Narrators who have been severely impugned Continued

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6. Burayd ibn Muawiyah ibn Abi Hakim al Kufi (d. 150 A.H)

I could not find a detailed biography for this Burayd in the reliable books of Jarh wa Ta’dil; however, his condition is no different to those discussed in the preceding pages. Al Sadiq said about him:

May Allah curse Burayd and may Allah curse Zurarah.[1]

 

He also said:

May those who aspire to be leaders in religion be destroyed: Zurarah, Burayd, Muhammad ibn Muslim, Ismail al Ju’fi.[2]

 

‘Abdur Rahim al Qasir has reported:

Jafar al Sadiq said, “Go to Zurarah and Burayd, and say to them, “What is this Bid’ah? Do you not know that the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, ‘Every Bid’ah is misguidance.’?”

I said to him, “I am afraid of the two of them, send Layth al Muradi along with me.”

So, we went to Zurarah and relayed the message of Abu ‘Abdullah, but he replied, “By Allah, he has granted me ability, but he does not know.”

As for Burayd, he answered, “I will never retract what I have said ever.”[3]

 

Let us now peruse a few of the narrations that emanated from this Burayd.

 

Examples of his Fabrications

First Narration

Al Kulayni has reported with his chain from Abu ‘Abdullah al Sadiq:

A man came to the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and said, “O Messenger of Allah, verily I have been extremely well-endowed as no other man has been, so would it be permissible for me to satisfy myself with a camel or donkey, as no woman can bear what I possess?”

The Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Verily Allah did not create you except that He has also created your equal capable of enduring you.”

So, the man left, but it was not long before he returned, making the same request.

The Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Have you not approached the African ladies with long necks?”

So, the man left, but it was not long before he returned, saying, “O Messenger of Allah, I testify that you are truly the Messenger of Allah. I sought what you instructed and found one capable of enduring me and she has satisfied me.”[4]

 

Do these deviants wish to prove the Nubuwwah of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam with the likes of such proofs and absurdities? We seek Allah’s subhanahu wa ta ‘ala protection from the loss of intellect and ill-manners.

 

Second Narration

Al Kulayni has reported with his chain from Burayd ibn Muawiyah:

I heard Abu Jafar saying, “Verily Yazid ibn Muawiyah entered Madinah, with the intention to perform Hajj. He then summoned a man from the Quraysh and when he arrived said to him, “Do you acknowledge that you are my slave; if I wish I can sell you and if I so wish I can retain you.”

The man replied, “By Allah, O Yazid, you are not superior to me in ancestry amongst the Quraysh, nor was your father superior to my father during the days of ignorance or Islam. You, also, are not superior to me in din or better than me (in any way); so how can I acknowledge what you are saying?”

Yazid said to him, “If you do not acknowledge it, by Allah, I will kill you!”

The man answered, “You killing me here will pale in comparison to your killing Hussain ibn ‘Ali, the grandson of the Messenger of Allah, salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.”

So Yazid ordered that he be killed.

Yazid then summoned ‘Ali ibn Hussain ‘alayh al Salam, [great] grandson of the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and said the same to him.

‘Ali ibn Hussain ‘alayh al Salam said, “So, if I do not acknowledge this, you will kill me as you killed the man yesterday.”

Yazid replied, “Indeed!”

Thus, ‘Ali ibn Hussain ‘alayh al Salam said, “I have acknowledged what you have asked; I am a coerced slave, if you wish you may retain me and if you so wish you may sell me.”

Yazid said, “It is better that you prevented your blood from being spilled, and it did not cost you anything of your honour to do so.”[5]

 

I cannot fathom, for the life of me, why these individuals insist on painting such a disgraceful picture of the Ahlul Bayt, depicting them as lowly people with no sense of honour, and there is no power or Might except with Allah. They began this practice with the courageous Lion of Battle, the brave warrior, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib radiya Llahu ‘anhu; depicting him to be a meek coward whose wife could be beaten before his eyes and his child aborted, all while he cowered. Then this was followed up with further insults being cast upon his sons, Hassan and Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhuma. Now this, depicting ‘Ali ibn Hussain rahimahu Llah as a person without honour, Allah save us from such thoughts, such that he says, “I am a coerced slave, if you wish you may retain me and if you so wish you may sell me.” By Allah, these statements were never uttered by the leaders of the Ahlul Bayt radiya Llahu ‘anhum, they who would prefer death than having to endure even a moment of disgrace.

The strangest thing is that Burayd, and his cronies, who narrate such things from the Ahlul Bayt claim to love them, yet they do not have the slightest reservations in attributing such humiliating and disgraceful lies to the Ahlul Bayt. Is this actually love or hatred for the Ahlul Bayt? I leave that for you to decide.

 

Third Narration

Al Saffar narrates with his chain of narration Burayd ibn Muawiyah al Ijli:

I asked Abu Jafar ‘alayh al Salam about the verse:

وَعَلَى الْأَعْرَافِ رِجَالٌ يَعْرِفُونَ كُلًّا بِسِيمَاهُمْ

And on [its] elevations are men who recognize all by their mark.

And he replied, “This was revealed about this Ummah. Men refers to the Imams ‘alayhim al Salam from the family of Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.”

I then asked what is A’raf and he replied, “A bridge between Jannat and the Fire; whoever of the sinful believers the Imams seek intercession for, will attain salvation and for whoever he doesn’t, they will be destroyed.”[6]

 

One acquainted with the noble Qur’an will have no difficulty in understanding who the Men of A’raf are: They are those whose good and bad deeds are equal in number, who Allah will detain on A’raf until Allah passes judgement over them. These people will look upon the inhabitants of Jannat and ask Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala to admit them therein, and when they look upon the dwellers of Jahannam, they will ask Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala for protection from its evil.

Will the one who regards the Imams to be among those who will remain on A’raf be considered amongst the lovers of the Imams or their ardent haters? Astonishing indeed is the state of the ignorant liars!

 

Fourth Narration

Al Kulayni has reported with his chain from Burayd ibn Muawiyah:

I was sitting with Abu Jafar ‘alayh al Salam in his tent in Mina when he looked at Ziyad al Aswad, who was limping in pain, so he took pity on him.

Abu Jafar ‘alayh al Salam asked him, “What has happened to your leg?”

Ziyad replied, “Because of a lean camel of mine, which I could not ride and had to walk.”

So, he pitied him, on which Ziyad said, “Verily I am affected by sin at times to the point that I begin to think that I am destroyed, but then I think of my love for you all (the Ahlul Bayt) and become hopeful of salvation and the feeling [of dejection] is lifted.”

Abu Jafar ‘alayh al Salam replied, “Is not the din but love? Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala says:

 

حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ ٱلْإِيْمٰنَ وَزَيَّنَهُ فِيْ قُلُوْبِكُمْ

Allah has endeared to you the faith and has made it pleasing in your hearts.[7]

 

إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّوْنَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُوْنِيْ يُحْبِبْكُمُ ٱللَّهُ

If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you.[8]

 

يُحِبُّونَ مَنْ هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ

They love those who emigrated to them.[9]

 

A man came to the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I love those who pray salah but do not pray myself, and I love those who fast but do not fast myself.’

The Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said to him, “You are with the one you love and for you is what they have earned.’”

The Imam then said, “What do you want and what do you desire, if a calamity were to descend from the sky then each group will take refuge in its place of safety, and we will take refuge with our Prophet and you will take refuge with us.”[10]

 

The narrator of this report fabricates against the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt while at the same time reporting that which refutes him. He wishes by this narration to establish that one who loves the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and his Ahlul Bayt cannot be harmed by his sins, even if he fails to establish the fundamentals of this din. This is a heinous claim, its objective is nothing more than to distance people from Din. Why would a person exert himself with the performance of Salah, Zakat, Hajj, and fasting or even keep to the parameters specified in Islam when love for the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is all that is required. This is how the heretics wish to distance people from the din and cause them to abandon its tenets, as there is no real need for them after all. In fact, Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala ordering its establishment was just mentioned by the way, since all that is truly required is love for the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, even if the compulsory acts are omitted. This is what Burayd and his fellow cronies wish to establish. However, they have made mention of a verse in this very narration which uproots their lies, and that is the verse:

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحْبِبْكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Say, [O Muhammad], “If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”[11]

 

In this verse, Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala has made love for the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam dependent on following the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, this is the true meaning of love after all. The one who claims to love Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala, His Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and the pious, yet fails to emulate and follow them, such a person is a deceptive liar and his love will be of no avail to him. Imam al Baqir rahimahu Llah has falsified this claim with his statement:

There is no association between us and Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala and one cannot gain proximity to Him except through obedience to Him.

 

Imam al Baqir rahimahu Llah also said:

The one who obeys Allah and loves us is our friend, whereas the one who has disobeyed Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala, the love he has for us will be of no avail to him.[12]

 

Imam al Baqir rahimahu Llah said on another occasion:

 

It is enough against a man that he says I love ‘Ali and associate with him, but then does not act according to it. Were he to say I love the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam—as the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is better than ‘Ali—but then does not follow his lifestyle or adhere to his Sunnah, then his love will be of no avail to him. Fear Allah and practice according to the laws of Allah. There is no relation between Allah and anyone, the most beloved servants to Allah are those who are most God-fearing and most obedient to Him…[13]

 

Fifth Narration

Al Hurr al ‘Amili reports with his chain of narration from Burayd ibn Muawiyah al ‘Ijli:

Abu ‘Abdullah (al Sadiq) ‘alayh al Salam said, “Whatever action a person did while harbouring enmity for us and misguided, but was then favoured by Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala to recognises our Wilayah, will be rewarded except for Zakat. He will have to repay his Zakat as he discharged it to the incorrect recipients, as Zakat belongs to the custodians of Wilayah. As far as his Salah, Hajj, and fasting goes, he does not have to repeat them.”[14]

 

The reason for fabricating this narration in the name of the Imam is quite clear; it is solely for the acquisition of wealth. They are not seekers of the truth or desirers of knowledge; all they seek is fortune. This is why the acts of worship carried out prior to this assumed guidance is of no concern to them, but the money distributed to the poor, that is an issue and will need to be repaid to the representatives of the Imam in his absence!

 

7. Ziyad ibn al Mundhir al Hamdani Abu al Jarud al A’ma al Kufi (d. 150 A.H)

• Ahmed ibn Hambal said, “Matruk al Hadith (suspected of forgery in Hadith), he is extremely Da’if.”
• Yahya ibn Ma’in said, “Kadhab (flagrant liar), an enemy of Allah, he is not equal to a cent.”
• Al Bukhari said, “They criticised him.”
• Al Nasa’i said, “Matruk (suspected of forgery).” Elsewhere he commented, “He is not Thiqah (reliable).”
• Abu Hatim said, “Da’if.”[15]
• Yahya ibn Yahya al Nisaburi said, “He fabricates hadith.”
• Ibn ‘Abdul Barr said, “They had consensus that he is da’if in hadith, munkar (relates contradictory reports), while some attribute lying to him.”[16]

 

A number of narrations have been reported of the illustrious Imams disparaging him, amongst them is what al Tusi has reported from Abu Basir, who said:

 

We were sitting with Abu ‘Abdullah when a young girl passed us carrying a flagon which she had turned upside down. So, Abd ‘Abdullah said, “Indeed Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala has turned over the heart of Abu al Jarud just as this girl has turned over this flagon, so what fault is it of mine?”[17]

 

Abu Usamah narrates that Abu ‘Abdullah said:

What has Abu al Jarud done? By Allah he will only die forlorn.[18]

 

Abu Basir relates:

Abu ‘Abdullah made mention of Kathir al Nawa’, Salim ibn Abi Hafsah, and Abu al Jarud, and then said, “Liars, rejectors, disbelievers, may the curse of Allah be upon them.”

I said, “May I be sacrificed for you, as for them being liars, this I am aware of, but how are they rejectors?”

Abu ‘Abdullah replied, “Liars who come to us and say they attest to us, but it is not like that, and they hear our Hadith and reject it.”[19]

 

8. Sudayf ibn Maymun al Makki

 

He was of the extremist liars. He was killed during the era of al Mansur.[20] The most famous of his narrations is the one reported by Ibn Babuwayh al Qummi with his chain of narration from Sudayf al Makki:

Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al Baqir narrated to me, and I never saw anyone from the progeny of Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam equal to him, that Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah al Ansari[21] said, “The Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam delivered a sermon to us in which he said, ‘O people, whoever hates us the Ahlul Bayt, Allah will raise him as a Jew on the Day of Reckoning.’

I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, even if he fasts, prays, and considers himself a Muslim?’

The Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, ‘Even if he fasts, prays, and considers himself a Muslim.”[22]

 

They assume that Imam al Sadiq rahimahu Llah said, “I do not think my father related this Hadith to anyone.” I cannot understand why they insist upon painting a picture of the Imams always concealing and hiding their beliefs from the people. They give the impression that they were powerless, whereas Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala had instructed His Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam to propagate the din to the entire creation and not discriminate amongst anyone. Can a sensible person believe that the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was only sent to teach the religion to the Ahlul Bayt, who then would proceed to conceal it from the entire creation? The least we will say about it is that it is a sad joke if that is what one believes.

Our Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was sent to all of creation, all people of all ethnicities, and he conveyed all that Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala had instructed him with. He did not reserve some teachings for a select few, rather he was a Mercy for the entire creation, may Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala shower his choicest blessings and salutations upon him. These liars began to transmit these deviant ideologies when the masses began to reject them on account of their narrations being obviously fabricated and their beliefs corrupt. In an effort to fool the ignorant, they portrayed themselves to be the close confidants of the Imams and that the Imams would confide these matters to them only. The sad reality is that many were fooled by this ploy, and we seek Allah’s protection from deception.

 

9. Kathir ibn Ismail al Nawwa’ Abu Ismail al Taymi al Kufi

• Abu Hatim said, “Da’if al Hadith, in the same category as Sa’d ibn Tarif.”
• Al Juzajani said, “He was not on the right path.”
• Al Nasa’i said, “Da’if.” At another juncture he said, “There is scepticism about him.”[23]

 

It has also been reported that he repented from his extremism and deviated ideologies before his demise[24], and Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala knows best.

 

10. Ibrahim ibn Nuaim Abu al Sabah al Kinani al Kufi

He is amongst those who claim to be of the companions of Imam al Baqir rahimahu Llah and his ardent followers. However, I have not come across a detailed biography for him in the reliable books of narrator evaluation, but I have examined some of his narrations and found that he is no different to those we have discussed in the preceding pages. He too has been disparaged by Abu ‘Abdullah al Sadiq rahimahu Llah; of them is what al Tusi has reported with his chain from Burayd al ‘Ijli:

Abu al Sabah al Kinani and I were in the presence of Abu ‘Abdullah ‘alayh al Salam, when he said to us, “By Allah, the companions of my father were better than you. The companions of my father were pious with no [worldly] ambitions, whereas you all today are filled with [worldly] ambitions and no piety.”

Abu al Sabah said, “May I be sacrificed for you, we were the companions of your father.”

Abu ‘Abdullah replied, “You all were better than that what you are now.”[25]

 

I am at a complete loss as to how they can accept the narrations of a person who has been condemned by the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt in several different narrations. In fact, I cannot understand how they deem him reliable when several narrations attest to his immoral character.

Al Majlisi has reported from Abu al Sabah al Kinani:

One day I knocked on the door of Abu Jafar and his maid, who had a big bosom, came to answer the door. So, I struck my hand on her breasts and said to her, “Tell your master that I am at the door.”

Immediately the Imam yelled out from behind the door, “Enter, may your mother be bereaved of you.”

So, I entered and said, “By Allah, I did not intend to doubt, I only wished to further strengthen my conviction [that you have knowledge of the unseen].”

Imam Jafar replied, “You have spoken the truth, if you think that these walls veil our eyes in the same way it veils your own then there is no difference between you and us, you should never entertain such thoughts again.”[26]

 

It should be noted, firstly, there is a vast difference between the miracles of the pious and the miracles of the Prophets which serve as a testimony to their prophethood, both of which are in stark contrast with the exaggerated claims made regarding the “special abilities” ascribed to the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt. Such is the extremism in this regard that here we find a narrator [believed to be morally upright by the Shia] going to the extent of dishonouring one of the slaves of Imam al Baqir and then attempting to absolve himself with an excuse worse than the crime itself; that he disgraced her only to increase in his own conviction! The only conviction he would have gained from this is that any form of sin can be perpetrated and excused if done in the name of the Imam. Most astonishing is the alleged response of Imam al Baqir, is this the sense of honour we are expected to believe this illustrious Imam awarded to the ladies of his household? A man’s protectiveness over his household is the greatest sign of his manhood, in fact it is part of complete faith, as reported from Sa’d ibn ‘Ubadah radiya Llahu ‘anhu, who said, “O Messenger of Allah, if I were to find another man with my wife, am I to do nothing until I acquire four witnesses? Never, by Allah Who has sent you with the Truth, I will strike him with my sword before that.” The Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam upon that said, “Listen to what your leader is saying, verily he is Ghayyur (one who is fiercely protective), and I am more so than him, and Allah is more so than me.”[27]

The protectiveness of Sayyidina ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu over his beloved wife, Sayyidah Fatimah radiya Llahu ‘anha—Queen of the women of the universe—too is highlighted in the following report. It is reported that he once came home and found her cleaning her teeth with a Miswak, upon which he recited the following poem:

ما خفت يا عود الأراك أراك	قد فزتَ يا عود الأراك بثغرها
ما فاز مني يا سواكُ سواكَ	لو كنت من أهل القتال قتلتك

You have succeeded, O twig of the Arak tree,

Have you no fear of me observing you in this embrace?

Were you from those who could battle, I would have killed you!

No other has had this fortune besides me, O twig, but you.

 

This was the protective nature of the Ahlul Bayt, and in fact the state of every morally upright individual. Yet this liar wishes us to believe that the protective nature of Imam al Baqir rahimahu Llah did not even prompt a scolding, and he still went on to entertain the very same person as his guest!

 

11. Mughirah ibn Sa’id al Bajali al Kufi

• Ibn ‘Awn has said, “Ibrahim informed us, ‘Beware of Mughirah ibn Sa’id and Abu ‘Abdur Rahim, for indeed they are liars.’”
• ‘Abdul A’la ibn Abi Musawir said, “I heard Mughirah ibn Sa’id, the Liar, saying, ‘Allah has instructed you with justice referring to ‘Ali, kindness referring to Fatimah, and charity to the near relatives referring to Hassan and Hussain. And Allah has prohibited you from immorality and bad conduct, so and so is the most immoral of people and bad conduct refers to so and so.’”
• Jarir ibn ‘Abdul Hamid said, “Mughirah ibn Sa’id was a liar, who practiced black magic.”
• Al Juzajani said, “Mughirah was killed while claiming Prophethood for himself, he would create fire using sorcery and witchcraft until people began to obey him.”
• Al A’mash said, “Mughirah came to me, but as soon as he came to the doorstep, he jumped towards the house. I asked him, ‘What is the matter with you?’ He responded, ‘This wall of yours is wretched.’ Then he added, ‘Blessed are those who drink from the water of the Euphrates.’ I said, ‘We have other drinking sources besides that.’ He replied, ‘Menstrual pads and carrion is thrown in it.’ I asked, “Where do you drink from then?’ He replied, ‘From a well.’”

Al A’mash said, “I thought to myself, ‘By Allah, I will question him.’ So, I asked, ‘Did ‘Ali revive the dead?’ He replied, “Indeed, by Him who has control of my life, if he so wished he could have brough the ‘Ad and Thamud back to life.’ I asked, ‘From where have you come to know of this?’ he said, ‘I went to some of the Ahlul Bayt, who gave me a drink of water after which there was not a thing that remained unknown to me.’”

• Kathir al Nawwa’ said, “I heard Abu Jafar saying, ‘Allah and His Messenger are free from Mughirah ibn Sa’id and Banan ibn Sam’an, verily the two of them have lied against us the Ahlul Bayt.’”
• Ibrahim ibn Hassan said, ‘Mughirah ibn Sa’id entered upon me; I was young and greatly resembled the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. He made mention of my closeness to the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, my resemblance to him, and praised me. He then mentioned Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, and cursed them both. So, I throttled him until his tongue hanged out.”
• Al A’mash said, “Mughirah ibn Sa’id came to me and made mention of ‘Ali and the Prophets. He then gave precedence to ‘Ali over the Prophets. Thereafter he said, ‘‘Ali was in Basrah when a blind man came to him. ‘Ali passed his over his eyes and his sight was restored. ‘Ali then said to the man, ‘Do you desire to see Kufah?’ The man replied, ‘Indeed.’ So Kufah was brought to him until he could see it after which ‘Ali said, ‘Return!’ So, it returned. I said, ‘Glory be to Allah! Glory be to Allah!’ He then stood and left.”
• Ibn ‘Adi said, “There was no person in Kufah who was more cursed than Mughirah ibn Sa’id on account of the lies that he narrated regarding ‘Ali. He would always lie against the Ahlul Bayt, and I do not know of any narration of his that is not disconnected.”[28]

 

His lies and fabrications are extremely numerous. The greatest calamity of it, however, is that you will find these same fabrications constantly reverberating from the Shia pulpits, falsely attributing these statements to the Ahlul Bayt. Al Tusi has recorded a number of narrations wherein al Sadiq has disparaged him, in his book Ikhtiyar Ma’rifat al Rijal.

 

Condemnation of Mughirah ibn Sa’id

Jafar al Sadiq rahimahu Llah said:

 

May the curse of Allah be upon Mughirah ibn Sa’id, he would lie in my father’s name; thus, Allah caused him to taste iron [i.e., he was executed]. May Allah curse the one who says about us what we do not say about ourselves and may Allah curse the one who elevates us from being the slaves of Allah, who has created us, and to Whom is our recourse and our return, and Who has control of our lives.[29]

 

What Imam Jafar al Sadiq rahimahu Llah has mentioned about himself and his father being the slaves of Allah echoes exactly what has been revealed in the Noble Qur’an:

 

مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُؤْتِيَهُ اللَّهُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُوا عِبَادًا لِّي مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلَٰكِن كُونُوا رَبَّانِيِّينَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْكِتَابَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ

It is not for a human [prophet] that Allah should give him the Scripture and authority and prophethood and then he would say to the people, “Be servants to me rather than Allah,” but [instead, he would say], “Be pious scholars of the Lord because of what you have taught of the Scripture and because of what you have studied.”[30]

 

Al Tusi has reported from al Sadiq:

 

Do not accept from us any report that does not agree with the Qur’an and Sunnah, or does not corroborate with what has been said by us earlier, for verily, Mughirah ibn Sa’id, may the curse of Allah be upon him, has added to the books of my father’s students what my father never said. Fear Allah and do not accept from us anything that contradicts the Qur’an and Sunnah of our Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam; for when we narrate, we [clearly] say Allah has said or Allah’s Messenger has said [and do not narrate on our own strength].[31]

 

Imam Jafar rahimahu Llah has spoken the truth, for indeed the scale of truth is the words of Allah and His Messenger; all that opposes what they have said holds no weight. Imam al Baqir and Imam al Sadiq, as well as the other scholars of he Ahlul Bayt, were true servants of Allah and adherents to truth.

 

12. Muhammad ibn Muslim ibn Riyah Abu Jafar al Awqasi al Tahhan

One of the extremists who would regularly lie in the names of the illustrious Imams. He has an excessive amount of despicable and repugnant narrations. Condemnation of him has been reported from Imam Jafar al Sadiq rahimahu Llah.

Al Tusi has reported with his chain of narration from Abu al Sabbah:

I heard Abu ‘Abdullah (al Sadiq] saying, “O Abu al Sabbah, may those who aspire to be leaders in religion be destroyed; amongst them is Zurarah, Burayd, Muhammad ibn Muslim, Ismail al Ju’fi, and he mentioned others who I cannot remember.”[32]

 

Similarly, it has been reported from Mufaddal ibn ‘Umar:

I heard Abu ‘Abdullah saying, “May the curse of Allah be upon Muhammad ibn Muslim, he says that Allah does not have knowledge of matters until they transpire.”[33]

 

Examples of his Fabrications

First Narration

Al Kulayni has reported in his al Kafi from Muhammad ibn Muslim:

I heard Abu ‘Abdullah saying, “The Imams are of the same calibre as the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam except they are not Prophets and the number of wives that was permitted for the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is not permitted for them. As for everything else besides this then they are of the same calibre as the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.”[34]

 

The insolence and disrespect for the status of the Best of Creation, Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is evident and requires no elaboration.

 

13. Zurarah ibn A’yan

One of the greatest liars and fabricators who forged narrations in the name of Imam al Baqir rahimahu Llah and Imam al Sadiq rahimahu Llah. He has narrated a multitude of narrations from Imam al Baqir rahimahu Llah despite never having met him.[35]

Ibn Hajar al ‘Asqalani has recorded a narration that reveals the status of this narrator and the disgust which Imam al Sadiq maintained for him and his ilk. Ibn Sammak relates:

I set out to perform Hajj and Zurarah ran into me at Qadisiyah. He told me he had a favour to ask and when I asked what it was, he said, “When you meet Jafar ibn Muhammad then pass on my greetings and ask him if I am of the dwellers of Jahannam or residents of Jannat.”

I refused to do this favour for him but he insisted, “He has knowledge of this,” he said and continued to urge me until I submitted.

When I met Jafar ibn Muhammad and conveyed the message of Zurarah, he replied, “He is from the dwellers of Jahannam!”

This alarmed me [as how could he have knowledge of this] so I asked, “How do you know this?”

He replied, “Whoever claims that another has such knowledge, such a person is from the dwellers of Jahannam.”

When I returned home and informed him that Imam Jafar had said he is from the dwellers of Jahannam, he replied, “He awarded you measure from a sack of lime.”

I asked, “And what is measuring from a sack of lime?”

He answered, “He practiced Taqiyyah with you!”[36]

 

This is the state of one who takes his own desires as his Lord, and adopts Shaitan as his friend who convinces him with his own falsehood, making it impossible to find the path of truth.

The reports in condemnation of Zurarah have reached the level of Tawatur[37] such that it is impossible to deny that the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt did so. Muhsin al Amin has acknowledged this in his book A’yan al Shia:

When the narrations of condemnation [of Zurarah] are just as numerous as the narrations of praise, in fact they may be Mutawatir, it is impossible to respond to it by claiming the chain is weak, rather the response will have to be that it was said out of Taqiyyah.[38]

 

The excuse of Taqiyyah is the go-to option for all those narrations that contradict the beliefs of al Amin and his Shia brethren; there is no governing principle for it, some will claim it to be Taqiyyah, while others will deem it authentic and the opposite to be Taqiyyah, all based upon the whims of the scholar. This is because they have no set methodology for the scrutiny of narrations.

Zurarah has a dark biography, tainted with the constant disparagement of the Imams—may Allah be pleased with them—which provide certainty. We will mention a few of those reported by Zurarah himself.

Zurarah narrates:

I asked Abu ‘Abdullah about Tashahud and he replied:

أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَّا إِلهَ إِلَّا الله وَحْدَهُ لَاشَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ

I then asked about Atthiyyat and Salawat, and he said:

التَّحِيَّاتُ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ

When I left, I said to myself, “When I meet him tomorrow, I will ask him again.”

The next day I asked him about Tashahud and he replied the same I asked about Atthiyyat and Salawat, and he said:

التَّحِيَّاتُ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ

I said to myself, “I will come again after a day and ask him the same.”

When I came after a day, I asked him about Tashahud and he replied the same I asked about Atthiyyat and salawat, and he said:

التَّحِيَّاتُ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ

As I was leaving, I passed wind in his beard and he said, “He will never be successful.”[39]

 

Apologies, dear reader, I am aware that this narration and its like will be very distressing for the true lovers of the Ahlul Bayt, but my intention thereby is not to offend, rather it is to highlight the level of impudence this narrator had for the illustrious Imam. How then can their likes be considered reliable?

Ziyad ibn Abi Halal relates:

I said to Imam Jafar al Sadiq, “Zurarah has narrated from you regarding al Istita’ah, so we have accepted what he has said from you and attested to it. However, I would like to present what he has said before you.”

Imam Jafar asked me to relate it and I said, “He alleges that he asked you regarding the verse:

 

وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا

Hajj to the House (the Ka’bah) is a duty that people owe to Allah, who have the ability to find a way there.

and you replied, ‘Whoever has provision and a conveyance.’

He then asked, ‘So whoever has provision and a conveyance, he has the ability for hajj, even if he did not perform hajj?’ and you affirmed this.”

Imam Jafar replied, “This is not how he asked the question nor did I reply in this manner. He has lied upon me, by the oath of Allah. He has lied upon me, by the oath of Allah. May the curse of Allah be upon Zurarah! May the curse of Allah be upon Zurarah! May the curse of Allah be upon Zurarah![40] In actual fact he said to me, ‘Whoever has provision and a conveyance, does he have al Istita’ah for Hajj?’ I replied that it is wajib (obligatory) upon him.’ He asked, ‘So he is the one who has al Istita’ah?’ I replied, ‘No! Not until he is given permission.’ Go and inform Zurarah about this”

I then entered Kufah and met Zurarah, and informed him of what Imam Jafar had said. He fell silent when hearing that he had been cursed (by the Imam). He then said, “As for him, he has granted me al Istita’ah from avenues which he does not have knowledge of. This companion of yours lacks the faculty of conversation.”[41]

 

This was the audacity of this deceitful individual; he lies in his name and when exposed, he instead opts to disparage al Sadiq ‘alayh al Salam.

Walid ibn Sabih narrates:

I was passing through the masjid in Madinah when all of a sudden, a person grabbed hold of me. When I turned to see who it was, I saw it was Zurarah.

He said, “Seek permission for me to enter from your Companion.”

So, I left the Masjid and entered upon Abu ‘Abdullah and informed him of what had transpired. He struck his beard and then said, “No permission for him, no permission for him, no permission for him. Zurarah intends for me to comment about Taqdir [i.e., attest to the belief of Jabr], which is not from my religion nor the religion of my grandfathers.”[42]

 

Al Tusi reports with his chain:

 

Imam Jafar al Sadiq asked one of his Shia, “When last did you see Zurarah?” “I haven’t seen him for a few days,” came the reply.

Imam Jafar then said, “Do not concern yourself with him, if he falls ill do not visit him, and if he dies do not attend his Janazah.”

He asked, “Zurarah?” astonished by the Imams words.

Imam Jafar responded, “Yes! Zurarah! Zurarah is worse than the Jews and the Christians, and those who say that Allah is but one of a trinity.”[43]

 

Layth al Muradi related:

I heard Abu ‘Abdullah saying, “Zurarah will not die except forlorn.”[44]

He lived forlorn so dying forlorn would not be farfetched.

 

‘Imran ibn Za’farani said:

I heard Abu ‘Abdullah saying to Abu Basir, “O Abu Basir… No one has brought innovation into Islam as Zurarah has, may Allah curse him.”[45]

 

Kulayb al Saydawi reported:

 

We were sitting, and amongst us was ‘Udhafir al Sayrafi and a number of our companions, with Abu ‘Abdullah when Abu ‘Abdullah said, even though Zurarah was not being discussed, “May the curse of Allah be upon Zurarah, may the curse of Allah be upon Zurarah, may the curse of Allah be upon Zurarah,” saying it three times.[46]

 

‘Ammar al Sabati relates:

I stopped to rest at a place on the road to Makkah one night when I saw a man standing and performing salah. I never saw a person praying in the manner that he was praying nor supplicating as he was. When I awoke in the morning, I looked towards him and did not recognise him. Later, when I was sitting with Abu ‘Abdullah the same man entered into his presence. When Abu ‘Abdullah saw him he said, “What an evil person is the one who his brother trusts with something sacred to him and then he deceives him therein.” So, the man left.

Abu ‘Abdullah then said to me, “O ‘Ammar, do you know who this individual is?”

I replied, “No, by Allah, except that I stopped one of the nights to rest and saw him praying in a manner I never saw anyone praying before and supplicating with words I never heard anyone else use.”

Abu ‘Abdullah then said, “This is Zurarah ibn A’yan, by Allah, he is of those who Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala has described in His Book:

 

وَقَدِمْنَا إِلَىٰ مَا عَمِلُوا مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَاءً مَّنثُورًا

And We will approach [i.e., regard] what they have done of deeds and make them as dust dispersed.[47][48]

 

Examples of his fabrications and lies are many but we will suffice on citing only a few.

 

Examples of his Fabrications

First Narration

Al Saffar has reported with his chain from Zurarah:

I heard Abu Jafar al Baqir saying, “Were it not that we are increased [in knowledge through revelation] we would dwindle away.”

I asked, “So you are increased with knowledge that was not known to the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam?”

He replied, “If that happens then the [new] knowledge is presented to the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and the Imams until it reaches us.”[49]

 

This clearly implies that revelation would descend upon Imam al Baqir rahimahu Llah, and he is free from all such statements. Allah forbid that the illustrious Imam would ever utter anything even close to it. This contradicts the Finality of Prophethood of Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and even contradicts the Qur’an. We seek Allah’s protection from such statements and from those who utter such blasphemy.

 

Second Narration

Zurarah narrates from al Baqir or al Sadiq:

Allah has not been worshiped with anything better than Bada’.[50]

 

Bada’ is the Shia doctrine that Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala only learns of things after they come to pass, which attributes the quality of ignorance to Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala, we seek Allah’s protection from such claims. Allah forbid, that the illustrious Imams would ever utter such words.

 

NEXT⇒ Imam al Baqir’s unwavering adherence to Tawhid

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[1] Al Tusi: Ikhtiyar Ma’rifat al Rijal, 1/364.

[2] Ibid, 2/508.

[3] Ibid, 2/509.

[4] Al Kafi, 5/336, # 1.

[5] Al Kafi, 8/235, # 313.

[6] Basa’ir al Darajat, pg. 517.

[7] Surah al Hujurat: 7.

[8] Surah Al ‘Imran: 31.

[9] Surah al Hashr: 9.

[10] Al Kulayni: Al Kafi, 8/79.

[11] Surah Al ‘Imran: 31.

[12] Al Majlisi: Bihar al Anwar, 68/179.

[13] Muhammad Mahdi Al Ha’iri: Shajarah Tuba, 1/3.

[14] Al Hurr al ‘Amili: Al Wasa’il, 1/136.

[15] Tahdhib al Kamal, 9/517.

[16] Tahdhib al Tahdhib, 3/332.

[17] Ikhtiyar Ma’rifat al Rijal, 2/495.

[18] Ikhtiyar Ma’rifat al Rijal, 2/495.

[19] Ikhtiyar Ma’rifat al Rijal, 2/495.

[20] Refer to Lisan al Mizan, 3/9.

[21] Despite this narration being a fabrication, the fabricator too could not conceal the fact that Imam al Baqir rahimahu Llah had studied and learnt hadith from Sayyidina Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah al Ansari radiya Llahu ‘anhu, as we have stated under his biography.

[22] Ibn Babuwayh: Al Amali, pg. 412.

[23] Tahdhib al Kamal, 24/103.

[24] Tahdhib al Tahdhib, 8/367.

[25] Ikhtiyar Ma’rifat al Rijal, 2/639.

[26] Bihar al Anwar, 46/248.

[27] Sahih Muslim, # 2754.

[28] Lisan al Mizan, 6/77.

[29] Ikhtiyar Ma’rifat al Rijal, 2/489.

[30] Surah Al ‘Imran: 79.

[31] Ikhtiyar Ma’rifat al Rijal, 2/489.

[32] Ibid, 1/394.

[33] Ibid.

[34] Al Kafi,1/270, # 7, chapter on the Imams resemble those who have passed and it is disliked to attribute prophethood to them. Take note, O respected reader, how they simply refer to the attribution of prophethood to them as being disliked and not that it is Haram.

[35] Lisan al Mizan, 2/474.

[36] Ibid, 2/473.

[37] Such widespread transmission as cannot be rejected.

[38] Muhsin al Amin: A’yan al Shia, 7/51.

[39] Ikhtiyar Ma’rifat al Rijal, 1/379.

[40] This is one of many narrations that prove that Zurarah would fabricate in the name of the Imam, when he was in Kufah and the Imam residing in Madinah.

[41] Ikhtiyar Ma’rifat al Rijal, 1/360.

[42] Ibid, 1/380.

[43] Ibid, 1/380-381.

[44] Ibid, 1/365.

[45] Ibid.

[46] Ibid.

[47] Surah al Furqan: 23.

[48] Ikhtiyar Ma’rifat al Rijal, 1/367-368.

[49] Basa’ir al Darajat, pg. 414.

[50] Al Kafi, 1/146, chapter on Bada’, # 1.