Shia in Quran and Hadith
Issue #2
The event of zul asheera –
first invitation to Islam
Ali (AS) said “I who was the youngest of all
have submitted that I am your vizier. The
Prophet put his hand around my neck and said,
“This person is my brother, inheritor and
viceregent. You must obey him.” People
laughed and told Abu Talib, “He has ordered
you to obey your son.” Tabari, al-Tarikh,
Cairo, 1357, vol II, pp 63. Abu'l-Fida', al-
Tarikh, Cairo, 1325 vol I pp 116, Ibn al-Athir,
al-Bidayah wa'l-Nihayah, Cairo, 1358, vol III
pp 39, Bahrani, Ghayat al-Maram, Tehran,
1272 pp 320.
Shia in the Quran
[ 28:15] And he entered the city at a time when
its people were not watching: and he found
there two men fighting,- one of his own
religion, and the other, of his foes. Now the
man of his own religion appealed to him
against his foe, and Moses struck him with his
2010
fist and made an end of him. He said: "This is
a work of Evil (Satan): for he is an enemy that
manifestly misleads!"
In the above verse of Quran, one is named the
Shia of Moses (AS) and the other one is
named the enemy of Moses, and the people at
that time were either the Shia or the enemy of
Moses (AS). Thus Shia is an official word
used by Allah in His Quran for His high rank
prophets as well as their followers. Do you
want to say Prophet Abraham was sectarian?
How about Prophet Noah and Prophet Moses?
If somebody calls himself a Shia, it is not due
to any sectarianism, nor any innovation. It is
because Quran has used the phrase for some of
His best servants. The above verses that I
mentioned in support of Shia, has used this
term singular form (i.e., one group of
followers). This means that it has special
meaning, such as: THE Shia of Noah (AS),
THE Shia of Moses (AS). Also in the History
of Islam, Shia has been specially used for the
"followers of Ali". The first individual who
used this term was the Messenger of Allah
himself:
The Messenger of
Allah said to Ali:
The Day of between the two sects;
the Shia and the They (the
"Glad tiding O Ali! Saqeefa – the Sunni. “Most surely companions) had
Verily you and your there is a reminder in
companions and your day of the this for him who has a
appropriate the matter
(the caliphate) to
Shia (followers) will
be in Paradise."
split heart or he gives ear
with full intelligence.
themselves on the day
of Saqeefa[1]
Qur'an, 50:37”
from Al-Nass Wel- interpreting some
http://www.al-
Ijtihad Abdul Husayn prophetic traditions
islam.org/ENCYCLO
Sharfuddin p 95-97 according to their own
PEDIA/chapter1b/13. [1] The deliberations
opinions without
html http://www.maaref- (muraja’at) were one
caring for anything
foundation.com/englis hundred and twelve
else. They had
h/index.htm ones.
determined their
The life of the Prophet [2] The Prophet (s) matter among them
(s) after his had invited his close without informing
37:83 Verily among prophethood was full relatives to warn them. anyone of the
those who followed of traditions that had The last of his speech Hashemites[2] nor any
his Way was talked about the to them was that when of their followers; the
Abraham. caliphate of Imam Ali he held Ali’s hand and Hashemites, who were
(s) clearly since the said: “This is my the family of the
Aqa Mahdi Puya (day of the warning) brother, my vizier, my Prophet (s), the place
says: [2] in Abu Talib’s guardian and my of the divine mission,
house and throughout caliph among you. the descendance of the
As said in verse 83 the days after that Listen to him and angels and the
until he had lain in the obey him!” Refer to descendance of
those who follow bed of death whereas muraja’a no. 20 and Gabriel and
the same creed are his room was crowded the one after it in the revelation. As if they
called shi-ahs, and with people when he book “al-Muraja’at”. had forgotten that the
this has become a said: “O people, I am
term to distinguish about to die and to be
those who follow taken hastily. I have
informed you. I have
Ali. left among you the
Book of Allah and my
The Holy Prophet progeny”. Then he
said: raised Ali’s hand and
said: “This is Ali. He
"O Ali, you and is with the Qur'an and
the Qur'an is with him.
your shi-ahs, on They will never
the day of separate until they will
resurrection, will come to me at the
be surrounded by pond (in Paradise)”.
light, honoured and The traditions of
successful." thaqalayn (two
weighty things) are
enough to be the judge Saqeefa
Ahlul Bayt were the Kabeer, al-Hakim’s
weighty thing the Mustadrak, ath-
Prophet (s) had left, Thahabi’s Talkhees al-
the equal of the Book Mustadrak, ibn Abu
of Allah,[3] the Shayba’s Sunan, Abu
protection of the Ya’la’s Sunan, ibn
umma from separation, Sa’d’s Tabaqat and
[4] the ship of rescue many others. For
for the umma from details refer to
deviation[5] and the muraja’a no.8 in our
gate of repentance for book “al-Muraja’at”.
the umma.[6] As if [4] Referring to the
they had forgotten that Prophet’s saying: “My
the Prophet’s family chosen for you Islam After all these command,
family is security for your are not yet contented
was to the umma as as a religion."(Surah
my umma from being and now you want to
the head to the body Maidah, 5:3)
separated. If a tribe of appoint your cousin over
and as the two eyes to us as our leader by saying,
the Arabs objects to 3) "One questioner
the head.[7] "Of whomsoever I am his
them, it will separate demanded the master, Ali is his master
[1] Saqeefa means a and then become the chastisement which too, Is this a divine
shed. They (most of party of Iblis”. Refer must befall?(Surah command or is it from
the Prophet’s to al-Hakim’s Ma"arij:1) your side?"
companions) have Mustadrak, vol.3
gathered in the shed of p.149.
The Holy Prophet (pbuh)
Bani Sa’ida on that
day to determine that
Read the said: "I swear by Allah
except whom there is no
caliphate after the Verses of Quran God, this command is
Prophet (s). indeed divine." On

[2] Hashem was the Ghadeer Sa"labi in "Noorul hearing this, Harith
turned, started going back
Absaar", page 11. while
Prophet’s ancestor. giving references of great to his camel, and was
1) "O Messenger (of grumbling "O Allah if the
[3] With reference to sunni scholars like
Allah)! Convey what Shiblinji of Egypt and word of Muhammad is
the clear traditions has been revealed to others, writes, "The Holy true, then stones rain
mentioned in the you from your Lord. Prophet (pbuh), gathered upon me or deliver unto
reliable books of the people on the day of me a severe
And if you do it not, chastisement." Harith had
traditions; those then you have not, Ghadir and raising Ali"s
hand, proclaimed, "Of hardly reached his mount,
traditions that have delivered His message when a boulder fell from
whomsoever I am the
made the Prophet’s (prophethood), and master, Ali is his master the sky crushing him to
progeny as the equal of Allah will protect you too." Word spread around death. Then this verse was
the Qur'an to be the and when Harith Bin revealed. "One demanding
from the people. demanded the
example that must be Surely Allah will not Noman-e-Fehri heard
about it, he came on one chastisement which must
followed by the men of guide the disbelieving befall."
side, and asked, "O
understanding. Refer people."(Surah Muhammad you asked us http://www.rafed.net/engl
to Muslim’s Sahih Maidah, 5:67). to give witness of Divinity ish/articles/index.php?
(book of Hadith), at- and (your) Messengership, option=com_content&vie
Tarmithi’s Sahih, an- 2) "This day I have we gave (unhesitantly). w=article&id=452:ghadir
Nassa’iy’s Sahih, perfected for you your You ordered for Praying, -in-
religion and completed we performed. You ordered quran&catid=41:quranic-
Ahmad’s Musnad, at- us for Hajj, Zakat and
my favor on you and sciences&Itemid=82
Tabarani in his al- fasting, we acted upon it.
 applied by default Taoism in the Far Quran and the
Shi'ite Islam to every religious East, to mention hadith of the
minority on the some of the most prophet (PBUH). If
Orthodoxy or basis of the same common examples. a shia calls to his
Heterodoxy rigid and arbitrary But, as we have leader he is simply
interpretation? We seen, the tendency following the
LuisAlberto Vittor refer, of course, to to give Shi‘ite sunna of the
p137-138 those scholars who Islam the stigma of Prophet
fancifully turn “sect” is (Quran/Moosa and
http://www.maaref- every minority premeditated. The Hadith/Ghadeer).
foundation.com/en tradition into a definition of On being called the
glish/index.htm “sect” without “sect,” as they Moula of the shia
considering the know better than will help him.The
It should be noted true meaning of its anyone else, can partisans of Islam
that the term “sect” definition. In fact, conveniently be are those who did
is unduly applied these scholars substituted--in a not follow the
to Shi‘ite Islam often label certain theological and Quran and the way
without doctrinal religious groups as philosophical of the prophet
justification and “sects” when their sense--by the more (AS). This
without paying followers are insidiously deviation from the
attention to numerically equal political and siraat (the straight
whether such a to the main groups provocative one path or the
definition is within their which defines a Masoomeen) leads
actually compatible tradition. Certain sect as a “group of to zulumaat
with its perfectly religious minorities partisans with (darkness).
orthodox and which are extreme and Paraphrasing Dua
traditional spirit. If considered as violent ideas.” E Ghayba the one
this is not a case of “sects” in the West who does not
terminological are perfectly Conclusion recognize Allah,
standardization, orthodox religious the Prophet, and
then what is the expressions. Such Thus in conclusion the Imam of the
point of insisting is the case with brothers and time leads his
on its application? Shi‘ite Islam in the sisters. Shia is a religion into
Should the generic Middle East, term used in the darkness.
sense of “sect” be Buddhism or

Mia m i
2010