An unsuccessful effort to distort the truth
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THE BASIC SOURCE:
In every religion, rather in every
school of thought there are some principles which are considered as
basic and fundamental and all the other matters are judged under them.
Islam is no exception to this rule. There are some things in Islam
which are final and cannot be challenged by anybody. And on the basis
of these fundamental, the reliability and validity of other matter are
measured. This final and ultimate word in Islam is the word of Allah
i.e. the Holy Quran. Each and every word of the Qur'an is authentic. To
believe in it and accept it as the 'word of Allah' is the duty of every
Muslim. The Holy Qur'an is so authentic that it is also used as a scale
to measure the authenticity of the traditions.
QUR'AN AND TRADITIONS :
Qur'an is the constitution of Islam.
Therein the general guidelines have been mentioned. However its matter
of classification of the details is the responsibility of the Holy
Prophet, (s.a.w.a.). The same Qur'an has verified the authenticity and
truth of each and every word of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) by
commanding the Muslims thus, "Whatever the Prophet gives you, take it
and whatever he prohibits, refrain from it." It also asserts, "He does
not say anything from his desires. He says only that which has been
revealed to him." While it discusses his mastership in one place, in
another place it orders his obedience. The Qur'an also argues the
importance of "pen", "Book", "recitation" etc. In some places, the Ahle
Kitaab (the Jews and he Christians) are condemned because inspite of
knowing the truth they concealed it. Therefore the Muslims are warned
that they should never conceal the truth after being aware of it.
RESTRICTIONS:
But, we observe that in the early days
of Islam, after the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)'s demise, his words (called
as Hadith which if reliably quoted is the main important source of
Islamic teachings, the best interpretations of Qur'anic secrets, a
light of guidance for the vast valley of Qur'an and the distinguishing
factor between truth and falsehood ) were placed under strict vigilance
and surveillance. The feeble reason cited for this horrendous act was
that the book of Allah is sufficient for us. Three close companions of
the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) viz. Ibn Mas'ood, Abu Dardaa and Abu
Mas'ood Ansari were arrested for the unforgivable crime of narrating
Prophetic traditions. (Dhahabi, Tazkertul Huffaz, vol. 7, page 1).
Thus, by imposing severe restrictions
on the narration of traditions, fifty percent of the Islamic
treasure-chest of knowledge was rendered stagnant. It also meant the
arrest of Qur'anic understanding because to comprehend the concepts of
Qur'an, traditions are very necessary. Therefore, words of any roadside
person were utilized to understand Qur'an instead of the fountain head
of divine revelation. Resultantly, neo Muslim Jews like "Ka'b-ul-Ahya'
turned into interpreters of Qur'an and you know, what the outcome can
be.
DISTORTIONS :
The effect of these restrictions was
that though Qur'an was preserved from the contaminated hands of
distortion, yet its concepts and meanings underwent a sea-change.
Therefore, the Qur'an which came into existence to destroy tyranny and
oppression became a refuge for tyrants and oppressors. Even today,
Qur'anic meanings and concepts are used to justify oppression by many
of the so-called Muslims. After ninety years, when the permission to
narrate traditions was finally granted, any statement which was
preceded by the words, "The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said or "I
heard the Messenger of Allah saying" was considered as a tradition.
CONCEALMENT OF TRUTH :
The obliteration of traditions had a
profound effect on Qur'anic understanding and no doubt, the people most
affected by these restrictions were the Prophet (s.a.w.a.)'s progeny.
Those traditions which contained the glorifications of the Ahle-Bait
were either erased or were forced to be erased from the people's
memories. May be this was one of the ploys used to keep away the new
Muslims from the importance of Ahle-Bait so that they may not reach the
actual fountain head of guidance. Yes, its the Ahle-Bait who are the
light-house of guidance and attachment with them is the guarantee for
our security, but traditions which glorified them were concealed and
Qur'anic verses about them were interpreted wrongly.
Once, Zamakhshari, the great Sunni
Qur'anic interpreter was asked about Hazrat Ali (a.s.). He answered :
"What can I say about a man whose virtues were hidden by enemies due to
jealousy and by friends due to fear (of repressions) . Yet, both the
worlds are overflowing with the stories of his excellence." God knows
what grudge the people had against them. Those who could torture them
physically, did so to their full potential while those who lagged
behind in this regard, vomited their malice by hiding their virtues
through distortion. Here under we produce evidences from books which
have been openly and shamelessly distorted. Those things which were
found in the first edition were missing in the next. And the funniest
part of this whole exercise is that in today's modern world, such
distortion is disguised in the name of "research". We start from
Dhul-Asheera:
DISTORTION IN THE INCIDENT OF YAUM – AL – DAR
Ibn Katheeer in his book 'Al-Bidayah
Wan Nihaya', vol. 3 page 40, while narrating the incident of Dhul
Asheera, writes that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) has said : "Then
whosoever amongst you will help me, he will be my brother, and so on
and so forth…" By saying "so on and so forth", he has wrapped up the
whole issue while the truth is actually hidden in this "so on and so
forth'. He has narrated this incident in a similar fashion in his
Tafseer in vol 3, page 301, but, it is said, that distorters have a
very weak memory. Hence, Ibn Katheer forgot that his reference book,
i.e. Mohammad Ibn Jurair Tabari's Taarikh, contains the original words
of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) which were as follows: "So whosoever
amongst you will help me, he will be my brother and my successor and my
caliph among you." (Taarikh-e-Tabari, vol 2, page 217). You see the
original words are distorted in the process of narration. Distortion
was not the only thing in the initial days of Islam but even today
Sunni writers indulge in it, quite a bit.
HAIKAL AND HIS DISTORTION:
The great Sunni Egyptian scholar,
Mohammad Husayn Haikal, has written a book called, "The Life of
Mohammad." This book was first published in Egypt in the form of a
series of articles in a newspaper called "As-Siyaasat- ul-Osboo' eeyah".
Then it was published in book form. In both these places, the incident
of Dhul-Asheera has been discussed in detail and the words of
'Successor' and 'Caliph' too has been used. When Haikal narrated the
incident with these words, he was accused of being a Shia. Haikal
answered this accusation by saying that he inserted this incident not
because the Shias quote it but because history witnesses it.
THE MINISTRY OF TRUSTS (AWQAAF):
But when the second edition of this
book was published and printed, the words "Successor" and 'Caliph' were
missing. How did this glaring distortion occur? It is said that when
the second edition was about to be printed, the ministry of trusts
expressed its desire to purchase one thousand copies of the book. But,
on a condition and that was only if the incidents concerning the
caliphate of Hazrat Ali (a.s.) were withdrawn. Haikal accepted the
condition. The book was distorted and later purchased by the
government. We don't know how many authors have been purchased by
various governments and how many books distorted.
DISTORTION IN THE WAR OF BADR :
The battle of Badr is of great
significance in Islam and its martyrs are held in great esteem. But the
events of this great battle too were not protected from the malicious
hands of historians. Those things which according to Ibn Hisham and
Tabari are "pleasant things", has been interpreted in a totally
different way by Waqedi and Mofreezi. We relate both the incidents here
under which has been described by Ibn Hisham and Tabari as follows
:-FRISKED AWAY:
Prior to the commencement of the war of
Badr the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) consulted his companions and made them
aware of the Qurayshites designs. At this juncture, Abu Bakr stood up
and said some pleasant things. The next was Umar Ibn Khattab who also
stood up and said same pleasant things. (But what were those "pleasant
things" which they said is not yet known). Then Miqdad got up and said:
"O Messenger of Allah, you go ahead, we are with you. By Allah, we will
not say those things which were said by the Bani Israel to Hazrat Moosa
(a.s.). (i.e. "You and your Lord both go and fight while we are sitting
over here"). We say to you, that you and your Lord go ahead, we will
fight along with you." On hearing this, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)
prayed in his favour. Then, Saad Bin Maaz said: "O Messenger of Allah,
you go ahead and execute your plans, we are with you. I swear by the
Lord who has raised you (as a Prophet), even if you transcend the seven
seas along with us, we will not turn back." The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)
was very pleased at Sa'ad's remark.
(Seerah Ibn Hisham, vol. 2, page 253)
In both the books, the monologues of
Saad Bin Maaz and Miqdad Bin Umar and the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)'s
reaction to it are found. But the conversations of the great Sahaba are
entirely omitted.
AN INDICATION:
In Sahih Muslim, we find: "When Abu
Bakr said something, the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) turned his face away. Also,
when Umar said something, then again he turned his face away."
(Sahih Muslim, Kitaabul Jihad was Sair, Battle of Badr).
EXPOSED:
But "Waaqedi" and "Mofreezi" have
narrated this conversation thus: "Umar said, "0 Messenger of Allah!
They are Qurayshites and respectable nobles. By God, they have never
been disgraced after gaining prestige and have never disbelieved after
burying faith, against you till their last breath. Therefore, you be
well prepared."
(Magaazi-e-Waaqedi, vol. 1, page 74, 75)
So its clear how events are first
omitted, then distorted. Turning away is "pleasant" and "best" things,
One can judge the expression of Abu Bakr with that of Umar because on
both the occasions, Tabari and Ibn Hisham have used the word "Ahsan
(best)" while Muslim has used the term "turning away". But Bukhari
crosses his limits when he omits the entire incident
altogether.( Ma'alemul Madrasatain, vol. l, page 246).
DISCOUNTING THE ENTIRE EPISODE:
There was some exchange of
correspondence between Moawiya and Mohammad bin Abu Bakr. These letters
can be found in Nasar Bin Muzahim's (d. 212 A.H.) book,
"Waaqeatius-Siffin and Mas'oodi's (d. 324 A.H.) "Murujuz Zahab". But in
Tarikh Tabari (d. 324 A.H.) and Ibn Atheer's al-Kamil. (d.630 A.H.)
which have been written afterwards there is not a sniff of these
letters because they thought that these letters were not appropriate
for the position of the caliphs. Thus, you see how many attempts are
made to conceal the facts.
DISTORTION IN INTERPRETATION:
It is a certain fact for everyone that
the Qur'anic verse "Today I have perfected your religion for you…" was
revealed on the day of Ghadeer which is elaborately discussed in
Taarikh-e-Yaqubi, vol. 2, page 37, printed in Najaf in 1357 A. H. Thus,
"As per the clear and authentic traditions, this verse was revealed on
the day of Ghadeer after the announcement of Hazrat Ali (a.s)'s
mastership." But when the same book is published in Beirut by
Dar-e-Saadir in 1379 A.H. / 1960 A.D., it was distorted thus, "This
verse was revealed when Hazrat Ali (a.s.) was returning from Mina."
DISTORTION IN HAZRAT ALI (A.S.)'S WORDS:
Well, till now we have discussed about
distortion in other's books but what can one say when Nahjul Balagha,
the collection of Hazrat Ali (a.s.)'s words, is distorted and tampered
with. For example in Nahjul Balagha by Shaikh Mohammad Abdoh, vol.3,
page 43 by Darul Marefa, Nahjul Balagha of Sub'hi Saleh, page 502,
Sharh-Ibne-e- Qayyim, vol. 5, page 341, all of them write :" It is
surprising that how caliphate can be based on companionship and
relationship (with the Prophet)," while the actual tradition is found
in Sharh Ibn Abil Hadid-e-Motazeli, vol. 18 last page like this : – "It
is surprised how Caliphate is based only on companionship (with the
Prophet) and not on companionship and close relationship with him." The
distortion of a single word can make a world of a difference to the
meaning of the sentence. According to Khateeb Abduz-Zahra, all the
original writings of Nahjul Balagha are mentioned in Ibn Abil Hadid's
version.
TAMPERING WITH BELIEFS :
Al-Nasafi's Sharh-ul-Aqaaed is very
authentic book on the beliefs of the Ahle Sunnah. Taftazaani, in his
book "Sharh-e-Maqaasid", vol. 2, page 275, while mentioning the concept
and meaning of the Qur'anic verse, "Obey Allah and Obey His Messenger
and those who are charged' affaires amongst you," quotes a hadith by
the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), as : "Whosever dies without recognizing
the Imam of his time, dies the death of ignorance."
This same tradition was copied in
Taftazani's Sharh-al-Aqaed un Nasafi, Printed in 1302, A.H. But when
the same book was reprinted in 1313 A.H., those seven pages which
discussed this tradition were completely omitted.
(Deraast-un- wa-Bohooth, Jafar Murtuza vol. 1, page 12).
Now can this be called as trustworthiness?
DISTORTION IN AS-SAWAAEQ:
'As-Sawaaeq Al-Muhreqah' is the famous
book of renowed Sunni scholar Ibn Hajar Makki. The basic aim of this
book is to condemn Shiasm. Unfortunately for Sunnism, he had to
inevitably include traditions of Ahle Bait's excellences which were
later erased by the so-called "researchers" to gain a "Pass"
certificate from the king's court. But may Allah send his blessings on
and amply reward Allama Sayed Tayyeb Jazaaeri who tallied the 1312 A.H.
and 1385 A.M. editions of "As-Sawaaeq' and pin-pointed the places in
which distortions occurred. Here, we mention only a few examples to
show which traditions were omitted from which pages.
Page 74 : "Ali's remembrance is worship".
Page 76: Tabarani mentions that there are 18 virtues of Ali (a.s.) which are not found in anybody in this Islamic community.
Page 87 : The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)
was asked as to how to send blessings on your Ahle Bait (a.s.). He
(s.a.w.a.) replied Say "O Allah send your blessings on Muhammad
(s.a.w.a.) and the progeny of Muhammad (s.a.w.a.)."
For detailed discussions on distorted
books, many other books, are available. They cannot fit into a concise
essay. Those who wish to go into the details, can refer to the
following books: Al-Ghadeer vols. 1, 2, 4, 6, 10…, Darasaat-un- Bohooth
Fil Tarikh wal Islam by Jafar Murtuza, vol, 1, Ma-alimul Madrasatain by
Allama Murtuza Al-Askari, vol. 1
NARRATION OF VIRTUES AND MARTYRDOM:
It will, not be inappropriate to
mention here, at the end of our discussion, that those who refused to
conceal or distort the virtues of Ahle Bait (a.s.) were martyred by the
governments of the time, Featuring prominently in this list are Meesam
Tammar, Rushaid Hujari, Ibn-us-Sekkit, etc. We quote in this context,
Imam-e-Nisaai, the great Sunni traditionalist whose book Sunan-e-Nisaai
is one of the most important books in the Sihaah-e-Sitta. (the
Six Sunni authentic books)
DEATH FOR REFUSAL TO FABRICATE TRADITIONS:
Imam Nisaai used to maintain his
individuality in the field of traditions. He resided in Egypt and
fasted on alternate days. He participated in a war with the king of
Egypt but stayed away from his luxuries and extravagancies. In the last
few years, he went for Hajj. On his return, he stayed back in Syria
and wrote a book "Al-Khasaaes Fi Fazael-e-Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.s.) wa
Ahle Bait (a.s.)," narrating most of the traditions from Imam Ahmad Ibn
Hanbal. He writes: "On reaching Damascus (capital of Syria), I
observed that the masses are unaware of Hazrat Ali (a.s.)'s virtues.
Therefore, I decided to write the book "Al-Khasaaes", so that the
people may be guided by the Almighty. I was asked as to why did I not
write anything about Moaviya's excellences. I answered: What can I
write about him except the hadith which says, "O Allah! Never fill his
stomach", on hearing this, the questioner was stunned and silent."
As a result, Nisaai was beaten up very
badly and thrown out of the mosque. In Hafiz Abu Noaim's opinion, he
died due to this beating. As Dar Qutni, "He was examined in Damascus"
and there was he martyred."
(Tazkeratul Huffaz, by Zahabi, vol. 1,
page 198, Wafyaatul Aayaan of Ibn Khalkan, vol. 1, page 59, Ma'alimul
Madrasatain, vol. 1, page 259, 260).
So you saw how a great and highly
learned scholar like Nisaai was killed for the heinous crime of writing
the virtues of Ali and Ahle Bait (a.s.). As far as narrating Moaviya's
excellences and virtues is concerned, what can the poor traditionalist
do if there is no reliable tradition available in that regard, And this
incident can also be used as a scare to measure the validity of
narrations in Moaviya's and Bani Umayya's favor. May Allay keep us
attached to the pure Ahle Bait till our last breath and honor us with
martyrdom for propagating their message.
WWW.ALMUNTAZAR .COM
THE BASIC SOURCE:
In every religion, rather in every
school of thought there are some principles which are considered as
basic and fundamental and all the other matters are judged under them.
Islam is no exception to this rule. There are some things in Islam
which are final and cannot be challenged by anybody. And on the basis
of these fundamental, the reliability and validity of other matter are
measured. This final and ultimate word in Islam is the word of Allah
i.e. the Holy Quran. Each and every word of the Qur'an is authentic. To
believe in it and accept it as the 'word of Allah' is the duty of every
Muslim. The Holy Qur'an is so authentic that it is also used as a scale
to measure the authenticity of the traditions.
QUR'AN AND TRADITIONS :
Qur'an is the constitution of Islam.
Therein the general guidelines have been mentioned. However its matter
of classification of the details is the responsibility of the Holy
Prophet, (s.a.w.a.). The same Qur'an has verified the authenticity and
truth of each and every word of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) by
commanding the Muslims thus, "Whatever the Prophet gives you, take it
and whatever he prohibits, refrain from it." It also asserts, "He does
not say anything from his desires. He says only that which has been
revealed to him." While it discusses his mastership in one place, in
another place it orders his obedience. The Qur'an also argues the
importance of "pen", "Book", "recitation" etc. In some places, the Ahle
Kitaab (the Jews and he Christians) are condemned because inspite of
knowing the truth they concealed it. Therefore the Muslims are warned
that they should never conceal the truth after being aware of it.
RESTRICTIONS:
But, we observe that in the early days
of Islam, after the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)'s demise, his words (called
as Hadith which if reliably quoted is the main important source of
Islamic teachings, the best interpretations of Qur'anic secrets, a
light of guidance for the vast valley of Qur'an and the distinguishing
factor between truth and falsehood ) were placed under strict vigilance
and surveillance. The feeble reason cited for this horrendous act was
that the book of Allah is sufficient for us. Three close companions of
the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) viz. Ibn Mas'ood, Abu Dardaa and Abu
Mas'ood Ansari were arrested for the unforgivable crime of narrating
Prophetic traditions. (Dhahabi, Tazkertul Huffaz, vol. 7, page 1).
Thus, by imposing severe restrictions
on the narration of traditions, fifty percent of the Islamic
treasure-chest of knowledge was rendered stagnant. It also meant the
arrest of Qur'anic understanding because to comprehend the concepts of
Qur'an, traditions are very necessary. Therefore, words of any roadside
person were utilized to understand Qur'an instead of the fountain head
of divine revelation. Resultantly, neo Muslim Jews like "Ka'b-ul-Ahya'
turned into interpreters of Qur'an and you know, what the outcome can
be.
DISTORTIONS :
The effect of these restrictions was
that though Qur'an was preserved from the contaminated hands of
distortion, yet its concepts and meanings underwent a sea-change.
Therefore, the Qur'an which came into existence to destroy tyranny and
oppression became a refuge for tyrants and oppressors. Even today,
Qur'anic meanings and concepts are used to justify oppression by many
of the so-called Muslims. After ninety years, when the permission to
narrate traditions was finally granted, any statement which was
preceded by the words, "The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said or "I
heard the Messenger of Allah saying" was considered as a tradition.
CONCEALMENT OF TRUTH :
The obliteration of traditions had a
profound effect on Qur'anic understanding and no doubt, the people most
affected by these restrictions were the Prophet (s.a.w.a.)'s progeny.
Those traditions which contained the glorifications of the Ahle-Bait
were either erased or were forced to be erased from the people's
memories. May be this was one of the ploys used to keep away the new
Muslims from the importance of Ahle-Bait so that they may not reach the
actual fountain head of guidance. Yes, its the Ahle-Bait who are the
light-house of guidance and attachment with them is the guarantee for
our security, but traditions which glorified them were concealed and
Qur'anic verses about them were interpreted wrongly.
Once, Zamakhshari, the great Sunni
Qur'anic interpreter was asked about Hazrat Ali (a.s.). He answered :
"What can I say about a man whose virtues were hidden by enemies due to
jealousy and by friends due to fear (of repressions) . Yet, both the
worlds are overflowing with the stories of his excellence." God knows
what grudge the people had against them. Those who could torture them
physically, did so to their full potential while those who lagged
behind in this regard, vomited their malice by hiding their virtues
through distortion. Here under we produce evidences from books which
have been openly and shamelessly distorted. Those things which were
found in the first edition were missing in the next. And the funniest
part of this whole exercise is that in today's modern world, such
distortion is disguised in the name of "research". We start from
Dhul-Asheera:
DISTORTION IN THE INCIDENT OF YAUM – AL – DAR
Ibn Katheeer in his book 'Al-Bidayah
Wan Nihaya', vol. 3 page 40, while narrating the incident of Dhul
Asheera, writes that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) has said : "Then
whosoever amongst you will help me, he will be my brother, and so on
and so forth…" By saying "so on and so forth", he has wrapped up the
whole issue while the truth is actually hidden in this "so on and so
forth'. He has narrated this incident in a similar fashion in his
Tafseer in vol 3, page 301, but, it is said, that distorters have a
very weak memory. Hence, Ibn Katheer forgot that his reference book,
i.e. Mohammad Ibn Jurair Tabari's Taarikh, contains the original words
of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) which were as follows: "So whosoever
amongst you will help me, he will be my brother and my successor and my
caliph among you." (Taarikh-e-Tabari, vol 2, page 217). You see the
original words are distorted in the process of narration. Distortion
was not the only thing in the initial days of Islam but even today
Sunni writers indulge in it, quite a bit.
HAIKAL AND HIS DISTORTION:
The great Sunni Egyptian scholar,
Mohammad Husayn Haikal, has written a book called, "The Life of
Mohammad." This book was first published in Egypt in the form of a
series of articles in a newspaper called "As-Siyaasat- ul-Osboo' eeyah".
Then it was published in book form. In both these places, the incident
of Dhul-Asheera has been discussed in detail and the words of
'Successor' and 'Caliph' too has been used. When Haikal narrated the
incident with these words, he was accused of being a Shia. Haikal
answered this accusation by saying that he inserted this incident not
because the Shias quote it but because history witnesses it.
THE MINISTRY OF TRUSTS (AWQAAF):
But when the second edition of this
book was published and printed, the words "Successor" and 'Caliph' were
missing. How did this glaring distortion occur? It is said that when
the second edition was about to be printed, the ministry of trusts
expressed its desire to purchase one thousand copies of the book. But,
on a condition and that was only if the incidents concerning the
caliphate of Hazrat Ali (a.s.) were withdrawn. Haikal accepted the
condition. The book was distorted and later purchased by the
government. We don't know how many authors have been purchased by
various governments and how many books distorted.
DISTORTION IN THE WAR OF BADR :
The battle of Badr is of great
significance in Islam and its martyrs are held in great esteem. But the
events of this great battle too were not protected from the malicious
hands of historians. Those things which according to Ibn Hisham and
Tabari are "pleasant things", has been interpreted in a totally
different way by Waqedi and Mofreezi. We relate both the incidents here
under which has been described by Ibn Hisham and Tabari as follows
:-FRISKED AWAY:
Prior to the commencement of the war of
Badr the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) consulted his companions and made them
aware of the Qurayshites designs. At this juncture, Abu Bakr stood up
and said some pleasant things. The next was Umar Ibn Khattab who also
stood up and said same pleasant things. (But what were those "pleasant
things" which they said is not yet known). Then Miqdad got up and said:
"O Messenger of Allah, you go ahead, we are with you. By Allah, we will
not say those things which were said by the Bani Israel to Hazrat Moosa
(a.s.). (i.e. "You and your Lord both go and fight while we are sitting
over here"). We say to you, that you and your Lord go ahead, we will
fight along with you." On hearing this, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)
prayed in his favour. Then, Saad Bin Maaz said: "O Messenger of Allah,
you go ahead and execute your plans, we are with you. I swear by the
Lord who has raised you (as a Prophet), even if you transcend the seven
seas along with us, we will not turn back." The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)
was very pleased at Sa'ad's remark.
(Seerah Ibn Hisham, vol. 2, page 253)
In both the books, the monologues of
Saad Bin Maaz and Miqdad Bin Umar and the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)'s
reaction to it are found. But the conversations of the great Sahaba are
entirely omitted.
AN INDICATION:
In Sahih Muslim, we find: "When Abu
Bakr said something, the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) turned his face away. Also,
when Umar said something, then again he turned his face away."
(Sahih Muslim, Kitaabul Jihad was Sair, Battle of Badr).
EXPOSED:
But "Waaqedi" and "Mofreezi" have
narrated this conversation thus: "Umar said, "0 Messenger of Allah!
They are Qurayshites and respectable nobles. By God, they have never
been disgraced after gaining prestige and have never disbelieved after
burying faith, against you till their last breath. Therefore, you be
well prepared."
(Magaazi-e-Waaqedi, vol. 1, page 74, 75)
So its clear how events are first
omitted, then distorted. Turning away is "pleasant" and "best" things,
One can judge the expression of Abu Bakr with that of Umar because on
both the occasions, Tabari and Ibn Hisham have used the word "Ahsan
(best)" while Muslim has used the term "turning away". But Bukhari
crosses his limits when he omits the entire incident
altogether.( Ma'alemul Madrasatain, vol. l, page 246).
DISCOUNTING THE ENTIRE EPISODE:
There was some exchange of
correspondence between Moawiya and Mohammad bin Abu Bakr. These letters
can be found in Nasar Bin Muzahim's (d. 212 A.H.) book,
"Waaqeatius-Siffin and Mas'oodi's (d. 324 A.H.) "Murujuz Zahab". But in
Tarikh Tabari (d. 324 A.H.) and Ibn Atheer's al-Kamil. (d.630 A.H.)
which have been written afterwards there is not a sniff of these
letters because they thought that these letters were not appropriate
for the position of the caliphs. Thus, you see how many attempts are
made to conceal the facts.
DISTORTION IN INTERPRETATION:
It is a certain fact for everyone that
the Qur'anic verse "Today I have perfected your religion for you…" was
revealed on the day of Ghadeer which is elaborately discussed in
Taarikh-e-Yaqubi, vol. 2, page 37, printed in Najaf in 1357 A. H. Thus,
"As per the clear and authentic traditions, this verse was revealed on
the day of Ghadeer after the announcement of Hazrat Ali (a.s)'s
mastership." But when the same book is published in Beirut by
Dar-e-Saadir in 1379 A.H. / 1960 A.D., it was distorted thus, "This
verse was revealed when Hazrat Ali (a.s.) was returning from Mina."
DISTORTION IN HAZRAT ALI (A.S.)'S WORDS:
Well, till now we have discussed about
distortion in other's books but what can one say when Nahjul Balagha,
the collection of Hazrat Ali (a.s.)'s words, is distorted and tampered
with. For example in Nahjul Balagha by Shaikh Mohammad Abdoh, vol.3,
page 43 by Darul Marefa, Nahjul Balagha of Sub'hi Saleh, page 502,
Sharh-Ibne-e- Qayyim, vol. 5, page 341, all of them write :" It is
surprising that how caliphate can be based on companionship and
relationship (with the Prophet)," while the actual tradition is found
in Sharh Ibn Abil Hadid-e-Motazeli, vol. 18 last page like this : – "It
is surprised how Caliphate is based only on companionship (with the
Prophet) and not on companionship and close relationship with him." The
distortion of a single word can make a world of a difference to the
meaning of the sentence. According to Khateeb Abduz-Zahra, all the
original writings of Nahjul Balagha are mentioned in Ibn Abil Hadid's
version.
TAMPERING WITH BELIEFS :
Al-Nasafi's Sharh-ul-Aqaaed is very
authentic book on the beliefs of the Ahle Sunnah. Taftazaani, in his
book "Sharh-e-Maqaasid", vol. 2, page 275, while mentioning the concept
and meaning of the Qur'anic verse, "Obey Allah and Obey His Messenger
and those who are charged' affaires amongst you," quotes a hadith by
the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), as : "Whosever dies without recognizing
the Imam of his time, dies the death of ignorance."
This same tradition was copied in
Taftazani's Sharh-al-Aqaed un Nasafi, Printed in 1302, A.H. But when
the same book was reprinted in 1313 A.H., those seven pages which
discussed this tradition were completely omitted.
(Deraast-un- wa-Bohooth, Jafar Murtuza vol. 1, page 12).
Now can this be called as trustworthiness?
DISTORTION IN AS-SAWAAEQ:
'As-Sawaaeq Al-Muhreqah' is the famous
book of renowed Sunni scholar Ibn Hajar Makki. The basic aim of this
book is to condemn Shiasm. Unfortunately for Sunnism, he had to
inevitably include traditions of Ahle Bait's excellences which were
later erased by the so-called "researchers" to gain a "Pass"
certificate from the king's court. But may Allah send his blessings on
and amply reward Allama Sayed Tayyeb Jazaaeri who tallied the 1312 A.H.
and 1385 A.M. editions of "As-Sawaaeq' and pin-pointed the places in
which distortions occurred. Here, we mention only a few examples to
show which traditions were omitted from which pages.
Page 74 : "Ali's remembrance is worship".
Page 76: Tabarani mentions that there are 18 virtues of Ali (a.s.) which are not found in anybody in this Islamic community.
Page 87 : The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)
was asked as to how to send blessings on your Ahle Bait (a.s.). He
(s.a.w.a.) replied Say "O Allah send your blessings on Muhammad
(s.a.w.a.) and the progeny of Muhammad (s.a.w.a.)."
For detailed discussions on distorted
books, many other books, are available. They cannot fit into a concise
essay. Those who wish to go into the details, can refer to the
following books: Al-Ghadeer vols. 1, 2, 4, 6, 10…, Darasaat-un- Bohooth
Fil Tarikh wal Islam by Jafar Murtuza, vol, 1, Ma-alimul Madrasatain by
Allama Murtuza Al-Askari, vol. 1
NARRATION OF VIRTUES AND MARTYRDOM:
It will, not be inappropriate to
mention here, at the end of our discussion, that those who refused to
conceal or distort the virtues of Ahle Bait (a.s.) were martyred by the
governments of the time, Featuring prominently in this list are Meesam
Tammar, Rushaid Hujari, Ibn-us-Sekkit, etc. We quote in this context,
Imam-e-Nisaai, the great Sunni traditionalist whose book Sunan-e-Nisaai
is one of the most important books in the Sihaah-e-Sitta. (the
Six Sunni authentic books)
DEATH FOR REFUSAL TO FABRICATE TRADITIONS:
Imam Nisaai used to maintain his
individuality in the field of traditions. He resided in Egypt and
fasted on alternate days. He participated in a war with the king of
Egypt but stayed away from his luxuries and extravagancies. In the last
few years, he went for Hajj. On his return, he stayed back in Syria
and wrote a book "Al-Khasaaes Fi Fazael-e-Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.s.) wa
Ahle Bait (a.s.)," narrating most of the traditions from Imam Ahmad Ibn
Hanbal. He writes: "On reaching Damascus (capital of Syria), I
observed that the masses are unaware of Hazrat Ali (a.s.)'s virtues.
Therefore, I decided to write the book "Al-Khasaaes", so that the
people may be guided by the Almighty. I was asked as to why did I not
write anything about Moaviya's excellences. I answered: What can I
write about him except the hadith which says, "O Allah! Never fill his
stomach", on hearing this, the questioner was stunned and silent."
As a result, Nisaai was beaten up very
badly and thrown out of the mosque. In Hafiz Abu Noaim's opinion, he
died due to this beating. As Dar Qutni, "He was examined in Damascus"
and there was he martyred."
(Tazkeratul Huffaz, by Zahabi, vol. 1,
page 198, Wafyaatul Aayaan of Ibn Khalkan, vol. 1, page 59, Ma'alimul
Madrasatain, vol. 1, page 259, 260).
So you saw how a great and highly
learned scholar like Nisaai was killed for the heinous crime of writing
the virtues of Ali and Ahle Bait (a.s.). As far as narrating Moaviya's
excellences and virtues is concerned, what can the poor traditionalist
do if there is no reliable tradition available in that regard, And this
incident can also be used as a scare to measure the validity of
narrations in Moaviya's and Bani Umayya's favor. May Allay keep us
attached to the pure Ahle Bait till our last breath and honor us with
martyrdom for propagating their message.
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