The Best Nation that Never Believed

Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala says:

كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ

You are the best nation brought forth for mankind.^[1]

So, when was it like that, when they are those who claim that during the time of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam he was surrounded by hypocrites? Worse still, when the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam passed away, all of the people apostatized and his Companions usurped the Caliphate from Amir al Mu’minin ‘alayh al Salam. When it was the reign of Amir al Mu’minin it was plagued by wars and conspiracies, and those who pledged their support to him betrayed him. It reached a point where he ‘alayh al Salam said, “I wish that I never saw you or knew you, it is an acquaintance that brought regret and followed by sorrow.”^[2] This was followed by the murder of Imam Hussain ‘alayh al Salam when the people of Kufah deserted him.

The catastrophes relentlessly continued, one after another until today, so when were we the best nation? If not in the time of the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and his Companions, then when? In the era of George Bush or Obama? Let our intelligent ones respond!

If everyone had apostatized after the Prophet’s salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam demise, and leadership was subsequently usurped by a disbeliever (as is claimed), then why did they not return to the religion of the idols after Prophet’s salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam demise? What was there to prevent them? Would Imam ‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam have stopped them? The same Imam ‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam, who, based on the narrative of our scholars, stood by idly whilst his wife beaten in front of him; only for him to cry over his misfortune like a woman? Would anyone who has the slightest respect for Imam ‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam dare say such a thing?

One of the orientalists, who wanted to disprove the fact that the Qur’an was not revelation, but rather of the authorship of Muhammad, said, “The Qur’an praises the Companions of Muhammad, but they opposed him and changed after his demise.” His evidence for this was the Shia scholarly tradition on the issue of the apostasy of the Prophet’s salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam Companions. He said, “If the Qur’an was from Allah then it would not have praised people that were to apostatize. Rather, this Qur’an is from the authorship of Muhammad, who wanted to appease his Companions so that he could attract their assistance.” The strange thing is the internal contradiction on the events that followed the demise of the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

At times it is said, “It does not make sense that all the people apostatized at once, but what happened was that all of the Sahabah pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr out of fear!”

Glory be to Allah! All of the Sahabah were scared of a single man who barely had any followers. These are the same people who fearlessly challenged the leaders of the Quraysh with no care for the consequences of doing so. They are same ones who were branded with fire and searing iron so that they would acquiesce to returning to the religion of their forefathers. Notwithstanding the persecution and external pressure, they resisted and demonstrated a firm resolve, rejecting every offer of worldly gain for the establishment of Allah’s religion!

The valiant warriors, who banished the leaders of disbelief from the Arabian Peninsula and fought the Romans without any fear of their formidable armies, are scared of one man from a weak tribe!

Relate to a sane person a tale that is not befitting, and if he believes it then he has no intellect!

At other times our scholars say, “No! All the people turned apostate, and favoured this worldly life and their personal ends. This is why they pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr!”

People entered Islam in droves prior to the demise of the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Thousands from all over the Arabian Peninsula accepted Islam. Did all these people suddenly turn apostate in a blink of an eye?

Those same people, who left behind their wealth and forsook their families seeking the pleasure of Allah, are now seeking the worldly gain over Allah’s religion? Why would they then endure hardship and persecution at the hands of the disbelievers, if they were simply motivated by worldly gain?

Viewed from this perspective, the only ones to enter Paradise are the pure Imams ‘alayhim al Salam and a few dozen of their inner-circle!

Since when has the decision about heaven and hell become ours that we have the right to declare who has achieved salvation and who is doomed for destruction? Are we so obtuse to the fact that we have done Takfir of the entire community of the most honourable Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, sealing their fate and condemning them into the hellfire; and then too, we proclaim that we are not Takfirist!

What answer will we present before Allah, Lord of the worlds, when He asks us, “Who is the one who seeks to impose his authority on Me? Who is the one who has the audacity to claim that this person is in heaven and the other is in hell?”

Will we then say, “We followed our leaders and our narrations, and we denied Your words, O Lord.”?

Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala says:

وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَانٍ رَّضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ

And the forerunners from the Muhajirin and Ansar, and those that have followed them in goodness, Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will stay forever. That is the magnificent achievement.^[3]

For what reason are we carrying this great sin, the sin of declaring another Muslim a disbeliever? Are we prepared to answer for this sin on the Day of Reckoning before Almighty Allah?

We have before us the example of Sheikh Ra’id Jawad in his book, Fadh al Jani Muttahim al Tijani, whose final tally of those who did not apostatize; their number barely reaching 10! He says:

We suffice with this much, and whoever wants more information should refer to Al Isabah of Ibn Hajar vol. 1, Al Isti’ab vol.3, Usd al Ghabah, Al Jarh wa al Ta’dil, and other biographical dictionaries, to understand that the Shia are innocent of what has been attributed to them by those who are prejudiced, and so that the reader will be aware of the ramblings of the haters!^[4]

Pause for a moment to think of any reason why Sheikh Ra’id relied on the sources of the other factions? Is this an indirect admission of the fact that our own references indicate the contrary; that our own sources actual declare the Sahabah apostates?

No doubt, the true Shia of Imam ‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam are innocent of Takfir of any of the Sahabah, on account of adhering to their Imams. However, the extremist Shia are the ones who do Takfir of them.

Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala says:

وَالسَّابِقُونَ السَّابِقُونَ أُولَٰئِكَ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ ثُلَّةٌ مِّنَ الْأَوَّلِينَ وَقَلِيلٌ مِّنَ الْآخِرِينَ

And Foremost shall be the foremost. Those are the ones who are [blessed] with nearness (to Allah), in gardens of bliss, many (of them) from the former generations, and a few from the later ones.[5]

If we are to claim that the predecessors are all disbelievers then where will the people of the later generations go?

NEXT⇒ Why Did Allah send the Most Honourable Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam?

^[1] Surah Al ‘Imran: 110.

^[2] Al Kafi, 5/6; Nahj al Balaghah, 1/70.

^[3] Surah al Tawbah: 100.

^[4] Ra’id Jawad: Fadh al Jani Muttahim al Tijani, pg. 30.

[5] Surah al Waqi’ah: 10-14.

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