“Fāṭimiyyah is ʿĀshūrāʾ”

In one of his writings, Grand Ayatullah Shaykh Lutfullah Safi Gulpaygani elucidated upon some issues in regards to the personality of Sayyidah Zahrā, peace be upon her. In speaking about commemorating the [days] of Fāṭimiyyah , he stated that, “…in every religious event and at every opportunity [which we are given], we must speak about her standpoints, life, her traits of asceticism, worship [of God], and her knowledge…”

Fāṭimiyyah refers to the annual programs which are held throughout the Muslim world to commemorate the martyrdom of Fāṭima Zahrā, peace be upon her, the only daughter of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family. As there are numerous dates in history on when she left this world and no one knows for sure on which day she died, the scholars have deemed that it is best to remember her on the two most well-known dates – 75 days after the death of the Messenger of God, peace be upon him and his family, and 95 days after the death of the Messenger of God, peace be upon him and his family.

General Islamic codes: Hajj; The Pilgrimage to Mecca

From the rulings of Grand Ayatullah Sayed Ali Hussaini Al-Seestani

When a Muslim becomes capable, hajj becomes obligatory upon him. By “capability” we mean the following:

1. Availability of enough time to travel to the holy places and stay there for performing the obligatory rites. 
2. Physical health and strength, observing to travel to the holy places, and staying there for the obligatory rituals. 
3. The road through which one has to pass for performing the rituals be open and secure, in the sense that it does not place the life or property or honor of the pilgrim in undue danger. 
4. Financial ability: One should be able to get whatever is necessary for the pilgrim in his journey; e.g., food, drink, clothes, including the means of transportation according to his status by which he can cover the distance for hajj. 
5. The financial position of the person should be such that by travelling for hajj or by spending from his wealth for it, he would not be putting himself and his dependents in need and poverty.

Hajj Tamattu‘: This is a kind of pilgrimage that is obligatory upon those who live in other countries i.e. far away from Mecca. Hajj Tamattu‘ consists of two rituals: the first is known as ‘umrah, and the second hajj.In ‘umrah, five things are obligatory:

(a) Putting on the pilgrim’s dress (ihrãm) from one of the miqãts. Mawãqít (plural of miqãt) are locations [around the holy territory of Mecca] that sharí‘a has specifically fixed for putting on the ihrãm.

Circumambulating (tawãf) around the Ka‘ba seven times.

The salãt of tawãf.

Sa‘i (i.e., brisk walking) between the hills of Safa and Marwa seven times.

Taqsír: cutting off a little bit of your hair or cutting the nail.

(a) Putting on the pilgrim’s dress (ihrãm) from one of the miqãts. Mawãqít (plural of miqãt) are locations [around the holy territory of Mecca] that sharí‘a has specifically fixed for putting on theihrãm.
Circumambulating (tawãf) around the Ka‘ba seven times.
The salãt of tawãf.
Sa‘i (i.e., brisk walking) between the hills of Safa and Marwa seven times.
Taqsír: cutting off a little bit of your hair or cutting the nail.
The obligatory acts of hajj tamattu‘ are thirteen as follows:

Putting on the ihrãm from Mecca.

Staying in ‘Arafãt on the 9th of Dhu ’l-Hijja.

Staying a part of the night (eve of 10th Dhu ’l-Hijja) until sunrise in Muzdalifa.

Stoning the smaller pillar in Mina on the day of ‘Eid (i.e., 10th of Dhu ’l-Hijja).

Sacrificing an animal in Mina on the day of ‘Eid or during the days of tashríq [i.e., 11^th to 13^th of Dhu ’l-Hijja].

Shaving one’s head or doing taqsír in Mina. By doing this, the pilgrim is free from the restrictions of ihrãm, except the use of perfume and sexual contact with women. Based on obligatory precaution, the restriction of hunting continues even after shaving or taqsír.

Tawãf of Ziyãrat seven times after returning to Mecca.

Salãt of Tawãf.

Sa‘i between Safa and Marwa seven times. With this, the restriction of using perfume is also lifted.

Tawãf of Nisã’ seven times.

Salãt of Tawãt of Nisã’. With this, sexual contact with women becomes permissible.

Staying during over night in Mina on the eve of 11th and 12th Dhu ’l-hijja. And also, under some circumstance, the eve of 13th Dhu ’l-hijja.

Stoning the three pillars in Mina on the 11th and the 12th of Dhu ’l-hijja. And also, under some circumstance, on the day of 13th Dhu ’l-hijja.

General Islamic codes: Death related issues

From the rulings of Grand Ayatullah Sayed Ali Hussaini Al-Seestani

Here are some rules in brief concerning the dying person, washing of the corpse and its shrouding, and burial procedure.¹

Before Death

132. It’s a matter of obligatory precaution that one should move the dying person in the direction of the qiblah during the last moments of his life. This is to be done by placing him on his back with his feet pointing towards the qiblah as though if he sits up, his face would be facing in that direction.
     It is recommended to read and ask the dying person to repeat the testament of belief (shahãda) concerning the Oneness of God and the faith in Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) and the Imams (a.s.).
133. It is recommended to close the eyes of the dead person, their mouth, stretch their arms along their sides, straighten their legs, cover the body with a sheet of cloth, recite the Qur’ãn, and light up the room in which they lived. It is disliked to leave the corpse alone.

Ablution (Ghusl) for the Corpse

134. After getting rid of the impure (najis) elements that are on the body of the dead person (e.g., blood, semen, etc.), the corpse has to be given three ablutions as follows:
     1. First wash it with sidr water. That is, water to which a little of sidr has been added.²
     2. The second wash is with camphour water. That is, water to which a little bit of camphour has been added.
     3. The third wash is with pure water.
     
     
     If sidr is not available, then it is precautionarily obligatory to wash the corpse with pure water instead. Similarly, if camphour is not available, it is precautionarily obligatory to wash it with pure water instead. Then it should be washed the third time with pure water. In such a case, after the three washings, one tayammum should be performed on the corpse.
135. It is necessary that the ablution given to the corpse be of the tartibi kind: that is, the body should be washed in proper sequence with the head and the neck first, then the right side of the body, and then the left side.
136. The person washing the corpse must be of the same gender as the dead person. So, a male should wash a male corpse, and a female should wash a female corpse. However, husband and wife are allowed to perform ablution to one another; although it is better that the washing be done with the body covered with a sheet of cloth.
     If a person of the same gender is not available, then, based on obligatory precaution, those of the opposite gender who are mahram to the deceased can perform it. Mahram means those relations with whom marriage is forbidden because of blood relationship or nursing (suckling) relationship or marriage, like brother and sister [or son-in-law and mother-in-law]. However, it is better that the washing be done with the body covered with a sheet of cloth. Unity of gender is not required when giving ablution to a corpse of a child that had not reached the age of discerning the right and wrong.³
137. Based on obligatory precaution, the person performing ablution must be a mu’min. If neither a mu’min of the same gender as the deceased is available nor a mahram [even of the opposite gender], it is permissible that a Muslim of the same gender can wash the deceased.
     If even a Muslim is not available, then the deceased can be washed by an Ahlul Kitãb person [that is, a Jew, a Christian or a Zoroastrian] of the same gender with the condition that the person should first wash himself and then perform ablution to the corpse. If even an Ahlul Kitab person of the same gender is not available, the duty of performing ablution to the corpse is lifted, and the deceased should be buried without it.

Tahnít and Shrouding

138. After giving the ablution, it is wãjib to do tahnít. Tahnít means to rub camphour powder (which has maintained its fragrance) on the seven parts of the body that touch the ground in a posture ofsajdah: the forehead, the palms, the knees, and feet toes. It is preferable to start tahnít with the forehead and end with the palms.
139. After tahnít, the deceased has to be shrouded in three pieces of cloth as follows:
     1. The mi’zar: a piece of cloth [like an apron] that must cover the body between the navel and the knees, based on obligatory precaution.
     2. The qamís: a piece of cloth [like a shirt] that must cover the body from the shoulders to mid shank, based on obligatory precaution.
     3. The izãr: a large sheet of cloth that must cover the entire body. Based on obligatory precaution, it must be long and wide enough so that the top and the bottom parts could be tied [with a string], and the front parts overlap.

The Prayer

140. It is obligatory to say prayer over a deceased Muslim’s body of six years and over. Based on obligatory precaution, prayer should also be said over the body of a child who could do the salãt even if he or she had not yet reached the age of six.
141. The way to conduct prayer on the deceased:
     The person praying should recite five takbírs (say “Allãhu Akbar”). However, it is preferable that after each takbír he says the following:
     After the first takbir, he should say the shahãdatayn (declaration of faith in God and Prophet Muhammad).
     After the second takbír, he should say the salawãt on Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) and his progeny (a.s.).
     After the third takbír, he should say a prayer for the believing men and women.
     After the fourth takbír, he should say a prayer for the deceased.
     He should say the fifth takbír and end the salãt.

Burial

142. It is necessary to bury the deceased after the salãt. Burial is intended to protect the body from wild animals and its smell is contained within so that no one is annoyed by it. The body should be placed on its right side with the face towards the qiblah.
143. It is not permissible to bury a deceased Muslim in the graveyard of non-Muslims, except if a section of that graveyard is specifically reserved for Muslims. Similarly, no non-Muslim can be buried in the graveyard of Muslims.
144. When it is neither possible to get a grave for a deceased Muslim in the graveyard of Muslims, nor transfer the body to a Muslim country for burial in a Muslim graveyard, that deceased Muslim may be buried in the graveyard of non-Muslims.
145. It has been narrated from the Prophet (s.a.w.) that he said, “No time comes upon the dead person more difficult than the first night [of burial]. Therefore have mercy on your dead ones by giving charity [on their behalf]. If one does not have anything [to give in charity], one of you should pray two rak‘ah for them: in the first rak‘ah, after al-Hamd, recite Ãyatu ’l-kursi; and in the second rak‘ah, afteral-Hamd, recite surah al-Qadr ten times. After salãm, say: ‘Allãh humma salli ‘alã Muhammadin wa Ãli Muhammad, wab‘ath thawãbahã ila qabri fulãn;’⁴ and name the deceased person [instead of fulãn].”⁵

---

1. For further details, see Sayyid as-Sistani, Minhaju 's-Saliheen, vol. 1, p. 95 ff.; as-Sistani, al-Masa'ilu 'l-Muntakhaba, p. 50 ff.
2. Translator's Note: Sidr is name of a lotus tree; "sidr water" means the water to which sidr leaves have been added.
3. Translator's Note: The age of discerning right and wrong (tamyiz) is different from the age of maturity (bulûgh). The latter is 9 for girls and 15 for boys but the former could be at five or six.
4. "O Allah, send Your blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad, and send the reward of this prayer to the grave of x."
5. Sayyid as-Sistani, al-Masa'ilu 'l-Muntakhaba, p. 63.

Patience and Fortitude of ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī

By: Ayatullah Jawadi Amoli

---

In the more than 26 years that I was honored to be in the presence of ʿAllāmah, he [continuously] faced severe hardships; [but,] through them, he would never lose his forbearance and fortitude. He never thought about seeking revenge [on those who wronged him]; [rather,] he would endure any venom which was spoken or written against him.

Although no person is without vengeful enemies, those [unique] individuals who have greater [legitimate] authority, enlightenment, genius, and intellect, have more enemies [than those who do not possess these characteristics]. (اِنّا جَعَلنَا الشَّيطينَ اَولِياءَ لِلَّذينَ لايُؤمِنون) "We have indeed made the devils friends of those who have no faith." [7:27] Because the rejecters are under the authority of Satan, naturally they become enemies with the prophets; however, ʿAllāmah never displayed hostility toward his enemies. Rather, he would answer [their venom] with goodness. Just as the Qur'an has stated: (وَلا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلا السَّيِّئَةُ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ) "Good and evil [conduct] are not equal. Repel [evil] with what is best. [If you do so,] behold, he between whom and you was enmity, will be as though he were a sympathetic friend" [41:34]. Only those who are forbearing can acquire this character trait [of being able to make enemies into friends]. Therefore, if we fight bad with good, we are doing a beautiful deed which is [even] above [simply] being just: (اِنَّ اللهَ يَأمُرُ بِالعَدلِ والاِحسان) "God enjoins justice and the doing of good to others" [16:90].

ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī, as a possessor of great knowledge and action, acted in such a way that he made friends out of enemies [moreover,] he was extremely devoted toward his friends, such that he writes:

همي گويم و گفته ام بارها ٭٭٭٭ بود كيش من مهر دلدارها

I always say and have said many times / My creed is the kindness of the kind-hearted

Among the traditions and morals of the patient, forbearing people is [that they] destroy hostility rather than destroying those who are hostile; to evolve the enemy into a friend. This is their sweet, eloquent method [of resolving conflict].

---

 Source: Ayatullah Jawadi Amoli, Shamsolvaḥy-e Tabrīzī, p. 238.

What is the knowledge?"

The following Hadith, in addition to other valuable information therein, also makes it possible
for one to learn about the source and emergence of Hadith.

• This Hadith is Ṣaḥīḥ (Authentic) and is found also in Biharal-Anwaar

"A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Hajjal, 
from Ahmad ibn ‘Umar al-Halabi, from abu Basir who has said the following:
‘Once I went to see abu ‘Abd Allah (as) and said to him, "May Allah take my 
soul in service for your cause, I would like to ask you a question. Is there anyone else in this house 
who may hear my words?’" 



The Imam (as) then folded the curtain between his room and the next room
and looked into it. Then the Imam (as) said, "O abu Muhammad, ask whatever 
you wish."


I said, "May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, your followers say that the Messenger of 
Allah taught Ali (as) a thousand chapters of knowledge and from each chapter 
there opened a thousand chapters. I then said, "This, I swear by Allah, is knowledge." He would mark
the ground with his staff (perhaps a sign of thinking) for a while. He then said, "That is knowledge 
but it is not that." The narrator has said that the Imam (as) said, "O abu 
Muhammad, with us there is al-Jami‘a. Do they know what al-Jami‘a is?"


I asked, "May Allah take my soul in service for your cause. What is al-Jami‘a?"

The Imam (as) said, "It is a parchment seventy yards long by the yards of the 
Messenger of Allah. It contains his dictations from his very own mouth that are recorded onto it in the 
handwriting of Ali (as). It contains all the lawful and unlawful, and all matters 
that people need. Even the law of compensation for a scratch caused to a person." He then extended
his hand towards me and asked, "May I, O abu Muhammad?" I replied, "May Allah take my soul in 
service for your cause, I am entirely at your disposal." He pinched me with his hand and said, "The 
law of compensation, even for this much, is included therein." He seemed angry. I said, "This, I swear by Allah is knowledge."


The Imam (as) said, "It certainly is knowledge but not that one." The Imam
(as) remained silent for a while and then said, "With us there is al-Jafr. Do 
they know what al-Jafr is?"
I asked, "What is al-Jafr?"
The Imam (as) said, "It is a container made of skin that contains the 
knowledge of the prophets and the executors of their wills. It is the knowledge of the scholars in the past from the Israelites."
I said, "This certainly, is the knowledge."


The Imam (as) said, "It certainly is knowledge but not that knowledge." The
Imam (as) remained silent for a while and then said, "With us there is the book 
(Mushaf) of Fatima, (as). Do they know what Mushaf of Fatima is?" The
Imam (as) said, "Mushaf of Fatima is three times bigger than your Quran. 
There is not even a single letter therein from your Quran."


I then said, "This, I swear by Allah, is the knowledge."

The Imam (as) said, "This certainly is knowledge, but it is not that." The Imam
(as) remained silent for a while and then said, "With us there is the knowledge
of whatever has been, and the knowledge of everything that will come into being to the Day of Judgment."
I said, "May Allah take my soul in service for your cause. This, I swear by Allah, certainly, is the
knowledge."
The Imam (as) said, "It certainly is knowledge but not that knowledge."
I asked, "May Allah take my soul in service for your cause. What is the knowledge?"
The Imam (as) said, "It is whatever takes place during the night and during the day, one matter after the other matter, and one thing after the other to the Day of Judgment."

• (Al-Kafi Vol. 1, H 614, Ch. 40, h1)

Etiquette of Dressing & The Advantages of Aqiq (Cornelian): Part 4

Allama Majlisi; Book Tehzeeb-ul-Islam, sixteenth blessing 

 According to a reliable tradition from Imam Ali Reza (a.s.), Aqiq takes away poverty and dissolves difference from one's heart. According to Imam Ja'far-e-Sadiq (a.s.), Aqiq brings safety while travelling.

Etiquette of Dressing & shoe-wear materials Part 3

For sandals and shoes, the best colour is yellow and next comes white. According to Imam Ali (a.s.) fine shoes keep the body free from germs and diseases. They also help in wazoo (ablution) and Namaz (prayers) as the shoes keep the feet free from dirt. According to Sarraf, when he went before Imam Ja'far-e-Sadiq (a.s.) while having white shoes on the Imam (a.s.) asked him if it was intentional and before Sarraf could answer, the Imam (a.s.) said that any person who buys a white shoe will get money from unknown sources before the shoe gets worn out. Saraf said, that hardly had he started wearing them, when he got hundred gold coins from a place which he could not even dream of.

Etiquette of Dressing & non-permitted materials Part 2

Materials Which are not Permitted to be Worn:

Allama Majlisi; Book Tehzeeb-ul-Islam, second blessing 

Men are not permitted to use pure silk and brocade and are asked to be
careful that their headgear and all those clothings which do not cover the
private parts should not be made of silk. Even certain accessories of
clothing, like borders, frills etc, should only be made of artificial silk, cotton
or any cloth, where silk is one tenth of the other yarn used in the material.
Cloth made of any yarn except silk is preferable.

Non-essential
parts of clothing like handkerchief, shawl etc. can be made of silk.
It is better for children who have not come of age, to be stopped from
wearing pure silk and gold; as according to the tradition of the Holy
Prophet (s.a.w.a.) as narrated by Imam Ali (a.s.), the Prophet had asked
Ali (a.s.) not to wear a golden ring and silk as he would be dressed in silk
in paradise and decorated with gold. Though Ali (a.s.) never used to
wear these but it was an indirect address to the people. Some persons
had asked Imam Ja'far-e-Sadiq (a.s.) whether they could dress their children
in gold. The Imam (a.s.) ordered them to refrain from using gold
themselves and dressing their children (not having come of age) in gold;
only their women and (female) slaves could use it.

Women in Glance - Wording of Imam Ali (as) Part 3 [Ayatullah Nasir Makarim Shirazi]

Therefore, in order for us to truly understand the status and character                        
of women in Nahjul BalÁgha, we need to refer to the Qur’an and then 
understand the position of women in Nahjul BalÁgha vis-à-vis what is 
contained in the Qur’an. 
Without a doubt, historical events have a great deal of influence on 
one’s speech and if we don’t keep in mind the history behind the words 
of Imam Ali , then the message behind his words would be lost. 
Thus, the description and analysis of women he has given in his 
sermons must be read and understood in the light of specific historical 
events which were taking place that he was forced to speak about.
The sermon which will be reviewed shortly has been attributed to the 
Commander of the Faithful and we are told that it was delivered after 
the Battle of Jamal – a war which flung open the doors of tribulations 
and calamities amongst the Muslims and a war in which Muslims took 
up the sword against fellow Muslims and in which countless people lost 
their lives. 
It was due to the sentiments and feelings which the famous wife of the 
Prophet, Àyesha had against Imam Ali that initiated this war and one in which a number of prominent companions of the Prophet – 
who for some strange reason had a deep-seeded hatred for Ali and 
were seeking power over the community, encouraged and joined hands with Àyesha.

Àyesha’s status - being that she was one of the wives of the Messenger 
of Allah and was given the title of ‘Mother of the Believers’ was 
well-known to the masses and it is this same status that she enjoyed that 
also had a tremendous impact on the general community in many 
instances including the launch of this major war. 

Through this sermon, Imam Ali wished to destroy this perceived 
status which the people had for Àyesha and thus we see in his 
statement that she is stripped of any perceived privileges and is brought 
back to her level of being just like the other women of her time so that 
the people would realize that this blind following of her led to nothing 
other than what transpired in this war. This would also bring people to 
question why she herself did not heed the advice and the direct orders 
of Allah i for the wives of the Prophet to stay in their homes and 
to not be so open in the main-stream society! 

Did Imam Ali Give Allegiance to Abu Bakr?

AYATOLLAH SAAFI GULPAYGANI

In relation to the issue of the oath of allegiance of the Commander of the Faithful that is said was taken from him – whether this be something that is verified or denied, and also, this noble personality remaining quiet and not participating in any type of activity of rebellion and not picking up arms to go against (those who stole his rights), and the pleasure and approval of this personality in relation to what had occurred: these are all things that are not established (according to the recorded events of history).

The reluctance of those pure souls (the Companions) and the other great personalities – who in the beginning did not give the oath of allegiance; however, later on (as some people mention) did give the oath of allegiance – and also the large number of people who, in those specific and particular conditions gave the oath of allegiance in a particular way (as has been mentioned in history) is also neither confirmed nor established.

With his sword drawn out of the sheath and with the help and support of his gang, Umar roamed the streets of Medina threatening the people with death and forced them to give their oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr. 

Please note the following points:

1. The belief of the Shia, who are of the People of the Text – through the utilization of the logical and related proofs – is this: the Imamate is a position that one is appointed into by Allah, and after the Prophet, that individual whose persona possesses all of the characteristics embodied in Islam except for Nubuwwah (prophethood) and who shares in the continuation of the same divine blessings of that personality (the Prophet) in all ways and forms is the one whose Wilayah(mastership) over all affairs of the society must be designated and appointed by Allah the Most High. The Commander of the Faithful, according to the countless texts (ahadith) and other proofs was the appointed caliph and the true Imam, and deviation from him to anyone else – even if all of the people are in agreement over that other person – is not permissible and is a case of: "Giving preference to one whom Allah has relegated low and leaving behind the one whom Allah has given preference to."

Just as the Prophet is not permitted to grant the station or position of prophethood to anyone else, so too the Imam is not permitted to grant the station or position of Divinely-appointed leadership to anyone else. Therefore, supposing that after Imam Ali was refused (the station of caliphate) and then later on, the oath of allegiance was taken from him, or this noble personality – due to events that came up later on (which will be mentioned ensuing) – was rendered helpless to pledge the oath of allegiance, then the true meaning and significance of this sort of oath of allegiance was not achieved by this (forced act), and the correctness of the actions of the other party is not accepted.

2. If the caliphate (of Abu Bakr) was based on the truth, then this would imply that the hesitance of Imam Ali and Sayyidah Zahra (peace be upon them) and a large number of people and revered companions was not proper and that they were not on the path of the truth. 

It is known that there are definite and decisive narrations from the noble Prophet of Islam which state that Ali is on the Truth, and the Truth is with Ali, and these two will never separate from one another. Therefore, if someone says that Imam Ali was not with the truth in this event or did not speak the truth or did not act upon the truth, then he is belying the Prophet.

Thus it is with no uncertainty that we say that Imam Ali, in this event and all other events and circumstances, was always on the truth, and his refusal to give the oath of allegiance was also not the refusal to be on the truth; rather, his refusal was the denial of falsehood.

3. The refusal of Imam Ali and a group of others to give oath of allegiance to the caliphate from the point of view of history is not something that can be denied, and even one of the contemporary poets from Egypt who was known by the title of "Poet of the Nile" in his poems has also admitted this. The refusal (to give the oath of allegiance) was so commonly accepted and indisputable such that in one of the letters that he wrote to Imam Ali, Muawiyah has mentioned this fact and in reply, Ali did not deny that he had not given the oath of allegiance; rather, the rightfulness and legitimacy of his denial and refusal and the oppression that he faced is mentioned in his own words in this writing (to Muawiyah) when he wrote: "You also want to taunt me by saying that when I refused to accept the caliphate of the First Caliph, I was dragged like a camel with a rope round my neck, and every kind of cruelty and humiliation was leveled against me." (Nahj al-Balagha, letter 28)

To summarize our point, not only is there no room for doubt or skepticism that Imam Ali and the rest of the clan of Bani Hashim and a large number of the companions refused to give their oath of allegiance to the caliph, rather, their refusal was known and evident for all to see.

However, if it is claimed that after those harsh and coarse events that took place, Imam Ali and those who supported him gave their oath of allegiance and that their oath of allegiance was by way of their own inward pleasure and their pure heart and intention, then it is not possible to substantiate this (claim), since the hadith (of this event) is a single narration (khabar-e-wahid), and in the terminology of the science of hadith, it is doubtful (mashkuk). In this hadith, many contrasts and irregularities can also be seen, which this point in time is not the place for discussion. Anyway, we are not able to classify their oath of allegiance as an authentic oath of allegiance that would have any basis in the Islamic legislation.

At this point we mention some reasons that IF indeed this oath of allegiance did occur in history, then why it may have taken place.

1. It was seen (by Imam Ali) that to stand up to what had occurred (the events of Saqifah) would not be possible except by resorting to an armed struggle, which was not conceivable, since it would have resulted in an internal war between the Muslims. The condition and situation (that the Muslim Ummah was in) was such that very recently, through the pains and troubles of the Noble Prophet and through the assistance of Imam Ali and others, the seed of true faith and conviction in the Oneness of Allah had just been sown in the hearts of the believers, and an internal war would not have served the cause of Islam. It would be through this act that the very foundations of Islam would be put at in danger and would force the Muslims to stand up in ranks against one another, whose outcome or conclusion would never be reached.

It was Imam Ali who had helped the Prophet in the establishment of this foundation (of Islam). It was through his truthfulness and sincerity and by putting his life in his own hands and through his self-sacrifices at all places and all times from the very first day (that built the religion). His heart throbbed for this religion, and he saw that if the defense of his own self meant the desolation and annihilation of these foundations, then for sure he would choose to save Islam and try to maintain the unity of the Muslims in face of the opposition of the Kuffar and would give this precedence to the adjudication of the truth. This would allow Islam to progress and advance, even though such a progress would be slower and take much longer.

Allah forbid that the religion come to a complete standstill and the movement that the Prophet had brought forth with the help of the people should stop for even one moment (if a war would take place amongst the Muslims) just so the groundwork could be laid down for the advancement of the religion of Islam and in order for the mandate and establishment of the Wilayah and Caliphate of Ali to take root in the future, just as happened later on.

With the passing of time, the truthfulness of the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) and the blunders and mistakes of deviating from the (true) Imam that had been appointed was made apparent, and on their own, the people developed an attraction for the Noble Qur'an and the Ahlul Bayt and the true belief in the Imamate.

The opportunity also arose for the Ahlul Bayt to guide the people to the pure springs of Islam, the teachings of the religion, the exegesis of the Qur'an, and the true religion of Islam with all of its rules and regulations, political teachings, societal and ethical instructions, and guidelines. More important than all of this, the correct divine theological beliefs were conferred to the people.

However, if an internal war had taken place in Medina, then the corruption, deviation, sedition, and revolts that would have stemmed from this act would have put all things in danger of complete annihilation, and it was because of this reason that Imam Ali rejected the advice from Abu Sufyan for him paying oath of allegiance to Imam Ali, and considered this as an act that would initiate sedition and revolt.

2. The second reason for Imam Ali (hypothetically) giving oath of allegiance is that, just as can be deduced from a study of history, this noble personality had fear or concern for the life of himself and that of his family, and this fear or concern was something that Abbas, his uncle, was able to discern. It was his uncle who advocated him to pay the oath of allegiance, since if he was to be killed, then it would be Islam and the Muslims, who at that time were desperately in need of knowledge and enlightenment, who would have been in disadvantage and loss.

It was in such a circumstance in which it was not possible to have recourse in force and also one in which complete submission was also not in the best interest to deal with the situation that Imam Ali was very careful and critical (in how he dealt with the situation).

This noble personality, by choosing the path that he did, fulfilled a very heavy responsibility that was upon him; he exposed the truth, and at the same time, observed what was best for Islam in its entirety. His precious soul, which was ready to sacrifice its self in the path of Islam, was also protected, so that his blood would not have been shed uselessly simply to affirm the power of truth, and so that the fire of revolt, through which all things are scorched, would not be lit, and so that the opportunity (of Imamate and leadership of the community) whose acquisition was expected in the future would not go away.

In summary, Imam Ali acted according to the testament that was left by the Prophet and did not even cringe in carrying out the will by the amount of the head of a needle. The arena or environment that would cause the feelings or emotions of any brave, courageous, powerful person to be stirred or stimulated were all witnessed; however, he did not perform any act that he should not have performed, nor did he utter any words that should not have been issued. He acted with complete knowledge and by observing and weighing all angles of the situation.

However, all of these conditions and situations prove the truthfulness of Imam Ali and his desire for Islam and his acting not for his own sake. It is clear that this noble personality was completely annihilated and drowned in the Truth, and that which was important to him and had any value to him was Islam, the endurance of the code of Islam, and the interests of the Muslims. 

In the conditions that he was put in, neither his staying quiet nor giving oath of allegiance by force and through coercion would give any credence to the rightfulness of the state of affairs at that time. Such an oath of allegiance would not absolve anyone of their religious responsibility, nor would it pardon anyone of their code of conduct.

Ayatollah Saafi Gulpaygani is a Marja Taqleed of the Shia world. He lives and teaches in the holy city of Qom.

Editor's Note: This article is the first of many questions on a variety of religious topics that were answered by Ayatollah Gulpaygani and translated into English by Shaikh Saleem Bhimji. The entire series is available online at al-mubin.org.

Question: What is the purpose of the Qur'an in pointing towards 'seven heavens'?

AYATOLLAH NASIR MAKAREM SHIRAZI

Answer: Islamic scholars and commentators have narrated some clarifications regarding 'seven heavens' (towards which indication are made in the Holy Qur'an also).

1. Here, seven is meant to be multiplication (to be more). It means that He has created many heavens, i.e. He has created a number of times. And mostly it so happens that in Arabic, Persian, Urdu or other languages, the mention of numbers is done in the sense of plenty. It means that a number is mentioned but no definite quantity is meant. The purpose of saying is to convey plenty. For example, generally we say in Urdu that, I said this to you fifty times, or I have demanded from him ten times. However, it is not necessary that the act should have been done exactly fifty or ten times. But it is meant that I have said this many times or I have demanded that thing a number of times. The Holy Qur'an says about the word of Allah and the things known to Allah in this way:

"And were every tree that is in the earth (made into) pens and the sea (to supply it with ink), with seven more seas to increase it, the words of Allah would not come to an end."

(31:27)

It is obvious that here seven indicates excess; otherwise, as we know, if there is an addition of ten or hundred oceans, then too the unfathomed knowledge of Allah cannot be written, because Allah is by all means beyond words.

In the same way many other numbers 'sabeen', 'seventy', etc. also, are used in the sense of excess in the Holy Qur'an or other words (either in speech or writing) in Arabic and other languages. And the meaning of those numbers is not some definite number, but it is intended to point towards the excess of something.

2. By seven heavens it was meant to be those planets which were known to the people of that period or they are those planets which the general public of the present age can see with naked eyes.

3. By seven heavens are meant the multiple layers of different airs and gases that encircle the earth.

4. Still, according to the views of some great intellectuals, those small stars, galaxies, and Milky Way which are seen are all part of the first heaven, and beyond that six still bigger worlds are there. And by seven heavens, the Holy Qur'an means all those seven worlds which exist in the Universe. Maybe man's present age of scientific knowledge and wisdom has raised the curtain from only one of it, and it is quite possible that in future, as a result of gaining more knowledge, on the back of the present perceptible world, six great worlds are discovered. Favoring this view we present the following verse as proof.

"We have adorned the nearest heaven with an adornment, the stars."

(37:6)

With this verse it is known that all the stars are in the first heaven. (It should be remembered that in Arabic the word 'Duniya' means 'lower' and near.)

However, it seems necessary to mention that verses and traditions in which the number of heavens are said to be seven are not a corroboration of the theory of Ptolemaic astronomy in which he has presented the heavens as the layers of peels of onion like shape of heavenly spheres. (Because according to Ptolemaic theory, the number of heavenly spheres and heavens are nine.)

As long as seven earths are concerned (the mention of which is there in the Holy Qur'an is an indication and in some traditions, is given with specific mention), about them thoughts similar to the aforesaid are expressed. For example, that the number seven is in the sense of many or that by seven earths it is meant seven planets (Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and moon). That is the same number in solar system which we can see. (Obviously there are other bodies and moon in the solar system, but they cannot be seen with our naked eyes.) And based on this explanation, by seven heavens is meant to be the same atmosphere, which exists on each of those seven heavenly bodies.

In other words, these seven bodies are counted as earth; the atmosphere surrounding them is their heaven. It should be remembered that in Arabic dictionary 'Samaa' is means all such things, which are placed towards the upper portion.

This was the summary of those different interpretations, which our scholars and writers of exegeses have presented about seven heavens and earths. Especially the last Tafseer, which seems to be more acceptable compared to all others, and the narrations of those exegeses is in need of further explanation.