ZURAR'S CONVERSATION WITH MU'AWIYA CONCERNING ALI

There are many examples of Ali's rejection of the world. Ibn Abi'l-Hadid in his Sharh-e-Nahju'l-Balagha, Hafiz Abu Nu'aim Isfahani in Hilyatu'l-Auliya, vol. I, p.84, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Amir Shabrawi Shafi'i in Kitabu'l-I'ttihad Bin Hubbi'l-Ashraf, p.8; Muhammad Bin Talha in Matalibu's-Su'ul, p.33; Nuru'd-din Bin Sabbagh Maliki in Fusulu'l-Muhimma, p.128; Sheikh Sulayman Balkhi Hanafi in Yanabiu'l-Mawadda, chapter 51; Sibt Ibn Jauzi in Tadhkira Khawasu'l-Umma at the end of chapter 5, and many others of your accredited ulema and historians have recorded in detail the conversation between Mu'awiya and Zurar Bin Zumra. At the end of his talk with Mu'awiya, Zurar praised Ali in these words: "On some occasions I have seen Ali at night when the stars were scattered over the sky, holding his beard and writhing like one bitten by a snake, crying as in intense pain, saying: 'O World! Deceive somebody else instead of me. Do you fold me in your arms and are you fond of me? This can't be. I have given you three divorces, after which union is not possible. Your time is short lived, the fear you bring is great, and your pleasure is very insulting. May Allah save us from the paucity of means of travelling, the remoteness of the destination, and the perils of the way!' Then Mu'awiya began to weep and said, 'May Allah be merciful to Abu'l-Hasan. By Allah, he was just like that.' Mu'awiya also said, 'Women are unable to beget a man like Ali Bin Abi Talib.'"

THE PROPHET'S RECOGNITION OF ALI'S PIETY

The Prophet himself recognized Ali's outstanding piety. Muhammad Bin Yusuf Ganji Shafi'i in his Kifayatu't-Talib, chapter 46, reports from Ammar Yasir, who said that he heard from the Holy Prophet that he said to Ali: "Verily, Allah Almighty granted you adornment the like of which He has not given to any one else whom He loved. And that is your piety in this world. He has made you such that you neither take benefit from the world, nor can it make you inclined towards it. He bestowed upon you the love for the poor and the needy. So they were pleased with your Imamate, and I was also pleased with them on account of their following you. Blessed is he who befriends you and acknowledges you; and woe be to him who is hostile to you. Those who love you and acknowledge you shall be your neighbors in Paradise and shall be your companions in your palace. Those who have been opposed to you shall be reckoned as liars by Allah on the Day of Judgement and shall be granted their due chastisement."

ALLAH AND THE HOLY PROPHET CALLED ALI IMAMU'L-MUTTAQIN (CHIEF OF THE PIOUS)

He reached such a high stage of piety that friends and enemies alike called him Imamu'l-Muttaqin (the Chief of the Pious). In fact the first person to address him with this title was the Holy Prophet himself.

Ibn Abi'l-Hadid in his Sharh-e-Nahju'l-Balagha, vol. II, p.450; Hafiz Abu Nu'aim Ispahani in Hilyatu'l-Auliya, Mir Seyyed Ali Hamadani in Mawaddatu'l-Qurba and Muhammad Bin Yusuf Ganji Shafi'i in his Kifayatu't-Talib, chapter 54, report from Anas Bin Malik that one day the Holy Prophet asked him to bring water to him for ablution. When he had brought water, the Holy Prophet performed his ablution and then performed two rak'ats of prayer. Then he said to him: "O Anas! the next person to enter this door is the chief of the pious ones, the leader of the Muslims, the sovereign of the believers, and the seal of the successors, who will lead people with bright faces and hands to Paradise."

Anas says: "I prayed within myself to Allah that He might send an Ansar through the door, but I kept my invocation secret. Suddenly, I saw Ali entering the door. The Holy Prophet asked who he was. I replied that he was Ali Bin Abi Talib. Then the Holy Prophet happily got up to greet Ali. He folded him in his arms and wiped the sweat from his face. Ali said, 'O Holy Prophet! Your are treating me today as you have never done before!' The Holy Prophet said, 'Why shouldn't I do that when you will convey my prophethood to the community, will make them hear my voice, and will explain to them those things concerning which they have differences of opinion.'"

Also Ibn Abi'l-Hadid in Sharh-e-Nahju'l-Balagha, vol,II, and Hafiz Abu Nu'aim in Hilyatu'l-Auliya write that one day Ali came to the Prophet. The Prophet said to him: "Welcome, leader of the Muslims and the Chief of the Pious Ones!" Ali said: "I praise Allah for the blessing which He has bestowed upon me, and I implore His munificence to me." Muhammad Bin Talha Shafi'i also narrates this hadith at the end of section IV, part I, of his Matalibu's-Su'ul and through it proves that Ali was the Imam of all the pious ones.

Hakim, in his Mustadrak, part III, p.38 and Bukhari and Muslim, each in his Sahih, report that the Holy Prophet said: "Allah sent me revelations about Ali concerning three things: (l) he is the master and chief of Muslims; (2) he is the chief of the pious ones; and (3) he is the guide who will lead the people with bright faces and hands (to Paradise)."

Muhammad Bin Yusuf Ganji Shafi'i reports in his Kifayatu't-Talib, chapter 45, on the authority of Abdullah Bin Asad Bin Zurara that the Prophet said: "On the night of Mi'raj (ascension), when I was taken to the heavens, I was allowed to enter a palace of pearls, whose floor was of sparkling gold. Then revelation was sent to me, and I was told three things about Ali: (1) that he is certainly the master and chief of the Muslims; (2) that he is the Imam and chief of the pious ones; and (3) that he is the guide who will lead people with bright faces and hands (to Paradise)."

Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal writes in his Musnad that one day the Holy Prophet addressed Ali thus: "O Ali! to cast a look at your face is worship; verily you are the chief of the pious ones and leader of the believers. He who is a friend of yours is a friend of mine, and he who is a friend of mine is surely a friend of Allah. He who has ill will against you, has ill will against me, and he who has ill will against me, certainly has ill will against Allah."

So it is sufficient for the exalted rank of Ali that the Holy Prophet insisted that Ali surpassed all the companions in piety. He alone had been given the title of Imamu'l-Muttaqin (chief of the pious ones) and the Holy Prophet repeatedly referred to him as such.

AS IMAMU'L-MUTTAQIN ALI HAD NO INCLINATION FOR SELF-INDULGENCE OR AUTHORITY

Sheikh: One cannot say too much in praise of Ali. Of course, Mu'awiya said the right thing: the women of the world are unable to give birth to a man like Ali.

Well-Wisher: Now it is clear that among the venerable companions Ali was the chief of the pious ones. An idea has just struck me. If you permit, I will ask you one thing.

Sheikh: Yes, please do.

Well-Wisher: After acknowledging that among the distinguished companions Ali had the exclusive merit of being the chief of the pious ones, would you assume that he had any inclination for self-indulgence or power?

Sheikh: It is impossible to assume such a thing about him. You have pointed out the well known fact that Ali gave three divorces to the world. Having proved his aloofness from the world how could he be inclined to it. Besides this, his rank is so exalted that it is impossible to entertain such a false notion of him.

Well-Wisher: So it follows that all the actions of such an embodiment of piety were definitely for Allah. He never swerved an inch from the right path.

Sheikh: It is obvious that we don't deny these things about Ali.

ALI'S REFUSAL TO PAY ALLEGIANCE TO ABU BAKR PROVES THE METHOD OF HIS APPOINTMENT AS CALIPH WAS NOT RIGHT

Well-Wisher: When the Holy Prophet died, Ali, according to the will of the Holy Prophet, performed the burial rituals. Some people, assembling at Saqifa-e-Bani Sa'ida, swore allegiance to Abu Bakr. Later, when Ali was called, why did he refuse allegiance?

If the manner in which Abu Bakr was elected caliph was right and the question of Ijma' (consensus) was proved to be just, then Ali, being so pious should not have deviated from the truth. You will recall the hadith which I mentioned on previous nights, in which the Holy Prophet said: "Ali is with the truth and truth is with Ali." If the proceedings at the Saqifa were based on justice and the appointment of Abu Bakr as Caliph were valid, the Imam should have welcomed them and acknowledged Abu Bakr as the rightful caliph. But in fact he firmly opposed the election. The opposition of Ali must have been based on one of two things. Either Ali was going against the right path, and he violated the order of the Holy Prophet, or he considered the consensus to be a farce.

As for the first possibility, it is out of the question to assume that Ali could deny the truth. According to the Holy Prophet "Ali is with the truth and the truth revolves around Ali." Moreover, no one has ever claimed that he was interested in worldly power. He divorced the world three times. He had no wish to gain political ascendancy. It was the second condition which prompted him to refuse to acknowledge the caliphate of Abu Bakr. He knew it contradicted the will of Allah and the Holy Prophet.

Sheikh: It is strange of you to say that Ali did not swear allegiance to Abu Bakr. References in your and our books of history prove that Ali did pay allegiance to Caliph Abu Bakr and did not oppose the consensus.

Well-Wisher: Have you forgotten all our previous discussions in which I gave full details of the statements of your prominent ulema? Even Bukhari and Muslim have written each in his Sahih that Ali did not offer allegiance at that time. Your ulema have generally admitted that on the first day, when the Holy Imam was forcibly and insultingly dragged from his house to the mosque (as has been state earlier) he did not swear allegiance but returned home. Ibrahim Bin Sa'd Saqafi (died 283 A.H.), Ibn Abi'l-Hadid Tabari, and others have written that Ali offered allegiance after six months (that is, after the death of Fatima). Even if we admit, by way of supposition, that the Imam offered allegiance, why did he wait for six months before doing so?

Sheikh: Certainly there must have been some reason for that. He alone knew it. But why should we worry about the mutual discord of our elders? Why should we pry into their differences after 1300 years? (Loud laughter from the audience.)

Well-Wisher: When you cannot find a reasonable answer to prove your point, you depend upon such a reply. But before all fair minded people, the matter is too clear to require any elucidation or proof.

As for your assertion that we need not interfere in the differences of our predecessors, of course you are right, insofar as their affairs have no bearing on us. But in the present case you are mistaken because it is the duty of every sensible muslim to have faith based on reason, not on blind following. In making inquiries regarding religion, we study the common history of the Muslims. We find that, after the death of the Holy Prophet, two sects appeared. Therefore, we should make thorough inquiries in order to understand which of the two sects is rightly guided. Obviously we should not blindly follow our predecessors.

Sheikh: Certainly your point is that Abu Bakr's caliphate was not just. But if Abu Bakr was not the rightful Caliph, and if it was the right of Ali to occupy that position, why did he not use his special strength and courage to establish justice? He used to attend the prayers also and often gave useful advice to the distinguished caliphs in important matters.

SILENCE OF HOLY PROPHETS

Well-Wisher: First, the Prophets and their successors acted according to the will of Allah Almighty. Accordingly we cannot raise any objection as to why they did not wage war, or why they adopted silence before the enemy, or why they suffered defeat.

If you study the historical facts regarding the lives of the holy prophets and their successors, you will find many similar instances of acquiescence. The Holy Qur'an has narrated some of those events. In the sura of Qamar (The Moon), the Holy Qur'an relates what the Prophet Noah said when his people rejected him: "Verily, I am overcome (by these people), so give help." (54:11)

In the sura of Maryam (Mary), the Qur'an tells us of the silence of Abraham when he sought his uncle Azar's help and received a disappointing reply: "And I will withdraw from you and what you call upon besides Allah, and I will call upon my Lord." (19:48)

So just as Abraham withdrew from the people when he did not receive support from his uncle Azar, Ali also must have withdrawn from the people and gone into seclusion.

Sheikh: I think this isolation signifies withdrawal of the heart. That is, he withdrew and kept aloof from them but did not assume physical seclusion.

Well-Wisher: If you study the commentaries of both sects, you will find that his withdrawal from people was physical, not merely psychological. I recall that Imam Fakhru'd-din Razi says in his Tafsir-e-Kabir, vol.V, p.809: "Isolation from something means keeping aloof from it. What Abraham meant was that he wanted to keep aloof from them, both from the physical and religious point of view."

The chronicles report that after this rejection Abraham migrated from Babylon to Kuhistan in Fars and lived a solitary life in those mountainous surroundings for seven years. He then returned to Babylon and again publicly proclaimed Allah's message and broke the people's idols. At this the people flung him into the fire. Allah Almighty made the fire cool and safe for him, and so his prophethood was firmly established. In the sura of Qasas (The Narratives), the story about Moses running away in fear of his life has been narrated in this way: "So he went forth, fearing, awaiting, (and) he said: My Lord, deliver me from the unjust people."(28:21)

In the sura of A'raf (The Elevated Places), the Holy Qur'an tells us of Aaron's plight when Moses had left him in charge of the Bani Israel. The people immediately began to worship the golden calf and, because Aaron had no one to support him;, he remained silent. The Qur'an says: "And he (Moses) seized his brother by the head, dragging him towards him. He (Aaron) said: Son of my mother! Surely the people reckoned me weak and had well nigh slain me." (7:150)

ALI'S SITUATION SIMILAR TO AARON'S

So according to the Holy Qur'an Aaron did not draw the sword against the people. He assumed silence when they adopted Samiri's Golden Calf as the object of worship because he (Aaron) recognized that he was outnumbered. Similarly, Ali, whom the Holy Prophet pronounced to be the counterpart of Aaron (as we have discussed in detail earlier), was also perfectly justified in assuming patience and forbearance when he had been left alone. The Holy Imam was forcibly brought to the mosque and an open sword was put on his head to force him to swear allegiance. Later he went to the tomb of the Holy Prophet and repeated the same words which Allah Almighty has related through the tongue of Aaron. Aaron had said to Moses: "Surely the people had reckoned me weak and had well nigh slain me."

ACQUIESCENCE OF PROPHETS

The Prophet Muhammad's example regarding this point is of course most instructive. We should consider why he maintained complete silence for thirteen years in the face of hostile activities of the enemy in Mecca until finally he had to abandon his native city in the darkness of the night. The reason was that he had no helpers. In fact, even during the days of his authority, he could not do away with some innovations.

Sheikh: How can it be you say that the Holy Prophet failed to do away with innovations?

THE HOLY PROPHET COULD NOT EFFECT DRASTIC CHANGES FOR FEAR OF PEOPLE

Well-Wisher: It has been reported by Hamidi in his Jam'i Bainu's-Sahihain and by Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal in Musnad from Ummu'l-Mu'minin A'yesha that the Holy Prophet said to her: "Had these people not been near the age of infidelity and ignorance, and had I not the fear that it would destroy their faith, I would have ordered the House of the Ka'ba to be demolished and whatever had been taken out of it to be restored. Having levelled it, I would have erected two doors towards its east and west as it was in the days of the Prophet Abraham, and I would have rebuilt it on the foundations set up by Abraham."

Certainly if the Holy Prophet himself was unable to oppose major innovations, Ali was justified in observing the same principle when he faced a similar challenge.

The great jurist, Wasiti Ibn Maghazili Shafi'i, and Khatib Khawarizmi report in their Manaqib that the Holy Prophet said to Ali: "The community has a strong grudge against you. Shortly after my death they will deceive you and reveal what they have in their hearts. I order you to be patient and control yourself at that time so that Allah may give you its reward and a good recompense."