Status Of Sahaba According To Shari'ah

THIS IS THE FAITH OF THE SHIA FROM THE FIRST OF THEM TO THE LAST WHO DECLARE ALL THE COMPANIONS OF THE PROPHET (SAW), KAFIRS (INFIDELS) EXCEPT A FEW OF THEM VIZ MAQDAD, ABU DHARR GHAFFARI AND SULMAN AL-FARSI. INSPITE OF THIS ALI DID NOT DECLARE ANYONE AS KAFIR. HE ALWAYS DESPISED THOSE WHO REVILED MUIWYAH AND HIS ARMIES.

LET US BRING HOME TO READERS THE CLOSE AND FRATERNAL RELATIONSHIP THAT THE FIRST THREE CALIPHS HAD WITH ALI - ALI GAVE HIS DAUGHTER FROM FATIMA AL-ZAHRA VIZ UMM KULTHUM IN MARRIAGE TO UMAR AL-FAROOQ, THE 2ND CALIPHS. CAN ALI GIVE HIS DAUGHTER IN MARRIAGE TO A KAFIR OR ENEMY? ALI NAMED HIS THREE SONS AS ABU BAKAR, UMAR AND USMAN. CAN ANYONE ADOPT THE NAME OF HIS ENEMIES? SIMILARY HADHRAT HASAN NAMED HIS SONS AS ABU BAKAR AND USMAN AND HADHRAT HUSSAIN CHOOSE THE NAME OF UMAR FOR HIS SON.

HAZRAT ALI AND HIS CHILDREN HAD RECOGNISED THE CALIPHATE OF THE THREE RIGHTEOUS CALIPHS (HAZRAT ABU BAKAR, UMAR AND USMAN - MAY ALLAH BE PLEASED WITH ALL OF THEM) AND THEY AFFIRMED THEM. ALI WAS A MINISTER AND AN ADVISOR OF THE THREE CALIPHS; AS ALI AND HIS CHILDREN HAVE TESTIFIED TO IT. IT WAS AT THE ADVICE OF HAZRAT ALI THAT HAZRAT UMAR INTRODUCED THE ISLAMIC ERA, THE HIJRI YEAR, DURING HIS CALIPHATE.

HAZRAT ALI PRASIED HAZRAT ABU BAKAR AND UMAR SAYING, "THE BEST AND MOST EXCELLENT OF THE MUSLIMS, AS I UNDERSTAND, AND THE SINCEREST OF THEM TO ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER WAS THE CALIPH AL-SIDDIQ, THEN THE SUCCESSOR OF THE CALIPH AL-FARUQ (I.E. UMAR). I SWEAR BY MY LIFE, THEIR STATUS IN ISLAM IS INDEED VERY HIGH. THEIR DEATH IN THE CAUSE OF ISLAM IS INDEED GREAT. MAY ALLAH BE MERCIFUL UNTO BOTH OF THEM AND MAY HE REQUITE THEM WITH THE BEST OF RECOMPENSE." (SHARH NAJH AL-BALAGHA OF AL-MAISIM, TEHRAN 1, 31).

THIS IS WELL KNOWN THAT THE STATUS OF HAZRAT ABU BAKAR AL-SIDDIQ AFTER THE PROPHET (SAW) IS THE MOST ELEVATED. THE QUR'AN AND SEVERAL OF THE VERSES TESTIFY TO IT. ALLAH, THE EXALTED SAYS IN SURAH AL-NISA:

"THEY SHALL BE WITH THOSE UNTO WHOM ALLAH HATH BEEN GRACIOUS, OF THE PROPHETS, AND THE SINCERE, AND THE MARTYRS AND THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE MOST EXCELLENT COMPANY." (4 : 71).

THERE IS NO DENYING THE FACT THAT ALI ALWAYS PRAYED BEHIND ABU BAKAR IN THE MASJED-E-NABVI, MADINAH. THIS SHOWS THAT ALI WILLINGLY SWORE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE TO HAZRAT ABU BAKAR AND NO COERSION WAS USED IN THIS CASE AS ALLEGED BY THE SHIA WHO ARE IN THE HABIT OF INVENTING FALSEHOOD.

THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT ALI HAD SOME RESERVATIONS IN THE BEGINNING ALONG WITH HAZRAT ZUBAIR AND HAZRAT ABBAS WHO WERE NOT CONSULTED IN THE ELECTION OF HAZRAT ABU BAKAR TO THE CALIPHATE BUT WHEN IT WAS EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT SINCE THEY WERE BUSY IN THE BURIAL OF THE PROPHET (SAW) WHICH WAS AN IMPORTANT SERVICE AND THE ASSEMBLY AT SAQIFA HAD TAKE SUCH A SUDDEN AND GRAVE TURN THAT IF THE QUESTION OF SUCCESSION WAS NOT DECIDED THERE AND THEN THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN WIDESPREAD CHAOS AND CONFUSION IN THE UMMAH. WHEN ALI REALISED THE DELICACY OF THE MATTER HE GLADLY SWORE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE AT THE HAND OF HAZRAT ABU BAKR WHO HAD BEEN UNANIMOUSLY ELECTED EARLIER AS A CALIPH OF MUSLIMS IN THE AFORESAID ASSEMBLY OF MUHARIJEEN & ANSARA.

ACCORDING TO IMAM BUKHARI, IT IS RELATED WITHOUT INTERUPTION FROM ALI THROUGH A CHAIN OF NARRATORS THAT HAZRAT ALI PUBLICY CLAIMED IN KUFA: "O PEOPLE! AFTER THE PROPHET (SAW) THE BEST MAN IN THE UMMAH IS HAZRAT ABU BAKR AND AFTER HIM HAZRAT UMAR."

IBN ABBAS REPORTED THE PROPHET AS SAYING, "O ALLAH, STRENGTHEN ISLAM WITH ABU JAHL B. HISHAM OR UMAR BIN AL-KHATTAB." IN THE MORNING UMAR WENT TO THE PROPHET (SAW) AND ACCEPTED ISLAM; THEN PRAYED OPENLY IN THE MOSQUE (KA'BAL)" (AHMAD AND TIRMIDHI).

IBN UMAR SAID: WHEN ALLAH'S MESSENGER WAS ALIVE WE USED TO SAY THAT THE MOST EXCELLENT MEMBER OF THE PROPHET'S PEOPLE AFTER HIMSELF WAS ABU BAKR, THEN UMAR, THEN UTHMAN. (ABU DAUD).

ABU HURAIRAH REPORTED ALLAH'S MESSENGER AS SAYING, "NO ONE HAS HELPED ME WITHOUT MY MAKING IT UP TO HIM EXCEPT ABU BAKR, FOR HE HAS GIVEN ME HELP WHICH ALLAH WILL MAKE UP TO HIM ON THE DAY OF RESURRECTION. NO ONE'S PROPERTY HAS BENEFITTED ME TO THE EXTENT OF ABU BAKR'S AND IF I WERE TAKING A FRIEND I WOULD TAKE ABU BAKR AS A FRIEND. BUT YOUR COMPANSION (I.E. THE PROPHET HIMSELF) IS ALLAH'S FRIEND." (TIRMIDHI).

HE ALSO REPORTED THE PROPHET AS SAYING, "YOU ABU BAKR, WILL BE THE FIRST OF MY PEOPLE TO ENTER PARADISE. (ABU DAUD).

IF ANYONE HAS BEEN CALLED BY THE TITLE OF COMRADE OF THE PROPHET ( ) IN THE QUR'AN, THAT PERSON IS ONLY ABU BAKR SIDDIQ. IT IS STATED IN SURAH AT-TAUBAH (TRANSLATION): "WHEN THOSE WHO DISBELIEVE DROVE HIM FORTH, THE SECOND OF TWO; WHEN THEY TWO (I.E. THE PROPHET AND ABU BAKR DURING THE MIGRATION FROM MAKKAH TO AL-MADINAH) WERE IN THE CAVE, WHEN HE SAID UNTO HIM COMRADE: GRIEVE NOT. LO! ALLAH IS WITH US." (9:40).

IT WAS THE SPECIAL PRIVILEGE OF HADHRAT ABU BAKR (R.A) THAT HE WAS COMRADE OF THE PROPHET IN THE CAVE ( ) AND HE WAS ALSO THE FIRST TO BE BURIED ALONG WITH THE SIDE OF THE PROPHET'S (SAW) GRAVE IN MADINAH.

IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE VIRTUES AND EXCELLENCES OF HAZRAT ABU BAKR THAT THE PROPHET (SAW) DURING HIS ILLNESS APPOINTED HAZRAT ABU BAKR AS THE IMAM TO LEAD MUSLIMS IN THE CONGREGATIONAL PRAYERS WHICH WAS AN INDICATION OF THE FACT THAT AFTER HIS DEMISE HE WOULD BE THE COMMANDER OF THE MUSLIMS.

THE SHIAS BECAUSE OF TEHIR ENEMITY TO THESE HOLY PERSONAGES ARE BLIND TO REALITIES. HOWEVER, THE TRUTH CANNOT BE CONCEALED FOR EVER. SAYS THE QUR'AN:

"HE IT IS WHO HATH SENT HIS MESSENGER WITH THE GUIDANCE AND THE RELIGION OF TRUTH THAT HE MAY MAKE IT CONQUEROR OF ALL RELIGION, HOWEVER, MUCH IDOLATERS MAY BE AVERSE." (61:9).

"TRUTH HATH COME AND FALSEHOOD HATH VANISHED. LO! FALSEHOOD IS EVER BOUND TO VANISH." (17:81).

"ALLAH HATH PROMISED SUCH OF YOU AS BELIEVE AND DO GOOD WORKS THAT HE WILL SURELY MAKE THEM TO SUCCEED IN THE EARTH EVEN AS HE CAUSED THOSE WHO WERE BEFORE THEM TO SUCCEED (OTHERS)." (24:55)

THIS PROMISE OF RULERSHIP HAS BEEN MADE TO THOSE PIOUS BELIEVERS WHO WERE PRESENT DURING THE TIME OF THE REVELATION OF THE ABOVE QUR'ANIC VERSE. AND FROM VERSES 40-41 OF SURAH AL-HAJ IT IS ESTABLISHED THAT THIS RULERSHIP WAS TO BE CONFERRED ON THOSE PIONEER MIGRANT SABAHA WHO WERE DRIVEN FROM THEIR HOMES ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR COMMITMENT TO ISLAM AND ITS CAUSES. IT IS STATED THEREIN:

"THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN DRIVEN FROM THEIR HOMES UNJUSTLY ONLY BECAUSE THEY SAID: OUR LORD IS ALLAH......" "THOSE WHO, IF WE GIVE THEM POWER IN THE LAND, ESTABLISH SALAT, AND PAY THE ZAKAT AND ENJOIN KINDNESS AND FORBID INIQUITY. AND ALLAH'S IS THE SEQUEL OF EVENTS." (22:40-41).

IT IS A FACT OF HISTORY THAT THOSE WHO WERE ELECTED OR NOMINATED AS CALIPHS AFTER THE DEMISE OF THE PROPHET (SAW) WERE AMONG THE PIONEARING MIGRANTS I.E. HAZRAT ABU BAKAR; HAZRAT UMAR, HAZRAT USMAN AND HAZRAT ALI. ALMIGHTY ALLAH FORTIFIED DEEN-E-ISLAM THROUGH THESE HOLY PERSONAGES. THE EXPANSION, FAME AND GLORY OF THE ISLAMIC EMPIRE REACHED TO NEW HEIGHTS ESPECIALLY DURING THE REIGN OF THE FIRST THREE CALIPHS. DURING THE CALIPHATE OF HAZRAT ALI ALTHOUGH NO NEW TERRITORY WAS CONQUERED, YET HE FORTIFIED THE FRONDTIERS OF ISLAM BY ENFORCING AND MAKING SUPREME THE COMMANDMENTS OF ALLAH AS WAS DONE BY HIS WORTHY PREDECESSORS. THUS THE LIGHT AND BLESSINGS OF CALIPHATE UNDER THE RIGHTLY GUIDED CALIPHS WERE SPREAD ALL AROUND DURING THIS PERIOD OF ABOUT 30 YEARS AFTER THE DEMISE OF PROPHET (SAW) AS ALMIGHTY ALLAH WAS WELL-PLEASED WITH THEM. SAYS THE QUR'AN:

"ALLAH WAS WELL PLEASED WITH THE BELIEVERS WHEN THEY SWORE ALLEGIANCE UNTO THEE BENEATH THE TREE AND HE KNEW WHAT WAS IN THEIR HEARTS AND HE SENT DOWN PEACE OF REASSURANCE ON THEM, AND, HATH REWARDED THEM WITH A NEAR VICTORY." (48: 18).

THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER VERSES IN THE QUR'AN WHICH SPEAK ELOQUENTLY ABOUT THE MUJAHAREEN AND ANSAR, SUCH AS:

".... THEY ARE THE LOYAL." (59:8)

"SUCH ARE THEY WHO ARE SUCCESSFUL." (59: 9).