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‘Alam al Huda, has narrated in his book al Shafi that ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu mentioned the following in his sermon:
The best people of this Ummah after its Prophet are Abu Bakr and ‘Umar.
In other reports it is also mentioned that he made those statements during a sermon after it had come to his knowledge that a man had vilified Abu Bakr and ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhuma. He ordered that he be punished after people had testified to what he had done.[1]
As you can see, this was the love that ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu possessed for the Amir al Mu’minin and the Khalifah of the believers, Abu Bakr, and for the saviour of Islam and the well-wisher of the true way, ‘Umar al Faruq radiya Llahu ‘anhu. This was the position which he held towards them and against the ones who bore enmity for them.
According to Shia reports, when Abu Sufyan came to ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu after the bay’ah of Abu Bakr al Siddiq radiya Llahu ‘anhu, and after the people had gathered around him, in order to encourage him to oppose him, he replied with the following words refuting him:
Woe to you O Abu Sufyan! This is one of your shrewd plans, because the people had gathered around Abu Bakr! You persist in going against the Islamic spirit and following the crooked trends of ignorance.[2]
Concerning ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhu, he had sent his two beloved sons in defence of him, and that being after he himself had stood up in his defence against the trouble makers, as mentioned in detail previously. ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhu was his cousin as well as his student, the one whose knowledge is from his knowledge, as can be seen from the statement:
‘Ali is the one who taught me, his knowledge is from the Rasul of Allah, and my knowledge is from the knowledge of ‘Ali.[3]
Concerning those who bore hatred towards Abu Bakr, after emphasising his praises he said:
May Allah become angry with the person who belittles him or vilifies him.[4]
Concerning those who bore hatred against al Faruq, after praising him extensively he said:
May Allah punish the one who belittles him with His eternal curse.[5]
Concerning the ones who bore hatred against Dhu al Nurayn, after making mention of his outstanding traits and character he said:
May Allah curse the one who curses him.[6]
The grandson of ‘Ali al Murtada, who is called Zayn al ‘Abidin, ‘Ali ibn al Hussain—the fourth infallible Imam according to them—was upon the methodology of his father; i.e. he fought against those who fought against them, took as enemies those who bore animosity towards them, and hated and sought acquittal from whoever exonerated themselves from them or spoke out against them.
Al Arbili the Shia has narrated that a group of people from Iraq came to him and spoke negatively about Abu Bakr and ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhuma. When they had finished talking he asked them, “Are from those described in the verse:
لِلْفُقَرَاءِ الْمُهَاجِرِيْنَ الَّذِيْنَ أُخْرِجُوْا مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ وَأَمْوَالِهِمْ يَبْتَغُوْنَ فَضْلًا مِّنَ اللّٰهِ وَرِضْوَانًا وَّيَنْصُرُوْنَ اللّٰهَ وَرَسُوْلَهُ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الصَّادِقُوْنَ
For the poor emigrants who were expelled from their homes and their properties, seeking the bounty from Allah and [His] approval and supporting Allah and His Messenger, [there is also a share]. Those are the truthful.[7]They replied, “No.” He then inquired, “Then are you among those who are referred to in the verse:
وَالَّذِيْنَ تَبَوَّءُوا الدَّارَ وَالْإِيْمَانَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ يُحِبُّوْنَ مَنْ هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَا يَجِدُوْنَ فِيْ صُدُوْرِهِمْ حَاجَةً مِمَّا أُوْتُوْا وَيُؤْثِرُوْنَ عَلٰى أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ
And [also for] those who were settled in the Home [i.e. Madinah] and [adopted] the faith before them. They love those who emigrated to them and find not any want in their breasts of what they [i.e. the emigrants] were given but give [them] preference over themselves, even though they are in privation. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul – it is those who will be successful.[8]
They replied, “No.” He then said, “You people have exonerated yourselves from being part of any of these two groups, and I bear witness that you are not from among those whom Allah has spoken about in the verse:
وَالَّذِيْنَ جَاءُوْا مِنْۢ بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُوْلُوْنَ رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِيْنَ سَبَقُوْنَا بِالْإِيْمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِيْ قُلُوْبِنَا غِلًّا لِلَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوْا
And those who come after them, saying, “Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful.”[9]He then said:
Get out of my company, May Allah treat you as you deserve to be treated![10]
His son, Zaid ibn ‘Ali, followed the example of his father. Yes, Zaid ibn ‘Ali ibn al Hussain ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah’s pleasure and mercy be upon them), the one whom this nation has given extensive praises, and the one about whom they have written many chapters about in their books, specifically in praise of him. He had treaded the same path which his father ‘Ali ibn al Hussain rahimahu Llah, and his grandfather, ‘Ali ibn ‘Abi Talib radiya Llahu ‘anhu, had treaded. In fact, the path that they had chosen to tread was the one which was chosen by the one before them, i.e. Muhammad the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, when he said, “Leave my companions alone!”[11]
The Shia have also narrated that when the companions of Zaid ibn ‘Ali rahimahu Llah came out they asked him about Abu Bakr and ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhuma:
He replied, “I do not say anything regarding him except that it is good, and I have not heard my family mentioning anything about them except that it was good.”
They said, “You are not our companion!”
Thereafter they left and abandoned him.
He then said, “Today they have rejected us,” and since that very day they were known as the Rafidah, i.e. the rejecters.[12]
Mirza Taqi adds to that and says:
Zaid had prevented them from vilifying the Sahabah of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. When they came to know that he would not exonerate himself from the Sheikhayn, i.e. Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, they rejected and abandoned him. After this had happened, the word Rafidah was used for every extremist in the Mazhab, and whoever permits the vilifying of the Sahabah.[13]
Let us also have a look at Muhammad al Baqir ‘Ali ibn al Hussain —the fifth Imam according to them—he also said what they had said, and held the same opinions they held. He was severe against those who denied Abu Bakr the title of al Siddiq for that very reason, and he strongly condemned them saying:
What a wonderful Siddiq he is! May Allah never attest to the truthfulness of those who do not call him al Siddiq, in this life and the next.[14]
How could it be imagined that ‘Ali and his offspring (may Allah’s pleasure and mercy be upon them) would pass judgments of apostasy upon al Siddiq, al Faruq, and Dhu al Nurayn, when he had pledged allegiance to them, performed salah behind them, dealt with them in the best of manners, interacted with them, inter-married with them, fought not against them but side by side with them, and abstained from arguing with them; all of this considering the fact that he did not even pass the judgment of apostasy upon those who openly fought against him, argued with him, and even killed some of his close companions and friends.
When we look at Nahj al Balaghah we find that it is filled with reports of him preventing his companions from cursing, vilifying, and making judgments of apostasy and inequity upon them, even to those who fought against him during the Battle of Siffin. The discussion is titled as follows, Excerpts of him when he heard a group of his companions cursing the people of Sham during the days of the Battle of Siffin. He says:
I dislike that you be among those who curse. If you were to analyse your actions and remember your state, it would have been more appropriate in statement and better in pardon if you had said, “O Allah! Spare our blood as well as their blood, correct our relationships as well as theirs, and guide them out of their deviation until the truth is known from falsehood, and save those who have fallen into deception and animosity.[15]
The Shia al Dinawari has made mention of this, and has explicitly stated that those who vilified were specifically among those who had fought against Dhu al Nurayn radiya Llahu ‘anhu, just as he explicitly mentioned that they cursed Muawiyah and his companions, and that a dialogue had taken place between them and ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu. He mentions the complete story as follows:
It reached ‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam that Hujr ibn ‘Adi and ‘Amr ibn al Humq began cursing and vilifying the people of Sham openly. He then sent a message that they should stop what they were doing.
They came to him and said, “O Amir al Mu’minin! Are we not upon the truth, and are they not upon falsehood?”
He replied, “Yes, by the Rabb of the Ka’bah!”
They inquired, “Then why do you prevent us from cursing and vilifying them?”
He replied, “I dislike that you become of those who curse and vilify. Rather say, O Allah spare our blood as well as their blood, and correct our ties as well as their ties.”[16]
This is who ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib radiya Llahu ‘anhu was. He disliked that even the people of Sham, including Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan be cursed. He prevented them from doing so. Considering this, then how could it be imagined that he could have been pleased with the cursing of the people of Madinah, the beloved city of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and with the vilification of the Sahabah of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and his close relatives and in-laws.
Furthermore, he attested to their faith and religion even though they were fighting against each other, and he clearly stated that those who fought against him were neither disbelievers nor apostates who had left the fold of Islam.
Just as Abu Jafar had narrated from his father, that ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu told his fellow companions that they were not fighting them on the grounds of disbelief, nor were the opposition fighting against them on those grounds. Rather they believed that they were the party on the truth, and the opposition believed that they were on the truth.[17] He also narrates that while he was addressing those who stood with him as well as against him he said:
We have accompanied the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam at a time when killing ensued between parents and their children, as well as between close family and their relatives. Despite all of those calamities we only increased in faith, perseverance upon the truth, desire to follow it, and in patience in persevering whatever befell us. As for us, we are fighting our brothers in Islam due to deceptions, distortions, doubts, and interpretations that have entered upon us.[18]
What is even clearer than that is the following:
O servants of Allah! I advise you with consciousness of Allah, because it is the best thing that could be advised with. Know that the goodness of the end result of all matters is in the control of Allah, and that the door of fighting has been opened up between yourselves and people who face the same Qiblah as yourselves.[19]
What is even clearer than that is the fact that he equates them with himself and his party, regarding belief in Allah and attesting to the Rasul salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. He also freed himself from having anything to do with the unjust spilling of the blood of ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhu by writing to the people of Egypt explaining what exactly had transpired between himself and the people of Siffin:
Our matter begun when we clashed with the people of Sham. It is apparent that our Rabb is one, our Prophet is one, and that our calling towards Islam is one. We have no reason to seek an increase in their belief in Allah and His Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, nor do they have any reason to seek it from us. Our matter is one and the same, except that we have disagreed in the issue of the blood of ‘Uthman. We are free from it.[20]
We then said, “Let us proceed.”[21]
Look at the extent of the justice and fairness of ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu, and see how far this nation has deviated from his example, and how far they have drifted away from the truth in speech as well as in action. This is the example of ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu and the position that he took against those who were considered to be his worst opposition. What would then be his position, and the position of the Ahlul Bayt, regarding those who were among the most beloved people to him, i.e. the Khulafaʼ of the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, his close associates, and those who loved the Ahlul Bayt. In turn the Ahlul Bayt had reciprocated that love in a double measure, as well as towards the Mothers of the Believers, who are considered to be their mothers before being the mothers of anyone else.
We will conclude this chapter with a discussion that goes around a question, were ‘Ali and the Ahlul Bayt believers or not? If the answer is yes, about which there exists no doubt, then the following verse would rightfully apply to them:
النَّبِيُّ أَوْلٰى بِالْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَأَزْوَاجُهُ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ
The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than themselves, and his wives are [in the position of] their mothers.[22]That would make ‘Aisha al Siddiqah al Tahirah their mother, and the mother of the entire Ahlul Bayt by the clear text of the Qur’an and the order and decree of the Creator of everything in existence. From here we ask, can it be imagined that a man could claim to have love for the Ahlul Bayt and thereafter vilify their mother? If so, then could it be said that he is their true lover and supporter, and that he is truly obedient to them, or not? We know very well that a noble and benevolent person is able to pardon the one who curses or vilifies him, but he will never be able to tolerate that harm of any type be hurled at his mother.
So do those who have cursed and vilified the mother of ‘Ali and his Ahlul Bayt think that they have done something good?
That is exactly the position of the Shia concerning the Sahabah, and specifically the al Khulafaʼ al Rashidin. It is also the position that the Ahlul Bayt took against them and against those who have taken them as their enemies. They clearly contradict this very nation that falsely attribute themselves to them. In reality it is nothing but hypocrisy and deception.
In conclusion, the Shia are not the ardent lovers and followers of the Ahlul Bayt, rather they are their clear enemies and opposition. This is exactly what we intended clarifying in this chapter, by presenting it from their own books and texts, so that whoever did not know the reality of this matter previously could come to know of it, and be guided to the straight path.
NEXT⇒The Shia and their lies in the name of the Ahlul Bayt.
[1] Kitab al Shafi by ‘Alam al Huda, pg. 428.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Al Amali by al Tusi, vol. 1 pg. 11.
[4] Nasikh al Tawarikh, vol. 5 pg. 143; Muruj al Dhahab, vol. 3 pg. 60.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Surah al Hashr: 8
[8] Surah al Hashr: 9
[9] Surah al Hashr: 10
[10] Kashf al Ghummah by al Arbali, vol. 2 pg. 78.
[11] ‘Uyun Akhbar al Rida by al Qummi, vol. 2 pg. 87.
[12] Nasikh al Tawarikh, vol. 3 pg. 590, under the sayings of Zayn al ‘Abidin; ‘Umdat al Talib, under narrations about Zaid ibn ‘Ali.
[13] Nasikh al Tawarikh, vol. 3 pg. 590, under the sayings of Zayn al ‘Abidin.
[14] Kashf al Ghummah, vol. 2 pg. 147.
[15] Nahj al Balaghah, researched by Subhi pg. 323.
[16] Al Akhbar al Tiwal, pg. 165, under the chapter of Siffin.
[17] Qurb al Asnad, pg. 45.
[18] Nahj al Balaghah, research by Subhi al Salih, pg. 179.
[19] Ibid, pg. 248.
[20] Considering this, I do not know how al Majlisi could be so audacious to say the following while claiming to follow the Ahlul Bayt and their Mazhab, “Amir al Mu’minin ‘Ali permitted his killing, and he did not see any fault in doing so.” Considering the statement of ‘Ali, how can this be true? Over and above this, Nahj al Balaghah is filled with the statements of his infallible Imam, which according to his claim cannot err. Statements which say that he is free from the killing of ‘Uthman and anybody involved with it. Whoever studies Nahj al Balaghah, or even reads it, will bear testimony to this fact. But then again, who are we talking about? A nation whose hearts have been eaten by jealousy, and whose sights have been blinded by it. And whosoever Allah has not granted light to see will never find any light.
[21] Nahj al Balaghah, pg. 448.
[22] Surah al Ahzab: 6
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‘Alam al Huda, has narrated in his book al Shafi that ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu mentioned the following in his sermon:
The best people of this Ummah after its Prophet are Abu Bakr and ‘Umar.
In other reports it is also mentioned that he made those statements during a sermon after it had come to his knowledge that a man had vilified Abu Bakr and ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhuma. He ordered that he be punished after people had testified to what he had done.[1]
As you can see, this was the love that ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu possessed for the Amir al Mu’minin and the Khalifah of the believers, Abu Bakr, and for the saviour of Islam and the well-wisher of the true way, ‘Umar al Faruq radiya Llahu ‘anhu. This was the position which he held towards them and against the ones who bore enmity for them.
According to Shia reports, when Abu Sufyan came to ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu after the bay’ah of Abu Bakr al Siddiq radiya Llahu ‘anhu, and after the people had gathered around him, in order to encourage him to oppose him, he replied with the following words refuting him:
Woe to you O Abu Sufyan! This is one of your shrewd plans, because the people had gathered around Abu Bakr! You persist in going against the Islamic spirit and following the crooked trends of ignorance.[2]
Concerning ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhu, he had sent his two beloved sons in defence of him, and that being after he himself had stood up in his defence against the trouble makers, as mentioned in detail previously. ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhu was his cousin as well as his student, the one whose knowledge is from his knowledge, as can be seen from the statement:
‘Ali is the one who taught me, his knowledge is from the Rasul of Allah, and my knowledge is from the knowledge of ‘Ali.[3]
Concerning those who bore hatred towards Abu Bakr, after emphasising his praises he said:
May Allah become angry with the person who belittles him or vilifies him.[4]
Concerning those who bore hatred against al Faruq, after praising him extensively he said:
May Allah punish the one who belittles him with His eternal curse.[5]
Concerning the ones who bore hatred against Dhu al Nurayn, after making mention of his outstanding traits and character he said:
May Allah curse the one who curses him.[6]
The grandson of ‘Ali al Murtada, who is called Zayn al ‘Abidin, ‘Ali ibn al Hussain—the fourth infallible Imam according to them—was upon the methodology of his father; i.e. he fought against those who fought against them, took as enemies those who bore animosity towards them, and hated and sought acquittal from whoever exonerated themselves from them or spoke out against them.
Al Arbili the Shia has narrated that a group of people from Iraq came to him and spoke negatively about Abu Bakr and ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhuma. When they had finished talking he asked them, “Are from those described in the verse:
لِلْفُقَرَاءِ الْمُهَاجِرِيْنَ الَّذِيْنَ أُخْرِجُوْا مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ وَأَمْوَالِهِمْ يَبْتَغُوْنَ فَضْلًا مِّنَ اللّٰهِ وَرِضْوَانًا وَّيَنْصُرُوْنَ اللّٰهَ وَرَسُوْلَهُ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الصَّادِقُوْنَ
For the poor emigrants who were expelled from their homes and their properties, seeking the bounty from Allah and [His] approval and supporting Allah and His Messenger, [there is also a share]. Those are the truthful.[7]They replied, “No.” He then inquired, “Then are you among those who are referred to in the verse:
وَالَّذِيْنَ تَبَوَّءُوا الدَّارَ وَالْإِيْمَانَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ يُحِبُّوْنَ مَنْ هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَا يَجِدُوْنَ فِيْ صُدُوْرِهِمْ حَاجَةً مِمَّا أُوْتُوْا وَيُؤْثِرُوْنَ عَلٰى أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ
And [also for] those who were settled in the Home [i.e. Madinah] and [adopted] the faith before them. They love those who emigrated to them and find not any want in their breasts of what they [i.e. the emigrants] were given but give [them] preference over themselves, even though they are in privation. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul – it is those who will be successful.[8]
They replied, “No.” He then said, “You people have exonerated yourselves from being part of any of these two groups, and I bear witness that you are not from among those whom Allah has spoken about in the verse:
وَالَّذِيْنَ جَاءُوْا مِنْۢ بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُوْلُوْنَ رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِيْنَ سَبَقُوْنَا بِالْإِيْمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِيْ قُلُوْبِنَا غِلًّا لِلَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوْا
And those who come after them, saying, “Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful.”[9]He then said:
Get out of my company, May Allah treat you as you deserve to be treated![10]
His son, Zaid ibn ‘Ali, followed the example of his father. Yes, Zaid ibn ‘Ali ibn al Hussain ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah’s pleasure and mercy be upon them), the one whom this nation has given extensive praises, and the one about whom they have written many chapters about in their books, specifically in praise of him. He had treaded the same path which his father ‘Ali ibn al Hussain rahimahu Llah, and his grandfather, ‘Ali ibn ‘Abi Talib radiya Llahu ‘anhu, had treaded. In fact, the path that they had chosen to tread was the one which was chosen by the one before them, i.e. Muhammad the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, when he said, “Leave my companions alone!”[11]
The Shia have also narrated that when the companions of Zaid ibn ‘Ali rahimahu Llah came out they asked him about Abu Bakr and ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhuma:
He replied, “I do not say anything regarding him except that it is good, and I have not heard my family mentioning anything about them except that it was good.”
They said, “You are not our companion!”
Thereafter they left and abandoned him.
He then said, “Today they have rejected us,” and since that very day they were known as the Rafidah, i.e. the rejecters.[12]
Mirza Taqi adds to that and says:
Zaid had prevented them from vilifying the Sahabah of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. When they came to know that he would not exonerate himself from the Sheikhayn, i.e. Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, they rejected and abandoned him. After this had happened, the word Rafidah was used for every extremist in the Mazhab, and whoever permits the vilifying of the Sahabah.[13]
Let us also have a look at Muhammad al Baqir ‘Ali ibn al Hussain —the fifth Imam according to them—he also said what they had said, and held the same opinions they held. He was severe against those who denied Abu Bakr the title of al Siddiq for that very reason, and he strongly condemned them saying:
What a wonderful Siddiq he is! May Allah never attest to the truthfulness of those who do not call him al Siddiq, in this life and the next.[14]
How could it be imagined that ‘Ali and his offspring (may Allah’s pleasure and mercy be upon them) would pass judgments of apostasy upon al Siddiq, al Faruq, and Dhu al Nurayn, when he had pledged allegiance to them, performed salah behind them, dealt with them in the best of manners, interacted with them, inter-married with them, fought not against them but side by side with them, and abstained from arguing with them; all of this considering the fact that he did not even pass the judgment of apostasy upon those who openly fought against him, argued with him, and even killed some of his close companions and friends.
When we look at Nahj al Balaghah we find that it is filled with reports of him preventing his companions from cursing, vilifying, and making judgments of apostasy and inequity upon them, even to those who fought against him during the Battle of Siffin. The discussion is titled as follows, Excerpts of him when he heard a group of his companions cursing the people of Sham during the days of the Battle of Siffin. He says:
I dislike that you be among those who curse. If you were to analyse your actions and remember your state, it would have been more appropriate in statement and better in pardon if you had said, “O Allah! Spare our blood as well as their blood, correct our relationships as well as theirs, and guide them out of their deviation until the truth is known from falsehood, and save those who have fallen into deception and animosity.[15]
The Shia al Dinawari has made mention of this, and has explicitly stated that those who vilified were specifically among those who had fought against Dhu al Nurayn radiya Llahu ‘anhu, just as he explicitly mentioned that they cursed Muawiyah and his companions, and that a dialogue had taken place between them and ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu. He mentions the complete story as follows:
It reached ‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam that Hujr ibn ‘Adi and ‘Amr ibn al Humq began cursing and vilifying the people of Sham openly. He then sent a message that they should stop what they were doing.
They came to him and said, “O Amir al Mu’minin! Are we not upon the truth, and are they not upon falsehood?”
He replied, “Yes, by the Rabb of the Ka’bah!”
They inquired, “Then why do you prevent us from cursing and vilifying them?”
He replied, “I dislike that you become of those who curse and vilify. Rather say, O Allah spare our blood as well as their blood, and correct our ties as well as their ties.”[16]
This is who ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib radiya Llahu ‘anhu was. He disliked that even the people of Sham, including Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan be cursed. He prevented them from doing so. Considering this, then how could it be imagined that he could have been pleased with the cursing of the people of Madinah, the beloved city of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and with the vilification of the Sahabah of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and his close relatives and in-laws.
Furthermore, he attested to their faith and religion even though they were fighting against each other, and he clearly stated that those who fought against him were neither disbelievers nor apostates who had left the fold of Islam.
Just as Abu Jafar had narrated from his father, that ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu told his fellow companions that they were not fighting them on the grounds of disbelief, nor were the opposition fighting against them on those grounds. Rather they believed that they were the party on the truth, and the opposition believed that they were on the truth.[17] He also narrates that while he was addressing those who stood with him as well as against him he said:
We have accompanied the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam at a time when killing ensued between parents and their children, as well as between close family and their relatives. Despite all of those calamities we only increased in faith, perseverance upon the truth, desire to follow it, and in patience in persevering whatever befell us. As for us, we are fighting our brothers in Islam due to deceptions, distortions, doubts, and interpretations that have entered upon us.[18]
What is even clearer than that is the following:
O servants of Allah! I advise you with consciousness of Allah, because it is the best thing that could be advised with. Know that the goodness of the end result of all matters is in the control of Allah, and that the door of fighting has been opened up between yourselves and people who face the same Qiblah as yourselves.[19]
What is even clearer than that is the fact that he equates them with himself and his party, regarding belief in Allah and attesting to the Rasul salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. He also freed himself from having anything to do with the unjust spilling of the blood of ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhu by writing to the people of Egypt explaining what exactly had transpired between himself and the people of Siffin:
Our matter begun when we clashed with the people of Sham. It is apparent that our Rabb is one, our Prophet is one, and that our calling towards Islam is one. We have no reason to seek an increase in their belief in Allah and His Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, nor do they have any reason to seek it from us. Our matter is one and the same, except that we have disagreed in the issue of the blood of ‘Uthman. We are free from it.[20]
We then said, “Let us proceed.”[21]
Look at the extent of the justice and fairness of ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu, and see how far this nation has deviated from his example, and how far they have drifted away from the truth in speech as well as in action. This is the example of ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu and the position that he took against those who were considered to be his worst opposition. What would then be his position, and the position of the Ahlul Bayt, regarding those who were among the most beloved people to him, i.e. the Khulafaʼ of the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, his close associates, and those who loved the Ahlul Bayt. In turn the Ahlul Bayt had reciprocated that love in a double measure, as well as towards the Mothers of the Believers, who are considered to be their mothers before being the mothers of anyone else.
We will conclude this chapter with a discussion that goes around a question, were ‘Ali and the Ahlul Bayt believers or not? If the answer is yes, about which there exists no doubt, then the following verse would rightfully apply to them:
النَّبِيُّ أَوْلٰى بِالْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَأَزْوَاجُهُ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ
The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than themselves, and his wives are [in the position of] their mothers.[22]That would make ‘Aisha al Siddiqah al Tahirah their mother, and the mother of the entire Ahlul Bayt by the clear text of the Qur’an and the order and decree of the Creator of everything in existence. From here we ask, can it be imagined that a man could claim to have love for the Ahlul Bayt and thereafter vilify their mother? If so, then could it be said that he is their true lover and supporter, and that he is truly obedient to them, or not? We know very well that a noble and benevolent person is able to pardon the one who curses or vilifies him, but he will never be able to tolerate that harm of any type be hurled at his mother.
So do those who have cursed and vilified the mother of ‘Ali and his Ahlul Bayt think that they have done something good?
That is exactly the position of the Shia concerning the Sahabah, and specifically the al Khulafaʼ al Rashidin. It is also the position that the Ahlul Bayt took against them and against those who have taken them as their enemies. They clearly contradict this very nation that falsely attribute themselves to them. In reality it is nothing but hypocrisy and deception.
In conclusion, the Shia are not the ardent lovers and followers of the Ahlul Bayt, rather they are their clear enemies and opposition. This is exactly what we intended clarifying in this chapter, by presenting it from their own books and texts, so that whoever did not know the reality of this matter previously could come to know of it, and be guided to the straight path.
NEXT⇒The Shia and their lies in the name of the Ahlul Bayt.
[1] Kitab al Shafi by ‘Alam al Huda, pg. 428.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Al Amali by al Tusi, vol. 1 pg. 11.
[4] Nasikh al Tawarikh, vol. 5 pg. 143; Muruj al Dhahab, vol. 3 pg. 60.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Surah al Hashr: 8
[8] Surah al Hashr: 9
[9] Surah al Hashr: 10
[10] Kashf al Ghummah by al Arbali, vol. 2 pg. 78.
[11] ‘Uyun Akhbar al Rida by al Qummi, vol. 2 pg. 87.
[12] Nasikh al Tawarikh, vol. 3 pg. 590, under the sayings of Zayn al ‘Abidin; ‘Umdat al Talib, under narrations about Zaid ibn ‘Ali.
[13] Nasikh al Tawarikh, vol. 3 pg. 590, under the sayings of Zayn al ‘Abidin.
[14] Kashf al Ghummah, vol. 2 pg. 147.
[15] Nahj al Balaghah, researched by Subhi pg. 323.
[16] Al Akhbar al Tiwal, pg. 165, under the chapter of Siffin.
[17] Qurb al Asnad, pg. 45.
[18] Nahj al Balaghah, research by Subhi al Salih, pg. 179.
[19] Ibid, pg. 248.
[20] Considering this, I do not know how al Majlisi could be so audacious to say the following while claiming to follow the Ahlul Bayt and their Mazhab, “Amir al Mu’minin ‘Ali permitted his killing, and he did not see any fault in doing so.” Considering the statement of ‘Ali, how can this be true? Over and above this, Nahj al Balaghah is filled with the statements of his infallible Imam, which according to his claim cannot err. Statements which say that he is free from the killing of ‘Uthman and anybody involved with it. Whoever studies Nahj al Balaghah, or even reads it, will bear testimony to this fact. But then again, who are we talking about? A nation whose hearts have been eaten by jealousy, and whose sights have been blinded by it. And whosoever Allah has not granted light to see will never find any light.
[21] Nahj al Balaghah, pg. 448.
[22] Surah al Ahzab: 6