The Prophet for the Universe or the Ahlul Bayt Only?

Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala mentions in the Qur’an, (the founder revelation and infallible text) that His Prophet Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is the Seal of all Prophets. He is the Prophet sent to the whole universe; men and Jinn; to all the worlds, across all time and place till Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala inherits the world and its people, i.e. Day of Judgement. Thus, his Prophethood is a declaration for the ending, completion, and perfection of Prophethood. It is the title for moving Prophethood from a specific place (village or province); specific community (tribe or clan), and from periods of time whose pages are closed, to the universe, across all times and places.

Islam is being accepted throughout the world and doors are opening before its guidance, to such an extent that it is stretching in the west after prevailing in the east and the ignorant in the west are shouting slogans of ‘stop Islamization of Europe and America’. This globalism which we are living in is a factual confirmation of the proclaimed heavenly news that, the Prophet of Islam is sent as a mercy, giver of glad tidings, and a warner for the whole universe. Whoever takes an in-depth look into the Qur’an will realize that the greatest human in the universe came, in the early days of his prophetic mission, in al Makkah al Mukarramah, before the establishment of any state, army, or conquests.

The following verses were revealed among the Makki Surahs (those Surahs that were revealed before migration):

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِيْنَ

We have sent you ]O Prophet[ only as a mercy for the whole world.^[1]

تَبَارَكَ الَّذِيْ نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ عَلٰى عَبْدِهِ لِيَكُوْنَ لِلْعَالَمِيْنَ نَذِيْرًا

Blessed is the One Who sent down the Standard to His servant, so that he may be a warner to the whole world.^[2]

قُل لَّا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا ۖ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٰى لِلْعَالَمِيْنَ

Say, “I ask no reward of you for this [Quran], it is a reminder to the whole world.”^[3]

All those who have contemplated in the nature of Islam and the characteristics of the Prophet’s salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam message, including non-Muslims, are unanimous on this globalization.

Montgomery Watt, the English orientalist and an Evangelical pastor, who was engaged in the study of the Qur’an, Islam, and history of the Muhammadiyyah message for more than 3 decades, writes:

There are indications in the Qur’an that it is directed to the entire human race. This was confirmed practically by the spread of Islam in the whole world. People from every race accepted it. The Qur’an is widely accepted regardless of its language because it deals with humanitarian issues.^[4]

However, if one looks into the literature of the Shia, the author of Bayt al ‘Ankabut being one of them, it seems as though they are saying that the Prophet of Islam salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was sent to the Ahlul Bayt only and no one else.

This is a Shia fallacy which provides great service to the adversaries of Islam, makes Islam similar to the Jews, a religion that is locked up in the ghettos, which they call the Ahlul Bayt.

It also provides means to those who want to stop the spread of Islam in the west.

Regarding this Shia fallacy, the author of Bayt al ‘Ankabut writes:

Verily the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, in the final moments of his life, desired to transfer knowledge to ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu. (Not to the Ummah and the whole world). So, he secretly whispered a thousand chapters of knowledge to him. Every chapter opens another thousand chapters.^[5]

In the Qur’an, Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala discusses the book of good deeds and evil deeds wherein every human being will find whatever he did, on the Day of Judgement. He names this book as ‘al Imam al Mubin’.

إِنَّا نَحْنُ نُحْيِي الْمَوْتٰى وَنَكْتُبُ مَا قَدَّمُوْا وَأٰثَارَهُمْ ۚ وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَاهُ فِيْ إِمَامٍ مُّبِيْنٍ

It is certainly We, Who resurrect the dead, and write what they send forth and what they leave behind. Everything is listed by Us in a perfect Record.^[6]

The Shia attribute this to ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu where he says, “By Allah! I am al Imam al Mubin. I point out the truth from the false. I inherited this from the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.”^[7]

The Qur’an speaks about those who are well grounded in knowledge. Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala has bestowed these people with this talent and blessed them with this bounty. However, the Shia claim that this virtue is exclusively for those who they regard as Ahlul Bayt. They say:

إن الراسخين فى العلم هم أهل البيت اولوا الأمر الذين أذهب الله عنهم الرجس وطهرهم تطهيرا

The well-grounded in knowledge is the Ahlul Bayt, the leaders from whom Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala has removed all impurities and purified thoroughly.^[8]

The Shia, who name their religion as the religion of the Ahlul Bayt, have in reality forged the meaning of the term Ahlul Bayt. They diverted from the meaning that appears in the Qur’an. This term comes in two places in the Qur’an when referring to the wives of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, i.e. his household. For instance, people say, Fulan wa Ahl Baytihi, i.e., so and so and his family, meaning people of his house.

This term appears once, referring to Sarah, the wife of Ibrahim ‘alayh al Salam:

وَامْرَأَتُهُ قَآئِمَةٌ فَضَحِكَتْ فَبَشَّرْنَاهَا بِإِسْحَاقَ وَمِن وَّرَآءِ إِسْحَاقَ يَعْقُوْبَ قَالَتْ يَا وَيْلَتٰى أَأَلِدُ وَأَنَا عَجُوْزٌ وَهٰذَا بَعْلِيْ شَيْخًا ۖ إِنَّ هٰذَا لَشَيْءٌ عَجِيْبٌ قَالُوْا أَتَعْجَبِيْنَ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللّٰهِ ۖ رَحْمَتُ اللّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ ۚ إِنَّهُ حَمِيْدٌ مَّجِيْدٌ

And his wife was standing by, so she laughed, then We gave her good news of [the birth of] Ishaq, and, after him, Yaqub. She wondered, “Oh, my! How can I have a child in this old age, and my husband here is an old man? This is truly an astonishing thing!” They responded, “Are you astonished by Allah’s decree? May Allah’s mercy and blessings be upon you, O people of this house. Indeed, He is Praiseworthy, All-Glorious.^[9]

This term appears for the second time with the same meaning, referring specifically to the wives of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, whom the Shia regard as infidels, smear their integrity, and wage poetic wars against.

يَا نِسَآءَ النَّبِيِّ لَسْتُنَّ كَأَحَدٍ مِّنَ النِّسَآءِ ۚ إِنِ اتَّقَيْتُنَّ فَلَا تَخْضَعْنَ بِالْقَوْلِ فَيَطْمَعَ الَّذِيْ فِيْ قَلْبِهِ مَرَضٌ وَقُلْنَ قَوْلًا مَّعْرُوفًا وَقَرْنَ فِيْ بُيُوْتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُوْلٰى ۖ وَأَقِمْنَ الصَّلَاةَ وَأٰتِيْنَ الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِعْنَ اللّٰهَ وَرَسُوْلَهُ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيْدُ اللّٰهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيْرًا وَاذْكُرْنَ مَا يُتْلٰى فِيْ بُيُوْتِكُنَّ مِنْ أٰيَاتِ اللّٰهِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ ۚ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ لَطِيْفًا خَبِيْرًا

O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women: if you are mindful [of Allah], then do not be overly effeminate in speech [with men] or those with sickness in their hearts may be tempted, but speak in a moderate tone. Settle in your homes, and do not display yourselves as women did in the days of [pre-Islamic] ignorance. Establish prayer, pay alms-tax, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah only intends to keep [the causes of] evil away from you and purify you completely, O members of the [Prophet’s] family. [Always] remember what is recited in your homes of Allah’s revelations and [prophetic] wisdom. Surely Allah is Most Subtle, All Aware.^[10]

However, the Shia religion is based on foundations laid down by the Akhbaris, as claimed by Ayatollah Murtada Mutahhari (1338–1400 AH/1920–1980 CE). They exclude three of the four sources upon which the laws and Mazhabs are based.

They exclude the Qur’an, claiming that the addressees are the Imams only (not the Muslim Ummah and the whole world). It is only the Imams that can understand the Qur’an.
They exclude reasoning, as this has nothing to do with Din.
They exclude consensus, as this was the method during the rule of Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu.

After excluding these three sources, the Akhbaris laid the principles of the Shia religion on Akhbar (narrations), which they fabricated. These Akhbar are far from the standards set out by the Qur’an, reasoning, and consensus; which represents the Islamic authority for Ijtihad (analytical reasoning).

One of the things the Akhbaris fabricated is the meaning of the term Al al Bayt or Ahlul Bayt. They specify this term for a particular group only, i.e. ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu and the Imams from the progeny of his wife Fatimah radiya Llahu ‘anha. As a result they diverted from the Qur’anic meaning of the term Ahlul Bayt. They invented the race of blue blood and the class of the infallible lineage in Islam, whereas Islam came as a revolution against racism and classism, to such an extent that its Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam told his daughter Fatimah radiya Llahu ‘anha, “O Fatimah! I will not avail you from Allah in anything.”

In fact, they made the general message exclusive to this clique and resembled the Jews who made Allah exclusive to themselves and regarded Judaism to be the religion of the Bani Isra’il only.

We say to the people of this strange viewpoint about the universal nature of Islam:

If you regard al Imam al Mubin to be ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu, contrary to the Qur’anic meaning for this term,
If you regard Prophetic knowledge a secret which the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam passed onto ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu exclusively and whispered it to him in the last moments of his life,

then these claims actually cast accusations on the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam of concealing the message from the people and restricting it to ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu, whereas the Qur’an commands the Noble Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam to propagate the message completely to all the people.

يٰأَيُّهَا الرَّسُوْلُ بَلِّغْ مَآ أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ ۖ وَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُۥ ۚ وَاللّٰهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ ۗ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الْكَـٰفِرِيْنَ

O Messenger! Convey everything revealed to you from your Lord. If you do not, then you have not delivered His message. Allah will [certainly] protect you from the people. Indeed, Allah does not guide the people who disbelieve.^[11]

The Prophetic history and the life of the Noble Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam bear testimony to the fact that he was extremely desirous in propagating openly to all the people. That he used to emphasize it in his public sermons. From amongst these sermons is his sermon during the farewell Hajj, wherein he was eager to announce before the Ummah:

ألا هل بلغت اللهم فاشهد

Oh! Have I conveyed? O Allah! Be witness.

We ask these people who have formed their Mazhab at the expense of the Qur’an, reasoning, consensus, and Ijtihad:

If you claim that the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam chose ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu exclusively, to impart a thousand chapters of knowledge, of which, every chapter opens up another thousand chapters etc., then where are these millions of chapters of the Prophetic knowledge which the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam gave exclusively to ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu?

Did ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu conceal it?

Or destroy it?

Or did the Imams of the Ithna ‘Ashariyyah hide it from their progeny?

In Nahj al Balaghah, a book which a Shia compiled, their Imam Sharif al Radi (359–406 AH/970–1015 AH), we do not find a tenth of these millions of chapters of knowledge.

Did the infallible Imams destroy Prophetic knowledge?

When the Shia environment is decorated nowadays, with many Jurists, philosophers, and scholars who revert to many of what was established by the Akhbari school, then why are these Jurists, philosophers, and scholars silent about the fictitious views that this school fabricated? Is it because the authorities and the Shia religious establishments, who have been liberated from government authority and dominance of the rulers, through Khums^[12] and financial independence, have fallen captive to the views of the masses?

Ayatollah Mutahhari said, “The masses discharge Khums so that the jurists, scholars, and philosophers become prisoners of the general financiers for the prosperity of their authorities. Hence, their brains shut down from reviewing these fallacies and submitted to the rulers of Khums, who showered fortunes on them which made them from amongst the senior capitalists.”^[13]

NEXT⇒ Image of the Ahlus Sunnah, Civilization, and History

^[1] Surah al Ambiya’: 107.

^[2] Surah al Furqan: 1.

^[3] Surah al An’am: 90.

^[4] Montgomery Watt: al Islam wa al Masihiyyah fi al ‘Alam al Mu’asir, pg. 22–226, Cairo, 2001.

^[5] Bayt al ‘Ankabut, pg. 22–23.

^[6] Surah Yasin: 12.

^[7] Bayt al ‘Ankabut, pg. 20.

^[8] Bayt al ‘Ankabut, pg. 19.

^[9] Surah Hud: 71 – 73.

^[10] Surah al Ahzab: 32–34.

^[11] Surah al Ma’idah: 67.

^[12] Khums is a 20% tax that is obligatory on the Shia.

^[13] Murtada Mutahhari: Naqd al Fikr al Dini ‘ind al Shahid Murtada Mutahhari, pg. 110, 111.

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