20. Some Commonly Misused Shi’i Ahadith On The Mahdi
In this chapter, we will be examining the ahadith that are often quoted from Shi’i books by some Sunni elements to “expose the Shi’i Mahdi”. These reports are found in almost every anti-Shi’i article or book, as long as the topic is, or is related to, al-mahdawiyyah. What our noble reader will soon notice is that it is extremely rare to find a single reliable hadith among them. Unfortunately, this is the ugly tradition of the Ahl al-Sunnah concerning Shi’i riwayat generally. The chance that a Sunni will, in any situation, quote a reliable hadith from the Shi’i sources to prove any point against the Shi’ah is virtually nil. Even then, those dha’if reports are still often overstretched to “prove” what their texts clearly do not indicate! May Allah save our Ummah from ignorant and dishonest “callers”.
So, we strongly advise our brothers and sisters from the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah and the Shi’ah Imamiyyah: whenever anyone - whether Sunni, Shi’i or otherwise - claims to you that a certain hadith exists in the Shi’i sources, demand adamantly that he must produce:
(i) its full Arabic text with its chain of narration;
(ii) evidence of the reliability of its sanad;
(iii) its primary source with the full citation;
(iv) a declaration that it does not originate from a dha’if source book;
(v) a declaration that it does not contradict the Qur’an as interpreted in authentic Shi’i ahadith; and
(vi) a declaration that it does not contradict superior Shi’i ahadith.
When you do this, you have already won 2/3 of the battle to defeat deceit and trickery.
Narration One
‘Allamah al-Majlisi (d. 1111 H) records:
الغيبة للنعماني: ابن عقدة، عن محمد بن المفضل بن إبراهيم عن محمد بن عبد الله ابن زرارة، عن الحارث بن المغيرة وذريح المحاربي قالا: قال أبو عبد الله عليه السلام :
ما بقي بيننا وبين العرب إلا الذبح وأومأ بيده إلى حلقه
Al-Ghaybah of al-Nu’mani: Ibn ‘Uqdah - Muhammad b. al-Mufadhdhal b. Ibrahim - Muhammad b. ‘Abd Allah b. Zurarah - al-Harith b. al-Mughirah and Dhurayh al-Muharibi:
Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, said: “Nothing remains between us and the Arabs except slaughter.” And he gestured with his hand to his throat.
This hadith is dha’if, according to Ayatullah al-Muhsini,
. Therefore, it is not a proof; and it is not entirely honest of anyone to quote it against the Shi’ah.
NOTE: The report was copied by al-Majlisi from al-Ghaybah of al-Nu’mani. For a hadith to be authentic, it must be (i) from an authentic book, (ii) with an authentic chain. If either of these two conditions is missing, then the riwayah collapses. In the present case, the weakness of the report is glaring at the very first glance, even without further look into its sanad. It is from al-Ghaybah of al-Nu’mani - a dha’if book. The origin and genuineness of the book are not established through reliable means, and the preservation of its texts is in question too
. Other similarly dha’if books are Basair al-Darajat of al-Saffar, Amali of al-Mufid, Amali of al-Tusi, the Tafsir attributed to al-Qummi, Kitab al-Mahasin of al-Barqi, al-Ikhtisas attributed to al-Mufid, Qurb al-Isnad of ‘Abd Allah or his son Muhammad, and the Tafsir attributed to Imam al-Hasan al-Askari, ‘alaihi al-salam
. There are also a few more others, for instance Kitab Sulaym. Therefore, when a riwayah is quoted from any of these and other dha’if books, it is thrown out to the dogs whatever its sanad, unless it is seen that it has been authentically transmitted in one of the established books.
Narration Two
‘Allamah al-Majlisi records:
بصائر الدرجات: حمزة بن يعلى، عن محمد بن الفضيل، عن الربعي، عن رفيد مولى ابن هبيرة قال: قلت لأبي عبد الله عليه السلام: جعلت فداك يا ابن رسول الله يسير القائم بسيرة علي بن أبي طالب في أهل السواد؟ فقال: لا، يا رفيد إن علي بن أبي طالب سار في أهل السواد بما في الجفر الأبيض، وإن القائم يسير في العرب بما في الجفر الأحمر، قال: فقلت: جعلت فداك وما الجفر الأحمر؟ قال :فأمر أصبعه على خلقه فقال: هكذا يعني الذبح
Basair al-Darajat: Hamzah b. Ya’la - Muhammad b. al-Fudhayl - al-Rib’i - Rufayd, freed slave of Ibn Hubayrah:
I said to Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, “May I be sacrificed for you, O son of the Messenger of Allah. Will the Qaim follow the tradition of ‘Ali b. Abi Talib concerning the people of the sawad?” He replied, “No, O Rufayd. Verily, ‘Ali b. Abi Talib followed concerning the people of the sawad what is in the white scroll, and verily the Qaim will follow concerning the Arabs what is in the red scroll.” So, I said, “May I be sacrificed for you, what is the red scroll?” He passed his finger over his throat and said, “It is like that”, meaning slaughter.
This same report is narrated through another chain, as quoted by al-Majlisi:
بصائر الدرجات: أحمد بن محمد، عن ابن سنان، عن رفيد مولى أبي هبيرة، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام
Basair al-Darajat: Ahmad b. Muhammad - Ibn Sinan - Rufayd, freed slave of Abi Hubayrah - Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him.
Again, this hadith - which is patently from a dha’if book - is dha’if, according to Ayatullah Muhsini
. Shaykh ‘Ali Al Muhsin also states about the riwayah:
وهو حديث ضعيف
It is a dha’if hadith.
Meanwhile, Shaykh al-Najashi (d. 450 H) further submits about one of its narrators:
محمد بن سنان … هو رجل ضعيف جدا لا يعول عليه ولا يلتفت إلى ما تفرد به
Muhammad b. Sinan he is a man who is dha’if jiddan (very weak). He is not relied upon, and no attention is paid to whatever he narrated without corroboration.
And, Shaykh al-Jawahiri also declares about another - who is variously identified as a freed slave of “Ibn Hubayrah”, “Abu Hubayrah” and “Banu Hubayrah”:
رفيد مولى بني هبيرة: مجهول
Rufayd, freed slave of Banu Hubayrah: Majhul.
So, it is a severely dha’if report. This implication of this, of course, is obvious.
Narration Three
‘Allamah al-Majlisi records:
الغيبة للنعماني: علي بن الحسين، عن محمد العطار، عن محمد بن الحسن، عن محمد بن علي الكوفي، عن البزنطي، عن العلا، عن محمد قال: سمعت أبا جعفر عليه السلام يقول: لو يعلم الناس ما يصنع القائم إذا خرج لأحب أكثرهم أن لا يروه مما يقتل من الناس، أما إنه لا يبدء إلا بقريش، فلا يأخذ منها إلا السيف ولا يعطيها إلا السيف حتى يقول كثير من الناس: ليس هذا من آل محمد، لو كان من آل محمد لرحم
Al-Ghaybah of al-Nu’mani: ‘Ali b. al-Husayn - Muhammad al-‘Aṭṭar - Muhammad b. al-Hasan - Muhammad b. ‘Ali al-Kufi - al-Bazanṭi - al-‘Ala - Muhammad - Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him:
If the people knew what the Qaim will do when he rises, most of them would love not to see him, due to those he will kill from the people. But, he will not start (the killings) except with Quraysh. He will not take from it except the sword, and will not give to it except the sword, until a lot of people will say, “This one is not from the family of Muhammad. If he were from the family of Muhammad, he would have been merciful.”
It is from a dha’if book. It is equally a dha’if report according to Ayatullah Muhsini.
Meanwhile, Muhammad b. ‘Ali al-Kufi in the chain is majhul, as he has no valid tawthiq.
Narration Four
‘Allamah al-Majlisi records:
الإرشاد: روى عبد الله بن المغيرة، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: إذا قام القائم من آل محمد عليهم السلام أقام خمسمائة من قريش فضرب أعناقهم، ثم أقام خمسمائة أخرى حتى يفعل ذلك ست مرات قلت :ويبلغ عدد هؤلاء هذا؟ قال: نعم منهم ومن مواليهم
Al-Irshad: ‘Abd Allah b. al-Mughirah narrated that Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, said:
“When the Qaim from the family of Muhammad, peace be upon him, rises, he will raise up five hundred from Quraysh, and will hit their necks. Then, he will raise up another five hundred until he will do that six times.”
I said, “And the number of these people will be up to that?” He said, “Yes, from them and their followers.”
The hadith is dha’if according to Ayatullah Muhsini.
It is apparently a mursal report, with no chain of narration.
Narration Five
‘Allamah al-Majlisi records:
غيبة الشيخ الطوسي: الفضل، عن علي بن أسباط، عن أبيه أسباط بن سالم، عن موسى الابار، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام أنه قال: اتق العرب فان لهم خبر سوء أما إنه لم يخرج مع القائم منهم واحد
Ghaybah of Shaykh al-Tusi: al-Fadhl - ‘Ali b. Asbaṭ - his father Asbaṭ b. Salim - Musa al-Abar - Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him:
Fear the Arabs, for there is evil news for them. Verily, not one of them will rise with the Qaim.
This hadith is dha’if, according to Ayatullah Muhsini
. Shaykh ‘Ali Al Muhsin also says about it:
وهذه الرواية ضعيفة السند, فإن راوي الرواية موسى الأبار مجهول الحال, لم يثبت توثيقه في كتب الرجال, والراوي عنه أسباط بن سالم, وهو لم يُوثَّق
This report has a dha’if chain, for the narrator of the report, Musa al-Abar, is majhul in status. His tawthiq is not established in the books of al-rijal. The narrator from him, as well, Asbaṭ b. Salim, he has no tawthiq.
Of course, a lot of the helpers of the Mahdi, ‘alaihi al-salam, will be from the Arabs.
Narration Six
‘Allamah al-Majlisi records:
وروى ابن عياش في المقتضب، عن الحسين بن علي بن سفيان البزوفري عن محمد بن علي بن الحسن البوشنجاني، عن أبيه، عن محمد بن سليمان، عن أبيه، عن النوشجان بن البودمردان، قال: لما جلى الفرس عن القادسية وبلغ يزدجرد بن شهريار ما كان من رستم وإدالة العرب عليه وظن أن رستم قد هلك والفرس جميعا وجاء مبادر وأخبره بيوم القادسية وانجلائها عن خمسين ألف قتيل، خرج يزدجرد هاربا في أهل بيته ووقف بباب الإيوان، وقال: السلام عليك أيها الإيوان! ها أنا ذا منصرف عنك وراجع إليك، أنا أو رجل من ولدي لم يدن زمانه ولا آن أوانه. قال سليمان الديلمي: فدخلت على أبي عبد الله عليه السلام فسألته عن ذلك وقلت له: ما قوله: " أو رجل من ولدي " فقال: ذلك صاحبكم القائم بأمر الله عز وجل السادس من ولدي قد ولده يزدجرد فهو ولده
Ibn ‘Ayyash in al-Muqtadhab: al-Husayn b. ‘Ali b. Sufyan al-Buzwafri - Muhammad b. ‘Ali b. al-Hasan al-Bushanjani - his father - Muhammad b. Sulayman - his father - al-Nushjan b. al-Budmirdan:
When the Persians were defeated at al-Qadisiyyah and Yazdgerd b. Shahriyar was informed of what happened to Rustum and the victory of the Arabs over him, he thought that Rustum had died and all of Persia had fallen. Then, a fleeing soldier came and informed him of the Day of al-Qadisiyyah and its conclusion with 50,000 death casualties.Yazdgerd went out, fleeing to his family, and he stayed at the gate of al-Iwan and said, “As-Salamu ‘Alaika, O you al-Iwan. This is where I am going to leave you, and I will return to you, I or a man from my offspring. His period has not approached and his time has not come.”
Sulayman al-Daylami said: So, I went to Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, and asked him concerning that, saying to him, “What is his statement ‘Or a man from my offspring’?” He replied, “That is your master, the Qaim with the Command of Allah the Almighty, the sixth in line from MY offspring. Yazdgerd was his ancestor. So, he is his descendant.”
Strangely, those who “use” this hadith quote it to “prove” that the “Shi’i Mahdi” is from the descendants of Yazdgerd III, the last Persian emperor of the Sassanid dynasty, and not from the Prophet’s offspring! Yet, the same report explicit mentions that the Mahdi is the sixth in line from the offspring of Imam al-Sadiq, ‘alaihi al-salam. Wasn’t al-Sadiq from the descendants of Imam al-Husayn, ‘alaihi al-salam?
In any case, the above hadith is mawdhu’ (fabricated). Al-Bushanjani and his father are muhmal (untraceable). They have no entries in the Shi’i rijal books. Due to this, it is impossible also to determine exactly whom the “Muhammad b. Sulayman” - from whom al-Bushanjani’s father narrated - was. This makes him majhul (unknown) too, along with his “unknown” father. In addition, al-Nushjan, the main narrator, is equally muhmal (untraceable), with zero entry in the Shi’i rijal sources! As for Sulayman al-Daylami, who narrated the last part of the riwayah, this is what the Shi’i hadith scientist, al-Jawahiri says about him:
سليمان بن عبد الله: الديلمي، أبو محمد … غمز عليه، وقيل كان غاليا كذابا، وكذلك ابنه محمد، لا يعمل بما انفردا به
Sulayman b. ‘Abd Allah al-Daylami, Abu Muhammad He is condemned, and it is said, “He was a ghali, A LIAR” and so was his son Muhammad. Their uncorroborated reports are not acted upon.
Why then exactly do these Sunnis quote the hadith of such people?
Narration Seven
‘Allamah al-Majlisi records:
غيبة الشيخ الطوسي: الفضل، عن عبد الرحمان، عن ابن أبي حمزة، عن أبي بصير، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: القائم يهدم المسجد الحرام حتى يرده إلى أساسه، ومسجد الرسول صلى الله عليه وآله إلى أساسه ويرد البيت إلى موضعه، وأقامه على أساسه، وقطع أيدي بني شيبة السراق، وعلقها على الكعبة
Ghaybah of Shaykh al-Tusi: al-Fadhl - ‘Abd al-Rahman - Ibn Abi Hamzah - Abu Basir - Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him:
The Qaim will demolish the Masjid al-Haram in order to return it to its original foundations, and will demolish the Mosque of the Messenger, peace be upon him and his family, in order to return it to its original foundations; and he will return the House to its correct place and will erect it on its original foundations. He will also cut off the hands of Banu Shaybah The Thieves and will hang them on the Ka’bah.
Of course, this riwayah too is dha’if according to Ayatullah Muhsini
. Shaykh ‘Ali Al Muhsin also declares:
والحاصل أن أسانيد هذا الخبر كلها لا تقوم بها الحجة, فلا يصح الاحتجاج به ولا التعويل عليه
The conclusion is that all the chains of this report are not reliable. Therefore, it is not correct to use it as evidence or to rely upon it.
And, al-Jawahiri has some information concerning ‘Ali in the chain:
علي بن أبي حمزة: البطائني … كذاب متهم كما قاله ابن فضال
‘Ali b. Abi Hamzah al-Baṭaini: A LIAR, accused (of fabricating ahadith), as said by Ibn Fadhdhal.
Alas, some of our brothers from the Ahl al-Sunnah mischievously or ignorantly quote this dha’if hadith as a “shock” tactic. The aim to make the unsuspecting Sunni scream in disbelief at the “evil” beliefs of the Shi’ah. However, decency requires that reliable riwayat be quoted from the authentic books of any sect, at the least, in establishing any claim against them.
Meanwhile, such matters should be of no “shock” to Sunni Muslims at all. In fact, according to sahih Sunni ahadith, the Ka’bah actually needs demolition and reconstruction. Imam Muslim (d. 261 H) records why:
وحدثني محمد بن حاتم حدثني ابن مهدي حدثنا سليم بن حيان عن سعيد (يعني ابن ميناء) قال سمعت عبدالله بن الزبير يقول حدثتني خالتي ( يعني عائشة ) قالت قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم يا عائشة لولا أن قومك حديثو عهد بشرك لهدمت الكعبة فألزقتها بالأرض وجعلت لها بابين بابا شرقيا وبابا غربيا وزدت فيها ستة أذرع من الحجر فإن قريشا اقتصرتها حيث بنت الكعبة
Muhammad b. Hatim - Ibn Mahdi - Sulaym b. Hayyan - Sa’id b. Mayna - ‘Abd Allah b. al-Zubayr - ‘Aishah:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, “O ‘Aishah, if your people had not been recently polytheists, I would have demolished the Ka’bah, and would have razed it to the ground, and would have constructed two doors, one facing the east and the other one to the west, and would have added to it six cubits of area from al-Hijr, for the Quraysh had reduced it when they rebuilt it.”
We read again from the same Sahih Muslim:
حدثنا يحيى بن يحيى أخبرنا أبو معاوية عن هشام بن عروة عن أبيه عن عائشة قالت قال لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم لولا حداثة عهد قومك بالكفر لنقضت الكعبة ولجعلتها على أساس إبراهيم فإن قريشا حين بنت البيت استقصرت ولجعلت لها خلف
Yahya b. Yahya - Abu Mu’awiyah - Hisham b. ‘Urwah - his father - ‘Aishah:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said to me, “Had your people not been disbelievers until recently, I would have demolished the Ka’bah and would have rebuilt it upon the foundation laid by Ibrahim for when the Quraysh built the House, they reduced (it), and I would have built for it in the rear.”
Imam al-Bukhari (d. 256 H) documents further:
حدثنا عبد الله بن مسلمة عن مالك عن ابن شهاب عن سالم بن عبد الله أن عبد الله بن محمد بن أبي بكر أخبر عبد الله بن عمر عن عائشة رضي الله عنهم زوج النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم : أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم قال لها ألم تري أن قومك لما بنوا الكعبة اقتصروا عن قواعد إبراهيم. فقلت يا رسول الله ألا تردها على قواعد إبراهيم قال لولا حدثان قومك بالكفر لفعلت
‘Abd Allah b. Maslamah - Malik - Ibn Shihab - Salim b. ‘Abd Allah - ‘Abd Allah b. Muhammad b. Abi Bakr informed ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Umar that ‘Aishah, may Allah be pleased with them, the wife of the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said to her, “Don’t you see that when your people rebuilt the Ka’bah, they decreased from the original foundation laid by Ibrahim?” I said, “O Messenger of Allah, why don’t you rebuild it on its original foundation laid by Ibrahim?” He replied, “If not that your people had only recently given up kufr (disbelief), I would have done so.”
The tribe of Quraysh had built the Ka’bah on the wrong foundations. So, it was the desire of the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alaihi wa alihi, to demolish it completely and reconstruct it upon the correct Ibrahimic foundations. However, he feared that his Sahabah - who had been Muslims for more than thirteen years already - could revolt and possibly apostatize from Islam if he did! That reveals the level of the iman of the Qurayshis among the Sahabah generally.
Interestingly, one of the important Sunni caliphs created a rare opportunity to correct this anomaly when he burnt the Ka’bah in a military onslaught on Makkah. But then, that was quickly reversed soon afterwards. Imam Muslim has the story for us:
حدثنا هناد بن السري حدثنا ابن أبي زائدة أخبرني ابن أبي سليمان عن عطاء قال
لما احترق البيت زمن زيد بن معاوية حين غزاها أهل الشام فكان من أمره ما كان تركه ابن الزبير حتى قدم الناس الموسم فقال ابن الزبير لو كان أحدكم احترق بيته ما رضي حتى يجده فكيف بيت ربكم ؟ إني مستخير ربي ثلاثا ثم عازم على أمري فلما مضى الثلاث أجمع رأيه على أن ينقضها فتحاماه الناس أن ينزل بأول الناس يصعد فيه أمر من السماء حتى صعد رجل فألقى منه حجارة فلما لم يره الناس أصابه شيء تتابعوه فنقضوه حتى بلغوا به الأرض
فجعل ابن الزبير أعمدة فستر عليها الستور حتى ارتفع بناؤه وقال ابن الزبير إني سمعت عائشة تقول إن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم قال لولا أن الناس حديث عهدهم بكفر وليس عندي من النفقة ما يقوى على بنائه لكنت أدخلت فيه من الحجر خمس أذرع ولجعلت لها بابا يدخل الناس منه وبابا يخرجون منه قال فأنا اليوم أجد ما أنفق ولست أخاف الناس قال فزاد فيه خمس أذرع من الحجر حتى أبدى أسا نظر الناس إليه فبنى عليه البناء وكان طول الكعبة ثماني عشرة ذراعا فلما زاد فيه استقصره فزاد في طوله عشر أذرع وجعل له بابين أحدهما يدخل منه والآخر يخرج منه
فلما قتل ابن الزبير كتب الحجاج إلى عبدالملك بن مروان يخبره بذلك ويخبره أن ابن الزبير قد وضع البناء على أس نظر إليه العدول من أهل مكة فكتب إليه عبدالملك إنا لسنا من تلطيخ ابن الزبير في شيء أما ما زاد في طوله فأقره وأما ما زاد فيه من الحجر فرده إلى بنائه وسد الباب الذي فتحه فنقضه وأعاده إلى بنائه
Hanad b. al-Sarri - Ibn Abi Zaidah - Ibn Abi Sulayman - ‘Aṭa:
When the House was BURNT during the time of Yazid b. Mu’awiyah when the people of Syria attacked it (i.e. Makkah), what occurred was from his (i.e. Yazid’s) command. Ibn al-Zubayr abandoned it (i.e. the burnt Ka’bah) until the people arrived (in Makkah) during the Hajj season So, Ibn al-Zubayr said: “If the house of any of you were burnt, he would not be contented until he had reconstructed it. How then about the House of your Lord? I will seek guidance from my Lord for three (days). Then, I will make up my mind on my command.” After the passing of the three, he decided to demolish it. The people apprehended that heavenly calamity would befall the first person to climb it, till a man climbed and threw down one of its stones. When the people saw that no calamity befell him, they followed him and demolished it and razed it to the ground.
So, Ibn al-Zubayr erected pillars and hanged curtains on them till the walls were raised. Then Ibn al-Zubayr said: I heard ‘Aishah saying that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “If the people had not only recently abandoned disbelief and I had the financial means to reconstruct it, I would have included in it five cubits of area from al-Hijr, and would have also constructed an entry door and an exit door.” He (Ibn al-Zubayr) said: “Today, I have the financial means and I do not fear the people.” So, he added five cubits of area from al-Hijr until the (ancient) foundation (of Ibrahim) appeared, and the people saw it and the wall was raised upon it. The length of the Ka’bah was eighteen cubits. When addition was made to it, it appeared small. Then, he added ten cubits to its length and constructed two doors for it - one for entry and the other for exit.
When Ibn al-Zubayr was killed, al-Hajjaj wrote to ‘Abd al-Malik b. Marwan informing him of that and telling him that Ibn al-Zubayr had made the construction upon the foundation which the reliable people from the Makkans saw. So, ‘Abd al-Malik wrote to him, “We are not concerned with the censuring of Ibn al-Zubayr in anything. As for what he added to its length, preserve it. But, whatever he added to it from al-Hijr, revert it to its (previous) construction, and close the door which he opened.” So, he (al-Hajjaj) demolished it and REVERTED it to its (previous) construction.
As such, Ibn al-Zubayr demolished the Ka’bah and reconstructed it upon the Ibrahimic foundations. However, that was reversed after his death, and the Ka’bah has ever since remained upon the incorrect construction of the pre-Islamic pagans. Muhammad had wished to correct this, but was unable to do so. If one of his pure sons and successors fulfils his wish, what blame then should there be in that?
In any case, the Shi’i hadith which they quote in this matter is dha’if. So, the “shock” attempt is only a wild goose chase.
Narration Eight
Shaykh al-Saduq (d. 381 H) states:
وروي عن الأصبغ بن نباتة أنه قال: " بينا نحن ذات يوم حول أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام في مسجد الكوفة إذا قال: يا أهل الكوفة لقد حباكم الله عز وجل بما لم يحب به أحدا من فضل مصلاكم بيت آدم، وبيت نوح، وبيت إدريس، ومصلى إبراهيم الخليل، ومصلى أخي الخضر عليهم السلام، ومصلاي … ولا تذهب الأيام والليالي حتى ينصب الحجر الأسود فيه، وليأتين عليه زمان يكون مصلى المهدي من ولدي، ومصلى كل مؤمن
It is narrated from al-Asbagh b. Nubatah that he said:
While we were around Amir al-Muminin, peace be upon him, one day, in the mosque of Kufa, he said, “O people of Kufa! Verily, Allah the Almighty has loved you with a superiority with which He has never loved anyone else. Your mosque was the house of Adam, and the house of Nuh, and the house of Idris, and the prayer-ground of Ibrahim the Khalil, and the prayer-ground of my brother al-Khidhr, peace be upon them, and my prayer-ground The days and nights will not end before the Black Stone (al-hajar al-aswad) will be installed in it; and there will be a time when it will be the prayer-ground of the Mahdi from my offspring, and the mosque of every believer.
Those anti-Shi’i elements who quote this hadith seek to prove through it that the “Shi’i Mahdi” will demolish the Ka’bah and then transfer the Black Stone there to the mosque of Kufa. Some of them go as far as suggesting that he will also make that Kufa mosque the new Qiblah of Islam! But, the riwayat mentions nothing about the demolition of the Ka’bah or the change of Qiblah to Kufa. Moreover, it does not mention the one who will fix the Black Stone in the mosque of Kufa. So, it is only a wild guess to suggest that he or she will be the Mahdi.
In any case, the hadith is dha’if. Shaykh ‘Ali Al Muhsin submits:
هذه الرواية ضعيفة السند, فإن الشيخ الصدوق رواها بسنده إلى الأصبغ بن نباتة وطريق الصدوق إلى الأصبغ بن نباتة ضعيف
This report has a dha’if chain, for Shaykh al-Saduq narrated it with his chain up to al-Asbagh b. Nubata and the chain of al-Saduq to al-Asbagh b. Nubata is dha’if.
Then, he concludes:
فالرواية ضعيفة السند, لا يصح الاحتجاج بها في شيء
So, the report has a dha’if chain. It is not correct to use it as evidence for anything.
The Shaykh is absolutely right.
Narration Nine
‘Allamah al-Majlisi records:
إكمال الدين: بهذا الاسناد، عن أبان بن تغلب قال: قال أبو عبد الله عليه السلام:سيأتي في مسجدكم ثلاثمائة وثلاثة عشر رجلا - يعني مسجد مكة - يعلم أهل مكة أنه لم يلدهم آباؤهم ولا أجدادهم، عليهم السيوف، مكتوب على كل سيف كلمة تفتح ألف كلمة، فيبعث الله تبارك وتعالى ريحا فتنادي بكل واد: هذا المهدي يقضي بقضاء داود وسليمان عليهما السلام لا يريد عليه بينة
Ikmal al-Din: Through this chain, from Aban b. Taghlib:
Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, said: “There will be in your mosque, that is the mosque of Kufa, 313 men. The people of Makkah will know that they (i.e. the 313 men) are not descended from their (i.e. the Makkans’) fathers and ancestors. They (i.e. the 313 men) will have swords; on each sword will be inscribed a statement which will open one thousand (other) statements. Then, Allah the Most Blessed and the Most High will send a wind which will call in every valley: ‘This is the Mahdi.’ He will judge with the judgment of Dawud and Sulayman, peace be upon them both: he will not demand for evidence on it.”
Al-Haj Muhammad Zakariya says about it:
إسناده صحيح
Its chain is sahih.
A similar hadith is documented by Shaykh al-Kulayni (d. 329 H):
علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن منصور، عن فضل الأعور، عن أبي عبيدة الحذاء قال … فقلت لأبي عبد الله عليه السلام: إن سالما قال لي كذا وكذا، قال: فقال: يا أبا عبيدة إنه لا يموت منا ميت حتى يخلف من بعده من يعمل بمثل عمله ويسير بسيرته ويدعو إلى ما دعا إليه، يا أبا عبيدة إنه لم يمنع ما أعطي داود أن أعطي سليمان، ثم قال: يا أبا عبيدة إذا قام قائم آل محمد عليه السلام حكم بحكم داود وسليمان لا يسأل بينة
‘Ali b. Ibrahim - his father - Ibn Abi ‘Umayr - Mansur - Fadhl al-A’war - Abu ‘Ubaydah al-Hadha:
... I said to Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, “Verily, Salim said such-and-such to me.” He said, “O Abu ‘Ubaydah. Verily, none of us dies before appointing a khalifah who acts and behaves just as he did, and who calls to what he called to. O Abu ‘Ubaydah, verily, what was given to Dawud did not prevent that Sulayman be given too. O Abu ‘Ubaydah, when the Qaim of the family of Muhammad, peace be upon him, rises, he will judge with the judgment of Dawud and Sulayman: he will not ask for evidence.”
Al-Majlisi comments:
حسن أو موثق
Hasan or Muwaththaq
Al-Kulayni also reports:
محمد، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن ابن محبوب، عن هشام بن سالم، عن عمار الساباطي قال: قلت لأبي عبد الله عليه السلام: بما تحكمون إذا حكمتم؟ قال: بحكم الله وحكم داود فإذا ورد علينا الشئ الذي ليس عندنا، تلقانا به روح القدس
Muhammad - Ahmad b. Muhammad - Ibn Mahbub - Hisham b. Salim - ‘Ammar al- Sabaṭi:
I said to Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, “With what do you judge when you judge?” He said, “With the Judgment of Allah and the judgment of Dawud, for whenever something is presented to us which is not with us, the Holy Spirit bestows it to us.”
Al-Majlisi says:
موثق
Muwaththaq
Those who quote these ahadith seek to prove through them that the “Shi’i Mahdi” will be a Jewish leader since - in their understanding - he will follow the “Shari’ah” of Dawud and Sulayman, ‘alaihima al-salam. So, in that case, following the Shari’ah of both prophets makes one a Jew in the eyes of these opponents of ours.
This is indeed a very dangerous game on their part for several reasons. One, it suggests that the Jews as we know them are truly upon the Shari’ah of Dawud and Sulayman! But, is that really the case? They do not even have possession of the original Zabur any longer. How then are they able to derive rulings and laws from it?! Secondly, the ahadith above do NOT mention the “Shari’ah” of Dawud and Sulayman: they only mention their “judgment”. These are two different things, especially since the reports make sure to explain exactly what “the judgment of Dawud and Sulayman” means: he will not ask for evidence in cases before him, but instead rely only upon inspiration from the Holy Spirit in passing judgments. Therefore, anyone who judges in that manner is said to be judging with the judgment of Dawud and Sulayman in the terminologies of the Ahl al-Bayt, ‘alaihim al-salam. Al-Majlisi confirms this:
واعلم أن الظاهر من هذه الأخبار أن القائم عليهالسلام إذا ظهر يحكم بما يعلم في الواقعة لا بالبينة ، وأما من تقدمه من الأئمة عليهمالسلام فقد كانوا يحكمون بالظاهر
Know that what is apparent from these reports is that the Qaim, peace be upon him, when he reappears, will judge based upon what he will know of the actual truth, and not with evidence. As for the Imams before him, peace be upon them, they used to give judgments based upon what was apparent.
Meanwhile, even though this style of adjudication has been named after Dawud and Sulayman, there is evidence that they both in really only applied it occasionally. Al-Majlisi again:
) وحكم داود) أي الحكم بالواقع
والذي يظهر من الأخبار هو أن داود عليهالسلام لم يستمر على هذا بل حكم به في بعض الوقائع
(the judgment of Dawud) MEANING, judgment based the upon actual truth.
What is apparent from the (other) reports is that Dawud, peace be upon him, did NOT always do this. Rather, he (only) judged with it on some occasions.
This, obviously, was like the case of Prophet Muhammad too. For instance, Imam Muslim has recorded one of those few occasions when he also judged with the judgment of Dawud and Sulayman:
حدثني علي بن حجر السعدي حدثنا علي بن مسهر عن هشام بن عروة عن أبيه عن عائشة قالت دخلت هند بنت عتبة امرأة أبي سفيان على رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم فقالت يا رسول الله إن أبا سفيان رجل شحيح لا يعطيني من النفقة ما يكفيني ويكفي بني إلا ما أخذت من ماله بغير علمه فهل علي في ذلك من جناح ؟ فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم خذي من ماله بالمعروف ما يكفيك ويكفي بنيك
‘Ali b. Hajar al-Sa’di - ‘Ali b. Mushir - Hisham b. ‘Urwah - his father - ‘Aishah:
Hind bint ‘Utba, the wife of Abu Sufyan, came to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and said, “O Messenger of Allah, verily, Abu Sufyan is a miser, and he does not give me money that is sufficient for me and my children, except whatever I took from his wealth without his knowledge. Is there a sin upon me in that?” The Messenger of Allah, eace be upon him, said, “Take reasonably from his wealth what is sufficient for you and your children.”
He gave his judgment straightaway, without bothering at all to ask for any evidence or witnesses, and without calling for any investigation. Like Dawud and Sulayman, he too did not always use this style. However, since those two prophets had adopted it before him, it has been named after them. The hadith of ‘Ammar al-Sabaṭi also suggests that the Messenger and the eleven Imams after him had it as one of their tools of adjudication. The tone of the report of Aban b. Taghlib and Abu ‘Ubaydah al-Hadha, however, seem to establish that Imam al-Mahdi will be different. He will use “the judgment of Dawud and Sulayman” as his primary, or perhaps his only, style of justice dispensation. This, of course, is based upon the teachings of Muhammad himself, as transmitted by his pure offspring. Therefore, it is part of his Sunnah, and it is a special exception made for the last Imam of mankind by Allah.
Our opponents might ask: how can the Holy Spirit reveal things to your Imam despite that he is not a prophet? Well, it is an established Qur’anic fact that Allah does sometimes send wahy - yes, wahy - to some non-prophets. For instance, we read:
واذكر في الكتاب مريم إذ انتبذت من أهلها مكانا شرقيا فاتخذت من دونهم حجابا فأرسلنا إليها روحنا فتمثل لها بشرا سويا قالت إني أعوذ بالرحمن منك إن كنت تقيا قال إنما أنا رسول ربك لأهب لك غلاما زكيا قالت أنى يكون لي غلام ولم يمسسني بشر ولم أك بغيا قال كذلك قال ربك هو علي هين ولنجعله آية للناس ورحمة منا وكان أمرا مقضيا
And mention in the Book, Maryam, when she withdrew in seclusion from her family to an eastern place. So, she took a veil from them; then We sent to her Our Spirit, and he appeared to her in the form of a perfect man. She said, “Verily! I seek refuge with al-Rahman from you, if you are pious.” He said, “I am only a messenger of your Lord, that I may bestow on you a pure boy.” She said, “How can I have a boy, when no man has touched me, nor have I been unchaste?” He said, “Even so, your Lord said: ‘It is easy for Me, and that We may make him a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us, and it is a matter which has been decreed.’”
Sayyidah Maryam, ‘alaiha al-salam, was NOT a prophetess. There is no doubt about that. Yet, Allah sent His Spirit to her, to convey His wahy to her literally.
Another example is here:
وأوحينا إلى أم موسى أن أرضعيه فإذا خفت عليه فألقيه في اليم ولا تخافي ولا تحزني إنا رادوه إليك وجاعلوه من المرسلين
And We sent wahy to the mother of Musa: “Suckle him, but when you fear for him, then cast him into the river and fear not, nor grieve. Verily! We shall bring him back to you, and shall make him one of the messengers.”
There is absolutely no dispute about it either: the mother of Prophet Musa, ‘alaihima al-salam, was also NOT a prophetess. Yet, she received literal wahy from her Lord.
Yet another example is this:
وإذ أوحيت إلى الحواريين أن آمنوا بي وبرسولي قالوا آمنا واشهد بأننا مسلمون
And when I sent wahy to the Hawariyun that: “Believe in Me and in My messenger”. They said, “We believe and bear witness that we are Muslims.”
These were the disciples of al-Masih, ‘alaihi al-salam, and none of them was a prophet. They too received literal wahy from Allah.
Finally, apart from prophets, messengers, and some other righteous people, our Creator also sends wahy to Imams:
وجعلناهم أئمة يهدون بأمرنا وأوحينا إليهم فعل الخيرات وإقام الصلاة وإيتاء الزكاة وكانوا لنا عابدين
And We appointed them Imams, guiding by Our Command, and We sent wahy to them to do good deeds, and to keep up al-salat, and to pay al-zakat. And, they were worshippers of Us.
It is indeed notable that the receipt of the wahy has been explicitly linked with their office of Imamah in this instance. This establishes absolutely that a true Imam too receives some wahy from Allah. Of course, al-Mahdi is an Imam “sent” by Him from the offspring of Ibrahim, Isma’il, Muhammad and ‘Ali, ‘alaihim al-salam.
The mission of al-Mahdi will be to virtually eradicate injustice, inequity and aggression upon the face of the earth; and it will commence after our world has become unbearably soaked up in these vices. We believe that Allah will declare an emergency upon them, and will therefore allow the Imam to extensively use the “judgment of Dawud and Sulayman” style in serving justice across the globe. The Mahdi only needs to hear the charges against an accused, and he will pronounce his guilt or acquittal instantly, based upon wahy from Allah, without going into any trial. He will also sentence him appropriately right away in the case of a guilty verdict. So, judicial trials that usually last months, or even years, will only take a few minutes to conclude, and the judgments will be absolutely correct and fair in absolutely all cases. It will be absolutely impossible for anyone to escape full justice during the Mahdi’s kingdom. There will be no lawyers to manipulate the law, and there will be no false testimonies to mislead the judge.
In civil matters, the Mahdi listens to the complaint of the plaintiff and immediately delivers judgment without listening to the defendant, and without requesting for any witnesses or evidences - just as the Prophet did in the case of Hind and Abu Sufyan. Similarly, civil proceedings that normally take months or years will be settled within minutes, and absolutely all judgments will be absolutely accurate. As in criminal trials, there will also be no lawyers, false witnesses, or fake evidences to obscure the course of justice.
Narration Ten
‘Allamah al-Majlisi records:
الغيبة للنعماني: بهذا الاسناد عن البزنطي، عن عاصم بن حميد الحناط، عن أبي بصير قال: قال أبو جعفر عليه السلام: يقوم القائم بأمر جديد، وكتاب جديد، وقضاء جديد على العرب شديد، ليس شأنه إلا بالسيف لا يستتيب أحدا ولا يأخذه في الله لومة لائم
Al-Ghaybah of al-Nu’mani: Through this chain from al-Bazanṭi - ‘Asim b. Humayd al-Hanaṭ - Abu Basir:
Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, said: “The Qaim will rise with a new command, a new book, new judgments. He will be harsh towards the Arabs. His affair will be nothing but the sword. He will not ask anyone to repent and he, for the sake of Allah, will not be moved by the criticisms of critics.”
It is dha’if according to Ayatullah Muhsini
.
It has also been copied with a different chain:
الغيبة للنعماني: ابن عقدة، عن أحمد بن يوسف، عن ابن مهران، عن ابن البطائني عن أبيه، ووهيب بن حفص، عن أبي بصير، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام أنه قال: قال لي أبي عليه السلام … لكأني أنظر إليه بين الركن والمقام يبايع الناس على كتاب جديد، على العرب شديد. وقال: ويل لطغاة العرب من شر قد اقترب
Al-Ghaybah of al-Nu’mani: Ibn ‘Uqdah - Ahmad b. Yusuf - Ibn Mahran - Ibn al-Baṭaini - his father and Wuhayb b. Hafs - Abu Basir - Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him:
My father, peace be upon him, said to me: “... It is like I am looking at him between al-Rukn and al-Makam, receiving the pledge of allegiance of the people upon a new book. He will be harsh against the Arabs. Woe unto the transgressors among the Arabs from an evil that has become imminent.”
This one also is dha’if according to Ayatullah Muhsini.
The most obvious determining defect in this sanad is Ibn al-Baṭaini. Al-Jawahiri says about him:
الحسن بن علي بن أبي حمزة … البطائني … كذاب ملعون
Al-Hasan b. ‘Ali b. Abi Hamzah al-Baṭaini an accursed liar.
So, it is mawdu’ (fabricated). With this same mawdhu chain, al-Majlisi has copied it from the same Ghaybah of al-Nu’mani in Chapter 25, # 96
and # 103
and in Chapter 26, # 42
. As such, it is a really worthless riwayat.
Narration Eleven
‘Allamah al-Majlisi records:
إعلام الورى، الإرشاد: روى المفضل بن عمر، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: يخرج مع القائم عليه السلام من ظهر الكوفة سبع وعشرون رجلا خمسة عشر من قوم موسى عليه السلام الذين كانوا يهدون بالحق وبه يعدلون وسبعة من أهل الكهف، ويوشع بن نون، وسلمان، وأبو دجانة الأنصاري، والمقداد، ومالك الأشتر، فيكونون بين يديه أنصارا وحكاما
I’lam al-Wara, al-Irshad: al-Mufadhdhal b. ‘Umar narrated from Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him:
The Qaim, peace be upon him, will come out from the back of Kufah with twenty seven men: fifteen from the people of Musa, peace be upon him - those who used to guide with the truth and through it they established justice - and seven from the Ahl al-Kahf, and Yusha’ b. Nun, Salman, Abu Dujanah al-Ansari, al-Miqdad, and Malik al-Ashtari. They will be his helpers and judges.
This hadith has no known sanad. This is also why al-Majlisi is unable to quote any. This makes it mursal by default, and therefore dha’if.
Those who quote it seek to prove that the main officials and inner circle of the “Shi’i Mahdi” will be Jews. Apparently, they are equating the fifteen men from the people of Musa who used to guide and do justice with the truth - referred to in Qur’an 7:159 - and the Ahl al-Kahf and Yusha’ b. Nun, with Judaism. That, clearly, is quite unfortunate on their part. All of those people were Muslims, true believers in Allah and His Books!
Narration Twelve
Al-Kulayni records:
عدة من أصحابنا، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن عبد الله بن الحجال، عن أحمد بن عمر الحلبي، عن أبي بصير قال: دخلت على أبي عبد الله عليه السلام … ثم قال: وإن عندنا الجفر وما يدريهم ما الجفر؟ قال قلت: وما الجفر؟ قال: وعاء من أدم فيه علم النبيين والوصيين، وعلم العلماء الذين مضوا من بني إسرائيل، قال قلت: إن هذا هو العلم، قال: إنه لعلم وليس بذاك
A number of our companions - Ahmad b. Muhammad - ‘Abd Allah b. al-Hijal - Ahmad b. ‘Umar al-Halabi - Abu Basir:
I went to Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him then he said, “Verily, there is al-Jafr with us. Do they know what al-Jafr is?” I said, “What is al-Jafr?” He said, “It is a container made of skin. It contains the knowledge of the prophets and the heirs, and the knowledge of the ‘ulama in the past from the offspring of Israil.” I said, “Verily, this is knowledge.” He said, “Indeed, it certainly is knowledge. But it is not that (knowledge).”
Al-Majlisi says:
صحيح
Sahih
This hadith is quoted by anti-Shi’i elements to demonstrate that the “Shi’i Mahdi” has al-Jafr with him, which allegedly contains knowledge of the “Jews”. So, they claim, this makes him a Jewish rabbi. Meanwhile, in order to understand what the “knowledge” in al-Jafr is, we must take into consideration this further report of al-Kulayni:
عدة من أصحابنا، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن علي بن الحكم، عن الحسين ابن أبي العلاء قال: سمعت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام يقول: إن عندي الجفر الأبيض، قال:قلت: فأي شئ فيه؟ قال: زبور داود، وتوراة موسى، وإنجيل عيسى، وصحف إبراهيم عليهم السلام والحلال والحرام، ومصحف فاطمة، ما أزعم أن فيه قرآنا، وفيه ما يحتاج الناس إلينا ولا نحتاج إلى أحد حتى فيه الجلدة، ونصف الجلدة، وربع الجلدة وأرش الخدش
A number of our companions - Ahmad b. Muhammad - ‘Ali b. al-Hakam - al-Husayn b. Abi al-‘Ala:
I heard Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, saying: “Verily, there is with me the white Jafr.” I said, “And what is in it?” He said, “The Zabur of Dawud, the Tawrat of Musa, the Injil of ‘Isa, and the Suhuf of Ibrahim, peace be upon them, and (knowledge of) the halal and the haram, and the book of Faṭimah. I do not claim that there is anything of the Qur’an in it. In it is that for which humanity need us, while we do not need anyone, such that in it is the ruling of lashing, half of lashing, one-fourth of lashing and the amount of compensation.”
On this, al-Majlisi proclaims:
حسن
Hasan.
So, al-Jafr is only a compilation of the original copies of the divine scriptures revealed before the Qur’an, the rules of halal and haram in our Shari’ah, and a book containing the knowledge of Faṭimah, ‘alaiha al-salam, the daughter of the Messenger. But, are those really what the Jewish rabbis quote in their works and rulings? Moreover, has the Qur’an itself not come to confirm most of those same scriptures?
Does this make it a Jewish book?
Narration Thirteen
Al-Majlisi records:
الغيبة للنعماني: ابن عقدة، عن علي بن الحسن التيملي، عن الحسن ومحمد ابني علي بن يوسف، عن سعدان بن مسلم، عن رجل، عن المفضل بن عمر قال: قال أبو عبد الله عليه السلام: إذا اذن الامام دعا الله باسمه العبراني فأتيحت له صحابته الثلاثمائة وثلاثة عشر
Al-Ghaybah of al-Nu’mani: Ibn ‘Uqdah - ‘Ali b. al-Hasan al-Taymali - al-Hasan and Muhammad, sons of ‘Ali b. Yusuf - Sa’dan b. Muslim - a man - al-Mufadhdhal b. ‘Umar:
Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, said, “When the Imam makes the adhan, he will call Allah with His Hebrew name. So, his three hundred and thirteen companions will rush to him.”
The report is dha’if according to Ayatullah Muhsini
. Its weakness is very obvious anyway. For instance, it is from al-Ghaybah of al-Nu’mani, a dha’if book. That alone is sufficient to establish the hadith’s unreliability. Secondly, there is an unknown “man” in its sanad, which makes it mursal - another sufficient reason for its inauthenticity! Meanwhile, Sa’dan b. Muslim is majhul as well, as he has no valid tawthiq in the Shi’i books. So, apparently, the hadith is dha’if jiddan.
The purpose of those who cite this riwayah is to prove that the Shi’i Mahdi will be a Jew, calling Allah through His Hebrew name. However, this, in reality, does not establish any link at all to the Jewish faith. Many Muslims across the world today invoke Allah with His names in their native languages. Does this somehow eradicate their Islamic identities? Or, does Allah have only Arabic names?!
Narration Fourteen
‘Allamah al-Majlisi records:
علل الشرائع: ماجيلويه، عن عمه، عن البرقي، عن أبيه، عن محمد بن سليمان عن داود بن النعمان، عن عبد الرحيم القصير، قال: قال لي أبو جعفر عليه السلام: أما لو قام قائمنا لقد ردت إليه الحميراء حتى يجلدها الحد وحتى ينتقم لابنة محمد فاطمة عليها السلام منها
قلت: جعلت فداك ولم يجلدها الحد؟ قال: لفريتها على أم إبراهيم صلى الله عليه قلت: فكيف أخره الله للقائم عليه السلام؟ فقال له: إن الله تبارك وتعالى بعث محمدا صلى الله عليه وآله رحمة وبعث القائم عليه السلام نقمة
‘Ilal al-Sharai’i: Majiluyah - his uncle - al-Barqi - his father - Muhammad b. Sulayman - Dawud b. al-Nu’man - ‘Abd al-Rahim al-Qusayr:
Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, said to me, “When our Qaim rises, al-Humayra will be brought to him so that he may punish her with flogging and so that he may exert revenge upon her on behalf of the daughter of Muhammad, Faṭimah, peace be upon him.
I said, “May I be sacrificed for you, why will he flog her?” He replied, “Due to her false allegation against the mother of Ibrahim, peace be upon him.” I said, “How is it that Allah has postponed it till the Qaim, peace be upon him?” He said to him, “Verily, Allah the Most Blessed, the Most High sent Muhammad, peace be upon him, as a mercy and will send the Qaim, peace be upon him, as a wrath.”
“Al-Humayra” here is thought to be a reference to ‘Aishah. So, our opponents quote this riwayat to “shock” their Sunni readers, to make Sunnis hate the “Shi’i Mahdi”. Anyway, the report is dha’if according to Ayatullah Muhsini
. In particular, ‘Abd al-Rahim al-Qusayr is majhul, as he has no valid tawthiq in the Shi’i books.
Narration Fifteen
Al-Majlisi records:
تفسير فرات بن إبراهيم: القاسم بن عبيد معنعنا، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قوله تعالى الذين يمشون على الأرض هونا إلى قوله: حسنت مستقرا ومقاما ثلاث عشر آيات قال: هم الأوصياء يمشون على الأرض هونا فإذا قام القائم عرضوا كل ناصب عليه فان أقر بالاسلام وهي الولاية وإلا ضربت عنقه أو أقر بالجزية فأداها كما يؤدي أهل الذمة
Tafsir Furat b. Ibrahim: al-Qasim b. ‘Ubayd in an ‘an-‘an manner, from Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him:
His Statement, the Most High: {And the slaves of al-Rahman are those who walk on the earth in humility}
till His Statement {excellent it is as an abode; and as a place to dwell}
. They are the awsiya. They walk on the earth in humility. So, when the Qaim rises, every Nasibi will be presented before him. If he accepts Islam, and that is al-wilayah; otherwise, he will be executed. Or, alternatively, if he agrees to pay the jizyah, he will (be required to) pay it as the Dhimmis pay it.”
The hadith is dha’if according to Ayatullah Muhsini
. In particular, the author of that tafsir book, Furat b. Ibrahim (d. 352 H) himself, is majhul. So, by default, everything in it is dha’if. Moreover, the sanad of the report is unknown, and its main narrator - this al-Qasim b. ‘Ubayd - is muhmal (untraceable).
The aim of those who quote this worthless riwayah is to “prove” that the “Shi’i Mahdi” will massacre “Sunnis”. To them, the “Nasibis” in the hadith are the Ahl al-Sunnah since they are those who reject the wilayah (authority and guidance) of the Twelve Imams. However, this interpretation is far-fetched. When Imam al-Mahdi rises, there is a very strong possibility that a lot of Muslims will rise in armed war against him. These traitors will be chiefly those who feel uncomfortable with his huge efforts to completely restore Islam to its original self. No doubt, in the process of carrying out his missions, the Imam will be stepping upon countless toes - some of which will be very influential and powerful - from all sects and movements of the Ummah ! Of course, every single Muslim who hates the Mahdi - whether in his heart or through his actions - is a Nasibi; and it is perfectly possible - in fact, extremely likely - that many people who will profess Shi’ism will turn against him upon his reappearance, some even “in the name of Shi’ism”
! So, this is NOT about any sect in particular.
Narration Sixteen
Al-Majlisi records:
الغيبة للنعماني: علي بن الحسين، عن محمد العطار، عن محمد بن الحسن الرازي عن محمد بن علي الكوفي، عن البزنطي، عن ابن بكير، عن أبيه، عن زرارة، عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: … إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله سار في أمته باللين كان يتألف الناس، والقائم عليه السلام يسير بالقتل، بذلك امر، في الكتاب الذي معه: أن يسير بالقتل ولا يستتيب أحدا، ويل لمن ناواه
Ghaybah of al-Nu’mani: ‘Ali b. al-Husayn - Muhammad al-‘Aṭṭar - Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Razi - Muhammad b. ‘Ali al-Kufi - al-Bazanṭi - Ibn Bukayr - his father - Zurarah - Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, ...:
Verily, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his family, treated his Ummah gently. He used to get along with the people. However, the Qaim, peace be upon him, will treat with killing. That is the what he has been commanded to do, in the book which is with him: to treat with killing, and not to request repentance from anyone. Woe unto whosoever will oppose him.”
Considering that the hadith is from al-Ghaybah of al-Nu’mani, a dha’if book, then its unreliability is quite obvious. In any case, it is dha’if according to Ayatullah Muhsini
. Al-Jawahiri also states about one of the narrators:
محمد بن الحسن الرازي: مجهول
Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Razi: Majhul.
And, Muhammad b. ‘Ali al-Kufi is also majhul. He has no valid tawthiq in the Shi’i books.
This hadith is quoted by our opponents to highlight the callousness of the “Shi’i Mahdi”, who allegedly will kill people without even giving them the option of repentance. However, since it is dha’if, any claims made upon its basis is either ignorant or dishonest.
Narration Seventeen
Al-Majlisi quotes:
الغيبة للنعماني: محمد بن علي الكوفي عن عبد الرحمان بن [أبي] هاشم، عن أبي خديجة، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام أنه قال: إن عليا عليه السلام قال: كان لي أن أقتل المولي وأجهز على الجريح، ولكن تركت ذلك للعاقبة من أصحابي إن جرحوا لم يقتلوا، والقائم له أن يقتل المولي ويجهز على الجريح
Al-Ghaybah of Nu’man: Muhammad b. ‘Ali al-Kufi - ‘Abd al-Rahman b. [Abi] Hashim - Abu Khadijah - Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, who said:
Verily, ‘Ali, peace be upon him, said: “I have the right to kill the slave and to finish off the wounded. However, I abandon that in favour of the last from my companions. If they rise, they will not kill. But, the Qaim, he will have the right to kill the slave and to finish off the wounded.
The status of this report is like that of the immediately previous one. It is also from al-Ghaybah of al-Nu’mani, a dha’if source book. Besides, it has equally been declared dha’if by Ayatullah Muhsini
. Moreover, there is the infamous Muhammad b. ‘Ali al-Kufi in the chain, and he is majhul, with no valid tawthiq in the Shi’i sources.
Those who quote it seek to “prove” through it that the “Shi’i Mahdi” will be a heartless amir who will kill slaves and wounded enemy combatants. But, what if these slaves - whether literal or metaphorical - had taken up arms against him? Is he supposed to allow them to kill his soldiers without response, simply because they are “slaves”? Moreover, what if wounded enemy combatants refuse to surrender and fire shots at the Mahdi’s army? Is he to leave them on account of their injuries?
In the past, there were real slaves who usually followed the wishes of their lords, without any will or choice of their own. But, in our times, there are mostly only metaphorical slaves - free men who blindly and voluntarily obey others for material gains. Also, in the past, wounded combatants were usually unable to inflict any more (serious) harm, since swords and arrows were their primary weapons. However, in our times, automatic weapons are used, and a wounded combatant is still able to kill hundreds with his guns and bombs.
Narration Eighteen
And al-Majlisi documents this final one:
الغيبة للنعماني: أحمد بن محمد بن سعيد، عن يحيى بن زكريا، عن يوسف ابن كليب، عن ابن البطائني، عن ابن حميد، عن الثمالي قال: سمعت أبا جعفر [محمد بن علي] يقول: لو قد خرج قائم آل محمد عليهم السلام لنصره الله بالملائكة المسومين والمردفين والمنزلين والكروبيين يكون جبرائيل أمامه وميكائيل عن يمينه وإسرافيل عن يساره والرعب مسيرة شهر أمامه وخلفه وعن يمينه وعن شماله، والملائكة المقربون حذاه، أول من يتبعه محمد صلى الله عليه وآله وعلي عليه السلام الثاني
Al-Ghaybah of al-Nu’mani: Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Sa’id - Yahya b. Zakariya - Yusuf b. Kulayb - Ibn al-Baṭaini - Ibn Humayd - Thumali - Abu Ja’far [Muhammad b. ‘Ali], who said:
When the Qaim of the family of Muhammad has come out, Allah will help him with angels. Jibrail will be in front of him, Mikail on the right and Israfil on the left. Awe will precede him about a month’s travel before him, behind him, on his right side and on his left side. The close angels will be beside him. The first one who will follow him will be Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family, and ‘Ali, peace be upon him, will be the second.
It is dha’if according to Ayatullah al-Muhsini.
This is readily obvious, anyway. It is from al-Ghaybah of al-Nu’mani, a dha’if book; and that is sufficient to establish its unreliability. Meanwhile, Yusuf b. Kulayb in the sanad is also muhmal (untraceable), while al-Jawahiri says about Ibn al-Baṭaini:
الحسن بن علي بن أبي حمزة … البطائني … كذاب ملعون
Al-Hasan b. ‘Ali b. Abi Hamzah al-Baṭaini an accursed liar.
So, it is a mawdhu’ (fabricated) hadith. Yet, our opponents quote it to “prove” that Prophet Muhammad and Imam ‘Ali will be the top followers of the “Shi’i Mahdi” according to Shi’i doctrine! Well, it is completely obvious that this is NOT, and was NEVER, part of Shi’i ‘aqidah. The relevant riwayah is even mawdhu’, to begin with! How can it be representative of what the Shi’ah believe?! Moreover, the apparent meaning of the hadith is that the Messenger of Allah will return to rule the world immediately after the death of Imam al-Mahdi, and Imam ‘Ali will also return to immediately succeed the Prophet. This interpretation is in line with some other dha’if reports on this matter. Whatever the case, the hadith is a fabrication, and therefore constitutes no hujjah, whether for or against the Shi’is.
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Author: Toyib Olawuyi
