Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Shaykh Al Mufid's Dream With Umar ibn Khattab

If you ever read the biography of Shaykh Al Mufid, a giant in the 12r Shia school you will always stumble across this dream narration.


Al-Karajaki has reported that once Sheikh Mufid saw a dream, and then dictated it to his companions and disciples. He said: I dreamt that as I was passing through a street, I saw a large crowd gathered around someone. On enquiry, I was told that they had surrounded Umar b. al-Khattab, the second Caliph. I pushed myself forward, and when I came near him, I said: "O Sheikh, do you allow me to ask a question?" He said: "Ask." So I said: "Would you explain me how is the excellence of your friend Abu Bakr established by the Ayah in which Allah says: 'the second of the two, when they were in the cave'. Your friends are making too much out of it."
He said: "This Ayah proves Abu Bakr's excellence in six ways:
Allah mentions the Prophet, peace be upon him, and then mentions Abu Bakr with him, as his second of the two;
Allah mentions them as being together at one place; which is a sign of mutual affinity;
Allah adds further quality of being the Prophet's "SAHIB", the Companion;
Allah relates how kind and caring the Prophet was towards Abu Bakr when he told him, "Don't grieve";
Where the Prophet assured Abu Bakr that "Allah is with us" meaning that He will help both of them simultaneously;
Allah revealed that He will send down AS-SAKINAH (serenity) upon Abu Bakr because as far as the Prophet was concerned, AS SAKINAH never parted from him
These are six proofs of Abu Bakr's excellence from the mentioned Ayah."
Sheikh Mufid says: "I told him that he had indeed made a good effort to make his point, and had left no room for any other person to be a better advocate for his friend. But I was going to demolish the arguments, making it like ashes blown away by the fast wind."
Sheikh said:
"When you say that Allah has mentioned the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, and then mentioned Abu Bakr as his second, I do not see anything extraordinary in that. For if you ponder over it, you will find that Allah was only revealing the number of persons present in the cave.


Mufid's Point 1

They were two; there could have been a Mo'min and a Kafir and they would still be two."


From Mufid’s first point, it demonstrates that even he understood that during the Meccan period till the beginning of the Madianian period there were only 2 groups of people. These groups were categories as Infidels (Kuffar) and committed Muslims(believers). The hypocrites and borderline Muslims did not exist. On the contrary, there are many 12rs who will waste your time trying to convince you that a third category existed during the revelation of this verse, and that Abi Bakr (ra) belong to that group of people. From Shaykh’s Mufid’s understanding we can skip that baseless understand and focus on the main verse of the Quran. The reality is Shaykh al Mufid’s first argument is based on pure speculation. If you observe the how the ayat begins it actually defines how the Kuffar are.
Allah (swt) tells us “If you do not aid the Prophet - Allah has already aided him when those who disbelieved had driven him out [of Makkah] (Quran 9:40)”
Abi Bakr (ra) did not drive the Prophet (pbuh) out of Mecca. Therefore, he doesn’t fall in the category of disbelievers.

Mufid's Point 2
"And when you talk of they being together at one place, it is again as simple as the first case. If there was one place only, it could have been occupied by a Mo'min and a disbeliever also. The Mosque of the Prophet is definitely a better place than the cave, and yet it was a gathering place for the believers and the hypocrites. The Ark of Prophet Noah carried the Prophet Noah, together with Satan and the animals. So being together at one place is no virtue."



It is ironic how Mufid makes this argument when his works indicate the virtues of ziyarath of the imams. Shaikh al-Mufid, in his book Masar al-Shi’a, discusses how commendable and rewardable it is to perform a visit to the Imam's grave on the 20th of Safar.
Refer to http://www.al-islam.org/maqtal/71.htm

Mufid's Point 3
And when you talk about the added quality of being 'SAHIB', the companion, this indeed is a weaker point than the first two, because a believer and a disbeliever can both be in the company of each other. Allah, Most High, used the word 'SAHIB' in the following Ayah: 'His "SAHIB" (companion) said to him while he was conversing with him: Have you disbelieved in the One Who created you from soil and then from a small quantity of sperm, then fashioned you harmoniously as a man?' (al-KAHF V. 37). Further, we find in Arabic literature that the word "SAHIB" is used for the accompanying donkey, and also for the sword. So, if the term can be used between a Momin and a Kafir, between a man and his animal, and between a living and an inanimate object, then what is so special in it about your friend?"



Allah (swt) tells us who the Kuffar are when he states “- Allah has already aided him when those who disbelieved had driven him out [of Makkah] (Quran 9:40)”
Abi Bakr (ra) did not drive the Prophet (pbuh) out of Mecca.
Also, the term Shia is used in a negative and a positive connotation.
For positive connotation refer to the Quran 28:15
For negative connotation refer to Quran, 28:4
During Imam Ali’s (as) Calipate the shia were those who accepted him as the 4th Calipah.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
However, there was one group who was swearing allegiance to him as a religious obligation regarding his Caliphate as determined by Allah. Otherwise, the majority regarded him a ruler like the other Caliphs, and as regards precedence, on the fourth position, or at the level of the common men after the three caliphs.
http://www.al-islam.org/nahj/
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Mufid's Point 4


"And the words 'Don't grieve' were not meant for any solace;. Because it was a statement forbidding an act. In Arabic, we have 'donts' and 'dos' as imperative verbs. Now, the grief expressed by Abu Bakr was either an act of obedience or disobedience. If it was obedience, the Prophet would not have forbidden it, therefore it is proved that it was an act of sin and disobedience."



If this was a forbidden act then Allah (swt) did Allah (swt) make a mistake appointing Prophet Musa (as) as a Prophet ?
"And throw down your stick!" But when he saw it moving as if it were a snake, he turned in flight, and did not look back. (It was said): "O Mûsa (Moses)! Fear not, verily! the Messengers fear not in front of Me. (Qur'an, 27: 10) Allâh said:"Grasp it, and fear not, We shall return it to its former state, (Qur'an, 20: 21)

In Surrat al Fussilat Allah (swt) says
Verily those who say our Sustainer is Allah and they proceed straight-forwardly their visitations will be with Angels who come to them and say "don't fear and don't grieve/feel sad, we are your supporters/allies/reinforcement in this worldly life…" (Surah Al Fussilat verse 30)

Here the momins are address in the same way Abi Bakr (ra) was addressed. Therefore, how can one conclude the fear cannot be attributed to a momin? If ‘fear is sign of kufr’ then what about the verses above ?
Mufid's Point 5
As for the assurance that 'Allah is with us', the pronoun 'us' was used by the Prophet for himself The use of plural pronoun for oneself is a sign of ones elevated status. Allah says: 'Indeed, We are the One who has revealed the Quran, and We will most surely preserve it.' (Al-Hijr V.9). And again: 'We are the One who gives life and ordains death, and We are the inheritor' (al-Hijr V.23). And the Shias have their own version, which does not seem far-fetched. They say that Abu Bakr told the Prophet that his grief was for Ali b. Abi Talib (who was left behind in Makkah), and the Prophet replied: 'Do not grieve, surely, Allah is with us' meaning; with me and my brother, Ali b. Abi Talib."


Who is they ? How can a belief be based on hearsay.

Mufid's Point 6

Your claim that AS-SAKINAH (serenity) was sent down to Abu Bakr is indeed outrageous. Because the verse clearly states that the serenity came unto him who was helped with the unseen army.
The Ayah says:
'... Then Allah sent down on him His serenity and strengthened him with unseen forces'
(al-Tawbah: 40).
So if AS-SAKINAH had descended upon Abu Bakr, he would have received the support of the unseen army. In fact, it would have been better if you had not attributed this to Abu Bakr. For according to Quran, this serenity was sent down on the Prophet twice:
'Then Allah sent down His serenity upon His messenger and the believers, and sent down forces which you did not see ...'.
(al Taubah:V.26).
'Then Allah sent down His serenity upon His Messenger and the believers, and adhered them to the word of pity.
In both places, the believers shared the serenity with the Prophet, but in this event of the cave, serenity was sent down to the Prophet alone, excluding Abu Bakr. This may be a pointer to the fact that Abu Bakr was not among the believers!"
Sheikh Mufid says that Umar made no reply to my arguments, and as people around him scattered, he woke up from his sleep.



I don’t see how Abi Bakr (ra) was harmed after this incident. In fact, when Haroon Rasheed opposed Hisham ibn Hakam the SAKINAH received his loyality of the 6 imam did not cure his heart problem.
For a more detailed article refer to this link.

http://www.schiiten.com/backup/AhlelBayt.com/www.ahlelbayt.com/articles/sahabah/abu-bakr.html

Anyway, the reason I am confused about this dream is how Umar (ra) is Shaykh Mufid’s dream was still able to defend himself for a few more centuries. Then all of sudden Shaykh Al Mufid comes in and refutes him. It doesn’t make any sense to me.
In the 12r Shia aqeeda Umar (ra) is supposed be in hell.
" Until, when death comes to one of them, he says: ‘O my Lord. Send me back to life (on earth) in order that I may do good deeds in the things that I neglected.’ By no means! It is only an utterance that he says. And before them is a barrier (preventing them from returning: the life of the grave) until the Day (of Resurrection) they are ressurected.” (Quran 23:99-100)

However, with Shaykh Mufid's dream Umar (ra) is still able to defend Sunni Islam. So another words, from Shaykh AL Mufid’s view, we will still not know his version of the truth in the grave until another shia scholar comes in a refutes us.

Also I like AhleBayt.com conclusion.

Congratulations, O great Shaikh Mufid! You have defeated Umar bin Khattab (رضّى الله عنه) in your imaginary dream, how brave you are. I will now go dream of Mike Tyson and in my dream I will knock him out. That will just prove how great I am and how weak Mike Tyson is.


http://www.schiiten.com/backup/AhlelBayt.com/www.ahlelbayt.com/articles/sahabah/abu-bakr.html

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