Defining a Nasibi, how they hate Imam Ali (as)!

For an introduction to the literal meaning of Nasibi we have relied on the definitions stipulated by several recognized Ahl’ul Sunnah scholars:

1. Qamus, page 53, Chapter
2. Taj al Uroos, Volume 4 page 277
3. Lisan al Arab, page 762
4. Hadiya al Sahil ay adalta al Masail, page 96
5. Tadrib al-Rawi, Volume 1 page 328
6. Akrab al Muwarid, page 2
7. Siyar Alam al-Nubala, Vol 4 page 37 & vol 18 page 201
8. Al-Talimaat Al-Mukhtasar Ala Matan Al-Aqida al-Tahawiyah, vol 1 page 203

Ibn Manzur states in In Lisan al Arab:

والنَّواصِبُ قومٌ يَتَدَيَّنُونَ ببِغْضَةِ عليّ عليه السلام

“Nawasib are those who embrace the hate of Ali (as) as part of their faith”

May Allah’s curse be upon such people!

In Taj al Uroos, we read:

النَّوَاصِبُ والنّاصِبيَّةُ وأَهْلُ النَّصْبِ : وهم المُتَدَيِّنُون بِبغْضَةِ سيّدِنا أَميرِ المُؤْمنينَ ويَعْسُوب المُسْلِمينَ أَبي الحسنِ عَلِيّ بْنِ أَبي طالبٍ رضِيَ الله تعالى عَنْهُ وكَرَّم وجْهَهُ

Nawasib: “Are those who hate the commander of believers and the leader of Muslims Abu al-Hassan Ali bin Abi Talib [ra]“.

Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti states in Tadrib al-Rawi:

بالنصب وهو بغض علي رضي الله عنه وتقديم غيره

“Nasb is hating Ali [ra] preferring the others”

We read the following in the margin of Imam Dhahabi’s famed book Siyar Alam al-Nubala (Vol 4 page 37) by Shaykh Shu’aib al-Arnaout:

من الناصبية وهم المنافقون المتدينون ببغضة علي رضي الله عنه ، سموا بذلك لأنهم نصبوا له وعادوه

“From Nasibiyah, there comes Nasibi and they are hypocrites, they have made the hate of Ali as their religion. This name was given to them because they have made the hate of Ali as their aim of life (Nasbu) and had enmity for him”

In volume 18 page 201 we read:

والنصب هو: بغض علي رضي الله عنه، وموالاة معاوية

“Nasb means to have grudge against Ali (ra) and love Muawiya”

One of the famous Wahabi scholars from Saudi Arabia namely Shaykh Saleh al-Fawzan stated in his book ‘Al-Talimaat Al-Mukhtasar Ala Matan Al-Aqida al-Tahawiyah’:

وأما النواصب: فيوالون الصحابة، ويبغضون بيت النبي عليه الصلاة والسلام، 

ولذلك سموا بالنواصب؛ لنصبهم العداوة لأهل بيت النبي عليه الصلاة والسلام.

“The Nawasib, befriend the Sahaba and hate the family of the prophet (pbuh), therefore they have been called Nawasib for hating Ahlulbayt of the prophet (pbuh)”.

Hadiya al Sahil elaborates yet further:

“Nasibi ideology is a type of flawed character that is very bad, in its worst form is has a hatred for the Imam of Guidance Ali, and takes this as part of its Deen / Iman”.

Note that we have proven the definition by faithfully translating the works of Ahl’ul Sunnah and we invite our Sunni brothers and sisters to ponder. Do not be fooled by these long beards because among these are the enemies of Imam ‘Ali (as). Their enmity is evident from their speeches, but is disguised in such a way that the ordinary man would not recognise it. Their methodology is just like that of hypocrites. They read the Kalima with their tongues but their hearts are polluted with hatred and the proof is their animosity towards ‘Ali (as). Just like a bad foot odour they carry the stench of Nasibi thought everywhere they go – seeking to deceive the majority by proclaiming that this is the correct faith of Ahl’ul Sunnah wa al Jamaa.

To recognise the Nasibi let us investigate the matter further.

Pinpointing the Nasibi founding forefathers

Whilst defining a Nasibi the pen of the Ahl’ul Sunnah Ulema has been somewhat reluctant to pinpoint where Nasibis existed in history and who their Imams were.

Al Muhaddith Shah Abdul Aziz makes two interesting comments in his Hidayatul Majeediyah, page 813:

“One who fights Ali [r] with enmity is a kaffir according to the ijma of Ahl’ul Sunnah.”

“Whoever deems Ali [r] to be a kaffir or opposes his khilafath is a kaffir, this trait was evident amongst the Khawaarij at Naharwaan”.

Haddeeya Mujedeeya by Al Muhaddith Shah Abdul Aziz Dehlavi page 813

On the same page Shah Abdul Aziz seeks to protect Mu’awiya by pointing out that Mu’awiya does NOT come within this definition since:

“Mu’awiya and the people of Syria sought revenge for the killing of Uthman”.

Unfortunately Shah’s efforts to protect Mu’awiya and his supporters are in vain because it is an established fact that Mu’awiya and his clansmen:

• Opposed the khilafath of Imam Ali (as)
• Bore enmity to Imam Ali (as) by cursing him
• Fought him

All of these points have been discussed at length in our refutation of Ansar’s defence of Mu’awiya.

Hence we have pinpointed those that first wore the Nasibi garb, now let us delve further.

Identifying and recognising Nasibi ideology

Several authoritative Sunni works are being relied on for this section. Al Muhaddith Shah Abdul Aziz stated in Tauhfa Ithna Ashari:

“Hadith narrated by Marwan can be found in al Bukhari, even though he was a Nasibi, in fact he was leader of that wicked cult.”

Maulana Sayyid Lal Shah Bukhari attributes a different name as the actual Imam of the Nasibis, he writes:

“The founder of Nasibi ideology was Mu’awiya”.
Isthakhlaaf ai Yazid by Maulana Sayyid Lal Shah Bukhari page 216

In Al-Bidayah al-Nihayah, Volume 8 page 259 Ibn Kathir states:

ولما كان متوليا على المدينة لمعاوية كان يسب عليا كل جمعة على المنبر،

“When Marwan was a governor of Mu’awiya in Madina, he used to curse Ali on each Friday from the pulpit” .

(Click to enlarge the image)

In Fatwa Azizi by Shah Abdul Aziz we read that:

“Mu’awiya would curse Ali (as)”.

Fatwa Azizi by al Muhaddith Shah Abdul Aziz Dehlavi, page 123

Hence Marwan and Mu’awiya were both Nasibis. They were enemies of Ali and embraced this as part of their faith. Their followers are also Nawasib. Their hatred takes numerous guises. In their lectures and writings their Nasibi thought becomes evident as does their hatred for the Shi’a of Ali. This party who pass fatwas of Kufr upon the Shi’a are in fact the spiritual descendants of Marwan and Mu’awiya and thus they adhere to an illegitimate belief formulated in the minds of the enemies of Ali (as).

From the outside one might mistakenly assume that Nasibis are pious adherents of the Sunnah. In their speeches they advocate the importance of adhering to the Sunnah, they wear long caftans, carry miswak, grow long beards, and lick their fingers after a meal – why? Because they will tell you that this was the Sunnah of the Prophet (s). It is curious that they adhere to such minute details, mimicking the Prophet (s) even in his dress sense and yet the important Sunnah, namely that of loving and adhering to the teachings of his Ahl’ul bayt (as) is rejected by them. What is even worse is the fact that they display hatred towards Ahl’ul bayt (as), evident from the fact that they regard their enemies as their Imams.

The casual observer may indeed be taken in by their acts of charity, Islamic circles, lengthy prayers etc – but the reality is these deeds are of no avail, for Rasulullah (s) declared:

“Hatred of Ali is such a thing that no good deeds will benefit, whilst love of ‘Ali is such a thing that no bad deeds will harm you”
al-Nasa’ih al-Kaafiyah page 67