The following treatise is a translation from Qurrat-ul-’aynayn fî-tafdîl-ish-shaikhayn, a book written in the Fârisî language by the great Islamic
scholar Shâh Waliyyullah Dahlawî ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’aleyh’. The book, of two
hundred and seventy pages, was printed in Peshâwar in 1310 [1892 A.D.].
The book Qurrat-ul-’aynayn consists of an introduction and two chapters. The introduction
enlarges on the superiorities of the Shaikhayn (Hadrat Abû Bakr and Hadrat
’Umar) and presents an argument based on authentic reports and reasoning. The
first chapter answers the writings in the book Tajrîd by Nasîraddîn Tûsî, a Shiite
scholar. Muhammad Nasîraddîn Tûsî was born in the city of Tus in 597 [1201
A.D.], and passed away in Baghdâd in 676 [1274 A.D.]. The second chapter
confutes the slanders and lies whereby some malicious and heretical people try
to traduce the Shaikhayn.
The Shaikhayn, i.e. Hadrat Abû Bakr and Hadrat ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu
’anhumâ’, are the highest ones of the Ashâb-i-kirâm. Concomitant to a recent
increase in the number of holders of bid’at, i.e. heretics, doubts have been
being voiced concerning their superiority. So dreadful is the decaying trend
that the correct tenets of belief taught by the Salaf as-sâlihîn (the early
Islamic scholars) are being forgotten gradually. Indeed, it is an open fact
based both on narrations and on logic that the Shaikhayn are the highest.
Narrations come to us through three different courses.
Allâhu ta’âlâ promised to His beloved Prophet
in the fifty-fifth âyat of Nûr sûra that He would give him believing and pious
Khalîfas and reinforce the Islamic religion through those Khalîfas. This fact
is confirmed by the dreams which the Messenger of Allah had as well as by the
dreams that the Ashâb-i-kirâm had and which the Messenger of Allah explained. Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ stated
several times both directly and indirectly that the Shaikhayn would succeed him
as his Khalîfas after him. His statements, which are documentary sources, have
been conveyed to us through (an authentic chain of narrations and reports
termed) tawâtur. Then, the Shaikhayn are the highest Muslims. It is
stated
in a hadîth-i-sherîf reported by Tirmuzî and
Hâkim: “After me, follow Abû Bakr and ’Umar!”
This hadîth-i-sherîf was reported by Huzayfa and
ibn Mas’ûd. Hâkim’s book quotes Enes bin Mâlik as having related: The tribe of
Benî Mustalâq sent me to the Messenger of Allah to ask him to name the person
to whom we were to pay our zakâts after him. When I came to Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ and asked
him, he said, “Give them to Abû Bakr!”
They sent me again. When I reported their question who would be the person to
receive our zakâts after Abû Bakr, he said, “’Umar!”
I came to him once again with the message asking for the name of the person to
take our zakâts. The Prophet’s answer was: “(You
will be giving them to) ’Uthmân!” As the
Messenger of Allah had to repair to bed during his last fatal illness, he
appointed Hadrat Abû Bakr ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ as the imâm (to conduct
the public prayers called salât, [or namâz,] in jamâ’at).
He explicitly rejected the question if someone else could be the imâm. This was
the event from which the notables of the Sahâba such as Hadrat ’Umar and Hadrat
Alî inferred that Abû Bakr was to be (the first) Khalîfa. None of the Sahâba
was opposed to their inference. According to a narration in Bukhârî, Abû Bakr
as-Siddîq was conducting the morning prayer in jamâ’at with the command of Rasûlullah, when the blessed Messenger slightly raised
the curtain hanging in the doorway and, seeing his Sahâba performing the namâz,
he gave a happy smile. Thinking that the Messenger of Allah intended to come in
and conduct the namâz, Abû Bakr as-Siddîq moved aside, which made the Sahâba
rejoice with the same expectation. Motioning with his blessed hand, the most
beautiful human being commanded, “Complete your
namâz!” Then he let the curtain go down. He passed away that day.
According to a narration unanimously reported by the scholars of Hadîth, one
day a woman asked Rasûlullah a question. “Come back later and ask (the same question),” was
the blessed Prophet’s reply. The woman asked
again, “O Messenger of Allah! What do I do if I can’t find you here?” Rasûlullah stated, “If you
can’t find me when you come here, ask Abû Bakr!”
Question: Hadrat ’Umar and
Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhumâ’ said that the Messenger of Allah had
not stated who would be Khalîfa after him? What would you say about that?
Answer: The two imâms, (i.e. Hadrat ’Umar and
Hadrat Alî,)
said
that the Messenger of Allah had not convened his Sahâba to tell them to pay
homage to Abû Bakr after him. For, according to both of them, the Prophet’s having commanded Abû Bakr to conduct the
namâz in jamâ’at was an implication that he would be Khalîfa. Abû Wâîl reasons
as follows: When Hadrat Alî lay down with the fatal wound he was asked whom he
was going to appoint Khalîfa after him. “If Allâhu
ta’âlâ foreordained goodness for you, you will elect the best of you as
your president,” replied the blessed imâm. This statement of Hadrat Alî’s shows
that Hadrat Abû Bakr was the highest. A hadîth-i-sherîf
which is quoted on the authority of Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ in
Hâkim’s book reads as follows: “May Allâhu ta’âlâ lavish His
Compassion on Abû Bakr! He gave me his daughter. He took me to Medîna in the
Hijrat.” Nizâl bin Sabra ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ relates: One day I saw
Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ cheerful and asked him who were the people that
he had chosen for friends. “All the Sahâba of the Messenger of Allah are my
friends,” he replied. And when I asked him what he would say about Abû Bakr, he
said, “He is such a person whom Allâhu ta’âlâ has
honoured with the name ‘Siddîq’ through (His Archangel) Jebrâîl ‘alaihis-salâm’
and through His Prophet Muhammad ‘alaihis-salâm’.”
Sa’îd bin Musayyab ‘rahimahullâhu ta’âlâ’ relates: “Abû Bakr as-Siddîq
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ was Rasûlullah’s
vizier. Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam’ always consulted with him before doing something. In Islam he was the
second (highest) person after the Messenger of Allah. In the cave he was the
second person after the Messenger of Allah. During the Holy War of Badr, he was
the second person after the Messenger of Allah under the wooden sunshade. He
was the second person to be put in a grave, i.e. next after the Messenger of
Allah. Rasûlullah would never put anyone before
him.” In a hadîth-i-sherîf reported by
Abdurrahmân bin Ghanam, Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu
’alaihi wa sallam’ said to Hadrat Abû Bakr and Hadrat ’Umar: “I shall never disagree with anything on which you two agree.”
Allâhu ta’âlâ reinforced the Islamic religion with Hadrat ’Umar. It is
stated as follows in a hadîth-i-sherîf reported
by Tirmuzî and Abû Dâwûd and Hâkim: “Allâhu ta’âlâ
has placed the haqq (truth, right) into
’Umar’s tongue and heart.” It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf reported by Bukhârî and Muslim: “The
Satan will run away from ’Umar’s shadow?” Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ states in a
hadîth-i-sherîf reported by Bukhârî and Muslim: “During Mi’râj[1] I saw the palace that will be given to ’Umar.” Allâhu ta’âlâ sent down âyat-i-kerîmas
confirming Hadrat ’Umar’s words concerning the Maqâm-i-Ibrâhîm and women’s
covering themselves and the captives taken during the Holy War of Badr. It is
stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf reported by Hâkim: “On the Rising Day, Allâhu
ta’âlâ will greet ’Umar first.” In a
hadîth-i-sherîf reported by Abû Sa’îd-i-Hudrî,
the Prophet pointed to ’Umar and stated: “Of my Ummat, this person will occupy the highest grade in
Paradise?” When Hadrat ’Umar asked Rasûlullah
for permission to make ’Umra,[2] the
blessed Prophet gave him permission and said, “O my brother, do not forget about us as you say your prayers!”
Rasûlullah states in a hadîth-i-sherîf
reported by Abdullah ibn Abbâs: “On the day when
’Umar embraced Islam Jebrâîl ‘alaihis-salâm’ came to me and angels gave one
another the glad tidings that ’Umar had become a Muslim.” It is
stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf written in Tirmuzî
and reported by Aqaba bin Âmir: “If another prophet were to come after me
’Umar bin Khattâb would be a prophet.”
In another hadîth-i-sherîf written in Tirmuzî on
the authority of Imâm Zaynal ’Âbidîn, who quotes it from his grandfather Hadrat
Alî on the authority of his father Hadrat Husayn: Rasûlullah
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ and I were sitting together, when Abû Bakr and
’Umar came over. The Best of Mankind said, “These
two are the highest inhabitants of Paradise after prophets.” Enes
bin Mâlik is quoted, in ibn Mâja, as having related: One day he was asked,
“Whom do you love most, O Messenger of Allah?” “Âisha,”
he replied. “And who is the man you love most?” “Âisha’s
father.” It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf
written in Tirmuzî and reported by Huzayfa and Abdullah ibn Mes’ûd: “After me pay homage to Abû Bakr and ’Umar!”
Tirmuzî quotes Enes bin Mâlik as having related: As the Sahâba were seated
together, Rasûlullah would just come and sit
among them, stopping them from standing up. No one,
---------------------------------
[1] Hadrat Muhammad’s ascent to heaven. Please
see the fifty-sixth chapter of the first fascicle of Endless Bliss.
[2] Please see the seventh chapter of the
fifth fascicle of Endless Bliss for Hajj and ’Umra.
with the exception of Abû Bakr and ’Umar, could look at him in the
face. The two closest companions of the Prophet would look at him, and he at them, three of them smiling at one
another. In a hadîth-i-sherîf written in Hâkim’s book and reported by Huzayfa Yemânî, Rasûlullah states: “I want to send my Sahâba to all countries so that my sunnats and
the (tenets called) farz be taught far and near. Likewise, Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ (Jesus) sent out his Hawârîs.” When he was asked if he would send Hadrat Abû Bakr and Hadrat
’Umar as well, he replied, “These two I will not part
from. They are like my ears and eyes.” In a hadîth-i-sherîf written in Tirmuzî and in
Hâkim: One day Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ entered the mosque, with Abû Bakr
on his right and ’Umar on his left. He was holding their hands. “On the Rising Day, we shall rise from our graves together, like
this.” Abî Arwâ relates in a hadîth-i-sherîf reported by Hâkim: We were sitting with Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’,
when Abû Bakr and ’Umar came over. “May gratitude and
praise be to Allâhu ta’âlâ because He gave us strength with these two.” It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf written in Tirmuzî and in ibn Mâja and reported by Abû Sa’îd
Hudrî: “Those who will occupy high positions in Paradise will be
seen like stars when looked from below. Abû Bakr and ’Umar will be (two) of
them.”
According to a narration reported unanimously by scholars of Hadîth,
Abû Mûsa-l-ash ’arî ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ relates: Rasûlullah
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ and I were sitting in a garden, when someone
knocked on the door. The Messenger of Allah ordered, “Open the door and give the newcomer the glad tidings that he
will go to Paradise (after death)!” I opened the door. Abû Bakr came
in. I told him Rasûlullah’s ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ
’alaihi wa sallam’ glad tidings. There was another knock on the door. “Open the door and give the newcomer the glad tidings that he
will go to Paradise,” ordered the blessed Prophet
again. I opened the door and ’Umar came in. I gave him the glad tidings.
Another knock came from the door. The Best of Mankind ordered, “Open the door! Give the newcomer the glad tidings that he
will go to Paradise, and tell him that disasters will befall him!”
’Uthmân came in when I opened the door. I told him about the glad tidings and
about the qadar (fate, destiny) which Allâhu ta’âlâ foreordained
for him. “May hamd (praise and gratitude)
be to Allâhu ta’âlâ, who is the only asylum to seek against
accidents and disasters,” was his reaction.
It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf written in Hâkim and in the (book of hadîths entitled) Musnad by
Imâm Ahmad, and which is reported by Hadrat Alî: “When Abû Bakr comes to power and presides over you, you will find
him zâhid in the world and râghib in the Hereafter. When ’Umar presides over
you, you will find him powerful, trustworthy, and undaunted in the way of
Allah. When Alî gains the presidency over you, you will find him hâdi and
muhdî. He will guide you to the right path.”
Sa’îd bin Zayd ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ quoted the
following hadîth-i-sherîf, which is
written in Tirmuzî and in ibn Mâja: “Ten people are in
Paradise, (that is, that they will go to
Paradise is certain by now). (They are:) Abû Bakr and ’Umar
and ’Uthmân and Talha and Zubayr and Abdurrahmân bin ’Awf and Alî bin Abî Tâlib
and Sa’d bin Abî Waqqâs and Abû ’Ubayda bin Jerrâh.” Naming nine of the blessed Sahâbîs, Sa’îd bin Zayd kept back
the tenth name. When they asked who he was, he said, “Abu-l-A’war,” implying
himself.
Irbât bin Sâriya narrates the following event, which is
written in ibn Mâja and in Tirmuzî: We, the Sahâba, had assembled (on an
occasion). Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam’ stated, “Fear Allâhu ta’âlâ. Obey your Amîr,
who will be presiding over you, even if he is an Abyssinian slave! After me,
there will happen differences among Muslims. During those disturbances hold
fast to my Sunnat and to the sunnats of the Khulafâ-ar-Râshidîn. My Khalîfas
will show you the right path. Follow the path that they will show you! Avoid
the later inventions! All bid’ats are aberration and heresy.” Hadrat Safîna, who served the Messenger of Allah for years,
relates: I heard Rasûlullah say, “After me, my Khalîfas will make my
path live on for thirty years. Thereafter meliks (emperors, sultans) will preside over
my Ummat.” The caliphate of Abû Bakr lasted
for two years; that of ’Umar lasted for ten years; ’Uthmân’s tenure of office
lasted for twelve years; and Alî held office for six years ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ
’anhum ajma’în’.
There is many another similar hadîth-i-sherîf
citing the superiorities of Abû Bakr and ’Umar ’radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ
’anhumâ’
and stating that they are people of Paradise. Also, hundreds of other hadîth-i-sherîfs, which state the superiorities of the
Ashâb-i-kirâm, of the Muhâjirîn, and of those blessed people who were present
at a number of vitally important events such as Badr, Uhud, Bî’at-ur-ridwân and
other Holy Wars, are, at the same time, laudatory of the two Khalîfas.
That Abû Bakr is the highest member of this Ummat
(Muslims) and that ’Umar is the second highest are two firsthand facts on which
the Ashâb-i-kirâm and the Tâbi’în-i-izâm were unanimous. When Hadrat Abû Bakr
was elected Khalîfa, none of the Ashâb-i-kirâm said a single word to renounce
his authority. Nor were any protests voiced on the part of the Ashâb-i-kirâm
when Hadrat Abû Bakr advised that Hadrat ’Umar should succeed him in caliphate
after him. As Abdurrahmân bin ’Awf nominated Hadrat ’Uthmân as Khalîfa (after
Hadrat ’Umar’s martyrdom), he stipulated that he should adhere to the course
followed by the Shaikhayn. None of the audience raised an objection. Nor did
Alî demur at all, although he was opposed to ’Uthmân’s being held superior to
him ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhumâ’.
As long as Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ held office as Khalîfa, he
acknowledged on various occasions that the Shaikayn were superior to him. He
would scold anyone who expressed doubts about that fact. The greater ones of
the Sahâba would hear him do so, and yet they would not even imply dissuasion.
Enes bin Mâlik is quoted, in Bukhârî, as having said, “Abû Bakr is the closest
person to the Messenger of Allah. On many occasions he proved to be the second
person after the Messenger of Allah. He must take the lead as our Amîr. Stand
up and pay homage to him!” According to another narration reported on the
authority of Enes bin Mâlik in Bukhârî: When someone asked Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ about the
portents of Doomsday, the Sultân of Universe questioned, “What have you prepared for Doomsday?” “I have
done nothing. However, I love Allâhu ta’âlâ and
His Messenger ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ very much,” replied the man. Upon
this, the Habîbullah (Darling of Allah) declared, “On
Doomsday, (and so on the Rising Day,) you will be with your beloved ones!”
I was very happy when I heard that declaration of the blessed Messenger. “I,
also, love the Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’, Abû Bakr and
’Umar. I hope that this love of mine will
make
me be with them, though I have failed to imitate them,” I said.
Hadrat Alî pronounced the following benediction: “May Allâhu ta’âlâ bless Abû Bakr with His
Compassion! He compiled the Qur’ân al-kerîm. He served the Messenger of Allah as he migrated (to Medîna). So
may Allâhu ta’âlâ illuminate
’Umar’s grave with nûr as he has illuminated our mosques!” Sâlim bin Abî Ja’d
relates: There were forty thousand people provided with residence in Najrân.
Hadrat ’Umar evicted them from their homes. Upon this they came to Hadrat Alî
and begged for intercession. He dismissed them, saying, “Everything ’Umar does
is rightful.” If Hadrat Alî had been critical of Hadrat ’Umar (and his doings),
the problem caused by the people from Najrân would have been a propitious
occasion to level criticisms at him. He didn’t do so. On the contrary, he
praised him. In an interpretation of a dream narrated by Abû Ya’lâ, Hadrat
Hasan praised Hadrat ’Umar. Hâkim quotes, in his book, Abdullah bin Ja’far
Tayyâr as having said, “When Abû Bakr undertook governorship over us, we found
him the best and the most compassionate of people.” As Zayd-i-Shahîd was
leaving for war, he said, “My ancestors loved the Shaikhayn very much.” Hâkim’s
book contains a number of statements made by Abdullah ibn Abbâs and laudatory
of Hadrat ’Umar. Hasan bin Zayd is quoted in Imâm-i-Ahmad’s (book of hadîths
called) Sunan as having stated: I heard my father Zayd say that he had heard
his father Hasan say that he had heard his father Alî relate the following
event: Rasûlullah and I were sitting, when Abû
Bakr and ’Umar came over ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhumâ’. Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’
stated, “Yâ Alî! These two are the highest of
the people of Paradise. With the exception of prophets, (who are naturally higher than all non-prophets,) there is no one higher than these (two) people!”
A person’s superiority to another means the former’s having good
qualities in addition to those which both of them commonly possess. The source
of all sorts of perfection is the sohbat of the Messenger of Allah, (i.e. being
in his presence, hearing his spiritually nutritious voice, seeing his luminous
face, enjoying his therapeutic breath, smelling his odorous scent, and maturing
under his mellowing looks). All the Ashâb-i-kirâm were honoured with that most
effective sohbat. This honour made them superior to all the rest of this Ummat
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ
’anhum
ajma’în’. Abû Bakr as-Siddîq attended this sohbat more than did any other
Sahâbî. Therefore he attained the highest grade. The Shaikhayn were gifted with
the special talent of diagnosing the right and enlightening other people, in
which they surpassed others. According to an observation reported to have been
made by Abdullah bin Mes’ûd, ’Umar’s knowledge would weigh heavier than the
total knowledge possessed by the entire nation of Arabia, were an assessment of
that sort possible. Nearly all the hadîth-i-sherîfs
known today were reported on the authority of the Shaikhayn. Hadîth-i-sherîfs reported on the authority of the
Shaikhayn should not be considered to consist in those with a chain of
transmitters containing the names of the Shaikhayn. All the Marfû’ hadîth-i-sherîfs existing in the books (of hadîth-i-sherîfs) were quoted by the Shaikhayn and
forwarded by other Sahâbîs. The Shaikhayn ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhumâ’ sent the
Sahâba to the countries conquered, with the command to spread the hadîth-i-sherîfs. According to a narration reported in
the book of Hâkim, Musâ bin Alî bin Rebâh relates: Hadrat ’Umar said in a
khutba, “If you have difficulty (understanding any âyat-i-kerîma)
in the Qur’ân al-kerîm, consult ’Ubayy bin Kâ’b.
Learn halâl and harâm from Mu’âdh, and the knowledge of Farâiz (Islamic science
of dividing an inheritance) from Zayd bin Thâbit. As for ways of earning money;
ask me and I will teach you!” According to a report in the book Istî’âb, ’Ubâda bin Sâmit was the first person
appointed Qâdî [Judge] for Palestine. He had made a decision which Mu’âwiya,
the time’s governor of Palestine, did not like and tried to coerce him into
rescinding his decision and making one agreeable with his wishes. ’Ubâda went
back to Medîna with the conclusion that it would be “impossible to administer
justice at such a place.” ’Umar, the Khalîfa, rejected his resignation and sent
him back, saying, “Justice is out of the question at a place devoid of a judge
like you.” He also sent a written order to Mu’âwiya, bidding him “not to
interfere with ’Ubâda’s business.” The book Istî’âb quotes Hasan as having
said, “Abdullah bin Maghfel was one of the ten scholars whom Khalîfa ’Umar sent
to our country to teach fiqh.” ’Umar bin Eshja’ is quoted as having said, in
Dârimî’s book, “Khalîfa ’Umar said: There will come a time when some people
will give wrong and aberrant meanings to the Qur’ân
al-kerîm. Learn the truth from the scholars of Hadîth! For, the scholars
of Hadîth
know
the Qur’ân al-kerîm best.” Dârimî’s book quotes
Meymûn bin Mehrân as having said, “When a lawsuit was brought before Hadrat Abû
Bakr, he would judge in accordance with the Qur’ân
al-kerîm. If he could not find a solution in the Qur’ân al-kerîm, He would make a decision in accordance with a hadîth-i-sherîf. When he could not find a hadîth
whereby to reach a decision, he would consult with the Sahâba, asking them if
anyone knew a similar case which the Messenger of Allah had settled. When a
unanimous answer was obtained, he would make hamd (pay gratitude and praise to
Allâhu ta’âlâ) and then make a decision. When a report was not given, he would
convene the notables of the Sahâba, tell them the problem, and make a decision
in accordance with the consensus.” Hadrat ’Umar commanded Qâdî Shurayh to
follow the same policy and to make a decision in accordance with his own
ijtihâd when all that process did not bring a solution. Abdullah ibn Yazîd is quoted
as having said, again, in Dârimî: “When Abdullah ibn Abbâs was asked a
question, he would give an answer agreeable with the words of Hadrat Abû Bakr
and Hadrat ’Umar when he could not derive an answer from the Qur’ân al-kerîm or from hadîth-i-sherîfs.
If he could not extract a solution from their words, either, he would reach a
conclusion by employing his own ijtihâd and give an answer accordingly.”
According to another narration in Dârimî, Huzayfa said that giving a fatwâ
required knowing the âyats that were mansûkh as well as those which were
nâsikh.[1] When he
was asked if there were any people who knew them, he replied that
’Umar-ubn-ul-Khattâb was one of them. In a narration written in Dârimî, Ziyâd
bin Jedîr relates: I was talking with Hadrat ’Umar. “What things are
destructive of Islam,” he questioned. With an apology, I solicited that I would
rather hear his definition. He explained, “Things that will destroy Islam are:
Religious authorities’ giving wrong information (in the name of preaching Islam);
hypocrites’ misguiding Muslims by attempting to prove their personal heresies
with the help of âyats and hadîths, (which they misinterpret); and heretics’
occupying positions that enable them to make decisions (about important
religious matters).” According to another narration which, again,
---------------------------------
[1] Some âyats invalidated the rules,
principles, commandments and prohibitions in other âyats previous to them.
Those revocatory âyats are called nâsikh, while the ones whose rules
they cancel are called mansûkh.
is reported in Dârimî, ’Amr bin Meymûn stated, “Two-thirds of
knowledge was gone with ’Umar’s death.” When this was reported to Ibrâhîm, he
said, “’Umar took away with him nine-tenths of it.” ’Amr bin Abû Sufyân reports
in Dârimî: Hadrat ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ said, “Write down what you know
lest it should be forgotten!” This statement of Hadrat ’Umar’s formed a basis
for the science of Hadîth.
There were quite a number of matters that had not been
explained during the time of Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’; nor had most of them been
explicated yet by the end of the caliphate of Abû Bakr. Hadrat ’Umar provided a
consensus for each and every one of them, leaving none of them unclear. As for
those matters not explained by Hadrat ’Umar; there will not be a consensus on
them till the end of the world. Had it not been for Hadrat ’Umar, the Islamic
scholars would be in a continuous plight till the end of the world. The
scholars of Ahl as-Sunnat, who have been holding Islam’s flag, have based their
conclusions on matters for which Hadrat ’Umar Fârûq arranged unanimous
solutions.
In a narration reported in the book Musnad
by Imâm Ahmad, Abdurrazzâq relates: I have not seen anyone who performed namâz
better than Ibn Jurayh. Ibn Jurayh learned how to perform namâz from Atâ, who
had learned it from Abdullah bin Zubayr, who had learned it from Abû Bakr
as-Siddîq, and who had learned it from the Messenger of Allah. Shâh Waliyyullah
Dahlawî wrote myriad pages in which he quoted the statements which Hadrat Abû
Bakr and Hadrat ’Umar made in all the branches of fiqh. If a reasonable person
reads those pages, he will realize that the two Khalîfas rendered great and
zealous services not only in the expansion of the Islamic countries, but also
in the spreading of Islam’s teachings. It was for that reason that Hadrat Alî
remarked, “’Umar’s conclusions are always correct.” On another occasion he
observed, “’Umar’s whip is more useful than our swords.” It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “The best
of all ages is the one I am living in. The second best is the one to follow.”
The Ashâb-i-kirâm ‘alaihim-ur-ridwân’ were superior to the Muslims after them
because they intermediated between them and the Messenger of Allah. Muslims in
each century have always been the master of their successors by conveying Islam
to them. They are, therefore, more useful and better than the
generations
following them. The same rule applies to contemporaries, in which case teachers
are held higher than their students. Hence all the virtues of the Shaikhayn.
Hadrat Alî is quoted as having said as follows in the book of Imâm Ahmad:
Whenever I heard a hadîth-i-sherîf from someone,
I would administer an oath to him. Only after an oath would I accept (that the hadîth-i-sherîf quoted was a genuine one). Only, I
would take for granted any hadîth-i-sherîf
quoted by Abû Bakr. Abû Bakr quoted Rasûlullah
‘salla-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ as having stated: “If
a person who has committed a sin makes an ablution, then performs two rak’ats
of namâz and then makes istighfâr, his sin will be forgiven.” When
Hadrat ’Umar was wounded, Abdullah bin Abbâs visited him and said, “Yâ
Amîr-al-Mu’minîn (O you the Leader of Muslims)! I give you the Glad Tidings
(that you will go into) Paradise. You became a Muslim at a time when all others
denied. You cooperated with the Messenger of Allah in Jihâd as others
campaigned animosity against him. Rasûlullah
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ was pleased with you when he passed away. No
one was opposed to your being Khalîfa. You are dying as a martyr.”
Abû Bakr as-Siddîq was the first man to profess belief in the
Messenger of Allah. Hadrat Alî was a child when he became a Believer. He was in
the home of the Messenger of Allah, under his protection. Also, there are
scholars who report that Hadrat Abû Bakr embraced Islam even before Hadrat Alî.
It was Abû Bakr who announced his îmân before anyone else and who thereby
caused others to have îmân, too. Afîra’s slave ’Umar is quoted as having
related as follows in Abû ’Amr’s book Istî’âb:
“When Hadrat Alî became a Believer he concealed it even from his own father Abû
Tâlib. Abû Bakr, on the other hand, told his friends about his Belief, inviting
them to join him and embrace Islam.” Sha’bî relates: When Abdullah bin Abbâs
was asked who the first Believer was, he said, “Haven’t you heard Hassân bin
Thâbit’s poem?” The poem said: “Abû Bakr was the first man to profess his
belief in the Messenger of Allah.” This qasîda (eulogy, poem) was widely known
among the Ashâb-i-kirâm. Hadrat Alî would recite it often. Jarîr reports on the
authority of Abû Nadra that Hadrat Abû Bakr said to Hadrat Alî, “I became a
Believer before you did,” and that Hadrat Alî did not deny it. Hadrat Abû Bakr
had forty thousand dirhams of silver
money
when he confessed his îmân in Islam. He spent all his money for the Messenger
of Allah and for the other Believers. He bought and emancipated seven slaves
who were being tormented for having embraced Islam. The Messenger of Allah
would honour Abû Bakr’s place twice daily, once in the morning and once in the
evening, during his thirteen-year stay in Mekka. This fact is reported in
Bukhârî. Rasûlullah was very grieved when Hadrat
Khadîja, (his first blessed spouse,) passed away.Hadrat Abû Bakr held his
daughter Âisha by the hand and said, “O Messenger of Allah! Please do accept
Âisha for a wife. Let her assuage your grief by serving you.” Rasûlullah accepted Âisha in Medîna. Abû Bakr
as-Siddîq was the first person to affirm (Rasûlullah’s
ascent to heaven termed) Mi’râj. As Rasûlullah
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ migrated from Mekka to Medîna, Hadrat Abû Bakr
accompanied him, serving him round the clock. Also, he did not leave Rasûlullah alone even for a single moment during the
Holy War of Badr. Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu
’alaihi wa sallam’ prayed very earnestly for victory. When Abû Bakr sensed that
the prayers had been accepted (by Allâhu ta’âlâ), he said, “Yâ Rasûlallah (O
Messenger of Allah)! Do not worry any more! Allâhu
ta’âlâ will be with us.” Such advanced sparks of inspiration to the
Sahâba before the arrival of Wahy (revelation of Divine Will) took place quite
a few times. Examples of this phenomenal antecedence are Abdullah bin Zayd’s
dream prior to the establishment of azân (adhân)[1] and Hadrat ’Umar’s (opinion called) qiyâs (over the
prisoners of war captivated in the Holy War of Badr), which also took place
before the revelation.
In the Holy War of Uhud, Hadrat Abû Bakr tried his utmost
to protect Rasûlullah. It was Hadrat Abû Bakr,
again, who was given the task of defending a part of the trench in the Holy War
of Hendek (Trench). Today’s (mosque called) Masjîd-i-Siddîqoccupies that cite. In the Holy War of Haybar, Abû Bakr fought for
the conquest of several fortresses. Berîda-i-Eslemî is quoted, in Hâkim’s book,
as having related: Whenever Rasûlullah suffered from the headache called Shaqîqa, he would not go out
for two days. When the army arrived at Haybar, the headache began again,
whereon he did not leave
---------------------------------
[1] Please see the eleventh chapter of the
fourth fascicle of Endless Bliss for information about azân.
his tent. Abû Bakr took the flag and embarked on a vehement fight.
When the Messenger of Allah conquered Mekka and entered the mosque, Abû Bakr
took his own father, tied up, to Rasûlullah and told him to profess îmân. When the blessed Messenger said, “Yâ
Abâ Bakr! You’d better not have brought this old person here. We would just as
soon go to his place,” he replied, “O Messenger of Allah! It’s rather for him
to come to you. Rasûlullah had Abû Bakr’s father sit before his blessed knees, rubbed his
blessed hand gently on his chest, and made his invitation: “Be a Muslim!” The
lucky father presently accepted the invitation and joined the Believers. Of all
the Ashâb-i-kirâm ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhum ajma’în’, Abû Bakr was the only
person whose father as well as his sons joined the Believers.
In the ninth year of the Hijrat (Hegira), Rasûlullah appointed Hadrat Abû Bakr as Amîr
for the performance of hajj. Muhammad bin Hanafiyya, one of Hadrat Alî’s sons,
relates: “Berâat sûra was revealed after Abû Bakr’s departure for hajj. The
blessed Messenger recited the sûra to Hadrat Alî and commanded him to recite it
to the hâdjis (pilgrims) at Minâ on the day of Nahr. Upon seeing Hadrat Alî in
Mekka, Hadrat Abû Bakr asked him if he was there in the capacity of Amîr or on
an official duty. When Hadrat Alî replied that he had been sent on a duty,
Hadrat Abû Bakr had all the people perform hajj. When the day of Nahr arrived,
Hadrat Alî called adhân for the hâdjis and recited the Berâat sûra to them,
adding Rasûlullah’s ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ
’alaihi wa sallam’ commandments.”
During the farewell pilgrimage, (the last hajj which the Messenger of Allah made and in which he made a farewell speech to the Sahâba,) Rasûlullah’s and Abû Bakr’s personal belongings were on the same camel. When Rasûlullah became ill, he came to the mosque and made a long (speech called) khutba. First he pronounced benedictions on those (blessed Sahâbîs) who had attained martyrdom in the Holy War of Uhud and made istighfâr on behalf of them. Then he stated, “Allâhu ta’âlâ blesses a slave of His with a choice between remaining in the world and migrating to the Hereafter. So the slave chooses to attain the gifts of Allâhu ta’âlâ.” Upon this statement Hadrat Abû Bakr, the only person who sensed that it implied an imminent departure of the Messenger of Allah from this transient world, implored in tears, “Yâ Rasûlallah ‘sall-
Allâhu
ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’! Please do not die, yourself! Let us die, and let our
children die, in your stead!”
Hadrat ’Umar and twenty other Sahâbîs migrated to Medîna
before the Messenger of Allah. (Afterwards,) he served as a counsellor to
Hadrat Abû Bakr and as a qâdî under him. Also, Hadrat ’Umar was the first
Islamic judge. The Messenger of Allah had two duties. One of them was to teach
the Book (the Qur’ân al-kerîm) and the Sunnat (the words, the manners, the acts of worship of
the Messenger of Allah, which were explanatory and illustrative of the Qur’ân al-kerîm and complementary and
supplementary to the Qur’ân al-kerîm). His second duty was to execute and enforce the Islamic
principles and was termed tedbîr-i-menzil and siyâsat-i-medîna. When Hadrat
’Umar became Khalîfa, he carried on both the duties perfectly. Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ had
a dream, in which he consumed a certain amount of a glass of milk, giving the
remainder to Hadrat ’Umar. He interpreted his dream as indicative of knowledge.
Indeed, that Hadrat ’Umar was the most knowledgeable person of his time was
unanimously stated by the Ashâb-i-kirâm. His caliphate was a divine gift
through which Allâhu ta’âlâ blessed the Muslims with His Compassion. When the city of Hums was
conquered in the fifteenth year of the Hijrat, Heraclius, the Kaiser of
Byzantium, fled to Constantinople [today’s Istanbul]. Seven thousand Muslims
won the battle of Qadsiya against the sixty-thousand-strong Iranian army, who
were magians. In the sixteenth year Halep (Aleppo) and Antakya (Antioch) were
taken by way of peace. The same year Abû Ubayda made the city of Kûfa, and
Hadrat ’Umar entered the Bayt-ul-muqaddas (Jerusalem). In the twenty-first year
Egypt was conquered and the battle of Nahâvand was won. In the twenty-second
year Azerbaijan was conquered by Mughîra bin Shu’ba, and Trablusgharb (Tripoli
in N. Africa) by’Amr ibn ’Âs. The following information is provided in Rawda-t-ul-ahbâb: One thousand
and thirty-six major cities were conquered in the time of Hadrat ’Umar. Four
thousand mosques were built, four thousand churches became dilapidated (for
disuse), and nineteen hundred minbars were made for Friday prayer. Hadrat ’Umar
’radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ was the Khalîfa who established the first Islamic
army and the earliest military training and drills.
Prophets ‘alaihim-us-salâm’ were sent as a Compassion (of
Allâhu
ta’âlâ) for the entire humanity. They eliminated nescience and cruelty. This
state of usefulness and compassion preserved its full sense and perfection
throughout the caliphates of the Shaikhayn, too. As a matter of fact, that
state of affairs constituted the main component for the definition of
‘caliphate’. That no one else after the Shaikhayn accomplished that degree of
substitution is a historical fact. Differences and bloodshed began after them.
The Shaikhayn developed the most powerful Islam from the weakest one. Others
did not have a share from that service. None of the Islamic teachings found by
way of ijmâ’ (consensus of the Sahâba) during the caliphates of the Shaikhayn
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhumâ’ lapsed into the category of differences (of
ijtihâd) among the four (true) Madhhabs. The differences were in matters which
the Shaikhayn had not clarified. Comprehending this word of ours requires
scholarly knowledge in (the Islamic science termed) Usûl. It beats the inexpert
men of religion.
Every Muslim must think well! What are the honours that
distinguish him from disbelievers, from fire-worshippers? The first and
foremost of these honours is the way of Qur’ân al-kerîm. And it is the Shaikhayn who compiled the Qur’ân al-kerîm. It is Hadrat ’Umar who
compiled the teachings of aqâ’id (tenets of belief) and fiqh (teachings
pertaining to religious practices), who put forward the teachings of ijmâ’, who
explicated the Islamic facts that had formerly been undisclosed, and who
gathered the Sahâba and performed qiyâs (analogy; solving religious problems
and matters by way of analogy). He appointed a hâfid of Qur’ân al-kerîm and a scholar of Hadîth to
each city. All the Islamic teachings that are known today were forwarded by the
Shaikhayn. It is the Shaikhayn ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhumâ’ who guided the
Arabs as well as the Persians to hidâyat. And the Arabs and the Persians, in
their turn, served as vehicles for the salvation and civilization of the entire
humanity. No one can deny this fact. All people owe their faith to the
Shaikhayn. Not to realize this is identical with not seeing the sun.
The scholars of Ahl as-Sunnat state that the Shaikhayn, (Hadrat Abû
Bakr and Hadrat ’Umar,) are the highest Muslims, and the two sons-in-law (of
the Messenger of Allah, i.e. Hadrat ’Uthmân and Hadrat Alî,) must be loved
dearly. For, the first
duty
of a Muslim is to wish to adapt himself to the Qur’ân
al-kerîm and the hadîth-i-sherîfs, and
the second duty is to learn them. If he does not learn them he will not be able
to adapt himself to Islam and will become a mulhid. It is the Shaikhayn who
explicated, compiled and conveyed these teachings.
A Muslim affiliated in one of the four (true) Madhhabs holds the
opinion that the imâm (leader) of his Madhhab is the highest (of all four
imâms). If he does not believe so, it will not be sahîh (acceptable) for him to
adapt himself to that Madhhab. Likewise, if a person does not believe in the
superiority of those people who preserved and forwarded the Qur’ân al-kerîm and the hadîth-i-sherîfs
and conveyed the meanings in both of them, he cannot possibly be one who has
adapted himself to a religion taught by them. According to Shiites, the Khalîfa
must be superior to all the other Muslims, a sinless person, and one who has
been chosen by Allâhu ta’âlâ and by His
Messenger. This word of theirs applies to some situations, although it cannot
be admitted in its entirety. The precondition that the Khalîfa must be superior
to the entire Ummat (all Muslims) is relevant with those Khalîfas who represent
the Prophet. For, those people derive meanings
from the Qur’ân al-kerîm and from hadîth-i-sherîfs and communicate Islam (to other
people). They spread Islam everywhere. Unless those people are higher than all
the other Muslims, their doings will not be dependable. The word ‘ma’thûm
(sinless)’ (used in the first precondition) ought to be changed into ‘mahfûz
(protected, guarded)’. Indeed, Allâhu ta’âlâ protects
them and gives them strength. As for the second precondition expressed as, “...
who has been chosen by Allâhu ta’âlâ and by His
Messenger;” it should be modified into “... who has been implied in the nass
(âyats and hadîths with clear meanings).” This is the explanation made by the
(true scholars called) Ahl as-Sunnat wa-l-jamâ’at. By way of this explanation
they prove that the Shaikhayn, and even all four of them were rightly-guided
Khalîfas. The so-called precondition is a sine qua non in the case of the early
Khalîfas. For, they were the founders of Islam and the teachers who spread
Islam everywhere. Yet those who succeeded the earliest four Khalîfas were Melik-i-’adûd. They were mere presidents and
chiefs. Knowledge was held by other people. So was the case with muftîs. In the
early years of Islam, muftîs would have to be scholarly people. Today, however,
a certain degree of ability to
read
and understand the books written by those early scholars will do for a person
to be a muftî. As for being a sinless person; sinlessness in this sense is
dependent on customs and traditions. For, social, economic and business
transactions among people undergo mutations and modifications with time, in
correspondence with situations, customs and traditions. Fundamental sciences
based on sheer mind are inapplicable in the determination of sinlessness.
Hadrat ’Uthmân also was a rightly-guided Khalîfa. Bîda, a
paternal aunt of the Messenger of Allah, was Hadrat ’Uthmân’s mother’s mother.
Even in the (pre-Islamic) time of nescience, (which is called the time of
‘Jâhiliyya’,) he never stained himself with foul indulgences such as
fornication and drinking. He was one of the earliest Believers. He endured all
the severe torment which his paternal uncle inflicted on him in order to coerce
him out of Islam. He attained the honour of two marriages both with daughters
of the Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’.[1] Leaving his home, his property and
his commercial business for the sake of Allah, he migrated to Abyssinia.
Afterwards, he migrated to Medîna, too. He was one of the Muhâjirs who compiled
the Qur’ân al-kerîm. He did not join
the Holy Wars of Badr and Uhud, and he was absent during the oath of allegiance
at Hudaybiyya, for he had been sent somewhere else on a mission before each of
those events. He fought in all the other Holy Wars. At the time of (Holy War
at) Badr he was ordered (by Rasûlullah) to stay in Medîna and look after the blessed daughter of the
Messenger of Allah, (Hadrat Ruqayya, who was at the same time Hadrat ’Uthmân’s
blessed wife and had repaired to bed with some desperate illness immediately
previous to the Holy War and naturally needed her beloved spouse to take care
of her). However, he was given the glad tidings that he would attain the same
thawâb (blessings and rewards in the Hereafter) and ghanîmat he would have been
given had he joined the Holy War. As for the Holy War of Uhud; an âyat-i-kerîma was revealed to inform that those
who were absent from the blessed event would be forgiven. Also, it
---------------------------------
[1] ’Uthmân bin Affân ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ had
the honour of marrying two of Rasûlullah’s
blessed daughters, Ruqayya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhâ’, who passed away at the age of
twenty-two, and Umm-u-Ghulthum ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhâ’ whom the Messenger of Allah
married to Hadrat ’Uthmân after Hadrat Ruqayya passed away.
is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf that during the event of Hudaybiyya Hadrat ’Uthmân was out on a
duty which Rasûlullah had assigned to him by the
order of Allâhu ta’âlâ. (During the oath of allegiance at Hudaybiyya, when it
was ’Uthmân’s turn to make musâfaha with Rasûlullah, i.e. to shake hands with him,) Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ made musâfaha by holding one of
his own blessed hands with the other, which he said was “ ’Uthmân’s hand.” (So
generous was he in dispensing for the sake of Allah that one day) he bought a
well of water for the purpose of delivering the Sahâba from thirst. He rendered
a great service for the Holy War of Tabuk by donating nine hundred and fifty
camels and fifty horses and an incalculable amount of cash. He was honoured
with a special hadîth-i-sherîf, which reads as follows: “Nothing which
’Uthmân will do from today on will harm him!” When,
one day, Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam’ stated, “If a person enlarges our mosque there
will be a better one awaiting him in Paradise,” he,
(Hadrat ’Uthmân,) bought the six parcels of land around it and added them to
the building plot of the mosque. One day, Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’, Abû Bakr, ’Umar and ’Uthmân
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhum’ were on a mountain called Subayr, when an earthquake made itself
felt. “O Subayr! Do not shudder! There is a Prophet, a Siddîq, and (two) Martyrs on thee!” Thus he gave the Glad Tidings that ’Umar and ’Uthmân would
attain martyrdom. In another hadîth-i-sherîf, which reads, “Allâhu ta’âlâ will
put a shirt on you. If others try to take it off, do not accede to take it off,” he, (Hadrat ’Uthmân,) was forewarned about his future
caliphate. It fell to his lot to be blessed with the honour of compiling the Qur’ân al-kerîm and spreading it on the
earth. In his time did people inhabiting the Asian countries up to Kabul and
the Anatolian lands as far as Istanbul attain Islam. Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ took
Hadrat ’Uthmân into his arms and remarked endearingly, “You are my darling both in the world and in the Hereafter!” On another occasion, he, (the blessed Prophet,) said to Talha, “O Talha! Every prophet will have a friend from among his ummat. And ’Uthmân is my friend
in Paradise.”
A number of people slack in faith and weak in belief left Egypt and
came to Medîna. They were not Sahâbîs, nor were they even in that blessed group
of Muslims called Tâbi’în. They
harbored
a grudge against the Sahâba. They approached Hadrat ’Uthmân with coercive
methods, demanding that he make a choice among the following three alternatives:
“Either retire from caliphate, or leave us the authority to appoint and dismiss
commanders and governors; and in case of neither choice we shall kill you.”
Obeying Rasûlullah’s advice, Hadrat ’Uthmân did
not retire from caliphate. To leave the authority to them, on the other hand,
would mean to retire from office; so he did not accede to the second choice,
either. Thereupon the Egyptians besieged the Khalîfa’s house. Some of the
Sahâba who were in Medîna did not expect a fatal escalation of the issue. They
were of the opinion that the Egyptians would simply go back. Others, most of
them, incidentally, lacked the power and number to resist the unruly mob.
’Uthmân ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ followed the example of the better one of the two
sons of Âdam ‘alaihis-salâm’. Enduring the catastrophic events, he attained
martyrdom. The Ashâb-i-kirâm grieved very bitterly over the event. They took
action lest other disasters should follow. Frightened, the Egyptians had
recourse to a hasty installation of Hadrat Alî in caliphate. Naturally, the
Ashâb-i-kirâm would not be opposed to it. So Hadrat Alî was elected Khalîfa.
Some of the Sahâba, including Hadrat Âisha, Talha, Zubayr, and most of the Sons
of Umayya chased the murderers as far as Basra. According to them the caliphate
election was marred with fitna because of the murderers’ initiative in the
process. The Khalîfa followed them to Basra. The Egyptians applied the strategy
of keeping around the Khalîfa. No agreement was reached, whereupon the Khalîfa,
(Hadrat Alî,) went to Kûfa. Recruiting soldiers there, he marched towards
Basra. Hence the event called Jamal (Camel). In the meantime, Mu’âwiya
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’, governor of Damascus, became involved in the issue,
upon which the war of Siffîn broke out. However, the arbitrators between the
two parties brought Hadrat Mu’âwiya to office as the new Khalîfa. Most of the
Ashâb-i-kirâm and most of the Muslims approved of the decision. Some malicious
rabble-rousers assembled at a place called Harûrâ.
Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ marched against them, killing most of the
instigators, who have been called Khawârij (Khârijîs,
Khârijites) ever since. One of the survivors, [someone named Abdurrahmân ibn
Muljam,] martyred Hadrat Alî as he was walking to the mosque for morning
prayer.
According to the Islamic scholars, Hadrat Alî had nothing
to do with the martyrdom of Hadrat ’Uthmân. He himself stated this fact in his
various khutbas. Imâm Nawawî observes, “Hadrat ’Uthmân was a rightly-guided
Khalîfa. His martyrdom was an act of cruelty. He was martyred by iniquitous
sinners. None of the Sahâbîs had a hand in the savage homicide. From Egypt were
they, the villains. The Sahâbîs in Medîna were unable to prevent them. Also,
the caliphate of Hadrat Alî was sahîh (true, acceptable, canonically correct)
according to the consensus of scholars. There was not another Khalîfa as long
as he lived. Hadrat Mu’âwiya also was a just and superior person. He was a
Sahâbî. The so-called wars among them, (i.e. battles of Jamal and Siffîn,) were
consequent upon doubts. Each of the parties considered that the course they
were following was the right one. Those wars did not cause any one of them to
fall from justice. Theirs was a difference of ijtihâd, like the differences
among the imâms of Madhhabs. The differences did not cause any one of them to
fall from grace.” During those wars, the Sahâba had three different ijtihâds:
The first group considered that Hadrat Alî’s caliphate was rightful. According
to them the other party were bâghîs (rebels). So, it was wâjib, in their
ijtihâd, for them to make war against the rebels. According to the second
ijtihâd, the other party were right. “Hadrat Alî was not elected Khalîfa by all
the Muslims. The people of Medîna were coerced and intimidated into voting for
him. And the people of Kûfa joined the election not as a result of ijtihâd, but
for malicious motives,” they argued. The third group did not make a choice
between the two parties. It was therefore wâjib for them not to join the war at
all. For, it is not halâl (canonically legal) to fight against a Muslim who is
not rebellious.
Abdulqâdir Geylânî ‘qaddas-Allâhu ta’âlâ sirrah-ul ’azîz’ gives the
following advice in his book Ghunya:
“According to Imâm Ahmad bin Hanbal, we should not talk about the wars that
took place among the Sahâba such as Hadrat Talha and Zubayr and Hadrat Âisha
and Hadrat Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhum’. For Allâhu
ta’âlâ declares that in the Hereafter there will not be any discord
among them and that they will be chatting cordially with one another in
Paradise. Hadrat Alî was the rightful party in those wars. For he believed that
it was a sahîh election that brought him to caliphate. According to him,
therefore,
those who were opposed to his caliphate were bâghîs and it was permissible for
him to make war against them. As for Hadrat Mu’âwiya and Talha and Zubayr, who
fought against Hadrat Alî, ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhum’; they were of the opinion that
a retaliation was necessary against the murderers of the martyred Khalîfa, (Hadrat
’Uthmân). And all the murderers were in Hadrat Alî’s army. Muslims ought to
avoid passing judgement on the performances of those great people, our
superiors par excellence, and leave the solution of the matters among them to
Allâhu ta’âlâ.”
It is stated as follows in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “Ammâr bin Yâser will be martyred by bâghîs. He will be inviting
them to Paradise. And they, by contrast, will be calling him to Hell.” What this faqîr, [i.e. Hadrat Shâh Waliyyullah Ahmad Sâhib
Dahlawî,] understands from the hadîth-i-sherîf is this: “Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ was the highest Muslim
of his time. If the highest Muslim is elected as Khalîfa, matters will be dealt
with in a manner most compatible with Islam. Electing someone else will entail
an incidental slackening in the execution of Islamic matters. The first choice
will lead to Paradise, whereas the second one will direct down into Hell. Ammâr
bin Yâser made the first choice. This analysis of the hadîth-i-sherîf confirms Hadrat Alî’s honour
and exonerates the other party.” Our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ stated: “A mujtahid sometimes finds the truth. And sometimes he errs.” Notables of the Sahâba such as Sa’d bin Abî Waqqâs and Abdullah
bin ’Umar and Usâma bin Zayd and Abû Mûsa-l-Ash’arî and Abû Mes’ûd and many
another Sahâbî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhum ajma’în’ did not take part in the
wars. The hadîth-i-sherîf that provided
guidance for those people was: “At times of fitna (turmoil, commotion, chaos) stay at home!” However, all those people were true lovers of Hadrat Alî; they
would lavish praise on him and acknowledge that he was the worthiest candidate
for caliphate. The statements made by some of them indicate that what they were
against was the irregularity of the caliphate election, rather than Hadrat
Alî’s aptitude for caliphate.
An important note: Many people
hold the supposition that those Sahâbîs ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhum ajma’în’
who kept away from the war did so for the purpose of obeying the divine
commandment: “Do not make war against Muslims!”
However, this commandment means, “Do not make war against the
(Muslim) government!” As for those who joined the war; according to them, not
to join the war would cause the fitna and fesâd to escalate. They believed that
they had to prevent the fesâd (sedition, confusion, mischief). In my, the
faqîr’s, opinion, preventing the fesâd would have been impossible without
disturbance to a certain extent, which in turn involves some casualties. The
recommended policy to be followed in such cases would be not to make war in
support of a Khalîfa whose election was made in defiance of the regular
procedures and not to rise against a Khalîfa elected likewise.
Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam’ knew, owing to his nûr of firâsat (insight), that the fesâd would be
unavoidable. Therefore he stated, “There will arise
fitnas after me. At that time those who will be sitting away are better than
those who will be involved in the fitnas.”
The divine method of Allâhu ta’âlâ is
such that he distinguished each of His beloved slaves from others by means of
an inborn special superiority. Whereas Hadrat Abû Bakr excelled in mercy and
compassion, Hadrat ’Umar surpassed his colleagues in vehemence and austerity.
Dâwûd (David) and Suleymân (Solomon) ‘alaihim-as-salâm’ were statelypresidents,
while Îsâ (Jesus), Yûnus (Jonah) and Yahyâ (John) ‘alaihim-as-salâm’ were fond
of solitude. Hassân bin Thâbit would laud and praise the Messenger of Allah in
his poetry, which won him the Glad Tidings that his destination was Paradise.
’Ubayy bin Kâ’b was renowned for having memorized the Qur’ân
al-kerîm, Abdullah bin Mes’ûd for his knowledge in the science of fiqh,
and Khâlid bin Walîd for his prowess in warfare. Back to Hadrat Abû Bakr; he
was gifted with a variety of superiorities; for instance, he was by far ahead
of others for his constant, loving and true attendance to the sohbat (of Rasûlullah); for his zealous devotion, which was so
strong that he always yearned for an opportunity to sacrifice himself for the
sake of Rasûlullah; and for his readiness to
sacrifice his life, his property and his position for the sake of Rasûlullah or in return for the promulgation of Islam.
Spreading Islam fell to Hadrat ’Umar’s lot. And Hadrat ’Uthmân outshone all the
others for his having been the indispensable rescuer at all times of desperate
financial straits; for his deep sense of shame (hayâ); for his admirable
self-control in moments of wrath; for his tahârat
(cleanliness),
qirâat (reading or reciting the Qur’ân al-kerîm);
and for the extraordinary charity he dispensed to the poor. And finally, Hadrat
Alî was peerless for his blood-relationship to Rasûlullah;
for the exceptional singularity that he had been raised in Rasûlullah’s hand and under his blessed training; for
his valour, zuhd, wara’, intelligence and eloquence. Rasûlullah
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ cited these superior qualities of his Sahâba
one by one and praised them all ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhum ajma’în’.
Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’
was terjumân-i-ghayb. He was gifted with the benefit to foretell future events.
He used to state, beforehand, the superior duties that his Sahâba would perform
later. All the events he foretold came true. There was not a single event that
he foretold and yet which would not happen. The claim that “caliphate belongs
to Alî and his progeny by rights” is quite groundless. Had a right of that sort
ever been stated (by the blessed Prophet or even implied in a single âyat-i-kerîma) beforehand, things would have happened accordingly. They would
have taken possession of caliphate once and for all, and no other person would
have been able to lay hands on it. That the Messenger of Allah had not foretold
their caliphate is manifest in the fact that they did not become Khalîfas,
which, in passing, betrays the downright falsehood which they dishonestly
fabricate in the name of information.
Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ was
ahead of all other people in observing everybody’s rights. For that matter, he praised
Hadrat Abbâs, (who was his paternal uncle,) by saying, “The paternal uncle is like the father.” He said
about Fâtima, (his blessed daughter): “He who hurts
her will have hurt me (by doing so).” About Hadrat Abû Bakr he said,
“Why do you ignore my feelings by hurting my friend?”
And he said about Hadrat Alî: “He is from me. And I
am from him.” and “For whomever I am the
mawlâ, Alî, too, must be his mawlâ.” A person with wisdom and reason
will not confuse a praisal emanating from kinship with a praisal based on
religious priority and suitability for caliphate. The remark, “I am from him. And he is from me,” indicates an
affinity based on kinship and is intended to observe the right of kinship. It
does not indicate fadl-i-kullî, that is,
superiority in every respect. For, statements of that sort was made not only
about Hadrat Alî and
Hadrat
Fâtima, but also about Hadrat Abbâs. In fact, similar utterances were made
concerning Durra, Abû Lahab’s daughter. Durra is reported to have related the
following event in Imâm Ahmad bin Hanbal’s book: “I was in Âisha’s room, when Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ came in and
said, “I shall make ablution. Bring me some water!”
Âisha and I brought a large bowl and a water ewer. He made an ablution and turned
to me, saying, ‘You are from me, and I am from you!’
” It is quite an obvious fact that this utterance was intended as a requirement
for kinship, rather than an indication of priority.
Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam’ frequently uttered the words, “I love ...,” concerning various people. These words have different meanings,
depending on the situations and times they were said as well as on the people
they concerned. As a matter of fact, there are various kinds of love. One loves
one’s spouse, one’s children, one’s friends and one’s master with different
types of affection. A person may love someone with a certain type and a certain
degree of affection, and at the same time he may love another person more,
although with another kind of affection. By the same token, Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’
said, “I love Âisha very much,” at a
certain place, and, “I love Usâma very much,” at another place, and, “I love Abû Bakr
very much,” at a third place, and, “I love Alî very much,” at a fourth
place. That different types of love are involved is a bare fact.
A person’s being superior to another means his having more
of the same attribute than does the latter. The superiority may be in the
entirety of the attribute as well as in its parts only. One of the two people
may be superior in one of the parts and the other in another part. For
instance, one part of courage may exist in a wrestler’s [or sportsman’s]
nature, while another part may be possessed by a president. The president’s
courage is certainly more valuable than that of the wrestler. The attribute
knowledge has various branches. To understand a question well, and not to
confuse it with other matters, is one of the parts. Likewise, zuhd is composed
of two categories: The zuhd of the Awliyâ is to avoid (Islam’s prohibitions
termed) harâm, whereas the zuhd of prophets is not to think of anything other
than promulgating Islam.
Promulgating Islam requires propagating the Qur’ân
al-kerîm
and
the hadîth-i-sherîfs. To this end, our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’
commended some of the Ashâb-i-kirâm on their profound knowledge, -they had
committed the entire Qur’ân al-kerîm to their
heart-, and encouraged others to learn from them. The prophetic commendation
was tantamount to a diploma for them. It also equipped them with verbal
credentials to stimulate some people who were otherwise quite unlikely to
identify them. This superiority is the common property of all the
Ashâb-i-kirâm.
It is a fact stated in (an âyat-i-kerîma of) the Qur’ân al-kerîm that those who sacrificed their property and made jihâd in the
way of Allah before the conquest of Mekka were superior (to those who did so
afterwards). According to the Ashâb-i-kirâm, the revelation of that âyat-i-kerîma was intended for Abû Bakr as-Siddîq.
For he was the first Muslim to sacrifice his property and make jihâd. Doing
this duty throughout his life, he was superior to those who began doing so
later, as well as to those who did not live long enough to do so due to an early
martyrdom, although they were early enough in the performance of the two sacred
duties.
It was stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “After me pay homage to Abû Bakr and ’Umar!” A
person to be paid homage to has to be a scholar. When Hadrat ’Umar was asked a
question, he would convene the Sahâba, and they would reach a consensus. Not so
was the case in the time of Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’. Extremely
keen-sighted and profoundly learned, Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ would
immediately provide an answer. However, so eloquent, succinct and epigrammatic
was his style as he talked that his statements were mostly susceptible to
misundertandings on the average intellectual level. In fact, some people were
misled to the conclusion that he had had to do with the martyrdom of Hadrat
’Uthmân. His delicate elucidations in the science of fiqh, which were meant to
state some important facts, such as the canonical illicitness (harâm) of the
(temporary marriage termed) mut’a nikâh, the obligation (farz) to wash the feet
in ablution, and many other similar matters, led many people to a complete
misapprehension, causing differences among scholars. By contrast, the answers
which Hadrat ’Umar had provided by having recourse to the consensus of the
Sahâba were quite clear and understandable. For instance, the statement which
purports,
“The process of drawing lots is a method
employed to choose one of the several people who are equal in all the criteria
(used in a certain assessment), rather than an (inanimate) arbitration whereby
to determine the rightful party,” belongs to Hadrat ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ
’anh’.
Imâm Alî’s statements were studied by the groups Ahl as-Sunnat, Imâmiyya and Zaydiyya, each group deriving different
meanings. The groups Zaydiyya and Imâmiyya denied (the spiritual grades of)
Wilâyat. During the caliphates of the Shaikhayn ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhumâ’
there were no differences among the Muslims. Altogether, they made jihâd
against the disbelievers. When contentions began in the time of Alî
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh, the Muslims began to decimate one another instead of
fighting against the disbelievers. Not only was Hadrat Alî unable to suppress
the fitna. He also failed to keep the caliphate in his possession.
Question: The number of
the Sahâba was greater during the caliphates of the first two Khalîfas. So they
helped the Khalîfas. Not only was there a considerable decrease in the number
of the Sahâba by the time Hadrat Alî ascended to the caliphate, the ignorant
and aberrant new conversions in various countries made such utter disturbances
as the first two Khalîfas could not have put down. Would it be fair, then to
say that they were superior in this respect as well?
Answer: The fayz and blessings created and
radiated by Allâhu ta’âlâ reach each and every
individual without any discrimination. It is the divine method of Allâhu ta’âlâ to send His fayz and blessings through
a cause, i.e. a person. The cause has to be eligible to carry the blessing
concerned. Hence, a person who causes goodness is a good one, whereas one who
causes perdition and torment is not a good one, and the good are graded in
accordance with the degree of goodness they are gifted with. It would be
incorrect to base the argument on the ungrounded hypothesis that there were not
ignorant and aberrant people in the times of the first two Khalîfas. As soon as
Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’
passed away, most of the Arabian people abandoned Islam. They martyred the
Sahâbîs sent to them on missions. The stringent and painstaking measures taken
by the two Khalîfas prevented a catastrophic disaster. A wise person simply
does not attempt to explain away those events by calling them mere
chance
events. An attempt to deny the services accomplished by invoking the maxim
“destiny is invincible” would mean to deny the (Muslim’s duty called)
Amr-i-ma’rûf and Nahy-i-munkâr.[1] Also,
it would pave the way to denying Hadrat Alî’s superiority.
Question: Hadrat Alî’s
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ making war against the Muslims was intended for the
defence of right and for the annihilation of wrong. Then, should we not
consider those practices of his as acts of jihâd?
Answer: That Hadrat Alî
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ endeavoured for right and goodness is a well-known
fact. No blame can be ascribed to him as regards that. However, it would not be
correct to say that he made the wars by the order of the Messenger of Allah.
For, if it had been foreordained for him to quell the fitnas, Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ would
have commanded him to do so, and thereby he would have been the cause of an
auspicious event.
As is known, he (Rasûlullah) had foretold the conquests of Damascus and Iraq. Consequently,
the (first) two Khalîfas’ efforts for the fulfillment of that purpose bore
fruit. The fesâds (in Hadrat Alî’s time), on the other hand, could not be
eliminated. The measures which Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ took in order to
quash the fitna only stirred the flames. The events indicate that Allâhu ta’âlâ had not promised His blessed
Messenger that He would give (Hadrat Alî) success (in the elimination of
fitna). Not so was the case with Hadrat Alî’s war against the Khârijites. Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ had
mentioned that war, adding the Glad Tidings that Hadrat Alî would score a
victory.
In the times of the Shaikhayn ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ
’anhumâ’ the Muslims were in unison with one another in adapting themselves to
the teachings of fiqh and in understanding the ma’rifats (pieces of heavenly
information) called ihsân and tarîqat. The Khalîfa (Hadrat Abû Bakr or Hadrat
’Umar) would chastise any offenders, although they were his colleagues who had
kept company with him in the sohbats of Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’. When Sa’d bin Abî Waqqâs
---------------------------------
[1] To teach the commandments and prohibitions
of Allâhu ta’âlâ, encouraging to do the commandments and
dissuading from committing the prohibitions.
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ replaced the door of his house with one
fitted in Persian style, Hadrat ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ had it broken.
He dismissed such a celebrated commander as Khâlid bin Walid, and rebuked ’Amr
ibn ’Âs, the governor of Egypt. As for the situations in the time of Hadrat
Alî; suffice it to say that there were differences even in the business of
acknowledging the Khalîfa. A considerable number of the Muslims were opposed to
his ideas concerning the retaliation against the murderers of Hadrat ’Uthmân
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ and his concession to Hadrat Mu’âwiya’s
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ proposal to go to arbitration. People who attended
the sohbat of the Shaikhayn ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhumâ’ would adapt themselves
to Islam and purify their hearts even though they were not Sahâbîs. Those who
accompanied Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’, on the other hand, were
mostly soldiers. Their hearts were unclean. Some of them were hostile towards
him. In fact, the Khalîfa (Hadrat Alî) would complain about those people on the
minbar (pulpit in a mosque). People who persecuted Hadrat Hasan ‘radiy-Allâhu
ta’âlâ ’anh’ and those who martyred Hadrat Husayn ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’
were all from among the people of Kûfa. The Khalîfa (Hadrat Alî) did have
admirers as well, yet those people were inordinate in their endearments, so
that they were another group who incurred Hadrat Alî’s ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ
’anh’ complaints.
Question: Hadrat Alî was
well-endowed in spirituality. He was like an angel. So, he failed to get along
with people. The Shaikhayn, in contrast, were humanly like anyone else. It was
easy for them to get along with their human species. Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa
sallam’ was denied even by his own relations. The blame fell not on the
Messenger of Allah, but on the deniers?
Answer: According to the scholars Ahl as-Sunnat
‘rahimahumullâhu ta’âlâ’, it is not permissible to assign any blame to Hadrat
Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’. In this book, we shall discuss the matter within the
Sunnî parameters, resting our argument on a gradation of superiorities, rather
than on an assessment of blames. Allâhu ta’âlâ commanded
His Habîb (Darling, Beloved) ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ to handle the
hypocrites with simulation, not to tell uneducated people subtle matters, and
to treat everybody in a manner suitable with their personal traits. Thus it was
easy for him to train them and to
give
them fayz. It was to that end that Allâhu ta’âlâ sent
His prophets ‘alaihim-us-salâm’ as human beings, and not as angels. Certainly,
therefore, this human attribute is a favorable point in the comparison of
Khalîfas. It adds to its possessor’s success in spreading Islam and training
and educating people. Any attitudes obstructive to the performance of these
duties, regardless of their beneficial aspects, including vehemence, wara’,
belles lettres, isolation from people, will detract from the value of a
Khalîfa. The thawâbs (blessings and rewards) earned by benefactors and
charitable people will also be given to their masters (teachers) and to those
who caused their charity. This is another viewpoint from which the Shaikhayn
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhumâ’ must have been superior to Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu
ta’âlâ ’anh’.
Before the Hijrat, the unbelievers perpetrated
inconceivable persecutions and savageries against Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa
sallam’. Hadrat Abû Bakr and Hadrat ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhumâ’
resisted against them. Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ was a child then.
After the Hijrat Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ was superior in fighting
the enemy, whereas the Shaikhayn ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhumâ’ held the
ascendancy in their consultation with Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’. After the decease of Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa
sallam’, so far-flung and rapid was the spreading of Islam and so great was the
number of the countries conquered during the caliphates of the Shaikhayn that
no other place has witnessed a success comparable to theirs ever since.
Conversely, no place was conquered in the time of Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu
ta’âlâ ’anh’. In fact, jihâd came to a complete standstill.
Most of the narrators who reported hadîths on the
authority of Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ were soldiers recruited from
here and there. They are anonymous. Their narrations, therefore, are not
authentic. Very few of the scholars of Medîna and Damascus reported hadîths on
the authority of Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’.
Islam’s third basic science after the Qur’ân
al-kerîm and the Hadîth is Fiqh.
The teachings of fiqh are mainly what Hadrat ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’
established by way of consensus. Most Muslims are in one of the three Madhhabs,
namely Hanafî, Mâlikî and Shâfi’î. The source of the Mâlikî
Madhhab
is the book entitled Muwattâ, which
contains very few matters conveyed from Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’.
So is the case with Imâm Abû Hanîfa’s ‘rahimahullâhu ta’âlâ’ book, Musnad, which is the basis for the Hanafî
Madhhab, as well as the books written by (his disciple) Imâm Muhammad
‘rahimahullâhu ta’âlâ’. Another book in the same category is Imâm Shâfi’î’s Musnad, which contains even fewer. Next after the
teachings of fiqh are the teachings of Siyer. In that branch also, Hadrat Alî
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ is no different from other Sahâbîs. As for the
teachings of Tasawwuf; in this branch, which consists of a process termed Sulûk and purification of the heart, the words
belonging to Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ are not more numerous than
those of other Sahâbîs such as Abdullah ibn Mes’ûd and Abdullah bin ’Umar
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhumâ’.
Question: Hadrat Alî
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ knew the Qur’ân al-kerîm and the hadîth-i-sherîfs better than any other person. Would it be fair to blame that
exalted Imâm for the negligence of those weak people who failed to convey what
they heard from him properly to the leaders of the Madhhabs?
Answer: Certainly, their failure
could not undermine the high position of Hadrat Imâm. Nor would it by any means
deprive him from his right to caliphate. Yet a Khalîfa has to be dominant and
overpowering. If Allâhu ta’âlâ has chosen a Khalîfa from among several rightful candidates each
of whom fulfills the conditions required for the office, he definitely must
have an additional superiority. This innate superiority is emphasized with the
superiority of the services he will be doing. In other words, superiority in
services will regenerate the innate superiority. Allâhu
ta’âlâ gives this special superiority to a person who has the
innate superiority and who exerts himself to the bargain.
The Shaikhayn’s ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhumâ’ superiority
with respect to purity of heart, i.e. in matters of Tasawwuf, can be described
in two different ways: The zuhd[1] of Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ was like the zuhd of
Awliyâ ‘rahimahumullâhu ta’âlâ’, whereas the zuhd of the Shaikhayn
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhumâ’ was like the zuhd of our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa
sallam’. The same difference
---------------------------------
[1] Not to set one’s heart on worldly matters,
even if they are mubâh (permitted by Islam).
applied to their wara’.[1] It is unanimously stated in various books of history that the
zuhd of Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ ran counter to the order of his
caliphate, whereas the zuhd held by the Shaikhayn ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhumâ’
catered to the order of their caliphate. Our second definiton is as follows:
Zuhd means not to do the desires of one’s nafs, even if they are things
permitted by Islam. Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ caused considerable
bloodshed in his efforts to become Khalîfa. What he did was his right, and it
was something permitted by Islam. By contrast, the Shaikhayn ‘radiy-Allâhu
ta’âlâ ’anhumâ’ expressed their willingness to waive their rights to caliphate,
which was a self-abnegation that their zuhd required. The Shaikhayn
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhumâ’ always humbled themselves before deeply learned
people as well as before those who had a right to caliphate. If ‘zuhd’ should
be construed as ‘doing with a bare existence,’ Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ
’anh’ cannot be said to have been ahead of the Shaikhayn ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ
’anhumâ’ in this respect. Muhammad bin Kâ’b-i-Qurâzî is quoted as having
reported as follows in Imâm Ahmad’s ‘rahimahullâhu ta’âlâ’ book: Hadrat Alî
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ said, “In the time of Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’ there were times when I
tied a stone on my stomach in order to endure hunger. And now the zakât of my
property amounts to four thousand gold coins.”
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ was both kâmil[2] and mukammil.[3] Our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ stated: “No one dies before having consumed (all) his (or her) rizq. Yet, look for good places to earn your rizq!”[4]
---------------------------------
[1] Abstention from mushtabihât (doubtful
things).
[2] (He) who has attained perfection in Islam
and in spirituality.
[3] (He) who can guide others to perfection.
[4] Rizq means food preordained for a certain person.