura Talaq", Al-Qur'an Surah 65, Ayah 1-2 (Translationby Yusuf Ali), the way of giving

divorce:

O Prophet! When ye do divorce women, divorce them at their

prescribed periods, and count (accurately), their prescribed

periods: And fear Allah your Lord: and turn them not out of

their houses, nor shall they (themselves) leave, except in case

they are guilty of some open lewdness, those are limits set by

Allah: and any who transgresses the limits of Allah, does verily wrong his (own) soul: thou knowest not if perchance Allah will

92

bring about thereafter some new situation. Thus when they fulfil their term appointed, either take them back on equitable

terms or part with them on equitable terms; and take forwit-

ness two persons from among you, endued with justice, and es-

tablish the evidence (as)before Allah. Such is the admonition

given to him who believes in Allah and the Last Day. And for

those who fear Allah, He (ever) prepares a way out,”

Umar innovated and changed the ruling of Rasool/Allah by

treating three pronounced divorces at the same time one Pro-

nounced Divorce where Allah's law is different. No one has the

authority to change what Allah and his Rasool have decided

upon. Who gave Umer such a right?

Sahih Muslim, Book 009, Number 3491: Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be

pleased with them)reported that the (pronouncement) of three

divorces during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (may peace

be upon him) and that of Abu Bakr and two years of the ca-

liphate of Umar (Allah be pleased with him) (was treated) as

one. But Umar b. Khattab (Allah bepleased with him) said: Ver-

ily the people have begun to hasten in the matter in which they

are required to observe respite. So if we had imposed this upon

them, and he imposed it upon them.

Sahih Muslim, Book 009, Number 3493: Abu al-Sahba' said

to Ibn 'Abbas: Enlighten us with your information whether the

three divorces (pronounced at one and the same time)were not

treated as one during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (may

peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr. He said: It was in fact so,

but when during the caliphate of 'Umar(Allah be pleased with

him) people began to pronounce divorce frequently, he allowed

them to do so (to treat pronouncements of three divorces in a

single breath as one).

Qur'an makes it Obligatory to take 2 persons as witness

when one wants to give Talaq/divorce. Umar, by imposing the

law of pronouncement of three divorces at same place and

same time, also abandoned the rule of taking witnesses. (Ac-

cording to ShiaFiqh, divorce can only take place in the pres-

ence of two witnesses).

93

Umar innovated Tarawih as well. And remember, we are followers of Allah, His Rasool,The Quran and AhleBait, not

Umer.Prophet Muhammad offered (and people joined behind

him for 3 nights) night prayer (i.e.Tahajjud prayer which is

offered after midnight). So, what is known as Tarawih

nowadays (i.e. 20 or 8 rakat prayer after Isha prayer), had nev-

er been a Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. Infact, the prophet

gave clear orders that non-compulsory prayers should be

offered individually in the homes. But contrary to the orders of Rasool Allah[saww] Umar collected the people in mosque, and

started offering non-compulsory congregational prayer in

congregation.

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 73, Number 134: Narrated

Zaid bin Thabit: Allah's Apostle made a small room (with a

palm leaf mat). Allah's Apostle came out (of hishouse) and

prayed in it. Some men came and joined him in his prayer.

Then again the next night they came for the prayer, but Allah's

Apostle delayed and did not come out to them. So they raised

their voices and knocked the door with small stones (to draw

hisattention). He came out to them in a state of ANGER, say-

ing, "You are still insisting (onyour deed, i.e. Tarawih prayer in the mosque) that I thought that this prayer (Tarawih)might become obligatory on you. So you people, offer this prayer at

your homes, for the best prayer of a person is the one which he

offers at home, except the compulsory(congregational) prayer."

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 92, Number 393: Narrated

Zaid bin Thabit: The Prophet took a room made of date palm

leaves mats in the mosque. Allah's Apostle prayed in it for a

few nights till the people gathered (to pray the night prayer

(Tarawih) (behind him.)Then on the 4th night the people did

not hear his voice and they thought he had slept, so some of

them started humming in order that he might come out. The

Prophet then said,"You continued doing what I saw you doing till I was afraid that this (Tarawih prayer)might be enjoined on you, and if it were enjoined on you, you would not continue

performing it. Therefore, O people! Perform your prayers at

your homes, for the best prayer of a person is what is

94

performed at his home except the compulsory congregational prayer."

So, it is found in Sunni history and Authentic Shia reports

that Rasool ordered The prayers to be prayed alone, not in a

congregation. Let us now have a look what Umer did.

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 32, Number 227: Narrated

Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever prayed at night the whole month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith and hoping

for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be for-

given." Ibn Shihab (asub-narrator) said, "Allah's Apostle died and the people continued observing that (i.e.Nawafil offered individually, not in congregation), and it remained as it was dur-

ing the Caliphate of Abu Bakr and in the early days of 'Umar's

Caliphate." 'Abdur Rahman bin'Abdul Qari said, "I went out in the company of 'Umar bin Al-Khattab one night in Ramadan to

the mosque and found the people praying in different groups. A

man praying alone or a man praying with a little group behind

him. So, 'Umar said, 'in my opinion I would better collect these (people) under the leadership of one Qari (Reciter) (i.e.

let them pray in congregation!)'. So, he made up his mind to

congregate them behind Ubaibin Ka'b. Then on another night I

went again in his company and the people were praying behind

their reciter. On that, 'Umar remarked, 'what an excellent

Bid'a (i.e. innovation inreligion) this is; but the prayer which they do not perform, but sleep at its time is better than the one they are offering.' He meant the prayer in the last part of the

night(Tahajjut).(In those days) people used to pray in the early part of the night."

Clear innovation, and that too against the likeness of Prophet

Muhammad. I ask the followers of Umer, do you love the

Prophet or not? If yes, then why do you do which he disliked?

Why are you following the Sunnah of Umer?

Mawatta of Malik, Book 3, Number 3.1.8: Yahya related to

me from Malik that he had heard that the muadhdh in came to

Umar ibn al-Khattab to call him to the subh prayer and found

95

him sleeping, so he said, "Prayer is better than sleep," and Umar ordered him to putthat in the adhan for subh.

Can you show from the times of Prophet Muhammad, or even

Abu Bakr, if such a thingwas found in the adhan?? The list does

not end here. Under the topics of Muta, you canfind that Umer

forbade Muta, Forbade Tayammum, Forbade Khums etc.

Let us now look at the innovations of other Companions.

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 20, Number 188: Narrated

'Abdullah bin 'Umar: I offered the prayer with the Prophet, Abu

Bakr and 'Umar at Mina and it was of two Rakat. 'Uthman in

the early days of his caliphate did the same, but later on he

started praying the full prayer. - Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2,

Book 20, Number 190Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 20, Num-

ber 196: Narrated 'Aisha: "When the prayers were first en-

joined they were of two Rakat each. Later the prayer in a jour-

ney was kept as it was but the prayers for non-travellers were

completed." Az-Zuhri said, "I asked 'Urwa what made Aisha pray the full prayers (in journey)." He replied, "She did the same as'Uthman did." - Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Number 1460

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 26, Number 633: Narrated

'Aisha: We set out with Allah's Apostles (to Makka) in the year

of the Prophet's Last Hajj. Some of us had assumed Ihram for

'Umra only, some for both Hajj and 'Umra, and others for Hajj

only.Allah's Apostle assumed Ihram for Hajj. So whoever had

assumed Ihram for Hajj or for both Hajj and 'Umra did not fin-

ish the Ihram till the day of sacrifice. - Sahih Bukhari,Volume

2, Book 26, Number 631, 636 and 639

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 26, Number 640: Narrated

Said bin Al-Musaiyab: 'Ali and 'Uthman differed regarding Hajj-

at-Tamattu' while they were at 'Usfan (a familiarplace near

Makka). 'Ali said, "I see you want to forbid people to do a thing that theProphet did?" When 'Ali saw that, he assumed Ihram

for both Hajj and 'Umra. - SahihMuslim, Book 007, Number

2816

96

Sahih Bukhari, Book 007, Number 2830: 'Imran b. Hussain (Allah be pleased with him)reported: We performed Tamattu'

(Hajj and 'Umra combining together) in the companyof Allah's

Messenger (may peace be upon him), and nothing was re-

vealed in the Qur'an(concerning the abrogation of this prac-

tice), and whatever a person (Hadhrat 'Umar) saidwas his per-

sonal opinion. 'Imran b. Hussain narrated this hadith (in these

words also):"Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) per-

formed Hajj Tamattu' and we alsoperformed it along with

him."Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 53, Number 343: Nar-

rated Ibn Al-Hanafiya: If Ali hadspoken anything bad about

'Uthman then he would have mentioned the day when

somepersons came to him and complained about the Zakat offi-

cials of 'Uthman. 'Ali then saidto me, "Go to 'Uthman and say to him, 'This document contains the regulations ofspending the

Sadaqa of Allah's Apostle so order your Zakat officials to act

accordingly." Itook the document to 'Uthman. 'Uthman said,

"Take it away, for we are not in need of it."I returned to 'Ali with it and informed him of that. He said, "Put it whence you took it."Narrated Muhammad bin Suqa: I heard Mundhir At-Tuzi reporting Ibn Hanafiya whosaid, "My father sent me saying, 'Take this letter to 'Uthman for it contains the orders ofthe Prophet concerning the Sadaqa.' "Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2,

Book 13, Number 38:

Narrated As-Sa'ib bin Yazid I : 'Uthmanbin 'Affan introduced

the second Adhan on Fridays when the number of the people in

the mosque increased. Previously the Adhan on Fridays used to

be pronounced only after the Imam had taken his seat (on the

pulpit).Narrated Anas: The Prophet said, "Some of my companions will come to me at my Lake Fount, and after I recognise

them, they will then be taken away from me, where upon Iwill

say, 'My companions!' Then it will be said, 'You do not know

what they innovated(new things) in the religion after you." -

Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 8.584 - Sahih Muslim,part 15, pp 53-54

I think these sunni hadith are self explanatory. I need not

comment on them. If I were to publish more sunni or shia

hadith regarding innovations of Umer and Uthman, I guess I

would run out of webspace. So I better not. But one final word

97

from me. Follow the Quran and Prophet Muhammad, no one else.

98

15

Chapter

Demise of Prophet Muhammad

Volume 5, Book 59, Number 713: Narrated Ibn Abbas: 'Umar

bin Al-Khattab used to let Ibn Abbas sit beside him, so 'Abdur

Rahman bin 'Auf said to 'Umar, "We have sons similar to him."

'Umar replied, "(I respect him) because of his status that you know."'Umar then asked Ibn 'Abbas about the meaning of this Holy Verse:— "When comes the help of Allah and the conquest of Mecca … " (110.1) Ibn 'Abbas replied, "That indicated the death of Allah's Apostle which Allah informed him of." 'Umar said, "I do not understand of it except what you understand."

Narrated 'Aisha:The Prophet in his ailment in which he died,

used to say, "O 'Aisha! I still feel the pain caused by the food Iate at Khaibar, and at this time, I feel as if my aorta is being cut from that poison."

Thus Prophet Muhammad was a martyr, the posin of khaiber

was the reason of an early demise, even if it wasn’t, as the famous saying goes, a believer does not die, a believer’s death is

martyrdom. With the death of prophet Muhammad in Ad 630,

the series of prophet hood ended and Immamate started. But

there are certain events before and after the death of prophet

Muhammad which are ignored by many.

Here is the extract from:

The Life and Religion of Muhammad: Hiyatul Quloob vol 2 by

Allama Mommmad Baqiral-Majlisi translated by Rev. James L.

Merrick, Chapter 21: Sickness, Death, and Burial of Mo-

hammed, pp367-369. Publisher Ansariyan Publications, IRAN,

1997."

99

Mohammed made Osama bin Zayd ameer of a company of hypocrites and seditious people, and commanded them to depart

to Room, where Osama’s father had been slain.The object of

the prophet was to free Medeenah of those opposed to the

rights of Ali, tillhe should be established in the khalafat. He

ordered Osama to proceed to Jeraf and stop there till the army

should be collected, and commanded a party of Musulmans to

drive the hypocrites out of the city to the camp of Osama. In

the midst of these preparations the prophet fell sick of that disease by which he departed in the mercy of God.

Taking the hand of the commander of the faithful he went

out to Bakeea (Jeraf was ashort distance from Medeenah, of

which city Bakeea appears to have been the burying place)

with most of his companions, saying, the Most High has com-

manded me to implore pardon for the dead at Bakeea. On ar-

riving there he said, As-salam-alaykum! Oye people of the

tombs, be happy in the state in which the morning finds you,

saved from the seditious that await the living, verily, calamities are coming on men, like fragments of a dark night. After imploring for a long time forgiveness for the dead at Bakeea, he

turned to Ali and said, Jibraeel has every year recited the Kor-

an to me once, but this year has done it twice, which I think is a sign that my death is near. Verily, the Most High offered me

perpetual possession of the treasures of earth, or paradise: and I chose the latter, and to meet my Lord. When I die do thou

cover my secrets, for who ever else looks on them will become

blind.

The prophet returned to his house, and in the space of three

days his sickness becames evere… …Ayesha, having satisfied

his other wives on the subject, came to the prophet and in-

duced him by entreaties to go to her house, where his sickness

became very oppressive. At the hour for morning prayers Bilal

shouted the azan, but the prophet, near his departure from the

world, heard it not. Ayesha then sent to her father, Abubekr, to goto the mesjid and lead the devotions of the people, and Haf-sah sent the same message to Omar. As these two women were

conversing about the matter before the prophet, not seeming

to suppose that he understood them, he interrupted them,

100

saying, Quit such talk;you are like the women that tried to lead Yousaf astray. Finding that contrary to his orders Abubakr and

Omar were in the city with seditious designs, he was very sor-

rowful,and oppressed as he was with a severe disease, he rose,

and leaning on Ali and Fazl-ibn

Abbas, with extreme difficulty went to the masjid, lest

Abubekr or Omar should performprayers and the people doubt

who should be his successor. On arriving at the masjid hefound

that Abubakr, had occupied the place of the leader of prayers,

and already begunthe devotions with the people. The prophet

with his blessed hand signed to Abubakr toremove, and he took

the place, and from weakness sat down to perform prayers,

which

he

began

anew,

regardless

of

Abubakr’s

commencement.

On returning to his house Mohammed summoned Abubakr,

Omar and some others, anddemanded if he had not ordered

them to depart with the army of Osama. They replied thathe

did. Abu bekr said that he went and retuned again, and Omar

said that he did not go,for he did not wish to hear of the proph-et’s sickness from another. Mohammed then toldthem to go

with the army of Osama, and three times pronounced a curse

on any whoshould disobey. His exertions produced such ex-

haustion that he swooned, on which theMusulmans present

and his wives and children wept and lamented aloud. At length

theprophet opened his blessed eyes, and said, Bring me an ink-

stand and a sheep’s shoulderblade, that I may write a direction

which will prevent you going astray. One of thecompanions of

the prophet rose to bring what he had ordered, but Omar said,

Come back;he speaks deliriously; disease has overcome him,

and the book of God is sufficient for us.However, they said to

the prophet, Shall we bring what you ordered? He replied,

Afterwhat I have heard from you I do not need them, but I give

you a dying charge to treat myfamily well and not turn from

them. The compiler observes that this tradition about theink-

stand and the shoulder blade is mentioned in several sunni

books."

The Prophet died on 28th Safar, 11 Ah.

101

The house was crowded with crying people; but Fatima's weeping was the greatest. She had lost her great father and

with him went her happiness and joy; with his death came sad-

ness and pain.

When the Muslims heard of the Prophet's death, they rushed

towards the Mosque. The people were overwhelmed and did

not realize what had actually happened… They became like

scattered sheep on a rainy night without their shepherd. What

were they to do? Ali was busy attending to washing the

Prophet's body and could not speak to them in details.

It was undoubtedly true! He had died! Yet, Umar Ibn Al-Khat-

tab refused to allow people to believe what had happened. He

began shouting in their faces and threatening them by saying:

'Allah's Messenger did not die, nor will he die until his religion reigns over all other religions. He shall return to amputate the hands and legs of the men who believed in his death. I will not

hear a man say: `The Messenger of Allah died save that I will

cut of fhis head."

Umar's call was decisive and rebellious… he, the speaker,

used the most effective method of speech to persuade his

listeners to believe him… Umar had sparked hope in their

hearts that the Prophet was still alive…

He put fear in the hearts of the Muslims by telling them that

the Prophet would come to amputate the hands and legs of

those who believed in his death. Furthermore, Umar

threatened them by saying: "I will cut off the neck of anyone who says: Allah's Messenger died."

Fear and hope were the tools that Umar used to control the

nerves of the Muslims.Because of the people’s great love for

the Prophet the call to refuse accepting his death,easily found

its way into their minds. Hence, no one objected to Umar and

the belief that the Messenger had not died; this overtook all

other news.

102

The Muslims lived several hours in total suspense and confusion. They were prevented from believing in the Prophet's

death until Abu Bakr returned from a nearby village.

As soon as Abu Bakr returned, he proceeded towards the

prophet's house and uncovered his face to make sure that he

was actually dead. He then went to the Mosque and found

Umar still stating that the Prophet had not died. Abu Bakr

ordered Umar to sit down;Umar refused until he ordered him

three times; yet, Umar still refused. Thus, Abu Bakrstood in an-

other corner of the Mosque and addressed the people: "He who worships Muhammad should be informed that Muhammad has

died. He who worships Allah should know that Allah is ever?liv-

ing and does not die."

Abu Bakr then recited the following verse: "Muhammad is no

more than a Prophet: many were the Apostles that passed

away before him. If he died or was slain, will ye then turnback

your heels?"

When the Muslims heard this, they submitted to the fact…

Even Umar believed that he had actually died, and as Umar

himself said: "I only believed that he died after I had made sure that the verse was from the Holy Quran."

Note: Umar shouts, swears, threatens those who say that the

Messenger of Allah has actually died… But when Abu Bakr re-

cites a verse from the Quran which Umar himself did not re-

cognize!! the later suddenly collapses; and believes that

Muhammad really died!!

How did Umar know that the Prophet will not die until his re-

ligion reigns over all other religions?! Did he inform Umar that he will return to cut off the arms and legs of those who said he was dead? Didn't Umar really know that the verse recited by

Abu Bakr wasa Quranic verse, so that he could claim to believe

in the Prophet's death?!

Actually, by behaving in such a way, Umar was able to sus-

pend the Muslims and hold them back for several hours until

103

Abu Bakr returned. It was then that they (Abu Bakr andUmar immediately started the execution of their premeditated plan

to seize power.

The companions along with Abu Bakr and Umer gathered at

Saqeefa where as Hz Ali along with other prominent Sahaba

were busy with the prophet's funeral.

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16

Chapter

Difference Between Shias and Sunnis

Lately, all we hear about is how different Muslim sects are

and how one is better to deal with than another. So-called ex-

perts, who are not Muslims, would tell us how different we are.

Others would label one sect as extreme, barbaric, and fanatic

when a political disagreement surfaces. We do have some dif-

ferences. However, our path to salvation stems from common

basic tenants.

All Muslims believe that Allah is one and that the unity of

God is the most cherished belief in Islam. They also believe

that Mohammed (pbuh) is his last prophet, the Qur'an is His

last book for mankind, and that the final resurrection of all human beings will occuron the Day of Judgment.

The above beliefs are what make us Muslims. There are,

however, disagreements between the two schools of Islam and

they are in two areas:

1) The Leadership/Successors of Muslims after the Prophet

(pbuh): Imam or Caliph

2) The Islamic rule where there is no specific or clear Ayah

from the Qur'an or a Hadith.

The second issue has root in the first one. The Shi'a bound

themselves to refer to Ahlul-Bayt for deriving the Sunnah of

the Prophet (pbuh). They do this in conformity with the order

of the Prophet reported in the authentic Sunni and Shi'a collec-

tions of traditions beside what the Qur'an attests to their per-

fect purity. The Shi'a say that Imam must be appointed by God;

that appointment may be known through the declaration of the

105

Prophet or the preceding Imam. The Sunni scholars say that Imam (or Caliph) can be elected or nominated by the preceding

Caliph, selected by a committee, or may attempt to gain the

power through a military coup (as seen in the case of

Muawiyah).

The Shi'a scholars say that a divinely appointed Imam is sin-

less and Allah does not grant such a position to the sinful. The Sunni scholars say that the Imam can be sinful as he is appointed by other than Allah. The majority of the scholars from the

schools of Hanbali, Shafi'I, and Maliki discourage people to

rise against that Caliph. They think that they should be pre-

served although they disagree with the evil actions.

Why is the choosing of the Imam important? It is important

because the Imam is responsible for deriving the Islamic rule

where there is no clear Qur'anic statement orHadith. One may

conclude that if the Islamic rule is in question, the differences between the Sunni and Shi'a must be huge. In reality, this is

not true, because unlike other religions, we have one book that

has provided us with CLEAR rulings on most issues.

106

17

Chapter

Fadak: The Garden

In volume 5, page 82 in "The Book of Military Campaigns" in

"The Chapter of the Conquest of Khaybar", on the authority of

'Urwa, from 'A'isha, al-Bukhari reports that Fatima (A.S.), the

daughter of the Prophet (S.A.W.), sent someone to Abu Bakr

asking for her inheritance from what Allah's Apostle had left

behind. [This included] the fay property bestowed on him by

Allah, i.e., booty gained without fighting in Medina and Fadak,

and from what remained of the khumus booty from [the battle

of] Khaybar. On that, Abu Bakr said: "Allah's Apostle said: 'Our property is not inherited. Whatever we leave, is sadaqa, but the family of Muhammad can eat of this property'. By Allah, I

willnot make any change in the state of the sadaqa of Allah's

Apostle and will leave it as it was during the lifetime of Allah's Apostle, and will dispose of it as he used to do". So Abu Bakr refused to give anything of that to Fatima. So she became

angry with Abu Bakrand kept away from him, and did not

speak to him till she died. She remained alive forsix months

after the death of the Prophet. When she died, her husband,

'Ali, buried her at night without informing Abu Bakr".

So we learn that after the demise of prophet, Hz Fatima went

to Abu Bakr for fadak,which according to her was her right.

The two Shaykhs (al-Bukhari and Muslim)abridged and

shortened these reports so that the truth may not be clear to

the researchers.In any case, the narrations they have reported

are sufficient to disclose the truth about Abu Bakr, who refuted the claim of Fatima al-Zahra, which merited her anger upon hi-mand her shunning him unto her death (A.S.), and necessitated

107

her burial at night in secret by her husband; and, according to her will, Abu Bakr was not being permitted by her to attend.

What al-Bukhari and Muslim altered was Fatimaís (A.S.)

claim that her father, the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), had given

her Fadak as a gift during his lifetime; and it(Fadak) was not

therefore an inheritance. Even if we were to assume that

Prophets do not leave inheritances, as Abu Bakr narrated from

the Prophet (P), she refuted his claim and opposed him by

[quoting] the text of the Qur'an which states "And Solomon inherited from David". In any case, Fadak was not covered by

this alleged hadith, since it was agift to her and was in no way a part of inheritance.

If, it was an inheritance, prophets do have heirs. (027.015)

"We gave (in the past)knowledge to David and Solomon: And

they both said: "Praise be to Allah, Who has favoured us above many of his servants who believe!" (027.016) "And Solomon was David's heir."

As we see, the two verses talk about different things. Firstly,

God tells us David and Solomon, both had knowledge. Se-

condly, we are informed that "AND" Solomon was David's heir, which clearly tells us that god is speaking of 2 different things in these verses. The inheritance is not knowledge. Both of

these prophets were rich kings. Thus prophets do have heirs.

Can any Sunni prove that the kingdom of Sulaiman was a dif-

ferent one from that of David? Where did the kingdom of Sulai-

man come from?

As per Abu Bakrs claim, can the Sunnis also show us if the

kingdom of Sulaiman and David was divided and distributed to

the poor as charity?

Lets take another odd example of Adam. Adam was the

prophet of god and was the firstman. If prophets do not have

inheritance, then the concept of inheritance is disallowed for

the whole of mankind as Adam is the father of mankind as well

as a prophet and prophets do not have heirs. If Adam's family,

the only humans then could not inherit, the conceptof

108

inheritance should not exist at all. Thus this hadith is extremely illogical to agree to.Besides, Bible testifies that Simon inherited Jesus.

Now let us analyze the statement that Abu Bakr stated: We

(prophets) do not have anyheirs; what we leave behind is to be

given in charity.And the word heir means: "One who inherits or is legally entitled to inherit the property" (the American Dictionary - 2nd College Edition p 324). Now, the very first

statement goes against the facts since, historically it is admitted the holy Prophet (PBUH)received inheritance from his fath-

er as follows; Abdullah Ibn Abdul Muttalib left to Umme Aiman

a legacy of five dust coloured camels and a small flock of

sheep, which was inherited by the Prophet of Allah. - Tabaqat

Ibn Sad - Part I p39 - Siratun Nabi by Moulana Shibli Noumani,

v1, p122

[2:248] And the prophet said to them: Surely the sign of His

kingdom is, that there shall come to you the chest in which

there is tranquillity from your Lord and residue of therelics of what the children of Musa and the children of Haroun have

left, the angels bearing it; most surely there is a sign in this for those who believe.

The relics Belonged to Prophet Musa and Haroon them-

selves, they contained their belongings like turban etc and oth-

er relics. The children of Musa and Haroun had the possession

of these relics, how? When the prophets left no inheritance?

Consequently, one finds that all historians and scholars of

tafsir, as well as of hadith,relate that Fatima (A.S.) claimed

that Fadak was her property and that Abu Baker refutedher,

asking her to provide witnesses to support her claim. She

brought 'Ali b. Abi Taliband Umm Ayman, but Abu Bakr did not

accept their testimony, considering it insufficient. Ibn Hajar

admitted this in his al-Sawaíiq al-Muhriqa when he reported

that Fatima claimed that the Prophet (S.A.W.) had given her

Fadak as a gift but had nowitness to her claim except 'Ali and

Umm Ayman. Yet their testimony did not meet the stipulated

conditions to be considered as sufficient proof.

109

Fatima's claim that Fadak had been given to her as a gift from the Prophet of Allah(S.A.W.), and Abu Bakr's denial of her

claim, as well as his rejecting the testimony of' Ali and Umm

Ayman, are well known to the historians. Indeed all [of them]

have mentioned this, from Ibn Taymiyya to the author of al-Sira

al-Halabiyah and Ibn Qayyimal-Jawziya, and others.

There is enough evidence for the conviction of Abu Bakr who

knew al-Zahra and her status with Allah and His Prophet (P)

more than al-Bukhari and Muslim did. Despite this,he refuted

her, and did not accept her testimony or that of her husband,

of whom the Prophet of Allah said: "'Ali is with the truth, and the truth is with 'Ali, hovering about him wherever he goes".

Thus, let us compare the testimonies of al-Bukhari and Muslim

with what the bearer of the Message (S.A.W.) confirmed about

the merits of his [own]flesh and blood, al-Zahra.

In his Sahih, volume 7 in "The Chapter of the Virtues of the Ahl al-bayt" Muslim reports that 'A'isha said: "The Prophet (S.A.W.) emerged one morning wearing a cloak of blackhair.

Al-Hasan came and he covered him with the cloak. Then al-

Husayn came, and he joined him. Then Fatima came and he

brought her within. Then 'Ali came and he covered him too.

Then he recited: 'Allah desires to cleanse you from impurities,

O ahl al-bayt, and purify you completely'. Since Fatima al-

Zahra was the only woman in the umma whom Allah had thus

cleansed and purified from every sin and disobedience, I won-

der who was Abu Bakr to reject her testimony and ask her for

witnesses?

If Fatima al-Zahra (A.S.), is the leader of the believing wo-

men, as is affirmed by the Prophet of Allah, and yet Abu Bakr

denies her claim to Fadak and rejects her testimony,then what

testimony is acceptable after this, I wonder?

How then could Abu Bakr, "the truthful one" have repudiated her evidence? Don't they allege that he attained the title "al-Siddiq" because he used to believe in everything tha this companion Muhammad said to him? Why did he not believe him

110

regarding what he said of own "part", al-Zahra? Or was it that the issue pertained not so much to Fadak,charity and the gifts

as it pertained to the Caliphate, which was the right of 'Ali, the husband of Fatima? His denial of Fatima and her husband, who

bore witness on her behalf on the question of the gift, was by

far the better choice for him because, in sodoing, he closed the doors to any further claims she might make. What a monstrous

plot this was, nearly enough to make the mountains disappear.

Here we have al-Bukhari as well as Muslim admitting apolo-

getically that Abu Bakr used to believe any ordinary companion

who petitioned him. But he denied Fatima, leader of the wo-

men of paradise, the one about whom Allah had affirmed [His]

cleansing and [His]purifying her; and he (Abu Bakr) repudiated

[the testimonies of] 'Ali and Umm Ayman!

It is reported in volume 3 of Bukhariís Sahih, in "The Book of Testimonies", in "The Chapter of one Ordered to Fulfill a Promise", and, likewise, by Muslim in "The Book of Merits" under the heading: "God ís Prophet (S.A.W.) was never asked for

something and he denied [the request] and his [generous] giv-

ing", that Jabir b. 'Abd Allah (R) said:"After the Prophet (S.A.W.) died, some property came to Abu Bakr from 'Alaí

b.Hadramiyy, and Abu Bakr said: 'Whoever has given a loan to

the Prophet (S.A.W.), or to whom he had promised anything,

let him come to us'". Jabir said: "I said: 'The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) promised to give me this and this..' and he thrice

spread his hands'". Jabirsaid: "And he counted five hundred

[dinars], then another five hundred and another five hundred

in my hands".

Did anyone ask Abu Bakr why he believed Jabir b. 'Abd Al-

lahís claim that the Prophet(S.A.W.) had promised to give him

this and this and this, and filled his hands three times to the

sum of fifteen hundred [dinars], without asking him to produce

a single corroborating witness? Was Jabir b. 'Abd Allah more

God-fearing and pious than Fatima,leader of the women of all

the worlds? Even more strange than all of the above, is the

factthat Abu Bakr repudiated the testimony of her husband 'Ali

b. Abi Talib, he whom Allah

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had cleansed from all impurity and had purified; he upon whom the invocation of blessings is an obligation for each

Muslim, just as he invokes on the Prophet (S.A.W.).The Prophet

made love for him [an act of] faith, hatred towards him [an act

of] hypocrisy.Imam Ali (A) proved Fatima's infallibility using

the verse of purification in his argument with Abu Bakr.

The Imam (A) said: "Abu Bakr, do you read Allah's book?"He answered: "yes"Imam Ali (A) then said: "Then tell me about whom was the following verse revealed?'And Allah only wishes

to remove all abomination from you, ye Members of the Fam-

ily,and make you pure and spotless.' "Was it not revealed in regard to us, Ahlul-Bayt?"Abu Bakr said: "Yes, it was revealed regarding you"He (A) said: "If some men testify that Fatima, the Messenger's daughter, committed an abomination what would

you do?"Abu Bakr said: "I would administer the legal punishment to her, just like any other Muslim woman!'He (A) then

said: "If you did so, you would be an infidel in the eyes of Allah."Abu Bakr said: "Why?"Imam (A) replied: "Because you would have rejected Allah's testimony of her purity and virtue

(infallibility), and surpassed people's testimony over it… "

Taken from Baladhuri's Futuhul Buldan, It is said on return

from Khyber the Holy Prophet sent Mohayyasah bin Mas'ud

Ansari to the people of Fadak to invite them to Islam. At that

time their chief was a man from among themselves named

Yusha' binNoon, the Jew. He offered to make peace with the

Prophet by giving half the land to him,and the Holy Prophet ac-

cepted it. Hence, Fadak became exclusively the Prophet's prop-

erty because the Muslims had not advanced on it with their

horses and camels. (page45).Fatimah said to Caliph Abu Bakr, '

Give Fadak to me because the Holy Prophet had reserved it for

me' and presented Ali as her witness. He (Abu Bakr) demanded

another witness. She produced Umme Aiman. He said, ' O

daughter of the Prophet! You kno wthat evidence is not com-

plete unless it is given by one man and two women'. Hearing

this she went away. (pp. 47-48).

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Fatimah went to Caliph Abu Bakr and inquired, ' When you-die who will be your successor' ? He said, ' My issues' .

Fatimah said, ' Then how is it that despite our presence you

have become the successor of the Holy Prophet' . He said, ' O

daughter of the Prophet! By Allah I have not inherited gold or

silver or any other thing from your father' .She said, ' Khyber is our share and Fadak is a gift to us' . He said, ' O daughter of

the Prophet! I have heard from the Holy Prophet, ' This source

of living is till my life. After me, it should be distributed among the Muslims' . (p 48)

A few questions arise here. First, whether after the Holy

Prophet the economic necessitiesof Ale Muhammad would also

come to an end? Secondly, whether Allah excluded Ale

Muhammad from the rule of inheritance. Thirdly, is there any

verse in the Holy Quran from which it may be established that

if Abu Bakr dies his issues should inherit him and when

Muhammad bin Abdullah dies, his issues should not inherit

him.After this in the year 210 A.H. Amirul Mo'minin, Mamun

Abdullah bin Harunur Rashid ordered restoration of Fadak to

the descendants of Fatimah.As mentioned in the history books,

Umar took the document of Fadak and tore it up. But when

Umar became caliph (13/634-23/644) he gave back the Fadak

to the inheritors ofthe Holy Prophet (PBUH&HF).

When Uthman ibn Affan became the caliph after the death fo

Umar he granted Fadak to Marwan ibn al Hakam, his cousin,

and this was one of the causes of the vindictive feelings among

the Muslims towards Uthman, which ended in the revolt

against him and his murder.

In this way Fadak fell into the possesion of Marwan; he used

to sell crops and products for at least ten thousand dinars per

year, and if in some years its income decreased, this drop was

not very pronounced. This was its usual profit untill the time of the Caliphate of Umar ibn Abd al Aziz (in 100.718). - Tabaqat,

Ibn Sa'ad, vol 5 p 286-7 - Subh al Asha,vol 4 p 291When Muaw-

iyah ibn Abu Sufyan became the Caliph, he became the partner

with Marwan and others in Fadak. He alloted one thrid to

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Marwan, and one thrid to Amr ibn Uthman ibn Affan and one thrid to his son, Yazid. This was after the death of Imam Hasan

(as). - at Tarikh, Yaqubi, vol 2 p 199 It was in the possesion of the three above mentioned persons untill Marwan became Caliph and then he completely took over posession over it. Then

he donated to his two sons, Abd al Malik and Abd al Aziz. Then

Abd al Aziz donated his share to his son(Umar ibn Abd al Aziz).

When Umar ibn Abd al Aziz became the Caliph he retured

Fadak to the children of Ali. - al Awail, Abu Hilal al Askari, p 209

When Yazid ibn Abd al Malik became caliph (101/720-105/

724) he seized Fadak and they (the children of Imam Ali (as))

were dispossesed. It fell into the possesion of the Banu Mar-

wan as it had been previously. They passed it from hand to

hand untill their caliphate expired and passed away to Banu al

Abbas. It seemed that Fadak was recaptured from the descend-

ants of Fatima (as) after the death of al Muntasir.

After this long period of recapturing and restoration, Fadak

was returned to the posessionof the usurpers and their heirs as

it seems, no further mention was made in History and the cur-

tain fell!

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18

Chapter

Fitnatul Wahab: The Menace of Wahabism

During the reign of Sultan Salim III (1204-1222 AH) many

tribulations took place. One was the tribulation of the Wahh-

abiyyah which started in the area of al-Hijaz where they

captured al-Haramayn, and prevented Muslims coming from

ash-Sham and Egypt from reaching their destination to per-

form Pilgrimage (Hajj). Another tribulation is that of the

French who controlled Egypt from 1213 A.H. until 1216 A.H.

Let us here speak briefly about the two adversities, because

each was mentioned in detail in the books of history and in sep-

arate treatises.

The fighting started between the Wahhabis and the Prince of

Mecca, Mawlana Sharif Ghalib Ibn Bu Sa'id, who had been ap-

pointed by the honored Muslim Sultan as his ruling represent-

ative over the areas of al-Hijaz. This was in 1205 AH during the time of Sultan Salim III, the son of Sultan Mustafa III, the son of Ahmad. Previous to the outbreak offighting, the Wahhabis

began to build power and gain followers in their areas. As their territories expanded, their evil and harm increased They killed

countless numbers of Muslims, legitimated confiscating their

money and possessions, and captured their women. The

founder of their wicked doctrine was Muhammad Ibn 'Abdul-

Wahhab, who originated from eastern Arabia, from the tribe of

Banu Tamim. He lived a long life, aboutone-hundred years. He

was born in 1111 AH and died in 1200 AH. His history was nar-

rated as follows:

Muhammad Ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab started as a student of know-

ledge in the city of the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam:

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Medina al-Munawwarah. Ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab's father was a good, pious man among the people of knowledge as was his

brother, Shaykh Sulayman. His father, his brother, and his

shaykhs (teachers of religion) had the foresight Ibn 'Abdul-

Wahhab would innovate a great deal of deviation and misguid-

ance, because of their observance of his sayings, actions, and

inclinations concerning many issues. They used to reprimand

him and warn people against him.

What Ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab's father, brother, and shaykhs spec-

ulated about him came trueby the Will of Allah, Ta'ala. Ibn

'Abdul-Wahhab innovated deviant and misleading ways and be-

liefs and managed to allure some ignorant people to follow

him. His deviant and misleading ways and beliefs disagreed

with the sayings of the scholars of the Religion.His deviant be-

liefs led him to label the believers as blasphemers! He falsely

claimedvisiting the grave of the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa

sallam, and performing thetawassul by him as shirk. Addition-

ally, he falsely claimed visiting the graves of other prophets

and righteous Muslims (awliya’) and performing tawassul by

them was shirk aswell.

In an effort to give credibility to his innovations Ibn 'Abdul-

Wahhab embellished his sayings by quotations which he selec-

ted from Islamic sources, i.e., quotations which are used as

proofs for many issues but not the issues which Ibn 'Abdul-

Wahhab was attempting to support. He brought false state-

ments and tried to beautify them for thelay men until they fol-

lowed him. He wrote treatises for them until they believed that

most of the People of Tawhid were blasphemers.

Moreover, Ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab called upon the princes of

eastern Arabia and the people of ad-Dar'iyyah to support him.

They carried his doctrine and made this endeavor a means to

strengthen and expand their kingdom. They worked together

to suppress the Bedouins of the deserts until they overcame

them and those Bedouins followed them and became foot-sol-

diers for them without pay. After that, these masses started to

believe that whoever does not believe in what Ibn 'Abdul-

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Wahhab said is a blasphemer, and it isIslamically lawful (halal) to shed his blood and plunder his money.

The matter of Ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab started to evidence itself in

1143 A.H. and began spreading after 1150 A.H. Subsequently,

the scholars—even his brother, Shaykh Sulayman and the rest

of his shaykhs— authored many treatises to refute him. But

Muhammad Ibn Su'ud, the Prince of ad-Dar'iyyah in eastern

Arabia, supported him and worked to spread his ideology. Ibn

Su'ud was from Banu Hanifah, the people of Musaylimah al-

Kadhdhab(9). When Muhammad Ibn Su'ud died, his son 'Abdul-

'Aziz Ibn Muhammad Ibn Su'ud took over the responsibility of

fulfilling the vile task of spreading the Wahhabi beliefs.

Many of the shaykhs of Ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab in Medina used to

say, "He will be misguided, and he will misguide those for

whom Allah willed the misguidance." Things took place as per the speculation of the scholars.

Ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab claimed hisintention behind the madhhab

he invented was "to purify the Tawhid" and "repudiate the shirk." He also claimed people had been following the shirk for six-hundred years and he revived their Religion for them!!Ibn

'Abdul-Wahhab took the verses revealed to speak about the

blasphemers and applied them to the Muslims. The following

examples from the Qur'an illustrate this point.

Allah,ta'ala, said in Surat al-Ahqaf, Ayah 5: Who is more

astray than the one who performs supplication (du'a') to [wor-

ship] other than Allah; the one other than Allah he supplicates

to will not answer his du'a'.Allah, ta'ala said in Surat Yunus,

Ayah 106 : Do not perform supplication (du'a') to[worship] oth-

er than Allah; the one other than Allah you supplicate to will

not benefit you and will not harm you"

The verses in the Qur'an similar to these ones are numerous.

Muhammad Ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab gravely misinterpreted the pre-

viously cited verses and said: "The Muslim who asks help from the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, other prophets, or

the righteous people (salihun), or who calls or asks any of them 117

for intercession is like those blasphemers mentioned in the Qur'an." According to the false claim of Ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab, the Muslims who do these things are blasphemers.

He misinterpreted Quranic Verses and overlooked most of

them. He used the verses out of context for his own benefit.

For more than two centuries, Wahhabism has been Saudi

Arabia's dominant faith. It is an austere form of Islam that in-

sists on a literal interpretation of the Koran. Strict Wahhabis

believe that all those who don't practice their form of Islam are heathens and enemies. Critics say that Wahhabism's rigidity

has led it to misinterpret and distort Islam, pointing to extremists such as Osama bin Laden and the Taliban. Wahhabism's

explosive growth began in the 1970s when Saudi charities star-

ted funding Wahhabi schools (madrassas) and mosques from

Islamabad to Culver City,California.

Here are excerpts from Frontline’s interviews with Mai

Yamani, an anthropologist who studies Saudi society; Vali

Nasr, an authority on Islamic fundamentalism; Maher Hathout,

spokesperson for the Islamic Center of Southern California;

and Ahmed Ali, aShi'a Muslim from Saudi Arabia.

1. A Shi'a Muslim who grew up in Saudi Arabia: The religious

curriculum in Saudi Arabia teaches you that people are basic-

ally two sides: Salafis [Wahhabis], who are the winners, the

chosen ones, who will go to heaven, and the rest. The rest are

Muslims and Christians and Jews and others. They are either

kafirs, who are deniers of God, or mushrak, putting gods next

to God, or enervators, that's the lightest one. The enervators of religion who are they call the Sunni Muslims who … for instance, celebrate Prophet Mohammed's birthday, and do some

stuff that is not accepted by Salafis. And all of these people are not accepted by Salafi as Muslims. As I said, "claimant to

Islam." And all of these people are supposed to be hated, to be persecuted, even killed. And we have several clergy — not one

Salafi clergy — who have said that against the Shi'a and

against the other Muslims. And they have done it in Algeria, in

Afghanistan. This is the same ideology.They just have the same

118

opportunity. They did it in Algeria and Afghanistan, and now New York.

Well, when it was a local problem, the American media did

not really care much about it.But until September 11, you saw

how this faith of hate, I call it, did to all of us, to New Yorkers and to the rest of the world, honestly… . Prince Nayif condemned bin Laden, and other princes… Prince Turki con-

demned bin Laden. They did not condemn that message.They

condemned bin Laden… . Bin Laden learned this in Saudi Ara-

bia. He didn't learn itin the moon. That message that Bin

Laden received, it still is taught in Saudi Arabia. And if bin

Laden dies, and this policy or curriculum stays, we will have

other bin Ladens.

Well, here, this is a book, hadif, for ninth grade. Hadif is a

statement of Prophet Mohammed. This is a book that start for

ninth graders. This is talking about the victory of Muslims over Jews. This is a hadif that I truly believe it's not true, as a

Muslim: "The dayof judgment will not arrive until Muslims

fight Jews, and Muslim will kill Jews until theJew hides behind

a tree or a stone. Then the tree and the stone will say, 'Oh

Muslim, oh,servant of God, this is a Jew behind me. Come and

kill him.' Except one type of a tree,which is a Jew tree. That

will not say that." This is taught for 14-year-old boys in Saudi Arabia.

2. An Anthropologist Specializing In Saudi Society : When

the Saudi government came to power in 1932, it tried to get rid

of these various different groups, or ethnic groups orbeliefs,

and unify it all into one. Into the Wahhabi Islamic thought,

They regarded it asmuch purer because it's more fundamental-

ist, much more conservative than the people who are like in

the south, the people in Mecca, who had more mystical reli-

gious trends,such as the Sufi trend, which is very mystical.

I think that the new mood, the new trend, especially after the

Gulf War, has become for all these neo-Wahhabis … [is to use]

Islam … as a platform for political ideas and activities, using

Islam to legitimize political, economic, social behavior. These

119

people have been brought up in a country where Islam legitimizes everything. And they have used the teachings from the re-

ligious establishment, but became more political in expressing

dissent and criticism of the regime.And it's been exported. To

Pakistan, through systems of madrassas and throughout the

Islamic world.

And it has been exported, yes, indeed. There's been a politi-

cization of Islam. You've said it. But bin Laden, and his, if you will, similar people, are using Islam to promote political goals.

Probably there would be a relation between an interpretation

of Islam that lacks tolerance,and is a more narrow vision of the world. But particularly the problem is about the political systems that promote this type of interpretation of religion. This

gives people the excuse, the platform, to go ahead and express

themselves in Islamic language to suit their purpose of political ends.

3. Vali Nasr, An Aauthority On Islamic Fundamentalism:

Saudi Arabia has its own particular interpretation of Islam

which is very legalistic, is very austere, it's very black and-

white. [Wahhabism is] sort of an extreme orthodoxy that histor-

ically has not been shared by a majority of Muslims, particu-

larly nobody outside of the Arabian Peninsula.There is a con-

nection between the fundamentalism of the Taliban and the

fundamentalism of the Wahhabi. The connection has been

growing very, very strong inthe past 20 years, and particularly

in the past ten years. The dominant school of Islam with which

the Taliban associate — which is known as the Deobandi school

— is veryprominent in Afghanistan and also in wide areas of

Pakistan. Northern India has increasingly gravitated toward

Wahhabi teaching, and has very, very strong organizational

ties with various Wahhabi religious leaders.

Wahhabis don't believe in tomb stones, don't believe in im-

ages being acceptable, don't believe in statues. They believe all of these are forms of polytheism. A majority of Muslims don't

share that degree of literal reading of religious texts or ban-

ning of these kinds of reflections… .

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The Wahhabis dominate in Saudi Arabia, with also significant influence and presence in United Arab Emirates, Oman,

Kuwait. The teachings are fundamentalist in the definition you

have in mind. The question is who's going to cross the line and

engage in violent acts or not. So you see, recruitment into ter-

rorist movements is small generally. There's a big swamp out

there of people. And what we're confronting is not just flushing out Al Qaeda.The bigger headache for the U.S. government is

dealing with the Muslim world as a whole, with the political

ramifications of our counter attack. That's the bigger problem.

4. A Senior Adviser To The Muslim Public Affairs Council and

The Spokesperson For The Islamic Center of Southern Califor-

nia: Well, the word "creed" is important because the creed of Islam is the same: the belief in one God, the belief in the oneness of his message, the oneness of the human family. And the

devotion to God should be expressedin human rights, good

manners, and mercy, peace, justice, and freedom. No two

Muslims will argue about this creed. It is documented in the

Koran as the highest authority,modeled by the authentic teach-

ing of the prophet, and the authenticity has always been sub-

ject of study and debate.

So the creed is crystal clear. But the interpretation or the

way you approach life, which should be a dynamic thing,

should change from time to time. When you freeze it at acer-

tain period or at a certain interpretation, problems happen. I

know that people called it Wahhabism; I don't subscribe to the

term. [Muhammed bin Abd al-Wahhab] at his time was con-

sidered a progressive person.

If you freeze things at his time — which was the eighteenth

century, or the late part of theseventeenth century, I don't re-

member the dates exactly — it becomes very stagnant and very

literalist. And a very strait jacketed puritan approach that does not cater to the changeables and the dynamics of life. People

call this Wahhabism.

121

Saudis, by the way, never say, "We are Wahhabis." They say,

"We are just Muslims." But they follow the teachings, and the major booklets taught in all schools are the books of

Muhammed bin Abd al-Wahhab. Anyone who's subscribing to

someone else is not very much welcomed. This is probably

some of the Saudi scholars. They are playing the role of clergy; there should be no church in Islam. There should be no theolo-gical hierarchy.But they acquired that position and, of course,

them and the ruling family are very close.After all, Muhammed

bin Abd al-Wahhab is the one who paved the road for Abdul Az-

izibn Saud, the patriarch of the family, to conquer the rest of

the [Arabian] Peninsula and torule. So there is very great co

hesiveness between the two.

And so they believe that that's it, this is the truth. And not

only that that is it, it does not change, which is very problemat-ic. Because we know that even at the early history of Islam, as

new issues emerged, new jurisprudence was created to suit

the change of the time and age. That's early on, at probably 25

years after the death of the prophet, peace be upon him.

We wanted to actually protect Islam from that very narrow

tunnel-visioned look that will make it irrelevant, will marginalize Islam as one of the shaping factors of human civilization, as it has always been. Once you are irrelevant to the civilization of the time and age, you can have your own cocoon and say

whatever you want. But who cares?

The Menace of Wahabbism continues today, under the names

of Al-Qaeda, Taliban,Lashker-eJhangvi, Sippah-e-Sahabba and

the very own Saudi Government.

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19

Chapter

Ghadeer e Khum

It is common sense that any Leader when leaving a post puts

in to position an individualto succeed him and administer the

affairs of the State. Failure to do so will lead toinsecurity in the State, uncertainty, confusion and worse still leaves the nation

to themercy of an enemy nation that might take the opportun-

ity and seize power over aleaderless people. Appointment of a

successor is the first thing that any ‘sensible’ leaderwill do.

That is why we believe that in accordance with the guidance of

Allah (swt)revealed this verse to Rasulullah (s), to openly de-

clare his successor to the masses whohad joined him at the

time of the Farewell Pilgrimage. The declaration of Ali’s

wilayathwas to quell the scheming / nefarious planning of the

hypocrites. That is why Allah (swt)declared:"

O Apostle! Deliver what has been sent down to you from your

Lord; and if you don't doit, you have not delivered His message

(at all); and Allah will protect you from the people… " (Quran 5:67).

The question now arises that people oppsed La Illaha Illallah,

as well as Muhammad UrRasool Allah but the quran never said

that allah will protect the prophet from the people who oppose

this message but Allah will protect the prophet from the people

who oppose the message of Gadeer, Ali Yun Wali Allah. It was

beautifully explained by Talib Johri that when La Illaha Illallah was under threat, Ali protected the prophet, when Muhammad

Ur Rasool Allah was under threat, Ali protected the prophet,

and when Ali Yun Walli Allah is under threat, Allah will protect.

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Such a bond existed between Ali and Allah.Allah knew the reactions of ummah.

This was clearly that matter that Rasulullah (s) feared that

the people would oppose. With the open declaration of Ali’s

Wilayath all rules / regulations were completed. Deen was com-

pleted with the appointment of a successor / a Guide to ensure

that the people followed the right path.

We believe that the evidence is so clear that any rational

mind will conclude that this was a declaration of Imamate. Mo-

hib al Tabari, in his “Riyadh al Nadira”, records that the Holy

Prophet (saaws) declared: “On the Day of Judgement, when the

people will be brought together, no one will be able to pass the Bridge, until they have the ticket declaring Ali’s wilayat” Riyadh al Nadira, by Mohib al Tabari, Part 3, p 116

Prophet said at Gadeer about Obedience to Imam ‘Ali (as):

"Whoever obeys 'Ali, obeys me, whoever obeys me, obeys Allah, whoever disobeys 'Ali disobeys me, whoever disobeys me, disobeys Allah" - Kanz ul Ummal, hadith numbers 32973-32976 -

Mustadrak al Hakim Volume 3 page 123 - Riyadh ul Nadira

Volume 3 page 110

The birth, the alliance, the character of Ali, which exalted

him above the rest of his countrymen, might justify his claim to the vacant throne of Arabia. The son of Abu Talibwas, in his

own right, the chief of the family of Hashim, and the hereditary prince orguardian of the city and temple of Mecca. The light of

prophecy was extinct, but the husband of Fatima might expect

the inheritance and blessing of her father: the Arabs had some-

times been patient of a female reign: and the two grandsons of

the Prophet had often been fondled in his lap and shown in his

pulpit, as the hope of his age, and the chief of the youth of

paradise. From the first hour of his mission to the last rites of his funeral, theapostle was never forsaken by a generous

friend, whom he delighted to name his brother,his vicegerent,

and the faithful Aaron of a second Moses’. Gibbon a bridged by

W. Smith,p. 466.“

124

Ali was cousin-germane of Muhammad and husband of Fatima, his beloved daughter.The right of succession, in order

of consanguinity, lay with Ali; and his virtues and services em-

inently entitled him to it. On the first burst of his generous

zeal, when Islamism was a derided and persecuted faith, he

had been pronounced by Muhammad his brother, his viceger-

ent; he had ever since been devoted to him in word and deed,

and had honored the cause by his magnanimity as signally as

he had vindicated it by his valor.”W. Irving

The various occasions when the Holy Prophet mentioned

Hazrat All as his Successor are given below:

1. The First Declaration known as Dawat-e-Asheera

2. At the time of his flight to Medina, the Holy Prophet

deputed Ali to lie in his bed

3. The Betrothal of Fatima, the beloved daughter of the Holy

Prophet, to his cousin and faithful disciple was another proof of his Successor ship

4. When All returned successfully from the Tayef expedition,

the Prophet on seeing him exclaimed “Allah-O-Akbar” and took

him alone to his sacred apartments to have a longand confiden-

tial talk with him. His companions began to murmur, wonder-

ing why the Prophet had engaged his cousin so long in confid-

ential conversation, not allowing othersto interfere. Hearing

this, the Prophet said, that God himself had inspired Ali with

Divine Secrets, and that it was for this reason that he was en-

gaged in confidential discourse so long.

5. The Purge of the Symbols from the Walls of the Kaaba was

significant in that the Holy Prophet made Ali his partner in

their effacement. The Prophet’s move in making Alistand on his

shoulders with the seal of prophet-hood under his feet, was in-

tended to convey to the people around and to show the world

that he had designated Ali as his partner and Successor in the

very House of God.

6. Announcement of Sura Bara’at: The Prophet had received

a revelation forbidding the unrighteous to perform the pilgrim-

age after this year (9 A.H.), as contained in the opening verses of Sura IX of the Quran. He therefore deputed Abubakr to proceed onpilgrimage to Mecca in order to announce the revela-

tion to the pilgrims. Shortly after the departure of Abubakr, the 125

Prophet received command from God, and in obediencet hereto, he dispatched Ali on his swiftest camel, the Al-Ghadzba, with instructions to overtake the ‘caravan and to take

back the book containing the verses from Abubakr, and to pro-

ceed himself with it, to announce it to the pilgrims at Mecca.

Ali over took the caravan at Araj, and taking the book from

Abubakr, proceeded to Mecca. Abubakr returned to Medina de-

jected, not knowing what had made the Prophet change his

mind.Upon asking the Prophet, he was informed that he had a

revelation to the effect (according to Hishami) that none

should deliver the revelation to the people but he himself or a

man of his family, or (according to Tirmizhi and Nasai) that

none should deliver it to the people but himself or Ali.

7.The Final declaration at Ghadir-E-Khum confirmed finally

what had been formerly pointed out time and again. Whilst re-

turning from the final Pilgrimage, when the HolyProphet ar-

rived at Ghadir-E-Khum, suddenly the signs of a revelation ap-

peared, and thevoice of Archangel Gabriel coaxed him saying:“

O thou esteemed Messenger, impart the guidance that has

been revealed unto thee”, and in order to impress the urgency

of the command, Gabriel went on to say: “For if thoudoeth it

not, thou hast not imparted His message at all”; and again in

the same breath toallay his fears and misgivings the angel ad-

ded: “God will protect thee from the evil designs of men Ch. 5

verse 67.

As the Prophet pulled up his reins, the whole entourage

came to a halt. Those who had gone ahead were summoned

back. The pebbles and thorns were brushed aside and amake

shift pulpit of saddles was set up. People clustered round, the

Prophet bent down and lifted Ali in his hands, and showing him

to the crowds on all sides of the pulpit and proclaimed.“

Mun Kunto Maulaho Fe Haaza Ali-yun Maulah” meaning “Of

whomsoever I am the Master (Maula), This Ali is his Master

(Maula).” So Saying the Prophet lifted his hand sheavenwards

and prayed “O our Lord! Love those who love Ali, despise those

126

who willdespise Ali; support those who will support Ali; reject those who will reject Ali.”

It was on this occasion that the Holy Prophet made the

choice final, leaving no doubt or uncertainty in the selection of his Successor. It was a matter of prime importance that the

Divine Guidance should continue after him and that the Divine

Sovereignty should be exercised by the chosen ones of God, to

be appointed by the Prophet.

Sunni Traditionists who mentioned the Tradition of Ghadir

Khum==============================================================

1. Mohammed Ibn Idris al-Shafi'i (Imam al-Shafi'i, d. 204)

per"al-Nihayah" by Ibn al-Athir

2. Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (Imam al-Hanbali, d. 241), in "Masnad"

and "al-Manaqib"

3. Ibn Majah (d. 273), in "Sunan Ibn Majah"

4. al-Tirmidhi (d. 279), in "Sahih al-Tirmidhi"

5. al-Nisa'i (d. 303), in "al-Khasa'is"

6. Abu-Ya'la al-Mousilli (d. 307), in "al-Masnad"

7. al-Baghawi (d. 317), in "al-Sunan"

8. al-Doolabi (d. 320), in "al-Kuna wal Asmaa"

9. al-Tahawi (d. 321), in "Mushkil al-Athar"

10. al-Hakim (d. 405), in "al-Mustadrak"

11. Ibn al-Maghazili al-Shafi'i (d. 483), in "al-Manaqib"

12. Muhammad al-Ghazzali (d. 505), in "Sirrul Àlamayn"

13. Ibn Mindah al-Asbahani (d. 512), in his book

14. al-Khatib al-Khawarizmi (d. 568), in "al-Manaqib" and

"Maqtal al-Imamal-Sibt"

15. Abul Faraj Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 597), in "Manaqib"

16. al-Ganji al-Shafi'i (d. 658), in "Kifayat al-Talib"

17. Muhib al-Din al-Tabari (d. 694), in "al-Riyadh al-Nad-

hirah" and"Dhakha'ir al-'Aqabi"

18. al-Hamawainy (d. 722), in "Fara'id al-Samdtin"

19. al-Dhahabi (d. 748), in "al-Talkhis"

20. al-Khatib al-Tabrizi (d. 8th century), in "Mishkat al-

Masabih"

21. al-Haythami (d. 807), in "Majma' al-Zawa'id"

22. al-Jazri (d. 830), in "Asna al-Matalib"

127

23. Abul Abbas al-Qastalani (d. 923), in "al-Mawahib al-Ladaniya"

24. al-Muttaqi al-Hindi (d. 975), in "Kanz al-Ummal"

25. Abdul Haqq al-Dihlawi, in "Sharh al-Mishkat"

26. al-Hurawi al-Qari (d. 1014), in "al-Muraqat fi Sharh al-Mishkat"

27. Taj al-Din al-Manawi (d. 1031), in "Kunooz al-Haqa'iq fi HadithKhair al-Khala'iq" and "Faidh al-Qadir"

28. al-Shaikhani al-Qadiri, in "al-Siratul Sawi fi Manaqib Aal al-Nabi"

29. Ba Kathir al-Makki (d. 1047), in "Wasilatul Amal fi

Manaqib al-Aal"

30. Abu-Abdullah al-Zarqani al-Maliki (d. 1122), in "Sharh al-Mawahib"

31. Ibn Hamzah al-Dimashqi al-Hanafi, in "al-Bayan wal

Taarif"

Sunni Commentators of Quran who mentioned Ghadir

Khum=====================================================

1. Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (d. 310), in "Tafsir al-Bayan"

2. al-Jassas (d. 370), in "Ahkam al-Quran"

3. al-Hafiz Abu Nu'aym (d. 430), in "Asbab al-Nuzool"

4. al-Tha'labi (d. 427 or 437), in "Tafsir al-Tha'labi"

5. al-Wahidi (d. 468), in "Asbab al-Nuzool"

6. al-Qurtubi (d. 568), in "Tafsir Jamiul Hukam al-Quran"

7. al-Fakhr al-Razi (d. 606), in "al-Tafsir al-Kabir"

8. al-Khazin Baghdadi (d. 741), in "Tafsir al-Khazin"

9. al-Nisaboori (8th century), in "Tafsir al-Nisaboori"

10. Ibn Kathir (d. 774), in his "Tafsir" (complete version) under the verse5:3 (It is ommitted in coincise version!) narrated

from Ibn Mardawayh.

11. al-Hafiz Jalaluddin al-Suyuti (d. 910), in his "Tafsir"

12. al-Khatib al-Sharbini, in his "Tafsir"

13. Abu al-Saud al-Hanafi (d. 972), in his "Tafsir"

14. al-Aloosi al-Baghdadi (d. 1270), in his "Tafsir"

Sunni Historians who mentioned the Tradition of Ghadir

Khum===========================================================

1. Ibn Qutaybah (d. 276), in "Ma'arif" and "Imamah wal Siyasah"

128

2. al-Baladhuri (d. 279), in "Ansab al-ashraf"

3. Ibn Zawlaq al-Laithi al-Misri (d. 287), in his book

4. Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (d. 310), in an exclussive book "Kitabul Wilayah"

5. al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (d. 463), in "Tarikh Baghdad"

6. Ibn Abd al-Bar (d. 463), in "al-Isti'ab"

7. al-Shahristani (d. 548), in "al-Milal wal Nihal"

8. Ibn 'Asakir (d. 571), in "Tarikh Ibn 'Asakir" and "Yaqoot al-Hamawi"

9. Ibn al-Athir (d. 630), in "Usd al-Ghabah"

10. Sibt Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 654), in "Tadhkirat Khawas al-

Ummah"

11. Ibn Abi al-Hadid (d. 656), in "Sharh Nahjul Balagha"

12. Ibn Khalkan (d. 681), in "Tarikh Ibn Khalkan"

13. Abul Fida (d. 732), in his "Tarikh"

14. al-Dhahabi (d. 748) , in "Tadhkirat al-Huffadh"

15. al-Yafi'i (d. 768), in "Miraat al-Jinan"

16. Ibn al-Shaikh al-Balawi, in "Alef Baa"

17. Ibn Kathir (d. 774), in "al-Bidayah wal Nihayah"

18. Ibn Khaldoon (d. 808), in "al-Muqaddimah"

19. al-Nuwairi (d. ~833), in "Nihayat al-Irab fi Finoon al-

Adab"

20. al-Maqrizi (d. 845), in "al-Khitat"

21. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (d. 852), in "al-Isabah" and

"Tahdhib al-Tahdhib"

22. Ibn al-Sabbagh al-Maliki (d. 855), in "al-Fusool al-

Muhimmah"

23. Mir Khand (d. 903), in "Habib al-Siyar"

24. Jalalulddin al-Suyuti (d. 910), in "Tarikh al-Khulafa"

25. Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, (d. 974), in "al-Sawa'iq al-

Muhriqah"

26. al-Hafiz Ahmad Ibn Muhammad al-'Asimi, in "Zain al-

Fata"

27. al-Qirmani al-Dimashqi (d. 1019), in "Akhbar al-Duwal"

28. Noor al-Din al-Halabi (d. 1044), in "al-Sirah al-Halabiyah"

The

Tradition

of

Ghadir

Khum

is

parallel

(mut-

awatir)====================================================

1. Ahmad Ibn Hanbal narrated it from 40 chains;

129

2. Ibn Jarir al-Tabari in more than 70 chains;

3. Abu Sa'id al-Sijistani from 120 chains;

4. Abu Bakir al-Jaabi from 125 chains;

5. al-Amir Muhammad al-Yamani (2nd century) had 150

chains;

6. al-Dhahabi has written a complete book on its chains and

passed averdict that it is Mutawatir;

7. Abul Abbas Ibn Ùqdah has narrated it through 150

chains.

Anyhow there were several reasons why there was a general

hate towards Imam Ali from the people contrary to the Quranic

and Prophetic orders.

1. Imam Ali was the undisputed Muslim hero, the war cham-

pion, Haider e Qarar (who doesn’t run away from battles),

Shah e Mardan (king of men), Sher e Yazdaan (Lion ofyazdan),

Kuwat e parvardigaar (strength of Almighty himself), la fata

(unconquerable).He killed many pagans and infidels during

various gazwas. Before conquest of Mecca,there were only

10,000 Muslims, but after the fall of Mecca, the number rose to

124,000.People who rejected Islam for 23 years converted

overnight. Most of their pagan brothers, fathers, husbands,

sons were killed by Imam Ali during anti-Islamic wars. They

didn’t forget their loved ones and naturally hated their killer, Imam Ali.

2. Imam Ali’s excellence exceeded everyone else’s, his qualit-

ies remained unshared.Jealousy amongst the Arabs was com-

mon. Most of the sahabis of Prophet were jealous of him.

3. Imam Ali was Prophet Muhammad’s ultimate first choice

in all fields. The flag carrier,cousin, son in law, war heroe, even a successor. Muslims didn’t wanted prophethood an dimamat

to remain in one family. They started to oppose imam Ali. It is

natural too that ifa student in a university is a close relative of the chancellor, and this student is preferredby all teachers,

made the head of council and gains the highest marks and ex-

cels in sports(deservably), people will still doubt the ability of the student and the honesty of the chancellor considering their

130

relationship. Same was the issue with Prophet Muhammad and Imam Ali.

“Love of Ali is a sign of purity and his hatred is wickedness”.

131

20

Chapter

Imamat: The Perfection Of Deen

Finally the Prophet's Waris (Executors) are of three types,

those that possess Hikmah(Sagacity, wisdom), Ismah (Infallibil-

ity) and Qutbiyat Batiniyah (are Spiritual Pivots)they are his

Ahl'ul bayt and special people". - At-Tafhimatu l-Iahiyah

Volume 2 page 14“

One should remember that there may be some that inherit

one, two or three traits with the Prophets, hence Imamate is of

different states, some are superior to others, this is‘ Absolute Imamate’ when an individual shares all the traits of Prophets –

his Imamate is superior to all people, the only difference is that he is not a Prophet. We can say, insupport of such a person

that had Prophethood continued after our Prophet (s) it would

have been this person”. - Taken from Munsub-e-Imamate page

42

Shibli Numani in al Faruq Volume 2 page 96 whilst discuss-

ing the topic of Imamate and Jihad states: “The position of

Imamate is in fact the mirror image of the Prophet, an Imams

nature is like that of Prophets”.

Both of these renowned Hanafi scholars had said that Imam-

ate was like Prophethood, and the Imam shared characteristics

with Prophets, with the exception that he (The Imam) is NOT a

Prophet.

Compare these comments to the Shi’a position as vouched

for by Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi in Haq al Yaqeen Volume 1

page 29: “The position of Imamate is like that of Prophethood”.

132

Can those with open minds show us the difference between the Shi’a and Sunni viewpoints on Imamate based on these

comments? “Imamate is that Kingdom that is spiritual and

wordly, it acts on behalf of Prophethood”.

Who appoints the Imam? Whilst there is no difference on the

importance of having an Imam, the difference lies on the meth-

od of appointment. The Shi’a believe Allah appoints the Imam,

Sunni’s believe this is the right of the Ummah.

For the Sunni argument we need to go no further than quote

Mulla Ali Qari’s book“Sharh Fiqh Akbar”, which sets out the

madhab of Imam Abu Hanifa, this is what weread in the

Chapter “Masala Nusbul Imamah” (Issue of appointment of the

Imam): “It is the majority opinion that there is a duty to ap-

point an Imam. But there is a difference, asto whether this is

Allah’s duty or whether this is incumbent on the public. The be-

lief inthe eyes of Ahl'ul Sunnah and Muttazalites is that the

duty to appoint an Imam is a dutyof the public. In terms of

hadith and logic this is a duty of the public. In accordance with this belief, there is a hadith in Sahih Muslim, narrated by Abdullah ibne Umar ‘He who dies without giving bayah to an

Imam dies the death of one belonging to the days of jahiliyya’.

This is why the Sahaba viewed the appointment of the Imam as

so important that they preferred it to attending the Prophet’s

funeral, because the Muslims need an Imam so that orders can

be made on Jihad, and so that Islamic Laws can be implemen-

ted” - Taken from Sharh Fiqh Akbar, by Mulla Ali Qari, p 175

Here lies the difference between the two Sects

1. Ahl’ul Sunnah believe that the Imam is appointment by the

People

2. Shi’a believe that Allah (swt) and his Prophet (s) appoint

the Imam

It is common sense that the Imam was just not needed after

the death of Rasulullah (s)but is ‘always needed’ because fail-

ure to recognise the Imam of the Time leads to a Muslim dying

the death of jahiliyya. At the same time Numani stated that the

133

Imamate is the mirror image of Prophethood. Recognising the Imam saves a Muslim from dying as a Kaafir, and yet when we

look at previous Imams from the Banu Ummayya and Ab-

basideera, can it really be said that recognising these Imams

prevented the death of jahiliyya?Can Imams like Mu’awiya,

Yazeed and Marwan etc be deemed to be the mirror image of

Prophethood? Are these Imams who in Shah Ismails words

shared characteristics with Prophet’s that made them ‘absolute

Imams’?

Let us leave the past, what about today, which Imams recog-

nition will prevent us from dying the death of jahiliyya? The

Imam is said to be the mirror image of Prophethood,whilst the

Imams are the mirror image of American-Israeli policy. And yet

the duty is to have an Imam, but there are so many to choose

from, and Mullah Ali Qari states in Sharh Fiqh Akbar page 178:

“We are not allowed to have two Imams at any one given

time,otherwise disputes shall break out”.

As Shi’a we believe that Allah (swt) knows what is best for

His servants in the same way he appointed Prophet’s to guide

mankind, he also appointed Imams to continue the mantle of

guidance. We believe that the fallible human being is not com-

petent enough to appoint an Imam that shall represent the

Deen

on

a

complete

level.

Many

factors‘

influence’

appointment.

If one assesses the politics of the world we see regular

change, with regards to the selection of people. People are ap-

pointed on to different positions. That can be at different

levels, at a Committee level, a Council level, a Governmental

level. When we choose that person, we do so having a specific

expectation, a faith in that individual.Unfortunately the person elected often does not live up to expectation. You become disil-lusioned with that individual, he has not fulfilled the promises he made during the elections, pledges you relied on when deciding to vote for him.

Man chooses without knowledge of the unseen, he does not

know what the future holds.He elects an individual via his own

134

limited capacity, his own limitations. The person elected likewise has limitations, he has limited knowledge, and he is un-

aware of what will happen in the future.When Allah (swt) se-

lects an individual who is perfect on all accounts, his know-

ledge is perfect, he has blessed knowledge; Allah (swt) has en-

downed him with his treasures such as the Ghayb to help him.

We believe that Allah (swt)’s individual is without fault he is

not an Alim (learned) he is Aleem (Exalted).

When man selects an individual he comesout defective, when

Allah (swt) selects an individual he is masum (infallible).The

leader elected by men has weaknesses, he can make mistakes,

Allah (swt)’s chosen leader faultless.

The leader elected by men will seek the counsel / advice of

others, they are dependent on others for help. Allah (swt)’s

leader has no such worries, he is being guided by Allah (swt)

alone and does not need to turn to others for assistance.When

the man made leader comes to power he is frequently subject

to stern criticism byhis opponents, Allah (swt)’s select individu-al is so pious that even his enemies are unable to pick any fault in him.

People will also take in to account factors such as relation-

ship to the election candidate,they might have some tribal / fa-

milial loyalty which forces them to vote in a particular way. On the other hand, when Allah (swt) chooses a leader he does so

without considering such factors, neither does he have a family

or tribal loyalty, he will not beswayed in this way because as

Surah Ikhlas makes clear He (swt) is: ‘Lum ya lid wa lumyu lad’

(‘Neither is he begotten nor has been begotten’)

When man makes his selection he looks at his own problems /

situation and he asks himself ‘how will my voting this individu-

al benefit me/my family, my business’. Mans’ selection is based

on self interest. Allah (swt) has no such self-interest; his concern is for the welfare of the Ummah and and individual who

will benefit the entire community and not just a class of

individuals.

135

And by the Shi’a believing that the Imams are infallible how does that make them Kaafir? They will no doubt proclaim that

isma (infallibility) is a right bestowed only on Prophets. What

they fail to inform the people is there 100% conviction in the

authenticity of Sahih al Bukhari means that they cannot even

prove the isma of Rasulullah (s). Isma means aloof from sin,

and in Shi’a aqeedah it is deemed to be a right, that was be-

stowedon Allah (swt)’s Prophet’s and after them on the Imams

from Ahl’ul Bayt (as).

From a logical point we argue that the Imam is that individu-

al that is occupying the position of Rasulullah (s); he is the

guide over the nation and hence in the same way the Prophet

(s) was masum so are his Imams who have been entrused the

duty to guide mankind. How can the people have failth in an

Imam that is capable of making mistakes,whose character is

one that does not reflect the seat that he occupies? How can a

man capable of mistakes ensure the smooth running of the

Islamic State, free from incorrectedicts, rulings etc? This could naturally lead to disastarous consequences and we believethat

this would go against the Justice of Allah (swt). Hence we ar-

gue that the Imam as the legitimate leader at the helm of the

State has to be masum, since he shall rule solely bythe rule of

law, he shall be untouched by personal views, bribery, corrup-

tion and his goalshall be one, that of serving Allah (swt).

Like the Shi’a viewpoint leading Ulema of Ahl’ul Sunnah

have also vouched for the fact that isma (infallibility) can be

bestowed on non Prophets.

Al Muhaddith Shah Waliyullah Dehlavi states in At-Tafhimatu

l-Iahiyah Volume 2 page21: “No one doubts that truthfulness,

purity, piety and good deeds were present in those individuals

before they were appointed as Prophets. Similarly non Proph-

ets can also naturally posses such virtues, this is called ismah (infallibility)”.

So the question arises ‘who are these people (other than

Prophet’s) that have attained the rank of infallibility. Shah

Waliyullah answers this question as follows: “Finally the

136

Prophet’s Waris (Executors) are of three types, those that possess Hikmah (Sagacity,wisdom), Ismah (Infallibility) and Qut-

biyat Batiniyah (are Spiritual Pivots) they are his Ahl’ul bayt

and special people”. At-Tafhimatu l-Iahiyah Volume 2 page 14

Shah Waliyullah then proceeds to expand on the concept of

ismah of the Ahl’ul bayt (as)yet further: "And He is (Allah's) beloved, and whatever Allah has created was created for him.

And when 'ismah is completed, all his actions become haqq

(true, correct). I do notsay that his actions occur according to the haqq: but (I say that) his actions are the haqq (personified); rather, the haqq is a thing which is reflected from those actions as the rays are (reflected) from the sun. And the messen-

ger of Allah has pointed to this rank when he prayed to Allah

Ta'ala about 'Ali, saying: "O Allah! turn the haqq with him wherever he('Ali) turns"; and he did not say: Turn him ('Ali) wherever the haqq turns." - At-Tafhimatu l-Iahiyah Volume 2

page 22

As his (s) executors, the Imams from the Ahl’ul bayt inherit-

red the knowledge and wisdom of Rasulullah (s). After Rasulul-

lah (s) Imam ‘Ali (as) was the yard stick of truth.Shah Waliyul-

lah was an open advocate of the ismah of the Ahl’ul bayt (as)

that Minhajjal Nasibi have taken issue with the Shia on. His

student Mullah Muhammad Moeen Sindhi expanded on this yet

further in his discussion on the verse of purity (33:33):“Who-

ever has the slightest intergrity in him cannot doubt that the

hadith and verse refers to the 12 Imams and Leader of Women

of Paradise Sayyida Fatima Zahra. There exists no doubt of

their infallibility, they are free from sin, in the same way that Imam Mahdi(who is from among them) is Masum – for there

are hadith where we are told that he shall tread the path of Ra-

sulullah (s), similarly Shaykh Akbar elaborated on this, as we

cited in response to a previous question”. - Dhurasthul Bheeb

pages 208-209

We the Shi’a believe that our Imams as the legitmate guides

appointed by Allah (swt)have been bestowed with the virtue of

infallibility, that ensures they always tread the pathof right-

eousness. Our belief has been vouched for by leading Sunni

137

Ulema, who have made it clear that Ismah is NOT the exclusive right of Prophets. If this aqeedah is kufrthen perhaps Minhajj

al Nasibi would be so kind as to offer their views on Shah Is-

mail Shaheed, Shah Waliyullah, Fakhraddin Razi, Shaykh Has-

an Ali and Shaykh Akarm. It is only when they get their own

house in order and issue verdicts on these individuals who

share their aqeedah, that they can then look to the views held

outside.

The Ahle Sunnah have sought to intentionally mislead the

facts as a means of issuing takfeer on the followers of the

Ahl’ul bayt (as). When we are talking about superiority itis with regards to their role in protecting the Din al Islam. Previous

Prophets brought apart of the Deen that was completed by

Prophet Muhammad (saaws). These Imams arethe Imams of

the completed Deen the Imams of the Final Messenger hence

their role inthe protection of the deen is far greater than that of previous Prophets, they are the Imams of the complete Deen

al Islam, hence their more superior rank. That is why Khomeini

had stated “our Imams occupy a station unattainable by either

an angel or a major Prophet”.The word ‘station’ is the key

word here, the position / role that they hold at that particular time.

Imam Mahdi (as)’s station shall be superior to that of Proph-

et Isa. The superior station of Imamate is even acknowledged

by Sunni Ulema. Hadith confirm that Prophet Isa (as)will pray

Salat BEHIND Imam Mahdi (as) – why? Because he is repres-

enting the complete Deen whilst Isa (as) only brought a part of

it.

We the Shi’a believe that Rasulullah (s) and the Imams of

Ahl’ul bayt (as) as the Chosen of Allah (swt) have been given

the Keys of Allah (swt). One such key is the power of ghayb.

This does NOT in any way mean that Allah (swt) has retired

and left administration of the Universe to them (Allah Forbid),

they have been given the knowledge such as Ghayb to the ex-

tent that they need to do so as to carry out their duties.No

Sunni or Shi’a worships anyone other than Allah (swt), we

138

deem our Imams to be the Faithful Servants of Allah (swt) selected by Allah (swt) to guide the people to the right path.

We believe that Allah (swt) let the Prophet and Imams know

whatever they needed to know. It is by the will of Allah (swt)

he gives it to them, they don’t possess it exclusively!

We read: "He possesses the Ghayb and He does not discloses

His Ghayb to anyone except to such a Messenger as He is well-

pleased with." (72:26-27)

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21

Chapter

Imams: The Holy Twelve

The Khalifatullah is Allah's representative on Earth. His ex-

istence is a consequence of the Mercy of Allah to mankind. It is a component of the Shia creed to believe in the Justice of Allah.

Thus Allah acts with justice, and in this capacity He who is

most Just and has commanded mankind to address Him as the

Most Merciful has ordained that man will be guided by His

rightful authority on Earth, the Khalifatullah appointed by Al-

lah for elseman would deviate from the right path. He who is

most Beneficient states in Sura 75,verse 36: "Does man think that he is to be left aimless?" The context of this ayat and its grammatical sense render the above translation as the most

appropriate.

In man's examination in this world, and in his quest for seek-

ing closeness to the Reality of Allah, it is the Khalifatullah who guides man to Allah. Though Allah is closer to his slave than

his jugular vein and the relationship between Allah and his cre-

ations is also direct, the Khalifatullah can bring the slave

closer to Allah and to the path ordained byAllah, both as a

guide as well as an intercessor. The Khalifatullah thus repres-

ents Allah'sauthority on Earth and guides man to the straight

path, the sirat al-mustaqim of Sura al Hamdh, the only Sura

compulsorily recited in the obligatory prayer. He is the

Imam,another word that also denotes a man of authority

among men, a title that as used by the Shia incorporates the

role of the Khalifatullah.

This authority is comprehensive, for Allah has authority over

all aspects of our lives. The existence of the Khalifatullah or

140

the Imam is thus rational for those who believe that Allah is Just and is Merciful. His existence can be sensed from the intellectual reasoning of even those opposed to the Shia path and

who do not believe that Allah appoints theKhalifa, Abul A'la

Mawdoodi writing that "Khalifa, vice regent, is one who exercises the delegated powers on behalf of the supreme

authority… "

The Qur'an states very directly that the Khalifa is appointed

by Allah and not by man, for Allah states Himself in Sura Noor,

verse 55, that: "Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good deeds that He will certainly appoint them Khalifas

as he appointed Khalifas those before him."

Many copies of the Qur'an compiled in English by translators

who do not follow the Khalifas appointed by Allah will specific-

ally use an alternative word to describe the word Khalifa in this context, when there is no grammatical justification for this, for the Arabic states Khalifa and this word is readily translated in-to English as khalifa or caliph, an English word.

Furthermore, Allah states in the above Sura that He will ap-

point those who have faith and do good deeds to the position of

the Khalifatullah, the hallmark of faith being patience, asshall be proved later, and these virtues are exemplified by the

Twelve Imams of the Shiato the extent that they alone fulfilled

the requirements to be the Khalifas of Allah from all men of

their age.

The role of the Khalifatullah is guidance to the sirat al

mustaqim, and in every age, forevery moment of time, there

exists the divine guide, for Allah states in Sura 13, verse 7that:

"And there is a guide for every people."

This guidance is different to Prophethood, for the Prophet-

hood has ended, and the ayat specifies that the guide is living, guiding to the way of the Prophets, whereas with Prophethood

Allah uses the past tense which is not the case with the guide,

as in Sura 35,verse 24, where the Prophets are spoken of,

"There is not a nation but a warner has passed among them."

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Since the death of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (saws) there have been no prophets nor shall there be any. Yet Imamat continues, as it has continued since Adam (as) the first Imam such

that should there be left two men on Earth one would be the

Imam, such is the powerful Justice and Mercy of Allah. At this

point it is possible to become confused, so there is need for

some clarification of what it is that we will speak of.

The next question that must be asked is where the Khalifatul-

lahs are found. Allah himself provides the answer most dir-

ectly. Since Imamat is a consequence of Allah's Mercy and

Justice, it is obvious that the first Khalifatullah would be the first man in material Creation, just as the last Khalifatullah

would be the last man living in material Creation,which is also

a belief of the Shia. Thus we read in Sura 2, verse 30, that

after creating Adam (as), Allah told his angels "Verily I intend to appoint a Khalifa in the earth."

It is the belief of the Shia, and one that is referred to in various Sunni accounts including the history of Masudi, that this

authority over mankind as the Khalifa of Allah or the Imam

passed in a specific lineage down through purified sons of

Adam (as) beginning with Seth (as) to Noah (as).

There is not space in this discussion to list all these Imams,

save those noted in the Qur'an by the title of Khalifa. From

Noah (as), it passed through his descendants, the best in

eachage according to the criteria of Sura Noor, verse 55, being

the Imam of that age or the Khalifatullah, thus reaching

Ibrahim Khalilullah (as).

These divine guides throughout all these ages illuminated the

people of their time for Allah is Just and would not let his creation who was born innocent wander aimlessly, asis testified to

by the Qur'anic verse quoted in the title of this article. Many of these Khalifatullahs were also wronged greatly by the people,

an action that greatly angered Allah and for which Allah would

punish them by removing the Imam from them and giving His

favour to another people. And it is here, with Ibrahim

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Khalilullah (as) that a great juncture is arrived at in the history of the Khalifatullah.

In Sura Al Baqara, verse 124, Allah says that after He tested

Ibrahim Khalilullah (as),ultimately with the offering of his own son Ishamel (as) as a sacrifice, "I appoint you the Imam of mankind. Ibrahim requested that the leadership be inherited by his

descendants.Allah repied, "I do not promise leadership to those (of them) who are arrogant,hard hearted, unjust and greedy."

Thus the Khalifatullah must be, as testified to in Sura Noor,

55, a man of faith and good actions, and not any from amongst

the descendants of Ibrahim (as)'s 2 sons Ishmael (as)and Ishaq

(as), only those who fulfilled these qualities. In Sura Nahl,

verses 120-121,Allah affirms the Imamat of Ibrahim Khalilullah

again, "Verily Ibrahim was an Imam…He (Allah) chose him and He guided him towards the right path."

And Allah states that He saved the offering of Ishmael (as),

replacing him with an animal, for the greatest sacrifice, which

was that of the greatest Imam, Mohammad(saws) in his giving

his family, ultimately on the battlefield of Karbala.

Referring to one of the most powerful of the Khalifatullahs

from the lineage of Ishaq (as),Allah states in Sura 38, verse 26,

"O Dawud, verily we have you a Khalifa in the Earth."

And with the great khalifatullah Musa (as), also from the lin-

eage of Ishaq (as), Allahstates in Sura 7, verse 142, "…and Musa said to his brother Haroon: take my place (asKhalifa -

ukhlufni) among the people."

But the Bani Israil, the lineage of Ibrahim (as) via Ishaq (as), despite many warnings from their Lord, swerved from the sirat

al mustaqim despite the blessings of so many Imams among

them. For example, no sooner had Musa (as) left his people

than they started worshipping idols as they had done so before,

and reverted to their former ways.Then after many Khalifatul-

lahs Allah sent Isa Ibn Mariam (as), whose teachings were

briefly maintained in a pure form by men such as his loyal

143

disciple Simon (as) who was also his inheritor. Then when the people deviated from the sirat al mustaqim once again,after

having received the blessing of Isa ibn Mariam (as), Allah with-

drew his support ofthe Bani Israel and the Christians, and took

the lineage of Imamat from them and gave itto the lineage

from Ibrahim Khalilullah's son Ishmael, the father of the Arabs.

The Holy Prophet Mohammad (saws) was born from the lin-

eage of Ishmael from pureancestors. His father's name was Ab-

dullah (as), meaning slave of Allah, and he was of the tribe of

Hashim, who were noble people from the Quraysh. It was into

this lineage that Allah affirmed the covenant of Imamat,

though gave it to the good among them, as in Al Baqara, verse

124.

It was here that the Holy Prophet (saws)'s noble uncle Abu

Talib (as) had a son called Ali(as) who was, like his cousin Mo-

hammad (saws), also of this lineage, and who would bethe in-

heritor of the Holy Prophet (saws) and of the covenant of

Imamat, which would fuse through the marriage of Ali (as) to

Fatima (sa) the only daughter of Mohammad(saws) to produce

a lineage of 12 Holy Imams with Ali (as) the first and the rest

the descendants of the Holy Prophet (saws) and Imam Ali (as).

The Shia are those who follow these Khalifas of Allah and are

guided to the way of the Seal of Prophets through them.

As for the Imamat of the Holy Prophet (saws), it permeates

the substance of the Qur'an.Specifically, in Sura al Ahzab,

verse 6 it is stated "The Prophet has authority (awla) overyou more than your own selves."

And it is authority over men that is the role of the Khalifatul-

lah, the Imam. It was only those Prophets who were also exal-

ted to the level of Imamat that brought Books with authority

over mankind and with messages that were not only for their

own family, tribeor nation like the messages of many prophets,

but came additionally with the authority ofthe Khalifatullah

that made them the leaders of mankind with authority over

mankind.

144

Those that came for the world were by definition Imams and the Khalifas of Allah. And they were all of this lineage. This is why the Qur'an speaks directly of the prophets of Banu Israel

and not of those of China or India, for it was these prophets,

many of them,that were also the Imams of their time and were

thus of significance to humanity as a whole. Thus the Qur'an,

which is a guidance to all mankind and has authority over all

mankind, notes them.

Why Allah chose this lineage was because they produced

men that were capable of fulfilling the requirements of the cov-

enant of Imamat, faith and good actions. It is also be seen that this lineage comes from the place from where all the races of

mankind originated from - the Middle East - where lie buried

so many of these Khalifas of Allah,from the first Adam (as) to

Imam Hasan Al Askari (as), the Eleventh Imam of the Shiaand

the father of the present Imam (as).

And it was using the example of one of these prophets who

was also an Imam that Mohammad (saws) said many times in

his life, as recorded in the Sahih of Bukhari as the last Hadith listed under the section on the virtues of Ali Ibn Abu Talib (as),

"Ali is to me like Haroon was to Musa."

Haroon (as) was Musa (as)'s Brother (19:53), Vizier

(20:29-36) and in his absence the Khalifa (7:142). And thus so

was Ali (as).

It was on the day of Ghadhir, shortly before his own depar-

ture from this world, that the Holy Prophet drew on the words

denoting his own authority as the Khalifa of Allah mentioned

above in Sura Al Ahzab, verse 6, in the form of asking the be-

lievers "Do Ihave more right over the believers than they have over themselves?, and when the people cried "Yes O Messenger of Allah" he transferred that authority to Ali (as), with the words"Of whom so ever I am his Mawla, Ali is his Mawla

(master)."

There is no mention of men being given the authority to ap-

point the Khalifa in the Qur'an, only abundant, clear and direct 145

evidence for it being Allah, and this position was given to Ali (as). This fact in itself negates the lawfulness of the khilafat of Hadrath Abu Bakr, even taking aside the historical, rational

and traditional context which is similarly opposed to his

position.

And after Ali (as), Al Hasan (as) and Al Husain (as), the

products of the union of the line of Mohammad (saws) with Ali

(as), both themselves in the line of Ishmael (as), who would

transfer the Mercy of their grandfather the Holy Prophet

(saws) to mankind in their noble sacrifices, are thus extolled as the two fold blessing in Sura Al Hadid, Verse 28,another verse

that when translated in its proper grammatical sense reads: "O

believers,fear Allah and have faith in His Prophet. And you will receive a two fold blessing, and alight (noor) will be appointed for you which will guide you and by which you shall receive

blessings."

It is here in the Ahl-ul-Bait, the purified and specified mem-

bers of the family of the Holy Prophet, that the lineage of the

Khalifatullah continues. Of the Ahl-ul-Bait Allah says inSurah

42, verse 23: "Say (O Mohammad): I do not ask of you a wage for this except loveof my kinsfolk."

The Bible reads, "I have heard your prayer for Ishmael. I

have blessed him and will make him fruitful. I will multiply his descendants; he shall be the father of twelve princes; and Iwill raise a great nation from him." Genesis: 17,19-20, New English Bible

Neither are these 12 princes the 12 founders of the 12 tribes

of Israel, for they were from Ishmael (as)'s brother Ishaq (as), nor were they the 12 Arabs mentioned later on in the Bible, for

they were not men of authority in the way of princes. They are

the 12 Khalifas of Allah that followed the Holy Prophet (saws),

after whom the Ithna Ashari Shia, or Twelver Shia, are named,

and whose names adorn the Mosque of their father the Holy

Prophet (saws) in Madina to this day.

146

Thus Sahih Muslim reads, "The affairs of the people will continue to be conducted as long as they are governed by 12 men,

he than added from Quraysh." Sahih Muslim,Hadith number

4478, English translation by Abdul Hamid Siddiqui

As a final point in this discussion it is worth considering the

marvellous nature of the lineage of the Khalifas of Allah and its situation in our time. We mentioned earlier how the Imamat

that was conferred upon Ibrahim Khalilluah was monumental

in the history ofthe Imamat, incepting the beginning of the di-

vide between the Khalifatullahs descended from Ishaq (as) and

later those from the lineage of Ishmael (as), the Arabs.

And it shall be Isa (as) the descendant of Ibrahim (as)'s son

Ishaq (as) and Imam Mahdi(as) the descendant of Ibrahim

Khalilullah's son Ishmael (as) who shall jointly under the

Imamat of the Twefth Imam (as) who is the Khalifatullah of this

age, rise and destroy theDajjal and the Sufyani, systems of kuf-

far and hypocrisy who will worship the Devil and man's ego.

These systems are already amongst the people of the world,

and the Imam'srising is coming rapidly closer, may Allah

hasten that day. And thus the Khalifa of Allah will destroy the

system of Shaitan, and victory will come to the righteous, and

the blood of Imam Husain (as), the sacrifice of Mohammad

(saws) who is the Seal of Prophets and the greatest Khalifatul-

lah, will be avenged in this earthly abode by the last Khalifatullah,for as promised by the Almighty.

Vol 9, Book 89. Judgments (Ahkaam) Hadith 329. (Sahih

Bukhari): Narrated By Jabirbin Samura: I heard the Prophet

saying, "There will be TWELVE Muslim rulers (whowill rule all the Islamic world)." He then said a sentence which I did not hear. My father said, "All of them (those rulers) will be from Quraish."

Similar hadith can also be found in:Book 20. On Government.

Hadith 4477, 4478, 4480, 4481, 4482 (Sahih Muslim)Book

31.The Promised Deliverer. Hadith 4266, 4267 (Abu Dawud)

147

Mulla Ali Qari sets out who the 12 khalifas/Imams are: 1. Abu Bakr - 2. Umar - 3.Uthman - 4. Ali - 5. Mu'awiya - 6. Yazid bin

Mu'awiya - 7. Abdul Malik bin Marwan - 8.Walid bin Abdul Ma-

lik bin Marwan - 9. Sulayman bin Abdul Malik bin Marwan -

10.Umar bin Abdul Aziz - 11. Yazid bin Abdul Malik bin Mar-

wan - 12. Hasham bin AbdulMalik bin Marwan;Taken from

Sharra Fiqa Akbar, by Mulla Ali Qari, p 176

This was one route, now lets have a look at the other path -

the path of the Ahlul Bayt e Muhammad (saww):

1. Imam Abul-Hasan Ali ibn e Abi Talib (al-Murtaza) (as)

2. Imam Abu Muhammad al-Hassan (al Mujtaba) (as)

3. Imam Abu Abdallah al-Hussain bin Ali (Sayyid al-Shuhada)

(as)

4. Imam Abu Muhammad Ali bin al-Hussain (Zainul-'Abideen)

(as)

5. Imam Abu Ja'far Muhammad bin Ali (al-Baqir) (as)

6. Imam Abu Abdallah Ja'far bin Muhammad (al-Sadiq) (as)

7. Imam Abu Ibrahim Musa bin Ja'far (al-Kazim) (as)

8. Imam Abu al-Hasan Ali bin Musa (al-Reza) (as)

9. Imam Abu Ja'far Muhammad bin Ali (Taqi al-Jawaad) (as)

10. Imam Abul-Hasan Ali bin Muhammad al-Hadi al-Naqi(as)

11. Imam Abu Muhammad al-Hasan bin Ali (al-Askari) (as)

12. Imam Abul-Qasim Muhammad bin al-Hasan (al-Mahdi)

(as)

It is interesting to note that there are The Twelve Imams in

the Old Testament.

Ibn Kathir says: We see the following prophecy in the Taurat

which is in the hands of the Jews and the Christians: "Indeed Allah, the Exalted, has given Ibrahim (a.s.) the glad tidings of Isma'il, and he has bestowed a favour and multiplied it and

placed in his progeny twelve mighty (personalities)."

And he says: Ibn Taymiyya said: "And these are the same, regarding whom the Prophet(s.a.w.s.) has given the glad tidings

in the tradition of Jabir bin Samurah and stated their number;

indeed this is with regard to the Imams and the Hour will not

come till they last.And many of those who accepted Islam from

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among Jews think they are the same Imams of the Rafidi sect."

Ibn Kathir, Ta'rikh, 6:249 and 250.

The Holy Qur'an mentions in the following words the prayer

of Ibrahim (a.s.). "O Our Lord! Surely I have settled a part of my offspring in a valley unproductive of fruit near Thy Sacred

House, Our Lord! That they keep up prayer; therefore make

the hearts of some people yearn towards them and provide

them with fruits; haply they may be grateful." (Sura Ibrahim 14

: 37)

The holy verse points to the fact that Ibrahim (a.s.) had

settled some of his progeny, that is Isma'il (a.s.) in the area of Mecca and he also prayed that the Almighty Allah may bestow

them with His Mercy and that they remain the medium of guid-

ance for humanitytill the end of time. The Almighty accepted

his invocation by appointing Muhammad(s.a.w.s.) from his pro-

geny, and after him his twelve successors as the leaders of hu-

manity for the time to come.

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) says: "We are the remnant

of progeny. And that was the prayer of Ibrahim (a.s.) regarding

us."

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22

Chapter

Infallibility

Infallibility is a quality where one is free from doing evil and sins. He can not be misguided, and will always remain on the

Sirat e Mustaqeem. He can not be misguided by Iblees, nor will

he do injustice and wrong. Shias give such a quality to the

Prophets,specially Prophet Muhammad, the 12 Imams and the

AhleBait. This allegation is not baseless. There is concrete

proof of their infallibility in the Quran and Hadith.

Firstly, I will shed some light on Surah Al-Fil.105.001: Seest

thou not how thy Lord dealt with the Companions of the

Elephant?105.002: Did He not make their treacherous plan go

astray?105.003: And He sent against them Flights of

Birds,105.004:

Striking

them

with

stones

of

baked

clay.105.005: Then did He make them like an empty field of

stalks and straw, (of which the corn) has been eaten up.

We should note that Allah sent birds in order to throw stones

of the elephants. Now, a bird in general has no sense, and its

capability to err is far greater than humans. Err in asense that no matter how trained an animal/bird is, it will take a lot of

time to teach it something. For instance, you tell a bird to send a message to some one miles away, thereis a minute chance

that the bird will fulfill the task successfully. On the other

hand, we see that the birds sent by allah did exactly what Allah orded them to do. They did not throw baked clay else where

but only on the elephants which was the order. Thus we see

that birds sent by allah did not err, how can prophets/Imams

sent by Allah err?

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Secondly, lets have a look at the rebellion of Iblees. The Quran Says:[17:61] And when We said to the angels: Make obeis-

ance to Adam; they made obeisance,but Iblis (did it not). He

said: Shall I make obeisance to him whom Thou hast created of

dust?

[17:62] He said: Tell me, is this he whom Thou hast honored

above me? If Thou should strespite me to the day of resurrec-

tion, I will most certainly cause his progeny to perish except a few.

[17:63] He said: Be gone! for whoever of them will follow

you, then surely hell is your recompense, a full recom-

pense:[17:64] And beguile whomsoever of them you can with

your voice, and collect against them your forces riding and on

foot, and share with them in wealth and children, and holdout

promises to them; and the Shaitan makes not promises to them

but to deceive:[17:65] Surely (as for) My servants, you have no

authority over them; and your Lord is sufficient as a Protector.

We can see the Iblees disobeyed God and asks for a time lim-

it till the judgment day.During this limit, Iblees says he will

misguide almost all the descendents of Adam except few men.

Allah confirms that his servants will not be misguided at all (Infallibles). Satan will have no authority over them. So we see

that almost all of mankind will follow I bleesin some way or the other except few, who are the servants of Allah. May I ask who

these servants are who will not leave the Sirate Mustaqeem at

any cost? Who is a better servant of Allah than the Holy Proph-

et Muhammad himself, the 12 Imams and the AhleBait?

Thirdly, Quran testifies the purification of AhlulBayt.Allah

(SWT) says: “…Verily, verily God intendeth but to keep off from

you (every kindof) uncleanness O ye the People of the House,

and purify you (with) a thorough purification.”(33:33)

Ah! So there we have it. Allah (SWT) purified the Ahlul Bayt,

the People of the House.Isn’t this grand? Not only did Allah

(SWT) send His Book to our beloved Prophet,Muhammad (s.),

but He has also blessed his house with a pure progeny.

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Allah (SWT) says that He intends to keep off from you ar-rijs O ye People of the House.What is Ar-Rijs? Rijs means filth, uncleanliness, disease, abomination.

For example: “They are rijs {filthy} and their dwelling will be

hell as a recompense for what they had gained.” (9:95) “But

those who hearts are sick, it adds more rijs {disease}to their

rijs {disease} and they die as unbelievers.” (9:125) “Thus God

places rijs{wickedness} on those who do not accept the faith.”

(6:125) “Believers, wine, gambling,the stone alters and arrows

(that the pagans associate with certain divine characters)

areall rijs {abominable} acts associated with satanic activities.

Avoid them so that you mayhave everlasting happiness.” (5:90)

So what this concludes is that rijs pertains to actions and

faith. That disbelievers have alot of rijs. But Allah (SWT) has intended to keep off ar-rijs from the Ahlul Bayt. AR-rijs!The fact that it has a definitely article in front, shows to the English

speaking person that Allah (SWT) is saying “the filth” but with

the definite article in Arabic, it is mostencompassing, meaning

all filth. Not just one type or another type but all types of filth.

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23

Chapter

Kalimah: The Shia Stand

Some people have said that we have added 2 more lines to

the Islamic kalimah, We shall use quranic verses, since hadith

is not sufficient for some. Since I don't know exactly what is

meant here by the "two lines to our kalama", I will assume they mean "Ashhaduanna 'Alian waliyul Allah", which is also optionally said in adhan.

The proof is in Surat al-Maeda [5:55].By Mir Ahmad Ali

translation: "Verily, verily, your guardian is (none else but) God and His Apostle (Muhammad) and those who believe: those

who establish prayer and pay the poor-rate, while they be

(even) bowing down (in prayer)."

Yusuf Ali's weaker translation: "Your (real) friends are (no less than) Allah, his apostle,and the (fellowship of) believers, those who establish regular prayers and regular charity,and

they bow down humbly (in worship)."

The ayat clearly instruct Muslims to follow three entities for

guidence and authority whoare our awliya as well:

(1) Allah;

(2) Prophet Mohammad;

(3) Ali bin abi Talib.

Imam Ali was the one whom this holy aya was revealed

about, when he was praying and gave his ring as zakat to beg-

gar while in the state of ruku'. Consult any expanded mul-

tivolume Sunni tafseer (commentary) for this aya and you will

153

find that this aya was revealed in none but Ameerul Moemin-een Ali bin Abi Tablib .

Hazrat Ali was the only one at the time of Prophet who paid

Zakat while he was in the state of bowing (ruku'). Muslim

scholars are unanimous in reporting this event. here are few

sunni references which mentioned the above revelation is in

the honour of Imam Ali.Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v5, p38. -

Tafsir al-Kashshaf, by Al-Zamakhshari, v1, p505,649 - Tafsir al-

Khazin, v2, p68 - Tafsir al-Bayan, by Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, v6,

p186, 288-289.

Therefore, the shias say "Ali Wali Allah" per Allah's

definition.

The Quran then says [5:56]: "Whoever taketh as his guardi-

an, God and His Apostle and those who believe, verily, (he hath

joined) God's battalion; They are those that shall(always) by

triumphant."

Bukhari narrates in Volume 1, Book 12, Number 764: Nar-

rated Rifa'a bin Rafi AzZuraqi:One day we were praying behind

the Prophet. When he raised his head from bowing, hesaid,

"Sami'a-l-lahu Liman hamida." A man behind him said,

"Rabbana walaka-l hamdhamdan Kathiran taiyiban mubarakan

fihi" (O our Lord! All the praises are for You,many good and blessed praises). When the Prophet completed the prayer, he

asked, "Who has said these words?" The man replied, "I." The Prophet said, "I saw over thirty angels competing to write it first." Prophet rose (from bowing) and stood straight till all the vertebrae of his spinal column came to a natural position.

Ibn Hajar says in Fath al-Bari that the hadith indicates the

permissibility of initiating new expressions of dhikr in the pray-er other than the ones related through hadith texts, as longas

they do not contradict those conveyed by the hadith [since the

above words were amere enhancement and addendum to the

known, sunna dhikr].

Besides, Ahle Sunnah themselves have 6 Kalimahs.

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1) First Kalima - The Word of Purity (Tayyabah)

2) Second Kalima - The word of Testimony (Shahaadat)

3) Third Kalima - The word of Glorification (Tumjeed)

4)Fourth Kalima - The word of Unity (Tauhid)

5) Fifth Kalima - The word of Penitence (Astaghfar)

6) Sixth Kalima - The word in the disproving of Kufr (Rud-A-

Kuffer)

These are the six kalimas. However you should know only the

first one is necessary and the rest are just ways of expressing

the beleif like shias express about Ali. Purpose of the Kalimah

is to express ones belief, you testify that this is your belief. Is their any harm if Shias testify that Ali is the Wali of Allah?

After all its derived from the Quran as well.And this does not

make them a kaafir. Does it?

The Shia Kalimah: There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is

his last prophet, Ali is the wali of Allah and the successor of

prophet Muhammad.

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24

Chapter

Kerbala: The Revival Of Islam

Every artery is Farat (Euphratres), every heart is kerbala,

this world needs another hussain.

In 50 A.H. when Imam Hasan (A), the grandson of prophet

Muhammad (S), was poisoned, the duty of Imamat became the

responsibility of his younger brother Imam Husain (A). At the

time, Muawiya bin Abu Sufyan, the governor of Syria and

archenemyof the family of the Holy Prophet (S), was virtually

the ruler of the whole Muslim Empire. Muawiya, who had

caused the poisoning of Imam Hasan (A), continued to disreg-

ard the human rights of the people and employed gangs of

criminals to terrorise them. Imam Husain (A) was not

frightened by the power of Muawiya, and openly condemned

him and criticised his actions in his letters, warning him

against the punishment of Allah. Muawiya broke the conditions

of the treaty he had signed with Imam Hasan (A) and declared

his evil son Yazid as Caliph. In 60 A.H., news was conveyed to

Walid, Yazid's governor in Madina, about the death of Muaw-

iya. At the same time, Yazid sent orders to Walid to demand

the oath of allegiance (Bay'at) from Imam Husain (A). The or-

ders stated that if Imam (A) refused, his head should be cut of-

fand sent to Yazid in Damascus.

Walid was well aware of the position of Imam (A) and

greeted him with respect and offered him a seat beside him.

He then read out the letter he had received from Yazid,and

when he reached the part about sending the severed head of

Imam (A) if he refused to pay allegiance, he was too

156

embarrassed to continue and handed over the letter to Imam(A) to read.Imam (A) read it and smiled and said: "

O Walid, invite the Muslims of Madina tomorrowand ask

them if they say I should pay allegiance to Yazid, and then let

us decide."Walid accepted this reply, but Marwan, the old enemy of Islam who the Holy Prophet (S)had expelled from Mad-

ina, said, "Do not let Husain out of your grip now. If the fox getsout of the four walls of your court you will not see it again.

Cut off his head here and nowand do not let this opportunity

pass or you will not get it again."

When Imam (A) heard these insulting words of Marwan, he

put his hand on his sword and said aloud, "O enemy of Allah, will you or Walid touch my head?" On hearing theraised voice of Imam (A), the young men of Bani Hashim burst into the

court room.Abbas (A), who was well known for his skill in com-

bat, had already drawn his sword.Imam (A) managed to calm

the boiling blood of his companions and averted a situation

which would have certainly resulted in a blood bath. The

shaken and cowardly Marwantook advantage of Imam's (A)

mercy and quickly ran away from the scene.

Imam (A) flatly refused to pay allegiance to Yazid, well know-

ing that giving 'Bay'at' to him would leave Islam and the

Muslims in ruins. His famous answer to the governor of Yazid

was, "A man like me can never give allegiance to a man like him."

After this confrontation the life of Imam (A) was in danger,

and with a heavy heart he began to plan to leave Madina, the

city of his beloved grandfather.

When Imam (A) announced that he was leaving Madina, the

people of the city were struck with grief. They could not bear

the loss of their dear Imam (A) who reminded them so much of

the Holy Prophet (S) in his appearance, manner and speech.

Groups of people approached him asking him why he was leav-

ing, and begging him not to go.Imam (A) explained that Yazid

had demanded his allegiance and that because of his refusal,

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the tyrant would not hesitate to make Madina a battlefield.

Imam (A) did not want blood shed of innocent Muslims in the

city of his grandfather. Therefore, he was going to Makka for

pilgrimage and then he would decide what to do.

Imam (A) then visited the graves of his grandfather, his

mother Bibi Fatimah (A) and his brother Imam Hasan (A). After

this, he went home to make preparations for the journey.Imam

Husain's (A) sister Bibi Umme Kulthum (A) was a widow and

lived with him. His other sister Bibi Zainab (A) was married to

Abdullah bin Ja'far (R), and she asked her husband for permis-

sion to accompany her brother, saying that she could not live

without him in the city. Abdullah, who was ill and could not

travel, granted Bibi Zainab (A) his permission and told her to

take their two sons, Aun and Muhammad with her so they can

also serve and help Imam Husain (A). She returned to Imam

(A) and prepared to leave with him. The caravan began moving

and Imam Husain (A) bid farewell to the people of Madina. The

people were weeping openly, wondering whether they would

ever see him again.

Imam (A) arrived in Makka on 3rd Sha'baan 60 A.H. While he

waited for the Haj season,he pondered about his future action.

He could not have continued to live in Madina after refusing to

pay Yazid the allegiance he demanded.Had he stayed on in

Madina, he would have undoubtedly been killed and his

murder would cause the clash of the loyal people of Madina,

especially the Hashimites, with theforces of Yazid.

This would result in the massacre of innocent people and de-

struction of the city of his beloved grandfather, the Holy Proph-et (S). Besides if he had stayed in Madina, the world would al-

ways ask why he had not sought shelter elsewhere.

The whole empire was going through terrible times. Yazid's

grip on the people was absolute and anyone who dared to say

anything against him was harshly dealt with. Yazid favoured

those worthless people who flattered him, and he installed

them as governor sand leaders in the mosques.

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The chastity of women was no longer safe, with their dignity at the mercy of Yazid's brutal soldiers. Marriage lost its sanctity and protection to married women. If a woman was desired

by men of the government, deceitful measures were adopted to

force the husband to divorce his wife so that she could be

made available to these shameless men.

At last, people could bear it no longer and messengers began

to come to Imam (A), with written requests to come to the res-

cue of Islam and the Muslims. People wrote to Imam(A) saying

that if he did not do something to defend the religion of Allah

from getting lost and the people from going astray, they would

complain about him to Allah and the Prophet (S) on the Day of

Judgement.Many of these desperate messages came from Kufa,

begging Imam (A) to come to their urgent aid.

When Imam (A) received these calls for help in Makka, he

had to respond.However, he could not blindly accept the call

from Kufa, because the people of that city were well known for

their fickle and unstable character and conduct.

Therefore, he decided to send a deputy to Kufa who would

write to him after having studied the sincerity of the invitation.

Imam (A) sent his cousin Muslim bin Aqeel (R) to Kufa and

asked him to report from there. Muslim left for Kufa on the

14th of Ramadhan, along with his two sons and two guides.

Meanwhile, Yazid received news in Damascus that Imam (A)

was in Makka for Haj. Hetherefore hired 30 men to disguise

themselves as pilgrims and murder Imam (A). These men

entered Makka with daggers under their Ehram (special white

robes worn duringHaj) with a view to kill Imam (A) even if he

was within the boundaries of the Holy Ka'ba.

At the same time, Imam (A) received a letter from Muslim bin

Aqeel (R) that it was safe for him to come to Kufa. Scores of

people had assured Muslim (R) that they would help and wel-

come Imam Husain (AS). He decided to leave for Kufa once the

159

Haj was over.However, he was then made aware of the presence of Yazid's assassins in Makka.

On the eve of Haj, Imam (A) decided to change his intention

to Umrah instead of Haj,and leave Makka immediately to avoid

bloodshed on the sacred ground of Makka.

In response to the call of the people of Kufa, Imam (A) made

his way towards that city.By that time however, Muslim was in

dreadful trouble in Kufa, where after being welcomed, he was

now having to fight for his very life. Although Muslim desper-

ately tried to send a message to Imam Husain (A) to avoid Kufa

at all costs, he was not successful.

In Kufa, Muslim was given a very warm reception and thou-

sands of people swore the oath of allegiance to Imam Husain

(A) at Muslim's hands. He was impressed, and, guided by the

enthusiasm and assurances of the people, he immediately

wrote a letter to Imam(A) advising him to come to Kufa.

When Yazid learnt of Muslim's arrival in Kufa and the reac-

tion of the people, he despatched Ubaidullah ibne Ziyad as his

governor to Kufa with instructions to force thepeople to with-

draw their support of Muslim. Soon after his arrival, the new

governor had managed to bribe all the leading figures of Kufa

to change their allegiance. To the rest ofthe population a

strong threat was issued. At the time of evening prayers, the

following message was announced: "The Caliph Yazid will consider anyone who is found associating with Muslim bin Aqeel,

the Deputy of Husain bin Ali, to be a rebel. By wayof punish-

ment, such people will be hanged, their families put to sword

and their property confiscated. If anyone has extended any

help to him upto now, no harm will come to him as long as the

support is with drawn immediately".The time for prayers came and Muslim (R) rose to lead the congregation as he had done

since his arrival.

When he completed his prayers, he turned back to find the

whole mosque deserted, except for Hani bin Urwah (R), at

whose house Muslim was a guest.The people of Kufa had all

160

succumbed to the warning of the governor, too cowardly to make a stand against this injustice and knowing that they had

effectively passed the death sentence on Muslim (R). These

were the same people who had deserted Imam Ali (A)and Imam

Hasan (A) in their times of need.

Both men realised that their first priority was to get a mes-

sage to Imam Husain (A) and warn him to turn away from Kufa.

Hani knew the town better so they decided that he should get

away with the message. With a quick farewell, Hani ran out.

He knew that before he left Kufa he had to do something to se-

cure the safety of Muslim's two little boys. He rushed home

and told his wife to get the children out of the back door within structions to leave the city.

As Hani prepared to leave, his house was surrounded by

armed soldiers. Hani drew out his sword, determined not to

give in easily. However, he was hopelessly out numbered and

was overpowered, chained and taken to the governor. Mean-

while, Muslim (R) left the mosque not knowing where to go. At

last he rested against a doorway, tired andthirsty. The door

opened and an old lady stood there.

On learning his identity she quickly pushed him in, warning

him that soldiers every wherewere hunting for him. This pious

lady, who's name was Tau'a (R), told Muslim (R) tohide in her

attic till it was safe to leave. Before retiring into the attic, Muslim (R) told theold lady that he had to get an urgent message to Imam Husain (A). She assured him thather son would

soon return and he was a noble young man who would do his

best to help.When Tau'a's son returned she explained the situ-

ation to him. The evil man immediately thought of the reward

being offered for Muslim's capture. He cunningly assured his

mother that he would make arrangements for Muslim's escape

the next day. In the morning the traitor went and informed the

governor of Muslim's where abouts.

When Muslim (R) heard the approach of soldiers, he knew

that he had been betrayed and had to leave. He snatched a

sword from the room and rushed out. The soldiers, who were

161

expecting a meek surrender, were surprised to see Muslim (R) emerge from the house like an enraged lion. The lane outside

was too narrow for the soldiers to attack him in agroup and

Muslim (R) could thus fight in single combat. Muslim (R) was

no ordinary soldier. He had extensive experience and skill in

combat and the enemies began to fallback under his attack, dy-

ing and being trampled by the hooves of the horses of their

ownmen. The leader of the soldiers sent word to the governor

that they needed more men, a request that astounded Ubaidul-

lah. He tauntingly asked how many warriors they needed to

capture a single man.

When it was suggested that perhaps he would like to go and

capture Muslim (R) himself, the coward backed away. Instead,

he suggested that it would be better to trap Muslim by foul

means.

Accordingly, a trench was dug and then disguised with straw

and sticks.

As Muslim surged forwards attacking the enemy, they broke

away and he unsuspectingly fell into the trench. Immediately,

the cowards who had been running from him, returned to pelt

him with stones.

His head pouring with blood, Muslim (R) fell unconscious. He

was dragged up, chained and brought to Ubaidullah. When

Muslim (R) was presented to Ubaidullah, he stooderect with

dignity. He was asked for his last wish before he joined Hani

(R), who had already been killed. Muslim (R) asked for a mes-

senger to be sent to Imam Husain (A).This request surprised

the governor, who expected a plea for mercy for Muslim's

sons,who had also been found and captured. In any case, he re-

fused the request. Muslim (R)then asked for his armour to be

sold and his debts in Kufa be paid with the proceeds.Agreeing

to this, Ubaidullah then ordered that Muslim (R) be be headed.

As the sword of the executioner fell on his neck, Muslim

spoke his last prayer: "O Holy Imam, pardon me for I was

162

misled. O Allah!, let him know what has happened here andnot come to Kufa."

When Imam Husain (A) left Makka for Kufa, a large group of

people accompanied him.Many of these people thought that if

the grandson of the Holy Prophet (S) was making astand

against Yazid, the whole Muslim world would support him and

Yazid would surelybe toppled. They thought that they would be

able to share in the glory and war booty that would follow. Al-

though Imam Husain (A) repeatedly warned them that they

were mistaken in their thinking, the crowd persisted in travel-

ling with him.

Imam Husain (A) continued on his journey towards Iraq until

he neared Kufa. From there he wrote a letter to the people of

Kufa and sent it through Qays bin Mashar Saidaawi (R).In the

letter he informed the people of Kufa that he had received

Muslim's letter and tha the was on his way to Kufa and would

arrive soon. Qays took the letter to Kufa but was arrested out-

side the city and taken to the governor, Ubaidullah ibne Ziyad.

As he was led to the governor, Qays managed to tell some

people where Imam Husain(A) was, and the word spread

secretly amongst the loyal Kufans, many of whom managed to

reach Imam (A) in Karbala.

The governor told Qays (R) that the only hope he had to save

himself was to mount the pulpit and publicly abuse Imam Hu-

sain (A). Qays (R) addressed the people by first praising Alláh

and then said, "O People, Husain (A) is the best of men living at presentand is the son of Fatima (A) the daughter of your

Prophet (S). I have been sent by him.All of you should rise and

assist him." He then cursed Ubaidullah and his father and

praised Imam Ali (A). By this time, the governor had heard

enough and ordered that Qays be thrown down from a high

roof. Qays (R) did not survive this brutal treatment and was

martyred. His broken body was left on the ground where it fell.

Meanwhile, Imam Husain (A) continued his journey towards

Kufa until he reached a place called Zurud. There, he learnt

163

about the martyrdom of Muslim (R) and Hani (R)and said: "We are from Allah and to Him we all will return." He prayed to Allah to blessthem.

At the stopping place of Uzaybul Hajanaat, Imam Husain (A)

received news about Qays.When the caravan stopped at

Zabala, he informed his companions of the deaths of Muslim,

Hani and Qays and the state of affairs in Kufa. Thereafter, he

said, "Our supporters have withdrawn their support from us.

Whoever wishes to leave us and go hisown way should do so."

At this time most of his companions left and very few re-

mained.These few were his sincere followers and had not come

with him for material gains. In response to the news of Imam

Husain's (A) approach, several military parties had been sent

out to search the desert and stop his advance. One such party,

led by a famouscommander, Hur ibne Yazid ar-Riyahi, met the

caravan of Imam Husain (A) on the 1st ofMuharram 61 A.H.

When they met, Hur's army was exhausted and desperately

thirsty. Imam Husain (A)instructed that water from their stores

be provided to Hur's men and horses.

It was time for noon prayers. Imam Husain (A) led the Jamaat

prayers and Hur's army also prayed behind him. After the pray-

ers were over, Imam Husain (A) addressed Hurand his compan-

ions. He reminded them that he was only there in response to

their written invitations. He also explained that he was the

rightful Imam and that he was one of the people mentioned in

the Holy Qur'an in the verses relating to Mubahila (3:61) an-

dPurification (33:33). He warned them of the consequences of

obeying a man like Yazid,and urged them to refrain from stain-

ing their hands with the innocent blood of the family of the

Holy Prophet (S).

Hur did not accept these words of advice, and although there

was no fighting, he diverted the path of Imam Husain (A) away

from Kufa and led him into the desert. On Thursday,2nd of

Muharram 61 A.H., they reached a place where the horse of

Imam Husain (A)stopped. Although he changed horses several

times, the animals would not carry him further.

164

Gathering the people who lived there, Imam Husain (A) asked the name of the place.Some said that it was called

Naynava, others said it was also called Mariya. Imam Hu-

sain(A) asked if there was any other name. Someone said it

was also known as Shattul Furaat.Then one old man came for-

ward and said that he had heard his ancestors say that one

name for this area was Karbala.

When Imam Husain (A) heard this, he smiled and thanked Al-

lah and then said, "Surely this is the plain where my Holy

Grandfather has prophesied that I, with my faithful compan-

ions shall lay slain after suffering three days of hunger and

thirst. We will not move from here - we have reached our

destination.

"Imam Husain (A) then ordered for his caravan to stop and

tents were pitched next to the banks of the river Euphrates.

The caravan of Imam Husain (A) had arrived in Karbala and

their tents were pitched next to the river Euphrates. As his

companions settled down, Imam Husain (A) took hisbrother Ab-

bas (A) around the barren desert and pointed out the various

places where each of his comrades would fall and be slain on

the Day of Ashura.

The people living in the area were from the tribe of Bani

Asad. Imam Husain (A)purchased the land of Karbala from

them and then gifted it back to them. He thenaddressed the

men of Bani Asad saying, "On the tenth of this month you will see ourdead bodies lying on this plain with our heads severed

and taken away. Please bury us,and when our devotees come

to visit our graves, treat them with honour and point out to

them the places of our burial." He then turned to the women of the tribe and said, "Ovirtuous ladies! If your husbands, fearing Yazid, do not bury us, then please encourage them to do so or

do it yourselves." Finally, he turned to the children of Bani Asad and said, "O innocent ones! If your parents, out of fear of the ruler, do not bury us then, by way of playing, bring some

earth and throw it on our bodies to hide them." This

165

heartrending appeal of Imam Husain (A) made all the listeners weep.

When Ubaidullah ibne Ziyad, Yazid's governor in Kufa, learnt

that Hur had brought Imam Husain (A) and his companions to

Karbala, he sent his troops to surround them.The first man to

arrive in Karbala on behalf of Yazid was Amr ibne Sa'ad, who

was the commander-in-chief of all the forces. He brought with

him 6,000 men.

After that,regiment after regiment began to pour in onto the

plains of Karbala. Historians all agreethat at least 33,000 of

Yazid's men gathered to fight Imam Husain (A), while some

statethat the figure was closer to 900,000 men. This large

army was bent on the massacre ofImam Husain (A) and his

companions for the sake of the rewards that Yazid hadprom-

ised them. Many amongst them were the same people of Kufa

who had invitedImam Husain (A) to come there in the first

place.

The first act of the enemy was to order Imam Husain (A) to

remove his tents from near the river. Abbas (A) objected to this demand, claiming priority of occupation and the right of the

grandson of the Holy Prophet (S) to stay where he had first

camped.When the enemy threatened to march towards their

tents, the lion-hearted Abbas (A)stood firm and drew out his

sword shouting, "If anyone dares to advance one more step forward, he shall lay headless on the ground." His bravery was well known and none dared to step closer. However, Imam Husain (A) called to his brother saying, "Brother Abbas, do not let the blood shed be started by our side. When Allah is with us, it does not matter how far the river is."

Imam Husain (A) then ordered for their camp to be moved

further into the interior of the desert.

In the days that followed there were several meetings

between Imam Husain (A) and Amribne Sa'ad. Amr kept on in-

sisting that the only way to stop war was for Imam Husain

(A)to give the oath of allegiance to Yazid. He said that once the 166

allegiance was given, all worldly comforts would be at the disposal of Imam (A). However, Imam (A) remained firm on his

stand and replied: "I shall never yield to the one who does not believe inAllah and one who defies Him, both by words and actions. I am willing to meet any calamity but will never sur-

render Truth to falsehood."

On the 7th of Muharram, Amr ibne Sa'ad received orders to

block all sources of supply of water to Imam Husain (A). From

that day onwards, not a single drop of water was allowed to

reach the camp of Imam (A). The scorching desert sent heat

waves everywhere and the little children began to cry with in-

tense thirst. Even little babies couldnot receive milk, because

their poor mothers were themselves suffering from thirst.

The brave group of Imam Husain (A) suffered these tortures

with patience as they watched the enormous army that faced

them prepare for war.

On the 9th of Muharram, Shimr arrived in Karbala with or-

ders from Ubaidullah ibne Ziyad for Amr ibne Sa'ad. The or-

ders stated that if Imam Husain (A) did not surrender and give

the oath of allegiance at once, he must be fought and killed

immediately.

On receipt of these orders, Amr rallied a part of his army and

marched towards the camp of Imam Husain (A). Abbas (A) ad-

vanced towards the enemy with 20 horsemen and enquired

from them the reason for their sudden approach.

When he was told of the ultimatum, he said that he would in-

form Imam Husain (A) of the position and bring back the

reply.When Abbas (A) briefed Imam Husain (A) of the situation,

Imam (A) said to his brother,"Go back to them, and if possible, ask for an extension of time till tomorrow morning, so that tonight we may offer prayers to Allah, make Du'as and ask for

His forgiveness".

Amr granted them respite till the next morning with great re-

luctance. Now that they knew that death was inevitable the

167

next morning, the whole camp of Imam Husain (A) readied themselves for martyrdom.

Imam Husain (A) gave a speech on the night of Ashura saying

in part, "O Lord! I thank You, because You have honoured us by means of Prophethood and taught us the Qur'an,made us

understand the religion and its commandments, granted us

eyes, ears and hearts,kept us free from the evils of idol-worship and then enabled us to thank You for Your blessings. I am not

aware of any companions more faithful and honest than my

companions, and any relatives more righteous and kind than

my relatives. May Allah grant you all a good reward. I think the day of our fighting with this army has arrived. Ipermit you all

to go away, because the enemies are after me only. You are

free to depart without any restriction and can take advantage

of the darkness of night".

The people who had come with the wrong intentions had

already left before, and the ones who remained were perfect in

their faith and loyalty. The listeners all rejected the optionof abandoning Imam (A). One said, "Should we go away to live

after you? We pray to Allah that the time may not come when

you may be killed while we remain alive".

Thereafter the whole camp busied itself in preparation for

the events of the next day. The sound of prayers and supplica-

tions filled the air like the buzz of hundreds of bees. Some soldiers checked their weapons, while others discussed tactics of

warfare that would allow them to cause the most damage to

Yazid's army. Mothers prepared their sons to laydown their

lives with Imam Husain (A) in the cause of Islam.

Imam Husain (A) went around the camp talking to his men as

well as his family and giving encouragement and last minute

instructions. He consoled his sister Bibi Zainab(A) and urged

her to remain patient in the face of the hardship that was to

follow his martyrdom.

The night eventually came to an end and the morning of the

day of great sacrifices arrived. After reciting the dawn prayers, 168

Imam Husain (A) arranged his small army in readiness for the battle. Just about one hundred brave men readied themselves

to face the on slaught of thousands.

The 10th of Muharram 61 A.H. is known as the day of

Ashura. On this day in Karbala,the army of Yazid fought the

army of Imam Husain (A). On this day the household of the

Holy Prophet (S) was killed, along side the faithful companions

of Imam (A).

Imam Husain (A) and his companions had spent the entire

night in prayer. In the morning Ali Akbar gave the Adhan. He

resembled the Holy Prophet (S) greatly and his recital re-

minded the people of the early days of Islam.

After the morning prayer, Imam's (A) followers took it in

turns to come forward to address Yazid's army. Many had rel-

atives and friends in the enemy camp and they tried to con-

vince them of the terrible crime they were about to commit.

Finally, Imam Husain (A) came forward himself and ad-

dressed the enemy. He introduced himself and informed them

that he was a peaceful man, living quietly in Madina and not

harming anyone. He asked them why they were so bent on

killing the grandson of the Holy Prophet (S), in whom they all

believed.

Hur bin Yazid ar-Riyahi meanwhile realised that he had com-

mitted a big sin by siding with Yazid. He went to Imam Husain

(A) and begged for forgiveness.

He stood before Hussain (A), eyes cast down, and asked him,

"0! could I but sacrifice myself for you, You son of the Messenger of Allah! I have been stalking you all the way.It was me

who prevented you from going back (to where you came from),

kept close watch on you, and roared on you in this place. I have never thought that the people wouldnot agree to your proposi-tion. Oh Lord! I turn to you in repentance for I frightened the

hearts of Your friends, the offspring of Your Messenger."

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"Oh father of Abdullah! I seek penitence from Allah for what I did. Do you, think that He will accept it? " Imam Husain (A) answered, "Yes, he will accept your repentance".

Hur then addressed Yazid's army after taking permission

from Imam Husain (A)."

Oh, people of Kufa! You called on this good servant of God;

when he responded you welcomed him and claimed that you do

not mind getting killed to spare him. Then you changed your

minds, transgressing against him with a view to killing him.

You put astrangle hold on him, stretched his patience, and be-

sieged him to prevent him from seeking a safe haven in Allah's

vast land. He became like a hostage. You denied him,members

of his household, and companions access to the waters of the

River Euphrates from which Jews, Christians, and fire worship-

pers drink, and pigs and dogs wade in. Yet Husain, his family,

and companion, are dying of thirst. What misery you inherited

the offspring of Mohammad (S)! May Allah not give you drink

on the day of thirst."

Seeing the result of the words of Imam Husain, Amr ibne

Sa'ad, the commander of Yazid's army, was concerned that the

morale of his troops would be affected. He therefore declared

that all should witness that he was casting the first arrow in

battle and he shot an arrow towards Imam (A).

This was the beginning of the battle. Imam (A) had only 32

horsemen and about 72 to 110 soldiers in all. He had fortified

his camp by locating it so that it was enclosed by ac hain of

hills on three sides. This area is known as "Haa-yer" and can be seen even today.

He pitched his tents close together and dug a ditch at the ex-

posed rear. The ditch was filled with firewood which was set

alight when the enemy attacked the camp.After a few single

combats, there was a general attack in the mid-morning. Al-

though theenemy was repulsed. Most of the army of Imam (A)

was killed. By now it was time forthe Zuhr prayer. Imam (A)

prayed Salatul Khawf (prayers under attack) while the battle

170

continued.In the afternoon, it was the turn of the family of the Holy Prophet (S), the Banu Hashim,to sacrifice themselves. Ali

Akbar (A) was the first to go and within an hour, no adult male

remained alive in Imam's (A) camp except his ill son Ali Zainul

Abideen (A) and himself.

The mother of Ali Asghar, Imam Husain (A)'s six month-old

child, requested the Imam to ask Yazid's army for some water

as the infant had been thirsty for three days. The Imam held

the child in his arms and brought him infront of Yazid's army.

Instead of providing him with water, Hurmala bin Kahil on or-

ders of Omar bin Sa'ad, shot the baby with an arrow, killing

him in the arms of his father.

After burying the baby, it was Asr time when Imam Husain

(A) bid the ladies and children farewell and entered the battle-

field. He gave his last speech, once more urging the enemy to

consider their actions. Yazid's army did not want to listen. They wanted tofight. The Imam met in duel with many a man, killing

them all.

Thereupon Omar bin Sa'ad yelled at the crowd, "Mind! He is

the son of the exterminator of the Arabs. Set upon him from

every direction." They rained him with 4,000 arrows.The soldiers cut him off his camp. Imam Husain (A) fought bravely,

scattering them wherever he turned. The enemy could not stop

him.

Finally, Imam (A) paused. He was dizzy with the loss of

blood. He slid off his horse in a little hollow. Here the enemy

found him with his head in Sajdah. The accursed Shimr com-

mitted the most terrible of crimes when he be headed Imam

(A).

Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji'oon.

After the supreme sacrifice had been accepted and our Holy

Imam Husain (A) had been martyred, a gloomy silence hung

over the battle field of Karbala.

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Every now and then the silence would be broken by the sound of drum-beating to celebrate victory. Not content with

spilling the innocent blood of Imam Husain (A) and his compan-

ions, Amr ibne Sa'ad, the commander of Yazid's army, ordered

the horses to be shod afresh and then run over the bodies of

the dead Muslims. Although some people from his army objec-

ted to this gross disrespect to the dead, he managed to enforce

this horrible action. Having trampled over the bodies of the

martyrs, the enemy next turned their attention to the defence

less camp of Imam Husain (A).

Yazid's soldiers marched into the camp where they subjected

the grief-stricken ladies to further torment and indignity. They had expected to find luxurious articles in the tents ofthe family of the Holy Prophet (S), but all they found were simple items

and clothes,some of which had been stitched by Bibi Fatima (A)

with her own hands. The ruthless soldiers snatched away these

few possessions of sentimental value. They were angry at the

lack of booty, and they took the veils off the struggling ladies forcing them to expose their hair and faces. This humiliation

was almost too much to bear.

Looting and Burning of the tents - Shame Ghariba (Eve of the

Disposessed)Not satisfied with this, the enemy set fire to the

tents. The terrified ladies of the prophet's family gathered their children and rushed from tent to tent, trying to escape the

burning flames. One young child was seen rushing out of a tent

with her clothes on fire. One ofthe enemy soldiers, seeing her

pitiable condition came forward and put out the flames.The

child looked at him, surprised at the unexpected kindness.

Tearfully, the little child asked him, "O Shaikh, do me one more kindness and tell me the way to Najaf." The soldier was very surprised at this unusual request, and replied, "Najaf is far away from here. Why do you want to know the way there?".

The child said with heartbreaking innocence, "I want to go to the grave of my grandfather Imam Ali (A) and complain about

what your people have done to us - how our men were

butchered and how our ladies have been whipped. I want to

172

tell him how the earrings were snatched from my cousin Sakina's ears, leaving her earlobes torn and bleeding."

Bibi Zainab (A), who had been left in charge of the camp by

Imam Husain (A), was at a loss as to what to do. She went to

the seriously ill Imam Ali Zainul Abideen (A). He layun con-

scious on the ground after the enemy had even robbed the mat-

tress on which he lay.She shook him urgently to ask his advice.

He was burning with fever but with a great effort he replied

that it was compulsory on them to save their lives and he asked

her to get everyone out from the burning tents into the open.

Soon the raging fires subsided leaving only one tent stand-

ing, although it was also damaged by fire. The ladies and chil-

dren salvaged whatever they could of their few belongings and

huddled together in that little shelter waiting for night fall.

The night following the day of Ashura is known as Shaam e

Ghariban. It was the night when the bereaved family of Proph-

et Muhammad (S), exhausted by the tragic events of Ashura

and after being looted by the Muslims, sat in loneliness, each

thinking about the loved ones they had lost in the unjust battle on that day.

Due to the illness of Imam Ali Zainul Abideen (A), Bibi Zainab

(A) realised that she would have to take care of the small group of women and children herself. She called her sister Bibi

Umme Kulthum (A) to help her and they decided to count all

the children to see that none had gone missing in the confusion

of the fire. To her horror and dismay Bibi Zaynab (A) found

that Bibi Sakina (A), the beloved daughter of Imam Husain

(A),was not there.

The two ladies searched everywhere for the young girl but in

vain. Finally, indesperation, Bibi Zainab (A) went to the place

where the body of her brother Husain (A)lay and cried, "O my brother, Sakina, who you left in my care, is nowhere to be

found.Where shall I look for her in this wilderness?" Just then, the moon came out from behind a cloud and Bibi Zainab (A)

saw that little Sakina (A) lay on her father, sleeping on hischest 173

like she always used to. She shook the child awake and said,

"My child, how didyou find your father's be headed body in this darkness?"

The little girl replied innocently, "I wanted to tell my father about what the people had done to me. I wanted to tell him

how Shimr had robbed the earrings that my father had solov-

ingly given me. I wanted to tell him how he had ripped them

from my ears leaving my earlobes torn and bleeding. I wanted

to tell him how the beast had mercilessly slapped mewhen I

cried in pain. When I was running aimlessly in the desert I

thought I heard myfather's voice telling me he was here. I fol-

lowed the voice and I found him lying here. I told him

everything and then I felt like sleeping on his chest the way I

always did, for the last time. So I kept my head on his chest

and slept till you came.

"Bibi Zainab (A) took the little child's hand and led her back to the camp where her mother Bibi Rubab waited anxiously.

She had just returned the exhausted child to her mother when

she noticed that a group of people were advancing towards the

camp carrying flame torches. She thought that some soldiers

had returned to loot them and she hurried to stop them from

disturbing the children who had finally gone to sleep despite

their hunger and thirst.

However, it turned out that the arrivals were a group of

ladies, the wives of some of the enemy soldiers. They were led

by the widow of Hur, who had joined Imam Husain's (A)army

from the enemy camp.

Hur's widow said, "Dear lady, we have been asked to bring

food and water for the children and bereaved ladies of your

camp." She continued sadly, "I am the widow of Hurwho died fighting for your brother. When the soldiers of Amr ibne Sa'ad

realised that allof you would perish of hunger and thirst, and

that they would not be able to take youback to Yazid according

to his command, they sent me to bring food and water to you."

174

Bibi Zainab (A) offered her condolences at the death of Hur and apologised that they had not been able to offer him much

hospitality. This remark prompted Hur's widow to say, "My

lady, I do not know how to offer you condolences, because you

lost not one, but 18 members of your family."

Bibi Zainab (A) supervised the feeding of all the children and

ladies. She then took a broken sword in her hands and began

going around the camp ensuring that the small group was safe

from any further disturbances during that night.

On the morning of 11th Muharram, the army commander,

Amr ibne Sa'ad called his officers to decide what steps they

should take next. It was decided that the captives should be led through Kufa to Damascus to the court of Yazid. Amr ibne

Sa'ad marched directly on to Damascus to inform Yazid about

the events of Karbala, and to obtain his promised reward. He

left Shimr and Khooli in charge of the captives.

With these arrangements completed, some soldiers were ap-

pointed to bind the ladies and children. They tied ropes and

chains round their hands and feet. The ladies were put on

camels with no saddles. The hands of some of the ladies were

tied behind them and linked to the necks of the young children.

Imam Ali Zainul Abideen (A) was heavily chained and made to

walk on foot, despite his weakened condition. The heartless of-

ficers made the captives pass by the place where the bodies of

their loved ones lay, headless and without even shrouds over

them. Many of the ladies and children threw themselves down

from the camels to the bodies of their dead relatives, only to be whipped by the soldiers. Even the innocent children were not

spared the lashes.

Once the captives were made ready, the heads of all the mar-

tyrs were mounted on spears.Every soldier who was given a

severed head was made in charge of it and marched at the

front of the army. The head of Imam Husain (A) was given to

Khooli, who was a hard hearted tyrant.

175

Finally the caravan got underway for Kufa. The pitiful condition of the little children was such that they could not hold on to the camels due to their inexperience and the rapidpace of

the march. Many children fell to the ground as a result. Des-

pite the pleading ofthe mothers, the heartless soldiers would

not halt the march to remount a fallen child.Today, the road

from Karbala to Kufa has many graves of such children who

were left todie in the hot desert.

Within a few hours, the caravan reached the out skirts of

Kufa. Shimr decided to send a messenger to inform the gov-

ernor, Ubaidullah ibne Ziyad, of their arrival. The messenger

returned, saying that all preparations had been made, and the

captives should be marched through the main streets of the

town.

The people of Kufa lined the streets and looked from the bal-

conies of their houses as thefamily of prophet Muhammad (S)

was paraded in front of them. The announcer was saying, "O

people of Kufa, we are bringing you the grand-daughters of the

Prophet and other women and children of the family of Husain

son of Ali. Husain, who had risen inrebellion against our Caliph Yazid, has been defeated and killed with his companions onthe

battle field of Karbala. The members of his family are now be-

ing taken to the court of

Yazid, to face whatever punishment he wishes to inflict upon

them. People of Kufa, thisis the fate that awaits all those who

question the authority of Yazid, and no person whotries to rise

against Yazid will be spared."

The people heard all this in astonishment. Not long ago Kufa

was the capital of Imam Ali(A), and they all remembered the

kindness shown to them by him and his sons anddaughters. On

seeing the pitiful condition of the captives, many were crying,

but nonedared to raise their voice against the oppressors, in

case a similar fate be fell them.

Finally the caravan reached the court of the governor. When

he saw the condition of the captives, he mockingly said that it

176

seemed that some slave girls had been brought before him, and not the grand-daughters of the Holy Prophet (S). This remark

made Bibi Zainab(A) lose her temper and she addressed

Ubaidullah ibne Ziyad with a fiery and eloquent speech.

Bibi Zainab (A) related the status of the Holy Prophet (S) and

his Holy Ahlul Bayt (A).She reminded him of the teachings of

Islam about the considerations to be given to prisoners, espe-

cially women and children. She warned him about the tempor-

ary nature ofhis victory and the doom that he and his evil mas-

ter Yazid would soon face. She began to tell the assembled

people about the in human crimes committed against Imam

Husain (A)and his companions.

As she spoke, the people were reminded of the eloquence of

her father Imam Ali (A).Ubaidullah became worried at the ef-

fect the speech of Bibi Zainab (A) was having on the people. He

tried to shout her down by threatening the worst possible tor-

ture if she did not stop. Undaunted by his threats, the brave

lady continued and her words moved many to tears. One of the

aged companions of the Holy Prophet (S), Zaid bin Arkan, who

was blind, rose up and protested at the cruel treatment of the

members of the family of the Holy Prophet (S).

Ubaidullah realised at once that the situation could get out of

hand. The speech of Bibi Zainab (A) could cause an uprising

against him if he did not act quickly. He ordered his men to get rid of the companion of the Holy Prophet (S) and told Shimr

and Khooli to get the captives out of Kufa immediately.

Arrangements were made for departure straight away, and

Shimr chose the quietest route to Damascus so that he would

not face any surprise attacks from anyone wishing to avenge

the martyrs of Karbala. The caravan of the captive families of

Imam Husain (A)and his companions was led by Shimr through

the deserts of Iraq and Syria, from Kufa to Damascus (Sham).

Throughout the journey people noted with wonder that the

lips of the cut head of Imam Husain (A) kept on moving, recit-

ing verses from the Holy Qur'an. Clearly heard was the

177

following verse: Do you think that the people of the Cave and of the Inscription were of Our wonderful miracles? Surae Kahf,

18:9

By reciting this verse, the Holy Imam (A) was calling the at-

tention of the people to the next verses of this chapter of the

Holy Qur'an (18 : 9-14), where Allah relates how He increased

the guidance and strengthened the hearts of the Companions

of the Cave, whenthey stood up against the evil- doers. Even in

death, our Holy Imam (A) was pointing out the similarity of the

message of his stand in Karbala to the other event from ancient

history.The captives finally reached Damascus. On reaching

the city gates, the caravan was halted and Yazid was informed

of their arrival and his permission was sought to bring the cap-

tives into his court.

By the time the captive ladies and children of prophet

Muhammad's family reached Damascus, they were in a terrible

state. Their bodies were covered in dust, their clothes were in

rags and blood oozed from the wounds and cuts inflicted by the

tight ropes and whips.

As the caravan was paraded through the streets, majority of

the people of Damascus hurled stones at them. Some were

moved by their pitiable condition. They could not believe that

these ladies, who were covering their faces with their hair,

were actually from the family of the Holy Prophet (S). They

wondered how Yazid had dared to humiliate these holy people

in such a manner.

Finally, the prisoners arrived at the court of Yazid. After a

wait of one full hour under the scorching sun, the orders came

from Yazid to admit the captives into the court. As they entered they saw that Yazid sat on an elevated gold throne while his

courtiers and foreign envoys sat on gilded chairs around him.

Yazid was already quite drunk. What a terrible spectacle the

poor prisoners had to witness. They saw that the accursed op-

pressor had the head of Imam Husain (A) on a tray at his feet

and he was rattling a cane against the teeth and lips of the

Holy Imam (A). He was boasting, "Ah, aren't these the same

178

lips thatreceived the kisses of Muhammad? How delighted will be my ancestors when they seehow I have taken revenge for

their defeats in the battles of Badr and Hunayn." In his drunk state, Yazid could not believe that the people he saw before

him were members of the family of the Holy Prophet (S). In a

quivering rage he accused Amr ibne Sa'ad of substituting

slaves instead of the relatives of Imam Husain (A).

Amr ibne Sa'ad knew that Yazid was more dangerous than

normal when he was drunk so he quickly reassured him and

began to point out the ladies. He said, "O Commander of the Faithful, your slave has done exactly what you asked. Those

are the sisters of Husain,Zainab and Umme Kulthum. The

young girls are Sakina and Rukayya, the daughters ofHusain.

That lady is Rubab, the widow of Husain, while the others are

orphans and widows of Husain's friends and relatives. The man

before you is Husain's son Ali."

Yazid turned his attention to the people that Amr ibne Sa'ad

had identified. He noticed that an old lady was standing in

front of one of the lady prisoners, as if shielding her from the gaze of Yazid. He pointed towards the direction of the lady and

shouted, "Who is that one sheltering behind the old woman,

and why?" Amr ibne Sa'ad replied, "Your Majesty,

she is Zainab, daughter of Ali and Fatima and the old woman

standing in front of her isFizza, the Abyssinian princess, who

calls herself the slave of Fatima and Zainab."Yazid ordered Shimr, who was guarding the prisoners, to throw Fizza aside

so he couldhave a full view of Bibi Zainab (A). Seeing Shimr ad-

vance towards her, Fizza turned tothe Abyssinian slaves who

stood armed behind Yazid as his bodyguards, and said,

"Obrothers from my native country, will you watch silently

while an aged lady from yourland is molested in this manner?"

Hearing the words of Fizza, some of the slaves stepped for-

ward and warned Yazid,saying, "Your Majesty, ask Shimr to

step back from our lady Fizza. If he does anything toher, blood

will flow like water in your court.

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"Yazid was stunned at this threat and immediately stopped Shimr and assured his bodyguards that he would not harm

Fizza. However, he was furious at the fact that he had been hu-

miliated in this manner in front of everyone and he soon wound

up the courtsession, deciding to imprison the captives in the

dark dungeons of the fort of Damascus.

For is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance,

that he may avenge him of his adversaries; and the sword shall

devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk withtheir blood;

for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country

by the river Euphrates (furat). Jeremiah 46:10 Bible

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25

Chapter

Mahdi (AS): The Twelfth Imam

From the times of Prophet Muhammad (saw) up to and long

after the times of Mutamid and Motasim of the Abasi khalif, it

was known to all the Muslims that the 12th successor of Proph-

et Muhammad (SAW), by the name of Mahdi, would form a

government and establish the law of God on earth. This is why

both Shia and Sunni Muslims are looking forward to the com-

ing of Mahdi.

Just as Pharaoh feared the coming of Mosses and ordered the

killing of every male childborn to Israelis, Motamid the Khalif

of the time also feared the 12th successor of Muhammad and

hence ordered his spies to keep a keen eye on Hassan al Askari

(the 11th successor of prophet Muhammad (saw)). His spies

were to inform him as soon as the child was born so that he

may slay the child thus preventing him from taking to rule over

the people. Little did the faithless tyrant know that he could

not alter what Allah (SWT)willed.

The birth of Mahdi (A) was not announced openly but people

who gathered at the house of Hassan al Askari heard the intro-

duction and the praises of Mahdi and kept their contact after

the demise of Imam Hassan (A). When Imam Hassan (A) died

as a result of the poison administered to him by the tyrant Mot-

amid, His son Muhammad ibn Hassan alMahdi was only five

years old.

The City of Samarah was so immersed in sadness and lam-

entations upon the martyrdom of Imam Hassan, that all the

people closed down their place of work and went to Imam

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Hassan's house. The great multitude, carried the body of Imam Hassan for burial in the most respectable manner. Mutamid

was be wildered at the movement of masses, that hetried hard

to cover up his crime, and he tried to portrayed the passing

away of Hassan as a natural death. Mutamid sent the brother

of Hassan Askari to attend to the burial rituals and to make

people believe that nobody killed Hassan (A). And he also took

up the workof distributing the wealth of Imam Hassan (A) so as

to show that he had no heir. When the people gathered for fu-

neral prayers and Hassan's brother stood to lead the pray-

ers,Imam Mahdi who was only 5 years old came forward,

pushed his Uncle aside and led the funeral prayer himself, in-

dicating to the public that he was the heir to Hassan al As-

kari.After leading the Funeral prayers Imam Muhammad al

Mahdi went into Ghaibah Sugrah(short disappearance from

public which lasted for 71 years (from the age of 5 to 76)

In this period of 71 years, when Imam would only see his

friends and associates, who came with their problems and re-

ceived guidance, while the government officials and agents

were deprived from his audience. During this period Imam (A)

appointed four representatives, one after the other, who would

attend to the affairs of people and carry the letters to and fro, between Imam (A) and the people. The four Representatives of

Imam (A) were:- 1) Usman bin Saeed 2) Muhammad bin Usman

3) Husain bin Raoh 4)Ali bin Muhammad Sumairi. These were

the trusted companions who executed their duties faithfully.

The period of Ghaibah-e-Kubrah (Disappearance for a longer

period), started from 329 AH and has continued to date. When

the life of the fourth representative was coming toan end,

Imam (A) informed him that he will pass away from this world

in four days, and thus he should finish the pending work. Imam

(A) ordered him not to nominate any person after him and that

he should inform the Shias that Imam (A) will be going into

ghaibah kubrah for a long period. People will not have access

to him and so they should follow the most learned in religious

maters. This is the reason the Shias in accordance to the or-

ders of Imam Mahdi, do takleed (i.e. follow the most learned in

religion).

182

Near the end of the world when the religion will almost be nonexistent and there will be pain and tribulation, war and

famine, and the world will be drowned in sorrows, Imam(A)

will come out of ghaibah by the orders by Allah (SWT) and take

control and establish the divine law on the earth. Peace will return to the world and mankind will see the benefit of the guid-

ance of Allah (SWT)."

The world will not come to an end," said the Prophet

Muhammad, " until a man from my family (Ahlulbayt) and of

my name shall be master of the world, When you see agreen

ensign coming from the direction of Khorasan, then join them,

for the Imam of God will be with the standards who will be

called al-Mahdi." "The Mahdi will be descended from me, he will be a man with an open countenance and a face with a high

nose. He will fill the earth with equity and with justice, just as it has been filled with tyranny and oppression." (Biharul An-war, Majlisi)

There is a famous saying of Imam Hussain (AS) about the

twelvth Imam. " The Ninth of my descendants is the Imam who will rise with the Truth. God will grant life to earth through

him after its death. The true faith will supersede all religions through him. His absence shall be lengthy during which many

people will go astray. Only a few will remain on the Right Path.

They shall suffer pains, people will put pressure on them,say-

ing," let us know when this promise of the Return of the Mahdi is fulfilled". Those who will bear the pains and denials patiently will get the same rewards as those who accompanied the

Prophet during his expeditions for Jihad." Imam Zainul

Abedeen (AS)has said, " Of us one will be born whose birth will remain secret so much so that the people will say that he was

not born at all." Imam Muhammad al Baqir (AS) is quoted by

Kulaini in Al-Kafi, " Nine Imams after Hussain are destined, the last of them will be al-Qaim." Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (AS) is

quoted in Ilal al-shaa'i saying, " The fifth of the descendants of my son Musa will be the Qa'im a descendant of the Prophet

(SA). Imam Musa ibn Ja'afar (AS) was asked once, " Are the

Qa'im with the truth?" The Imam replied, " I also rise 183

truthfully, but the real Qa'im is he who will remove the enemies of God from earth and will fill it with justice. He shall be my fifth descendant. His absence will be lengthy during which

multitudes will turn away from the faith while only a few will

uphold it". Imam Ali al-Reza (AS) as in the above saying of Imam Hussain (AS) said due to the excessive the length of the

concealment of the 12th Imam many believers will have doubts

about his existence. Many will question the very longevity of

his life and the usefulness of his presence as an Imam. Reza

said, " O Da'bil, my son Muhammad (AS)will come when I am

gone. After him, his great grand son will be named

Muhammad(AS) who will be the Qa'im. He will be awaited dur-

ing his absence. When he appears, the world shall bow down

before him." Imam Muhammad Taqi (AS) has said "The Qa'im will be from amongst us the third of my descendants". Imam

Ali Naqi (AS)said, " My successor will be my son Hasan; but what will be your condition during the reign of Hasan's successor"? Those who were present asked, "Why, what do you mean by that"? Imam replied, " you will not have the chance to see him, later you will not be allowed to mention his name".

Then the Imam was asked as to how they should mention him.

Imam replied, " You may say that he is the last of Muhammad's (infallible)descendants. " Some people asked Imam Hasan al-Askari (AS), " your fore fathers have said that the earth would never be without knowing the sign of Allah (Hujjatullah) till

Dooms day, and he who dies without knowing the Imam of his

time will die the death of ignorance". Imam replied, " That was as true as the shining day. They inquired as to who would be

the Imam who would be the sign of the Mercy of God after his

death, Imam replied, " He will be my son, the name sake of the Holy Prophet (Muhammad Abul Qasim). He who died without

knowing him will die the death of ignorance. His absence will

be so lengthy that the ignorant will wander puzzled and would

surely stray from the Right Path. But the Righteous shall re-

main steadfast and pray for their Imam to appear within their

life time".

As far as the longevity of his life, in Qur'anic terms it is not difficult to explain. Prophet Jesus is alive and will come out

with the 12th Imam. Prophet Sheeth and Prophet Khidhrare

184

still alive according to the Verdict of the Qur'an. If God keeps his guided ones alivefor a certain purpose there should not be

any doubt.

As for the usefulness of his concealed existence, there are

numerous occasions when the Imam miraculously helped those

who called him for help. Although absent and unrepresented,

Imam al-Mahdi (AS) still guides people and defends the faith.

Eventhough unseen, the Imam supervises the world affairs and

guides it. This curtain will existas long as Providence deems it necessary. The time will come, which may be too late formany

of us, but when the curtain of absence will be removed, Imam

al-Mahdi (AS) will reappear and as predicted by the Prophet,

fill the world with justice and equity, discarding the prevailing injustices and oppressions. May God bring about his early reappearance and ease his coming.

The Shia believe that Imam al-Mahdi is the only son of Imam

Hasan al-Askari (the 11th Imam) who was born on the 15th of

Sha'ban 255/869 in Samarra, Iraq. He became the divinely ap-

pointed Imam when his father was martyred in 260/874. Imam

al-Mahdi went into occultation (disappearance; leaving among

people while he is not identified) at the same time. He will re-

appear when Allah wills. More specifically: His title is "alMahdi"which

means

"The

Guided

One."

His

name

is

Muhammad Ibn al-Hasan (AS). His lineage, traced back to

Imam Ali (AS), is: Muhammad Ibn al-Hasan Ibn Ali Ibn

Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn Musa Ibn Ja'far Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ali

Ibn al-Husain Ibn Ali Ibn Abi Talib (AS).

Imam al-Mahdi disappeared in 260/874 when he became

Imam. The last time that he was seen, was in the cellar of his

father's house in Samarra, Iraq. That is why it is rumored re-

garding Shia that they believe al-Mahdi is in the cave!!! Some

Sunni historians ignorantly attributed that Shia believe al-

Mahdi is hiding in the cellar. Shia do NOT believe that Imam

al-Mahdi is in the Cave or Cellar! He was just seen there for

the last time. He can be anywhere Allah wishes. However one

thing is clear is that he lives on the earth among people while

people do not perceive. If that cellar has become famous

185

as"Cellar of Occultation" (Sardab al-Ghaybah), it is because it was made so by the non-Shi'i sources. There is NO mention of

such name by the Shia scholars.

Imam al-Mahdi (AS) will come as soon as people become

ready for him. People throughout the history were NEVER

ready. They killed prophets, and Imams one after the other.

However Allah continued to send prophets till He finally sent

Prophet Muhammad who brought the last message at the time

when the evolution of the mind ofhuman being reached its ma-

turity, and thus Allah provided them with the most complete

and final religion. After that there was no need to send a new

message. Thus He sent Guides (Imams) who preserved and ex-

plained the message during the time of tribulation,for people.

They also did that, and we are proud that we have had Imams

like Imam Ja'faral-Sadiq (AS) who explained all aspects of Jurisprudence, etc. He had a golden opportunity of teaching during

the clashes between the Umayad and the Abbasids.During that

short period when the tyrants of both sides were busy with

each other, the Imam was teaching Jurisprudence and theology

in classes with as much as 5000 students.(No need to mention

that Abu Hanifa was one of his students). Now the time is for-

action. But unfortunately the majority of people were/are re-

luctant to follow the right path, and instead, they opposed and

killed the Imams of Ahlul-Bayt, and treated them in the same

way that their ancestors treated the prophets. (Even Prophet

Muhammad said:"No Prophet was ever annoyed as much as

me").Imam al-Mahdi (AS) will come when he has 313 top virtuous helpers become available.

Imam al-Mahdi can not govern the world with no helper, min-

ister, etc. The communities should generate these top individu-

als. In fact, non of our other 11 Imams had such number of

high rank followers.

Before his demise, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH & HF) in-

structed Imam Ali (AS) that if the number of his followers loyal to him (after the demise of the Prophet) exceeds 40men, he

should use force to restore his right and take the power, other-

wise he should keep silent since the only remaining pious

186

people would be killed without being able to help Islam. Unfortunately, the number of people who remained loyal to Imam Ali

(AS) did notreach to this amount, at that crucial moment.

187

26

Chapter

Majlis e Hussain

The Commemoration of Imam Hussains ( as ) has been ob-

served by the followers of Ahlal Bayt ( members of the House

of the Prophet ( saw ) ) for centuries; yet many Muslims resent

it, thinking that this would divide or increase the division of the Muslims. To my understanding this argument is unsound for

the following reasons :- Imam Hussain andhis opponent Yazeed

are on the opposite ends of the Heavenly Scale. There is no

Muslim School that doubts the purity and qualification of the

Imam. Righteous Muslims also know that Imam Hussain is a

dear grandson of the Prophet Muhammad ( saw ), and tha the

is a leader of the youth of the paradise. On the other hand, Yazeed is unacceptable to any Muslim, and every Mulsim con-

demns him, and will continue to do so, for his transgression

and for the crimes he committed against the Ahl al Bayt. With

such a clear distinction there should be no confusion among

the Muslims on account of the commemoration of this great

Imam. No Muslim party should be angered by hearing thetruth

about the great Imam and his opponent Yazeed!

Imam Hussain and the rest of the Ahl al Bayt did not receive

in their lives the fairness and respect due to them on the part

of the Muslims, while the rest of the Companions of the Proph-

et ( saw ) received of that as much as they deserved ( or more

). The members of the House of the Messenger were denied

even the right to live or feel safe. The Muslims, should there-

fore try to correct the mistake of history by uncovering the virtues of these distinguished people.

188

To keep the names of these people alive is in the interest of the Muslims. The Messenger of God, Mohammad ( saw ), said

when he was returning from his valedictory pilgrimage,while at

Ghadir Khum: I am about to be called ( by the Lord to depart

from this World )and respond ( to His call ). I am leaving for

You the Two Valuables ( one of them isbigger than the other ):

The Book of God and the members of my House. Beware how

you shall treat the two after me, because they will not part

with each other until they join me on the Day of Judgement! -

Mustadrak of al Hakim, vol. 3 p 109 - Sahih of Tirmizi,vol. 2 p

307 - Musnad of Ahmed Hanbal, vol. 3 p 14, 217 - Khasais of al

Nasai, p 30 -Sahih of Muslim, vol. 4 p 1286 hadith 5920

Thus honoring their memories and informing people about

them would be in accord with the advice of the Messenger (

saw ), and would provide the Muslims with what they need of

Guidance.The History of this great Martyr is a school for the

seekers of the truth. Every Muslim canlearn a great deal from

the supreme sacrifice and the courage of the Imam. The

Muslims are still living under similar conditions now as before.

Corruption is still prevalent in our society, and tyrants, like

Yazeed, are no rarity in Muslims and non - Muslim coun-

tries,but we don't have men like the Imam Hussain. For-

tunately, this commemoration is providing the Muslim World

with some of his excellent students.

Today, the tragic tale remains the same. There is nonetheless

a growing vigour amongst the participants in the aza. The

hearts cry out "Ya Hussain!", the tears flow uncontrollably at the very mention of the name of a martyr. The audience may

have heard it all hundreds of time, and yet the sorrow and grief never seem to abate.

To a dispassionate observer all this may seem to be incom-

prehensible. Yet he can not but appreciate the underlying

strength of character, the devotion of the participants to their Imam and his followers and the determination of the traders,

industrialists, working menand women and the youths consti-

tuting the community to preserve their identity as Shiahs. This

is our resource. This is our strength. This is our dormant

189

volcano which can unleash the lava of spirituality to enlighten not only the Muslim ummah but also the entire mankind. Sadly

they remain as yet not fully exploited.

The first majlis-e-Hussain was recited in the market-place of

Kufa by a lady (Hz Zainabbinte Ali (AS) from whose head her

veil had been ripped off, whose hopes and aspirations had been

destroyed on the blood-drenched sands of Kerbala but whose

indomitable spirit stepped forward to free the Islamic values

from the yoke of tyranny and oppression. Standing on her un

saddled camel, she looked at the multitude rejoicing the victory of Yezid. As soon as people saw her, they were quiet. They

knew that a historic moment for Kufa had arrived. Looking

straight at them, the daughter of Ali said:"Woe upon you O

people of Kufa. Do you realise which piece of Muhammad’s

heart you have severed! Which pledge you have broken! Whose

blood you have shed! Whose honour you have desecrated! It is

not just Hussain whose headless body lies unburied on the

sands of Kerbala. It is the heart of the Holy Prophet. It is the very soul of Islam!"

The first majlis touched and moved the people of Kufa so

deeply as to give rise to both the Tawwabun movement and al-

Mukhtar’s quest for vengeance.

When the news of tragedy reached Medina in the third week

of Muharram there was such intense weeping and wailing from

the homes of Banu Hashim that the very walls of masjidun-

nabawi began to tremble. Zainab, Umme Luqman, the daugh-

ter of Aqeel ibne Abi Talib came out screaming: "What will you say when the Prophet asks you: "What have you, the las-tummah, done with my offspring and my family after I left

them? Some of them are prisoners and some of them lie killed,

stained with blood. What sort of ajr-e-risaalah isthis that you

disobey me by oppressing my children ?"Fatimah Binte Huz-

aam, also known as Ummul Baneen, carried her young grand-

sonUbaidullah ibne Abbas and prepared to go out. When asked

where she was going, she said that she was taking the orphan

of Abbas to offer condolences to the mother of Hussain.Mar-

wan ibne Hakam reports that every afternoon men and women

190

would gather at Jannat-ul-Baqee and there would be remembrance of the tragedy of Kerbala and the weeping and wailing

could be heard miles away.When the prisoners were finally

freed by Yezid, Bibi Zainab asked for an opportunity tohave

rites of remembrance in Damascus. A house was made avail-

able to them and aza-e-Hussain went on for over a week. Bibi

Zainab (A.S.) laid the foundation of aza-e-Hussainin the very

capital of his murderer!

On their return to Madina, Bibi Zainab (A.S.) took over the

leadership of aza-e-Hussain in the city of the Holy Prophet.

This aroused such strong emotions in the people and such re-

vulsion against the oppressor that Amr ibne Said ibne al-Aas

wrote to Yezid to haveBibi Zainab exiled from Madina. This

was done in the beginning of 62 A.H. Bibi Zainab(A.S.) died

shortly afterwards.

We have, however, several a hadeeth about the merits of par-

ticipating in the mourning ceremonies. In this connection we

must remember that the regime was hostile to the shiahs and

was anxious to cover up the tragedy of Kerbala.

Imam Zainul Abideen (A.S.) is reported to have said: "When a believer’s eyes shed tears for the death of al-Hussain until they flow over his cheeks, Allah will provide for him rooms in

Paradise which he will inhabit for a long time. When a believ-

er’s eyes shed tears until they flow over his cheeks because of

the atrocities inflicted upon us by our enemies in this world, Allah will provide him with a true abode in paradise." - Ibn Qawlawayah p. 103I.

Imam Muhammad Baqir (A.S.) issued a directive which gave

a definite form to the keeping of the memory of Imam Hussain

(A.S.) alive. He recommended that for those believers for

whom it was possible and convenient they should go for the zi-

yarah of the grave of Imam Hussain. For those for whom it was

not possible or convenient, they should gather together and

hold mourning ceremony and weep. - Ibn Qawlawayah p. 104

191

There is also the following tradition reported from the fifth Imam: May Allah have mercy on a man who meets with another in order to remember our situation. There will be an angel

with them who will seek forgiveness for them. If you gather to-

gether and occupy yourselves in remembering us, then our

memory will be kept alive in your meetings and remembrances.

The best of people after us are those who remember our situ-

ation andurge others to remember us. - Ibn Qawlawayah p.

174/5

It is reported that al-Fudhayl Ibne Yasaar came to pay his re-

spects to the Imam Ja’far Sadiq (A.S.): After the exchange of

usual courtesies, Imam asked al-Fudhayl: "Do you people ever organise majaalis to recall the martyrdom of Imam Hussain?"

Al-Fudhayl,with tears pouring down his eyes, replied: "Yabna Rasulillah, indeed we do." The Imam said: "May Allah bless you. I highly approve of such majaalis."

On another occasion, the poet Ja’far ibne Iffaan recited to

our Imam al-Sadiq a poem on the tragedy of Kerbala. The

Imam began to weep uncontrollably. He then addressed the

poet in the following terms: "O Iffaan, do not think that it is only those whom you can see here are listening to your poetry.

In fact Allah’s closest angels are present here at this majlis and they are all listening to your recitation and they too lament and weep. May Allah bless you for what you have recited. He will,

inshallah, reward you with paradise for your efforts on our

behalf."

It must be borne in mind that the Arabs mostly expressed

their emotion through poetry.Poetry thus became the medium

of describing the horrors of the tragedy of Kerbala, the cause

of Imam Hussain and the atrocities which the ahlul-bayt were

made to endure.There are today extant several poems which

the poets recited in presence of our holy Imams and as such

can be regarded as having been approved by them both as to

form and substance.

The only historical account in prose that was written not long

after the massacre of Kerbala was that of Abi Mikhnaf. His

192

account is relied upon both by Tabari and Shaykh Mufeed (A.R.). Many other accounts were written and published after

the ghaybah. The most well known amongst these are the

Aamali by Shaykh Suduq (A.R.) and the great work of Allamah

Majlisi (A.R.), the Bihar-ul-Anwaar.

Aza-e-Hussain is a force that can be mobilised to take the

community to the pinnacle of spiritual enrichment. The people

who can make us attain this objective are our dhakirs.They

have the undivided attention of their audience during the

months of Muharram and Safar. The audience is there willing

and waiting to surrender their emotions to the wordsof the

dhakir. This also prepares them to listen to and imbibe the ac-

count of the cause of Imam Hussain (A.S.), the basic values of

Islam and what is expected of them as good Muslims. They

would be willing to be placed in the ‘discomfort zone’ by some

home truths from the dhakir, so long as the dhakir does not go

into personal attack of any person or group.

We must never lose sight of the fact that we have only two in-

stitutions to impart knowledge of Islamic precepts, ethics, the

basic values and to deal with social and other problems con-

fronting the community. One is the madressa and the other is

the majaalis.For the adults and the youths no longer in the

madaaris they have only one forum for spiritual enlightenment.

This is the majaalis.

In a letter which he addressed to the people of Kufa Imam

wrote: "An Imam is one who judges by the Holy Qur'an, up-

holds justice, professes the religion of truth and dedicates himself to obeying Allah and His Prophet."

When Hur and his army stopped Imam caravan from going to

Kufa, and Hur told Imam that his order from ibne Ziyad was to

ask Imam for Bai'at to Yezid, Imam refused to declare Bai'at to

someone who was only serving his own ends and not of Islam.

Hur said that such an attitude might cost Imam his life. Imam

replied: "Are you threatening me with death? Death is many

thousands of times better than the dishonour of Bai'at to

anenemy of Islam. Do you not see that truth is not being

193

practised and falsehood is not being prevented? I see death as a blessing and life with tyrants as the most disgusting state

one can be in."

Imam addressed Yezid’s army and concluded his speech with

these immortal words: "My parents did not raise me to submit myself to an evil tyrant. I am your Imam and it is my duty to

tell you that you have surrendered the freedom of your mind to

the evil ways of Yezid. If you do not care for Islam, and do not fear the day of judgement, at least do carefor that precious gift from Allah, the freedom of your spirit!"

Towards the eve of 10th Muharram, when Imam was left

alone in Kerbala (everyone else martyrred) he climbed a sand

dune and cries out: "hal minnasireen yansuroona - Who is there who would help us?" He turned himself towards west, east,

north and south repeating the same words. Was our Imam cry-

ing out for someone to come and help him in his plight or assist him in the battle against the forces ranged against him? There

was no one left. Hur had come over and laid down his life.

Even infant Asghar had been killed. Who was then our Imam

calling out to? He was calling out to the future generations to

continue his frustrated cause of doing amr bil ma'ruf and

nahya anilmunkar. (Stop evil and support good)

When a dhakir sits on the minbar he has assumed the re-

sponsibility to help the holy Imam in his cause. The dhakirs

should during the months of Muharram and Safar repeatedly

remind our audience that aza-e-Hussain what was the concept

and mission of Kerbalal. It is a commitment to Imam Hussain

(A.S.). A commitment by each one of us, men and women,

young and old, to uphold the values of Islam and to subordin-

ate our hearts to the wishes of Imam Hussain. Aza is our way

of responding to his call of ‘hal minnasireenyansuroona’. We

weep for Hussain and his progeny, we remember him and his

mission.Is this kufr? Does this create a difference between the

Sunnis and Shias?

Shiahs, have answered this call with the unique institution of

aza-e-Hussain. With every tear that we shed for him we pledge

194

to resist the oppression of injustice, immorality,inequity and falsehood. Every time we raise our hand and bring it down on

our chest inmatam, we are saying: "Labbaik, Labbaik Ya

Mawla!" to our Imam, Hussain Ibne Ali,the grandson of the

Holy Prophet (SAWA).

For long the word aza-e-Hussain has been exclusively used in

connection with the remembrance ceremonies for the martyr-

dom of Imam Hussain. Aza-e-Hussain includes mourning con-

gregations, lamentations, matam and all such actions which ex-

press the emotions of grief, anger and, above all, repulsion

against what Yezid stood for. These emotions, are accompanied

by a will to reform both at the individual level and the com-

munity level.

It is our duty to deliver Imam Hussain's message to the indi-

genous population of the country we live in. We can succeed in

this only if we ourselves appear to be true followers of Imam in all our interaction with the community at large. We must reflect the maximum integrity, Islamic values and our sincere

commitment to Imam's cause.

We have to remember that the 'ashra-e-Muharram is a very

emotional period and this emotion has to be exploited by the

ahle minabir to convey the message of Kerbala, to awaken a

hatred against all that Yezid stood for and to rekindle a com-

mitment to Islam as preached by the Ahlul Bayt and for which

Imam Hussain laid down his life.

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27

Chapter

Muawiya, The Cursed

Mu'awiya was son of Abu Sufyan, a leader of Benu Umayya

clan which was one of the clans of Quraish tribes. Mu'awiya

grew up in a family known to be cunning, worldly,materialistic,

and power hungry. Mu'awiya became Muslim only when Proph-

et Muhammad (pbuh) triumphed over Mecca. Those who be-

came Muslim in this manner were called Tulaqaa', (a term

scornfully used for the disbelievers who became Muslims to

save their lives). Mu'awiya, his father Abu Sufyan, his mother

Hind, and his brother Yazid son of Abu Sufyan were all Tu-

laqaa'; Mu'awiya never forgot this stigma for therest of his life; he could never shake it from his mind, thus a feeling of mali-ciousvengeance always existed in his heart. Mu'awiya's charac-

ter and aspirations were entirely opposite to that of his sister, Umm Habiba, who was one of the wives of the Holy Prophet(pbuh). Unlike Mu'awiya, Umm Habiba was a sincere believ-

er and a pious person.

Omar, the second Khalifa, appointed Mu'awiya's brother,

Yazid son of Abu Sufyan ( Donot confuse with Yazid, son of

muawiya who slaughtered al-Hussain), as the Governor of

Syria when the Muslims captured that territory from the By

zantines. Within a few years,Yazid son of Abu Sufyan died of a

disease, and Omar appointed Mu'awiya in hisbrother's place as

the Governor. Upon coming to power, Mu'awiya took advant-

age of the rich public treasury of Syria using it personally to

buy favors and influence people. Thus he built a large base of

support among some tribes, almost to the fanatic level. He

usedthis to his advantage in later years to form a network of in-formants (spies) against AhlulBayt (a.s.) and their devotees.

196

When Imam Ali (a.s.) became Khalifa, he decided to remove Mu'awiya immediately, not with standing Mu'awiya's strong

base of support. At that time, Mu'awiya had been the governor

of Syria, Palestine, and Jordan for 17 years. Mu'awiya became

defiant, he refused to obey Ali's orders. Brazen and unabashed,

he even declined to recognize Ali or give allegiance of loyalty

to him. Also in defiance, Mu'awiya established a parallel gov-

ernment in Greater Syria, and started a campaign of treacher-

ous accusations andmalicious rumors against Imam Ali (a.s.).

He falsely blamed Imam Ali for the killing of

Uthman, the third Khalifa, and urged people to take up arms

against the Imam. He spread these notorious accusations con-

stantly to incite an uprising against Ali.At the same time A'isha, the Prophet's widow, became highly vocal against Imam

Ali(a.s.). She called for taking revenge for the blood of Uthman.

As a result, a party of 3,000 insurgents supported by Sahaaba

(Companions) such as Talha and Zubair, along withA'isha

headed toward Basrah. The insurgents upon reaching Basrah

clashed with the local authorities and finally occupied a portion of Basrah. Soon after the occupation these insurgents spread a

reign of terror among the people, killing no less than 600 local Muslims, pilfering the treasury and stealing the arms supplies

of the armory.

Upon returning to Kufa, Imam Ali (a.s.) immediately pre-

pared for the anticipated clash with Mu'awiya. The defying

Mu'awiya continued to violate the Islamic principles by person-

ally using the public treasury for espionage and buying

peoples' loyalty. The people of Syria fully believed him and the in false picture he presented. Ultimately this resulted in a confrontation called Battle of Siffin when the troops of the two

sides met at Siffin. The battle saw ferocious fighting for nine

days when Mu'awiya's forces were near collapse. His troops

were fleeing and in disarray, and their retreat was in massive

disorder, running helter skelter. Mu'awiya, alarmed, tense, and

frightened, preparing to run away, when he learned of a clever

trick. The trick was indecent and unbecoming, it was to make

the Holy Quran as an instrument and exploit it, to use it as a

197

tool to his advantage. Mu'awiya seized on this immediately and commanded his fighters to raise 500 Holy Qurans on tips of

spears, in order to stun the troops of Imam Ali. As jolting as it-was, this maneuver did break the on slaught and the mo-

mentum of Ali's fighters, for they were very pious men. But

Imam Ali was quick to recognize this deceit, he knew how de-

ceptive Mu'awiya was, and now that being near collapse,

Mu'awiya wanted to save his neck at the expense of the Quran

itself.

With that in mind, Ali (a.s.) urged his generals not to halt,

but to keep fighting since victory was almost at hand. Alas,

Ali's generals and fighters were in shock, for the sight of the

Holy Quran high on spear heads was startling to say the least.

They could not takeit. Not willing to fight, they wanted to ac-

cept Mu'awiya's offer to halt the fighting and negotiate in-

stead. The termination of the battle in this manner and the con-

sequences there of proved to be disastrous to say the least, es-

pecially for Ahlul Bayt and Islam.

It is said that there was a conspiracy between Amr Ibnil Aas

of Mu'awiya's side, and Ash'ath Ibn Qais, a General in Imam

Ali's camp, who was working as a spy against Ali,secretly work-

ing as an agent for Mu'awiya. In this battle 45,000 men lost

their lives in Mu'awiya's camp, and about 25,000 in Ali's (a.s.) camp. Many men of high caliber from both sides died, especially Ammar Ibn Yasir, the great Companion of the Prophet

(pbuh),who was 90 years old and fought on Imam Ali's side

against Mu'awiya.

Imam Ali's (a.s.) generals, who stopped the battle to negoti-

ate with Mu'awiya, did not pick the right person for the negoti-

ation. They unyieldingly refused to accept Imam Ali's choice,

instead they picked Kufa's Governor, Abu-Musa Ash'ari, an in-

competent Governor who had been previously dismissed from

office by Imam Ali. Mu'awiya

Uthman, the third Khalifa, and urged people to take up arms

against the Imam. He spread these notorious accusations con-

stantly to incite an uprising against Ali.

198

At the same time A'isha, the Prophet's widow, became highly vocal against Imam Ali(a.s.). She called for taking revenge for

the blood of Uthman. As a result, a party of 3,000 insurgents

supported by Sahaaba (Companions) such as Talha and Zubair,

along withA'isha headed toward Basrah. The insurgents upon

reaching Basrah clashed with the local authorities and finally

occupied a portion of Basrah. Soon after the occupation these

insurgents spread a reign of terror among the people, killing

no less than 600 local Muslims, pilfering the treasury and

stealing the arms supplies of the armory.

Upon returning to Kufa, Imam Ali (a.s.) immediately pre-

pared for the anticipated clash with Mu'awiya. The defying

Mu'awiya continued to violate the Islamic principles by person-

ally using the public treasury for espionage and buying

peoples' loyalty. The people of Syria fully believed him and the in false picture he presented. Ultimately this resulted in a confrontation called Battle of Siffin when the troops of the two

sides met at Siffin. The battle saw ferocious fighting for nine

days when Mu'awiya's forces were near collapse. His troops

were fleeing and in disarray, and their retreat was in massive

disorder, running helter skelter. Mu'awiya, alarmed, tense, and

frightened, preparing torun away, when he learned of a clever

trick. The trick was indecent and unbecoming, it was to make

the Holy Quran as an instrument and exploit it, to use it as a

tool to his advantage. Mu'awiya seized on this immediately and

commanded his fighters to raise 500 Holy Qurans on tips of

spears, in order to stun the troops of Imam Ali. As jolting as it-was, this maneuver did break the on slaught and the mo-

mentum of Ali's fighters, for they were very pious men. But

Imam Ali was quick to recognize this deceit, he knew how de-

ceptive Mu'awiya was, and now that being near collapse,

Mu'awiya wanted to save his neck at the expense of the Quran

itself.

With that in mind, Ali (a.s.) urged his generals not to halt,

but to keep fighting since victory was almost at hand. Alas,

Ali's generals and fighters were in shock, for the sight of the

Holy Quran high on spear heads was startling to say the least.

199

They could not take it. Not willing to fight, they wanted to accept Mu'awiya's offer to halt the fighting and negotiate in-

stead. The termination of the battle in this manner and the con-

sequences thereof proved to be disastrous to say the least, es-

pecially for Ahlul Bayt and Islam.

It is said that there was a conspiracy between Amr Ibnil Aas

of Mu'awiya's side, and Ash'ath Ibn Qais, a General in Imam

Ali's camp, who was working as a spy against Ali,secretly work-

ing as an agent for Mu'awiya. In this battle 45,000 men lost

their lives in Mu'awiya's camp, and about 25,000 in Ali's (a.s.) camp. Many men of high caliber from both sides died, especially Ammar Ibn Yasir, the great Companion of the Prophet

(pbuh),who was 90 years old and fought on Imam Ali's side

against Mu'awiya.

Imam Ali's (a.s.) generals, who stopped the battle to negoti-

ate with Mu'awiya, did not pick the right person for the negoti-

ation. They unyieldingly refused to accept Imam Ali's choice,

instead they picked Kufa's Governor, Abu-Musa Ash'ari, an in-

competentGovernor who had been previously dismissed from

office by Imam Ali. Mu'awiya appointed Amr Ibnil Aas, a

shrewd and cunning man, to be his representative in the nego-

tiation. Negotiation between the two sides did not take place

for about one year.When the two negotiators came face to face,

it was clear that Ash'ari's capability was no match for his op-

ponent Ibnil Aas. In the negotiations, Ash'ari proposed that,

both Mu'awiya and Imam Ali (a.s.) were to abdicate and to let

the people hold election for the Khilaafah. Amr Ibnil Aas, a de-

ceptive man at best, quickly agreed to Ash'ari's proposal and

asked Ash'ari to first announce the agreement. Ash'ari stood

up and announced, "O people, we have agreed not to consider Ali or Mu'awiya for Khilaafah. You may choose or elect

whomever you think is fit." The cunning Amr Ibnil Aas stood up next to say, "O people! I won't consider Ali for the Khilaafah.

But Mu'awiya, in my opinion, is the person for that office!"

Upon hearing this (and feeling deceived), the people screamed

disapprovingly, an uproar was the result. Imam Ali's (a.s.)

camp was in shock, they were double-crossed, deceived and

lied to, they felt deeply cut. Amr's double crossing and

200

deception was simply beyond their imagination. They left the place be wildered andutterly disappointed. Because of this a

large group of Imam Ali's supporters defected to form a separ-

ate group called Kharijies, meaning the Outsiders.

The Khariji became fanatically opposed to Imam Ali and

Mu'awiya. Some of their members met secretly in Mecca and

drew a plan to assassinate Ali (a.s.) in Kufa,Mu'awiya in Syria, and Amr Ibnil Aas in Egypt. Three fanatics took the responsibility,they were to attack their victims in the morning, the same

day, as the would-be victimswere going to the mosque to lead

the morning salat. Ibn Muljim attacked and fatally wounded

Imam Ali (a.s.), whereas Mu'awiya escaped with a light wound

of his buttock.Amr Ibnil Aas was ill that day and his replace-

ment was killed by the Khariji.

Imam Ali(a.s.), in wounded condition, conferred the Imamah

and the reign of the Islamic nation tohis 37 years old son Al-

Hasan.Imam Hasan (a.s.) faced extremely difficult conditions

from the start. He observed that fear, anxiety and much dis-

tress were ever present in Kufa, Basrah, Medina and other-

towns. The anxiety, uncertainty and insecurity were caused by

Mu'awiya's ill dealing of sincere Muslims. Mu'awiya had

spread secret agents all over to defame Ahlul Bayt. Imam Has-

an knew that his father Imam Ali (a.s.) had stood like a lion in all difficulties and fought battles against Mu'awiya, but these

confrontations had resulted in heavy casualties on both sides.

A mass scale family devastation was visible everywhere. Con-

sidering all circumstances,Imam Hasan (a.s.) discussed the

matter with his brother Husain (a.s.) and other relatives. He

revealed to them that in order to end the bloodshed and to

provide a reasonable safety and security to the Ummah, he

would make a peace agreement with Mu'awiya and abdicate

until after Mu'awiya's death. After a few days of carefulconsid-

eration, Imam Hasan (a.s.) accepted an agreement as per the

terms dictated by the Imam and agreed to by Mu'awiya. Four

noteworthy terms of this agreement were: Peopleof Syria, Iraq,

Hijaz, Yemen and other places shall enjoy amnesty against

persecution -Friends and companions of Imam Ali (a.s.) and all

their women and children shall be protected from all dangers -

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Mu'awiya is to immediately stop the use of abusive language with reference to Ahlul Bayt (cursing Imam Ali) after Salat of

Jumu'a) - Mu'awiya shall not appoint anyone as his successor.

Once the treaty was signed, Imam Hasan (a.s.) and brother

Husain (a.s.) moved out of Kufa and settled in Medina. Over

there both Imams lost no time in holding nightly meetings for

Islamic discussions. The nightly meetings proved very success-

ful and gained tremendous popularity. More people started to

attend, to hear the Imams give of their fountain of knowledge

on Islam and humanity.

In the meantime Mu'awiya, unabashedly elected to disregard

the terms of his treaty with Imam Al-Hasan. a) He sent secret

agents to terrorize, kidnap, or even kill innocent people spe-

cially those who were loyal to Ahlul Bayt (a.s.). b) Instead of

helping the needy with the public treasury, Mu'awiya's gov-

ernors and their surrogates used the public treasury for per-

sonal use, freely and excessively as they wished. c) Freedom

suddenly died, and dictatorship took its place (He chose his

son Yazid as his successor). d) Mu'awiya gathered a very large

number of collaborators who unabashedly would do any thing

formoney.

It was Mu'awiya's ardent desire to impose his son Yazid (who

had been named after his uncle) upon the Muslims by making

him the succeeding Khalifa, despite the fact that Yazid was the

playboy of the time, with many evil habits including gambling,

heavy drinking, and indulgence in the pleasures of the flesh.

But the peace agreement would not permit Mu'awiya to ap-

point Yazid as his successor, (According to the agreement

Imam Hasan would immediately become Khalifa upon

Mu'awiya's death). Therefore, it was obvious to Mu'awiya that,

if Al-Hasan did not out live him, Mu'awiya could do as he

pleased.

Thus Mu'awiya planned to kill Imam Al-Hasan in order to

pave the way for hisson Yazid to be his successor.Mu'awiya

sent one of his agents to contact Imam Al-Hasan's wife Joda

who was the daughter of Al-Ash'ath (once a secret agent for

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Mu'awiya against Imam Ali in the Battle of Siffin). Joda was asked a small favor, i.e., to put a little poison in Al-Hasan's

food, andin return Mu'awiya would give her a large sum of

money and also make her wife of hisson Yazid. She found the

offer too attractive to ignore, and foolishly agreed to accept

it.A few days later, she mixed poison in honey and gave it to

the Imam. As soon as the Imam took the poisoned honey he be-

came seriously ill. Sensing that his death was imminent, the

Imam designated his brother Al-Husain (a.s.) to be the third

Imam.Although Imam Al-Hasan knew he was poisoned, he did

not reveal that to anyone but to his brother Al-Husain.

Now let us see what his son, Muawiyah, said when he took

over the Caliphate: "I didn't fight you to pray, fast, and pay charity, but rather to be your leader and control you!!!"

This is an indication that Muawiyah never cared about any of

Islam's mandates, nor Allah's (SWT) orders; rather his war was

politically motivated to gain control of the whole region and

take over the Caliphate. It is no wonder or surprise! Muawiyah

poisoned Imam al-Hasan (AS), the greater son of Fatimah (AS)

— the daughter of the Prophet (PBUH&HF). - Tadhkirat al-

Khawas, Sibt Ibn al-Jawzi al-Hanafi, pp 191-194 -Ibn Abd al-

Barr, in his "Seera" Abu Nu'aym

One thing Al-Hasan had wished was to have his burial by the

side of his grandfather,Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Imam Hu-

sain made all the arrangements to fulfill that wish but

Mu'awiya's governor over Medina, Marwan, did not let that

happen and used military force to stop it. Imam Al-Hasan was

47 year old when he died of poisoning. Medina was never the

same without Imam Hasan (a.s.). Everyone missed him dearly.

When Husain (a.s.) was designated as the 3rd Imam he was

46 years old. Imam Husain(a.s.) carried on with his mission of

teaching Islam as before. A large number of people kept com-

ing to see him and to learn from him. This process continued

for several years when people began to hear an ugly rumor

that Mu'awiya wanted his son, Yazid, to succeed him.

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Mu'awiya was getting older day by day. At the age of 75, he became seriously ill. He was nearing death. He lay weak and

lifeless as if something was choking and strangling him.He felt

tortured and tormented, and continuously cried for mercy. He

was in terrible pain.He wanted to die but death would not

come close to him. His conscience tormented himfor the calam-

ities that he brought upon the Islamic Ummah specially Ahlul

Bayt.Mu'awiya suffered in agony for many many days. His suf-

fering continued until hebreathed his last. At the time of his

death, the 30 year old Yazid was nowhere near him,he had

gone for fun on a hunting trip, became the caliph.

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28

Chapter

Muhammad (SAW) and Ali ibn Abu Talib:

The Shia Persepective

Shias have the highest respect for Prophet Muhammad

(SAW) and his family. Shias consider Prophet Muhammad

(SAW) as a fountain head of knowledge, Sayyied ul-Ambiah

(leader of all the prophets). A prophet is a prophet, even in his mothers womb. Itis not correct to say that Prophet Muhammad

(SAW) receive the office of prophet hoodin the cave of Al-Hira,

because He was a prophet from birth. Jesus was a prophet

when he was days old, he showed men the miracles of god

when he was in the arms of his mother, thus it is unacceptable

to think that the greatest prophet of all times had to waitfor

forty years for his prophethood. It would be more appropriate

to say that he receivedhis instructions to start his ministry in the cave. Shias say that Prophet Muhammad is far above all

creations. He is pious of the pious, a Masoom (sinless). He

wouldn't even resort to tark-ul-awla (i.e. miss a recommended

act that pleases Allah (SWT) let alone the compulsory ones.)

He is an infallible.

In the spiritual state , he (Prophet Muhammad (SAW)) wit-

nessed the rebellion of Azaazil(Shaitan), the creation of Adam

(A), the coming of the prophets and the rebellion of mankind

all through the ages, until Allah (SWT) willed him to come as

the final prophet and take the office of finalizing the religion.

In his childhood he knew that he was the Prophet of Allah

(SWT) but chose to remained quiet until instructed by Allah.

As the Quran says: (Recollect O' Our Apostle Muhammad)

When said thy Lord unto the angels: 'Verily I (intend to)

205

appoint a vicegerent in the earth' they said, "Wilt Thou (O'our Lord!) appoint therein one who will cause mischief and shed

blood, while we celebrate by Thy praise and hallow Thee

alone?" Said (the Lord to the angels) "Verily, I know what ye know not." 2: 30

And (Recollect O' Our Apostle Muhammad) When said Abra-

ham: "My Lord! let me see how Thou enliveth the dead" He said, "What! Dost thou not (then) believe (in it)?" He said " Yea but (I ask Thee for) only that my heart resteth convinced". He said "Take thoufour of the birds and make them to incline unto thee, and (cut them into parts) place thouon each mountain a

part of them and thereafter call them and they will come unto

theerushing" and know (thou) that God is All-Mighty, All-Wise!"

2:260

And (recollect) When said the Disciples "O' Jesus, son of

Mary! 'Is thy Lord able that Hesendeth down unto us (a) table

furnished with food from heaven?" said (Jesus) "Fear ye God! if ye be (true) believers (in Him)." Al-Maidah:112

In these and many other verses prophet Muhammad is asked

to recollect the incident/memories of the events. One can only

recollect the incidents if he is a witness to the events.

To understand this further, - look at the statement of Ali ibn

Abi Talib (A). Ali said tha the was not taught but rather fed the knowledge by Prophet Muhammad (SAW). This Aliibn Abi

Talib, who in his sermons explains the construct of earth say-

ing that 'the continents are masses of land floating on the

ocean and held in place by mountains actingas pegs.' This

knowledge was passed to us by Ali ibn abi Talib who claims

that he learned all he knew from prophet Muhammad (SAW).

Also note that Ali ibn Abi talib explained this construct of the earth come 1400 years ago, while less then 200 years ago,in

the west, they were disputed about the shape of the earth, and

people were executed bythe church in this regards. The know-

ledge about the continental plates, in the west is unearthedless then 50 years ago.

206

This same Ali ibn Abi Talib, in his sermons in the last days of his life, announced to the people, "Ask me before I leave you, and I may tell you all. Ask me for I can tell you ofthe paths of the heavens more then the path of the earth."

When this is the knowledge imparted by the Ali ibn Abi Talib,

the student of Prophet Muhammad - imagine what is the status

of that great teacher?

Not only do Shias believe Prophet Muhammad to be perfect,

but all the ancestors of prophet Muhammad including Abutalib

the uncle of Prophet Muhammad were Muslims following the

creed of Prophet Ibrahim (A). Abu Talib accepted Prophet

Muhammad as aprophet of God. They never worshiped or even

bowed down before any idols. In short all the ancestors of

Prophet Muhammad up to Prophet Adam (A) were all Muslims.

Shias believe Ali to be the rightful khalif/Imam after Prophet

Muhammad (SAW).Prophet Muhammad during his life time an-

nounced this in various ways. The two incidents Dawaat-az-zul-

aseera, and Ghadeer al Qumm are the best examples of this.

Besides these two Hadith, (Dawaat-az-zul-aseera, and

Ghadeer al Qumm) there are manymore.

Ali's creation was from Light and his association with the

Holy Prophet. From the point of view of light, Amiru'l-Mu'minin

occupied the foremost place, as many of your illustrious ulema

point out. Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal in his Musnad, Mir Seyyed

Ali Hamdani Faqih Shafi'i in his Mawaddatu'l-Qurba; Ibn

Maghazili Shafi'i in his Manaqib and Muhammad Bin Talha

Shafi'i in Matalibu's-Su'ul Fi Manaqib-e-alu'r-Rasul narrate-

from the Holy Prophet that he said, "I and Ali Bin Abi Talib both were a single light inthe presence of Allah 14,000 years

before the creation of Adam. When Allah created Adam, he de-

posited that light in Adam's loins. We remained together as one

light until we separated in Abu'l-Muttalib's loins. Then I was

endowed with Prophethood and Ali with the caliphate."

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Among hadith which have been recorded in this Mawadda, there is a report from the third Caliph, Uthman Bin Affan, who

said that the Holy Prophet said, "I and Ali were created from one light 4,000 years before the creation of Adam. When Allah

created Adam, He deposited that light into Adam's loins. We

remained as one light until we were separatedin Abdu'l-

Muttalib's loins. Then I was endowed with prophethood and Ali

with vicegerency."

Holy Prophet Muhammad and Ali were created from light

thousands of years before the creation of the universe and that

both of them were one light until they were separated from

each other in the loins of Abdu'l-Muttalib. One part was placed

in the loins of Abdullah and through it was born the Holy

Prophet. The other part was placed in theloins of Abu Talib and

through it was born Ali. Muhammad was selected for prophet-

hood and Ali for vicegerency, as was disclosed by the Holy

Prophet himself.

Abu'l-Mu'ayyid Mu'affaq Bin Ahmad Khawarizmi and many

others have reported from reliable sources that the Holy

Prophet said: "I and Ali were born of one light. We remained together until we reached the loins of Abu Talib where we

were separated from each other."

Ali's Physical Ancestry follows. So far as Ali's physical cre-

ation was concerned, he was evidently of the most exalted rank

from both his maternal and paternal side. All of his forefathers back to Adam himself were worshipers of Allah. This light never settled in an impure loins or womb. None of the other com-

panions can make such a claim.

The lineage of Ali is as follows: (1) Ali Bin (2) Abu Talib Bin

(3) Abdu'l-Muttalib (4)Hashim (5) Abd-e-Manaf (6) Qusai (7)

Kilab (8) Murra (9) Ka'b (10) Luwai (11) Ghalib(12) Fehr (13)

Malik (14) Nazr (15) Kinana (16) Khazima (17) Madreka (18)

Ilyas (19)Muzar (20) Nizar (21) Ma'd (22) Adnan (23) Awwad

(24) Al-Yasa' (25) Al-Hamis (26)Bunt (27) Sulayman (28) Haml

(29) Qidar (30) Isma'il (31) Ibrahim Khalil-Ullah (32)Ta'rikh

(33) Tahur (34) Sharu (35) Abraghu (36) Taligh (37) Abir (38)

208

Shale' (39)Arfakhad (40) Sam (41) Noah (42) Lumuk (43) Mutu Shalkh (44) Akhnukh (45) Yarad(46) Mahla'il (47) Qinan (48)

Anush (49) Seth (50) Adam Abu'l-Bashir. Except for theHoly

Prophet, no one else had such a brilliant ancestry.

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29

Chapter

Murder Of Uthman

Sunnis claim that Muawiya felt that the killers of Amirul Mu-

mineen Uthmaan RA should not be allowed to continue their

evil against Islaam. He did not fight for personal power.Ali did not hand over these assassins to Muawiya due to some sound

and concrete proof that he possessed. Thus the people of

Shaam joined forces with Muawiya against Ali.

It is not surprising that this Wahhabi has overlooked what

the Messenger of Allah (PBUH & HF) said about the fate of

those who will fight Imam Ali (AS) which are recorded in what

they call Sahih books, and stick to what is fabricated by the

Leader of the Hypocrites (Amir al-Munafiqeen) Muawiyah (LA)

himself.

The claim that Muawiyah raised against the legitimate Caliph

of his time and killed thousands of Muslims, just to take re-

venge from the murderers of Uthman is a flat-outlie! Had

Muawiyah this in mind, he should first kill the commander of

his army and many of his assistants for the Sunni history testi-

fies that those who killed Uthman were the companions who

were on the side of Muawiyah (as well as other opponents of

ImamAli). The fact is that any deceitful power-hungry leader

needs to provide an excuse for his horrible acts, and this was

not unique to Muawiyah. As we can see in the following Sunni

references, those who agitated against Uthman were ones who

came first to revenge for his blood with one aim in their mind,

that was destroying the rule of Imam Ali (AS).

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Sunni historians confirm that the agitation against the Caliph started by some influential individuals among the companions.

The weakness of Uthman in handing the affairs of the State

caused many companions to oppose him. This naturally resul-

ted in a power struggle among the influential companions in

Medina. Sunni historians such as al-Tabari, IbnAthir, and al-

Baladhuri and many others provide traditions which confirm

that these companions were the first who asked the other com-

panions, resided in other cities, to join them in revolt against Uthman.

Ibn Jarir al-Tabari reported: When the people saw what Uth-

man was doing, the companions of the Prophet in Medina

wrote to other companions who were scattered throughout the

frontier provinces: "You have gone forth but to struggle in the path of Almighty God, for the sake of Muhammad's religion. In

your absence the religion of Muhammad has been corrupted

and forsaken. So come back to reestablish Muhammad's reli-

gion." Thus, they came from every direction until they killed the Caliph (Uthman). -History of al-Tabari, English version,

v15, p184

History testifies that those influential people who were the

key element in agitation against Uthman include Talha, Zubair,

Aisha (the mother of believers), Abdurrahman Ibn Ouf, and

Amr Ibn al-Aas (the army commander of Muawiyah).

Talha: Talha Ibn Ubaydillah was one of the biggest agitator

against Uthman and was the one who plotted his murder. He

then used that incident for revenge against Ali by starting the

first civil war in the history of Islam (i.e., the battle of Camel). I just give few paragraphs from both of al-Tabari and Ibn Athir

to prove my point. Here is the first one which is narrated by

Ibn Abbas (in some manuscripts it is Ibn Ayyash): I entered

Uthman's presence (During the agitation against Uthman) and

talked with him for an hour. He said: "Come Ibn Abbas/Ayy-

ash," and he took me by the hand and had me listen to what

the people were saying at his door. We heard some say, "what are you waiting for," while others were saying, "wait, perhaps he will repent." While the two of us were standing there

211

(behind the door and listening), Talha Ibn Ubaydillah passed by and said:"Where is Ibn Udays?" He was told, "He is over there." Ibn Udays came to (Talha) and whispered something

with him, and then went back to his associates and said: "Do not let anyone go in (to the house of Uthman) to see this man

or leave his house." Uthman said to me: "These are the orders of Talha." He continued, "O God! Protect me from Talha for he has provoked all these people against me. By God, I hope nothing will come of it, and that his own blood will be shed. Talha

has abused me unlawfully. I heard the Messenger of God said:

'The blood of a Muslim is lawful in three cases: apostasy, adul-

tery, and the one who kills except in legitimate retaliation for another.' So why should I be killed?" Ibn Abbas/Ayyash continued: I wanted to leave (the house), but they blocked my path

untilMuhammad Ibn Abi Bakr who was passing by requested

them to let me go, and they didso. - History of al-Tabari, Eng-

lish version, v15, pp 199-200

The following report also supports that the murder of Uth-

man was led by Talha, and the killers came out to inform their

leader that they took care of Uthman: Abzay said: I witnessed

the day they went in against Uthman. They entered the house

through an opening in the residence of Amr Ibn Hazm. There

was a skirmishing and they got in. ByGod, I have not forgotten

that Sudan Ibn Humran came out and I heard him say: "Where-

is Talha Ibn Ubaydillah? We have killed Ibn Affan!" - History of al-Tabari, English version, v15, p200 Uthman was besieged in

Medina while Imam Ali (AS) was in Khaibar. The Imam

(AS)came to Medina and found people gathering at the resid-

ence of Talha. Then Imam Ali(AS) went to meet Uthman. Ibn

Athir wrote:

Uthman said to Ali: "You owe me myIslamic right and the

right of brotherhood and relationship. If I have non of these

rights and if I were in pre-Islamic era, it would be still shame for a descendants of Abd Munaf to let a man of Tyme (Talha)

rob us of our authority." Ali said to Uthman: "You shall be informed of what I do." Then Ali went to Talha's house. There were a lot of people there.Ali spoke to Talha saying: "Talha, 212

what is this condition in which you have fallen?"Talha replied:

"O' Abul Hasan! it is to late!" - al-Kamil, by Ibn Athir, v3, p84

Talha even deprived Uthman of water: Abdurrahman Ibn al-

Aswad said: "I constantly saw Ali avoiding (Uthman) and not acting as he formerly had. However, I know that he spoke with

Talha when Uthman was under siege, to the effect that water

skins should be taken to him. Ali was extremely upset (from

Talha) about that until finally water skins were allowed to

reach Uthman." - History of al-Tabari, English version, v15, pp 180-181

Now let us take a look at a report from the battle of Camel

which has been mentioned innumerous Sunni books of History

and Hadith. The following report proves that even the Umayad

leaders such as Marwan who (along side with Talha) was fight-

ing against Imam Ali, knew that Talha and Zubair were the

killers of Uthman. Sunni scholars recorded that Yahya Ibn

Sa'id narrated: Marwan Ibn al-Hakam who was in the ranks of

Talha, saw Talha is retreating (when his army was being de-

feated in the battle field). Since he and all Umayad recognized

him and al-Zubair as the murderers of Uthman, he shot an ar-

row athim and severely wounded him. He then said to Aban,

the son of Uthman, that: "I have spared you from one of your father's murderers." Talha was taken to a ruined house in

Basra where he died. - Tabaqat, by Ibn Sa'ad, v3, part 1, p159 -

al-Isabah, by Ibn Hajaral-Asqalani, v3, pp 532-533

al-Zubair: al-Zuhri, another important Sunni narrator who is

famous for his dislike of Ahlul-Bayt, reported the following dia-logue of Imam Ali with Zubair and Talha before the start of

battle of Camel: "Ali said: 'Zubair, do you fight me for the blood of Uthman after you killed him? May God give the most hostile

to Uthman among us the consequence which that very person

dislikes.' He said to Talha: 'Talha, you have brought the wife of the Messenger of God (Aisha) to use her for war and hid your

wife at your house (in Medina)! Did you not give me your alle-

giance?' Talha said: 'I gave you the allegiance while the sword

was on my neck.'

213

(At this point, Ali tried to invite them to peace, leaving them no excuse.) Ali addressed his own army saying: 'Who among

you will display this Quran and what is in it to the opposing

army with the understanding that if he loses one of his hand he

will hold the Quran with his other hand… ?' A youth from Kufa

said: 'I will take the mission.' Ali went through his army offering them the mission. Only that youth accepted it. Then Ali said tohim: 'Exhibit this Quran and say to them: It is between you

and us from its beginning toits end. Remember God, and spare

your blood and our blood.'

As the youth called upon them to resort to the Quran and

surrender to its judgment, the Basrites army attacked and

killed him. At this time, Ali said to his army: 'Now the fight has become legal.' The battle then started. - History of al-Tabari,

Arabic version, Events of year 36 AH v4, p905

Aisha: Talha and Zubair were not the only collaborators

against Uthman. Sunni history tells us that Talha's cousin,

Aisha, was collaborating and campaigning against Uthman as

well. The following paragraph also from the History of al-

Tabari shows the cooperation of Aisha with Talha in over

throwing Uthman: While Ibn Abbas was setting out for Mecca,

he found Aisha in al-Sulsul (seven miles south of Medina).

Aisha said: "O' Ibn Abbas, I appeal to you by God, to abandon this man (Uthman) and sow doubt about him among the

people, for you have been given a sharp tongue. (By the cur-

rent siege over Uthman) people have shown their understand-

ing, and light is raised to guide them. I have seen Talha has

taken the possession of the keys to the public treasuries and

store houses.If he becomes Caliph (after Uthman), he will fol-

low the path of his parental cousin Abu-Bakr." Ibn Abbas said:

"O' Mother (of believers), if something happens to that man (i.e.,Uthman), people would seek asylum only with our companion (namely, Ali)." Aisha replied: "Be quiet! I have no desire to defy or quarrel with you." - History of al-Tabari,English version, v15, pp 238-239

Many Sunni historian reported that Once Aisha went to Uth-

man and asked for her share of inheritance of Prophet (after so

214

many years passed from the death of Prophet). Uthman refrained to give Aisha any money by reminding her that she was

one those who testified and encouraged Abu-Bakr to refrain to

pay the share of inheritance of Fatimah (AS). Soif Fatimah

does not have any share of inheritance, then why should she?

Aisha became extremely angry at Uthman, and came out say-

ing: "Kill this old fool (Na'thal), for he is unbeliever." - History of Ibn Athir, v3, p206 - Lisan al-Arab, v14, p141

Another Sunni historian, al-Baladhuri, in his history (Ansab

al-Ashraf) said that when the situation became extremely

grave, Uthman ordered Marwan Ibn al-Hakam and Abdurrah-

man Ibn Attab Ibn Usayd to try to persuade Aisha to stop cam-

paigning againsthim. They went to her while she was prepar-

ing to leave for pilgrimage, and they told her:"We pray that you stay in Medina, and that Allah may save this man (Uthman)

through you." Aisha said: "I have prepared my means of transportation and vowed to perform thepilgrimage. By God, I shall

not honor your request… I wish he (Uthman) was in one of my

sacks so that I could carry him. I would then through him into

the sea." - Ansab al-Ashraf, by al-Baladhuri, part 1, v4, p75

Amr Ibn al-Aas: Amr Ibn al-Aas (the number 2 person in the

government of Muawiyah)was one of the most dangerous agit-

ators against Uthman and he had all the reasons to conspire

against him. He was the governor of Egypt during the reign of

the second Caliph. However, the third Caliph dismissed him

and replaced him with his fosterbrother, Abdullah Ibn Sa'd Ibn

Abu Sharh. As a result of this, Amr became extremely hostile

towards Uthman. He returned to Medina and started a mali-

cious campaign against Uthman, accusing him of many wrong

doings. Uthman blamed Amr and spoke to him harshly. This

made Amr even more bitter. He used to meet Zubair and Talha

and conspire against Uthman. He used to meet pilgrims and in-

form them of the numerous deviations of Uthman. According to

Tabari, when Uthman was besieged, Amr settled in the palace

of al-Ajlan and used to ask from people about the situation of

Uthman: … Amr had not left his seat before a second rider

passed by. Amr called him out: "How is Uthman doing?"The man replied: "He has been killed." Amr then said: "I am Abu 215

Abdillah. When Iscratch an ulcer, I cut it off. (i.e., when I desire an object, I attain it). I have been provoking (people)

against him, even the shepherd on the top of mountains with

his flock." Then Salamah Ibn Rawh said to him: "You, the Quraishites, have broken a strong tie between yourselves and

the Arabs. Why did you do that?" Amr replied: "We wanted to draw the truth out of the pit of falsehood, and to have people

be on an equal footing as regards the truth." - History of al-Tabari, English version, v15, pp 171-172

Imam Ali said in the battle of Camel: "Truth and falsehood

can not be identified by the virtue of people. First understand

the truth, you will then realize who is adhering to it."

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30

Chapter

Muta: Temporary Marriage In Islam

Fixed-Term/Temporary/Pleasure

Marriage

are

different

names for the Arabic word of"Mut'a" which is a contract between a man and woman, much in the same way the Lon

Term/Permanent/Conventional Marriage is. The main differ-

ence is that the temporary marriage longs only for a specified

period of time, and man and woman will become stranger to

each other after the expiration date without divorce. One mis-

conception regarding temporary marriage is that some people

think that the woman engaged intemporary marriage can have

contract every other hour. This is completely misrepresenta-

tion of temporary marriage. After such contract has been ex-

pired, the woman has to wait for two months (Iddah) before

which she can not marry any one else.This issue, among oth-

ers, will be discussed later in detail. Besides, there are many

other conditions for performing Muta as well.

The first one who legislated Mut'a with all the rules pertain-

ing to it, was the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF), after it was revealed in Quran. All Muslims agree that the Messenger of Allah legislated Mut'a and made it legal after his migration to

Medina, and the Muslims practiced it during his lifetime. (see

al-Mughni, by Ibn Qudamah, v6, p644, 3rd Edition). However

there is a disagreement between the Shia and most of the Sun-

nis concerning whether the Prophet later banned it or not.

Most Sunnis assert that althoughthe Prophet legislated it, he

later for bade it. This is while the Shia believe that temporary marriage was never abandoned by the Prophet (PBUH&HF).

Besides no Quranic verse was revealed to ban the previous

Quranic verse which made Muta legitimate, and Hadith can not

217

oppose Quran. Allah revealed it in Quran, and it was being widely practiced tothe end of his lifetime and during the period of Abu Bakr and the early days of Umar'srule, until Umar forbade it.

Allah, to whom belong Might and Majesty, said: (… Except

the forbidden women) the restare lawful unto you to seek them

with gifts from your property (i.e., dowry), provided that you

desire protection (from sin), not fornication. So for whatever

you have had of pleasure (Istamta'tum) with them by the con-

tract, give unto them their appointed wages as a duty. And

there is no sin for you in what you both agree (in extending the contract)after fulfilling the (first) duty. Lo! Allah is ever Knower, Wise. (Quran 4:24)

In the above verse, the Arabic equivalent of the word "mar-

riage" or any of its derivatives has NOT been used. Rather the derivative of word "Mut'a" (pleasure/temporary marriage)has been used, i.e., "Istamta'tum".The word Istamta'a is the tenth verbal form of the rootm-t-a. As we will show shortly, the word

Istamta'a has also been widely used in the authentic Sunni col-

lections for Temporary Marriage. Of course, Mut'a is one type

of marriage, but some of it's regulations are different than the permanent marriage,including the fact that the couple can extend this contract by mutual agreement as the end of verse

specifies.

Moreover, if we look at the Sunni commentaries of Quran,

many Sunni scholars such as Fakhr al-Razi confirm that the

above verse (4:24) was revealed about the Temporary Mar-

riage (Mut'a). They straight forwardly mentioned that tempor-

ary marriage became Halaal (permitted) DUE TO the above

verse, but they assert that it was later prohibited. Itis astonishing that many Sunni commentators mentioned under the above

verse that: Ali said: The Mut'a is a mercy from Allah to his servants. If it were not for Umar forbidding it, no one would com-

mit (the sin) of fornication except the wretched (Shaqi; an

utmostwrong-doer)." Tafsir al-Kabir, by al-Tha'labi, under commentary of verse 4:24 of Quran;- Tafsir al-Kabir, by Fakhr al-

Razi, v3, p200, commentary of verse 4:24;

218

A very similar tradition has also been narrated by Ibn Abbas (RA), and was mentioned byal-Tabari and al-Tha'labi in their

Tafsir of Quran. It is interesting to note that Umar did not at-

tribute the prohibition of Mut'a to the Prophet (PBUH&HF).

They were others who did that after Umar mainly to justify

what he did. Umar clearly mentioned that: "Mut'a WAS permitted at the time of the Prophet and I PROHIBIT it!"

The great Sunni scholar, Fakhr al-Razi, who has been given

the title of "Imam al-Mushakkikeen" (the leader of ever-questioners/ever-doubtful) by the Sunnis, in his voluminous

commentary of Quran mentioned under the verse of Temporary

Marriagethat: Umar said: Two types of Mut'a were (legal) dur-

ing the time of the Prophet and I forbid them both, and I pun-

ish those who commit it. They are: Mut'a of pilgrimage and

Mut'a of women. - Tafsir al-Kabir, by al-Fakhr al-Razi, v3, p201

under verse 4:24 -Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v1, p52

Also in another Sunni commentary it is reported that: Umar

said, while on the pulpit: "O folk! Three were (allowed) during the time of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF), andI forbid

them, and make them Haraam, and punish on them. They

were: Mut'a of women,Mut'a of Hajj (pilgrimage), and saying

'Hayya Ala Khair al-Amal'." - Sharh Al-Tajreed,by al-Fadhil al-Qoshaji, (Imama Section) - al-Mustaniran, by al-Tabari

Remark: The third item mentioned above which was prohib-

ited by Umar, is what is said in the Call for Prayer and

Iqaamah after the phrase "Hayya Ala al-Falah", and it is practiced by the Shia to this date. It means "Hasten for the best deed". This part of call forprayer was abolished by Umar as well. Instead, he replaced it by the sentence: "Prayer is better than sleep"!

Who could we find better that Jabir Ibn Abdillah al-Ansari

(RA), the great companion of the Prophet, who according to

Sahih Muslim said: "Istamta'a means contracting temporary

marriage" (Sahih Muslim, English version, v2, chapter DXLI

219

titled:Temporary Marriage, Tradition #3246. Please see part II for the full Arabic text of the tradition).

Jabir did NOT relate "Istamta'a" to consuming the marriage in general. Furthermore, in the verse 4:24 Allah states, "… And there is no sin for you in what you both agree after fulfilling

the duty (i.e., dowry of the first contract)". The mutual agreement after the duty refers to extending the period of temporary

marriage after full payment of the previousdower, so that the

woman can freely decide on the continuation of the marriage

with no pressure or temptation. In this way, Allah encourages

that people who are engaged in Mut'a will get more reward if

they extend it to a bigger period (or perhaps convert it to

a permanent marriage) by assigning a new dower after ful-

filling the previous dower. Tafsiral-Tabari, by Ibn Jarir al-

Tabari, under the verse 4:24, v8, p180.

Another reason for the fact that the dowry mentioned in the

above verse does not refer to permanent marriage, is that Qur-

an has already talked about the dowry for permanent marriage

at the early part of the very same chapter by saying: 4:3 "…

Marry women ofyour choice two or three or four; but if you

fear that you shall not be able to deal justly(with them) then

only one… " 4:4: "And give the women (of permanent marriage) theirdower as a free gift"

It is clear that the above verses are about permanent mar-

riage and the dowry associated with it. So there would be no

need that Allah repeats it along with its associated dowry again in the very same chapter. However if Allah intended to discuss

about Mut'a, then itis some thing new. And this can be inferred

from the choice of words which Allah used inthe verse of Mut'a

(4:24) by using the derivative of Mut'a in contrast with the oth-er verses around it.

Allah is discussing different types of marriages: first, per-

manent marriage in the verses before Verse 24, then tempor-

ary marriage in Verse 24, and then marriage with the slave-

girls in Verse 25. Thus Allah repeated the issue of dowry three

220

times, one for permanent marriage, one for temporary marriage and one for the bond women.

Imran Ibn Husain narrated: "The verse of Mut'a (4:24) was

revealed in Allah's Book, and there did NOT came any other

verse after that to abrogate it; and the Prophet ORDEREDUS

to do it, so we did it at the time of Allah's Apostle, and he did not forbade us from it till he died. But a man (who regarded it

illegal) expressed what his own mind suggested."Tafsir al-

Kabir, by al-Tha'labi, under commentary of verse 4:24 of Quran

It is narrated that: Abu Nadhra said: Ibn Abbas (RA) recited

the verse 4:24 with theaddition of "to an appointed time". I said to him: "I did not read it this way." Ibn Abbasreplied: "I swear by Allah, this is how Allah revealed it," and Ibn Abbas repeated this statement three times." - Tafsir al-Kabir, by Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, under the verse 4:24, v8,p177, Tradition #9038

This verse was revealed towards the beginning of the

Prophet's stay in Medina. By the revelation of this verse, the

temporary marriage became a legal custom in Medina and was

looked upon as one kind of marriage and was referred to by the

term Istimta'a, the same word employed in the Quranic verse -

even though the literal meaning of the wordis "to seek benefit"

or "to take enjoyment". Hence the meaning of the Quranic verse must be understood in terms of the conventional usage of

the time, for as is well-known in the science of Quranic com-

mentary and Islamic jurisprudence, the Quran follows the con-

ventional usage of the people in all edicts and legal prescrip-

tions. If someone wants to understand a word in the Quran in

other than the conventional meaning of the time, he must sup-

ply a strong reason for doing so. Moreover if one looks up the

traditions of the chapter of temporary marriage in the authent-

ic Sunni collections such as Sahih al-Bukhariand Sahih Muslim,

one can see that the messenger of Allah and his companions

exactly used the word Istimta'a when referring to this contract, which is exactly the same word as what Quran employed.

As was indicated above, the Sunnis agree that at the begin-

ning of Islam Mut'a was permitted. For example, Fakhr al-Din

221

al-Razi (d. 606/1209), the famous Sunni theologian, writes in his Commentary on the Quran that Mut'a was at first permitted. TheProphet made a lesser pilgrimage (Umrah) to Mecca,

and the women of Mecca made themselves up especially for

the occasion. Some of the Companions complained about the

long separation from their wives, and the Prophet replied:

"Then go and enjoy(Istamta'a) these women." - (Tafsir al-Kabir, by Fakhr al-Razi, v3, p286)

The Imam Ja'far was asked: "If the wife becomes pregnant as a result of Mut'a, to whom does the child belong?" He replied:

"To the father," i.e., the child is legitimate. (Wasa'ilal-Shia, v14, p488)

Ibn Abbas was asked: "Is Mut'a fornication or marriage?" He answered: 'Neither the one nor the other.' The questioner then

asked: "Well then, what is it?" Ibn Abbas replied: "Itis Mut'a', just as God has said." The questioner continued: "Is there a waiting period in Mut'a?" He replied: "Yes, a menstrual period." He was also asked: "Do the husband and wife inherit from each other?" He answered: "No." Reference: Tafsir al-Kabir, by Fakhral-Razi, v3, p286

The Imam Ja'far (AS) considered Mut'a a divine mercy by

means of which people were saved from the sin of fornication

and delivered from God's retribution. Concerning the Quranic

verse: "What soever mercy God opens to men, none can with-

hold (35:2)," the Imam said: "Mut'a is part of that mercy."

(Wasa'il al-Shia, v14, p439).

According to Sunnis, Muta was practiced till 7th Hijri (i.e.

after migration to Madina).This is agreed by almost all sunnis.

But the argument lies whether it was prohibited lateron by Al-

lah or not. Before i continue, this point must be remembered

that Muta was once allowed in Islam, so why criticize it such

that it was a thing of pre-islamic days?

The Quranic Verses that Sunni brothers quote for prohibition

of Muta are in Surahs,which are by Ijma revealed in Mecca or

in initial time of Madina. Maulana Modoodi checked all these

222

quranic verses and came to conclusion that it is only conjec-ture to say that these verses prohibit Muta.

Some people fabricated Ahadith to prove that quran prohib-

ited Muta. Unfortunately, our sunni brothers still quote these

Ahadith. Such fabricated a hadith are listed below.

Hadith 1:

Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas (r.a.a.) said: "Temporary marriage was

at the beginning of Islam. Aman comes by a town where he has

no acquaintances, so he marries for a fixed time depending on

his stay in the town, the woman looks after his provisions and

prepares his food, until the verse was revealed: "Except to your wives or what your right hands possess." Ibn 'Abbas explained that any relationship beyond this is forbidden. [narrated by

Tirmidhee]

Objection: Contrary to above Hadith, Ibn Abbas was the per-

son who very very strongly promoted Mutta and even fought

people for that. There are a lot of Ahadith which confirm this

fact. The above hadith claims that Ibn Abbas said that muta be-

came Haramafter the revelation of verse "Except to your wives or what your right hands possess."Now this verse is either in Sura Nisa, or in Sura Muminoon (23rd Sura). And by Ijma

ofSunni Ulama, Sura Muminoon was revealed in Mecca and

Sura Nisa was revealed in the very early part of Madinan Life.

While Muta was practiced(according to Sunnies) at least till

7th Hijri.

Hadith 2'

Aìsha said: "It has been forbidden in the Qur'an in the words of the Most High: "And those who preserve their private parts except with their spouses or what their right hands posses,

then they would have no blame." [23:5].

Objection: Verse [23:5] is from Sura Muminoon, which is by

Ijma revealed in Mecca.Please see introduction to this Surah

by Maudoodi. Extremist Sunni brothers forcefully try to deduce

the result that it prohibits Muta. But understanding of Rasool

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Allah (saww)is contrary to these people and he allowed Sababa to perform Mutta long long after revelation of this verse.

There are only 4 such Ahadith, which are transmitted by only

3 Sahaba (through different chains). Please don't get confuse

when Sunni brothers present a lot of Ahadith. If you seethe

chain, then they return to only these 3 persons.

The names of these 3 companions are:

1) Rabi Ibn Sabra (who narrates it from his father Sabra

Jahani)

2) Ali Ibn Talib

3) Salma b. al-Akwa'

ALL narrations of these 3 companions are CONTRADICTORY

to each other.All these narrations from these 3 companions are

contradictory to each other with respect to the"Time of Prohibitition Of Mutta"

1) Hadith of Ali claims Muta was prohibitted in 7th Hijri (at

Khaiber)

2) In one Hadith, Ibn Sabra claims that Muta was prohibited

in 8th Hijri (at victory of Mecca). While in other tradition, this same Ibn Sabra claims that Mutta was prohibited in 10th Hijri

(at Last Pilgrimage Hujjatul Wida)

3) While Salma b. al-Akwa claims that Mutta was prohibited

in 9th Hijri (i.e. in year of Autas, which was after battle of

Hunain)

They cannot simulteneously use all these 3 in order to prove

prohibitation of Mutta by Rasool Allah (saww). In comparison

to above mentioned 3 Reports (which even contradict each oth-

er), there are witnesses of 20+ Sahaba and Tabaeen, which are

unanimous that it was Umar who forbade Muta.

Narrated 'Imran bin Husain: "The Verse of Mut'a was re-

vealed in Allah's Book, so we did it at the time of Allah's

Apostle, and nothing was revealed in Quran to make it illegal,

nor did the Prophet prohibit it till he died. But a man (who re-

garded it illegal) expressed wha this own mind suggested." -

224

Sahih al-Bukhari, Arabic-English, v6, Hadith #43 - Sahih al-Bukhari, Arabic, v2, p375, v6, p34 - Musnad Ahmad Ibn Han-

bal, v4, p436 on the authority of 'Imran Ibn al-Qasir

Narrated 'Abdullah Ibn Masud: We used to participate in the

holy battles led by Allah's Apostle and we had nothing (no

wives) with us. So we said, "Shall we get ourselve scastrated?"

He forbade us (to castrate ourselves) and then allowed us to

marry women with a temporary contract (Mut'a) and recited to

us: 'O you who believe! Make not unlawful the good things

which Allah has made lawful for you, but commit no transgres-

sion.' (5.87) - Sahih al-Bukhari, Arabic-English version, v7, Tradition #13a -Sahih al-Bukhari, Arabic, v6, p11, under Tafsir of

verse 5:87 of Quran - Sahih Muslim,Arabic version, 1980 Edi-

tion Pub. in Saudi Arabia, v2, p1022, Tradition #11, "Kitab al-Nikah, Bab Nikah al-Mut'a" - Sahih Muslim, English version, v2, chapter DXLI (titled:Temporary Marriage), Tradition #3243

–

[Please Note: Ibn Masood mentioned the verse (5:87) i.e.

Sura Maida, which was revealed after Hudaybiyyah i.e. in 7th

Hijri]

Another companion who opposed this innovation of Umar,

was his own son!! His name was Abdullah Ibn Umar. He was in

favor of both Mut'a of Hajj and Mut'a of women. I give two tra-

ditions expressing each Mut'a.

It is narrated in Sahih al-Tirmidhi that: "some one asked Abdullah Ibn Umar about Mut'a(of Hajj), he said: It is permitted

(Halaal). So he was asked: your father forbade it. Hesaid: Do

you think that my father can forbid what the Prophet did?

Should I follow what my father said, or should I follow what the Prophet ordered? The man said: Of course the orders of the

Prophet (&HF)." - Sahih al-Tirmidhi, v1, p157 - Tafsir al-Qurtubi, v2, p365,reported from al-Darqunti"

Ali said: The Mut'a is a mercy from Allah to his servants. If it were not for Umar forbidding it, no one would commit (the sin

of) fornication except a (Shaqi/Shafa)."Bidayat al-Mujtahid, by 225

Ibn Rushd, v2, p58 - al-Nihaya, by Ibn al-Athir, v2, p249 - al-Faiq, by al-Zamakhshari, v1, p331 - Lisan Al-Arab, Ibn Mand-

hoor, v19, p166 - Taj al-Aroos, v10, p200 - Fat'h al-Bari, v9,

p141 - Kanz al-Ummal, by al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, v8,p293 - Al-Iqd

Al-Fareed, v2, p139 –

Imran Ibn Sawadah reported: I went to Umar's house and

told him that I want to give him some advice. His reply was,

"The person giving good advice is welcomed anytime." Isaid,

"Your community finds fault with you on four accounts." Umar put the top of hiswhip in his beard and the lower part on his

thigh. Then he said, "Tell me more." I continued, "It has been mentioned that you declared the lesser pilgrimage forbid-denduring the months of pilgrimage… " He answered, "It is permitted. (But the reason that I forbade it was that) if they

were to perform the lesser pilgrimage during the months of the

pilgrimage, they would regard it as being a lieu of the full pilgrimage, and (Mecca) wouldbe celebrated by no one, although

it is part of God's greatness. You are right."

I continued, "It is also said that you have forbidden temporary marriage, although it was alicense given by God. We enjoy

a temporary marriage for a handful (of dates), and wecan sep-

arate after three nights." He replied, "The Messenger of God permitted it at the time of necessary. Then people regained

their life of comfort. I do not know any Muslim who has prac-

ticed this or gone back to it (after I forbade). Now, anyone who wishes to,can marry for a handful (of dates) and separate after

three nights. You are right." I continued, "You emancipate a slave girl if she gives birth, without her master's(consenting to) the emancipation… (and the fourth complain is) There have

been some complaints of your raising your voice against your

subjects and your addressing them harshly." … - History of al-Tabari, English version, v14, pp 139-140

Abu Nadhra said: Ibn Abbas commanded to do Mut'a while

Ibn Zubair forbade to do it. I mentioned this to Jabir Ibn Abdillah and he said: It is through me that this Hadith has been cir-

culated. We did Mut'a (of Hajj and women) at the time of the

Messenger ofAllah. When Umar was installed as Caliph, he

226

said: Verily Allah made permissible for his Messenger whatever He like and as He liked. And its command was revealed in Quran. Thus accomplish Hajj and Umra for Allah as

Allah has commanded you, and confirm (by reverting to per-

manent marriage) the marriages of those women (with whomy-

ou have performed Mut'a). And any person would come to me

with a marriage of appointed duration (i.e. Mut'a) I would

stone him. - Sahih Muslim, English version, v2,chapter CDXLII,

Tradition #2801 - Sahih Muslim, Arabic version, 1980 Edition

Pub. in Saudi Arabia, v2, p885, Tradition #145.

Jabir Ibn Abdullah reported: "We contracted temporary mar-

riage giving a handful of the dates or flour as a dower during

the life time of Allah's Messenger (may peace be uponhim) and

during the time of Abu Bakr until Umar forbade it because of

Amr Ibn Huraith.Sahih Muslim, English version, v2, chapter

DXLI (titled: Temporary Marriage), tradition#3249 - Sahih

Muslim, Arabic version, 1980 Edition Pub. in Saudi Arabia, v2,

p1023,Tradition #16, "Kitab al-Nikah, Bab Nikah al-Mut'a"

Muslim al-Qurri said: I asked Ibn Abbas about Mut'a and he

permitted it, where as Ibn Zubair had forbidden it. So Ibn Ab-

bas said: "This is the mother of Ibn Zubair who states that Allah's Messenger had permitted it, so you better go to her and

ask her about it. He(Muslim al-Qurri) said: So we went to her

and she was a bulky blind lady. She said:Verily Allah's Messen-

ger permitted it. - Sahih Muslim, Arabic version, 1980 Edition

Pub.in Saudi Arabia, v2, p909, Traditions #194-195.

Ibn Hazm (d. 456) who is one of the Sunni scholars, in his

book "Muhalla" gave the name of some of the companions and their disciples who believed that Mut'a is Halaal. Inthe 9th section of the chapter of Marriage in his book "Muhalla", Ibn Hazm gives a detailed account of Mut'a and its regulations.

Among the numerous companions and their disciples who be-

lieved in practicing Mut'a after the demise of the Prophet are:

Imam Ali , Abu Dhar, Jabir Ibn Abdillah, Abdullah Ibn Abbas,

Abdullah Ibn Masud,Zubair Ibn al-Awwam, Imran Ibn Husain,

Abdullah Ibn Umar, Ubay Ibn Ka'ab, AbuSa'id al-Khudri,

227

Salamah Ibn Umayyah, Awka' Ibn Abdillah, Salamah Ibn al-Awka',Khalid Ibn Muhajir, 'Amr Ibn Huraith, Rabi'a Ibn

Umayya, Suhair, Sa'id Ibn Jubair Tawoos, Qotadah, Mujahid,

Ataa al-Madani al-Suddy, and Imam al-Hasan ,

… 004.082: Do they not then meditate on the Quran? And if it

were from any other than Allah, they would have found in it

many a discrepancy.

How nice is the verse 4:82 of Quran describes that one can

find many contradictions in something that is not from Allah.

There are 7 Fabricated "AHAD" Ahadith, which contradict each other. Two Sunni scholars: al-Qurtubi (in his commentary

of Quran) and al-Nawawi (in his commentary of Sahih Muslim)

counted the no. of Ahadith (which ban Mutta). At end, they

come to conclusion that there are 7 such Ahadith.

But they also mentioned the following 2 facts about them:

1) All of them are Ahad

2) All of them are contradicting each other regarding the tim-

ings (i.e. when Rasool saww.banned it)

I have collected these 7 timings here, so that people can see

the contradiction in those things, which they have made

themselves:

1. 1st Timing: Reffered to Hadhrat Aisha that she claimed it

was banned in Mecca (surah Mominun) (Quran 23:1-7)

2. 2nd Timing: Reffered to Ibn Abbas that he claimed it was

banned when Sura Nisa was revealed (in the very early years

of Madina).

3. 3rd Timing: It was claimed that it was made Haram when

the following verse wasrevealed: "And those who guard their private parts, except with their wives or the slavegirls who

rightfully possess for (in their case) they are free from blame.

But those who gobeyond that are transgressors." (Quran

70:29-31)But the person, which fabricated this hadith, didn't

know that this Surah of al-Ma'arij (Ch70) was revealed in

228

Mecca, and Mutta was practiced by Ijma of Sunnies till 7th hijri inMadina.

4. 4th Timing: Reffered to Ali that he claimed it was banned

in 7th Hijri.

5. 5th Timing: Reffered to companin Ibn Sabra Al-Juhani, that

he claimed it was bannedin 8th Hijri at the time of victory of

Mecca (i.e. he practiced mutta with a woman of tribeof Bani

Aamir)

6. 6th Timing: Reffered to companion Iyas ibn Salam, who

claimed mutta was practicetill 9th Hijri and it was banned in

the year of Autas (after the battle of Hunain).

7. 7th Timing: Again reffered to Ibn Sabra Juhani that he

claimed that Mutta was bannedin 10th Hifri at the time of last

pilgrimage.May Allah's curse upon those who fabricate ahadith

and lie upon Rasool Allah (saww).Here is the Fatwa of Sunni

Hadith Master "Hafidh Jalaluddin Syuti" about Umar Ibn Al-Khattab. "He (Umar) is the first who made Mut'a forbidden

(Haraam)." - Tarikh al-Khulafaa, by al-Hafidh Jalaluddin al-Suyuti, p136

Also Both Ibn Jarir al-Tabari and al-Zamakhshari narrated

that: "al-Hakam Ibn Ayniyahwas asked if the verse of Mut'a of women is abrogated. He answered: 'No'." - Tafsir al-Tabari, under commentary of verse 4:24 of Quran, v8, p178 - Tafsir al-

Kashshaf, by al-Zamakhshari, under the verse 4:24, v1, p519

Also al-Qastalani wrote: The phrase "But a man said with his opinion what he wished"(as was mentioned in the authentic

Sunni books such as Sahih al-Bukhari), is Umar Ibnal-Khattab

and not Uthman, because he was the first to forbid Mut'a. So

the one came after him (i.e., Uthman) was only following him in

that action." - al-Irshad, by al-Qastalani, v4, p169

As proved that the sunni hadiths claiming to ban Muta are

extremeley contradictory to one another and a fabrication, as

the same sunni books also prove that Muta was allowed till the

era of Umer, who later forbade it. According to shia traditions, only one kind of ahadith are found, Muta was allowed by Allah

as a mercy for Muslims, until Umerforbade it and followed

229

what his own mind said. And we, the shias tend to Follow Allah and his Rasool, not Umer.

The concept of mut’a has a very controversial, yet interesting

part in history.Famastamta-tum bihi provides for a temporary

marriage, known as muta. It has been specifically made lawful

by the Quran and the Holy Prophet, therefore, this provision

subsists as unrescinded. (Pooya/Ali Commentary 4:24)

All shia scholars & many sunni scholars consider this verse

of the Holy Qura’n as permitting Mut’a. This verse, when re-

vealed during the stay of Prophet PBUH in Madina, made tem-

porary marriage a common legal custom & was referred by the

term“Istimta’a.” The same word was used in the Quran to refer

to “such woman as youenjoy.” The literal meaning of

“Istimta’a” is to seek benefit or enjoyment."

Two Mut'a were practiced during the time of the Prophet:

Mut'a of women and Mut'a ofHajj, but I forbid both of them

and will punish anyone who practices either." - Tafsir al-Kabir, by Fakhr al-Razi, v3, commentary of verse 4:24 - Musnad

Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v1,p52

The question thus arises that if Mut’a was mentioned in the

Qur’an, & was accepted by Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), how

is it that the Caliph who came to power AFTER Mohammad

(PBUH) can rule Mut’a as forbidden when Allah permitted it in

the Qur’an and Prophet (PBUH) accepted it as the Almighty’s

word?

The clear controversies in the hadith and other fabrications

clarify the fact that mut’a was not forbidden by Prophet PBUH

& that the hadith regarding forbidding Mut’a were fabricated

& created to cover & justify what Umar had forbidden & Allah has permitted.If it truly was the word of Allah, you would not

be able to find such contradictory statements in history regard-

ing the issue. After all, sunni’s do claim the Caliph’s as rightly guided & possessing immense knowledge, then why such contradictions to the word of the Qur’an and Prophet (PBUH) who

would surely not go against the word of Allah, the Qura’n. If

230

Prophet (PBUH) had really forbidden mut’a as some sunni’s claim,why is it that Umar had to forbid it again?

Now we have clarified the issue that Prophet (PBUH) did not

forbid temporary marriage or mut’a, & that it is mentioned in the Qur’an as a valid legal custom. We should be able to conclude that if Prophet (PBUH) accepted & permitted mut’a as

part of Islam, no one after him has the right to change the religious teachings or forbid what Allah has created as part of religion.There are Four statutes or pillars of temporary marriage

or mut’a.

Though a whole detailed article can be written about the

rules of contract marriage, here is presenting a few basic

guidelines in general.

1. Formula: Since Muta is a contract, it requires a declara-

tion and an acceptance in any order. The woman makes the de-

claration & the man satisfyingly accepts the declaration.For the contract to be a valid one, it must be concluded by the man

and woman themselves, or their representatives (wakil), or

their fathers.

2. Persons: There are several provisions that need to be fol-

lowed under this pillar or statute. A few of the general provi-

sions included are mentioned briefly. A man can havea con-

tract marriage only with a muslim woman or a woman from the

people of the book(Ahl-e-kitaab). A contract can not be made

with a non believer or an enemy of the Ahl-ebait(AS). Muta’

should not be contracted with a virgin without the consent of

her father or legal guardian since according to Imam Jaafar

Sadiq (AS), “…it is a stain upon her family.” (Wasail, XIV, 459, hadith 10). Imam Ali Rida (AS) says something similar in Ibid.,

458, hadith 5, when he says “A virgin may not be married tem-

porarily without herfather's permission.” Thus it is quiet clear that mut’a is not meant to be a stain for afamily, but rather a

means to prevent forbidden/haraam acts due to suppression of

desires.It is legal for widows and divorcees.

3. Muddah (time period): The time period of a marriage con-

tract must be explicitly explained in the contract with no allow-ance for an increase or decrease in the time span.When the

time period is over, the wife is freed from the contract & the 231

obligations associated with the contract. Once the contract has ended, the wife must wait for a specific period of time (Iddah)

before she is permitted to marry again, just as in the case of

permanent marriage. The difference however is that the time

period specified foriddah in both cases differs. In permanent

marriage, the period of iddah is 4 months or 3 menstrual

cycles, while that in temporary marriage is 45 days or 2 men-

strual cycles.

Mentioned here are just a few of the general requirements of

muddah, among the several others that exist, for example rules

also exist for women who get pregnant during the marriage

contract or find out about the pregnancy during the period of

Iddah.4. The Dower: A woman can explicity mention a condi-

tion at the time of contract to avoid or limit sexual relations.

She is then not obliged to be sexually available for her husband

& is still entitled to dowry. There are several other detailed provisions to be considered under this pillar as well that may

need a detailed explanation. However I shall limit the details

about the pillars for the basic explanation and debate on this

issue.

Human beings are Allah’s creations, created with instincts

that may force them or guide them towards certain behaviors

not permissible in Islam. Sexual feelings or strong sexual de-

sires are part of a human’s natural instinct that needs to be

answered in order to preventany haraam acts.

Permanent marriage is the most preferred form & recom-

mended form of marriage,however there are certain situations

when one can not possibly be part of a permanent marriage at

a specific time or can not be part of constructing a family. If

the option ofMut’ah did not exist, people would commit adul-

tery & fornication to answer to the sexualurges that naturally exist within a human. Secondly, suppressing sexual urges, or

for that matter any emotion, can be psychologically or emotion-

ally unhealthy & Islam does notapprove of it. Thus temporary marriage stands as a logical choice of relationship between a

man and woman till either or both of them are capable of per-

manent marriage.

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With the changing faces of the muslim countries in the modern world, it is but logical to revive the Islamic value of muta to prevent sins such as premarital relationships. Acouple need not

marry in mut’a for sexual relation, but it can be for other reasons as well,such as a couple who wish to know each other bet-

ter before marriage, a time periodusually marked in today’s so-

ciety as “engagement.” With mut’a marriage, the boy andgirl

are mahram for each other since they enter into a contract of

temporary marriage & can get to know each other better be-

fore a long term commitment. Sometimes a male and female

wish to marry but due to circumstances are unable to do that

due to financial problems or the inablility to manage a family

after marriage. Mut’a gives the couple the right to be married

without financial burdens of a permanent wife. Several other

reasons exist behind the concept of mut’a, of which I have

managed to explain a few major ones that people usually resort

to.

With the proofs presented above & the logical reasons as to

why one should and can contract into a temporary marriage, it

is quiet clear that mut’a is actually a benefit granted to the

muslims by Allah the almighty himself, for He knows his cre-

ation & is well aware of the sins that a human may commit due to natural urges. If He has given permission for it, no one can

deny it, and those who deny it, only resort to sins or unhealthy conditions that islam does NOT permit. However, no matter

what the issue, there are always regulations & rules to be followed when doing certain things. As long as one stays within

the preached barriers of religion, no harm shall be caused, but

the moment one steps out of the barriers, the shaitaan waits to

lead him to the land of forbidden acts.

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31

Chapter

Nomination of First Caliph

What justification is there for an institution which uses three

different techniques for the selection of the caliph : - the

dummy election at Saqifa for Abu Bakr, - nomination forOmar

and - council choice for Othman ? What ayat in the Quran al-

lows this change ofselection method ? Abdur Rahman bin Auf,

Omar's choice for chief of the council had nomerits compared

to Ali and yet Omar nominated him to that post. Are you SO

blind thatyou cannot see the politics in all this ?

As in the previous articles, it has been proved that men can

not choose the Caliph/Imamof Islam. A Sunni friend mentioned

that the Caliphate of Abu Bakr is the Consensus of scholars

(Ijma'). It is incumbent upon Muslims to accept the Ijma'.

How can Sunni scholars make Ijma'a on something that the

Prophet and some of hiscompanions opposed it? This opposi-

tion is a clear evidence to the fact that there is noIjma'a in that very matter. Allah is the one who appoints the Caliph.

Moreover, I reproduced the historical reports documented by

the Sunni scholars concerning the fact that the Messenger of

Allah unequivocally announced Imam Ali (AS)as his successor

in his first open preach. I also mentioned the authentic and frequent tradition of Ghadir Khum where the Prophet declared

the leadership of Imam Ali (AS)officially.

Now, my brother, how can Ijma'a exist on this important is-

sue when the Messenger of Allah oppose it? This is enough for

us to close the issue of Ijma'a on this subject.However let us,

234

now, go a little further: Even the companions did not all agree that allthese four individuals are the legitimate successors of

the Prophet (PBUH&HF). Muslims agree that the caliphate of

Abu Bakr came through election by a limited number of people

and was a surprise for all other companions. By limited, I

mean, a majority of the prominent companions of prophet had

no knowledge of this election. Ali, Ibn Abbas,Uthman, Talha,

Zubair, Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas, Salman al- Farsi, Abu Dhar, Am-

mar Ibn Yasir, Miqdad, Abdurrahman Ibn Owf were among

those who were not consulted or even informed of. Even Umar

confessed to the fact that the election of Abu Bakr was without

consultation of Muslims. (See sahih al-Bukhari, Arabic-English,

v8, Tradition #817)

My dear brother, we can not close our eyes to the undeniable

facts documented even by the Sunni scholars, and yet claim to

have Ijma'a. After the demise of the Prophet(PBUH&HF), those who heed what the Messenger of Allah ordered them such as

Ammar Ibn Yasir, Abu-Dhar al-Ghafari, Miqdad, Salman al-

Farsi, Ibn Abbas, and others such asal-Abbas, Utbah Ibn Abi

Lahab, Bara Ibn Azib, Ubay Ibn Ka'b, Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas …

etc., all gathered in the house of Fatimah (AS). Even Talha and

al-Zubair were loyal to Imam Ali at the beginning and joint the

others in the house of Fatimah (AS). They assembled in the

house of Fatimah as a place of refuge since they were opposing

the majority of people. According to the authentic traditions in Sahih al-Bukhari, Umar confessed that the Imam Ali (AS) and

his followers opposed Abu Bakr.

Al-Bukhari narrated: Umar said: "…And no doubt after the

death of the Prophet we wereinformed that the Ansar dis-

agreed with us and gathered in the shed of Bani Sa'da. 'Ali an-

dZubair and whoever was with them, opposed us, while the

emigrants gathered with Abu Bakr.." - Sahih al-Bukhari,

008.082.817

Other Sunni traditionists narrated that on the day of Saqifah:

Umar said: "Ali Ibn Abi Talib, Zubair Ibn Awwam and those

who were with them separated from us (and gathered) in the

house of Fatimah, the daughter of the messenger of Allah." -

235

Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v1, p55 - Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, by Ibn Hisham, v4, p309

Also: They demanded confirmation of the oath, but Ali and al-

Zubair stayed away. Al-Zubair drew his sword (from the scab-

bard), saying, "I will not put it back until the oath of allegiance is rendered to Ali." When this news reached Abu Bakr and

Umar, the latter said, "Hit him with a stone and seize the

sword." It is stated that Umar rushed (to the door of the House of Fatimah) and brought them forcibly while telling them that

they mustgive their oath of allegiance willingly or unwillingly. -

History of al-Tabari, Englishversion, v9, pp 188-189

Let's just think a little! What kind of election was that?! Election implies choice and freedom, and that every Muslim has the

right to elect the nominee. Whoever refuses to elect him does

not oppose God or His Messenger because neither God nor His

Messenger appointed the nominated person by people.

Sahih-Muslim - Volume 8, Book 82, Number 817: Narrated

Ibn 'Abbas: I used to teach(the Qur'an to) some people of the

Muhajirln (emigrants), among whom there was 'Abdur Rahman

bin 'Auf. While I was in his house at Mina, and he was with

'Umar bin Al-Khattab during 'Umar's last Hajj, Abdur-Rahman

came to me and said, "Would that youhad seen the man who

came today to the Chief of the Believers ('Umar), saying, 'O

Chief of the Believers! What do you think about so-and-so who

says, 'If 'Umar should die, Iwill give the pledge of allegiance to such-and-such person, as by Allah, the pledge ofallegiance to

Abu Bakr was nothing but a prompt sudden action which got

established afterwards.' 'Umar became angry and then said,

'Allah willing, I will stand before the people tonight and warn

them against those people who want to deprive the others of-

their rights (the question of rulership)."

……………. We reached Medina by the end of the month of

Dhul-Hijja, and when it was Friday, we went quickly (to the

mosque) as soon as the sun had declined, and I saw Sa'idbin

Zaid bin 'Amr bin Nufail sitting at the corner of the pulpit, and I too sat close to him so that my knee was touching his knee,

236

and after a short while 'Umar bin Al-Khatta became out, and when I saw him coming towards us, I said to Said bin Zaid bin

'Amr binNufail "Today 'Umar will say such a thing as he has never said since he was chosen as Caliph." Said denied my

statement with astonishment and said, "What thing do youex-

pect 'Umar to say the like of which he has never said before?"

In the meantime, 'Umarsat on the pulpit and when the call

makers for the prayer had finished their call, 'Umarstood up,

and having glorified and praised Allah as He deserved, he said,

"Now then, Iam going to tell you something which (Allah) has written for me to say. I do not know; perhaps it portends my

death, so whoever understands and remembers it, must nar-

rate itto the others wherever his mount takes him, but if some-

body is afraid that he does not understand it, then it is unlaw-

ful for him to tell lies about me.

……….……. Then Allah's Apostle said, 'Do not praise me ex-

cessively as Jesus, son of Marrywas praised, but call me Allah's Slave and His Apostles.' (O people!) I have been informed that

a speaker amongst you says, 'By Allah, if 'Umar should die, I

will give the pledge of allegiance to such-and-such person.'

One should not deceive one self by saying that the pledge of al-

legiance given to Abu Bakr was given suddenly and it was suc-

cessful.No doubt, it was like that, but Allah saved (the people) from its evil, and there is noneamong you who has the qualities

of Abu Bakr. Remember that whoever gives the pledge of alle-

giance to anybody among you without consulting the other

Muslims, neither that person, nor the person to whom the

pledge of allegiance was given, are to be supported,lest they

both should be killed.

And no doubt after the death of the Prophet we were in-

formed that the Ansar disagreed with us and gathered in the

shed of Bani Sa'da. 'Ali and Zubair and whoever was withthem,

opposed us, while the emigrants gathered with Abu Bakr. I said

to Abu Bakr, 'Let'sgo to these Ansari brothers of ours.' So we

set out seeking them, and when we approached them, two pi-

ous men of theirs met us and informed us of the final decision

of the Ansar, and said, 'O group of Muhajirin (emigrants) !

Where are you going?' We replied, 'We are going to these

237

Ansari brothers of ours.' They said to us, 'You shouldn't go near them. Carry out whatever we have already decided.' I said, 'By

Allah, we will go tothem.' And so we proceeded until we

reached them at the shed of Bani Sa'da. Behold!There was a

man sitting amongst them and wrapped in something. I asked,

'Who is thatman?' They said, 'He is Sa'd bin 'Ubada.' I asked,

'What is wrong with him?' They said,'He is sick.

'After we sat for a while, the Ansar's speaker said, 'None has

the right to be worshipped but Allah,' and praising Allah as He

deserved, he added, 'To proceed, we are Allah's Ansar

(helpers) and the majority of the Muslim army, while you, the

emigrants, are asmall group and some people among you came

with the intention of preventing us from practicing this matter

(of caliphate) and depriving us of it.'

When the speaker hadfinished, I intended to speak as I had

prepared a speech which I liked and which I wanted to deliver

in the presence of Abu Bakr, and I used to avoid provoking

him.So, when I wanted to speak, Abu Bakr said, 'Wait a while.'

I disliked to make him angry.

So Abu Bakr himself gave a speech, and he was wiser and

more patient than I. By Allah,he never missed a sentence that I

liked in my own prepared speech, but he said the like of it or

better than it spontaneously. After a pause he said, 'O Ansar!

You deserve all (the qualities that you have attributed to

yourselves, but this question (of Caliphate) is only for the

Quraish as they are the best of the Arabs as regards descent

and home, and I ampleased to suggest that you choose either

of these two men, so take the oath of allegiance to either of

them as you wish. And then Abu Bakr held my hand and Abu

Ubada bin Abdullah's hand who was sitting amongst us. I hated

nothing of what he had said except that proposal, for by Allah,

I would rather have my neck chopped off as expiator for a

sin than become the ruler of a nation, one of whose members is

Abu Bakr, unless at the time of my death my own-self suggests

something I don't feel at present.' And then one of the Ansar

said, 'I am the pillar on which the camel with a skin disease

(eczema) rubs itself to satisfy the itching (i.e., I am a noble), 238

and I am as a high class palm tree! O Quraish.There should be one ruler from us and one from you.'

Then there was a hue and cry among the gathering and their

voices rose so that I was afraid there might be great disagree-

ment, so I said, 'O Abu Bakr! Hold your hand out.' He held his

hand out and I pledged allegiance to him, and then all the

emigrants gave the Pledge of allegiance and so did the Ansar

afterwards. And so we became victorious over Sa'd bin Ubada

(whom Al-Ansar wanted to make a ruler). One of the Ansar

said, 'You have killed Sa'd bin Ubada.' I replied, 'Allah has

killed Sa'd bin Ubada.' Umar added, "ByAllah, apart from the great tragedy that had happened to us (i.e. the death of the

Prophet),there was no greater problem than the allegiance

pledged to Abu Bakr because we were afraid that if we left the

people, they might give the Pledge of allegiance after us to one of their men, in which case we would have given them our consent for something agains tour real wish, or would have op-

posed them and caused great trouble. So if any person gives

the Pledge of allegiance to somebody (to become a Caliph)

without consulting the other Muslims, then the one he has se-

lected should not be granted allegiance, lest both of them

should be killed."

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32

Chapter

Qasim Ibn al-Hassan’s (AS) Marriage

Mullah Mohammed Taqi Ba’ghani (Maqtal writer) writes in

his book Majalis-al-Mutaq’een (Majlas-e-Sabih-ashar) the whole

episode of the wedding. Even Mohammed Hussain Dhakko

(lanatullah) has accepted the status of Mullah Mohammed Taqi

Ba’ghani in a book written by Molana Nehmat Ali Sidhu Qummi

called Tofah-e-Shaykhia, Published Faisal abad by his own writ-

ing on pages 11-13.

Furthermore Shaykh Abbas Qummi (Author of Mifateh) has

written in his book “Nafs-al-Mahmoom” pg 171 (Persian) that

“In our views there should not be any reason to reject the wed-

ding”. Even Mullah Hussain Kashfi in his book “Rozatul

Shuhada’ wrote on the issue. Mullah Kashfi who was a very

well known scholar of Hirat and lived in the time of the Wazir

Mir Ali Sher, who had a very large collection of books, which

were not foundin other places.

There have also been both sunni and shia researchers, who

have recorded this happening of this ceremony from the trade-

gy of Kerbala. For instance, in the book “Ghaib-e-Wasail”, it

has been written that on the 21st of Rabi-al-Awwal 1255 AH,

Abul Fateh Mohiddeen Adil Mohammed Ali Shah saw Hz Zain-

ab (as) in his dream and she was reciting the following elegy

“Oh Qasim (son in law), congratulations on the wedding”.

From this dream the Imam bargha Hussain Abad in Lucknow

started to carry out the Mehndi Ceremony and the organizer

Hakeem Abu Ibrahim Faizabadi gained fatwa’s from all leading

240

Marja’s, which is all recorded in Tarikh of Lucknow, Vol 2, Pg 150.

The famous poet Tamna Matufi 1332 always used to read

about the wedding of Hz Qasim (as) infront of all Ulema and

Mujtahideen. Here is an example : “Rukh sai sarkaya sehrahai

Qasim noshah nai bas kai pir janat kai podo sai hava anay ko

hai”Even Agha Darbandi Mujtahid who died while reading the

elegies of Kerbala used toread about the ceremony of Hz

Qasim (as) infront of people may they be Arab, Turk orPersian

and no one rejected or challenged on what he said (Asrar-e-

Shahadat, Pg 307).Even today you will find a room in the re-

membrance of the ceremony of Hz Qasim (as)in Kerbala called

“Hujlah-e-Qasim” and has been their throughout the years of

manyleading Shia Scholars, who have even themselves used to

go their to pray. This proves the case that it is their to remember and grieve the great son of Imam Hasan (as).

The following are some references of Shia Scholars who have

endorsed the wedding of Hz Qasim (as).Thus being ;

1. Mullah Syed Ali Naqi Lucknowi, Maqalaat-e-Syed-al-

Ulema, pg 224-230, PublishedKarachi, Pakistan.

2. Mullah Mohammed Hussain She’hrabi, Tareek-al-Baqa’, pg

73, Vol 1, Published Iran.

3. Mullah Syed Baqir Kanjavi, Maza Mir-al-Awliyah, pg

262-263, Published Iran.

4. Mullah Shaykh Jafar Shostari, Majalis Waiz-wa-Aza’, pg

114-116, Published Iran.

5. Mullah Shaykh Fakhruddin Tareehee’ Najafi, Al-Mun-

takhab Tareehee’, pg 373,Published Iran. (To further endorse

this person, please also refer to the book ‘Roza tul Jannat’ by

Agha Khonsari Mujtahid, Vol 5, pg 350, Published Iran).

6. Dr Kalbe Sadiq, Science aur Ghaiba-e-Islam, pg 186.

This is only a brief analysis and I hope this helps to remove

any doubts on the ceremony of Hazrat Qasim (as).

After this there should not be any objections about the

Mehndi Ceremony, which is associated with the remembrance

241

of the Aqd of Hz Qasim (AS) with Hz Kubra (AS). It isa pro-poganda from india which has raised its voice that this aqd

never happened, another trick to divide shiaism.

242

33

Chapter

Quran: The Shia Perspective

A Wahhabi friend mentioned that Shia believe Quran is not

complete. My answer to this matter is: "Glory to (Allah), this is a big slander!” - 24:16.

Shia do NOT believe that Quran is missing something. There

are few weak traditionswhich might mply to the contrary.

Such reports are rejected and unacceptable if theywant to im-

ply such a thing.

It is interesting to point out that there are numerous tradi-

tions reported in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim which al-

lege that many verses of Quran are missing. Not only that, but

also they these Sunni reports allege that two chapters from the

Quran are missing one of them was similar to chapter 9 (al-

Bara'ah) in length!!! Some Sunni traditions even

claim that the Chapter al-Ahzab (Ch. 33) was as lengthy as

the Chapter of Cow (Ch. 2)!!!The Chapter of Cow is the biggest

Chapter of the present Quran. The traditions inside Sahih al-

Bukhari and Muslim even present some of the missing verses.

Yet, fortunately Shia never accuse the Sunni brothers and sis-

ters of believing that the Quran isincomplete. We say that

either these Sunni reports are either weak or fabricated.

The completeness of Quran is so indisputable among Shia

that the greatest scholar of Shia in Hadith, Abu Jafar

Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn al-Husain Ibn Babwayh, known

as"Shaykh Saduq" (309/919-381/991), wrote:"Our belief is that the Quran which Allah revealed to His Prophet Muhammad is

243

(the same as) the one between the two covers(daffatayn). And it is the one which is in the hands of the people, and is not

greater inextent than that. The number of surahs as generally

accepted is one hundred and fourteen… And he who asserts

that we say that it is greater in extent than that, is a liar."

Another prominent Shia scholar is Allama Muhammad Ridha

Mudhaffar who wrote inhis Shia Creed book that: "We believe that the Holy Quran is revealed by Allah throughthe Holy

Prophet of Islam dealing with every thing which is necessary

for the guidance ofmankind. It is an everlasting miracle of the

Holy Prophet the like of which can not be produced by human

mind. It excels in its eloquence, clarity, truth and knowledge.

This Divine Book has not been tampered with by any one. This

Holy Book which we recitetoday is the same Holy Quran which

was revealed to the Holy Prophet. Any one who claims it to be

otherwise is an evil-doer, a mere sophist, or else he is sadly

mistaken. Allof those who have this line of thinking have gone

astray as Allah in Quran said:"Falsehood can not reach the

Quran from any direction (41:42)"

"… our certainty of the completeness of the Quran is like our certainty of the existence of countries or major events that are self evident. Motives and reasons for recording and guarding

the Holy Quran are numerous. Because the Quran is a miracle

of the prophethood and the source of Islamic Knowledge and

religious rule, their concern with the Quran made the Muslim

Scholars highly efficient concerning grammar, its reading,and

its verses."

With this various concern by the most eminent Shia scholars,

there is no possibility that the Quran was added or deleted in

some parts.

Besides what Allah mentioned in Quran about its protection,

we can use our logic to derive the same result. Allah sent his

last Messenger to show people (to the end of thetime) His

Right Path. Therefore if Allah does not preserve His message,

He would be contradicting His own aim. Obviously, such negli-

gence is evil according to reason. Thus,in essence, Allah

244

preserves His message as He preserved Moses in the house of His Enemy, Pharaoh.

Sunni traditions of tahreef: Hadhrath Umar’s saying that the

current Qur’an is incomplete: Has one-third of the Qur’an been

lost? In Sahih al Bukhari Volume 8, pages 209-210, we read

this sermon delivered by Hadhrath Umar during his last Hajj as

Khalifa: "Certainly Allah sent Muhammad with the truth, and revealed to him the Book.

One of the revelations which came to him was the verse of

stoning. We read it and understood it”. "The Messenger of God stoned and we stoned after him. I am concernedthat if time

goes on, someone may say, 'By God, we do not find the verse of

stoning inthe Book of God;' thus, the Muslims will deviate by

neglecting a commandment the Almighty revealed.”

"Stoning is in the Book of God. It is the right punishment for a person who commits adultery if the required witnesses are

available, or there was pregnancy without marriageor adultery

is admitted.

"Hadhrath Ayesha also testified to a ‘missing’ verse on stoning. “When the verses “Rajm”[Stoning] and ayah “Rezah Kabir”

descended, they were written on a piece of paper and kept un-

der my pillow. Following the demise of Prophet Muhammad (S)

a goat ate the piece of paper while we were mourning. - Sunan

Ibne Majah, Volume 2, Page 39,Published Karachi.

Al-Muttaqi 'Ali bin Husam al-Din in his book "Mukhtasar

Kanz al-'Ummal" printed on the margin of Imam Ahmad's

Musnad, Volume 2, page 2, in his hadith about chapter 33,said

that Ibn Mardawayh reported that Hudhayfah said: 'Umar said

to me 'How many verses are contained in the chapter of al-

Ahzab?' I said, '72 or 73 verses.' He said it was almost as long as the chapter of the Cow, which contains 287 verses, and in it

there was the verse of stoning.“

Hadhrath Umar said at the Saqifa that the Qur’an has

1,027,000 letters” - Tafseer alItqan” by as Suyuti, page 88

245

The present Qur’an has 267,033 letters. According to Hadhrath Umar’s research the Qur’an should have approxim-ately 90 parts.

In Sahih Muslim Volume 7 (commentary of al-Nawawi) in the

Book of al-Zakah, about the virtue of being satisfied with

whatever God gives and about urging people to havethat vir-

tue, pages 139-140, reported that Abu al-Aswad reported that

his father said: "Abu Musa al-Ash'ari invited the Qur'an readers of Basra. Three hundred readers responded to his invitation.

He told them: You are the readers and the choice of the people

of Basra.Recite the Qur'an and do not neglect it. Otherwise, a

long time may elapse and your hearts will be hardened as the

hearts of those who came before you were hardened.” "We

used to read a chapter from the Qur'an similar to Bara'ah in

length and seriousness, but I forgot it. I can remember from

that chapter only the following words: 'Should a son of Adam

own two valleys full of wealth, he would seek a third valley,

and nothing would fill Ibn Adam's abdomen but the soil. "'We used to read a chapter similar to Musabbihat and I forgot it. I

only remember out of it the following: "'Oh you who believe, why do you say what you do not do? Thus a testimony will be

written on your necks and you will be questioned about it on

the Day of Judgment.”

It is obvious that these words which Abu Musa mentioned

are not from the Qur'an, nor are they similar to any of the

words of God in the Qur'an. It is amazing that Abu Musa claims

that two surahs from the Qur'an are missing, one of them simil-

ar

to

Bara'ah

(the

chapter

of

Bara'ah

contains

130

verses).Muslim also reported in the Book of al-Rida'ah (Book of

Nursing), part 10, page 29, that' Ayesha said the following:

"There was in what was revealed in the Qur'an that ten

timesof nursing known with certainty makes the nursing wo-

man a mother of a nursed child.This number of nursings would

make the woman 'haram' (forbidden) to the child. Thenbvthis

verse was replaced by 'five known nursings' to make the

246

woman forbidden to the child. The Prophet died while these words were recorded and read in the Qur'an."

We Shi’as, believe that the Qur’an is the Divine Revelation

(wahy) sent down from Allah, the Exalted, upon his noble

Prophet (s), containing an exposition of all things. It is also His everlasting miracle disabling all mankind from keeping pace

with it in respect of rhetoric and eloquence, and the realities

and sublime knowledge it contains, being guarded against any

alteration or changing or mutation (tahreef). The Qur’an we

have today is the same exact one revealed to the Prophet.

Anyone claiming to the contrary is aviolator, misguided, mis-

taken, or ignorant, for it is surly Allah’s Word, and falsehood

cannever come at it from before it or from behind it.

247

34

Chapter

Quran Compiled by Imam Ali

There is no dispute among Muslim scholars, whether they

are Sunni or Shia, concerning the fact that the Commander of

Believers, Ali (AS), possessed a special transcript of the text of Quran which he had collected himself, and he was THE FIRST

who compiled Quran. There are a great number of traditions

from Sunni and Shia which states that after the death of the

Holy Prophet (PBUH&HF), Imam Ali sat down in his house and

said tha the had sworn an oath that he would not put on his

outdoor clothes or leave his house until he collects together

the Quran. - Fat'hul Bari fi Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, by Ibn

Hajar al-Asqalani, v10, p386 - al-fihrist, by (Ibn) an-Nadim, p30

- al-Itqan, by al-Suyuti, v1, p165This transcript of Quran which compiled by Imam Ali (AS) had the following unique specifica-tions:1. It was collected according to its revelation, i.e., in the order in which it had been sent down. This is the reason that

Muhammad Ibn Sireen (33/653 - 110/729), the famous scholar

and Tabi'i (disciples of the companions of the Holy Prophet),

regretted that this transcript had not passed into the hands of

the Muslims, and said: "If that transcript werein our hands, we would found a great knowledge in it." - at-Tabaqat, by Ibn Sa'd, v2, part2, p101 - Ansab al-ashraf, by al-Baladhuri, v1, p587It is according to this transcript that Sunni scholars relate that the first Chapter of Quran which was sent down to the Prophet

(PBUH&HF) was Chapter al-Iqra (al-Alaq, Ch. 96).As you know

the Chapter al-Alaq is not at the beginning of the present Qur-

an. Also Muslims agree that the verse (5:3) was among one of

the last revealed verses of Quran(but not the very last one), yet it is not toward the end of the present Quran. This clearly

248

proves that although the Quran that we have available is complete, it is not in the order

249

"Wisdom is the lost property of the Believer,

let him claim it wherever he finds it"

Imam Ali (as)

Document Outline

- Chapter 1

- Chapter 2

- Chapter 3

- Chapter 4

- Chapter 5

- Chapter 6

- Chapter 7

- Chapter 8

- Chapter 9

- Chapter 10

- Chapter 11

- Chapter 12

- Chapter 13

- Chapter 14

- Chapter 15

- Chapter 16

- Chapter 17

- Chapter 18

- Chapter 19

- Chapter 20

- Chapter 21

- Chapter 22

- Chapter 23

- Chapter 24

- Chapter 25

- Chapter 26

- Chapter 27

- Chapter 28

- Chapter 29

- Chapter 30

- Chapter 31

- Chapter 32

- Chapter 33

- Chapter 34

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34