{"id":15864,"date":"2019-01-24T20:00:47","date_gmt":"2019-01-24T16:30:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/roshd.com\/who-is-right\/"},"modified":"2025-04-14T10:14:25","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T06:44:25","slug":"who-is-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/roshd.com\/en\/who-is-right\/","title":{"rendered":"Who is Right?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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During the Battle of Jamal[1]<\/a>, a companion of Imam Ali\u00a0(PBUH)\u00a0was in deep doubt. He would observe both sides. On one side he would see Imam Ali\u00a0(PBUH)\u00a0and great figures of Islam who were gathered round him striking away with their swords; and on the other side he would observe Aisha, the wife of Prophet Muhammad\u00a0(PBUH&HP), about whom the Quran said, \u201cAnd his wives are considered mothers of them [the believers]\u201d[2]<\/a>. He would see Talha, one of the first Muslims, in Aisha\u2019s army; the one who had served Islam greatly and was famous for his abilities at war, especially his arrow shooting. He would see Zubair, a man with an even better past record than Talha; the same Zubair who supported Imam Ali\u00a0(PBUH)\u00a0on the day of\u00a0Saqifah\u00a0and took sanctuary in his house.\u00a0<\/p>

This man was deep in doubt. \u2018How can it be\u2019 he thought?!\u00a0\u00a0Ali, Talha, and Zubair are all early Muslims and great supporters of Islam, and yet they are against each other today.\u00a0\u00a0Which side is right? What is the right thing to do?\u2019<\/p>

With these thoughts in mind, he decided to meet with Imam Ali\u00a0(PBUH). Once at the Imam\u2019s presence, he asked, \u201cIs it possible that Talha, Zubair, and Aisha have all gathered together for falsehood? Such characters are companions of Prophet Muhammad\u00a0(PBUH&HP). How can they be wrong? Is such a thing possible?\u201d<\/p>

Imam Ali\u00a0(PBUH)\u00a0gives such a powerful response that has famous scholars like the Egyptian Taha Hussain comment, \u201cI have not heard a response so powerful ever since revelation stopped\u201d[3]<\/a>.<\/p>

The Imam\u00a0(PBUH)\u00a0said,<\/p>

\u201cYou have been misled. Truth and falsehood cannot be known by the measure of value and personality of individuals. It is wrong of you to first pinpoint persons, and then judge truth and falsehood based on their characters. To say something is truth because so and so agree with it, or to say something is false because so and so disapprove, are both wrong methods. Individuals should not be measurements and criteria for identifying truth. Rather, it is truth and falsehood that must be the basis of identifying people. Meaning, you must know the truth and falsehood, not become a knower of individuals and personalities. You should measure individuals (whether they be famous or not) according to truth. If they meet the truth, then accept their characters, otherwise no. This is not a correct question, \u201cCan Talha, Zubair, and Aisha be on the wrong side?\u201d[4]<\/a><\/p>

In this speech, Imam Ali\u00a0(PBUH)\u00a0set the\u00a0truth itself\u00a0as the standards for truth, not on famous presences within the Battle of Jamal. And this is the essence of the Shia sect and the standard it is based upon. Imam Ali\u00a0(PBUH)\u00a0was thirty three after the demise of Prophet Muhammad\u00a0(PBUH&HP). He had only a few companions, and was confronted by old men of sixty years with a large majority. The logic of the majority was to follow the path of the elders, whom they believed do not err. Whereas, the minority believed that he who does not err is with truth. Great men should accord themselves with the truth.\u00a0<\/p>

And for this reason, it can be understood how numerous are the people whose slogan is the slogan of Shiite Islam, which is following truth, but whose spirit is not the spirit of Shiite Islam. The path of Shiism, like its spirit, is\u00a0recognition of truth\u00a0and\u00a0pursuing it, not identifying it based on individuals.\u00a0<\/p>

(The above is a selection taken from the book \u201cPolarization around the Character of Ali (PBUH)\u201d by Professor Shahid Mutahhari, with minor changes)<\/strong><\/p>

Islamic \u2013 Shia Website: Roshd<\/p>

Footnotes:<\/strong><\/p>

[1]<\/a> After people paid allegiance to Imam Ali\u00a0(PBUH), his justice in distributing public\u2019s-treasury (Bayt al-Maal) and deposing and appointing ministers angered many. Talha and Zubair who had paid allegiance to Imam Ali\u00a0(PBUH)\u00a0had hoped to be appointed as the governors of\u00a0Basra\u00a0and Kufa. However, the Imam\u00a0(PBUH)\u00a0did not agree to their request. They therefore, left\u00a0Medina\u00a0with the excuse to take a pilgrimage to\u00a0Mecca. On the other hand, Bani Umayyah, who had been used to getting bonuses from the rule of Uthman, had been at loss with the coming of Imam Ali\u2019s\u00a0(PBUH)\u00a0rule. Hence, rummaging the treasury they all joined forces with Talha and Zubair and gathered around Aisha. They used the money they had stolen to build a large army and took over\u00a0Basra. In this battle, Aisha was riding a camel, which became the symbol of the army, and therefore the battle came to be known as the\u00a0Battle\u00a0of the Jamal (male camel). In order to defeat the trouble and persecution, Imam Ali\u00a0(PBUH)\u00a0traveled to\u00a0Basra\u00a0and won the battle.<\/p>

[2]<\/a> (Surah Al-Ahzab, verse 6)<\/p>

[3]<\/a> Ali and his Sons, p.40<\/p>

[4]<\/a> A text based on the content of the words of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) Astah Farmuud: \u201cYou are confused. Truth and falsehood are not known by the destinies of men. Know the truth and you will know its people, and know falsehood and you will know its people\u201d (Rawdat al-Wa\u2019izin, page 31)<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

During the Battle of Jamal, a companion questioned how respected figures like Aisha, Talha, and Zubair could be on the wrong side. Imam Ali (PBUH) clarified: truth is not known through people, but people through truth. 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