The Conception of the Sahaba's Ultimate Decency and the Political Authority in Islam

Chapter 6 — the Right Course To Recognizing the Decent Sahaba

Topical Introductory

A majority of historians mentioned the following:

Just before the beginning of battle of Badr, the first armed encounter between polytheism and monotheism, Abu­Jahal raised his hands towards the heavens and pray to God: “O God! The further from Thee and the most involved in cutting relations; Thou involve him in calamities of this battle..”

At the same time, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) raised his hands towards the heavens and supplicated: “O God! Thou shall never be worshipped on this earth if my small party is defeated today. O God! Fulfill Thy promise..”

Inspecting the 2 supplications

It is recognizable that both raised their hands towards the heavens.. Both implored “O God.” Both carried slogan of truth.

Abu­Jahal claimed of being the nearest to God and the keeper of relations. Mohammed, in the other side, affirmed that his followers were the real protectors of the truth and the ideal connection between the Creator and His creatures. He declared that there had been promises and covenants between his Creator and him.

A wonderment

Considering both were claiming of being the truth, what for, then, were they about to fight each other? Considering both were together on the same course of Allah, which is only a united way, what for, then, were they so discrepant that they faced each other with arms?

Prospects

In accordance with criteria of mere topical debate, we have to opt for one of these three prospects or views:

1. The two parties were right. This prospect, however, is inapplicable since there is only one undoubtable course which is the right path of Allah. According to sameness of both parties' bases, they should have followed each other.

2. One of the two was the right. This prospect is expedient.

3. The two parties are wrong. For a prophet fortified by arguments and heavenly miracles, this prospect is unacceptable.

Explication

For recognizing the mere reality, it is essential to achieve the following:

1. Identifying the right.

2. Identifying the wrong.

3. Identifying the right party by means of the right itself.

4. Identifying the wrong party by same means and criteria of the right.

The solving method

1. The existence of the right and its jurisprudential formulation. The right, here, is Islam; the Quran and the Prophet's traditions; words, deeds and signature. The jurisprudential formulation of the right is Quranic texts and the Prophet's traditions that falsehood should not come to it from any side. It is God's formulation and revelation.

2. An intellect so apt that it can consume the divine jurisprudential formulation.

3. Objectivity and pertinence. The aim should be framing thoughts with legality and achieving the very intendment of the divine texts and general spirit of the jurisprudential formulation.

4. The existence of a personality of a divine authority before whom fruits of the intellectual comprehension should be provided. This personality should be the judge in case of suggestive discrepancies. Besides, he is the organizer of capacities, guide of privileges and the true director to the right. This personality is the prophet, in reign of prophesy, and the virtuous Imam defined by legal and jurisprudential bases, in succeeding reigns. He is, however, the objective criterion of right and wrong. Those who accede to Mohammed, comply to his orders and follow his instruction are the right party. Those who accede to others are the wrong party, even if they recite and retain the Holy Quran, perform the ritual prayers, fast and establish mosques. This is by reason that the constant criterion of identifying the right and the wrong in any time is affability — to the leader of the right course.

Obstructions Of The Solving Methods

1. Carnal desire: It is the aspiration that all matters and all texts are going and elucidated for one's benefits.

2. Partisan imitation: It is the adaptation of the out­of­date conceptions with rejection and denial of any attempt of renewing or alteration.

3. Despotic attitude: This means the belief of justifiability and appropriateness of one's conception, and that those who disagree with such a conception are the Satan's supporters whom should be intercepted, resisted and reckoned with foes.

4. Canceling or supplanting the legitimate leadership. This occurs by opting for a leadership other than the one God has ascribed. By such an act, the dominion leader will be supported even though he is wrong.

Conclusive Judgment of the Sahaba's Decency — Recall and Abstract of the Views of Sunnis and Shias

As it has been previously mentioned, we could prove that the lexical and the terminological meaning of ‘Suhba’ — the Prophet's companionship — includes all those who met, believed or showed their believing in the Prophet's mission, provided that they kept on such an appearance all their lifetime. Sunnis, unanimously, ruled of decency of the entire Sahaba without exception. We could see also that the Sahaba's ultimate decency

conception is contradictory to words, deeds and signatures of the Prophet, and the decisively jurisprudential texts of the Holy Quran. Furthermore, we could prove, by examples and means of conceivable simplification, that the conception is contradictory to the cause finale, logic of beings and the general spirit of Islam.

As a conclusion and according to legality and essentiality, we could apprehend that there are two categories of Sahaba:

1. The righteous Sahaba: These individuals are indisputably and unanimously decent.

2. The other Sahaba: There is a controversy regarding such individuals. Sunnis rule of the ultimate decency of the entire Sahaba, with no difference between the foremost to Islam and a boy saw or was seen by the Prophet. They are, the Sahaba, are entirely and unexceptionally decent. It is illicit to mention them in any way leading to any sort of criticism or maligning. He whoever takes in such a course is a sinful miscreant that every one is mandated to avoid sharing him in a drink or a food or offer the ritual funeral prayer for his soul.

Respecting Shias, they believe that the decent Sahaba are only those whose decency is judged by Allah and His Apostle. The objective legal truth is the believer's aim. The doubtless Shari'a of Islam demonstrates and guides to means of detecting the objective legal truth. Intellectual qualifications helping in achieving the aim are also gifted by the Shari'a, provided that fancies are abandoned. In consideration of their claim that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), may do right or wrong; what, then, would intercept an ordinary boy saw or was seen by the Prophet, from making a mistake or forging a lie? What is the location of that doctrinal judgment of interdicting the intellect from inspecting the truth here and there? Certainly there were those who murdered a number of Sahaba, thieved, fabricated, committed fornication and those who were submitted to juristic questions after the Prophet's decease. How should we delve into the facts of such deeds? How should we institute justice? How should people take stock of the past experiences for evading the wrong and taking in the right?

On that account, Shias give credence to decency of the virtuous companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) exclusively. They beg God's mercy for such individuals at every ritual prayer. Regarding the other

companions, every person is measured as to his beliefs and conduct in field of the doctrinal duties. They, the Shias, believe that the Sahaba's ultimate decency conception is a completely political representation, originated, with all its grounds, under custody of the Umayid regime; the ‘released’. The ruling regime’s mass media helped greatly in publicizing and impressed bases of that conception which, imitatively and with variant intentions, was transferred to the succeeding generations.

Shias add: Concerning the penalization issued by the jurisprudents, as one of means of supporting the Sahaba's ultimate decency conception, it is, in fact, a groundless chastisement. It is unauthorized for any to condemn a Muslim unless there is a doctrinal text legalizing such a condemnation. Hence, this chastisement is unjust and void according to the entire doctrinal standards. It does result in giving stability to the state of discrepancy in which the Islamic nation is involved, and intercepting the current generation from applying past lessons and examples for discovering obstacles dug in course to the bright future and the mentally and practically illuminated unification of this nation.

Confusion

If the entire Sahaba had been decent:

Those seditious matters would not have occurred. The Islamic nation would not have been engaged in discrepancies. They would not kill each other since the decent should not commit murders. The concern of leadership would not have been robbed. Finally, caliphate would not have become a regime of royalty dominated by the strongest.

Believing in decency of the entire Sahaba is a matter of confusion, darkening and interdicting people's intellects. It is reasonable that any parties in conflict cannot be the right together. The right is opposite to massacres, seditious matters, discrepancies and assigning positions to other than their rightful.

It is inaccurate for us to accept invitations of making a new beginning after elapse of a thousand years, neglecting recognizing the rightful party so as to follow, and the wrong so as to avoid their paths. This leads to the fact that we are to waste the thousand year experiment and have a very new bare beginning. This is the exact confusion we mean. In the past, such a confusion resulted in benefiting and covering up a certain authority or

individual. Now, what shall we gain from adopting such a confusion and covering up. What shall we gain from canceling a 1390 year experiment, especially when we realize that consequences of such a confusion, covering up and canceling will directly befit our religion since such operations are implemented under Islamic slogans.

An Event for the Shariite Disclosure

After a longtime indecision, enraged groups of people rebelled against Othman­bn­Affan, the third caliph, claiming of his having deviated from courses of his former associates, As­Siddiq and Al­Faruq. Thus, people of Al­Madina swore fealty to Ali (peace be upon him). Saving people of Syria governed by Muawiya­bn­Abi­Sufian who did not show fealty to the new caliph claiming that he should punish Othman's killers, the other provinces declared their allegiance. Muawiya rejected Imam Ali's invitation to show obedience provided that justice should be issued in the case of Othman's being killed. He used his province, Syria, as a fortress from which he began to arrange for trickeries against the Imam, declare his mutiny, shake security and constancy of the state and contrive for breaking unity up. For using so, Muawiya exploited the wealth of that province in an illegal way. He went on his trickeries causing blood to be shed and people to be scattered. At length, the Imam was assassinated. Muawiya could come to power by force. He became head of the nation within whose people there were the foremost in Islam and the Sahaba who fought against his father and him for the sake of Islam. Furthermore, he forgot or feigned forgetfulness of Othman's killers. He appointed his son, Yazeed, the notorious drunkard and monkeys breeder, the drummer, as his crown prince. Since then, power became in the hands of the strongest. Considering the saying that “Old things are old.”, domination became a Shariite means for coming to power. “We are being with the dominion.”

The Entire Sahaba's Decency

It is a matter of surprising and a difficult issue to believe that those who supported Ali (peace be upon him) and those who supported Muawiya were decent Sahaba whom should never be sent to hell­fire, and are sinless religious authorities. It is illicit to malign or criticize them. He is a miscreant whom should be avoided in drinking, eating or offering a ritual prayer, that whoever reviles at any Sahabi. These rules are issued by Sunnis. Moreover, it is to say that they agree upon applauding any of those Sahaba in any form

or style; but you should be ruled as miscreant if you impute a flaw to any.

This impetuous contemplation had changed into a factual tradition as if being the norm of Allah and His Apostle.

Logical Characterization

Depending on criteria of scientific research, we have to opt for one of the following three prospects or view.

1. The two parties are right. (Ali and his group and Muawiya and his group.) This prospect, however, is irrational since there is only one undoubtable course to the right.

2. The two parties are wrong. (Ali and his group and Muawiya and his group.) this is also irrational since Ali, according to doctrinal texts, is the devotee of Allah. Ali is being with the right, and the right, being with Ali, moves wherever Ali moves.

3. A party is the right and the other is the wrong.

Wonderment

The two parties would not have fought each other and been engaged in discrepancies if had they both been the right. For as much as they were engaged in discrepancy, they should never have reached stage of fighting and killing each other. Such discrepancies might have been solved depending on legal grounds. There, hence, would not have been such a large number of victims.

Abstract

In this manner, it is indispensable that one party was the right while the other was the wrong. Ruling of decency and sinlessness of both parties is a decision stemmed from artlessness and inadvertence. The option of armed fighting should not be adopted before achievement of the Shariite certitude. Murder is crime. Breaking up the nation is a crime. Rebellion against Shari'a is a crime too. It is impossible to regard those who commit assassinations due to conjecture or fancies, as decent who do never lie, mistake or disobey. Since the Prophet's companionship is not a divine prophesy, the general frame does not occlude the Sahaba from mistaking.

How should we discriminate the indecent Sahaba?

1. Existence of the right and its jurisprudential formulation the mission of which is covering areas of deeds and intendments.

The right is present. The jurisprudential formulation of the right is Islam; the Holy Quran and the Prophet's traditions; words, deeds and signature. These things, all told, form the jurisprudential formulation that is “falsehood does not come to it from face or back.” It is the religion of Allah. He has accepted for His slaves. It is His revelation and formulation.

2. Existence of a divine authority who listens to the whole opinions and, in turn, whose decision is the conclusion at discrepancies. He should be the guide of liberties, coordinator of activities and director to the right. He is the leader.

This role was played by the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) in epoch of prophesy. He nominated Ali as his successor. He stated: “He, Ali, is your leader after me. He is the leader of every male and female believer. He whose leader was I, Ali is his. O Allah! Accede to him that who accedes to Ali, and oppose him that who opposes Ali.” This is a factual truth none at all, including Muawiya himself, can deny. Later on, documentation of this truth is to be proved.

3. Inspecting the occurrences and events so objectively and topically that researchist's very goal is same as God's.

4. The intellect that can well assume the jurisprudential formulation, apply it and provide fruits of this process to the divine authority.

Submission to the Authority Nominated By the Prophet is the Clue to Decency

Ali­bn­Abi­Talib was the first man who embraced Islam. He is the favorite to Allah and His Apostle's brother. He is father of the Prophet's grandsons and husband of Al­Betoul. He is commander of the military operations against polytheism, the unprecedented knight of Islam and the killer of foes of the religion. He is the grand veracious and the leading distinguisher — between right and wrong, as I am to prove by divine texts. He is son of Abu­Talib, the only one who protected the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) before the immigration, and head of the Hashemites who was

blocked by the entire Arab tribes in Cols Abu­Talib for three continuous years. This was done for a single purpose. The Hashemites should give up the Prophet and withdraw from protecting him against people of Quraish.

Muawiya, on the other side, is the ‘released’[55] son of the ‘released’, Abu­Sufian, who led the parties and fought the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) in all of battles. He tried to assassinate the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and led armies and waves of hostility against him. He is son of Hind, the lady who, in addition to cogitating the perfidious assassination of Hamzeh, tore his abdomen and deformed his corpse. Altogether with his father, Muawiya spared no art for sake of fighting against the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) till the conquest of Mecca. In that conquest, those individuals were surrounded and could find no way other than surrender. He was one of those who are classified as the inclined­hearted category who were given a part of the alms for the sake of encouraging them to embrace Islam.

The Decent Sahaba

All the Sahaba who supported Ali are decent. Thanks to God, they are forming majority of the Prophet's companions and those who regretfully opposed him, such as Talha and Az­Zubeir who obeyed him satisfactorily before their decease. It is a sufficient honor for Islam to declare that there were only two persons from among the Ansar who supported Muawiya. Were Abu­Bakr alive, he would support him. Were Omar, who said: “He is my master and the master of every male and female believer.”, alive he would join him. O Allah! Be pleased to them and reward them what they do desire.

Regarding supporters of Muawiya and his father, they are those involved in this research debated with the doctrinal means. They are, at any rate, the lowest class of the Sahaba, terminologically and lexically. For none but them, the Sahaba's ultimate decency conception was invented. This was for finding legal excuses to their deeds.

[55] The released are groups of people of Mecca who insisted on polytheism till the conquest of Mecca when they were released by the Prophet after they had been captured.

Models of the Sluggish Iraqi and Syrian Individuals

Al­Mas'udi records: A Syrian man was asked about Abu­Turab whom is continuously cursed by the Imam — Muawiya — from the pulpits. “I see he is one of the robbers!!”

Al­Jahizh records: During his journey to the ritual pilgrimage, a man was advised to be as near as possible to the Holy House of God. “So, who will come out and speak to me then?”

A man asked his companion who was saying ‘Bless be upon Mohammed and his household.’: “Who is that Mohammed? He is our Lord, isn't he?”

Thumameh­bn­Ashres records: I was passing by in Baghdad when I noticed a man encompassed by a great assemblage. I rode off to see the matter. It was a man advertising for a kind of alcohol. He was alleging that that alcohol is the effective remedy of any eye disease. As I glanced at the man, I found that he had been diseased in his two eyes. “O man! Your eyes would have been cured had your advertisement been true!” I shouted at him. He looked at me and said: “O you ignorant! My eyes were not diseased here. They were diseased in Egypt!” The whole assemblage expressed their full believing in the advertiser's argument. So, I could hardly escape from their sandals that played on my body!

Another narrative: People used to attend our sessions during which we were discussing affairs of Abu­Bakr, Omar, Muawiya and Ali. One day, the head and the most knowledgeable among those people showed his disgust from daily repetition of that subject. “What about your opinion, sir?” I asked the man. “About which one of them?” he asked. “About Ali.” I defined. He said: “Is he not that man, the father of Fatima?” he wondered. “Which Fatima?” I shouted. “She was the Prophet's wife, A'isheh's daughter, Muawiya's sister.” The man declared. “Well, what about Ali, then?” I asked. “A man killed in battle of Hunein with the Pro phet (peace be upon him and his family)!” The man said.[56]

Those Who Complied to Muawiya

“They obeyed him so sincerely that he led them in the collective Friday Prayer held on Wednesday just before they reached Siffine, the battle field.

[56] These narratives were quoted from Al­Mas'udi's Muroujut­Theheb, vol.3, page, 39­41.

They borrowed him their heads making them the fortress against him. They referred to Amr­bn­Al­Aas in the claim that Ammar­bn­Yasir had been killed by Ali since the latter sought his support in the battle. This obedience transferred among their generations and attained the acme when they made course of cursing Ali a norm at which they were brought up.”[57]

This is the style adopted by such decent Sahaba in elucidating facts. It was Ali­bn­Abi­Talib who killed Ammar­bn­Yasir!! This is the style adopted by such decent individuals for teaching people their religion and identifying Mohammed's virtuous companions; men on whose shoulders Islam was established!!

[57] This statement is quoted from Al­Mas'udi's Muroujut­Theheb, vol.3, page39.