Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

I bear witness that Ali is the Friend of Allah

There remain some other criticisms that do not deserve defaming or causing fear. These things, which are criticized unfairly by the Sunni are mentioned among the Shia in the past and present, as recommended and a cause of blessing, such as adding to the azan1 and iqamah2 the saying - “I bear witness that Ali is the saint of Allah”.

All the Shia have agreed that this is not a basic part of the azan or the iqamah and that it was available in the azan at the time of the Prophet (S). They have agreed that considering it a basic part of the azan or the iqamah invalidates both. This is the belief of the ulema and religious authorities of the Shia.

As long as the truth is our goal, the sayings of Allah and His messenger are our sayings and their contentment is our aim and intention. And as long as we face criticism from some of our (Sunni) brothers, so we have to approve of others what we approve from ourselves and find ugly in ourselves what we find ugly of others.

We have criticized Umar ibn al-Khattab in our previous studies for adding “prayer is better than sleep” to the azan and omitting “come on to the best of deeds” from it, and said that it was impermissible because it was a heresy that was not available at the time of the Prophet (S). We were not convinced by their saying that “prayer is better than sleep” was mentioned only in the azan of the Fajr (dawn) Prayer and their justifying that at dawn, man would be in the best moments of his sleep and rest; therefore, “prayer is better than sleep” would be used to encourage him to give up his rest and get ready for prayer.

It was nice speech, justifying and defending the matter, but we denied it, because the clear texts would not submit to personal opinions and desires. We said, “Whatever the Messenger of Allah (S) (S) did not do is heresy.”

On this basis, we say to the Shia the same statement and argue against them with the same argument. There should be no difference between these and those.

Therefore, we confess that “I bear witness that Ali is the saint of Allah” is extra in the azan, because the Messenger of Allah (S) did not say or order it, nor did the infallible Imams (a.s.) do it. If they really did it, we would find some proofs for it. If they did it, then it would not be permissible for the ulema of the Shia and their religious authorities to consider the azan and iqamah as null when this statement is mentioned as an actual part of them (the azan and the iqamah) as we have said before.

Fairness and justice require us to say the word of the truth and not to deny the Sunni for something while we ourselves do the like. Allah says:

What! do you enjoin men to be good and neglect your own souls while you read the Book; have you then no sense? Qur'an, 2:44

Once, one of the Shia said to me, “O my brother, do not mix between “prayer is better than sleep” and “I bear witness that Ali is the saint of Allah”!

I said, “Why? Prayer is really better than sleep, and Ali is really the saint of Allah, but they are parts added later on and the Messenger of Allah (S) did not do that.”

He said, “But the guardianship of Imam Ali (a.s.) has been revealed in the Qur'an, and you yourself have acknowledged that in your book ‘Then I was Guided’.”

I said, “So, the Messenger of Allah (S) was to be blamed, for he did not make that in the azan!!!”

Not everything that has been revealed in the Qur'an is to be added to the azan or iqamah and my acknowledgment that it has been revealed in the Qur'an does not make it necessary to be added to the azan or iqamah.

Is it right for one to recite for example, in the azan, “I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, bear witness that Adam is the choice of Allah, bear witness that Noah is the prophet of Allah, bear witness that Abraham is the friend of Allah, bear witness that Moses is the spoken to by Allah, bear witness that Jesus is the Holy Spirit of Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the beloved one of Allah”? All these facts are true and they have come in the Qur'an.

However, we cannot recite that in the azan, because the Messenger of Allah (S) has taught us to recite in the azan only the two witnesses “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (S)”. We must abide by the saying of Allah:

…and, whatever the Messenger gives you, accept it and from whatever he forbids you, keep back. Qur'an, 59:7

It is true that some of the Shia ulema do not mention “I bear witness that Ali is the saint of Allah” in the azan or the iqamah. I offered prayers with some of them and did not hear them say so. That they might mention it in their hearts, is something else. However, there are some Shia who doubt the loyalty and faith of whoever does not mention this in the azan or the iqamah.”

My opponent, praise be to Allah, was convinced. Still he said to me that he could not give it up, because his tongue had been used to it since his childhood.

I say this and I am certain that some of the Shia will not approve of it, because man by his nature, is an enemy to what he ignores and the satisfaction of all people is an unreachable goal.3

As I have said before in this book, I do not flatter anyone nor do I seek his satisfaction (with me) however high a position he has. I only seek the satisfaction of my conscience through the satisfaction of Allah, His messenger (S) and the infallible Imams (a.s.) - who are my Imams and masters, at the head of whom is Imam Ali (a.s.).

In the depth of my soul, I am certain that Imam Ali (a.s.) would be pleased with those, who try to guide people to the right path more than he would be with some of his Shia and lovers, who bear witness in every azan and iqamah that he is the saint of Allah, but they do not do anything to guide people towards this guardianship (of Imam Ali) or to prove the truth to them (people). In fact, they make people alienated and unknowingly keep them from reaching the truth.

Would Imam Ali (a.s.) be pleased when we bear witness of his guardianship and sainthood while we hold it as a big obstacle before those who search for the truth? Certainly not!

I often argued with obstinate people in the best manner, but I found in them a psychological obstacle that prevented them from keeping on with the argument in order to get to the truth. I tried to destroy that obstacle daring with a certain heart to keep on researching and getting to the sought goal. Then, I found that the obstinate ones advanced little by little with me and broke the psychological obstacles. Most of the time and about eighty percent of them acknowledged the truth and were guided to the guardianship of Ameerul Mo'minin Imam Ali (a.s.) and the guardianship of the infallible Imams (a.s.) after him.

Once, I was in Poona and Jabalpur in India. I met there with a big group of Sudanese students. In an evening gathering, I felt loyalty and true intention to know the truth in them. Most of them objected to the beliefs of the Shia concerning the matter of infallibility4 that they (the Shia) proved for their imams. They also objected to the witness that “Imam Ali is the saint of Allah” recited in the azan. They said that the Shia were excessive and extravagant in their love to the imams.

I said to them, “O my brothers in Islam, I do not try to impose on you the concept of “infallibility” and do not consider it the goal leading to the truth, although I myself believe in it, but I shall avoid it completely to prove to you that the Holy Qur’an and the Prophet’s Sunna impose on every Muslim to be a Shia following the Messenger of Allah (S) and his immaculate progeny (peace be on them).

You are not required to prove and believe in this infallibility in order to get to the sought goal, which is the adherence to the saints of Allah and His messenger (S) and to be free from the enemies of Allah and His messenger (S). You are as well, not required to bear witness to Imam Ali’s guardianship and sainthood in the azan and not required to believe in all what the Shia narrate about Ali and his progeny that you consider as excessive and extravagance.

Imam Ali (a.s.) is much greater than the need prove for him a virtue that is considered as one of miracles and say that Allah the Almighty has returned the sun to him because he missed the afternoon Prayer, or the earth was shrunk for him to travel from Medina to Mada’in in order to ritually wash Salman al-Farisi (after his death) and come back on the same day, which was a distance of some month’s travel at that time. These narrations are about miracles of the Unknown. A Muslim is free to believe or not to believe in them, for these shall neither increase nor decrease his faith.

However, we are required to believe that Imam Ali (a.s.) was the successor of the Prophet (S) and the best of all people after him and that the Prophet (S) had appointed him as his successor over the nation after his death.

We have to prove that Ameerul Mo'minin Ali (a.s.) was the gate of the city of the Prophet’s knowledge and there was no one more knowledgeable than him at all in the entire nation. We have to prove that he was most courageous of all companions and the most loyal of all of them in wars and during difficulties. It was by his sword and courage that Islam became strong and firm. We have to prove that he was the first to believe in Islam, he was the most loyal in all the battles, and that he sacrificed everything to preserve Islam after the Prophet (S) therefore, following him is obligatory on every Muslim.

We have to prove that he was the only one who spared no effort to enliven the Book of Allah and the Sunna of the Prophet when they were about to be buried. We have to prove that he was the most ascetic to the worldly life among all human beings and the nearest to Allah in all his behaviors and actions. We have to prove that he was the most just and fair of all people at all, and most pious to Allah, and that he fought the nakithin - breakers of covenant - in the battle of al-Jamal-the camel, the qasitin - the unjust - in the battle of Siffin and the mariqin - renegades - in the battle of an-Nahrawan to preserve Islam and Muslims.

We have to prove that Muhammad (S) was the first and Ali (a.s.) was the second, and they were the best of Allah’s creation at all.

Yes! We have to prove all that from the Qur'an, the true Prophetic Sunna and the true history and show clear evidences and convincing arguments that are irrefutable.

But, if we repeat that Allah had created Muhammad and Ali one hundred thousand years before He created Adam, and that all the prophets and messengers prayed to Allah the Almighty by the right of Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, al-Hasan, and al-Husayn, or that it has been written on the leg of the Throne that “Ali is the saint of Allah”, it is something else and it neither benefits nor take us to the sought goal.

We cannot convince others with these things, for which we do not have any scientific proof. If we insist on proving the miracles, the infallibility, or the guardianship of Ali (a.s.) - each side will insist on his own situation and be fanatic as the Sunni who narrate on Abu Bakr and Umar more than what the Shia narrate on Imam Ali (a.s.) and his progeny. In this case, time shall be wasted in unfruitful disputes, and the Sunni shall accuse the Shia of being extravagant in praise of their Imams, and then the Shia shall accuse the Sunni of being extravagant in praise of the three caliphs especially and to the companions in general. Thus the dispute shall remain unfruitful.

O brothers, today, we are required to show clear arguments and scientific proofs. I do not argue with you except by reasonable and traditional proofs that have been proved by history, reality and what all Muslims - Sunni and Shia - have agreed on. I pray Allah to guide us all to the truth.”

After we had spent that night until the dawn in scientific argumentation and logical discussion, most of them turned to the truth and longingly read the book ‘Then I was Guided’. Two days later, they came to say farewell to me before my travel while thanking Allah for guiding them to His Right Path and wishing to know the beliefs of the Twelver Shia and to read their books.

One of them came alone with me and I think he was the emir of the group as they called him, and said after thanking me and offering compliments, “I met with the Shia in Egypt, Sudan, and in India here, but no one of them could convince me like what you did.”

I said, “The book ‘Then I was Guided’ convinced many researchers and this is a favor of Allah to me, so I often praise and thank Him.”

He said, “I did not yet read your book, because I am busy with examinations, and I do not read any book except when I am tranquil.”

I said, “Then, how were you convinced when you did not read the book?”

He said, “On that night when you began your talking by putting aside the “infallibility”, “Ali is the saint of Allah”, and many other concepts that the Shia adopt, I admired your talks, because you talked to people with what they understood. If you kept to those concepts, the arguments would be unfruitful and that night’s discussion would be in vain. However, you knew the truth and could guide us to it. If you give a lecture in Sudan before the university students, you will make them all turn Shia by this way and method.”

I thanked him for his kind feelings and asked him to read the book (‘Then I was Guided’) and send me his notes on it. We embraced each other, while our hearts were beating with the love and loyalty to the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).

Notes

1. The azan in Islam is a means of announcing to people about the time of prayer. It has no certain, inviolable text as the texts of the Holy Qur'an, which cannot accept a decrease or increase even for one letter.

As for azan, the books of the Sunni sometimes mention that the azan was not available and that Abdullah ibn Zayd al-Ansari heard it in sleep and told it to the Prophet (S) who acknowledged and confirmed it. Perhaps, this is what made the Caliph Umar, when he was sleeping and the muezzin awaked him saying, “Prayer is better than sleep”, approved the statement and ordered to add it to the azan.

Bilal al-Habashi, the Prophet’s muezzin, pronounced [sh] as [s] and he said “ass-hadu” instead of “ash-hadu”. When some Muslims criticized this, the Prophet (S) said, “The [s] of Bilal is [sh] near Allah.”

Once, when I was in Sham (Syria), I passed by the Umayyad Mosque at the time of the Isha’ Prayer and I heard a collective azan recited in tones like oration. So, why all these reactions when Ameerul Mo'minin Ali ibn Abi Talib is mentioned?!

Let us say it is a good heresy or bad heresy (as the Sunni believe), then what for are all these reactions? However, they (the Sunni) are excessive in this concern. They have fixed “prayer is better than sleep” and considered it a part from the azan, but we (the Shia) do not say it is a part from the azan, but only recommended. Azan is a means that announces the prescribed time of prayer. As long as it is within the required limits that have no excess and do not harm Islam and Muslims, there shall be no serious problem.

2. Iqamah is a recommended (not obligatory) part before the prayer. It has the same wordings of the azan, but with a little difference.

3. Heresy, as we have said before, is a thing, which is not from religion. It is fixed and added to religion. “Prayer is better than sleep” was added and considered as a part of the very azan, but as for recommended things mentioned before or even through the azan, such as “Say: praise be to Allah Who has not taken a wife nor a child” or “blessing and peace be on you O Messenger of Allah (S)” besides “I bear witness that Ali is the saint of Allah, or is the commander of the believers” are mentioned as recommended. According to general evidence the little statements of ordinary people (neither Allah nor the Prophet) do not annul the azan, on condition that these things are not considered as parts of the azan or the iqamah.

4. Why do they (the Sunni) deny the infallibility of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), whereas they themselves believe in the infallibility of all the nation as to the matter of consensus, or the infallibility of all the Prophet’s companions, and of the men of authority? Al-Fakhr ar-Razi says in his Tafsir, “…and it has been proved that all those, whom Allah has ordered to obey, must be infallible, and thus, it has been definitely proved that “the men of authority” mentioned in this verse must be infallible.

Then we say: that the infallible ones are either entire nation or some of the nation… those infallible ones meant by Allah’s saying ‘men in authority’ must be the men in power from the imams (rulers), and this makes it necessary that the consensus of the nation is evident.” The interpretation of the Sura of an-Nisa’, verse 59, p. 144 in ar-Razi’a Tafsir

It is not unknown that those men in power were themselves who gave Mo’awiya ibn Abi Sufyan the authority (and considered him a legal Wali) and his son Yazid the drunkard and the killer of Imam Husayn son of Imam Ali (a.s.) and (killer of) seventeen men from the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.)…and the results were all Mo’awiya and his son’s crimes and vices, the rule of al-Waleed and other criminals from the Umayyad dynasty, and then the allegiance to the Abbasids among whom were Abul Abbas as-Saffah (slaughterer), Abu Ja’far al-Mansur (the tyrant), and others. As for those in power who were pious, they were either exiled, or forced to be neuter, though keeping silent at that time would be a heavy burden.

Then, why do they find the infallibility of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) odd and unacceptable, whereas their infallibility has been confirmed by many Qur’anic verses, Prophetic traditions? On many occasions and situations, the Prophet (S) proved this virtue for them and they were preferred to the whole nation after the Prophet (S).

Epilogue to the previous chapters

These were the most important objections and criticisms that the Sunni often raise against the Twelver Shia. They deserve to be studied impartially by every researcher and scholar who seeks the truth in everything and does not have fear on the way of Allah about being blamed and states the truth, however bitter it is, even if it is against him.

Today the learned youth of our Muslim nation no longer believe in superstitions, false fables, and rumors that the media broadcast here and there against the Shia to show them as groups of extremism and terrorism, or “the insane of Allah” as they call them.

I have already discussed some mistakes practiced by ordinary Shia, though these (mistakes) are not from the religion or from the necessities that may make impermissible things permissible. They do not cause but harms and disagreements among Muslims.

I have confirmed in my previous works and studies that I have published among Muslims through clear evidences, that the Twelver Shia are the most right of all the Muslim sects with respect to the beliefs and laws of the religion, and that the Shiite sect is the saved one from among all the Muslim sects by the will of Allah. This is not for anything, but because they are truly adherent to the Two Weighty Things (the Book of Allah and the Immaculate Prophet’s Progeny).

Nevertheless, this cannot prevent me from criticizing the Shia when I find errors or slips in the conduct of some of them, for I believe that “there is nothing other than the truth, except that it is untruth”.

Sometimes, a good doing may turn to be a bad doing if it exceeds the usual. For example, once when I was invited for an Islamic conference in the United States of America, some Muslims invited me to their houses to be their guest as a kind of honor and respect. I accepted their invitations unwillingly. Many others were invited me in my honor. Foods and refreshments were unimaginable in excellence and sometimes they cost thousands of dollars.

On the following day, or even the same day, I was invited by others and the same things happened, as if they competed with each other. The same invitees attended with me. I would not be excessive in saying that the kinds of western and eastern foods served were more than ten in each meal. Whatever guests ate - half of that food would be leftover without doubt, to be thrown into the rubbish bin.1

This habit has become a necessity for them. Whatever is said about the Arabic generosity and the honoring of guest, and whatever some people argue by means of this verse:

Say: Who has prohibited the embellishment of Allah which He has brought forth for His servants and the good provisions… Qur'an, 7:32,

I shall not be satisfied and I will criticize that and try my best to convince people of other than this.

Those, who take their evidence from the Qur'an on the permitting of good provisions, forget or overlook this saying of Allah

…and eat and drink and be not extravagant; surely He does not love the extravagant, Qur'an, 7:31.

Or, this saying of the Prophet (S):

We are a people who do not eat, except when we feel hungry, and when we eat, we do not become fully satiated (do not eat much).

Where are we from the education of Imam Ali (a.s.) who has accustomed himself to eating dry barley and who sealed his bag lest al-Hasan or al-Husayn (peace be on them) wet his dry piece of bread with oil?

Do Muslims not feel shy today before their Lord that they sleep in silk beds with stomachs full of all kinds of foods, whereas their Iraqi Shia brothers die of hunger in the Saudi camps, not finding the simple means of living?

I thank those who invited and honored me, but my duty requires me to remind them of what is better, for reminding benefits of the faithful. It is my duty to encourage them to do good for the sake of Allah, in the way of Allah and not for fame and hypocrisy. Many wealthy Muslims, who live the life of kings, become very stingy when they are asked to help the poor and the needy, whereas they spend millions of dollars recklessly on their lusts and desires.

The fact that makes you wonder too is that most of these wealthy people had escaped with their faith from the oppression of unjust rulers and emigrated to the United States of America or England while they had no money in their pockets. Then Allah made them rich and they possessed buildings, shops and millions of dollars. Thereafter, they behaved like Th’alaba who came to the Prophet (S) complaining of his poverty and asking the Prophet (S) to pray Allah for him to be rich as he wanted to help the poor and the needy.

The Prophet (S) prayed Allah for him, and he became too wealthy. When the Prophet (S) asked him to pay the zakat, he refused to pay anything. Then, Allah revealed this verse about him:

And there are those of them who made a covenant with Allah: if He gives us out of His grace, we will certainly give alms and we will certainly be of the good. But when He gave them out of His grace, they became niggardly of it and they turned away, averse. Qur'an, 9:75-76

Certainly, there are wealthy people who spend their monies charitably in the night and the day, openly and secretly, looking forward to the mercy and contentment of their Lord. However, these people are few in comparison to the majority who run after fame and refuse any charitable doing.

You may see wealthy Muslims, whom Allah has given too much to be trustees on it and to give from their wealth a share to the beggars and the destitute. They perform the major hajj every year and the minor hajj two or three times a year - and I am not being excessive when I say that some of them have performed the hajj twenty times and the minor hajj more than forty times. They show their pride of that openly before people.

Such people from among the Shia are too many. They do not know the actual amount of their wealth. They spend their times in the best hotels, eat the most expensive meals, and travel in the first class airplanes. After that, they go to visit the holy shrines of the infallible imams (a.s.). When you see how they eat and what they throw in their rubbish bins, you say with no hesitation that they are too far away from the Islamic ethics and human morals.

It is true that the hajj is recommended after performing the first obligatory one, but do these people not understand that Allah, first of all orders them to help His poor people, the needy, orphans and the oppressed? Has Allah the Almighty not said to them in His Book:

It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the East and the West, but righteousness is this that one should believe in Allah and the last day and the angels and the Book and the prophets, and give away wealth out of love for Him to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and the beggars and for (the emancipation of) the captives…? Qur'an, 2: 177

O Muslims, righteousness is not to go every year to perform the hajj or to visit the holy shrines of saints…yes, the hajj is obligatory and recommended and so is the ziyara, but to be a habit every year while your brothers are dying of hunger - this is something that does not please Allah at all.2

Did the Messenger of Allah (S) not say?

The nearest of you to Allah is most helpful among you to His people?

Did he not say?

Who sleeps his night satiated while his neighbor is hungry is out of the covenant of Islam?

Did your first Imam, Ali ibn Abi Talib, whom you pride on and follow, not say?

Surely, every led one has a leader (imam) whom he follows, and from the light of whose knowledge he seeks light. Surely, your Imam (Ali) has been satisfied from all his life with his two coarse garments, and from his food with his two loaves…by Allah, I have never hoarded from your world gold, nor have I saved from its booties anything…

….and if I wanted, I could follow the way to the pure honey, the kernels of this wheat, and the textiles of this silk - but how far for my fancy to overcome me, or my greed to lead me to choose between foods, that there may be in Hijaz or Yamama one who cannot even wish for a loaf of bread and one who has never been satisfied with food? Or, can I sleep my night satiated, while around me there are hungry stomachs and very thirsty lives!

…I was not created to be busy with good foods and pleasures like a tied animal, whose concern is only its fodder, or a released one whose business is seeking in rubbish…

O worldly life, be away from me! Your halter is on your wither (free to do whatever it likes). I have sneaked away from your claws and escaped from your traps, and avoided going into your slips.

Where are the generations, whom you incited with your plays? Where are the nations, whom you fascinated with your adornments? Here they are captives in the graves and hidden in the tombs…Be away from me! By Allah, I do not submit to you so that you degrade me, and do not be mild for you, so that you drive me (as you like)…

Blessed is a soul that offered its obligation for its Lord and was patient in distress, gave up its sleeping in the night until slumber overcame it, took the ground as its bed and its hand as a pillow, from among people whose fear of the Hereafter made their eyes sleepless, and whose bodies kept away from their beds, and whose lips always murmured with the remembrance of their Lord, and whose sins were dispelled by their long asking for forgiveness:

…those are Allah's party; surely the party of Allah are the successful ones Qur'an, 58:22

This speech3 is addressed to every Shia who takes Ali (a.s.) as his imam after the Prophet (S).

As we have confirmed in our previous studies that the Shia are the true Muslims who have kept to the Book and the Prophet’s progeny after the Prophet (S). We must obey the commands of the Book and the immaculate progeny (a.s.). They order us to glorify and sanctify the rites of Allah, because it is from true piety.

Observing the rites of Allah includes observing of congregational prayers inside and outside the mosques, the keeping to prayers in the best way and keep the mosque sanctified, clean and unpolluted with cigarettes smoke. Rather, mosques must be refreshed with good scents and perfumes. Certainly, all these are the rites to be observed for Allah.4

How better it is for us to be ascetic towards many pleasures of this life, not to squander our monies in what does not benefit us, and not to be excessive in food and amusement while our faithful brothers are dying of hunger! How better it is for us to think of serving the servants of Allah and save them from deviation instead of performing the hajj forty times and the minor hajj eighty times!

If these monies are spent on publishing and sending books as gifts to the Muslim countries that do not know anything about the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) nor do they hear anything about the Shia except the fabrications. They shall be effective means to make millions of deviated people, who seek the truth, turn to the right path and the reward of this near Allah shall be greater than the reward of a recommended hajj that one goes to offer, wishing that Allah may forgive his sins of the last year. The Prophet (S) said:

The ink of scholars is better near Allah than the blood of martyrs.

Fear Allah by maintaining kinship, because it is better near Allah than all prayers and fasting.

How it is better for us to think of the future of Muslims in the world who face a plot of annihilation in every place on the earth!

After all this and through my personal experiment of twenty-five years the most of which was arguments and disputes with learned and unlearned Sunni, I knew that overlooking some beliefs that are not from the essence of Islam is the only way to get to the sought goal.

How many obstinate opponents, who never preferred anyone at all to Abu Bakr and Umar, began after turning Shia to wish that Imam Ali (a.s.) had fought and relieved Muslims from them? And, how many protestant deniers, who denied the concept of “infallibility” and considered it as being excessive from the Shia, believed in it after having turned Shia, more than the Shia themselves?!

All that would lead to enmity and grudge if I insisted on the concept of “infallibility” or “I bear witness that Ali is the saint of Allah” in the azan or that “Ali is the best of all human beings and whoever denies that is a disbeliever”.

I am sure that Muslims shall be near to each other and would be united if both the Shia and the Sunni tried to overlook some of their beliefs that are not from the fundamentals of the religion. If the Sunni gave up their belief that all of the Prophet’s companions are totally fair, just and honest, (and certainly this belief has nothing to do with the religion), they would relieve their Shia brothers from their continuous efforts to prove the opposite.

And if the Shia overlook “I bear witness that Ali is the saint of Allah” which was not a part from the azan or the iqamah at the time of the Messenger of Allah (S), they would relieve their Sunni brothers, who criticize and accuse them of being extravagant and excessive, from toiling for that.

Do Muslims, Shia and Sunni, not take a lesson from what the Messenger of Allah (S) did on the day of Truce of al-Hudaybiyyah? He gave up many things and did not oppose the polytheists in anything? He did so because he knew that resisting them and not giving up some of his conditions would be an obstacle in the way of guidance and the getting to the truth.

They said to him, “We do not acknowledge that you are the Messenger of Allah (S). You are Muhammad son of Abdullah.”

He said, “Yes, I am Muhammad son of Abdullah. O Ali, do not write down ‘Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (S)’.”

If one of the Shia says, “How do we give up ‘Ali is the saint of Allah’ which is right and the truth and we remember that the Prophet (S) said that ‘whoever keeps silent before the truth is a dumb devil’?” We respond that, just as Muhammad son of Abdullah (S) gave up his attribute as the Messenger of Allah (S) before the polytheists in order to not cause an obstacle between him and them and to invite them towards guidance when he actually was the Messenger of Allah (S) whether the polytheists accepted or denied that.

And Allah is sufficient as a witness Qur'an, 58:22

In the same way - “Ali is the saint of Allah” is also right and true, whether people bear witness to that or not. Their witness does not add anything to his value, nor does their denial decrease anything from his virtues.”5

The result of Muhammad’s concession in the al-Hudaybiyya Truce was so great that no one of the companions had ever imagined. It was a great victory after one year when groups after groups embraced Islam willingly and without effort or fighting.

If you both (the Sunni and the Shia) take the Messenger of Allah (S) as your example and you claim that you do according to the Book of Allah and the Sunna of His messenger, then follow his (the Prophet) deeds, O you men of understanding!

Allah the Almighty says:

If you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not diminish aught of your deeds; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. Qur'an, 49:14.

Notes

1. Yes! This has changed to be a habit and tradition. People pride and compete with each other and the victim is the guest who compliments to satisfy the host. Otherwise, the guest even if he is a scholar or a thinker and attracts their attention to the offensiveness of this practice, might not be invited anymore. So how about ordinary people?!

In this way, detestable social classes appear which look down on the poor and prevent them from attending such invitations. (The rich are invited and the poor are kept away). Its undesirable outcome is division of people into different classes. Such invitations affect the mentality of the guest (when he is a scholar or thinker) that he acknowledges their conducts, or they pervert his thinking of caring for the right affairs of Muslims to their own world and life.

Unfortunately, an example is one of the wealthy people in Iraq who was in such a reckless state that he did not know how to spend his wealth, so that whatever he did to it, it would not run out because of abundance. Saddam exiled him out of Iraq and confiscated all his wealth and properties. In the place of immigration, I heard a wealthy man saying, “I cannot be convinced the Iraqi people suffer famine, except when they become like Indians who die in the streets and then, the municipality personnel carry their corpses altogether.”

Surely, a Muslim cannot be a true Muslim except when he follows the true Islam, imitates its high examples, and apply it in the true way. A true Muslim must be a true faithful away from vanities, wastefulness, dissipation, and worldly desires; otherwise, life shall be beastly.

2. The responsibility of changing the conducts of these people is on the ulema and preachers that they may repent and return to the true path of Islam and the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).

3. From the letter of Imam Ali (a.s.) to his governor on Basra, Uthman ibn Hunayf al-Ansari, when he (Imam Ali) was informed that Uthman was invited to a banquet and he accepted and went to it. Nahjol Balagha - commentary by Muhammad Abdo, p. 558.

4. It is noted in general that a praying person usually stands to offer prayers with the clothes he usually wears, not caring whether they are tidy and clean or not. The important thing is that they must be ritually pure. People think that there is no problem for this with Allah! But, if one of them wants to meet someone, he puts on the best of his clothes, especially if that someone is an important personality. Thus, is person whom one meets in life more important than Allah? One does not perceive or think of this!

Let each one of us think of this matter - when one of us is inside his house wearing night clothes, he does not let others (visitors) see him in that clothes, because this is as a kind of insult to them. Should he offer the prayer in these clothes so easily? We have to be aware of Whom we are standing before to offer our prayer. We have to put in mind that Allah the Almighty is always with us wherever we are and behave on this basis,

…and He is with you wherever you are… Qur'an, 57:4.

We stand before Him all the time and especially in the prayer. Therefore, we have to put on the best of our clothes, using perfume, in order to appear in an acceptable state to Him. After preparing our appearances, we have to purify our inwards to be real travelers toward Allah the Glorified. It is not bad to pay attention to the recommended things as to the prayer’s clothes and etiquettes especially for women who may put on white clothes and…be in the best shape that makes us actually feel that Allah is with us.

5. We have confirmed before that no one of the Shiite ulema say that “I bear witness that Ali is the saint of Allah” is a basic part of the azan or the iqamah, and whoever calls it as a “good heresy” is totally mistaken. It is but a witness that Imam Ali (a.s.) is the saint of Allah and the commander of the believers, and a witness of the injustice he suffered and the suppression of history against him, though he was the establisher of the cornerstone of Islam after the Prophet (S) with his knowledge and jihad. It is like the qualities of Talut mentioned in the Holy Qur'an when the Israelites asked from their prophet to send for them a king so that they would fight under his leadership.

And their prophet said to them: Surely Allah has raised Talut to be a king over you. They said: How can he hold kingship over us while we have a greater right to kingship than he does, and he has not been granted an abundance of wealth? He said: Surely Allah has chosen him in preference to you, and He has increased him abundantly in knowledge and physique, and Allah grants His kingdom to whom He pleases, and Allah is Ample giving, Knowing, Qur'an, 2:247.

This is besides many other instances that this and that has witnessed of (and the virtue is that which opponents witness of). So why do we not actually take a strict situation against heresies like the omitting of “Come on to the best of deeds” from the azan by Umar ibn al-Khattab? It is related to Akrimah that he said, “Once, I said to ibn Abbas, ‘Would you tell me why “come on to the best of deeds” was omitted from the azan?” He said, ‘Umar wanted people not to rely on prayer and give up jihad; therefore, he omitted that from the azan.” Refer to Sunan al-Bayhaqi, vol. 1 p. 524-525, as-Seera al-Halabiyyah, vol. 2 p. 105, Sa’d as-Sa’oud, p. 100, Mizan al-I’tidal by ath-Thahabi, vol. 1 p. 139, Lisan al-Mizan, vol. 1 p. 261, Nayl al-Awtar by ash-Shawkani, vol. 2 p. 32, Kanzol Ummal, printed in the margins of Musnad Ahmed, vol. 3 p. 276, Kanzol Ummal, vol. 4 p. 266, ar-Rawdh an-Nadheer, vol. 2 p. 42.

On the other side, Umar added to the azan of the Fajr (dawn) Prayer “the prayer is better than sleep”. This shows that Muslims do not wonder at this omission and the addition, because the Sunni do not believe that the azan and the iqamah have been legislated by Allah through His revelation to the Prophet (S), or that the Prophet (S) has done it like the other rites and rulings that he received from Allah the Almighty!!! They narrate that the azan was a dream which one of the companion saw in his sleep after the Prophet (S) had been confused (as they say) either to call people for the prayer by the bell or by beating two pieces of wood against each other…Refer to Sunan Abu Dawud, vol. 1 p. 335, as-Seera al-Halabiyyah, vol. 2 p. 93, Sahih at-Termithi, vol. 1 p. 359, al-Muwatta’, vol. 1 and its explanation by az-Zarqani, vol. 1 p. 120-125, Sunan al-Bayhaqi, vol. 1 p. 390, Seera of Ibn Hisham, vol. 2 p. 154, al-Bidaya wen-Nihaya, vol. 3 p. 232, al-Mawahib al-Laduniyyah, vol. 1 p. 17, Muntakhab Kanzol Ummal, printed in the margins of Musnad Ahmed, vol. 3 p. 273, Tabyeen al-Haqa’iq by az-Zuray’ee, vol. 1 p. 9, ar-Rawdh al-Anaf, vol. 2 p. 285, Hayat as-Sahaba (the lives of the companions), vol. 3 p. 131, Kanzol Ummal, vol. 4 p. 263, Sunan ad-Darqutni, vol. 1 p. 241, and others.

Thus, the azan, for you (the Sunni), has not been legislated by Allah, and you omit from and add to it, and even if you add to the azan of the Noon Prayer the statement of “the prayer is better than lunch” it shall be given legality by you and you shall approve it as you have approved some things else, whereas you deny those who have consensually agreed that the azan and the iqamah in their actual chapters had been revealed to the Prophet (S) by Gabriel (a.s.).

Yes, we all have to deny everything that contradicts the real azan. Once, Muslims heard the muezzin saying in the azan: “They say that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (S)”. They were astonished and they denied that. They went to the imam of the mosque objecting to him. He said to them, “I found no one to announce the azan in the mosque; therefore, I hired a Jewish man to announce it, and he does not believe in the prophethood of Muhammad (S).”

As for the mention of Imam Ali and the Ahlul Bayt (peace be on them all), we do not say that it is a part of the azan, nor do we add it instead of another basic part. We do not omit from or add fixed part to the azan, which was revealed to the Prophet (S) by Gabriel in his sleep. We believe that the revelation to the Prophet (S) in his sleep is like the revelation to him in his wake state.

However, they (the Sunni) chanted the azan in tones and recited it in groups like anthems. They omitted and added, since they believe that it (the azan) has not been divinely legislated, but a vision of one of the companions.

The Shia unanimously say that the azan was a revelation from Allah, and therefore, they believe that any omission or addition to it is not permissible; otherwise, it is considered a man’s legislation against Allah’s legislation, and this is impermissible among the Shia. This is not that case in saying “I bear witness that Ali is the saint of Allah”, because this is mentioned as generally recommended and to show our adherence to the saint of Allah.