A glance at the Caliph’s viewpoint
You can see that this man is committed to his viewpoint without evidence
and without proof from Quran and Sunnah; and he does not have anything, which
he may make as his shield, except for three reasonings, which when he
mentioned, Abdur Rahman bin Auf rejected them, and after condemnation had
swallowed him his relying on these reasonings was like a drowning man clinging
to a straw.
One, who studies those reasonings well, will not have doubt that a person in
position of adjudication does not present such arguments, what to say about the
leader of Muslims.
If his wife being Meccan, becomes reason for his prayer to be complete,
which of the Muhajireen were not as such? In that case, all should have recited
the prayer in full, but religion, has unequivocally and obligatorily shortened it for
the traveler and wife is under the protection of man and whether at home or
during a journey, she is under his protection, and the husband, due to his being
near his true home, the wife would be one, who has migrated from both of them,
and is not excepted from command of traveler.
Ibne Hajar has mentioned in Fathul Bari:1
Ahmad and Baihaqi have narrated the tradition of Uthman that when he was
in Mina, he recited four units and people disliked this. He said: “Since I have
come to Mecca, I will remove the consecration at this place only and I heard the
Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) say: Whoever removes consecration in a city is like
one, who lives over there, he prays there like a native.”
This tradition is with incomplete chains of narrators [a number of its
narrators are omitted] and it is not proper, and among narrators there are untrustworthy persons and the fact that Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) traveled with his
wives, and prayed shortened prayer, rejects this tradition.
Ibne Qayyim writes, while listing the reasonings of Caliph:2
“He married in Mina, and if a traveler stays in a place and marries over there
or has a wife over there, he should recite the prayer in full. And there are
traditions narrated from the Prophet without chains of narrators. Akrama bin
Ibrahim Azdi has narrated from Abu Zathab from his father that: Uthman prayed
the prayer for people of Mina as four units (Rakat) and said: O people, when I
came here, I came out of consecration and I heard the Messenger of Allah
(s.a.w.a.) say: When a person removes consecration (marries) in a place, he
should recite prayer as a resident there. Ahmad has mentioned this report in his
Musnad3 and Abdullah bin Zubair Hamidi has also narrated it in his Musnad.4 Baihaqi has regarded it weak because of its chains of narrators being incomplete
and because of considering Akrama bin Ibrahim as weak.
Abul Barakat bin Taymiyyah said: The weakness of Akrama can be
demanded from Baihaqi [he is criticized for considering Akrama as weak],
because Bukhari has mentioned it in his Tarikh.5 And inspite of his habit of
picking faults, he has not mentioned any of its defect.
Ibne Abbas and Ahmad have before him clarified that: If a traveler marries,
he should pray [in the place he has married] the prayer as full.
Same is the view of Abu Hanifah, Malik and their followers, and this is the
best evidence, which can be used in defense of Uthman.
Allamah Amini says: If Uthman at that time and in the presence of all those
present had brought this reasoning and in Islam it was definite that marriage ends
the journey [and obliges the traveler to pray in full] as this is not as such – no
statement remained under the veil of secrecy, from this man, who is in pursuit of
tradition to make himself duty-bound exposes it or someone, who talks without
evidence and attention, he fabricates it for that aim.
Furthermore, if the meaning is as such, why did the companions criticized
him? Did they not hear his call of excuse when mentioning the reasonings or
heard, but did not accord it any value? Or that this address is a fabricated addition
after his tenure ended?
Moreover, according to Ahle Sunnat, marriage is valid only when it is
witnessed by two witnesses and it is narrated from Ibne Abbas that: Marriage is
not valid, except in presence of four persons: Guardian, two witnesses and the
groom;6 and where were the pillars of Caliph when he was criticized, so that they
may have defended him from this scandal?
When did this man marry this imaginary woman that it should have ended
his journey? And what made this act lawful for him, whereas he entered Mecca in
consecration? And how does he promote an unlawful thing and says: When I
came to Mecca, I got married and he had not even completed the Umrah Tamatto
– because as its detail would come for accepting the viewpoint of one, who made
Umrah Tamatto unlawful, he did not regard it lawful – so that it should be said: Between consecration of Umrah and Hajj and he married after completing the
rituals of Umrah.
From this aspect he is consecrated from Masjid Shajara till he performs all
rituals in Mina till he comes out of consecration, thus, it is obligatory to recite the
prayer in full – although if the marriage is cause for reciting prayer in full, but
through what reasoning? – it is from the aspect that he had the garments of
consecration and married in that condition, whereas he was in Ihram in Mina and
Arafat along with pilgrims and he recited the prayer in full, and this is another
problem, which cannot be solved, because through his own chains, Uthman has
narrated in an authentic tradition from the Prophet that the person in Ihram cannot
marry or recite formula of marriage for someone else or make a proposal.7
Alas, if we only knew through which verse of Quran or traditional report,
Abu Hanifah and Malik have said and Ahmad has clarified – as Ibne Qayyim has
thought8 – If the traveler marries in a place, he should recite the prayer complete?
Whereas the proven Sunnah of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) is opposed to this. The
only evidence is traditional report of Akrama bin Ibrahim, which Baihaqi has
considered weak and also it is narrated from Ibne Hajar9 that this traditional
report is not valid.
Yahya10 and Abu Dawood have said that: “Akrama is not worth mention.”
Nasai has written:11
“He is weak and not trustworthy.”
Yes, these senior scholars want to defend the honor of Caliph, even though
they might deliver verdicts opposed to what Almighty Allah has revealed and
how similar this act is with acts of his predecessors! We shall make you aware of
such verdicts opposed to Quran and Sunnah in the coming pages.
More amazing is the fact that Ibne Qayyim regards this fabricated reasoning
best evidence by which he can defend Uthman! This is when these criticism and
weaknesses have surrounded him as we mentioned. This is the position of best
evidence, and what can you expect the other evidences to be?