Dr. Zakir Naik, Indian Muslim ScholarNew Age Islam wrote:
Unity among Muslims and Dr. Zakir Naik’s Evil: A Point of View by Dr. Maulana Abbas Ali Naqvi Translation from Urdu by: Syed Raihan Ahmad Nezami
http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1077
Unity among Muslims and Dr. Zakir Naik’s Evil: A Point of View by Dr. Maulana Abbas Ali Naqvi Translation from Urdu by: Syed Raihan Ahmad Nezami
http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1077
In my previous post, I have touched this point and raised some questions on the authenticity of Khalifa-1 . And we all believe in Qoran which is same in all Muslim sects (it is wrong belief that Shiite have different Quran), Ahadees (The sayings and deeds of the Mohammed PUH)and Five Pillars of Islam (Kalama, Prayer, Charity, Fasting & Pilgrimage) [Nahid Ansari]
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Dear Ansari Sahab,
The same Quran and Hadith which we Muslims follow say this on the Companions of the Prophet Mohammad [PBUH] and Hazrat Abu Bakar Siddique [May Allah be pleased with him] also included:
Dear Sir,
We must be very careful when through History [Unreliable] we discuss the companions [May Allah be please with everyone of them] of the Prophet Mohammad [PBUH]. Rather it is obligatory [Farz] upon us that whenever anybody [i mean anybody even the Four Sunni Imam] try to quote history to malign the Companions then he/she will be rejected through Quran and Hadith and no history is valid before Quran and Hadith.
Translation in English:
“If you help him (Muhammad) not (it does not matter), for Allaah did indeed help him when the disbelievers drove him out, the second of the two; when they were in the cave, he said to his companion: ‘Be not sad (or afraid), surely, Allaah is with us.’ Then Allaah sent down His Sakeenah (calmness, tranquillity, peace) upon him, and strengthened him with forces (angels) which you saw not, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowermost, while the Word of Allaah that became the uppermost; and Allaah is All-Mighty, All-Wise” [[AL-TAWBA (REPENTANCE, DISPENSATION) Chapter 9 Verse 40]
English Translation:
And the first to lead the way, of the Muhajirin and the Ansar, and those who followed them in goodness - Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him, and He hath made ready for them Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide for ever. That is the supreme triumph. [AL-TAWBA (REPENTANCE, DISPENSATION) Chapter 9 Verse 100]
And those who came (into the faith) after them say: Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who were before us in the faith, and place not in our hearts any rancour toward those who believe. Our Lord! Thou art Full of Pity, Merciful. [AL-HASHR (EXILE, BANISHMENT) Chapter 59 Verse 10]
English Translation:
Indeed, Allah was pleased with the believers when they gave the pledge to you under the tree, He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down As-Sakinah upon them, and He rewarded them with a near victory. [Surah Al-Fath Chapter 48 Verse 18]
English Translation:
And the first to lead the way, of the Muhajirin and the Ansar, and those who followed them in goodness - Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him, and He hath made ready for them Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide for ever. That is the supreme triumph. [AL-TAWBA (REPENTANCE, DISPENSATION) Chapter 9 - Verse 100]
Translation:
Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those with him are hard against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves. Thou (O Muhammad) seest them bowing and falling prostrate (in worship), seeking bounty from Allah and (His) acceptance. The mark of them is on their foreheads from the traces of prostration. Such is their likeness in the Torah and their likeness in the Gospel - like as sown corn that sendeth forth its shoot and strengtheneth it and riseth firm upon its stalk, delighting the sowers - that He may enrage the disbelievers with (the sight of) them. Allah hath promised, unto such of them as believe and do good works, forgiveness and immense reward. [AL-FATH (VICTORY, CONQUEST)Chapter 48: Verse 29]
One of the basic principles of Muslims is that they accept that which has been narrated in the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and the consensus of the scholars, concerning the virtues and status (of the Sahaabah). They give precedence to those who spent and fought before the victory – the treaty of al-Hudaybiyah – over those who spent and fought afterwards, because Allaah says:
English Translation:
And what aileth you that ye spend not in the way of Allah when unto Allah belongeth the inheritance of the heavens and the earth? Those who spent and fought before the victory are not upon a level (with the rest of you). Such are greater in rank than those who spent and fought afterwards. Unto each hath Allah promised good. And Allah is Informed of what ye do. [AL-HADID (THE IRON) Chapter 57 Verse 10]
They believe that Allaah said concerning the people of Badr – who numbered three hundred and umpteen – “Do whatever you like, for I have forgiven you,” because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Maybe Allah looked at the people of Badr and said, ‘Do whatever you like, for I have forgiven you.’” (Bukhari and Muslim from the hadeeth of ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib)
English Translation:
Allah was well pleased with the believers when they swore allegiance unto thee beneath the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down peace of reassurance on them, and hath rewarded them with a near victory; [AL-FATH (VICTORY, CONQUEST) Chapter 48 Verse 18]
The Army Commander at Karbala was Umar Bin Saad Bin Waqas [with whom Hazrat Hussein Ibn Ali - May Allah be pleased with him was negotiating - Saad Bin Waqas was a very close relative of Prophet Mohammad - PBUH - Read Tabari, Al Bidaya Wal Nihaya and Ibn Aseer, and Ibn Khalqan] and from Sa'ad Bin Waqas [May Allah be pleased with him] we have a Hadith on the Virtue of Hazrat Ali [May Allah be pleased with him]
The narrations below were narrated by Hazrat Saad Bin Waqas [May Allah be pleased with him] and his son Amir. Hazrat Saad was maternal uncle of Prophet Mohammad [PBUH].
1- Amir b Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas reporte (l on the authority of his father that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) addressing 'All said: You are in the same position with relation to me as Aaron- (Harun) was in relation to Moses but with (this explicit difference) that there is no prophet after me. Sa'd said: I had an earnest desire to hear it directly from Sa'd, so I met him and narrated to him what (his son) Amir had narrated to me, whereupon he said: Yes, I did hear it. I said: Did you hear it yourself? Thereupon he placed his fingers upon his ears and said: Yes, and if not, let both my ears become deaf.
2- Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) left 'Ali b. Abi Talib behind him (as he proceeded) to the expedition of Tabuk, whereupon he ('Ali) said: Allah's Messenger, are you leaving me behind amongst women 4nd children? Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Aren't you satisfied with being unto me what Aaron was unto Moses but with this exception that there would be no prophet after me.
3- Sa'd reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying to 'Ali: Aren't you satisfied with being unto me what Aaron was unto Moses?
NOTE: Rafizi accept these Hadith about Hazrat Ali [May Allah be pleased with him] but I fail to understand is it possible that the son of Hazrat Saad i.e. Amr Bin Saad was shown by the same Historian Tabari through 'doubtful' narrators as the Leader of the Syrian Army [under the orders of Ubaidullah Bin Ziyad bin Abusufiyan (Ziyad had served as Governor of Persia under Hazrat Ali - May Allah be pleasede with him)] sent against Hazrat Hussain [May Allah be pleased with him].
Abu Mikhnaf [The Liar Rafizi Narrator whose narrations were the major part of Tabari's History regarding Jamal, Siffin, Neherwan, and Karbala] in his separate book "Maqtal Hussein (Urdu Translation published in Hyderabad Daccan India] has also reported that before the main 'battle' of Karbala, Huzrat Hussain and Amr Bin Saad [relatives] were discussing something without anyone with them.
Nobody questions Tabari and Mikhnaf as to what were they discussing before the 'alleged massacre'.?
Regarding Khilafa!
Ibn Katheer said in his Tafseer (3/517):
This phrase is used a great deal by scribes who are transcribing books in which the phrase “ ‘alayhi al-salaam (upon him be peace) is used in reference to ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him), to the exclusion of other Sahaabah, or the words “karrama Allaahu wajhahu (may Allaah honour his face)” are used. Although the meaning is acceptable, we should respect all the Sahaabah equally in this way, because this is a kind of veneration and honouring, and the two shaykhs [Abu Bakr and ‘Umar] and Ameer al-Mu’mineen ‘Uthmaan are more deserving of that – may Allaah be pleased with them all.
Saying the words “karrama Allaahu wajhahu (may Allaah honour his face)” after mentioning the name of ‘Ali and singling him out in this manner is one aspect of the way in which the Shi’ah exaggerate about him. It was said that this is because he never looked at the ‘awrah of any person at all, or because he never prostrated to an idol. But this is not something that is unique to him, as other Sahaabah who were born in Islam also shared these characteristics.
Some of them said that the words “karrama Allaahu wajhahu (may Allaah honour his face)” are only said in reference to ‘Ali because he never prostrated to any idol.
The Raafidis, the enemies of ‘Ali and the enemies of the family of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) use this phrase, we should avoid imitating the people of bid’ah (innovation). And Allaah knows best.
They have reasons for doing that which do not justify singling out ‘Ali for this phrase, such as the fact that he never looked at the ‘awrah of another person, or that he never prostrated to any idol. But those Sahaabah who were born in Islam also share these chracateristics. It should also be noted that when giving any reason it is also essential to offer evidence and proof.
Undoubtedly the noble Sahaabi ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib was one of the wisest and most determined of people. He is well known for his courage and bravery. He was the first youth to enter Islam, then he stayed close to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) before the Hijrah. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) left Makkah, accompanied by Abu Bakr, he stayed behind and slept in the Prophet’s bed (thus fooling the mushrikeen who wanted to kill the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)). Among his virtues are those mentioned in the hadeeth narrated by Sahl ibn Sa’d (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, on the day of Khaybar, “I will give the flag to a man at whose hands Allaah will grant victory.” They got up, wishing to see to whom the flag would be given, each of them hoping that he would be given the flag. Then he said, “Where is ‘Ali?” He was told that he was suffering from eye-trouble. He ordered that ‘Ali should be called to him, then he spat in his eyes and he was healed immediately, as if he has never had any problem in his eyes. [Bukhari and Muslim]
Just as ‘Ali had many virtues and good characteristics, other Sahaabah also had other virtues and good characteristics. Among the virtues of Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) is that which was narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri, who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) delivered a khutbah and said: “Allaah has given a slave the choice between this world and what is with Him, and he chose what is with Him.” Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him) began to weep, and I said to myself, “What is making this old man cry if Allaah has given a slave the choice between this world and what is with Him, and he chose what is with Him?” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was that slave, and Abu Bakr was the most knowledgeable of us. He said, “O Abu Bakr, do not weep. Abu Bakr has favoured me greatly with his companionship and his wealth. If I were to have taken a close friend among my ummah, I would have chosen Abu Bakr, but the brotherhood of Islam is sufficient. Do not leave any door to the mosque without closing it off, apart from the door of Abu Bakr.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
Another of his virtues is that he accompanied the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) during the Hijrah (migration to Madeenah), as Allaah says
[[AL-TAWBA (REPENTANCE, DISPENSATION) Chapter 9 Verse 40]
(interpretation of the meaning):
“If you help him not (it does not matter), for Allaah did indeed help him when the disbelievers drove him out, the second of the two; when they were in the cave, he said to his companion : ‘Be not sad (or afraid), surely, Allaah is with us.’ Then Allaah sent down His Sakeenah (calmness, tranquillity, peace) upon him, and strengthened him with forces (angels) which you saw not, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowermost, while the Word of Allaah that became the uppermost; and Allaah is All-Mighty, All-Wise” [al-Tawbah 9:40]
Dear Ansari Sahab,
Would you like to tell as to who was the second person in the cave with Mohammad [Peace be upon him].
And ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) appointed him as the commander of the army of Dhaat al-Salaasil. He said: So I came to him and said, “Which of the people is dearest to you?” He said, “ ‘Aa’ishah.” I said, “Who among men?” He said, “Her father.” I said, “Then who?” He said, “Then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab,” and he mentioned some other men. [Bukhari and Muslim]
Another of his virtues is the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) appointed him to lead the prayers in his stead at the end of his life, when he fell sick with his final illness, and he rebuked those who objected to this and said, “Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
And it was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) climbed Uhud with Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthmaan, and it trembled beneath them. He said, ‘Stand firm, O Uhud, for there is no one on you but a Prophet, a Siddeeq and two martyrs.” [Bukhari]
With regard to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him), he also had many virtues and good characteristics which were proven in many reports. For example it was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whilst I was sleeping, I saw the people were shown to me, and they were wearing shirts. Some shirts came down to the chest, and some were shorter than that. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab was shown to me and he was wearing a shirt that dragged along the ground.” They said, “How did you interpret that, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “Religious commitment.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Whilst I was sleeping, a cup of milk was brought to me and I drank until I saw its wetness coming out of my nails. Then I gave the rest to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab.” They said, “How did you interpret that, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “(It is) knowledge.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
And it was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say, “Among the nations who came before you there were muhaddathoon (men who were inspired) and if there are any such men among my ummah, then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab is one of them.” [Muslim]
And there is other evidence which points to the virtues of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them). But the fact that some of them were superior to others is something that makes sense and is proven in sharee’ah. It is not the matter of whims and desires, rather it should be referred to sharee’ah, as Allaah says:
[AL-QASAS (THE STORY, STORIES) Chapter 28 - Verse 68]
(interpretation of the meaning):
“And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses, no choice have they (in any matter). Glorified is Allaah, and exalted above all that they associate (as partners with Him)”
So we should refer to the Quran and Hadith's evidence in order to find out the status of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them). It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “We used to compare the people as to who was better at the time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). We used to regard Abu Bakr as the best, then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, then ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan (may Allaah be pleased with them).” [Bukhari]. According to another report he said: “At the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) we did not regard anyone as equal with Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar, then ‘Uthmaan, then we left the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and we did not differentiate between them.” [Bukhari].
This is testimony of all the Sahaabah, narrated by ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar, that Abu Bakr was superior to all the Sahaabah, followed by ‘Umar, then ‘Uthmaan.
Now let us turn to ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him) himself, and he see what he said. It was narrated that Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah (who was the son of ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib) said: “I said to my father, ‘Which of the people was the best after the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)?’ He said, ‘Abu Bakr.’ I said, ‘Then who?’ He said, ‘Then ‘Umar.’ I was afraid that he would say ‘Uthmaan. I said, ‘Then is it you?’ He said, ‘I am only one of the Muslims.’” [Bukhari]
It was narrated that ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “No one is brought to me who regards me as superior to Abu Bakr and ‘Umar but I will punish him with a beating like a fabricator.” Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: It was narrated that he used to speak from the minbar of Kufa and say that the best of this ummah after our Prophet was Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar. This was narrated from him via more than eighty isnaads, and it was narrated by al-Bukhaari and others. Hence the earlier Shi’ah all used to agree that Abu Bakr and ‘Umar were superior, as has been mentioned by more than one. Manhaaj al-Sunnah, 1/308
It was narrated from Abu Juhayfah that ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) ascended the minbar and praised and glorified Allaah and sent blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then he said: “The best of this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr. The second is ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him), and after that, whoever Allaah wants to be good will be good.” [Musnad Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal]
These ahaadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and these reports from the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) all testify to the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, amongst whom there is no dispute concerning it, that the best of this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him), then ‘Umar. May Allaah be pleased with all of the Sahaabah.
With regard to the idea that Abu Bakr and ‘Umar always used to ask ‘Ali questions and that they did not have knowledge, this is not proven in any report whatsoever. Rather it is proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ordered that Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) should lead the people in prayer when he was sick with his final illness. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would not have delegated this task except to one who had knowledge of the rulings on the prayer. And it was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) appointed Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) to lead the Hajj before the Farewell Pilgrimage, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would not have appointed a man to such a position unless he was the most knowledgeable of them concerning it (the Hajj). Indeed it is narrated that ‘Ali learned some ahaadeeth from Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with them both) concerning some issues. It was narrated that Asma’ bint al-Hakam al-Fazaari said: “I heard ‘Ali say: I was a man who, if I heard a hadeeth from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), Allaah would benefit me thereby as much as He willed to benefit me. If a man from among his companions told me a hadeeth I would ask him to swear to it; if he swore to it then I would believe him.” He told me that Abu Bakr said, and Abu Bakr spoke the truth, “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘There is no man who commits a sin then he gets up and purifies himself and prays, and seeks the forgiveness of Allaah, but Allaah will forgive him.’ Then he recited this verse :
[AL-E-IMRAN (THE FAMILY OF 'IMRAN, THE HOUSE OF 'IMRAN) Chapter 3 - Verse 135]
(interpretation of the meaning):
“And those who, when they have committed Faahishah (illegal sexual intercourse) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allaah and ask forgiveness for their sins; — and none can forgive sins but Allaah — and do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know” [Tirmidhi]
Tirmidhi narrated from ‘Ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has placed truth on the tongue of ‘Umar and in his heart.”
And we have quoted above the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning ‘Umar: “Among the nations who came before you there were muhaddathoon (men who were inspired) and if there are any such men among my ummah, then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab is one of them.”
The point is that the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, on which they are unanimously agreed, is that the best of this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar – may Allaah be pleased with them both.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: “No one among the respectable Muslim scholars has said that ‘Ali was more knowledgeable or had more understanding of Islam than Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, or even than Abu Bakr alone. Those who claim that there is consensus on that are among the most ignorant of people and the greatest liars. Rather, more than one of the scholars have stated that there is scholarly consensus that Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq was more knowledgeable than ‘Ali, such as Imam Mansoor ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbaar al-Sam’aani al-Marwadhi, one of the leading scholars of the Sunnah among the companions of al-Shaafa’i, who mentioned in his book Taqweem al-Adillah ‘ala’l-Imam that there was consensus among the scholars of the Sunnah that Abu Bakr was more knowledgeable than ‘Ali. I do not know of anyone among the famous imams who disputes this point. How could it be otherwise when Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq used to issue rulings and commands and prohibitions, and pass judgements, and deliver khutbahs in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as he used to do when he and Abu Bakr would go out to call the people to Islam, and when they migrated together, and on the day of Hunayn, and on other occasions, when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) remained silent and approved of what Abu Bakr said; no one else enjoyed such status.
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) consulted with the wise and knowledgeable men among his companions, he would consult Abu Bakr and ‘Umar first, because they were the first to speak about matters of Islam in the presence of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) before the rest of his companions; for example when he consulted them about the prisoners of Badr, the first ones who spoke about that were Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, and this also happened on other occasions… In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated that the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) were with him on a journey and he said: “If the people obey Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, they will be guided aright.” And it was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that he used to give his fatwas based on the Book of Allaah, and if he could not find anything then he would look at the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then if he could not find anything he would refer to the fatwas of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, then if he did not find anything he would refer to the fatwas of ‘Uthmaan and ‘Ali – and Ibn ‘Abbaas was the habr al-ummah (scholar of the ummah) and the most knowledgeable of the Sahaabah of his time, and he would consult the words of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar and give them precedence over the words of anyone else among the Sahaabah. And it was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed for Ibn ‘Abbaas and said, “O Allaah, cause him to understand the religion of Islam and teach him the correct interpretation (of the Qur’aan).”
Now let us turn to ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah bepleased with him) himself, and he see what he said. Itwas narrated that Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah (who wasthe son of ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib) said: “I said to myfather, ‘Which of the people was the best after theMessenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah beupon him)?’ He said, ‘Abu Bakr.’ I said, ‘Then who?’He said, ‘Then ‘Umar.’ I was afraid that he would say‘Uthmaan. I said, ‘Then is it you?’ He said, ‘I amonly one of the Muslims.’” [Bukhaari]
It was narrated that ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased withhim) said: “No one is brought to me who regards me assuperior to Abu Bakr and ‘Umar but I will punish himwith a beating like a fabricator.” Shaykh al-Islam IbnTaymiyah said: It was narrated that he used to speakfrom the minbar of Kufa and say that the best of thisummah after our Prophet was Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar. Thiswas narrated from him via more than eighty isnaads,and it was narrated by al-Bukhaari and others. Hencethe earlier Shi’ah all used to agree that Abu Bakr and‘Umar were superior, as has been mentioned by morethan one. Manhaaj al-Sunnah, 1/308
It was narrated from Abu Juhayfah that ‘Ali (mayAllaah be pleased with him) ascended the minbar andpraised and glorified Allaah and sent blessings uponthe Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be uponhim), then he said: “The best of this ummah after itsProphet is Abu Bakr. The second is ‘Umar (may Allaahbe pleased with him), and after that, whoever Allaahwants to be good will be good.” [Imam Ahmad in his Musnad]
These ahaadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings ofAllaah be upon him) and these reports from theSahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) all testifyto the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, amongstwhom there is no dispute concerning it, that the bestof this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq(may Allaah be pleased with him), then ‘Umar. MayAllaah be pleased with all of the Sahaabah.
With regard to the idea that Abu Bakr and ‘Umar alwaysused to ask ‘Ali questions and that they did not haveknowledge, this is not proven in any reportwhatsoever. Rather it is proven that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) orderedthat Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) shouldlead the people in prayer when he was sick with hisfinal illness. The Prophet (peace and blessings ofAllaah be upon him) would not have delegated this taskexcept to one who had knowledge of the rulings on theprayer. And it was proven that the Prophet (peace andblessings of Allaah be upon him) appointed Abu Bakr(may Allaah be pleased with him) to lead theHajjbefore the Farewell Pilgrimage, and the Prophet (peaceand blessings of Allaah be upon him) would not haveappointed a man to such a position unless he was themost knowledgeable of them concerning it (theHajj).
Indeed it is narrated that ‘Ali learned some ahaadeethfrom Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with them both)concerning some issues. It was narrated that Asma’bint al-Hakam al-Fazaari said: “I heard ‘Ali say: Iwas a man who, if I heard a hadeeth from the Messengerof Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),Allaah would benefit me thereby as much as He willedto benefit me. If a man from among his companions toldme a hadeeth I would ask him to swear to it; if heswore to it then I would believe him.” He told me thatAbu Bakr said, and Abu Bakr spoke the truth, “I heardthe Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaahbe upon him) say, ‘There is no man who commits a sinthen he gets up and purifies himself and prays, andseeks the forgiveness of Allaah, but Allaah willforgive him.’ Then he recited this verse
(interpretation of the meaning):
“And those who, when they have committed Faahishah(illegal sexual intercourse) or wronged themselveswith evil, remember Allaah and ask forgiveness fortheir sins; — and none can forgive sins but Allaah —and do not persist in what (wrong) they have done,while they know”[Aal ‘Imraan 3:135] [Tirmidhi]
Tirmidhi narrated from ‘Ibn ‘Umar that theMessenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah beupon him) said: “Allaah has placed truth on the tongueof ‘Umar and in his heart.” [Tirmidhi]
And we have quoted above the words of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning‘Umar: “Among the nations who came before you therewere muhaddathoon (men who were inspired) and if thereare any such men among my ummah, then ‘Umar ibnal-Khattaab is one of them.”The point is that the belief of Ahl al-Sunnahwa’l-Jamaa’ah, on which they are unanimously agreed,is that the best of this ummah after its Prophet isAbu Bakr, then ‘Umar – may Allaah be pleased with themboth.
Ali Ibn Abi Talib [May Alla be pleased with him] on the allegations against Abu Bakr [RA] Suwaid ibn Ghafalah 1 reported that once he passed by a group of Shee'ah who were talking about Abu Bakr and 'Umar in derogatory terms. Then he visited 'Alee ibn Abee Talib and told him:
"O Ameer al-Mu'mineen, I passed by a group of your companions while they were referring to Abu Bakr and 'Umar in derogatory terms. If it were not that they thought that you secretly felt as they openly said,
they would not have dared to say it."
'Alee replied: "I seek refuge in Allaah! I seek refuge in Allaah from secretly feeling anything towards the two of them other than what the Prophet entrusted to me. May Allaah curse anyone who holds inside himself anything but goodness and gratitude towards both of them. (They were like) two brothers to Allaah's Messenger, his two companions, his two assistants, may Allaah's mercy be on both of them."
Then 'Alee got up with tears in his eyes, holding on to my hand until he entered the Masjid. Next he ascended the mimber and sat at its top holding on to his beard and looking at it until the people gathered.
After having made a brief but eloquent speech, he added:
"What is wrong with those who make allegations about the two masters of Quraysh, the two fathers of the Muslims, allegations which I would never say, or want to hear others say; and for which I may be punished.
By He who split the seed and created the soul, only a pious believer loves them, and only a wretched sinner hates them. Those two who accompanied Allaah's Messenger , commanding all that is good and prohibiting all that is evil; who became angry with wrongdoers and punished them based on truth and honesty alone. In their rulings, they did not overstep the opinion's of Allaah's Messenger . In fact, their opinions always coincided with those of Allaah's Messenger and the believers were pleased with both of them throughout their respective caliphates.
The Messenger of Allaah appointed Abu Bakr to lead the believers in their prayers for the last nine days of the Prophet's life and he died without recalling him. The believers, subsequently, made him responsible for their affairs, and gave him their Zakaah. They willingly pledged allegiance to him and I am the first person from Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib to confirm his leadership. He disliked leadership and wished that one of us would take his place. By Allaah, he was the best of those who remained after the Prophet ; the eldest, the kindest, and truly the most compassionate and pious. He was like angel Mikaaeel in his benevolence and Prophet Ibraaheem in his willingness to forgive and his dignified bearing. He took the path of the Prophet and passed away on that path (may Allaah have mercy on him).
After Abu Bakr , 'Umar took command, and I was among those pleased with his appointment. He ruled according to the policy of Allaah's Messenger and his companion, Abu Bakr , following their footsteps the way a young camel follows its mother. I swear by Allaah, he was kind and gentle with the weak, a champion of the cause of the oppressed and without any blame concerning Allaah's religion. Allaah manifested examples of the truth through him and made the truth a part of him to such a degree that we used to think that an angel was speaking with his tongue. Allaah made his conversion a strengthening factor for Islaam, and placed in the hearts of the Hypocrites a fear of him and in the hearts of the believers love for him. Allaah's Messenger compared him to Angel Jibreel in his harshness towards the enemies of Islaam. So who among you can be compared to the two of them. May Allaah's mercy be on them, and may Allaah provide us with the ability to continue in their paths. Let whoever loves me, love them, for whoever does not love them has angered me, and I will have nothing to do with him. If I hear anymore derogatory talk about the two of them, I will punish the offenders severely. After today, whoever is brought before me will get the punishment of a slanderer. Verily, the best of this nation after its Prophet is Abu Bakr and 'Umar . Then Allaah knows best who is the best. I am saying this asking Allaah's forgiveness for both you and myself."
Note:
1) Suwaid ibn Ghafalah was among the major scholars of the Taabi'oon. He accepted Islaam during the lifetime of the Prophet but never met him. On the day that the Prophet was being buried in al-Madeenah, Suwaid came to the city for the first time. He later settled in Kufah and died at the age of 130 in the year 700 CE. All the major books of Ahaadeeth have ahaadeeth narrated by Him. Ibn Hajar, Taqreeb at-Tahtheeb, Vol. 1, p. 341.
Hazrat Ali [May Allah be pleased with him] is also Rightly Guided Caliph [Khalifa-e-Rashidoon] like his friends Abu Bakar, Omar and Uthman [May Alla be pleased with all of them]. No doubt there were differences between Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Muawiyah [May Allah be pleased with both of them] but these differences were not like as defined by several Historians. Even the Shia Books contain these remarks of Hazrat Ali [May Allah be pleased with him]:
Ali [May Allah be pleased with him] also confirmed that he and Muawiyah [May Allah be pleased with him] were on the same deen this is proven even from the Shia sources. Shareef Al Razi narrated in Nahjul Balagha a speech delivered by Ali where Ali [May Allah be pleased with him] says:
"In the beginning of our matter, the people of Sham and us met. It is obvious that our God is one, our Prophet is one, and our call in Islam is one. We do not see ourselves more in faith in Allah or more in believing His messenger than them, nor they do. Our matter is one, except for our disagreement in Uthman’s blood, and we are innocent from his murder." [Nahjul Balagha, vol.3, p.648]
THE MERITS OF 'ALI B. ABI TALIB (ALLAH BE PLEASED WITH HIM) and other Companions of the Prophet Mohammad [PBUH]
Translation in English:
“If you help him (Muhammad) not (it does not matter), for Allaah did indeed help him when the disbelievers drove him out, the second of the two; when they were in the cave, he said to his companion: ‘Be not sad (or afraid), surely, Allaah is with us.’ Then Allaah sent down His Sakeenah (calmness, tranquillity, peace) upon him, and strengthened him with forces (angels) which you saw not, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowermost, while the Word of Allaah that became the uppermost; and Allaah is All-Mighty, All-Wise” [[AL-TAWBA (REPENTANCE, DISPENSATION) Chapter 9 Verse 40]
English Translation:
And the first to lead the way, of the Muhajirin and the Ansar, and those who followed them in goodness - Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him, and He hath made ready for them Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide for ever. That is the supreme triumph. [AL-TAWBA (REPENTANCE, DISPENSATION) Chapter 9 Verse 100]
And those who came (into the faith) after them say: Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who were before us in the faith, and place not in our hearts any rancour toward those who believe. Our Lord! Thou art Full of Pity, Merciful. [AL-HASHR (EXILE, BANISHMENT) Chapter 59 Verse 10]
English Translation:
Indeed, Allah was pleased with the believers when they gave the pledge to you under the tree, He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down As-Sakinah upon them, and He rewarded them with a near victory. [Surah Al-Fath Chapter 48 Verse 18]
English Translation:
And the first to lead the way, of the Muhajirin and the Ansar, and those who followed them in goodness - Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him, and He hath made ready for them Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide for ever. That is the supreme triumph. [AL-TAWBA (REPENTANCE, DISPENSATION) Chapter 9 - Verse 100]
Translation:
Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those with him are hard against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves. Thou (O Muhammad) seest them bowing and falling prostrate (in worship), seeking bounty from Allah and (His) acceptance. The mark of them is on their foreheads from the traces of prostration. Such is their likeness in the Torah and their likeness in the Gospel - like as sown corn that sendeth forth its shoot and strengtheneth it and riseth firm upon its stalk, delighting the sowers - that He may enrage the disbelievers with (the sight of) them. Allah hath promised, unto such of them as believe and do good works, forgiveness and immense reward. [AL-FATH (VICTORY, CONQUEST)Chapter 48: Verse 29]
One of the basic principles of Muslims is that they accept that which has been narrated in the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and the consensus of the scholars, concerning the virtues and status (of the Sahaabah). They give precedence to those who spent and fought before the victory – the treaty of al-Hudaybiyah – over those who spent and fought afterwards, because Allaah says:
English Translation:
And what aileth you that ye spend not in the way of Allah when unto Allah belongeth the inheritance of the heavens and the earth? Those who spent and fought before the victory are not upon a level (with the rest of you). Such are greater in rank than those who spent and fought afterwards. Unto each hath Allah promised good. And Allah is Informed of what ye do. [AL-HADID (THE IRON) Chapter 57 Verse 10]
They believe that Allaah said concerning the people of Badr – who numbered three hundred and umpteen – “Do whatever you like, for I have forgiven you,” because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Maybe Allah looked at the people of Badr and said, ‘Do whatever you like, for I have forgiven you.’” (Bukhari and Muslim from the hadeeth of ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib)
English Translation:
Allah was well pleased with the believers when they swore allegiance unto thee beneath the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down peace of reassurance on them, and hath rewarded them with a near victory; [AL-FATH (VICTORY, CONQUEST) Chapter 48 Verse 18]
The Army Commander at Karbala was Umar Bin Saad Bin Waqas [with whom Hazrat Hussein Ibn Ali - May Allah be pleased with him was negotiating - Saad Bin Waqas was a very close relative of Prophet Mohammad - PBUH - Read Tabari, Al Bidaya Wal Nihaya and Ibn Aseer, and Ibn Khalqan] and from Sa'ad Bin Waqas [May Allah be pleased with him] we have a Hadith on the Virtue of Hazrat Ali [May Allah be pleased with him]
The narrations below were narrated by Hazrat Saad Bin Waqas [May Allah be pleased with him] and his son Amir. Hazrat Saad was maternal uncle of Prophet Mohammad [PBUH].
1- Amir b Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas reporte (l on the authority of his father that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) addressing 'All said: You are in the same position with relation to me as Aaron- (Harun) was in relation to Moses but with (this explicit difference) that there is no prophet after me. Sa'd said: I had an earnest desire to hear it directly from Sa'd, so I met him and narrated to him what (his son) Amir had narrated to me, whereupon he said: Yes, I did hear it. I said: Did you hear it yourself? Thereupon he placed his fingers upon his ears and said: Yes, and if not, let both my ears become deaf.
2- Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) left 'Ali b. Abi Talib behind him (as he proceeded) to the expedition of Tabuk, whereupon he ('Ali) said: Allah's Messenger, are you leaving me behind amongst women 4nd children? Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Aren't you satisfied with being unto me what Aaron was unto Moses but with this exception that there would be no prophet after me.
3- Sa'd reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying to 'Ali: Aren't you satisfied with being unto me what Aaron was unto Moses?
NOTE: Rafizi accept these Hadith about Hazrat Ali [May Allah be pleased with him] but I fail to understand is it possible that the son of Hazrat Saad i.e. Amr Bin Saad was shown by the same Historian Tabari through 'doubtful' narrators as the Leader of the Syrian Army [under the orders of Ubaidullah Bin Ziyad bin Abusufiyan (Ziyad had served as Governor of Persia under Hazrat Ali - May Allah be pleasede with him)] sent against Hazrat Hussain [May Allah be pleased with him].
Abu Mikhnaf [The Liar Rafizi Narrator whose narrations were the major part of Tabari's History regarding Jamal, Siffin, Neherwan, and Karbala] in his separate book "Maqtal Hussein (Urdu Translation published in Hyderabad Daccan India] has also reported that before the main 'battle' of Karbala, Huzrat Hussain and Amr Bin Saad [relatives] were discussing something without anyone with them.
Nobody questions Tabari and Mikhnaf as to what were they discussing before the 'alleged massacre'.?
Regarding Khilafa!
Ibn Katheer said in his Tafseer (3/517):
This phrase is used a great deal by scribes who are transcribing books in which the phrase “ ‘alayhi al-salaam (upon him be peace) is used in reference to ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him), to the exclusion of other Sahaabah, or the words “karrama Allaahu wajhahu (may Allaah honour his face)” are used. Although the meaning is acceptable, we should respect all the Sahaabah equally in this way, because this is a kind of veneration and honouring, and the two shaykhs [Abu Bakr and ‘Umar] and Ameer al-Mu’mineen ‘Uthmaan are more deserving of that – may Allaah be pleased with them all.
Saying the words “karrama Allaahu wajhahu (may Allaah honour his face)” after mentioning the name of ‘Ali and singling him out in this manner is one aspect of the way in which the Shi’ah exaggerate about him. It was said that this is because he never looked at the ‘awrah of any person at all, or because he never prostrated to an idol. But this is not something that is unique to him, as other Sahaabah who were born in Islam also shared these characteristics.
Some of them said that the words “karrama Allaahu wajhahu (may Allaah honour his face)” are only said in reference to ‘Ali because he never prostrated to any idol.
The Raafidis, the enemies of ‘Ali and the enemies of the family of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) use this phrase, we should avoid imitating the people of bid’ah (innovation). And Allaah knows best.
They have reasons for doing that which do not justify singling out ‘Ali for this phrase, such as the fact that he never looked at the ‘awrah of another person, or that he never prostrated to any idol. But those Sahaabah who were born in Islam also share these chracateristics. It should also be noted that when giving any reason it is also essential to offer evidence and proof.
Undoubtedly the noble Sahaabi ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib was one of the wisest and most determined of people. He is well known for his courage and bravery. He was the first youth to enter Islam, then he stayed close to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) before the Hijrah. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) left Makkah, accompanied by Abu Bakr, he stayed behind and slept in the Prophet’s bed (thus fooling the mushrikeen who wanted to kill the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)). Among his virtues are those mentioned in the hadeeth narrated by Sahl ibn Sa’d (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, on the day of Khaybar, “I will give the flag to a man at whose hands Allaah will grant victory.” They got up, wishing to see to whom the flag would be given, each of them hoping that he would be given the flag. Then he said, “Where is ‘Ali?” He was told that he was suffering from eye-trouble. He ordered that ‘Ali should be called to him, then he spat in his eyes and he was healed immediately, as if he has never had any problem in his eyes. [Bukhari and Muslim]
Just as ‘Ali had many virtues and good characteristics, other Sahaabah also had other virtues and good characteristics. Among the virtues of Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) is that which was narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri, who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) delivered a khutbah and said: “Allaah has given a slave the choice between this world and what is with Him, and he chose what is with Him.” Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him) began to weep, and I said to myself, “What is making this old man cry if Allaah has given a slave the choice between this world and what is with Him, and he chose what is with Him?” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was that slave, and Abu Bakr was the most knowledgeable of us. He said, “O Abu Bakr, do not weep. Abu Bakr has favoured me greatly with his companionship and his wealth. If I were to have taken a close friend among my ummah, I would have chosen Abu Bakr, but the brotherhood of Islam is sufficient. Do not leave any door to the mosque without closing it off, apart from the door of Abu Bakr.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
Another of his virtues is that he accompanied the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) during the Hijrah (migration to Madeenah), as Allaah says
[[AL-TAWBA (REPENTANCE, DISPENSATION) Chapter 9 Verse 40]
(interpretation of the meaning):
“If you help him (Muhammad) not (it does not matter), for Allaah did indeed help him when the disbelievers drove him out, the second of the two; when they (Muhammad and Abu Bakr) were in the cave, he said to his companion (Abu Bakr): ‘Be not sad (or afraid), surely, Allaah is with us.’ Then Allaah sent down His Sakeenah (calmness, tranquillity, peace) upon him, and strengthened him with forces (angels) which you saw not, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowermost, while the Word of Allaah that became the uppermost; and Allaah is All-Mighty, All-Wise”.
And ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) appointed him as the commander of the army of Dhaat al-Salaasil. He said: So I came to him and said, “Which of the people is dearest to you?” He said, “ ‘Aa’ishah.” I said, “Who among men?” He said, “Her father.” I said, “Then who?” He said, “Then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab,” and he mentioned some other men. [Bukhari and Muslim]
Another of his virtues is the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) appointed him to lead the prayers in his stead at the end of his life, when he fell sick with his final illness, and he rebuked those who objected to this and said, “Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
And it was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) climbed Uhud with Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthmaan, and it trembled beneath them. He said, ‘Stand firm, O Uhud, for there is no one on you but a Prophet, a Siddeeq and two martyrs.” [Bukhari]
With regard to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him), he also had many virtues and good characteristics which were proven in many reports. For example it was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whilst I was sleeping, I saw the people were shown to me, and they were wearing shirts. Some shirts came down to the chest, and some were shorter than that. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab was shown to me and he was wearing a shirt that dragged along the ground.” They said, “How did you interpret that, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “Religious commitment.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Whilst I was sleeping, a cup of milk was brought to me and I drank until I saw its wetness coming out of my nails. Then I gave the rest to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab.” They said, “How did you interpret that, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “(It is) knowledge.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
And it was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say, “Among the nations who came before you there were muhaddathoon (men who were inspired) and if there are any such men among my ummah, then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab is one of them.” [Muslim]
And there is other evidence which points to the virtues of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them). But the fact that some of them were superior to others is something that makes sense and is proven in sharee’ah. It is not the matter of whims and desires, rather it should be referred to sharee’ah, as Allaah says:
[AL-QASAS (THE STORY, STORIES) Chapter 28 - Verse 68]
(interpretation of the meaning):
“And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses, no choice have they (in any matter). Glorified is Allaah, and exalted above all that they associate (as partners with Him)”
So we should refer to the Quran and Hadith's evidence in order to find out the status of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them). It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “We used to compare the people as to who was better at the time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). We used to regard Abu Bakr as the best, then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, then ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan (may Allaah be pleased with them).” [Bukhari]. According to another report he said: “At the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) we did not regard anyone as equal with Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar, then ‘Uthmaan, then we left the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and we did not differentiate between them.” [Bukhari].
This is testimony of all the Sahaabah, narrated by ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar, that Abu Bakr was superior to all the Sahaabah, followed by ‘Umar, then ‘Uthmaan.
Now let us turn to ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him) himself, and he see what he said. It was narrated that Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah (who was the son of ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib) said: “I said to my father, ‘Which of the people was the best after the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)?’ He said, ‘Abu Bakr.’ I said, ‘Then who?’ He said, ‘Then ‘Umar.’ I was afraid that he would say ‘Uthmaan. I said, ‘Then is it you?’ He said, ‘I am only one of the Muslims.’” [Bukhari]
It was narrated that ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “No one is brought to me who regards me as superior to Abu Bakr and ‘Umar but I will punish him with a beating like a fabricator.” Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: It was narrated that he used to speak from the minbar of Kufa and say that the best of this ummah after our Prophet was Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar. This was narrated from him via more than eighty isnaads, and it was narrated by al-Bukhaari and others. Hence the earlier Shi’ah all used to agree that Abu Bakr and ‘Umar were superior, as has been mentioned by more than one. Manhaaj al-Sunnah, 1/308
It was narrated from Abu Juhayfah that ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) ascended the minbar and praised and glorified Allaah and sent blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then he said: “The best of this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr. The second is ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him), and after that, whoever Allaah wants to be good will be good.” [Musnad Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal]
These ahaadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and these reports from the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) all testify to the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, amongst whom there is no dispute concerning it, that the best of this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him), then ‘Umar. May Allaah be pleased with all of the Sahaabah.
With regard to the idea that Abu Bakr and ‘Umar always used to ask ‘Ali questions and that they did not have knowledge, this is not proven in any report whatsoever. Rather it is proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ordered that Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) should lead the people in prayer when he was sick with his final illness. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would not have delegated this task except to one who had knowledge of the rulings on the prayer. And it was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) appointed Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) to lead the Hajj before the Farewell Pilgrimage, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would not have appointed a man to such a position unless he was the most knowledgeable of them concerning it (the Hajj). Indeed it is narrated that ‘Ali learned some ahaadeeth from Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with them both) concerning some issues. It was narrated that Asma’ bint al-Hakam al-Fazaari said: “I heard ‘Ali say: I was a man who, if I heard a hadeeth from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), Allaah would benefit me thereby as much as He willed to benefit me. If a man from among his companions told me a hadeeth I would ask him to swear to it; if he swore to it then I would believe him.” He told me that Abu Bakr said, and Abu Bakr spoke the truth, “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘There is no man who commits a sin then he gets up and purifies himself and prays, and seeks the forgiveness of Allaah, but Allaah will forgive him.’ Then he recited this verse :
[AL-E-IMRAN (THE FAMILY OF 'IMRAN, THE HOUSE OF 'IMRAN) Chapter 3 - Verse 135]
(interpretation of the meaning):
“And those who, when they have committed Faahishah (illegal sexual intercourse) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allaah and ask forgiveness for their sins; — and none can forgive sins but Allaah — and do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know” [Tirmidhi]
Tirmidhi narrated from ‘Ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has placed truth on the tongue of ‘Umar and in his heart.”
And we have quoted above the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning ‘Umar: “Among the nations who came before you there were muhaddathoon (men who were inspired) and if there are any such men among my ummah, then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab is one of them.”
The point is that the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, on which they are unanimously agreed, is that the best of this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar – may Allaah be pleased with them both.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: “No one among the respectable Muslim scholars has said that ‘Ali was more knowledgeable or had more understanding of Islam than Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, or even than Abu Bakr alone. Those who claim that there is consensus on that are among the most ignorant of people and the greatest liars. Rather, more than one of the scholars have stated that there is scholarly consensus that Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq was more knowledgeable than ‘Ali, such as Imam Mansoor ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbaar al-Sam’aani al-Marwadhi, one of the leading scholars of the Sunnah among the companions of al-Shaafa’i, who mentioned in his book Taqweem al-Adillah ‘ala’l-Imam that there was consensus among the scholars of the Sunnah that Abu Bakr was more knowledgeable than ‘Ali. I do not know of anyone among the famous imams who disputes this point. How could it be otherwise when Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq used to issue rulings and commands and prohibitions, and pass judgements, and deliver khutbahs in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as he used to do when he and Abu Bakr would go out to call the people to Islam, and when they migrated together, and on the day of Hunayn, and on other occasions, when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) remained silent and approved of what Abu Bakr said; no one else enjoyed such status.
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) consulted with the wise and knowledgeable men among his companions, he would consult Abu Bakr and ‘Umar first, because they were the first to speak about matters of Islam in the presence of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) before the rest of his companions; for example when he consulted them about the prisoners of Badr, the first ones who spoke about that were Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, and this also happened on other occasions… In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated that the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) were with him on a journey and he said: “If the people obey Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, they will be guided aright.” And it was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that he used to give his fatwas based on the Book of Allaah, and if he could not find anything then he would look at the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then if he could not find anything he would refer to the fatwas of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, then if he did not find anything he would refer to the fatwas of ‘Uthmaan and ‘Ali – and Ibn ‘Abbaas was the habr al-ummah (scholar of the ummah) and the most knowledgeable of the Sahaabah of his time, and he would consult the words of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar and give them precedence over the words of anyone else among the Sahaabah. And it was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed for Ibn ‘Abbaas and said, “O Allaah, cause him to understand the religion of Islam and teach him the correct interpretation (of the Qur’aan).”
Hadiths on Muawiyah [May Allah be pleased with him] :
Indeed, Allah was pleased with the believers when they gave the pledge to you under the tree, He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down As-Sakinah upon them, and He rewarded them with a near victory. [Surah Al-Fath Chapter 48 Verse 18]
English Translation:
And the first to lead the way, of the Muhajirin and the Ansar, and those who followed them in goodness - Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him, and He hath made ready for them Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide for ever. That is the supreme triumph. [AL-TAWBA (REPENTANCE, DISPENSATION) Chapter 9 - Verse 100]
Translation:
Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those with him are hard against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves. Thou (O Muhammad) seest them bowing and falling prostrate (in worship), seeking bounty from Allah and (His) acceptance. The mark of them is on their foreheads from the traces of prostration. Such is their likeness in the Torah and their likeness in the Gospel - like as sown corn that sendeth forth its shoot and strengtheneth it and riseth firm upon its stalk, delighting the sowers - that He may enrage the disbelievers with (the sight of) them. Allah hath promised, unto such of them as believe and do good works, forgiveness and immense reward. [AL-FATH (VICTORY, CONQUEST)Chapter 48: Verse 29]
One of the basic principles of Muslims is that they accept that which has been narrated in the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and the consensus of the scholars, concerning the virtues and status (of the Sahaabah). They give precedence to those who spent and fought before the victory – the treaty of al-Hudaybiyah – over those who spent and fought afterwards, because Allaah says:
English Translation:
And what aileth you that ye spend not in the way of Allah when unto Allah belongeth the inheritance of the heavens and the earth? Those who spent and fought before the victory are not upon a level (with the rest of you). Such are greater in rank than those who spent and fought afterwards. Unto each hath Allah promised good. And Allah is Informed of what ye do. [AL-HADID (THE IRON) Chapter 57 Verse 10]
They believe that Allaah said concerning the people of Badr – who numbered three hundred and umpteen – “Do whatever you like, for I have forgiven you,” because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Maybe Allah looked at the people of Badr and said, ‘Do whatever you like, for I have forgiven you.’” (Bukhari and Muslim from the hadeeth of ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib)
English Translation:
Allah was well pleased with the believers when they swore allegiance unto thee beneath the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down peace of reassurance on them, and hath rewarded them with a near victory; [AL-FATH (VICTORY, CONQUEST) Chapter 48 Verse 18]
The Army Commander at Karbala was Umar Bin Saad Bin Waqas [with whom Hazrat Hussein Ibn Ali - May Allah be pleased with him was negotiating - Saad Bin Waqas was a very close relative of Prophet Mohammad - PBUH - Read Tabari, Al Bidaya Wal Nihaya and Ibn Aseer, and Ibn Khalqan] and from Sa'ad Bin Waqas [May Allah be pleased with him] we have a Hadith on the Virtue of Hazrat Ali [May Allah be pleased with him]
The narrations below were narrated by Hazrat Saad Bin Waqas [May Allah be pleased with him] and his son Amir. Hazrat Saad was maternal uncle of Prophet Mohammad [PBUH].
1- Amir b Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas reporte (l on the authority of his father that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) addressing 'All said: You are in the same position with relation to me as Aaron- (Harun) was in relation to Moses but with (this explicit difference) that there is no prophet after me. Sa'd said: I had an earnest desire to hear it directly from Sa'd, so I met him and narrated to him what (his son) Amir had narrated to me, whereupon he said: Yes, I did hear it. I said: Did you hear it yourself? Thereupon he placed his fingers upon his ears and said: Yes, and if not, let both my ears become deaf.
2- Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) left 'Ali b. Abi Talib behind him (as he proceeded) to the expedition of Tabuk, whereupon he ('Ali) said: Allah's Messenger, are you leaving me behind amongst women 4nd children? Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Aren't you satisfied with being unto me what Aaron was unto Moses but with this exception that there would be no prophet after me.
3- Sa'd reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying to 'Ali: Aren't you satisfied with being unto me what Aaron was unto Moses?
NOTE: Rafizi accept these Hadith about Hazrat Ali [May Allah be pleased with him] but I fail to understand is it possible that the son of Hazrat Saad i.e. Amr Bin Saad was shown by the same Historian Tabari through 'doubtful' narrators as the Leader of the Syrian Army [under the orders of Ubaidullah Bin Ziyad bin Abusufiyan (Ziyad had served as Governor of Persia under Hazrat Ali - May Allah be pleasede with him)] sent against Hazrat Hussain [May Allah be pleased with him].
Abu Mikhnaf [The Liar Rafizi Narrator whose narrations were the major part of Tabari's History regarding Jamal, Siffin, Neherwan, and Karbala] in his separate book "Maqtal Hussein (Urdu Translation published in Hyderabad Daccan India] has also reported that before the main 'battle' of Karbala, Huzrat Hussain and Amr Bin Saad [relatives] were discussing something without anyone with them.
Nobody questions Tabari and Mikhnaf as to what were they discussing before the 'alleged massacre'.?
Regarding Khilafa!
Ibn Katheer said in his Tafseer (3/517):
This phrase is used a great deal by scribes who are transcribing books in which the phrase “ ‘alayhi al-salaam (upon him be peace) is used in reference to ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him), to the exclusion of other Sahaabah, or the words “karrama Allaahu wajhahu (may Allaah honour his face)” are used. Although the meaning is acceptable, we should respect all the Sahaabah equally in this way, because this is a kind of veneration and honouring, and the two shaykhs [Abu Bakr and ‘Umar] and Ameer al-Mu’mineen ‘Uthmaan are more deserving of that – may Allaah be pleased with them all.
Saying the words “karrama Allaahu wajhahu (may Allaah honour his face)” after mentioning the name of ‘Ali and singling him out in this manner is one aspect of the way in which the Shi’ah exaggerate about him. It was said that this is because he never looked at the ‘awrah of any person at all, or because he never prostrated to an idol. But this is not something that is unique to him, as other Sahaabah who were born in Islam also shared these characteristics.
Some of them said that the words “karrama Allaahu wajhahu (may Allaah honour his face)” are only said in reference to ‘Ali because he never prostrated to any idol.
The Raafidis, the enemies of ‘Ali and the enemies of the family of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) use this phrase, we should avoid imitating the people of bid’ah (innovation). And Allaah knows best.
They have reasons for doing that which do not justify singling out ‘Ali for this phrase, such as the fact that he never looked at the ‘awrah of another person, or that he never prostrated to any idol. But those Sahaabah who were born in Islam also share these chracateristics. It should also be noted that when giving any reason it is also essential to offer evidence and proof.
Undoubtedly the noble Sahaabi ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib was one of the wisest and most determined of people. He is well known for his courage and bravery. He was the first youth to enter Islam, then he stayed close to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) before the Hijrah. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) left Makkah, accompanied by Abu Bakr, he stayed behind and slept in the Prophet’s bed (thus fooling the mushrikeen who wanted to kill the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)). Among his virtues are those mentioned in the hadeeth narrated by Sahl ibn Sa’d (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, on the day of Khaybar, “I will give the flag to a man at whose hands Allaah will grant victory.” They got up, wishing to see to whom the flag would be given, each of them hoping that he would be given the flag. Then he said, “Where is ‘Ali?” He was told that he was suffering from eye-trouble. He ordered that ‘Ali should be called to him, then he spat in his eyes and he was healed immediately, as if he has never had any problem in his eyes. [Bukhari and Muslim]
Just as ‘Ali had many virtues and good characteristics, other Sahaabah also had other virtues and good characteristics. Among the virtues of Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) is that which was narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri, who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) delivered a khutbah and said: “Allaah has given a slave the choice between this world and what is with Him, and he chose what is with Him.” Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him) began to weep, and I said to myself, “What is making this old man cry if Allaah has given a slave the choice between this world and what is with Him, and he chose what is with Him?” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was that slave, and Abu Bakr was the most knowledgeable of us. He said, “O Abu Bakr, do not weep. Abu Bakr has favoured me greatly with his companionship and his wealth. If I were to have taken a close friend among my ummah, I would have chosen Abu Bakr, but the brotherhood of Islam is sufficient. Do not leave any door to the mosque without closing it off, apart from the door of Abu Bakr.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
Another of his virtues is that he accompanied the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) during the Hijrah (migration to Madeenah), as Allaah says
[[AL-TAWBA (REPENTANCE, DISPENSATION) Chapter 9 Verse 40]
(interpretation of the meaning):
“If you help him (Muhammad) not (it does not matter), for Allaah did indeed help him when the disbelievers drove him out, the second of the two; when they (Muhammad and Abu Bakr) were in the cave, he said to his companion (Abu Bakr): ‘Be not sad (or afraid), surely, Allaah is with us.’ Then Allaah sent down His Sakeenah (calmness, tranquillity, peace) upon him, and strengthened him with forces (angels) which you saw not, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowermost, while the Word of Allaah that became the uppermost; and Allaah is All-Mighty, All-Wise”.
And ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) appointed him as the commander of the army of Dhaat al-Salaasil. He said: So I came to him and said, “Which of the people is dearest to you?” He said, “ ‘Aa’ishah.” I said, “Who among men?” He said, “Her father.” I said, “Then who?” He said, “Then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab,” and he mentioned some other men. [Bukhari and Muslim]
Another of his virtues is the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) appointed him to lead the prayers in his stead at the end of his life, when he fell sick with his final illness, and he rebuked those who objected to this and said, “Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
And it was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) climbed Uhud with Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthmaan, and it trembled beneath them. He said, ‘Stand firm, O Uhud, for there is no one on you but a Prophet, a Siddeeq and two martyrs.” [Bukhari]
With regard to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him), he also had many virtues and good characteristics which were proven in many reports. For example it was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whilst I was sleeping, I saw the people were shown to me, and they were wearing shirts. Some shirts came down to the chest, and some were shorter than that. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab was shown to me and he was wearing a shirt that dragged along the ground.” They said, “How did you interpret that, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “Religious commitment.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Whilst I was sleeping, a cup of milk was brought to me and I drank until I saw its wetness coming out of my nails. Then I gave the rest to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab.” They said, “How did you interpret that, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “(It is) knowledge.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
And it was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say, “Among the nations who came before you there were muhaddathoon (men who were inspired) and if there are any such men among my ummah, then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab is one of them.” [Muslim]
And there is other evidence which points to the virtues of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them). But the fact that some of them were superior to others is something that makes sense and is proven in sharee’ah. It is not the matter of whims and desires, rather it should be referred to sharee’ah, as Allaah says:
[AL-QASAS (THE STORY, STORIES) Chapter 28 - Verse 68]
(interpretation of the meaning):
“And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses, no choice have they (in any matter). Glorified is Allaah, and exalted above all that they associate (as partners with Him)”
So we should refer to the Quran and Hadith's evidence in order to find out the status of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them). It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “We used to compare the people as to who was better at the time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). We used to regard Abu Bakr as the best, then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, then ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan (may Allaah be pleased with them).” [Bukhari]. According to another report he said: “At the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) we did not regard anyone as equal with Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar, then ‘Uthmaan, then we left the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and we did not differentiate between them.” [Bukhari].
This is testimony of all the Sahaabah, narrated by ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar, that Abu Bakr was superior to all the Sahaabah, followed by ‘Umar, then ‘Uthmaan.
Now let us turn to ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him) himself, and he see what he said. It was narrated that Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah (who was the son of ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib) said: “I said to my father, ‘Which of the people was the best after the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)?’ He said, ‘Abu Bakr.’ I said, ‘Then who?’ He said, ‘Then ‘Umar.’ I was afraid that he would say ‘Uthmaan. I said, ‘Then is it you?’ He said, ‘I am only one of the Muslims.’” [Bukhari]
It was narrated that ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “No one is brought to me who regards me as superior to Abu Bakr and ‘Umar but I will punish him with a beating like a fabricator.” Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: It was narrated that he used to speak from the minbar of Kufa and say that the best of this ummah after our Prophet was Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar. This was narrated from him via more than eighty isnaads, and it was narrated by al-Bukhaari and others. Hence the earlier Shi’ah all used to agree that Abu Bakr and ‘Umar were superior, as has been mentioned by more than one. Manhaaj al-Sunnah, 1/308
It was narrated from Abu Juhayfah that ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) ascended the minbar and praised and glorified Allaah and sent blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then he said: “The best of this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr. The second is ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him), and after that, whoever Allaah wants to be good will be good.” [Musnad Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal]
These ahaadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and these reports from the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) all testify to the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, amongst whom there is no dispute concerning it, that the best of this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him), then ‘Umar. May Allaah be pleased with all of the Sahaabah.
With regard to the idea that Abu Bakr and ‘Umar always used to ask ‘Ali questions and that they did not have knowledge, this is not proven in any report whatsoever. Rather it is proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ordered that Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) should lead the people in prayer when he was sick with his final illness. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would not have delegated this task except to one who had knowledge of the rulings on the prayer. And it was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) appointed Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) to lead the Hajj before the Farewell Pilgrimage, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would not have appointed a man to such a position unless he was the most knowledgeable of them concerning it (the Hajj). Indeed it is narrated that ‘Ali learned some ahaadeeth from Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with them both) concerning some issues. It was narrated that Asma’ bint al-Hakam al-Fazaari said: “I heard ‘Ali say: I was a man who, if I heard a hadeeth from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), Allaah would benefit me thereby as much as He willed to benefit me. If a man from among his companions told me a hadeeth I would ask him to swear to it; if he swore to it then I would believe him.” He told me that Abu Bakr said, and Abu Bakr spoke the truth, “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘There is no man who commits a sin then he gets up and purifies himself and prays, and seeks the forgiveness of Allaah, but Allaah will forgive him.’ Then he recited this verse :
[AL-E-IMRAN (THE FAMILY OF 'IMRAN, THE HOUSE OF 'IMRAN) Chapter 3 - Verse 135]
(interpretation of the meaning):
“And those who, when they have committed Faahishah (illegal sexual intercourse) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allaah and ask forgiveness for their sins; — and none can forgive sins but Allaah — and do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know” [Tirmidhi]
Tirmidhi narrated from ‘Ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has placed truth on the tongue of ‘Umar and in his heart.”
And we have quoted above the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning ‘Umar: “Among the nations who came before you there were muhaddathoon (men who were inspired) and if there are any such men among my ummah, then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab is one of them.”
The point is that the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, on which they are unanimously agreed, is that the best of this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar – may Allaah be pleased with them both.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: “No one among the respectable Muslim scholars has said that ‘Ali was more knowledgeable or had more understanding of Islam than Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, or even than Abu Bakr alone. Those who claim that there is consensus on that are among the most ignorant of people and the greatest liars. Rather, more than one of the scholars have stated that there is scholarly consensus that Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq was more knowledgeable than ‘Ali, such as Imam Mansoor ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbaar al-Sam’aani al-Marwadhi, one of the leading scholars of the Sunnah among the companions of al-Shaafa’i, who mentioned in his book Taqweem al-Adillah ‘ala’l-Imam that there was consensus among the scholars of the Sunnah that Abu Bakr was more knowledgeable than ‘Ali. I do not know of anyone among the famous imams who disputes this point. How could it be otherwise when Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq used to issue rulings and commands and prohibitions, and pass judgements, and deliver khutbahs in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as he used to do when he and Abu Bakr would go out to call the people to Islam, and when they migrated together, and on the day of Hunayn, and on other occasions, when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) remained silent and approved of what Abu Bakr said; no one else enjoyed such status.
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) consulted with the wise and knowledgeable men among his companions, he would consult Abu Bakr and ‘Umar first, because they were the first to speak about matters of Islam in the presence of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) before the rest of his companions; for example when he consulted them about the prisoners of Badr, the first ones who spoke about that were Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, and this also happened on other occasions… In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated that the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) were with him on a journey and he said: “If the people obey Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, they will be guided aright.” And it was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that he used to give his fatwas based on the Book of Allaah, and if he could not find anything then he would look at the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then if he could not find anything he would refer to the fatwas of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, then if he did not find anything he would refer to the fatwas of ‘Uthmaan and ‘Ali – and Ibn ‘Abbaas was the habr al-ummah (scholar of the ummah) and the most knowledgeable of the Sahaabah of his time, and he would consult the words of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar and give them precedence over the words of anyone else among the Sahaabah. And it was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed for Ibn ‘Abbaas and said, “O Allaah, cause him to understand the religion of Islam and teach him the correct interpretation (of the Qur’aan).”
Hadiths on Muawiyah [May Allah be pleased with him] :
One must have an Arabic Nehjul Balagaha [attributed to Hazrat Ali by Sharif Razi - A Shia Scholar] and read as to how Hazrat Ali [May Allah be pleased with him] declared that him and Muwiyah have differences but Muawiyah is a Muslim like us:
يقول الإمام علي عليه السلام : (( وكان بدء أمرنا أن إلتقينا والقوم من أهل الشام، والظاهر أن ربنا واحـد ونبينا واحـد، ودعوتنا في الإسلام واحدة ، ولا نستزيدهم في الإيمان بالله والتصديق برسوله ولا يستزيدوننا، الأمر واحد إلا ما اختلفنا فيه من دم عثمان ونحن منه براء ))
نهج البلاغة جـ3 ص 648
Ibn Katheer related from Jareer Ibn Abdul Hameed from Mugheera: “ When the news of the murder of Ali reached Muawiya he cried. His wife said: Why do you cry when you have fought against him? He said: Woe to you ! You do not realize what the people have lost of merit, feqh and knowledge (i.e by Ali’s – May Allah be pleased with him - death)”
It is narrated that when Ali –[May Allah be pleased with him] - came back from Siffin he said: “ O People! Do not dislike the rule of Muawiya , for if you lose him you will see heads falling of the shoulders as if it is Khandhal” [Nehjul Balagha]
In my humble opinion, one must be very careful while discussing Hazrat Ameer Muawiyah [May Allah be pleased with him] through the doubtful 'sources of history' because Hazrat Ameer Muawiyah [May Allah be pleased with him] was a Companion of Prophet Mohammad [PBUH] not just an ordinary man whom you can declare Power Hungry Politician [Perish the thought - God Forbid].
1- The Prophet Mohammad [PBUH] said : "The best of my nation is my generation then those who follow them and then those who follow them." [Saheeh Bukhari]
2- And he also said, "Do not abuse my Companions, for if any of you were to spend gold equal to (mountain of) Uhud in charity, it would not equal a handful of one of them or even half of that" [Bukhaaree and Muslim].
3- Prophet Mohammad [PBUH] advised us: "When my Companions are mentioned then withhold" [Saheeh, at-Tabaranee] .
4- Prophet Mohammad [PBUH] said, "Whoever abuses my Companions, upon them is the curse of Allah, the angels and all the people" [Saheeh, At-Tabaranee] .
5- "The sign of faith is love of the Ansar and the sign of hypocrisy is the hatred of Ansar" [Bukhaaree and Muslim].
Muslims affirm that which has been narrated in mutawaatir reports Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him) and others, that the best among this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar. It was narrated that Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah said: “I said to my father (‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib), ‘Which of the people is the best after the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)?’ He said, ‘Abu Bakr.’ I asked, ‘Then who?’ He said, ‘ ‘Umar.’ I was worried that he would say ‘Uthmaan, so I said, ‘Then is it you?’ He said, ‘I am just a man among the Muslims.’” (Bukhari).
Abdullah Bin Abbas (RA) once said: " Leave Amir Muawiyah (RA) alone because he is a person who has enjoyed the Companionship of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). [Bukhari Chapter Companions of the Prophet]
Narrated Ibn Abu Mulaika: Muawiya offered one Rak'a Witr prayer after the 'Isha prayer, and at that time a freed slave of Ibn 'Abbas was present. He (i.e. the slave) went to Ibn 'Abbas (and told him that Muawiya offered one Rak'a Witr prayer). Ibn Abbas said, "Leave him, for he was in the company of Allah's Apostle." [Sahih Bukhari Chapter Companions of the Prophet]
Narrated Said bin Al-Musaiyab:
When Muawiya bin Abu Sufyan came to Medina for the last time, he delivered a sermon before us. He took out a tuft of hair and said, "I never thought that someone other than the Jews would do such a thing (i.e. use false hair). The Prophet named such a practice, 'Az-Zur' (i.e. falsehood)," meaning the use of false hair. [Sahih Bukhari]
Narrated Humran bin Abbas:
Muawiya said (to the people), "You offer a prayer which we, who were the companions of the Prophet never saw the Prophet offering, and he forbade its offering," i.e. the two Rakat after the compulsory 'Asr prayer.[Sahih Bukhari]
Abi Mujliz reported: "Muawiyah went to Abdullah ibn Zubayr and Abi Amir, when he reached there abi amir stood up out of respect to muawiya whereas abdulla ibn zubayr remained sitting. Muawiya then said to abi Amir:"sit down for i have heard the Apostle of Allah(saw) saying:"that person who likes to see others stand up for him, then let him occupy his seat in hell fire."[Sunan Abu Dawoud]
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
Allah's Apostle used to visit Um Haran bint Milhan, who would offer him reals. Um-Haram was the wife of Ubada bin As-Samit. Allah's Apostle, once visited her and she provided him with food and started looking for lice in his head. Then Allah's Apostle slept, and afterwards woke up smiling. Um Haran asked, "What causes you to smile, O Allah's Apostle?" He said. "Some of my followers who (in a dream) were presented before me as fighters in Allah's Cause (on board a ship) amidst this sea cause me to smile; they were as kings on the thrones (or like kings on the thrones)." (Ishaq, a sub-narrator is not sure as to which expression the Prophet used.) Um-Haram said, "O Allah's Apostle! Invoke Allah that he makes me one of them. Allah's Apostle invoked Allah for her and slept again and woke up smiling. Once again Um Haram asked, "What makes you smile, O Allah's Apostle?" He replied, "Some of my followers were presented to me as fighters in Allah's Cause," repeating the same dream. Um-Haram said, "O Allah's Apostle! Invoke Allah that He makes me one of them." He said, "You are amongst the first ones." It happened that she sailed on the sea during the Caliphate of Mu'awlya bin Abi Sufyan, and after she disembarked, she fell down from her riding animal and died. [Bukhari : Fighting for the Cause of Allah (Jihaad)]
'Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "Do not mention Mu'awiyah with anything but good. I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'O Allah, guide him!'" [Mishkatul Misabeeh]
The Prophet Mohammad [PBUH] said, “Oh Allah, make him [Mu’awiyah] a guide, guided, and guide people through him.” [Al-Tirmidhi and Mishkat Al-Masabeeh]
The Prophet Mohammad [PBUH] said, “O’ Allah, teach Mu’awiyah the Quran and math, and save him from the hellfire.” [Mawarid Al-Dam’an, by Al-Haythami]
When there is a discussion on the Companions [May Aallh be pleased with all of them] of the Prophet Mohammad [Peace be upon him] then Wisdom, Academic eyes, and Qeel-Qaal-Taweel and History should take a hike. You have agreed that Hazrat Jaffer Sadiq [Rahimaullah] was the Great Grandson of Hazrat Abu Bakar Siddiq [May Allah be pleased with him] and Hazrat Abu Bakar Siddiq [May Allah be pleased with him] was 'Siddiq' i.e. friend of Prophet Mohammad [PBUH] and this friendship is mentioned in Quran and Hadith as well, then Mohammad [PBUH]'s Hadith are final word on Hazrat Muawiyah [May Allah be pleased with him]. How can one condemn Muawiyah when the friend [Mohammad] of Hazrat Jaffar Sadiq's Grandfather [Abu Bakar] praising and giving him tidings of paradise?
Muáwiya (May Allah be pleased with him) was even privileged to be the brother-in-law of Prophet Mohammad [PBUH] since Umme Habiba (May Allah be pleased with her), the sister of Muáwiya, was one of his [PBUH]'s wives. Once Prophet Mohammad [PBUH] came home to find Muáwiya (May Allah be pleased with him) with his sister. He asked her whether she loved him. To this Umme Habiba (May Allah be pleased with her) declared that he was her brother and therefore she definitely loved him. It was then that Muáwiya (May Allah be pleased with him) received tremendous glad tidings from Prophet Mohammad [PBUH] , where he said, 'Allah and His Rasul definitely love Muáwiya.' (Tabrani).
In another prayer for Mu’awiyah the Prophet Mohammad [PBUH] said: “My Lord, teach him the Book (i.e. the Qur’an) and arithmetic, and protect him against suffering.” (Related by Al-Bukhari in his Al-Tareekh).
Such was the love Prophet Mohammad [PBUH] had for him that he was given the following beautiful and concise Dua by Nabi : 'O Allah! make Muáwiya (May Allah be pleased with him) a means of hidaayat and make him one who is himself on hidaayat and give people hidaayat through him.' (Majmaú Zawaaid)
Prophet Mohammad {PBUH] made Dua for the knowledge of Muáwiya (May Allah be pleased with him) where he said, 'O Allah endow Muáwiya with the special knowledge of the Qurân and save him from punishment.' (Musnad Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal).
From Ibn Abbas: “Abu Sufyan said to the Prophet : Give me three. He said: Yes.” In that hadith it says: “And Muawiya! Let him to be a scribe in your presence. He said: Yes” – [Muslim]
Ibn Asaker said: “ The most authentic tradition narrated about Mauwiya’s merit is the hadith of Abu Jamrah from Ibn Abbas that he was the scribe of the Prophet ” – related by Ibn Katheer in Al-Bidaya wal Nihaya.
As per Tareekh Ibn Asakar:
Mauwiya [May Allah be pleased with him] did not want Khilafa nor did he object to the Caliphate of Ali Ibn Abi Talib – May Allah be pleased with him-, rather he demanded retaliation against the killers of Uthman – May Allah be pleased with him - and subsequently that they be handed over to him, and then he would pay allegiance to Ali – May Allah be pleased with him-.
Ibn Asaker narrated that Abu Muslim Al-Khawlani came along with other men to Muwaiya – Radia Allahu Anhu- and said: " Do you compete with Ali or are you his like?
He said: No! By Allah I know that he is better than me and has more right to rule than me. But do you not know that Uthman [May Allah be pleased with him] was killed unjustly, and I am his cousin and I am the one who demands his blood so go to him and ask him to hand over to me the murderers of Uthman [May Allah be pleased with him] and I will leave this matter to him.
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