The Role of Holy Imams in Revival of Religion
2 - Causes of Distortions
In previous discussions we spoke of the Prophets tradition which stated that:
(There will come a time for my nation when nothing will remain of Islam except a name, and of the Quran only its written word)
Also, in an explanatory introduction given for an understanding of this tradition, we observed that Islam, as God's everlasting religion, has four states of existence:
First Existence:
Existence in name (Nominal) which is the very terminology that Islam obtained from the Arabic vocabulary and language, and set forth in the society with new meanings.
Second Existence:
Islams' existence in meaning, or its conceptional existence which consists of the very meanings that Islamic religious law gave to its chosen terms.
Third Existence:
Islams' existence in practice, found in its believers and followers. It is here that Islamic identity gains its manifestation, meaning that persons come to exist who have recognized this name, and its meanings and apply it.
Fourth Existence:
Or Islamic Society which is based on the three previous existences, and may not possibly exist without them. It is founded when the Prophet finds a society with those persons who practice Islam and have made a promise to obey and be faithful to him. This groups promise of allegiance or loyalty on one hand and the Prophets leadership on the other, lay the foundation for this society.
The formation of an Islamic society and just government is the tremendous religious precept all persons in the society are held responsible for. But most of all the Prophet and Imam. This is not the Prophets or Imams special religious responsibility even if others do not cooperate with him, No! It is this great man's task to strive towards this end, and the obligation of all others to aid him. As such, in the quoted words of the Imam of the Pious we see that he said:
"Behold, by Him Who split the grain (to grow) and created living beings, if people had not come to me and supporters had not exhausted the argument and if there had been no pledge of Allah with the learned to the effect that they should not acquiesce in the gluttony of the oppressor and the hunger of the oppressed I would have cast the rope of the Caliphate on its own shoulders, and would have given the last one the same treatment as to the first one". 82
The second point being discussed that according to successive Shi'ite and Sunni traditions, the Prophet, had said that whatever happened in previous nations will also occur in this nation. Following that, we also read in various Quranic Verses that previous nations altered Divine religious laws, concealed some of its realities and changed others. Sometimes, they also mixed falsities with the truth. Thus in the words of the Prophet all of these deeds would also inevitably occur in this nation. This claim is the principal basis of our present discussion and we will prove this point in our following discussions; " God willing"
"The Prophet and the Propagation of Sunnat"
The most blessed God classified Islamic beliefs, morals and laws into two groups, while delivering them to mankind:
First we have the Holy Quran which contains only the main topics concerning general Islamic matters, truths and laws and one cannot become a Muslim by referring to it exclusively. This means that we would be lacking practical injunctions to pray or fast, or go on the pilgrimage to Mecca and fulfill all of its required duties, or marry lawfully or take a divorce and so on...... The basis for all of these laws is in the Quran, but their detailed explanations, descriptions and commentaries have been made through the teaching of the Prophet and apostles. We do know that the series of Islams first-hand apostles begins with the Holy Prophet and ends with the twelfth Imam, Hujjat Ibn al-Hassan al-Askary. The reasons for this statement were brought to light previously and will become clearer in the future discussions. The conclusion here being that Islam is in the Quran and in the sayings of the Holy Prophet and his revered executors, in other words in these two we have the great collection of our valuable Islamic inheritance. 83
Now let us see what those who wished to alter Islam did after the Holy Prophets demise. The accurate answer to this question requires a preliminary study to remove all room for error. Thus, we refer to the era of the prophet.
The Holy Prophet said:
"May God bless he who hears my sayings; takes them to heart, understands and preserves them, then delivers them to those who have not heard them....84 (The main topic of this statement being the propagation of the Prophets sayings) For, there may be many a people who bear knowledge and learning but do not perceive it. Whereas a person may bear knowledge and relay it to those more perceiving than themselves. Meaning that they relay this trust to someone who puts it to more use than themselves".
Elsewhere he says:
"Those who are present and hear my words must deliver them to those who are absent because there is the possibility that the listener will deliver the words to one who is more perceptible than himself".
In another tradition, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) says:
"He through whom a narration is delivered to my nation, and in this way a tradition (Sunnah) established or heresay eradicated, will be rewarded Heaven".
And yet elsewhere he says:
"He who learns two of my narrations and benefits from them or conveys them to another who in turn benefits from them, has done better than sixty years of worship void of insight or wisdom".
Imam Ali (a.s) narrates:
"The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) said: My lord, keep my successors in your favour-repeating this phrase three times- Then someone asked him: O' Messenger of God, who are your Caliphs? He replied: Those who will come after me and narrate and relate my sayings and deeds".
The Terminology Caliph
In previous discussions we observed that according to Quranic stipulation 85 the special duty of the Prophet as a Messenger of God, is delivering His message alone and of fulfilling the mission of propagating Divine law. It is in this regard that Caliph is required. His Caliph is the person who does the same as himself in other words he delivers religious laws and injunctions to the people. Of course, during his time the Prophet is the only person rightful and worthy to have leadership over the people. He in turn hands over this authority to his successor meaning that the lawful successor then becomes the only rightful and worthy leader possessing the authority invested in him. This post however, has no connection with the Caliphate being another feature of the Prophets and his executors features. In short, government is separate from the Caliphate.
Caliphate, in the sense we have studied and understood it, is inseparable and incapable of nullification from the Prophets' executor. He must in any way possible perform the particular duties of the Caliphate and he does perform them. However, such as we have seen, in leadership (government) others are also involved. In other words, in the required duty of founding a government other Muslims are also included and all of them must strive and work together so that an Islamic society and Just government will be formed.
In Islamic Sciences two types of terminologies exist: The first is "Estelah-e-Shar'i" or canonical terms and the other "Estelah-e-Motashr'eh" or canonized terms. Coining a term and naming mean the same thing, with the difference that a term is a word existing in a language which has been used by a person or group and given a new meaning not unrelated to its original meaning. In this manner the naming or coining of a term becomes ascribed to that person or group, such as medical terms in Medical science and mathematical terms in mathematical science. Therefore, if the naming is the Legislator, or in other words God or the Holy Prophet, it is called an Estelah-e-Shar'i. On the other hand if a terminology used by the Muslim public or Islamic scholars it will be known as Estelah-e-Motashareh. For example, the words "Salat", "Wudhu" and "Hajj" are canonical terms, and these special names come from the Legislator and are given for a series of ritual rites. On the other hand however, the terms "Ijtehad" 86 "Ghias" and "Estehsan" existing in Sunni Jurisprudence are terms which are not related by the legislator. Having been used by Muslims in their present meanings they gradually came to appear as "Shar'i" terms.
A big mistake has been made regarding the word "Caliph", which is a very well known word related to the matter of Imamate and Leadership. Everyone, even those in educated spheres, think that the word Caliph with its well-known meaning is a "Shar'i" Islamic term. In reality this is not true, since the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) did not give the term Caliph to his successor in the leadership and governing of the nation. Also, the Caliph which is mentioned in the Quran is not the Caliph of the Prophet but is Caliph of Allah, as such, Adam is a Caliph and David is a Caliph. When we read in the Quran:
Lo! I am about to place a viceroy in the Earth.
Or
O David! Lo! We have set thee as a viceroy in the earth.
It is meant here Divine Caliphate. It is quite clear that David is not the Caliph of a prophet, he being a prophet himself, and Adam is not the Caliph of a previous prophet because there was no prophet before him.
In Islamic canonical terminology, governors are called Bearers of God's command not Caliph. Caliph in its meaning as Islamic governor is a "Motashareh" term, the people first giving it this meaning and later being used as a scholarly term by jurists and scholars.
At first the word Caliph was used as a prefix in addition to another word, for example in Khalifato Rasool Allah being coined in parallel to the original Khalifatollah in the Holy Quran, or Khalifato Abih which was being used by the common people in the society.
In all of these uses the word Caliph was used as possessing its literal meaning and was always accompanied by a noun in the genetive case. Later, because of frequent use in the Islamic community the word Caliph without the genetive case was used for the governor or ruler himself. In other words, because of frequent use the Muslims changed the three segment name for their governor, shortening it. They modified it into something else. As such, because of the frequency of use it came to be the proper noun for the leaders of the Islamic community. It was from here that confusion was created and it wasn't understood that this coining of a term was gradual, occuring after the Prophet and over a period of time.
Therefore, whenever we come across the word Caliph in the Prophet's Hadiths it possesses the literal meaning given to it in the Arabic language, and not any other meaning. Having this in mind, the Hadith that states: (Allahomma Arham Kholafaie) speaks of the Prophets successors according to the characteristic meaning of Caliphate not of the governors who rule after him. These successors and Caliphs are those who know the Hadiths and precepts of the Holy Prophet well and relay them to the people. Now that we have clarified the term Caliph used in the previous Hadith we will return to our original discussion.
- The term Ijtehad also exist in the school of Ahlu'al bait but does not have the meaning in practice that the caliphate school gave it: Because in the Caliphate school it contained the meanings (Exercising personal opinion) and (giving ones vote) but in the Imamate school it only means striving to understand God's law, and a Mojtahed never allows himself to exercise his own personal opinion. Of course as an explanation of this term in Fundamentalist texts of both schools one sentence is used. However in practice the Caliphate school allows the interference in Religious law, the opinions of Scholars and Prophetic companions other than the infallible. While the Imamate school only gives validity to the words of and His Messenger.
"The Written Sunnat"
The Hadiths we narrated all clarified one fact, and that being that the Holy Prophet encouraged and urged the Muslims to relay his hadiths to others and to relate and narrate his sayings for others. Leaving these hadiths behind we also come to several narrations of the Prophet which carry the command for the written recording of his hadiths. Not only was the narrating of his hadiths ordered, so was their written recording. As an example of this the Prophet once said:
"Bind knowledge and place it in chains".
It was asked: How can knowledge be bound? He replied:
"Binding knowledge through writing it down".
Abdullah ibn Umar relates
"I went to the Holy Prophet and asked him: O' Messenger of God, should I bind knowledge? The Prophet said in reply: "Yes". "I then asked him how I should go about it". He replied thus: "By writing it down".
A hadith exists in creditable Sunnite texts such as "Sahih" by Bukhari and "Sunan" by Tirmidhi which speaks of a Yemenese man name Abu Shat. This man had travelled from his homeland to see the Prophet. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w) delivered a sermon. After hearing the sermon Abu Shat said to the Prophet:
"O' Messenger of God! Write down these words for me".
The Prophet then ordered:
Write (my words) for Abu Shat".
Thus we see that the Prophet himself had given orders to have his sayings and hadiths written down. No question or doubt remains in reference to this matter, and all have narrated it. Some of you may think, Why we should be talking about this and what meaning it could possibly have? They are the hadiths narrated by the Prophet and must be written down and related. There is no room for any presumptions because this is the way to recognize and understand Islam! Of course this way of reasoning and rationale is correct. Any Muslim who thinks correctly will come to no other conclusion. Unfortunately however, we will later see how and to what extent the governors of those days prevented the writing and relating of the Prophets' hadiths. First we will prove that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) ordered that his sayings be recorded and related to others. We may later look into the deeds of the leaders who followed him.
In another hadith whose narrator is Abdullah ibn Amr-e-As., we read:
"I asked the Holy Prophet: "O' Messenger of God, should I write down everything I hear you say?" He replied: "Yes". I then said: "Even when you are happy or angry?" He replied: "Yes, because I speak none other than the truth whether I be happy or angry". 87
These examples which we have related to your are a few out of a large group of hadiths which we must be excused from relating because it would greatly lengthen this brief discussion. Now we will go on to another group of hadiths and study a few examples.
Sunnat Alongside The Quran
In Abu Davouds "Sahih" and Tirmidhis "Sahih" and those of Ibn Majeh and Darmy and also Ahmad ibn Hanbals "Musnad" a common hadith is related, of which the wording here is from Abu Davoud. The narrator is one of the Prophets' followers known as Meghdam Ibn Ma'adi Karb. He quotes the Prophet as saying:
"Know that God has sent His book the Quran to me and along with it many other truths similar to it." In explanation of this statement we say that: the Prophet received two types of revelations. In one type both the words and meanings were from God and that being the Holy Quran. In this sense all other Divine Scriptures are partners with the Quran, with the difference that while the Quran is miraculously possessed of great eloquence, other Divine Scriptures lack such advantage. In the second type of revelation only the meaning is from God while its words are from the Prophet himself. In this form, all of the meanings and concepts are revealed to the Holy Apostle and afterwards formed into words by the Prophet. This group of revelations are called Hadith or Narratives.
In this statement the Prophet says that God has favoured him by sending him the Quran, and also of the same amount as the Quran he has been sent non Quranic revelations. He then adds:
"Beware, there will be many a persons with full bellies who, while resting their belly-pots, out of contentment; you have the Quran, that which you find as lawful within it see as lawful and that which is unlawful therein see as unlawful".
According to Tirmidhis version he adds after this:
"That which the Prophet has made unlawful in the Quran".
In a narrative from the book "Musnad" by Ahmad Hanbal, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) makes a strange remark when he says to his followers and companions: "The time is coming when a group of you-my supporters and companions- will refute me! When my hadith is related to them they will lean back and say: The book of God; the Quran is with us whatever is unlawful. Therein we will see as unlawful and what it commands as lawful we will see as lawful! (No, this statement is not correct) Know that whatever the Prophet has declared unlawful is the word of God".
Another narrator named Obaidullah ibn Abi Rafea relates from his father, the well-known companion of the Prophet that the Prophet had said to his companions:
"Lest there be one among you who while being recited with one of my traditions or hadiths say, ("No I don't know of this and don't accept it"), I act by the command and rule that I find in the Quran". [or according to another text]
"I don't find this in God's Scripture".
In our time there are people who speak as such just as the prophet foresaw. Doesn't the Prophets aggravation and protest pertain to them? Doesn't this create a burden on their conscience?
Arbaz Ibn Jarieh-e-Selmy relates:
"We the companions, along with the Prophet arrived at Khaybar. The fortresses had been conquered. The Jewish commander of Khaybar who was a rough, rude man came to the Prophet and with great aggravation said: "O' Mohammad! In your opinion, is it lawful that they should kill our livestock and eat the fruit of our orchards and take advantage of our wives and reputations?'." The Prophet (s.a.w) became angry and told Abdul Rahman Ibn Auf: "Mount your horse and call out "Heaven is only for the believing people. Everyone gather for prayer".
According to Islamic law communal prayer with the Prophet is only recommended. and Friday prayer is obligatory. However, when the call is given "Everyone gather for communal prayer", communal prayer also becomes obligatory and everyone should take part and perform the communal prayer along with the Prophet. Because of this, when the call was given the people gathered for prayer. The Prophet led the prayer and afterwards mounted the pulpit and delivered a sermon saying:
"Is there anyone among you who while leaning back in his place thinks that God has prohibited nothing else for you except that prohibited in the Quran? One who thinks that the unlawful is only that which is found in the Quran and other than that there exists nothing else unlawful. Know that by God I have preached to you and have thus commanded and prohibited you. Whatever I said: whether out of necessity or in respect, is the same as if it were in the Quran. God does not deem it lawful that you should enter the homes of the people of the book without permission........" 88
In the book "Musnad" by Ahmad Hanbal there is another tradition where the Prophet says:
"Don't let me hear that when they relate one of my hadiths for one of you, he will then say: Read the Quran for me, find it for me in the Quran!"
These Hadiths along with all of the prophecies of the Holy Prophet which contained in them, came to pass in reality. From the last moments of the Prophets life until the era of the Ummayads they acted upon this political plan:
"Don't relate Hadiths, don't read narrations and don't write them down. The Quran is enough for us".