THE DOCTOR AND THE SHEIKHS' DEBATE
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But when they saw a transaction or a diversion, [O Muhammad], they rushed to it and left you standing. Say, "What is with Allah is better than diversion and than a transaction, and Allah is the best of providers."
Dear Sheikh, the Prophet (s.a.w.a) stood to perform the prayer on Friday. The sound of the drums was made to announce the arrival of the trade caravan. These companions that were supposed to be the number one believers and were praying leave the Prophet's (s.a.w.a) side as soon as they hear the drums. In the commentary of Siuti and Dur Al Mansour's book it says that only twelve of the companions stayed with the Prophet (s.a.w.a) after hearing the arrival of the trade caravan in Shaam and prayed behind him. Do you believe that such companions are worthy of guiding people? Can one believe in them and be guided by them?
Sh: It is obvious the importance of the companions is relative not all of them are the same.
Dr: But the Hadith does not say this. It says that to whichever one we follow we will be guided.
Sh: If we agree such a debate then how are we able to distinguish the hypocrite companions from the non hypocrites?
Dr: We seek refuge in God (
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Differences between Companions, the Reason for their Probity
Sh: In fact the history of the beginning of Islam is a very good example in portraying the importance of the companions.
Dr: First example: in the beginning of Islam a newly converted Muslim that has gone to Medina sees that some of the companions that are well known have surrounded one of the other companions, that also happens to be Calipha (meaning Usman) and they aim to kill him. In your opinion, does the Muslim that joins the line of the ones following Usman, guided or if he joins the line of the followers that are against Usman?
Sh: Shall I respond?
Dr: Please do so.
Sh: He should listen to the Calipha and go towards him.
Dr: Then this will be acting against the Hadith. Because the Hadith says that every companion has the ability to be followed and is able to guide.
Sh: Well there are other cases too.
Dr: Yes, please pay attention to the other cases.
Sh: Very well.
Dr: Second example: One Muslim has gone to the Battle of Jamal. He sees that the Prophet's wife (Aisha) and several other famous companions of the Prophet (s.a.w.a) are on one side and on the other side, some of the other companions including the Calipha are amongst them (meaning Ali) and they are fighting. If this Muslim joins the line of the Prophet's wife division and some of the other companions, is he guided? Or if he joins the line of Ali in which some of the other famous companions are? Based on your Hadith, whichever way he goes he will go to heaven.
Sh: If there is another case please state it. I will respond afterwards.
Dr: Third example: One Muslim has gone to Siffin (two rows) and sees that some of the Prophet's (s.a.w.a) companions are lead by Muawiyah on one side and on the other side some of the other companions such as Ammar Yasir lead by Ali are fighting. Does this Muslim go to heaven if he joins any of the sides of the battle?
Sh: The answer, the truth is this, that these people had Ijtihad. We won't argue the genuine reason for the differences between the companions in the beginning of Islam so we don't get to deal with such problems. We say whatever they did, they were the genuine companions and we do not have the ability to understand their real reason for their actions.
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Dr: Dear Sheikh I am an engineer. I have studied mathematics and logic. I cannot accept such responds and disregard my question.
Sh: We cannot interpret Hadith with History?
Dr: I didn't say lets interpret the Hadith. Please guide me. Interpret the verse for me and then give me the hypocrite based on the verse and tell me: How is this Muslim that is in each of the three examples explained to do? I gave you three different timelines and three different places with six different groups of companions. Guide me with which side he should go.
Sh: Anyone whom joins any of the groups with the intention of good will is rewarded by God.
Dr: Are you suggesting then that we have several straight paths?
Sh: How do you mean?
Dr: One straight path is Usman and the companions surrounding him, another straight path are the companions against him, in Jamal one of the straight paths, Aisha and the companions surrounding her, another straight path is Ali and the companions surrounding him and in Siffin is another straight path and Muawiyah and his surrounding companions.
Sh: I agree that we can only have one straight path but what do we do in regards to the Hadith? It is the Prophet's (s.a.w.a) words.
Dr: The problem is this. The Hadith is not from the Prophet (s.a.w.a).
Sh: We believe it is.
Dr: If I bring you several cited references from your own important people that say that this Hadith is not true will you accept it?
Sh: If you cite me them yes, I will accept.
Dr: Thankfully in the software on my mobile I have, the Maktab Shamlah that almost has all of the old and new books of our Sunni brothers and all of its references are there too. Here you go. In this cite they have said that the authenticity of this Hadith is weak and it even says that the Hadith is false. Please look at the several Hadith below.
References about the Weakness of the Hadith Regarding the Justice of Companions 1- Sharh Al Shifa, Qazi Ayyaz, volume II, page 91, says that this Hadith has no chain of transmission.
2- Ibn Abd al Berr in his book "Istiyab" says there is train of transmission for this Hadith.
3- Ibn Abd Hamid in his book named "Mosnad" says from Abdullah Ibn Omar that this Hadith does not exist.
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4- Ibn Oday in his book named "Kamel" agrees with Abdullah Ibn Omar says there is no proof.
5- Bayhagi says that the chain of transmission is weak because the chain of the Hadith reaches Harith bin Ghazin (anonymous case) and Hamza Abi Hamza saying they both are fraudsters.
6- Ibn Hazm says that this Hadith is a lie.
Sh: I had seen that some had declared that this Hadith could have been weak but not to the extent of how you showed me in detail.
Dr: It wouldn’t be so bad if we went and asked that scholar that is teaching seminar students over there and ask him about this Hadith.
Sh: Do you know him?
Dr: Yes, in my previous Amra trip I saw him and asked questions about him. They said that he is the chancellor of the Medina University.
Sh: Yes, that is correct. He is the chancellor of the Medina University. Although when I was studying here he was just a professor. He is now the president. I feel embarrassed to ask him such a question.
Dr: Then I will go and ask him but please accept the respond I come back with.
Sh: We seek refuge in God (
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Dr: He said that the Hadith is weak and scholars in specific the university ones do not pay much attention to it. He also mentioned that some also believe it to be a lie. Even if he had showed me any documents or made any arguments, especially the Quran, not all companions are in an agreement so it wouldn’t have helped. Now look at this Hadith:
(Musnad Ahmad, Volume 46, Page 442, 21890)
ﻋَﺰﱠﻭَﺟَﻞﱠ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪَ ﺇِﻥﱠ ﻭَﺳَﻠﱠﻢَ ﻋَﻠَﻴْﻪِ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪُ ﺻَﻠّﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪِ ﺭَﺳُﻮﻝُ ﻗَﺎﻝَ ﻗَﺎﻝَ: ﺃَﺑِﻴﻪِ ﻋَﻦْ ﺑُﺮَﻳْﺪَﻩًَْ ﺍﺑْﻦِ ﻋَﻦِ ﺭَﺑِﻴﻌَﻪًَْ ﺃَﺑُﻮ ﺣَﺪﱠﺛَﻨَﺎ ٍﺣَﺪﱠﺛَﻨَﺎ ﺷَﺮِﻳﻚ ﻋَﻦْ ﻧُﻤَﻴْﺮٍ ﺍﺑْﻦُ ﺍﻟْﻐِﻔَﺎﺭِﻱﱡ ﻭَﺃَﺑُﻮﺫَﺭﱟ ﻣِﻨْﻬُﻢْ ﺎ ﻗَﺎﻟُﻮﺍ ﻋَﻠِﻴ ﺇِﻥﱠ ﻗَﺎﻝَ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪِ ﺭَﺳُﻮﻝَ ﻳَﺎ ﻫُﻢْ ﻣَﻦْ ﺃُﺣِﺒﱠﻬُﻢْ ﺃَﻥْ ﻭَﺃَﻣَﺮَﻧِﻲ ﻳُﺤِﺒﱡﻬُﻢْ ﺃَﻧﱠﻪُ ﺃَﺧْﺒَﺮَﻧِﻲ ﺃَﺭْﺑَﻌَﻪًْ ﺃَﺻْﺤَﺎﺑِﻲ ﻣِﻦْ ﻳُﺤِﺐﱡ ﺍﻟْﻜِﻨْﺪِﻱﱡ ﺍﻟْﺄَﺳْﻮَﺩِ ﺑْﻦُ ﻭَﺍﻟْﻤِﻘْﺪَﺍﺩُ ﺍﻟْﻔَﺎﺭِﺳِﻲﱡ ﻭَﺳَﻠْﻤَﺎﻥُ
"The Prophet (s.a.w.a) said: Indeed the almighty God is fond of four of my companions and told me to like them too. They asked O' Messenger of God who are these people? He replied: Ali is amongst them and Abu Dharr Gheffari, Salman Farsi and Miqdad Ibn Asvad Kendi. "
Sh: We do have other Hadith regarding these companions but not with such a strong content.
Dr: That verse from the Quran and this Hadith indicates that not all of the Prophet's companions are to be trusted and some of them are the true followers.
Sh: Now that the President of the Medina University also agreed, I do not have anything else to say. However there are many unresolved cases regarding the companions that it's best not to debate them here.
Dr: I suggest it is best for us to accept the truth and then resolve the cases from using other methods.
Sh: The pray time is close. Please allow us to conclude this detailed debate that ended to your advantage and discuss another case later.
Dr: Allow me to make a joke. In my opinion the debate turned to your advantage because I already knew about the conclusion but you came to realize the truth.
Sh: [chuckled] yes, you are right. But it will take me some time to deal with the understanding of this revelation. It has been years that I believed that all the companions were righteous and to be followed and today things changed. I have to be honest with you, instead of dealing with the problems caused by the companions actions from the beginning of Islam; we always justified it by saying that we do not wish to interfere and they had Ijtihad. In reality, we would erase the problem rather than to deal with it.
Dr: May God bless you with more success with the additional detail you gave me it is clear that not only did you honor the promise we made to each other but you also showed that you are a researcher that is not bias. Let's go for prayer (Salat). Goodbye.
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Sh: Goodbye.
We moved ahead for prayer. We met several familiar Iranians but they didn't have enough room for me to sit next to them so I eventually went and found a suitable spot to pray. The first and second calls for prayer were called and the pray started. If there was no congregational Zuhr and Asr prayers in Al Masjid an Nabawi (s.a.w.a) and Sacred Mosque it would be spiritless. Because all you can hear from the congregational Imam is the sound of him saying Takbir (Allahu Akbra). If you are not in sync with the people in line you would not know which part of the prayer the Imam is reading. In Iran when the Zuhr and Asr congregational prayer is happening, alongside the Hamd and Surah they also read out the other parts (Ruku, Sajdah, Tajlis and Tasleem) loudly. For this reason there is a connection felt between the person praying and the Imam. I have to add that this case is also happening for the morning and Maghrib and Isha prayers too. In Saudi Arabia apart from the Hamd and Surah, you only hear a couple of Takbir's.
However, in the congregational prayers held in Iran just like "In the name of God the Merciful"
they also read out the verses of prayers in the Zuhr and Asr prayers. The person praying even knows when the Hamd finishes and Surah begins and from this point of view the congregational prayers in Iran and in general Shias is more alive.
The second thing that used to be an issue but has been slightly fixed is that between 1981-1986, as soon as the second call for prayer is done anyone that was any part of Medina would join the congregational Imam for the Al Masjid an Nabawi. I remember the shopkeepers around Baqi would join the prayer from in their shops and some that wouldn't reach the mosque would stand for prayer even 100 meters ahead of the Imam and Al Masjid an Nabawi and start praying. This situation has been remedied by the Iranian scholars many times and even currently there are signs placed indicating that any prayer done past the lines is not acceptable. Even still some do not listen to it and still stand for prayer. Eventually I read my pray and after chit chatting with some of the Iranians I exited the mosque.
The pilgrims would get themselves back to the hotel using the bus and taxi but because my hotel was close I could walk back.
We had lunch and everyone returned to their rooms and preparations for tea and chatting was on its way. Dr Ahmadi was a psychologist and said that he met many pilgrims today and was exceedingly happy. Enthusiasm, love and excitement was clearly seen in his eyes as he felt that all of his sins was brushed off his shoulders after he had left the Al Masjid an Nabawi and he felt victorious. Karbalayi said that he did not feel such a way especially among the easterners who would just smile and didn't seem to show any special feeling. Dr Ahmadi responded: you have to pay more attention as I believe that everyone has such a feeling. I paid a lot of attention and actually the people whom seem to be like that are people whom work here and are the local Arabs in Medina.
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Other different discussions were being made. I asked Karbalayi and Ghargham to wait until everyone else is sleeping and to obey this rule at least at noon times. Ghargham told me that he had already slept enough in the morning. I took a short nap and headed towards the Al Masjid an Nabawi for the Maghrib prayer. Of course, going to the mosque is always accompanied with the pilgrimage to visit the Prophet (s.a.w.a) and Hazrat Zahra.
After the Isha prayer I went to the bazaar with my wife so we could buy some souvenirs and a black veil. The shop keepers greet you much nicer when they see that you can speak Arabic and because of my accent they think that I am an Iraqi. After two hours of shopping around we returned to the hotel and slept.
Every Day after the Morning Pray at Baqi
Whenever the morning pray is finished the doors to Baqi are opened. The women are not allowed in and the men have only an hour and half to pilgrim the graves. The people that are buried in Baqi are as followed:
1- Imam Mujtaba
2- Imam Sajjad
3- Imam Baqir
4- Imam Sadiq
5- Abbas, The uncle of the Prophet (s.a.w.a)
6- The Prophet's (s.a.w.a) wives
7- Fatimah bint Asad , Mother of Ali
8- Omolbanin, wife of Ali and mother of Hazrat Abbas 9- Safiyah, Prophet's (s.a.w.a) aunt
10- Atekeh, Prophet's (s.a.w.a) aunt
11- Halimah Sadia, Prophet's (s.a.w.a) nurse
12- Ibrahim, Prophet's (s.a.w.a) son
13- Aqeel (Moslem's father) and Imam Ali's brother
14- Martyrs of Ohod (They were injured and died in Medina)
15- Herrah Martyrs (They martyred from the attack of the Yazid's soldiers in Medina)
16- Ali Ibn Jafar (Imam Sadeq's son was brought from a Orayz village to Baqi in Medina and Sheikh Omri (The leader of Shias) said that I saw the body when they moved him and the body was completely intact. Meaning after 1300 years the body had not deteriorated.)
17- Ismail Ibn Jafar (Imam Sadiq's son)
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18- Othman Ibn Mazon. He is the first person whom was buried in Baqi and was one of the good companions of the Prophet (s.a.w.a) and Ali
19- Othman Ibn Affan (The third Calipha that was moved from another graveyard to Baqi in the Muawiyah period.)
I read the permission to enter pray and entered Baqi. In Baqi everyone is busy praying. Everyone is sitting in a corner and mumbling supplications. Most of the pilgrims are Iranian. Even though there are visitors from other countries. The Saudi Arabian government have even brought some Afghanis' so they can talk to the Iranian pilgrims. They also kept suggesting for everyone to close the books of supplication and the books of pilgrims. These Imams are dead and that we should not worship the dead and not do idolatry. We should just send our regards and leave.
Many try to explain to them and many recommend that it's pointless trying to argue with them.
Amongst the officers in Baqi there was one Arab that did not know Persian and seemed to be in charge of the others. He kept saying that this is polytheism and we are putting a distinction partner to God and we should now supplicate even if it is the Prophet (s.a.w.a). The dead body of the Prophet (s.a.w.a) is no different to anybody else's.
Is the Prophet (s.a.w.a) Dead?
I went towards the man and apologized, said: Hello and added that I had a question. He said:
please ask away. I asked: In your opinion and based on your beliefs is the status of the Prophet (s.a.w.a) higher or the martyrs? He replied: the Prophet (s.a.w.a). I asked but the Lord in verse 169 of Surat Ale Imran says:
"And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving ordinance"
This verse in Quran is clearly stating not to class martyrs as dead but they are alive. Do you perceive the martyr's as dead when you perceive the Prophet (s.a.w.a) alive? He responded: they are alive in limbo. I replied but the Quran does not say that. It says: "" ﻳﺮﺯﻗﻮﻥthey ﺑﻬﻢ ﻋﻨﺪﺭ "ﺍﺣﻴﺎ are with their Lord receiving ordinance". Do you think that they wouldn't give this ordinance to the Prophet (s.a.w.a) too?
He said: I do not have the answer to these questions. If you wish we can go to the underground of Baqi and speak to our scholars. I told him that I am ready to go with him but if he is not sure
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and has limited information not to tell these people whom possibly know even less than him incorrect information.
I went underground of Baqi accompanied with the officer and one Afghani. We asked for about an hour but they just jumped from one branch to another and spoke unrealistically and irrationally. For this reason I said: to them that I thought that underground in Baqi the scholars would have the answers but I see that you guys are no different to the ones upstairs by the graves.
In the end the Arab soldier said: we are not quite sure why you are not allowed to read pilgrims.
We do not know why you are not allowed to read prayer from over the books. We are not sure why you cannot come close to the graves. We do not know, we do not know, we do not know, these rules come from the government. The end! The end! The end!
I responded by saying well you should have just said that from the start and not wasted our time.
I said: goodbye to them and left the place and headed towards the hotel to have some breakfast.
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Day Twenty First of Zyqadeh
It was ten o'clock and we met as we had agreed.
Dr: Hello, peace be upon you.
Sh: Good morning, peace be upon you.
Dr: It truly is a huge honor that I can be here with you.
Sh: It is a happy time for me too but I have a request.
Dr: Go ahead.
Sh: I think that two hours in the morning is a bit problematic. If it is possible for us to change the time and at least make it once every other day. It would be more suitable.
Dr: I agree, for example lets have tomorrows debate after Zuhr prayer and then you come to my hotel for lunch. It would be my treat and I could introduce you to my friends and we can continue the debate there. In my opinion, after Zuhr prayer and lunch is the best time as there aren't many group activities as everyone is taking a rest.
Sh: I agree. So from tomorrow we agree to meet up after Zuhr pray and then we go back to your hotel for one day and to my hotel the next.
Dr: I agree but for today let's have a talk or do you wish to postpone it to Zuhr pray.
Sh: No, I have come to talk today. It is best to take advantage of the situation. Let's find a place to sit.
We sat where we had been sitting yesterday. Several other people were sitting there too so we moved to another corner and rested there. Before starting to debate we drank some Zamzam water. As I was drinking the water I was told by a Saudi Sheikh to hold the cup with my right hand and not the left. I apologized and did as I was told and then told the Sheikh that it is always good to obey the traditions however this Sheikh that is stuck on such a small detailed thing is oblivious to things that are happening in Palestine, Gaza, Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan. These people remind me of the Hojatiyeh Groups in Iran. Instead of opposing against the Shah they were fighting over Pepsi Cola.
Dr: You told me you were going to go over the companion debate. How did that go?
Sh: I thought a lot about it. I could not easily deconstruct my thirty years of beliefs and neither could I find answers to your professional accounts.
Dr: But the difference between a researcher and a common person is that once he comes to a truth that could be brutal and bitter he would still accept it.