Abu Talib (a.s)

A Look At the Verse (it Is Not (fit) For the Prophet)

After showing the defects of the tradition and the false

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1 Al-Issaba, vol.4 p.203, Siyer A'lam an-Nubala' vol.2 p.64, 423, 425, 436.

series of narrators, it would be better to discuss the facts that would refute the tradition. 1. The tradition mentioned by al-Bukhari showed that these two Quranic verses were revealed when Abu Talib was dying but when we referred to the two verses, we found that the first one of them had been revealed in Medina. (1)

The all knew well that the sure of Bara'a (at-Tawba) was revealed in Medina after Islam had become so strong and prevailing. The story of informing of the sura of Bara'a was famous for the all. It was the last thing that was revealed of the Quran. (2) There was a long period between the revelation of these two verses. It was about ten years. 2. It was clear that the first verse, which was a part of sura of Bara'a, was revealed in Medina after the conquest of Mecca. So there was nearly eight years between the death of Abu Talib and the revelation of this verse.

The meaning of the tradition showed the continuity of the praying of the Prophet (s) that Allah might forgive his uncle and that the Prophet (s) didn't stop praying Allah to forgive his uncle along this period according to the Prophet's saying (as they pretended in the tradition). "I will pray Allah to forgive you as long as I am not

____________ 1 Abu Talib died in Mecca three years before the hijra (migration) to Medina. 2 Al-Bukhari's Sahih, vol.3 p.77, al-Kashshaf, vol.1 p.570 (vol.2 p.246), Ta'leeq Sharih al-Kashshaf, vol.2 p.188, al-Baydhawi's Tafseer, vol.2 p.274, Majma'ul Bayan, vol.10 p.5, ibn Katheer's Tafseer, vol.2 p.331, al-Itqan, vol.1 p.27. It was mentioned in vol.1 p.26 that nothing was revealed of the Quran after this except its end. He (the author of al-Itqan) was surprised at the saying of ibnul Farass: "The sura was revealed in Medina except two verses ..." He said: "How wonder! How was that and it was said that this was the last thing to be revealed of the Quran." Al-Ghadeer, vol.8 p.10

forbidden from it." Praying for forgiving Abu Talib (according to their tradition) continued by the Prophet (s) and didn't stop except by the revelation of this verse: (It is not (fit) for the Prophet and those who believe that they should ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even though they should be near relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are inmates of the flaming fire).

How was it possible for the Prophet (s) to pray Allah to forgive his uncle along the period since the death of his uncle until the revelation of this verse -as they confessed- whereas many verses were revealed to the Prophet (s) during this period forbidding the Prophet (s) and the believers from being loving and kind to the polytheists and from praying Allah to forgive them or from obeying the enemies of Allah before the revelation of this verse in a long time?

We mentioned some verses in a previous chapter but we mention some of them here too: a. (You shall not find a people who believe in Allah and the latter day befriending those who act in opposition to Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their (own) fathers, or their sons, or their brothers ...) 58:22. This verse, which was a part of the sura of al-Mujadila, was revealed in Medina years before the revelation of Bara'a. Seven suras were revealed before the sura of Bara'a. (1) Also it was said that it was revealed to the Prophet (s) during the day of the battle of Badr (2) in the second year of hijra.

Also it was said that it was revealed during the battle of Uhud (3) in the third year of hijra.

____________ 1 Al-Ghadeer, vol.8 p.10, al-Itqan vol.1 p.17. 2 Ibid as mentioned by Abu Hatim, al-Hakim, Abu Na'eem, al-Bayhaqi, ibn Katheer in his Tafseer vol.4 p.329, ash-Shawkani in his Tafseer vol.5 p.189. 3 Al-Ghadeer, vol.8 p.10.

Some said that this sura or some verses of it were revealed in Mecca. (1) According to the all sayings, the revelation of the sura of al-Mujadila was, no doubt, many years before the sura of Bara'a. b. (O you who believe! do not take the unbelievers for friends rather than the believers; do you desire that you should give to Allah a manifest proof against yourselves?) 4:144. An-Nahhass said that this verse was revealed in Mecca. Also it was said that it was revealed at the hijra. (2) Some said that it was revealed in Medina depending upon the saying of Aa'isha: "The sura of an-Nissa' was revealed when I was with the Prophet (s) (his wife)." (3)

So its revelation was in the first years of hijra. (4) Any how the sura of an-Nisa' was revealed before the sura of Bara'a. There were twenty-one suras between them. (5) c. (Those who take the unbelievers for guardians rather than believers. Do they seek honor from them? Then surely all honor is for Allah) 4:139. This verse was a part of sura of an-Nisa', which was revealed before the sura of Bara'a.

d. (Let not the believers take the unbelievers for friends rather than believers; and whoever does this, he shall have nothing of (the guardianship of) Allah, but you should guard yourselves against them, guarding carefully) 3:28. This verse was one of the first verses in the beginning of the sura of Aal Imran. The beginning of the sura, until the eightieth verse or some more, was revealed on the day

____________ 1 Many of the interpreters referred to that. 2 Al-Itqan vol.1 p.12. 3 Ibid, al-Bukhari's Sahih, vol.3 p.141, al-Ghadeer, vol.8 p.11. 4 Al-Ghadeer, vol.8 p.11. 5 Ibid, al-Itqan, vol.1 p.26.

when the delegation of Najran (1) came to the Prophet (s) in the first years of hijra. (2) It was mentioned that this verse was revealed about Obada bin as-Samit on the day (battle) of al-Ahzab in the fifth year of hijra. (3) Any how the sura of Aal Imran was revealed before the sura of Bara'a and there were twenty-four suras between them. (4) e. (It is alike to them whether you beg forgiveness for them or do not beg forgiveness for them; Allah will never forgive them) 63:6. The sura of al-Munafiqoon, which this verse was a part of, was revealed in the year when the Prophet (s) and his army fought against the people of al-Mustalaq. It was the sixth year of hijra and it was definitely before the sura of Bara'a. (5)

There were many other verses forbidding from supporting the polytheists, from praying Allah to forgive them and from being loving and kind to them. The Prophet (s) kept on praying Allah to forgive his uncle and this was the utmost support and being loving and kind to him. Even the false tradition showed that the Prophet (s) kept on that and he didn't stop except when this forbidding verse was revealed as the tradition pretended. Could we -the Muslims- ascribe to the Prophet (s) a doing that his God, Who had sent him to guide the people, had forbidden him from? Was it possible for the Prophet (s) to beg forgiveness for his uncle if he was a polytheists whereas there were

____________ 1 As-Seera al-Hishamiyya, vol.2 p.225, Asbab an-Nuzool p.43, ibn Katheer's Tafseer, vol.1 p.343. 2 Al-Ghadeer, vol.8 p.11. 3 Ibid 4 Ibid with reference to al-Itqan, vol.1 p.17. 5 Ibid.

many verses forbidding him from that? Did the Prophet (s) not pay any attention to those verses or he refused to obey Allah until this verse of the sura of Bara'a was revealed to him? This sura itself had many other forbidding verses but why didn't the Prophet (s) obey Allah except when this special verse was revealed to him? O Allah! Forgive us! We didn't know how to justify the continuous praying of the Prophet (s) for forgiving his uncle while Allah every time revealed to him a verse ordering him to cut every relation with the polytheists!

What raving it was! Was that possible to be ascribed to the Prophet of guidance and mercifulness? It was not but defaming the sanctity of the Prophet (s), violating his high position and causing harm to him. O Allah! We seek Your protection from causing any harm to Your messenger in order not to be liable to Your wrath and punishment as You threatened whoever would harm a hair of him according to the verses and the traditions! 3. We found many traditions and sayings that contradicted these traditions, which talked about why this verse was revealed. We quoted here some of them:

a. Imam Ali (s) said: "I heard someone praying Allah to forgive his parents whereas they were polytheists. I said to him: "Do you beg forgiveness for your parents whereas they were polytheists?" He said: "Didn't Abraham pray Allah to forgive his father?" I mentioned that to the Prophet (s) and then the following verses were revealed: (It is not (fit) for the Prophet and those who believe that they should ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even though they should be near relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are inmates of the flaming fire.

And Ibrahim asking forgiveness for his sire was only owing to a promise which he had made to him; but when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of Allah, he declared himself to be clear of him; most surely Ibrahim was very tender-hearted forbearing) (1) 9:113-114. This showed that forbidding begging forgiveness for the polytheists was famous among the Muslims; otherwise Imam Ali (s) wouldn't object to that man, who prayed Allah to forgive his polytheist parents. Imam Ali wouldn't deny that if he was not certain that there was a divine order. The objection of Imam Ali against this man didn't agree with begging forgiveness by the Prophet (s) for his uncle if he was polytheist as it was pretended! And if it was so, the man would answer Imam Ali with another answer and would justify his doing by saying that the Prophet (s) prayed Allah to forgive his polytheist uncle, for example!

But the man justified his doing by saying that Abraham prayed Allah to forgive his father and then the verse was revealed to explain why Abraham had begged forgiveness for his father. When Prophet Abraham (s) prayed Allah to forgive his father (2) while he was still alive, he hoped that his father might be guided and be faithful but when Prophet Muhammad (s) prayed Allah to forgive his uncle after his death that because his uncle was faithful. It wouldn't be justified that the Prophet (s) hoped that his uncle might be guided and be faithful because his uncle was no longer

____________ 1 Refer to al-Ghadeer, vol.8 p.12 to see the true tradition mentioned by at-Tabari, ibn Abu Shayba, Ahmad, at-Tarmithi, an-Nassa'iy, Abu Ya'la, ibn Jareer, ibnul Munthir, ibn Abu Hatim, Abush Sheikh, al-Hakim, ibn Mardwayh and al-Bayhaqi. Refer to Sheikhul Abtah p.67, al-Itqan vol.1 p.34, A'yan ash-Shia, vol.39 p.158, Asbab an-Nuzool p.127, ibn Katheer's Tafseer vol.2 p.393 and al-Kashshaf vol.2 p.247. 2 He was the uncle of Prophet Abraham and not his father but he brought him up and in Arabic the uncle was called as father metonymically.

alive. Zayni Dahlan said about this tradition of Imam Ali (s): "The tradition was true because we found a true tradition narrated by ibn Abbas confirming this tradition. Ibn Abbas said: "The Muslims used to pray Allah to forgive their parents until this verse was revealed. When this verse was revealed, they stopped begging forgiveness for their dead parents but they weren't forbidden from begging forgiveness for their live parents until they died.

Then Allah revealed: (And Ibrahim asking forgiveness for his sire was only owing to a promise which he had made to him). It meant that he asked for forgiveness for his father as long as he was alive but when he died, Abraham (s) stopped begging forgiveness for him." This was true evidence and doing according to it would be more correct. It showed that the verse concerned those, who prayed Allah to forgive their polytheist parents and not concerned Abu Talib." (1)

b. The Muslims asked the Prophet (s): "Do we pray Allah to forgive our parents, who died in the pre-Islamic time?" Then Allah revealed this verse and showed that neither a prophet nor a believer should pray for an unbeliever or beg forgiveness for him/her. (2) c. The believers said: "Don't we pray Allah to forgive our parents whereas Abraham has prayed Allah to forgive his unbelieving father?" Then Allah revealed this verse: (And Ibrahim asking forgiveness for his sire was only owing to a promise which he had made to him). (3) d. When the Prophet (s) came back from the battle of

____________ 1 Al-Ghadeer, vol.8 p.13 from Assna al-Matalib p.17, Sheikhul Abtah p.67. 2 A'yan ash-Shia, vol.39 p.158, Majma'ul Bayan, vol.10 p.150. 3 A'yan ash-Shia, ibn Katheer's Tafseer vol.2 p.394, al-Kashshaf vol. p.570 (vol.2 p.246).

Tabook, he did the minor hajj and then visited his mother's tomb. He asked Allah to permit him to beg forgiveness for her and prayed Him to permit him to intercede for her in the Day of Resurrection but Allah didn't permit him and then the verse was revealed. (1) e. When the Prophet (s) came to Mecca, he visited his mother's tomb. He remained beside his mother's tomb until the sun became hot hoping that Allah might permit him to beg forgiveness for her then Allah revealed these two verses. (2) f. The Prophet (s) visited his mother's tomb. He cried and made the others around him cry. He said: "I asked my God's permission to beg forgiveness for her but He didn't permit me but I asked His permission to visit her tomb and He permitted me. Visit the tombs because they remind of the afterlife!" (3)

This tradition was narrated by Abu Hurayra too. It permitted visiting the tombs and crying for the dead whereas those, who trusted in Abu Hurayra's traditions blindly, criticized severely these two points and whoever believed in them. g. The Prophet (s) passed by his mother's tomb in the year of al-Hudaybiyya. (4) He asked his God's permission to visit the tomb. Allah permitted him. He visited the tomb, repaired it and stayed beside it for some time. Then he asked his God's permission to beg forgiveness for his mother but Allah didn't permit him. He left the tomb crying and feeling sorrowful. The Muslims cried with him

____________ 1 Al-Ghadeer, vol.8 p.13 from at-Tabari, al-Hakim, ibn Abul Hatim and al-Bayhaqi from ibn Mas'ood, Burayda, at-Tabari, ibn Mardwayh and at-Tabari from Akrima from ibn Abbas. 2 Al-Ghadeer, vol.8 p.13 from at-Tabari in his Tafseer vol.1 p.31. 3 Muslim's Sahih vol.3 p.65, al-Ghadeer, vol.8 p.13. 4 Al-Hudaybiyya was a place near Mecca in which the Prophet (s) had concluded a covenant of peace with the polytheists.

and became sorrowful because of his sorrowfulness. (1) h. Ibn Mas'ood said: "One day the Prophet (s) visited the graves. He sat beside a tomb. He talked to the tomb for a long time and then he cried. I cried for his crying. He said: "The tomb that I sat beside was my mother's tomb. I asked my God's permission to pray for her but He didn't permit me and then He revealed: (It is not (fit) for the Prophet and those who believe that they should ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even though they should be near relatives ...). (2)

i. Burayda said: "Once I was with the Prophet (s) when he stopped in Asfan where he saw his mother's tomb. He made wudhu (3) and offered prayer then he cried and said: I asked my God's permission to pray for my mother but I was forbidden from doing that then Allah revealed: (It is not (fit) for the Prophet and those who believe ... etc.) (4) j. Az-Zamakhshari mentioned that this verse was revealed about Abu Talib and then he said: "... and it was said: when the Prophet (s) conquered Mecca, he asked that which of his parents was later in dying. It was said to him: Your mother Aamina. So he visited her tomb in al-Abwa' then he stood up sighing and said: I asked my God's permission to visit my mother's tomb and He permitted me but when I asked permission to beg forgiveness for her I was forbidden then this verse was

____________ 1 The margins of As-Seera an-Nabawiyya, vol.1 p.193. 2 Asbab an-Nuzool p.127 from al-Hakim and al-Bayhaqi and others, Ibn Katheer's Tafseer vol.2 p.393, As-Seera an-Nabawiyya, vol.1 p.72, al-Itqan vol.1 p.34. 3 An act of ablution that is required before the performance of certain actions such as prayer.

4 Asbab an-Nuzool p.127 from Ahmad and ibn Mardwayh. He said too: "At-Tabari and ibn Mardwayh mentioned a tradition narrated by ibn Abbas that when the Prophet (s) came back from the battle of Tabook, he traveled to Mecca to perform the minor hajj and he went to Asfan: "Ibn Katheer mentioned something like that in his Tafseer vol.2 p.393-394 and commented: "This is a strange tradition and a surprising context."

revealed: (It is not (fit) for the Prophet and those who believe ... etc). This is more correct because the death of Abu Talib was before the hijra and these verses were the last verses of the Quran that were revealed in Medina." (1) k. Al-Qastalani said: "It was proved that the Prophet (s) had visited his mother's tomb when he had performed the minor hajj. He asked his God's permission to beg forgiveness for her but Allah revealed to him this verse. This was mentioned by al-Hakim and ibn Abu Hatim from ibn Mass'ood and by at-Tabarani from ibn Abbas. This showed that the verse was revealed a long time after the death of Abu Talib and the revelation of a verse wouldn't be repeated." (2)

The thought of al-Qastalani here contradicted the thought of as-Sayooti in al-Itqan, who tried to reconcile between the fabricated traditions, some of which defamed Abu Talib and some defamed the Prophet's mother, so he justified that by saying that the revelation of a certain verse might be repeated in spite of that the revelation of a certain verse couldn't be repeated (that the same verse couldn't be revealed twice). l. Some of the Prophet's companions said: "O messenger of Allah! Some of our fathers used to be good to their neighbors, helped their relatives, freed the captives and carried out their promises. Don't we pray Allah to forgive them?" The Prophet (s) said: "By Allah, I will beg forgiveness for his father. So Allah revealed: (It is not (fit) for the Prophet and those who believe ... etc). Then Allah justified the praying of Abraham for his father by saying: (And Ibrahim asking forgiveness for his sire was only owing to a promise which he had made to him; but when it became clear to him that he was

____________ 1 Al-Kashshaf vol.1 p.570 (vol.2 p.246). Something like this was mentioned by al-Baydhawi in his Tafseer vol.2 p.298. 2 Al-Ghadeer, vol.8 p.14 from Irshad as-Sari vol.7 p.270, As-Seera an-Nabawiyya, vol.1 p.126.

an enemy of Allah, he declared himself to be clear of him). (1) m. The Prophet (s) wanted to beg forgiveness for his father but Allah forbade him from that by saying: (It is not (fit) for the Prophet and those who believe ... etc). The Prophet (s) said that Abraham had begged forgiveness for his father then Allah revealed: (And Ibrahim asking forgiveness for his sire ... etc). (2)

n. The Prophet (s) entered Mecca in the year of al-Fat~h (the conquest) victoriously. While he was in some place of Mecca, he saw a tomb. He sat beside it and asked Allah's permission to beg forgiveness for the one in the tomb but he was not permitted. He left the tomb sorrowfully. He cried and the people began to cry. There were no crying people more than them in that day. (3) Taha Husayn commented after this tradition by saying: "The narrators were confused about this tomb. They thought that it was the Prophet's mother's tomb whereas her tomb was in al-Abwa'. It might be the tomb of the Prophet's grandfather, the sheikh." (4) He meant Abdul Muttalib. I didn't know what the value of the world "might" was while we were talking about an important historical event having its great value whether in the scales of deeds or men!

We knew Taha Husayn well. He always doubted about every thing. He might deny the light of the sun easily by saying: The sun may be not shining! But to change his doubt so suddenly to a degree that

____________ 1 Al-Ghadeer, vol.8 p.14 from at-Tabari's Tafseer vol.1 p.131, Ibn Katheer's Tafseer vol.2 p.394. 2 Al-Ghadeer, vol.8 p.14 from ad-Durr al-Manthoor vol.3 p.283. 3 Ala Hamish as-Seera vol.1 p.193, ibn Katheer's Tafseer vol.2 p.393 but this mentioned that the tomb was of the Prophet's mother. 4 Ala Hamish as-Seera vol.1 p.193

The Inheritance Of Abu Talib

astray only to the detriment of it. Quran 10:108) and many other verses we didn't want to quote. 3. It would be better to mention some traditions showing the reason of the revelation of the verse as it was thought by some persons: a. The Prophet (s) was stabbed with a bayonet in his cheek during the battle of Uhud. He fell down to the ground and then stood up. One of his teeth was broken and blood began to flow on his face. He said: "O Allah! Guide my people for they don't know the truth!" Then Guide my people for they don't know the truth!" Then Allah revealed this verse: (Surely you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He pleases). (1)

b. It was said that some people showed their faithfulness in the Prophet (s) and in Islam but when the Prophet (s) immigrated to Medina, they stayed in Mecca and showed unbelieving and reverting to their old beliefs. When the Prophet (s) and his companions of the Muslims knew about that, they disagreed about it; some of them thought that they were still faithful and their showing unbelief was as taqiya because they were obliged to do that as Allah had said: (Let not the believers Take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than believers; if any do that, in nothing will there be help from Allah; except by way of precaution, that ye may Guard yourselves from them. Quran 3:28) and others thought that they were unbelievers because they had to immigrate with the Prophet (s) if they liked to save their faithfulness, therefore this group and that group came to the Prophet (s) where some of them liked that the Prophet (s) might considered them as believers for the kinship between these and those, who stayed in Mecca.

But the Prophet (s) put off the answer until the Archangel Gabriel revealed to him: (Surely you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He pleases).

It was said that the meaning of the verse was as: "You ____________ 1 Al-Hujja p.29, A'yan ash-Shia, vol.39 p.159.

don't determine, name or witness for whomsoever you like as faithful but it is Allah, who does that if that person deserves to be called as faithful." (1) c. It was said that this verse concerned al-Harith bin Othman bin Nawfal bin Abd Manaf, whom the Prophet (s) wished and liked to be a Muslim. (2) Some of the interpreters said that the verse: (And they say: If we follow the guidance with you, we shall be carried off from our country), which came after that verse, concerned al-Harith. (3)

And it was said that all the Muslims agreed upon that the second verse (And they say: If we follow the guidance with you ...) concerned al-Harith. (4) d. The messenger of Caesar brought a book to the Prophet (s). The Prophet (s) put the book in his lap then asked the man: "Where are you from?" The man said: "I am from Tanookh." The Prophet (s) said to him: "Do you like to believe in the religion of your father Abraham?" The man said: "I am just a messenger of some people and I am on their religion until I come back to them." The Prophet (s) laughed, looked at his companions and said: (Surely you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He pleases). (5)

These were four sayings about the reason of the revelation of the verse. As we said before that a verse couldn't be revealed to the Prophet (s) twice, so how was it distorted to concern Abu Talib? It was that false tradition, which was fabricated by those, who neither refrained from lying nor respect the sanctity of a Muslim!

____________ 1 Al-Hujja p.30, A'yan ash-Shia, vol.39 p.259. 2 Sheikhul Abtah p.69. 3 Al-Kashshaf vol.2 p.167 (vol.3 p.333), Majm'ul Bayan, vol.20 p.309, Asbab an-Nuzool p.169, Ibn Katheer's Tafseer vol.3 p.395, al-Baydhawi's Tafseer vol.4 p.9. 4 Sheikhul Abtah p.69. 5 Ibn Katheer's Tafseer vol.3 p.395.

4. If we gave up and confessed that the verse was revealed about Abu Talib, then it would be as a weapon in the hand of those, who defended Abu Talib's faithfulness, more than those, who accused him of being unfaithful because those who said that the verse (Surely you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He pleases) concerned Abu Talib, they confirmed that the Prophet (s) loved him for the verse meant: O Muhammad! You don't guide whom you love but Allah guide him!

Definitely when the Prophet (s) loved someone, it would be sufficient evidence proving the faithfulness of that one because the Prophet (s) was forbidden from loving other than the faithful ones. On the other side the verse would be evidence showing the high faithfulness of Abu Talib because his faithfulness then would be out of the guidance of Allah and not out of the invitation of the Prophet (s) only. In fact this showed that there was a divine care towards Abu Talib. 5. After all this, we didn't find an improvised saying weaker than the saying of az-Zajjaj when pretending that: "The Muslims agreed upon that this verse had been revealed to concern Abu Talib." (1)

When was this consensus of the Muslims? Yes! It was in the world of imagination and illusion! Was there any evidence confirming this false pretense? Didn't he fear the bad end of this disgraceful accusation or the responsibility of such a reckless decision? The least thing in his saying was excluding Ahlul Bayt and their followers, the Shia, who refuted this false pretense, from among the Muslims and excluding another group of the Prophet's companions, who acknowledged the truth and confessed the faithfulness of Abu Talib, because if he didn't exclude these people from the

____________ 1 Al-Kashshaf vol.3 p.332. (275)

Muslims, his pretense about the consensus would by invalidated by a saying of any one of Ahlul Bayt or the companions. The strange thing in this concern and how much wonders and strange things there were in this subject -was that his evidence about this illusory consensus was a false tradition mentioned without any series of narrators so that we could find whether the narrators were liars, fabricators or something else. But it was undoubtedly that the tradition was derived from those false traditions that were just refuted and he might add to them something of his imagination to make the little lie grow.

The contradiction was apparent in the tradition and the marks of fabrication were clear between the words ascribed to Abu Talib: "O my nephew! I know that you are truthful but I hate to be said that Abu Talib slackened when about to die" until he said: "... but I will die on the religion of the sheikhs Abdul Muttalib, Hashem and Abd Manaf." (1) We didn't want to repeat the argument about this fabricated tradition but we liked to refer to the saying of al-Qurtubi, who found the word "consensus" so big and he wanted to lessen something of its sharpness so he commented: "It is more correct to say: The most of the interpreters agreed upon that the verse was revealed concerning Abu Talib." (2)

But he wasn't saved from what az-Zajjaj had fallen into because the two pretenses had no evidence nor they depended upon reason or reality. The same was the saying of ibn Katheer when saying about this verse: "It was proved in the two Sahihs (3) that the verse was revealed about the Prophet's uncle Abu

____________ 1 Al-Kashshaf vol.3 p.332-333. 2 Al-Ghadeer, vol.8 p.22 from al-Qurtubi's Tafseer vol.13 p.299. 3 Sahih of al-Bukhari and Sahih of Muslim.

Talib, who protected the Prophet (s), defended him, assisted him and loved him greatly; natural love and not (legal!) ..." (1) Then he cited those fabricated traditions, which were already refuted, and then he sent his decision indifferently without thinking of any responsibility or anything else. Would such commercial news be proved by false traditions fabricated by some of the liars? And it was funny to quote the saying of at-Tarmithi about one of these traditions: "... it was accepted but odd. We didn't know it except from the tradition of Yazeed bin Kayssan." (2)

He acknowledged that it was odd and that it was only narrated by Yazeed, who was unreliable and no one depended upon his traditions as we knew before when we discussed the series of the narrators of the tradition in a previous chapter, so what made at-Tarmithi say that it was accepted? Also we didn't want to argue with ibn Katheer about the love, which he liked to call a natural love and not a (legal) love, because this book was full of evidences proving that the great love Abu Talib had towards Muhammad was towards Muhammad the Prophet not Muhammad the nephew! Such raving was called interpretation one time, history another time and tradition a third time. Like that was the saying: "Abu Sa'eed bin Rafi' said: "I asked ibn Omar: Was this verse (Surely you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He pleases) concerning Abu Jahl and Abu Talib?" He said: "Yes, it was." (3)

We didn't find any series of narrators for this saying

____________ 1 Ibn Katheer's Tafseer vol.3 p.349. He meant that Abu Talib loved Muhammad as his nephew not as the prophet. 2 Ibn Katheer's Tafseer vol.3 p.349. 3 Asbab an-Nuzool.

besides that it was just an opinion ascribed to ibn Omar. But how did reason accept such opinion -even if the faithfulness of Abu Talib was not proved- where it put Abu Jahl and Abu Talib in one position? How would the two; Abu Talib in his love, protection and his devotedness in defending the Prophet (s) and Abu Jahl in his opposite situation, be equal for the Prophet (s) and in the same position where the Prophet (s) loved for both of them to be guided and to be Muslims? Who knows! Perhaps they thought that the Prophet (s) loved Abu Jahl more but Allah didn't want that! The values became under the feet, the qualities were lost and beauty and ugliness were equal ... defending the Prophet (s) and fighting him were the same! How bad it was!

This impudent attack was not against Abu Talib; it was against the Prophet (s) himself where he was considered as unjust and unfair in dealing with two contradicted situation in the same way, in which he wronged justice and violated rightness! O Allah, forgive us! Interpreting the verse according to the personal opinions didn't stop at a certain end. We found that every one interpreted it as he liked and according to his fancy and passion.

We found that someone divided the verse between Abu Talib and al-Abbas when saying that the beginning of the verse concerned Abu Talib whereas its end concerned al-Abbas. (1) Between the death of Abu Talib and the believing of al-Abbas in Islam there was a long period besides that al-Abbas became a Muslim years after the revelation of this verse. We referred previously to our respected father's saying

____________ 1 Al-Ghadeer, vol.8 p.22 from al-Qurtoobi's Tafseer vol.13 p.299 and ad-Durr al-Manthoor vol.5 p.133.

that all the accusations ascribed to Abu Talib were because he was the father of Ali, otherwise he wouldn't be accused of anything if he was the father of anyone else than Ali; therefore defaming of Abu Talib was just a means to defame his son Ali! We found some of the distortion fabricated about the verse confirming this thought.

Mo'awiya asked Samra to distort a Quranic verse against Ali and another verse in the interest of ibn Muljam (Ali's killer) as we mentioned in the first chapter (At the Threshold). Besides that he wanted a verse to be distorted against Abu Talib. Someone said: "The verse (Surely you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He pleases) concerned Abu Talib because the Prophet (s) liked Abu Talib to be a Muslim and so this verse was revealed. Meanwhile he disliked Wahshi (the killer of Hamza, the Prophet's uncle) to be a Muslim then this verse was revealed (Say: O my servants! who have acted extravagantly against their own souls, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Quran 29:53) so Wahshi became a Muslim but Abu Talib didn't!" (1)

In order to certify this silly saying they ascribed it to ibn Abbas to show us the extent of confusion they reached. It was the just one of those opinions put to serve the obscene aims and the fabricator would never mind whomever or whatever it defamed or what values it destroyed! The Prophet (s), according to this thought, contradicted Allah. He liked what Allah disliked and disliked what Allah liked! Allah glory be to Him, didn't want Abu Talib to be a Muslim! Perhaps there was an old enmity between them or perhaps the reason of that enmity was because that

____________ 1 Majma'ul Bayan, vol.20 p.207-208.

Abu Talib had brought up the Prophet (s), protected him, defended him and defended his mission and his followers of the believers! But the Prophet (s) liked Abu Talib to be a Muslim as a kind of loyalty to him and so the two wills contradicted but then the stronger will, the will of Allah, won and Allah achieved his opponency against Abu Talib by preventing him from being a Muslim!

As for Wahshi, also the two wills; of Allah and that of His messenger, contradicted and at the end Wahshi became a Muslim! The Prophet (s) hated Wahshi, who had killed his uncle Hamza, and the hatred grew in his heart that he didn't want him to be a Muslim but Allah, the Merciful, the Kind forgive the crime of Wahshi against Hamza, the hero of Islam, and didn't pay any attention to His messenger's emotions. The result of the fight between the two wills made Wahshi a believer because it was the will of Allah!!!

Wouldn't it be better for them to add to the great faithfulness and high virtues of Wahshi his decision to the wine, which he didn't leave a minute until it mixed with his blood and that he couldn't wake up from its effects until the last moment of his life, which was full of sins and crimes! (1)

What raving and silly speech those dotards uttered without knowing what they raved! How did this verse concern Wahshi whereas it was general and it concerned all the Muslims? It was revealed in Mecca whereas Wahshi pretended to be a Muslim many years after the revelation of this verse. (2) Worse than Wahshi were those, who never cared for any responsibility and who followed the mirage and jumbled in the darkness!

____________ 1 Al-Istee'ab vol.3 p.61. 2 Majma'ul Bayan, vol.23 p.163.

Among the fabrications against Abu Talib was the pretense that Ali and Ja'far hadn't taken anything from the inheritance of their father because they were Muslims while their father was unbeliever. (1)

We didn't find the narrators of this lie in order to remove the cover from above this scandal and this disgrace! Surely this lie was fabricated by someone, who was ignorant of the conditions of inheritance among the Muslims. Definitely that fabricator didn't know more than the tradition of "There is no succession between the followers of two different religions." We believe in this tradition but it means that the unbeliever is not to inherit from the Muslim. This prophetic tradition wouldn't prevent a Muslim from inheriting from an unbeliever because Islam exalted the Muslim as it was confirmed by many prophetic traditions such as: "Islam is exalted and nothing is to be more exalted than it."

Hence Islam didn't permit an unbeliever man to marry a Muslim woman because she was loftier than him whereas some of the ulema permitted a Muslim man to marry a (kitabi) (2) unbeliever woman in a continuous marriage. The shia agreed upon the permission of marrying a kitabi unbeliever woman in temporary marriage as I knew. (3)

____________ 1 Al-Seera al-Halabiyya, vol.1 p.74, Al-Hujja p.32, Sheikhul Abtah p.78. 2 Kitabi is a follower of judaism or Christianity. 3 When referring to the sources concerning this subject, three opinions appeared:

a. Continuous and temporary marriage were permissible. b. Both were not permissible at all. c. Continuous marriage was not permissible but temporary marriage was permissible. Refer to Nasseem and Zawba'a p.228-230.

If we submitted to this fabrication and supposed that it was true, although it wasn't, it wouldn't be as evidence showing that Abu Talib was unbeliever because Ali and Ja'far, who were Muslims, had the right to inherit their father even if he was unbeliever as the fabricators pretended. The Islamic law didn't forbid that but the one, who fabricated this lie, was unaware of Islam and its laws.

The Tradition of ad-Dhihdhah (1)

We would like to quote the different ways of the tradition as fabricated by the fabricators and then to discuss it. 1. Obeidillah bin Omar al-Qawareeri, Muhammad bin Abu Bakr al-Maqdimi and Muhammad bin Abdul Melik al-Amawi said: Abu Owana told us from Abdul Melik bin Omayr from Abdullah bin al-Harith bin Nawfal that al-Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib had said: "O messenger of Allah! Did you benefit Abu Talib with something? He protected and defended you. The Prophet (s) said: Yes! He is in a shallow place of Hell but without me, he will be in the lowest bottom of Hell." (2)

2. Ibn Abu Omar from Sufyan from Abdul Melik bin Omayr that Abdullah bin al-Harith said: "I heard al-Abbas saying: "I said: O messenger of Allah! Abu Talib used to protect and support you. Did that benefit him? He said: Yes! I found him in a flood of Fire and I took him out to a shallow place (in Hell)." (3)

3. Muhammad bin Hatim from Yahya bin Sa'eed from

____________ 1 Dhikdhah means shallowness. 2 Muslim's Sahih vol.1 p.34-135. 3 Ibid.

Sufyan ... etc like the first one. (1) 4. Abu Bakr bin Abu Shayba from Wakee' from Sufyan ... like the first one. (2) 5. Qutayba bin Sa'eed from Layth from ibn al-Had from Abdullah bin Khabbab that Abu Sa'eed al-Khidri said: "Once Abu Talib was mentioned near the Prophet (s). The Prophet (s) said: My intercession may benefit him in the Day of Resurrection. He may be put in a shallow place of Fire reaching his heels and making his brain boil." (3)

6. Abu Bakr bin Abu Shayba from Affan from Hammad bin Salama from Thabit from Othman an-Nahdi that ibn Abbas said: "The Prophet (s) said: The least tortured one among the people of Hell is Abu Talib where he wears two shoes, from which his brain boils." (4)

7. Musaddad from Yahya from Sufyan from Abdul Melik from Abdullah bin al-Harith said: "Al-Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him) told us that he had said to the Prophet (s): "With what did you benefit your uncle? He protected and defended you." The Prophet (s) said: "He is in a shallow place of Fire and without me; he would be in the lowest bottom of Hell." (5)

8. Abdullah bin Yousuf from al-Layth ... etc. like the fifth tradition. (6)

9. Ibraheem bin Hamza from Abu Hazim and ad-Darawardi from Yazeed ... like the fifth tradition. (7)

____________

1 Muslim's Sahih vol.1 p.134-135. 2 Ibid 3 Ibid 4 Ibid 5 Al-Bukhari's Sahih vol.2 p.201. 6 Ibid 7 Ibid