بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم

In the name ofAllah, The all-beneficent, the All-Merciful

قال الله تعالی:

﴿إِنَّمَا یُرِیدُ اللَّهُ لِیُذْهِبَ عَنْکُمْ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَیْتِ وَیُطَهِّرَکُمْ تَطْهِیرًا﴾

“Indeed Allah desires to repel all impurity from you, O People of the Household, and purify you with a thorough purification.”

(Sūrat al-Aḥzāb 33:33)

Prophetic traditions mentioned in both Sunnī and Shī‘ah authoritative reference books of ḥadīth and tafsīr (exegesis of the Qur’an) have confirmed that this holy verse was revealed to exclusively refer to the People of the Cloak [ahl al-kisā’], viz. Muḥammad, ‘Alī, Fāṭimah, al-Ḥasan, and al-Ḥusayn (‘a) as the Ahl al-Bayt (People of the Household). For instance, refer to the following references: Sunnī: Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (d. 241 AH), al-Musnad, 1:231; 4:107; 6:292, 304; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (d. 261 AH), 7:130; al-Tirmidhī (d. 279 AH), Sunan, 5:361 et al.; al-Dūlābī (d. 310 AH), al-Dhuriyyah al-Ṭāhirah al-Nabawiyyah, p. 108; al-Nasā’ī (d. 303 AH), al-Sunan al-Kubrā’, 5:108; 113; al-Ḥakīm al-Nayshābūrī (d. 405 AH), al-Mustadrak ‘ala’ al-Ṣahīḥāyn, 2:416, 3:133, 146-147; al-Zarkashī (d. 794 AH), al-Burhān, p. 197; Ibn Hājar al-Asqalānī (d. 852 AH), Fatḥ al-Barī Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 7:104. Shī‘ah: al-Kulaynī (d. 328 AH), Uṣūl al-Kāfī, 1:287; Ibn Babawayh (d. 329 AH), al-Imāmah wa’ t-Tabṣīrah, p. 47, ḥadīth 29; al-Maghribī (d. 363 AH), Da‘ā’im al-Islām, pp. 35, 37; al-Ṣādūq (d. 381 AH), al-Khiṣāl, pp. 403, 550; al-Ṭūsī (d. 460 AH), al-Amalī, ḥadīth 438, 482, 783.

For more details, refer to the exegesis of the holy verse recorded in the following books of tafsīr: al-Jassās (d. 370 AH), Aḥkām al-Qur’ān; al-Wāḥidī (d. 468 AH), Asbāb al-Nuzūl; Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597 AH), Zād al-Masīr; al-Qurṭubī (d. 671 AH), al-Jāmi‘ Li-Aḥkām al-Qur’ān; Ibn Kathīr (d. 774 AH), Tafsīr; al-Tha‘labī (d. 825 AH), Tafsīr; al-Ṭabarī (d. 875 AH), Tafsīr; al-Suyūṭī (d. 911 AH), al-Durr al-Manthūr; al-Shawkānī (d. 1250 AH), Fatḥ al-Qadīr; al-‘Ayyāshī (d. 320 AH), Tafsīr; al-Qummī (d. 329 AH), Tafsīr; Furt al-Kūfī (d. 352 AH), Tafsīr at the margin of the exegesis of Sūrat al-Nisā’ verse 59; al-Ṭabarsī (d. 560 AH), Majma‘ al-Bayān, as well as many other sources.

p: 2

The Truth is with Ali (a)

p: 3

قال رسول الله صلی الله علیه و آله:

"إنی تارکُ فیکُمُ الثَقلین: کتاب الله، وعترتی أهلَ بیتی، ما إن تمسکتُم بهما لن تضلوا أبداً وأَنَّهُما لَن یَفترِقا حتّی یردا عَلیَّ الحوضَ"

The Messenger of Allah (ṣ) said:

“Verily, I am leaving among you two precious things [thaqalayn]: The Book of Allah and my progeny [‘itratī], the members of my Household [Ahl al-Bayt]. If you hold fast to them, you shall never go astray. These two will never separate from each other until they meet me at the Pond [ḥawḍ] (of Kawthar).”

Some references:

q al­Ḥākim al­Nayshābūrī, al­Mustadrak ‘alā’ al-Ṣaḥīḥayn (Beirut), vol. 3, pp. 109-110, 148, 533

q Muslim, al-Ṣaḥīḥ, (English translation), book 31, ḥadīths 5920-3

q al­Tirmidhī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ, vol. 5, pp. 621-2, ḥadīths 3786, 3788; vol. 2, p. 219

q al-Nasā’ī, Khaṣā’iṣ ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, ḥadīth 79

q Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, al-Musnad, vol. 3, pp. 14, 17, 26; vol. 3, pp. 26, 59; vol. 4, p. 371; vol. 5, pp. 181-182, 189-190

q Ibn al­‘Athīr, Jāmi‘ al­Uṣūl, vol. 1, p. 277

q Ibn Kathīr, al­Bidāyah wa al­Nihāyah, vol. 5, p. 209

q Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qur’ān al-‘Aẓīm, vol. 6, p. 199

Naṣīr al-Dīn al-Albanī, Silsilāt al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah (Kuwait: al-Dār al-Salāfiyyah), vol. 4, pp. 355-358

p: 4

The Truth is with Ali (a)

By

Mahdi Faqih Imani

Translated by Iraj Razzaghi

Cultural Affairs Department Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) World Assembly

p: 5

نام کتاب: حق با علی علیه السلام

نویسنده: مهدی فقیه ایمانی

مترجم: ایرج رزاقی

زبان ترجمه: انگلیسی

Title: The Truth is with Ali (a)

Author: Mahdi Faqih Imani

Project supervisor: Translation Unit, Cultural Affairs Department, Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) World Assembly (ABWA)

Translator: Sayyid Iraj Razzaghi

Editor: Iffat Shah

Proofreader: Abu Ali Radhawi

Publisher: ABWA Publishing and Printing Center

First Printing: 2014

Printed by: Mojab

Copies: 5,000

ISBN: 964-529-136-4

© Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) World Assembly (ABWA)

All rights reserved.

www.ahl-ul-bayt.org

info@ahl-ul-bayt.org

p: 6

The Fourteenth Century A.H. —73

The Hadith: Related by Abu Bakr —74

Reported by Sa'd b. Ubbadah Ansari —74

Reported by Abu Dharr Ghaffari —76

Reported by Miqdad and… —78

Reported by Hudhayfah —79

Reported by Salman and… —80

Reported by Ammar Yasir —81

Reported by Ali ibn Abi Talib (a) —82

Reported by Abu Musa 'Ash'ari —86

Reported by Ka'b b. 'Ajazah —86

Reported by Abu Ayyub Ansari and Ammar Yasir —86

Reported by Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas —89

Reported by Abu Yasir Ansari —89

Reported by A'isha, Abu Bakr's Daughter —90

Reported by Umm Salama —94

Reported by Umm Salama and Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas. 96

Reported by Imam Husayn ibn Ali (a) —99

Reported by Abu Sa'id Khidri —100

Reported by Zayd ibn Arqam —101

Reported by Abdullah Ibn Abbas —106

Reported by Bura' b. 'Azib —107

Reported by Jabir b. Abdullah —107

Reported by Jabir b. Abdullah and Ali ibn Abi Talib (a) —107

Reported by Sahl Sa'di —111

Reported by Abu Layli Ghaffari —111

Reported by Abu Tufayl 'Amir ibn Wathilah —113

Occasions When this hadith was proclaimed —115

Lies told by Ibn Taymiyah Harrani —119

p: 8

Specimen of the Treachery of Umayyad Mercenaries —120

1. Hadith of Manzilah —122

2. Hadith: "I am the City of Knowledge…" —124

3. "I am the City of Knowledge and I am its Lofty Gate." —126

4. "May God have Mercy on Ali; O God, have the Truth Circuit around Ali wherever he is (or whereever he turns)." —127

5. Hadith: "Hasan and Husayn are the Two Lords of the Youth of Heaven and Their Father is Better (Superior to Them)" —128

6. Hadith: The First One Who Believed in Islam was Ali ibn Abi Talib —130

7. Hadith: You are my Wali in this World and in the Hereafter —132

Ammar, A Companion of the Truth —133

Arguments Based on this Hadith —139

1. Imam Ali Presents His Proof —139

2. Abu Ayyub Ansari Argues —141

3. Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas Argues —141

4. Muhammad b. Abi Bakr Argues —144

5. Abdullah and Muhammad (Sons of Badil Warqa) Argue —145

6. Umm Salama Argues —145

7. Massacre of the Khawarij and A'isha's Reference (to the Hadith) —146

8. Ibn Jawzi Argues —148

9. Sibt Ibn Jawzi Argues —148

10. Imam Fakhr Razi Argues —148

11. Ibn Abi al-Hadid Argues —149

p: 9

Uttering The Truth but Desiring The Falsehood —152

The Imam's (a) Refusal to give Allegiance to Abu Bakr —162

Successorship and Leadership —165

Knowledge —165

Piety —167

Political Issues —169

Ethics —170

Imam Ali's (a) Inerrancy —173

Alienation From Ali (a) is Alienation from God (swt) and His Messenger (s) —177

Prolific results of the Tradition: "The Truth is with Ali and…" —181

Why did the Imam not Demand his Right? —185

The Imam's Pleas for Justice —187

The Commander of the Faithful's Stance With Regard to the Caliphal Consultative Assembly —209

The Commander of the Faithful and the Truth —215

The Commander of the Faithful (a) Guiding to the Truth —215

The Imam (a), and Enjoining the truth —218

Umar, Amr ‘As and … confess Ali's Rightfullness —221

p: 10

The Holy Prophet of Islam (s) said:

“The Truth is with Ali and Ali is with the Truth. The Truth circuits around Ali, wherever he is.”

p: 11

p: 12

To assist the seekers of truth, the Ahl al-Bayt World Assembly has endeavored to present a new phase of these arguments contained in the studies and translations of the works of contemporary Shī‘ah writers and those who have embraced this sublime school of thought through divine blessing.

The Assembly is also engaged in editing and publishing valuable works by leading Shī‘ah scholars of earlier ages to assist the seekers of the truth in discovering the truths which the School of the Prophet’s Household (‘a) has offered to the entire world.

The Ahl al-Bayt World Assembly looks forward to benefit from the opinions of the readers and their suggestions and constructive criticism in this area.

We also invite scholars, translators and other institutions to assist us in propagating the genuine Islamic teachings as preached by the Prophet Muḥammad (Ṣ).

We beseech God, the Most High, to accept our humble efforts and to enable us to enhance them under the auspices of Imām al-Mahdī, His vicegerent on the earth (may Allah expedite his advent).

We express our gratitude to Mr. Mahdi Faqih Imani, the author of the present book, and Sayyid Iraj Razzaghi, its translator. We also thank our colleagues who have participated in producing this work, especially the staff of the Translation Office.

Cultural Affairs Department

Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) World Assembly

p: 14

p: 16

considering the difficulties, religious or otherwise, in writing and publishing even one religious book?

Scholars and researchers are aware of the amount of energy that was spent in writing the compendium "The Truth is with Ali (a)"; the amount of energy used in writing the magnum opi, Tashyid al-Mata'in, Abaqat al-Anwar, Istiqsa al-Afham, al-Murajiat, al-Nass wa al- Ijtihad, and al-Ghadir. Each is a book of particular size and characteristic, too specific for scholars and researchers to be able to evaluate the hardships the authors have suffered in writing them. However, it has been nothing other than the fulfillment of the duty they felt in finalizing the argument which led to the truth and received the appreciation of Imam Ali and his infallible progeny (peace be on them). With a variety of books circulating to amuse and deceive people, the only thing that can urge them to read these books and listen to the virtues of Imam Ali (a) is a sense of duty to know him, and hope to be pardoned for the sins as substantiated by the Prophet (s).

Imam Sadiq (a) said, "The best people after us are those who mention our teachings and summon the people to them)(1).

Also, "May God Almighty have mercy on the one who revives our teachings."(2)

Given Imam Sadiq's (a) word, the important part that benefactors and well-meaning people perform in this crucial issue is self-evident. Through their financial investment for the publication of the divine knowledge and the sciences of

p: 18

the Ahl Bayt, they strive to offer the world useful and life-inspiring books in the era of "cultural invasion by the world arrogance" and, therefore, be included among those who are eligible to receive divine mercy.

No doubt, any cooperation and financial help for the publication of such works equals the upholding of the guardianship, wilaya, of the Household of the Messenger of God (s) and makes people incline towards them.

Certainly the benefactors and the well-meaning people devote their wealth to safeguard, propagate and distribute valuable, scholarly, and religious works of the ulama and authors to provide the researchers and those, in need of religious books, with the best help, and the general mass of believing people with the historical facts of Islam, and save them from error.

We thank God, that in no more than a few months after the publication of the book The Truth is with Ali (a), the book has been warmly welcomed. Multitudes of requests to have it translated into Arabic, Urdu, and the Turkish language of Russia's Azarbayjan, whose people are now enjoying relative freedom, have been received from various scholarly Shi’a and non-Shi'a groups. Thus, preparations have been finalised to have the book reprinted and published in other languages, too:

1) A novel Arabic translation, including valuable documents, is on its way.

2) The Turkish translation is in process. We hope it will soon be ready for publication with God's help and the efforts of the benefactors.

Mahdi Faqih Imani

p: 19

p: 20

p: 22

p: 24

political right of veto – their major goal is to recognize the violators, to urge all countries to observe international law and to restore the rights of the oppressed governments and nations.

If, in the present era of civilization, universities go through extensive and expensive formalities to hold competitions on academic, industrial and creative writing and give considerable prizes and scholarships, it is done to show gratitude to innovators and hard-working persons, to introduce originality and invention and not separate those who are indeed scientifically right from those who are not.

If, from the distant past until now, multitudes of Islamic books written by Shi’a and Sunni scholars in different languages have discussed various theological, kalam, and ideological points, and have often explained points of difference, they have all tried to prove the truth of their own claim and the falsehood of the opposing sects. A major part of Islamic history reports ideological and juridical clashes that took place among different schools, madhahib, to prove their own truth. The most widespread strife among the sects led them to take possession of the word "truth" and generously bestow the label of "falsehood" to others. These clashes, went as far as massacres and extensive fires, and mostly affected the Sunnis. A simple example, free of bloodshed, is the argument between Qaffal Marwazi and a Hanafi scholar that took place in the presence of Mahmud Sabuktagin,

p: 26

the Ghaznawid Sultan, over whether the Hanafi or Shafi'i school was right.(1)

p: 27

If, in schools of thought, those that are basically divine, certain men leave an impression on people, by preaching, guiding and giving ethical warnings out of mercy and without formalities, this is all done to call Almighty God's servants to the truth and warn them against falsehood.

If in some countries polls are carried out to elect the President and the representatives to the legislative assemblies, it is done to distinguish the pure from the impure, the qualified from the non-qualified, the rightful from the non-rightful, so that the ranks and responsibilities can be assigned equitably.

If, God the Exalted orders the best of His creatures, the Prophet or Imam, to live in decadent societies, bear all kinds of agony and torture, and maintain relations with the people up to the final moments of their lives, this is only to guide people to the truth, make them recognize and defend it, and not violate rights.

We don't have to look far. Is there more conclusive and clearer evidence than the glorious Qur'an, which has discussed and emphasized truth more than two hundred and fifty times for various reasons and in various (grammatical) forms? It urges men of faith to know the truth, to seek the truth, to tell the truth, to keep the truth in view, to remember the truth, to follow the truth, to side with the truth, to call towards truth, to enjoin the truth, to judge according to the truth. It insists on not to overlook the truth, disregard the truth, speak other than the truth, or

p: 28

hide the truth to protect and back what is false, and enjoin it.

In short, a great part of people's potential has been used to revive the truth, to hoist the banner of truth, to seek the truth, even though it has not been duly favored in practice.

Our Sunni brothers need to take the indisputable words of the noble Prophet of Islam (s) as the criteria to distinguish truth from falsehood, the words that the greatest Sunni scholars, fully recognized as authorities in hadith, have quoted in their commentaries, collections of hadith, historical and theological books. They will save themselves from going astray and achieve eternal happiness and prosperity.

Peace be on the one who follows true guidance.

Mahdi Faqih Imani

p: 29

p: 30

rulers (Sufyani, Marwani) and Abbasid rulers, as a necessity, in spite of their atrocities. This is mentioned in Sihah and in some of the most important hadith sources. Two of these traditions, cited by Bukhari and Muslim, will suffice:

The Prophet (s) said, "The person who dislikes (an act) of a commander, should remain patient. If he steps as little as half a meter(1)

out of the boundary of the rule of the government, or distances himself from the community of the Muslims and dies (while he is in such a state), he will have died like one in the period of Jahiliyya (before the advent of Islam).”(2)

The Shi’as, however, believe that the inerrant and infallible Prophet (s) received revelations from the Divine, and having foresight, made necessary preparations even for the most ordinary matters of life, codifying scores of statutes. He could not have neglected the most important and the most sensitive question related with the life of the Islamic community – the caliphate, and the appointing of a successor on whom the life and continuity of Islam would depend. (Any negligence) would allow certain people to resort to political conspiracy, deceit, cooperate with the enemies of Islam, commit tyranny and introduce innovations, and thus decide the fate of Islam and Muslims as they wished.

p: 32

After a brief description of what the divine Prophets (a) had done concerning the religious leadership after their death, and what the holy Prophet (s) did during his prophethood, we will discuss the role of the leaders who succeeded the Prophet (s), who, according to the Sunnis, are the rightful caliphs and whose obedience is more obligatory than the Prophet's (s).

p: 33

p: 34

brother Harun: Take my place among my people, and act well and do not follow the way of the mischief makers."(1)

There are narrations transmitted by Sunni and Shi’a (scholars) of which only two will be quoted:

1) Allamah Mir Sayyid Ali b. Shahab Hamadani (d. 786 A.H.), a trusted Sunni scholar, has quoted Ibn Umar to have said, "To prove Ali ibn Abi Talib's (a) superiority, Salman said 'It was during the last moments of the life of the Prophet (s) that I went to visit him.

I said, “O Messenger of Allah (s), have you made a will?”

The holy Prophet (s) said, “O Salman, do you know who the testamentary trustees of authority, Awsiya, are?”

I said, "Almighty God and His Messenger (s) know better."

The Prophet said, "The testamentary trustee of authority of Adam (who initiated the making of the will) was Shayth, the most meritorious among Adam's sons. Noah's testamentary trustee of authority was Sam, the most meritorious after Noah. Moses' testamentary trustee of authority was Yusha', the most meritorious person to succeed him (Harun had died before). Jesus' testamentary trustee of authority was Shamun al-Safa, the most meritorious person to succeed him. My testamentary trustee of authority is Ali. He is the best person to succeed me."

Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Salih Tirmidhi, the Hanafi (scholar) has quoted the same Tradition on the authority

p: 36

of Umar b. Khattab, to which he (Tirmidhi) has added (this statement): and Sulayman's testamentary trustee of authority was Asif b. Barkhiya, the most meritorious person after him).(1)

Also, Tirmidhi has reported this same Tradition on the authority of Imam Ali (a). Tirmidhi's statement, however, differs a bit.(2)

Hafidh Sulayman Qunduzi has quoted the same on the authority of Sayyid Ali Hamadani.(3)

In Shi’a narrative, this detailed hadith has been quoted by Ibn Babwayh (Saduq's father), Saduq, Shaykh Tusi, Allamah Majlisi, and others. This hadith contains names of all the testamentary trustees of authority, Awsiya, of the Messengers of God (a), starting with (Prophet) Adam (a) and ending with the Final Prophet (s). They include the testamentary trustees of authority of (the Prophets) Idris, Imran, Ibrahim, Ismail, Ishaq, Ya'qub, Yusuf, Shu’ayb, Dawud, Sulayman, Zakariyya, Sham'un, and Yahya b. Zakariyya (a).

In the end, the holy Prophet (s) entrusted the rank of the testamentary trustee of authority, wasi, after him to Ali (a). He issued an order that Ali (a) and (each) testamentary trustee after him should delegate the mentioned rank to the next trustee (already specified by the holy Prophet (s)) until it reaches the most meritorious person on the earth, Imam Mahdi (a). (4)

p: 37

It is important to note that in appointing their successors, the divine Prophets did not act on their own without being divinely inspired. The position of wilayat has directly been decided by God the Exalted, as the position of Prophethood. The Prophet (a) is commanded to convey (the message) and introduce (the testamentary trustee of authority) to the people. This is evidenced by the Holy Qur'anic verse, "And when his Lord tried Ibrahim with certain words, he fulfilled them. He said: ‘Surely I will make you an Imam of men.’ Ibrahim said: ‘And of my offspring?’ ‘My covenant does not include the unjust,’ said He." (1)

Commenting on the above verse, Ibn Maqazli, the Shafi'i has narrated a very interesting report, (2) which will not be quoted here for the sake of brevity. The readers may read it in his book.

p: 38

p: 40

p: 41

In 9 A.H. preparations were made in anticipation for the battle of Tabuk and forces were dispatched, but the war did not break out. In order to foil the Hypocrites' plots and protect Medina, the Prophet (s) appointed Ali (a) as his deputy, and said, "O Ali, you have the same rank with regard to me as Aaron had with regard to Moses" This event has been narrated by all, thus:(1)

When the Prophet (s)

p: 42

wanted to set out, Ali (a) asked, 'May I accompany you?' The Prophet (s) said, 'No.' Ali (a) began to cry over being separated from the Prophet (s) and not participating in the battle of Tabuk. The Prophet (s) said, 'O Ali, you have the same rank with me as Aaron had with regard to Moses…' The Prophet (s) then said, 'I should not leave unless you are my deputy (Khalifa)'.

Being unrestricted to any certain period or place, this hadith points towards the Commander of the Faithful (a) succeeding the Prophet (s), and extends even to the time after his death. Besides, it signifies that the Prophet (s) attached (great) importance to the issue of designating and appointing a meritorious, responsible and qualified person (to supervise and run the religious affairs of the Muslims, and to prevent the Hypocrites and domestic enemies from doing mischief). That is why he said, “I should not leave

p: 43

unless you are my deputy and take the responsibility of leading the affairs of the Muslims.”

Regarding the army commanders, of expeditions launched to suppress the rebellions and plots of the enemies against Islam in distant areas, the Prophet (s) used to designate various commanders and substitutes so that one could succeed the other and take on the responsibility in case one died.(1)

While sending two groups of warriors to Yemen, one headed by Ali (a) and the other by Khalid b. Walid, the Prophet (s) said, "If these two groups meet at a particular place, Ali should be in command of both groups."(2) The holy Prophet (s) desired to prevent dissension among the warriors on the battle-field, and ensured that Ali’s (a)

p: 44

competence, merit, and courage should best be applied in overcoming the enemy.

As the Prophet (s) had foreseen, the two groups met at Bani Zabid's homeground, and the Commander of the Faithful (a) took charge of the command over both groups. Thus, the Prophet's (s) prophecy actualized, the dissension was prevented, and victory achieved by Ali (a).

After he had sent Abu Bakr to communicate a number of Qur'anic verses of the chapter on Repentance to the people, at the time they were in Mecca for the annual pilgrimage, the Prophet (s) had to send Ali (a) after him to convey the verses instead of him, because it was a divine mission. (1)

When the holy Prophet (s) migrated to Medinah, he deputed Ali ibn Abi Talib (a) to stay in Mecca for three days and return the things deposited with him to their

p: 45

owners, settle the accounts (of any debts) and arrange the transfer of his womenfolk and some Muslims to Medinah.(1) All this was in addition to his sleeping on the Prophet's (s) bed, to foil the polytheists' plot to kill him (s).

p: 46

complete the letter of the appointment of the caliph, and it was read out to the people.(1)

b) After Umar had been wounded, and felt that his life was about to end, he nominated a board of six men to convene a carefully calculated plan. This ensured a plain victory for Uthman.(2)

c) Mu'awiyah, whom Uthman had initially appointed as the governor of Damascus, finally acquired the seat of power through various ruses. He misrepresented the murder of Uthman, the martyrdom of the Commander of the Faithful (a); made a plan to kill Imam Hasan (a), massacred people, organized conspiracies, and threatened anyone who opposed him with dire consequences. Having come to power, he called himself the vicegerent of the Prophet (s) and introduced his son, Yazid, as his successor.

After Mu'awiyah, twelve Umayyid rulers and thirty-six or thirty seven Abbasid rulers came to power; some, by openly resorting to force and conspiring against their rivals; others being chosen as the "crown prince" by the rulers before them and the pressures exerted by these rulers on people to swear allegiance. Having become leaders, they considered themselves to be in total

p: 48

command of the affairs of Islam and the people.(1) These are the people who according to the Sunnis are the rightful successors to the Prophet (s), and whose obedience is obligatory and whose disobedience means going astray and suffering the death penalty, like the one who has died in the period of Jahiliyya (before the advent of Islam).

In short, based on (the verses of) the glorious Qur'an, the Islamic traditions and evidence of history, (it can be said that) the past Prophets (a) did nominate, introduce and designate successors. The noble Prophet of Islam (s) did the same (when he was on a trip, or occasionally left Medina). The rulers and successors after the Prophet (s) did the same, in accordance with the authority they had because of their rank, or with the religious duty assigned to them by God the Almighty, or with political and social expediency, (a sense of) humanitarian sympathy and empathy for their ummah. They even attempted to take an obligatory pledge so that (people) would obey the one who would be holding the covenant (of succession) after them.

Sunnis imagine that the Founder of Islam, the Seal of the Prophets (s), died without designating a successor.

The Sunnis have a record of all those cases in which the Holy Prophet (s) commissioned various people with different responsibilities, but insist that the Prophet (s) departed this world for the next:

p: 49

-without feeling responsible for the problem of succession

-without having made use of the right and choice he had

-without considering the interest of Islam and the Muslims

-without finding a solution for differences of opinion, seditions and tribulations that would entangle his household

-without preventing various groups of his Ummah from following falsehood

He just left the Muslims without a guardian!

Now, the author of the present book raises the following questions, not as a Shi’a (who desires ) to rouse the religious feelings of others, but as an independent-minded Muslim – neither a Sunni nor a Shi’a – who is standing distracted at the juncture of Sunnism and Shi'asm – and knows not which of these two Islamic sects to adopt. He imagines that all those who were involved in the issue of succession to the Prophet (s), khilafat, have passed away and that, the dispute over which side is right and which side is wrong has now been replaced by peace, compromise and Islamic unity, and problems have passed into oblivion. He wants to learn about his duty to understand the true Islamic law, the lawful and the unlawful.

Which source must he turn to? He expects the Sunni brothers to answer the following questions:

p: 50

1. Was the Prophet of Islam (s) different from other Prophets (a)? Did he refuse to follow the path of nominating a successor?

2. How could the Prophet of Islam (s) disregard the procedure he had adopted in life (that is, appointing someone to look after the affairs of Muslims when he had to leave on trips or was occasionally absent from Medinah) and be heedless to such a responsibility in which lay the interest of Islam?

3. Were Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Mu'awiyah and other rulers and caliphs – in spite of all their ideological, practical and moral weaknesses - more worried about Islam than the Infallible Prophet (s) who founded the holy religion of Islam, established the Islamic nation, willingly endured all agonies, and threats posed against his life to establish Islam and save it? Abu Bakr and Umar thought it wise to nominate a successor because they feared that disagreement would arise (among people), but the wisest of men (s) did not do what was in the interest of Islam and the Muslims!

a. Even A'isha seems to be more in sympathy with Islam and the Muslims, than the Prophet (s) himself, when she tells Umar's son: "My son! Convey my greetings to Umar, and say 'Do not leave Muhammad's umma to their chances - without a leader. Appoint a leader because I fear (that) they might get involved in seditions.”(1)

p: 51

b. Abdullah b. Umar is quoted to have told his father, "If a shepherd comes to you while he has left your sheep unguarded, you will consider him (to be) an irresponsible person. A ruler has a harder job to do. What answer will you give God on the Day of Resurrection if you leave His servants without appointing a successor?" (1)

c. He is also quoted to have said, “You need to appoint someone to succeed you. (This is like the time) when you have made someone responsible to look after your farm (or garden), and summon him; you expect him to appoint a substitute to take care of the affairs until he returns.”(2)

4. If appointing of the successor was a religious duty and a common-sense requirement, how can we justify the Prophet’s (s) neglect of this duty that created differences, so great, that they ended in the (tragic) event of setting the door of the house of his dear daughter, Fatimah al-Zahra, on fire?

5. If designating the caliph was a non-Islamic and unlawful act, why did all the so-called Islamic Caliphs commit it rather than avoid it? Should they have not adhered to the Sunnah of the Prophet (s)? And why did all religious and non-religious forces of the Sunnis insist at that time, and have been insisting throughout the past

p: 52

fourteen centuries, that this unlawful movement, organized by the first and second caliphs, should be accepted? (Why did) they wage wars for it?

6. Further questions:

a. Did the Prophet (s) appoint and introduce his successor? Did the caliphs comply with the Islamic norms and Qur'anic standards when they nominated their successors? What were these norms and standards? Who is responsible for sectarianism – Sunnism, Shi'asm and Kharijism – that gripped the Muslims from the inception of Saqifah, and has been a cause for the enemies of Islam to make mischief throughout the ages in the world?

Did the Prophet (s) die without nominating his successor? Did Ali (a) die without appointing a successor? Do the Shi’as say so? Or was it Abu Bakr and his companions that claimed the Prophet (s) did not nominate his successor?

1) The holy Prophet (s) took the initial steps in calling people to Islam: twice he fed a gathering of forty men, chiefs of the Quraysh tribe. He then invited them to embrace Islam.(1)

2) For twenty three years he endured various threats of security and social alienation, suffered physical torture and economic sanctions, fought wars, and witnessed unjust bloodshed. He and those who were with him suffered financial loss and physical suffering. But he

p: 53

established Islam. The number of Muslims increased.(1) Those who accompanied the holy Prophet (s) to perform the Farewell pilgrimage, and were with him when he delivered his address at Ghadir Khum, numbered between ninety thousand and 124000. The pilgrims, taken together, certainly exceeded this figure.

Ibn Hajar Asqalani, the renowned scholar who has made a study of the Companions, has reported that those who met the Prophet (s) and talked to him, numbered 12280.(2)

If this is taken to be a decimal of the total population of Medinah – infants, youngsters, the aged, men and women who did not live close to the Prophet's (s) house and were

p: 54

not among the Companions - it will make 122,800, and this is only the Muslim residents of Medinah.

a) It has been estimated that the Muslims then residing in Hijaz and its vicinity, in Yemen, Bahrain, Oman, and in areas located between Damascus, Hijaz and Yemen were fifty times more than in Medinah.(1) It is impossible to believe that the holy Prophet of Islam (s) quit this world without having paid any attention to the fate of such a large number of Muslims.

b) The need to establish a system of leadership managed by a competent and qualified personage in the face of constant threats enforced by the opportunist Hypocrites and enemies within and without (the Islamic community) was indispensable. Besides this, the predictions of the Prophet (s) concerning the dangers and sorrowful events that would engulf the Islamic ummah, were enough to work out a plan to prevent them by designating a qualified successor and leader.

I take refuge in God from the unjustifiable claim of certain people who said that the Infallible Prophet of Islam (s) was indifferent to these evident issues.

The Shi’as believe that the holy Prophet of Islam (s) consistently reiterated the issue of Khilafat and leadership from the first moments of his call to Islam up to the final moments of his blessed life. He placed it as the chief of all

p: 55

other Islamic matters, emphasizing it often. He did this to prevent the leadership of the community from being diverted from the divine course, and the capricious from laying claim to (Islamic) rule. However, those who were waiting for the holy Prophet (s) to die, did not leave a stone unturned in their effort to occupy the seat of the government, and killed the friends of the Truth, the descendants of the Prophet (s) and the Muslims who questioned their false claims.

If the holy Prophet (s) had not said anything concerning succession after him; had not appointed Ali (a) as his immediate successor; how did Umar, as he himself has confessed it, know about the Prophet's (s) decision to nominate Ali (a) at the time of his death when he asked for some paper and ink? He fiercely objected to it, saying, "He is too ill. The Book of God is sufficient for us." He made sure he prevented the Prophet (s) from writing the document.(1) Fortunately, twenty four top-ranking Companions witnessed it, thirty successors to the companions, tab'in, 130 of the greatest of those who had committed the hadiths to memory, scholars of Islamic theology and history, as well as other distinguished Sunni personages reported, that the Prophet had often said, "The Truth (haqq) is with Ali and Ali is with the Truth."

c. There are similar words of the Prophet (s) categorically expressing that the Truth and Ali (a) accompany each other in all spheres and affairs of life. His is a divine

p: 56

position, without which no one can exercise Islamic leadership over Muslims, nor be considered as a person whose obedience is obligatory.

d) The holy Prophet of Islam (s) spoke only those words that were revealed, according to the Qur'anic verse: "Nor does he speak out of desire. It is naught but revelation that he utters." (1) These are proofs derived from the Revelation, not from passion and error, that categorically guarantee immunity from any error for Ali (a) both in his personal life, and in leading the Islamic community, throughout his life. This guarantee given by the Prophet (s) to Ali (a) was never enjoyed by any rival of Imam Ali (a), be it any ruler (from the line of) Sufyan, Marwan or Abbas.

Given the above, the (present) book attempts to discuss the noble (Prophetic) hadith: "The Truth is with Ali and Ali is with the Truth," as well as other relevant traditions, so that, "he, who would perish, might perish by clear proof, and he, who would live, might live by clear proof."(2)

p: 57

p: 58

3) Abu Dharr Ghaffari, Jundab b. Junaydah (d. 31 A.H.)

4) Miqdad b. Amr al-Kindi Zahri (d. 33 A.H.)

5) Hudhayfah b. Yaman (d. 36 A.H.)

6) Salman Farsi (d. 36 or 37 A.H.)

7) Ammar b. Yasir, the martyr (37 A.H.)

8) Abu al-Hasan, Ali ibn Abi Talib (a), the martyr (40 A.H.)

9) Abu Musa Ash'ari, Abdullah b. Qays (d. 42 or 44 A.H.)

10) Ka'b b. Ujrih (d. 52, or 55, or 55, or 56, or 58 A.H.)

11) Abu Ayyub Ansari, Khalid b. Yazid (d. 52 A.H.)

12) Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas (d. 54, or 55, or 56, or 58 A.H.)

13) Abu Yasir Ansar, Ka'b b. Amru (d. 55 A.H.)

14) A'isha, the Mother of the Faithful (d. 58 A.H.)

15) Umm Salama, the Mother of the Faithful, (d. 59, or 61, or 62 A.H.)

16) Abu Abdullah, Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (a), martyred (61 A.H.)

17) Abu Sa'id Khudri, Sa'd b. Malik Ansari (63, or 64, or 65, or 74 A.H.)

18) Zayd b. Arqam Ansari (d. 66 or 68 A.H.)

19) Abdullah b. Abbas (d. 68 A.H.)

20) Bura' ibn 'Azib Ansari Owsi (d. 72 A.H.)

p: 60

21) Jabir b. Abdullah Ansari (d. 73 or 74 A.H.)

22) Sahil b. Sa'd Sa'idi Ansari Khazraji (d. 91 A.H.)

23) Abu Layli Ghaffari

24) Abu al-Tufayl 'Amir b. Wa'ilah (d. 110 A.H.) the last Companion of the Prophet (s) to die.

Second Century A.H.

The list of the scholars and authors who have transmitted the hadith "The Truth is with Ali" and ahadith with the same context are as follows. Their names appear according to the year of their death:

1. Sulaim b.Qays Hilali (d. about 85 A.H.) in his book Asrar Al Muhammad (a)

7. Abu Bakr, Ahmad b. Amr b. Abd al-Khaliq Basri (d. 292) in his Musnad

19. Abu Ahmad Abdullah b. Adi b. Abdullah Jurjani (d. 365) in his al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh.

20. Muhammad b. Umar b. Abdul Aziz, known as Ibn Futiyyah (d. 367) quoting from Ibn Maqazli's Commentary

21. Abu al-Hassn, Ali b. Umar Dar-Qutini, the Shafi'i (d. 385) quoting from Ibn Maqazli's Commentary

22. Abu al-Hassan Ali b. Abdul 'Aziz Jurjani (392) in his Tahdhib al-Tarikh

23. Abu Abd Allah Muhammad b. Ishab b. Muhammad b. Mundih Isfahani (d. 395) in his Asma' al-Rijal (Tabaqat al-Sahabih wa al-Tab'in)

30. Hafidh Abu Bakr Ahmad b. Husayn Bayhaqi (d. 458)

31. Abu Bakr Ahmad b. Ali b.Thabit Khatib Baghdadi (d. 463) in his History of Baqdad wa Arba'in

32. Abu Umar Yusuf b. Abdullah known as Ibn Abdul-Birr Nameri Qurtubi (d. 463) in his Ist'yab

33. Abu al-Hasan Ali b. Muhammad Jallabi Waseti known as Ibn Maqazili in his Manaqib of Ali ibn Abi Talib

34. Abu al-Mudhaffar Mansur b. Muhammad Sam'ani (d. 489) in his Faza'il al-Sahabah also named Risalih Qawamiyyah

40. Abu Bakr Muhammad b. Abdullah Ishbili known as Ibn 'Arabi the Maliki (d. 534) in his 'Arizat al Ahwudhi , A Commentary of Tirmidhi's Sunan

41. Abu al-Fath Muhammad b. Abdul Karim Shahristani, the Shafi'i, the Ash'ari (d. 548 A.H.) in his al-Millal wa al-Nihal and al-Nihayah

42. Abdul Aziz b. Ali Ushnuhy (df. 550 A.H.) in his I'tiqad Ahl al-Sunnah

43. Abu Mansur Shahrdar b. Shirwayh Daylami, the Shafi'i (d. 558 A.H.) in his Musnad al-Firdows

44. Abu-l-Mua'yyid Mowaffaq, known as Akhtab al-Khutaba (the most eloquent of the preachers) Kharazmi (d. 568 A.H.) in his Manaqib wa Maqtal al-Husayn

45. Abu Hafs Umar b. Muhammad b. Khizr Irbili, known as Umar Mulla (d. 570 A.H.) in his Wasilat al-Muti'abbidin.

46. Hafidh Abu al-Qasim Ali b. Hasan b. Hibbat Allah known as Ibn 'Asakr Dameshqi, the Shafi'i (d. 571 A.H.) in his History of Damascus

47. Abu-l-Barakat Abdur Rahman Muhammad b. Anbazi (a scholar of Arabic) syntax (d. 577 A.H.) in his Luma' al-Adillih

48. Abdul Faraj Abd al-Rahman b. Jawzi Bakri Baghdadi, the Hanbali (d. 597 A.H.) in his Sayd al-Khatir

p: 65

59. Allammah Birri Muhammad b. Abi Bakr Tilmasani (d. after 645 A.H.) in his al-Jawharat fi Nasab al-Imam Ali wa Allih

60. Abu Salim Muhammad b. Talha Qurayshi Nasib, the Shafi'i (d. 652 A.H.) in his Matalib al-So'ul

61. Shams al-Din, Abu al-Muzaffar Yusuf b. Quz Ughli Sibt b. Jawzi (d. 654 A.H.) in his Mirat al-Zaman wa Tadhkirat al-Khawass

62. Izz al-Din Abdul Hamid known as Ibn Abi al-Hadid (d. 655 A.H.) in his Commentary on the Nahj al-Balagha

63. Abu Abdullah Muhammad b. Yusuf b. Muhammad Ganji, the Shafi'i (d. 658 A.H.) in his Kifayat al-Talib

64. Shaykh Jamal al-Din Muhammad b. Hasnawayh of Mosul, the Hanafi (d. 680 A.H.) in his Bahr al-Manaqib

65. Abul Abbas Muhibb al-Din Ahmad b. Abd Allah Tabari Makki, the Shafi'i (d. 694 A.H.) in his Dhakha'ir al-Uqba wa Riad al-Nadirah

68. Abu Abdullah Muhammad b. Abdullah Khatib Umari Tabrizi (d. 741 A.H.) in his Mishkat al-Masabih

69. Sharaf al-Din Dargazini Mahmud b. Muhammad Talib Qurayshi (d. 743 A.H.) in his Nuzul al-Sa'rin fi Ahadith Sayyid al-Mursalin.

70. Hafidh Shams al-Din Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Uthman Dhahabi (d. 748 A.H.) in his Talkhis of Mustadrak wa al-Mizan al-'Itidal and History of Islam.

71. Abu al-Barakat Abd al-Muhhiq b. Uthman, the Hanafi (…) in his al-Fa'iq fil Lafz al-Ra'iq

72. Qadi 'Izz al-Din Abd al-Rahman b. Ahmad Iji, the Shafi'i (d. 756 A.H.) in his Mawaqif

73. 'Afif al-Din Abdallah b. As'ad Yafi'i (d. 658 A.H.) in his Mirat al-Janan

74. Siraj al-Din Umar Qanafi (d. 773 A.H.) in his Qurrat al-Manifah.

75. Sayyid Ali Shahab al-Din Hamadani (786 A.H.) in his Mawwadat al-Qurba

76. Sa'd al-Din Mas'ud b. Umar Taftazani (d. 791 A.H.) in his Sharh of Maqasid.

79. Hafidh Ahmad b. Ali b. Muhammad 'Asqalani, the Egyptian, the Shafi'i known as Ibn Hajar (d. 852 A.H.) in his Isabih wa Lisan al-Mizan and Matalib al-'Aliyyah

80. Shaykh Hasan Muqri Kashi (d. 854 A.H.) in his Manaqib

81. Shahab al-Din Ahmad Sibt Qut-ad-Din Eeji (d. after 860 A.H.) in his Towdih al-Dala'il li Tarjih al-Faza'il.

82. Abul Khayr – The father of the good (better to be called Abul Sharr -the father of the evil) Fadhlullah Ruz Bihan Khanji from Shirazi, the Shafi'i (d. between the 9th and the 10th century A.H.) in his Ibtal al-Batil, a refutation of 'Allamah Hilli's Nahj al-Haqq

83. Abd al-Rahman b. Abd al-Salam Safuri the Egyptian (d. 894 A.H.) in his Nizhatol Qulub

84. Ahmad b. Muhmamd Ahmad Hafi (Khafi) Husayni, the Shafi'i (….) in his Tibr al-Muzzab.

87. Jamal al-Din 'Ataollah b.Faz Allah Husayni Shirazi (d. about 926 A.H.) in his Rowdhat al-Ahbab fi Siyrat al-Nabi wa al-Al wa al-Ashab

88. Muhammad b. Ishaq b. Muhammad Hamawi Fazil al-Din (d. 937 A.H.) in his Manahij al-Fazlin

89. Ibrahim b. AbdullahWasaii Yamani (d. after 967 A.H.) in his Iktifa fi Fazl al-'Arbi'atol Khulafa, the section on Asnay al-Matalib fi Manaqib Ali b. Abi Talib

90. Hafidh Shahab al-Din Ahmad b. Muhammad known as Ibn Hajar Haythami Maccki (d. 974 A.H.) in his Sawa'iq al-Muhriqa

91. The well-known traditionist Ali b. Hisam al-Din Muttaqi al-Hindi (d. 975 A.H.) in his Kabnz al-Ummal and in The Anthology of the same book.

92. Kamal al-Din B. Fakhr al-Din Jahrumi in the translation of Sawa'iq al-Muhriqa

93. Abdullah Shafi'i (d. 1000 A.H.) in his Manaqib and 'Arba'in

97. Abd al-Qadir Muhammd Tabari (d. 1033 A.H.) in his Husn al-Sirah

98. Nur al-Din Ali b. Ibrahim Halabi, the Shafi'i, in his Sirat al-Nabawiyyah

99. Shaykh Ahmad b. FazlBa-kathir Makki, Hazarmi, the Shafi'i, (d. 1047 A.H.) in his Wasilat al-Ma'al

100. Shaykh Abd al-Haqq b. Sayf al-Din Dehlawi, the Hanafi, (d. 1052 A.H.) in his 'Ashi' 'a-tol- lami'at fi Sharh al-Mishkat

101. Shaykh Mahmud b. Muhammad Shaykhani Qadiri Madani (d. after 1094 A.H.) in his Sirat al-Sawa fi Manaqib al al-Nabi

107. Badr al-Munir Muhammad b. Isma'il Kahlani of Yaman (d. 1182 A.H.) in his Rawdat al-Nudyyah

126. Hisam al-Din Marwi, the Hanafi (14th Century A.H.) in his Al Muhammad

127. Abduallah b. Nuh Jianjur of Javih (born in 1324 A.H.) in his Imam al-Muhajir

128 129. Shaykh Abbas Ahmad Saqar, and Shaykh Ahmad Abd al-Jawad (contemporary), in their Jam' al-Ahadith

important and the most detailed books of history and commentary, has in his book al-Mawahib, quoted Abu 'Alqamah to have said, "I told Sa'd b. Ubbadah, (1) 'Now that matters are straightened up for Abu Bakr, and people tend to pay their allegiance to him, do you not want to enter into what Muslims have entered?’

He said, "Leave me alone! By God! I heard the Messenger of God (s) say ‘People will go astray after my death, and will turn back (to the customs of Jahilliya period). At that time the Truth will be with Ali. Swear allegiance to no one other than to him.’"

Abu Alqama said, “I asked him, 'Has anyone else heard the Messenger of God (s) say it too?'”

Sa'd said, "Yes, those whose hearts are filled with hostility and hatred towards Ali. But what can you do with those who harbor hostility and grudge?"

I said, "Your sensual soul must have come to blows with you to take the affairs (in your hand) and push all others away."

p: 75

Here, Sa'd swore and said, “I had not desired (the office) of succession to the Prophet (s), khilafah, (it was out of competition against the people of Saqifa that I attempted to receive the pledge of allegiance). If they had come to an agreement with Ali and surrendered to him, Sa'd would have been the first person to swear allegiance to Ali (a).” (1)

people). You will pay the debts which I owe and fulfill my promises (= obligations).’”(1)

4. Hafidh Ahmad b. Murduwayh Isfahani has quoted Abu Dharr in his book, Manaqib. When asked, concerning the division that had overcome people with regard to the religious leader, he said, "It is incumbent on you to stick to the Book of Almighty Allah and Shaykh Ali ibn Abi Talib (a), because I heard the Prophet (s) say, Ali is with

p: 77

the Truth, and the Truth is with him; his words are true; and the Truth circuits with Ali.’" (1)

5. Ibn Murduwayh has quoted Abu Dharr to have said, "The Messenger of God (s) said, 'Certainly, Ali is with the Truth and the Truth is with him; the two will not separate until they come to me at the pool of Kawthar (in Paradise).’”(2)

He is my legatee, my counselor and my successor among my ummah.’"

The man then asked, "Why do people call Abu Bakr, the Siddiq, and Umar, the Faruq"?

They said, "People are ignorant of Ali's (a) right just as those two (persons), who manifested their ignorance of the issue of caliphate and the Commander of the Faithful's right (to it). Neither Siddiq nor Faruq are their titles, because these are names of someone other than these two persons. By Allah! Siddiq and Faruq are Ali's titles; he is the successor to the Messenger of God (s), and he is the Commander of the Faithful, whom the Prophet ordered us and them to greet, by calling him Amir al-Mu'minin, and we did so.” (1)

Hudhayfah saying the Messenger of God (s) said, Ali is the Commander of the virtuous, and the killer of the wicked; God will make victorious the one who helps him, and wretched is the one who is disrespectful to him. Remember that the Truth is certainly with him and follows him. So, turn to him and hold fast to him."(1)

8. Hafidh Bayhaqi, and the hadith scholar, Allamah Ibn Adi, have (both) quoted Hudhayfah as having said the Messenger of God (s) said, 'Surely this (that is, Ali) is the first person who believed in me, and he will be the first one who shakes my hand in greeting on the Day of Resurrection. He is the greatest testifier to the truth, al-Siddiq al-Akbar, amongst the ummah, and the Leader of the Religion, Y'asub al-Din.(2)

and falsehood, and he is the Leader of Religion (the believers), and wealth is the leader of wrong-doers.’" (1)

13. Certain Sunni traditionists have quoted the above hadith, but at times without attributing it to Ali (a), and at other times, without the phrase "May God have mercy." (1)

p: 83

14. Hafidh Abu al-Muayyid Khatib Kharazmi, has mentioned the chain of authorities while reporting Ali’s (a)

p: 84

defense (of his own right) before the Khilafah Council, after Umar (had died). He says, "The Imam (a) said, 'I adjure you before God (to tell me) if you know that the Prophet (s) said, 'The Truth is with Ali and Ali is with the Truth; the Truth circuits around Ali, wherever he is.’" The audience (all) said "By God, yes."(1)

Allamah Raghib Isfahani, the researcher, has quoted the statement in this way "The Truth is with Ali and Ali is with the Truth. These two will not separate until they return to me at the pool (of Kawthar) (on the Day of Resurrection)"(2)

In his exposition of the (Prophetic) hadith:'man kuntu mawlahu', Allamah Sibt Jawzi has referred to the confession the Commander of the Faithful (a) obtained from the Kufans regarding the Ghadir Khumm Tradition, and thirteen of the Companions testified to its truth. He (Jawzi) has said, "Tirmidhi has recorded this Tradition in his Sunan, and has acknowledged it to be hasan. Tirmidhi has added, 'The people said that the Prophet (s) said, "O God, befriend whoever befriends him, be hostile to whoever opposes him, and have the Truth make a circuit around Ali however and wherever he turns."(3)

His grandfather, Abu al-Faraj Jawzi, has, on page 35 of his Sayd al-Khatir, added the statement, "O God, have the Truth make a circuit around him wherever he is," so has Sibt ibn Jawzi added it on page 350 of his Mirat al-Zaman wa Tadhkirat al-Khawass.

p: 85

riding knelt down only in front of your house. Now you have taken up your sword and are killing the people who profess that there is no god except Allah."

Ayyub said, "The leader of the caravan never tells lies to his people. The Messenger of God (s) certainly ordered that with Ali, we should fight against three groups: the Nakithin (those who have reneged on their pledge of allegiance), the Qasitin (those who were unjust, and the Mariqin (those who have deviated from the religion, and have rebelled against the Imam (a)).

“As for the Nakithin, they were men fighting in the battle of Jamal, together with Talha and Zubayr, whom we have defeated. The Qasitin are those from whose battle front we have returned – people from Damascus, headed by Mu'awiyah.

“As for the Mariqin; By God! They are those whose whereabouts we do not know at present. God willing, we will fight against them, too.” He then said, "I heard the Prophet (s) saying to Ammar, ‘A group of rebels will kill you, and at that time you will be with the Tuth and the Truth will be with you. O Ammar! If you see Ali going along a certain direction and people going along a different path, follow Ali, because Ali will never lead you to fall, nor will he deviate from the Truth.

‘O Ammar! Whoever carries a sword and helps Ali against his enemies, God will hang on his neck two pearl necklaces on the Day of Resurrection, and whoever hangs a sword and helps Ali's enemies, God will hang two fiery collars on his neck on the day of Resurrection.’"

p: 87

Alqamah and Aswad are quoted to have said, 'O Ayyub! It is enough for us. May God have mercy on you."(1)

18) Allamah Badakhshi has narrated the following on the authority of Ayyub Ansari and Ammar who said, "The Prophet (s) said, 'O Ali, Surely the Truth is with you; the Truth is on your tongue, in your heart, and in your eyes." (2)

These words of the Prophet of Islam (s) indicate that the Truth is a corollary of Ali' (a). Thus, the Prophet has pointed out that Ali's (a) words on all matters are all linked with the truth, at all times and in all circumstances, just as his intention and decision, friendship and inward enmity towards individuals and groups are timely and true; even his looking (at people) is timely, free from any error, whatever the incentive might be.

In short, these hadiths express Ali's infallibility, ismah.

p: 88

A'isha said, "Nothing prevents me from relating the Prophet's (s) words. I heard him say, 'Ali is with the Truth and the Truth is with him.’" (1)

Prophet had said, 'The Truth will not desert Ali, nor will there ever be a difference (between) Ali and the Truth; that the two will never separate (from each other)?"(1)

She said, "Yes."

23. Hafidh b. Murduwayh Isfahani has related the following on the authority of Abu Hasan (Tamim b. Umar or Tamim b. Abd-e Umar: I went to the Mother of the Faithful, A'isha. She asked me, 'Who fought against the Kharijis?’

I said, "Ali ibn Abi Talib did."

She said, "The grudge and hatred (present) in my heart will not prevent me from telling the truth. I heard the Prophet of God (s) saying, "The best person in my community, after me, will kill them (the Kharijis)," and I heard him saying "Ali is with the Truth and the Truth is with Ali."(2)

24. Also, Hafidh b. Murduwayh has quoted Masruq (Ibn Ajda') to have said, "A'isha asked me about Dhul-Thudiyyah, one of those who had been deceived into taking part in the battle of Nahrawan, and I told her that he had been killed by Ali (a)."

A'isha said, "Can you bring those who witnessed his death to me?"

p: 91

"I took seven individuals from seven places of their gathering to A'isha. They all witnessed in this way 'We saw Ali (a) kill Dhul-Thudiyyah with our eyes.'

A'isha said, "May God have mercy on Ali. He is certainly with the Truth, but I am a woman and dislike my husband's relatives; I harbor their grudge in my heart."(1)

It is evident that A'isha's utterance refers to the armed rebellion she, Talha and Zubayr had led against Ali (a) in the Battle of Jamal,. They had started it to avenge the death of Uthman, against whom A'isha herself had cried out, 'Kill this Na'thal – Jew.'(2) But, because she was not on

p: 92

good terms with Ali (a) and bore malice towards him, she attempted to make war with him in which tens of thousands were killed.

25. Also, Allamah Badakhshi has reported the following on the authority of Ibn Murduwayh, who narrated A'isha's words (in this way), "The Prophet (s) said, 'The Truth is with Ali and will accompany him wherever he goes."

26. Badakhshi has quoted A'isha who said, "The Prophet turned to Ali and said, 'You are with the Truth and the Truth is with you."(1)

27. Also, Hafidh Abu Ya'li has recorded the following in his Musnad: "On the day of Jamal, Muhammad b. Abi Bakr greeted A'isha, but she did not speak to him. Then, Muhammad said, 'I entreat you by God, the One; didn't you tell me to be with Ali ibn Abi Talib (a) because you had heard the Prophet saying, 'The Truth is with Ali and Ali is with the Truth; these two will not separate until they return to me at the pool (of Kawthar) on the Day of Resurrection?"

A'isha answered in the affirmative: "Yes, I did. I certainly heard the Prophet (s) say it."

p: 93

28. Hafidh has also written, "Abdullah and Muhammad, the two sons of Badil Waruqa, (who were in the company of the Commander of the Faithful) asked A'isha the same; she admitted she had."

In his Fadha'il al-Sahabah, Sam'ani mentions the same dialogue, with a slight difference in (sequence of) the Prophet's words: "Ali is with the Truth and the Truth is with Ali."(1)

Allamah Badakhsi(2), Allamah Sayyid Shah Taqi, the Hanafi,(3)

and Allamah Amr Tasri (4)

have quoted this same Tradition from A'isha on the authority of Ibn Murduwayh.

different form), Hafidh Shams al-Din Dhahabi's Mizan al-'Itidal (1),

Allamah Muhaddith Nur al-Din Haythami's Majma' al-Zawa'id (quoted from Tabarani's Mu'jam al-Kabir), Allamah Badakhshani's Miftah al-Nija(2) (quoted from Ihqaq al-Haqq(3)),

Allamah Amr Tasri's Arjah al-Matalib (quoted from Ibn Murduwayh Isfahani).

30. Having mentioned the chain of narrators, isnad, Hafidh b. Asakir has quoted Salmat b. Kahayl, who on the authority of Malik b. Ja'uneh had quoted Umm Salama to have said, "By Allah, surely Ali (a) has been endowed with Truth before today and after today; this is a covenant (already) made, and a decree (already) decided"

I (Salmat b. Kuhayl) asked Malik b. Ja'unah, "Did you yourself hear the Mother of the Faithful (Umm Salama) say it?"

Malik said, "Yes. By God the One, I did." He swore three times."(4)

This hadith, though similar to the previous one, has been mentioned again because it is differently worded.

31. Hafidh Abu Bakr Baghdadi has related that Abi Thabit, the slave that Abu Dharr had emancipated, said, "I went to Umm Salama. She was crying, mentioning Ali (a) and saying, 'I heard the Prophet (s) saying, 'Ali is with the Truth and the Truth is with Ali. These two will not

p: 95

separate until they return to me at the pool (of Kawthar) on the Day of Resurrection?"(1)

32. Hafidh Abu al-Qasim b. Asakir Dameshqi, and Hafidh Juwayni have (both) quoted Shahr b. Hushab to have said, "I was at Umm Salama's (house).Someone asked permission to enter. Umm Salama asked who he was. He said 'I am Abu Thabit, the slave emancipated by Ali."

Umm Salama said, "Well done! O Abu Thabit, come in." She then told him, "O Abu Thabit, at the time when the hearts were (irresolutely) wandering in various directions, in which direction did your heart desire to move?"

Abu Thabit said, "In following Ali (a).

"You have achieved salvation," Umm Salama said, "By God in whose hand is my life, I heard the Prophet (s) say, 'Ali is (always) with the Truth (haqq) and with the Qur'an, and the Truth and the Qur'an are with Ali. And these two will not separate from each other until they come to me at the pool of Kawthar."(2)

Allamah Mahmud b. Umar Zamakhshari has quoted the above tradition in his book Rabi' al-Abrar.

b. Abi Waqqas, 'You failed to discriminate between the truth that belongs to us, and the falsehood that belongs to others, so as to support us or be against us."

A dispute having erupted between the two, Sa'd quoted the Prophet's statement: "Ali is with the Truth and the Truth is with Ali, and the Truth circuits in whichever manner Ali circuits."

Mu'awiyah said, "You should bring a witness who (has heard the Prophet (s)) say it; otherwise, I will punish you."

Sa'd named Umm Salama, to whose house they went. She confirmed Sa'd's statement, saying that the hadith (in question) had been uttered in her house.

Having related this episode, Hafidh Nur al-Din Haythami has added, "Hearing Umm Salama's testimony, Mu'awiyah said, "If I had heard the Prophet (s) myself, I would willingly have served Ali throughout my life. (He implied that Sa'd had refused to obey Ali (a) although he had heard the hadith). Now, you deserve to be rebuked more harshly."(1)

Also, Ibn Asakir and (a number of) other traditionists have reported a lengthy narrative on the dispute between Mu'awiyah and Ibn Abbas over the Commander of the Faithful's (a) superiority to assume the office of Caliphate. "Having lost the dispute, Mu'awiyah blamed Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas for refusing to vilify the Commander of the Faithful, Ali, (a). The clash ended when Umm Salama

p: 97

testified that she had heard the Prophet (s) himself announce the hadith.(1)

34. Having mentioned the chain of authorities, Hakim Nayshaburi has narrated the following: "On his way to Basra, Ali (a) visited Umm Salma to bid her farewell. Umm Salma said, "May God protect you. By God, you are endowed with the Truth and the Truth is with you. The Prophet (s) has ordered us to stay at home. If it was not for (the fear of) disobeying the command of Almighty God and His Messenger (s), which I dislike doing – I would accompany you. But by God, I will send someone else to accompany you – the person who is better than I am, and is dearer to me than my own life: my son Umar."

Basing his judgment on "Bukhari" and "Muslim's" criteria, the narrator of the above, considers it a sound hadith. (2)

Hafidh Zahabi has also quoted the above tradition on page 119, vol. 3 of his Talkhis of Mustadrak and has called it Sahih.

35. Allamah Badakhshi has quoted Umm Salma who said the Prophet (s) addressed Ali (a) and said, "You are with the Truth and the Truth is with you."(3)

p: 98

36. Hafidh Ibn Asakir Dameshqi, has quoted Umm Salma who said, "By Allah, surely Ali has always been right, before today and after today."(1)

successor, and his own comprehensive superiority over all others. All this was affirmed by the audience. Then, in the name of God, he asked those who had been present at Ghadir Khumm and had heard the Prophet (s) designating Ali as his successor to stand up and bear witness (to this effect).

Zayd b. Arqam, Bura' b. 'Azib, Salman, Abu Dharr, Miqdad and Ammar stood up, (each) reporting various parts of the speech the Prophet (s) had made on the virtues of Ali (a) and the duties of Muslims concerning him and the testamentary trustees (after him). They said:

"We bear witness and remember, that the Prophet (s) was standing on the pulpit, uttering (the following address), while you stood close to him. He said: 'O people, Verily, Allah, may His majesty be extolled, has ordered me to appoint for you your Imam, the one who will undertake the office (qa'im) among you after me; my legatee, my successor. He is the one whose obedience Allah, may His majesty be extolled, has made obligatory in His book, juxtaposing obedience to him with His obedience and with obedience to me. He has commanded you (to accept) his wilaya. I turned to my Lord, fearful of being derided by the Hypocrites, and their refuting (my words). But I was ordered to either convey it or be punished.

"O people, surely Allah has in His book commanded you to perform the ritual prayer, and I made it clear to you; to pay alms, zakat; to observe fasting; to perform the hajj pilgrimage; and I made them all clear to you. He has commanded you (to accept) the wilaya, and I call you to witness that this (wilaya) is (made) particular to this (person)."

p: 102

"He placed his hand on Ali ibn Abi Talib (a) and continued: 'then to his sons;" (another version of the hadith has this phrase included: "to his son after him"), "then to the legatees, awsiya, among his descendants after them. They will not be separated from the Qur'an and the Qur'an will not be separated from them until they return to me by the Pond of Kawthar.

"O people, I have certainly shown you (the person you can go for support), your mafza' after me, and your Imam, and your guide and the one who will lead you, hadi. He is my brother, Ali ibn Abi Talib. He has the same rank, manzila, among you as I do. Then secure your religion through him, and obey him in all your affairs. Surely with him is all that God, the Mighty and High, has taught me of His knowledge and wisdom. Then ask him, and learn from him and his testamentary trustees, awsiya. Do not teach them and do not surpass their decisions, and do not oppose them (لا تخلفوا علیهم) because they are with the truth and the truth is with them."

The following points present themselves as deductions, from the testimony given by above-mentioned six Companions of the Prophet (s):

1) The momentous task that God, the Mighty and High, had placed on the Prophet (s) was to appoint the Imam (a) to succeed him.

2) Obedience to the Imam (a) is equivalent to obedience to God (swt) and the Prophet (s), as is mentioned in the

p: 103

Qur'anic verse "O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Apostle and those in authority from among you."(1)

3) The Prophet (s) had feared the opposition of the Hypocrites, and again had asked God Almighty what to do.

4) The Prophet (s) had been cautioned against refraining from proclaiming the message he had received concerning the designation of Imam Ali (a).

5) Ali ibn Abi Talib (a) was introduced, so were Hasan (a), Husayn (a), and the nine Imams from Imam Husayn's (a) progeny. Their obedience is incumbent – as is mentioned in the above report. The Prophet (s) called people to bear witness to it.

6) The Prophet (s) emphasized that he had brought the crucial issues to perfection; that is, he had introduced the Imam (a) and designated the caliph to succeed him - Ali ibn Abi Talib (a). The people must now obey him.

7) The scholarly position of the Commander of the Faithful (a) was made known. That is, Ali knew all that God had taught His Prophet (s).

8) The Commander of the Faithful (a) was introduced as the person to answer all the questions, and people were ordered to go to him.

9) People were ordered to learn from the Commander of the Faithful (a) and his testamentary trustees, awsiya.

10) People should refrain from (trying to) teach, surpass, disobey, and rule over the twelve Pure and Infallible

p: 104

Imams (a) because they are in the right and the Truth is with them; they will not separate from the Truth and the Truth will not separate from them either.

It should be noted that more than two hundred and fifty of the Companions, their followers (tab'in), and members of the Caliphate Council, heard the clear and decisive testimony given by the (above-mentioned) group of six men of high standing, and no one raised any objections or doubts. This, by itself, makes the hadith, "The Truth is with Ali and Ali is with the Truth," sound, true evidence, as pronounced by the Prophet (s).

Now a point to ponder:

It has been recorded (in history) that a group of people, following the plan of the Caliphate Council that Umar had devised, openly threatened to kill the Commander of the Faithful (a) because he was not willing to give his allegiance to Uthman, and he was therefore forced to give it. Those who were present in the assembly could have denied the testimony if they had not believed it, or if they had considered it fake. But they did not (refute it).The silence they maintained was evidence, confirming the words of the Prophet (s) introducing Ali (a) as his successor, and the statement of the group that had stood up to testify the truth.

But the plan was to disregard the Prophet's (s) address, let it sink into oblivion and remain indifferent to it, and go ahead with Umar's plan that Uthman should occupy the seat of Caliphate.

p: 105

have quoted the following account on the authority of Jabir b. Abdullah; certain others have quoted the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (a).

Jabir says, "After Ali (a) won the battle of Khaybar, the holy Prophet (s) turned towards him and said,"Ali, were it not for the fact that some factions will start saying about you what the Christians say about Jesus, son of Mary, I would say such words about you today, after which, you would never pass a gathering of men without them taking the soil from under your feet, or seeking cure by collecting drops of water from your ablution, wudhu. But, it is sufficient for you that you are from me; you are my inheritor and I am your inheritor. You are to me as Harun was to Moses, except that, there will be no Prophet after me.

"You will return the things entrusted to me and will keep my mysteries.You will fight the enemies on the basis of my practice, sunna. On the Day of Resurrection, you will be the closest person to me, and by the pond of Kawthar (you will) be my deputy. Your followers, the Shi'as, will be (sitting) on pulpits around me, their faces illuminated. I will intercede for them. In paradise, they will be my neighbors.

"(Being at) war against you is surely (being at) war against me, and (being at) peace with you is (being at) peace with me. What you do publicly and secretly is what I do pubicly and secretly. Your sons are my sons; you pay off every debt (to the person to whom it is owed), and fulfill my promises (= obligations).

"And surely the truth is on your tongue, in your heart, in front of you, and the object of your desire. Faith, is part of

p: 108

your flesh and your blood just as it is part of my flesh and my blood. "

At this point, Ali (a) fell down in prostration and said, "All praise belongs to Allah (swt), who has favored me through Islam, has taught me the Qur'an, and has made the best of men love me. He has made me close to the most esteemed of His creatures, the most honorable among the dwellers on the earth and in the heavens, the Seal of the Prophets, the Lord of messengers. All this is done by the grace of Allah, the Most High, and out of His kindness to me."

Then the Prophet (s) said, “Without you, it would not be possible to distinguish who the (true) believers, mu'minun, are. God, may His majesty be extolled, has set (the law) that every Prophet's line of descendants should continue through his sons, whereas, He has (ordered) that my lineage should continue through you. O Ali, you are the most esteemed among people, and the most honored for me. Those who love you will be the most honored among my umma when they come to me (on the Day of Resurrection).”(1)

p: 109

It is worth mentioning that each part of the above tradition (has received the title) of hadith of manzilah, and has been independently recorded in Sunnis hadith sources of history, theology (kalam) and rijal, in various manners and through authentic authorities, asnad. Therefore, interested readers are recommended to study the addenda that the late Ayatollah al-Uzma Mar'ashi, (may God be pleased with him), has included in his Ihqaq al-Haqq, besides other documents that authors of such books have (cited) in their writings.

p: 110

p: 112

p: 114

1. In the Prophet's (s) house, as reported by Abu Sa'id Khudri

2. In Umm Salama's chamber, according to Umm Salama's report.

3. After the victory at Khaybar, in 7 A.H. – as reported by Ali ibn Abi Talib (a), and Jabir ibn Abdullah Ansari.

4. At Ghadir Khumm, in 10 A.H., as reported by Zayd b. Arqam;

5. In Kufah, where thirteen of the Companions were present in a gathering. The Commander of the Faithful (a) questioned them, and called them to give their testimony concerning the event of Ghadir Kumm. They did. Six of them gave their testimony as regards the hadith in question, too.

6. When the confrontation between Mu'awiyah's aggressive group and Ali (a), was being predicted, as reported by Ammar Yasir.

7. When it was predicted that Ammar would be killed by the aggressive group (i.e. Mua'wiyah and his followers), as reported by Abu Ayyub Ansari.

8. When it was predicted that people would divide into groups after the demise of the Prophet (s), as reported by Ka'b b. 'Ajazih Ansari.

The belief in the comprehensive affinity and companionship between "the Truth and Ali" and "Ali and the Truth" is not like a recommended, obligatory, or forbidden act. Once the holy Prophet (s) explained such acts, he did not have to repeat it for the community. But, the fatefully important issue of his

p: 116

succession, made him repeat this hadith many times so that, as the holy Qur'an says: "He who would perish might perish by clear proof, and he who would live might live by clear proof."

p: 117

p: 118

Sunna),(1) because A'isha, Umm Salama and Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas have reported this tradition, and used it as a (proof) in their dispute aginst Mu'awiyah. He, in spite of all his animosity against Ali (a), did not dare refute it.”

This hadith and similar ones have been reported by 24 of the Companions and 29 of the followers, tab'in, and has been recorded in about 130 top-ranking Sunni hadith sources, for the reader to judge the content and worth of Ibn Taymiah's book and his words.

It is surprising that he not only refutes such a renowed tradition that famous books have cited through chain of authorities, but scolds Allamah Hilli, the great scholar because he has narrated it, too. How terribly ignorance and prejudice can pervert, and how astray can one go!

mentioned here considering the limited space of the present book.(1)

The mercenaries' tasks can be summarized as follows:

First: They regarded the chain of narrators of any tradition as weak and (therefore) invalid - in particular the traditions that indicated Imam Ali (a) was the Prophet's (s) immediate successor.They called the chain of authorities of these ahadith majruh (injured), weak and unreliable, and as far as the indication was concerned, inarticulate, ambiguous and unrelated with the main purpose.

Second: In cases where they failed to discredit a tradition because it was important, indubitable in the chain of authorities and related with the purpose, they inserted some words concerning the merits of their own rulers in it. (At other times) they forged independent traditions (in support) of one or more of the caliphs, circulating it (among the people) to lower the worth of the hadith and nullify the Commander of the Faithful's (a) superiority.

p: 121

Third: They distorted a word in the text of the hadith, or replaced the Imam's (a) name with that of a certain ruler. In this way they misrepresented it, displaying it as a weakness in Imam Ali (a) – a point to rebuke him.

They did not shun any lies, slander, ignominy and disgrace against the traditionists who had narrated Imam Ali's (a) merits, also went as far as condemning them as apostates, and applying related religious and legal consequences to their case.

We will now take a brief look at the ahadith that were treacherously distorted.

literary sources, calling it the hadith particular to Ali. They have emphasized that it is genuine and authentic, given the principles and criteria (common in) the study of hadith. These experts have also emphasized that the Prophet (s) throughout his life – from the day he (first) invited his relatives, yawm al-'Ashirah, until about its termination (the mubahilah event in 10 A.H.) - he repeated this hadith at least 23 times on different occasions, in places where the Companions, the Immigrants, the Ansar and the general populace had gathered.

A more important point is that in all these cases, God, the Mighty and High, had, through Gabriel, informed the Prophet (s) of Ali's (a) rank.

I have collected all these points in a separate book for those interested.(1)

As a specimen of the "hadith distortion" and "hadith fabrication" here is the distorted tradition that Khatib Baghdadi has written on the authority of Ibn Abbas. It is written that the Prophet (s) said, "and Abu Bakr and Umar are with regard to me as Aaron was to Moses."(2)

p: 123

The late Allamah Amini writes: "This hadith, ascribed to Ibn Abbas, is forged by Ali ibn Hasan Kalbi, and has been transmitted by Ibn Jarir Tabari. On page 222 of his Mizan al-i'tidal Dhahabi has said, 'This information is a lie.’ Kalbi is accused of (telling) this lie (fabricating this narrative).”(1)

(Another example) is the treachery that Hariz b. Uthman, the notorious Nasibi, has done to this hadith. He has, on the authority of Abd al-Malik Marwan, said, "The narrative was originally: O Ali, you are with regard to me as Qarun was to Moses."(2)

Abd al-Malik is the same person who, when the ceremony concerning his oath-taking of the office of Caliph ended, closed the Qur'an that he was reading, and said,"This is our last meeting. I bid you farewell for ever."(3)

Because more than fifty of the Companions and scores of the second generation, tab'in, have narrated it, and hundreds of hadith, historical, theological, rijal and literary source books of Sunni denomination have reported it with exactly the above words, this hadith is authentic and definite .

The Ummayid mercenries and those who were given to much flattering of the rulers, added the following phrases (to the hadith) to trample upon the merits and superiority of the Commander of the Faithful (a), and establish the same for the others. But the light of the truth betrayed their mischief. The distorted phrases inserted into the hadith are as follows:

1. "I am the city of knowledge (and Abu Bakr is its foundation, and Umar is its walls, and Uthman is its ceiling) and Ali is its gate."

a) Ibn Hajar has taken this narrative as a proof indicating that Abu Bakr is the most knowledgeable person. (See Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, page 20). B)

b) On page 269 of his Fatawa al-Hadith, he (Ibn Hajar) has called it "weak", (saying) that it has been quoted from Musnad of Firdaws.

c) Without mentioning the chain of narrators, 'Ajluni has, on page 204, vol. 1, of his Kashf al-Khifa, quoted the following on the authority of Firdous Daylami, on the authority of Ibn Mas'ud: "I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate and Mu'awiyah is its knocker."

d) In the same source – Kashf al-Khifa, vol. 1, p. 204 – 'Ajluni has again quoted the same statement from Firdaws Daylami on the authority of Anas. He,

p: 125

('Ajluni) has also added that (according to) "the author of Maqasid al-Hasanah 'All these additions are weak and the words are vulgar". (Notice the confusion: one narrator refutes the other!)

e) Sayyid Muhammad Darwish al-Hut has on page 73 of his Asni al-Matalib said: 'writing this hadith in hadith books, especially in Ibn Hajar's Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah is improper; and an ugly thing to do."

he had been martyred, and considering the scores of crimes he (Mu'awiyah) had committed; such as, pejorative comments he had made against Ali, the battle of Siffin (he had) waged against him, and the massacre of his followers (done by his consent), could Mua'wiyah (ever) be called "the knocker of the gate" of the city of knowledge?

But because of their actions, these mercenaries of the Ummayyid (government) and enemies of the Household of the Prophet (s) undermined their own and their leaders' reputation, making them objects of ridicule.

in the chapter titled, Manaqib Ali ibn Abi Talib, called it "Makhdush (= weak, Gharib), that is, a tradition reported by only one Companion

b) Ibn Jawzi has called it "illusory" and "unfounded."

c) The two hadith experts mentioned above, plus Bukhari, Abu Hayyan and Dhahabi (in his Mizan al-I'idal) have called all Mukhtar b. Naf's statements as "invalid" and "far from reality." He is one of those who have reported this tradition.

way). But because the phrase 'and their father is better', or the phrase 'and their father is superior' did not please them, they deleted it, and ascribed the following statement to the Prophet through Ali (a): ‘and Abu Bakr and Umar are the two lords of the seniors and the youth of heaven after the prophets.’

p: 129

Ahmad b. Hanbal has quoted this narrative in his Musnad (The section titled Musnad of Ali, vol. 1, p. 80, tradition 2).

It has also been mentioned in the following books:

1) Abu Ya'li’s musnad, vol. 1, p. 406, the section titled Musnad of Ali;

2) Tirmidhi's Sunan, (traditions No. 3666 and 3667);

3) Ibn Majah's Sunan (the introduction, and traditions No. 95 and 100)

4) History of Baghdad (vol. 10, p. 193)

5) Haythami's Majma' al-Zawa'id, vol. 1, p. 53. There are (comparatively) some differences in text and narrations.

See the book Talkhis al-Shafi and the related footnotes by Allamah Bahr al-Ulum (vol. 3, pp. 219-223) to learn about the lies told by the reporters, the inauthenticity and invalidity of these narrations and other deviations.

mercenaries of the usurpers, that is, the rulers, changed into: ‘The first one among the children who believed in Islam was Ali ibn Abi Talib, and the first one among the elders (or among the Shaykhs) who believed in Islam was Abu Bakr.’

If instead of arguing over whether Abu Bakr or Ali (a) was the foremost in (accepting) Islam, we take their own words as the criteria to distinguish between the (Shi’as and Sunnis) truth and falsehood, we will see that Abu Bakr never claimed that he had been the foresmost person (in accepting) Islam, but the Commander of the Faithful (a) had clearly proclaimed scores of times that he had been the first person who believed in Islam. He announced it in the presence of friends and enemies, in the assembly of the Emigrants and the Helpers, in the letters that he wrote to (various people) - Mu'awiyah and others. Never did anyone disprove or doubt him. On the contrary, they all affirmed it verbally – or remained silent, which is a sign of approval.

p: 131

Ibn Masu'd answered, "I heard the Prophet (s) say, "When people differ (in their understanding over truth or falsehood), the truth is with Sumayya's son, Ammar."(1)

3)Tabarani, Bihqani, Hakim Nayshaburi, three eminent memorizers of hadith have, on the authority of Ibn Masu'd, reported that the Prophet (s) said, "When people differ (in their opinion concerning the truth and falsehood) Ibn Sumayyah is with the truth."(2)

For example, in the case of differences between Ali (a) and his followers and Mu'awiyah and his supporters, ibn Sumayyah was in Ali’s (a) group, so the truth is with him and his group.

4)Khatib Kharazmi has, on the authority of Dar Qutni, on the authority of the chain of authorities, quoted that Ayyub Ansari, a high-ranking Companion of the Prophet (s) said, "I heard the Prophet (s) say to Ammar b. Yasir, 'A group of rebels will kill you while you are with the Truth and the Truth is with you. O Ammar! If you see Ali going along a certain direction and people going along a different path, follow Ali, because Ali will never lead you to fall, nor does he deviate from the Truth.

"O Ammar! Whoever carries a sword and helps Ali (a) against his enemies, God will hang two pearl necklaces on his neck on the Day of Resurrection, and whoever carries

p: 134

a sword and helps Ali's enemies God will hang two fiery collars on his neck on the Day of Resurrection."(1)

Muslim(2) has reported this tradition too, and so has Khatib Baghdadi,(3)

in a more detailed manner.

4) Ibn Asakir, the famous Damascan historian, has quoted Ali (a) to have said, "God, may His majesty be extolled, has mingled Ammar with faith, from head to foot; (true) faith is blended into his flesh and blood. He is constantly with the Truth and will remain so. It behoves not for the fire to burn him."(4)

5) Abu Umar Qurtubi has said, "When Hudhayfah was about to die, Abu Mas'ud and a group of Muslims were with him. The (possibility of) rebellion (among people) was being discussed. Hudhayfah was asked "Whom do you command us to follow if there is a rebellion?"

Hudhayfah said, "You ought to follow Ibn Summayyah. No doubt he will never separate from the truth as long as he is alive."

Also, he may have said, "He circuits wherever the truth circuits."(5)

That Ammar and the Truth were together is because he was with Ali ibn Abi Talib (a) all the time, obeyed his

p: 135

instructions and followed him without asking any questions from the time the Prophet (s) died until he was martyred by Mu'awiyah's agents.

More points to consider:

a) There is however no disagreement between the traditions mentioning Ammar's rank and those indicating a permanent company between the Truth and Ali (a); the former confirm the latter.

b) The above statement is confirmed in the tradition Ibn Asakir has related concerning Hudhayfah:

"Hudhayfah was told: 'Uthman has been killed. What do you command us to do?"

He said, "Join Ammar."

It was said, "Ammar will not be separated from Ali. How can we choose to be with him?

Hudhayfah answered: "Indeed jealousy is fatal for the body. You hate Ammar because he is close to Ali (a) . By God, Ali (a) is superior to Ammar – much farther than the earth is from the clouds. However, Ammar is (one) of the selected people."(1)

Hudhayfah, though aware that the Imam (a) was superior to Ammar, as is understood from the comparison he made – "much farther than the earth is from the clouds" – referred them to Ammar rather than directly to Ali (a) – this being an indirect reference because of the questioner's insufficient capacity and deviation.

p: 136

It is hoped that the researchers will conduct thorough researches in hadith sources to do justice to these sources. The author welcomes any contributions that can be made to introducing more sources than have been named in this book.

p: 137

p: 138

one by one, and said,"I adjure you before God (to tell me) if you know that the Prophet (s) said 'The Truth is with Ali and Ali is with the Truth; the Truth circuits around Ali wherever he is.’

The audience (all) said "By God, yes."

b) Having mentioned the same chain of authorities, Ibrahim Juwayni has narrated this tradition, too, though a bit incomplete in text.

c) Other hadith memorizers have each reported a part of it, just as historiographers have.

d) Salim b. Qays, one of tab'ins and a choice companion of the Commander of the Faithful (a) has said, "During the rule of Uthman, the Imam (a) was in an assembly of over two hundred Companions, (members of) the Quraish tribe and other members of the Caliphate Council. Having been urgently requested by them he delivered a lengthy address consisting of Qur'anic verses, parts of the Prophets (s) words delivered at Ghadir Khumm concerning his (being the) immediate successor to the Prophet (s), and his own comprehensive superiority over all others. All this was affirmed by the audience. Then he entreated them making God their witness, asking those who had been present at Ghadir Khumm and had heard the Prophet (s) designating Ali as his successor to stand up and testify.

Then Zayd b. Arqam, Bura' b. 'Azib, Salman, Abu Dharr, Miqdad and Ammar stood up, (each) reporting various parts of the speech the Prophet (s) had made on the virtues of Ali (a), and on the Muslims' duties concerning him and his testamentary trustees (the eleven infallible Imams). They said: "The Prophet (s) said, 'Do not teach them and

p: 140

do not surpass (their decisions), and do not oppose them because they (Ali and his testamentary trustees) are with the truth and the truth is with them. They never separate from the truth and the truth will not separate from them either."(1)

Abdullah b. Abbas and Abdullah b. Umar. He then asked Abdullah b. Abbas, "Was I not more meritorious than your cousin (Ali) to hold the office of Caliphate?"

Ibn Abbas: "On what grounds (are you saying this)?"

Mu'awiyah:

"Because I am the cousin of the Caliph who was murdered while injustice was done to him (he was a mazlum)."

Pointing to Abdullah b. Umar, Ibn Abbas replied, "If this is the case, this son of Umar is more deserving than you are (to occupy the office of the Caliphate), because his father was killed before your causin."

Mu'awiyah: "My cousin was killed by Muslims, but Abdullah's father was killed by non-Muslims."

Ibn Abbas: "This is a yet another reason proving that Umar's son is more deserving because his father was murdered unjustly, whereas your cousin, Uthman, was rightfully killed by Muslims."

Mu'awiyah turned to Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, and said, "O Sa'd', you failed to discriminate between the truth that belongs to us and the falsehood that belongs to others, so as to support us or be against us."

Sa'd said, "In the pitch of darkness that had covered the ground, I yelled out "hinkh" and my camel sat on the ground. When daylight appeared, I began the trip."

Mu'awiyah said, "By God! One day I studied through the Qur'an, but did not find the word hinkh in it."

p: 142

Sa'd said, "Now that you insist, let me tell you that the Prophet (s) told me, 'You are with the Truth and the Truth is with you."

Mu'awiyah said, "You should bring a witness who has heard the Prophet (s) say it; otherwise, I will punish you."

Sa'd said, "Umm Salama, who has heard it, can bear witness to it."

They all went to Umm Salama's house. When they arrived, Mu'awiyah began to talk and said, "O mother of the faithful! Now that the Prophet has died, many people claim that they have heard the Prophet (s) say such and such things. But he has not actually said it. Sa'd has narrated an event and has claimed that you have heard the Prophet (s) say it."

Umm Salama, said, "What is that?"

Mu'awiyah said, "He imagines that the Messenger of God told Ali, ‘You are with the Truth and the Truth is with you’."

Umm Salama said, "He is right. The Messenger of God has pronounced this hadith in my house."

Mu'awiyah told Sa'd "I believe you are the most ungrateful person. By God, if I had heard the Prophet (s) myself, I would willingly serve Ali throughout my life."(1)

p: 143

Thudiyyah –a Khariji leader and the grandfather of Ahmad b. Hanbal(1)–

A'isha was in Medina, unaware of the event. Masruq came to visit her. She asked him "'Who killed Dhul-Thudiyyah?"

Masruq said, "Ali ibn Abi Talib did."

"A'isha demanded that he should call witnesses (to confirm it). He took seven (eye) witnesses.Then A'isha said, "May God have mercy on Ali." Tamim b. Umar reports A'isha to have said: "The grudge I harbor against Ali will not prevent me from telling the truth. I heard the Prophet (s) say 'The best (person) of my umma after me will kill the Khawarij. Also, the Prophet (s) said, "Ali is with the Truth and the Truth is with Ali."(2)

Thus Masruq, who used to speak ill of Ali (a), became beside himself, began to send greetings on Ali (a) and praised him after he heard A'isha.

As said earlier, Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas, who was arguing against Mu'awiyah, mentioned the tradition "The Truth is with Ali", to which Umm Salama testified. This made Mu'awiyah give up forcing Sa'd to vilify Ali (a).

It is a pity that Sunni scholars, who have themselves narrated this hadith and recorded it in their hadith sources, have not been so impressed, and have passed by it indifferently. Besides, like Abu al-Qasim Balkhi and Ibn Abi al-Hadid, they have created confusions and done their

p: 147

best to prove that leadership belongs to others rather than to Ali (a) and that those others are the rightful people. They did it just as they pretended that the chain of the authorities of the ahadith on the superiority of Ali (a) over anyone else had been tampered with and the hadiths were unclear in what they meant to signify. They are thus continuing to do injustice to Ali (a), and are still deviating from the way of those who were with the Truth and the Truth was with them. We seek refuge with God from obstinacy, jahiliyya and asabiyya.

pronounce "In the Name of Allah" audibly or softly at the beginning of canonical prayers, salat, writes, "It has been authentically proved that Ali ibn Abi Talib (a) audibly pronounced "In the Name of Allah. Whoever follows Ali ibn Abi Talib in (performing the commands of) his religion, is doubtlessly saved, and guided onto the path of Truth on the grounds that the Prophet (s), has said "O God, have the truth make a circuit around Ali wherever he is."

Thus, according to Fakhr Razi, signs of guidance include audibly pronouncing "In the Name of Allah" and settling all disputes, that need to be sorted out by religion, by following the Commander of the Faithful (a), whether these disputes are ideological, juridical or ethical.This is a distinction the like of which none of the Companions, the Caliphs or the jurists have. It has been proved that those others who claim to have these qualities, actually don't.

the Imam (a) explicitly disqualifying others and considering (the office of) Imamat as a dignity befitting only the Bani Hashim among the Quraysh tribe, knowing that these words of the Imam (a) counter the Mu'tazila's doctrine, expressed by scholars of the past and recent times?"

He then clearly confesses as follows: "It is very hard to reconcile between the Sunnis' and the Mu'tazila's ideas, and the statement that Imam Ali (a) had made concerning Imamate. But I have an idea: If it is true that Ali (a) said these words, I will say the same thing, because it has already been proved that the Prophet (s) has said, "He is surely with the Truth and the Truth makes a circuit around him wherever he is."(1)

Besides, Dr. Subhi Salih, the Lebanese, the publisher and commentator of the Nahj al-Balagha, has quoted these words of the Imam (a), but passed them by without having made any comment on it. He has (just) listed twenty (of the authorities who have narrated it). (This Nahj al-Balagha commentary) has been reprinted many times.(2)

Allamah Muhammad Abduh, the Egyptian commentator of The Nahj al-Balagha, and two Egyptian Scholars, Muhammad Ahmad 'Ashur, and Muhammad Ibrahim Banna, who have critically examined many statements that Abduh had made in his book, have merely narrated this hadith, and without any positive or negative comments have (moved on to) deal with other parts of it.(3)

p: 150

Had it been possible for them to raise doubts and find fault with the Imam's (a) statement, they would have doubtlessly done it. But it is a pity that due to their prejudice they hushed up the statement that the Commander of the Faithful (a) had made, and refused to substantiate truthfulness; words that denoted that the Imam (a) was the successor to the Prophet (s), and that his obedience was obligatory (on all Muslims). In this way, they sacrificed the Truth for the asabiya they had inherited and indifferently passed by it.

The author's answer to Ibn Abi al-Hadid is: (We have) no doubt that the Commander of the Faithfull, Ali (a) has said the above hadith..A number of Sunnis who have expressed doubts concerning the content of the Nahj al-Balagha, had nothing to say when they came to this (particular) part of the hadith. Ibn Abi al-Hadid could have given up (his) prejudice - once he was sure of the hadith "Ali is with the Truth…" - and merely accepted that the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (a) was the immediate successor to the Prophet, (s) because the Prophet (s) himself had guaranteed it. (As an additional reason we can say that) the hadith "The Imams (a) are surely from the Quraysh tribe and descendants of Hashim," unanimously accepted by Sunnis and Shi’as, is alone a sufficient (document) proving the unquestionable office of the Caliphate for Imam Ali (a) and disqualifying others (from attaining it), let alone their (unsubstantiated) claim to have been foremost (of the people in Islam).

It is, however, very interesting to see that in explaining the Commander of the Faithful's (a) words, Ibn Abi al-Hadid first raises an objection, but then resorts to the hadith to

p: 151

prove that the objection is not valid. This is because he can clearly observe the truth, but his ideology, (tainted with) prejudice, prevents him from showing propensity to the Truth. So he acts in a double way. He cannot deny the (fact that the) Prophet (s) has uttered the hadith "he is with the truth", so he uses the phrase "If it is true" when referring to the words of the Commander of the Faithful (a). He, therefore, adds, "It is very hard to reconcile between…"

By raising the objection and resorting to the hadith "he is with the truth," Ibn Abi al-Hadid has confessed that Ali (a) is free from error in his discourse, infallible in his language and a (trustworthy) source in what he says. This much is enough for us.

Faithful (a), to trample his due rights, and make (people) believe that those who usurped his rights were the rightful (persons), whereas, the text of the hadith counters (their claim). They utter the truth but desire and support the falsehood.

We will draw the attention of the men of knowledge and research scholars to what these (certain traditionists) have said and then analyze the subject of discussion.

Ibn Abi al-Hadid quotes Abu al-Qasim Ka'bi(1)

and his pupil to have said, "If, following the death of the Messenger of God (s), anyone had opposed Ali (a), had drawn out his sword (to fight him), we would have given our judgment by sentencing to death all those who had opposed him and had taken precedence over him, in the same way that we give our judgment, sentencing anyone to death who took precedence over him when he took a step forward announcing his readiness for the office of Caliphate. But when the possessor of the affair and the owner of the caliphate questions (the right of) Caliphate, it becomes obligatory on us to consider anyone who fights him as the wicked person, fasiq. And when he abandons the (office of) Caliphate, it becomes obligatory on us to judge the person to whom the office has been assigned as honest. His command will be the order (issued by) the Messenger of God Almighty (s) because the sound reports (passed down to us) say that the Prophet (s) has

p: 153

said, "Ali is with the truth and the Truth is with Ali wherever he turns." He also said, "(Being at) war against you is surely (being at) war against me."

In summary, by mentioning the tradition "Ali is with the truth and the truth is with Ali", the aforementioned person has definitely argued in favor of Ali's silence before the caliphs, considering it indicated that others were just and right in taking over the office of caliphate. (He has, however,) considered it a duty for (people to) follow and obey them.(1)

Ibn Abi al-Hadid continues in this way: "and this is the credo, the most just to me, and I say the same thing."

It is thus evident that Balkhi and his pupils are not the only ones, who for the interest of others, have misrepresented the unambiguous tradition concerning the rightfulness of the Commander of the Faithful (a). Consequently the phrase "uttering the truth but desiring the falsehood," does apply to them as it does to Ibn Abi al-Hadid, who calls it "the most just credo."

Firstly, we can reply, that the "silence" to which Imam Ali (a) had (presumbly) resorted is an unsettled (issue), because he sought help,(2) pleaded for justice, and raised

p: 154

objections during the time when others had occupied the office of Caliphate, and during the five-year period he himself had taken over the successorship, left no room for (anyone) to claim that the Imam (a) had remained silent, and (thus) agreed with it. The claim of Ka'bi and his pupil is unsubstantiated, false and far ftrom reality.

Secondly, if the Commander of the Faithful (a) did not utter more fiery words than he had already uttered, and if he did not attempt an armed revolt against his rivals and the caliphs for certain reasons, how could one take his silence as evidence that the Imam was satisfied with the prevailing situations and had abandoned his legitimate claim on which the rights of Muslims depended. These were the reasons:

a) The fear that the entrance to his house might be set on fire for the second time or that (certain people) would pile

p: 155

up the firewood, and swear threateningly (that they would do so).(1)

p: 156

p: 157

b) The fear, that contrary to the clear order of the Qur'an, (certain peole might) storm the house about which the first Caliph regretted on his death bed.(1)

p: 158

c) The fear, that his spouse might again suffer a miscarriage, as she did when the invaders stormed the house to force Ali (a) to to give his allegiance to Abu Bakr. The invaders might again attempt it in order to scare Fatimah (a) to remain silent, to prevent her from speaking (in public, informing people of) the affairs related with the succession to the Prophet (s) and the giving of allegiance.(1)

d) The fear, that those who managed the Saqifah affairs would put into effect the oath they had taken and the threat, they had in mind, to murder the Imam (a).(2)

e) The fear that Khalid b. Walid's past, unsuccessful attempt to murder Imam Ali (a) while he was praying in the mosque would be actualized.(3)

p: 159

f) The fear that Muslims would ignore the need to defend the truth and fight against falsehood.(1)

g) The fear, that those who were not firm in their belief would return to the customs of the Age of Ignorance, to disbelief, even declare the Imam (a) an unbeliever and attempt an armed revolt against him(2)

as discussed on earlier where the Imam's (a) pleas for justice are mentioned.

h) The fear, that if a civil war started, certain disbelievers would also be killed, whose backs carried the seeds of future believers.(3)

p: 160

i) The fear, that the Hypocrites, or the weak and ungrateful Muslims would (first) express their friendship and cooperation, involve the Imam (a) in wars, but then come to terms with the enemy and leave Ali (a) alone; or, arrange a plot to murder the Imam(1) (a), a replay of the Hypocrites oft-repeated plan to kill the Prophet (s); at "Aqaba" on his return from the battle of Tabuk. God informed the Prophet, and he foiled it, telling Hudhayfah about it, and about those who had attempted it, thus neutralizing the plot.(2)

We saw people like Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas, and Abdullah b. Umar, and … who did not even attempt to swear their allegiance to the Imam (a). We saw Talha and Zubayr, though foremost in giving their allegiance, break their pledge. Led by A'isha, they reached Basra to confront Ali (a). We also saw a group of people join Mu'awiyah('s

p: 161

camp, another group - the Khawarij - rebel, stonewall (the affairs), incite chaos and oppose the Imam (a).

j) There were yet more possibilities that the Commander of the Faithful (a) considered as causes demanding that he remain quiet and quit the option of war.

Thirdly: The most important element was the purpose of the holy Prophet (s) in uttering the hadith "Ali is with the Truth... ." to direct Muslims to adhere to the Imamate of Ali (a), to acknowledge his rightfulness, and to follow him absolutely and unconditionally in all Islamic matters.

How funny it is to make improper use of this conclusive and clear utterance, meant to guide the Muslims onto Ali's (a) multi-directional and everlasting rightfulness. It is yet funnier to distort its meaning and take it as a proof of the legitimacy of Ali's (a) rivals and those who had usurpsed his rights, his wife's and children's rights, and make their obedience obligatory. The Commander of the Faithful's (a) loftiest and greatest merit has been taken as an excuse to justify the rule of the Imam's (a) rivals as right. The Imam (a) was thus restricted to his house. All this is a symbol of the hadith "Uttering the Truth but Desiring the Falsehood."

other ugly episodes. In spite of all these, the Imam (a) refused his consent and allegiance to Abu Bakr's caliphate, until six months later, after Fatimah Zahra (a) died.(1)

The question is: If Abu Bakr's caliphate was legitimate, why did the Imam (a) refuse the truth and shun giving allegiance to Abu Bakr? Why did he ignore the issue on which the fate of Islam and the Muslims depended? But we know that he voiced his objection and pleaded for justice.

One may either denigrate the hadith "The Truth is with Ali" and similar clear, undoubted, authenticated ahadith, disregard all acts done to take Ali's (a) allegiance, and his refusal to give it. The latter (approach) would mean denying a chain of manifest historical events, rejecting reports passed down through ahadith, and finally, repudiating statements accepted by all traditionists and historians.

p: 163

p: 164

astronomy (real, not imaginary), mathematics and arithmetic, and other disciplines?(1)

c) given answers to ideological and juridical questions in a manner that made the opposition groups and the obstinate people surrender, admitting that the Imam (a) was right?

d) easily, quickly and simply offered solutions to legal questions that would have mostly been left either unanswered - despite the passage of about fourteen centuries – or not easily solved by any tribunal, if it had not been for the Imam's (a) judgment?(2)

e) given correct and due answers to all scholarly questions put forward concerning the interpretation of Qur'anic verses; announcing his readiness to answer any questions on the pulpit, about various Qur'anic matters; saying, "Question me before you lose me. By God, there is not (even) one single verse but I know whether it was revealed at night or in the day, on a flat land or on the mountain. If I want I can have as many as seventy camel loaded with interpretations of the opening chapter of the Qur'an, the Fatihat al-Kitab."(3)

p: 166

f) There are many more similar ahadith. (1)

For the attention of scholars and researchers: In spite of all the discoveries and achievements of science and literature during the past fourteen centuries, from the time of the Commander of the Faithful (a), and scientists having nullified thousands of the (previous) scientific hypotheses and predictions made in astronomy, etc.; no one has been able to detect a flaw or an error in any of the words the Imam (a) had uttered. We see that all his words are in step with (the progress in) science, ethics and education even today.

him when the Prophet (s) called him "The Imam of the Pious."(1)

Although, each of the many enemies of the Imam (a), was naturally looking for a weak point to launch an attack on his personality, they failed to indicate the slightest impiety or abnormality in his person. All their effort – the words they uttered, the wealth they spent, and the forces they exerted – was applied either in forging traditions in the interest of the Imam's (a) rivals, or in disaffirming his merits, killing his relatives, imposing various limitations, and curtailing his and his children's freedom, whether in his own lifetime or after his martyrdom. They did not succeed in forging and spreading even one report criticizing his piety.

Considering all the animosity towards the Commander of the faithful (a), and all government forces and facilities, religious excuses - mobilized with the aim of bashing the Imam (a) and eradicating his traces - starting from the time of Abu Bakr's rule and ever gaining momentum down to the present times; wouldn't the enemies have made a fuss if they had ever come across the slightest error or something that countered the truth? Wouldn't they tell everyone about it?

They certainly would have, if any one of the answers, the Commander of the Faithful (a) had given, was whimsical. If there had been the slightest possibility and incentive for

p: 168

uttering one wrong word or doing one wrong act, the infallible Prophet of Islam (s) would not have announced the absolute, clear, meaningful and purposeful hadith, "The Truth is with Ali and…," which is indeed, a guarantee.

His style in his personal life, in running the office (of the Caliphate), in a the management of financial affairs maintaining Muslims' rights, and in dealing with people is the best evidence of the degree of his piety over all other Companions.

conquer Greater Rome (Turkey)(1),

Jerusalem and Iran. We will then understand what Islamic politics means, and (will come to) recognize the Commander of the Faithful's (a) superiority over all the Companions and the rulers, before or after him, and his method in dealing with political issues and enemies – both domestic and foreign. This will manifest the hadith "The Truth is with Ali and Ali is with the Truth."

Ghurar al-Hikam are related with morality, conduct, manners and discourse.

The Commander of the Faithful, may our lives be sacrificed for him, has issued commands for dealing with people according to conditions of time and place. By applying these, one can produce affection in the hearts of friends and foes alike, and create an atmosphere of amicability, enjoy the happy outcome, avoid evil people, minimize most anxieties, conflicts and family and social breaches. Besides, the fire raging, from rancour and psychological complexes and differences, will mostly or totally give way to tranquility, optimism, peace and solidarity.

In addition, Sunni and Shi’a hadith sources abound with countless traditions that either express other lofty moral teachings of the Imam (a) or are evidence of his moral attitude when he met harshness, insolence and impoliteness on the part of friends or enemies.

These traditions clearly indicate that the Imam's (a) humane behavior towards the most recalcitrant enemies or ignorant friends filled them with greater shame than the frightful blows of his sword, to the extent, that they even begged pardon. In practice, the Imam (a) clearly showed that the Truth was with him and he was with the Truth.

Since it has been proved that the Prophet (s) did state the above hadith, there can be no doubt that if Truth, and every word, opinion, judgment, order, suggestion, acceptance, rejection, plea, objection and act of the Commander of the Faithful (a) are placed side by side, they will be found free from any error or falsehood.

p: 171

Besides,that, he has precedence over all others, given the Prophet's (s) statement and the conclusive qualifications which historical books of allies and foes have clearly mentioned.

p: 172

way. If the Prophet (s) had not been sure of Ali's (a) inerrancy, ismah, and immunity from any error in knowledge, practice, faith and morality, he would not have pleaded to God: " O God, have the truth make a circuit around Ali wherever he is," nor would he have uttered the declarative statemtent: "The Truth is with Ali and will accompany him wherever he goes," thus making the Truth a follower of Ali's (a) way. If Ali (a) had not been infallible, the Prophet's (s) request would have – we seek refuge in God – been a futile and unreasonable act, so would his report of the (lofty) rank of ismah. He did not word the hadith differently, which would have implied a lower rank of the Commander of the Faithful (a). For example, he did not say," O God, have Ali turn in the direction of the Truth," or "Ali is with the truth, turning in the (same) direction that truth does."

If the Prophet (s) had requested God, it would have meant that Ali (a) would become infallible pivoting the Truth. But (the Prophet's (s)) prayer means that Ali (a) held the rank of ismah, followed the haqq and avoided anything which countered the truth.

(If one) assumes that inerrancy is not possible, it would imply that the Prophet's (s) statement is futile and a lie, both impossibilities with regard to the Prophet (s).

The second indication derived from the Prophetic traditions with regard to Ali's (a) infallibility is the hadith that says "The Truth is on your tongue." This is a part of the previously mentioned tradition quoted by the Commander of the Faithful (a) and Jabir b. Abdullah Ansari that the Prophet (s) said: "Ali, if it was not for the fact that I am concerned that some factions will say of you

p: 174

what the Christians say of Jesus, son of Mary…" Then the Prophet addressed Ali (a) and said "The Truth is on your tongue."

Ibn Abbas had quoted the holy Prophet (s) to have told him: "O Ibn Abbas, it is incumbent on you to follow and support Ali. No doubt, the Truth is on his tongue and in his heart."

Now we say: what is a firmer guarantee of Imam Ali's (a) being free from error when he says something and a more irrefutable proof to it than the statement of the Prophet (s), who announced officially, that Ali's (a) tongue speaks the truth. He thus gave his testimony that Ali (a) is free from uttering words that may be against the truth, especially in decisive cases as: explaining religious verdicts, judgements, medicinal guidance, testifying, various religious and non-religious claims, consultations and similar affairs.(1)

The firm belief in the inerrancy of the Imam (a), in his being free from any idle whims, secured from error and forgetfulness, is a hallmark of the Ithna 'Ashari Shi’as. This conviction is recorded and discussed in detail in all Shi’a theological doctrinal sources.

The issue of the Imam's (a) inerrancy is not limited to the tradition: "The Truth is with Ali" because, besides various

p: 175

demonstrative

reasons, there are numerous Qur'anic verses; (such as the Tathir verse), and Prophetic traditions; (such as the noble Thaqalayn tradition), in support of this. We will go on to mention the rank of Imam Ali's (a) inerrancy, and as is reported, the rank of the twelve Imams (a).(1)

p: 176

Also, it has been reported that Ibn Umar quoted the Messenger of God (s) to have said, "The one who separates himself from Ali, has separated himself from me, and the one who separates himself from me has separated himself from Allah, the Mighty and the Magnificent."(1)

p: 178

Abu Hurayra has also quoted that the Prophet (s) said, "Whoever separates himself from me, has separated himself from Allah (swt); and whoever separates himself from Ali, has certainly separated himself from me; and whoever loves him (accepts his guardianship) has loved me (and accepted my guardianship)."(1)

p: 179

p: 180

8. It was predicted that when aggressors would fight Ali (a), Ali (a) would be right.Whoever did not support him would not be among the members of the community of the Prophet (s), as reported by Ammar.

9. It was predicted that differences and sectarianism would prevail in (the community), and that Ali (a) and his companions would be the truthful people, reported by Ka'b b. Ajaza.

10. People have been forbidden to try to teach, surpass, disobey the Household of the Prophet (s) , or to rule over them, because the Truth and Ali (a) are one – an inseparable bond lasting for ever, as reported by Zayd b. Arqam and five other Companions.

11. God's anger towards those who turn away from the Truth. People have been prohibitted from turning away from truth, from the people of truth, from accompanying the truth and from Ali (a). They have been warned that shifting from the truth and Ali (a) to something else brings perdition, loss of blessings in this world and in the next, as reported by Sahl Sa'di.

12. Predictions were made that after the Prophet (s) seditions would arise. People were ordered to follow Ali (a) because he will be the first one to meet the Prophet (s) on the Day of Resurrection and shake hands with him in greeting. Also, he was the greatest testifier of the truth (Siddiq al-Akbar) and the discerner of truth and falsehood (Faruq), as reported by Abu Layli, Ghaffari, and Hudhayfah.

13. It was predicted that Ammar would be murdered by a group of transgressors while being with the truth, because

p: 182

he used to accompany Ali (a) and follow him. Ammar was (indeed) killed by Mu'awiyah's subjects, and by Imam Ali's (a) enemies. as reported by Ayyub Ansari.

2. The Prophet (s) prayed for Ali's (a) friends, and cursed his enemies.

3. All particularities conveyed by the hadith - the prerogative advantages of Ali (a), such as the rank of inerrancy, extend to include each and every one of other infallible Imams (a) whose obedience is made obligatory and are partners in these perculiarities, reported by Salman and five other Companions.

The summary derived from the hadith "The Truth is with Ali and Ali is with the Truth" definitely indicate the following facts:

a) Imam Ali (a) is free from any error, ma'sum, in his words, acts and decisions – positive or negative.

b) Imam Ali (a) had an absolute right to be in charge of the office of succession and leadership after the Prophet (s).

c) Imam Ali's (a) obedience is unconditionally obligatory for all the Companions and Muslims, even the administrators of the (office of) Caliphate.

d) Those who administered the (office of) Caliphate before or after him were not rightful.

e) Those who followed Ali (a) would be the saved group.

f) Imam Ali's (a) enemies and those who refused to obey him were misguided and would perish.

p: 183

The traditions: "The Truth is with Ali …" and "The Truth is on your tongue. Whatever you say is the truth"(1)

irrefutably and clearly indicate that all words of Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, (a) are right and true, whether they are uttered to explain scientific matters, religious doctrines, canonical questions, commentary of the Qur'anic verses, political drafts, judicial opinions; fortelling of events, reporting individuals' (esoteric) states, and merits and qualities for himself and for other members of the Household of the Prophet (s), in particular, for the testamentary trustees, Awsiya, and the Imams (a) after him. The same holds true for those cases where he points out the weaknesses, deficiencies, mistakes, errors, crimes and injustice done by different individuals and groups. All these are uttered in a sincere and unprejudiced manner, this being a witness to the fact that Ali (a) is free from error in speaking, and secure from uttering any unfit and untrue words.

Just as the holy Qur'anic verse:"Nor does he speak out of desire. It is naught but revealation that is revealed," has announced that all words of the holy Prophet (s) are free from any desire and error, the Prophet (s), too, has openly announced the quality of comprehensive "ismah" in what Ali (a) says and has guaranteed it (himself).

p: 184

p: 186

Ibn Abi al-Hadid says, "The sentence: "How surprising…" addresses Umar, who (on the day of the Saqifah event) told Abu Bakr: “Extend your hand to me to swear my allegiance because you were the Prophet's (s) companion everywhere"!

"As for the addressee: The poem addresses Abu Bakr, because before meeting the Ansar, he had referred to his closeness to the Prophet (s). By this poem, the Imam answered them both disproving their words."

Ibn Maytham says, "The Imam (a) said these words after allegiance had been sworn to Uthman, because one group of people, having adduced the (decision of the) consultative assembly, considered Uthman's caliphate as correct. Another group referred to being the Prophet's (s) help and Companion, and some others referred to closeness and kinship to the Prophet (s), as the qualities needed, to be the ruler of the Islamic ummah".

"By this poem, the Imam (a) has rejected these three peculiarities. That is, members of Hall wa Aqd were not invited to the assembly, if they were meant to be. They exceeded the number Umar had decided upon and were invited. If closeness to the Prophet (s) and being his Companion were the necessary qualifications, there were people who were closer, he being the person closest to him."(1)

A careful review of the above (report) reveals the fact that the Imam (a) clearly rejected their reasons for becoming

p: 188

rulers and taking precedence over him in matters of the Caliphate, thus expressing his dissatisfaction so that everyone might know of their duty.

2) In answer to an astonished companion, a man from the Bani Asad tribe, asked the Imam (a) why he had been disregarded concerning the Caliphate in spite of his outstanding merits. The Imam (a) answered: "O brother of Bani Asad! You are too agitated and disconcerted and ask untimely questions. But there is a right of kinship and a right of request held in esteem, and you (better) know the following:

"The despotism shown to us (by the administrators of the Caliphate), although, we are of the noblest ancestry and enjoy a stronger relationship with the Prophet (s), was because a group of people envied this rank (and expropriated it without being qualified for it). We relinquished it with an open face. God is the judge. All will return to him on the Day of Judgment." At this point, the Imam (a) quoted a part of Imru'-al-Qays's poem, the summary of which is: “Leave ancient words aside and talk about what we are entangled with today (that is, Mu'awiyah). Time made me cry; then it made me laugh. By God! It is no wonder. What a strange process, (but indeed) it has not left room for surprise, since it has produced abundant crookedness."

"They desire to put out the light of Allah shining forth from its niche, to stop the divine spring from gushing forth and to muddy the sweet water between me and them, so it might produce illnesses. After these troubles have come to an end, I will having quoted this part of the Imam's (a) words, Ibn Abi al-Hadid explains in detail the Saqifah

p: 189

event and the secret dealings of the opponents of the Imam (a), and, contrary to his usual fallacious manner and attempt to present such statements of the Imam (a) in a confused way, to show that the Imam (a) was satisfied and contented with Saqifah and the Consultative Assembly, he, perhaps unconsciously, attributes the Imam's (a) dissatisfaction with the decision taken at the Saqifah saying, "After the demise of the Prophet (s), Ali (a) used to say ‘If I had forty determined supporters, I would rise up.’(1)

He would not have said such a thing if he had been satisfied with the circumstances.

Lead them to pure truth. If this (wish) does not come true, and if events end as they desire, then you pity them not for God is aware of what He does."(2)

There were bilateral discussions between Ibn Abi al-Hadid and his master, Naqib Basri, as to whether Imam Ali's (a) words – stated above – concerned the Saqifah event (the Caliphs) or the council that met after Umar's murder (in relation with Ibn Awf, Uthman, etc.), to which

p: 190

Ibn Abi al-Hadid finally submitted, that it concerned the Saqifah.(1)

Ibn Abi al-Hadid writes, "The Commander of the Faithful (a) is reported to have said that one day Fatima (a) was persuading the Imam (a) to rise up and speak for his right, when the call to prayer was heard with with the mu'adhin saying "I bear witness that Muhammad is certainly the Messenger of Allah". Then Ali (a) said to Fatima (a) "Will you be happy if this call is silenced throughout the globe?" Fatima (a) said, "No."

Ali (a) said, "Then, circumstances are as I tell you, that is, rising up and fighting over the issue of vicegerency will end in the annihilation of Islam per se and will silence the call that says "I bear witness that Muhammad is certainly the Messenger of Allah."(2)

4. The Imam (a) was left alone and, thus, unable to plead against the injustice and animosity done to him. He says, "Then I looked around me and found no friend, but my household, to support me. I refrained from bringing them into combat alone, and placing them within reach of death. Thus I was compelled to bear things patiently and suppress my anger. I resorted to patience and fortitude, and suffered much bitterness in life."(3)

5. "I was told 'O son of Abu Talib, you are greedy for this vicegerency'! I said, "By God, you are greedier for it,

p: 191

although you are far removed from the Prophet (s); but I am more qualified for the Caliphate and closer to the Mesenger of God (s). I only demand my right while you, unjustly, interpose between me and it, driving me away. When I explained my reasons in the presence of the audience, Abu Bakr or Umar were perplexed, unable to answer me."

"O God, I seek help from Thee (and plead justice from Thee) for vengeance upon the Quraysh (and those who helped them) because they did not appreciate the bonds of kinship (between me and the Messenger of God (s)), severed it and belittled my lofty rank, joined hands in usurping what was my right and told me, 'Right is what you can get, and right is what you are denied. (that is, whether you undertake the (office of) succession or we do, either side is right).’”(1)

p: 192

Ibn Abi al-Hadid writes "Through an unbroken chain of authorities, it has been reported that Ali (a) said, "From the time when God took His Messenger's (s) soul, I have been oppressed until now. O God, bring disgrace on the Quraysh because they prevented me from (attaining) my right, and usurped my Caliphate." When he heard someone crying out "I am the oppressed," the Imam (a) said, "Let's cry out together because I have always been oppressed." He meant to comfort him and proclaim his state of oppression. Also, "I have always been (living) under pressure (exerted by) the oppressive government, and deprived of my just rights."

Having reported the above, and having felt himself in a difficult situation, as he often did, Ibn Abi al-Hadid tried to leave no stone unturned (to rescue himself. Therefore, he) wrote "The Mu'tazilis take these words as evidence for the Imam's (a) excellence and merit to be the Caliph, but not as a clear designation to the Caliphate, resorted to by the Imam (a). The Imamis and the Zaydis, however, adduce (these words) as (dealing with) the caliphate. Most probably these words mean the same thing. But, if we take them as such, we will have to excommunicate certain dignitaries from among the Immigrants and the Ansar, and call them profligates. We will therefore have to group these words as ambiguous."(1)

Can Ibn Abi al-Hadid's statement be called anything but fallacy to which this Qur'anic verse applies, "And they denied them unjustly and proudly while their soul

p: 193

had been convinced of them"?(1)

He has termed the Commander of the Faithful's (a) clear dissatisfaction with the mode of conduct of the administrators of the Caliphate as "ambiguous" in order to keep their violation of the Imam's (a) right, and his legitimate plea for justice, in hiding. Based on Ibn Abi al-Hadid's words, it is "most probably" the apparent meaning of the words that is intended; and in it there is no ambiguity (to allow one) to group them as "ambiguous."

Besides, the Sunnis generally hold that the Imigrants and the Helpers were not possessors of inerrancy, nor were they immune against errors and passions to be considered infallible, free from any deviations. Not all Immigrants and Helpers opposed the Imam (a) either, for there were personages who were praised and approved by the Prophet (s). Included among these were: Salman, Abu Dharr, Ammar and Miqdad, supporters and followers of Imam Ali (a).

Below is a report by Khatib Kharazmi, showing (some of) the problems the Imam (a) faced in regard with the Caliphate.

Having mentioned the chain of authorities, Kharazmi has, on the authority of Ibn Murduwayh, reported Abu Tufayl to have said, "I was at the place where the Consultative Assembly was to meet. I heard commotion, and heard Ali (a) saying, "People paid their allegiance to Abu Bakr, and by God I was more entitled and more deserving than him for the office of Caliphate. Then, fearing that people

p: 194

might lean towards disbelief and that some might kill others, I obeyed. Then Abu Bakr swore allegiance to Umar, and by God I was more entitled and more deserving than him. Then, fearing that people might lean towards disbelief, I obeyed. Now, you want to pay allegiance to Uthman, but I will not listen and will not obey."(1)

6. Elsewhere, the Imam (a) has said, "O God, I seek help from Thee (and plead justice from Thee) for vengeance upon the Quraysh (and those who helped them) because they ignored the bonds of kinship, severed it and slighted my lofty rank, joined hands in usurping what was my right and told me 'Right is what you can get, and right is what you are denied.’ So, be patient with a sad heart, or feel regret and die."

"Then I looked around me, I found that I had no friend or aid or collaborator except my household, whom I felt a pity to hand over to death, and let them die in vain. I was compelled to close my eyes which were full of the motes of oppression, and swallow the saliva of my mouth down the throat, which was injured by the bone of hostility. I bore all this, and controlled my anger, which was more bitter than poison and sharper than a knife on my suffering heart."(2)

p: 195

7. After the preliminary stages of the Consultative Assembly had finished and the plot that Umar had constructed to strip the Commander of the Faithful (a) from his authority had been put into action by Abdul Rahman bin Awf, the Imam (a) said the following in order to prove to all that only he was meritorious for Caliphate, and the Caliphate suited him and no one else:

"'I adjure you before God (to tell me) if there is anyone among you – except me – whom the Prophet (s) chose as his brother at the time when he concluded the pact of brotherhood among Muslims?"

They all said, "No."

The Imam (a): "Did his statement 'Whomsoever I have been the master, Ali will be his master from now on,' include anyone other than me?"

They said, "No."

The Imam (a): "Is there anyone among you – except me – concerning whom the Prophet said this hadith "You are to me as Aaron was to Moses, save that there will not be any prophet after me?" (1)

They said, "No."

The Imam (a): "Do you know anyone among yourself qualified (enough) to have been (comissioned by the

p: 196

Prophet) to read out (to the polytheists) (the verses of) the chapter Bara'a (of the Qur'an) – the one concerning whom the Prophet (a) said "This cannot be done except by me or by a man (related) to me?"

They said, "No."

The Imam (a): "Do you know that all of those who accompanied the Prophet (s) to wars ran away, but I never did?"

They said: "Yes, we do."

The Imam (a): "Do you know I am the first one to have embraced Islam?"

They said, "Yes, we do."

The Imam (a): "Who is more closely related to the Prophet (s)?"

They said, "You are."

At this point, Abd al-Rahman b. 'Awf interrupted him, and said, "Ali, people do not want anyone but Uthman. So, avoid what harms you." Then, turning to Abu Talha he asked "What did Umar order you to do?"

Abu Talha said, "He ordered me to kill anyone who provokes division."

Abd al-Rahman told the Commander of the Faithful (a.): "Either swear your allegiance now, or we will apply

p: 197

Umar's order because you have chosen a way different from the believers." (1)

At this point, the Commander of the Faithfubl (a) said, "You certainly know that I am the most deserving of the caliphate than anyone else. But by God, so long as Muslims' affairs are in sound order, without any oppression (done to people) except to me, I shall keep quiet. (This I do) to seek the reward (God gives to those who have been oppressed), and to (to prove) my

p: 198

reluctance for (the worldly) ornaments you are in hurry to take possession of."(1)

Ibn Abi al-Hadid has written: "The Imam (a) then extended his hand and gave his allegiance."

Here, a question is put to Ibn Abi al-Hadid: "Given the open threat to kill the Commander of the Faithful (a), as ordered by Umar, and the mission Abu Talha had undertaken, and his readiness (to accomplish it) in collaboration with fifty men, what compelled Ali (a) to surrender and give his allegiance? Can this allegiance be taken as a (sign of his) satisfaction and agreement with the office of the administrators of the affairs?

8. Among the pleas the Commander of the Faithful (a) has made for justice is his famous sermon three of the Nahj al-Balagha, the Shiq-Shiqiyyah, betraying (his opponents') plots, groupings, and false representation of circumstances leading to his forceful seclusion at home and attacks launched against the Muslims. It also shows the Imam's (a) utmost dissatisfaction and disagreement with those who held the office before him.

In spite of his skill in justifying the issues, in falsifying the matters and in disguising the truth, Ibn Abi al-Hadid has failed to misrepresent the Imams' (a) clear and decisive statements. Certain opponents, however, have struggled to

p: 199

deny this sermon of the Imam (a) and defend the administrators of the Caliphate and hush up their deeds.(1)

Below is an excerpt from this sermon:

"By God, Ibn Abi Quhafah put on the garment of Caliphate while he knew well that my merit for this position was like an axle in a millstone, torrents of knowledge and virtue gush forth from it, and no high-flying bird can rise to it. Inevitably, I put it aside, meditating what to do. Should I combat it single-handed and without any friends? Or should I, in this sorrowful gloom and confusion which turns a small child into an old and decrepit man, be patient?"

"Amazing! While he lived, he asked people to excuse him from taking the position of a caliph, but when he died, he vouchsafed it to another, as if it is a camel's udder to be handed down to others."

9. Ibn Abi al-Hadid writes, "At the onset of his rule, Ali (a) entered the Prophet's (s) mosque with a sword hanging from his belt. He then praised and glorified God Almighty, sent greetings onto His Messenger (s), and said "When God Almighty took the soul of His Prophet (s), we said 'We are the Prophet's (s) inheritors, his Household and his Awliya, but others are not. No one would (want) to confront us, nor would they become greedy of our indisputable right.' Then, all of a sudden, a group from

p: 200

among our tribe stepped forward, snatching from our hand the reign and the authority of our Prophet (s), with the result that administration (of the affairs) was made firm for others, and we turned to be common people.

“Those who were infirm and weak-willed became covetous, and those who were mean acted snobbishly, a behaviour that filled our eyes with tears and our hearts with sobs. By God! I would have dealt differently with the administrators of the affairs of caliphate if I had not feared that Muslims would divide and split up and would go back to disbelief and the Jahiliya customs, leading to the disappearance of Islam."(1)

10. Ibn Abi al-Hadid has mentioned the following on the authority of Kalbi: "When the Commander of the Faithful (a) was about to set out for Basra, he delivered the following sermon: 'When God, the Mighty and High, took the soul of His Messenger (s), the Quraysh rebelled against us, depriving us from the right for which we were the most deserving. Then I realized it would be best if I resorted to patience and (suffered) the violation of rights and injustice, than see that Muslims have divided and are shedding each other's blood. (I did it) because they had only just embraced Islam, and the religion, being vulnerable, would weaken with the slightest incident, reversing back, just as milk from a breast does with the slightest happening.’

“Then a handful of people took the office of Caliphate and the leadership of the Islamic community, and did not

p: 201

overlook doing what they could in achieving their goals, and in confronting us. Then they hurried to the abode where punishment will be administered Dar Jaza. God has the authority to abolish their sins and forgive their excesses."(1)

11. Elsewhere, Imam Ali (a) complains against those who denied him his right in the following manner: “O God, the Almighty, I seek help from Thee against the Quraysh because of their enmity towards Thy Messenger (s); but they did not succeed because You put a stop to it. Then they aimed at me and carried it out against me."

"O God, protect Hasan and Husayn, and so long as I am alive prevent the evil-doers from gaining supremacy over them. And when my life comes to an end, guard them. Thou art watching over everything." (2)

12. After he had returned from the battle of Siffin (or as Ibn Abi al-Hadid says after Uthman was killed and people swore their allegiance to the Imam (a)), the Commander of the Faithful (a) delivered the following sermon: "No one in the Islamic community can be taken at par with the Household of the Prophet (a), nor can those who have enjoyed their bounties (science and knowledge) be considered as equal with them, for they are the foundations of religion and the pillars of certainty. Those who exceed should return to them, and those who have fallen behind should join them, because to them belong

p: 202

the qualities of Imamate and the Prophet's (s) will and inheritance. Now (that I have been entrusted with Caliphate), right has returned to the one who deserves it and to the place where it belongs."(1)

It is evident that the Commander of the Faithful (a) would not have made such a statement if he had not considered those who ruled before him as usurpers.

13. While delivering a sermon in which he foretold the future events and described some of those who would return to the customs of the Age of Ignorance, Jahiliya, the Imam (a) said: "After Almighty God took the soul of the Prophet (s), a number of weak people turned away from religion and were misled. They wandered in the ways and joined the friends they themselves had chosen. They turned away from those they had been instructed to love, uprooted the foundations and set them elsewhere. These people are the foci of sin and the door for every mischief maker. They were immersed in bewilderment and loss. Being intoxicated and ignorant, as was the custom of the Pharaohs, they detached themselves from all and attached themselves to this world."(2)

p: 203

14. Ibn Abi al-Hadid has said the following on the authority of Abu al-Qasim Ka'bi, on the authority of Sa'id b. Musayyib who said: "While he was delivering a sermon, the Imam saw an Arab standing and crying, "Alas! I have been treated unjustly." The Imam asked him to come closer. When he did, the Imam said, "You have been treated unjustly only once, whereas, I have been treated unjustly as many times as the number of rain drops and the number of the hairs on the bodies of camels."

Ibad b. Ya'qub has reported the same event and quoted the Imam (a) to have said,"Pity on you! Wrong has also been done to me. Come, we will both pray against the person who has done injustice to us."(1)

15. Among the pleas the Imam (a) has made for justice is his reply to Mu'awiyah's letter:

a. Mu'awiyah's Letter

Ibn Abi al-Hadid writes: "Among the famous letters Mu'awiyah has written to Ali (a) is the following, delivered by Abi Imamah Bahili: 'I remember the day when allegiance was sworn to Abi Bakr. In the evenings, you, your wife (a) and your children, Hasan and Husayn, used to go to people's houses – to every one of those who had attended the battle of Badr, and (each of) those foremost in Islam, seeking their help against the Prophet's (s) friend.

p: 204

"No more than four or five replied to you. By my life, they would have answered you if you had any rights. But you made false claims - saying things that were unknown, and demanding things that were incomprehensible. I will never forget these words of yours – even if I forget others: ‘If I had forty determined supporters, I would rise up…’"(1)

Besides insolence in his manner of addressing the Imam (a), Mua'wiyah's confession that the Imam's (a) refusal to resort to the armed uprising was because he had no one to help him. His refusal then is not a proof in support of the legitimacy and justice on the part of the administrators of the Caliphate.

b. The Imam’s (a) Reply to Mu'awiyah

As Ibn Abi al-Hadid has written: In answer to Mua'wiyah's letter, the Imam (a) wrote a detailed and remarkable answer, part of which is as follows: “You said that I was bridled and pulled, as is a camel, to give my allegiance. How surprising! By God, you desired to blame me, but you unknowingly praised me. You desired to dishonor me, but you are now disgraced yourself. It is not imperfection for a Muslim if he is dealt with unjustly so long as he has no doubt in his religion nor is he infirm in his (degree of) certainty. This is a summary of my argumentation even if held in the presence of others."(2)

p: 205

16. Ibn Abi al-Hadid has written: "Ali said, 'During the time of the Messenger of God (s), I was like a part of him. People looked at me in the same manner as they looked at the stars (in amazement for their creation). Then time lowered (my social rank): such and such persons (Abu Bakr and Umar) were placed at par with me, and I was made at par with the five persons whose prototype was Uthman. I said, alas! But time did not stop at this point (of doing me injustice). I was being pushed down a slope. I was considered as equal to the son of Hind (Mu'awiyah) and Ibn Nabiqeh (Amr ‘As)."(1)

The Imam's (a) grief and dissatisfaction at being considered at par with (the above mentioned people) is unfortunately taken by the opponents as being pleased with the rule of those people.

17. In a letter the Imam (a) wrote to the Egyptians when he appointed Malik Ashtar as the governor of Egypt, he said, "When the Prophet (s) died, the Muslims engaged in a conflict over the Caliphate. I swear to God that I never supposed that after him his Ahl al-Bayt and especially me would be denied the Caliphate, and it would be handed over to others. What surprised me the most was to see them turn to that fellow (it apparently means Abu Bakr) and offer him their hand of allegiance. At this time I gave it up and stood aside until I noticed that a group of people turned away from Islam, and adopted slogans to destroy the religion of Muhammad (s).”

p: 206

"I feared that if I did not hasten to help Islam and its faithful followers, there would soon appear a split that could not be amended, I would see (Islam) so ruined that the resulting grief would be more difficult for me to bear than the loss of the caliphate and guardianship for you, a caliphate that lasts only a few days and disppears like a mirage, or scatters like clouds.’

"To prevent such events I stood up until wrong was vanquished and religion was saved, and given security and stability."(1)

18. Ibn Abi al-Hadid has quoted the following on the authority of Zubayr b. Bakkar, who said that the Commander of the Faithful (a) said, "In the heat of a mid-day, Uthman sent for me. Having masked my face, I went to meet him. He was leaning on the throne, with a lash in his hand and two bags full of gold and silver before him. He said to me, "Take as much money as you want so as to fill your stomach. You have set me on fire.

"I observed (the usual) ceremonies, saying 'May your bond of relationship last,……. provided that you have inherited this money, or that someone has donated it to you, or that you have made it through commerce, I will choose to do one of the two possibilities: I will either take it and thank you for it, or I will ignore it and bear the difficulties.”

"But if it belongs to God (that is, the central treasury) and is the prerogative of Muslims, orphans, and wayfarers, then by God, neither you can give it away, nor I take it."

p: 207

Then Uthman said, ‘Then I disregard that. Accept what you have disregarded.' Then I stood up and he hit me with the lash he had in his hand until he became tired, without me showing any reaction. When he finished, I masked my face and returned home, saying 'May God judge between you and me if I have enjoined you to do good and forbidden you from doing wrong."(1)

Now, a question: Who was right? Was it not Ali (a), who preferred the strokes of the lash because of his inflexibility to accept the hush money?

Or, was Uthman right, who, in spite of the Messenger of God's (s) recommendations concerning the Commander of the Faithful (a), insulted him and beat him, because Ali (a) had enjoined him to do right and refrain from doing evil, and refused to accept the hush money for the excesses and innovations they had introduced into the religion?

See Allamah Amini's valuable book, al-Ghadir, so as to learn about the huge sums of money that Uthman had given the wealthy leaders of the Quraysh tribe, who were not averse to taking bribes.

p: 208

Uthman apparently deigned, and Abd al-Rahman gave the caliphate to him, swore allegiance to him, and announced his rule.(1)

If the manners of Abu Bakr and Umar had been satisfactory and confirmed by the Imam (a), he would have accepted Abd al-Rahman's suggestion and not abandoned the caliphate.

Now, a question to be answered: When Ali (a) was, according to the hadith (already) discussed, the rightful (personage) why were the sirah of those two persons, and Abd al-Rahman's manner of action, and Uthman's taking up the office all rejected by the Imam (a)? If their sirah was right, and if Abd al-Rahman's allegiance given to Uthman was right (which means he consented to their manners), then what meaning does the Imam's (a) rejection have?

Wouldn't it be a fallacy if we suppose, as Ka'bi and Ibn Abi al-Hadid have supposed, that Ali (a) is right and so is what he rejects, and assert that Ali (a) has given his consent?

In other words, either Ali (a) has been right (in his decision) but Abu Bakr and Umar's ways (of living) were

p: 210

wrong, just as Abd al-Rahman's proposal and Uthman's taking up (of the office of Caliphate) was wrong; or, those three people were right and Ali’s (a) decision incorrect. This assumption) is, however, unacceptable given the Prophet's (s) words: "The truth is with Ali and Ali is with the truth." It is now, the duty of those who are unprejudiced to search for the truth.

The controversial condition that Ibn Awf had dictated was: the sirah of the two Shaykhs to be applied (in matters related with the government), which was rejected by Ali (a) but accepted by Uthman, who then won the caliphate. The following questions concerning it, which nave not been answered yet, are:

1) With the Book of Allah Almighty, and the Prophet's (s) sunna, (being the two principal criteria) why should such a condition be placed for the swearing of allegiance to the chosen caliph?

2) Can the Prophet's (s) true successor be expected to apply something different from the Book of Allah Almighty and the Prophet's (s) sirah?

3) Can he base his judgment on someone else's practice – either along with the holy Book and sunna, or besides them?

4) If the two Shaykhs' sirah had been in conformity with the Book and sunna, did it have to be separately specified? If it had not, did Awf have the right to bring it to the fore and impose it?

5) What sort of Caliph was Uthman to have accepted it?

p: 211

6) Why did the Assembly submit to it, and why did it remain silent?

7) Why was Ali (a), who rejected (Awf's proposal) deprived of managing the affairs of caliphate?

Soon after Uthman was settled in office, he turned away not only from the two Shaykhs's sirah but also from the Book of God Almighty and the Sunna of the holy Prophet (s), to which the Consultative Assembly, the Companions and other Muslims objected. After he was killed by Muslims, an event in which Talha and Zubayr, the two members of the Assembly, also took part, it was the Commander of the Faithful (a) who suffered the consequential effects: he was taken to task by A'isha, Talha, Zubayr, Mu'awiyah and their groups, and had to pay for it.

Religious differences, dismissals of credential objections, installation in and removal from government, imposing restrictions on scientific, devotional, and occupational activities, commonly practiced in Arabia and other countries under Sunni domination, massacring the Shi’as and Sunnis, (establishing) jails, plundering, burning down, and purging Islamic cities and countries of Shi’as(1) carried

p: 212

out during the past fourteen centuries – and still in progress - have all been for the sake of protecting the owners of those sirahs and suppressing those who oppose them.

As for the Imam's (a) cooperation in certain affairs related with the Caliphate, such as:

1. Offering answers to judicial cases referred to him by Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and even Mu'awiyah.

2. Giving his consent for theological disputations with Jewish and Christian scholars, because they (the caliphs) were too weak to dispute with them.

3. When asked by the caliphs, he gave his opinion on political matters, such as (proposing) a plan for conquering Iran, Byzantine and Jeruslem, only with the aim of maintaining Islam's face, expanding it to other countries, defending and protecting the Muslims' rights.

The Commander of the Faithful's (a) duty of Imamate continued to be valid under all circumstances, and he fulfilled it as much as he could, in the best interest of Islam and the Muslims.

Thus, based on the testimony of the holy Prophet of Islam (s), there is no doubt that Ali (a) was a knowledgeable person who never erred, a just person who never wronged, and an obedient servant (of God) who never inclined to

p: 213

sinning. Whatever he approved, was "right" and whatever he disapproved was “wrong.”(1)

p: 214

1. he was distinguished in doing good and in teaching that which was good.

He also says that the book Fahm al-Qur'an has quoted Imam Ja'far Sadiq (a) to have said that the Verse "And of those whom We have created…" pertains to the House of Muhammad (a)."(1)

Fakhr Razi says, "Most commentators have said that by the word Ummah in this verse, is meant Ali ibn Abi Talib (a) and his pure descendants.(2)

Khatib Kharazmi has said the following on the authority of Hafidh b. Murduwayh Isfahan, on the authority of Ali (may God be pleased with him) who said:

"This ummah will divide into seventy three groups, of which seventy two will be in fire, and one will be in Paradise. The one (dwellers of Paradise) will be of those concerning whom God, the Mighty and Magnificent, has said, " It is I, my friends and my followers."(3)

Allamah Qunduzi has quoted Khatib's exact words.(4)

Allamah Shahab al-Din Ahmad(5) has quoted the same. Allamah Mir Muhammad Salih Kashfi Tirmidhi has quoted (the same tradition) on the authority of Bahr al-

p: 216

Manaqib, on the authority of Ibn Murduwayh's Manaqib on the authority of Ali (a), wherein he has used "I, my Shi’as, and my followers." (1)

The holy Qur'anic verse and above-mentioned tradition spelling out who the saved group are, and given the abundance of authorities of the hadith to render it authenticated, it can be said that the saved group are Ali (a) and his Shi’as. It is Ali (a) who guides people to the truth and manages the caliphate on the basis of truth and justice. No doubt, he is the rightful Imam (a) whose obedience is made obligatory after the Prophet (s).

For the same reason, the three Shaykhs (Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman) cannot be included among the Shi’as of Ali (a) because the Sunnis consider them the leaders that Ali (a) should follow, not his followers.

Those who have fought against Ali (a), such as Zubayr, Talha and their group, the Nakithin, and Mu'awiyah and his followers, the Qasitin, Khawarij and Mariqin, have not been included among his Shi’as, nor will they (ever) be. In the same way, the Sunni populace are generally excluded from the community of the Shi’as of Ali (a), because they have all been partisans of those who were Ali's opponents, and have followed them, not him. This is the point which the late Allamah Qadi Nur Allah, the researcher and theologian, has referred to in his book Ihqaq al-Haqq (volume 3 page 415).

p: 217

falsehood," or, suggestions made to "leave the truth," like being told to do good, Amr bi al-Ma'ruf, but the conditions are unwelcome.

But a point that has distinguished the Commander of the Faithful (a) from others, making him worthy of such a qualifying divine statement of God, is that he permanently "enjoined the truth," in all cases with regard to religion, and (in which he was) permitted to. This (procedure) demands full knowledge of the truth and falsehood, (constant) security against whims, errors and any motives (stimulating a person) to enjoin things that are not right.

Third: Another requirement for ordering (people to observe) the truth is (a firm belief that) truth should be openly told wherever the ground is prepared for it and that (people should be) invited and encouraged to defend it.

The Qur'anic verse "… and enjoin on each other truth…," whose undoubted referent is Ali ibn Abi Talib (a), as is evidenced by historical reports and the Commander of the Faithful's (a) biography – has two implications:

1) Full supremacy of the Commander of the Faithful (a) in science, knowledge of matters (related with) succession (to the Prophet (s)) and proper leadership over the Islamic community. It is only through these qualities that he can differentiate the truth from falsehood, enjoin (people) to observe the truth and defend it himself. These are (some of the qualities) the Caliph is expected to possess.

Inerrancy of the Commander of the Faithful (a) and his being secure against any error, sin and sensual desires. These are qualities without which no one can take the lead (of the community in hand), nor can he command (people

p: 219

1) to follow) the truth and leave falsehood aside, whatever the circumstances might be. One (lacking these qualities) may even (go as far as) disregarding it his duty to tell others to observe the truth.

The Commander of the Faithful's (a) biography, his wonderous legal decisions – whether given during the period he was in office or during the time others were in rule – and his (ability to) deal with various matters are all proofs of the points (mentioned above). Except for Ali (a), all other Companions – and in particular the caliphs, used to enjoin falsehood, and they disregarded it as their duty to order people to observe the truth (in their lives). Readers are refered to see relevant source books.

In conclusion, we would like to add that Suyuti has quoted Hafidh b. Murduwayh Isfahani to have said "The Qur'anic verse: Except those who believe and do good, and enjoin on each other truth and enjoin on each other patience" has been revealed concerning Ali (a) and Salman.(1)

p: 220

As long as a person has not come to know the truth as it really is, and as long as he has not firmly unified himself with the truth, he will not be able to risk his life leading people to the truth, nor will he be able to defend it. Umar's confession is an interpretation of the word of God's Messenger (s) who said, "Ali is with the Truth…" as it is a representation of what he himself saw Ali (a) doing for thirty eight years in his personal matters as he did with regard to Islamic affairs.

Mawardi has quoted Ibn Ishaq to have said: Umar, having been (fatally) wounded was carried home. There he heard people shouting. "What is this?" he asked.

"People wish to meet you."

Having received permission, they went in, and said, "O Commander of the Faithful! Appoint a successor. Appoint Uthman as our Caliph."

Umar said, "How can I appoint him the Caliph who loves both wealth and Paradise?"

People left the house. Clamor was heard again, and he was informed of the people's wish to meet him. He gave permission. They said "Appoint Ali as our Caliph."

Umar said, "He will then have you follow the right course."

Abdullah b. Umar said, "I relied on his words, and said "O Commander of the Faithful! What prevents you from designating and introducing Ali?"

p: 222

Umar said, "My son! How can I bear it in life or death?"(1)

Tabari has reported the following on the authority of Waqidi: "When news of Uthman's murder came to Amr ‘As (who was then in Palestine), he said, "I hear that Abu Abdullah Uthman has been killed. I am at Wadi al-Siba', Palestine (and wonder) who will succeed him. If Talha succeeds him, then it is alright. But if Ibn Abi Talib does, I (can) visualize that he will put the affairs right (he will organize the disorganized affairs of the government and will set it on an upright foundation). To me, he is the person I dislike the most to take the caliphate over."(2)

They hated the Commander of the faithful (a) for his unwavering faith, steadfastness, and firm link with the truth! Yet they are respected?!

p: 223