There are many verses in the Holy Qur’an that refer to the status and position of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), which had been repeatedly explained by the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) during his lifetime, and the people were aware of them. However, after the passing of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), the caliphate’s administration, in order to preserve its rule, prevented the public discussion of these matters. Despite this, in rare instances where the circumstances allowed, the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) would remind the people of their position by citing the verses of the Qur’an.
For example, during the time of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), the advisors of Muawiya, who thought that Imam (peace be upon him) was incapable of eloquent speech and rhetoric, would often come to him and say, “Now the people’s eyes are on Hussein; it would be good if you instructed him to go up on the pulpit and speak, because he has a speech impediment and a slow tongue.” Muawiya responded, “We had the same thought about (Imam) Hasan, but he became very significant in the eyes of the people and shamed us.” Nevertheless, they kept urging him to give such an order, and eventually, Muawiya agreed and one day said to Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), “O Aba Abd Allah! It would be good if you go up on the pulpit and deliver a sermon.”
Imam (peace be upon him) went to the pulpit, praised and thanked Allah, and sent blessings upon the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). Then he heard someone ask, “Who is speaking?[1]” Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) responded:
“We are the Party of Allah[2], who are victorious, as Allah says: ‘And those who take Allah, His Messenger, and those who believe—the ones who establish prayer and give zakah while bowing—[are victorious].’ . We are the family of the Prophet, we are close to him, and we are his purified household. We are the second of the two precious things (Thaqalayn) that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)[3] has left for you. One is the Book of Allah, which contains the details of everything…”[4] “No falsehood can approach it from before or behind it…”[5]. We are those to whom the interpretation of the Qur’an has been entrusted[6], and we follow its true meanings. So follow us, as following us is obligatory for you because following us is intertwined with following Allah[7]. Allah the Exalted says in the Qur’an: ‘Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and His Messenger.’ (Qur’an, Surah An-Nisa 4:59)… He also says: ‘And if it were returned to the Messenger and those in authority among them, they would have known it.”[8]
“I warn you not to listen to the messages of Satan, who is your open enemy.” [9] “Then you will be like the allies of Satan, who, when two groups (in a battle) faced each other, turned away and said, ‘I am innocent of you.”[10]. “If you listen to Satan’s message, you will be struck by swords and arrows and become a target in battle. Afterward, no one who has not believed before or did good deeds will have their faith accepted.” [11]
At this point, Muawiya shouted and said, “O Aba Abd Allah! Enough, you have delivered your message!”
Thus, in his brief speech, Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) reminded the people of his position by referencing numerous verses from the Qur’an, particularly a people who still had the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) among them, who had personally heard these matters from him. Furthermore, he warned them of the disastrous consequences of following Muawiya. In reality, through these arguments, Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) responded to the false accusations of his enemies and left them no choice but to submit.
(Taken from the book “Ihtijaj” by Sheikh Tabrasi, with some additions)[12]
Footnotes:
[1] The permission to address the public was not granted to the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), so this was an unfamiliar situation for the general public, and hence the question arose.
[2] Referring to verse 56 of Surah Al-Maidah.
[3] Referring to the well-known and mutawatir Hadith of Thaqalayn, where the Prophet (peace be upon him) introduced the Qur’an and Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) as two invaluable and inseparable legacies, emphasizing adherence to both until the Day of Judgment.
[4] Referring to verse 111 of Surah Yusuf.
[5] Surah Fussilat, verse 42.
[6] The term “Tafseer” refers to meanings or interpretations of verses or statements in the Qur’an that are not immediately apparent to those other than the deeply learned (i.e., the Prophet and the Imams).
[7] (Surah An-Nisa, verse 59)
[8] (Surah An-Nisa, verse 83)
[9] (Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 168)
[10] (Surah Anfal, verse 48)
[11] (Surah Al-An’am, verse 158)
[12] The translation of this text is based on the work “Ihtijaj” by Mr. Behrad Jafari.