Shiism in Sunnism

Author(s): Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Ridha Mudarrisi Yazdi

Publisher(s): Ansariyan Publications - Qum

www.alhassanain.org/english

Table of Contents

Translator’s Preface 5

Notes 5

The Editor’s Introduction 6

Notes 8

An Introduction to: Recognition of the Imams in The Light of Traditions 9

What are Imamate and Caliphate? 10

The Continuation of Imamate and the Necessity of Recognition of Imam 11

Imams are twelve in number and all from Quraysh 14

Confession and Deviation 18

The Ahl al-Bayt’s Claim to Imamate is Truthful 19

Who are the Prophet’s Household? 22

The Ahl al-Bayt’s Claim to Imamate 24

Continuation of the Presence of Members from the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s) 25

Imams Are From the Prophet’s Household (the Ahl al-Bayt) 26

Shi’a Traditions are Proof for everyone 29

Knowing the Names and Personalities of the Imams 30

Imam Ali, Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn (a.s) 30

Imam Ali Ibn Al-Husayn (a.s) 30

Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (a.s) 31

Imam Ja’far Al-Sadiq (a.s) 31

Imam Musa Al-Kazim (a.s) 32

Imam Ali Ibn Musa Al-Riza (a.s) 32

Imam Muhammad Al-Taqi Al-Jawad (a.s) 32

Imam Ali Al-Naqi Al-Hadi (a.s) 33

Imam Hasan Al-Askari 33

Imam Al-Mahdi 33

Imam Mahdi’s Occultation 33

Notes 34

Ijtihad and Taqlid 41

Lexical Meaning of Ijtihad 41

Idiomatic Meanings of Ijtihad 41

Ijtihad in its general meaning 41

Ijtihad in its Special Meaning 42

Sources of Ijtihad 43

Examining the proof of the Holy Qur’an 43

Examining the proof of the tradition 43

The Ahl al-Bayt’s Tradition 44

The first reason for proof of the Ahl al-Bayt’s tradition 44

The second reason for the proof of the Ahl al-Bayt’s tradition 46

The Proof of the Companion’s Sunnah 48

The Proof of Consensus 50

The Proof of wisdom (Common Sense) 50

The Proof of Qiyas, Istihsan and Masalih Mursalah 50

Qiyas (analogy) 50

Istihsan (approbation) 50

Masalih Mursalah 51

Adducing Mu’adh’s tradition 52

Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab Al-Muqaddamah (introduction) 53

The Abandonment or Allowance of Practicing Ijtihad 53

The Dangers of Ignorant Prejudices 55

Concluding Abandonment or Permission of Practicing Ijtihad 56

Notes 57

Wuzu (Statutory Ablution) in Allah’s Book and the Prophet’s Tradition 61

The Quality of Washing the Hands 64

The Quality of Rubbing the Head 65

Rubbing or Washing the Feet? 66

Pronunciation with jarr vowel (arjuli) 67

Another instance of jarr due to an adjacent noun 68

Pronunciation with the nasb vowel (arjula) 69

Ablution in the Prophet’s Tradition 70

The Ultimate Solution for the Problem of the Traditions of Washing (The Feet) 73

Notes 74

Tradition and Heresy in Adhan (Call to Prayer) 77

Shi’a and the religious outset of Adhan 77

The viewpoint of the Sunnis 78

Examining the Tradition of Dream 80

The Chapters of Adhan and Iqamah 81

Hayya Ala Khayr al-Amal 82

Discussion on Tathwib 83

Scholars’ Views on the Origin of Tathwib 84

Examining the Traditions of Tathwib 86

The tradition of Nisa’i 86

The traditions of Abu Dawud 86

Testimony to Ali’s (a.s) wilayah in Adhan 87

Notes 88

Simultaneous Performance of Prayers 91

Prayer Times According to the Holy Qur’an 92

Examining the Honorable Verse 93

Simultaneous Performance of Prayers according to Traditions 95

Traditions in Sahih Muslim 95

The traditions of Sahih Al-Bukhari 96

The traditions of Musnad Ahmad 98

The traditions of other Books 98

Misinterpretations of the Traditions of the Simultaneous Performance of the Prayers 99

A Summary of Jurisprudents’ Opinions 101

The Hanafite’s Opinion 101

The Shafiite’s Opinion 101

The Malikite’s Opinion 102

The Hanbalite’s Opinion 102

Some narrators and Shafiites’ Opinion 102

Ibn Shibramah’s Opinion 102

Ibn Mundhir and Ibn Sirin’s Opinion 102

Notes 102

Prostration in the Tradition of the Prophet (a.s) and the Companions 105

Lexical and Idiomatic Meaning of Prostration 105

Traditions about Prostration 106

Opinions of Some Companions and Scholars 108

Notes 110

Translator’s Preface

In the Name of Most Exalted

الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمْ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا

“This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion.”

This is what Almighty God revealed to His Prophet (a.s) in Ghadir Khumm, favoring mankind with a perfect religion. Believing in Islam as the most perfect religion requires not only a life in accord with its principles but also a constant attempt to discover the reality and spirit of it.

“Shiism in Sunnism” is an invaluable step in the direction of such an attempt, of which I had the honor of translation. I can hardly, if ever, praise Allah for the wisdom and capability He has bestowed on me. In fact, ‘this is of the grace of my Lord.’1

I am greatly indebted to my parents for their sincere support throughout my life. I am also thankful to my professors without whose guidance I could not accomplish this translation, which is as a drop in the ocean. I dedicate this first translation experience of mine to the Commander of the Believers, Imam Ali (a.s), as an offering for “the day when We call every people with their Imams”2 and “the day on which property will not avail, nor sons.”3

Hamideh Elahinia

Esfand, 1381

March, 2003

Notes

1. Holy Qur’an, Naml (27), Verse 40.

2. Holy Qur’an, Isra’ (17), verse 71.

3. Holy Qur’an, Shu’ara’ (26), verse 88.

The Editor’s Introduction

Getting acquainted with my professor: it was a hot day in Tir (the fourth month of the Iranian Calendar corresponding to June-July), 1379 (2000 AD) and I had finished sat’h (intermediate level) examinations at the Hawzah (Islamic theology school). From the very same day, I got determined to further my studies in Islamic jurisprudence and principles (kharij fiqh wa usul). Those who have experienced this know quite well that benefiting from a fully qualified professor plays a great role in one’s success, and I was deeply aware of this fact.

Summer was coming to its end and choosing my professor was becoming a sophisticated concern for me. The middle of Shahrivar (the sixth month of the Iranian Calendar corresponding to August-September) was coming, which was the beginning of the academic year in the Hawzah, and I was so anxious. Choosing my professor had so much engaged my mind that it was my sole request from God in my pilgrimage (Ziyarah) to the holy shrines of Imam Reza (a.s)1 and Lady Fatima Ma’suma (a.s). Meanwhile I consulted so many trustee people to reach my purpose.

Finally, by God’s favor, I joined the circle of study of my dear professor, Ayatollah Hajj Sayyid Muhammad Reza Mudarrisi Tabataba’i Yazdi.

The professor’s lectures were vital to me and brought academic cheerfulness for me. I got to understand better the meaning of traditions praising knowledge, studying and teaching,2 and this honorable verse seemed so new to me as though it had just been revealed:

وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا

And whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he kept alive all men. (Holy Qur’an 6:32).

In order to praise Allah and thank my professor, I was looking for an opportunity to help him instead. This became possible when one day he asked me for help after his lecture. He said he had written about some jurisprudential issues during the previous years but could not arrange them due to his busy schedule. The professor suggested that I may make them ready for publishing. I accepted wholeheartedly and started the work a few days before Muharram (the first month in the Hijri Calendar).

Now, after six months, I have always been engaged in this work. In my trip to Qazvin for religious training, and then in Qom, I spent most of the nights to prepare the book until dawn. When I was in Qom, I used the books in Ayatollah Mar’ashi Najafi’s Library and also technical library of Ayatollah Sistani and available software. In Mashhad too, I benefited a lot from the library of Astan Qods Radhawi and the library of Goharshad Mosque, thanks God for all this.

These written materials were five pamphlets to which another one was added after being written entitled “Prostration in the Tradition of the Prophet and the Companions.” In all these materials, besides the interesting method of posing the discussion, technical way of posing and terminating the issues, power of analysis, reasoning and concluding, what was eye-catching was the way the traditions of the Sunni were benefited from. Moreover, the professor had fortunately used the most valid books of the Sunnis as well as their most authentic traditions.

Of course, the basic references of these materials are our Sunni brothers, but reading them is so useful for clearing the reasons as well as the roots of the Shi’a viewpoints, especially since they have been conveyed so eloquently. A report of the primary materials: The first pamphlet entitled “An Introduction to Knowing the Imams in the Light of the Traditions,” is about the Imamate of the twelve Imams (a.s). It was published for the second time in 1359 (1980). Despite the solid discussions, right arrangement of chapters and excellent materials, there were some problems in printing. Its typesetting, for example, was done by old printing machines. Lack of vowels in Arabic parts as well as necessary footnotes reduced the attraction of the book.

During my last visit to Mashhad, I saw the book in the library of Goharshad Mosque and told the person in charge that I will soon give them a new edition of it. Among the advantages of this new edition are: adding new traditions, explanation of some vague traditions, the quality of adducing the Twelver Shi’a from the traditions of “Imams are twelve in number” and some worthy points I have never seen elsewhere. For instance, in a footnote, some uncommon traditions of the Sunni about Mahdawiyyat (the Affairs of Imam Mahdi) are discussed.

The second pamphlet entitled ‘Ijtihad and Taqlid’ is a jurisprudential-discoursal discussion. I have studied various books in this regard, each having some advantages, but none of them is as worthy as this book. The professor in this book, avoiding repeated and useless issues, has comprehensively discussed about Ijtihad and Taqlid in a comparative method. This part was first published using manual printing-machine in 1372 (1997) for the Conference of Islamic Unity in Zahidan.

The third, fourth and fifth pamphlets in jurisprudence were also written later to be presented to the same conference. The titles of these chapters are ‘Tradition and Heresy in Adhan,’ ‘Ablution in the Qur’an and Tradition’ and ‘Simultaneous Performance of Prayers’ respectively. Among these three chapters, the last two were included in the Al-Mu’jam Al-Fiqhi Software, Third Edition of the Institute of Ayatollah Al-Uzma Golpaygani and is now available in the Information Bank. These three chapters and the next one, despite being too technical, have been arranged in a way that most people, like students and the youth, can use with a little attention and pondering.

The last pamphlet was written after the arrangement of the previous five ones and was submitted to me for editing.

What I did in these pamphlets was,

(1) researching about the verses and the traditions and materials quoted from other books and adding new sources to them and,

(2) inserting necessary footnotes for better understanding and reducing the sophistication of the contents. These materials are signaled with (Editor) in the footnotes.3

Anyway, the discussions in this book are in the form of a sincere scientific conversation and are provided with the purpose of illuminating the truth. Our purpose is hence: “Scientific Conversation; Practical Unity”. It is hoped that the book help the readers know Islam better, and may Allah favor the author, the readers and I. In the last days of preparing this book, it crossed my mind to dedicate it to the Great Lady of Islam, Fatimah Al-Zahra (a.s) to be as an offering for the day on which “All the people wish they were the followers of Fatimah.”4

O Allah! Accept this from us! You are surely All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Hamid Reza Torabi

Notes

1. For maintaining readability, (a.s) which is an acronym for “Alayh(um) Salaam” is used throughout the book to denote “May God bless him, her or them.” When used for the Prophet, his Household is included. When used for others, it only refers to that person.

2. Like the traditions narrated from Amir al-Mu’minin (the Commander of the Believers) Imam Ali (a.s) which read, “Knowing the scholars is a duty for which there is reprimand,” and “When you see a scholar, serve him/her.”

3. Of course, as it was mentioned before, the professor’s style was so eloquent. In some cases, he told me to change the edited phrases into their original form due to technical points of jurisprudence and tradition sciences.

4. Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 8, p. 54.

War Preparations

Many letters had been exchanged between Imam Hasan (as) and Muawiya who thought that through his cunning and threats he would be able to force the grandson of the Holy Prophet (saws) to resign, but he was very surprised when the Imam (as) did not take any notice of his tactics.

Rather, he in turn put political pressure on Muawiya to give up the rebellious approach and pay allegiance to him. After being defeated politically, Muawiya decided to take up arms and planned for a large scale attack on Iraq. He sent the following letter to his agents in Egypt, Jordan and various areas in Syria:

"Almighty God in His grace gave the chance to one of His bondsmen to assassinate ‘Ali b. Abi Talib (as). So, he assassinated him. After him, his followers are suffering from disturbed conditions and division. We have received letters from their respectable personalities wherein they have sought protection from us for themselves and their tribes.

As soon as you receive this letter of mine, you should come to me with your total army and armament. For sure, you have taken revenge of your blood, have got your wishes fulfilled and Almighty God has killed the rebellious and our enemies. My compliments and may God's blessings be on you."1

On Muawiya's orders, the armed forces started gathering from different areas, and when all, said to have numbered sixty thousand, had assembled, he marched towards Iraq.2

Doctor Husayn Muhammad Jafri writes that he had two main objectives in this attack:

(1) Through the demonstration of armament and his army's strength, he wanted to force Imam Hasan (as) to abdicate the caliphate.

(2) On the failure of his above plan, he wanted to attack the Iraqi army before it could get well prepared for war.3

Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) was regularly receiving messages regarding the planned attack and the people of Kufa had realized that Muawiya was coming with a large army to attack them. Though it had been the family tradition of the Hashmi tribe that they would not be the first to attack, Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) had a different motive for not trying to fight Muawiya, which was due to the attitude of the residents of Kufa itself.

In the circumstances, the Imam (as) did not want to initiate the war, but now the situation was quite different. Muawiya had given him the ultimatum for war and was marching towards his territory. Therefore, he had to save the Islamic government and the caliphate. The leader of the faithful Hazrat ‘Ali (as) had advised him to follow this principle i.e. "Do not start a war, but if someone wages war against you, then face the challenge. This is because the initiator of war is a rebel and the punishment for a rebel is death."4

If his father was 'the lion of God', then he was the lion of the lion of God. That is why he urgently ordered all his governors to prepare for war. He ordered Hujr b. Adi, the Companion of the Holy Prophet (saws) to instruct all the governors to get ready for war and for him to prepare the war plan. The people were asked to assemble in the 'Jame' (main congregation) mosque. After they had gathered and the mosque was full, he gave a very remarkable sermon.

He said: "For sure, the Glorified God has made 'jihad' (holy war) obligatory for His bondsmen and has called it an act not liked by them. Afterwards Almighty God, the Most Sacred, directed the faithful to 'be patient and steadfast as Almighty God is with those who are patient.' So, O men! You cannot achieve your desired aim except by being patient about what you do not like. May God be merciful to you; you all should join the army which is gathering at Nakhaila so that we and you should collectively think and plan what we can do next."5

Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) was well aware that the people of Kufa, as always, would not welcome this decision of his. He was also aware of the intriguers who were constantly spreading false rumors’ and were thus fulfilling the aims of the enemy.

So, he further said: "We are that party of Almighty God which is always successful. We represent the most prominent personalities of the household of the Holy Prophet (saws) and are his pure and chaste 'Ahlul Bayt' (pbuth). We are one of the two most valuable things which the Holy Prophet (saws) left after him.

We are the peers of the Holy Book of God which contains the explanation of everything, and in which falsehood cannot enter any way (from the front or back). So, in the exegesis of the Holy Qur’an, reliance has to be on us, as we have not suffered from doubt or conjecture in its exegesis rather we have full faith in its truth."

"Therefore, (O people!) Submit to me, as submission to us is near the submission to God and the Holy Prophet (saws). Almighty God has commanded thus:

"O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the messenger and those vested with authority (from) among you and then if you quarrel concerning any matter, refer it to Allah and the messenger if you believe in Allah and the last day ..." (4:59)

Almighty God further commands:

"...and if they had referred it (the issue in dispute) to the messenger, and (to) those vested in authority amongst them, then they, who could discover the truth, would have known it ..." (4:83).

Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) further said: "I warn you against listening to the Satan as he is your sworn enemy. But if you do so, then you would be considered as his friend to whom he had said: 'today no one can overcome you and I am your shelter.' However, when two groups came face to face, then he ran away, saying that he was disgusted with them and his view was different from theirs.

Thus, you will be the target of the spear and sword of the enemy and would be in the range of their arrows. In such a situation, the faith of one would not help him unless he had entered the fold of religion earlier or had done any virtuous deed according to his faith."

Soon after Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) had finished his speech, awesome stillness prevailed, as if the people had become dumb. Their faces became pale and they were perspiring. The reason for all that was that they had got tired of war and had bitter experience at the hands of the rebellious Syrian group.

Soon after, Adi b. Hatim, a respected Shia leader of the Imam (as) broke the silence. The brave son of Hatim Ta’i, who was the leader of 'Tae' tribe and had a thousand soldiers under his command, shook the conscience of the people. He said: "I am the son of Hatim. God be glorified. How shameful it is, why don't you come forward and put yourself at the service of your Imam, the grandson of the Holy Prophet (saws)?

Where are those orators of Egypt who talk so fluently, but when the situation of trial comes they run away like a fox? Are you not afraid of the wrath of God, are you not ashamed of this condition and are you not realizing its harmful effects?"

Turning towards the Imam, Adi b. Hatim said: "May Almighty God keep you as the guide for a long time, protect you from mischief and may grant you success in the act which may have a good beginning and a happy ending. For sure, we listened to you; we will whole heartedly carry out your command and will support your directions.

I am immediately going to join the camp as directed by you and anyone who wants to come with me may do so." Saying this, Adi b. Hatim came out of the mosque and riding his horse, moved towards Nakhaila so that he could join the camp of the Imam (as) there. He ordered his servant to take his luggage to the camp.

After Adi b. Hatim, the well known personalities like Qais b. S'ad b. Abadah, Muqil b. Qais Riyahi and Zaid b. S'as'ah Tamimee delivered strong speeches wherein they encouraged them to fight and admonished them for showing weakness towards war. On this occasion, the grandson of the Holy Prophet (saws) prayed for God's blessings for them in the same manner as sought by the Holy Prophet (saws) for Miqdad and S'ad b. M'az for their speeches on the occasion of the Badr war.

History records the following words of gratitude of Imam Al-Mujtaba (as):

"You have proved to be just; May God's mercy be upon you; I have always observed you acting with obedience, love, advice and sincerity. May the Gracious God grant you the best reward for the same."6

With great effort by this sincere and religious group, the residents of Kufa felt ashamed and they became ready for a defensive war against Muawiya. Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) appointed Warqa b. Noful as his representative in Kufa and strongly advised him to keep encouraging the people to get ready for war, to collect them and move them towards his camp in Nakhaila.

The same day, soon after attending to other important matters, he went, along with a small army of men from Kufa, to Nakhaila, located at a short distance from the city towards Syria. We are not sure how many men were with Imam Hasan (as) at the time of his departure from Kufa. The recorded versions present a very disappointing situation.

Anyway, the historians have no doubt that the people of Kufa did not welcome the decision of Imam Hasan (as) for war. After great effort and persuasion, a small army moved with the Imam (as). Although we intend to discuss the number and the condition of the army of the Imam (as) in later chapters, yet it may be mentioned that Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) was facing a shortage of soldiers, though the researchers estimate that at least forty thousand soldiers were present in Kufa at the time.

An Objection and Its Reply

After analysing the above facts, the objection raised by some historians that when the messengers of the esteemed Imam (as) went to Muawiya with his letter and saw the war preparations in Syria, they advised him to attack Muawiya before he could attack the Imam (as) but he did not give much importance to this advice, does not hold good.

When this was the situation about the defensive war, if he had declared on his own to attack, it is quite likely that they might have opened a front against him. There was no shortage of such intriguers and supporters of Muawiya in Kufa. That is why the Imam (as) had warned the people in his sermon to beware of the intriguers and to ignore the rumours which he considered as 'the voice of Satan'.7

The Second Objection

In the disturbed conditions of Kufa where the Ummayads and the Khawarij were active and the agents of Muawiya and his spies were also busy, why did Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) observe kindness and a policy of tolerance when a ruler uses full force to suppress his adversaries?8

Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) was very carefully watching the conditions in Kufa, and like an alert and well informed guide he understood the problems of the people better than them. He was not unaware of the activities of the intriguers, but he also realized that the hearts of the soldiers of his army were for worldly benefit.

He had noticed these tendencies from close quarters since the time of Hazrat ‘Ali (as). So, he tried to solve these problems through kindness and love. If we go back to his sermons, we would realize that he tried to revive their conscience and religious sense of honour. He made them realize the adverse consequences if they would not follow the leader completely and would listen to rumours.

On the other hand, if they would remain completely loyal to the grandson of the Holy Prophet (saws) and would not shirk in his obedience, they would get associated with the 'party of God' which is always successful and which could never be defeated.

Moreover, by indicating his very close relationship with the household of the Holy Prophet (saws), he wanted to make it clear to the people that according to the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah it was obligatory on the people to submit to him and not to show the slightest disagreement with his decision either to fight or not to wage a war.

At this critical hour, if the Imam (as) had adopted an aggressive policy, his capital would have become the centre of intrigue and rebellion a front would have opened against him in Kufa itself. The danger of the rebellion and intrigue was not less than that from Muawiya. In fact, Muawiya himself wanted to get him involved in these problems.

Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) camped at Nakhaila for ten days. During this period, he waited for more men to join his army. His sincere commanders arrayed his army there for battle. During the allegiance time, there was so much activity and the people were showing so much love, affection and spirit for the Imam (as) as if they would never abandon him. However, when the time of trial came, the situation changed completely.

So much so, that a majority of the soldiers of the brigade which Hazrat ‘Ali (as) had prepared before his martyrdom for attack on Muawiya, and which was said to consist of forty thousand soldiers, had also left him. All the remaining ones also did not obey the command of the Imam (as) for war as if they had lost the spirit and enthusiasm for war.

It was not for the first time that their attitude of disobedience and indifference to the Imam (as) had been noticed, as they had adopted the same approach earlier towards Hazrat ‘Ali (as) and, as history records, continued the same later. There is an adage: 'the people of Kufa do not honour their word'. Anyway, Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) started the march from Nakhaila with the small army and went up to the area of 'Dair Abdul Rahman'.

There some more soldiers, whose number is not known, joined him. The Imam (as) camped there for three days. It is certain that he would not have been unaware of the movement of Muawiya's army and he must have been getting the latest information about the same.

So, he decided to send a vanguard unit of twelve thousand soldiers under the command of Ubaidullah b. Abbas towards the northern borders of Iraq so that it may halt the advancement of the army of Muawiya at the Iraqi border. Before their departure, he gave a war command to Ubaidullah, his father's cousin, i.e. his uncle, a part of which has been recorded by the historians.

"O my uncle! I am giving twelve thousand Egyptian reciters of the Holy Qur’an and brave Arab warriors under your command. One soldier among them is equal to a battalion. Along with them, you should keep marching along the Euphrates River till you reach Maskin after crossing over Euphrates. Continue to march further till you come face to face with Muawiya.

You should treat these soldiers with humility, listen to them cheerfully, treat them well and do not allow them under any circumstances to keep away from you as these are the trusted ones of the leader of the faithful, Hazrat ‘Ali (as).

If you face Muawiya, hold his advance till I reach you. I am following you soon. You should keep me informed daily. Continue to consult the two i.e. Qais b. S'ad and S'aeed b. Qais and do not take any action without their consent. When you face Muawiya, do not be the first to attack, but if he starts the battle then you should also fight. If something happens to you, then Qais b. S'ad will be in command and if he is also disabled in any way, then S'ad b. Qais (will be in command)."9

With this war command he ordered Ubaidullah b. Abbas to march on. This way, the army of the Imam (as) had become divided into two from 'Dair Abdul Rahman' area. The vanguard unit continued to move under the command of Ubaidullah and reached 'Falooha' and thence to 'Maskin'.

The other unit, under the command of the Imam (as) marched from 'Dair Abdul Rahman' to Madain, which was established as the garrison headquarter. Before writing about the subsequent events, it is advisable that the significance of the military and geographic location of these areas is briefly mentioned for the benefit of the readers.

Maskin: Near Samra, it is the city surrounded by fertile, lush green area. During the caliphate of Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) it was considered as the northern end of the Iraqi border. From an agricultural point of view, it was the most rich, lush green area. The armies of the Imam (as) and those of Muawiya had fought in this very area.

Madain: Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) had decided to make Madain as his garrison headquarter. From a geographic and military point of view, Madain had a very important location. It is located 30 km. from the southern end of Baghdad on the bank of Tigris River. The strategic location of Madain became more important as it was linked with the routes from Persia, Basra and Kufa.10

Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) was facing two main problems at that moment:

(1) The advancing army of Muawiya which could enter the Iraqi cities and occupy them, which would further demoralizes the Imam's army, which was already fearful of the Syrian army.

(2) He was facing a shortage of army personnel to face the fully armed sixty thousand soldiers of the Syrian army. The Imam (as) had stopped the advance of the army of Muawiya by sending the vanguard unit under the command of Ubaidullah b. Abbas, which encamped at the border town 'Maskin'.

Secondly, he made Madain as his garrison headquarter and was awaiting reinforcements from Kufa, Basra and Persia, the three important areas of his government. He directed Hajar b. Adi to contact his governors in various areas to prepare for war. In addition, he instructed Varqa b. Noful, his representative in Kufa, to induce the people and to propagate for war on a massive scale.

In his vast state of Persia, Ziyad b. Ubaid was his governor, who was still loyal to him and the Imam (as) was hopeful of reinforcement from there. Therefore, the Imam (as) decided to stay at Madain personally for some time and intended to join his vanguard unit at Maskin, which was not more than 120 km. away from him, as soon as the army had gained sufficient strength. That is why he had assured Ubaidullah that he would join him very soon with the rest of the army.

Thus, the heir to the leader of the faithful had planned his defensive strategy very intelligently and proved to the world that he was an expert in war tactics, and was in no way less than Muawiya in war planning. However, his was a defensive war strategy. If only the war-command of the Imam (as) is deeply analysed and presented to any successful and capable general, he would have to acknowledge that the Imam (as) was a successful and experienced commander-in-chief.

Imam Al-Mujtaba (as), in his war command to Ubaidullah, had given particular attention towards his companions or Shi'a. He praised them, appreciated their bravery and steadfastness and thus provided moral support to them, encouraged them, enhanced their spirit and zeal for war.

Then, in four sentences which have deep meaning, he instructed their commander that he should treat them with kindness and humility and should not alienate them. Through these guidelines, he wished to maintain trust between the soldiers and their leadership. In those days, when the army personnel were not given today's extensive military discipline and training, this mutual trust was an important aspect of the army's strength.11

Now, if outwardly he did not succeed in the battle field, it was not his fault but that of the elements which constituted his army. Muslims remember well their defeat in Ohad when they lost the war, which had been won, by disobeying one of the instructions of the Holy Prophet (saws). A similar condition was prevailing here.

A particular group respected the Imam (as) and completely followed him, but they constituted a small number and could not face the Syrian army alone. This was the group about whom the Imam (as) had informed Ubaidullah that one soldier among them was equal to a battalion, and they were the trusted men of the leader of the faithful, Hazrat ‘Ali (as). Therefore, the commander should treat them with love, affection and should not alienate them.

Notes

1. Ibn. Abi al Hadid, ‘Sharh al-Nahjul Balaghah’, Cairo: Dar Ahya al Kutub al Arabia, 1963, vol. 16, p.37; Baladhuri - 'Ansab al Ashraf', Beirut, Dar al Ta'aruf, 1977, vol. 3, p.30; Abul Faraj - 'Maqatil al Talibin', Najaf, Maktaba al Haidariya, 1965, vol.1, pp.38-39; Husayn Muhammad Jafri - 'The Origins and Early Development of Shia Islam', Persian translation, Ayet Ilahi, Tehran, Islamic Culture Centre, 1993, p.162; Hashim Ma’aruf - 'Sirat al Aimma Ithna Ashar' Beirut, Darul T'ar uf, 1986, vol. 2, p.511; Razi Ale Yasin - 'Sulh-ul Hasan', Qum, Manshuraat al Sharif Razi, 1993, p.93.

2. Husayn Muhammad Jafri - 'The Origins and Early Development of Shia Islam', p.162; Ibn. Atham - 'Al Futuh, Hyderabad: Daira al M'arif al Uthmania, 1971, vol. 4, p.153; Abul Faraj - 'Maqatil al Talibin', vol.1, p.39; Ibn. Abi al Hadid, ‘Sharh al-Nahjul Balaghah’, vol. 16, p.26.

3. Dr. Husayn Muhammad Jafri - 'The Origins and Early Develop ment of Shia Islam', Tashay'o dar Maiser-e-Tarikh p.162.

4. Sheikh Razi Ale Yasin - 'Sulh-ul Hasan', p.90.

5. Baladhuri - 'Ansab al Ashraf', Beirut, Dar al Ta'aruf, vol. 3, p.32; Abul Faraj - 'Maqatil al Talibin', vol.1, p.39; Ibn. Abi al Hadid, ‘Sharh al-Nahjul Balaghah’, vol. 16, p.38; Razi Ale Yasin - 'Sulh-ul Hasan', p.100; Hashim Ma’aruf - 'Sirat al Aimma Ithna Ashar' vol. 2, p.511; Baqar Qarshi - 'Hayat al Hasan bin ‘Ali', Najaf, Matba al Ilmiah, 1954, vol.2, p.44

6. Abul Faraj - 'Maqatil al Talibin', vol.1, p.39; Ibn. Abi al Hadid, ‘Sharh al-Nahjul Balaghah’, vol. 16, p.38-39; Baladhuri - 'Ansab al Ashraf', vol. 3, p.32; Razi Ale Yasin - 'Sulh-ul Hasan', p.100-101; Hashim Ma’aruf - 'Sirat al Aimma Ithna Ashar' vol. 2, p.512; Baqar Qarshi - 'Hayat al Hasan bin ‘Ali', vol.2, p.45; Jawwad Fadhlullah - 'Sulh al Imam al Hasan (as)', Qum, Darul Musaqqaf al Muslim, p.82; 'Adil al Adib - 'Daur-e-Aimma Ahlul Bayt', Mashhad, Majma al Buhoos al Islamia, 1408 A.H., p.177.

7. Baladhuri - 'Ansab al Ashraf', vol. 3, p.32; Abul Faraj - 'Maqatil al Talibin', vol.1, p.37; Razi Ale Yasin - 'Sulh-ul Hasan', p.90-94.

8. Razi Ale Yasin - 'Sulh-ul Hasan', pp.90-94.

9. Abul Faraj - 'Maqatil al Talibin', vol.1, p.40; Baladhuri - 'Ansab al Ashraf', vol. 3, p.33; Ibn. Abi al Hadid, ‘Sharh al-Nahjul Balaghah’, vol. 16, p.40; Razi Ale Yasin - 'Sulh-ul Hasan', p.107; Yaqubi - 'Tarikh al-Yaqubi', Beirut, Dar Sadir, vol.2, p.214; Hashim Ma’aruf - 'Sirat al Aimma Ithna Ashar' vol. 2, p.512.

10. Razi Ale Yasin - 'Sulh-ul Hasan', p.107; Louis M'alof - 'Al Munjid fi al a'allam, Beirut, Dar ul Mashriq, 1976

11. Razi Ale Yasin - 'Sulh-ul Hasan'.

The Constituents of the Army and Its Quality

In the reliable historical records no detail is available through which we could ascertain the composition of various groups that constituted the army of Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) and their quality. Occasionally it has been mentioned that Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) had taken the regiments to fight Muawiya who were the toughest and very firm, or that the Arab leaders had completely submitted themselves to the grandson of the Holy Prophet (saws) so that he had full liberty to fight anyone or make peace.1

We feel that these accounts are based on exaggeration as reliable historical records show so many facts which contradict these feelings. Basically, the army of Imam Hasan (as) was composed of the Iraqi army and their political, social and uncertain nature is reflected in the sermons of Hazrat ‘Ali (as) as quoted in 'Nahjul Balaghah' wherein he had indicated their weak and wavering nature.

Between the period of Hazrat ‘Ali (as) and the peace of Imam Hasan (as), there is a maximum intervening period of ten months. During this period there was very little scope of any major changes in their nature. In this background we have some words spoken by Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) as well which serve as a shining guide for us. Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) has described the qualities of his army and has comprehensively compared the wars fought during the time of Hazrat ‘Ali (as) and his own.

He says: "You were going towards Siffin when you were devoted to religion and the worldly benefits were insignificant for you, while today you are preferring worldly comforts over religion.

Be warned that you can be divided into two groups of the dead one the martyrs of Siffin over whom you are shedding tears or the dead of Nahrwan whose revenge you are keen to take. The others have run away from war. But those who are crying for the dead, they seem to be determined to fight."2

Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) has, in a very fine manner, compared the Siffin war and the one fought during his time. In both these wars, on the one side was the rebellious Syrian group while on the other was the Iraqi army under the command of Islamic caliph.

The difference was that earlier the Iraqi army was fighting with such valour and determination that Muawiya had almost lost his senses, while now they had become victims of the enemy's intrigue and were doubtful, rather afraid of the consequences of the war.

Imam Al-Mujtaba (as), explaining the different situation said that their success in the Siffin war was due to their religious leaning, sincerity and devotion, while the loss and their defeat in the war during his time was due to the absence of these very qualities. In other words, now they wanted personal and worldly benefits.

Now they were not fighting with the religious zeal and true spirit, but rather for their own worldly gain. Later, the grandson of the Holy Prophet (saws) referred to the two wars which had a profound effect on their destiny, i.e. the Siffin war, and the Nahrwan war.

So many other wars had also been fought but in these two wars they had suffered very heavy losses which could not be recompensed. They had not been able to overcome the negative effects of these wars, and particularly those of the Nahrwan war, as they were full of rage due to the feeling of enmity and the spirit of revenge.

Therefore, Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) considers them belonging to two different groups: one who was shedding tears on the loved ones who lost their life in the long and bloody Siffin war. This group was relatively better and, therefore, was ready to fight a defensive war along with Imam Al-Mujtaba (as). The other group either belonged to the very 'Khawarij' group or had sympathy with it.

Though they were involved in the conspiracy to assassinate Hazrat ‘Ali (as), yet they wanted to take revenge from the worthy son of the leader of faithful Imam ‘Ali (as) as well. About the rest, the Imam (as) said that they had kept away from war.

Sheikh Mufid is the first historian who, taking advantage of the above quoted words of Imam Al-Mujtaba (as), has clearly divided his army into different groups. The later historians have also written about this grouping. Briefly, the following five groups constituted the army of the noble Imam.

Shia

A particular class of people, devoted to Imam Hasan (as) and his illustrious father, having a special identity based on faith, thought, intellect and mystic knowledge. These people consider caliphate as the right of the household of the Holy Prophet (saws) ('Ahlul Bayt') from the very beginning, and obedience to them as obligatory.

There was no doubt about their asceticism, piety, faith, sincerity, honesty and devotion to 'Ahlul Bayt' (as) among these were well known and prominent personalities and the Companions of the Holy Prophet (saws) as well. No doubt, in asceticism, piety and faith, these persons presented an ideal and the Muslims used to seek religious knowledge and learning from them only.

But they were small in numbers as a large number from this group had been martyred in the unending wars during the caliphate of Hazrat ‘Ali (as). However, the remaining prominent personalities among them were still performing their duties honourably in the army of Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) to the best of their ability.

They tried their best in inducing people to join the army, but it seems they could not change the thinking of the majority of the people of Kufa, and could not win their support. They remained faithful to the members of the household of the Holy Prophet (saws) even after the martyrdom of Imam Hasan (as) and some of them joined the revolution brought about by Imam Husayn (as) and attained martyrdom along with him.

The Supporters of Feudalism

The Arab society was based on tribalism. The war was also fought in accordance with the same system. The tribal chief would decide whether to fight or not to fight and the other members of the tribe had to follow him. One tribe, along with its chief would form a unit or a battalion. Islam was against this system of blind faith but it required a long time for the people to be educated, to acquire deep knowledge and to attain faith in the light of Islamic teachings.

It cannot be denied that during the time of Hazrat ‘Ali (as) itself, many prominent tribal members had changed their loyalties. According to the historian Masudi, a majority of the wealthy persons of Iraq had negotiated with Muawiya, but their survival depended on outwardly supporting Hazrat ‘Ali (as) in the war between him and Muawiya, while remaining neutral.

On many occasions, they openly opposed the leader of the faithful, thereby adversely affecting the war. During the time of Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) these persons had started to support Muawiya more openly and their number had also increased.

Most of the army of Imam Hasan (as) was composed of such persons who would only accept the order of their tribal or party leader. In such circumstances, there was always a possibility that such leaders could force the majority of the army of Imam Husayn (as) to leave him at the slightest hint by Muawiya.

The Group of Self-Seekers

While discussing the history of Kufa, it was mentioned that many nationalities from different areas, belonging to different families, colours, breeds, religions and tribes had settled in Kufa. Due to its garrison status, a large number of persons had settled there who wanted to gain worldly benefits through war.

For them military ranks and booty were the main attraction and they were not concerned whether the war was being fought for a just cause or for falsehood. Although, apart from them, the whole army was inclined towards self-seeking and worldly benefits, yet a group of self-seekers existed in the army of Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) who had no love for religion or moral values.

Khawarij

Outwardly these people were pious and very respectable but the level of their intellect could be judged from the fact that, God forbid, they had slandered the leader of the faithful, Hazrat ‘Ali (as) as being a polytheist, and had fought the war called 'Nahrwan' against him. Their number after their defeat in Nahrwan war could not be considered as large but their group constituted a great danger for Imam Hasan (as).

Outwardly, they were faithful to the Imam (as), but they were waiting for an opportune moment to attain their base objective. To kill Muawiya was also one of their aims. Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) had been watching them and was quite alert.

The Doubters

These people did not belong to any particular group or party. They did not have the ability to differentiate between the truth and falsehood and thereby to feel their responsibility to be on the right path. Moreover the extensive propaganda by the Khawarij and the Umayyad group had put them in doubt about the true path followed by the Ahlul Bayt (as) and about the prophethood.

In the normal conditions, they were with the army, but in an uncertain situation they could abandon the Imam (as), as they had an infirm faith.3

Imam Al-Mujtaba (as)'s army was composed of these groups with varying tendencies. A majority of these people could become a source of danger for the Imam (as). Due to their wavering and depressed attitude, the revered Imam (as) had not decided to attack Muawiya. During his caliphate he was busy in reform in these disturbed conditions, but Muawiya, by starting the imposed war, had not given the opportunity for the same to the Imam (as).

He had to face Muawiya in war, who would have otherwise entered Iraq as victorious, would have at least imprisoned the Imam (as), and the fate of Muslims would have been at his mercy. The war was not only to protect the Islamic caliphate and rule but the survival of Iraq as an independent country was also at stake.

Therefore, he decided to fight a defensive war taking all the different groups in his army. Criticism has been levied on Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) regarding the composition of the army and the selection of the soldiers as well. But those indulging in criticism ignore the prevailing atmosphere, the society and the political conditions at the time.

So, the objections are wrong. There is no doubt that Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) was passing through a very trying period of Islamic history and not much reliance could be put on the army. However, like a capable general, who had proved his capabilities in war during the period of his illustrious father, he took the decision to fight Muawiya with whatever army he had.

He formed a vanguard brigade of twelve thousand soldiers to stop Muawiya's advance. It was composed of very capable persons who included those devoted to him as well as the 'Shurta al Khamis' (the Thursday Soldiers' group) who had defeated Muawiya in the Siffin war. He had very carefully selected the leadership of the vanguard brigade and was with them, with a limited number of soldiers, till the march to Madain. There he stayed back, waiting for reinforcements from Kufa, Basra and Persia.

The success of Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) depended on the performance of the vanguard brigade. It cannot be denied that in the vanguard brigade also there were paid agents of the enemy, but if its leadership had acted very tactfully according to his commands, it had the force and capability to inflict heavy physical and material loss to the Syrian army, thus blocking the advance by Muawiya, which would have forced him to change his policy.

Later, with reinforcements, the Imam (as) would reach Maskin and take control of the army himself, and the chances of his success would have been enhanced. Thus, at least Muawiya could have been confined to Syria. In such a situation, even enemies would have become friends.

But if the leadership of the vanguard brigade could not utilize the select army to the best of its ability and face crisis, then the enemy could penetrate and consequently the whole brigade would lose.

Due to its defeat, the whole plan would be upset, the agents of Muawiya and the spies would get the chance that they were awaiting, and the majority of the army would lose heart and leave the Imam (as) or cause a crisis for the central leadership. In such a situation, the malicious enemy like the Khawarij could get a chance to play some dirty trick.

Notes

1. Hakim Naishapuri - 'Al Mustadrak 'Alal Sahihain', Beirut, Darul M'arifa, vol. 3, p.170, 174; Dayar Bakri - 'Tarikh al Khamis', Beirut, Muassasah Sh'aban, vol. 2, p.390; Bukhari - 'Sahih Bukhari' Beirut, Darul M'arifah, vol. 2, 'Kitab al Sulh', p.114.

2. Sheikh Mufid - 'Kitab al Irshad', Tehran, Intisharate 'Ilmiah, vol. 2, p.7; Baqar Qarshi - 'Hayat al Hasan bin ‘Ali', Najaf, Matba al Ilmiah, vol.2, pp.52-55; Razi Ale Yasin - 'Sulh-ul Hasan', Qum, Manshuraat al Razi, pp.68-73, 126-136; Abdul Qadir Badran, 'Tahzib Tarikhe Damishq la Ibn. Asakir, Beirut, Dar Ahya al Turas, 1987, vol 4, p.225; Ibn. Khaldun, ‘Tarikh Ibn. Khaldun’, Beirut, 1971, vol. 2, p. 187; Hafiz Dhahabi, 'Tarikh Al Islam, Beirut, 1987, p.7.

3. 3. Sheikh Mufid - 'Kitab al Irshad', Tehran; Razi Ale Yasin - 'Sulh-ul Hasan', Qum, Manshuraat al Razi; Baqar Qarshi - 'Hayat al Hasan bin ‘Ali', Najaf, Matba al Ilmiah, Masudi - 'Muravvij az Zaheb', Beirut, Darul Fikr, 1989, vol.2, p.430, Ibn. Sabbagh - ‘al Fusul al Muhimmah', Najaf, Maktab Darul Kutub, p.143.