The status of Fatima al-Zahara within the religion of Islam has been documented thoroughly in both Sunni and Shia texts; with that said, it is still very sad to see Muslims until this very day elevating other female individuals over the status of Fatima al-Zahara unjustly. And it is for that very reason that I deem it necessary to write an article on her status, primarily from the texts of our Sunni brothers and sisters in order to prove once and for all the Fatima al-Zahara is indeed a shining light in Islam, and a role model for all to follow.

All references today will come from the two Sahih books of Sunni Islam, those being Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fatima al-Zahara according to Sahih Muslim Book 31 and Hadith number 5955 has been purified by Allah (swt):

Aisha reported:

That Allah’s Apostle (May peace be upon him) went out one morning wearing a striped cloak of the black camel’s hair that there came Hassan b. ‘Ali. He wrapped him under it, then came Husain and he wrapped him under it along with the other one (Hassan). Then came Fatima and he took her under it, then came ‘Ali and he also took him under it and then said: Allah only desires to take away any uncleanilness from you, O people of the household, and purify you (thorough purifying).

So according to the above hadith, Fatima al-Zahara along with Imam Ali (as), Imam Hassan (as), and Imam Hussein (as), have been purified thoroughly by Allah (swt), this indeed is a very rare honour and no other individual has had such an occasion similar to this.

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The relationship of the Prophet to his daughter Fatima al-Zahara is so great that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:

“Fatima is a part of me, and whoever makes her angry, makes me angry.”

(Sahih Bukhari: Volume 5, Book 57, Number 111)

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As we have seen according to the two hadiths we have posted, Fatima al-Zahara has been purified by Allah (swt), as well as having such a strong relationship with her dad, the Prophet of Islam, that he said whoever angers her, angers him as well. But that is not all, according to the Prophet of Islam in the afterlife; she (Fatima al-Zahara) will be the leader of all the women in heaven:

Sahih Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 56, Number 819:

Narrated ‘Aisha:

Once Fatima came walking and her gait resembled the gait of the Prophet. The Prophet said, “Welcome, O my daughter!” Then he made her sit on his right or on his left side, and then he told her a secret and she started weeping. I asked her, “Why are you weeping?” He again told her a secret and she started laughing. I said, “I never saw happiness so near to sadness as I saw today.” I asked her what the Prophet had told her. She said, “I would never disclose the secret of Allah’s Apostle.” When the Prophet died, I asked her about it. She replied. “The Prophet said.) ‘Every year Gabriel used to revise the Qur’an with me once only, but this year he has done so twice. I think this portends my death, and you will be the first of my family to follow me.’ So I started weeping. Then he said. ‘Don’t you like to be the mistress of all the ladies of Paradise or the mistress of all the lady believers? So I laughed for that.”

Conclusion

The status of Fatima al-Zahara within Islam is so great, that according to the hadiths of both Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, Fatima al-Zahara is a part of the purified member of the holy household, she is also so dear to the Prophet that whoever dares to anger her, also dares to anger him, and finally her status on this earth is so high that she has also been made the leader of all women in paradise.

Salaamu alaykum wa rhmatallahu wa barkatu. Since the time of the Prophet Muhammad(saw) the grandson of the prophet, Imam Hussein(as) has been honored for his great tragedy in Karbala. The purpose of this piece will be to shed some light on the reason WHY. Tens of millions of people have visited the shrine of Imam Hussein(as) to pay tribute to this unbelievable man, even if it called for them to endure severe hardships. I have presented a brief bio on his birth, Quranic reference that shows the prophecy told of him in Karbala, traditions narrated about the Lord of the Martyrs and finally hopefully help you understand the significances of his remarkable sacrifice in Karbala.

Imam Hussein(as) was born in the month of Shabaan 4 AH 626 AD. His father is Imam Ali(as), his mother Fatima Zahra(as) the only biological child of the prophet that stayed alive, his older brother Imam Hassan(as) and his two sisters Zeinab(as) and Umm Kulthum(as). Although his sisters were not of AhlulBayt as he was, which included his brother, mother, father and grandfather, they from self Jihad reached a level that would accompany them. Quran S:33 V:33-(Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House! and to purify you a (Thorough) purification).

When Hussein(as) was born and news reached the prophet(saw) he rushed straight to Fatima’s (as) house. The effects of grief and sorrow were apparent on his face. He then kissed the newborn pressing him against his chest and began to weep. He then said “May Allah(swt) curse the group who would kill you , O my Son. ”He repeated this phrase three times. He then gave the child to Safia the daughter of Abd al-Mutallalib. She then said” May my parent be sacrificed for you, who would kill him?” The prophet(saw) responded by saying “A seditious group from Banu Umayyads”. He then requested that she not tell Fatima(as) for the baby was still just born.(Hayat al-Imam al-Huysan vol.1 pg.27). Of course the prophet had recited Adhan and Aqama in both his left and right ears and gave him the name Hussein as he was instructed.(Kashf al-Ghama vol.2 pg.3-4) Also with Islamic customs the Prophet(saw) on the seventh day of Imam Hussein’s(as) birth sacrificed two sheep. He gave portion of it to midwife, offered alms equivalent to the weight of Imam Hussein’s(as) hair and perfumed him with some good smell.(Bihar al-Anwar vol.43 pg.239)

Historians have concluded that during pagan times the Arabs were not familiar with the names Hassan and Hussein so no one could name their children with either of these names, and these two names were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad(saw) by Allah(swt) threw divine revelation for the children of Fatima(as).(Asad al-Ghama vol.2 p.11)

As Imam Hussein(as) grew up he inherited the traits of his beloved Grandfather and parents. He learned and mastered the most important traits, such as education, faith, crusade, struggle, sacrifice, perseverance, purity, sincerity, piety, and asceticism. Now we all might practice these traits but how many of us can really say that we have mastered them all, zero. If you really have mastered all of these traits then you are a sinless human being, you are in the sight of perfection. You would be mistake free because of the wisdom you would hold. But we know that not just anyone is Infallible except who Allah’s (swt) chooses as Vicegerent’s (prophets and Imams) and the women that he chooses two carry or to look after these vessels.

The Prophet has said “Hassan and Hussein are the two chiefs of the youth of Paradise.”

The Prophet has said “Hussein is form me and I am from him, Allah(swt) loves whoever loves Hussein.”

The Prophet has said “Whoever loves Hassan and Hussein has also loved me, and whoever considers them enemy had done enmity with me.”

I now direct you to Quran S:37 V:107- “We ransomed him with a great sacrifice. This verse in the Quran is referring to Prophet Ibrahim(as) and when Allah(swt) told him to sacrifice his son Ismail(as) but when Ibrahim(as) went to slaughter his son he was blindfolded, and when he cut and removed the blindfold he found that his son was to his right and that a ram was sacrificed instead. Allah (swt) revealed to Ibrahim(as) saying “We (I) ransomed him with a great sacrifice. The word in Arabic for great is Aziim. So when we come to examine the word, the word was used by Allah(swt) to show something great was ransomed in absolute degree for Ismail(as). A ram by no means, in any way, whatsoever Huge or even gigantic can be termed as great. Even more so under no circumstances can a ram be greater than PROPHET Ismail (as).

You mean after Allah(swt) had chosen Ismail(as) to be a prophet and the father of the Arabs, ultimately Grandfather of Muhammad(saw), Allah(swt) sees fit to have a ram be a great enough of a sacrifice? Ibrahim is told in the Quran that he was made an Imam after he had passed all of his tests and was even told that Imam’s would come from his offspring. (Quran S:2 V:124) So once again, if Prophet Muhammad (saw) is from the genealogy of Ibrahim (as) and Allah (swt) has blessed Ismail(as) with the lineage of Muhammad(saw), and Muhammad is the best of all the prophets and his family is better than all of the other family’s, then how is it that Allah(swt) sees fit that a ram is a great enough of a sacrifice. So then what is the great sacrifice? Imam Hussein (as) is. Why Imam Hussein you ask, because Hussein (as) would be the Savior of Islam. I’ll get to that in a bit but let me list some more Quranic references that show who Imam Hussein(as) is, but they won’t be in depth of explanation because of the length of the article. Insha’Allah I will explain every single verse in depth in future blogs. Or Just comment I will explain it to you separately Insha’Allah.

More Quranic references about the Master of all Martyrs: Quran S:3 V:61, Quran S:42 V:23, Quran S:2 V:124, Quran S:33 V:33, Quran S:76 V:7-14 Quran S:4 V:59, and many more.

Now Imam Hussein’s (as) death was a sacrifice that surpassed all other sacrifices. He is the savor of Islam. Some might argue that the people that helped begin and spread the religion were greater sacrifices, because they paved the way for Islam to grow. It’s not a bad argument at all and those martyrs truly were great, but they don’t come close, and I’ll explain why. Allah (swt) says something in the Quran. Surah:5 V:3- “This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion”. This one verse alone is why none compare.

When this verse was revealed, Allah (swt) completed the religion on earth and bestowed his favor on us which was the appointing of Imam Ali(as). This verse was revealed after the speech was given and appointing of Imam Ali(as) on the day of Ghadeer Khum by the Holy Prophet(saw). But let us not get side tracked about the meaning of the verse. We are looking for why this verse is so important that makes Imam Hussein(as) the greatest martyr-sacrifice to ever walk the face of the earth.

We all know that Allah(swt) does not contradict Himself. That’s a fact and an undeniable on as well. So if Allah(swt) has said I have completed your religion on earth, that means it is 100% complete. Nothing can change it and nothing will. Allah(swt) states that Islam is your religion and it is complete. Therefore the martyrs that died to pave the way for Islam were undeniably great but there significance is a mere shadow compared to Imam Hussein(as). Islam was not yet complete as a whole. Allah(swt) had not yet established his final ruling on earth to come forth and say now your religion is complete and no one can change that. Islam was destined to be victories. So the significance of those martyrs signifies that we will fight in the way of Allah(swt) so that his ruling may come forth and be established, and many did and died a martyrs death. But the significances of Imam Hussein’s(as) death signifies that he dies so Allah(swt) word and religion would remain perfect because it already had been established. He died for the cause of the perfection of Allah(swt). He sacrificed himself and his family and friends to show the world that no one, not even tyrants like Yazeed(la) can change Allah(swt) religion and that His word is perfect. Imam Hussein’s(as) death showed the world that although we marched in a battle that was certain death we still were victories because what we fought for was the preservation of Allah’s(swt) perfect words and religion. He knew when he reached Karbala he would be killed, yet his mission was clear, preserve the perfection of Islam. Those martyrs that paved the way knew not if they would die or live. They knew that there would be a chance of death if they fought for truth. But Imam Hussein(as) fought even when knowing he would be killed. Allah(swt) predestined his death in Karbala to preserve Islam and the perfection of his word.

Because of Imam Hussein(as) our religion still exists till this day and it will for all time. Thats is why he will be remembered and mourned forever. Click here on to read justification of Mourning of Imam Hussein(as).

That is why Imam Hussein(as) is the Master of all Martyrs and is the greatest Martyr-sacrifice that has ever come and to come.

Imam Hussein(as) says “Oh Allah, I have left the entire world for the sake of You, And I have orphaned my children so that I be with You. So if I am cut into pieces for the love of You, my heart would lean to none other than You.”

“The best lesson which we get from the tragedy of Karbala is that Husain and his companions were rigid believers in God. They illustrated that the numerical superiority does not count when it comes to the truth and the falsehood. The victory of Husain, despite his minority, marvels me!” —Thomas Carlyle

“In a distant age and climate, the tragic scene of the death of Hosein will awaken the sympathy of the coldest reader.” — Edward Gibbon

“I learnt from Hussein how to achieve victory while being oppressed.” — Mahatma Gandhi

“If Husain had fought to quench his worldly desires, then I do not understand why his sisters, wives and children accompanied him. It stand to reason therefore he sacrificed purely for Islam.” –     Charles Dickens

As-Sallamu-Alaykom dear brothers and sisters

As hatred towards the Shia’s intensifies so does the hatred towards anything associated with Shia Islam. A not so recent lie which legs have re immerged is the lie and myth that sources within Shia Islam leave readers with the conclusion that the twelfth Imam of the Shia is in fact the Dajjal.

A website titled millatibraheem.wordpress.com decided to tie the laces once again on this myth not so coincidently during the month of Sha’ban in hopes of proving that Imam Mahdi (as) is in fact the prophesized Dajjal.

Not only did they fail miserably in their attempt, but they have deliberately lied and misquoted their sources in order to deceive their audience , as the onslaught of deceptive tactics continues we see them purposefully hide information and purposefully add commentaries to their ‘’references’’ to further deceive there readers.

Their article can be found here (Millatibraheem’s Article)

Side Note
I will be calling the author of the article that I am refuting with the nickname MBA

Millatibraheem.wordpress.com States:

The “Qaem” or Imam Mahdi of the Shi’a will rule according to the Laws of David and the family of David, according to the Shi’a Hadith in Al-Kafi, the most reliable of the four books of Shi’a Hadith. All of the following Shi’a Hadith come from the same section in Al-Kafi reported by Al-Kulyani, located in Al-Kafi (Volume No.1, p.387-398): Narrated Ali ibn Ibraheem -from his father-from ibn Abi Umair-from Mansour-from Fadhl al Aour-from Abi Ubaidah who reported:
“When the Qaem of the household of the Prophet appears, he will rule according to rule of David and Solomon.”

Muhammad ibn Yahya-Ahmad ibn Muhammad-Muhammad ibn Sinaan-Abaan who reported: “I heard Abu Abdullah[as] saying: ‘The world will not fade away unless a person from us appears who will rule according to the rule of the family of David’”

Ahmad–Ahmad ibn Muhammad–Ibn Mahboob–Hisham ibn Salim–Ammar as Saabati who reported: “I asked Abu Abdullah [as] : ‘On what will you rule if you are made the rulers.’ He replied: ‘By the rule of God and the rule of David. And if we are confronted by a situation which we cannot solve, Gabriel (Ruh al Quds) will reveal it to us.’”

Muhammad ibn Ahmad–Muhammad ibn Khalid–Nazr ibn Suwaid–Yahya al Halabi–Imran ibn Oueiyn–Jaeed al Hamdani–Ali ibn al-Hussein [as] said: “I asked him by which law will you rule?” He said: “By the rule of David, and if there is something which we are unaware of, Gabriel (Ruh al Quds) will reveal it to us.”

Ahmad ibn Mahran [ra]–Muhammad ibn Ali–Ibn Mahboob–Hishaam bin Salim–Ammar as Saabati reported: “I asked Imam Abu Abdullah [as]: ’By what will you rule?’ He replied: ‘By the rule of God, and by the rule of David.’”
Our Response:

Deception # 1 exposed:
The author of the article fails to even tell the readers the title of the chapter that he is quoting from which is the first deceptive move he makes in his article (you will see how important the title of the chapter is later on), and the second thing he does in his lists of deception is he fails to even cite the chapter he is quoting from!

Here is how MBA references Kitab Al-Kafi–(Volume No.1, p.387-398).

Let us go to the actual hadith chapter and title of it (the two things he failed to do) and show you what it says just so we can see how important it is and so you can understand the significance of him not citing them.

Here is the title name and the chapter number which the author of the other article did not cite and we will see why he did not cite it.

Kitab Al-Kafi: Chapter Ninety-Nine states:

Kitab Al-Kafi: Chapter 99

When the Imams will Rise with Divine Authority They will Judge among People as David And his People had done that they will not Ask any Witness to Testify (May the peace and Blessings of Allah be up on them)

So as we can see Imam Mahdi (as) will not rule with the law of David but he will rule like David did in the sense that he will not ask any witness to testify. Let us now cite a few hadiths which can be found under chapter 99 to see how the author of the other blog deliberately played around with the hadiths he posted:

H 1035, Ch. 99, h 2
Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Sinan From Aban from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “The world will not end before the rise of a man from us who would judge among people the way the family of David had been judging them. He will not ask any witness to testify.

Ch. 99, B 4, H 3
Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p) was asked: How do you pronounce judgment in the cases brought to you?
The Imam (p): By the order of God, just like Prophet Dawood (David) (p) used to do. Whenever we come across any problem which is beyond our understanding, we are inspired through the Holy Spirit (a form of revelation by God).

We can now all see why the author of the other blog did not cite the true source because if he did, his entire argument would be exposed for the lie that it is. We kindly ask MBA to be more honest next time.

In conclusion, Imam Mahdi (as) will rule like David in the sense that he will not ask any witness to testify.

Side note from the author
To be honest I really did not do much investigation for the first part of my article, all I did was as followed. I read Kitab Al-Kafi (book format), located the reference , and rather than typing word for word the truth I decided to go to an online version of Kitab Al-Kafi. Then I typed in the search engine the number ‘’99’’ and searched and searched until I saw what I was looking for and found the rebuttal to the article on the other site and all I had to do was just go to the actual reference . The reason why I went out of my way to tell you this was just to show you how easy the truth can be found, and how easy lies can be exposed.

Millatibraheem.wordpress.com States:

According to the Shi’a, the Jews will also be the followers of Imam Mahdi: Sheikh al-Mufeed has reported in his Al-Irshaad from al=Mufadhaal ibnu Umar that Imam Abu Abdullah [as] has reported: “There will appear along with Imam Mahdi…people from the tribe of Moses.” [Al-Irshaad of al-mufeed at Tusi p.402]

According to Shi’a Hadith in Al-Kafi, the Hidden Imam learns from a book called al-Jafr, which contains the knowledge from the Israelites: The Imams (a.s.) remained silent for a while and then said, “With us there is al-Jafr (the parchment). What do they know what al-Jafr is?” I then asked, “What is al-Jafr (the parchment or a container)?” The Imams (a.s.) said, “It is a container made of skin that contains the knowledge of the prophets and the executors of their wills and the knowledge of the scholars in the past from the Israelites.” [Al-Kafi, Hadith 635, Ch. 40, h 1]

Our Response:
Deception # 2 exposed

Unfortunately for MBA I actually own a copy of Kitab Al-Irshad, and I know for a fact that there is no such thing as ‘’Al-irshad of al-Mufeed at Tusi’’ Sheikh Al-Mufeed was a teacher of Sheikh Tusi which is the only connection between the two, but as far as a book goes there is no such thing. So in summary MBA basically made up a reference. The only possible explanation would be that they copied the argument from another site without actually researching the reference and hoped for the best (or I miss understood the reference and have ultimately embarrassed myself).

Unfortunately for MBA the lies do not stop there. MBA have purposefully deleted and added words to Kitab al-Irshad in order to deceive their audience.

They ‘’quote’’ Kitab Al-Irshad as stating the following:

“There will appear along with Imam Mahdi…people from the tribe of Moses.” [Al-Irshaad of al-mufeed at Tusi p.402] (MBA)

The reference in itself is alone to destroy their ‘’argument’’ but they have purposely left out sections of the reference, and distorted the reference in order to deceive the readers.

Here is what Kitab al-Irshad actually says:

‘’There will come with the Qa’im, peace be on him, from the outskirts of Kufa, twenty-seven men. Fifteen of the people of Moses, who shed their blood for the truth and remained true to it, seven people from the cave, Joshua, Salman, Abu Dujana al-Ansari, al-Miqdad and Malik al-Ashtar. They will act as helpers (ansar) and judges in his presence.’’ (Kitab Al-Irshad of Shaykh al-Mufid page 554)

MBA first creates a reference, but then go on to delete the words to convince the audience of there lies. Why did MBA feel it necessary to purposefully delete the main part of the hadith? Why did their deception continue with the addition of the word Jew which never existed in the text?

The hadith is clear that those who will be with the Mahdi will be the ones who shed blood their blood for the truth and remained true to it, and they are from the tribe of Musa (as).

Millatibraheem.wordpress.com States:

Hebrew
Furthermore, the 12th Imam will speak in Hebrew:

Reported to us Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saeed al Uqdah who said: Narrated to us Ali ibn al-Hasan at-Taymali who said: narrated to us al-Hasan and Muhammad the sons of Ali ibnu Yusuf, from Sa’daan ibnu Muslim, from rajaal, from al-Mufadhaal ibn Umar who said: Abu Abdullah [as] reported: “When the Imam Mahdi calls out, he will supplicate to God in Hebrew.” [Al-Ghaybaa of an Numani, p.326]

Our Response:
First and foremost this is not even an argument, just because the Imam is blessed with knowledge and can speak various languages and as a result his message can reach more than only English and/or Arab speakers this makes him the prophesized anti-Christ?

Let us say that the above is true and that if the Imam does speak Hebrew he is the Dajjal the mentioned hadith doesn’t prove that for the reason being that the chain of narration cannot be trusted for two reasons. Reason number one being that al-Mufdal bin Omar is in the chain of narration and he is known to be weak (Rijal Najashi pg 416) and secondly there are two unknown narrators Ali Bin Al Hussein Altimli and Rajjal.

Deception # 3 exposed:
Though for arguments sake let us say that the Imam will supplicate in Hebrew why does MBA need to lie to their audience? MBA is quoted as saying the following ‘’ Furthermore, the 12th Imam will speak in Hebrew’’ when the reference he gives only says that he will supplicate in Hebrew. Why have a title which lies, and then provide the ‘’proof’’ which refutes the title?

Even though the reference cannot be trusted for the obvious reasons that we have already listed, let us (for arguments sake) say that Imam Mahdi (As) will supplicate to God in Hebrew what does that prove?

When someone supplicates to God that is something he does between himself and God, if the Imam wants to supplicate in the language of the birds it won’t matter because Allah (Sawt) hears all dua regardless of the language that the dua is spoken in. For the sake of knowledge and the sake of learning we believe that the Imams know all languages (Kitab al- Kafi Book 4, chapter 34), so if the Imam wants to supplicate to God aloud in the presence of Hebrew speakers so they may understand the dua then what is MBA’s problem?

Once again it all doesn’t even matter due to the fact that MBA has presented to us a very weak and unreliable report due to the problem with the Isnad.

Special thanks are due to Jobdab_Azdi for providing me with references and information in respect to the Isnad. May Allah (Sawt) bless him for his deeds

Millatibraheem.wordpress.com States:
According to Shi’a Hadith in Al-Kafi, the Hidden Imam learns from a book called al-Jafr, which contains the knowledge from the Israelites:

The Imams (a.s.) remained silent for a while and then said, “With us there is al-Jafr (the parchment). What do they know what al-Jafr is?” I then asked, “What is al-Jafr (the parchment or a container) ?” The Imams (a.s.) said, “It is a container made of skin that contains the knowledge of the prophets and the executors of their wills and the knowledge of the scholars in the past from the Israelites.” [al-Kafi, Hadith 635, Ch. 40, h 1]

Our Response:
Deception # 4 exposed:
MBA claims that Imam Mahdi (as) learns from a book which contains knowledge of the Israelites. What he fails to tell you is that al-Jafr contains the Injil which is the book of Isa (as), the original Torah of Musa (as) and the Psalm of David (as). So according to MBA’s logic is the Imam now a Christian Dajjal since al-Jafr contains the gospel of Isa (as)?

As we all know the Torah and the Gospel were all books of God, and the books that the Imam contains are not the corrupted books but are the original ones so the scholars that MBA have mentioned would have learnt from the original Torah not the corrupted one. Let us cite some hadith on this topic to educate MBA a little bit more.

Kitab al-Kafi Hadith 637 Ch. 40, H 3
A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from al-Husayn ibn abu ‘Ala’who has said that he heard abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) say the following. “With me is the white Jafr.” The narrator has said that he asked the Imams (a.s.) “What is in it?” The Imams (a.s.) said, “In it there is the psalm of David, the Torah of Moses, The Gospel of Jesus, the Books of Abraham, the laws that explain the lawful and unlawful.

Kitab al-Kafi Hadith number 637 Ch.40, H 5
Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab from abu ‘Ubaydah who has said that the people from our group asked abu ‘Abdallah (a. s.) about Jafr and the Imam (a.s.) said the following. “It is the skin of a bull which is full of knowledge.”

In hopes of proving their case MBA fails to tell the readers that the knowledge in al-Jafr is not only of the scholars of the Israelites, but is also the knowledge of the book of Isa (As) and Musa (as) and David (As).

I fail to see what is so controversial of this, I do not know anyone in history who if asked would deny having these sources of knowledge with them, and all these will only benefit the Muslims. To further re-iterate my point, MBA is arguing against something which everyone wishes they have. What does al-Jafr contain? It contains the books of God almighty, but according to MBA that is only proof that the Imam is the Dajjal (aouthbellah)

Editing the conclusion found on MBA

As we have conclusively proven millatibraheem.wordpress did nothing but purposefully lie and distort the information that they produced to their readers. The amazing amounts of lies, misquotes, and selective information are astounding.

Let us cite their conclusion and then cite our own conclusion in the same format:

Millatibraheems conclusion
1. He will rule according to the system of the family of David, using the Talmud.
2. His language will be Hebrew.
3. His followers will be of the Jews and Israelites, for he is the king of the Jews.
4. The Hidden Imam learns from the Talmud which is contained in the “Jafr.”

ShiaCrescent.com conclusion
1. Imam Mahdi (As) will rule in the same method as David in the sense that he will not ask any witness to testify

2. The hadith which acts a basis is weak and cannot be trusted, but even so the report does not say that he will speak in Hebrew but will supplicate in Hebrew, and we well know the Imams are firmly rooted in knowledge in aspects of all languages, so there really is not a problem with the Imam speaking Hebrew in his supplication since Allah (Sawt) is not limited in his understanding of languages

3. When Imam Mahdi (as) returns the followers of Musa (as) (fifteen in total) who remained close to the truth and died for it will accompany the Imam.

4. Al-Jafr contains the Psalm of David (As) the Injil of Isa (As) and the Torah of Musa (As) which are all books of God. The books are the original books from God before the corruption of them. I do not know of a single Muslim who would not want to have these have these sources.

Conclusion

MBA’s graphic art states the following ‘’ …Truth has come and falsehood has vanished’’ after reading this article can we really have that quote associated with MBA’s blog?

As-Sallamu-Alaykom

As-Sallamu-Alaykom dear brother and sisters

The masses of Christians and Christian missionaries have claimed that verse 256 of Chapter 2 has been abrogated; some claim that many verses abrogate this (verse 256), where as certain missionaries claim that only one verse in particular abrogates the verse.

In today’s article we will examine what the major scholars of Quran exegesis have to say about this, and finally put an end to all the ridiculous claims that verse 256 has been abrogated by citing the opinions of our scholars.

Before we move on, let us first get a brief understanding of what abrogation is and what it means, ironically the first time we hear about abrogation is in the same chapter the verse 256 is, and that is in chapter 2.

YUSUFALI: None of Our revelations do we abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but we substitute something better or similar: Knowest thou not that Allah Hath power over all things? (002.106)

Abrogation in its simplest term means to cancel out. As we can see here if Allah (sawt) does abrogate a verse or a ruling in the Quran he will substitute it with something better or similar. Chapter 16 and verse 101 articulates this subject a little bit more.

YUSUFALI: When we substitute one revelation for another, – and God knows best what He reveals (in stages), – they say, “Thou art but a forger”: but most of them understand not. [016:101)

As we can see Allah (Sawt) will substitute one revelation for another, now the question may arise why would God do this? Well very simple, the Quran was revealed over a period of 23 years! Can you imagine how hard it would be for the Muslims who had just converted to be told that something you have been doing for nearly your entire life must be come to an end? It would be impossible for the new Muslims, and Allah (sawt) is all knowing. One example of this would be alcohol. At first God warned them of the sin but never told them it was banned, then he told them that they cannot begin prayer while they are intoxicated, and lastly Allah (sawt) told them that drinking was an abomination, and that they must avoid it.

Another example of abrogation according to Grand Ayatollahal-Khoei was Surah 58:12 which was abrogated by 58:13(in case you wanted an example of abrogation).

Now let us get to the verse in question (2:256), the verse states:

[002:256] Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in God hath grasped the most trustworthy hand- hold that never breaks. And God heareth and knoweth all things.

The missionaries state that the part where the verse states ‘’No Compulsion in religion’’ has been abrogated by certain verses which can be found in the Holy Quran.

Rationally speaking the claim is quite illogical, due to the fact that not a single verse in the Holy Quran states ‘’ Force people to convert’’, but for the sake of argument let us quote some scholars who have spent their entire lives interpreting the Holy Quran.

Sayed Muhammad Husayn Tabatabaei states the following:

”The verse: There is no compulsion in the religion, is not abrogated by the verse of the sword, although some writers think so. The order is followed by its reason: “truly the right way has become clearly distinct from error.” Such an order cannot be cancelled unless and until its reason is also abrogated. So long as the reason is valid the rule must remain valid. There is no need to emphasize that the verse of the sword cannot negate the clear distinction of the right way from error. For example, the verses: …and kill them wherever you find them… (4:89) and: And fight in the way of Allah… (2:190) have no effect whatsoever on the clear distinction of truth from falsehood; and therefore they cannot abrogate an order based on that distinction.” (Tafseer Al-Mizan)

Aqa Mahdi Puya says:

”This verse states a psychological fact that the submissive attitude of the mind and heart towards any sacred object cannot be obtained by force or compulsion, therefore, only a clear view of the sacred generates the spontaneous conviction to adopt the right and reject the wrong. It is not an imperative but an indicative statement. There is no room for considering this verse as having been abrogated by any other verse dealing with jihad. This verse also asserts that after the right way has become clearly distinct from error, man must reject the false gods and believe in Allah.”  (Pooya/M.A. Ali Engl. Commentary)

Sayyid Kamal Faghih Imani

”This verse is a serious answer to those who imagine that Islam applies obligation and has developed and spread through the force of sword and martial power.” (Light of the Holy Quran)

Ayatollah Makareem Shirazi

”The said verse revealed to disclose that compulsion is not compatible with religion. ” (Shirazi Tafseer)

Conclusion

As we can see the scholars (of the Shia’s) are unanimous about this issue. We have proven that Surah 2:256 has not been abrogated, and indeed there is no compulsion in religion and indeed truth stands out clear from error.

As-Sallamu-Alaykom

As-Sallamu-Alaykom dear brothers and sisters,

            One of the most controversial topics when it comes to Sunni and Shia dialogue is the discussion of ‘Ilmu ‘l-ghayb (who has it, has anyone been shown any aspect of it etc).

My personal experience with Sunni Muslims and Salafies has caused me to categorise them (those who I debate on this topic) into two categories.

The first group which we will deal with first states that not a single person has been shown any aspect of the unseen, this group is the easiest to deal with so let us start with them first than we will move on to the second.

 But before we deal with the first group let us get a better understanding of what Ilmu-‘l’ghayb is.

 Sayed Muhammad Rizivi in his book titled ‘’Shi’ism: Imamate and Wilayat’’ states:

‘’…There is another kind of knowledge that cannot be acquired by human senses; it comes from God. That knowledge is known as ‘ilmu ‘l-ghayb, knowledge of the unseen. For example, knowledge about the future events (past, or present as well) or the inner thoughts and intentions of a person, etc.

“Ghayb” is the opposite of “shuhûd – the present, the seen”. Sometimes the ghayb is absolute (e.g., the inner most intentions of a person) and at other times it is relative (e.g., what a person has hidden inside his house, it is ‘unseen’ for outsiders). The term “ghayb-unseen, hidden” is used from the perspective of the created beings only. For Allah there is no difference between ghayb and shuhûd. The Qur’an describes Allah as: “…Knower of the unseen and the seen…” (39:46; 62:8)’’      (’Shi’ism: Imamate and Wilayat chapter 7) 

It is very important that you understand the concept of ‘ilmu’l-ghayb before you continue with the article so please re-read if you have to, before you continue on with the article.

As I said before the first group states that no one can be inspired with the knowledge of the unseen and no one has been shown the knowledge of the unseen, they will then present the following verses to prove their case:

[027:065] Say: No one in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen but Allah; and they do not know when they shall be raised.

[006:059]  And with Him are the keys of the unseen treasures — none knows them but He; and He knows what is in the land and the sea, and there falls not a leaf but He knows it, nor a grain in the darkness of the earth, nor anything green nor dry but (it is all) in a clear book.

[035:038] Verily God knows (all) the hidden things of the heavens and the earth: verily He has full knowledge of all that is in (men’s) hearts.

[039:046] Say: O Allah! Originator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen! Thou (only) judgest between Thy servants as to that wherein they differ.

First and foremost there is nothing wrong with these verses; they are from the Quran so no doubt are they true.

 It is true that only Allah (sawt) has the knowledge of the unseen and it is true that Allah (sawt) has the key of the unseen but does that mean that no one else can be shown the unseen?  Do these verses ANYWHERE state that Allah (Sawt) cannot grant this knowledge to any of his servants? Our answer to that is no, and there are many reasons for this.

Reason number one for why we say no; can be seen from Ayat Al Kursi which states

…, Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth (2:55)

So this verse is quite clear that no one can be inspired with the knowledge of Allah (sawt) (not all of his knowledge obviously) EXCEPT if Allah (sawt) wills it to happen. One important fact here is this verse does not specify a single person; it is a general statement, so having the knowledge of the unseen which is part of the knowledge of Allah (sawt) can be granted to anyone if Allah (sawt) wills.

The second verse which will refute those who are in category number one can be seen in Surah 11:49 which states

[011:049] This is of the tidings of the Unseen which we inspire in thee (Muhammad). Thou thyself knewest it not, nor did thy folk (know it) before this. Then have patience. Lo! the sequel is for those who ward off (evil).

So as we can Allah (sawt) has inspired to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) knowledge of the unseen (in this case of the past).

Our final verse which we will use to refute those who believe that no one but Allah (sawt) can see the unseen comes from Surah 72:26-27 which states:

[072:26-27] ”He (alone) knows the Unseen, nor does He make any one acquainted with His Mysteries, – “Except an apostle whom He has chosen: and then He makes a band of watchers march before him and behind him

According to verse 26 and 27 of Surah 72, Allah (sawt) may allow an apostle whom Allah (sawt) has chosen to know some of the unseen.

It is now perfectly clear that some may be acquainted with the mysteries of the unseen, IF Allah (Sawt) allows them.  Before we move on to category two I would like to stress one thing which is; that no Shia believes that the Prophets or the Imams or anyone possesses the knowledge of the unseen, but we believe that they are shown it or Allah (sawt) may inspire the knowledge , rather than having the knowledge independent of Allah (Sawt).

Now let us deal with category two.

This category believes that only the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has been inspired with the knowledge of the unseen.

We will first prove that other prophets haven been given special knowledge from Allah (sawt)

[003:049]And I declare to you what ye eat, and what ye store in your houses. Surely therein is a Sign for you if ye did believe;   (Prophet Isa)

[061:006 And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: "O Children of Israel! I am the apostle of God (sent) to you, confirming the Law (which came) before me, and giving Glad Tidings of an Apostle to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad." But when he came to them with Clear Signs, they said, "This is evident sorcery!" (Prophet Isa)

 [012:096] Then when the bearer of the good news came, He cast (the shirt) over his face, and he forthwith regained clear sight. He said: “Did I not say to you, ‘I know from God that which ye know not?’”   (Prophet Yusuf)

[027:016] And Solomon was David’s heir. He said: “O ye people! We have been taught the speech of birds and on us has been bestowed (a little) of all things: this is indeed Grace Manifest (from God.)”  (Prophet Suluyman)

[002:251]  By God’s will they routed them; and David slew Goliath; and God gave him power and wisdom and taught him whatever (else) He willed. (Prophet Dawud)

[012:006]“Thus will thy Lord choose thee and teach thee the interpretation of stories (and events) and perfect His favour to thee and to the posterity of Jacob – even as He perfected it to thy fathers Abraham and Isaac aforetime! For God is full of know ledge and wisdom.”    (Prophet Yusuf)

[012:037] He said: The food which ye are given (daily) shall not come unto you but I shall tell you the interpretation ere it cometh unto you. This is of that which my Lord hath taught me. Lo! I have forsaken the religion of folk who believe not in Allah and are disbelievers in the Hereafter. (Prophet Yusuf)

So as we can see other prophets of Islam have been given knowledge by Allah (sawt) as the above verses proved, and all those incidents were done by the power of God Almighty, and not by their own.

Once that is proven those in category one and two will state ‘’ how about the Imams then? They are not prophets let alone Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) but you Shia’s believe that they have knowledge of the unseen how so?’’

Before we go on let me state one more time, that the Imam’s do not have the knowledge of the unseen, they are the servants of God, and if God wishes to inspire an Imam with knowledge of the unseen then that is all by the power of Allah (sawt).

 Now it is the belief of the Shia’s that the Imams are the inheritors of knowledge from the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), so whatever  was  revealed to the prophet whether it is about future events, or past events it is our belief that the Imams would inherit that knowledge since they are his true successors.

The Holy Quran states:

[081:024]And he (Muhammad) withholds not knowledge of the unseen.

According to the Holy Quran, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is not selfish when it comes to the knowledge of the unseen, he allows others, or tells others about the knowledge of the unseen when he deems fit and who better to receive direct knowledge from the Holy Prophet then the man who was declared:

“I am the city of knowledge, and Ali is its gate; whoever is desirous of knowledge must enter by that gate.”   (al-Khwarazmi, al-Manaqib, p. 40; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, Vol. III, p. 126; al-Khat.ib al-Baghdadi, Tarikh Baghdad, Vol. IV, p.348; Ibn Hajar, al-Sawa’iq, p. 73; Ibn al-Athir, Usud al-Ghabah, Vol. IV, p.22.)

The Messenger said to his daughter Fatimah al-Zahra (AS): “Would it not please you that I have married you to the first Muslim in my nation, their most knowledgeable, and their greatest in Wisdom.”

(Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v3, p136

As we all know the imams are the inheritors of knowledge and whatever knowledge was bestowed upon the Prophet of Islam, subsequently this knowledge (including of the unseen) went to Imam Ali (as) and to the rest. To further emphasize this very important point here are two famous Hadith from our sixth and seventh imam.

365. 3. Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): Prophet Dawood (David) (p) inherited the knowledge of the prophets (who preceded him), Prophet Sulayman (Solomon) (p) inherited (the knowledge of) Prophet Dawood (p) and Prophet Muhammad (p) inherited (the knowledge of) Prophet Sulayman (p) and we are the inheritors of the knowledge of Prophet Muhammad (p) (Kitab Al Kafi: Book 4, Chapter 33)

Yahya bin Abdullah asked imam Musa al-Kadhim (as) saying: “May I be made your ransom, they are claiming that you know the Unseen?” He replied: “Glory be to Allah! Put your hand on my head; by Allah there is no hair on it and on my body except that it has been aroused. No, by Allah it is nothing other than the inheritance from the Messenger of Allah(s)”.  (Bihar al-Anwar, v.20, pp. 102-103)

So as we can see the Imams are the inheritors of knowledge (of the prophet) and common sense would say, that if someone is the inheritor of knowledge of the prophet, that would also include the knowledge that Allah (sawt) has bestowed on the Prophet in the matters of the unseen as well.

Someone might than go and say ‘’ so the only way an Imam can have knowledge of the unseen is from inheritance?’’

This above statement is only partly true, Ayat Al Kursi (as we saw in the beginning of the article) stated that no one can have the knowledge of Allah (Sawt) EXCEPT if he wills, (not all of Gods knowledge of course) and as I have noted that statement was a general statement not to someone specific unlike verse 26-27 of Surah 72 which was speaking only about an apostle.  You may ask ‘’ well why would Allah (sawt) give your Imams knowledge of what they want when it comes to certain matters of the unseen?’’

Simple, Shia’s believe that the Khalifa is appointed by Allah (sawt) not by nomination as was the case with the second Khalifa, or declaration as with the first Khalifa, or by compulsion as was the case with other Khalifa’s. With this said, if an Imam whom was appointed by God Almighty wanted guidance or inspiration from the appointer do you not think he would receive it? 

To further re- iterate my positions here are two Hadith from Imam Jaffar as-saddiq (as)

390. 4. Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p) was asked: Does an Imam have the knowledge of the unseen? The Imam (p): No, but when God wishes an Imam (p) to know it, He reveals it. (Kitab Al-Kafi: Book 4, Chapter 45)

391. 3. Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): Whenever an Imam wants to know anything; God inspires him with the required knowledge. (Kitab Al-Kafi: Book 4, Chapter 46)

Conclusion

Alhamdulillah by the grace of God almighty we have answered category number one and two using the book of Allah (sawt) and have proved that the knowledge of the unseen though held by God and him alone, has been inspired and shown to others.

Before I end the article I would like to go over a few things.

 Number one: If anyone is to receive knowledge whether it be about the past, present, or future this is all done by God almighty, NOT by the power of a prophet, or an Imam. God is the holder of all things; it is all up to him if he wishes to inspire a prophet or a human or an Imam, not up to them.

Number two: The definition of Ilmu-‘l’ghayb states that ‘’Sometimes the ghayb is absolute (e.g., the inner most intentions of a person) and at other times it is relative (e.g., what a person has hidden inside his house, it is ‘unseen’ for outsiders).’’ With the latter part highlighted I would like to also state that at times knowledge can unravel aspects of the unseen with the underlined part in mind.

Number three:  The imam’s (Leaders) we believe are chosen by God Almighty just like the Prophet was chosen by God (of course with different purposes), with that said we believe that since God appointed them to lead, we also believe that God can and would inspire them with the required knowledge that they needed.

As-Sallamu-Alaykom

BAGHDAD — A suicide car bomb devastated a Shiite mosque in northern Iraq, one of a series of attacks Friday that killed at least 37 Shiite pilgrims and worshippers, police and medical officials said. .

The incidents are the latest in a series that have targeted Shiites, raising concerns that insurgents are stepping up attacks, hoping to re-ignite sectarian violence that nearly tore the country apart in 2006 and 2007.

Though violence has dramatically declined in Iraq in the past two years, U.S. officials have repeatedly called the security gains fragile and cautioned that a waning insurgency still has the ability to pull off sporadic, high profile attacks.

The deadliest blast occurred in Rasheediyah, north of Mosul, when a suicide car bomb struck a mosque, killing at least 30 people and trapping dozens more underneath the rubble, said a police official in Ninevah operations command.

The official said at least 88 were injured in the blast. Bodies were still being pulled from the rubble, the official said.

It was the second deadliest attack since U.S. forces withdrew from cities as part of a U.S.-Iraqi security pact that maps out the complete withdrawal of American troops by the end of 2011.

The attack occurred shortly after 1 p.m. as worshippers were leaving Friday prayers. The blast also severely damaged a dozen other buildings near the mosque, the official said.

In Baghdad, roadside bombs targeted pilgrims returning from the southern holy city of Karbala where hundreds of thousands of devout Shiites gathered to celebrate the birth of Mohammed al-Mahdi, the 12th Shiite imam, who disappeared in the ninth century.

Devout Shiites call him the Hidden Imam and believe he will return to restore peace and harmony. The ceremonies concluded early Friday morning.

The first of three bombs exploded at about 9:10 a.m., targeting a minibus with pilgrims as it entered the Shiite slum of Sadr City, a police official said. The blast killed four pilgrims and wounded eight others, the official said. The causalities were confirmed by a medical official.

A short time later, two near simultaneous explosions near the Shaab football stadium in eastern Baghdad killed three pilgrims as they were walking home to Sadr City, said another police official.

Thirteen pilgrims also were wounded in the two blasts, which occurred less than half a mile apart, the official said.

All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release information to the media.

The blasts came a day after a roadside bomb targeted pilgrims on their way to Karbala, killing one and wounding four others.

Last Friday, a string of bombings targeted Shiite mosques in the Baghdad area during prayers, killing at least 29 people.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Attacks on Shiite civilians — particularly during pilgrimages — have been the hallmark of Sunni extremists, including al Qaeda in Iraq.

While overall attacks are down in Iraq, armed robberies targeting jewelry stores, currency exchanges and banks appear to be on the rise.

Gunmen broke into a goldsmith shop in the western Baghdad district of Baiyaa on Thursday, killing the owner and making off with an unknown quantity of gold, two Iraqi police officials said Friday.

One interior ministry official disputed the robbery, saying no gold was stolen and gunmen targeted the owner in a drive-by shooting.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

The robbery follows a bank heist last month in Baghdad where gunmen killed eight security guards and made off with millions of dollars. Iraqi authorities have said they arrested the gunmen and recovered all the money.

Iraqi Vice-President Adel Abdul-Mahdi said in a statement this week that one of those alleged gunmen served as one of his bodyguards and eight others were soldiers in the Iraqi army.

Source (*)(*)

[004:093] If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to abide therein (For ever): And the wrath and the curse of God are upon him, and a dreadful penalty is prepared for him.

(The Oppression of Shia Muslims)

As-Sallamu-Alaykom to all of our readers,

In today’s article we will examine the issue of Taqiyya with three main objectives:

We will first learn about Taqiyya (when is it applicable, what is the definition etc), secondly we will seek to prove its legitimacy from the Holy Quran, and finally examine the issue from the perspective of Sunni Muslim’s most authentic book and see if Taqiyya has ever been performed throughout Islamic history.

Learning about Taqiyya

The (Islamic) definition of Taqiyya is

“To save life, honour. Or property (either one’s own or of other believers) by hiding one’s belief or religion”.

(Shah `Abdu ‘l-`Aziz Dehlawi, Tuhfa-e-Ithna-’ashariyah, ch. 1, p. 368)

Important Note

A very important note that we should not forget is that Taqiyya is only applicable if your life is in danger, or if you are threatened with physical or mental injury. It is only applicable during certain times. ( Kitab al-Hidaya, Chapter Five)

Learning about Taqiyya: Examining some rules that apply to Taqiyya

“Taqiyya is allowed in matters related to manifestation of friendship or enmity; and it is also allowed in matters connected to professing (their) reli­gion. But it is certainly not allowed in matters which af­fect other persons, like murder, fornication, usurpation of property, perjury, slander of married women or infor­ming the unbelievers about the weak points in the Mus­lims’ defence.

 “The Qur’anic verse apparently shows that taqiyah is allowed with dominant unbelievers. But according to the madhhab of Imam Shafi’i (May Allah be pleased with him) if the condition between (various sects of) the Muslims resembles the condition between the Muslims and the polytheists, then taqiyah (from the Muslims too) is allowed for the protection of one’s life.

“Taqiyya is allowed for protection of life. The question is whether it is allowed for the protection of property; possibly that too may be allowed, because the Prophet (saw) has said: `The sanctity of a‑Muslim’s property is like the sanctity of his blood’; and also he (saw) has said: `Whoever is killed in defence of his property, is a martyr’; and also because man greatly needs his property; if water is sold at exorbitant price, wudhu‘ does not remain wajib and one may pray with tayammum to avoid that small loss of property; so why should not this principle be applied here? And Allah knows better.

“Mujahid has said that this rule (of taqiyah) was valid in the beginning of Islam, because of the weakness of the believers; but now that the Islamic gov­ernment has got power and strength, it is not valid. But `Awfi has narrated from al‑Hasan (al‑Basri) that he said: `Taqiyah is allowed to the Muslims upto the day of resur­rection.’ And this opinion is more acceptable because it is wajib to keep off all types of harm from one’s self as much as possible.”

 (Ar‑Razi, Tafsir Mafatihu ‘l ghayb, Beirut, 3rd ed., vol. 7, p. 13)

Learning about Taqiyya: When Taqiyya is not allowed

There are certain circumstances which when take place disallow the practice of Taqiyya. The book written by Syed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi entitled ‘’Taqiyah’’ will be the answer to the above statement in regards to when Taqiyya is not allowed.

‘’Taqiyya is based on the principle of opting for the lesser evil. Telling a lie is not as big a sin as destroying a life. Therefore, lie is preferable to putting oneself in danger of life.

Now, if safety of one’s own life depends upon putting another believer’s life in danger, then, by the same rea­soning, Taqiyya is not allowed, because one believer is going to die in any case. So, it is better for you to die than to cause the death of another believer.

By the same reasoning, if there is a likelihood that one’s Taqiyya may destroy the belief of other believers, then Taqiyya is forbidden to such a person’’. (Page 13 pdf version)

The topic of when Taqiyya is not allowed is spoken about further in the Tafsir of Ar-Razi:

‘’(while commenting on Taqiyya)…it is certainly not allowed in matters which af­fect other persons, like murder, fornication, usurpation of property, perjury, slander of married women or infor­ming the unbelievers about the weak points in the Mus­lims’ defence.’’

(Ar‑Razi, Tafsir Mafatihu ‘l ghayb, Beirut, 3rd ed., vol. 7, p. 13)

Proving Taqiyya from the Holy Qur’an

We have now gotten a better understanding of what Taqiyya is now let us see the legitimacy of it from the Holy Qur’an.

Side Note

I will only be using one verse today due to the fact that the one verse is sufficient in itself, but in case anyone would like to know of the other verse please feel free to ask

 Surah Sixteen (16) verse Hundred and Six (106) states:

‘’Any one who, after accepting faith in God, utters Unbelief,- except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in Faith - but such as open their breast to Unbelief, on them is Wrath from God, and theirs will be a dreadful Penalty.’’ (16:106)

Let us see what Ibn Kathirs Tafsir Says:

… (Except one who was forced while his heart is at peace with the faith) This is an exception in the case of one who utters statements of disbelief and verbally agrees with the Mushrikin because he is forced to do so by the beatings and abuse to which he is subjected, but his heart refuses to accept what he is saying, and he is, in reality, at peace with his faith in Allah and His Messenger. The scholars agreed that if a person is forced into disbelief, it is permissible for him to either go along with them in the interests of self-preservation…’’

(http://www.qtafsir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2933&Itemid=71)

Not only does this Tafsir prove Taqiyya from the Qur’an but Ibn Kathir goes a step further when he states ‘’ The scholars agreed that if a person is forced into disbelief, it is permissible for him to either go along with them in the interests of self-preservation…’’ So not only is Ibn Kathir in agreement but he even states that scholars (plural) agree with him.

To prove Taqiyya from the Sahih Books of Sunni Muslims

Now we have proven the legitimacy of Taqiyya from the Qur’an and we have seen the comments of the scholars of Sunni Islam, now let us examine Taqiyya from the Sahih Books of Sunni Muslims

Side Note:

There are many hadith I can post, but I will only post one for now, because I believe it is sufficient enough, but if you would like anymore feel free to ask.

Sahih Bukhari: Volume 9, Book 83, Number 5:

Narrated Al-Miqdad bin ‘Amr Al-Kindi:

…The Prophet also said to Al-Miqdad, “If a faithful believer conceals his faith (Islam) from the disbelievers, and then when he declares his Islam, you kill him, (you will be sinful). Remember that you were also concealing your faith (Islam) at Mecca before.”

This Hadith is quite interesting with the reason being that had Al-Miqdad not practiced Taqiyya he would have been killed by the Pagan’s of Mecca which proves that at times the necessity of performing Taqiyya is of utmost importance.

Nonetheless by the grace of Allah (sawt) we have proven Taqiyya from Sunni Muslims own Sahih Book.

Conclusion

As we can clearly see Taqiyya originates from the Holy Qur’an and the verses dealing with Taqiyya and the opinion of the scholars are conclusive and thorough.

The Sahih Books of Sunni Muslims affirm what we say to a point where if anyone says otherwise the only conclusions that can be made of such a person is he is ignorant.

Even though Taqiyya is a practice which has its basis in the teachings of Islam, we must not forget that only in certain circumstances and situations can taqiyya be performed

As-Sallamu-Alaykom

As-Sallamu-Alaykom dear brothers and sisters,

Before we examine the article that was written on ‘’Answering- Christianity.com’’ I would first like to give my sincere gratitude to Osama Abdullah. When I doubted my faith a few years ago, it was his site that gave strength to my faith. It was his site that proved to me that the religion that I was contemplating converting to was nothing more than a man made lie. It was only a year ago that I was emailing him with my articles hoping he would give them a positive review, and it was only a year ago that I filled his inbox with questions about Islam, and Christianity. He has and will always be a hero of mine when it comes to the world of apologetics and I pray that he continues on the way of Allah (sawt) and his mission to defend Islam, and debunk the onslaught of Christian missionaries never ends.

Before we get into the actual article, here is the link to the article written by Osama Abdullah (Click Here)

A Side Note from the Author

The issue of who is being spoken about in Surah 33:33 is one of the most highly debated issues when people first enter the world of Sunni and Shia dialogue, so I hope that everyone who does read this article writes down the information that they find in this article because I promise you that you will discuss this very topic one day.

Osama Abdullah States:  While Commentating on Surah 33:30-34

Now to the ordinary reader, there seems to be no problem in the Noble Verses above.  But unfortunately, the Shias consider Noble Verse 33:33 to be the greatest Noble Verse to them, because they misuse it and misinterpret it to support their blasphemies and idol-worship of Ali and the rest of Ahlul-Bayt.It is claimed or believed that Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, declared that him, Ali, Fatima (his daughter), Hasan and Hussein were the ones who got purified by Allah Almighty and that the “People of the House of the Prophet” (Ahlul-Bayt) are only limited to those individuals, and therefore, after Prophet Muhammad died, Ali should’ve been the very next Islamic Caliph.  The Shias exclude all of Prophet Muhammad’s wives from Noble Verse 33:33.

Our Response

Let us deal with the issue as to whether we worship the Ahlul-bayt at a later time, for now let us deal with Osama’s belief that we are wrong in believing that Surah 33:33 ONLY refers to Imam Ali (as) Imam Hassan (as) Imam Hussein (as) and Fatima Al-Zahara (as). Osama states that we  are wrong in excluding all of wives of the Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh&hf) from verse 33 (33:33)  and we do this only to justify our beliefs that Imam Ali (as) should have been the successor of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh&hf). With this said it is extremely interesting to see that our beliefs are shared by none other than one of the Prophets Wives.

Book 031, Number 5955:

Aisha reported

 That Allah’s Apostle (May peace be upon him) went out one morning wearing a striped cloak of the black camel’s hair that there came Hassan b. ‘Ali. He wrapped him under it, then came Husain and he wrapped him under it along with the other one (Hassan). Then came Fatima and he took her under it, then came ‘Ali and he also took him under it and then said: Allah only desires to take away any uncleanliness from you, O people of the household, and purify you (thorough purifying)

(http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/hadith/muslim/031.smt.html Chapter 9: THEE MERITS OF THE FAMILY OF THE PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM)

This Hadith from Sahih Muslim is enough to debunk Osama Abdullah’s entire article in regards to Surah 33:33.  It is quite ironic to see that Aisha is the one who reports this Hadith. Aisha as we all know is one of the Prophets Wives, but she has no problem in telling us who is being referred to in Surah 33:33,  yet Osama Abdullah holds us down in disgust for leaving the Prophets Wives out of later part  verse 33 (33:33)

A Side Note from the Author

I personally do not consider Surah 33:33 to be the greatest chapter or verse in the entire Qur’an, and I am sure many of the Shia Muslims are in agreement with this, but only God Almighty Knows best so I am not here to speak on the behalf of others but for me personally, to just address the statement made by Osama Abdullah in his article I do not consider Surah 33:33 to be the greatest or the best verse in the Holy Qur’an.

Osama Abdullah States: 

To me, Noble verses 33:30-34 clearly include Prophet Muhammad’s wives.  They are speaking about Prophet Muhammad’s wives, the Prophet himself, his daughter Fatimah and her family (Ali, Hasan and Hussein).  If we look at the first word in Noble Verse 33:34, which comes after 33:33, we would see “Wa uthkurun”, which is a feminine plural to “uthkur”.  In Arabic male plurals can be for either males only or a mix of males and females.  But the female plurals are only specific and limited to females and not to anything else.  So what this means is that Noble Verse 33:33 was talking about Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, his wives, his daughter and her family, since the plural, “aankum” (”from you” in Arabic) in Noble Verse 33:33, is not a feminine one.  So we know for sure that there are at least one male and at least two females in this group.  Of course, the plural could also be for males only, but since both Sunnis and Shias agree that there is at least one female, then the possibility of females is there.

Our Response:

Before we take a look at the points made by Osama Abdullah in regards to verse 34 (33:34) let us examine the  verse before that, so the readers may get a better understanding of our beliefs in regards to Surah 33:33. I am quite happy that Osama Abdullah appeals to the Arabic language here to help his argument because we here at Shiacrescent.com will also appeal to the Arabic language and prove to our readers exactly who is being spoken about in verse 33 (33:33).

 Let us examine the transliteration of this verse

Transliteration of 33:33
Wa qarna fi buyootikuna wa la tabrejena tabaruja al-jahilliyat al-aola wa aqimena al-salat wa atiyena al-zakat wa ati’na Allah wa rasoolih. Inama yareedu Allah liyuthiba ‘ankum al rijs ahlel beiti wa yutahirakum tatheera

 So let us examine the beginning of verse 33 (33:33). When the wives are being spoken about in verse 33 (33:33) the grammatical tenses for a female is being used (qarNA, buyootikuNA). When we examine the later part of the verse (the part referring to the Ahlul-Bait) we see a change in grammar we see masculine grammatical tenses being used (Example: AnkUM).

Whenever people are shown these changes within the verse they usually question the change of topics within one verse and question how this is possible. For those that use this argument we kindly tell them that many times in the Qur’an we see Allah (sawt) covering more than one topics within a verse (Please see: 12:29, 5:3). I am pretty sure that Osama will agree with me that this is indeed one of the miracles of the Holy Qur’an in where we see Allah (sawt) covering a variety of topics within one verse.

In summary we see that in the beginning of Surah 33:33 the Qur’an uses female grammatical tenses when speaking about the wives of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and when Allah (sawt) is referring to the Ahlul-Bait in the Qur’an we see him using Masculine grammatical tenses. With this in mind it is quite ironic to see that the most SAHIH book in Sunni text confirms what we say on this topic. Lets us cite the Sahih Muslim Hadith once again, to put the nail in the coffin on this argument.

Narrated Aisha:         

One day the Prophet (pbuh) came out afternoon wearing a black cloak (upper garment or gown; long coat), then al-Hasan Ibn Ali came and the Prophet accommodated him under the cloak, then al-Husain came and entered the cloak, then Fatimah came and the Prophet entered her under the cloak, then Ali came and the Prophet entered him to the cloak as well. Then the Prophet recited: “Verily Allah intends to keep off from you every kind of uncleanness O’ People of the House (Ahlul-Bayt), and purify you a perfect purification (the last sentence of Verse 33:33).”

(http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/hadith/muslim/031.smt.html Chapter 9: THEE MERITS OF THE FAMILY OF THE PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM)

So from the above response we see that Osama Abdullah’s entire argument crumbles. We need not even address his claims on verse 34 (33:34), because it is now clear that the wives of the Prophet are not the ones that are being addressed in the later part of verse 33 (33:33) and this is affirmed by the grammar and by the Sahih Muslim Hadith.

Osama Abdullah States: 

Now whether or not Ahlul-Bayt in Noble Verse 33:33 included the Prophet’s wives, Ali (the Prophet’s cousin), Fatimah (the Prophet’s daughter), and/or Hasan and Hussein (Ali’s and Fatimah’s two sons) is really irrelevant, because in the following Noble Verses we will clearly see that all of the true Believers are also purified in the same exact manner as Ahlul-Bayt were purified.  So there is nothing GODly or super-special about Ahlul-Bayt and it is absolutely wrong to seek them in prayers as intermediaries between the person and GOD Almighty.

“Except for those who repent, mend (their lives) hold fast to God, and purify their religion as in God’s sight: if so they will be (numbered) with the believers. And soon will God grant to the believers a reward of immense value.  (The Noble Quran, 4:146)“

Take alms out of their wealth, so that thou mayest cleanse them and purify them thereby. And pray for them; thy prayer indeed is a source of tranquility for them. And ALLAH is All-Knowing.  (The Noble Quran, 9:103)“

“Gardens of Eternity, beneath which streams flow; they will abide therein for ever. And that is the recompense of those who keep themselves pure.  (The Noble Quran, 20:76)“

“O ye who believe! Follow not the footsteps of Satan, and whoso follows the footsteps of satan should know that he, surely, enjoins indecency and manifest evil. And but for the grace of ALLAH and HIS mercy upon you, not one of you would ever be pure; but ALLAH purifies whom HE pleases. And ALLAH is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.  (The Noble Quran, 24:21)“

As the reader clearly sees, especially those who read Arabic, the purification that the “People of the House of the Prophet” (Ahlul Bayt) received, is also given to the believers in the Noble Quran.  All of the Noble Words that Allah Almighty used in Noble Verse 33:33 in reference to purifying Ahlul-Bayt were also used for the Believers as I clearly demonstrated above.

Our Response:

Before we examine the verses that Osama Abdullah uses in his attempt to minimize the event of the cloak let us take one more look at verse 33 (33:33):

[033:033]And stay in your houses and do not display your finery like the displaying of the ignorance of yore; and keep up prayer, and pay the poor-rate, and obey Allah and His Apostle. Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House! and to purify you a (thorough) purifying.  (Shakir)

We have proven who this verse is referring to now let us examine what is taking place and once we examine that we will than see if the verses Osama brought can compare in any way, shape, or form.

Important note

The above translation (Shakir) is how the verse should be translated. Unfortunately many of the popular translation mistranslate one of the most important parts of the verse let us examine this very quickly.

 Here is the transliteration of the verse, and here I will highlight the words which were mistranslated (by many of the popular translator such as Yusuf Ali) so you may get a better understanding of the verse.

 033:033] Waqarna fee buyootikunna wala tabarrajna tabarruja aljahiliyyati al-oola waaqimna alssalata waateena alzzakata waatiAAna Allaha warasoolahu innama yureedu Allahu liyuthhiba AAankumu alrrijsa ahla albayti wayutahhirakum tatheeran.

So the word liyuthhiba should be translated as: To keep away. Than the word AAnkum is used here not Minkum

With this said the proper translation should say: Allah (sawt) desires to keep sin away from you. Rather than saying (as most translation say) to purify you FROM SIN.

In addition the word AAankumu is being used here not Minkum, so Keep sins away from you, rather than purifying the sins from you.

Now we have that out of the way let us compare and contrast the verses that Osama brought in his article in an attempt to undermine the event of the cloak.

The first verse he posted which uses the word purify is from Surah 4:146.

Let us read the verse before verse146 (4:146) so we can get a better understanding of the context

[004:145] The Hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire: no helper wilt thou find for them;-

[004:146] Except for those who repent, mend (their lives) hold fast to God, and purify their religion as in God’s sight: if so they will be (numbered) with the believers. And soon will God grant to the believers a reward of immense value.

The verse before speaks of how the disbelievers will be thrown in the lowest depths of hell and they will have no protectors. Then this Holy verse came down and here is what is says after verse 145 (4:145):

 ‘’Except for those who repent, mend (their lives) hold fast to God, and purify their religion as in God’s sight:’’     

To even use this verse to minimize the amazing event that took place in the later part of 33:33 is very ridiculous and for many reasons this verse is NOT speaking of someone being purified thoroughly but Allah (sawt), but it is speaking of someone who will be in the company of the believers and this is HOW he can achieve this by doing this step and that step etc. This verse is NOT saying that Allah (sawt) will keep sin away from those who repent.  Also when it says to purify your religion how can one purify his religion? Well removing any Bidah’s any Shirk and any false beliefs are a start and if I read Ibn Kathirs Tafsir correctly ‘’replacing showing off with sincerity’’ is another way to purify the religion

(http://www.qtafsir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=590&Itemid=59).

One only has to wonder how Osama can even begin to compare 4:146 to 33:33.

The second verse Osama brings is Surah 9:103 which states            ‘

’Take alms out of their wealth, so that thou mayest cleanse them and purify them thereby. And pray for them; thy prayer indeed is a source of tranquility for them. And ALLAH is All-Knowing.  (The Noble Quran, 9:103)“

Let us read the verse before this so we can get a better understanding of this verse.

[009:102] Others (there are who) have acknowledged their wrong-doings: they have mixed an act that was good with another that was evil. Perhaps God will turn unto them (in Mercy): for God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

[009:103] Of their goods, take alms, that so thou mightest purify and sanctify them; and pray on their behalf. Verily thy prayers are a source of security for them: And God is One Who heareth and knoweth

Once again Osama does the ridiculous action of comparing verse 103 of Surah 9 with Surah 33:33. What is the verse saying? The verse is speaking of how there are some people who do well, but then they go and do bad and evil. So take from them Alms (money, food etc) so that they can be purified from the sins that they committed. How is the forgiveness of Allah (sawt) attained? Through self-purification by doing the deed of admitting the sins they committed and paying Alms in the hopes of having Allah (sawt) forgive them.

If we go to Ibn Kathirs Tafsir on this verse we see that he is in total agreement with us ‘’ This Ayah encourages reverting to repentance and giving charity, for each of these actions erases, deletes and eradicate sins.’’

http://www.qtafsir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1593&Itemid=64

 For someone to compare Surah 9:103 with Surah 33:33 is rather shocking and a sign of someone truly trying to minimize the event of the cloak. I also want to state once more as I already have. This verse is not speaking of how Allah (Sawt) will purify them thoroughly and this verse surely is not speaking of how Allah (Sawt) will keep sin and evil deeds away from these individuals.

Conclusion

Alhamdulillah we have refuted everything Osama Abdullah has said in his article.  We proved that this verse is speaking about Imam Ali (as), Fatima (as), Imam Hassan (as), and Imam Hussein (as). We have also proven that no other verse (the ones Osama used) can be compared to this verse for two primary reasons with the first reason being that none of the verses Osama brought speak of how Allah (sawt) will keep sin away from the believers, and secondly none of the verses Osama brought speak of how the believers will be purified thoroughly by Allah (sawt).

In Osama Abdullah’s conclusion he claims that the Shia Muslims hold Imam Ali (as) as a deity. We all know that this is not true and I hope he apologizes for those remarks and all the other ones where he attributes shirk to the Shia’s

As-Sallamu-Alaykom

 Ayatollah Modarresi vs. Top Wahhabi Cleric – with English Subtitles

As-Sallamu-Alaykom my dear brothers and sisters

CNN) — Hundreds of Egyptians took part Monday in the funeral of Marwa Sherbini, an Egyptian woman who was stabbed to death last week in the German city of Dresden in a crime believed to be racially motivated

        Sherbini, 33, was stabbed to death Wednesday in a courtroom </as she prepared to give testimony against a German man of Russian descent whom she had sued for insult and abuse.

        The man, identified in German media as Alex A., 28, was convicted of calling Sherbini, who wore a headscarf, “terrorist,” “bitch” and “Islamist” when she asked him to leave a swing for her 3-year-old son Mustafa during an August 2008 visit to a children’s park.

He was fined and appealed the ruling. The two were in court Wednesday for that appeal when Alex A. attacked, pulling out a knife and stabbing Sherbini 18 times. He also stabbed her husband three times and attacked another person.

According to Arab media, police officers tried to intervene to end the fight, and a number of shots were fired. One hit the husband, who fell unconscious and is currently in intensive care in the Hospital of Dresden University.

Sherbini was three months pregnant at the time of her death.

Hundreds attended Sherbini’s funeral in Alexandria, Egypt, her hometown, among them government officials, including Egyptian Manpower Minister Aisha Abdel Hadi and Telecommunications Minister Tariq Kamel, Egyptian media reported.

Many shouted hostile slogans against Germany and called for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to take a firm stand on the incident. Egypt’s grand mufti, Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi, demanded the severest punishment to be issued against Alex A.

Berlin witnessed angry protests on Saturday, when hundreds of Arabs and Muslims demonstrated after a funeral prayer that called her killing an outrageous racist murder against Muslims.

In a phone call with Al Arabiya, Marwa’s brother, Tariq Sherbini, said, “Extremism has no religion. My sister was killed simply because she wore the veil. This incident clearly shows that extremism is not limited to one religion or another and it is not exclusively carried out by Muslims.”

“We are only asking for a fair punishment,” he said, adding that his sister was not a radical. “She was a religious woman who prayed and wore her headscarf, but she was killed because of her belief.”

Anger about Sherbini’s death smoldered online, as Twitterers and bloggers pushed the cause.

“She is a victim of hatred and racism,” tweeted Ghada Essawy, among many other Arab twitters and bloggers. Essawy called Sherbini “the martyr of the veil.”

Various videos circulated on YouTube calling on Egypt to take action and urging Germany to address what their makers saw as a new wave of hatred against Arabs and Muslims in its community.

One video showed various pictures of a young happy Marwa saying that “The woman stood up for her rights and she was killed. May God bless her.” The English font in the video presentation asked “when will Egypt cares for its citizens’ rights inside Egypt and abroad.”

Sherbini and her husband moved to Dresden in 2003, after the husband received a grant to study genetic engineering in the renowned Max Planck Institute. He was scheduled to present his Ph.D. thesis in the coming days.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/07/06/egypt.woman.killed/index.html

My Comments

I do not know what should shock me more, the fact that a person was stabbed 18 times within a span of 32 seconds while German guards did nothing, or whether the only way I learnt about this was from a YouTube channel as opposed to ‘’the most trusted name in news CNN’’.  Does it seem possible that a man was able to stab a female 18 times in a courtroom with security guards around?  I personally have heard of men sneaking from outside the courthouse to the inside and begin shooting at the people in the court, but I have never heard of someone being able to sneak a knife through security and actually stab someone to death. I am not screaming conspiracy here, or giving the hint that I believe this was all planned out or allowed, but how could something like this actually happen?

Coverage of this report (if I can even call it coverage) was shocking and unbelievable. Had my mother not asked me about this incident and me than going to YouTube I honestly would have had no idea that this even took place. My eyes have been glued to the T.V. (CNN to be exact) after my Idol (next to Muhammad Ali) Michael Jackson passed away, and not once did I hear anyone mention this. I heard of Neda hundreds of times, I heard how she is the face of the Iranian revolution, but a single utterance about Marwa Sherbini I never heard.

If things couldn’t have gotten any worse the husband of Marwa Sherbini was shot as well all because of mistaken identity which adds more questions as to what really was going on in  this German courtroom. If this seems bad enough her three year old son was a witness to his mother’s murder and his father’s shooting.

 I do not expect an apology or an investigation to take place due to the fact that it was a Muslim who died. I only hope that we take the words of the brother of Marwa Sherbini be true when he says and I quote ‘’ Extremism has no religion’’

Please click here to watch a tribute to this martyr —– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lmAx8VW9pM

 (002:154)And say not of those who are slain in the way of God: “They are dead.” Nay, they are living, though ye perceive (it) not