11. Eleventh objection
He says: Regarding the verse:
إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَهُمْ رَٰكِعُونَ (٥٥)
“Only Allah is your Guardian and His Apostle and those who
believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while
they bow.”1
Some fabricators have fabricated traditions that this verse was revealed
regarding Ali when he gave away his ring in alms (Sadaqah); whereas this tradition, according to consensus of tradition scholars, is purely false.2
After that he has rejected through futile statements, which are absolutely in
negation of established texts and an example of it was mentioned in the
discussion on the return of the sun and we would refute arguments of this author
in discussions on verse of purification3 verse of affection (Mawaddah)4 and tradition of brotherhood etc. also.
Reply to the eleventh objection
I didn’t expect shamelessness and dishonesty to bring down a person to such
levels that he denies reports, which end at Ameerul Momineen (a.s.), Ibne Abbas,
Abu Zar, Ammaar, Jabir Ansari, Abu Rafe, Anas bin Malik, Salma bin Kuhail,
Abdullah bin Salam; and Imams and scholars of traditions have narrated it. And
according to his false notion, he regards it as fabricated. Yes, this consensus is
also, like other baseless claims, remote from facts.
I don’t know how he says: Scholars have consensus on its falsehood,
whereas they have argued through this tradition and verse in two places and
considered them as verses of Islamic rules.5
One: In rules of ritual prayer that whether ritual prayer is invalidated due to
little acts?
Two: Regarding recommended alms (Sadaqah): whether it should be named
as Zakat or not?
This clearly shows their consensus on authenticity of tradition.
In the same way, scholastic theologians, who want to criticize and analyze,
without any doubt in its chains of narrators, have only discussed its reasoning, so
much so that in spite of the fact some of them, though they criticize its reasoning,
they say: The actual tradition is proved authentic for all commentators and if
there is any dispute, it is regarding its meaning. All this clearly shows that
correctness of tradition is accepted in view of all commentators, scholastic
theologians and jurists.
In addition, all tradition scholars have mentioned it in their writings and
regarded it as valid. So much so that some of them have even discussed its
correctness. With this in view, the question arises that where is the consensus,
which Ibne Taymiyyah has claimed? From where has this sprouted? So, you may
judge for yourself.
Following are some narrators of the tradition or those, who believe in its
authenticity:
1. Abu Ja’far Iskafi Mutazali (d. 240 A.H.): He has mentioned this tradition in his treatise, which he wrote in refutation of Jahiz.6
2. Hafiz Abdur Rahman Nasai, author of Sunan (d. 303 A.H.) in his Saheeh.
3. Ibne Jarir Tabari (d. 310 A.H.): In his Tafseer, he has narrated this tradition through a number of chains.7
4. Hafiz Abu Bakr Jassas Razi (d. 370 A.H.) in Ahkamul Quran has quoted this tradition through a number of authorities.8
5. Abul Qasim Jarullah Zamakhshari Hanafi (d. 538 A.H.): He has quoted the tradition in his Tafseer Kashaf9 and he says:
If some doubts that the term of ‘believers’ used therein is a plural, and hence it cannot imply a singular, I would reply that if the giver of Sadaqah is only one person it is in form of a plural, so that others may be encouraged to perform this good deed and earn divine rewards.
6. Hafiz Abul Qasim Ibne Asakir Damishqi (d. 571 A.H.) has narrated this tradition through numerous channels in his Tarikh Sham.10
7. Izzuddin Ibne Abil Hadeed Mutazali (d. 655 A.H.) in Sharh Nahjul Balagha11.
8. Qaazi Nasiruddin Baidhawi Shafei (d. 685 A.H.) in his Tafseer.12
9. Jalaluddin Suyuti Shafei (d. 911 A.H.) in Durre Manthur13 has narrated this tradition through a number of chains.
Text of the tradition
It is narrated from Anas bin Malik that:
“A beggar to came to the Masjid and said: Who would help a distressed
beggar? Ali (a.s.), who was in genuflection, gestured to his finger. That is he may
take the ring from it.
At that moment, the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) remarked: “Umar, it has
become obligatory.”
Umar asked: “May my parents be sacrificed on you, what has become
obligatory?”
“By God, Paradise became obligatory for him, before the beggar removed
the ring from his finger” His Eminence (s.a.w.a.) replied, “Almighty Allah
cleansed him of all sins and mistakes.”
Anas says: Before anyone left the Masjid, Jibraeel arrived with the verse:
إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَهُمْ رَٰكِعُونَ (٥٥)
“Only Allah is your Guardian and His Apostle and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow.”14
At that moment Hassan bin Thabit recited the following verses:
1. O Ali, my soul and heart be sacrificed on you; and sacrificed on you
be all those, who are slow or fast on the path of guidance. 2. Would my
praise and that of your followers be destroyed, indeed the praise recited
about Almighty Allah will never be destroyed. 3. O the best of those, who
genuflect; you donated your ring in bowing, may all be sacrificed on you. 4.
O the best of the chiefs, O the best buyer and O the best seller! It was due to
your blessed ring that 5. Almighty Allah sent the best of Mastership
(Wilayat) for you, and made it evident in the basic principles of religion.