Salaam Yanabi.com a renown Sunni forum, sent an email to Syed Ninowy in 2004 requesting him to give more lectures on the AHlul bayt. We Sunnis needed to learn about more about them in order to fill in the gap which was no longer found in the average sunni mosques. Syed Ninowy was happy to hear the requested and replied with the following email.
Bismillah, My dear fine brothers and sisters of Yanabi.com and MICI.org, Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu, I pray that you and all the Ummah of Al-Habib Muhammad Mustafa, sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa sallam, are in the best of Iman and health. I am sorry not to be able to reply to your earlier, as I was attending conventions invitations through out Europe and Hijaz. I thank you for your e-mail message which reflects the true Sunnah embodied in your unequivilant love for Ahlul Bayt, alayhem assalam. When reading your message, my eyes started watering out of happiness, knowing that my beloved, Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa sallam, is happy, that some of his Umma did not forget and abandoned his offspring. That some of his Ummah have their hearts filled with love and admiration for Ahlul Bayt.
Ahlul Bayt, are usually a forgotten topic, except for those whom Allah wanted to illuminate their hearts, souls, and minds. The reason people dont want to talk about Ahlul Bayt has many aspects, but not only because of being accused with being a Shia!!, but more importantly, because talking about Ahlul Bayt means exposing all those Tyrants who killed, enslaved, slaughtered, tortured, and jailed Ahlul Bayt though out history. The reason is, that the history of Ahlul Bayt is a stand between Haqq and Batel, Right and Wrong, Justice and injustice. Many are not comfortable exposing those tyrants that rules the Muslim Ummah " under the very name of Islam!. Ahlul Bayt, alahem Assalam, stood up to protect the pure message of Islam, and sacrificed themselves often one after another, son after father, in a very long, continuous, and consistent pathway coverd by the blood of Shahid falling after Shahid from the sons and daughters of Rasoolul'Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa sallam, all so we can recieve the authentic message of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama'a. We, Alhamdulillah, have given an oath to our fathers and grandfathers, to continue their line and to teach their struggles, and benefit from their honorable Seerah.
The brothers here have recorded a summary of the Seerah of Sayyidina Al-Imam Al-Husayn, alayhi assalam, and I will ask them to find it and put it online so all can benefit from it. Similarly, about his father, Mawlana Amir Al-Mu'minin, Ali bin Abi Taleb, alayhi assalam. If Allah gives me time and health, I will talk about the most prominent ones of the old Scholars of Ahlul Bayt, specially the Shahids of Ahlul Bayt, including the 12 , you mentioned. if you have any ideas, please let us know, and dont forget us from your Du'a, Wassalam,
Muhammad bin Yahya Al-Husayni Al-Ninowy (may Allah forgive him)
After this date we have began to see more lectures on the AHlul bayt.
The 6th imam tells ` Yunus ibn Ammar: "Whatever Zararah has quoted through Imam Baqir [a], it is not lawful for us to refute it.` http://www.al-islam.org/hesham/17.htm
Here is the hadeeth:
211 - حدثني حمدويه بن نصير قال حدثني محمد بن الحسين بن أبي الخطاب عن الحسن بن محبوب السراد عن العلاء بن رزين عن يونس بن عمار قال قلت لأبي عبد الله (ع) إن زرارة قد روى عن أبي جعفر (ع) أنه لا يرث مع الأم و الأب و الابن و البنت أحد من الناس شيئا إلا زوج أو زوجة فقال أبو عبد الله (ع) أما ما رواه زرارة عن أبي جعفر (ع) فلا يجوز لي رده
Source:
The issue with the chain is Yoonus bin `Ammaar, who is majhool (unknown), therefore this hadeeth cannot be taken. Some people might take the tawtheeq of al-Najaashi of his son Ismaa`eel bin Yoonus.
However, in brother Nader Zaveri didn't reply to the first statement where it states.
Zararah b. Ayan Sheibani, was one of the chief companions of Imam Baqir [a] and Imam Al-Sadiq [a]. He was so respected and trustworthy that Imam Al-Sadiq [a] said: If this man, Zararah did not exist my traditions would have been lost. (Rejal-Kashi, Wasa'il Shiah v.18, Monlahal Amal, v.2. Pg. 871).
So the 12rs admit their religion is not fully codified by the Imams of Ahlul bayt (as).
Whenever you ask the 12r shia/rafida if they curse the sahaba, they respond by saying we only curse those who deserved to be cursed or they say by sending lanaat its just a way of asking Allah (swt) to remove mercy from certain personalities. Now if there is a personality who 12r shia hate the most I would say its hz Umar (ra). The 12rs believe he is responsible for Bibi Fatima's (sa) death so they try to justify one reason to why they curse Hz Umar (ra). Now in my previous post I have talked about the orgins of Tabarra which started by Muawiyah and the Ummavi rulers after him. Muawiyah claimed that Uthmaan (ra) was unjustly killed so he justified why he cursed Imam Ali (as). He also claimed that Imam Ali (as) was unworthy of leadership and that he was jealous of the first 3 calipahs. Muawiyah writes his first letter to Imam Ali (as) saying:
The most in advice to Allah and His Messenger was his successor- that's in reference to Abi Bakr (radi Allahu anhu)- then the successor of his successor- that's in reference to Umar ibn Al Khattab (radi Allahu anhu), and then the 3rd successor who was killed without justice, Uthman. Muawiyah is saying to Ali. You were jealous of all of them- meaning these three successors to the Prophet- you have aggressed against all of them. We could tell that from the smirk on your face and from the words of division which you pronounced and the times of relief that you felt during their reign and the way you were slow in consolidating with them- meaning with the khulafa' to the Prophet. In all of that time period pertaining to the three successors to the Prophet you were being led or drawn as a reluctant camel would be pulled and you were not more expressive in envy to any of them than you were to your paternal aunt's son- this is in reference to Uthman. (Baladhuri)
Here Muawiyah uses two reasons to justify his cursing of Imam Ali (as). One reason is he believed Imam Ali (as) was responsible for Uthmaan's (ra) death. The other reason can be seen from his first letter to Imam Ali (as) where he attacks the legtimacy of Imam Ali's (as) leadership. Imam Ali (as) reponds to this letter by saying
You mentioned that Allah chose for him helpers from the Muslims who supported him, and that they were ranked to Him according to their merits in Islam. You asserted that the most excellent of them in Islam, and the most sincere to Allah and the Messenger (saws) were the caliph [i.e. Abu Bakr] and his caliph [i.e. Umar]. I swear by my life, their stations were indeed great, and the loss of them was a great wound! May Allah be merciful to them and grant them a great reward! You also mentioned that Uthman was third in excellence. If Uthman was good then Allah will reward him for that; if not, he will encounter a Lord who is Most Merciful and forgives any sin, no matter how great. I swear by Allah, I am hopeful that when people are rewarded by Allah for their excellence and sincerity to Him and His Messenger, our share will be the most abundant! (Ansab of al-Baladhuri and the Wa'qat Siffin by al-Minqari.)
Now there are more details to these letters, but the focus here is emphasize on the concept of Tabarra. which certain sects believe its justitifed. I have listed 2 reasons why Muawiyah did Tabarra against Imam Ali (as). Now I will list 2 main reasons why 12r shias justify their Tabarra against the first 3 calipahs. The main reason is they believe that the first 3 calipahs were unworthy of leadership. The second reason is they actually think Bibi Fatima (sa) was killed and Umar (ra) was responsible for it.
Now again if we look at history Tabarra (character assissination) it was pioneered by Muawiyah and the Ummavi Kings who took power after him. Today on the contrary, its mainly practiced by the 12r shia. The reason why the Ummavis Kings and 12r Shia do Tabaara is similar, and difference is who they do it toward. As for Imam Ali (as) he never cursed the Calipahs, sure he differed from him many times but he never cursed them. As for the narration where 12rs use to say that bibi Fatima (sa) cursed the calipahs in every prayer those narrations don't have any chains.
Also, from the 12rs books we find many narrations which promote Tabarra (character assisination). I've seen these quotes on many websites and many shia sites such as answering ansaar haven't responded to them. On the contary, Answering Ansaar has responded to the hadith of Imam Mahdi (as) taking revenge against the sahaba. Below are quotes taken from the promienent shia scholar Mullah Baqir Al Majlisi. Al Majlisi in the shia sect has the status that ibn Tamiyah has for the salafis/wahabis.
Mullah Muhammed bin Yaqoob Kulaini, the most prominent Shi'ite scholar of Hadith, quotes Imam Baqir as saying:
'People became apostates after the death of the Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam), except for three people: Miqdad ibn Aswad, Abu Dharr Ghifari and Salmaan Farsi.' He continues:
'Abu Bakr and Omar did not repent before they parted the world. In fact, they did not even mention what they had done to Ali. So may Allah, His angels and all of mankind curse them. (Furu'ul Kafi: Kitabul Rauda: 115)
Mullah Baqir writes:
'Regarding the doctrine of' 'Tabarri' we believe that we should seek disassociation from four idols namely, Abu Bakr, Omar, Uthman and Mu'awiyah; from four women namely, Ayesha, Hafsa, Hind and Ummul Hakam, along with all their associates and followers. 'These are the worst creation of Allah. It is not possible to believe in Allah, His Messenger and the Imams without disassociating oneself from their enemies. (Haqqul Yaqeen: 2:519)
[The doctrine of 'Tabarri' means to have no association with the enemies of Allah.]
Mullah Baqir writes:
'One should say after each prayer: O Allah! Curse Abu Bakr, Omar, Uthman, Mu'awiyah, Ayesha, Hafsa, Hind and Ummul Hakam. (Aynul Hayat: 599)
The Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi wa aalihi Wasallam), came to a person from the Ansaar and asked him if he had any food. The Ansaari said he had and slaughtered a goat. The man then grilled some meat and presented it to the Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi wa aalihi Wasallam) who wished that Ali, Fathima, Hasan and Hussain were present with him. Then Abu Bakr and Omar arrived. Ali also arrived shortly after. Allah then revealed the verse:
'We have never sent any messenger prophet or Muhaddath before except that when ever they desired something, the devil interfered in their desire.' (The Prophet then said) This is just as the devil has sent his two agents here right now (Abu Bakr and Omar). (The footnotes of Maqbool's translation: Surah Hajj: 674)
[Muhaddath is a non-prophet but he is inspired by Allah]
Mullah Baqir Majlisi writes:
'Pharaoh and Hamaan refer here to Abu Bakr and Omar. (Haqqul Yaqeen: 342)
The same author also says:
'The references in big books about the illegitimate birth of Omar cannot be discussed in this book. (Ibid: 259)
Allah says in Surah Nahl (90):
"And He prevents you from immorality, unlawfulness and rebellion.'
Ali ibn Ibrahim AI-Qummi comments on this verse:'These three vices refer to so and so, so and so and so and so.' (Al Qummi's commentary: 218)
Any ambiguity is cleared by the following comment: 'Immorality refers to the first person (Abu Bakr); unlawfulness refers to the second (Omar) and rebellion refers to the third (Uthman). (Footnotes to Maqbool's translation: 522)
Today the government of Iran is promoting a concept of unity where Sunnis and shias unite against a greater enemy. However, the ironic part about this concept is Iran doesn't even want to built any relations with Sunnis within their own country. They presecuted many Sunnis scholars in Iran, and won't allow Sunnis to have even one mosque in Tehran. As for Tabarra, I am sure you can find more than 70,000 mosques in Tehran where the Sahabas are cursed.
Imam Ali (as) is among the most important personalities in Islam. He is the 4th Rightly Guided calipah of the Ummah and Spiritual heir of Prophet (sawas). Through him there are 40 sufi Tariqahs traced and one sufi Tariqh which traces to Abu Bakr (ra). There are many parts of Imam Ali's (as) history which are not discussed about in our local masjids. Imam Ali's (as) history is actually very similar to Prophet Isa's (as) history. The reason is both personalities were surounded by three groups. Two of these three groups were extreme. One extreme group loved them too much and one group hated them. Imam Ali (as) life was so similar to Prophet Isa's (as) that the RasoolAllah (sawas) mentioned to Imam Ali (as) that he is like Prophet Isa (as). The reason being is since Imam Ali (as) will come across people who hate him and people who love to the extreme.
The hadith is recorded in Imam Ahmad's Musnad
Narrated Imam Ali bin Abu-Talib (a.s) said: "The Messenger of Allah called me and told me: 'You are alike with Jesus, Yahood hated him till they slandered his mother, and Nasaara loved him till they put him in the position that is not for him.' With regard to me, two categories of people will be ruined, namely he who loves me too much and the love takes him away from rightfulness, and he who hates me too much and the hatred takes him away from rightfulness. Verily, I am not a prophet, and there is nothing revealed to me. But I work with the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of his Prophet (pbuh) as much as I can. So whatever I have asked you in regard of obeying Allah, it is your duty to obey me whether you like it or not." [Ahmad]
The same Hadith is also found in alHakim's in Mustadrak
As extremes existed in Prophet Isa's (as) time, likewise these type of extremes existed during Imam Ali (as) time as well. A group of people loved Imam Ali (as) so much that they said he declared him to be a God. Another group hated him so much that they began cursing him, declared him as evil being, and even persecuted him.
