Shattering the Mirage: A Response to ‘Abdul Hussain Sharaf al Din’s al Muraja’at – UPDATED (31/10/2024)!

Shattering the Mirage: A Response to ‘Abdul Hussain Sharaf al Din’s al Muraja’at: Letter 81 and 82
July 30, 2024
SAYYIDUNA TALHAH IBN ‘UBAYD ALLAH RADIYA LLAHU ‘ANHU
August 15, 2024

Doctrinal debates between Sunnis and Shia have existed for centuries. The religious discourse at the beginning of the 20th century warranted a cunning strategy to promote the Twelver Shia belief system; propaganda. `Abdul Hussain Sharaf al Din al Musawi was a prominent Shia cleric who published what he alleges to be a series of correspondence between him and the then Sheikh al Azhar, Salim al Bishri, which he titled al-Muraja`at; at the end of which he eventually manages to convince of the truth of the Shia school. The mutual courtesy in these letters have blinded many readers not only to the fictitious nature of the correspondence, but also the glaring mistruths and forged evidence upon which the arguments are based. While many exposes of al-Muraja`at have been penned in Arabic, this is the first comprehensive objective investigation to be written in English. This title seeks to expose the multi-layered deception in al-Muraja`at, and to provide – with Allah’s help – clarity and context to the spin in `Abdul Hussain’s tales.

 
Download pdf here
 

Click one of the sections below:

 

Introduction

 

Letter 1 and 2

Letter 1:

I. Greeting the Debater.

II.  Asking Permission to Debate.

 

Letter 2:

I.  Greetings Reciprocated,

II.  Permission to Debate Granted.

 

Letter 3 and 4

Letter 3:

I. Why do Shi’as not Uphold the Majority’s Sects?

II. The Need for Unity,

III. Unity Achieved Only by Adhering to the Majority’s Sects.

 

Letter 4:

I. Juristic Proofs Mandate Adherence to the Sect of Ahlul Bayt,

II. There is No Proof for Mandating Adherence to the Majority’s Sects,

III. Generations of The First Three Centuries Never Knew Those Sects,

IV. Possibility of Ijtihad,

V. Unity can be Achieved by Respecting Ahlul Bayt’s Sect.

 

Letter 5 and 6

Letter 5:

I. Admitting Our Argument

II. Asking for Detailed Proofs

 

Letter 6:

I. References to Proofs Mandating Following the ‘Itra

II. The Commander of the Faithful ‘alayh al Salam Invites to Ahlul Bayt’s Sect

III. Relevant Statement of Imam Zainul ‘Abidin

 

Letter 7 and 8

Letter 7:

I. Requesting Proofs from Statements by Allah and His Messenger

II. Proofs from Ahl al­Bayt are Circumventive

 

Letter 8:

I. Overlooking Our Previous Statements

II. Error in Necessity of (Logical) Cycle

III. Hadith of the Two Weighty Things

IV. Its Tawatur

V. Non­ Adherents to the ‘Itra Shall Stray

VI. Their Similitude to the ark of Noah, the Gate of Salvation, and the Security Against Religious Dissensions

VII. What is Meant by “Ahlul ­Bayt” in this Regard

VIII. Reasons for Similitude to Noah’s Ark and the Gate of Salvation

 

Letter 9 and 10

Letter 9:

I. Requesting more relevant texts

 

Letter 10:

I. A Glimpse of Sufficient Texts

 

Letter 11 and 12

Letter 11:

I. Admiring Our Clear Texts

II. Wondering at Compromising Them With the Majority’s Beliefs

III. Asking for Clear Signs from the Book

 

Letter 12:

I. Qur’anic Proofs

 

Letter 13 and 14

Letter 13:

I. Argument Regarding These Traditions Weak

 

Letter 14:

I. Fallacy of Opponent’s Argument

II. Opponents do not Know Shi’as

III. Distinction of Emphasizing Illegality of Falsifying Hadith

 

Letter 15 and 16

Letter 15:

I. A Flash of the Truth

II. Requesting Details on Sunnis Relying on Shi’a Authorities

 

Letter 16:

I. A Hundred Shi’a Authorities Relied upon by Sunnis

 

Letter 17 and 18

Letter 17:

I. Appreciating the debater’s sentiments

II. Admitting There is no Objection if Ahl ul-Sunnah Rely on Shi’a Authorities

III. His belief in the Miracles of Ahlul Bayt

IV. Dilemma at Compromising the Above with what Ahl Al Qibla do

 

Letter 18:

I. Sentiments Reciprocated

II. Debater’s Error in Generalizing Regarding Ahl al Qibla

III. The Nation’s Politicians are the Ones Who Turned Away from Ahlul Bayt

IV. The Imams of Ahlul Bayt are not Inferior to others

V. Which Fair Court Judges Calling Their Followers “Strayers”?

 

Letter 19 and 20

Letter 19:

I. No Fair Arbitrator Would Call Followers of Ahlul Bayt Strayers

II. Following Their Sects is Carrying out the Responsibility

III. It Could be Said that They Have the Priority to Lead

IV. Requesting Texts Relevant to the Khilafate

 

Letter 20:

I. A General Reference to the Texts

II. A Reference to the House on the Day of Warning

III. Sunni Reporters of this Hadith

 

Letter 21 and 22

Letter 21:

I. Raising Doubts about the Hadith’s Authenticity

 

Letter 22:

I. Proving the Text’s Authenticity

II. Why the Sheikhs Have Not Reported it

III. Whoever Knows These Sheikhs Knows Why

 

Letter 23 and 24

Letter 23:

I. Convinced of the Authenticity of this Hadith

II. Unreliability Based on Non-Sequential Narration

III. Its Reference to Restricted Succession

IV. Its Rebuttal

 

Letter 24:

I. Why Relying on this Hadith

II. Restricted Succession is Unanimously Rejected

III. Revocation is Impossible

 

Letter 25 and 26

Letter 25:

I. His Belief in the Text

II. Requesting More Texts

 

Letter 26:

I. Clear Texts Recounting Ten of ‘Ali’s Exclusive Merits

II. Why Rely Upon it

 

Letter 27 and 28

Letter 27:

I. Raising Doubts About the Status Hadith

 

Letter 28:

I. The Status Hadith Stands on Most Solid Grounds

II. Binding Proofs

III. Its Sunni Narrators

IV. Why al Amidi Suspects It

 

Letter 29 and 30

Letter 29:

I. Believing in Our Arguments Regarding the Hadith’s Sanad

II. Doubting its General Application

III. Doubting its being Binding

 

Letter 30:

I. Arabs Regard it General

II. Disproving Claim of Restriction

III. Disproving its Non-Binding Application

 

Letter 31 and 32

Letter 31:

I. Requesting Sources of this Hadith

 

Letter 32:

I. Among Its Sources: the Prophet’s Visit to Umm Salim

II. The Case of Hamzah’s Daughter

III. Leaning on ‘Ali

IV. The First Fraternity

V. The Second Fraternity

VI. Closing the Doors

VII. The Prophet Comparing ‘Ali and Aaron to the Two Stars

 

Letter 33 and 34

Letter 33:

I. When was ‘Ali and Aaron Described as the Two Stars?

 

Letter 34:

I. The Occasion of Shabar Shubayr and Mushbir

II. The Occasion of Fraternity

III. The Occasion of Closing the Doors

 

Letter 35 and 36

Letter 35:

I. Requesting other texts

 

Letter 36:

 

I. Ḥadith by ibn ‘Abbas

II. ‘Umran’s Hadith

III. Buraydah’s Hadith

IV. Hadith Recounting Ten Exclusive Attributes [of ‘Ali]

V. ‘Ali’s Hadith

VI. Wahab’s Hadith

VII. Ibn Abu ‘Asim’s Hadith

 

Letter 37 and 38

Letter 37:

I. “Wali” is a Linguistic Denominator; so Where is the Text?

 

Letter 38:

 I. Explaining the Implications of “Wali”

II. Proving its Connotation

 

Letter 39 and 40

Letter 39:

I. Requesting the Wilayat Verse

 

Letter 40:

I. The Verse of Wilayat and its Revelation in ‘Ali’s Honour

II. Why it was Revealed

III. Why Using it as a Testimonial

 

Letter 41 and 42

Letter 41:

I.”Mumins” is Plural; Why Apply it to the Singular?

 

Letter 42:

 I. Arabs Address the Singular Using the Plural Form

II. Testimonials

III. Quoting Imam al-Tibrisi

IV. Quoting al-Zamakhshari

V. What I have Stated

 

Letter 43 and 44

Letter 43:

I. Context Denotes “the Loved one” or the Like

 

Letter 44:

I. Context is not Indicative of “Supporter” or the Like

 II. Context does not Outweigh the Proofs

 

Letter 45 and 46

Letter 45:

I. Resorting to Interpretation Following in the Footsteps of the Predecessors is Unavoidable

Letter 46:

I. Believing in the Ancestors does not Require Interpretation

II. Interpretation is Impossible

 

Letter 47 and 48

 

Letter 47:

I. Requesting testimonial traditions

 

Letter 48:

I. Forty Ahadith supporting the texts

  Letter 49 and 50

 

Letter 49:

I. Admitting ‘Ali’s Merits

II. Such Merits do not Necessitate his Caliphate

 

Letter 50:

I. Why interpret text on his behalf as Indicative of his Imamate

 

Letter 51 and 52

 

Letter 51:

I. Rebutting the Arguments through similar ones

 

Letter 52:

I. Rejecting the Rebuttal’s premise

 

Letter 53 and 54

 

Letter 53:

I. Requesting the Hadith Pertaining to the Ghadir Incident

 

Letter 54:

I. Glitters of Ahadith Relevant to the Ghadir Incident

 

Letter 55 and 56

 

Letter 55:

I. Why use it as a testimonial if not Transmitted Consecutively?

 

Letter 56:

I. Natural Laws Necessitate the Consecutive Reporting of Hadith al Ghadir

II. The Almighty’s Benevolence

III. Concern of the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam

IV. Concern of the Commander of the Faithful

V. al Husain’s Concern

VI. Concern of the Nine Imams ‘alayh al Salam

VII. Shi’as’ Concern

VIII. Its Consecutive Reporting Through the Masses

 

Letter 57 and 58

 

Letter 57:

I. Interpreting Hadith al ­Ghadir

II. The Link

 

Letter 58:

I. Hadith al­ Ghadir Cannot be Interpreted

II. Pretext for its Interpretation is Speculative and Misleading

 

Letter 59 and 60

 

Letter 59:

I. Truth Manifests

II. Evasion

 

Letter 60:

I. Evasion Refuted

 

Letter 61 and 62

 

Letter 61:

Requesting Texts Narrated by Shi’a Sources

 

Letter 62:

Forty Ahadith

 

Letter 63 and 64

 

Letter 63:

I. Shi’a Texts Rejected as Testimonials

II. Why Have Others Refrained from Quoting Them?

III. Asking for More Texts

 

Letter 64:

I. Above Texts were Quoted upon Request

II. Sahihs are Proofs against the Majority

III. Not Quoted Because of Their Existence in Our Own Sahihs

 

LETTER 65 and 66

 

Letter 65:

I. Requesting the Ahadith Relevant to the Inheritance

 

Letter 66:

I. Ali is the Prophet’s Heir

 

LETTER 67 and 68

 

Letter 67:

I. Where is the Prophet’s Will?

Letter 68:

I. The Will’s Text

 

LETTER 69 and70

 

Letter 69:

I. Argument of the Will’s Deniers

Letter 70:

I. The Will Cannot be Repudiated

II. Why Denied

III. Deniers’ Arguments not Binding

IV. Reason and Intellect Require it

LETTER 71 and72

 

Letter 71:

I. Why Reject the Hadith of the Mother of Believers and the best among the Prophet’s Consorts?

Letter 72:

I. She Was Not the Best of the Prophet’s Consorts

II. The Best is Khadija

III. A General Hint to the Reason Why her Hadith was Discarded

 

Letter 73 and 74

Letter 73

I. Requesting an Explanation to our Rejection of ‘Ayesha’s Hadith

Letter 74

I. Explaining Why We Reject her Hadith

II. Reason Confirms the Will

III. Her Claim that the Prophet Died on Her Chest is Refuted

 

Letter 75 and 76

Letter 75

I. Mother of the Believers is not Ruled by Emotions

II. The Pleasant and the Ugly are Denied by Reason

III. Why Oppose the Claim of the Mother of Believers?

Letter 76

I. Her Yielding to Sentiment

II. Rationale Regarding the Pleasant and the Unpleasant

III. Rejecting the Claim of the Mother of Believers

IV. Preference of Umm Salamah’s Hadith over Hers

 

Letter 79 and 80

Letter 79

I. Consensus Endorses al Siddiq’s Caliphate

Letter 80

I. No Consensus

 

Letter 81 and 82

Letter 81

I. Consensus Concluded When Dispute Dissipated.

Letter 82

I. Consensus Was Not Concluded; Dissension Did Not Dissipate

 

Letter 83 and 84

Letter 83

I. Can You Compromise the Text’s Accuracy With the Companions’ Truthfulness?

Letter 84

I. Compromising the Text’s Accuracy With Their Truthfulness,

II. Rationalizing the Imam’s Reluctance to Demand his Right.

 

Letter 85 and 86

Letter 85

I. Requesting Narration of Incidents Wherein They Did Not Follow the Texts of Hadith

Letter 86

I. Thursday’s Calamity,

II. The Reason Why the Prophet Repealed His Order Then.

 

LETTER 87 and 88 

Letter 87

I. Justifying and Discussing the Calamity

Letter 88

I. Pretexts Refuted

 

LETTER 89 and 90 

Letter 89

I. Admitting the Falsehood of Such Pretexts,

II. Requesting Narration of Other Incidents.

Letter 90

I. Usamah’s Regiment

 

LETTER 91 and 92

Letter 91

I. Justifying Their Behaviour Towards Usamah’s Regiment,

II. No Hadith Curses its Draft Dodgers.

Letter 92

I. Their Pretexts do not Contradict our Statement,

II. Al Shahristani’s Hadith is Documented.

The translation of the book is still ongoing, In Sha Allah, the book will be updated as soon as new content becomes available, the pdf. file too will be updated accordingly.