This sermon is named as Shiqshiqya; and a great many opinions are
expressed regarding this and experts of literature from Shia and Sunni have
quoted this and they believe that it is among sermons, proved to be definitely
from Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) and there is no doubt about its chains of narrators.
That is why the foolish suggestion that it is fabricated by Sayyid Razi is not
tenable (and is unworthy); because people have narrated it during the preceding
centuries, long before the birth of Sayyid Razi, as the contemporaries and
succeeding scholars have quoted this sermon through authorities other than those
of Sayyid Razi.
In Al-Ghadeer,1 Allamah Amini has mentioned the names of 28 persons,
some of them being:
- Abu Ja’far Dibil Khuzai (d. 246 A.H.): as is mentioned in Amali of
Shaykh Tusi.2 Dibil has narrated this sermon from Ibne Abbas through his chains
of narrators; and Abul Hasan Ali, brother of Dibil has narrated from him.
- Abu Ja’far bin Ahmad bin Muhammad Barqi (d. 274, 280 A.H.): as is
mentioned in Ilalush Sharai.3
- Abu Ali Jubai, senior personality of Mutazalites (d. 303 A.H.). As is
mentioned in the book of Al-Firqatul Najiya, by Ibrahim Qatifi and Biharul
Anwar of Allamah Majlisi.4
- Abul Qasim Balkhi, senior personality of Mutazalites (d. 317 A.H.). As is
mentioned in Sharh Nahjul Balagha of Ibne Abil Hadid.5
- Abu Ja’far Ibne Quba, student of Abul Qasim Balkhi. As is mentioned in
Sharh Nahjul Balagha of Ibne Abil Hadid6 and Sharh Ibne Mitham.7 He has
mentioned this sermon in his book of Insaf.
- Qadi Abdul Jabbar Mutazali (d. 415 A.H.): In his book of Al-Mughni,8 he
has justified some statements of the sermon and its being a proof that it is a
condemnation of the Caliphate of those, who took precedence over Ameerul
Momineen (a.s.), without expressing any doubt about its chains of narrators.
- Abul Khair, Musaddaq bin Shabib Sulhi Nahwi (d. 605 A.H.). He recited
the sermon before Abu Muhammad bin Khashshab and he said:
When I read out the sermon before my teacher, Abu Muhammad bin Khashshab, and when I reached the statement of Ibne Abbas that he said: “I never
regretted anything more than the fact that Imam Ali (a.s.) was unable to continue
his sermon,” my teacher said: “If I were present, I would have asked Ibne Abbas:
Did your cousin leave anything he did not say? He has not left anyone from the
first to last.”
Musaddaq, who was a humorous persons, says: “Master, perhaps this
discourse is attributed to him and is not from His Eminence?”
He replied: “No, by God, I know that this sermon is only his discourse, just
as I know that you are Musaddaq.”
Musaddaq said: “People attribute it to Sayyid Razi.”
He replied: “No, by God, it is not from Sayyid Razi. From where can Sayyid
Razi bring such eloquent discourse? We have seen his style in prose and poetry
and it is not anywhere near this.”9
Then he said: “By God, I have seen this sermon in books written two
hundred years before the birth of Sayyid Razi and also seen in writings of
scholars and literature experts, whom I recognize and they wrote them before
Abu Ahmad, father of Razi came into this world.”10
- Izzuddin Ibne Abil Hadid Mutazali, (d. 655 A.H.) writes in Sharh Nahjul Balagha:11
“I say that I have seen a large part of this sermon in the writings of my
teacher, Abul Qasim Balkhi, leader of Mutazila in Baghdad. He lived during the
reign of Muqtadar and much before Razi came into the world.”
What can I say after the contemporary poet Egypt12 has enflamed the fire
lying low. And has revived those fires of crimes, which lay quiet and renewed
those crimes, which were forgotten. No, by God, they will never be forgotten –
and he regards that as the praise of the past people, and he raises his voice after
passage of centuries on those crimes, and through his composition in Qasida
Umariya, under the title of ‘Umar and Ali’, he says:
“And for the statement that Umar said to Ali; how noble is the one, who
heard that statement and how great is the sayer: I would burn down your house
and not leave you alive in that unless you give the pledge of allegiance. And it
was when the daughter of Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) was present in that
house. No one other than Abu Hafs (Umar) can issue such a statement to the
descendants of Adnan (ancestor of Prophet)!”
What should I say after some people of Egypt, at the beginning of the year
1918 A.D. recited this Qasida Umariya in a huge crowd containing these verses,
and magazines and newspapers spread them all over the world and great scholars
of Egypt, like Ahmad Amin, Ahmad Zain, Ibrahim Abyari,13 Ali Jaram, Ali
Amin,14 Khalil Matran,15 Mustafa Damyati Bak16
and others17 praised that poet, hurting the sentiments of a large part of Muslims and destroying Muslim unity
and they think that they have done something very nice!
And the Diwan of the poet especially the Qasida Umariya, is published
many times in new editions and its commentator, Damyati says under the verse:
“It implies that if the daughter of the Prophet is silent in that house, it will
not guarantee that Ali would remain safe from Umar.” He also writes:18
“In the report of Ibne Jarir Tabari, it is narrated from Jarir from Mughira
from Ziyad bin Kulayb that Umar bin Khattab went to the house of Ali, in which
Talha, Zubair and some Muhajireen were present. He said: By God, I would burn
down the house over you, except that you come out to pay allegiance. So, Zubair
attacked him wielding the sword. But he dropped the sword and they attacked
and apprehended him. If Ziyad, in the chains of narrators is Ziyad Hanzali Abu
Mashir Kufi, he is trustworthy and apparently Tabari has trusted this report.”
You will see that they have exaggerated in praising the poet and this Qasida;
as if he has brought a very nice and fresh opinion for the academic society; or
regards it to be a nice excellence for Umar, which pleases the Ummah and Holy
Prophet (s.a.w.a.)!
Glad tiding or rather glad tidings for Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), whose beloved
daughter, Lady Fatima Zahra (s.a.) had no sanctity and value before one, who
issues this statement. And her presence in the house whose folks Almighty Allah
has purified, has not restrained him from burning it down.
How nice is the selection, whose dignity is as such! And how blessed was
the allegiance, which was concluded with such terror and fear and which was
established with such disgrace!
At this point, I don’t wish to say anything about this, except that after we
have studied the history of the first Caliph; before and after embracing Islam, we found him in morals and habits, to be like ordinary people of that time; and that it
was only the selection, which awarded him the seat of Caliphate.
We shall discuss this under two topics: Merits of Abu Bakr and his personal
capacities.