Chapter Four -- Concerning the General Companions

- The Qur'an reveals the Truth about some companions

- The Prophet's sunna reveals the truth about some of the companions

- The Companions' position regarding the Orders of the Prophet during his lifetime

- The Companions' conduct towards the Prophet's commands after his death.

--Their neglecting of the Prophet's sunna

- Abu Dharr al-Ghifari's testimony regarding some of the companions

- History's testimony about the companions

- Views of those who know regarding some of the Companions

Chapter Five -- Concerning the Three Caliphs, Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthman

- Abu Bakr during the life of the Prophet (S.A.W.)

- Abu Bakr after the death of the Prophet (S.A.W.), His denial of the truthful and pure Fatima al-Zahra and his usurpation of her rights

- Fatima's Impeccability according to the Qur'anic Text

- Fatima is the leader of all believing women and the leader of the women of the umma

- Fatima al-Zahra is the leader of the Women of Paradise

- Fatima is a part of the Prophet (S.A.W.), and the Prophet (S.A.W.) is angered when she is angered

- Abu Bakr kills the Muslims who refused to pay him the Zakat

- Abu Bakr prevents the writing of the Prophet's sunna as did 'Umar b. al-Khattab and 'Uthman b. 'Affan after him

- 'Umar b. al-Khattab was more severe than his companion on the traditions of the Prophet of Allah and forbade the people from transmitting them

- Abu Bakr bestows the Caliphate upon his companion 'Umar and, in doing so, goes against the clear texts

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- 'Umar b. al-Khattab contravenes the book of Allah with his personal reasoning

- 'Uthman b. 'Affan follows the practice of his two companions in opposing the texts

Chapter Six -- Concerning the Caliphate

- Questions and Answers which are indispensable for every researcher

Chapter Seven -- Concerning the noble hadith

- The Prophet dupes

- The Prophet inflicts a vile penalty and mutilates Muslims

- The Prophet (S.A.W.) loves intercourse

- To justify songs and dancing which were famous in the time of the Umayyads here are some hadiths

- The Prophet drinks nabidh

- The Prophet and debasement

- The Prophet does not feel shy

- The Prophet displaying his private parts

- The Prophet forgets in his prayer

- The Prophet takes an oath then breaks it

- 'A'isha frees forty slaves as an expiation for her oath

- The Prophet plays with the laws of God as he wishes

- The Prophet behaves like a child and then disciplines one who does not deserve punishment

- The Prophet leaves out some verses of the Qur'an

- The Prophet contradicts himself in his hadith

-- Contradictions regarding virtues

-- The Prophet Contradicts Science and Medicine

Chapter Eight -- Concerning the two Sahihs of al-Bukhari and Muslim

- Al-Bukhari and Muslim relate anything which lauds Abu Bakr and 'Umar

- Al-Bukhari forges hadith to preserve the honour of 'Umar b. Al-Khattab

- Some examples of the interpolation of traditions containing realities which expose 'Umar b. Al-Khattab

- Narrations disparaging the ahl al-bayt please al-Bukhari

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- Conclusion

observe while living amongst their Shi'a friends with what they hear and read about them. They do not

know where the truth lies. I have spoken to some of them and have presented them with copies of my

book "Then I was Guided". Praise be to Allah, the majority of them, after researching and debating, are

guided to the truth and follow it. This, however, does not suffice for those youths whom I meet

coincidentally or for those who do not have such opportunities to meet and therefore remain confused

regarding the conflicting ideas they are exposed to.

Despite the convincing proofs and irrefutable arguments [cited] in "Then I was Guided", and "With the

Truthful ones", these two books are not sufficient to combat the frenzied attacks and crude allegations

[instigated] by various means of propaganda that some of the wicked sources have financed by their

petro dollars.

Despite all this, however, the voice of truth will emerge in the midst of this discomforting uproar and it

will be a glowing light shining in the gloom of darkness since the promise of Allah is true, and it will

certainly manifest itself. Allah says: "They seek to extinguish Allah's light by their mouths, but Allah

will perfect this light even though the disbelievers hate that" (61:8). Allah further explains that their acts

will fail and will rebound on them: "Verily, those who disbelieve spend their wealth in hindering [people

from] the path of Allah, they will continue to spend; then they will regret therein. Ultimately, they will

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be overcome and the disbelievers will be gathered in hell" (8:160).

Due to this, it is essential for the scholars, writers and thinkers to explain to the lay persons what is

difficult for them [to comprehend] and to guide them to the right path. The most exalted says: "Those

who seek to conceal the clear [signs] which We have revealed and guided - after we have clearly

explained it for the people in the book - Allah will curse them as will those who are entitled to curse.

Except those who repent, make amends and make clear [that which they sought to hide]. Towards them I

shall turn, for I am the Forgiving, the Merciful" (2:160).

Why don't the scholars discuss this topic diligently and sincerely for Allah's sake? Why [should they not

do this] when the most Glorious has revealed the clear signs and guidance, perfected His religion and

completed His favours on humankind? When the Prophet (S.A.W.) has fulfilled Allah's mission to him,

proclaimed His message and advised the umma, then why this disunity, enmity, hatred and calling

derogatory names and each party considering the other to be a disbeliever?

In my role, I have to take an unequivocal position here and to declare to all Muslims, that there can be

no salvation, no safety, no unity, no happiness, and no paradise unless we return to the two basic

sources: Allah's book and the Prophet's household (peace be upon them). [Nothing can be attained]

unless we embark on the ship of salvation, the ship of the ahl al-bayt (S.A.W.). This statement is not

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something that I have conjured up, rather, it is the word of Allah in the noble Qur'an and His Prophet (S.

A.W.) in the honourable Prophetic sunna. The Muslims today have two options to attain the desired

unity:

The first approach: The ahl al-sunna wa'l -Jama'a accept the madhab (school of thought) of the

household of the Prophet which is the madhab that the Ithna'ashari Imami Shi'as follow. This madhab

would then be classified as a fifth madhab to them (the Sunnis), and they could then treat its

jurisprudential texts in the same way that they do with the other four Islamic schools. They should not

disparage it nor deride those who embrace it. They should give the educated students the freedom to

choose the madhab which they are satisfied with. And, by the same token, it is incumbent upon every

Muslim - Sunni and Shi'a - that they recognize the other Islamic madhabs, such as the Ibadiyya and the

Zaydiyya. This approach is a remedy for many of the conflicts and differences that affect our umma, but

it still does not present a complete cure for the historical discord we have endured for centuries.

The second approach: The Muslims should unite under a common creed as dictated by Allah and His

Prophet (S.A.W.). They should do so in one way and on the right path, which is to follow the Imams of

the ahl al-bayt, [they are] those from whom Allah has removed all filth and has purified them

completely. Indeed, all Muslims - Shi'as and Sunnis - agree upon their acts and their superiority in their

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piety, virtue, asceticism, character, knowledge and good deeds.

Since the Muslims differ regarding the companions, they should leave what they differ on in favour of

what they agree upon in compliance with the hadith of the Prophet (S.A.W.): "Keep away from what

casts doubt in you in favour of what does not make you doubtful". By doing this, the Muslim umma

would come together and unite based on a fundamental rule that forms the pivot around which

everything revolves, [a principle] established by the Prophet (S.A.W.) when he said: "I leave amongst

you two weighty things, if you stick to them, you will never go astray: the book of Allah and my ahl albayt"

[cited in] Sahih Muslim.

Since this hadith is accepted by both sects, in fact by all Muslims regardless of their different madhahib,

why is it that a faction amongst them does not act in accordance to it? If all the Muslims were to follow

this hadith, such strong Islamic unity would be fostered between them that no breeze could shake it, no

storm destroy it, no propagation could refute it and no enemy of Islam could thwart it.

In my view, this is the only solution towards the salvation and safety of the Muslims. Any other

approach is futile and [is tantamount to] embellished words. Whoever studies the Qur'an and the

Prophet's traditions, as well as studies history and reflects upon it with a sound mind will certainly agree

with me.

The first approach has failed since the first day the Prophet (S.A.W.) left us when the companions

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differed amongst themselves resulting in the division of the Muslim umma and the destruction of the

bonds of solidarity. The umma has failed throughout the centuries to revert to the second approach

which is the adherence to the book and the Prophet's household (S.A.W.). This is due to the propaganda

spread earlier by the Umayyad and 'Abbasid dynasties, and, in our times, because of the defamation,

misrepresentation and condemnation of the followers of the ahl al-bayt of the Prophet. There remains

for us then nothing else but a clear approach and a disclosure of the truth for all who wish to know it.

This can be done in the style of the noble Qur'an in it's challenge: "Come forth with your proof if you are

indeed telling the truth" (2:111).

Clear proof and argument will never be subjugated by force or wealth, neither can they be refuted by

warnings and threats. [This is true] for free human beings who have pledged themselves to Allah alone.

They have never deviated - and will never do so - from the truth, even if they lose their lives.

If only the modern day scholars of the umma were to organise a conference to examine these matters

with open hearts, astute minds and pure consciences, they would, by doing so, serve the Muslim umma,

assemble its scattered fragments, heal its wounds, unite its ranks and bring together it's [different] views.

This unity will come, [whether they] like it or not, for Allah, Glory be to Him, has reserved, for that

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purpose, an Imam from the progeny of al-Mustafa (the chosen one) who will fill the earth with justice

and equity just as it was filled with oppression and tyranny. This Imam is from the purified loins. It is as

though Allah, great is His wisdom - tests this umma throughout it's life span until, when the time is near,

He reveals to it the errors it has committed and gives it an opportunity to return to the truth and follow

the original path which Muhammad (S.A.W.) called to when he supplicated: "O Allah, guide my people

for indeed they do not know".

Until that time comes, I present my book "Ask those who know". It is a collection of questions and

answers based on the views and the teachings of the Imams of the ahl al-bayt (S.A.W.). Hopefully, the

Muslims in every Islamic country will benefit from it and work towards the concordance of views in

preparation of the coveted unity.

My success is from Allah. Upon Him I rely and to Him I turn. My Lord, expand my breast and make my

affairs easy for me [to handle]. Loosen the knots on my tongue so that my words can be understood. I

ask Him, Glory be to Him, the most exalted one, to accept my work and make it [a source of] virtue and

blessing, for it is only a stone in the building of a united body.

I say this because the contemporary Muslims are still very far away from realising basic human rights

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and working harmoniously with each other. I realised this first hand during my travels and numerous

visits to the Muslim countries or in the countries where there are Muslims [residing]. The latest was in

the Indian subcontinent which has a population of over 200 million Muslims, a quarter of whom are

Shi'as and three quarters are Sunnis. I had heard a lot about them, but what I witnessed really perplexed

and astonished me. It also made me fearful. I was saddened and I wept over the path this umma has

taken. Were it not for my hope, wishes and faith, despair would have overcome my heart.

Immediately after my return from India, I sent an open letter to an Indian scholar who the ahl al-sunna

wa'l-Jama'a in that subcontinent refer to. He is Abu'l- Hasan 'Ali al-Nadawi. I promised him that I

would publish this letter and his reply. So far, however, I have not received a reply. I have published my

letter in the introduction to this book in it's original form so that it acts as an historical testimony which

will bear witness for us infront of Allah and the people, that we are amongst those who enjoined unity.

Muhammad al-Tijani al-Samawi

May the blessings and peace of Allah be on the most honourable of the Messengers and on his purified

household

have embraced the school of the ahl al-bayt of the Prophet after lengthy research, having [previously]

been a Maliki. I was a follower of the famous Sufi tariqa (path) in North Africa, the Tijaniyya order. I

came to recognize the truth during a successful visit to the Shi'i 'ulama' (scholars); I have written a book

about that [visit] which I called "Then I was Guided". It was printed in India by "al-Majma' al-'ilmi al-

Islami" in different languages and, for the occasion (of publishing), I was invited to visit India.

Dear Sir, I came to India for a short visit. I had hoped to meet your honourable self when I heard about

you and learnt that you were a councillor amongst the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a. However, the immense

distances (of travelling) and lack of time prevented me from doing that. I had to be content with visiting

the cities of Bombay, Poona, Jabal Pur and other cities in Gujarat. I was greatly pained by what I saw in

India, i.e., enmity and hatred between the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a and their Shi'a Muslim brothers.

I had heard that they wage war sometimes and fight each other and [even] spill innocent blood on both

sides in the name of Islam. However, I did not believe this, thinking that it was slander. What I

witnessed and heard during my visit could make [one] perplexed and astonished. I was certain that there

are despicable plans and dangerous conspiracies being instigated against Islam and the Muslims so as to

destroy all of them, Sunnis and Shi'as. What made this belief of mine even more certain and my

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knowledge even more entrenched was a confrontation which occurred between myself and a group of

Sunni scholars. The honourable Shaykh 'Aziz al-Rahman, the Mufti of al-Jama'a Islamiyya was leading

them (in this). The meeting was held in their mosque in Bombay and took place after their invitation.

I had just settled down with them when disdain and derision, insults and curses against the followers of

the household of the Prophet began. By this, they wanted to provoke and incite me, since they had

known that I had composed a book [in which] I invited people to embrace the school of the ahl al-bayt,

peace be upon them. I understood their intentions and controlled my temper. I therefore smiled at them

saying: "I am your guest, you are the ones who invited me; I came to you in haste responding to your

call. Did you invite me to insult and revile me? Are these the manners which Islam has taught you?"

They replied me in an arrogant manner saying that in my life I had never been a Muslim even for a day

because I was a Shi'a and the Shi'as have nothing to do with Islam. They [even] swore to that.

I said: "Fear God, O brothers, for our Lord is one, our Prophet is one, our book is one, our qibla is one.

The Shi'as believe in one God and they practise Islam in accordance with [the teachings of] the Prophet

and his family, they pray, give zakat and go for pilgrimage to the house of God. How is it permissible

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for you to consider them to be infidels?"

They replied: "You do not believe in the Qur'an, you are hypocrites, you dissimulate (taqiyya) and your

Imam has said: "Dissimulation is [part of] my religion and that of my father". You are a Jewish sect

which 'Abd Allah b. Saba', the Jew, had founded".

I said to them smiling: "Let us leave the Shi'as [aside] and let us talk about me personally. I was a Maliki

like you and I was satisfied, after lengthy research, that the ahl al-bayt are most right and most worthy of

following. Do you have proofs which you can dispute with me? Or do you want to ask me what are my

arguments and proofs so that we can understand each other?"

They said: "The ahl al-bayt are the wives of the Prophet, you do not know anything of the Qur'an".

I said: "Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim report differently from what you mention". They said: "All

that is in al-Bukhari and Muslim and other Sunni books which you base your arguments upon are [due

to] the Shi'as interpolating and inserting in our books".

I replied to them laughingly: "If the Shi'as can interpolate your books and your Sahih works, then there

is no importance or value to [your books] nor to your school which is based on [these books]". They

kept quiet and were dumbfounded. One of them intended to make fun and to provoke me again. He said:

"One who does not believe in the Caliphate of the rightly guided Caliphs of our Sayyid Abu Bakr,

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Sayyid 'Umar, Sayyid 'Uthman and Sayyid 'Ali and Sayyid Mu'awiya and Sayyid Yazid, may God be

pleased and happy with them, then he is not a Muslim".

I was astonished at this talk which I had never heard in my life, since it meant that anybody who did not

believe in the Caliphate of Mu'awiya and his son Yazid was to be considered an infidel. I said to myself:

"It is understandable that the Muslims be pleased with Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthman, this is a natural

thing. As for [being pleased with] Yazid, I have never heard of it except in India". I turned to all of them

and asked them: "Do you all agree with his view?" They all replied: "Yes".

At that point, I knew that there was no point in continuing the conversation. I understood that they

wanted to provoke me so that they could exact revenge (for conversion), they might perhaps even kill

me on the pretext of my having abused the companions, who knows?

I saw evil in their eyes and I asked my friend who had brought me to them to take me away

immediately. He took me, he was hurt and apologized to me for what had occurred. This innocent

person had wanted to know the truth through this meeting. As a matter of fact, he is a well behaved

young man, Sharaf al-Din, owner of an Islamic printing press and publishing house in Bombay. He was

a witness to what had transpired between us in this aforementioned discussion. He did not hide his

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disappointment with these people who considered themselves to be amongst the prominent scholars.

I left them whilst angry and sorry at the condition which the Muslims had reached, especially by those

posing as the centre of preaching and calling themselves scholars. I said to myself: "If the 'ulama' are at

this level of blind fanaticism, what will the condition and ignorance of the masses be like?" I knew then

how the fighting and wars in which blood was spilled illegally, honor and dignity disgraced, had started

in the name of protecting Islam.

I cried over the path taken by this wretched and ill-fated people which Allah, Glory be to Him, has

entrusted with the responsibility of guidance. The Prophet of God (P) has also entrusted it with the

responsibility of transmitting light into the dark hearts, if they need the glow of light. At any one time,

there are in India alone 700 million persons who worship [other gods] apart from God, the most exalted.

They consider the cow, statues and idols to be sacred. Instead of unifying the efforts of Muslims so as to

guide and preach to them and to bring them out from darkness to light so that they should submit to the

Lord of the universe, we see that the Muslims today, especially in India, are themselves in need of

guidance and reformation.

Because of this, sir, I am sending my letter to you asking you in the name of God, who is the most

Merciful and Beneficent, and in the name of the noble Prophet and in the name of the greatness of Islam,

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according to the saying of the most High: "And hold tight to the rope of Allah, all of you and do not

differ".

I ask you to adopt the stance of a brave Muslim who is not scared, for Allah's sake, of the sternest critics

and is not swayed by fanaticism or sectarianism, a position which Satan and his friends would like.

I invite you to a stance which is sincere and clear; you are the one whom Allah has entrusted with

responsibility as long as you talk in the name of Islam in that region. Allah will not be pleased with you

if you adopt the stance of a contented spectator with what is happening here and there, a tragedy the

price of which the innocent Shi'a and Sunni Muslims are paying. God is going to ask you on the day of

judgement about every small or big deed, and you will have to account for every single thing because

those who know and those who do not know are not equal.

As long as you consider yourself to be amongst the 'ulama' of India, there is no doubt that your

responsibility is immense. A word from you could be for the betterment of the umma in India just as it

could be for the destruction of the future civilization . So have fear of God, O people of understanding!

As Allah, Glory be to Him, gave the scholars an elevated status after the angels, the most High says:

"Allah bears witness that there is no God but He and the angels and those bestowed with knowledge are

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undertaking their affairs with justice". And if He, Glory be to Him, is instructing us all to "undertake

your measurement with equity and do not defraud the scales" and if the commentators talk of the need to

deal justly in material scales, which has limited value, how about dealing justly when credal issues [are

at stake] which can take one between truth and falsehood and on which depends the guidance of

mankind and salvation of the whole of humanity?

Allah, the Most High said: "When you judge, do so in a just manner" and He also said: "O David, We

have made you a Caliph on earth so judge between people on [the basis of] truth, do not follow desires,

for they will take you away from the path of God".

And the Prophet of God (P) said: "Speak the truth even if it be against yourself, speak the truth even if it

is bitter".

My Dear Sir, I invite you to the book of God and to the sunna of His Prophet. Speak it clearly and

loudly, even if it is bitter; it will be a testimony for you in front of Allah. By your Lord, do you consider

the Shi'as to be non-Muslims?

Do you truly believe they are infidels? Is the following of the household of the Prophet, who believe in

the unity of one God, and glorify Him more than any other sect - because of their belief that He is above

any resemblance (with human beings), corporealism and bodily traits, tantamount to disbelief? They

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believe in His Prophet Muhammad (P) and extol him more than any other sect due to their belief in his

complete infallibility even before the call to prophecy - do you consider them to be infidels?

Those who take Allah, His Prophet and believers as friends and desire what the family of the Prophet

desires and accept them as their friends (as Ibn Manzur has introduced them in his "Lisan al-Arab" in his

[section on] the origins of the Shi'a), do you consider them to be non-Muslims?

Are these Shi'as who undertake prayers as their best undertaking and they pay the zakat as well as an

additional one fifth of their property in obedience to Allah and His Prophet and fast the month of

Ramadhan and other [extra] days and go for pilgrimage and glorify the signs of God, who respect the

friends of God and dissociate themselves from the enemies of Allah and Islam, do you consider them to

be polytheists?

Do those who believe in the Imamate of twelve Imams from the ahl al-bayt from whom Allah has

removed all filth and purified them completely and believe that the Prophet of God (P) has designated

them (as al-Bukhari and Muslim and others have reported from the Sunni Sahih works), are these, in

your view, deviants from Islam?

Were the Muslims ever ignorant of the Imamate and never accepted it whether at the time of the Prophet

or after his death so that we should attribute the belief in and origins of the Imamate to the Persians and

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Zoroastrians?

Do you now say that one who does not accept the Imamate of Yazid b. Mu'awiya to be an unbeliever, a

person whose immorality is known to the rank and file Muslims? Yazid's vileness and debaseness can be

discerned from what the Muslims have agreed on, i.e., his allowing his army and soldiers to do as they

pleased in al-Medina al-Munawwara so as to extract allegiance to him by force and to admit that they

(the people) are his slaves.

They killed 10,000 of the best companions and the followers and defiled the honor of pure women and

young Muslim girls so that they bore children from fornication, a number which nobody but Allah

knows. It is enough for his eternal shame, dishonour and disgrace that he killed the master of the youths

of paradise and enslaved the children of the Prophet, and hit the teeth of al-Husayn with his cane,

composing the famous ode:

"If only my ancestors at Badr would witness .." He also said: "The Banu Hashim played with the

kingdom, no news came nor any revelation descended".

It is clear that he did not believe neither in the prophecy of Muhammad nor in the noble Qur'an. Is it

proper that you agree to consider as an infidel one who dissociates himself from Yazid and his father

Mu'awiya who was cursing 'Ali and ordered his cursing? He [even] killed any prominent companion

who refused (to curse) as he did with Hujr b. 'Adi al-Kindi and his companions. He (Mu'awiya)

established a sunna [which was] followed for seventy years even though he was aware of the saying of

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the Prophet (P): "One who curses 'Ali curses me, and one who curses me curses Allah". This has been

reported in the Sahih works of the ahl al-sunna. Additionally, he [performed] acts which opposed [the

teachings of] Islam, like his killing of the innocent and upright ones so as to get bay'a for his son Yazid

by force and coercion and his killing of al-Hasan b. 'Ali through Ju'da, the daughter of Ash'ash and many

other crimes which the Sunni historical works mention and are testified by the followers of 'Ali.

I do not think, dear sir, that you will agree to all this and if you do, then we can bid farewell to Islam and

forget the world. There will remain no standards of judging nor reasoning, no law nor logic or proof.

Allah, the most Glorious and Exalted, says: "O you who believe, have fear of God and be with the

truthful ones". By God, the 'alim of Pakistan may God forgive his sins, Abu'l-A'la al-Mawdudi, may

God have mercy on him, has spoken the truth when he says in his book entitled "al-khilafa wa'l mulk" on

page 106 reporting from al-Hasan al-Basri:

There were four traits in Mu'awiya, any one of which was enough to disgrace him:

1. His seizing of the matter (Caliphate) without consulting the Muslims although there were, amongst

them, eminent companions and overwhelming light.

2. His appointing his son, the drunkard and winebibber who wore silk and played with drums, to be the

Caliph after him.

3. His recognizing Ziyad as his brother - the Prophet of God (P) said: "The child belongs to the bed

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(legal father), the adulterer is to be stoned".

4. His killing of Hujr and the companions of Hujr. Woe unto him for what he did to Hujr and his

companions (He repeated this three times).

May God have mercy on Abu'l-A'la al-Mawdudi, for he came out openly with the truth. Had he wished,

he would have added fourty-four more traits but he, may God have mercy on him, deemed this to be a

sufficient crime against Mu'awiya. The meaning of a sinful word is well known (perishing in fire).

Maybe al-Mawdudi was sensitive to the feelings of the people who had learnt from their predecessors to

revere and respect Mu'awiya and to be pleased with him and even to his son Yazid. I heard that for

myself from your scholars in India. There is no power nor strength except in God, the Almighty, the

most Great.

Maybe Mawdudi was sesitive to the feelings of the people who had learnt from their predecessors the

sanctfication and respect of Mu'awiya and to be pleased with him and even fro his son Yazidas I heard

for myelf from your scholars in India. There is no power nor strenght except in God, the Almighty, the

most great.

I was also sensitive to the feelings of those who had invited me so as to revile me, I did not mention

anything of this to them in fear of myself.

I appeal to you, sir, to adopt a clear stance, seeking, through it, the pleasure of Allah, the Most Exalted,

for Allah does not shirk from the truth. I do not ask from you that you concede [their wrongdoing] so as

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to get even with them nor to publish their disgraces, for history will bear witness to that.

What is requested from you is for you to concede and teach your followers that those who do not accept

the Imamate of these people nor befriend them are also true Muslims deserving respect, there is no doubt

about it. And for you to say that the Shi'as have been oppressed throughout history because they did not

follow or accept the Imamate of the troublesome, cursed ones for whom Allah has cited examples in the

Qur'an.

By your Lord, what is the crime of the Shi'as? The Prophet of God commanded the Muslims to follow

his household after him to the point that he likened them to Noah's ark, one who climbs in it is saved and

one who stays behind is destroyed. What is the sin of the Shi'as if they obey the order of the Prophet

when he said: "I leave behind me two weighty things, the book of God and my family, the ahl al-bayt: if

you cling to them you will never be led astray after me". In addition to the Shi'a books, the Sihah of the

ahl al-sunna testify to that.

Instead of thanking them and giving them preference, precedence and deeming them to be superior over

others, due to their compliance to the Prophet's (P) commands, we insult them and label them as infidels

and dissociate ourselves from them, this is neither fair nor logical.

Let us cast aside, sir, the foolish and false talk which is based neither on proof nor evidence and does not

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deceive the educated children of our community. The claims that the Shi'as have a special Qur'an or that

the bearer of the message is 'Ali or that 'Abd Allah b. Saba', the Jew, is the founder of Shi'ism or other

absurd and prejudiced allegations, which Allah bears witness to, are due to the imaginations of the

enemies of Islam and the enemies of the ahl al-bayt and their Shi'as, which only blind fanaticism and

complete ignorance have invented.

I am asking you, honourable sir, where do the scholars of India stand compared to the scholars of al-

Azhar who issued a ruling allowing [people] to embrace the madhab of Imami Shi'as thirty years ago?

Among the prominent notable 'ulama' of al-Azhar are those who view the Ja'ffari legal school, which the

Shi'as practise, as being more inclusive, rich and more close to the soul of Islam than the other Islamic

schools which are actually dependent upon it.

Among the leaders of these nobles is al-Shaykh Muhammad Shaltut, may God have mercy on him. He

was the head of al-Azhar during his time. Don't the 'ulama' of his calibre know Islam and Muslims? Are

the Indian scholars more knowledgeable and cognizant than them? I do not know what you will say to

that.

My noble Sir, I have strong hopes in you and my heart is open to you with love, kindness and yearning. I

was, like you, veiled from the truth and from the ahl al-bayt and their Shi'as in the past. Allah, Glory be

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to Him, guided me to the truth against which there is nothing but going astray. I freed myself from the

chains of fanaticism and blind imitation and I knew that most Muslims are still covered with rumours

and false (claims). The allegations prevent them from reaching the truth so as to enable all of them to

climb to the ship of salvation and to cling firmly to the rope of Allah. There is, as you know, no

difference between the Sunnis and the Shi'as except what arose after the Prophet due to the Caliphate.

The basis of the difference was their belief in the companions, may God be pleased with them. They

differed amongst themselves until they cursed some, they even waged war and killed each other.

If differences concerning them [warrants] being cast out of the fold of Islam then the companions are

most guilty of this crime, God forbid. I do not believe that you would be happy with that. Justice

therefore dictates that you should not be happy with the outcasting of the Shi'as from Islam. Just as the

Shi'as devoted themselves to revere and respect the ahl al-bayt, similarly, the Sunnis devoted themselves

to the respect of the sahaba and to revere all of them. What a difference between the two positions. If

the Shi'as are in error (due to that), then the Sunnis are more in error since all the companions prefer the

ahl al-bayt over themselves and send blessings on them as they send blessings on the Prophet. We do

p: 25

not know of any companion (R) who either preferred himself or saw himself superior, whether in

knowledge or in actions, over the ahl al-bayt of the chosen one.

The time has come to lift the darkness of history over the Shi'as of ahl al-bayt and to get close to them

and to accept them as brothers and to co-operate with each other towards virtue and piety. Enough blood

has been shed and sedition instigated in this community.

Sir, maybe Allah, Glory be to Him, will unite the different views through you and will gather the diverse

traits, mend the cracks and will cure, through you, the wounds. Maybe, because of you, He will

extinguish the flames of fitna and will disgrace Satan and his party. You will become triumphant in

God's eyes especially as, according to what I hear, you are amongst the descendants of the pure family.

Act so that you may be gathered with them ("Indeed, this is a single community and I am your Lord, so

worship Me"). ("And say: 'Act and Allah and His prophet and the believers will see your actions'"). May

God grant you and us success. May God make you and us among the sincere workers towards His noble

path.

With this letter, sir, I am enclosing a copy of my book 'Then I was Guided" which I wrote especially on

this topic, as a gift from me to you, hoping that you will accept it.

May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah the Almighty be with you.

p: 26

Yours sincerely

Muhammad al-Tijani al-Samawi al-Tunisi

3. Tafsir of al-Tabari in volume 14, p. 109.

4. Tafsir al-Alusi called Ruh al-Ma'ani in volume 14, p. 134.

5. Tafsir al-Qurtubi in volume 11, p. 272.

6. Tafsir al-Hakim, called Shawahid al-Tanzil, volume 1, p. 334.

7. Tafsir al-Tustari called Ihqaq al-Haqq, in volume 3, p. 482

8. Yanabi' al-Mawadda of al-Qunduzi al-Hanafi, p. 51 and p. 140.

The apparent meaning of the verse suggests that the ahl al-dhikr refers to the people of the book, i.e.

Jews and Christians. It therefore becomes necessary for us to make it clear that they are not [the ones]

intended in the noble verse.

Firstly: Because the noble Qur'an has mentioned in a number of verses that they altered the word of God

and they wrote the book with their hands, claiming that it was from God so as to purchase a small price.

It also bore witness to their lies and turning the truth upside down. Given this state of affairs, it is not

possible for it (the Qur'an) to instruct the Muslims to refer to them on issues which they do not know

about.

Secondly: Al-Bukhari has reported in his Sahih in "The Book of Testimony" under the chapter "The ahl

al-shirk (polytheists) aren't to be asked", volume 3, p. 163. Abu Hurayra narrated, he said: "The Prophet

(S.A.W.) said: 'Do not believe the people of the book and do not consider them as liars but say: 'We

believe in God and what was revealed'".

This means we should not to refer questions to them, rather, [we should] abandon and ignore them

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because [the command ] not to believe them nor to consider them as liars would nullify the goal [of

questioning], i.e., awaiting the correct reply.

Thirdly: Al-Bukhari has reported in his Sahih in "The Book of Unity" in the chapter: "Everyday He is

concerned [with matters]" volume 8, p. 208,

Ibn Abbas said: "O Muslims! How come you ask the people of the scriptures, although your book which

was revealed to His Prophet has the most recent information from Allah and you recite it, a book which

has not been distorted? Allah has revealed to you that the people of the scriptures have changed with

their own hands what was revealed to them and they have said: 'This is from Allah' in order to get some

worldly benefit thereby". Ibn 'Abbas added: "Isn't the knowledge revealed to you sufficient to prevent

you from asking them? By Allah, I have never seen any one of them asking (Muslims) about what has

been revealed to you".

Fourthly: Among the people of the book, if we ask the Christians today they will claim that Jesus is God

whilst the Jews will consider them to be liars and will not accept him even as a Prophet. Both of them

belie Islam and the Prophet of Islam and they call him a liar and an antichrist. Bearing this in mind, it is

incomprehensible that Allah would command us to ask them if we accept that the ahl al-dhikr from the

apparent [meaning] of the verse refers to the people of the book amongst the Jews and Christians. This

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does not contradict [the view] that it was revealed for the household of the Prophet as is established

amongst the Shi'as and Sunnis from authentic reports. It is understood from this that Allah, Glory be to

Him, the Most Exalted, bestowed the knowledge of the book, which does not neglect anything in it, to

these Imams whom He has chosen among His slaves so that people can refer to them on the commentary

and interpretation [of the Qur'an]. Therein lies their guidance - if they obey God and His Messenger.

As Allah, Glory be to Him, and sublime is His wisdom, wished the people to submit to the selected ones

amongst them, He chose them and taught them the knowledge of the book so that the leadership could

be facilitated and the affairs of the people organized due to that. If they were absent from the lives of the

people, the opportunity would be open for (false) claimants and ignorant ones. Everyone would then

follow his vain desires and the matter would be confusing for the people since everyone could claim to

be the most learned.

I will prove this view because I am satisfied that the ahl al-bayt are the ahl al-dhikr. I shall pose some

questions for which there are no answers for the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a or if there are answers, they

are contrived ones, not based on any sound proof acceptable to a researcher. As for their true replies,

these are with the pure Imams who have filled the earth with knowledge and cognition, actions and

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uprightness.

dissociation of Allah, Glory be to Him, the most Exalted from anthropomorphism, resemblance, forms

and corporealism (tajsim), comparison, (tashbih) and limitations (tahdid).

Imam 'Ali (A.S.) says about it: "All praise be to Allah, whose praise cannot be described by those who

speak, whose blessings cannot be enumerated by those who count, those who try to cannot give Him His

due rights, the height of the intellects cannot reach Him, the depths of perception cannot comprehend

Him; for His description, no limit has been laid down, no eulogy exists, no time counted and no duration

fixed.

Whoever has described Allah has linked Him [with something]; whoever links Him [with something]

has seen Him as two; whoever has seen Him as two has apportioned Him [into parts]; whoever

apportions Him is ignorant of Him; whoever is ignorant of Him has pointed at Him and whoever points

at Him has limited Him [to a place]; whoever limits Him has numbered Him.

Whoever has said what is He in, has contained Him [in a place]; whoever says what He is on, believes

that He is not on something else. He is a being but not through creation, He exists but not from nonexistence.

He is with everything but not [in the sense of] physical nearness; He is different from

everything but not in a physical sense. He acts but not in the sense of movement and tools [of

movement], He sees even when there is no creation of His to be seen".

I draw attention of the young erudite researchers to the treasures which Imam 'Ali (A.S.) has left and

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which have been compiled in the Nahj al-Balagha, that invaluable journey which is excelled only by the

Qur'an, and which has, unfortunately, remained unknown to the majority of the people due to the

propaganda, threats and obstacles imposed by the Umayyads and 'Abbasids against whoever was

connected to 'Ali b. Abi Talib.

I would not be exaggerating if I said that the Nahj al-Balagha contains many sciences and admonitions

which the people require with the passing of time. The Nahj al-Balagha contains the science of ethics

and sociology, economics and valuable indications to space and technology in addition to philosophy

and mode of conduct, politics and wisdom.

I proved that personally in a doctoral thesis which I presented to the University of Sorbonne and which

discussed four subjects which I chose from the Nahj al-Balagha. If only the Muslims were to accord the

Nahj al-Balagha a special affection and were to research it in their thesis and theories, for it is a deep

sea. Every time a researcher dwells into it he extracts pearls and corals from it.

the impossibility of seeing Him in this world and in the next. I personally believe that the traditions

which the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a base their arguments upon are all [the result of] interpolation of

Jews in the time of the companions because Ka'b al-Ahbar, the Jew who became a Muslim in the time of

'Umar b. al-Khattab, inserted these beliefs which the Jews maintain, using some naive companions like

Abu Hurayra and Wahb b. Munabbih. Most of these are reported in al-Bukhari and Muslim by Abu

Hurayra.

It was stated in a previous discussion how Abu Hurayra did not differentiate between the traditions of

the Prophet and the traditions of Ka'b al-Ahbar until 'Umar hit and banned him from reporting on the

question of the creation of Allah and of the [creation of the] heavens and the earth in seven days.

As long as the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a rely on al-Bukhari and Muslim and consider them as the most

correct books, and as long as they depend on Abu Hurayra to the extent that he has become for the ahl alsunna

wa'l-Jama'a the chief narrator of Islam, it is not possible, given this situation, for the ahl al-sunna

wa'l-Jama'a to alter their beliefs unless they free themselves from blind imitation and return to the

Imams of guidances and the family of the chosen one (al-Mustafa) and to the door of the city of

knowledge from which it (knowledge) can be attained.

This invitation is not confined to the elders and the teachers but is also [extended to] the erudite youths

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from the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a and also to [one upon] whom it is incumbent to free himself from

blind imitation and to follow proof, proper reasoning and evidence.

another period of forty days. Then it becomes a lump of flesh, then Allah sends His angels to breath in it

the spirit and with instructions concerning four things. The angel writes down his livelihood, his death,

his actions, his happiness and misfortunes. By Him, besides Whom there is no God, if one of you acts

like the people of paradise to the extent that between him and paradise remains the distance of a cubit

and then the book (of destiny) overcomes him, he begins to act like the people of hell until he enters it.

Another one of you performs the acts of the people of hell to the extent that there remains between him

and hell the distance of a cubit and then the book (of destiny) overcomes him, he begins to act like the

people of heaven and enters it".

Similarly, Muslim has narrated in his Sahih from 'A'isha, the mother of the believers. She said: "The

Prophet of Allah was invited to a funeral of a child from the Ansar. I said to him: 'There is happiness for

this child who is a bird from the birds of heaven, for it committed no sin nor did he reach the age (of

committing sin)'. He said: 'The opposite is the case, O 'A'isha. Indeed Allah has created for paradise its

people while they were in their father's loins and He created for hell its people while they were in their

father's loins'".

Al-Bukhari has reported in his Sahih that a person asked: "'O Prophet of God, can the people of paradise

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be known from the people of hell?' He replied: 'Yes'. He said: 'Even if he didn't work (for it)?' He

replied: 'Everyone does what he is created for or what is decreed for him to do'".

Glory and praise be to You, O Our Lord, You are more sublime and more exalted than this tyranny.

How can we believe these traditions [which] contradict your dear book in which You have stated, and

Your words are true: "Indeed, God does not do injustice to the people in any way, but the people do

injustice to themselves" (10:44); "Indeed, Allah does not do an atom's weight of injustice" (4:40); "Your

Lord does no injustice to anyone" (18:49); "God did not do any injustice to them, but they did injustice

to themselves" (3:117); "It was not God who did injustice to them, but they did injustice to

themselves" (9:70, 29: 40, 30:9); "We did no injustice to them but they did injustice to

themselves" (43:76); "That is because of what their hands have brought forth, indeed, Allah does no

injustice to the slaves" (8:51); "Whoever does good, does so for his own self, whoever does evil, [does

so] against his (self), your Lord does not do injustice to the servants" (41:46).

Just as He has said in the hadith qudsi, (sacred tradition) "O My slaves, I have forbidden injustice for

Myself, [as] I have also forbidden it upon you, so do not be unjust to yourselves". How can a Muslim

who believes in God, His justice and mercy [also believe] that Allah, Glory be to Him, created the

p: 37

creation, and decreed upon some of them heaven and upon others the fire according to His wishes?

[How can a Muslim believe] that He [also] decreed their acts, everyone proceeding towards what he is

created for? [How can he accept] these traditions which oppose the noble Qu'ran, [and] the state of fitra

(natural disposition) which God has created the people in, and which oppose sound reasoning and

human intuition and basic human rights?

How can we believe in this religion which petrifies human reasoning, [teaching] the human being is a

puppet which the hand of fate moves according to its wishes, only to put it into an oven later on? This

belief which prevents the human mind from creation, discovery, invention, progress and competition

which have brought about such wonderful things; and leaves a person stagnant and contented with the

state he is in and with what he has, claiming that he is proceeding towards what has been decreed for

him?

How can we accept these traditions which conflict with sound reason and portray a picture that Allah,

Glory be to Him, is the Creator, Almighty, Strong and Overpowering and it is up to Him to create weak

slaves so as to put them into the hell fire simply because He does what He wills? Do the intelligent

beings call this Lord a wise, merciful or just God?

What would happen if we discuss this with non-Muslim erudite scholars and they know that our Lord

has these attributes and that our religion has decreed misery upon the people before they were born, will

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they then accept Islam and enter into the religion in great numbers?

Glory be to You, O Lord, this is false speech which was imprinted by the Umayyads and recorded by

them for their own interests, it is up to the researcher to know the secret of that. This is falsified speech

because it contradicts Your speech. Far be it from You that Your Prophet should fabricate anything

against You which would contradict Your revelation that You sent to him. It is established that he (S.A.

W.) said: "If a tradition comes to you from me, then compare it with the book of God. Accept whatever

agrees with the book of God and reject whatever contradicts it".

Traditions of these genre are many, they oppose the book of God and reason. They must be rejected, no

attention should be paid to them even if al-Bukhari and Muslim have reported them, they were not

infallible persons. One proof is sufficient for us to refute these invalid claims, this is the sending of the

Prophets and Apostles from Allah to His creatures during the entire course of human history so as to

rectify the misdeeds of the servants and to explain to them the right path. [It was also done] to teach

them the book and wisdom and to give them the good tidings of heaven if they are upright and to warn

them of the punishment of God in the fire if they are corrupt.

Amongst the justice and mercy of Allah, Glory be to Him, to His creatures is that He doesn't punish

p: 39

[anyone] until He sends to them a Prophet and establishes for them proofs. The most High has said:

"One who is guided, is guided for His own self; one who goes astray does so for his own loss, no one

bears the burden of another (soul); We do not punish anyone until we send a Prophet" (17:15).

If the traditions which al-Bukhari and Muslim transmit indicate that Allah has prescribed the acts of His

slaves before He created them and He decreed for some of them heaven and for others hell as we have

previously indicated and as the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a believe, I say that, if this is true, then the

sending of Messengers and the revealing of books is a futile exercise. Allah, the most High and Great, is

above all that. They have not credited Allah with His due worth. We should not speak like this about

Allah, Glory be to Him, this is a great accusation [against Him].

"Those are the signs of Allah We reveal to You with the truth, Allah does not wish injustice to the

universe" (3:108). The answer to this lies with the Imams of guidance and lanterns of those in darkness

and the light houses of the umma, i.e., the removal of injustice and futility from Allah, the most

Glorious.

Let us hear from the door of knowledge, the commander of believers, 'Ali b. Abi Talib (A.S.). He

explains to the people this belief which has remained a puzzle to some Muslims who have abandoned

the door [of knowledge]. He said (when one of his companions asked him: "Is our journey to Syria by

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the decree of God and by predestination?)"

"Woe to you, Perhaps you take the decree as inevitable and unavoidable destiny. If this was so, then

reward and punishment would be in vain, promises and warnings would be meaningless. Indeed, Allah,

Glory be to Him, ordered His servants to act according to their free will and prohibited them through

warnings. He has made obligations easy, not difficult for them. For a few good [works], he gives much

[reward]. If he is disobeyed, it is not by being overpowered; if he is obeyed, it is not by force. He did not

send Prophets for sport, neither did he reveal the book without purpose. He did not create the heavens

and the earth and what is between them in vain, 'that is the thinking of those who disbelieve, woe to

those who disbelieve due to the fire'" (38:27). The Imam (A.S.) has spoken the truth, woe to those who

ascribe futility and injustice to Allah, [we seek refuge] from His painful chastisement.

It is noteworthy, and the truth dictates, that the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a should dissociate Allah from

futility and injustice. If you were to ask one of them he will never attribute injustice to the Majesty of

Allah, Glory be to Him. However, he will find himself at a loss to reject the traditions reported by al-

Bukhari and Muslim. So he believes at the same time that they are correct. Because of that, you will find

that when you argue with them logically, he will claim that this is not called injustice on God's part since

p: 41

He is the creator. The creator has the right to do as He wishes to His creatures. He is not asked what He

does, [on the contrary] they are to be questioned. If you ask him: "How can God decree on a slave the

hell fire before creating him because He has prescribed a wretched state for him, and how can He decree

on another heaven before creating him since He has prescribed happiness for him? Isn't that injustice on

the two of them? [This is] because the one who enters heaven does not do so by his deeds but because of

Allah choosing it for him, similarly, the one entering hell, he does not enter it because of the sins he

committed but because of what Allah has decreed. Isn't this injustice, does it not contradict the Qur'an?"

He will answer you: "Indeed God does what He wishes". You do not understand the contradiction in his

position. This is clear since he has raised al-Bukhari and Muslim to the level of the Qur'an and he says

the most correct books after the book of God are al-Bukhari and Muslim. In al-Bukhari and Muslim are

[to be found] astonishing, strange and unfortunate things through which the Muslims have been

confused. The Umayyads, and after them the 'Abbasids, have greatly succeeded in spreading their

innovations and beliefs, which were in agreement with their barren politics. Their effects remain until

today since the Muslims believe that it is the best and greatest legacy they have got because, according

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to their understanding, it is the collection of the correct traditions of the Prophet. If only the Muslims

know the extent to which they lied against the Prophet (S.A.W.) due to their political goals, they (the

Muslims) will not believe the traditions especially those which contradict the book of God.

As Allah has guaranteed the protection of the noble Qur'an and as it was preserved by the companions

who would present it to the Prophet (for checking), they (the Umayyads) could not change or alter it so

they turned to the pure sunna and they fabricated what they wished and [attributed] to whoever they

wished. As they were the enemies of the ahl al-bayt [who were] the protectors of the Qur'an and the

sunna, they invented, for every event, a tradition which they attributed to the Prophet (S.A.W.). They

presented these to the Muslims, maintaining that these traditions are the most correct, to the exclusion of

others, so the people accepted them with confidence. They transmitted these, generation after generation

inheriting them.

To be impartial, I admit that the Shi'as too became victims of interpolation and misrepresentation of

many traditions which are attributed to the Prophet (S.A.W.) or to one of the pure Imams (A.S.). With

the passing of time, the Muslims, whether Sunnis or Shi'as, were not safe from this interpolation and

fabrication. However, the Shi'as are to be distinguished from the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a by three

things which also distinguish them from other Islamic sects. Their beliefs remain sound and are in

agreement with the Qur'an and the sunna and reasoning. These three things are:

p: 43

Firstly: Their devotion to the ahl al-bayt of the Prophet. They do not prefer anyone to them and we all

know who are the ahl al-bayt. [They are those] from whom Allah has removed all filth and purified

them completely.

Secondly: The number of Imams of the ahl al-bayt. They are twelve in number, their lives and

influences remained for three centuries. They agree with each other in all the rulings and traditions.

They do not differ in anything which they have transmitted to their partisans and learned followers in all

fields of knowledge and information. [They have done so] with proper clarification and with no

contradiction in beliefs or in other fields.

Thirdly: Their acknowledgment and acceptance that their books could contain mistakes and correct

[things], they do not have a sahih book except the book of God which cannot be afflicted by falsehood

from any side. It is sufficient for you to know, for example, that the greatest book for them is the "Usul

al-Kafi". They say that in it are thousands of false traditions. Due to that, you will find that their scholars

and researchers are devoted to research and criticism, they do not accept [anything] except that which is

proven by the text and the chain of narrators (isnad) and that which does not oppose the Qur'an and

reasoning.

As for the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a, they have restricted themselves to books which they call the Sihah

Sitta (the six correct books). They argue on the basis that whatever is in them is correct, most of them

p: 44

hereditarily transmit this view without discussing or examining it. If they did so, most of the traditions

reported in these books do not stand up to academic inquiry for in (some) of them is clear blasphemy as

they contradict the Qur'an, the etiquettes and actions of the Prophet and degrade his nobility. For a

researcher, it is sufficient for him to read the book of the Egyptian scholar al-Shaykh Mahmud Abu Ra'y

"Light on the Muhammadan sunna" to discern the value of the six Sihah. Praise be to Allah that many

young researchers today are freed from those shackles, they have begun to sift between the thick and

thin. Even many zealous teachers of the Sihah today have come to deny them, not because they are sure

of the weaknesses of some traditions but because they find in the [books] arguments which the Shi'as

present whether it be in the jurisprudential rulings or in the belief in the unseen. There is no ruling or

belief which the Shi'as maintain except it being actually present in one of the six Sihahs which belong to

the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a.

According to this, some zealous person told me that as long as you believe that the traditions of al-

Bukhari are not correct, why do you argue against us by using these traditions? I said: "Not everything

in al-Bukhari is correct, neither is everything in it forged, for the truth is true and falsehood is false, it is

up to us to sift and choose".

He said: "Do you have a special microscope to distinguish between the correct and false [traditions]?" I

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said: "I do not have [anything] more than what you have, however, what both the Sunnis and Shi'is agree

upon is correct since its authenticity is established by both sides and we make them abide by it as they

have accepted it themselves. That which they differ upon, even if it is considered correct by one side,

cannot be imposed on the opposite party. The neutral researcher is not expected to accept it and argue

based on it since this would be a circular [argument].

I cite one example so that no problem can remain on this subject and so that the same criticism is not

levelled through different means.

The Shi'as claim that the Prophet of God (S.A.W.) appointed 'Ali as the khalifa of the Muslims at Ghadir

Khum on the 18th day of Dhu'l hijja after the farewell pilgrimage. He said at that occasion: "Of

whomsoever I am the master, this 'Ali is the master. O God, befriend one who befriends him, and be an

enemy to one who shows enmity towards him". This event and this tradition has been narrated by many

scholars of the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a in their Sihah and Masanid and historical works. It is possible

for the Shi'as to argue, based on this, with the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a.

The ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a claim that the Messenger of God (S.A.W.) appointed Abu Bakr to lead the

people in prayers during the sickness [which led] to his death. He said on that occasion: "God and His

Prophet and the believers refuse [anyone to lead] except Abu Bakr".

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This event and this tradition is not to be found in the Shi'a books. They merely relate that the Prophet of

Allah sent for 'Ali, whereupon 'A'isha sent for her father. When the Prophet of God came to know that,

he said to 'A'isha: "You are among the females [who tempted] Joseph". He came out to lead the prayer

and moved Abu Bakr.

It is neither possible nor fair that the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a argue against the Shi'as based on what

only they accept, especially if the traditions are contradictory and distort reality and history. This is

because the Prophet (S.A.W.) appointed Abu Bakr to be amongst the army of Usama and to be under his

command and leadership. It is well known that the commander of the army in an expedition is the leader

of the prayer. It has been historically established that Abu Bakr was not present in Medina at the time of

the death of the Prophet. He was at al-Sanh, preparing to leave with his commander and leader Usama b.

Zayd who was hardly 17 years old. Given this situation, how can we believe that the Prophet of God (S.

A.W.) appointed him to be the leader of the prayer? Unless we believe the saying of 'Umar b. Khattab

that the Prophet was crazy and did not know what he did or said. There is no solution to this impossible

[issue], neither do the Shi'as accept it.

Here the researcher should fear God in his research and should not let his sentiments overcome him so

p: 47

as to deviate from the truth and to follow his desires thereby being led astray from the path of God. It is

obligatory for him to accept the truth, even if the truth lies with somebody else. He has to free himself

from sediments [of feelings], sentiments and egoism. He should be among those for whom Allah, the

most Powerful and Glorious, has praised in His saying: "Give glad tidings to My slaves who listen to the

speech and follow the best of it. These are the ones whom Allah has guided, these are the people of

understanding" (39:18).

It is not correct for the Jew to say that we have the truth and the Christians to claim that the truth lies

with us and for the Muslims also to say that the truth is with us whilst they differ in beliefs and practices.

It is necessary for a researcher to examine the claims of the three religions and to compare them with

each other until the truth becomes clear to him.

It is not proper either for the ahl al-sunna to say that the truth lies with them and the Shi'as to claim that

the truth is with them alone, whereas they differ in some concepts and rulings. The truth is one and is not

divisible.

It is also essential for the researcher to isolate and examine the claims of the two sides and to compare

one against the other and for him to rely on his reasoning so that the truth should become clear for him.

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That is the call of Allah, Glory be to Him, to every sect which lays claim to the truth, for He says: "Say,

bring your proof if you are truthful" (2:111).

Being in a majority [status] is not an indication of the truth, on the contrary, the opposite is the case. The

Most High says: "If you obey most of those who are on earth, they will mislead you from the path of

God" (6:116). He also said: "Most of the people will not have faith, however hard you try" (12:103).

Just as the advancement of civilization and technology and wealth is not a proof for the west to be on the

truth and the east to be on falsehood, the Most High has said: "Do not let their wealth and children

dazzle you, for through these, Allah wishes to punish them in this life so that their souls may perish

whilst they deny God" (9:55).

has not informed the intellect about the restrictions to His attributes, and He has not prevented it from

knowing what is essential to know about Him. The signs of existence bear testimony to Him to the

extent that the mind which denies Him also believes in Him. Allah is beyond what those who liken Him

to other things or those who deny Him, say about Him.

Praise be to Allah, for whom one condition does not precede another so that He may be the first before

being the Last or that He may be manifest before being hidden. Apart from Him, everything called

unique is [actually] little. Apart from Him, everything honourable is meek, everything powerful is weak,

every owner is a slave.

Apart from Him, every scholar is a student, every one with ability is disabled and weak, every listener

other than Him is deaf to light voices while loud voices make him deaf and distant voices are remote

from him.

Apart from him, everyone that sees is blind to hidden colours and delicate bodies. Apart from Him,

every manifest thing is hidden, every inner thing apart from Him is manifest. He did not create what He

did to strengthen His authority nor due to fear of time nor to seek help against an equally aggressive

partner or hateful opponent. Rather, all creatures are nurtured by Him and are His humble slaves. He

does not enter into anything so that it can be said that He exists therein, nor is He separated from

anything so that it can be said that He is away from it. The creation that He created or the administration

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of what He controls did not tire Him. No disability overtook Him for what He created. No misgivings

ever occurred to Him in what He ordained and resolved. His verdict is certain, His knowledge definite,

His governance overwhelming. Even in distress, He is the centre of Hope and, despite all the bounties,

He is to be feared".

guarantee one from not being led astray especially as we know that the whole Qur'an is explained and

made clear by the Prophetic sunna.. What is your proof that the commentary and explanations are not

contrary to the book of Allah, the most exalted?

One of them expressed this opinion to me: "The Prophet of God certainly opposed the Qur'an in many

rulings according to the demands of the occasion". I said in a surprised manner: "Cite me one example

of this opposition".

He said: "The Qur'an says: 'The adulteress and the adulterer, lash both of them with one hundred

lashings' (24:2). Whereas the Prophet ordered the stoning of the adulterer and adulteress, this [ruling] is

not found in the Qur'an".

I said: "The stoning is for the married person who fornicates, whether male or female, whereas lashing is

for the unmarried person if he/she fornicates, whether male or female".

He said: "In the Qur'an, there is no [mention of] unmarried or married [person] as Allah does not specify

it, rather, He uses the term adulterer and adulteress without qualifying it".

I said: "Then, on this basis, does this mean that every general ruling in the Qur'an which was specified

by the Prophet is thereby contradictory to the Qur'an? Then, do you say that the Prophet opposed the

Qur'an in most of his rulings?" He replied diffidently: "The Qur'an is only infallible because Allah has

guaranteed its protection. As for the Prophet, he is a man. He errs and does right. As the Qur'an says

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about him: 'Say I am nothing but a man like you'". I said: "Why do you pray the morning, midday,

afternoon evening and night prayer whereas the Qur'an used the general word, prayer, without

specifying it's timings?" He replied: "In the Qur'an, it says: 'Indeed the prayer was a prescribed time for

the believers'. The Prophet explained the timings of the prayers". I said: "Why do you believe him in the

timings of the prayers and you refute him in the rulings on stoning the adulterer?"

He tried his best to satisfy me with contradictory, barren philosophies which do not stand against

intellectual or logical proofs. For example, he said: "One cannot doubt about the prayer because the

Prophet of Allah performed it during the whole of his life, five times every day. However, we cannot be

so sure about stoning since he did it only once or twice during his lifetime". Similarly, he claims that the

Prophet does not err when God commands him on an issue. However, when he judges by his own

reasoning, then he is not infallible. Due to that, the companions would ask him in every case, is this from

himself or from God? If he said: "This is from Allah", they obeyed him without any argument. If he

said: "This is from me", then they would argue, dispute and advise him. He would accept their advices

and views. The Qur'an was at times revealed in agreement with the views of some companions and

opposed his (the Prophet's) views as [happened] in the question of the prisoners of Badr and other

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famous incidents.

I tried my best to persuade him but without any success because the scholars of the ahl al-sunna wa'l-

Jama'a are convinced by this [view] and the Sihah are full of such traditions which destroy the

infallibility of the Prophet. It makes him [appear as] a person lower in status than a pious person or a

military leader or lower than a Sufi shaykh of the path. I would not be exaggerating if I said that he is

lower in status than an ordinary person. If we read some of the traditions in the Sihah of the ahl al-sunna

wa'l-Jama'a, it would be absolutely clear to us the degree of influence that the Umayyads, from their

times, have had on the thinking of the Muslims, and that their vestiges have remained with the people

even today.

If we searched for the aim or goal for that, we would reach a certain and bitter conclusion, which is;

those who ruled the Muslims during the Umayyad dynasty, the chief of whom was Mu'awiya b. Abu

Sufyan, did not believe, for a day, that Muhammad b. 'Abd Allah was sent with God's message or that he

was truly God's Messenger. Most probably, they believed that he was a magician who overwhelmed the

people and built a kingdom at the cost of the downtrodden people, especially the slaves who supported

and helped him in his claims. This is not mere conjecture, since some conjectures can be sinful. When

we read the historical works to study the character of Mu'awiya and those around him, and what he did

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during his lifespan, especially when he ruled, the conjecture becomes a reality, there is no escape from

it.

All of us know who Mu'awiya is and who his father Abu Sufyan and his mother Hind are. He is the

freed slave, son of a freed slave, who spent his youth in the circle of his father mobilizing an army to

fight the Prophet of God and to opposing his mission with all effort. When all his attempts failed and

when the Prophet of God (S.A.W.) emerged victorious over him and his father, he accepted Islam for

pragmatic reasons without any conviction. The Prophet, due to his nobility and great character, forgave

him and called him the freed man (al-taliq). After the death of the bearer of the message, his

(Mu'awiya's) father tried to instigate discord and sedition in Islam. That was when, at night, he came to

Imam 'Ali inciting him to rise against Abu Bakr and 'Umar and tempting him with property and men.

Imam 'Ali (A.S.) knew his aim and so ignored him. He remained living in rancour against Islam and

Muslims for the whole of his life until the Caliphate came to his cousin 'Uthman. At that time, the

disbelief and hypocrisy lying within him surfaced and he said: "Seize it, seize it again, by what Abu

Sufyan swears, there is neither heaven nor hell".

Ibn Asakir has reported in his historical work in the sixth volume, page 407, from Anas, that Abu Sufyan

visited 'Uthman after he had become blind. He asked him: "Is there anyone around?" They said: "No".

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He said: "O God, make the matters [as they were] at the time of the Jahiliyya and the kingdom [belong]

to the usurpers and make the Banu Umayyads the tent pegs (awtad) of the earth".

As for his son Mu'awiya, what do you know about Mu'awiya? There are no bounds as to what one can

say concerning what he did to the umma of Muhammad (P) during his governorship in Syria and after

gaining control of the Caliphate through force and power. The historians have mentioned [his acts]

concerning his defiling the Qur'an and sunna and transgressing all the boundaries of the shari'a. His

actions are those which even the pen cannot write and the tongue cannot mention, due to their evil and

corrupt nature. Bearing in mind the feelings of our brothers amongst the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a, we

have devoted pages for those who have instilled the love of Mu'awiya in their hearts and defend him.

It would not be out of place for us to mention the mentality of the man and his belief in the bearer of the

message. His belief is not too different from the belief of his father. He was fed by the milk of the one

who ate human liver. She was well known as a prostitute and an adulterer. Similarly, he inherited [the

character of] his father, the leader of the hypocrites. Islam did not find a place in his heart even for a

day. Just as we know the character of the father, the son is expressing the same thing but in a more

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subtle and hypocritical way.

Al-Zubayr b. Bakar reported from Mutawwaf b. al-Mughira b. Shu'ba al-Thaqafi. He said: "I visited

Mu'awiya with my father. My father would [often] visit him and narrate from him. Thereafter, he would

come to me and mention Mu'awiya and his mentality and would [often] be surprised at what he saw. He

came to me one evening. However, he did not have dinner and appeared aggrieved. I waited for a while

thinking that something had happened between us or [it was due to] what we did. I then said to him:

'What is the matter, I see you are distressed since the evening?' He said: 'O my son, I have come from

the most evil of people'. I said to him: 'How can that be?' He said: 'I said to Mu'awiya when I was alone

with him: 'O Commander of the Faithful, you have attained your goal, if only you were to demonstrate

justice and spread virtue. You have become old of age. If only you were to look after your brothers, the

Banu Hashim, and were to re-establish ties with them. By God, they do not have anything today which

you should be scared of. In that there will be [something] for which you will be remembered and will

receive reward'. He said to me: 'Far be from it, far be from it. What remembrance do I wish to leave

behind me? The brother of Taym (Abu Bakr) ruled and spread justice and did what he did. As soon as he

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died so did his remembrance except that a person [while mentioning him], would say "Abu Bakr". Then

the brother of 'Adi ('Umar) ruled and he persevered and he remained active for ten years. As soon as he

died, so did his remembrance, except a person [while mentioning him] would say "'Umar". Then our

brother 'Uthman ruled. Here was a man the like of whom there was nobody. He did what he did and they

did to him what they did. By God, as soon as he died, they forgot his remembrance and forgot what was

done to him. The brothers of Hashim shout every day five times: 'I bear witness that Muhammad is the

Prophet of God'. What action and what remembrance will remain with this, O motherless one, by God,

except [for one] to die and be buried?'"

May God debase, disappoint and disgrace you (Mu'awiya), O one who wanted to bury the remembrance

of the Prophet of God with all efforts. You spent everything you owned for that cause but all your efforts

met with failure. Allah, Glory be to Him, is observing you and He says to His Prophet: "We have raised

your remembrance". You (Mu'awiya) can never erase his remembrance which the Lord of power and

might has raised. Plot your schemes and gather your group, you will not be able to extinguish the light of

God with your mouth. God will perfect His light despite your hypocrisy and jealousy. Look here, you

ruled the world east and west, as soon as you died, so did your remembrance, except that one who

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remembers you does so due to your evil deeds, through which you had hoped to destroy Islam, just as it

has been reported from the tongue of the Prophet of God (S.A.W.). The remembrance of Muhammad b.

'Abd Allah, the brother of Banu Hashim, has remained during the course of centuries and generations,

until God establishes his rule on earth and on the people inhabiting it. Whenever someone mentions him,

they do so by sending greetings to him and his family. [This is] despite your plots and the plots of the

Banu Umayya who tried, through your guidance and leadership, to prevail over them and their

excellences. That only enhanced their status and eminence. You will meet Allah on the day of

judgement, when He will be angry with you due to what you innovated in His law and He will give you

what you deserve.

If we add to this their offspring, Yazid b. Mu'awiya, the shameless, corrupt one and wine drinker, the

one who openly indulged in sins and debauchery, we find him to be having the same belief, which he

inherited from his father Mu'awiya and grandfather Abu Sufyan. He inherited from them vileness,

baseness, wine drinking, fornicating with prostitutes and gambling. If he had not inherited these evil

characteristics, his father, Mu'awiya, would not have appointed him for the Caliphate and imposed him

over the neck of the Muslims. All of them knew him the way he should be known, while they were alive.

Amongst them were prominent companions like al-Husayn b. 'Ali, the master of the youths of paradise. I

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do not doubt that Mu'awiya passed his life and spent his money which he earned through illegal ways, in

the path of destroying Islam and the true Muslims. We have seen how he wished to bury the

remembrance of Muhammad (S.A.W.). He was not able to do that, so he initiated a war against his

cousin 'Ali, the legatee of the Prophet, until it ended. He then attained the Caliphate with force,

deception and hypocrisy. He established an inauspicious sunna and ordered his governors in all regions

to curse 'Ali and the Prophetic household from all the pulpits and in all prayers. By doing that, he

wanted to curse the Prophet of God. When all his plans failed and his destined time arrived and he had

did not attain his purpose, he appointed his son as a ruler over the umma to continue along the plan

which he and his father Abu Sufyan had established, i.e., the destruction of Islam and returning to the

Jahili era. That mad and corrupted person accepted the Caliphate and prepared his entourage to destroy

Islam according to the desires of his father. He began by seizing the city of the Prophet of God (S.A.W.)

with his disbelieving army. He did what he did in three days. He killed 10,000 of the most virtuous

companions in it and proceeded, after that, to kill the master of the youths of paradise and the delight of

the Prophet (S.A.W.) and to kill the Prophetic household. They were the moons of the umma. He [even]

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enslaved the free persons of the ahl al-bayt. From Allah do we come, and to Him we shall return.

If Allah had not cut short his life, that wretched, evil person would have destroyed Islam and Muslims.

What we are concerned with in our discussion is to unveil his beliefs, just as we unveiled the belief of

his father and grandfather.

Historians have narrated that after the terrible event of al-Harra and the killing of 10,000 of the best

Muslims (except women or children) and raping of 1,000 virgins, about 1,000 women became pregnant

in those days without being married.

Then the remaining people paid allegiance and agreed that they were to be slaves to Yazid. Whoever

refused was killed. When Yazid was informed of all these crimes and vile deeds, which the cowards had

perpetrated and which history has never witnessed the like of (even by the Mongols or Tartars or the

Isra'ilis), Yazid was happy by that and insulted the Prophet of Islam. He exemplified the speech of Ibn al-

Zubara who composed a poem after the battle of Uhud saying:

"If only my ancestors [who died at] Badr, had seen the wailing of the Khazraj from the attacks of spears

and of the sword,

They would have shouted and cried with joy and would have said: 'O Yazid, your hands should not be

paralyzed'.

We killed the master of their leaders, and we extracted revenge of Badr.

I would not be from the progeny of Khandaf if I did not take revenge from the progeny of Ahmad for

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what he has done.

The Hashimites played with the Kingdom, no news came nor any revelation revealed".

The grandfather, Abu Sufyan, the first enemy of God and His Prophet, says loudly "Seize it, O Banu

Umayya, seize it again, by that which Abu Sufyan swears, there is neither heaven nor hell". And the

father, Mu'awiya, the second enemy of Allah and His Prophet, said clearly (when he heard the caller to

prayer bearing witness that Muhammad is the Prophet of God) "What actions and what remembrance

will remain with this, O motherless one?"

The son Yazid, the third enemy of God and His Prophet, says loudly: "The Hashimites played with the

Kingdom, no news came, nor any revelation revealed".

We have known their beliefs about God and His Prophet and about Islam, and we know of their

disgraceful acts, through which they wanted to destroy the pillars of Islam. [We have known of] their

vileness towards the Prophet of Islam, of which we have mentioned a few details for the sake of brevity.

If we wanted to expand on this, we could have filled a huge volume on the actions of Mu'awiya alone

which would have remained a shame and disgrace forever, although some evil scholars have tried to

conceal and hide [these]. The Banu Umayya would give them perks and gifts which would make their

eyes blind. They sold their hereafter for this world and they confused truth with falsehood whilst fully

knowing this. Most of the Muslims remained victims of these lies and falsehoods. If only they knew the

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true victims, they would remember Abu Sufyan, Mu'awiya and Yazid with nothing but curses and

disapproval.

In this short discussion, what is important for us is to discern the degree of influence these people, their

partisans and followers, who ruled the Muslims for 100 years, had. That influence is still at the first

stages.

There is no doubt that the influence of these hypocrites on the Muslims was immense. They changed

their beliefs, lives, etiquettes and dealings and even their [forms of] worship. Otherwise, how can we

explain the desisting of the community from aiding the truth and the abandoning of the friends of God

and the siding with the enemies of God and His Prophet?

How can we comprehend [the fact that] Mu'awiya, the freed man, son of a freed man and accursed son

of the accursed one, ascending the Caliphate, [a position] which represented the status and the Caliphate

of the Prophet of Allah, (S.A.W.)? Keeping in view what the historians want us to believe, that the

people would tell 'Umar b. al-Khattab: "If we see any deviation in you, we will straighten you with our

swords", yet we see them narrating from Mu'awiya when he ascended the throne of the Caliphate by

force and power. The first sermon which he delivered to all the companions was: "I did not fight you so

that you should pray and fast but so as to rule over you, I am now your commander". Yet no one moved

a finger or opposed him, on the contrary, they accompanied him and they named the year which

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Mu'awiya came to power "the year of unity" whereas, in reality, it was "the year of dissension".

Then we see them, after that, accepting his son Yazid, the corrupt one, to rule over them, one who was

well known by all of them. They did not revolt nor move, except some upright ones whom Yazid killed

at the battle of al-Harra. Among those who survived, he extracted a pledge that they were to be his

slaves. How can we interpret all that?

We find after, that in the name of leading the believers, the corrupt ones amongst the Banu Umayyads

like Marwan b. al-Hakam and al-Walid b. 'Uqba and others attained the Caliphate .

The matter of leading the believers reached a level whereby they seized the city of the Prophet,

performed evil deeds in it, defiled its sanctity and even burnt the house of God, the sanctuary, and killed

prominent companions in it. The matter of the leaders of the faithful reached a stage whereby they

spilled the blood of the Prophet of God (S.A.W.) and that was due to their killing the delight of the

Prophet of God and his progeny. They deemed it permissible to enslave his children. No one from the

umma moved from the stationary position. The master of the youths of paradise did not find a helper.

The matter of leading the believers reached a level whereby they tore up the book of God whilst saying

to it: "If you meet your Lord on the day of resurrection, then say: 'O my Lord, al-Walid tore me apart'".

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This was what al-Walid, the Umayyad leader, did.

The matter of leading the believers reached a level whereby they cursed 'Ali b. Abi Talib from the

pulpits and instructed the people in all regions to curse him. By that, they meant to curse the Prophet of

God. Nobody moved from his stationary position. Whoever refused to comply was either killed,

crucified or maimed.

The matter of leading the believers reached a level whereby they openly drank wine, fornicated, amused

themselves with pleasure, songs, dances and ...... there is no limit to what one can relate.

If the matter of the Islamic umma had reached this level of decay of morals, meekness and resignation,

there must have been factors which had influenced its beliefs. This is what will concern us in this

discussion, since it is connected with the question of the infallibility and character of the noble Prophet

(S.A.W.).

The first thing which deserves our attention here is that the three Caliphs, Abu Bakr, 'Umar and

'Uthman, prohibited the writing and even the discussion of the traditions of the Prophet (P).

Abu Bakr gathered the people during his Caliphate and said to them: "You relate traditions from the

Prophet of God and differ about it. The people after you will differ even more, [therefore] do not relate

anything from the Prophet. If anyone asks you, say: 'Between us there is the book, so consider as lawful

what is lawful in it, and prohibit what is forbidden in it'".

Similarly, 'Umar was another one who forbade the people from narrating traditions from the Prophet.

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Qarza b. K'ab said: "When 'Umar b. al-Khattab sent us to Iraq, he walked with us and said: 'Do you

know why I followed you?' They said: 'To honour us'. He said: 'Besides that, you are going to the

villagers. The Qur'an reverberates in them like the reverberation of a bee. Do not occupy them with

traditions. So make them busy and recite the Qur'an, and reduce the narrations from the Prophet and I

am an associate to you [in this]'".

This narrator says: "I never narrated a tradition after 'Umar's admonition". When he arrived in Iraq, the

people hastened to him asking him about the hadith. Qarza said to them: "'Umar prohibited me from

that".

Similarly, 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Awf said that 'Umar b. al-Khattab gathered the companions from remote

regions to forbid them from narrating traditions of the Prophet to the people. He said to them: "Stand by

me, do not go away from me as long as I live". They did not leave him until he died.

Similarly, al-Khatib al-Baghdadi says, and [so does] al-Dhahabi in Tadhkira al-Huffaz, that 'Umar b. alKhattab

imprisoned three companions in Medina. These were Abu Darda, Ibn Mas'ud and Abu Mas'ud

al-Ansari due to their excessive narration of traditions. Furthermore, 'Umar commanded the companions

to bring the books of traditions at their disposal to him. They thought he wanted to organize them in a

way so that there would be no differences between them. They brought their books, he burnt them all in

the fire.

Then 'Uthman came after him. He continued the trend and notified all the people that: "It is not

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permitted for anyone to narrate a tradition which was not heard during the times of Abu Bakr and

'Umar".

After them came the time of Mu'awiya b. Abu Sufyan. When he attained the position of the Caliphate,

he ascended the minbar and said: "O people, it is forbidden to speak about hadith from the Prophet of

Allah (S.A.W.), except those hadith which were mentioned during the Caliphate of 'Umar".

Certainly, there had to be a secret motive behind the proscription of traditions that were uttered by the

Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), hadiths which did not agree with things that were happening at that time.

Otherwise, why were the hadiths of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) forbidden for the entire length of this

period, and were not permitted to be written except during the Caliphate of 'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz (R)?

We can therefore deduce, based on the events mentioned, especially bearing in mind the clear texts

regarding the Caliphate which the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) had declared in the presence of the main

witnesses, that Abu Bakr and 'Umar prohibited the narration and transmission of hadith from the

Prophet, fearing that those hadiths would spread to all regions, and even to the neighbouring villages. It

would then become clear to the people that his Caliphate and the Caliphate of his companion was not

[valid] according to the shari'a. Rather, it had been usurped from the divinely ordained Caliph, 'Ali b.

Abi Talib. We have discussed this topic and uncovered the truth in our book, "So that I may be with the

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Truthful ones". Whoever wishes further confirmation [of this] can refer to it.

The surprising thing regarding 'Umar b. al-Khattab is his contradictory stance especially in things related

to the Caliphate. While we find him to be the one who had urged the allegiance to Abu Bakr and [even]

coerced the people to it - at the same time he declares that it was a sudden decision and that Allah had

protected [the people] from it's disasters. At another time, we find him choosing six people for the

Caliphate saying: "If the bald one gets it (meaning 'Ali b. Abi Talib), he will impose severity upon

them". Since he confessed that 'Ali was the only person who could make the people steadfast, then why

did he not appoint him and end the matter, thereby giving good advice to the umma of Muhammad? But

we see him instead, after this, contradicting himself and preferring the opinion of 'Abd al-Rahman b.

'Awf, then contradicting himself yet again saying: "Were Salim, the slave of Abu Hudhayfa, alive, I

would have appointed him over you".

More surprising than that was the issue of Abu Hafs. He forbade him to [transmit] hadith from the

Prophet (S.A.W.), and confined the companions in Medina, forbidding them from leaving it. He also

forbade the emissaries he sent to other regions to speak of the sunna of the Prophet (S.A.W.), and he

[also] burnt the books that were in the hands of the companions. In these books were the hadiths of the

Prophet (S.A.W.).

Did 'Umar b al-Khattab not understand that the sunna of the Prophet clarified the Qur'an? Or had he not

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read the words of Allah, the Glorified and Exalted: "And we have revealed the remembrance unto you so

that you may explain to the people what has been sent down to them" (16:44). Or did he understand

from the Qur'an something which the bearer of the message and the one to whom the Qur'an was

revealed, did not understand?

This is what some confused people have tried to do, claiming that the Qur'an on several occasions came

to verify the opinions of 'Umar and it opposed the views of the Prophet (S.A.W.). Grave indeed are the

words that come out of their mouths, they do not understand.

I was always perplexed when I read in al-Bukhari of 'Umar's refusal to accept 'Ammar b. Yasir's

narration, especially regarding the Prophet's teaching him how to do tayammum, just as I was surprised

at 'Ammar's words: "If you wish, I shall not speak of it", in fear of 'Umar. This proves clearly that 'Umar

b. al-Khattab was severe on any one who narrated hadiths from the Prophet, and would harass him.

If the companions amongst the Quraysh were afraid of the Caliph and would not leave Medina, and even

those who did go out desisted from transmitting the Prophetic traditions, and then had their books, in

which they had recorded hadiths, burnt, yet no one amongst them said anything, then what was the

position of 'Ammar b. Yasir, an absolute stranger, despised by the Quraysh for his stand with 'Ali b. Abi

Talib, and his love for him?

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Let us go back to what we have recently discussed, specifically to the Thursday that preceded the death

of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), a day which was called by Ibn 'Abbas "The day of calamity". [That

was] when the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) ordered those who were present to bring paper and ink for him

to write a letter so that they would never go astray. We find on that day that 'Umar b. al-Khattab was the

one who opposed the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), and accused him of being delirious, i.e., hallucinating

and said: "We seek refuge in Allah" and then said: "The book of Allah is sufficient for us". This event

has been narrated by al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ibn Maja, al-Nasa'i, Abu Dawud, Imam Ahmad, as well as

other historians.

If 'Umar could prevent the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) from writing his own hadiths, and could do so in

the presence of many companions and the ahl al-bayt, accusing him of being delirious, with insolence

the like of which history has never witnessed, then it is neither strange nor surprising, for him to gather

his aides after the death of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) so as to prevent the people, with all possible

effort, from transmitting hadith of the Prophet, since he was now the strong Caliph, possessing all

power. Either due to greed, fear or hypocrisy, no doubt he had amongst his associates many helpers from

the noteworthy Qurayshis, who had influence over the tribes and clans, and who had been companions

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of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.). We have seen them, despite their large numbers, supporting 'Umar in

his statement that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) was hallucinating. We find them also participating with

him in preventing the Prophet from writing the letter. I believe that this was the main reason for the

Prophet (S.A.W.) to refrain from writing [it]; for he knew, through the revelation from his Lord, that the

plot was a strong one, and could threaten Islam in its entirety if the letter was written.

This was the letter through which the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) wanted to protect his umma from going

astray, but the plotters turned the position around so that the letter became (if it was written), a reason

for misguidance and reverting from Islam.

How could the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) not change his stance - may my father and mother be

sacrificed for him - for he was ill and on his death bed, receiving revelation from his Lord which

resounded in his ears and filled his heart with sadness and suffering for his ill-fated umma which [did

not heed to] Allah's words: "If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back upon your heels"?

This verse was not revealed spontaneously but rather because of Allah's, Glory be to Him, knowledge of

their vileness, schemes and plots, for He is aware of the deception of the eyes and what is hidden in the

hearts. What consoled the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) was that his Lord had informed him of all this and

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comforted him. He [also] rewarded him with the best that any Prophet could be given from his umma

and did not hold him responsible for the apostacy of the umma nor its turning back upon its heels. For

Allah had revealed beforehand: "On that day the wrongdoer will bite his hands and say: 'If only I had

followed the path of the Messenger! Woe unto me! I wish that I had not taken so and so as my sincere

friend! Certainly he led me away from the remembrance (of God) after it had come to me. The Satan is a

deceiver to man'. Whereupon the Prophet will say: 'O my Lord! My people took this Qur'an as if it was

foolish nonsense'. And thus we have made for every Prophet an enemy among the sinners! So sufficient

for you is your Lord for guidance and assistance" (25:27).

In this research, we cannot escape from the painful conclusion which we are forced to reach - that Abu

Sufyan and Mu'awiya would not have prevailed over the bearer of the message were it not for the

previous position of 'Umar, and his bold conduct in the very presence of the Messenger of Allah (S.A.

W.). This is especially so if we investigate his stance during the entire life of the Prophet (P) and his

opposing him on several occasions.

The inescapable conclusion is that there was an extensive plot devised to degrade the eminence of the

character of the noble Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.), to denigrate him, and to present him to the people

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who did not know him as an ordinary person or of an even lower [status] than that. He could be swayed

by sentiments, he could give in to his desires and deviate from the truth. All of this was done to deceive

the people into thinking that he was not sinless. The proof [presented] is that 'Umar confronted him

several times and that the Qur'an (allegedly) came down to support Ibn al-Khattab, to the point where

Allah threatens His Prophet (P) who weeps and says: "Were Allah to send an affliction unto us, none

would be safe except Ibn al-Khattab".

Or [we are also told] that 'Umar used to command the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) to veil his wives and

the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) did not do that until [verses of] the Qur'an were revealed in support of

'Umar, ordering the Prophet (P) to veil his wives. Or that Satan was not scared of the Prophet of Allah (S.

A.W.), but that he was scared and fled from 'Umar and several other [such] disgraceful narrations that

lower the status of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), and enhance the status of the companions. 'Umar

established records in this objective, to the point where they narrated (May Allah debase them) that the

Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) used to doubt his prophecy. This can be seen in the narration they reported [to

the effect] that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) said: "When Gabriel delayed coming to me, I thought that

he was going to 'Umar b. al-Khattab".

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I believe that these hadiths and other traditions of this genre were fabricated in the time of Mu'awiya b.

Abi Sufyan when the plan to remove 'Ali b. Abi Talib from his rights was beginning to falter. He then

resorted to praising Abu Bakr, 'Umar, and 'Uthman and to ascribe excellences to them so that they might

be elevated in the eyes of the people over 'Ali, attaining by this, two goals:

The first goal was to degrade the status of the son of Abu Talib (Abu Turab) - as he called him - to

degrade him in front of the people, and [to lead the people into] considering the three Caliphs who

preceded him to be better than him. The second goal, for his fabrication of hadith, was [to make] the

people accept their neglecting the commands of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) and his testament that the

Caliphate be [confined to] his ahl al-bayt, especially al-Hasan and al-Husayn, who were the

contemporaries of Mu'awiya. If it was possible for the three previous [Caliphs] to violate the orders of

the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) in the [matter of the] Caliphate of 'Ali (A.S.), why was it not possible for

Mu'awiya (the fourth) to disregard the commands of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) regarding the

children of 'Ali?

The son of Hind most certainly succeeded in his plan. The proof is that today, when we speak of the

knowledge of 'Ali and his bravery, his closeness [to the Apostle of Allah (S.A.W.)], and his eminence in

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Islam over the rest of the Muslims, there is always someone to say to us: "The Prophet of Allah (S.A.

W.) said: 'If the faith of my umma were weighed against the faith of Abu Bakr, the faith of Abu Bakr

would prevail'". And there too is one who confronts us saying: "Umar al-Faruq is the one who

differentiates the truth from falsehood". And someone confronts us saying: "'Uthman is the possessor of

the two lights, and is the one of whom even the angels of the Merciful one were shy".

Anyone who pursues these discussions will find that 'Umar b al-Khattab has taken the lion's share in the

chapter on virtue, something which is not accidental, rather, [it is due to] the numerous contradictory

positions that he took towards the bearer of the message. The Qurayshis loved him [for that], especially

for the role that he played in distancing the Commander of the Faithful, the leader of the legatees, 'Ali b.

Abi Talib, from the Caliphate, and reverting the matter (of leadership) to the Qurayshis to rule in the

manner they wished, so that the ones who were freed on the day of the conquest of Mecca, and the

accursed ones from the Umayyads, could covet it.

All the Qurayshis, the chief of whom was Abu Bakr, knew that the credit in their leadership over the

Muslims went to 'Umar. For he was the hero of opposition to the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), he was the

one who prevented the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) from writing [a testament of] the Caliphate for 'Ali.

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And 'Umar was the one who threatened the people and made them doubt the death of their Prophet so

that they would not proceed to pay allegiance to 'Ali. 'Umar is also the hero of Saqifa; he is the one who

ensured the allegiance to Abu Bakr. He is [also] the one who threatened those who remained in the

house of 'Ali, to burn it and all those in it, if they did not pay allegiance to Abu Bakr. And 'Umar is the

one who instigated the people into giving their fealty to Abu Bakr, through force and coercion. It was

'Umar who used to appoint the governors and allocate positions during the Caliphate of Abu Bakr.

Indeed, we would not be exaggerating if we were to say that he was the actual ruler during the Caliphate

of Abu Bakr himself.

Some historians relate that, in accordance with the custom they had [established] with the Prophet of

Allah (S.A.W.), those whose hearts were to be attracted [to Islam] approached Abu Bakr to claim their

share which Allah has ordained for them. Abu Bakr wrote it [for them] and they went to 'Umar to collect

[their rights], but he tore it up and said: "We have no need of you, for Allah has strengthened Islam and

can dispense with you. If you accept Islam it will be better for you, and, if not, then the sword [shall be]

between you and us". They returned to Abu Bakr and said to him: "Are you the Caliph or is he?" Abu

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Bakr replied: "Rather he, if God wishes" and he abided by what 'Umar had done.

On another occasion, Abu Bakr wrote that two companions be given a piece of land, and sent the

document to 'Umar to be implemented. The latter spat at it and destroyed it. They insulted him and

returned to Abu Bakr and complained to him: "We do not know, are you the Caliph or is 'Umar?" He

replied: "Rather he is!" 'Umar then came angrily to Abu Bakr and said to him: "It is not your right to

give the land to these two". Whereupon Abu Bakr said: "I told you that you are stronger than me in this

affair, however, you overruled me".

From this, we can discern the special status which 'Umar b. al-Khattab enjoyed with the Qurayshis in

general and the Umayyads in particular, to the extent that they gave him such titles as "the genius", "the

inspired one", "the differentiator [between truth and falsehood]", "the absolute [personification of]

Justice", even to the extent that they preferred him above the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.).

We have seen 'Umar's belief regarding the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) from the day of the treaty of al-

Hudaybiyya to the day of the calamity. I can add to this that he prevented the companions from paying

respect to the relics of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.). He cut down of tree of the pledge of Ridwan. He

also sought closeness to al-'Abbas, the uncle of the Prophet, to make the people believe that [since] the

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Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) had died, and his rule had ended, there was no point in remembering him.

Therefore, there can be no blame on the Wahhabis who say the same things, for they are not new issues

as some [people] wrongly assume.

From this too, the door was opened to the enemies of Islam and the Orientalists, to deduce that

Muhammad was a genius who knew that his community were idolaters who had been brought up

worshipping idols. He therefore removed the idols and replaced for them instead a black stone.

After all of this, we observe that 'Umar is the hero who rejected the writing of the Prophetic hadiths, to

the extent that he confined the companions to Medina and prohibited the others from (narrating) hadith,

burning the hadith books, to ensure that the Prophetic traditions did not spread among the people.

We also can deduce from all this why 'Ali remained a prisoner in his home, not going out except when

he was summoned to judge a problem that the companions were unable to deal with. 'Umar did not

involve him in any office or governorship, nor [did he give him] any responsibility or [send him with]

any deputation. In fact, he was also forbidden from Fatima's inheritance, and had nothing which the

people could desire from him. As a result, historians relate that he was compelled to pay allegiance after

the death of al-Zahra (P) when he saw the faces of the people turning away from him.

Allah is with you, O Abu'l-Hasan! How could the people not hate you, when you were the one who had

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killed their heroes, divided their groups and destroyed their dreams. You did not leave for them in the

field of merits a single merit whatsoever, nor in the field of good deeds, a single good deed for them.

Furthermore, you were the cousin of the chosen one, you were also the nearest of them to him, and you

were the husband of Fatima, the leader of the women of the universe, and you were the father of the two

sibtayn, the two leaders of the youths of paradise, and you were the first person to accept Islam and the

foremost of them in knowledge.

Your uncle was Hamza, leader of the martyrs, and Ja'far al-Tayyar was the son of your mother and

father. Abu Talib, the master of the elevated places and the protector of the Prophet (P), was your father.

And the rightly guided Imams are all from your loin. You were before the foremost ones and most

distant from those who came later. You were the lion of Allah and His Messenger (P) and you were the

sword of Allah and His Messenger, and you were the trusted one of Allah and His Prophet, when you

were sent by him (S.A.W.) to dissociate [from the unbelievers], when none could be trusted but you.

And you were the most truthful one, after you none can say that of anybody else without lying. You

were the great differentiator who accompanied the truth and through whom it was distinguished from

falsehood. You were the manifest knowledge and towering light. The faith of a believer is known

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through the love for you, the hypocrisy of a hypocrite is known by the hatred for you. You were the gate

to the city of knowledge, for whoever came to you arrived [at that city]. Whoever claims to have entered

[it] and arrived through other means, has indeed lied.

Who amongst them has a share like yours O Abu'l-Hasan? And who amongst them has excellences like

yours? If there is a proof for honour, then you are it. You are its beginning and end. They envied you

due to Allah's bestowal of His grace on you. They distanced [themselves] from you when Allah had

chosen you to be close to Him. Surely the oppressors will know their fate.

Indeed the pen has written abundantly the conversations of the Commander of the Faithful, the one who

was oppressed in his life and death. In his brother, the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), there was, for him, the

best example, for he too was oppressed in life and in death. He spent his life struggling, advising, and

seeking to protect the believers, loving and being kind to them. They confronted him at the last moment

with evil words, accusing him of delirium, confronting him with disobedience and insolence due to the

appointment of Usama [as the leader]. They hastened towards the Saqifa for the sake of the Caliphate,

leaving [behind] a forlorn corpse. They were not even concerned about the preparation, bathing or

shrouding of his body, may my mother and father be sacrificed for him. After his death, they sought to

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disparage him in the eyes of people and to denigrate his status, to retract from him the infallibility which

the Qur'an, as well as reasoning testifies to. This was [done] for the sake of [attaining] temporary

rulership and a transitory world. We can discern, during the course of our investigation, the position

[adopted by] some of the companions towards the character of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) for the

sake of attaining the Caliphate.

The Umayyad rulers, the chief of whom was Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan, attained the Caliphate by

inheriting it. They contented themselves in it and it did not occur to any one of them that one day it

would desert them. Why did the Umayyads continue to denigrate the personality of the Messenger of

Allah (S.A.W.), and to concoct narrations that were designed to reduce his status?

I feel that there were two main reasons for this:

The first reason: Behind the denigration of the character of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) lay their

grudges against the Banu Hashim, for they had attained the honour and respect of all the Arab tribes

since the Prophet was from them. This becomes more clear when we realise that Umayya used to vie

with his brother Hashim and envied him, trying his utmost to destroy him.

Moreover, 'Ali was the leader of the Hashimites after the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), without any doubt.

Everyone knew of Mu'awiya's hatred for 'Ali and the wars that he waged against him to wrest the

Caliphate away from him. After his murder, he indulged in insulting and cursing him from the pulpits.

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As far as Mu'awiya was concerned, the denigration of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) lay in destroying

the personality of 'Ali, just as the cursing and insulting of 'Ali was, in fact, directed at the Prophet of

Allah (S.A.W.).

The second reason: In the denigration of the character of the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) lay a

justification for the vile, evil and heinous acts which the Umayyad rulers perpetrated, [acts which]

history has recorded. If the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), as the Umayyads portray him, could follow his

lusts and love his wives to the extent that he forgot his obligations, and he inclined to one of them so

much so that he could not treat them equally, and they had to send to him [people] requesting equal

treatment, then there can be no reproach directed towards ordinary people such as Mu'awiya, Yazid and

those like them.

And the danger hidden in the second reason is that the Umayyads fabricated narrations and hadiths,

attributing them to the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.). These [concoctions] became rules which were

acted upon in Islam, the Muslims accepted them as [they were] certain that these were the words and

actions of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.). Therefore, these became, for them, the Prophetic sunna.

I will cite some examples of these disgraceful hadith which were falsified to degrade the character of the

Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), and to lower his status. I do not wish to go into details on this subject, and

will therefore restrict myself to what al-Bukhari and Muslim have related in their two Sahihs

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(disgraceful hadiths to degrade the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.)).

1. Al-Bukhari narrated in "The Book of (ritual) Washing", in "The Chapter on one who has Intercourse

and repeats it", "From Anas that the Prophet (P) used to visit his wives in a single hour during the night

and day and they were altogether eleven of them". He said: "I said to Anas: 'Did he have the strength for

this?' He replied: 'We used to say that he was given the strength of thirty...'". Observe with me, O reader,

this filthy hadith which portrays for us an image of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) with this insatiable

desire for sex, that he has intercourse with eleven women in one hour, and does so either at night or day

with such speed that, without taking a bath after the first one, he approaches the second while he still had

the secretions of the first [wife] on him. You have no recourse, O reader, but to form a picture and think:

"How can a man throw himself upon his wife like an animal, without any foreplay or greetings?" For we

have observed that even among animals, they are engrossed in a sexual act for a long time, since it

requires prelude and foreplay. How can this great Prophet conduct himself in this manner? May Allah

fight and curse them for their fabrications. The Arabs of that time - and men until today - took pride in

their sex drives, reckoning that as a sign of manliness. They attributed this anecdote to the Prophet of

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Allah (S.A.W.). Allah forbid, for the Prophet himself used to say: "Do not approach your women like

animals, but instead do something that attracts you and them".

From such narrations, the enemies of Islam attack the Prophet (P) describing him as a man craving for

sex, intercourse and love for women, accusing him also of other things. Can we ask Anas b. Malik, the

narrator of this anecdote, as to who informed him? Who told him that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.)

used to have sex with all his wives in one hour, and that they were altogether eleven in number?

Was it the Prophet who told him this? Is it proper for anyone of us to speak to others about his sexual

acts with his wife? Or did the wives of the Prophet inform him of that? Does it behoove a Muslim

woman to speak to other men of her sexual acts with her husband? Or did Anas spy upon the Prophet of

Allah (S.A.W.), and accompany him in the private chambers with his wife, spying upon him from the

holes of doors? I seek refuge in Allah from the agents of the devil! May Allah's curse be upon the liars!

I do not doubt that the Umayyad and 'Abbasid rulers, notorious for their many wives and slave girls, are

the ones who fabricated such stories to justify their deeds.

2. Al-Bukhari reported in volume 3, p. 132 in his Sahih, as well as Muslim in volume 7, p. 136 of his

Sahih that 'A'isha said: "The wives of the Prophet (P) sent Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet of Allah

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(S.A.W.) to the Prophet. She sought permission to enter while he was reclining with me in a single

garment. He allowed her in and she said: 'O Prophet of Allah! Your wives have sent me to you to ask

that you show fairness regarding the daughter of Abu Quhafa'. I remained quiet. He said to Fatima: 'My

dear child do you not love what I love'? She said: 'Most Certainly'. He said: 'Then love her.....'".

The narration continues to the point where the wives of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) sent a second

message, this time with Zaynab bint Jahsh, wife of the Prophet (P), pleading him to exercise justice

regarding the daughter of Abu Quhafa. She went to see him while he was reclining with 'A'isha, covered

in her garment, in the same position that he was in when Fatima visited him. She pleaded with the

Prophet to observe justice regarding the daughter of Abu Quhafa, speaking on behalf of the other wives

of the Prophet, then resorted to insulting and reviling 'A'isha, who, in turn, retorted and insulted Zaynab

until she silenced her. Upon this, the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) smiled and said: "She is the daughter

of Abu Bakr".

What can I say about this loathsome narration which shows the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) to be a man

who follows his lusts and does not show justice to his wives, although it is through his tongue that the

Qur'an ordered: "And if you fear that you cannot show fairness, then (marry) one or (resort to) what your

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right hand possesses".

Furthermore, how can the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) permit his daughter Fatima, the leader of women,

to enter when he was reclining with his wife wearing her garment and not to sit up or stand, but rather,

remain reclining and say to her: "O my child! Do you not love what I love?" Similarly, when Zaynab

came, imploring him to be fair, he smiled and said: "She is the daughter of Abu Bakr". Observe, O noble

reader, this despicable [conduct] which they attribute to the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), [who is] the

symbol of justice and equality, whereas they say that justice died with 'Umar b. al-Khattab. They portray

the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) to be attaching little importance to upright character, not knowing

chastity or ideals of manliness. There are many such traditions in the six Sihah [works].

The narrators intend to present, behind this, the superior merits of a companion or of 'A'isha, especially

as she is the daughter of Abu Bakr. In doing so, they denigrate the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) knowingly

or unknowingly, since, as I have shown before in this discussion, these traditions are fabricated to

devalue the character of the Prophet. Let us look at a third example [which is] similar to this one:

3. Muslim reported in his Sahih in "The Chapter on the Merits of 'Uthman b. 'Affan", on the authority of

'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet (P), and also from 'Uthman, that they both said that Abu Bakr sought

permission to visit the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) while he was lying on his bed wearing the garment of

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'A'isha. He let him in while he was still in that condition. He fulfilled his needs then Abu Bakr went out.

'Umar then sought permission to enter while the Prophet was still in that state. He also fulfilled his needs

and left. 'Uthman said: "Then I requested permission to enter, whereupon he sat up and said to 'A'isha:

'Gather your clothes around you'. I finished my work with him and left. 'A'isha said: 'O Prophet of Allah

(S.A.W.), how come I did not see you scared with Abu Bakr and 'Umar, as you were with 'Uthman?' The

Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) said: 'Indeed 'Uthman is a very shy man, and I was afraid that if I had granted

him permission to enter while I was in that state, he would not have presented his need to me'".

This narration is similar to another, which al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated, regarding the merits of

'Uthman. The gist [of the report] is that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) had left his thighs uncovered, had

permitted Abu Bakr to enter without covering his thighs. He did the same thing with 'Umar. When

'Uthman sought permission to enter, however, the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) covered his thighs and put

his clothes on properly. When 'A'isha asked him about that, he said to her: "Should I not be shy of

someone of whom [even] the angels are shy?"

May Allah debase the Banu Umayyad, who seek to debase the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) so as to

elevate [the status of] their master.

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4. Muslim reported in his Sahih in "The Chapter on the Injunction to take a Ritual Bath after the Meeting

of the Private Parts of the Spouses", on the authority of 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet (P), that while

she was sitting [in his presence]: "A man asked the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), if the bath was obligatory

upon both parties when a man has intercourse with his wife, and then he feels lazy [to have a bath]. The

Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) replied: 'I certainly do it, I and her, then we have a bath'".

I leave you, O reader, to consider this hadith for yourself. Now the Messenger's pampering for his wife

'A'isha has reached the level where he can discuss about his sexual relations with her to all people. How

many such reports have been transmitted on the authority of 'A'isha, the daughter of Abu Bakr, which

demean and disparage the status of the Prophet (P). One time she reports he put his cheek upon her

cheek so that she could enjoy the black dancers, and, at another time, carrying her upon his shoulder. At

another time, he raced with her and she won against him. The Prophet of Allah (P) then waits, until she

gains weight, and races her (and wins) saying: "This is the equalizer". Yet, at another time, he is lying

upon his back, with the women beating drums and musical instruments of the devil in his own house,

until Abu Bakr rebukes them.

How often, in the Sahih works, do such disgraceful traditions occur, traditions whose only aim is to

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denigrate the Prophet of Islam (S.A.W.), such as the hadiths which state that the Messenger was

subjected under a magic spell so he did not know what he did or said. He [even] thought that he had

sexual relations with his spouses when, in fact, he had not. And [other] narrations which state that he (P)

used to wake up in the mornings of Ramadan in a ritually impure state. (janaba), and that he would sleep

until he snored, then he would wake up and pray without performing the ablutions (wudu'). [Others

state] that he used to forget during his prayer, not remembering how many rak'as (units of prayers) he

had performed. And that the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) did not know his fate on the day of

resurrection and what would be done to him. [Others state] he used to urinate while standing up, and

when his companion went away from him, he would call him back so that he could be near him until he

finished urinating.

Yes! The Prophet's (S.A.W.) pampering of his wife 'A'isha, the daughter of Abu Bakr, reached a point

whereby he detained himself and all the Muslims to search for 'A'isha's necklace that had been lost. They

had no water with them and the people complained about 'A'isha to Abu Bakr whereupon her father

came and reproached and rebuked her. All this happened while Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) was asleep on

his wife's lap! Here is the narration in detail:

Al-Bukhari in his Sahih in "The Chapter on Tayammum" and Muslim in his Sahih, also in "The Chapter

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on Tayammum", both related on the authority of 'A'isha, who said: "We went out with the Prophet of

Allah (S.A.W.) on one of his journeys. We reached al-Bida or the military encampment when my

necklace broke. The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) started searching for it, and the people went along with

him. There was no water to be found and they had none with them. The people came to Abu Bakr and

said: 'Do you not see what 'A'isha has done? She has caused the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) to busy

himself and the people to undertake [this], when they have no water and there is none available in this

spot'. Abu Bakr then came whilst the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), having rested his head upon my thigh,

had fallen asleep. He said: 'You have detained the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) and the people have no

water and cannot find any here'". She said: "Abu Bakr continued rebuking me for as long as Allah

wished him to, then he started hitting me with his hand on my hip. Nothing prevented me from moving

except that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) was on my thigh. The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) slept till the

morning. There was still no water to be found so Allah revealed the verses of tayammum and they

performed it". Asyad b. al-Hudayr, one of the leaders, said: "This is not the first blessing for you, O

member of the household of Abu Bakr!" 'A'isha said: "We made the camel, which I was [riding] on, to

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get up and we found the necklace underneath it".

Can any believer, who is aware of Islam, believe that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) was lax about the

matter of prayer to this extent and that he would detain the Muslims, even though they were in an area

where there was no water and they had none with them, to search for his wife's missing necklace? Then

he leaves the Muslims, who are worried about their prayer and complain to Abu Bakr, and instead goes

to his wife and falls asleep in her lap, and is so engrossed in his sleep that he is totally unaware of Abu

Bakr's entry and his rebuking 'A'isha, and his striking her on her hips? How is it allowable for this

Messenger to leave the people who are agitated due to the lack of water and the approaching prayer

time, to sleep on his wife's lap?

There is no doubt this narration was fabricated during the Caliphate of Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan and is

without foundation. Otherwise, how can we explain [the fact that] an incident like this, at which all the

companions were present, was not known to 'Umar b. al-Khattab? He did not know about it when he was

asked concerning the tayammum as is narrated by both al-Bukhari and Muslim in their Sahihs in the

chapters on tayammum.

The important point in all these discussions is that we realise the plot against the Prophet of Allah (S.A.

W.) was evil and vile, with the goal of belittling the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.), and of devaluing his

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status to the extent where none of us today (in spite of the corruption that has spread to the land and sea)

would be personally pleased with these types of conduct and deeds. How can this be [allowed] then for

the greatest personality that human history has known, and he whom the Lord of Might and Glory has

testified is of the highest character?

In my view, the plots began after the farewell pilgrimage and after the Prophet (P) had appointed Imam

'Ali as his successor on the day of Ghadir Khum. Those who coveted the leadership knew then that in

front of them lay only opposition and rebellion due to this appointment, and that these would be at a

tremendous cost, even leading to their turning back upon their heels in reversion. Therefore, it seems

proper to interpret the events that began with opposing the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) in all his

commands. [This started with stopping him] from writing a letter; to his appointment of Usama as [their]

leader; to their not joining the army the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) himself had chosen. And so too [is it

proper to interpret] the events that followed his death (P) - from forcing the people into pledging fealty

by coercion and threatening to burn the dissenters, among whom were 'Ali, Fatima and al-Hasanayn.

Similarly, [it seems proper to interpret] forbidding the people from relating the hadith of the Messenger

of Allah (S.A.W.), and the burning of books which contained the sunna of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.

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W.), to their detaining the companions so that they may not spread the hadith of the Prophet (P).

[It seems proper to interpret] also the killing of companions who refused to pay the zakat to Abu Bakr,

for he was not the Caliph to whom they had, at the order of their Prophet, pledged fealty. [It seems

proper to interpret] their denying the rights of Fatima al-Zahra to Fadak, her inheritance, and her portion

of the khumus and to refute her claims. Similarly, the alienation of Imam 'Ali (A.S.) from any position of

responsibility, instead granting these [positions] to the corrupt ones and hypocrites from the Banu

Umayyad over the Muslims; and forbidding the companions from paying respect to the relics of the

Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), and to attempting to remove his name from the adhan and to expose the

army of disbelievers to al-Medina al-Munawwara to do therein as they pleased. [This varied] from

attacking the sacred house, bayt al-haram with fire and razing it, to killing the companions that were

within. [It seemed proper] to murder the progeny of the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.), to curse and vilify

them, and to force the people to do that; to kill and exile those who loved the ahl al-bayt and followed

them - to the point where the religion of Allah became a [source of] amusement and subject to ridicule;

the Qur'an [became] something to be shredded and scoffed at.

The plot still persists today, its influences and impact are still prevalent in the Islamic umma. [It will

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continue] as long as there are those Muslims who are pleased with Mu'awiya and Yazid, justifying their

deeds on the basis that they exercised their personal judgements, and that for them lies a reward from

Allah. As long as there are those who write books and articles against the Shi'as of the ahl al-bayt,

hurling all sorts of insults and slander; as long as there are those who allow the murder of the Shi'as of

the ahl al-bayt within the confines of the bayt al-haram and the season of the Hajj - the plot will

continue and will remain continuous until such time as Allah wishes.

I am not able to discern the whole [plan] nor comprehend its details and facets, but I will attempt, with

my humble efforts, to do my best to distance the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) from the disgraceful

narrations that have been attributed to him, and to defend him and his infallibility. I will attempt to

convince the educated and free thinking Muslims that this Prophet whom Allah sent for the guidance of

all humankind and made him a moon and shining light, is the highest, greatest, most noble, most pure,

pious and complete man that Allah has created. It is impossible for us to remain quiet in the face of such

narrations. The reporters have no other intention but to denigrate his nobility and devalue his status.

We are not, and never will be, happy with these narrations, even if all the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a

agree upon them, and relate them in their Sahihs and Musnads. Even if all the mortals on earth were to

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agree with them, Allah's words: "And you are indeed of the most exalted character" is the final word and

decisive judgement. Apart from that, everything else is falsehood and wrong presumption.

This is the position of the Shi'a regarding the leader of human beings, the one who frees them from

blindness and misguidance, the one who leads humanity to security and peace. So ponder over it, O you

who perceive.

staying on the right path, calling them towards wisdom and good counsel..., his is the best abode and his

origin the noblest of all, coming from the source of honour and the cradles of security. The hearts of the

virtuous people incline towards him, and the eyes have focused on him. Through him, Allah buried all

rancour and extinguished conflicts. Through him, He brought people together in brotherhood and

separated friends. Through him, He elevated the lowly, and humiliated the arrogant and mighty. His

speech is clear and even his silence is (indicative) like the tongue. He sent him with sufficient proof and

satisfying admonitions. His call eliminates deficiencies, through him, the unknown laws were made

manifest, the innovative practices subdued, and the distinctive judgements made clear.

He sent him with light and gave him precedence in purity. He mended all fissures. Through him, those

conquering were [themselves] conquered, difficulties were subjugated and hardships alleviated until he

wiped out misguidance all around him".

Husayn. But the truth, according to what has been transmitted, as well as according to reasoning, logic

and history, refutes this explanation. [This is] because the ahl al-sunna narrate in their Sahihs that the

verse was revealed regarding five people namely: Muhammad, 'Ali, Fatima, al-Hasan and al-Husayn,

and that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) identified them and his noble self as being referred to by the

noble verse when he gathered 'Ali, Fatima, al-Hasan and al-Husayn with him under the cloak. He said:

"O Allah! These are my household, so cleanse them of all impurity and purify them completely".

This narration has been reported by a large majority of Sunni scholars. I mention [some of] them:

1. Muslim in his Sahih, in "The Chapter on the Merits of the Prophet's household": Vol. 2, p. 368.

2. Al- Tirmidhi in his Sahih; Vol. 5, p. 30.

3. Al-Musnad, Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal; Vol. 1, p. 330.

4. Al-Mustadrak, al- Hakim; Vol. 3, p. 123.

5. Al-Khas'ais, Imam al-Nasa'i; p. 49

6. Talkhis, al-Dhahabi; Vol. 2, p. 150.

7. Mu'jam, al-Tabrani; Vol. 1, p. 65.

8. Shawahid al-Tanzil, Hakim al-Haskani; Vol. 2, p. 11.

9. Al-Bukhari in his Greater History; Vol. 1, p. 69.

10. Al-Isaba, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani; Vol. 2, p. 502.

11. Tadhkira al-Khawas, Ibn al-Jawzi; p. 233.

12. Tafsir of al-Fakhr al-Razi; Vol. 2, p. 700.

13. The Fountains of Love, al-Qanduzi al-Hanafi; p. 107.

14. Manaqib of al-Khawarizmi, p. 23.

15. Al-Sira of al-Halabi, Vol. l3, p. 212.

16. Al-Sira of al-Dihlaniya; Vol. 3, p. 329.

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17. Asad al-Ghaba, Ibn al-Athir; Vol. 2, p. 12.

18. Tafsir of al-Tabari; Vol. 22, p. 6.

19. Al-Dur al-Manthur, al-Suyuti; Vol. 5, p. 198.

20. Ta'rikh of Ibn Asakir; Vol. 1, p. 185.

21. Tafsir al-Kashshaf , al-Zamakhshari; Vol. 1, p. 193

22. Ahkam al-Qur'an , Ibn al-Arabi; Vol. 2, p. 166.

23. Tafsir al-Qurtubi, Vol. 14, p. 182.

24. Al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqa of Ibn Hajar, p. 85.

25. Al-Isti'ab, Ibn Abd al-Barr; Vol. 3, p. 37.

26. Al-'Aqd al-Farid, Ibn 'Abd Rabbih; Vol. 4, p. 311

27. Muntakhab Kanz al-'Ummal; Vol. 5, p. 96.

28. Masabih al-Sunna, al-Baghawi, Vol. 2, p. 278.

29. Asbab al-Nuzul, al-Wahidi; p. 203.

30. Tafsir of Ibn Kathir; Vol. 3, p. 483.

Other Sunni scholars [who have reported the hadith] are numerous, we have not mentioned them [all],

being content with these as [the list] was compiled in haste.

If all these scholars admit that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) had clarified the purport of the verse, of

what value are the words of the other companions or the successors of the companions, or commentators

who wish to construe its meaning contrary to what Allah and His Prophet desire, seeking instead, to

please Mu'awiya and desiring [to attain] what he has?

Similarly, the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) also identified them on other occasions, specifying that they

were the ahl al-bayt, not others. This occurred when the verse of Allah, the Glorified and the Highest,

was revealed stating: "Say: 'Come and let us call our children and your children, our women and your

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women, ourselves and yourselves, and let us take pray, invoking Allah's curse on those who lie'" (3:61).

Thereupon, he called 'Ali, Fatima, al-Hasan, and al-Husayn and said: "These are our children, ourselves,

and our women: So now bring yourselves, your children, and your women". According to Muslim's

narrative, he said: "O Allah, these are my household".

The ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a scholars, whom I referred to in the preceding sources, also agree

unanimously that the verse was revealed concerning the five [figures] mentioned above, may Allah's

blessings be upon them all.

Moreover, the wives of the Prophet all knew the intent of the noble verse, and, consequently, not one of

them claimed to be from the ahl al-bayt. At the head of these [wives] were Umm Salama and 'A'isha.

Every one of them narrated that the verse was specifically for the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), 'Ali,

Fatima, al-Hasan and al-Husayn. Muslim, al-Tirmidhi, al-Hakim, al-Tabari, al-Suyuti, al-Dhahabi, Ibn

al-Athir and others, have all reported their (the wives') acceptance of this.

I would add to this the fact that the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) removed any confusion and resolved

this problem, for he knew that the Muslims might read the Qur'an and construe the [term] ahl al-bayt in

the context of the preceding and following verses, which [actually] warned the wives of the Prophet. He

immediately hastened to teach the umma the meaning of the removal of all impurities and complete

purification by continuing, for a period of six months, (after the revelation of the verse) to pass by the

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door of 'Ali, Fatima, al-Hasan and al-Husayn before starting the prayer and reciting: "Allah wishes to

remove all abomination from you, ahl al-bayt and to completely purify you, so come to the prayer, may

Allah have mercy on you".

This immediate action performed by the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) has been reported by:

Al-Sahih, al-Tirmidhi, vol. 5, p. 31

Al-Mustadrak, al-Hakim, vol. 3, p. 158

Al-Talkhis, al-Dhahabi

Al-Musnad, Ahmad b. Hanbal, vol. 3, p. 259

Asad al-Ghaba, Ibn al-Athir, vol. 5, p. 521

Shawahid al-Tanzil, al-Haskani, vol. 2, p. 11

Al-Dur al-Manthur, al-Suyuti, vol. 5, p. 199

Tafsir, al-Tabari, vol. 22, p. 6

Ansab al-Ashraf, al-Baladhuri, vol. 2, p. 104

Tafsir, Ibn al-Kathir, vol. 3, p. 483

Majma' al-Zawa'id, al-Haythami, vol. 9, p. 168

When we add to the above list the Imams of the ahl al-bayt and the Shi'a scholars, who do not doubt that

the noble verse was restricted to Muhammad, 'Ali, Fatima, al-Hasan and al-Husayn, there can remain

absolutely no regard for those who disagree with them from the enemies of the ahl al-bayt, as well

followers of Mu'awiya and the Banu Umayyads who wish to extinguish the light of Allah with their

mouths. Allah has perfected His light, even though the disbelievers hate that.

Those who interpret the verse differently to the explanation of the Prophet have shown that, in the past,

they were merely the flatterers of the Umayyad and 'Abbasid rulers, and that today they, even though

disguised in the garb of jurists and scholars, are amongst those who hate 'Ali.

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Furthermore, reasoning shows that the verse (i.e. cleansing of abomination) could not include the wives

of the Prophet (S.A.W.).

1. Let us, by way of example, take the case of the mother of the believers, 'A'isha, who alleged that she

was the most beloved wife of the Prophet (P) and the closest one to him, to the extent that the rest of the

wives envied her and sent [a delegation] to the Prophet (P) imploring him to show justice regarding the

daughter of Abu Quhafa, as previously discussed. The verse then seems discordant. None of her aides or

those who loved her, neither from the earlier generations nor the later ones, can dare to claim that 'A'isha

was under the cloak on the day the verse was revealed. How great Muhammad (S.A.W.) was in his

sayings and actions and how truly sagacious he was when he gathered the members of his ahl al-bayt

with him under the cloak, and even when the mother of the believers, Umm Salama, the wife of the

Prophet (P), sought to enter with them under the cloak and asked the Prophet of Allah's (S.A.W.)

permission, he prevented her and said: "You are on the right path ".

2. The general and specific purport of the verse indicates infallibility. For the removal of abomination

covers all sins, [acts of] disobedience, major and minor vices. This is especially so if we add the

purification from the Lord of Power and Glory. If Muslims purify themselves with water and dust

physically, a purification which does not exceed the outer body, then Allah purified the ahl al-bayt with

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a spiritual purity wherein the intellect, hearts, and their minds were cleansed, leaving no room for the

insinuations of the devil nor any act of disobedience. Their hearts became absolutely clean, pure,

sincere, devoted solely to their creator and sustainer in every activity and inactivity.

3. In all cases, every one of these purified souls was an example to all humanity, in [the fields of]

asceticism, piety, sincerity, knowledge, forbearance, bravery, manliness, chastity, free from blemishes,

shunning the world, seeking nearness to Him, the Glorified and most High. History has not recorded any

wrongdoing or sin from any one of them during their entire lives.

This being the case, let us return to the first example, the wife of the Prophet (P), 'A'isha, who attained a

lofty and elevated position and [achieved] great popularity which none of the other wives of the Prophet

(P) has been accorded. Even if we were to combine all their merits, they would not be able to reach a

tenth of the standing of 'A'isha, the daughter of Abu Bakr. This is what the ahl al-sunna, and those who

claim that half the religion can be learnt from her alone, say regarding her.

If we devote ourselves to the truth without any prejudice or bias, is it reasonable to think that she was

purified from sins and disobedience? Or that Allah, Glory be to Him, withdrew His protection from her,

after the death of her husband, the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) ? Let us examine the reality together.

If we examine her life with her husband, the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), we will find lots of sins and

[acts of] disobedience, for she used to frequently conspire with Hafsa against the Apostle until they

compelled him to declare as unlawful for himself what Allah had permitted for him, as reported by al-

Bukhari and Muslim. They also argued with him, as has been established in all the Sahihs and books of

tafsir, and even Allah has mentioned the two incidents in His glorious Qur'an.

Envy so controlled her heart and her mind that she conducted herself in the presence of the Prophet of

Allah (S.A.W.) without respect or manners. On one occasion, she said to the Prophet (P), when he

mentioned Khadija in her presence:

"How can Khadija be compared with me! She was a red cheeked old woman and Allah has given you

[someone] better than her". The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) became very angry at this until his hair stood.

And, on another occasion, one of the mothers of the believers sent to the Prophet a dish (he was in her

house) that he really loved. She destroyed the dish, together with the food in it. On another occasion, she

said to the Prophet(P): "You are the one who claims to be Allah's Prophet". Another time, she became

angry with him and said: "Be just!" Her father, who was present, struck her so hard that blood flowed.

Her envy reached a point whereby she lied to Asma' bint al-Nu'man, when she had come as a bride to

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the Prophet (S.A.W.). She said to her: "The Prophet (S.A.W.) loves a woman, who, when he approaches

her, says to him: "I seek refuge in Allah from you". Her underlying aim was to have the Prophet (S.A.

W.) divorce this innocent, naive woman, and who the Prophet (S.A.W.) did divorce due to these words.

Her evil conduct in the presence of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) reached a point that while he was

praying, she would spread her feet towards his direction of prostration. When he prostrated and pinched

them, she retracted them. When he stood up for the rest of the prayer, she would spread her feet out

again.

On one occasion, she plotted with Hafsa against the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), causing him to isolate

himself from his wives for a period of one complete month, and to sleep on a rough straw mat.When the

words of Allah: "Take back those of them that you please, and leave aside those whom you please.."

were revealed, she said to the Prophet unabashedly: "I only see Allah as [one] who hurries to [satisfy]

your desires". If 'A'isha got angry - which she did quite often - she would avoid [uttering] the name of

the Prophet (S.A.W.). She would not mention the name of Muhammad, but would say: "By the Lord of

Abraham".

'A'isha often used to offend the Prophet (S.A.W.) and caused him distress, but the Prophet (P) was

compassionate and kind, his character lofty, his patience deep, therefore he frequently said to her: "Your

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Satan has confused you, O 'A'isha". Quite often, he used to be sorry because of Allah's threat to her and

Hafsa, the daughter of 'Umar. On many occasions the Qur'an came down regarding her! Allah said to her

and to Hafsa: "You two turn in repentance to Allah, your hearts are so inclined", i.e., she had departed

and deviated from the truth. His words: "If you support each other against him, Allah is his protector, as

well as Gabriel and the righteous believers, after this, the angels too are his supporters" are a clear threat

from the Lord of Power to her and to Hafsa, who used to frequently help her and act according to her

commands. Allah also said to both of them: "Perhaps if he divorces you, his Lord will give him wives

who are better than you, who submit and believe." This verse was revealed concerning 'A'isha and Hafsa

as testified by 'Umar b. al-Khattab and reported by al-Bukhari. The verse, in itself, indicates that there

were believing women among the Muslims who were better than 'A'isha.

Once, when the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) wanted to propose to Sharraf, the sister of Dihya al-Kalbi, he

asked 'A'isha to go and look at her. When she returned, her heart was filled with envy, and the Prophet

of Allah (S.A.W.) asked her: "What have you seen O 'A'isha?" She responded: "I did not see anyone

worthy". The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) said to her: "You have certainly seen someone worthy. You

have seen her and your saliva soured in your mouth". She said: "O Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), no secret

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is unknown to you. Who is able to hide anything from you?"

All of the plots which 'A'isha instigated against the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) were most frequently with

the complicity of Hafsa, the daughter of 'Umar. The strange thing is that we find there was mutual

understanding and complete harmony between the two women, 'A'isha and Hafsa, like the harmony and

mutual understanding between their two fathers, Abu Bakr and 'Umar. The difference was that, with the

women, 'A'isha was always the instigator and stronger one and would undertake things and would tug

Hafsa, the daughter of 'Umar, behind her in everything. Whereas her father, Abu Bakr, was weaker

[when compared] to 'Umar, who was the instigator and stronger party and would undertake things. We

have observed from the previous discussion that even in [the matter of] the Caliphate, Ibn al-Khattab

was the actual ruler. Some historians have reported that when 'A'isha decided to leave for Basra to rise

against Imam 'Ali in what has become known as the "battle of the Camel", she sent a message to the

wives of the Prophet (S.A.W.), the mothers of the believers, asking them to go with her. None of them

responded except Hafsa bint 'Umar, who prepared herself and decided to leave with her. Her brother,

'Abd Allah b. 'Umar, however, stopped and rebuked her, and she cancelled her trip. Allah, the most

Glorious had warned 'A'isha and Hafsa jointly in His words: "If you two support each other against him,

Allah is his protector, as well as Gabriel and the righteous believers, and after that the angels too are his

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supporters". Allah also said: "You two turn in repentance to Allah, if your hearts are indeed so inclined".

Allah provided for both of them a significant parable in Sura al-Tahrim (66), to teach both of them and

the rest of the Muslims who believe that the mother of the believers will enter heaven without any

reckoning or punishment, simply because she is the wife of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.). Most

Certainly not! For Allah has informed His servants, male and female, that mere spousal relationship will

neither harm nor benefit [a person], even if the husband is the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.). What benefits

or harms [a person], in the eyes of Allah, are an individual's deeds. Allah said: "Allah has set forth an

example to the disbelievers, the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were both married to two

servants from among our righteous servants. They were deceitful to their husbands. And they profited

nothing before Allah due to that. Instead they were told: 'Enter the Fire with those who enter'" (66:10).

Allah cited an example for the believers, the wife of Pharaoh when she said: "O my Lord, build for me a

house in paradise, and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds; and save me from the people who do

wrong". And Mary, the daughter of Imran who guarded her chastity and We breathed Our spirit into her.

She testified to the truth of the words of her Lord and of His scriptures and she was one of the devout

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[servants]" (66:11-12).

By this it becomes clear to all that spousal relationship and companionship, even though they both have

a lot of merits, do not, in themselves, prevent the punishment of Allah unless they are accompanied by

righteous deeds. If they are not, punishment is, in fact, increased. Allah's justice dictates that he does not

punish the distant one who does not hear the revelation like [he punishes] the close one in whose house

the Qur'an was revealed. A man who knows the truth and yet opposes it is like an ignorant person who

does not know the truth.

Now, O reader, we will cite a few narrations in some detail so that you may know the personality of this

woman who played the greatest role in distancing 'Ali from the Caliphate, and summoned all strength

and resources to rise up in arms against him.

It should be further known that the verse of the removal of filth and purification is as remote from her as

the sky is from the earth, and that most of the ahl al-sunna are the victims of lies and forgery for they

follow the Umayyads without realising it.

maidservant, I trembled with rage and fury, and I took the bowl and hurled it away". She further said:

"The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) then looked at me; I saw the anger in his face and I said: 'I seek refuge

from Allah's Apostle cursing me today'". 'A'isha said: "He said: 'Undo it'. I said: 'What is its expiation, O

Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.)?' He said: 'The food like her food, and a bowl like her bowl'".

And on another occasion, speaking of herself, she said: "I said to the Prophet (S.A.W.) 'Enough for you

about Safiyya is such and such'. The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) said to me: 'You have uttered words

which, if they were mixed with the waters of the sea, would colour it'".

Glory be to Allah! How far was the mother of the believers from the ethics and basic rights which Islam

has enjoined concerning forbidding of backbiting and slander? No doubt her speech: "Enough for you

about Safiyya is such and such" and the response of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) "You have uttered

words which, if they were mixed with the waters of the sea, would colour it" shows what 'A'isha said

regarding Safiyya was a grave thing and of immense concern.

I believe that the narrators of the hadith found it repulsive, but respected her, and therefore changed the

words to "so and so" as is their normal practice in such issues.

And here is 'A'isha, the mother of the believers, narrating, once again, of her envy of the [other] mothers

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of the believers. She said: "I have never been as jealous of any woman as I have been of Marya. That

was because she had beautiful ringlets and the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) was captivated by her. When

he first brought her, she used to stay in the house of Haritha b. al-Nu'man. We frightened her and I

became concerned. The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) sent her to a higher place and he would visit her

there. That was very hard upon us, and then Allah blessed him with a boy through her and we shunned

him".

'A'isha's jealousy went beyond the person of Marya, her co-wife and was directed even against Ibrahim,

the innocent, newly born suckling baby. She said: "When Ibrahim was born, the Prophet of Allah (S.A.

W.) brought him to me and said: 'Look how much he resembles me'. I said: 'I do not see any

resemblance'. The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) said: 'Don't you see how robust and fair he is?'" 'A'isha

said: "I said: 'Whoever is fed with the milk of sheep becomes fair and robust'".

When she was overcome by suspicion and devilish insinuation, her jealousy crossed all boundaries and

was beyond the expression of words, leading her to suspect the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.). Quite often,

she used to pretend to be asleep when the Prophet stayed the night at her house, but, in fact, she would

closely observe her husband, spying upon him in the darkness, following behind where he went. Here is

a report, in her own words, which was narrated by Muslim in his Sahih, and Imam Ahmad in his

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Musnad and other [scholars]. She said: "When it was the night which the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.)

spent with me, he came in and put away his upper garment, took off his shoes and put them near his feet,

then spread out his lower garment over the bed and lay down. He did not stay long until he assumed that

I had fallen asleep, whereupon he took his upper garment quietly and slowly, put on his shoes, opened

the door, went out and closed it behind him quietly. I put the upper garment over my head, covered

myself, put on my shawl and veil and I followed his tracks until he came to the Baqi cemetery. He stood

there for quite a long time, then raised his hands three times, and then turned back. I also turned back.

He quickened his pace and I also quickened my pace. He moved faster and I also moved faster and he

reached home and I also arrived there. I preceded him and went into the house. No sooner had he entered

the house he said: 'What is the matter O 'A'isha, I see that you are dressed up'"? She said: "I said:

'Nothing is the matter'. He said: 'Either you will tell me or the Gracious and Omniscient Lord will inform

me'". 'A'isha said: "I said: 'O Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.), my mother and my father be sacrificed for

you, and I informed him'. He said: 'You were the black figure which I saw in front of me?' I said: 'Yes'.

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So he pressed me on my chest and it hurt me. He then said: 'Did you think that Allah and His Messenger

will be unjust to you?'"

On another occasion, she said: "I lost track of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), and I suspected that he had

gone to another of his wives. I went looking for him and I found him in prostration, saying: 'O My Lord!

Forgive me'". On another occasion, she said: "One night, when he was with me, the Messenger of Allah

(S.A.W.) went out". She said: "I became jealous. When he came and saw what I had done he said: 'What

is the matter, O 'A'isha? Are you jealous?' I replied: 'And why should not those like me be jealous of

those like you?' The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) then said: 'Has your devil taken possession of you?'"

This last narration proves clearly that when she was jealous, she would exceed her bounds and would do

strange things like break dishes or tear clothes. Due to that, she says in this report "When he came and

saw what I had done, he said: 'Has your devil taken possession of you?'"

No doubt 'A'isha was quite often overcome or confused by her devil, for he found a way to her heart

through jealousy. It has been narrated that the Prophet (S.A.W.) said: "Jealousy for a man is faith and for

a woman disbelief", meaning that a man may get jealous concerning his wife, for it is not, according to

law, allowed for him to share her with anyone else. The woman, however, does not have the right to be

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jealous of her husband, because Allah, Glory be to Him, has allowed him to marry more than one wife.

An upright and believing woman who submits to the rulings of Allah, Glory be to Him, accepts her cowife

whole heartedly, especially if her husband is just, upright and fears Allah. [That being the case]

how about the leader of humanity, the symbol of perfection, justice and the most noble character?

Furthermore, we find a clear contradiction in the (alleged) special love of the Prophet (S.A.W.) for

'A'isha, and what the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a say about her being the most beloved and affectionate

wife. They [even] report that some of his wives gave up their turn [of visitation] for her when they came

to know that the Prophet (S.A.W.) loved her and could not wait [for her turn]. This being the case, can

we find any justification or explanation for 'A'isha's excessive jealousy? One would have assumed that

the opposite would have been the case, i.e., that the rest of the wives of the Prophet (S.A.W.) would

have been jealous of 'A'isha due to his intense love for and inclination towards her, according to what

they report and claim. If she was pampered by the Prophet of Allah (P), what was the need for the

jealousy?

History reports only her traditions, while the biographical works are replete with her praises, [they

report] that she was the beloved of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), and that he could not be separated

from her.

I believe that all these [reports] are from the Umayyads who loved 'A'isha and gave her the highest

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preference when she served their interests. She narrated for them what they loved [to hear], and she

fought against their enemy, 'Ali b. Abi Talib.

I also believe that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) could not love her when she did [things] which we have

reported. How could the Prophet (S.A.W.) love someone who would lie, backbite, slander and would

doubt Allah and his Prophet, suspecting them of injustice? How could the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.)

love someone who spied upon him, going out of her house without his permission to find out where he

had gone? How could the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) love someone who, in his presence, insulted his

wives even though they were dead? How could the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) love someone who hated

his son Ibrahim, and accused his mother Marya of lying? How could the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) love

someone who once came between him and his wives by lying, driven by malice, causing him to divorce

her?

How could the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) love someone who hated his daughter, al-Zahra, and who

hated his brother and cousin, 'Ali b. Abi Talib, to the extent where she could not mention his name and

think any good of him? All this and more [occurred] during the life of the Prophet (S.A.W.) After his

death, [even] more occurred, discuss it without any restraint.

All these deeds are detested by Allah and His Prophet (P), and they do not love those who perpetrate

them, for [with] Allah is the truth, and His Messenger (S.A.W.) is the personifier of truth, so it is not

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possible for him to love one who is against the truth.

We will learn during the forthcoming discussions that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) did not love her;

indeed, he warned the nation against her seditions.

I once asked some of our teachers the reason for the Prophet's (S.A.W.) excessive love for 'A'isha,

specifically to the exclusion of the other wives. They came up with numerous answers, all of them false:

One of them said: "Because she was beautiful and young, and she was the only virgin he had, for no man

had [taken] her before him". Another said: "Because she was the daughter of Abu Bakr, the truthful one,

his companion in the cave".

A third said: "Because she memorized half the religion from the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) and was a

learned jurist (faqiha)". A fourth said: "Because Gabriel came to him in her form, and he never used to

visit the Prophet (S.A.W.) unless he was in her house".

As you can see, O reader, every one of these claims has no basis and is not acceptable to either the

intellect or to reality. We will refute these answers with [indubitable] proofs. If the Prophet loved her

because she was beautiful and the only virgin that he had, what prevented him from marrying the

beautiful virgins who excelled her in charm and beauty, and were the role models among the Arab tribes,

and who were at his beck and call? The historians, on the other hand, also mention 'A'isha's jealousy

towards Zaynab bint Jahsh, Safiyya bint Huyayy and Marya the Copt, because they were more beautiful

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than her.

Ibn Sa'd and Ibn Kathir report that the Prophet (S.A.W.) married Malika bint Ka'b who was known for

her outstanding beauty. 'A'isha went to see her and said to her: "Aren't you ashamed to marry your

father's killer?" She then sought refuge from the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), whereupon he divorced her.

Her people came to him and said: "O Prophet of Allah, she is young and lacking in perception. She was

deceived, so take her back". The Prophet (P) refused to do so. Her father was killed on the day of the

conquest of Mecca, his killer was Khalid b al-Walid al-Khandama.

This narration clearly proves that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) was not concerned with youth and

beauty in his marriages, otherwise, he would not have divorced Malika bint Ka'b when she was young

and of outstanding beauty. This narration, and others like it, also show us the methods which 'A'isha

adopted in deceiving the innocent believing women, and prohibited them from marrying the Prophet of

Allah (P). We have already discussed [how] she caused the divorce of Asma' bint Nu'man, due to her

envy of the latter's beauty. She said to her: "The Prophet (S.A.W.) loves a woman to say to him when he

approaches her: 'I seek refuge in Allah from you'".

Now we have [the case of] Malika, with ('A'isha) instigating in her feelings for her father's death, and

that the killer was the Apostle of Allah (S.A.W.), saying to her: "Aren't you ashamed to marry your

father's killer?" What could this poor woman do but seek refuge against the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.)?

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Perhaps she said more than that, at a time when people still had traits of jahiliyya in them, which

instigated [people] to retaliation and reproached whoever did not exact revenge against his father's killer.

It is now left for us to ask, and it only right that we ask, why did the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) divorce

these two innocent women, who both fell victim to the plotting and deception of 'A'isha?

Before anything else, we must realise that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) was infallible, he would not

oppress anyone nor do anything which was not right. In divorcing the two women therefore, there must

have been some wisdom known to Allah and His Prophet (S.A.W.). Similarly, in spite of her deeds,

there must have been [some] wisdom in him not divorcing 'A'isha. We shall hopefully touch upon this in

the forthcoming discussions.

As far as the first woman is concerned, i.e., Asma' bint al-Nu'man; her [naive] disposition became

apparent when 'A'isha's tricks captured her, and the first words that she greeted the Prophet of Allah (S.

A.W.) with, when he stretched out his hand to her were: "I seek refuge in Allah from you". Despite her

excessive beauty, the Prophet (S.A.W.) did not let her remain due to her simple mindedness. Along with

some other narrators, Ibn Sa'd, in his Tabaqat, vol. 8, p. 145, on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas, said: "The

Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) married Asma' bint al-Nu'man, and she was among the most beautiful and

complete [women] of her time". Perhaps the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) wanted to teach us that the

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importance of intelligence outweighs that of physical beauty, for how many a pretty woman has been led

by her foolishness towards corruption?

As for the second woman, i.e., Malika bint Ka'b, who 'A'isha incited by telling her that her husband was

her father's killer, the Prophet (P) did not want this poor girl (who was young and lacked perception as

her people testified) to live in fear and terror which would cause great problems for her, especially since

'A'isha would never let her live in peace with the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.). No doubt there are other

reasons known to the Prophet which are not known to us.

The important thing to realize is that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) did not crave for beauty or physical

and sexual desires, as some ignorant persons and Orientalists assume. They claim that Muhammad was

preoccupied with beautiful women. We have observed how the Prophet (S.A.W.) divorced these two

women despite their tender age and beauty. They were the most beautiful and complete women of their

times, as documented in the historical and hadith books.

The claim of those who say that the Prophet (S.A.W.) loved 'A'isha for her youth and beauty is baseless

and unacceptable. As for those who allege that he loved her because she was the daughter of Abu Bakr,

this is also untrue. We can say that he married her for Abu Bakr's sake, because the Prophet of Allah (S.

A.W.) married into several tribes for political reasons so as to placate their hearts and foster affection

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and feelings of mercy between those tribes, replacing rancour and hatred. The Prophet (S.A.W.) married

Umm Habiba, the sister of Mu'awiya and the daughter of Abu Sufyan, the foremost enemy of the

Prophet (S.A.W.). That was because he harboured no ill feelings, and [because] he was a mercy to all the

worlds. His compassion and love for the Arab tribes led him to marrying Jews, Christians and Copts so

that the people of the scriptures could get closer to each other.

This is especially so if we realize, from our readings of the biographical works, that it was Abu Bakr

who asked the Prophet (S.A.W.) to marry his daughter 'A'isha, just as 'Umar had asked him to marry

Hafsa. The Prophet (S.A.W.) accepted these [proposals] because his heart encompassed all mankind.

Allah, the Exalted, says: "And if you were harsh and severe of heart, they would have deserted

you" (3:159).

If we return to the narration reported by 'A'isha, she said that the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) did not

wait for long before he thought she was asleep, then he took his upper garment, slowly opened the door,

went out and then closed it, we can perceive the lie of the claim that he could not do without her.

This deduction is not a spontaneous assumption, which I have conjectured. Most certainly not, for they

are supported by proofs from the six Sahih works. Muslim, like other Sunni Sahih works, has reported in

his Sahih that 'Umar b. al-Khattab said: "When the Prophet (S.A.W.) separated himself from his wives, I

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entered the mosque and the people were scratching the ground with stones and saying: 'The Prophet of

Allah (S.A.W.) has divorced his wives'".

This was before they had been ordered to wear the hijab. 'Umar said: "I said: 'I will certainly know that

today'. So I went to 'A'isha and said: 'O daughter of Abu Bakr! Have you reached the point of offending

the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.)?' She replied: 'My [affair] has got nothing to do with you, O son of

Khattab! Look at your own defects'". He continued: "So I called upon Hafsa bint 'Umar and said to her:

'O Hafsa! Have you reached the point of offending the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.)? By Allah! You know

that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) does not love you, had it not been for me, he would have divorced

you'. Whereupon she wept bitterly...."

This narration clearly illustrates for us, without doubt, that the Prophet's (S.A.W.) marriage to Hafsa was

not due to love, but rather, for the political needs that circumstances dictated.

What makes us certain of our deduction is the fact that 'Umar b. al-Khattab swore by Allah that the

Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) did not love Hafsa. 'Umar further increases our certitude by saying that his

daughter also knew this painful truth, for he said to her: "By Allah! You know that the Prophet of Allah

does not love you".

Therefore, not even the slightest of doubt is left in our minds about the marriage to her being for

political considerations when he said to her: "Had it not been for me, the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.)

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would have divorced you".

This narration also gives us some idea about the Prophet's (S.A.W.) marriage to 'A'isha bint Abu Bakr,

and that, despite all her troubles, he exercised patience and perseverance for the sake of Abu Bakr.

Otherwise, Hafsa was more worthy of the love and affection of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), for she

did not do a tenth of the things that 'A'isha, the daughter of Abu Bakr, did to offend the Prophet (S.A.

W.).

If we study the actual events [which occurred], ignoring the spurious narrations which the Umayyads

composed on the merits of 'A'isha, we will observe that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) was, on many

occasions, troubled and angered by her. Here we relate a narration which al-Bukhari and several others

of the ahl al-sunna hadith transmitters have reported. It speaks of the extent of aversion which 'A'isha

felt towards her husband, the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.).

Al-Bukhari reports in volume 7 of his Sahih, in "The Chapter on the Expression of a Sick Person: 'I am

in pain' or 'My head hurts'", He said: "I heard al-Qasim b. Muhammad say: ''A'isha said: 'My head hurts'.

The Prophet (S.A.W.) said: 'If that were to happen when I am still alive, I would seek Allah's

forgiveness for you and would pray for you'. 'A'isha said: 'A likely story! By Allah, I think you would

love to see me die. And that if that occurred, you would spend the other part of the day marrying another

of your wives'". Does this narration indicate that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) loved 'A'isha?

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Lastly, we summarise by pointing out that the Banu Umayyad, foremost amongst them Mu'awiya b. Abi

Sufyan, hated the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.). From the time the Caliphate fell into their hands, they

strove to distort the truth and turn everything head over heels. They thus elevated to the zenith of power

people who were, during the life of the Prophet (S.A.W.), ordinary, with no special standing, while they

ignored others who were at the acme of honour and nobility during the lifetime of the Prophet (P).

I believe that their sole criterion in according honour or ignoring, was their intense enmity and excessive

hatred for Muhammad and the members of his household, 'Ali, Fatima, al-Hasan and al-Husayn. They

(the Umayyads) elevated the status, and fabricated false hadiths, on the merits of every person who

opposed the Prophet (S.A.W.) and his ahl al-bayt whom Allah has purified and from whom He removed

all abomination. They sought nearness to them (those who opposed the Prophet), accorded them high

positions and grants so that they enjoyed favours and respect among the populace. They sought to

denigrate, fabricate defects, falsify reports that denied the superiority and merits of anyone who used to

love the Prophet (S.A.W.) and [would] defend him.

Thus 'Umar b. al-Khattab, who used to dispute every command of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), even

accusing the latter of hallucination in his last days, became the hero of Islam amongst the Muslims

during the time of the Umayyad dynasty.

On the other hand, 'Ali b. Abi Talib who was, to him, what Aaron was to Moses, and who loved him,

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and who was loved by Allah and His Prophet, he who was the guardian of every believer, was cursed

from the pulpits for eighty years.

Similarly 'A'isha, who caused the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) much torment and disobeyed his

instructions and the instructions of her Lord, rose against the successor of the Messenger of Allah and

caused the worst strife known to the Muslims, [a strife] which resulted in the death of thousands of

Muslims, became the most famous lady in Islam, with religious rulings being accepted from her. But

Fatima al-Zahra, the leader of the women of this world, she for whom the Lord of Glory gets angry if

she becomes angry, and she for whom the Lord is happy when she is happy, became a forgotten woman,

and was buried in the secrecy of the night, after they had threatened to burn her, after they forced the

door of her house against her stomach, causing her to lose her child. Not one amongst the ahl al-sunna

Muslims knows a single hadith which she reported from her father.

Similarly, Yazid b. Mu'awiya, Ziyad, the son of his father, Ibn Marjana, Ibn Marwan, al-Hajjaj, Ibn

al-'As, and others from the accursed evildoers cursed in the text of the Qur'an and by the tongue of the

Prophet (S.A.W.), they became the commanders of the believers and the guardians of their affairs. As

for al-Hasan and al-Husayn, the masters of the youths of paradise, the delights of the Prophet of this

nation, the Imams from the progeny of the Prophet (S.A.W.), the custodians of this umma, they were

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banished, imprisoned, murdered, and poisoned. In this way, Abu Sufyan the hypocrite, the leader in

every battle that was waged against the Prophet, came to be praised and thanked, until it was said that

whoever entered his house was secure. As for Abu Talib, the protector and defender of the Prophet (S.A.

W.) with all that he had, [who] passed his life in hostility with his people and relatives for the sake of his

nephew's call, so much so that he spent three years in the enclave with the Prophet in the valley of

Mecca, keeping his belief secret, for the benefit of Islam, so that some bridges were still open with the

Quraysh and so that they would not persecute the Muslims as they wished (he was like the believer from

the family of Pharaoh who hid his belief), his (Abu Talib's) [supposed] reward was a pair of slippers in

the hellfire, his feet placed into it and his brains popping out from the pain.

In this way, Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan, who was the freed man, son of the freed man, the accursed one,

and the son of an accursed one, he who used to play with the injunctions of Allah and His Prophet, not

attaching any importance to it, he who used to murder the upright and innocent [ones] so as to pursue his

vile goals and [would] revile the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) whilst the Muslims would see and hear,

became known as the scribe of revelation. They say that Allah entrusted His revelation to Gabriel,

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Muhammad and Mu'awiya. He came to be described as a man of wisdom, political acumen and

reflection.

As for Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, the earth did not carry and the sky did not put its shadow on anyone more

truthful in his speech than him; he was treated as a mischief monger. He was beaten, exiled and banished

to Rabdha. Salman, Miqdad, 'Ammar and Hudhayfa and all the sincere companions who took 'Ali as

their leader and followed him, they met with punishment, banishment and murder.

Similarly, those who followed the school of the Caliphs, the followers of Mu'awiya and the companions

of the schools founded by the tyrannical rulers, they became the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a and they

represented Islam. Whoever opposed them was judged to be a disbeliever. If only they had followed the

Imams of the ahl al-bayt, the pure ones.

As for those who followed the school of the ahl al-bayt and followed the gate to the city of knowledge

and the first one to accept Islam, he whom the truth revolved around wherever he was, those who

followed the ahl al-bayt and the infallible Imams came to be [seen as] the people of innovation and

misguidance, and whoever opposed and fought against them came to be [seen as] a Muslim. Surely there

is no power and no strength except with Allah, the Highest, and the most Powerful. Allah surely spoke

the truth when He said: "If it is said to them: 'Make not any mischief on earth', they say: 'We are the

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righteous ones'. Certainly they are indeed the corrupt ones but they do not realise it. And if it is said to

them: 'Believe as other people have believed' they say: 'Shall we believe as the stupid ones believe'?

They are the stupid ones, though they know it not" (2:13).

If we return to the subject of the Prophet of Allah's (S.A.W.) [alleged] love for 'A'isha, as she had

memorized half the religion from him, and that he used to say: "Take half your religion from this

Humayra", [we realise] that this hadith is false, it has no basis of truth. Neither is it consonant with the

ridiculous and sorrowful rulings that have been reported from 'A'isha. It is not fitting that the Prophet (S.

A.W.) should have mentioned them. It is sufficient for us to refer to the incident of the suckling of an

adult, which she used to report from the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), and which was narrated by Muslim

in his Sahih and by Malik in his Muwatta'. We have fully discussed this matter in our book "So that I

may be with the Truthful ones". Whoever wishes a detailed account of the matter should refer to it.

It is sufficient for us [to note] regarding this detestable tradition, that all the [other] wives rejected it and

refused to act according to it. Even the reporter of the hadith remained [silent for] a complete year,

scared to mention it, due to its repulsive and shameless nature.

Let us refer to Sahih al-Bukhari in the chapter on: "Whoever Leaves his Place of Residence Must

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Shorten the Prayer". He narrated: "On the authority of al-Zuhri, from 'Urwa, from 'A'isha (R) [who] said:

'The prayer was first decreed as two rak'a. Then this ruling was retained for the prayer on journey, and

the prayer in residence was made complete'. Al-Zuhri said: 'I said to 'Urwa: 'So how come 'A'isha

completes the prayer [during the journey]'? He replied: 'She interpreted [the ruling] as 'Uthman

interpreted it'".

Muslim also reported it in "The Chapter On The Prayer [recited by] the Travellers and Shortening It" in

more explicit words than those [expressed] in al-Bukhari. He narrated on the authority of al-Zuhri from

'Urwa from 'A'isha, that: "The prayer was first decreed as two rak'as. Then this ruling was preserved for

the prayer during a journey, and the prayer at [a person's town of] residence was made complete". Al-

Zuhri said: "I said to 'Urwa: 'So how come 'A'isha [recites the] complete prayer on a journey?' He

replied: 'She interpreted [the ruling] as 'Uthman interpreted it'".

There is a clear contradiction. For she is the one who reports that the prayer of a traveller was decreed as

two rak'as, but she opposes what Allah has made obligatory, and what the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.)

followed, and instead interpreted it so as to change the ruling of Allah and His Prophet, reviving the

practice of 'Uthman. Due to this reason, we see a lot of rulings in the Sahihs of the ahl al-sunna wa'l-

Jama'a, but yet they do not follow them, for, in most cases, they adhere to the interpretation of Abu

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Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, 'A'isha, Mu'awiya b. Abu Sufyan and other companions.

If al-Humayra, from whom half the religion is supposedly taken, can interpret the rulings of Allah how

she wishes, I do not believe that her husband, the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), would be pleased with her

and would order the people to follow her. In fact, it has been related in Sahih al-Bukhari, Muslim and

the other Sahihs of the ahl al-sunna, that obedience to her is disobedience to Allah. God willing, we will

deal with this at its [proper] time .

As for those who say that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) loved her because Gabriel used to come to him

in her form before he married her, and that he only came to him in her house, these narrations would

make a mad person laugh. I do not know whether the form which Gabriel came to him was in

photographic or oil paint. In fact, the Sahihs of the ahl al-sunna relate that Abu Bakr sent 'A'isha with a

plate of dates to the Prophet (P) so that he could see her, and that he asked the Prophet (P) to marry his

daughter. Was there any need then for Gabriel to come in her form when she lived just a few metres

away from the residence of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.)? I believe that Marya, the Copt, used to live in

the land of Copts, in Egypt, far away from the Prophet (S.A.W.), and since no one expected her to come,

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it was more appropriate that Gabriel descend in her form and to give the Prophet of Allah (P) the good

tidings that Allah would give him Ibrahim from her.

These narrations are from the forgeries of 'A'isha who had nothing with which she could take pride over

her co-wives except tales which her imagination created. Alternatively, these are due to the forgeries of

the Banu Umayyads, and attributed to her, in order to elevate her standing with those of simple minds.

And as for the allegation that Gabriel did not visit Muhammad (P) when he was reclining except in

'A'isha's house, this is worse than the preceding claim, since it is well known from the Qur'an that Allah

threatened her when she demonstrated against His Prophet. Allah threatened her with Gabriel, the

righteous believers, and the angels would [also] support [the Prophet].

So the claims of our teachers and scholars are mere conjectures and imaginations. "Indeed, conjectures

do not lead to the truth. Say: 'Do you have true knowledge with you? Then bring it forth. You follow

nothing but conjecture, you merely guess'".

the Prophet of God.

She believed - or rather, she led herself into believing - that she was the best of the Prophet's (S.A.W.)

wives simply because he had married her when she was a virgin, and that he had not married any other

virgin. When the Prophet (S.A.W.) died, she was in the full splendour of her youth and the prime of her

life. According to the best known reports, she was eighteen years old at the most when her husband

passed away. She had not lived with the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) for more than six to eight years,

according to different reports. She spent the first years of this period playing games that children play

whilst she was the wife of the Prophet (S.A.W.). She was, as Barira, the slave girl of the Prophet of

Allah (S.A.W.), described her: "A young girl, who sleeps leaving the dough (unguarded) that the goats

come and eat".

Yes, eighteen years for a girl who has become a teenager as is said today. She had spent half her life

with the bearer of Allah's message with nine or ten other co-wives. Yet there was another woman during

the lifetime of 'A'isha, whom we have failed to mention, a woman who was harder for 'A'isha [to accept]

than all the wives because the love of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) for this woman transcended all

imagination. This woman was Fatima al-Zahra, the daughter of the Prophet (P) through Khadija and step

daughter of 'A'isha. Do you know who is Khadija? Khadija, the foremost believer, to whom Gabriel

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gave salaams, and gave her glad tidings of a house [built] for her in paradise, a house which has no

noise or trouble.

The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) never lost an opportunity to mention Khadija. This used to tear apart the

liver of 'A'isha. Her heart would burn with jealousy, and she would lose control of herself and forget her

manners. She would abuse (Khadija) as she liked, with no respect for her husband's feelings. Let us

listen to 'A'isha talk about herself, especially concerning Khadija, as al-Bukhari, Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi,

and Ibn Maja report. She said: "I have never been so envious of any wife of the Prophet as I have been

of Khadija. That was because of the Prophet's frequent remembrance and praise of her. I said to him:

"Why do you mention that old woman of the Quraysh? She who had reddened cheeks that time had

destroyed! Certainly Allah has given you [someone] better than her". She said: "The face of the Apostle

of Allah (S.A.W.) changed. I never saw it change like this except when he was receiving revelation. He

said: 'No! Allah did not give me better than her. She believed in me when others rejected me. She

believed in me when others disbelieved me. She gave me the wealth she had when others deprived me.

Allah gave me children through her whereas he did not through the other women'".

There is no doubt that the retort of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) refutes the contention of those who

allege that 'A'isha was the most beloved and the best of the Prophet's (S.A.W.) wives. I am convinced

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too that 'A'isha's jealousy and hatred increased when the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) scolded her with this

reprimand and informed her that His Lord had not given him [someone] better than Khadija. Once again,

the Prophet (S.A.W.) teaches us that he did not have any sort of inclination for base desires, and had no

inclination towards beauty and virginity, because Khadija (P) had been previously married twice and

was older than him by fifteen years. Despite this, he loved her and never ceased to praise her. By my

life, this is the true character of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), who loved for Allah's sake and hated for

Allah's sake. There is a huge difference between this authentic hadith and the forged one which claims

the Prophet preferred 'A'isha, so much so that his wives sent to him [someone] imploring him to show

fairness with regard to the daughter of Abu Quhafa.

Dare we ask 'A'isha, Umm al-Mu'minin, who never saw Khadija for a single day in her life nor ever met

her, how did she know that she was an old woman with red cheeks? Is this the conduct of the average

believer who is forbidden to speak ill of anyone in their absence if that person is alive? How about if that

person is dead and has been taken up to the Lord? And how [severe is the crime] if the person being

backbited is the wife of the Prophet (P), the lady in whose house Gabriel came down and gave her the

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tidings of a house in paradise, a house without noise or trouble?

Certainly, the hatred and envy for Khadija that was kindled in 'A'isha's heart had to have an outlet,

otherwise they would have exploded inside her. 'A'isha did not find anyone [on whom to vent her fury]

except Fatima, Khadija's daughter, and her ('A'isha's) stepdaughter, who was, according to various

reports, about her own age or a little older.

The deep love that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) felt for Khadija was certainly also rooted and

strengthened in his daughter, his unique one, Fatima al-Zahra. She was the only one who lived with her

father and carried within her the qualities which the Prophet used to love in Khadija, he used to call her

"the mother of her father".

'A'isha's envy was further increased when she saw the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) extolling [the

virtues of] his daughter, calling her the leader of the women of the world and leader of the women in

paradise. Furthermore, Allah bestowed to him, through her, the two masters of the youths of paradise, al-

Hasan and al-Husayn. She saw that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) used to sleep at Fatima's place,

watching over the upbringing of his grandchildren. He used to say: "My two children here are my

fragrance of this umma", and he used to carry them on his shoulders. This further added to her envy, as

she was barren. Her envy increased until it covered Fatima's husband, the father of al-Hasan and al-

Husayn. This was for no other reason than the love that the Prophet of Allah (P) showed towards him,

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preferring him above her father Abu Bakr in all places. There is no doubt that she was living through

fateful times.

She saw that the son of Abu Talib way excelled her father on every occasion, and that the Prophet (P)

continued to love him and preferred him above everyone else. She also knew that her father had returned

in defeat with the forces who were with him on the day of Khaybar, and that the Prophet (S.A.W.) was

pained by this and said: "I will give the standard tomorrow to a man who loves Allah and his Prophet,

and who Allah and his Prophet love, [a man] who will be steadfast and will not flee". That man was 'Ali

b. Abu Talib, the husband of Fatima. After 'Ali had captured Khaybar, he returned with Safiyya bint

Huyayy who the Prophet (P) married. This descended like a flash of lightning upon the heart of 'A'isha.

She also knew that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) had sent her father to proclaim the Sura al-Bara'a

(chapter 9) to the pilgrims, but then had sent 'Ali after him, to take [the responsibility] from him. Her

father returned in tears and asked the reason for this action, whereupon the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.)

responded: "Allah commanded me that none should proclaim [this] except me or someone from my ahl

al-bayt ".

She also knew that the Prophet (P) had appointed his cousin, 'Ali, as the Caliph over the Muslims after

him and had ordered his companions and his wives to congratulate him for this leadership over the

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believers. Her father was among the first people to say: "Congratulations, Congratulations to you, O son

of Abu Talib. You have become and will remain the guardian of every believing man and woman".

She also knew that the Prophet (S.A.W.) had put in command over her father a youth with no hair

[growing] on his cheek, for he was only seventeen years old, yet he commanded him to go on military

expeditions under his leadership and to pray behind him.

There is no doubt that 'A'isha was influenced by these events. Deep inside she was concerned for her

father, and his competing for the Caliphate, and the conspiracy that was among the leaders of the

Quraysh. Her envy and hatred for 'Ali and Fatima grew, and she tried her best to intervene, at all costs,

to change the situation to her father's advantage using various methods. We have seen how she sent for

her father, supposedly on behalf of her husband, ordering him to lead the people in prayer, after she

learnt that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) had summoned 'Ali for this duty. When the Prophet (P) learnt

of this plot, he was forced to come out, remove Abu Bakr from his place and lead the people in prayer

while he was sitting. He was angry at 'A'isha and said to her: "You women are like the companions of

Yusuf" (meaning that their plots were great).

A researcher of this event, which is related by 'A'isha in several different and discordant reports, will

find clear contradiction. The Prophet had called her father to join the army and commanded him to

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embark under the leadership of Usama b. Zayd three days before that prayer. It is known logically that

the leader of the army also leads the prayer. Usama b. Zayd therefore was the Imam of Abu Bakr on that

expedition. 'A'isha sensed this disdain and understood the Prophet's motive, especially as he had not

drafted 'Ali b. Abi Talib into that army in which even the notable emigrants and Ansars, leaders and

people of stature from the Quraysh, had been drafted.

She further perceived, as did most of the companions, from the Prophet (P) that his days were numbered.

She possibly shared 'Umar b. al-Khattab's view, that the Prophet had now begun to hallucinate, not

knowing what he did. Her burning envy incited her to behave in the way she wished, elevating the status

and esteem of Abu Bakr against his rival, 'Ali. Because of all this, she denied that the Prophet of Allah

(S.A.W.) had appointed 'Ali as his successor. Therefore she tried to convince the simple minded people

that the Prophet (P) had died in her chambers lying between her lungs and chest. She narrated that the

Prophet (P) said to her when he was ill: "Call your father and brother to me so that I may write a behest

for them, maybe someone might make an allegation which Allah and His Prophet and the believers will

refute unless it is [in favour of] Abu Bakr". Did anyone ask her as to what prevented her from

summoning them?

The researcher of her views regarding Abu'l-Hasan finds a strange, surprising thing. There is no

explanation for it except her envy and enmity to the household of the Prophet. History has recorded her

incomparable hatred and malice towards Imam 'Ali. She reached the point where she was not even able

to utter his name, not able to stand the sight of him. When she heard that the people had paid allegiance

to him for the Caliphate after the murder of 'Uthman, she said: "I wished that the skies had become like

the earth before 'Ali had attained it". She exerted every effort into causing problems for him, leading

troops against him to wage a war of insurrection, and when the news of his death reached her, she

prostrated in thanks to Allah.

Like me, are you not surprised at the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a who report in their Sahihs that the

Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) said: "O 'Ali! none but a true believer loves you, and none but a hypocrite

hates you". Then they also report in their Sahihs, Musnads and history books that 'A'isha hated Imam

'Ali so much that she could not mention his name. Is this not a testimony from them regarding the nature

of the woman? Just as al-Bukhari has reported in his Sahih that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) said:

"Fatima is a part of me. Whoever angers her angers me, and whoever angers me angers Allah". Then al-

Bukhari himself relates that Fatima died whilst she was angry with Abu Bakr, not speaking to him to the

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time she died.

Are these traditions not [enough] testimony from them that Allah and His Prophet are both angry at Abu

Bakr? This is what all intelligent people understand. I always say, therefore, that the truth will surface,

no matter how much the falsifiers try to hide it, no matter how much the helpers of the Umayyads try to

misrepresent and fabricate it. For the proof of Allah is evident upon His servants from the day of the

revelation of the Qur'an until the final hour [of reckoning]. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.

Imam Ahmad reports that Abu Bakr once came to the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), and sought permission

to enter. Before he went in, he heard 'A'isha's voice raised, saying to the Prophet (P): "By Allah! I surely

know that 'Ali is dearer to you than me and my father", she repeated this twice or three times".

'A'isha's hatred for Imam 'Ali was so much that she always tried to distance him from the Prophet (P)

whenever she could find the means to do so. The Mu'tazili Ibn Abi al-Hadid, in his commentary on the

Nahj al-Balagha said the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) beckoned to 'Ali to come close. He came close until

he sat between him and 'A'isha, and he and the Prophet (S.A.W.) were clung together. She said to him:

"Can you not find a seat for this one except [on] my thigh?"

He also narrated that one day the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) was walking with Imam 'Ali and the

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conversation became prolonged. 'A'isha approached as she was walking from behind until she came

between them saying: "What is it between you two that you are taking so long?" Upon this the Prophet

of Allah (S.A.W.) became angry.

It is also reported that she once came upon the Prophet (S.A.W.) whilst he was conversing quietly with

'Ali. She screamed and said: "What is it with you and me, O son of Abu Talib? I have [just] one day with

the Prophet of Allah (P)". Thereupon the Prophet (P) became angry.

How often did she anger the Prophet (S.A.W.) with her conduct, which arose due to her intense jealousy

and furious nature and her offensive words? Would the Prophet (S.A.W.) be pleased with any believing

man or woman whose heart was filled with hatred and malice towards his cousin, the leader of his

progeny, he of whom he said: "He loves Allah and His Prophet, and Allah and His Prophet love him?"

He also said about him: "Whoever loves 'Ali has loved me, and whoever hates 'Ali has hated me".

His Prophet, who forbade and warned them before he died: "Which one of you will ride the camel and

have the dogs of al-Haw'ab bark at her?" All of them [obeyed] with the exception of 'A'isha. She

disobeyed all his orders and scoffed at all the warnings. Historians relate that Hafsa bint 'Umar wanted

to go with her (for the battle of the Camel). But her brother, 'Abd Allah reproached her and recited the

[aforementioned] verse to her. Hafsa then cancelled her plans. 'A'isha, however, rode the camel and the

dogs of al-Haw'ab barked at her. Taha Husayn says in his book "The Great Sedition" (al-Fitna al-

Kubra): "On her route, 'A'isha passed by some water and some dogs barked at her. She asked about the

water and was told that it was al-Haw'ab. She was greatly shocked and said: "Take me back! Take me

back! I have heard the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) saying while he was with his wives: 'Which one of you

will the dogs of al-Haw'ab bark at'"? 'Abd Allah b. Zubayr came, having been instructed to pacify her,

bringing fifty men from the Banu 'Amir who falsely swore that the water was not that of al-Haw'ab".

I believe that this narration was fabricated during the time of the Banu Umayyad to reduce the severity

of Umm al-Mu'minin's disobedience, thinking that Umm al-Mu'minin would be exonerated after her

nephew, 'Abd Allah b. al-Zubayr, deceived her, coming with fifty men who swore by God and gave false

testimony that the water was not that of al-Haw'ab. It is truly a foolish joke; they wanted to delude,

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through such reports, those of shallow perception and to convince them that 'A'isha was fooled because,

when she passed the water and heard the barking of the dogs, and enquired about the water, it was said

that they were at al-Haw'ab. She was distressed and said: "Take me back! Take me back".

Do the idiots who forged this narration search for an excuse for 'A'isha's disobedience of the order of

Allah, and what was revealed in the Qur'an regarding the incumbency for her to stay in her house? Or do

they seek for an excuse for her disobedience to the order of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) to stay within

her house and the prohibition of riding a camel before arriving at the well of al-Haw'ab, the watering

place of the barking dogs? Do they find an excuse for Umm al-Mu'minin, after she rejected the advice of

Umm al-Mu'minin Umm Salama? Historians have recorded the incident in which she said to her: "Do

you remember the day the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) proceeded and we were with him and he turned left

from [a place called] Qadid and sat alone with 'Ali and whispered to him for a long time? You wanted to

force yourself on them; I tried to prevent you, but you disobeyed me and intruded. It wasn't long before

you returned in tears. I asked: 'What happened to you?' And you replied: 'I approached them and they

were in conversation, so I said to Ali: 'I get with the Prophet of Allah one day out of nine, so can you

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not, O son of Abu Talib, leave me with him on my day?' The Messenger of Allah came towards me and

he was red with anger, and said: 'Go back! By Allah, none except those who have abandoned faith can

hate him'. I returned repentant and sad'". 'A'isha said: "Yes, I remember that".

Umm Salama continued: "I will also remind you too that you and I were with the Prophet of Allah and

he said to us: 'Which one of you will be the rider of the trained camel, at whom the dogs of Haw'ab will

bark, and she will have deviated from the right path?' We said: 'We seek refuge from Allah and His

Prophet from that'. He touched your back and said: 'Don't be that one, O Humayra'". 'A'isha said: "I

remember that". Umm Salama said: "Do you not remember that day when your father came with 'Umar,

so we put on our veils. They came in and spoke about what they wanted to, until they said: 'O Prophet of

Allah (S.A.W.) we do not know how long you will be with us. If only you were to tell us who will

succeed you as Caliph over us, so that there will be after you a place we can turn to'. He said to them:

'As for me, I have seen his position [infront of you]. Were I to do this, you would all fall into disunity as

the Israelites dispersed from Aaron'. They remained quiet and left. After they had departed, we came out

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to the Prophet of Allah and you said to him, as you were more forthcoming with him than all of us: 'O

Messenger of Allah who did you appoint as Caliph over them?' He said: 'The wearer of the mended

shoe'. We went out and we saw it was 'Ali. You said: 'O Prophet of Allah, I do not see anyone apart from

'Ali'. He replied: 'He is the one'". 'A'isha said: "Yes, I remember that". Umm Salama said to her: "So

then, 'A'isha, how can you go ahead after this"? She replied: "I venture forth to reconcile the people".

Umm Salama sought to prevent her from the uprising, using strong words, saying: "The pillars of Islam,

if they lean, are not set erect by women; and if they crack, are not joined by women. The praiseworthy

things for women are lowering their gazes and protecting their chastity. What would you say if the

Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) appeared before you in one of these deserts and finds you driving your

camel from one watering place to another? By Allah, if I were to embark upon this journey of yours,

then it was said to me: 'Enter paradise' I would be ashamed to face Muhammad after having thrown off

the veils he has placed upon me".

Just as Umm al-Mu'minin 'A'isha did not accept the advice of many sincere companions, al-Tabari in his

history related that: "Jariya b. Quddama al-Sa'di said to her: 'O mother of the believers, by Allah, the

murder of 'Uthman is less despicable than you going out on this accursed camel from your house and

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bearing arms. Allah [has imposed] on you the veil and sanctity, you have destroyed your cover and

defiled your respect. Surely, whoever sees your uprising, sees your destruction. If you come to us

obeying, then go back to your house. If you have come to us in coercion, then seek the help of the

people'".

were the first Muslims whose heads were cut off whilst they were patient.

Al-Sha'bi reported from Muslim b. Abi Bakra from his father: "When Talha and Zubayr reached Basra, I

put on my sword as I wanted to help them. I visited 'A'isha, she was ordering, prohibiting; she was in

command. I remembered a hadith from the Prophet of Allah (P) which I used to hear him say: 'A

community which has its affairs administered by a woman will never succeed'. I [therefore] withdrew

from them and left them".

Al-Bukhari has reported from Abi Bakra: "Allah benefited me by a word during the days of the [battle of

the] Camel. For when the Prophet (S.A.W.) heard that the Persians had made the daughter of Chosroes

their Queen, he said: 'The people that have their affairs administered by a woman will never succeed'".

One of the things that makes us laugh and weep at one time is that 'A'isha, Umm al-Mu'minin, went out

of her residence in disobedience to Allah and His Prophet and then ordered the companions to remain in

their houses. This is surely a strange thing. How, dear Lord, could this occur?

The Mu'tazili Ibn Abi'l-Hadid, in the commentary on the Nahj al-Balagha, reported, along with

historians, that 'A'isha sent a letter when she was in Basra to Zayd b. Sawhan al-'Abdi in which she said

to him: "From 'A'isha, the mother of the believers, daughter of Abu Bakr, the truthful one, wife of the

Prophet. To her devoted son, Zayd b. Sawhan. Remain at home and make the people abandon the son of

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Abu Talib. I hope to hear what I would love from you, since you are the most trustworthy of my family...

Wasalaam".

This righteous man replied to her thus: "From Zayd b. Sawhan to 'A'isha bint Abi Bakr: Allah issued a

commandment to you and He also issued a commandment to us. He ordered you to remain in your

residence, and He ordered us to fight. Your letter has come to me instructing me to do contrary to what

Allah has ordered me to do, [You have asked me] to do what Allah has ordered you to do and that you

do what Allah has asked me to do. Your order to me is [something] that I cannot obey, therefore there is

no reply [necessary] to your letter".

From this, it becomes clear to us that 'A'isha was not content with leading the army of the Camel, but

rather, she craved for absolute control over the believers in all the corners of the land. In all matters, she

would command Talha and al-Zubayr, who had been nominated for the Caliphate by 'Umar. Due to this,

she made it lawful for herself to correspond with the chiefs of the tribes and with the governors, enticing

them and seeking their help.

Due to this, she attained the status and fame among the Banu Umayyads, to the point where she became

the protÈgÈ and the source of reverence for all of them, and [she became one] whose power and rebuke

they all feared.

If the heroes and men, famous for their courage, abandon and flee from the lines of battle [when] facing

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'Ali b. Abi Talib and would not stand in front of him, she stood, inciting, screaming and arousing [the

people].

The mind is perplexed at all of this, the historians are bewildered, for they knew her stance in the smaller

battle of the Camel before the arrival of Imam 'Ali, and in the greater battle of the Camel after the arrival

of Imam 'Ali. [They all know that] he summoned her to the book of Allah and that she refused,

obstinately insisting on the battle. There is no explanation [for this], unless we understand the depth and

extent of the envy and hatred which the mother of the believers felt towards her children, who were

devoted to Allah and his Messenger.

and the one who hated 'Ali was a hypocrite, whom Allah hated. Unfortunately those hadiths do not

permeate the depth of those souls which never accept the truth to be true, unless it be for her ('A'isha's)

benefit, and they do not recognize anything to be correct unless it comes from her.

As a result, the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) was patient when he realised that she was the test that Allah

had sent to the umma, to examine it as He had tested the previous nations. "Do the people think that they

will be left alone when they say: 'We believe' and they will not be tested" ( 29:2)?

The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) warned the umma against her on several occasions. He even stood one

day and pointed towards her house saying: "From there is the mischief, from there is the mischief from

where the horns of the devil will rise". Al-Bukhari has reported in his Sahih, in "The Book Concerning

the Houses of the Wives of the Prophet (S.A.W.)", on the authority of Nafi' b. 'Abd Allah (R) who said:

"The Prophet (S.A.W.) stood up, addressing [the people] and pointed towards the residence of 'A'isha

and said three times: 'From there is mischief from where the horns of the devil will arise'".

Muslim has also related in his Sahih from Ikrima b. 'Ammar from Salim from Ibn 'Umar who said: "The

Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) emerged from the house of 'A'isha and said: 'The pivot of disbelief is from

here, where the horns of Satan will rise'".

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There is no need to pay attention to the additions they have made [to the hadith] by their explanation:

"That means the east". This is clearly a fabrication to dilute [the accusation against] the mother of the

believers and to remove any accusation against her.

Al-Bukhari also reported: "When Talha, al-Zubayr and 'A'isha travelled to Basra, 'Ali sent 'Ammar b.

Yasir and al-Hasan b. 'Ali who met us in Kufa. They ascended the pulpit, with al-Hasan ascending to the

top while 'Ammar was standing below al-Hasan. We gathered towards him. I heard 'Ammar say: ''A'isha

has journeyed to Basra and, by Allah, she is the wife of your Prophet (S.A.W.) in this life and in the

hereafter; but Allah, the most blessed and exalted, is now testing you [to see] whom you obey, Him or

her'".

Allah is the Greatest. This hadith also indicates that obedience to her is disobedience to Allah, and to

oppose and disobey her is to obey Allah. We can also note in the hadith, that the Umayyad narrators

have added the phrase "and the hereafter" when saying "She is the wife of your Prophet in this life and

the hereafter" so that they may lead the masses into thinking that Allah has forgiven her every sin she

committed, and allowed her to enter His heaven, and her husband is His beloved Prophet of Allah (S.A.

W.). Otherwise, how did 'Ammar know that she will be his wife in the hereafter?

This is another trick which the falsifiers of hadith narrators resorted to during the time of the Banu

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Umayyad. When they found that a hadith was widespread amongst the people, and there was no way to

deny or refute it, they decided to add a paragraph or words, or to change some phrases so as to dampen

the impact [of the hadith] or to [make it] lose its intended meaning. Just as they did with the hadith: "I

am the city of knowledge and 'Ali is its gate", they added: "and Abu Bakr is its foundation, 'Umar its

walls and 'Uthman its roof".

This [trick] is not hidden to the objective researchers who refute these additions which, most of the time,

indicate the lack of intelligence of the falsifiers and their lack of wisdom and light of the Prophetic

traditions. For they can observe the saying that Abu Bakr is it's foundation means the knowledge of the

Prophet (P) is derived from the knowledge of Abu Bakr, and this is disbelief. Likewise, the statement

'Umar is its walls means 'Umar prevents people from entering the city, i.e., prevents them from getting

to the knowledge. The saying 'Uthman is it's roof is necessarily absurd since there is no city which has a

roof, this is impossible. The researchers note too that 'Ammar swore by Allah that 'A'isha is the wife of

the Prophet (P) in this world and in the hereafter. This is a shot in the dark. How could 'Ammar take an

oath about something he did not know? Did he have a verse from the book of God? Or was it a covenant

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promised to him by the Prophet (P)?

So we are now left with the true hadith, i.e., that 'A'isha travelled to Basra, and that she is the wife of

your Prophet, but Allah is testing you through her to know whether you obey Him or her.

All praise is due to the Lord of the Worlds, who has given us intelligence through which we can

differentiate between the truth and falsehood, and has made clear to us the [right] path and then tested us

by several things so that they can bear witness on the day of judgement.

imposition and intrusion on Allah. The exalted one says: "All that is in the heavens and the earth belongs

to Allah. Whether you exhibit what is in your souls or hide it, Allah will [make you] account for it. He

forgives whomsoever He wishes and punishes whomsoever He wishes. Allah has Power over

everything" (2:284).

Based on this, it is not for us to be pleased with her or to curse her. We cannot, however, follow her nor

[can we] condone her deeds. We speak of all this so as to enlighten the people about the truth; maybe

they will be guided on the right path.

The Commander of the Faithful, Imam 'Ali said: "Do not be amongst those who curse and swear, but

rather say: 'They did so and so, for this is more potent as a proof'".

Imamate is not right for others, neither is it for the governors to the exclusion of others".

"We are the close ones and the companions, the treasures and the doors. Houses are not entered except

by their doors; whosoever enters them in any other way is called a thief". Then he mentioned the ahl albayt

and said: "Within them is the nobility of the Qur'an, and they are the treasures of the Merciful one.

When they speak they utter the truth, and when they are silent, none should speak before they do".

"They are the life of knowledge and death of ignorance; their forbearance tells you of their knowledge

and their silence the wisdom of their speaking. They do not go against the truth nor do they differ about

it. They are the pillars of Islam and the asylums of protection. Through them the truth has returned to its

rightful position, falsehood has vanished and it's tongue severed from it's root. They have understood

religion attentively and carefully, not from hearsay or from relaters, because the relaters of knowledge

are many, but few observe it.

His progeny is the best of progenies and his family the best of families. His tree is the best of trees,

grown in sanctity and excelled in generosity, for them are long branches and fruits that cannot be

reached.

We are the tree of prophethood, the station of divine message and the place where angels visit. We are

the mines of knowledge, the fountain-heads of wisdom. Those who support and love us, can expect

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mercy, our enemies and one who hates us, await the wrath [of God].

We are the noble ones, and our progeny is the progeny of the Prophets. Our party is the party of Allah,

the most Glorious and Majestic. The rebellious group are the party of Satan. Whoever equates us with

our enemy is not from us".

"Where do you go and how [much] do you lie? The standards are raised and the signs clear. The

minarets have been erected, so where are you wandering? How can you wander blindly, when among

you is the progeny of the Prophet (S.A.W.) and they are the pillars of truth, standards of religion, the

truthful tongues? Accord to them the same position as you do to the Qur'an and come to them as thirsty

camels approach water springs.

O people, take it from the seal of the Prophets (S.A.W.), that he who dies from amongst us is not dead,

and he who decays from amongst us does not really decay. Do not say what you do not understand,

because most of the truth lies in what you deny. Accept the argument of one against whom you have no

argument. It is me. Did I not act according to the more weighty thing (the Qur'an) and did I not leave for

you the less weighty thing (the descendants of the Prophet) and did I not fix for you the standard of

faith?"

" Examine the ahl al-bayt of your Prophet and follow their character and footsteps and they will never

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lead you astray. They will never make you return to destruction; if they lie down, then you lie down, and

if they arise, then you arise. Do not precede them otherwise you will go astray. Do not lag behind them

as you will be ruined".

These are the words of Imam 'Ali (A.S.), especially regarding the purified household from whom Allah

has removed all filth and purified thoroughly.

If we followed the speech of his progeny (A.S.) who delivered the sermons to the people, for example

Imam al-Hasan, Imam al-Husayn, Zayn al-'Abidin, Ja'far al-Sadiq, and Imam al-Rida (A.S.), we find

them all saying the same thing and rejecting the same object, guiding the people at every time and place

to the book of Allah and to the family of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) so as to save them from error

and to bring them towards guidance.

I would add that history is the best witness to the infallibility of the ahl al-bayt. Nothing but knowledge,

piety, virtue, asceticism, generosity, nobility, forbearance and forgiveness has been recorded about them.

[They were also known] for every deed that Allah and His Prophet love.

History is also the best witness that the righteous ones from this umma and the Sufi ascetics and shaykhs

of the different paths, the Imams of the different schools and the upright past and contemporary scholars

all profess to their excellence and superiority in knowledge and deeds, and place them closest to the

Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) in nearness and honour.

Therefore, it is not proper for a Muslim to mix the wives of the Prophet (S.A.W.) with the ahl al-bayt,

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those from whom Allah has removed all filth and purified them thoroughly, those whom the Prophet

gathered under his cloak.

Do you not see that the Imams of the hadith, scholars like Muslim and al-Bukhari, al-Tirmidhi, Imam

Ahmad, al-Nasa'i and others, when relating hadiths of merits in their books and their Sahih works,

differentiate between the merits of the ahl al-bayt and [those of] the wives of the Prophet?

Muslim reports in his Sahih, on the merits of 'Ali b. Abi Talib, from Zayd b. Arqam, that the Prophet of

Allah (S.A.W.) said: "I am leaving behind [me] two weighty things among you. One of them is the book

of Allah, Glorified and Honoured be He. It is the rope of Allah and whoever follows it is guided right

and whoever abandons it is misguided". Then he said: "And my ahl al-bayt. I remind you in Allah's

name of my ahl al-bayt. I remind you in Allah's name of my ahl al-bayt, I remind you in Allah's name of

my ahl al-bayt". We asked: "Are his wives amongst the ahl al-bayt?" He (Zayd b. Arqam) replied: "No!

By Allah, a woman remains with a man for a while then [when] he divorces her, she returns to her father

and her people. The ahl al-bayt are his roots, his group to whom sadaqa is forbidden after him".

Similarly, the testimony of al-Bukhari and Muslim has come to us that 'A'isha is from the family of Abu

Bakr and not from the family of the Prophet, in the incident of the verse of tayammum.

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So why this persistence by some obstinate persons who attempt to revive discord at any price and to

distort the truth of which there is no doubt? They curse the Shi'as only because they do not accord this

distinguished position to Umm al-Mu'minin 'A'isha. Why don't they curse their own Sahihs and scholars

who exclude the wives of the Prophet from the ahl al-bayt? "O You who believe! Fear Allah and say

that which is correct, so that He may make your deeds pure and forgive your sins. Whoever obeys Allah

and His Prophet has surely succeeded" (33:71).

heels, from those who remained devoted.

Regrettably, the ahl al-sunna in general do not allow this and vehemently prevent criticism of the

companions or finding [any] fault with them. They are pleased with all of them and send blessings upon

them, as they send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, without the exception of

any of them.

The question that must be posed to the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a is this: Does criticizing and finding

fault with the companions deserve banishment from Islam? Or does this [act] conflict with the Qur'an

and the sunna?

To answer this question, it is necessary for me to examine the deeds and sayings of some of the

companions during the life of the Prophet (S.A.W.) and after his death, referring to what has been

mentioned by the scholars of the ahl al-sunna in their Sahihs, Musnads and their historical works. I shall

do this in a concise manner without referring to any Shi'i book, since their views on some of the

companions are well known and require no further elucidation.

To remove any confusion, and so as not to leave any proofs for an opponent to use in arguing against

me, I must state that when we mention the companions in this chapter, we refer to some, not to all of

them. Those [whom we refer to] may be the majority or the minority, we will discover this during the

course of our research, if Allah wishes.

[I say this] because many trouble makers accuse us of being against the companions. They say that we

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revile and curse the companions so as to influence those who listen [to us] and to block the path to

research. On the contrary, we refrain from insulting and reviling the companions. We are pleased with

the sincere companions whom the Qur'an calls "the thankful ones". We dissociate ourselves from those

who turned back upon their heels, those who reverted after the Prophet (S.A.W.) and caused most

Muslims to be misguided. Yet, even these we do not malign nor insult them. We merely expose their

deeds, which have been chronicled by the historians and the hadith scholars, so that the truth may

become manifest for the researchers. Our brothers from the ahl al-sunna do not like this, they consider it

as [an act of] cursing an insulting.

The noble Qur'an, and it is Allah's word, [which] does not shy away from the truth, has opened this door

for us and has informed us that amongst the companions were hypocrites, corrupts ones, tyrants, liars,

polytheists, reverts, and amongst them were those who troubled Allah and His Messenger.

The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), who did not speak from desire and, in Allah's name, cannot be

reproached, has opened this door for us and has taught us that among the companions were apostates,

heretics, those who broke oaths and dissenters; [amongst them were] those who will enter the fire

without their companionship benefitting them. On the contrary, it (companionship) will work against

him, causing an increase in punishment on the day when no wealth or progeny can be of any benefit.

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Allah, the most wise, in his book, as well as the great sunna of His Prophet bears witness that the

situation is so, but, in spite of this, the ahl al-sunna want to prevent the Muslims from speaking or

debating about the companions, so that the truth may not be known. [They do this so that] the Muslims

may not know the friends of Allah [whom] they can befriend. [They do this also] as the Muslims might

know the enemies of Allah and His Prophet and would oppose them.

One day, I was in the capital of Tunisia in one of its largest mosques. Having completed the obligatory

prayer, the Imam sat in the middle of a circle of those who had prayed and he began the session

disparaging and labelling as infidels, those who speak against the companions of the Prophet (P). He

talked at length saying: "Beware of those who, under the pretext of academic research and a desire to

reach the truth, speak against the honour of the companions. The curse of Allah, the angels and all

mankind are upon them. They wish to create doubt in people about their religion. The Prophet of Allah

(S.A.W.) said: 'If there comes to you a hadith from my companion, accept it, for, by Allah, even if you

were to spend to the extent of Uhud in gold, you would not reach the standing of even a one tenth of

them'".

One of the enlightened members who was accompanying me interrupted him and said: "This hadith is

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false and a lie against the Prophet of Allah". The Imam and some of the audience became furious and

turned to us in disbelief and aversion. Realising that the situation called for diplomacy with the Imam, I

said to him: "O Sir, eminent teacher, what is the sin of the Muslim, who reads in the Qur'an:

'Muhammad is just a Messenger. Other Messengers have gone before him. If he dies or is killed, will

you turn back upon your heels? Whosoever turns back upon his heels will not harm Allah. And Allah

will reward those who are thankful' (3:144).

And what is the sin of the Muslim who reads in Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim the saying of the

Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) to his companions: 'On the day of resurrection you will be grabbed from

the left, and I will say: 'Where are they [being taken] to?' It will be said: 'To hell, by God'. I will say: 'My

Lord! These are my companions'. It will be said: 'You do not know what they did after you. From the

time you left them they never ceased to apostatize'. I will say: 'Away with him, away with him, woe to

him who changed things after me. And I do not see anyone of them being saved except that he will be

like a forlorn sheep'".

Everyone listened to me in silence, alarmed. Some of them asked me if I was sure the hadith is to be

found in al-Bukhari? I responded: "Yes, just as I am sure that Allah is one, He has no companion and

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that Muhammad is His slave and Prophet".

When the Imam realised the effect I had on those present, due to my memorizing the hadith which I

related, he said calmly: "We learnt from our shaykhs, may Allah have mercy on them, that sedition

always lies dormant. May Allah curse one who awakens it".

I said to him: "O Sir, the discord in its lifetime has not been dormant. But we are sleeping. The one

amongst us who wakes up and opens his eyes to know the truth you accuse him of reviving discord. In

any case, Muslims claim to follow the book of Allah and the sunna of His Prophet (P), not the sayings of

the shaykhs who are pleased with Mu'awiya, Yazid, and 'Amr b. al-'As".

The Imam interjected saying: "Are you not pleased with our master Mu'awiya (R), the scribe of the

revelation?" I said: "This matter will take a long time to explain. If you wish to know my view regarding

this [subject], I give you my book "Then I was Guided". Perhaps it will awaken you from your sleep and

open your eyes to some realities".

The Imam accepted my talk and my gift with some reluctance. After a month, however, he wrote a

wonderful letter to me, praising Allah for having guided him to the right path and showing affection and

love for the ahl al-bayt, peace be upon them. I sought his permission to print his letter in the third

edition [of the book], as it contains sublime affection and sincerity of the soul which, when it recognizes

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the truth, adheres to it. This reflects the reality of most of the ahl al-sunna, who lean towards the truth as

soon as the veils are lifted.

However, he requested me to keep his letter secret and not publish it since it was necessary for him to

have adequate time to convince the congregation who prayed behind him. He also wished his conversion

to be peaceful, without any commotion or confusion, according to what he said.

Let us return to the subject of the discussion on the companions so that we may reveal the bitter truth

which the Qur'an, the most wise book, has recorded and [which] the noble Prophetic sunna has

mentioned.

Let us begin with the words of Allah, through which no falsehood comes, neither from the front nor

from behind. It is the [final] ruling, the just and it is the criterion (between truth and falsehood). The

most exalted says, regarding some of the companions:

"And of the people of Medina are those who are bent on hypocrisy. You know them not, but We know

them. Twice will We punish them, and then they will be cast into severe punishment" (9:101) .

"They swear in Allah's name that they did not speak [evil]. They have certainly spoken words of

disbelief. They disbelieved after submitting. And they contemplated that which they could not

attain" (9:74).

"And among them are those who took a covenant with Allah saying: "If He gives us of His bounty, we

will surely spend in charity and be among the righteous people". But when He gave them of His bounty,

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they were miserly with it and turned back aversively. So He filled their hearts with hypocrisy until the

day they meet Him due to their breaking the promise with God which they gave, and because they

lied" (9:77).

"The desert Arabs are the most disbelieving, hypocritical and most deserving to be ignorant of the

ordinances sent down by Allah unto His Messenger. And Allah is the All Knowing, the Wise" (9:97).

"And of the people are those who say: 'We believe in Allah and the last day'. They believe not and seek

to deceive Allah and those who believe. Instead they fool only themselves, though they do not perceive

this. In their hearts is sickness, and Allah increases their sickness. For them is a painful chastisement due

to their lies" (2:10).

"When the hypocrites come to you they say: 'We bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah'.

Allah knows that you are His Messenger, and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars. They

have made their oaths as a shield and turn [people] away from Allah. Evil indeed is that which they do!

That is because they believed and then disbelieved. Their hearts were sealed and they do not

understand" ( 63:3).

"Do you not see those who claim to believe in what was revealed unto you and what was revealed before

you? They seek judgement from the evil ones even though they were ordered to disbelieve in them.

Satan wishes to lead them astray completely. When it is said to them: 'Come to what Allah has revealed

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and [come] to the Messenger', you see the hypocrites turn away from you in aversion. Yet when

misfortune befalls them due to what their own hands have earned, they come to you swearing by Allah,

saying: 'We merely wished goodness and success'" (4:62).

"The hypocrites [seek to] deceive Allah, but He deceives them. When they stand to prayer, they do so in

a lazy manner, they [seek to] show off to the people, they do not remember Allah but for a little

[while]" (4:142).

"If you see them, their appearances will please you, and if they speak, you will listen to them. They are

as blocks of wood propped up. They believe that every cry is against them. They are the enemy, so

beware of them. Allah will destroy them [as] they forge lies" (63:4).

"Allah knows those from among you that hinder people and those who say to their brothers: 'Come to us

and you will not have to fight except for a little while'. Covetous they are over you. When fear comes,

you will see them looking towards you, their eyes rolling as though death hovers upon them. And when

the fear is gone, they assail you with sharp tongues, desiring good. They do not believe and Allah has

made their deeds of no avail, that is easy for Allah" (33:19).

"And among them are those who listen to you until, when they leave you, they say to those who have

been given knowledge: "What did he just say?" They are those whose hearts Allah has sealed and they

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follow their own desires" (47:16).

"Do those in whose hearts is sickness think that Allah will not expose their rancour? Had we so wished,

we would have shown them to you, you would have recognized them by their signs. Surely you shall

know them by the tone of their speech. Allah is aware of your deeds" (47: 30).

"Those who lagged behind from among the desert Arabs will say to you: 'We were busy with our

properties and our families. So seek forgiveness for us'. They utter with their tongues what is not in their

hearts" (48:11).

These clear verses from Allah's glorious book explain clearly the hypocrisy of some of them who

infiltrated the ranks of the sincere companions so much so that, had it not been for Allah's revelation,

their realities would have been hidden from the bearer of the message himself.

However, the ahl al-sunna always argue with us concerning this. They say: "What have we to do with

the hypocrites? May Allah curse them. The companions are not from them, or these hypocrites were not

amongst the companions". If you ask them: "Who are these hypocrites [concerning] whom more than

150 verses were revealed in chapters 9 and 63?" They will respond: "They are 'Abd Allah b. 'Ubayy and

'Abd Allah b. Salul". Besides these two people, they do not find any other [people].

Glory be to Allah! If the Prophet (S.A.W.) himself did not know most of them, how can the hypocrisy be

restricted to Ibn Ubayy and Ibn Abi Salul, those two who were known to the Muslims?

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The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) knew a few of them and told their names to Hudhayfa b. al-Yamani, as

you say, and ordered him to conceal their matters to the point where 'Umar bin al-Khattab, during the

days of his Caliphate, used to ask Hudhayfa about himself: "Was he ('Umar) from among the

hypocrites? Had the Prophet (S.A.W.) mentioned his name?" This is [in accordance with] what you

report in your books. The Prophet (S.A.W.) had given a clear indicator by which the hypocrites would

be known, i.e., hatred towards 'Ali b. Abi Talib, as you report in your Sahihs.

Most of these companions, whom you are pleased with and accord top [positions] to, hated 'Ali, they

waged wars against him, they murdered and cursed him when he was alive and dead. [They did this] to

him, his family and those who loved him. You consider all of them to be amongst the eminent

companions.

The wisdom of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) necessitated that he inform Hudhayfa of their names

sometimes, and [inform] the Muslims of their signs at other times. [This was done] so that he fulfills his

obligation to the people and no one could [then] claim: "We were not aware of this".

What the ahl al-sunna say nowadays is of no value, [they say]: "We love Imam 'Ali (R), may Allah

brighten his face". We say to them: "There cannot exist in the heart of a believer, love for the friend and

enemy of Allah". Imam 'Ali himself said: "One who equates us with our enemies is not from us".

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Furthermore, when the noble Qur'an speaks of the companions, it speaks of them in numerous

descriptions and distinctive signs. If we exempt the sincere, grateful companions, then the rest of them

have been described in the wise book as being corrupt, deceivers, forsakers, breakers of oaths or they

turn back, they [express] doubt in Allah and His Prophet, flee from battle, oppose the truth, disobey the

orders of Allah and His Messenger, prevent others from jihad, hasten to vain things and business,

abandoning the prayer, saying what they do not practise, claim to do favours to the Prophet due to their

Islam, having hard hearts and not being humble in the remembrance of Allah and the truth that was

revealed, raising their voices above the Prophet's, troubling the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), or listening

to the hypocrites.

Let us be satisfied with this brief [description], for there are many verses which we have not cited for the

sake of brevity. For the benefit of all, however, it is necessary to mention some verses that were revealed

to criticize the companions who were described by those attributes but who, due to politics, were all

regarded, after the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) and after the cessation of revelation, as upright,

trustworthy and just. It was not possible for any Muslim to speak against them or criticize or find faults

with them.

companions, as the ahl al-sunna claim, we have decided to present some of the verses that refer

specifically to the believers.

In the wise book, Allah's says: "O You who believe! What is it with you that when it is said to you to go

forth in the cause of Allah you cling heavily to where you are? Do you prefer the life of this world to

that of the hereafter? Little is the comfort of this life when compared to that of the hereafter. If you do

not go forth, He will inflict a grievous punishment upon you and substitute another people in your place.

You cannot harm Him in the least. And Allah has power over all things" (9:34).

"O you who believe! whoever of you reverts after having believed, Allah will bring a people whom He

loves and who love him, humble with the believers, powerful over the disbelievers, struggling in the way

of Allah, not afraid of the sternest critics. That is the grace of Allah. He bestows it upon whom He wills.

Allah's knowledge encompasses [everything]" (5:54).

"O you who believe! Do not be treacherous to Allah and His Prophet. Do not knowingly betray your

trust. And know that your property and your children are a test and that with Allah lies great

reward" (8:28).

"O You who believe! Respond to Allah and His Prophet when they call you to what enlivens you. And

know that Allah comes between a man and his heart and that to Him you shall be gathered. Beware of

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discord that it should not affect especially those of you who do wrong; know that Allah is severe in

punishment" (8:25).

"O You who believe! Remember the bounties of Allah when armies came against you but we sent

against them winds and forces that you could not see. Allah saw clearly all that you did. They came to

you from above and from below. And behold! The eyes became dim and the hearts gaped up to the

throats and you imagined various things about Allah. Then the believers were tested and they were

shaken tremendously. The hypocrites and those in whose hearts there is sickness say: "Allah and His

Messenger have promised us nothing but delusions" (33:12).

"O You who believe, why do you say what you do not practise, grievous is the sin in the eyes of Allah

that you say what you do not do" (61:3).

"Has the time not now arrived for those who believe that their hearts should humbly be engaged in the

remembrance of Allah and the truth which has been revealed" ( 57:16)?

"They seek to impress upon you that they accepted Islam as a favour to you: Say: 'Do not count your

Islam as a favour to me. Allah has done you a favour by guiding you to the faith, if you are

truthful'" (49:17).

"Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your mates and your kins or the wealth that you have

gained, or the business in which you fear a decline, or the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to

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you than Allah and His Prophet or struggling in His path then wait until Allah brings about His decision

and Allah does not guide those who are corrupt" (9:14).

"The desert Arabs say: 'We believe'. Say: 'You have not believed. Rather, say: 'We have submitted

ourselves to Allah' for faith has not yet entered your hearts" (49:14).

"Those who do not believe in Allah and the last day seek to be excused. Their hearts are in doubt and in

their doubt they hesitate" (9:45).

"Had they come out with you they would have only added disorder, hurrying to and fro in your midst

and sowing sedition among you. And there are some amongst you who would have listened to them.

Allah is well aware of the wrongdoers" (9:47).

"Those who stayed behind rejoiced in their inactivity, [doing so] behind the Messenger of Allah. They

hated to struggle with their property and their lives in the path of Allah. They said: 'Do not go forth in

the heat'. Say: 'The fire of Hell is more hot', if only they understood" (9:81).

"That was because they followed what brought forth the wrath of Allah. And they hated Allah's pleasure.

So He made their deeds of no value. Or do those in whose hearts there is sickness reckon that Allah will

not bring their wickedness to light? Had We so wished, We would have shown them to you, you would

have recognized them by their marks. Surely, you will know them by the tone of their speech. And Allah

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knows your deeds" (47:30).

"And a group from the believers disliked it. They dispute with you about the truth after it was made

clear, as if they were being driven to death whilst they were watching it" (8:6).

"Here you are invited to spend in the way of Allah! Amongst you are some who are misers. And

whoever is miserly is only miserly to his own soul. Allah is free from all wants and you are needy. If

you turn back He will substitute another people and they will not be like you" (47:38).

"And among them are those who slander you in [the distribution of] alms. If they are given from it, they

are pleased. If they are not, they become angry" (9:58).

"And among them are those who listen to you until, when they leave you, they say to those who have

been given knowledge: 'What did he say just now?' They are those upon whose hearts Allah has placed a

seal. They follow their desires" (47:16).

"And among them are those who trouble the Prophet and say: 'He is all ears'. Say: 'He listens to what is

best for you. He believes in Allah and has faith in the believers. And he is a mercy to those of you who

believe'. But those who trouble the Prophet will have a grievous punishment" (9: 61).

This amount of clear verses are sufficient to satisfy the researchers that the companions can be divided

into two groups:

1. One group believed in Allah and His Prophet (S.A.W.), submitting its affairs and leadership to them.

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It obeyed Allah and His Prophet, dedicating [itself] whole heartedly to them, sacrificing for their cause.

This [group] was the successful one. It represented a minority. The Qur'an called these [people] the

'grateful ones'.

2. Another group outwardly believed in Allah and His Prophet, but had sickness in it's heart. It did not

submit it's affairs except for personal interests and worldly benefits. It opposed the Prophet in his rulings

and commands, and preferred itself over Allah and His Prophet. This group was amongst the losers and

represented the majority. The Qur'an referred to it succinctly when Allah, the Glorified and Honoured,

said: "We have come to you with the truth, but most of you hate the truth" (43:78).

The researcher discovers that this "majority", during the life of the Prophet (S.A.W.), lived with him,

prayed behind him and accompanied him when he travelled. They sought, by any means possible, to get

close to him so that their [true] state may not be revealed to the sincere believers. They tried their best to

put up a show, making the believers envious due to their excessive worship and piety in the eyes of the

people.

If this was their state during the life of the Prophet (S.A.W.), what were they like after his death? No

doubt they were energetic, they multiplied in numbers, spread and increased, as did their cover-ups and

representatives (in the community). There was no Prophet who could recognise them and no revelation

to disgrace them. Especially as, with his death, appeared the early signs of dissension and fragmentation

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amongst the people of Medina, who were inclined towards hypocrisy. The Arabs in the peninsula

apostatized for they were severe in their disbelief and hypocrisy. Among them were those who claimed

prophethood such as Musaylima the liar, Tulayha, Sajjah bint al-Harth and their followers. All of them

were among the companions.

If we leave aside all of them and concentrate solely on the Medinan companions of the Prophet of Allah

(S.A.W.), we can certainly state that the thorns of hypocrisy appeared in them too. Most of the believers

amongst them turned back upon their heels for the [sake of the] Caliphate.

In the previous discussion, we learnt that they plotted against the Prophet (P) and his successor, they

disobeyed the commands that the Prophet of Allah (P) had issued to them when he was on his deathbed.

This reality is something from which there is no escape for the researchers, seeking the truth, for they

are confronted with it when reading the historical texts and the biographical accounts of the Prophet.

Allah's most glorified book has recorded it in the most clear expression and the most wise verses when it

said: "Muhammad is just a Messenger. Other Messengers have gone before him. If he dies or is killed,

will you then turn back upon your heels? And whosoever turns back upon his heels will not hurt Allah in

any way. Allah will reward those who are grateful" (3:144).

The grateful ones are a minority amongst the companions, who did not turn back, they were steadfast to

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the covenant they gave to the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) and did not change in any way.

This noble verse, with its clear implications, refutes the claim of the ahl al-sunna, i.e., that the

companions have no relation to the hypocrites. Even if we, for argument's sake, accept this, then this

noble verse is addressed to the sincere companions who were not hypocrites during the life of the

Prophet (P), but instead reverted upon their heels immediately after his death.

The reality of them will become clear when we examine their status during the life of the Prophet (S.A.

W.), and after his death, and what the Prophet of Allah said regarding them. This is abundantly clear in

the hadith, biographical and historical works.

him Realising It", in "The Book of Faith", al-Bukhari reported: "Ibrahim al-Tayyimi said: 'Whenever I

compare my words with my deeds, I fear I [may] have lied'. Ibn Abi Mulayka said: 'I met thirty

companions of the Prophet (S.A.W.) and each one of them feared hypocrisy within himself. Not one of

them could claim to believe in Gabriel or Michael'" (volume 1, page 97).

If Abu Mulayka met thirty companions of the Prophet (P) and each one felt that he was a hypocrite and

could not claim to have proper belief, how can the ahl al-sunna raise them to the level of Prophets, and

not accept criticism of any of them?

In volume 4, in "The Chapter on Spies and Spying", in "The Book of Jihad and Campaigns", al-Bukhari

related: "Hatib b. Abi Balta'a (he was amongst the companions of the Prophet (S.A.W.)) sent [someone]

to the polytheists of Mecca informing them of some of the plans of the Prophet of Allah (P). His letter

was brought to the Prophet (S.A.W.). The Prophet of Allah (P) said to him: 'What is this, O Hatib?' He

apologised to the Prophet saying that all he wanted was to protect his relatives in Mecca. The Prophet of

Allah (P) believed him but 'Umar (R) said: 'O Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) let me chop off the head of this

hypocrite'. The Prophet (S.A.W.) replied: 'He witnessed [the battle of] Badr. How do you know, perhaps

Allah looked upon the people of Badr and said: 'Do as you wish, for I have forgiven you'" (vol. 4, p. 19).

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If Hatib, who was among the first companions at Badr, could divulge the secrets of the Prophet (P) to his

idolatrous enemies of Mecca and could betray Allah and His Prophet (P) with the excuse of protecting

his relatives, and if 'Umar himself testifies to his hypocrisy, what can be said of the companions who

converted after the conquest of Mecca? Or after Khaybar, or after Hunayn? And what [can be said] of

those who were freed after they had surrendered, without accepting Islam?

As to what has been quoted in the last paragraph, i.e., the words attributed to the Prophet (P), that Allah

said to the people of Badr: "Do as you wish for Allah has forgiven you" we will leave the remarks to the

perceptive reader.

In volume 6, in "The Book on the Merits of the Qur'an, Sura al-Munafiqun", al-Bukhari reported in his

Sahih in "The Chapter on Allah's words: 'It is the same whether you seek forgiveness for them or you do

not. Allah will never forgive them, for Allah will not guide the corrupt ones'": "A man from the

Muhajirun hit an Ansari man. The Ansari said: 'O Ansar, help [me]'. And the Muhajir said: 'O emigrants,

help [me]'. The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) heard this and said: 'What is this argument which is

characteristic to the claims of the period of ignorance?' They said: 'O Apostle of Allah! A Muhajir hit an

Ansari'. He said: 'Leave that alone for it is a detestable [act]'. 'Abd Allah b. 'Ubayy heard that and said:

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'They have done it? By Allah, if we returned to Medina, those who are powerful will expel the weaker!'

This reached the Prophet (S.A.W.) and 'Umar got up and said: 'O Apostle of Allah (S.A.W.), let me cut

off the head of this hypocrite'. The Prophet (S.A.W.) said: 'Leave him alone. Let the people not say that

Muhammad kills his companions'" (Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 6, p 65).

The hadith clearly shows that hypocrites were among the companions. For the Prophet of Allah accepted

'Umar's words, that the man was a hypocrite, but prevented him from killing him, lest it be said that

Muhammad killed his companions. Perhaps the Prophet (S.A.W.) knew that most of the companions

were hypocrites and that if every hypocrite was killed, not many of his companions would remain

[alive]. Where are the ahl al-sunna with regards to this painful reality which refutes their claims?

In volume 3, al-Bukhari reported in "The Chapter on Traditions of Fabrications", from "The Book of

Testimony": "The Apostle of Allah (S.A.W.) said: 'Who will help me against a man who has hurt me by

harming my family?' Sa'd b. Mu'adh got up and said: 'O Apostle of Allah (S.A.W.), I will relieve you

from him. If he is from the Aws, we will behead him. And if he is from our brothers, the Khazraj, we

will do as you order'. Sa'd b. 'Ubada got up, and he was the chief of the Khazraj, and before this he was a

righteous man but he was filled with zeal (for his tribe) and said: 'By Allah! You have lied. You will not

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kill him for you are not capable of doing it'. Usayd b. al-Hudayr rose and said: 'By Allah, you have lied!

By Allah, we will certainly kill him for you are a hypocrite and argue on behalf of the hypocrites'.

The argument between the Aws and the Khazraj became so heated that they were about to fight each

other. The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) was on the pulpit, and he kept on placating them until they finally

kept quiet, whereupon he also kept quiet" (al-Bukhari, vol. 5 p. 156, and vol. 6, p. 8).

Sa'd b. 'Ubada, the chief of the Ansar, is accused of hypocrisy, having been, as the report testifies, a

righteous man, and he is called a hypocrite in the presence of the Prophet (P) who did not defend him.

The Ansar, whom Allah has praised so much in His book, instigated the 'Aws and Khazraj who were

prepared to fight [each other] for a hypocrite who had annoyed the Prophet (P) concerning his family

and [they were prepared] to defend him and had raised their voices in the presence of the Prophet (S.A.

W.). [Knowing all this] how can we be surprised by the hypocrisy of others, those who had dedicated

their lives to fighting against the Prophet (P) and his message, or those who intended to burn the house

of his daughter after his death, for the sake of the Caliphate?

Al-Bukhari has reported in his Sahih, in volume 8, in "The Book of Unity", in "The Chapter on Allah's

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words: 'The angels and the holy spirit ascend to Him...'", "'Ali b. Abi Talib sent some pieces of gold

from Yemen to the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.). The Prophet (P) distributed it among some people. The

Quraysh and the Ansar became angry and said: 'He has given to the notables of the Najd and forsaken

us'. The Apostle of Allah (S.A.W.) said: 'Rather, I was placating them'. A man came to him and said: 'O

Muhammad! Fear Allah!' The Prophet (S.A.W.) said: 'Who will obey Allah if I were to disobey him? He

entrusts me to the people of the earth, don't you trust me?'

Khalid b. al-Walid asked him if he could kill him, but the Prophet (P) prevented him from that. When he

went away, the Prophet (S.A.W.) said: 'From the offspring of this man will come a people who will

recite the Qur'an but it will not go past their throats. They will pierce Islam as an arrow pierces the

game. They will kill the Muslims but will spare the idolaters. Were I to meet them, I would kill them as

'Ad was killed'" (al-Bukhari, vol. 8 p. 178).

This is another hypocrite among the companions, accusing the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) of injustice in

distribution, and then confronts him in total disrespect with the words: "O Muhammad, fear Allah".

Although the Apostle of Allah (P) knew of his hypocrisy, and that from his descendants would emerge a

people who would pierce Islam as an arrow pierces the game, killing the Muslims and sparing the

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idolaters, despite all of this, the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) prevented Khalid from killing him.

In this is an answer to the ahl al-sunna, who always argue with me saying: "If the Prophet of Allah knew

that there were hypocrites among his companions who would be the cause for leading the Muslims

astray, it would have been obligatory upon him to kill them so as to protect his umma and to protect his

religion".

In volume 3, in "The Chapter if the Imam urges for a Treaty" in "The Book of Treaties", al-Bukhari

relates:

"Al-Zubayr reported that he argued against a man from the Ansar who had participated at [the battle of]

Badr, and that he presented the matter to the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) about a stream which both used

for irrigation. The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) said to al-Zubayr: 'Irrigate from it, O Zubayr, and then let

[the water] flow to your neighbour'. The Ansari became angry and said: 'O Apostle of Allah (S.A.W.), is

it because he is your cousin?' The face of the Apostle of Allah (S.A.W.) changed (with anger) and he

said: 'Irrigate and then hold it (the water) until it reaches the walls'" (Volume 3 p. 171).

This is another group of the hypocritical companions who believed that the Prophet of Allah (P) was

influenced by sentiments and would favour his cousin. They said it impudently until the Prophet's face

changed colour due to intense anger.

Al-Bukhari reported in his Sahih, in volume 4, "The Chapter on What the Prophet used to give to those

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whose Hearts were to be Placated"; in "The Book of "Jihad and Campaigns"; "From 'Abd Allah (R),

who said: 'On the day of the battle of Hunayn, the Prophet (S.A.W.) favoured [some] people in the

distribution (of booty). He gave al-Aqra b. Habis one hundred camels, and he gave 'Uyayna the same

amount. He also granted some to the eminent Arabs, giving them preference in the distribution that day.

A man said: 'By Allah! There is no justice in this distribution and the pleasure of Allah is not sought in

it'. I said: 'By Allah, most certainly I will inform the Prophet (S.A.W.)'. So I came and informed him. He

said: 'And who will be just if Allah and His Prophet are not just? May Allah bless Moses. He was

troubled more than this, and yet he remained patient'" (al-Bukhari Volume 4, p. 61).

This is another hypocrite amongst the companions of the Prophet of Allah (P) and perhaps he was

amongst the prominent Qurayshis. As a result, the narrator refrained from mentioning his name, afraid

of the repercussions from the rulers of the time. You observe that the hypocrite is certain in his belief

and swears that Muhammad was not just, and that he (the Prophet) did not wish to please Allah in his

distribution. May Allah have mercy on Muhammad for he was troubled more than this, yet he was

patient.

In volume 4, in "The Chapter on the Signs of Prophethood in Islam", in "The Book of the Beginning of

Creation", al-Bukhari recorded: "Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (R) said: 'We were with the Prophet of Allah (S.A.

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W.) and he was distributing portions. Dhu'l-Khuwaysira came to him. He was from the Banu Tamim. He

said: 'O Apostle of Allah (S.A.W.). Be just'. He said: 'Woe be to you! Who will be just if I am not just?

You would be disappointed and at a loss if I were not just'. 'Umar said: 'O Prophet of Allah give me

permission to smite his neck'. He said: 'Leave him alone. He has companions whose prayers and fasts,

when compared with one of yours, makes it appear insignificant. They recite the Qur'an but it does not

go past their throats. They pierce [through] the religion as an arrow pierces through the game'" (al-

Bukhari, vol. 4, p. 179).

This is another group of hypocritical companions who outwardly exhibited such an abundance of piety

and humility that even the Prophet (P) said to 'Umar: "The prayers and fasts of one of you seems little

compared to their prayers and fasts". There is no doubt that they would memorize the Qur'an completely,

but it did not go past their throats. The words of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.): "Leave him alone for he

has companions" indicates the presence of the hypocrites in huge numbers among the companions.

In volume 7, in "The Chapter on He who does not Face The People with Reprimand", in "The Book of

Ettiquettes", al-Bukhari reported: "'A'isha said: 'The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) did something and

allowed it, but some people kept away from it. This reached the Prophet (S.A.W.). He delivered a

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sermon, wherein, after praising Allah, he said: 'Why is it that a group of you refrain from doing

something that I do? By Allah, I am the most knowledgeable of them concerning Him, and I fear Him

most'" (al-Bukhari, vol. 7, p. 96).

This is another type of companions who kept away from the practice of the Prophet (P). No doubt they

mocked at his actions and, as a result, we see him (S.A.W.) delivering a sermon and swearing by Allah

that he was the most knowledgeable of them regarding Allah, and that he was the most God fearing.

Al-Bukhari in volume 3, in "The Chapter on Sharing Together in Sacrifice and the Sacrificial Animals",

in "The Book of Oppression" stated: "'Ibn 'Abbas said that on the fourth morning of Dhu'l-hijja, the

Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) came, having declared the intention to make the pilgrimage, and not anything

else. When we came forth, he ordered us to make 'umra and then go to our wives (there was a lot of

things that the people said against that). 'Ata said: "Jabir said: 'If one of us goes to Mina, the semen

would still be dripping from his penis'. That reached the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) and he addressed the

people saying: 'It has reached me that some people say so and so. By Allah, I am the most pious and

God fearing amongst you'" (al-Bukhari vol. 3, p. 114).

Here is another group of companions who disobeyed the commands of the Prophet in the shari'a rulings.

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The saying of the Apostle of Allah (S.A.W.): "It has reached me that some people say so and so"

indicates that a lot of them had refused to free [themselves] from the state of ihram for their wives, on

the pretext that they did not wish to go to Mina with semen dripping from their penises. It did not occur

to these ignorant ones that Allah had enjoined a ritual bath and purification upon them after every

physical union. How could they proceed to Mina with semen dripping from their penises? Were they

more versed than the Prophet of Allah himself in the rulings of Allah? Or were they more virtuous and

God fearing than him?

No doubt the mut'a marriage, or temporary union with women, was proscribed after the Prophet (P) by

'Umar, following the [same] pattern [as above]. For if, during the life of the Prophet (P), they rejected

his commands concerning the cohabitation with their wives during the days of the pilgrimage, then it is

not surprising to find them prohibiting temporary marriage after his death, denying for themselves what

the Prophet (S.A.W.) ordered and considering the marriage of mut'a as fornication, as the ahl al-sunna

say today.

In volume 4, in "The Chapter What the Prophet used to give to Those whose Hearts were to be won

Over", in "The Book Of Jihad And Campaigns", al-Bukhari reported from Anas b. Malik that when

Allah had given the Prophet some property of Hawazin, he gave it to Qurayshi men. The Ansar said:

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"May Allah forgive the Apostle of Allah, he gives the Quraysh and neglects us when our swords are still

dripping with their blood". The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) gathered them in Quba, summoning only

them, not leaving any one of them aside and said: "What is this that has reached me about you?" When

they repeated their words to him, he said: "I have given it to men who recently converted from disbelief.

Aren't you happy that the people go away with wealth, and that you return to your homes with the

Prophet of Allah? By Allah, what you return with is better than what they return with". They said:

"Certainly, O Prophet of Allah we are pleased". He said: "After me you will see a lot of egoism, so be

patient until you meet Allah and His Prophet at the pond". Anas said: "But we were not patient" (Sahih,

al-Bukhari vol. 4 p. 60).

Now we ask ourselves: "Was there amongst all the Ansar [even] one man [who was] guided and

convinced by what the Prophet of Allah (P) did? Did he believe that he (the Prophet) did not follow his

own desires and inclination? Did he understand Allah's words in this regard: 'Nay! By your Lord, they

cannot believe until they appoint you as a judge in their disputes and [until] they do not find in their

souls, resistance against your decisions and they totally submit' (4:65).

Was there anyone amongst them defending the Apostle of Allah (P) when they said: 'May Allah forgive

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the Apostle of Allah?' Certainly not! There was no one who had the level of belief which the noble verse

demanded. Their words after that: 'Certainly, O Prophet of Allah, we are pleased' were not out of

conviction. The testimony of Anas b. Malik, who was amongst them, was appropriate when he said: 'He

advised us to be patient, but we were not patient'".

In volume 5, in "The Chapter on the Battle of al-Hudaybiyya", in "The Book of Wars", al-Bukhari

reported from Ahmad b. Ishkab, who said: "Muhammad b. Fudayl informed us from 'Ala b. Musayyab,

from his father who said: 'I met al-Bara' b. Azib (R) and said: 'You are honoured, you accompanied the

Prophet (S.A.W.) You [also] paid allegiance to him under the tree'. He said: 'O nephew! You do not

know what we innovated after him'" (al-Bukhari, vol. 5, p. 66).

Al-Bara' b. Azib spoke the truth. Most people do not know what the companions did after the death of

their Prophet (S.A.W.), who oppressed his successor, his cousin and distanced him from the Caliphate.

[Nor do they know] who oppressed his daughter al-Zahra and threatened to burn her. Nor do they know

of the usurping of her rights to the gifts from her father, her inheritance and the khumus. [Nor do they

know of] their opposing the successors of the Prophet (P) and the changing of the shari'a rulings, of the

burning of the Prophetic sunna, or placing restrictions upon it. [Nor do they know] of the injury done to

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him due to the cursing and killing of his family, and their banishment and exile and granting power to

hypocrites and corrupt ones, the enemies of Allah and His Prophet.

Yes, all these and more they did after his death. These [things] remain unknown to the masses who do

not know the facts except what has been dictated to them by the Caliphs' schools, who specialised in

changing the rulings of Allah and His Prophet, doing so by personal judgments which they called good

innovations (bida' hasana).

Due to this, we say to the ahl al-sunna: "Do not take pride, O our brothers, in the companionship and the

companions. For here is al-Bara' b. 'Azib, and he is amongst the foremost who pledged fealty to the

Prophet (P) under the tree, saying to his nephew in the present tense: "Do not take pride in my

companionship or my pledge under the tree, for you do not know what I did after him".

Allah said: "Those who pay allegiance to you in fact pay allegiance to Allah. The hand of Allah is over

their hands. And whoever violates that oath has done so against his own [self]" (48:10).

How [great] was the number of companions who violated the pledge, so much so that the Prophet (P)

took a pledge from his cousin 'Ali to fight them as has been documented in the historical texts.

In volumes 1 and 3 of his Sahih, in "The Chapter on if People who leave the Imam in the Friday prayer",

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in "The Book of the Friday prayer", al-Bukhari reported from Jabir b. 'Abd Allah (R), who said: "A

caravan came from Syria bringing foodstuffs. We were praying the Friday prayer with the Prophet of

Allah (S.A.W.). All the people left except twelve men. This verse was then revealed: 'And if they see

trade or vain [things], they hurry away and leave you standing'". (al-Bukhari, vol. 1, p. 225: vol. 3, p. 6,

7).

This is another group of hypocritical companions who observed no piety or humility. They fled from the

Friday prayer to inspect the caravan and trade, leaving the Prophet of Allah standing in front of Allah,

fulfilling his obligation in humility and awe.

Was the belief of these Muslims complete? Or were these the hypocrites who scoffed at the prayers and

when they stood to observe it, did so in a lacklustre manner? None [of them] is exempted from this

except those who stood with the Prophet (S.A.W.) to complete the Friday prayer, they were twelve men

in all.

Whoever studies their status and investigates their reports will be appalled by their actions. No doubt

their flight from the Friday prayer occurred several times and, as a result, the book of Allah, the most

Glorified, has recorded it by stating: "Say that which is with Allah is better than vain pleasures and

trade".

So that you may realise, O dear reader, the extent of their respect for the prayer (the contemporary

Muslims show more [respect] than they did) I present the following narration to you:

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Al-Bukhari reported in volume 3, in "The Chapter on what has been [narrated] Regarding Plants" in

"The Book of Deputyship": "From Sahl b. Sa'id (R) who said: 'We used to rejoice on Fridays for there

was an old woman who used to cut some roots of the silq (a kind of vegetable) which we used to plant

on the banks of our water streams. She would cook them in her pot adding some barley on it, I do not

know the amount of it except that there was no fat or melted fat on it. When we finished the Friday

prayers, we would go to her and she would serve it to us. Due to that, we used to he happy on Fridays.

We would neither eat nor take the midday nap until after the prayer'" (Sahih al-Bukhari vol. 3 p.73).

Good for those companions who rejoiced on Fridays, not because they would meet the Prophet of Allah

(S.A.W.) or listen to his sermons and his exhortations or would pray behind him, nor because they

would meet each other, or [would rejoice] due to the day's blessings and mercy; they rejoiced on Fridays

because of a special dish that an old woman would prepare for them. If a contemporary Muslim were to

say that he rejoiced on Fridays for food, he would be regarded as dimwitted and negligent (of the

importance of the day).

If we wish to research and investigate more, we would find that the grateful ones, whom the Qur'an

praised, were a minority, they did not exceed twelve in number. These were the devoted ones who did

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not hurry towards vain pleasures and trade, abandoning their prayer. They were steadfast with the

Prophet (S.A.W.) in wars on a number of occasions when the rest of the companions turned their backs

and fled.

In volume 4, in "The Chapter on what is Detested in Argument and Disagreement in War", in "The Book

of War and Campaigns", al-Bukhari reported from al-Bara' b. 'Azib who said: "The Prophet (S.A.W.)

appointed an infantry of fifty men on the day of Uhud, and appointed 'Abd Allah b. Jubayr as the leader.

He said to them: 'Even if you see birds snatching us, do not leave your positions until I send for you'.

They were defeating them. He said: 'And I saw, by Allah, the women fleeing with their anklets and legs

visible as they had raised their dresses. The companions of 'Abd Allah b. Jubayr said: 'The booty! O

people, the booty! Your companions have prevailed so what are you waiting for?' 'Abd Allah b. Jubayr

said: 'Have you forgotten what the Apostle of Allah (S.A.W.) said to you?' They said: 'By Allah! We

will go to them and take [something] from the booty'. When they came to them, their faces were turned

away and they started to retreat. At that time, the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) called them from behind.

Only twelve men remained with him whilst seventy of us fell". (Sahih al-Bukhari vol. 4, p. 26).

We know from what the historians relate of this battle that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) left with one

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thousand companions, each one desiring to fight in Allah's path, allured with the help that had come at

Badr. However, they disobeyed the commands of the Prophet (P), causing a loathsome, horrible rout in

which seventy people were killed, the chief of whom was Hamza, the uncle of the Prophet (P). The

remainder fled, and only twelve people remained with the Prophet (P) on the battlefield, according to

what al-Bukhari says. The other historians reduce this number to only four. These were 'Ali b. Abi Talib,

who resisted the polytheists, thereby protecting the front of the Prophet (S.A.W.); Abu Dijana who

protected the rear, Talha and Zubayr. It is said that Sahl b. Hanif [was also there].

It is in this context that we [can] understand the saying of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.): "I do not see

any one amongst them saved except like abandoned livestock". (We will discuss this hadith presently).

Allah, Glory be to Him, the Most Exalted, threatened them with hellfire if they fled from battle and said:

"O you who believe! If you meet those who disbelieve in battle, do not turn back! Whosoever flees from

them on that day, except as a strategy or to [regroup] with [his] party, has brought upon himself Allah's

wrath and his abode is in Hell, it is an evil path" (8:6).

What, then, is the status of these companions who flee from prayer to pursue vain things and trade, and

then flee from battle due to fear of death abandoning the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) alone in the midst of

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the enemy? In both cases, they all turn their backs and flee, none remain with him except twelve men

[according] to the best estimate. Where were the companions, O people of perception?

Perhaps some researchers, when they read of such events and narrations, pay little attention to them and

assume that they were occasional happenings which Allah forgave and that the companions did not

repeat them afterwards.

Certainly not, the noble Qur'an informs us of startling facts, for Allah, Glory be to Him, has recorded

their fleeing on the day of the battle of Uhud in His words: "Allah fulfilled His promise when you, by

His Permission, were about to rout your enemy, yet you failed and fell to arguing about the order and

disobeyed it after He brought you in sight of what you coveted. Amongst you are those who desire this

world and amongst you are some who desire the hereafter. Then did He divert you from your foes in

order to test you. But He forgave you. And Allah is full of grace to the true believers. You were

climbing (high ground) without glancing at any one and the Prophet was calling you from behind. Then

God gave you one distress after another so that you should not grieve at what [booty] you lost and what

has befallen you, and Allah is well aware of what you do" (3:153).

This verse was revealed after the battle of Uhud, wherein the Muslims were routed due to their craving

after the worldly goods when they saw the women raising their dresses and showing their legs and their

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ankles, according to al-Bukhari's report. They disobeyed Allah and His Prophet (P) as is related by the

Qur'an. Did the companions pay heed to that event and repent and seek His forgiveness, not repeating

such acts afterwards?

Certainly not! They did not repent and perpetrated worse than this at the battle of Hunayn, which

occurred in the latter part of the life of the Prophet (S.A.W.). According to the historians, they were

12,000 in number in that battle. Despite their larger numbers, they took to flight and turned their backs

as usual, leaving the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) amidst the enemies of Allah, the polytheists. He had

only 9 or 10 persons from Banu Hashim, at the head of whom was Imam 'Ali b. Abi Talib, according to

al-Ya'qubi in his history, as well as according to other [sources].

If their flight on the day of Uhud was disgraceful, then, at Hunayn, it was even more despicable and evil,

for the steadfast ones who stayed with him at Uhud were four from out of a thousand companions, a

ratio of 1:250.

At Hunayn, there were only ten patient and steadfast ones from 12,000 companions, a ratio of 1:1200. If

Uhud occurred at the beginning of the emigration and the people were still few [in number], and only

recently converted from the [period of] ignorance, what was their excuse at the battle of Hunayn which

occurred at the end of 8 A.H., when only two years of the life of the Prophet remained? Despite their

superior numbers and preparedness, they ran away head over heels from the battle, not even looking

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back at the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.).

The noble Qur'an clearly explains their feeble stances and their running away from that battle in the

following words: "And on the day of Hunayn when your large numbers elated you but yet availed you

naught, the land constrained you despite its width, and you turned in retreat. Allah sent tranquillity on

the Prophet and on the believers and sent down an army which you did not perceive, and punished those

who disbelieved, that is the chastisement for the disbelievers" (9:26).

Allah explains that He strengthened [the position of] His Prophet (P) and those who persevered with him

in the fight, by sending tranquillity to them, and then assisted them with an army of angels who fought

by their side and helped them against the disbelievers. There was no need of the deserters who fled from

the enemy because they were afraid to die, disobeying thereby their Lord and their Prophet. Every time

Allah tested them He found them failing.

For further clarification, it is necessary for us to examine the narration reported by al-Bukhari, especially

the routing of the companions in Hunayn. He reported in volume 5, in "The Chapter on Allah's Words";

'On the day of Hunayn when you were elated by your numbers, yet it availed you not...'", in "The Book

of Military Campaigns", from Abu al-Qatada who said: "On the day of Hunayn, I saw a Muslim fighting

a polytheist while another polytheist was coming up from the rear to kill him. I hastened to the one who

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was coming up from the rear. He raised his hand to strike me, and I struck his hand and dismembered it.

He grabbed me and squeezed me heavily until I feared [for my life]. Then he let up; I broke free and

struck him, killing him. The Muslims were routed, and I was defeated with them. 'Umar b. al-Khattab

was with the people; I said to him: 'What is the matter with the people?' He said: 'It is by Allah's

decree...'" (al-Bukhari, vol. 5, p. 101).

By Allah, how amazing is the conduct of 'Umar b. al-Khattab, who is held by the ahl al-sunna to be

among the bravest of the companions, if not the bravest of them all? They relate that Allah strengthened

Islam through him and that the Muslims did not openly preach [Islam] until after his conversion. History

informs us of the true events and how he turned his back and fled from battle on the day of Uhud. Just as

he turned back on the day of Khaybar when the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) sent him to the city of

Khaybar to conquer it, placing him at the head of an army. He and his companions were routed and they

returned accusing him ('Umar) of cowardice, and him accusing them of cowardice. He also retreated and

fled on the day of Hunayn with those who fled; perhaps he was the first to flee, and people followed him

since he was the bravest of them. As a result, we see Abu Qatada [who was] among the thousands who

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fled, turning and asking 'Umar b. al-Khattab, as one surprised: "What is the matter with the people?"

'Umar b. al-Khattab was not satisfied with his running away from the battle and leaving the Prophet of

Allah (P) in the middle of the polytheists. He [further] pretended to Abu Qatada that it was the decree of

Allah!

Did Allah order 'Umar b. al-Khattab to flee from the battle? Or did He command him to remain firm and

to persevere in the wars and not to run away? He said to him and his companions: "O you who believe!

If you meet the disbelievers in battle, do not turn upon your heels" (8:1).

Allah took a covenant from him and his companions about that, as has been related in Allah's wise book:

"They had promised Allah before not to turn upon their heels, and the covenant with Allah must be

answered for" (33:15).

How can Abu Hafs ('Umar) turn away from the battle and allege that it is Allah's decree? Where does he

stand regarding the injunctions of these clear verses? Or are there seals upon the hearts?

We are not here discussing the personality of 'Umar b. al-Khattab, we shall devote a special chapter to

him. The hadith of al-Bukhari is nonetheless striking and leaves us with no alternative [but] to make

quick observations. What concerns us at this point is the testimony of al-Bukhari that the companions, in

spite of their large numbers, turned back on the day of Hunayn. Whoever reads the historical texts on

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those wars and military campaigns will encounter the most surprising things.

If the decree of Allah was not obeyed by most companions, as we realized from the preceding

discussions, then their disobedience to the commands of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) while he was

alive and in their midst is not surprising. As for his commands after his death, may my father and mother

be sacrificed for him, these were neglected, changed and altered without any concern.

heads'. He said: 'By Allah! Not a man stood up from them, even after he repeated himself three times.

Yet no one amongst them rose. He went to Umm Salama and related to her what he had encountered

from the people'" (Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 3, p. 182).

Are you not surprised, O reader, at the insolence and disobedience of the companions with regards to the

order of the Prophet (S.A.W.)? Although it was repeated three times, none of them responded.

It is necessary here to relate a discussion that took place between some scholars and myself in Tunis

after the publication of my book "Then I Was Guided". In it, they had read my remarks on the treaty of

al-Hudaybiyya, and, in turn, had added their comments to mine, saying: "If the companions had

disobeyed the order of the Prophet (S.A.W.) on the sacrifice and shaving, and none of them complied

with his order, then 'Ali b. Abi Talib was among them and therefore he [also] did not comply with the

order of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.)". I responded to them with the following:

Firstly: 'Ali was not reckoned to be among the companions. For he was the brother and cousin of the

Prophet of Allah, the husband of his daughter and the father of his progeny. 'Ali was with the Prophet of

Allah on one side, and the rest of the people on the other. If the narrator in Sahih al-Bukhari said that the

Prophet (S.A.W.) ordered his companions to slaughter the animals and to shave their heads, then Abu'l-

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Hasan (A.S.) was not counted among them. For he was to him (the Prophet) what Aaron was to Moses.

Don't you see that the greetings upon the Prophet are not complete unless the greetings upon his family

are added to them? Without doubt he ('Ali) is the leader of the progeny of Muhammad. [As for] Abu

Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman and other companions, their prayers are not complete unless they mention 'Ali b.

Abi Talib along with Muhammad b. 'Abd Allah.

Secondly: The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) always used to share with 'Ali, his brother, his sacrifices, as

occurred in the farewell pilgrimage when 'Ali came from Yemen and the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.)

asked him: "What did you offer [for sacrifice] O 'Ali?" He replied: "What the Prophet of Allah offered".

The Prophet shared his sacrifice with him. All the hadith reporters and historians have recorded this

incident. He must have been his partner at al-Hudaybiyya too. Thirdly: 'Ali b. Abi Talib was the one

who wrote the terms of the treaty of al-Hudaybiyya, as dictated by the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), and

had never disputed with him in anything throughout his life; not at al-Hudaybiyya, nor at any other

occasion. History has not recorded a single instance at which 'Ali (A.S.) delayed [carrying out an order

of] the Prophet (P) or disobeyed him even once, God forbid, or that he ever fled from a battle and left his

brother and cousin amongst the enemies. Rather, he constantly offered himself [as a sacrifice]. In short,

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'Ali b. Abi Talib was like the Prophet (P) himself. As a result, the Prophet (S.A.W.) used to say: "None

is allowed to remain in the mosque while ritually impure (junub) except I and 'Ali".

Most of the participants [in the discussion] were convinced by what I had presented and admitted that

'Ali b. Abi Talib never in his life opposed any order of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.).

Al-Bukhari reported in volume 8, in "The Chapter on Abhorrence of Differences", in "The Book on

Adherence to the Qur'an and Sunna", from 'Abd Allah b. 'Abbas who said: "When the time of the

Prophet's (S.A.W.) death drew near, there were people in the house, among them 'Umar b. al-Khattab.

He said: 'Come so that I may write for you [something] so that you may never go astray'. 'Umar said:

'Surely the Prophet (S.A.W.) is overcome by pain; you have with you the Qur'an, and the book of Allah

is sufficient for us". The members of the household differed and argued [amongst themselves]. Among

them were those who said: 'Come closer, the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) will write for you [something]

so you will never go astray afterwards'. Among them were those who said what 'Umar had said. When

the noise and differences intensified in the presence of the Prophet (S.A.W.), he said: 'Go away from

me'".

Ibn 'Abbas used to say: "The calamity of all calamities was the clamour and differences that occurred

between the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) and his writing the dictate for them" (al-Bukhari, vol. 8, p. 161;

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vol. 1, p. 37, and vol. 5, p. 138).

This is another command of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) which the companions countered with

rejection, disobedience and degradation [of the status of] the Prophet (S.A.W.).

It must be noted that when he (the Prophet) asked for paper and ink to be brought so that he could write

for them a letter which would prevent them from going astray, 'Umar b. al-Khattab said in the presence

of the Prophet (S.A.W.): "The Prophet of Allah is delirious", i.e., hallucinating, God forbid.

Al-Bukhari, however, rectified that expression and changed it to "overcome by pain", because the one

who said it was 'Umar b. al-Khattab. You see, he omitted the name of 'Umar in the narration, saying:

"and they said the Prophet of Allah is delirious". This is the honesty of al-Bukhari in transmitting hadith.

(We will, God willing, devote a special chapter to this.)

In any case, most hadith scholars and historians relate that 'Umar b. al-Khattab said: "Surely the Prophet

of Allah (S.A.W.) is delirious" and many companions followed him and said what he said in the

presence of the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.). It is for us to picture the awful event and those raised

voices, the intense clamour and dissension in his presence. No matter how the narration expresses it, it

can inform us only a little of the actual scene. It is the same if we read a historical book on the life of

Moses (P); no matter how vivid the book is, it will not have the effect of a film which we see with our

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eyes.

In volume 7, in "The Chapter on What is Allowable in Anger and Intensity for Allah's sake", al-Bukhari

reported in "The Book of Morals": "The Prophet (S.A.W.) made a small room with a mat from palm

leaves. He came out (of his house) and went out to pray on it. The people followed him in this. The

[next] night they [also] came, but the Apostle of Allah (S.A.W.) delayed and did not come out to them.

So they raised their voices and threw stones at the door. He came out angrily and said: 'You insisted on

it (the prayer), until I thought it would become obligatory upon you. Offer your (optional) prayer in your

homes, for surely the best prayer of a man is in his house, except the obligatory prayer'" (Sahih al-

Bukhari, vol. 7, p. 99; vol. 2, p. 252; vol. 4, p. 168).

Most unfortunately, 'Umar contravened the order of the Prophet (S.A.W.) and gathered the people for

supererogatory prayer during his Caliphate, saying regarding his action: "This is an innovation, a

wonderful one". Most of the companions followed his innovation, they espoused his views and

supported him in every thing he did and said. 'Ali b. Abi Talib, and the ahl al-bayt, differed with him for

they did not act, except [according to] the orders of their master, the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) and did

not substitute anything for it. If every innovation leads to error and every error leads to the fire, what

about the errors which were invented to oppose the rulings of the Prophet (S.A.W.)?

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In volume 5, in "The Chapter on the Battle of Zayd b. Haritha", in "The Book of Campaigns", al-

Bukhari reported on the authority of Ibn 'Umar (R) who said: "The Apostle of Allah (S.A.W.) ordered

Usama b. Zayd to [lead] a group but they sought to find fault in his leadership. He said: 'If you find fault

in his leadership, you [also] sought to find fault in the leadership of his father before him. By Allah, he

was created for leadership and was the most beloved of men to me; and now he (Usama) is the most

beloved of people to me after him'" (al-Bukhari, vol. 5, p. 84).

This event has been related in detail by the historians; how they angered the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.)

until he cursed those who stayed behind the expedition of Usama, as he was a young general who had

not reached seventeen years of age. The Prophet (S.A.W.) had put him in charge of an army in which

were Abu Bakr, 'Umar, Talha, al-Zubayr, 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Awf and all the Qurayshi notables; the

Prophet (S.A.W.) did not draft 'Ali b. Abi Talib, nor any of the companions who followed him ('Ali) in

that army.

Al-Bukhari always summarizes events and edits the hadith to protect the honour of the "pious

predecessors" amongst the companions. Despite this, what he reports is sufficient for one who wishes to

attain the truth.

In volume 2 of his Sahih, in "The Chapter on Reproach of He who Fasted Continuously", in "The Book

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of Fasting", al-Bukhari reported on the authority of Abu Hurayra who said: "The Prophet of Allah (S.A.

W.) forbade fasting [two days] continuously without breaking it and a Muslim said to him: 'But you fast

continuously, O Prophet of Allah!' He replied: 'And who among you is like me? Verily I stay awake at

night and my Lord grants me sustenance and water'. When they refused to stop fasting continuously, he

joined them one day's fast with another [day], and then they sighted the crescent. Then He said: 'Had it

(the crescent) been delayed, I would have continued [fasting] with you'. It was as a reproach to them for

having failed to desist as he had ordered" (Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 2, p. 243).

Well done to these companions who the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) prohibited from doing something but

they did not desist from it. He kept on repeating the prohibition, but they would not listen. Did they not

read Allah's words: "Whatever the Prophet gives you, accept it, and whatever he forbids you from, keep

away from it, and fear Allah! Indeed Allah is severe in punishment" (59:7).

Despite the threat of grave punishment by Allah, Glory be to Him, to those who opposed His Messenger,

some companions did not attach any importance to His threats and warnings.

If this was their condition, then there can be no doubt about their hypocrisy, even though they outwardly

exhibited an abundance of prayer, fasting and strict [adherence to] religion, to the extent that they even

forbade themselves from cohabitation with their wives so that they might not travel with their penises

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dripping with semen. They refrained from what the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) did, as has been discussed

previously.

Al-Bukhari, in his Sahih, volume 5, in "The Chapter on the Prophet's (S.A.W.) sending of Khalid b. al-

Walid to Banu Judhayma", in "The Book of Military Campaigns", on the authority of al-Zuhri from

Salim from his father, he said: "The Prophet (S.A.W.) sent Khalid b. al-Walid to Banu Judhayma and he

invited them to Islam. It did not seem proper to them to say we have submitted ourselves and so they

said [instead]: 'We have left idol worship. We have left idol worship'. Khalid started to kill them and to

take captives. He gave each one amongst us his captive. Then, one day, Khalid ordered each man to kill

his captive. I said: 'By Allah! I will not kill my prisoner and none of my companions will kill theirs'.

[This happened till] we came to the Prophet (S.A.W.) and we related this to him. The Prophet (S.A.W.)

raised his hands and said twice: 'O Allah! I am innocent of what Khalid has done'" (al-Bukhari vol. 5, p.

107, vol. 8, p. 118).

The historians have chronicled this event in some detail and [shown] how Khalid perpetrated this

despicable act of disobedience. He, and some of his companions who obeyed him, did not adhere to the

commands of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) regarding the prohibition of killing anyone who accepted

Islam. Certainly, this was one of the worst sins that caused the flowing of innocent blood, and the

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Prophet (S.A.W.) had ordered them to invite the people to Islam, not to kill them.

Khaild b. al-Walid was overcome by the urge of the Jahili period, and a Satanic force overcame him.

[This was because] the Banu Judhayma had killed his uncle al-Fakiha b. al-Mughira, during the time of

Ignorance. He came upon them and said: "Lay down your arms for the people have accepted Islam". He

then ordered that their hands be tied and many of them be killed.

When some of the sincere companions learned of Khalid's intentions, they fled from the army and joined

the Prophet (P) and related the news to him. The Prophet of Allah (P) then dissociated himself from his

acts and sent 'Ali b. Abi Talib who compensated them for the loss of blood and property.

To know this incident in some detail, there is no harm in reading what 'Abbas Mahmud al-'Aqqad has

written in his book: "The wonderful [exploits of] Khalid", wherein al-'Aqqad writes on pages 57 58 as

follows:

"After the conquest of Mecca, his (the Prophet's) concern was directed to the cleansing of the Bedouin

tribes surrounding it (Mecca) from idol worship. He sent expeditions to the tribes to invite them and to

ascertain their intentions. Amongst the expeditions was that of Khalid b. al-Walid to Banu Judhayma,

numbering about 350 emigrants, Ansars and Banu Sulaym. He sent them as missionaries and did not

order them to fight. Banu Judhayma were the fiercest tribe during the period of Ignorance and were

known as the "spoonful of blood".

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Among those that they had killed on one occasion were al-Fakiha b. al-Mughira and his brother, the

paternal uncles of Khalid b. al-Walid and the father of 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Awf and Malik b. al-Sharid

and his three brothers from Banu Sulaym in one place, as well as several others from various tribes.

When Khalid came to them and they knew that the Banu Sulaym were with him, they donned their

weapons and rode forth for battle, refusing to give in. Khalid asked them: 'Are you Muslims?' It is said

that some of them answered in the affirmative and some of them said: 'Saba'na! Saba'na!' i.e., we have

left idol worship! We have left idol worship! He then asked them: 'Why are the weapons on you?' They

replied: 'There is enmity between us and some Arab tribes and we feared that you might be them, so we

donned our weapons'.

He said to them: 'Drop your weapons for the people have accepted Islam'. A man among them who was

called Juhdam cried out: 'Woe be unto you O Banu Judhayma! This is Khalid. By Allah, captivity will

follow your dropping of weapons. After captivity [he will] behead you. By Allah! I will never give up

my weapons'. He was still saying this when his weapons were taken away along with those of others.

The other [people] dispersed.

Khalid ordered that they be handcuffed and put to the sword. Banu Sulaym and the other Arabs with

them accepted his orders of killing them. The Ansars and Muhajirun, however, refused to kill anyone

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without being commanded by the Prophet (P) to fight [them]. The news reached the Prophet (S.A.W.)

who raised his hands towards the sky and said three times: 'O Allah! I dissociate myself of what Khalid

has done'. He then sent 'Ali b. Abi Talib to Banu Judhayma to compensate them for the blood and

property that had been destroyed.

The event appalled the prominent companions, those who had accompanied the expedition as well as

those who had not. 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Awf was so incensed that he accused Khalid of deliberate

slaughter to avenge his two uncles".

This is the verbatim quote of what al-'Aqqad reported in his book "The wonderful [exploits of] Khalid".

And al-'Aqqad is like the other ahl al-sunna thinkers, for, after relating the entire episode, he seeks a

cold, fictitious explanation [to defend] what Khalid had done, [an explanation] which is baseless and

which no sound reason can accept. There is no excuse for al-'Aqqad except that he wrote "The

wonderful [exploits of] Khalid". Everything he presented in defence of Khalid is presumptuous, fragile

as a spider's web. Whoever reads it realises the folly and weakness of his defence.

How can there be any excuse when he himself bore testimony in his own words that the Prophet (P) sent

them as missionaries and did not order them to fight? And he admitted that the Banu Judhayma had

removed their arms after having donned them when Khalid deceived them by telling his companions:

"Remove your weapons, for the people have become Muslims". He also confessed that Juhdam had

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refused to lay aside his arms and warned his tribe that Khalid will deceive them by his words: "Woe

unto you O Banu Judhayma, he is Khalid! By Allah, there is nothing after the removal of your arms

except captivity, and after captivity beheading. By Allah! I will never lay down my arms". Al-'Aqqad

said that the Banu Judhayma crowded him until he removed his arms. This shows the submission of the

tribe and of their good intentions.

If the Prophet of Allah (P) sent them as preachers of Islam and had not ordered them to fight, as you

yourself testified, O 'Aqqad, then what was Khalid's excuse in opposing the orders of the Prophet (P)? I

don't think you can legitimize it, O 'Aqqad!

If the tribe had removed their weapons, declared their Islam, and finally won over their companion, who

had sworn that he would not lay aside his weapons until they pacified him, as you have yourself

admitted, O 'Aqqad, then what is Khalid's excuse for betraying them and killing them when [they were]

passive and were bereft of their weapons?

You have said that Khalid issued orders against them, their hands were tied and they were put to the

sword. This is another deed that I do not think you can justify, O 'Aqqad! Did Islam order Muslims to

kill those who do not fight them, [even] assuming that they did not declare their Islam? Certainly not.

This is the argument that the Orientalists, the enemies of Islam, propagate today.

Then, once again, you admit that the Prophet (P) did not order him to fight the people, for you said that

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the emigrants and the Ansar rebuked Khalid for having killed anyone without being commanded by the

Prophet (S.A.W.) to fight. What is your excuse, O 'Aqqad, for seeking excuses for Khalid?

In replying to al-'Aqqad, it is sufficient for us [to note] that he completely refuted and destroyed his own

excuses by saying: "The revulsion to the event extended to all the prominent companions, those who

were present in the expedition and those who were not". If the prominent companions expressed [their]

disgust towards Khalid to the extent that they fled from his army and complained to the Prophet (S.A.

W.) and if 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Awf accused Khalid of deliberately killing the people in revenge for his

two uncles, as al-'Aqqad has testified, and if the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) had raised his hands to the

sky and said three times: "O Allah, I dissociate [myself] from what Khalid b. al-Walid has done", [and]

if the Prophet sent 'Ali with property to compensate the Banu Judhayma for the blood [spilt] and [for the

loss] of property so as to appease them, as al-'Aqqad has testified, this [in itself] proves that the

community had accepted Islam, but that Khalid had wronged them and committed excesses against

them. Can someone ask al-'Aqqad, who tries his best to defend Khalid, is he (al-'Aqqad) more learned

than the Prophet of Allah (P) who dissociated [himself] from his acts three times? Or is he more learned

than the prominent companions who reproached him? Or more than the companions who were present at

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the event but escaped from the expedition dismayed by his repulsive acts which they had witnessed? Or

[is he more learned] than 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Awf, who was with him in the expedition and, without

doubt, knew Khalid better than al-'Aqqad? He accused him of deliberately killing the people so as to

exact revenge for his uncles.

May Allah fight blind fanaticism and jahili zeal which changes the truth. Although al-Bukhari

summarized the matter in four lines, what he has mentioned is sufficient to convict Khalid, and the other

companions who obeyed him in killing innocent Muslims, and whom al-'Aqqad has mentioned by

saying: "Banu Sulaym and those Arabs with him obeyed him in killing them". However, al-Bukhari

[mentions] only two or three who did not comply with his commands, they fled from the army and

returned to the Prophet complaining of Khalid. You cannot convince us, O 'Aqqad, that the emigrants

and Ansars who totalled 350, as you have said, did not obey Khalid in killing the people, and that they

all fled from the army, no researcher can believe this. This is [merely] an attempt on your part to

preserve the nobility of the pious ancestors, the companions, and to hide the realities at any cost. The

time has come to remove the veils and to know the truth.

How many despicable massacres of Khalid b. al-Walid has history related to us, especially on the day of

al-Battah when Abu Bakr appointed him to be the head of a big army comprising of foremost

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companions. He deceived Malik b. Nuwayra and his people when they removed their weapons; he

ordered that their hands be tied and then beheaded them without a fight. He entered Layla, Umm

Tamim, the wife of Malik, on the same night that her husband was killed. When 'Umar b. al-Khattab

came to know [what happened], he castigated him and told him: "You killed a Muslim man then sprang

on his wife, by Allah, I will stone you with your stones, O enemy of Allah". Abu Bakr stood beside

Khalid and said to 'Umar: "Stop [moving] your tongue against Khalid, he used [his reasoning] and

erred". This is another issue whose discussion is lengthy and mentioning it is repulsive.

The rights of how many unfortunate people have been usurped because a tyrant is strong and powerful?

How [frequently] a tyrant is helped in his tyranny and falsehood because he is rich and close to the

apparatus of the rulers. When he examines the story of the Banu Judhayma, al-Bukhari cuts the story

short and says: "The Prophet sent Khalid to Banu Judhayma, he invited them to Islam. They did not

deem it proper to say 'We have submitted', so they said 'We have turned away from idol worship'".

Were the Banu Judhayma Persians or Turks or Indians or Germans that they did not deem it proper to

say "We have submitted", O Bukhari? Or were they an Arab tribe in whose language the Qur'an was

revealed? Blind fanaticism and the major plots which were conspired to protect the nobility of the

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companions made al-Bukhari utter such statements so as to vindicate the act of Khalid b. al-Walid.

Al-'Aqqad also says: "Khalid asked them: 'Are you Muslims?'" Al-'Aqqad then says: "It is said that some

of them replied in the affirmative and some of them replied 'saba'na, saba'na (we have left idolatry)'".

The words "it is said" show clearly that the community would accept anything which people conjured up

so as to defend Khalid b. al-Walid. [This is] because Khalid b. al-Walid was the raised sword of the ruler

and was the defender of the usurping Caliphate. He was its follower, exemplifying overwhelming

strength to whoever resolved to rebel or revolt against what had been decided by the heroes of Saqifa on

the day that the Prophet (S.A.W.) passed away. There is no power nor strength except with Allah, the

most High, the most Great.

the Prophet] except this salat and this has [also] been abandoned'" (al-Bukhari volume 1, p. 134).

Al-Bukhari has also reported in volume 1 in "The Chapter of the Superiority of the Fajr in

Congregation: "Al-A'mash told us: 'I heard Salim saying: 'I heard Umm Darda say: 'Abu Darda came to

me whilst he was angry. I said to him: 'What has angered you?' He said: 'By Allah, I do not know from

the umma of Muhammad (S.A.W.) anything else except that they prayed in congregation'" (al-Bukhari

vol. 1, p. 159).

In volume 2 in "The Chapter of going to a Mosque in which there is no Minbar" al-Bukhari reports that

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said: "The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) used to go out on the day of 'id al-fitr and 'id

al-duha to the mosque. The first thing that he used to do was to pray, then he would exhort the people.

The people continued this [practise] until I went out with Marwan when he was the governor of Medina

on the day of 'id al-duha or 'id al-fitr. He wanted to ascend the pulpit before praying. I caught hold of his

clothes but he pushed me away, ascended the minbar and delivered the sermon before the prayer. I said

to him: 'You have altered [the sunna], by God'. He said: 'Abu Sa'id, what you know has gone away'. I

said: 'By Allah, it is better than what I do not know'. He responded: 'The people would not remain after

the prayer, so I delivered it before the prayer'" (al-Bukhari, vol. 2, p. 4).

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The companions during the time of Anas b. Malik and Abu Darda and during the lifetime of Marwan b.

al-Hakam, and this was a period [which was] very close to the lifetime of the Prophet (S.A.W.), changed

the sunna of the Prophet (P) and had discarded everything, even the prayer, as you have heard, and

reversed the order of the sunna of the chosen one (P) for their evil benefits, i.e., the Banu Umayya

adopted the practise of reviling and cursing 'Ali and the ahl al-bayt from the pulpits after every sermon.

Most of the people at the 'id al-fitr and 'id al-duha had dispersed when the prayer was completed, as they

did not like to hear the Imam curse 'Ali b. Abi Talib and the ahl al-bayt. As a result, the Banu Umayyad

intended to change the sunna of the Prophet (P), so they delivered the khutba before the prayer at the

two 'ids, so that the practise of cursing and abusing 'Ali could be established in the presence of the entire

Muslim community, against their will.

At the head of this was Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan, for he established this practice which, for them,

became one of the best ways of getting close to Allah. It reached a point where some historians reported

that one of their Imams finished his sermon on a Friday and, having forgotten to curse 'Ali, started to

descend the minbar to lead the prayer. The people from every corner started screaming at him: "You

have abandoned the sunna!, You have forgotten the sunna! Where is the sunna?"

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Yes, unfortunately, this innovation which Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan initiated, remained in continuous

practice for eighty years on the minbar of the Muslims - and even to this day its influences remain.

Despite this, the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a are pleased with Mu'awiya and his followers and they do not

accept any reproach or criticism of him, under the pretext of respect for the companions.

Praise be to Allah that the sincere Muslims researchers have begun to differentiate between truth and

falsehood. Many of them have begun to distance themselves from the deeds of the companions which

Mu'awiya, his partisans and followers, instituted. Now the ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a have begun to wake

up to this repulsive inconsistency. They defend all the companions to the extent that they curse one who

reviles [even] one of them. If you tell them: "This curse of yours includes Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan, for

he reviled and cursed the best of all companions and certainly meant to curse the Apostle of Allah who

said: 'He who has cursed 'Ali has cursed me, and he who has cursed me has cursed Allah'"; at that, they

stammer and hesitate in answering. They say things, which if they point to anything, merely indicate the

stupidity of their minds and deep, blind fanaticism. Some of them, for example, respond by saying:

"These are the lies fabricated by the Shi'as" and others say: "They are the companions of the Prophet of

Allah, they can say what they wish to about others. As for us, we are not at their level to criticize them".

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Glory and all Praise be to You, my Lord! Your words in the noble Qur'an led me to the realities which

were difficult for me to comprehend and believe. Everytime I used to read: "And We have prepared for

hell many of the jinn and humankind, they have hearts through which they understand not; they have

eyes with which they see not and ears with which they hear not. They are like cattle, nay, worse yet, they

are those who are heedless" (7:179).

I used to be astonished [at this] and would ask myself: "How can this be?" Can a dumb animal be better

guided than this human? Is it possible for a person to admire a stone, then worship and seek sustenance

and assistance from it? However, praise be to Allah, my astonishment ceased when I dealt with people

and travelled to India where I saw astonishing upon astonishing things, doctors in anatomy, well versed

in knowledge of the cell structure of human and its formation, yet they worshipped the cow.

Had this sin been committed by the ignorant Hindus, one would have accepted their excuse. But you will

see the cream of their intellectuals worshipping cows, stones, the sea, the sun and the moon. After

[seeing] this, there remains [no alternative] but for you to submit and to understand the things to which

the glorious Qur'an points to, especially those human beings who are more misguided than animals.

Treasure" from al-Ahnaf b. Qays [who] said: "I was sitting with the notables from Quraysh, and there

came a man of coarse hair, clothes and appearance who stood in front of them, greeted [them] and said:

'Inform those who hoard (wealth) that a stone will be heated in the hell fire and will be put on the nipples

of their breasts until it comes out from their shoulder bones, then it will be put on their shoulder bones

until it comes from their nipples, it will be moving [inside them]'. Then he went away and sat near a

pillar. I followed him and sat near him, although I did not know who he was. I said to him: 'I do not

think the people liked what you said'. He replied: 'They do not understand anything. My friend said to

me....'. I said to him: 'And who is your friend?' He said: 'The Prophet (S.A.W.)'. He said to me: 'O Abu

Dharr, do you see Uhud?' He said: 'I looked at the sun, to see how much of the day remained. I thought

that the Prophet wanted to me to go somewhere for a need. So I said: 'Yes'. He said: 'I do not wish to

have gold the size of Uhud unless I would spend it all (in charity) except three dinars'. These [people] do

not understand, they collect only worldly pleasures. No, by Allah, I will not ask them for worldly

possessions nor seek their guidance in religion until I meet Allah the most Honourable, most

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Majestic'" (al-Bukhari, volume 2, p. 12).

Al-Bukhari also reports in section seven in "The Chapter [entitled] 'The Fountain and the Saying of

Allah, the Most High: 'Indeed I have given you al-kawthar'". On the authority of 'Ata b. Yasar, from

Abu Hurayra, that the Prophet (S.A.W.) said: "While I will be standing, a group of my followers will be

brought there and, after I recognise them, a man will come between me and them and will say: 'Come

along'. I will ask: 'Where to?' He will say: 'To the fire, by Allah'. I will say: 'What is with them?' He will

say: 'They apostatized after you and moved backward'. Then another group will be brought and, as I will

recognize them, a man will come between me and them saying: 'Come on'. I will say: 'Whereto?' He will

say 'To the fire, by Allah'. I will say: 'What is their case?' He will say: 'They renegated and apostatized

after you and I do not see any of them being spared except a few who are like cattle without a

shepherd'".

From Abu Sa'id al-Khudri: "It will be said: 'You do not know what they initiated after you'. I will say:

'Woe, woe unto those who changed [things] after me'" (Bukhari vol. 7, p. 209).

Al-Bukhari volume 5 in "The Chapter of The Battle of al-Hudaybiyya and the Saying of Allah the

Almighty: 'And verily Allah was pleased with the believers as they pledged their fealty to you under the

tree'". From 'Ala b. al-Musayyab, who narrated from his father, who said: "I met al-Bara'a b. 'Azib (R)

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and said to him: 'You are fortunate, you were a companion of the Prophet and paid allegiance to him

under the tree'. Whereupon he said: 'My nephew, you do not know what we innovated after him'" (al-

Bukhari, volume 5, p. 66).

This is a major testimony from a prominent companion who was, at least, honest with himself and with

the people. His testimony is confirmation of what Allah said regarding them: "If he dies or is killed, will

you then go back on your heels?"

It is [also] a confirmation of the Prophet's (S.A.W.) statement: "Then it will be said to me: 'They

apostatized after you and receded [from Islam]'".

Al-Bara' b. 'Azib was an eminent companion amongst the earliest notables who pledged their allegiances

to the Prophet under the tree. He is bearing witness against himself and against other companions that

they innovated [practices] after the death of the Prophet (P) so that the people may not take pride in

them. He made it clear that being a companion of the Prophet (S.A.W.) and giving him allegiance under

the tree which was called "the pledge of pleasure" did not prevent a companion from going astray and

reverting [to unbelief] after the Prophet (P).

In volume 8 al-Bukhari has reported under the heading "The Prophet's (S.A.W.) words: 'You will surely

follow the practices of those who were before you'". "On the authority of 'Ata b. Yasar, from Abu Sa'id

al-Khudri, that the Prophet (S.A.W.) said: 'You will follow the practices of those before you, literally

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