Imam Ali (as) and the Caliphate

We often see the 12er  Shia reference  the event of the  Ghadir declaration against their opponents to prove the Imam Ali (as) was divinely appointed to rule over the ummah. However, if we read  the mainstream   books on  Imam Ali (as) we will realize that there are many examples that prove Imam Ali (as) was not divinely appointed.

In the book "The Role of Aisha in the History of Islam" by the Shia scholar Allamah Sayyid Murtada Askari, the alim quotes an incident that runs totally contradictory to the mainstream Shia understanding dealing with succession:

Ali and the issue of caliphate

"Ali had no doubt that after the Prophet, the caliphate would belong to him and there would be no rival.(89) It was owing to this assurance that when his uncle al-’Abbas at the Prophet’s ablution ceremony said to him: “Give me your hand that I may swear allegiance to you so that the people would say that the uncle of the Prophet has sworn allegiance to his cousin. This would benefit you and no one would oppose you any longer,” he answered: “O uncle! Is there anyone beside me who covets the caliphate?”

He answered: “You will see soon enough.”

‘Ali said: “I have no wish to see the issue of my caliphate being settled behind closed shutters and I want all people to participate openly in it, and vote for me.” Then he remained silent."

Now this poses a very interesting question to the Shia's. If Imam Ali (as) was openly appointed at Ghader by the Prophet (pbuh), how come he wanted people to vote for his acceptance to the caliphate and not wanting to settle it behind closed doors? Hmm...it seems Imam Ali (as) himself was also keen on the idea of shura and election. 

In fact, Imam Ali (as) himself even rejected the notion of being appointed at Ghader: 


Narrated Rayeh bin al harith: A Group of Ansars came to Ali (as) in al Rahbah and said: Al Salamu Aleykum Ya Mawlana, He replied: How Can I be your Mawla and you are Arabian people? They Said: We heard the Prophet of Allah PBUH say on the Day of Ghadeer Khum: Whomsoever’s Mawla I am, this (Ali) is also his Mawla. Riyah said: When they left I followed them and asked whom they were, They said some folks from the Ansars and amongst them was Abu Ayoub al Ansari.

Narrated Imam Ahmad in His Munad 5/419, Shu'eib al Arna'out said Its Isnad is "Sahih", and it was mentioned in the Virtues of companions 2/570 #967.

Even Imam Ali (as) didn't even understand the word "Mawla" as leader/caliph.

We see in Sermon 127 of Nahjul Balagha, Imam Ali (as) states:

"O' people. the most rightful of all persons for this matter (namely the caliphate) is he who is most competent among them to maintain it, and he who knows best Allah's commands about it. If any mischief is created by a mischief-monger, he will be called upon to repent. If he refuses. he will be fought. By my life, [1] if the question of Imamah was not to be decided unless all the people were present, then there would be no such case. But those who agreed about it imposed the decision on those who were absent, so much so that he who was present could not dissent and the one who was absent could not choose (any one else). Know that I shall fight two persons - one who claims what is not his and the other who ignores what is obligatory upon him."

So if Abu Bakr (ra) and Umar (ra) usurped his divine position to the caliphate, how come Imam Ali (as) didn't fight? So either Imam Ali (as) is contradicting himself and disobeying Allah's (swt) command to be the first divine caliph, or, there was no such announcement at Ghadeer regarding succession. Allah (swt) says in the Holy Quran: "And Allah gives His sovereignty to whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing [in favor] and Knowing."Quran 2:247. If it was Imam Ali's (as) divine right to rule, Allah (swt) would have made it happen. 

Furthermore, we read in Sermon 92 of Nahjul Balagha:

When people decided to Swear allegiance at Amir al-mu'minin's hand after the murder of Uthman, Ali said:

"Leave me and seek someone else. We are facing a matter which has (several) faces and colors, which neither hearts can stand nor intelligence can accept. Clouds are hovering over the sky, and faces are not discernible. You should know that if I respond to you, I would lead you as I know and would not care about whatever [anyone else] may say. If you leave me, then I am the same as you are. It is possible I would listen to and obey whosoever you make in charge of your affairs. I am better for you as a counselor than as chief."

How can the 12r Shias claim that he was divinely appointed when Imam Ali (as) himself is refusing to be the caliph after people came to him? Would Imam Ali (as) refuse the position which was granted to him by Allah (swt)? Imam Ali (as) was even ready to obey the person put in charge and even stated he would be better as a counselor as opposed to being the leader. Is this what a divine Imam does when people come to him to give him allegiance? 

Additionally, Imam Ali (as) states in Sermon 205 of Nahjul Balagha:

“By Allah, I had no liking for the caliphate nor any interest in government, but you yourselves invited me to it and prepared me for it.”

Imam Ali (as) states that he had no liking for the caliphate and that people forced him into the position. No mention of divine succession anywhere. 

MashAllah, we have a very similar narration in our books where Imam Ali (as) states:

"Ibrahim the son of Abdul-Rahman Ibn Awf narrated to us that (his father) Abdul-Rahman Ibn Awf was with Omar Ibn Al-Khattab when Muhammad Ibn Maslamah broke the sword of Al-Zubayr, Abu Bakr began his speech and apologised to the people and said: "By Allah, I have not been eager for power (Al-Imama/Rulership) in the slightest way and I was not interested in it, neither did I asked Allah in secrecy nor in public for it."

Thereupon the Muhajirs (Sahabah) emrabced him and accepted his excuse and Ali (Ibn Abi Talib) and Al-Zubayr said: "We got only upset for being delayed in the matter of  MASHAWIRAH (Shura/consultation) [at Saqifah], we believe that Abu Bakr is the most deserving of the Caliphate after Rasulullah, peace and blessings be upon him, for he He was the companion of the Messenger of Allah in the cave, THE SECOND OF TWO, and verily, we are well aware of his privilege and greatness. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessing be upon him, had ordered him to lead the prayers while he was alive.” 

-Al-Mustadrak alaa al-Sahihain;  Ibn Kathir in his Al Bidayah wa Al-Nihayah, Vol 5 said:'It's chain is authentic

A similar narration states:

Ali ibn Abi Talib said to Zubair: “(Although) we got angry momentarily at the time of consultation (i.e. Saqifah), we can now see that Abu Bakr is the most deserving of the Caliphate: He was the companion of the Messenger of Allah in the cave. We know of his life and we know that the Messenger of Allah had ordered him to lead the prayers.” And then he (Ali) gave his Baya’ah (to Abu Bakr).


Sharh Nahjul-Balagha; Ibn Abi Al-Hadeed; Vol.1, p.132

Moreover, Imam Ali (as) states in Letter 6 to Muawiyah:

"Verily, the people who payed allegiance to Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman, have payed allegiance to me based on the same principles as the allegiance to them. So anyone who was present has no right to go against his pledge of allegience, and anyone who was absent has no right to oppose it. And verily shura (consultation) is only the right of the Muhajirs and the Ansar. So if they decide upon a man and declare him their imam, then it is with the pleasure of Allah. If anyone goes against this decision, then he must be persuaded to follow the rest of the people. If he persists, then fight with him for leaving that which has been accepted by the believers. And Allah shall let him wander misguided and not guide him."

First, we see the people at al-Islam.org make tahreef to this letter by adding the word "supposed" in the third sentence  in an attempt to change the actual meaning of the letter. 

The actual Arabic text with no mention of the word "suppose" anywhere:

إنه بايعني القوم الذين بايعوا أبا بكر وعمر وعثمان ، على ما بايعوهم عليه ، فلم يكن للشاهد أن يختار ولا للغائب أن يرد ، وإنما الشورى للمهاجرين والأنصار ، فإن اجتمعوا على رجل وسموه إماماً كان ذلك لله رضى فإن خرج منهم خارج بطعن أو بدعة ردوه إلى ماخرج منه فإن أبى قاتلوه على اتباعه غير سبيل المؤمنين ، وولاه الله ما تولى


In the letter, Imam Ali (as) is legitimizing himself in front of Muawiya by using Saqifa as a justification. Imam Ali (as) is telling Muawiya not to use double standards because he (as) himself was selected as the caliph by the Muslims in the same process as the previous three caliphs (ra) were. The same must go for Imam Ali (as), because if Imam Ali (as) claimed that the process of Saqifa was invalid, then he is also using double standards by attaining the caliphate the same way as the previous caliphs (ra) and legitimizing himself in front of Muawiya. Furthermore, Imam Ali (as) explicitly states that whomever the Muhajirs and Ansars appointed as the Imam through shura, has the "pleasure of Allah (swt)" and they must be obeyed. 

 In Tabari vol. 3, p 202:
"When Abu Bakr (ra) became Calipah, Abu Sufyan came to Imam Ali (as) and inquired why in his presence the caliphate is being assigned to a junior tribe. He requested Imam Ali (as) to extend his hand for taking allegiance, and if people opposed him, he would post a huge contingent of soldiers and horsemen in Madinah for his support. Imam Ali (as) replied " Abu Sufyan, you are always in pursuit of inflicting harm to Islam. I do not your require counsel and admonition. We have selected Abu Bakr (ra) as calipah finding him most competent.

Lastly, Imam Suyuti narrates in Jami Al Masaneed wal Maraseel and Al Muttaqi Al Hindi in Kanzul Ummal: عن زيد بن عليَ عن أَبِيهِ أَنَّ أَبَا سُفْيَانَ جَاءَ إِلٰى عَلِيَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَقَالَ: «يَاعَلِيُّ بَايَعُوا رَجُلاً أَذَلَّ قُرَيْشٍ قَبِيلَةً، وَاللَّهِ لَئِنْ شِئْتَ لَنُصَدعَنَّهَا عَلَيْهِ أَقْطَارَهَا، وَلأَمْلأَنَّهَا عَلَيْهِ خَيْلاً وَرَجَلاً، فَقَالَ لَهُ عَلِيٌّ : يَا أَبَا سُفْيَانَ إِنَّ المُؤمِنِينَ وَإِنْ بَعُدَتْ دِيَارُهُمْ وَأَبْدَانُهُمْ قَوْمٌ نَصَحَةٌ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ، وَإِنَّ المُنَافِقِينَ وَإِنْ قَرُبَتْ دِيَارُهُمْ وَأَبْدَانُهُمْ قَوْمٌ غَشَشَةٌ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ، وَإِنَّا قَدْ بَايَعْنَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَكَانَ لِذٰلِكَ أَهْلاً

Hadith by Zayd bin Ali, through his father, that Abu Sufyan came to Ali (at the announcement of the Khilafa of Abu bakr) and said: "O Ali, they gave Bay'ah to a man who is from the most humuliated tribe in Quraysh!!. If you allow me we (Bani umawyyah) will destroy the whole thing on them, and I will fill it (Madina Sharif) with Horses and Men (fighters) (to overturn the Bay'ah of Abu Bakr). Ali replied: O Abu Sufyan: " The believers even when their homes and bodies are far apart, but are with each other. And the Munafiqin even when they are close with their bodies and residences, are cheaters (not sincere) to each other, and we have given Bay'ah to Abu Bakr and he is worthy of it".


We in Ahl Al Sunnah follow the sunnah of Imam Ali (as) when he gave bayah to Abu Bakr (ra). 

Taqiyah

We repeatedly see the 12rs always try to cover up their beliefs about taqiyyah by saying its only for critical situations, but within their own books, we see this is not the case:

"Taqiyya is an obligatory duty (farida wajiba) upon us under the governance of the oppressors, thus whoever abandons it has opposed the religion of the Imamiyyah and has separated from it.As-Sadiq (as) said, “Even if I said ‘the one who abandons taqiyya is as the one who abandons salat,’ I would be speaking the truth.”Taqiyya is in all things, until it reaches bloodshed. If it reaches bloodshed then there is no taqiyya. Allah, sublime be His name, has given validity to the appearance of friendship (muwalah) to the deniers (kafirin) in the state of taqiyya. He, `azza wa jalla, has said, “The believers do not take the unbelievers as awliya instead of the believers, then whoever does that has nothing from Allah, except if you have a fear of them.”It is related from as-Sadiq (as) that he was asked about the saying of Allah, `azza wa jalla, “Verily the most noble of you with Allah is the most fearing”. He said “The one from you who most practices taqiyya.”He (as) said, “Mix with the people on the outside, and oppose them on the inside, so long as the affair is a longing.”He (as) said, “Allah have mercy on a command we urge the people towards and it has not made us to be hated by them.”He (as) said, “Visit their sick, attend their funerals, and pray in their masaajid.”He (as) said, “One who prays in the first row with them is as though he had prayed in the first row with the Messenger of Allah (sawas).”He said, “Ostentation (riya’) with the hypocrite in his house is worship, and with the believer, is shirk.”Taqiyya is obligatory; it is not allowed to abandon it until the Qa’im (as) comes forth. Whoso abandons it has entered in the interdiction of Allah, `azza wa jalla, and the interdiction of His Messenger and the Imams, the blessings of Allah be upon them all. "
(Kitab al-Hidaya Shaykh Saduq) 

"He (as) said, “Mix with the people on the outside, and oppose them on the inside, so long as the affair is a longing.”

The use of Taqiyah to cover against their hatred against the Sunni's.


"He (as) said, “Allah have mercy on a command we urge the people towards and it has not made us to be hated by them.”

In using taqiyah to hide their actual beliefs, when debating, they are filled with so much pride, emotion, and nationalism, they feel it's right for them to lie just so you can convert into their school of thought. Ultimately, they want to see you defeated. When they have no academic response, they will use emotion against you in order to achieve this. 

In Addition, we have Khoei's Fatwa stating:

Grand Ayatullah Al Khoei'i Says in reply to a question in one of his books(Sirat al Najat / صراط النجاة):
Question"1245": Is it Possible to Lie or produce Arguments which contain Lies when Debating with a person who Is a Follower of Bida'a (Innovation) and a spreader or Dala'la (Ignorance) If this Lie would Destroy my Opponent's Arguments?
Imam Khoei'i Answers: If it will stop his Falsehood then it is Permissible to do So.

Shia Hadiths

This is a very interesting excerpt I came by today regarding  Shia hadiths. Further convinces me that their hadiths are nothing but pure fabrications on the pure Ahl Al Bayt (as):


 "There is another important point that must be discussed here briefly. A considerable number of traditions are to be found, especially in the earliest Shi‘i collection of hadith, Al-Kafi, which describe the Imams as supernatural human beings. What was the origin of these traditions, and to what extent are the Imams themselves responsible for them? These traditions are reported, as indeed are all Shi‘i traditions, on the authority of one of the Imams, in this case from Al-Baqir and Ja‘far. But were these Imams really the authors of such traditions, which describe their supernatural character? The first thing which must be noted in this connection is that while Al-Baqir and Ja‘far themselves lived in Medina, most of their followers lived in Kufa. This fact brings us to a crucial problem. Kufa had long been a centre of ghulat speculations and activities. Whether ‘Abd Allah bin Saba, to whom the history of the ghulat is traced, was a real personality or not, the name as-Saba’iyya is often used to describe the ghulat in Kufa who believed in the supernatural character of Ali. According to the heresiographers, Ibn Saba was the first to preach the doctrine of waqf (refusal to recognise the death of ‘Ali) and the first to condemn the first two caliphs in addition to ‘Uthman." (Jafri, The Origins and Early Development of Shi‘a Islam, p. 300, Ansariyan Publications, Qum)

Even More:
Al-Kashi narrated in his book Al-Rijal on the authority of Ibn Sinan who said:"Abu Abdullah [Al-Sadiq] said:"Verily we the Ahl Al-Bayt are truthful (Sadiqoon),yet we are not left without the liars who lie about us, thus our truthfulness being ruined in front of the people. The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was the most truthful of the creation yet Musaylamah [false Prophet] used to lie about him. The commander of the Faithful (عليه السلام) was the most truthful after the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), yet the people used to lie about him and tried to ruin his truthfulness by their slander like the lies of Abdullah Ibn Saba (Allah's curse be upon him). Abu Abdullah Al-Hussein Ibn Ali (عليه السلام) was afflicted with Al-Mukhtar. Abu Abdullah [Al-Sadiq] then mentioned Abu Abdullah Al-Harith Al-Shami and Al-Banan and said:"They used to lie about Ali Ibn Al-Hussein [Al-Sajjad] عليه السلام , then he mentioned Al-Mughayrah Ibn Saeed and Abu Al-Khattab and Muhammar and Bashaar Al-Ash'ari and Hamzah Al-Yazidi and Sa'ib Al-Hindi - i.e. his companions - and said:

"Allah's curse be upon them! We are not left without the liars who lie about us - Allah is sufficient for us and he will let every liar taste the heat of the iron [hellfire]".

[Rijal Al-Kishi, page 257, 258]

Further, 

ويقول شيخ الطائفة الطوسي في تهذيبه: إن أحاديث أصحابنا فيها من الاختلاف والتباين والمنافاة والتضاد حتى لا يكاد يتفق خبر إلا وبإزائه ما يضاده، ولا يسلم حديث إلا وفي مقابلته ما ينافيه حتي جعل مخالفونا ذلك من أعظم الطعون على مذهبنا وتطرقوا بذلك إلى إبطال معتقدنا، إلى أن قال: أنه بسبب ذلك رجع جماعة عن اعتقاد الحق ومنهم أبوالحسين الهاروني العلوي حيث كان يعتقد الحق ويدين بالإمامة فرجع عنها لما إلتبس عليه الأمر في اختلاف الأحاديث وترك المذهب ودان بغيره لما لم يتبين له وجوه المعاني فيها، وهذا يدل على أنه دخل فيه على غير بصيرة واعتقد المذهب من جهة التقليد

And the Shaykh of the sect (Al-Ta’efa/Shiism) says in his Tahtheeb:

And among the Hadiths (narrated) by our companions (Shia scholars/companions of the Imams) are so many disparities, contrast, contravening and contradictions that you will not find a single report that we agree upon which doesn’t have another that contradicts it, and not a single Hadith is safe from another which denies it. These (contradictions) are to such an extent that our opponents (the Muslims/Ahl Al-Sunnah) have used it as the biggest accusation/attack against our school and as a proof for the falsehood of our creed.

(Until he said): ‘… and this is why a number (of Shias) have left the true creed and amongst them are the likes of Abu Al-Hassan Al-Harouni Al-Alawi, who used to be on the true creed, upon the creed of Imamah (Imamate), but he turned away from it when confusion overtook him due to the issue of the contradicting Hadiths. So he left the school (of Shiism) and attached himself to another (school), as he could not grasp the different understanding (of our text) and this is an indication that the did not embraced it (Shiism) without insight, rather based on Taqleed.


Source: Tahtheeb Al-Ahkam 1/8 by sheikh of the sect al Tusi.

Here's an excellent video on the rijal of the 12r Shia:

Just goes to show you where they derive their narrations from.

Imam Ali's (as) Sermon

“With regard to me, two categories of people will be ruined, namely he who loves me too much and the love takes him away from rightfulness, and he who hates me too much and the hatred takes him away from rightfulness. The best man with regard to me is he who is on the middle course. So be with him and be with the great majority of Muslims because Allah’s hand of protection is on keeping unity. You should beware of division because the one isolated from the group is a prey to Satan just as the one isolated from the flock of sheep is a prey to the wolf. Beware! Whoever calls to this course [of sectarianism], kill him, even though he may be under this headband of mine.”

Nahjul Balagha, Sermon 126

Let us examine some of  the current beliefs of the 12rs Shia's:

1. The belief that Imams are superior to Prophets except Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The belief that they are superior to Prophets such as Isa (as), Abraham (as), Dawud (as), Yunus (as), Musa (as), Noah (as) who are all mentioned in the Quran explicitly.

“And that was Our [conclusive] argument which We gave Abraham against his people. We raise by degrees whom We will. Indeed, your Lord is Wise and Knowing. And We gave to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - all [of them] We guided. And Noah, We guided before; and among his descendants, David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Moses and Aaron. Thus do We reward the doers of good. And Zechariah and John and Jesus and Elias - and all were of the righteous. And Ishmael and Elisha and Jonah and Lot - and all [of them] We preferred over the worlds. (al-An‘aam: 83-86)

Look at what Allamah Majlisi has said regarding this matter: 

"To our knowledge there is no reason not to describe the Imams as Prophets except consideration to the status of the Final Prophet. Our intellect too, cannot perceive a distinction between Nabuwwah (prophethood) and Imamah." -Bihar Al-Anwar


2. The Doctrine of Wilayat-Takwini refers to the Imams having control of all the atoms of the universe. Really not much for me to say regarding this...I mean for goodness sake. 

"Say: Call upon those whom you assert besides Allah; they do not control the weight of an atom in the heavens or in the earth nor have they any partnership in either, nor has He among them any one to back (Him) up. " Quran 34:22


3. Divine Imamate-The belief of 12 divinely appointed Imams AFTER the Prophet (pbuh). When you ask the shia's to provide a clear cut, explicit verse regarding this concept, they can't. They claim that the station of Imamate is higher than Prophethood, but how come Allah (swt) has not mentioned a single verse regarding it, but at the same time, mentions the station of Prophethood in clear explicit verses? The Quran clearly states that the Prophet (pbuh) is the divinely appointed Messenger of Allah (swt). Now let me ask you, if there was suppose to be another divinely appointed person for us to follow after him (pbuh), shouldn't they be also mentioned in the Quran? Forget the names, how about the very concept in itself? Where does it say in the Quran for us to follow 12 divinely appointed Imams after the Prophet (pbuh)? 



"Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and beware (of evil): if ye do turn back, know ye that it is Our Messenger’s duty to proclaim (the Message) in the clearest manner. "(5: 92).

"O ye who believe! obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you. If ye differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if ye do believe in Allah and the Last Day: that is best, and most suitable for final determination." (4: 59)

"And whoever obeys Allâh and His Messenger, he has won a great success." (33:71)

"O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and do not invalidate your deeds."-47:33

"Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah , the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous." 2:177

"The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination." (2:285)

"O you who have believed, believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Book that He sent down upon His Messenger and the Scripture which He sent down before. And whoever disbelieves in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day has certainly gone far astray."(4:136)

"It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise - they are the foundation of the Book - and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation [suitable to them]. And no one knows its [true] interpretation except Allah . But those firm in knowledge say, "We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord." And no one will be reminded except those of understanding."(3:7)

Narrated `Aisha (ra): Allah’s Apostle recited the Verse:– “It is He who has sent down to you the Book. In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundation of the Book, others not entirely clear. So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation (from the Truth ). follow thereof that is not entirely clear seeking affliction and searching for its hidden meanings; but no one knows its hidden meanings but Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: “We believe in it (i.e. in the Qur’an) the whole of it (i.e. its clear and unclear Verses) are from our Lord. And none receive admonition except men of understanding.” (3.7) Then Allah’s Apostle said, “If you see those who follow thereof that is not entirely clear, then they are those whom Allah has named [as having deviation (from the Truth)] ‘So beware of them.”-Bukhari

4. Rajat-The belief that the 12 Imams (as) will come back to life and rule over the people. Lets see a hadith by the Ahl Al Bayt (as) regarding this:

"Asim bin Dumrah said: I told al-Hassan Bin Ali: The Shia claim that Ali may Allah be pleased with him will return, He said: Those Liars! They have lied because if we knew this then his wives wouldn't remarry and we wouldn't have divided his inheritance.
-Musnad Ahmed; "Sahih"

5. Imams possessing the knowledge of the unseen- Shia's claim that their Imams possess knowledge of Al Ghaib (unseen). 

"Imam Abu Abdullah said: “I have a knowledge about what in the heavens and what is in the earth,what in the paradise and what is in the fire, and I know what was (before) and what is going to happen" Al-Kafi/Bihar Al Anwar

The Quran states:

"He is the Knower of the unseen, does not divulge His unseen to anyone- except a Messenger with whom He is well pleased, and then He posts sentinels before him and behind him." (Surat al-Jinn, 26-27)

"Allah has not given you access to the unseen. But Allah chooses those of His Messengers whom He wills.  So believe in Allah and His Messengers. If you believe and fear [and respect Allah] you will have an immense reward." (Surah Al ‘Imran, 179)


Now, I want to ask the Shia's a question. Is this the moderation that Imam Ali (as) was talking about? Is this the middle course that he was referring to?  Who were the great majority at the time of this sermon? People who saw him as a 4th caliph and a great ruler, or people who saw him as some sort of divinely appointed Imam with supernatural powers? The latter were known as the ghulat, and unfortunately, remnants of their beliefs have crept into 12r Shiaism. 

Alhumdillah, it's the Ahl Al Sunnah Wal Jammah who have stayed on the middle/moderate path that Imam Ali (as) had commanded us to do so by not attributing such exaggerated beliefs. 

Ahl Al Bayt (as) and the Sahaba (ra)

Assalamualaikum,

We see many of the 12r Shias claim that the Ahl Al Bayt (as) had hatred and used to send lan'ah on the first 3 caliphs (ra). This is totally opposite in what the Ahl Al Bayt (as) actually did. These are the many lies that the shia try to spread in their attempt to separate the love of the Ahl Al Bayt (as) and the caliphs (ra). InshAllah, we will dispel these myths by actually providing authentic narrations and not fabricated ones attributed to the Ahl Al Bayt (as) by the shia:

1. "A group of their leaders assembled in his (Zayd's presence) and said: "May God have mercy on you! What do you have to say on the matter of Abu Bakr and Umar?" Zayd said, "I have not heard anyone in my family renouncing them both nor saying anything but good about them...when they were entrusted with government they behaved justly with the people and acted according to the Qur'an and the Sunnah."

-The waning of the Umayyad caliphate by Tabarī

2. Salim bin abi Hafsah asks the Imam about Abu Bakr and Umar: Ja’afar bin Muhammad told me: “O Salim, Abu Bakr is my grandfather, would a Man insult his own grandfather?” He (Ja’afar) also told me: ” May the intersession(Shafa’ah) of Muhammad peace be upon him never reach me on the day of judgement if I am not loyal to them and if I did not disassociate myself from their enemies”.

-Siyar A’alam al Nubalaa; Authentic Isnad

3. Ja’afar bin Muhammad (al Sadiq), from his Father Muhammad bin Ali (al Baqir), from Abdullah ibn Ja’afar bin Abi Talib that he said: ” Abu Bakr al Siddeeq may Allah be pleased with him became our Caliph and he was the best of the Caliphs of Allah, he was most merciful and most caring towards us. “

-al-Mustadraq ‘ala al-Sahihayn by al Hakim; Al-Hakim said:"Sahih" and  al-Dhahabi agreed with him, Ibn Hajar al Asqalani said the hadith has a good chain of narrators.

4. Abu Abdullah Ja’afar bin Muhammad said: “Allah has dissociated himself from those who have dissociated themselves from Abu Bakr and Umar.”

-Imam al Dhahhabi; "Mutawatir"; Imam al Dhahabi (RH) said while commenting on the narration: “This saying is Mutawatir  from Ja’afar Al-Sadiq, I bear witness in front of Allah that he is honest in his saying and not lying in front of anyone (Taqiyah), may Allah increase the Rafidah in ugliness”.

5. Narrated to me Abu ‘Alee Ismaa’eel bin al-Abbaas al-Warraaq who said: al-Hassan bin Muhammad bin as-Sabaah az-Za’faraanee narrated to me that Shabbaabah said, that Sawaadah bin Salamah said that ‘Abdullaah bin Qays said“A group of Christians came to ‘Ali(as) and at the head of them was a major scholar of the Jews. So the leader said: “You debate about how many groups the Jews split into?” He said: “Into seventy one sects”. And ‘Ali (as) said: “And this Ummah will split into similar to that, and the most deviated and evil sect of them: the ones who call to us (Ahlul Bayt), and a sign of them is that they insult Aboo Bakr (ra) and ‘Umar (ra)
-Ibanah tul Kubra Book of Eman; "Sahih"

6. Narrated from Ali, that prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “May Allah have mercy on Abu Bakr. He married me to his daughter, took me the the Abode of Hijrah, and freed Bilal with his own property. May Allah have mercy on Umar. He spoke the truth even if he were to suffer on account of it , and he observed the truth which made people hate him and caused his loss of friends. May Allah have mercy on Uthman. The angels are shy before him. May Allah have mercy on Ali. O Allah, make him observe the truth  wherever he goes”

-Ibn Asakir Arbain fi manaqib ummahatil muminin; "Sahih"

7. Ali ibn Abi Talib was asked about Uthman , so he said : He is the person who is remembered as “Dhul Nurayn” near Mala al-Ala (that is the gathering of angels in the heavens), for the Prophet (s) married his two daughters to him (i.e Uthman).

-Kinzul Ammal, Vol. 6, p. 373; "Sahih"

8. Imam adh-Dhahabee  said: "The mother of Ja'far as-Sadiq  was Umm Farwah bint al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr at-Taymee. Her mother (i.e. the maternal grandmother of Imam Ja'far  was Asmaa bint 'Abdur Rahman ibn Abi Bakr (as-Siddeeq ). For this reason Imam Ja'far  used to say: 'Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq gave birth to me twice' (i.e. his lineage is directly linked to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq  in two ways)." 
-Siyaar A'laam an-Nubalaa; "Sahih"


9. Ali bin abi Talib (RA) said: I was with the Prophet PBUH then Abu Bakr and Umar may Allah be pleased with them arrived so he PBUH told me: O Ali these two are the Masters of the elderly of the people of paradise and its youth after the Prophets and the messengers.-Musnad Ahmad; "Sahih." The Hadith was narrated by Ali bin abi Talib and Anas ibn Malik and Abu Juhaifah and Jabir bin Abdullah and Abu Sa'eed al khudri all through authentic SAHIH chains of transmission.

10. It is narrated by Imam Ja'afar Saadiq(as),
"When the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) was in the cave with Abu Bakr, he said to him, "I can see Ja'afar and his companions on a ship in the middle of the sea and I can see the Ansaar in their houses in Madeenah." Abu Bakr asked, "O Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) can you see them?" He replied, "Yes I can see them." Abu Bakr (radi-Allaahu 'anhu) then asked, "Can I also see them." So the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) wiped his hands over Abu Bakr's face and then he could also see everything. Upon this the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said to him, ANTA AL SIDEEQ("You are Siddeequ))".(al burhan , vol 2, page 120) (Tafseer Alee bin Ibraaheem al-Qummee under the explanation of the verse, "Idh-huma Fil-Ghaar" )

11. "Reported Urwah bin Abdullah: I asked Abu Ja'far Muhammad bin Ali [as] about the swords' ornamentation (i,e with silver pieces), he said: There is no problem with that for Abu Bakr Assiddiq has ornamented his sword (with silver). I said: Did you say Assiddiq? (Urwah) Said: He then jumped, faced the Qiblah and said: Yes Assiddiq, Yes Assiddiq, Yes Assiddiq, he who does not call him Assiddiq, may Allah never testify to any of his words neither in this life nor the hereafter."(Bihaar al-Anwaar, al-Majlisi, vol. 92 p. 651) (Kashful-Ghummah, al-Arbilly, vol. 2, p. 360)

12. From Hilal bin Khabab from al-Hassan ibn Muhammad bin al-Hanafiyyah (son of Imam Ali (as) )that he said: “O people of Kufa fear Allah and do not say bad things about Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, for VERILY Abu bakr THE TRUTHFUL may Allah be pleased with him. He was the second of the two in the cave with the Prophet peace be upon him, and as for ‘Omar, Allah had strengthened Islam with ‘Omar.”
-Fadael al-Sahaba wa Manaqibihim wa Qawl Ba’adihim fi Ba’ad” by the famous scholar of Hadith al Darqutni)Grading: Hassan/authentic

13. Narrated from Abu Hisham Al-Muadib from Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Musa from Wariza Ibn Muhammad from Sulayman Ibn Abdul Jabar from Abu Nuam from Amr from Jabir from Abu Jafar Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn Al-Hussain Ibn Abi Talib:

"Reported Urwah bin Abdullah: I asked Abu Ja'far Muhammad bin Ali [as] about the swords' ornamentation (i,e with silver pieces), he said: There is no problem with that for Abu Bakr Assiddiq has ornamented his sword (with silver). I said: Did you say Assiddiq? (Urwah) Said: He then jumped, faced the Qiblah and said: Yes Assiddiq, Yes Assiddiq, Yes Assiddiq, he who does not call him Assiddiq, may Allah never testify to any of his words neither in this life nor the hereafter."Bihaar al-Anwaar, al-Majlisi, vol. 92 p. 651;Kashful-Ghummah, al-Arbilly, vol. 2, p. 360

14. "While I was standing amongst the people who were invoking Allah for `Omar bin Al-Khattab who was lying (dead) on his bed, a man behind me rested his elbows on my shoulder and said, “(O `Omar!) May Allah bestow His Mercy on you. I always hoped that Allah will keep you with your two companions, for I often heard Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) saying, “I, Abu Bakr and `Omar were (somewhere). I, Abu Bakr and `Umar did (something). I, Abu Bakr and `Omar set out.’ So I hoped that Allah will keep you with both of them.” I turned back to see that the speaker was `Ali bin Abi Talib."-Bukhari

15. "Ibn Abu Mulaika reported:
"I heard Ibn ‘Abbas as saying: When ‘Omar b. Al-Khattab was placed in the coffin the people gathered around him. They praised him and supplicated for him before the bier was lifted up, and I was one amongst them. Nothing attracted my attention but a person who gripped my shoulder from behind. I saw towards him and found that he was ‘Ali. He invoked Allah’s mercy upon ‘Omar and said: You have left none behind you (whose) deeds (are so enviable) that I love to meet Allah with them. By Allah, I hoped that Allah would keep you and your two associates together. I had often heard Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: I came and there came too Abu Bakr and ‘Omar; I entered and there entered too Abu Bakr and ‘Omar; I went out and there went out too Abu Bakr and ‘Omar, and I hope and think that Allah will keep you along with them."-Muslim

16. Ahmad bin Muhammad abu Ja`far al-`Atiqi said: abu al-Hasan al-Daraqutni `Ali bin `Omar al-Hafiz al-Baghdadi told us, abu Hamid Muhammad bin Haroun al-Hadrami told us, Ya`qoub bin Ibrahim al-Dawraqi told us, Sufiyan ibn `Uyaynah told us, from Ja`far bin Muhammad (Al-Sadiq), from his father Muhammad bin `Ali (Al-Baqir), from Jabir ibn `Abdullah al-Ansari that he said: `Ali told `Omar bin al-Khattab while he was on his death-bed: “Salla-Allahu `Alayka (Allah’s prayer/blessing be upon you), and he made Du`a for him.” Sufiyan said: They said to Ja`far: “Isn’t it said that one cannot send Salat except on the Prophet (SAWS)?” he replied: “This is how I heard it.”-al-Jami` li-Akhlaq al-Rawi by al-Khateeb #1327. grading: Sahih. Also in ‘Akhbar Al-Madinah, Tarikh Madinah Dimashq, Mustadrak by Al Haakim

17. "May Allah reward such and such man  who straightened the curve, cured the disease, abandoned mischief and established the sunnah. He departed (from this world) with untarnished clothes and little shortcomings. He achieved good (of this world) and remained safe from its evils. He offered Allah's obedience and feared Him as He deserved. He went away and left the people in dividing ways wherein the misled cannot obtain guidance and the guided cannot attain certainty." Nahjul Balagha Sermon 226: About a companion who passed away from this world before the occurrence of troubles. Ibn Abi'l-Hadid has written (in Sharh Nahj al-balaghah, vol. 14, pp. 3-4) that the reference here is to the second Caliph `Umar, and that these sentences have been uttered in his praise as indicated by the word '`Umar' written under the word 'such and such' in as-Sayyid ar-Radi's own hand in the manuscript of Nahj al-balaghah written by him.

18. محمد بن فضيل، عن سالم بن أبي حفصة قال: سألت أبا جعفر وابنه جعفرا عن أبي بكر وعمر، فقال: يا سالم تولهما، وابرأ من عدوهما، فإنهما كانا إمامَي هدى. ثم قال جعفر: يا سالم، أيسب الرجل جده؟ أبو بكر جدي، لا نالتني شفاعة محمد -صلى الله عليه وسلم- يوم القيامة إن لم أكن أتولاهما، وأبرأ من عدوهما .
الشريعة امام الاجري حدیث 1856 ص 2378

Salim bin Abi Hafsa said: "I asked Aba Jafar and his son Jafar about Abubakr and Omar. He said: O Salim, befriend them and dissociate yourself from their enemies as they were the two Imams of guidance. Then Jafar said: O Salim! does anyone abuses his grandfather? Abubakr is my grandfather. May I don’t get the intercession of Mohammad (saw) on the day of judgement if I don’t love them and if I don’t dissociate myself from their enemies." [Isnad Hasan]

19. Ibn `Abbas (ra) told `Umar bin al-Khattab (ra) while the latter was on his death bed:

يا أمير المؤمنين ولئن كان ذاك لقد صحبت رسول الله فأحسنت صحبته ثم فارقته وهو عنك راض

"O Chief of the believers! Never mind what has happened to you, for you have been in the company of Allah’s Apostle (SAWS) and you kept good relations with him and you parted with him while he was pleased with you."-Bukhari Vol. 5, Book 57, Hadith 41

Here's a video by Sheikh Ninowy (May Allah Preserve Him) regarding the true, authentic stance of the Ahl Al Bayt (as):

Alhumdillah, there are many more narrations by the Ahl Al Bayt (as) on the virtues of the Sahaba (ra). InshAllah, we will keep posting more as we update the blog.