Ahlul-Bait and the Perverted Groups
The opponents of Islam realized that the Imam
of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) were the very embodiment of
originality and purity and acted as a refuge for Muslims
in time of distress and calamities. They have a special
status and respect in the self of every Muslim who loves
the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.).
History tells us that diverse, deviated groups
appeared, such as; the Zindiks, Exaggerators, Mazdakis,
Jews, hypocrites, and even those who are affected with
pagan thoughts which came either from the Magis, or from
the philosophies of India, China, and Greece, and the
like have used their different destructive attempts to
deviate Islam and defame its illuminated face.
Some of these deviated groups have even slipped
into the ranks of the school of Ahlul-Bait and
claimed attachment to them in order to defame Islam and
to pollute the right cause of Ahlul-Bait and its
purity; like the Exaggerators and the Mazdakis who
described the Imams of Ahlul-Bait through the
attributes of Divinity and pretented that Allah, the Most
Glorified, had transmigrated into the bodies of the Imams
of the Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) and authorized the affair
of the creation to them. But, the Imams of Ahlul-Bait
(a.s.) stood firmly against such destructive and deviated
beliefs and disclosed them to the people; strongly
repudiated, cursed, dismissed and renounced them.
Among these deviated groups were: 'The Mughira
Group', the followers of Mughira bin Sa'id and 'The Kattabiyah',
the followers of Abi Khattab Muhammad bin Abi Zainab
al-Assadi.
Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, son of Imam al-Baqir
(a.s.), is quoted to have said:
"May Allah curse Mughira bin Sa'id as he
used to tell lies against my father, may Allah make
him taste the heat of burning iron, may Allah curse
those who say a bout us, what we do not say
ourselves, may Allah curse those who try to take us
away from the servitude of Allah, Who created us, and
to Him is our return and in His hand is our
control."(51)
He (a.s.) also said:
"Don't accept any saying (hadith) relating
them to us except that which agrees with the Qur'an
and the Prophetic traditions (sunnah) unless you see
an evidence of our previous sayings with it; indeed
Mughira bin Sa'id, may Allah curse him, has
interpolated sayings (hadiths) in the books of the
companions of my father of which he (my father) did
not narrate them, so, fear Allah and don't accept any
saying related to us, which disagrees with the
statement of Our Lord, the Exalted, and the
traditions of our Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) - because
we, if we narrate any hadith, we always say: The
Almighty Allah or the Messenger ofAllah (s.a.w) said
so and so."(52)
He (a.s.) further said:
"Mughira bin Sa'id was intentionally belying my
father; he used to take the books of his companions, who
disguised themselves to be of the companions of my
father, and then, they gave them to Mughira who
interpolated in them preverted beliefs of unbelief and
infidelity and, then, attributed them to my father and
therefore, returned them to his companions and ordered
them to distribute them among the Shi'a; whenever there
is any exaggeration in the books of the companions of my
father, be sure that it is the act of Mughira bin Sa'id
who interpolated them in his books."
Regarding the exaggeration and the
interpolation of Abi Al-Khattab and his lie against the
Imams of Ahlul-Bait, Imam Ali bin Musa al-Rida
(a.s.) said:
"Indeed Abi Khattab used to tell lies
against Abi Abdullah (Imam al-Sadiq) (a.s.), may
Allah curse Abi Khattab, whereas his companions used
to interpolate these sayings (hadiths) up until today
in the books of Abi Abdullah (a.s.); therefore, don't
accept any saying (hadith) related by them to us if
they disagree with the Qur'an, because, all our
sayings should agree with both the Qur'an and the
Prophetic traditions."(53)
Thus, the Imams of Ahlul-Bait fought the
Exaggerators and deviated groups. They called on the
Muslims to hold fast to the Book of Allah (the Qur'an)
and the pure Prophetic traditions so that they can
differenciate between the illuminated path of Ahlul-Bait
to which the followers of the school of the Imamiya
Shi'a firmly adhered and the misguidance of the
Exaggerators and their strayed beliefs.
The Ahlul-Bait's Method in the Political Field
Political action and thought forms a principal
base among the pillars of Islam; Islam is a creed, system
and legislation and its application in its social field
needs a political authority, state and legitimate
leadership. Therefore, this political action and thought
takes, in the method of Ahlul-Bait, (a.s.) a high,
important position which is based on foundations and
principles; among them are:
1. The necessity of establishing an Islamic
state and applying its laws.
2. The Muslim leader (Imam) is responsible for
safeguarding Islamic laws, applying them and inviting
others towards them. He is the political leader and
guardian of the ideological line of the ummah
(Islamic communities).
3. The Muslim leader (Imam) should be qualified
with piety, behavioural righteousness, and be familiar
with Islamic laws.
4. It is forbidden to obey or befriend the
unjust ruler.
First, it is obligatory for the Muslims to advise him; if
he does not respond, it becomes obligatory for the
Muslims to boycott him, and if he does not respond, it
becomes obligatory to depose him and revolt against him
and pledge allegiance to a just ruler who acts according
to the principles of the Book of Allah and the traditions
of His Noble Prophet Muhammd (s.a.w.)
These are the clear facts in the practical life
of Ahlul-Bait and their struggle against the
tyrannical rulers; their guiding and educating the masses
of the ummah; preparing them to be conscious
vanguards and their support for the movements and
revolutions which adopted reform and change.
Among the prominant state of refusing
oppression and corruption is the state of Imam Husein bin
Ali (a.s.) against the government of Yazid bin Mu'awiyah
and his declaration for an armed revolution against him;
the support of Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) for the revolution of
Zayid bin Ali bin Husein in the year 121 A.H. against
Husham bin Abdul-Malik; and the support of Imam Musa bin
Ja'far for the revolution of Husein bin Ali in Madinah in
the year 169 A.H. against the Abbasid caliph al-Mahdi.
The life of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) is a continuation
of the way in which the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) took
and, also, a confirmation for it. Imam Husein, the martyr
(a.s.) narrates from his grandfather, the Prophet
Muhammad (s.a.w.), that he said:
"Whoever witnesses an unjust ruler
considering the prohibitions of Allah, the Almighty
as permissible, breaking the covenant of Allah,
opposing the practices of the Apostle of Allah
(s.a.w.), treating his servants sinfully and cruelly
and had seen all these misdeeds, but, did not oppose
him by words or actions, Allah surely will punish him
as he wills..."(54)
The life of the (Ahlul-Bait) (a.s.) and
their words are a correction for the deviated way and
falsified line which was founded by some unjust rulers
and their preachers who supported and bowed down to them.
They depended on some forged hadiths which were
narrated by Muslim in his Sihah; for example, the
following narration is mentioned in the above-mentioned
book, in the chapter on the order for the necessity of
performing prayer, collectively that the Messenger of
Allah Muhammad, (s.a.w.) said:
"'After me there will be rulers who would
not be guided aright nor follow my traditions and
among them there will appear men whose hearts look
like the hearts of Satans but in the body of human
beings."
He asked: I said: O, Messenger of Allah, What
shall I do, if I became aware of this?
He (s.a.w.) said: 'You should listen and
obey such rulers even if they beat your back or take your
wealth, then you should listen and obey them '"(55)
All these forged sayings (hadiths)
written by the tyrants, and their agents, forms a base
for misunderstanding to the extent that some even built
their political views on them. Nawawi in his explanation
of Sahih Muslim said:
"The jurists and the narrators of
Ahlul-Sunnah say: The ruler should not be deposed
because of doing corrupt, oppressive, and wronging
other's rights. (Such a ruler) should not be deposed
nor revolted against, but it is obligatory to advise,
and frighten him with the narrations concerning
that."(56)
The Imams of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.)
had a special position against such unjust rulers and
they stood against such deviated political lines,
therefore, these rulers began to use different kinds of
tactics against them. Their (Ahlul-Bait) life is
filled of illuminated images of sacrifice for the sake of
faith and their history is the highest examplary of
struggle for the sake of truth and who spent their best
days between either being killed, poisoned, pursued on
the earth or being punished in the darkness of prisons.