Like father like son
As for Walid, he was a transgressor according to Quran; a fornicator, sinner,
who was always drunk, who trespassed on divine laws and teachings of religion,
who insulted laws and teachings of religion, and was lashed in presence of
people; ask him regarding the following statement of Almighty Allah:
إِنْ جَاءَ كُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَا فَتَبَيَّنُوا
“If an evil-doer comes to you with a report, look carefully into it.”1
Because, those, who are aware of the interpretation and explanation of
Quran, have consensus that the verse was revealed about him as was mentioned.2
And ask him regarding the verse:
أَفَمَنْ كَانَ مُؤْمِنًا كَمَنْ كَانَ فَاسِقًا لَا يَسْتَوْنَ
“Is he then who is a believer like him who is a transgressor? They are not equal.”3
And this verse, like the previous verse, was revealed and it has mentioned
him as a transgressor as was mentioned above.4 And ask him regarding the Great
Mosque of Kufa on the day that due to intoxication he had vomited there and
recited the Morning Prayer as four units, and then recited the following verses
aloud:
“My heart is attached to my wife, Rabab, even though both of us have
become aged.”
And he said: After the prayer, he asked: “Shall I recite some more?” Ibne
Masud thrashed Walid with his shoe and worshipers hurled stones at him and he
entered into the castle while stones were being hurled at him and he was so
intoxicated that he stumbled home, according to the details mentioned before:5
Ask him about the whip of Abdullah bin Ja’far, who lashed him upon the
commands of Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) for having consumed wine. And he
abused His Eminence (a.s.) in presence of Uthman after there was a clamor for
delay in penalty.6
Ask him regarding his cousin Saeed bin Aas, when the pulpit of Kufa Masjid
and its prayer niche was washed due to the filth of this transgressor, when
Uthman appointed him as the governor of Kufa after Walid.
Ask him regarding grandson of Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.), Imam Hasan
Mujtaba (a.s.) when he spoke in gathering of Muawiyah, and His Eminence
replied:
“As for you O Walid, I swear by Allah, I don’t condemn you for enmity to
Ali (a.s.), whereas he gave you eighty lashes for drinking liquor and killed your
father by cutting off his limbs in the presence of Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.)
and you are the same, whom God has named as ‘transgressor’ and named Ali as
‘believer; when He lauded one over the other and you said: O Ali, keep quiet, as I
am more daring then you and a more powerful speaker. And Ali said: Shut up
Walid as I am a believer and you are a transgressor. Thus, Almighty Allah
revealed the following verse in his favor:
أَفَمَن كَانَ مُؤْمِنًۭا كَمَن كَانَ فَاسِقًۭا ۚ لَّا يَسْتَوُۥنَ (١٨)
“Is he then who is a believer like him who is a transgressor? They are not equal.”7
No, these are never similar. And also revealed in his favor:
إِنْ جَاءَ كُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَا فَتَبَيَّنُوا
“If an evil-doer comes to you with a report, look carefully into it.”8
What do you have to do with Quraish? Indeed, you are a disbeliever from
folks of Safooriya. By God, in birth, you are more than one you are attributed
to.”9
If you want, ask Caliph Uthman why he regarded him worthy of being
appointed for collecting taxes from Bani Taghlib and after that as governor of
Kufa, and regarding him as trustworthy over Islamic laws and honor of Muslims
and culture of people and calling them to upright faith, waiving his loan from
Public Treasury and exonerating him from returning the loans.
It is mentioned in Tahzibut Tahzib,10 that: “His being a companion is proved
and he committed sins, regarding which it is upon Allah and the right thing for us
is to maintain silence.”
However, we do not regard silence as correct whereas Holy Quran is not
silent and has mentioned him as ‘transgressor’ in two places.
أَفَمَن كَانَ مُؤْمِنًۭا كَمَن كَانَ فَاسِقًۭا ۚ لَّا يَسْتَوُۥنَ (١٨)
“Is he then who is a believer like him who is a transgressor? They are not equal.”11
No, these are definitely not equal.
If we are silent regarding what is there between him and Allah, the Mighty
and the High, it is not lawful to appoint him as a judge and to narrate traditions
from him, whereas he is mentioned as ‘transgressor’ in Quran, as he used to
openly drink wine, commit transgression and trespass limits:
وَمَن يَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَ ٱللَّهِ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ (٢٢٩)
“And whoever exceeds the limits of Allah these it is that are the unjust.”12