SEARCHING FOR THE 73RD SECT

SEARCHING FOR THE 73RD SECT
A Probe of the Roots of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa alJamah and the Shah Immiyyah
PART ONE
Which path really traces up to the Prophet?
TOYIB OLAWUYI
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to brothers Yahya Seymour and Tural Islam, whose words and insightful
comments inspired and encouraged the research. May Allh bless them both, and all our other
brothers and sisters who pursue and promote the truth.
WARNING!!!
IF YOU FEAR THE HARD (BUT GENTLY
PRESENTED) TRUTH FROM THE QURN AND
AUTHENTIC SUNNAH, DO NOT GO BEYOND
THIS PAGE!
PREFACE
The Book of Allh has laid down clear guidelines for polemics between Muslims, and between
them and others. Our Lord commands:

Call to the way of your Lord with sound logic and good words, and debate with that which
is the best (evidence).1
This verse has been neglected by most of the Muslim brothers in their sectarian debates. Many
Muslim arguments do not follow sound logic, and are riddled with bad words and weak
evidence. The order of our Creator is to be logical in our presentations, and to be completely
respectful and kind in our words, and to use only the best evidences. There is no doubt that if
Muslims adopted these approaches, the truth of their differences would be revealed quickly, and
they would become once more a united Ummah in aqdah and fiqh.
The Qurn also directs Muslims about the kind of attitude they must always have in all debates:

Either we or you are possibly upon guidance or in clear misguidance.2
In other words, arrogance should be eliminated against the other party. Even though the
Messenger of Allh was absolutely certain about the Truth of the religion of his Lord3, he still
debated the pagans on equal terms: we may be wrong, you may be wrong. Each side is then
strictly required to furnish the best, irrefutable, logically sound proofs in defence of himself.
Moreover, no matter the level of heresy or disbelief we may perceive any individual or group to
have fallen into, we must still treat them gently in dawah and debate. Firawn said to his people:

I am your Lord, the Most High.4
He called himself God the height of heresy and disbelief. Despite that, Allh commanded both
Ms and Hrn to speak with him gently:

You both, say to him gently word. Perhaps he will take heed or become pious5.
Apart from wearing a humane face throughout the debate, the Muslim debater must also rely
primarily upon the Qurn as his proofs:
Qurn 16:125
Qurn 34:24
3
Qurn 6:57 and 22:67
4
Qurn 79:24
5
Qurn 20:44
2
And We revealed the Book unto you as an explanation of EVERYTHING, and as a

GUIDANCE, MERCY AND GLAD TIDING to the Muslims.6
But, the Prophet is the authorised interpreter of the Book of Allh:

And We revealed the Reminder to you in order that YOU EXPLAIN TO MANKIND THAT
WHICH WE REVEALED to them.7
As such, the words of the Prophet must be accepted and used alongside the Qurn in Muslim-toMuslim debates, since they, in reality, are an extension of the Book of Allh:

WHATSOEVER the Messenger gives you, YOU MUST take it, and WHATSOEVER he forbids
for you, YOU MUST leave it.8
However, while the Qurn is undisputed among all Muslims, the exact shape of the Sunnah is
disputed. What each side attributes to the Messenger of Allh differs from sect to sect.
Nonetheless, there are certain areas where the hadths from them, especially the two main
branches Ahl al-Sunnah and the Immiyyah meet. In such cases, there is universal Islmic
consensus on such Sunnahs. Therefore, they are absolutely true. Al-Kitn, the Sunn authority,
records in his collection of mutawtir (i.e. absolutely authentic) ahdth that the Prophet said:

Allh will never unite my Ummah upon misguidance.9
In other words, whatsoever hadth is accepted by both sides is an absolute proof in Islm, and is
Truth. Whatever also agrees with it is true, and whatsoever disagrees with it is falsehood.
Therefore, the correct Sunnah is what is authentic in the books of both sects. It is the best
evidence, which Allh orders us to use and accept in debates.
In this book, we have adopted all the measures commanded by the Qurn. Both sects have been
treated on an equal footing and given an absolutely fair trial, and ahdth that have the
consensus of the Ummah form the foundation of our discourse. We have also ensured that our
investigations and conclusions flow logically, and are based upon the best evidences. The tone,
in addition, is gentlemanly.
This book is only the first part of a long series of investigations to be carried out, insh Allh, by
this author in ALL aspects of Sunn-Shah conflicts. It only lays the groundwork. The second
part, insh Allh, shall be a scientific investigation of the concept of Immah in the Qurn and
agreed upon Sunnah. Each sect will be judged through both sources. The third part shall be a
probe of each sect on the question of Tawhd, through the Qurn and agreed upon Sunnah. The
fourth part shall be an examination of fiqh differences in the light of the Qurn and agreed upon
6
Qurn 16:89
Qurn 16:44
8
Qurn 59:7
9
Ab al-Fayd Jafar al-Husayn al-Idrs al-Kitn, Nazam al-Mutanthir min al-Hadth al-Mutawtir (Beirut,
Lebanon: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah; 1400 H), pp. 104-105
7
Sunnah. The fifth part shall be a comparative investigation of the authenticity of the Sihh alSittah and the Kutub al-Arba. The series insh Allh will continue into other topics as long as
this author lives.
We implore our Lord to accept this humble effort from us, and to bless it. We pray Him to
strengthen us, and bless all our brothers who are sincerely searching and teaching the Truth.
And may His eternal blessings be upon our master, Muhammad b. Abd Allh, and upon his pure
family, and righteous Sahbah.
CHAPTER ONE
HADTH OF THE 73 SECTS
Our master, Prophet Muhammad, predicted before his death that his Ummah would split into 73
sects after him, and that only one of them will enter Paradise. All the remaining 72 will be in
Hellfire. This reality, although very bitter, is well established in the authentic ahdth of both the
Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamaah and the Shah Immiyyah.
HADTH ONE
Shaykh al-Albn records:

( )
Narrated Ab Hurayrah:
Allhs Apostle, peace be upon him, said: The Jews divided into 71 sects, and my Ummah
will divide into 73 sects. (Sahh)10
NOTE: The phrase (Sahh) indicates that Shaykh al-Albn grades the hadth as sahih. This
method has been adopted in most parts of this book. The grading of the author, or the annotator
where there is any, is given in brackets immediately after the hadth.
This hadth affirms this reality explicitly. The Muslims would divide into 73 different sects. The
matter is undeniable. This shows that Muslims would disobey several commandments in the
Qurn never to break up. Allh says:

And hold fast to the Rope of Allh all together and do not become sects.11
He also warns:

And be not like those who became sects and disagreed after clear proofs had come to
them, and these it is that shall have a grievous chastisement.12
The Ummah faces a serious problem with their Lord for disobeying Him and becoming sects
after the death of His Prophet. The punishment for forming sects is Hellfire.
HADTH TWO
10
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Sahh Sunan Ibn Majah (Riyadh: Maktab al-Tarbiyyah al-Arab li Dawl alKhalj; 1408), vol. 2, p. 364
11
Qurn 3:103
12
Qurn 3:105

)(
Narrated Awf b. Mlik:
Allhs Apostle, peace be upon him, said:
The Jews divided into 71 sects. Only one of them will be in Paradise while the remaining
70 will be in Hellfire. The Christians divided into 72 sects. 71 of them will be in Hellfire
while one will be in Paradise. I swear by One Who has the soul of Muhammad in His Hand,
my Ummah will divide into 73 sects. Only one of them will be in Paradise, while the
remaining 72 will be in Hellfire.
It was said: Who are they (i.e. the saved sect)?
He replied: The Jamah. (Sahh)13
Shaykh al-Sadq, the classical Shah scholar, also records:
:,
, , :
: . , , ,
, , : ?
Narrated Anas b. Mlik:
Allhs Apostle said: Verily, the Ban Isrl divided about s into 71 sects. 70 sects
perished while one was saved. Surely, my Ummah will be divided into 72 sects. 71 will
perish while one will be saved.
They said O Allhs Apostle! Which is that sect?
He said: The Jamah! The Jamah! The Jamah!14
There seems to be a mistake in the narration of this hadth, since most of similar others even in
the Shah sources mention 73 sects for this Ummah.
The two hadths give the Qurnic details about the fate of the various sects of Islm. Only one of
them will be saved in the end. All the others will be in Hellfire. The Qurn too says that the path
of Allh is only one, and it is straight, without any internal disagreements or contradictions:
13
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Sahh Sunan Ibn Majah (Riyadh: Maktab al-Tarbiyyah al-Arab li Dawl alKhalj; 1408), vol. 2, p. 364
14
Shaykh al-Sadq, al-Khisl (Beirut: Muasassat al-Alm li al-Matbt; 14 10 H), vol. 2, p. 584

And verily this is My Path, the straight one. Therefore follow it, and do not follow other
paths, for they will lead you away from His Path; this He has enjoined you with that you
may guard (against evil).15
But, wait a minute: that one sect, the Jamah, that will be saved, will it not also be guilty of
sectarianism, the punishment of which Allh has fixed as Hellfire? There is no doubt that the
Jamah is a sect too, like the rest. However, a balancing of the Qurn and Sunnah seems to
prove that the Jamah is not part of those who break up their religion. It is the others that have
broken away from it. If it had also broken off from another sect, it would likewise have been
guilty of sectarianism and therefore deserving of Hellfire.
The scholars of the Ahl al-Sunnah have confirmed this view. Imm al-Tirmidh submits:

The explanation (tafsr) of Jamah among the scholars is that it means the jurists, the
scholars and the hadth masters.16
Shaykh al-Albn comments on this submission by Imm al-Tirmidh:
. :
. ( //)
This meaning was taken from the statement of Ibn Masd: The Jamah is whatever
agrees with the Haqq (Truth) even if it is only you (that follow it). Ibn Askir recorded it
in Trkh Dimashq (13/322/2) with a Sahh chain from him.17
Therefore, the Jamah is that only sect of Islm that follows the haqq from Allh. The haqq
never breaks off from anything. It comes directly from our Creator through His messengers,
peace be upon them. It is rather the others that have broken off from the haqq.
Haqq is whatever has no falsehood in it. This establishes that the Jamah is the sect that follows
Islm exactly as Muhammad presented and practiced it from his Lord. Moreover, it has nothing
to do with numbers. If it is only a single person on the earth that follows the pure Muhammadan
Islm, then he, and he alone, is the saved Jamah. This is like what Allh has said in His Book:

Surely Ibrhm was an Ummah, obedient to Allh, upright, and he was not of the
polytheists.18
He was a single person. Yet, he was an Ummah!
15
Qurn 6:153
Muhammad b. s al-Tirmidh, Sunan (Beirut: Dr Ihy al-Turth al-Arab) *annotator: Ahmad Muhammad
Shkir+, vol. 4, p. 467
17
Muhammad b. Abd Allh al-Khatb al-Tabrz, Mishkt al-Masbh (Beirut: al-Maktab al-Islm; 1405)
[annotator: Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn+, vol. 1, p. 61
18
Qurn 16:120
16
Some of our brothers from the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamaah argue that the phrase Jamaah in the
hadth refers to the majority sect, since al-Jamah literally means the majority. This position
however has no weight. It contradicts the position of the Salaf, who held that the Jamah is
whoever follows the haqq, even if there is only one such person. There are also reliable Sunn
reports that prove that the majority of this Ummah are the doomed sects. Imm al-Hkim
records

.
Narrated Awf b. Mlik, may Allh be pleased with him
Allhs Apostle, peace be upon him, said: My Ummah will divide into a little above 70
sects. ITS MAJORITY will be a group that do qiys in the (religious) matters with their
personal opinions, and therefore make harm what is hall, and make hall what is
harm.
This hadth is sahh on the conditions of the two Shaykhs although they did not record
it.19
Qiys, of course, is officially one of the sources of Islm according to the Ahl al-Sunnah wa alJamaah as a whole!
Al-Haytham records a similar hadth:

.

.
Narrated Awf b. Mlik:
The Prophet said: My Ummah will divide into a little above 70, AND ITS MAJORITY will
be a fitnah (calamity) over my Ummah. They will be a group doing qiys in the (religious)
matters with their personal opinions, and thereby making hall what is harm and
making harm what is hall.
Al-Tabarn recorded it in al-Kabr. Al-Bazzr too recorded it. Its narrators are narrators
of the Sahh.20
The Qurn has established absolutely that qiys leads away from the haqq:

19
st
Ab Abd Allh al-Hkim al-Naysbr, al-Mustadrak al al-Sahhayn (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah; 1

edition, 1411 H), vol. 4, p. 477, # 8325
20
Ab al-Hasan Al b. Ab Bakr al-Haytham, Majma al-Zawid (Beirut: Dr al-Kitb al-Arab; 1407 H), vol. 1,
p. 179
And We have revealed to you the Book with the haqq, verifying what is before it of the
Book and a guardian over it, therefore judge between them by what Allh has revealed,
and do not follow their personal opinions at the expense of the haqq that has come to
you.21
This proves that the Jamah cannot possibly refer to the majority of the Ummah. It also
establishes that the Jamah are only those who never use qiys in the matters of the religion,
and never change the rules and prohibitions of Allh. Among the Shah Immiyyah, qiys is
harm. Shaykh al-Mufd records:
Narrated Zurrah b. A`yan:

Ab Ja`far Muhammad b. Àl said to me: O Zurrah, beware of the people who use qiys
in religion. For verily, they have abandoned the knowledge which they had been assigned
and burdened themselves with that which is similar to it. They interpret reports
(according to their views) and lie upon Allh. As if I see a man from among them being
called from his front and he answers from his behind, and he is called from his behind
and he answers from the his front. Certainly, they are lost and confused in the earth and
in the religion.22
This Shah hadth has a sahh chain.
Secondly, the term Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamaah is only a blanket term for a number of hostile
sects: the Salafiyyah, the Ashriyyah and the Mturdiyyah in aqdah and the Hanafiyyah, the
Mlikiyyah, the Shfiiyyah and the Hanbillah in fiqh. To get a quick view of the seriousness of
the divisions and rancour within the Ahl al-Sunnah, it is appropriate to read this view of Imm
Mlik, one of the four canonical Imms of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah, about Ab Hanfah,
another canonical Imm, as recorded by Abd Allh, son of the fourth canonical Imm:
.
Narrated Ab Mazhim:
I heard Mlik b. Anas mention Ab Hanfah, talking bad things about him, and he said:
He (Ab Hanfah) mocked the religion, and whosoever mocks the religion is NOT from
it.
The narrators of the report are trustworthy.23
21
Qurn 5:48
Shaykh al-Mufd, al-Aml (Qum: Jamàh al-Mudarrisn f al-Hawzah al-Ìlmiyyah, 1403) *annotator: Àl
Akbar al-Ghaffr+, Majlis # 6, p. 51-52, hadth # 12
23
st
Abd Allh b. Ahmad b. Hanbal al-Shaybn, al-Sunnah (Dammam: Dr Ibn al-Qayyim; 1 edition, 1406 H)
[annotator: Dr. Muhammad Sad Slim al-Qahtn+, vol. 1, p. 197
22
This is a veiled takfr (i.e. declaring someone to be a non-Muslim) of one canonical Sunn Imm
by another. This gives an idea of the level of grave differences between these two canonical
Imms. Moreover, when a leading scholar of a religion is described as having mocked it, it
indicates that he misleads people, with his qiys, to ridiculous levels!
Yet, the majority of the Ahl al-Sunnah follow Ab Hanfah in fiqh!
Honestly, it does not agree with sound logic to really group the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah as
one sect, all of whom are upon the haqq. The truth is that they are several sects, with
irreconciliable differences and mutual bitterness among them. They are only called Ahl alSunnah wa al-Jamah for the sake of convenience. It is to be noted that the Jamah mentioned
in the 73 Sects hadth is only one sect. Therefore, at any rate, the whole of the Ahl al-Sunnah
wa al-Jamah cannot be the Jamah. Only one of their sects can be, or none.
HADTH THREE
()
Narrated Abd Allh b. Umar:
Allhs Apostle, peace be upon him, said: Whatsoever happened to the Ban Isrl will
surely happen to my Ummah too, step by step, such that if there was any of them that
publicly had sexual intercourse with his mother, someone in my Ummah will do the same.
Verily, the Ban Isrl divided into 72 sects and my Ummah will divide into 73 sects. All of
them will be in Hellfire EXCEPT one sect.
They said: O Allhs Apostle! Which is it?
He replied: The one that will be upon what I and my Sahbah are upon. (Hasan)24
Shaykh al-Albn further records that the Prophet said:
::
My Ummah will divide into 73 sects. All of them will be in the Fire except one. They said:
Which sect is that? He said: The one that will be upon what I and my Sahbah are upon
TODAY.25
On this hadth, Shaykh al-Albn says:
24
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Sahh Sunan wa Daf Sunan al-Tirmidh, vol. 6, p. 141, #2641
st
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Silsilah al-Ahdth al-Dafah (Riyadh: Dr al-Maarif; 1 edition, 1412 H),
vol. 3, p. 126, # 1035
25

This matn (text) is CORRECTLY PRESERVED, and has been narrated from several of the
Sahbah.26
This is like what Shaykh al-Sadq has recorded too:
, , :
, , ,
. : : : ,
Narrated Abd Allh b. Umar:
Allhs Apostle said: Whatsoever happened to Ban Isrl will happen to my Ummah too,
example by example, and they divided into 72 sects, while my Ummah will divide into 73
sects. One will be part of them. All of them will be in Hellfire except one.
It was said: O Allhs Apostle! Which is the one?
He replied: It is that which will be upon what, we, I and my Sahbah are upon TODAY.27
Therefore, the haqq is what the Prophet did during his lifetime, which his Sahbah practised, in
his company, along with him.
These ahdth further strengthen the afore-mentioned definition of the Jamah: the one sect
that will follow Islm exactly as practised by Muhammad and his Sahbah during the formers
lifetime. This is a crucial fact. It shows that the true Jamah must be able to trace all its beliefs
and practices to the time of Muhammad, and to the Prophet himself! Whichever sect fails this
criterion cannot be the Jamah.
HADTH FOUR
Imm al-Nis records that the Prophet said:
) (
Verily, the most truthful Statement is the Book of Allh, and the best guidance is the
guidance of Muhammad. The worst of the matters are the innovations (in religion). All
innovations (in religion) are bidahs, and ALL bidahs are misguidance, and all
misguidance leads to Hellfire. (Sahh)28
Shaykh al-Sadq, from the Shah side, records that Imm al-Jafar al-Sdiq, also said:

26
ibid
Shaykh al-Sadq, Maan al-Akhbr (Beirut: Dr al-Maarifah; 1399 H) *annotator: Al Akbar al-Ghaffr+,
#323
28
Ab Abd al-Rahmn Ahmad b. Shuayb al-Nis, al-Mujtab min al-Sunan (Halab: Maktab al-Matbt alIslmiyyah; 2nd edition, 1406 H), *annotator: Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn+, vol. 3, p. 188-189, #1578
27
Verily, every bidah is misguidance, and every misguidance leads to Hellfire.29

Allmah al-Majlis grades this hadth as Sahh 30.
These two hadths establish absolutely that the Jamah is that sect which does not have a single
bidah in its doctrines and practices. A single bidah is sufficient to throw any sect into Hellfire.
Since the Jamah will be in Paradise, then it is not possible for it to have any bidah at all in its
religion. This reinforces the position that the Jamah is that sect which is able to trace all its
doctrines and practices completely to the days of Muhammad and his Sahbah together.
A bidah is a doctrine or practice in the religion that cannot be traced to the time of Muhammad
and to him directly.
29
30
Shaykh al-Sadq, Man L Yahduruh al-Faqh, vol. 2, p. 137, #1964

Allmah al-Majlis, Mildh al-Akhyr, vol. 5, p. 28
CHAPTER TWO
THE SCRAMBLE FOR THE JAMAH
Every single Muslim believes that his sect is the Jamah! It is this conviction, which apparently
is wrong in most cases, that keeps most Muslims on their chosen sects. For instance, the Shah
Immiyyah believe that they are the Jamah in this Ummah. They have an authentic hadth that
identifies them as the saved sect:
:
, ,
, , ,
, , ,
. , , ,
Narrated Ab Khlid al-Kbul:
Ab Jafar al-Bqir said: Verily, the Jews divided after Ms into 71 sects. Of them, only
one sect will be in Paradise while the remaining 70 sects will be in Hellfire. The
Christians divided into 72 sects. One of them will be in Paradise while 71 will be in
Hellfire. This Ummah divided after its prophet into 73 sects. 72 of them will be in Hellfire
while one of them will be in Paradise. Among them are 13 that proclaim our Wilyah (i.e.
are Shah) and love. 12 of them will be in Hellfire, while one will be in Paradise. The
remaining 60 sects from the rest of the people will be in Hellfire.31
Allmah al-Majlis grades this hadth as hasan32. It shows that all the Sunn and other sects in
this Ummah will be in Hellfire. It also establishes that the Shah would be divided into 13 sects,
while 12 of them will be in Hellfire. The only saved sect is the last Shah sect. They are the
Jamah that stay firmly on the haqq. One can deduce from the hadth that the 60 non-Shah
sects and the 12 Shah sects that will be in Hellfire are those who have strayed from what
Muhammad and his Sahbah were practising together during his lifetime.
Every Imm firmly believes that this authentic hadth confirms that he is on the right path. He
sees the Zaydiyyah, the Ismliyyah, the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah, the Mutazillah and other
Islmic sects as the doomed ones. No doubt, he has absolutely no reason to join any of those
other sects, as long as he believes that Immiyyah are the Jamah.
Al-j, a classical Sunn scholar, makes this counterclaim:
:
.
As for the saved sect about whom the Prophet said they are those upon what I and my
Sahbah are upon, they are the al-Ashirah, and the Salaf from the hadth narrators and
31
32
MuHammad b. Yaqb al-Kulayn, Rawdat al-Kf, vol. 8, p. 188

Bqir al-Majlis, Mirt al-Uql, vol. 26, 153
the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah. Their madhhab (sect) is free from the heresy of these
people (i.e. the other sects).33
There is some confusion in the submission of al-j. Al-Safrn gives us the reasons for this:
:
.
.::
():
.
Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah are THREE sects: the Athariyyah (now mostly called
Salafiyyah) and their Imm is Ahmad b. Hanbal, the Ashariyyah and their Imm is Ab alHasan al-Ashar, and the Mturdiyyah and their Imm is Ab Mansr al-Mturd.
Some of the scholars said: The saved sect are the Ahl al-Hadth, meaning the Athariyyah,
the Ashariyyah and the Maturdiyyah.
The statement of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family that except one sect
rejects plurality. Therefore, the saved sect are only the Athariyyah, the followers of
Ahmad b. Hanbal, and does not include the Ashariyyah and the Mturdiyyah. 34
There is no doubt that the core beliefs of the Salafiyyah, especially on Tawhd, differ completely
from those of the Ashariyyah and the Mturdiyyah. The latter two do not believe that Allh, for
instance, has literal limbs like face, eyes, hands, legs and so on, while this is the foundation of the
Salafiyyah! According to the Ashariyyah and the Mturdiyyah, the verses of the Qurn and the
ahdth that mention hands and other limbs for Allh are only metaphorical. Meanwhile, they
are taken literally by the Salafiyyah. Moreover, the Ashariyyah and Mturdiyyah believe that
Allh is omnipresent. On the other hand, the Salafiyyah assert that He actually resides above the
heavens and is not present anywhere else. The end result is that both camps believe in and
worship different Allhs! How then can all three sects possibly be the Jamah which follows
only the haqq from Allh, His Straight Path (which contains no internal contradictions or
disagreements) and the religion of Muhammad and his Sahbah during his lifetime?!
Imm al-Dhahab further records that Ab Htim al-Rz, the well-known Sunn hadth master,
said:
.
Whosoever is not a Hanbal is not a Muslim!35
In other words, the old Hanbillah consider themselves the Jamah and the only Muslims on the
earth. To them, all the other Sunn sects, and all other Muslims, were infidels. By contrast, Ibn al33
st
Al-j, Kitb al-Mawqif (Beirut: Dr al-Jayl; 1 edition, 1417 H) *annotator: Abd al-Rahmn Umayrah+, vol. 3,
p. 718
34
Shams al-Dn Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Slim al-Safrn al-Hanbal, Lawmi al-Anwr al-Bahiyah, vol. 1, pp.
73-76
35
st
Shams al-Dn Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Uthmn al-Dhahab, Trkh al-Islm (Beirut: Dr al-Kitb al-Arab; 1
edition, 1407) *annotator: Dr. Umar Abd al-Salm Tadmir+, vol. 29, p. 303
Athr, a classical Sunn historian, documents that Ab al-Qsim al-Bakr al-Maghrib, who was an
Ashar, used to say about the Hanbillah:
.
By Allh! Ahmad (b. Hanbal) was not a kfir. But his followers are kuffr!36
Al-Maghrib thus expels the Hanbillah from the Jamah! These quotes further confirm that the
differences among the Sunn sects are indeed very grave and fundamental.
We see claims and counterclaims. Everyone accuses the other of not being from the Jamah.
Was this the Prophets motive for telling the 73 sects hadth? The answer is a clear NO. He was
informed by his Lord that his Ummah would disobey His order that they must not become sects.
Our Creator knows everything; and He even gave His Prophet the exact number of sects that will
be in the Ummah. The Prophet gave the hadth as an eternal warning to all of us, so that we all
become cautious of the sects and seeks only the right path. It is supposed to wake us from our
slumber and guide our ways to the Truth. The Ummah unfortunately have abused it.
Our noble Prophet has told us that the Jamah are only those who follow the pure Islm,
without a single bidah, as he and his Sahbah did during his lifetime.
The Jamah therefore is able to trace all its beliefs and practices to the time of Muhammad.
Whichever sect fails these tests is NOT the Jamah and will be in Hellfire. Therefore, the focus of
the Muslims should be to find if there is a single bidah inherent in the teachings or practices of
their respective sects. The authentic ahdth have shown that only one, out of the 73 sects, can
claim to be bidah-free. So, once a Muslim discovers that his sect promotes a bidah, a single
bidah, then he is warned by the Prophet that he is heading into Hellfire! His sect, whatever
name it is called, was only invented after the death of the Prophet. It is one of the 72 sects that
broke up from the haqq, and thereby disobeyed Allh. On account of the disobedience and the
bidahs, such a sect will be in Hellfire.
In a simple word, the following are the conditions for all those who assert that they are the
Jamah:
1. An Imm must prove that Muhammad and his Sahbah, during his lifetime, were strictly
and completely Shah Immiyyah in aqdah and fiqh.
2. A Salaf must prove that Muhammad and his Sahbah, during his lifetime, were strictly
and completely Salaf in aqdah and fiqh.
3. A Sf must prove that Muhammad and his Sahbah, during his lifetime, were strictly
and completely Sf in aqdah and fiqh.
4. An Ashar must prove that Muhammad and his Sahbah, during his lifetime, were
strictly and completely Ashar in aqdah and fiqh.
5. A Mturd must prove that Muhammad and his Sahbah, during his lifetime, were
strictly and completely Mturd in aqdah and fiqh.
6. A Zayd must prove that Muhammad and his Sahbah, during his lifetime, were strictly
and completely Zayd in aqdah and fiqh.
7. An Isml must prove that Muhammad and his Sahbah, during his lifetime, were
strictly and completely Isml in aqdah and fiqh.
8. A Deoband must prove that Muhammad and his Sahbah, during his lifetime, were
strictly and completely Deoband in aqdah and fiqh.
36
Izz al-Dn b. al-Athr al-Jazr, al-Kmil f al-Trkh (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah; 2

*annotator: Abd Allh al-Qd+, vol. 8, p. 428
nd
edition, 1415 H)
9. A Barelv must prove that Muhammad and his Sahbah, during his lifetime, were strictly
and completely Barelv in aqdah and fiqh.
10. A Hanaf must prove that Muhammad and his Sahbah, during his lifetime, were strictly
and completely Hanafs in fiqh.
11. A Mlik must prove that Muhammad and his Sahbah, during his lifetime, were strictly
and completely Mliks in fiqh.
12. A Shfi must prove that Muhammad and his Sahbah, during his lifetime, were strictly
and completely Shfi in fiqh.
13. A Hanbal must prove that Muhammad and his Sahbah, during his lifetime, were strictly
and completely Hanbillah in fiqh.
Should any of these sects and mazhib fail to establish its condition, it then has failed to
establish itself as the true Jamah. Only one of them all can do this.
CHAPTER THREE
THE ONLY TRUE PATH TO THE JAMAH
Our beloved Prophet Muhammad loved his Ummah so much, and wished that we all get to
Paradise:

Now has come unto you a Messenger from amongst yourselves: it grieves him that you
should perish: ardently anxious is he over you: to the believers is he most kind and
merciful.37
But, Shaytn is at war with the children of dam, and seeks all means to deviate them from the
only straight path of their Lord.
Our beloved Prophet cannot force us to accept the haqq from him. He could only teach it to us
and persuade us to accept it. Acceptance or rejection of it is our own choice. The hadth of the 73
sects shows that our Lord already informed him that the majority of this Ummah would reject
the haqq from him and follow the Shaytn. As a loving master, he was disturbed by this, and did
all his best to teach us ways to remain upon the haqq till Qiymah.
Imm al-Bukhr of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah records how the Prophet Muhammad still
cared about his Ummah on his deathbed:
.
:
)
. (
.
)(
Narrated Ibn Abbs, may Allh be pleased with him:

When Allhs Apostle, peace be upon him, was present, and it in house (present with him)
were men, including Umar b. al-Khattb. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: Come.
Let me write for you a document that you will never go astray after it. Then Umar said:
Verily, sickness has overpowered the Prophet, peace be upon him, and you have the
Qurn with you. The Qurn is sufficient for us.
The people in the house disagreed and argued. Some of them said: Move closer and let
the Prophet, peace be upon him, write a document for you after which you will never go
astray. Others said what Umar said.
When their noise and disagreement became much in the presence of the Prophet, peace
be upon him, Allhs Apostle, peace be upon him, said: Leave.
37
Qurn 9:128
Ubayd Allh said: Ibn Abbs used to say The tragedy of all tragedies that prevented
Allhs Apostle from writing that document for them due to their disagreement and
noise.38
The incident is the tragedy of all tragedies. The Prophet wanted to help all generations of Islm
till Qiymah. But his Sahbah disagreed and quarreled over his simple order. Umar claimed that
sickness had overpowered him in response to his order, and on that premise rejected it and
submitted an alternative: the Qurn only! It is obvious that by saying that the sickness had
overpowered him, Umar was suggesting that the Prophet was delirious and did not know what
he was saying. Imm al-Bukhr confirms this:
:
. ( )
(
(
Narrated Sad b. Jubayr:
I heard Ibn 'Abbs saying, "Thursday! And you know not what Thursday is? After that Ibn
'Abbs wept till the stones on the ground were soaked with his tears. On that I asked Ibn
'Abbas, "What is (about) Thursday?" He said, "When the condition (i.e. health) of Allh's
Apostle deteriorated, he said, 'Bring me a bone of scapula, so that I may write something
for you after which you will never go astray.' The people differed in their opinions
although it was improper to differ in front of a prophet. They said, Allhs Apostle is
MENTALLY ILL! The Prophet replied, 'Leave me, for I am in a better state than what you
attributing to me.'39
Who were those who accused the Prophet of mental illness? They were the camp of Umar b. alKhattb, who were saying what Umar said. In other words, apart from claiming that sickness
had overpowered the Prophet, Umar also went ahead to explicitly accuse the Prophet of mental
illness, and this charge was repeated by his supporters. The Messenger of Allh however refuted
them!
Imm al-Ghazl makes this matter clear:
..
When the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, died, he said before his death, Bring
ink and paper so that I can remove the problem of leadership from you. I will dictate to
you who is entitled to it after me. Umar, may Allh be pleased with him, said, Leave the
man, for verily he is mental illness.40
38
rd
Ab Abd Allh Muhammad b. Isml al-Bukhr, al-Jmi al-Sahh (Beirut: Dr Ibn Kathr; 3 edition, 1407 H)
[annotator: Dr. Mustaf Db al-Bagh+, vol. 5, p. 2146, # 5345
39
Ibid, vol. 3, p. 1111, # 2888
40
Ab Hmid Muhammad b. Muhammad al-Ghazl, Sirr al-Almn wa Kashf m f al-Drayn (Beirut: Dr alKutub al-Ilmiyyah; 1st edition, 1424 H) *annotator: Muhammad Hasan Isml and Ahmad Fard al-Mazd+, vol.
1, p. 18
This shows that the incident had to do with Khilfah. The guidance of the Ummah after its
Prophet is in its Khilfah. Al-Hfiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqaln also states in this regard:
There is disagreement about what was intended to be done with the paper (demanded).
It is said that he (the Prophet) wanted to write a document specifying in it the Islmic
rules to avoid chaos. It is also said that he actually intended to name the Khalfahs after
him so as to prevent disagreement among them (i.e. his Ummah). This was said by
SUFYN B. UYAYNAH.41
Sufyn b. Uyaynah was from the Salaf of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah.
Imm Ibn al-Athr further corroborates Imm al-Ghazls submission:
....
He is mentally ill The one who said this was Umar.42
The Shah sources say the same thing as well. Shaykh al-Mufd states:
)(:
A single report that its narration is agreed upon by the Shah and the Sunns is the
statement of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family, during his end of his life,
when he said: Bring to me pen and paper so that I write for you a document that you will
never go astray after it. And Umar said: The man is mentally ill!43
These reports show the Prophets concern for his Ummah. He wanted to give a clear direction to
help anyone striving to remain on the haqq after him. Umar prevented him however, he and his
supporters, and accused him of mental illness. In fact, Umar and his supporters firmly insisted
that he would not write it until they forced down the order. Imm Ahmad records:
( )
Narrated Jbir:
Verily, the Prophet, peace be upon him, at the time of his death, called for a paper to write
a document in it after which they will never go astray. Umar opposed it until he
(successfully) rejected it. (Sahh li Ghayrihi).44
41
Ab al-Fadl Ahmad b. Al b. Hajar al-Asqaln, Fath al-Br Sharh Sahh al-Bukhr (Beirut: Dr al-Marifah)
[annotator: Muhib al-Dn al-Khatb+, vol. 1, p. 209
42
Ibn al-Athr al-Jazar, al-Nihyah f al-Gharb al-Hadth wa al-Athar (Beirut: al-Maktabah al-Ilmiyyah; 1399 H)
*annotator: Thir Ahmad al-Zw+, vol. 5, p. 244
43
Shaykh al-Mufd, Awil al-Maqlt, p. 409
44
Ab Abd Allh Ahmad b. Hanbal al-Shaybn, Musnad (Cairo: Muasassat al-Qurtuba) *annotator: Shuayb alArnat+, vol. 3, p. 346, #14768
Certain things come to mind. Why did Umar say The Qurn is sufficient for us? Did he suspect
that the Prophet was going to write the Qurn and so-and-so? Was he giving a preemptive
reply to the Prophet? Moreover, why did the loving Prophet abandon an idea that would have
benefitted his Ummah till eternity?
When we examine some other Sunn and Shah ahdth, the whole episode between the Prophet
and the camp of Umar becomes clearer.
HADTH ONE
Shaykh al-Albn records that the Prophet said at Arafat during his Farewell Hajj:
( )!
O mankind! I have left among you what if you hold fast to it you will never go astray: the
Book of Allh AND my Ahl al-Bayt. (Sahh)45
Al-Hfiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqaln also declares the chain of the hadth to be sahh46, as well as
Imm al-Bsr47. The hadth has been graded sahh by Imm Ibn Jarr al-Tabar48, Shaykh
Sulaymn al-Qundz49, and Ibn Hajar al-Haytam50.
The question is: what is that which if we hold fast to it, we will never go astray? The Messenger
of Allh answers: the Book of Allh and my Ahl al-Bayt. Obviously, that what and its pronoun
it refer to these two. A similar expression can be found in the Qurn:

O you who believe! Intoxicants AND gambling AND divination are A DIRT from the
handiwork of Shaytn. Therefore, avoid IT in order that you may be successful.51
This shows that it is permissible, grammatically, to describe a number of things with a singular
noun or pronoun. Normally, when a number of things are grouped under what as in the above
hadth, the corresponding pronoun is it. But, it may also be made to reflect the number (i.e.
both). Shaykh al-Albn records another hadth that confirms that the what and its pronoun
it refer to two things the Book and the itrah:
45
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, al-Silsilah al-Ahdth al-Sahhah (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Marif), vol. 4, p.
355, # 1761; Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Sahh Sunan al-Tirmidh (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Marif; 1420 H),
vol. 3, p. 542, # 3786
46
st
Ahmad b. Al b. Hajar al-Asqaln, al-Matlib al-liyah (Saudi Arabia: Dr al-Ghayb; 1 edition, 1419 H)
*annotator: Dr. Sad b. Nsir b. Abd al-Azz al-Shatr+, vol. 4, p. 65, # 3972
47
Al-Bsr, Ithf al-Khiyarat al-Mahirat, vol. 9, p. 279
48
See al-Muttaq al-Hind, Kanz al-Ummal, vol. 1, p. 379, # 1650
49
Shaykh Sulaymn b. Ibrhm al-Qundz al-Hanaf, Yanbi al-Mawaddah (Iran: Dr al-Uswat li Tabat wa alst
Nashr; 1 edition, 1416 H) [annotator: Sayyid Al Jaml Ashraf+, vol. 2, p. 432
50
Ab al-Abbs Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Al b. Hajar al-Haytam, al-Sawiq al-Muhriqah (Lebanon:
st
Muasassat al-Rislah; 1 edition, 1417 H) *annotator: Abd al-Rahmn b. Abd Allh al-Turk and Kmil
Muhammad al-Khurt], vol. 2, p. 428
51
Qurn 5:90

: :
:
( )
Narrated Ab Sad AND Zayd b. Arqam:
Allhs Apostle said: I will leave among you what if you adhere to it you will never go
astray after me. One of them BOTH is greater than the other: the Book of Allh, a rope
stretching from the heavens to the earth, AND my itrah, my Ahl al-Bayt. Both shall never
separate until they meet me at the Lake-Font. Watch carefully how you treat them both
after me. (Sahh)52
This hadth completely cuts the roots of any baseless claims!
This incident of Arafat above took place before that of the pen and paper. The statement of
Umar The Qurn is sufficient for us in the latter event is a direct, preemptive reply to this
hadth. He and his camp rejected the Ahl al-Bayt that very day, in the very blessed presence of
the master of all creation. His step was however very dangerous in the light of this dire warning
about the Qurn and the Ahl al-Bayt - which if you hold fast to it you will never go astray. This
means that if you do not hold fast to the Ahl al-Bayt (like the Qurn) them, you will go astray.
HADTH TWO
After that Arafat declaration, the Messenger of Allh still went ahead to repeat that instruction
at Ghadr Khum. Imm Muslim records:
Narrated Yazd b. Hayyn:

I went along with Husayn b. Sabrah and 'Umar b. Muslim to Zayd b. Arqam and, as we sat
by his side, Husayn said to him:
52
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Sahh Sunan al-Tirmidh (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Marif; 1420 H), vol. 3, p.
543, # 3788
O Zayd! You have been able to acquire a lot of good. You saw the Messenger of Allh,
peace be upon him, listened to his talk, fought by his side in (different) battles, offered
Salh behind him. O Zayd, you have in fact earned a lot of good. O Zayd, narrate to us what
you heard from the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him.
He said: I have grown old and have almost spent my age and I have forgotten some of the
things which I remembered in connection with the Messenger of Allh, so accept
whatever I narrate to you, and which I do not narrate do not compel me to do that.
He then said:
One day Allh's Messenger, peace be upon him, stood up to deliver sermon at a watering
place known as Khumm situated between Makkah and Madnah and said: O mankind, I
am a human being. I am about to receive a messenger (the angel of death) from my Lord
and I will answer my Lord. But, I am leaving among you TWO WEIGHTY THINGS
(THAQALAYN): one of them BOTH being the Book of Allh in which there is right guidance
and light, so hold fast to the Book of Allh and adhere to it. He exhorted (us) (to hold
fast) to the Book of Allh and then said: AND (WA) MY AHL AL-BAYT. I remind you, by
Allh, of my Ahl al-Bayt! I remind you, by Allh, of my Ahl al-Bayt! I remind you, by Allh,
of my Ahl al-Bayt!53
The Messenger of Allh made his point very clear by referring to both the Qurn and the Ahl alBayt as the thaqalayn (two weighty things). Imm al-Naww explains what this means:
( (
The statement of the Prophet, peace be upon him, And I will leave among you two
weighty things (thaqalayn) and he mentioned the Book of Allh and his Ahl al-Bayt. The
ulam said that he named them two weighty things (thaqalayn) due to their
magnificence and their great significance. It is also said that he so named them due to the
importance of FOLLOWING THEM BOTH.54
The classical Sunn linguist, Ibn Manzr, further submits:
It is narrated that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said at the end of his life I will leave
among you the two weighty things (al-thaqalayn): the Book of Allh and my itrah. He
identified them (i.e. the two weighty things) as the Book of Allh the Almighty and his
itrah. We have already explained what itrah means. Thalab said: They are named two
weighty things (thaqalayn) because holding fast to them BOTH is significant and
following them BOTH is important. The root of the word al-thaqal (singular of althaqalayn) is that the Arabs say about anything that is important and precious that it is a
53
Ab al-Husayn Muslim b. al-Hajjj al-Naysbr al-Qushayr, Sahh (Beirut: Dr al-Khayr) [annotator: Shaykh
Muslim b. Mahmd Uthmn al-Salaf al-Athar+, vol. 4, p. 1873, # 2408
54
Ab Zakariyyh Yahy b. Sharaf al-Naww, Sharh Sahh Muslim (Beirut: Dr Ihy al-Turth al-Arab; 2nd
edition, 1392), vol. 15, p. 180
thaqal (a weighty thing). He named them both two weighty things (thaqalayn) to magnify
their significance and worth.55
Imm al-Samhd, another classical Sunn scholar, adds his voice:

Since everything in the Great Qurn and the pure itrah is a fountain of religious
knowledge, the (divine) secrets, and the divine ordinances, and the treasures of their
correct versions, he applied the term al-thaqalayn (the two weighty things) to them both
and this is proved by his emphasis in the previous route on following and adhering to and
learning from his Ahl al-Bayt.56
Imm al-Haytam seals it all:

(They are called) thaqalayn (two weighty things) because (the word) al-thaqal (singular
of al-thaqalayn) covers every precious item. The two of them (i.e. the Qurn and the Ahl
al-Bayt) are like that (i.e. precious). Each one of them is a fountain of religious knowledge
and the (divine) secrets, and the highest government and judgment, and the Sharah
rulings.57
The Messenger of our Lord, no doubt, delivered the message very clearly. There is no more
excuse for any doubter.
HADTH THREE
The Prophet of Mercy gave several further instructions at Ghadr Khum. He repeated hadth althaqalayn there in different wordings, to ensure that all his audience got the message. Imm
Ahmad records one more of such repetitions:
( )
Narrated Ab Sad al-Khudr:
Allhs Apostle, peace be upon him, said: I have left among you what if you hold fast to it
you will NEVER go astray after me: the two weighty things (al-thaqalayn). One of them is
55
st
Muhammad b. Makram b. Manzr al-Afrq al-Misr, Lisn al-Arab (Beirut: Dr Sdr; 1 edition), vol. 11, p.
85
56
Imm al-Samhd, Jawhir al-Iqdayn, p. 243
57
st
greater than the other: the Book of Allh, a rope stretching from the heaven to the earth,
AND my itrah, my Ahl al-Bayt. Verily, both shall NEVER separate until they meet me at the
Lake-font. (Sahh hadth)58
Imm al-Als59, Sayyid al-Saqqf60, al-Dhahab61, Muhammad b. Ishq62, al-Hkim63, and other
Sunn scholars have also graded the hadth as sahh.
This hadth is explicit. What we must follow to remain upon the haqq after the Prophet are the
two weighty things (thaqalayn): the Qurn and the Prophets itrah, who are his Ahl al-Bayt. The
contemporary Sunn scholar, Sayyid al-Saqqf, comments about the above hadth as follows:
The meaning of holding fast to the Ahl al-Bayt and adhering to them is to love them,
protect their sacredness, copy their manners, follow their guidance and practices, act by
their reports, rely upon their opinions, statements and ijtihd, and prefer them above
others.64
Moreover, the Qurn and the Ahl al-Bayt will never separate till Qiymah. They will continue to
be the guides of this Ummah, jointly, till the Hour. The Qurn will never remain sufficient for
salvation except with someone from the itrah of the Prophet, and the Ahl al-Bayt will never be
sufficient guides except with the Qurn. In addition, both will never contradict each other till
the Day of Judgment. The two weighty things will never part in existence, conduct or views.
The Sunn scholar, al-Manw, comments on the hadth:
It is understood from this that someone who deserves to be held fast to will always be
from the Ahl al-Bayt, the pure itrah, at every time, and they will continue to exist in it till
the Hour.65
Al-Haytam too adds:
58
59
Al-Als, Mukhtasar al-Tuhfah, p. 52
60
Hasan b. Al al-Saqqf, Sahh Sifah al-Salh al-Nab, p. 29
61
See Ab al-Fid Isml b. Umar b. Kathr al-Dimashq, al-Bidyah wa al-Nihyah (Beirut: Maktabah alMarif), vol. 5, p. 228
62
st
See Ab Mansr Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Azhar, Tahdhb al-Lughah (Beirut: Dr Ihy al-Turth al-Arab; 1
edition, 2001 CE) [annotator: Muhammad Awd Mirab+, vol. 2, p. 264
63
st
edition, 1411 H) vol. 3, p. 118, # 4576
64
st
Hasan b. Al Saqqf, Sahh Sharh Aqdah al-Tahwiyyah (Beirut: Dr al-Imm al-Naww; 1 edition, 1416 H)
, p. 654
65
Muhammad Abd al-Raf b. Al b. Zayn al-bidn al-Manw, Fayd al-Qadr Sharh al-Jmi al-Saghr (Egypt:
st
Al-Maktaba al-Tajriyyah; 1 edition, 1356 H), vol. vol. 3, p. 15

In the ahdth emphasizing adherence to the Ahl al-Bayt is an indication that the one to
be adhered to from among them will always be present till the Qiymah, just as the
Qurn is like this too (i.e. will be present to be followed forever).66
From the Shah side, we will only mention the words of Sayyid al-Mln:
.
This hadth proves the impossibility of separation between the Qurn and the itrah till
the Hour, even up till they reach the Lake-Font. As long as the Qurn exists till the Day of
Qiymah, then it is necessary that someone to be followed and copied also exist as an
Imm for every era and the hujjah of his time, from the pure itrah, till the Day of
Qiymah.67
The hadth is clear that the way to remain on the Jamah is to stick to the Qurn and the Ahl alBayt till the Hour. Whatsoever they teach is compatible with the Qurn, and was the
Muhammadan Islm practised by Muhammad and his Sahbah during his lifetime. Also, the
Qurn will never exist alone without a partner from the Ahl al-Bayt to accompany it as the two
guides of the whole Ummah at each point in time till Qiymah.
HADTH FOUR
Al-Hkim records:

:

Narrated Zayd b. Arqam, may Allh be pleased with him:
Allhs Apostle, peace be upon him, said: I will leave among you the two weighty things
(thaqalayn): the Book of Allh and my Ahl al-Bayt. Both shall never separate until they
meet me at the Lake-Font.68
Both al-Hkim and al-Dhahab grade the hadth as sahh, as well as Ibn Kathr69 and al-Qsim70.
66

st
67
st
Sayyid Al al-Mln, Nafht al-Azhar f Khulsat Ubqt al-Anwr (1 edition, 1414 H), vol. 2, p. 262
68
st
edition, 1411 H) vol. 3, p. 160, # 4711
69
Ab al-Fid Isml b. Umar b. Kathr al-Dimashq, Tafsr al-Qurn al-Azm (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr; 1401 H), vol.
4, p. 122
70
Jaml al-Dn al-Qsim, Mahsin al-Tawl, vol. 4, p. 307
Mirz al-Nr al-Tabars, the Shah scholar, records:
: ) (
: :

:
. :
: : :
: "

"
Ab Muhammad al-Fadl Shzn in Kitb al-Ghaybah Abd al-Rahmn b. Ab Najrn
sim b. Hamd Ab Hamzah al-Thuml Sad b. Jubayr Abd Allh b. Abbs, who
said:
Allhs Apostle, peace be upon him and his family, did Hajj with us in the Farewell
Pilgrimage, and he held the part of the door of the Kaabah and faced us and said:
O mankind! I will depart soon, and become completely absent. I make a will to you.
Take care of it. I will leave among you the two weighty things: the Book of Allh and my
itrah, my Ahl al-Bayt. If you hold fast to them BOTH, you will never go astray. O mankind!
I am a warner, and Al is a guide; and the good end is only for the pious. And all praise be
to Allh, the Lord of the worlds.71
Chain analysis
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Al-Fadl b. Shzn: Thiqah (trustworthy)72

Abd al-Rahmn b. Ab Najrn: Thiqah, thiqah73
sim b. Hamd: Thiqah74
Ab Hamza al-Thuml: Thiqah75
Sad b. Jubayr: Thiqah76
Abd Allh b. Abbs: Magnificent77
The report is obviously reliable. Al-Tabars declares it sahh as well78. The following Shah
ulam have also proclaimed Imm consensus over its authenticity: Ab al-Qsim Al b. Ahmad
al-Kf (d. 352 H)79, Shaykh al-Sadq (d. 381 H)80, Shaykh al-Mufd (d. 413 H)81, Sharf al-
71
Mirz al-Nr al-Tabars, Mustadrak al-Wasil, vol. 11, p. 372, # 11

Al-Najsh, Fihrist, vol. 2, p. 168, # 838
73
Ibid, vol. 2, p. 45, # 620
74
Ibid, vol. 2, p. 158, # 819
75
Ibid, vol. 1, p. 289, # 294
76
Al-Khui, Mujam Rijl al-Hadth, vol. 8, p. 114
77
Ibid, vol. 10, p. 239
78
Ab Al al-Fadl b. al-Hasan al-Tabars, Tafsr Majma al-Bayn (Beirut, Lebanon: Muasassah al-Alm li alst
Matbt; 1 edition, 1415 H), vol. 1, p. 33
79
Ab al-Qsim Al b. Ahmad b. Ms al-Kf, Al-Istighthah f Bida al-Thalthah, vol. 2, p. 12
80
Ab Jafar Muhammad b. Al b. al-Husayn al-Sadq, Kaml al-Dn wa Tamm al-Nimah (Tehran, Iran:
nd
Islmiyyah; 2 edition, 1395 H), p. 64
72
Murtad (d. 436 H)82, Ab Salh al-Halab (d. 447 H)83, Shaykh al-Ts (d. 460 H)84, Ibn Idrs alHill (d. 598 H)85, and Mulla Muhammad Slih Mzandarn (d. 1081 H)86.
These ahdth further identify the Qurn and the Ahl al-Bayt as the two weighty things which
the Prophet left behind among his Ummah, and that both will never separate. We must hold
them as being weighty in our lives and religion. If we hold fast to them both, we will be in the
saved Jamah.
HADTH FIVE
Al-Haytam states:
In the Sahh report, the Prophet said:

I will leave among you two Commands. You will never go astray if you FOLLOW them
BOTH. They both are the Book of Allh and my Ahl al-Bayt, my itrah.
Al-Tabarns report (of the same hadth) includes: I will ask about both of them. Do not
go ahead of them because you will thereby perish, and do not lag behind them both
because you will perish thereby. And do not teach them because they are more
knowledgeable than you.87
Shaykh al-Kulayn also records:
:
: ":
:....
.
:
81
Ab Abd Allh Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Numn al-Mufd al-Ukbar al-Baghdd, Al-Irshd f Marifah
nd
Hujjaj Allh al al-Ibd (Beirut, Lebanon: Dr al-Mufd; 2 edition, 1414 H), vol. 1, p. 180
82
nd
Sharf Al b. al-Husayn al-Musaw al-Murtad, al-Shf f al-Immah (Qum, Iran: Muasassah Ismliyyn; 2
edition, 1410 H) [annotator: Sayyid al-Husayn al-Khatb+, vol. 3, p. 123
83
Ab Salh al-Halab, al-Kf f al-Fiqh (Isfahan, Iran: Maktabah al-Imm Amr al-Muminn Al) *annotator:
Rid Uztd+, p. 97; Ab Salh al-Halab, Taqrb al-Marif (1417 H), p. 181
84
Ab Jafar Muhammad b. al-Hasan b. Al b. al-Hasan, al-Tibyn f Tafsr al-Qurn (Maktab al-Alm al-Islm;
st
1 edition, 1409 H) [annotator: Ahmad Habb Qasr al-mil+, vol. 1, p. 4
85
Shaykh Ab Jafar Muhammad b. Mansr b. Ahmad b. Idrs, Kitb al-Sarir al-Hw li Tahrr al-Fatw (Qum,
Iran: Muasassah al-Nashr al-Islm; 1410 H), vol. 2, p. 679
86
st
Mulla Muhammad Slih al-Mzandarn, Sharh Usl al-Kf (Beirut, Lebanon: Dr Ihy al-Turth al-Arab; 1
edition, 1421 H) *annotators: Mirz Ab al-Hasan al-Sharn and Sayyid Al Ashr+, vol. 6, p. 139
87
st
MuHammad al-Khurt], vol. 2, p. 439
:
Narrated Ab Basr:
I asked Ab Abd Allh about the Statement of Allh Obey Allh, and obey the Messenger
and the possessors of the command among you. He said: It was revealed about Al in
Ab Tlib, al-Hasan and al-Husayn, peace be upon them And Allhs Apostle, peace be
upon him and his family, said: I leave you a will about the Book of Allh and my Ahl alBayt, for verily I asked Allh the Almighty to never separate them both until they return
to the Lake-Font and He granted me that. Never teach them because they are more
knowledgeable than you. They will never take you out of the door of guidance, and will
never enter you into the door of misguidance.88
Allmah al-Majlis grades its two chains as sahh89.
The Qurn and the Ahl al-Bayt are the Prophets two commands to us: we must obey and follow
them both. Obeying them means obeying the Prophets command, and disobeying them means
disobeying his command. Whosoever refuses to obey and follow either of the two commands
has disobeyed the noble Prophet. Whosoever follows them both will find himself in the Jamah.
Imm al-Bukhr records a relevant Hadth here:
.

Allhs Apostle, peace be upon him, said: All of my Ummah will enter Paradise except
whoever refuses to. They said: And who is it that refuses to? He replied: Whosoever
obeys me will enter Paradise, and whosoever disobeys me has refused to enter it.90
In other words, whosoever follows the Qurn and Ahl al-Bayt will be part of the saved Jamah.
Whoever refuses to follow either of them will be part of the doomed sects. Moreover, we must
refer all matters to them and submit absolutely to whatsoever they judge. They are infallible
guides, and apparently the most knowledgeable of the entire Ummah. This, of course, is logical.
Allh would never make anyone the guide of the Ummah unless he is the most knowledgeable
and the best guided, and the best guide, among them.
HADTH SIX
Al-Hkim records that the Prophet further said at Ghadr Khumm:
88
Ab Jafar Muhammad b. Yaqb b. Ishq al-Kulayn al-Rz, al-Usl min al-Kf (Tehran, Iran: Islmiyyah; 2nd
edition, 1362 H), vol. 1, pp. 287-288, # 1
89
Allmah al-Majlis, Mirt al-Uql, vol. 3, p. 213
90
rd
Ab Abd Allh Muhammad b. Isml al-Bukhr, al-Jmi al-Sahh (Beirut: Dr Ibn Kathr; 3 edition, 1407 H)
It seems like I have been called (i.e. by the angel of death) and I answered (i.e. will soon
die). I have left among you the two weighty things. One of them is greater than the other:
the Book of Allh the Most High and my itrah. Watch carefully how you treat them both in
my absence, BECAUSE both will never separate until they meet me at the Lake-Font.91
Al-Hkim declares the hadth as sahh. Shaykh al-Albn also grades the above hadth as sahh92.
The instruction is clear: we must watch carefully how we treat the Qurn and the Ahl al-Bayt
after the Prophet. But, why must we do this? Our noble Prophet answers: this is because both
shall never separate. This is an unequivocal warning to whosoever seeks to separate them, by
following one and leaving the other. It is also a warning against whosoever thinks that the
Qurn and the Ahl al-Bayt ever separate in action, views or existence.
HADTH SEVEN
Shaykh al-Albn records that the Prophet said:
(" ):"
I have left among you two things. You will never go astray after them (i.e. as long as you
follow them): the Book of Allh and my Sunnah. Both shall never separate until they meet
me at the Lake-Font. (Sahh)93
This hadth has a lot of benefits for this Ummah. It has equated the Ahl al-Bayt with the Sunnah
of the Prophet Muhammad. The Ahl al-Bayt are the Sunnah personified. It also shows that the
correct Sunnah will continue to exist among the people, through the Ahl al-Bayt, till the Hour.
Furthermore, it establishes that the correct Sunnah always agrees with the Qurn and never
contradicts it.
Since the Prophet has left only two things, it makes logical sense to say that he has called his Ahl
al-Bayt his Sunnah in the above hadth. This is to emphasis that whatsoever the Ahl al-Bayt say
or do is the true Sunnah of Muhammad, which he practiced during his lifetime. This crucial
hadth further establishes that the Ahl al-Bayt have been left behind as the guides of the Ummah,
along with the Qurn, only because Allh has made them the reservoirs of the true Sunnah of
Muhammad till Qiymah.
HADTH EIGHT
( ).":"
I have made as my Khalfahs among you two things. You will never go astray after them
both: the Book of Allh and my Sunnah. Both shall never separate until they meet me at
the Lake-Font. (Sahh)94
91
st

edition, 1411 H) vol. 3, p. 118, # 4576
92
330, # 1750
93
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Sahh wa Daf al-Jmi al-Saghr wa Ziydtuh (Maktab al-Islm), vol. 1,
p. 566, # 2937
94
Ibid, vol. 1, p. 615, # 3232
This hadth is about Khilfah to the Prophet Muhammad. His Khalfahs are the Qurn and his
Sunnah. The Shah scholar, al-Tabars, gives this perfect definition of a Khalfah:
.:
.
The Khalfah: is the one who administer the affairs on behalf of another.95
The classical Sunn exegete, Imm al-Baydw, also adds:
The Khalfah is one who takes the place of another and acts on his behalf.96
Prophet Muhammad is the ruler of this Ummah. However, due to death, he cannot rule over us
today. Therefore, he had to appoint two Khalfahs to take his place after him: the Qurn and the
Sunnah. The Qurn and Sunnah take his exact place in his Ummah, meaning that the people
must submit to them both in the same way they would have submitted to the Prophet
Muhammad, had he been alive. They are our absolute rulers at this time, on behalf and on the
authority of our Prophet.
The Qurn states how the believers must treat Muhammad (and therefore anyone or anything
that occupies his place on his authority after him):

The Prophet is closer to the believers than themselves.97
Classical Sunn scholar, Qd Iyd, states about this verse:
::
.
The exegetes said: closer to the believers than themselves: meaning, whatsoever order
he gives to them is absolute, just as the command, government and judgment of a slavemaster is absolute over his slave.98
Ibn al-Jawz also submits:
( )

.
His Statement (The Prophet is closer to the believers than themselves) means that he is
more entitled to command, govern and judge over them with whatsoever he wished. Ibn
95
st
Al-Tabars, Tafsr Majma al-Bayn (Beirut: Muasassat al-Alam lil Matbt; 1 edition, 1415 H), vol. 8, p.
355
96
Al-Baydw, Tafsr, vol. 1, p. 280
97
Qurn 33:6
98
Ab al-Fadl b. Ms Qd Iyd, Kitb al-Shif vol. 1, p. 49
Abbs said If he calls them to do ANYTHING, and they wish to do something else,
obedience to him supersedes obedience to themselves. This is correct because their
souls call them to their destruction while the Messenger calls then to their salvation.99
Mulla Al Qr caps it:
( )
(is closer to the believers than themselves) means that he has more authority IN
EVERYTHING, in mundane and religious matters. HIS AUTHORITY IS ABSOLUTE and NOT
conditional. It is also obligatory upon them to love him more than themselves and his
commands, decrees and judgments over them supersedes their own.100
The Qurn also states:

But no, by your Lord, they can have no mn, until they make you (O Muhammad)
commander, ruler and judge in ALL disputes between them, and find in themselves no
resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) WITH FULL SUBMISSION.101
All matters must be referred to the Prophet Muhammad, and his decisions must be final and
accepted without any resistance. He is not alive now. However, he did appoint two Khalfahs to
take his place. We must refer ALL matters to them both and accept their verdicts without any
resistance, and with absolute submission. Unless we do that, we cannot be real believers.
Something comes to mind: since the Prophet Muhammad equated his Ahl al-Bayt with his
Sunnah, this hadth seems to suggest that they are his Khalfahs along with the Qurn. There is
no way the Sunnah can be a Khalfah of the Prophet without the Ahl al-Bayt also being. They are
one and the same according to the words of the Messenger of the Lord of the worlds.
HADTH NINE
Shaykh al-Albn records that the Prophet said to his Sahbah in Madnah, after Ghadr Khum,
shortly before his death:
,,,
,,,
,,
I advise you to fear Allh, and to listen and obey, even if (the ruler is) an Ethiopian slave.
Whosoever among you lives long after me will see a lot of differences and disagreements.
Therefore, follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Khalfahs who are divinely guided
(al-mahdiyn) and are rightly guided (al-rshidn). Adhere to them and cling stubbornly
99
rd
Abd al-Rahmn b. Al b. Muhammad b. al-Jawz, Zd al-Masr f Ilm al-Tafsr (Beirut: Maktab al-Islm; 3
edition, 1404 H), vol. 6, p. 352
100
Mulla Al Qr, Mirqt al-Maftih Sharh Mishqt al-Masbih (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah; 1st edition,
1422 H) *annotator: Jaml Aytn+, vol. 6, p. 297
101
Qurn 4:65
to them. Beware of the innovations in the (religious) affairs, for every innovation is a
bidah, and every bidah is misguidance.102
Apart from grading it as sahh, Shaykh al-Albn also says:
."":
."":
."":
."":
."":
He (al-Tirmidh) said: A hasan sahh hadth.

Al-Harw said: This is one of the most magnificent hadths from the Syrians.
Al-Bazzr said: A firm, sahh hadth.
Ibn Abd al-Barr said: A firm hadth.
Al-Hkim said: Sahh. It has no defect.
Al-Diy al-Maqdis also declared it sahh 103
This hadth informs us once again about the sects the differences among them. It also shows us
that the proliferation of sects would occur right at the time of the Sahbah after the Prophets
death, among them: Whosoever among you lives long after me will see a lot of differences and
disagreements. He was addressing his Sahbah. Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah confirms that this
prediction came true:
: .

.
The Salaf (i.e. Sahbah) made LOTS OF MISTAKES in LOTS of issues, and it is agreed that
this does not make them kuffr. For instance, some of the Sahbah denied that the dead
can hear the call of the living; some of them denied that the Mirj occurred in a state of
wakefulness; some of them denied that Muhammad saw his Lord; the opinions of some of
them on Khilfah and Tafdl are well known, as well as the FIGHTING of some by others
and the CURSING of some by others and THE DECLARING OF SOME BY OTHERS AS
KUFFR. There are well known statements (about all this).104
The Sahbah disagreed to such an extent that they FOUGHT one another, CURSED one another
and declared one another as kuffr! Imm al-Dhahab also states:
102
nd
MuHammad NSir al-Dn al-Albn, Irw al-Ghall (Beirut: Maktabah al-Islm; 2 edition, 1405 H) vol. 8, p.
107, #2455
103
Ibid, vol. 8, p. 108
104
Ibn Taymiyyah, Majm al-Fatw, vol. 12, pp. 492-493
Some of the Sahbah declared others among them AS KUFFR due to their twl, and Allh
is pleased with all of them and has forgiven them, and they were not infallible.105
They had different understandings of Islam, and used to declare one another as infidels on
account of their differences and disagreements!
Our master and prophet, before his departure, told his Sahbah to do two things when
differences and disagreements would start to proliferate among them:
1. Follow his Sunnah
2. Follow the Sunnah of the Khalfahs after him, who are divinely guided and rightly
guided.
Whosoever did these two things would forever be saved from evil and misguidance of the sects,
and would be on the correct path.
This hadth no doubt relates the same message as hadth al-thaqalayn (i.e. the Book of Allh and
Ahl al-Bayt). This is a breakdown of the ahdth:
1. To be in the Jamah, one must follow the Qurn and Ahl al-Bayt.
2. To be in the Jamah, one must follow the Qurn and Sunnah: This shows that the Ahl alBayt are the Sunnah in human forms.
3. The Qurn and Sunnah are the Khalfahs of the Prophet who take his place among his
Ummah.
4. To be in the Jamah, one must follow the Sunnah of the Prophet and the Sunnah of the
divinely and rightly guided Khalfahs after him: This suggests that the Ahl al-Bayt are the
divinely and rightly guided Khalfahs since they are the only ones that must be followed
along with the Qurn for salvation. The Prophet did not leave three things behind: he
left only two. By using these various terms, he seems to be defining his Ahl al-Bayt to
convey deeper messages: they are his Sunnah and the divinely and rightly guided
Khalfahs.
Since the Ahl al-Bayt have been equated with the Prophets Sunnah, meaning that all their
actions, omissions, thoughts and sayings are the Sunnah, it makes perfect logical sense to
conclude that they are the divinely and rightly guided Khalfahs.
The Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah argue that Ab Bakr, Umar, Uthmn and Al were the divinely
and rightly guided Khalfahs, to the exclusion of all others. There are five fundamental problems
with this position however:
1. There is no single reliable Sunn hadth to back up that claim.
2. It contradicts the Sunn doctrine that the Prophet appointed no Khalfahs.
3. The Ahl al-Bayt are the ones to be followed by all and sundry in the Ummah, including by
Ab Bakr, Umar and Uthmn.
4. There were irreconcilable differences among the four Khalfahs.
5. Some of the caliphs invented and followed bidahs, meaning that they were neither
divinely guided nor rightly guided.
A single instance of bidah by these people is sufficient for our purpose. Imm al-Bukhr
records:
105
Ab Abd Allh al-Dhahab, al-Rawt al-Thuqt al-Mutakalam fhim bim l Yjib Raddahum (Dr al-Bashir
al-Islmiyyah), p. 23
, :
: ,

Narrated Marwn b. al-Hakam:
I witnessed Uthmn and Al, and Uthmn was prohibiting (Hajj) Tamattu (in which one
performs Hajj and Umrah together) and prohibiting from joining the two together (.e.
Hajj and Umrah). When Al saw this, he performed BOTH, saying At Your Service (O
Allh) with Umrah and Hajj. He also said: I will never leave the Sunnah of the Prophet
for the word of anyone.106
Uthmn prohibited Hajj Tamattu despite that it was the Sunnah of Allhs Apostle. Al, one of
the four Khalfahs, disobeyed him, and decided to stay with the Sunnah. But, in this clear bidah,
Uthmn was only following the sunnah of Umar. Shaykh al-Albn records:
, , : :
( )
Narrated Ibn Abbs:
I heard Umar saying: By Allh, I hereby forbid you from doing Hajj al-Tamattu, even
though it is in the Book of Allh and the Messenger of Allh did it, meaning doing Umrah
during Hajj. (Sahh)107
Both Umar and Uthmn prohibited people from something Allh has commanded in His Book
and His Prophet had practised it as his Sunnah! Would it then be correct to say that the Sunnah
of Umar and Uthmn was absolutely the same as the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allh? Would
it be correct to call Umar and Uthmn as divinely and rightly guided? In case the esteemed
reader is wondering what the answer is, the Qurn says:
It is not for a male or female believer that when Allh and His Messenger have decided a
matter that they should have any choice in their affair. Whosoever disobeys Allh and His
Messenger, then he has gone astray in a clear MISGUIDANCE.108
The hadth we are examining has also clearly said:
,,
Beware of the innovations in the (religious) affairs, for every innovation is a bidah, and
every bidah is MISGUIDANCE.
Shaykh al-Albn further records that the Prophet said:
106
Ab Abd Allh Muhammad b. Isml al-Bukhr, al-Jmi al-Sahh (Beirut: Maktabah al-Asriyyah; 1418 H),
vol. 2, p. 175
107
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Sahh Sunan al-Nis (Riyadh: Maktab al-Tarbiyyah al-Arab li Dawl alKhalj; 1408), vol. 2, p. 578
108
Qurn 33:36

) (
The worst of the matters are the innovations (in religion). All innovations (in religion)
are bidahs, and ALL bidahs are MISGUIDANCE, and ALL MISGUIDANCE LEADS TO
HELLFIRE. (Sahh)
Both Umar and Uthmn were therefore people of bidah, and not followers of the Sunnah. If
they are considered as the divinely guided and rightly guided Khalfahs, then it would be
impossible to follow the hadth, since the four Khalfahs were divided. Moreover, the Prophet
declared his Sunnah and those of the divinely and rightly guided Khalfahs to be one and the
same. This shows that all the true divinely and rightly guided Khalfahs follow the same religion
and practices in absolutely all affairs among themselves and with the Prophet Muhammad.
HADTH TEN
:
( )
I will leave among you two Khalfahs: the Book of Allh, a rope stretching between the
heaven and the earth, and my itrah, my Ahl al-Bayt. Both shall never separate until they
meet me at the Lake-Font. (Sahh)109
Shaykh Shuayb al-Arnat also declares the hadth as sahh110. Shaykh Ahmad Shkir and Hamza
al-Zayn confirm that the chain is hasan111. Hamad al-Damradsh declares the hadth as sahh
112. Allmah al-Als grades the hadth as sahh113. Al-Haytham declares its chain as jayyid
(good)114 and that all its narrators are trustworthy115.
Shaykh al-Sadq also records:

:
:"
:" .

109
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Sahh wa Daf al-Jmi al-Saghr wa Ziydatuh (al-Maktab al-Islm), vol.
1, p. 423, # 4222
110
111
Ab Abd Allh Ahmad b. Hanbal al-Shaybn, Musnad (Dr al-Hadth) *annotator: Ahmad Shkir and Hamza
al-Zayn+, vol. 16, p. 28, #21470
112
Al-Suyt, al-Jmi al-Saghr, [annotator: Hamad al-Damradsh+ vol. 2, p. 544, # 2631
113
Ab al-Fadl Mahmd al-Als, Rh al-Man (Beirut: Dr Ihy al-Turth al-Arab), vol. 22, p. 16
114
Nr al-Dn Al b. Ab Bakr al-Haytham, Majma al-Zawid (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr; 1412 H) vol. 9, p. 256, # 14957
115
Ibid, vol. 1, p. 413, # 784
Ahmad b. Ziyd b. Jafar al-Hamadn Al b. Ibrhm his father Muhammad b. Ab

Umayr Ghayth b. Ibrhm al-Sdiq Jafar b. Muhammad his father Muhammad b. Al
his father Al b. al-Husayn his father al-Husayn b. Al, peace be upon him, who said:
Amr al-Muminn was asked about the meaning of the statement of the Messenger, peace
be upon him and his family: I will leave as Khalfahs among you the two weighty things:
the Book of Allh and my itrah. It was asked: Who are the itrah?
He (Al) said: I, al-Hasan, al-Husayn, and the Imms from the progeny of al-Husayn.
Their ninth is their Mahd and Qim. They will never separate from the Book of Allh and
it will never separate from them, until they return to the Messenger of Allh, peace be
upon him and his family, at his Lake-Font.116
Chain analysis:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Shaykh al-Sadq: Our Shaykh and jurist117

Ahmad b. Ziyd b. Jafar al-Hamadn: Thiqah (trustworthy)118
Al b. Ibrhm: Thiqah119
Ibrhm b. Hshim: Thiqah120
Muhammad b. Ab Umayr: Thiqah121
Ghayth b. Ibrhm: Thiqah122
All the narrators are thiqah and Imms, and the chain is well-connected. Therefore, it is a sahh
report by Shah standards. Mirz al-Nr also declares the chain to be sahh.123
Shaykh al-Sadq further states:
: :

We say: All of the categories of the Zaydiyyah and the Immiyyah have unanimously
agreed that the Messenger of Allh said: I will leave among you the two weighty things:
the Book of Allh and my itrah, my Ahl al-Bayt. BOTH ARE MY KHALFAHS AFTER ME. And
116
Ab Jafar Muhammad b. Al b. al-Husayn b. Bbyah al-Sadq al-Qm, Uyn Akhbr al-Rid (Beirut,
Lebanon: Muasassah al-Alam li al-Matbt; 1404 H) *annotator: Shaykh Husayn al-Alam+, vol. 2, p. 60
117
118
Sayyid Ab al-Qsim al-Musw Al-Kh, Mujam Rijl al-Hadth, vol. 2, p. 120; Ab Jafar Muhammad b. Al
b. al-Husayn b. Bbyah al-Sadq al-Qm, Kaml al-Dn wa Tamm al-Nimah (Tehran, Iran: Islmiyyah; 2nd
edition, 1395 H), p. 369. In Shaykh al-Sadqs Kaml al-Dn, his name is wrongly spelt as Muhammad instead of
Ahmad. It is a typographical error as Shaykh al-Sadq had no shaykh named Muhammad b. Ziyd b. Jafar.
119
120
Sayyid Ab al-Qsim al-Musw Al-Kh, Mujam Rijl al-Hadth wa Tafsl Tabaqt al-Rawt (5th edition,
1413 H) vol. 1, p. 291
121
Ab Jafar Muhammad b. al-Hasan b. Al b. al-Hasan al-Ts, al-Fihrist (Qum, Iran: Muasassah al-Nashr alIslm; 1st edition, 1417 H) *annotator: Shaykh Jawd al-Qaym+, p. 218; Ab Jafar Muhammad b. al-Hasan b.
Al b. al-Hasan al-Ts, Rijl (Qum, Iran: Muasassah al-Nashr al-Islm; 1st edition, 1415 H) *annotator:
Muhammad al-Qaym al-Isfahn+, p. 365
122
Ab al-Abbs Ahmad b. Al b. Ahmad b. Al-Abbs al-Najsh al-Asad al-Kf, Rijl al-Najsh (Qum, Iran:
Muasassah al-Nashr al-Islm; 5th edition, 1416 H) *annotator: Sayyid Ms al-Shabr al-Zanjn+, p. 305
123
Mirz al-Nr, Mustadrak al-Wasil, vol. 5, pp. 76-77
both shall never separate until they meet me at the Lake-font. They relate this hadth
with acceptance.124
Allmah al-Amn grades the Shah ahdth identifying the Qurn and the Ahl al-Bayt as the
two Khalfahs of the Prophet as sahh and mutawtir (i.e. mass-transmitted and therefore
absolutely true):
:
In the sahh and mutawtir reports, the Prophet is reported to have said: I am leaving
behind two Khalfahs: the Book of Allh and my itrah, my Ahl al-Bayt.125
Shaykh al-Sadq records one of these mutawtir reports in his Kaml al-Dn:

: :
: :
: :

Narrated Zayd b. Thbit:
Allhs Apostle said: I will leave among you two Khalfahs: the Book of Allh and my
itrah, my Ahl al-Bayt. Both shall never separate until they meet me at the Lake-Font.126
Allmah al-Tabars also quotes Imm Al b. Muhammad al-Hd, the eighth Shah Imm, saying:
:

The most sahh of narrations is that which is confirmed by the Book (of Allh) such as the
report upon which there is consensus (that it is authentic), from the Messenger of Allh
when he said: I will leave as successors among you two Khalfahs: the Book of Allh and
my itrah. As long as you hold fast to both of them, you will never go astray after me. Both
shall never separate until they meet me at the Lake-Font.127
These sahh and mutawtir Sunn and Shah ahdth confirm absolutely that the Ahl al-Bayt are
indeed the Sunnah of Muhammad in human forms, and his divinely and guided Khalfahs over
the Ummah. They take his place among them after him, and thereby assume his authority,
privileges and roles.
The Prophet used to perform a number of functions among his Ummah:

124
Ab Jafar Muhammad b. Al b. al-Husayn b. Bbyah al-Sadq al-Qm, Kaml al-Dn wa Tamm al-Nimah
(Tehran, Iran: Islmiyyah; 2nd edition, 1395 H), p. 64
125
Shaykh al-Amn, Kitb al-Ghadr, vol. 5, p. 345
126
Shaykh al-Sadq, Kaml al-Dn, p. 239, # 60
127
Ab Mansr Ahmad b. Al b. Ab Tlib al-Tabars, al-Ihtijj, vol. 2, p. 215
Even as We have sent among you a Messenger from among you who recites to you Our
Ayats and purifies you and teaches you the Book and al-Hikmah and teaches you that
which you did not know.128
He also explains it to them:

And We have revealed to you the Dhikr that you may explain to mankind what has been
revealed to them, and that haply they may reflect.129
We also read:

And We have not revealed to you the Book except that you may explain to them that
about which they differ, and (as) a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe.130
Our noble Prophet has the obligation of teaching us the Qurn and Sunnah and giving us the
correct tafsr of all the verses of the Book of Allh. These duties fall upon those who assume his
place after his death till the Day of Qiymah.
The Ummah must treat them in the same way that they would have treated the Prophet had he
been alive in any circumstance, since they are his Khalfahs who take his place among them.
Therefore, they must submit absolutely to their authority and decisions, and refer all matters,
whether religious or mundane, to them. They must also learn the true meanings of the Qurnic
ayahs only from them. That privilege belonged exclusively to the Prophet during his lifetime.
None can share in it with those who occupy his place after him.
HADTH ELEVEN
( )
Allhs Apostle, peace be upon him, said: I will leave among you THE two Khalfahs after
me: the Book of Allh and my itrah, my Ahl al-Bayt. Both shall never separate until they
meet me at the Lake-Font. (Sahh bi Shawhidih)131
Here, the Prophet has called the Qurn and the Ahl al-Bayt as the two Khalfahs, thereby
limiting and restricting his Khilfah to them both. It also establishes that the Khilfah would
take effect after his death, and would continue unbroken till Qiymah.
128
Qurn 2:151
Qurn 16:44
130
Qurn 16:64
131
rd
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Zill al-Jannah (Beirut: al-Maktab al-Islm; 3 edition, 1413 H), vol. 2, p.
37, # 754
129
In all, the ahdth establishing the Qurn and the Ahl al-Bayt as the infallible guides of the
Ummah after the Prophet Muhammad and as his two Khalfahs who take his place among his
followers are mutawtir among both Sunns and Shahs. They are therefore absolutely true and
undeniable. The great Shah scholar, Allmah al-Majlis (d. 1111 H) says about hadth althaqalayn (i.e. the Book of Allh and my Ahl al-Bayt):
And hadth al-thaqalayn is also mutawtir.132

The following Shah ulam have equally explicitly declared the hadth to be mutawtir:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
132
Allmah Tabars (d. 548 H)133

Shahd al-Awwal (d. 786 H)134
Al b. Ynus al-mil (d. 877 H)135
Muhammad Amn Astarbd (d. 1033 H)136
Allmah Muhammad Taq al-Majlis (d. 1070 H)137
Mullah Muhammad Thir al-Qm (d. 1098 H)138
Shaykh Hurr al-mil (d. 1104 H)139
Muhaqqiq al-Bahrn (d. 1186 H)140
Wahd Bahbn (d. 1205 H)141
Shaykh Sharah al-Isfahn (d. 1339 H)142
Allmah al-Amn (d. 1392 H)143
yatullh al-Uzm Marash Najaf (d. 1411)144
Muhammad Bqir al-Majlis, Bihr al-Anwr al-Jmi li Durar Akhbr al-Aimah al-Athr (Beirut, Lebanon:
Muasassah al-Waf; 2nd edition, 1403 H) *annotator: Muhammad al-Bqir al-Bahbd+, vol. 29, p. 646
133
st
Ab Al al-Fadl b. al-Hasan al-Tabars, Tafsr Jawmi al-Jmi (Qum, Iran: Muasassah al-Nashr al-Islm; 1
edition, 1418 H), vol. 3, p. 481
134
Muhammad b. Jaml al-Dn Makk al-mil al-Jazn Shahd al-Awwal, Zikr al-Shah f Ahkm al-Sharah
st
(Qum, Iran: Muasassah l al-Bayt; 1 edition, 1419 H), vol. 1, p. 58
135
Ab Muhammad Al b. Ynus al-mil al-Nabt, al-Sirt al-Mustaqm il al-Mustahaq al-Taqdm (Alst
Maktaba al-Murtadwiyah li Ihy al-Athr al-Jafariyyah; 1 edition, 1384 H) [annotator: Muhammad al-Bqir alBahbd+, vol. 2, p. 32
136
Muhammad Amn al-Astarbd, al-Fawid al-Madaniyyah wa al-Shawhid al-Makkiyah (Qum, Iran:
st
Muasassah al-Nashr al-Islm; 1 edition, 1424 H) [annotator: Shaykh Rahmat Allh al-Rahmat al-Ark+, p. 254
137
Muhammad Taq b. Maqsd Al al-Majlis, Rawdah al-Muttaqn f Sharh Man L Yahduruh al-Faqh (old
edition), vol. 10, p. 271
138
Muhammad Thir b. Muhammad Husayn al-Shrz al-Najaf al-Qm, Al-Arban f Immah al-Aimah alst
Thirn (1 edition, 1418 H) *annotator: Sayyid Mahd al-Raj+, p. 363
139
Shaykh Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Hurr al-mil, al-Fusl al-Muhimmah f Usl al-Aimah (Muasassah
st
Marifah al-Islm Imm al-Rid; 1 edition, 1418 H) [annotator: Muhammad b. Muhammad al-Husayn alQn+, vol. 1, p. 449 and vol. 1, p. 549
140
Shaykh Ynus al-Bahrn, al-Hadiq al-Ndirah f Ahkm al-Itrah al-Thirah (Qum, Iran: Muasassah al-Nashr
al-Islm) vol. 1, p. 29 and vol. 9, p. 360
141
Muhammad Bqir al-Wahd al-Bahbahn, al-Rasil al-Fiqhiyyah (Manshrh Muasassah al-Allmah alst
Mujaddid al-Wahd al-Bahbahn; 1 edition, 1419 H), p. 210; Muhammad Bqir al-Wahd al-Bahbahn, alst
Fawid al-Hiriyyah (Qum, Iran: Majma al-Fikr al-Islm; 1 edition, 1415 H), p. 284
142
Shaykh Sharah al-Isfahn, al-Qawl al-Sarh f al-Bukhr wa Sahhahu al-Jmi (Qum, Iran: Muasassah alst
Imm al-Sdiq; 1 edition) [annotator: Shaykh Husayn al-Arsw+, p. 27
143
nd
Abd al-Husayn al-Amn, Sratun wa Sunnatun (Beirut, Lebanon: Dr al-Kitb al-Islm; 2 edition, 1412
H), p. 33
144
Sayyid Shihb al-Dn al-Marash al-Najaf, Sharh Ihqq al-Haqq (Qum, Iran: Manshrh Maktabah yatullh
al-Uzm al-Marash al-Najaf), vol. 3, p. 21
13. Allmah al-Tabtab (d. 1412 H)145

The Prophet repeated the hadth, in its various wordings, at several occasions before his death.
The Shah Immiyyah have several reports showing that he repeated it at Arafat146, at the door
of the Kabah147, at Min148, at Masjid al-Khayf149, at Juhfa150 and at Ghadr151, all during and
immediately after his Farewell Hajj. He also repeated it at Madnah, in his mosque while on the
pulpit152, in his last sermon in his mosque153, and on his deathbed154 after the Hajj. This
apparently was to emphasise the importance of the hadth and its crucial message to the
salvation of the Ummah.
The classical Sunn scholar, al-Haytam, repeats the same thing about the ahdth in the Sunn
sources:
...

Know that the Hadth of Adherence (to the Qurn and the Ahl al-Bayt) has been narrated
through a large number of chains, and has been narrated on the authority of more than
twenty of the Sahbah (i.e. it is doubly mutawtir) In some of these chains, it is narrated
that he said it during the Farewell Hajj at Arafat, and others narrate that he said it in
Madnah during his fatal illness In others it is narrated that he said it at Ghadr
Khumm, and in others it is narrated that he said it during a sermon after returning from
Tif as previously cited. There is no reason to deny that he repeated the hadth at these
various places and others to emphasize the importance of the noble Book and the pure
itrah.155
Every Muslim can easily see if he is in the Jamah now, or heading towards Hellfire. The
parameters have been set by the Prophet Muhammad himself. Whosoever does not take all his
religion including aqdah and fiqh directly and entirely from the Qurn and the Ahl al-Bayt,
then he is NOT part of the saved Jamah. He is only part of the 72 doomed sects who do not
follow what Muhammad and his Sahbah practised during his lifetime. This applies to all
mankind, including even the Sahbah, the Tbin, the four Imms, Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah and
145
Sayyid Muhammad Husayn al-Tabtab, al-Mzn f Tafsr al-Qurn (Qum, Iran: Manshrah Jamah alth
Madrasatayn f Hawzah al-Ilmiyyah; 5 edition, 1417 H), vol. 17, p. 45 and vol. 12, p. 104
146
Sayyid Hshim al-Bahrn, Ghyat al-Marm, vol. 2, p. 344, # 31
147
Mirz Nr al-Tabars, Al-Mustadrak al-Wasil, vol. 11, p. 362
148
Al-Hasan b. Sulaymn al-Hill, Mukhtasar Basir al-Darajt, p. 90; Sayyid Hshim al-Bahrn, Ghyat alMarm, vol. 2, p. 338, # 17
149
Allmah al-Majlis, Bihr al-Anwr, vol. 23, 1129, # 61; Sayyid Hshim al-Bahrn, Ghyat al-Marm, vol. 2,
p. 340, # 22, 23 and 24
150
Shaykh al-Sadq, Al-Khisl, p. 65
151
Sayyid Hshim al-Bahrn, Ghyat al-Marm, vol. 2, p. 344, # 31; vol. 2, p. 351, #47; vol. 2, p. 360, # 60
152
Ab al-Qsim Al b. Muhammad b. Al al-Khazr al-Qm al-Rz, Kifyah al-Athar, p. 127; Sayyid Hshim alBahrn, Ghyat al-Marm, vol. 2, p. 321, # 1
153
Sayyid Hshim al-Bahrn, Ghyat al-Marm, vol. 2, p. 323, # 4; vol. 2, p. 341, # 27; vol. 2, p. 344, # 31; vol.
2, p. 345, # 35
154
Sayyid Hshim al-Bahrn, Ghyat al-Marm, vol. 2, p. 358-359, # 54; al-Ts, Amal, p. 478, Majlis 17, # 14
155
st
all others. In fact, the Sahbah were the first addressees of the various ahdth on this issue.
Obedience to it is a heavier obligation upon them, and the earlier generations, than upon us.
CHAPTER FOUR
MOMENT OF TRUTH
The matter is indeed very simple. Every sect claims to be the only saved Jamah. But, the noble
Prophet has given the criteria: to successfully claim to be the Jamah, a sect must prove that it
derives all its doctrines, jurisprudence and rituals from the Qurn and the Ahl al-Bayt. Of all the
Islmic sects in the world, only one of them can truly satisfy this condition. Therefore, rather
than make empty boasts, why can these sects not come forward with their irrefutable proofs of
fulfillment of the criteria?
Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah makes some interesting submissions on this puzzle. He first submits that
the Shah Immiyyah and other sects do NOT follow the Ahl al-Bayt, except Sunns:
, ,
. , ,
, ,
, , ,
,
,
We do not agree that the Immiyyah take their religion from the Ahl al-Bayt, neither the
Ithn Ashariyyah nor others. Rather, they are opponents of Al and the Imms of the Ahl
al-Bayt in all the fundamental beliefs in which they differ with the Ahl al-Sunnah wa alJamah, and in their Tawhd, their (belief in divine) justice, and their (belief in) Immah.
While it is firmly established that Al and the Imms of the Ahl al-Bayt believed in the
Sift (Attributes of Allh), and al-Qadar (destiny), and in the Khilfah of the three caliphs
(i.e. Ab Bakr, Umar and Uthmn), and in the superiority of Ab Bakr and Umar and
others in all the questions. They contradict the Rfidah (i.e. Shah). The proofs of this are
firmly established in the books of the scholars, in that the proofs in this aspect from the
Imms of the Ahl al-Bayt necessitate certain knowledge that the Rfidah are opponents to
them, and not their followers. 156
He is suggesting that the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah follow Al and the Imms of the Ahl alBayt in all the fundamental beliefs, Tawhd, divine justice and Immah and in everything. In his
view, the Shah Immiyyah and other sects do not follow Al and the Imms of the Ahl al-Bayt in
anything.
The claims of the Shaykh al-Islm of the Salafiyyah are however without legs! For instance,
this is his own confession:
156
Ahmad b. Abd al-Halm b. Taymiyyah, Minhj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah (Egypt: al-Matbaat al-Kubr alAmriyyah; 1322 H), vol. 4, p. 8
The Rfid (Shah) says: The jurists refer to him (Al) in their jurisprudence.
The answer is that THIS IS AN OBVIOUS LIE. Neither the four Imms (i.e. Abu Hanfah,
Mlik, Shfi and Hanbal) nor other jurists referred to him (Al) in fiqh (jurisprudence).
As for Mlik, he took his knowledge from the people of Madnah, and the people of alMadnah did not take the words of Al. Rather, they took their fiqh from the seven jurists:
Zayd, Amr, Ibn Umar and others like them.
As for Shfi, he took his fiqh primarily from the people of Makkah, the companions of
Ibn Jurayj, like Sad b. Slim al-Qadh and Muslim b. Khlid al-Zanj. Meanwhile, Ibn
Jurayj took from the companions of Ibn Abbs, like At and others. Ibn Abbs was an
independent mujtahid. When he issued fatwas, he relied upon the statement of Ab Bakr
and Umar, AND NOT UPON THE STATEMENT OF AL, and he rejected many things from
Al.
Moreover, Shf took from Mlik, and then wrote the books of the people and adopted
the school of the Ahl al-Hadth and chose it for himself.
As for Ab Hanfah, his Shaykh from whom he specially took was Hamd b. Ab Sulaymn;
and Hamd too from Ibrhm who took from Alqamah who took from Ibn Masd. Ab
Hanfah also took from At and others.
As for Imm Ahmad, he belonged to the school of the Ahl al-Hadth. The Ahl al-Hadth took
from Ibn Uyaynah who took from Amr b. Dnr who took from Ibn Abbs and Ibn Umar.
He (Imm Ahmad) also took from Hishm b. Bashr, who took from the companions of alHasan (al-Basr) and Ibrhm al-Nakha, and further took from Abd al-Rahmn b. Mahd
and Wak b. al-Jarh and their likes. He sat in the assemblies of al-Shfi, and also took
from Ab Ysuf and chose for himself a word and also took from Ishq b. Rhwayh and
Ab Ubaydah and others like them.157
157
Ab al-Abbs Ahmad b. Abd al-Halm b. Taymiyyah al-Harrn, Minhj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah

st
(Muasassat al-Qurtbah; 1 edition, 1406 H) [annotator: Dr. Muhammad Rashd Slim+, vol. 7, p. 529
In other words, the fiqh of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah cannot be traced to Al and the other
Imms of the Ahl al-Bayt in any way! The matter is clear: Sunns do NOT follow the Ahl al-Bayt
in their fiqh.
In terms of tafsr (exegesis of the Qurn) too, the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah have failed
woefully. Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah further states:
Moreover, the tafsr that was not taken from Ibn Abbs was taken from Ibn Masd and
others from the Sahbah, those who did not take ANYTHING from Al. There is no known
reliable tafsr in the hands of the Muslims that comes from him (i.e. Al). These are the
books of hadth and the books of tafsr filled with reports from the Sahbah and the
Tbin. What can be found from Al in them is extremely small.158
The Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah have basically abandoned the Ahl al-Bayt!
However, unlike the Ahl al-Sunnah, the only group that have historically been confirmed to have
followed the guidance of Al and the Imms of the Ahl al-Bayt are the Shah. Even the Sunn
scholars have upheld this reality. For instance, Imm al-Shahristn says:
, , ,
.
The Shah are those who follow Al exclusively. They claim that his Immah and Khilfah
was by explicit statement (of the Prophet) and testament, whether openly or secretly,
and they believe that Immah will never leave his offspring.159
Ibn Khaldn also submits:
, :

Know that the word Shah linguistically means companions and followers. This
phrase has been applied in the language of the jurists and the philosophers, from the
later and early generations, to the followers of Al and his descendants.160
Al-Jirjn backs him up:
. :
The Shah are those who follow Al.161
158
Ibid, vol. 8, p. 32
Muhammad b. Abd al-Karm al-Sharistn, al-Milal wa al-Nihal (Beirut: Dr al-Marifah), vol. 1, p. 146
160
Ibn Khaldn, Muqaddimah (Beirut: Muasassat al-Alam li al-Matbt), vol. 1, p. 196
161
Sharf Al b. Muhammad al-Jirjn, al-Tarft (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah; 1403 H), p. 129
159
This reality is confirmed when one looks at the books of the Shah and those of the Ahl alSunnah. The Shah books are filled almost entirely with narrations from and through the Imms
of the Ahl al-Bayt, through Al, to Muhammad directly or indirectly. The Sunn books, as
Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah admitted, are almost entirely empty of the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt. It
is thus very strange how Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah concluded that the Shah do not follow Al and
the Imms of the Ahl al-Bayt, and that it is the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah that do!
To make the matter even clearer, we will hereby be examining the positions of the Ahl al-Bayt
on a few issues in the Sunn books and the opposition of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah to
them.
OPPOSITION ONE
Ibn Rushd, the classical Sunn jurist, states:
,
, , , ,
, : . , ,
. , , ,
They (the Sunn scholars) disagreed over whether or not to recite Bismillh al-Rahmn
al-Rahm at the beginning of recitation during Salh. Mlik forbids it in the obligatory
Salh, whether it is said loudly or silently. It must not be said at the beginning of Umm alQurn (i.e. Surah al-Ftihah) or any other Surah. He (Mlik) however allowed the
recitation of it in the Nfilahs (i.e. the optional prayers). Ab Hanfah, al-Thawr and
Ahmad said that it should be recited with Umm al-Qurn (only) silently. Al-Shfi said: It
should be recited, except that in the loud Salh, it is to be recited loudly, and in the silent
Salhs, it is to be recited silently. This is because he considered Bismillh al-Rahmn alRahm to be an yah of Ftihah al-Kitb (Surah al-Ftihah). Ahmad, Ab Thawr and Ab
Ubaydah also held this opinion.162
The four Sunn Imms thus clashed on whether to recite Bismillh in Salh or not. Mlik rejected
it completely in the obligatory Salhs while Ab Hanfah and Ahmad allowed it but only silently
in all Salhs. Shfi allowed it loudly in loud Salhs and silently in silent Salhs.
No doubt, these fundamentally contradictory opinions cannot all be correct. Only one can be
correct, and the others are bidahs! The haqq (Truth) is never contradictory. It is only btil
(falsehood) that does. So, what was the position of the Ahl al-Bayt? Imm al-Rz, a classical
Sunn scholar, submits:
:

:
.
Al-Bayhaq recorded in al-Sunan al-Kabr that Ab Hurayrah said: The Messenger of
Allh, peace be upon him, used to recite loudly Bismillh al-Rahmn al-Rahm in Salh.
162
MuHammad b. AHmad b. Rushd al-Qurtub, Bidyah al-Mujtahid wa Nihyah al-MuqtaSid (Beirut Dr alMarifah; 1418 H), vol. 1, p. 179
Shaykh al-Bayhaq further records that Umar b. al-Khattb, Ibn Abbs, Ibn Umar and
Ibn al-Zubayr also recite it loudly. As for Al b. Ab Tlib, may Allh be pleased with him,
he used to recite Bismillh loudly. This fact is established by mutawtir reports.
Whosoever takes Al b. Ab Tlib as his model in his religion, he verily has gained
guidance. The proof of this is the statement of Allhs Apostle, peace be upon him: O
Allh! Rotate the haqq with him (Al) wherever he rotates.163
It is not recorded that Al used to recite Bismillh silently in any Salh. Therefore, he always
recited it loudly in all Salhs. This differs completely from the opinions of the four Sunn Imms.
Another classical Sunn scholar, al-Naysabr, confirms this:
. ,
".":
The school of him (i.e. Al) is to recite it (i.e. Bismillh) loudly in ALL Salhs. This opinion
has been firmly established here with mutawtir reports, and whosoever takes him as his
model will NEVER go astray. Allhs Apostle, peace be upon him, said O Allh! Rotate the
haqq with him wherever he rotates.164
Contrary to the Sunn schools, this is the Shah Imm position according to their grand classical
scholar, Shaykh al-Ts:
, , ,
. ,
It is obligatory to recite loudly Bismilh al-Rahmn and al-Rahm in al-Hamd (i.e. Surah
al-Ftihah), and in all subsequent Surahs, just as it is obligatory to recite. This is with
regards to that in which reciting loudly is obligatory. As for Salh in which it is not
allowed to recite loudly, then it is still recommended to recite Bismillh alRahmn alRahm loudly.165
Yet, Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah says that in everything that the Shah differ with the Ahl al-Sunnah,
they are opponents of the Ahl al-Bayt!
The noble Sahb, Hudhayfah b. al-Yamn, has a quick word here to the Muslim Ummah, as
recorded by the Sunn Hadth master, al-Haytham:
,
,
Look for that sect which calls to the position of Al and join it, for it is upon guidance.
Al-Bazzr narrated it, and its narrators are trustworthy.166
163
Fakhr al-Dn Muhammad b. Umar al-Tamm al-Rz al-Shafi, Tafsr al-Kabr (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub alst
Ilmiyyah; 1 edition, 1421 H), vol. 1, p. 168
164
Nazm al-Dn al-Hasan b. Muhammad, Tafsr Gharib al-Qurn wa Raghib al-Furqn (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub
st
alIlmiyyah; 1 edition, 1416 H) *annotator: Shaykh Zakariyyh Amrn+, vol. 1, p. 89
165
Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Ts, Al-Khalf (Qum: Muasassat al-Nashr al-Islm; 1407), vol. 1, p. 331
166
Al b. Ab Bakr al-Haytham, Majma al-Zawid (Beirut: Dr al-Kitb al-Arab; 1407), vol. 7, p. 236
This makes sense. The haqq is always with Al. Therefore, his position is the haqq, upon which
Muhammad truly was. Everything else is btil (falsehood). The Prophet himself emphasized this
when he said, as recorded again by al-Haytham:
. ,
,
O Al! Whosoever separates from me has separated from Allh, and whosoever
separates from you, O Al, has separated from me.
Al-Bazzr narrated it, and its narrators are trustworthy.167
It is clear who has separated from Al and who has clung tenaciously to him. It is equally clear
which sect calls to the position of Al, and which calls away from it.
OPPOSITION TWO
All modern Sunn sects reject the phrase hayya al khayr al-amal in their azns. It is only the
Shah Immiyyah, the Zaydis and the Ismls that recite it, of all the Islmic sects today. The
top Salaf fatwa authority, the Permanent Committee for Scientific Research and Ift, issued this
fatwa:
As for the statement of the muezzin in the azn of Subh hayya al khayr al-amal, it is
not firmly established, and the Ahl al-Sunnah do NOT do it. It is one of the heresies of the
Rfidah (i.e. the Shah).168
The grand Salaf scholar, Ibn Bz, also submits about the phrase:
It is a bidah, and has no basis in the sahh ahdth.169

Therefore, there is absolutely no doubt that the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah reject that phrase,
and consider it a heresy. However, it was the practice of the Ahl al-Bayt and some of the
Sahbah! The Sunn scholar, al-Shawkn, states:
:::
167

Permanent Committee for Scientific Research and Ift, Fatw, vol. 8, p. 77
169
Ibn Bz, Majm Fatw wa Maqlt Matnat, vol. 10, p. 241
168
Verily, the itrah (the Ahl al-Bayt) affirmed and upheld it. It is the saying of the muezzin
after hayya al al-falh: hayya al khayr al-amal. He says twice: hayya al khay alamal. Al-Mahd attributed it in al-Bahr to one of the opinions of al-Shfi. This is contrary
to what is in the books of the Shfiyyah. We did not find anything like this in them.
Rather, it is also contrary to what is in the books of the Ahl al-Bayt (i.e. that al-Shfi
approved it). It is said in al-Intisr: The four jurists (i.e. Ab Hanfah, Mlik, Shfi and
Ahmad) did not disgaree over it, that hayya al khayr al-amal is not part of the
statements of the azn. The reports (that al-Shfi approved of the phrase) have been
denied by Imm Izz al-Dn in Sharh al-Bahr as well as by others who have studied the
books of the Shfiyyah.
Those who support it (i.e. hayya al khayr al-amal) use as proof what is found in the
books of the Ahl al-Bayt like Amal of Ahmad b. s, and al-Tajrd, and al-Ahkm and Jmi
l Muhammad to establish it, linking it with the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him. It
is said in al-Ahkm: It is sahh to us that hayya al khayr al-amal was part of the azn
during the lifetime of Allhs Apostle, peace be upon him, and it was not forbidden except
during the time of Umar. This was also what al-Hasan b. Yahy said. This is reported
from him in Jmi l Muhammad. Its supporters also use as proof what is recorded by alBayhaq in his Sunan al-Kubr WITH A SAHH CHAIN that Abd Allh b. Umar used to
include hayya al khyar al-amal in azn throughout his lifetime. He also recorded in it
that Al b. al-Husayn said that it (the azn containing hayya al khyar al-amal) was the
ORIGINAL AZN. Al-Muhib al-Tabar recorded in his Ahkm that Zayd b. Arqam used to
recite it in azn.170
Hayya al khayr al-amal was the practice of the Ahl al-Bayt; and it was their belief that the
phrase was the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, which was truncated by Umar. It must be
noted that the so-called books of the Ahl al-Bayt that Imm al-Shawkn has mentioned are
NOT Shah books, and are not recognized or used by the Immiyyah, Zaydiyyah or Ismliyyah.
They are Sunn books, authored by Sunn descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.
Ibn Ab Shaybah, the classical Sunn hadth scholar, records this report about Imm Al b. alHusayn Zayn al-bidn, the fourth of the Imms of the Ahl al-Bayt:
Ab Bakr Htim b. Isml Jafar his father and Muslim b. Ab Maryam: Al b. Husayn
used to do azn and after reciting hayya al al-falh, he would say hayya al khayr alamal. He used to say: It was the original azn.171
This report is undoubtedly sahh, since all its narrators are those of both Sahh al-Bukhr and
Sahh Muslim, except for Jafar, who is a narrator of Sahh Muslim only. Al-Saygh says about this
170
171
Muhammad b. Al al-Shawkan, Nayl al-AwTr (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah) vol. 2, p. 39

Ibn Ab Shaybah, Musannaf (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr), vol. 1, p. 244
report and the other one about Ibn Umar (which al-Shawkan declares to have a sahh chain
above):
:
Ibn al-Wazr al-Jamn said: I researched the two chains, and found them both to be
sahh to Ibn Umar and Zayd al-bidn.172
Al-Jall also says:
Ibn Daqq and others declared it sahh that Ibn Umar and Zayn al-bidn upheld the
inclusion of it (i.e. hayya al khayr al-amal) in the azn till their deaths.173
Ibn Hazm further submits:
((:
It has been narrated in sahh reports that Ibn Umar and Ab Ammah b. Sahl b. Hunayf
both used to say in their azns: hayya al khayr al-amal.174
The Sunn scholar, al-Dask, crowns everything with this statement:

(

(

Verily, Al, may Allh be pleased with him, used to add hayya al khayr al-amal after
hayya al al-falh (in azn), and this is the school of the Shah today.175
We know therefore the school of the Ahl al-Bayt in azn is that of the Shah, the Zaydiyyah and
the Ismliyyah. The Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah are once again opposed to the school of Ahl
al-Bayt. Worse still, despite that some of the Sahbah, like Al, Ibn Umar and Zayd b. Arqam
used to do it, all Sunns today call it a bidah! One then wonders why the Ahl al-Sunnah claim to
be followers of the Sahbah?!
OPPOSITION THREE
In the azn of every Subh (early morning) Salh, the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah add a phrase:
Al-Salh khayr min al-nawm (Salh is better than sleep). This phrase is called tathwb. The itrah
of the Prophet, his Ahl al-Bayt, considered tathwb to be a bidah. Imm al-Shawkn states about
tathwb:
: :
: .
172
Al-Saygh, al-Rawd al-Ndir, vol. 1, p. 542

Al-Hasan b. Ahmad al-Jall, Daw al-Nahr, vol. 1, p. 468
174
Ibn Hazm, al-Muhall, vol. 3, p. 160
175
Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Arafat al-Dask, Sharh al-Kabr (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-ilmiyyah; 1417 H), vol. 1,
p. 314
173
The itrah (of the Prophet), and al-Shfi in one of his two opinions, stated that tathwb is
a bidah. It is said in al-Bahr: Umar invented it. His son (Ibn Umar) said: This is a
bidah. And it is narrated that Al, peace be upon him, when he heard it said: Do not add
to the azn what is not part of it!176
It is the Shah that follow the Ahl al-Bayt in this one too. They consider tathwb to be a bidah,
while the Ahl al-Sunnah oppose the itrah and the Shah.
OPPOSITION FOUR
When an apostate dies, what does the Islmic state do with his property? Ibn Rushd states:
, : ,
, , . , , ,
, , : ,
As for the property of an apostate, whether he is killed or he died, the majority of the
jurists of al-Hijz said: It is for the Muslim community, and his relatives will not inherit
him. This was the position of Mlik and Shfi too. It was also the opinion narrated by
Zayd from the Sahbah. However, Ab Hanfah, the majority of the Kfs, and the majority
of the Basrs, said that he will be inherited by his Muslim heirs. This was the opinion of
Ibn Masd from the Sahbah and Al.177
One notices that the majority of the Sahbah were opposed to both Al and Ibn Masd. Mlik
and Shfi too opposed Al. The position of Al is of course that of the Shah Immiyyah. The
Shaykh of the Shah sect, Shaykh al-Ts, says:
, , , ,
.
If a Muslim, born into Islm, apostasizes, then his wife becomes forbidden to him. It
becomes compulsory upon her to do the Iddah of a widower. Then his estate will be
distributed among his family.178
The internal contradiction among the Sunn schools is also notable here.
OPPOSITION FIVE
The Ahl al-Sunnah wash their feet during ablution. Their practice is strange though since the
Qurn has explicitly ordered that the feet should be wiped:
176
Muhammad b. Al al-Shawkan, Nayl al-Awtr (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah) vol. 2, p. 38

Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Rushd al-Qurtub, Bidyah al-Mujtahid wa Nihyah al-Muqtasid (Beirut Dr alMarifah; 1418 H), vol. 4, p. 170
178
Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Ts, al-Nihyah (Beirut: Dr al-Kitb al-Arab; 1400 H), 666
177
O you who believe! when you rise up to prayer, wash your faces and your hands as far as
the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles.179
The argument of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah is that since and your feet (wa arjulakum) is
of the same accusative form with your faces (wujhakum) unlike your heads (ruhsikum)
[which has a different accusative form], then it must be joined to your faces. In other words,
the verse, according to them, actually reads:
Wash your faces (wujhakum) and your hands (aydiyakum) and your feet (arjulakum) to
the ankles and wipe your heads (ruhsikum).
This submission is however valueless when one takes into consideration a standard Arabic
statement like this:
I beat Zayd (Zaydan), and I passed by Amr (Amri) and Bakr (Bakran).
This statement is on all fours in form with the Verse of Wud above. Zayd (Zaydan) and Bakr
(Bakran) are both of the same accusative form, as opposed to Amr (which like ruhsikum [your
heads] has a different accusative form). Yet, it makes no sense to join Bakr to Zayd, and
interpret the statement as:
I beat Zayd and Bakr, and passed by Amr.
Apparently, the Sunn approach to the verse is a desperate game of grammatical acrobatics. A
number of top-ranking Sunn authorities have however established the reality beyond any
doubt. Imm al-Rz for instance says:
..
If the feet is conjoined (by using and) with the heads (ruhsikum), it is allowed to
nonetheless read it as arjulakum (and not necessarily arjulikum) to conjoin it with the
ruling of the heads (i.e. wiping). It can also be read as arjulikum in which case it will be
apparently conjoined (with the heads). This is the well-known opinion of the
grammarians.180
Imm al-Rz goes ahead:
)( : ) (
)(
.)(:)(:)(:
It is allowed for the instruction for His Word your feet read as arjulakum to be and
wipe. It is also allowed for it to be wash. Where two verbs meet on a single object, then
the nearest of the verbs to it takes precedence. Therefore, it becomes necessary that the
179
180
Qurn 5:6
Fakhr al-Dn al-Rz, Tafsr al-Kabr, vol. 11, p. 161
verb of your feet is and wipe. This establishes that His Word and your feet read as
arjulakum commands wiping.181
In other words, arjulakum can still be validly meant for ruhsikum, and this is the opinion of the
grammarians. The Sunn position is premised on its impossibility, something that we have
already proved to be a complete and desperate farce.
Another Sunn scholar, Ibn Hazm, submits:
) (:

.
Our opinion concerning the two feet is that the Qurn verily descended with (the order
of) wiping. Allh the Most High said: And wipe your heads and your feet. Whether it is
read as arjulakum or arjulikum, it is in all circumstances conjoined with the heads,
whether in terms of wording or place. It is NOT permissible to separate a noun and
another conjoined to it (with and) by a new intermediate ruling.182
If we look at the verse again, we see that your feet is indeed conjoined to the heads:

O you who believe! when you rise up to prayer, wash your faces and your hands as far as
the elbows, and wipe your heads AND your feet to the ankles.183
The purpose of conjunction is Arabic grammar is that the conjoined noun assumes the verb of
its principal. What is the verb of the heads? It is wipe. Therefore, if it is conjoined to the
heads, then it assumes and wipe. However, if it is conjoined with your faces, it assumes
wash. In Arabic grammar, it is NOT possible for a new ruling to intervene between a principal
and its conjoined noun. Since and wipe is a new ruling, it basically cuts of any possibility of
link between your feet and your faces. Moreover, even if it is assumed (for fun) that your
feet can still be conjoined to your faces despite the interloper and wipe your heads, then we
have two principals: your faces and your heads. It is allowed grammatically for the conjoined
noun of either of them to read as arjulakum. In such a case, the nearest principal takes the
conjoined noun. In the verse, the nearest principal to your feet is your heads. Therefore, it
assumes the verb wipe.
Shaykh Ibn Arab, the extremely famous Sf mystic, also states:
)(
.)(:::
181
Ibid
Ibn Hazm, al-Muhall, vol. 2, p. 57
183
Qurn 5:6
182
The fact that it is read as arjulakum does not cancel its obligation to wipe. This is because
this wa (and) is of the meaning of with. Wa of withgives fathah (like arjulakum). You
say: I passed by Zayd (Zaydi) and (wa) Amr (Amra) intending to say with Amr. This is
exactly the case with and wipe your heads (ruhsikum) and your feet (arjulakum).
The evidence of whoever says that verse commands wiping is the strongest.184
In any case, what matters most is the interpretation of the Messenger through whom the Qurn
was sent. Shaykh al-Albn records that the Prophet Muhammad himself interpreted this verse
in this way:

( )
Narrated Rafah b. Rfi that he was sitting with the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon
him. Then, Allhs Apostle, peace be upon him, said: Verily, the Salh of anyone of you is
NOT complete until he has performed his Wud exactly as Allh the Almighty has ordered
it: he washes his face and hands up to the elboews, and he WIPES part of his head AND his
feet to the ankles. (Sahh)185
Shaykh Husayn Salm Asad also declares the chain of the hadth to be sahh 186. The matter is
settled. One wonders why the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah still go ahead to truncate the simple
rules of Arabic grammar and force the verse to mean what it does not mean! What else do they
want after the Prophets own tafsr?
The Ahl al-Sunnah have contradictory ahdth about how the Prophet used to do his Wud:
some say he used to wipe his feet, while others say he used to wash. The Qurn however has
stated categorically that the Prophet followed nothing but the Qurn:

And when Our clear yahs are recited to them, those who hope not for Our meeting say:
Bring a Qurn other than this or change it. Say: It does not beseem me that I should
change it of myself; I follow nothing but what is revealed to me; surely I fear, if I disobey
my Lord, the punishment of a Mighty Day.187
Allh also states:

Say: I am not the first of the messengers, and I do not know what will be done with me or
with you: I do not follow anything but that which is revealed to me, and I am nothing but a
plain warner.188
184
Shaykh Muhyi al-Dn b. Arab, al-Futht al-Makkiyyah, vol. 1, p. 448

th
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Sahh al-Targhb wa al-Tarhb (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Marif; 5 edition),
vol. 1, p. 53, # 223
186
st
Ab Muhammad al-Drim, Sunan (Beirut: Dr al-Kitb al-Arab; 1 edition, 1407 H) [annotator: Husayn
Salm Asad+, vol. 1, p. 350, # 1329
187
Qurn 10:15
188
Qurn 46:9
185
If these were correct (and indeed they are!), then Muhammad used to wipe his feet in Salh. All
the ahdth that attribute washing of the feet to him are clear fabrications. The Prophet himself
has said that the true Sunnah would never contradict the Qurn. Shaykh al-Albn records that
he said:
(" ):"
I have left among you two things. You will never go astray after them (i.e. as long as you
follow them): the Book of Allh and my Sunnah. Both shall never separate until they meet
me at the Lake-Font. (Sahh)189
We know from this that whatsoever hadth contradicts the Qurn is NOT part of the genuine
Sunnah.
Imm Ahmad also records about the Prophets manner of performing Wud in this manner:
( )
Narrated Yasar b. Sad:
I met Uthmn sitting. Then he called for Wud and rinsed his mouth with water, and
sniffed. Then he washed his face three times, and his hands three times each. Then he
WIPED part of his head AND his feet three times each. Then he said: I saw the Messenger
of Allh, peace be upon him, doing Wud LIKE THIS. (Its chain is hasan)190
This was the Wud of Al too. Since Al is from the Ahl al-Bayt, it is not possible for a really
authentic hadth to attribute washing to him. The Ahl al-Bayt never separate from the Qurn
and it never separates from them. Ibn Kathr records:
:
Narrated al-Nazl b. Sabrah:
I saw Al when he prayed Zuhr. Then he sat with the people in al-Rahbah. Then he was
given water, and he washed his face and hands and WIPED part of his head and his feet
and said: This is the Wud of one who does not innovate (in the religion) These
chains are good up to Al, each of them strengthening the other.191
Ibn Kathr goes ahead:
::
:.
189
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Sahh al-Jmi al-Saghr wa Ziydtuh (Maktab al-Islm), vol. 1, p. 566, #
2937
190
Ab Abd Allh Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad (Egypt: Muasassat al-Qurtubah) *annotator: Shaykh Shuayb alArnt+, vol. 1, p. 67, #487
191
Ab al-Fid Isml b. Umar b. Kathr al-Dimashq, Tafsr al-Qurn al-Azm, vol. 2, p. 31
:
:
{

::]6: }[

.
:::
::.
.:
:::
Narrated sim al-Ahwal:

Anas said: The Qurn descended with the order of wiping while the Sunnah commands
washing.
This is also sahh.
Also narrated Ikrimah that Ibn Abbs said: Wud is two washings and two wipings.
This was what Sad b. Ab Arbah narrated from Qatdah.
Narrated Ysuf b. Mahrn:
Ibn Abbs said: {And wipe your heads and your fts to the ankles} It is wiping.
This position has been narrated from Ibn Umar, Alqamah, Ab Jafar Muhammad b. Al,
and al-Hasan (al-Basr) in one of the reports, and Jbir b. Zayd, and Mujhid in one othe
reports.
Narrated Ayb:
I saw Ikrimah wiping his fts and he used to teach it (i.e. wiping).
Narrated Dwd b. Ab Hind:
Shub said: Jibrl descended with the order of wiping. Then Shub said said: Dont you
see that in Tayammum what is washed in Wud is to be wiped?
Narrated Isml:
I said to mir: People say that Jibrl came with the order of washing. He replied: Jibrl
came with the order of wiping.192
Wiping the feet was the position of the Prophet, Imm Al, Ibn Abbs, Anas b. Mlik, Qatdah,
Ibn Umar, Alqamah, al-Hasan al-Basr, Jbir b. Zayd, Mujhid, Ikrimah, Shub, mir and Ab
Jafar Muhammad b. Al al-Bqir, the 5th of the Imms of the Ahl al-Bayt. Whatever the case, on
the issue of Wud, the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah again oppose the Ahl al-Bayt and a lot of the
Sahbah and Tbin. The Shah follow the Ahl al-Bayt in this regard.
192
Ibid, vol. 3, p. 39
OPPOSITION SIX
Ibn Rushd says:
: , :

)
(

: , ,
, ,
As for the second issue, it is about the pregnant woman whose husband dies. THE
MAJORITY (of the scholars) and all the jurists of the cities say Her iddah is that she lay
down her burden, referring to the general meaning of His Word And as for the pregnant
women, their iddah is that they lay down their burden (Qurn 65:4) even though the
verse is actually about divorce! It has been narrated from Ibn Abbs that her iddah is
the later of the two periods. Ibn Abbs meant that she counted her iddah to the later of
the two periods: whether the period of the pregnancy or the completion of the iddah of
death. The same opinion has been narrated from Al b. Ab Tlib.193
As Ibn Rushd admits here, the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah oppose Ibn Abbs and Al en masse
on this issue. The Shah Immiyyah however follow Al in this too. Shaykh al-Ts states about a
woman whose husband dies:
. , :
, :
If she is pregnant, then her iddah, with us, is the later of the two periods: whether the
delivery or four months and ten days. The majority of the Sunns say: She counts based on
the pregnancy. As soon as she delivers, her iddah finishes.194
The implication of this is that if she finishes her iddah on the wrong date, and re-marries when
her actual iddah is incomplete, then she is committing zin perhaps out of ignorance. So, both
sides cannot be correct. It is either the Ahl al-Bayt are correct or the Ahl al-Sunnah.
We must emphasise here that the Shah are not bound by opinions attributed to the Ahl al-Bayt
in the Sunn books. They follow only the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt in their own books. Imm
Ibn al-Qayyim even admits that the Shah books indeed contain the true teachings of the Ahl alBayt:
Verily, the jurists of the Immiyyah, from the first of them to the last, NARRATE FROM
THE AHL AL-BAYT that the sworn divorce is invalid, and this is mutawtir with them from
193
Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Rushd al-Qurtub, Bidyah al-Mujtahid wa Nihyah al-Muqtasid (Beirut Dr alMarifah; 1418 H), vol. 3, p. 137
194
Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Ts, al-Mabst (Tehran: Al-Maktabah al-Murtadwiyyah) [annotator: Sayyid
Muhammad Taq al-Kashf+, vol. 5, p. 251
Jafar b. Muhammad and others from the Ahl al-Bayt. And he claimed that the major
scholars (of the Ahl al-Sunnah) accuse them all (i.e. the Shah Immiyyah) of lying. He
said, They lie upon the Ahl al-Bayt. However, among them (i.e. the Shah Immiyyah)
are jurists and people of knowledge and ijtihd. Even though they (i.e. Shah Immiyyah)
are mistaken and are heretics concerning the matter of the Sahbah, this does not justify
accusing them all of lying and ignorance. The authors of the Sahh (i.e. Sahh al-Bukhr,
Sahh Muslim, Sahh Ibn Khuzaymah, Sahh Ibn Hibbn, etc) narrated from a lot of Shah,
took their ahdth and the Muslims use them (i.e. the ahdth narrated by Shah) as
proof.195
The opinions attributed to the Ahl al-Bayt in the Sunn and the Shah books sometimes
contradict. In those cases, the Shah follow what they have authentically transmitted from the
Ahl al-Bayt in their Shah books. We have cited the Sunn sources here to highlight the point
that the Ahl al-Sunnah hardly follow the opinions, the only few opinions, attributed to the Ahl alBayt even in their Sunn sources. By contrast, the Shah trace all their genuine beliefs and
practices to the authentically transmitted teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt as documented in their
books.
OPPOSITIONS SEVEN AND EIGHT
Ibn Khaldn, the well-known Sunn scholar, makes this very bold submission:
The Ahl al-Bayt DEVIATED with the views they invented and the fiqh (rules of
jurisprudence) that they alone follow. They built their sect on the criticism of some of the
Sahbah, and upon their claim of the infallibility of the Imms, and they reject any
disagreement with their words. All of this are weak foundations and deviation like in the
case of the Khawrij. The generality (of Muslims) do not accept their views. Rather, its
overwhelming majority treat them with rejection and slander. We do not recognize (the
legitimacy of) ANYTHING from their views and we do not narrate from their books, and
there is no influence at all from them (i.e. their books) except in their countries. The
books of the Shah are in their countries, in the West, the East and Yemen.196
We are shocked by these words of Ibn Khaldn, considering what the Prophet Muhammad said:
( )!
195
Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, al-Sawiq al-Mursalah al al-Jahmiyyah wa al-Muatillah (Riyadh, Saudi

rd
Arabia: Dr al-simah; 3 edition, 1418 H) *annotator: Dr. Al b. Muhammad al-Dakhl Allh+, vol. 2, pp. 616617
196
Ibn Khaldn, Muqaddimah(Beirut: Dr al-Fikr), vol. 1, p. 446
197
vol. 3, p. 542, # 3786
Ibn Khaldn rejects these words of the Prophet and throws them back at him. He admits that it
is only the Shah that follow the Ahl al-Bayt (we already cited a direct reference from him
above), and that the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt are only and exclusively in the Shah books.
The teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt are completely absent in the Sunn books, and have absolutely
no influence in the Sunn lands. This seems to be a slight exaggeration though. It is clear that the
Ahl al-Sunnah hardly have anything from the Ahl al-Bayt. But, of course, they do have some
sprinkles in their books!
The following are the true teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt as admitted by Ibn Khaldn:
1. Some of the Sahbah were evil.
2. The true Imms are infallible.
The views and fiqh of the Ahl al-Bayt are also exclusive to them and the Shah, and rejected and
abandoned by the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah.
We certainly can go on and on, writing volumes about the oppositions of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa
al-Jamah to the Ahl al-Bayt. But the few instances above are sufficient. Moreover, the clear
admissions of Ibn Khaldn, Ibn Rushd and Ibn Taymiyyah, three prominent Sunn scholars,
obviate any need for that. The matter is settled. The Shah follow the Ahl al-Bayt. The Ahl alSunnah wa al-Jamah do not!
CHAPTER FIVE
THE BOOK OF TRICKS
Since the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah cannot really claim to be followers of the Ahl al-Bayt,
some of the Sunn ulam have been forced into some cheap games concerning hadth althaqalayn (i.e. the Book of Allh and my Ahl al-Bayt) in order to murder its clear message. We
will be examining some of these tricks in this chapter.
TRICK ONE
The first typical reaction of the Sunn ulam (except the more straightforward among them) is
to deny the authenticity of hadth al-thaqalayn or at least doctor its text! The Salaf scholar,
Shaykh Uthmn al-Khams, represents a part of this group of Sunn ulam:
:
:

( ) :

The hadth is criticized in terms of its authenticity and originality from the Prophet. The
reliable version with Muslim (in his Sahh) is that the command is to stick to the Qurn
(only) and (only) the advice (to love) is for the Ahl al-Bayt, as has been narrated in the
hadth of Zayd b. Arqam in (Sahh) Muslim: And he advised about the Book of Allh and
emphasized on sticking to it. Then he said: And my Ahl al-Bayt. I remind you, by Allh, of
my Ahl al-Bayt! I remind you, by Allh, of my Ahl al-Bayt! I remind you, by Allh, of my Ahl
al-Bayt!
Therefore, the one that has been commanded to be stuck to is (only) the Book of Allh. As
for the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet, the command is (only) take care of them, and to give
them their rights which Allh the Most Most and the Most High Himself gave them.
It has been firmly narrated in the hadth of Jbir in (Sahh) Muslim that the Prophet when
he delivered a sermon during the Farewell Hajj said: Verily, I have left among you what if
you stick to it, you will never go astray: the Book of Allh.
He did not mention the Ahl al-Bayt. Thus, the Qurn is what if mankind stick to it they
will never go astray.198
The same argument was earlier propounded by Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah:
198
Uthmn al-Khams, Hiqbah min al-Trkh (Egypt: Dr al-mn li al-Nashr wa al-Tawz), p. 202
.
.
.
The wording of the hadth in Sahh Muslim from Zayd b. Arqam is:
and I will answer my Lord. But, I am leaving among you two weighty things: one of them
both being the Book of Allh in which there is right guidance and light, so hold fast to the
Book of Allh and adhere to it. He exhorted (us) (to hold fast) to the Book of Allh and
then said: And my Ahl al-Bayt. I remind you, by Allh, of my Ahl al-Bayt! I remind you, by
Allh, of my Ahl al-Bayt! I remind you, by Allh, of my Ahl al-Bayt!
This version shows that the one which he commanded us to stick to, and what if stuck to
one will never go astray, is (only) the Book of Allh.
The same has been narrated in other ahdth, as in Sahh Muslim from Jbir that during
the Farewell Hajj, when the Prophet delivered a sermon at Arafat, he said: Verily, I have
left among you what if you stick to it, you will never go astray: the Book of Allh." .
As for his statement and my itrah, my Ahl al-Bayt. Both shall never separate until they
meet me at the Lake-Font, this has been narrated by al-Tirmidh. Ahmad b. Hanbal was
asked about it, and he declared it daf (weak) and many of the scholars have also
declared it daf, saying: It is not authentic.199
These ulam of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah and others like them believe that the Prophet
ordered his Ummah to follow only the Qurn, and never mentioned the Ahl al-Bayt. This further
corroborates the position that the Ahl al-Sunnah do NOT follow the Ahl al-Bayt. If they do, they
would not take such extreme steps to oust the rank that Allh and His Messenger had placed the
Ahl al-Bayt.
It is surprising that Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah and Shaykh al-Khams do not notice that the Prophet
called both the Qurn and the Ahl al-Bayt as thaqalayn! This word alone shoots down their
trick. Imm al-Naww explains why:
( (
The statement of the Prophet, peace be upon him, And I will leave among you two
weighty things (thaqalayn) and he mentioned the Book of Allh and his Ahl al-Bayt. The
ulam said that he named them two weighty things (thaqalayn) due to their
199
Ab al-Abbs AHmad b. And al-Halm b. Taymiyyah al-Harrn, Minhj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah

st
(Muasassat al-Qurtbah; 1 edition, 1406 H) *annotator: Dr. MuHammad Rashd Slim+, vol. 7, p. 279-280
magnificence and their great significance. It is also said that he so named them due to the
importance of FOLLOWING THEM BOTH.200
The classical Sunn linguist, Ibn Manzr, further submits:
It is narrated that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said at the end of his life I will leave
among you the two weighty things (al-thaqalayn): the Book of Allh and my itrah. He
identified them (i.e. the two weighty things) as the Book of Allh the Almighty and his
itrah. We have already explained what itrah means. Thalab said: They are named two
weighty things (thaqalayn) because holding fast to them BOTH is significant and
following them BOTH is important. The root of the word al-thaqal (singular of althaqalayn) is that the Arabs say about anything that is important and precious that it is a
thaqal (a weighty thing). He named them both two weighty things (thaqalayn) to magnify
their significance and worth.201
In any case, the version of the hadth of Jbir in Sahh Muslim does not record the full statement
of the Messenger of Allh. Shaykh al-Albn records the complete version:

:
! :
( )
Narrated Jbir b. Abd Allh:
I saw Allhs Apostle during the Farewell Hajj on the day of Arafat while he was upon his
camel named al-Qasw, delivering a sermon. I heard him saying:
It is indeed strange how Shaykh Uthmn al-Khams and Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah missed this!
Shaykh al-Albn, after declaring the above hadth as sahh, goes ahead to narrate a small
experience he had with someone like Shaykh al-Khams:
,,
,() ,)1402(,
200
Ab Zakariyyh Yahy b. Sharaf al-Naww, Sharh Sahh Muslim (Beirut: Dr Ihy al-Turth al-Arab; 2nd
edition, 1392), vol. 15, p. 180
201
st
Muhammad b. Makram b. Manzr al-Afrq al-Misr, Lisn al-Arab (Beirut: Dr Sdr; 1 edition), vol. 11, p.
85
202
vol. 3, p. 542, # 3786
,
:,
,:
,
After completing research into the authenticity of this hadth long ago, it became
obligatory upon me to migrate from Damascus to Amman, and in the meantime to travel
to some Arab capitals in the beginning of 1402 H. In Qatar, I met some good professors
and doctors, and one of them gave a treatise which he published to weaken this hadth to
me as a gift. When I read it, it became to me that I had to comment on this action. This was
from two angles, which I mentioned to him.
First: His research into some of the published, circulated sources were insufficient, and
this resulted in a disgustingly inadequate research in his verdict on the hadth. He missed
LOTS of chains (of the hadth) which are INDEPENDENTLY sahh and hasan, not to talk of
the corrobotative witnesses.203
Since the hadth has lots of independently sahh and hasan chains, why do these people struggle
so much to deceive the world about its authenticity?
Imm al-Asqaln also records that the Prophet said at Ghadr Khumm in the hadth of Al:
)
(
I have verily left among you what if you adhere to it, you will never go astray: the Book of
Allh, one end of which is in His Hand and the other end in your hands, AND my Ahl alBayt. (This chain is sahh).204
This is an authentically transmitted corroboration of Jbirs hadth. Moreover, Imm al-Asqaln
is the all-acknowledged Amr al-Muminn of all Sunn hadth masters. Here is he declaring that
the version hated and denied by Shaykh Uthmn al-Khams and Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah actually
has a sahh chain from Al too! Another frontline Sunn hadth master, Imm al-Bsr also
declares the chain of the above report as sahh 205.
Shaykh al-Albn further documents the full hadth of Zayd b. Arqam:

: :
:
( )
203
359, # 1761
204
st
Ahmad b. Al b. Hajar al-Asqaln, al-Matlib al-liyah (Saudi Arabia: Dr al-Ghayb; 1 edition, 1419 H)
*annotator: Dr. Sad b. Nsir b. Abd al-Azz al-Shatr+, vol. 4, p. 65, # 3972
205
Al-Bsr, Ithf al-Khiyarat al-Mahirat, vol. 9, p. 279

after me. (Sahh)206
This second hadth further exposes the dishonesty of Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah and Shaykh alKhams, as well as others like Imm Ahmad who weakened the last path of the sahh hadth!
They certainly did not do this out of ignorance! They only played reckless games with their own
souls.
Allmah al-Dahlaw, the grand Indian Sunn lim, refutes whoever attacks hadth al-thaqalayn
in these golden words:
: , , ):
, : ,(
,
, ,
Verily, the Messenger of Allh said: I will leave among you the two weighty things. If you
adhere to them BOTH, you will never go astray after me. One of them both is greater than
the other: the Book of Allh and my itrah, my Ahl al-Bayt.
This hadth is AUTHENTIC among both sects: Ahl al-Sunnah and the Shah.
It is learnt from the hadth that Allhs Apostle ORDERED us to adhere to the TWO great,
important things, in the foremost affairs of the religion and the rules of the Shariah, and
to refer to them BOTH in ALL affairs. Whoever follows a sect that contradicts them BOTH
in the affairs if the Shariah, in doctrine or practices, is MISGUIDED, and his sect is fake.207
Since Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah generally, and the Salafiyyah in particular, follow doctrines
and practices that contradict those of the Ahl al-Bayt, one understands why some of them are so
keen and desperate to cut the itrah out of the hadth!
TRICK TWO
Another trick adopted by the ulam of the Ahl al-Sunnah against hadth al-thaqalayn is to
deliberately misquote it to hide any mention of the Ahl al-Bayt! Shaykh Slih b. Fawzn, a
member of the highest-ranking Salaf fatwa body in Saudi Arabia the Permanent Committee
for Scientific Research and Ift, for instance states:
.:
3788
206
543, # 3788
207
Abd al-Azz Ghulm Hakm al-Dahlaw, Mukhtasar al-Tuhfah al-Ithn al-Ashariyyah (Istanbul: Maktabah
shq; 1979), p. 52
He, peace be upon him, said: I will leave among you what if you adhere to it you will
never go astray after me: the Book of Allh and my Sunnah.
Al-Tirmidh recorded it with Hadth # 3788208
But, this is Hadth # 3788 in Sunan al-Tirmidh, as authenticated by Shaykh al-Albn:

: :
:
( )
after me. (Sahh)209
Check any original copy of Sunan al-Tirmidh, and you will find the above hadth at # 3788!
Why does Shaykh al-Fawzn have to deliberately alter the wording of the above hadth from
my Ahl al-Bayt to my Sunnah? He has not even quoted the hadth properly! Apparently, he
wants to pull wool over the eyes of his followers, and prevent them from knowing that following
the Ahl al-Bayt is an obligation upon every Muslim. Truly, the Prophet had interchanged my Ahl
al-Bayt and my Sunnah in the sahh ahdth to show that the true Sunnah in its entirety is
with his Ahl al-Bayt. However, that does not call for any distortion of his actual words! Besides,
the Book of Allh and my Sunnah hadth is not even present in Imm al-Tirmidhs book at all!
Another Salaf scholar, Shaykh Dr. Husayn Salm Asad, an academic and modern-day hadth
expert, also writes:
:
.
:(2408)
(1140)(1021)
He said during the Farewell Hajj:
O mankind! Verily, I have left among you what if you stick to it you will never go astray:
the Book of Allh and my Sunnah.
208
Shaykh Slih b. Fawzn b. Abd Allh al-Fawzn, Muhdart f al-Aqdah wa al-Dawah (Saudi Arabia: Dr alsimah; 1st edition, 1428 H), vol. 4, p. 253
209
543, # 3788
It is a sahh hadth. Muslim recorded it in Merits of the Sahbah (2408), Chapter: From
the Merits of Al and see Musnad of al-Mawsl, # 1021 and # 1140.210
Interestingly, in Sahh Muslim, # 2408, this is what is found:

.
I will leave among you two weighty things. The first of them both is the Book of Allh .
and my Ahl al-Bayt. I remind you, by Allh, of my Ahl al-Bayt! I remind you, by Allh, of
my Ahl al-Bayt! I remind you, by Allh, of my Ahl al-Bayt.211
How did he miss that? Note how he has also distorted the wording of the hadth! But, the matter
is not finished yet. Shaykh Asad also refers to Musnad of al-Mawsl. Luckily, he is the annotator
of that book. Therefore, he could not have been mistaken about it. But, this is Hadth # 1021 in
Musnad of al-Mawsl, as annotated by Shaykh Husayn Salm Asad himself:
.
I will leave among you the two weighty things: the Book of Allh, which is a rope strecting
between the heaven and the earth, and my itrah, my Ahl al-Bayt. The Merciful, AllKnowing God has informed me that both shall never separate until they meet me at the
Lake-Font. Therefore, watch carefully how you treat them after me.212
What about Hadth # 1140 of that same book? This is what you find there:
.
O mankind! I myself have left among you what if you hold fast to it you will never go
astray after me: the two weighty things. One of them both is greater than the other: the
Book of Allh, a rope stretching from the heaven to the earth, and my itrah, my Ahl alBayt. Both shall never separate until they meet me at the Lake-Font.213
It is obvious that Shaykh Asad also deliberately distorted that hadth! The distortions are very
deep as well.
The Salaf lim, Shaykh Abd Allh b. Muhammad al-Ghunaymn, Head of the Department of
Advanced Studies at the Islamic University of Madnah, takes the matter a step further:
)) -
: ((
210
nd
Ab Bakr Abd Allh b. Zubayr al-Qursh al-Hamd, Musnad (Dr al-Mmn li al-Turth; 2 edition, 1423 H)
[annotator: Husayn Salm Asad+, vol. 1, p. 11
211
Ab al-Husayn Muslim b. al-Hajjj al-Naysbr al- al-Qushayr, Sahh (Beirut: Dr al-Khayr) [annotator:
Shaykh Muslim b. Mahmd Uthmn al-Salaf al-Athar+, vol. 4, p. 216, # 2408
212
Ab Yal Ahmad b. Al al-Tamm al-Mawsl, Musnad (Dr al-Mmn li al-Turth) *annotator: Husayn
Salm Asad+, vol. 2, p. 297, # 1021
213
Ibid, vol. 2, p. 376, # 1140
))
((
)):((: )) (( )):(())
)) : .(( )) : ((
(( )):((
It is recorded in Sahh Muslim, in the hadth of Zayd b. al-Arqam that the Messenger of
Allh, peace be upon him, delivered a sermon at a place called Ghadr Khumm and it
was a place between Makkah and Madnah, during his return from the Farewell Hajj,
peace be upon him, and said:
Verily, Allh the Almighty the Most High gave a choice to a servant to choose between
what is in the world and what is with Him. The servant chose what is with Allh.
At this point, Ab Bakr wept and said: But, we sacrifice our fathers and mothers for you.
Then he (the Prophet) said: I am about to receive a messenger (the angel of death) from
my Lord and I will answer my Lord. But, I am leaving among you two weighty things: the
Book of Allh AND MY SUNNAH. And take care of my Ahl al-Bayt for me.
Al-Husayn said to Zayd: Who are his l al-Bayt (instead of Ahl al-Bayt)? Are his spouses
(azwj) not part of his Ahl al-Bayt?
He (Zayd) said: Yes (they are). And his Ahl al-Bayt are upon whom acceptance of alms is
forbidden.
He (al-Husayn) said: Who are they?
He (Zayd) said: They are the family of Al, the family of Jafar, the family of Aql and the
family of al-Abbs.
He (al-Husayn) said: Alms have been forbidden upon all these people?
He (Zayd) said: Yes.214
However, in Sahh Muslim, this is the full text of the hadth of Zayd b. Arqam (there is actually
nothing like al-Arqam as the Salaf lim wrongly states!):

214
Abd Allh b. Muhammad al-Ghunaymn, al-Sabik al-Dhahabiyyah bi Sharh al-Aqdah al-Wsitiyyah (Alst
Dammam: Dr Ibn al-Jawz; 1 edition, 1430 H), p. 463-464
Narrated Yazd b. Hayyn:

I went along with Husayn b. Sabrah and 'Umar b. Muslim to Zayd b. Arqam and, as we sat
by his side, Husayn said to him:
O Zayd! You have been able to acquire a lot of good. You saw the Messenger of Allh,
peace be upon him, listened to his talk, fought by his side in (different) battles, offered
Salh behind him. O Zayd, you have in fact earned a lot of good. O Zayd, narrate to us what
you heard from the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him.
He said: I have grown old and have almost spent my age and I have forgotten some of the
things which I remembered in connection with the Messenger of Allh, so accept
whatever I narrate to you, and which I do not narrate do not compel me to do that.
He then said:
and I will answer my Lord. But, I am leaving among you two weighty things: one of them
BOTH being the Book of Allh in which there is right guidance and light, so hold fast to
the Book of Allh and adhere to it. He exhorted (us) (to hold fast) to the Book of Allh
and then said: And my Ahl al-Bayt. I remind you, by Allh, of my Ahl al-Bayt! I remind
you, by Allh, of my Ahl al-Bayt! I remind you, by Allh, of my Ahl al-Bayt!
He (Husayn) said to Zayd: And who are his Ahl al-Bayt? Aren't his wives (nis) part of his
Ahl al-Bayt?
He (Zayd) replied: His wives (nis) are part of his Ahl al-Bayt?! Rather, his Ahl al-Bayt
are those for whom acceptance of alms is forbidden after him.
And he (Husayn) said: Who are they?
He (Zayd) answered: 'Al and the family of 'Al, 'Aql and the family of 'Aql and the family
of Ja'far and the family of 'Abbs.
Husayn said: These are those for whom the acceptance of alms is forbidden?
Zayd said: Yes.215
215
Ab al-Husayn Muslim b. al-Hajjj al-Naysbr al- al-Qushayr, Sahh (Beirut: Dr al-Khayr) [annotator:
Shaykh Muslim b. Mahmd Uthmn al-Salaf al-Athar+, vol. 4, p. 1873, # 2408
The Salaf lim literally fabricated an entirely new hadth!

TRICK THREE
The other trick adopted by the opponents of the Ahl al-Bayt is to distort the clear focus of hadth
al-thaqalayn. We will deal with this trick in its various forms.
Sub-Trick A
Shaykh al-Albn makes a rather shocking submission after documenting and authenticating
hadth al-thaqalayn:
,:
,,
:
What the Prophet, peace be upon him, meant by the word itrah is bigger than what the
Shah mean by it. Moreover, the Ahl al-Sunnah have not rejected it (i.e. what the Prophet
intended). Rather, they (the Ahl al-Sunnah) stick to it. The intention of the Prophet is that
the itrah among them (i.e. his Ummah) are his Ahl al-Bayt. This has been explicitly stated
in some routes of the hadth, like the one under discussion my itrah, my Ahl al-Bayt. His
Ahl al-Bayt are primarily his wives, and among them was ishah al-Siddqah, may Allh
be pleased with them all.216
This is the logic of Shaykh Al-Albn:
1.
2.
3.
4.
The word Ahl al-Bayt primarily means wives.

The Prophet in hadth al-thaqalayn called his Ahl al-Bayt as his itrah.
Therefore, his Ahl al-Bayt are his itrah.
His wives are his itrah and Ahl al-Bayt.
Since the Ahl al-Sunnah are followers of ishah, he is quick to point out her membership of the
itrah. In the final analysis, Shaykh Al-Albn wants us to believe that Sunns follow hadth althaqalayn because they follow ishah! In Shaykh al-Albns thoughts, the Prophet was asking
his Ummah to follow his wives after him, and that his wives will remain inseparable from the
Qurn till Qiymah! He also declared his wives as his Khalfahs after him!
Shaykh Abd al-Rahmn Dimashqiah, another well-known Salaf scholar, is even more explicit:
.
In our view, the itrah are the wives of the Prophet and his descendants as the Qurn and
Sunnah have repeatedly established.217
Really? This takes us back to hadth al-thaqalayn. Imm Ahmad records:
216
359, # 1761
217
Abd al-Rahmn Muhammad Sad Dimashqiah, Ahdth Yahtaj Bih al-Shah, p. 193
( )
The Prophet himself has explicitly qualified the phrase my Ahl al-Bayt with my itrah to show
that the Ahl al-Bayt mentioned in this hadth are only his itrah. He apparently wanted to save
his Ummah from any confusion as to who the Ahl al-Bayt in the hadth are. They are his itrah.
An honest researcher would have tried to find out what itrah means first, and then use that to
define the meaning of Ahl al-Bayt in the hadth. Both Shaykh al-Albn and Shaykh Dimashqiah
have forced their own meanings upon the word itrah through their unethical methods.
According to the classical Sunn linguists, the word itrah refers only to the closest blood
relations of a person, absolutely EXCLUDING the wives or any non-relative dependents living
with him in his house. Fayrz bd says:

The itrah are the descendants of a man, and his nearest blood relations.219
Ibn Manzr also states:
:
: ... :
: : . : .
: , : . : ,
: . , : .

The itrah of a man are his near blood relations from his offspring and others Ab
Ubaydah and others said: The itrah of a man are his nearest blood relations. Ibn alAthr said: The itrah of a man are his most special blood relations. Ibn al-Arb said:
The itrah are the descendants of a man and his offspring and progeny and the itrah of
the Prophet are the descendants of Ftimah the Virgin. It has been narrated that Ab
Sad said: Itrah is the trunk of a tree and the itrah of the Prophet are Abd al-Mutalib
and his descendants. It is said: The itrah of the Prophet are his closest Ahl al-Bayt, AND
THEY ARE his children and Al and his (i.e. Als) children. It is also said: His itrah are
his near and far blood relations. 220
218
219
Muhammad b. Yaqb al-Fayrz bd, Al-Qms al-Muht (Beirut: Muasassat al-Rislah), vol. 2, p. 120
220
st
Muhammad b. Makram b. Manzr al-Afrq al-Misr, Lisn al-Arab (Beirut: Dr Sdir; 1 edition), vol. 4, p.
538
In simple terms, both Shaykh al-Albn and Shaykh Dimashqiah cheated when they claim that
itrah means wives because the word Ahl al-Bayt, in their view, primarily means wives!
Furthermore, it is NOT true that the word Ahl al-Bayt primarily refers to wives! What about this
hadth recorded and authenticated by Sunn Imm al-Haytham:
:}{::
" ::.
:."
:::
Narrated Al:
When the verse {And warn your nearest blood relations} (26:214) the Messenger of
Allh, peace be upon him, invited people people from his Ahl al-Bayt, and THIRTY MEN
gathered for him. They ate and drank. Then he said to them: Who will repay my debts
and fulfil my promises and be with me in Paradise and become my Khalfah among my
Ahl (al-Bayt)? And a man called Shark, said: O Messenger of Allh, you want someone to
do that? He said: Yes. Then he repeated it and presented it to his Ahl al-Bayt. Al said:
I
Ahmad recorded it and its chain is good.221
Imm Ibn Jarr al-Tabar, the premiere Sunn exegete, also declared the report as sahh222.
Were those thirty men, including Al, wives of the Prophet?! Were they not only his closest
blood relations (in other words, his itrah)?
Moreover, when he was asked about who the itrah Ahl al-Bayt mentioned in hadth althaqalayn are, the Sahb, Zayd b. Arqam, as recorded in Sahh Muslim (as part of a hadth althaqalayn) stated:
:

We said: Are his (the Prophets) wives part of his Ahl al-Bayt?
He (Zayd b. Arqam) said: No, by Allh! A woman lives with a man for a while. He then
divorces her and she goes back to her parents and people. His Ahl al-Bayt are his lineage
and offspring for whom alms are forbidden after him.223
In short, the word Ahl al-Bayt may specially refer to the itrah of a man or assume its general
meaning. In its general meaning, it definitely includes the wives as well as all of the mans
221
Ab al-Hasan Al b. Ab Bakr al-Haytham, Majma al-Zawid (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr; 1412 H), vol. 9, p. 146
Al b. Husm al-Dn al-Muttaq al-Hind, Kanz al-Umml f Sunan al-Aqwl wa al-Afl (Beirut: Muasassat alRislah; 1989 CE), vol. 13, p. 110, # 36408
223
Ab al-Husayn Muslim b. al-Hajjj al-Naysbr al- al-Qushayr, Sahh (Beirut: Dr Ihy al-Turth al-Arab)
[annotator: Muhammad Fud Abd al-Bq+, vol. 4, p. 1874, # 2408
222
relatives and dependents. However, whenever it is the itrah Ahl al-Bayt, it excludes the wives
and all his dependents who are not his close relatives. Our noble Prophet did not say and my
itrah, my Ahl al-Bayt for a joke! How Shaykh al-Albn and Shaykh Dimashqiah deem it fit to
deface the word itrah by fabricating a strange, incestuous meaning for it is beyond every honest
researcher!
No wonder, Imm al-Als, a highly authoritative medieval Sunn exegete, nails both of them
completely in his Tafsr:
.
And know that what is apparent from what is Sahh from the word of the Prophet, peace
be upon him I will leave among you two Khalfahs and in another report two weighty
things: the Book of Allh, a rope stretching between the heaven and the earth, and my
itrah, my Ahl al-Bayt. Both shall never separate until they meet me at the Lake-Font, this
establishes that the pure wives are NOT part of the Ahl al-Bayt who are one of the two
weighty things. This is because the itrah of a man, as documented in (the classical
dictionary entitled) al-Sihh, are his offspring and nearest blood relations.224
That finally lays to rest Shaykh al-Albns and Shaykh Dimashqiahs trick!
Sub-Trick B
Some other scholars of the Ahl al-Sunnah accept that Ahl al-Bayt in hadth al-thaqalayn refers
only to the Prophets itrah, his closest blood relations. This is a credit to them. However, they
still play tricks, even with that! Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah for instance states:

.
The itrah are Ban Hshim, ALL OF THEM: the descendants of al-Abbs, the descendants
of Al, the descendants of al-Hrith b. Abd al-Mutalib and the rest of the descendants of
Ab Tlib and others. Al alone was not the itrah, and the leader of the itrah was the
Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him. It becomes clear from this that the ulam among
the itrah, like Ibn Abbs and others were not necessarily followers of Al in everything
the latter said. Moreover, it was not obligatory upon the people to obey Al in everything
he passed a fatwa about. And it is not known that any of the Imms of the Salaf or from
Ban Hshim or from others said that following Al in everything he said was
compulsory.225
Another Salaf lim, Shaykh Uthmn al-Khams, backs Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah:
224
st
(Muasassat al-Qurtbah; 1 edition, 1406 H) [annotator: Dr. Muhammad Rashd Slim+, vol. 7, p. 280-281
225

Who are the itrah of the Prophet? The itrah of a man are his Ahl al-Bayt, and the itrah of
the Prophet are ALL those upon whom alms have been forbidden, AND THEY ARE BAN
HSHIM. These people are the itrah of the Prophet.226
No doubt, they both follow the understanding of the Sahb, Zayd b. Arqam. Since the Ahl alSunnah follow Ibn Abbs, then they may claim to follow the itrah through this method!
In any case, the Prophet has elsewhere described the itrah in hadth al-thaqalayn with another
word. Shaykh al-Albn records:
( )
Allhs Apostle, peace be upon him, said: I will leave among you THE two Khalfahs after
me: the Book of Allh and my itrah, my Ahl al-Bayt. Both shall never separate until they
meet me at the Lake-Font. (Sahh bi Shawhidih)227
Shaykh Dimashqiah here has an objection about this sahh hadth:
.
..
}.
} .{
{

{
}

.
The word Khalfah (in the hadth) does not mean the successor after the Prophet, based
on the proof that the Qurn has been mentioned. It is not possible for the Qurn to be a
Khalfah in this sense. This is because the Qurn was already an Imm (to be followed
and obeyed) for mankind even during the lifetime of the Honourable Messenger.
If Al had succeeded the Prophet, who then succeeded the Qurn? And is it possible for
Ftimah to have been a Khalfah?
226
rd
37, # 754
227
The meaning of the word Khalfah is that both of them (i.e. the Qurn and Ahl al-Bayt)
are matters that will continue to exist after the Prophet, warning against the lack of
Allhs prevention (of their extinction) about the two of them (i.e. they will continue to
exist till the Hour by Allhs active plan). Allh said {And remember when we made you
successors (khulaf) after the people of Nh). He the Most High also said {And an evil
generation succeeded (khalafa) them. They abandoned Salh and followed the lusts}. He
again said {Then we made you successors (khalif) in the earth after them to see how you
will behave}. The words in the two verses have nothing to do with Immah.228
While it is true that the word Khalfah may indeed mean successor (in authority) or survivor
(in time), Shaykh Dimashqiah has woefully failed to establish why he has preferred the second
meaning. The Prophet mentioned the two Khalfahs, thereby implying that he left not more than
them. If indeed Khalfah in the above hadth means survivor in time, then it makes no sense
because the Prophet left other things to remain till Qiymah among his Ummah: the Kabah,
Makkah, Madnah, the Sunnah and so on! Why then would he restrict his survivors to only two?!
Furthermore, the fact that the Qurn had authority during the Prophets lifetime does not in any
way affect its rank as a successor in authority to him. Hrn was a messenger of Allh, alongside
Ms, sent to Ban Isrl. This means that he too, together with Ms at the same time, had
authority over the Israelites:

And We did not send any messenger but that he should be obeyed by Allh's
permission.229
But despite this, Ms still appointed Hrn as his Khalfah in authority during the formers
absence:

And Ms said to his brother Hrn Be my Khalfah among my people.230
If we were to accept Shaykh Dimashqiahs reasoning, then Hrn was only Mss survivor in
time and not successor in authority?! What is obvious is that despite having his own
independent authority, by making him his Khalfah, Ms conferred additional authority over
him. In his capacity as Khalfah of Ms, whoever disobeyed Hrn disobeyed BOTH Ms and
Hrn! Before his appointment as Khalfah, whoever disobeyed him only disobeyed Hrn!
The same is the situation of the Qurn. Whosoever disobeyed the Qurn during the Prophets
lifetime only disobeyed the Word of Allh. However, in its capacity as the Prophets Khalfah,
whosoever disobeys it disobeys BOTH the Word of Allh AND the Prophet! It assumes double
authority. This is confirmed by another sahh Sunn hadth. Imm Al-Haytam states:
In the sahh report, the Prophet said:
228
Qurn 4:64
230
Qurn 7:142
229
BOTH. They both are the Book of Allh and my Ahl al-Bayt, my itrah.231
A command is what must be obeyed. The Qurn and the Ahl al-Bayt are two commands from the
Prophet to the whole Ummah. Whosoever disobeys either of them has disobeyed the Prophet,
and whosoever obeys either of them has obeyed him.
With these simple analyses, Shaykh Dimashqiahs flimsy objection dies.
Now, considering the wording of hadth al-thaqalayn, it is obvious that the Prophet was
referring to the same itrah in both hadths (i.e. hadth al-thaqalayn and the hadth of the two
Khalfahs, better known as hadth al-khalfatayn). It is therefore established that his itrah are
his Khalfahs over his Ummah, who assume his authority over them after him.
Some people might wonder why the Prophet referred to his itrah, who are several people, as a
Khalfah, using the singular grammar. We state that expressions like that, though uncommon,
are permissible in Arabic. A good example is this verse from the Qurn, in which Allh says to
both Ms and Hrn:

Then come to Firawn and say: Surely we are the messenger (rasl) of the Lord of the
worlds.232
They were two messengers. But they called themselves one messenger, in obedience to the
explicit instruction of Allh. The meaning of we are the messenger is that each of us is a
messenger. It also emphasizes the cordial link between the messengership of the two of them.
Whoever rejects one has rejected the other.
Another example is this:

Intoxicants, gambling and divination are all called a dirt. This means that each of them is a dirt.
Moreover, we read:

The polytheists are only an impure thing.234
The meanings, of course, is that each of the polytheists is an impure thing!
231

st
232
Qurn 26:16
233
Qurn 5:90
234
Qurn 9:28
By calling his Ahl al-Bayt his Khalfah, the Prophet was emphasizing:
1. that each of those meant in the hadth is a Khalfah of his
2. that their Khilfahs are cordially linked, such that a rejection of one is a rejection of all
Imm Ahmad takes the discussion forward with this hadth:
:

:

. :
.

Narrated Masrq:
We were sitting with Abd Allh b. Masd and he was reciting the Qurn to us. Then a
man said to him: O Ab Abd al-Rahmn! Did you (Sahbah) ask Allhs Apostle, peace be
upon him, the number of Khalfahs that will rule this Ummah? Abd Allh b. Masd
replied: None before you has ever asked me concerning this since I arrived in Irq.
Verily, we asked Allhs Apostle, peace be upon him, and he said: Twelve, like the
captains of Ban Isrl.235
The chain of this hadth has been graded as hasan by Al-Hfiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqaln236, alSuyt237, al-Haytham238, al-sim239 and al-Mubrakfr240.
Imm Muslim backs him:

. ::

Narrated Jbir b. Samurah:
I heard the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him saying:
The affairs of the people will continue to be conducted as long as twelve men are their
Wals.
235
Ab Abd Allh Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad (Egypt: Muasassat al-Qurtubah), vol. 1, p. p. 398, #3781 and p.
406, # 3859
236
Ab al-Fadl Ahmad b. Al b. Hajar al-Asqaln al-Shfi, Fath al-Br Sharh Sahh al-Bukhr (Beirut: Dr alMarifah) *annotator: Muhibb al-Dn al-Khatb+, vol. 13, p. 212
237
Ab al-Fadl Jall al-Dn Abd al-Rahmn b. Ab Bakr al-Suyt, Trkh al-Khulaf (Egypt: Matbaah al-Sadah;
1371 H) [annotator: Muhammad Muhy al-Dn Abd al-Hamd+, vol. 1, p. 10
238
Ab al-Abbs Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Al b. Hajar al-Haytam, al-Sawiq al-Muhriqah al Ahl al-Rafd wa
st
al-Dall wa al-Zinadaqah (Lebanon: Muasassat al-Rislah; 1 edition, 1417 H) *annotators: Abd al-Rahmn b.
Abd Allh al-Turk and Kmil Muhammad Khurt], vol. 1, p. 54
239
Abd al-Malik b. Husayn b. Abd al-Malik al-sim al-Makk al-Shfi, Samat al-Nujm al-Awl f Anbi alAwil wa al-Tawl (Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah) *annotator: dil Ahmad Abd al-Mawjd+, vol. 2, p. 406
240
Ab al-Al Muhammad Abd al-Rahmn b. Abd al-Rahm al-Mubrakfr, Tuhfah al-Ahwaz bi Sharh Jmi
al-Tirmidh (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah), vol. 6, p. 394
Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, said words which were obscure to me. I asked my
father: What did the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him say? He said: All of them
(the twelve men) will be from the Quraysh.241
Imm Muslim further records:
.

Narrated mir b. Sa'd b. Ab Waqqs:
I wrote (a letter) to Jbir b. Samurah and sent it to him through my servant Nfi', asking
him to inform me of something he had heard from the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon
him. He wrote to me (in reply): I heard the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, saying
on a Friday evening, the day on which al-Aslam was stoned to death (for committing
adultery):
The religion will continue to stand until the Hour has been established, or there have
been over you twelve Khalfahs, all of them being from the Quraysh.242
Balancing all of these facts together, one gets this:
1.
2.
3.
4.
The itrah are the Khalfahs.

The Khalfahs are only twelve men.
Therefore, the itrah in hadth al-thaqalayn are only twelve men.
The existence of humanity and Islm has been linked to the existence of these twelve
men. Islm will continue to exist as long as these Khalfahs continue to rule. Since Islm
will exist till the Hour, that means that the tenure of these twelve men continue
unbroken till Qiymah. Moreover, the moment the rule of the twelve Khalfahs cease,
human affairs on this earth cease as well.
No woman is among the itrah in hadth al-thaqalayn, not even Sayyidah Ftimah!
The Prophet has given further hints about the identities of at least some of these twelve
Khalfahs from his itrah. Imm Ahmad records:
( )
241
242
Ibid, vol. 3, p. 1453, # 1822
In other words, the Khalfahs from the itrah are those who:
1. never mislead and are never misled
2. never contradict the Qurn
Whoever disobeys Allh or His Messenger is misled:
Messenger, then he has GONE ASTRAY in a clear misguidance.244
This means that the itrah in hadth al-thaqalayn are only those who never disobey Allh and His
Messenger which is what they never separate from the Qurn anyway. Shaykh al-Albn
records a sahh hadth that directly identifies these itrah:

} :
{
:
( ) :
Narrated Umar b. Ab Salamah stepson of the Prophet:
When THIS VERSE {Allh only intends to remove from you ALL impurity, O Ahl al-Bayt,
and to purify you ABSOLUTELY} (33:33) was revealed upon the Prophet in the house of
Umm Salamah, he therefore called Ftimah, Hasan and Husayn and covered them with a
cloak, and he also called Al who was behind him, and covered him too with the cloak and
said: O Allh! These are my Ahl al-Bayt! THEREFORE, remove from them all impurity and
purify them absolutely. Umm Salamah said: Am I one of them, O Prophet of Allh? He
said: You are in your place, and you are upon a good. (Sahh)245
The premiere Sunn exegete, Ibn Jarr al-Tabar, comments upon that verse:
243
244
Qurn 33:36
245
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Sahh Sunan al-Tirmidh (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Marif; 1st edition, 1420
H), vol. 3, p. 305, #3205
{Allh only intends to remove from you all impurity O Ah al-Bayt} means, Allh only
intends to remove from you ALL evil deeds and immoralities, O Ahl al-Bayt of
Muhammad, and to purify you absolutely from ALL sins, which are found in sinners unto
Allh.
The like of what we have said about it is what the scholars of twl (Qurnic exegesis)
have also said.
Those who said it mentioned: Narrated to us Bashar who said: narrated to us Yazd who
said: narrated to us Sad, that Qatdah said concerning the verse {Allh only intends to
remove all impurity from you, O Ahl al-Bayt, and to purify you absolutely They are the
Ahl al-Bayt. Allh PURIFIED them from ALL evil deeds and selected them specially for His
Mercy from Him.246
It was only Al, Hasan and Husayn that perfectly fit all the qualities in hadth al-thaqalayn and
supporting ahdth during the lifetime of the Prophet:
1. They were all from the itrah (unlike the wives).
2. They were all men (unlike Ftimah, who was from the itrah but a woman)
3. They were kept away from all evil deeds, immoralities and sins by Allh (unlike all other
Ban Hshim)
Of course, after al-Husayn, there were nine other people who also match those qualities (as
evident in the ahdth about the twelve Khalfahs, read together with Hadth al-Khalfatayn),
who would come after him. Together, they make the twelve Khalfahs of Islm.
The clear reality above is firmly confirmed in the Shah sources. Shaykh al-Sadq records:

:
:"
:" .

Ahmad b. Ziyd b. Jafar al-Hamadn Al b. Ibrhm his father Muhammad b. Ab
Umayr Ghayth b. Ibrhm al-Sdiq Jafar b. Muhammad his father Muhammad b. Al
his father Al b. al-Husayn his father al-Husayn b. Al, peace be upon him, who said:
Amr al-Muminn was asked about the meaning of the statement of the Messenger, peace
be upon him and his family: I will leave as Khalfahs among you the two weighty things:
the Book of Allh and my itrah. It was asked: Who are the itrah?
He (Al) said: I, al-Hasan, al-Husayn, and the Imms from the progeny of al-Husayn.
Their ninth is their Mahd and Qim. They will never separate from the Book of Allh and
it will never separate from them, until they return to the Messenger of Allh, peace be
upon him and his family, at his Lake-Font.247
246
MuHammad b. Jarr al-Tabar, Al-Jmi al-Bayn, vol. 22, p. 6 (under 33:33)

Ab Jafar Muhammad b. Al b. al-Husayn b. Bbyah al-Sadq al-Qm, Uyn Akhbr al-Rid (Beirut,
Lebanon: Muasassah al-Alam li al-Matbt; 1404 H) *annotator: Shaykh Husayn al-Alam+, vol. 2, p. 60
247
Chain analysis:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Shaykh al-Sadq: Our Shaykh and jurist248

Ahmad b. Ziyd b. Jafar al-Hamadn: Thiqah (trustworthy)249
Al b. Ibrhm: Thiqah250
Ibrhm b. Hshim: Thiqah251
Muhammad b. Ab Umayr: Thiqah252
Ghayth b. Ibrhm: Thiqah253
All the narrators are thiqah and Imms, and the chain is well-connected. Therefore, it is a sahh
report by Shah standards. Mirz al-Nr also declares the chain to be sahh.254
This last hadth cancels all controversies.
Sub-Trick C
Shaykh Dimashqiah takes the tricks to very ridiculous extents when he submits about hadth althaqalayn:
.) ] [ (
.) () ( ) (
.
Ahdth that they (Shah) distort in their texts, like I have left among what if you adhere
to IT, you will never go astray: the Book of Allh AND my itrah. The Rfidah make it dual
by saying to both. Of course, there is different between saying to it and to both.
Adherence is made in singular, and refers to the Qurn only.255
Actually, the Prophet has used both to it and to both in the various instances when he
repeated the hadth. For instance, the classical Sunn lim, Imm al-Haytam states:
248

Sayyid Ab al-Qsim al-Musw Al-Kh, Mujam Rijl al-Hadth, vol. 2, p. 120; Ab Jafar Muhammad b. Al
b. al-Husayn b. Bbyah al-Sadq al-Qm, Kaml al-Dn wa Tamm al-Nimah (Tehran, Iran: Islmiyyah; 2nd
edition, 1395 H), p. 369. In Shaykh al-Sadqs Kaml al-Dn, his name is wrongly spelt as Muhammad instead of
Ahmad. It is a typographical error as Shaykh al-Sadq had no shaykh named Muhammad b. Ziyd b. Jafar.
250
251
Sayyid Ab al-Qsim al-Musw Al-Kh, Mujam Rijl al-Hadth wa Tafsl Tabaqt al-Rawt (5th edition,
1413 H) vol. 1, p. 291
252
Ab Jafar Muhammad b. al-Hasan b. Al b. al-Hasan al-Ts, al-Fihrist (Qum, Iran: Muasassah al-Nashr alIslm; 1st edition, 1417 H) *annotator: Shaykh Jawd al-Qaym+, p. 218; Ab Jafar Muhammad b. al-Hasan b.
Al b. al-Hasan al-Ts, Rijl (Qum, Iran: Muasassah al-Nashr al-Islm; 1st edition, 1415 H) *annotator:
Muhammad al-Qaym al-Isfahn+, p. 365
253
Ab al-Abbs Ahmad b. Al b. Ahmad b. Al-Abbs al-Najsh al-Asad al-Kf, Rijl al-Najsh (Qum, Iran:
Muasassah al-Nashr al-Islm; 5th edition, 1416 H) *annotator: Sayyid Ms al-Shabr al-Zanjn+, p. 305
254
Mirz al-Nr, Mustadrak al-Wasil, vol. 5, pp. 76-77
255
249
So, Shaykh Dimashqiah only attempts a fast one there. Moreover, the Prophet has clearly
defined that to it means to the Book of Allh AND my itrah. How does this Salaf scholar
miss that? Does he think the Messenger of Allh say and my itrah, joining it to the Book of
Allh just for fun?
Shaykh Dimashqiah puts a fatal question mark upon his scholarship through this submission.
There are instances, even in the Qurn, where two or more are referred to in the singular for
emphasis to stress their cordial connections. For example, Allh says:

One wonders if Shaykh Dimashqiah has really never seen this verse! Are we then supposed to
avoid only the first (i.e. intoxicants) and accept the others (i.e. gambling and divination) because
of the singular pronoun? Or, does this mean that a dirt and it do not refer to itoxicants,
gambling and divination?
Another example is this verse:

They swear by Allh to you (Muslims) in order to please you, but Allh AND His
Messenger are more deserving that HE should be pleased, if they are believers.258
That he refers to both Allh and His Messenger.
Allh also says:

And of mankind is HE who SAYS We believe in Allh and the Last Day while in fact THEY
are not believers. THEY seeks to deceive Allh and those who believe, while THEY only
deceive THEMSELVES, and they perceive not.259
One notices our Lord referring to several people as he, even also using the singular verb
says. Our Creator does the same here:

256

st
257
Qurn 5:90
258
Qurn 9:62
259
Qurn 2:8-9
Their likeness is as the likeness of HE who kindled a fire; then, when it lighted all around
HIM, Allh took away THEIR light and left THEM in darkness. (So) THEY could not see.260
There are several other examples in the Book of Allh.
Besides, similarly worded narrations have been accepted as referring to the two things
mentioned by the superiors of Shaykh Dimashqiah. For instance, Shaykh Slih b. Fawzn states:
.:
He, peace be upon him, said: I will leave among you what if you adhere to it you will
never go astray after me: the Book of Allh and my Sunnah.261
The Salafiyyah and others no doubt believe this hadth to be calling for adherence to BOTH the
Qurn and Sunnah! In fact, it has been cited specifically to prove that!
Shaykh Dr. Husayn Salm Asad also writes:
:
.
He said during the Farewell Hajj:

O mankind! Verily, I have left among you what if you stick to it you will never go astray:
the Book of Allh and my Sunnah.
It is a sahh hadth.262
Shaykh Asad apparently seeks to establish that the Qurn and Sunnah must be followed
through this narration!
No doubt, Shaykh Dimashqiah has here played a trick that is simply too cheap and somewhat
too childish.
260
Qurn 2:17
Shaykh Slih b. Fawzn b. Abd Allh al-Fawzn, Muhdart f al-Aqdah wa al-Dawah (Saudi Arabia: Dr alsimah; 1st edition, 1428 H), vol. 4, p. 253
262
nd
Ab Bakr Abd Allh b. Zubayr al-Qursh al-Hamd, Musnad (Dr al-Mmn li al-Turth; 2 edition, 1423 H)
[annotator: Husayn Salm Asad+, vol. 1, p. 11
261
CHAPTER SIX
DRAWING THE CLEAR LINE
It is obvious that the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah do NOT follow the Ahl al-Bayt. Although some
of the ulam of the Ahl al-Sunnah make a contrary claim, they have no evidence to support their
assertions. This line needs to be drawn boldly, in order to reach the truth of the matter. The
Shah Immiyyah follow the itrah, the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet while the Ahl al-Sunnah do
not. The moment this line is drawn and recognized, it becomes much easier for anyone seeking
the truth to find it.
Unlike the desperate Sunn authors, some of the leading Imms of the Ahl al-Sunnah have
however been more straightforward. They admit that the Ahl al-Sunnah only love, and do NOT
follow the Ahl al-Bayt. Imm Fakhr al-Dn al-Rz, for instance, makes this clear:
,
We the Ahl al-Sunnah, with praises to Allh, embark on the ark of love of the Ahl al-Bayt,
and we seeks guidance through the stars of guidance, the Sahbah of the Prophet.263
The Ahl al-Sunnah only allegedly love the Ahl al-Bayt. They do nothing more than that.
Explaining the above statement, Mulla Al Qr states:
,

He (al-Rz) made it clear that whosoever does not enter the ark (of love of the Ahl alBayt) like the Khawrij perishes with those who perish at the very first instance. Also,
whosoever does not seeks guidance through the stars of the Sahbah like the Rawfid
(i.e. Shah) goes astray264.
The line is drawn:
1. The Shah Immiyyah follow the Ahl al-Bayt
2. The Ahl al-Sunnah follow the Sahbah
What further reinforces this distinction is that the founding fathers of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa alJamah were the severe enemies of the Ahl al-Bayt! Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah has an interesting
piece of information on this:
.

This was not the case for Al. This is because the MAJORITY of the Sahbah and Tbin
HATED, CURSED and FOUGHT him.265
263
See Mulla Al Qr, Mirqt al-Maftih Sharh Mishqt al-Masbih (Makkah: Dr Al-Maktabah al-Tijriyyah;
1412 H) *annotator: Siddiq Muhammad al-Attr+, vol. 10, p. 553
264
ibid
265
st
This is the outline of official ideology of the founding fathers of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah.
It was the custom of the Sahbah and Tbin. Hatred of Al and Ahl al-Bayt is the core of
classical Sunn Islm!
The Sahbah and Tbin were under a clear obligation to follow Al and his offspring in their
religion, in line with this sahh hadth:
( )!
O mankind! I have left among you what if you HOLD FAST TO it you will never go astray:
the Book of Allh AND my Ahl al-Bayt. (Sahh)266
Al and his offspring were also the command of the Prophet to his Sahbah and the Tbin and
the whole Ummah to obey. Imm Al-Haytam states:

A command is what must be obeyed. The Ahl al-Bayt are a command from the Prophet to the
whole Ummah, the Sahbah and Tbin included. If we obey them (apart from also holding fast
to or following them, which is another thing), we have obeyed the command of the Prophet. If
we disobey them, we have disobeyed the command of Allhs Messenger!
The whole Ummah therefore have two obligations towards Imm Al and his offspring:
1. Obey them to obey the Prophet because they are his command.
2. Follow them along with the Qurn in their religion to attain true guidance and salvation.
The Sahbah and Tbin flouted both obligations, and instead hated, cursed and hated Al. Since
the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah take their religion from the Sahbah, it is obvious that they too
cannot possibly follow or obey the Ahl al-Bayt.
At this point, we need to introduce certain terminologies, for the convenience of this research.
The Sunn lim, Imm al-Dhahab helps us out:
266
vol. 3, p. 542, # 3786
267
st
Whosoever does not say rahimahullh (may Allh be merciful to him) for the martyr,
Amr al-Muminn Uthmn, there is some Shism in him. Whosoever talks about him with
hatred and criticism, then he is a real Shah, and needs to be taught manners. If he raises
his criticism to Ab Bakr and Umar, then he is a malignant Rfid. The same is the
situation of anyone who censures Imm Al, he is a Nsib, deserving punishment. If he
declares him (i.e. Imm Al) a kfir, then he is a renegade Khrij.
Our own path is to seek Allhs forgiveness for them all, and to love them all, and to hold
away from what happened among them.268
Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah also submits:
.....
They (i.e., the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah) love the Ahl al-Bayt of the Messenger of Allh,
peace be upon him; they regard them with love and loyalty, and they heed the command
of the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him concerning them but they reject the way
of the Rawfid who hate the Sahbah and curse them, and they reject the way of the
Nawsib who hurt the Ahl al-Bayt in words and deed. Ahl al-Sunnah do not indulge in
discussions about the disputes that took place among the Sahbah.269
Shaykh Ibn al-Uthaymn backs him:
The Nawsib are those who set up enmity against the Ahl al-Bayt, and hated them and
cursed them. They are diametrically opposed to the Rawfid.270
So, anyone who hurts the Ahl al-Bayt by word or deed is a Nsib. Moreover, anyone who hates,
curses or sets up enmity against the Ahl al-Bayt is equally a Nsib. It is appropriate to balance
these revelations with these words of Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah:
.

The matter is simple and clear. The majority of the Sahbah and Tbin, fondly called the
righteous Salaf by Sunns, were Nsibs (also called Nawsib) haters and enemies of Imm Al
and the Ahl al-Bayt.
268
Ab Abd Allh Shams al-Dn Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Dhahab, Siyar Alam al-Nubal (Egypt: al-Maktabah
al-Tawfqyyah), vol. 7, p. 267
269
Ibn Taymiyyah, Al-Aqdah al-Wsitiyyah, vol. 3, p. 154.
270
Ibn al-Uthaymn, Sharh al-Aqdah al-Wsitiyyah, vol. 2, p. 283
271
st
By contrast, Al himself was a malignant Rfid according to the standards of the Ahl alSunnah wa al-Jamah. Imm Muslim records that Umar, during his caliphate, said to Al and alAbbs:
When the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, passed away, Ab Bakr said: I am the
heir of the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him." Both of you came . You (al-Abbs)
demanded your inheritance from your nephew, and he ('Al) demanded the inheritance
of his wife from her father. Ab Bakr said: The Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him,
had said:" We (prophets) do not have any heirs; what we leave behind is (to be given in)
charity." So both of you thought him to be a liar, sinful, treacherous and dishonest. And
Allh knows that he was truthful, virtuous, well-guided and a follower of truth. When Ab
Bakr passed away and I have become the heir of the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon
him and the heir of Ab Bakr, you thought me to be a liar, sinful, treacherous and
dishonest. And Allh knows that I am truthful, virtuous, well-guided and a follower of
truth.272
Imm Ibn Hibbn also records that Umar said on that same occasion:
And both of you (i.e. Al and al-Abbs) thought him to be an oppressor and evil doer
concerning it, and Allh knows that he was truthful, virtuous and a follower of the truth.
Then I became its Wal after Ab Bakr. Two years into my rule, I did the like of what the
Messenger of Allh and Ab Bakr did concerning it. And both of you thought me to be an
omitter and evil-doer concerning it, and Allh knows that I am truthful, virtuous and a
follower of the truth.273
By describing Ab Bakr and Umar as liars, sinful, treacherous, oppressors, evil-doers and
dishonest, Imm Al confirmed his explicit rank as a complete Rfid. On the other hand, by
hating, cursing and fighting Imm Al, the so-called righteous Salaf, the founders and pillars of
Sunn Islm, established themselves as full-blown Nsibs.
In a direct opposition to Al the Rfid, the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah insist that all the
Sahbah, including Ab Bakr and Umar and the Nawsib, were friends of Allh. Imm alQurtub confirms that:
.
.
272
273
nd
Ibn Hibbn, Sahh (Beirut: Muasassat al-Rislah;2 edition, 1414 H) *annotator: Shuayb al-Arnt+, vol. 14,
p. 577, #6608
ALL the Sahbah were just and friends of Allh the Most High, and His chosen one among
His creatures after the prophets and messengers. This is the view of the Ahl al-Sunnah,
which was followed by the majority of the Imms of this Ummah.274
In other words, all the Nsib Sahbah, who formed the majority, were friends of Allh, whom
He loved. Nsibism then is something that Allh loves, as far as the foundation of Ahl al-Sunnah
wa al-Jamah is concerned. Moreover, although Imm al-Dhahab says that the Nsib needs to
be punished, it is only an empty talk. How can a friend of Allh be punished?!
The Shah Immiyyah, following their Rfid Imm, also believe that Ab Bakr and Umar were
liars, sinful, treacherous, oppressors, evil-doers and dishonest. They also reject all the Nsib
Sahbah. This has forced the Ahl al-Sunnah to issue some strict fatwas against them in
retaliation. Ibn Hajar al-Haytam submits after quoting Qurn (48:29):
: ,
. ,
It was from this verse that Imm Mlik in a report took his view that the Rawfid (i.e.
Shah) who hate the Sahbah, are kuffr (infidels). He said: This is because the Sahbah
enrage them, and whosoever is enraged by the Sahbah is a kfir.275
Al-Haytam further submits:
. ,
(Imm) Al-Shfi agreed with him (i.e. Mlik) in his declaring them as kuffr, and the
majority of the Imms agreed with him (i.e. Mlik).276
Imm al-Qurtub, while commenting on Mliks opinion, states:
, , ,
,
(Imm) Mlik was most good in his statement, and was correct in his interpretation (of
the verse). Whosoever criticizes any of them (i.e. the Sahbah) or attacks him in his
report, he has indeed refuted Allh the Lord of the Worlds, and has destroyed the laws of
Islm.277
What about a Sahb who hates another? If we agree, arguendo, that the Sahbah belonged to
the same class, and could therefore hate, curse and fight one another without consequence,
what about the majority of the Tbin (the founding fathers and narrators of Sunn Islm) who
were full-blown Nsibs? Shouldnt they too be kuffr like the Rfidah? Are they not guilty of the
same offences?
274
Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Qurtub, Al-Jmi al-Ahkm al-Qurn (Cairo: Dr al-Shib; 1372 H), vol. 16, p. 299
st
276
ibid
277
275
The fatwas, of course, are meant to operate against the Shah only even though they have been
worded in general terms. This is why the Nsib founders of Sunn Islm among the Tbin are
considered some of the best Muslims ever! Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah even has a fairly long
discussion on this:
The slanderers of Al were several groups and they were better than the slanderers of
Ab Bakr, Umar and Uthmn. Moreover, the slanderers of Al were better than the
Ghult (extremists) about him. Verily, the Khawrij were unanimous that Al was a kfir.
However, in the opinion of all Muslims, they were better than the Ghult who believed
that he (Al) was God or a prophet. Rather, those who fought Al among the Sahbah and
Tbin are better, in the opinion of the generality of Muslims, than the Rfidah Ithn
Ashariyyah who believe that he (Al) was an infallible Imm.
As for Ab Bakr, Umar and Uthmn, none in the Ummah have been their slanderers
except the Rfidah. The Khawrij, who declared Al to be a kfir, loved Ab Bakr and
Umar and invoked Allhs pleasure upon them both. The Marwniyyah who accused Al
of injustice and oppression, and who claimed that he was not a Khalfah, also used to love
Ab Bakr and Umar, despite that both were not from their relatives. How then, with this,
can it be said that Al was praised by friends and foes as opposed to the three Khalfahs
(i.e. Ab Bakr, Umar and Uthmn)?
What is known is that the friends of these people (i.e. Ab Bakr, Umar and Uthmn)
were greater, more numerous and better; and that the slanderers of Al, including those
who accused him of kufr (disbelief), fusq (evil-doing and immorality) and sins, are
known groups, and they are more knowledgeable and more religious than the Rfidah.
The Rfidah are weak in terms of knowledge or combat against them, and it is not
possible for the Rfidah to bring any clear-cut evidence to defeat them in argument, nor
ever defeat them in combat.
Those who were slanderers of Al, may Allh be pleased with him, and called him a kfir
and oppressor, there was no group among them that were apostates from Islm, as
opposed to those who praised him and were enemies of the three (i.e. Ab Bakr, Umar
and Uthmn), like the Ghult who attribute divinity to him like the Nsriyyah, and
others like Ismliyyah the apostates who are worse than Nasriyyah, and like the
Ghliyyah who called him (i.e. Al) a prophet. These people were kuffr and apostates
through their disbelief in Allh and His Messenger.
It is clear and not hidden from any scholar of the religion of Islm that whosoever
attributes divinity to a mortal, or believes that there is a prophet after Muhammad, or
that Muhammad was not a prophet but rather Al was the (real) prophet and that Jibrl
made a mistake, these statements and others like them are clear evidences of the kufr of
those who profess them, (clear) to whoever knows Islm closely, as opposed to those of
the Khawrij who declared Al a kfir and cursed him, and among those who fought and
cursed him among the Sahbah of Muwiyah and Ban Marwn and others, verily these
people were attached to Islm and its Shariah! They prayed Salh, gave Zakt, fasted in
Ramadn, do Hajj to the Bayt al-Atq (i.e. Kabah), and they forbade what Allh and His
Messenger made harm. There was no apparent kufr in them. Rather, the symbols of
Islm and its Shariah were visible in them, treated highly among them. This matter is
known to anyone who knows the conditions of Islm. How can it be claimed that the
generality of the opponents (of Al) praised him apart from the three?
Rather, if we compare those who hated Al and loved Muwiyah and those who hated
Uthmn and loved Al, it is found that the former are better than the latter in a number
of ways. This is because the praisers of Uthmn who were slanderers of Al were more
numerous and more religious and better than the friends of Al who were slanderers of
Uthmn, like the Zaydiyyah, for instance.
It is known that those who FOUGHT Al and CURSED him and censured him AMONG THE
SAHBAH AND TBIN and others were more knowledgeable and MORE RELIGIOUS than
those who loved him and cursed Uthmn.278
Compare how the Ahl al-Sunnah treat the Nawsib and Khawrij and how and why they have
declared the Shah to be infidels! On what ground are Shah too not attached to Islm and its
278
Ahmad b. Abd al-Halm b. Taymiyyah, Minhj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah (Egypt: al-Matbaat al-Kubr alAmriyyah; 1322 H), vol. 3, pp. 2-4
Shariah? Why are they not also knowledgeable, religious Muslims? Why are they not counted
among those who uphold the laws of Allh?
In any case, the fathers of Sunn Islm were mostly Nawsib, enemies and opponents of the Ahl
al-Bayt. The Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah take their religion, at least most of it, from these
Nawsib. It is obviously impossible for the Sunns to have derived any aspect of their faith from
the Ahl al-Bayt in such a circumstance. The paths therefore are clear and separate. The Ahl alSunnah wa al-Jamah are followers of the Nawsib, while the Shah are followers of the Rfid
Imm Al.
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE SECT OF ALLH
Muslims today are mainly divided into two groups: those who follow the Ahl al-Bayt (i.e. the
Shah Immiyyah) and those who follow the Nawsib (i.e. the majority of the Sahbah and
Tbin). Both camps claim to be the Jamah that is upon the haqq from Allh. While the Shah
Immiyyah have clear backings in the Qurn and Sunnah for their choice of the Ahl al-Bayt as
their own leaders and friends, the Ahl al-Sunnah do not seem to be so favoured. There is not a
single reliable hadth in the Sunn sources that advise, encourage or command them to follow
the Sahbah and Tbin! The only hadith that comes even remotely close to encouraging Sunns
to follow the Sahbah, and which they traditionally cite to support their sects, is this:
My Sahbah are like the stars. Whichever of them you follow, you will be rightly guided.
Shaykh al-Albn makes its status clear:
.:{}
{My Sahbah are like the stars. Whichever of them you follow, you will be rightly guided}
IT IS NOT AUTHENTIC. It is very weak, AND IS A FABRICATION.279
Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah also says:
.{}
{My Sahbah are like the stars. Whichever of them you follow, you will be rightly guided}
IT IS WEAK, AND IS FALSE.280
It is indeed strange how the Ahl al-Sunnah still use this fake hadth as proof, and on its basis call
the Sahabah stars of guidance!
We wonder, in spite of the reality of the above false hadth, how the Ahl al-Sunnah still manage
to follow those people stars of guidance! Moreover, they were people with NO mn as
admitted by facts and history! How could they possibly be granted such accolades? Shaykh Ibn
Taymiyyah surprisingly concedes:
Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah love the members of the household of the Prophet, regard
them as friends, and protect the will of the Prophet about them which he had stated on
the day of Ghadir-e-Khumm: I remind you of Allah about my Ahle Bait (household).
(Muslim, 15/188 with Nawawi). And said to his uncle Abbas when it was complained that
some people of Quraysh are oppressing Bani Hashim: I swear by the One Who holds my
soul in His Hand that these people CANNOT BE BELIEVERS unless they love you AND MY
RELATIVES. (Tirmidhi). (emphasis added)281
279
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Sifat Salh al-Nab (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Marif), vol. 1, p. 49
Ahmad b. Abd al-Halm b. Taymiyyah, Sifat al-Fatw (Beirut: al-Maktab al-Islm; 1322 H), vol. 3, pp. 2-4
281
Sheikh ul-Islam Ibn Taimiyah, Sharh Al-Aqdat-il-Wasitiyah: Text on the Fundamental Beliefs of Islam and
Rejection of False Concepts of its Opponents (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Dar-us-Salam Publications; First Edition,
280
In simple terms, no-one can be a believer until he loves the Ahl al-Bayt. Whosoever claims to be
a believer but hates anyone of the Ahl al-Bayt, whether he is a Sahb or not (as those Qurayshs
were Sahbah) is only deceiving himself and wasting his time! This is a very crucial point!
Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyahs assertion that the Ahl al-Sunnah protect the will of the Prophet about
them which he had stated on the day of Ghadir-e-Khumm is nothing but an empty claim. This is
the full will of the Prophet at Ghadr Khumm as documented by Imm Ahmad in his Musnad:
( )
The will is a clear order to follow the Ahl al-Bayt along with the Qurn till Qiymah. The Ahl alSunnah certainly do not do this. Instead, they follow the Sahbah and Tbin, about whom
Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah himself states:
.

The question now arises. The Prophet said:
I swear by the One Who holds my soul in His Hand that these people CANNOT BE
BELIEVERS unless they love you AND MY RELATIVES.
Imm Al was one of the Prophets relatives. Love of him was absolutely obligatory upon all the
Sahbah and Tbin. We ask the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah: how did those Sahbah manage
to be believers despite their hatred of Al?!
Concerning the Sahbah, this is what Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah writes:
Whoever will read their biographies with understanding and insight, and will come to
know the rewards bestowed by Allah upon them, he will certainly realise that these are
the best among humans after the Prophets. Neither there has been anyone like them nor
1996) [commentator: Dr. Muhammad Khalil Harras] [translators:Hafiz Muhammad Tahir and Abdul-Qdir
Abdul Khliq+, p. 204
282
283
st
will there be. Among all the periods of this Ummah which is the best among all the other
Ummah, and most honourable with Allah these are the pious men of Allah. (emphasis
added)284
How exactly did they come to attain these lofty ranks in spite of their hatred of Imm Al? The
Prophet did not exclude the Sahbah in his ruling. In fact, his ruling was directed primarily as
these people, referring explicitly to the Quraysh who were the most senior of the Sahbah. If
these people CANNOT BE BELIEVERS unless they love you AND MY RELATIVES, how then did
the majority of the Sahbah and Tbin, whom Ahl al-Sunnah follow, manage to become
believers?! It was either the Prophet was lying (Allh forbid!) or those Sahbah and Tbin were
actually NOT believers!
This conclusion is directly confirmed by a number of ahdth from the Sunn sources. Imm alTirmidh for instance records this crucial hadth:
:
( )
Narrated Al:
Verily, the al-Umm Prophet (i.e. Muhammad), peace be upon him, gave me a covenant
saying: NONE loves you except a believer, and NONE hates you except a hypocrite.
(Sahh)285
Shaykh Husayn Salm Asad also grades its chain as sahh286, as well as Imm al-Nis and Shaykh
al-Dn b. Munr l Zahw287, and Dr. Wasiyyullh b. Muhammad Abbs288.
This same hadth can be found in Sahh Muslim:
Narrated Al:
By Him Who split up the seed and created something living, verily the al-Umm Prophet
(i.e. Muhammad), peace be upon him, gave me a covenant that NONE loves me except a
believer and NONE hates me except a hypocrite.289
284
285
Ab s al-Tirmidh, al-Jmi al-Sahh Sunan al-Tirmidh (Beirut: Dr Ihy al-Turth al-Arab) *annotator:
Muhammad NsIr al-Dn al-Albn+, vol. 5, p. 643, #3736
286
st
Ab Yal Ahmad b. Al al-Tamm al-Mawsl, Musnad (Damascus: Dr al-Mmn li al-Turth; 1 edition,
1404 H) [annotator: Husayn Salm Asad+, vol. 1, p. 251, # 391
287
Ab Abd al-Rahmn Ahmad b. Shuayb al-Nis, Khasis Amr al-Muminn Al b. Ab Tlib (Beirut, Lebanon:
al-Maktabah al-Asriyyah), p. 86
288
Ab Abd Allh Ahmad b. Hanbal al-Shaybn, Fadil al-Sahbah (Daar Ibn al-Jawzee) [annotator: Dr.
Wasiyyullh Muhammad Abbs+, vol. 2, p. 196, # 948
289
The chain of this version has been declared sahh by Shaykh al-Arnat290.
This hadth leaves absolutely no exception. No matter who you are, no matter your reasons or
motives, as long as you hate Imm Al, you are definitely a hypocrite in the eyes of Allh.
The hadth is mutawtir. Imm al-Dhahab states:

:
I gathered the chains of hadth al-tayr in a volume as well as the chains of the hadth
Whomsoever I am his mawl, Al is his mawl and it (the second hadth) is more
authentic. More authentic than both of them is what Muslim has recorded that Al said:
Verily the al-Umm Prophet (i.e. Muhammad), peace be upon him, gave me a covenant
that NONE loves me except a believer and NONE hates me except a hypocrite.291
Imm al-Dhahab, in the same book, states:
(
)
(Whomsoever I am his mawl, Al is his mawl) This hadth extremely good in
authenticity, and its wording is mutawtir.292
Imm al-Als also submits:
{}
Al-Dhahab said that Whomsoever I am his mawl, Al is his mawl is mutawtir.293
An ahd (i.e. non-mutawtir) hadth can never be more authentic than a mutawtir one.
Therefore, the hadth of Al in Sahh Muslim is itself mutawtir, even more mutawtir than
hadth al-ghadr.
In other words, the majority of the Sahbah and Tbin, whom the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah
follow in their religion, were NOT believers BUT hypocrites! How then can hypocrites be the
best of humans after the prophets and pious men of Allah? What about the lovers of Al, who
are the true believers? How can hypocrites be better than believers?!
We submit that the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah are not totally consistent on this specific point.
The Sahbah themselves used to judge those among them through their hatred of Al. Imm
Ahmad has recorded this:
290
nd
st
p. 367, #6924; see also Ahmad b. Hanbal al-Shaybn, Musnad (Muasassah al-Rislah; 1 edition, 1416 H)
[annotators: Shuayb al-Arnt and dil Murshid+, vol. 2, p. 71, # 642
291
Ab Abd Allh Shams al-Dn Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Dhahab, Siyar Alam al-Nubal (Muasassat al-Rislah;
st
1 edition, 1983 CE) *annotators: Shuayb al-Arnat and Muhammad Nam al-Arqass+, vol. 17, p. 169
292
293

( ):
We used to recognize the hypocrites among the Ansr ONLY through their hatred of Al.
(Its chain is sahh)294
Imm Ahmad also records:

):
(
We NEVER recognized the hypocrites among the Ansr EXCEPT through their hatred of
Al. (Its chain is hasan)295
Umm Shuayb al-Wdiiyah grades the hadth as sahh, and Shaykh Ab Abd al-Rahmn Muqbil
b. Hd al-Wdi confirms her296.
Of course, all the Ansr were Sahbah. These are explicit confessions from fellow Ansr
Sahbah that there were hypocrites among them. Yet, if one asks any of the Ahl al-Sunnah today
were there hypocrites among the Sahbah, he jumps to answer no!
Let us break this down:
1. Anyone who hates any of the Ahl al-Bayt is NOT a believer, whether Quraysh (i.e. the
Muhajirn, who were the most senior of the Sahbah) or anyone else.
2. Anyone who hates Al is NOT a believer BUT a hypocrite.
3. The majority of the Sahbah and Tbin hated Al.
4. The Sahbah used to recognize the hypocrites among themselves through their hatred of
Imm Al.
5. Therefore, if the Prophet was saying the truth, and if the righteous believers among the
Sahbah were right, then there were hypocrites among the Sahbah. In fact, the majority
of the Sahbah were actually hypocrites, exposed by their hatred of Imm Al.
6. But, if the Prophet and his righteous Sahbah were liars (which seems to be the chosen,
undeclared view of the Ahl al-Sunnah), then those of the Sahbah who hated Al were
believers and pious men of Allah!
The destination of all hypocrites is the lowest depth of Hellfire:

294
st
Ab Abd Allh Ahmad b. Hanbal al-Shaybn, Fadil al-Sahbah (Beirut: Muasassat al-Rislah; 1 edition,
1403 H) [annotator: Dr. Wasiyyullh Muhammad Abbs+, vol. 2, p. 579, # 979
295
Ibid, vol. 2, p. 639, # 1086
296
Umm Shuayb all-Waadiiyah, al-Saheeh al-Musnad min Fadaail Ahl Bayt al-Nuboowat (Daar al-Athaar li
st
Nashr wa al-Tawzee; 1 edition, 1421 H) *foreword: Aboo Abd al-Rahmaan Muqbil b. Haadee al-Waadiee+, p.
63
Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depth (grade) of the Fire; no helper will you
find for them.297
It is equally confirmed in the mutawtir hadth that haters of any of the Ahl al-Bayt are fuel for
Hellfire. Imm al-Albn records this sahh hadth from the Prophet:
( )
I swear by the One in Whose Hand my life is, NONE hates us Ahl al-Bayt except that Allh
enters him or her into Hellfire. (Sahh)298
Imm Ibn Hibbn has recorded this hadth in his Sahh299, while Shaykh al-Arnt declares its
chain to be hasan300. According to Imm al-Als, the reports saying this in the Sunn sources are
countless (i.e. mutawtir)301. The word none includes all the Sahbah and Tbin, and does not
exclude anyone whosoever and whatsoever his reasons or motives!
One wonders: if the majority of the Sahbah and Tbin (as they really were) were Nsib
hypocrites, doomed for Hellfire, how possibly do Ahl al-Sunnah expect these people to lead
them to love of the Ahl al-Bayt and to Paradise? The majority of the Sahbah themselves needed
guidance and salvation. How did the Ahl al-Sunnah come to their notorious conclusion that
these Nawsib are the best of humankind after the prophets?!
What is worse? The Ahl al-Sunnah love these Nsib hypocrites and invoke Allhs blessings
upon them! Imm al-Dhahab states concerning the Sahbah:
Our own path is to seeks Allhs forgiveness for them all, AND TO LOVE THEM ALL.302
The Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah seeks Allhs forgiveness for hypocrites and love them all!
Sadly, even Imm al-Dhahab agrees that there were hidden hypocrites among the Sahbah:
{:

101 }

.
There were LOTS OF PEOPLE, during the days of the Prophet, peace be upon him, who
were called his Sahbah and who were regarded among the followers of his religion, but
who were in reality HIDDEN HYPOCRITES. The Prophet of Allh, peace be upon him, did
297
Qurn 4:145
643, # 2488
299
nd
p. 435, #6978
300
Ibid
301
302
Ab Abd Allh Shams al-Dn Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Dhahab, Siyar Alam al-Nubal (Egypt: al-Maktabah
al-Tawfqyyah), vol. 7, p. 267
298
not know them, and he was NOT made to know them (by Allh): And so are some among
the people of Madnah who persist in hypocrisy; you (O Muhammad) know them not, We
know them. We shall punish them twice. (9:101). Since it was possible for the leader of
mankind NOT to know some of the hypocrites even though they were with him in
Madnah for years, then it is more permissible for the Muslim ulam after him, peace be
upon him, NOT to know the true status of many of the apostate hypocrites (among his
Sahbah).303
Still, al-Dhahab loved all these Sahbah and prayed for their forgiveness!
By Allh, this is a grave violation of the Qurn! The clear instruction of our Lord is to love and
seeks forgiveness for only the believers among our predecessors:

And those who came after them say: Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have
preceded us IN MN (FAITH), and put not in our hearts any hatred against those WHO
HAVE BELIEVED. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful.304
The Salaf scholar, Shaykh Uthmn al-Khams, admits that hypocrites have no mn (faith):
The hypocrites did NOT meet the Prophet, peace be upon him, as believers and did NOT
die upon al-mn (faith).305
Since the Qurnic instruction is to love and pray for only people with mn, how can Sunns
justify their love and prayers for hypocrites, people who lived and died with no mn?!
The Qurn has left us in no doubt about the true reality of hypocrites in the eyes of Allh:

When the hypocrites come to you (O Muhammad), they say: "We bear witness that you
are indeed the Messenger of Allh." Allh knows that you are indeed His Messenger, and
Allh bears witness that THE HYPOCRITES ARE LIARS INDEED. They have made their
oaths a screen (for their hypocrisy). Thus they hinder (men) from the Path of Allh.
Verily, evil is what they used to do. That is because they believed, and then disbelieved;
therefore their hearts are sealed, so they understand not. And when you (O Muhammad)
look at them, their bodies please you; and when they speak, you listen to their words.
They are as blocks of wood propped up. They think that every cry is against them. THEY
ARE THE ENEMIES, so beware of them. MAY ALLH CURSE THEM! How are they denying
the Right Path?306
303
Ibid, vol. 14, p. 343

Qurn 59:10
305
306
Qurn 63:1-4
304
The hypocrites are the following, as can be seen from the above verses:
1. They are liars! Their ahdth that are not corroborated by believers are fabrications!
2. Hypocrites never guide to the Right Path. Rather, they prevent people from reaching the
Right Path!
3. They are disbelievers!
4. They are ENEMIES of Allh!
5. They are accursed people!
Allh has further stated:

Allh has promised the hypocrites, men and women, and the disbelievers, the Fire of Hell,
therein shall they abide forever. It will suffice them. Allh has CURSED them and for them
is the lasting torment.307
This absolutely establishes that Nawsib are enemies of Allh, whom He has cursed. It is
obligatory upon all believers to take all Nsibs as enemies too, and to curse them as our Creator
has done. It is highly blasphemous to pray to Allh in favour of anyone He has cursed! It is a
mockery of our Lord!
In case anyone doubts the kufr of the Nsib Sahbah whom the Ahl al-Sunnah love and follow
(despite the above verses), we will bring a sahh Sunn hadth for further buttress. Shaykh alAlbn records that the Prophet said:
)(.
Whosoever loves Al verily loves me, and whosoever loves me verily loves Allh the
Almighty. WHOSOEVER hates Al verily hates me, and WHOSOEVER hates me verily hates
Allh the Almighty. (Sahh)308
Imm al-Suyt also grades its chain as sahh309.
This hadth intricably and umbilically fuses love of the Prophet with love of Imm Al. Since
there can never be any justification or excuse whatsoever for hating the Prophet, there can
never possibly be any justification or excuse for hating Al. Hatred of Al is never justifiable or
excusable in any circumstance. Otherwise, hatred of Allh and His Messenger would be justified
or excused in those same circumstances.
Balance the sahh hadth against this confession of Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah:
307
Qurn 9:68
288, # 1299
309
Jall al-Dn Abd al-Rahmn b. Ab Bakr al-Suyt, Trkh al-Khulaf (Beirut, Lebanon: Dr Sdir) *annotator:
Ibrhm Slih], p. 206
308
The end result is obvious:
1. Whosoever hates Imm Al hates Allh.
2. The majority of the Sahbah and Tbin hated Imm Al
3. Therefore, the majority of the Sahbah and Tbin hated Allh!
Since hatred of Allh is clear kufr, one can conveniently say that in view of Shaykh Ibn
Taymiyyahs admission above, the majority of the Sahbah and Tbin were kuffr in Muslim
clothings!
Allh has also described the hypocrites, the Nawsib, as His enemies. This is also crucial in view
of this verse:

And Ibrhm asking forgiveness for his sire was only owing to a promise which he had
made to him; but when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of Allh, he
dissociated himself from him; most surely Ibrhm was very tender-hearted
forbearing. 311
Allh further seriously warns us:

O you who believe! Do not take My enemy and your enemy for friends or leaders. 312
Allh informs us that His enemies are also our enemies. This is the true approach of the
believers. When it is clear to them that someone is a hypocrite (i.e. a Nsib), and hence an
enemy of Allh, they dissociate themselves from such a person, and make him/her their own
enemy too.
The Qurn, to make matters clearer, informs us of Prophet Ibrhm and orders us to follow his
example:

Indeed, there is for you a good example in Ibrhm and those with him when they said to
their people: Surely we dissociate ourselves from you and of what you serve besides
Allh; we dissociate ourselves from you, and ENMITY and HATRED have appeared
between us and you forever until you believe in Allh alone.313
310

st
311
Qurn 9:114
312
Qurn 60:1
313
Qurn 60:4
Simply put, Allh has forbidden Muslims to take Nawsib of whatever extraction or era as a
friend or leader. Rather, they are His enemies, and we too must take them as our enemies. We
must have eternal enmity and hatred against all enemies of Allh, whomsoever they may be.
Of course, while it is absolutely undeniable that all haters and enemies of Imm Al among the
Sahbah, the Tbin and others were hypocrites and therefore enemies of Allh, there may be
some people who may still argue that they were not! Therefore, we will take the pain to dig into
authentic Sunn hadth for a final hit! Shaykh al-Albn records that the Prophet said:
Whomsoever I am his mawl, Al is his mawl. O Allh, be the friend of whosoever

befriends him, and be the enemy of WHOSOEVER is hostile to him.
This hadth is absolutely sahh! It has been narrated by several of the Sahbah.314
Hostility comes in several forms. It can be hostility by feelings (i.e. hatred), or by words (i.e.
slander, abuses or curses), or by actions (i.e. wars, sabotage, etc). Whosoever is hostile in any
way to Imm Al, for whatsoever reason or motive, is an enemy of Allh. The hadth excludes no
one among those hostile to the Imm, and this settles the matter once and for all.
The obligation of all believers with regards to such people is to reject them, hate them and take
them for eternal enemies. The majority of the Sahbah and Tbien were hostile to Al. The Ahl
al-Sunnah are therefore very wrong for taking them as friends and leaders! They ought to have
taken them as enemies till Qiymah!
The fact that the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah take Nawsib as friends and leaders in their
religion casts their claim to be the saved Jamah in fatal jeopardy. Allh has severely WARNED
against taking Nsib Sahbah and Tbin as friends or leader:

O you who believe! Take NOT as (your) Bitanah (advisors, consultants, protectors,
helpers, friends) those outside your religion (pagans, Jews, Christians, and hypocrites)
SINCE THEY WILL NOT FAIL TO DO THEIR BEST TO CORRUPT YOU. They desire to harm
you severely. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what their breasts
conceal is far worse. Indeed We have made plain to you the Ayat (proofs, evidence,
verses) if you understand. (emphasis added)315
Allh addresses believers, people with mn (faith), and orders them never to take others apart
from fellow believers, people with mn like them, as their advisors, consultants and friends in
their lives and religion. He states specifically that whoever takes Nawsib, among others, as his
advisors, consultants or friends, will become corrupted in his life and religion! The reason is
given:
314
rd
338, # 1189
315
Qurn 3:118 (Mohsin Khan translation)

And Allh bears witness that THE HYPOCRITES ARE LIARS INDEED. They have made their
oaths a screen (for their hypocrisy). Thus they hinder (men) from the Path of Allh.316
Their uncorroborated reports about the Prophet are only lies, and their uncorroborated words
about Islm contain only misguidance.
It is apparently impossible for the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah to reconcile their claim to being
the Jamah with their love and attachment to Nsib Sahbah and Tbin! The Qurn too cuts
in here to put things straight and make a final, binding verdict:

You (O Muhammad) will not find any people who believe in Allh and the Last Day,
making friendship with those who oppose Allh and His Messenger, even though they
were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred (people). For such He
has written mn (faith) in their hearts, and strengthened them with Rh (spirit) from
Himself. And He will admit them to Gardens (Paradise) under which rivers flow to dwell
therein (forever). Allh is pleased with them, and they with Him. They are the Sect of
Allh. Verily, it is the Sect of Allh that will be the successful.317
It is absolutely unthinkable for any Muslim to claim that Nawsib are not among those who
oppose Allh and His Messenger in view of this declaration about hypocrites by our Lord:

Thus they hinder (men) from the Path of Allh THEY ARE THE ENEMIES, so beware of
them. MAY ALLH CURSE THEM! How are they denying the Right Path?318
The Jamah is the Sect of Allh Himself. He has attributed its ownership and foundation to
Himself. It is this Sect of Allh that will be the only one, out of 73, that will enter Paradise. A
distinguishing feature of the Jamah is that its members NEVER make friendship with any
enemy or opponent of Allh of any sort. They take all enemies and opponents of Allh as their
own enemies and opponents, and curse whosoever Allh has cursed. Whichever of the Islmic
sects lacks this fundamental characteristic woefully fails the test to become the Jamah.
Such, definitely, is NOT the Jamah, no matter whatever it calls itself!
316
Qurn 63:1-4
Qurn 58:22
318
Qurn 63:1-4
317
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE QURN HAUNTS THE DARK PAST!
Shaykh Uthmn al-Khams gets very angry about the Shah assertion that those among the
Sahbah who hated, cursed and/or fought Imm Al were hypocrites. He thus mounts a fierce
tirade against them:
As for their (the Shah) claim that among the Sahbah were hypocrites, this is a lie. The
hypocrites were not from the Sahbah. This is why when you go to the definition of
Sahb, you find that it is whoever met the Prophet, peace be upon him, while he was a
believer and he died as a believer. The hypocrites did NOT meet the Prophet, peace be
upon him, as believers and did not die upon al-mn (faith). Therefore, they do not enter
under this definition.319
There is no doubt that Shaykh al-Khams outrightly rejects the Prophets verdicts that
whosoever hates Al, for whatsoever reason or motive, hates Allh, is an enemy of Allh, a kfir
and a hypocrite. To him and all of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah, those Sahbah like ishah and
Muwiyah who hated Al were actually true believers, and some of the best believers since
creation! How ishah and Muwiyah were able to combine mn (faith) and hatred of Al in
their hearts, a feat that our noble Prophet has declared to be absolutely impossible, is never
explained by them! This does not do much help to the claim of the Ahl al-Sunnah that they
follow the Sunnah, as opposed to the Shah. The Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah generally do not
recognize hatred of Al as a sign of hypocrisy, even though the undeniable, mutawtir Sunnah
firmly establishes it as such. Opposition to the Sunnah is NOT a sign of loyalty to it!
Their reason for this strange approach is not farfetched. If they ever accepted that the haters of
Imm Al are kuffr and hypocrites, then their entire sects would crumble. The majority of the
Sahbah, the founding fathers of all the Sunn sects, would be caught by that net. The Ahl alSunnah wa al-Jamah have therefore snubbed the Prophets words on the hypocrisy of hating
Al. Though we agree that their method is NOT the correct approach for any truthseeker, we
will nonetheless let them escape with it. The point, we believe, has already been made with all
honest hearts seeking the haqq from Allh.
Yet, even if the Ahl al-Sunnah have thrown the Prophets words back at him, they are still
haunted by the Qurn! The question is: will they throw Allhs words back at Him too?!
Muwiyah, ishah and all other Nsib leaders among the Sahbah practised and commanded
hatred, cursing and war against Al. Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah for instance states:
319
As for the hadth of Sad, when Muwiyah ORDERED him to curse; and he refused and as a
result, Muwiyah asked, What prevents you from cursing Al b. Ab Tlib? He (Sad)
replied, Because of three things which the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, said, I
will NEVER curse him. If I had just one of them, it would be more beloved to me than a red
camel This hadth is sahh. Muslim recorded it in his Sahh, and in it are three merits of
Al.320
Shaykh al-Albn records the prelude to that event:

.
: :
.
) (.
Narrated Sad b. Ab Waqqs:
Muwiyah arrived (in Madnah) during one of his Hajjs (during his Khilfah), and he
entered upon Sad (his governor over Madnah). Then they mentioned Al and he
(Muwiyah) CURSED him. Sad, as a result, got angry and said: You dare say such things
about a man concerning whom I heard the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, saying
Whomsoever I am his mawl, Al is his mawl? I also heard the Prophet say about Al,
You are to me as Hrn was to Ms except that there will be no prophet after me. And I
heard him saying (about Al): I will certainly give this flag today to a person who loves
Allh and His Messenger. (Sahh)321
Imm al-Sanad states after recording the above hadth:
His statement and he cursed him means Muwiyah cursed Al and attacked him and
cursed him.322
Imm Ibn Ab Shaybah also records:

( )
Narrated Sad:
320

st
321
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Sahh Sunan Ibn Majah (Riyadh: Maktab al-Tarbiyyah al-Arab li Dawl alKhalj; 1408), vol. 1, p. 26, #118
322
rd
Ab al-Hasan al-Hanaf al-Sanad, Sharh Sunan Ibn Majah (Beirut: Dr al-Marifah; 3 edition, 1420 H)
[annotator: Shaykh Khall Mmn+, vol. 1, p. 86
Muwiyah arrived (in Madnah) during one of his Hajjs (during his Khilfah), and Sad
(his governor over Madnah) came to him. They mentioned Al AND MUWIYAH CURSED
HIM. Sad, as a result, got angry and said: You dare say such things about a man
concerning whom I heard the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, say three
characteristics. If I have one of these characteristics, it would be dearer to me that the
world and whatsoever is in it. I heard the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, saying:
Whomsoever I am his mawl, Al is his mawl? I also heard the Prophet, peace be upon
him, say, You are to me as Hrn was to Ms except that there will be no prophet after
me. And I heard the Messenger of Allh saying: I will certainly give this flag today to a
person who loves Allh and His Messenger. (Its chain is strong)323
This second hadth has the same chain as the first, except that it is shorter by one narrator only
because Ibn Ab Shaybah came much, much earlier in history than Imm Ibn Majah. The hadth
of Ibn Ab Shaybah is explicit that Muwiyah cursed Imm Al.
Muwiyah, perplexed by Sads anger over his cursing of Imm Al, and over the latters refusal
to join him in it, then literally ORDERED him to curse the pure Imm. Sad refused. Imm Muslim
tells the story:
Narrated mir b. Sa'd b. Ab Waqqs that his father said:

Then Muwiyah b. Ab Sufyn ORDERED Sad and said: What prevents you from cursing
Ab Turb (i.e. 'Al)? He (Sad) replied, Because of three things which the Messenger of
Allh, peace be upon him, I will NEVER curse him. If I had just one of them, it would be
more beloved to me than a red camel.324
No wonder, Ibn Kathr declares Muwiyah to have been a Nsib:
, :
.,
The Khalfahs from Ban Umayyah were like this ALL OF THEM were Nsibs, except
Imm Umar the Pious: Muwiyah then his son Yazd, then his grandson Muwiyah alSadd; Marwn, then his son Abd Al-Malik .325
This is an explicit testimony from a high-ranking classical lim of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa alJamah. Muwiyah was a Nsib. His loyal son and successor, Yazd b. Muwiyah, equally
belonged to the Nsib movement. Something comes to mind here: how did Yazd acquire
Nsibism? Of course, from all indications, it was his father, Muwiyah, that initiated him into
323
Ibn Ab Shaybah, al-Musannaf (Muasassat Ulm al-Qurn) *annotator: Muhammad Awmah+, vol. 17, p.
101, # 32741
324
325
st
Ab al-Fid Imd al-Dn b. Kathr al-Qursh al-Dimashq, al-Bidyah wa al-NIhyah (1 edition, 1419 H) vol.
17, p. 375
Nsibism, and nurtured him into its depths. After all, it was Muwiyah himself who brought up
his son! As a side note, the fact that Yazd inherited and continued Muwiyahs Nsibism after
him is absolute evidence that the latter died upon it, and never repented.
Moreover, Muwiyah actually adopted Nsibism as his state ideology, and actively promoted it
within his domains. He literally reared a small group of the Sahbah and lots of the Tbin on
Nsibism through his carrot-and-stick tactics. Imm al-Dhahab confirms this:
.

.
Muwiyah had behind him a huge number of people who loved him, and who went to
extreme lengths in their views of him, and who placed him above (Al). It was either
because he ruled them with honour, clemency and generosity, or because they were born
in Syria upon love of him, and they raised their children upon that (i.e. love of
Muwiyah).
Among them were a small group of the Sahbah, and lots of the Tbin and the people of
merit. They fought on his side against the people of Iraq (i.e. Imm Al and his army),
AND THEY WERE REARED UPON NSIBISM.326
Al-Dhahab further states:
:
Then the Nawsib, and they were those who fought Al on the Day of Siffn327.
This is a further explicit reference to Muwiyah and his entire army and supporters as Nawsib.
In fact, at a point, things turned so dark that Nsibism became synonymous with the followers of
Muwiyah. Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah states:
This was why placing Al above him (i.e. Muwiyah) was not a popular opinion in it (i.e.
Syria), as opposed to the cursing of Al which had become a custom among the
FOLLOWERS of Muwiyah. This was despite that Al and his Sahbah were closer to the
haqq, and were more upon the haqq, than Muwiyah and his Sahbah, as is documented
in the two Sahhs.328
He continues:
326
Ab Abd Allh Shams al-Dn Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Dhahab, Siyar Alm al-Nubal (Egypt: Maktabah alTawfqyyah), , vol. 4, p. 269 *biography of Muwiyah+
327
Ab Abd Allh Shams al-Dn Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Dhahab, Siyar Alm al-Nubal (Muasassah alRisaalah; 1405 H) *annotator: Shuayb al-Arnat], , vol. 5, p. 374
328
Ibn Taymiyyah, Majmu al-Fatw (Egypt: Dr al-Waf; 1421 H), vol. 4, p. 266
It is clear and not hidden from any scholar of the religion of Islm that whosoever
attributes divinity to a mortal, or believes that there is a prophet after Muhammad, or
that Muhammad was not a prophet but rather Al was the (real) prophet and that Jibrl
made a mistake, these statements and others like them are clear evidences of the kufr of
those who profess them, (clear) to whoever knows Islm closely, as opposed to those of
the Khawrij who declared Al a kfir and cursed him, and among those who FOUGHT
and CURSED him among the SAHBAH OF MUWIYAH and Ban Marwn and others,
verily these people were attached to Islm and its Shariah!329
Just as he reared his dear son and chosen successor, Yazd, upon Nsibism, Muwiyah built it in
the body, soul and psyche of some Sahbah of the Prophet and lots of Tbin through both his
teachings and candies! These people, in their Nsibism, only followed Muwiyah who was
their (new) master and teacher.
Apart from rearing his Sahbah and followers upon Nsibism, Muwiyah went further to ban
them and others from certain Sunnahs of the Prophet out of hatred for Imm Al. The noble
Imm used to fiercely uphold these Sunnahs, and Muwiyah wanted to kill all sympathies for
him. Shaykh al-Albn records:

:

( )
Narrated Sad b. Jubayr:
I was with Ibn Abbs at Araft. He then said, What happened? I do not hear people
saying Labayk Allhuma labayk? I said, They fear Muwiyah. As a result, Ibn Abbs
came out of his large tent and said, Labayk Allhuma labayk! Verily, they have forsaken
the Sunnah due to hatred of Al. (Its chain is sahh)330
Of course, Muwiyah had penalized the saying of Labaykh Allhuma labayk during Hajj out of
his hatred of Imm Al. Otherwise, why would his subjects fear him about it?
One of Muwiyahs techniques in enforcing his Nsib ideology was to order his governors to
publicly curse Imm Al and to force people within their provinces into doing it. We already
know how he literally ordered Sad, his governor in Madnah, to curse Al. Sad resisted him
however. But, his later governor over the same city, Marwn b. al-Hakam a Sahb of the
Prophet like Sad, also identified as a Nsib by Ibn Kathr - chose to satisfy Muwiyahs long
wish. Marwn cursed Imm Al on the Prophets pulpit, near his grave, in his mosque in
Madnah. Imm al-Suyt records:
329
Ahmad b. Abd al-Halm b. Taymiyyah, Minhj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah (Egypt: al-Matbaat al-Kubr alAmriyyah; 1322 H), vol. 3, p. 3
330
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Sahh Sunan Ibn Majah (Riyadh: Maktab al-Tarbiyyah al-Arab li Dawl alKhalj; 1408), vol. 2, p. 343, #3006
Ibn Sad recorded that Umayr b. Ishq said: Marwn was a governor over us, and he
used to CURSE Al every Friday on the pulpit.331
Imm Ab Yal also records about his savage Nsibism in his Musnad:
:
:
--::
) (
Narrated Ab YaHy:
I was between al-Husayn and al-Hasan and Marwn was cursing them both. As a result,
al-Hasan held al-Husayns hand (to calm him). Then Marwn said: The Ahl al-Bayt are
accursed people! Thereupon, al-Hasan got angry and said: Did you say the Ahl al-Bayt
are accursed people? I swear by Allh, Allh has CURSED you through the tongue of His
Prophet, peace be upon him, while you were still in the loins of your father. (Its chain is
sahh)332
It is strange that Marwn, a Sahb, described the Ahl al-Bayt as accursed people while Allh has
clearly stated in His Book:
Allh only intends to remove from you ALL impurity, O Ahl al-Bayt, and to purify you
ABSOLUTELY.333
The premiere Sunn exegete, Ibn Jarr al-Tabar, comments upon that verse:
{Allh only intends to remove from you all impurity O Ah al-Bayt} means, Allh only
intends to remove friom you ALL evil deeds and immoralities, O Ahl al-Bayt of
Muhammad, and to purify you absolutely from ALL sins, which are found in sinners unto
Allh.
The like of what we have said about it is what the scholars of twl (Qurnic exegesis)
have also said.
331
332
st
333
Qurn 33:33
Those who said it mentioned: Narrated to us Bashar who said: narrated to us Yazd who
said: narrated to us Sad, that Qatdah said concerning the verse {Allh only intends to
remove all impurity from you, O Ahl al-Bayt, and to purify you absolutely They are the
Ahl al-Bayt. Allh PURIFIED them from ALL evil deeds and selected them specially for His
Mercy from Him.334
How then can anyone who believes in the Qurn curse such people or declare them to be
accursed people?!
Imm Muslim further records that Marwn too used to order people to curse Imm Al:
: ) (
Narrated Sahl b. Sa'd:

A man from the family of Marwn was appointed as the governor of Madnah. He called
Sahl b. Sa'd and ORDERED him to curse Al. Sahl refused to do that. He (the governor)
said to him: If you do not agree to it (at least) say: May Allh curse Ab Turb (i.e. Al).
Sahl said: There was no name dearer to Al than Ab Turb and he felt delighted when
he was called by this name.335
Although someone has played some tricks here to hide the name of that governor, it is obvious.
Marwn b. al-Hakam was the only one from his family who was made a governor over Madnah.
It is like saying: the one who was the ruler of Iraq in 2000 committed war crimes and crimes
against humanity. None other than Saddam Hussein matches that description. We also already
know of Marwns deep Nsibism. Therefore, it should be no surprise that he imposed his
Nsibism over his subjects, as a service towards his Nsib Khalfah, Muwiyah. No wonder,
Imm Ibn Hajar al-Asqaln states concerning the above hadth:
The governor of Madnah was Marwn b. al-Hakam from what I think.336

Marwn himself later became the Khalfah of the Muslims, after the death of Yazd, son of
Muwiyah! One can only imagine the level of strength state-sponsored Nsibism must have
gotten during his Khilfah! Both Muwiyah and Yazd before him were Nsibs according to Ibn
Kathr, as well as Marwn himself and all the Umayyad Khalfahs after him. It was indeed a
bloody nightmare for the lovers and followers of the Ahl al-Bayt among the Muslims.
Another governor of Muwiyah, also a Sahb of the Prophet, who used to curse Imm Al was
al-Mughrah. He was the governor of Kfa in Iraq. Shaykh al-Albn records:
334
Muhammad b. Jarr al-Tabar, Al-Jmi al-Bayn, vol. 22, p. 6 (under 33:33)

336
Ab al-Fadl Ahmad b. Al b. Hajar al-Asqaln al-Shfi, Fath al-Br Sharh Sahh al-Bukhr (Beirut: Dr alMarifah; 1379 H), vol. 1, p. 301
335
::
.!
)(
Narrated Ziyd b. Alqah from his uncle:
Al-Mughrah b. Shubah CURSED Al. As a result, Zayd b. Arqam stood up to him and said,
O Mughrah! Dont you know that the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, forbade
the cursing of the dead? Therefore, do not curse Al as he is dead. (Sahh)337
Imm Ahmad also records:

:
) (
Narrated the uncle of Ziyd b. Alqah:
Al-Mughrah b. Shubah CURSED Al, and Zayd b. Arqam said: I learnt that the Messenger
of Allh forbade cursing the dead. Therefore, do not curse Al as he is dead. (Sahh)338
Imm Ahmad further records:

:
) (
Narrated Abd Allh b. Zlim:
Al-Mughrah delivered a sermon (in the mosque) and cursed Al. Sad b. Zayd went out
(of the mosque) as a result and said: Dont you wonder at this one cursing Al, may Allh
be pleased with him? (Sahh li Ghayrihi)339
There is a dimension to the Nsibism of Muwiyahs empire that this researcher finds
extremely shocking. Muwiyah and his governors were fully aware that Allh and His
Messenger love Imm Al. At least, Sad mentioned it to him. Besides, as Shaykh al-Albn
evidences, the ahdth in which our noble Prophet declared his love of the honourable Imm are
extremely many, and well-known among the Sahbah:
--
:--
."..."
337
520, # 2397
338
339
Ibid, vo.. 1, p. 188, # 1638

""
The ahdth proving the love of the Prophet, peace be upon him, for Al, may Allh be
pleased with him, are extremely many. The most authentic of them is the hadth of the
Flag of the Day of Khaybar, which includes this statement of the Prophet, peace be upon
him (about Al):
I will give this flag to a man who loves Allh and His Messenger, and whom Allh and His
Messenger love
Several of the Sahbah narrated it in the two Sahhs and in other sources.340
It would be unthinkable that Muwiyah, al-Mughrah and Marwn, all of them Sahbah, were
completely ignorant of all the ahdth showing that Allh and His Messenger love Imm Al,
especially the public declarations of Khaybar and Ghadr. Even if they were truly so ignorant,
then Sad b. Ab Waqqs did mention one of such ahdth to Muwiyah, the Nsibi Khalfah,
himself. However, despite this clear knowledge, the empire of Muwiyah cursed not only Imm
Al, but also whosoever loves him! That way, they intentionally included Allh and His
Messenger under their curses! They knew that Allh and His Messenger love Imm Al. Yet, they
cursed him and whosoever loves him as well!
Imm Ab Yal records:

:
:
:

"

":

Narrated Ab Abd Allh al-Jadal:
Umm Salamah said, Why do you curse the Messenger of Allh upon the PULPITS? I said,
How is that possible? She said, Dont you curse Al and WHOSOEVER loves him? I testify
that the Messenger of Allh loved him.341
On the authenticity of this report, Imm al-Haytham states:
.
Al-Tabarn recorded it in al-Thalthah, and Ab Yal also recorded it. The narrators of
al-Tabarn are narrators of the Sahh except Ab Abd Allh (al-Jadal) and he is
trustworthy. Al-Tabarn also recorded a report with another chain, and all its narrators
are trustworthy up to Umm Salamah, from the Prophet.342
Shaykh al-Albn also says about the same Hadth:
340
135, # 3332
341
st
342
p. 130

This chain is good, and its narrators are all trustworthy.343
Umm Salamah lived in Madnah, near the Prophets mosque, where she used to hear people, led
by Marwn, cursing Al and whosoever loves him! Apparently, she got information that the other
governors, at the other pulpits in other cities, also used to curse Al and his lovers. Imm Ibn
Askir confirms this in this report:

:

: " " :

" :

":
:

.

Narrated Abd al-Rahmn, cousin of Zayd b. Arqam:
I entered upon Umm Salamah, the mother of the believers, and she said, From where
have you people come? I said, From the people of Kfa. She then said, You are those
that curse the Prophet, peace be upon him! I said, I do not know of anyone who curses
the Prophet, peace be upon him. So, she said, Yes, you do! Dont you curse Al, and curse
WHOSOEVER loves him? And the Messenger, peace be upon him, loved him.344
This gives an idea of the kind of ideology Muwiyah imposed upon the Islmic Ummah. He and
his governors cursed Allh and His Messenger, deliberately, and forced their subjects to join
them in this open kufr!
There may be some of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah who may be unable to stomach the fact
that Muwiyah and his governors and followers cursed whosoever loves Al, thereby
deliberately cursing Allh and His Messenger. Such people may insist that Muwiyah and his
followers only cursed Imm Al, and never cursed whosoever loves him. We, in extreme
magnanimity, will allow them to escape with that claim too, the reliable reports nonetheless!
However, that does not save their heroes either. This is because our noble Prophet had declared
before his death that whosoever curses Al has cursed him (i.e. the Prophet). Therefore, even if
Muwiyah and his followers never really cursed whosoever loves Al, they were still guilty of
openly cursing the Messenger of Allh! Imm Ahmad b. Hanbal records:
343
135, # 3332
344
Ab al-Qsim Al b. al-Hasan b. Habat Allh b. Abd Allh b. Askir al-Dimashq al-Shfi, Trkh Madnah
Dimashq (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr; 1995 CE) [annotator: Muhibb al-Dn Ab Sad Umar b. Ghurmah al-Umar+, vol.
42, p. 266
Narrated Abd Allh al-Jadal:

I entered upon Umm Salamah and she said to me, Why do you curse the Messenger of
Allh, peace be upon him, among yourselves? I said, Allh forbid or May Allh be
glorified! or a similar statement. She then said, I heard the Messenger of Allh, peace be
upon him, saying: WHOSOEVER curses Al has VERILY CURSED ME.345
Imm al-Haytham states about this hadth:
.
Ahmad recorded it, and its narrators are narrators of the Sahh excepy Ab Abd Allh alJadal, and he is trustworthy.346
Both Imm al-Hkim347 and Imm al-Dhahab348 have also declared the chain of this hadth to be
Sahh. Shaykh al-Huwayn al-Athar too declares the chain to be sahh 349. The Sunn lim,
Shaykh Mustaf al-Adaw declares the report to be sahh in his Rawdah al-Muhibn.350
The Prophet fused cursing of Imm Al intricately and unbilically to cursing of himself. This
absolutely rules out any possibility of justification or excuse for cursing Al. Cursing Imm Al is
the same thing as cursing the Prophet according to the authentic hadth. This is Allhs honour to
Al. Since cursing the Prophet is absolutely unjustifiable and inexcusable under any
circumstance, no creature can justify or excuse the cursing of Imm Al in any form.
Here finally, the Book of Allh steps in to seal the hujjah. In Qurnic terminology, the Sunnah is
called al-marf while bidah is al-munkar. Allh says:

Those who follow the Messenger, the Umm Prophet, whom they find written with them
in the Tawrah and the Injl. He commands them for al-marf and forbids them from almunkar.351
Whatsoever the Prophet commands is al-marf, and whatsoever he forbids is al-munkar. With
this, one can easily say, based upon the sahh Sunn ahdth so far cited in this research:
1. that love of Al and his offspring is Sunnah, and thus al-marf, while hatred of any of
them is a bidah and thus al-munkar;
2. that friendship with Al and his offspring is Sunnah, and thus al-marf, while enmity or
war against them is a bidah, and thus al-munkar.
345
346
p. 130
347
st
edition, 1411 H), vol. 3, p. 130, # 4615
348
ibid
349
Ab Ishq al-Huwayn al-Athar, Tahdhb Khasis al-Imm Al (Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah), p. 76, # 86
350
Mustaf al-Adaw, Rawdah al-Muhibn f Fadil Sahbah al-Nab (Egypt: Makabah al-Saf; 1420 H), p. 40
351
Qurn 7:157
The Qurn has made it clear that it is only believers that command al-marf and forbid almunkar, as laid down by the Prophet:

The believers, men and women, are friends and leaders of one another; they command almarf, and forbid (people) from al-munkar.352
In other words, true believers never take hypocrites as friends or leaders (in their religion). A
sign of the believer is that he commands al-marf and forbids al-munkar. The believer tells the
people to love Al and his offspring, and to support them in all ways. So, what about a hypocrite?
The Qurn answers:

The hypocrites, men and women, are one from another; they command (on the people)
al-munkar, and forbid (people) from al-ma'rf, and they close their hands. They have
forgotten Allh, so He has forgotten them. Verily, the hypocrites are the Fsiqn.353
This is clear. If you follow hypocrites, then you are from them. You are a hypocrite as well!
Moreover, Muwiyah and ishah literally commanded people to war against Imm Al, to
murder his followers and supporters and to topple his government. The question is: were they
thereby commanding al-marf or al-munkar?
Besides, Muwiyah and his governors cursed and ordered people to curse Imm Al. We ask the
Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah: is it al-marf or al-munkar to curse Al?
We will leave the answers to the lights in the hearts of the believers.
But, there may still be someone who does not recognize commanding hatred, cursing or war
against Imm Al as al-munkar. For him, we will deliver this small gift. Imm Muslim records:
)(
:

{
]29//4[}
Narrated 'Abd al-Rahmn b. Abd Rabb al-Ka'bah:

I entered the mosque when 'Abd Allh b. 'Amr b. al-'s was sitting in the shade of the
Ka'bah and the people had gathered around him. I went to them and sat near him I said
352
353
Qurn 9:71
Qurn 9:67
to him: This cousin of yours, Mu'wiyah, ORDERS us to eat up our properties among
ourselves UNJUSTLY and to murder one another, while Allh says:" O you who believe!
Eat not up your property among yourselves unjustly except it be a trade amongst you, by
mutual consent. And do not murder one another. Surely, Allh is Most Merciful to you."
(4:29). He (Abd Allh b. Amr b. al-s) kept quiet for a while and then said: Obey him in
so far as he is obedient to Allh; and disobey him in matters involving disobedience to
Allh.354
Shaykh al-Albn has also recorded the hadth and declared it sahh355.
354
Muslim b. al-Hajjj al-Qushayr, Sahh Muslim (Beirut: Dr Ihy al-Turth al-Arab) *annotator: Muhammad
Fud Abd al-Bq+ vol. 3, p. 1472, # 1844
355
430, # 241
CHAPTER NINE
HEART-RENDING JUNGLE JUSTICE
The Qurn has imposed the doing of justice at all times and in all circumstances as an absolute
obligation upon the believers:

O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allh, even though it be
against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allh is a Better
Protector to both (than you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you avoid
justice; and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is Ever WellAcquainted with what you do.356
This is a very beautiful principle that humanity really needs at this time. Nepotism, favouritism,
sectarianism, racism and ethnicism prevent most of us from treating others justly. A good test
usually comes when our relatives, political associates, religious faction, race or ethnicity are
involved in injustice towards others. We, in most cases, back their injustice or even help it. Allh,
our God, has absolutely forbidden this.
Our Lord also says:

O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allh as just witnesses; and let not the enmity and
hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to taqwa; and fear Allh.
Verily, Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do.357
In other words, even your hatred of any individual or group or his/their hatred towards you
should never prevent you from treating them justly. In fact, even where you are at war with
anyone or any group, you must still treat them with justice, including against yourself or your
parents. Allh never takes the issue of justice lightly.
The first of the thaqalayn further states:

Say (O Muhammad): My Lord has commanded justice.358
The same text is repeated elsewhere:
356
Qurn 4:135
Qurn 5:8
358
Qurn 7:29
357
Verily, Allh COMMANDS justice and good deeds, and giving (help) to kith and kin, and
forbids all evil deeds, and all abominable deeds, and all kinds of transgression. He
admonishes you, that you may take heed.359
But, since the obligation to be just in all circumstances is a command from Allh, anyone who is
unjust has disobeyed Him. The Qurn tells us about such people:
Messenger, then he has GONE ASTRAY in a clear misguidance.360
So, whosoever does not abide by justice in any circumstance is in a clear misguidance. Imm alNis records that the Prophet said in this regard:
) (
guidance of MuHammad. The worst of the matters are the innovations (in religion). All
innovations (in religion) are bidahs, and every bidah is misguidance, and every
Shaykh al-Sadq, from the Shah side, also records that Imm al-Jafar al-Sdiq, also said:

Verily, every bidah is misguidance, and every misguidance leads to Hellfire.362
Allmah al-Majlis graded this hadth as Sahh363.
In other words, every instance of injustice is a key to Hellfire unless one repents and makes
amends.
We hereby ask: have the Ahl al-Sunnah been just to Imm Al and the Ahl al-Bayt in their refusal
to follow the latters views, Qurnic exegeses and fiqh? Have the Ahl al-Sunnah been just to the
Shah Immiyyah in calling the latter as heretics and infidels for following the pure itrah of the
Prophet? Have the Ahl al-Sunnah been just to Imm Al and the Ahl al-Bayt in refusing to
recognize the Nsib Sahbah and Tbin as hypocrites, enemies of Allh and kuffr in spite that
the Qurn and mutawtir Sunn ahdth have declared them as such? Have the Ahl al-Sunnah
been fair to Imm Al in their showers of love, praises and supplications for his enemies and
haters while at the same time declaring any hater or enemy of any other Sahb (apart from Al)
as a kfir, deserving curses and death?
359
Qurn 16:90
Qurn 33:36
361
362
Shaykh al-Sadq, Man L Yahdduruh al-Faqh, vol. 2, p. 137, #1964
363
Allmah al-Majlis, Mildh al-Akhyr, vol. 5, p. 28
360
In this chapter, we shall be probing some of the clear injustices of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa alJamah towards Imm Al and his family. We say, with all sincerity and honesty, that the Sunn
sects have been totally unjust to the Prophets itrah. They have employed a disgusting balance of
cruel double standards against the Ahl al-Bayt, one that bleeds the hearts and draw the tears.
JUNGLE JUSTICE ONE
The Ahl al-Sunnah insist that all those who hated, cursed and fought Al will receive a good
reward from Allh the Most High. Imm Ibn Hazm makes this bold:
. , ,
Verily, Muwiyah and those with him made mistakes, were doing ijtihd, and will be
rewarded with one good reward!364
Imm al-Haytam also states:
. , ; ,
His (i.e. Als) enemies were the Khawrij and others like them from the Syrians, not
Muwiyah and others like him from the Sahbah. This is because they (i.e. Muwiyah
and other Nsib Sahbah) were doing twl (i.e. interpreting the Qurn). So, they had
one good reward.365
He adds:
. ,
Muwiyah and his followers will be rewarded with good, and they were not sinners, on
account of what they did in fighting Al.366
This is interesting. Those who fought the Imm of their time and murdered thousands of his
followers will get a good reward for their treason amd atrocities from their Lord simply because
they were only doing ijtihd and twl. This implies that their intentions were sincere, and they
only wished to uphold the laws of Allh and the Sunnah of His Messenger through their
insurrection. So, whatever crimes a knowledgeable Muslim may commit, as long as he is sincere
in his intentions, he is free and will get a good reward for it. In short, the sincere intention is the
judge, not the actions.
Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah even offers the same defence for the murderer of Imm Al:
.
The one who murdered Al used to offer Salh, used to fast and used to recite the Qurn.
He murdered him with the belief that Allh and His Messenger loved the murder of Al,
364
Muhammad b. Al b. Hazm, Al-Fisal (Beirut: Dr al-Jayl; 1405 H), vol. 4, p. 161

st
Abd Allh al-Turk and Kmil Muhammad Khurt], , vol. 2, p. 449
366
Ibid, p. 319
365
and he did that in love for Allh and His Messenger in his assumption, even though he
was in it misguided and a heretic.367
Yes, the man was apparently wrong in his ijtihd and twl. However, since he was sincere
according to the Ahl al-Sunnah, he will get a good reward for the murder from our Just Creator.
Needless to say, the murderer of Imm Al was from the Khawrij, those who declared him a
kfir and fought him thereby. Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah goes ahead:
.
His (i.e. Als) murderer is one of them (i.e. the Khawrij), and he was Abd al-Rahmn b.
Muljam al-Murd, despite that he was one of the best of mankind in worship, and one of
the people of knowledge.368
One wonders how a Khrij nonetheless happened to be a Muslim, much less one of the best of
mankind in worship?! Moreover, how could a person of knowledge not know that Imm Al was
one of the most beloved of people to Allh and His Messenger?!
In any case, Shaykh al-Albn records that the Prophet said:
.)(.
Verily, a group from my Ummah will recite the Qurn. They will APOSTASIZE from Islm
as the arrow leaves the bow. (Sahh).369
In simple terms, they are absolute apostates! But, who were they? Imm al-Asqaln answers:

The apostates were the people of al-Nahrawn (i.e. the Khawrij) due to the
establishment of the sahh report about them that they will apostasize from the religion
as the arrow leaves the bow.370
Ibn Muljam was one of these Khawrij of al-Nahrawn. He was an apostate, an absolute
apostate, like all his colleagues according to the Prophet of Allh. But, look at how the Ahl alSunnah have showered encomiums upon him for murdering Imm Al?! Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah
even went ahead to reject the verdict of the Prophet:
Those who were slanderers of Al, may Allh be pleased with him, and called him a kfir
and oppressor, there was no group among them that were apostates from Islm Verily
these people were attached to Islm and its Shariah!371
367

st
368
Ibid, vol. 5, p. 47
369
235, # 2201
370
Ab al-Fadl Ahmad b. Al b. Hajar al-Asqaln al-Shfi, Talkhs al-Habr f Ahdth Rafi al-Kabr (Madnah
al-Munawwara; 1384 H) *annotator: Sayyid Abd Allh Hshim al-Yamn al-Madan+, vol. 4, p. 44
The Prophet called the Khawrij absolute apostates. Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah throws his words
back at him, and declared them to be Muslims, some of the best Muslims, instead. The one from
them who murdered Imm Al he even grades one of the best of mankind in worship, and one
of the people of knowledge! Moreover, by defending the sincerity, Islmic identity and
knowledge of this apostate murderer, Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah was implying that he was only
doing ijtihd and twl, and made a mistake, and will therefore have one good reward for his
treason from Allh! Imm Ibn Hazm also made this clear:

There is no disagreement at all in the Ummah about the fact that Abd al-Rahmn b.
Muljam did not murder Al, may Allh be pleased with him, except as a person doing
twl and ijtihd, believing that he was Islmically correct in doing so.372
Therefore, he will have a good reward for doing so!
But, our noble Prophet did actually make the matter clear before his demise. Shaykh al-Albn
records that he told Al:
)(..
The most wretched of all the early times was the one who slaughter the camel (of Allh
in the Ummah of Prophet Shuayb) while the most wretched of all the later times is the
one who will strike you, O Al. And he (the Prophet) indicated where he (Al) would be
struck. (Sahh)373
So, whether Ibn Muljam was doing twl or ijtihd, or whether his intentions were sincere or
not, his murder will not earn him any good reward. Rather, he will be the most wretched of all
later times in Hellfire for that murder alone! The case of Ibn Muljam exposes the fallacy of the
Sunn position that errors committed in twl and ijtihd earn good rewards. In his case, his
error in twl and ijtihd bagged him the one of the worst parts of Hellfire!
One would think the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah would be consistent! Looking at the case of
the murderers of Uthmn, one sees unmistakable double standards! Worse still, unlike Ibn
Muljam who was a kfir Tbi, the murderers of Uthmn were led by some of the most senior
Sahbah! Imm Ibn Hajar al-Asqaln states:
371
Ahmad b. Abd al-Halm b. Taymiyyah, Minhj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah (Egypt: al-Matbaat al-Kubr alAmriyyah; 1322 H), vol. 3, pp. 3-4
372
Ab Muhammad Al b. Ahmad b. Sad b. Hazm al-Zhir, al-Muhall (Beirut: Dr al-fq al-Jaddah)
[annotator: Lajnah Ihy al-Turth al-Arab+, vol. 10. P. 484
373
78, # 1088
Abd al-Rahmn b. Udays Ab Muhammad al-Balaw: Ibn Sad said: He accompanied

the Prophet, peace be upon him, and heard from him, and witnessed the conquest of
Egypt. He was one of those who went to Uthmn. Al-Barq and al-Baghaw and others
said: He was one of those who gave the bayah under the Tree. Ibn Ab Htim said on the
authority of his father, He was a Sahb. This was what Abd al-Ghaniyy b. Sad, Ab Al
b. al-Sakan and Ibn Hibbn too said. Ibn Ynus said: He gave the bayah under the Tree,
and witnessed the conquest of Egypt and he lived there. He was from Persia. Then, he was
the head of the cavalry that went from Egypt to Uthmn during the Fitnah.374
Imm Ibn Abd al-Barr further submits:
.
Abd al-Rahmn b. Udays al-Balaw al-Misr: He witnessed al-Hudaybiyyah. Asad b. Ms
mentioned from Ibn Lahah, from Yazd b. Ab Habb, who said: Abd al-Rahmn b.
Udays al-Balaw was one of those who gave bayah to the Messenger of Allh, peace be
upon him, under the Tree. Ab Umar said, He was the COMMANDER of the army that
came from Egypt to Madnah, the army that besieged Uthmn AND MURDERED HIM.375
Imm Ibn al-Athr also states:
Abd al-Rahmn b. Udays He was a Sahb, and he witnessed the bayah of al-Ridwn,
and gave the bayah there. HE WAS THE COMMANDER OF THE ARMY that came from
Egypt to besiege Uthmn b. Affn, may Allh be pleased with him, WHEN THEY
MURDERED HIM.376
The army that came from Egypt, besieged Uthmn and murdered him was commanded by this
senior Sahb, Abd al-Rahmn b. Udays al-Balaw!
Ibn Hazm has an observation on the murder of Uthmn by al-Balaw and his army:
.
374
Ab al-Fadl Ahmad b. Al b. Hajar al-Asqaln al-Shfi, al-Isbah f Tamyz al-Sahbah (Beirut: Dr al-Jayl;
st
1 edition, 1412 H) *annotator: Al Muhammad al-Bajw+, vol. 4, p. 334, # 5167
375
st
Ysuf b. Abd Allh b. Muhammad b. Abd al-Barr, al-Istib f Marifah al-Sahbah (Beirut: Dr al-Jayl; 1
edition, 1412 H) *annotator: Al Muhammad al-Bajwe+, vol. 2, p. 840, # 1437
376
st
Ibn al-Athr, Usd al-Ghabah f Marifah al-Sahbah (Beirut: Dr Ihy al-Turth al-Arab; 1 edition, 1417 H)
*annotator: dil Ahmad al-Ruf+, vol. 3, p. 488-489
Ammr, may Allh be pleased with him, was MURDERED by Ab al-Ghdiyah Yasr b.
Sab al-Salam. He (Ab al-Ghdiyah) witnessed the bayah of al-Ridwn, and he was one
of those over whom Allh gave witness. Allh testified in his favour that He knew what
was in his heart, and He revealed al-Saknah upon him, and was pleased with him. Ab alGhdiyah, may Allh be pleased with him, was doing twl and ijtihd and he made a
mistake. He transgressed upon him (Ammr) but will have a good reward (for doing so).
This however was not like the murder of Uthmn, may Allh be pleased with him. There
was no possibility of ijtihd in his murder. This is because he did not murder or fight
anyone. He neither attacked nor defended, nor committed adultery or apostasy such as
would have permitted twl. Rather, they (his murderers) were ARMED EVIL DOERS,
PEOPLE WHO DELIBERATELY SHED THE BLOOD OF THE INNOCENT, WITHOUT TWL, IN
INJUSTICE AND ENMITY. THEY WERE ACCURSED EVIL-DOERS!377
Let us break this down:
1. Ibn Muljam, an apostate, who murdered the Khalfah of his time would receive a good
reward despite the Prophets explicit verdict about him! He was justified to have used
twl and ijtihd against Imm Al. Moreover, despite his apostasy, he was a Muslim
committed to Islm and its Shariah!
2. Muwiyah, ishah and the Khawrij who hated, cursed and waged war against Imm
Al and murdered his followers were justified in their hate, rebellion and bloodshed. For
each of their crimes against the Khalfah and his supporters, they will individually
receive a good reward. The Prophets verdicts that they were all hypocrites and kuffr
have no value in the eyes of the Ahl al-Sunnah.
3. By contrast, the senior Sahb who led the army that toppled and murdered Uthmn
were accursed people, with no option of twl or ijtihd! The reason is that their armed
attack upon their Khalfah and subsequent murder of him cannot be justified in any way!
This suggests that the crimes against Imm Al were justifiable!
4. What makes the jungle justice of Imm Ibn Hazm much more apparent is that both Abu
al-Ghdiyah whom he defends, and al-Balaw belonged to the same category among the
Sahbah. Both gave bayah to the Prophet under the Tree of Ridwn. What is good for
the goose should also have been good for the gander! Therefore, to quote Ibn Hazm, alBalaw witnessed the bayah of al-Ridwn, and he was one of those over whom Allh
gave witness. Allh testified in his favour that He knew what was in his heart, and He
revealed al-Saknah upon him, and was pleased with him! Why then has Ibn Hazm
treated them differently?
The options of twl and ijtihd are available to even apostates and non-Sahbah when Imm
Al or his supporters are the victim. Their oppressors get good rewards for all their crimes, no
matter what the Qurn or authentic (even mutawtir) Sunnah could have said about them!
However, when the victim is other than Al or his supporters, then all the doors of those options
are completely closed, forever, even to senior Sahbah!
Ibn Hazm goes a step further by cursing Abd al-Rahmn b. Udays and his army:
377
Ab Muhammad Al b. Ahmad b. Sad b. Hazm al-Zhir, al-Fisal (Cairo: Maktabah al-Khanaj+, vol. 4, p. 125
They (i.e. Ibn Udays and his army) murdered him, and there was no good in that in the
view of any one. May Allh curse his murderers and whosoever is pleased with his
murder. There was no one at all who was pleased with his murder.378
Is it not strange? Ahl al-Sunnah claim that all the Sahbah were just, righteous people! Imm alAsqaln states:
There is consensus among the Ahl al-Sunnah that all of them (i.e. the Sahbah) were JUST,
and no opposes this view except heretics.379
But, if that were the case, why is Ibn Hazm cursing Ibn Udays even though he was a senior
Sahb? Was he not just in commanding the murder of Uthmn?
Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah also attacks Abd al-Rahmn b. Udays and his army while writing about
Uthmn:
.
He (i.e. Uthmn) was killed only by a small, REBELLIOUS, UNJUST group!380
This is really messy for the Ahl al-Sunnah. How do we reconcile all this:
1. All the Sahbah were righteous, just saints of Allh.
2. Abd al-Rahmn b. Udays was one of the senior Sahbah. Therefore, he was a righteous,
just saint of Allh!
3. But, Ibn Udays commanded the Egyptian army that besieged and murdered Uthmn.
4. Yet, according to the Ahl al-Sunnah, he was not just in murdering Uthmn, despite being
a senior Sahb!
5. Rather, the Ahl al-Sunnah curse him even though they say none of the Sahbah should
be criticized or cursed!
Imm al-Dhahab too joins the rage against Ibn Udays and his army:
We dissociate ourselves from all of these people (i.e. Ibn Udays and his army) and we
HATE them all for the sake of Allh!
Hating a senior Sahb and his army? Rejection of a senior Sahb and his army? Wonders never
end! If the Ahl al-Sunnah can hate and curse a senior Sahb like Ibn Udayy for taking part in the
murder of Uthmn, why then do they shower encomiums on the non-Sahb apostate that
murdered Imm Al, whom the Messenger of Allh described as the most wretched of the later
times?! Who is more deserving of curses and hatred? Is it not obvious that the Ahl al-Sunnah
give Ibn Muljam a princely treatment basically because it was Al that he murdered? If he had
378

st
1 edition, 1412 H) *annotator: Al Muhammad al-Bajw+, vol. 1, p. 10
380
st
379
murdered Ab Bakr, Umar or Uthmn, would he still have been given a red carpet reception by
the Sunn ulam?
Why do the murderers of Imm Al and our master Ammr b. Ysir receive good rewards from
Allh for their crimes while the army that murdered Uthmn, commanded by a senior Sahb,
receive curses and hatred?
In any case, contrary to the claims of the Ahl al-Sunnah, the murderer of Ammr will not be
given any good rewards! Even though he too was a senior Sahb, his destination, for that
murder alone, despite employing twl and ijtihd, is Hellfire! Shaykh al-Albn records that the
Prophet said:
.
The murderer and attacker of Ammr will be in the Fire.381
We ask: why do the Ahl al-Sunnah also reject this explicit verdict of the Prophet, and directly
contradict it by dishing out rewards and Paradise to the murderer and attacker of Ammr?
Shaykh al-Albn however displays an enviable level of academic maturity when he states about
the above hadth:
,,
,"",
,, ":
.",
,:
,,
"":
This chain is sahh, its narrators are narrators of (Sahh) Muslim. Ab al-Ghdiyah is alJuhan, AND HE WAS A SAHB AS AFFIRMED BY ALL. Al-Hfiz has said at the end of his
biography of Ab al-Ghdiyah in al-Isbah, after citing the above hadth and the
categorical declaration of Ibn Man that AB AL-GHDIYAH WAS THE MURDERER OF
AMMR:
The Sahbah, in these wars, thought that they were interpreting the texts; and for every
mujtahid that makes a mistake there is a reward. Since this principle is well established
for the common people, then it is even more established for the Sahbah.
I (al-Albn) say: This is true. However, applying the principle to every single one of them
is objectionable because it will contradict the principle established in the hadth. It is
NOT permitted to say that Ab al-Ghdiyah, THE MURDERER OF AMMR, will have a
good reward because he MURDERED in ijtihd while Allhs Apostle, peace be upon him,
has said: The murderer of Ammr will be in the Fire.382
Interestingly, Ab al-Ghdiyah did himself hear the Prophet make that declaration about
Ammr! Imm al-Dhahab and Imm al-Asqaln both say:
381
18, # 2008
382
Ibid
Narrated Ab al-Ghdiyah:
I HEARD the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, saying: The murderer of Ammr
will be in the Fire!
(Al-Dhahab and al-Asqaln both say) This is something strange since Ab al-Ghdiyah
himself murdered Ammr.383
Look at this:
1. Ab al-Ghdiyah heard the Prophet saying The murderer of Ammr will be in the Fire.
2. Yet, he employed his own twl and ijtihd to deliberately contradict the Prophet and
thereby murdered Ammr!
Then, the Ahl al-Sunnah say:

Ammr, may Allh be pleased with him, was MURDERED by Ab al-Ghdiyah Yasr b.
Sab al-Salam He transgressed upon him (Ammr) but will have a good reward (for
doing so)!!!384
May Allh save us from extremism!
This revelation opens some major cracks in the official Sunn interpretations of the Qurn and
their own ahdth about the Sahbah. Firstly, it shows that twl and ijtihd are no excuses or
shields for crimes. Ibn Muljam and Ab al-Ghdiyah employed them. Yet, both will be in Hellfire
for the resultant crimes! The latter of them was also a senior Sahb! This principle brings down
all of the Sunn flimsy excuses created to shield Muwiyah and ishah. Secondly, it is apparent
that our noble Prophet never believed that all his Sahbah were righteous or just, or that they
all will be in Paradise as the Ahl al-Sunnah claim. Otherwise, he would never have passed that
verdict upon Ab al-Ghdiyah! Therefore, the official Sunn position on the Sahbah is a bidah,
and misrepresentation of the Book of Allh. Finally, the case of Abd al-Rahmn b. Udays alBalaw completely exposes a severe Sunn hypocrisy concerning the Sahbah. Although they say
what they say about the Sahbah, they themselves do curse and hate at least one of them!
JUNGLE JUSTICE TWO
Immediately after the Prophets death and Ab Bakr assumed the Khilfah, the overwhelming
majority of Arabs staged a peaceful revolt. They refused to pay Zakh to Ab Bakr. They
retained their Islmic identities though, testified to Tawhd and Rislah and offered Salh and
performed other Islmic rites. But, they would not give Zakh to the government of Ab Bakr.
Imm al-Bukhr records:
383
Ab Abd Allh Shams al-Dn Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Dhahab, Mzn al-Itidl f Naqd al-Rijl (Beirut: Dr
st
al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah; 1 edition, 1995 CE) *annotator: Shaykh Al Muhammad Mad and Shaykh dil Ahmad
Abd al-Mawjd+, vol. 2, p. 236; Ab al-Fadl Ahmad b. Al b. Hajar al-Asqaln al-Shfi, Lisn al-Mzn (Beirut:
rd
Muasassat al-Alm lil Matbt; 3 edition, 1406 H), vol. 2, p. 204
384
.

Narrated Ab Hurayrah, may Allh be pleased with him:
When the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, died and Ab Bakr became the
Khalfah, some Arabs became kuffr. As a result, Umar, may Allh be pleased with him,
said (to Ab Bakr), How can you fight with these people despite that the Messenger of
Allh, peace be upon him, said, I have been ordered to fight the people TILL they say:
There is no god but Allh, and whoever said it then he will save his life and property
from me except on trespassing the law, and his accounts will be with Allh. He (Ab
Bakr) said, By Allh! I will fight those who differentiate between Salh and Zakah as
Zakh is a right to be taken from the property. By Allh! If they refused to pay me even a
she-kid which they used to pay to Allhs Apostle, I would fight with them for withholding
it.385
Their refusal to give Zakh alone made them kuffr in Sunn eyes, even though they never
explicitly rejected Islm.
Imm al-Bukhr also records a hadth that Sunns believe refer to these Arabs:
:
: :
]
[
:
[ [ : ] [:
Narrated Ibn Abbs, may Allh be pleased with them both:
Allh's Apostle said, "You will be gathered before Allh bare-footed, naked and not
circumcised." Then (quoting the Qurn) he said:-- "As We began the first creation, We
shall repeat it. A promise We have undertaken: Truly we shall do it." (21:104) The
Prophet then said, "The first of the human beings to be dressed on the Day of
Resurrection, will be Ibrhm. Lo! Some men from my Sahbah will be brought and then
(the angels) will drive them to the left side (Hell-Fire). I will say. 'O my Lord! My
Sahbah!' My Sahbah! Then a reply will come, 'You do not know what they did after you.
These people have continued to be apostates since you left them. I will say as the pious
slave (the Prophet s) said: And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them.
When You took me up. You were the Watcher over them and You are a Witness to all
things.' (5:117)386
Imm al-Asqaln states under this hadth:
385
rd
Ab Abd Allh Muhammad b. Isml al-Bukhr al-Juf, Sahh (Beirut: Dr Ibn Kathr; 3 edition, 1407 H)
386
rd
Al-Farbar said: It is mentioned from Ab Abd Allh al-Bukhr from Qubaysah who said:
They are those who apostasized during the time of Ab Bakr, and he fought them
meaning until they were killed, and they died upon kufr.387
One is a bit surprised since these people, whom the Ahl al-Sunnah describe as kuffr, were
actually Sahbah of the Prophet! He himself says O my Lord! My Sahbah! My Sahbah! and
Allh never says No, they are not your SaHbah. Certainly, if Muhammad were wrong to have
called them his Sahbah, his Lord would have corrected him, as He did in the case of Nhs son:

And Nh called upon his Lord and said, "O my Lord! Verily, my son is of my family! And
certainly, Your Promise is true, and You are the Most Just of the judges." He said: "O Nh!
Surely, he is NOT of your family; verily, his work is unrighteous, so ask not of Me that of
which you have no knowledge! I admonish you lest you should be one of the ignorant."388
By keeping silent, we understand that Allh agrees with His Prophet that those people were
indeed his Sahbah, as per His definition.
Shaykh al-Khams further submits concerning the hadth above:

: ::
Those meant by them (i.e. My Sahbah! My Sahbah! in the hadth) are those who
apostasized after the death of the Prophet, peace be upon him. This is because after the
death of the Prophet, peace be upon him, THE MAJORITY OF THE ARABS APOSTASIZED,
such that there were none upon Islm except the people of Makkah, the people of
Madnah and the people of Tif. Some mention the people of al-Bahrain too. As for the
rest of the Arabs, they had apostasized. They are those concerning whom the Prophet,
peace be upon him, will say My Sahbah! and it will be said to him, You do not know
what they did after you. These people have continued to be apostates since you left
them.389
We understand from the above that, according to Sunn Islm, the majority of the Sahbah
became kuffr only on account of their refusal to pay Zakh to Ab Bakr! They, in their view,
therefore deserved death, and were accordingly destroyed by the Ab Bakr regime. All of these
apostates were Sahbah in the view of Allh and His Messenger.
387
388
Qurn 11:45-46
389
In the same vein, the Egyptian army that besieged and murdered Uthmn was commanded by a
senior Sahb, Abd al-Rahmn b. Udays. We see the Ahl al-Sunnah hating, cursing and
condemning this army. So, one wonders why the Ahl al-Sunnah consider those who rebelled
against Imm Als government, both Sahbah and Tbin, as the best of believers and the
leaders of Paradise! This is how the calculation works out:
1. All of those who refused to give Zakh to Ab Bakr were Sahbah. They did not stage any
armed rebellion against his regime. But, for their refusal to give Zakh alone, the Ahl alSunnah declare them all to be kuffr.
2. By contrast, the majority of those who refused to give bayah to Imm Al, refused to
give him Zakh, and mounted an armed insurrection against him, thereby murdering
thousands of his supporters and hurting his government, were Tbin. Several of them
were Sahbah, of course. Yet, the Ahl al-Sunnah declare all these people to be Muslims,
with the best of mn, and leaders in the Hereafter!
How the Ahl al-Sunnah manage to reach their bizarre conclusions baffles this researcher.
Judging by their treatment of the peaceful Zakh revolt against Ab Bakr, one would expect
them to have treated the armed rebels against Imm Al much worse, or at least in the same
manner. Both Ab Bakr and Al were Khalfahs of the Islmic Ummah. Generally, under the
Shariah, rebellion against the Khalfah, whether peaceful or violent, is tantamount to kufr.
( )
WHOSOEVER separates from the Jamah even to the extent of a handspan has verily
removed the rope of Islm from his or her neck until he or she returns [to the Jamah]
(Sahh).390
There are two ways to interpret this hadth. The word Jamah may either refer to the saved sect
or to the part of the Ummah united under its Khalfah. It can conveniently go either way.
However, the second meaning is stronger in the light of this hadth, recorded by Shaykh alAlbn:
( )
WHOSOEVER comes to you while your affairs are managed by a single man (i.e. Khalfah),
seeking to break your stick (i.e. unity), AND SEPARATES FROM YOUR JAMAH, then kill
him or her. (Sahh).391
This is Allhs Shariah, and it excludes no one, whether Sahbah or not. Whosoever breaks off
from the Khalfah becomes a kfir, and must be killed by the believers.
Shaykh al-Albn further records:
()
390
p. 356
391
nd
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Irw al-Ghall (Beirut: Maktab al-Islm; 2 edition, 1405 H) vol. 8, p.
105, #2452
WHOSOEVER sees ANYTHING he does not like in his Amr (i.e. Khalfah), let him or her
exercise patience upon it. This is because WHOSOEVER separates from the Jamah by a
handspan, then his death is that of Jhiliyyah [i.e. as a kfir]. (Sahh)392
This hadth nullifies all excuses of twl or ijtihd! No matter what you see in your Khalfah, you
must never revolt against him. It is absolutely obligatory to always maintain bayah to the
Khalfah. Whosoever breaks his bayah (oath of allegiance) or refuses to make one to the
Khalfah of his time and dies in that state, he or she dies a kfir. Imm Muslim records in his
Sahh:

Whosoever dies without having a bayah on his neck dies the death of Jhiliyyah.393
Of course, a person remains outside Islm as long as he or she does not have bayah to the
Khalfah. So, it is logical that should he or she die in that state, he or she dies a kfir. Moreover,
as long as a person is against the Khalfah, he or she deserves death in the Shariah of Allh.
There is absolutely no doubt that Muwiyah, ishah, Talhah, al-Zubayr and the Khawrij
separated from the Jamah in their bloody wars against the Khalfah of their time Imm Al.
Of course, some people might still insist that these people were not rebels. We are happy to
inform such people that the Prophet personally identified Muwiyah and his army as the
rebellious group. That leaves no excuse for anyone with light in his heart. Shaykh al-Albn
states:
) 91,28,22,5/3()205/2,124/1(
:,":,
.:""
Al-Bukhr (1/124, 2/205), and Ahmad (3/5, 22, 28, 91) recorded it, from another route
from Ab Sad in the story of the construction of the mosque (in Madnah), he said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him, saw him (i.e. Ammr) and started removing the dust
from his body and said, "May Allh be merciful to 'Ammr. The REBELLIOUS GROUP will
murder him. He will be inviting them (i.e. his murderers, the rebellious group) to
Paradise AND THEY WILL BE INVITING HIM TO HELL-FIRE." 'Ammr said, "I seeks refuge
with Allh from affliction."
The hadth has been narrated by a group from the Sahbah.394
Muwiyah and his army were armed rebels against the Jamah, and they were callers to
Hellfire. They cursed Allh and His Messenger and murdered thousands of believers who were
calling them to Paradise, including our master Ammr. How then can Ahl al-Sunnah say
something like this:
392
Ibid, vol. 8, p. 105, # 2453

Muslim b. al-Hajjj al-Qushayr, Sahh Muslim (Beirut: Masrah Dr Ihy al-Turth al-Arab) *annotator:
Muhammad Fud Abd al-Bq+ vol. 3, p. 1478
394
335, # 710
393
. , ,
Verily, Muwiyah and those with him made mistakes, were doing ijtihd, and will be
rewarded with one good reward!395
Has Allh not said this:

And WHOSOEVER murders a believer intentionally, HIS RECOMPENSE IS HELLFIRE, TO
ABIDE THEREIN FOREVER, and the Wrath and the Curse of Allh are upon him, and a
great punishment is prepared for him.396
Is it thinkable to say that Muwiyah, ishah and the Khawrij did not intentionally murder the
followers of Imm Al? They separated from the Jamah, were inviting to Hellfire and
murdered thousands of believers in the process! How can the Ahl al-Sunnah belie the above
verse and award good rewards to these murderous rebels?
Besides, by waging a war against Imm Al, those rebels were guilty of warring against the
Messenger of Allh! Imm al-Hkim records:
:
:
The Prophet, peace be upon him, looked towards Al, Ftimah, al-Hasan and al-Husayn,
and said: I am at war with WHOSOEVER is at war with you people, and at peace with
whosoever is at peace with you people.397
Imm al-Hkim comments upon its authenticity as follows:
This hadth is hasan.398

Shaykh al-Albn also grades the hadth as hasan399 while Imm Ibn Hibbn as included in his
Sahh400.
Can waging war against the Prophet ever be justifiable? How can the Ahl al-Sunnah say that
these rebels will be reward with good by Allh for waging war against His Prophet? Well, in case
395
Muhammad b. Al b. Hazm, Al-Fisal (Beirut: Dr al-Jayl; 1405 H), vol. 4, p. 161

Qurn 4:93
397
st
edition, 1411 H), vol. 3, p. 161, # 4713
398
ibid
399
p. 235, # 2342
400
nd
p. 433, #6977
396
anyone wonders, this is Allhs verdict upon those rebels who mounted a terribly bloody war
upon Imm Al (and thereby upon His Messenger):

The recompense of those who wage war against Allh and His Messenger and do mischief
in the land is ONLY that they shall be killed or crucified or their hands and their feet be
cut off on the opposite sides, or be exiled from the land. That is their disgrace in this
world, and a great torment is theirs in the Hereafter.401
This verse excludes the option of cookies from Allh to the murderous rebels. They are going
to burn in Hellfire! The Prophet added his voice to this as well. Imm al-Tabarn records that
he said:
.
WHOSOEVER separates from the Jamah by a bow-length, his Salh or fast will never be
accepted from him AND SUCH PEOPLE ARE THE FUEL FOR HELLFIRE.402
Imm al-Haytham says about this Hadth:
.
Ahmad recorded it and its narrators are narrators of the Sahh with the exception of
Ishq al-Salam and he is trustworthy.403
ishah, Talhah and al-Zubayr, who had earlier given their bayah to Imm Al, broke it and
turned in war against him. The Khawrij did the same thing, and declared Al to be a kfir!
Muwiyah and his army never gave bayah till death! All three groups separated from the
Jamah, waged war against the Messenger of Allh and murdered thousands of the believers.
We wonder then: how come they too were not kuffr? Were they not even worse than the Zakh
rebels? Why on earth do Sunns make their weird claims about them? Why would they be
rewarded with good for their crimes?
We believe the haqq is as clear as the sun, if not clearer at this stage. But, we wish to exhaust the
hujjah against all of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah, so that on the Day of Qiymah, they will have
no excuse. Therefore, we will proceed with this final move on this issue.
The Prophet of Islm had predicted the rebel wars mounted against Imm Al, and had given
certain designations and instructions thereto. Imm Ibn Abd al-Barr says:
401
Qurn 5:33
nd
Ab al-Qsim Sulaymn b. Ahmad b. Ayb al-Tabarn, al-Mujam al-Kabr (Mosul: Maktabah al-Zahr; 2
edition, 1404 H) [annotator: Hamad b. Abd al-Majd al-Salaf+, vol. 3, p. 302
403
p. 215
402
For these reports are sahh chains, which we have mentioned at their places. It is
narrated in the hadth of Al, and the hadth of Ibn Masd, and the hadth of Ab Ayb alAnsr that he (Al) was commanded (by the Prophet) to fight the oath-breakers, and the
Qsitn and the apostates.404
Imm al-Bazzr records this sahh hadth of Al:
.
Narrated Al:
The Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, made a covenant to me to fight the oathbreakers, the Qsitn and the apostates.405
Commenting upon the authenticity of this report, Imm al-Haytham states:
.
Al-Bazzr recorded it, as well as al-Tabarn in al-Awst. One of the chains of al-Bazzr
contains narrators of the Sahh, with the exception of al-Rab b. Sad, and Ibn Hibbn
declared him trustworthy.406
Imm al-Asqaln explains hadth:
}

{

.
His statement {It is firmly established that the people of al-Jamal (under ishah), and
Siffn (under Muwiyah) and al-Nahrawn (i.e. the Khawrij) were rebels} is true. What
further proves this is the hadth of Al in which he says I was COMMANDED to fight the
oath-breakers, the Qsitn and the apostates. Al-Nis recorded it in al-Khasis, as well as
al-Bazzr and al-Tabarn. The people of al-Jamal (under ishah) were the oathbreakers because they broke their bayah to him (i.e. Al), and the Qsitn were the
people of Syria (under Muwiyah) because they left the haqq (truth) in their refusal to
give him bayah. The apostates were the people of al-Nahrawn (i.e. the Khawrij) due to
the establishment of the sahh report about them that they apostasized from the religion
as the arrow leaves the bow (i.e. completely). The hadth that Ammr would be killed by
a rebellious group is also established about the Syrians (i.e. they murdered him).407
404
st
edition, 1412 H) *annotator: Al b. Muhammad al-Bajw+, vol. 3, p. 1117
405
Ab Bakr Ahmad b. Amr b. Abd al-Khliq al-Bazzr, Musnad al-Bazzr (Beirut: Muasassat Ulm al-Qurn;
st
1 edition, 1409 H) [annotator: Dr. Mahfz al-Rahmn Zayn Allh+, vol. 3, pp. 26-27, #774
406
p. 238
407
Ab al-Fadl Ahmad b. Al b. Hajar al-Asqaln al-Shfi, Talkhs al-Habr f Ahdth Rafi al-Kabr (Madnah
al-Munawwara; 1384 H) *annotator: Sayyid Abd Allh Hshim al-Yamn al-Madan+, vol. 4, p. 44
ishah and her army were called oath-breakers by the Prophet. This shows that they had
separated from the Jamah. The implications, which are very grave, are already well-known. Of
course, the Messenger of Allh was not joking in what he said. Muwiyah and his army were
called Qsitn! This was a clearcut takfr from the Prophet upon them. For the avoidance of
doubt, Qsitn (also called Qsitn) are not Muslims and are fuel for Hellfire, as the Qurn has
differentiated between both groups:

'And of us some are Muslims (who have submitted to Allah, after listening to this Qur'an),
and of us some are Al-Qasitun (DISBELIEVERS - those who have deviated from the Right
Path)'. And whosoever has embraced Islam (i.e. has become a Muslim by submitting to
Allah), then such have sought the Right Path. And as for the Qasitun (DISBELIEVERS who
deviated from the Right Path), they shall be firewood for Hell. (emphasis added)408
Basically, all three groups were kuffr in line with the Qurn and the aforecited sahh ahdth,
bound for Hellfire!
But, maybe we should ask: if indeed those rebel groups will be rewarded with good by Allh,
why did the Prophet order Imm Al to fight them?
JUNGLE JUSTICE THREE
It is a general belief among the Ahl al-Sunnah that cursing any of the Sahbah is kufr. Imm alDhahab says:
.
Cursing ANY of the Sahbah is one of the major sins. WHOEVER criticizes or curses them
has verily left the religion (of Islm) and apostasized from the religion of Muslims.409
Shaykh Slih b. Fawzn also submits:
WHOSOEVER hates the Sahbah is a kfir.410

One is curious how the Ahl al-Sunnah reconcile this view with their own hatred and cursing of
Abd al-Rahmn b. Udays al-Balaw and his army who were responsible for Uthmns murder.
Ibn Udays was one of the senior Sahbah, who gave the bayah under the Tree of Ridwn!
Moreover, how do the Ahl al-Sunnah balance this against their own claim that the majority of
the Arab Sahbah literally apostasized during the Khilfah of Ab Bakr?! Shaykh al-Albn, in
line with the Sunnah, believed that Ab al-Ghdiyah, a senior Sahb, will be in Hellfire! Does
this mean that the Shaykh died a kfir? What about Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah who attacked both
Imm Al and Uthmn? Al-Hfiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqaln states about him:
408
Qurn 72:14-15 (Mohsin Khan translation)

Ab Abd Allh Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Uthmn al-Dhahab al-Shfi, al-Kabir (Beirut: Dr al-Nadwah alJaddah), p. 233
410
st
Shaykh Dr. Slih b. Fawzn, al-Ijbt al-Muhimah (Saudi Arabia: 1 edition, 1425 H) [compiler: Muhammad
Fahd al-Hasn+, p. 210
409
.
Among them (i.e. the Sunn ulam) were those who accused him (i.e. Ibn Taymiyyah) of
hypocrisy due to his statement about Al that we have mentioned, and on account of his
statement that he (i.e Al) was humiliated wherever he turned, and that he (i.e. Al)
repeatedly sought the Khilfah but did not get it, and that he (i.e. Al) fought only for
power, and not for religion, and due to his (Ibn Taymiyyahs) statement that he (i.e. Al)
loved power while Uthmn loved money, and on account of his (Ibn Taymiyyahs)
statement that Ab Bakr accepted Islm as an adult who knew what he was saying while
Al accepted Islm as a child, and the Islm of a child, upon his statement, is invalid!411
Apart from all that, Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah also implicitly declared Al to be an unbeliever, and
an evil-doer:

.

.

The fourth issue is that Allh had informed him (the Prophet) that He would create love
for those who believe and do righteous deeds. This promise from Him was true, and it is
well-known that Allh has created love for the Sahbah in the heart of every Muslim,
especially the Khalfahs, may Allh be pleased with them, especially Ab Bakr and Umar.
This is because the generality of the Sahbah and Tbin loved both of them (i.e. Ab
Bakr and Umar), and these were the best of generations. This was not the case for Al.
This is because the MAJORITY412 of the Sahbah and Tbin HATED, CURSED and FOUGHT
him.413
Certain facts are clear from these words of Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah:
1. Allh promised to create love for those who believe and do righteous deeds in the hearts
of the Muslims.
2. Allh has allegedly created love for the Sahbah in the heart of every Muslim, thus
proving that they were righteous believers.
3. The Sahbah and Tbin are allegedly the best of Muslims and they loved Ab Bakr and
Umar. This proves that Ab Bakr and Umar were absolutely righteous believers.
4. However, these same Sahbah and Tbin, the majority of them, hated, cursed and
fought Al. In other words, Allh did not create love for Al in their hearts, meaning that
he was not a believer or did not do good deeds!
411
Ibn Hajar al-Asqaln, al-Durar al-Kminah (Beirut: Dr al-Jayl; 1414), vol. 1, p. 144
The word kathr may mean a lot of or majority of. It has bn used in the second sense at several places
in the Qurn, like 2:109, 4:114, 5:32, 5:49, 5:64, 5:66, 5:68, 5:71, 5:80, 7:179, 9:34, 10:92, 14:36, 38:24, 57:16,
57:26, and 57:27. It is equally apparent that Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah intends this second meaning in his words. If
it does not mean majority of, then his purpose fails. He seeks to prove that the believers did not love Imm
Al. If it was only the minority of them, and the majority loved him, then he has no point! Therefore, the only
way his words could have meaning is when the majority of the Salaf (i.e. Sahbah and Tbin) hated him, as he
has argued.
413
st
412
Particular attention should be paid to these points:

1. Allh promised to create love in the hearts of the Muslims for those who believe and do
righteous deeds.
2. The promise of Allh is true.
3. But, He allegedly did not create love for Al in the hearts of the bests of Muslims.
4. Therefore, Al could not have been one of those who believed and did righteous deeds
because Allh always fulfills His Promises.
5. If Al had been one of those who believed and did righteous deeds, then the Promise of
Allh would be false an absolute impossibility.
This is extreme Nsibism from Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah!
Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah further accuses Sayyidah Ftimah and some other Sahbah of telling lies
and doing multiple evil:

.

And we know that what is narrated about the evil deeds of Ftimah, and others apart
from her from the Sahbah, , INCLUDING TELLING LIES, are several; and in some of these
evil deeds they (Ftimah and the other Sahbah) were only doing twl. Of course, some
of these evil deeds were sins. However, they were not infallible. Rather, although they
were friends of Allh and from the people of Jannah, they committed sins that Allh
forgave for them.414
A Sunn scholar, Dr. Mahmd al-Sayyid Sabh, was so shocked by these words of Ibn Taymiyyah,
that he wrote:

.

I do not know which several evil deeds were narrated about Sayyidah Ftimah al-Zahr,
may Allh be pleased with her, much less telling lies, or which which evil deeds in which
she was doing twl, meaning that Ftimah was doing twl, or reports in which she is
stated to have committed sins, and which liar has narrated such reports.415
In other words, Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah literally LIED upon Sayyidah Ftimah, basing his
blasphemous views upon some absolutely untraceable reports that are allegedly several!
Despite these extreme statements against Al, Sayyidah Ftimah, and Uthmn, the Salafiyyah
call Ibn Taymiyyah their Shaykh al-Islm! Shouldnt they have declared him a kfir instead?!
Dirty double standards?
In the Sunn creed, whosoever is guilty of any of these crimes is a kfir:
414

st
(Muasassat al-Rislah; 1 edition, 1406 H) [annotator: Dr. Muhammad Rashd Slim+, vol. 4, pp. 243-244
415
Mahmd al-Sayyid Sabh, Akht Ibn Taymiyyah f Haqq Rasl Allh wa Ahl Baytih (Dr Zayn al-bidn; 1431
H), p. 63
1. Hatred of any of the Sahbah

2. Criticism of any of the Sahbah
3. Cursing of any of the Sahbah
The legal implication of this is that the reports of these people are not acceptable. Imm Ibn
Salh says:
The Imms of hadth and fiqh are unanimous that the following are conditions for
accepting the reports of a narrator:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
He must be a just person.

He must be truthful in what he narrates.
He must be an adult Muslim
He must be intelligent
He must be free from evil deeds.416
As far as hadth narration is concerned, whosoever fails in any of these conditions cannot
possibly be trustworthy and his reports must be automatically rejected. Imm Ibn Man, one
of the founders and pillars of Sunn hadth sciences, has a similar conclusion:

.
Everyone who curses Uthmn, Talhah or ANYONE of the SaHbah of the Prophet, peace
be upon him, is a dajjl (extreme liar). Reports are NOT to be documented from him, and
upon him is the Curse of Allh, the angels and all of mankind.417
Therefore, the Ahl al-Sunnah never accepts the hadths of anyone found guilty of criticizing,
hating or cursing Ab Bakr, Umar, Uthmn, Muwiyah, ishah, Talhah, al-Zubayr, Ab
Hurayrah or any other Sahbah. Of course, the list would exclude Sahbah like Ibn Udays whom
the Ahl al-Sunnah themselves criticize, hate and curse! But, what about Al? Shaykh Ibn
Taymiyyah declares:
.

He also says:

.
416
Ibn Salh, Ulm al-Hadth (Beirut: al-Maktabah al-Ilmiyyah; 1981 H), p. 94

Ab Zakariyyh Yahy b. Man, Trkh Ibn Man (Makkah: Markaz al-Bahth al-Ilm wa Ihy al-Turth alst
Islm; 1 edition, 1399 H) [annotator: Dr. Ahmad Muhammad Nr Sayf+, vol. 3, p. 546, # 2670
418
st
(Muasassat al-Qurtubah; 1 edition, 1406 H) [annotator: Dr. Muhammad Rashd Slim+, vol. 7, p. 137-138
417
It is known that those who FOUGHT Al and CURSED him and CENSURED him AMONG THE
SAHBAH AND TBIN and others were more knowledgeable and more religious than
For the sake of argument, we will ignore those Nsib Sahbah. However, what about the
Tbin? The majority of them censured, hated, cursed and fought Imm Al? Were they dajjls
too? So sad, the Ahl al-Sunnah derive most of their religion from these same Tbin! All their
reports from the Sahbah go through these people, who should have been kuffr and dajjls by
their standards, and whose reports should all have been rejected and thrown into the dustbins!
Or, do the Sunn rules apply in favour of all the Sahbah except Al and a few others?
There is no doubt that the Ahl al-Sunnah have exempted Imm Al from their rule. While
criticizing, hating or cursing any of the other Sahbah automatically makes you a dajjl, the
matter does not extend to Al and a few others. Interestingy, one of the most reliable narrators
in all the Sunn books was an extreme Nsib! Shaykh al-Albn defends him here:
:
")269-268/1(""!
: -"
:-)-1050/328-325/3(
"
!"
-
-
Harz b. Uthmn: He was al-Ruhb al-Hums. He was TRUSTWORTHY, from the narrators
of (Sahh) al-Bukhr, ALTHOUGH HE HATED AL. May Allh hate him (i.e. Harz). For this
reason, Ibn Hibbn has included him in al-Duaf (1/268-269), and says in his Sahh, after
citing the hadth of Uqbah b. mir about saying Tashahhud after Wud through two
chains, one of them from Ab Uthmn from Jubayr b. Nafr from him (i.e. Uqbah b. mir
(3/325-328/1050, al-Muasassat):
Ab Uthmn here may be Harz b. Uthmn al-Ruhb, and we have only relied upon the
other chain. This is because Harz b. Uthmn is nothing in hadth!
It is my (i.e. Albns) opinion that the view of Ibn Hibbn on this Harz - despite that the
Imms, in mutawtir reports, with a level of tawtur that is unbelievable AND UNIQUE,
have declared him TRUSTWORTHY, and we do not see the like of him among most of the
well-known trustworthy narrators, despite that some of them (i.e. the Imms) have
described him with the aforementioned hatred (of Al) is a clear exaggeration.420
Imm Ibn Hajar al-Asqaln also says about Harz:
:
419
Ibid, vol. 5, p. 10
29, # 3227
420
Ibn Hibbn said: He used to CURSE Al 70 times in the morning and 70 times in the
evening!421
Imagine this: would the Ahl al-Sunnah have declared anyone who hates Ab Bakr and Umar
and curses them 70 times in the morning and 70 times in the evening as trustworthy?! Would
Imm al-Bukhr have jumped to accept his ahdth? The modern-day Sunn lim, Shaykh Ibn
Farhn al-Mlik, makes the matter clearer:

140
People in (ancient) Syria had been reared up to hate and curse Al. More than 50 Nsib
hadth narrators surfaced among them, in the 3rd Islmic century. The most notorious of
them was Harz b. Uthmn al-Ruhb, from the narrators of (Sahh) al-Bukhr. He used to
curse Al 140 times only every day.422
Another Nsib hadth narrator upon whom the Ahl al-Sunnah rely in their religion is Azhar b.
Abd Allh al-Harz. Imm al-Dhahab says about him:

He was a Tbi. His ahdth are hasan (good), ALTHOUGH HE WAS A NSIB WHO USED
TO CURSE AL, may Allh be pleased with him.423
But, did our Prophet not say to Imm Al:
( )
NONE hates you EXCEPT a hypocrite. (Sahh)424
Were these Nsib narrators not hypocrites?! Moreover, did our Lord not say in His Book:

Allh bears witness that THE HYPOCRITES ARE LIARS INDEED.425
While our Creator has called all Nawsib, Sahbah and non-Sahbah, as liars, what hujjah do the
Ahl al-Sunnah have against Him to grade these people as reliable?! Is it because accepting
Allhs testimony would bring down the entirely of Sunn Islm, since most of it is based upon
hadths narrated by Nawsib? Besides, why are these Nsib Tbin not deemed as kuffr and
dajjls, in the light of the standards set by the Ahl al-Sunnah themselves?!
421
nd
Ibn Hajar al-Asqaln, Tahdhb al-Tahdhb (Beirut: Dr Ihy al-Turth al-Arab; 2 edition, 1413 H), vol. 1, p.
465
422
st
Hasan b. Farhn al-Mlik, Qirh f Kutub al-Aqid (Jordan: Markaz al-Dirst al-Trkhiyyah; 1 edition,
1421 H), p. 176
423
st
Ab Abd Allh al-Dhahab, Mzn al-Itidl f Naqd al-Rijl (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr; 1 edition, 1420), vol. 1, p.
197
424
Ab s al-Tirmidh, al-Jmi al-Sahh Sunan al-Tirmidh (Beirut: Dr Ihy al-Turth al-Arab) *annotator:
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn+, vol. 5, p. 643, #3736
425
Qurn 63:1
Imm al-Ijl tells us about one more of the pillars of Sunn Islm, Ishq b. Suwayd al-Adaw:
He was TRUSTWORTHY, and he used to hate Al, may Allh be pleased with him.426
Imm al-Asqaln also says about al-Adaw:
:
Ab al-Arb al-Saqal said in al-Duaf: He SEVERELY hated Al, and said: I do not love
Al.427
How honestly can a severe hypocrite and liar be trustworthy?! How do these people judge?
Al-Asqaln further records that Imm Ahmad b. Hanbal said about another Nsib narrator,
Abd Allh b. Shaqq:

He was trustworthy, though he used to hate Al.428
In another book, al-Asqaln himself says about him:
He was trustworthy, and he was a Nsib.429

The Ahl al-Sunnah have also extended the accolades to the man who commanded the murder of
Imm al-Husayn: Umar b. Sad b. Ab Waqqs! Imm al-Asqaln submits about him:
:
Al-Ijl said: He narrated ahdth from his father, and the people narrated from him. He
was a Tbi, TRUSTWORTHY, AND HE WAS THE ONE WHO MURDERED AL-HUSAYN!430
The matter gets so ugly that these Nawsib are praised even as flags of the Sunnah! For instance,
Imm al-Asqaln says about Assad b. Ms al-Umaw:
He was the LION OF THE SUNNAH, truthful, and he was a Nsib!431
426
st
Ahmad b. Abd Allh al-Ijl, Trkh al-Thuqt (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah; 1 edition, 1405 H), p. 61
nd
152
428
429
Ibn Hajar al-Asqaln, Taqrb al-Tahdhb (Bayt al-Afkr al-Dawliyyah), p. 322
430
nd
283
431
Ibn Hajar al-Asqaln, Taqrb al-Tahdhb (Bayt al-Afkr al-Dawliyyah), p. 76
427
How can a Nsib be the lion of the Sunnah? Is love of Al not part of the Sunnah?! The
Messenger of Allh said:
)(.
WHOSOEVER hates Al verily hates me, and WHOSOEVER hates me verily hates Allh the
Almighty. (Sahh)432
Assad hated Allh and His Messenger! But, the Ahl al-Sunnah call him the lion of the Sunnah!!!
Furthermore, Imm Ibn al-Athr tells us about Khalfah al-Mutawakil al Allh (better known
simply as al-Mutawakil):

Al-Mutawakil SEVERELY HATED Al b. Ab Tlib and his family.433
He hated Al, Ftimah, Hasan, Husayn and their offspring! This is what Ibn Kathr has to say
about this severe Nsib:
When al-Mutawatil al Allh became the Khalfah, the people were happy with his rule.
This was because HE LOVED THE SUNNAH AND ITS PEOPLE, and removed calamity from
the people.434
In other words, Imm Al and his family were not people of the Sunnah?! Ibn Kathr continues
about Mutawakil:
Al-Mutawakil loved his subjects and used to stand for the help of the Ahl al-Sunnah
Verily, he manifested the Sunnah after (the era of) bidah, and extinguished the people of
bidah and their bidah after its wide spread and popularity. May Allh be merciful to him.
Verily, one of them saw him in a dream after his death sitting IN LIGHT.435
Well, he was guilty of hypocrisy and hatred against Allh and His Messenger through his
manifest and severe Nsibism. He was himself a person of bidah! Moreover, unlike the fake
dream that these people circulate, al-Mutawakil is in Hellfire, according to the Prophet:
( )
432
288, # 1299
433
Ibn al-Athr, Al-Kmil f al-Trkh (Bayt Afkr al-Dawliyyah), p. 983
434
st
Ibn Kathr, al-Bidyah wa al-Nihyah (Egypt: Dr al-Fakhr; 1 edition), vol. 10, p. 369
435
Ibid, vol. 10, p. 384
I swear by the One in Whose Hand my life is, NONE hates us Ahl al-Bayt except that Allh
enters him or her into Hellfire. (Sahh)436
In all, we have only mentioned a tiny number of Nsibs from whom the Ahl al-Sunnah take their
religion, and whom upon they rain praises and accolades. But, it would suffice that the majority
of the Sahbah and Tbin the backbone of Sunn Islm were Nawsib. The Ahl al-Sunnah
love these Nawsib, and dish out lofty ranks and Paradise freely to them. This runs sharply
contrary to their severe and harsh treatment of whoever hates, criticizes or curses any of the
non-Ahl al-Bayt Sahbah, apart from those of them whom the Ahl al-Sunnah have themselves
whimsically chosen for the guillotine.
436
643, # 2488
CHAPTER TEN
DEMYSTIFYING THE LEGENDS
This is one of the most sensitive parts of this humble research. We therefore urge the esteemed
reader to exercise a lot of patience and restraint while following our discourse, and to analyse
everything we write with an open mind. We will be looking into a very famous verse in the Book
of Allh: the Verse of Muhammad. We will be examining its clear message in detail, and thereby
seeks to strengthen the roots of al-haqq.
The Verse of Muhammad reads as thus:

Muhammad is the Messenger of Allh, and THOSE WHO ARE WITH HIM are severe against
the disbelievers, and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and falling down
prostrate, seeking Bounty from Allh and Pleasure. The mark of them is on their faces
from the traces of prostration. This is their description in the Tawrah. But their
description in the Injl is like a seed which sends forth its shoot, then makes it strong, it
then becomes thick, and it stands straight on its stem, delighting the sowers that He may
enrage the disbelievers with them. Allh has promised THOSE AMONG THEM WHO
BELIEVE and do righteous good deeds, forgiveness and a mighty reward.437
The entire Qurn is beautiful. However, this particular verse stands out among others in its
beauty. The whole verse is about those who were with the Prophet. But, what exactly does this
phrase mean?
The answer is obvious from the verse itself. Those who were with the Prophet in its terminology
were severe against the disbelievers. This means that they were themselves NOT disbelievers in
any form. They were neither non-Muslims, nor hypocrites. According to the Book of our Lord,
hypocrites are disbelievers:

When the hypocrites come to you (O Muhammad), they say: "We bear witness that you
are indeed the Messenger of Allh." Allh knows that you are indeed His Messenger, and
Allh bears witness that THE HYPOCRITES ARE LIARS INDEED. They have made their
oaths a screen (for their hypocrisy). Thus they hinder (men) from the Path of Allh.
Verily, evil is what they used to do. That is because they believed, and then DISBELIEVED;
therefore their hearts are sealed, so they understand not.438
437
438
Qurn 48:29
Qurn 63:1-3
Logically, those with the Prophet could not have been severe against non-Muslims and
hypocrites unless they were themselves genuine believers. Therefore, we submit that the Verse
of Muhammad talks about those who were with the Prophet in mn only. This is confirmed by
several verses. Allh says:

Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such as came to those who passed away
before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken
that even the Messenger and those who BELIEVE WITH HIM said, When will come the
Help of Allh? Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allh is near!439
Our Lord also states:

But the Messenger and THOSE WHO BELIEVE WITH HIM strive hard with their property
and their lives; and these it is who shall have the good things and these it is who shall be
successful.440
He says again:

O you who believe! Turn to Allh a sincere turning; maybe your Lord will remove from
you your evil and cause you to enter gardens beneath which rivers flow, on the Day on
which Allh will not abase the Prophet AND THOSE WHO BELIEVE WITH HIM; their light
shall run on before them and on their right hands; they shall say: Our Lord! make perfect
for us our light, and grant us protection, surely Thou hast power over all things.441
So, the Verse of Muhammad basically separates the Prophets contemporaries strictly on the
basis of mn: those with him in mn, and those who were not with him in mn. Those who
were with him in mn were the true believers, while all others were either non-Muslims or
hypocrites.
The Qurn informs of the presence of hypocrites within Madnah, where the Prophet and his
senior Sahbah were living, as well as elsewhere:

And among the bedouins around you, some are hypocrites, and so are some among the
people of Madnah who persist in hypocrisy; you (O Muhammad) know them not, We
439
Qurn 2:214
Qurn 9:88
441
Qurn 66:8
440
know them. We shall punish them twice, and thereafter they shall be brought back to a
great (horrible) torment. 442
These hypocrites used to utter mn, and used to reiterate that they too were with the Prophet
in mn like the real believers, especially for selfish motives:
Of mankind are some who say: We believe in Allh, but if they are made to suffer for the
sake of Allh, they consider the trial of mankind as Allhs punishment, and if victory
comes from your Lord, they say: Verily, we were with you. Is not Allh Best Aware of
what is in the breasts of the worlds? Verily, Allh knows those who believe, and verily, He
knows the hypocrites.443
The Qurn further says about these hypocrites:

And those who believe will say: Are these those who swore their strongest oaths by Allh
that they were with you? All that they did has been in vain, and they have become the
losers.444
Another dimension is added to this discourse by the last verse above because of this one:
They swear by Allh that they are truly of you while they are not of you, but they are a
people who are afraid.445
The last two verses refer to the hypocrites. They used to swear by Allh before the honest
believers that they were with them. The meaning of with in this context, according to the
Noble Qurn, is of. In short, when the hypocrites said to the believers we are with you, they
meant we are of you. In the same vein, those who were with the Prophet were only those of
him. They belonged to him, and he belonged to them. He was their senior colleague in mn, and
they were all his junior colleagues in mn. The hypocrites, by contrast, were colleagues of the
devils:

And when they meet those who believe, they say: We believe, but when they are alone
with their devils, they say: Truly, we are with you; verily, we were but mocking.446
They pretended to be with the believers. But they were in reality with their devils. Sometimes,
these hypocrites were so perfect in concealing their hypocrisy and were thereby able to fully
deceive the believers, including even the Prophet, such that he and those who believed with him
thought that these hypocrites were indeed with them in mn:
442
Qurn 9:101
Qurn 29:10-11
444
Qurn 5:53
445
Qurn 9:56
446
Qurn 2:14
443

And among the bedouins around you, some are hypocrites, and so are some among the
know them. 447
In order to help the Prophet and those who believed with him identify the true believers from
the hidden hypocrites, our Lord revealed the Verse of Muhammad. It sets out the characteristics
of those who were sincerely with the Prophet in mn. Every single individual that failed its tests
falls within the hypocrisy or kufr camp. The verse indeed is one of the greatest assets every true
believer has!
Shaykh Uthmn al-Khams asserts that the Verse of Muhammad was revealed in praise of all the
Sahbah without absolutely any exception:
Look at the context of the verse. All of it is praise. There is no criticism in it against some
of them (i.e. the Sahbah). Rather, the verse praises ALL of them.448
This is official position of all of the Ahl al-Sunnah, as can be easily gleaned from all their tafsr
books, under that verse. In their view, all the Sahbah were with the Prophet in mn, and
fulfilled all the descriptions given in the verse. But, is that really so? This is what we will set out
to find out. Surely, the truth may sometimes be very unpalatable especially when it hits the
very top!
MYTH TEST ONE: WHO WERE THE TRUE BELIEVERS?
Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah opens the discussion here:
Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah love the members of the household of the Prophet, regard
them as friends, and protect the will of the Prophet about them which he had stated on
the day of Ghadir-e-Khumm: I remind you of Allah about my Ahle Bait (household).
(Muslim, 15/188 with Nawawi). And said to his uncle Abbas when it was complained that
some people of Quraysh are oppressing Bani Hashim: I swear by the One Who holds my
soul in His Hand that these people CANNOT BE BELIEVERS unless they love you AND MY
RELATIVES. (Tirmidhi).449
Love of the Ahl al-Bayt is an absolute condition for mn. Whosoever does not love any of them
is NOT a believer. Therefore, before claiming that the Verse of Muhammad is about all the
Sahbah, the Ahl al-Sunnah must show that all of them loved all the members of the Ahl al-Bayt.
The Verse is about those who were with the Prophet in mn. It is true that whosoever hates any
of such people is a kfir. However, the Ahl al-Sunnah certainly cannot prove that all the Sahbah
met its criteria, especially in the light of this admission by Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah:
447
Qurn 9:101
449
448
.

Those majority of the Sahbah who hated Imm Al certainly were not with the Prophet in
mn. They had no mn at all. It was the Prophet himself who said so!
Al-Hfiz Ibn Kathr espouses the other conditions for mn. Allh says:

The Prophet is closer to the believers than their ownselves.451
Ibn Kathr has this exegesis of that noble verse:
{:
[}
]
Allh tells us how His Messenger is merciful and sincere towards his Ummah, and how he
is closer to them than they are to themselves. His judgement or ruling takes precedence
over their own choices for themselves, as Allh says: {But no, BY YOUR LORD, THEY CAN
HAVE NO MN, until they make you judge in all disputes between them, and find in
themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept with full submission.} (4:65)
In the Sahh it says:
By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, NONE OF YOU TRULY BELIEVES until I am dearer
to him than his own self, his wealth, his children and all mankind.452
In other words, before one can attain mn, he must:
1. Love all the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet.
2. Make the Prophet the first, final and only judge in all issues of his life and religion.
3. Submit absolutely to the decisions of the Prophet in all matters, with absolutely no
internal resistance against him.
4. Love the Prophet more than himself and everyone else.
In the Qurn, we can find other conditions. Allh, for instance, states:

Only those are the believers who have believed in Allh and His Messenger, and
afterward doubt not but strive hard with their wealth and their lives for the Cause of
Allh. Those! They are the truthful ones.453
450

st
451
Qurn 33:6
452
Ibn Kathr, Tafsr al-Qurn al-Azm (4 volumes), Vol. 3, p. 617
This verse is explicit that whosoever lacks any of the conditions it has given is NOT a believer!
Our Lord further says:
And when you disgaree over ANY matter, then take it to Allh and His Messenger if you
believe in Allh and the Last Day.454
This reinforces point # 2 above. Whosoever does not refer all his matters to Allh and His
Messenger is not a believer, but a hypocrite. Allh also says:

Have you seen those who claim that they believe in that which has been sent down to you,
and that which was sent down before you, and they wish to go for judgment to the Tght
(all judicial and legislative authorities other than Allh and His Messenger) while they
have been ORDERED to reject them. But, Shaytn wishes to lead them far astray. And
when it is said to them: Come to what Allh has sent down and to the Messenger, you
see the HYPOCRITES turn away from you with aversion.455
In modern times, we see millions of hypocrites within the Islmic Ummah. When you invite
them to the Qurn and Sunnah, they turn away with aversion, and prefer the so-called
freedoms, rights and liberties offered them by the Tght. We see millions of hypocritical
Muslims even condemning the rules, regulations and punishments of Islm through the lenses
of what the world Tght have fed them with.
Our Lord and Creator gives a further characteristic of the true believers when He says:

The believers are ONLY those who, when Allh is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts
and when His Verses are recited unto them, they increase their mn; and they put their
trust in their Lord.456
The verses above are exclusionary. Whoever lacks any of the attributes they describe is NOT a
believer. He is rather one of the hypocrites.
In a nutshell, a believer is only one:
1. who loves all the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet.
2. who makes the Prophet the first, final and only judge in all issues of his life and religion.
3. submits absolutely to the decisions of the Prophet in all matters, with absolutely no
internal resistance against him
4. loves the Prophet more than himself and everyone else
5. believes in Allh and His Messenger and never doubts about them
453
Qurn 49:15
Qurn 45:9
455
Qurn 4:60-61
456
Qurn 8:2
454
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
strives hard in the Cause of Allh with his wealth and life
who is truthful
who feels a fear in his heart when Allh is mentioned
whose mn grow stronger upon listening or reciting the Qurn
who puts his trust in Allh.
Did all the Sahbah meet all these conditions?

The answer is obvious: the majority of them hated, cursed and fought Al. Therefore, the
majority of them had no mn at all. They were NOT with the Prophet in mn. They were in
essence hypocrites.
The Qurn too has provided clear refutations to whosoever wants to camp all the Sahbah
under the Verse of Muhammad.
Sub-Myth A
Our Lord has used phrases like O you who believe! and believers in two senses in His Book:
nominal and real. In other words, He has referred to anyone who claimed during the life of
Muhammad, to have believed (even where he is a notorious hypocrites) as O you who believe
or believers in some verses and has addressed only the true believers, with the same phrases,
in others. The conditions of mn enumerated above guides us in identifying who exactly He is
addressing whenever He uses those phrases.
Imm al-Bukhr records that Allh has called Abd Allh b. Ubayy and his followers as
believers:
}{
Narrated Anas, may Allh be pleased with him:
It was said to the Prophet, peace be upon him, "Would that you see Abd Allh b. Ubayy."
So, the Prophet, peace be upon him, went to him, riding a donkey, and the Muslims
accompanied him, walking on salty barren land. When the Prophet, peace be upon him,
reached 'Abd Allh b. Ubayy, the latter said, "Keep away from me! By Allh, the bad smell
of your donkey has harmed me." On that a man from the Ansr said (to 'Abd Allh), "By
Allh! The smell of the donkey of Allah's Messenger is better than your smell." On that a
man from 'Abd Allh's tribe got angry for 'Abd Allh's sake, and the two men abused each
other which caused the friends of the two men to get angry, and the two groups started
fighting with sticks, shoes and hands. We were informed that the following verse was
revealed (in this concern):-- "And if two groups of believers fall to fighting then, make
peace between them." (49:9)457
457
rd
Note what happened here: the lovers of the Prophet and those of Abd Allh b. Ubayy were
engaged in fighting. Supposedly, Allh calls both sides believers!
The Salaf cleric, Shaykh Uthmn al-Khams says about Abd Allh b. Ubayy:
Abd Allh b. Ubayy b. Sall was the head of the hypocrites, and he was one of those
exposed by Allh the Most High, and he was one of those who openly practised their
hypocrisy.458
There is no disagreement within the Ummah about this. Moreover, it is a trite fact that Abd
Allh b. Ubayy and his group used to claim to believe in Allh and His Messenger, although their
other utterances and actions expose them. Therefore, the verse above would mean If two
groups of those who claim to be believers .!
This reality is further strengthened by this verse:

O you who believe! Fear Allh and give up what remains from Riba (usury), if you are
believers.459
In other words, if you do not fear Allh and also give up Riba, then you are not really believers
but hypocrites! That would ensure that O you who believe only means O you who claim to
believe!
Our God also says:
O you who believe! When believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them;
Allh knows best as to their mn, then if you ascertain that they are believers send them
not back to the disbelievers.460
In simple terms, if women emigrants claimed to be believers, examine them. If, after the
examination, you became sure that they were really believers, then do not return them to the
disbelievers. However, if despite their claim, you found them to be fake believers, return them.
Look at how Allh, based on their claims alone (before the tests) call them believing women, to
mean women who claimed to be believers.
The same trend can be observed in this verse:
458
Qurn 2:278
460
Qurn 60:10
459
Has not the time come for the hearts of THOSE WHO BELIEVE to be affected by Allhs
Dhikr (i.e. the Qurn), and that which has been revealed of the haqq, lest they become as
those who received the Scripture before, and the term was prolonged for them and so
their hearts were hardened? And many of them were Fsiqn.461
Is this not clear? They were those who believe but their hearts were not affected by the Qurn
and Sunnah! This matter becomes clearer when we read this verse:

Obviously, this second verse excludes those mentioned in the first, from the list of genuine
believers! Therefore, the first verse actually means Has not the time come for the hearts of
THOSE WHO CLAIM TO BELIEVE ..
We invite our esteemed reader to also think deeply about this verse:

This is also exclusionary. To get the haqq, we must balance it against this one:
O you who believe! What is the matter with you, that when you are asked to march forth
in the Cause of Allh (i.e. Jihd) you cling heavily to the earth? Are you pleased with the
life of this world rather than the Hereafter? But little is the enjoyment of the life of this
world as compared to the Hereafter. 464
It is those who claim to believe that clung heavily to the heart, while the true believers strove
hard in the Cause of Allh with their lives.
A similar example is here:

As your Lord caused you (O Muhammad) to go out from your home with the haqq, and
verily, a party among the believers DISLIKED it; they were DISPUTING with you
461
Qurn 57:16
Qurn 8:2
463
Qurn 49:15
464
Qurn 9:38
462
concerning the haqq after it was made manifest, as if they were being driven to death,
while they were looking at it.465
Allh revealed the haqq to His Messenger, and these believers DISLIKED it! They were afraid
of Jihd, and were disputing with Muhammad over what Allh revealed to Him! The Qurn has
excluded them from the list of true believers:

But no, by your Lord, they can have no mn, until they make you (O Muhammad)
commander, ruler and judge in ALL disputes between them, and find in themselves no
resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) WITH FULL SUBMISSION.466
These were only those who claimed to be believers!
However, there were some among the Sahbah, who claimed to be believers, or to have
believed, and were indeed true in their claim. Allh has called them al-Sdiqn, the truthful ones:

Allh. Those! They are the truthful ones (Sdiqn).467
They were true in their claims. They were the only real believers among those around the
Prophet. They were the only ones that were genuinely with him in mn. Others were only
pretenders, hypocrites. The praises and promises of Allh are only for these Sdiqn:

That Allh may reward the Sdiqn for their truth, and punish the hypocrites if He will or
accept their repentance by turning to them in Mercy. Verily, Allh is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful.468
He also states:

Allh will say: This is a Day on which the Sdiqn will profit from their truth: theirs are
Gardens under which rivers flow. They shall abide therein forever. Allh is pleased with
them and they with Him. That is the Great Success.469
465
Qurn 8:5-6
Qurn 4:65
467
Qurn 49:15
468
Qurn 33:24
469
Qurn 5:119
466
Allh is pleased with only the Sdiqn, and will admit only them to Paradise. This explains all the
verses where promises of Paradise have been made, or where Allhs pleasure is mentioned.
These things are only for the Sdiqn: those who claimed to believe, and actually did fulfill all
the conditions of mn. The salvation of all later generations lies in being with these Sdiqn:

O you who believe. Fear Allh and be with the Sdiqn.470
This is a command from our Lord, and whosoever disobeys it is lost. This is therefore a matter of
salvation. It is in fact this that makes it obligatory to investigate the lives of all the Sahbah, to
know those who were Sdiqn among them, and join them, and to know the hypocrites, and
reject them. The belief of the Ahl al-Sunnah is that all the Sahbah without exception were
Sdiqn. All of them fulfilled all the conditions of mn. However, so far, it is discovered that
most of them actually lacked mn, through their Nsibism. Love of the Ahl al-Bayt is a
fundamental condition of mn. The majority of the Sahbah and Tbin did hate the Ahl al-Bayt.
Sub-Myth B
The Sdiqn were only those:
1. who love all the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet.
2. who make the Prophet the first, final and only judge in all issues of their lives and
religion.
3. submit absolutely to the decisions of the Prophet in all matters, with absolutely no
internal resistance against him
4. love the Prophet more than themselves and everyone else
5. believe in Allh and His Messenger and never doubt about them
6. strive hard in the Cause of Allh with their wealth and lives
7. who are truthful
8. who feel a fear in their hearts when Allh is mentioned
9. whose mn grow stronger upon listening or reciting the Qurn
10. who put their trust in Allh.
It is only these Sdiqn that were with the Prophet in mn. All others were hypocrites.
Moreover, it is only these Sdiqn that have been praised and promised Paradise in the Qurn.
It is only they that deserve our supplications and love. It is only them that we must follow.
At this point, we will dig into the mn of a very prominent person among the Sahbah: ishah!
She was very close to the Prophet, physically, and was related to him by marriage. But, were she
really with him in mn too?
According to the Ahl al-Sunnah, ishah is the best female of this entire Ummah. By contrast, in
the Shah view, she is the worst female of this Ummah! To Sunns, she was one of the best of
believers. From the Imm side, she was of the worst of hypocrites!
Both sides have their conflicting authentic ahdth about her. In a situation like this, the
Qurn is the best judge. Whatever the Book of Allh says is the correct position, and whatever
ahdth agree with it are the only true ones. So, what has the Qurn stated about her?
So, we start with these verses:
470
Qurn 9:119

.

.
.

When the Prophet had confided a matter to one of his wives in secret, then, when she
disclosed the secret, and Allh informed him, he made known part of it and overlooked
part of it. So when he told her, she asked, "Who informed you of this?" He said, "I was
informed by Him Who knows everything and is All-Aware.
If you both (women) repent to Allh, FOR YOUR HEARTS HAVE BECOME CROOKED and if
you PLOTTED AGAINST him, you should know that Allh is his Protector, and after Him
Jibrl and the righteous believers and the angels are his companions and helpers.
It may well be that if he divorces you, Allh will give him in your place BETTER WIVES,
who are Muslims, who are believers and obedient, penitent, worshiping, and given to
fasting, be they previously married or virgins.471
The Prophet disclosed a secret, in confidence, to one of his wives. But she betrayed him, and
disclosed the secret to another wife. Then Allh informed him of the betrayal. Our Lord orders
both women to repent, and informed us that their hearts had become CROOKED. Well, after
sharing the secret, both of them plotted AGAINST His Prophet! Allh then informed both wives
that He might order him to divorce them and some of his wives that were like them, and replace
them with BETTER women. These better women were Muslims, believers, obedient, penitent,
worshipping, and given to fasting.
So, who were these two women? Imm al-Bukhr records:

.

Narrated Ibn Abbs, may Allh be pleased with them both:
I wanted to ask Umar. So, I said: O Amr al-Muminn! Who were these two women who
PLOTTED AGAINST the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him? I could not finish my
statement when he said, ishah and Hafsah.472
The premiere Sunn exegete, Imm Ibn Jarr al-Tabar makes this submission:
(:::

.::)

:::
( )

(
.)
471
Qurn 66:3-5
rd
472

.:)
( ::

. )
( :

( :::
.:)
(:
.: )
Narrated Ibn Abbs:

His Statement {If you both (women) repent to Allh, for your hearts have become
CROOKED} means YOUR HEARTS HAVE DEVIATED. Your hearts have committed sins.
Narrated Mujhid: We used to think that His Statement (Your hearts have CROOKED) is
an easy matter until we heared the Qirh of Ibn Masd (If you both (women) repent to
Allh, FOR YOUR HEARTS HAVE DEVIATED).
Narrated Qatdah: (Your hearts have become CROOKED) means your hearts have
SWERVED.
Narrated al-Dahk: (Your hearts have become CROOKED) means (Your hearts have)
DEVIATED.
Narrated Sufyn (al-Thawr): (Your hearts have become CROOKED) means Your hearts
have DEVIATED.473
Imm al-Shawkn also submits:
:}}
{}
:}{:
:
{If you both (women) repent to Allh, for your hearts have become CROOKED} The
addressees were ishah and Hafsah. It means, {If you both (women) turn in repentance
to Allh} because you have done something that makes repentance obligatory upon you;
and the meaning of {saghat [become CROOKED]} is to swerve from the haqq. This means
that you both (women) love what the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, hates,
which was the disclosure of the (secret) talk. Ibn Abbs said about His Statement {Your
hearts have become CROOKED}: It means (Your hearts have} DEVIATED. Ibn alMundhir narrated that he said: It means (Your hearts have) SWERVED.474
Imm al-Sharbn adds:
:
473
474
Ibn Jarr al-Tabar, Tafsr, vol. 23, p. 483

Muhammad b. Al al-Shawkn, Fath al-Qadr, vol. 5, p. 351
Saghat [become CROOKED]} is to swerve and deviate from the haqq.475

Imm al-Qurtub caps it:
{

}:
{
}
The Statement of Allh {If you both (women) repent to Allh} referring to Hafsah and
ishah upon repentance for what occurred from both in terms of swerving into
opposition to what the Messenger of Allh loved. {Your hearts have become CROOKED}
meaning, (Your hearts have) DEVIATED AND SWERVED FROM THE HAQQ and that what
loving what the Prophet hated.476
This settles it. ishah and Hafsah were the two wives of the Prophet whose hearts had deviated
from the haqq, and who plotted against him. Moreover, as the Qurn informs us, there were
Muslim women better than both of them and all the Prophets wives in the Ummah during his
lifetime. This basically trashes all those authentic Sunn ahdth placing ishah above all
other women!
The language of the Book of Allh goes even deeper when it says:
It may well be that if he divorces you, Allh will give him in your place better wives, who
are Muslims, who are believers and obedient, penitent, worshipping, and given to fasting,
be they previously married or virgins.477
What does this mean? Does it mean that ishah and Hafsah and some of the other wives like
them were NOT Muslims, believers, obedient, penitent, worshipping and given to fasting? If they
had all these qualities as the Ahl al-Sunnah claim, then the verse is meaningless! Allh here is
highlighting the qualities that these better women had, that made them better than ishah,
Hafsah and other wives like them. The only logical conclusion from this is that both of them, as
well as the other wives like them, LACKED those qualities. The women outside (and perhaps the
wives of the Prophet that were not like ishah and Hafsah) had these qualities, which made
them superior to these two plotters.
A corroborative witness for such a conclusion would be this hadth of ishah herself, as
recorded by Imm Ab Yal:
:::::
.
:.:
I (ishah) said (to the Prophet), Are you not the one who PRETENDS to be the
Messenger of Allh?! He smiled and said, Are you IN DOUBT, O Umm Abd Allh (i.e.
ishah). I said (to him), Are you not the one who PRETENDS to be the Messenger of
Allh?! Or, have you changed your mind? Ab Bakr heard what I said, and he was strict.
So, he came to me and hit my face. As a result, the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him,
475
Muhammad al-Sharbn al-Khatb, Tafsr al-Sirj al-Munr, vol. 1, p. 4762

477
Qurn 66: 5
476
said, Take it easy, O Ab Bakr. He said, O Messenger of Allh! Didnt you hear what she
said?478
Imm al-Asqaln479, Imm al-Halab480 and Imm al-Ghazl481 have also recorded the
narration. Imm al-sim declares its chain to be hasan482 while Imm al-Slih grades the same
chain as jayyid (good)483. This incident, which took place during the Farewell Hajj of the
Prophet, requires no further comments.
ishah and Hafsah also used to hurt the Prophet of Allh as Imm Muslim records, in the hadth
of Umar:

.
.
I entered upon ishah and said, O ishah b.t Ab Bakr, I have heard that you HURT the
Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him. She said, What is my business with you, O Ibn
al-Khattb? Mind your own defect. I then entered upon Hafsah bint Umar and said to
her, O Hafsah, I have heard that you HURT the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him.
Verily, I have known that the Messenger of Allh does NOT love you. If not for me, the
Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, would have divorced you.484
Both ishah and Hafsah plotted against the Messenger of Allh and hurt him! Indeed, it is only
people whose hearts have truly deviated from the haqq that could do that. The Qurn has a
clear verdict upon both women:

.

Verily, those who hurt Allh and His Messenger, Allh has CURSED them in this world and
in the Hereafter, and has prepared for them a humiliating torment.485
No wonder, Umar wanted to behead them both! Imm al-Qushayr records:
:
:
478
st
Ab Yal Ahmad b. Al al-Tamm al-Mawsl, Musnad (Dr al-Mmn li al-Turth; 1 edition, 1404 H)
[annotator: Husayn Salm Asad+, vol. 8, p. 129, # 4670
479
Ab al-Fadl Ahmad b. Al b. Hajar al-Asqaln al-Shfi, al-Matlib al-liyah bi Zawid al-Masnd alst
Thamniyyah (Saudi Arabia: Dr al-Ghayth; 1 edition, 1419 H) *annotator: Dr. Sad b. Nsir b. Abd al-Azz alShatr+, vol. 8, p. 188, # 1599
480
Al b. Burhn al-Dn al-Halab, al-Srah al-Halabiyyah f Srah al-Amn al-Mmn (Beirut: Dr al-Marifah;
1400 H), vol. 3, p. 313
481
Ab Hmid Muhammad b. Muhammad al-Ghazl, Ihy Ulm al-Dn (Beirut: Dr al-Marifah), vol. 2, p. 418
482
483
Muhammad b. Ysuf al-Slih al-Shm, Subul al-Hud wa al-Rashd f Srah Khayr al-Ibd (Beirut: Dr alst
Kutub al-Ilmiyyah; 1 edition, 1414 H) *annotators: dil Ahmad Abd al-Mawjd and Al Muhammad Mad+,
vol. 11, p. 182
484
Ab al-Husayn Muslim b. al-Hajjj al-Naysbr al-Qushayr, Sahh (Beirut: Dr Ihy al-Turth al-Arab)
*annotator: Muhammad Fud Abd al-Bq+, vol. 2, p. 1105, # 1479
485
Qurn 33:57
It has been narrated that when Umar b. al-Khattb heard something from it (i.e. what
ishah and Hafsah did), he said to the Messenger of Allh, If you order me, I will cut the
necks of both of them!486
Can we really say, in these circumstances, that ishah and Hafsah were with the Messenger of
Allh in mn? Were they not actually against him? Why would anyone who loved the Prophet
more than himself and has submitted totally to him deliberately plot against him and hurt him?
Can someone whose heart has deviated from the haqq be said to have been with the Messenger
of Allh in mn? Could anyone whom the Prophet disliked have been with him in mn? Would
anyone with mn betray the Prophet by disclosing his secret to others?
It is to be stressed that the heart is actually the abode of mn. If it can find no place in there,
then hypocrisy or kufr reigns. This affair is clear from the Qurn:

The bedouins say: "We believe." Say: "You believe not but you only say, 'We have
surrendered (in Islam),' for mn has not yet entered your HEARTS."487
Allh also says:

For such He has written mn (faith) in their HEARTS.488
Therefore, for the Ahl al-Sunnah to establish that both ishah and Hafsah were believers, they
must first prove that both had mn in their hearts. The Qurn however does not seem to
support that view. This is the verse again, with the Qirh of Ibn Masd:
If you both (women) repent to Allh, for your HEARTS have DEVIATED.
A deviated heart is one with no guidance or mn:
Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us.489
The Qurn informs us of what happens when the heart becomes deviated:

It is He Who has sent down to you (Muhammad) the Book. In it are explicit verses. They
are the foundations of the Book. And the other verses are allegorical. As for those in
whose HEARTS there is a deviation, they follow the allegorical verses, seeking fitnah and
486
Al-Qushayr, Tafsr, vol. 7, p. 442

Qurn 49:14
488
Qurn 58:22
489
Qurn 3:8
487
seeking its twl. But none knows its twl except Allh and those firmly rooted in
knowledge. They (i.e. those firmly rooted in knowledge) say: We believe in it; the whole
of it is from our Lord. And none receive admonition except men of understanding.490
This is exactly what happened in the wars fought by ishah and Muwiyah against Imm Al!
They were doing wrong twl of the Book of Allh and thereby seeking fitnah in the Ummah!
Imm al-Haytam confesses:
. , ; ,
His (i.e. Als) enemies were the Khawrij and others like them from the Syrians, not
Muwiyah and others like him from the Sahbah. This is because they (i.e. Muwiyah
and other Nsib Sahbah) were doing twl (i.e. interpreting the Qurn and Sunnah). So,
they had one good reward.491
This matter is also reflected in a sahh hadth. Shaykh al-Albn records:
.
.)(.
Narrated Ab Sad:
We were sitting, waiting for the Mesenger of Allh, peace be upon him. Then he came to
us from the room of one of his wives. So, we stood with him. But his shoe broke, and he
appointed Al to stay behind to repair it. Then, the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon
him, walked and we walked with him.
He (the Prophet) stood up, waiting for him (i.e. Al) and we stood with him. Then he said:
There is among you one who will fight over the twl of this Qurn, just as I fought over
its tanzl (revelation).
Each of us wished it was him, and among us were Ab Bakr and Umar. But he (the
Prophet) said:
No. He is only the repairer of the shoe referring to Al, may Allh be pleased with him.
We went to him (i.e. Al ) to give him the good news. But he responded as though he had
earlier heard it. (Sahh on the conditions of Muslim)492
In other words, just as the pagans opposed the Qurn, denied its descent and fought the
Messenger of Allh over their false claims regarding the Book of Allh, Imm Al would fight
Muslims who would make wrong twl (interpretation) of it. ishah, Muwiyah and the
490
Qurn 3:7
st
Abd Allh al-Turk and Kmil Muhammad Khurt], , vol. 2, p. 449
492
639, # 2487
491
Khawrij were making wrong twl of the Book and fighting against Imm Al to enforce it! But,
he was ordered by the Messenger of Allh to fight them back, to enforce the true twl of the
Message of our Lord. They were fighting against the Qurn. He was defending it. Imm Ibn Abd
al-Barr says:
.
For these reports are sahh chains, which we have mentioned at their places. It is
narrated in the hadth of Al, and the hadth of Ibn Masd, and the hadth of Ab Ayb alAnsr that he (Al) was commanded (by the Prophet) to fight the oath-breakers, and the
Qsitn and the apostates.493
We know through this reality that ishah, Muwiyah and the Khawrij did indeed have
deviation in their hearts! They therefore had no mn therein. As for those in whose hearts there
is a deviation, they follow the allegorical verses, seeking fitnah and seeking its twl! Verily,
Allh and His Messenger say the Truth. Indeed, the trio caused a great fitnah in the Ummah, one
that still destroys us even today!
Imm Ahmad b. Hanbal has also recorded a very crucial hadth in this regard:
:
:
( )
Narrated Ibn Umar:
The Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, came out of the HOUSE OF ISHAH and said,
The head of kufr is FROM RIGHT HERE, from where the horn of Shaytn will appear.
(Sahh)494
This hadth exposes the widely circulated lie (especially in Sunn circles) that the Prophet was
buried in ishahs room. Rather, the Messenger of Allh was buried in his own personal room,
and ishah continued to live in her room until she emerged from it as the horn of Shaytn.
Imm al-Bukhr further records:
:
-- :
Narrated Abd Allh:
493
st
494
Ab Abd Allh Ahmad b. Hanbal al-Shaybn, Musnad (Cairo: Muasassat al-Qurtuba) *annotator: Shuayb alArnat+, vol. 2, p. 23, # 4751
The Prophet, peace be upon him, rose to deliver a sermon and POINTED TO ISHAHS
ROOM and said, RIGHT HERE is the fitnah, right here is the fitnah, right here is the
Fitnah, from where the horn of Shaytn will appear.495
The hadth can be found in Sahh al-Bukhr under the chapter:
Chapter on what happened in the houses of the wives of the Prophet

These ahdth describe ishah as the fitnah and the head of kufr, and the horn of Shaytn to
appear in the future! The implication is that she never repented, and her heart remained
deviated and devoid of mn till her death. Through her abuse of the Qurn and disastrous
twl, she later emerged from her house as the horn of Shaytn. Thousands of innocent lives
were taken at her orders, and a lot of fitnah was inflicted upon the Ummah.
So, was ishah with the Prophet in mn? Well, with her deviated heart, that was absolutely
impossible. Moreover, with her inglorious episode in human history, especially the thousands of
Muslim lives lost at her word, it is equally beyond reason to put her under the beautiful cloak of
the Verse of Muhammad.
Some of the Ahl al-Sunnah might wonder why the Prophet Muhammad did not divorce ishah
despite knowing of her reality. Obviously, she and Hafsah were exactly like the wives of Nh and
Lt who betrayed and opposed their prophet husbands. Allh says:

Allh sets forth an example for those who disbelieve, the wife of Nh and the wife of Lt.
They were under two of our righteous slaves, but they both betrayed so they (Nh and
Lt) benefited them not, against Allh, and it was said: Enter the Fire along with those
who enter!496
Both prophets were married to evil women, and both women will be in Hellfire. The classical
Sunne lim, Imm al-Samarqand, explains why Allh makes this comparison:
( )
.
Then He (Allh) said {and if you plotted against him} meaning help each other to hurt
him and to disobey him then your likeness will be like the likeness of the wife of Nh and
the wife of Lt. Both (ishah and Hafsah) did acts that hurt the Messenger of Allh, peace
be upon him.497
Imm al-Qurtub also says:
495
Muhammad b. Isml, Sahh (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr; 1401 H), vol. 4, p. 46

Qurn 66:10
497
Ab al-Layth Nasr b. Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Samarqand, Bahr al-Ulm (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr) [annotator:
Dr. Mahmd Matraj+, vol. 3, p. 446
496

{

}
.
His Statement {Allh sets fort an example for those who disbelieve} is an example set
forth by Allh TO WARN ISHAH AND HAFSAH against opposition (to the Prophet) when
they PLOTTED against the Messenger of Allh.498
Neither Nh nor Lt ever divorced their kuffr wives. Therefore, prophets of Allh can indeed
retain evil wives under their roofs. Besides, their marriage to prophets of Allh will not save
them from Hellfire for their betrayal. Of course, our Lord did not warn ishah and Hafsah with
the examples of the wives of Nh and Lt just for the fun of it.
MYTH TEST TWO: WERE THEY REALLY SEVERE AGAINST THE KUFFR?
Our Lord informs us that those who were truly with His Messenger in mn were severe against
the kuffr. That is another sign of theirs. Whosoever lacks this quality was NOT with our master
and prophet. It is also a matter of mn. So, people with fake mn are easily exposed through
this second failproof attribute. It gives them no route of escape even where they have
successfully faked real mn. If you think someone is truly a man of mn, just test if he is severe
against the kuffr. If he is not, then he is nothing but a pretender, hypocrite! Our Lord is indeed
the Most Wise.
Severity is not the same thing as hatred or harshness. Some Muslim extremists cite certain
verses, and claim through them that Allh has forbidden us from kindness towards nonMuslims. One of such verses is this:

O you who believe! Do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of
each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of
them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.499
When we look at the Book of Allh however, we find that the order in the verse above has
conditions, which have been stated elsewhere. But, these people, in their extremism, only read
part of the Book and neglect the others. Allh has stated:

Allh does not forbid you regarding those who have NOT made war against you on
account of (your) religion, and have not driven you forth from your homes, that you show
them kindness and deal with them JUSTLY; surely Allh loves the doers of justice.500
This makes the exception. We are forbidden from taking as friend only non-Muslims that:
1. wage religious war against Muslims.
2. persecute Muslims
498
Qurn 5:51
500
Qurn 60:8
499
Whichever kfir is not guilty of these two crimes, we must be kind and just to him or her.
Allh gives another condition in another verse:

O you who believe! Do not take for friends those who take your religion for a mockery
and a joke, from among those who were given the Book before you and the unbelievers;
and be careful of (your duty to) Allh if you are believers.501
If there is any non-Muslim who mocks Islm, it is forbidden unto us to take him or her as a
friend.
A combined reading of the above verses is that whichever non-Muslim wages war against
Muslims because of their religion, or persecutes Muslims, or mocks Islm, we must NOT befriend
him or her. However, whichever non-Muslim is not guilty of any of these crimes, we must be
kind and just to him or her.
Our Lord and Creator also allows us to marry Jewish and Christian women who are friendly
towards Islm:

This day (all) the good things are allowed to you; and the food of those who have been
given the Book is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them; and the chaste from
among the believing women and the chaste from among those who have been given the
Book before you (are lawful for you); when you have given them their dowries, taking
(them) in marriage, not fornicating nor taking them for paramours in secret; and
whoever denies mn, his work indeed is of no account, and in the hereafter he shall be
one of the losers.502
We can eat their food and marry their women. Of course, this is a case of love. You cannot marry
a woman unless you develop love for her. This shows that in Islm, we can have genuine love for
a kfir.
However, as for kuffr that wage a religious war upon Muslims, or persecute them, or mock their
religion, anyone with genuine mn in his heart will be severe against them. He will oppose
them totally, based on the circumstances, and will never bulge or compromise to them in his
Dn. When he punishes such kuffr, he inflicts severe torments and shows absolutely no
sympathies for them in any circumstance. When he confronts them in battle, he stands as an
unshakeable enemy, who never weakens, relents, or returns. He never breaks in the face of
Islmophobic kuffr, and never ceases to grow in hardness against them.
The Qurn, elsewhere, has emphasized an aspect of this severity, linking it with mn:
501
502
Qurn 5:57
Qurn 5:5

O you who believe! When you meet the kuffr, in a battlefield, NEVER turn your backs to
them. And WHOSOEVER turns his back to them on such a day unless it be a stratagem of
war, or to retreat to a trp he indeed has drawn upon himself Wrath from Allh. And his
abode is Hellfire, and worst indeed is that destination!503
This verse addresses everyone who claims to have mn. If indeed you have mn, then never
turn your back to the kuffr in battle. If you do that, you cease to be a person of mn, and
become deserving of Allhs Wrath and Hellfire. Allh has promised Paradise to everyone who is
genuinely with the Prophet in mn. The only reason an individual is sentenced to Hellfire, or to
Allhs Wrath or Curse, is that he has forfeited his mn, or never has it. Therefore, severity
against the kuffr on the battlefield is a condition for genuine mn, and is a sign of those truly
with the Messenger of Allh in mn.
Imm al-Bukhr records this hadth that sheds more light:

.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: Avoid the seven DESTROYERS. They said, O
Messenger of Allh! What are they? He replied, Shirk with Allh; magic; murder; usury;
eating the property of the orphan; turning back on the day of battle; and slandering the
chaste, unaware woman.504
Imm al-Shawkn, explaining the hadth, says:
) )

.

(In the hadth) is proof that all these seven destroyers mentioned are from the major
sins. The purpose of citing the hadth here is his statement in it turning back on the day
of battle. This proves that running away from battle is one of the forbidden major sins.
The majority of the scholars have stated that running away from battlefield necessarily
makes a person a fsiq.505
A fsiq is a kind of kfir:
503
Qurn 8:15-16
rd
505
Muhammad b. Al b. Muhammad al-Shawkn, Nayl al-Awtr min Ahdth Sayyid al-Akhyr Sharh Muntaq
al-Akhbr (Beirut: Dr al-Jayl; 1973 CE), vol. 8, pp. 78-80
504
And indeed We have sent down to you manifest verses (of the Qurn), and none
DISBELIEVE in them but the Fsiqn.506
So, running away from battlefield necessarily makes a person a fsiq, and expels him from the
ranks of genuine believers. A fsiq has no mn, and therefore cannot possibly be with the
Prophet in mn.
Interestingly, even the Sahbah made a pledge with Allh never to turn their backs to the kuffr
on the battle field. Imm Muslim records:
.

Narrated Jbir:
We were 1400 on the Day of Hudaybiyyah, and we gave bayah to him (i.e. the Prophet).
Umar was holding his hand under the brown tree. We gave the bayah to him to NEVER
flee (the battlefield). We did not give bayah to him upon death.507
Allh refers to that bayah to His Prophet as a bayah to Himself:

Verily, those who give bayah to you (O Muhammad) they are giving bayah to Allh. The
Hand of Allh is over their hands. Then whosoever breaks his pledge, breaks it only to his
own harm; and whosoever fulfils what he has covenanted with Allh, He will bestow on
him a great reward.508
Whosoever broke that bayah did so only to his own loss. Our Lord has also restricted His
reward to only those who fulfilled their bayah. Elsewhere, He states categorically that the
bayah MUST be answered for:

And indeed they had already made a covenant with Allh NOT to turn their backs, and a
covenant with Allh MUST be answered for.509
Therefore, there is no escape from the bayah!
Here now comes the big question: were all the Sahbah severe against the kuffr on and off the
battlefield? Did they fulfill the bayah they gave to Allh? Did they take Allhs instructions NOT
to run away during battle seriously? Did they heed the Prophets command to avoid the seven
destroyers, among which was turning the back on the battlefield? To all these questions, the
Qurn says NO:
506
Qurn 2:99
508
Qurn 48:10
509
Qurn 33:15
507

.

Those of YOU who turned back on the day the two hosts met, it was Shaytn who caused
them to backslide because of some sins they had earned. But Allh, indeed, has forgiven
them. Surely, Allh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Forbearing.510
This was at Uhud. The Qurn gives a graphic summary of what happened that day:

And Allh did indeed fulfil His Promise to you when you were killing them with His
Permission, until you lost your courage and fell to disputing about the order, AND
DISOBEYED after He showed you that which you love. AMONG YOU ARE SOME THAT
DESIRE THIS WORLD and some that desire the Hereafter. Then He made you flee from
them, that He might test you. But surely, He forgave you, and Allh is Most Gracious to the
believers. And when you ran away WITHOUT EVEN CASTING A SIDE GLANCE AT ANYONE,
and the Messenger was in your rear CALLING YOU BACK. There did Allh give you one
distress after another by way of requital to teach you not to grieve for that which had
escaped you, nor for that which had befallen you. And Allh is Well-Aware of all that you
do. Then after the distress, He sent down Saknah for you. Slumber overtook a party of
you WHILE ANOTHER PARTY WAS THINKING ABOUT THEMSELVES AND THOUGHT
WRONGLY OF ALLH the thought of ignorance. They said, Have we any part in the
affair? Say: Indeed the affair belongs wholly to Allh. THEY HIDE WITHIN THEMSELVES
WHAT THEY DARE NOT REVEAL TO YOU, saying: If we had anything to do with the affair,
none of us would have been killed here. Say: Even if you had remained in your homes,
those for whom death was decreed would certainly have gone forth to the place of their
death, but that Allh might test what is in your breasts; and to erase that which was in
your hearts, and Allh is All-Knower of what is in breasts. Those of YOU who turned back
on the day the two hosts met, it was Shaytn who caused them to backslide because of
some sins they had earned. But Allh, indeed, has forgiven them. Surely, Allh is OftForgiving, Most Forbearing.511
The Sahbah at Uhud were divided into two: those who desired this world and those who
desired the Hereafter. This is a fact that the Book of Allh has established beyond any doubt.
Those that desired the Hereafter laid down their lives for Islm, and did not care to die in Jihd.
They did not run away. However, those who desired this world ran away, leaving the Prophet
behind among the kuffr! They even heard his voice, calling them, but kept running away. Later,
some of them returned back to the battlefield, after the Prophet and those with him had
510
511
Qurn 3:155
Qurn 3:152-155
sustained serious injuries. Our Lord turned the tide against the kuffr, and the Muslims won at
the end of the day.
In the evening, some of these Sahbah started to think evil about Allh. They harboured evil
thoughts against Allh and His Messenger within their hearts, and were stunned by the Muslim
losses that day. The whole initial calamity was caused by the disobedience of the Sahbah to the
Messenger of Allh.
Ab Bakr was among those who fled on that great day. Imm Ibn Kathr as well as several other
Sunn ulam record this hadth of ishah:
When Ab Bakr, may Allh be pleased with him, remembered the day of Uhud, he wept
and said, All the glory of that day belongs to Talhah. Then he began the talk, saying: I
was the first to RETURN on the day of Uhud.512
Imm al-Hkim declares the hadth as sahh513. Yes, Ab Bakr was the first to return to the
battlefield after first fleeing!
This is supported by what Shaykh al-Albn states in his Sahhah:
:-,
.,
Narrated Jbir:
On the day of Uhud, the people fled, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, in terms of
direction, was among twelve men from the Ansr, and among them was Talhah b. Ubayd
Allh.514
On its authenticity, Shaykh al-Albn says:
",,
,)26/4("
512
Ab al-Fid Isml b. Umar b. Kathr al-Qursh al-DImashq, al-Bidyah wa al-Nihyah (Beirut: Maktabah alMaarif), vol. 4, p. 29; Ab Dwd Sulaymn b. Dwd al-Taylis al-Basr al-Fris, Musnad Ab Dwd alTaylis (Beirut: Dr al-Marifah), vol. 1, p. 3; Ab Abd Allh Ahmad b. Hanbal al-Shaybn, Fadil al-Sahbah
st
(Beirut: Muasassat al-Rislah; 1 edition, 1403 H) [annotator: Dr. Wasiyyullh Muhammad Abbs+, vol. 1, p.
222; Ab Nam Ahmad b. Abd Allh al-Isfahn, Hilyah al-Awliy wa Tabaqt al-Asfiy (Beirut: Dr al-Kitb alth
Arab; 4 edition, 1405 H), vol. 1, p. 87; Ysuf b. al-Zak Abd al-Rahmn Ab al-Hajjj al-Mizz, Tahdhb alst
Kaml (Muasassat al-Rislah; 1 edition, 1400 H) [annotator: Dr. Bashr Marf+, vol. 13, p. 417; Shams al-Dn
st
Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Uthmn al-Dhahab, Trkh al-Islm (Beirut: Dr al-Kitb al-Arab; 1 edition, 1407)
*annotator: Dr. Umar Abd al-Salm Tadmir+, vol. 2, p. 191; Salh al-Dn Khall b. Aybak al-Safad, al-Wf bi alWifayh (Beirut: Dr Ihy al-Turth al-Arab; 1420 H) *annotator: Ahmad al-Arnt and Turk Mustaf+, vol.
16, p. 273
513
st
edition, 1411 H) vol. 3, p. 298
514
699, # 2796
This chain is (sahh) upon the conditions of Muslim, except that Ab al-Zubayr has
narrated it in an an-an form. Al-Hfiz Ibn Kathr has kept quiet concerning him in alBidyah (4/26). However, the chain is STRENGTHENED by other chains after it.515
Then, the Shaykh treats those other chains.
Shaykh al-Albn also records:
":--
)4064381129022880(
In the hadth of Anas b. Mlik:
On the day of Uhud, the people ran away from the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him
Al-Bukhr recorded it (2889, 2902, 3811, and 4064).516
There were thousands of the Sahbah at Uhud, but only twelve remained behind! According to
these sources of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah, none of the Muhjirn stayed behind with the
Messenger of Allh. Rather, only twelve men, and all of them from the Ansr, were with him
when the overwhelming majority of the Sahbah fled. There is however another reliable Sunn
hadth which shows that Al never fled in any battle, showing that he was with them. We will
soon treat it. What matters of course here is the concession that Ab Bakr, Umar and Uthmn
as well as the overwhelming majority of the Muhjirn and Ansr were among those who fled!
Imm Ibn Jarr al-Tabar also records about the specific case of Umar:
} :

{

: :
):

.

Umar delivered a sermon on a Friday, and he recited Surah li Imrn. When he reached
Those of you who turned back on the day the two hosts met, he said, On the day of
Uhud, we (i.e. the Sahbah) fled from them (i.e. the pagans). I ran till I climbed a
mountain. I was seen sweating very profusely, and the people were saying Muhammad
has been killed. I said, If I found anyone saying that Muhammad had been killed, I would
kill him. We ran till we gathered on top of the mountain. Then this verse was revealed
{Those of you who turned back on the day the two hosts met}.517
Imm al-Rz confirms this:
Among those who fled was Umar. However, he was not one of the first to flee, nor among
the last.518
515
ibid
ibid, vol. 6, p. 548, # 2740
517
Muhammad b. Jarr al-Tabar, Jmi al-Bayn (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr; 1405 H), vol. 4, p. 144
518
Fakhr al-Dn Muhammad b. Umar al-Tamm al-Rz al-Shfi, Maftih al-Ghayb (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub alIlmiyyah; 1421 H). vol. 9, p. 42
516
Imm Ibn Abd al-Barr tells us about Uthmn too at Uhud:
Uthmn b. Affn FLED, along with Uqbah b. Uthmn and Sad b. Uthmn, two men from
the Ansr and from Ab Zurayq. They FLED till they reached the peak of a mountain on
the outskirts of Madnah. They stayed there THREE DAYS before returning to the
Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him.519
Uthmn and his fellow runners did not even bother (unlike Ab Bakr) to return to the
battlefield! Did they not repeatedly assure the Messenger of Allh that they had given their lives
for Allh and for Islm?!
Allh nonetheless forgave those who fled at Uhud. But that did not stop them from fleeing again
at Khaybar!
Imm al-Dhahab records:
:.: :
:.:
Al said (to Ab Layl), Did you witness Khaybar with us? He (Ab Layl) said, Yes. He
(Al) said, Did you see when the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, called Ab Bakr
and took the pledge for him and sent him to the people (of Khaybar). He went and met the
people (of Khaybar). But he returned with the people (i.e. the Muslim soldiers), HAVING
FLED! He (Ab Layl) said, Yes. He (Al) said, Then he (i.e. the Messenger of Allh) sent
Umar, and took the pledge for him, and sent him to the people (of Khaybar). He (Umar)
went and met the people. He fought against them. Then he returned, HAVING FLED! Then
the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, said when this happened, I surely will give
the flag to a man whom Allh and His Messenger love, and who loves Allh and His
Messenger. Allh will give him victory, AND HE NEVER FLEES. Then he called me (i.e. Al)
and gave me the flag.520
Imm Ibn Jarr al-Tabar declares the report as sahh521. This is a clear testimony from the
Prophet of Allh that Imm Al never fled in ANY battle whether Badr, Uhud or any other. Ab
Bakr and Umar however both fled at Uhud, and now again at Khaybar.
Imm al-Hkim also records:
519
st
520
st
Shams al-Dn Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Uthmn al-Dhahab, Trkh al-Islm (Beirut: Dr al-Kitb al-Arab; 1
edition, 1407) *annotator: Dr. Umar Abd al-Salm Tadmir+, vol. 2, p. 412
521
See Al b. Husm al-Dn al-Muttaq al-Hind, Kanz al-Umml f Sunan al-Aqwl wa al-Afl (Beirut: Dr alst
Kutub al-Ilmiyyah; 1 edition, 1419 H) [annotator: Mahmd Umar al-Damyt+, vol. 13, p. 53; Al-Hfiz Jall alDn al-Suyt, al-Jmi al-Ahdth, vol. 16, p. 243
Narrated Ab Layl, from Al:

He (Al) said, Were you not with us at Khaybar? He (i.e. Ab Layl) said, Yes, by Allh, I
was with you. He (Al) said, Verily, the Messenger of Allh appointed Ab Bakr to go to
Khaybar, and he went with the people (i.e. Muslim soldiers). But, he FLED till he
returned.
This hadth has a sahh chain, although they have not recorded it.522
Imm al-Suyt further records:

:

:

(

)

Narrated Al, may Allh be pleased with him:
The Messenger of Allh travelled to Khaybar. When he got there, he appointed Umar,
may Allh be pleased with him, and people with him, to their city and castle. So, they (i.e.
Umar and his soldiers) fought them. But, they did not stay. RATHER UMAR AND HIS
COMPANIONS FLED, and came while they (his soldiers) were accusing him (i.e. Umar) of
COWARDICE and he too was accusing them of COWARDICE. The Messenger of Allh
condemned that, and then said, I will surely appoint over them a man who loves Allh
and His Messenger, and Allh and His Messenger love him. He will fight them till Allh
gives him victory. HE NEVER FLEES. Then he gave it to me. (Recorded by al-Bazzr, and
its chain is hasan)523
Ibn Ab Shaybah524 and al-Bazzr525 have also recorded the hadth. Imm al-Hkim and Imm alDhahab both declare the hadth as sahh526, while Imm al-Haytham states about it:
.
Al-Bazzr recorded it, and in its chain is Nam b. Hakm. Ibn Hibbn and others declare
him as trustworthy. There is softness in him.527
522
st

edition, 1411 H), vol. 3, p. 39
523
Al-Hfiz Jall al-Dn al-Suyt, al-Jmi al-Ahdth, vol. 16, p. 135, #7406
524
st
Ab Bakr Abd Allh b. Muhammad b. Ab Shaybah, al-Musannaf (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Rushd; 1 edition,
1409 H) *annotator: Kaml Ysuf al-Hawt], vol. 7, p. 396, # 36894
525
Ab Bakr Ahmad b. Amr b. Abd al-Khliq al-Bazzr, Musnad al-Bazzr (Beirut: Muasassat Ulm al-Qurn;
st
1 edition, 1409 H) [annotator: Dr. Mahfz al-Rahmn Zayn Allh+, vol. 11, p. 327, # 5140
526
st
edition, 1411 H), vol. 3, p. 40, # 4034
527
p. 151
However, there is a mistake in al-Haythams comment that Nam b. Hakm has softness.
Actually, he is a narrator of Sahh al-Bukhr528, and declared trustworthy by Yahy b. Man529
and al-Ijl530, and al-Dhahab531. Therefore, the narration is actually 100% sahh. Moreover,
Imm al-j also says about the battle of Khaybar:
It is narrated that he (the Prophet) peace be upon him, first appointed Ab Bakr. But he
FLED the battlefield and returned. Then he appointed Umar. But he returned in the same
manner. The Prophet, peace be upon him, became ANGRY about this.532
There is no record of Allh forgiving Ab Bakr and Umar and their armies for fleeing at
Khaybar.
The matter did not stop there. On the Day of Hunayn, these people ran away again! Allh says:

.

Truly Allh has helped you on may battle fields, and on the Day of Hunayn when you
rejoiced at your great number but it availed you naught and the earth, vast as it is, was
straitened for you, THEN YOU TURNED BACK IN FLIGHT.533
Al-Hfiz Ibn Kathr tells us the story of Hunayn:
The Prophet marched out with twelve thousand soldiers. It was one of the biggest armies
that had hither to be assembled under the Prophet . When the Muslim army approached
the valley of Hunain, they descended down the valley in the morning twilight. The enemy
had reached it before them and hidden in its bypaths and narrow places in which they
entrenched fully equipped and fully prepared. Then suddenly the enemy sprang from his
ambuscade and charged furiously upon them. Staggered by the unexpected onslaught,
one column after the other fell back and shocked the narrow pass. Panic then seized the
Muslim army. MANY of them turned and FLED. It appeared that a general rout had taken
place.
Amidst such adverse circumstances that befell Muslims with the exception of the
Prophets devoted friends and admirers, there was general chaos. (emphasis added)534
Imm al-Bukhr also records this hadth of Ab Qatdah:
528
st
Ysuf b. al-Zak Abd al-Rahmn Ab al-Hajjj al-Mizz, Tahdhb al-Kaml (Muasassat al-Rislah; 1 edition,
1400 H) *annotator: Dr. Bashr Marf+, vol. 29, p. 465
529
ibid
530
ibid
531
Shams al-Dn Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Uthmn al-Dhahab, al-Kshif (Jeddah: Dr al-Qiblah lil Thaqfah alst
Islmiyyah; 1 edition, 1413 H) [annotator: Muhammad Awmah+, vol. 2, p. 323
532
st
Idad al-Dn Al-j, Kitb al-Mawqif (Beirut: Dr al-Jayl; 1 edition, 1417 H) *annotator: Abd al-Rahmn
Umayrah+, vol. 3, p. 634
533
Qurn 9:25
534
nd
Ibn Kathr, Stories of the Prophets (Egypt: Dar Al-Manarah; 2 edition, 1422 H) [translator: Sayed Gad,
Tamir Abu As-Sud and Muhammad A. M. Abu Sheish+, pp. 424-425
:
:
At Hunayn, the Muslims FLED, and I fled with them. I saw Umar AMONG THE PEOPLE and
said to him, What is happening to THE PEOPLE? He said, It is the Command of Allh.535
This hadth leaves absolutely no doubt about the fact that Umar fled at Hunayn. The people were
fleeing, and he was among the people. Moreover, he justified the fleeing by calling it the
Command of Allh. Imm al-Asqaln explains what Umars words mean:
.()
His statement {It is the Command of Allh} means the decision of Allh and what He
decreed.536
Imm al-Ayn also says about the same hadth:
.::{:}
{Umar said: It is the Command of Allh} means Umar said: The Command of Allh the
Most High came.537
There is no doubt that Umar attributed a clear LIE to Allh when He said what He said. Allh
never gave a command to the Muslims to flee the battlefield, abandoning His Prophet in grave
danger. Rather, the Command of Allh is otherwise:

How dared Umar lie upon our Lord so openly?! In case anyone seeks to defend this lie, he
should first condider this verse:

.

The idolaters will say, If Allh had willed, we would not have been idolaters, nor would
our fathers, and we would not have forbidden anything. This was how those before them
535
rd
536
537
Badr al-Dn Mahmd b. Ahmad al-Ayn, Umdah al-Qr Sharh Sahh al-Bukhr (Beirut: Dr Ihy al-Turth
al-Arab), vol. 15, p. 68
538
Qurn 8:15-16
also LIED, till they tasted Our Wrath. Say: Have you any knowledge that you can produce
before us? Verily, you following nothing but conjecture and you do nothing but LIE.539
It must be mentioned that Allh did forgive some of them as He wished after their fleeing at
Hunayn:

Then, Allh will forgive, after that, whom He wills. And Allh is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful.540
Did He forgive Umar who tried to justified his fleeing at Hunayn with a lie upon Him? Was
Umar remorseful or repentant at all for what he did (so as to warrant His forgiveness)?
Obviously, Umar had no intentions of repenting or making amends. He heaped the whole blame
upon our Lord.
At this point, we ask the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah: were those Sahbah who fled the
battlefields really severe against the kuffr? The fact that Allh did forgive them all at Uhud and
some of them at Hunayn does not free all of them from all criticism. The incidents expose their
very weak mn and love and preference of this world. This we can lawfully mention about them.
Severity is more than firmness or hardness. One may be firm or hard against his enemy in
which case, he never retreats or surrenders. To be severe, however, is to be several times firm
and hard. Were all those Sahbah even firm or hard against the kuffr, much less severe?
Furthermore, did these Sahbah love the Prophet more than themselves a fundamental
condition of mn? Despite Allhs dire warnings and their own voluntary covenant with Him
never to flee, they nonetheless abandoned His Messenger to the mercy of the kuffr and fled to
save their own lives. This was a betrayal by them of their own voluntary covenant without any
doubt:

O you who believe! Do NOT betray Allh and His Messenger, nor betray knowingly your
trusts.541
Moreover, Allh does not love betrayers:

And argue not on behalf of those who betray themselves. Verily, Allh does not love
ANYONE who is a sinful betrayer.542
Besides, from all indications, the Sahbah also did prefer their own lives to that of the Prophet,
and therefore loved themselves more than him! This puts their mn fatally into question. It is
also a direct violation of Allhs order:

539
Qurn 6:148
Qurn 9:27
541
Qurn 8:27
542
Qurn 4:107
540
It was not becoming of the people of Madnah (i.e. the close Sahbah) and the Bedouins of
the neighbourhood to remain behind the Messenger of Allh and it was not becoming of
them to prefer their own lives to his life.543
So, is it true that all the Sahbah were really with the Prophet in mn? Were they all, in truth,
severe against the kuffr?
MYTH TEST THREE: HOW MERCIFUL WERE THE SAHBAH TO ONE ANOTHER?
Allh exposed some of the Sahbah while informing the Ummah about the Battle of Uhud:

And Allh did indeed fulfil His Promise to YOU when YOU were killing them with His
Permission, until YOU lost YOUR courage and fell to disputing about the order, AND
DISOBEYED after He showed YOU that which YOU love. AMONG YOU ARE SOME THAT
DESIRE THIS WORLD and some that desire the Hereafter.544
Some of the Sahbah desired this world, and not the Hereafter. Allh addresses such of them in
another verse:
O you who believe! What is the matter with you, that when you are asked to march forth
in the Cause of Allh (i.e. Jihd) you cling heavily to the earth? Are you pleased with the
life of this world rather than the Hereafter? But little is the enjoyment of the life of this
world as compared to the Hereafter. 545
These Sahbah loved this world so much, to such an extent that they had forgotten the
Hereafter. Shaykh al-Albn records this beautiful hadth about them as well:
5533

)(
Narrated Amr b. Awf al-Ansr:
The Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, sent Ab Ubaydah b. al-Jarrh, may Allh be
pleased with him, to Bahrain to bring their Jizyah. He returned with properties from
Bahrain, and the Ansr heard about the arrival of Ab Ubaydah. So, they performed the
543
Qurn 9:120
Qurn 3:152
545
Qurn 9:38
544
Fajr Salh with the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him,. When the Messenger of Allh,
peace be upon him, left (the mosque), they followed him. As a result, the Messenger of
Allh, peace be upon him, smiled when he saw them, and said, I think you have heard
that Ab Ubaydah returned with something from Bahrain. They said, You are correct, O
Messenger of Allh. He said, Go and take whatever is sufficient for you. By Allh, I do not
fear poverty about you. Rather, I fear that the world will become spread out to you as it
became spread out unto those before you. As a result, YOU WILL COMPETE WITH ONE
ANOTHER OVER IT as those before you did, AND THEREFORE PERISH as they perished.
(Sahh)546
Our noble Prophet, seeing their antecedents, feared about what they might do for riches after
his death, especially when the Islmic Empire must have grown very strong and expanded
greatly. He was afraid that these Sahbah would compete with one another over the newfound
riches from the newly conquered territories. Shaykh al-Albn further records:

) (
Narrated Awf b. Mlik, may Allh be pleased with him:
The Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, stood AMONG HIS SAHBAH, and said, You
fear poverty or the world worries you. Verily, Allh will conquer Iran and Turkey for you,
and will thereby open the world (i.e. worldly riches) for you completely to such an extent
that NOTHING WILL DEVIATE YOU FROM THE RIGHT PATH AFTER YOU MUST HAVE
DEVIATED EXCEPT IT (i.e. the world). (Sahh li Ghayrih)547
Shaykh al-Albn also records that the Prophet said to his Sahbah again:
) (.
I am your predecessor before you, and I am a witness over you, and your promised place
to meet me will be the Lake-Font. By Allh, I am now looking at my Lake-Font. Verily, I
have been given the keys of the treasures of the world. By Allh, I am not afraid that you
will worship others besides Allh after me. But, I am afraid that you will compete with
one another over the world. (Sahh)548
The Messenger of Allh finally predicted that riches would destroy his Sahbah:

)(
546
st
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Sahh al-Targhb wa al-Tarhb (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Maarif; 1 edition,
1412 H), vol. 3, p. 104
547
548
p. 482
Ibn Masd, may Allh be pleased with him, narrated that he was giving gifts to people,
and a man came to him and he (Ibn Masd) gave him (the man) 1000 dirhams, and then
said, I heard the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, saying: Nothing destroyed
those before you but Dnr and Dirham (i.e. riches). BOTH WILL DESTROY YOU TOO.
(Sahh li Ghayrih)549
The Prophet also predicted that his Sahbah would lust after power while addressing them, as
[ ]
You will lust after power, and it will be regret [and sorrow] on the Day of Qiymah.550
On it, Shaykh al-Albn says:
)476/2()304188-187/2()-107/13(
Al-Bukhr recorded it (13/107 Fath), and al-Nis (2/187-188 and 304) and Ahmad
(2/476)551
After the Prophets death, Allh did indeed conquer new territories for Islm, including Turkey
and Iran. The Sahbah, true to prediction, did lust after power and compete over the world, and
thereby perished. The Sunn scholars, Khlid Muhammad Khlid and Dr. Abdel-Hamid Eliwa of
Al-Azhar Univeristy, in their extremely famous book in praise of the Sahbah, record what
happened during the reign of Uthmn, in their biography of our dear master, Ab Dharr:
Money created by Allah to be obedient to His servants for the benefit of mankind was
about to turn into a tyrant master. A master of whom? The Prophets Companions.
The Prophet (PBUH) died with a pawned shield, although piles of war booty were under
his service. The excellence of the earth created by Allah for all human beings and with
their rights upon it mutually corresponding was about to turn into a monopoly and
privilege.
Abu Dhar realized all that . When he began his attack, he started with the most
authoritative and HORRIBLE stronghold: there in Syria, where Muwiyah Ibn Abi Sufyn
was ruling one of the most fertile lands in the world of Islam, granting and distributing
money carelessly, thereby bestowing UNDESERVED privileges upon people of power and
rank IN ORDER TO GUARANTEE HIS FUTURE, A FUTURE HE ASPIRED TO PROMOTE.
There in Syria, the country of overwhelming palaces, country estates and fortunes which
tempted the remnants of the carriers of the Islamic message, he began his attack. Abu
Dhar wanted to confront THE CENTER OF DANGER before it ruined and destroyed all
Muslims.
549
st
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Sahh al-Targhb wa al-Tarhb (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Maarif; 1 edition,
1412 H), vol. 3, p. 105
550
70, # 2530
551
ibid
Abu Dhar, who possessed the most truthful tongue on earth, as the Prophet (PBUH)
described him, stood up. He asked Muwiyah about his wealth before and after being in
power, about the house in which he was living in Makkah, and the castles he owned in
Syria. Then he raised the question to the Companions who had accompanied Muwiyah
to Syria and were now owners of estates and castles.
After that he cried to them, Is it you among whom the Prophet lived when the Qurn was
being revealed? Then he answered himself, Yes, it is you! The the Qurn was revealed
among you.
. Muwiyah felt the danger of the words of the great, honorable, and rebellious
Companion who TERRIFIED him. Yet Muwiyah appreciated his value and did not harm
him, but he immediately wrote to Caliph Uthmn (May Allah be pleased with him), Abu
Dhar spoils the people in Syria.
Uthmn sent for Abu Dhar, asking him to come to Al-Madiinah. Abu Dhar set off from
Syria with kindness, affection, and honor. His farewell day was celebrated in Syria in a
manner Damascus had never witnessed the like of.
I dont need your world! That is what Abu Dhar said to the Caliph Uthmn after he
reached Al-Madiinah and a prolonged conversation took place between them.
After this conversation and after having heard the news coming from all different regions
of the Muslim world, it was confirmed that Abu Dhars opinions had actually agitated the
multitudes, who began to crystallize around them. It was at that time that Uthmn began
to truly realize the actual DANGER of Abu Dhars opinion and its strength. HE THEREFORE
DECIDED TO KEEP HIM BESIDE HIM AT AL-MADIINAH.552 (emphasis added)
This was when Muwiyah was only a governor of Syria under Uthmns Khilfah. It is notable
that Uthmn did NOTHING against the financial corruption of Muwiyah and the other Sahbah
in Syria. Rather, there was general financial corruption among Uthmns governors, and the
people were displeased with the situation. However, rather than correct the ugly state of things,
the Khalfah, instead, chose to silence Ab Dharr, the voice of haqq, forever!
The Sahbah also fought bloody wars among themselves over power and riches, and were split
into several sects and factions. Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah explains:
: .

.
552
Khlid Muhammad Khlid and Dr. Abdel-Hamid Eliwa, Men and Women Around the Messenger (Egypt: Dar
Al-Manarah; 1423 H) [translators: Sheikh Muhammad Mustafa Gemeiah and Dr. Abdel-Hamid Eliwa of Al Azhar
University], vol. 1, pp. 51-57
The Sahbah FOUGHT one another, CURSED one another and declared one another as kuffr.
Imm al-Dhahab also states:
Some of the Sahbah declared others among them AS KUFFR due to their twl, and Allh
is pleased with all of them and has forgiven them, and they were not infallible.554
Most of these disasters were caused by an insatiable lust for power and riches by some of the
Sahbah. The Sunn scholars, Khlid Muhammad Khlid and Dr. Abdel-Hamid Eliwa, again
record that our master, Ammr b. Ysir, revealed this truth on the day of the Battle of Siffn,
about Muwiyah and ishah and their armies:
He [Ammr] declared his opinion about that fighting: O people, let us be directed to the
people who claim they are avenging Uthmn. BY ALLH, THEIR INTENTION IS NOT
REVENGE, BUT THEY HAVE TASTED WORLDLY THINGS AND ARE PLEASED WITH THEM.
They know that truth keeps them away from what they enjoy of LUST AND THEIR
WORLD. Those people have no precedent in the past to keep Muslims in obedience to
them or in their support. Their hearts have not felt awe towards Allah to force them to
follow the truth. THEY DECEIVE THE PEOPLE BY CLAIMING THEY ARE AVENGING
UTHMNS DEATH. THEY SEEK NOTHING BUT TO BE TYRANTS AND KINGS.555 (emphasis
added)
This was the truth about Muwiyah and ishah, from the testimony of a sincere, righteous
Sahb a true friend of Allh and His Messenger and the believers. The duo murdered the
believers, including fellow Sahbah, NOT for any righteous motives. It was only their lust for
power and this world that drove them into murdering thousands of the believers and causing
much fitnah in this Ummah. They fabricated and spread the same lie about Uthmns death
against Imm Al and deceived and murdered through it. The wounds they created through
their lusts are yet to heal.
We ask the Ahl al-Sunnah: this is what Allh says about those who were truly with the Prophet
in mn:

Muhammad is the Messenger of Allh, and THOSE WHO ARE WITH HIM are severe against
the disbelievers, AND MERCIFUL AMONG THEMSELVES!!!556
Were all the Sahbah merciful among themselves?!
MYTH TEST FOUR: WHO EXACTLY WERE THE SINCERE WORSHIPPERS AMONG THEM?
553

Ab Abd Allh al-Dhahab, al-Rawt al-Thuqt al-Mutakalam fhim bim l Yjib Raddahum (Dr al-Bashir
al-Islmiyyah), p. 23
555
Khlid Muhammad Khlid and Dr. Abdel-Hamid Eliwa, Men and Women Around the Messenger (Egypt: Dar
Al-Manarah; 1423 H) [translators: Sheikh Muhammad Mustafa Gemeiah and Dr. Abdel-Hamid Eliwa of Al Azhar
University], vol. p. 175
556
Qurn 48:29
554
The Verse of Muhammad describes the true believers among those around the Prophet with
sincere, selfless and strong worshippers of Allh:

You see them bowing and falling down prostrate, seeking Bounty from Allh and
Pleasure. The mark of them is on their faces from the traces of prostration. This is their
description in the Tawrah. But their description in the Injl is like a seed which sends
forth its shoot, then makes it strong, it then becomes thick, and it stands straight on its
stem, delighting the sowers that He may enrage the disbelievers with them.557
But, in all honesty, were all the Sahbah like this? The Book of Allh seems to clearly disgaree!
Allh revealed an entire surah in the Qurn to explain this reality:

And when they saw some merchandise or some amusement they dispersed headlong to
it, and left you standing. Say: That which Allh has is better than any amusement or
merchandise! And Allh is the Best of providers.558
Al-Hfiz Ibn Kathr explains:
: }

{:

.:

{:
:}
:

Allh criticizes what happened during one Friday sermon, when a caravan arrived at alMadnah and the people rushed out to the merchandise. Allh said,
557
558
Qurn 48:29
Qurn 62:11
{And when they saw some merchandise or some amusement, they dispersed headlong to
it, and left you standing.}
meaning, on the pulpit, delivering the sermon. Several of the Tabin said this, such as Ab
al-`liyah, al-Hasan (al-Basr), Zayd b. Aslam and Qatdah.
Muqtil b. Hayyn said: The caravan belonged to Dihyah b. Khalfah before he became a
Muslim, and there were drums accompanying it. So they rushed to the caravan and left
Allh's Messenger standing on the pulpit. Only a few remained, according to the sahh
hadth that Imm Ahmad recorded that Jbir said,
"Once, a caravan arrived at Al-Madnah while Allh's Messenger was giving a sermon. So,
the people left, and only twelve men remained. Then Allh sent down this verse, (And
when they saw some merchandise or some amusement, they dispersed headlong to it,)''
The Two Sahhs also recorded it in the hadth of Slim.559
Imm al-Bukhr records another hadth, which shows that the Sahbah started to flee the
mosque AFTER the Salh itself had begun (and not just during the sermon):
}:

{

While we were offering Salh with the Prophet, peace be upon him, some camels loaded
with food, arrived. The people diverted their attention towards the camels, and only
twelve persons remained with the Prophet, peace be upon him. So this verse was
revealed: {And when they saw some merchandise or some amusement they dispersed
headlong to it, and left you standing}560
Is it not shocking?! The Sahbah were probably hundreds, if not thousands, including the most
senior of them, being led by the Messenger of Allh, in (Jumuah) Salh. YET, they broke their
Salh and rushed out for amusement and merchandise! Even if we agree, arguendo, that the
Prophet was still only delivering the sermon for the Jumuah prayer, that still does not help
those Sahbah. It was the Messenger of Allh who was delivering the sermon! These people
actually showed a complete lack of respect for Allh, His Messenger and the Salh itself. They
bared their preference of amusement and merchandise over worship of Allh. For whosoever
cares to defend them, can YOU do what they did? If the Prophet were giving a Jumuah sermon in
your presence or you were being led by him in Salh, would you rush out to join amusement
and merchandise outside if indeed you have any real mn?
In case anyone is still in doubt about those people, Allh says:
559
Ibn Kathr, Tafsr al-Qurn al-Azm, vol. 4, p. 2109

rd
560
We ask: those Sahbah who fled the mosque were they hearing the Name and Word of Allh or
not? There is no doubt that our noble Prophet was mentioning Allh and His verses to those
Sahbah. But, what effect did these have on them? IF indeed they were true believers, then they
would have felt a fear in their hearts, and their mn would have increased upon listening to the
verses of our Lord. Was that what happened? Obviously, they felt absolutely no fear for Allh in
their hearts and their mn did not increase. This proves absolutely that they were hypocrites.
Our Lord has made that clear. Whosoever does not respond in these two ways to the mention
and verses of Allh is NOT a believer.
It seems those people only offered Salh reluctantly or so that those who believed would not
accuse them of not worshipping Allh. There can be no other explanation. If they had come to
the mosque with real mn, believing that Allh indeed deserves to be worshipped, and feeling
awe before Him, they would not have jumped out of the mosque to join an amusement and
caravan! Their act was nothing but that of hypocrites:

Verily, the hypocrites seeks to deceive Allh, but it is He Who deceives them. And when
they stand up for Salh, they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not
remember Allh but little.562
It is only hypocrites who perform Salh with no true mn. They therefore are not fully
immersed in it. It is only people whose Salh is nothing but a play-act that can rush out in the
middle of the sermon or Salh for enjoyment or trade!
The incident casts a horrible shadow over the Sunn claim, and authentic ahdth stating, that
the Sahbah are the best of this Ummah! How can that be? How can people with no respect for
Allh and His Messenger, or for Salh, be the best? If they indeed were, then we are all
doomed! Did these people really have any mn? Can anyone with true mn ever do what they
did?
From all indications, the true believers of our time are far better than those hypocrites, who
formed the multitude of the Sahbah. Only twelve of them cared to stay with the Prophet in the
mosque! That is so disgusting! Imm Ahmad b. Hanbal records a sahh hadth that proves our
submission here:
( )
Narrated Ab Jumuah:
561
562
Qurn 8:2
Qurn 4:142
Once we had lunch with the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him. Abu Ùbaydah, who
was with us, said, O Messenger of Allh! IS THERE ANYONE BETTER THAN US? We
embraced Islm with you and performed Jihd with you. He said, YES, THOSE WHO
WILL COME AFTER YOU, WHO WILL BELIEVE IN ME ALTHOUGH THEY DID NOT SEE ME.''
(Sahh hadth)563
In fact, whosoever adheres to the pure Sunnah of Muhammad in this era is fifty times better
than any of the Sahbah who remained upon the pure Sunnah till his death! Shaykh al-Albn
records that the Prophet told his Sahhah:
! :.
( ):
Verily, after you, there will be days of patience (i.e. hardship, requiring lots of patience).
Whosoever, in those days, holds fast to what you ARE upon will have the reward of FIFTY
of YOU.
They said, Or, fifty of THEM?
He (the Prophet) said, Rather, fifty of YOU. (Sahh)564
563
564
892, # 494
CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE ENEMIES FROM WITHIN
When the Prophets mission began in Makkah, some people claimed to accept his call. They
came to him voluntarily. Among them were those who genuinely believed in him, and among
them were those, as the Qurn describes them, with a disease in their heart. This is what Allh
says in the second ever Surah, revealed in Makkah, just at the inception of the Prophetic
mission:

And We have set none but angels as guardians of the Fire, and We have fixed their
number only as a trial for the disbelievers, in order that the people of the Scripture may
arrive at a certainty and that the believers may increase in mn, and that no doubt may
be left for the people of the Scripture and the believers, and that those in whose hearts is
a disease and the disbelievers may say: "What Allh intends by this example ?" Thus Allh
leads astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And none can know the hosts of
your Lord but He. And this (Hell) is nothing else than a (warning) reminder to
mankind.565
This was the earliest phase of the Prophetic era: Muhammad had among his followers, the first
respondents to his call, people with a disease in their hearts. They were people without mn,
and belonged to the same category as pagans. These people were a class of hypocrites, and were
deceivers and liars:

And among the people, there were some who say, We believe in Allh and the Last Day
while in fact they are NOT believers. They seeks to deceive Allh and those who believe,
while they they only deceive themselves, and they perceive not! In their hearts is a
disease and Allh increases their disease. A painful torment is theirs because they used to
tell lies.566
This is the reality of this new type of hypocrites, and they were among the very first believers
in the message of Muhammad. They seem to be far worse in their hatred of Islm than the other
hypocrites. They donned hypocrisy voluntarily, at the time Islm had absolutely no power of
force or coercion, and started to plot against it from within.
There is no doubt about the kufr of these people. Even they did NOT consider themselves as
Muslims:

565
566
Qurn 74:31
Qurn 2:8-10
When the hypocrites and those in whose hearts was a disease said: "These people
(Muslims) are deceived by THEIR religion." But whoever puts his trust in Allh, then
surely, Allh is All-Mighty, All-Wise.567
They believed that Allh and His Messenger were liars (!):

And when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease said: "Allh and His
Messenger promised us nothing but delusion!"568
They always plotted against the religion of Islm:

Or do those in whose hearts is a disease, think that Allah will not bring to light all their
hidden ill-wills?569
In the end, they died upon their their kufr:

But as for those in whose hearts is a disease, it will add impurity to their impurity, and
they die while they are disbelievers.570
But, who could these people be? To get the answer, we must get the list of the first Muslims and
investigate them. These people originally came from them. However, their number continued to
grow and their cells expanded. Their internal treason continued till the Hijrah. They too
migrated with the Prophet to Madnah.
In the Madnan era, a full-blown hypocrisy movement rose among the people. Two groups of
hypocrites emerged: the open hypocrites as well as the hidden hypocrites. The open hypocrites,
led by Abd Allh b. Ubayy, were well-known among the believers. However, the hidden
hypocrites, like their brethren from Makkah, were ordinarily impossible to identify. They were
so perfect in their hypocrisy that only Allh knew them:

And among the bedouins around you, some are hypocrites, and so are some AMONG THE
PEOPLE OF MADNAH who persist in hypocrisy; YOU (O MUHAMMAD) KNOW THEM NOT,
We know them. We shall punish them twice, and thereafter they shall be brought back to
a great (horrible) torment. 571
Imm al-Dhahab states:
567
Qurn 8:49
Qurn 33:12
569
Qurn 47:29
570
Qurn 9:125
571
Qurn 9:101
568

{:

101 }

.
There were LOTS OF PEOPLE, during the days of the Prophet, peace be upon him, who
were called his Sahbah and who were regarded among the followers of his religion, but
who were in reality hidden hypocrites. The Prophet of Allh, peace be upon him, did not
know them, and he was NOT made to know them (by Allh): And so are some among the
know them. We shall punish them twice. (9:101). Since it was possible for the leader of
mankind NOT to know some of the hypocrites even though they were with him in
Madnah for years, then it is more permissible for the Muslim ulam after him, peace be
upon him, NOT to know the true status of many of the apostate hypocrites (among his
Sahbah).572
These people with disease in their hearts joined forces with their hidden hypocritical brethren,
and continued to subvert Islm from within:

If the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, and those who spread false news
among the people in Madnah stop not, We shall certainly let you overpower them: then
they will not be able to stay in it as your neighbours but a little while. Accursed, they shall
be seized wherever found, and killed with a (terrible) slaughter.573
Allh has cursed both groups: hypocrites (open and hidden) and those in whose hearts was a
disease. They were all His enemies, and the enemies of His religion and people.
It is a surprise that in spite of this clear reality, the Ahl al-Sunnah declare all those who migrated
in the Hijrah, called Muhjirn, to be saints of Allh, as well as all the people of Madnah who
hosted them, the Ansr. How can that be when among the Muhjirn were these people with a
disease in their hearts, and among the people of Madnah - the Ansr - were hypocrites? To get
to the root of this matter, we will probe the Qurnic verses used to justify this Sunn position,
and we will make the haqq shine with its blinding light insh Allh.
VERSE ONE
The foremost verse in almost all Sunn discourses about the Sahbah is this:
And the earliest Sbiqn AMONG the Muhjirn and the Ansr, and also those who
followed them IN GOOD DEEDS, Allh is well-pleased with them and they are well-pleased
572
573
Ab Abd Allh Shams al-Dn Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Dhahab, Siyar Alam al-Nubal, vol. 14, p. 343
Qurn 33:60-61
with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein
forever. That is the supreme success.574
First and foremost, these people were only the first set of Sbiqn in this Ummah, and they were
from the Muhjirn and Ansr. Sbiqn actually exist in all ages of this Ummah. Shaykh al-Albn
records that the Prophet said:
)(
In EVERY age of my Ummah are Sbiqn. (Sahh)575
Therefore, the earliest Sbiqn in this Ummah are from the Muhjirn and Ansr, while there
have always been Sbiqn in every age of this Ummah. Sbiqn will exist till the Hour. The
question then is: who are Sbiqn?
We know that Allh is well-pleased with Sbiqn and they are well-pleased with Him. In another
verse, our Lord explains why:

.

.

Verily, those who believe and do righteous good deeds, they are the best of creatures.
Their reward with their Lord is Adn Paradise, under which rivers flow, they wil abide
therein forever. Allh is well-pleased with them, and they are well-pleased with Him.
That is for him who fears his Lord.576
In other words, mn and good deeds are fundamental conditions for Allhs pleasure. Allh is
pleased with Sbiqn only because they have true mn and do righteous good deeds. They too
are pleased with Him on account of their perfect mn. It is well-known that kuffr, fsiqn (i.e.
evil-doers), hypocrites and people with a disease in their heart are NOT pleased with our Lord.
This matter is cemented by this verse:

.

And verily, Allh is not pleased with fsiqn (i.e. evil doers).577
Allh also says:

Allh has promised the hypocrites, men and women, and the disbelievers, the Fire of Hell,
therein shall they abide forever. It will suffice them. Allh has CURSED them and for them
is the lasting torment.578
574
Qurn 9:100
7, # 2001
576
Qurn 98:7-8
577
Qurn 9:96
578
Qurn 9:68
575
None of the Sbiqn or their followers therefore is ever a kfir, fsiq or hypocrites of any sort.
Moreover, Allh has promised Paradise to Sbiqn and their followers only on account of their
mn and good righteous deeds. As for evil doers, their fate is already determined:

.

And as for those who have earned evil deeds, the recompense of an evil deed is the like
thereof, and humiliating disgrace will cover them. No defender will they have from Allh.
Their faces will be covered, as it were, with pieces from darkness of night. They are
dwellers of the Fire, they will abide therein forever.579
The contention of the Ahl al-Sunnah is that the first set of Sbiqn were those who accepted
Islm up till the time of Hudaybiyyah. Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah says:

.
With Muwiyah were some of the first set of Sbiqn. Even the murderer of Ammr, and
that was Ab al-Ghdiyah, HE WAS ONE OF THOSE WHO GAVE THE BAYAH UNDER THE
TREE, AND THEY WERE THE FIRST SET OF SBIQN. Ibn Hazm and others mentioned
this.580
Al-Hfiz Ibn Kathr says about this bayah:
The Treaty of Hudaibiyah
It was about the sixth year of the Hijrah.581
This was 4 years before the Prophets death. It was late into even the Madnan era. According to
the Ahl al-Sunnah, all of those who gave the bayah to the Prophet on the day of Hudaybiyyah
were the first set of Sbiqn in Islm. This, by Sunn consensus, includes all of those who fought
for Islm at both Badr and Uhud. Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah states about the attitude of the Ahl alSunnah towards the Muhjirn and Ansr in general, and this first set of Sbiqn among them in
particular:
They consider Al-Muhajirn (those who migrated from Makkah to Al-Madinah for Islam)
to be superior to Al-Ansar (the helpers of Al-Madinah who supported Al-Muhajirn). They
have faith in what Allah has said about the 313 persons on the occasion of the battle of
Badr that they are FREE to do what they like, their sins are pardoned. (Al-Bukhari,
5/212). AND NONE OF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR PLEDGE TO THE PROPHET UNDER THE
TREE WILL GET INTO FIRE as the Prophet has stated: Allah is doubtlessly pleased with
them and they are pleased with Allah. And they were more than 1400 about whom the
Prophet bore witness that they will be admitted to Paradise. (Muslim, 16/290). (emphasis
added)582
579
Qurn 10:27
st
(Muasassat al-Qurtubah; 1 edition, 1406 H) [annotator: Dr. Muhammad Rashd Slim+, vol. 6, p. 333
581
nd
Ibn Kathr, Stories of the Prophets (Egypt: Dar Al-Manarah; 2 edition, 1422 H) [translator: Sayed Gad,
Tamir Abu As-Sud and Muhammad A. M. Abu Sheish+, p. 416
582
580
However, Ab al-Ghdiyah, the murderer of our master Ammr, was among this first set of
Sbiqn by the Sunn definition. Shaykh al-Albn says about him:
"":
Allhs Apostle, peace be upon him, has said: The murderer of Ammr will be in the
Fire.583
Therefore, it was not all of those who gave the bayah that qualify as Sbiqn! Rather, the
Sbiqn were only the true believers among them, who died upon real mn and righteous good
deeds.
Moreover, the commander of the army that murdered Uthmn was one of these first Sbiqn!!!
Imm Ibn Abd al-Barr submits:
.
Abd al-Rahmn b. Udays al-Balaw al-Misr: He witnessed al-Hudaybiyyah. Asad b. Ms
mentioned from Ibn Lahah, from Yazd b. Ab Habb, who said: Abd al-Rahmn b.
Udays al-Balaw was one of those who gave bayah to the Messenger of Allh, peace be
upon him, under the Tree. Ab Umar said, He was the COMMANDER of the army that
came from Egypt to Madnah, the army that besieged Uthmn AND MURDERED HIM.584
Imm Ibn al-Athr also states:
Abd al-Rahmn b. Udays He was a Sahb, and he witnessed the bayah of al-Ridwn,
and gave the bayah there. HE WAS THE COMMANDER OF THE ARMY that came from
Egypt to besiege Uthmn b. Affn, may Allh be pleased with him, WHEN THEY
MURDERED HIM.585
Ibn Hazm has this severe fatwa on Ibn Udays and his army:
Abdul Khliq+, pp. 197-198
583
Ibid
584
st
edition, 1412 H) [annotator: Al Muhammad al-Bajwe+, vol. 2, p. 840, # 1437
585
st
Ibn al-Athr, Usd al-Ghabah f Marifah al-Sahbah (Beirut: Dr IHy al-Turth al-Arab; 1 edition, 1417 H)
*annotator: dil Ahmad al-Ruf+, vol. 3, p. 488-489
This however was not like the murder of Uthmn, may Allh be pleased with him. There
was no possibility of ijtihd in his murder. This is because he did not murder or fight
anyone. He neither attacked nor defended, nor committed adultery or apostasy such as
would have permitted twl. Rather, they (his murderers) were ARMED EVIL DOERS,
PEOPLE WHO DELIBERATELY SHED THE BLOOD OF THE INNOCENT, WITHOUT TWL, IN
INJUSTICE AND ENMITY. THEY WERE ACCURSED EVIL-DOERS!586
Whatever the case is, any honest researcher into the Book of Allh easily finds verses which
establish the powerful presence of both open and hidden hypocrites within the ranks of the first
set of Sbiqn (by Sunn definition) and the Muhjirn and Ansr in general! This matter makes
the stance of the Ahl al-Sunnah on these matters absolutely invalid and untenable. For instance,
Allh says:

.

And those who built a mosque to cause harm AND FOR UNBELIEF and to cause disunion
among the believers and an ambush to him who made war against Allh and His
Messenger before; and they will certainly swear: We did not desire aught but good; and
Allh bears witness that they are most surely liars.587
Who were those who build the mosque for unbelief? Imm al-Suyt explains:
) )
....
(And those who built a mosque to cause harm) Ibn Ishq said: They were TWELVE of
them FROM THE ANSR: Khadm b. Khlid, Thalabah b. Htib and he was from Banu
Umayyah ibn Zayd, and Mutab b. Qushayr.588
All the Ansr were Sahbah by the consensus of the Ummah. Allh informs us here that some of
them built a mosque of unbelief, were in war against Allh and His Messenger, and were LIARS!
Another high-ranking Sunn scholar, Imm al-Mward, also comments about the same verse:
{
}:

:

The Statement of Allh {And those who built a mosque to cause harm and for unbelief}:
These people were Ban Amr b. Awf, and they are twelve men FROM THE ANSR. They
were hypocrites. It is said that they are Khadm b. Khlid, and Thalabah b. Htib, and
Mutab b. Qushayr, and Ab Habbah b. al-Azar, and Ibd b. Hunayf brother of Sahl b.
586
Qurn 9:107
588
st
Abd al-Rahmn b. al-Kaml Jall al-Dn al-Suyt, al-Itqn f Ulm al-Qurn (Lebanon: Dr al-Fikr; 1
edition, 1416 H) *annotator: Sad al-Mandb+, vol. 2, p. 387
587
Hunayf, and Jriyah b. mir, and his sons Mujmi and Zayd sons of Jriyah, and Nabtal b.
al-Hrith, and Bajd b. Uthmn.589
The premiere Sunn exegete, Imm Ibn Jarr al-Tabar, also submits under the verse:
:
Allh the Most High says {And those who built a mosque to cause harm and for unbelief},
they are, from what we mentioned, twelve people FROM THE ANSR.590
Imm al-Baghw comments on the verse:
The verse was revealed about a group of hypocrites. They built a mosque to harm with it
Masjid Qub. They were twelve hypocritical men.591
We underlined the names of two of these hypocrites: Thalabah b. Htib and Mutab b. Qushayr.
Who were they?
It would shock most of Ahl al-Sunnah to know that both were among the Muslim warriors of
Badr and Uhud and therefore among the first set of Sbiqn (by Sunn definition)!
Before digging into those specific issues, let us cite some more verses revealed about these two
senior Sahbah. Allh tells us in the Qurn again:

.

.
And of them are some who made a covenant with Allh, saying: If He bestowed on us of
His bounty, we will verily give Sadaqah and will be certainly among those who are
righteous. But when He gave them of His bounty, they became niggardly, and turned
away. So He punished them by putting HYPOCRISY into their hearts till the Day whereon
they shall meet Him, because they broke that which they had promised Him and because
they used to tell lies.592
Imm Ibn Kathr says about these verses:
589
Al b. Muhammad b. Habb al-Mward al-Basr al-Shfi, al-Nakat wa al-Uyn (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub alIlmiyyah) *annotator: Sayyid Ibn Abd al-Maqsd b. Abd al-Rahm+, vol. 2, p. 400
590
Muhammad b. Jarr al-Tabar, Jmi al-Bayn (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr; 1405 H), vol. 11, p. 23
591
Al-Husayn b. Masd al-Baghw, Tafsr (Beirut: Dr al-Marifah) *annotator: Khlid Abd al-Rahmn al-Ak+,
vol. 2, p. 326
592
Qurn 9:75-77
The majority of the exegetes, among them Ibn Abbs and al-Hasan al-Basr have stated
that the reason for the descent of this noble verse (i.e. verse 75) was Thalabah b.
Htib.593
Thalabah made a promise with Allh, and broke it. He also used to tell lies. So, Allh punished
him by making him an eternal hypocrite! We must note again that he was from the Ansr!
Allh further informs us about Mutab. Concerning the events after the costly victory of the
Muslims at Uhud, our Creator states:

Then after the distress, He sent down security for you. Slumber overtook a party of you,
while another party was thinking about themselves and thought wrongly of Allh - the
thought of ignorance. They said, "Have we any part in the affair?" Say (O Muhammad):
"Indeed the affair belongs wholly to Allh." THEY HIDE WITHIN THEMSELVES WHAT
THEY DARE NOT REVEAL TO YOU, saying: "If we had anything to do with the affair, none
of us would have been killed here." Say: "Even if you had remained in your homes, those
for whom death was decreed would certainly have gone forth to the place of their death,"
but that Allh might test what is in your breasts; and to purify that which was in your
hearts (sins), and Allh is All-Knower of what is in (your) breasts.594
The Muslim warriors at Uhud became two camps after the battle of Uhud. The true believers
among them, being exhausted, went to sleep. However, the second group started having evil,
self-serving thoughts about Allh, the thoughts of Jhiliyyah! They also held hidden, negative
beliefs about Allh, His Messengers, Islm and the religion as a whole - beliefs that they would
never reveal to the believers. They were hypocrites without any doubt. Imm al-Qurtub, under
the above verse, states:
:{}
{While another party was thinking about themselves}, refers to the HYPOCRITES, Mutab
b. Qushayr and his companions.595
Imm al-Suyt596, Imm al-Baydw597, Imm al-Thalab598, Imm al-Nasaf599, Imm Ibn alJawz600, Imm al-Shawkn601, and several other Sunn scholars have also emphasized that the
phrase was revealed about Mutab and his companions.
593
Ab al-Fid Isml b. Umar b. Kathr al-Dimashq, Tafsr al-Qurn al-Azm (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr; 1401 H), vol.
2, p. 388
594
Qurn 3:154
595
Al-Qurtub, Tafsr, 4, p. 242
596
Abd al-Rahmn b. Kaml Jall al-Dn al-Suyt, al-Durr al-Manthr (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr; 1993 CE), vol. 2, p.
353 and vol. 6, p. 575
597
Al-Baydw, Tafsr, p. 366
598
Abd al-Rahmn b. Muhammad b. Makhlf al-Thalab, al-Jawahir al-Hisn f Tafsr al-Qurn (Beirut:
Muasassat al-Aalam li al-Matbt), vol. 1, p. 324; vol. 2, p. 142; and vol. 3, p. 221
599
Al-Nasaf, Tafsr, vol. 3, p. 299
600
rd
Abd al-Rahmn b. Al b. Muhammad al-Jawz, Zd al-Masr f Ilm al-Tafsr (Beirut: Maktab al-Islm; 3
edition, 1404 H), vol. 1, pp. 481-482; vol. 6, p. 359; and vol. 6, p. 363
Imm al-Bukhr also records this relevant hadth:
:

.
(
Narrated 'Abd Allh, may Allh be pleased with him:
On the day (of the battle) of Hunayn, Allh's Apostle favoured some people in the
distribution of the booty (to the exclusion of others); he gave Al-Aqra' b. Hbis onehundred camels and he gave 'Uyaina the same amount, and also gave to some of the
eminent Arabs, giving them preference in this regard. Then a person came and said, "By
Allh, in this distribution justice has not been observed, nor has Allh's Pleasure been
aimed at." I said (to him), "By Allh, I will inform the Prophet (of what you have said), "I
went and informed him, and he said, "If Allh and His Apostle did not act justly, who else
would act justly. May Allh be merciful to Moses, for he was hurt with more than this, yet
he kept patient."602
Who was that man who hurt the Prophet by his false accusation? The commentator of Sahh alBukhr, Dr. Mustaf Db al-Bagh states:
It is said that he was Mutab b. Qushayr, AND HE WAS ONE OF THE HYPOCRITES.603
Al-Hfiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqaln also states:
Al-Wqid said that the one who made the statement was Mutab b. Qushayr.604
At this point, we can delve into the biographies of both Thalab and Mutab. Many myths and
fabrications would fall from here!
Imm al-Jazr states about Thalabah:
601
Muhammad b. Al al-Shawkn, Fath al-Qadr, vol. 1, p. 589

rd
603
ibid
604
602
Thalabah b. Htib AL-ANSR al-Aws. He witnessed Badr. This was said by Ibn Ishq
and Ms b. Uqbah. He was the one who asked the Prophet, peace be upon him, to
supplicate to Allh to grant him money.605
Al-Ansr means from the Ansr. Thalabah b. Htib al-Ansr was one of the Muslim
warriors of Badr all of whom will be in Paradise according to all of Ahl al-Sunnah wa alJamah. All of them, without any exception, are counted among the Sahbah. But, Thalabah has
been declared an eternal hypocrite by Allh, and a liar who waged war against Allh and His
Messenger!
Imm Ibn Abd al-Barr also submits:
.
The Apostle of Allh established brotherhood between this Thalabah b. Htib and Mutab
b. Awf al-Humar. He (Thalabah) witnessed Badr, and he was the one who refused to
give Sadaqah.606
Imm Ibn Sad further states:
.
Thalabah b. Htib witnessed both Badr and Uhud.607
Imm al-Safad caps it all:
.
Thalabah b. Htib The Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, established
brotherhood between him and Mutab b. Awf b. al-Sahr. He witnessed Badr and Uhud.
He was the one who refused to give Sadaqah.608
This was the reality of Thalabah. He was one of the senior Sahbah, the first set of Sbiqn in
Sunn eyes, and he belonged to the Ansr (and thus the Sahbah). He fought for Islm at both
Badr and Uhud. Fighting in either of these battles is considered an automatic key to true mn
and Paradise by all of Ahl al-Sunnah. They have authentic ahdth saying this. However, after
these battles, Thalabah turned bad. He became a compulsive liar, turned into a direct enemy of
Allh and His Messenger, and therefore eventually earned the Wrath of Allh (after previously
gaining His pleasure). Allh made him an eternal hypocrite! He will, contrary to all Sunn claims
and ahdth, burn forever in Hellfire.
On the case of Mutab b. Qushayr, Imm Ibn Sad states:
605
st
Izz al-Dn ibn al-Athr, al-Jazr, Usd al-Ghbah f Marifah al-Sahbah (Beirut: Dr Ihy al-Turth al-Arab; 1
edition, 1417 H) *annotator: dil Ahmad al-Ruf+, vol. 1, p. 237
606
st
607
Ab Abd Allh Muhammad b. Sad b. Man al-Zuhr al-Basr, al-Tabaqt al-Kubr (Beirut: Dr Sdir), vol. 3,
p. 460
608
Salh al-Dn Khall b. Aybak al-Safad, al-Wf bi al-Wifayh (Beirut: Dr Ihy al-Turth al-Arab; 1420 H)
[annotator: Ahmad al-Arnt and Turk Mustaf+, vol. 11, p. 9
Mutab b. Qushayr He had no offspring. He witnessed Badr and Uhud. This was also
what Muhammad b. Ishq said.609
Imm al-Mizz also states:
Mutab b. Qushayr He witnessed Badr.610

The case of Mutab is different. Though from the Ansr, he had always been a hypocrite. With his
hypocrisy, he fought on the side of Islm against fellow kuffr at Badr and Uhud! Interestingly,
the Ahl al-Sunnah consider both Thalabah and Mutab to be Sahbah (of course, all Ansr were),
and pious saints of Allh, and leaders of Paradise! The crisis is in their ahdth which establish
that all those who took part in Badr, Uhud and Hudaybiyyah will be in Paradise. If they evict
Thalabah or Mutab from the list of Sahbah or Sbiqn for any reason, those ahdth become
false! Yet, the presence of these two within the ranks of the Sahbah and Sbiqn exposes some
authentic Sunn ahdth and brings down their aqdah on the Sahbah completely!
In the aqdah of the Immiyyah, the Sbiqn are only those who are the best among all humans
of their times in mn and righteous good deeds and die as such. The classical Shah cleric,
Sayyid Murtad explains in his exegesis of Qurn [9:100]:
.)(
.:
. (
)11 10/ )(
:

( :

)32/)(

The apparent meaning of this verse does not show that the precedence mentioned in it is
only precedence into the declaration of mn and Islm or in following the Prophet, peace
be upon him and his family. This is because the word Sbiqn (i.e. foremost in)
normally has conditions. It normally shows precedence in something clearly declared.
It, verily, is permissible that the meaning of precedence in it is precedence in obedience
to Allh. This is because the one who is the foremost in virtues and good deeds has
normally been called Sbiq and Mutaqadam. Allh says: {The Sbiqn will be the
foremost (in the Hereafter). They will be the nearest ones to Allh} [56:10-11]. The only
meaning (in these verses) is what we have mentioned.
Allh the Most High also says:
609
Ab Abd Allh Muhammad b. Sad b. Man al-Zuhr al-Basr, al-Tabaqt al-Kubr (Beirut: Dr Sdir), vol. 3,
p. 463
610
st
Ysuf b. al-Zak Abd al-Rahmn Ab al-Hajjj al-Mizz, Tahdhb al-Kaml (Muasassat al-Rislah; 1 edition,
1400 H) *annotator: Dr. Bashr Marf+, vol. 5, p. 503
Then We gave the Book for inheritance to such of Our slaves whom We chose. Then of
them are some who wrong themselves, and of them are some who follow a middle course,
and of them are some who are, by Allhs Leave, foremost (sbiq) IN GOOD DEEDS.
(35:32)611
Since the Sbiqn will all be the nearest people to Allh in the Hereafter, it naturally follows that
they used to be the best in mn and good righteous deeds during their lifetimes. It is only taqwa
(fear of Allh) that can earn one good ranks with Allh:

.
Verily, the most honourable of you with Allh is that who has best taqwa. Verily Allh is
All-Knowing, All-Aware.612
You can only have taqwa after having full mn. You cannot fear what you do not believe in. It is
this fear that then drives you away from evil deeds. The more taqwa a person has, the less his
inclination towards sins.
What further strengthens the Shah position is the verse itself:
And the earliest Sbiqn AMONG the Muhjirn and the Ansr, and also those who
followed them IN GOOD DEEDS.613
This proves absolutely that their precedence is only in good deeds. This is why the others follow
them in good deeds. They are foremost in good deeds, while all others come after them in this
field, follow them. This has nothing to do with whether the Sbiq attended an event or not or did
something first or last. It is his good deeds (which of course include true mn) only that put him
within that bracket called Sbiqn.
By coincidence, the first set of Sbiqn were all from Muhjirn and Ansr. The term in that
verse refers to the best of the Sahbah in mn and good righteous deeds, those who faithfully
and fully obeyed Allh and His Messenger, both during the latters lifetime and after his demise,
till they met their own deaths.
VERSE TWO
The second verse relied upon by the Ahl al-Sunnah is:

.
Indeed, Allh WAS pleased with the BELIEVERS when they gave the bayah to you (O
Muhammad) under the Tree. He knew what was in their hearts, and THEREFORE He sent
down Saknah upon them and He rewarded them with a near victory.614
611
Al-Murtad Alam al-Hud, Rasil al-Murtad (Qum: Dr al-Qurn al-Karm; 1405) *annotator: Sayyid
Ahmad al-Husayn+, vol. 3, p. 88
612
Qurn 49:13
613
Qurn 9:100
614
Qurn 48:18
The following points are crucial in understanding this verse:

1. Allhs pleasure was limited to THAT MOMEMT when they gave the bayah.
2. The pleasure was limited to the BELIEVERS among them.
3. He sent down Saknah upon those believers after seeing true mn in their hearts.
As we already know, people like Thalabah, Mutab, and Ab al-Ghdiyah were among those who
gave bayah under the Tree, while Allh and His Messenger have cursed them and sentenced
them to Hellfire. They were hypocrites.
A shocking aspect was the presence of Ab Bakr, Umar and Uthmn among those who gave the
bayah. Were they believers? If they were not, then the verse does not concern them at all. It was
revealed about the believers among those who gave the bayah. We have mentioned these three
because they used to run away from battles both before the bayah at Uhud and after it at
Hunayn. Imm al-Shawkn states in this regard:

.

The majority of the scholars have stated that running away from battlefield NECESSARILY
makes a person a fsiq.615
Fsiqn are hypocrites:

Verily, the hypocrites are the fsiqn.616
So, if the trio were fsiqn, and therefore hypocrites, then how could the verse be said to include
them too?
Moreover, our Lord has reported an incident in His Book that fatally questions Ab Bakrs mn:

.

If you help him (Muhammad) not, for Allh did indeed help him when the disbelievers
drove him out, the second of two, when they both were in the cave, and he said to his
Sahb, Do not be afraid, surely Allh is with us. As a result, Allh sent down His Saknah
upon HIM, and strengthened HIM with forces which you saw not, and made the word of
those who disbelieved the lowermost, while it was the Word of Allh that became the
uppermost, and Allh is All-Mighty, All-Wise.617
The entirety of the Ahl al-Sunnah are agreed that this verse was revealed about the Prophet
Muhammad and Ab Bakr, while both were holed up in the cave during the Hijrah. Interestingly,
they also consider the verse one of the greatest merits of Ab Bakr! Imm al-Asqaln for
instance says about it:
615
Muhammad b. Al b. Muhammad al-Shawkn, Nayl al-Awtr min Ahdth Sayyid al-Akhyr Sharh Muntaq
al-Akhbr (Beirut: Dr al-Jayl; 1973 CE), vol. 8, pp. 78-80
616
Qurn 9:67
617
Qurn 9:40
One of his greatest merits is the Word of Allh the Most High If you help him
(Muhammad) not, for Allh did indeed help him when the disbelievers drove him out, the
second of two, when they both were in the cave, and he said to his Sahb, Do not be
afraid, surely Allh is with us. The meaning of his Sahb is Ab Bakr without any
dispute.618
The verse is also strangely considered one of the greatest proofs for Ab Bakrs Khilfah after
the Prophet. Imm al-Asqaln states again:
.
It (the verse) is one of his greatest merits which entitled him to become the Khalfah after
the Prophet, peace be upon him.619
On what basis is this? Is it because Allh has called the Prophet the second of two? That only
informs us that there was one other person with him in the cave! The Qurn also says about
Allh:

There is no secret counsel of three, BUT HE IS THEIR FOURTH, nor of five BUT HE IS
THEIR SIXTH.620
The Prophet was second of two, one of whom was Ab Bakr. Allh here is the fourth of three,
and sixth of five! If Ab Bakr is the best because the Prophet was his second, then what about
those whose third is Allh? In fact, He was also the third of three, when Muhammad and Ab
Bakr were in the cave! This was why the Prophet said, Allh is with us. He was their third! This
is also reflected in this hadth of al-Bukhr:
Narrated Ab Bakr:
I said to the Prophet, peace be upon him while we were in the cave, If any of them looks
beneath his feet, he will see us. He said, What do you think, O Ab Bakr, about two, the
THIRD of whom is Allh?621
The same message is repeated in this verse:
618
st
1 edition, 1412 H) *annotator: Al Muhammad al-Bajw+, vol. 4, p. 172
619
620
Qurn 58:7
621
rd
.

And He is WITH YOU wheresoever you may be. And Allh is the All-Seer of what you do.622
Our Lord is even with kuffr and fsiqn wherever they may be! He is their third, fourth or as
the case may be, in all their gatherings.
Moreover, is Ab Bakr superior and more entitled because Allh has called him a Sahb of
the Prophet? But, what about the kuffr about whom He also says:

And your Sahb is not a madman.623
Imm al-Baghw explains:
.))
{And your Sahb is not a madman} He (Allh) says to the people of Makkah And your
Sahb, referring to Muhammad, peace be upon him, is not a madman.624
Another prominent Sunn Imm, al-Khazn, also states:
(())
{And your Sahb}, referring to Muhammad, peace be upon him, and addressing the
INFIDELS of Makkah {is not a madman}.625
There are other verses like the above in the Book of Allh626.
The Prophet was the Sahb of the kuffr. This naturally makes them his Sahbah. Sahbahship
is mutual. If you are my Sahb, then I am your Sahb too. Moreover, the Sahbah (as defined by
Sunns) are Sahbah only because the Prophet was their Sahb (in exactly the same way as he
was to the kuffr). Shaykh al-Albn records that the Prophet, while telling his Sahbah how
Prophet Ibrhm looked like, said:
As for Ibrhm (i.e. how he looked like), then look at your Sahb (i.e. himself meaning
that he was a physical carbon copy of Ibrhm).627
Shaykh al-Albn attributes this hadth to both Sahh al-Bukhr (# 3355, #5913) and Sahh
Muslim (1/106) on the same page.
622
Qurn 57:4
Qurn 81:22
624
Al-Husayn b. Masd al-Baghw, Tafsr (Beirut: Dr al-Marifah) *annotator: Khlid Abd al-Rahmn al-Ak+,
vol. 4, p. 453
625
Al al-Dm Al b. Muhammad b. Ibrhm al-Baghdd al-Khazn, Tafsr al-Khazn (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr; 1399
H), vol. 7, p. 43
626
See Qurn 4:46, 53:1-2, 12:39, 12:41, and 18:37
627
37, # 3492
623
If Ab Bakr had superiority because he was a Sahb of the Prophet, what about the Makkan
kuffr who were also his Sahbah?
The most crucial part of the Verse of the Cave that gives context to everything is this underlined
section:

As a result, Allh sent down His Saknah upon HIM, AND strengthened HIM with forces
which you saw not.628
Ab Bakr was afraid (i.e. If any of them looks beneath his feet, he will see us), and the Prophet
said, Do not be afraid, surely Allh is with us. As a result of the presence of Allh with them, He
sent down His Saknah upon only His Prophet! This is a fundamental point. If Allh had sent
down His Saknah upon both of them, then the meaning of Allh is with us could have been the
one in this verse:

.

Truly, Allh is with those who fear Him, and those who do good deeds.629
This means that He protects and helps them, those who fear Him and do righteous deeds.
However, by leaving Ab Bakr out, Allh proves that he was NOT deserving of His Saknah! This
way, it is either that us in Allh is with us is only a majestic plural, referring only to the
Prophet (i.e. meaning, Dont be afraid, Allh is with me, and will therefore protect and help
me) or our Lord was with them only in the ordinary sense that He is with every creature.
Allh sends down His Saknah upon people only upon seeing true mn in their hearts:

.
Muhammad) under the Tree. He knew what was in their hearts, and THEREFORE He sent
Our Lord sends down His Saknah upon the believers to increase their mn. The Book of Allh
says:

He it is Who sent down Saknah into the hearts of the believers, that they may grow more
in mn along with their mn. And to Allh belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth,
and Allh is Ever All-Knower, All-Wise.631
628
Qurn 9:40
Qurn 16:128
630
Qurn 48:18
631
Qurn 48:4
629
This is why Saknah is never send down upon anyone who is not a true believer. There is
nothing to increase!
Moreover, when there were believers in the presence of the Prophet during the descent of
Saknah, it was always for him and for them. The first thaqal says:

.
Then Allh did send down His Saknah on the Messenger, AND ON THE BELIEVERS, and
sent down forces which you saw not, and punished the disbelievers. Such is the
recompense of disbelievers.632
It also states:

.
When those who disbelieve had put in their hearts pride and haughtiness - the pride and
haughtiness of the time of ignorance, - then Allh sent down His Saknah upon His
Messenger AND UPON THE BELIEVERS, and made them stick to the word of piety; and
they were well entitled to it and worthy of it. And Allh is the All-Knower of everything.633
So, the big question: why did Allh LEAVE AB BAKR OUT???
This reality has divided the Ahl al-Sunnah into two parts. Some of them have stated that Allh
actually sent down His Saknah upon Ab Bakr, and helped him with angels! Imm Ibn Kathr
states:

::: )
(:
::
.:) (:
This is why Allh the Most High says {As a result, Allh sent down His Saknah upon HIM},
meaning to strengthen and help him, meaning upon the Messenger in the most popular of
the two opinions, AND OTHERS SAY UPON AB BAKR. This second opinion has been
narrated from Ibn Abbs and others. They say that this is because the Prophet ALWAYS
has Saknah with him. However, this does not deny the possibility of Saknah descending
upon him sepcifically anew. This is why Allh says {AND strengthened HIM with forces
which you saw not}, meaning angels.634
A look at some of the verses mentioned above neatly destroys the vague excuses of Ibn Abbs
and his followers on this verse. Moreover, how could Ab Bakr have been strengthened with
angels without the Prophet? Was Ab Bakr a prophet? Was he the leader of prophets? What
further kills the diversionary tactic of Ibn Abbs and his followers is the fact that the entire
verse is Allhs report of His help to His Prophet, in which He then gives the details:
632
Qurn 9:26
Qurn 48:26
634
Ab al-Fid Isml b. Umar al-Qursh, Tafsr al-Qurn al-Azm (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr; 1401), vol. 4, p. 155
633

.

If you help HIM (Muhammad) not, for Allh did indeed help HIM when the disbelievers
drove him out, the second of two, when they both were in the cave, and HE said to HIS
Sahb, Do not be sad, surely Allh is with us. As a result, Allh sent down His Saknah
upon HIM, and strengthened HIM with forces which you saw not, and made the word of
those who disbelieved the lowermost, while it was the Word of Allh that became the
uppermost, and Allh is All-Mighty, All-Wise.635
Our Lords help to His Prophet was His sending down of Saknah and angels upon him. Ab
Bakr, without any doubt, was ignored by our Creator Who knows all secrets. Ab Bakr was NOT
deserving of His Saknah. He was one of those with a disease in their hearts one of the earliest
Muslims who migrated with our Prophet to Madnah. No other conclusion is possible,
especially since Ab Bakr was agitated and therefore really badly needed Allhs Saknah (i.e.
tranquility)!
The case of Umar is even worse. On the Day of Hudaybiyyah (when the second verse under
discussion was revealed), he was NOT a believer. Of course, he gave bayah that day. However,
Allh has specifically mentioned that he was pleased only with the believers among those who
gave bayah:

.
MuHammad) under the Tree. He knew what was in their hearts, and THEREFORE He sent
Imm Ibn Hibbn records Umars own testimony of what happened on the Day of Hudaybiyyah
in his Sahh:
:
( ):
Umar said, I swear by Allh, I never DOUBTED since I accepted Islm UNTIL THAT DAY
(i.e. Day of Hudaybiyyah). I went to the Prophet, peace be upon him and said, Are you
NOT the Messenger of Allh IN TRUTH? (Sahh hadth)637
Shaykh al-Slih also declares the hadth as sahh638. Umar doubted the prophethood of the
Messenger of Allh on that day, by his own confession! Yet, he was among those who gave
bayah that day! We invite our esteemed reader to think deeply about this verse:
635
Qurn 9:40
Qurn 48:18
637
nd
p. 216, # 4872
638
vol. 5, p. 53
636

Umar doubted, and used to escape with his life during Jihds! He would flee and put the blame
upon Allh! It is apparent that anyone who really does Jihd with his life will NEVER run away
from the battlefield, especially when the Messenger of Allh is still fighting on the ground, being
actively targetted by marauding pagans! Running and abandoning the Prophet in fatal danger is
not an attribute of a believer. This takes us to another aspect of all this.
Allh says:

Verily, those who give bayah to you (O Muhammad) they are giving bayah to Allh. The
Hand of Allh is over their hands. Then whosoever breaks his pledge, breaks it only to his
own harm; and whosoever fulfils what he has covenanted with Allh, He will bestow on
him a great reward.640
This includes both believers and hypocrites everyone that gave bayah that day. They were all
making a pledge to Allh. Imm Muslim records:
.

Narrated Jbir:
We were 1400 on the Day of Hudaybiyyah, and we gave bayah to him (i.e. the Prophet).
Umar was holding his hand under the brown tree. We gave the bayah to him to NEVER
flee (the battlefield). We did not give bayah to him upon death.641
Our Lord also refers to this pledge in His Book:

And indeed they had already made a covenant with Allh NOT to turn their backs, and a
covenant with Allh MUST be answered for.642
Of course, these people fled both before and after the pledge at Uhud, Khaybar and Hunayn!
So, was Allh still pleased with them when they broke their pledges? The answer is here:
639
Qurn 49:15
Qurn 48:10
641
642
Qurn 33:15
640

He was angry with them at Uhud, Khaybar and Hunayn! It is true that He forgave them all for
their treachery at Uhud. However, there is NO evidence that He forgave them for that of
Khaybar. Moreover, He only forgave some of them for what they did at Hunayn. Therefore, for a
good number of them, they were under His Wrath and Curse till their deaths, and will be in
Hellfire!
VERSE THREE
This is the third verse that the Ahl al-Sunnah bring to prove that all the Sahbah were saints of
Allh:

.
Verily, those who believed, and emigrated and fought with their property and their lives
in the Cause of Allh as well as those who gave (them) asylum and help, these are allies to
one another . And those who believed, and emigrated and strove hard in the Cause of
Allh, as well as those who gave (them) asylum and help, these are the true believers, for
them is forgiveness and a generous provision. And those who believed afterwards, and
emigrated and strove hard along with you, they are of you.644
The above is about the Muhjirn and Ansr. It is noteworthy that both groups together were
only a minority among the Sahbah. Besides, the verse is only about those of them who had
genuine mn, and who fought in the Cause of Allh with their lives. Not all of them fulfilled these
conditions. Many, if not most, of them used to run away from Islmic battles showing that they
were not fighting with their lives.
A fact needs to be stressed here. A believer sells his life to Allh entirely the moment mn enters
his heart. The life no longer belongs to him. So, he has no business running away with it from
Jihd in the Cause of Allh. This is why a believer never flees the battlefields. Whosoever flees
has not yet sold his life to our Lord, and that is evidence that mn has not entered his heart.
Allh says:
643
644
Qurn 8:15-16
Qurn 8:72-75
Verily, Allh has PURCHASED of the believers THEIR LIVES and their properties; for the
price that theirs shall be Paradise. They fight in Allhs Cause, so they kill AND ARE
KILLED. It is a promise IN TRUTH which is BINDING on Him in the Tawrah and the Injl
and the Qurn. And who is truer to his covenant than Allh? Then rejoice in the bargain
which you have concluded. That is the supreme success. Such are those who repent to
Allh, who worship Him, who praise Him, who fast, who bow down, who prostrate
themselves, who enjoin for al-marf and forbid from al-marf, and who observe the
limits set by Allh. And give glad tidings to the believers.645
It is not easy to be a believer. The conditions are many and strict. The most relevant here is that
the life of a believer is not his. Therefore, he has no reason to shield it from Jihd on the
battlefield. Moreover, unless a person sells his life to Allh, mn will never enter his heart. By
that, he remains a hypocrite only who says one thing (i.e. I believe) but does another.
Furthermore, there is NO Paradise for anyone who has not sold his life to Allh. Many of the
Muhjirn and Ansr, especially the open hypocrites and those with a disease in their hearts
among them, never did.
VERSE FOUR
Another verse that the Ahl al-Sunnah rely upon to establish the sainthood of all the Sahbah is:
For the poor Muhjirn, who were expelled from their homes and their property,
SEEKING BOUNTIES FROM ALLH AND TO PLEASE HIM, and helping Allh and His
Messenger. Such are indeed the Sdiqn. And those who, before them, had homes and had
adopted mn, love those who emigrated to them, and have no jealousy in their breasts
for that which they have been given, and give them preference over themselves, even
though they were in need of that. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness,
such are they who will be successful. And those who came after them say: Our Lord!
Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in mn, and put not in our hearts any
hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most
Merciful.646
This speaks about those of the Muhjirn who migrated seeking Allhs Bounties and to please
Him and those of the Ansr who helped Allh and His Messenger. No doubt, only people with
mn have these attributes. Hypocrites and fsiqn do not really believe in Allh and His
Messenger. Therefore, they have no reason to seek to please or help our Lord. Since it is
absolutely undeniable that there were hypocrites among the Muhjirn and Ansr, it follows
logically that this verse applies only to the believers among them.
This sets the tone for any other verse or hadth that anyone may intend to use to prop up the
Sunn aqdah that all the Sahbah were saints. A prerequisite for mn is selling ones life to
Allh and doing righteous good deeds (i.e. commanding al-marf and forbidding al-munkar and
keeping the limits of Allh). Moreover, an absolute condition for sainthood or Paradise is mn.
645
646
Qurn 9:111-112
Qurn 59:8-10
Allh hates hypocrites, kuffr and fsiqn. Therefore, whenever He praises or makes promises
to any group of people, it is only to those with mn and righteous good deeds among them
unless, of course, it can be proved that all of such people are/were infallible! Any hadth that
rejects these realities contradicts the Qurn, and whatever does that, is a fabrication and lie.
CHAPTER TWELVE
BUILDING THE BRIDGE TO HELL
The Prophet left very clear instructions for his Sahbah and his Ummah after him. Al-Haytam
states:

BOTH. They both are the Book of Allh and my Ahl al-Bayt, my itrah.
Al-Tabarns report (of the same hadth) includes: I will ask about both of them. Do not
go ahead of them because you will thereby perish, and do not lag behind them both
because you will perish thereby. And do not teach them because they are more
knowledgeable than you.647
Shaykh al-Kulayn also records:
:
: ":
:....
.
:
:
Narrated Ab Basr:
I asked Ab Abd Allh about the Statement of Allh Obey Allh, and obey the Messenger
and the possessors of the command among you. He said: It was revealed about Al in
Ab Tlib, al-Hasan and al-Husayn, peace be upon them And Allhs Apostle, peace be
upon him and his family, said: I leave you a will about the Book of Allh and my Ahl alBayt, for verily I asked Allh the Almighty to never separate them both until they return
to the Lake-Font and He granted me that. Never teach them because they are more
knowledgeable than you. They will never take you out of the door of guidance, and will
never enter you into the door of misguidance.648
647

st
648
Ab Jafar Muhammad b. Yaqb b. Ishq al-Kulayn al-Rz, al-Usl min al-Kf (Tehran, Iran: Islmiyyah;
2nd edition, 1362 H), vol. 1, pp. 287-288, # 1
Allmah al-Majlis grades its two chains as sahh649.

The Qurn and the Ahl al-Bayt are to be obeyed (as commands of the Prophet) and followed till
the Hour. The whole Ummah, starting with the Sahbah, are supposed to learn everything in
their religion from the Ahl al-Bayt. They are the most knowledgeable of this Ummah, and the
only ones that never mislead.
In order to help the Ummah in understanding the message, the Prophet specifically limited them
to Imm Al. Al-Hfiz al-Suyt says:
Al-Bazzr recorded, as well as al-Tabarn in al-Awst, from Jbir b. Abd Allh, and alTirmidh and al-Hkim recorded from Al, that the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon
him, said: I am the city of knowledge AND AL IS ITS GATE.
This hadth is hasan in the CORRECT view. It cannot be correctly graded as Sahh as alHkim said, while it is also NOT a fabrication as many said, among them Ibn al-Jawz and
al-Naww.650
Interestingly, in modern editions of Sunan al-Tirmidh, the hadth has been expunged! Several
other classical Sunn ulam have confirmed that it was in Sunan al-Tirmidh. Ibn al-Athr for
instance says:
.{
}
.
Narrated Al b. Ab Tlib, may Allh be pleased with him:
The Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, said: I am the city of knowledge, and Al is
its gate.
Al-Tirmidh recorded it.651
Others classical ulam who have stated the same thing about the hadth are Shaykh Ibn
Taymiyyah652 and Imm al-Haytam653. The hadth is very powerful. So, one can easily see why
649
Allmah al-Majlis, Mirt al-Uql, vol. 3, p. 213

651
th
Ibn al-Athr al-Jazar, Mujam Jmi al-Usl f Ahdth al-Rasl (Beirut: Dr Ihy al-Turth al-Arab; 4
edition, 1404) [annotator: Muhammad Faq+, vol. 7, p. 437, # 6489
652
Ab al-Abbs Ahmad Abd al-Halm b. Taymiyyah al-Harrn al-Hanbal, Ahdth al-Qass (Maktab al-Islm)
[annotator: Muhammad Sabbgh+, p. 78; Ab al-Abbs Ahmad Abd al-Halm b. Taymiyyah al-Harrn alHanbal, Majmah al-Fatw (Dr al-Waf) *annotators: mir al-Jazr and Anwr al-Bz+, vol. 18, p. 216; Ab
al-Abbs Ahmad Abd al-Halm b. Taymiyyah al-Harrn al-Hanbal, Kutub wa Rasil wa Fatw Shaykh al-Islm
nd
Ibn Taymiyyah (Maktab Ibn Taymiyyah; 2 edition) *annotators: Abd al-Rahmn b. Muhammad b. Qsim alsim+, vol. 18, p. 377
650
some of the Ahl al-Sunnah play tricks with it. There are those who expunge it, and others who
falsely call it a fabrication!
In any case, the hadth is sahh, or at least hasan. The contemporary Sunn hadth master, Sayyid
al-Saqqf, says:
{ }:
())49/ 11:(
334/ 1:()()
()
It has been narrated in a sahh hadth from him (i.e. the Prophet), peace be upon him and
his family, that he said: I am the city of knowledge and Al is its gate.
Al-Hfiz Ibn Man declared it authentic as in Trkh Baghdd 11/49, as well as Imm alHfiz Ibn Jarr al-Tabar in Tahdhb al-Athr, and al-Hfiz al-Al in al-Naqd al-Sahh, and
al-Hfiz Ibn Hajar and al-Hfiz al-Suyt as in al-Ll al-Masnat 1/334, and al-Hfiz alSakhw as in al-Maqsid al-Hasanah.654
These are some of the greatest Sunn ulam of all times, including Imm Ibn Hajar al-Asqaln
the king of Sunn hadth sciences.
Imm Ibn Hajar al-Asqaln says about the hadth:
.
This hadth has a lot of chains in Mustadrak of al-Hkim. Its LOWEST grading is that the
hadth has a basis (i.e. is authentic). It is NOT correct to declare it a fabrication.655
Imm al-Zarkash also submits:
The conclusion is that the hadth, through the combined effect of its two chains the
chains of Ab Muwiyah and Shark is that it is of the grading of hasan, and can be
relied upon. It is NOT daf (weak), much less being a fabrication.656
Imm al-Haytam further states:
653
Ab al-Abbs Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Al b. Hajar al-Haytham, al-Sawiq al-Muhriqah al Ahl al-Rafd

st
wa al-Dall wa al-Zinadaqah (Lebanon: Muasassat al-Rislah; 1 edition, 1417 H) *annotators: Abd al-Rahmn
b. Abd Allh al-Turk and Kmil Muhammad Khurt], vol. 2, p. 357
654
th
Hasan b. Al al-Saqqf, Tanqadt al-Albn al-Wdihh (Dr al-Imm al-Naww; 4 edition, 1412 H), vol.
3, p. 82
655
Ab al-Fadl Ahmad b. Al b. Hajar al-Asqaln al-Shfi, Lisn al-Mzn (Beirut: Muasassat al-Alm lil
rd
Matbt; 3 edition, 1406 H), vol. 2, p. 122
656
Ab Abd Allh Muhammad b. Abd Allh al-Zarkash al-Misr al-Hanbal, al-Ll al-Manthrah f al-Ahdth
st
al-Mash-rah (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah; 1 edition, 1406 H) [annotator: Mustaf Abd al-Qdir At+,
vol. 1, p. 165

As for hadth I am the city of knowledge and Al is its gate, it is a hasan hadth.657
Imm al-Sakhw submits:
.
The best of them (i.e. its chains) is the hadth of Ibn Abbs. Rather, it (the hadth) is
hasan.658
Shaykh al-Slih caps it:
.'':
Al-Tirmidh and others narrate that the Prophet said, I am the city of knowledge and Al
is its gate. The CORRECT opinion is that the hadth is hasan, as al-Hfiz al-Al and alHfiz Ibn Hajar said.659
Concerning hasan ahdth, Imm al-Suyt says:
The hasan hadth is like the sahh hadth in probative value.660

Imm Ibn Jarr al-Tabar records a similar hadth, in which the Prophet repeats the same
instruction in different words:
"

" :
Narrated Al:
The Prophet said, I am the house of hikmah, and Al is its door.661
Al-Tabar states about its authenticity:

This report has a sahh chain.662
657
Ab al-Abbs Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Al b. Hajar al-Haytam, al-Fatw al-Hadthiyah, vol. 1, p. 192

st
Muhammad b. Abd al-Rahmn al-Sakhw, al-Maqsid al-Hasanah (Beirut: Dr al-Kitb al-Arab; 1
edition, 1405 H) [annotator: Muhammad Uthmn al-Khashat], vol. 1, p. 170
659
vol. 1, p. 509
660
Ab al-Fadl Jall al-Dn Abd al-Rahmn b. Ab Bakr al-Suyt, Tadrb al-Rw f Sharh Taqrb al-Naww
(Riyadh: Maktabah al-Riyd al-Hadthah) *annotator: Abd al-Wahhb Abd al-Latf+, vol. 1, p. 88
661
Ab Jafar Muhammad b. Jarr b. Yazd b. Kathr b. Ghlib al-Tabar, Tahdhb al-Athr wa Tafsl an Rasl
Allh min al-Akhbr (Cairo: MaTbaah al-Madan) *annotator: Mahmd Muhammad Shkir+, p. 104, # 1431
658
Therefore, the hadth is clear: Al is the only key to the authentic Sunnah of Muhammad. The
Prophet did not say and Al is one of its gates. The language is unequivocal. The city has only
one gate, and that was Al.
Imm al-Hkim records a fuller version of the hadth, which further confirms our position:

" :

".

Narrated Ibn Abbas, may Allh be pleased with him:
Allhs Messenger, peace be upon him: I am the city of knowledge and Al is its gate.
THEREFORE, WHOSOEVER WANTS THE CITY, LET HIM GO TO THE GATE.663
Al-Hkim declares the chain as sahh664. Imm al-Baghdd also states:

.
Narrated Ibn Abbs:
The Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, said: I am the city of knowledge and Al is its
ate. THEREFORE, WHOSOEVER WANTS THE CITY, LET HIM GO TO THE GATE.
Al-Qsim said, I asked Yahy b. Man concerning this hadth, and he said, It is sahh.665
Al was the transmitter of the Prophets correct Sunnah to all mankind after him, and the other
Imms from the Ahl al-Bayt only transmit from him. Everything must pass through Al, and only
him, to the Messenger of the Lord of the worlds. The Shah books fulfill this criterion. Almost all
their ahdth go through Al, to the Prophet. By contrast, almost no Sunn hadth does the same
thing.
The Sahbah turned away from Imm Al and the Ahl al-Bayt, and obeyed and followed others.
As a result, they lost the way! With time, they started to forget the true Sunnah gradually. Imm
al-Bukhr and Imm Muslim both record:
Narrated Matraf b. Abd Allh:
662
ibid
st
edition, 1411 H), vol. 3, p. 137, # 4574
664
ibid
665
Ab Bakr Ahmad b. Al b. Thbit al-Khatb, Trkh Baghdd (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah), vol. 11, p. 50
663
I offered Salh behind Al b. Ab Tlib, may Allh be pleased with him, together with
Imrn b. Hasn. Whenever he prostrated, he did takbr. Whenever he raised his head, he
did takbr. Whenever he rose from ruku, he did takbr. When he finished the Salh,
Imrn b. Hasn held my hand and said, This man REMINDED me of the Salh of
Muhammad, peace be upon him. He has led us in the Salh of Muhammad, peace be upon
him.666
Imrn was a senior Sahb of Muhammad, and was led in Salh tens of thousands of times by
the latter. But, within just three decades, before the Khilfah of Al, he had literally forgotten the
Prophets manner of performing Salh! This shows that during the reigns of the three Khalfahs
before Al, the Sunnah of Salh gradually died out! Most surely, even the Khalfahs were not
offering Salh according to the Sunnah. Otherwise, none would have forgotten it! No wonder,
Allh and His Messeneger ordered the Sahbah to stick with Al and Ahl al-Bayt after the
Prophets death. If the Sahbah could forget what they witnessed tens of thousands of times in a
single year, what else could they not forget?
Not long after the death of the Messenger of Allh, the Islm that he practised vanished from the
face of the earth! His Sahbah forgot and changed them all, and were exhibiting a new religion!
Narrated al-Zuhr:
I entered upon Anas b. Mlik in Damascus and found him wping. So, I said, Why are you
wping? He replied, I do NOT recognize ANYTHING from what I used to know except this
Salh, and even the Salh has been changed!667
Islm had died during the time of the Sahbah! Nothing survived. Everything had been altered.
The Muhammadan Islm had then become history, confined to Al and his offspring and
followers only. Imm al-Bukhr further records this corroboration of Ab Dard, another
senior Sahb:
Narrated Umm al-Dard:

I entered upon Ab al-Dard and found him angry. I said, Why made you angry? He
replied, By Allh, I do NOT recognize ANYTHING from the Ummah of Muhammad, peace
be upon him, except that they pray Salh in congregation.668
666
rd
[annotator: Dr. Mustaf Db al-Bagh+, vol. 1, p. 272, # 753; Ab al-Husayn Muslim b. al-Hajjj al-Naysbr alQushayr, Sahh (Beirut: Dr Ihy al-Turth al-Arab) *annotator: Muhammad Fud Abd al-Bq+, vol. 1, p. 295,
# 393
667
rd
[annotator: Dr. Mustaf Db al-Bagh+, vol. 1, p. 198, # 499, # 507
668
Ibid, vol. 1, p. 232, # 613, #622
The commentator, Dr. Mustaf Db al-Bagh, says:
()
(I do not recognize) [means] I do not recognize anything from the Shariah that was not
changed from what he (i.e. the Prophet) was upon.669
Imm Ahmad b. Hanbal also records:
()
Narrated Umm al-Dard:
I entered upon Ab al-Dard and found him angry. I said, Why made you angry? He
replied, By Allh, I do NOT recognize ANYTHING among them from the affairs of
Muhammad, peace be upon him, except that they pray Salh oin congregation. (Its chain
is SaHH upon the conditions of the two Shaykhs)670
A quick search into the reliable Sunn books about the cause of this ugly situation reveals that
the first three Khalfahs and Muwiyah actively invented lots of bidahs to kill the Sunnah of the
Messenger of Allh. They fabricated heresies, and literally imposed them upon their subjects
with the force of arms. Moreover, most of the other Sahbah also manufactured bidahs and
taught them to the Ummah. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymn implicitly confirms this:
Shaykh al-Islm Ibn Taymiyyah states as recorded in Majm al-Fatwa (19/191):
many of the Mujtahidn of the Salaf and those later on have SAID and PERFORMED deeds
which are INNOVATIONS. They however, did not know these deeds to be acts of
innovation due to weak hadths which they believed to be authentic, or incorrectly
understanding verses of the Qurn or due to an opinion they exerted in an issue which
had textual evidences they were not aware of (emphasis added)671
Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah further states:
: .

.
669
Ibid
Ab Abd Allh Ahmad b. Hanbal al-Shaybn, Musnad (Cairo: Muasassat al-Qurtuba) *annotator: Shuayb alArnat+, vol. 6, p. 443, # 27540
671
Muhammad ibn Slih Uthaymn, Differences of Opinion Amongst the Scholars: Their Causes & Our Position
Towards Them (Birmingham: Al-Hidyah Publishing and Distribution Ltd; Second Edition, 2007), p. 16
670
Due to their conflicting bidahs, differences grew so strongly among the Sahbah that they
started declaring one another as infidels! This reality is evidence of grave gaps among these
Sahbah shortly after the death of our Prophet.
In the end, with time, the true Sunnah of Muhammad died out and a new self-conflicting Islm
was created.
We will be highlighting some of these bidahs for further clarity.
BIDAH ONE
It is beautiful to start with this clear bidah of Umar: he banned Tayammum for Janbah! Imm
Muslim records this interesting report:
)(
:
Narrated Abd al-Rahmn b. Abz from his father:

A man came to 'Umar and said: I am in a state of Janbah but find no water. He ('Umar)
said, Do not perform Salh. 'Ammr then said, Do you remember, O Amr al-Muminn,
when I and you were in a military detachment and we were in a state of Janbah and did
not find water and you did not perform Salh. But as for myself I rolled in dust and
performed Salh, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, It was enough for you to
strike the ground with your hands and then blow and then wipe your face and palms.
Umar said: O Ammr, fear Allh! He (Ammr) said: If you so like, I would not narrate
it.673
Umar gave a fatwa forbidding the man with Janbah from performing Salh as long as he did
not find water. Being in Janbah can come from sexual intercourse or a wet dream or some
other (in)voluntary seminal discharges. Umar did not ask the man about the circumstances of
his Junb (i.e. state of Janbah). Therefore, he was giving his fatwa regarding all or any forms of
Janbah, whatsoever the causes are. This naturally put Junb as a result of sexual intercourse
squarely under Umars fatwa. This was the understanding of the Salaf too, as can be explicitly
deduced from Ab Mss successful use of Qurn 5:6 (which is strictly about Junb from sexual
intercourse) against Abd Allh b. Masd (who was a proponent of Umars bidah) in a sahh
hadth referenced below. Our master, Ammr, reminded him of the Prophets instruction to
both of them (i.e. Ammr and Umar) when they both simultaneously fell into a similar situation
to do tayammum and perform Salh! But, rather than take Ammrs reminder, Umar warned
him to fear Allh!! Shaykh Ibn Uthaymn offers this defence of Umar:
672

673
So 'Umar had forgotten that the Prophet allowed tayammum for the one in the state of
janbah, just as it is allowed for the one who is in the state of minor defilement.
'Abdullh Ibn Mas'd agreed with 'Umar in this issue. A dispute on this subject broke out
between him and Ab Msa. During this dispute Ab Msa mentioned 'Ammr's
statement to 'Umar, upon which Ibn Mas'd said: "Did you not see that 'Umar was not
convinced with Ammrs statement." To which Ab Msa replied:
"Put aside 'Ammr's statement, what is your reply to this verse?" At that, Ibn Mas'd
remained silent. (emphasis added)674
If indeed he had forgotten, why then did he not alter his stance when he was reminded?
Moreover, how did Umar also forget this verse:

And if you are ill, or on a journey, or one of you comes after answering the call of nature,
or you have been in sexual intercourse with women (i.e. in Janbah) and you find no
water, perform tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands.
Truly, Allh is Ever Oft-Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving.675
Allh and His Messenger say: if you are in Janbah and find no water, perform tayammum and
go ahead with your Salhs. Umar, by contrast, opposed them: if you are in Janbah and find no
water, perform NO tayammum and NO Salhs!
This bidah of Umar caused controversy among the Sahbah, with some of them following it and
others rejecting it. Imm Muslim further records:
Narrated Shaqq:
I was sitting with Abd Allh and Ab Ms when Ab Ms said: O 'Abd al-Rahmn (i.e.
Abd Allh b. Masd)), what is your opinion about a man who is in a state of Janbah and
does not find water for a month? 'Abd Allh said: He should not perform tayammum
even if he does not find water for a month! Ab Ms said: Then what about the verse in
Surah al-M-ida: And you find no water, perform tayammum with clean earth"? 'Abd
Allh said: If they were granted concession on the basis of this verse, there is a
674
Towards Them (Birmingham: Al-Hidyah Publishing and Distribution Ltd; Second Edition, 2007), pp. 24-25
675
Qurn 4:43. See also Qurn 5:6
possibility that they would perform tayammum with dust on finding water very cold for
themselves. Ab Ms said to Abd Allh: Have you not heard the words of 'Ammar: The
Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, sent me on an errand and I was in a state of
Janbah, but could find no water, and rolled myself in dust just as a beast rolls itself. I
came to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, then and made a mention of that to
him and he said: It would have been enough for you to do thus Then he struck the
ground with his hands once and wiped his right hand with the help of his left hand and
the exterior of his palms and his face. 'Abd Allh said: Did you not see that 'Umar was
not convinced with Ammrs statement?676
We are pleased that Shaykh Ibn Uthaymn makes no effort to hide the truth about this matter
any further:
There is NO DOUBT, that the CORRECT OPINION is with the group who hold that the one
in a state of janbah performs tayammum, just as the one who is in a state of minor
defilement performs tayammum.
The point of all this is that a person can forget, whereby he becomes oblivious to the
correct legal judgment and therefore gives an incorrect judgment, which he is excused
for. However, the one who is aware of the evidence is not excused. (emphasis added)677
This Salaf Shaykh behaves as though ignorance is an excuse in creating bidahs! Of course,
bidahs are not justifiable on any ground. Moreover, Umar was CERTAINLY aware of the verses
in the Qurn and was reminded of the Sunnah. Yet, he turned against Allh and His Messenger,
and forged ahead with his bidah. He cannot be excused. He was an innovator.
The Qurn has some final words on what Umar did:

And whosoever does not give rulings in accordance with what Allh revealed (i.e. the
Qurn and Sunnah), such are the disbelievers.678
Whosoever disagrees with this Qurnic verdict on this issue is himself caught by it!
BIDAH TWO
The Book of Allh has certain rulings upon divorce:

O Prophet! When you divorce women, divorce them at their 'iddah AND COUNT THE
WAITING PERIOD.679
The Salaf lim, Shaykh Ibn Bz, says concerning this verse:
676
677
Towards Them (Birmingham: Al-Hidyah Publishing and Distribution Ltd; Second Edition, 2007), p. 25
678
Qurn 5:44
679
Qurn 65:1
(:

. 1/ )
.:
.
Allh has prescribed that women should (only) be divorced at times of purity when they
are free of nifs and menses, when the husband has not had intercourse with her during
that period of purity. This is the proper, Shar divorce. If he divorces her during her
menses or nifs, or during a period of purity in which he had intercourse with her, THEN
THIS DIVORCE IS BIDAH, and does not count as such according to the correct scholarly
opinion, because Allh says:
O Prophet! When you divorce women, divorce them at their iddah [65:1].
What is meant is when they are pure and the husband has not had intercourse with them
during that period of purity. This is the view of the scholars concerning the meaning of
the phrase divorce them at their iddah (prescribed periods). They should be pure, with
no intercourse having taken place during the period of purity, or pregnant. This is
divorce at the prescribed periods.680
In simple terms, women experience menstruation every month. The period after the
menstruation, and before a new one, is called the times of purity or period of purity or
iddah. The woman can only be divorced after each menstrual period, and before the husband
has sex with her. If, after the menstrual period, he has had sex with her, he has to wait till
another time of purity.
Moreover, after each divorce, the woman MUST observe a waiting period with the man, also
called iddah (lit. period of time). For pregnant woman, the waiting period is till delivery681. For
women in menopause or with no menses at all (due to a biological deformity), the period is 3
months682. In all other cases, the waiting period is 3 menstrual periods683.
During the waiting period, the couple are no longer fully husband and wife. But their divorce is
not complete yet. Therefore, they can still resume their marriage anytime before completion of
the waiting period. The moment they do that, the divorce is cancelled. However, if the waiting
period completes, the divorce becomes absolute. Then, the woman can do a new marriage with
the same man or any other man. The simple message here is that a divorce is NOT complete
until after this waiting period. The only exception is where the man has never had sex with the
woman. The divorce is complete without any waiting period684.
It must be stressed again that without the waiting period first observed, there can be no valid
re-marriage between the couple, and therefore no valid re-divorce:

680
Shaykh Ibn Bz, Fatwa Talq, p. 44

Qurn 65:4
682
Qurn 65:4
683
Qurn 2:228
684
Qurn 33:49
681
And when you have divorced women AND THEY HAVE FULFILLED THE TERM OF THEIR
PRESCRIBED PERIOD, either take them back on reasonable basis or set them free on
reasonable basis.685
After re-marrying the woman, the man may still re-divorce her. The rule remains the same of
course. She has to observe another waiting period before they can re-marry. But, there is a limit:

The divorce is twice, after that, either you retain her on reasonable terms or release her
with kindness. And it is not lawful for you (men) to take back (from your wives) any of
your mahr which you have given them, except when both parties fear that they would be
unable to keep the limits ordained by Allh. Then if you fear that they would not be able
to keep the limits ordained by Allh, then there is no sin on either of them in what she
gives back. These are the limits ordained by Allh, so do not transgress them. And
whoever transgresses the limits ordained by Allh, then such are the Zlimn. And if he
has divorced her (the third time), then she is not lawful unto him thereafter until she has
married another husband. Then, if the other husband divorces her, it is no sin on both of
them that they reunite, provided they feel that they can keep the limits ordained by Allh.
These are the limits of Allh, which He makes plain for the people who have
knowledge686
If a man divorces his wife a third time, he can no longer re-marry her until after she has been
married to, and divorced by, another man. If she decides never to re-marry, or her new husband
never divorces her, then she remains permanently forbidden to her ex-husband.
From the above, these poinst are undeniable:
1. There can be no divorce without a valid marriage.
2. A divorce is not complete until after the prescribed waiting period.
During the lifetime of the Messenger of Allh, some of his Sahbah wanted to skip all the
procedures laid down by the Qurn. In their rage against their women, they would say I
divorce you three times at once, and then treat that as three separate divorces! They dumped
the waiting period requirements, and ignored the fact that there can be no divorce without a
valid marriage! The Messenger of Allh REJECTED that from them, and enforced the Law of
Allh. Ab Bakr did the same. But, Umar changed the rules! Shaykh al-Albn records:
::

.:
Narrated Ibn Taws from his father:
685
686
Qurn 2:231
Qurn 2:229-230
Ab Sahb said to Ibn 'Abbs: Did you know that three divorces pronounced at once
were treated as one during the lifetime of Allh's Apostle, peace be upon him, and that of
Ab Bakr, and during (the first) three years of the Khilfah of Umar? Ibn Abbs said:
Yes.687
On its authenticity, Shaykh al-Albn states:
..:
.
I (Al-Albn) say: Its chain is sahh on the conditions of al-Bukhr. (Imm) Muslim has
recorded it. Al-Hkim declared it sahh on the conditions of the two Shaykhs, and alDhahab agrees with him.688
This hadth establishes that pronouncing divorce three times at a go was counted as merely one
divorce during the lifetime of the Prophet. There cannot possibly be a valid second divorce until
after a second valid re-marriage! The same goes for a third divorce! Just saying I divorce you
three times cannot replace these fundamental requirements.
Imm Muslim also records:
: ,
. , : .

Narrated Ibn 'Abbs:
The pronouncement of three divorces at once during the lifetime of Allh's Messenger,
peace be upon him, and that of Ab Bakr and two years of the Khilfah of Umar was
treated as only one divorce. But Umar b. al-Khattb said: Verily the people have begun
to hasten in the matter in which they are required to observe respite. So, perhaps, we
should impose this upon them. Therefore, he IMPOSED it upon them.689
Shaykh al-Albn records some reliable reports that give some further details:
:
.:
.--
- :
:!
-
687
st
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Sahh Ab Dwd (Kuwait: Muasassat Ghars li Nashr wa al-Tawz; 1
edition, 1423 H), vol. 6, p. 403, # 1910
688
Ibid, vol. 6, p. 404, # 1910
689
[annotator: Muhammad Fud Abd al-Bq+, vol. 2, p. 1099
: :

.
.
It is narrated on the authority of al-Hasan (al-Basr) that men used to divorce their wives
with three instantenous pronouncements of divorce. Therefore, Umar said, Perhaps, we
should place them upon the Book of Allh. Then he said, No! Rather, we will bind them
with what they have bound themselves.
Its narrators are trustworthy, although al-Hasan, who was al-Basr, did not hear from
Umar b. al-Khattb.
It is also narrated through another chain from him (al-Hasan al-Basr):
That Umar b. al-Khattb wrote to Ab Ms al-Ashar saying: I had wanted to make that
when a man divorces his wife at a sitting with three instantaneous pronouncements of
divorce only as one divorce. But the people have made it (three separate divorces) upon
themselves. So, each soul shall be bound by what it has bound itself. Whosoever says to
his wife You are harm (forever forbidden) to me then she shall be harm (unto him).
Whosoever says to his wife, You are a dot, then she shall be a dot! And whosoever says
(at a time), I divorce you three times, then that shall count as three separate divorces.
Its chain is sahh up to al-Hasan (al-Basr).690
The ahdth of Ibn Abbs and Hasan al-Basr are complementary and explain one another.
Certain things are obvious from them. Umar knew that what the people were doing was against
the Book of Allh through their bidah of making three instantaneous pronouncements of
divorce as three separate divorces, contrary to the clear Sunnah. Surprisingly, rather than
correct their bidah, he went ahead to literally impose it upon them! It is like if a group of young
Muslims illegally drink alcohol, and they are caught, and the Amr, instead of forbidding them
from alcohol, now goes ahead to impose it upon them. Can that ever be justifiable?
As a result of Umars imposition and institutionalization of that bidah then, it has remained the
standard Sunn Islmic ruling on the matter till today! Shaykh Muhammad Slih al-Munajjid, a
well-known Salaf lim, says:
Praise be to Allh.
Giving talq (divorce) three times at once is BID'AH, and goes against the yah
(interpretation of the meaning): When you divorce women, divorce them at their
iddah (prescribed periods) [al-Talq 65:1]. If a Muslim wants to divorce his wife, he
should divorce her according to the Sunnah, which is to give one talq at a time when his
wife is thir (not menstruating) and he has not yet had intercourse with her following her
period, or when it is clear that she is pregnant. According to the Shfii madhhab and THE
MAJORITY of other madhhabs, giving three talqs AT ONCE counts as THREE SEPARATE
TALQS and is irrevocable, and the couple cannot remarry until the woman has been
married to and divorced from another man. Other scholars say that three talqs given at
once count as only one talq.
690
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Sahh Ab Dwd (Kuwait: Muasassat Ghars li Nashr wa al-Tawz; 1
edition, 1423 H), vol. 6, p. 406, # 1910
st
And Allh knows best.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (emphasis added)691
One wonders how Umar arrived at the ugly conclusion that the best approach to a bidah is to
make it law, even at the expense of the loss of the Sunnah!
BIDAH THREE
Hajj al-Tamattu suffered from Umars whim as well. Despite that it is legislated in the Qurn
and Sunnah, he banned it! Imm al-Bukhr records what a prominent Sahb, Imrn b. Hasn,
said about the bidah:
:
The Verse of (Hajj) Tamattu was revealed in the Book of Allh, and we performed it with
the Messenger of Allh. Nothing was revealed in the Qurn to prohibit it, and the Prophet
never prohibited it till his death. But, a man said through HIS PERSONAL OPINION said
what he wished. Muhammad (a sub-narrator) said: It is said that he (the man) was
Umar.692
In some published versions of Sahh al-Bukhr, the last sentence has been expunged to protect
Umars image!
Imm al-Asqaln has this commentary of the first dangerous revelation:
{}
The one intended with the word man in his statement {But, a man through his personal
opinion said what he wished} is Umar.693
Imm al-Naysbr also records:
As for Imrn b. al-Hasn, he said, The Verse of (Hajj) Tamattu was revealed in the Book
of Allh, and we performed it with the Messenger of Allh. Nothing was revealed in the
Qurn to prohibit it, and the Prophet never prohibited it till his death. But, a man said
through his personal opinion said what he wished. He meant that Umar banned it.694
Just as Imrn said, the Qurnic provision on Hajj al-Tamattu (i.e. combining Hajj and Umrah) is
explicitly in Qurn [2:196]. Umar was well-aware of it. He also knew that Hajj al-Tamattu was
691
Fatwa # 2373, Giving talq (divorce) three times at once is bidah [http://islamqa.com/en/ref/2373/talq]
Ab Abd Allh Muhammad b. Isml al-Bukhr, al-Jmi al-Sahh (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr; 1401 H), vol. 5, p. 158.
693
Ab al-Fadl Ahmad b. Al b. Hajar al-Asqaln al-Shfi, Fath al-Br Sharh Sahh al-Bukhr (Egypt: Dr alst
Hadth; 1 edition), vol. 8, p. 321
694
st
Nadhm al-Dn al-Naysabr, Tafsr Gharib al-Qurn (Beirut; 1 edition), vol. 2, p. 392
692
part of the Sunnah. But, he gave himself the authority to alter the laws of Allh. Shaykh al-Albn
records this interesting narration:
, , : :
( )
Narrated Ibn Abbs:
I heard Umar saying: By Allh, I hereby forbid you from doing Hajj al-Tamattu, even
though it is in the Book of Allh and the Messenger of Allh did it, meaning doing Umrah
during Hajj. (Sahh)695
Apparently, Umar died upon this bidah, and it was continued after him by Uthmn. Imm alBukhr records:
, :
: ,

Narrated Marwn b. al-Hakam:
I witnessed Uthmn and Al, and Uthmn was prohibiting (Hajj) Tamattu (in which one
performs Hajj and Umrah together) and prohibiting from joining the two together (.e.
Hajj and Umrah). When Al saw this, he performed BOTH, saying At Your Service (O
Allh) with Umrah and Hajj. He also said: I will never leave the Sunnah of the Prophet
for the word of anyone.696
Imm al-Bukhr further records this allegation of Al to Uthmn, as a result of this bidah:

You intend nothing but to prohibit (people) from something that the Prophet did.697
All praise to Allh. This bidah of Umar and Uthmn did not survive them.
BIDAH FOUR
During the lifetime of the Messenger of Allh, the hadd (divinely prescribed punishment) for a
convicted drunk, according to the Sunn sources, was fixed at forty lashes of two palm branches,
a shoe, a hand, or a piece of cloth. Umar permanently changed it. Imm al-Bukhr records:
:
,
,
, ,
Narrated al-S'ib b. Yazd:
695
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Sahh Sunan al-Nis (Riyadh: Maktab al-Tarbiyyah al-Arab li Dawl alKhalj; 1408), vol. 2, p. 578
696
vol. 2, p. 175
697
We used to strike the drunks with our hands, shoes, clothes during the lifetime of the
Prophet, Ab Bakr and the early part of 'Umar's caliphate. But during the last period of
'Umar's caliphate, he used to give the drunk forty lashes; and when drunks became
mischievous and disobedient, he used to scourge them eighty lashes.698
Imm Muslim goes further to give information about how Umar arrived at his order:
:
, ,
. : ,
A person who had drink alcohol was brought to the Prophet. He gave him FORTY stripes
with two palm branches. Ab Bakr also did that (i.e. gave forty stripes with two palm
branches). But when Umar consulted the people, and Abd al-Rahmn said, The mildest
of the huddd (for alcoholism) is eighty (stripes with two palm branches). So 'Umar
ordered it.699
He also records:
:
: ,
: ? ,
.
Verily, the Prophet beat the drunk with palm branches and shoes, and that Abu Bakr gave
forty stripes. When Umar became the Wal, he summoned the people and said, Verily,
the people have gone to pastures and towns, what is your OPINION about the hadd for
alcoholism? Thereupon Abd al-Rahmn b. Awf said: Our OPINION is that you fix it (i.e.
eighty stripes with two palm branches) as the mildest of the huddd (for alcoholism).
Then 'Umar inflicted eighty stripes (with two palm branches).700
It is indeed a great wonder that Umar abandoned the Sunnah for the mere personal opinion of
Ibn Awf! He was well-aware that the Messenger of Allh, according to the Sunn sources, never
exceeded or gave less than forty stripes, whether he beat with double palm branches, a shoe, a
piece of cloth or his hand. Ab Bakr did the same thing throughout his caliphate. Umar knew
fully that this was the hadd (pl. huddd) of Allh for alcoholism. He also read that Allh has said
in His Book:
698
vol. 4, p. 2116
699
700
Ibid, vol. 3, p. 1331

These are the huddd of Allh. Therefore, NEVER exceed them. And whosoever exceeds
the huddd of Allh, they are the oppressors.701
Yet, he gave himself the authority to change Allhs huddd! By Allhs verdict, Umar was an
oppressor!
Why did he ask the people in the first place? Did he forget the hadd of Allh or the Sunnah?
Apparently, he did not. His own intention was to change it, and he did it upon the pretext of Ibn
Awfs anti-Sunnah opinion.
Umar rejected the hadd of Allh, which is fixed at forty stripes according to the books of the Ahl
al-Sunnah, and replaced it with a minimum of eighty stripes! The heavenly punishment for what
he did is nothing but Hellfire:

And whosoever disobeys Allh and His Messenger and exceeds His huddd, He will cause
him to enter Fire to abide in it forever, and he shall have an abasing chastisement.702
Interestingly, the Ahl al-Sunnah today follow the hadd of Umar, and reject that of Allh and His
Messenger. Shaykh Muhammad Slih al-Munjjid states:
With regard to the punishment of the drinker in this world, the punishment is flogging,
according to the consensus of the fuqaha, because of the report narrated by Muslim
(3281) from Anas (may Allh be pleased with him), who said that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allh be upon him) flogged the one who had drunk wine with palm branches
stripped of their leaves and with shoes.
But there is some difference of opinion as to the number of lashes. The majority of
scholars are of the view that it is eighty lashes for a free man and forty for others.
They quoted as evidence the hadth of Anas quoted above, in which it says that a man
who had drunk wine was brought to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allh be upon
him), and he had him flogged FORTY TIMES with two palm branches that had been
stripped of their leaves. Abu Bakr also did likewise (during his caliphate). When Umar
was the caliph, he consulted the people and Abd al-Rahmn said, The minimum
punishment is eighty, so that is what Umar commanded.
The Sahbah agreed with Umar (may Allh be pleased with him) and did not differ. The
Council of Senior Scholars is agreed that the punishment for one who drinks wine is THE
HADD PUNISHMENT, WHICH IS EIGHTY LASHES.703 (emphasis added)
To Allh we belong, and to Him we shall return! Can the erroneous ijtihd of the Sahbah or
their consensus change the hadd of Allh?! The matter gets even worse when one considers the
argument of some Sunn ulam, apparently to save Umar and the Sahbah, that Allh never
fixed a hadd for alcoholism! Wherever Allh has fixed no hadd, the implication is that He has left
701
Qurn 2:229
Qurn 4:14
703
Fatwa # 20037, What is the punishment for one who drinks alcohol, and are his prayer and fasting valid?
[http://islamqa.info/en/ref/20037]
702
the punishment to the tazr (discretion) of the judge. In tazr cases, no one has any right to fix
any hadd. Moreover, wherever Allh has fixed a hadd, none can increase, reduce or deviate from
it.
Therefore, even if it is agreed, arguendo, that Allh fixed no hadd for alcoholism (and therefore
Umar was right to have exceeded forty stripes), what right still did he have to fix a hadd in the
Shariah of Allh? The right to fix a hadd or declare an offence to be subject to tazr belongs to
Allh Alone:
Surely, the Verdict belongs to NONE but Allh.704

As such, according to our Lord, whosoever fixes a hadd has made himself a partner to Allh and
whosoever follows him is guilty of idolatry:

Or have they idols who have legislated for them in the religion that which Allh does not
sanction?705
Umar therefore turned himself into a god by fixing his own hadd for alcoholism, in any case. The
Ahl al-Sunnah literally accept him as a partner to Allh by following his hadd.
BIDAH FIVE
Do Sunns pray any nawfil (voluntary prayers) after the Asr (afternoon) prayer these days? Of
course, they do not! Umar cancelled them:
: , :
.
Narrated Mukhtr b. Fulful:
I asked Anas b. Mlik about the voluntary prayers after the afternoon prayer, and he
replied: 'Umar used to beat the people for offering the (voluntary) prayer AFTER the 'Asr
prayer.706
Imm Ahmad and Imm al-Tabarn also record:
,
: ,
: : .

Narrated Zayd b. Khlid al-Juhan:
704
Qurn 6:57
Qurn 42:21
706
705
Umar, while he was the caliph, saw me performing two rakahs AFTER Asr. He as a result
walked up to me and beat me while I was still praying. When I finished the prayer, I said,
O Amr al-Muminn, I swear by Allh, I will NEVER abandon it after seeing the Messenger
of Allh performing them.
So, Umar sat with me and said, O Zayd b. Khlid! If not that I fear that the people will
perform the prayer till the night, I would not have beaten them over it.707
Imm al-Haytham declares its chain hasan.708 He further records:
, :
: , :

Narrated Urwah b. Al-Zubayr:
Umar came out upon the people and beat them for praying two rakahs AFTER Asr, until
he got to Tamm al-Dr who said to him, I will never abandon the two rakahs. I prayed
them with the one who is better than you: the Messenger of Allh.
Al-Tabarn recorded it and its chain is that of the Sahh.709
Umar was fully aware that it was the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allh. Yet, he kept beating
them about it, to kill it! Today, due to Umars efforts, the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah have
abandoned it completely!
Of course, there is absolutely no doubt that it was the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allh. Imm
al-Bukhr records:
, : :

Narrated ishah:
There are two rakahs that the Messenger of Allh NEVER abandoned, neither in private
nor in public: two rakahs before the morning prayer, and two rakahs AFTER Asr.710
Imm Muslim further records:
. :
Narrated ishah:
707
Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad (Egypt: Muasasah al-Qurtubah; 1418 H) *annotator: Ahmad Muhammad Shkir+,
vol. 4, p. 115; Ab al-Qsim Sulaymn b. Ahmad al-Tabarn, Mujam al-Kabr (Mosul, Iraq: Matbuat al-Zahr
al-Hadthah)j, vol. 5, p. 228
708
Al b. Ab Bakr al-Haytham, Majma al-Zawid (Beirut: Dr al-Kitb al-Arab; 1402 H), vol. 2, p. 223
709
Ibid, vol., p. 222
710
vol. 1, p. 193
The Messenger of Allah NEVER abandoned observing two rak'ahs AFTER the 'Asr in my
room.711
Shaykh al-Albn however makes a blind attempt to defend Umar, and has a good piece of
advice to his Sunn brothers:
:
,]":?[
:?][:.
,][,
,,,
.",,
... :.)1/132"("
,
,,
....
,
... ,
Narrated al-Miqdm b. Shurayh, from his father:

I asked ishah about the prayer of the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, saying
How did he pray? She said, He used to pray Zuhr, then offered two rakahs after it. Then
he would offer Asr, and then offered two rakahs AFTER it. So, I said, But Umar beat the
people over them both (i.e. the two rakahs AFTER Asr) and FORBADE them? She
replied, Actually, Umar used to pray them both. He knew that the Messenger of Allh,
peace be upon him, used to offer it. However, your people are religious, and are stubborn.
They would pray Zuhr, and would then pray throughout the period between it and Asr.
They would also offer Asr and would then pray throughout the period between it and
Maghrib. As a result, Umar beat them, and he did well.
Ab al-Abbs al-Sirj recorded it in his Musnad (1/132). I say: Its chain is sahh ... and it is
an explicit proof that Umar, may Allh be pleased with him, did not forbid the two
rakahs themselves, as many people claim ... Rather, he only forbade them due to fear that
people might continue to pray long after it, or to delay them until the forbidden times,
that is when the sun is red. It was actually this time that Umar intended while forbidding
the prayer after Asr ....
The summary of the above is that the two rakahs after Asr are a Sunnah if they are
prayed after Asr, before the sun becomes red. Umars act of beating the people over them
is only his ijtihd (personal reasoning). Some of the Sahbah agreed with him, and others
opposed him ... But return to the Sunnah is obligatory.712
711
712
1013, # 2920
But, apart from ishahs mere assertion, there is no evidence that the Sahbah and Tbin were
offering or delaying these two rakahs till sunset! As Anas b. Mlik, Zayd b. Khlid al-Juhn, and
Urwah b. Al-Zubayr testified, those people were beaten by Umar while offering the two rakahs
after Asr (NOT at sunset) exactly as the Prophet did! Moreover, Umar himself said to Zayd b.
Khlid al-Juhan: O Zayd b. Khlid! If not that I fear that the people will perform the prayer till
the night, I would not have beaten them over it. Therefore, no one was praying it at sunset.
Umar only feared that people might abuse the two rakahs after Asr by extending or delaying it
till sunset. It was only a fear of its occurrence. Al-Hfiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqaln states in this
regard:
:
(:
)
(:
)
Abd al-Razzk recorded in the hadth of Zayd b. Khlid why Umar beat the people over it.
He said:
Narrated Zayd b. Khlid that Umar, while he was a caliph, saw him praying rakahs after
Asr and beat him. Then he mentioned the hadth, and in it is, And Umar said, O Zayd! If
not that I fear that the people will perform the prayer till the night, I would not have
beaten them over it.
Perhaps, Umar only thought that prohibiting the prayer after Asr was only out of fear
that it might be prolonged till sunset. This agrees with the aforementioned statement of
Umar, and what we have cited from Ibn al-Mundhir and others. Moreover, Yahya b.
Bukayr also narrated from al-Layth, from Ab al-Aswad, from Urwah, from Tamm alDr something like the report of Zayd b. Khlid, as well as the reply of Umar to him,
which includes these words I only fear that there may be a group AFTER YOU PEOPLE
who may be praying throughout the period between Asr and Maghrib, including even the
time in which the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, prohibited salh (i.e. during
sunset). This is further proof of what we said, and Allh knows best.713
In other words, NONE was praying the two rakahs during sunset throughout Umars lifetime!
Yet, even if it is assumed that he only wanted to prevent people who might want to pray till
sunset in the future, he was nonetheless completely wrong to have banned all those who were
following the Sunnah during his caliphate! Or, was his excuse only a cover?
Shaykh al-Albn himself continues:
:)433/2(
:,,,
.:.:?
713
Ibn Hajar al-Asqaln, Fath al-Br, vol. 2, p. 65
Abd al-Razzk recorded from him (2/433) with a sahh chain, from Ibn Tws, from his
father, who said:
Verily, Ab Ayb al-Ansr used to pray two rakahs AFTER Asr before the caliphate of
Umar. When Umar became the caliph, he abandoned it. When Umar died, he resumed
the two rakahs. It was therefore said to him, What is this? He replied, Umar beat the
people over the two rakahs.
Ibn Tws said, My father (Tws) did not abandon them.714
Under whatever pretext, is it not a bidah to beat the people for praying the two rakahs after
Asr and to forbid them?
Quite shockingly, almost all Sunn ulam have declared the two rakahs after Asr to be a bidah!
For instance, the Permanent Committee for Scientific Research and Ift in Saudi Arabia, the
highest-ranking official scholarly body in the kingdom, states:
Voluntary prayer after Asr is NOT permissible!715

This is despite that the Prophet and his Sahbah used to offer it!
BIDAH SIX
Uthmn, after from following some of Umars bidahs, also invented a few of his own. Imm alBukhr, for instance, records one of such:
, , , :

Narrated 'Abd Allh b. 'Umar:
I prayed two rakahs with the Prophet, Ab Bakr and 'Umar at Mina. I also prayed two
rakahs with'Uthman in the early days of his caliphate. But later on, he (Uthmn) offered
the full prayer (i.e. four rakahs).716
During Hajj, at Mina, the Sunnah was to offer only two rakahs. This is because the pilgrims are
legally considered travellers (except possibly for residents of Makkah only). Travellers are
obliged to shorten their prayers (i.e. from four rakahs to two rakahs). The Prophet, a traveller
from Madnah, did this, and never changed it till his death. Ab Bakr and Umar did the same.
But, Uthmn deviated from the obligatory Sunnah and offered four rakahs instead!
Imm Mlik records some ahdth related to this discourse in his Muwatta:
Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Said ibn al-Musayyab that Umar ibn
al-Khattab prayed two rakas with everybody when he arrived in Makka. Then, when he
714
Ibid
Fatwa Al-Lajnah al-Dim lil Buhth al-Ilmiyyah wa al-Ift, vol. 6, p. 174, # 19518
(http://www.alifta.net/fatawa/fatawachapters.aspx?View=Page&PageID=12377&PageNo=1&BkID=3)
716
vol. 1, p. 325
715
had finished, he said, "People of Makka, complete your prayer, because we are a group of
travellers." Later, Umar ibn al-Khattab prayed two rakas with them at Mina, but we have
not heard that he said anything to them on that occasion.717 (emphasis added)
And:
Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from his father that Umar ibn alKhattab prayed two rakas with the people of Makka, and then, when he had finished, he
said, "People of Makka, complete your prayer, because we are a group of travellers."
Later, Umar prayed two rakas with them at Mina, but we have not heard that he said
anything to them on that occasion.
Malik was asked whether the people of Makka should pray two rakas at Arafa or four,
and whether the amir of the hajj, if he was a Makkan, should pray dhuhr and asr with four
rakas or two, and also how the people of Makka who were living (at Mina) should pray,
and he said, "The people of Makka should pray only two rakas at Arafa and Mina for as
long as they stay there, and should shorten the prayer until they return to Makka. The
amir of the hajj, if he is a Makkan, should also shorten the prayer at Arafa and during the
days of Mina. Anyone who is living at Mina as a resident should do the full prayer at Mina,
and similarly anyone who lives at Arafa and is a resident there should do the full prayer
at Arafa."718 (emphasis added)
Shaykh al-Munjjid gives further explanations:
With regard to shortening prayers when travelling, this is a confirmed Sunnah (Sunnah
muakkadah) which should NOT be forsaken. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allh
be upon him) shortened prayers during all his journeys, and it is not proven that he
offered the prayers in full whilst travelling.... In the Sunnah, this is indicated by the fact
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allh be upon him) shortened his prayers on all
his journeys, which indicates that the Sunnah for the traveller is to shorten his prayers....
The traveller does NOT have the choice between shortening or not shortening his
prayers; rather it is confirmed that he should shorten his prayers, unless he is praying
behind an imam who is offering the prayer in full, in which case he should offer the
prayer in full behind him.719
This was why Abd Allh b. Masd was literally shocked when he heard of Uthmns bidah, and
expressed clear doubts about the validity of praying such four rakahs behind him. Imm Muslim
records:
, :
, , :
,
Narrated 'Abd al-Rahman b. Yazd:
Uthmn led us in prayer at Mina and offered FOUR rakahs. 'Abd Allh b. Masd was
informed about it. He said (in shock), "Truly to Allh we belong and truly to Him we shall
717
Malik's Muwatta by Imam Malik, translation by A'isha Àbdarahman at-Tarjumana and Ya`qub Johnson ,
Volume: Hajj Chapter: Doing the Prayer at Mina, # 211
718
Ibid, # 212
719
Fatwa 82751, Ruling on shortening prayers whilst travelling (http://islamqa.com/en/ref/82751)
return!" Then he added, "I prayed two rakahs with the Messenger of Allh at Mina and I
prayed two rakahs with Ab Bakr, and I prayed two rakahs with Umar. May I be lucky
enough to have two of the four rakahs accepted (by Allh when I pray with him)!"720
If this was not a bidah, then nothing is!
BIDAH SEVEN
Uthmn stepped up in bidah career by introducing an additional azn to the Jumuah prayer,
notoriously called the first azn. Imm al-Bukhr records:
:

, ,
Narrated al-Sib b. Yazd:
Verily, the azn used to be made for the first time when the Imm sat on the pulpit on
Friday during the lifetimes of Allhs Apostle, Ab Bakr and Umar. During the caliphate
of Uthmn, when the population grew, Uthmn ordered a THIRD azn. So, the azn was
made at al-Zawra (the market), and the practice became the law.721
He also records:
:
Narrated al-Sib b. Yazd:
The one who ADDED the third azn on Friday was Uthmn b. Affn. 722
Shaykh Muhammad Slih al-Munjjid defends this bidah:
This is correct, because at the time of the Messenger of Allh (peace and blessings of
Allh be upon him), there was just one adhn, but when Uthmn became khalfah and
Madnah became larger, Uthmn thought that the call for Jumuah should be given before
the time, so the people could get ready for the prayer. This is what is called the first
adhn....There is no contradiction here, because it is called the third call in the sense that
it was something ADDED; the first in the sense that it comes before the adhn and
iqmah; and the second in the sense that this is an adhn given in addition to the real
adhn, which was given in al-Zawr. Abu Abd-Allh i.e., al-Bukhri said that al-Zawr
was a place in the market of Madnah. Narrated by al-Bukhri, 870.
This adhn is not a bidah or reprehensible innovation, rather it is one of the Sunnahs of
the Rightly-Guided Khalfah Uthmn ibn Affn (may Allh be pleased with him), which
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allh be upon him) urged us to adhere to when he
said: I urge you to adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly-Guided khalfahs
after me.
720
721
vol. 1, p. 272
722
Ibid
Moreover there is a sound reason behind it, which is to alert the people to the fact that
the time of prayer is at hand. And it is worth noting that there are no rulings attached to
this (first) adhn, such as the prohibition on buying or selling or the obligation to go to
the mosque, and that Uthmn was wise to have this call made in the marketplace and not
in the mosque. This is no more than an alert to the people, to let them know that the time
for prayer is at hand, because the houses were far away and far from one another, as
mentioned above.
Hence it was narrated that Ali (may Allh be pleased with him) did not do that in Kufa
because there was no need for it.723 (emphasis added)
Shaykh Ibn Bz also states:
It is true, as stated by the questioner, that during the Prophet's lifetime there was a single
Adhan for Jumuàh Prayer, and Iqamah (call to start the Prayer) was announced right
after the Prophet (peace be upon him) would conclude the Khutbah (sermon). Whenever
the Prophet (peace be upon him) ascended the Minbar to deliver the Khutbah, the
Mu'adhin (caller to Prayer) would announce Adhan and then the Prophet would start
delivering the two Khutbahs. Afterwards the Iqamah was announced.
This practice is well-known to have taken place during the Prophet's lifetime as has been
stated by the questioner. This matter is known to the people of knowledge and Iman
(faith). When the number of Muslims living in Madinah increased during the reign of the
Rightly-Guided Caliph Ùthman ibn Àffan (may Allah be pleased with him), he thought of
INTRODUCING a second Adhan which came to be known as Adhan-Awwal (first call to
Prayer). This Adhan was intended to draw the attention of Muslims towards the Jumuàh
Prayer so that they would prepare to go to Masjids sometime before the ordinary Adhan
was announced. The same practice was adopted by the Companions including Àly (may
Allah be pleased with him), Àbdul-Rahman ibn Àwf, Al-Zubayr ibn Al-Awwam, Talhah
ibn Ùbaydullah (may Allah be pleased with them all), and other great and renowned
Companions....
Thus, the practice FIRST took place during Ùthman's caliphate and was later followed by
most Muslims of all times and places until our present time. Ever since Muslims have
been adopting the practice introduced by Ùthman (may Allah be pleased with him)
which was in the best interest of Muslims. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with
adopting the practice which Ùthman has INTRODUCED. This view is based on the Hadith
in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: You MUST follow my
Sunnah and that of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs. Stick to them and hold fast to them.724
(emphasis added)
The Ahl al-Sunnah basically award the right to legislate in the religion to their so-called rightly
guided caliphs. First and foremost, the Prophet had defined his rightly guided khalfahs as only
his Ahl al-Bayt. Shaykh al-Albn records that the Prophet said:
:
( )
723
Fatwa # 13478, Are the compilation of the Qurn and the first adhn for Jumuah forms of bidah
(innovation)? (http://islamqa.info/en/ref/13478)
724
Fatwas of Ibn Bz, vol. 12, Book on Salah, pp. 347-349
Uthmn was not from the Ahl al-Bayt!
Secondly, the Sunnah of the true rightly guided Khalfahs contains absolutely NO innovations or
new things in the religion. Shaykh al-Albn records that the Prophet said to his Sahbah shortly
before his death:
,,,
,,,
,,
I advise you to fear Allh, and to listen and obey, even if (the ruler is) an Ethiopian slave.
Whosoever among you lives long after me will see a lot of differences and disagreements.
Therefore, follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Khalfahs who are divinely guided
(al-mahdiyn) and are rightly guided (al-rshidn). Adhere to them and cling stubbornly
to them. BEWARE OF THE INNOVATIONS IN THE (RELIGIOUS) AFFAIRS, FOR EVERY
INNOVATION IS A BIDAH, and every bidah is misguidance.726
How can Uthmn be one of the divinely and rightly guided with his innovation? How can
anyone justify his innovation with this explicit hadth?
Moreover, the religion belongs to Allh:

And you see that the people enter the religion of Allh in crowds.727
As a result of this fact, only He can prescribe or order in the religion:

Say: Allh knows best how long they remained; to Him are (known) the unseen things of
the heavens and the earth; how clear His sight and how clear His hearing! There is none
to be a guardian for them besides Him, and He does not make ANY ONE His associate in
His Legislation, Verdict and Judgment.728
Only our Lord can legislate in His religion. Even the Prophet had no such power:

725
1, p. 423, # 4222
726
nd
MuHammad NSir al-Dn al-Albn, Irw al-Ghall (Beirut: Maktabah al-Islm; 2 edition, 1405 H) vol. 8, p.
107, #2455
727
Qurn 110:2. See also 3:83 and 24:2
728
Qurn 18:26
And when Our clear yahs are recited to them, those who hope not for Our meeting say:
Bring a Qurn other than this or change it. Say: It does not beseem me that I should
change it of myself; I follow nothing but what is revealed to me; surely I fear, if I disobey
my Lord, the punishment of a Mighty Day.729
Allh also states:

Say: I am not the first of the messengers, and I do not know what will be done with me or
with you: I do not follow anything but that which is revealed to me, and I am nothing but a
plain warner.730
The Book of Allh continues:

By the star when it goes down. Your companion (Muhammad) has neither gone astray
nor has erred. Nor does he speak out of (his own) desire. It is only a revelation
revealed.731
The classical position of the Ahl al-Sunnah too is that the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad was
a revelation from Allh. Shaykh al-Munjjid says:
It is essential that it be established in the mind and heart of every Muslim that the Sunnah
which is the words, deeds and approval that are attributed to the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allh be upon him) is one of the two parts of divine Revelation that were
revealed to the Messenger of Allh (peace and blessings of Allh be upon him). The other
part of the Revelation (Wahy) is the Holy Qurn.
Allh says (interpretation of the meaning):
Nor does he speak of (his own) desire.
4. It is only a Revelation revealed
[al-Najm 53:3-4]
It was narrated from al-Miqdm ibn Madi Yakrib (may Allh be pleased with him) that
the Messenger of Allh (peace and blessings of Allh be upon him) said:
Verily I have been given the Qurn AND SOMETHING SIMILAR TO IT along with it. But
soon there will be a time when a man will be reclining on his couch with a full stomach,
and he will say, You should adhere to this Qurn: what you find that it says is
permissible, take it as permissible, and what you find it says is forbidden, take it as
forbidden. But indeed, whatever the Messenger of Allh forbids is like what Allh
forbids.
729
Qurn 10:15
Qurn 46:9
731
Qurn 53:1-4
730
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2664). He said: It is hasan gharb with this isnd. It was classed
as hasan by al-Albni in al-Silsilah al-Sahhah (2870).
This is what was understood by the righteous salaf (may Allh be pleased with them):
Hassn ibn Atiyah said in al-Kifyah by al-Khatb (12):
Jibrl used to bring the Sunnah down to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allh be upon
him) as he used to bring the Qurn down to him. End quote.
Narrated by al-Drimi in his Sunan (588) and by al-Khatb in al-Kifyah (12). It was
attributed by al-Hfiz in al-Fath (13/291) to al-Bayhaqi, and he said: With a sahh
isnd.732 (emphasis added)
Since the so-called sunnah of Uthmn was his personal opinion, and not from Allh, it is
apparent that it is nothing but a bidah! Whosoever follows it has given him a right that even the
Prophet Muhammad did NOT have, and has made him a partner to Allh in His religion.
Finally, to say that since Uthmn did not attach conditions to his azn, or did not make it in the
mosque, it is therefore not a bidah, is to make this grave issue a very cheap joke. The Ahl alSunnah today follow his bidah as a religious duty, as though it came from Allh. They consider it
religiously binding upon them to practise Uthmns third azn. This alone, in itself, makes it a
bidah in the religion in all the senses of the word (regardless of the other factors). Besides,
Uthmn himself imposed it, by an express order, upon the Ummah.
BIDAH EIGHT
Muwiyah too added his own cents to the bidahs. Imm Ibn Ab Shaybah records:
:
Narrated Sad b. Al-Musayyab:
The first person to INNOVATE azn for both Eids (i.e. the prayers for each of the two
Eids) was Muwiyah.733
Imm Ibn Hajar al-Asqaln further states about azn for the salh of both Eids:

.
There is disagreement about the first to INNOVATE azn in it (i.e. the Salh). Ibn Ab
Shaybah recorded with a sahh chain from Sad b. Al-Musayyab that it was Muwiyah.734
Imm al-Qastaln also states:
.
732
Fatwa # 77243, The sahh Sunnah is wahy (Revelation) from Allh (http://islamqa.info/en/ref/77243)
Ab Bakr Abd Allh b. Muhammad b. Ab Shaybah, al-Musannaf (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah; 1416 H)
[annotator: Muhammad Abd al-Salm Shhn), vol. 1, p. 491
734
Ahmad b. Hajar al-Asqaln, Fath al-Br (Egypt: al-Matbaah al-Bahiyah al-Masriyyah; 1348 H), vol. 2, p.
362
733
The first to INNOVATE azn in it (i.e. the Salh) was Muwiyah. Ibn Ab Shaybah recorded
it with a sahh chain.735
Finally, Imm al-Shawkn caps it:
:
Ibn Ab Shaybah narrated with a sahh chain from Ibn al-Musayyab who said: The first to
INNOVATE azn in the Eid was Muwiyah.736
It is interesting to note that the very word used to describe Muwiyahs action is the same used
by the Messenger of Allh in this authentic hadth:
) (
The worst of the matters are the innovations (in religion). All INNOVATIONS (in religion)
are bidahs, and every bidah is misguidance, and every misguidance leads to Hellfire.
(Sahh)737
Was Muwiyahs azn an innovation in the religion or not? It was certain an innovation in the
religion of Allh, and therefore a clear bidah and misguidance that led to Hellfire.
There are tons of other bidahs like tarwh, abandonment of khums, rejection of taqiyyah and
combined salh, change in the rules and formats of wud and salh, change in the rules of the
fasting of Ramadn basically, everything was changed by the Sahbah as both Anas b. Mlik
and Ab Dard testified. We, insh Allh, will be dealing with them in extensive details in a later
volume of this book.
BIDAH NINE
The Sunnah of the Messenger of Allh, with regards to Imm Al, is to love him. Shaykh al-Albn
states:
--
:--
."..."
""
The ahdth proving the love of the Prophet, peace be upon him, for Al, may Allh be
pleased with him, are extremely many. The most authentic of them is the hadth of the
Flag of the Day of Khaybar, which includes this statement of the Prophet, peace be upon
him (about Al):
I will give this flag to a man who loves Allh and His Messenger, and whom Allh and His
Messenger love
735
Shihb al-Dn Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Qastaln, Irshd al-Sr (Beirut: Dr Ihy al-Turth), vol. 2, p. 211
Muhammad b. Al al-Shawkn, Nayl al-Awtr (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah), vol. 3, p. 295
737
736
Several of the Sahbah narrated it in the two Sahhs and in other sources.738
Since love of Al is the Sunnah, hatred of him is therefore certainly a bidah. It is opposition to
and deviation from the Sunnah. This is why the Nawsib are no doubt innovators. The Salaf
scholar, Shaykh Muhammad Slih al-Munjjid firmly declares:
. (339/7(

.
So the Nsibis are those who hate Ahl al-Bayt, especially Ali (may Allh be pleased with
him), and some of them slander him and some accuse him of being a rebellious evildoer,
and some of them regard him as a kfir, as was referred to by Shaykh al-Islam (Manhj alSunnah, 7/339).
One of the most well-known groups who emerged from among the Nsibis were the
Khrijis who rebelled against Ali (may Allh be pleased with him) and regarded him as a
kfir, and they added other innovations to that.
Undoubtedly rebelling and hating the Ahl al-Bayt and other Sahbah is A SERIOUS KIND
OF BIDAH (INNOVATION) that implies slandering this religion which was transmitted to
us via the Sahbah, the Ahl al-Bayt and others.739
Hatred takes several forms, and includes abuses, curses, slanders, and warfare. Warfare is the
worst stage of hatred. Muwiyah and ishah literally mounted armed rebellions against Imm
Al, and thereby murdered thousands of his supports and followers. Therefore, they and their
followers are Nawsib.
For the avoidance of doubt, Muwiyah and his followers were Nawsib. Al-Hfiz Ibn Kathr
states:
, :
.,
The Khalfahs from Ban Umayyah were like this ALL OF THEM were Nsibs, except
Imm Umar the Pious: Muwiyah, then his son Yazd, then his grandson Muwiyah alSadd; Marwn, then his son Abd Al-Malik .740
738
135, # 3332
739
Fatwa # 43322, Who are the Naasibis and what is the ruling on them? [http://islamqa.info/ar/ref/43322]
and [http://islamqa.info/en/ref/43322]
740
st
Ab al-Fid Imd al-Dn b. Kathr al-Qursh al-Dimashq, al-Bidyah wa al-NIhyah (1 edition, 1419 H) vol.
17, p. 375
Al-Dhahab confirms this:
:
Then the Nawsib, and they were those who fought Al on the Day of Siffn (i.e. Muwiyah
and his army)741.
Apart from Muwiyah, the majority of the Sahbah also turned Nawsib after the death of the
Prophet, including of course ishah. Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah affirms:
.

ishah, in particular, confessed that she was an innovator! Imm al-Hkim records:
::
:
Narrated Qays b. Ab Hzim:

ishah, may Allh be pleased with her, while speaking about her burial in her house with
the Messenger of Allh and Ab Bakr, said: I invented an INNOVATION after the
Messenger of Allh. Bury me with his wives. So, she was buried at al-Baq.743
Both al-Hkim and al-Dhahab declare the hadth to be sahh on the conditions of al-Bukhr and
Muslim744.
The innovation of ishah was her armed Nsibism. She was the first to take arms in Nsibism.
Shaykh al-Albn was disturbed by the prospects of ishah being an innovator. So, he offered a
defence:
::
.
.:
Narrated Qays:
741
Ab Abd Allh Shams al-Dn Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Dhahab, Siyar Alm al-Nubal (Muasassah alRisaalah; 1405 H) *annotator: Shuayb al-Arnat+, , vol. 5, p. 374
742
st
743
st
edition, 1411 H), vol. 4, p. 7, # 6717
744
Ibid
ishah, while speaking about her burial in her house, said: I invented an INNOVATION
after the Messenger of Allh. Bury me with his wives. So, she was buried at al-Baq, may
Allh be pleased with her.
I (al-Albn) say: She was referring to her journey (to war) on the Day of al-Jamal (against
Al). As a result of it, she REGRETTED totally, AND REPENTED from it. And she did not do
what she did except in twl, intending good, just as Talhah b. Abd Allh and al-Zubayr b.
al-Awwm too did. They were all from the senior Sahbah. May Allh be pleased with all
of them.745
In simple terms, ishah, Talhah and al-Zubayr were innovators by the confirmation of ishah!
But, Shaykh al-Albn thinks that they will be rewarded by Allh for their bidah, one which
resulted in the loss of thousands of lives! ishah was indeed correct that she was the first to
invent this specie of Nsibism. She launched her war against Al in 656 H, while Muwiyah
launched his own armed rebellion in 657. The Khrij rebellion took place much later. She
invented armed Nsibism against Al and the Ahl al-Bayt. As for non-armed hatred of Al, she
was only one of its pioneers.
However, the Messenger of Allh clearly rejected Shaykh al-Albns excuse! Imm Ahmad
records that the Messenger of Allh said:
)
(
WHOSOEVER invents an INNOVATION or helps an innovator, the Curse of Allh is upon
him, and that of all the angels, and all mankind. (Its chain is sahh on the conditions of the
two Shaykhs)746
This leaves no exception, and therefore covers Umar, Uthmn, Muwiyah, ishah, Talhah and
al-Zubayr in their various bidahs! There can be no instance where any individual is rewarded
for his bidah!
Imm al-Nis also records that the Prophet said:
) (
guidance of Muhammad. The worst of the matters are the innovations (in religion). All
innovations (in religion) are bidahs, and ALL bidahs are misguidance, and all
The phrase all bidahs also leave no exception. Every bidah, whatsoever its intention or
purpose, attracts nothing but Hellfire!
745
473
746
747
Another aspect to the bidah of ishah is that she and her followers (i.e. Talhah, al-Zubayr,
Muwiyah, the Khawrij and their followers) hurt Imm Al and his government terribly. They
frustrated his efforts, brought sorrow to his heart, and murdered his dearest followers. Shaykh
al-Albn himself records that the Prophet said:
)(
Whosoever hurts Al has hurt me. (Sahh)748
Dr. Assad grades the chain of the hadth to be sahh749, as well as al-Hkim and al-Dhahab750 and
al-Haytham751 while Ibn Hibbn has included it in his Sahh752.
Hurting involves doing anything that displeases. This includes making a false charge, as in this
verse:

O you who believe! Be not like those who hurt Ms, but Allh cleared him of that which
they alleged, and he was honourable before Allh.753
Another way to hurt is to abuse:

And among them are men who hurt the Prophet and say: "He is an ear (i.e. listens to
everyone)." Say: "He listens to what is best for you; he believes in Allh, has faith in the
believers, and is a mercy to those of you who believe." But those who hurt Allh's
Messenger will have a painful torment.754
Even causing mere nuisance to someone amounts to hurting him:

O you who believe! Enter not the Prophet's houses, unless permission is given to you for a
meal, not to wait for its preparation. But when you are invited, enter, and when you have
748
373; Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, Sahh wa Daf al-Jmi al-Saghr wa Ziydatuh (al-Maktab al-Islm),
vol. 1, p. 1087, # 10868
749
Ab Abd Allh Ahmad b. Hanbal al-Shaybn, Fadil al-Sahbah (Beirut, Lebanon: Muasassah al-Risaalah;
1st edition, 1403 H)) [annotator: Dr. Wasiyyullh Muhammad Abbs+, vol. 2, p. 633, # 1078
750
st
edition, 1411 H), vol. 3, p. 131, # 4619
751
Ab al-Hasan Al b. Ab Bakr al-Haytham, Majma al-Zawid (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr; 1412 H), vol. 9, p. 174, #
14736
752
nd
p.365, #6923
753
Qurn 33:69
754
Qurn 9:61
taken your meal, disperse without sitting for a talk. Verily, such (behaviour) hurts the
Prophet, and he is shy of (asking) you (to go).755
Harrassing anyone also equals hurting him:

O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw
their cloaks all over their bodies. That will be better, that they should be known so as not
to be hurt. And Allh is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.756
Would it be logical to say that cursing and fighting Al do not translate into hurting him? May
Allh save us from His Anger and Curse! Even Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah admits that Nawsib
(including ishah and Muwiyah and their followers) hurt Al by word and deed:
.....
They (i.e., the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamah) love the Ahl al-Bayt of the Messenger of Allh,
peace be upon him; they regard them with love and loyalty, and they heed the command
of the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him concerning them but they reject the way
of the Rawfid who hate the Sahbah and curse them, and they reject the way of the
NAWSIB WHO HURT THE AHL AL-BAYT IN WORDS (i.e. by cursing) AND DEED (by
enmity against them and their followers).757
Hurting Al is tantamount to hurting the Messenger of Allh, which, by extension, means hurting
Allh. The punishment is very severe:

.

Verily, those who hurt Allh and His Messenger, Allh has CURSED them in this world and
in the Hereafter, and has prepared for them a humiliating torment.758
There is no reward for twl, but the eternal Curse of Allh for all Nawsib!
755
Qurn 33:53
Qurn 33:59
757
Ibn Taymiyyah, Al-Aqdah al-Wsitiyyah, vol. 3, p. 154.
758
Qurn 33:57
756
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THE SAHBAH IN HELLFIRE
A great wonder that any researcher into Sunn Islm comes across is how they maintain that
NONE of the Sahbah was an innovator despite all their innovations, that all of them were
righteous guides, and that all of them will be in Paradise. It is simply impossible to link their
conclusions with the facts. Worse still, there is a specific mutawtir hadth in their most
authentic books, which absolutely prove that most of the Sahbah will be in Hellfire for their
bidahs! This is the Hadth of the Lake-Font. This chapter examines the hadth in-depth.
The shocking hadth has been narrated by several of the Sahbah. We will be analysing each of
their reports of this decisive word of Allh and His Messenger.
NARRATOR ONE: ABD ALLH B. ABBS
Imm al-Bukhr records at several places:
:
::

:
:
:
Narrated Ibn Abbas:

The Prophet said, "You will be gathered (on the Day of Qiymah), bare-footed, naked and
not circumcised." He then recited:--'As We began the first creation, We, shall repeat it: A
Promise We have undertaken: Truly we shall do it.' (21.104) He added, "The first to be
dressed on the Day of Qiymah, will be Ibrhm, and some of MY SAHBAH will be taken
towards the left side (i.e. to the Fire), and I will say: 'My Sahbah! My Sahbah!' It will be
said: 'They renegade from Islm AFTER YOU LEFT THEM.' Then I will say as the pious
slave (i.e. s) said. 'And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them. When
You took me up You were the Watcher over them, And You are a witness to all things. If
You punish them. They are Your slaves And if You forgive them, Verily you, only You are
the All-Mighty, the All-Wise." (5.120-121)759
This hadth establishes the gravity of the bidahs. Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah for instance states:
.

This is kufr according to this reliable hadth:
759
rd
[annotator: Dr. Mustaf Db al-Bagh+, vol. 3, p. 1222, # 3171; vol. 3, p. 1272, # 3263; vol. vol. 4, p. 1691 #
4349; vol. 4, p. 1766, # 4463
760
st

)(.
Whosoever loves Al verily loves me, and whosoever loves me verily loves Allh the
Almighty. WHOSOEVER hates Al verily hates me, and WHOSOEVER hates me verily hates
Allh the Almighty. (Sahh)761
This bidah of hatred of Al is equal to hatred of Allh and His Messenger, which is nothing but
total, hidden apostasy.
NARRATOR TWO: ABD ALLH B. MASD
:
:
Narrated Ibn Masd:
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: I will be your predecessor at the Pond. Some
persons FROM AMONGST YOU will be presented to me. Then they will be blocked away
from me. Therefore, I will say, O my Lord! They are my Sahbah! It will be said, You do
not know what INNOVATIONS they introduced after your death.762
The Messenger of Allh was speaking to his Sahbah, and telling them these hellbound
innovators would be from amongst them. Moreover, Allh will not reject his calling them his
Sahbah, thereby affirming it. Their crimes are their bidahs AFTER the death of the Prophet.
NARRATOR THREE: AB BAKRAH
Imm Ahmad further records:
:I

Narrated Ab Bakra:
The Messenger of Allh said, Some persons from amongst THOSE WHO ACCOMPANIED
AND SAW ME will meet me at the Lake-Font. They will be presented to me. But then, they
will be blocked away from me. I will say, O my Lord! My Sahbah! My Sahbah! It will be
said, You do not know what INNOVATIONS they introduced after your death.763
761
288, # 1299
762
rd
[annotator: Dr. Mustaf Db al-Bagh+, vol. 5, p. 2404, # 6205 and vol. 6, p. 2587, # 6642
763
Ab Abd Allh Ahmad b. Hanbal al-Shaybn, Musnad (Beirut, Lebanon: Muasassat al-Rislah; 1416 H)
[annotators: Shuayb al-Arnat and others], vol. 3, p. 346, #14768, vol. 15, p. 230, # 20373
The annotator, Shaykh Hamzah Ahmad al-Zayn, states:
Its chain is hasan.764

This confirms our contention: these people accompanied the Prophet and saw him. This refutes
whoever claims that the Sahbah in the hadth are the entire Ummah!
This is confirmed by al-Bukhr who records:
:
:
Narrated al-Al b. al-Musayyab, from his father:
I met al-Bar b. zib, may Allh be pleased with them both, and I said, Congratulations
to you! You ACCOMPANIED the Prophet, peace be upon him, and gave him bayah under
the Tree. As a result of this, he replied, O son of my brother, you do not know what WE
HAVE INNOVATED (in the religion) after him (i.e. the Prophet).765
ishah also confessed that she was an innovator! Imm al-Hkim records:
::
:
Narrated Qays b. Ab Hzim:

ishah, may Allh be pleased with her, while speaking about her burial in her house with
the Messenger of Allh and Ab Bakr, said: I invented an INNOVATION after the
Messenger of Allh. Bury me with his wives. So, she was buried at al-Baq.766
Both al-Hkim and al-Dhahab declare the hadth to be sahh on the conditions of al-Bukhr and
Muslim767.
This leaves no doubt that the hadth of Ab Bakrah refers to those very people that the Ahl alSunnah follow in their religion.
NARRATOR FOUR: AB HURAYRAH
764
Ibid
rd
766
st
edition, 1411 H), vol. 4, p. 7, # 6717
767
Ibid
765
:
:
::
!:
:
!:
.::
!:
:
:
While I am standing, a group of persons came (to me). AND ONCE I WILL RECOGNIZE
THEM, a man will come between me and them, saying (to them), Lets go. I will say, To
where? He will say, To Hellfire, I swear by Allh! I will say, What is their offence? He
will say, They apostated after your death!
Then, another group will come, and when I RECOGNIZE THEM, a man will come between
me and them, saying (to them), Lets go. I will say, To where? He will say, To Hellfire, I
swear by Allh! I will say, What is their offence? He will say, They apostated after your
death.
I do not see any of them escaping except very few.768
This specific hadth is about those personaly familiar to the Messenger of Allh. Most of them
will be in Hellfire for apostasy, through their blasphemous bidahs, after him.
NARRATOR FIVE: ISHAH B. AB BAKR
Imm Muslim records:
: - - :
:
Narrated ishah:
I heard the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, saying WHILE HE WAS IN FRONT OF
HIS SAHBAH: I will be YOUR predecessor at the Lake-Font, expecting whosoever FROM
AMONGST YOU will meet me. By Allh, some persons will be cut away from me, and I will,
as a result say O my Lord! They are from me, and from my Ummah. Allh will say,
Verily, you do not know what they did after your death. They did not cease to turn back
upon their heels.769
768
rd
769
[annotator:Muhammad Fud Abd al-Bq], vol. 4, p. 1794, # 2294
The Messenger of the Lord of the worlds will testify for them. But, Allh will inform him that
those people changed to evil after his death, thereby nullifying the testimony. The Prophet will
give testimony upon what he saw about them during his lifetime, thinking that they maintained
the same course after his death. Our Lord will reveal to him the bitter truth.
NARRATOR SIX: ANAS B. MLIK
Imm Muslim records:
:
: :


The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, Some persons from amongst THOSE WHO
ACCOMPANIED ME will meet me at the Lake-Font. I will see them, and they will be
presented to me. Then, they will be blocked away from me. I will say: O my Lord, THEY
ARE MY SAHBAH! THEY ARE MY SAHBAH. It will be said to me: You do not know what
INNOVATIONS they introduced after your death.770
This makes it clearer: they were among those who accompanied the Prophet during his lifetime.
This hadth from al-Bukhr tells us only the Sahbah match that description:
:
:
Narrated al-Al b. al-Musayyab, from his father:
I met al-Bar b. zib, may Allh be pleased with them both, and I said, Congratulations
to you! You ACCOMPANIED the Prophet, peace be upon him, and gave him bayah under
the Tree. As a result of this, he replied, O son of my brother, you do not know what WE
HAVE INNOVATED (in the religion) after him (i.e. the Prophet).771
They were good Muslims before his death, which is why Allh will be punishing them only for
what they did after him. They are his Sahbah. If not, Allh will certainly correct his Prophet, as
He did with Nh. Moreover, they were not among the so-called apostates murdered during Ab
Bakrs caliphate. Allh will not be punishing them for apostasy, disbelief or hypocrisy but for
bidahs.
NARRATOR SEVEN: ASM B. AB BAKR
770
[annotator:Muhammad Fud Abd al-Bq], vol. 4, p. 188, #2304
771
rd
::
:
.!::
:
Narrated Asm b. Ab Bakr:
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: I will be at the Lake-Font expecting whoever will
meet me FROM AMONGST YOU. Some people will be taken away from me. So, I will say,
They are from me, and from my Ummah. It will be said, Do you know what they did
after your death? By Allh! They did not cease to turn back upon their heels.
As a result (of this hadth) Ibn Ab Mulaykah (a Sahb) used to say: O Allh, we seeks
refuge with You from turning back on our heels or facing trials in our religion 772
The Messenger testifies for them, that they used to be his good followers. He is then asked, Do
you know what these people did after your death? This proves that the Prophet of Allh only
testified for what he knew about them before his death! Moreover, these people will be charged
with turning back (i.e. becoming heretics) after the Prophets death, meaning that they indeed
were good during his lifetime! This is strengthened by his words from amongst you while
addressing his Sahbah. Ibn Ab Mulaykah, a Sahb, understood the Prophets words in this
manner, and used to pray to Allh to be protected from being among those who would turn back
after the Messengers death.
NARRATOR EIGHT: HUDHAYFAH B. AL-YAMN
Imm Ahmad b. Hanbal records:

::
Narrated Hudhayfah:
The Messenger of Allh said, I will be your predecessor at the Lake-Font, waiting for you.
Verily, SOME OF YOU will be brought to me, and I WILL RECOGNIZE THEM. Then, they will
be blocked away from me. I will say, O my Lord! THEY ARE MY SAHBAH! THEY ARE MY
SAHBAH! It will be said, You do not know what INNOVATIONS they introduced after
your death.773
The annotator, Shaykh Shuayb al-Arnt, states:
772
rd
773
[annotators: Shuayb al-Arnat and others], vol. 3, p. 393, # 23385
This hadth has two chains. The first chain is sahh, and the narrators of the second chain
are trustworthy narrators of the Sahh.774
Therefore, there is absolutely no doubt about the authenticity of the hadth. Three things are
clear about it:
1. These people were from the Sahbah of the Prophet. He said some of you while
addressing them.
2. The Prophet recognizes them. This shows that they were his close Sahbah, since the
Prophet could not possibly have recognized all 124,000 of his Sahbah. These people
were very familiar to him.
3. He called them his Sahbah, confirming that indeed they were.
4. Allh will not deny that they were his Sahbah. This further strengthens the conviction
that they were his Sahbah. Our Lord will only give the reason for their entry into
Hellfire: their bidahs.
5. These people are not being punished for what they did or were during the lifetime of the
Prophet, thereby showing that they were good Muslims then. They will be in Hellfire
only for the bidahs they introduced after the Prophet. This refutes whosoever states that
they are only the hypocrites during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allh. If they indeed
were the hypocrites of the Prophets time, then their Hellfire would have been premised
primarily upon their hypocrisy and disbelief. Moreover, the fact that the Prophet will
initially think they deserve Paradise is a clear proof that they were not among the
hypocrites of the Prophets lifetime.
NARRATOR NINE: JBIR B. ABD ALLH AL-ANSR
Imm Ahmad records:
:
::: :

The Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, said: I will be at the Lake-Font, waiting for
those who will meet me (there). Then some people will be taken away from me. So, I will
say, O my Lord! They are from me, and from my Ummah! It will be said, You do not
know how they turned back after your death. They turned back upon their heels.775
The annotator states:
Its chain is sahh.776

The phrases underlined above are very fundamental to the research. These people used to be
good followers of the Prophet during his lifetime. This is why he will say, They are from me.
This is in line with this verse:
774
Ibid
[annotators: Shuayb al-Arnat and others], vol. 12, p. 77, # 15059
776
Ibid
775

Whosoever follows me is from me.777
By saying, they are from me, the Messenger of Allh was testifying that they used to be good
followers of him. The reply to him was that these people turned back (i.e. left their good ways)
after his death. One can only turn back after initially being on the correct path. This proves
absolutely that they were the Sahbah. Only they could have been righteous followers during his
lifetime and betrayers after his death. This is also confirmed by the other ahdth which
specifically identify these people as My Sahbah! My Sahbah! who accompanied and saw the
Prophet, and whom he recognizes well anytime!
NARRATOR TEN: SAHL B. SAD
::
:
:
.::
:::
Narrated Ab Hzim from Sahl b. Sa'd:

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "I will be your predecessor at the Lake-Font, and
whoever will pass by there, he will drink from it and whoever will drink from it, he will
never be thirsty. There will come to me SOME PEOPLE WHOM I WILL RECOGNIZE, AND
THEY WILL RECOGNIZE ME, but a barrier will be placed between me and them." Ab
Hzim added: Al-Nu'mn b. Ab 'Ayysh, on hearing me, said. "Did you hear this from
Sahl?" I said, "Yes." He said, " I bear witness that I heard Ab Sad Al-Khudr saying the
same, adding that the Prophet said: 'I will say: They are of me. It will be said, You do
not know what they CHANGED (in the religion) after your death. I will say, Woe (suhq)
to those who changed (in the religion) after my death."778
By using the word suhqan (woe), the Prophet sentences them to Hellfire. The Qurn states:

And woe (suhq) to the dwellers of the blazing Fire.779
These people recognize the Messenger of Allh anytime, and he recognizes them anytime. Only
his Sahbah match this description. Moreover, they used to be good followers of the Prophet
during his lifetime. Therefore, he will testify as to that (i.e. they are of me). But, he will be
informed that these people changed things in the religion after his death. As a result, the
777
Qurn 14:36
rd
779
Qurn 67:11
778
Messenger will curse them and banish them to the blazing Fire. Of course, they could not have
changed after his death unless they were righteous during his lifetime!
The above ahdth are mutawtir, having been narrated by ten Sahbah, and even several more.
It therefore cancels out any ahdth, fatwa or opinions on the Sahbah. No other hadth about
them is mutawtir. As such, the correct Islmic position about the Sahbah is that most of them
changed to bad after the Prophets death, and introduced several blasphemous innovations into
the religion. Some of these innovations were tantamount to apostasy. These Sahbah will be in
Hellfire for their bidahs. They used to be good believers during the Prophets lifetime, and he
will, as a result, initially testify for them.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE CHOICE IS YOURS
Can the Ahl al-Sunnah claim to be the only saved sect that does not follow a single bidah in its
aqdah (creed) and fiqh (jurisprudence)? They follow the Sahbah in their aqdah and fiqh. So,
the question is: did the Sahbah practise and teach Islm without a single bidah? The answer is
a clear negative. The Sahbah introduced lots of bidahs into the religion of Allh, so much that
the entire form of Muhammadan Islm was changed! Today, the Ahl al-Sunnah acknowledge and
follow many of these bidahs. One of these very bidahs is disobedience to this hadth:

: :
:
( )
Narrated Ab Sad and Zayd b. Arqam:
after me. (Sahh)780
The Sahbah, the Tbin and the Tbi al-Tbin, the founders and supreme leaders of the Sunn
sects disobeyed this hadth, and chose to follow their own whims. Allh says in this regard:
Messenger, then he has gone astray in a clear MISGUIDANCE.781
The Ahl al-Sunnah follow them in this disobedience, and in their bidahs.
The Messenger of Allh further clarified what the above hadth (better known as hadth althaqalayn) means:
:
( )
780
543, # 3788
781
Qurn 33:36
In other words, the Ahl al-Bayt are his Khalfahs who take his exact place among his Ummah
after his death. The number of these Khalfahs from the Ahl al-Bayt is twelve. Imm Ahmad
records:

:

. :
.

Narrated Masrq:
We were sitting with Abd Allh b. Masd and he was reciting the Qurn to us. Then a
man said to him: O Ab Abd al-Rahmn! Did you (Sahbah) ask Allhs Apostle, peace be
upon him, the number of Khalfahs that will rule this Ummah? Abd Allh b. Masd
replied: None before you has ever asked me concerning this since I arrived in Irq.
Verily, we asked Allhs Apostle, peace be upon him, and he said: Twelve, like the
captains of Ban Isrl.783
The chain of this hadth has been graded as hasan by Al-Hfiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqaln784, alSuyt785, al-Haytham786, al-sim787 and al-Mubrafr788.
Apparently, Al b. Ab Tlib was the first of these twelve Khalfahs from the Ahl al-Bayt. But, the
Messenger of Allh still took the extra pain to explicitly name him. Imm Ibn Ab sim records
that he publicly said to Al:

.
Are you not pleased to be to me of the same status as Hrn was to Ms (i.e. brother,
deputy, helper, partner, etc), except that you are not a prophet. AND YOU ARE MY
KHALFAH OVER EVERY BELIEVER AFTER MY DEATH.789
Shaykh al-Albn says about the hadth:
782
1, p. 423, # 4222
783
Ab Abd Allh Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad (Egypt: Muasassat al-Qurtubah), vol. 1, p. p. 398, #3781 and p.
406, # 3859
784
785
786
Ab al-Abbs Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Al b. Hajar al-Haytam, al-Sawiq al-Muhriqah al Ahl al-RafD wa
st
787
788
Ab al-Al Muhammad Abd al-Rahmn b. Abd al-Rahm al-Mubrakfr, Tuhfah al-Ahwaz bi Sharh Jmi
al-Tirmidh (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah), vol. 6, p. 394
789
st
Amr b. Ab sim al-Dahk al-Shaybn, al-Sunnah (Beirut, Lebanon: al-Maktab al-Islm; 1 edition, 1400 H)
[annotator: Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn+, vol. 2, p. 603

Its chain is hasan.790
Both al-Hkim and al-Dhahab declare the chain to be sahh791 as well as Ibn Abd al-Barr792 and
Shaykh Ahmad Muhammad Shkir793. Ibn Hajar al-Asqaln describes all its narrators as
trustworthy794 as well as al-Haytham795 while al-Huwayn grades the chain hasan796.
The Prophet, on another occasion, also announced to his Sahbah that Al was their appointed
ruler after him. Shaykh al-Albn records that he said:
Verily, Al is from me and I am from him, and he is the Wal (ruler) of all believers after
me.797
Shaykh al-Albn declares the hadth as sahh798, as well as al-Hkim and al-Dhahab799 and Ibn
Jarr800 and al-Suyt801 and al-Hind802 and al-Shm803, while Shaykh al-Arnat804, alBaghdd805, and Ibn Hajar al-Asqaln806 call its chain qaw (strong).
790
Ibid
st
edition, 1411 H), vol. 3, p. 143, # 4652; Ab Abd Allh al-Hkim al-Naysbr, al-Mustadrak al al-Sahhayn
(Beirut: Dr al-Marifah; 1342 H), vol. 3, p. 134
792
Ab Umar Ysuf b. Abd Allh b. Abd al-Barr al-Qurtub al-Mlik, al-Istb f Marifah al-Ashb (Beirut,
st
Lebanon: Dr al-Jayl; 1 edition, 1412 H) *annotator: Al Muhammad al-Bajw+, vol. 3, p. Pp. 1091-1092
793
st
Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad (Cairo, Egypt: Dr al-Hadth; 1 edition, 1416 H) [annotator: Ahmad Muhammad
Shkir+, vol. 3, p. 331, # 3062
794
Ab al-Fadl Ahmad b. Al b. Hajar al-Asqaln al-Shfi, Fath al-Br Sharh Sahh al-Bukhr (Beirut,
Lebanon: Dr al-Marifah) *annotator: Muhibb al-Dn al-Khatb+, vol. 7, p. 15
795
Al b. Ab Bakr al-Haytham, Majma al-Zawid (Beirut, Lebanon: Dr al-Kitb al-Arab; 1407 H), vol. 9, p.
120
796
Ab Abd al-Rahmn Ahmad b. Shuayb b. Al al-Nis, Khasis Amr al-Muminn (Beirut, Lebanon: Dr alst
Kutub al-Ilmiyyah; 1 edition, 1405 H) *annotator: Ab Ishq al-Huwayn+, p. 34
797
Ab s Muhammad b. s al-Tirmidh al-Salam, al-Jmi al-Sahh Sunan al-Tirmidh (Beirut: Dr Ihy alTurth al-Arab) *annotators: Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn+, vol. 5, p. 632, # 3712
798
Ibid
799
st
Ab Abd Allh al-Hkim al-Naysbr, al-Mustadrak al al-SaHHayn (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah; 1
edition, 1411 H), vol. 3, p. 143, # 4652; See also Ab Abd Allh Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Uthmn al-Dhahab
al-Shfi, Trkh al-Islm (Beirut, Lebanon: Dr al-Kitb al-Arab; 1st edition, 1407 H) *annotator: Dr. Umar
Abd al-Salm al-Tadmir+, vol. 11, p. 71
800
See Al al-Dn Al al-Muttaq b. Hism al-Dn al-Hind, Kanz al-Umml (Beirut, Lebanon: Dr al-Kutub alst
Ilmiyyah; 1 edition, 1419 H) *annotator: Mahmd Umar al-Damyt+, vol. 13, p. 62
801
Ab al-Fadl Jall al-Dn Abd al-Rahmn b. AB Bakr al-Suyt, Jmi al-Ahdth, vol. 5, p. 211
802
Al al-Dn Al al-Muttaq b. Hism al-Dn al-Hind, Kanz al-Umml (Beirut, Lebanon: Dr al-Kutub alst
Ilmiyyah; 1 edition, 1419 H) *annotator: Mahmd Umar al-Damyt+, vol. 11, p. 279, # 32941
803
Muhammad b. Ysuf al-Slih al-Shm, Subul al-Hud wa al-Rashd f Srah Khayr al-Ibd (Beirut, Lebanon:
st
Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah; 1 edition, 1414 H) *annotators: dil Ahmad al-Mawjd and Al Muhammad
Muawad], vol. 11, p. 296
804
nd
p.373, #6929
805
Abd al-Qdir b. Umar al-Baghdd, Khaznah al-Adab wa Lab Lubb Lisn al-Arab (Beirut, Lebanon: Dr alKutub al-Ilmiyyah; 1st edition, 1998 CE) *annotators: Muhammad Nabl Tarf and Aml Bad al-Yaqb+, vol. 6,
p. 69
791
Due to his rank as the Khalfah and Wal of the Ummah, absolute obedience was due only to Al
once the Messenger of Allh died. The Prophet himself warned his Sahbah about this before his
death:
Whosoever obeys me has obeyed Allh; and whosoever disobeys me has disobeyed Allh.
And, whosoever obeys Al has obeyed me, and whosoever disobeys Al has disobeyed
me.807
Both al-Hkim and al-Dhahab declare the chain of the hadth to be sahh808
The Wals, led by Al, are twelve in number as Imm Muslim records:

. ::

Narrated Jbir b. Samurah:
I heard the Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him saying:
The affairs of the people will continue to be conducted as long as twelve men are their
Wals.
Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, said words which were obscure to me. I asked my
father: What did the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him say? He said: All of them
(the twelve men) will be from the Quraysh.809
They are the twelve Wals, the twelve Khalfahs and the twelve Imms. However, although these
twelve Imms were the true Khalfahs and Wals of the Ummah, the people disobey(ed) them
and did/do not recognize their authority. This, nonetheless, does not diminish from their status
or authority. Hrn too was the Khalfah and Wal of the Israelites during Mss absence. But
the Israelites did not recognize his authority. Despite that, he remained their legitimate Khalfah
and Wal. It is they who were guilty of rebellion against their Khalfah and Wal. The same
situation applies in this Ummah in the case of the Twelve Imms.
Apart from obeying Al, the Ummah had an absolute obligation to learn the tafsr of the Qurn
and the authentic Sunnah of the Messenger of the Lord only from him. Imm al-Hkim records:
806
Ab al-Fadl Ahmad b. Al b. Hajar al-Asqaln al-Shfi, al-Isbah f Tamyz al-Sahbah (Beirut, Lebanon:
Dr al-Jayl; 1st edition, 1412 H) *annotator: Al Muhammad al-Bajw+, vol. 4, p. 569
807
st
edition, 1411 H), vol. 3, p. 130, # 4617
808
Ibid
809
".

" :

Narrated Ibn Abbas, may Allh be pleased with him:
Allhs Messenger, peace be upon him: I am the city of knowledge and Al is its gate.
THEREFORE, WHOSOEVER WANTS THE CITY, LET HIM GO TO THE GATE.810
Al-Hkim declares the chain as sahh811. Imm al-Baghdd also states:

.
Narrated Ibn Abbs:
The Messenger of Allh, peace be upon him, said: I am the city of knowledge and Al is its
ate. THEREFORE, WHOSOEVER WANTS THE CITY, LET HIM GO TO THE GATE.
Al-Qsim said, I asked Yahy b. Man concerning this hadth, and he said, It is sahh.812
In simple terms, it was harm to take ahdth or learn Islm from other than Al during the
caliphates of Ab Bakr, Umar and Uthmn. After his death, the authority shifted to al-Hasan,
then to al-Husayn, then to Al b. al-Husayn, up till the twelfth of them. Everyone of their times
must learn the Qurn and authentic Sunnah only through them, and not through Ab Hurayrah,
ishah, Ab Hanfah, Ibn Taymiyyah or others.
Furthermore, hadth al-thaqalayn states that the Book of Allh and the Ahl al-Bayt will never
separate. The meaning of this is that each of the Twelve Imms from the Ahl al-Bayt is always
with the Qurn in existence, importance, thought, spches and actions. He never deviates, even
for a second, from the Book of Allh and has the most knowledge of it. Imm al-Hkim records
that the Messenger of Allh said about the specific example of Al:
Al is with the Qurn and the Qurn is with Al. Both shall NEVER separate until they
meet me at the Lake-Font.813
Both al-Hkim and al-Dhahab declare the chain of the hadth to be sahh814. So, each Imm is
with the Qurn and the Qurn is with him forever, even after his death! These are very deep
words indeed! This is why disagreement with any of the Imms from the Ahl al-Bayt, during his
lifetime or after his death, is disagreement with the Qurn, and hence with Allh and His
Messenger. The Prophet emphasized this point in these words:
810
st

edition, 1411 H), vol. 3, p. 137, # 4574
811
ibid
812
Ab Bakr Ahmad b. Al b. Thbit al-Khatb, Trkh Baghdd (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah), vol. 11, p. 50
813
st
edition, 1411 H), vol. 3, p. 134, # 4628
814
Ibid

O Al! Whosoever separates from me has separated from Allh, and whosoever separates
from you has separated from me.815
Al-Haytham says about its chain:
Al-Bazzr recorded it, and its narrators are trustworthy.816

Apparently, the majority of the Sahbah in all ways disobeyed hadth al-thaqalayn and all other
related ahdth in all ways. This led them into their bidahs that literally murdered Islm. The
Ahl al-Sunnah follow these same Sahbah and their bidahs! No doubt, the Islm of the Ahl alSunnah is cut off from that practised by the Prophet with his Sahbah during his lifetime.
The Messenger of Allh already predicted what the Ummah has done to the Twelve Khalfahs
from the Ahl al-Bayt. Shaykh al-Kulayn, the ace Shah Imm hadth expert, records:

)( : :)(
:) ( :

.
Narrated Jbir:
Ab Jafar, peace be upon him, said: When the verse {The Day when We shall call all
peoples with their respective Imms} was revealed, the Muslims said, O Messenger of
Allh! Are you not the Imm of all mankind together? The Messenger of Allh, peace be
upon him and his family, replied, I am the Messenger of Allh to all mankind together.
However, after me there shall be Imms over mankind from Allh, from my Ahl al-Bayt.
They will stand among the people (to teach them the Qurn and Sunnah) but the people
will call them liars. And the Imms of kufr and misguidance will treat them and their
followers unjustly. Whosoever loves them, and follows them, and believes them, such is
from me (i.e. among my followers) and with me. And whosoever treats them unjustly or
calls them liars, such is NOT of me (i.e. NOT among my followers), and is NOT with me and
I dissociate myself from him.817
Both Allmah al-Majlis818 and Shaykh Hd al-Najaf819 declare this report sahh.
Someone may argue that although the Sahbah fell into bidahs, we must still accept their
ahadth. However, the ahdth of the Prophet narrated by these Sahbah and the Tbin are also
815
Ab al-Hasan Al b. Ab Bakr al-Haytham, Majma al-Zawid (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr; 1412 H), vol. 9, pp. 184185
816
817
Shaykh al-Kulayn, Kitb al-Kf, vol. 1, p. 215, # 1
818
Allmah Muhammad al-Bqir al-Majlis, Mirt al-Uql, vol. 2, p. 442
819
Hd al-Najaf, Mawsat Ahdth Ahl al-Bayt, vol. 6, p. 232
mostly unreliable because the majority of them were hypocrites and liars, according to Allh
and His Messenger. Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah declares:
.

He also says:

.
It is known that those who FOUGHT Al and CURSED him and CENSURED him AMONG THE
SAHBAH AND TBIN and others were more knowledgeable and more religious than
In this regard, Imm al-Tirmidh records this crucial hadth:
:
( )
Narrated Al:
Verily, the al-Umm Prophet (i.e. Muhammad), peace be upon him, gave me a covenant
saying: NONE loves you except a believer, and NONE hates you except a hypocrite.
(Sahh)822
All these Sahbah and Tbin, who were also innovators in the religion, were clear hypocrites.
Our Lord further testifies that they were all liars:

Allh bears witness that THE HYPOCRITES ARE LIARS INDEED.823
Therefore, the teachings and narrations of the majority of the Sahbah cannot be accepted. It is
only those of them that conform to the teachings and narrations of the Ahl al-Bayt that have
anything to do with Islm.
Finally, there is no doubt that it is only the Shah Immiyyah that follow the Twelve Khalfahs
from the Ahl al-Bayt. Even Shaykh al-Albn, while discussing the Shah Immiyyah, admits:
820
Ab al-Abbs AHmad b. And al-Halm b. Taymiyyah al-Harrn, Minhj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah

st
(Muasassat al-Qurtbah; 1 edition, 1406 H) *annotator: Dr. MuHammad Rashd Slim+, vol. 7, p. 137-138
821
Ibid, vol. 5, p. 10
822
Ab s al-Tirmidh, al-Jmi al-Sahh Sunan al-Tirmidh (Beirut: Dr Ihy al-Turth al-Arab) [annotator:
Muhammad NsIr al-Dn al-Albn+, vol. 5, p. 643, #3736
823
Qurn 63:1
It is sufficient that we (Ahl al-Sunnah) have the Qurn and Sunnah, while they (the Shah
Immiyyah) have the Qurn and the Ahl al-Bayt.824
Had Shaykh al-Albn forgotten that the entire Ummah, including ALL the Sahbah and Tbin,
were ORDERED by Allh and His Messenger to follow the Qurn and Ahl al-Bayt? Moreover, did
he think the Ahl al-Bayt teach other than the genuine Sunnah?
Imm Ibn al-Qayyim also states:
Verily, the jurists of the Immiyyah, from the first of them to the last, NARRATE FROM
THE AHL AL-BAYT.825
In other words, what the Shah Immiyyah have recorded from the twelve Imms of the Ahl alBayt in their books are true. They are authentic words of the Imms of the Ahl al-Bayt.
Hadth al-Thaqalayn is perfect evidence that the aqdah and fiqh of the Shah Immiyyah
connect directly to the Messenger of Allh. As long as a Shah strictly follows the teachings of
the Ahl al-Bayt, he is without doubt on the Straight Path of Allh, and is path of the Jamah.
Whosoever deviates from the Ahl al-Bayt, whether he calls himself a Shah or otherwise, is in
clear misguidance and will end up in Hellfire.
The choice whether one enters Paradise or Hellfire is entirely in his hands. If one follows the Ahl
al-Bayt, he will be in Paradise. If he does not, he has voluntarily chosen Hellfire.
It is indeed most appropriate to end this part of our series with these golden words of the
Messenger of Allh:
.

Allhs Apostle, peace be upon him, said: All of my Ummah will enter Paradise except
whoever refuses to. They said: And who is it that refuses to? He replied: Whosoever
obeys me will enter Paradise, and whosoever disobeys me has refused to enter it.826
824
Muhammad Nsir al-Dn al-Albn, al-Fatw al-Muhimmah (Dr al-Ghadi al-Jadd), 154
Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, al-Sawiq al-Mursalah al al-Jahmiyyah wa al-Muatillah (Riyadh, Saudi
rd
Arabia: Dr al-simah; 3 edition, 1418 H) *annotator: Dr. Al b. Muhammad al-Dakhl Allh+, vol. 2, pp. 616617
826
rd
Ab Abd Allh Muhammad b. Isml al-Bukhr, al-Jmi al-Sahh (Beirut: Dr Ibn Kathr; 3 edition, 1407
H) [annotator: Dr. Mustaf Db al-Bagh+, vol. 6, p. 2655, # 6851
825

SEARCHING FOR THE 73RD SECT

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

SEARCHING FOR THE 73RD SECT

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

SEARCHING FOR THE 73RD SECT

And We revealed the Book unto you as an explanation of EVERYTHING, and as a

Shaykh al-Albn records:

Ab Abd Allh al-Hkim al-Naysbr, al-Mustadrak al al-Sahhayn (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah; 1

Narrated Zurrah b. A`yan:

Verily, every bidah is misguidance, and every misguidance leads to Hellfire.29

Shaykh al-Sadq, Man L Yahduruh al-Faqh, vol. 2, p. 137, #1964

MuHammad b. Yaqb al-Kulayn, Rawdat al-Kf, vol. 8, p. 188

Izz al-Dn b. al-Athr al-Jazr, al-Kmil f al-Trkh (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah; 2

Narrated Ibn Abbs, may Allh be pleased with him:

Narrated Yazd b. Hayyn:

Ab al-Abbs Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Al b. Hajar al-Haytam, al-Sawiq al-Muhriqah (Lebanon:

Mirz al-Nr al-Tabars, the Shah scholar, records:

Al-Fadl b. Shzn: Thiqah (trustworthy)72

Mirz al-Nr al-Tabars, Mustadrak al-Wasil, vol. 11, p. 372, # 11

In the Sahh report, the Prophet said:

Ab Abd Allh al-Hkim al-Naysbr, al-Mustadrak al al-Sahhayn (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah; 1

He (al-Tirmidh) said: A hasan sahh hadth.

Ahmad b. Ziyd b. Jafar al-Hamadn Al b. Ibrhm his father Muhammad b. Ab

Shaykh al-Sadq: Our Shaykh and jurist117

And hadth al-thaqalayn is also mutawtir.132

Allmah Tabars (d. 548 H)133

13. Allmah al-Tabtab (d. 1412 H)145

Ab al-Abbs Ahmad b. Abd al-Halm b. Taymiyyah al-Harrn, Minhj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah

It is a bidah, and has no basis in the sahh ahdth.169

Ibid, vol. 9, p. 135

Muhammad b. Al al-Shawkan, Nayl al-AwTr (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah) vol. 2, p. 39

Al-Saygh, al-Rawd al-Ndir, vol. 1, p. 542

Muhammad b. Al al-Shawkan, Nayl al-Awtr (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah) vol. 2, p. 38

Shaykh Muhyi al-Dn b. Arab, al-Futht al-Makkiyyah, vol. 1, p. 448

Narrated sim al-Ahwal:

Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, al-Sawiq al-Mursalah al al-Jahmiyyah wa al-Muatillah (Riyadh, Saudi

Ab al-Abbs AHmad b. And al-Halm b. Taymiyyah al-Harrn, Minhj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah

Narrated Ab Sad AND Zayd b. Arqam:

Narrated Yazd b. Hayyn:

The Salaf lim literally fabricated an entirely new hadth!

The word Ahl al-Bayt primarily means wives.

In the sahh report, the Prophet said:

Ab al-Abbs Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Al b. Hajar al-Haytam, al-Sawiq al-Muhriqah (Lebanon:

The itrah are the Khalfahs.

MuHammad b. Jarr al-Tabar, Al-Jmi al-Bayn, vol. 22, p. 6 (under 33:33)

Shaykh al-Sadq: Our Shaykh and jurist248

In the Sahh report, the Prophet said:

Al-Najsh, Fihrist, vol. 2, p. 311, # 1050

Ab al-Abbs Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Al b. Hajar al-Haytam, al-Sawiq al-Muhriqah (Lebanon:

He said during the Farewell Hajj:

In the Sahh report, the Prophet said:

Ibid, vol. 14, p. 343

Ab al-Abbs Ahmad b. Abd al-Halm b. Taymiyyah al-Harrn, Minhj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah

Whomsoever I am his mawl, Al is his mawl. O Allh, be the friend of whosoever

Ab al-Abbs Ahmad b. Abd al-Halm b. Taymiyyah al-Harrn, Minhj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah

Narrated mir b. Sa'd b. Ab Waqqs that his father said:

Narrated Sahl b. Sa'd:

The governor of Madnah was Marwn b. al-Hakam from what I think.336

Muhammad b. Jarr al-Tabar, Al-Jmi al-Bayn, vol. 22, p. 6 (under 33:33)

Narrated Abd Allh al-Jadal:

Narrated 'Abd al-Rahmn b. Abd Rabb al-Ka'bah:

Muhammad b. Al b. Hazm, Al-Fisal (Beirut: Dr al-Jayl; 1405 H), vol. 4, p. 161

Ab al-Abbs Ahmad b. Abd al-Halm b. Taymiyyah al-Harrn, Minhj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah

Abd al-Rahmn b. Udays Ab Muhammad al-Balaw: Ibn Sad said: He accompanied

Ibid, vol. 4, p. 123

Ibid, vol. 8, p. 105, # 2453