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On page 97, ‘Abdul Hussain quotes the hadith, “The Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would hurt, lash, revile, and curse those who did not deserve it”. Al Bukhari and Muslim report from Abu Hurairah who narrates that the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:
اللهم إنما محمد بشر يغضب كما يغضب البشر وإني قد اتخذت عندك عهدا لن تخلفنيه فأيما مؤمن آذيته أو سببته أو جلدته فاجعلها له كفارة وقربة تقربه بها إليك الحديث
O Allah, Muhammad is but a human. He is angered just as other humans are angered. I have made a covenant with You, regarding which I am confident that You will not disappoint me. If I hurt, revile, or lash[1] any believer, convert that into expiation (for his sins) and a good deed by means of which You will draw him closer to You…[2]
He starts his hunt for irregularities in the hadith saying:
أن رسول الله وسائر الأنبياء لا يجوز عليهم أن يؤذوا أو يجلدوا أو يسبوا أو يلعنوا من لا يستحق ، سواء أكان ذلك في حال الرضا أم في حال الغضب ، بلى لا يمكن أن يغضبوا بغير حق …
It is impossible that the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam or any of the Prophets could have hurt, lashed, reviled, or cursed an undeserving person, irrespective of whether they were angered or they were happy. In fact, it is impossible that they got angry due to any invalid reason.
Our comment: This hadith is also narrated by Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah, Aisha, Anas as well as members of the Ahlul Bayt radiya Llahu ‘anhum. We will now reproduce the ahadith of the ‘proofs and infallibles’, as he believes. ‘Ala’ reports from Muhammad who narrates from Imam al Baqir rahimahu Llah, that the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:
إنما أنا بشر أغضب وأرضى، وأيـّما مؤمن حرمته وأقصيته او دعوت عليه فاجعله كفّارة وطهوراً ، وأيما كافر قربته أو حبوته أو أعطيته أو دعوت له ولا يكون لها أهلا فاجعل ذلك عليه عذاباً ووبالا
I am only a human, I get angry and I get happy. If I deprive, distance, or curse any believer, let it be a means of his sins being forgiven and cleansing him. On the other hand, if I drew any kafir close to me, was accommodating to him, or I gave him anything without him being deserving of it, then make that a means of punishment and calamity befalling him.[3]
Our comment: If it is impossible that any of the Prophets could have hurt, lashed, reviled, or cursed an undeserving person, irrespective of whether they were angered or they were happy, then how was this narrated by your infallible Imam? Al Kulayni narrates from Imam Jafar rahimahu Llah:
أتى رسول الله وفد من اليمن وفيهم رجل كان أعظمهم كلاما وأشدهم استقصاء في محاجة النبي فغضب النبي حتى التوى عرق الغضب بين عينيه وتربد وجهه وأطرق إلى الأرض فأتاه جبريل (ع) فقال: ربك يقرئك السلام ويقول لك: هذا رجل سخي يطعم الطعام فسكن عن النبي الغضب ورفع رأسه وقال له: لولا أن جبريل أخبرني عن الله إنك سخي تطعم الطعام لشردت بك وجعلت حديثا لمن خلفك فقال له الرجل : وإن ربك يحب السخاء ؟ فقال: نعم فقال: إني اشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأنك رسول الله والذي بعثك بالحق لارددت من مالي أحدا
A delegation from Yemen came to the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Among them was a man who was most talkative and argumentative towards the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. The Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was extremely angered by this, to the extent that his vein began protruding in between his eyes, his face became red and he lowered his head towards the ground.
Thereupon, Jibril appeared before him saying, “Your Rabb sends greetings to You and says to you, ‘This is a generous man who feeds people.’”
Instantly, the anger of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam subsided and he raised his head saying to him, “If Jibril did not inform me on behalf of Allah that you are generous and you feed people, I would have chased you away and made an example out of you.”
The man asked, “Your Rabb loves generosity? I testify that there is no deity besides Allah and you are definitely the Rasul of Allah. By the oath of the one who sent you with the truth, I have never deprived anyone of my wealth.”[4]
[1] As you may have noticed, the word curse does not appear in this hadith. Thus, as usual, was an addition by the author.
[2] Sahih al Bukhari, Da’wat, Sahih Muslim, al Birr wa al Silah, al Adab.
[3] Bihar al Anwar, 104/290, # 3, Bab Jawami’ Ahkam al Qada, Nawadir; Ahmed ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa: Musnad, pg. 78.
[4] Mir’at al ‘Uqul, Kitab al Zakat-Bab Ma’rifat al Jud wa l-Sakha, 16/168-169, # 5