Mouood Mouood English Edition
THE FIFTH BASE: PUNITION OF THE DISSIDENTS OF THE PROPHET’S INSTRUCTION OF ADHERING TO HIS HOUSEHOLD
This punition shall befall in the Hereafter. It fits the Prophet’s responsibility of conveying and witnessing his nation’s acts. The expression of this punition is firm and unbending. It came in the form of a divine decision of cursing and condemning the dissidents of the Prophet regarding his instruction of revering his household. It indicated that the repentance of such individuals shall never be admitted, and they shall be deserving the eternal torment in the hell-fire.
Its being the last paragraph in the Prophet’s sermon might give it another dimension referring to its firmness and decisiveness.
In the report recorded in Tuhaful Uqoul; the Shiite reference book, this paragraph is cited. A good deal of Sunni reference books of hadith refer to this topic. They assert that it was mentioned during the Prophet’s sermon in the Farewell Pilgrimage.
Ibn Madga’s As-Sunan; 2/905:
Amr Bin Kharija: The Prophet (peace be upon him) was on the back of his pack animal, while it was breathing heavily due to the hot weather, when he sermonized:
“… Curse of the Lord, the angels and the entire people be on those who ascribe themselves to other than their fathers or masters. God be not accept their excuse or compensation.”
At-Tirmithi’s As-Sunan; 3/293:
Abu Umama Al-Bahili: I hear the Prophet (peace be upon him) say, in his sermon addressed during the Farewell Pilgrimage, “Ceaseless curse of the Lord be on those who ascribe themselves to other than their fathers or masters.”
Ahmed’s Al-Musned; 4/239:
Amr Bin Kharija: The Prophet (peace be upon him) was in Mina, riding his pack animal which was breathing heavily due to the hot weather, when he sermonized:
“Curse of the Lord, the angels and the entire people be on who ascribe themselves to other than their fathers or masters, as a desire to neglect them.”
Ahmed’s Al-Musned; 4/187:
“… Curse of the Lord, the angels and the entire people be on those who ascribe themselves to other than their fathers or masters. God be not accept his excuse or compensation.”
Ahmed relates the same meaning in different reports and records them in the same previous page book and the preceding ones. He also records it on pages 238 and 186. For Ad-Darimi, he records it in his As-Sunan; 2/244 and 344. In Majma’uzzawaid; 5/14, the narration is related to Abu Masud. Al-Bukhari records the reports in his Sahih; 2/221 and 4/67.
The reader may wonder the relationship between such a prophetic statement and the Prophet’s instruction of adhering to his household. The forecited paragraphs emphasize that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) cursed those who ascribe themselves to other than their fathers, and the slaves who deny their loyalty to those who manumit them and ascribe it to another master.
As an answer of this wonderment, we have to cite that as a jurisprudential ruling, it is that if a son disavows his father and claims another man’s filiation, then he regrets and returns to his real father, his repentance is admissible. In like manner, if a slave leaves his master and claims of his slavery to another man, but he repents and returns to his master after a while, his repentance is jurisprudentially acceptable.
These jurisprudential rulings contradict the Prophet’s asserting that the divine curse, in its harshest form, is ceaselessly poured on those who ascribe themselves to other than their fathers or masters.
Such a divine punition is admitted in cases of serious excess, such as apostasy and the like. It is unfit to issue such a judgment against an ignorant son or slave who disavow their father or master.
Moreover, some reports refer that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) ruled the atheism and apostasy of such individuals. This reports are recorded in Al-Beihaqi’s As-Sunan; 8/26, Majma’uzzawaid; 1/97, Kenzul Ummal; 5/872 and many others. As an example we cite that the following report is recorded in Kenzul Ummal; 10/324, 326, 327 and 16/255 respectively:
“He whoever disavows his masters is ripping the bind of Islam out of his neck.”
“He should find himself a place in the hell-fire that whoever disavows his masters.”
“He is an atheist that whoever disavows his masters.”
“He is decided as a disbeliever of what the Lord has revealed to his Apostle, that whoever disavows his masters.”
The recent authentic prophetic sayings support the fact that such decisive rulings do in no means relate those who disavow their fathers or masters, unless fathers and masters intended in such sayings are not the proper ones.
This meaning is also supported by the forecited reports and many others, in which the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) does not refer to fathers and sons at all, but he stops at mentioning masters and their servants. Naturally, a son’s disavowal of his father is more serious than a slave’s disavowal of his master. Nevertheless, such reports informed of a more serious punition.
In addition, this meaning is supported by the fact that this ruling, in a good number of reports communicating the Prophet’s sermons during the Farewell Pilgrimage, is mentioned directly after referring to the dedicate competency given exclusively to the Prophet’s household and progeny. This is the one-fifth rate. The Prophet’s progeny are prohibited from receiving the alms and the poor rate.
Ahmed’s Al-Musned; 4/186:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) was on his pack animal when he sermonized: “Alms is not allowed for my household and me. Any sum of alms even if it was as much as this.” Meanwhile, the Prophet (peace be upon him) took a single hair from the back of his pack animal, and went on: “God curse that whoever ascribes himself to other than his father or master.”
The same is recorded on page 293 of part 5 of Kenzul Ummal. On page 235 of part 10 of the same book, the following form is recorded:
“… He should find him a place in the hell-fire that whoever ascribes himself to other than his master.”
In the Shiite reference books of hadith; the Prophet’s progeny’s reports, this prophetic wording is frequently and authentically recorded during mentioning the Prophet’s sermons of the Farewell Pilgrimage. Besides, it is a part of the Ghadir sermon
Biharul Anwar; 37/123:
Al-Mufid’s Al-Amali: … Zaid Bin Arqam: I hear the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) say in Ghadir Khum: “Alms is not licit for my household and me. God curse those who ascribe themselves to other than their fathers or masters. The baby is the bed owner’s. The prostitute’s share is the stones. An heir is not to will.
You have heard and seen me. He must find him a place in the hell-fire that whoever forges lies against me.
I will be preceding you to the Divine Pool. I will take pride in you before the other nations on the Resurrection Day. Blacken not my face. I will save men from the hell-fire, and others shall be taken from my hands and sent to the hell-fire.
Allah is my Master, and I am the master of each male and female believer.
He whosever master was I, Ali shall be his master.”
An alike report is recorded on page 186 of the same book, and quoted from Bisharetul Islam.
In his Al-Umda/344, Ibnul Bitriq, the Shiite, comments:
Reports recorded in the most authentic books of hadith, that regarded the Prophet’s saying, “God curse those who ascribe themselves to other than their fathers or masters,” do intend the great urge on adhering to Amirul Muminin Ali after the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). The clear evidence on this fact is the most authenticated saying of the Prophet: “He whosever master was I, Ali shall be his master.”
As he asserts so, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) adds, “O Allah! Accede to whomever accedes to him, and antagonize whomever antagonizes him, and support whomever supports him, and disappoint whomever disappoints him.”
These assure the most acceptable matter that Ali is being the master of those whose master was the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). Likewise, Ali is being the master of the believers entirely, this is proved by Omar Bin Al-Khattab’s saying to Ali after that prophetic declaration, “Congratulations, Ali! You have become the master of every male and female believer.” Other narratives report Omar’s saying to Ali in the same occasion, “You have become my master, and the master of every male and female believer.”
This position is the Lord’s exclusively. He; the Exalted, gave it to his Apostle; Mohammed (peace be upon him and his family) and ordered him of dedicating it to Ali Amirul Muminin after him. This meaning is supported by God’s saying, (Only Allah is your Master and His Apostle and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor rate while they bow.)*
On that account, the Prophet’s saying, “…those whoever ascribe themselves to other than their fathers,” stands for those who disavow loyalty to Amirul Muminin Ali Bin Abi Talib (peace be upon him). We can refer this to the Prophet’s saying, “O Ali! You and I are fathers of this nation.” Curse of the Lord be on the disobeyer of his father.
Reference books of hadith of both sects relate that the forecited saying was a part of the script hanged to the Prophet’s sword given to Ali in heritage. In his Sahih; 4/67, Al-Bukhari records this narrative. Similarly, Muslim, in his Sahih; 4/115 and 216, records this narrative in various ways of narration. Like many others, At-Tirmithi also records it in his As-Sunan; 3/297. As a matter of fact, they insist on these narratives since they contained, as they claim, Ali’s confession that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) had not inherited his household any knowledge except a copy of the Holy Quran and that paper hanged to his sword. The narratives, however, assure the Prophet’s cursing those who disavow their masters.
In the Shiite reference books of hadith, we could find a fourth occasion inciting the Prophet’s uttering this wording of curse. The Quraishi ‘released’ individuals moved to Al-Madina and partook the hypocrites in their efforts against the Prophet’s household. Once, they uttered, “Regarding his existence among the Hashemites, Mohammed’s like is a date-palm tree planted in a junkyard.” When he was informed of this saying, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) ordered Ali to ascend the pulpit and answer them.
Biharul Anwar; 38/204:
… Al-Isbigh Bin Nebata: Ali Bin Abi Talib (peace be upon him):
Once, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) summoned me and ordered of ascending his pulpit and declaring the following statements: Curse of Allah, and curse of His favored angels and messaged prophets, and my curse be on that whoever disavows his father or master, and that whoever wrongs his hireling.
As I did the mission, none commented except Omar Bin Al-Khattab. “O Abul-Hassan! You have conveyed. But they were unclassifiable words,” said he.
I was back to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to inform of this commentation. The Prophet asked me to convey the following words:
O people! We should never communicate words to you unless we have their interpretation. It I who is your father. It is I who is your master. It is I who is your hireling.
A fifth occasion of this wording we found through a narrative recorded in Furat Bin Ibrahim Al-Kufi’s Tafsir/392:
… Fatima Bint Al-Hussein: Al-Hussein Bin Ali: When the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was in Al-Madina, some Muhajirs offered him a part of their estate to help in managing any unexpected matters he might counter.
For a while, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) nodded his head down and, finally, refused their offer saying, “I am not ordered of taking any of your properties.”
Soon after that, Gabriel; the angel, descended carrying God’s saying, (Say: I do not ask for you any reward for it but love my near relatives.)
As the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) conveyed this Verse to them, Muhajirs went out grumbling at this mandate, and saying to each other that the Prophet had intended only to submit them to sons of Abdul-Muttelib forever.
The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) summoned Ali Bin Abi Talib and ordered of ascending his pulpit and addressing at people the following statements:
O people! He should seek himself a place in the hell-fire, that whoever wrongs a hireling in his wage. He should seek himself a place in the hell-fire, that whoever disavows his master. He should seek himself a place in the hell-fire, that whoever denies his parents.
A man stood up and asked for an interpretation for these words.
Ali was back to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) for conveying that man’s commentation. “Woe is the Quraishis from the interpretation of these words,” the Prophet repeated thrice. “O Ali!” ordered the Prophet, “Go and tell them that I am the hireling whose commitment is mandated in the heavens. You and I are masters of the believers. You and I are fathers of the believers.”
Source:
AYATUL GHADIR( Verses of Ghadir)
Authored By:
Al-Mostafa Center for Islamic Researches
