So far, we have explained the superiority of the
Shaikhayn, resting our argument on narrative and mental proofs.
Henceforth we shall try to eliminate the opinionated prejudices.
We shall not do so by confuting the groups of Imâmiyya and Zaydiyya. They can
be confuted with special methods, which do not even require the support of âyat-i-kerîmas and hadîth-i-sherîfs. There are three groups of opinions in this matter, correct and
incorrect ones alike. Nasîr-i-Tûsî is responsible for the misconceptions.
Nasîr-ud-dîn Tûsî alleges in his book Tajrîd that Hadrat
Alî was superior to the Shaikhayn. He writes about Hadrat Alî’s heroic
accomplishments during the Holy Wars and the sufferings he endured in his
endeavours to serve the Messenger of Allah. He says that his dazzling
achievements in the Holy Wars of Badr, Uhud, Ahzâb [Trench], Haybar and Hunayn
outshone those of all the other Sahâbîs. He says, “From him do all teachings
come to scholars. This is a fact which he also stated. The phrase “Wa enfusenâ” in the âyat of Mubâhala is an indication of his great
honour. He was extremely generous. After the Messenger of Allah, he was the
most devoted zâhid of all people. Also, he was the most pious worshipper. He
was the most profoundly learned and the most honourable. He was the earliest
Believer. He was the most eloquent in his speech. He had the most correct ra’y
(ijtihâd) and kashf (finding facts by way of inspiration). He made the most
ardent endeavours for the enactment and practising of Allâhu ta’âlâ’s
commandments. He was the most accurate memorizer of the Qur’ân al-kerîm. He would state unknown
facts, and his invocations would be accepted (by Allâhu ta’âlâ). Myriads of
karâmats (miracles) were witnessed on him. He was Rasûlullah’s ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa
sallam’ immediate relative and next-worldly brother. It was made wâjib
(incumbent) upon each and every Muslim to love him and to help him. It was
declared that he was comparable to prophets. The event of ‘fowl’ indicates that
his honour was very high. His closeness (to the Messenger of Allah) was
identical with Hârûn’s (Aaron’s) closeness to Mûsâ (Moses). That he would
become Khalîfa was declared in a hadîth-i-sherîf which was uttered at a place called Ghadîr. He did not live a
moment as an unbeliever. He rendered many services to Islam. He was perfect
both spiritually and physically.”
Answer: Fadl-i-juz’î, i.e. superiority in some
considerations, can not be generalized into Fadl-i-kullî,
which means
superiority
in all respects. Aspects whereby a person may be comparable to prophets vary.
They should not be mistaken for one another. Superiority in presidency, i.e.
that which makes one succeed the Prophet as his
Khalîfa, ought to be differentiated from other sorts of superiority.
Allâhu ta’âlâ declares in the third âyat of Mâida sûra:
“...
This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My
favour upon you, ...” (5-3)
Therefore, the Prophet is the only criterion (whereby to assess someone) in religious
matters as well as in statesmanship. Allâhu ta’âlâ bestowed most of His blessings upon His beloved Prophet as he was alive and promised him
that He would complete them later, creating the remaining few blessings,
afterwards, by the hands of some Sahâbîs. Those Sahâbîs were distinguished with
the honour of similarity to Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’ owing to their work
supplementary to the Prophet’s duty.
The Sahâba differ in their similarity to Rasûlullah in this respect. The Shaikhayn were the most similar ones. For a
better elucidation of this matter, the arguments in the book Tajrîd will be written one by one, (in
numbered questions,) and each one of them will be given a separate answer:
Question 1: Hadrat Alî
performed many acts of jihâd for the sake of Islam. Did anyone equal him in
heroism?
Answer 1: Hadrat Alî’s
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ heroisms in Holy Wars were owing to Rasûlullah’s support. Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ gave
the same support to the Shaikhayn as well. His support to Hadrat Alî during the
time intervening between the Hijrat and his demise was more (than his support
to the others). And his support before the Hijrat and after his decease tended
towards the Shaikhayn. As for their similarity in the duties of prophethood;
the Shaikhayn defy comparison in that.
Question 2: The Sahâba
would mostly learn matters by asking Hadrat Alî. Would this not be symptomatic
of his superiority?
Answer 2: Hadrat ’Umar also had been
blessed with the Glad Tidings commending his profound knowledge. According to a
narration reported in Tirmuzî, Hadrat Alî burned some people for having
abandoned Islam. When Abdullah ibn Abbâs
heard
about that, he made the following remarks: I would have killed them (in another
way) rather than by burning. For, Rasûlullah
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ commanded: “Kill
anyone who abandons Islam!” At another time he commanded: “Do not inflict the same torment as Allâhu ta’âlâ will inflict (in
Hell)!” When Hadrat Alî was reported about those remarks, he acknowledged that
Abdullah ibn Abbâs was right. Muslim and
other books contain such reports indicating that Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu
ta’âlâ ’anh’ was not impeccable and that he did make mistakes.
Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’
commended not only Hadrat Alî but also most of the Ashâb-i-kirâm. He said about
the Shaikhayn: “After me, pay homage to Abû Bakr and
’Umar!” Another widely known hadîth-i-sherîf about them is: “Abû Bakr and ’Umar
are the highest men of Paradise.” The hadîth-i-sherîf, “Shaytân will run away from the way as ’Umar passes by,” as well as the blessed Prophet’s interpreting his dream of a shirt and his dream of milk as
knowledge are Glad Tidings concerning Hadrat ’Umar. ’Ubayy bin Kâ’b was praised
in the hadîth-i-sherîf, “Among you the best reader (or reciter) of the Qur’ân al-kerîm is ’Ubayy bin Ka’b.” The following
are some of the hadîth-i-sherîfs commending the special attributes possessed by various Sahâbîs:
“I am pleased with any person with whom ibn Umm-i-’Abd is
pleased.” “Among you,
Mu’âz is the most aware of halâl and harâm!” “There is a trustworthy person among every ummat. The (most)
trustworthy person of this Ummat (Muslims) is Abû ’Ubayda.” “Every prophet has a Hawârî (Apostle). My Hawârî is Zubayr.” “Learn one-fourth of knowledge from Âisha!” The highest ones of the commendations quoted above are the ones
commending (the Shaikhayn) as the ones to be paid homage to and as the highest
men of Paradise. It would take only some fair reasoning to acknowledge this
fact. Indeed, Hadrat Alî’s remark, “I am better as your counsellor [vizier]
than I am as your amîr (president),” was intended to express this fact.
The teachings coming to scholars are not only from him but also from
the Shaikhayn. The Islamic scholars are the scholars in the Islamic sciences
such as Qirâat, Fiqh, Hadîth, Tafsîr, Usûl, Tasawwuf, Kalâm, and Lisân. Seven
scholars in the Science of Qirâat are very well-known. The teachings acquired
and
possessed by all those scholars stem from the copy of the Qur’ân al-kerîm written by a committee under Hadrat
’Uthmân. And the Qur’ân al-kerîm, in turn, was
compiled by the Shaikhayn ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhumâ’. The compiled copies
were carried to all the Muslim lands by the scholars sent by Hadrat ’Umar. Only
two of the narrations came from Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’. Of the
scholars of Fiqh, the leaders of the three Madhhabs, Hanafî, Shâfi’î and
Mâlikî, owe their knowledge to the teachings of ijmâ’ (consensus of the Sahâba)
under Hadrat ’Umar’s authority. Their basic books contain very few narrations
coming from Hadrat Alî. As for the scholars of Hadîth; most of the hadîth-i-sherîfs they quoted traced back to the
following Sahâbîs as their original source of narration: Abû Hurayra and
Abdullah ibn ’Umar and Âisha and Abdullah ibn Mes’ûd and Abdullah bin Abbâs and
Enes bin Mâlik and Abû Sa’îd-i-Hudrî and Jâbir bin Abdullah ‘radiy-Allâhu
ta’âlâ ’anhum’. And most of those blessed people reported their narrations on
the authority of the Shaikhayn. The scholars of Medîna and Damascus and Yemen
and Egypt reported few narrations on the authority of Hadrat Alî. The only
school of scholars who reported an appreciable number of narrations on the
authority of Hadrat Alî was that of the scholars of Kûfa; but then again those
people are rather too arcane for eligibility as sources of religious teachings.
The science of Usûl was founded by Imâm Shâfi’î
‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’aleyh’. The basic teachings of that science coming by way
of the Book (Qur’ân al-kerîm), the Sunnat (hadîth-i-sherîfs), the Ijmâ’ (concensus of the Sahâba) and the Qiyâs (ijtihâd of
the scholars who have attained the grade ijtihâd) traced back to the Shaikhayn
(as their original narrators). Afterwards, the leader of each Madhhab
established usûls (methods) to be employed within his Madhhab. Those usûls, by
contrast, have nothing to do with the words of the Sahâba.
The basis for the knowledge of the scholars of Kalâm is
(the Sunnî credo, which consists of the credal tenets held and preached by the
scholars called) the Ahl as-Sunnat wa-l-jamâ’at. Their teachings also come from
the Shaikhayn ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhumâ’. The later supplementary accretions
have nothing to do with the words of the Sahâba.
’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ was the founder of the
As for the science of Tasawwuf; the heart’s purification
by way of sohbat (togetherness, company) is a (natural but systematic) process
established by the Shaikhayn. Furthermore, the report stating that
“Hasan-i-Basrî received fayz from Hadrat Alî and put on the blessed cloak” is
negated by some (scholars).
It was permissible for Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ
’anh’ to tell about his superiorities. A great person has the freedom to state
his own superior merits so that others will receive fayz from him. Hadrat Alî
said in one of his khutbas: “Ask me whatsoever you would like to know on the Qur’ân al-kerîm. Wallahî (I swear in the
name of Allah), that I know whether an âyat was revealed at night or in the
daytime, up hill or down dale.” The Shaikhayn ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’,
however, had a superb disposition to modesty. The following well-known episode
is a typical example: One day Abû Bakr as-Siddîq ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ saw a bird
on a branch and said, “So lucky for you, O you, bird! You perch on branches at
will. You eat the fruits you like. You will not be called to account on the
Judgement Day, nor will you be liable to torment. I wish I were a bird like
you.” And Hadrat ’Umar’s words expressing his wish to have been created as a
handful of soil are quoted in books. The Awliyâ who enjoy closeness to Allâhu ta’âlâ display varying states and
manners. For instance, Îsâ (Jesus) ‘alaihis-salâm’ was mostly in a jovial mood,
whereas Yahyâ (John) ‘alaihis-salâm’ displayed a fearful and pensive
appearance. When some people said to Hadrat Abû Bakr ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ
’anh’, “O you, the Khalîfa of Allah,” he replied, “I am the Khalîfa of the
Messenger of Allah, and I am happy with it.”
Question 3: Isn’t the âyat-i-kerîma, “Wa enfusenâ,” an indication of the superiority of Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu
ta’âlâ ’anh’?
Answer 3: According to
the reports in the books of tafsîr, the âyat-i-kerîma is called the âyat of mubâhala. Mubâhala[1] was traditional in Arabia, and both parties would have their
children and their relations with them, as it was customary to do so.
Therefore, Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam’ followed the
---------------------------------
[1] A bilateral cursing wherein two parties
wish evil to the wrongful or mendacious one between them.
custom and convened his children and relations. That âyat-i-kerîma is an indication of the honour which
Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ had owing to his relationship (to the
Messenger of Allah). We all believe in the greatness of that honour. Yet that
honour does not indicate Fadl-i-kullî, i.e. superiority in all respects. Likewise, hadîths like, “You are from me, and I am from you,” are indicative of the honour of kinship. As a matter of fact,
hadîths of that sort were said to Hadrat Abbâs and to Durra, who was Abû
Lahab’s daughter. Such statements indicate superiority in one respect, which is
termed Fadl-i-juz’î, rather than
that which is in every respect. They are like the statement, “I have seen a
lion in the public bath,” which means, “I have seen someone as powerful as a
lion.” A person who says so has not seen someone who has a mane and paws like
those of a lion.
Question 4: Hadrat Alî
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ was very generous. An âyat-i-kerîma praises him for that superiority.
Answer 4: That Hadrat Alî
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ was utterly generous is an absolute fact. And he had many
another superior merit as well. We all believe that Hadrat Alî did have all
those merits and he was superior to most of the Ashâb-i-kirâm. What we have
been trying to explain, however, is that the Shaikhayn were superior to him.
There are two kinds of generosity. One of them is liberality in dispensing
one’s own property to needy people. The second one is the even-handedness of
the people in charge of the Islamic State’s treasury called Bayt-ul-mâl in giving the allowances (of
the people specified by Islam’s social code). In both the kinds of generosity
were the Shaikhayn superior par excellence. The profusion of the property which
Hadrat Abû Bakr dispensed for the sake of the Messenger of Allah both before
and after the Hijrat is a common report of all books of Siyer. When he
dispensed ten thousand gold coins for the sake of Allah one night, ten more
thousand the following day, ten more thousand in private, and ten more thousand
in public, the thirty-sixth âyat of Nisâ was revealed and he was commended and
praised by Allâhu ta’âlâ. Our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ stated, “Of all my Sahâba, Abû Bakr has been the most helpful to me both
with respect to sohbat and in property.”
He gave all his property for the Holy War of Tabuk. Hadrat ’Umar
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ also dispensed a great amount
of
property in the way of Allah. He gave half of his property for the Holy War of
Tabuk. There is not a single narration reporting that Hadrat Alî dispensed an
equal amount of property. He was in Rasûlullah’s
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ care. Nor did he have any property after the
Hijrat. The Shaikh-ayn would dispense the entire treasury income to the people
during their caliphates, assigning for themselves a stipend that would suffice
them only to make a living. The amount which Hadrat Alî dispensed to the people
during his caliphate was not even one-thousandth the amount they had dispensed.
A widely-known dramatic episode is told about ’Uqayl, (one of Hadrat Alî’s
brothers,) who blamed Hadrat Alî for the pecuniary difficulties he was
undergoing and abandoned his brother, joining Mu’âwiya’s ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ
’anh’ army.
Question 5: Hadrat Alî was
the most zâhid person after Rasûlullah.
Answer 5: True. That
Hadrat Alî had very much zuhd[1] is a bare fact. He was more zâhid than most of the Ashâb-i-kirâm.
‘Zuhd’ means ‘not to be enamoured of worldly things’. Its highest degree is not
to wish for caliphate. That the Shaikhayn were willing to relinquish their
caliphate is a truth reported unanimously by the Ashâb-i-kirâm. Hadrat Alî, in
contrast, did struggle for caliphate. Those who invoke the altruistic motive
that his struggle (for becoming Khalîfa) was intended to serve Islam and
Muslims should not blame the Shaikhayn for having assumed office (as Khalîfa).
The difference is that the Shaikhayn did not try to become Khalîfa, whereas
Hadrat Alî did his utmost to assume office. Sa’d ibn Abî Waqqâs reports that
Hadrat ’Umar’s zuhd was immaculate. There are innumerable narrations reporting
the zuhd and contentment of the Shaikhayn. The Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu
’alaihi wa sallam’ was the highest paragon of zuhd. The Shaikhayn were his
perfect likenesses during their caliphates. They did everything to establish
and to promulgate the commandments of Allâhu ta’âlâ. This fact was also stated
by Hadrat Alî, who said, “Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’ was ahead of us all. Abû
Bakr followed his example perfectly. With ’Umar they made a trio of perfection.
Thereafter began the
---------------------------------
[1] Zâhid is the adjectival form of the noun
‘zuhd’. Accordingly, a zâhid person is one who has much zuhd.
degenerations and malpractices foreordained by Allâhu ta’âlâ.”
It is an established fact that Hadrat Alî was ahead of
most of the Sahâba owing to his profound dedication in worship. However, he
cannot be said to have been ahead of the Shaikhayn, too ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ
’anhum’.
Question 6: Hadrat Alî
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ had îmân, (became a Believer,) before anyone else
did. Can there be another honour higher than that?
Answer 6: According to
some scholars, Hadrat Alî was the earliest Believer. There are other scholars,
however, who argue that Hadrat Abû Bakr was the earliest conversion to Islam.
On the other hand, the majority of scholars are unanimous in that Hadrat
Khadîja preceded them both in embracing Islam. If precedence in time of
embracing Islam were the mere valid criterion of superiority, Hadrat Khadîja
and Zayd would necessarily have been the highest Sahâbîs. Precedence in time of
embracing Islam may be considered as a superiority only in that it causes
others also to embrace Islam. And that assumption has cogency only if the
person concerned is an adult, or at least has reached the age of puberty.
Hadrat Alî was a child when he became a Believer. He kept his belief as a
secret, even from his own father. The superiority of embracing IsÊlam and
thereby causing others to embrace Islam belonged singularly to Abû Bakr
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’.
Question 7: Hadrat Alî
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ was the most eloquent of all the Sahâba.
Answer 7: It is axiomatic that Hadrat
Alî was superior to most of the Sahâba in eloquence, rhetoric and oratory. Yet
he cannot be said to have been superior to the Shaikhayn as well. In fact,
(speeches called) khutbas which some notable Sahâbîs quote from the Shaikhayn
are nonpareil masterpieces of rhetoric. Hadrat Abû Bakr’s perfectly eloquent
eulogies are written in the history of Ibn Is-haq. However, eloquence has
nothing to do with caliphate. It is true that eloquence is necessary in the
communication and propagation of Islam. The Shaikhayn ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhumâ’
communicated all the Islamic facts eloquently, eliminating all the grounds for
difference. On the other hand, none of the differences that appeared in the
time of Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ was provided with a solution. That a
statement made by Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu
ta’âlâ
’anh’ caused a Sahâbî to reconsider his own ijtihâd could at the most be a
speculative event which was never witnessed to happen.
Question 8: Didn’t Hadrat
Alî have the most correct ra’y (ijtihâd) and kashf (inspiration)?
Answer 8: Hadrat Alî’s
strict accuracy in ijtihâd was incontestable, and it was crowned by his
breathtaking speed in inferring decisions from âyats and hadîths and answering
people’s questions. As a matter of fact, Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ stressed this fact, stating, “Alî is ahead of you all in reaching conclusions.” One day Hadrat ’Umar was commending the Ashâb-i-kirâm for their
superior merits, and he observed, “Alî is superior to us all in reaching
conclusions.” However, it would be unfair to present that superiority as a
prerogative to give him the lead to caliphate before the Shaikhayn. As a matter
of fact, when Hadrat Abû Bakr assumed office as Khalîfa, all the decisions he
made and the measures he took to dissuade the Arabs from apostasy proved to be
appropriate. And, on the other hand, all the strategies Hadrat ’Umar planned
and ordered in his jihâd against Iran and Byzantium led the Arabs to victory.
By contrast, all the initiatives Hadrat Alî exercised during his caliphate
proved to be deleterious. When he consulted with other people, he would mostly
dislike their suggestions. Abdullah ibn Abbâs states this fact clearly. The
words which Hadrat Hasan said to his father Hadrat Alî after the martyrdom of
Hadrat ’Uthmân are written in books. Correctness of a ra’y or ijtihâd is
evaluated in accordance to the benefits it yields. Only the Shaikhayn’s ra’y
and ijtihâd proved to be correct in this sense.
Question 9: Didn’t Hadrat
Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ struggle more than anyone else for the execution
of Allâhu ta’âlâ’s commandments?
Answer 9: It is doubtless that the
Shaikhayn as well as Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhum ajma’în’ struggled
to the best of their abilities for the realization of Allâhu ta’âlâ’s commandments
and for the promulgation of Islam. However, clarification of matters which are
not explained clearly in âyats and hadîths is not susceptible of haste; a
consensus reached after a process of consultations brings healthier results,
whereas haste causes errors. Especially in matters of chastisement (which are
called) hadd (in Islam’s penal code),
not
to follow this rule gives birth to fitna. The Shaikhayn observed this sunnat of
the Messenger of Allah in all their decrees. This fact is stated in perfect
clarity by ’Umar bin ’Abd-ul ’azîz. Hadrat Alî did not do so. In fact, during a
conversation he had with Mughîra bin Shu’ba one night, he said, “When there is
fear of difference and fitna, I will immediately inflict (the chastisement
termed) rajm on a fornicator.” Thereupon the latter ran away and joined Hadrat
Mu’âwiya. Hadrat Alî’s haste can be said to have been one of the marginal
causes of the turmoil that blighted Hadrat Alî’s era as Khalîfa. Whereas Hadrat
Alî’s nature was prone to haste and excitement, the Shaikhayn enjoyed calmer
dispositions such as sobriety, composure and far-sightedness. Abdullah ibn
Abbâs explained this difference as follows: “Hadrat ’Umar would foresee the
future events and act slowly. Hadrat Alî would take action immediately,
confident of success. However, failure was a more recurrent result.”
Question 10: Wasn’t Hadrat
Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ the best memorizer of the Qur’ân al-kerîm?
Answer 10: The honour of
having memorized the Qur’ân al-kerîm is not peculiar to Hadrat Alî alone. The Shaikhayn and (Hadrat
’Uthmân) Zin-nûrayn and Abdullah ibn Mes’ûd and ’Ubayy bin Kâ’b ‘radiy-Allâhu
ta’âlâ ’anhum ajma’în’ also had memorized the entire Qur’ân al-kerîm. The Shaikhayn would conduct
the Friday prayers and the five daily prayers during their caliphate. They
would recite long sûras such as Baqara and Yûsuf as they conducted morning
prayers. Hadrat Alî and the other people who had memorized the entire Qur’ân al-kerîm, (i.e. the hâfizes,) were
among the jamâ’at. Those people were never heard to mention any mistakes in the
recitations. Those prayers incidentally served as aural exercises whereby the
memorizers were drilled in their memorizations.
Question
11: Hadrat Alî
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ would inform about the unknown, and whatever he
prayed for would be accepted (by Allâhu ta’âlâ).
Answer 11: The Shaikhayn as well as
Hadrat Alî frequently informed about the unknown, and their prayers also were
mostly accepted. These kerâmats of the Shaikhayn reached us through sahîh
(true, authentic) narrations. That there were liars among the narrators of
Hadrat Alî’s kerâmats (miracles) was acknowledged by Hadrat Alî himself as
well. In fact, he
dismissed
a number of them from his presence. Nor was it a rare event that those liars
informed against one another. According to a report in Bukhârî, when the
Shaikhayn invoked a blessing on a certain amount of food prepared to be eaten,
it would not decrease when people ate from it. According to another report,
again, in Bukhârî, when Hadrat ’Umar said, “I think...,” to express his opinion
about matters open to conjecture, things turned out exactly as he had thought.
According to a widely-known episode, Hadrat ’Umar was delivering a (speech
called) khutba in Medîna, when all of a sudden he, (in a miraculous way,) saw
his own army fighting under Sâriyya’s command in Irân, and called to Sâriyya,
“Turn your attention towards the mountain!” It is written in Imâm Ahmad’s book Musnad that Hadrat ’Umar foretold his death
several days before his martyrdom. The dreams which Hadrat Abû Bakr had before
his embracing Islam as well as those which he had shortly before his death are
related in authentic books. Another widespread report relates how the Nile
converted its current in obedience to a letter written by Hadrat ’Umar. Many
another similar kerâmat is reported. However, their high values as the Sahâba
outweighed their grades as Awliyâ. That sparsity of kerâmât is essential in the
rank of caliphate is explained within the narration of Suleymân’s (Solomon’s)
‘alaihis-salâm’ mu’jizât in the book Fusus.
Question 12: Hadrat Alî was Rasûlullah’s immediate relative and his
next-worldly brother. Can there be an honour higher than that?
Answer 12: True. Hadrat Alî was Rasûlullah’s very near kin. No one denies that. The
Shaikhayn also were from the Qoureish tribe, and their daughters enjoyed the
honour of being Rasûlullah’s wives. Yet those
closenesses are not apropos of superiority. The âyat-i-kerîma
dictating a gradation of closeness in kinship was revealed for the purpose of
solving matters of inheritance. It has nothing to do with matters such as
caliphate, judgeship and leadership. If caliphate depended on kinship, Hadrat
Abbâs would have had precedence over Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhumâ’
in the caliphate election. Practices traditional in dictatorial or monarchical
systems are of no documentary value as examples to be followed. It was one of
the teachings of the Torah as well that caliphate should not be considered as a
patrimony, but as a responsibility requiring
certain
qualifications. Allâhu ta’âlâ appointed Yûshâ
(Joshua) ‘alaihis-salâm’, and not one of the sons of Hârûn (Aaron)
‘alaihis-salâm’, as a Prophet to succeed Mûsâ
(Moses) ‘alaihis-salâm’. Islam’s instruction in this respect was that the
Khalîfa be elected from among the Qoureish tribe. No mention was made, however,
as to the name of the clan. The nominees would first of all have to fulfill the
nine basic conditions for caliphate, in addition to being from the Qoureish
tribe. The normal procedure for the assumption of caliphate was an election
based on unanimity, a sine qua non which would perforce lapse in case the
former Khalîfa had nominated a certain person to succeed him or one of the
candidates had pulled off a coup d’etat. The Shaikhayn ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ
’anhumâ’ possessed the conditions for caliphate, and they were elected by a
unanimous vote.
Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam’ said, “He is my brother and an intimate
friend,” about Abû Bakr ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’. And he said
to ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’: “Brother, do pray
for me!” Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ was the only person
blessed with the epithet “next-worldly brother,” (by the Prophet). Yet that epithet had nothing to do
with caliphate. The blessed Prophet was making his Sahâba brothers to one another, when Hadrat Alî
came, weeping. “You have made your Sahâba one another’s brother. But you have
not made me anyone’s brother,” were the words he said to express his sorrow. His
sadness touched the Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’, so he
said, compassionately, “You are my brother in this
world and the next!” Upon the death of Es’ad bin
Zerâra, the chief of Benî Najjâr, spokesman from the tribe paid a visit to Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa
sallam’ and requested that he appoint a new chief for them. The blessed Prophet stated, “You are my brothers! Let me be your chief!” Brotherhood mentioned in this hadîth-i-sherîf does not indicate at all that those people were superior to the
Shaikhayn.
Question 13: It is commanded
in the twenty-third âyat of Shûrâ sûra that every Muslim should love Hadrat
Alî.
Answer 13: The meaning of
the âyat-i-kerîma is: “... No reward do I ask of you for this except the love of those
near of kin (to me). ...” So is the case with the
following hadîth-i-sherîfs: “Love of Alî is a symptom of îmân. Enmity against
him is symptomatic of hypocrisy.” “I will fight anyone who fights you. And I will make peace with one
who makes peace with you.” Yes, it is wâjib
(incumbent) upon every Muslim to love and respect the Ahl-i-Bayt and to show
deference to the blessed wives of the Messenger of Allah. Hadrat Abbâs
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ also is included in that honourable group. It is
stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “He who hurts my paternal uncle will
have hurt me (by doing so).” Another hadîth-i-sherîf commends all the
Ashâb-i-kirâm as follows: “He who loves my Sahâba does so
because he loves me. He who is inimical towards my Sahâba is so because he is
my enemy. He who hurts them will have hurt me (by doing so). And to hurt me means to hurt
Allâhu ta’âlâ.”
Question 14: It is wâjib
(incumbent) upon every Muslim to support Hadrat Alî. The Tahrîm sûra is an evidence for this fact.
Answer 14: Yes, the fourth
âyat of Tahrîm sûra purports,
“... and (every)
righteous one among Believers – and furthermore, the angels – will back him up.” (66-4) However, the person that the âyat-i-kerîma purports will be backed up by
righteous Believers is the Messenger of Allah, not Hadrat Alî. Moreover, that
the expression ‘(every) righteous one among Believers’ in the âyat-i-kerîma implies Hadrat Abû Bakr and Hadrat
’Umar, is acknowledged unanimously by the Ashâb-i-kirâm. Indeed, this âyat-i-kerîma is a clear indication of the honour
which Allâhu ta’âlâ has conferred on
the Shaikhayn.
Question 15: Our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa
sallam’ stated that Hadrat Alî was comparable to prophets.
Answer 15: It was not only
Hadrat Alî that our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu
’alaihi wa sallam’ compared to prophets ‘alaihim-us-salawâtu wa-t-taslîmât’.
Other Sahâbîs also were blessed with the same commendation. Each of the
so-called commendations was intended to point out a common merit which the
Sahâbî concerned shared with the prophet to whom he was compared. For instance, he compared the zuhd of
Abû Zer (Ghifârî) to that of Îsâ (Jesus) ‘alaihis-salâm’; the mercy of Abû Bakr
to that of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’; the austerity of Hadrat ’Umar to that of Nûh
(Noah) ‘alaihis-salâm’; and the pulchritudinous and clear diction of Abû Mûsa’l
Ash’arî to that of Dâwûd (David) ‘alaihis-salâm’.
Question 16: Doesn’t the event of roast
fowl indicate that
Allâhu
ta’âlâ loves Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ very much?
Answer 16: The Messenger
of Allah had a roast fowl with him. He invoked, “Yâ Rabbî! Send one of Thine slaves whom Thou lovest so that we eat
this fowl together!” Hadrat Alî came over. They ate it
together. This is certainly a true narration. That Hadrat Alî is one of the
beloved slaves of Allâhu ta’âlâ is an incontrovertible fact. But the Glad Tidings was not peculiar
to him. Hadrat Abû Bakr and Hadrat ’Umar also were given similar Glad Tidings.
The following hadîth-i-sherîfs are widely known: “Allâhu ta’âlâ will
manifest Himself to Abû Bakr in private, whereas others will be altogether as
they enjoy the manifestation (tajallî) of Allâhu ta’âlâ.” “The sun has not risen over someone more auspicious than ’Umar.”
Question 17: Doesn’t the hadîth-i-sherîf, “Your position with me is identical with Hârûn’s (Aaron’s) position with Mûsâ (Moses),” imply that he must be Khalîfa (immediately after the Prophet’s decease)?
Answer 17: The book Tajrîd quotes the hadîth-i-sherîf “With me you are like Hârûn with Dâwûd! Only, there is no prophet after me,” which the blessed Prophet uttered during the Holy War of Tabuk, as a proof to adduce to its
argument. The expression, “... after me,” should be construed as, “... other
than me.”
An identical statement takes place in the twenty-third âyat
of the Jâthiya sûra of the Qur’ân al-kerîm. For, Hârûn ‘alaihis-salâm’ did not outlive Mûsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’.
His death was earlier.
This hadîth-i-sherîf was uttered as the blessed Prophet appointed Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ his substitute in Medîna
previous to his departure for the Holy War of Tabuk. Likewise, Hadrat Mûsâ had
appointed Hârûn ‘alaihis-salâm’ his representative during his excursion to
Mount Sinai (Tûr). This hadîth-i-sherîf signifies a special honour and superiority for Hadrat Alî. Yet it
does not show that he was superior to the Shaikhayn.
Question 18: Didn’t the hadîth-i-sherîf uttered at (a place called) Ghadîr-i-Hum appoint Hadrat Alî as Rasûlullah’s Khalîfa?
Answer 18: As for the event of Ghadîr-i-Hum; Rasûlullah
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ had appointed Hadrat Alî governor
of
Yemen. Hadrat Alî utilized a jâriya who belonged to the Bayt-ul-mâl. That
behaviour of his became the topic of a rumour which gradually spread, reaching
the blessed ears of the Messenger of Allah. To prevent the fitna, the blessed Prophet commanded that Hadrat Alî be loved, stating, “If I am mawlâ for a person, Alî, too, be mawlâ for him,”
which meant, “He who loves me ought to love Alî, too.” The word ‘mawlâ’ takes
place in many âyats of the Qur’ân al-kerîm. It
has been interpreted as ‘person who is beloved’. That hadîth-i-sherîf
is similar to the hadîth-i-sherîf, “He who believes in Allah should be kind to his guest!”
That hadîth-i-sherîf does not only concern
Hadrat Alî. Another hadîth-i-sherîf contains the
following invocation about Hadrat Hasan: “Yâ Rabbî!
I love him. May Thou love him, too! And please do love also those who love him!”
They were at a place called Ghadîr-i-Hum,
somewhere between Mekka and Medîna, when Rasûlullah
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ held Hadrat Alî by the hand and said, “If I am mawlâ for a person, Alî, too, be mawlâ for him! Yâ
Rabbî, please do love anyone who loves him, and if anyone should hate him, may
he incur Thine hatred!” Thereupon Hadrat ’Umar came near Hadrat Alî
and said, “How lucky for you, O Alî! You are now beloved to all Believers.”
Zayd bin Erqam is reported to have related the following event, in the book Muslim: Rasûlullah
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ delivered a khutba near a spring of water called
Ghadîr-i-Hum. He stated, “I am a human after all. My life will come to an end one day.
I leave the Book of Allah and my Ahl-i-Bayt for you. Hold fast to the path
guided by the Qur’ân al-kerîm! Appreciate the value of my Ahl-i-Bayt!” The
book Tirmuzî narrates the following
event on the authority of Imrân bin Hasîn: Rasûlullah
‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ sent us out for jihâd under the command of
Hadrat Alî. Hadrat Alî took one of the jâriyas, who were called slaves, for
himself. Four people reported this to the Messenger of Allah. Extremely hurt,
the Messenger of Allah stated, “What is it that
prompts you to work against Alî? Alî is from me, and I am from him. After me,
Alî is the walî of every Believer.” These hadîth-i-sherîfs
command to love the Ahl-i-Bayt. Mawlâ and walî are synonymous and they mean
‘person who is loved’. Zayd bin Erqam is reported, in Tirmuzî, as having related: Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ stated, “I leave two things for
you. If you adhere to them you will remain in the right path after
me. One of them is greater than the other. It is the Book of Allah. The second
one is my Ahl-i-Bayt. These two will never part from each other until they meet
me by the Pond (the waterside, called Kawthar, in
Paradise)!” The phrase, “These two will never part from each other,” means, “A
person who adheres to the Qur’ân al-kerîm ought to love the Ahl-i-Bayt.” To adhere to the Ahl-i-Bayt means
to love them. As it is something generating thawâb (reward, blessing in the
Hereafter) to obey the Qur’ân al-kerîm, it is, likewise, something which causes thawâb to love the
Ahl-i-Bayt. None of the hadîth-i-sherîfs quoted so far, however, imply that Alî was to be the (first)
Khalîfa, the (first) Imâm. It is utterly wrong and abominably unfair to invoke
these hadîth-i-sherîfs in maligning
the Ahl-i-Sunnat and thereby sowing discord among Muslims. May Jenâb-i-Haqq
bless us all with love of the Ahl-i-Bayt and of all the Ashâb-i-kirâm
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhum ajma’în’! Âmîn!
Question 19: Hadrat Alî
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ did not live in disbelief even for a moment before
he became a Believer.
Answer 19: If it were a
superiority not to have been a disbeliever before embracing Islam, all the
later Muslims would necessarily be superior to the Ashâb-i-kirâm. It is stated
in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “Once a person has become a Believer, all his sins previous to his
conversion will be forgiven.”
Question 20: Hadrat Alî
rendered many services to Islam.
Answer 20: That most of the services
to Islam were rendered by the Shaikhayn is as clear as the sun. For, it was the
Shaikhayn who compiled the Qur’ân al-kerîm. It
was the Shaikhayn who established the method of narration, divided the
religious teachings into scientific branches, conquered Arabia, and made the
Byzantine and Iranian lands homes of Islam. Most of the Muslims on the earth
are in one of the three Madhhabs, namely Mâlikî, Hanafî, and Shâfi’î. And the
basic teachings of these three Madhhabs are on matters which Hadrat ’Umar
obtained by way of ijmâ’ (consensus of the Sahâba). These Madhhabs contain
little information coming from Hadrat Alî. No country of disbelievers was
conquered in the time of Hadrat Alî. Nor were unity and peace established among
Muslims. The benefits which this Ummat (Muslims) attained owing to the
Shaikhayn are much more than the
benefits
which they owe to Hadrat Alî. The thawâb which pioneers of a religiously
beneficial area will earn increases by the multiplication of the number of the
people who utilize that area by the amount of thawâb which each of them will
earn. All the Muslims called Ahl as-Sunnat are
the followers of the path guided by the Shaikhayn. And most of the Muslims on
the earth belong to this Sunnî group. Three aberrant groups came out from
Hadrat Alî’s progeny. Activities engaged in by all three groups were
destructive of Islam. Had it not been for the infinite compassion of Allâhu ta’âlâ, they would have annihilated Islam. One
of them was the group called Imâmiyya.
According to that group, the compilers of the Qur’ân
al-kerîm were not dependable people. For, people in the Imâmiyya group
deny the (authenticity of the) Ashâb-i-kirâm and the well-known seven imâms (,
i.e. scholars, leaders,) of (the Islamic science called) Qirâat. On the other
hand, not a single report comes from the Twelve Imâms, who are the only
dependable sources according to the Imâmiyya group. And, since those people do
not report any Marfû’ hadîths,[1]
either, they do not have a book of hadîths to depend on. Likewise, the Zaydiyya group also reject most of the religious
teachings derived from hadîth-i-sherîfs. Those
people are responsible for the bloody events of discord that stain the annals
of history. The third group, Ismâ’îliyya,
are the worst. They are Islam’s enemies in every sense of the word. All the
multitudinous heresies that have been ravaging the religious beliefs and
practices of Muslims were fabricated by those three groups. Their iniquities
could by no means mar Hadrat Alî’s ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ honour. By the same
token, Hadrat Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ could not be blamed for the
misdeeds of Yazîd or of the Umayyad governors. Those people are responsible for
their own cruelties and wrongdoings. It is equally true, however, that not an
iota of thawâb reaches Hadrat Alî via those people. On the other hand, the
Shaikhayn receive myriads of blessings daily, owing to the blessings which the
Sunnî Muslims earn (on account of the pious deeds and correct practices they
have been doing), and this reproduction of blessings will keep on increasing
till the end of the world.
---------------------------------
[1] Please see the sixth chapter of the second fascicle of Endless Bliss for kinds of hadîth-i-sherîfs.
Question 21: Hadrat Alî was
perfect both physically and spiritually. Therefore he is superior to the
Shaikhayn.
Answer 21: Before discussing the
matter of sheer physical and spiritual superiority, we have considered it
relevant to quote a passage from Sharh Mawâqif
and then give an all-in-all answer. It is stated as follows in Mawâqif: “Hadrat
Alî was a treasure of high merits which were elements of superiorty. He was the
most knowledgeable one of the Sahâba. He grew up under the edification of the
Messenger of Allah. He became the blessed Prophet’s
son-in-law. He was highly intelligent. From the Messenger of Allah he learned
such profound facts as others could not learn. As for Hadrat Abû Bakr; he was
rather of age, [i.e. he was thirty-eight years old,] when he embraced Islam. He
would see the Messenger of Allah once daily. The zuhd of Hadrat Alî is not
unknown to anyone. He was very kind and generous, too. So much so that he was
performing namâz one day when he dispensed his ring as alms. Thereupon an âyat-i-kerîma was revealed to laud him. At another
time, it was immediately after sunset and he was about to break his fast which
he had been performing as a votive offering, when a poor man came to the door.
He gave all the food to the poor man. (The event took place three times
running. On the first evening, it was a poor man who came to the door, asking
for something to eat. The following evening, as Hadrat Alî, –and four other
people; namely, Hadrat Fâtima, Hadrat Hasan, Hadrat Husayn, and Fidda, who was
a jâriya, who had fasted all day long in fulfilment of a vow which they had
made for the healing of Hadrat Hasan and Husayn from a fatal illness–, was
about to break his fast, –and the others their fast–, when an orphan came to
the door asking for something to eat. They gave all the food to the orphan. The
same event took place the following evening, and the person at the door, a
slave this time, was given the entire food. This event is told in detail in the
ninth episode about Hadrat Alî in the book Manâqib-i-chihâr
yâr-i-ghuzîn, by Sayyid Ayyûb bin Siddîq.) Thereupon another âyat-i-kerîma was revealed to commend their
self-abnegation. Hadrat Alî was ahead of all others on account of the heroism
and gallantry he displayed in the Holy Wars. So tremendously did he prove his
mettle in the Holy War of Hendek (Trench), that the blessed Prophet praised him in his hadîth-i-sherîf,
“One blow which Alî deals with his sword is more
valuable than
the total amount of all the acts of worship performed by all human
beings and genies.” Equally well-known are the praisals lavished on
him for the undaunted prowess he demonstrated in the other Holy Wars,
especially at Haybar. No less was the reputation that he acquired owing to his
beautiful moral habits. He had great physical strength, too. He lifted the gate
of the fortress, pulling it off its hinges. “I have broken this gate not by
muscular strength, but by a special strength given by Allâhu ta’âlâ,” he said.
Hadrat Alî was not only akin to the Messenger of Allah by way of lineage, but
also related to him by marriage. Abbâs was Abdullah’s brother only by father,
whereas Abû Tâlib, (i.e. Hadrat Alî’s father,) was Abdullah’s brother by both
parents. Hadrat Alî was the husband of the highest of all women, (i.e. Hadrat
Fâtima). He was the father of Hasan and Husayn, the highest of the young people
of Paradise.”
Before forwarding our argument against the passage, we would like to
acknowledge that Hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ did have the merits cited,
definitely. All Muslims ought to hold this belief and love him very much.
However, assuming the office of caliphate requires other superiorities as well.
Various occupations and arts require varying superiorities in which to excel
others. Lineage and outward appearance are not among the criteria to satisfy in
a championship of scholars. The superiority to be fulfilled for being a prophet’s khalîfa should be similar to the superiority
with which prophets are specially endowed for the assumption of their prophetic
duties. It is for this very reason that scholars, Awliyâ and other people who
endeavour to promulgate Islam by way of Amr-i-ma’rûf and Nahy-i-munkar and
Jihâd are more valuable than and superior to sportsmen, tradesmen and expert
accountants, who are apparently more powerful. Likewise, being elected as
Khalîfa requires a substantiated superiority to others in meeting the
scientific, ethical and practical criteria upheld by the Messenger of Allah. In
fact, of all these three sets of criteria, the practical ones outbalance the
other two. Among the Ummat (Muslims), there may be some lucky peeople who
obtain new pieces of information by way of inference [and research] or
inspiration. Yet those pieces of information are not so valuable as the
knowledge possessed by the Prophet. The
prophetic knowledge is that which is practical in spreading knowledge
and
Islam, in deriving by way of inference the unclear principles concealed in
them, in explicating those principles and culling the tenable ones from among a
number of uncertain principles, and in providing a consensus (when necessary).
Uppermost of all these practicalities is mastery in securing order, peace and
comfort among the Ummat. A minute study of the times of the four Khalîfas will
by no means reveal Hadrat Alî’s superiority to the Shaikhayn in the
perpetuation of the prophetic teachings and deeds. Whereas Hadrat Alî’s
knowledge made him superior in the speed of response, the Shaikhayn’s knowledge
outweighed his in that they were patient and answered questions only after a
fastidious study of the matters or, (when necessary,) after providing a
consensus (of the Sahâba). Hadrat Alî had very much zuhd, and the Shaikhayn
also had very much zuhd. The munificence of the Shaikhayn was several times
better than the munificence of Hadrat Alî. Furthermore, his dispensing his ring
as alms as he was performing namâz and his giving the food he was going to eat
after breaking fast were not among the authentic narrations. Even if they were
authentic, then again it is a bare fact that he was not superior to them, in
the face of the multitude of the âyat-i-kerîmas
commending them, especially on account of the acts of charity performed by
Hadrat Abû Bakr. Whereas Hadrat Alî was superior in the strength of his fists,
the Shaikhayn were superior in the fortitude they displayed in coping with the
renegades and subduing the Iranian and Byzantine empires. In addition, the
Shaikhayn were multiples of times superior in the beautiful moral finess they
showed in the appeasement of the Ummat (Muslims) and in the settling of
quarrels. Versus Hadrat Alî’s very close kinship, the Shaikhayn are closer to
the Messenger of Allah in their graves, and so will they be at the place of
Mahsher (the place where all people will gather for judgement), and also as
they go to Paradise. Whereas Hadrat Alî had the honour of being Hadrat Fâtima’s
spouse, Hadrat Abû Bakr was blessed with the honour of fatherhood of Hadrat
Âisha, Rasûlullah’s blessed wife and also his
companion in Paradise. The Qur’ân al-kerîm
contains ten âyats lauding and praising Hadrat Âisha. One-fourth of the
knowledge of Fiqh was learned from her. Likewise, Hadrat ’Umar’s daughter,
Hadrat Hafsa, was Rasûlullah’s wife in the
world, and so will she be in Paradise as well, and Jebrâîl ‘alaihis-salâm’ has
praised her as
a
blessed woman who “has dedicated herself to performing namâz and fasting
continually.” Although some of the descendants of Hadrat Alî were the best
people of their times, there were also others who caused grave harm to Islam.
The aberrant groups called Ismâ’îliyya, Zaydiyya and Imâmiyya,
for instance, owed their existences to his descendants. History books give
detailed accounts of the bloody ventures which some of his descendants –whose
number is hardly below one hundred– undertook and misled an untold number of
Muslims with the help of the hordes of supporters that crowded around them.
Such demolishers of Islam were not seen among the descendants of the Shaikhayn.
People who descended fromthem, especially Abdullah bin ’Umar, Hadrat Âisha,
Sâlim, Qâsim, Ubaydullah bin ’Umar ’Umarî, and many others, were sources of
guidance who led people to happiness. Men of Tasawwuf such as Shihâbuddîn
Suhrawardî and Fakhruddîn Suhrawardî, who came after the Twelve Imâms, and
book-owners like Fakhruddîn Râzî Waliyyuddîn were all people who attained
guidance owing to the fayz they received from the descendants of the Shaikhayn.
If a person’s being of Hashimite descent or having an abundant progeny were
something conducive to his superiority, Hadrat Alî would –may Allâhu ta’âlâ protect us against such a disastrous
belief– necessarily be superior to the Messenger of Allah. If it should be
argued that “Those superiorities apply among those who are below prophethood;
they become null and void on the prophetic level,” then it should be admitted
that they lose their validity also on levels where prophetic attributes are
perpetuated although in similarity. True, they are effective with people below
those levels. As a matter of fact, Hadrat Alî was superior to all the Sahâbîs
who lived during his caliphate. This is the belief held by the scholars of Ahl
as-Sunnat. What we have written so far are answers to Nasîruddîn Tûsî’s book Tajrîd.
Question 22: Why should superiority be
an indispensable criterion for assuming office as Khalîfa? We might as well put
it that way: Superior as Hadrat Alî was, the unlearned people would have
refused to pay homage to him because he had killed the fathers and friends of
the Qoureishî people, because he had never shown remission in his invitation to
Islam, and because he was hasty in his chastisements. Since Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ was a best
psychiatrist, he may
have
preferred to appoint someone else for the office of caliphate.
Answer 22: Allâhu ta’âlâ sent prophets
‘alaihim-us-salawât-u-wa-t-taslîmât’ for the rectification of peoples and for
the establishment of peace and welfare among them. It is therefore a prophet’s duty to choose a person who will
represent his prophetic attributes best. If he chooses someone else, he will
have misused his authority and committed an injustice. It is senseless to say
that the Qoureishî people would have refused to pay homage to someone who had killed
their fathers and friends. If it were sound reasoning, the Messenger of Allah
would have preceded Hadrat Alî in the list of people rejected for the same
reason. For, it was by his order that all the Sahâba, not only Hadrat Alî, had
killed the Qoureishî people in the Holy Wars. The fact, however, was that those
Qoureishîs who had embraced Islam loved the Messenger of Allah more than their
own lives.
Question 23: Holding the Shaikhayn
superior on the persuasion that deeds such as helping the Messenger of Allah
and promulgating Islam and making jihâd in the Iranian and Byzantine lands as
well as in Arabia and compiling the Qur’ân al-kerîm
and conquering countries and supporting Muslims are prophetic attributes,
exposes a predisposition wide open to various other arguments. For one thing,
the most valuable Sunnî books such as Sharh Mawâqif
and Sharh ’Aqâid hold that superiority
depends on the abundance of thawâb (deeds that will be rewarded in the
Hereafter). Isn’t the superiority defined above contradictory to the unanimous
teaching of these books? Furthermore, isn’t the propounded definiton suggestive
of the assumption that Hadrat Mu’âwiya and certain other commanders must be
superior to Hadrat Alî on account of their conquests of lands of disbelievers?
Our third antithesis would be that the so-called elements of superiority are
kinds of attributes that are acquired afterwards. They are complementary to
one’s congenital superiorities. In fact, it is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “Allâhu
ta’âlâ promulgates this religion (Islam)
also through someone who is a fâjir[disbeliever].” Another fact that
should not escape our attention is that there were Prophets with only one
believer each; which indicates that conquering various lands and promulgating
the religion are not among the prophetic attributes. With the
essential
fact that prophets are all identical (in their prophetic duties), similarity to
our Prophet cannot be presented as an exception
to “prove the rule.” That means to say that similarity to our Prophet must be similarity in some other attributes!
Furthermore, if the conquest of lands were indicative of superiority, Hadrat
’Umar would necessarily have been superior to Hadrat Abû Bakr. The services
which Hadrat Alî rendered in the Holy Wars made during the time of our Prophet were more than those rendered by any of the
others. The conquests and services that would be done after our Prophet, on the other hand, were not known during the
first caliphate election. Then, why should it be taken for granted that Hadrat
Abû Bakr was the most superior and that the first election was based on a
consensus?
Answer 23: These speculations show
that what we have said is not understood well. We have not said that
superiority consists in promulgating the religion, making jihâd, capturing
countries and compiling the Qur’ân al-kerîm
only. These are a few of the components making up the superiority. These
components can be divided into three groups. In the first group are the
components of similarity in the prophetic attributes, which causes superiority
in helping the Messenger of Allah and perpetuating the blessed Messenger’s
duties after him. The scholars of Ahl as-Sunnat divided the duty among
themselves. One group undertook the science dealing with hadîth-i-sherîfs, while another group spread the
teachings of (the science called) Kalâm. When a statement is said to belong to
the scholars of Ahl as-sunnat, it is the statement of a consensus reached
unanimously by all the scholars of the Ahl as-Sunnat, including the second
group of scholars. The scholars of Ahl as-Sunnat state unanimously that the
Shaikhayn were (the most) superior. Jihâd is performed not only with the sword,
but also with oral and written words as well as with one’s nafs. Hadrat Abû
Bakr was superior in the second and third kinds of jihâd. He performed jihâd
constantly for thirteen years in Mekka and for one year in Medîna before the
revelation of the âyat-i-kerîma about jihâd. The
hadîth-i-sherîf, “If
a prophet were
to come after me, definitely ’Umar would be that prophet,” is a clear indication of the fact that the Shaikhayn
did possess the prophetic attributes. A fâjir’s (disbeliever’s) serving Islam
will certainly be of no use to him. Yet this fact can by no means be
grounds
for denying the high merits in performing Amr-i-ma’rûf and jihâd and the
abundance of thawâb it will produce. And it is clearly stated in âyat-i-kerîmas and hadîth-i-sherîfs
that the Shaikhayn were pious Muslims, not fâjirs. If a person denies this
fact, he should doubt about his own îmân. Similarity to the Messenger of Allah
can be in one of the following three ways: The first way is similarity in the
rank of prophethood, which is peculiar to prophets alone. The second way is
similarity in performing the prophetic duties. We have explained in detail in
the previous pages that the Shaikhayn possessed this kind of similarity. The
third way is similarity in performing the acts of worship. This similarity
varies, depending on the time and the dispensation. Jihâd was not commanded in
most of the earlier dispensations. Therefore, doing jihâd would not have been
an act of worship, let alone a superior one, for the prophets of those
dispensations. Our religion, by contrast, commanded jihâd and conquests.
Accordingly, jihâd was one of the prophetic duties. The reasoning, “... then
Hadrat ’Umar would necessarily have been superior to Hadrat Abû Bakr,” is quite
maladroit in that it might be wickedly furthered into the nasty reasoning that
“the Shaikhayn also would necessarily have been superior to the Messenger of
Allah.” The Shaikhayn performed those acts of jihâd and conquest which the
Messenger of Allah started and which he said would be completed. They offered
their services to his jihâd after his decease exactly as they had done during his
lifetime. Likewise, Hadrat ’Umar completed the (completion of) jihâd started by
Hadrat Abû Bakr. That was what he meant when he said, “I am the Khalîfa of Abû
Bakr.”
Question 24: Hadrat Alî was not present
when the Messenger of Allah stated, “Let Abû Bakr
conduct (the prayers of) namâz!”
If he had been present, the Prophet’s order
would have been, “Let Alî conduct namâz!” Or, perhaps, the so-called
commandment was made in deference to Hadrat Abû Bakr’s old age. That the
Shaikhayn are the highest people of Paradise and that Hadrat Abû Bakr will be
the first Muslim to enter Paradise may be the case with the exception of Hadrat
Alî. And why shouldn’t Hadrat Alî’s acknowledgement, “Abû Bakr is the highest
man of this Ummat, and next after him is ’Umar,” have gone without saying that
he himself was an exception? Indeed, being an extremely exalted person, Alî,
like
the
Messenger of Allah, has a special high position quite beyond and above the
other members of this Ummat.
Answer 24: It could not be
for us to say that Hadrat Abû Bakr was the highest. It is a religious fact
stated by Hadrat ’Umar and by Hadrat Alî and by Abû ’Ubayda and by Abdullah bin
ibn Mes’ûd and by the notable Sahâbîs and by most of the Ansâr. Those were the
blessed people who elected him Khalîfa. Qays bin ’Ubâd relates: Hadrat Alî said
to me: “Rasûlullah was ill (in bed) when prayer
time came. The blessed Messenger ordered, ‘Tell Abû
Bakr to conduct namâz!’ I thought this over after
the decease of Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’. Abû Bakr was a person
whom the Messenger of Allah had made our leader in namâz, the main pillar of
Islam; therefore we elected Abû Bakr Khalîfa.” These statements of Hadrat Alî’s
are quoted by Hasan Basrî in the book entitled Istî’âb, by Abû ’Amr.
Hakem bin Hajar reports, again in the book Istî’âb, that he heard from Hadrat Alî: “If a person holds me superior to Abû Bakr and ’Umar, he is a slanderer. I will beat him, as I beat slanderers.” ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhum ajma’în’