Shi’a In The Days Of The Holy Prophet

When did Shi’a Faith originate and how did it come into existence? Who was the first person to sow the seed of Shi’a Faith? How did this sapling grow up and bear flowers and fruits so much so that even most of the statesmen of Islam believed in it and a number of Abbasid Caliph and some of their famous Ministers professed humility before it?

Who were the people who watered this sapling with their blood? How did the people take refuge with the Holy Imams and the Progeny of the Holy Prophet as a consequence of the misrepresentations and deviations of the Umayyad and the Abbasid Caliphs?

The first person who sowed the seed of Shi’a Faith in the land of Islam was the Prophet of Allah, the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be on him. In other words, the seed of Shi’a Faith was sown simultaneously with that of Islam. The Holy Prophet watered it and looked after it consistently till the sapling grew up into a tree. Its branches were laden with flowers and it bore fruit after the passing away of the Holy Prophet. This statement is supported by the traditions (Ahadith) quoted from the Holy Prophet. Their narrators are not Shi’a lest it should be said in the words of Ahmad Amin and others like him, that their statements are not credible as they believe in the concept of the Return or that it is only to achieve their own ends that they have narrated these traditions.

No, not that but the narrators of these traditions are all distinguished Sunni Ulama’ and have been quoted through reliable authorities so that no sensible person (keeping in view the circumstances thereof) can deny their authenticity or attribute to them any possibility of forgery or falsehood.

Here I would like to mention a few of these traditions in connection with the study of some other matters:

(i) The famous Sunni scholar As-Suyyuti while explaining the sublime Qur’anic verse 98:7, quotes from Ibn Asakir who quotes from J abir Ibn Adullah who quotes from the Holy Prophet: “We were with the Holy Prophet when Imam ‘Ali was coming towards us. The Holy Prophet said: He and his Shi’a will acquire salvation on the Day of Judgement. And it is at this time that the sublime verse: “The righteously striving believers are the best of all creatures” (98:7) was revealed”1.

(ii) He also quotes from Ibn Adi who quotes from Ibn Abbas to the effect that when the sacred verse 98:7 was revealed, the Holy Prophet said to Imam ‘Ali: “This is about you and your Shi ah on the Day of Judgement. You will be pleased with Allah and He will be pleased with you”.

(iii) Similarly, Ibn Marduyah quotes Imam Ah as saying: “The Holy Prophet said to me, ‘Have you not heard that Almighty Allah says: “The righteously striving believers are the best of all creatures” (98:7). By this, you and your Shi’a are meant and whose rendez-vous with me will be at the Font of Kauthar. When different people will be called to account and present themselves in the court of the Almighty Allah, you will be called in such a condition that your foreheads, hands and feet will be shining”.

These three traditions have been quoted by As-Suyyuti in al-Durr al-Manthur.

The next famous Sunni scholar, Ibn Hajar, has aso quoted some of them in his book al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqa from Darqutni.

(iv) Ibn Hajar also quotes from Mother of the Faithful Umm Salama to the effect that the Holy Prophet said, “O ‘Ali! You and your friends will be in Paradise”.

(v) Ibn Athir also quotes in Nihaya to the effect that it is stated in the tradition related by Imam ‘Ali that the Holy Prophet said to him: “You and your Shi’a will soon meet Allah in such circumstances that you will be pleased with Him and He will be pleased with you and your enemies will meet you with dark faces in such a condition that their heads will be pulled up on account of tightened iron collars and chains round their necks”.

It seems that this tradition too, has been quoted by Ibn Hajar in al-Sawa’iq and also in other statements in a different manner. Hence, it can be concluded that this is one of the well-known traditions.

Zamakhahri in Rabi’ Al-Abrar quotes the Holy Prophet as saying, “O ‘Ali! On the Day of Judgement, I shall resort to Allah and you will resort to me and your children will resort to you and the Shi’a will resort to them. Then you will see where they carry us (i.e. to Paradise)”.

If books of traditions like Musnad of Ahmad Ibn Hambal, Khasa’is Nisa’i etc. are studied, it will be quite easy to collect many other similar traditions.

When the Holy Prophet of Islam repeatedly mentions the name of the Shi’a of ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib in his discourses and says that.they will be safe on the Day of Judgement and will acquire salvation and will be pleased with Allah and Allah will be pleased with them, there should be no doubt about the fact that all those who recognize the Holy Prophet to be the Messenger of Allah and have belief in his Prophethood and know that he does not say anything on the basis of his personal desire or wish will believe in what he has said in the above quoted traditions.

Who Were Called Shi’a?

Incidentally, it can be concluded from the preceding traditions that this distinction (of being a Shi’a) was for some particular companions of the Holy Prophet and not for all of them and these traditions are applicable to the former only. Hence, people who have abandoned the real meaning of these traditions and have interpreted them to cover all the companions of the Holy Prophet have not reached the depth of their real import!

To explain the matter further, it may be said that it appears from books on Hadith and History that during the days of the Holy Prophet numerous companions (of the Holy Prophet) were close friends and attendants of Imam ‘Ali who considered him to be their Imam and religious leader in the capacity of the missionary of the Holy Prophet and the expounder of his teachings and orders and who were, from that very time, identified as Shi’a of Imam ‘Ali. This fact can be verified by reference to the books of lexicographers like Nihaya of Ibn Athir, Lisan Al-Arab etc. They explain that that: word “friends”, or “supporters”, by lapse of time became known as their proper name.

It goes without saying that if by the words “Shi’a of ‘Ali’’ the Holy Prophet had meant all the people who were friendly towards him, or, at least, were not inimical towards him, in such a manner that the term should cover all or most of the Muslims (as comprehended by some ill-informed people), the interpretation of the word Shi’a in such a sense will not at all be appropriate, because being friendly towards someone or not being inimical towards him is not sufficient for the application of the title of Shi’a to him but something more special is latent in its concept.

The Meaning Of The Word Shi’a

Shi’a means a follower and an obedient person. As a matter of fact, only following and obedience are also not sufficient. The meaning of the word implies that he should be loyal, staunch and constant.

Those who even have very little acquaintance with the usages and expressions of Arabic language will certainly understand the meaning of the word Shi’a in such a manner that if it is used in any other sense, it will certainly need further explanation.

In short it cannot be justified on the face of these and other similar traditions to deny the fact that what is meant by Shi’a is a particular group of Muslims who had some special relations with Imam ‘Ali and that this group was superior to other Muslims, although the hearts of those others were also not empty of love for him (not to talk of their being inimical towards him).

What we have said should not be misunderstood. We do not mean to say that those companions of the Holy Prophet who were not a part of this special group and who formed the majority of the companions were, Allah forbid, against the Holy Prophet or did not display humility in the following of his teachings and orders. No, we do not at all mean this. Allah forbid that we shall have such an opinion about the friends and companions of the Holy Prophet when they were in their time the best people on the face of this earth.

Here the question is obvious. Possibly all of them did not hear these traditions and those who did hear them did not perhaps become acquainted with their real purport. In any case, the revered companions of the Holy Prophet enjoy a much higher position than that which lowly people could aspire to reach2.

Let us not divert from the subject. The Holy Prophet of Islam took care of this sapling consistently and watered it with the sweet water of his words. He followed up this reality sometimes directly and sometimes indirectly. The traditions available in this context are very well-known to the distinguished Sunni traditionalists - not to speak of Shi’a scholars - and most of them have been quoted in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim for example:

(i) The famous tradition of Manzilat (similarity):

In this tradition the Holy Prophet says, “‘Ali is to me as Harun was to Musa3.

(ii) A famous tradition says: “None except the true believers are friendly towards you and none except the hypocrites are inimical towards you”.

(iii) In the famous tradition called Tayr the Holy Prophet has been quoted as saying,

“O Allah! Send your most favourite servant to me!” (And thereafter Imam ‘Ali arrived in his presence!)”

(iv) One night, during the Battle of Khaybar, the HolyProphet was pleased to remark,

“Tomorrow I shall give the Standard to the man who is loved by Allah and his Prophet and who also loves Allah and His Prophet”.

(v) The tradition of Thaqalayn:

In this tradition the Holy Prophet says: “I leave amongst you two very precious things - the Book of Allah and my Ahl al-Bayt (Holy Progeny of the Holy Prophet)”4.

(vi) A famous tradition says: “‘Ali is always with truth and truth is with ‘Ali”.

There are many examples of such traditions but we do not wish to mention them one by one in this small treatise.

Fortunately, we have been relieved of this responsibility by many detailed books which have been written on this subject. A reference thereto will make the position crystal clear. Out of these books, one entitled Abaqat al-Anwar, has been written by the distinguished Indian scholar Sayyid Hamid Husayn. This book consists of more than ten volumes, each volume being about as big as Sahih Bukhari. In this book he has quoted authorities for the aforesaid traditions from authentic Sunni sources and fully explained their applicability to the object. This scholar is one of hundreds and thousands of those who have, before or after him, discussed this matter and compiled books on it.

Shi’a After The Prophet

After the passing away of the Holy Prophet, some of his companions decided to hold back Caliphate (vicegerency) from Imam ‘Ali, the excuse being that he was comparatively younger or that the Quraysh did not like that both Prophethood and Caliphate should be in the family of Bani Hashim (as if they thought that they wielded authority in the matter of Prophethood and Caliphate and could pass on to anyone they liked) or for some other reason with which we are not concerned for the present.

At this juncture, Imam ‘Ali refrained from swearing allegiance to the Caliph of the time and this is a fact which is admitted by the ‘Ulama’ of both the sects (Shi’a and Sunni). It has, however, been said in Sahih Bukhari in the chapter relating to the Battle of Khaybar that Imam ‘Ali did not swear allegiance till after the passage of six months. Some other distinguished friends and companions of the Holy Prophet such as Ammar, Miqdad and Zubayr as well as some others followed Imam ‘Ali and declined to take the oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr.

However, when Imam ‘Ali felt that his continued refusal to take the oath of allegiance might result in irreparable loss to Islam, he consented to take the oath of allegiance for two specific reasons: firstly, people knew that he had no greed for the seat of power and secondly, he never wanted Caliphate as an instrument to wield power and to establish his superiority. His conversation in this regard with Ibn Abbas at Ziqar5 is well-known.

He wanted the Caliphate only to strengthen Islam and to establish the principles of truth and justice.

On the other hand, he observed that the first and second caliphs were making efforts for the propagation of the Divine law and expansion of Islamic territories by conquests and did not display any despotism. For these reasons he reconciled himself with them after six months and renounced his indisputable right, lest the unanimity of the Muslims should be converted into dispersion and discord and people might revert to the Age of Ignorance.

During this period, the Shi’a continued to exist under Imam ‘Ali’s protection and, benefiting from the light of his person, brightened their thoughts and soul. It is evident that in those days there was no opportunity for manifestation of Shi’a Faith and the Muslims continued to advance on the same path which had been levelled for them by the Holy Prophet.

The Muslims continued their aforesaid journey till they reached the cross-roads of truth and falsehood. Falsehood now parted ways with truth, for Mu’awiya declined to take the oath of allegiance to Imam ‘Ali and came out to fight against him at Siffin. At this juncture rest of the devoted companions of the Holy Prophet came round Imam ‘Ali and met martyrdom under the shadow of his standard. On that day eighty distinguished companions of the Holy Prophet were with Imam ‘Ali all of whom had the honour of being the heroes of Badr (i.e. those who participate in the Battle of Badr) or for having taken the oath of allegiance at Aqaba, like Ammar Yasir, Khuzayma Zush Shahadatayn, Abu Ayub Ansari and. others.

After the martyrdom of Imam ‘Ali and Mu’awiya’s coming at the helm of affairs, and after the termination of the period of orthodox Caliphs, Mu’awiya laid the foundations of his rule of despotism and personal will. He sowed the seeds of tyranny and injustice among the Muslims, invented heresies and did many other things which it is not possible to reckon or explain here.

It is however, an admitted fact and all the Muslims are unanimous about it that his ways were absolutely different from those of the preceding Caliphs and he ruled the Muslims against their will and desire.

Caliphs’ Worldliness And Piety Of Ahl Al-Bayt

The Commander of the Faithful Imam ‘Ali used to observe piety and virtuousness in all aspects of his life. His dress and food were coarse and unwholesome. Deceit did. not find any place either in his words or in his deeds, and Islam manifested itself in his person and throughout his life in its most sublime manner. On the contrary the ways of Mu’awiya in all these matters were quite the reverse of those of Imam ‘Ali. The event of his assigning the vast land of Egypt to Amr Ibn As as a reward for his fraud, cunningness, dishonesty and deceitful schemes is well-known. And even more well-known is the unwillingness of the common Muslims to take the oath of allegiance to Yazid (after his nomination by Mu’awiya for the Caliphate) and acceptance by Mu’awiya of Zayd Ibn Abih as the son of his own father, Abu Sufyan.

Mu’awiya used to spread very colourful dinner carpets at the cost of hard earnings of common Muslims and of the Public Treasury and collected thereon all sorts of rich and tasty foods for himself and his companions.

In this connection Abu Sa’id Mansur Ibn Husayn Abi (d. 422 A.H.) writes thus in his book entitled Nathr ud-Durar: Ahnaf Ibn Qays says, “One day I went to see Mu’awiya. He had laid a wonderful dinner carpet. He brought all sorts of hot, cold, sweet, and sour foods for me. I was wonder-struck. Later, as ordered by him, another dish of a different kind of food was brought in. I tried my best to find out what it was but did not succeed. I, therefore, enquired about it from Mu’awiya. He replied that it consisted of the intestines of a duck which had been filled with the marrow of the sheep and had then been fried in pistachio oil and finally sugar had been sprinkled on it. I began to weep. He asked me: “Why are you weeping?” I replied, “I have been reminded of the life of Imam ‘Ali. I remember that one day I was with him. When the time for dinner and breaking the fast drew near he asked me to remain with him. A sealed leather case was brought to him. I asked him what it contained and he told me that there was barley flour in it”. I asked him, “Why have you sealed it? Are you afraid that others may take some of it or do you not wish that anyone else should eat it? He replied, “Who else? As a matter of fact, I am afraid that my sons Al-Hasan and Husayn may not taint it with butter or olive oil”. I said, “O Commander of the Faithful! Is it prohibited?” He replied, “No. It is not prohibited. However, it is necessary for the true administrators and rulers to consider themselves to be the most deprived people so that poverty and distress may not press and squeeze the indigent’’.

When I had said this, Mu’awiya interrupted and said: “You have mentioned a man whose excellence cannot be denied by anyone”6.

Zamakhshari in Rabi’ ul-Abrar as well as others have narrated many wonderful anecdotes similar to the above which bear testimony to the authenticity of this claim.

The incidents and the conditions brought about by Mu’awiya belonged to a time when the people had not yet forgotten the things in the days of the Holy Prophet and the Caliphs and their indifference to the pomp and display of the worldly things.

Caliphs Were Indifferent To Islam

This unpleasant situation continued till Mu’awiya flouted all the promises made by him to Imam Al-Hasan at the time of concluding a Peace Pact and later got Imam Al-Hasan poisoned as a consequence of which he met martyrdom. When he found the ground ready, he compelled the people to swear allegiance to his son Yazid, although even in those days people did not know anything better about him than we know today.

From here onwards the fire of anger and general discontentment against the organisation of Bani Umayyah kindled up in the hearts of the Muslim community. All the Muslims realised that Mu’awiya was a worldly-minded person who did not have the least interest in the religion. As a matter of fact, Mu’awiya has himself passed a very fair judgement on himself, for, as quoted by Zamakhshari in Rabi’ Al-Abrar, he says: “In regards to Abu Bakr he left the world in peace and the world too remained in peace with him. In regards to Umar he tried to manage and remedy it and the world also managed and remedied him. In regards to Uthman he exploited it and the world too profited from him. But I have embraced the world completely and have united myself with it and, the world too has united itself with me”.

From that day i.e. from the day of the commencement of the Caliphate of Mu’awiya and Yazid, the Divine rule became separated from the temporal rule, although during the days of the previous Caliphs they were united and the Caliph considered himself responsible for holding the reins of the spiritual affairs of the people with one hand and those of their temporal affairs with the other. From the time of Mu’awiya, however, the people realised that he had not the least interest in their religious and spiritual affairs and his entire attention was directed towards his politics in the material sphere.

In the circumstances they (the common people) realised that there was some other leader whom they had to refer to for guidance in religious and spiritual matters. And when they found none else more able and more authentic than Imam ‘Ali and his sons in the matter of knowledge, piety, bravery and nobility of birth, they united with them. This situation coupled with the tradition which had been quoted about them (the Holy Progeny) from the Holy Prophet became the cause of the sapling of Shi’a Faith becoming fruitful day by day and for its growth in the Islamic Ummah like a fresh spirit.

In the wake of these conditions occurred the martyrdom of Imam Husayn and the pathetic and deplorably gruesome events of Karbala - the events which history will never forget and the tragic effects of which will continue to remain in our hearts forever.

Imam Husayn was the son [grandson] of the Holy Prophet, the rose of his garden and an apple of his eye. There were still alive some companions of the Holy Prophet, like Zayd Ibn Arqam, Jabir Ibn Abdullah al-Ansari, Sahl Ibn Sa’d Sa’idi and Anas Ibn Malik who had observed the extreme love of the Holy Prophet for Imam Husayn and his brother (peace be on them). They had seen how the Holy Prophet lifted them on his shoulders and used to say, “What a fine ride you have and what fine riders you are!” Yes. These companions were still alive and they made known to the people whatever they had seen and heard from the Holy Prophet about the merits of Imam Husayn and other children of Imam ‘Ali (peace be on them).

Crimes Of Bani Umayyah And Bani Marwan

Bani Umayyah continued their indulgence in atrocities and crimes. Their hands and mouths were besmeared with the blood of the children of the Holy Prophet. Either they killed or poisoned them or made them their captives. Naturally enough, these events in turn made Shi’a Faith to take its root day by day and expanded its scope. It sowed the seed of the sapling of love for Imam ‘Ali and his descendants in the hearts of the Muslims and established their extraordinary popularity.

Yes! Everyone knows that the unbearable condition of the oppressed ones plays the greatest role in making a mark on the hearts of the people at large!

On this account the more Bani Umayyah increased their cruelties, despotism, obstinacy and murders of innocent people for strengthening their tottering regime, the more the hearts of the people became inclined towards the Holy Progeny of the Holy Prophet.

In other words, by their own misdeed, they in fact provided considerable assistance to the Holy Progeny of the Holy Prophet and for the advancement of their object. The more they oppressed the Shi’a and the friends of the Holy Progeny of the Holy Prophet and openly said unbecoming things about Imam ‘Ali from the pulpits and tried to conceal their attributes, the more reverse was the effect on the people and greater was their failure in harming the Shi’a. Greater, too, was the hostile reaction of other Muslims as has been described by Sha’bi to his son, “My son, whatever has been founded by faith and the faithful, cannot be destroyed by the world (materialistic forces) and whatever the world and the worldly people have founded, has been destroyed by faith. Think properly about ‘Ali and his children. Bani Umayyah try to conceal their merits but in fact their action had a counter effect and led to their elevation. They endeavour to propagate the qualities of their own ancestors, but it is just like scattering the limbs of a corpse”.

It is worth noticing that Sha’bi, who is said to have spoken the above words is a person who has been accused of being inimical to Imam ‘Ali. However, Zamakhshari, the well-known Sunni scholar, quotes him in his book Rabi’ Al-Abrar as saying, “‘Ali has created a difficulty for us. If we befriend him, they will kill us and if we harbour grudge against him in our hearts we shall be destroyed”.

The state of affairs continued like this till the Sufyani rule (i.e. of the sons and descendents of Abu Sufyan) came to an end and the Marwanis, headed by Abdul Malik Ibn Marwan, came at the helm of affairs.

Yes! Abdul Malik! The same man under whose orders his lieutenant Hajjaj erected catapults opposite the Holy Ka’bah and set the House of Allah on fire and destroyed it. He killed all those who had taken refuge in the Ka’bah and chopped off the head of Abdullah Ibn Zubayr in Masjid Haram between the Ka’bah and Maqam Ibrahim. Consequently, he desecrated the sanctity of Allah’s Sanctuary of Peace which was held in high esteem even by the people of the Age of Ignorance who considered it a sin to shed therein even the blood of wild animals, not to say of human beings.

Another example of his cowardly and evil deed is that although he gave asylum to his cousin Amr Ibn Sa’id Ashdaq and promised not to interfere with him, he soon broke his promise and assassinated him in a dastardly manner, as satirised by Abdur Rahman Ibn Hakam in some of his poetic verses, one of which is as under:

“O sons of Khayt Batil7 [treacherous man], you were guilty of breach of trust with regard to Amr. Those like you always build their promises on the foundation of treachery.

Is a person who commits such shameful acts entitled to be called a Muslim? Not to speak of his being the Caliph of the Muslims and the Leader of the Faithful!”

Bani Marwan were always guilty of such wrongs and even more shameful acts. The only person among them wh9se object was different from others was Umar Ibn Abdul Aziz, a pious man.

When the time of the Abbasids came, according to the well-known sayings, they tuned up the tambourine to new melodies, so much so that a person who had witnessed the rule of both Bani Marwan and Bani Abbas says about them: “Would that the injustice of Bani Marwan had remained, and the justice of Bani Abbas had gone to Hell!”

This tyrannical rule brought matters to such a turn that the Alavis, wherever they were found, were put to death, their houses were destroyed and their traces were obliterated. And all this happened in spite of the fact that the Abbasids were the so-called cousins of the Alavis.

These atrocities were so widespread that the poets of the time of Mutawakkil (with all the limitations and agitations that pervaded the atmosphere) opened their lips to reproach Bani Abbas. One of them says: “I swear by Allah if Bani Umayyah cruelly murdered the son of the Holy Prophet, his cousins also repeated the same acts. This ruined grave, of his, bears testimony to this fact. They (Bani Abbas) were sorry for not having participated in his murder. Consequently, they meted out the same treatment to his sacred bones.

It would be better to place side by side with the savage behaviour of the Bani Marwan and the Abbasids and the behaviour of the descendants of Imam ‘Ali and to compare them with each other and thereby to find out the secret of the expansion of Shi’a Faith.

Shi’a Faith Was An Islamic Movement

Fortunately, in the light of living history it becomes clear that contrary to the futile views of some visionaries, the Shi’a Faith was not an Iranian movement or something connected with Abdullah Ibn Saba. On the contrary, it was a purely Islamic Movement which had its origin in the special attachment and sentiments of the Muslims for the Prophet of Islam.

To understand this reality, we should study the life of the children of Imam ‘Ali, the foremost among them being Imam Zayn Al-’Abidin. After the martyrdom of his father, Imam Husayn, he withdrew from the scene of hustle and bustle-ridden environment of the world and the worldly people - and engaged himself in the worship of Allah, furtherance of morality and refinement of inner self and piety. It was he who opened this chapter for a number of Tabi’in like Hasan al-Basri, Tawus al-Yamani, Ibn Sirin, Umar Ibn Ubayd and others who had stepped into the world of piety and gnosticism. The Holy Imam undertook this task at a time when the conditions were such as might obliterate all sense of piety from the peoples’ hearts and efface every trace and sign of Divinity from the world.

After Imam Zayn al-’Abidin his son Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir and grandson Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq came at the helm of affairs and made efforts to strengthen the foundation of this faith. The period of interval was between the downfall of the regime of Bani Umayyah and the commencement of the reign of Bani Abbas. The first party was heading towards decline and definite fall whereas the second party was yet to gain sufficient strength.

This sensitive situation provided a good opportunity to Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq. The nightmare of injustice was removed and the veil of dissimulation was set aside. Imam As-Sadiq could now propagate everywhere the commandments of Allah and the traditions of the Holy Prophet which he had obtained from a pure. and real source namely, his father, and his father from his grandfather, the Commander of the Faithful, who received it from the Prophet of Allah.

It was under Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq that the Shi’a Faith spread with unprecedented rapidity. There was a group of narrators who learnt the traditions from him with utmost eagerness and enthusiasm. So great was their number and their enthusiasm that Abu al-Hasan Wash’a, a resident of Kufa used to say: “In this very Masjid al-Kufa, I saw as many as.4000 distinguished and learned people, everyone of whom said Ja’far Ibn Muhammad narrated this tradition for us”. We do not wish to prolong this discussion by quoting different authorities and thus drift away from our real subject, especially so because the proposition is too clear to cast doubt in any mind.

What needs attention is that while the Umayyads and the Abbasids were exceptionally busy in strengthening the foundations of their reign and fighting against their enemies and had spread the carpet of merry-making and were openly engaged in pursuit of pleasure and amusements, the descendants of Imam ‘Ali had invested their entire attention to the pursuit of knowledge, worship and piety. They were not at all concerned with the superficial allurements of life and did not take any part in politics - the same wretched politics which at that time was synonymous with falsehood, fraud and deceit.

It is evident that this difference had a great influence in spreading the Shi’a Faith and attracting the attention of the Muslims towards the Holy Progeny of the Prophet. It turned public opinion against the Umayyads and the Abbasids and inclined it towards the chosen descendants of the Holy Prophet.

It is also evident that although the people of those times, like those of all other times, had keen interest in material matters and their love for richness and wealth could not be denied, yet at the same time, sharpening of intellect, knowledge and spiritualism had not still been absolutely erased from their minds and souls. It was so, especially because they had not yet gone far from the time of the Holy Prophet and the traces of his teachings were still fresh in their minds. Furthermore, Islam, too, has a broad outlook and does not prohibit earning of wealth by lawful means.

On the one hand, Muslims could clearly see that Islam was the same religion which opened doors of blessings for them and made the stream of good luck and fortune flow for their society. Furthermore, it had humiliated the kings of Iran and Byzantium before them and had given the keys of the treasures of East and West in their hands. In short, it had granted them victories and honours even a small part of which had not been dreamt by them previously. Were they not, therefore, justified, in these circumstances, to wish to get acquainted with the principles, rules and regulations of this sublime religion? It is evident that they wished whole-heartedly to know what Islam said and what its programme was. At least they wanted to be aware of the duties pertaining to the society and to domestic affairs and matters related. to the purity of the human race etc.

On the other side, however they endeavoured, they did not find any signs of knowledge of these matters with the people who had occupied the office of Caliphate and assumed the titles of Caliph of the Muslims and Commander of the Faithful. However, after investigation they found this knowledge in its most complete and most sublime form with the chosen descendants of the Holy Prophet. Hence, it was not surprising that they had to believe in them and accept them as their Imams, the true successors (caliphs) of the Holy Prophet, the guardians of Islam and the real missionaries of the commands of Allah. This was another factor for the expansion of Shi’a Faith.

This ardent faith and deep-rooted spiritual sentiment had kindled like a flame in the hearts of a number of Shi’a and it was the same thing which encouraged them to embrace different kinds of dangers and offer sacrifices.

Brave Men And Devoted Poets

It would be appropriate if we look into the lives of Hujr Ibn Adi al-Kindi, Amr Ibn Humuq al-Khuza’i, Rashid Hijri, Maytham at-Tammar, Abdullah Ibn Afif al-Azdi and others like them who ceaselessly waged a relentless war against perversion in religion and did not rest even for a moment till the perversion was completely eliminated.

Were these sincere sacrifices displayed by these brave men for securing any office or riches from the Holy Progeny of the Holy Prophet? Were they afraid of them especially when, in those ghastly times, the chosen descendants of the Holy Prophet’s family were themselves homeless?

No, these sacrifices were not motivated by anything other than ardent faith and belief in a sacred object and it were these very things which brought such operations into existence8.

Now we shall look into the lives of the great poets of the 1st and the 2nd centuries A.H. They were no doubt very much dependent on the regime of the day from the material view-point and looked to it for material help as well as security from distress. Yet, at the same time, neither fear nor covetousness (although the poets are usually worldly people!) nor the pressures of the regime and not even the drawn sword which was hanging over their heads, restrained them from supporting truth or from combating the enemies of Islam and disgracing them.

Their numbers consisted of people from Farazdaq up to Kumayt and from Sayyid Himyari to De’bal Khuza’i, to Dik al-Jin, to Abi Tamam, to Bahtri and to Amir Abu Faras al-Hamadaru, author of the famous panegyric wherein he says: “You have torn the curtains of faith, trampled upon the Divine law and looted the properties of the Progeny of the Holy Prophet” (till the end of panegyric wherein he has brought interesting facts to light).

They stood up in support of truth in that turbulent atmosphere and defended the Progeny of the Holy Prophet with their powerful poetic verses. As a matter of fact, each one of them was a genius of his time in the field of poetry and literature and had to his credit a large number of exciting panegyrics and precious quatrains in the praise of the Holy Imams and in reproach of the Kings and Caliphs of the time and their atrocities and cruelties. In these poems they have expressed love for the family of the Holy Prophet and hatred for their opponents.

It is well-known that De’bal Khuza’i used to say: “It is now forty years that I am carrying the gallows on my shoulder but I have not yet found anyone who should hang me on it”. It was the same De’bal who satirised Haru n Rashid, Mamun, Amin and Mu’tasim in his verses and eloquently praised Imam As-Sadiq, Imam Musa Al-Kadhim and Imam ‘Ali ar-Ridha’ (peace be on them). His poetic verses in this regard are available in the books of history and literature. It should also be remembered that all these people belonged to the periods when Bani Umayyah and Bani Abbas wielded power and had complete control over the people. Observe carefully and ponder over the wonderful effect of the strength of faith and reality which enlightened hearts and souls of Muslims to make them fulfil the requirements of moral heroism, sacrifice and selflessness.

History is generally replete with such deeds and particularly the history of Islam. However, we want to explain only the real origin of Shi’a Faith and the source of the seed that was sown in the land of Islam as well as causes and factors for its rapid expansion. We have not followed up this discussion under the influence of religious sentiments. On the other hand, whatever we have said is a logical analysis, free from all sorts of bias, depending on a chain of facts and authentic historical evidence and we think that with the grace of Allah we have done justice to the subject to some extent. Now it is up to you to take counsel from my words or feel aggrieved on their account.

Furthermore, there should be no misunderstanding that our intention is to ignore or deny some of the services of the Caliphs and the good deeds done by them for the sake of the world of Islam, because only obstinate people deny such things and, thank Allah, we are not obstinate and we hate vilification and slander.

We appreciate good things and, as far as possible, ignore bad things. We say: “They were the people who are now no more. If they did good deeds, they will be rewarded for them. And if they have done bad deeds, they will be held responsible for them. Their account is with Allah. If Allah forgives them, it will be in consonance with His Kindness and Grace; and if He punishes them, He will have dealt with them in accordance with the canons of Justice”.

We also wish to remind our readers that we are not inclined to mention the pangs of our heart and, as far as possible, do not permit our pen to repeat them. But what are we to do when some of our contemporary writers have imputed such cowardly and uncalled for calumnies to the Shi’a except that we have been compelled to repeat some of these with pain.

In any case, our real object was to introduce the real founder of Shi’a Faith and the person who planted the·first sapling of this faith. And as explained in the foregoing pages, this task was not performed by anyone other than the Holy Prophet of Islam himself. It has also been clarified that the real factors of the spread and expansion of the Shi’a faith were a chain of various causes linked with one another which have continued their effects in an inevitable manner.

So far as this ·part of the book is concerned, we content ourselves with what has been said. We now deal with the second part and commence discussions regarding the beliefs of the Shi’a with reference to the basic principles of faith and articles of act.

• 1. See Tafsir al-Durr al-Manthur.
• 2. Besides this, it is an admitted fact that all the companions did not enjoy the same rank in the matter of faith, knowledge and submission to what they heard from the Holy Prophet. To say that all the companions were purified and just is not compatible with any of the intellectual, logical, traditional and historical standards and has lost its value. Possibly there were people among the companions who, on account of their age, or to safeguard their social and apparent status (or for other reasons), were not inclined to be called Shi’a of Imam ‘Ali, who was at that time in the prime of his life.
• 3. This is one of the most well-known traditions about Imam ‘Ali which have been quoted in most of the books of Sunni like Sahih Muslim, Chapter on Attributes of Imam ‘Ali (vol. II, p. 324) and similarly, al-Mustadrak al-Hakim (vol. Ill, p. 109) and Anwar al-Muhammadiya min Mawahibi al-Laduniyah (p. 436) Sahih Bukhari (vol. III, p. 54), Musnad Ahmad (vol. I, p. 98), Isti’ab (vol. II, p.473) and many other books.
• 4. This is one of the most authentic and unambiguous traditions which clarifies the faith of the Holy Progeny of the Holy Prophet and their followers. In this tradition, the Holy Prophet has declared that to follow ‘the members of his Progeny is just like following the Holy Qur’an and obeying them, protects one from perversion. According to this tradition, next to the Holy Qur’an, the members of the Holy Prophet’s Progeny are the only competent authority, after the Holy Prophet to whom the Muslims should turn and they (the Muslims) cannot at all prevent themselves from following them.
  This tradition has been quoted by many distinguished Sunni scholars in their books such as: Musnad of Ahmad Ibn Hambal (vol. III, pp. 17, 26 and 59) Sahih Muslim (vol. II, p. 238), Sahih Tirmidhi (vol. II, p. 308), Zakha’ir ul-Uqba of Tabari p. 16, al-Mustadrak al-Hakim (vol. III, p. 109), Fakhr al-Razi in his Tafsir (vol. III, p. 18) and a large number of other traditionalists, exegetes and historians have also quoted this tradition in their books. Narration of their particulars will, however, make the account very lengthy.
• 5. Ziqar is a town near Basra. While proceeding to Basra to suppress the revolt of the People of the Camel, Imam ‘Ali along with his soldiers stayed at this place. Here he delivered a brief but forceful sermon in which he showed his determination to enforce the principles of truth and justice at all costs. This sermon has come down to us as his memorial and is recorded in Nahj Al-Balaghah. Before delivering the sermon, he was busy mending his shoes in his tent. Ibn Abbas insisted that he should come out of his tent as early as possible and deliver the sermon (It seems that Ibn Abbas considered the delivery of the sermon in question to be very important for strengthening the foundation of the rule of Imam ‘Ali).
  Imam ‘Ali, however, asked Ibn Abbas with absolute calmness, “What would be the approximate value of this shoe?” Ibn Abbas replied, “It has no value”. Thereupon the Imam said, “By Allah! This shoe is more valuable in my eyes than your rule except that by assuming the reins of government one should uphold the truth and restrain falsehood”.
  In fact, nobody had understood the philosophy of government and statesmanship as Imam ‘Ali had. He knew that this position (unless it is necessary to pursue a sacred object) is only an alluring landscape which is not desired by anyone except the world-loving people who are not free from a mania of acquiring fame and position. Those are the people who are ready to apply themselves to everything to achieve their personal end.
  Yes, his lofty spirit and intellect were much more elevated than could be enamoured of such a worthless object! For this very reason he did not fall prey to any error and did not take a single step opposed to truth and justice for strengthening his position.
• 6. The Commander of the Faithful narrated this very philosophy in his letter addressed to Uthman Ibn Hunayf, the Governor of Basra. It is, no doubt, a very wonderful philosophy. The Imam says: “The ruler of a community should not remain content with titles and names only. On the other hand, he should make his best efforts to solve the problems of people, residing in the farthest areas like a kind father. If the material resources at the disposal of the ruler do not suffice to meet the needs of the people, then the ruler should present to the people moral and spiritual values like contentment, patience, and endurance to meet the challenge of their distress and poverty. The reason for this is that when their food, dress and lodging become similar to that of the rulers, they do not feel ashamed or distressed on account of their own condition. When they find their lives similar to the lives of the rulers, this spiritual strength removes more than half of their inner grief and discomfort”. This is a valuable practice and an excellent human lesson which Imam ‘Ali has taught to the statesmen of the world in general.
• 7. In Arabic literature Khayt Batil means a treacherous person. Possibly this is due to the fact that treacherous people are unreliable like a worn-out thread.
• 8. If one studies the life-histories of Hujr, Maytham and Abdullah Ibn Afif, particularly the last days of their lives, one is stunned to see their hold as to how two of them, one an ordinary date-seller and the other a blind old man, could be so domineering that the entire edifice of the Umayyad regime shivered and shook before them. Of course they had been so mercilessly persecuted by the despotic Umayyad rulers that one becomes aghast to see their forbearance against those appalling tyrannies, and even against such odds they had been brave enough at the cost of their untiring efforts and selfless sacrifices to leave behind a group of devoted disciples for the preaching and propagation of the Shi’a Faith and there was no reason as to why they should have not done so because as everyone of them was indeed one of the staunchest disciples of Imam ‘Ali.