The Hidden Truth about Karbala

Chapter 7: Hadith

By hastening to Saqifa and leaving behind the body of the Prophet (S), they succeeded in usurping the Caliphate from Imam Ali (a.s.). As the very first act, the Caliph invited the Banu Umayya, the inveterate enemies of Islam and more particularly of the Banu Hashim, to participate in the administration. They recalled the exiled Marwan and Amr bin al-‘Aas and entertained them as close confidants, secretly in the beginning and openly during the period of the third Caliph. The Caliphs also appointed Abu Sufyan’s sons as governors of Syria, Iraq, and Egypt.

The conspiracy extended beyond these overt acts. The conspirators resolved to follow a system by which:

[a] the traditions [sayings] and the Sunna [deeds] of the Prophet (S) were prohibited from being cited, repeated, or recorded.

[b] Altogether new traditions were invented to justify the exclusion of Ali (a.s.) from the first three stages of the Caliphate.

[c] Traditions were so interpreted as to justify the assumption of the Caliphate by persons other than Ali (a.s.).

[d] Traditions were distorted in favour of the legitimacy of the first three Caliphs and the ruling Caliph.

[e] New traditions were invented as parallels to those traditions which were known to be in favour of Ali (a.s.).

[f] Traditions were coined to show that the Prophet (S) and his progeny (a.s.) were not different from other people and therefore, they were fallible.

[g] Just criticism was shut down by inventing the need for expeditions and wars under the name of Jihad, and people were sent to foreign countries, or at least their attention was diverted from local problems by innovating Tarawih prayers..

[h] The meaning of Zakat and Khums was so misinterpreted that it excluded the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) from their rightful share.

A consummate politician that he was, Umar achieved his objectives, first as an advisor to Abu Bakr and later himself as the second Caliph. The appointment of the third Caliph was made contingent upon his agreeing to follow the aforesaid precedents of the first two Caliphs. Imam Ali (a.s.) rejected the condition and refused to follow the footsteps of the first two Caliphs, saying that he would not be bound by anything except the Qur’an and the Sunna. On the other hand, Uthman, who agreed to abide by this stipulation, became the Caliph and followed the footsteps of the first two Caliphs.

Prohibition of Narrating the Hadith

The Prophet (S) had laid the foundation of Islam. Polytheism was abolished. Women, for the first time in the history of the world, were given personal rights and inheritance. The Arabs were weaned away from their pagan beliefs. The Qur’an became the constitution. The rules for a peaceful and pious society were laid down and put into practice. All that was required had been fully explained in the sayings and actions of the Prophet (S) that are known as Hadith.

Agha S.N. Mirza writes:“The sources of information on all questions in Islam are three; the Qur’an, the Hadith or the Sunna, and History. There is no dispute about the provisions of the Holy Qur’an; the dispute arises only in respect of its interpretation, and it is the interpretation of the Qur’an alone that all the numerous sects, said to be seventy-three in number, appeal as the basis of their cult. All traditions are, of course, traced to the Prophet (S), and the interpretation put on the different verses of the Qur’an by the Prophet (S) are known only through the Hadith. Thus, so far as disputed questions in Islam are concerned, the source of their solution or information are two; Hadith and History.”1

Having gained the throne, the second phase of the conspiracy was set in motion. The first Caliph, instead of collecting, collating, and propagating the Hadith, reiterated the words of Umar and declared that the Qur’an alone was sufficient guidance for Muslims.

As the first measure, he strictly prohibited the narration, recording, or relying upon the Prophet’s words and deeds- collectively called the Sunna or Hadith. Ath-Thahabi records that Abu Bakr said, “Do not relate among yourselves the traditions of the Prophet (S). Traditions are likely to cause differences of opinion. The differences will be more serious after us. I warn you against narrating any sayings of the Prophet (S). If anyone inquires about what the Prophet (S) said in regard to any matter, tell him that the Book of God is sufficient for all purposes.”2 Abu Bakr is also reported to have burnt a book containing a collection of the sayings of the Prophet (S) declaring that the traditions are irrelevant, redundant, and unnecessary as Muslims had the Qur’an for their guidance.3

Umar, during his Caliphate stringently enforced the edict by adding that if traditions were narrated, people would abandon the Qur’an.4 So fierce was Umar in enforcing the prohibition that for narrating Hadith, he sent to prison ibn Mas’ud, Abu ad-Darda, and Abu Mas’ud al-Ansari who were all noted companions of the Prophet (S).5

Umar proclaimed that anybody found narrating any tradition should be beheaded forthwith. A shallow reason touted for the stringent prohibition was that different people narrated different traditions which was likely to cause confusion. However, no explanation is given as to why the method followed by the three caliphs in collecting the Qur’an was not adopted for collecting the Hadith.

Quraidha ibn Ka’b says that Umar accompanied the army proceeding towards Iraq for some distance and said, “The chief reason for my accompanying you is that since you are going to foreign lands where they recite the Qur’an in a buzzing voice like bees, I want to tell you not to mention the Prophet’s Hadith to them, lest their recital of the Qur’an might be interrupted. Stop at the Qur’an; abstain from relating the Hadith of the Prophet (S). I am with you in this matter.” Due to this injunction, when people inquired about the sayings of the Prophet (S), Quraidha used to say that Umar had prohibited everyone from relating any tradition.6

All the three caliphs, Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman prohibited the narration, recording, and reference to any tradition. Anybody contravening these orders was subjected to heavy penalties and severe punishment such as whipping, imprisonment, and even banishment.

Thus, all the sayings of the Prophet (S) in any manner relating or referring to Imam Ali (a.s.), were effectively stifled and consigned only to the memory of a few close companions of the Prophet (S) or in rare books secretly written and well hidden.

Despite this, Imam Ali’s exegesis, sermons, sayings, letters, and directions issued to his governors, forming the back-bone of the earliest Islamic literature, were zealously preserved by his Shia and are available even today. No such literature can be traced to the first three Caliphs or the Umayyad or Abbasid rulers.

Coining and Propagating False traditions

Immediately after the Prophet’s death, Abu Bakr, as the first Caliph, appointed Abu Sufyan’s son Yazid as the Governor of Syria. On the death of Yazid bin Abu Sufyan, his brother Mu’awiya was made the Governor of Syria.

Marwan, who was banished by the Prophet (S) for sedition, was recalled and retained as a special and trusted advisor to the Caliph. He was later made the Governor of Egypt. Abu Sufyan, Marwan, and their respective offspring were inveterate enemies of Imam Ali (a.s.). They formed the seed of the Umayyad Dynasty that ruled over Muslims for about a century. They indulged in spreading systematic calumny against the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) in general and Ali (a.s.) in particular.

The amount of success they achieved can be measured from the fact that most people in Syria, Iraq, and Egypt did not know who Ali (a.s.) was. Some claimed that he was a bandit who fought against Islam. How this was achieved, constitutes an important and integral part of the conspiracy. Again, this was done in two parts, firstly by degrading the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) from on the pulpits, and secondly by coining false traditions in favour of the opponents of Ali (a.s.) and the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).

As the first step, a false propaganda was launched that the Prophet (S) did not nominate anyone as his successor. Secondly, a false story was circulated that the Ansar had planned to usurp the Caliphate. The fact, as we saw earlier, was that the Ansar assumed and were willing to accept the Caliphate of Imam Ali (a.s.) since they had no candidate equal to him among them. It was only when the Ansar witnessed the rebellious attitude of Umar at the Prophet’s deathbed, that they realized that Ali (a.s.) was being sidestepped and someone else was going to usurp the Caliphate. Thirdly, another false story was circulated that Abu Bakr was elected by the majority, whereas the fact was that the Banu Hashim, Quraysh, and other Muhajirin, Ansar, and companions of the Prophet (S) as well as the Muslim public were all assembled, at that very moment, at the house of the dying Prophet (S). Those who were present at Saqifa were [1] Abu Bakr [2] Umar [3] Abu Ubaida ibn al-Jarrah [4] Sa’d bin Ubadah [5] Qays bin Sa’d [6] Khuzaymah bin Thabit [7] Usayd bin Hudhair [8] Uthman bin Affan [9] Abu Haytham bin at-Tayyihan [10] Hassaan bin Thabit [11] Abdurrahman bin Awf [12] Thabit bin Qays bin Shammas [13] Hubab bin Munthir [14] Mu’ath bin Adiy [15] Bashir bin Sa’d al-A’war and [16] Harith bin Hisham and a handful of other Muslims.

The next step was [i] to twist and modify well-known traditions so as to completely change their import and context or [ii] to fabricate, introduce, and propagate altogether new traditions glorifying the Banu Umayya and the first three Caliphs and [iii] for every existing tradition in favour of Imam Ali (S) and the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), invent a corresponding new tradition in favour of their opponents. These steps were zealously and fully executed.

The foundation was laid on the very first day of Abu Bakr’s Caliphate. Imam Ali (S) recalled before the congregation all those occasions and traditions wherein the Prophet (S) had nominated him (Ali) as his successor. In one voice, the assembly vouched for the veracity of every one of those occasions and traditions. Abu Bakr feared that the people might rise in support of Ali (S). Therefore, Abu Bakr invented a false tradition and said, “All that you have recounted is absolutely true, for I myself had seen and heard and I do still remember all those words of the Prophet (S) as a witness to all those occasions. But, I have also heard the Prophet (S) declaring:‘We the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) were especially chosen by Allah not for leadership in this world but for the leadership in the eternal life hereafter’ Abu Bakr then added:‘Allah has not decreed that the Prophethood and Caliphate should remain in one house’.”7

In saying so, Abu Bakr bifurcated religious leadership from temporal leadership. This is an invention that contradicts the Qur’an and History which show that every Prophet (S) appointed his own brother, son, or near relative as his Caliph or successor.8 Out of the large congregation, only Umar, Abu Ubaida ibn al-Jarrah, Salim, and Mu’ath bin Jabal supported Abu Bakr by saying that they were present on that occasion.9

Agha M.S. Mirza gives a list of over a dozen prophets who nominated their children, brothers, or other close relatives as their successors.10 In fact, every Prophet (S) had unfailingly described, identified, or named his successor. The office of the successor to a prophet, like the office of Prophethood itself, lay within the domain of the Divine Choice and Will. Never was the choice of succession to Prophethood left to men.11 That they were Divinely appointed is proved when the prophets performed miracles as for instance when Jesus (a.s.) spoke from the cradle. Where no successor is appointed, as in the case of Jesus, the Prophet (S) is kept alive, even among the Shia where nomination ended with the eleventh imam and the twelfth imam did not nominate another as his successor imam, the twelfth imam is kept alive but in occultation.

Abu Bakr’s claim is an obvious fabrication, for whenever the Prophet (S) spoke about Ali (S), from the first day of Youm ad-Dar to the last day of his life, he consistently referred to his relationship with Ali (S) as a subsisting one ‘in this world and the next’. On numerous occasions, the Prophet (S) said, “O Ali, you are to me like Aaron was to Moses. You are my brother in this world and the next.”12 He said, “O Ali, you are my Vizier, Guardian, Caliph, Vicegerent, and Deputy in this world and the next.” This fact is uniformly recorded in the books of the Shia and the Sunni alike.

As against the preponderance of such traditions, Abu Bakr set up a single tradition without quoting its context, the reason, or occasion for the Prophet (S), excluding the temporal leadership from the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.). The tradition is also falsified by the fact that contrary to his own words, the Prophet (S) himself acted as the temporal as well as religious leader of the Muslims throughout his life. Abu Bakr was aware of this glaring contradiction, and therefore he added that ‘God did not wish to keep the Prophethood and Caliphate in one house’.13

Yazid bin Abu Sufyan and later on his brother Mu’awiya, during their tenure, lavishly distributed money and property to those leaders of congregation who made false accusations, abused, and cursed Imam Ali (a.s.) from on the pulpit after every prayer, till it became a routine affair. Abu Huraira and Amr bin al-Aas gained notoriety for gaining immense wealth by fabricating false traditions. The notoriety caused great uproar among the public and compelled Umar to confiscate their illegal wealth. History books are full of instances of Banu Umayya’s persecution of those who refused to impute false allegation, abuse, and curse Imam Ali (a.s.). They were treated as renegades and were mercilessly penalized, punished, banished, or even killed.

For the first time, the Umayyad rulers employed their henchmen ostensibly to collect and compile traditions, but in fact to invent and popularize false traditions against the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.). The compilers were persons obliged to the caliph for the material comforts showered on them. They were aware about the direction in which they could find their safety, welfare, progress, and material comforts. There was yet another category of persons who hated Imam Ali (a.s.), simply because at some battle or skirmish, their forefathers or other near relatives had challenged the Prophet (S), and in defense of Islam, Imam Ali (a.s.) had killed them. All these kind of people combined against Imam Ali (a.s.) to invent false stories defaming him and glorifying his enemies. Another class of narrators were those who bore an innate hatred toward Imam Ali (a.s.).14 They compiled only those traditions that did not conflict with the Banu Umayya’s position as caliphs. They scrupulously avoided any tradition in favour of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), particularly the traditions that spoke of the virtues, supremacy, or nomination of Imam Ali (a.s.).

A well-known Sunni writer Shibli has devoted a chapter under the heading ‘Collection and Compilation of learning Commenced at the Instance of the Rulers’.15 He writes, “Though Hadith and Fiqh were promulgated to a considerable extent during the period of the Caliphs and many centers of learning had been established, yet all of it was by word of mouth only. But, the Umayyad kings ordered the Ulema to reduce it to writing… First of all, Mu’awiya sent for Ubaid ibn Sharriyya from Yemen to prepare the history of the ancients. After him, Abdul Malik ibn Marwan commanded Sa’d bin Jubair to write books on every art.”

Regarding Imam az-Zuhri who was the role model and mentor for Imam Al-Bukhari, Shibli writes, “In collecting Hadith, he took great pains. He would go to the house of every one of the Ansar and would interrogate their young and old, men and women… He was attached to the durbar of Abdul Malik son of Marwan, who honored him greatly. It must be particularly said that the said Imam was connected with the durbar of kings and was among their closest friends; the education of Marwan’s children was specially entrusted to him.”16

In his biography of Abu Hanifa named ‘Seeratun No’man’, Shibli wrote:“First of all, Imam az-Zuhri prepared a collection of Hadith under the orders of the Umayyad rulers of the time. Copies of this collection were sent by the rulers to all the Islamic countries. From that time on, this collection of Hadith became common.”17

Every Muslim knew the famous tradition of the Prophet (S) that ‘Hasan and Husayn were the two masters of the youth in Paradise’. The Banu Umayya fabricated a tradition that Abu Bakr and Umar are the masters of the old men in Paradise.18 This is, ex facie an absurdity, for in Paradise, there should then be a master of infants, a master of middle aged persons, and a master for all other imaginable categories of people…etc., ad nauseam.

Another instance is where they distorted the tradition of al-Najm, wherein the Prophet (S) allegedly said that all his companions were like the stars shedding the light of wisdom and that the ummah was at liberty to follow any one of them as all the companions were of the same status. The fact is that many of the companions were addicted to the prohibited vices. At any rate, most of them, like Umar himself, were ignorant of the true meaning of the Qur’anic verses. After a careful analysis, many learned Sunni Ulema have held that the tradition of al-Najm is a fabrication.19 The distortion was made by substituting the names of the Imams (a.s.) with the words ‘companions’.

The original tradition of al-Najm is as follows:“Allah chose twelve successors from my progeny as the rightful guides for my Ummah. Among them, one succeeding another, there are eleven Imams after my brother Ali. When one of them passes away, the next one takes his place. Their example is that of the stars in the sky; when one disappears, another manifests itself, because they are themselves rightly guided and they shall rightly guide the Muslim Ummah. All of them are Authorities appointed by Allah on the earth. They are the Witnesses over His Creation. Whoever obeys them, in fact, obeys Allah, and whoever disobeys them disobeys Allah. They are all with the Qur’an and the Qur’an is with them. They will not separate from the Qur’an and the Qur’an will not separate from them till they meet me at the Fountain in Paradise.”20

Agha S.N. Mirza analyses the reasons for so much animosity against Imam Ali (S), which made them go to the extent of fabricating false traditions. He wrote, “Their firm conviction that Imam Ali (a.s.) was the rightful claimant to the Caliphate, which they had deprived him of by intrigue and clever moves, naturally made them see in him a most formidable rival who must be carefully watched and strictly kept down if they were to breathe easily in their usurped power. The Caliphate owed its life to the opposition to the Prophet’s scheme in which Ali (S) was to be the first Caliph. The position which the Prophet (S) had created for Imam Ali (a.s.), coupled with the deeds of heroism which Imam Ali (a.s.) had performed to save Islam, and the sacrifices he had made at the risk of his life to establish the Islamic state, made him a formidable rival in the eyes of the rulers who never forgot that what they had obtained by a coup d'état, was not theirs by right. They, therefore, regarded Imam Ali (a.s.) with that dread mingled with hatred and enmity which is generally the hallmark of a precarious position obtained by fraud and held up by force, and they used those devices and stratagems which are generally resorted to by persons similarly holding office without legitimacy, employing all the available means in their power… They tried to keep Imam Ali (a.s.) down and erected enormous barriers between him and the Caliphate. One of these, which in the end proved insurmountable, was the push to prominence given by the first two Caliphs to the Banu Umayya, the hereditary rivals and inveterate foes of the Banu Hashim, with the result that when Imam Ali’s precarious rule began, he found himself surrounded by hostile elements with an independent and antagonistic kingdom in Syria confronting him… The Banu Umayya inherited the policy as well as the government of the first three Caliphs and the circumstances under which they wrested power from the Banu Hashim added even more venom to the already poisoned sting.”21

Abu Huraira, who spent hardly a few years with the Prophet (S), was credit with the maximum narration of traditions and is considered a reliable narrator by the Sunnis. He was generously rewarded by Mu’awiya, the governor of Syria, for coining false traditions against Ali (a.s.) and in favour of the Banu Umayya and the first three Caliphs. It is said that by spinning out false traditions, Abu Huraira amassed so much unaccounted wealth and became notorious that Umar, in a show of propriety, had to confiscate his property along with that of Amr bin al-Aas.22

The Effect of Prohibiting the Narration of Hadith

Conjecture recognized as a means to interpret the Qur’an

Several occasions arose when the three Caliphs found themselves at a loss to solve many legal and social issues relating to fiqh (jurisprudence), fara’idh (obligations), jizya,23 kharaj,24 dhimmis,25 converts…etc., merely by relying on the Qur’an. In all such matters, where the three Caliphs could not find a solution or precedent in the Qur’an, they had no option but to convene an assembly of the companions of the Prophet (S) to inquire and ascertain if any of them knew any tradition applicable to the matter in question. In this manner, Umar learnt many traditions relating to simple matters such as ‘Takbir’26 at funerals, ablutions after coitus, jizya to be collected from the Magi… etc.27

The fact that Umar learnt, only much later in his life, about simple and fundamental, day to day, matters such as ‘Takbir’ at funerals, ablutions after coitus…etc., shows that not everybody knew or remembered what was taught by the Holy Prophet (S). If this was the state of knowledge of the Caliph, we can well imagine the state of ordinary Muslims living in remote places. To some of them, the Qur’an was unintelligible; and when they attempted to interpret it with their conjecture, the Qur’an appeared to be full of contradictions. Thus, the three Caliphs found that an omnibus prohibition against narrating traditions was impractical and that they had no other option but to refer to traditions, in order to explain not only verses from the Qur’an, but also matters relating to Islamic practices, whenever the occasion arose.

Thus compelled to rely upon traditions, the Caliphs resorted to a unique method of collecting them. Only those traditions narrated by the Banu Umayya or the Ansar were taken into consideration. Specifically ignored and excluded from the exercise of collecting traditions were the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) and the Banu Abdul Mutallib, who, being members of the house, were the best source for narrating traditions. The Caliph sought traditions for the particular occasion and matter on hand. No attempt was made to collect, collate, or compile traditions. Meanwhile, many of the companions who had memorized traditions or witnessed the Prophet (S) speaking about the virtues and supremacy of Ali (a.s.) over all Muslims, and his nomination as the successor, had either died or were killed. The surviving sincere narrators of traditions such as Salman, Ammar, Kumail, Hudhaifa, Miqdad, Harith…etc., were banished to the desert by the Caliphs on flimsy trumped up charges.

Though the sole motive in prohibiting the narration of traditions was to suppress the Prophet’s nomination of Imam Ali (a.s.) to the caliphate, the move left a profound ill effect on Islam itself. As a direct consequence, inept and ignorant persons took control of the nascent Islamic State. About Abu Bakr, the Prophet (S) is reported to have said, “Heathenism is still imperceptibly working within you like the underground movement of ants.”28

The matter became more confounded when newly initiated Muslim Bedouin Arabs, who were yet to understand the depth of the Islamic philosophy and thought, were ordered to march against ancient civilizations such as Persia, Mesopotamia, Syria, Rome, Greece, India, and China. The three caliphs by prohibiting the narration of traditions, had in effect, prevented a proper understanding of the Qur’an and the philosophy of Islam.

The prohibition against narrating traditions left a bankrupt legacy to Islam bereft of any philosophy of thought or action. This bankruptcy of thought was the undoing of the zealous young and old soldiers, who were confronted by the wisdom and philosophies of the ancient civilization of Assyria, Babylon, Greece, Persia, India, China…etc.

Agha M.S. Mirza wrote, “The discomfiture on the part of the Muslims was due to the fact that the early and premature conquests had brought them to the world stage before they had thoroughly imbibed the principles of Islam for it to be infused into their very existence. They had only outwardly left paganism, and old habits of thought that had been ingrained in their nature by centuries of continuous conduct and practice were still lurking in their minds, and like old companions of childhood, held more attraction to them than the new tenets of Islam that were so different to what they had hitherto known and experienced.”29

The poverty of Islamic thought was such that the Muslim conquerors were not aware of any suitable arguments to debate with the ancient wisdom of Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece and India. The conquerors became dumfounded students absorbing the philosophies from their subjects. Their ego did not allow them to abandon the banner of Islam under which they had marched in conquest, but they remained Muslims only in name. Faced with such inconvenient situations, the early three Caliphs issued an edict saying that where no solution could be found readily in the Qur’an, one should use his own conjecture to arrive at a conclusion and deduce a plausible argument. This corrupted the real philosophy of Islam, and instead of searching for a solution in the Qur’an and the Sunna, each one who had any following, invented his own sect of Islam.

Notes

1. The Caliphate, p. 75.

2. Tathkiratul Huffadh, vol. 1 p. 3, The Caliphate, p. 58.

3. Shibli’s Al-Faruq, Part 2, p. 225, ath-Thahabi’s Tathkiratul Huffadh, vol. 1, p. 5.

4. Tathkiratul Huffadh, vol. 1, p. 7, Shibli’s Al-Faruq, Part 2, p. 223.

5. Tathkira of ath-Thahabi, vol. 1, p. 7, Abdul Salam an-Nadawi’s Tarikh al-Fiqh al-Islami, p.161-162, The Caliphate, p. 58-64.

6. Shibli’s Al-Faruq, Part 2, p.223, The Caliphate, p. 59.

7. Kitab Sulaym bin Qais, tradition No.5, p.57, 61, 91, 108 [Eng.Tr. by Sayyid Ali Abid Rizvi & Nilam Rizvi, Pub. by S & N Rizvi, 2001, Honslow, England.

8. The Bible, Genesis, V, at-Tabari, vol. 1, p.76-87, Tarikh al-Kamil of ibnul Athir, vol.1, p 20-26.

9. Kitab Sulaym bin Qais, p. 108.

10. The Caliphate, p. 120.

11. Qur’an, Al Baqara 2 :246 – 251.

12. Muhibbuddin at-Tabari’s Ar-Riyadun Nadira, Part 2, Ch.4, Sec. 6, p.163, Mawaddatul Qurba, Mawaddat 6.

13. Kitab Sulaym bin Qais, p. 57, 61.

14. Ibn Abil Hadid, vol. 1, p. 370.

15. Shibli’s Seeratun Nabi, p. 39-49.

16. Shibli’s Seeratun Nabi, p. 15-17.

17. The Caliphate, p.78.

18. Kitab Sulaym bin Qais, tradition No.10, p.93.

19. Agha S.N. Mirza’s al-Balaghul Mubin, Part 2, p.1326-1361 quoting ibn Taymiyya’s Minhajus Sunna, ibn Hajar al-Asqalani’s Takhrijul Ahadith, al Kashshaf.

20. Kitab Sulaym bin Qais, tradition No.10, p.140.

21. The Caliphate, p.56-57.

22. A study of Islamic History, p.144.

23. A tax levied on non-Muslims living in Muslim countries.

24. Land taxation.

25. Non-Muslims of other Divine religions who live under the Muslim rule.

26. The reciting of ‘Allahu Akbar’.

27. Al Fru, Part 2, p.217, the Caliphate, p.60-64, ibn Sa’d’s Tabaqat, vol. 2, Part 2, p.109, Abdul Salam an-Nadwi’s Tarikh al Fiqh al-Islami, p.161-162 .

28. As-Suyuti’s ad-Durrul Manthur, vol.4, p.54.

29. The Caliphate, p. 338.

Chapter 1: Imamate in the Qur’anic Verse of Ibtila’

وَ إِذِ ابْتَلى إِبْراهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِماتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ قالَ إِنِّي جاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِماماً قالَ وَ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي قالَ لا يَنالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ

“ And when his Lord tried Ibrahim with commands, he fulfilled them. He said: Surely I will make you an Imam for mankind. ( Ibrahim ) said: And of my offspring ( will there be leaders ) ? He said, my covenant does not include the unjust ” . (2:124)

The verse illustrates two points:

1. The position of Imamate is higher in rank than that of Prophet Hood.

2. Imamate (religious leadership) does not include the unjust.

The following section is divided into three parts, each one focuses on one of the following topics:

1. The prominent status of Imamate

2. The (position of) Imamate does not include the unjust

3. The (status of) Imamate in the words of the Imams themselves

Part One: The Prominent Status of Imamate

The above mentioned Qur’anic verse refers to the tests to which Allah exposed the Prophet Ibrahim many years after his prophet hood at the end of his life. Having successfully passed the divine tests and patiently withstood the great hardships, he was granted the position of Imamate.

In order to elucidate the above Qur’anic words, it is necessary to explain some basic questions such as:

1. What relationship was there between the series of trying to which the Prophet Ibrahim was exposed and granting him the position of Imamate?

2. What are the kinds of test to which the verse refers?

3. Can one say that the Imamate bestowed on the Prophet Ibrahim is equal to his Prophetic mission?

4. What idea does the above-mentioned Imamate convey?

We will now go through the above questions one by one.

The Relationship between Trying and the Position of Imamate

Question: In the Qur’anic verse

“And when his Lord tried Ibrahim by means ( of certain ) words, he fulfilled them. He said: Surely I will make you an Imam for mankind…, ”

The word “when” which is an adverb of time, requires an adjunct. The question is: What is its adjunct? The first supposition is that the word “when” requires the adjunctremember , which has not been stated explicitly . Thus, the verse reads

“ O Prophet! Remember the time when his Lord tried Ibrahim by means ( of certain ) words… ”

An assumption like this is open to criticisms, like:

1) This supposition entails deleting something or refraining from stating it explicitly which is contrary to basic rule (of rhetoric).

2) Without a conjunction “and” the clause “Surely I will make you an Imam for mankind ”, is separated from the previous one.

Apparently, the context of the clause “I will make you an Imam ” is not disconnected from the previous one but it is semantically and syntactically dependent on it. Since there is no conjunction “and” to join the two parts, it seems that when this part comes with the preceding part it forms a whole.

The relation between these two parts is an outcome of the dependence of “when” or “He said ”. Thus the meaning will be like this: “When his Lord had tested Ibrahim, He said to him ‘I will make you an Imam’”.

Accordingly, tests prepared the ground for granting Imamate to Prophet Ibrahim. Another solid evidence is the Qur’anic verse wherein the relationship between the “patience” and “Imamate” of prophets is clearly explained:

“And we made of them Imams to guide by our command for they were patient, and they were certain of our clear signs ” . (32:24)

The above verse mentions that it is due to the prophets’ “patience” and “certainty” that they were granted Imamate, and this clearly shows that there is a connection between the tests to which the Prophet Ibrahim was exposed and the rank of Imamate to which the stated verse refers.

Ibrahim’s Tests and Trials

What were the tests that made the Prophet Ibrahim worthy of holding the position of Imamate?

The Qur’anic verse states that Ibrahim was tested through “words”, and he brilliantly succeeded in the test. The words were apparently particular commands by means of which he was tested.

What the noble Qur’an means by “manifest trial ”1 which the Prophet Ibrahim faced in his life is his determination to offer his son as a sacrifice; an act which confirms Ibrahim’s boundless generosity and complete submission to Almighty God.

It should be noted here that the Prophet Ibrahim was put to test when he was very old, many years after he had been made a prophet and was given a son, Ismail, when aged.

Does Imamate to which this Qur’anic verse refers mean the same as Prophet Ibrahim’s prophethood?

Some commentators maintain that the Imamate given to the Prophet Ibrahim is identical to his divine mission and prophet hood but as previously stated Imamate is different from prophet hood for two reasons:

(a) The Qur’anic verse clearly states that this Imamate was granted to the Prophet Ibrahim after many trials, one of which is the offering of his son as a sacrifice, long after he had been made a prophet.

(b) The expressionja’iloka (I am assigning you) derived from the verbja’l (make) is a present participle and its objective complement,imaman اماماً that has nunation (tanween ) does not refer to the past it refers to the present or future.

Therefore, (contrary to the claim of some commentators,) the present participle “assigning” does not apply to the past and so it cannot indicate that the divine mission and prophet hood are the same as Imamate.

What does Imamate mean?

From the Qur’anic verse we learn that Imamate or religious leadership is different fromnubuwwat (prophet hood). An Imam is a leader, definitely appointed by God, to be a guide and an example for people to follow in all aspects.

1. That the position of Imamate was granted to Ibrahim years after his being messenger and after he had successfully passed the great divine trials, clearly shows that Imamate is not on the same plane as prophet hood, but enjoys a higher status.

2. Now that Imamate has been proved to have a higher status than prophet hood, and according to immutable reasons a prophet must be divinely protected against any error and sin, it follows that inerrancy is inseparably linked to the position that is loftier than prophet hood.

Part Two: Imamate does not include the unjust

The stated Qur’anic verse points to the impeccability of Imams when it says

“ My covenant does not include the unjust ”

Thus signifying that the unjust must not hold this position.

When God, the Most High said,

“ I will make you an Imam for mankind ”

The Prophet Ibrahim (as) asked,

“ And of my offspring ( will there be leaders )?”

God the Most High replied,

“ My covenant does not include the unjust ” .

So, this verse suggests the following points:

a) Imamate is God’s covenant.

b) This covenant does not include the unjust, and since a sin is considered injustice, a person who is not divinely protected commits sins.

The above verse clearly and irrefutably shows that a religious leader (Imam) must necessarily be immune from sins and errors when his Imamate begins.

Does this mean that those who previously were unjust can hold the position of Imamate? In other words, does the (Arabic) derivativezalim (unjust) concern the present, not the past so that it does not include those who were unjust in the past but those who are just now?

Does the Qur’anic verse suggest that the person who is unjust at the time of undertaking Imamate will be deprived of this position, but the person who was unjust in the past but is not unjust now, can become an imam, (a religious leader)?

In answer to the above assumption, let us consider two citations:

1. In his Qur’anic Exegesis ofal-Meezan , Allamah Tabataba’i quotes the renowned scholar the late Haji Sheikh Mohammad al-Husain Isfahani as saying, Prophet Ibrahim’s offspring can be divided into four groups:

a) Those who had been unjust before holding the position of Imamate;

b) Those who had been just before holding the position of Imamate, and became unjust after their holding it.

c) Those who had been unjust prior to holding the position of Imamate, but became just after holding it.

d) Those who were just both before and after holding the position of Imamate.

Prophet Ibrahim, grand as his dignity is, never includes the first two groups in his inquiry. Therefore, his words “and of my offspring? ” refer to the third and fourth group.

Then, the reply which he gets from God, the Most High, “My covenant does not include the unjust ”, excludes those in the third group who were unjust in the past and are just at the time of occupying the position of Imamate. Accordingly, only the fourth group of his progeny are worthy of Imamate.

2. In hisMa’jma’ al-Bayan, a Qur’anic exegesis, the late Tabarsi says:

“We agree that the termzalim (unjust) does not apply to the person who is not unjust at the present, but this word applies to the person who had previously been unjust at the moment of his exercising injustice. The above mentioned Qur’anic verse refers to such a person whom it considers not worthy of becoming Imam. The statement “does not include ”, which is a negative present tense, testifies to this idea”.

It follows that a person who has sinned, though for a single moment throughout his life can never become an Imam because such a person was a sinner at that particular moment, and the noble Qur’an states, “My covenant does not include the unjust ” .

It is clear now that the Qur’anic verse emphasizes a twofold inerrancy of Imams, including the time of their holding the position of Imamate and throughout their lifetime. It is also clear that Imamate is a divine post set by the Almighty God, i.e. a divine gift given to those whom God considers worthy of it.

Part Three: The Status of Imamate in the Words of Imams

After we have investigated the Qua’anic verse, it is now befitting to go through a narration reported from Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Rida (as), the 8th Imam of the Shi’ah, in which he elucidates the reality of Imamate:

“Abdul Aziz ibn Muslim is quoted to have said, ‘On the first days of our arrival at Marv, we assembled in the presence of Imam al Rida, (as) in the great mosque of the city of Marv. Some started talking about Imamate and said that there had been different views over it.

So, I went to my master, Imam al-Rida (as), and informed him about people’s arguing about the subject. He smiled and said ‘O Abdul Aziz, these men do not know the reality and have been deviated from what they believe to be right.

‘God, the All-mighty did not raise his Prophet up (to Him) before He had perfected the religion for him ,sent on to him the Qur’an, which‘clearly explains everything and delineatedthe lawful, the unlawful,hudood (penal law), divine precepts and all that people need, as he says

‘We have not neglected anything in the Book’ .(6:38)

In the Farewell pilgrimage and towards the end of the Prophet’s life; God, revealed the verse:

‘This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed my favour on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion ” . (5:3)

Therefore, Imamate is indispensable to religion.

The Prophet did not leave this world before he had clarified to the Muslims the principal features of their religion, pointed out the true path and appointed ‘Ali (as) as their leader, leaving nothing of their problems unsettled.

So, those who suppose that God, the All-mighty has not perfected His religion reject the Book of Allah, and those who reject the Book are disbelievers. Do they know the significance of Imamate and its status in the community to allow themselves to embark on it?

Imamate is too great in worth, too lofty in status, too high in rank, too invincible in nature and too profound in depth for people to fathom it by their intellect or approach it through their thought or elect an Imam according to their will.

Imamate is a position for which God, the All-mighty, has singled out Ibrahim (as) after granting him the rank of prophet hood and taking him as a friend, a favour with which He has honoured him, as he said,“ I will make you an Imam for mankind ” . Then, God’s friend, Ibrahim, who was highly delighted asked, “and of my offspring? ”

God the All-mighty said, “My covenant does not include the unjust” . This Qur’anic verse has nullified the possibility of the unjust ones’ becoming imams until the Day of Resurrection and so Imamate has become a privileged position for the purified. God has honoured Ibrahim when He granted Imamated only to the selected and pure ones from among his offspring, as in the Qur’anic verse:

“And We bestowed Isaac and ( then ) Jacob on him as an additional boon; each We made into honourable man. We made them leaders to guide ( others ) by Our command and We inspired them to perform good deeds, keep up prayer, and pay alms. They have been serving Us ( alone )” . (21:72-3)

Imamate continued as a previledged position for his offspring over the ages until God, the Mighty and High donated it to the holy Prophet, and said,

“ Most surely the nearest of people to Ibrahim are those who followed him and this Prophet and those who believe and Allah is the guardian of the believers ” . (3:68)

Then, by God’s command, the Prophet (sa) placed Imamate in ‘Ali and in his chosen offspring, to whom God, the Mighty and High, has given knowledge and faith, as the Qur’an says,

And those who are given knowledge and faith will say: Certainly you tarried according to the ordinance of Allah till the day of resurrection ” . (30:56)

This position will remain in Ali’s (as) unerring offspring until the day of resurrection. How can these ignorant people designate an Imam? Imamate is a previledged position for the Prophets and a heritage for the Prophet’s trustees.

Imamate is God’s caliphate and a successor to the Prophet’s caliphate (saws) it is a previledged position of the Commander of the Faithful (saws), and the inheritance of al-Hasan (as) and al-Husain (as). Imamate is the reins of the religion, the Muslims’ order, the soundness of this life and the

believers’ might. Imamate is the cornerstone of ever-growing Islam and its highest branch.

It is only through the Imam that prayers, alms, fasting,Hajj and holy war (jihad ) can be accomplished; it is through Imam that the divine punishments and laws can be executed and frontiers safeguarded.

It is the Imam who proclaims lawful what God has made lawful and proclaims unlawful what God has made unlawful, defends God’s religion, and summons (people) to the way of Allah through wisdom, good advice and conclusive argument. The Imam is like the sun that lights up the world while it is high up in the sky neither hands can reach it nor eyes can perceive it.

The Imam is the bright moon, the illuminating beacon, the radiant light and the star that (safely) guides people in gathering darkness, (unknown) tracks of towns and deserts and swelling waves of sea. The Imam is like pure drinking water, rainy cloud, a falling rain, a bright sun, and a shading canopy, an expanse of land, a gushing spring, and a brook and a garden.

The Imam is a companion, a friend, a loving father, an equal brother, a kind mother, a shelter to the God-fearing at the time of greate distress. The Imam is Allah’s trustee for His creatures, His proof over His worshippers, His calipha in His land, the one who summons (people) to Allah and defends Allah’s sanctity.

The Imam is purified from sins and kept entirely free from defects, singled out as a man of (divine) knowledge and known for his endurance; hea source of the order of the religion, honour of Muslims, anger of hypocrites, and eradication of disbelievers.

The Imam is a peerless one of his time, whose dignity no one (else) can attain, whose merits are not acquired, but are granted to him by God, the Bestower who can (claim to) have known the Imam thoroughly, or to have the ability of electing him?

What an idea! Intellects are lost, visions are weary, the eminent are little, the sage had bewildered, orators have fallen short to give speech, poets have been togue-tied, men of literature have failed and the eloquent have not been able to describe a single feature or a single merit of the Imam, for the Imam is like a star, too distant for men to reach or for describers to describe.

Do you imagine that these attributes are found in other than the family of the Prophet (saws)? I swear by God that, their souls that have cheated them and their illusion has made dire them deviate (from reality).

They have taken a steep roadwhere their legs take them to degradation. They relyed on their defective minds in their conception of the (office of) Imamate, therefore they have gone astray and deviated (from the divine command) so mach so that they have too far from him,

“May Allah destroy them, how they are turned away ” (9:30)

Having distanced themselves from the choices of God, His messenger and the Prophet’s Household, they followed their own inclinations, although the Qur’an addresses them as it states:

“And your Lord creates and chooses whom He pleases; to choose is not theirs”, (28:68)

“And it behaves not a believing man and a believing woman that they should have any choice in their matter when Allah and His Apostle have decided a matter ” (33:36)

“ How do you judge? ” (10:35)

“Or have you a book wherein you read? That you have surely therein what you choose? Or have you received from us an agreement confirmed by an oath extending to the day of resurrection that you shall surely have what you demand? Ask them which of them will vouch for that. Or do they have associates if they are truthful ” (73: 36-41)

Also, the Qur’an states:

“Do they not then reflect on the Qur’an? Nay, on the hearts there are locks ” (47:24)

“ …a seal is set on their hearts so they do not understand ” . (9:87)

“ …they said, we hear, but they did not obey. Surely the vilest of animals, in Allah’s sight, are the deaf, the dumb, who do not understand. And if Allah had known any good in them He would have made them hear, and if He makes them hear they would turn back while they withdraw ” . (8:21-23)

“They said; we hear and disobey ” . (2:93)

How can they ever venture to elect the Imam? he is one in whose sphere of knowledge ignorance has no place; he is a leader who knows no fear, nor does he retreat; he is the substance of divinity and sanctity, purity, , asceticism renunciation; knowledge and worshop of God.

He has been singled out in the Prophet’s supplications, he is a descendent of the Pure Fatimah, God’s peace be upon her; he is one whose lineage no one can question, he enjoys a unique honourable stition, he comes from theQuraysh and is the pinnacle of the Hashim clan, a descendant of the holy Prophet, may God’s peace and blessing be on him, and the object of God’s good pleasure the honour of the noble.

The offspring of Abd Monaf, praiseworthy who is known for his thrivingknowledge and endless forbearance, Fully competent in imamate and aware of politics, obeying him is in combenton Muslims, he upholds God’s command, offers counselling to god’s servants, and protects God’s religion.

Surely God gives success to prophets and Imams and grants them of his stored knowledge and wisdom, what he has not given to any, and so their knowledge is beyond that of the people of their time, as God has said,

“Is He who guides to the truth more worthy to be followed, or he who himself does not go aright unless he is guided? What is the matter with you; how do you judge? ” (10:35)

Or, “and whoever is granted wisdom, is given a great good ” . (2:269)

Or, referring to saul he has said “Surely Allah has chosen him in preference to you, and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and physique; and Allah grants His kingdom to whom He pleases, and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing ” . (2:247)

God, the Mighty and High address His Messenger when he says,

“And Allah has revealed to you the Book and the wisdom, and He has taught you what you did not know; Allah’s grace to you is very great ” (4:113)

As regards the Imams from the Household of the Prophet, God, the Most High, has said,

“Or do they envy the people for the greace that Allah has given them? We gave the people of Ibrahim the Book and the wisdom, and we gave them a grand kingdom. So some of them believed in him and some turned away from him; and hell is sufficient to burn ” (4:54)

When God appoints someone to manage the affairs of His servants,He expands his breast for it, deposits fountainheads of wisdom gush in his heart, and inspires him with abundent knowledge that enables him to answer any question and not to deviate from the right path.

That is, the Imam is fully immune from sin and error, is singled out for this by God to be God’s proof over His servants,

“This is Allah’s grace, He gives it to whom He pleases and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing ” . (5:54)

Do people have the ability to elect such a person? Or does their candidate enjoy such qualities? I swear by the house of God that these people have transgressed the right they have been entitled to,

And they threw the Book of Allah behind their back as if they knew nothing” (2:101)

Whereas in the Book of Allah there is guidance and cure. They disregarded the Book of Allah and followed their own whims, and so God blamed them and despised them, as he says:

“and who is more erring than he who follows his low desires without any guidance from Allah? Surely Allah does not guide the unjust people ”, (28:50)

Or, “for them is destruction and He has made their deeds ineffective ” (47:8)

Or, “ greatly hated is it by Allah and by those who believe. Thus does Allah set a seal over the heart of every proud, haughty one ” ? (40:35)

“May God’s abundant peace and blessing be upon the Prophet Mohammad and his descendants”!2

References

1.- Surah 37, verse 106

2.- Usool al-Kafi, the translation of vol. 1, p. 283 (the original text: vol. 1, p. 198); Oyoon Akhbar al-Rida (p.b.u.h.), vol. 1, p. 216.