Was Aboo Lu'lu'ah A Zoroastrian?

Introduction:

Following battle of Al-Qadisiyyah during the reign of the second usurper Umar ibn Al-Khattab, many Persians which included men, women and children were taken as captives by the army. These captives were sold as slaves, and from amongst them was Aboo-Lu'lu'ah. He was purchased by the well known companion Mughirah bin Shu'bah on account of his skills as a craftsman. Whilst serving for Mughirah, Aboo Lu'lu'ah complained to Umar that he had become physically shattered through his labour and was hopeful that the matter may be resolved by either an increase in salary, or a reduction in his work hours. Thus, the case was not resolved which attracted the ire of Aboo-Lu'lu'ah who then decided to kill Umar ibn Al-Khattab. Polemical studies indicate that the majority of those who detest the school of Ahlulbayt (a.s) justify their enmity by pointing to this character Aboo Lu'lu'ah. Their reasons for treating him as persona non grata are two fold, and that is, that he was:

1. The killer of Umar ibn Al-Khattab

2. Of Persian descent

As Aboo Lu'lu'ah was Persian, Nawasib propagandists have argued that the Shi'a are the descendants of Aboo Lu'lu'ah as this was the faith ascribed to be the Safavids that propagated Shi'ism through their dominion. Many claims have been made against the Safavids, however, no proper citations can be provided. Our opponents need to learn a thing or two on how to conduct scholastic research. Encyclopedias are not reliable on anything precisely because they lack peer review. 

The success of the Safavids spreading the teachings of the Ahlulbayt (a.s) resulted in many Zoroastrians reverting to the path of the Ahlulbayt (a.s). It is for this very reason that the opponents of the school of the Ahlulbayt (a.s) like to tarnish their image by giving them derogative terms such as 'Majoosi' (Zoroastrians). Indeed, some of the most notable companions of the Prophet (saw) came from non-Arab backgrounds, such as Bilal (r.a) who was Ethiopian and Salman Al-Farsi 'Muhammadi' (r.a) who was in fact Persian. We are in no doubt, had these shameless personalities been around during the era of the Prophet (saw) they too would have accused Salman (r.a), an ardent lover of the Ahlulbayt (a.s) of being a Majoosi! The most important scholars of almost all of the Islamic sects and schools of thought were Persian or live in Iran including most notable 'Sunni' Hadith collectors like Al Bukhari, Imam Muslim and Hakim al-Nishaburi,famous theologians such as Imam Ghazali, Imam Fakhr al-Razi and Al-Zamakhshari.

Their attempts to draw such a nexus of Shi'ism being on a par with Zoroastrianism is the height of ignorance. If the Shi'a are to be attacked on the premise that their past ancestors were of Zoroastrian descent, they should be reminded that this would be no different in comparing the Pagan Arabs who abandoned idolatry and eventually embraced Islam to the present day Sunni Arabs. 

Despite this fact, the sad nausea rant of the Nawasib is that the Shi'a are the descendants of Aboo Lu'lu'ah the Zoroastrian, and this reality is sufficient to prove that their beliefs originate from Zoroastrianism. Whilst such absurd arguments have been refuted, we have seen very little effort to actually ascertain the actual faith of Aboo Lu'lu'ah whose adherence to Zoroastrianism is accepted as the gospel truth, without anyone ever having challenge such a notion. In this article, we seek to evidence the fact that the allegation of Aboo Lu'lu'ah being a Zoroastrian is a lie and that generations of Sunnis have been fed on a staple diet.

Ibn Hibban:

Ahmad ibn Alee ibn Al-Muthanna narrated, Qutun ibn Nasir Al-Ghabry narrated from Ja'far ibn Sulaiman Al-Deb'y narrated to us Thabit Al-Nanany narrating from Abi Rafi who said; Aboo Lu'lu'ah was a slave for Mughira ibn Shu'ba and he used to make millstones and Al-Mughira used to to manipulate his labour by giving him four dirhams every day. Then Aboo Lu'lu'ah met Umar ibn Al-Khattab (to complain about his exhaustion) and addressed him: "O commander of the faithful! Al-Mughira made heavier the burden of my livelihood so ask him to ease me." Therefore Umar told him: "Fear God and do good to your master." Therefore the slave got angry and said: "Your righteousness contained all other people [but not me!]." Therefore he made up his mind to kill him. He made a dagger with two heads and poisoned it and came to Al-Hormuzan (Persian King) and said: "How do you see this?" Then he said: "You do not hit anyone by it but you kill him!" He said [Abi Rafi]; and Aboo Lu'lu'ah awaited for Umar, therefore he came to him at the Fajr (morning prayers) until he stood behind him. And Umar, whenever the prayers commended, used to say, 'Establish your rows' and he said what he used to always say and when he said 'Takbeer.' Aboo Lu'lu'ah hit him in his shoulder and hit him in his side, then Umar fell down and he hit by his dagger thirteen men. Among them seven were killed, and Umar was carried and took to his house and people shouted until the Sun was about to rise, then Abdur Rahman ibn Auf said, "O people! The prayer! The prayer!" He said [Abi Rafi’]; Then they [people] rushed to the prayer, then Abdur Rahman ibn Auf took the lead and prayed leading them with the shortest two Surah's of the Holy Qur'aan. And when he accomplished his prayer, they headed to Umar and he called for a drink to know the intensity of his wound. So wine was brought and he drank it, and it came out of his wound, and he did not know if it was wine or blood. Then he called for yogurt, and he drank it and it came out of his wound then they said; "O commander of the faithful, there is no harm [to you]!" He said: "If being killed is a harm then I am killed."

Footnote: Narration is Saheeh (Authentic).

Source: Saheeh ibn Hibban. Vol. 15, Pg. # 331 - 333, H. # 6905.

 
Abi Yahla:

Aboo Abid Qatn ibn Nasir Al-Ghabry narrated from Ja'far ibn Suleiman narrated from Thabit Al-Benanai narrating Abi Rafi' who said, "Aboo Lu'lu'ah was a slave for Mughira ibn Shu'ba and he used to make millstones and Mughira used to exploit him [his working power] everyday for four dirhams. Then Aboo Lu'lu'ah met Umar ibn Al-Khattab and addressed him: 'O commander of the faithful, Mughira made heavier the burden of my livelihood so ask him to ease me.' Therefore Umar told him: 'Fear God and do good to your master,' with Umar having in his will to meet Mughira and talk to him so that he eases (Aboo Lu'lu'ah case). The slave therefore got angry and said, 'Your righteousness contained all other people [but not me]!' Therefore he made up his mind to kill him and he made a dagger with two heads and poisoned it and came to Al-Hormuzan (Persian King) and said, 'How do you see this?' Then he said, 'You do not hit anyone by it but you kill him.' Aboo Lu'lu'ah awaited for Umar and he came at the Fajr prayer (morning prayers) until he stood behind Umar. And whenever the prayer was established, Umar used to speak and say: 'Establish your rows' and he said what he used [always] to say and when he said, 'Takbeer,' Aboo Lu'lu'ah hit him in his shoulder and hit him in his side, then Umar fell down and he hit by his dagger thirteen men. Among them seven died and six survived and Umar was carried and taken to his house and people shouted until the Sun was about to rise. Then Abdul Rahman ibn Auf said, 'O people! The prayer! The prayer!' He said [Abi Rafi']; And they [people] rushed to the prayer, then Abdul Rahman ibn Auf took the lead and prayed, leading them, with the shortest two Surahs of the Holy Qur'aan. And when he accomplished his prayer they headed to Umar, and he called for a drink to know the intensity of his wound, so wine was brought, and he drank it and it came out of his wound and he did not know whether it was wine or blood. Then he called for yogurt, and he drank it and it came out of his wound, then they said: 'O commander of the faithful, there is no harm [to you]!' He said: 'If being killed had a harm aspect, then I am killed.' Then people started to say compliments for him. They said: 'O commander of the faithful, may Allah (swt) reward you. The good, you were...' [many things]. Then they left, and other people came in and said compliments for him, then Umar said: 'I swear to God, instead of what you are saying, I would have preferred that I departed this world as a poor man, with nothing on my burden and nothing for my [property] and the companionship of the Messenger of Allah (saw) has been saved for me.'"

Footnote: Narration is Saheeh (Authentic). 

Source: Musnad Abi Yahla. Vol. 5, Pg. # 116 - 118, H. # 2731.

Al-Haythami:

From Aboo Rafi, who said; Aboo Lu'lu'ah was a slave of Mughira ibn Shu'ba. He used to manipulate his labour by giving him four dirhams every day. One day Aboo Lu'lu'ah met Umar and he said to him, "O commander of the faithful! Surely, Mughira has made me tired of his cheating labour on me. Kindly speak to him so that he might make it easy for me." Umar said to him, "Fear Allah (swt) and continue to do good to your master (Al-Mughira')." Umar had an intention of speaking to Mughira on this matter so that he might ease some labour to his slave (Aboo Lu'lu'ah). But the slave became angry and said, "All people are benefited from his justice except me!" And then he intended to kill him, and so he made a knife which had two splitting ends and sharpened it and poisoned it. And he (Aboo Lu'lu'ah) went to Hormuzan (king of Persia) saying, "How did you see this knife?" He said, "I see that you will never stab with it any one except you will kill him!" He then said, Aboo Lu'lu'ah  prepared for his action and he came at the Fajr (morning prayer) until he stood behind Umar. When prayer commended, Umar used to say, 'Establish your lines,' and when he did his Takbeer, Aboo Lu'lu'ah stabbed him on his chest and hit his side. Umar fell down. Aboo Lu'lu'ah hit his dagger thirteen times. In the process seven men died and six got injured. Then he ran to his house, and people stayed till the Sun had almost risen. Abdul Rahman ibn Auf took the lead and prayed leading them with the shortest two Surahs of the Holy Qur'aan. And when he accomplished his prayer, they headed to Umar and he called for a drink to know the intensity of his wound, so wine was brought and he drank it and it came out of his wound and he did not know if it was wine or blood. Then he called for yogurt, and he drank it, and it came out of his wound. Then they said, "O commander of the faithful, there is no harm [to you]!" He said, "If being killed is a harm then I am killed."

Footnote: Narration is Saheeh (Authentic).

Source: Majma Al-Zawa'id. Vol. 9, Pg. # 52, H. # 14464.

Ibn Asakir:

Aboo Rafi' said that Aboo Lu'lu'ah was a servant of Mughira ibn Shu'ba and he used to make millstones. He said (narrator), Mughira used to exploit him every day for four dirhams. He said then Aboo Lu'lu'ah met Umar, so he said, "O commander of the faithful, Mughira has burdened me, so speak to him so that he can ease me!" Umar said: "Fear Allah (swt) and enjoin goodness to your Master." He said: From the intention of Umar is to meet Mughira and speak to him about taking it easy [about Aboo Lu'lu'ah]. So he said: Aboo Lu'lu'ah became angry and said: "His justice is vast enough to fill in everyone except me!" So he became angry and pre-planned to murder him [Umar]. He [narrator] said: So he constructed a dagger with two heads. He said: He unsheathed it and Umar prepared himself and Umar used to not make Takbeer if the prayers were established until he says, "establish your rows." He said: So he [Aboo Lu'lu'ah] stood on the first row with his shoes while Umar was in front of him.

Source: Tariqh Dimashq. Vol. 44, Pg. # 412.

Objection One:

Aboo Lu'lu'ah was an evil man who was getting almost $12 a day. If he had grievances, it should have been against Mughira his employee, not Umar. Why did he kill Umar instead of Mughira?

Response One

The reason Umar was targeted was because Aboo Lu'lu'ah expected him to resolve the matter since he was the head of state. The issue had nothing to do with his salary, rather he was being exploited for work as the narrations have stated. After no efforts had been made by Umar, Aboo Lu'lu'ah then viewed him as the source of his oppression, for it was down to the degrading manner in which Umar viewed non-Arabs which encouraged his subjects such as Mughira to treat him in such an atrocious manner. Aboo Lu'lu'ah thus sought to vent his frustration at the man responsible for the degrading exploitation that he was experiencing at the hands of his Master Mughira. We know from history that Umar was the founding father of discrimination against non-Arabs. It was Umar who issued an edict that non-Arabs were not permitted to enter the precincts of Madinah, meaning that his attitude towards such people was that they were second class citizens which gave the green light to Arabs to treat them in a degrading manner. Al-Zuhri also confirmed that Umar did not allow any non-Arabs (ajam) to enter Madinah. Al-Mughira ibn Shu'bah therefore had to seek special permission for Aboo Lu'lu'ah to live and work in the town.

Abdul Razzaq:

Abdul Al-Razzaq on the authority of Ma'mar, on the authority of Al-Zuhri, who said: Umar would not permit a non-Arab to enter Madinah, but Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah wrote to Umar saying, "I own a slave who is a carpenter, artisan and a smith; he can be of great benefit to the inhabitants of Madinah. If you deem it fit to permit me to send him, consider it done."

Umar granted him permission, and Al-Mughirah levied a payment of two silver pieces per day from this slave. The slave was called Aboo Lu'lu'ah, and he was originally Zoroastrian. He remained in Madinah as long as God willed, but then one day he came to Umar complaining about the severity of the levy on his work, so Umar asked him, "In which crafts do you excel?" (Aboo Lu'lu'ah) said, "I am a carpenter, an artisan and a smith," he replied. Umar then declared, "Considering the extent to which you excel in your crafts, your levy is not so great!" Aboo Lu'lu'ah then walked away grumbling. Another time, the slave passed by Umar while he was seated, and Umar said, "Is it true what I have been told that you say, "If you want me to fashion a mill that uses the wind to grind grain, I can?" "Indeed," replied Aboo Lu'lu'ah, "I shall build a mill about which the people shall never cease to speak!" As Aboo Lu'lu'ah left, Umar exclaimed, "Did that slave just threaten me with violence?" When Aboo Lu'lu'ah resolved to the deed, he took a dagger and concealed it. Then he crouched down in one of the corners of the Masjid waiting for Umar. Umar had set out before day break to wake the people for prayer, and when he passed by, Aboo Lu'lu'ah lunged towards him and stabbed him three times. One of the wounds was under Umar's navel and that was the one that killed him. Aboo Lu'lu'ah stabbed twelve other men in the masjid; six of them died, and six survived. Then he slit his own throat with his dagger and died.


Source: Musannaf Abdul Razzaq. Vol. 5, Pg. # 474 - 475, H. # 9775.

Al-Bukhari:

Narrated Amr bin Maimun: I saw Umar bin Al-Khattab a few days before he was stabbed in Madinah. He was standing with Hudhaifa bin Al-Yaman and Uthman bin Hunaif to whom he said, "What have you done? Do you think that you have imposed more taxation on the land (of As-Swad i.e. Iraq) than it can bear?" They replied, "We have imposed on it what it can bear because of its great yield." Umar again said, "Check whether you have imposed on the land what it can not bear." They said, "No, (we haven't)." Umar added, "If Allah (swt) should keep me alive I will let the widows of Iraq need no men to support them after me." But only four days had elapsed when he was stabbed (to death). The day he was stabbed, I was standing and there was nobody between me and him (i.e. Umar) except Abdullah bin Abbas. Whenever Umar passed between the two rows, he would say, "Stand in straight lines." When he saw no defect (in the rows), he would go forward and start the prayer with Takbir. He would recite Surat Yusuf or An-Nahl or the like in the first Rak'ah so that the people may have the time to join the prayer. As soon as he said Takbir, I heard him saying, "The dog has killed or eaten me" at the time he (i.e. the murderer) stabbed him. A non-Arab infidel proceeded on carrying a double-edged knife and stabbing all the persons he passed by on the right and left (till) he stabbed thirteen persons out of whom seven died. When one of the Muslims saw that, he threw a cloak on him. Realising that he had been captured, the non-Arab infidel killed himself. Umar held the hand of Abdur Rahman bin Auf and let him lead the prayer. Those who were standing by the side of Umar saw what I saw, but the people who were in the other parts of the Masjid did not see anything, but they lost the voice of Umar and they were saying, "Subhan Allah! Subhan Allah! (i.e. Glorified be Allah)." Abdur Rahman bin Auf led the people a short prayer. When they finished the prayer, Umar said, "O Ibn Abbas! Find out who attacked me." Ibn Abbas kept on looking here and there for a short time and came to say, "the slave of Al-Mughira." On that Umar said, "The craftsman?" Ibn Abbas said, "Yes." Umar said, "May Allah (swt) curse him. I did not treat him unjustly. All the Praises are for Allah (swt) Who has not caused me to die at the hand of a man who claims himself to be a Muslim. No doubt, you and your father (Abbas) used to love to have more non-Arab infidels in Madinah." Al-Abbas had the greatest number of slaves. Ibn Abbas said to Umar. "If you wish, we will do." He meant, "If you wish we will kill them." Umar said, "You are mistaken (for you cannot kill them) after they have spoken your language, prayed towards your Qibla, and performed Hajj like yours." Then Umar was carried to his house, and we went along with him, and the people were as if they had never suffered a calamity before. Some said, "Do not worry (he will be alright soon)." Some said, "We are afraid (that he will die)." Then an infusion of dates was brought to him and he drank it but it came out (of the wound) of his belly. Then milk was brought to him and he drank it, and it also came out of his belly. The people realised that he would die. We went to him, and the people came, praising him. A young man came saying, "O chief of the believers! Receive the glad tidings from Allah (swt) to you due to your company with Allah's Messenger (saw) and your superiority in Islam which you know. Then you became the ruler (i.e. Caliph) and you ruled with justice and finally you have been martyred." Umar said, "I wish that all these privileges will counterbalance (my shortcomings) so that I will neither lose nor gain anything." When the young man turned back to leave, his clothes seemed to be touching the ground. Umar said, "Call the young man back to me." (When he came back) Umar said, "O son of my brother! Lift your clothes, for this will keep your clothes clean and save you from the Punishment of your Lord." Umar further said, "O Abdullah bin Umar! See how much I am in debt to others." When the debt was checked, it amounted to approximately eighty-six thousand. Umar said, "If the property of Umar's family covers the debt, then pay the debt thereof; otherwise request it from Bani Adi bin Ka'b, and if that too is not sufficient, ask for it from Quraish tribe, and do not ask for it from any one else, and pay this debt on my behalf." Umar then said (to Abdullah), "Go to A'isha (the mother of the believers) and say: "Umar is paying his salutation to you. But do not say: 'The chief of the believers,' because today I am not the chief of the believers. And say: "Umar bin Al-Khattab asks the permission to be buried with his two companions (i.e. the Prophet (saw) and Aboo Bakr)." Abdullah greeted A'isha and asked for the permission for entering, and then entered to her and found her sitting and weeping. He said to her, "Umar bin Al-Khattab is paying his salutations to you, and asks the permission to be buried with his two companions." She said, "I had the idea of having this place for myself, but today I prefer Umar to myself." When he returned it was said (to Umar), "Abdullah bin Umar has come." Umar said, "Make me sit up." Somebody supported him against his body and Umar asked (Abdullah), "What news do you have?" He said, "O chief of the believers! It is as you wish. She has given the permission." Umar said, "Praise be to Allah (swt), there was nothing more important to me than this. So when I die, take me, and greet A'isha and say: "Umar bin Al-Khattab asks the permission (to be buried with the Prophet (saw), and if she gives the permission, bury me there, and if she refuses, then take me to the graveyard of the Muslims." Then Hafsa came with many other women walking with her. When we saw her, we went away. She went in (to Umar) and wept there for sometime. When the men asked for permission to enter, she went into another place, and we heard her weeping inside. The people said (to Umar), "O chief of the believers! Appoint a successor." Umar said, "I do not find anyone more suitable for the job than the following persons or group whom Allah's Messenger (saw) had been pleased with before he died." Then Umar mentioned Alee (a.s), Uthman, Az-Zubair, Talha, Sa'd and Abdur Rahman (bin Auf) and said, "Abdullah bin Umar will be a witness to you, but he will have no share in the rule. His being a witness will compensate him for not sharing the right of ruling. If Sa'd becomes the ruler, it will be alright: Otherwise, whoever becomes the ruler should seek his help, as I have not dismissed him because of disability or dishonesty." Umar added, "I recommend that my successor takes care of the early emigrants; to know their rights and protect their honor and sacred things. I also recommend that he be kind to the Ansar who had lived in Madinah before the emigrants and belief had entered their hearts before them. I recommend that the (ruler) should accept the good of the righteous among them and excuse their wrong-doers, and I recommend that he should do good to all the people of the towns (Al-Ansar), as they are the protectors of Islam and the source of wealth and the source of annoyance to the enemy. I also recommend that nothing be taken from them except from their surplus with their consent. I also recommend that he do good to the Arab bedouin, as they are the origin of the Arabs and the material of Islam. He should take from what is inferior, amongst their properties and distribute that to the poor amongst them. I also recommend him concerning Allah's (swt) and His Apostle's (saw) protectees (i.e. Dhimmis) to fulfill their contracts and to fight for them and not to overburden them with what is beyond their ability." So when Umar expired, we carried him out and set out walking. Abdullah bin Umar greeted (A'isha) and said, "Umar bin Al-Khattab asks for the permission." A'isha said, "Bring him in." He was brought in and buried beside his two companions. When he was buried, the group (recommended by Umar) held a meeting. Then Abdur Rahman said, "Reduce the candidates for rulership to three of you." Az-Zubair said, "I give up my right to Alee (a.s)." Talha said, "I give up my right to Uthman." Sa'd said, "I give up my right to Abdur Rahman bin Auf." Abdur Rahman then said (to Uthman and Alee (a.s)), "Now which of you is willing to give up his right of candidacy to that he may choose the better of the (remaining) two, bearing in mind that Allah (swt) and Islam will be his witnesses." So both the Sheikhs (i.e. Uthman and Alee (a.s)) kept silent. Abdur Rahman said, "Will you both leave this matter to me, and I take Allah (swt) as my Witness that I will not choose but the better of you?" They said, "Yes." So Abdur Rahman took the hand of one of them (i.e. Alee (a.s)) and said, "You are related to Allah's Messenger (saw) and one of the earliest Muslims as you know well. So I ask you by Allah (swt) to promise that if I select you as a ruler you will do justice, and if I select Uthman as a ruler you will listen to him and obey him." Then he took the other (i.e. Uthman) aside and said the same to him. When Abdur Rahman secured (their agreement to) this covenant, he said, "O Uthman! Raise your hand." So he (i.e. Abdur Rahman) gave him (i.e. Uthman) the solemn pledge, and then Alee (a.s) gave him the pledge of allegiance and then all the (Madinah) people gave him the pledge of allegiance.

Source: Saheeh Al-Bukhari. Pg. # 910 - 912, H. # 3700.

Objection Two

A Muslim never attacks innocent people in a Masjid and remains a believer. Ibn Muljim did not attack Imam Alee (a.s) in prayers, nor killed other Muslims randomly after attacking him. When a Khariji does not attack the Caliph in the Masjid, how can a Muslim attack the Caliph in the Masjid? 

Response Two

It seems that an attempt is being made by the Nawasib to now even deny the murder of Imam Alee (a.s) in a place of worship. It is well known that Imam Alee (a.s) was attacked by Ibn Muljim with a poisoned sword during Sajdah in Masjid Kufa. So why the attempt to puzzle those who do not research matters in religion? Or is it that they are merely following their scholars who had a soft spot for the Kharijite's, one of them being Ibn Muljim? As for the stabbing of others, this was in no way intentional, it is well known that in the heat of the moment an enraged man will take out his violence on any person that he sees trying to cause harm to him. As people were confronting him, it seems quite logical that Aboo Lu'lu'ah was seething with rage and lashed out at other worshippers as he was seeking to protect himself.

Objection Three

Ibn Muljim did not commit suicide but Aboo Lu'lu'ah committed suicide, for he did not care at all about what Islam teaches in regards to suicide. 

Response Three

Al-Qaeda inspired Salafi and Deobandi brethren frequently kill scores of people both (Sunni and Shi'a) through suicide attacks in Masjid. A reality that is all too common in places like Pakistan and Iraq. We are yet to find any Salafi's deem the perpetrators of such heinous crimes as apostates. Instead, they deem them as martyrs. The so-called scholars of the 'Ahl us Sunnah' have differed in the lawfulness of suicide bombing.

There is no direct witness to prove Aboo Lu'lu'ah committed suicide. In the account in Bukhari they threw a cloak on him. His death could have been accidental. According to the account in Majma Al-Zawa'id. Vol. 9, Pg. # 52, H. # 14464 He ran to his house.

Objection Four

The Prophet (saw) did not even allow people to cut the trees of Madinah, let alone kill another Muslim in his own Masjid! The Prophet (saw) described it as a "Sacred Precinct" in many of the Prophetic Hadeeth. One of them was narrated by Imam Muslim that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: "Ibraheem sanctified Makkah and made it a sacred precinct, and I have sanctified Al-Madinah as a sacred precinct between its two mountains, and that no blood may be shed therein and no weapon to be carried therein for combating, and no trees to be cut but for feeding."

Response Four

As for the prohibition on shedding blood in Madinah, have the Nawasib experienced amnesia over the pogrom of the last remnants of the companions of the Prophet (saw) in the Harra district of Madinah? The companions that opposed Yazid were slaughtered in masses and their women folk raped. Despite this, Abdullah ibn Umar openly advocated the legitimacy of the Caliphate of Yazid, deeming it unlawful to break the pledge to him. Clearly, such a pledge would have automatically become otiose if Yazidd had become an infidel, since the Bayyah is towards a Muslim Head of State. Yet we see Abdullah ibn Umar openly supporting him even after the bloodshed in Madinah, indicating that he deemed Yazid a Muslim. Thus, the attack in Madinah is not a big issue as this Nasibi is insisting. If it was, then Yazid would be an infidel, but Abdullah ibn Umar did not deem him as such. The present day Nawasib refer to Yazid as (Allah be pleased with him) and one who is guaranteed Paradise, an honour that can obviously only be attained for one that is a Muslim!

Objection Five

Uthman used to consult Alee (a.s) and other companions in how he rules. This shows that Alee's (a.s) opinions were heard and taken into consideration. He was not oppressed and isolated as the Shi'a would usually claim.

Response Five

Giving advice to a detestable individual does not at all prove that the advisor is free from oppression. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) used to even advise the Kuffar on matters.

Uthman sought the guidance of Imam Alee (a.s) only because he lacked knowledge and was not endowed with guidance from Allah (swt). This is understandable, after all, he was not of the chosen ones. He sought the advice of Imam Alee (a.s) only to ensure he would not fall in to problems himself by giving false verdicts, and Imam Alee (a.s) would only respond to him as his concern was safeguarding of the Religion. Additionally, he (a.s) was an Imam appointed by Allah (swt) through the Prophet (saw), so the fact remained that he still had the duty to fulfil that blessed position. The similitude is that of a teacher and a student; A Chemistry teacher may detest one of the students in class, however, when questioned by the student regarding the mixing of chemicals, the teacher would still respond appropriately only to ensure an explosion does not occur which could potentially harm not only themselves but the entire class. Safety would be the teachers primary concern.

Aboo Bakr and Umar were also amongst those who sought Imam Alee's (a.s) advice on several occasions because they were fully aware that Imam Alee (a.s) was the best of judges, yet were still shockingly hungry for power.

Narrated Ibn Abbas: Umar said, "Our best Qur'an reciter is Ubai and our best judge is Alee (a.s); and in spite of this, we leave some of the statements of Ubai because Ubai says, 'I do not leave anything that I have heard from Allah's Messenger (saw)' while Allah (swt) says: "Whatever verse (Revelations) do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten but We bring a better one or similar to it." (Holy Qur'aan 2.106).


Source: Saheeh Al-Bukhari. Vol. 6, Book 60, H. # 8. Arabic reference: Book 65, H. # 4481.

Does this mean one cannot be wronged or has not suffered from the hands of the people? Imam Alee (a.s) himself preferred isolation in contrast to being the outward Imam, only because he recognised that the majority had deserted him and that the hypocrites around him were many. It was due to such circumstances that he (a.s) spoke out when necessary and thus took to mainly concentrating on the Ta'weel of the Holy Qur'aan.

Posture In Prayer 

One of the erroneous practices' among the sects within the so-called, 'Ahl us Sunnah Wa Al-Jammah' is their act of spreading their legs wide apart during obligatory Salaah (prayers) in the bid to touch the feet of the person standing adjacent to them. They disfigure their stance and ruin their composure with the mental preoccupation of touching the feet of the person standing on both sides in the line during congregational prayers. Even when performing Salaah alone, they adopt this ugly stance by stretching their legs hideously apart.

Al-Albani:

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar: The Prophet (saw) said: "Set the rows in order, stand shoulder to shoulder, close the gaps, be pliant in the hands of your brethren, and do not leave openings for the devil. If anyone joins up a row, Allah (swt) will join him up, but if anyone breaks a row, Allah (swt) will cut him off. 

Narrated Al-Bara ibn Azib: The  Messenger of Allah (saw) used to pass through the row from one side to the other; he used to set out chests and shoulders in order, and say: "Do not be irregular." And he would say: "Allah (swt) and His angels bless those who are near the first rows."

Al-Nu'man b. Bashir said: The Prophet (saw) used to straighten us in the rows of prayer as the arrow is straightened, until he thought that we had learned it from him and understood it. One day he turned towards us, and shoulders in order, and said: "Do not be irregular." And he would say: "Allah (swt) and his angels bless those who near the first rows."

Al-Albani: Narrations are Saheeh (Authentic).

Source: Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood. Vol. 1, Pg. # 197 - 198, H. # 663 - 666.

Al-Bukhari:

Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet (saw) said, "Straighten your rows for I see you from behind my back." Anas added, "Everyone of us used to put his shoulder with the shoulder of his companion and his foot with the foot of his companion."

Source: Saheeh Al-Bukhari. Pg. # 180, H. # 725.

Conclusion:

In summary, we have evidenced that when the companions would stand in congregational prayer they would do so in an upright standing position. Umar ibn Al-Khattab would inspect the rows to ensure that no gaps existed between worshippers, and would only then lead the congregation in prayer. With this in mind, was the presence of a Zoroastrian not a gap for Umar and the Companions? Wouldn't anyone consider the presence of a Zoroastrian man in the ranks of worshippers as a defect in the congregational prayer? What is yet more perplexing is that Aboo Lu'lu'ah, a Zoroastrian came and stood within the ranks of the worshippers wearing his shoes whilst praying the dawn prayer. Would this not have attracted the ire of anyone? Or was it Sunnah for non-Muslims to come inside the Masjid wearing shoes? How was Aboo Lu'lu'ah able to place himself in the first line of prayers and read directly behind Umar without being challenged for it? Some may say that Aboo Lu'lu'ah entered the Masjid in a clandestine manner, however, this would only be achieved had he entered with his face covered thus ensuring he was not recognisable. This however is completely implausible, any individual covering his face making his way towards the head of state would most likely arouse suspicion. Such a person would be challenged, searched or even arrested for the possibility of having been in possession of an offensive weapon. As a minimum, he would have been taken away from the scene. And more importantly how would they identify him with his head covered?


Al-Albani:

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah: The Messenger of Allah (saw) forbade trailing garments during prayer and that a man should cover his mouth. Aboo Dawood said: This tradition has also been narrated by Isi on the authority of Ata from Aboo Hurayrah: The Prophet (saw) forbade trailing garments during prayer.

Al-Albani: Narration is Hasan (Reliable).

Source: Saheeh Sunan Aboo Dawood. Vol. 1, Pg. # 2, H. # 643.

Objection Six

Aboo Lu'luah did not need to disguise himself to enter a Masjid. All he needed to do was wear a "Taylasaan" in which one can easily hide his face.

Response Six

There is truly a divine irony in just how many opportunities the Nawasib provide us to show their seemingly Jewish aspects. They continuously insist that the Shi'a are the Jews of the Ummah and then provide us responses like this. This really does leave you wondering if they are even aware of what they are saying. Here our opponents are basically saying the companions must have been dressing like Jews, and perhaps this should be kept in mind the next time the 'Jewish' accusation of the Shi'a is thrown our way. The following link has been taken directly from the Fatwa site of the opponents:

Quote

Taylasaan (pallium, a large rectangular cloak as worn by the ancient Greeks) as a kind of imitation of the Kufaar, because it is the clothing of the Jews as mentioned in the hadeeth about the Dajjal: It is appropriate to quote the hadeeth about the Jews at the time when the taylasaan is one of their unique features, but this does not apply at the present time, so now it is included among that which is permissible. 

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/woman/45674

Are we really to believe the companions would have worn Jewish garments when Hadeeth on the Dajjal exist which identify the Jews wearing that very same attire? 

Thankfully, we are aware of how the Prophet (saw) and companions dressed. They wore turbans on their heads, not Jewish garments, as it has been recorded as the following:

Ibn Abbas reports that Rasoolullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) addresses the Sahaba while wearing a black turban.

Source: Saheeh Al-Bukhari. Vol. 1, Pg. # 536. 

Ibn Umar reports, "When Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) fastened an amaamah (turban), he used to put the shamlah between his shoulders (i.e. he used to put it on the back)."

Nafi says, "I had seen Abdullah bin Umar do it in the same manner."

Ubaydullah, who is the student of Nafi, says, "In my time, the grandson of Aboo Bakr, Qasim bin Muhammad and the grandson of Umar, Saalim bin Abdullah did the same."

Source: Shama'il Muhammadiyah. Chapter 16. The Turban Of Rasoolullah (saw).


Narrated Ja'far bin Amr: My father said, "I saw the Prophet (saw) passing wet hands over his turban and Khuffs (leather socks)." 

Source: Saheeh Al-Bukhari. Book 1, Vol. 4, Hadeeth 204.

Objection Seven

Aboo Lu'lu'ah carried out the heinous act during Fajr (Dawn) prayer, and during that time it was extremely dark.

Narrated A'isha: Allah's Apostle (saw) used to offer the Fajr prayer when it was still dark and the believing women used to return (after finishing their prayer) and nobody could recognize them owing to darkness, or they could not recognize one another.

Reference: Saheeh Al-Bukhari. English translation: Vol. 1, Book 12, Hadeeth 831.

Response Seven

To argue it was dark during Fajr does not really cut it. Sure the Sun had not fully risen, but were people performing Salaah in total blindness? Can anyone perform Salaah in blindness? Clearly not. The worshippers and the location of worship in the masjid need to be visible. You need to be able to visualise where Salaah is to be performed so that those with whom you are prostrating alongside are in alignment with one another. Aboo Lu'lu'ah's visibility should then hardly be questioned. Did the Sahahbah present not identify each other? How did they come to know how Aboo Lu'lu'ah killed himself due to proof visibility? 

The Killer Of Imam Alee (a.s) Vs Killer Of Umar

The literal meaning of 'Ijtihad' is to strive with one's total ability and effort to reach a goal in order to deduce certain rulings from the Holy Qur'aan and Hadeeth. One of the conditions of Ijtihad is to refer to these two primary sources in order to determine if the act is deemed lawful or not. One cannot simply conjure a ruling from thin air or else that would be opposing the very foundations of it. Despite these very principles, the so-called, 'Ahl us Sunnah' believe all those who cursed, fought and even murdered Imam Alee (a.s) had been practicing Ta'weel (interpretation) and Ijithad and thus will receive a reward from Allah (swt) for their efforts.

Ibn Hazim:

Verily, Mu'awiyah and those with him made mistakes, were doing Ijtihad, and will be rewarded with one good reward.

Source: Al-Muhalla. Vol. 11, Pg. # 97.

Al-Haytami:

His (i.e. Alee's (a.s)) enemies were the Khawarij and others like them from the Syrians, not Mu'awiyah and others like him from the Sahabah. This is because they were doing Ta'weel (i.e. interpreting the Qur'aan). So, they had one good reward.

Source: Al-Sawa'iq Al-Muhriqah. Pg. # 214.

Al-Haythami gives a different ruling for the companions and the Khawarij even though he admits they are enemies of Imam Alee (a.s). In reality, the actions of the Kharijies and the Sahabah are one and the same. Both parties fought the rightly guided Caliph of the time and committed numerous atrocities. Ibn Hazim implies the companions intentions were sincere, and they only wished to uphold the Laws of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah of His Messenger (saw). Ibn Taymiyyah offers the same excuse for the murderer of Imam Alee (a.s) when comparing him to the killer of Umar.

Ibn Taymiyyah:

And therefore the person who killed Umar was an unbeliever, hating the religion of Islam. And he hated the Prophet (saw) and his nation and his religion. So he killed him (Umar) out of hate of the Prophet (saw) and his religion. And the one who killed Alee (a.s), used to pray, fast and recite the Qur'aan. And he killed him believing that Allah (swt) and his Prophet (saw) would love him to kill Alee (a.s). He did this, out of love for Allah (swt) and his Prophet (saw) according to him. Even though he was misguided (in this act) and a deviant.

Source: Minhaj Al-Sunnah Al-Nabawiyyah. Vol. 7, Pg. # 153.

Ibn Taymiyyah:

His (i.e. Alee's (a.s)) murderer is one of them (i.e. the Khawarij), and he was Abdur Rahman bin Muljim Al-Muradi, despite that he was one of the best of mankind in worship, and one of the people of knowledge.

Source: Minhaj Al-Sunnah Al-Nabawiyyah, Vol. 5, Pg. # 47.

Ibn Taymiyyah:

Aboo Lu'lu'ah is a Kafir according to the consensus of the people of Islam, he was a Majoosi (Zoroastrian) of the worshippers of the fire. He killed Umar due to his grudge for Islam and its people and due to his love for the Majoos (Zoroastrians), it was a revenge for all the Kufaar, this is because Umar was the one (the head of state) who opened their lands (for Islam) and killed their heads of state and who distributed their wealth..."

Source: Minhaj Al-Sunnah Al-Nabawiyyah, Vol. 6, Pg. # 371.

What form of Ijtihad was Ibn Muljim  trying to implement by killing Imam Alee (a.s)? Ibn Muljim was misguided in his actions though it would receive him good reward? The option of Ta'weel and Ijtihad are available to those who killed Imam Alee (a.s) and fought against him. Yet Qu'raan and Hadeeth has declared such people in violation of Islam. Ibn Taymiyyah declared the murderer of Imam Alee (a.s) as, "One of the best of mankind in worship, and one of the people of knowledge" based on what exactly? How would any knowledgeable person not know Imam Alee (a.s) relationship to the Prophet Muhammad (saw)? Is there anyone that can say the person who killed Umar ibn Al-Khattab was a disbelieving hypocrite, but the killer of Imam Alee (a.s) was one of the most upright in worship and knowledge? Even the Kharijites never made such a bold claim. We challenge the opponents to produce a single evidence in which the Kharijies believed the actions of Ibn Muljim (may Allah (swt) curse him) was out of love for the Prophet (saw) and Allah (swt). How did Ibn Taymiyyah have the audacity to make such a claim? Truth of the reality is, that those who waged war against Imam Alee (a.s) are Kuffar according to the Holy Qur'aan.

وَأَنَّا مِنَّا الْمُسْلِمُونَ وَمِنَّا الْقَاسِطُونَ فَمَنْ أَسْلَمَ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ تَحَرَّوْا رَشَدًا وَأَمَّا الْقَاسِطُونَ فَكَانُوا لِجَهَنَّمَ حَطَبًا

'And of us some are Muslims (who have submitted to Allah, after listening to this Qur'aan), and of us some are Al-Qasitun (disbelievers those who have deviated from the Right Path).' And whosoever has embraced Islam (i.e. has become a Muslim by submitting to Allah), then such have sought the Right Path." 

Holy Qur'aan {72:14}

Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani:

His (Al-Rafi'ee) statement: 'It is firmly established that the people of Al-Jamal (under A'isha), and Siffeen (under Mu'awiyah) and Al-Nahrawan (i.e. the Khawarij) were rebels' is true. What further proves this is the hadeeth in which he (Imam Alee (a.s)) says, "I was COMMANDED to fight the oath-breakers, the Qasitin and the apostates."

Al-Nasa'i recorded it in Al-Khasa'is, as well as Al-Bazzar and Al-Tabarani. The people of Al-Jamal (under A'isha) were the oath-breakers because they broke their Bay'ah to him (i.e. Imam Alee (a.s)), and the Qasitin were the people of Syria (under Mu'awiyah) because they left the Haq (truth) in their refusal to give him Bay'ah. The apostates were the people of Al-Nahrawan (i.e. the Khawarij) due to the establishment of the Saheeh (Authentic) reports about them that, 'they apostatised from the religion as the arrow leaves the bow (i.e. completely).'

The hadeeth that Ammar would be killed by a rebellious group is also established about the Syrians (i.e. they murdered him).

Source: Talkhees Al-Habir Fi Ahadeeth Raafi Al-Kabir. Vol. 4, Pg. # 84.

All those who waged war against Imam Alee's (a.s) army were called oath-breakers by the Prophet (saw). This was a clear-cut Takfir from the Prophet (saw) upon them. Qasitin are not Muslims and are fuel for the Hell fire. Basically, all three groups were Kuffar – in line with the Holy Qur'aan and the authentic Hadeeth, and are bound for Hell fire!

Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani:

The apostates were the people of Al-Nahrawan (i.e. the Khawarij) due to the establishment of the authentic report about them that, "They will apostatise from the religion as the arrow leaves the bow."

Source: Talkhees Al-Habir Fi-Ahadeeth Raafi'i Al-Kabir. Vol. 4, Pg. # 44.

Al-Albani:

"The most wretched of all the early times was the one who slaughtered the camel (of Allah (swt) in the Ummah of Prophet Shu'ayb), while the most wretched of all the later times is the one who will strike you, O Alee (a.s)."And he (the Prophet (saw)) indicated where he (Alee (a.s)) would be struck.

Al-Albani: Narration is Saheeh (Authentic).

Source:  Silsilah Al-Ahadeeth Al-Sahihah. Vol. 3, Pg. # 78, H. # 1088.

Objection Eight

Ibn Muljim was a Khariji, and they were general known as being very religious. They would recite the Holy Qur'aan day and night. They were called, "Al-Qurra" meaning, "The reciters" because they would recite the Holy Qur'aan. So it is not Ibn Taymiyyah's opinion, it is the Prophet (saw) that described them as such.

Response Eight

The Kharijites possessed a special mentality. They had been a blend of fair and foul. In their totality they were men with such manners that ultimately stood as enemies of Imam Alee (a.s). Why else would the rightly guided Khalifah of Allah (swt) draw his sword against such people?

They were shortsighted, hence heedless to condemn others as liable to apostasy and excommunication. So much so, that they thought Islam was theirs exclusively, and all such Muslims who did not accept their belief, were labelled as infidels. They rebuked every graceful person (including the Prophet (saw) himself) in such a manner, that few graceful personalities in Islamic history could avoid being target of their darts. 

They were branded out of the fold of Islam by the Prophet (saw) who said, "They will leave our ranks in the manner of an arrow when it shoots from its bow." Their hypocrisy was made apparent when they fought against Imam Alee (a.s).  Ibn Taymiyyah was deeply impressed by the supposed level of piety of Ibn Muljim and called him, 'One of the best of mankind in worship, and one of the people of knowledge.' Yet we find no authentic proof on the piety of Ibn Muljim or his wisdom. 

We find no authentic references to prove Imam Alee (a.s) praised the Kharijies. Imam Al-Baqir (a.s) was asked about those who fought Imam Alee (a.s) (Jamal, Nahrawan etc.). He replied in the following manner:

Al-Kulyani:

Narrated Durays: "The people were arguing before Abi Ja'far (a.s). Some of them said that the people who fought Alee (a.s) were more evil than the people who fought the Messenger of Allah (saw). And some of them say that those who fought the Messenger of Allah (saw) were more evil than the people who fought Alee (a.s)." He (Durays) said: "Aboo Ja'far (a.s) heard them and he said: 'What are you saying?' So they said: 'May Allah (swt) keep you well. We are arguing about the people who fought the Messenger of Allāh (saw) and about those who fought Alee (a.s). So some of us say the people who fought Alee (a.s) were more evil than those who fought the Messenger of Allah (saw), and some of us say the people who fought the Messenger of Allah (saw) were more evil than those who fought Alee (a.s).' So Aboo Ja'far (a.s) said: "No, rather those who fought Alee (a.s) were more evil." So I said to him (a.s): "May I be in your ransom. The people who fought Alee (a.s) were worse than those who fought the Messenger of Allah (saw)?" He (a.s) said: "Yes. I will inform you about that. Verily, those who fought the Messenger of Allah (saw) did not acknowledge Islam, and those who fought Alee (a.s) acknowledged Islam then they rejected it."

Grading: Al-Majlisi I said this hadeeth is Saheeh (Authentic) in Mirat Al-Uqool. Vol. 26, Pg. # 228.

Source: Usool Al-Kafi. Pg. # 135, H. # 353.

 

Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani:

And then I saw his ultimate efforts to refute the narrations that Ibn Al-Mutahhar had collected in his book, even though most of them were fabricated and weak narrations, but with them Ibn Taymiyyah also denied many good narrations too...and his exaggeration in this to refute what the Rafidhi had said in his book (Minhaj Al-Sunnah) sometimes gets to a level in which he degrades Alee (a.s).

Source: Lisan Al-Mizan. Vol. 8, Pg. # 551 - 552.

Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani:

He (Ibn Taymiyyah) said about Alee (a.s) that he was mistaken in seventeen issues, in which he opposes the explicit decrees of the Qur'aan some have accused him of Nifaq because of what he has said about Alee (a.s) as mentioned before, and because he says that Alee (a.s) struggled many times to become Caliph but no one helped him, and that his battles were not for the sake of religion, but for the sake of power, and because of his statement that Aboo Bakr's conversion was at an adult age who knew what he was doing, but Alee (a.s) was a child and a childs conversion to Islam is not correct (i.e. has no value), and also because of his sayings about Alee's (a.s) will to marry the daughter of Abi Jahl and he turns a blind eye on whatever has been narrated about Alee's (a.s) virtues and the way he interprets the story of Abil Aas ibn Rabie and his slanders in that. Because of all these, they have accused him of being a Munafiq (hypocrite) because the Prophet (saw) says about Alee (a.s) that: "No one except a Munafiq hates you."

Source: Al-Durar Al-Kamina. Vol. 1, Pg. #  154 - 155.

Aboo Lu'lu'ah - A Muslim, Christian,  Majoosi Or Infidel?

A number of historians and hadeeth recorders reported that Aboo-Lu'lu'ah died while he was a Zoroastrian. After investigation, one can conclude such false claims had been fabricated as a part of the smear campaign. Reports had been fabricated in order to convince people that the murderer of Umar was not a Muslim. There is no clear evidence to establish whether or not he was a Muslim, Christian or even a Zoroastrian.

Muhammad bin Ahmad Al-'Ayni:

That was because he (i.e. Umar) was killed by a non-Arab disbeliever whose name was Firooz and his title was Aboo Lu'lu'ah. He was slave of Mughira ibn Shu'ba and he used to pretend to be a Muslim.

Source: Umdat Al-Qari Sharh Al-Bukhari. Vol. 8, Pg. # 330.

Abd Al-Barr:

Abd Al-Barr: Narrated from Khalf bin Qasim told us Hassan bin Rasheeq told Dolaabi told Muhammad ibn Hameed told us Alee bin Mujahid who said, "We had difference in regards to the personality of Aboo Lu'lu'ah, some claimed: He was a Majoosi (Zoroastrian). Others said: He was a Christian, so Aboo Sanan reported us on the authority of Sa'eeb ibn Sinan on the authority of Aboo Ishaq Al-Hamdani on the authority of Amr ibn Maymun Al-Awdi, who said: "Aboo Lu'lu'ah was a Christian who stabbed Umar with a dagger with two heads (to the blade). Once he injured Umar, he stabbed another thirteen men (companions) in the Masjid until he was captured, once he was captured he committed suicide.

Source: Al-Isti'ab. Vol. 3, Pg. # 1155.

Al-Haythami:

Abdullah ibn Umar said: "When Aboo Lu'lu'ah stabbed Umar he stabbed him twice. Umar was thinking that maybe he had done injustice to someone amongst the people - so he (Umar) called Ibn Abbas who loved, adored and listened to him. Then he (Umar) said: "O Ibn Abbas! Find out who attacked me." Ibn Abbas kept on looking here and there and found no one but people crying. He then said to Umar, "O Ameer Al-Mo'mineen (commander of the faithful) I've seen no one except people crying as if they have lost their first born children today." Umar asked: "Who killed me?" Ibn Abbas said: Aboo Lu'lu'ah the Majoosi (Zoroastrian), the slave of Al-Mughira." Ibn Abbas said: "I saw happiness in the face of Umar." On that Umar said: "Praise be to Allah (swt) Who did not make my decree of death to be at the hands of a man who claimed Islam."

Source: Majma Al-Zawa'id. Vol. 9, Pg. # 49 - 51, H. # 14463.

 

Al-Bukhari:

Narrated Amr bin Maimun: I saw Umar bin Al-Khattab a few days before he was stabbed in Madinah. He was standing with Hudhaifa bin Al-Yaman and Uthman bin Hunaif to whom he said, "What have you done? Do you think that you have imposed more taxation on the land (of As-Swad i.e. Iraq) than it can bear?" They replied, "We have imposed on it what it can bear because of its great yield." Umar again said, "Check whether you have imposed on the land what it can not bear." They said, "No, (we haven't)." Umar added, "If Allah (swt)should keep me alive I will let the widows of Iraq need no men to support them after me." But only four days had elapsed when he was stabbed (to death ). The day he was stabbed, I was standing and there was nobody between me and him (i.e. Umar) except Abdullah bin Abbas. Whenever Umar passed between the two rows, he would say, "Stand in straight lines." When he saw no defect (in the rows), he would go forward and start the prayer with Takbir. He would recite Surat Yusuf or An-Nahl or the like in the first rak`a so that the people may have the time to join the prayer. As soon as he said Takbir, I heard him saying, "The dog has killed or eaten me," at the time he (i.e. the murderer) stabbed him. A non-Arab infidel proceeded on carrying a double-edged knife and stabbing all the persons he passed by on the right and left (till) he stabbed thirteen persons out of whom seven died. When one of the Muslims saw that, he threw a cloak on him. Realizing that he had been captured, the non-Arab infidel killed himself. Umar held the hand of Abdur Rahman bin Auf and let him lead the prayer. Those who were standing by the side of Umar saw what I saw, but the people who were in the other parts of the Masjid did not see anything, but they lost the voice of Umar and they were saying, "Subhan Allah! Subhan Allah! (i.e. Glorified be Allah)." Abdur Rahman bin Auf led the people a short prayer. When they finished the prayer, Umar said, "O Ibn Abbas! Find out who attacked me." Ibn Abbas kept on looking here and there for a short time and came to say. "The slave of Al-Mughira." On that Umar said, "The craftsman?" Ibn Abbas said, "Yes." Umar said, "May Allah (swt) curse him. I did not treat him unjustly. All the Praises are for Allah (swt) Who has not caused me to die at the hand of a man who claims himself to be a Muslim. No doubt, you and your father (Abbas) used to love to have more non-Arab infidels in Madinah." Al-Abbas had the greatest number of slaves. Ibn Abbas said to Umar. "If you wish, we will do." He meant, "If you wish we will kill them." Umar said, "You are mistaken (for you can't kill them) after they have spoken your language, prayed towards your Qibla, and performed Hajj like yours." Then Umar was carried to his house, and we went along with him, and the people were as if they had never suffered a calamity before. Some said, "Do not worry (he will be alright soon)." Some said, "We are afraid (that he will die)." Then an infusion of dates was brought to him and he drank it but it came out (of the wound) of his belly. Then milk was brought to him and he drank it, and it also came out of his belly. The people realised that he would die. We went to him, and the people came, praising him. A young man came saying, "O chief of the believers! Receive the glad tidings from Allah (swt) to you due to your company with Allah's Messenger (saw) and your superiority in Islam which you know. Then you became the ruler (i.e. Caliph) and you ruled with justice and finally you have been martyred." Umar said, "I wish that all these privileges will counterbalance (my shortcomings) so that I will neither lose nor gain anything." When the young man turned back to leave, his clothes seemed to be touching the ground. Umar said, "Call the young man back to me." (When he came back) Umar said, "O son of my brother! Lift your clothes, for this will keep your clothes clean and save you from the Punishment of your Lord." Umar further said, "O Abdullah bin Umar! See how much I am in debt to others." When the debt was checked, it amounted to approximately eighty-six thousand. Umar said, "If the property of Umar's family covers the debt, then pay the debt thereof; otherwise request it from Bani Adi bin Ka'b, and if that too is not sufficient, ask for it from Quraysh tribe, and do not ask for it from any one else, and pay this debt on my behalf." Umar then said (to Abdullah), "Go to A'isha (the mother of the believers) and say: "Umar is paying his salutation to you. But don't say: 'The chief of the believers,' because today I am not the chief of the believers. And say: "Umar bin Al-Khattab asks the permission to be buried with his two companions (i.e. the Prophet (saw) and Aboo Bakr)." Abdullah greeted A'isha and asked for the permission for entering, and then entered to her and found her sitting and weeping. He said to her, "Umar bin Al-Khattab is paying his salutations to you, and asks the permission to be buried with his two companions." She said, "I had the idea of having this place for myself, but today I prefer Umar to myself." When he returned it was said (to Umar), "Abdullah bin Umar has come." Umar said, "Make me sit up." Somebody supported him against his body and Umar asked (Abdullah), "What news do you have?" He said, "O chief of the believers! It is as you wish. She has given the permission." Umar said, "Praise be to Allah (swt), there was nothing more important to me than this. So when I die, take me, and greet A'isha and say: "Umar bin Al-Khattab asks the permission (to be buried with the Prophet (saw), and if she gives the permission, bury me there, and if she refuses, then take me to the graveyard of the Muslims." Then Hafsa came with many other women walking with her. When we saw her, we went away. She went in (to Umar) and wept there for sometime. When the men asked for permission to enter, she went into another place, and we heard her weeping inside. The people said (to Umar), "O chief of the believers! Appoint a successor." Umar said, "I do not find anyone more suitable for the job than the following persons or group whom Allah's Messenger (saw) had been pleased with before he died." Then Umar mentioned Alee (a.s), Uthman, Az-Zubair, Talha, Sa'd and Abdur Rahman (bin Auf) and said, "Abdullah bin Umar will be a witness to you, but he will have no share in the rule. His being a witness will compensate him for not sharing the right of ruling. If Sa'd becomes the ruler, it will be alright: Otherwise, whoever becomes the ruler should seek his help, as I have not dismissed him because of disability or dishonesty." Umar added, "I recommend that my successor takes care of the early emigrants; to know their rights and protect their honor and sacred things. I also recommend that he be kind to the Ansar who had lived in Madinah before the emigrants and belief had entered their hearts before them. I recommend that the (ruler) should accept the good of the righteous among them and excuse their wrong-doers, and I recommend that he should do good to all the people of the towns (Al-Ansar), as they are the protectors of Islam and the source of wealth and the source of annoyance to the enemy. I also recommend that nothing be taken from them except from their surplus with their consent. I also recommend that he do good to the Arab bedouin, as they are the origin of the Arabs and the material of Islam. He should take from what is inferior amongst their properties and distribute that to the poor amongst them. I also recommend him concerning Allah's (swt) and His Apostle's (saw) protectees (i.e. Dhimmis) to fulfill their contracts and to fight for them and not to overburden them with what is beyond their ability." So when Umar expired, we carried him out and set out walking. Abdullah bin Umar greeted (A'isha) and said, "Umar bin Al-Khattab asks for the permission." A'isha said, "Bring him in." He was brought in and buried beside his two companions. When he was buried, the group (recommended by Umar) held a meeting. Then Abdur Rahman said, "Reduce the candidates for rulership to three of you." Az-Zubair said, "I give up my right to Alee (a.s)." Talha said, "I give up my right to Uthman." Sa'd said, 'I give up my right to Abdur Rahman bin Auf." Abdur Rahman then said (to Uthman and Alee (a.s)), "Now which of you is willing to give up his right of candidacy to that he may choose the better of the (remaining) two, bearing in mind that Allah (swt) and Islam will be his witnesses." So both the Sheikhs (i.e. Uthman and Alee (a.s)) kept silent. Abdur Rahman said, "Will you both leave this matter to me, and I take Allah (swt) as my Witness that I will not choose but the better of you?" They said, "Yes." So Abdur Rahman took the hand of one of them (i.e. Alee (a.s)) and said, "You are related to Allah's Messenger (saw) and one of the earliest Muslims as you know well. So I ask you by Allah (swt) to promise that if I select you as a ruler you will do justice, and if I select Uthman as a ruler you will listen to him and obey him." Then he took the other (i.e. Uthman) aside and said the same to him. When Abdur Rahman secured (their agreement to) this covenant, he said, "O Uthman! Raise your hand." So he (i.e. Abdur Rahman) gave him (i.e. Uthman) the solemn pledge, and then Alee (a.s) gave him the pledge of allegiance and then all the (Madinah) people gave him the pledge of allegiance.

Source: Saheeh Al-Bukhari. Pg. # 910 - 912, H. # 3700.

Objection Nine

If the Shi'a ridiculously want to conjecture from one 'ambiguous' evidence, the Sunnis have many valid reasons to believe that Aboo Lu'lu'ah was not a Muslim due the words of Umar when he became happy after coming to know that his killer was not a Muslim. This is more than enough to prove that even he did not consider Aboo Lu'lu'ah to be a Muslim.

Response Nine

According to Al-Zuhri, Aboo Lu'lu'ah was originally a Zoroastrian. He may well have been nominally converted to Islam. The narrators evidently did not want to admit this. His daughter, a young girl (Jariya Saghira), who was murdered by Ubaydullah ibn Umar, is described as having pretended to be a Muslim. The assertions in other sources that Aboo Lu'lu'ah was a Christian are hardly reliable. They seem to go back to a report of Al-Mizwar ibn Makhrama who did not mention Aboo Lu'lu'ah's Persian origin.

Jungle Justice

Ubaydullah ibn Umar had been advised by Abdur Rahman ibn Auf and Hafsah bint Umar to seek justice for his fathers murder. Ubaydullah took his sword, and rushed out of his house to take revenge. He first went to the house of Aboo Lu'lu'ah and killed his daughter. Later, he sought to murder Jafina (a Christian who had been brought to Madinah after the conquest of Iraq), and last but not least Hormuzan (a Persian General who had been captured during the Persian conquest). When the Muslims came to know about what had happened, Ubaydullah ibn Umar was apprehended. With the exception of Abdur Rahman ibn Aboo Bakr, no other person supported the theory of any conspiracy. Adequate evidence was thus not forthcoming to support the theory of the involvement of Jafina, Hormuzan and the daughter of Aboo Lu'lu'ah in any alleged conspiracy. Even if it was established that these persons had entered into a conspiracy, there were no grounds for justification for the killing of these personalities. Ubaydullah ibn Umar had no right or justification to take the Law in to his own hands and murder four persons without affording them an opportunity for defense. That was the Arab practice of the days of ignorance which was in violation of the injunctions of Islam. The case was tried by Uthman with the help of a jury which included Imam Alee (a.s), Amr ibn Al-Aas (a staunch opponent of Imam Alee (a.s) during the tribulation of Mu'awiyah) and some other prominent companions. Imam Alee (a.s) and other notable companions were of the opinion that the dictates of justice demanded that Ubaydullah ibn Umar should be executed for taking the Law in to his own hands by murdering the citizens without cause. Imam Alee (a.s) was emphatically of the view that in Islam, the Law was no respecter of persons, and Ubaydullah ibn Umar could not be saved from the penalty of Law merely on the ground that he was the son of the late tyrant. While other companions were of the view that they had lost Umar ibn Al-Khattab only recently, and his son should not be killed so soon after. Thus, Amr ibn Al-Aas advised Uthman not to have him killed and so the decision had been made to spare his life and instead Uthman decided to give blood money.

Ibn Sa'ad:

He said, Ya'qoob bin Ibraheem bin Sa'ad bin Zuhri informed us from his father from Swaleh bin Kisan from ibn Shihaab who said, Sa'eed ibn Al-Musayyib told me that Abdul Rahman bin Aboo Bakr As-Siddique he said, "When Umar was killed, I had passed by Aboo-Lu'lu'ah while he was with Hormuzan and Jafina, they were whispering. When I approached them, they got up quickly and the knife with two heads dropped down between them, therefore, see for which type of knife was Umar killed? And they found that Umar was stabbed by the same knife which Abdul Rahman had described. Then Ubaydullah ibn Umar when he heard that, he got up with the sword until he reached towards Hormuzan, and he called upon him. When he came out, he said to him, 'Let us go and see my horse over there.' Thus, Ubaydullah stayed behind him and chopped his head. Ubaydullah bin Umar said, when he felt the heat of the sword he uttered, "La ilaha illAllah" and then Ubaydullah said, I afterwards called upon Jafina..."

Source: Tabaqat ibn Sa'ad. Vol. 3, Pg. # 329 - 330.

Ibn Asakir:

Narrating Al-Muttalib ibn Abdullah ibn Hantab he said: Alee (a.s) told Ubaydullah bin Umar: "What was the crime of the daughter of Aboo Lu'lu'ah when you killed her?" He said: "And the opinion of Alee (a.s) when Uthman consulted Him, and the opinion of the seniors among the companions of the messenger of Allah (saw) was to kill him!" But Amr ibn Al-Aas spoke to Uthman so he left him [without killing him] and Alee (a.s) used to say, "If I could reach Ubaydullah bin Umar and I had authority, I would have reprimanded him [punish him]..."

Narrating Muhammad ibn Umar, narrated from ibn Jurayh told me that Uthman ibn Affan consulted Muslims and they agreed about [paying] their blood money, and Ubaydullah bin Umar would not be killed for killing them, and they had converted to Islam, and Umar had imposed for them, and Alee ibn Aboo Talib (a.s), when he was given allegiance, wanted to kill Ubaydullah bin Umar. So he ran away from him to Mu'awiyah ibn Aboo Sufyan and he remained with him until he was killed in Siffeen [the battle].

Source: Tarikh Ibn Asakir. Vol. 38, Pg. # 68 - 69.

Al-Tabari:

As for the Musawar Al-Makhramah, we have a narration from him what was narrated to me by Aboo Saib who is Salim ibn Junada; He said, Sulaiman ibn Abdul-aziz ibn Abi Thabit ibn Abdul-aziz ibn Abdul Rahman ibn Al-Auf, he said my father narrated to us from Abdullah bin Ja'far from his father from Musawar ibn Makhramah; his mother was Aikah bint Al-Auf, about the previous report on the issue of the murder of Umar ibn Al-Khattab. He said: They entered his grave (Umar ibn Al-Khattab) five people who were from the Shura: (cont)...then Uthman sat at the corner of the Masjid, and he called Ubaydullah bin Umar. He was detained in the house of Sa'ad bin Abi Waqas, and he is the one who took the sword away from his hands after he had killed Jafina and Hormuzan and the daughter of Aboo Lu'lu'ah.  He (Ubaydullah) used to say, "I will kill any one who had participated in the blood of my father!" He mentioned this before the Immigrants and the Helpers; but Sa'ad stood up and took away his sword and pulled his forehead hair until he made him sit on the ground and detained him until when Uthman called for him. And Uthman said to the group of Muhajiroon and Ansar, "Kindly show me a verdict on this one who has brought a scene in Islam what he has brought?" Then Alee (a.s) said, "I see that you have to kill him." Some Muhajiroon said, "Just yesterday Umar was killed, and his son should be killed today?!" Amr bin Al-Aas said: "O Commander of the faithful! Surely Allah (swt) has forbear this incident for you, and you have the power over Muslims and guardianship! And this incident had occurred outside your power!" Uthman then said: "I am their Guardian, and I will pay the Diyyah (blood money) and I will take it from my own wealth."

Source: Tarikh Al-Tabari. Vol. 4, Pg. # 234 / 239.

Abdul Razzaq:

Al-Zuhri narrated from Sa'eed ibn Al-Maseeb that Abdul Rahman ibn Aboo Bakr and we have never caught a lie from him - he told us when Umar was murdered, I reached Al-Hormuzan and Jafina and Aboo Lu'lu'ah while they were having confidential talk, and I came unexpectedly upon them therefore they became agitated, and a dagger with two heads fell from them, with its handle at its centre. Then Abdul Rahman said, "Look at the way which Umar was killed." And they looked, and they found it a dagger with the description Abdul Rahman described. He said: Then Ubaydullah ibn Umar went out carrying a sword, until he reached Al-Hormuzan, then he said, "Accompany me so that we look at a mare of mine." And Al-Hormuzan was knowledgeable about horses, so he got out walking in front of him. Then Ubaydullah rose his sword over him, and when he felt the heat of the sword [hit] he said, "La ilaha illAllah (There is no God but Allah (swt)." Then he killed him, then he came to Jafina...

...Jafina was a Christian from Al-Hirah, and he was the nurse of Sa'ad bin Abi Waqqas who brought him to Madinah due to the exigence between them. He used to teach the Scripture in Madinah. Ubaydullah said: "When I raised the sword before him, he drew a cross between his eyes." Then Ubaydullah went forth and killed a small daughter of Aboo Lu'lu'ah who claimed to be Muslim. Ubaydullah wanted to not leave a single captive in Madinah which he had not killed. The preliminary Muhajireen gathered and forbade him, then he said: "By Allah (swt)! I will kill them and others!" Then Ubaydullah went and killed the young daughter of Aboo Lu'lu'ah whom she claims Islam, and Ubaydullah wanted not to leave anyone [whom had been] captured in Al-Madinah without killing them, then the first immigrants [Al-Muhajiroon] gathered around him and they prohibited him and threatened him, then he said; "By Allah (swt)! I swear that I will kill them and others also!" And he aimed at some immigrants, and Amr ibn Al-Aas kept after him till he gave him the sword, and when he gave him the sword, Sa'ad ibn Abi Waqas came to him. Then each one of them held the head of the other trying to control each other's forepart of the head until they were held back. Then Uthman came before being given allegiance during those nights until he caught Ubaydullah. Then they held each others' head trying to control each others' forepart of the head, and the land became dark to people the day Ubaydullah killed Jafina and Al-Hormuzan and the daughter of Aboo Lu'lu'ah. Then there was restraint between him and Uthman, and when Uthman was given allegiance he called for Al-Muhajiroon and Al-Ansar and said: "Consult me about killing this man who has violated the Religious Laws." And the Muhajiroon agreed about one opinion supporting Uthman's opinion about killing him and most of the people supporting Ubaydullah telling Jafina and Al-Hormuzan (may Allah (swt) exclude them from his mercy); "Maybe you want to make Umar followed by his son?" [i.e kill Ubaydullah] and there was big noise and disagreement about that. Then Amr ibn Al-Aas said to Uthman: "O Commander of the faithful! This whole issue was before you had any authority over people, so turn away from them." And people separated after Amr ibn Al-Aas' speech and Uthman reached him and the two men's and the girls's blood money was paid...

Amr ibn Al-Aas said to Uthman, "It is enough that this has happened and you have power over all people and this incident occurred while you were unaware of it. Kindly forgive him O commander of the faithful!" He said, then all the people left and went to their businesses after the speech of Amru, and Uthman did see off the man and the female servant. Zuhri said; Hamza ibn Abdullah bin Umar told me; Hafsah; she was the one who persuaded Ubaydullah ibn Umar to kill Hormuzan and Jafina. Zuhri said, and Abdullah bin Thaalaba told me that or ibn Khaliqah Al-Khuza'i said: "I saw Hormuzan raising his hands praying behind Umar." And Al-Mu'ammar said, and others than Zuhri have said so and that Uthman said, "I am the Guardian for Hormuzan, Jafina and the female slave and that I am responsible for their Diyyah (blood money)..."

Source: Musannaf Abdul Razzaq. Vol. 5, Pg. # 478 - 480.

Objection Ten

When Umar was informed about what his son had done, he ordered that Ubaydullah should be imprisoned by the next usurper (Uthman) or that he should decide his fate.

In Sunan Al-Kubra of Al-Bayhaqi 8/61, we read:

...It was said to Umar that Ubaydullah killed Al-Hormuzan. Umar asked: "Why did he kill him?" They replied: He said: "He killed my father." We asked him, "How?" He said: "I saw him before it happened. He was alone with Aboo Lu'lu'ah. He ordered him to kill my father." Umar then said: "I do not know what to make of this...If I die, ask Ubaydullah to present what proof he has for what he did. If he provides sufficient proof, then his blood was for mine...but if he does not, then punish Ubaydullah for Al-Hormuzan." When Uthman  later became the Caliph, they asked him: "Will you not fulfill the wish of Umar in regards to Ubaydullah?" He replied: "Who is the Wali of Al-Hormuzan?" They replied: "You, O Ameer Al-Mo'mineen." Uthman said: "Then I have forgiven Ubaydullah ibn Umar."

Thus Uthman did not wish that Umar's son would die because it would be too much for their family to bear. He said that since the three who were killed had no Awliya, he would be their Wali and thus decided that Ubaydullah was only required to pay blood-money.

Response Ten

Apart from Abdur Rahman ibn Aboo Bakr, no other person supported the theory of any conspiracy. Adequate evidence was thus not forthcoming to support the theory of the involvement of Jafina or even Hormuzan in the alleged conspiracy. Even Umar himself was surprised about the whole issue as he said, "I do not know what to make of this..." Again, even if it was established that these people had entered into a conspiracy, there was no justification for the killing the daughter of Firoz (r.a). As the Holy Qur'aan says, "None shall carry the burden of another {35:22}." Women and children are given sanctity even in the battlefield and Muslims are not allowed to kill the innocent.

If there were strong grounds for holding that the assassination was the result of a conspiracy, the State alone would have tried the accused and condemned them only after they had offered their defense, and the case was established against them. Ubaydullah had no right or justification to take the Law in to his own hands and murder without affording them an opportunity for defense. That was the Arab practice of the days of ignorance which was in violation of the injunctions of Islam.

This narration exposes:

• Ubaydullah ibn Umar witnessing Hormuzan giving the order to kill his father, but did not do anything to prevent it from taking place.

•  If it is true that Hormuzan was involved in the conspiracy to kill Umar, Ubaydullah should have either paid blood money, or be punished for making false accusations.

The thuggish nature of Ubaydullah bin Umar is there for all to see. Bereavement is not an easy state, particularly when the loved one has been snatched away through murder. It is natural that people will feel angered, shocked at what happened, and will no doubt seek retribution. But just look at what transpires here. The son of Umar ibn Al-Khattab seeks to vent his frustration by taking the Law in to his own hands, and goes out on a killing rampage wherein he takes out his anger by killing three people! If it is argued that Al-Hormuzan and Jafina were involved in the murder on the mere basis of their speaking to Aboo Lu'lu'ah, then people should know that the entire reason for having an Islamic legal system is for the rule of Law, so that grievances are legitimately heard via a due process, wherein a Judge reaches an outcome having heard the evidence presented before him. Islamic Law does not entitle one to take the Law into ones own hands by acting as a vigilante seeking brutal retribution, when Islamic law is being implemented. If the advocates of ibn Umar offer some mitigation, suggesting he was overcome by anger that thus led to him killing those with an alleged hand in his father's downfall, what mitigation can be offered for the killing of the young daughter of Aboo Lu'lu'ah who did nothing wrong other than being from the loins of his father's killer?! She even testified her faith as a Muslim, which raises further questions as to why she was not following the religion of her father, the supposed Christian or Zoroastrian? It would only make logical sense that she was being raised on the same religion as her father who was in fact a Muslim himself.

The Shari'ah does not allow the killing of women and children during Jihad, and here we see the son of Umar slaughtering an innocent girl. Alee (a.s) and senior companions opined that Ubaydullah ibn Umar receive capital punishment for his offence, but Uthman (who had by that point taken up the reigns of power) having sought the counsel of Amr ibn Al-Aas digressed and pardoned his crime and paid the surviving relatives blood money. What sort of Islam is this? When it comes to the offence of murder under Islamic Shari'ah, a major focus is placed on the rights of surviving relatives. They have a say in how their aggressor should be dealt with, which is that they either opt for blood money (wherein the perpetrator pays money in exchange for a pardon) or demand the death penalty. At the heart of this, is the right of the victim's family who determine the fate of the individual that took away their loved one. Now look at the conduct of Uthman, he offers no choice to the surviving relatives, he pays them blood money and pardons Ubaydullah at the same point. What Ijtihad did he exercise that entitled him to rule in a manner wherein the rights of the relatives are rendered otiose, where the Khalifah determines the outcome that he deems right, completely dispensing the rules of Shari'ah in the process? What gave Uthman the right to act in this way? The main role of a Khalifah is to rule with justice, not to have a jaundiced view on any matter, yet look at the atrocious manner in which Uthman conducts himself here. Rather than rule in an impartial manner, his sympathy for the family of Umar overcomes him, and rather than uphold the rights of the victim that Shari'ah stipulates, he decides to completely remove them from the equation and act in a manner that spares his friend's son from the cosh! Is the justice of the 'Righty Guided Khalifas' that the Sunnis rant on about ad nausea?  Imam Alee (a.s) was clear that Ibn Umar had to be executed for his triple homicide, and took the view that the intervention of Uthman had no basis in Shari'ah whatsoever, since he had not sought the view of the relatives when deciding to pardon Ubaydullah. Had their view been sought, then there would have been no basis for Alee (a.s) to order that Ibn Umar be executed when he had taken power. There would have been no legitimate basis for issuing such an edict if the relatives of the three deceased had pardoned Ubaydullah. They had not which is why Alee (a.s) deemed it crucial that the matter be resurrected and Ubaydullah be executed accordingly. This despicable episode is further proof that the claims that all of the Sahaba were 'Just' is nothing but a myth, since Uthman's allowing his bias to override the Shari'ah ruling for murder proves what an unjust, biased individual he was. It was left to Alee (a.s), the legitimate successor of the Prophet (saw) to set out what was required of Uthman pursuant to the Shari'ah, a matter that that he remain steadfast on when he finally came to power.


Objection Eleven

Imam Alee (a.s) says that if he had authority, he would punish Ubaydullah ibn Umar for killing Aboo Lu'lu'ah's daughter. However, why did not Alee (a.s) kill the killers of Uthman when he could reach them?

Response Eleven

Once Imam Alee (a.s) was given Bay'ah from the people after Uthman's death, he launched an enquiry on his death. For murder you need witnesses who saw the attack, did anyone come forward to attest that such a such was the murderer? The case would have then been pursued and thus his heirs questioned. Since Imam Alee (a.s) had the wisdom to follow the Ahkaam of Allah (swt) and not his desires, he sought to do just that, instead of going on a rampage to punish those who were not worthy of punishment. The case with Ubaydullah ibn Umar was different, since there were already witnesses who had seen the incident take place and Ubaydullah himself did not declare his innocence. Should it not be asked who wished for Uthman to be killed? Or would that go against the so-called 'Ahl us Sunnah's' stance not to question history and their beloved Sahaba on what happened during that period of Fitnah? We often see them turning a blind eye to these historical events in defense of these companions, however, they are the first to question Imam Alee (a.s)! Historical evidence shows that it was in fact A'isha who wanted Uthman killed and made Takfeer on him while calling him "Naythal" (old fool).

The Shi'a Position On Aboo Lu'lu'ah

Nimazi Al-Shahrudi Alee:

And Al-Mirza Abdullah Al-Afandi said in Riyad what concludes the following conclusion: Aboo-Lu'lu'ah Piruz (Firuz) whose nicknamed Aba Shuja Al-Deen of Al-Nahwandi origin, born in Madinah, he killed Ibn Al-Khattab (Umar) and his story is in our book Lisan Al-Wa'idin. And then he mentioned what Al-Mirza has said Magdoem Al-Sharifi in his book Nawaqis Al-Rawafid, then he said: And know that Firoz; he was one of the greatest Muslims and Mujahideen, rather, even one of the devoted followers of Ameer ul Mo'mineen (a.s), and his brother was Zakawan, and he is Aboo Abil Zanad Abdullah ibn Zakawan, the scholar of the people of Madinah in obligations, in literature and poetry and Hadeeth and Jurisprudence, you can refer to Al-Isti'ab (for more information).


Source: Mustadrak Safinat Al-Bihar. Vol. 9, Pg. # 214.