In the Name of Allah, the most Compassionate, the most Merciful

And bless be upon Muhammad and his pure Household, and may Allah's curse be on his enemies from now until the Day of Resurrection! And there is no power or strength except for the Lofty Glorious Allah.

The Wise Allah has stated in His Glorious Book:

أَفَمَن يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ أَحَقُّ أَن يُتَّبَعَ أَمَّن لاَّ يَهِدِّي إِلاَّ أَن يُهْدَى فَمَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ ^[1]

‘…So is someone who guides to the Truth worthier to be followed or someone who does not guide unless he himself is guided? What is the matter with you? How do you judge then? (Qur’an: 10/35).’

This argument is right and logical and it is based on the fact, and that fact is the necessity of constant Imitating of the right; thus, imitating and following the chaste Imam will be the best reason and it is the best argument to begin with.

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The Necessity of Following the Right

One of the commands is innate and wisdom, it is the necessity of following the right, and this command is the general rule and a man always relies on it. If a man deviates from that with his words or actions and has tendency to the erroneous, then because of his passions or wrong assumption, he thinks his actions are right, and because of his wrong error he follows what is wrong, and as an excuse, he makes escapism.

Therefore, without any conditions, ‘truth’ is necessary to be followed, and in this case another branch is opened, that is, whoever directs the people to the ‘truth’, his obedience is necessary – it is just because he right and also is directing to the right. He has priority to one who does not guide to the right or directs to the wrong path; as the obedience of a guide to the ‘right’ is the right thing to do, he has such merit.

We said earlier that following the essence of the ‘truth’ is the necessary command of innate and wisdom. Based on this fact, the Holy Qur’an comments against the unbelievers; therefore, it first asks them:

 قُلْ هَلْ مِن شُرَكَآئِكُم مَّن يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ ^[2]

‘… [O Messenger] say, ‘is there any of your associates to guide one to the Truth? (Qur’an:10/35).’

It is obvious that the unbelievers have no answer to this question, because the partners they set up against Allah are different kinds material: such as the stone idols, or they are of the angels, different lords, jinn and devils, Pharaohs and the tyrannical commanders. It is clear that as they have no power of themselves cannot do anything for them.

As they have no positive answers, Allah has informed His Messenger how to get ready and answer their questions in the right way; He has directed him: “Say, Allah directs to the Truth, and He guides each being according to it capacity and He sees to his need.”

Then, He commands His Messenger to say:

رَبُّنَا الَّذِي أَعْطَى كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَى ^[3]

‘…Our Lord is One Who has created everything and guided him, (Qur’an:20/50).’ 

And He directs His Messenger to say:

الَّذِي خَلَقَ فَسَوَّى﴿2﴾ وَالَّذِي قَدَّرَ فَهَدَى﴿3﴾ ^[4]

 ‘…Who has created and shaped and proportioned an exact size and guided it, (Qur’an:87/2-3).’

Therefore, He is Allah Who leads the man to a blissful life and, by sending His messengers and the Divine Books, He invites man to the Divine Orders.

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The Necessity of following the Innocent Imams is based on Following the Truth

As, at the time of arguing with the unbelievers, the Messenger of Allah took two confessions of them: the first that their associates do not guide them to the ‘Truth’ and the next that only Allah guides one to the straight path, he found it necessary to put this Verse forward:

َافمن يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ أَحَقُّ أَن يُتَّبَعَ أَمَّن لاَّ يَهِدِّي إِلاَّ أَن يُهْدَى؟

‘…so is someone who guides to the Truth worthier to be followed or someone who does not guide unless he himself is guided?

It is obvious that their answer is to say: ‘Allah, Who guides to the ‘Truth’, is worthier;’ but as the pagans and the unbelievers are not bound to this logic and they worship the pointless idols instead of worshipping the truth Deity, Allah; they fail to notice their merits and wisdom, so that is why the Messenger, as a reproach, states:

فَمَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ

‘Then what is your opinion, how do you take things?’   

Here, it is time we noticed the difference between these two parts of a Verse: ‘…so is someone who guides to the Truth,’ and the second half: ‘…or someone who does not guide unless he himself is guided.’ so that to see how these two parts stand against one another.

As it is clear that a questioner always expresses the final part of his question in negative, for example asks: ‘You saw him, didn’t you?’ or: He studied his lesson, didn’t he?’

However, if a question is declared this way: ‘Does Hassan study or he is proud of himself?’ Then, in answer it must be said, ‘One who is proud of himself never studies.’ Thus, there is the sense of ‘he does not study’ in the clause ‘he is proud of himself’.

Similarly, the other way round, ‘He is proud of himself’ does not mean that ‘He is not proud of himself’, because in the above interrogative sentence, instead of ‘He is not proud of himself’, this clause, ‘He does not study’ has been used.

Therefore, it must be said that it is sensed in this clause, ‘He is not proud of himself’ that Hassan is not proud of himself and he studies, or he is proud of himself and he does not study.

In the above Verse also the two ends of the interrogative sentence are not negative or positive so that to be in the need of interrogative; because the sense of the sentence denotes that: ‘Is someone guiding to the truth worthier to be worshipped or he who has not been guided to the truth is worthy!’

And also like this sentence ‘He who has not been guided unless with the guidance of the others’, that is he cannot guide as he himself is not guided yet.

He, who guides to the Truth, is worthier to be followed or one who has not been guide but through the guidance of someone else.

He who originally guided is worthier to be followed or he who does not guide to the truth.

Thus, it is well understood by this Verse that it is reasonable to follow someone who guides to the ‘Truth’; such a guide is one who himself is originally guided but not someone else has guided him. And such a man is only the innocent Imam who has always praised Allah and has not committed a single sin.

Such a man, without interfering of anyone, has been instructed by Allah Himself; however, someone who has taken a partner to Allah and worshipped him for a while and committed sins – though he has repented and apparently has become God-fearing, is not deserving to be the Imam.

Of course, it needs to be mentioned that the word ‘worthier’, in the above Verse, is used ‘imperatively and it denotes the preference not necessity; to be honest, it is the art of the discussion to agitate the opposite party in debating, but not the fact. Otherwise, it is clear that it is not permitted to worship anyone but the ‘Truth’, that is, Allah, and following the ‘Truth’ is the necessity of the faith.

This is a way of reasoning which the Shiite scholars have carried out for following the chaste Imams; and they have related us by the successive narrations from the Messenger of Allah who had said: ‘The Commander of the believers, Ali ibn Abī Tālib, has not worshipped idols even once, he has not committed a single sin;’ and with no doubt he has been instructed by the respectable Messenger, and he is the first man to embrace Islam – when he had not yet attained the puberty.

It has been narrated trough the document of Sheikh Tousi, as well trough the Manaqib ibn Al-Moqali by Ibn Masoud from the Prophet Bless be to him and his Descendants, that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Allah Glory to Him, stated Abraham:

 في آيةِ، لا ينال عهدِي الظّالمين، عن قول اللهِ لِابراهيم من سجد لِصنمِ دوني لا أجعله اِماماً – قال عليهِ السّلام وانتهتِالدّعوة اِلِب و اِلي اخي عليّ، لم يسجد أحدنا لِصنمٍ قطّ ^[5]

“I never assign him who has worshipped the idols as the Imam.” The Messenger of Allah said, ‘It was until the prophet-hood and the Imamate happened to me and my brother, Ali – none of worshipped any idols during our lives.’

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Ali is with the Truth and so is the Truth with Ali

Sayyid Hashim Bahrani ^[6] quotes fifteen public and eleven special narrations that about ‘Ali is with the Truth and so is the Truth with Ali’; and that the Messenger implored: ‘O Allah, wherever Ali may settle, keep the ‘Truth’ by his side and assign him to be prayed in my way.’

Here, we are going to explain a quotation which has been narrated by the public as well as a special one in brief.

1- Ibrahim Bin Muhammad Hamyawi who is of the public scholars, and           

2- Mowaffaq Bin Ahmad Kharazmi with his chain documents quotes from Shahr ibn Houshb, and

3- Zamakhshari narrates from the Rabi Al-Abrar ^[7] that Shahr Ibn Houshb said:

‘I was sitting by Umm Salama when a man asked for permission to enter.’

Umm Salama asked: ‘Who are you?’

قَالَ: أَنَا أَبُو ثَابِتٍ مَوْلَى عليٍّ عليهِ السّلام،

فقالت امّ سلمة: مَرْحَباً بِك يا ابا ثَابِتٍ ادْخُلْ،  فَدَخَلَ فَرَحَّبَتْ بِهِ

ثمّ قَالَتْ: يا ابا ثابتٍ  أَيْنَ طَارَ قَلْبُكَ حِينَ طَارَتِ الْقُلُوبُ مَطَائِرَهَا؟

قَالَ: تبع عَلِيّّاً عليهِ السّلام

فقَالَتْ: وُفِّقْتَ وَ الَّذِي نَفْسُ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ بِيَدِهِ، إِنِّي لَسَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلّي الله عليهِ و آلِه يَقُولُ عَلِيٌّ مَعَ الحقّ و الْقُرْآنِ، وَ الْقُرْآنُ والحقّ مَعَ عَلِيٍّ، ولَنْ يَفْتَرِقَا حَتَّى يَرِدَا عَلَيَّ الْحَوْض‏ ^{[8] و [9]}

He said, ‘I am Abu Sabit, the servant of Ali.’

Umm Salama said: ‘You are welcome, o Abu Sabit, come and sit.’

Abu Sabit entered and Umm Salama greeting him.

Then, Umm Salama said: ‘O Abu Sabit, when the hearts flew to the different destinations, and each heart had its own desire and followed a certain man where did your heart fly?’

Abu Sabit said, ‘My heart followed Ali.’

Umm Salama said: ‘O you unloaded your luggage in the best place! By Allah in His hand my soul is, I heard from the Messenger of Allah saying, “Ali is with the Truth and the Qur’an and so are the Truth and the Qur’an with Ali, and those two will not sparate each other until they join me by Kow‘thar [river in Paradise].”’

Then Umm Salama said:

و لقدبعثت اِبني عمر، وابن اخي عبدالله بن بني اميّه، وامرتهما ان يقاتِلا مع عليٍّ من قاتله، و لولا انّ رسول اللهِ امرنا ان نقِرّ في حِجالِنا و فيبيوتا، لخرجت و كنت حتّي اقِف في صفِّ عليٍّ

 ‘I myself sent my son, Omar, and the son of my brother, Abdullah Bin Abi Omayyad to assist Ali in fighting with the enemies. If the Messenger of Allah had not commanded us the women to stay back at home and rest, I would also rise to protect Ali. I would get closer to him and then, I would fight alongside of the men with the enemies.’

4- Hamwini in his book from his father who narrates of Ali upon him be peace

5- In the book ‘The unity among the six sects’, by Razin Imam Al-Haramin has been drawn from the Sahih Bokhari narrates of Ali, the Commander of the believers upon him be peace

6- O the first part of the Book Al-Ferdous from Ali, the Commander of the believers upon him be peace

7- And Mowaffaq Ahmad Kharazmi with his chain documents is quoting of Abul Habab Tamimi who quotes of Ali upon him be peace that he said, ‘The Messenger of Allah: “May Allah bless Ali, O Allah, accompany Ali with the Truth where he may be.

8- Hamyawi, with his chained documents has narrated of Brother Da’bal Khazaee, and he from Haroun Ar-Rashid, and he from Azraq Bin Gheis, and he also from Abdullah Bin Abbas that the Messenger of Allah Bless be to him and his Descendants said:

الحق مع علی بن ابيطالب حيث دار ^[10]

‘The Truth is with Ali Bin Abī Tālib wherever he may be.’

9- It is put in the book of ‘Fazaeel As-Sahaba by Asbaq Nabata from Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr and he from Aisha who said: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah Bless be to him and his Descendants say:

 علِيّ مع الحقّ و الحقّ مع عليّ، لن يفترِقا حتّي يرِدا عليّ الحوض

 “Ali is with the Truth and so is the Truth with Ali, they will not separate until they come to me by the Kow‘thar [river in Paradise].”’

10- Mowaffaq Bin Ahmad Kharazmi says, Alaqah and Aswad said: ‘We heard it from Abu Ayyob Ansari saying:

قالا: ابا ايّوب الانصاري، قال: سمعت النبى صلى الله عليه و اله يقول لعمار بن ياسر: تقتلك الفئه الباغيه و انت مع الحق و الحق معك يا عمار اذا رايت عليا سلك واديا و سلك الناس واديا غيره فاسلك مع على و دع الناس انه لن يدلك على ردى و لن يخرجك عن الهدى

يا عمار انه من تقلد سيفا اعان به عليا على عدوه قلده الله يوم القيمه و شاحا من در و من تقلد سيفا اعان به عدو على قلده الله يوم القيمه و شاحا من ‏نار قال: قلت: حسبك

“I heard the Messenger of Allah say to Ammar Bin Yasir, ‘O Ammar, some aggressive people will kill you, and you are with the Truth and so is the Truth with you. O Ammar, as you see, Ali has a straight path to follow and the others another way, then, you follow him and ignore the others. Ali does not mislead you and never lets you perish.’     

‘O Ammar, if a man carries a sword so that to defend Ali against his enemies with that, on the Day of Judgement, Allah will change that sword into a pearl necklace for him to wear it round his neck; however, if one carries a sword to help Ali’s enemies with that, on the Day of Judgement, Allah will change it into a fiery necklace for him to wear it round his neck.’

Ammar says, ‘I said to the Messenger of Allah: “Please, enough! I got it as it is.”’

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Alqama and Aswad’s meeting at the presence of Ayyub Ansari and their discussion about the Caliphate of Ali upon him be peace 

11- Mowaffaq Bin Ahmad Kharazmi, through his chain documents from Alqama and Aswad says, they said:

ايتنا ابا ايّوب الانصاري، و قلنا له يا شبا ايّوب! اِنّ الله تبارك و تعالي اكرم نبيّه صلّي الله عليهِ وآلِه و صفا لك مِن فضلِهِ مِن الله فضّلك بِها! أخبِرنا ّبِمخرجِك مع عليّ عليهِ السّلام تقاتل اهل لا اِله اِلّا الله؟

(فقال ايّوب) اقسِم لكما بالله، تقد كان رسول الله صلّي الله عليهِ وآلِه في هذا البيت الّذي انتما فيهِ معي، و ما في بيتِ غير رسول الله صلّي الله عليهِ وآلِه و عليٌّ جالسٌ ع يمينهِ و انا جالِسٌ في يسارهِ و انسٌ قاءمٌ بين يديهِ، اِذ حرّك الباّ، فقال رسول الله صلّي الله عليهِ وآلِه اِفتح لِعمّارِ الطّيّبِ المطيّبِ. ففتح النّاس ^[11] الباب و دخل عمّار، فسلّم علي رسول اللهِ فرحّب بِهِ،

ثمّ قال لِعمّار: اِنّه سيكون في امّتي بعدي هناظ، حتّي يختلِف السّيف فيما بينهم، و حتّي يقتل بعضهم بعضاً فاذا رأيت ذالِك فعليك بِهذا الأصلعِ عن يميني يعني عليّ بن أبيطالب.

و سلك عليٌّ و ادياً فاسلك وادي عليٍ عليهِ السّلام وخلِّ عنِ النّاسِ، يا عمّار! اِنّ عليّ لا يردّك عن هديً و لا يدلّك اِلي رِديً ، يا عمّار! طاعة عليٍّ طاعتي، و طاعتي طاعة الله عزّ و جلّ.

‘O Aba Ayyub, Allah honoured His Messenger, and because of your accompanying him, He gave you nobility.

Now, tell us how you became the assistance of Ali and fought with the [fake] Muslims – (the fight against the companions of Mua‘wiyah who pretended to be Muslims)?’

Aba Ayyub said: ‘I swear by Allah that the Messenger of Allah was sitting in this room that you are sitting now, and there was no one except Ali and I with him. I was sitting on the left side of the Messenger and Ali on the right; Anas Bin Malik, the servant of the Holiness, was standing in front of him. Suddenly, there was a knock on the front door and the Holiness ordered Anas to open the door for Ammar, the pure and innocent man.’ Anas opened the door, Ammar entered and saluted the Messenger of Allah Bless be to him and his Descendants

and the Holiness welcomed him and then, stated: ‘O Ammar, soon after my demise, there will be a sedition among my nation, they will draw the swords against one another; some will kill some others. When you witness such state, it is your task to stand by this man sitting on my right, (Ali, the Commander of the believers); if you see that all the people of the world are at one side and Ali alone is at the opposite side, you remain with Ali. Leave all the people do what they want to. O Ammar, Ali does not lead you to lowness and confusion, he does not take you away from the straight path; o Ammar, the obedience of Ali is my obedience, and my obedience is as obeying Allah.’

12- Mowaffaq Bin Ahmad Kharazmi quotes from Abi Laila that the Messenger of Allah Bless be to him and his Descendants has said:

قال رسول الله صلّي الله عليهِ و آلِه و سلّم: ستكون مِن بدي فِتنةٌ فإذا كان ذالِك فالزموا عليّ بن أبيطالبٍ، فاِنّه فاروق الاكبر الفاصِل بين الحقِّ والباطِلِ ^[12]

‘As soon as I have passed away, there will fall a disaster upon you, so at that moment do not leave Ali, Ibn Abī Tālib alone because he is the divider of the right from the wrong and the arbitration of Allah.’

13- Hamwini quotes A’mash that Khadifa said that the Messenger of Allah Bless be to him and his Descendants has said:

عليٌّ طاعته طاعتي و معصيتهِ معصيتي

‘Obeying Ali means obeying me and disobeying him is disobeying me.’

14- He quotes the book of Ferdous that Abu Saeed Khedri said the Messenger of Allah had stated:

قال: قال رسول الله تفترِق امّتي فِرقتينِ، فيمرق بينها فِرقةٌ مارِقةٌ، يقتلها أولي الطاءـفتينِ بِالحقّ

‘My nation will separate into two sections: a section will forsake their religion and the other section will kill them.’

15-      Amer Nawasi, who was from the Nasib, and of the deviated of the Commander of the believers, is narrating Bin Zabir that Abu Bakr had said he had heard the Messenger of Allah had said:

 سمِعت رسول الله يقول:  الحقّ مع عليٍّ و عليبٌ مع الحقّ

 The Holiness Messenger said: ‘The Truth is with Ali, and Ali is with the Truth.’

These are the narrations that by the Sunnite, in ‘Ghayat Al-Maram”, are mentioned; and eleven narrations are reported by the Shiite which we are going to explain only one of them.

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Ata’s Meeting Abdullah Bin Abbas and Their Discussion about the Caliphate of Ali ibn Abī Tālib upon him be peace 

Ibn Babweiah, by his documents, is narrating of Abdul Hamid A’radj who had said: ‘Abdullah Bin Abbas was sick, and was too frail, we went to Taeef to visit him, we got his place and after greeting him we sat.’

He asked: ‘O Ata, who are those people with you?’

I said; O my Master, they are the respectable Sheikhs of this town. And Abdullah Bin Salama Bin Maryam Al-Taefi and Ammarat Bin Al-Ajlah and Sabit Bin Maleki are of those tribes; and I continued introducing them.’

Then, after a few moment, all of them got closer and said: ‘O the son of the uncle of the Messenger of Allah, you have been honoured to be at the present of the Messenger and have heard a lot from that Holiness. So now, tell us about the different opinions of this nation; why some of them prefer Ali to others, and why some believe that he is after those three Caliphs?’

قَالَ:  فَتَنَفَّسَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلّي الله عليهِ و آلِه يَقُولُ: عَلِيٌّ مَعَ الْحَقِّ وَ الْحَقُّ مَعَ عليّ، وَ هُوَ الْإِمَامُ وَ الْخَلِيفَةُ مِنْ بَعْدِي، فَمَنْ تَمَسَّكَ بِهِ فَازَ وَ نَجَا، وَ مَنْ تَخَلَّفَ عَنْهُ ضَلَّ وَ غَوَى، يَلِي تَكْفِينِي وَ غُسْلِي، وَ يَقْضِي دَيْنِي، وَ أَبُو سِبْطَيَّ الْحَسَنِ وَ الْحُسَيْنِ، وَ مِنْ صُلْبِ الْحُسَيْنِ تَخْرُجُ الْأَئِمَّةُ التِّسْعَةُ وَ مِنْهَا مَهْدِيُّ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّ

Ata says that Ibn Abbas took a deep breath and said: ‘I heard of the Messenger of Allah say: “Ali is with the Truth and the Truth is with Ali, and he is the Imam and the Guardian after me. He, who takes resort in him, will succeed, but anyone who rejects him will get lost and perished.

Ali is going to undertake my burial ceremony, he is going the forfeit my debt; he is the father of my two grandsons, Hassan and Hussein, and there will become nine Imams from the linage of Hussein, and among them is, ‘MAHDI’ of this nation.”’

Then, Adullah Bin Salama Hazrami said: ‘O the cousin of the Messenger of Allah Bless be to him and his Descendants why did you not let us know this news before?’   Ibn Abbas said:

و نصحت لكم ولكن لاتحِبّون النّاصِحين

‘But, by Allah, now I have reported you whatever I had heard, and hereby I did my duty – I advised you but I am sure that you do not like the adviser!’

َ ثُمَّ قَالَ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ تَقِيَّةَ مَنِ اعْتَبَرَ تَمْهِيداً وَ ابقَى فِي وَجَلٍ وَ كَمَّشَ فِي مَهَلٍ وَ رَغِبَ فِي طَلَبٍ وَ رَهِبَ فِي هَرَبٍ فَاعْمَلُوا لِآخِرَتِكُمْ قَبْلَ حُلُولِ آجَالِكُمْ وَ تَمَسَّكُوا بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَى مِنْ عِتْرَةِ نَبِيِّكُمْ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ مَنْ تَمَسَّكَ بِعِتْرَتِي مِنْ بَعْدِي كَانَ مِنَ الْفَائِزِين

Then, he said: ‘O the slaves of Allah, be God-fearing, be pious similar to one who stables his position, he tries his oncoming peaceful place of his own and always is afraid [of the Hereafter]. He is fast but tolerant in packing his bundle to leave, he has desire for the bliss; so before your death approaches, take actions for your last journey and clinch the Household of the Messenger and get closer to them.’

I have indeed heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘He who, after my demise, resorts to my Household will be prosperous.’ Then, Ibn Abbass deeply cried, and the people around him asked why he was crying, because he had a lofty position to be with the Messenger of Allah.

Ibn Abbas said, ‘O Ata, I am crying about two things: one is that I am afraid witnessing the appearance of the Great Majesty of Allah, and the next that being separated from the friends and the beloved of Him.’

Then, those people about him stood up and left the place.

In the mean time, he told me, ‘Hold my hand to rise, and take me to the yard.’ Saeed and I helped him to stand up and we took him to the yard; when he was in the courtyard, he raised his hands to Heaven and implored:

اللهم إني أتقرب إليك بمحمد و آل محمد، اللهم إني أتقرب إليك بموالاةِ الشيخ علي بن أبي طالب، فما زال يكررها حتى وقع على الأرض، فصبرنا عليه ساعة ثم أقمناه فإذا هو ميت رحمة اللهِ عليه.

 ‘O Allah, through You I get closer to Muhammad and Household of Muhammad. O Allah, through You I get closer to Sheikh Ali ibn Abī Tālib.’ He constantly repeated these words until he collapsed on the ground; we waited for a while and let him be on that condition. A few moments later, we tried to lift him to stand on his feet, but alas! He had died and joined the endless mercy of Allah. ^[13]

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The Cause of the Enemies’ disagreeing with the Caliphate of the Commander of the believers

If someone asks: ‘Then, how, by seeing so many clear statements of the Messenger of Allah which many of them have been narrated by the three Caliphs and Aishah and they have confessed the ranks and the positions of Ali, the Commander of the believers, they have usurped his position is the Caliph and ascended the pulpit of the Prophet?’ Their answer is: what the Messenger of Allah has said, and what the Sunnite have narrated:

حبّك الشّيي يعمي و يصِمّ ^[14]

 ‘He who loves something, and his loving is mixed with feeling and passion then, he is blind to and deaf to what is happening – he sees and hears nothing but his desirous goal.

It is not secret to the people of logic, and it is crystal clear to the historians that there was not any excuse for the usurpation of the Caliphate, from the Household, but only the love of becoming Masters and dominating the Muslims. Therefore, all these narrations and clear words have been totally ignored. In the end, they achieved their goal and immediately rose against the Household of the Messenger of Allah, and they set on fire the front door of the beloved daughter of him. They made the right guardianship go to the mosque, and at the sword point they forced him to swear allegiance and accept their aggressions.

This is a problem which must be thought about, the position of knowledge and comprehending the Truth are two separate things – so is the humiliation and the obedience to the Truth.

Most people are involved in the well of nature and passions; it is not because of their ignorance for they have enough knowledge, and they make out right from wrong. However, in action, they are captured within their endless desires, and also the lack of their obeying wisdom, but following their lust they are dawned into unpleasant proceedings. 

Therefore, the invitation of the messengers and the Imams are based on guiding the people and teaching them how to humiliate in front of the Right, the Highest and Lofty Allah.

As it is stated:

  قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا وَ قَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّاهَا ^[15]

 ‘…certainly prosperous is one who purifies himself, but fails whoever neglects to do so, (Qur’an: 91/9-10).’

In this Verse, it is not mentioned that the ‘prosperous’ is one who has heard the narrations from the Messenger, but afflicted is one who has not heard. Allah has stated that the prosperity is for him who corrects himself, but the affliction is for one who destroys himself.

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Omar’s confession on the status of the Commander of the believers in the narratives of the Sunnite.

Omar was quite aware of the position, status and the personality of the Commander of the believers. He himself has confessed that there are many narrations that the Sunnite have narrated about him, he has also narrated many stories concerning this from the Messenger of Allah; but as it was already mentioned, who follows the Truth, who has the inward purity and who is bound to his conscience?!’

Allama Amini says that Hafiz Dar Ghotni and Ibn Asakar have extracted this narration that two persons went to Omar Ibn Khattab and asked him about how to divorce a maid-servant so that not to be illegitimate – not being able to marry her again. Omar stood up and all together went to the mosque and they sat among the people already were sitting there.

Omar asked Asla ^[16] sitting closer to him, ‘Tell me, ‘what is your opinion about divorcing a maid-servant?’

The man raised his hand and with his two, middle and index fingers, made a ‘V’ sign. Omar understood that he meant twice divorces, so he told the man, ‘Only twice divorces are allowed.’

One of the men said, ‘O Gracious! We have come to you, you the great and the commander of the believers! Why did you take us to the mosque and asked our question from this man, and then you believed him by his giving a sign?’

Omar asked those two men, ‘Do you know who this man is?’ They answered, ‘No, we do not know him.’ Omar said, ‘This is Ali, Ibn Abī Tālib.

اشهِد علي رسول الله صلّي الله عليهِ و آلِه و سلّم لسمِعته و هويقول: اِنّ السّماوات السّبع، و الارضين السّبع، لو وضِعا في كفّةٍ، ثمّ وضِع ايمان عليٍّ في كفّةٍ لرجّح ايمان عليّ بن أبيطالِب ^[17]

I bear witness that I heard from the Messenger of Allah saying about him: “If they put the seven-heavens and also the seven layers of the earth on a pan of a balance, and they put the belief of Ali on the other pan, for sure, Ali’s pan proves to be heavier.’

Then, Allahma Amini says, ‘Zamakhshari has narrated in a story: ‘Those two men said to Omar, “You are the Caliph of the Muslims and we came to you to answer our question, but you referred us to him!” And one of them said: “O Omar, by Allah, I will never speak with you.”

Omar said: ‘Woe on you! Do you not know who that man was, he was Ali ibn Abī Tālib.’

Dar Ghotni and Ibn Askar have narrated this story from those who know the Qur’an by heart; and also Ganji, in Kefaya, page 129 has narrated that: ‘This narration is authentic and it is accepted by the scholars.

And also by the Rawat Zamakhshari, Kharazmi the Imam of the two shrines in Managhib page 78 and Sayyid AliHamedani Shafiee have narrated in the Mawaddat Al-Ghorba, and Hadith Mizan ^[18] from Omar, Mohebb Ad-Din Tabari in the Book Reyaz An-Nazara volume 1 page 244, and Safori, in Nazha Al-Majalis volume 2, page 240 have narrated it.

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