Inquiries About Shia Islam 2nd ED

7/30/2019 Inquiries About Shia Islam 2nd ED

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Inquiries

AboutShia

IslamSecond Edition

Imam Sayed Moustafa al-Qazwini


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The Islamic Educational Centerof Orange CountyCalifornia

Published byThe Islamic Educational Center of Orange County

3194-B Airport Loop DriveCosta Mesa, California, 92626, U.S.A.

Telephone: (714) 432-0060Fax: (714) 432-0070http://www.iecoc.org

[email protected]

Copyright 2006 the Islamic Educational Center of OrangeCounty California

Library of Congress Catalog Number: 99-075772British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

ISBN: 1-879402-67-X

2

nd

Edition-2005

Cover Design and Typesettingby Islamic Publishing House [www.iph.ca]


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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced, stored

in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by anymeans, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or

otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyrightholder, except in the case of brief quotations quoted in articles

or reviews.

Printed in Canada by Webcom Limitedwww.webcomlink.com

In the Name of Allah, the Infinitely Compassionate,the Most Merciful

All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of Mankind.The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Master of the Day of Recompense.You alone do we worship,

and You alone do we ask for help.Guide us to the straight path,the path of those upon whom

You have bestowed Your grace,not of those with whom You are angered,

nor of those who have gone astray.1

1 Noble Quran, Surah (ch.) 1


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I offer this humble work in theservice of the Almighty AllahtheCreator, Lord, Cherisher, andSustainer of the Heavens and Earthand I dedicate it to His belovedservant and messenger, ProphetMuhammad (pbuh&hf), his righteousfamily, and his pious companions.


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It is customary in Islam that when the name ofAllah, Prophet Muhammad, the other Prophets,or Imams (descendants and successors ofProphet Muhammad) are enunciated, the

following phrases are mentioned:

AllahGlorified and Exalted(Subhanna wa-tallah)

Written abbreviationSWT

Prophet MuhammadPeace be upon him and

his familyWritten abbreviationpbuh&hf

After the names of the other Prophets, Imamsfrom the family of Prophet Muhammad, and hisdaughterPeace be upon him/her

Written abbreviationpbuh.


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With great respect, admiration,

acknowledgment, and praise, I have omitted thementioned phrases for the sake of continuity.


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Abu Hurayra ...........................................................................................107

Differences and Misunderstandings between the Shia and the OtherSchools of Thought ................................................................................112

Abasa Watawalla (He Frowned and Turned Away) .............................112

The Father of Ibrahim and the Father of Imam Ali ...............................114

The Myth of the Distortion of the Noble Quran ....................................115

Mushaf Fatima .......................................................................................118

Naming After the Prophets and the Imams ............................................118

Visiting the Shrines of the Prophets and Imams ....................................119

Sadaqa Allahu Al-Adheem or Sadaqa Allahu Al-Ali Al-Adheem . 122Lamentation and Mourning the Tragedies of the Prophet and His Family

................................................................................................................ 123

Three Divorces in One Session ..............................................................127

Khums in Islam ......................................................................................128

Temporary Marriage (Mutah) ...............................................................129

Mutat al-Hajj .........................................................................................133

Conclusion .............................................................................................135

A Call for Muslim Unity ........................................................................135

References ..............................................................................................141

Glossary .................................................................................................143


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IntroductionBismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

Those who listen to the Word and follow thebest of it:

those are the ones whom Allah has guided, andthose are the ones with understanding.1

The Shia and Sunni schools of thought form the twowings of the Islamic nation that allow it to fly and carryout its lofty objectives. A great Muslim scholar oncesaid, Those who attempt to cause division betweenthe Shia and Sunni are neither Shia nor Sunni.Written under this premise, the book in hand shouldclarify some common questions and inquiries about the

philosophy and practice of Shia Islam. The Shia andSunni schools of thought differ primarily in

jurisprudence and have far more similarities thandifferences. Every school of thought in Islam must berespected because they all can lead people tosalvation.

Due to the lack of clear information, the Shia

Imamiyyah school of thought has remained a mysteryto many Muslims. Numerous Muslims are relieved todiscover the truth about Shia Islam from reliablesources. Nevertheless, the enemies of Islam havefound that the best way to slander Islam and disturbthe peace within the Muslim nation is to encouragedivision and sectarianism. Thus, a myriad of negativeand false rumors with no basis in the authentic books

of the Shia school of thought have been spread. Theserumors have two sources: animosity towards Islam on

1 Noble Quran, 39:18

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Introduction

the part of those who invent them, and ignorance onthe part of those who believe and propagate them.

This book is a call to unite the Muslims since trueunity stems from an understanding of each othersphilosophies, not from keeping them secret. While themajority of Shia scholars and even average individualskeep many books belonging to other schools of thoughtin their libraries, few other Muslims take the time toread the original sources of Shia philosophy. I have

endeavored in this book to present the mostcontroversial issues that distinguish Shia Islam in asimple manner understandable by all people,particularly our youth generation in the Westerncountries. To make this book accessible to all readersregardless of their school of thought, I have reliedmainly on the Noble Quran and traditions of the

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HF) as reported in thebooks of narration (hadith).

I have endeavored to be as accurate and scientificas possible in presenting what has been recorded inthe commonly accepted Islamic sources. I share theaspiration of most Muslims to see the Muslim nationheed to the call of the Noble Quran, Truly your nation

is one nation, and I am your Lord. Therefore, worshipMe.2

Another aim is to build a strong, cohesive, andcooperative Muslim community around the globe, andfor this nation to be respected it must be united.Muslims must understand and accept each otherspositions and principles. The best way to disperse themisunderstandings and misconceptions between theschools of thought is through constructive, sincere, andobjective dialogue. If the Noble Quran invites the


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Introduction

When it is said to them, Follow whatAllah has sent down. They say, Nay! Weshall follow what we found our fathersfollowing. Would they do that eventhough their fathers did not understandanything, nor were they guided?5

I ask all who read this book to read it objectively,with open-mindedness and without sectarian biases,and I welcome any suggestions, criticisms, or inquiries.

We ask Allah for guidance and enlightenment in oursearch for the truth. May Allah open our hearts andminds to it, and may He guide and extend His mercyupon us, for He is the one who grants all things. OurLord! Let not our hearts deviate from the truth after

You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You;truly, You are the Bestower.6

We ask Allah for His mercy, grace, and blessings inthis endeavor, and I ask the readers for their prayersthat we all continue to be humble servants of thereligion of Allah on the Earth.

Sayed Moustafa al-QazwiniAugust 13, 1999Orange County, California

5 Noble Quran, 2:1706 Noble Quran, 3:8

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Introduction to Second Edition

Since the first edition of Inquiries about Shia Islamwas published in the summer of 1999, four-thousandEnglish copies have been distributed and sold toMuslims and non-Muslims in the United States of

America and abroad. The book was also published invarious languages. The need still exists for a betterunderstanding about the traditions and followers of theAhlul Bayt, and thus a revised second edition of thebook was made. I would like to take this opportunity tothank Sister Fatma Saleh for her generouscontributions in editing and revising this edition.Special thanks are also due to the Khaki family of

Seattle, Washington for making this book come toprint. May Allah, the most Merciful, the mostCompassionate reward all those who work sincerely toserve His cause.

Sayed Moustafa al-QazwiniOctober 17, 2005Ramadan 13, 1426Orange County, California

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Who are the Shia?

The fifth imamof the school of the Ahlul Bayt, ImamMuhammad al-Baqir once told his student by the nameof Jabir, Is it enough for a person to embellish himselfas our Shia (follower) by professing love for us, the

Ahlul Bayt? Nay! By Allah, a person is not our followerunless he fears Allah and obeys Him. Our followers areonly recognized, O Jabir, by their humility, submission,honesty, abundant praise of Allah, fasting, prayers,goodness to their parents, attention to the poor, needy,debtors, and orphans living nearby, speaking of thetruth, recitation of the Quran, holding back theirtongues except for good words, and trustworthiness

towards ones relatives in all affairs.1

Shia means a group of followers and it occurs inthe Quran many times in reference to the followers ofthe previous prophets, such as Prophet Ibrahim(Abraham) and Prophet Musa (Moses).2 Shia todayrefers to the followers of a particular school of Islamicthought, which is based on the teachings of the Prophet

and his family, and sometimes it is referred to as theschool of Ahlul Bayt (the family of the Prophet). Whileno schools of thought existed at the time of the ProphetMuhammad, he still used to refer to a certain group ofpeople as the Shia of Ali.

Some narrations in which the Prophet Muhammadused the term Shia of Ali are as follows:

1 al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Vol. 2, 742 Noble Quran, 28.15

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Who are the Shia?

The parable of Ali is like a tree, in which Iam the root, Ali is the branch, Hassan andHusayn are the fruits, and the Shia arethe leaves.3 (Ibn Hajar)

We were gathering around the Prophetwhen Ali ibn Abi Talib came. He said,Verily, my brother has come to you, andhe placed his hand on the Kabah andsaid, By the One Who holds my soul in

His hand, this man and his Shia willindeed be the successful ones on the Dayof Judgment.4 (Narrated by Jabir ibnAbdillah al-Ansari)

The Prophet of Allah was with me whenhis daughter Lady Fatima came to greethim with her husband Ali. The Prophet of

Allah raised his head and said, Be happyAli; you and your Shia will be inParadise.5 (Narrated by Um Salamah, thewife of the Prophet Muhammad)

You and your Shia will be in Paradise.6

As these narrations show, the Prophet Muhammadhimself was in fact, the first person to use the termShia, and whats more is that he always used theterm in reference to Imam Ali. After the Prophet passedaway those who were loyal to Imam Ali were alsoknown as the Shia. During the second century Hijrah(i.e., two centuries after the migration of the ProphetMuhammad from the city of Makkah to the city of

3 Ibn Hajar, Lisan al-Mizan, Vol. 2, 3544 Tawzih al-Dalail fiTashih al-Fadail, 5055 Ibid., 5076 Ibn Asakir, The History of the City of DamascusSection:

Biography of Imam Ali

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Inquiries about Shia Islam

Jafari

The Jafari school of thought was headed by ImamJafar ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq who lived from 83H to148H. He was born in and died in the holy city ofMadina, and he is the sixth Imam of the twelvedesignated imams of the school of Ahlul Bayt. Althoughthe fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) was developed by theProphet Muhammad and his successors (i.e., theimams), the fiqh, as taught by the Shia, did not havethe opportunity to be presented to the masses ofpeople because of the political predicament that theAhlul Bayt suffered under the rulers for many centuries.

The imams refused to acknowledge the legitimacy ofthe Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs, and theirgovernments; and thus they and their followers wereexposed to tremendous harassment and persecution at

the hands of the unjust caliphs. Once the Umayyadgovernment became weak, Imam Jafar ibn Muhammadal-Sadiq found a golden opportunity to formulate andspread the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad and hisfamily. At one time, four thousand scholars,commentators of the Quran, historians, andphilosophers attended his classes in the holy city ofMadina. Therefore, he was able to pass down the

authentic teachings of the Noble Quran and theProphet Muhammad and crystallize them in what cameto be known as al-Fiqh al-Jafari, the Jafari

Jurisprudence. His teachings were collected in 400 usul(foundations) which were written by his students andencompass hadith, Islamic philosophy, theology,commentary of the Quran, literature, and ethics.

After a period of time, three distinguished scholarscategorized these 400 usul in four books which are themain sources of hadith for the Shia school of thought.

They are: Usul al-Kafi by al-Kulayni (d.329H), Man La

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Muhammad, and indeed, he is the most knowledgeableone in the nation.3

Maliki

The Maliki school of thought was headed by ImamMalik ibn Anas al-Asbahi who lived from 93H to 179H.He was born in the holy city of Madina, and his famespread throughout Hijaz. On the account of hisdisagreement with Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik

became the leader of the school of tradition (hadith),while Imam Abu Hanifa was the leader of the school ofopinion (rai). Yet, most Muslim governments weresupportive of Imam Abu Hanifa.

Imam Malik joined the Alawiyiin, the descendantsof Imam Ali, and received his knowledge from Imam

Jafar al-Sadiq, but thereafter, inconsistencies marked

his life. At one point he was oppressed and havingearned the anger of the government, he was draggedthrough the streets by his clothes and lashed. In 148H,his fortunes reversed and he regained his popularityand dominance. The Abbasids tried to set him up as apopular reference for the nation in giving verdicts andinjunctions. The Abbasid caliph al-Mansur asked him towrite al-Muwatta, his book of fiqh,which contains the

principles of the Maliki school of thought. Furthermore,during the hajj season, the official announcer of thegovernment proclaimed that no one had the authorityto give fatawas (religious decisions) except for ImamMalik. The Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid sat on thefloor to listen to him, and the caliphate in generalexalted him to the point where they said that no bookon earth, except the Noble Quran, was more authenticthan that of Imam Maliks. Ibn Hazm al-Andalusi saysthat two schools of thought were spread due to the

3 Tadhkiratal-Hiffadh, Vol. 1, 166;Asna al-Matalib, 55

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The Five School of Islamic Thought

government and the sultan: the school of Imam AbuHanifa, since Abu Yusuf al-Qadi only appointed Hanafi

judges; and the school of Imam Malik ibn Anas, for astudent of Imam Malik, Yahya ibn Yahya was sorespected in the caliphs palace that no judge was everappointed in Andalus, Spain without his consultationand advice.

Shafii

The Shafii school of thought was headed by ImamMuhammad ibn Idris al-Shafii who lived from 150H to198H. Imam Shafii was born in Hijaz and his school ofthought emerged in Egypt. At the time of the FatimidDynasty, the Egyptians were mainly followers of AhlulBayt, and the teachings of Ahlul Bayt were beingtaught in al-Azhar University. At a later time, Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi came and waged an extensive war

against the school of Ahlul Bayt by banning theteaching of their madhhab (school of thought) in al-Azhar and resurrecting the other madhahib, includingthat of Imam Shafii, who was killed in Egypt in 198H.

Hanbali

The Hanbali school of thought was headed by ImamAhmad ibn Hanbal who lived from 164H to 241H. Hewas born and died in Baghdad. He only gainedpopularity in Najd (a region of the Arabian Peninsula)due to the ideas of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, thefounder of Wahabism. The Hanbali madhhab spread inNajd primarily due to the teachings of Ahmad ibn Abdal-Halim al-Dimishqi ibn Taymiyyah (661H728H) andhis student ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya.

A close study of the history of the madhahibs and asearch into the reasons for their birth, existence, andspread, reveals that the various governments were the

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main factor in the birth and spread of these schools.Governmental aid took physical and financial forms byestablishing schools, sponsoring books of fiqh (law),adopting and sponsoring official madhahib, and givingfreedom to the founders and scholars of some of theofficial madhahib. This trend has occurred in almostevery religion worldwide; for example, one mightcompare this trend in Islam to the birth of the AnglicanChurch in 1534AD by the English king, Henry VIII who

made it the official religious tradition of the state, thusgiving it 55 million followers.

History tells that the school of Ahlul Bayt sufferedextreme oppression, tyranny, and discrimination at thehands of the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs. But inspite of oppression, by the divine will of Allah, theschool of the Ahlul Bayt reached a climax during the

caliphate of al-Mamun, and Shiism reached so far intothe governmental dignitaries that al-Mamun himselfwas forced to show deep sympathy towards theAlawiyiin, the descendants of Imam Ali, and to show aninclination towards Shiism, to the point that he invitedImam Ali ibn Musa al-Rida, the eighth Imam of the AhlulBayt to be his successora position which Imam al-Rida declined.

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Imamah

The major distinction between the school of AhlulBayt and the other Islamic schools of thought revolvesaround the issue ofImamah, or the early succession toProphet Muhammad. The school of Ahlul Bayt

maintains that the office of the imamah is a divineoffice - meaning, the imam or khalifah (leadership) hasto be appointed and given directly by Allah, for thisoffice holds the same significance as that ofprophethood. People are thus commanded by Allah tofollow specific successors (imams) after the demise ofthe Prophet.

Other schools of thought say that the imamah isdetermined by shura (election) and that this methodwas used to determine the successor of the ProphetMuhammad. However, the Shia school of thoughtconsiders that the concept of shura was never fullyenacted after the death of the Prophet because ibnQutaybah asserts that the first caliph was nominatedmainly by two people;1 Ibn Kathir says that he had

confined the candidacy for the khilafah to Umar ibn al-Khattab and Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah, both of whomdeclined and nominated him, a nomination that wasseconded by Maadh, Usayd, Bashir, and Zayd ibn

Thabit.2 Tabari narrates that the Ansar refused tosubmit to his allegiance in al-Saqifah(the place wherethe matter of immediate succession to the Prophet wasdiscussed) and declared that they would only payallegiance to Ali (because he was the one appointed by

1 Ibn Qutaybah, al-Imamah wal-Siyasah, Vol. 1, 6,2 Ibn Kathir, al-Sira al-Nabawiyyah, Vol. 2, 494

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the Prophet to be his successor).3 The first caliph hasbeen recorded to have said in his inaugural ceremony,O people! I was appointed over you, but I am not thebest one among you.4 Historian ibn Abi al-Hadid al-Mutazili records that the second caliph admitted hisrole in orchestrating the meeting at al-Saqifah when helater declared that paying allegiance to the first caliphhad been a mistake (faltah) but that Allah had avertedthe disaster of it from the Muslims.5 The concept of

shura however was not implemented during the secondcaliphs ascension to the caliphate since the first caliphappointed him before his death. It was not evenenacted during the ascension of the third caliph topower, since he was also selected nominally by fivepeople, but in essence by onenamely, the secondcaliph, who also appointed two governors to remain inpower after his death namely: Sad ibn Abi Waqqass

and Abu Musa al-Ashari.6

Quranic Evidence for the Divine Ordination ofthe Imam

Numerous verses in the Noble Quran refer to thefact that throughout history Allah alone has the right toordain an imam (leader) or khalifah for mankind some

of them are as follows:And remember when your Lord said tothe angels, Verily, I am going to place[for mankind] a successor (khalifah) onthe earth.7

3 al-Tabari Tarikh, Vol. 2, 4434 al-Suyuti, Tarikh al-Khulafa, 695 Ibn Abi al-Hadid al-Mutazili, Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah, Vol.

2, 296 Ibid., Vol. 9, 507 Noble Quran, 2:30

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Imamah

O David! Verily We have placed you as asuccessor (khalifah) on the earth, so

judge between men with truth andjustice, and follow not your desires, forthey will mislead you from the path ofAllah.8

And remember when the Lord of Abrahamtried him with certain commands whichhe fulfilled. Allah said to him, Verily I am

going to make you a leader (imam) formankind. Abraham said, And (whatabout) my offspring? Allah said, Myprovidence (does not) includes thewrongdoers.9

And We made from among them leaders(imams), giving guidance under Our

command, when they were patient andbelieved with certainty in Our proofs andevidence.10

These verses clarify that not just anyone is entitledto assume the office of leadership or the imamah andone who qualifies for this is the one who Allahexamines and he fulfills Allahs test. In particular, the

Noble Quran in the above verse of 2:124 stresses veryclearly that the wrongdoers (dhalimeen) are forbiddenfrom assuming the leadership of the believers. Yet,does Islamic history show this command to have beencarried out? How many caliphs and sultans during theUmayyad and Abbasid periods were corrupt and did notpractice Islam properly, yet they were leaders of theMuslim nation?

8 Noble Quran, 38:269 Noble Quran, 2:12410 Noble Quran, 32:24

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Commentators unanimously agree that thisparticular verse refers to Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib whogave his ring to a beggar while in the state of bowing(ruku) in the course of his prayer.

The only saying of the faithful believers,when they are called to Allah and HisMessenger to judge between them, is thatthey say, We hear and we obey, andsuch are the prosperous ones.22

We sent no messenger but to be obeyedby Allahs leave.23

By your Lord, they can have no faith untilthey make you (Prophet Muhammad) a

judge in all disputes between them andfind in themselves no resistance against

your decision and accept it with fullsubmission.24

(5) The Verses of Following:

Say (Prophet Muhammad) to mankind, Ifyou really love Allah, then follow me.Allah will love you and forgive you yoursins, and Allah is the Oft-Forgiving, the

Most Merciful.25

Say (Prophet Muhammad), Follow thatwhich has been sent down to you fromyour Lord, and follow not any guardianother than that.26

22 Noble Quran, 24:5123 Noble Quran, 4:6424 Noble Quran, 4:6525 Noble Quran, 3:3126 Noble Quran, 7:3

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imam by power and intimidation then he will notnecessarily be entitled to be a legitimate Muslimleader. Logic dictates that the imam or caliph whosucceeds the prophet should be appointed by Allah.Since Allah puts their obedience at the same level asobedience to Him and His Messenger, therefore notanyone is entitled to become the caliph of the prophet.Islamic history shows that some corrupt peopleassumed even the office of leadership and the khilafah

during the Umayyad and Abbasid dynastiesthencould this verse of obedience still apply to them? Wouldthe believing Muslims have to follow these leadersblindly? Would Allah tell the Muslims to follow a corruptleader and an oppressor?

In some of the hadith books, justification is foundfor such rulers to rule and a command for the Muslims

to listen to them. Imam Bukhari narrates from theProphet, After me, there will be rulers (wilat), and youwill find good ones and corrupt ones. You Muslims haveto listen to both of them. Whoever breaks the unity ofthe whole (the jamaah) will be considered outside ofthe religion of Islam.30 Such a hadith is not compatiblewith the Noble Quran, which says, And incline nottowards those who do wrong (dhalamu) lest the Fire

touch you and you have no protector other than Allah,nor will you be helped.31The Noble Quran clearlyemphasizes that those who believe should neithersupport nor incline towards an oppressor at all. There isno way to justify paying allegiance to or endorsing an

30 Sahih al-Bukharim, Kitab al-Imara, Hadith 1096, TheBook of Trials Hadith6530 and 6531, Legal JudgmentsHadith6610; Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Imara, Hadith3438;Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Part 1, 275, 297 and 310 al-Darami, The Book on BiographiesHadith 2407


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Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib

The Noble Quran and Prophet Muhammadspecifically refer to the leadership of Imam Ali after theProphet in several incidents.

Ghadir Khum

This incident took place on the 18th of Dhul Hijjah,the twelfth month of theu Islamic calendar, and hasbeen narrated by 110 companions of the Prophet, 84members of the following generation (the tabiin), and360 Muslim scholars from all schools of thought.Prophet Muhammad and approximately 114,000 of hiscompanions had performed the farewell Hajj

(pilgrimage) and were returning home. That year,during the Hajj, the weather was very hot with theblazing sun taking its toll on the pilgrims. When theProphet arrived at Ghadir Khum, a marshlandcrossroads from which all the Muslims from differentlands would part on their own ways, the Prophetstopped the caravan at noontime, and waited for thosewho were behind to arrive and called upon those whohad gone ahead to return, for he had received arevelation from Allah which he had to deliver to thepeople. The revelation read, O Messenger! Declarewhat has been revealed to you from Your Lord, and ifyou do not, then your mission will not have been fullydeclared, and Allah will protect you from the harm ofthe people.1 Then the Prophet spoke a bit before

1 Noble Quran, 5:67. See the following commentators(mufassirin): Tabari, Wahidi, Thaalibi, Qurtubi, al-Razi, IbnKathir, Naysaburi, Suyuti, and Alusi al-Baghdadi, and thefollowing historians: Balathari, Ibn Qutaybah, Tabari, al-

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asking the assembly whether he truly had authorityover them or not. The people replied, Yes, O Prophet,of course you are our leader (mawla). He repeated thisquestion three times, and the people responded in thesame way each time, acknowledging his leadership.

The Prophet then called for Ali, held up his arm so thattheir two arms formed one shape pointing upwards,and said to the people, He whose leader (mawla) I am,Ali is his leader.

At that time, Ali was 33 years old. The peoplereceived this news with a variety of responsessomewith happiness and some with resentment. Theforemost to congratulate Ali were the future first andsecond caliphs; the second caliph said,Congratulations, congratulations to you, O Ali; youhave become my leader (mawla) and the leader of

every faithful Muslim.2

After declaring the mentioned revelation anotherverse was revealed to Prophet Muhammad. Allah said,Today I have completed for you the religion, andfavored you with My bounty, and accepted Islam foryou as the religion.3 With this verse, the religion of

Khatib al-Baghdadi, Ibn Abd al-Birr, Shahristani, IbnAsakir, Ibn al-Athir, Ibn Abi al-Hadid, Yaqut al-Hamawi, IbnKhalaqan, Yafii, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Khuldun, al-Dhahabi, IbnHajar al-Askalani, Ibn al-Sabbagh al-Maliki, al-Maqrizi, andJalal al-Din al-Suyuti, and also the following recorders ofhadith: al-Shafii, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ibn Majah, Tirmidhi,Nisai, al-Baghawi, al-Dulabi, al-Tahawi, Abu Yala al-Musali, al-Hakim al-Naysaburi, Khatib al-Khawarizmi,Muhibb al-Din al-Tabari, al-Dhahabi, and al-Muttaqi al-Hindi.

2 Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, Vol. 4, 281; al-Ghazali, Sirral-Alamin, 12; al-Tabari, al-Riyadh al-Nadhirah, Vol. 2, 169

3 Noble Quran, 5.3.

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of Ali, Your nephew has ordered you to listen to yourson and obey him.5

The Verse of Bowing (Ruku)

Verily, your guardian (wali) is Allah, Hismessenger, and the believers; those whoperform the prayers and givezakat(alms)while bowing down (in ruku).6

Numerous commentators of the Quran from all

schools of thought identify the one referred to in thisverse is Ali ibn Abi Talib. The famous commentator,Zamakhshari says about this verse, It was revealed infavor of Ali (may Allah enlighten his face). When abeggar asked him for alms in the masjid and Ali was inthe position of ruku during the prayers, he gave awayhis ring while in that position. It seems it was loose on

the little finger, for he did not exert any effort in takingit off, which would have nullified his prayer. If you askhow it could be in favor of Ali since the wording is inthe plural form, I would say that the form is pluralalthough its instigator is a single man to encourage

5 Ihqaq al-Haqq, Vol. 4, 62; Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2, 117;Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Vol. 1, 159; Tarikh Abul Fida,

Vol. 1, 116; Nadhm Durar al-Simtayn, 82; Kifayat al-Talib,205; Tarikh Madinat Dimishq, Vol.1, Hadith 87, 139 and143; al-Hasakani, Shawahid al-Tanzil, Vol. 1, 420;Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Jami al-Bayan, Vol. 19,131; Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, al-Durr al-Manthur, Vol. 5, 97;Tafsir ibn Kathir, Vol. 3, 350; al-Baghdadi, Tafsir al-Khazin,Vol. 3, 371; al-Alusi al-Baghdadi, Ruh al-Maani, Vol. 19,122; al-Tantawi, Tafsir al-Jawahir, Vol. 13, 103; al-Hakimal-Naysaburi, al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihayn, Vol. 3, 135.Other historical sources, such as Sirat al-Halabi, say thatthe Prophet added, And he will be my minister (wazir)and inheritor (warith).

6 Noble Quran, 5:55

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Ali is from me, and I am from Ali, andnone delivers except me and Ali.18

He who obeys me will have obeyed Allah,and he who disobeys me will havedisobeyed Allah. And he who obeys Aliwill have obeyed me, and he whodisobeys Ali will have disobeyed me.19

At the Battle of Khaybar the Muslims were

struggling to conquer the castle. The twocompanions, Abu Bakr and Umar hadpreviously failed in their attempts todefeat the enemies, at which theMessenger of Allah said, I will certainlygive this standard (i.e. flag) to a manwhom Allah and His Messenger love.Other narrations say that the Prophet

said, Allah will grant victory through theone who loves Allah and His Messenger.In either case, the Prophet Muhammadgave the standard to Ali, and Allahgranted victory through his hand.20

Twelve Leaders to Succeed the Prophet

In addition to the specific narrations emphaticallyidentifying Imam Ali as the successor of the ProphetMuhammad, the Prophet was also recorded to havesaid on numerous occasions that after him he would besucceeded by twelve leaders from his tribe of Quraysh.Some of these narrations are:

18 Sunan ibn Majah, Vol. 1, 44; Sahih Tirmidhi, Vol. 5, 30019 al-Hakim, Vol. 3, 221, al-Dhahabi20 Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Jihad and Marching Hadith

2724 and 2753, Battles Hadith 3888; Sahih Muslim,Book on the Merits of the Companions Hadith 4423-4424; Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Vol. 5, 333

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Ahlul Bayt, and to make you as pure as possible.5

Imam Anas ibn Malik adds that the Prophet did this forsix months every day on his way for his morningprayers at the masjid.6

The Verse of Affection (Muwaddah)

Say, I do not ask from you any reward forit (preaching the message) but love formy relatives (qurba which here refers to

theAhlul Bayt7

).8

When explaining this verse, Fakhr al-Din al-Razisays, Without doubt, no one was as near to theProphet as Lady Fatima, Ali, Hassan, and Husayn. Thisis a well-known fact for all the chains of narration, thatthese were his al. Thus, al or ahl refers only to theimmediate family of the Prophetnamely: Lady Fatima,

Ali, Hassan, and Husayn.Some argue that Hassan and Husayn were not the

sons of the Prophet because they were the sons ofImam Ali. According to old Arab custom, the motherwas considered as only a means to deliver a child, butnonetheless, their direct lineage to the Prophet isthrough their mother, Lady Fatima al-Zahra. It has been

narrated that the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashidasked the seventh Imam of the school of Ahlul Bayt,Imam Musa ibn Jafar how he could attribute himself tothe Prophet while he was the child of Ali and LadyFatima thus, how could he be related to the Prophet?

5 Ibn Mardawayh. Ahmad ibn Hanbal. Tirmidhi. Ibn Mundir.Tabarani. For more details see: Tabatabai, al-Mizan.

6 al-Miqrizi, Fadhail Ahlul-Bayt, 217 Ibn Hajar, Sawaiq. Vol.11, 160; Tabaqat al-Kubra, Ibn

Saad; Sahih Muslim; Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal; Tafsiral-Durr al-Manthur


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When this verse was revealed, theProphet invited the Christians to themalediction, to invoke the curse of Allahupon the liars. The Christians held adiscourse among themselves tmhat nightin which their leader, Abd al-Masih statedhis views. He said, O Christians, knowthat Muhammad is a God-sent Prophetwho has brought you the final message

from your Lord. By God, no nation everdared to challenge a Prophet withmalediction but that woe befell them. Notonly will they perish, but their childrenwill also be afflicted by the curse. Sayingthisthat it is better to reach acompromise with the Prophet rather thanchallenge his truth and perishAbd al-

Masih advised his party to stop hostilitiesand retain their religion by submitting tothe Prophets terms. So if you persist (fora confrontation) we will all perish. But ifyou, to keep your faith, refuse (to have ashowdown) and remain as you are, thenmake peace with the man (the Prophet)

and return to your land. The next day,the Prophet, carrying Husayn in his arms,leading Hassan by the hand, followed byhis daughter Lady Fatima, behind whomcame Ali, entered the appointed placeand the Prophet was heard saying to hisfamily, When I invoke Allah, second theinvocation. The pontiff of Najran, upon

seeing the Prophet and his family,addressed the Christians, O Christians! Iam witnessing such faces that if Godwishes, for their sake, He would move

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Although other women were present in the family ofthe Prophet at that time, all the commentators,narrators, and historians agree that in reference to theQuranic verse, our women referred only to LadyFatima al-Zahra, our children referred only to Hassanand Husayn, and ourselves referred only to theProphet and Imam Ali.

The Verse of Prayer (Salat)

Surely Allah and His angels bless theProphet. O you who believe, call for divineblessings upon him, and salute him with abecoming salutation.13

In the five obligatory prayers, during the tashhahud(testimony), those offering their prayers must salutethe Prophet and his progenya term exclusively

reserved for Ali, Lady Fatima, Hassan, Husayn, andtheir righteous descendants. The emphasis on theProphets family in salutation is another indication oftheir pivotal position after the Prophet. By asking thebelievers to exalt these noble personalities, Allah, theAlmighty reminds the Muslim nation that He haschosen the Ahlul Bayt for the role of leading the Muslimnation.

One of the most prominent commentators of theQuran, Fakhr al-Din al-Razi narrates the response of theProphet when he was asked by some of his companionshow to send blessings upon him. He said, Say, OAllah, send blessings on Muhammad and on theprogeny of Muhammad as you sent blessings onIbrahim and on the progeny of Ibrahim. And send grace

on Muhammad and on the progeny of Muhammad justas you sent grace on Ibrahim and on the progeny of


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Ibrahim. You are the Praiseworthy, the Glorious.14Al-Razi comments that if Allah and His angels send theirblessings upon the Prophet, then what need is there forour blessings? He answers his own question by sayingthat when we send blessings on the ProphetMuhammad it is not because he is in need of them,because he already has the blessings of Allah and thus,he does not even require the blessings of the angels.When we send blessings on him, we send them to

glorify Allah and also to reveal our gratitude towardsAllah such that He may have compassion on us andreward us. Thus, the Prophet says, Whoever sendsblessings on me once, Allah will send blessings on himten times.

Another verse in the Noble Quran asserts the sameteaching when Allah the Almighty sends His blessings

on the family of the Prophet by saying, Peace be uponthe Al-e-Yasin!15 According to some commentators,Yasin is one of the names of the Prophet, as stated inSurah (chapter) Ya Sin when it addresses the Prophetas, Yasin, by the Quran full of wisdom, truly you areone of the messengers.16

The Verse of Feeding

Truly, the righteous drink of a cuptempered with camphor, a fountain fromwhich the servants of Allah drink, flowingin abundance. They (the Family of theProphet) fulfill vows and fear a Day, theevil of which is widespread. And they givefood out of love for Him to the poor andthe orphan and the captive. We feed you

14 Tafsir al-Kabir, Vol. 3, 5615 Noble Quran, 37:13016 Ibn Hajar, al-Sawaiq, Ch. 11

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for Allahs sake and pleasure only. Wedesire from you neither reward northanks. Surely, we fear from our Lord astern, distressful Day, so Allah will wardoff from them the evil of that Day andcause them to meet with splendor andhappiness and reward them for theirsteadfastness with a garden and withsilk.17

Surah 76 in the Noble Quran descended to honor asacred gesture performed by the Ahlul Bayt. Allahentitled this Surah, Insan (Mankind) to draw attentionof the people to the beauty of mankinds deeds onearth, and to tell them that they should not be selfishor greedy; rather, they should be caring and thoughtfulpeople who spend their time thinking of other human

beings around them. The chapter begins, Has therenot been over man a period of time when he wasnothing to be mentioned? Verily, We and created manfrom drops of mixed semen in order to try him, so Wemade him hearing, seeing. Verily, We showed him theway, whether he be grateful or ungrateful.

This introduction prepares our minds for the big

sacrifice of the Family of the ProphetAli, Lady Fatima,Hassan, Husayn, and their maidservant Fiddah. Theincident provoking these verses began when Hassanand Husayn fell ill, and Lady Fatima al-Zahra asked herfather what to do. The Prophet advised her to make avow with Allah that if He cured them then the entirefamily would fast for three days. Hassan and Husaynwere cured, and the process of fasting began. At that

time there was nothing in their house to eat, so ImamAli went to a Khaybarian Jew named Shimon and

17 Noble Quran, 76:5-13

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borrowed three measures of barley. His wife, LadyFatima milled one measure into flour and baked it intofive loaves of bread, one for each of them. Ali, LadyFatima, and their two sons, Hassan and Husayn alongwith their maidservant Fiddah fasted for threeconsecutive days. On the first day, at the time ofbreaking the fast, a destitute (miskin) person came tothe door asking for some food. They took the food theyintended to eata loaf of bread eachand gave it to

him. They then broke their fast only with water. On thesecond day, at the time of breaking their fast, anorphan came to their door, and they again gave him alltheir food. On the third day, at the time of breaking thefast, a prisoner of war (a non-Muslim who had beencaptured in the defensive wars of Islam and was livingin the city of Madina) came to their door and asked forsome food, and again, they took all five loaves of bread

and gave it to the man, breaking their fast for the thirdconsecutive day with only water. Afterwards, theMessenger of Allah made a visit and saw his daughter,Lady Fatima al-Zahra and her two children, Hassan andHusayn were pale and too weak to speak, and he sawthat they were trembling from hunger. Lady Fatimaherself was sitting hollow-eyed on her prayer mat, her

stomach sunk into her back. As he was asking them thereason for their state, angel Jibril (Gabriel) immediatelycame to the Prophet with Surah 76, O Muhammad,Allah congratulates you for the sacrifice of yourhousehold.18

These verses not only translate the generosity andsteadfastness of the Ahlul Bayt but also reveal the total

submission of the Family of the Prophet and theirimmaculate and pure personalities. Commentators of

18 Zamakhshari, Tafsir al-Kashhaf, Ch. 76; Fakhr al-Razi,Tafsir al-Kabir, Ch. 76; Tabarsi, Mujam al-Bayan, Ch. 76

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Similar Narrations from the ProphetMuhammad about his Ahlul Bayt

The parable of my Ahlul Bayt is similar tothat of Noahs ark. Whoever embarks itwill certainly be rescued, but the one whoopposes boarding it will certainly bedrowned.22

Just like the stars protect mankind from

losing its way in travel, so are my AhlulBayt; they are the safeguard againstdiscord in matters of religion.23

Acknowledgement of theAl-e-Muhammadmeans salvation from the Hellfire; thelove ofAl-e-Muhammad is a passport forcrossing the bridge of Sirat; and

obedience to Al-e-Muhammad isprotection from divine wrath.24

22 This hadith has been narrated by eight companions of theProphet and eight disciples of the companions, by sixtywell-known scholars and more than ninety authors fromthe brothers of the Sunni school, such as Ahmad ibnHanbal, Mishkat al-Masabih, 523; Faraid al-Simtayn, Vol.2, 242; al-Sawaiq al-Muhriqah, 234; Uyun al-Akhbar, Vol.1, 211.

23 al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak(quoting Ibn Abbas), Vol. 3, 14924 al-Shafa, Vol 2, 40

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Infallibility

The Shia school of thought maintains the belief thatall the prophets of Allah, from Adam to Muhammad, aswell as the twelve successors (imams) of the ProphetMuhammad, and his daughter, Lady Fatima al-Zahra

were infallible throughout their entire lives and nevercommitted any type of sin that would earn thedispleasure of Allah. The clearest way to see this pointis to consider that these people were the examplessent for humanity to follow, and thus, if they committederrors then people would be obliged to follow theirerrors, thereby rendering the prophets and messengersunreliable.

Infallibility means protection. In Islamic terminologyit means the spiritual grace of Allah enabling a personto abstain from sins by his/her own free will. The powerof infallibility or without sin does not make a personincapable of committing sins, rather he/she refrainsfrom sins and mistakes by his/her own power and will.

Infallibility is essential for the prophets andmessengers because their job is not only to convey thedivine scriptures of Allah but also to lead and guidehumanity towards the right path. Therefore, they mustbe role models and perfect examples for all ofmankind. Both the Noble Quran and conventionalwisdom illustrate this point; the Noble Quran mentionsinfallibility thirteen times. Allah says to Satan,

Certainly you shall have no authority over My servantsexcept those who follow you and go astray.1 Satan


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Infallibility

thus replied to Allah, By Your might, I will surelymislead all of them, except Your chosen servantsamong them (the messengers and the imams).2

There are some verses in the Noble Quran whichmight imply that some of the prophets (such as Adam,Musa (Moses), or Yunus (Jonah)) committed sins. As forProphet Adam, he did not disobey the obligatorycommands of Allah; the command that he did nothonor was a recommended one, not a mandatory one

and soaccording to Islamic terminologyhe did notcommit a sin. When speaking about the disobedienceof Prophet Adam, the Noble Quran does not meandisobedience in the literal term; it means that it wasnot expected from a person like Prophet Adam, whowas a leader for humanity, not to adhere to Allahsadvisory commands. Therefore, such an act is labeled

allegorically as a sin in the Noble Quran. And indeedWe made a covenant with Adam before, but he forgot,and We found on his part no firm will-power (azm).His guilt was that he did not demonstrate will-power,not that he violated Allahs rules because thecommands were advisory and not obligatory. As aresult of his behavior, he was to lose the privilegegranted to him, Verily, you have a promise from Us

that you will never be hungry therein, nor naked, andyou will not suffer from thirst therein, nor suffer fromthe suns heat.3

As for Prophet Musa, the Noble Quran says abouthim saying the following, And they have a charge ofcrime against me, and I fear that they will kill me.4

This charge came about when he pushed a man and

2 Noble Quran, 38:823 Noble Quran, 20:118-1194 Noble Quran, 26:14

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Infallibility

There are similar narrations also about some of theother prophets of Allah, for example:

The Angel of Death came to Musa andsaid, Respond to (the call of) Allah (i.e.be prepared for death). Musa gave ablow to the eye of the Angel of Death andknocked it out. The Angel went back toAllah and said, You sent me to Yourservant who does not want to die, for look

he knocked out my eye. Allah thenrestored his eye.10

If an ordinary Muslim person attacked someone whowas doing his duty, then he would be called an abuser,and an offender and charges would be brought againsthim. Thus, such behavior is completely unbelievableand unacceptable especially if that person is one of the

five universal prophets sent to guide, enlighten, andeducate people by their fine examples and morality.Why would one, such as Prophet Musa attack the Angelof Death who came to bring him closer to Allah?Narrations like this one are completely not authentic oracceptable. Muslims must open their eyes to suchstories in the books of hadith which have no harmony

with the teachings of the Noble Quran.

10 Sahih al-Bukhari, Book on Funerals Hadith 1253; SahihMuslim, Book in the Virtues Hadith 4374; al-Nisai Bookon Funerals Hadith 2062; Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Vol.2, 269, 315, 351, and 533

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Calling Upon the Prophet

and Imams for Help

Calling upon the Prophet and the imams (alsoreferred to as istighathat al-nabi wal-aimmah) isallegorical, not literal. The Noble Quran teaches people

to worship and seek help from Allah (iyyaka nabuduwa iyyaka nastain); however, the allegorical seekingof help is permitted in the Noble Quran. For example, inthe story of Prophet Musa (Moses), And he found theretwo men fightingone from his party (Shia), and theother from his foes. The man of his own party askedhim (istighathahu) for help against his foe, so Musastruck him with his fist and killed him.1

Many of the narrators of hadith narrate a prayer(dua) from the Prophet which begins, O my Lord! Iturn to you by your Prophet, the Prophet of Mercy(Allahumma, inni atawajjahu ilayka bi nabiyyika nabi al-rahma). Then it says, O Muhammad! I turn to Allahby you to solve my difficulties.2

It is also narrated that the feet of Abdullah ibnUmar al-Khattab became disabled and he could nolonger walk. After being told to call upon the closestpeople to his heart, he said, Wa Muhammada! Hisfeet became cured and worked properly again.3 TheNoble Quran teaches us to seek help through patience

1 Noble Quran, 28:152 Ibn Majah; Tirmidhi, al-Nisai; al-Husn al-Hasin Ibn al-Juzri

3 al-Samhudi, Shifa al-Asqam

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Imam al-Mahdi

All Muslims agree that at the end of time al-Mahdiwill reappear to make justice prevail on earth afterbeing overwhelmed with injustice, corruption, andtyranny. However, the dispute between the different

schools of thought is as to who he is, and whether ornot he is already born. Great scholars emphasize thatal-Mahdi is a member of the Ahlul Bayt (the Family ofthe Prophet):

Imam al-Bukhari narrates from theProphet Muhammad, How will you feelonce the son of Mary descends among

you, and your leader (imam) is fromyou?1

Imam Muslim narrates from the ProphetMuhammad, A caliph will be appearingat the end of time from my nation.

Timridhi and Abu Dawud, commenting onthis hadith, say that this caliph will be al-

Mahdi.

2

Abu Dawud narrates from the NobleProphet, If there remained but a singleday until the end of time, Allah willprolong that day until He sends a manfrom my progeny whose name will be likemine and who fill the earth with justice

1 Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 4, 1432 Sahih Muslim, Vol. 2; Sunan Tirmidhi; Sunan Abu Dawud,

Vol. 2, 421

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and equity as it had been filled withoppression and tyranny.3

Ibn Majah narrates from the ProphetMuhammad, We are the Ahlul Bayt forwhom Allah has chosen the hereafter tothis world. My Ahlul Bayt after me willface difficulties, hardships, andpersecution in the land until a group ofpeople will come from the East, bearersof black banners. They will demand theright, but it will be denied. So they willfight and emerge victorious. They will begiven what they demanded but will notaccept it until they give the right to ruleto a man from my Ahlul Bayt, who will fillthe earth with justice as it was filled with

oppression.4

Ibn Majah also narrates from the ProphetMuhammad, The Mahdi is from us, theAhlul Bayt. He is among the children ofFatima.5

Tirmidhi narrates from the ProphetMuhammad, A man from my Ahlul Bayt

whose name is like mine will verily rulethe world and if there remains but asingle day before the end of time, Allahwill prolong that day until he assumesrule.6

3 Sunan Abu Dawud, Vol. 2; 4214 Ibid., Vol. 2, Hadith 4082 and 40875 Ibid., Vol. 2, Hadith 4082 and 40876 Tirmidhi, al-Jamial-Sahih, Vol. 9, 74-75; For more

references on this topic see: Fath al-Bari, al-Hafiz, Vol. 5.362; Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, al-Sawaiq Vol. 2, 212;

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Imam al-Mahdi

According to the Shia school of thought, ImamMuhammad ibn al-Hassan al-Mahdi was born in 255H(869AD) on the 15th of the month of Shaban in the cityof Samarra in northern Iraq. His father was ImamHassan al-Askari, whose lineage traces back to ImamAli ibn Abi Talib, and his mothers name was Narjiss.

He is the last of the twelve imams for the people onearth, and with him the line of succession to theProphet ends. Due to the necessity of having a

representative from Allah present on earth, he is still,by the will of Allah, living in this worldbut out of thepublic view. He will however reappear towards the endof human civilization to restore order and justice at atime when the world will be filled with evil andinjustice.

Although the idea of Imam al-Mahdi still being alive

after nearly thirteen centuries is difficult for somepeople to fathom, nonetheless, the Noble Quran setsseveral examples of prophets who lived even longerthan al-Mahdi has lived, such as Prophet Isa, and al-Khidr (see Quran, chapter 18, verses 60-82 for his storywith Prophet Musa). The Noble Quran also gives twoother examples about people who died and then were

resurrected by Allah. One is the example of thecompanions of the Cave (ashab al-kahf; see Quran,chapter 18, verse 25). The other is the example ofUzayr:

Or like the one who passed by the town,and it had tumbled over its roofs. He said,How will Allah ever bring it alive after itsdeath? So Allah caused him to die for a

Muntakab al-Athar, Ayatullah Lutfullah Safi, which includesover sixty hadiths from the Sunni sources and ninetyhadiths from the Shia sources.

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Dissimulation (Taqiyyah)

gave verdicts to abandon prayers and break fast duringthe month of Ramadan for the person who was beingcoerced. Similarly, Imam Malik was obliged to use highlevels of diplomacy with the Umayyad and Abbasiddynasties by using Surah 3, verse 28 as justification.Imam Shafii also used taqiyyah in his verdictregarding a man who swore falsely by the name ofAllah under coercion that he will not have to pay thekaffarah (expiation).6 Imam al-Ghazzali narrates that

protecting the Muslim blood is obligatory thus lying isobligatory, if it means preventing the shedding theblood of a Muslim.7

Some people associate taqiyyah with nifaq(hypocrisy). However, hypocrisy is defined as falselydisplaying faith (iman) while hiding disbelief (kufr),whereas taqiyyah is showing agreement, while in the

heart there is disagreement in order to protect onesself, family, money, or religion.

6 Al-Amidi, Difa an al-Kafi, Vol. 1, 6277 al-Ghazzali, Ihya Ulum al-Din

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The People of the Scripture ask you (OMuhammad) to cause a book to descendupon them from Heaven. Indeed, theyasked Musa for even greater than thatwhen they said, Show us Allah in public,but they were struck with thunder andlightening for their wickedness. 6

And those who expect not a meeting withUs say, Why are not the angels sentdown to us? or Why do we not see ourLord? Indeed, they think too highly ofthemselves and are scornful with greatpride.7

When Musa came to the place appointedby Us, and his Lord addressed him, hesaid, O Lord! Show Yourself to me so that

I may look upon You. Allah said, By nomeans can you see Me, but look at themountainif it abides in its place thenyou shall see Me. When his Lordmanifested His glory to the mountain, Hemade it like dust, and Musa fell in aswoon. When he recovered his senses, he

said, Glory be to You. To You do I turn inrepentance and I am the first to believe.8

If seeing Allah was impossible for the prophets andthe messengers of Allah then it is clearly impossible forall other people as well; whether during this life or inthe Hereafter.

6 Noble Quran, 4:537 Noble Quran, 25:218 Noble Quran, 7:143

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Seeing Allah (Ruyat Allah)

Logically speaking, in order to see an object, theobject must have several qualities. First, it must have aspecific direction, such as in front of or to the left orright of the observer. Second, a distance must existbetween the one seeing and the thing being seen.Seeing would be impossible if the distance becamelonger or shorter. Allah the Almighty is not a physicalobject that we can pin-point and ultimately see, nordoes He occupy space. Although the Noble Quran says,

He is the Supreme, watching over His worshippers,9

and They revere their Lord high abovethem10above themrefers to the Almighty beingabove His servants in His might, power, and loftiness -not in place, space, area, elevation, or physicallocation. Such qualities do not apply to Him. During hisascension to Heaven, the Prophet called upon his Lordby the words, You are as You have praised Your Own

Self. While Prophet Yunus called upon his Lord fromthe bottom of the sea saying, There is no God but You!Glory be to You!11 Regarding Prophet Yunus, theProphet Muhammad said, Do not exalt me over him innearness to Allah just because I reached the highthrone, whereas he was in the bottom of the sea,because the adored One is above being confined to a

space or direction.Imam Ali was asked by one of his companions,

Thalab al-Yamani whether he had seen his Lord. ImamAli replied, How can I worship something that I do notsee? When asked how he saw Him, Imam Ali replied,Eyes do not reach Him with physical sight, but thehearts reach Him with the realities of belief.12 There

9 Noble Quran, 6:6110 Noble Quran, 16:5011 Noble Quran, 21:8712 Nahj al-Balagha

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On the authority of Abdullah ibn AbiLayla, as reported by Imam al-Bukhari,the Messenger of Allah came to us andwe said to him, We have learned how toinvoke peace upon you; how should wepray for you? He (the Prophet) said, Say:O Allah, bless Muhammad and his familyas You blessed the family of Ibrahim.Verily, You are the Praiseworthy, the

Glorious. Grant favor to Muhammad andthe members of his household as Yougranted favor to the members of thehousehold of Ibrahim in the world. Verily,

You are the Praiseworthy, the Glorious.3

When teaching his companions the salat (prayer),the Prophet specifically included his progeny (al-e-

Muhammad). Hence, Muslims must adhere to theteachings of the Prophet and send blessings upon all ofthose whom he commanded for us to do.

3 Sahih al-Bukhari, Book on Traditions of Prophets Hadith3119, Interpretation of the Noble Quran Hadith 4423,Supplication Hadith 5880; Sahih Muslim, Book onPrayer Hadith 614; al-Tirmidhi, Book on Prayer Hadith445; al-Nisai, Book on Inattention Hadith 1270-1272;Abu Dawud, Book on Prayer Hadith 830; Ibn Majah,Book on Immediate Call for Prayer Hadith 894; MusnadAhmad ibn Hanbal, Vol. 4, 241, 243, and 244; al-Darami,Book on Prayer Hadith 1308

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The Prayers Upon the Prophet (Salat ala an-Nabi)

financial issues. However, other Muslim historiansinterpret the third caliphs introductions (regardingsome of the religious rules during the last six years ofhis caliphate) as a departure from the tradition of thefirst and second caliphs. The majority of the Muslimsduring his caliphate looked at the third caliph as afollower of the first and second caliphs, and theimplementer of their practices. Since the third caliphwitnessed numerous introductions during the time of

the second caliph, and saw himself religiously andintellectually no less than his predecessors9, thus hedecided to depart from the previous policy and have anindependent opinion regarding different political,financial, and jurisprudential issues such as, washingthe feet during wudu.

Although some people today consider washing the

feet to lead to better cleanliness and hygiene thanmerely wiping the feet; however, Allah the Almightywho legislated all the acts of worship, including thewudu, is more aware of the advantages anddisadvantages of washing or wiping the feet. It hasbeen narrated that Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib said, Ifreligion was according to human opinion, the bottom ofthe foot would be more worthy of wiping than the top.

But I saw the Messenger of Allah wiping the top of hisfeet.10

Combining the Prayers

All Muslims agree that there are five mandatoryprayers throughout the day and night. They also agreethat these five daily prayers have specific times inwhich they must be performed, and that combining the

9 al-Tabari, Tarikh, Vol. 4, 33910 Abu Shaybah, al-Musannatf, Hadith 6, Vol. 1, 30; Sunan

Abi Dawud, Hadith 164, Vol. 1, 42

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until midnight, which is the time for the evening andnight prayers. Referring to the last part of the citedverse (50:39-40), And so likewise after theprostration, according to the commentators, referseither to the nawafil (recommended) prayers, orspecifically to salat al-layl (the midnight prayer) whichare among the highly recommended prayers.

Imam al-Bukhari and others report that the Prophetused to combine his prayers into three sections of time,The Messenger of Allah observed the noon andafternoon prayers together and the sunset and nightprayers together without being in a state of fear orwhile on a journey.15 Imam Muslim narrates the samehadith and adds that when the Prophet was asked byIbn al-Abbas why he authorized combining the twoprayers, the Prophet replied that he did not want to

cause difficulty for his nation.16

In the same book, Ibnal-Abbas himself narrates that they used to combinethe two prayers during the time of the Prophet.17

Therefore, both the Noble Quran and the tradition ofthe Prophet indicate clear authorization and permissionto combine the two prayers without any particularreason. It also asserts that Allah the Merciful made Hisreligion easy for the believers.

15 Sahih al-Bukhari, Book on Times of Prayers Hadith 510and 529, Book on Friday Prayer Hadith 1103; SahihMuslim, Book on the Prayer of Travellers Hadith 1146;al-Tirmidhi, Book on Prayer Hadith 172; al-Nisai, Bookon Timings Hadith 585, 597-599; Abu Dawud, Book onPrayer Hadith 1024, 1025, and 1027; Musnad Ahmad ibnHanbal, Vol. 1:217, 221, 223, 251, 273, 283, 285, 346,349, 351, 354, 360, and 366; Malik, Book on Shorteningthe Prayer while Travelling Hadith 300

16 Sahih Muslim, Book of the Prayers of Travellers Ch. 6,Hadith 50-54

17 Sahih Muslim, Ch. 6-8, Hadith 58-62

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Crossing the Hands in Prayer (Takfir24)

The Messenger of Allah has said, Perform yourprayers as you see me performing my prayers.

Therefore, crossing the hands makes the prayers voidin the Imamiyyah (those who believe in the 12 imamswho succeeded the Noble Prophet as appointed byAllah)school of thought, since it is deemed as the habitof the Magians25 (Majus).26 However, in the Hanafi andShafii schools, it is recommended (mustahhab) to

cross the hands. Nevertheless, the two schools differslightly in the hand posture; the Shafii school says tocross the right hand on top of the left above the belly,while the Hanafi says to hold the hands below the belly.

Concluding the Prayers with Three Takbirs(Saying: Allahu Akbar!)

The Messenger of Allah used to conclude hisprayers with three takbirs. Imam Muslim narrates thisfact on the authority of Ibn al-Abbas who says, Weknew that the Prophet had concluded his prayers whenhe would recit the three takbirats.27

Prostrating on Earth (Turbah)

Prostrating on the earth (turbah) or nature made

material does not in any way imply worshipping theearth or stone which one is prostrating upon. As apractice, it has a firm foundation in the tradition of the

24 Takfir comes from the Arabic word for covering, andsince crossing the hands covers part of the chest it iscalled takfir.

25 Magians are people who consider fire as the purest andnoblest element, and worship it as an emblem of Allah.They are mentioned in the Noble Quran, 22:17

26 al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Vol. 3, 336; al-Tusi, al-Tadhib, Vol. 2,84 and 309

27 Sahih Muslim, Vol. 1, 219

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although numerous types of rugs and furnishingsexisted at that time. Since this masjid did not have acarpet or any other type of floor covering thus when itrained the floor of the masjid would turn into mud; butstill, the Muslims prostrated on the mud and did not putany carpets or rugs down. Many other narrations are asfollows:

Abu Said al-Khidri, a companion of theProphet reported, I saw with my own

eyes, the Messenger of Allah had on hisnose the traces of rain and mud.

Imam al-Bukhari narrates that when theProphet used to do the prayers in his ownroom, he would pray on khumra (a solidpiece of dirt or a piece of straw).

The Messenger of Allah performed hisprayer and I (one of the wives of theProphet) was lying down opposite to himwhile I was in menses. Sometimes hisclothes touched me when he prostrated,and he used to prostrate on khumra.29

One of the wives of the Prophet said, Inever saw the Prophet (while prostrating)prevent his face from touching theearth.30

29 Sahih al-Bukhari, Book on Menstruation, Hadith 321,Book on Prayer, Hadith 366, 487, and 488; SahihMuslim, Book on Prayer, Hadith 797; al-Nisai, Book onmasjids, Hadith 730; Abu Dawud, Book on Prayer,Hadith 560; Ibn Majah, Book on Immediate Call forPrayer, Hadith 1018; Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Vol. 6,330, 331, 335, and 336; al-Darami, Book on PrayerHadith 1338

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Wail, one of the Prophets companionsnarrates, I saw (that) the Prophet, oncehe prostrated touched his forehead andnose on the earth.31

Other narrations say that the Prophet prohibited theMuslims from prostrating on materials other than theearth. One day he saw a man prostrating on some clothfrom his turban. The Prophet pointed to him and toldhim to remove his turban and to touch his actualforehead on the ground.32

Despite the immense heat of the ground, theProphet and his companions used to prostrate on it. Agreat companion of the Prophet, Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari says, I used to pray the noon prayers with theMessenger of Allah and I used to take a bunch ofpebbles in my palm to cool them because of the

enormous heat so I could prostrate on them.33

Another companion of the Prophet, Anas ibn Maliknarrates, We used to pray with the Messenger of Allahduring the enormous heat, and one of us would takepebbles in our hands and once they were cool, putthem down and prostrate on them.34

30 Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Vol. 6, 58; al-Muttaqi al-Hindi,Kanz al-Ummal, Vol.4, 212

31 al-Jassas, Ahkam al-Quran, Vol. 3, 36; Musnad Ahmad ibnHanbal, Vol. 4, 315

32 al-Hiythami, Sunan al-Bayhaqi, Vol. 2, 105; Ibn Hajar, al-Isabah li Marifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 2, 201

33 Sahih al-Nisai, Vol. 2, 204; al-Hiythami, Sunan al-Bayhaqi, Vol. 1, 439;/ Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Vol. 3,327

34 al-Hiythami, Sunan al-Bayhaqi, Vol. 2, 105; Nayl al-Awtar,Vol. 2, 268

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said, May my parents be sacrificed for you! How sweetyou smelled when you were alive, and how sweet yoursoil smells even when you are dead! Then he weptagain and composed this poem, Out of enmity theywanted to obliterate his grave, but the good smell ofthe soil led to the grave.45

The first to prostrate on the soil of Karbala (whereImam Husayn was beheaded and buried) was his son,Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-Abidin, the fourth Imam of the

school of Ahlul Bayt, the great-grandson of theMessenger of Allah. Immediately after he buried hisfather in Karbala, he took a handful of the soil, madethe earth into a solid piece and used it to prostrateupon. After him, his son Imam Muhammad al-Baqir andhis grandson, Imam Jafar al-Sadiq did the same. ImamZayn al-Abidin and Imam al-Sadiq made prayer beads

from the burial dust of Imam Husayn, and Imam al-Sadiq narrates that the daughter of the Messenger ofAllah, Lady Fatima al-Zahra used to carry prayer beadsmade from twisted wooden threads with which shewould praise and glorify Allah, the Exalted. But afterHamzah ibn Abdul Muttalib was killed in the Battle ofUhud, she took the soil from his grave and made prayerbeads from it and used them to glorify Allah. People

learned her habit and did the same when Imam Husaynwas martyred; taking the soil of his grave and using itto make prayer beads.

Prayers for the Dead (Salat al-Mayyit)

During the time of the Prophet, the prayers over thenewly deceased had five takbirs (units). Ahmad ibnHanbal narrates from Abd al-Ala, I prayed behindZayd ibn Arqam over a dead body, and I did the

45 Tarikh ibn Asakir, Vol. 4, 342; Hafiz al-Kanji, al-Kifayah,293

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takbiratfive times. A man stood behind him and heldhis hand and asked whether he had forgotten. Abd al-Ala replied, No, but I prayed behind Abul-QasimMuhammad and he did five takbirat, and I would not doother than that.46

For reference, al-Suyuti mentions the name of thecompanion who changed the number of takbirs fromfive to four.47

Tarawih PrayersImam al-Bukhari narrates from Abdullah ibn Abd

al-Qari, In one of the nights of the month of Ramadan,I went to the masjid with Umar ibn al-Khattab. We sawthe people in scattered groups, with individuals prayingby themselves. Others were praying with a grouppraying behind them. Umar looked at me and said, In

my opinion, if I can bring all these people togetherbehind one who recites, then it would be better. So, hegathered them and made Ubay ibn Kaab lead them inprayers. I went with him another night to the masjid,and saw people all praying together behind a personreciting. Umar looked at them and said, Nimat al-bidah hadhihi (This is a good innovation).48

In the Shia tradition, the recommended prayers (al-

nawafil) during the month of Ramadan are performedindividually.

46 Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Vol. 4, 370; Sahih Muslim,Prayers over the Graves; Sahih al-Nisai, Kitab al-Janazah

47 al-Suyuti, al-Kamil, Vol. 15, 29; al-Suyuti, Tarikh al-Khulafa, 137

48 Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 1, 342

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Companions of the Prophet

Noble Quran, It is equal for them whether you(Prophet Muhammad) ask forgiveness for them or donot ask forgiveness for them. Allah will not forgivethem. Verily, Allah guides not the people who arerebellious, disobedient to Allah.4 Although theyperformed the prayers and gave alms (zakat), theseacts stemmed from their hypocrisy and desire to showoff and were not for the sake of Allah. The Quran alsosays, And nothing prevents their contributions from

being accepted except that they disbelieved in Allahand in His Messenger and that they came to prayersonly in a lazy state, and that they only offercontributions (zakat) unwillingly.5 Even when prayingbehind the Prophet himself, whenever a trade caravanwould enter Madina, these hypocrites would leave theirposition in the prayer row to watch the caravan, ratherthan listen to the sermon of the Prophet of Allah. The

Quran states, And when they see some merchandise,or some amusement, they disperse headlong to it, andleave you (Muhammad) standing (while delivering theFriday jumah congregational religious sermon). Say:that which Allah has is better than any amusement ormerchandise, and Allah is the best of providers.6

According to historical reports, some of these

hypocrites who posed as the Prophets companionswere actually plotting to kill him.7 The Noble Quranmentions that they had schemed to start a civil war inMadina:

Verily, they had plotted sedition beforeand had upset matters for youuntil thetruth (victory) came, and the Decree of

4 Noble Quran, 63:65 Noble Quran, 9:546 Noble Quran, 62:117 For further details see: al-Waqidi, al-Maghazi, Vol. 2, 989


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Quran says, And among the desert people (Aarab)around you, O believers, there are some hypocrites,and so are there some among the people of Madina.

They exaggerate and persist in hypocrisy. Even you(Prophet Muhammad) know them not. We know them;We shall punish them twice and thereafter they shallbe brought to a great, horrible torment.13

The acts of desecration to Islam and the Muslimsociety had reached such an extent by some of thehypocrites that Allah promised them eternalpunishment. Therefore, Muslims should not extend thepleasure of Allah to all of the people around theProphet without distinguishing between who was a truebeliever and who was a pretender. Nor should theMuslims refer to them as the starswhomever wefollow, we will be guided. Imam al-Bukhari narrates:

Allahs Messenger said, I will be there at theFountain of Kawthar before you, and I will haveto contend for some people, but I will have toyield. I will be saying, My Lord, they are mycompanions, they are my companions, and it willbe said, You dont know what innovations theymade after you.14

Imam al-Bukhari also narrates a similar version ofthis hadith:

Allahs Messenger said in the company of hiscompanions, I will be at the Fountain waiting for

13 Noble Quran, 9:10114 Sahih al-Bukhari, Book on Heart-Melting Traditions,

Hadith 6089 and 6090, Book on the Trials, Hadith 6527;Sahih Muslim, Book on the Virtues, Hadith 4250; IbnMajah, Book on Religious Rituals, Hadith 3048; MusnadAhmad ibn Hanbal, Vol. 1, 384, 402, 406, 407, 425, 439,453, and 455, Vol. 5, 387, 393, and 400


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visited one of them and she told him this,whereupon he said, I have taken honey atthe house of Zaynab bint Jahsh, and I willnever do it again. After this, the followingverse was revealed, referring to hisabstention from honey, O Prophet! Whydo you ban for yourself that which Allahhas made lawful to you, seeking to pleaseyour wives (Lady Aishah and Hafsa)?

And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.19

The Noble Quran also addresses Lady Aishah andHafsa exclusively, If you two (wives of the Prophet)turn in repentance to Allahbut your hearts are soinclined (to oppose what the Prophet likes). But if youhelp one another against him, then verily Allah is hisProtectorand Jibril, and the righteous among the

believers, and the angels are also his helpers. It maybe that if he divorced you, his Lord would give him,instead of you - wives better than youMuslimssubmitting to Allah, believers, women obedient toAllah, who turn to Allah in repentance, worship Allahsincerely, given to fasting, or emigrants (for the causeof Allah)previously married and virgins.20

19 Noble Quran, 66:1; See Sahih al-Bukhari, Book on theInterpretation of the Quran, Hadith 4531; Sahih Muslim,Book on Divorce, Hadith 2694; al-Tirmidhi, Book onFoods, Hadith 1574; al-Nisai, Book on Divorce, Hadith3367, Oaths, Vows, and Crop Sharing, Hadith 3735,Intimacy for Women, Hadith 3896; Abu Dawud, Bookon Drinks, Hadith 3227; Ibn Majah, Book on Foods,Hadith 3314; Musnad, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Vol. 6, 221; al-Darami, Book on Foods Hadith 18986

20 Noble Quran, 66:4-5


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The Prophet ordered all of the gates which hadaccess to the courtyard of the Masjid of the Prophet tobe closed except the gate which connected to thehouse of Imam Ali, since the ritually impure (junub)were no longer allowed to enter the masjid beforeperforming the ritual bathing (ghusl). However, theProphet, Imam Ali, and Lady Fatima al-Zahra wereexceptions to this rule, as an emphasis to the Verse ofPurity (Noble Quran - 33:33). Even Hamzah, the uncle

of the Prophet was saddened by this decision and cameto the Prophet weeping. The Prophet told him, I didnot ban you, and I did not allow him (Ali); but it wasAllah who allowed him.25 Ibn Hanbal also narrates thatmany companions wondered about the Prophetsdecision to exempt Imam Ali from having to shut hisdoor to the masjid, the Prophet answered them by thissermon, I commanded that these doors be closed

except for the door of Ali. By Allah, it was not my owndesire, but I was commanded by Allah, and I followedhis command.26 For this reason, the second caliph,Umar ibn al-Khattab, says, Ibn Abi Talib has beengiven three virtues of which, if I had been given onlyone, it would have been better for me than everythingin this life: the Messenger of Allah married him to his

own daughter and she delivered offspring for him, theProphet sealed all the gates to the Masjid of theProphet except his door, and the Prophet gave him thebanner on the Day of Khaybar.27

25 al-Isabah fi Marifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 1, 373; al-Durr al-Manthur, Vol. 6, 122; al-Samhudi, Wafa al-Wafa, Vol. 2,477; al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Kanz al-Ummal, Vol. 15, 155, andothers

26 Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Vol. 1, 175; Vol. 2, 26; Vol. 4,369

27 Ibn Hajar, al-Sawaiq al-Muhriqah, Vol. 3, 9; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, Vol. 3, 125


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The Event of Thursday

Towards the end of the life of the Messenger ofAllah, the Roman army was gathering on the border ofthe Islamic state, and the Prophet ordered all of hiscompanions except for Imam Ali to leave Madina and to

join the battalion of Usama ibn Zayd. Some of theprominent companions refused to join. The Prophetordered them again to go, but they still refused. Thethird time, when they gathered in his house on a

Thursday, four days before he passed away, theProphet opened his eyes and saw that his companionshad gathered around his deathbed. The Prophet askedfor a pen and paper to write his will but one of thecompanions refused to give it to him, saying, Verily,pain has overwhelmed him. The book of Allah is enoughfor us. Once the argument increased, the Prophet

turned to them and said, Go away from me. Youshould not argue in my presence.28 Abdullah Ibnal-Abbas says, Disaster struck when they did notallow the Prophet to write his will. 29 Other historiansnarrate that on that day, the same companion said,Leave him (the Prophet) alone. He is hallucinating.30

This situation occurred despite the clear command

of the Noble Quran, Obey Allah, and obey theMessenger that you may obtain mercy,31 and He whoobeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah, but hewho turns away, then we have not sent you

28 Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 4, 490, Hadith 1229; Sahih Muslim,Vol. 11, 89; Ibn Saad, al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 2, 36;Misbah al-Munir, Vol. 6, 34

29 Shahristani, al-Milal wal-Nihal, Vol. 1, 2230 Sibt ibn al-Jawzi, Tadhkirat al-Khawass, Abu Hamid al-

Ghazali, Sirr al-Alamin, 21; Tarikh ibn al-Wardi, Vol. 1, 2131 Noble Quran, 4:80


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(Muhammad) as a watcher over them.32 Thiscompanion later on confessed as to why he denied theProphets request during the Event of Thursday, bysaying that the Prophet had wanted to mention ImamAli for leadership during his final days so he stoppedhim from doing that.33

Imam al-Bukhari reports on the authority of Sad ibnJubayr from Ibn al-Abbas:

Thursday, and what about Thursday!Then he wept until his tears wetted thegravel. Thereupon I said, O Ibn al-Abbas,what about Thursday? He said, TheMessenger of Allah said, Bring me (a penand paper) so that I may write for you adocument (by which following) you willnever go astray. But they disputed, while

in the presence of the Prophet, thereshould be no disputing. They said, Whatis the matter with him? Ask him. He said,Leave me alone. That which I suffer isbetter. I give you three wills: Drive thepolytheists out of the Arabian Peninsula;grant delegations the same allowance

that I used to give; but he kept silentover the third, or he said it but I wasmade to forget it.34

32 Noble Quran 3:13233 Ibn Abi al-Hadid al-Mutazili, Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah, Vol.

3, 114; Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari ala Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 8,132

34 Sahih al-Bukhari, Book on Jihad and Marching, Hadith2825; SahihMuslim, Book on the Bequest, Hadith 3089;Abu Dawud, Book on Land Tax, Emirate, and Booty,Hadith 2634; Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Vol. 1, 222


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The Suffering of Lady Fatima al-Zahra

One of the undeniable historical facts that allMuslim historians, regardless of their school of thought,unanimously agree upon is that the beloved daughterof the Prophet, Lady Fatima al-Zahra diedapproximately three months after him; as a result ofthe great pain and suffering she endured during theincident of the attack on her house. She died at the ageof 18 years and 7 months. On the day of her burial,

Imam Ali addressed the Prophet at his grave and said:

O Prophet of Allah! Peace be upon youfrom me and from your daughter who hascome to you and who has hastened tomeet you. O Prophet of Allah! Mypatience about your chosen daughter hasbeen exhausted, and my power of

endurance has weakened, except that Ihave ground for consolation in hav

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