What's the difference?

The Shi’ah have many sects. Some of them are kaafirs who worship ‘Ali and call upon him, and they worship Faatimah, al-Husayn and others. Some of them say that Jibreel(Angel Gabriel) (peace be upon him) betrayed the trust and the Prophethood belonged to ‘Ali, not to Muhammad(peace be upon him). There are also others among them, such as the Imamiyyah – the Raafidi Ithna ‘Ashari – who worship ‘Ali and say that their imams are better than the angels and Prophets.

There are many groups among them; some are kaafirs (disbelievers) and some are not kaafirs. The mildest among them are those who say that ‘Ali was better than the three (Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthmaan). The one who says this is not a kaafir but he is mistaken, because ‘Ali was the fourth, and Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq, ‘Umar and ‘Uthmaan were better than him. If a person prefers him over them then he is erring and is going against the consensus of the Sahaabah, but he is not a kaafir. The Shi’ah are of different levels and types.

The one who wants to know more about that may refer to the books of the scholars, such as al-Khutoot al-‘Areedah by Muhibb al-Deen al-Khateeb [available in English under the same title, translated by Abu Ameenah Bilaal Philips], Manhaaj al-Sunnah by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, and other books that have been written on this topic, such as al-Shi’ah wa’l-Sunnah by Ihsaan Ilaahi Zaheer [also available in English translation] and many other books which explain their errors and evils – we ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound.

Among the most evil of them are the Imamis, Ithna ‘Asharis and Nusayris, who are called al-Raafidah because they rejected (rafadu) Zayd ibn ‘Ali when he refused to disavow the two Shaykhs Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, so they went against him and rejected him. Not everyone who claims to be a Muslim can be accepted as such. If a person claims to be a Muslim, his claim should be examined. The one who worships Allaah alone and believes in His Messenger, and follows that which he brought, is a real Muslim. If a person claims to be a Muslim but he worships Faatimah or al-Badawi or al-‘Aydaroos or anyone else, then he is not a Muslim. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound.

Similarly, anyone who reviles the faith, or does not pray, even if he says that he is a Muslim, is not a Muslim. The same applies to anyone who mocks the faith or mocks the prayer or zakaah or fasting or Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or who disbelieves in him, or says that he was ignorant or that he did not convey the message in full or convey the message clearly. All such people are kaafirs. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound.

Note: Ali, Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman(may Allah be pleased with them) were some of the companions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

This is gonna be a big thread.
lemme invite the prominent nl shias and Sunnis to this discussion:

Albaqir, Empiree,Sino, shiamuslin rashdat4luv, taqwaconcept etc

budaatum:
What's the difference?

# Anyway, even a little Wikipedia search will give you insight on the differences between the two sects. We live in the age of information. That makes Dogmatism and ignorance a sin.

# However, many things have been said and debated between the two adherents. You can follow these threads but you need to read EVERY comment:


www.nairaland.com/2195624/deen-show-whats-difference-between

www.nairaland.com/3066727/difference-between-shiite-muslim-sunni

www.nairaland.com/3839665/shia-quran-lip-nabi

www.nairaland.com/3084627/did-some-sahaba-preferred-ali

www.nairaland.com/3415045/between-sunni-shia-islam-lost

www.nairaland.com/2814115/differences-between-sunni-shia-muslim

www.nairaland.com/2855633/110-allegations-against-shia-response

AlBaqir:


# Anyway, even a little Wikipedia search will give you insight on the differences between the two sects. We live in the age of information. That makes Dogmatism and ignorance a sin.

# However, many things have been said and debated between the two adherents. You can follow these threads but you need to read EVERY comment:


www.nairaland.com/2195624/deen-show-whats-difference-between

www.nairaland.com/3066727/difference-between-shiite-muslim-sunni

www.nairaland.com/3839665/shia-quran-lip-nabi

www.nairaland.com/3084627/did-some-sahaba-preferred-ali

www.nairaland.com/3415045/between-sunni-shia-islam-lost

www.nairaland.com/2814115/differences-between-sunni-shia-muslim

www.nairaland.com/2855633/110-allegations-against-shia-response

They have all expired!! bring new ones

Aminu212:
They have all expired!! bring new ones

# Expired? Says who? Anyway, if you have anything to dialogue with, kindly bring it on. We can start the discussion of Sunni-Shia afresh right here.

AlBaqir:


# Expired? Says who? Anyway, if you have anything to dialogue with, kindly bring it on. We can start the discussion of Sunni-Shia afresh right here.

Why is it that shias hate Nana Aisha (R.Anha) very well?

Aminu212:
Why is it that shias hate Nana Aisha (R.Anha) very well?

Qur’an refers to Prophet’s wives (altogether) as “Mother of the believers” and all Shi’i Exegists point out the respect and honor they commanded via this verse. Therefore cursing or defaming ANYONE of them is condemned.

However, exploring the bad deeds of some of them never translate to defamation as Qur’an did to ‘Aisha and Hafsa when they divulge secrets of their husband, planned against him, with deviated hearts (Qur'an emphasis in sura Tahrim). These are the very crimes committed by the wives of Prophet Nuh and Prophet Lut.

Allah commanded them (Aisha and Hafsa) to do Tawbah, and threatened them with divorce and replacement with better wives with excellent virtues they lack {see Surah Tahrim}.


All these bury the Sunni myth of ahadith and claims that ‘Aisha is the best and most beloved. This is the last update on ‘Aisha in the Qur’an. Yet her role in the first Muslim civil war {battle of Jamal} after the demise of the Prophet was despicable. She led a rebellion army to the war-front against ‘Ali, the rightly guided Khalifah of her time. This led to the killing of thousands. Aisha being "mother of believers" caused the death of her "spiritual children". Besides, isn't opposing a rightly guided Khalifah synonymous to opposing the Nabi himself? Qur'an orders are to respect our mother even if they are Kuffar or sinners only that we shouldn't follow or accept their evils.


‘Ali maintained her dignity as Mother of Believer even after he won the battle taking her back to the house where Allah ordered her to stay indoor. Many untenable excuses were proffer to her defense by Sunni Ulama.

If you need detailed information on all my points above, kindly go to this thread:
www.nairaland.com/2715836/fatima-bint-muhammad-leader-women

Its another dialogue on Aisha, and it worth every reading.

The belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah is Tawheed or the oneness of Allaah and devoting worship sincerely to Allaah alone, and that no one can be called upon alongside Him, no angel who is close to Him and no Prophet who was sent, and Allaah is the only one who knows the unseen. It is part of the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah to love the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them all) and to be pleased with them, and to believe that they are the best of Allaah's creation after the Prophets, and that the best of them are Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar, then ‘Uthmaan, then ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with them all). The Raafidis are the opposite of that, so it is not possible to reconcile between them, just as it is not possible to reconcile between the Jews, Christians and idolaters and Ahl al-Sunnah. Similarly it is not possible to achieve rapprochement between the Raafidis and Ahl al-Sunnah, because of the difference in beliefs as we have explained. End quote.

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn Baaz (27/325)

Rashduct4luv:
The belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah is


...and that the best of them are Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar, then ‘Uthmaan, then ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with them all). The Raafidis are the opposite of that,

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn Baaz (27/325)

* The following ahadith are where Ahlu Sunnah derived their imaginary rating above:


FIRST SUBMISSION:

# Imam Muslim records Abdullah Ibn Umar to have said:

"During the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah, peace be
upon him, we never considered anyone as equal to Abu
Bakr, then Umar, and then Uthman. Then, we leave the
Sahabah of the prophet, peace be upon him, AND WE DID
NOT CONSIDERED ANY OF THEM TO BE SUPERIOR TO
ANOTHER"


# Also, an Hadith in Bukhari/Muslim, was attributed to Ali where his son, Muhammad Ibn al-Hanafiyyah allegedly ask him who is the best of the Ummah, and Ali allegedly says, "Abubakr". His son asked again, " then who?" Ali said, "Umar". The son says, " I was afraid lest I ask him who after the two, and he will say, "Uthman", I however asked, " What of you?" And he said, "I am just an ordinary person".


# ON THE CONTRARY:

Abd Allah (b. Muhammad b. Abd al-Aziz al-Baghwi) - my
grandfather (Ahmad b. Muni al-Baghwi) - Abu Qatan -
Shu'bah - Abu Ishaq - Abd Allah b. Yazid - Alqamah - Abd
Allah b. Mas'ud:

"We used to say that the overall best of the people of Madinah was Ali ibn Abi Talib"

Source: Ahmad b. Hanbal al-Shaybani, Fadail al-Sahabah
(Beirut: Muasassat al-Risalah; 1403 H)[annotator: Dr.
Wasiyullah Muhammad Abbas], vol.2, p.646,#1097



# AHLU SUNNAH'S DOUBLE STANDARD:

So, the scholars of Ahlu Sunnah are of the opinion that the best of this Ummah was Abubakr, followed by Umar, then followed by Uthman, then Ali came last in the pecking order. May we ask who did this rating, and with what criteria (Ilm, taqwa, Zuhd, ibaadat etc) were they done? Allah and His Messenger, or Ahlu Sunnah's scholars? If it was the Messenger of Allah, we are glad to tell Ahlu Sunnah that they also have Mutawattir hadith where the Messenger declared Ali as the Best of his Ummah. Of course, Ahlu Sunnah closed their eyes on those ahadith despite being Mutawattir.


# THEIR DEFINITION OF "RAFIDHA":

Interestingly, according to Ahlu Sunnah, whoever believes that Ali is the most superior of this Ummah, the person is a Rafidha.


* Imam Ibn 'Abd al-Barr (d. 463H) identifies some of
these Rafidi among the Sahabah:


"Salman, Abu Dharr, al-Miqdad, Khabab, Jabir, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and Zayd b. Arqam narrated that 'Ali b. Abi Talib,
may Allah be pleased with him, was the first to accept Islam, and they considered him the most superior (among the Sahabah)."

Source: Al-Isti'ab fi Ma'rifat al-Ashab, vol. 3, p. 1090, # 1855

These Sahaba considered 'Ali as Superior to Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman!



# Another prominent Sahabi was Abu al-Tufayl (RA). Imam al-Dhahabi writes about him:

"The name of Abu al-Tufayl was 'Amir b. Wathilah b. 'Abd
Allah b. 'Amr al-Laythi al-Kanani al-Hijazi, the Shi'i. He
was from the Shi'ah of Imam 'Ali."
Source: Siyar A'lam al-Nubala, vol. 3, p. 468, #97


Imam Ibn 'Abd al-Barr adds:

"He was a Shi'i of 'Ali and considered him the most
superior. He used to extol the two Shayks, Abu Bakr and
'Umar, and would ask for Allah's mercy upon 'Uthman"

Source: Al-Isti'ab fi Ma'rifat al-Ashab, vol. 4, p. 1697, #3054



# Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani explains the words of Ibn 'Abd al-Barr above:

"Abu 'Umar said: He accepted the merit of Abu Bakr and
Umar but he considered 'Ali to be the most superior."

Source: Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-sahabah, vol. 7, p. 193, #10166.


To read submissions of both Ahlu Sunnah and Shi'a on this topic, here's an interesting thread:
www.nairaland.com/3084627/did-some-sahaba-
preferred-ali

AlBaqir:


* The following ahadith are where Ahlu Sunnah derived their imaginary rating above:


FIRST SUBMISSION:

# Imam Muslim records Abdullah Ibn Umar to have said:

"During the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah, peace be
upon him, we never considered anyone as equal to Abu
Bakr, then Umar, and then Uthman. Then, we leave the
Sahabah of the prophet, peace be upon him, AND WE DID
NOT CONSIDERED ANY OF THEM TO BE SUPERIOR TO
ANOTHER"


# Also, an Hadith in Bukhari/Muslim, was attributed to Ali where his son, Muhammad Ibn al-Hanafiyyah allegedly ask him who is the best of the Ummah, and Ali allegedly says, "Abubakr". His son asked again, " then who?" Ali said, "Umar". The son says, " I was afraid lest I ask him who after the two, and he will say, "Uthman", I however asked, " What of you?" And he said, "I am just an ordinary person".


# ON THE CONTRARY:

Abd Allah (b. Muhammad b. Abd al-Aziz al-Baghwi) - my
grandfather (Ahmad b. Muni al-Baghwi) - Abu Qatan -
Shu'bah - Abu Ishaq - Abd Allah b. Yazid - Alqamah - Abd
Allah b. Mas'ud:

"We used to say that the overall best of the people of Madinah was Ali ibn Abi Talib"

Source: Ahmad b. Hanbal al-Shaybani, Fadail al-Sahabah
(Beirut: Muasassat al-Risalah; 1403 H)[annotator: Dr.
Wasiyullah Muhammad Abbas], vol.2, p.646,#1097



# AHLU SUNNAH'S DOUBLE STANDARD:

So, the scholars of Ahlu Sunnah are of the opinion that the best of this Ummah was Abubakr, followed by Umar, then followed by Uthman, then Ali came last in the pecking order. May we ask who did this rating, and with what criteria (Ilm, taqwa, Zuhd, ibaadat etc) were they done? Allah and His Messenger, or Ahlu Sunnah's scholars? If it was the Messenger of Allah, we are glad to tell Ahlu Sunnah that they also have Mutawattir hadith where the Messenger declared Ali as the Best of his Ummah. Of course, Ahlu Sunnah closed their eyes on those ahadith despite being Mutawattir.


# THEIR DEFINITION OF "RAFIDHA":

Interestingly, according to Ahlu Sunnah, whoever believes that Ali is the most superior of this Ummah, the person is a Rafidha.


* Imam Ibn 'Abd al-Barr (d. 463H) identifies some of
these Rafidi among the Sahabah:


"Salman, Abu Dharr, al-Miqdad, Khabab, Jabir, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and Zayd b. Arqam narrated that 'Ali b. Abi Talib,
may Allah be pleased with him, was the first to accept Islam, and they considered him the most superior (among the Sahabah)."

Source: Al-Isti'ab fi Ma'rifat al-Ashab, vol. 3, p. 1090, # 1855

These Sahaba considered 'Ali as Superior to Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman!



# Another prominent Sahabi was Abu al-Tufayl (RA). Imam al-Dhahabi writes about him:

"The name of Abu al-Tufayl was 'Amir b. Wathilah b. 'Abd
Allah b. 'Amr al-Laythi al-Kanani al-Hijazi, the Shi'i. He
was from the Shi'ah of Imam 'Ali."
Source: Siyar A'lam al-Nubala, vol. 3, p. 468, #97


Imam Ibn 'Abd al-Barr adds:

"He was a Shi'i of 'Ali and considered him the most
superior. He used to extol the two Shayks, Abu Bakr and
'Umar, and would ask for Allah's mercy upon 'Uthman"

Source: Al-Isti'ab fi Ma'rifat al-Ashab, vol. 4, p. 1697, #3054



# Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani explains the words of Ibn 'Abd al-Barr above:

"Abu 'Umar said: He accepted the merit of Abu Bakr and
Umar but he considered 'Ali to be the most superior."

Source: Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-sahabah, vol. 7, p. 193, #10166.


To read submissions of both Ahlu Sunnah and Shi'a on this topic, here's an interesting thread:
www.nairaland.com/3084627/did-some-sahaba-
preferred-ali

Double standard indeed!

Just as ‘Ali had many virtues and good characteristics, other Sahaabah also had other virtues and good characteristics. Among the virtues of Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) is that which was narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri, who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) delivered a khutbah and said: “Allaah has given a slave the choice between this world and what is with Him, and he chose what is with Him.” Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him) began to weep, and I said to myself, “What is making this old man cry if Allaah has given a slave the choice between this world and what is with Him, and he chose what is with Him?” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was that slave, and Abu Bakr was the most knowledgeable of us. He said, “O Abu Bakr, do not weep. Abu Bakr has favoured me greatly with his companionship and his wealth. If I were to have taken a close friend among my ummah, I would have chosen Abu Bakr, but the brotherhood of Islam is sufficient. Do not leave any door to the mosque without closing it off, apart from the door of Abu Bakr.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 466; Muslim, 2382

Another of his virtues is that he accompanied the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) during the Hijrah (migration to Madeenah), as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“If you help him (Muhammad) not (it does not matter), for Allaah did indeed help him when the disbelievers drove him out, the second of the two; when they (Muhammad and Abu Bakr) were in the cave, he said to his companion (Abu Bakr): ‘Be not sad (or afraid), surely, Allaah is with us.’ Then Allaah sent down His Sakeenah (calmness, tranquillity, peace) upon him, and strengthened him with forces (angels) which you saw not, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowermost, while the Word of Allaah that became the uppermost; and Allaah is All-Mighty, All-Wise”
[al-Tawbah 9:40]

And ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) appointed him as the commander of the army of Dhaat al-Salaasil. He said: So I came to him and said, “Which of the people is dearest to you?” He said, “ ‘Aa’ishah.” I said, “Who among men?” He said, “Her father.” I said, “Then who?” He said, “Then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab,” and he mentioned some other men.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3662; Muslim, 2384.

Another of his virtues is the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) appointed him to lead the prayers in his stead at the end of his life, when he fell sick with his final illness, and he rebuked those who objected to this and said, “Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 683; Muslim 418.

And it was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) climbed Uhud with Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthmaan, and it trembled beneath them. He said, ‘Stand firm, O Uhud, for there is no one on you but a Prophet, a Siddeeq and two martyrs.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3675.

With regard to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him), he also had many virtues and good characteristics which were proven in many reports. For example it was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whilst I was sleeping, I saw the people were shown to me, and they were wearing shirts. Some shirts came down to the chest, and some were shorter than that. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab was shown to me and he was wearing a shirt that dragged along the ground.” They said, “How did you interpret that, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “Religious commitment.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 23; Muslim, 2390.

It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Whilst I was sleeping, a cup of milk was brought to me and I drank until I saw its wetness coming out of my nails. Then I gave the rest to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab.” They said, “How did you interpret that, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “(It is) knowledge.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 82; Muslim, 2391.

And it was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say, “Among the nations who came before you there were muhaddathoon (men who were inspired) and if there are any such men among my ummah, then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab is one of them.”

Narrated by Muslim, 2398

And there is other evidence which points to the virtues of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them). But the fact that some of them were superior to others is something that makes sense and is proven in sharee’ah. It is not the matter of whims and desires, rather it should be referred to sharee’ah, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses, no choice have they (in any matter). Glorified is Allaah, and exalted above all that they associate (as partners with Him)”

[al-Qasas 28:68]

So we should refer to the shar’i evidence in order to find out the status of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them). It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “We used to compare the people as to who was better at the time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). We used to regard Abu Bakr as the best, then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, then ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan (may Allaah be pleased with them).” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3655. According to another report he said: “At the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) we did not regard anyone as equal with Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar, then ‘Uthmaan, then we left the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and we did not differentiate between them.” Al-Bukhaari, 2679.

This is testimony of all the Sahaabah, narrated by ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar, that Abu Bakr was superior to all the Sahaabah, followed by ‘Umar, then ‘Uthmaan.

Now let us turn to ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him) himself, and he see what he said. It was narrated that Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah (who was the son of ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib) said: “I said to my father, ‘Which of the people was the best after the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)?’ He said, ‘Abu Bakr.’ I said, ‘Then who?’ He said, ‘Then ‘Umar.’ I was afraid that he would say ‘Uthmaan. I said, ‘Then is it you?’ He said, ‘I am only one of the Muslims.’”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3671.

It was narrated that ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “No one is brought to me who regards me as superior to Abu Bakr and ‘Umar but I will punish him with a beating like a fabricator.” Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: It was narrated that he used to speak from the minbar of Kufa and say that the best of this ummah after our Prophet was Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar. This was narrated from him via more than eighty isnaads, and it was narrated by al-Bukhaari and others. Hence the earlier Shi’ah all used to agree that Abu Bakr and ‘Umar were superior, as has been mentioned by more than one. Manhaaj al-Sunnah, 1/308

It was narrated from Abu Juhayfah that ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) ascended the minbar and praised and glorified Allaah and sent blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then he said: “The best of this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr. The second is ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him), and after that, whoever Allaah wants to be good will be good.”

Narrated by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad, 839. And Shaykh Shu’ayb al-Arna’oot said: its isnaad is qawiy.

These ahaadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and these reports from the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) all testify to the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, amongst whom there is no dispute concerning it, that the best of this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him), then ‘Umar. May Allaah be pleased with all of the Sahaabah.

With regard to the idea that Abu Bakr and ‘Umar always used to ask ‘Ali questions and that they did not have knowledge, this is not proven in any report whatsoever. Rather it is proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ordered that Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) should lead the people in prayer when he was sick with his final illness. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would not have delegated this task except to one who had knowledge of the rulings on the prayer. And it was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) appointed Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) to lead the Hajj before the Farewell Pilgrimage, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would not have appointed a man to such a position unless he was the most knowledgeable of them concerning it (the Hajj). Indeed it is narrated that ‘Ali learned some ahaadeeth from Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with them both) concerning some issues. It was narrated that Asma’ bint al-Hakam al-Fazaari said: “I heard ‘Ali say: I was a man who, if I heard a hadeeth from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), Allaah would benefit me thereby as much as He willed to benefit me. If a man from among his companions told me a hadeeth I would ask him to swear to it; if he swore to it then I would believe him.” He told me that Abu Bakr said, and Abu Bakr spoke the truth, “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘There is no man who commits a sin then he gets up and purifies himself and prays, and seeks the forgiveness of Allaah, but Allaah will forgive him.’ Then he recited this verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“And those who, when they have committed Faahishah (illegal sexual intercourse) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allaah and ask forgiveness for their sins; — and none can forgive sins but Allaah — and do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:135]

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 406; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

Al-Tirmidhi (3682) narrated from ‘Ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has placed truth on the tongue of ‘Umar and in his heart.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2908.

And we have quoted above the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning ‘Umar: “Among the nations who came before you there were muhaddathoon (men who were inspired) and if there are any such men among my ummah, then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab is one of them.”

The point is that the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, on which they are unanimously agreed, is that the best of this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar – may Allaah be pleased with them both.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “No one among the respectable Muslim scholars has said that ‘Ali was more knowledgeable or had more understanding of Islam than Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, or even than Abu Bakr alone. Those who claim that there is consensus on that are among the most ignorant of people and the greatest liars. Rather, more than one of the scholars have stated that there is scholarly consensus that Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq was more knowledgeable than ‘Ali, such as Imam Mansoor ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbaar al-Sam’aani al-Marwadhi, one of the leading scholars of the Sunnah among the companions of al-Shaafa’i, who mentioned in his book Taqweem al-Adillah ‘ala’l-Imam that there was consensus among the scholars of the Sunnah that Abu Bakr was more knowledgeable than ‘Ali. I do not know of anyone among the famous imams who disputes this point. How could it be otherwise when Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq used to issue rulings and commands and prohibitions, and pass judgements, and deliver khutbahs in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as he used to do when he and Abu Bakr would go out to call the people to Islam, and when they migrated together, and on the day of Hunayn, and on other occasions, when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) remained silent and approved of what Abu Bakr said; no one else enjoyed such status. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) consulted with the wise and knowledgeable men among his companions, he would consult Abu Bakr and ‘Umar first, because they were the first to speak about matters of Islam in the presence of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) before the rest of his companions; for example when he consulted them about the prisoners of Badr, the first ones who spoke about that were Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, and this also happened on other occasions… In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated that the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) were with him on a journey and he said: “If the people obey Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, they will be guided aright.” And it was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that he used to give his fatwas based on the Book of Allaah, and if he could not find anything then he would look at the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then if he could not find anything he would refer to the fatwas of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, then if he did not find anything he would refer to the fatwas of ‘Uthmaan and ‘Ali – and Ibn ‘Abbaas was the habr al-ummah (scholar of the ummah) and the most knowledgeable of the Sahaabah of his time, and he would consult the words of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar and give them precedence over the words of anyone else among the Sahaabah. And it was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed for Ibn ‘Abbaas and said, “O Allaah, cause him to understand the religion of Islam and teach him the correct interpretation (of the Qur’aan).”

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 4/398

See:

Al-Fasl fi’l-Milal wa’l-Nihal, 4/212
Bal dalalta, p. 252

Al-Shi’ah al-Imaamiyyah al-Ithna ‘ashariyyah, p. 120

Rashduct4luv:


Double standard indeed!

Just as ‘Ali had many virtues and good characteristics, other Sahaabah also had other virtues and good characteristics.

# Please don't lose focus man. We are not talking of just having virtues here o.

Ahlu Sunnah's submission which we have challenged is that Abubakr was the best of this Ummah; and that Ali only occupied the 4th position. You yourself posted it.

# What we are telling you is that as you have ahadith that declared Abubakr as the best of the Ummah, so also you have several ahadith that declared Ali as the best of the Ummah. This is where we accused your Ulama of double-standard:

- Why declaring Abubakr the best when indeed he had a rival in Ali Ibn Abi Talib, and therefore Umar and Uthman are not even close to Ali?

- Why putting Ali in the 4th position when indeed he was No. 1?


# Alhamdulillah that you have rushed (as usual) to post Abubakr, Umar, and Uthman's merit according to your Sunni documents. We shall look at those "merits" one after the other as opposed to contradictory characters of these sahabah. We will do this using nothing but Qur'an and your documented hadiths.

I only hope you can withstand the exposition.

Rashduct4luv:

Among the virtues of Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) is that which was narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri, who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) delivered a khutbah and said: “Allaah has given a slave the choice between this world and what is with Him, and he chose what is with Him.” Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him) began to weep, and I said to myself, “What is making this old man cry if Allaah has given a slave the choice between this world and what is with Him, and he chose what is with Him?” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was that slave, and Abu Bakr was the most knowledgeable of us. He said, “O Abu Bakr, do not weep. Abu Bakr has favoured me greatly with his companionship and his wealth. If I were to have taken a close friend among my ummah, I would have chosen Abu Bakr, but the brotherhood of Islam is sufficient. Do not leave any door to the mosque without closing it off, apart from the door of Abu Bakr.”

A. CHALLENGE 1: That Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri opened that Abubakr was the most knowledgeable of the sahabah.


# OUR RESPONSE:
If the statement attributed to Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri is true, then he was very wrong in his claim.


1. Imam Ahmad documents this hadith:

Abd Allah (b. Ahmad) – my father (Ahmad b. Hanbal) - Abu Ahmad – Khalid b. Tahman Nafi’ b. Abi Nafi’ – Ma’qil b. Yasar:

".... He (the Prophet) said (to Fatimah), “ Are you not satisfied that I have married you to the one who was the first of my Ummah to accept Islam, and the MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE of them, and the most clement of them?”

Source: Abu ‘Abd Allah Ahmad b. Hanbal al-Shaybani, Musnad (Cairo: Muasassat Qurtubah) [annotator: Shu’ayb al-Arnaut], vol. 5, p. 26, # 20322


* Imam al-Haythami (d. 807 H) states about this report:

Ahmad and al-Tabarani recorded it with narrators who have (all) been graded Thiqah (Trustworthy).

Source: Nur al-Din Ali b. Abi Bakr al-Haythami, Majma al-Zawaid (Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 1412 H), vol.9, pp. 147-148, #14669


2. Imam Tabarani also records:

Ishaq b. Ibrahim al-Dabri -- Abd al-Razzaq -- Waki b. al-Jarrah -- Sharik -- Abu Ishaq:

"Verily, Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, when he married Fatima....

So, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said (to Fatima), 'I have married you to him because he was the first of my sahabah to accept Islam, and the most knowledgeable of them, and the most clement of them."

Source: Abu al-Qasim Sulayman Ibn Ahmad b. Ayub al-Tabarani, Mu'jam al-Kabir (Mosul: Maktaba al-ulum Wa al-hukm, 2nd edition, 1404 H)[annotator: Hamadi Ibn Abd al-Majid al-Salafi], vol. 1, pg. 94, #156.

Commenting on the report, Imam al-Haytami said: al-Tabarani records it, and it is mursal with a sahih chain.

NOTE: The Hadith is actually Mutawattir (widely reported).




B. CHALLENGE 2: That Prophet was reported to have said Abubakr was his close friend of the Ummah.

OUR RESPONSE:
Quran (surah Ahl Imran: 61) and Nabi says Ali is Nafs (soul) of the Prophet.

Imam Tirmidhi documents:

Narrated Hubshi bin Junadah:

that the Messenger of Allah (s) said: "'Ali is from me and I am from 'Ali. And none should represent me except myself or 'Ali."

Grade : Hasan (Darussalam)

English reference : Vol. 1, Book 46, Hadith 3719
Arabic reference : Book 49, Hadith 4085
www.sunnah.com/tirmidhi/49

# So, who's Abubakr? Anyway, we have no problem with the statement so long the word "closest or most beloved to the Prophet" is not used for Abubakr. This is because it will not only be contradictory with the Qur'an and Hadith above, but also hadith below:


# Imam Ahmad also records:

Abd Allah (b. Ahmad) - my father (Ahmad b. Hanbal) - Abu Na'im - Yunus - al-'Ayzar b. Hurayth - al-Nu'man b. Bashir:

Abu Bakr sought the permission of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, to enter his house, and heard the voice of Aishah, very loud. She was saying, " I SWEAR BY ALLAH, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT 'ALI IS MORE BELOVED TO YOU THAN MY FATHER AND ME." She said it twice or thrice. So, Abu Bakr sought permission (again) and entered, and reached for her, and said, "O daughter of such-and-such woman! Did I hear you raising your voice upon the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him?"

Shaykh al-Ar'naut says: Its Chain is Hasan.

Source: Musnad (Cairo: Muasassat Qurtubah)[annotator: Shuaib al-Ar'naut], vol.4, p.275, #18444


* Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani also documents the hadith:

Source: Fath al-Bari sharh Sahih al-Bukhari (Beirut: Dar al-Marifah Li al-Taba'ah wa al-Nashr, 2nd edition), vol.7,
p.19




C. CHALLENGE 3: That Prophet said, "Do not leave ANY door opened to the Mosque, except that of Abubakr.

OUR RESPONSE:

Imam al-Tirmidhi documents a contradictory hadith:

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:

"The Prophet (s) ordered that the gates be closed, except the gate of 'Ali."

Grade : Hasan (Darussalam)

English reference : Vol. 1, Book 46, Hadith 3732
Arabic reference : Book 49, Hadith 4097
www.sunnah.com/tirmidhi/49


DISCOVERING THE TRUTH
The essence of closure of doors that leads to the Masjid was/is solely to avoid people entering the masjid while in a state of impurities (for example, after sex) and ritual bath is not yet performed.

However, the Messenger of Allah made an exception in Ali and NOT Abubakr. Why did we say this?

Quran, surah Ahzab: 33, reads:

"Allah intends but only to keep impurity away all from you, O AHL AL-BAYT, and to purify you absolutely"

* Impurities could be physical or spiritual. The verse above talks about ALL types of impurities.

Al-Tabari recorded with a Hasan (good) chain from Qatadah, concerning His statement {Allah intends but only to keep impurity away all from you, O AHL AL-BAYT, and to purify you absolutely}:

They are an Ahl al-Bayt. Allah purified them from evil, and He gave them a special mercy from Himself.”

Source: Mawsu’at al-Sahih al-Masbur min al-Tafsir bi al-Mathur, vol. 4, p. 126

* Unfortunately, Abubakr was not from the Ahlulbayt. So how can he possibly be allowed to enter the masjid in any state.

Rashduct4luv:

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 466; Muslim, 2382

Another of his virtues is that he accompanied the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) during the Hijrah (migration to Madeenah), as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

# How is accompany the Prophet while he (saws) was trying to escape the evil plots of the KUFFAR, a virtue for Abubakr? Where was Ali Ibn Abi Talib? His master, the holy Messenger instructed him to sleep on his bed and pretend to be him to fool the watchful eyes of Kuffar while he escape their plot. Which is the more meritorious service of the two?

Anyway, Let us look at the verse below as it exposes a lot about Abubakr's iman (faith):

Rashduct4luv:

“If you help him (Muhammad) not (it does not matter), for Allaah did indeed help [/b]him[/b] when the disbelievers drove him out, the second of the two; when they (Muhammad and Abu Bakr) were in the cave, he said to [/b]his companion (Abu Bakr): ‘Be not sad (or afraid), surely, Allaah is with us.’ Then Allaah sent down His Sakeenah (calmness, tranquillity, peace) upon him, and strengthened him with forces (angels) which you saw not, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowermost, while the Word of Allaah that became the uppermost; and Allaah is All-Mighty, All-Wise”
[al-Tawbah 9:40]

# All the personal pronouns (he, him, his) used in the ayah as we have highlighted them above solely refer to the Messenger of Allah.

# Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir writes:

"During the year of Hijrah, the pagans tried to kill, imprison and expel him (i.e the Prophet). So, he escaped with his friend and companion, Abubakr b. Abi Quhafah, to the Thawr Cave. They remained in there for three days. So the scouts who were sent in their pursuit returned, and they proceeded to Madīnah. (While in the Cave), Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, was afraid that they might be discovered by someone, that some harm might come to the Messenger, peace be upon him, from them. Therefore the Prophet, peace be upon him, kept reassuring him and strengthening his resolve, saying, 'O Abu Bakr, what do you think of two, the third of whom is Allah?"

Source: Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim (Dar al-Taybah li al-Nashr wa al-Tawzi, 2nd Edition, 1420 H) [annotator: Sami Ibn Muhammad Salamah], vol. 4, p.155

# Obviously, one word of assurance of the Prophet was not enough for Abubakr as he continued to be fearful.

WHY WAS ABUBAKR NEGLECTED?

# The verse continues:

"...Then Allaah sent down His Sakeenah (calmness, tranquillity, peace) upon him, and strengthened him with forces (angels) which you saw not..."

Allah sent down His sakinah upon His Messenger ONLY and strengthened him ONLY with unseen forces. Why did Abubakr was left out in this blessings as it is clear Allah do not leaves out sincere believer(s) in blessings like this? For example,

Q.9: 26 reads

"Then Allah sent down His sakinah upon His Apostle and upon the believers, and sent down hosts which you did not see, and chastised those who disbelieved, and that is the reward of the unbelievers."

# Before Allah could send His sakinah upon any heart, He sees through the heart FIRST:

Q. 48: 18 reads

"Certainly Allah was well pleased with the believers when they swore allegiance to you under the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down sakinah on them and rewarded them with a near victory"

# WHAT IS THE ESSENCE OF SAKINAH?

Allah says:

Q.48: 4

"He it is Who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the believers that they might have more of faith added to their faith-- and Allah's are the hosts of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is Knowing, Wise"

Abubakr was neglected and do not received Allah's sakinah and help of unseen forces alongside the Messenger of Allah because his heart was filled with fears despite Prophet's assurances. Indeed Allah ONLY strengthen the hearts of believers with His sakinah in order to have MORE faith added to their initial strong faith.

Rashduct4luv:

And ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) appointed him as the commander of the army of Dhaat al-Salaasil. He said: So I came to him and said, “Which of the people is dearest to you?” He said, “ ‘Aa’ishah.” I said, “Who among men?” He said, “Her father.” I said, “Then who?” He said, “Then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab,” and he mentioned some other men.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3662; Muslim, 2384.

# Imam Ahmad also records:

Abd Allah (b. Ahmad) - my father (Ahmad b. Hanbal) - Abu
Na'im - Yunus - al-'Ayzar b. Hurayth - al-Nu'man b. Bashir:

Abu Bakr sought the permission of the Messenger of
Allah, peace be upon him, to enter his house, and heard
the voice of Aishah, very loud. She was saying, "I SWEAR
BY ALLAH, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT 'ALI IS
MORE BELOVED TO YOU THAN MY FATHER AND
ME." She said it twice or thrice. So, Abu Bakr sought
permission (again) and entered, and reached for her, and
said, "O daughter of such-and-such woman! Did I hear you
raising your voice upon the Messenger of Allah, peace be
upon him?"

Shaykh al-Ar'naut says: Its Chain is Hasan.
Ref: Musnad (Cairo: Muasassat Qurtubah)[annotator:
Shuaib al-Ar'naut], vol.4, p.275, #18444

* Obviously, it seemed the Messenger of Allah was hiding how much he loved Ali over Abubakr. Anyway, here's another Hadith:


Imam Tirmidhi documents:


Narrated Anas bin Malik:

"There was a bird with the Prophet (s), so he said: 'O Allah, send to me the most beloved of Your creatures to eat this bird with me.' So 'Ali came and ate with him."

Grade: Hasan (good)

English reference : Vol. 1, Book 46, Hadith 3721
Arabic reference : Book 49, Hadith 4087
www.sunnah.com/tirmidhi/49


NOTE: This Hadith is called "Hadith of bird". It is actually Mutawattir (widely reported), and it sealed all arguments.

Rashduct4luv:

Another of his virtues is the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) appointed him to lead the prayers in his stead at the end of his life, when he fell sick with his final illness, and he rebuked those who objected to this and said, “Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer.”

EXAMINATION OF THE HADITH

The bulk of hadith on Abu Bakr's lead in Salat were reported by 'Aishah, and Anas. Other narration from others are carbon-copies of the two.

However, going through ALL these narration expose lots of contradiction, falsity and unimaginable claims and inconsistency in these ahadith.

# On one hand, some hadith claims Abu Bakr led people in Salat, other hadith claimed he never led any Salat that before he even started, the Prophet took over. Yet, some hadith claim Prophet named Abu Bakr to lead the Salat, other says the Prophet rules ANYONE can lead the Salat.

Yet, some hadith claim Abu Bakr even led the Prophet himself in Salat, some hadith says it was the Prophet who led, and Abu Bakr was behind him; other ahadith even claimed Prophet NEVER came out to join the Prayer till he died. An inconsistent narration like these is never accepted as valid prove.

It will be cumbersome in this reply to present ALL of these ahadith. The following however will be presented where readers can see fatal contradictions:


1. Imam Ibn Hibban (d. 354H) records:

'Aisha: Abu Bakr led the people in Salat while the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was in the congregational row BEHIND him."

'Allamah al-Albani comments: Sahih

And, Shayk al-Arnaut concurs: Its chain is Sahih upon the standard of al-Bukhari.

Source: Sahih Ibn Hibban, vol. 5, p. 483, #2117



2. Imam Tirmidhi (d. 279H) also documents:

'Aishah:

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, performed salat in a sitting posture BEHIND Abu Bakr during his fatal illness."

'Al-Albani comments: Sahih

Source: Al-Jami al-Sahih al-Tirmidhi, vol. 2, p. 196, #362


ON THE CONTRARY

3. Imam al-Nasai (d. 303H) records:

Aishah: "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, ordered Abu Bakr to lead the people in Salat."

She said: The Prophet, peace be upon him, was IN FRONT of Abu Bakr, and he performed the salat in a sitting posture while Abu Bakr led the people in salat and the people were behind Abu Bakr."

Al-Albani comments: Sahih

Source: Al-Mujtaba min al-Sunan, vol. 2, p. 83, #797


WAS ABU BAKR EVEN QUALIFIED TO LEAD PEOPLE IN SALAT LET ALONE THE PROPHET?

"O you who believe! Do not lead in front of Allah and His Messenger, and fear Allah.." {Q. 49:1}

Imam al-Mubarakfuri (d. 1282H):

"...it is NOT correct to lead in front of him (the Prophet) in Salat or in anything else, whether due to an excuse or otherwise."

Source: Tuhfat al-Ahwazi bi Sharh Jami al-Tirmidhi vol. 2, p. 294

Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani also writes:

"...it is NOT correct to lead in front of him, due to the prohibition of that by Allah."

Source: Fath al-Bari Sharh al-Bukhari, vol. 2, p. 146

This renders useless those hadith that alleged that Abu Bakr led the Prophet in Salat.



PROPHET's CRITERIA OF APPOINTING IMAM IN SALAT
Imam Muslim in his Sahih records:

# Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari:

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "The people should be led in Salat by the best reciter of the Book of Allah among them. But if they are equal in recitation, then the one who is the most knowledgeable among them concerning the Sunnah. If they are equal regarding the Sunnah, then the earliest of them to do the hijrah. If they are equal in the hijrah, then the earliest of them to embrace Islam. No man can lead another in Salat in a place where the latter has authority, or sit in his place of honor in his house without his permission."

Source: Sahih Muslim, vol. 1, p. 465, #673


# Imam Ahmad (d. 241H) records:

"Al-Ash'ari led his companions in a salat...So, al-'Ashari said, "...Verily, the Prophet of Allah, peace be upon him, gave us a sermon and taught us our Sunnah, and explained to us our salat. So, he said, 'Establish your congregational rows. Then, the best reciter among you should be your Imam."

Shaykh al-Arnaut says: Its chain is sahih upon the standard of (Imam) Muslim.

Source: Musnad, vol. 4, p. 409, #19680


# Imam Muslim further records:

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri:

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Whenever there are three persons, one of them should be their Imam. The most entitled to be the Imam among them is the best reciter among them.

Source: Sahih Muslim, vol. 1, p. 464, #672 (289)


So, who was the best reciter? Abu Bakr was NEVER even among the reciters let alone the best.

Imam al-Bukhari records:

Amr b. 'Ali - Yahya - Sufyan - Habib - Sa'id b. Jubayr - Ibn Abbas:

'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The best reciter among us is Ubayy, and the best judge among us is 'Ali."

Source: Al-Sahih al-Mukhtasar (Sahih Bukhari), vol. 4, p. 1628, #4211



ABU BAKR WAS LED IN SALAT BY A FREED SLAVE

Imam al-Bukhari records: Ibn 'Umar:

Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah, used to lead the earliest Muhajirun and the Sahabah of the Prophet, peace be upon him, in Salat in the Mosque of Quba. Among them were Abu Bakr, 'Umar, Abu Salamah, and Amir b. Rabi'ah."

Source: Al-Jami al-Sahih al-Mukhtasar (Sahih Bukhari), vol. 6, p. 2625, #6754


Imam Ibn Abi Shaybah (d. 235H) and Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal also document this hadith.

So what's the fuss as to the alleged Abu Bakr's leadership in Salat if at all its true?!

Rashduct4luv:


Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 683; Muslim 418.

And it was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) climbed Uhud with Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthmaan, and it trembled beneath them. He said, ‘Stand firm, O Uhud, for there is no one on you but a Prophet, a Siddeeq and two martyrs.”

Obviously the mountain of Uhud vividly recognised those three individuals.


BATTLE OF UHUD (3 A.H)

# Imam al-Tabari (d.310H):

Narrated Abu Hisham al-Rafi from Abu Bakr Ibn Ayyash from Hasim Ibn Kulayb from his father who said:

Umar preached on the day of Friday and recited Surah Aal-Imran and liked it when he reached {Those of you who turned back on the day the two hosts met}[3:155] he said: 'In the day of Uhud when we ran away, so I ran away and climbed the mountain, and I saw myself running and jumping like a mountain goat. And the people were saying: Muhammad is killed! I said: anyone who says Muhammad is killed I will kill him! Until we gathered on the mountain and the verse {Those of you who turned back on the day the two hosts met} was revealed in complete.

Source: Tafsir Jami al-Bayan. Vol.6, pg.#172

Each narrator's trustworthiness are confirmed:

1. Abu Hisham al-Rafi

* Al-Dhahabi:

"Al-Rafi (narrated from him Muslim, al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah): Al-Imam al-Faqeeh al-Hafiz al-Allamah, judge of Baghdad..." {Siyar Ahlam Al-Nubala, vol.12, pg #153; Tarikh al-Baghdad vol.4, p.#595-597}


2. Abu Bakr ibn Ayyash

* Al-Dhahabi:

Abu Bakr ibn Ayyash Ibn Salem al-Asadi, Maula of the Asad tribe, Al-Hannat, Al-Moqerri, 'Al-Faqeeh, Al-Muhaddith, Sheik al-Islam...."
{Tahdheeb Siyar Ahlam Al-Nubala, vol.1, p.#303}

3. Hasim Ibn Kulayb

* Al-Mizzi:

Hasim Ibn Kulayb...[narrated from him, Bukhari in his Tarikh, Muslim in his Sahih, and the four: Tirmidhi, Abi Dawud, Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah]. Narrated Abu Bakr Al-Athram from Ahmad Ibn Hanbal who said: There is no problem in his narrations....He is trustworthy. Al-Nasa'i said the same..."
{Tahdheeb Al-Kamal, vol.13, pg.#537-539}

* Muhammad Ibn Sa'd:

Hasim Ibn Kulayb...Died in the beginning of Abi Ja'far's caliphate. He was trustworthy, his narrations are to be trusted, he has not many narrations.
{Al-Tabaqat Al-Kabir, vol.8, p.#460}

4. Kulayb Ibn Shahab

* Ibn Abdul Barr:
Kulayb Ibn Shahab Al-Jarami, father of Hasim Ibn Kulayb, and his father Shahab was a companion. {Al-Istiab, vol.3, p.#1329}

* Muhammad Ibn Sa'd:
Kulayb Ibn Shahab Al-Jarami from the tribe of Bani Qodha'a, he was the father of Hasim Ibn Kulayb. He has narrated from Umar, Ali and he is trustworthy...
{Al-Tabaqat al-Kabir, vol.8, pg.243}

# Ibn Munzir in his Tafsir Ibn Munzir, vol.1, pg. #402 also narrated through another chain.


# Imam Fakhr al-Razi:

The summary of narrations is that a group of them [Sahaba] ran away and went far away, some of them entered Madina, some of them ran to other districts, but most of them went to the mountain and gathered there. Among those who escaped was Umar, but he was not among the first ones who escaped and he did not run far away, but he remained on the mountain and waited there until Messenger of Allah climbed the mountain! Among those who escaped was Uthman who escaped with two other men of Ansar, their names were Sa'd and Uqba, they ran away until they reached a far place and came back after three days! Then Prophet Said to them: 'You ran a far distance!'

Source: Tafsir Fakhr al-Razi Mafatih al-Ghayb, vol.9, p.52

So, Umar and Uthman in particular ran away from the battle field leaving the Messenger of Allah for dead. Qur'an even said Prophet was calling them not to run, yet Umar ran away and took refuge behind the mountain, and Uthman ran far away and only came back three days later So, why won't the mountain of Uhud shook upon the runners?!


# In fact, it was not only at the battle of Uhud that they ran away, they continue to run away in subsequent battles:
www.nairaland.com/2734029/umar-ibn-al-khattab-contributions-battles

Rashduct4luv:



Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3675.

With regard to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him), he also had many virtues and good characteristics which were proven in many reports. For example it was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whilst I was sleeping, I saw the people were shown to me, and they were wearing shirts. Some shirts came down to the chest, and some were shorter than that. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab was shown to me and he was wearing a shirt that dragged along the ground.” They said, “How did you interpret that, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “Religious commitment.”

NOTE: The hadith actually says, "Imam (faith)" and not "Religious commitment". However, we shall use both words.


# Was Abu Bakr part of these people whose shirt (faith or religious commitments) is less in length (strength) compare to ‘Umar whose only shirt (faith or religious commitments) was trailing?

This hadith implies that Umar’s faith or religious commitments is incomparable. If this is the case, then one wonders the validity of a contrast hadith below:

# The Messenger of Allah was reported to have said:

“If Abu Bakr’s faith is weighed against the faith of the rest of the Ummah (community of believers), it would overweigh the rest”

NB: Ibn Umar narrated this hadith with a sound chain documented by Ibn Mubarak in al-Zuhd, al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ab al-Imam and al-Hakim in Nawadir al-Usul as stated by al-Sakhawi in al-Maqasid. Al-Sakhawi added: “It is narrated from Ibn ‘Umar from the prophet (mar’fu) with a weak chain by Ibn ‘Adi, however, it is strengthened by other chains and is corroborated.


* To further strengthened this, Imam al-Tirmidhi in his al-Jami documents:

Narrated ‘Umar b. al-Khattab, who said:

“Abu Bakr is our chief, and the BEST of us, and the most beloved of us to the Messenger of Allah”

Comments: Sahih

Source: Sunan (al-Jami) Tirmidhi, chapter of virtues, vol. 1, Book 46, Hadith 3656


* If truly Abu Bakr b. Abi Quhafah was the BEST of this Ummah and his faith overweighed the rest of the Ummah, why would in sharp contrast Umar’s faith is superior compare to the “people” (in Prophet’s dream) whom Abu Bakr is surely part of? Wait a minute, the hadith of dream which says Umar’s shirt (faith) was trailing compare to others does not specifically mentioned Abu Bakr as part of these “people” shown in Prophet’s dreams therefore we cannot conclude Umar’s faith is superior to that of Abu Bakr! Whoever advances his argument this way, then we ask the meaning of yet another hadith below:


# Imam Tirmidhi:

Narrated ‘Uqbah bin Amir
The Messenger of Allah said: “If there was to have a prophet after me, it would have been ‘Umar b. al-Khattab”

Source: Sunan (al-Jami) Tirmidhi, chapter of virtues, vol. 1, Book 46, Hadith 3686

Sheik Ibn Taymiyyah also states:

In (Sunan) al-Tirmidhi and others, it is narrated from him, peace be upon him, that he said, “If I had not been sent as a Messenger among you, Umar would have been sent as a Messenger among you instead.” The text of al-Tirmidhi says, “If there to be a Prophet after me, it would have been ‘Umar”. Al-Tirmidhi says: A hasan (sound) hadith.

Source: Minhaj Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah (Muasassat Qurtubah: 1st edition, 1406 H)[annotator: Dr. Muhammad Rashad Salim], vol. 7, p. 508



* The implication of this is that Umar had the same credentials as the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad b. Abdullah, to be the final Messenger of Allah sent to the entire mankind. On the other hands, only ‘Umar b. al-Khattab has the BEST credentials to be prophet after Muhammad had Messenger-hood not been finalized. This obviously makes Abu Bakr second fiddle as against the general propaganda that he was the best of this Ummah.


UMAR'S TRUE FAITH

Qur’an states:

The believers are Only those who believe in Allah and His Messenger, and do not doubt thereafter, and they do Jihad with their wealth and with their lives, for the cause of Allah. They are the truthful ones [surah al-Hujurat: 15]


# Imam Ibn Hibban (d. 456 H) document part of the event of Treaty of Hudaybiyyah (5 A.H):

NB: (the narration is too long, so we take only a part of it what Umar has said about his dispute with the Messenger of Allah (saw) and that is after the Messenger of Allah (saw) signed the peace treaty.)

Narrated from Miswar Ibn Mekhrama and Marwan who both said:

Umar said: By God, I had never DOUBTED since I embraced Islam EXCEPT ON THAT DAY, so I went to the Messenger of Allah (saw) and said: 'Aren't you truly the Apostle of Allah?' The Prophet said, 'Yes, indeed!'. I said, 'Isn't our Cause just and the cause of the enemy unjust?' He said, 'Yes.' I said, 'Then why should we be humble in our religion?' He said, 'I am Allah's Apostle and I do not disobey Him, and He is my Helper.' I said, 'Didn't you tell us that we would go to the Ka`ba and perform Tawaf around it?' He said, 'Yes, but did I tell you that we would visit the Ka`ba this year?' I said, 'No.' He said, 'So you will visit it and perform Tawaf around it?'`Umar further said, "I went to Aboo Bakr and said, 'O Abu Bakr! Isn't he truly Allah's Prophet?' He replied, 'Yes.' I said, 'Then why should we be humble in our religion?' He said, 'Indeed, he is Allah's Apostle and he does not disobey his Lord, and He is his Helper...

Allamah al-Albani and Sheik al-Ar’naut comment: Saheeh (Authentic).

Source: Saheeh Ibn Hibban [annotators: Nasir din al-Albani and Shuaib al-Arnaut], Vol. 11, Pg. # 216, #4872.


The doubt was so much that the words of Prophet could not convince Umar (for whatever reason) and had to go for “re-assurance” from Abu Bakr. At this juncture, we are compelled to ask where the physical and inner strength of faith of Umar b. al-Khattab is? Imagine, a person who constantly run away from battlefield.

Rashduct4luv:

It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Whilst I was sleeping, a cup of milk was brought to me and I drank until I saw its wetness coming out of my nails. Then I gave the rest to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab.” They said, “How did you interpret that, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “(It is) knowledge.”

# Well, we don't know what kind of "knowledge" was bestowed to Umar. For a fact it was NEVER knowledge of Qur'an and Sunnah. We have established earlier that Prophet pronounced Ali to be the Most knowledgeable of the Ummah.


* Even Umar himself admitted:

Imam al-Bukhari records:

Amr b. 'Ali - Yahya - Sufyan - Habib - Sa'id b. Jubayr - Ibn
Abbas:

'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The best
reciter among us is Ubayy , and the best judge among
us is 'Ali."

Source: Al-Sahih al-Mukhtasar (Sahih Bukhari), vol. 4, p.
1628, #4211

Obviously, for a person to be the best Judge, you must be the most knowledgeable.


# Now let us look at Umar's so-called Knowledge:

Imam Muslim documents:

Abd al-Rabmin b. Abza narrated It on the authority of his father that a man came to 'Umar and said:

I am (at times) affected by seminal emission but find no water. He ('Umar) told him not to say prayer (La tusoli - DO NOT PRAY. 'Ammar then said. Do you remember, O Commander of the Faithful, when Iand you were in a military detachment and we had had a seminal emission and did not find water (for taking bath) and you did not say prayer, but as for myself I rolled in dust and said prayer, and (when it was mentioned before) the Apostle (s ) said: It was enough for you to strike the ground with your hands and then blow (the dust)
and then wipe your face and palms. Umar said: 'Ammar, fear Allah. He said: If you so like, I would not narrate it. A
hadith like this has been transmitted with the same chain of transmitters but for the words: 'Umar said: We hold you
responsible for what you claim."

Reference : Sahih Muslim 368 c
In-book reference : Book 3, Hadith 141
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 3, Hadith 718
https://sunnah.com/muslim/3/141



# Sheik al-Uthaymin offers an excuse for Umar's wrong judgement:

So 'Umar had forgotten that the Prophet allowed tayammum for the one in the state of janābah, just as it is allowed for the one who is in the state of minor defilement.
'Abdullāh Ibn Mas'ūd agreed with 'Umar in this issue. A dispute on this subject broke out between him and Abū Mūsa. During this dispute Abū Mūsa mentioned 'Ammār's statement to 'Umar, upon which Ibn Mas'ūd said: "Did you not see that 'Umar was not convinced with ‘Ammār’s statement." To which Abū Mūsa replied:

"Put aside 'Ammār's statement, what is your reply to this verse?" At that, Ibn Mas'ūd remained silent.

Source: Muhammad ibn Sālih ‘Uthaymīn, Differences of Opinion Amongst the Scholars: Their Causes & Our Position Towards Them (Birmingham: Al-Hidāyah Publishing and Distribution Ltd; Second Edition, 2007), pp. 24-25




* If indeed he had forgotten, why then did he not alter his stance when he was reminded?

Moreover, how did ‘Umar also forget this verse:


"And if you are ill, or on a journey, or one of you comes after answering the call of nature, or you have been in sexual intercourse with women (i.e. in Janābah) and you find no water, perform tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands. Truly, Allāh is Ever Oft-Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving." Qur'an 5:6; Quran 4:43.



# Imam Muslim gave us the bad effect of Umar's ruling:

Shaqiq reported:

I was sitting in the company of Abdullah and Abu Musa when Abu Musa said: O 'Abd al-Rahman (kunya of 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud), what would you like a man to do about the prayer if he experiences a seminal emission or has sexual intercourse but does not find water for a month? 'Abdullah said: He should not perform tayammum even if he does not find water for a month. 'Abdullah said:

Then what about the verse in Sura Ma'ida:" If you do not find water, betake yourself to clean dust"? 'Abdullah said: If they were granted concession on the basis of this verse, there is a possibility that they would perform tayammum with dust on finding water very cold for themselves. Abu Musa said to Abdullah: You have not heard the words of 'Ammar: The Messenger of Allah (s) sent me on an errand and I had a seminal emission, but could find no water, and rolled myself in dust just as a beast rolls itself. I came to the Messenger of Allah (s ) then and made a mention of that to him and he (the Holy Prophet) said: It would have been enough for you to do thus. Then he struck the ground with his hands once and wiped his right hand with the help of his left hand and the exterior of his palms and his face.

'Abdullah said: Didn't you see that Umar was not fully satisfied with the words of 'Ammar only?

Source: Reference : Sahih Muslim 368 a
In-book reference : Book 3, Hadith 139
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 3, Hadith 716
https://sunnah.com/muslim/3/139



* Sheik al-Uthaymin for once could not hide but to admit the truth but yet paint it:

"There is NO DOUBT, that the CORRECT OPINION is with the group who hold that the one in a state of janābah performs tayammum, just as the one who is in a state of minor defilement performs tayammum.

The point of all this is that a person can forget, whereby he becomes oblivious to the correct legal judgment and therefore gives an incorrect judgment, which he is excused for. However, the one who is aware of the evidence is not excused."

Source: Muhammad ibn Sālih ‘Uthaymīn, Differences of Opinion Amongst the Scholars: Their Causes & Our Position Towards Them (Birmingham: Al-Hidāyah Publishing and Distribution Ltd; Second Edition, 2007), p. 25


This Salafī Shaykh behaves as though ignorance is an excuse in creating bid’ahs! Of course, bid’ahs are not justifiable on any ground. Moreover, ‘Umar was CERTAINLY aware of the verses in the Qur’ān and was reminded of the Sunnah. Yet, he turned against Allāh and His Messenger, and forged ahead with his bid’ah. He cannot be excused. He was an innovator.

The Qur’ān has some final words on what ‘Umar did:

And whosoever does not give rulings in accordance with what Allāh revealed (i.e. the Qur’ān and Sunnah), such are the disbelievers. (Qur'an 5:44)

To be continue in sha Allah

AlBaqir:



Obviously the mountain of Uhud vividly recognised those three individuals.


BATTLE OF UHUD (3 A.H)

# Imam al-Tabari (d.310H):

Narrated Abu Hisham al-Rafi from Abu Bakr Ibn Ayyash from Hasim Ibn Kulayb from his father who said:

Umar preached on the day of Friday and recited Surah Aal-Imran and liked it when he reached {Those of you who turned back on the day the two hosts met}[3:155] he said: 'In the day of Uhud when we ran away, so I ran away and climbed the mountain, and I saw myself running and jumping like a mountain goat. And the people were saying: Muhammad is killed! I said: anyone who says Muhammad is killed I will kill him! Until we gathered on the mountain and the verse {Those of you who turned back on the day the two hosts met} was revealed in complete.

Source: Tafsir Jami al-Bayan. Vol.6, pg.#172

Each narrator's trustworthiness are confirmed:

1. Abu Hisham al-Rafi

* Al-Dhahabi:

"Al-Rafi (narrated from him Muslim, al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah): Al-Imam al-Faqeeh al-Hafiz al-Allamah, judge of Baghdad..." {Siyar Ahlam Al-Nubala, vol.12, pg #153; Tarikh al-Baghdad vol.4, p.#595-597}


2. Abu Bakr ibn Ayyash

* Al-Dhahabi:

Abu Bakr ibn Ayyash Ibn Salem al-Asadi, Maula of the Asad tribe, Al-Hannat, Al-Moqerri, 'Al-Faqeeh, Al-Muhaddith, Sheik al-Islam...."
{Tahdheeb Siyar Ahlam Al-Nubala, vol.1, p.#303}

3. Hasim Ibn Kulayb

* Al-Mizzi:

Hasim Ibn Kulayb...[narrated from him, Bukhari in his Tarikh, Muslim in his Sahih, and the four: Tirmidhi, Abi Dawud, Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah]. Narrated Abu Bakr Al-Athram from Ahmad Ibn Hanbal who said: There is no problem in his narrations....He is trustworthy. Al-Nasa'i said the same..."
{Tahdheeb Al-Kamal, vol.13, pg.#537-539}

* Muhammad Ibn Sa'd:

Hasim Ibn Kulayb...Died in the beginning of Abi Ja'far's caliphate. He was trustworthy, his narrations are to be trusted, he has not many narrations.
{Al-Tabaqat Al-Kabir, vol.8, p.#460}

4. Kulayb Ibn Shahab

* Ibn Abdul Barr:
Kulayb Ibn Shahab Al-Jarami, father of Hasim Ibn Kulayb, and his father Shahab was a companion. {Al-Istiab, vol.3, p.#1329}

* Muhammad Ibn Sa'd:
Kulayb Ibn Shahab Al-Jarami from the tribe of Bani Qodha'a, he was the father of Hasim Ibn Kulayb. He has narrated from Umar, Ali and he is trustworthy...
{Al-Tabaqat al-Kabir, vol.8, pg.243}

# Ibn Munzir in his Tafsir Ibn Munzir, vol.1, pg. #402 also narrated through another chain.


# Imam Fakhr al-Razi:

The summary of narrations is that a group of them [Sahaba] ran away and went far away, some of them entered Madina, some of them ran to other districts, but most of them went to the mountain and gathered there. Among those who escaped was Umar, but he was not among the first ones who escaped and he did not run far away, but he remained on the mountain and waited there until Messenger of Allah climbed the mountain! Among those who escaped was Uthman who escaped with two other men of Ansar, their names were Sa'd and Uqba, they ran away until they reached a far place and came back after three days! Then Prophet Said to them: 'You ran a far distance!'

Source: Tafsir Fakhr al-Razi Mafatih al-Ghayb, vol.9, p.52

So, Umar and Uthman in particular ran away from the battle field leaving the Messenger of Allah for dead. Qur'an even said Prophet was calling them not to run, yet Umar ran away and took refuge behind the mountain, and Uthman ran far away and only came back three days later So, why won't the mountain of Uhud shook upon the runners?!


# In fact, it was not only at the battle of Uhud that they ran away, they continue to run away in subsequent battles:
www.nairaland.com/2734029/umar-ibn-al-khattab-contributions-battles

What of Abubakar R.A.

budosky:
What kinda thread is this? Comparison or Truth-seeking?

# Part of the ways of finding the truth is via comparison provided you let your Aql (intellect) work over your emotions. Comparing Quran and Bible, what do you see?! Unfortunately, Christian won't like it (and do not even give a damn). Why? Their emotions usually override their Aql.