\u201cI have not found one person from amongst the deceased to be as lenient\nand powerful in presenting logical facts as you are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Quote taken\nfrom a correspondence from Sheikh Salim directed to Allamah Sharaf al-Din)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Allamah Sayyid Abd al-Hussain Sharaf\nal-Din is one of the greatest men amongst the Shiite scholars. This man\u2019s\nentire effort was to gather the attention of all Muslims to the original\nreligious issues which were obligatory upon all to follow. He wanted to unite\nall under a unified flag so to create brotherhood amongst all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He achieved his goal in Egypt, when he\nmet and spoke with famous Sunni Scholar, Sheikh Salim. They both agreed that\nthe Sunni and Shia sects were both Muslims, and their main disagreement is on\nthe issue of Imamate. They therefore made an agreement to meet and discuss the\nreasoning for each side, and to prepare written answers for each question. This\nsuggestion was accepted and the correspondences were collected in a book\nentitled \u201cal-Muraji\u2019at\u201d. For this\noccasion we have selected an excerpt from this long conversation, which focuses\nand analyzes the Hadith of Ghadir. The Hadith of Ghadir is one of the most\nimportant Shiite analogies on the subject of Imamate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once Allamah Sharaf al-Din provides\nauthentic and reliable Sunni sources, which discuss the event of Ghadir and the\nline of events that took place before and after that event (if interested to\nread more about this matter you may refer to the book Al-Muraji\u2019at, and or to\nthe article on Roshd website entitled \u201cGhadir and its Importance\u201d), Sheikh\nSalim answers him in the following manner: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe term Mawla\nhas been used in different cases in the Quran. Sometimes it means inheritor,\nsometimes friend, and sometimes Master.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Based on this analogy, the Sunnis\nargue that the Holy Prophet\u2019s sermon can be interpreted as the following,\n\u2018Whosoever I am his helper or friend, then Ali is also his helper or friend.\u2019 They base their claim on this incident: In a\ntrip, Ali and a group of people had traveled to Yemen. Ali made it hard upon a\ncouple of people for the sake of Allah. In reply the couple of people\ncomplained about him. The Messenger of Allah wanted to refute the complaints,\nand proceeded to speak of the virtues of Ali. Amidst these virtues, the Prophet\nespecially noted that \u201cWhosoever considers me as his friend, then Ali is his\nfriend.\u201d And then he continued to speak\nof the Ahl al-Bayt in general in a famous Hadith referred to as Hadith\nThaqalayn (1). In conclusion the Sunnis argue that the Hadith of Ghadir is not\nproof for the concept of Imamate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Allamah Sharaf ul-Din replied in the\nfollowing manner:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026You are well\naware of the virtue of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP), of his wisdom and\ninfallibility. You also know that he does not speak from desire; rather what he\nspeaks has been revealed unto him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now if Non-Muslim scholars ask you,\n\u2018Why did your Prophet gather thousands of people in burning hot desert that\nlacked all signs of life and livelihood? Why did he inform everyone about his\ndeath in the beginning of his sermon? Why did he say \u2018I am responsible\u2019? Indeed\nwhich teaching would he have been responsible for? Why did he ask about the\ntrueness of Paradise, hell and resurrection day? Why did he claim that the book\nof Allah was similar in weight and value to his family? Why did the Prophet\nmake them give an oath, \u2018Am I not more deserving to order you than yourselves?\u2019\nAnd why did he continue with the famous sentence, \u2018Whosoever I am his Mawla Ali\nas his Mawla.\u2019 Truly what was the purpose of creating such a magnificent\ngathering? What is the importance of this matter that would have left the\nmission of your Prophet incomplete, if the message was not carried out?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Would this answer really satisfy you\nthat, \u2018The purpose of Allah and His Messenger from all this effort was to\nremind everyone of people\u2019s friendship with Ali.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If this was the case wouldn\u2019t the Holy\nProphet be accused of speaking the obvious? Wouldn\u2019t he be accused of preparing\ngrounds that have nothing to do with the main incident?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your position is higher than to\nbelieve that the Holy Prophet (PBUH&HP) gathered all this trouble just to\nsay something that does not require explanation. You consider him more\nknowledgeable than for scholars and philosophers to easily find fault in his acts\nand speeches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the reality of why the Ahl\nal-Sunnah narrate the Hadith of Ghadir in such a manner is that Prophet\nMuhammad (PBUH&HP) sent Imam Ali (PBUH) to Yemen twice, once in the 8th of\nHijrah, and another on the 10th of Hijrah. After his return from the first\ntrip, a couple of people complained about Ali (PBUH) to the Prophet\n(PBUH&HP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Prophet (PBUH&HP) was\ndisappointed in them. But in the second trip of Ali (PBUH) to Yemen, he joined\nthe Prophet to perform the final Hajj, and in this trip no one said a word\nabout Ali (PBUH). Even before the incident of Ghadir, Prophet Muhammad\n(PBUH&HP) placed Ali (PBUH) as his partner for the slaughtering (of the\nsheep, a ritual done in Hajj as a conclusion to the rituals). Thus, there was\nno reason for the Prophet (PBUH&HP) to narrate the Hadith of Ghadir as an\nanswer for these people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition, even for those who had\ncomplained about him, there was no need for the Holy Prophet (PBUH&HP) to\ngive such a detailed introduction for all the people; rather he could have just\nspoken words that would answer the complaints.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And in reply to this analogy, Sheikh\nSalim said,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have not\nfound one person from amongst the deceased to be as lenient and powerful in\npresenting logical facts as you are. Based on the facts that you presented the\ntruth is unveiled. I have no further arguments than to say the terms Wali and\nMawla in the Hadith of Ghadir refer only to Master. If the intention was\nfriendship or similar terms, there would be no need to request punishment. (2)\nBased on this reasoning, your definition of Mawla is true and obvious.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Selection taken from the book \u201cAl-Muraji\u2019at\u201d, by Late Allamah Sharaf\nal-Din)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Roshd website congratulates all\nMuslims, especially you dear friend on the public announcement to Amir\nal-Mu\u2019minin\u2019s (PBUH) Mastership, the great Holy Eid of Ghadir Khumm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a gift for this Eid, Roshd Website\nhas gathered some computer background pictures. If interested, you may click on\nany of the images to your liking and download them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footnotes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. This is\nreferring to the famous and authentic narration of Thaqalayn, accepted by both\nShia and Sunni sects. In it the Prophet\n(PBUH&HP) says, \u201cI leave to weighty things among you: The Book of Allah,\nand my Progeny. You will not be\nmisguided if you hold on tight to these two.\u201d (Sahih Muslim, vol. 5, chapter on\nthe virtues of Ali ), Sahih Tirmidhi, vol. 5, p. 328, Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal,\nvol. 3, p. 17 and\n\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. This is\nreferring to the story of Nu\u2019man ibn Harith Fahri, who approached the Prophet\nafter the incident of Ghadir and said, \u201c\u2026.Is this (issue) coming from you or\nfrom Allah?\u201d The Prophet (PBUH&HP)\nsaid \u201cBy Allah the order has come from Allah.\u201d \nNu\u2019man returned while uttering \u201cO\u2019 Allah if this speech is coming from\nyou, throw a rock from the sky on my head.\u201d \nAnd Allah granted his prayer as a rock from the sky hit him so hard he\ndied. Thereafter the introductory verses of Surah Ma\u2019arij were revealed. (This issue has been recorded in numerous\nSunni sources. For further information you may refer to the first volume of\nAl-Ghadir by Allamah Amini or Shia interpretation of the introductory verses of\nSurah Ma\u2019arij.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cI have not found one person from amongst the deceased to be as lenient and powerful in presenting logical facts as you are.\u201d (Quote taken from a correspondence from Sheikh Salim directed to Allamah Sharaf al-Din) Allamah Sayyid Abd al-Hussain Sharaf al-Din is one of the greatest men amongst the Shiite scholars. This man\u2019s entire […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63647,28248],"tags":[18418],"class_list":["post-4950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-imam-ali-pbuh","category-occasional-letters","tag-occasion-letters"],"yoast_head":"\n