FIFTH SESSION

(Tuesday night, 27th Rajab 1345 A.H.)

Hafiz: From your eloquent talk last night, I conclude that you wanted to prove that Ali
was the immediate successor of the Prophet, though in fact this hadith has only a specific
significance. It was narrated during the journey of Tabuk. There is no proof that it has
general significance.

Well-Wisher: In this hadith the word "Manzila" (Rank) is used in the general sense. The
word showing exception clearly proves that the reference is of general significance. The
Prophet named Ali along with the word "prophet" and described his Manzila using the
phrase 'except that there shall be no prophet after me.' Most eminent ulema and authors
have quoted the hadith from the Prophet, who is reported to have said to Ali. "Are you
not content that you are to me as Aaron was to Moses except that there shall be no
prophet after me?"

During his absence of forty days, Moses did not leave matters to the discretion of his
followers. He appointed Aaron, the best man among the Isra'ilis, to act as his Caliph and
successor. Similarly, the last prophet, whose religion is most perfect, had even greater
reason to protect his people from the chaos of their free will. He preserved the code of
religion so that it might not pass into the hands of the ignorant, those who would change
it according to their whims. The ignorant people would depend on their own conjecture
and create divisions in the matter of law. So, in this sacred hadith the Prophet says: "Ali is
to me as Aaron was to Moses," confirming that Ali held the same levels of merit and
authority as Aaron did. Ali was superior to the whole umma (community), and therefore
the Prophet appointed him his helper and his successor.

Hafiz: What you have said about this hadith is above question. But if you just consider
the matter carefully, you will admit that this hadith has no general significance. Its
significance is confined to the Battle of Tabuk when the Prophet appointed Ali his Caliph
for a fixed time.

HADITH OF MANZILA
NARRATED SEVERAL TIMES
Well-Wisher: You might have been justified in your remark if this hadith had been
narrated at Tabuk only. But the Prophet repeated the same hadith on different occasions.
It was narrated when brotherhood among different individuals among the muhajirs
(refugees) was established in Mecca. It was also narrated in Medina when brotherhood
was established between the Muhajirin and the Ansar. On each occasion the Prophet
selected Ali as his brother, saying, "You are to me as Aaron was to Moses except that
there shall be no prophet after me."
Hafiz: So far as I have observed, the hadith of Manzila was narrated only at the Battle of
Tabuk. The Prophet left Ali in his place, which caused Ali to worry. The Prophet consoled
him with these words. I think you have been misled.

Well-Wisher: No, I am not mistaken. Your own authentic books have narrated it. Among
them are Mas'udi (a reliable reporter according to both sects) who writes in his
Muruju'dh-Dhahab, Volume II, page 49, Halabi in Siratu'l-Halabiyya, Volume II, pages
26 and 120, Imam Abdu'r-Rahman Nisa'i in Khasa'isu'l-Alawiyya, page 19, Sibt Ibn Jauzi
in his Tadhkira, pages 13-14, Sulayman Balkhi Hanafi in Yanabiu'l-Mawadda, chapter 9
and 17, and several others have narrated this hadith. They all say that, apart from the two
occasions of establishing brotherhood, it has been narrated on many other occasions as
well. Therefore, this hadith is not to be construed in a restricted sense or for a particular
occasion only. Its general significance is an established fact. lt was through this hadith
that the Holy Prophet declared on appropriate occasions Ali's succession after him. One
of those occasions was the Battle of Tabuk.

Hafiz: How is it possible that the companions of the Prophet heard this hadith in its
general sense, knowing that it meant the succession of Ali was willed by the Prophet and
yet, after the death of the Prophet, they became hostile and accepted another man as
caliph?

Well-Wisher: I have many references in support of my answer to your question, but the
best response for this occasion is to consider the trials of Aaron in a very similar
situation. The Holy Qur'an states that when Moses appointed Aaron his successor, he
gathered round him the Bani Isra'il (according to some reports, 70,000 people). Moses
emphasized that in his absence they should obey Aaron, his Caliph and successor. Moses
then went up the mountain to be alone with Allah. Before a month passed, Samiri incited
dissension among the Isra'ilis. He fashioned a golden calf and the Bani Isra'il, having left
Aaron, gathered round the treacherous Samiri in large numbers. It had been only a short
time before this that the same Bani Isra'il had heard Moses say that during his absence
Aaron was to be his Caliph and that they should obey him. Nevertheless, 70,000 people
followed Samiri. The Prophet Aaron loudly protested this action and forbade them from
indulging in such sinful acts, but no one listened to him. The verse of Sura A'raf states
that when Moses came back, Aaron said to him: "Son of my mother! Surely the people
reckoned me weak and had well-nigh slain me..." (7:150)

AARON WAS THE ORDAINED

SUCCESSOR OF MOSES
The Bani Isra'il themselves heard the clear instruction from Moses, but when Moses went
up to the mountain, Samiri seized his opportunity. He fashioned a golden calf and
misguided the Bani Isra'il.
 SIMILARITY BETWEEN
THE AFFAIRS OF ALI AND AARON
Similarly, after the death of the Prophet, some people who had heard him say that Ali was
his successor, turned against Ali. Imam Ghazali referred to this fact in the beginning of
his fourth treatise in Sirru'l-'Alamin. He states that some people returned to the state of
their former ignorance. In this respect, there is great similarity between the situation of
Aaron and that of Ali. Like many of your own great scholars and historians, Abu
Muhammad Abdullah Bin Muslim Bin Qutayba Bahili Dinawari, the well-known Qazi of
Dinawar, in his Al-Imama Wa Siyasa, Volume I, page 14, narrates in detail the events of
Saqifa. He says that they threatened to burn down Ali's house and they forcibly took him
to the mosque and threatened to kill him unless he swore allegiance to them. Ali went to
the sacred grave of the Prophet and repeated the same words of the Holy Qur'an which
Aaron spoke to Moses: "He (Aaron) said: Son of my mother! Surely the people reckoned
me weak and had well-nigh slain me..." (7:150)

Nawab: When the succession of Ali had been established, why did the Prophet use
words which only implied that sense? Why didn't he clearly announce that Ali was his
successor, so that no objection could have been raised after him?

Well-Wisher: I told you that the Prophet expressed the truth in both ways. This is
evident from your own books, which have recorded numerous hadith in this regard.
Literary people know that allusion is more impressive than a mere statement, particularly
when the allusion is so deep-rooted that it contains in it a world of meaning.

Nawab: You say that there are many clear hadith recorded by your ulema concerning the
succession of Ali. Will you please tell us more about this? We are told that there is no
hadith which proves Ali's succession.

Well-Wisher: There are many hadith concerning the caliphate in your own authentic
books.

HADITH OF INVITATION TO RELATIVES

AND THE PROPHET'S APPOINTING
ALI AS HIS SUCCESSOR
Of all the hadith concerning the vicegerency of Ali, the hadith of Invitation is the most
important. On the day the Prophet proclaimed his prophethood, he also proclaimed that
Ali was his successor. The ulema of your sect, including Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal,
Muwaffaq Bin Ahmad Khawarizmi, Abu Ja'far Muhammad Bin Jarir Tabari, Ibn Abi'l-
Hadid Mu'tazali and a host of others have reported that when verse 214 of the Chapter
Shu'ara: "And warn your nearest relations," (26:214) was revealed, the Prophet invited
forty of the Quraish, to Abu Talib's house. He put before them a leg of goat, some bread,
and a cup of milk. They laughed and said: "O Muhammad! you have not served enough
food for even one man." The holy Prophet said: "Begin eating in the name of Allah."
When they had eaten and were fully satisfied, they said to each other: "Muhammad has
bewitched you with this food." The Prophet stood up among them and said: "O
descendants of Abdu'l-Muttalib! Allah Almighty has sent me as a messenger to the whole
of creation in general and to you in particular. I invite you to make two statements which
are light and easy for the tongue, but on the scale of action they are heavy. If you make
the two statements, you will be masters of the lands of the Arabs and the non-Arabs.
Through them you will go to Paradise and will obtain immunity from Hell. These two
expressions are: first, to bear witness to Allah's Oneness, and second, to bear witness to
my prophethood. The one who first of all acknowledges my call and helps me in my
mission is my brother, my helper, my heir, and my successor after me."

The Prophet repeated the last sentence three times, and each time none except Ali
responded to him, saying, "I will aid and help you, O Prophet of Allah!" So the Prophet
declared: "This Ali is my brother, and he is my successor and Caliph among you."

CONFIRMATION BY SUNNI ULEMA

AND BY EUROPEAN WRITERS
Besides the Shia and Sunni ulema of Islam, many impartial historians of other nations
have given the details of this feast. They had no religious bias, being neither Shias nor
Sunnis. One of these writers is the nineteenth-century British historian and philosopher,
Thomas Carlyle. In his "Heroes and Hero-worship" he described the details of the feast at
Abu Talib's house. After the Prophet's statements, Ali stood and proclaimed his faith in
the Prophet. Therefore, the caliphate was bestowed on him. Other European writers have
confirmed this fact, including George Sale of England and Hashim, a Christian of Syria,
in his Maqalatu'l-Islam, and Mr. John Davenport in his Muhammad and the Qur'an. All
agree that the Prophet, immediately after the proclamation of his prophethood, called Ali
his brother, helper, successor, and Caliph. Moreover, several hadith confirm that the
Prophet emphasized this fact on many other occasions.

CLEAR HADITH ABOUT

THE CALIPHATE OF ALI
(1) Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal in his Musnad and Mir Seyyed Ali Hamadani Shafi'i in
Mawaddati'l-Qurba towards the end of the fourth Mawadda, have recorded that the Holy
Prophet said, "O Ali! You shall discharge responsibilities on my behalf, and you are my
Vicegerent over my following."
(2) Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal in Musnad, Ibn Maghazili Faqih Shafi'i in Manaqib and
Tha'labi in his Tafsir (commentary) have reported that the Holy Prophet said to Ali: "O
Ali! You are my brother, successor, vicegerent, and the payer of my debt."

(3) Abu Qasim Husain Bin Muhammad (Raghib Ispahani) in Mahadhiratu'l-Udaba wa

Muhawaratu'sh-Shu'ara wa'l-Balagha (printed in Amira-e-Shazafiyya, Seyyed Husain
Afandi, 1326 A.H.), part II, page 213, quotes from Ibn Malik that the Prophet said:
"Verily, my friend, helper, Vicegerent, and the choicest of men whom I am leaving
behind, who will pay my debt and fulfill my promise, is Ali Bin Abu Talib."

(4) Mir Seyyed Ali Hamadani in Mawaddatu'l-Qurba, at the beginning of the sixth
Mawadda, narrates from the second Caliph, Umar Bin Khattab, that when the Prophet
established the relationship of brotherhood among the companions, he said: "This Ali is
my brother in this world and in the Hereafter; he is my successor from among my kin and
my Vicegerent among my umma; he is the heir of my knowledge and the payer of my
debt; whatever he owes to me, I owe to him. His profit is my profit, and his loss is my
loss; one who is his friend is my friend; one who is his enemy is my enemy."

(5) In the same Mawadda, he quotes a hadith from Anas bin Malik, which I have
mentioned earlier. Toward its end he says that the Holy Prophet said, "He (Ali) is my
Vicegerent and helper."

(6) Muhammad Bin Ganji Shafi'i quotes a hadith from Abu Dharr Ghifari in his book,
Kifayatu't-Talib, that the Prophet said, "The flag of Ali, the commander of the believers,
the leader of the bright-faced people, and my Vicegerent, will come to me at the Fountain
of Kauthar."

(7) Baihaqi, Khatib Khawarizmi, and Ibn Maghazili Shafi'i write in their Manaqib that
the Prophet said to Ali: "It is not proper that I depart from the people without you
becoming my successor since you are the choicest of the believers after me."

(8) Imam Abu Abdu'r-Rahman Nisa'i, one of the Imams of the Six Books of Traditions,
narrates in detail from Ibn Abbas the virtues of Ali in connection with hadith 23 in
Khasa'isu'l-Alawi. After describing the rank of the prophet Aaron, the Holy Prophet said
to Ali: "You are my Vicegerent after me for every believer."

This hadith and others in which the Holy Prophet used the phrase "after me" clearly prove
that Ali was his immediate successor.

(9) There is the "Hadith of Creation," which has been narrated in different ways. Imam
Bin Ahmad Ibn Hanbal in his Musnad, Mir Seyyed Ali Hamadani in Mawaddatu'l-Qurba,
Ibn Maghazili Shafi'i in Manaqib, and Dailami in Firdaus have quoted the Prophet as
saying: "I and Ali were created of the same Divine Light 14,000 years before Adam was
created. From the loins of the Prophet Adam and through his holy progeny, the Light was
inherited by Abdu'l-Muttalib, and from him it was divided and inherited by Abdullah,
(father of the Prophet) and Abu Talib, (father of Ali). I was granted prophethood, and Ali
was granted the caliphate."

(10) Hafiz Abu Ja'far Muhammad Bin Jarir Tabari (d.310 A.H.) writes in his Kitabu'l-
Wilaya that the Prophet said in the beginning of his renowned address at Ghadir-e-Khum:
"The angel Gabriel has conveyed Allah's command to me that I stop at this place and
inform the people that Ali Bin Abu Talib is my brother, my successor, my Caliph
(Vicegerent) after me. O men! Allah has made Ali your Wali (guardian), and Imam
(guide). Obedience to him is obligatory on each one of you; his command is supreme; his
utterance is truth; curse be on him who opposes him; Allah's mercy be on him who
befriends him."

(11) Sheikh Sulayman Balkhi in Yanabiu'l-Mawadda reports from the Manaqib of

Ahmad, and he from Ibn Abbas, a hadith which describes many of Ali's merits. I quote all
of it. Ibn Abbas reports that the Prophet said: "O Ali, you are the bearer of my
knowledge, my Wali and friend, my successor, the heir of my knowledge, and my Caliph.
You are the trustee of the heritage of all the preceding prophets. You are the confidant of
Allah on this earth and Allah's proof for the whole of creation. You are a pillar of Iman
(faith) and the guardian of Islam. You are a lamp in darkness, a light of guidance, and for
the people of the world you are a raised standard. O Ali! He who follows you is
delivered; he who disobeys you will perish; you are the luminous way, and a straight
path; you are the leader of pure men, and the head of the believers; to whomsoever I am
Master (Maula), you are also his Master (Maula), and I am the Master of every believer
(man or woman). Only he is your friend who is born of lawful wedlock. Allah did not
transport me to the heavens to speak with me without telling me, 'O Muhammad! Convey
my salutation to Ali and tell him that he is the Imam of my friends and the Light of
worshippers.' Congratulations to you, O Ali, on this marvelous excellence."

(12) Abu Mu'ayyid Muwafiqu'd-Din, the best orator of Khawarizm, in his Faza'il of the
Commander of the Faithful, printed in 1313 A.H., Chapter XIX, page 240, quotes the
sources who reported that the Prophet said: "When I reached Sidratu'l-Muntaha ('the
farthest Lote Tree,' the highest station during the Mi'raj), I was addressed thus: 'O
Muhammad! When you tested the people, whom did you find the most obedient?' I said
'Ali.' Allah then said, 'You have told the truth, Muhammad!' Further, He said, 'Have you
selected a Vicegerent who will convey your knowledge to the people, and teach my
servants from My Book those things which they do not know?' I said, 'O Allah!
Whomever you select, I will select.' He said, 'I have selected Ali for you. I make him your
Vicegerent and successor.' And He furnished Ali with His knowledge and forbearance. He
is the Commander of the Faithful whom no one can equal in rank among his predecessors
or successors."

There are many such hadith in your authentic books. Some of your just ulema, like
Nizzam Basri, have acknowledged this fact. Salahu'd-Din Safdi in his Wafa Bi'l-Wafiyya,
in connection with the account of Ibrahim Bin Sayyar Bin Hani Basri, known as Nizzam
Mu'tazali, says: "The Prophet of Allah confirmed the Imamate of Ali and appointed him
the Imam (Guide). The companions of the Prophet were also fully aware of it, but Umar,
for the sake of Abu Bakr, covered the Imamate of Ali with a curtain."

It is clear from your own books, hadith, and Qur'anic commentaries that Ali occupied the
highest position of virtue. Khatib Khawarizmi reports from Ibn Abbas in Manaqib,
Muhammad Bin Yusuf Ganji Shafi'i in his Kifayatu't-Talib, Sibt Ibn Jauzi in his Tadhkira,
Ibn Sabbagh Maliki in Fusulu'l-Mawadda, Sulayman Balkhi Hanafi in Yanabiu'l-
Mawadda and Mir Seyyed Ali Hamadani in Mawaddatu'l-Qurba, Mawadda V, quotation
from the second Caliph, Umar Bin Khattab - all confirming with slight variations of
words - that the Prophet said: "If all the trees were pens, if the seas were ink, if all the
jinn and men were recorders - even then the virtues of Ali Bin Abu Talib could not be
enumerated."

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COMPANIONS

Sheikh ABDU'S-SALAM: (Turning to Hafiz Muhammad Rashid Sahib) Allow me to
say something briefly. (Turning to well-wisher). We never deny the high qualities of Ali,
but to confine praise to him alone is not fair since the principal companions of the Holy
Prophet were, one and all, men of virtue. You are indulging in one-sided talk, which
misleads the people. Permit me to quote a hadith in their praise so that the truth of the
matter may be revealed.

Well-Wisher: I'm not concerned with personalities. The Qur'anic verses and authentic
hadith lead us in one direction. I swear by Allah that I do not blindly love or hate anyone.
I ask the audience to stop me if at any time I resort to anything which is against reason or
common sense. hadith acknowledged by both sects should be relied upon. I do not deny
the good qualities of the upright companions of the Prophet, but we should search among
them for one who is superior to the whole community. Our discussion is not about
virtuous men, as the virtuous are many. We should find out who was the most meritorious
person after the Prophet so that we may follow him.

Sheikh: You make unnecessary restrictions. In your books there is not a single hadith in
praise of the caliphs. How can we argue on that basis?

Well-Wisher: On the first night of our discussions, you will recall that Hafiz Sahib
himself agreed to a debate on the condition that our arguments be based on verses of the
Holy Qur'an and on hadith accepted by both sects. Since I have your authentic books, I
agreed to it. As all of you will confirm, I have not deviated from that stand. In support of
my points, I have cited only verses of the Holy Qur'an and hadith recorded in the
authentic books of your own eminent scholars. When you made this condition, you did
not realize that you would be trapped later on. Still, I don't want this condition to be taken
absolutely. I am prepared to hear even your one-sided hadith if they are authentic. Then
we can determine facts justly. I have no hesitation in accepting facts in comparing the
merits of Ali.

Sheikh: You cited a hadith concerning Ali's vicegerency but overlooked the fact that
there are many hadith about Caliph Abu Bakr.

Well-Wisher: Keeping in mind that your own prominent ulema, like Dhahabi, Suyuti,
and Ibn Abi'l-Hadid have reported that the Amawi's and the followers of Abu Bakr have
fabricated many hadith in praise of Abu Bakr, you may cite a hadith from many of those
so that a just man may judge its authenticity.

HADITH IN PRAISE OF ABU BAKR

Sheikh: There is an authentic hadith narrated by Umar Bin Ibrahim Bin Khalid, who
reports from Isa Bin Ali Bin Abdullah Bin Abbas, and he from his father, and he from his
grandfather, Abbas, that the Prophet of Islam told that gentleman, "O uncle! Allah has
made Abu Bakr Caliph of his religion. So listen to him and obey him so that you may
secure deliverance."

Well-Wisher: This is a rejected hadith.

Sheikh: How is it a rejected hadith?

Well-Wisher: Your own prominent ulema have rejected it. Because the reporters of this
hadith were notorious liars and forgers, your ulema do not consider it worthy of
acceptance. Dhahabi in his Mizanu'l-I'tidal, writing about Ibrahim Bin Khalid, and Khatib
Baghdadi, writing about Umar Bin Ibrahim say, "He is a great liar." A hadith narrated by
a liar is unacceptable.

Sheikh: It is reported from reliable sources that one of the pious companions of the
Prophet, Abu Huraira, narrated that Gabriel appeared before the Holy Prophet and said,
"Allah sends His salutation to you. He says, 'I am satisfied with Abu Bakr; ask him if he
too is satisfied with me or not.'"

Well-Wisher: We should be very cautious about citing hadith. I draw your attention to a
hadith which your own ulema, like Ibn Hajar (in Isaba) and Ibn Abdu'l-Bar (in Isti'ab)
quote from Abu Huraira that the Prophet said, "There are many who misquote me, and
one who misrepresents me has his abode in Hell. When a hadith is reported to you on my
behalf, you should put it before the Holy Qur'an."

Another hadith acknowledged by both sects, narrated by Imam Fakhru'd-Din Razi in his
Tafsir Kabir, Volume lI, page 271, reports that the Prophet said, "When a hadith from me
is reported to you, put it before the Book of Allah. If it agrees with the Holy Qur'an,
accept it. Otherwise, reject it." The books of your own eminent ulema state that one of
those who fabricated hadith in the name of the Holy Prophet was this rejected man, Abu
Huraira, whom you have called pious.

Sheikh: I didn't expect a man of your standing to make slanderous remarks about the
Prophet's companions.

Well-Wisher: You want me to be in awe of the word "Sahabi" (companion), but you are
mistaken if you think the word "Sahabi" necessarily conveys honor. True, the
companionship of the Holy Prophet enhances one's virtue, but this is based on the
condition that the companion is obedient to the Prophet. If he acts against the instructions
of the Prophet, then surely he will be rejected. Weren't the munafiqin (hypocrites)
companions of the Prophet? Yes, and they were all cursed.

Sheikh: It is not proved that they were rejected. If they were rejected, what is the proof
that they will go to Hell? Is everyone who is rejected or cursed destined for Hell? A
cursed person is one who, according to the explicit ordinance of the Holy Qur'an, or the
saying of the Prophet, is declared as such.

ABU HURAIRA'S CHARACTER

AND HIS CONDEMNATION
Well-Wisher: There are clear grounds to show that Abu Huraira was an unreliable man.
Your own ulema have confirmed this fact. One of the reasons for his being cursed is that,
according to the words of the Prophet, he was an associate of the cursed son of the cursed
Abu Sufyan. Abu Huraira was one of the hypocrites. On some occasions in Siffin he
offered prayers led by the Commander of the Faithful, Ali. At other times he sat at the
dining table of Mu'awiya to eat his fancy food. As reported by Zamakhshari in Rabiu'l-
Abrar and Ibn Abi'l-Hadid in the commentary on Nahju'l-Balagha, when Abu Huraira was
asked the reason for his double-dealing policy, he said, "Mu'awiya's food is very rich and
savory, and prayers behind Ali are preferable." Your own ulema, like Sheikhu'l-Islam
Hamwaini in Fara'id, Chapter 37, Khawarizmi in Manaqib, Tibrani in Ausar, Ganji Shafi'i
in Kifayatu't-Talib (and a host of others) quote from this same Abu Huraira and others
that the Prophet said, "Ali is with the Truth, and the Truth is with Ali." When he left Ali
and courted the favor of Mu'awiya, was he not damnable? If one not only keeps silent at
seeing the vicious deeds of Mu'awiya, but actually cooperates with him and helps him in
order to advance his own worldly position and to fill his belly, is he not to be
condemned?

The same Abu Huraira himself narrates (as recorded by your own eminent ulema, like
Hakim Nishapuri in Mustadrak, Volume II, page 124, Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal Tibrani,
and others) that the Prophet said, "Ali is with the Qur'an and the Qur'an is with Ali. These
two shall not be separated until they reach me at the Fountain of Kauthar. Ali is from me,
and I am from Ali. He who profanes Ali, profanes me. He who profanes me, profanes
Allah." Mu'awiya, in his address of the Jum'a prayers, cursed Ali, Hasan, and Husain. He
ordered that in all congregations those revered people should be cursed. So if a man is so
intimately associated with such damned people and is pleased with their actions, is he not
to be condemned? And, while associating with such people, if he helps them by
fabricating hadith and forces people to utter curses against revered people, is he not to be
condemned?

Sheikh: Is it reasonable for us to accept these slanders, that a sincere companion of the
Prophet, fabricating hadith, may force people to curse Ali?

Well-Wisher: Of course it is hard to believe that a sincere companion would do such a

thing. If any of the companions has done such a thing, it means that he was not sincere.
There are many hadith narrated by your own ulema that the Holy Prophet said, "One who
profanes Ali, profanes me and Allah."

Sheikh: To be frank, when you slander the companions of the Holy Prophet, saying that
they fabricated hadith, how can we hope that you will not attribute evil motives to the
high-ranking ulema of the Sunnis? You Shias have a remarkable tendency for slandering
great men.

Well-Wisher: You are unfair in attributing such things to us. Islamic histories of the past
1,400 years testify against it. From the beginning of the first century of Islam, the
Umayyads abused the infallible Imams, the descendants of the Holy Prophet, and their
adherents, the Shias . Even today, your prominent ulema record slanderous reports
against the Shias in their books in order to mislead the people.

Sheikh: Who of the Sunni ulema has slandered the Shias ?

IBN ABD RABBIH'S SLANDERS

AGAINST THE SHIAS
One of your great literary scholars, Shahabu'd-Din Abu Umar Ahmad Bin Muhammad
Bin Abd Rabbih Qartabi Andalusi Maliki (died 48 A.H.), in his Indu'l-Farid, Volume I,
page 269, has called the Shias "the Jews of this Umma." He says that, just as the Jews are
enemies of the Christians, the Shias are enemies of Islam. He claims that the Shias, like
the Jews, do not accept the fact that one may be divorced three times from the same
person, nor do they accept the practice of 'idda (the prescribed period of chastity for
women after divorce). Both the Shias here and the Sunnis who are familiar with their
Shia friends will laugh at these claims. You will find in all books on Shia jurisprudence
stipulations regarding three divorces and idda after divorce. He also alleges that the
Shias, like the Jews, are the enemies of Gabriel, because Gabriel communicated Allah's
commandment (wahi) to the Prophet, not to Ali. (Laughter among the Shia audience.) We
Shias believe in the Holy Prophet. We believe that Allah's commandments were revealed
to him through Gabriel, whose rank is far higher than that attributed to him by this
worthless writer.
 SLANDERS BY IBN HAZM
Another of your great ulema is Abu Muhammad Ali Bin Ahmad Bin Sa'id Ibn Hazm
Andalusi (died 456 A.H.), who has recorded particularly queer notions about the Shias in
his famous Kitabu'l-Fasl fi'l-Milal Wa'n-Nihal. For example, he says that the Shias are not
Muslims. They are heretics, the followers of Jews and Christians. In Volume IV, page
182, he writes that, "According to the Shias, it is lawful to marry nine women." This
report can be disproved easily by consulting Shia books which clearly state that it is
unlawful to keep more than four wives in permanent marriage at one time. There are
many other similar unfounded allegations and filthy things attributed to Shias in this
book, which you would be ashamed to hear.

SLANDERS BY ABU TAIMIYYA

One of your most irreligious ulema is Ahmad Bin Abdu'l-Halim Hanbali, known as Ibn
Taimiyya (died 728 A.H.). He had extreme malice toward the Shias, the Commander of
the Faithful, Ali, and the descendants of the Prophet. His Minhaju's-Sunna is filled with
his bitter enmity against Ali and the progeny of the Holy Prophet. Anyone who is even
slightly acquainted with the facts would be astounded to hear his lies. For example, he
writes that "There is no larger group of liars than the Shia sect, and it is for this reason
that the authors of Siha's did not include in their books hadith narrated by them." In
Volume X, page 23, he says that the Shias believe in four fundamentals of religion -
tauhid (Oneness of God); adl (justice of Allah); nabuwat (prophethood); and imamate
(vicegerency). In fact, in Shia books of faith, available everywhere, it is written that the
Shia faith consists of three fundamentals: tauhid, nabuwat, and ma'ad (the Day of
Judgement); adl is part of tawhid and the imamate is part of nabuwat.

In Volume I, page 131, he states that the Shias do not gather in the mosques. They do not
offer jum'a or congregational prayers. If they ever offer prayer, they do it individually.
(Laughter among the Shias .) But of course we place great emphasis on congregational
prayers. In many cities of Iraq and Iran, which are centers of the Shias, our mosques are
crowded with worshippers offering congregational prayers. On the same page, he writes
that the Shias do not make the pilgrimage to the Ka'ba. "Their Hajj (pilgrimage) consists
only in visiting the tombs, which they consider superior to the Pilgrimage to Mecca. They
condemn those who do not go for ziarat to the tombs." (Laughter.) Shia books of prayer
contain a special Chapter for the Hajj prayer (Kitabu'l-Hajj). Shia theologians have
written many books prescribing the rituals for the Hajj, wherein special instructions have
been given to perform the Hajj rites. Many hadith from our Imams insist that if a Muslim
(Shia or Sunni) has the means, and yet fails to perform the Hajj, he is excommunicated
from Islam. When he dies, he is told: "Die whatever death you can, be it the death of a
Jew, a Christian, or a fire-worshiper." Can you believe that in the face of such instructions
Shias would refrain from performing the Hajj? In addition to these misrepresentations,
this wicked man has said that a great Shia Scholar, Muhammad Bin Muhammad Bin
Nu'man (Sheikh Mufid), wrote Manasikhu'l-Hajj li'l-Mashahid. The correct title is
Mansikhu'z-Ziarat, which is available everywhere and which contains instructions about
the visit to the places of ziarat, including the holy shrines of the most revered Imams. If
you consult these books of ziarat, you will find that a visit to the tombs of the Holy
Prophet and the Imams is commendable, not obligatory. The best proof against the
allegation of this irreligious man is the practice followed by Shias, who make the
pilgrimage by the thousands every year. Another false accusation of this liar can be found
in Volume I, page 11, where he says that the Shias call their dogs by the name of Abu
Bakr and Umar and always curse them (Abu Bakr and Umar). (Laughter among the Shias
.) This is ridiculous. According to the Shia belief, the dog is utterly polluted. A Muslim
house with a dog is deprived of Allah's blessings. Therefore, Shia Muslims are strictly
forbidden to domesticate dogs except under certain conditions (hunting, protecting the
house, or herding sheep). One of the many reasons for discord between Yazid and the
grandson of the Prophet, Imam Husain, was that Yazid was fond of dogs and
domesticated them without good reason. Ibn Taimiyya also writes that since the Shias are
awaiting the reappearance of the last of their Imams, in many places, particularly in the
sardab (underground hall) of Samarra (where the holy Imam disappeared), they keep
ready a horse. They call for their Imam to appear, saying that they are fully armed to
serve him. He also writes that the Shias turn toward the East during the last days of
Ramadhan and call for the Imam to appear. Some of them even forego their ritual
prayers, thinking that if they were busy saying their prayers and the Imam appeared, they
might be deprived of their service to him (laughter by the Sunnis and the Shias ). We are
not so much surprised at this wicked man's ridiculous stories. But we are surprised at the
behavior of the present ulema of Egypt and Damascus who, without asking the Shias with
whom they live, follow the absurdities of men like Ibn Taimiyya. It would be tiring to
give a long list of the inaccurate reports of Ibn Hajar Makki, Hafiz, and Qazi Ruzbahan.
Their books are known, although from the point of view of authenticity, they have no
value.

For instance, the Milal wa'n-Nihal of Muhammad Ibn Abdu'l-Karim Shahrastani (died
548 A.H.), in the eyes of scholars, has not the least value. One will not find anything in it
except utterly false beliefs attributed to Shias, like the worship of Ali and belief in the
transmigration of the soul. Obviously he was not a man of learning. Writing about Ithna
Ashari Shias, he says that the tomb of Ali Ibn Hadi Muhammad Naqi, who came after
Imam Muhammad Taqi, is in Qum. But even children know that the holy shrine of Imam
Ali Naqi is located adjacent to the shrine of his son, Imam Hasan Askari, in Samarra. I
don't think further references of this nature are necessary to prove that the Sunni ulema
have concocted false reports concerning the Shias. And I am not alone in levelling
charges against the integrity of Abu Huraira. The Sunni ulema have also exposed his bad
character in their own books.

ABU HURAIRA'S CHARACTER

AND HADITH CALLING FOR
 HIS CONDEMNATION
Ibn Abi'l-Hadid Mu'tazali, in his commentary on the Nahju'l-Balagha, Volume I, page
358, and in Volume IV, reports from his Sheikh and teacher, Imam Abu Ja'far Asqalani,
that Mu'awiya Bin Abu Sufyan organized a group of companions of the Holy Prophet and
the children of the companions for the purpose of fabricating hadith. Among those who
concocted filthy hadith against Ali were Abu Huraira, Amir Bin As, and Mughira Ibn
Shaba. Giving details of these stories, Ibn Abi'l-Hadid narrates that Abu Huraira once
entered the Kufa mosque and saw a huge gathering of people who had come to welcome
Mu'awiya. He shouted to the crowd: "O people of Iraq. Do you think that I would tell a
lie in opposing Allah and His Prophet and buy Hellfire for myself? Hear from me what I
have heard from the Prophet. 'Every Prophet has a Haram (sacred dwelling place) and my
Haram is Medina. One who is responsible for innovation in Medina is cursed by Allah,
by His angels, and by all humanity.' I swear by Allah that Ali was responsible for an
innovation." (That is, Ali incited dissension among the people and so, according to the
Prophet, should be cursed). When Mu'awiya learned of this (that Abu Huraira did such a
thing for him and did it in Ali's capital, Kufa), he sent for him, gave him a reward, and
made him the governor of Medina. Aren't his misdeeds sufficient to prove that he
deserves condemnation? Is it proper that a man who mistreats the most noble of the
caliphs should be regarded as pious simply because he had once been a companion of the
Prophet?

Sheikh: On what grounds do Shias consider him accursed?

Well-Wisher: There are many arguments in support of our view. One of them is that one
who abuses the Prophet is, according to both sects, condemned. According to the hadith
which I mentioned earlier, the Holy Prophet said, "One who abuses Ali, abuses me; one
who abuses me, abuses Allah." It is clear that Abu Huraira was one of those who not only
abused Ali Bin Abu Talib, but who fabricated hadith to incite others to abuse him.

ABU HURAIRA'S COLLUSION

WITH BUSR IBN ARTAT IN
THE MASSACRE OF MUSLIMS
We also condemn Abu Huraira for his collusion with Busr Ibn Artat in the massacre of
thousands of Muslims. It has been reported by your own historians, including Tabari, Ibn
Athir, Ibn Abi'l-Hadid, Allama Samhudi, Ibn Khaldun, Ibn Khallikan, and others that
Mu'awiya Ibn Abu Sufyan sent the cruel Busr Ibn Artat with 4,000 Syrian soldiers to
Yemen via Medina to crush the people of Yemen and the Shias of Ali. The assailants
murdered thousands of Muslims in Medina, Mecca, Ta'if, Tabala' (a city of Tihama),
Najran, Safa, and its suburbs. They did not spare the young or old of the Bani Hashim or
the Shias of Ali. They even murdered the two small sons of the Holy Prophet's cousin,
Ubaidullah Bin Abbas, the governor of Yemen, who had been appointed by Ali. It is said
that more than 30,000 Muslims were killed on the order of this tyrant. The Bani Umayya
and their followers committed these insane atrocities. Your beloved Abu Huraira
witnessed this slaughter and was not only silent but actively supported it. Innocent
people, like Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari, and Abu Ayyub Ansari sought refuge. Even the
house of Abu Ayyub Ansari, who was one of the Prophet's chief companions, was set on
fire. When this army turned towards Mecca, Abu Huraira remained in Medina. Now I ask
you to tell us, in the name of Allah, whether this deceitful man who had been in the
company of the Holy Prophet for three years, and who narrated more than 5,000 hadith
from the Prophet, had not heard those famous hadith regarding Medina. The ulema of
both the sects (like Allama Samhudi in Ta'rikhu'l-Medina, Ahmad Bin Hanbal in Musnad,
Sibt Ibn Jauzi in Tadhkira, page 163) have quoted from the Holy Prophet, who said
repeatedly: "He who threatens the people of Medina with oppression will be threatened
by Allah and will be cursed by Allah, by His angels, and by humanity. Allah will not
accept anything from him. May he be cursed who threatens the people of Medina. If
anyone harms the people of Medina, Allah will melt him like lead in fire." So why did
Abu Huraira join the army which devastated Medina? Why did he fabricate hadith in
opposition to the rightful successor to the Prophet? And why did he incite people to revile
the man about whom the Prophet had said: "To abuse him is to abuse me"? You decide
whether a man who fabricated hadith in the name of the Prophet was not cursed.

Sheikh: It is unkind of you to call the most reliable companion of the Holy Prophet an
irreligious fabricator.

CONDEMNATION OF ABU HURAIRA

AND UMAR'S BEATING HIM
Well-Wisher: It is not I alone who am "unkind" to Abu Huraira. The first man who was
unkind to him was the second Caliph, Umar Bin Khattab. Ibn Athir and Ibn Abi'l-Hadid
in his Sharhe-Nahju'l-Balagha, Volume III, page 104 (printed in Egypt), and several
others have reported that after Caliph Umar appointed Abu Huraira governor of Bahrain
in 21 A.H., the people informed the Caliph that Abu Huraira had amassed great wealth
and had purchased many horses. Umar therefore deposed him in 23 A.H. As soon as Abu
Huraira entered the court, the Caliph said: "O enemy of Allah and enemy of His Book!
Have you stolen Allah's

property?" He replied, "I never committed theft, but the people have given me gifts." Ibn
Sa'ad in Tabaqat, Volume IV, page 90, Ibn Hajar Asqalani in Isaba, and Ibn Abd-e-Rabbih
in Iqdu'l-Farid, Volume I, write that the Caliph said: "'When I made you the governor of
Bahrain, you had not even shoes on your feet, but now I have heard that you have
purchased horses for 1,600 dinars. How did you acquire this wealth?' He replied, 'These
were men's gifts which profit has multiplied much.' The Caliph's face grew red with
anger, and he lashed him so violently that his back bled. Then he ordered the 10,000
dinars which Abu Huraira had collected in Bahrain be taken from him and deposited in
the account of the Baitu'-Mal."

This was not the first time that Umar beat Abu Huraira. Muslim writes in his Sahih,
Volume I, page 34, that during the time of the Prophet, Umar Bin Khattab beat Abu
Huraira so severely that the latter fell down on the ground. Ibn Abi'l-Hadid writes in his
commentary on Nahju'l-Balagha, Volume I, page 360: "Abu Ja'far Asqalani has said:
'According to our great men, Abu Huraira was a wicked fellow. The hadith narrated by
him were not acceptable. Umar beat him with a lash and told him that he had changed
hadith and had attributed false sayings to the Holy Prophet.'" Ibn Asakir in his Ta'rikh
Kabir and Muttaqi in his Kanzu'l-Umma report that Caliph Umar lashed him, rebuked
him, and forbade him to narrate hadith from the Holy Prophet. Umar said: "Because you
narrate hadith in large numbers from the Holy Prophet, you are fit only for attributing lies
to him. (That is, one expects a wicked man like you to utter only lies about the Holy
Prophet.) So you must stop narrating hadith from the Prophet; otherwise, I will send you
to the land of Dus." (A clan in Yemen, to which Abu Huraira belonged.) Ibn Abi'l-Hadid,
in his commentary on Nahju'l-Balagha, Volume I, page 360 (printed in Egypt) reports
from his teacher, Imam Abu Ja'far Asqalani, that Ali said, "Beware of the greatest liar
among the people, Abu Huraira Dusi." Ibn Qutayba, in Ta'wil-e-Mukhtalifu'l-Hadith, and
Hakim in Mustadrak, Volume III, and Dhahabi in Talkhisu'l-Mustadrak and Muslim in his
Sahih, Volume II, reporting about the characteristics of Abu Huraira, all say that A'yesha
repeatedly contradicted him and said, "Abu Huraira is a great liar who fabricates hadith
and attributes them to the Holy Prophet." In short, it is not we alone who have rejected
Abu Huraira. According to Caliph Umar, the Commander of the Faithful, Ali, Ummu'l-
Mu'minin A'yesha, and other companions and followers of the Prophet said that he was
completely unreliable. Accordingly, the Sheikhs of the Mu'tazilites and their Imams and
the Hanafi ulema generally reject the hadith narrated by Abu Huraira. Moreover, in his
commentary on Muslim's Sahih, Volume IV, Nadwi emphasizes this point: "Imam Abu
Hanifa said, 'The companions of the Prophet were generally pious and just. I accept every
hadith with evidence narrated by them, but I do not accept the hadith whose source is
Abu Huraira, Anas Ibn Malik, or Samra Bin Jundab."

We reject the same Abu Huraira, whom Caliph Umar lashed and called a thief and a liar.
He was rejected by Ummu'l-Mu'minin A'yesha, Imam Abu Hanifa, and by many
companions and followers of the Holy Prophet. We reject the same Abu Huraira who was
rejected and called a liar by our master, the chief of the monotheists, Ali, and by the holy
Imams and descendants of the Prophet. We reject Abu Huraira who was a belly-
worshiper, who, despite knowing the superiority of Ali, ignored him. He preferred his
patron, the damned Mu'awiya, sat at his table to relish dainty dishes, and concocted
hadith in opposition to Ali. In view of our discussion so far, you and I are obliged to see
to it that when a hadith from the holy Prophet is under consideration, we should first refer
it to the Holy Qur'an. If the hadith agrees with the Qur'an, we should accept it, otherwise
not.

REPLY TO THE SUPPOSED HADITH

 THAT ALLAH SAID "I AM PLEASED
WITH ABU BAKR - IS HE ALSO PLEASED
WITH ME?"
The hadith which you narrated earlier (although it is one-sided) may be referred to the
Holy Qur'an. If there is no hindrance, we will surely accept it. One ayat of the Qur'an,
however, says: "And certainly We created man and know what his mind suggests. We are
nearer to him than his jugular vein." (50:16) You are aware that hablu'l-warid (jugular
vein) is a common expression used to express extreme nearness. The meaning of this
verse is that Allah is All-Knowing. Nothing is hidden from Him, however deep it may be
in man's breast. Allah knows the secrets of our hearts. And in the Chapter of "Yunus" He
says: "And you are not (engaged) in any affair, nor do you recite concerning it any
portion of the Qur'an, nor do you do any work but We are witnesses over you when you
enter into it. And there does not lie concealed from your Lord the weight of an atom in
the earth or in heaven, nor anything less than that nor greater, but it is in a clear book."
(10:61) According to these verses, and according to common sense, nothing is hidden
from Allah. He knows what man does or thinks. Now compare this hadith with these two
verses and see whether they can be reconciled. How is it possible that Allah Almighty
would not be aware of the pleasure of Abu Bakr, so that He Himself might be obligated to
ask him whether he was pleased with Him or not? Common sense and the Holy Qur'an
indicate that this "hadith" is false.

AHADITH IN PRAISE OF ABU BAKR

AND UMAR AND
THEIR DISQUALIFICATION
Sheikh: There is no doubt that the Holy Prophet said: "Allah will show Himself to all the
people in general and to Abu Bakr in particular." He also said, "Allah did not put
anything into my breast that He did not put into Abu Bakr's breast." He also said: "I and
Abu Bakr are like two horses who are equal to each other in a race." Again he said: "In
the sky there are 80,000 angels who pray for blessings for him who is a friend of Abu
Bakr and Umar. And in the next level of the sky there are 80,000 angels who curse him
who is an enemy of Abu Bakr and Umar." The Holy Prophet also said: "Abu Bakr and
Umar are the best of all mankind from beginning to end." Abu Bakr's and Umar's rank
can be assessed from the hadith in which the Holy Prophet said: "Allah made me from
His light, Abu Bakr from my light, and Umar from Abu Bakr's light, and my followers
from Umar's light. Umar is the lamp of the People of Paradise." There are many such
hadith recorded in our authentic books. I have narrated only a few so that you may know
the real position of the caliphs.
Well-Wisher: The meaning of these hadith leads to heresy and infidelity, which clearly
proves that the Holy Prophet could not have said such things. The first hadith implies that
Allah has a body and it is infidelity to believe that Allah has a body. The second hadith
indicates that Abu Bakr shared in what was revealed to the Holy Prophet. The third hadith
implies that the Holy Prophet was in no way superior to Abu Bakr. The other hadith
conflict with innumerable hadith, which are accepted by both sects, that the best people
of the world are the Prophet Muhammad and his descendants.

Apart from these clear facts, your own distinguished ulema, like Muqaddasi in his
Tadhkiratu'l-Muzu'a, Firuzabadi Shafi'i in his Safaru's-Sa'adat, Hasan Bin Athir Dhahabi
in Mizanu'l-I'tidal, Abu Bakr Ahmad Bin Ali Khatib Baghdadi in his Ta'rikh, Abu'l-Faraj
Ibn Jauzi in Kitabu'l-Muzu'a, and Jalalu'd-Din Suyuti in Al-Lu'ali'l-Masnu'a fi'l-
Abadusi'l-Muzu'a - all concluded that these hadith are fabricated. They all insisted that
these hadith are forged. They conflict with The Holy Qur'an and with common sense.

Sheikh: But consider another hadith, which surely is authentic. The Holy Prophet said:
"Abu Bakr and Umar are the masters of the old men of Paradise."

Well-Wisher: If you would examine this supposed hadith more closely, you might find
that, apart from the fact that your own ulema have rejected it, this hadith cannot possibly
be from the Holy Prophet. Everyone knows that Paradise will not be inhabited by old
people. There are no gradual changes there. There are many reports accepted by both
sects which relate to this matter. One of them is the affair of Ashja'iyya, an old woman
who came to the Prophet. In the course of his talk, the Prophet said: "Old women will not
enter Paradise." The woman was deeply saddened and she said, weeping, "O Prophet of
Allah, this means I shall not enter Paradise." Saying this, she departed. The Prophet said:
"Tell her that on that day she will be young and will enter Paradise." Then he recited the
following verse of the Holy Qur'an: "Surely We have made them to grow into a (new)
growth, then We have made them virgins, loving, equals in age, for the sake of the
companions of the right hand." (56:35-38)

In another hadith accepted by both you and us, the Holy Prophet said: "When the
inhabitants of Paradise enter Heaven, they will be youthful with pure clean faces, curly
hair, charming eyes, 33 years of age."

Sheikh: Your statements are true as they are, but this is a specific hadith.

Well-Wisher: I don't understand. What do you mean by a "specific hadith"? Do you

mean that Allah will send a group of old men to Paradise so that Abu Bakr and Umar may
be their masters? Besides, your own prominent ulema regard this hadith as fabricated.
The Prophet gave us a procedure for validating hadith. I stated earlier that any hadith
which is not consistent with the Holy Qur'an is to be rejected. Our own scholars reject
several hadith purported to have originated with the Prophet or with the holy Imams on
the basis of the principle enunciated by the Prophet: "Whenever a hadith is reported as
having come from me, refer it to the Holy Qur'an; if it is consistent with it, accept it;
otherwise, reject it." Accordingly, our scholars do not accept hadith which are
inconsistent with the Holy Qur'an. I stated earlier that your own ulema have written
treatises on the rejection of fabricated hadith. For example, Sheikh Majdu'd-Din
Muhammad bin Yaqub Firuzabadi in Safaru's-Sa'ada (p. 142), Jalalu'd-Din Suyuti in
Kitabu'l-Lu'ali, Ibn Jauzi in Muzu'a, Muqaddasi in Tadhkiratu'l-Muzu'a, and Sheikh
Muhammad bin Darwish (Mashhur be Hut-e-Beiruti) in Asna'l-Talib - all have said that
the chain of narrators of the hadith stating that Abu Bakr and Umar are the masters of the
old men of Paradise includes Yahya bin 'Anbasa. Dhahabi says that this Yahya is an
unreliable narrator, and Ibn Jan held that Yahya used to fabricate hadith.

Thus, apart from my previous arguments, even your own ulema consider it a false hadith.
In fact, it is probable that it was fabricated by the followers of Abu Bakr, the Umayya
family. In order to humiliate the Bani Hashim and the progeny of the Holy Prophet, they
used to fabricate hadith parallel to those authentically narrated in praise of the family of
the Prophet. Men like Abu Huraira, in order to gain access to the ruling coterie of the
Bani Umayya, often fabricated hadith. Because of their hostility to the descendants of the
Prophet, they concocted hadith parallel to those accepted by both Shia and Sunni ulema.

Nawab: Which is the accepted hadith in this case?

HADITH THAT BOTH HASAN AND HUSAIN

ARE THE FOREMOST OF YOUTH
OF PARADISE
Well-Wisher: The authentic hadith is that the Prophet said: "Hasan and Husain are the
foremost of the youth of Paradise and their father is superior to them." Many ulema have
narrated this hadith. For example, Khatib Khawarizmi in Manaqib, Mir Seyyed Ali Abu
Abdu'r-Rahman Nisa'i in Khasa'is-il-Alawi (three hadith), Ibn Sabbagh Maliki in
Fusulu'l-Muhimma, page 159, Sulayman Balkhi Hanafi in Yanabiu'l-Mawadda, Chapter
54, Sibt Ibn Jauzi in Tadhkira, quoting from Tirmidhi, Ibn Maja and Imam Ahmad bin
Hanbal, Sibt Ibn Jauzi on p. 133 of Tadhkiratu'l-Mawadda, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal in
Musnad, Tirmidhi in Sunan, and Muhammad bin Yusuf Ganji Shafi'i in Kifayatu't-Talib,
Chapter 97, recorded this hadith and the latter added that the great narrator of hadith,
Imam Abdu'l-Qasim Tibrani, also recorded this hadith in Mu'ajamu'l-Kabir and listed all
its various narrators, such as the Commander of the Faithful, Ali, Umar bin Khattab (the
second Caliph), Hudhaifa Yamani, Abu Sa'id Khadri, Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari, Abu
Huraira, Usama bin Zaid, and Abdullah bin Umar. Thereafter, Muhammad bin Yusuf has
commented that it is an unquestionably genuine hadith. The unbroken continuity of the
chain of narrators of this hadith is a proof of its being authentic. Further, Hafiz Abu
Nu'aim Isfahani in Hilyatu'l-Auliya, Ibn Asakir in Ta'rikh Kabir, Volume IV, page 206,
Hikam in Mustadrak, Ibn Hajar Makki in Sawa'iq Muhriqa - in short, all of your eminent
scholars have confirmed the authenticity of this hadith.
Sheikh: But consider this hadith, the authenticity of which no one will deny. The Holy
Prophet said: "In whatever nation Abu Bakr lives, it is not proper that any other person be
preferred to him." This hadith proves that Abu Bakr is superior to the whole umma.

Well-Wisher: I regret that you accept a hadith so uncritically. Had this hadith been
narrated by the Prophet, he himself would have acted upon it. But he gave preference to
Ali in the presence of Abu Bakr. Was Abu Bakr not present at the time of Mubahila when
Ali was chosen as the Prophet's self? In the Battle of Tabuk, when the older and more
experienced Abu Bakr was there, why did the Prophet make Hazrat Ali his deputy and
Caliph? Why was Abu Bakr deposed by divine command in favor of Ali when the older
man had been sent to Mecca to preach Islam and to recite verses from the ninth Chapter
of the Qur'an, "The Immunity"? While Abu Bakr was present, why did the Prophet take
Ali with him to Mecca to break the idols, letting him mount his own shoulders, ordering
him to smash the idol Hubal? Why, in the presence of Abu Baker, did the Prophet send
Ali to preach among the people of Yemen? Finally, why did the Prophet make Ali his
successor and Vicegerent instead of Abu Bakr?

Sheikh: There is a very strong hadith from the Holy Prophet which cannot be
contradicted. It is related by Amr bin As who said: "One day I asked the Prophet: 'O
Prophet of Allah! Whom do you love most among the women?' He replied, 'A'yesha.' I
said: 'Whom do you love best among the men?' He replied, 'A'yesha's father, Abu Bakr.'"
Since the Prophet preferred Abu Bakr over all other men, he was superior to the whole
community. This fact in itself is the most compelling proof of the legitimacy of Abu
Bakr's caliphate.

REPLY TO SUPPOSED HADITH

THAT ABU BAKR AND A'YESHA
WERE PREFERRED BY THE PROPHET
Well-Wisher: Apart from the fact that this hadith is concocted by Abu Bakr's supporters,
it is inconsistent with authentic hadith which are accepted by both sects. This hadith
should be considered from two points of view: from the side of Ummu'l-Mu'minin
A'yesha and from the side of Abu Bakr. The Prophet could not have said that of all
women he loved A'yesha most. I have already stated earlier that this contradicts many
authentic hadith in both Sunni and Shia books.

Sheikh: Which hadith does this tradition contradict?

Well-Wisher: There are many hadith about the mother of the Imams, Fatima Zahra,
narrated by your own ulema, which contradict your statement. Hafiz Abu Bakr Baihaqi in
his Ta'rikh, Hafiz Ibn Abdu'l-Bar in Isti'ab, Mir Seyyed Ali Hamadani in Mawaddatu'l-
Qurba, and others of your ulema have reported that the Prophet said repeatedly: "Fatima
is the best of all the women of my community." Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal in Musnad and
Hafiz Abu Bakr Shirazi in Nuzulu'l-Qur'an Fi Ali narrate from Muhammad Bin
Hanafiyya, and he from the Commander of the Faithful, Ali, Ibn Abdu'l-Barr in Isti'ab, in
the account of Fatima, related from Ummu'l-Mu'minin Khadija, from Abdu'l-Warith Bin
Sufyan and from Abu Dawud and Anas Bin Malik, Sheikh Sulayman Balkhi Hanafi in
Chapter 55 of Yanabiu'l-Mawadda, Mir Seyyed Ali Hamadani in Mawaddatu'l-Qurba,
Mawadda XIII - these and many other narrators of hadith have reported from Anas Bin
Malik that the Prophet said: "There are four pre-eminent women of the world: Mary,
daughter of Imran; Asiya, daughter of Mazahim; Khadija, daughter of Khalid; and
Fatima, daughter of Muhammad." Khatib in his Ta'rikh Baghdad narrates that the Prophet
declared these four women the best of all the women of the world. Then he pronounced
Fatima to be superior to them all in this world and in the hereafter. Muhammad Bin
Isma'il Bukhari in his Sahih, and imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal in Musnad narrate from
A'yesha Bint Abi Bakr that the Prophet said to Fatima: "O Fatima, I give you the good
tidings that Allah made you superior to all the women of the world, and made you the
purest of all the women of Islam." Also Bukhari in his Sahih, Part IV, page 64, Muslim in
Sahih, Part II, in the Chapter "Merits of Fatima," Hamidi in his Jam'a Bainu's-Sahihain,
Abdi in his Jam'a Bainu's-Sihahu's-Sitta - these and many others have reported on the
authority of Ummu'l-Mu'minin A'yesha that the Prophet said: "O Fatima! Are you not
happy that you are the chief of the women of all the world?" Ibn Hajar Asqalani has
quoted the same passage in his Isaba in connection with the life of Fatima with the
version: "You are the best of all the women of the world." Also, Bukhari, Muslim, Imam
Ahmad Bin Hanbal, Tibrani, and Sulayman Balkhi Hanafi - all have recorded this hadith.

THE VERSE OF LOVE FOR THE PROPHET'S

FAMILY
In addition, Bukhari and Muslim, each in his Sahih, Imam Tha'labi in his Tafsir, Imam
Ahmad bin Hanbal in Musnad, Tibrani in Mu'jamu'l-Kabir, Sulayman Balkhi Hanafi in
Yanabiu'l-Mawadda, Chapter 32, on the authority of the Tafsir of Ibn Abi Hatim,
Manaqib of Hakim, Wasit and Wahidi, the Hilyatu'l-Auliya of Hafiz Abu Nu'aim Isfahani,
and Fara'id of Hamwaini, Ibn Hajar Makki in Sawa'iq Muhriqa, under verse 14 on the
authority of Ahmad, Muhammad bin Talha Shafi'i in Matalibu's-Su'ul, page 8, Tabari in
Tafsir, Wahidi in Asbabu'n-Nuzul, Ibn Maghazili in Manaqib, Muhibu'd-Din Tabari in
Riyazu'n-Nuzra, Mu'min Shablanji in Nuru'l-Absar, Zamakhshari in Tafsir, Imam
Fakhru'd-Din Razi in Tafsir Kabir, Seyyed Abu Bakr Shahabu'd-Din Alawi in Rishfatu's-
Sadi min Bahr-e-Faza'il-e-Baniu'l-Nabi'i'l-Hadi, Chapter 1, pages 22-23 on the authority
of Tafsir of Baghawi, Tafsir of Tha'labi, Manaqib of Ahmad, Kabir and Ausat of Tibrani
and Sadi, Sheikh Abdullah bin Muhammad bin 'Amir Shabrawi Shafi'i in Al-'Ittihaf, page
5 on the authority of Hakim, Tibrani, and Ahmad, Jalalu'd-Din Suyuti in Ihya'u'l-Mayyit
on the authority of the Tafsirs of Ibn Mundhir, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Mardawaih, and
Mu'jamu'l-Kabir of Tibrani; and Ibn Abi Hatim and Hakim - in short, most of your
eminent ulema (barring a few staunch followers of the Bani Umayya and enemies of the
Ahle Bait), have narrated from Abdullah bin Abbas and others that when the following
verse of the Holy Qur'an was revealed: "Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it but
love for my near relatives; and whoever earns good, We give him more of good therein..."
(42:23) a group of companions asked "O Prophet of Allah, who are those of your
relatives whose love has been made obligatory on us by Allah?" The Prophet replied,
"They are Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husain." Some hadith contain the words "and their
sons," meaning Hasan and Husain.

SHAFI'IS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
THAT LOVE FOR AHLE BAIT IS
OBLIGATORY
Even Ibn Hajar (a very intolerant person) in his Sawa'iq Muhriqa, page 88, Hafiz
Jamalu'd-Din Zarandi in Mi'raju'l-Rasul, Sheikh Abdullah Shabrawi in Kitabu'l-Ittihaf,
page 29, Muhammad Bin Ali Sabban of Egypt in As'afu'r-Ra'ghibin, page 119, and others
have related from Imam Muhammad Bin Idris Shafi'i, who is one of your four Imams and
the religious head of the Shafi'is, that he used to say: "O Ahle Bait of the Prophet of
Allah! Love for you has been made obligatory for us by Allah, as revealed in the Holy
Qur'an (referring to the above verse). It is sufficient for your dignity that if one does not
send salutations to you in the ritual prayers, his prayers will not be accepted." Now I ask
you, can the one-sided hadith reported by you stand against all these authentic hadith
which have been accepted by both the Sunni and Shia sects?

MISCONCEPTION REGARDING
HOLY PROPHET'S LOVE FOR A'YESHA
In regard to the Prophet's love for you A'yesha, do you think that because of his sensual
desires he loved A'yesha more than Fatima? It is true that A'yesha was his wife and
therefore an Ummu'l-Mu'minin (mother of the believers) like the other wives of the
Prophet. But is it conceivable that he loved A'yesha more than he loved Fatima, whose
love was made obligatory in the Holy Qur'an, for whom the verse of purity was revealed
and who was included in the Mubahila? Surely you know that the Prophet and the
vicegerents were not motivated by sensual desires, and that they looked only to Allah.
This dedication was particularly true for the last of the Prophets. He loved those whom
Allah loved. Should we reject these authentic hadith which have been accepted by ulema
of both sects, and which agree with the verses of the Holy Qur'an, or should we regard
the hadith that you have just narrated as fabricated? You claim that the Prophet said that
he loved Abu Bakr more than any other man. But this claim is also at variance with many
other authentic hadith which have been narrated by your own ulema, who have insisted
that, according to the Prophet, the most dearly loved man was Ali.

HOLY PROPHET PREFERRED

ALI TO ALL OTHER MEN
Sheikh Sulayman Balkhi in his Yanabiu'l-Mawadda, Chapter 55, narrates from Tirmidhi
Buraida's hadith that, according to the Prophet, the most dearly loved woman was Fatima
and the most dearly loved man was Ali. Muhammad Bin Yusuf Ganji Shafi'i in his
Kifayatu't-Talib, Chapter 91, reports on the authority of Ummu'l-Mu'minin A'yesha that
she said: "Allah did not create any one whom the Holy Prophet loved more than Ali." He
adds that this is the hadith which Ibn Jarir in his Manaqib and Ibn Asakir Damishqi in his
translation have narrated from Ali. Muhyi'd-Din and Imamu'l-Haramain Ahmad Bin
Abdullah Shafi'i relates from Tirmidhi in Dhakha'iru'l-Uqba that people asked A'yesha
which woman was loved most by the Prophet, and she replied, "Fatima." Then she was
asked about the man loved most by the Prophet and she replied, "Her husband, Ali bin
Abu Talib." Further, he related from the Mukhalis of Dhahabi and Hafiz Abu'l-Qasim
Damishqi and he from A'yesha that she said: "I have not seen a man more loved by the
Holy Prophet than Ali, nor a woman more loved than Fatima." In addition, the Sheikh
relates from Hafiz Khajandi and he from Ma'azatu'l-Ghifariyya that she said: "I went to
have an audience with the Prophet in A'yesha's house while Ali was outside the house.
The Prophet said to A'yesha, 'This (Ali) is the

dearest to me and the most honored among all men. Recognize his right and pay
respectful regard to his position.'"

Sheikh Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Amir Shabrawi Shafi'i, who is one of your
prominent ulema, recorded in Kitabu'l-Ittihaf bi Hubbi'l-Ashraf, page 9, Sulayman Balkhi
in Yanabiu'l-Mawadda, and Muhammad bin Talha Shafi'i in Matalibu's-Su'ul, page 6,
from Tirmidhi, and he from Jami' bin Umar - all narrated the following: "I went to
Ummu'l-Mu'minin A'yesha with my aunt (father's sister), and we inquired of her who was
loved most by the Holy Prophet. She replied, 'Among women it was Fatima and among
men, her husband, Ali bin Abu Talib.'" This same hadith has been related by Mir Seyyed
Ali Hamadani Shafi'i in Mawaddatu'l-Qurba, Mawadda II, with the variation that Jami'
bin Umar said that he received this reply from his aunt.

Similarly, Khatib Khawarizmi has related this hadith from Jami' bin Umar, and the latter
from A'yesha at the end of Chapter 4 of his Manaqib. Ibn Hajar Makki, in Sawa'iq
Muhriqa, towards the end of Chapter 2, after recording 40 hadith on the merits of Ali,
relates the following hadith from A'yesha: "Among women, Fatima was the woman most
loved by the Holy Prophet of Allah and among men, her husband." Muhammad bin Talha
Shafi'i, in Matalib-us Su'ul, page 7, after recording several specific hadith on this issue,
expresses his own conclusion in the following words: "These authentic and unequivocal
narrations prove that Fatima was the most beloved of the Prophet above all other women.
She is the highest in rank of all the women of Paradise and also the foremost of women of
this community as well as the foremost of the women of Medina." These reliable hadith
clearly establish that of all creatures, Ali and Fatima were the most loved by the Prophet.
Another proof of the Prophet's preferring Ali to other men is the "Hadith of the Bird"
(Hadith-e-Ta'ir). This hadith is so well known and so commonly accepted that we need
not mention all its sources. I will mention only some of them.

HADITH OF THE ROASTED BIRD

Most of your prominent ulema, like Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nisa'i, and Sijistani in
their Siha, Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal in his Musnad, Ibn Abi'l-Hadid in his commentary
on Nahju'l-Balagha, Ibn Sabbagh Maliki in Fusulu'l-Muhimma, and Sulayman Balkhi
Hanafi in Yanabiu'l-Mawadda, Chapter 8, and a host of other reliable authors have
recorded the hadith-e-Ta'ir in their works. They verify that this hadith was reported by 24
narrators of hadith from Anas Bin Malik. Ibn Sabbagh Maliki in his Fusulu'l-Muhimma
writes about it in these words: "In the books of authentic hadith and reliable narrations,
the hadith-e-Ta'ir from Anas Bin Malik is indisputably correct." Sibt Ibn Jauzi, on page
23 of his Tadhkira, and Sunan of Tirmidhi and Mas'udi on page 49 of Volume II of
Muruju'dh-Dhahab, have focussed especially on the last part of this hadith which contains
the Prophet's prayer and its acceptance by Allah. Imam Abu Abdu'r-Rahman Nisa'i in the
9th hadith of his Khasa'isu'l-Alawi, and Hafiz Bin Iqda and Muhammad Bin Jarir Tabari
have all referred to the unbroken chain of narrators and to the authentic sources of this
hadith, saying that it was narrated by 35 companions of the holy Prophet from Anas Bin
Malik. In short, all your distinguished ulema have verified the authenticity of this hadith
and have included it in their books. Allama Seyyed Hamid Husain has dedicated an entire
volume of his Abaqatu'l-Anwar to this hadith. He collected all reliable sources from your
distinguished ulema and clearly proved the authenticity of this hadith.

According to this hadith, one day a woman brought a gift of a roasted bird to the Prophet.
Before eating it, the Prophet, raising his hands, invoked Allah thus: "O Allah! Of your
whole creation, send the person who is the dearest to you and to me, so that he may
partake of this roasted bird with me."

Ali then came in and ate the roasted bird with the Holy Prophet.

Some of your books, such as Fusulu'l-Muhimma of Maliki, Ta'rikh of Hafiz Nishapuri,

Kifayatu't-Talib of Ganji Shafi'i, and Musnad of Ahmad bin Hanbal, etc., in which the
hadith has been reported from Anas bin Malik, have recorded that Anas said: "The
Prophet had not finished his invocation when Ali came into the house, but I kept the
matter secret. When Ali stamped his foot the third time, the Prophet ordered me to let him
in. When Ali entered, the Prophet said: 'Allah's Mercy be upon you; what brings you to
me?' Ali then told him that he came to him three times but was allowed entrance only this
time. The Prophet asked what made me behave like that, and I replied: "The truth is that,
on hearing your invocation, I wished that such an honor might fall to the lot of someone
of my tribe." Now I ask you respected people whether the invocation of the Holy Prophet
was accepted or rejected by Allah.
Sheikh: Obviously Allah accepted it since He has promised in the Holy Qur'an that He
would accept the Prophet's invocation. Moreover, Allah knew that the Prophet would not
make an inappropriate request. So Allah always accepted his invocation.

Well-Wisher: Allah sent Ali, the most deserving person in His creation, to the Prophet.
Your own scholars have confirmed this event. Muhammad bin Talha Shafi'i has in his
Matalib-us Su'ul, Chapter 1, Part 5, page 15, established the high position of Ali as the
beloved of Allah and of the Prophet on the basis of the hadith of Ensign (Rayat) and the
hadith of the Bird (Ta'ir). In that connection he says: "The intention of the Prophet was
that the people should understand the unique and high distinction of Ali, who attained the
highest pinnacle to be reached by the pious." Also Hafiz and Muhammad Bin Yusuf Ganji
Shafi'i (died 658 A.H.) writes in his Kifayatu't-talib, Chapter 33, referring to the virtues
of Ali Bin Abi Talib, that this hadith clearly proves that Ali was the dearest person in
creation to Allah. Later he says that Hakim Abu Abdullah Hafiz Nishapuri related this
hadith-e-Ta'ir of Anas from 86 narrators and also recorded the names of all 86 narrators.
(See Kifayatu't-Talib, Chapter 32). That "hadith" quoted by you, in comparison with the
hadith narrated by your own high-ranking ulema (excepting a few stubborn fanatics),
cannot be relied upon and would be rejected by learned men.

Sheikh: I'm afraid that you have made up your mind not to accept what we say.

Well-Wisher: How can you attribute such bias to me? Can you cite a single instance in
which you have put forward a cogent argument and I have unreasonably rejected it? I
swear that in religious debates with the Jews, the Christians, the Hindus, and the
Brahmins, the ignorant Baha'is in Iran, the Qadanis in India, and the materialists - in all
of these circumstances, I never acted obstinately in my argument. I never adopted a
refractory attitude towards these unbelievers - how could I do so with you, my brothers in
Islam?

Sheikh: We read the account of your debate with the Hindus and Brahmins of Lahore in
the newspapers. We were greatly impressed by it. Although we had not met you, we felt
we were morally affiliated with you. I hope that Allah will lead you and us to the right
path. We believe that if there is any doubt about a certain hadith, we should, according to
your proposal, refer it to the Holy Qur'an. However, if you question the excellence of
Caliph Abu Bakr and the mode of caliphate of the major caliphs, and if you consider the
hadith dubious, will you also hesitate to believe an argument based on the verses of the
Holy Qur'an?

Well-Wisher: May Allah not grant us the day when we doubt facts based on the Holy
Qur'an or authentic hadith. However, when we have entered into a religious debate with
any nation or community, they also argued from the verses of the Holy Qur'an to establish
their point of view. Since the verses of the Holy Qur'an have various levels of meaning,
the last Prophet, in order to guard the people against misunderstanding, did not leave the
Holy Qur'an as the sole source of guidance. As has been acknowledged by both sects
(Shias and Sunnis), he himself said: "I leave with you two great things: the Book of Allah
(Qur'an) and my descendants. If you are attached to these two, never, never shall you go
astray after me. Verily, these two shall never be separated from one another until they
meet me at the Fountain of Kauthar." For this reason, the meaning of the revelation of the
Holy Qur'an should be sought either from the Prophet, the primary interpreter of the Holy
Qur'an, or after him, from the equals of the Holy Qur'an, the holy descendants of the
Prophet. The Holy Qur'an says: "So ask you the people of the Remembrance if ye know
not." (21:7)

"PEOPLE OF THE REMEMBRANCE" ARE

THE AHLE MUHAMMAD, THE DESCENDANTS
OF THE HOLY PROPHET
The Ahle'dh-dhikr means the people of the Remembrance, Ali and the Holy Imams, his
descendants, who are the equals of the Holy Qur'an. Sheikh Sulayman Balkhi Hanafi-in
his Yanabiu'l-Mawadda, Chapter 39, quoting from the Tafsir-e-Kashfu'l-Bayan of Imam
Tha'labi, narrates from Jabir Ibn Abdullah Ansari, who said: "Ali said: 'We descendants of
the Holy Prophet are the people of the Remembrance.'" Since Dhikr, "Remembrance," is
one of the names of the Holy Qur'an, this family contains the people of the Qur'an. As
reported by your and our ulema, Ali said: "Ask me anything you like before I leave you.
Ask me about the Holy Book (The Qur'an) since I know about every verse in it - whether
it was revealed in the night or during the day, on a plain field or in the steep mountains.
By Allah, no verse of the Holy Qur'an was revealed but I know about what it was
revealed, where it was revealed, and about what person it was revealed. Allah Almighty
has endowed me with an eloquent tongue and a wise mind."

Therefore, basing arguments upon verses of the Holy Qur'an should be in accordance
with their authentic meaning and the interpretations given by those capable of reliable
commentary. Otherwise, everyone would give his own interpretation of the verses of the
Qur'an, according to his scope of knowledge and faith, and that would only result in
differences of opinion and conflicting ideas. With this in mind, I ask you to cite your
verses.

CITATION OF A VERSE OF THE HOLY QUR'AN

ABOUT THE APPOINTMENT OF
THE FOUR CALIPHS, AND A REPLY
Sheikh: Allah clearly says in the Holy Qur'an, "Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah, and
those who are with him are strong against unbelievers, (but) compassionate amongst each
other. Thou wilt see them bow and prostrate themselves (in prayer), seeking grace from
Allah and (His) good pleasure. On their faces are their marks, (being) the traces of their
prostration." (48:29) First, this verse proves the superiority of Abu Bakr. Second, it
vindicates the position of the four caliphs as opposed to the claim of the Shia sect that Ali
was the first caliph. This verse unequivocally states that Ali was the fourth caliph.

Well-Wisher: Certainly this verse does not give any obvious indication about the mode
of appointment of the caliphs or about the excellence of Abu Bakr. Therefore, you must
point out at what place of the verse this meaning is concealed.

Sheikh: In the beginning of this verse, the phrase "those who are with him" refers to that
great man who was with the Prophet on the 'Night of the Cave.' The order of succession
in the caliphate is also apparent from this verse. "Those who are with him" means Abu
Bakr, who accompanied the Prophet in the Cave of Thawr on the night of Hijra. The
phrase "strong against unbelievers" means Umar Bin Khattab, who was very harsh with
the unbelievers. The phrase "compassionate to each other" refers to Uthman Bin Affan,
who was very kind. The phrase "on their faces are their marks, the traces of their
prostration" refers to Ali. It is clear that Ali is the fourth Caliph, not the first, since Allah
mentioned him in the fourth place.

Well-Wisher: I wonder how I should reply so that I may not be accused of self interest.
No Qur'anic commentaries, including those of your great ulema have interpreted these
words as you have. Had this verse been about the order of the caliphate, the first day after
the death of the Prophet, when Ali, the Bani Hashim, and the distinguished companions
of the Prophet raised objections and refused to swear allegiance to the Caliph, baseless
arguments would not have been put forward. They could have given a silencing reply by
citing this holy verse there and then. Hence, it is clear that your interpretation is an
afterthought. None of the great commentators of your sect, like Tabari, Imam Tha'labi,
Fazil Nishapuri, Jalalu'd-Din Suyuti, Qazi Baidhawi, Jarullah Zamakhshari, Imam
Fakhru'd-Din Razi, or others have interpreted it thus. I fail to understand how you derive
this meaning. Where and by whom was such a meaning given? This verse, from the
literary and technical point of view, also goes against what you say.

Sheikh: I never expected that you would stand so boldly in opposition to the obvious
meaning of such a verse. Of course if you have anything to say against this you may let
us know so that the real position may be established.

Well-Wisher: Considering the grammatical construction of the verse, if we interpret its

meaning as you have, it would either mean that Muhammad is Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman,
and Ali or that Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali are Muhammad! Even beginning
students know that this sort of interpretation is grammatically inaccurate. Besides, if this
verse referred to the four caliphs, there would have been the conjunction "and" to
coordinate words to give your meaning, but it is not so. All the commentators of your
own sect say that this verse refers to all the believers. Moreover, the qualities enumerated
in this verse apparently refer to one person only, who remained with the Prophet from the
very beginning, and not to four persons. And if we say that one person was the
Commander of the Faithful, Ali, it would be more appropriate according to common
sense and hadith than naming any others.

ARGUMENT FROM THE "VERSE

OF CAVE" AND ITS REPLY
Sheikh: It is strange that you claim that you do not indulge in misleading arguments,
although your views are quite perverse. Allah says in the Holy Qur'an, "If you will not aid
him, Allah certainly aided him when those who disbelieved expelled him, he being the
second of the two, when they were both in the cave, when he said to his companion:
'Grieve not, surely Allah is with us.' So Allah sent down His tranquility upon him and
strengthened him with hosts which you did not see..." (9:40)

First, this verse supports the previous verse and proves that the phrase "and those who are
with him," refers to Abu Bakr who was with the Prophet in the cave on the night of the
Hijra. Second, the fact that he was with the Holy Prophet is in itself a great proof of Abu
Bakr's merit and his superiority to the whole umma. The Prophet could foretell that Abu
Bakr was his successor, and that the existence of the Caliph after him was necessary.
Therefore, he realized that he should protect Abu Bakr as he would his own. So, he took
him with him so that Abu Bakr might not be caught by the enemy. Such treatment was
not shown to any other Muslim. This clearly proves his right to the caliphate in
preference to others.

Well-Wisher: If you would look at the verse more objectively, you would see that your
conclusion is wrong.

Sheikh: Can you advance reasons against the conclusions that we have drawn?

Well-Wisher: I should like you to pass over this issue at the moment because speech
breeds speech. Some biased people may interpret our comments with ill will. I do not
wish to incite hatred. One might conclude that we wish to dishonor the caliphs, though
the position of each individual is fixed, and it is not necessary to make useless
interpretations.

Sheikh: You are being evasive. Be assured that reasonable argument does not breed
contempt; it removes misunderstandings.

Well-Wisher: Since you have used the word "evasive," I am constrained to reply, so that
you may know that I am not avoiding the issue. I wanted to maintain the propriety of our
debate. I hope that you will not find fault with me. You made a thoughtless assertion that
the Prophet knew that Abu Bakr would be his Caliph after him. Therefore, it was
necessary for him to save his life, and so he took him with him.
 FACTS ABOUT ABU BAKR'S
ACCOMPANYING THE HOLY PROPHET
Reply to your statement is simple. If Abu Bakr had been the only Caliph after the
Prophet, such a view could be possible, but you believe in four caliphs. If this argument
of yours is correct, and if it had been necessary for the Prophet to safeguard the life of the
caliph, then the Prophet should have taken with him all four caliphs in Mecca. Why
would he leave three others there, one of them in the perilous position of sleeping in the
Prophet's bed, which was dangerous on a night when his enemies had gathered to murder
him? According to Tabari (Part III of his History), Abu Bakr was not aware of the
Prophet's movement from Mecca. When he went to Ali and asked him about the Prophet,
he told him that the Prophet had gone to the cave. Ali told him that if he had any business
with him, he should run up to him. Abu Bakr ran and met the Prophet on the way. So he
accompanied him. This series of events indicates that the Prophet did not intend to take
Abu Bakr with him. The latter accompanied him from the middle of the way without the
Prophet's permission. According to other reports, Abu Bakr was taken on the journey for
fear of his causing a disturbance and giving information to the enemy. Your own ulema
have admitted this fact. For instance, Sheikh Abu'l-Qasim Bin Sabbagh, who is one of the
well known ulema of your sect, writing in his Al-Nur wa'l-Burhan about the life of the
Prophet, narrates from Muhammad Bin Ishaq, and he from Hasan Bin Thabit Ansari, that
he went to Mecca to perform the Umra before the emigration of the Prophet. He saw that
the Quraish unbelievers were railing at the Prophet's companions. The Prophet ordered
Ali to sleep in his bed, and, fearing that Abu Bakr would disclose this fact to the
unbelievers, the Prophet took Abu Bakr with him.

Finally, it would have been better if you had pointed out what evidence there is in this
verse to show the superiority of Abu Bakr or whether accompanying the Prophet on a
journey is proof that one is entitled to the caliphate.

Sheikh: The evidence is there. First, the companionship of the Prophet and that Allah
called him the Prophet's companion is in itself a qualification. Second, the Prophet
himself said: "Verily, Allah is with us." Third, the sending down of tranquility upon him
from Allah, as mentioned in this verse, is the most compelling proof of Abu Bakr's
excellence. Therefore, all of these points taken together indicate his superiority to others
regarding the caliphate.

Well-Wisher: No one hesitates to acknowledge the position of Abu Bakr, an elderly

Muslim, one of the distinguished companions and the father of the wife of the Prophet.
However, these reasons do not prove his superiority of the caliphate. If you try to prove
your point with such statements before impartial men, you will be courting strong
criticism. They will say that companionship with virtuous people is no proof of merit or
superiority. For example, we often see that bad people accompany good ones, and hosts
of infidels accompany Muslims on journeys. Perhaps you have forgotten what the Holy
Qur'an says about the Prophet Yusuf (Joseph), who said: "O my two companions of the
prison (I ask you): are many lords differing among themselves better, or Allah, the One,
the Supreme?" (12:39)

Regarding this verse, commentators have said that when Joseph was taken to the prison,
on the same day the King's cook and the wine bearer, both of whom were unbelievers,
were also put into the prison with him. For five years these three men (both believers and
unbelievers) lived together as companions. When preaching to them Joseph, called them
his companions. Was this companionship of the Prophet ever made grounds for regarding
the two infidels as virtuous or dignified? Did their companionship with the Prophet effect
a change in their faith? The writings of the commentators and historians tell us that after
five years of companionship, they were separated from each other in the same condition.

Another verse of the Qur'an states, "His companion said to him while disputing with him:
'Do you disbelieve in Him who created you from dust, then from a small seed, then He
made you a perfect man?'" (18:37) Commentators agree that this verse refers to two
brothers: one was a believer, whose name was Yahuda. The other was an unbeliever
whose name was Bara'tus. This fact has also been reported in the Tafsir-e-Kabir by Imam
Fakhru'd-Din Razi, who is one of your ulema. These two talked to each other, the details
of which cannot be given here. Allah has, however, called both of them (believer and
unbeliever) "companions." Did the unbeliever derive benefit from his companionship
with the believer? Obviously not. Thus, companionship alone is no basis for claiming
one's excellence. There are many examples in support of this view.

THE PROPHET'S WORDS "ALLAH

IS WITH US" NO PROOF OF
EXCELLENCE OF ABU BAKR
You also said that since the Prophet said to Abu Bakr, "Allah is with us," that this is proof
of Abu Bakr's excellence and his right to the caliphate! You might reconsider your views.
People might ask, for example, "Does Allah remain with the believers and saints only,
and not with the unbelievers?" Do you know any place where Allah does not exist? Isn't
Allah with everyone? Suppose a believer and an unbeliever are together in a
congregation. The Qur'an says: "See you not that Allah knows whatever is in the heavens
and whatever is in the earth? Nowhere is there a secret counsel between three (persons)
but He is fourth of them, nor (between) five, but He is the sixth, nor less than that, nor
more but He is with them wheresoever they may be." (58:7) According to this verse and
according to common sense, Allah is with everyone.

Sheikh: The expression "Allah is with us" meant that they were Allah's dearly loved ones
because they traveled in the way of Allah for the purpose of preserving His religion.
Allah's blessings were with them.
Well-Wisher: But surely this expression does not prove that one possesses an eternal
blessing. Allah Almighty looks at people's deeds. It has often happened that at one time,
people performed good deeds and were recipients of mercy from Allah. Later they
disobeyed Allah and were subjected to divine wrath. Satan, as you know, worshiped Allah
for thousands of years and received kindness from Him. However, as soon as he
disobeyed His Command, he was damned. The Holy Qur'an says: "He said: 'Then get out
of it, for surely you are driven away. And surely upon you is a curse until the Day of
Judgement.'" (15:34-35)

Excuse me, there is no harm in citing examples. My purpose is to clarify the point.
History contains many examples of those who were close to Allah but who, after being
tested, were cursed. Bal'am Bin Ba'ur, for example, a contemporary of Moses, became so
close to Allah that Allah revealed to him the Ism-e-A'zam (the greatest name of Allah,
through which anything sought for is immediately granted by Allah). He invoked Allah
by means of the Ism-e-A'zam and caused Moses to suffer in the valley of Tia! But at the
time of trial, Bal'am was overpowered by his love for the material world. He followed
Satan and was condemned. Commentators have given detailed accounts of this event.
Imam Fakhru'd-Din Razi in his Commentary, Part IV, page 463, has reported this matter
from Ibn Abbas, Ibn Mas'ud, and Mujahid. Allah in the Holy Qur'an tells us: "And recite
to them the narrative of him to whom We give Our revelations, but he withdraws himself
from them; so Satan overtakes him, and he is of those who go astray." (7:175)

BARSISA ABID
Or consider the case of Barsisa Abid, who originally worshipped Allah so much that he
became Mustajabu'd-da'wa (one whose invocations are granted). However, when the time
of trial came, he failed. Misled by Satan, he committed fornication with a girl, was sent to
the gallows, and died an unbeliever. The Holy Qur'an refers to him in these words: "Like
Satan when he says to man: 'Disbelieve,' but when he disbelieves, he says; 'I am surely
quit of you; surely I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds.' Therefore, the end of both of
them is that they are both in the fire to abide therein, and that is the reward of the unjust."
(59:16-17)

So if man has done good deeds at one time, it does not follow that his end will be good. It
is for this reason that we are instructed to say in our invocation: "Let all our actions end
in good."

Sheikh: I really didn't expect an honorable man like you to cite the examples of Satan,
Bal'am-e-Ba'ur, and Barsisa.

Well-Wisher: Excuse me, I have already stated that there is no harm in citing examples.
In fact, we must cite them in learned debates to prove facts. Let Allah be my witness: I
never intended to defame anyone by citing these examples. My purpose is to prove my
point.
Sheikh: This verse clearly proves Abu Bakr's excellence because it says: "So Allah sent
down His tranquility upon him..." (9:40) The pronoun here refers to Abu Bakr, which
proves his superiority.

WELL-Wisher: You have misunderstood it. The pronoun used after Sakina (peace) refers
to the Prophet. Peace was sent to him and not to Abu Bakr, as is evident from the later
sentence in which Allah says: "...and strengthened him with hosts which you did not see."
(9:40) The fact is that the hosts of unseen angels were to aid the Prophet, not Abu Bakr.

Sheikh: I admit that the divine help was for the Prophet, but Abu Bakr, being in
company of the Prophet, was not without blessings.

THE SENDING DOWN OF PEACE

WAS ON THE PROPHET OF ALLAH
Well-Wisher: If the bestowal of divine blessings referred to two people, Arabic
grammar would require that pronouns be used designating two people in all the phrases
of this verse. But the pronouns refer to one person, the Prophet, and Allah's blessings
were for him. If through him the bestowal had been intended for others as well, their
names would have been mentioned. Hence, the sending down of peace in this verse is for
the Prophet alone.

Sheikh: The Prophet of Allah was independent of the divine bestowal of peace. He did
not need it because he was assured of divine blessings. Hence, the bestowal of peace was
for Abu Bakr.

Well-Wisher: On what grounds do you say that the Prophet was independent of divine
blessings? No person - Prophet, Imam, or saint - is independent of divine blessings.
Perhaps you have forgotten what the Holy Qur'an says about the incident of Hunain.
"Then Allah sent down His tranquility upon His Apostle and upon the believers." The
same thing has been said in chapter 48 (Fath) verse 26, of the Holy Qur'an. The believers
are included after the Prophet in this verse, just as in the "verse of the cave." If Abu Bakr
had been a believer who deserved the bestowal of peace, either the pronoun for two
persons would have been used, or his name would have been mentioned separately. This
matter is so clear that your own ulema admit that the pronoun connected with peace does
not refer to Abu Bakr. You might consult Naqzu'l-Uthmaniyya, compiled by Sheikh Abu
Ja'far Muhammad Bin Abdullah Iskafi, who is one of the prominent ulema and Sheikhs of
the Mu'tazilites. That scholar completely refutes the absurdities of Abu Uthman Jahiz. Ibn
Abi'l-Hadid also recorded some of those replies in his Sharh Nahju'l-Balagha, Volume III,
pages 253-281. In addition, there is a phrase in this verse, the implication of which is
contrary to your point. The Prophet said to Abu Bakr: "Fear you not." The phrase
indicates that Abu Bakr was frightened. Was this fear praiseworthy or not? If it was, the
Prophet would not prohibit anyone from doing a good deed. A vicegerent of Allah
possesses certain qualities. The most important of them, as pointed out in the Holy
Qur'an, is that he never fears the vicissitudes of life. He exercises patience and fortitude.
The Holy Qur'an says: "Now surely the friends of Allah - they shall have no fear nor shall
they grieve."(10:62)