SEVENTH SESSION (Wednesday Night, 29th Rajab 1345 A.H.)
Seyyed Abdu'l-Hayy (Imam of
the Sunni Congregational Mosque): Some nights ago you made some
statements for which Hafiz Sahib demanded proofs, but you cunningly
evaded a reply or created confusion among us, and the whole matter
was very disturbing.
Well-Wisher: Please let me know
which of your questions was left unanswered, since I do not recall
the incident to which you refer.
Seyyed: Did you not say some
nights ago that Ali had unity of 'self' with the Holy Prophet
and so was superior in rank to all the prophets?
Well-Wisher: It is true. That
was my statement, and it is my belief.
Seyyed: Then why did you not
reply to our query?
Well-Wisher: You are greatly
mistaken. It is strange that you have been listening closely throughout
our discussions, yet now you accuse me of adopting cunning methods
or confusing your minds. If you consider deeply, you will understand
that I said nothing irrelevant, but the learned Mullas had put
certain questions, which I was obliged to answer. Now if you have
any question to put, you may do so, and with Allah's help, I will
answer it.
Seyyed: We wish to know how
it is possible that two individuals may be united so that their
unity is such that they become one and the same.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ASSUMED UNITY AND REAL UNITY
Well-Wisher: Obviously, it is
not possible for two persons to form a real unity. When I said
that the Commander of the Faithful had a unity of 'self' or 'soul'
with the Holy Prophet, you should not take it as actual unity,
because no one has ever claimed that, and if anyone believed it
they would be absolutely wrong. The unity I referred to is only
assumed, not actual, and intends to indicate that both of them
have the same excellence of soul and merits, not the same body.
Hafiz: Then according to this
proposition they should both be prophets, and from what you say,
the revelation should have come to them both.
Well-Wisher: That is a manifest
misconception. No Shia holds such a belief. I would not have expected
you to indulge in such talk and waste our time. I have just told
you they are associated in all matters of virtue and excellence,
excepting those attributes for the exclusion of which there are
specific ordinances or grounds. Such an exception is prophethood
with all the characteristics attached to it - one of them being
the reception of revelation, and through it communication of the
Divine Ordinances. Perhaps you have forgotten my statements on
previous nights, in which I proved through the hadith of Rank
(Manzila) that Ali possessed the rank of prophethood, but that
he followed, and was subject to, the religion and the code prescribed
by the Holy Prophet. His rank in prophethood was no more than
the rank of Aaron in the time of Moses.
Hafiz: But if you believe in
Ali's equality with the Holy Prophet in all matters of virtue
and excellence, it follows that you must believe in his equality
in matters of prophethood and the characteristics attached to
that.
Well-Wisher: It might seem so,
but if you think carefully you will see that it is not so. As
I have proved earlier from verses of the Qur'an, prophethood is
of different ranks, and the prophets and Messengers of Allah are
superior to one another in ranks. As the Holy Qur'an clearly says:
"These prophets, We have exalted some of them above the others."
(2:253) And the most perfect in rank of all the prophets is the
special rank of Muhammad, as Allah says: "Muhammad is not
the father of any of your men, but the prophet of Allah and the
seal of the prophets." (33:40) It is that perfection of prophethood
which led to the sealing of prophethood. So in this attribute
of perfection, none else could be included. In all other matters
of excellence, there is association and equality, for which there
are innumerable justifications.
Seyyed: Can you advance any
argument from the Holy Qur'an to prove this assertion.
THE VERSE OF IMPRECATION (MUBAHALA) PROVES THE UNITY OF THE SOUL OF ALI WITH THE HOLY PROPHET
Well-Wisher: Of course, our
first argument is from the Qur'an, which is the strongest Divine
evidence, namely the Verse of Imprecation (Ayah-e-Mubahala) in
which Allah says: "And to him who disputes with you therein
after the knowledge has come to you, say 'Come, let us summon
our sons and your sons, and our women and your women, and ourselves
and yourselves and then let us invoke and lay the curse of Allah
upon the liars.'" (3:60) Your notable ulema, such as Imam
Fakhru'd-Din Razi, Imam Abu Ishaq Tha'labi, Jalalu'd-Din Suyuti,
Qazi Baidhawi, Jarullah Zamakhshari, Muslim bin Hujjaj, and many
others, have written that this holy verse was revealed on the
Day of Imprecation, which was the 24th or 25th of Dhu'l-Hijja
in 9 AH.
When the Holy Prophet invited the Christians of Najran to Islam,
they selected their most learned men like Seyyed, Aqib, Jasiq,
Alqama, etc., numbering more than 70 and sent them to Medina with
300 of their followers, to meet the Holy Prophet and learn what
Islam was. They entered into scholarly discussions with the Holy
Prophet and were non-plussed by his cogent reasoning. He proved
the truthfulness of his mission from their own reliable sources
and said that Jesus, himself, had through various signs predicted
his (Muhammad's) arrival, and the Christians were awaiting the
fulfillment of the prophecies of Jesus according to which such
a man would appear riding a camel from the Faran hills (in Mecca)
and would emigrate to a place between 'Ayr and Uhud (which was
Medina). These arguments strongly impressed the Christians, but
their love of worldly position kept them from admitting the truth.
Then the Holy Prophet informed them of Allah's command, which
they agreed upon as the means of settling the discussion and for
distinguishing between the truthful and the liars.
THE HOLY PROPHET'S ARRIVAL FOR THE IMPRECATION
According to their mutual understanding, the next day the entire
party of the Christians, including more than seventy of their
scholars, waited outside the gates of Medina for the Holy Prophet.
They expected him to come with pomp and circumstance and a large
number of comrades to over-awe them. But when the gates opened,
the Holy Prophet came forth with a young man on his right, a dignified
woman on his left, and two children in front of him. They remained
under a tree, facing the Christians. Asqaf, the most learned man
of the Christians, asked who those persons were who had come out
with Muhammad. He was informed that the young man was his son-in-law
and cousin, Ali Bin Abi Talib, the woman was his daughter, Fatima,
and the two children were his daughter's sons, Hasan and Husain.
Addressing the Christians, their leader, Asqaf, said: "Look
there, how confident Muhammad is! He has brought with him his
nearest kindred, sons and dear ones, to this spiritual contest
of imprecation. By God, if he had any doubt or fear about his
stand, he would never have selected them. Now it is not advisable
to enter the contest against them. Had we no fear of the Emperor
of Rome, we would have embraced the faith of Islam. It would be
expedient to compromise on their terms and return home."
All of them agreed with him. Accordingly, Asqaf sent a message
to the Holy Prophet, saying: "We do not want to contest with
you, but would like to make peace with you." The Prophet
accepted their proposal.
The agreement was written by the Commander of the Faithful. The
Christians agreed to pay an annual tribute in the form of 2,000
coats of mail, each worth about 40 dirhams (A dirham was equal
to 1/2 ounce of gold), and 1,000 mithqals of gold (a mithqal was
equal to 1/6 ounce). Half of this was to be paid in the month
of Muharram and half in Rajab. The agreement having been signed
by both parties, the Christians returned to their homes. While
they were on the way, one of their scholars named Aqib said to
his companions: "By God, you and I know that this Muhammad
is the same prophet of God who was the expected one, and whatever
he says is from God. I swear by God that whoever has contended
with a Prophet of God was ruined, and none of their young or old
remained alive. Surely, if we had contended with them, all of
us would have been killed and no Christians would have survived
in the world. By God, when I looked at them I saw faces which,
if they invoked God, would have moved mountains."
Hafiz: What you have said is
quite true and is accepted by all Muslims, but it has no bearing
on our topic, namely, that Ali was spiritually united with the
Holy Prophet.
MERITS OF ALI, FATIMA, HASAN AND HUSAIN PROVEN BY THE VERSE OF IMPRECATION
Well-Wisher: I argue from the
word 'ourselves' in this holy verse, since from this even many
questions are resolved. First, the cause of truth preached by
the Holy Prophet is proved. That is, if he had not been on the
side of truth, he would not have dared to come out for the contest
nor would the great Christians have run away from the field of
Mubahala. Second, this even proves that Hasan and Husain were
sons of the Prophet of Allah, as I have already mentioned in my
talk on the first night.
Third, it proves that the Commander of the Faithful, Ali, Fatima,
Hasan and Husain were spiritually the most exalted persons of
the whole of creation and the most beloved ones of the Holy Prophet,
as even the bigoted and fanatic ulema of your sect, like Zamakhshari,
Baidhawi, and Fakhru'd-Din Razi, and others have written in their
books. Particularly Jarullah Zamkhshari, writing about this holy
verse, gives explanatory details about the gathering of these
panjetan ('five bodies') and says that this verse is the strongest
proof of the excellence of the Ashab-i-Ayba, the five persons
who had gathered under a blanket with the Holy Prophet.
Fourth, it shows that the Commander of the Faithful, Ali, surpassed
all other companions of the Holy Prophet in merit and rank, because
Allah has called him in this holy verse the soul of the Prophet.
Obviously, the word "ourselves" does not mean the Holy
Prophet's own self, because to summon means to summon somebody
else; a man is never asked to summon himself. Hence the word refers
to somebody else who is like the Prophet's own self or soul. And
since, according to the unanimous view of reliable commentators
and traditionists of both sects, no one else except Ali, Fatima,
Hasan and Husain were present with the Holy Prophet at the imprecation,
the phrase in the holy verse, "our sons and your sons, our
women and your women" refer, respectively, to Hasan and Husain
and Bibi Fatima and the other person, who could be identified
as "ourselves" in the holy group was the Commander of
the Faithful, Ali. Hence, this word "ourselves" proves
the unity of self between the Prophet Muhammad and Ali.
Since actual unity of two souls is impossible, Allah's calling
Ali the 'self' of the Prophet Muhammad means an assumed unity
of the two selves.
You are well aware that basically it is better to identify a word
with a near assumption that with a distant one, and the nearest
assumption means association in all merits excepting those which
have been excluded by some particular reason. And we have already
told you that it is the Holy Prophet's special prophethood and
the granting of Wahi (Revelation) on him which are peculiar to
him. Hence, we do not consider Ali his associate in regard to
these two characteristics. But according to this holy verse, Ali
shares with the Holy Prophet in all other merits, and assuredly
the All-Gracious Allah endowed Ali through the Holy Prophet with
all His blessings. This in itself proves the union of their souls,
which we wanted to establish.
Hafiz: Why do you insist that
the verse does not mean the summoning of his own 'self'? Why isn't
this supposition better than the other assumption?
Well-Wisher: I hope you will
not waste time in illogical talk and digress from the course of
justice. In fact justice demands that when we have settled a point,
we should move forward. I did not expect a man of your rank and
learning to indulge in such a false argument. As you know yourself
and according to all men of learning, one self is identified with
another self by way of assumption. Among literary men it is common
to claim an assumed association, as I have stated earlier. It
is often seen that one person says to another: "You are my
own life and soul." Particularly in the language of hadith
and narratives, this relationship has often been stated about
the Commander of the Faithful, Ali, and every such narration taken
separately is a proof to establish the truth of my point of view.
FURTHER NARRATIONS AND HADITH AS EVIDENCE OF THE ESSENTIAL UNITY OF THE HOLY PROPHET AND ALI
Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal, in Musnad, Ibn Maghazili, the Shafi'i theologian,
in his Manaqib, and Muwafiq Ibn Ahmad Khawarizmi in his Manaqib,
narrate that the Holy Prophet said, "Ali is from me, and
I am from Ali; he who loves him, loves me; and he who loves me,
loves Allah."
Also Ibn Maja in his Sunan, Part I, p. 92; Tirmidhi in his Sahih;
Ibn Hajar in Tradition v of Forty Traditions concerning the merits
of the Commander of the Faithful narrated in the Sawa'iq from
Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal, Tirmidhi, Imam Abu Abdu'r-Rahman Nisa'i,
and Ibn Maja; Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal in Musnad, v.4, p.164; Muhammad
Ibn Yusuf Ganji Shafi'i in chapter 67 of Kifayatu't-Talib from
the Musnad of Ibn Samak, v. 4, and the Mu'jim Kabir of Tibrani;
and Imam Abu Abdu'r-Rahman Nisa'i in Khasa'is, and Sulayman Balkhi
Hanafi in Yanbiu'l-Mawaddat from the Mishkat - all have related
from Jash Bin Junada as-Saluni that during the farewell pilgrimage,
the Holy Prophet said at 'Arafa: "Ali is from me and I am
from Ali. Nobody recompenses me (that is no one discharges the
duty of my mission) except me and Ali."
Sulayman Balkhi Hanafi in his Yanabiu'l-Mawaddat, Ch vii, narrates
from Zawa'id-e-Musnad of Abdullah Bin Ahmad Bin Hanbal on the
authority of Ibn Abbas that the Holy Prophet said to Ummu'l-Mo'minin
Salma "Ali is from me and I am from Ali. His flesh and blood
is from my flesh and blood. He is to me as Aaron was to Moses.
O Umm Salma! Listen, and be a witness that this Ali is the master
and lord of the Muslims."
Hamidi in his Jam' Bainu's-Sahihain and Ibn Abi'l-Hadid in his
Sharhe-Nahju'l-Balagha narrate that the Holy Prophet said "Ali
is from me and I am from Ali. Ali is to me as the head is to the
body; one who obeys him, obeys me; and one who obeys me, obeys
Allah."
Muhammad Bin Jarir Tabari in his Tafsir and Mir Seyyed Ali Hamdani,
the Shafi'i theologian, in Muwadda viii of Muwaddatu'l-Qurba narrate
from the Holy Prophet who said: "Verily, Almighty Allah helped
this faith of Islam through Ali, since he is from me, and I am
from him, and this holy verse was revealed for him - 'Is he then
like him who has a clear proof from his Lord and follows a witness
(like Ali) from Him?'" (11:17)
Sheikh Sulayman Balkhi Hanafi has specified in the 7th chapter
of his Yanabiu'l-Mawadda this very topic under the caption: "About
Ali's being like the self of the Holy Prophet and the tradition
that 'Ali is from me and I am from Ali.'" In this chapter
he has narrated 24 traditions in different ways and with different
words from the Holy Prophet, who said that Ali was like his own
self. Toward the end of the chapter he narrates a tradition from
the Manaqib as reported by Jabir, who said that he had heard from
the Holy Prophet that Hazrat Ali possessed such characteristics
that if someone possessed only one of them, it would have been
enough to establish his dignity and excellence, and by those characteristics
were meant the sayings of the Holy Prophet about him such as:
"For whomsoever I am the Master, this Ali is his Master,"
or "Ali is to me as Aaron was to Moses," or "Ali
is from me and I am from Ali," or "Ali is to me as my
self is to me, obedience to him is obedience to me," or "Fighting
against Ali is fighting against Allah, and peace with Ali is peace
with Allah," or "A friend of Ali is a friend of Allah,
and Ali's enemy is Allah's enemy," or "Ali is Allah's
Hujjat (proof) over His servants," or "Love for Ali
is faith and enmity against him is infidelity," or "Ali's
party is the party of Allah, and the party of his enemies is the
party of Satan," or "Ali is with the Truth and the Truth
is with me, they are inseparable," or "Ali is the distributor
of Paradise and Hell," or "One who remained aloof from
Ali remained aloof from me, and one who remained aloof from me
remained aloof from Allah," or "The partisans of Ali
will be rescued on the Day of Judgment."
Finally, he quotes another detailed tradition from the Manaqib
at the end of which the Holy Prophet says: "I swear by Allah,
Who bestowed Prophethood upon me and made me the choicest of His
creations: O Ali! Verily you are Allah's Hujjat (proof) for the
people, His trustee, knower of His secrets, and His Caliph over
His servants."
There are many such hadith in your books. The word "ourselves"
clearly shows the nearest association between the Prophet and
Ali in all matters of excellence. I think that this verse is the
most confincing proof of my point of view. Moreover, your second
question is answered by the same verse. We have proven that, with
the exception of Prophethood and Wahi (revelation), which apply
only to the Prophet, Ali was associated with him in all matters
of excellence. It also follows that in meritorious characteristics,
Ali was superior to the companions and to everyone else in the
community. In fact, this verse also proves that he excelled all
other previous prophets, just as the Prophet excelled all other
prophets.
SINCE THE HOLY PROPHET WAS SUPERIOR TO ALL OTHER PROPHETS ALI WAS ALSO SUPERIOR TO THEM
In Ihya'u'l-Ulum by Imam Ghazali, Sharhe Nahju'l-Balagha by Ibn
Abi'l-Hadid Mu'tazali, the Tafsir by Imam Fakhru'd-Din Razi, and
Tafsirs by Jarullah Zamakhshari, Baidhawi, Nishapuri, etc., you
will find this hadith of the Holy Prophet: "The ulema of
my community are like the prophets of the Bani Isra'il."
In another hadith he said: "The ulema of the Prophet's community
were equal to or better than the prophets of the Bani Isra'il
simply because their source of knowledge was that fountainhead
of learning, the Prophet Muhammad. Therefore, Ali Bin Abu Talib
was definitely superior to the prophets, since the Prophet said:
"I am the city of knowledge, and Ali is its gate." He
also said: I am the house of wisdom and Ali is its gate."
When Ali, himself, was asked about this topic, he explained some
aspects of his superiority to the prophets of the Children of
Isra'il. On the 20th of Ramadhan, when Ali was on his death bed
following the attack by Abdu'r-Rahman Ibn Muljim Muradi, he asked
Imam Hasan to call in the Shia who had gathered at the door of
his house. When they entered, they surrounded his bed and wept
silently. Ali said: You may ask any question you like before I
leave you, but your questions should be brief." One of those
present was Sa'sa'a Bin Suwhan. Your own great ulema, like Ibn
Abdu'l-Birr and Ibn Sa'ad, have written about his life and character,
have relied on him, confirming that he was a man of great learning.
Sa'sa'a said to Ali: "Let me know who is superior, you or
Adam." The Holy Imam said: "It is not proper for a man
to praise himself, but according to the maxim: 'Declare the blessings
that Allah has given you,' I tell you that I am superior to Adam."
When asked why this was so, Ali explained that Adam had every
means of mercy, comfort, and blessings for him in paradise. He
was asked simply to abstain from the forbidden food. But he could
not restrain himself, and he ate from the tree. As a result, he
was expelled from paradise. Allah did not forbid him, Ali, from
eating wheat (which, according to Muslim belief was the forbidden
'tree'). But since he had no inclination towards this temporal
world, he voluntarily refrained from eating wheat. (The point
of Ali's remark was that excellence of a man before Allah lies
in piety and devotion, and that the height of piety lies in abstaining
even from what is permissible.)
Sa'sa'a asked: "Who is superior, you or Noah?" Ali replied:
"I am superior. Noah called his men to worship Allah, but
they did not obey. Their shameful mistreatment was torture to
him. He cursed them and invoked Allah: 'O my Lord! Leave not on
the earth a single person of the unjust ones.' After the death
of the Prophet, even though the people caused me extreme difficulty,
I never cursed them. I suffered their torment with patience."
Sa'sa'a asked: "Who is superior, you or Abraham?" Ali
replied: "I am superior, for Abraham said: 'My Lord! Show
me how Thou Givest life to the dead.' He said: 'What! do you not
believe?' He said: 'Yes, but that my heart may be at ease.' (2:260)
My faith was such that I said: 'If the veil over the unseen were
lifted, my faith would not increase."
Sa'as'a asked: "Who is superior, you or Moses?" The
Holy Imam replied: "I am superior, for when Almighty Allah
ordered Moses to go to Egypt to invite Pharaoh to the truth, Moses
said: 'My Lord! Surely I killed one of them, so I am afraid that
they will slay me. And my brother Aaron, he is more eloquent of
tongue than I. Therefore send him with me as an aide, to help
me. Surely I fear that they will reject me." (28:33-34) The
Holy Prophet ordered me, by the command of Allah, to go to Mecca
and to recite the verses of the Chapter 'Al-Bara'a' from the top
of the Ka'ba to the Quraish infidels. I was not afraid, even though
there were few people there who had not lost a near relative by
my sword. Obeying his order, I performed my duty alone. I recited
the verses of 'Al-Bara'a' and returned."
Sa'sa'a asked: "Who is superior, you or Jesus?" Ali
said: "I am superior, for when Mary became pregnant by the
Grace of Allah, and the time of her delivery approached, a revelation
was granted to her: 'Leave this holy House for this is a House
for prayers, not a place for the delivery of children.' Accordingly,
she left the holy House and went to the wilderness where she gave
birth to Jesus. But when my mother, Fatima Bint-e-Asad, felt labor
pains within the precincts of the holy Ka'ba, she clung to the
wall and prayed to Allah in the name of that House and the builder
of that House, to lessen her pain. Soon a fissure appeared in
the wall, and my mother heard a mysterious voice telling her,
"O Fatima! Enter the House of the Ka'ba.' She went in, and
I was born inside of the holy Ka'ba."
