Abu Talib (a.s)

The Second and the Third Verses

1. (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) 9:113.

2. (Surely you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He pleases, and He knows best the followers of the right way) 28:56. We would like first to quote the fabricated traditions that distorted the meaning of these verses then to discuss the source of the traditions and to uncover the reality of the narrators one after the other.

3. Iss~haq bin Ibraheem said that Abdur Razaq told him from Mu'ammar from az-Zuhri from Sa'eed bin al-Mussayyab that his father had said: "When Abu Talib was dying, the Prophet (s) came to him while Abu Jahl and Abdullah bin Abu Umayya were sitting near him. The Prophet (s) said to Abu Talib: "O uncle! Say there is no god but Allah so that I will intercede with Allah for you by it!" Abu Jahl and Abdullah bin Abu Umayya said: "O Abu Talib! Do you deny the religion of Abdul Muttalib?" The Prophet (s) said: "I will pray Allah to forgive you as long as I am not forbidden from it." Then this verse was revealed to the Prophet (s): (It is not (fit) for the Prophet and those who believe that they should ask forgiveness for the polytheists ...)" (1)

4. From Abul Yaman, from Shu'ayb, from az-Zuhri, from Sa'eed bin al-Mussayab from his father: "When Abu Talib was dying, the Prophet (s) came to him. He found Abu Jahl and Abdullah bin Abu Umayya bin al-Mugheera sitting near him. The Prophet (s) said: "O uncle! Say there is no god but Allah so that I will intercede with Allah for you by this word."

Abu Jahl and Abdullah bin Abu Umayya said (to Abu Talib): "Do you deny the religion of Abdul Muttalib?" The Prophet (s) kept on asking his uncle to say that and those two men repeated their saying until Abu Talib said, and it was the last word he had said before his death: "On the religion of Abdul Muttalib" and he refused to say that that there was no god but Allah. The Prophet (s) said: "By Allah! I will pray Allah to forgive you as long as I am not forbidden from it." Then Allah revealed to the Prophet (s): (It is not (fit) for

____________ 1 Al-Bukhari's Sahih, vol.2 p.201, vol.3 p.87.

the Prophet and those who believe that they should ask forgiveness for the polytheists ...). Also Allah revealed to the Prophet (s) about Abu Talib: (Surely you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guide whom He pleases, and He knows best the followers of the right way)." (1)

3. From Harmala bin Yahya at-Tajeebi, from Abdullah bin Wahab, from Younus, from ibn Shihab, from Sa'eed bin al-Mussayab, from his father: "When Abu Talib was dying, the Prophet (s) came to him ... etc." (2)

4. From Muhammad bin Abbad and ibn Abu Omar, from Marwan, from Yazeed bin Kayssan, from Abu Hazim, from Abu Hurayra: "The Prophet (s) said to his uncle when he was dying: "Say: there is no god but Allah so that I witness to you with it in the Day of Resurrection." He refused. Then Allah revealed: (Surely you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He pleases, and He knows best the followers of the right way). (3)

5. From Muhammad bin Hatim bin Maymoon, from Yahya bin Sa'eed, from Yazeed bin Sa'eed, from Yazeed bin Kayssan, from Abu Hazim al-Ashja'iy, from Abu Hurayra: "The Prophet (s) said to his uncle: "Say: there is no god but Allah so that I witness to you with it in the Day of Resurrection." Abu Talib said: "I fear that Quraysh may blame me. They may say that he is forced by fearing death to say that, otherwise I will delight your eyes with it." Then Allah revealed: (Surely you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He pleases, and He knows best the followers of the right way). (4)

The Narrators of the First Three Traditions

We started with the narrators of the first three traditions for some reasons:

____________ 1 Al-Bukhari's Sahih, vol.3 p.107. 2 Muslim's Sahih, vol.1 p.40. 3 Ibid p.41. 4 Ibid

1. Among the narrators of the first traditions there was Iss~haq bin Ibraheem, whose name was incomplete. There were many persons having this name. We didn't know which one he was. Was he Iss~haq bin Ibraheem, the weak (unreliable)? Or whose sheikh was unregarded? Or who was not trusty? Or whom ath-Thahabi didn't know and who was considered as liar by ibn Adiy and al-Azdi because of fabricating traditions? Or about whom al-Hakim and ad-Darqutni said: he was not reliable? Or about whom an-Nassa'iy said that he was not trusty, Abu Dawood said that he was nothing and was considered at liar by the speaker of Him, (1) Muhammad bin Ouf at-Ta'iy? Or who narrated the denied traditions? Or who was left without paying any attention to his traditions? (2)

But he might be Iss~haq bin Ibraheem ad-Dubri, the companion of Abdur Razaq about whom ath-Thahabi said: "He was not a man of traditions ..." until he said: "but Abdur Razaq narrated from him denied traditions. Then they were treated with hesitation; were they narrated by him alone or they were known traditions narrated by Abdur Razaq alone?" (3)

But the author of Sheikhul Abtah said when talking about this tradition that he was Iss~haq bin Ibraheem bin Rahwayh. (4) Ath-Thahabi said about this one: "Abu Obeid al-Aajuri said: I heard Abu Dawood saying: Iss~haq bin Rahwayh became different (dotard) five months before his death. I heard from him some traditions at those days but I brushed them aside" until he said: "A tradition was mentioned to our sheikh Abul Hajjaj. He said: It was said that Iss~haq doted at the last days of his life." Then he

____________ 1 A city in Syria. 2 Mizanul I'tidal, vol.1 p.84-86. 3 Ibid p.85. 4 Ibid vol.? p.70.

mentioned, as he thought, some of Iss~haq's denied traditions. (1) We thought that he was the companion of Abdur Razaq because he related the traditions to Abdur Razaq. Then who was this Abdur Razaq? Was he Abdur Razaq bin Omar ath-Thaqafi, about whom it was said that he was weak, unreliable and his traditions were denied and about whom ad-Darqutni said that he was weak and his book was lost and Abu Mussahhar said from az-Zuhri that his book was lost? (2) But he might be that one, about whom ath-Thahabi had said in his traditions from Iss~haq bin Ibraheem, which we mentioned above: "... but he narrated from Abdur Razaq denied traditions ... etc."

He had narrated from Ma'mar bin Rashid ten thousand traditions! (3) Then we found among the narrators the name of Ma'mar. He was not but a liar, unknown and a narrator of denied traditions. (4) We thought that this Ma'mar was Ma'mar bin Rashid. (5) Ath-Thahabi said about him: "He had famous illusions. Abu Hatim said. He didn't narrate traditions in Basra because he had many mistakes." (6) Abdur Razaq, who was one of the series of narrators of this tradition, said that he had written down from Ma'mar ten thousand traditions. (7) Did you see the great number of traditions?! And did

____________ 1 Mizanul I'tidal, vol.1 p.86. 2 Ibid vol.2 p.126. 3 Mizanul I'tidal, vol.3 p.188. This Abdur Razaq defamed Othman as it was mentioned in al-Ghadeer, vol.5 p.252. 4 Mizanul I'tidal, vol.3 p.188. 5 Sheikhul Abtah p.70. 6 Mizanul I'tidal, vol.3 p.188. 7 Ibid

you see this naughty series of narrators? There was nothing except falseness, fabrication and split ties.

2. Also we found in the series of narrators of the second tradition incomplete and unknown names. Who was Abdur Yaman?

We didn't find save one name that narrated a murssal tradition (a tradition narrated without -or with incomplete or unknown- series of narrators). (1)

The second name was Shu'ayb. We found many persons having this name and no one of them was but a fabricator, a liar, weak, a narrator of denied traditions, unknown ... etc. (2)

3. Then the series of the two traditions met with az-Zhuri. Would az-Zuhri's tradition be trusted whereas he himself had narrated that fabricated tradition, which we mentioned in the first chapter (At The Threshold), saying that Imam Ali and his uncle al-Abbas would be among the people of Hell and would die on a religion other than the Prophet's religion? (3) Would a tradition about Abu Talib, the father of Ali, be taken from this man, who had said such a lie, falseness and fabrication against Imam Ali so impudently?

The purpose behind that was clear and was brighter than the light of the sun. What would we expect this man to say about Abu Talib after that obscene accusation and impudent saying he had said about Imam Ali? It was enough for az-Zuhri that Abu Talib was the father of Imam Ali to say about him worse than what he had said. After that we didn't need to say that he was one of those, who concealed the defects of the fabricated

____________ 1 Mizanul I'tidal, vol.3 p.388. 2 Ibid vol.1 p.447-448. It was mentioned in al-Ghadeer, vol.5 p.204: "... Shu'ayb bin Amr at-Tahhan. Al-Azdi said about him that he was a liar." 3 Sharh Nahjol Balagha, vol.1 p.358.

traditions of the liars! (1) The two traditions about Ali and al-Abbas that narrated by him were enough for us to brush him aside! It would be better to point out that Abdur Razaq and Ma'mar, who participated with az-Zuhri in weaving the threads of the first fabricated traditions against Abu Talib, couldn't keep on with him till the end Abdur Razaq said: "Ma'mar said: "Az-Zuhri had two traditions narrated by Orwa from Aa'isha about Ali (s)." One day I asked him about them. He said: What do you do with them and their traditions? Allah is more aware of them. I suspect them when they talk about the Hashemites." (2)

He meant az-Zuhri and Orwa and he meant by the two traditions those traditions fabricated against Imam Ali and al-Abbas that they were among the people of Hell and they would die on a religion other than Islam. It would be better too to mention this event about az-Zuhri:

Someone was in the mosque of Medina. He saw az-Zuhri and Orwa bin az-Zubayr sitting there. They criticized and defamed Imam Ali. Ali bin al-Husayn (Imam Sajjad) was informed of that. He came to them and said: "As for you Orwa! My father claimed against your father and it was judged for my father. But as for you Zuhri If you were in Mecca, I would show you the house of your father!" (3) 4. Among the series of the narrators of the third tradition we found these names:

a. Harmala bin Yahya at-Tajeebi or at-Taheebi, whose odd traditions were narrated by him alone. Abu Hatim said about him that no one depended about his traditions. Abdullah bin Muhammad al-

____________ 1 Refer to Mizanul I'tidal, vol.3 p.126. 2 Sharh Nahjol Balagha, vol.1 p.358. 3 Ibid p.371.

Farhathan considered him as weak as it was said by ibn Adiy. It was said that Harmala had one thousand traditions. All of them were narrated from ibn Wahab. This tradition, we are talking about, was narrated by Harmala from ibn Wahab. He narrated all ibn Wahab's tradition except two. (1)

b. We were confused when we read about what had been said about Abdullah bin Wahab, the second narrator of the series of this false tradition. It was said that he had compiled one hundred and twenty thousand traditions and that all his traditions were with Harmala except two traditions. (2) Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal was asked by someone about bin Wahab: "Didn't he take traditions improperly?" He answered: "Yes, he did." (3) That he narrated one hundred and twenty thousand traditions alone ... wasn't it enough to certify that he took traditions improperly?! What was this abundance of traditions? He just had to say: someone informed me, so told me, so narrated to me and so said to me until this great number of traditions was to be completed!

c. We didn't know who was this Younus mentioned among the narrators of the tradition. There were many bad memorizer, of denied traditions and even that some ones were surnamed as "the liar". (4) d. And as for ibn Shihab, he was more obscure than to

____________ 1 Mizanul I'tidal, vol.1 p.219. 2 If we compared with what was said about Harmala and what was said about bin Wahab, the phrase "one hundred and twenty thousand traditions" wouldn't go with the talk about Harmala. 3 Mizanul I'tidal, vol.2 p.86. 4 Ibid vol.3 p.336-340.

know anything about him!

5. Thus the series of the three traditions connected with Sa'eed bin al-Mussayyab, who had narrated the traditions from his father. Hence we couldn't trust in the tradition after all these defects even if it was narrated by Sa'eed bin al-Mussayyab. In fact there was a great disagreement about this Sa'eed himself in jarh and ta'deel (whether he was reliable or not).

Among those, who criticized him, was ibn Abul Hadeed. He considered him as one of those, who deviated from Imam Ali (s), and that there was something (evil) in his heart towards Imam Ali (1) and he was one of those, who hated and criticized Imam Ali (s). As long as he hated Imam Ali (s), so it wouldn't be possible in any case to trust in his traditions; then how about a tradition concerning Abu Talib, who was the father of Imam Ali. Imam Ali, according to many prophetic traditions, was the separative limit between faithfulness and polytheism; that no polytheist would love him and no faithful would hate him.

We would like to mention some events and saying concerning this man. We begin with this dialogue between him and Omar bin Ali bin Abu Talib as it was mentioned by ibn Abul Hadeed: "... Omar bin Ali (s) scolded him severely. Abdur Rahman bin al-Asswad narrated that Abu Dawood al-Hamadani had said: "Once I was there when Sa'eed bin al-Mussayyab asked Omar bin Ali bin Abu Talib (s) in the mosque.

He said to Omar: "O my nephew! (2) I don't see that you come to the Prophet's mosque so much like your brothers

____________ 1 Refer to Sharh Nahjol Balagha, vol.1 p.370 and al-Ghadeer, vol.8 p.9, 56. 2 It was just a metonymy because he was not his nephew.

and cousins!" Omar said: "O bin al-Mussayyab! Do I meet you whenever I come to the mosque?" Sa'eed said: "I don't like to make you angry. I have heard your father saying: I have a position that is much better for the family of Abdul Muttalib than all what is there on the earth." Omar said: "And I have hard my father saying: No word of wisdom in a polytheist's heart remains, unless he utters it before he leaves this life." Sa'eed said: "O my nephew! Do you make of me a polytheist?" Omar said: "It is what I say." Then he left. (1)

Thus this word of rightness had come out of bin al-Mussayyab's heart before he left this world. This severity of Omar bin Ali towards bin al-Mussayyab might show his bad situation towards Imam Ali, his deviating from him, hating him and trying to defame him!

Here is another event showing his deviating from Ahlul Bayt (s): One day Sa'eed bin al-Mussayyab passed by the dead body of Imam Sajjad (Ali bin al-Husayn) but he didn't offer the prayer for the dead. Someone came to him and denied his behavior. He said to him: "Don't you offer the prayer for this virtuous man of the virtuous Ahlul Bayt? Sa'eed bin al-Mussayyab said: "Offering two rak'as (2) is better to me than to offer the prayer for this virtuous man!" (3)

____________ 1 Sharh Nahjol Balagha, vol.1 p.370, al-Ghadeer, vol.8 p.9, A'yan ash-Shia, vol.35 p.78-79. 2 Rak'a is a unit of prayer. 3 Sheikhul Abtah vol.1 p.370, al-Ghadeer, vol.8 p.9, A'yan ash-Shia, vol.35 p.72-73.

Then how could we trust in a tradition against Ali from a man suspected of hating him? If we knew that Sa'eed had said: "Whoever loved Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman and Ali, confessed that the ten persons (1) would be in paradise, prayed Allah to have mercy upon Mo'awiya (!!) and died on that, Allah wouldn't punish him in the Day of Punishment", (2) then we would know, after he had cleared his situation towards Mo'awiya, what value a tradition, said by this man against Abu Talib, had! The situation of Sa'eed bin al-Mussayyab towards Mo'awiya couldn't be denied. He narrated another false tradition about Mo'awiya that the Prophet (s) had said: "... he went towards the One, Whom no one could go except towards; and I hope that Allah won't punish him." (3) Do you know what led him to narrate this false tradition, which made him forget all the shed bloods, the extorted rights and all the disgraceful and obscene doings done by Mo'awiya?

He justified that by an untruthful saying said by Mo'awiya when he was under the wing of death and all the ways were closed before him. Mo'awiya said: "O Allah! Forgive the stumble, remit the slip and grant your patience to the one, who doesn't hope save You and doesn't trust save in You. You are the greatest forgive and there is no escape for a sinful save towards You." (4) Perhaps the saying of Mo'awiya was the cornerstone

____________ 1 There was a tradition, in which it was pretended that the Prophet (s) had promised ten certain persons of being among the people of Paradise. 2 Al-Ghadeer, vol.10 p.38, ibn Katheer's Tareekh, vol.8 p.139-140. 3 A'yan ash-Shia, vol.35 p.80. 4 Ibid

for the heresy of the Murji'ah (1) and hence Mo'awiya was considered to be the first of the Murjites. Murjiism began from this unjust structure that Mo'awiya had erected upon committing sins and crimes and spreading vices and injustice. Surely this unjust Mo'awiya uttered these words with his tongue only, when he was dying, without believing in them whereas his doings didn't know any of these meanings. Then came after him who hoped that might Allah not punish this immoral blood-shedder and might forget -may He forgive us- what this or that might have forgotten his sins and crimes.

And it would be better to show the situation of Sa'eed bin al-Mussayyab in evaluating Mo'awiya and his likes of the mean Umayyad house. He was asked: "Who is the most eloquent of people?" He said: "The messenger of Allah (s) ..." It was said to him: "We don't ask you about this!" Then he didn't find save Mo'awiya, his son Yazeed, Sa'eed bin al-Aass and his son Amr al-Ashdaq. (2) By this we knew that he was deviate from Ali and his progeny, for what eloquence these persons had in comparison with the ocean of Imam Ali's eloquence!

There was a great disagreement about Sa'eed and the thoughts were different about him. Some ones considered him as Shia and as one of Imam Ali bin al-Husayn's disciples. But this was not true for many reasons that we didn't want to waste time in detailing. His traditions against Ahlul Bayt and their father Abu Talib besides the saying

____________ 1 one of the earliest Islamic sects to believe in the postponement of judgement on committers of serious sins, recognizing Allah alone as being able to decide whether or not a Muslim had lost his faith. 2 Al-Bayan wet-Tebyeen, vol.1 p.302.

of Imam Sajjad himself, of whom Sa'eed was considered as disciple, was sufficient evidence for us to show his deviation. If it was proved that he was a Shia, this tradition would be not his. Some people, as al-Mufeed, considered him as one of those, who hated Ahlul Bayt. And some, as Malik, considered him as one of the Kharijites. (1)

Any how if ta'deel was preferred to jarh about this man, and this what we liked, then this tradition wouldn't have been narrated by him definitely. If Sa'eed was reliable, then definitely it would be the doubtful series of the narrators that fabricated the tradition and ascribed it to Sa'eed. As for the father of Sa'eed, al-Mussayyab bin Hazan, from whom his son Sa'eed had inherited "severity and impoliteness" (2) and who was "one of those, who became Muslims (unwillingly) after the conquest of Mecca." (3)

So how could he attend the death of Abu Talib? And if he attended the death of Abu Talib, then how would his tradition be trusted whereas he wanted to increase the number of the polytheists, who would join him to justify his polytheistic situation? This tradition couldn't be trusted for many reasons; the incomplete and suspicious series of narrators and that it was objected by true and reliable traditions.

The Narrators of the Two Last Traditions Here we discuss the series of narrators of each of the fourth and the fifth traditions.

____________

1 A'yan ash-Shia, vol.35 p.80.

2 Nasab Quraysh p.35.

3 Al-Issaba, vol.3 p.401. (234)

1. The narrators of the fourth tradition: a. Muhammad bin Abbad ... who was he? Everyone having this name was not more than to be unknown, unaware of traditions, blamed for his traditions, suspected or weak as ad-Darqutni said. (1) b. Ibn Abu Omar ... who was he? No one knew who he was. Let's leave him with his obscurity. c. Marwan ...! There were many persons having this name; among them was a liar, unknown, weak, who narrated denied traditions, who narrated from every Tom, Dick and Harry, who was unreliable and whose traditions were not evidenced. (2)
2. The narrators of the fifth tradition: a. Muhammad bin Hatim bin Maymoon al-Qatee'iy, who was famous as "the fat man"; ibn Mo'een and ibn al-Medeeni said that he was a liar. Al-Fallas said about him that he was nothing. (3) b. Yahya bin Sa'eed; al-Bukhari and Abu Hatim said that his traditions were denied. An-Nassa'iy said that he narrated from az-Zuhri fabricated traditions. Ibn Adiy and others said that he ascribed to the reliable persons false traditions. Ibn Habban said about him that he mistook in traditions so much. (4) Yahya bin Sa'eed al-Qattan (5) said that he concealed when narrating traditions. Ad-Dimyati said: It was said that he concealed. (6) ____________ 1 Mizanul I'tidal, vol.3 p.77.

2 Ibid p.159-160.

3 Ibid p.37, Dala'il as-Sidq, vol.1 p.59.

4 Mizanul I'tidal, vol.2 p.289.

5 Yahya bin Sa'eed al-Qattan might be another one, other than Sa'eed bin Yahya, who narrated traditions from Yazeed.

6 Dala'il as-Sidq, vol.1 p.68. (235)

It was this Yahya bin Sa'eed, who said that he had something in his heart against Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq. (1) 3. Then the series of narrators of the two traditions reached to Yazeed bin Kayssan from Abu Hazim from Abu Hurayra. a. As for Yazeed bin Kayssan, ath-Thahabi mentioned two persons having this name; the first of them concerned our subject. Ath-Thahabi said about him that he narrated from Abu Hazim al-Ashja'iy and others and he narrated from Yahya al-Qattan then he said: "Abu Hatim said: No one depends upon his traditions. Yahya bin Sa'eed al-Qattan said: He was some how good but not reliable." (2) We didn't know whether ath-Thahabi meant by Yahya bin Sa'eed al-Qattan the one, who narrated from Yazeed and who was criticized by ath-Thahabi himself another one! b. We didn't know the name of Abu Hazim al-Ashja'iy so we couldn't know anything about him. (3) c. As for Abu Hurayra, it was disagreed about his name, his father's name and his lineage until it might be thought that this surname was of many persons! (4) This exceeding narrator of traditions was the most of the narrators in narrating traditions. (5) It was found in one Musnad, (6) which was the Musnad of Taqiy bin Mukhallad, more than five thousand and three hundred traditions narrated by this man alone. (7) ____________ 1 Al-Ghadeer, vol.5 p.252.

2 Mizanul I'tidal, vol.3 p.318.

3 Abu Hazim al-Ashja'iy was just a surname.

4 Refer to al-Issaba and al-Istee'ab, vol.4 p.200 an Siyer A'lam an-Nubala', vol.2 p.47.

5 Al-Issaba, vol.4 p.202.

6. Musnad is a book of Hadith.

7 Al-Issaba, vol.4 p.202, al-Ghadeer, vol.7 p.115, Siyer A'lam an-Nubala', vol.2 p.453. (236)

It was him, who used to spread his dress, as he himself has said, to be filled with prophetic traditions and then to join to his chest. (1) We didn't know what kind of traditions that his dress was filled with! I thought that this tradition was one of those traditions that had been attached to this dress! He narrated it as a prophetic tradition but he didn't know that it was among those things that had been attached to his dress!!! We didn't accept this tradition from many reasons; Abu Hurayra, as we mentioned in the first chapter of this book, was one of those who had been hired by Mo'awiya to fabricate traditions against Imam Ali (s). We quoted here what ibn Abul Hadeed had mentioned in his book that Abu Ja'far al-Iskafi had said: "Mo'awiya employed some people of the Prophet's companions and some of the successors to fabricate traditions having bad news defaming Ali (s) and calling for turning aside from him. He assigned bribes for that in order to make it desirous for the others to do the same. So they fabricated many traditions to please him. Among them were Abu Hurayra, Amr bin al-Aass and al-Mugheera bin Shu'ba and among the successors was Orwa bin az-Zubayr." (2) You saw that Abu Hurayra was one of those, who had been hired by Mo'awiya to fabricate traditions against Imam Ali (s), and you saw that he had fabricated the tradition we mentioned in the first chapter (At The Threshold), in which he had sworn by Allah that Ali had done corruption in Medina and hence he had deserved, according to Abu Hurayra's thought, to be cursed by ____________ 1 Al-Issaba vol.4 p.205.

2 Sharh Nahjol Balagha, vol.1 p.358. (237)

Allah, the angels and all the peoples. (1) He followed Mo'awiya just for money. "If Mo'awiya gave him money, he would keep quiet, but if Mo'awiya didn't give him money, he would speak out." (2) We would like, before mentioning some sayings about Abu Hurayra, to show what he himself had narrated. He said: "The Prophet (s) said to me: Where are you from? I said: From Douss. (3) He said: I haven't thought that there is a good man in Douss." (4) He didn't exclude anyone so Abu Hurayra would be included in this general judgement. Here are some sayings about Abu Hurayra: Abu Ja'far al-Iskafi said: "Abu Hurayra is considered as abnormal by our sheikhs. His traditions are unaccepted. Once Omar hit him with his stick and said to him: You exceed in narrating traditions and I think that you ascribe lies to the Prophet (s)!" (5) Once again Omar said to him: "Either you stop narrating the Prophet's traditions or I will expel you to the land of Douss." (6) Douss was Abu Hurayra's home in Yemen before he became a Muslim. What could we say about Omar? Was he unjust to Abu Hurayra when he hit him or when he threatened him with expelling? I myself don't think that the caliph was of this kind, but his conscience didn't accept such abundance of ____________ 1 Sharh Nahjol Balagha, vol.1 p.359

2 Sayer A'lam an-Nubala' vol.2 p.442.

3 Douss was the tribe of Abu Hurayra.

4 Sayer A'lam an-Nubala' vol.2 p.425.

5 Ibid vol.1 p.360.

6 Sayer A'lam an-Nubala' vol.2 p.434, al-Ghadeer, vol.6 p.295. (238)

traditions narrated by this man and ascribed to the Prophet (s) and he knew that many of them were not true! Therefore the caliph wounded Abu Hurayra's back with his stick and threatened him -another time- with expelling that he might refrain from fabricating traditions! This was not the only time that the caliph Omar wounded Abu Hurayra's back with his stick. Once the caliph Omar sent for him, when he had appointed him as the wall of Bahrain. The caliph said to Abu Hurayra, who himself had narrated this: "O enemy of Allah and enemy of His Book! Have you stolen the wealth of the Muslims? ... etc." (1) He exceeded in narrating traditions during the time of the caliph Omar, who was so severe and sharp in matters of this kinds, and Abu Hurayra knew that well so he feared Omar very much; therefore we found him after the reign of Omar answering Abu Salama when he asked him: "Did you tell of such traditions during the time of Omar?" Abu Hurayra said: "If I told at the time of Omar of what I tell you of now, he would hit me with his stick." (2) He said: "I have told you of traditions that if I had told of during the time of Omar, he would have hit me with this stick." (3) All that didn't make him refrain from fabricating traditions in spite of the severity of Omar towards him, so how about him during the time of Mo'awiya, who encouraged him and gave him money just to fabricate traditions? ____________ 1 Refer to Sharh Nahjol Balagha, vol.3 p.104, Futooh al-Buldan p.112-114, Siyer A'lam an-Nubala' vol.2 p.440, Abu Hurayra p.15 and al-Ghadeer, vol.6 p.271.

2 Al-Ghadeer, vol.6 p.295. In Siyer A'lam an-Nubala' vol.2 p.433-434 something like that.

3 Ibid. In Siyer A'lam an-Nubala' vol.2 p.433-434 something like that. (239)

Ibraheem at-Tameemi said: "The scholars of Hadith didn't depend upon Abu Hurayra's traditions save those traditions that talked about Paradise and Hell." (1) How would he, who was unreliable and untrusted in one side, be reliable and trusted in another side? (2) Shu'ba said: "Abu Hurayra concealed in his traditions." (3) We didn't care for the comment of ath-Thahabi after that until he invented the lie of (justness of the companions all in all)!!! Al-A'mash said: "Ibraheem was correct in traditions. Whenever I heard a tradition, I came to show him the tradition. One day I came to him with traditions narrated by Abu Salih from Abu Hurayra. He said: Let me aside from Abu Hurayra. They leave many of his traditions away." (4) It was mentioned that Imam Ali had said: "The most in ascribing lies to the Prophet (s) among the people -or he ____________ 1 Sharh Nahjol Balagha, vol.1 p.360, Siyer A'lam an-Nubala' vol.2 p.438.

2 As for his traditions, which were of another kind, we mention here an example to know the reality of this man. Ash-Shafi'iy mentioned a tradition from at-Tabari that Abu Hurayra had said: "Once I saw Hind (Mo'awiya's mother) in Mecca. Her face was like a full moon. Her buttocks were like a sitting man. There was a little boy with her ... etc." Refer to Mo'awiya fil Mizn (Mo'awiya in the scales) p.159. What led him to describe the beauty of Mo'awiya's mother and her big buttocks whereas he was talking about the future of Mo'awiya and that it was thought that he would the master of his people. His mother Hind said: "If he doesn't rule save his people, may Allah kill him." Really I don't know why he said that!

3 Siyer A'lam an-Nubala' vol.2 p.437.

4Sharh Nahjol Balagha, vol.1 p.360, Siyer A'lam an-Nubala' vol.2 p.438. (240)

said among the alive -is Abu Hurayra ad-Doussi." (1) The saying of Imam Ali was irrefutable evidence. Hurayra or we believe Imam Ali with his saying, which would do away with all what Abu Hurayra had fabricated? Abu Yousuf said: "I said to Abu Haneefa: "If a prophetic tradition comes to us contradicting our analogy, what will we do with it?" He said: "If it is narrated by trusty narrators, we will do according to it and leave out our own thought." The conversation continued until Abu Haneefa said: "All of the companions were trusty except some ones ..." He mentioned some names, among which the name of Abu Hurayra was." (2) It was mentioned that when Abu Hurayra came to Kuffa with Mo'awiya, he used to sit at the gate of Kinda in the evenings and people sat around him. One day a young man from Kuffa -it was said he was al-Asbagh bin Nabata (3)- came and said to Abu Hurayra: "O Abu Hurayra, I ask you by Allah! Have you heard the Prophet (s) saying to Ali bin Abu Talib: "O Allah! Be a supporter of whoever supports him and an enemy of whoever opposes him?" He said: "By Allah! Yes, I have." The young man said: "Then witness by Allah, that you have supported his (Ali's) enemies and opposed his supporters." Then he left." (4) One day Abul Asbagh bin Nabata at-Tameemi came with a book from Imam Ali (s) to Mo'awiya, who was ____________ 1 Sharh Nahjol Balagha, vol.1 p.360.

2 Ibid

3 Abu Hurayra p.39.

4 Sharh Nahjol Balagha, vol.1 p.360, Abu Hurayra p.39, al-Ghadeer, vol.1 p.204. (241)

surrounded by the evil people like Amr bin al-Aass, Thul Kila', Hawshab, ibn Aamir, al-Waleed bin Aqaba, Shurahbeel, Abu Hurayra, Abud Darda' and others. The argument began between Abul Asbagh and Mo'awiya. Abul Asbagh scolded Mo'awiya and turned towards Abu Huryayra and said to him: "You are the Prophet's companion. I ask you by Allah, Whom there is no god but, and by His Apostle! Have you heard the Prophet (s) saying about Imam Ali on the day of Ghadeer Khum: "Whoever I am his guardian; here is Ali to be his guardian?" He said: "Yes by Allah, I have heard him saying that." Abul Asbagh said: "O Abu Hurayra! Then you have supported hi enemies and opposed his supporters!" Abu Hurayra sighed and didn't say more than: "We are from Allah and to Him we shall return!" (1) Jariya bin Qudama as-Sa'di came to Medina after the terrible aggression done by Bisr bin Arta'a according to the order of the tyrant Mo'awiya. Abu Hurayra, who was leading the prayers, fled when he heard of the coming of Qudama with an army sent by Imam Ali (s). Qudama said: "By Allah! If I caught Abu Sannoor, (2) I would cut his head." (3) It was mentioned that Abu Hurayra praised Allah twelve thousand times every day. He said: "I praise Allah as much as my sins." (4) We didn't want to discuss the truthfulness or the reasonability of this raving! Did he have enough time to do this great number of praising, which equaled his ____________ 1 Tathkiratul Khawass p.91-92, al-Ghadeer, vol.1 p.202, 302.

2 He meant Abu Hurayra. In Arabic hurayra means a small cat and sannoor also means a cat.

3 At-Tabari's Tareekh, vol.4 p.107, al-Kamil fit-Tareekh, vol.3 p.193.

4 Siyer A'lam an-Nubala' vol.2 p.439. (242)

plenty sins, and to narrate that great deal of traditions whereas he was so poor and hungry at the beginning of his Islamic life and then he became busy with Mo'awiya and his likes at the end of his life? We didn't want to comment but we wanted to refer to his saying that his praising was as much as his sins. What terrible sins they were! But giving up committing sins would be much better than asking for forgiveness! Then came who called for committing sins in a covered way depending upon a denied fabricated tradition. Perhaps the fabricator was this man, who praised Allah as much as his sins! The tradition was: "By Him, in Whose hand my soul is! If you didn't commit sins, Allah would replace you with people committing sins and then asking for forgiveness and they would be forgiven." Among those who defended this tradition and said that it was true was Professor Khalid Muhammad Khalid. We didn't want to argue with him but it was just a reference. Abu Hurayra was shallow-minded and unintellectual. He was transported by the position he got near Mo'awiya. He found that he became known after his obscurity and respected after being hit by Omar's stick. Sometimes he ate and played with the children. (1) He might tell them of some prophetic traditions to justify his situation in playing with them! It might be, especially after the commercial advertisements had increased via prophetic traditions fabricated by the merchants of Hadith such as this tradition: "Whoever ate onion of Akka as if he had visited Mecca!" and many others like this one. Once Abu Hurayra made a speech in Medina when he ____________ 1 Sharh Nahjol Balagha, vol.1 p.360. (243)

was appointed as the wali by Mo'awiya (1) as a reward for his situation towards Imam Ali when he witnessed that Imam Ali had corrupted in Medina and hence he would be cursed by Allah, the angels and all the people!!! Allah forbid! Abu Hurayra said in his speech: "Praise be to Allah, Who made the religion as the right path and made Abu Hurayra as imam ..." He made people laugh (2) instead of discussing the serious affairs of the society and the umma. Another time: he was walking in the market while he was the emir. There was a man walking in front of him. He beat the ground with his foot and said: "Clear the way! Clear the way! The emir has come." (3) Ibn Abul Hadeed said after mentioning these points about Abu Hurayra's life: "Ibn Qutayba had mentioned all that in his book Al-Ma'arif when talking about Abu Hurayra's biography. Ibn Qutayba's saying was evidence because he would never be accused of fabricating against Abu Hurayra." (4) Abu Hurayra sided with Mo'awiya since he had ____________ 1 This was not the first time he became the wali of Medina. Before that, he had been appointed by Bisr bin Arta'a, who had been sent by Mo'awiya to wage raids against Medina during the caliphate of Imam Ali (s). It was a dark disgraceful day for Medina; bloods were shed, dignities were violated and morals were trodden upon. In this black day a bitter seed was planted. One of its fruits was the day of (al-Harra). After the terrible crimes of Bisr in Medina, he said to the people: "I appointed Abu Hurayra as the wali so beware of objecting him!" Refer to Sharh Nahjol Balagha, vol.1 p.118, Abu Hurayra p.25, al-Ghadeer, vol.11 p.24, at-Tabari's Tareekh, vol.4 p.107 and al-Kamil, vol.3 p.193.

2 Sharh Nahjol Balagha, vol.1 p.360, Siyer A'lam an-Nubala' vol.2 p.440.

3 Sharh Nahjol Balagha, vol.1 p.360.

4 Ibid. (244)

known that Mo'awiya could satiate his greediness. He was as the shadow of Mo'awiya; he bent when Mo'awiya bent and stood up when Mo'awiya stood up! One day Mo'awiya sent a letter to Imam Ali (s) with an-Nu'man bin Basheer and sent Abu Hurayra (1) with him asking Imam Ali to deliver the killers of Othman to ____________ 1 Some sources mentioned that the companion of Abu Hurayra was Abud Darda'. Perhaps this event happened two times; one was with an-Nu'man and the other was with Abud Darda'. Some sources mentioned that the jurist companion Abdur Rahman bin Ghanam blamed Abu Hurayra and Abud Darda' in Hims after they came back from Imam Ali (s) as the messenger of Mo'awiya. He said to them: "How wonder it was of you! How did you permit yourselves to invite Ali to make it (the caliphate) shura whereas you have known well that the Muhajireen, the Ansar and the people of Hijaz and Iraq had paid homage to Ali and you have known well that he, who like Ali, was much better than who hated him and he, who paid homage to him, was much better than that, who didn't pay homage? Then what did Mo'awiya have to do with shura whereas he was one of the Tulaqa' (the freed captives of war), who had no right of the caliphate at all, besides that he and and his father were among the chiefs of the Ahzab (the parties that fought against the Prophet (s) in the battle of Ahzab)." They felt sorry and repented. Refer to al-Istee'ab vol.2 p.417, al-Ghadeer, vol.10 p.31, 331, Ossdul Ghaba, vol.3 p.318. We don't want to discuss this repent whether it was true or not or it was an imagination but we ponder about the mistakes and sins committed by Abu Hurayra after this repent such as obeying Mo'awiya so blindly in carrying out all his desires and fancies. The least of that was Abu Hurayra's successive travels to Imam Ali (s) asking him that impudent and disgraceful ask; to deliver Mo'awiya the killers of Othman as a first step to move Imam Ali from his divine position; the caliphate, besides his fabricated traditions against Imam Ali and his father. But as for Abud Darda', we don't have anything to do with him save to mention his saying: "I recreate my soul with something of sins to be more determined in the way of rightness." Refer to al-Kamil by al-Mubarrid, vol.2 p.668. (245)

Mo'awiya. Mo'awiya knew well what the situation of Imam Ali would be towards this fabricated lie but he wanted it to be the means for what he planned to do later on; therefore he chose these two men to carry his letter and to come back blaming and defaming Ali in front of the rabbles of Sham! When the two messengers came to Ali, Abu Hurayra began his talk and then an-Nu'man talked. Imam Ali turned away from Abu Hurayra and talked with an-Nu'man. He advised an-Nu'man about his religion without paying any attention to what Abu Hurayra had said. An-Nu'man was satisfied to stay with Imam Ali but he concealed his deceit to come back to his friend Mo'awiya after a short time whereas Abu Hurayra was franker than his mate because the bad task he had come for invited him to go back soon to Mo'awiya to inform the people of Sham of what he had seen and heard ... (1) And if he needed more, he would get from his five bags, which were full of traditions, as he himself had said: "I had memorized (traditions) from the Prophet (s) (that filled) five bags. I informed of (the contens of) two bags and if I informed the third, you would stone me." (2) ____________ 1 Sharh Nahjol Balagha, vol.1 p.213, Abu Talib p.22-23. Here we quoted the comment of Imam Sharafudden, the author of the book (Abu Hurayra) about this event: "Imam Ali turned away from Abu Hurayra and didn't talk to him because he thought that Abu Hurayra didn't deserve any respect for he used his religion as a means to flatter Mo'awiya. Ameerul Mo'mineen (Ali) knew the plot of Mo'awiya behind sending these two men asking for the killers of Othman so he didn't answer them about their request whether positively or negatively. In fact he turned away from their request and talked with an-Nu'man about another subject and this showed his intelligent policy."

2 Abu Hurayra p.48, with reference to Hilyatul Awliya' by Abu Na'eem p.381, Siyer A'lam an-Nubala' vol.2 p.429, 430, 442. (246)

perhaps after he had gotten out so many traditions of his two bags, he said: "I was considered as a liar until I was thrown with dirts." (1) If he opened the third bag, he would be stoned. He said: "If I told you of all what I had in my bag, you would throw me with dung." (2) So how about him if he had opened the fourth and the fifth bags? He might refer to that when he said: "I had memorized two vessels (of traditions) from the Prophet (s). I spread one of them but as for the other, if I spread it, this throat would be cut." (3) He diversified in showing this point as if the traditions were something material to be put in a bag, a vessel, a dress and a garment, which he spread, while the lice were creeping on it, filled it with traditions and then joined it to his chest with all its lice! (4) There was no need to mention more about him in order not to waste time nor to inflate the book. (5) We didn't want to show everything about Abu Hurayra because Imam Sharafuddeen al-Musawi al-Aamily had done that in his wonderful book Abu Hurayra, in which he had shown and analyzed all sides of Abu Hurayra's life and psychology besides that he had discussed forty of Abu Hurayra's fabricated traditions, which degraded Allah the Almighty, the prophets and the great saints. Among those forty traditions was this tradition mentioned above. ____________ 1 Al-Kamil by al-Mubarrid, vol.3 p.1241.

2 Siyer A'lam an-Nubala' vol.2 p.442.

3 Ibid p.430.

4 Ibid p.429.

5 Refer to Abu Hurayra by Sharafuddeen al-Aamily and SIyer A'lam an-Nubala'. (247)

We didn't accept this tradition for many reasons; Abu Hurayra was not trusted, he exceeded in narrating traditions, most of his traditions were denied and before all he deviated from Imam Ali and fabricated lies that defamed him and his high position so how could we accept this very tradition narrated by one of Imam Ali's enemies? Would he, who said that Imam Ali had corrupted in Medina after the Prophet (s) to a degree that he deserved to be cursed, refrain from defaming Ali's father in such a fabricated tradition? The style of the tradition showed that as if Abu Hurayra had attended the dying of Abu Talib and had seen and heard what happened between the Prophet (s) and his uncle. But in fact when Abu Talib died, Abu Hurayra was still worshipping his idols in Yemen; his birthplace and he hadn't met the Prophet (s) yet, then how could he narrated a tradition in a way that as if he himself had seen and heard what happened? Abu Talib died three years before the hijra whereas Abu Hurayra came to Hijaz from Yemen and became a Muslim in the seventh year after the hijra when the Prophet (s) was in Khaybar. (1) This showed that he had come to Hijaz ten years after the death of Abu Talib then how could he attend the death of Abu Talib to narrate that tradition? Yes! It was Abu Hurayra's world of imagination and dreams, which was unlimited world, and definitely not the world of reality!