Bayat Al Ghadeer: Imam Alee (a.s) Public Condemnation Of The Usurpers

Alee ibn Ibraheem, from his father, from Ibn Mahboub, from Alee Bin Ra’ab abd Yaqoub Al-Sarraaj who has said: Aboo Abdullah (a.s) has narrated that Amir-ul-Momineen (a.s), when they had pledged allegiance to him (a.s) after the killing of Uthman, ascended the Pulpit, so he (a.s) said:

"Praise be to Allah Who is High and thus all is in His possession and He is Closer than any in the view. And I hereby testify that there is no god but Allah, One with no associates to Him, and I testify that Muhammad (saw) is His servant and His Messenger (saw), the last of the Prophets and a Proof over the worlds, a ratification for the former Prophets and was kind and merciful to the Believers. The Angels sent ‘salam’ greetings of peace upon him (a.s) and upon his Progeny (a.s).

Having said that, O you people! The transgression (indecency) places its owner into the Fire, and the first one to transgression (commit indecency) against Allah Majestic is His Remembrance was Onaq the daughter of Adam (a.s), and the first one who was killed, whom Allah (swt) killed was Onaq. And the area that she occupied when seated upon the ground measured one square acre (Jarib) of the land, and she had twenty fingers and on each of her fingers were two nails like two sickles. So Allah Mighty and Majestic Made her to be overcome by a lion which was like an elephant (in size), and a wolf which was like a camel (in size), and an eagle like a mule (in size). So they killed her.

And Allah (swt) had killed the tyrants in their best conditions, and gave Safety to those who used to be (oppressed). And He Made Hamaan (i.e. Umar) to die, and destroyed the Pharaoh (i.e. Aboo Bakr), and He has Killed Uthman. Indeed! Your misfortunes have returned to what they were on the day Allah Sent His Prophet (saw). By the One Who Sent him by the truth, you will be confused with a (severe) confusion and be sifted with a (severe) sifting, and stirred and turned like the contents of a frying pan until your underside becomes your upper side and your upper side becomes your underside. The ones who used to be with the shortcomings will become the foremost ones, and those who used to be the foremost ones would become the people with shortcomings.

By Allah (swt)! I have neither concealed, nor blocked, nor lied a lie, and I have been foretold about this place and this day. Indeed! And the sins are like uncontrollable horses which carry its riders, with its harnesses removed, plunging into the Fire. Indeed! And the piety is like a humble ride which takes its rider, along with its rein, to the Paradise, and its Doors will be opened up for them, and they will find its aroma and goodness. And it will be said to them: ‘Enter it in peace and security’.

Indeed! The ones who had no association with it has preceded me to this command (Caliphate), and the ones to whom it had not been Granted to, and the ones for whom there was no chance from it except if they were to be Prophets who had been Sent. And indeed! There is no Prophet as to be after Muhammad (saw) who is more noble than him over the intercession on the brink of the Fire. So they will fall with by it (their lies) in the Fire of Hell.

Truth as well as falsehood, for each of them are its people. The matter of falsehood is a very old one and has been active. And if the truth is less (in practice) it is because of ‘if’ and ‘maybe’. And it is rare that if a thing gone away comes back, and if your command (Caliphate) returns to you, you would be pleased, and it is not on me except for the striving, and I am afraid that you all will end up being on the nature of your nation (away) from me, the nation that you were in beforehand and would not have a praiseworthy opinion in my sight, and if I so desire to I would say: ‘May Allah Forgive what was in the past’.

Two men (Aboo Bakr & Umar) preceded me with regards to it (Caliphate), and the third one stood up like the Raven. His main concern was his stomach. Woe be unto him! Had his wings been clipped and his head cut-off, it would have been better for him. He was distracted from the Paradise and the Hell was in front of him. Three and two make five, there is no sixth of them – An Angel who files by his wings, and a Prophet whom Allah has Grabbed by his shoulders (Given him Divine Status), and a diligent seeker (momin), and a hopeful student, and a reducer (Muqassir) are in the Fire.

The right and the left are misleading, whereas the middle path is the street on which you will come across the Book and the effects of the Prophet-hood. Destroyed is the one who makes a claim, and disillusioned is the one who fabricates that Allah (swt) disciplined this community by the sword and the whip, and there is no leniency for either of them with the Imam. So, hide in your homes and mend your relationships in between yourselves and the repentance is behind you all. The one who turned his cheek (opposed the Imam) to the truth is destroyed.

Narration is Hasan (Reliable) by Al-Majlisi I in Mir'atul Uqool. Vol. 25, Pg. # 151

Source: Al-Kaafi. Vol 8, Pg. 67. H # 23.

Objection One

Alee (a.s) praises Uthman in the following narration:

Al-Hakim narrated with its Isnad from Qays bin Ubad: I heard Alee (a.s) say on the Day of Jamal: "O Lord! I seek refuge in you and I am innocent from the blood of Uthman. I had almost lost my mind the day he was murdered, I denied myself and they came to me offering a pledge of allegiance, I said to them: By God I feel shy from Allah (swt) that I would receive a pledge of allegiance from those who killed the man to which the Prophet (saw) said: 'Should I not feel shy of a man of whom the angels are shy?' And I feel shy from Allah (swt) that I would receive allegiance while Uthman is murdered, lying on the ground without burial. They left me and came back after he was buried asking me for the Bay'ah (pledge of allegiance), I said: 'O Lord! I feel pity from what I am about to do.' Later came determination and I took the pledge when they said: 'O chief of believers.' I felt my heart ache and I said: 'O Lord! Take from me and give to Uthman until you are pleased.'"

Source: Al-Mustadrak (3/95) and he said: Saheeh on the condition of Bukhari and Muslim, Imam Al-Dhahabi agreed with him.

Response One

If the Imam (a.s) was saying that he had nearly lost his mind, it was because he was aggrieved at how serious the situation had now become. The Imam (a.s) recognised that at this critical juncture, the people would turn to him for guidance, and he knew that he would have to take charge of a deeply divided nation, ravaged by corruption and moral decay due to Uthman's nepotism and the free reign he gave to Banu Ummayya. Islamically, there is a duty to bury a Muslim as sin is reasonably possible, the Imam (as) was pointing out how embarrassing it was that Bay'ah was administered whilst Uthman remain unburied. The Imam (a.s) was merely pointing out that leaving a man in an unburied state was undignified and un-Islamic since regardless of whatever man has sinned during his lifetime, upon death he deserves to be buried forthwith and with dignity.

The tradition itself has reached us from Nasibi's from Basra. We shall only take a look at three of the narrators.

Ibn Hajar:

Nasibism is wide spread among people of Basra.

Source: Lisan Al-Mizan. Vol. 6, Pg. # 337.

Ahmad Al-Ghomari:

The heart of many of narrators from Basra and Shaam carried hatred toward Alee (a.s) and his progeny.

Source: Fath Al-Malik Al-Ulaa. Pg. # 185.

Ibn Hajar:

Qays b. Ubaad Al-Dhu'bi Abu Abdullah Al-Basri: He is trustworthy, he is of the second generation, he lived at the time of Jahilliyah and Islam, he died before the eighties. He who counted him amongst the Sahaba (companions) has mistaken. Bukhari, Muslim, Abi Dawood, Al-Nasa'i and ibn Majah have narrated from him.

Source: Taqrib Al-Tahdheeb. Pg. # 393, Person # 5582.

Ibn Hajar:

Qurat b. Khalid Al-Sudusi, Al-Basri: He is trustworthy, with a good memory, he is of the sixth generation. He died 154 A.H. The Jama'ah (i.e. Bukhari, Muslim and the four Sunan) have narrated from him.

Source: Taqrib Al-Tahdheeb. Pg. # 391, Person # 5540.

Ibn Hajar:

Harun b. Isma'il Al-Khazaz Abu Al-Hassan Al-Basri: He is trustworthy, from the late ninth generation, he died 266 A.H. Bukhari, Muslim, Al-Tirmidhi, Al-Nasa'i and ibn Majah have narrated from him.

Source: Taqrib Al-Tahdheeb. Pg. # 499, Person # 7222.

Ibn Abbas' Stance On Uthman ibn Affan

Abdul Razzaq:

Narrated Abdul-Razzaq from Ma'mar narrated ibn Tawus from his father, who said: Ibn Abbas entered upon Mu'awiyah, and Mu'awiyah said to him: "I see you upon nation (millat) of ibn Abu Talib (i.e. Imam Alee (a.s))." Ibn Abbas answered: "No, and (I am) not upon nation of ibn Affan." Tawus (one of the narrators) said: "It means nation (religion) of Muhammad (saw) does not belong to one."

Note: Narrators of Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Source: Musannaf Abd Al-Razzaq. Vol. 11, Pg. # 453, H. # 20983.

Tawus the narrator has added to and given his own interpretation of the hadeeth: "It means nation (religion) of Muhammad (saw), does not belong to one." Even if we were to accept this addition, one must ponder as to why Abbas would need to respond in such a manner. Was Uthman not already upon the nation of the Prophet (saw)? Or was it that Uthman was of the belief the religion of the Prophet (saw) belonged to him alone?

Al-Bukhari:

Narrated ibn Al-Hanafiyyah: If Alee (a.s) had spoken anything bad about Uthman then he would have mentioned the day when some persons came to him and complained about the Zakat officials of Uthman. Alee (a.s) then said to me, "Go to Uthman and say to him, 'This document contains the regulations of spending the Sadaqah of Allah's Apostle (saw), so order your Zakat officials to act accordingly.'" I took the document to Uthman. Uthman said, "Take it away, for we are not in need of it." I returned to Alee (a.s) with it and informed him of that. He said, "Put it whence you took it." Narrated Muhammad bin Suqa: I heard Mundhir At-Tuzi reporting ibn Hanafiyyah who said, "My father sent me saying, 'Take this letter to Uthman for it contains the orders of the Prophet (saw) concerning the Sadaqah.'"

Source: Saheeh Bukhari. Pg. # 766, H. # 3111.