Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Chapter 12: The Status

Backbiting Condemned

All schools of thoughts in Islam are united on condemning back-bitiing as aharam act. It is proved beyond doubt through authentic traditions that the Prophet of Islam (S) has termed backbiting as a major sin worst than adultery.

Backbiting is more nefarious than adultery. If a person commits adultery and expresses his compunction wholeheartedly, Allah might pardon him. But backbiting is an unpardonable sin. The only way out for the backbiter is that the person about whom he carried tales himself pardons him.

Abusing a Muslim is impiety, fighting with him is infidelity but backbiting against him is like eating the flesh of one’s own brother. This is tantamount to disobedience to Allah.

It is authentically reported from Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as) that If a person carries the tales of aMu’min, that he had witnessed or heard, his position will be as stated by Allah,

﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَنْ تَشِيعَ الْفَاحِشَةُ فِي الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ﴾

Those who like to reveal the failings of the faithful, they have severe chastisment in store for them? (24:19)

Backbiting destroys the faith of a Muslim as leprosy disintegrates the body from inside.

Awaiting the arrival of the time of the next congregation in the mosque is an act of virtue, if one doesnot indulge in backbiting about others in the meantime.

It is narrated from Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as) that. “If a person narrates the doings of aMu’min to others with a purpose of belittling him, Allah will remove this backbiter from his guardianship and transfer him to the guardianship of the Satan. Satan willingly accepts the charge of such a person!”

It is narrated from the Prophet of Islam (S) that a person who has faith in the Day of Judgement, he should not sit in a company where there is talk against the Infallible members of the Prophet (S)’s Family and also there is a practice of backbiting againstMu’mins. When a person prevents others from backbiting, Allah will remove from him a thousand difficulties. If the person quietly listens to backbiting and doesn’t intervene on behalf of the absent person, he will himself become a party to the sin of backbiting. This sin will be seventy times more severe than the sin of the person who was actually doing the backbiting.

It is narrated from Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as) that one who backbites against aMu’min , although he may have no enmity against the person, the progeny of such backbiter will have the Satan’s share in it.

Amir’ul-Mu’mineen (as) says that when someone talks against aMu’min with the purpose of putting him to disrepute, Allah will place him in such a station on the Day of Judgement where there will be accumulation of the

scum of the adulterers’ semen. He will remain there till he receives a pardon.

The Prophet of Allah (S) has said, “Abstain from carrying false notions against others. This is the biggest weakness. Move in the way of Allah as brothers. Allah ordains thus: ‘… and don’t call one another with bad names. Don’t search others’ faults. Don’t use abusive language while conversing. Don’t do backbiting. Abstain from fights. Don’t hate or be jealous of others. Remember, jealousy eats away faith the same way as the fire consumes the dried wood!’”

In another narrative the Prophet (S) says, “Allah sent a Revelation to prophet Musa (as), ‘If a backbiter repents, he will be the among the last to enter the precincts of the Heaven. If he doesn’t repent his act, he will be amongst the first to be sent to the Hell!’”

The Prophet of Islam (S) has said: Four persons are such that their torture would even cause pain to the people of the Hell. TheHameem of the Hell will be there for them to feed on. They will raise lots of wails. The people of the Hell would complain that despite their own pain, they are raising noise and disturbing them the more. Some of them will be hanging on the sarcophagus of the Hell. They will be pulling out the innards of each other.

From the mouths of others pus and blood will flow out. Some others will snatch the flesh from their own bodies and eat. The people of the Hell will inquire about those hanging on to the sarcophagus and will be told that at the time of their death they owed lot of money to others. They did not leave behind anything to settle others’ dues. They will then inquire about those who were pulling at each other’s innards. They will be told that these were the people who eased themselves anywhere not bothering about anyone. When they inquired about the persons who were oozing pus and blood from their mouths; they will be told that they were the persons who were in the habit of backbiting and carrying tales.

The companions of Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as) asked him about the meaning of the tradition of the Prophet (S), “AMu’min’s woman is taboo for anotherMu’min.” The Imam replied: Revealing aMu’min’s secret isharam. The fast and the ablution of a backbiter goes void. One who recounts the failings of others, himself has many failings.

Amir’ul-Mu’mineen Ameer al Mimineen (as) has asked people to refrain from backbiting. This habit is the fodder of the dogs of the Hell.

Meaning Of Backbiting

Talking about aMu’min in a tone that would hurt him, if he were around, and heard you talk, is tantamount to backbiting.

Even if this backbiting is in gestures and and subtle indications, it is taboo. However if the name of the person is not mentioned and only said that in the city there is a person who has such and such a bad habit, then it will not be termed backbiting. But if certain traits are attributed to a person in his absence, and, in fact, he doesn’t manifest those traits, then the act is backbiting and is taboo. In fact this would be an allegation much worse than backbiting.

Justification For Backbiting

There are ten situations in which backbiting is justified

When a tyrant oppresses someone and the oppressed persons seeks help from another person in authority by informing him of the oppression he has suffered at the hands of the tyrant.

Recounting the faults of a person to someone else with the solemn hope that this way the faults of the person could be corrected.

While applying for an edict (fatwa) mentioning the name of the other party. For example, informing to the jurist the name of a brother who is denying to him his just rights.

If aMu’min takes the advice of anotherMu’min whether he can entrust his valuables to a particular person and that whether that person, in his opinion, can be depended upon.

Revealing the hypocritic acts of the hypocrites that can harm the society is justified.

If a jurist (mujtahid) points out thekhata al-mujtahidi ( error of judgement) of anothermujtahid, it is permissible.

Arguing about the veracity or otherwise of narrators of events is permitted.

When people are told about a particular failing of a person and they don’t agree, then highlighting that defect as an explanation is justified. For example, someone says about a person that he is volubly talkative!

If a group of persons is compulsively commiting the same mistake, then it is permissible to talk about their failings.

When a culprit is arraigned in front of a magistrate for repeated commitment of crimes, then it is justified to recount his foul acts in the court.

Giving Ear To Backbiting

One who listens to backbiting is a sinner as much as the one who carries the tales. Amir’ul-Mu’mineen (as) has said, “The one who gives ears to backbiting is one of the two backbiters!” It is a common saying that one should discourage backbiting. If one fails to achieve this, then he should discreetly walk away from the place.

Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (as) has said, “One who prevents people from backbiting against brotherMu’mins and helps them, Allah will save him from the travails of this world and the Hereafter.”

Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq has said, “If someone is, whom we donot know, backbites about aMu’min, we should not belittle theMu’min. Who knows he may be the righteous one!”

Expiation For Backbiting

The expiation for backbiting is that one should seek the pardon of those against whom he has committed the act and try to remove the rancor from their hearts.

The Prophet of Allah (S) has said that backbitring is a sin worse than adultery. People asked the reason for this. The Prophet (S) replied, “If one repents having committed adultery, Allah might pardon the person. But repentence for having done backbiting is not accepted till the person who was the victim of the act does not forgive the perpetrator.” Also the Prophet

(S) said, “If a person whose backbiting has been done is not aware of the act, even then the person who has talked about him should personally seek his forgiveness. If, in the meantime, the victim dies, the backbiter will not be pardoned at all.”

False Allegations Condemned

The Prophet of Islam (S) has said that if someone makes a false allegation against aMu’min or aMu’mina, and relates a thing about them that is not true, such a person would be made to stand on a hill of fire on the Day of Judgement.

Someone asked Amir’ul-Mu’mineen (as), “What is the distance between truth and falsehood!” The Imam (as) replied, “Only the width equivalent to the width of four fingers! He told this putting his four fingers between his ear and the eye. Then added, “What you see with your eye is the truth and most of what you hear through your ear might be the falsehood!”

One who tells falsehoods about brotherMu’mins to belittle them, Allah will shame him in this world and the Hereafter!

Amir’ul-Mu’mineen (as) made a will that people should keep away from those who make false allegations about others. Their company might make others adopt their nefarious habit.

The Prophet of Allah (S) has said: One who keeps company ofpeople who tell falsehoods, might himself be in the same habit.

Jealousy

Jealousy is among the worst psychological sins. This is the first sin that Satan committed against prophet Adam (as). Jealousy is one of the major sins. The jealous person wishes harm to the subject of his feelings. If he feels that he should attain the same status as the other person has, then it can be termed as the spirit of competition that is permissible. When a jealous person wishes that the status of his subject of jealousy diminishes, it may not happen because all privileges are a gift from Allah. Jealousy against what Allah has given to some will be tantamount to confronting Him! The jealous person, therefore, will be sad and dejected because of this pernicious habit.

Amir’ul-Mu’mineen (as) has said, “Don’t be jealous. Jealousy eats away the Faith as the fire devours the dry wood!”

Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as) has said, “AMu’min has recourse to the spirit of competition (Ghibta) and not jealousy. InGhibta there is no element of wishing diminishing of the other person’s status but the wish to equal him or even surpass him in his achievements.”

Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (as) has said, “Heaven is taboo for thenammam ( the backbiter), carrier of tales and the jealous!”

The Prophet of Allah (S) has said, “O Abu Dharr! One who is a hypocrite and tale carrier in this world, he will be in the Hell on the Day of Reckoning. A hypocrite is one who praises the person on his face and belittles him in his absence.”

O Abu Dharr! Every secret that a brotherMu’min has confided to you in private, revealing it to others is dishonesty. Abstain from revealing it. If you

don’t guard the secret of a brotherMu’min, he too might not uphold your secrets!

The Talebearer

A talebearer will never enter the Heaven and will not have any relief from the tortures of the Hell.

The Prophet of Allah (S) has said, “Those who have made it their habit to gossip and carry tales, create enmity amongst good friends, and allege failings in others that are not there, are the worst of men. Heaven is taboo for such persons.” Then the Prophet (S) added, “Four types of people will be denied the Heaven: 1. Soothsayers or wizards. 2. Hypocrites. 3. Alcoholics. 4. Talebearers.”

Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as) narrates that three categories of persons will not go to the Heaven. 1. Those who shed the blood of Muslims. 2. Those who take intoxicants. 3. The talebearers.

It is narrated from the Prophet of Islam (S) that on the night ofMeraj he saw a woman whose head was like that of a pig and the body akin to one of a monkey. She was victim to a thousand hardships. The companions asked the Prophet (S), “Ya Imam! Why the hardships visited the woman?” He (as) replied, “She was a talecarrier and perpetrater of untruths!”

Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (as) has said, “Very bad is the person who has two opinions and two words! He praises one on his face and condemns him behind his back! He will be jealous when given something and run away in times of difficulty!”

The Prophet of Islam (S) has said, “A twofaced person will come on the Day of Judgement with a face having a second tongue in the back of his head. One of the tongues will be hanging in front of his head. Flames will be emanating from both the tongues. The fire will then enter his entire body. A herald will announce that this was the same person who adoped two tongues and faces in the world!”

Imam Musa al-Kadhim (as) has said, “Three types of persons will be under the shadow of the Firmament on the Day of Judgement, when there will be no other shade than this: 1. A person who arranges marriages of unmarriedMu’mins. 2. One who provides a servant for a brotherMu’min. 3. One who keeps the secrets of Mu’mins. Remember keeping others’ secrets is very important.”

Amir’ul-Mu’mineen (as) has said, “Keep good relations with your friends lest they become your enemies someday. Don’t exceed in the enmity with your enemies. Perhaps they might become your good friends someday!”

“O Abu Dharr! The acts of people committed between a Friday to the next are recounted to Allah on the following weednesday and Thursday. Allah pardons the sins of all barring those have carried enmity against their brothers. Allah orders to keep their deeds in abeyance till they reach a rapprochement and the enmity is banished.”

“O Abu Dharr! Abstain from keeping a distance from your brother! Because of creating distances, no action will be acceptable to Allah! O Abu Dharr! I warn you against creating distances! If circumstance force separation, let it not be for more than three days! One who keeps away for

more than three days from his brotherMu’min, and dies in that period, then the Hellfire will be more appropriate for him!”

An authentic source quotes from the Prophet of Islam (S), “One who has more cares and sorrow will be sickly. One who carries a bad character, will be the accursed. One who fights and argues with people will lack humanness and thoughtfulness.” Then the Prophet (S) added, “Jibrael (as) has always been warning me against litigation the same way that he warned against drinking and idolatory!”

It is narrated from Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as), “As long as two Muslims remain at loggerheads, Satan will remain happy. When they reach a rapprochement, the Satan’s knees crumble! He then complains, ‘What a calamity has struck me!’”

The Imam (as) also said, “Sadaqa (charity) is very dear to Allah. That is, arranging a rapprochement between warring groups arranging a truce between two fighting men is a better charity than giving away two gold coins in alms!”

Pride

“O Abu Dharr! The maximum number of people who will go to the Hell will be from those who are victims of pride!”

Someone asked, “Ya Imam! What is the way of protecting oneself from becoming proud?” The Prophet (S) replied, “A person who wears coarse cloth, rides on the long eared mules, milks his own goats and shares his food with the poor and prefers to carry his own burden is free from the trait of pride!” This means that humility protects one from becoming proud.

“O Abu Dharr! One who makes his robe trail behind him in pride, Allah will not cast the look of Blessing towards him on the Day of Reckoning!” One who draws the ends of his robe in his hands and walsk on the street, and doesn’t walk like the proud, conceited Arabs, who repairs his own footwear and bows his Head to Allah on the sands is free from the trait of false pride!

Very soon the Prophet (S) said, “MyUmmat will have people who will be born in affluence. They will be pampered with delicious foods and victuals. Flattering poets will sing paens in their praise. These will be the bad ones among myUmmat! ”

Chapter 13: Masabeeh, The Lamps

Condemning Pride

The Satan was the first to commit this sin when he refused to prostrate to Adam expressing his pride that he was made of the superior fire and Adam (as) was made with the lowly soil.

Amir’ul-Mu’mineen (as) has said in his Sermon (Qutba al-Qasa-aa) after a thosand praises to Allah Who Has given great importance to His Traits of Respect and Greatness. He has kept these traits only for Himself. And madeharam ( taboo) for others creatures of His. Whosoever from His creatures assumes these traits, he will be the accursed!

In the first instance Allah tested the angels. He said, “I am creating a human with the lowly soil. When I put spirit in the creature, you must all prostrate to him in respect!”

All the angels prostrated before Adam (as) as commanded by Allah, barring the proud Satan. He said, “Adam (as) is made of soil and you have made me with the superior fire!. Therefore, I am superior to him!” By the Creator of all beings! Satan became the leader of all the pride and conceited beings in the universe! He became the accursed of Allah forever by this attitude! If Allah wished, he could create Adam (as) with such a light that even the angels would be put in a shade before him! For Allah doing such a thing was very easy, but He wished to put the angels to test! If the angels were awed by Adam (as)’snoor (light) and prostrated, then it would be the prostration under the influence of the light and, perhaps, not in obedience to Allah’s Commandment.

Allah wanted to test the angels, and test them in such a way that the obedient and the disobedient were clearly distinguished from each other. Therefore,Iblees, who spent six thousand years in supplication to Allah, was turned into Satan for his disobedience and turned away from the Heaven. He was the first proud creature who misledQabeel to act against Allah’s Commandment and kill hisMu’min brotherHabeel only out of jealousy and pride.

Therefore, one must abstain from pride. People should take a lesson from those who are buried under heavy loads of soil. They were those who were very proud and never considered anyone equal to them. If pride was considered by Allah a desirable trait in humans,, He would not have kept his Prophets (as) devoid of it. The Great Allah likes hisAbd al-Zaleel (the lowly creature) to prostrate their foreheads on the dust as a test of their Obedience.

Wealth and pelf are great evils and penury and piety the supreme tests. Allah tests the proud people through these weak and insignificant creatures.

Prophet Musa (as) and Prophet Haroon (as) reached the court of the Pharoh wearing coarse wollen raiment and carrying a staff. They told Pharoh that if he wished to have permanent respectability and desired to rule for long, then he should embrace Islam. Hearing this Pharoh laughed and told to his courtiers that the two mendicants who neither had good dress nor pompous appearance, hold a beggar’s staff in th hand, offer him eternal life

and respectability! If they have so much power, then why they are not rulers and kings? They even don’t wear bracelets of gold!

It became evident from the talk of the Pharo that in his consideration wealth, pelf and bracelets etc were signs of respectability and power. If Allah has attached any importance to these things, he certainly would have provided all these to His Prophets (as) But the Intention of Allah was to test the proud, conceited rulers of the world through His Prophets (as) who were the paragons of simplicity and humility. If the prophets were rich and powerful, people would have respected them for their outward pomp. But Allah wished to see who were his sincere creatures. Similarly Allah built His House with ordinary stones and sand. It was possible for Him to Order it to be made with gold, silver and precious stones. That would perhaps have put the pride of the world to a shade! But the Creator wanted people of all shades of power and pride to bow down to His Humble Abode!

The philosophy ofSalah too is the same. Proud and conceited persons prostrate their foreheads on the dust in acknowledgement of the Greatness of Allah. Wealthy persons fast in the Holy month of Ramadhan to earn the Goodwill of Allah!

They take out and distribute theZakat thinking that Allah has gifted them with wealth and it must be shared with the needy. Although theHouse of Allah is in an isolated and desolate place, but since it is related with the great Creator, people have to respect the Black Stone (Hajr al-Aswad) in obedience to His Commands!

The Types Of Pride

The proud consider themselves big and powerful. There are several categories of these men of pride

The pride that touches the borders of infidelity when the proud person belittles the prophets, the men of piety, the scholars and the abstemious. Such proud persons build grand mansions for themselves, wear expensive raiment and ride on pedigree steeds to make a show of their wealth to the people. They will have a fleet of slaves and servants hovereing around them. All these things are the concomitants of the pride of the person.

Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as) has said that the man of false pride is one who has no knowledge of the truth and belittles and looks down upon the men of truth.

One person asked the Imam (as), “Ya Imam! I live in a decent house, eat good food, I use a horse for my traveling and a slave accompanies me on my visits out. Are all these the signs of pride?”

The Imam (as) asked him, “Are you doing all this to show-off to the people?” “Definitely not!” The man replied. The Imam (as) rejoined, “Then it is not pride! Pride is that which makes one forget the truth and makes him belittle the truthful ones. If a person has this pride to the extent of the size of a sesame seed, he will not be able to enter the precincts of the Heaven!”

The Prophet of Allah (S) once passed through a place where lots of people were gathered. He enquired why such a large assemblage of people had gathered there. He was told that a mad person lived in the neighborhood and people have come out of curiosity to see him. The Prophet (S) said: He is neither mad nor deranged. The person is sick. In fact, mad are those

people who think that others are abnormal and make a curiosity out of them. Making a jest of such sick persons, they are ridiculing God’s will!

In another tradition the Prophet of Allah (S) says, “When myUmmat walks in misplaced pride, and walks with a proud gait with the slaves from Persia and Rome in attendance, then there will appear war and fighting amongst them.”

Then the Prophet (S) added, “The fragrance of the Heaven will travel to a distance equal to the length traveled in one thousand years, but those who are disobedient to their parents, who deny others’ rights, who are adulterers, who have their coat tails trailing behind them in pride, who harm others with cunning, who brag about small mercies shown to others and who are victims of avarice will not be able to smell.”

In another tradition the Prophet of Allah (S) says, “One who has constructed grand mansions more than necessary for his use, just to make the show of his riches to others, Allah will convert these mansions as a fiery ring and tie to the neck of the proud person. Then the person will be consigned to the Hell with the fiery ring around his neck.”

The prophet then said, “A person who shows off wearing expensive raiment, Allah will keep him in the lower echelons of the Hell in the company of Qaroon. Qaroon was the first person who expressed pride over his wealth and was interred into the land!”

A person who beats a beggar or considers him inferior, Allah will raise him on the Day of Judgement in the size of an ant and consign him to the Hellfire!

The Cure For Pride

The cure for the ailment of pride is that one always keeps in view his beginning, the inevitable end, his weaknesses, his failings, failures, illnesses and hardships faced during the lifetime.

Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (as) has said that he wondered at the person born out of insignificant seed, destined to die and putrify in the end, behaves during the lifetime with a huge degree of pride!

Amir’ul-Mu’mineen (as) has wondered over the person who started in the form of a drop and ends up with the final funeral bath! His body throughout his life serves as a container for urine and feces. Even then the person behaves with a high degree of pride. One who wishes to banish the trait of pride from himself, he should eat his meals with his servant, milk his goats with his own hands, sit in the company of beggars and abstain from the company of the affluent!

Reforming The Esoteric Self (Baatin)

Man should search his inner self while he tries to mind his external appearances. The aim should be to ensure that both his outward and inward self is pure and good. Like theSufis, spoiling one’s outward appearance in consonance with the condition of the esoteric self is haram or taboo. Commiting a sin in the open is worse than doing it in private.Confronting a superior will bring more of his displeasure than privately planning against him and talking ill of him at his back. The Islamic Shariah doesn’t permit

such acts. It is said that Allah doesn’t like criticizing anyone on his face or in the open. But the oppressed can criticize the oppressor.”

Wearing The Woolen Blankets

Using wollen blankets as raiment has received lots of praise in the Sunni literature. In certain Shi’a traditions this practice is condemned and in certain others it has been praised. Perhaps the traditions praising this practice has an element ofTaqiyyah. If the raiment of woolen blanket is worn at the time of prayer, or to manifest one’s humility, or to prevent oneself from the effect of the cold weather, then there is no problem. But always wearing such dress as a personal mark of identification is not proper.

It is narrated from Amir’ul-Mu’mineen (as) that one should wear dress made out of cotton. This was the preference of the Prophet of Allah (S) and theAhl-ul-Bayt (as). The Prophet (S) never wore leather headgear unless it was absolutely necessary due to the weather conditions.

The Prophet of Islam (S) has said, “I shall not abandon five things till the time of my death that they remain as part of mySunna: 1. Sitting on the floor and eating my meals with the slaves. 2. Riding on the long eared mules with stirrup and halter. 3. Milking the goats with my own hands. 4. Wearing the raiment made of wool. 5. Taking precedence in wishing the children.”

“O Abu Dharr! In the last days of this world people will wear wollen raiment both during the warm and cool seasons as a mark of status. However, the angels on the land and in the Heaven will curse them for doing this. The people deserving of the Heaven will be in dusty dresses, disheveled hair and getting scant attention from those around them. If these persons pray to Allah for anything, Allah shall grant their wish.”

The Prophet of Allah (S), being in the know of the hidden things said that after him there will be people who will adopt stealth and deceit and involve others in hypocricy and waywardness. Therefore the Prophet (S) said, “People who adopt that garb are the accursed. Don’t be misled by their subterfuge!” This is also one of the miracles of the Prophet that he had forecast the doings of the group before it appeared on the scene and condemned it. One who denies the fact of the group ofSufia being wayward, will deserve the curse of Allah and his Prophet (S). It is not only the wearing of the blanket that is a curse for them, but the main cause is their interference with theShariah. Their wont is to adopt the ways of infidels and heretics (Zanadeeq) and abandoning theShariah. With their innovations they divert the people from the right path.

There are several other traditions that condemn the group ofSufia. The Shi’a scholars have always condemned thesufi cult. Some have even written treatises on the condemnation of these sects. For example, ‘Ali bin Babawiyah, whose letters on the matters ofShariah used to reachSaheb al Asr (a.j.) and he used to receive prompt replies too. Also his son, Muhammad bin ‘Ali bin Babawiyah, who is the doyen of Shi’a traditionists, has received the commendation ofSaheb-ul-Asr (a.j.). He has written a voluminous book reproving theSufi cult.

Sheik Toosi, Mulla Hilli and Sheik Shaheed too have written tomes in condemnation of the cult. Sheik ‘Ali has written a book,Mataan Mujramiah , condemning theSufi cult. His son Hasan too wrote his book,

Umdat al Miqaal, on the same subject. Jaffar bin Muhammad Dooresti in his book,Aeteqaad, has convincingly dealt with theSufi cult. Bin Hamza and Sayed Murtada Raazi too have written extensively on the subject. Maulana Ahmed Ardbeel has condemned the sect very convincingly in his writings.

Friends! Why do you rate this sect well? This, despite the Prophet (S) and the Ahl-ul-Bayt having condemned them in very clear terms. Will you claim that you are a follower of Hasan Basri? He was a person who has been the butt of many an authentic tradition! Or you will term yourself the follower of Sufian Suri who was a mortal enemy of Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as). Or will you toe the line of Ghazali who was an outrightnaasibi . He writes in his book that the way in which ‘Ali Murtada (as) is an Imam, he too is one in his own right! He writes that whoever curses Yazid is a sinner. He has written several books against the Shi’as in the genre of ‘Al Mutaqaddameen az Zalaal. Or will you project his brother, Ahmed Ghazali, as proof that he believes the accursed Satan is amongst the chiefs of the pious (the aulia)! Or will you adopt maulana Rumi as your intercessor that he says Amir’ul-Mu’mineen Amir’ul-Mu’mineen (as) will intercede on behalf of the accursed Ibn al-Muljim and guide him into the Heaven? He says that Bin Mulji has not committed any sin and that what he had done was the destiny!

There is no page of themathnavi of Maulana Rumi on which he has not written about the futility of prayer and the depraved beliefs. His followers believe that hearing to tambourine, harmonica and fiddle is a type of prayer.

Will you make Mohiuddin Arabi your symbol that who has given pride of place to meaningless beliefs in his book. He says that the saints (Aulia) are a group of people to whom theRafizis look like pigs. He also says that when he went for theMeraj he found that the status of ‘Ali (as) on the Firmament was lesser than that of Othman, Omer and Abu Bakra! He says that when he came back, he told to ‘Ali (as) that he claimed in the world that he was better than the other three then how is it that his status in the Firmament was lesser than the three of them!

There are several other such canards, writing about them will unnecessarily lengthen the narrative. Therefore, one should not be misled by their talk. What all they have done is to get worldly benefits. These people claimed that they visit the Firmament ten times in a night but are incapable of throwing light on simple questions offiqh !

It is narrated from Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as) that the sign of an imposter is that he will give you news about the frmament, the east and the west lucidly. But when asked about the legitimate (Halal) and taboo (Haram) he will draw a blank! He claims that he has understood the intricacies ofWahdat al Wajood (the Unity of God) that other erudite scholars have not been able to! But he has not understood a simple fact that has been explained to him umpteen times. These people say thatkashf (manifestation) andkufr ( infidelity) are not antithetical and can be always clubbed together! They believe that there have been practitioners ofKashf amongst the non-believers in India. Suppose theirkashf is a reality and not a hypocrisy, then

what superiority they have achieved by adopting it!. They have remained infidels and shall be infidels till the Day of Reckoning!

It is written in theEhtejaaj of Tabrisi that once Amir’ul-Mu’mineen (as) passed through the place of Hasan Basri. The person was performing the ablution. Amir’ul-Mu’mineen ‘Ali (as) said, “O Hasan! Do the ablution properly!” He said, “Ya Ameer al Mimineen! Yesterday you have killed the persons who used to do the ablution thoroughly! Today you are asking me to do the ablution properly!” The Imam asked him, “Why didn’t you turn up to help them?” He replied, “By Allah! In the morning I took bath. Rubbed camphor on my body and took my arms that I hadn’t the slightest doubt about opposition to Ayesha is infidelity.

On the way I heard a sound saying,’ Where are you going! Return back! Those who kill and get killed will all go to the Hell!’ I was scared of that herald and returned home. The next day again I got ready to go to the help of Ayesha. I again heard the same voice and returned home!” The Imam (as) said, “You are telling the truth! Do you know who the person was who called you?” Hasan said, “No! I don’t know!” The Imam (as) said, “He was your brother, the Satan! He has told you the truth that the those who kill and also those who get killed from the troops of Ayesha will go tto the Hell!”

In another tradition it is narrated from Amir’ul-Mu’mineen Amir’ul-Mu’mineen that he said to Hasan Basri, “Every time there is aSamiri (magician) and you are theSamiri of your time!”

Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (as) has said: O Hasan Basri! Whether you go the East or to the West, you will not acquire any knowledge! The only source of knowledge are we theAhl-ul-Bayt! “Remember, this Hasan Basri is the same person who is the chief of the Sufis. The Sufis associate themselves with him very ardently. They mostly quote from him. They narrate that one big sheik was Ibad Basri. He used to ridicule Imam Zain-ul-’Abidin (as) and used to criticize him in the matter of Jehad.

Once a group consisting of Ayub Sajistani, Saleh Marni, Utba, Habib Farsi, Malik bin Dinar, Abu Saleh aami, Ja’far bin Suleiman Rabia and Saadana started from Basra for the Haj. Those days there was scarcity of water in Mecca. The entire gathering inKhana al-Kaaba prayed for rains. But the prayers were not answered. In the meantime, Imam Zain-ul-’Abidin arrived there with a sad mein. After circumambulating the Kaaba he asked everyone assembled there to move away from the Kaaba. Then he prostrated near the Kaaba and prayed. Before his prayer was over, the clouds gathered and rained so hard that the scarcity turned into plenty! Remember, the names of the persons from the group of Basrans are all the chiefs of theSufi cult! They were not the adherents of the Imam (as) of the time! One of the group was Tawoos Yamani whose debates with Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (as) are well known!

Sheik Toosi writes in his book,Ghaibat , that some people falsely claimed the vicegerency ofSaheb al Asr (a.j.) . They were discredited and ridiculed. If they were really the vicegerents of the Imam (as) then they could have shown miracles as did theSaheb al Asr (a.j.) . The first such imposter wasShariyi who got ridicule after making the claim.Saheb al Asr issued an edict refuting his claim. The Sheik says thatTalakbari said that it

became evident to people that the imposter was an infidel. First he used to spread canard about the Imam (as) to attract the ignorant people. Progressing in his foul acts in this manner he progressed into believing in theHallajia cult in the manner of persons like Abu Jaffer Shalmafani.The Sheik adds that besides other imposters, Husayn bin Mansoor too was prominent amongst them.

It is narrated from Hibtullah bin Muhammad Katib that Sahl bin Ismail Naubhakti, who was an ardent Shi’a, sent word to Mansoor Hallaj that he would become his follower on condition that he should show a miracle by making his hair permanently black. He said that he had to perforce dye his hair every Friday for the purpose of visiting his slave girls and the exercise was very tedious for him. When Hallaj heard this, he said that Sahl has made a mistake asking him to perform such a miracle. Sahl used to repeat the story everywhere and make people laugh at Hallaj!

It is mentioned inEhtejaj of Tabrisi that the edict ofSaheb al Asr was issued through Husayn bin Rooh condemning the group that was headed by Husain bin Mansoor Hallaj. Such people were always adversarial to theAhl-ul-Bayt. The Shi’a chroniclers in that period, and the period following immediately after that, always expressed dislike of the group and gave sufficient proof of their infidelity. Even then if some people abandoned the rightful path of theAhl-ul-Bayt, the sin definitely goes to their account!