‘Ijtihâd’ means ‘to endeavour hard, to exert oneself, and
to work as hard as one can’. The purpose in performing ijtihâd is to work hard
and to try to derive new rules from the Qur’ân al-kerîm by analogy, i.e. by comparing the âyat-i-kerîmas and hadîth-i-sherîfs with hidden meanings to overtly stated ones. For instance, the
blessed meaning of the âyat-i-kerîma commanding to obey your parents is, “Do not say, ‘Fie on you’, to them!” No mention is made to battery or invective. Since the
exclamation “Fie on you,” which is by far milder than these forms of
maltreatment, is expressed literally, mujtahids have deduced by ijtihâd that it
must certainly be harâm (forbidden) to beat or curse or insult one’s parents.
Likewise, the Qur’ân al-kerîm literally prohibits consumption of wine, without naming the other
hard drinks. The reason for the prohibition of wine is that it blurs one’s mind
and suspends one’s mental activities, as is understood from the (Arabic)
expression used in the âyat-i-kerîma.[1] Hence, mujtahids have deduced by way of ijtihâd that all sorts of
drinks carrying the features that cause wine to be forbidden must be forbidden
as well; so they have stated that all sorts of intoxicants are harâm. Allâhu ta’âlâ commands to ‘do ijtihâd’ in
the Qur’ân al-kerîm. It
---------------------------------
[1] The word used in the âyat-i-kerîma is ‘hamr’, which means ‘To blur (mind)’.
is understood from various âyat-i-kerîmas that scholars of high grade and profound knowledge have been
enjoined that they should perform ijtihâd. Then, ijtihâd is (an Islamic
commandment called) farz enjoined on people in possession of full authority,
eligibility and expertise, i.e. those who have the ability and capacity to
understand the rules and matters hidden in the âyat-i-kerîmas and hadîth-i-sherîfs whose meanings cannot be understood clearly, by way of analogy,
deduction and induction from their significations, tenors of discourse and
denotations.
Being worthy of the grade of ijtihâd requires a number of
conditions and qualifications to be fulfilled. First of all, it is necessary to
have full knowledge of the higher linguistic and literary branches of the
Arabic language in addition to a perfect commitment of the entire Qur’ân al-kerîm to memory; to know the
ma’nâ-i-murâdî (the intended meaning), the ma’nâ-i-ishârî (the denotative
meaning), the ma’nâ-i-zimnî (the implied meaning), the ma’nâ-i-iltizâmî (the
preferential meaning) of âyat-i-kerîmas; to know when and for what reason and about what each âyat-i-kerîma was revealed and whether it is kullî
(general) or juz’î (special, particular), nâsikh (abrogating) or mansűkh
(abrogated), muqayyad (limited) or mutlaq (absolute, unrestrained), in addition
to many other facts about them; to know how they were derived from the
qirâ’at-i-sab’a and qirâ’at-i-’ashara and qirâ’at-i-shâzza; to know by heart
all the hadîth-i-sherîfs in the (six
grand books of hadîths called) Kutub-i-sitta and in the other books of hadîth;
to know when and why each hadîth-i-sherîf was uttered and the extent of its comprehension; to know the
contextual and the temporal order of hadîth-i-sherîfs, (i.e. what hadîth-i-sherîfs preceded and followed what others,); to know the matters they
concern; to know the events whereon they were uttered; to know the names and
biographies of their conveyors and reporters; to master the methods and rules
of the Islamic science called fiqh; and to have an extraordinary spiritual
wisdom and an illuminated and pure heart and conscience equipped with light of
îmân and tranquility to learn and understand the twelve basic sciences, the
symbols and signs of âyat-i-kerîmas and hadîth-i-sherîfs and their apparent and spiritual explanations.[1] These sublime
---------------------------------
[1] The parenthesized explanations of the technical Arabic terms are intended to help the reader develop an idea about the magnitude of the job of ijtihâd. In fact, they are quite short of reflecting the intrinsic meanings in the terms.
qualifications and faculties are the requirements and conditions
of the rank of ijtihâd. However, people with such powerful mental faculties and
virtues could be trained and educated only with the blessing of sohbat, which
rose with our Prophet
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ and attained its zenith in his time, termed the
‘Asr-i-sa’âdat (Era of Happiness), preserving its impetus during the centuries
of the Ashâb-i-kirâm, the Tâbi’în, and the Taba’i tâbi’în. As time plodded
along leaving the Era of Happiness farther and farther behind, thoughts and
ideas were polluted, heresies appeared, and scholars in possession of these
superior and valuable merits became fewer and fewer, completely dwindling away
by the end of the fourth (Islamic) century. These facts are written with
clarity in the books Mîzân-ul-kubrâ, Radd-ul-muhtâr, and Hadîqa.
The blessed meaning of the âyat-i-kerîma reading as Fa’tabirű is: “O, you, owners of wisdom! In matters
beyond your mental capacity, adapt yourself to those who know them and who have
attained full penetration in the depths of those matters.”
The exalted people who have attained the grade of ijtihâd
have to act in accordance to their own ijtihâd. They cannot adapt themselves to
other mujtahids’ ijtihâds. In fact, this rule applied to cases of the same
nature during the lifetimes of prophets ‘alaihim-us-salawâtu wa-s-salâm’, too;
any one of the sahâbîs (companions) of a prophet would act in accordance to his own ijtihâd even when his ijtihâd
was contrary to that of his prophet. A question may arise at this point. Did prophets
‘alaihim-us-salawâtu wa-s-salâm’ perform ijtihâd, too? Yes, they, too, made
ijtihâd by comparing the commandments which Allâhu ta’âlâ did not state overtly to those which He stated overtly. However,
what made their ijtihâd, which was naturally susceptible to erring, different
from others’ ijtihâd was that it was at the same time susceptible of correction;
that is, when their ijtihâd led them to an incorrect conclusion, Allâhu ta’âlâ would immediately send
Jebrâîl ‘alaihis-salâm’ and rectify their error by way of Wahy. In other words,
prophets’ ‘alaihim-us-salawâtu wassalam’ ijtihâd would never remain incorrect.
For
instance, the ijtihâd performed by the Sarwar-i-’âlam ‘sall-Allâhu
’alaihi wa sallam’ and some of the Sahâba-i-kirâm concerning the policy that
should be followed with the prisoners captivated in the Holy War of Bedr turned
out to be at loggerheads with the ijtihâd of ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ and a
few other Sahâbîs. Upon this an âyat-i-kerîma arrived and thereby Allâhu ta’âlâ declared to them that Imâm ’Umar’s ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ ijtihâd was
correct. Likewise, the Sűra Abasa was revealed for the correction of an error of ijtihâd.
[Tafsîr-i-Husayn Kâshifî.] Another example is Hadrat ’Umar’s ‘radiy-Allâhu
’anh’ ijtihâd for the elucidation of the delicate situation involved in when
our master, the blessed Prophet
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ ordered (the Sahâbîs around him) to bring him
an inkpot and a pen as he was about to pass away; this event will be dealt with
later in the text.
After the Ashâb-i-kirâm ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhum
ajma’în’, scholars of high grade were raised; among them were the four widely
known leaders (of Madhhabs, namely, Imâm-i-a’zam Abű Hanîfa, Imâm-i-Mâlik,
Imâm-i-Shâfi’î, and Imâm-i-Ahmad bin Hanbal), and other scholars who performed
ijtihâd within the Madhhabs (of the previous four leaders); a few of them were
Imâm Abű Yűsuf, Imâm Muhammad, Imâm Zufer, Ibn Nujaym, Imâm Râfi’î, Imâm
Nawawî, Imâm Ghazâlî, and others of the same generation. As the distance
between the time lived in and the ’Asr-i-sa’âdat (Era of Happiness) gradually
widened, other links were added to the twelve chains of narration whereby hadîth-i-sherîfs were being conveyed and
reported, so that it was being a matter demanding considerable thought to make
a choice among the chains of narrations and the untold number of narrators. The
difficulty involved worsened with time and, by the end of the fourth Islamic
century, it was no longer possible to train and educate any scholars with the
capacity to perform ijtihâd. From then on Muslims have had to make a choice
among the aforesaid four leaders (imâms) and adapt themselves to his Madhhab.
Some of the assiduous saboteurs of Islam, who do not seem to
understand the subtleties of Islam despite all their shrewdness, have been
campaigning against the statement that “the gate to ijtihâd has closed.” They
attack it in their books and conferences. Yet their breath reeks of alcohol as
they speak on the platforms and their addled brains produce
ludicrous
sophisms provoking derision on the part of the audience. Al-hamdulillah
(Gratitude and praise be to Allah), the pure and limpid ocean of young souls,
overcast under the clouds of apostasy hanging over the Islamic world, are being
illuminated by the sporadic lights of the sun of truth.
Since ijtihâd is an act of worship, i.e. a commandment of Allâhu ta’âlâ, no mujtahid can say, “It is
wrong,” about another mujtahid’s ijtihâd. For, each mujtahid’s ijtihâd is right
and correct in his own view. For instance, Imâm Shâfi’î ‘rahima-hullâhu ta’âlâ’
said, “If a person dislikes the ijtihâd and ra’y of Imâm a’zam Abű Hanîfa
‘rahmatullâhi ’aleyh’, may he be accursed in the view of Allâhu ta’âlâ, (and may he be deprived of
His Compassion,)” although he was not in the Hanafî Madhhab. Statements made by
Imâm Abű Yűsuf and Imâm Muhammad and the other (great scholars called) imâms
and in disagreement with those of Imâm a’zam do not show that they disliked or
rejected him. They are intended to express (the conclusions they had reached by
way of) ijtihâd. They were obligated to state (the results of) their ijtihâd.
The Sarwar-i-’âlam ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ would command his blessed
Sahâbîs he was to send out to distant countries to consult to the Qur’ân al-kerîm in case of quandaries and to
act in accordance to their own ra’y[1] and ijtihâd in matters whose ready-made solutions could not be
found in the Qur’ân al-kerîm. He would advise them not to adapt themselves to others’ ra’y and
ijtihâd even if they were superior to them in knowledge and mental capacity.
By the same token, Imâm Abű Yűsuf and Imâm Muhammad ‘rahima-humallâhu
ta’âlâ’ would act in accordance to their own ijtihâds rather than adapting
themselves to the ra’y and ijtihâd of Hadrat Imâm a’zam Abű Hanîfa
‘rahmatullâhu ’alaihim’, their teacher and master as he was. Indeed, Imâm a’zam
‘rahmatullâhi ’aleyh’, their educator, was superior to them in knowledge and
mental dimensions.
The differences among the four Madhhabs are the fruits of
that mandatory research. Whereas bleeding will break the
---------------------------------
[1] Lexical meaning of ‘ra’y’ is ‘opinion’.
Throughout the English version we have avoided using its lexical English
equivalent lest we should confine the colossal world of meaning treasured up in
the scientific and technical word ‘ra’y’ into the cubicle of ‘opinion’.
ablution of a Muslim in the Hanafî Madhhab it is not an event
nullifying ablution in Imâm Shâfi’î’s ijtihâd. If a person in the Shâfi’î
Madhhab performs namâz without renewing his ablution though, say, one of his
hands is seen to have been bleeding, no one in the Hanafî Madhhab can say that
he has performed namâz without an ablution. For, what he has done is congruent
with the ijtihâd of the leader of the Madhhab he has been following. By the
same token, if a person in the Hanafî Madhhab performs namâz without renewing
his ablution although his bare hand, etc. has (even for a moment) contacted the
skin of a woman, [who is not one of those eighteen women whom Islam has
eternally forbidden him to marry,][1] no one in the Shâfi’î Madhhab can blame him for having made namâz
without an ablution. In fact, our imâms, [i.e. the greatest Islamic scholars,]
disagreed with one another in quite a few technicalities in matters pertaining
to ablution, to namâz, to nikâh (marriage contract prescribed by Islam), to
inheritance, to wills and testaments, to talâq (divorce, dissolution of
marriage), to crimes and murders, to (business transactions such as) buying and
selling, and in many other matters. All these disagreements were based on
ijtihâd. None of them said, “They are wrong,” about any other’s statements.
Similarly, the Ashâb-i-kirâm ‘ridwânullâhi ’alaihim
ajma’în’ disagreed with one another in a number of matters; yet none of them
said that any other’s ijtihâd was wrong; nor did it ever occur to them to
accuse one another of aberration or wrongdoing. For instance, Abű Bakr as-Siddîq
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, the time’s Khalîfa, sent a Muhtadî,[2] and a Sahâbî for company, to Hadrat
’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, who was in charge of the Bayt-ul-mâl (Treasury
Department in an Islamic State), and ordered him, (through the Sahâbî,) to pay
him his share of zakât (from the Bayt-ul-mâl). His purpose was to encourage the
muhtadî to become a Muslim. Yet ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ would not give him
anything in the name of zakât. Later, when Hadrat Abű Bakr ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’
asked ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ why he would not pay him zakât despite the
---------------------------------
[1] There is detailed information in the
eighth chapter of the fourth fascicle of Endless Bliss about the
situations and conditions that make it harâm for a Muslim to marry any one of
the certain women.
[2] Someone who has newly converted, or expected to convert, to Islam.
âyat-i-kerîma commanding payment of zakât to
people in that group, called muallafa-i-qulűb, the latter’s ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’
answer was, “The commandment intended to soften the hearts of disbelievers (by
paying them a share from zakât) was valid at a time when disbelievers were
excessively wicked and before the realization of the victory promised by Allâhu
ta’âlâ. But now Muslims are in the ascendant and disbelievers are weak and
defeated. It is no longer necessary to win disbelievers’ hearts by means of
property.” He went on with two quotations, first quoting the âyat-i-kerîma invalidating the commandment
enjoining payment of zakât to the group of disbelievers called muallafa-i-qulűb, and then adding
the hadîth-i-sherîf called Mu’âz.
This disagreement between the ijtihâd of Imâm ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ and
that of the Siddîq-i-a’zam (Abű Bakr ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, the Khalîfa,) should
not be construed as rejection of his order. It was merely a statement of his
ijtihâd in his capacity as the director of the Bayt-ul-mâl, [where Muslims’
money and property had been consigned to his care]. Indeed, Abű Bakr
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ did not blame him for that ijtihâd of his. On the contrary,
that event added new material to the facts whereon his ijtihâd had been based,
so that he and all the other Sahâba-i-kirâm joined Hadrat ’Umar’s ijtihâd. Imâm
Rabbânî exemplifies the differences of ijtihâd between the Ashâb-i-kirâm and Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ with
the following event, in the ninety-sixth (96) letter (of his book Maktűbât):
One day, as the time of his passing away seemed to be quite close, our
Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ ordered,
“Fetch me some paper. I’ll write something for you!”
Some of the people being there said, “Let’s give him a piece of paper,” while
another group were of the opinion that they should not do so. ’Umar-ul-Fârűq
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ was in the second group. “The Book of Allâhu ta’âlâ will suffice for us,” he said. Some
people are still criticizing and maligning him on account of that event. They
would not be doing so if they knew the essence of the matter. Indeed,
’Umar-ul-Fârűq ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ knew that the Wahy (revelation of the Qur’ân al-kerîm) had already come to an end, that
Jebrâîl ‘alaihis-salâm’ would no longer bring any news from heaven, and that
there was no other way than ijtihâd and ra’y for inferring new rules. The
things that Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam’ was to write at that moment were facts that could be found by way of
ijtihâd. They could be found by
other
mujtahids as well, since Allâhu ta’âlâ had
commanded to “Perform ijtihâd!” After a
moment’s reflection over all these facts, ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ knew
that they should avoid exacerbating the very difficult and painful situation Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ was in.
Considering that the ijtihâd which others would perform would be quite
adequate, he said, “The Qur’ân al-kerîm will be
sufficient for us.” He meant to say that the Qur’ân
al-kerîm was a source adequate for others to base their ijtihâds on. In
fact, as is inferable from his mention of the Qur’ân
al-kerîm alone, the rules intended to be written (by the Messenger of
Allah) were to be the conclusions of an ijtihâd based on the Qur’ân al-kerîm, rather than on hadîth-i-sherîfs; that was what he understood from the
manners and modes (of the situation wherein the Messenger of Allah uttered his
aforesaid order). Then, Hadrat ’Umar’s preventing others from bringing paper
was a fruit of the mercy and compassion ingrained in his nature and activated
by his anxiety not to tire and pester Rasűlullah
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’, who was already suffering the agonizing pains
of the illness (of death). Besides that, the blessed Prophet’s
asking for paper was not a formal commandment, but an urge of compassion that
he felt to save others from the trouble of ijtihâd. Otherwise, if it had been a
commandment, he would have insisted on his demand for paper instead of changing
his mind upon the diversity of opinion among his Ashâb ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ
’anhum ajma’în’, since it would have been necessary to deliver a commandment.
Question: At that moment
’Umar-ul-Fârűq ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ also said, “Let’s see if he is talking
subconsciously.” Why did he make that remark?
Answer: Imâm-i-Rabbânî ‘quddisa sirruh’ answers
this question as follows: ’Umar-ul-Fârűq ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ thought that that
utterance (of Rasűlullah’s) could be a kind of
raving which was said unintentionally in a fever. As a matter of fact, his (the
Prophet’s) words, “I’ll
write...,” support that likelihood, since Rasűlullah
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ had never written anything throughout his
lifetime. Furthermore, his utterance contained also the final clause of
purpose: “... lest you should deviate from the
right course after me!” How could there have been logic in talking
about deviating from the right course since Islam had already reached
perfection, the blessing had
been
completed, and Allâhu ta’âlâ had been pleased?
If ‘deviation from the right course’ was still a likelihood with all that
perfection and completeness, what could be written to stop it at a stroke? What
could be written to prevent a deviation which something written in twenty-three
years was supposed to have failed to anticipate? ’Umar-ul-Fârűq ‘radiy-Allâhu
’anh’ concluded from these reasonings that Rasűlullah’s
statement had been made unconsciously, which was only human. Some of the
Sahâbîs said, “Let’s ask him,” while others objected to the idea and said that
they should not disturb him, so the voices were being raised. Upon this, Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ warned, “Get up, and do not dispute with one another! It is not
something good to dispute in the presence of the Prophet.” He did not repeat his former request. Nor did he ask
for a pen or paper.
If the disagreements between the Ashâb-i-kirâm
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhum ajma’în’ and our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ on matters to be derived by way
of ijtihâd had been based on arbitrary options and personal prejudices, the
Sahâbîs responsible for the disagreements would have become apostates. [May Allâhu ta’âlâ protect all of us from such
perdition!] They would have gone out of Islam. Indeed, any behaviour
disrespectful towards the Sarwar-i-’âlam ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’,
regardless of its degree, is an act of disbelief. We trust ourselves to Allâhu
ta’âlâ’s protecting against such a grave offence. The fact, however, was that
those disagreements were the fruits of their endeavours to carry out the
commandment (which said), “Fa’tabirű,” (in the Qur’ân al-kerîm). As a matter of fact, it is an error and an act of violation for
a person who has attained the grade of ijtihâd to follow someone else’s ijtihâd
in matters whose solutions necessitate ijtihâd. However, ijtihâd is not
practicable in rules that are clearly stated in the Qur’ân al-kerîm or in hadîth-i-sherîfs. It is farz for every
Muslim to obey such rules.
In conclusion, we would like to say briefly that all the Ashâb-i-kirâm
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhum ajma’în’ led a life far from ostentation, always
trying to purify their hearts and habits, and free from anxiety to have
themselves liked by others. They paid no attention to outward appearance and
held essence and truth of highest importance. Their essential concern was to do
Rasűlullah’s ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’
commandments and
to
avoid hurting him. They sacrificed their parents, their children and their
families for the sake of that Sarwar. Their belief in him was so strong and so
true that they would drink his spit before it touched the ground, as if it were
autumnul rain. When he had a haircut or trimmed his beard, they would jump for
the clippings and catch them before they fell on the ground, for the honour of
carrying one of his hairs was more valuable to them than crowns and thrones.
Khâlid bin Walîd ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, a hero who devastated the stupendous
Roman armies and conquered many fortresses and countries, said that he owed all
his victories to the saqal-i-sherîf[1] he had been
carrying on his head.
These (blessed hairs that are called) saqal-i-sherîf are
keepsakes handed down from one generation to another and devoted to mosques.
They are visited on holy days. It is a widely known fact, and an evidence for
their strong belief in and true attachment to that Sarwar, that whenever he had
himself bled they would drink his blood. If those great people, who are quite
far from dirty habits such as lies and slanders, are heard to have said
something that appears to be unseemly towards him, we should interpret them
with good will and attain salvation by thinking of the purpose rather than of
the words.
Question: When the
ahkâm-i-ijtihâdiyya (rules derived by way of ijtihâd) may be erroneous, how can
we ever trust the ahkâm-i-shar’iyya (rules of the Sharî’at, Islam) coming from Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’?
Answer: Prophets’
‘alaihim-us-salâm’ ahkâm-i-ijtihâdiyya develops into ahkâm-i-shar’iyya
afterwards. In other words, it is not possible for prophets ‘alaihim-us-salâm’
to remain in error. After mujtahids employ their ijtihâd in the
ahkâm-i-ijtihâdiyya and the differences appear, Allâhu
ta’âlâ declares the correct conclusion. Thereby the truth becomes
known. As a matter of fact, all the ahkâm-i-ijtihâdiyya derived during the
lifetime of our Prophet
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ was subjected to the correction of the Wah-y
that was revealed on the spot, so that there is not a single doubtful one among
them. Then, all the ahkâm (Islamic rules, principles and commandments) coming
from the Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ are true. All of
them are guaranteed, since they were all declared by
---------------------------------
[1] Hairs from the Prophet’s ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ blessed beard.
way of Wah-y (revelation of âyat-i-kerîmas). The purpose for the commandment of ijtihâd in this category of
rules, (in the ahkâm-i-ijtihâdiyya, that is,) although the truth about them
would be declared afterwards, was to give mujtahids a chance to attain higher
grades and more blessings. Not so is the case with the ahkâm-i-ijtihâdiyya
derived after our master the Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’; they are not guaranteed; they
are based on assumptions and, therefore, doubtful. Although it is necessary to
do them, he who denies them will not become a disbeliever. However, if a person
denies a rule (a commandment, a prohibition, a principle or a tenet) whereon
the ijtihâds of all mujtahids are in agreement with one another, he becomes a
disbeliever.
In short, we should illuminate our hearts with reverence
and affection towards the Ahl-i-bayt and have a high opinion about all the
Sahâba-i-kirâm without discrimination against any one of them ‘radiy-Allâhu
ta’âlâ ’anhum ajma’în’. We should observe each and every one of them in the
high rank and grade assigned to him by our master, the Messenger of Allah
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’! We should believe that the disputes and wars
among them were based on good intentions and accepted reasons, and we should
not blame or criticize any one of them!
Imâm Shâfi’î and Imâm Ahmad ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhumâ’ said,
“As our hands were not smeared with their blood, so let us not imbrue our
tongues (by censuring them)!” Then, we should know all the Sahâba-i-kirâm as
pure and innocent people because they were the disciples of the Messenger of
Allah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ and we should hold the belief that it is
necessary to love them very much and to respect them deeply. All the
Sahâba-i-kirâm, the Tâbi’în-izâm, the Taba’i tâbi’în, the mujtahids, the
mutakallimîn (scholars in the branch of Islamic knowledge called Kalâm), the
fuqahâ (scholars in the Islamic science called Fiqh), the muhaddithîn (scholars
of Hadîth), the mufassirîn (scholars of Tafsîr), and all the pious Muslims in
this Ummat held this same belief.
This right path is the madhhab and the belief of the zumra-i-nâjiyya
(group of salvation) called Ahl as-sunnat wa-l jamâ’at. When a person attends
the lessons of one of the Awliyâ of this noble Ummat (Muslims) for a couple of
days, the beautiful merits and virtues treasured in that Walî’s heart and soul
will
assimilate
him in such fruitful manner as the spiritual benefits he will reap from the
Walî’s sohbat (having been together with him) will not have any comparable
equivalents among all the imaginable worldly blessings; then, how could there
ever be found a grain of sense in believing the statements made, or the books
written, by those malignant people whose confined mental capacities cannot
reach beyond the periphery of their vicious earthly life, and then visualizing
base and ugly motives behind the disagreements and wars among the Ashâb-i-kirham?
Indeed, the Ashâb-i-kirâm ‘alaihim-ur-ridwân’ felt excessive affection for the
Rasűl-i-akram ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’, so much so that for his sake
they would sacrifice their lives, their property, their possessions, their
children, their wives, their parents and their homelands. Attending his sohbat
for a long time, they had been acculturated with all the features, traits and
patterns of the most beautiful moral values innate in the constitution of our
master, the Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam’, and their selves, hearts and nafses had been purified from all sorts
of evils and basenesses. Such inappropriate statements and opinions about the
Ashâb-i-kirâm ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhum ajma’în’, who were the Companions of
our master, the Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam’, are never permissible.
Those poor people who say or write so; don’t they know
that enmity towards the Ashâb-i-kirâm is no different from direct enmity
towards the Sarwar-i-’âlam ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’? By blaming them
they are blaming the Fakhr-i-’âlam ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’. It is for
this reason that the eminent scholars of our religion said, “Any behaviour
disrespectful towards or critical of our Prophet’s ‘alaihis-salâtu wassalâm’ Ashâb means denial of the Messenger
of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’.”
The events (wars) of Jamal and Siffîn cannot be grounds for blaming them.
Neither party (in either of those two wars) became sinful; perhaps both parties
earned blessings. Indeed, as is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf,
a mujtahid who reaches a wrong conclusion in his ijtihâd deserves one blessing,
whereas he would be given two to ten blessings if he found the truth by way of
ijtihâd. There is no doubt about the fact that the disagreements among them had
nothing to do with hidden motives or worldly ambitions; they were the results
of
disagreeing
ijtihâds. Imâm Abdulwahhâb Sha’rânî states as follows in his (abridged version
which he entitled) Muhtasar of the book Tazkira by Imâm (Abű Abdullah) Muhammad (bin
Ahmad) Qurtubî: “The wars and disagreements between Mu’âwiya and Alî
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhumâ’ were a religious matter arising from disagreements of
ijtihâd. They were not intended for worldly gains. In other words, they were
not after sultanate or sovereignty; why should they be criticized, then?
Indeed, they must be commended for their disagreements, since they were done for
religious purposes.” Imâm Qurtubî and Abdulwahhâb Sha’rânî are among the great
notables of Islam. As is revealed in the same book, Rasűlullah
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ stated, “Later,
[i.e. after me,] fitna will arise among my Ashâb
and they will fight one another. Jenâb-i-Haqq will forgive them, on account of
the sohbat they have had with me. No one will be forgiven for the fitna that
will arise among the Muslims (of the generations) that will come after them.” For, they are not
Sahâbîs; they have not been blessed with (Rasűlullah’s)
sohbat. Everyone will be resurrected and taken to the place of judgement (in
the Hereafter) in the company of the people they have loved in the world. All
the Sahâba-i-kirâm loved the Sarwar-i-’âlam ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’
very much.
It is understood from a hadîth-i-sherîf quoted in the same page that people killed from both parties as well as their killers are people of Paradise. All of them were great mujtahids. If a mujtahid’s ijtihâd indicates a conclusion different from that of another mujtahid with a higher grade in the science of ijtihâd, he has to follow his own ijtihâd. It is not correct for him to follow the other’s ijtihâd. Imâm-i-Abű Yűsuf and Imâm-i-Muhammad were Imâm a’zam Abű Hanîfa’s disciples; and Abű Sawr and Muzanî were Imâm Muhammad Shâfi’î’s disciples; these people had quite a number of ijtihâds in disagreement with their masters’ ijtihâds. There are many things which are halâl (permitted) in their ijtihâd and harâm (forbidden) in their master’s ijtihâd, and vice versa. They cannot be considered sinful or erroneous (on account of those disagreements). No one (no scholar) has (considered or) said so. For their disagreements were the results of ijtihâd. They were mujtahids, too. Likewise, each and every one of the Ashâb-i-kirâm was a mujtahid. All of them, from Wahshî ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ to Hadrat Abű Bakr ‘radiy-
Allâhu
’anh’, and including Hadrat Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, were mujtahids. Each
of them had attained the honour of being blessed with the purifying and
heart-penetrating looks and benedictions of our Prophet
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’. For instance, Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ had
been blessed with this benediction which he (the Best of Mankind) had
pronounced on him: “Yâ Rabbî (O my
Rabb)! Make him hâdî and mehdî!” ‘Hâdî’
means ‘he who has attained the right path, the true guidance’. And ‘mehdî’
means ‘person who guides others to the right path’. If thought is given to the
matter, it will be seen that this benediction implies the highest grade, both
in the world and in the Hereafter. To doubt about it means to assert that a
benediction pronounced by the Sarwar-i-’âlam ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’
may not be accepted (by Allâhu ta’âlâ). As the Sarwar-i-’âlam ‘sall-Allâhu
’alaihi wa sallam’ cited the names of the greater ones of the Sahâba, he stated
about Hadrat Abű Bakr as-Siddîq ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’, “He is the most merciful one of my Ummat.” And his
description of Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ was: “He
is the most halîm (clement, gentle, mild, patient) and the most generous of my Ummat.” Due
consideration will give a clear idea about the heights that these two valuable
attributes reach.
Ibn Hajar-i-Makkî ‘rahima-hullâhu ta’âlâ’ wrote as follows
in the twenty-seventh page of his book Tat-hîr-ul-jenân: Abdullah ibn Abbâs ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhumâ’ states as follows:
(One day) Jebrâîl ‘alaihis-salâm’ came to our master, the Prophet ‘alaihis-salâtu wassalâm’, and said,
“O Muhammad ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’! I recommend Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu
’anh’ to you. Trust him in having the Qur’ân al-kerîm written.” He wrote in the same page: One day the Rasűl-i-akram
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ visited Umm-i-Habîba ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhâ’, his
blessed wife, in her room. At that moment, Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ was
asleep with his head on his sister Umm-i-Habîba’s ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhâ’ lap.
Upon seeing them in this manner, the Rasűl-i-akram ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam’ asked, “Yâ Umm-i-Habîba! Do you love your
brother so much?” When our blessed mother replied, “I
do love my brother very much,” Our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ observed, “Allâhu ta’âlâ and His Messenger love him, too.”
It is written in the same book: Hadrat Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’
had the honour of having attained close relationship with
our
master, the Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam’. For, his sister Umm-i-Habîba ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhâ’ was one of the
blessed wives of our master, the Prophet
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’.
Our Prophet
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ states in one of his hadîth-i-sherîfs: “Allâhu ta’âlâ has promised me that the families who gave me their
daughters in marriage and the families I gave my daughters to, will be with me
in Paradise.”
Another hadîth-i-sherîf informing about the virtues of Hadrat Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu
’anh’ is this: Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ said to Hadrat Mu’âwiya
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’: “When you become ruler, i.e. Khalîfa,
do your duty well!” Hadrat Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’
stated (later), “It was when I heard this hadîth-i-sherîf that I began to feel wish and enthusiasm for caliphate. For this hadîth-i-sherîf gave me the good news that I
was going to be Khalîfa.” The Sarwar-i-’âlam ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ foretold
that Hadrat Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ was going to become Khalîfa later.
This prediction is one of the Prophet’s ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ mu’jizas (miracles). Because
Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ firmly believed that this hadîth-i-sherîf would definitely prove true,
he was awaiting the time for its realization. However, its correct time was
after Imâm Alî’s ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ passing away, and even after Imâm Hasan’s
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ relinquishing the office (of caliphate) to him. Mu’âwiya
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ acted too soon, attempting to realize his wish after the
war which Âisha and Zubayr and Talha ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhum’ fought against Imâm
Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, which was a mistake because it was premature. However,
since his mistake was a result of ijtihâd, he cannot be blamed for it.
As is written in the same book, the Sarwar-i-’âlam
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ took counsel with Abű Bakr and ’Umar
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhumâ’. He asked them, “Tell me your
opinions!” He said it twice. They said,
“Allâhu ta’âlâ and His Messenger ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ know
everything better.” Then he (Rasűlullah) sent for Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’. When Hadrat Mu’âwiya came
to the place, Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ said, “Take (counsel with) Mu’âwiya in your businesses. He is staunch and trustworthy.”
In another hadîth-i-sherîf he pronounced this benediction: “Yâ Rabbî! Equip Mu’âwiya with knowledge and judgement! Grant him a
high rank and position in Muslim countries! Facilitate the performance of his
orders! Protect him against torment!” ’Umar
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ praised Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ and appointed him
governor of Damascus to replace his (Mu’âwiya’s) dead brother Yazîd, -who had
been appointed governor after the conquest of Damascus by Hadrat Abű Bakr
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’-, and did not dismiss him from office throughout his
ten-year caliphate. His governorship continued during the caliphates of Imâm
Alî and Imâm ’Uthmân ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhumâ’, too; those two blessed Khalîfas
would not dismiss Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ from office. During that long
period, Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ was always popular among the people living
within his jurisdiction and no one voiced a complaint against him, whereas governors
of other provinces had numerous files of complaint lodged against them.
Sayyid Abdulqâdir Geylânî ‘rahima-hullâhu ta’âlâ’, the ghaws-i-a’zam
and also one of the greatest leaders in the (succession of scholars called)
Sôfiyya-i-aliyya, enlarges on the caliphates of Abű Bakr, ’Umar, ’Uthmân, Alî,
and Hasan ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhum’ in the fifty-fourth page of the first chapter
of the book Ghunya-t-ut-tâlibîn, which
he wrote in order to teach Islam to all Believers and to rectify their credal
misunderstandings, and adds: [When Imâm Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ passed away,
Imâm Hasan ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, anxious to prevent bloodshed among Muslims and
to maintain public peace, relinquished his right of caliphate to Mu’âwiya
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ and went under his command. From that day on, Mu’âwiya’s
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ caliphate was rightful and sahîh (legal according to
Islamic law). So, the meaning which the Sarwar-i-’âlam ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam’ had purported in his hadîth-i-sherîf, “This son of mine is sayyid, i.e. great. Through him Allâhu ta’âlâ will
conciliate between two great parties of Muslims,” manifested itself.
As is seen, Imâm Hasan’s ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ homage made Mu’âwiya’s
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ caliphate compatible with Islam and put an end to the
disagreement between the two parties of Muslims. The Tâbi’în, the Taba’i
tâbi’în, and all the Muslims worldover recognized Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu
’alaihi wa sallam’ as Khalîfa. The Sarwar-i-’âlam ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam’ had stated in a
hadîth-i-sherîf (to Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’), “When you become Khalîfa, behave gently and manage well!”
And in another hadîth-i-sherîf, “The Islamic mill will work continuously for thirty-five or
thirty-seven years!” Our Prophet
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ used the word ‘mill’ (in this hadîth-i-sherîf) in order to symbolize Islam’s power
and firmness. The first thirty years of the period mentioned covers the times
of the earliest four Khalîfas and that of Imâm Hasan ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhum’, and
the remaining five or six or seven years is the duration of time wherein Hadrat
Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ was Khalîfa. His caliphate lasted nineteen years
and a few months.]
There is a newly printed Turkish version of the book Ghunya.
It is written in the third page of the second volume of Mir’ât-i-kâinât: “Hadrat Mu’âwiya’s ‘radiy-Allâhu
’anh’ father was Abű Sufyân, and his fifth father in retrospect, ’Abd-u-Menâf,
was at the same time one of the grandfathers of the Messenger of Allah
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’. Hadrat Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu’ anh’ was born
nineteen years before the Hegira. He and his father joined the Believers on the
very day when Mekka-i-mukarrama was conquered. He was tall, white-complexioned,
beautiful and handsome, and majestic. He was one of Rasűlullah’s
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ scribes entrusted with the duty of writing
copies of the Qur’ân al-kerîm, whereby he
attained many a benediction on the part of the Messenger of Allah. He was also
honoured with the good news that he would become Khalîfa. One day, Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ was riding
an animal with Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ behind him on the back of the
animal, and they were talking, when he (the Prophet)
pronounced this benediction on him: “Yâ Rabbî! Give
him much knowledge and mildness!” It is written in all books of
history that he was a topic of public talk on account of his great wisdom, keen
intellect, compassionate tenderness, unstinting generosity, finesse, and
mildness. The innumerable folk-tales about his forbearance and clemency were
compiled in two huge books in Arabic. Four geniuses were raised in Arabia:
Hadrat Mu’âwiya; ’Amr ibn al-Âs; Mughîrat-ebn-Shu’ba ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ
’anhumâ’; and Ziyâd bin Ebîh. Many scholars stated that he was extremely
majestic, valiant, prudent, determined, and merciful, so that he had been
created,
as it were, so as to be an administrative authority. In fact, whenever ’Umar
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ saw him he would say, “This person is an Iranian Shâh.” He
would never reject a personal request, and would always give much more than the
amount asked from him. One day, when Hasan ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ told him about
his debts, he gave him eighty thousand gold coins. He appointed ’Amr ibn al-Âs
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ as governor of Egypt and donated to him two-years’ revenues
obtained from Egypt.
His elder brother Yazîd, governor (of Palestine) in
Damascus appointed by ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhumâ’, appointed Mu’âwiya
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ to act for him (as governor of Palestine) in the event of
his death. ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, the Khalîfa, made him permanent governor
upon Yazîd’s passing away. Hadrat ’Uthmân, Alî and Hasan ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhum’
did not dismiss him from office. In the forty-first year of the Hegira, he
became Khalîfa rightfully and in a manner suitable with Islam, which was
approved by all the people living in Muslim countries. That year was called Âm-ul-jamâ’a. When he became Khalîfa, he
began to make jihâd against the disbelievers in Africa. A year later he sent a
commander named Abdurrahmân (with an army) to Sijistân [Seistan], to the east
of Iran, and the next year another army to Sudan, and conquered those places
from disbelievers. In the forty-fourth year (of the Hegira) he conquered the city
of Kabul, and shortly afterwards his army under the command of Muhallab
conquered India and Samarkand. Muhallab was a great hero who went into a number
of combats against the Khawârij later and thereby prevented their spread. In
the forty-fifth year Afriqiyya [Tunisia] was conquered. The great and tough
combats engaged in China in the forty-seventh year cost Muslims quite a number
of martyrs, and joining the Holy War in Cyprus in person, he realized the
conquest of the island.
For a number of long years Cyprus remained in the hands of Muslims. It
is written in the fifth page of the final section of the book Akhlâq-i-alâî, “The island of Cyprus holds many
graves belonging to people who were among the Ashâb-i-kirâm and the
Tâbi’în-i-izâm. As a matter of fact, Umm-i-Hirâm ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhâ’, Enes bin
Mâlik’s ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ maternal aunt, is buried there.” One day, Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ slept in
her house. He woke up, smiling. She asked, “O
the
Messenger of Allah! Why are you smiling?” The blessed Prophet’s
answer was: “O Umm-i-Hirâm! I saw (in my
dream) some of my Ummat boarding ships and going
out for Holy War against disbelievers!” Umm-i-Hirâm requested, “O
Messenger of Allah! Pray for me so that I be one of them!” So our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ pronounced
this benediction: “Yâ Rabbî! Make her one of them!”
During the time of Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, Umm-i-Hirâm and her husband
boarded one of the ships bound for Cyprus and went there. In Cyprus she fell
down from the horse she was riding and attained martyrdom. The second conquest
of Cyprus was accomplished in 828 [1425 A.D.], by the Egyptian Sultân Eshref
Tatar. And it was conquered for the third time in 978 [1570 A.D.] by Sultân
Selîm Khân II. After the Treaty of Berlin, it was left to England only in the
administrative dimensions. In the fiftieth year (of the Hegira) Hadrat Mu’âwiya
sent his son Yazîd out for the conquest of Istanbul. A considerable number of
Sahâbîs in the army under Yazîd’s command, including Khâlid ibn Zayd abű Ayyűb
al-Ansârî ‘alaihim-ur-ridwân’, attained martyrdom in Istanbul. The peace treaty
bilaterally signed stipulated that Byzantium would pay a tax annually. In the
year fifty-four another army of the Khalîfa (Hadrat Mu’âwiya) under the command
of ’Ubaydullah ibn Ziyâd, [not ibn Zayyâd, one of the Abbasid Khalîfas,]
crossed the Asiatic river Oxus on camels and conquered Bukhâra. Islam spread
all over Asia and Africa. Qudus-i-sherîf (the blessed city of Jerusalem), a
place formerly conquered by ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, had fallen into the
hands of disbelievers afterwards. Hadrat Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’
recaptured it. In short, our Prophet’s
invocation, “Yâ Rabbî! Make Mu’âwiya dominant
everywhere!” met with Divine Acceptance and he was dominant over all
those countries from Kairouan in (Tunisia) Africa to Bukhâra in Asia, and from
Yemen to Istanbul. He was liked and respected by all people. The Ahl-i-islâm
(all Muslims) were enjoying the luxuries of a life of comfort and abundance. He
would dress smartly, ride graceful horses, and lead a life of pleasures,
without violating the limitations of a lifestyle drawn by Islam, which was a
blessing of moderation he had attained owing to the sohbat of Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ and the
benedictions that the Best of Mankind had pronounced over him. He took utmost
care to avoid wrongdoing and cruelty. After a long-term
career
as a governor in Damascus, -four years under Hadrat ’Umar, twelve years under
Hadrat ’Uthmân, five years under Hadrat Alî, and six months under Hadrat Hasan
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhum’-, he became Khalîfa over all Muslim countries in a
canonical and legal way upon Hadrat Hasan’s relinquishing his right of
caliphate, and stayed in office for nineteen years. He passed away when he was
seventy-nine years old, in the sixtieth [60] year of the Hegira. He was buried
in Damascus. He had been respectfully keeping some hair and nail clippings
belonging to our master, the Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam’. He requested in his last will that those blessed clippings be put on
his mouth and eyes after his death in order to benefit from their blessedness.
He had three sons, named Abdurrahmân, Yazîd, and Abdullah; and four daughters,
named Hind, Ramala, Safiyya, and Âisha.”
It is stated as follows in the translation rendered by the
poet Mahműd Abdulbâqî ‘rahima-hullâhu ta’âlâ’ of the book Mawâhib-i-ladunniyya, written by Imâm
Ahmad bin Muhammad Qastalânî ‘rahima-hullâhu ta’âlâ’, a scholar of Egypt: “According
to ibn Is-hâq, Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ served as a governor for twenty
years in Damascus and as Khalîfa for twenty years. Imâm Ahmad bin Hanbal states
that Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam’ pronounced this benediction on him: ‘Yâ Rabbî!
Teach Mu’âwiya knowledge and calculation! Protect him from Hell!’ He is renowned for his duty to write copies of the Qur’ân al-kerîm.”
Muhammad Shamsaddîn Sâmi Bey states as follows in Qâműs-ul-a’lâm: “Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ was
one of the eminent Sahâbîs. His father Abű Sufyân and his (elder) brother Yazîd
and his mother Hind embraced Islam on the day when Mekka was conquered. He had
joined the Believers earlier, secretly for fear of incurring his father’s fury.
He and his father were true and staunch Muslims; they fought in positions ahead
of Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’.
Abű Sufyân ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ lost one of his eyes in the Holy War of Tâif,
and he lost his other eye in the Holy War of Yermuk in the thirteenth year (of
the Hegira) during the caliphate of Hadrat Abű Bakr as-Siddîq. One of the
honours that Hadrat Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ was blessed with was that he
served as a secretary to our master, the Fakhr-i-’âlam ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam’. When Hadrat Abű Bakr ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ sent an army to Damascus,
he
(Hadrat Mu’âwiya) and his elder brother Yazîd fought under the command of
Khâlid bin Walîd ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’. In the forty-first [41] year of the
Hegira, in the city of Qűfa, homage was paid to him as Khalîfa, and thereafter
he served as Khalîfa for twenty years. Hadrat Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ was
extraordinarily wise, extremely intelligent, perfectly eloquent, strongly
influential, and soothingly soft-spoken. He was very patient, clement, kind and
generous. When the time’s Khalîfa, the Fârűq-i-a’zam (’Umar) ‘radiy-Allâhu
’anh’ honoured Damascus, the city wherein Hadrat Mu’âwiya’s fixed abode of
governorship was located, he entered the city in his usual, plain and modest
attire, which had won him universal admiration especially among his Roman
counterparts, and when he saw Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ in his tidy and
elegant appearance, he exclaimed, “This man is like one of the Shâhs of Iran.”
As long as Hadrat Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ held office as Khalîfa, he
rendered great services for the propagation and promotion of Islam and
conquered many countries. Islamic scholars quoted numerous hadîth-i-sherîfs on the authority of him in their
books, [which is a cogent evidence for his greatness and for the fact that he
was believed and trusted.] He requested (in his last will) that after death his
body be wrapped in a shirt, a keepsake from the Fakhr-i-kâinât ‘sall-Allâhu
’alaihi wa sallam’, and intered with the nail clippings that he had been keeping
as blessings from our master, the Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam’, on his eyes and mouth.”
Ahmed Cevdet Paţa of Lowicz ‘rahima-hullâhu ta’âlâ’, a renowned
scholar who rendered a great service to Islam by preparing the highly valuable
book entitled Majalla and at the same
time the author of the most dependable twelve books of Ottoman History, states
as follows in the hundred and ninety-second page of the seventh chapter of his Qisâs-i-Anbiyâ (History of Prophethood): In the
sixtieth year of the Hegira, Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, after delivering the
(Friday sermon called) Khutba, made this short speech: “O Muslims! It has been
a rather long time that I have been reigning over you. I have made you tired of
myself. And I am tired of you, too. I am being eager to part with you. And you
are eager to part with me, too. Yet the Khalîfas that will succeed me will be
no better than I have been. As a matter of fact, my predecessors were better
than me. If a person wishes to attain Allâhu ta’âlâ, Allâhu
ta’âlâ,
in
turn, will wish him to attain Him. Yâ Rabbî! I wish to attain Thee. And I pray
Thee that it be Thine Will also that I attain Thee! And do bless me with
eternal felicity!” Then he became ill. He sent for his son Yazîd and gave him
this advice: “My son! I have saved you from a multitude of expeditions and
journeys. I have provided facilities for all your future activities. I have
made everybody obedient to you. I am leaving you such tremendous property as
has not fallen to anyone else’s lot. Watch over the people of Hidjâz, for they
are your origins. They are the most respectable people that will come to you.
Keep an eye on the people of Iraq, too! Even if they should request that you
dismiss a civil servant daily, do so! Take good care of the people of Damascus,
too, for they are your supporters. Have them come back to Damascus when their
mission (out of Damascus) is over. Otherwise, staying too long in other
countries will cause degeneration in their moral values. There are three people
likely to be your rivals. One of them, Abdullah bin ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ
’anhumâ’, is a devoted worshipper. When others pay homage to you, he will pay
homage, too. Husayn bin Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhumâ’ is a noble but light
person. People of Qűfa may provoke him to rise against you. When you achieve a
victory over him, forgive him! He is our relation. He has plenty of rights over
us. He is a grandson of our master, the Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi
wa sallam’. As for Abdullah bin Zubayr ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhumâ’; he is
like a lion. Protect yourself very well against him.”
He made the following statements towards his passing away: “When I
die, liberality and generosity also will die with me. Gates of benefaction will
be closed for many people. People who ask (for something) will be
empty-handed.” “I wish I had been a Qouraishî living in the village of Zî Tuwâ
and not a Khalîfa!” He passed away in the month of Rajab ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’.
He was tall, white-complexioned, majestic, extremely patient, and
tender-hearted. His tenderness was a topic for public talk. One day, a man
entered his presence and hurled very nasty and vicious insults at him. He did
not even answer him. When he was asked (by people around him) if he ought to
have the patience to stand that, too, he replied, “We will not concern
ourselves with others’ words unless they mean harm to (what’s under) our
realm.” This is a shining example of the freedom of speech he granted to his
people. He is the founder
of
the first social organization of Muslims. In addition, he established an
interurban postal system. Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ had remarked, “Don’t
you ever entertain a negative opinion about Hadrat Mu’âwiya’s ‘radiy-Allâhu
’anh’ administration! If you lose him, you will see heads appear from the
back!”
’Amr ibn al-Âs ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, well-known for his
valour and superior intellect and one of the Sahâbîs who fought against Hadrat
Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, passed away on the night previous to the ’Iyd-i-fitr
in the forty-third [43] year of the Hegira. That night he wept with grief. His
son asked him, “Why are you weeping? Are you afraid of death?” He said, “No,
I’m not afraid of death? Yet I’m afraid of what I’m going to experience after
death. I’ve led three different stages of life. Formerly, I was a disbeliever.
I was an arch enemy of the Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’.
If I had died then, I would definitely have gone to Hell. Then I became a
person with the deepest feelings of shame towards the Messenger of Allah
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’. If I had died then, everybody would be congratulating
me. They would think I had gone to Paradise and they would say about me, ‘He
was honoured with Islam and he died as a good person.’ Later I became a
governor and assumed administration of millions of people, which meant to take
on a responsibility concerning the rights of all that lot of people. I do not
know in what state I am now. Do not weep for me after my death! Carry my janâza
(to my grave) silently! Do not put stones or trees on my grave!” Making tawba
and istighfâr, (i.e., repenting for his sins and invoking Allâhu ta’âlâ for forgiveness,) he passed
away. He had conquered Egypt and served as the governor of Egypt for four years
during the time of Hadrat ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, four more years in the
time of Hadrat ’Uthmân ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, and two more years in the time of
Hadrat Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhumâ’.
Imâm-i-Ghazâlî ‘rahima-hullâhu ta’âlâ’, the
Hujjat-ul-islâm, relates the following episode in the three hundred and
thirty-first [331] page in the chapter about sehâ [generosity]
of his book Kimyâ-i-sa’âdat, which is in
Persian: Hadrat Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ made a visit to Medîna-i-munawwara
and, as he was proceeding along one of the streets, Hadrat Hasan ‘radiy-Allâhu
’anh’ came from behind and said, “I am in debt. Help me!” So he (Hadrat
Mu’âwiya) gave an order and Hadrat Hasan
was
given a camel load of gold, i.e. eighty thousand coins of gold.
Alî bin Amrullah ‘rahima-hullâhu ta’âlâ’ relates the
following episode in the chapter captioned Îsâr of his book Akhlâq-i-Alâî: Îsâr means ‘patience of
giving something that you need to someone else.’ Abdullah bin Ja’far Tayyar
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhumâ’ was the most famous one of generous Muslims
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhumâ’. Hadrat Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ had profound
sympathy for him. He would give him a yearly salary, which was ten million
dirhams of silver. Yet the latter would distribute all that money to poor and
needy Muslims, to orphans and widows, so much so that he would find himself in
debt by the end of the year. When Hadrat Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ was asked
why he gave him that much money and caused him to waste the state’s treasury,
he replied, “I do not give that property to Abdullah. I give it to the poor
people living in Medina-i-munawwara. Go ahead and make an investigation if you
like!” So they conducted an investigation and saw that the state treasury was
being spent properly because he was giving all the money to poor Muslims and
orphaned children and his own family was living a frugal existence. The Khalîfa’s
strategy, vigilance and generosity won their admiration.
What is written so far in the book The Sahâba ‘alaihim-ur-ridwân’ consists
of a few passages summarized from the books of great Islamic authorities. In
the light of these facts which are stated unanimously by the greatest Islamic
scholars, we should not believe the oral or written fibs invented by heretical
trash from Hurűfî[1] convents or some dervishes who do not even concern themselves
with (the basic acts of Islamic worship such as) ablution and (the daily
prayers called) namâz! We should save ourselves from the eternal perdition and
sorrow by holding fast to the principles of belief and worship taught in the
books written by scholars of Ahl as-sunnat! Yes. It is farz and necessary for
all people of both sexes to learn Islam, tenets of belief and acts of worship.
Yet we should learn them not from books written for certain purposes at
drinking bouts or from those translated from books written by enemies of
religion, but from the teachings of the scholars of our (four) Madhhabs!
---------------------------------
[1] Hurűfîs
are a heretical group among Muslims. Please see the thirty- seventh chapter of
the second fascicle of Endless Bliss.
Some people say, “No Muslim has named his child
‘Mu’âwiya’. This indicates a general aversion to this name and to the person
who possessed this name.” This reasoning is faulty. Even an ignorant person
would only jeer at it. Shiyt, Hűd, Shuayb, Alyasa’ are a few of the names of
great prophets ‘alaihi-s-salawâtu wa-t-taslîmât’, and Bâqir and Hasan Askarî
are the names of two of the twelve imâms, who were descended from Imâm Alî
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’; on the other hand, names such as Bara’, Aws, Iyâs, Buhayr,
Basbasa, Tamîm, Sa’laba, Seqaf, Jabr, Hâris, Hâtab, Hârisa, Hubâb, Haram,
Hurays, Hasîn, Hârija, Hâbbab, Hubayd, Hiras, Huraym, Hallâd, Hunays, Hulayd,
Hawwât, Hawli, Zukays, Râfi’, Reb’î, Ruhayla, and Rafâ’a belonged to people who
were among the three hundred and thirteen great Islamic warriors (who fought
against the unbelievers in the Holy War of Badr and who are therefore called
the) Ashâb-i-Badr and were blessed with the good news that they would go to
Paradise. These names, and many others which would be impractical for us to
cite one by one, are not used by Muslims today. Would this be sufficient
grounds for classifying the owners of these names among ‘people disliked’ in
defiance of the fact that they were the greatest prophets ‘alaihim-us-salâm’
and the most beloved ones of the Ashâb-i-kirâm? In fact, that the owners of
these names were all higher than Hadrat Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, and that
they are darlings of all Muslims, is a reality as obvious as the sun. It is a
dangerous kind of ignorance not to like Hadrat Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’;
and not to know him is therefore at one’s own peril. Accordingly, sophistries
of this sort, which are intended to vilify him and to mislead the younger
generation, serve merely to exploit that ignorance and thereby to rekindle the
ignominious slander.
We do not have any kinship or acquaintance with those Sahâbîs
‘alaihim-ur-ridwân’ who fought against Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’. In fact,
the wars among them are a source of grief for us. Yet we have been commanded to
love them because they were the Ashâb of our Prophet
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’. We have been commanded not to hurt any one of
them and not to feel enmity towards them. We love them because we love our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’. We avoid all
sorts of feelings and actions that would imply hostility towards them or (that
would) be offensive to their souls. Any
behaviour
offensive or inimical towards them will reach and hurt our master, the Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’. However, we
distinguish between the rightful and the mistaken parties. That is, Hadrat Amîr
(Alî) ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ was right. And those who were against him made a
mistake (in their ijtihâd). Any comments beyond this limitation would be at
least misbehaviour.
Ismâ’îl Kemâleddîn Karamânî ‘rahima-hullâhu ta’âlâ’ writes
as follows in his explanation of the book Sharh-i-’aqâ’id: Imâm Alî ‘karram-Allâhu wajhah’ stated, “Our brothers do not
listen to us. They are not disbelievers. They are not sinful, either. For they
are doing what they understand of Islam.” It is not a sin to err in ijtihâd.
Nor does it deserve to be blamed. We should think that they are the Ashâb (of
the blessed Prophet) and we
should know them all as good people!
May Allâhu ta’âlâ keep us all in the right way! There are some people who have
learned their religion from history books that were concocted later. Because
these people are quite unaware of the books written by great religious authorities
and have not even heard of Islam’s documentary sources and proofs, they blindly
talk and write about what they imagine in the name of Islam. May Allâhu ta’âlâ protect us from hearing what
they say, from reading what they write, and from believing their lies! Âmin.
Those who have îmân and who have tasted the flavour inherent in îmân will
embrace the words and writings derived from the scholars of Ahl as-sunnat
‘rahima-humullâhu ta’âlâ’. They will enjoy hearing and reading them. They will
hate and keep away from the words and writings of those ignorant people who
pass themselves as religious men.
Imâm-i-Rabbânî ‘quddisa sirruh’ ends the thirty-sixth
letter of the second volume (of his Maktűbât) as follows: Let us conclude our letter about the Sahâba-i-kirâm
‘ridwânullâhi ’alaihim ajma’în’ with some laudatory reports about the Ahl-i-Bayt-i-Rasűl ‘sall-Allâhu
’alaihi wa sallam’:
Sayyid-i-kâinât ‘alaihi wa ’alâ âlihi-s-salawâtu wa-s-salâm’ stated, “If a person loves Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, he does so definitely because he loves me. If a person
behaves inimically towards him, he does so definitely because he (that
person) is my enemy. He who hurts him, definitely
hurts me (by doing so). And he who hurts
me, definitely
hurts Allâhu ta’âlâ (by
doing so).”
It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf, “Allâhu ta’âlâ has commanded me to love
four people, and He has intimated (to me) that He loves them.” When the
Messenger of Allah was requested to name those four people, he explained, “Alî is one of them; Alî is one of them; Alî is one of them; (the others are) Abű Zer, Mikdâd,
and Salmân.” It is stated in another hadîth-i-sherîf, “It is an act of worship to look at Alî’s ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ beautiful face,
and perhaps even at his blessed body, with affection.” Berâ’ bin Âzib ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ relates: One day, the
Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’, seated as he was, stated, “Yâ Rabbî! I love Hasan (my elder
grandson)!” ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’.
Hadrat Abű Bakr ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ relates: One day, Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ was
with Imâm-i-Hasan, when he first looked at us and then turned his blessed looks
towards Hasan ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, saying, “This son of
mine is a sayyid and effendi. I hope and expect that Allâhu ta’âlâ will reconcile two
groups of Muslims through him.”
Usâma bin Zayd ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ relates: One day I saw
our master, the Prophet
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’, with Hasan and Husayn ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhumâ’
sitting on his blessed lap. He stated: “These two are my
sons and my blessed daughter’s sons. Yâ Rabbî! I love them. (Please, You, too,) love them, and
love also those who love them!”
Enes ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ relates: The Messenger of Allah
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ was asked whom he loved best among his
Ahl-i-bayt ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhum ajma’în’. He stated, “(I love) Hasan and Husayn (best).”
‘radiy-allâhu ’anhumâ’.
It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf, “Fâtima ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhâ’ is a part from me.
He who angers her will have hurt me (by doing so).”
Abű Hurayra ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ relates: Our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ said to Imâm Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu
’anh’: “Fâtima is more beloved than you are to me. And I hold you
in higher esteem than I do her, [which means,
‘You are more valuable to me’]!”
According to a narration on the authority of Hadrat Âisha,
whenever they (the Ashâb-i-kirâm) wanted to present a gift to our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’,
they would bring it
only when the blessed Messenger was in the blessed and pure room
of Âisha Siddîqa ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhâ’, and thereby they would try to attain our
blessed Prophet’s ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam’ sympathy through the intercession of that cherished mother of ours.
Another narration coming from Âisha ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhâ’ reads as follows: The
Zawjât-i-tâhirât (the Blessed Wives) of the Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu
’alaihi wa sallam’ parted into two groups. Hafsa and Safiyya and Sawda and I
were in one group, while Umm-i-Salama and the others made the other group
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhunna’. That second group communed among themselves and chose
Umm-i-Salama as their spokeswoman to enter the blessed Prophet’s presence and request that the
Ashâb-i-kirâm bring their gifts wherever Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ happened to be instead of
awaiting the time when he would honour Âisha-i-Siddîqa’s room with his blessed
presence. The honourable Prophet expressed
his annoyance as follows: “Do not hurt me. The Wahy comes
to me only when I am covered with Âisha’s ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhâ’ clothes.” As a matter of fact, revelations of the Qur’ân al-kerîm never happened as he was in
the beds of his other Blessed Wives. He would be sent Wahy only when he was in
Hadrat Âisha’s bed ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhunna’. Upon hearing this, Umm-i-Salama
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ pledged never to hurt Rasűlullah again and craved for forgiveness. On another occasion, the
Messenger of Allah inquired of Fâtima-t-uz-zahrâ ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhâ’, who had
undertaken the spokeswomanship of the group: “O my
daughter! Why don’t you love someone who is beloved to me? Isn’t my darling
your darling as well?” When Fâtima ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhâ’
said, “Yes,” the Best of Mankind stated, “Then, love
her, too!”
Another report on the authority of Âisha-i-Siddîqa ‘radiy-Allâhu
’anhâ’ reads as follows: “I would feel upset whenever I heard our master, the Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’,
mention the name of Khadîja ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhâ’, although I had never seen
her. Because he loved her very much, he would send presents to her family.
Sometimes I would say, jokingly, “Is Khadîja ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhâ’ the only
woman in the world? Aren’t there others as well?” He would cite the good
qualities she had had and he would say, “She was so good,
and I had children from her!”
Abdullah ibn Abbâs ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhumâ’ related: Our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’
stated, “Abbâs is from me, and I am from him!”
He stated in another hadîth-i-sherîf, “There is vehement torment awaiting
those who hurt me on account of my family!”
Abű Hurayra ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ reports: Our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’
stated, “The good ones among you are those who
will be good towards my Ahl-i-bayt after me.” Imâm
Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ reports: Our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ stated, “In the Hereafter I shall intercede for those who are good to my
Ahl-i-bayt!” Again, Imâm Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’
reports: Our Prophet
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ stated, “People who will
pass the bridge of Sirât without their feet slipping are those who love my Ahl-i-bayt
and my Sahâba.”
Yâ Rabbî! For the sake of Fâtima ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhâ’ and
her sons, bless us with the lot of migrating to the Hereafter with îmân (as
Believers)! Only bless us with the fortune of holding fast to the skirts of
Âl-i-Rasűl[1] ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’, and then accept or refuse our
prayers.
The passage below is the translation of the seventeenth
letter in the book entitled Maqâmat-i-Mazhariyya. The book was written by Abdullah Dahlawî, a great Walî and one
of the true Islamic scholars of India. He passed away in Delhi in 1240 [1824
A.D.]. He lies beside his master, Mazhar Jân Jânân. The book, in Persian,
contains a biography of Mazhar Jân Jânân and twenty-four letters written by
him. Mazhar Jân Jânân passed away in 1195 [1781 A.D.], when he was eighty-four
years old. He is in Delhi, beside the mosque he had built ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ
’alaihimâ’:
The scholars of the Madhhab of Ahl as-sunnat relate the
wars among the Ashâb-i-kirâm in a manner that would become the high honours
possessed by those great people. As a matter of fact, those great people were
praised as follows in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “The best people are those who live
with me.” As for the disagreements among those great people, whose
reasons are beyond their comprehension; they consign them into the
---------------------------------
[1] The Prophet’s family.
knowledge
of Allâhu ta’âlâ, thus avoiding a possible
animadversion on the pure people of that auspicious century. All the scholars
who were educated in the Islamic sciences of Hadîth and Fiqh during the
earliest three (Islamic) centuries, although those three centuries had been
praised (in hadîth-i-sherîfs) as ‘auspicious
centuries’ and, being quite close to the time of the Ashâb-i-kirâm, the
scholars educated therein had firsthand knowledge concerning the Ashâb-i-kirâm
and the matters and situations they had been involved in, -in fact, they stated
that Alî Murtadâ’s ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ opponents had been wrong-, warned that
it would never be permissible to speak ill of any one of them. As a matter of
fact, the combats and reciprocal denunciations between the troops of Damascus
and Baghdâd were only a matter of a couple of days and were based on
differences of ijtihâd, and those pure people did not entertain any bad
opinions about one another, let alone looking on one another as disbelievers.
The so-called fitna dates back to the martyrdom of ’Uthmân ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ
’anh’, the Amîr-ul-mu’minîn, (Imâm Alî’s ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ predecessor in
caliphate). By the time when the wars started, the Ashâb-i-kirâm had parted
into three groups. One group sided with the Khalîfa, Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu
ta’âlâ ’anh’, who was right. The second group were on the side of the Amîr of
Damascus. The third group did not join any of the two parties. Scholars of
Hadîth and mujtahids in the science of Fiqh held all three groups of the Sahâba
equal in their business of compiling the hadîth-i-sherîfs
reported on the authority of the Ashâb-i-kirâm, for they believed that their
words were valuable and true. If they had considered one of the three groups as
disbelievers or wrongdoers, they would have rejected their reports, instead of
using them as authentic documentary sources in their employment of ijtihâd and
derivation of Islamic rules. To malign any one of those three groups means, in
effect, to demolish Islam from within. Conversely, not to criticize those great
people engenders a benefit to Islam and symbolizes high esteem concerning the
sohbat, the company, of the Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa
sallam’. The irrefutable argument that “the relatives of the Messenger of Allah
deserve highest esteem” would merely be an inapposite statement of the plain
truth in the face of the fact that none of the relatives of the Messenger of
Allah called the Sahâbîs who fought against them
‘disbelievers’.
Yes, people who fight one another will normally dislike and censure one
another. Yet those auspicious people, who are praised in a number of hadîth-i-sherîfs, never censured one another. It is wâjib
(incumbent) upon all Muslims to love the relatives of the Messenger of Allah.
Any inclination towards hurting them will spoil this love.
It is not something right to talk or write about the wars
that took place among the Ashâb-i-kirâm ‘alaihim-ur-ridwân’. Those events
should be a source of mute sadness for us. Some people, who are called
‘Shiites’, are excessive in this matter. Misled by some concocted narrations,
they compare those pure people to their own selves, which are immured within
the murky confines of their nafses. They are so unreasonable that they call the
Ashâb-i-kirâm ‘disbelievers’. However, it was them who conveyed to us the life
and the utterances of the Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa
sallam’. How could one ever make allowance for the possibility that those great
people might have been unable to weather the blights of disbelief, in defiance
of the fact that they spent their entire lives in Rasűlullah’s sohbat, matured and reached
perfection under his tutorship and guidance, sacrificed their property and
lives for his sake, and after him endeavoured to spread his religion? Should we
presume that Allâhu ta’âlâ might not have had mercy on them for the sake of those services
and endeavours? If they did not attain divine mercy, how and from whom can we
sinful later comers expect mercy and forgiveness? Do the annals of Prophets and
Awliyâ contain a single account of a Prophet or a Walî whose ummat or followers altogether relapsed into
disbelief or became enemies of his offspring or family? If it had been the
case, it would have been useless and senseless for Allâhu ta’âlâ to have sent Prophets. The
time, which in fact has been praised as the best of times, would have been the
worst of times; and the best people would have been the worst.
A Believer who saw the Messenger of Allah is called ‘Sahâbî’.
Ashâb-i-kirâm is the name of the entire community.
Haloes filled forthwith a heart that saw the Messenger;
Holy Qur’ân lauds his Sahâbîs in large measure.
They all gave their property’n lives for the Prophet’s cause.
Sources of knowledge they were in peacetime, and lions in wars.
Hadîth-i-sherîfs symbolize his Sahâba with stars in the night;
Follow any one of them, and you are in a path that’s quite bright!
His Sahâba treated one another with love and eulogy;
Muslims who came afterwards said so all with unanimity.
The Qur’ân and hadîths they, alone, to us conveyed.
Purity of their hearts for other’s minds trust purveyed.
To abuse one of them means to injure Islam’s root.
He who maligns the Ashâb will decay Qur’ân’s fruit.
If you are a true Muslim hold each and every one with respect;
And first say ‘salât-u-salâm’ to the Messenger’s Ahl-i-bayt!