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Prophetic Tradition and the Prophet's Household. And Allah is the Source of Strength.
Shias, The Holy Prophet and Mawla Ali
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اُردو ترجمے کے لئے یہاں جائیں
People blame shias that they consider Angel Gabriel (AS) took the revelation by mistake to Prophet (SAW) while it was in fact intended for Imam Ali (AS). I do not know what sort of mind believes that an angel can make a mistake. A lie is a lie, but sometimes, it gets funny.
Shias have the highest respect for Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his family. Shias consider Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as a fountain head of knowledge, Sayyied ul-Ambiah (leader of all the prophets). A prophet is a prophet, even in his mothers womb. It is not correct to say that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) receive the office of prophet hood in the cave of Al-Hira, because He was a prophet from birth. Jesus was a prophet when he was days old, he showed men the miracles of god when he was in the arms of his mother, thus it is unacceptable to think that the greatest prophet of all times had to wait for forty years for his prophethood and to realize that he was a muslim.
It would be more appropriate to say that he received his instructions to start his ministry in the cave. The Quran tells us that Rasool (SAW) was a prophet even before other prophets were given their office of prophet hood:
And (remember) when Allah took the covenant of the Prophets, saying: "
Take whatever I gave you from the Book and Hikmah, and afterwards there will come to you a Messenger confirming what is with you; you must, then, believe in him and help him.'' Allah said: "Do you agree (to it) and will you take up Isri'' They said: "We agree.'' He said: "Then bear witness; and I am with you among the witnesses.'')Quran [3:81]
Ali bin Abi Talib and his
cousin `Abdullah bin `Abbas said, "Allah
never sent a Prophet but after taking his pledge that if Muhammad were sent in
his lifetime, he would believe in and support him.''
Allah commanded each Prophet to take a pledge from his nation that if Muhammad
were sent in their time, they would believe in and support him. Tawus, Al-Hasan
Al-Basri and Qatadah said, "Allah took the pledge from the Prophets that they
would believe in each other'', and this statement does not contradict what `Ali
and Ibn `Abbas stated.
Therefore, Muhammad is the Final Prophet
until the Day of Resurrection. He is the greatest Imam, who if he existed in any
time period, deserves to be obeyed, rather than all other Prophets. This is why
Muhammad led the Prophets in prayer during the night of Isra' when they gathered
in Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). He is the intercessor on the Day of Gathering,
when the Lord comes to judge between His servants.
This is Al-Maqam Al-Mahmud (the praised station) ﴿refer to 17:79﴾ that only
Muhammad deserves, a responsibility which the mighty Prophets and Messengers
will decline to assume. However, Muhammad will carry the task of intercession,
may Allah's peace and blessings be on him.
Tafisr Ibne Kathir, Tafsir of Surah 3, Verse 81
As the hardcore Ibne Kathir explains, all the prophets were granted their status of prophets, and the knowledge of the book on one condition, they will lend their support to Muhammad (SAW). Muhammad (SAW) is he that if all the prophets existed in his time, they all will be of his Ummat, or Ummatis. How can the sunnis then say that Prophet (SAW) was not a prophet, or even a muslim (god forbid) until he was forty years old? This is blasphemy.
Shias say that Prophet Muhammad is far above all creations. He is pious of the pious, a Masoom (sinless). He wouldn't even resort to tark-ul-awla (i.e. miss a recommended act that pleases Allah (SWT) let alone the compulsory ones.) He is an infallible.
In addition to that, Shias believe Imam Ali (AS) was the successor of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). He was the first Imam, who was nafsur Rasul as declared in Mubahila. Mawla Ali was the Mawla of everyone who considered Rasool (SAW) to be their Mawla, as declared during Gadeer. Ali (AS) was he who inherited the wisdom and knowledge of the book from Prophet Muhammad (SAW), just like the progeny of Ibrahim (AS) inherited his.
Or do they envy the people
for what Allah has given them of His grace?
But indeed We have given to Ibrahim's children
the Book and the wisdom, and We have given them a grand kingdom.
Quran [4:54]
May I ask the viewers who are these children of Ibrahim (AS)? May i also ask you which kingdom did Allah give these children of Ibrahim (AS)? Obviously this kingdom is far more than the political world we all fight about.
Mawla Ali (AS) was the brother of rasool (SAW), his (SAW) nafs, our mawla. Various other articles cover alot of issues in detail. This article only targets to clear any misconceptions which some miscreants might be spreading on purpose to portray that shias believe Ali (AS) to be God (God forbid), or superior to Rasool (SAW).
Ali (AS) is the slave of Rasool (SAW), whose life was always ready to be sacrificed for Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Ali (AS) is the leader of all pious. Those who are not pious are not bound by the leader ship of Imam al Mutaqeen, Mawla Ali (AS).
"... al-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim on the authority of 'Ali who
said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'I am the
city of knowledge and 'Ali is its gate'.... and in another [narration]
recorded by al-Tirmidhi on the authority of 'Ali, 'I am the house of wisdom and
'Ali is its door'..."
Al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqa, Ibn Hajar al-Haytami al-Makki
(d. 974 AH), p. 122 (p. 73, older editions)
http://www.al-islam.org/sources/default.asp?person=316&ed=613&pg=p122.gif
Imam Ali (AS) is said to be the gate way of the knowledge, the knowledge which Rasool (SAW) has. This is the same knowledge, about what Imam Ali (AS) said, that he was not taught but rather fed the knowledge by Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
This Ali ibn Abi Talib, who in his sermons explains the construct of
earth saying that 'the continents are masses of land floating on the ocean and
held in place by mountains acting as pegs.' This knowledge was passed to us by
Ali ibn abi Talib who claims that he learned all he knew from prophet Muhammad
(SAW). Also note that Ali ibn Abi talib explained this construct of the earth
come 1400 years ago, while less then 200 years ago, in the west, they were
disputed about the shape of the earth, and people were executed by the church in
this regards. The knowledge about the continental plates, in the west is
un-earthed less then 50 years ago.
This same Ali ibn Abi Talib, in his sermons in the last days of his life,
announced to the people, "Ask me before I leave you, and I may tell you all. Ask
me for I can tell you of the paths of the heavens more then the path of the
earth."
When this is the knowledge imparted by the Ali ibn Abi Talib, the student of
Prophet Muhammad - imagine what is the status of that great teacher?
Before i proceed, i ask some questions to you, which if you answer honestly,
will make you realize what was Ali (AS) and what is the status of the Ahlulbayt
in Islam.
- Why was Prophet Muhammad (SAW) alone not enough to curse the liars during Mubahila?
- The word Ar-Rijs or All Rijs means total impurity. The Ahlulbayt are purified from All Rijs. The final and complete level of ismat one can ever attain is purification from All Rijs. If we are purified from Ar-Rijs or all impurities, then we cannot sin because sin is a form of Rijs. How can someone purified from All Rijs still sin and display Rijs in his heart? What was the need to purify the Ahlulbayt of Rasool (SAW) from all Rijs?
- The flag of Khyber was given to someone who loved Allah and his Rasool (SAW) and who was loved by Allah and his Rasool (SAW). Why did not the prophet pray for fall of Khaybar. His prayers would defeat Khaiber on it's own and no one would require Ali (AS). Why was Ali required for this task?
- Going back to Mubahila. 3:61 Then whoever disputes with you concerning him after the knowledge that has come to you, say: "Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then we pray and we invoke Allah's curse upon the liars. – translated by Ibn Kathir. If you look at the Arabic word, the word used for ourselves/yourselves is word anfusana (plural of nafs). The prophet (SAW) is told to gather "them", who has the same nafs as the Rasool (SAW) himself. If the nafs of Rasool (SAW) is infallible, and cannot sin, then those who Rasool (SAW) gathered under this command share the same nafs. If the Nafs of Rasool (SAW) (people who Rasool gathered for this command) can sin or make mistakes and are not infallible, then so can the Rasool (SAW) himself. If Ali (AS) is the Nafs of Rasool (SAW), what do you understand by it? Can Rasool (SAW) be infallible while his nafs be sin-prone?
- Rasool (SAW) said, I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate. Now, Rasool (SAW) does not know anything on his own. What ever he knows is from Allah. If I ask him about any question, about science, religion, anything, known, unknown, future, the prophet will answer it as Allah will reveal It to him through angel (wahi/revelation), dream, or intuition/ilhaam. Thus prophet (SAW) will have answers to everything, because if he cannot answer a question, he doesn't remain the prophet of Allah. This knowledge, of prophethood, of Muhammad (SAW), which is infinite (depending on Allah’s authority, but has answers to everything), can someone, normal, like you and me, sinner, or not infallible, be accessed and executed by us? How can Imam Ali (AS) have access to the same knowledge which Rasool (SAW) had? Why is Ali the Gate of a city like Muhammad (SAW)? What sort of authority, nobility, infallibility it gives to Mawla Ali (AS)?
- Why do we all send Durood on Muhammad (SAW) as well as his progeny? Why isn't Durood on Rasool (SAW) only sufficient?
These questions prove that the Ahlulbayt (AS) were important. Why and how, can be answered by the above questions and have been discussed in detail in other articles. The point was only to convey that Ali (AS) is Nafsur Rasool, and slave of Rasool.
Those who consider Ali (AS) to be God, if they do, are mushriks. Those who hate Ali or his zikr, are nasibis (cursed). Those who follow Ali (AS) are his shias.
Not only do Shias believe Prophet Muhammad to be perfect, but all the ancestors
of prophet Muhammad including Abutalib the uncle of Prophet Muhammad were
Muslims following the creed of Prophet Ibrahim (A). Abu Talib accepted Prophet
Muhammad as a prophet of God. They never worshiped or even bowed down before any
idols. In short all the ancestors of Prophet Muhammad up to Prophet Adam (A)
were all Muslims.
Shias believe Ali to be the rightful khalif/Imam after Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
Prophet Muhammad during his life time announced this in various ways. The two
incidents Dawaat-az-zul-aseera, and
Ghadeer al Qumm
are the best examples of this. Besides these two Hadith, (Dawaat-az-zul-aseera,
and Ghadeer al Qumm) there are many more.
Shias also believe that Rasool (SAW) and Imam
Ali's creation was from Light. This view has not only been derived from Shia
traditions but also from a handful of sunni narrations:
Al_Muhibb al_Tabari narrates this tradition
on the authority of Salman from the Prophet (SAW) "I and Ali Bin Abi Talib both were a single light in the presence of Allah
14,000 years before the creation of Adam. When Allah created Adam, he deposited
that light in Adam's loins. We remained together as one light until we separated
in Abu'l-Muttalib's loins. Then I was endowed with Prophethood and Ali with the
caliphate."
al_Riyad al_nadirah, ii, 163;
Ahmad ibn Hanbal in alFada'il;
Sibt ibn alJawzi in Tadhkirat alkhawass, 46;
`Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal in Zawa'id manaqib Amir alMu'minin, MS.,
So far as Ali's physical creation was concerned, he was evidently of the most exalted rank from both his maternal and paternal side. All of his forefathers back to Adam himself were worshipers of Allah. This light never settled in an impure loins or womb. None of the other companions can make such a claim.
Except for the Holy Prophet, no one else had such a brilliant ancestry. Shias Consider Imam Ali to be the brother of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), Nafs ur Rasool (Mubahila), Imam al Mutaqeen and the true heir of Prophet (SAW). Read other articles related to the events of Gadeer and Imamat.
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