Sermon 1
In this sermon he recalls the creation of Earth and Sky and the birth of Adam.
Praise is due to God whose worth cannot be described by speakers, whose bounties
cannot be counted by calculators and whose claim (to obedience) cannot be
satisfied by those who attempt to do so, whom the height of intellectual
courage cannot appreciate, and the divings of understanding cannot reach; He
for whose description no limit has been laid down, no eulogy exists, no time is
ordained and no duration is fixed. He brought forth creation through His
Omnipotence, dispersed winds through His Compassion, and made firm the shaking
earth with rocks.
The foremost in religion is the acknowledgement of Him, the perfection of
acknowledging Him is to testify Him, the perfection of testifying Him is to
believe in His Oneness, the perfection of believing in His Oneness is to regard
Him Pure, and the perfection of His purity is to deny Him attributes, because
every attribute is a proof that it is different from that to which it is
attributed and everything to which something is attributed is different from
the attribute. Thus whoever attaches attributes to God recognises His like,
and who recognises His like regards Him as two; and who regards Him as two recognises
only parts of Him; and who recognises only parts of Him mistook Him; and who mistook
Him points to Him; and who points to Him admitted limitations for Him; and
who admitted limitations for Him accounts for Him.
Whoever said in what is He, held that He is contained; and whoever said on what is He
held He is not on something else. He is a Being but not through phenomenon of
coming into being. He exists but not from non-existence. He is with everything
but not in physical nearness. He is different from everything but not in
physical separation. He acts but without connotation of movements and
instruments. He sees even when there is none to be looked at from among His
creation. He is only One, such that there is none with whom He may keep company
or whom He may miss in his absence.
The Creation of the Universe
He initiated creation most initially and commenced it originally, without undergoing
reflection, without making use of any experiment, without innovating any
movement, and without experiencing any aspiration of mind. He allotted all
things their times, put together their variations gave them their properties,
and determined their features knowing them before creating them, realising
fully their limits and confines and appreciating their propensities and
intricacies.
When the Almighty created the openings of atmosphere, expanse of firmament and strata of
winds, He flowed into it water whose waves were stormy and whose surges leapt
one over the other. He loaded it on dashing wind and breaking typhoons, ordered
them to shed it back (as rain), gave the wind control over the vigour of the
rain, and acquainted it with its limitations. The wind blew under it while
water flowed furiously over it.
Then the Almighty created wind and made its movement sterile, perpetuated its
position, intensified its motion and spread it far and wide. Then He ordered
the wind to raise up deep waters and to intensify the waves of the oceans. So
the wind churned it like the churning of curd and pushed it fiercely into the
firmament throwing its front position on the rear and the stationary on the
flowing till its level was raised and the surface was full of foam. Then
the Almighty raised the foam on to the open wind and vast firmament and made
therefrom the seven skies and made the lower one as a stationary surge and the
upper one as protective ceiling and a high edifice without any pole to support
it or nail to hold it together. Then He decorated them with stars and the light
of meteors and hung in it the shining sun and the effulgent moon under the
revolving sky, moving the ceiling and rotating the firmament.
The Creation of the Angels
Then He created the openings between high skies and filled them with all classes of
His angels. Some of them are in prostration and do not kneel up. Others in
kneeling position and do not stand up. Some of them are in array and do not
leave their position. Others are extolling God and do not get tired. The
sleep of the eye or the slip of wit, or languor of the body or the effect of
forgetfulness does not effect them.
Among them are those who work as trusted bearers of His message, those who serve as
speaking tongues for His prophets and those who carry to and fro His orders and
injunctions. Among them are the protectors of His creatures and guards of the
doors of the gardens of Paradise. Among them are those also whose steps are
fixed on earth but their necks are protruding into the skies, their limbs are
stretching out on all sides, their shoulders are in accord with the columns of the
Divine Throne, their eyes are downcast before it, they have spread down their
wings under it and they have rendered between themselves and all else curtains
of honour and screens of power. They do not think of their Creator as an
image, do not impute to Him attributes of the created, do not confine Him
within abodes and do not point to Him with illustrations.
Description of the Creation of Adam
God collected from hard, soft, sweet and sour earth, clay which He dripped in water
till it became pure, and kneaded it with moisture till it became gluey. From it He
carved an image with curves, joints, limbs and segments. He solidified it till
it dried up for a fixed time and a known duration. Then He blew into it out of
His Spirit whereupon it took the pattern of a human being with mind that
governs him, intelligence which he makes use of, limbs that serve him, organs
that change his position, sagacity that differentiates between truth and
untruth, tastes and smells, colours and species. He is a mixture of clays of
different colours, cohesive materials, divergent contradictories and differing
properties like heat, cold, softness and hardness.
Then God asked the angels to fulfil His promise with them and to accomplish the
pledge of His injunction to them by acknowledging Him through prostration to
Him and submission to His honoured position. So God said:
"Be prostrate towards Adam and they prostrated except Iblís (Satan)." (Qur'án, 2:34; 7:11; 17:61; 18:50; 20:116)
Self-importance withheld him and vice overcame him. So that he took pride in his own creation
with fire and treated contemptuously the creation of clay. So God allowed him
time in order to let him fully deserve His wrath, and to complete (man's) test
and to fulfil the promise (He had made to Satan). Thus, He said:
"Verily you have been allowed time till the known Day." -- (Qur'án, 15:38; 38:81)
Thereafter, God inhabited Adam (p.b.u.h.) in a house where He made his life pleasant and
his stay safe, and He cautioned him of Iblís and his enmity. Then his enemy
(Iblís) envied his abiding in Paradise and his contacts with the virtuous. So
he changed his conviction into wavering and determination into weakness. He
thus converted his happiness into fear and his prestige into shame. Then God
offered to Adam (p.b.u.h.) the chance to repent, taught him words of His Mercy,
promised him return to His Paradise and sent him down to the place of trial and
procreation of progeny.
God chooses His Prophets
From his (Adam's) progeny God chose prophets and took their pledge for his
revelation and for carrying His message as their trust. In course of time many
people perverted God's trust with them and ignored His position and took
compeers along with Him. Satan turned them away from knowing Him and kept them
aloof from His worship. Then God sent His Messengers and series of His
prophets to them to encourage them to fulfil the pledges of His creation, to
recall to them His bounties, to exhort them by preaching, to unveil before them
the hidden virtues of wisdom and show them the signs of His Omnipotence namely
the sky which is raised over them, the earth that is placed beneath them, means
of living that sustain them, deaths that make them die, ailments that turn them
old and incidents that successively betake them.
God never allowed His creation to remain without a Prophet deputised by Him, or a
book sent down from Him or a binding argument or a standing plea. The Messengers
were such that they did not feel little because of smallness of
their number or of largeness of the number of their falsifiers. Among them was
either a predecessor who would name the one to follow or the follower who had
been introduced by the predecessor.
The Prophethood of Muhammmad
In this way ages passed by and times rolled on, fathers passed away while sons
took their places till God deputised Muhammmad (peace be upon him and his
progeny) as His Prophet, in fulfilment of His promise and in completion of His
Prophethood. His pledge had been taken from the Prophets, his traits of
character were well reputed and his birth was honourable. The people of the
earth at this time were divided in different parties, their aims were separate
and ways were diverse. They either likened God with His creation or twisted
His Names or turned to else than Him. Through Muhammmad (p.b.u.h.a.h.p.)
God guided them out of wrong and with his efforts took them out of ignorance.
Then God chose for Muhammmad, peace be upon him and on his progeny, to meet
Him, selected him for His own nearness, regarded him too dignified to remain in
this world and decided to remove him from this place of trial. So He drew him
towards Himself with honour. God may shower His blessing on him, and his
progeny.
The Holy Qur'án and Sunnah
But the Prophet left among you the same which other Prophets left among their
peoples, because Prophets do not leave them untended (in dark) without a clear
path and a standing ensign, namely the Book of your Creator clarifying its
permissions and prohibitions, its obligations and discretions, its repealing
injunctions and the repealed ones, its permissible matters and compulsory ones,
its particulars and the general ones, its lessons and illustrations, its long
and the short ones, its clear and obscure ones, detailing its abbreviations and
clarifying its obscurities.
In it there are some verses whose knowledge 1
is obligatory and others whose ignorance of, by the people, is permissible. It also
contains what appears to be obligatory according to the Book 2 but
its repeal is signified by the Prophet's action (sunnah) or
that which appears compulsory according to the
Prophet's action but the Book allows not following it. Or there are those which
are obligatory in a given time but not so after that time. Its prohibitions
also differ. Some are major regarding which there exists the threat of fire
(Hell), and others are minor for which there are prospects of forgiveness.
There are also those of which a small portion is also acceptable (to God) but
they are capable of being expanded.
In this very sermon he spoke about Hajj
God has made obligatory upon you the pilgrimage (hajj) to His sacred
House which is the turning point for the people who go to it as beasts or
pigeons go towards spring water. God the glorified made it a sign of their
supplication before His Greatness and their acknowledgement of His Dignity. He
selected from among His creation those who on listening to His call responded
to it and testified His word. They stood in the position of His Prophets and
resembled His angels who surround the Divine Throne securing all the benefits
of performing His worship and hastening towards His promised forgiveness. God
the glorified made it (His sacred House) an emblem for Islam and an object of
respect for those who turn to it. He made obligatory its pilgrimage and laid
down its claim for which He held you responsible to discharge it. Thus, God
the glorified said:
" . . . And (purely) for God, it is
incumbent upon mankind, the pilgrimage to the House, for those who can afford
to journey thither. And whoever denieth this verily, God is Self-sufficiently
independent of the worlds" (Qur'án, 3:96).
(1). "The foremost in religion (
dín) is His knowledge." The literal meaning of
dín
is obedience, and its popular sense is code, whether literal sense is taken or
the popular one, in either case, if the mind is devoid of any conception of
Divinity, there would be no question of obedience, nor of following any code;
because when there is no aim there is no point in advancing towards it; where
there is no object in view there is no sense in making efforts to achieve it.
Nevertheless, when the nature and guiding faculty of man bring him in contact
with a superior Authority and his taste for obedience and impulse of submission
subjugates him before a Deity, he finds himself bound by certain limitations as
against abject freedom of activity. The se very limitations are
dín
(Religion) whose point of commencement is knowledge of God and
acknowledgement of His Being.
After pointing out the essentials of Divine knowledge Amír al-mu'minín has described
its important constituents and conditions. He has held those stages of such
knowledge which people generally regard as the point of highest approach to be
insufficient. He says that its first stage is that with the natural sense of
search for the unknown and the guidance of conscience or on hearing from the
followers of religions an image of the Unseen Being known as God is formed in
the mind. This image in fact is the forerunner of the obligation to thinking
and reflection and to seeking His knowledge. But those who love idleness, or
are under pressure of environment, do not undertake this search despite
creation of such image and the image fails to get testified. In this case they
remain deprived of Divine knowledge, and since their inaccess to the stage of
testifying after the formation of image is by volition they deserve to be
questioned about it. But one who is moved by the power of this image goes
further and considers thinking and reflection necessary.
In this way one reaches the next stage in the attainment of Divine knowledge,
namely to search for the Creator through diversification of creation and
species of creatures, because every picture is a solid and inflexible guide to
the existence of its painter and every effect to the action of its cause. When
he casts his glance around himself he does not find a single thing which might
have come into existence without the act of a maker so much so that he does not
find the sign of a footstep without a walker nor a construction without a builder.
How can he comprehend that this blue sky with the sun and the moon in its
expanse and the earth with the exuberance of its grass and flowers could have
come into existence without the action of a Creator. Therefore, after observing
all that exists in the world and the regulated system of the entire creation no
one can help concluding that there is a Creator for this world of diversities
because existence cannot come out of non-existence, nor can existence sprout
forth from nothingness.
The Holy Qur'án has pointed to this reasoning thus:
". . . What! about God is there any doubt, the Originator of the heavens and the earth?. . ." -- (14:10).
But this stage would also be insufficient if this testimony in favour of God is
tarnished by belief in the divinity of some other deity.
The third stage is that His existence should be acknowledged along with belief in
Unity and Oneness. Without this the testimony to God's existence cannot be
complete because if more gods are believed in He would not be One whereas it is
necessary that He should be One. Thereason is that in case of more than one
god the question would arise whether one of them created all this creation or
all of them together. If one of them created it there should be some
differential to distinguish him otherwise he would be accorded preferential
position without reason, which is unacceptable to the mind.
If all have created it collectively then the position has only two forms; either
he cannot perform his functions without the assistance of others or he is above
the need for their assistance. The first case means his incapability and being
in need of others while the other case means that they are several regular
performers of a single act and the fallacy of both has already been shown. If
we assume that all the gods performed the act of creation by dividing among
themselves then, in this case all the creation will, not bear the same
relationship towards the creator since each creature will bear relationship
only to its own creator whereas every creature should have one and the same
relationship to all creators. This is because all the creation should have one
and the same relationship to all the creators as all the created in their
capacity to accept effect and all the creators in their capacity to produce
effect should be similar. In short there is no way but to acknowledge Him as
One because in believing in numerous creators there remains no possibility of
the existence of any other thing, and destruction proves implicit for the
earth, the sky and everything in creation. God the glorified has expressed
this argument in the following words:
"Had there been in
(the heavens and the earth [other] ) gods except God, they both had been in
disorder. . ." -- (Qur'án, 21:22).
The fourth stage is that God should be regarded free of all defects and
deficiencies, and devoid of body, form, illustration, similarity, position of
place or time, motion, stillness, incapability and ignorance because there can
be no deficiency or defect in the perfect Being nor can anyone be deemed like
Him because all these attributes bring down a being from the high position of
the Creator to the low position of the created. That is why along with Unity,
God has held purity from deficiency of equal importance.
"Say: 'He (God) is One (alone).
God, the needless.
He begetteth not, nor is He begotten.
And there is none like unto Him" -- (Qur'án, 112:1-4).
"Vision perceiveth Him not, and He perceiveth (all) vision; He is the Subtle, the All-aware" -- (Qur'án, 6:104).
"So coin ye not any similitudes to God; verily God knoweth (every thing) and ye know not." -- (Qur'án, 16:74).
". . . Nothing whatsoever (is there) like the like of Him; and He (alone) is the All-hearing and the All-seeing." -- (Qur'án, 42:11)
The fifth stage of completing His Knowledge is that attributes should not be put in
Him from outside lest there be duality in His Oneness, and deviating from its
proper connotation Unity may fall in the labyrinth of one in three and three in
one, because His Being is not a combination of essence and form so that
attribute may cling to Him like smell in the flowers or brightness in the
stars. Rather, He is the fountain head of all attributes and needs no medium
for manifestation of His perfect Attributes. If He is named Omniscient it is
because the signs of his knowledge are manifest. If He is called Omnipotent it
is because every particle points to His Omnipotence and Activity, and if to Him
is attributed the power to listen or to see it is because the cohesion of the entire
creation and its administration cannot be done without hearing or seeing but
the existence of these attributes in Him cannot be held to be in the same way
as in the creation namely that He should be capable to know only after He
acquires knowledge or He should be powerful and strong only after energy runs
into His limbs because taking attributes as separate from His Being would
connote duality and where there is duality unity disappears.
That is how Amír al-mu'minín has rejected the idea of attributes being addition to
His Being, presented Unity in its true significance, and did not allow Unity to
be tainted with stains of multiplicity. This does not mean that adjectives
cannot at all be attributed to Him, as this would be giving support to those who
are groping in the dark abyss of negativism, although every nook and comer in
the entire existence is brimming with His attributes and every particle of
creation stands witness that He has knowledge, He is powerful, He hears, He
sees. He nurtures under His care and allows growth under His mercy. The
intention is that for Him nothing can be suggested to serve as an adjunct to
Him, because His self includes attributes and His attributes connote His Self.
Let us learn this very theme in the words of al-Imám Abú `Abdilláh Ja`far
ibn Muhammmad as-Sádiq (p.b.u.h.) comparing it
with the belief in Unity adopted by other religions and then appreciate who is
the exponent of the true concept of Unity.
The Imám says:
"Our God the Glorified, the
Magnificent has ever had knowledge as His Self even though there was nothing to
know, sight as His Self even though there was nothing to know, sight as His
Self even though there was nothing to behold, hearing as His Self even though
there was nothing to hear, and Potence as His Self even though there was
nothing to be under His Potence. When He created the things and the object of
knowledge came into existence His knowledge became related to the known,
hearing related to the heard, sight related to the seen, and potence related to
its object." -- (
at-Tawhíd by ash-Shaykh as-Sadúq, p.139)
This is the belief over which the Imáms of the Prophet's family are unanimous, but
the majority group has adopted a different course by creating the idea of
differentiation between His Self and Attributes. ash-Shahristání says on page
42 of his book
Kitáb al-milal wa'n-nihal:
According to Abu'l-Hasan
al-Ash`arí, God knows through (the attribute of) knowledge, is Powerful
through activity, speaks through speech, hears through hearing and sees through
sight.
If we regard attributes distinct from Self in this manner there would be two
alternatives; either the attributes must have existed in Him from ever or they
must have occurred later. In the first case we have to recognise as many eternal
objects as the attributes which all will share with Him in being eternal, but
"God is above what the people deem Him to have equals." In the second case in
addition to subjecting Him to the alternations it would also mean that before
the acquiring of the attributes He was neither scient, nor powerful, nor hearer
nor beholder and this runs counter to the basic tenet of Islam.
". . . God hath
decreed trade lawful and hath forbidden interest. . ." -- (Qur'án, 2:275)
"And when you have
finished the prayer remember God standing, and sitting, and reacting, and
when ye are secure (from danger) establish prayer . . ." -- (Qur'án, 4:103)
"O' ye men! eat of
what is in the earth lawful and good and follow not the foot-steps of Satan;
for verily he is an open enemy unto you." -- (Qur'án, 2:168)
"(And) say thou: 'I am only a man like you, it is
revealed unto me that your god is but one God, therefore whosoever desireth to
meet his Lord, let him do good deeds, and associate not any one in the worship
of his Lord'." -- (Qur'án, 18:110)
"What! enjoin ye upon the people righteousness and ye forget your own selves? Yet ye read the
scripture? What: do ye not understand?" -- (Qur'án, 2:44).
(2). About the Qur'án, Amír al-mu'minín says that it contains
description of the permitted and the forbidden acts such as "God has allowed
sale and purchase but prohibited usury."
It clarifies obligatory and optional acts such as "when you have finished the
prayer (of fear) remember God rising, sitting or lying and when you feel safe
(from the enemy) then say the prayers (as usual)."
Here prayer is obligatory while other forms of remembering (God) are optional. It
has repealing and repealed verses such as about the period of seclusion after
husband's death "four months and ten days" or the repealed one such as "till
one year without going out" which shows that this period of seclusion should be
one year. In particular places it permits the forbidden such as "whoever is
compelled without being wilfully wrongful or transgressor, commits no sins."
It has positive injunctions such as "One should not add anyone with God in
worship." It has particular and general injunctions. Particular is the one
where the word shows generality but the sense is limited such as "I have made
you superior over worlds, O' Bani Isra'il."
Here the sense of "Worlds," is confined to that particular time, although the word
is general in its literal meaning. The general injunctions is one which is
extensive in meaning such as "God has knowledge of everything." It has
lessons and illustrations lessons such as "God caught him in the punishment
of this world and the next and there is lesson in it."
"So seized him God,
with the chastisement in the hereafter, and the life before (it)." -- (Qur'án, 79:25)
"Verily in this there
is a lesson unto him who feareth (God)." -- (Qur'án, 79:26)
"A kind word and
pardon is better than charity that is followed by injury, and verily God is
Self-sufficient, the Most forbearing." -- (Qur'án, 2:263)
"And remember when We
made a covenant with you and raised the 'túr' (the Mountain) above you (saying),
'Hold ye fast that which We have bestowed upon you with the strength (of
determination) and remember that which is therein so that you may guard (yourself)
against evil'." -- (Qur'án, 2:63)
"So we made it a
lesson for (those of) their own times and for those (of their posterity) who
came after them and an exhortation unto those who guard (themselves) against
evil." -- (Qur'án, 2:66)
"He it is Who
fashioneth you in the wombs (of your mothers) as He liketh; There is no god but
He, the All-mighty, the All-wise." -- (Qur'án, 3:5)
"Obedience and a fair
word; but when the affair is determined then if they be true to God, it would
certainly be better for them." -- (Qur'án, 47:21)
"O' those who
believe! It is not lawful for you to inherit women against their will; and do
not straiten them in order that ye may take a part of what ye have given,
unless they are guilty of manifest lewdness; but deal kindly with them, and if
ye hate them, it may be that ye hate a thing while God hath placed in it
abundant good." -- (Qur'án, 4:19)
"Say thou ( -- unto the people of
the Book), 'Dispute ye with us about God; whereas He is our Lord and your
Lord, and for us are our deeds and for you are your deeds; to Him (alone)
we are (exclusively) loyal?" -- (Qur'án, 2:139)
"There is a lesson in it for him who fears God," and illustration as "The example of
those who spend their wealth in the way of God is like a grain which grows
seven ears each one of which bears hundred grains." It has unspecific and
specific verses. Unspecific is one which has no limitation on specification
such as "Recall when Moses told his people 'God commands you to sacrifice a
cow.'"
Specific is one where denotation is limited such as God says that "the cow should be
such that it has neither been used for ploughing nor for irrigation fields."
There is clear and obscure in it. Clear is that which has no intricacy such as
"Verily God has sway over everything," while obscure is that whose meaning
has complication such as "the Merciful (God) occupies the throne," whose
apparent meaning gives the impression as if God is bodily sitting on the
Throne although the intention is to press His authority and control. In it
there are brief injunctions such as "establish prayer" and those of deep
meanings such as the verses about which says:
"That the sense is not known except to God and those immersed in knowledge." Then
Amír al-mu'minín dilates upon this theme in a different style, he says that
there are some things in it which are necessary to know, such as "So know that
there is no god but God" and there are others which are not necessary to know
such as "alif lám mím" etc. It has also injunctions which have been
repealed by the Prophet's action such as "As for your women who commit adultery
get four male witnesses and if four witnesses do appear shut such women in the
house till death ends their life." This punishment was current in early Islam
but was later replaced by stoning in the case of married women. In it there are
some injunctions which repealed the Prophet's action such as "Turn your face
towards Masjid al-harám" by which the injunction for facing Bayt al-maqdis
was repealed. It also contains injunctions which are obligatory only at a
particular time after which their obligation ends, such as "when the call for prayer is
made on Friday then hasten towards remembrance of God." It has also indicated
grades of prohibitions as the division of sins into light and serious ones -
light such as "Tell the believers to lower their eyes" and serious ones such as
"whoever kills a Believer wilfully his award is to remain in Hell for ever." It
also contains injunctions where a little performance is enough but there is
scope for further performance such as "Read the Qur'án as much as you easily
can."
"Verily your Lord, certainly is He the All-mighty, the All-merciful." -- (Qur'án, 26:9)
"Say thou -- (O' Our Prophet
Muhammmad) unto the believer men that they cast down their gaze and guard
their private parts; that is purer for them; verily God is All-aware of what (all)
ye do." -- (Qur'án, 24:30)
"Not equal are those
of the believers who sit (holding back) other than those hurt, and those who
strive in the way of God with their wealth and their selves (lives).
God hath raised the strivers with their wealth and selves (lives), in
rank above those sitting (holding back); Unto all (in faith)
God hath promised good; but those who strive, He hath distinguished above
those who sit (holding [by]) a great recompense." -- (Qur'án, 4:95)
"Verily, thy Lord
knowest that thou standest up (in the Night Prayer) night two-third of the
night, and (sometimes) half of it, and (sometimes) a third of it,
and a group of those with thee; and God measureth (well) the night and
the day; Knoweth He that never can ye take (correct) account of it, so
turneth He unto you (mercifully) so recite ye whatever be easy (in
the prayers) to be read of the Qur'án; Knoweth He that there may be among
you sick, and others travelling in the earth seeking of the grace of God, and
others fighting in the way of God, so recite ye as much as it can easily be
done of it, and establish ye the (regular) prayers, and pay ye the (prescribed)
poor-rate, and offer ye unto God a goodly loan; and whatsoever of good ye
send on before hand for yourselves, ye will (surely) find it with God,
that is the best and the greatest recompense; and seek ye the forgiveness of
God; Verily, God is Oft-forgiving, the Most Merciful." -- (Qur'án, 73:20)
Sermon 2
Delivered on return from Siffín Arabia before proclamation of Prophethood
I praise God seeking completion of His Blessing, submitting to His Glory and
expecting safety from committing His sins. I invoke His help being in need of
His Sufficiency (of protection). He whom He guides does not go astray, He with
whom He is hostile gets no protection. He whom He supports does not remain
needy. Praise is most weighty of all that is weighed and the most valuable of
all that is treasured.
I stand witness that there is no god but God the One. He has no like. My
testimony has been tested in its frankness, and its essence is our belief. We
shall cling to it forever till we live and shall store it facing the
tribulations that overtake us because it is the foundation stone of Belief (ímán)
and the first step towards good actions and Divine pleasure. It is the means to
keep Satan away.
I also stand witness that Muhammad (p.b.u.h.a.h.p.) is His slave and His
Prophet. God sent him with the illustrious religion, effective emblem,
written Book,1 effulgent light, sparkling
gleam and decisive injunction in order to dispel doubts, present clear proofs,
administer warning through signs and to warn of punishments. At that time
people had fallen into vices whereby the rope of religion had been broken, the pillars
of belief had been shaken, principles had been sacrileged, the system had become
topsy turvy, openings were narrow, passage was dark, guidance was unknown and
darkness prevailed.
God was being disobeyed, Satan was given support and Belief had been forsaken. As a
result the pillars of religion fell down, its traces could not be discerned,
its passages had been destroyed and its streets had fallen into decay. People
obeyed Satan and treaded his paths. They sought water from his watering places.
Through them Satan's emblems got flying and his standard was raised in vices
which trampled the people under their hoofs, and treaded upon them with their
feet. The vices stood on their toes (in full stature) and the people immersed
in them were astray, perplexed, ignorant and seduced as though in a good house
2 with bad neighbours. Instead of asleep they had
wakefulness and for antimony they had tears in the eyes. They were in a land
where the learned were in bridle (keeping their mouths shut) while the ignorant
were honoured.
In the same sermon Amír al-mu'minín referred
to Ál an-Nabí
(the Household of the Holy Prophet) as under:
They are the trustees of His secrets, a shelter for His affairs, a source of knowledge
about Him, a centre of His wisdom, valleys for His books and mountains of His
religion. With them God straightened the bend of religion's back and removed
the trembling of its limbs.
In the same Sermon he spoke about the hypocrites
They sowed vices, watered them with deception and harvested destruction.
(Álu Muhammad) None in the Islamic community can be taken at par with the
Progeny3 of the Prophet (Álu Muhammad). One who was
under their obligation cannot be matched with them. They are the foundation of
religion and pillars of Belief. The forward runner has to turn back to them
while the follower has to overtake them. They possess the chief characteristics
for vicegerency. In their favour exists the will and succession (of the
Prophet). This is the time when right has returned to its owner and diverted to
its centre of return.
(1). The Preserved Record.
(2). Good House means 'Mecca' while the bad neighbours mean the
'Unbelievers of Quraysh.'
(3). About the Progeny of the Prophet Amír al-mu'minín has said
that no person in the world can be brought at par with them, nor can any one be
deemed their equal in sublimity, because the world is overladen with their
obligations and has been able to secure eternal blessings only through their
guidance. They are the corner stone and foundation of religion and the
sustenance for its life and survival. They are such strong pillars of knowledge
and belief that they can turn away the stormy flow of doubt and suspicion. They
are such middle course among the paths of excess and backwardness that if some
one goes far towards excess and exaggeration or falls behind then unless he
comes back or steps forward to that middle course he cannot be on the path of
Islam. They possess all the characteristics which give the superiority in the
right for vicegerency and leadership. Consequently, no one else in the ummah
enjoys the right of patronage and guardianship. That is why the Prophet
declared them his vicegerents and successors. About will and succession the
commentator Ibn Abi'l-Hadíd Mu`tazilí writes that there can be no doubt about
the vicegerency of Amír al-mu'minín but succession cannot imply succession in
position although the Shí`ite sect has so interpreted it. It rather implies
succession of learning. Now, if according to him succession is taken to imply
succession in learning even he does not seem to succeed in achieving his
object, because even by this interpretation the right of succeeding the Prophet
does not devolve on any other person. When it is agreed that learning is the
most essential requirement of khiláfah (caliphate) because the most
important functions of the Prophet's Caliph consist of dispensation of justice,
solving problems of religious laws, clarifying intricacies and administration
of religious penalties. If these functions are taken away from the Prophet's
deputy his position will come down to that of a worldly ruler. He cannot be
regarded as the pivot of religious authority. Therefore either we should keep
governmental authority separate from Prophet's vicegerency or accept the
successor of Prophet's knowledge to suit that position.
The interpretation of Ibn Abi'l-Hadíd could be acceptable if Amír al-mu'minín had
uttered this sentence alone, but observing that it was uttered soon after
`Alí's (p.b.u.h.) recognition as Caliph and just after it the sentence "Right
has returned to its owner" exists, this interpretation of his seems baseless.
Rather, the Prophet's will cannot imply any other will except that for
vicegerency and caliphate, and succession would imply not succession in
property nor in knowledge because this was not an occasion to mention it here
but it must mean the succession in the right leadership which stood proved as
from God not only on the ground of kinship but on the ground of qualities of
perfection.
Sermon 3
Known as the Sermon of ash-Shiqshiqiyyah1
Beware! By God the son of Abú Quháfah (Abú Bakr)2
dressed himself with it (the caliphate) and he certainly knew that my position
in relation to it was the same as the position of the axis in relation to the
hand-mill. The flood water flows down from me and the bird cannot fly up to me.
I put a curtain against the caliphate and kept myself detached from it.
Then I began to think whether I should assault or endure calmly the blinding
darkness of tribulations wherein the grown up are made feeble and the young
grow old and the true believer acts under strain till he meets God (on his
death). I found that endurance thereon was
wiser. So I adopted patience although there was pricking in the eye and
suffocation (of mortification) in the throat. I watched the plundering of my
inheritance till the first one went his way but handed over the Caliphate to
Ibn al-Khattáb after himself.
(Then he quoted al-A`shá's verse):
My days are now
passed on the camel's back (in difficulty) while there were days (of ease) when
I enjoyed the company of Jábír's brother Hayyán.3
It is strange that during his lifetime he wished to be released from the caliphate
but he confirmed it for the other one after his death. No doubt these two
shared its udders strictly among themselves. This one put the Caliphate in a
tough enclosure where the utterance was haughty and the touch was rough.
Mistakes were in plenty and so also the excuses therefore. One in contact with
it was like the rider of an unruly camel. If he pulled up its rein the very
nostril would be slit, but if he let it loose he would be thrown. Consequently,
by God people got involved in recklessness, wickedness, unsteadiness and
deviation.
Nevertheless, I remained patient despite length of period and stiffness of trial, till when
he went his way (of death) he put the matter (of Caliphate) in a group
4 and regarded me to be one of them. But good
Heavens! what had I to do with this "consultation"? Where was any doubt about
me with regard to the first of them that I was now considered akin to these
ones? But I remained low when they were low and flew high when they flew high.
One of them turned against me because of his hatred and the other got inclined
the other way due to his in-law relationship and this thing and that thing,
till the third man of these people stood up with heaving breasts between his
dung and fodder. With him his children of his grand-father, (Umayyah) also
stood up swallowing up God's wealth5
like a camel devouring the foliage of spring, till his rope broke down, his
actions finished him and his gluttony brought him down prostrate.
At that moment, nothing took me by surprise, but the crowd of people rushing to
me. It advanced towards me from every side like the mane of the hyena so much
so that Hasan and Husayn were getting crushed and both the ends of my shoulder
garment were torn. They collected around me like the herd of sheep and goats.
When I took up the reins of government one party broke away and another turned
disobedient while the rest began acting wrongfully as if they had not heard the
word of God saying:
That abode in the
hereafter, We assign it for those who intend not to exult themselves in the
earth, nor -- (to make) mischief (therein); and the end is (best) for
the pious ones. -- (Qur'án, 28:83)
Yes, by God, they had heard it and understood it but the world appeared glittering
in their eyes and its embellishments seduced them. Behold, by Him who split the
grain (to grow) and created living beings, if people had not come to me and
supporters had not exhausted the argument and if there had been no pledge of
God with the learned to the effect that they should not acquiesce in the
gluttony of the oppressor and the hunger of the oppressed I would have cast the
rope of Caliphate on its own shoulders, and would have given the last one the
same treatment as to the first one. Then you would have seen that in my view
this world of yours is no better than the sneezing of a goat.
(It is said that when Amír al-mu'minín reached here in his sermon a man of Iraq
stood up and handed him over a writing. Amír al-mu'minín began looking at it,
when Ibn `Abbás said, "O' Amír al-mu'minín, I wish you resumed your Sermon from
where you broke it." Thereupon he replied, "O' Ibn `Abbás it was like the foam
of a Camel which gushed out but subsided." Ibn `Abbás says that he never
grieved over any utterance as he did over this one because Amír al-mu'minín
could not finish it as he wished to.)
ash-Sharíf ar-Radí says: The words in this sermon "like the rider of a camel" mean to
convey that when a camel rider is stiff in drawing up the rein then in this
scuffle the nostril gets bruised, but if he lets it loose in spite of the
camel's unruliness, it would throw him somewhere and would get out of control. "ashnaq
an-náqah" is used when the rider holds up the rein and raises the camel's
head upwards. In the same sense the word "shanaqa an-náqah" is used. Ibn
as-Sikkít has mentioned this in Isláh al-mantiq. Amír al-mu'minín
has said "ashnaqa lahá" instead of "ashnaqahá", this is because
he has used this word in harmony with "aslasa lahá" and harmony could be
retained only by using both in the same form. Thus, Amír al-mu'minín has used "ashnaqa
lahá" as though in place of "in rafa`a lahá ra'sahá", that is, "if
he stops it by holding up the reins."
(1). This sermon is known as the sermon of ash-Shiqshiqiyyah, and
is counted among the most famous sermons of Amír al-mu'minín. It was delivered
at ar-Rahbah. Although some people have denied it to be Amír al-mu'minín's
utterance and by attributing it to as-Sayyid ar-Radí (or ash-Sharíf ar-Radí)
have laid blame on his acknowledged integrity, yet truth-loving scholars have
denied its veracity. Nor can there be any ground for this denial because `Alí's
(p.b.u.h.) difference of view in the matter of Caliphate is not a secret
matter, so that such hints should be regarded as something alien. And the
events which have been alluded to in this sermon are preserved in the annals of
history which testifies them word by word and sentence by sentence. If the same
events which are related by history are recounted by Amír al-mu'minín then what
is the ground for denying them? If the memory of discouraging circumstances
faced by him soon after the death of the Prophet appeared unpalatable to him it
should not be surprising. No doubt this sermon hits at the prestige of certain
personalities and gives a set back to the faith and belief in them but this
cannot be sustained by denying the sermon to be Amír al-mu'minín's utterance,
unless the true events are analysed and truth unveiled; otherwise just denying
it to be Amír al-mu'minín's utterance because it contains disparagement of
certain individuals carries no weight, when similar criticism has been related
by other historians as well. Thus (Abú Ùthmán) `Amr ibn Bahr al-Jáhiz
has recorded the following words of a sermon of Amír al-mu'minín and they are
not less weighty than the criticism in the "Sermon of ash-Shiqshiqiyyah."
Those two passed away and the
third one rose like the crow whose courage is confined to the belly. It would
have been better if both his wings had been cut and his head severed.
Consequently, the idea that it is the production of as-Sayyid ar-Radí is far from truth and a
result of partisanship and partiality. Or else if it is the result of some
research it should be brought out. Otherwise, remaining in such wishful
illusion does not alter the truth, nor can the force of decisive arguments be
curbed down by mere disagreement and displeasure.
Now we set forth the evidence of those scholars and traditionists who have clearly
held it to be Amír al-mu'minín's production, so that its historical importance
should become known. Among these scholars some are those before as-Sayyid
ar-Radí's period, some are his contemporaries and some are those who came after
him but they all related it through their own chain of authority.
1) Ibn Abi'l-Hadíd al-Mu`tazilí writes that his
master Abu'l-Khayr Musaddiq ibn Shabíb al-Wásití (d. 605 A.H.) stated that he
heard this sermon from ash-Shaykh Abú Muhammad `Abdulláh ibn Ahmad
al-Baghdádí (d. 567 A.H.) known as Ibn al-Khashsháb and when he reached where
Ibn `Abbás expressed sorrow for this sermon having remained incomplete Ibn
al-Khashsháb said to him that if he had heard the expression of sorrow from Ibn
`Abbás he would have certainly asked him if there had remained with his cousin
any further unsatisfied desire because excepting the Prophet he had already
spared neither the predecessors nor followers and had uttered all that he
wished to utter. Why should therefore be any sorrow that he could not say what
he wished? Musaddiq says that Ibn al-Khashsháb was a man of jolly heart and
decent taste. I inquired from him whether he also regarded the sermon to be a
fabrication when he replied "By God, I believe it to be Amír al-mu'minín's
word as I believe you to be Musaddiq ibn Shabíb." I said that some people
regard it to be as-Sayyid ar-Radí's production when he replied: "How can
ar-Radí have such guts or such style of writing. I have seen as-Sayyid
ar-Radí's writings and know his style of composition. Nowhere does his writing
match with this one and I have already seen it in books written two hundred
years before the birth of as-Sayyid ar-Radí, and I have seen it in familiar
writings about which I know by which scholars or men of letters they were
compiled. At that time not only ar-Radí but even his father Abú Ahmad
an-Naqíb has not been born."
2) Thereafter Ibn Abi'l-Hadíd writes that he saw this sermon in the
compilations of his master Abu'l-Qásim (`Abdulláh
ibn Ahmad) al-Balkhí (d. 317 A.H.). He was the Imám of the Mu'tazilites in
the reign of al-Muqtadir Billáh while al-Muqtadir's period was far earlier than
the birth of as-Sayyid ar-Radí.
3) He further writes that he saw this sermon in
Abú Ja`far (Muhammad ibn `Abd ar-Rahmán), Ibn Qibah's book al-Insáf.
He was the pupil of Abu'l-Qásim al-Balkhí and a theologian of Imámiyyah
(Shi`ite) sect. (Sharh of Ibn Abi'l-Hadíd, vol.1, pp.205-206)
4) Ibn Maytham al-Bahrání (d. 679 A.H.) writes
in his commentary that he had seen one such copy of this sermon which bore
writing of al-Muqtadir Billáh's minister Abu'l-Hasan `Alí ibn Muhammad ibn
al-Furát (d. 312 A.H.). (Sharh al-balághah, vol.1., pp. 252-253)
5) al-`Allámah Muhammad Báqír al-Majlisí has
related the following chain of authority about this Sermon from ash-Shaykh
Qutbu'd-Dín ar-Ráwandí's compilation Minháj al-bará`ah fi Sharh Nahj
al-balághah:
ash-Shaykh Abú Nasr al-Hasan ibn
Muhammad ibn Ibráhím informed me from al-Hájib Abu'l-Wafá' Muhammad ibn
Badí`, al-Husayn ibn Ahmad ibn Badí` and al-Husayn ibn Ahmad ibn `Abd
ar-Rahmán and they from al-Háfiz Abú Bakr (Ahmad ibn Músá) ibn Marduwayh
al-Isbahání (d. 416 A.H.) and he from al-Háfiz Abu'l-Qásim Sulaymán ibn
Ahmad at-Tabarání (d. 360 A.H.) and he from Ahmad ibn `Alí al-Abbár
and he from Is'háq ibn Sa`íd Abú Salamah ad-Dimashqí and he from Khulayd ibn
Da`laj and he from `Atá' ibn Abí Rabáh and he from Ibn `Abbás. (Bihar
al-anwár, 1st ed. vol.8, pp.160-161)
6) In the context al-`Allámah al-Majlisí has
written that this sermon is also contained in the compilations of Abú `Alí
(Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Wahháb) al-Jubbá 'í (d. 303 A.H.) .
7) In connection with this very authenticity al-`Allámah al-Majlisí writes:
al-Qádí `Abd al-Jabbár ibn
Ahmad al-Asad'ábádí (d. 415A.H.) who was a strict Mu`tazilite explains some
expressions of this sermon in his book al-Mughní and tries to prove that
it does not strike against any preceding caliph but does not deny it to be Amír
al-mu'minín's composition. (ibid., p.161)
8) Abú Ja`far Muhammad ibn `Alí, Ibn Bábawayh
(d. 381 A.H.) writes:
Muhammad ibn Ibráhím ibn
Is'háq at-Tálaqání told us that `Abd al-`Azíz ibn Yahyá al-Jalúdí (d. 332 A.H.) told him that Abú `Abdilláh Ahmad ibn `Ammár ibn Khálid told him
that Yahyá ibn `Abd al-Hamíd al- Himmání (d. 228 A.H.) told him that `Isá
ibn Ráshid related this sermon from `Alí ibn Hudhayfah and he from `Ikrimah and
he from Ibn `Abbás. (`Ilal ash-shará'i`,vol.1, chap. 122, p.144; Ma`áni
al-akhbár, chap.22, pp.360-361)
9) Then Ibn Bábawayh records the following chain of authorities :-
Muhammad ibn `Alí Májilawayh
related this sermon to us and he took it from his uncle Muhammad ibn
Abi'l-Qásim and he from Ahmad ibn Abí `Abdilláh (Muhammad ibn Khálid)
al-Barqí and he from his father and he from (Muhammad) Ibn Abí Ùmayr and he
from Abán ibn Ùthmán and he from Abán ibn Taghlib and he from `Ikrimah and he
from Ibn `Abbás. (`Ilal ash-shará'i`, vol.1, chap.122, p.l46; Ma`áni
al-akhbár, chap.22, p.361)
10) Abú Ahmad al-Hasan ibn `Abdilláh ibn Sa`íd
al-`Askarí (d.382 A.H.) who counts among great scholars of the Sunnis has
written commentary and explanation of this sermon that has been recorded by Ibn
Bábawayh in `Ilal ash-shará'i` and Ma`áni al-akhbár.
11) as-Sayyid Ni`matulláh al-Jazá'irí writes:
The author of Kitáb al-ghárát
Abú Is'háq, Ibráhím ibn Muhammad ath-Thaqafí
al-Kúfí (d. 283 A.H.) has
related this sermon through his own chain of authorities. The date of
completion of writing this book is Tuesday the 13th Shawwál 255 A.H. and in the
same year, Murtadá al-Músawí was born. He was older in age than his brother
as-Sayyid ar-Radí. (Anwár an-Nu`mániyyah, p.37)
12) as-Sayyid Radí ad-Dín Abu'l-Qásim `Alí ibn
Músá, Ibn Táwús al-Husayní al-Hullí (d. 664 A.H.) has related this sermon from Kitáb
al-ghárát with the following chain of authorities:-
This sermon was related to us by
Muhammad ibn Yusuf who related it from al-Hasan ibn `Alí ibn `Abd al-Karím
az-Za`farání and he from Muhammad ibn Zakariyyah al-Ghallábí and he from
Ya`qúb ibn Ja`far ibn Sulaymán and he from his father and he from his
grand-father and he from Ibn `Abbás. (Translation of at-Tará'if,
p.202)
13) Shaykh at-Tá'ifah, Muhammad ibn al-
Hasan at-Túsí (d. 460 A.H.) writes:
(Abu'l-Fath Hilál ibn
Muhammad ibn Ja`far) al-Haffár related this sermon to us. He related it from
Abu'l-Qásim (Ismá`íl ibn `Alí ibn `Alí) ad-Di`bilí and he from his father and
he from his brother Di`bil (ibn `Alí al-Kuzá`í) and he from Muhammad ibn
Salámah ash-Shámí and he from Zurárah ibn A`yan and he from Abú Ja`far
Muhammad ibn `Alí and he from Ibn `Abbás. (al-Amálí, p.237)
14) ash-Shaykh al-Mufíd (Muhammad ibn
Muhammad ibn an-Nu`mán, d. 413 A.H.) who was the teacher of as-Sayyid
ar-Radí writes about the chain of authorities of this sermon:
A number of relaters of
traditions have related this sermon from Ibn `Abbás through numerous chains. (al-Irshád,
p.135)
15) `Alam al-Hudá (emblem of guidance) as-Sayyid
al-Murtadá who was the elder brother of as-Sayyid ar-Radí has recorded it on
pp. 203,204 of his book ash-Sháfí.
16) Abú Mansúr at-Tabarsí writes:
A number of relaters have given
an account of this sermon from Ibn `Abbás through various chains. Ibn `Abbás
said that he was in the audience of Amír al-mu'minín at ar-Rahbah (a place
in Kúfah) when conversation turned to Caliphate and those who had preceded him
as Caliphs, when Amír al-mu'minín breathed a sigh and delivered this sermon. (al-Ihtijáj,
p. 101)
17) Abu'l-Muzaffar Yúsuf ibn `Abdilláh and
Sibt ibn al-Jawzí al-Hanafí (d. 654 A.H.) writes:
Our ash-Shaykh Abu'l-Qásim
an-Nafís al-Anbárí related this sermon to us through his chain of authorities
that ends with Ibn `Abbás, who said that after allegiance had been paid to Amír
al-mu'minín as Caliph he was sitting on the pulpit when a man from the audience
enquired why he had remained quiet till then whereupon Amír al-mu'minín
delivered this sermon extempore. (Tadhkarat khawáss al-ummah, p.73)
18) al-Qádí Ahmad ibn Muhammad, ash-Shiháb
al-Khafájí (d. 1069 A.H.) writes with regard to its authenticity:
It is stated in the utterances
of Amír al-mu'minín `Alí (God may be pleased with him) that "It is strange
during life time he (Abú Bakr) wanted to give up the Caliphate but he
strengthened its foundation for the other one after his death." (Sharh
durrat al-ghawwás, p.17)
19) ash-Shaykh `Alá ad-Dawlah as-Simnání writes:
Amír al-mu'minín Sayyid
al-`Árifín `Alí (p.b.u.h.) has stated in one of his brilliant Sermons "this is
the Shiqshiqah that burst forth." (al-Ùrwah lí ahl al-khalwah wa'l-jalwah,
p3, manuscript in Nasiriah Library, Lucknow, India)
20) Abu'l-Fadl Ahmad ibn Muhammad
al-Maydání (d. 518 A.H.) has written in connection with the word Shiqshiqah:
One sermon of Amír al-mu'minín
`Alí is known as Khutbah ash-Shiqshiqiyyah (the sermon of the Camel's Foam).
(Majma` al-amthál, vol.1, p.369)
21) In fifteen places in an-Niháyah while
explaining the words of this sermon Abu's-Sa`ádát Mubárak ibn Muhammad, Ibn
al-Athír al-Jazarí (d. 606 A.H.) has acknowledged it to be Amír al-mu'minín's
utterance.
22) Shaykh Muhammad Táhir Patní while
explaining the same words in Majma` bihár al-anwár testifies this
sermon to be Amír al-mu'minín's by saying, "`Alí says so."
23) Abu'l-Fadl ibn Manzúr (d. 711 A.H.) has
acknowledged it as Amír al-mu'minín's utterance in Lisán al-`Arab,
vol.12, p.54 by saying, "In the sayings of `Alí in his sermon 'It is the
camel's foam that burst forth then subsided.'"
24) Majdu'd-Dín al-Firúz'ábádí (d. 816/817 A.H.)
has recorded under the word "Shiqshiqah" in his lexicon (al-Qámús,
vol.3, p.251):
Khutbah
ash-Shiqshiqiyyah is by `Alí so named because when Ibn `Abbás asked him
to resume it where he had left it, he said "O' Ibn `Abbás! it was the foam of a
camel that burst forth then subsided."
25) The compiler of Muntahá al-adab writes:
Khutbah ash-Shiqshiqiyyah of `Alí is attributed to `Alí (God may honour his
face).
26) ash-Shaykh Muhammad `Abduh, Muftí of
Egypt, recognising it as Amír al-mu'minín's utterance, has written its
explanations.
27) Muhammad Muhyi'd-Dín `Abd al-Hámid,
Professor in the Faculty of Arabic Language, al-Azhar University has written
annotations on Nahj al-balághah adding a foreword in the beginning
wherein he recognises all such sermons which contain disparaging remarks to be
the utterances of Amír al-mu'minín.
In the face of these evidences and undeniable proofs is there any scope to hold
that it is not Amír al-mu'minín's production and that as-Sayyid ar-Radí
prepared it himself?
(2). Amír al-mu'minín has referred to Abú Bakr's accession to the
Caliphate metaphorically as having dressed himself with it. This was a common
metaphor. Thus, when Ùthmán was called to give up the Caliphate he replied, "I
shall not put off this shirt which God has put on me." No doubt Amír
al-mu'minín has not attributed this dressing of Caliphate to God but to Abú
Bakr himself because according to unanimous opinion his Caliphate was not from
God but his own affair. That is why Amír al-mu'minín said that Abú Bakr
dressed himself with the Caliphate. He knew that this dress had been stitched
for his own body and his position with relation to the Caliphate was that of
the axis in the hand-mill which cannot retain its central position without it
nor be of any use. Similarly, he held "I was the central pivot of the
Caliphate, were I not there, its entire system would have gone astray from the
pivot. It was I who acted as a guard for its organisation and order and guided
it through all difficulties. Currents of learning flowed from my bosom and
watered it on all sides. My position was high beyond imagination but lust of
world seekers for government became a tumbling stone for me and I had to
confine myself to seclusion. Blinding darkness prevailed all round and there
was intense gloom everywhere. Theyoung grew old and the old departed for the
graves but this patience-breaking period would not end. I kept watching with my
eyes the plundering of my own inheritance and saw the passing of Caliphate from
one hand to the other but remained patient as I could not stop their
high-handedness for lack of means."
Need For The Prophet's Caliph The Mode Of His Appointment
After the Prophet of Islam the presence of such a personality was inevitable who
could stop the community from disintegration and guard the religious law
against change, alteration and interference by those who wanted to twist it to
suit their own desires. If this very need is denied then there is no sense in
attaching so much importance to the succession of the Prophet that the
assemblage in Saqífah of Banú Sá`idah should have been considered more
important than the burial of the Prophet. If the need is recognised, the
question is whether or not the Prophet too realised it. If it is held he could
not attend to it and appreciate its need or absence of need it would be the
biggest proof for regarding the Prophet's mind to be blank for thinking of
means to stop the evils of innovations and apostasy in spite of having given
warnings about them. If it is said that he did realise it but had to live it
unresolved on account of some advantage then instead of keeping it hidden the
advantage should be clearly indicated otherwise silence without purpose would
constitute delinquency in the discharge of the obligations of Prophethood. If
there was some impediment, it should be disclosed otherwise we should agree
that just as the Prophet did not leave any item of religion incomplete he did
not leave this matter either and did propose such a course of action for it, that
if it was acted upon religion would have remained safe against the interference
of others.
The question now is what was that course of action. If it is taken to be the
consensus of opinion of the community then it cannot truly take place as in
such consensus acquiescence of every individual is necessary; but taking into
account the difference in human temperaments it seems impossible that they
would agree on any single point. Nor is there any example where on such matters
there has been no single voice of dissent. How then can such a fundamental need
be made dependent on the occurrence of such an impossible event -- need on which
converges the future of Islam and the good of the Muslims. Therefore, the mind
is not prepared to accept this criterion. Nor is tradition in harmony with it,
as al-Qádí `Adud ad-Dínal-'Íjí has written in
Sharh al-mawáqif:
You should know that Caliphate
cannot depend upon unanimity of election because no logical or traditional argument
can be advanced for it.
In fact when the advocates of unanimous election found that unanimity of all votes
is difficult they adopted the agreement of the majority as a substitute for
unanimity, ignoring the difference of the minority. In such a case also it
often happens that the force of fair and foul or correct and incorrect ways
turns the flow of the majority opinion in the direction where there is neither
individual distinction nor personal merit as a result of which competent
persons remain hidden while incompetent individuals stand forward. When
capabilities remain so curbed and personal ends stand in the way as hurdles,
how can there be expectation for the election of correct person. Even if it is
assumed that all voters have an independent unbiased view, that none of them
has his own objective and that none has any other consideration, it is not
necessary that every verdict of the majority should be correct, and that it
cannot go astray. Experience shows that after experiment the majority has held
its own verdict to be wrong. If every verdict of the majority is correct then
its first verdict should be wrong because the verdict which holds it wrong is
also that of the majority. In this circumstances if the election of the Caliph
goes wrong who would be responsible for the mistake, and who should face the
blame for the ruination of the Islamic polity. Similarly on whom would be the
liability for the bloodshed and slaughter following the turmoil and activity of
the elections. When it has been seen that even those who sat in the audience of
the Holy Prophet could not be free of mutual quarrel and strife how can others
avoid it.
If with a view to avoid mischief it is left to the people of authority to choose
anyone they like then here too the same friction and conflict would prevail
because here again convergence of human temperaments on one point is not
necessary nor can they be assumed to rise above personal ends. In fact here the
chances of conflict and collision would be stronger because if not all at least
most of them would themselves be candidates for that position and would not
spare any effort to defeat their opponent, creating impediments in his way as
best as possible. Its inevitable consequence would be mutual struggle and
mischief-mongering. Thus, it would not be possible to ward off the mischief for
which this device was adopted, and instead of finding a proper individual the
community would just become an instrument for the achievement of personal
benefits of the others. Again, what would be the criterion for these people in
authority? The same as has usually been, namely whoever collects a few
supporters and is able to create commotion in any meeting by use of forceful
words would count among the people of authority. Or would capabilities also be
judged? If the mode of judging the capabilities is again this very common vote
then the same complications and conflicts would arise here too, to avoid which
this way was adopted. If there is some other standard, then instead of judging
the capabilities of the voters by it why not judge the person who is considered
suitable for the position in view. Further, how many persons in authority would
be enough to give a verdict? Apparently a verdict once accepted would be
precedent for good and the number that would give this verdict would become the
criterion for future. al-Qádí `Adud ad-Dín al-'Íjí writes:
Rather the nomination of one or
two individuals by the people in authority is enough because we know that the
companions who were strict in religion deemed it enough as the nomination of
Abú Bakr by Ùmar and of Ùthmán by `Abd ar-Rahmán. (Sharh al-mawáqif,
p.351 )
This is the account of the "unanimous election" in the Hall of Baní Sá`idah and the
activity of the consultative assembly: that is, one man's action has been given
the name of unanimous election and one individual's deed given the name of
consultative assembly. Abú Bakr had well understood this reality that election
means the vote of a person or two only which is to be attributed to common
simple people. That is why he ignored the requirements of unanimous election,
majority vote or method of choosing through electoral assembly and appointed
Ùmar by nomination. `Á'ishah also considered that leaving the question of
caliphate to the vote of a few particular individuals meant inviting mischief
and trouble. She sent a word to Ùmar on his death saying:
Do not leave the Islamic
community without a chief. Nominate a Caliph for it and leave it not without an
authority as otherwise I apprehend mischief and trouble.
When the election by those in authority proved futile it was given up and only
"might is right" became the criteria -- namely whoever subdues others and binds
them under his sway and control is accepted as the Caliph of the Prophet and
his true successor. The se are those self-adopted principles in the face of
which all the Prophet's sayings uttered in the "Feast of the Relatives," on the
night of hijrah, at the battle of Tabúk, on the occasion of conveying
the Qur'ánic chapter "al-Bará'ah" (at-Tawbah, chap.9) and at
Ghadír (the spring of) Khumm. The strange thing is that when each of the first
three caliphates is based on one individual's choice how can this very right to
choose be denied to the Prophet himself, particularly when this was the only
way to end all the dissension, namely that the Prophet should have himself
settled it and saved the community from future disturbances and spared it from
leaving this decision in the hands of people who were themselves involved in
personal aims and objects. This is the correct procedure which stands to reason
and which has also the support of the Prophet's definite sayings.
(3). Hayyán ibn as-Samín al-Hanafí of
Yamámah was the chief of the tribe Banú Hanifah and the master
of fort and army. Jábir is the name of his younger
brother while al-A`shá whose real name was Maymún ibn Qays ibn Jandal enjoyed
the position of being his bosom friend and led a decent happy life through his
bounty. In this verse he has compared his current life with the previous one
that is the days when he roamed about in search of livelihood and those when he
led a happy life in Hayyán's company. Generally Amír al-mu'minín's quoting of
this verse has been taken to compare this troubled period with the peaceful
days passed under the care and protection of the Prophet when he was free from
all sorts of troubles and enjoyed mental peace. But taking into account the
occasion for making this comparison and the subject matter of the verse it
would not be far fetched if it is taken to indicate the difference between the
unimportant position of those in power during the Prophet's life time and the
authority and power enjoyed by them after him, that is, at one time in the days
of the Prophet no heed was paid to them because of `Alí's personality but now
the time had so changed that the same people were masters of the affairs of the
Muslim world.
(4). When Ùmar was wounded by Abú Lu'lu'ah and he saw that it was
difficult for him to survive because of the deep wound, he formed a
consultative committee and nominated for it `Alí ibn Abí Tálib, Ùthmán ibn
`Affán, `Abd ar-Rahmán ibn `Awf, az-Zubayr ibn al-`Awwám, Sa`d ibn Abí
Waqqás, and Talhah ibn Ùbaydilláh and bound them that after three days of
his death they should select one of themselves as the Caliph while for those
three days Suhayb should act as Caliph. On receipt of these instructions some
members of the committee requested him to indicate what ideas he had about each
of them to enable them to proceed further in their light. Ùmar therefore
disclosed his own view about each individual. He said that Sa`d was
harsh-tempered and hot headed; `Abd ar-Rahmán was the Pharaoh of the community;
az-Zubayr was, if pleased, a true believer but if displeased an unbeliever;
Talhah was the embodiment of pride and haughtiness, if he was made caliph he
would put the ring of the caliphate on his wife's finger while Ùthmán did not
see beyond his kinsmen. As regards `Alí he is enamoured of the Caliphate
although I know that he alone can run it on right lines. Nevertheless, despite
this admission, he thought it necessary to constitute the consultative
Committee and in selecting its members and laying down the working procedure he
made sure that the Caliphate would take the direction in which he wished to
turn it. Thus, a man of ordinary prudence can draw the conclusion that all the
factors for Ùthmán's success were present therein. If we look at its members
we see that one of them namely `Abd ar-Rahmán ibn `Awf is the husband of
Ùthmán's sister, next Sa`d ibn Abí Waqqás besides bearing malice towards `Alí
is a relation and kinsman of `Abd ar-Rahmán. Neither of them can be taken to
go against Ùthmán. The third Talhah ibn Ùbaydilláh about whom Prof.
Muhammad `Abduh writes in his annotation on Nahj al-balághah:
Talhah was inclined towards
Ùthmán and the reason for it was no less than that he was against `Alí,
because he himself was at-Taymí and Abú Bakr's accession to the Caliphate had
created bad blood between Baní Taym and Banú Háshim.
As regards az-Zubayr, even if he had voted for `Alí, what could his single vote
achieve. According to at-Tabarí's statement Talhah was not present in
Medina at that time but his absence did not stand in the way of Ùthmán's
success. Rather even if he were present, as he did actually reach at the
meeting (of the Committee), and he is taken to be `Alí's supporter, still there
could be no doubt in Ùthmán's success because Ùmar's sagacious mind had set
the working procedure that:
If two agree about one and the
other two about another then `Abdulláh ibn Ùmar should act as the arbitrator.
The group whom he orders should choose the Caliph from among themselves. If
they do not accept `Abdulláh ibn Ùmar's verdict, support should be given to
the group which includes `Abd ar-Rahmán ibn `Awf, but if the others do not
agree they should be beheaded for opposing this verdict. (at-Tabarí, vol.1,
pp.2779-2780; Ibn al-Athír, vol.3, p.67).
Here disagreement with the verdict of `Abdulláh ibn Ùmar has no meaning since he
was directed to support the group which included `Abd ar-Rahmán ibn `Awf. He
had ordered his son `Abdulláh and Suhayb that:
If the people differ, you should
side with the majority, but if three of them are on one side and the other
three on the other, you should side with the group including `Abd ar-Rahmán
ibn `Awf. (at-Tabarí, vol.1, pp.2725,2780; Ibn al-Athír, vol.3, pp.51,67).
In this instruction the agreement with the majority also means support of `Abd
ar-Rahmán because the majority could not be on any other side since fifty
blood-thirsty swords had been put on the heads of the opposition group with
orders to fall on their heads on `Abd ar-Rahmán's behest. Amír al-mu'minín's
eye had fore-read it at that very moment that the Caliphate was going to
Ùthmán as appears from his following words which he spoke to al-`Abbás ibn
`Abd al-Muttalib:
"The Caliphate has been turned
away from us." al-`Abbás asked how could he know it. Then he replied, "Ùthmán
has also been coupled with me and it has been laid down that the majority
should be supported; but if two agree on one and two on the other, then support
should be given to the group which includes `Abd ar-Rahmán ibn `Awf. Now
Sa`d will support his cousin `Abd ar-Rahmán who is of course the husband of
Ùthmán's sister." (ibid )
However, after Ùmar's death this meeting took place in the room of `Á'ishah and on its
door stood Abú Talhah al-Ansárí with fifty men having drawn swords in their
hands. Talhah started the proceedings and inviting all others to be witness
said that he gave his right of vote to Ùthmán. This touched az-Zubayr's sense
of honour as his mother Safiyyah daughter of `Abd al-Muttalib was the sister
of Prophet's father. So he gave his right of vote to `Alí. Thereafter Sa`d ibn
Abí Waqqás made his right of vote to `Abd ar-Rahmán. This left three members
of the consultative committee out of whom `Abd ar-Rahmán said that he was
willing to give up his own right of vote if `Alí (p.b.u.h.) and Ùthmán gave
him the right to choose one of them or one of these two should acquire this
right by withdrawing. This was a trap in which `Alí had been entangled from all
sides namely that either he should abandon his own right or else allow `Abd
ar-Rahmán to do as he wished. The first case was not possible for him; that
is, to give up his own right and elect Ùthmán or `Abd ar-Rahmán. So, he
clung to his right, while `Abd ar-Rahmán separating himself from it assumed this
power and said to Amír al-mu'minín, "I pay you allegiance on your following the
Book of God, the sunnah of the Prophet and the conduct of the two
Shaykhs, (Abú Bakr and Ùmar). `Alí replied, "Rather on following the Book of
God, the sunnah of the Prophet and my own findings." When he got the
same reply even after repeating the question thrice he turned to Ùthmán
saying, "Do you accept these conditions." He had no reason to refuse and so he
agreed to the conditions and allegiance was paid to him. When Amír al mu'minín
saw his rights being thus trampled he said:
"This is not the first day when
you behaved against us. I have only to keep good patience. God is the Helper
against whatever you say. By God, you have not made Ùthmán Caliph but in the
hope that he would give back the Caliphate to you."
After recording the events of ash-Shúrá (consultative committee), Ibn
Abi'l-Hadíd has written that when allegiance had been paid to Ùthmán, `Alí
addressed Ùthmán and `Abd ar-Rahmán saying, "May God sow the seed of
dissension among you," and so it happened that each turned a bitter enemy of
the other and `Abd ar-Rahmán did not ever after speak to Ùthmán till death.
Even on death bed he turned his face on seeing him.
On seeing these events the question arises whether ash-Shúrá (consultative
committee) means confining the matter to six persons, thereafter to three and
finally to one only. Also whether the condition of following the conduct of the
two Shaykhs for Caliphate was put by Ùmar or it was just a hurdle put by `Abd
ar-Rahmán between `Alí (p.b.u.h.) and the Caliphate, although the first
Caliph did not put forth this condition at the time of nominating the second
Caliph, namely that he should follow the former's footsteps. What then was the
occasion for this condition here?
However, Amír al-mu'minín had agreed to participate in it in order to avoid mischief and
to put an end to arguing so that others should be silenced and should not be
able to claim that they would have voted in his favour and that he himself
evaded the consultative committee and did not give them an opportunity of
selecting him.
(5). About the reign of the third Caliph, Amír al-mu'minín says
that soon on Ùthmán's coming to power
Banú Umayyah got ground and began plundering the Bayt al-mál (public
fund), and just as cattle on seeing green grass after drought trample it away,
they recklessly fell upon God's money and devoured it. At last this
self-indulgence and nepotism brought him to the stage when people besieged his
house, put him to sword and made him vomit all that he had swallowed.
Themaladministration that took place in this period was such that no Muslim can
remain unmoved to see that Companions of high position were lying uncared for,
they were stricken with poverty and surrounded by pennilessness while control
over Bayt al-mál (public fund) was that of Banú Umayyah, government
positions were occupied by their young and inexperienced persons, special
Muslim properties were owned by them, meadows provided grazing but to their
cattle, houses were built but by them, and orchards were but for them. If any
compassionate person spoke about these excesses his ribs were broken, and if
someone agitated this capitalism he was externed from the city. The uses to
which zakát and charities which were meant for the poor and the wretched
and the public fund which was the common property of the Muslims were put may
be observed from the following few illustrations;
1) al-Hakam ibn Abi'l-`Ás who had been exiled
from Medina by the Prophet was allowed back in the city not only against the
Prophet's sunnah but also against the conduct of the first two Caliphs and he
was paid three hundred thousand Dirhams from the public fund. (Ansáb
al-ashráf, vol.5, pp.27, 28, 125)
2) al-Walíd ibn Ùqbah who has been named
hypocrite in the Qur'án was paid one hundred thousand Dirhams from the Muslim's
public fund. (al-`Iqd al-faríd, vol.3, p.94)
3) The Caliph married his own daughter Umm Ában
to Marwán ibn al-Hakam and paid him one hundred thousand Dirhams from the
public fund. (Sharh of Ibn Abi'l-Hadíd, vol.1, pp.198-199).
4) He married his daughter `Á'ishah to Hárith ibn
al-Hakam and granted him one hundred thousand Dirhams from the public fund. (ibid.)
5) `Abdulláh ibn Khálid was paid four hundred
thousand Dirhams. (al-Ma`árif of Ibn Qutaybah, p.84)
6) Allowed the khums (one fifth religious
duty) from Africa (amounting to five hundred thousand Dinars) to Marwán ibn
al-Hakam. (ibid)
7) Fadak which was withheld from the angelic
daughter of the Prophet on the ground of being general charity was given as a
royal favour to Marwán ibn al-Hakam. (ibid.)
8) Mahzúr a place in the commercial area of
Medina which had been declared a public trust by the Prophet was gifted to
Hárith ibn al-Hakam. (ibid.)
9) In the meadows around Medina no camel except
those of Banú Umayyah were allowed to graze. (Sharh of Ibn
Abi'l-Hadíd, vol.l, p.l99)
10) After his death (Ùthmán's) one hundred and
fifty thousand Dinars (gold coins) and one million Dirhams (silver coins) were
found in his house. There was no limit to tax free lands; and the total value
of the landed estate he owned in Wádí al-Qurá and Hunayn was one hundred
thousand Dinars. There were countless camels and horses. (Murúj adh-dhahab,
vol.l, p.435)
11) The Caliph's relations ruled all the
principal cities. Thus, at Kúfah, al-Walíd ibn Ùqbah was the governor but when
in the state of intoxication of wine he led the morning prayer in four instead
of two rak`ah and people agitated he was removed, but the Caliph put in his
place a hypocrite like Sa`id ibn al-`Ás. In Egypt `Abdulláh ibn Sa`d ibn Abí
Sarh, in Syria Muáwiyah ibn Abí Sufyán, and in Basrah, `Abdulláh ibn `Ámir
were the governors appointed by him (ibid.)
Sermon 4
Amír al-mu'minín's far-sightedness and his staunch conviction in Belief
Through us you got guidance in the darkness and secured high position, and through us
you got out of the gloomy night. The ears which do not listen to the cries may
become deaf. How can one who remained deaf to the loud cries (of the Qur'án and
the Prophet) listen to (my) feeble voice. The heart that has ever palpitated
(with fear of God) may get peace.
I always apprehended from you consequences of treachery and I had seen you
through in the garb of the deceitful. The curtain of religion had kept me
hidden from you but the truth of my intentions disclosed you to me. I stood for
you on the path of truth among misleading tracks where you met each other but
there was no leader and you dug but got no water.
Today I am making these dumb things speak to you (i.e. my suggestive ideas and deep
musings etc.) which are full of descriptive power. The opinion of the person
who abandons me may get astray. I have never doubted in the truth since it has
been shown to me. Músá (Moses) 1 did not
entertain fear for his own self. Rather he apprehendedmastery of the ignorant and away of deviation. Today we stand on the cross-roads of truth and untruth. The one who is sure of getting water feels no thirst.
(1). Thereference is to that even of Moses when sorcerers were sent for to confront him
and they showed their sorcery by throwing ropes and sticks on the ground and
Moses felt afraid. Thus, the Qur'án records:
. . . it seemed to him (Moses), by
their sorcery as if they were running. Then Moses felt in himself a fear. We
said: Fear not! Verily thou art the uppermost. (20:66-68)
Amír al-mu'minín says that the ground for Moses fear was not that since he saw ropes
and sticks moving he might have entertained fear for his life but the cause of
his fear was lest people be impressed with this sorcery and get astray, and
untruth might prevail on account of this craft. That is why Moses was not
consoled by saying that his life was safe but by saying that he would prove
superior, and his claim would be upheld. Since his fear was for the defeat of
the truth and victory of the untruth, not for his own life, the consideration
was given to him for the victory of truth and not for the protection of his
life.
Amír al-mu'minín also means that he too had the same fear viz. that the
people should not be caught in the trap of these (Talhah, az-Zubayr, etc.)
and fail into misguidance by getting astray from the true faith. Otherwise, he
himself never feared for his own life.
Sermon 5
Delivered when the Holy Prophet died and `Abbás
ibn `Abd al-Muttalib and Abú Sufyán ibn Harb offered to pay allegiance
to Amír al-mu'minín for the Caliphate
O' People! 1
Steer clear through the waves of mischief by boats of deliverance, turnaway from the path of dissension and put off
the crowns of pride. Prosperous is one who rises with wings (i.e. when he has
power) or else he remains peaceful and
others enjoy ease. It (i.e. the aspiration for Caliphate) is like turbid water
or like a morsel that would suffocate the person who swallows it. One who
plucks fruits before ripening is like one who cultivated in another's field.
If I speak out they would call me greedy towards power but if Ikeep quiet they would say I was afraid of
death. It is a pity that after all the ups and downs (I have been through). By
God the son of Abú Tálib 2 is more
familiar with death than an infant with the breast of its mother. I have hidden
knowledge, if I disclose it you will start trembling like ropes in deep wells.
(1). When the Holy Prophet died Abú Sufyán was not in Medina. He was coming back when on
his way he got the news of this tragedy. At once he enquired who had become the
leader and Chief. He was told that people had paid allegiance to Abú Bakr. On
hearing this the acknowledged mischief-monger of Arabia went into deep thought
and eventually went to `Abbás ibn `Abd al-Muttalib with a proposal. He
said to him, "Look, these people have by contrivance made over the Caliphate to
the Taym and deprived Banú Háshim of it for good, and after himself this man
would place over our heads a haughty man of Banú `Adí. Let us go to `Alí ibn
`Abí Tálib and ask him to get out of his house and take to arms to secure his
right." So taking `Abbás with him he came to `Alí and said: "Let me your hand;
I pay allegiance to you and if anyone
rises in opposition I would fill the streets of Medina with men of cavalry and
infantry." This was the most delicate moment for Amír al-mu'minín. He regarded
himself as the true head and successor of the Prophet while a man with the backing
of his tribe and party like Abú Sufyán was ready to support him. Just a signal
was enough to ignite the flames of war. But Amír al-mu'minín's foresight and
right judgement saved the Muslims from civil war as his piercing eyes perceived
that this man wanted to start civil war by rousing the passions of tribal
partisanship and distinction of birth, so that Islam should be struck with a
convulsion that would shake it to its roots. Amír al-mu'minín therefore
rejected his counsel and admonished him severely and spoke forth the words,
whereby he has stopped people from mischief mongering, and undue conceit, and
declared his stand to be that for him there were only two courses -- either to
take up arms or to sit quietly at home. If he rose for war there was no supporter
so that he could suppress these rising insurgencies. The only course left was
quietly to wait for the opportunity till circumstances were favourable.
Amír al-mu'minín's quietness at this stage was indicative of his high policy and
far-sightedness, because if in those circumstances Medina had become the centre
of war its fire would have engulfed the whole of Arabia in its flames. The
discord and scuffle that had already begun among muhájirún (those who
came from Mecca) and ansár (the locals of Medina) would have increased
to maximum, the wire-pullings of the hypocrites would have had full play, and
Islam's ship would have been caught in such a whirlpool that its balancing
would have been difficult; Amír al-mu'minín
suffered trouble and tribulations but did not raise his hands. History is
witness that during his life at Mecca the Prophet suffered all sorts of
troubles but he was not prepared to clash or struggle by abandoning patience
and endurance, because he realised that if war took place at that stage the way
for Islam's growth and fruition would be closed. Of course, when he had
collected supporters and helpers enough to suppress the flood of unbelief and
curb the disturbances, he rose to face the enemy. Similarly, Amír al-mu'minín,
treating the life of the Prophet as a torch for his guidance refrained from
exhibiting the power of his arm because he was realising that rising against
the enemy without helpers and supporters would become a source of revolt and
defeat instead of success and victory. Therefore, on this occasion Amír
al-mu'minín has likened the desire for Caliphate to turbid water or a morsel
suffocating the throat. Thus, even where people had forcibly snatched this
morsel and wanted to swallow it by forcible thrusting, it got stuck up in their
throat. They could neither swallow it nor vomit it out. That is, they could
neither manage it as is apparent from the blunders they committed inconnection with Islamic injunctions, nor
were they ready to cast off the knot from their neck.
He reiterated the same ideas in different words thus: "If had I attempted to pluck
the unripe fruit of Caliphate then by this the orchard would have been
desolated and I too would have achieved nothing, like these people who
cultivate on other's land but can neither guard it, nor water it at proper
time, nor reap any crop from it. The position of these people is that if I ask
them to vacate it so that the owner should cultivate it himself and protect it,
they say how greedy I am, while if I keep quiet they think I am afraid of
death. They should tell me on what occasion did I ever feel afraid, or flew
from battle-field for life, whereas every small or big encounter is proof of my
bravery and a witness to my daring and courage. He who plays with swords and
strikes against hillocks is not afraid of death. I am so familiar with death
that even an infant is not so familiar with the breast of its mother. Hark! The
reason for my silence is the knowledge that the Prophet has put in mybosom. If I divulge it you would get perplexed and bewildered. Let some days pass and you would know the reason of
my inaction, and perceive with your own eyes what sorts of people would appear
on this scene under the name of Islam, and what destruction they would bring
about. My silence is because this would happen, otherwise it is not silence
without reason."
A Persian hemistch says:
"Silence has meaning which cannot be couched in words."
(2). About death Amír al-mu'minín says that it is so dear to him that even an infant does
not so love to leap towards the source of its nourishmentwhile in its mother's lap. An infant's
attachment with the breast of its mother is under the effect of a natural
impulse but the dictates of natural impulses change with the advance of age.
When the limited period of infancy ends and the infant's temperament changes,
he does not like even to look at what was so familiar to him but rather turns
his face from it in disgust. But the love of prophets and saints for union with
God is mental and spiritual, and mental and spiritual feelings do not change,
nor does weakness or decay occur in them. Since death is the means and first
rung towards this goal their love for death increases to such an extent that
its rigours become the cause of pleasure for them and its bitterness proves to
be the source of delight for their taste. Their love for it is the same as that
of the thirsty for the well or that of a lost passenger for his goal. Thus when
Amír al-mu'minín was wounded by `Abd ar-Rahmán ibn Muljam's fatal attack, he
said, " I was but like the walker who has reached (the goal) or like the seeker
who has found (his object) and whatever is with God is good for the pious."
The Prophet also said that there is no pleasure for a believer other than union
with God.
Sermon 6
Delivered on being advised not to chase Talhah
ibn Ùbaydilláh and az-Zubayr ibn al-`Awwám for fighting. 1
By God I shall not be like the badger, which feigns sleep on continuous (sound
of) stone-throwing till he who is in search of it finds it or he who is on the
look out for it overpowers it. Rather, I shall ever strike the deviators from
truth with the help of those who advance towards it, and the sinners and
doubters with the help of those who listen to me and obey, till my day (of
death) comes. By God I have been continually deprived of my right from the
day the Prophet died till today.
(1). When Amír al-mu'minín showed intention to chase Talhah and az-Zubayr, he was
advised to leave them on their own lest he received some harm from them. Amír
al-mu'minín uttered these words in reply, the sum total whereof is: "How long
can I be a mere spectator to my right being snatched and keep quiet. Now, so
long as I have breath of life I shall fight them and make them suffer the
consequences of their conduct. They should not think that I can be easily
over-powered like the badger."
Dabu` means badger. Its nickname is Umm `Amír and
Umm Turrayq. It is also called "the glutton", because it swallows everything
and eats up whatever it gets as if several bellies were contained in one, and
they do not have their fill. It is also called Na`thal. It is a very
simple and silly animal. Its slyness is apparent from the way it is easily
caught. It is said that the hunter
surrounds its den and strikes it with his foot or a stick, and calls out
softly, "Bow you head Umm Turrayq, conceal yourself Umm `Amír." On repeating
this sentence and patting the ground, it conceals itself in a corner of the
den. Then the hunter says, "Umm `Amír is not in its den, it is sleeping." On
hearing this it stretches its limbs and feigns sleep. The hunter then puts the
knot in its feet and drags it out, and if falls like a coward into his hand
without resistance.
Sermon 7
About the hypocrites
They1 have made Satan the master of their affairs, and
he has taken them as partners. He has laid eggs and hatched them in their
bosoms. He creeps and crawls in their laps. He sees through their eyes, and
speaks with their tongues. In this way he has led them to sinfulness and
adorned for them foul things like the action of one whom Satan has made partner
in his domain and speaks untruth
through his tongue.
(1). Amír al-mu'minín says about the hypocrites (i.e. those who opposed him before and
during his Caliphate) that they are partners in action of Satan and his helpers
and supporters. He too has befriended them so much that he has made his abode
with them, resides on their bosoms, lays eggs and hatches young one from them
there, while these young ones jump and play in their laps without demur. He
means that Satanic evil ideas take birth in their bosoms and grow and thrive
there. There is no restrain on them, nor restriction of any kind. He has so
permeated in their blood and mingled in their spirit that both have become
completely unified. Now eyes are theirs but sight is his, the tongue is theirs
but the words are his, as the Prophet had said, "Verily, Satan permeates the
progeny of Adam like blood." That is, just as the circulation of blood does not
stop, in the same way the quick
succession of Satan's evil ideas know no break and he draws man towards
evil in sleep and wakefulness, and in every posture, rising or sitting. He so
paints them with his dye that their word and action reflect an exact portrait
of his word and action. Those whose bosoms shine with the effulgence of faith
prevent such evil ideas but some are already ready to welcome those evils and
these are the persons who under the garb of Islam are ever after advancement of
heresy.
Sermon 8
Said about az-Zubayr at a time for which it was appropriate
He asserts that he swore allegiance to me with his hand but did not swear with his
heart. 1
So he does admit allegiance. As regards his claiming it otherwise than
with his heart he should come forward with a
clear argument for it. Otherwise, he should return to wherefrom he has gone out. 2
(1). When after swearing allegiance on the hand of Amír al-mu'minín, az-Zubayr ibn
al-`Awwám broke the allegiance, then sometimes he put forth the excuse that he
was forced to swear allegiance and that forced allegiance is no allegiance, and
sometimes he said that allegiance was only for show. His heart did not go in
accord with it. As though he himself admitted with his tongue the duplicity of
his outer appearance and inner self. But this excuse is like that of the one
who reverts to apostasy after adopting Islam and to avoid penalty may say that
he had accepted Islam only by the tongue, not in the heart. Obviously, such an
excuse cannot be heard, nor can avoid punishment by this argument. If az-Zubayr
suspected that Ùthmán was slain at Amír al-mu'minín's insistence, this suspicion
should have existed when he was taking
oath for obedience and stretching his hand for allegiance, not now that his
expectations were getting frustrated and hopes had starteddawning from somewhere else.
(2). Amír al-mu'minín has rejected his claim in short
form thus: that when he admits that
his hands had paid allegiance then until there is justification for breaking of
the allegiance he should stick to it. But if, according to him his heart was
not in accord with it he should produce other proof for it. Since proof about
the state of heart cannot be adduced how can he bring suchproof, and an assertion without proof is
unacceptable to his mind.
Sermon 9
Cowardice of the people of Jamal
They 1 thunder like clouds and shone like lightning
but despite both these things they exhibited cowardice, while we do not thunder
till we pounce upon the foe nor do we
show flow (of words) until we have not virtually rained.
(1). About the people of Jamal (i.e. the enemy in the battle of Jamal) Amír al-mu'minín
says that they rose thundering, shouting and stampeding but when encounter took
place they were seen flying like straw. At one time they made loud claims that
they would do this and would do that and now they showed such cowardice as to
flee from the battle-field. About himself Amír al-mu'minín says, that "We do
not threaten the enemy before battle, nor utter boasts, nor terrorise the enemy
by raising unnecessary cries because it is not the way of the brave to use the
tongue instead of the hand." That is why on this occasion he said to his
comrades. "Beware of excessive talk as it is cowardice."
Sermon 10
About Talhah and az-Zubayr
Beware! Satan 1 has collected his group and
assembled his horse-men and foot-soldiers. Surely, with me is my sagacity. I
have neither deceived myself nor ever been deceived. By God I shall fill to
the brim for them a cistern from which I alone would draw water. They can
neither turn away from it nor return to it.
(1). When Talhah and az-Zubayr broke away by violating the Oath of allegiance and set
for Basrah in the company of `Á'ishah, Amír al-mu'minín spoke in these words
which are part of the long speech.
Ibn Abi'l-Hadíd has written that in this sermon Satan denotes the real Satan as
well as Mu`áwiyah because Mu`áwiyah was secretly conspiring with Talhah and
az-Zubayr and instigating them to fight against Amír al-mu'minín; but the
reference to the real Satan is more
appropriate, obvious and in accord with the situation and circumstances.
Sermon 11
Delivered in the Battle of Jamal when Amír al-mu'minín gave the
standard to his son Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah
1
Mountains 2 may move from their position but you
should not move from yours. Grit your teeth. Lend to God your head (in
fighting for God, give yourself to God). Plant your feet firmly on the
ground. Have your eye on the remotest foe and close your eyes (to their
numerical majority). And keep sure that succour is but from God, the
Glorified.
(1). Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah was Amír al-mu'minín's son but called Ibn Hanafiyyah after
his mother. His mother's name was Khawlah bint Ja`far. She was known as
Hanafiyyah after her tribe Banú Hanífah. When people of Yamámah were declared
apostates for refusing to pay zakát (religious tax) and were killed and
their women-folk were brought to Medina as slave girls, this lady also came to
Medina with them. When her tribesmen came to know it they approached Amír
al-mu'minín and requested him to save her from the blemish of slavery and
protect her family honour and prestige. Consequently, Amír al-mu'minín set her
free after purchasing and married here whereafter Muhammad was born.
Most historians have written his surname as Abu'l-Qásim. Thus, the author of al-Istí`áb
(vol. 3, pp. 1366, 1367-1368, 1370, 1371-1372) has narrated the opinion of
Abú Ráshid ibn Hafs az-Zuhrí that from among the sons of the companions (of the
Prophet) he came across four individuals everyone of whom was named Muhammad
and surnamed Abu'l-Qásim, namely (I) Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, (2)
Muhammad ibn Abú Bakr (3) Muhammad ibn Talhah and (4) Muhammad ibn
Sa`d. After this he writes that Muhammad ibn Talhah's name and surname was
given by the Prophet. al-Wáqidí writes that the name and surname of Muhammad
ibn Abú Bakr was suggested by `Á'ishah. Apparently the Holy Prophet's giving
the name of Muhammad ibn Talhah seems incorrect since from some
traditions it appears that the Prophet had reserved it for a son of Amír
al-mu'minín and he was Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah.
As regards his surname it is said that
the Prophet had particularised it and that he had told `Alí that a son would be
born to you after me and I have given him my name and surname and after that it
is not permissible for anyone in my people to have this name and surname
together.
With this opinion before us how can it be correct that the Prophet had given this
very name and surname to anyone else since particularisation means that no one
else would share it. Moreover, some people have recorded the surname of Ibn
Talhah as Abú Sulaymán instead of Abu'l-Qásim and this further confirms our
view point. Similarly, if the surname of Muhammad ibn Abú Bakr was on the
ground that his son's name was Qásim, who was among the theologians of Medina,
then what is the sense in `Á'ishah having suggested it. If she had suggested it
along with the name how could Muhammad ibn Abú Bakr tolerate it later on
since having been brought up under the care of Amír al-mu'minín the Prophet's
saying could not remain concealed from him. Moreover, most people have recorded
his surname as Abú `Abd ar-Rahmán, which weakens the view of Abú Ráshid.
Let alone these people's surname being Abu'l-Qásim, even for Ibn al-Hanafiyyah this
surname is not proved. Although Ibn Khallikán (in Wafayát al-a`yán, vol.
4, p.170) has taken that son of Amír al-mu'minín for whom the Prophet had
particularised this surname to be Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, yet
al-`Allámah al-Mámaqání (in Tanqíh al-maqál, vol. 3, Part 1, p. 112) writes:
In applying this tradition to Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, Ibn Khallikán has got
into confusion, because the son of Amír al-mu'minín whom the Prophet's name and
surname together have been gifted by the Prophet, and which is not permissible
to be given to any one else, is to the awaited last Imám (may our lives be his
ransom), and not to Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, nor is the surname
Abu'l-Qásim established for him, rather some of the Sunnis being ignorant of the real intention of the
Prophet, have taken to mean Ibn al-Hanafiyyah.
However, Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah was prominent in righteousness and piety, sublime
in renunciation and worship, lofty in knowledge and achievements and heir of
his father in bravery. His performance in the
battles of Jamal and Siffín had created such impression among the Arabs
that even warriors of consequence trembled at his name. Amír al-mu'minín too
was proud of his courage and valour, and always placed him forward in
encounters. ash-Shaykh al-Bahá'í has written in al-Kashkúl that `Alí ibn
Abí Tálib kept him abreast in the battles and did not allow Hasan and Husayn to
go ahead, and used to say, "He is my son while these two are sons of the
Prophet of God." When a Khárijite said to Ibn al-Hanafiyyah that `Alí thrust
him into the flames of war but saved away Hasan and Husayn he replied that he
himself was like the right hand and Hasan and Husayn like `Alí's two eyes and
that `Alí protected his eyes with his right hand. But al-`Allámah al-Mámaqání
has written in Tanqíh al-Maqál that this was not the reply of Ibn
al-Hanafiyyah but of Amír al-mu'minín himself. When during the battle of Siffín
Muhammad mentioned this matter to Amír al-mu'minín in complaining tone he
replied, "You are my right hand whereas they are my eyes, and the hand should
protect the eyes."
Apparently it seems that first Amír al-mu'minín must have given this reply and thereafter
someone might have mentioned it to Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah and he must
have repeated the same reply as there could be no more eloquent reply than this
one and its eloquence confirms the view that it was originally the outcome of
the eloquent tongue of Amír al-mu'minín and was later appropriated by
Muhammad al-Hanafiyyah. Consequently, both these views can be held to be
correct and there is no incongruity between them. However, he was born in the
reign of the second Caliph and died in the reign of `Abd al-Malik ibn Marwán at
the age of sixty-five years. Some writers have recorded the year of his death
as 80 A.H. and others as 81 A.H. There is a difference about the place of his
death as well. Some have put it as Medina, some Aylah and some Tá'if.
(2). When in the Battle of Jamal Amír al-mu'minín sent Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah to
the battle-field, he told him that he should fix himself before the enemy like
the mountain of determination and resoluteness so that the onslaught of the
army should not be able to displace him, and should charge the enemy with
closed teeth because by pressing teeth over the teeth tension occurs in the
nerves of the skull as a result of which the stroke of the sword goes amiss, as
he said at another place also viz. "Press together the teeth. It sends
amiss the edge of the sword." Then he says, "My child, lend your head to God
in order that you may be able to achieve eternal life in place of this one,
because for a lent article there is the right to get it back. Therefore, you
should fight being heedless of your life, otherwise also if your mind clings to
life you will hesitate to advance towards deathly encounters and that would tell upon your reputation of bravery.
Look, don't let your steps falter because the enemy is emboldened at the
faltering of steps, and faltering steps fastens the feet of the enemy. Keep the
last lines of the enemy as your aim so that the enemy may be overawed with
loftiness of your intentions and you may feel ease in tearing through their
lives, and their movement should also not remain concealed from you. Look, do
not pay heed to their superiority in numbers, otherwise your valour and courage
would suffer." This sentence can also mean that one should not wide open the
eyes to be dazzled by the shining of weapons, and the enemy may make an attack
by taking advantage of the situation. Also, always bear it in mind that victory
is from God. "If God helps you no one can overpower you." Therefore,
instead of relying on material means seek His support and succour.
(Remember O' ye Believers!) If God helpeth you, none shall overcome
you...(Qur'án, 3:159)
Sermon 12
When 1 God gave him (Amír al-mu'minín) victory over
the enemy at the Battle of Jamal one of his comrades
said on that occasion, "I wish my brother so-and-so had been
present and he too would have seen what success and victory
God had given you," whereupon Amír al-mu'minín said:
"Did your brother hold me friend?"
He said: "Yes,"
Then Amír al-mu'minín said:
In that case he was with us. Rather in this army of ours even those persons were
also present who are still in the loins of men and wombs of women. Shortly,
time will bring them out and faith will get strength through them.
(1). If a person falls short in his actions despite means and equipment, this would be
indicative of the weakness of his will. But if there is an impediment in the
way of action or his life comes to an end as a result of which his action
remains incomplete, then in that case God would not deprive him of the reward
on the basis that actions are judged by intention. Since his intention in any
case was to perform the action, therefore he should deserve reward to some
extent.
In the case of action, there may be absence of reward because action can involve
show or pretence but intention is hidden in the depth of heart. It can have not
a jot of show or affectation. The intention would remain at the same level of
frankness, truth, perfection and correctness where it is, even though there may
be no action due to some impediment. Even if there is no occasion for forming
intention but there is passion and zeal in the heart, a man would deserve
reward on the basis of his heart's feelings. This is to what Amír al-mu'minín
has alluded in this sermon, namely that "If your brother loved me he would
share the reward with those who secured martyrdom for our support."
Sermon 13
Condemning the people of Basrah1
You were the army of a woman and in the command of a quadruped. When it grumbled
you responded, and when it was wounded (hamstrung) you fled away. Your
character is low and your pledge is broken. Your faith is hypocrisy. Your water
is brackish. He who stays with you is laden with sins and he who forsakes you
secures God's mercy. As though I see your mosque prominent, resembling the
surface of a boat, while God has sent chastisement from above and from below
it and every one who is on it is drowned.2
Another version
By God, your city would certainly be drowned so much so that as though I see its
mosque like the upper part of a boat or a sitting ostrich.
Another version
Like the bosom of a bird in deep sea.
Another version
Your city is the most stinking of all the cities as regards its clay, the nearest to
water and remotest from the sky. It contains nine tenths of evil. He who enters
it is surrounded with his sins and he who is out of it enjoys God's
forgiveness. It seems as though I look at this habitation of yours that water
has so engulfed it that nothing can be seen of it except the highest part of
mosque appearing like the bosom of a bird in deep sea.
(1). Ibn Maytham writes that when the Battle of Jamal ended then on the third day after
it Amír al-mu'minín said the morning prayer in the central mosque of Basrah and
after finishing it stood on the right side of the prayer place reclining
against the wall and delivered this sermon
wherein he described the lowness of character of the people of Basrah
and their slyness, namely that they got enflamed at others' instigation without
anything of their own and making over their command to a woman clung to a
camel. They broke away after swearing allegiance and exhibited their low
character and evil nature by practising double facedness. In this sermon woman
implies `Á'ishah and quadruped implies the camel (Jamal) after which this
battle has been named the "Battle of Jamal."
This battle originated in this way that when although during the life time of
Ùthmán, `Á'ishah used to oppose him and had left for Mecca leaving him in
siege and as such she had a share in his assassination details of which would
be stated at some suitable place but when on her return from Mecca towards
Medina she heard from `Abdulláh ibn Salamah that after Ùthmán allegiance had
been paid to `Alí (as Caliph) she suddenly exclaimed, "If allegiance has been
paid to `Alí, I wish the sky had burst on the earth. Let me go back to Mecca."
Consequently she decided to return to Mecca and began saying, "By God Ùthmán
has been killed helplessly. I shall certainly avenge his blood." On seeing this
wide change in the state of affairs Abú Salamah said, "What are you saying as
you yourself used to say "Kill this Na`thal ; he had turned unbeliever."
Thereupon she replied, "Not only I but everyone used to say so; but leave these
things and listen to what I am now saying, that is better and deserves more
attention. It is so strange that first he was called upon to repent but before
giving him an opportunity to do so he has been killed." On this Abú Salamah
recited the following verses addressing her:
You started it and now you are
changing and raising storms of wind and rain.
You ordered for his killing and told
us that he had turned unbeliever.
We admit that he has been killed but
under your orders and the real Killer is one who ordered it.
Nevertheless, neither the sky fell
over us nor did the sun and moon fall into eclipse.
Certainly people have paid allegiance
to one who can ward off the enemy with power and grandeur, does not allow
swords to come near him and loosens the twist of the rope, that is, subdues the
enemy.
He is always fully armed for combat
and the faithful is never like the traitor.
However, when she reached Mecca with a passion for vengeance she began rousing the
people to avenge Ùthmán's blood by
circulating stories of his having been victimised. The first to respond to this
call was `Abdulláh ibn `Ámir al-Hadramí who had been the governor of Mecca in
Ùthmán's reign and with him Marwán ibn al-Hakam, Sa`íd ibn al-`Ás and other
Umayyads rose to support
her. On the other side Talhah ibn Ùbaydilláh and az-Zubayr ibn al-`Awwám
also reached Mecca from Medina. From Yemen Ya`lá ibn Munabbih who had been
governor there during Ùthmán's caliphate and the former governor of Basrah,
`Abdulláh ibn `Amír ibn Kurayz also reached there, and joining together began
preparing their plans. Battle had been decided upon but discussion was about
the venue of confrontation. `Á'ishah's opinion was to make Medina the venue of
the battle but some people opposed and held that it was difficult to deal with
Medinites, and that some other place should be chosen as the venue. At last after
much discussion it was decided to march towards Basrah as there was no dearth
of men to support the cause. Consequently on the strength of `Abdulláh ibn
`Ámir's countless wealth, and the offer of six hundred thousand Dirhams and six
hundred camels by Ya`lá ibn Munabbih they prepared an army of three thousand
and set off to Basrah. There was a small incident on the way on account of
which `Á'ishah refused to advance further. What happened was that at a place
she heard the barking of dogs and enquired from the camel driver the name of
the place. He said it was Haw'ab. On
hearing this name she recalled the Prophet's admonition when he had said to his
wives, "I wish I could know at which of you the dogs of Haw'ab would bark." So
when she realised that she herself was that one she got the camel seated by
patting and expressed her intention to abandon the march. But the device of her
companions saved the deteriorating situation. `Abdulláh ibn az-Zubayr swore to
assure her that it was not Haw'ab, Talhah seconded him and for her further
assurance also sent for fifty persons to stand witness to it. When all the
people were on one side what could a single woman do by opposing. Eventually
they were successful and `Á'ishah resumed her forward march with the same
enthusiasm.
When this army reached Basrah, people were first amazed to see the riding animal of
`Á'ishah. Járiyah ibn Qudámah came forward and said, "O' mother of the
faithful, the assassination of Ùthmán was one tragedy but the greater tragedy
is that you have c