The praise of Imam Zaid ibn ‘Ali ibn al Hussain

The praise of Imam Muhammad al Baqir
November 19, 2018
The praise of Imam ‘Abdullah ibn Hassan (al Muthanna) ibn Hassan ibn ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu
November 19, 2018

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The praise of Imam Zaid ibn ‘Ali ibn al Hussain

 

Hashim ibn al Barid narrates from Zaid ibn ‘Ali that he said:

 

كان ابو بكر رضي الله عنه إمام الشاكرين ثم تلا وَسَيَجْزِى اللهُ الشّٰكِرِيْنَ ثم قال البراءة من ابي بكر هي البراءة من علي

Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu was the leader of the Shakirin[1]. Thereafter he recited the verse, “Allah will reward the Shakirin.”[2] He then said, “To disassociate oneself form Abu Bakr is to disassociate oneself from ‘Ali.”[3]

 

He used to say regarding Abu bakr and ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhuma:

 

ما سمعت احدا من اهل بيتي يذكرهما الا بخير

I have not heard anyone of my household mention them except in praise.[4]

 

Yahya ibn Abi Bakr al ‘Amiri has mentioned in his book al Riyad al Mustatabah that he came across a statement of Imam Mansur Billah ‘Abdullah ibn Hamzah (who is one of the great scholars of the Zaidiyyah[5]) in his book called Jawab al Masaʾil al Tihamiyyah in which he explains the view of Imam Zaid regarding the Sahabah. He says:

 

فإنه عليه السلام أثنى عليهم على الإجمال وعدد مزاياهم علي غيرهم ثم قال فهم خير الناس على عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وبعده فرضي الله عنهم وجزاهم عن الإسلام خيراً ثم قال فهذا مذهبنا لم نخرجه غلظة ولم نكتم سواه تقية ومن هو دوننا مكاناً وقدرة يسب ويلعن ويذم ويطعن ونحن إلى الله سبحانه من فعله براء وهذا ما يقضي به علم آبائنا منا إلى علي عليه السلام.الى قوله وفى هذه الجهة من يرى محض الولاء سب الصحابة رضي الله عنهم والبراء منهم، فيبرأ من محمد صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم من حيث لا يعلم

Verily Imam Zaid praised them collectively and mentioned their virtues over others.

He then said, “They are the best of people during the lifetime of the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and after him. May Allah be pleased with them and grant them the best of rewards. This is our doctrine, we do not shun it with vulgarity and we do not conceal anything other than this on account of Taqiyyah (dissimulation). Those who are lesser than us disparage, curse, belittle, and malign (the Sahabah). We make Allah our witness that we absolve ourselves from their actions. This is where the knowledge of our forefathers until ‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam leads us…”

He then mentioned, “In the same light are those who feel that loving the Ahlul Bayt means that one should disparage the Sahabah and disassociate from them, ultimately resulting in them disassociating from Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam unknowingly.”

 

He thereafter recited a poem,

 

وإن كنت لا أرمي وترمي كنانتي تصب جائحات النبل كشحي ومنكبي

Even though I am not hit by the arrows and my shield is hit, the calamity of the arrows manages to affect my shoulder and hip.[6]

 

NEXT⇒ The praise of Imam ‘Abdullah ibn Hassan (al Muthanna) ibn Hassan ibn ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu


[1] The grateful

[2] Surah Al ‘Imran: 144

[3] Siyar Alam al Nubala’, vol. 5 pg. 390

[4] Tarikh al Umam wa l- Muluk of al Tabari) vol. 7 pg. 180

[5] The Zaidiyyah are a sect of the Shia who emerged in the second century and are followers of Zaid ibn ‘Ali (the grandson of Hussain ibn ‘Ali).

[6] For the entire text please refer to Al Riyad al Mustatabah pg. 300

BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents

 

The praise of Imam Zaid ibn ‘Ali ibn al Hussain

 

Hashim ibn al Barid narrates from Zaid ibn ‘Ali that he said:

 

كان ابو بكر رضي الله عنه إمام الشاكرين ثم تلا وَسَيَجْزِى اللهُ الشّٰكِرِيْنَ ثم قال البراءة من ابي بكر هي البراءة من علي

Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu was the leader of the Shakirin[1]. Thereafter he recited the verse, “Allah will reward the Shakirin.”[2] He then said, “To disassociate oneself form Abu Bakr is to disassociate oneself from ‘Ali.”[3]

 

He used to say regarding Abu bakr and ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhuma:

 

ما سمعت احدا من اهل بيتي يذكرهما الا بخير

I have not heard anyone of my household mention them except in praise.[4]

 

Yahya ibn Abi Bakr al ‘Amiri has mentioned in his book al Riyad al Mustatabah that he came across a statement of Imam Mansur Billah ‘Abdullah ibn Hamzah (who is one of the great scholars of the Zaidiyyah[5]) in his book called Jawab al Masaʾil al Tihamiyyah in which he explains the view of Imam Zaid regarding the Sahabah. He says:

 

فإنه عليه السلام أثنى عليهم على الإجمال وعدد مزاياهم علي غيرهم ثم قال فهم خير الناس على عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وبعده فرضي الله عنهم وجزاهم عن الإسلام خيراً ثم قال فهذا مذهبنا لم نخرجه غلظة ولم نكتم سواه تقية ومن هو دوننا مكاناً وقدرة يسب ويلعن ويذم ويطعن ونحن إلى الله سبحانه من فعله براء وهذا ما يقضي به علم آبائنا منا إلى علي عليه السلام.الى قوله وفى هذه الجهة من يرى محض الولاء سب الصحابة رضي الله عنهم والبراء منهم، فيبرأ من محمد صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم من حيث لا يعلم

Verily Imam Zaid praised them collectively and mentioned their virtues over others.

He then said, “They are the best of people during the lifetime of the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and after him. May Allah be pleased with them and grant them the best of rewards. This is our doctrine, we do not shun it with vulgarity and we do not conceal anything other than this on account of Taqiyyah (dissimulation). Those who are lesser than us disparage, curse, belittle, and malign (the Sahabah). We make Allah our witness that we absolve ourselves from their actions. This is where the knowledge of our forefathers until ‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam leads us…”

He then mentioned, “In the same light are those who feel that loving the Ahlul Bayt means that one should disparage the Sahabah and disassociate from them, ultimately resulting in them disassociating from Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam unknowingly.”

 

He thereafter recited a poem,

 

وإن كنت لا أرمي وترمي كنانتي تصب جائحات النبل كشحي ومنكبي

Even though I am not hit by the arrows and my shield is hit, the calamity of the arrows manages to affect my shoulder and hip.[6]

 

NEXT⇒ The praise of Imam ‘Abdullah ibn Hassan (al Muthanna) ibn Hassan ibn ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu


[1] The grateful

[2] Surah Al ‘Imran: 144

[3] Siyar Alam al Nubala’, vol. 5 pg. 390

[4] Tarikh al Umam wa l- Muluk of al Tabari) vol. 7 pg. 180

[5] The Zaidiyyah are a sect of the Shia who emerged in the second century and are followers of Zaid ibn ‘Ali (the grandson of Hussain ibn ‘Ali).

[6] For the entire text please refer to Al Riyad al Mustatabah pg. 300