Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

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How to Utilize Our Free Time

Author: AlBalagh Foundation

www.alhassanain.org/english

Notice:

This versionis published on behalf of www.alhassanain.org/english

The composing errorsare not corrected .

Table of Contents

Introduction 5

What is Age? 6

Is it Possible to Leave the Vessel of Life Empty? 7

The Importance of Time: 8

Wasted Time and Useful Time: 10

Is Play Forbidden? Who says this? 11

Organizing Time 12

A Work Schedule 14

First: Positive Subjects 15

Secondly: Negative Subjects: 16

Free Time 17

Utilizing Free Time 19

1- Reading: 20

2-Attending Lectures and Seminars: 22

3- Listening and Watching: 23

4- The Computer and Information Network: 25

5- Learning Skills: 27

6- The Means of Relaxations and Enter-tainment: 28

Sleeping and Staying up at Night 30

A Final Word 31

Introduction

From the time man is born on this earth, his age begins to decrease gradually. This means that each day that falls away from his age, is detached from the calendar of his life like the pages that fall down one by one until thetime which the tree of his growth will be stripped out of its last leaves.

Indeed, our age decreases, not increases, as, in our estimation, it apparently seems to do. The burning hours of age are like a candle dropping its melted tears. What burns of it, warns of the approach of its endtill it reaches the moment at which it emits its last breath.

What is Age?

Age looks like a temporal vessel, containing the days of our life. Its quality and the way it is filledis in our hands, not in the hands of others. People differ; some fill it up with honey, others fill it with poison, still others mix these together while yet others, leave it empty.

Is it Possible to Leave the Vessel of Life Empty?

We doubt in this. Even our free days spent in amusement and vanity fill the age vessel with sighs, sorrows, and regrets in a Day called by Allah, the Almighty, “The Day ofSorrow and Regret.” It is a day in which all peopleare gathered in the presence of the Lord of the Worlds - from Adam up to the last creature - in order to be judged on how they spent “their lives” which is entrusted as a deposit with them.

Did they spend it with seriousness, striving, and performing righteous and good deeds?Or did they spend it by doing vicious and bad actions that caused long and permanent sorrows and regrets? Or did they mix a good deed with an evil deed and in their actions, were they among the losers, like a businessman who spends all his life in trading and at the end, finds himself bankrupt?!

The Importance of Time:

If we look for the best one who evaluates time for us, do we see other than the maker of time, Himself, and is it not Allah, Exalted and Glory be He?!

Indeed, this delicate division of moments, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years, is just like a cultivated field and the farmer isme or you . According to the endeavor of each farmer, the harvestwill be yielded .And it is during the time of harvest that an active and diligent farmer will be pleased, and a lazy and inactive farmer will be driven away.

How beautifully Imam Ali (a.s .) describes it: “This world is the plantation for the Hereafter.” Whoever grows an apple, he will surely harvest an apple.And whoever grows an onion, he will surely harvest an onion.And whoever grows a flower, he will surely harvest a flower.And whoever grows a thorn, he will surely harvest a thorn.And whoever grows laziness, he will surely harvest regret.

Verily, Allah, the Almighty is the One Who divides the dawn, afternoon, day and night in order to draw our attention to the thing divided, is of great importance. These numerous expressions regarding the measurement of time are nothing but small vessels within the great vessel of age. Perhaps, the moment you are presently in, will say farewell to you, and enter in the list of your account a reserved action and maybe it leaves you a loan from that account.And who knows that one day will come, for any of us, in which the chief of the bank will reject us and we will leave, disappointed, because there is nothing in our account book!

On that day, it is impossible to start again from the beginning because it is too late and we missed the opportunity. Shall we be pleased to return bankrupt and blame ourselves? Or shall we see working in order to add another fund and act according to the slogan which says: “Save your white piaster for your black (difficult) day”, which means: Keep your righteous deeds for a Day in which wealth will not avail, nor sons, save him who comes to Allah with a sound heart.

Surely we will not find in the Qur'an an expression more eloquent than the following saying of Allah: “So, he who does an atom-weight of good shall see it. And he who does an atom-weight of evil shall see it.” Holy Qur'an (99: 7-8)

Menwill be shown their deeds in the Resurrection by being made to taste of their fruits, but they can also see the good or evil of their actions in this life. Good and evil, when practiced on a large scale, bring their reward or requital in this life, as well. Note that the words here are “he who does”, and thus, include both the Muslim and the non-Muslim. Even a non-Muslim who does an atom's weight of good will have his reward, and a Muslim who does an atom's weight of evil will berequited for it.

Then,some one may askus: How much is an atom's weight on the scale of time? Is it a moment or less than that?However it is considered, it is a unit of measure in its utmost smallness, and this means that even the littlest deed of good to which one does not pay attention to, will be fruitful during the time in which a flood will overcome the people, and the smallest deed of evil, will be destructive but the good doers are saved from it.

Surely, time is Allah's grace blessed on all people.It is the white papers on which they record our deeds, be it good or evil, and people are responsible for it on the Resurrection Day.In this regard, Allah's Apostle, Muhammad (s.a.w .) says: “Not a foot of a servant (of Allah) on the Resurrection Day, will move before he is asked about five things: 'His age and how he spent it, his youth and how he wore it out, his wealth and how he earned it and on what he spent it and about his love towards us,Ahlul -Bait (the Prophet's household).'“

He (s.a.w .), also,says: “Seize the opportunity of five things before you lose these five: Your youth before your old age; your health before your illness; your leisure before your occupation; your life before your death and your riches before your poverty.” It is worthy of observation that the question of age is repeated twice regarding age, in general, and about youth, in particular, due to the importance of the stage of youth, as well as it being the stage of striving, sacrificing and offering.

For instance, when a student surely knows that a question will come on the next examination, he will prepare himself for answering it, otherwise, he will lose a preciousopportunity which cannot be substituted, with anything else.

The question is about Resurrection Day - clear and obvious - and the examination will certainly come: What is your age and how did you spend it, and what was your youth and how did you wear it out? The question remains tobe answered by each of us.

Wasted Time and Useful Time:

If we look at the amount of time we spend uselessly and try to make a simple calculation as to how many long hours go in vain either in nonsense chatter or in loitering along the streets, or wandering in front of commercial shops or participating in parties which have no limit and without knowing that we are committing “the crimes of futility” against ourselves with the most precious of what Allah has blessed us with, what will be the total?.

Just think of these images, in which we live, and, which occur perhaps daily:

- A young man may take his car or his father's car, sometimes, accompanied by his friends, to drive around the streets, squares, and roads without any aim and destination.

- A girl or girls may wander for long hours - perhaps other than shopping - in front of shop windows in hopes of desire.

- Young men may play football for hours on end and even though eventually they quit, they repeat playing once,twice and perhaps three times.

- Young men sit in coffee houses smoking, chattering,backbiting and laughing loud.

- Others may stand in long lines waiting to buy their needs or waiting for buses while casting their naive looks here and there.

- Otherswho stay up at night may play cards, or chess, or sit before computers for unlimited periods or use the Internet to the extent of addiction without caring for the time which they waste in this regard.

Is Play Forbidden ? Who says this?

The subject, here, does not concern the forbidding of a thing or its lawfulness. It may be a thing lawful, but because it exceeds its properbounds it is disliked and dispraised. As Allah, Glory and Exalted be He, created all things of great significance, it is essential thatevery thing in our life have a specific time, otherwise, excessiveness, instead, can be invested in theaffairs which are important and useful. Therefore, itis said :

“What a difference there is between two kinds of actions. An act whose pleasure passes away, but its distressful consequence remains, and the act whose hardship passes away, but its reward stays.” Then, try for one day only to count your wasted time and, surely, you will be surprised at the results.

While we read the bewildering results, let us consider, for example, that there are prisoners who wish to return to their free life to fill up every moment of their life with science and action, and it is nothing but the feeling that their free time passed away in vain.

And let us, also, consider that there are some people who wish that their days were more than 24 hours and, if they could, would borrow time from those who do not care for time.

Such people - the owners of useful time -have times in which they rest, and, at the same time, they renew their activity in order to continue their work, again, with a high spirit and prosperity.

We can make use of this opinion and consider that time takes its longevity or brevity from what we fill it up with of deeds. A quick glance at the life of great men and theirsuccess, reveals an important secret of their prosperity. That is the investment of their time in the best way. Rarely will we find among them those who waste their time in vain. The well-known inventor of electricity, 'Edison', is said to have never endured time,but, he used to swallow it up. He used to work, constantly, as if he wanted to achieve in an hour what others achieved in 10 hours. He disliked being absent in solving one such practical question but, it caused him to waste one week in the problem and was eventually futile.

It is known about various great scholars that they used not to sleep at night, except a few hours,for the purpose of making use of additional hours of their days. These people are they who always remember the saying of the poet:

“The beating of man's heart tells him that life is but minutes and moments, therefore, keep these memories for yourself after your death. Surely, memories, for man, are but the lifetime of a moment.”

Organizing Time

Zaid used to complain about the shortness of his time, and became surprised at his friends who did many things like studying, practicing theirhobbies and meeting their friends even though their time was the same.

One day, he presented this question to some of his friends. They told him: “The matter is clear. Organize your time, so that it will seem to be more.”

For this reason, somehadiths (Islamic traditions) have divided time into hours and an hour, here, means time units and not sixty minutes. This means that there should be time for every action. Imam Ali (a.s .) is quoted to have said:

“The believer's time has three units: The period when he is in communion with Allah; the period when he manages his livelihood; and the period when he is free to enjoy what is lawful and pleasant…” Otherhadiths add another unit and, that is, for visiting trustworthy friends who know our shortcomings. Commenting on the period of enjoying what is lawful and pleasant itcan be said : In this period (of enjoyment), you will be able to perform other deeds.

Though this division gives man specific periods for his essential needs, it isnot an inactive prescription. It may happen that man's needs become more numerous and varied, but the aim at the division of time is to organize it in such a way that an action does not extend over another action, or to use up all time while other actions remain un performed or left half performed.

Therefore, striving towards gaining one's livelihood is required to meet his material needs; approaching to Allah, through worshipping and glorification is required as a spiritual need; visiting one's friends is required as a social need; enjoying what is lawful is required as psychological need; and besides these hours, there should be another important period for seeking science and knowledge in order to meet one's theological and ideological needs.

What is important to mention here isthat there should be a balance between these units of time in a way in which worldly actions should not cause us to forget the deeds relating to the Hereafter .And the wise among us are the ones who make all our deeds an obedience to Allah, the Almighty; even worldly actions. However, who sits before a computer without previously deciding how much time he should spend in that sitting, will surely findhimself still sitting before its magic, small screen, after many hours passed.

And he who lets the doors of the meeting with his friend be wide open, will surely see that some conversations lead yet to others, and the meeting which was supposed to be finished in half an hour, lasts for two hours or more.

Indeed, organizing time, as we learn from the schedules of prayer, the appointed times of fasting,iftar (breaking of the fast) and the appointed days of pilgrimage (hajj), introduce us to the following benefits:

1. The abundance of time andblessings which were unknown before the organization of time.

2. It drives away from us both disorganization and the confusion in which we liveas a result of the penetration of time and its negligence.

3. It gives us a respected personality by our friends, companions and those surrounding us.

4. It makes us live in the state of psychological contentment and spontaneous happiness in what we have achieved.

5. It makes us control time and notbe controlled by time, itself.

A Work Schedule

Each of us is able to prepare a sheet of paper for himself and in which he records the timetable for his daily work. It is necessary to acknowledge the seriousness of observing the articles of the schedule; otherwise, it will become mere ink on paper. This method teaches us the following:

1. Time should be organized ina such way as not to be scattered in digressions and forsaken conclusions, and where one can be wholly engaged in a particular work which, as a result, has anaffect on the rest of the work.

2. The above mentioned paper acts as a calendar which reminds us of the deeds which a wait us to be performed without delay, because tomorrow will impose on us a list of other new deeds, and a moment of our daily schedule will surely be affected on the timetable of tomorrow.

3. It is possible to schedule even preparatory time for each action. This may seem difficult because it is impossible to estimate the time of some actions properly and exactly, but, with the passing of days, it will become a beautiful habit with which onegets used to.

4. There is no harm in putting aside time we call “free” just for unexpected emergencies.

As Muslims, our responsibility is not limited onlyto worldly deeds, and, therefore, our Islamic schedule cannot be separated from our ordinary schedule except in some obligations. Our timecan be organized in the following way mentioned by one of the supplications (du'as ):

“…(Oh Allah) make us prosperous today, tonight, and in all days to use good and reject evil, give thanks for Your blessings, follow the Prophetic traditions, avoid innovations, enjoin good and forbid evil, protect Islam, debase and humiliate falsehood, assist and strengthen truth, guide those who go astray, help the oppressed, and comprehend the regretful.”

Indeed, this schedule, though it is full of righteous deeds and the rejecting of evil, is not necessary to be a schedule for one day, rather, it is a typical Islamic day which needs determination, practice, and prosperity and guidance from Allah, the Exalted and the Almighty.

This schedulecan be divided into its positive and negative subjects:

First: Positive Subjects

1. (Using of good): It should not be only a sentimental trend inclining towardslabour , rather, it should be changed into an action which benefits others.

2. (Giving ThanksFor Blessings): This means to reciprocate benevolence with benevolence, kindness with kindness and good with good. He who does not thank the creation (i.e. man), never thanks the Creator (Allah), and the best practical thanks is “Give thanks, O people of David!' Holy Qur'an (34: 13)

3. (Following Prophetic Traditions): Because this is the right path brought by the Holy Apostle, Muhammad (s.a.w .), whosays: “Say: If you love Allah, follow me: Allah will love you.” Holy Qur'an (3: 31)

4. (EnjoiningGood ): This because it is the way to increase the arena of doing good and the spreading of reform and benevolence in a society, which may positively reflect on the happiness of the society and its strength and welfare.

5. (Protecting Islam): We should defend Islam and protect its principles due to its being the symbol of our dignity and the righteousness of ourreligion which represents our existence and identity.

6. (Assisting and Strengthening Truth): To strengthen truth if it prevailsso as to spread it throughout the world even more, and to support it if it is threatened by falsehood and oppression.

7. (Guiding theStrayers ): To guide through different methods of guidance the one who goes astray from the right path and to inform him his secure place if he deviated his destination.

8. (Helping the Oppressed): This should be done by what Allah, the Most High, has granted us of capabilities suchas: Wealth or responsibility or sciences because among the necessities of having belief in religion is to give assistance to the needy.“So woe to the praying ones, who are unmindful of their prayer! Who do (good) to be seen, and refrain from acts ofkindness! ” Holy Qur'an (107: 4-7)

9. (Comprehending the Regretful): A poor man looks like a blind man who sees nothing but that of meeting his own needs, and his regret will come by the fulfillment of those needs.

Secondly: Negative Subjects:

1. (Rejecting Evil): To give up evil means opening the way for goodness tobe spread and evil to be straitened and decreased.

2. (Avoiding Innovations): Because innovation (bid'ah ) means to insertsomething which is not related to religion in the name of religion. It is a misrepresentation of Divine instructions and Prophetic Traditions (sunnah ) and invents that which has not been said by Allah and His Apostle relating to religion, whereas, religion, itself, is innocent of it.

3. (Forbidding What is Evil): This is done by any means be it by hand or by tongue or by heart, so that the followers of evil should not feel compelled to continue, where they might spread their abominations among the people.

One who observes this schedule, both positive and negative, will find that there is a balance in the movement of Muslim youth, demolishing evils and performing good deeds. In this regard, aHadith , describing a true believer, says:

“Goodness is expected from him (a believer) and he is safe from evil.”

Free Time

First we ask this question: Is there anything called free time?

We can surely say: No, becauseman when he finishes a work, will be engaged in another. It may be less or more important than before.Even sports, itself, is an unproductive work though it is productive in its psychological output for a player.

Islam - as we mentioned previously - gives man the time for which he refreshes and amuses himself and his family and enjoys its pleasures and delights. It even gives this time more value and importance, because it is a supporter of the periods of work and worship.

But, our discussion about free time is not that which gives man renewed energy, rather it is that a wasted time in which the youth not only scorn their vital and great responsibilities, but also, live in the state of useless, negative, and wanton time.

Mostly, free time falls into disorder when we waste our time and neglect its value, whereas, it can be an opportunity for seeking science, or for learning some new skills, or for correcting wrong conceptions, or for helping Allah's creatures, or for meeting the needs of a believer, or to be acquainted with the issues of the Muslim world, or for developing what we have obtained of previous knowledge, or to become acquainted with a new friend seeking Allah's pleasure, or to strengthen an old relationship with a friend, and so on.

Even if an unexploited time is considered out of the scope of age, because the real age is the age of that farm which was previously mentioned in aHadith , is it wise for a man who owns a wide land arable for agriculture, to leave it unplanted?!

In this regard, one scientistsays: I read more and if I become tired of reading, I take a rest by reading. He explains this by saying:I incline to reading scientific books, but when I feel exhausted of reading, I turn to read literary or history books in order to ease the tiredness of scientific reading.

Look at those who are around you. Do not you respect the one who stands before a shop waiting for his turn, or at a station waiting for a bus, or in a clinic holding a book in his hand and reading it?!

Do not you respect a man going on his way remembering a poem which he memorized before, or a verse of the Qur'an he does not want to forget, or repeats some glorifications which increase and strengthen his relation with Allah, the Most High?!

Do not you show respect for a person who holds in his pocket a small notebook in which he records a proverb or a saying he read in a newspaper, or an information he got by chance, or an important number he found here and there which helps him in quoting what he says, or he records an idea which comes suddenly to his mind and is afraid to miss or forget it?

Surely, telephones now exist which can record messages, and wall secretaries are placed in front of houses to be used by visitors to record their notes in case of not seeing the owner of the house. These are clear evidences for the attention of the owner of the house as to what has happened during his absence.

A person who daily reads newspapers; follows newscasts and visits sites on the Internet or is acquainted with what happens around himself in this ever-changing world, is a man who is careful not to cast his time aside like a disregarded paper into a wastebasket. He feels that heis cut off from the world if he does not keep up on the movement of the world, and if his steadyvigile is stopped, surely he feels loneliness as if he has lost something precious.

The people of an American town discovered that an illiterate woman learned how to read and write late and without a teacher. When she was asked about this, she answered: Indeed, I felt the loss of precious time that I had missed, therefore, I tried to compensate forit and, thus, I used to eavesdrop and steal a look at my small daughter while she was studying and, with her, I used tosavour all her lessons.

Thus, we should eliminate the following expressions from the dictionary of our life:

- I missed the train!

- What is the use of workingnow. Indeed,I have lost various opportunities, and chance always opposes me.

- Many people precededme in that endeavor and I have no place, now.

- I tried and I failed. There is no reason to repeat the same experiment…etc.

We should replace theabove mentioned expressions with the following: There is always time to work before death.

But , regarding “compensation of wasted time”; this term is not correct.Because wasted time cannot be compensated, nor can it be delayed. Wishing the period of youth to come back after passing away is a falsedesire which is captured only by poets and there is no possibility to achieve it in reality. Nevertheless, it is possible for youth to avoid additional negligence, and excessive loss by regretting and utilizing what remains of their lives, and not to cause their lives to be a plunder of play, levity and idle relaxation.

Through experiments, it is proved thatlaziness, unemployment and leisure factors cause deviations and corruption. In this respect, a poet says:

“Surely, youth, spare time and luxury are causes of corruption for man and what corruption they are.” Weshould, also, differentiate between spare time, in which there is no use, and a dedication to review, self-criticize, and be alone with one's self, or to take permission in order to renew one's activity. This is a part of work, not free time. It is something desirable due to its being thetime which distributes more abundance to other times.

Utilizing Free Time

Leisure is defined by those concerned as free time and in which one is not connected by the necessity of achieving a specified goal.It is the time in which man frees himself from any commitments and necessities of life, and spends it in any way he wishes . Regarding students and youth, it includes the period of their summer and winter holidays,week ends , time and permission out of their working hours, in addition to free time secured by the era of modern technology.

The following are somesuggestions which include some means of utilizing free time, and we hope that our young men and women will find in them an assistance to their empty hours:

1- Reading:

It has been said that the importance of books has deteriorated during the past two decades competition with other media such as: Radio, TV, newspapers, computer, and the net work of information, but books still keep their value because of the following reasons:

1. All other competitions depend on them, and the most successful programs and investigational articles take their knowledge from books them-selves.

2. The ability of controlling the book, such as: Selecting it, or borrowing and copying it. It is up to the reader's taste, his desire and needs to control the kind of requested book in any time and any place.

3. Using a book as a source for writing, and as long as there are researches and studies, sources and references will not someday benull and void . Even, we observe that various CD's disks, in reality, are archived books.

As long as a book has all these values and its importance has decreased among students and youth to the extent that they turn away from it, it was still the right of a poet to say:

“I am the one who exchanged books with friends, but, I found no friend but books.”

And we should not forget that the profit we gain from the pleasure of reading and its advantage cannot be truly appreciated except by those readers who are fond of books and have established, them, a long companionship. If we miss this, it is because ofbeing overwhelmed by thesis and competitions, which we have mentioned before. Among the best ways to fillleisure time is by diverse and useful reading. In addition, there are someobservations which help in deepening the understanding of the usefulness of reading.

They are:

1- To read what fulfills our ideological,spiritual and psychological needs. We should not force ourselves on to be against reading like a man who forces himself away from food and we should not desert books on the plea that we lack the dedication to reading, because once separation occurs, it is difficult to unite it again.

2- Always keep your pen with you while reading in order to take some notes on some concepts oropinions which may help you later. You can, also, underline some important concepts or mark them with a phosphorous pen so that you can review them easily without the need to read the whole book.

3- Reading may open for you, unexpected ideas in a book, so, do not miss them and write them down immediately, because they may benefit you one day in your ideological, cultural, and literary projects in the future.

4- It is better to depend on cards of research in writing down your information including the name of the source from which you cited it, the author's name, the date of its edition and the number of the page.

Nevertheless, reading does not only to apply books, but also, includes newspapers, magazines and journals and whatis daily offered by newsstands . They present news and information items about the different affairs and the fields of life of which no young man or woman who wants to live fully their age can avoid. In this regard, a Prophetichadith says: “Theone who is well acquainted with the affairs of his time, is secure against afflictions, conspiracies, and confusions.”

One of the fruits of reading is that of writing. During leisure time, young men and women can practice their hobbies, such as writing, be it an article or story, or poetry and so on, and present them to people of experience. By this way, they can improve their writing ability.

2-Attending Lectures and Seminars:

One of the useful ways to fill our free time is to become acquainted with cultural and scientific weekly programs and literary gatherings. What is presented of lectures and seminars can help us enrich our knowledge and develop our ability in dialogue,criticism and diverse opinions.

And , if we participate in putting forward a question to a lecturer or the participants in a seminar, surely we will make use of it and benefit others as well. In this respect, ahadith says: “Three are rewarded: The questioner, the questioned and the listener of them,” and thus, our social and cultural personality develops and thrives.

Our observation of the way of asking a question, the way of dialogue, interposing and directing a question, teach us the manner of dialogue and how to pay attention to points which stir further discussions of subjects or problems. It is better to take our diary with us to write down the most prominent opinions introduced in a lecture or a seminar so that we may keep it as a culturalsubject which may benefit us one day in time of need.

In these meetings and sessions, we may, also, become acquainted with a great number of educated people, writers, authors, and personalities who participate in such cultural,ideological and literary activities.

3- Listening and Watching:

The four mass media (radio, T.V., cinema and theater) are not only means of play and amusement, but also, they are instruments of education. An education through themmay be performed intentionally or unintentionally, i.e., it comes directly or indirectly which obligates us to distinguish and diagnose it from audible and visible items.

What is shown and broadcasted through these media, such as, local subjects and other imported programs, are not all useful for listening and watching; some are useful and some are harmful; while yet others are poisonous.

Before thesedouble edged weapons, we should have a strong and intelligent sense in order to separate the correct from wrong, and the well from the unwell, otherwise, we will be victims of such informational schemes which are directed by specialized authorities, biased and purposeful agencies and net works.

And do not be surprised if we know that there are educational, informational and social scientists, and psychologists who present, for us, their audible and visible goods covered by beautiful papers, but, in reality, they are harmful in Muslim markets. They often aim at invading our houses because the barriers - by the development of these means and their advancement -are indeed dissolved and cause the information media to enter every house without asking permission.

These equipments, developed very quickly and greatly in the form of astronautics, video tapes, cassettes, anddisks which are cheap and simply transported, but they are heavy in presentation and burdens, and cannot be dominated by remote control.But , we, as Muslims, must control them with our desires, education, cultural, social and religious backgrounds which do not permit the watching of dissolute, profligate and trite films because they do not address anything except sexual and material desires and, sometimes, they intentionally aim at corrupting morals, distorting concepts, and turning values upside down.

And because these equipments are double-edged weapons i.e. they carry both evil and good inside their propagations, it is necessary to use their good things and avoid their evils. An example of the process of filling temporary leisure time would like the process of filling up intestinal emptiness; is it wise to enter everything into our stomach for allaying our hunger even if it is dirty, poisonous, dangerous and threatens our health, and safety?!

As a result of this, it is incumbent on us - onlookers and listeners - to safeguard, as much as possible, our characteristics, identity and our cultural and religious obligations. Therefore, we should judge and evaluate what we hear and what we see according to our ideology, culture,education and experience, otherwise, we will be turned into prisoners of these media which will lead us to dangerous crossroads.

Submissive sitting, for long hours before a T.V. motivates numbness and wasting oftime and which causes disorder in the routine of other daily programs and perhaps causes ideological paralysis . Thus, itis recommended for each of us to distribute the hours of his/her watching in a purposed and selective manner.

The psychologists confirm that television - in itself- does not create the problems of aggression and deviation,but, it is created bymiseducation by one's own family, relatives and friends.So , aggressive children and youth choose aggressive programs to support their former directions and television becomes a supporter towards deviation, and violence.

And though these media have numerous advantages which mostly meet each other, some researchers have studied both advantages and disadvantages of television. The following are some disadvantages that they diagnosed:

1.Killing time, wasting age, and engaging both individuals and a nation (ummah ) against performing their significant responsibilities.

2.Transfering irregular and deviated environments to our society, and imposing evil and degraded moral patterns on people.

3. Building a corrupted culture in the minds of the youth and showing the dissolute at the forefront of a society as if it is the norm.

4. Misrepresenting the contemporary affairs of the Muslims and demolishing of the obstacles that existbetween us (Muslims) and the enemies of ourummah , represented by the Jewish Zionists .

But , still, we do not deprive ourselves of useful radio and T.V. programs which include scientific, cultural, political, literary, social, economical and health programs, particularly those programs which present the problems and afflictions from which our society suffers and which are discussed by experts, specialists, and professionals.

4- The Computer and Information Network:

When computers came into existence, they not only filled up the free time of the youth, but also, occupied their time completely to the extent that they haveno associate nor rival. Indeed, they exceeded all the means of entertainment and play before it. A computer, in this respect, is like other media. It canbe used for the benefit of people or can be changed into a tool of corruption and destruction.

It is unjust for this active and brilliant invention, which has numerous capabilities, tobe used only as a tool of entertainment and play. In it, there are programs prepared for teaching accounting, business administration, and the principles of driving a car, or learning grammar of a certain language. In addition to this, there are various other services which are too numerous to mention them, like the fields of typing, handwriting, designing, layout, drawing, painting and others.And the programs on the internet are wider in their content regarding science, information, politics, and culture, as well as, in different fields of life.

From the blue screen of the computer man become educated by its high degree of flexibility, speed of processing data and the capability of diverse coverage: Geographical, theological, social, development of positive thinking, deepening of the concept of participation, non-acceptance of intuitions (self-evident truth), negative convincing and not surrendering to simplicity, all are blessings but at the same time foster indignation.

It is upon us to make use of such blessings in the bestway, otherwise, we will be afflicted with its indignation, particularly regarding the imported games which bear, in their undisclosed contents information and morals which differ from our Islamic morals and customs.

Therefore, it is obligatory for us to have spontaneous and supervisory over setting certain conditions whichshould be observed in such games. Among themare: They should bear human characteristics and have scientific value. They should be diversified and not be only for entertainment. They should not create enmity among the players, nor contradict the instructions of our religion,morals and customs.

However, setting long hours in front of this equipment, which has severe temptation exceeds television in its open and extended hours of sitting and which has made some countries, like Sweden, to specify the age of permission for using such games. They become concerned with the necessity of not introducing the young to the temptations of these games for fear of their education and the specified time in which theyare allowed to use the computer for the sake of entertainment.

Indeed, the harm of being addicted to the computer as a tool of entertainment is not less than wasting time watching a well-known game of football or being engaged in watching videos and television. Among the dangers of this invention, which has become a member of our family, is the decreasing of our circle of friends or social relations. The youth think that this invention has already achieved their wish and they are in no need of friends,but, this becomes far from the reality of a society and people. Even the dialogue sites of the network of the Internet cannot achieve the same advantages and medicalbenefits which we gain from direct friendly meetings in face to face visits.

We should, also, know that even those feelings, and emotions andexcitements which we get through the computer screen cannot be a complete substitute for direct meetings which contain warm feelings and continuity, activity and close acquaintance with others. Magnetized disks - with the exception of their importance - will not replacebooks which are considered our companion in everywhere; at home, in school, in the car, in the airplane, on a ship, etc. The same thing concerning personal exchanges on the network sites will not be a perfect substitute for direct friendly visits whatever the attractive service or qualifications they add to it by its producers and propagandists.

Why is it compulsory to follow Ahlul Bayt (Hadith al-Thaqalayn)?

The prophet (saw) has left us two important things. If we adhere to them, we will never go astray. Several authentic narrations comfirm that the two weighty things left to us by the prophet are the Quran and His progeny (ahlul bayt). However, the majority of the muslims believe that the 2 weighty things are the Quran and the Sunnah of the prophet.

It is a proven fact that hadiths were written at the time of the prophet. After His demise, the political regimes that followed on gathered most (and not all) of the written sources of hadiths to burn them. Moreover, the writing of hadiths was prohibitted. The only source of preservation was through memory.

As time rolled on, this method of preservation proved to be ineffective because it became difficult to keep track of all the hadiths since most of companions who lived and heard the prophet passed away. Moreover, not everyone remembered the exact wording of the hadiths and when they were said. To make things worse, the corrupted political regimes (Banu Umayya and Banu Abbas) paid citizen muslims to fabricate hadiths that will support their doctrine and promote their Islamic school of thought.

It became difficult for most muslims to tell apart a false hadith from a true one. Therefore, the tradition that says the two weighty things are the Quran and the Sunnah of the prophet falls apart because of these fabrications.

The only individuals who were able to authenticate any hadith were the Ahlul Bayt. They were the true protectors and the most knowledgeable, in particular Ali ibn Abu Talib who had in his possession a written document of all the authentic hadiths of the prophet, called Sahifah al-Jamiaa'. But the corrupted political regimes were abled to isolate these highly virtuous and knowledgeable individuals from the society, who were the only source of guidance after the prophet.

History has witnessed Ahlul Bayt undergoing extreme sufferings from these political regimes because they (ahlul bayt) totally rejected their unislamic doctrine and they were a threat to all the unjust leaders. All muslims agree that Ahlul Bayt are as truthful as the Quran is and they can never be separated from the Quran in this life. Unfortunately, we dont see that in practice. The hadiths of the prophet are the key to the interpretation of the Quran.

A unique interpretation of the Quran is necessary to make a united Ummah. Not every transmitter of a hadith is a credible one. Using fabricated hadiths to interprete the Quran will lead to false interpretations. To avoid any deception, the prophet has ordered us to follow both, the Quran and ahlul bayt.

The people the most fit to transmit the Sunnah of the prophet are His progeny because of their exceptional virtues. They have been purified by Allah a perfect purification, which means they don't make mistakes, they don't alter the narrations, they don't lie. Moreover, they have inherited the knowledge of the prophet. Is not the prophet the city of knowledge and Ali its gate? Others however, may transmit narrations with unintentional alterations or errors because they can make mistakes and they forget. It is just logical to take narrations that are transmitted from reliable sources that are endowed with special virtues and have a special place with regards to Allah.

Bottom line is that hadith al-thaqalayn proves that it is compulsory for us to follow ahlul bayt alongside with the Quran in order not to go astray. The Banu Umayyah and Banu Abbas have spent centuries fighting and demeaning ahlul bayt, in order to deprive the masses of muslims from their guidance. By isolating ahlul bayt from the society, the oppressors were capable of exercising their tyranny over the muslims. They were able to fabricate hadiths and twist the meanings of the Quran to fit their doctrine.

That is exactly why the Islamic world is submerged with tragedies and disasters. That is exactly why we have several sects that have considerable differences. Today's islamic leadership is an exact copy of the Banu Umayyah and Banu Abbas leadership. A leadership that fully contradicts the teachings of the Quran.

Content:

Hadith al-Thaqalayn Hadiths conflicting hadith al-Thaqalayn Is it the Quran and my progeny or the Quran and my Sunnah? External Links:

More on hadith al-Thaqalayn Hadith al-Thaqalayn

Yazid b. Hayyan reported, I went along with Husain b. Sabra and 'Umar b. Muslim to Zaid b. Arqam and, as we sat by his side, Husain said to him: Zaid. you have been able to acquire a great virtue that you saw Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) listened to his talk, fought by his side in (different) battles, offered prayer behind me. Zaid, you have in fact earned a great virtue.

Zaid, narrate to us what you heard from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). He said: I have grown old and have almost spent my age and I have forgotten some of the things which I remembered in connection with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), so accept whatever I narrate to you, and which I do not narrate do not compel me to do that. He then said: One day Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) stood up to deliver sermon at a watering place known as Khumm situated between Mecca and Medina. He praised Allah, extolled Him and delivered the sermon and exhorted (us) and said: Now to our purpose. O people, I am a human being.

I am about to receive a messenger (the angel of death) from my Lord and I, in response to Allah's call, (would bid good-bye to you), but I am leaving among you two weighty things: the one being the Book of Allah in which there is right guidance and light, so hold fast to the Book of Allah and adhere to it. He exhorted (us) (to hold fast) to the Book of Allah and then said: The second are the members of my household I remind you (of your duties) to the members of my family. He (Husain) said to Zaid: Who are the members of his household? Aren't his wives the members of his family? Thereupon he said: His wives are the members of his family (but here) the members of his family are those for whom acceptance of Zakat is forbidden. And he said: Who are they? Thereupon he said: 'Ali and the offspring of 'Ali, 'Aqil and the offspring of 'Aqil and the offspring of Ja'far and the offspring of 'Abbas. Husain said: These are those for whom the acceptance of Zakat is forbidden. Zaid said: Yes.

Yazid b. Hayyan reported: We went to him (Zaid b. Arqam) and said to him. You have found goodness (for you had the honour) to live in the company of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and offered prayer behind him, and the rest of the hadith is the same but with this variation of wording that he said: Behold, for I am leaving amongst you two weighty things, one of which is the Book of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, and that is the rope of Allah.

He who holds it fast would be on right guidance and he who abandons it would be in error, and in this (hadith) these words are also found: We said: Who are amongst the members of the household? Aren't the wives (of the Holy Prophet) included amongst the members of his house hold? Thereupon he said: No, by Allah, a woman lives with a man (as his wife) for a certain period; he then divorces her and she goes back to her parents and to her people; the members of his household include his ownself and his kith and kin (who are related to him by blood) and for him the acceptance of Zakat is prohibited.

Reference:

*- Sahih Muslim, Book 031, Number 5920, 5923 - Kitab Al-Fada'il Al-Sahabah; Page 941, Number 2408-36 (Arabic version)

*- Musnad ibn Hanbal, v4,p366 [Entire book:(p1409,#19479)] - It is narrated that the prophet repeated the sentence “I remind you in the name of Allah about my Ahlul-Bayt” three times.

The messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) said: “I am leaving for you two precious and weighty Symbols that if you adhere to BOTH of them you shall not go astray after me. They are, the Book of Allah, and my progeny, that is my Ahlul-Bayt. The Merciful has informed me that These two shall not separate from each other till they come to me by the Pool (of Paradise).”

حَدَّثَنَا أَسوَدُ بنُ عَامِرٍ أَخبَرَنَا أَبُو إِسرَائِيلَ يَعنِي إِسمَاعِيلَ بنَ أَبِي إِسحَاقَ المُلَائِيَّ عَن عَطِيَّةَ عَن أَبِي سَعِيدٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنِّي تَارِكٌ فِيكُم الثَّقَلَينِ أَحَدُهُمَا أَكبَرُ مِن الآخَرِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ حَبلٌ مَمدُودٌ مِن السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الأَرضِ وَعِترَتِي أَهلُ بَيتِي وَإِنَّهُمَا لَن يَفتَرِقَا حَتَّى يَرِدَا عَلَيَّ الحَوضَ

Reference:

*- Musnad ibn Hanbal, v3,p14 [Entire book:(p785,#11120)]; v3,p17 [Entire book:(p787,#11148)]; v3,p27 [Entire book:(p794,#11229)]; v3,p59 [Entire book:(p817,#11582)]; v5,p181 [Entire book:(p1591,#21911)]; v5,p189 [Entire book:(p1597,#21993)];

*- Sahih al-Tirmidhi, v5, pp 662-663,328, report of 30+ companions, with reference to several chains of transmitters.

*- al-Mustadrak, by al-Hakim, Chapter of “Understanding the virtues of Companions, v3, pp 109,110,148,533 who wrote this tradition is authentic (Sahih) based on the criteria of the two Shaikhs (al-Bukhari and Muslim).

*- Sunan, by Daarami, v2, p432

*- Fadha'il al-Sahaba, by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v2, p585, Tradition #990

*- al-Khasa'is, by al-Nisa'i, pp 21,30

*- al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p230

*- al-Kabir, by al-Tabarani, v3, pp 62-63,137

*- History of Ibn Asakir, v5, p436

*- al-Durr al-Manthoor, al-Hafidh al-Suyuti, v2, p60

*- Tafsir Ibn Kathir (complete version), v4, p113, under commentary of verse 42:23 of Quran (four traditions)

*- Usdul Ghabah fi Ma'rifat al-Sahaba, Ibn al-Athir, v2, p12

إني تارك فيكم ما إن تمسكتم به لن تضلوا بعدي أحدهما أعظم من الآخر كتاب الله حبل ممدود من السماء إلى الأرض وعترتي أهل بيتي ولن يتفرقا حتى يردا علي الحوض فانظروا كيف تخلفوني فيهما. (ت عن زيد بن أرقم)

Reference:

*- Kanz al-U'ummal, by al-Muttaqi al-Hindi: v1,#873,#946,#950,#952,#953 (المجلد الأول << الباب الثاني في الاعتصام بالكتاب والسنة );

*- al-Jaami'i al-Sagheer, by Jalaludin al-Suyuti: v3,#2631 (المجلد الثالث << [تتمة باب حرف الألف ]);

*- Ziyadat al-Jaami'i al-Sagheer, by Jalaludin al-Suyuti: #1773 (كتاب “زيادة الجامع الصغير”، للسيوطي << حرف الهمزة );

إني لا أجد لنبي إلا نصف عمر الذي كان قبله وإني أوشك أن أدعى فأجيب فما أنتم قائلون قالوا نصحت قال أليس تشهدون أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمدا عبده ورسوله وأن الجنة حق وأن النار حق وأن البعث بعد الموت حق قالوا نشهد قال وأنا أشهد معكم ألا هل تسمعون فإني فرطكم على الحوض وأنتم واردون الحوض وإن عرضه أبعد ما بين صنعاء وبصرى فيه أقداح عدد النجوم من فضة فانظروا كيف تخلفوني في الثقلين قالوا وما الثقلان يا رسول الله قال كتاب الله طرفه بيد الله وطرفه بأيديكم فاستمسكوا به ولا تضلوا والآخر عترتي وأن اللطيف الخبير نبأني أنهما لن يتفرقا حتى يردا علي الحوض فسألت ذلك لهما ربي فلا تقدموهما فتهلكوا ولا تقصروا عنهما. فتهلكوا ولا تعلوهم فإنهم أعلم منكم من كنت أولى به من نفسه فعلي وليه اللهم وال من والاه وعاد من عاداه. (طب عن أبي الطفيل عن زيد بن أرقم)

Reference:

*- Kanz al-U'ummal, by al-Muttaqi al-Hindi: v1,#957 (المجلد الأول << الباب الثاني في الاعتصام بالكتاب والسنة );

يا أيها الناس إني قد نبأني اللطيف الخبير إنه لن يعمر نبي إلا نصف عمر الذي يليه من قبله وإني قد يوشك أن أدعى فأجيب وإني مسؤول وإنكم مسؤولون فما أنتم قائلون قالوا نشهد أنك قد بلغت ورسوله وأن جنته حق وناره حق وأن الموت حق وأن البعث حق بعد الموت وأن الساعة آتية لا ريب فيها وأن الله يبعث من في القبور يا أيها الناس إن الله مولاي وأنا مولى المؤمنين أولى بهم من أنفسهم فمن كنت مولاه فهذا مولاه يعني عليا اللهم وال من والاه وعاد من عاداه يا أيها الناس إني فرطكم وإنكم واردون علي الحوض أعرض ما بين بصرى إلى صنعاء فيه عدد النجوم قدحان من فضة وإني سائلكم حين تردون علي عن الثقلين فانظروا كيف تخلفوني فيهما الثقل الأكبر كتاب الله عز وجل سبب طرفه بيد الله وطرفه بأيديكم فاستمسكوا به لا تضلوا ولا تبدلوا وعترتي أهل بيتي فإنه قد نبأني اللطيف الخبير أنهما لن ينقضيا حتى يردا علي الحوض. (الحكيم طب عن أبي الطفيل عن حذيفة بن أسيد)

Reference:

*- Kanz al-U'ummal, by al-Muttaqi al-Hindi: v1,#958 (المجلد الأول << الباب الثاني في الاعتصام بالكتاب والسنة ); Note the last sentence “These two shall not separate from each other till they come to me by the Pool (of Paradise)”. This shows the great importance of ahlul bayt with regards to guidance and truth. They should never be separated from the Quran.

حدثنا أبو الحسين محمد بن أحمد بن تميم الحنظلي ببغداد، حدثنا أبو قلابة عبد الملك بن محمد الرقاشي، حدثنا يحيى بن حماد، وحدثني أبو بكر محمد بن بالويه وأبو بكر أحمد بن جعفر البزار قالا: حدثنا عبد الله بن أحمد بن حنبل، حدثني أبي، حدثنا يحيى بن حماد

وثنا أبو نصر أحمد بن سهل الفقيه ببخارى، حدثنا صالح بن محمد الحافظ البغدادي، حدثنا خلف بن سالم المخرمي، حدثنا يحيى بن حماد، حدثنا أبو عوانة، عن سليمان الأعمش قال: حدثنا حبيب بن أبي ثابت، عن أبي الطفيل، عن زيد بن أرقم -رضي الله تعالى عنه- قال :

لما رجع رسول الله -صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم- من حجة الوداع، ونزل غدير خم، أمر بدوحات، فقمن، فقال: (كأني قد دعيت فأجبت، إني قد تركت فيكم الثقلين، أحدهما أكبر من الآخر، كتاب الله تعالى، وعترتي، فانظروا كيف تخلفوني فيهما، فإنهما لن يتفرقا حتى يردا علي الحوض

ثم قال: (إن الله -عز وجل- مولاي، وأنا مولى كل مؤمن). ثم أخذ بيد علي -رضي الله تعالى عنه- فقال: (من كنت مولاه، فهذا وليه، اللهم وال من والاه، وعاد من عاداه). وذكر الحديث بطوله. هذا حديث صحيح على شرط الشيخين، ولم يخرجاه بطوله. شاهده حديث سلمة بن كهيل، عن أبي الطفيل، أيضا صحيح على شرطهما. (ج/ص: 2/ 132)

References:

*- Mustadrak, al Hakim, vol 3, #174/4576 (المجلد الثالث << -31- كتاب معرفة الصحابة رضي الله تعالى عنهم >> ومن مناقب أمير المؤمنين: علي بن أبي طالب -رضي الله تعالى عنه- مما لم يخرجاه )

حدثنا أبو بكر محمد بن الحسين بن مصلح الفقيه بالري، حدثنا محمد بن أيوب، حدثنا يحيى بن المغيرة السعدي، حدثنا جرير بن عبد الحميد، عن الحسن بن عبد الله النخعي، عن مسلم بن صبيح، عن زيد بن أرقم -رضي الله تعالى عنه- قال: قال رسول الله -صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم-: (إني تارك فيكم الثقلين كتاب الله وأهل بيتي، وإنهما لن يتفرقا حتى يردا علي الحوض)

هذا حديث صحيح الإسناد على شرط الشيخين، ولم يخرجاه. (ج/ص: 3/161 )

References:

*- Mustadrak, al Hakim, vol 3, #309/4711 (المجلد الثالث << -31- كتاب معرفة الصحابة رضي الله تعالى عنهم >> ومن مناقب أهل رسول الله -صلَّى الله عليه وسلم -)

Consider the tradition that says the 2 weighty things are the Quran and the Sunnah. Which version of the sunnah do we follow? The Hanbalis? The Hanafis? The Shafiis? Or the Malikis? Or the Twelvers? Aren't these 5 different islamic school of thoughts? One of each being the fundamentals of religion education of a specific muslim country? The emergence of these 5 schools of thoughts have resulted in the divergence of the interpretation of the Quran among them.

Don't you think the prophet knew this would have happened? That some corrupted people would fabricate new haddiths and alter existing ones for political and other reasons. Don't you think he knew that future generations will rely on fabricated hadiths to explain the Quran. The more the school of thoughts are in desagreement with each others, the more confused we become, and the further away from the truth we are. This is just common sense. The sole fact that there are many schools of thoughts is an indication that all 5 differ in their jurisprudence. Otherwise, what is the point of their existence?

So which Sunnah do we follow? The answer is in Sahih Muslim and many other reliable shia and sunni references: The sunnah of the Prophet as carried and transmitted by Ahlul Bayt. The prophet did not order us to follow Ahmad ibn Hanbal, or Hanafi or Malik ibn Anas or Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafii. He simply ordered us to adhere to the members of Ahlul Bayt because they are the protectors of the hadiths and the correct interpreters of the Quran and the authentic transmitters of the teachings of the prophet. If muslims had followed hadith al-thaqalayn, then there would have been only one school of thought: that of the prophet and the Islamic nation would have been united under one jurisprudence.

If each school of thought says they are right about everything, then why are they different? How do you learn about the Sunnah of the prophet when you have several versions and interpretations? How do you learn about islam? The Quran by itself is not enough, we need a genuine sunnah to interprete its content. We need reliable sources. Think it through. Use common sense.

Hadiths conflicting hadith al-Thaqalayn There are several hadiths that appear to be contradicting hadith al-Thaqalayn. Could the prophet contradict himself? Certainly not! All of these conflicting hadiths share one thing in common: They are not found in the reliable hadiths sources of the Twelvers Shiah. In fact, the Twelvers Shiah do not consider them as authentic. They are only found in the Sunnis books.

Adhere to my sunnah and the sunnah of the rightly-guided successors after me. Hold on to it and cling on to it stubbornly.

Hadith al-thaqalayn is known to have been narrated by more than 30 companions of the prophet and is proven to be authentic by the Sunnis and Shiah school of thoughts. This means that any conflicting narration to hadith al-thaqalayn is likely to be a fabrication. According to the Sunnis, the rightly guided caliphs are Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali, which is not the case for the Twelvers Shiah.

It has already been proven that the first three caliphs have introduced innovations to Islam during their leaderships. How could the prophet tell us to follow his progeny and at the same time follow the “rightly guided” caliphs, three of which have not only alter the rulings of Islam, but have also fought Ahlul Bayt. Besides, what purpose does the Sunnah of the prophet serve if we have to follow the Sunnah of the “rightly guided” caliphs?!? Wasn't the purpose of the prophet to fight those who contradict the teachings of Allah?

The only Sunnah to follow is that of the prophet and no one else! Accepting this hadith is insulting to the purpose and special virtues of the prophet. He was sent to guide all of us. We therefore follow his teachings and guidance.

Take part of your religion from this Humayra' (i.e. A'ishah).

The above narration is another contradiction to the hadith of al-thaqalayn. How can you take part of Islam from Aisha who was disrespectful to the prophet in many instances. She conspired with the other wives against Him. She fought Ali, the beloved brother of the prophet, causing the death of thousands of Muslims. She disobeyed Allah by leaving her house to wage a war against Ali. She became violent because of her excessive jealousy. She spread her legs in front of the prophet while he was praying. She mistrusted Him. She confirms that the prayer of the traveler is 2 rakaa's, yet prays 4 rakaa's so as to please Uthaman ibn Affan.

She spoke ill and with disrespect (in front of the prophet) of our beloved mother, Khadija (the first wife of the prophet) who the angel Gabriel gave glad tidings and whom Allah has built a castlle for in paradise. She hated Ali, the beloved cousin and brother of the prophet, about whom He said: “O 'Ali! none but a true believer loves you, and none but a hypocrite hates you”. How can you take part of Islam from her? Is such an examplar for women to follow? Is it possible for the prophet to tell us to learn Islam her? Read more about Aisha, the second wife of the prophet Muhammad, and you will soon realize whether you can really learn about half of Islam from her! Many reliable Sunnis scholars have rejected this hadith and treated it as a fabrication. Among them, there are:

Reference:

(taken from al-shia.com)

*- alMizzi and alDhahabi as mentioned in alTaqrir wa al-tahbir fi sharh alTahrir, iii 99

*- Ibn Qayyim alJawziyyah, who has considered all traditions with the words “ya Humayra” and “al-Humayrah” as fabrications

*- Ibn Kathir as quoted in alDurar almuntashirah fi al-'ahadith almushtahirah, 79

*- Ibn Hajar alAsqalani as quoted in al-Taqrir wa altahbir, iii, 99

*- Ibn alMulaqqin, alSubki, Ibn Amir al-Hajj, alSakhawi, alSuyuti, alShaybani, alShaykh Ali alQari, al-Zarqani, Abd alAli alShawkani and others Follow those who will come after me, Abu Bakr and Umar.

Ibrahim ibn Ismail, Ismail ibn Yahya, Yahya ibn Salamah ibn Kuhayl and Abu alZara' are the transmittters of this hadith. They have been considered as unreliable transmitters by Abu Zurah, Abu Hatim, Ibn Numayr, alDarqutni, alBukhari, alNasa'i, Ibn Muin, Ibn Hibban, al-Tirmidhi and others. Read the comments made after the next hadith to understand why the above hadith cannot have been narrated by the prophet. Verily, my Companions are like the stars (nujum) in the sky; whichever of them you follow, you shall be guided rightly. The disagreement of my Companions is a blessing for you.

The prophet spent his life establishing the rulings of Islam as well as fighting those who were hostile to them. Allah does not allow an unjust person to rule His nation, Allah does not allow an individual to introduce innovations to His religion. Abu Bakr and Umar, as well as the third caliph, Uthman, have done a lot of things that are unacceptable to the religion that the prophet dedicated His life to. Today, all muslims are affected by these changes which have created tensions among the different sects of Islam for holding on to different beliefs.

Haven't many of the companions turned their backs to religion? Haven't they become infidels after cutting the throats of one another in the battles of Siffin and the Camel? Haven't they fought each others for the pleasures of this world? Haven't they introduced innovations to the religion? Then how can we be guided by anyone of them after all their unislamic deeds? Is not their behavior a sign of misguidance? The companions desagreed among themselves on religious rulings (Umar was ignorant of the concept of Tayammum, others rejected the concept of temporary marriage (hadith of sahih Muslim #3261) as well as political positions. How many of them joined Muawiyah or the mother of the believers, Aisha to fight Ali ibn Abi Talib? I dont see how the desagreement among them is a blessing for us! In fact, this desagreement is what has mutilated Islam and its followers. If they were to follow the hadith of al-thaqalayn (starting with Umar who said the Quran was sufficient for us - see the calamity of thursday), we would have been in a better condition!

The last hadith has 2 problems. First, not all companions were righteous. If we were indeed asked to follow them, only the righteous ones ought to be followed. Fortunately, the fabricators of this hadith were not smart enough to distinguish between the good and the bad companions. Second, the companions are not to be followed. Their duties were to help spread Islam, teach and implement its rules and set themselves as examples to the community. They themselves needed guidance! We ought to follow those to whom guidance was given to, that is the prophet Muhammad and His pure progeny, who should never be separated from the Quran.

Moreover, a long list of Ulamas have declared this hadith as a mere fabrication to bring a strong support the companions and isolate the progeny of Ahlul bayt from the society.

Is it the Quran and my progeny or the Quran and my Sunnah? The muslim Ulamas have proven the strong authenticity of the hadith of al-thaqalayn that orders us to follow the Quran and the progeny of the prophet. Knowing the virtuous of the members of Ahlul Bayt, there is no doubt that Allah has endowed them with the knowledge to explain the Quran and guide the muslims. The tradition has been accepted as authentic by Muslim, al-Tirmidhi, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, as well as the Twelvers Shiaa scholars.

As far as the second version that states “the Quran and my Sunnah”, the chain of narrators have been proven to be a weak source by many reliable Sunnis scholars. Two members of the chain of narrators are Ismael bin Owais from Abi Owais and are both considered unreliable narrators. Another chain of transmission is: Al-Zabee from Saleh bin Musa Al- talhe from Abdul-Aziz bin Rafia from Abi Saleh from Abu Huraira. Saleh bin Musa is also considered a weak source of hadith by many scholars.

A third chain of transmission is:Abdul-Rahman bin yahya from Ahmad bin Saeed from Muhammed bin Ebrahim Al-Dbaili from Ali bin Zaid Al-fraedi from Al-hurairi from Katheer bin Abdulla bin Omar bin Auf from his father and from his grandfather. Imam Shafii and Abu Dawood (the author of Sunan of Abu Dawood, d.276 A.H.) consider Katheer bin Abdulla a liar. Moreover, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said about Katheer bin Abdulla: “His traditions are rejected and he is not reliable”.

Moreover, “the Quran and my Sunnah” version of the hadith is not mentioned in Sahih Muslim or Sunan al-Tirmidhi.