Zaki_InshaAllah

Poem for Arbaeen (please feel free to read this in your Islamic centers to commemorate Arbaeen and mourning for Imam Hussain (as) and his companions) The evil doers plotted with a treacherous strategy People say time heals all wounds... they've never heard of your tragedy We gather after 40 days and remember you lying on that desert plain We remember how you called for help... but lay deserted, slain Dead heads on spears, Zainab's eyes filled with tears, Zainab’s heart filled with tears, women and children veilless and chained Hussain and the companions are dead now, the children have been orphaned Dogs and pigs drank water from the Euphrates, but the family of Rasoolillah didn’t receive any portion Instead the enemies whipped them, and threw them on bare camels When people stop forbidding evil, the honorable are treated worse than animals From Karbala to the streets of Kufa, to the dungeons in Shaam Yazid’s army tortured the caravan, trying to extinguish the light of Islam Sakina slept on the cold floor, screaming as men beat and whipped her Imam Death from intense grief overtook some of the women, the others marched on My condolences on what took place in those dungeons after you, Oh Hussain! Time separated us and distance distanced us, but we are with you Oh Hussain! But are we really with you, or is this another promise unfulfilled? Plenty of empty slogans were expressed in thousands of letters, leading for you to be killed If the morning prayer passes while I sleep through this responsibility, how am I with you, Oh Hussain? Legends of the heavens took arrows to the chest - well beyond their death - to protect the prayer, Oh Hussain If I curse, backbite, and slander the believers, how am I with you, Oh Hussain? You refrained from such behavior but your killers indulged in it, Oh Hussain If I don't observe patience and swallow my anger, how am I with you, Oh Hussain? Lessons unapplied will surely lead to my demise, if I am not careful, Oh Hussain Your head on a spear recited verses of the Quran My head intact, do I often neglect the Holy Quran? Is our purpose to strive for material gain or to strive for Islam? We see people acquiring their worldly desires, but we don’t see our Imam. I ask Allah to hasten his reappearance, so that we may avenge Ashura But maybe Allah is waiting for someone genuine, instead of this letter from Kufa If I come to these majalis but still curse and backbite, I have made a mockery of this remembrance and of Imam Hussain’s sacrifice We must learn from these lessons and purify our hearts to meet Aba Abdillah in paradise [Please recite Surah Fatiha for all of the believers]

Salaamu Alaikum, Botta: - Were there any hadiths that were forged during the time of Mu'awiya? The kind of an individual Muawiya was is a separate discussion... - Did the Prophet (saw) have a kafir (audhubillah) perform his nikah? - Did you read all the verses of quran on part 3? Read through them again... - Did the Prophet (saw) grow up in the house of a kafir (audhubillah)? - Did the Prophet violate Quran (audhubillah)? - Think about it: think about the hatred Muawiya had for Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (A.S.). They cursed Imam Ali for 90 years from the time of Muawiya until Umar ibn Abdul Aziz put a stop to it. - Do you think that Muawiya and his father want to make Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (A.S.) and his father Abu Talib (R.A.) look like great people? Or are they going to slander them? - Muawiya paid a man "handsome-ly" to write tafseer of quran that Sura 2 Aya 207 (There are those who sell their soul for the pleasure of Allah) that this was revealed about Abdul Rahman ibn Muljim (L.A.) because he sold his soul to kill Imam Ali (A.S.) - AUDHUBILLAH! Just think about the political climate Botta. Do you think it was one that is going to preserve the traditions that highlight the elite men, or is it going to slander them? Do you think that the family of the Prophet didn't know that he was a Prophet? Did you read all the hadith from what I copied from al-islam.org that suggests that Abu Talib (R.A.) wasn't a kafir - from Sunni sources? You are basing your belief system about Abu Talib (A.S.) on a hadith... look at all the quran verses and hadith that I posted. Whatever happened to COMMON SENSE... put all this stuff together and think about it. Amazing - the people that fought the Prophet (saw) are "companions" and his own family who witnessed the best of creation and raised him are kuffar - hayhat. If you haven't already done so, go back and read the 4 parts and just think about it...

Islam of Abu Talib (Part 4 of 4) Certainly what has been said about this topic in the last parts, must have left some questions unanswered, and this article would focus on the attitude adopted by Abu Talib ( May Allah bless his soul ) towards his nephew, the Prophet Muhammad ( Peace be upon him and his cleansed progeny ), and his contribution towards spreading Islam, and the declaration of his faith in several occasions reported by the Sunnis. The readers of Islamic History know how the Quraish clans delivered to Abu Talib an ultimatum, to stop his nephew from defaming their fathers and belittling their gods and ridiculing their minds; otherwise, they would confront him and the Prophet (PBUH&HF) on a battlefield untill one of the two parties perished. Abu Talib had no doubt that his acceptance of the Qurai[Edited Out]e challenge meant his death and total annihilation of his clan; yet he did not pressure his nephew to stop his campaign. He only informed him of the Qura[Edited Out]e ultimatum, and he told him kindly Save me and yourself, my nephew, and burden me not with what I cannot bear. When the messenger rejected the ultimatum, declaring to his uncle that he would not exchange his message with the possesion of the whole universe, Abu Talib immediately reversed his attitude and decided to go along with the Messenger to the end. This is evident from the statement he made to the prophet (PBUH&HF) Come back, my nephew, go on, say what ever you like. I shall never let you down at any time. Sunni references - Ibn Husham, Biography of the Prophet, v 1 p 266 - Tabaqat of Ibn Sa'ad, v 1 p 186 - History of Tabari, v 2 p 218 - Deewan e Abu Talib, p 24 - Sharah of Ibn al Hadid, v 3 p 306 - History of Ibn Katheer, v 2 p 258 - History of Abul Fida, v 1 p 117 - Al Seerah al Halabiyyah, v 1 p 306 Abu Talib fulfilled this huge promise with distinction. When a Meccan threw some dirt on the Messenger while he was prostrating, Abu Talib went on brandishing his sword and holding the hand of his nephew untill he came to the sacred mosque. A group of the enemies were sitting there, and when some of them tried to stand for Abu Talib, he said to them: By the One in whom Muhammad (PBUH&HF) believes, if any one from you stands up I will hit him with my sword. See few lines later below for the Sunni references. When a person wants to swear, he swears by something that has sanctity for him, and not something that he does not believe in it. The above diplomatic/political statement proves for those who have intelligience that he believed in the God of Muhammad (PBUH&HF), The One, The Great. Then Abu Talib asked the Prophet (PBUH&HF) who was the person responsible for the shameful act, and upon his ( Prophet's ) answer, Hamza as instructed by Abu Talib smeared the dust on the individuals who showed animosity towards the Prophet (PBUH&HF). It was on this occasion that Abu Talib said : I believe that Mohammed's faith is the best of all the religions of the Universe. Sunni references - Khazanatal Adaab by Khateeb Baghdadi, v 1 p 261 - Tareekh of Ibn Katheer, v 3 p 42 - Sharh of Ibn al Hadid, v 3 p 306 - History of Abul Fida, v 1 p 120 - Fath al Bari ( Sharah of Sahih Bukhari ), v 7 p 153 - Al Isaba, v 4 p 116 - Al Seerah Al Halebiyyah, v 1 p 305 - Talba tul Talib, p 5 The above highlighted part is another obvious statement which proves his Islam. The Quraish could see that despite their obstructive efforts the progress of Islam had continued. They now decided to put an end to the Prophet and his family in a state of siege and excommunication till they were all done away with. With this end in view a pact was drawn, to which each tribe was a party and it was to the effect that none should have marital ties with Banu Hashim or do any buying or selling with them; and none was to associate with them or allow any provision to them. This was to continue till the Prophet's family handed him over for execution. This pact was then hung on the door of the Kaaba. Thus forced Abu Talib with the whole family moved to a mountain cave known as ' Shi'b Abi Talib '. Now the Hashmites were entirely alienated from the rest of the town dewelers. The fortress was also beleagured at times by the Quraish to enforce the ban in all its rigour, and to prevent the possibility of supplies. They found themselves sometimes reduced to starvation for want of supplies. Under constant surveillance by the Quraish, Abu Talib even feared night attacks and for this reason he was on guard for the safety of Muhammad (PBUH&HF), and often chaged room as a precaution aganist sudden violence. At the close of the third year of the Interdict, Mohammad (PBUH&HF) told his uncle Abu Talib, that Allah had shown His disapproval of the convention against him, and had sent out worms to eat every word of the document placed in the Kaaba, except His own name written thereon. Abu Talib believing his nephew (PBUH&HF) as the receiver of the revelations from heavens, unhesitantly went to the Quraish and told them what Muhammad (PBUH&HF) had spoken. The discussion is recorded as follows: Muhammad has informed us and I ask you to confirm it for yourselves. For if it is true then I ask you to rethink, instead of troubling Muhammad or putting our patience to the test. Believe us, we would prefer to lay down our lives; rather hand over Muhammad to you. And if Muhammad proves to be wrong in his words, then we would hand over Muhammad to you unconditionally. Then you have the liberty of treating him any way you like; kill him or keep him alive. To these proposals of Abu Talib, the Quraish agreed upon to inspect the document, and to their ashtonishment they found it worm eaten; only the name of Allah was still there and no more, and they said that it was an enchantment of Muhammad (PBUH&HF). Abu Talib enraged upon the Quraish and demanded that the document be declared void and the ban be removed. Then he clutched to one end of the cloth of the Kaaba, as he raised the second hand in the air and prayed: O Lord ! Help us against those, who have subjugated us to torture ... Sunni references : - Tabaqat of Ibne Sa'ad, v 1 p 183 - Seerah of Ibn Hisham, v 1 p 399 and p 404 - Aiwanul Ikbar by Qutaiybah, v 2 p 151 - Tareekhe Yaqoobi, v 2 p 22 - Al Istiab, v 2 p 57 - Khazantul Ihbab by Khateeb Baghdadi, v 1 p 252 - History of Ibn Katheer, v 3 p 84 - Al Khasais al Kubra, v 1 p 151 - Al Seerah Al Halebiyyah, v 1 p 286 Once during the childhood of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) on the occasion of a scarcity of rains Abu Talib took him (PBUH&HF) to the Holy Kaaba and standing with his back touching the wall of the sanctuary lifted up the Prophet (PBUH&HF) in his lap and sought medium in his prayers to the Almighty for the rains. The Prophet (PBUH&HF) also joined him in his prayers with his face upturned. The prayers were not finished when the clouds began to appear and the rain fell in torrents. This incident is alluded in the following verses composed by Abu Talib: Don't you see that we have found Mohammed a prophet like Moses; he is already predicted in the previous Scriptures. He is the illumined face which is the medium for the rains; he is the spring for the orphan and a protector for the widow. Sunni references: - Sharah of Bukhari by Qastalani, v 2 p 227 - Al Seerah Al Halebeyah, v 1 p 125 Another verse that testify's to the belief of Abu Talib is as follows: To exalt him He derived his name from His own; the One on High is called Mahmud while He named him Mohammed There is no doubt that Allah appointed Muhammed as a prophet, therefore Ahmed is the most exalted personality in the entire Universe. Sunni references - Dalail al-Nubuwwah, by Abu Nu'aym, v 1 p 6 - History of Ibn Asakeer, v 1 p 275 - Sharah of Ibn al Hadid, v 3 p 315 - History of Ibn Katheer, v 1 p 266 - Tareekhe Khamees, v 1 p 254 Abu Talib was a man of great faith and had strong belief in the truthfulness of Mohammed (PBUH&HF). He lived with that mission for about eleven years, and the difficulties for Muhammad and him increased in size by the passage of time. This was especially noticeable after his death, since the Quraish subjected him to more sufferings; sufferings that were not imaginable during the life time of Abu Talib. Ibn Abbas narrates a tradition that when a person from the Quraish put dirt on his head, he went home. It was on this occasion that the Prophet (PBUH&HF) remarked : ... The Quraish never met me with such treatment during the life time of Abu Talib, since they were cowards ... Sunni references: - History of Tabari, v 2 p 229 - History of Ibn Asakeer, v 1 p 284 - Mustadrak of Al Hakim, v 2 p 622 - History of Ibn Katheer, v 3 p 122 - Al Faiq by Al Zamakshari, v 2 p 213 - Tareekhe Khamees, v 1 p 253 - Al Serah Al Halebiyyah, v 1 p 375 - Fathul Bari, v 7 p 153 and p 154 - Seerah of Ibn Husham, v 2 p 58 The Marriage Ceremony of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) ---------------------------------------------- Abu Talib addresses the men of Quraysh, who were present at the marriage ceremony as follows: Praise be to Allah Who made us from the seed of Abraham and progeny of Ishmael. He granted as a Sacred house and a place of pilgrimage. He made us to dwell in a secure sanctuary (haram), to which the fruits of everything are brought. He made us, moreover, arbiters in men's affairs, and blessed for us this land in which we dwell. Then he said: Were Muhammad (PBUH&HF), the son of my brother 'Abdullah son of Abdul Muttalib ', to be weighed any man among the Arabs, he would excel him Nor would any man be comparable to him. He is peerless among men, even though he is a man of little welath. Yet riches are only transient possesions, and an epheramel security. He has expressed a desire for Khadijah, and she likewise has shown interest in him. As for any bride gift (mahr) you demand, both the part to be presented now and the one presented at a later date - it will be of my own wealth. Sunni reference: - Seerah al-Halabiyyah, vol 1 p 139 Abu Talib's (May Allah bless his soul) last breath -------------------------------------------------- In spite of his concealing his faith, Abu Talib, on more than one occasion made his belief in Islam clearly known (as already mentioned above) long before his death. But it would be interesting to quote his saying at his deathbed. While on his death bed, Abu Talib said to the Hashimites : I command you to be good to Mohammed. He is the most trustworty of the Quraish and the ever truthful of the Arabs. He brought a message which is accepted by the heart and denied by the tongue for fear of hostility. By God whoever walks in the way of Mohammed shall be on the right road and whoever follows his guidance shall have the happy future. And you Hashimites, respond to Muhammaed's invitation and believe him. You will succeed and be well guided; certainly he is the guide to the right path. Sunni references: - Al Muhabil Dunya, v 1 p 72 - Tareekhe Khamees, v 1 p 339 - Balughul Adaab, v 1 p 327 - Al Seerah Al Halebeyah, v 1 p 375 - Sunni al Mutalib, p 5 - Uruzul Anaf, v 1 p 259 - Tabaqat of Ibn Sa'ad, v 1 p 123 It is reported in the book of al-Bayhaqi (Dalail al-Nubuwwah) that when Abu Talib was at the point of death, he was seen moving his lips. al Abbas (the Prophet's uncle) bent down to listen to what he was saying. he then lifted his head and said: By Allah, he has uttered the word which you requested, O Messenger of Allah!. Sunni references: - Dalail al-Nubuwwah by al-Bayhaqi, vol 2 p 101 - Ibn Hisham, Cairo Edition, p146 as quoted in Siratun Nabi, by Shibli Numani, v1, pp 219-220 Also in the same book, it is related that the Prophet (saw) stood at the funeral of Abu Talib and said: You have indeed acted kindly to your next of kin; may you be well rewarded, O uncle. Sunni references: - Dalail al-Nubuwwah by al-Bayhaqi, vol 2 p 101 - Ibid, vol 2 p 103 - History of Khateeb Baghdadi, vol 13 p 196 - History of Ibn Katheer, vol 3 p 125 - al Isaba, vol 4 p 116 - Tadhkirat Sibt, p 2 - History of Yaquubi, vol 2 p26 Some Shi'ite references on Abu Talib ------------------------------------ Abu Abdillah, Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (as) said: The case of Abu Talib was like that of the people of the Cave [Quran 18:9-26]; they concealed their faith and disclosed shirk. Yet Allah bestowed upon them double reward. Shia Reference: - al Kulayni in al Kafi, vol 1 p 448 - al Amini, al Ghadir, vol 7 p 330 In another tradition, Imam Jafer al-Sadiq (as) said: While Imam Ali (as) was sitting with Ruhbah in Kufa, surrounded by a group, a man stood up and said : ' Commander of the Believers, you are in this great position at which God has placed you while your father is suffering in hell. ' The Imam replied, saying : Be silent. May God disfigure your mouth. By the One Who sent Mohammed (PBUH&HF) with the truth, if my father intercedes for every sinner on the face of the earth, God would accept his intercession. Shia reference: al-Ihtijaj, by al-Tabarsi, v1, p341 Now, I would like to end this discussion with the following thoughtful questions: - Why is it that we accuse Abu Talib of paganism, when he chose to believe in the Prophet's (PBUH&HF) message and declared it by political statements and sometimes by frank declarations? - What benefit does it have for us to daclare him Kafir when there are strong proofs to the contrary? Do we get any other benefit except to make ourselves Kafir by pronouncing one of the early Muslim as Kafir? - Why do we accuse him of paganism when he defended the Prophet (PBUH&HF) by all of what he had of men and means? Why do we attribute paganism to such a personality who was so benevolent to all the Muslims by guarding the life of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) for 11 years ? - Why do we attribute paganism to the man who read the Nikah for the Prophet (PBUH&HF) ? How can your mind comprehend the notion of a pagan/disbeliever carrying out the ceremony of the marriage for a Prophet? - Isn't this ungratefulness in the worst form ? - Isn't this the worst insult in reward of the great favor that he did for the Prophet (PBUH&HF) ? Indeed his presence in relation to the continuity of Islam was NOT incidental and we Muslims all owe him! May Allah grant us his intersession. End of Part 4 of 4 *************************************************************************** =============================== Some Side Comments on Abu Talib =============================== I brother mentioned I had a carefull examination of what you wrote but one thing is not clear wheather Abu Talib did ever uttered 'my god'. So far you informed there is that Abu Talib several times uttered ' Mohammed's god' and seemed he had faith in that god but he could never say 'my god'. That obviously reveals that he never explicitly uttered Islamic belief although it seems that he believed it. Here I present two references that testify to the fact that Abu Talib uttered the credo of Islam before his death. I am sure that I cited this reference in Part # 2 of my article ( s ), perhaps you missed it ... Ibn Ishaq says that while dying Abu Talib's lips were in motion. Abbas who was an unbeliever till then put his ear to the lips and then said to the Prophet that he was reciting the KALIMA the Prophet had wanted of him. - Ibn Hisham, Cairo Edition, p 146 ( as quoted by Shibli Numani ) A similar tradition is as follows ... Abu Talib moved his lips as he was about to die. Abbas then heard what he uttered, and he said to the Prophet that Abu Talib had uttered the KALIMA that was required by you. - Tarike Abul Fida, V 1 p 120 Thus his Shahadah before his death is established by the Sunni historians. However my argument was that he UTTERED shahadah from the very begining of Islam, but NOT in public. So it is natural that no explicit proof for that could be found in the history, for history is written based on the public news (and not private ones!). However, there are implicit proofs in the history which could lead even Sunnis to believe that he was a Muslim long before his death. One could be what you refered to. He said to the unbelievers that "I swear by the God of Muhammad!". Does history have another example where an unbeliever swears by the name of God who does not believe? When one wants to seawr, he/she swears by something that is eminent for him/her. Otherwise he/she does not make his statement any more credible for others. Let me give you an example. If a man goes to court here in USA, if he is Christian he will have to swear by Bible. But if he declares to be non-Christian, then he will have to swear by his holy book (or any imortant thing otherwise) and not the bible because his swear by bible does not make the court convinced because he performed the oath. Please think about it. Quraish have had many important Gods at that time (like Hubal and Uzza). Why should Abu Talib leave all of them beside and swears by the God that he does not believe in?! The Sunni brother further commented: Is it possible for some one to be a Muslim without explicitly pronouncing this belief ? True, he was a monothiest and not a Mushrik. But All monotheists are not Muslim. Your kind opinion please .... Islam is the state of submission in ones heart. A Hypocite, though declares that he is Muslim, is indeed non-Muslim. For this very reason, it is difficult to judge if one is Muslim or not. However you are right. One has to utter Shahadah to become Muslim, but he does NOT have to do it in public if he fears of prosecution or if he finds out that by concealing his belief he can serve better to his nobel thoughts. This is called Taqiyyah. So one can Utter his Shahadah privately (for instance when he is alone or when he is with the Prophet (PBUH&HF) alone) and he will be Muslim. In fact Taqiyyah and hypocracy are two opposite extremes. I have a file on that which I will send you shortly Insha Allah, which proves it from Quran and the Hadith prespective as well as Logic.

Islam of Abu Talib (Part 3 of 4) Quran and the unbelievers ------------------------- It is not ( fit ) for the Prophet and those who believe that they should ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even though they should be near relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are inmates of the flaiming fire. [ 9 : 113 ] Now since we have already proved that the above verse was not revealed for Abu Talib, where the Prophet and the Muslims have been advised not to pray for the polytheists, it would help us to look at those verses that asked the Prophet and the Believers not to eshtablish relations for the polytheists, let alone pray for them, out of love and respect ! Surah 58 - The Pleading One (Mujadilah) - Verse 22 -------------------------------------------------- You shall not find a people who believe in Allah and the latter day befriending those who act in opposition to Allah and His Apostle, even though they were their own fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their kinsfolk; these are they into whose hearts He has impressed faith, and whom He has strengthened with an inspiration from Him: and He will cause them to enter gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein; Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him; these are Allah's party: Surely the party of Allah are the successful ones. This was revealed in the Battle of Badr and this event occured in the 2 year of the Hijra. However there are some commentators that relate its revelation with The Battle of the Uhud, that occured in the 3 year of the Hijra. How ever, the verse advises us not to make friends with the non believers or even love them. This Chapter was revealed well before SurahBaarat ( Chapter 9, for the verse cited in the beginning ) Sunni references: - Tafseer Ibn Katheer, v 4 p 329 - Tafseer Sho Kafi, v 5 p 189 - Tafseer Aloosi, v 28 p 37 Surah IV - Women (Surah Al Nisa)- Verses 139 and 144 ---------------------------------------------------- Those who take the unbelievers for guardians rather than believers. Do they seek honor for them ? Then surely all honor is for Allah. O you who believe ! do not take the unbelievers as protectors instead of than believers; do you desire that you should give to Allah a manifest proof against yourselves ? This is a Mecci Surah, where the above verses advise the believers not to take unbelievers as helpers or protectors. How could the Prophet get help from an unbeliever if we assume Abu Talib is unbeliever?! Of course, this verse was revealed well before Chapter 9, that has been the focus our attention! Sunni reference : - Tafseer Qurtubi, v 5 p 1 Surah III - The Family Of Imran (Surah Ale Imran) - Verse 28 ------------------------------------------------------------ Let not the believers take the unbelievers for friends rather than the believers; and whoever does this, he shall have nothing of ( the guardianship ) Allah, but you should guard yourselves against them, guarding carefully; and Allah makes you cautious of ( retribition from ) Himself; and to Allah is the eventual journey. According to reference ( 1 ) the first eighty ( 80 ) verses of this Chapter were revealed during the beginning of the Hijra. The latter references indicate that the above verse ( verse 28 ) was revealed during the Battle of Ihzab ( 5 Hijra ). The last reference indicates that Surah Ale Imran and Surah Baarat were revealed with a difference of four Surahs. Sunni references - Seera of Ibn Hisham, v 2 p 207 - Tafseer Qurtubi, v 4 p 58 - Tafseer Khazan, v 1 p 235 - Tafseer Itqan, v 1 p 17 Surah IX - Repentance - Verses 23 and 80 ( Surah Baarat ) --------------------------------------------------------- O you who believe ! do not take your fathers and your brothers for guardians if they love unbelief more than belief; and who ever of you takes them for a guardian, these it is that are the unjust. Ask forgiveness for them or do not ask forgiveness for them; even if you ask forgiveness for them seventy times, Allah will not forgive them; this is because they disbelieve in Allah and the Apostle, and Allah does not guide the transgressing people. These two verses were revealed before Verse 9:113 (the verse used against Abu Talib), and as I conclude this discussion, let me pose a question to these accusers: - Is it possible that the Prophet ( saw ) would ask for forgiveness for Abu Talib ( May Allah bless his soul ), especially when these two verses declare that it is futile to do so, assuming that Abu Talib died as an unbeliever? If your answer is yes, then isn't it against the text of the Holy Book and the Will of Allah, the Almighty?!! - The fact is that the verse 9:113 is just a command to Prophets in general, and not apprehension for what Prophet Muhammad did not! This will become clear when one looks at the next verse that (i.e., 9:114) which shows this is the command of Allah to Prophet Abraham who prayed for his uncle Azar (not to be confused with his father whose name was Tarokh. This needs a separate discussion) before it was known to him that he is the enemy of Allah. Quran states: .. But when it became clear to him that he (Azar) was an enemy to Allah he dissociated himself from him; for Abraham was most tender- hearted forbearing. [9:114] End of Part 3 of 4

Islam of Abu Talib (Part 2 of 4) A number of historians and hadith recorders reported that Abu Talib died while he was a pagan. Some of them reported the verse ' It is not permissible to the Prophet and the believers to ask God to forgive the pagans even if they were akin to them, after it became clear to them that those pagans are from the people of hell .' Such false commentaries and statements were fabricated as a part of the smear campaign which the Omayyads and their allies waged against Imam Ali (as). By fabricating such traditions they tried these to convince people that Abu Sufyan, father of Muawiyyah was better than Abu Talib, father of Imam Ali, claiming that Abu Sufyan died while he was a Muslim and Abu TAlib died while he was a pagan. The recorders of the hadiths and the historians took these hadiths without paying attention to the evidence of their forgery. They did not try to examine these hadiths, yet the date of the revelation of the above mentioned verse testifies that it was not revealed about a matter pertaining to Abu Talib ( May Allah be well pleased with him ). Now coming to the hadith by itself, let see what the most authenticated book in the eyes of the Sunnis has to say. al-Bukhari in his Sahih writes: Narrated Al Musaiyab : When Abu Talibs death approached, the Prophet ( saw ) went to him while Abu Jahl and Abdullah bin Abi Umaiya were present with him. The Prophet ( saw ) said : ' O Uncle, say : None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, so that I may argue for your case with it before Allah. ' On that Abu Jahl and Abdullah bin Abi Umaiya said : ' O Abu Talib ! Do you want to renounce Abdul Muttalib's religion ? ' Then the Prophet ( saw ) said, ' I will keep on asking ( Allah for ) forgiveness for you unless I am forbidden to do so. ' Then there was revealed It is not fitting for the Prophet and those who believe that they should pray for forgiveness for pagans even though they be of kin, after it has become clear to them that they are the companions of the fire. [ 9 : 113 ] Sahih Bukhari Kitabul Tafseer Arabic English Volume 6 Page 158 Tradition no. 197 The above mentioned verse is a part of the Chapter of Baraat ( number 9 ). A few points on this Chapter: - this is a totally medinite Chapter, with the exception of the last two verses ( 128 and 129 ) - the verse which is the subject of our discussion is Verse 113 - the Chapter of Baarat was revealed during the ninth ( 9th ) year of Hijra. The chapter speaks of the events that took place during the campaign of Tabuk, which was during the month of Rajab in the ninth Year. The Prophet ( saw ) had ordered Abu Bakr to announce first part of it during the days of the pilgrimage of that year when he sent him as an ' Amir Al Hajj '. Then he sent Imam Ali to take that part from him and announce it, because God commanded him that no one should deliver the revelation other than himself or a man from the members of his House. The chapter speaks of the events that took place during the campaign of Tabouk, which was during the month of Rajab in the ninth Year. Many Sunni traditionist reported that: The Messenger of Allah send Abu Bakr to the people of Mecca with the Chapter of al-Bara'ah and when he proceeded, (the Prophet) sent for him and asked him to return the chapter and said: "No one takes it to them except one of my Ahlul-Bayt." and thus he sent Ali for this mission." Sunni references: - Sahih al-Tirmidhi, v2, p183, v5, pp 275,283 - Musnad of Ahmed Hanbal, v1 pp 3,151, v3, pp 212,283 - Fadha'l al-Sahabah, by Ahmad Hanbal, v2, p562, Tradition #946 - Hakim in his Mustadrak, v 3 p 51 - Al Nisai in his Khasais al Awliyah, p 20 - Fadhail al Khamsah, v 2 p 343 - Siratun Nabi by Shibli Numani, v 2 p 239 Ahmad in his musnad added that Abu Bakr said : The Prophet ( saw ) had sent me with the chapter of Baarat to the people of Mecca No pagan should make pilgrimage after this year. No naked shall circumnavigate around the Ancient House. No one shall enter paradise except a Muslim soul. Any pagan community that has been between them and the Messenger of God a peace accord, the accord will end by the end by the end of the specified period ( without extension ), and God and His Messenger are clear of pagans Also Shibli Numani in his work on the Seera of the Prophet ( saw ) writes as follows ( p 239 -- > p 240 ) Now in the year 9th Hijri, the Kaaba was for the first time, consecrated as the central House of Worship for the followers of Abraham ...... On return from Tabuk the Holy Prophet ( saw ) sent out a caravan of three hundred muslims from Mecca to Medina to perfrom the Hajj at Mecca. Now coming back to the verse of [ 9 : 113 ], the verse could not mean Abu Talib, because he died in Mecca at least two years before the Hijrah ! I now quote Shibli Numani, in his most celebrated work on the Seera of the Prophet, Siratun Nabi ( v 1, p 219 and 220 ) Death of Khadija and of Abu Talib ( 10th Year of Revelation ) On return from the mountain, the Prophet had hardly passed a few days in peace when Abu Talib and Khadija both died. He paid his last visit to Abu Talib when he was dying. Abu Jahl and Abd Allah ibn Ummaya were already there. The Prophet asked Abu Talib to recite the credo of Islam, so that he might bear witness to his faith in the presence of Allah. Abu Jahl and Ibn Umayya expostulated with Abu Taleb and asked if he was going to turn away from the religion of Abd Al Muttalib. In the end Abu Talib said that he was dying with is belief in the religion of Abd Al Muttalib. Then he turned to the Prophet and said that he would have recited the creed but he feared lest the Quraish should accuse him of fear of death. The Prophet said that he would be praying to Allah for him till He forbade (Bukhari on the Chapter of Funeral. The last sentence has been taken from Muslim and not Bukhari). This is the version of Bukhari and Muslim. Ibn Ishaq says that while dying Abu Talib's lips were in motion. al-Abbas who was till then a nonbeliever, put his ear to his lips and then said to the Prophet that he was reciting the KALIMA the Prophet had wanted of him. ( Ibn Hisham, Cairo Edition, p 146). [ Please do bear in mind that all the references cited in the above para are * NOT * my adition, and * NEITHER * are the block letters my addition, they have been rendered by Shibli Numani himself ] Then Shibli Numani further writes But from a traditionist's point of view this report of Al Bukhari is not worthy taking as reliable because the last narrator is Musaiyyab who embraced Islam after the fall of Mecca, and was not himself present at the time of Abu Talib's death. It is on this account that al Aini in his commentary has remarked that this tradition is MURSAL (Al Aini, Chapter Janaiz or Funeral, VOL IV, p 200 ). Also he writes on page 221 Abu Talib made great sacrifices for the Prophet none can deny that. He would even sacrifice his own children for his sake. For his sake he had exposed himself to the odium of the whole country, and for his sake he had passed years in state of siege, suffering starvation as an exile, unprovided with food or drink. Will all this love, sacrifice and devotion go unrewarded ? - asking God to forgive a deceased usually takes place at the time of the funeral prayer. The wording of the verse ' It is not permissible to the Prophet and the believers to ask God to forgive the pagans ' , indicates that the Prophet was with other believers ( in a congregational prayer ) when he asked forgiveness for the pagans. - as a matter of fact, the funeral prayer was not instituted before the Hijrah (migration to Medina). The first prayer offered by the Messenger for a deceased was his prayer for Al Bura Ibn Maarour. it is likely that this verse was revealed after the Prophet offered a funeral prayer for one of the hypocrites who used to pretend Islam and conceal paganism. It is very likely that the verse was revealed when the Holy Prophet ( saw ) offered a funeral prayer for Abdullah bin Obai bin Salool who died during the ninth year and who was well noted in his hypocrisy, his hatred towards the Messenger of Allah and his adversary to the faith of Islam. About him and his followers, the Chapter of Al Munafiqoon ( the Hypoctites ) was revealed before that time. Had historians and hadith recorders thought with some depth and logic, they would not have commited this terrible historical error ! Here is another hadeeth from Sahih Bukhari that mentions the event similar to the previous hadeeth Narrated Al Musaiyab : When Abu Talib was on his death bed, Allah's Apostle same to him and found Abi Umaiya bin Al Mughira. Allah's Apostle said : ' O uncle ! say : None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, a sentence with which I will defend you before Allah. ' On that Abu Jahl and Abdullah bin Abi Umaiya said to Abu Talib : ' Will now you leave the religion of Abdul Mutallaib ? ' Allah's apostle kept on inviting him to say that senetnce while the other two kept on repeating their sentence before him till Abu Talib said as a last thing then he said to them , ' I am on the religion of Abdul Muttalib ' and refused to say : None has the righ to be worshipped except Allah. On that Allah's Apostle said : ' By Allah I will keep on asking Allah's forgiveness for you unless I am forbidden ( by Allah ) to do so. So Allah revealed It is not fitting for the Prophet and those who believe that they should invoke ( Allah ) for forgiveness for pagans ( 9 : 113 ) And then Allah revealed especially about Abu Talib : Verily ! You ( O, Muhammad ) guide not whom you like, but Allah guides whom He will (28:56) Sahih Bukhari Kitabul Tafseer Arabic English Volume 6 page 278 -> 279 Tradition no. 295 Readers will be surprised to know that the two hadeeths cited above, prove that the two verses descended one after the other. But this is contrary to another hadeeth that Bukhari cites in his Sahih, and it proves that Surah Baarat was among the last revealed chapters. Here is the hadith Narrated Al Bara : The last Sura that was revealed was Bara'a ... Sahih Bukhari Kitabul Tafseer Arabic English Volume 6 Page 101 Tradition 129 Other Sunni references that affirm to the fact that Sura Baarat was among the last revealed chapters and a Medanite Sura, please refer to - Tafseer Kashshaf, v 2 p 49 - Tafseer Qurtubi, v 8 p 273 - Tafseer Itqan, v 1 p 18 - Tafseer Showkani, v 3 p 316 But where is the fault in the Hadeeths? The verse cited from Surah Qasas, was revealed at least ten (10) years before Surah Baarat, and that it was revealed in Mecca, where as Surah Baarat was revealed in Medina. Please think about it, and you shall find out that in a futile effort to discredit Abu Talib and declare him as an unbeliever, the order of the revelation of the Quran was not taken into consideration. Just imagine the time gap in between the revelation of the two chapters, and the matter will be very clear. Also history tells us that Al Musaiyab - disliked Imam Ali - refused to say the funeral prayers for the grandson of Imam Ali, and the son of Imam Hussain, Imam Zainul Abidin Sunni Reference - Sharah of Ibn al Hadid, v 1 p 370 One could conclude that this fabrication was done to simply elevate Umayad over Hashimites. Also I came across a very ashtonishing commentary, by the most reverred Sunni commentator, Fakr ar Din Al Razi in his Tafseer, with reference to Surah Qasas (28:56). He has mentioned this verse about Abu Talib, * not * because of his personal opinion; because of the opinion of some other scholars '. Surprisingly, he admits, that this verse could not be associated with Abu Talib's beliefs ... Reference: Tafseer Kabir, v 25 p 3 ( Fakhr ar Din al Razi ) End of Part 2 of 4

Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim. InshaAllah my intentions for posting this are pure, to clear a great man of what he has been wrongfully accused of. May Allah SWT guide us all InshaAllah. I found a great amount of information on Abu Talib (R.A.). Below are the findings, which are not in my words. I urge anyone who thinks he died as a disbeliever to go through this with an open heart, and to receive and ponder over this information. -- Islam of Abu Talib (Part 1 of 4) It would be interesting if we analyze the verses that some Sunni commentators have alleged to have revealed for the disbelief of Abu Talib (ra). The first one is: Surah VI - The Cattle (An'aam) - Verse 26 ----------------------------------------- And they prohibit ( others ) from it and go far away from it, and they only bring destruction upon their own souls while they do not perceive it. - Tabari relates from Sufiyan Soori who relates it from Habeeb ibn Abu Sabit who narrated it from somebody saying that Ibn Abbas said 'that this verse came down for Abu Talib, because he used to protect Muhammad from the Kufar but he never recited the Kalima.' Sunni references: - Tabaqat of Ibne Sa'ad, v 2 p 105 - History of Tabari, v 7 p 100 - Tafseer Ibn Katheer, v 2 p 127 - Tafseer Kashaf, v 1 p 448 - Tafseer Qurtubi, v 6 p 406 - ... and many many more Now let us see for ourselves if the ideology behind the above interpretation is correct or not, so that we would have no doubts in our minds. Further scrutiny of the above interpretation would lead us to believe that it is nothing but a futile effort to discredit Abu Talib: - The verse talks about living people, since the verse mentions that ' people who prevent others from doing it and neither do it '. Of course a dead person can't think of preventing others from a course of action, and they have to be living to do so. This convinces us to believe that this verse can't be for Abu Talib. - The chain of narrators terminates after Habeeb ibn Abu Sabit and Sufyan doesn't mention who narrated it from Habeeb ibn Abu Sabit, and all he says that he ( Habeeb ) narrated it from some one who heard it from Ibn Abbas. This criterion is not acceptable according to the standards of hadeeth, since the chain of narrators is incomplete, therefore this hadeeth is unacceptable. But for argument sake if we still accept the chain of narrators, and the fact that Habeeb ibn Abu Sabit is the only person who narrates it, the books of Rijal testify to the fact that we can't accept this tradition, for the following reasons: - In the eyes if Ibn Habban, Habeeb is a 'deceiver', and Aqeeli Ibn Aun has 'avoided' Habeeb since Habeeb has copied hadeeths from Ata'a which are ' absolutely unacceptable '. Qita'an says that Habeeb's hadeeths other than Ata'a are also unacceptable and are not safe from being fake. Abu Dawood quotes from Ajri that the hadeeths narrated by Habeeb from Ibn Zamrah are not correct. Ibn Khazeema comments that Habeeb is a 'deceiver'. Sunni reference: - Tahzeeb al-Tahzeeb, by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, v 2 p 179 Therefore the tradition narrated by Habeeb is his personal innovation, and after reading the views of so many Rijal experts how can we accept his hadeeth? But this shouldn't stop us from further investigating the issue, and if we accept the fact that Habeeb can be trusted, let us look at Sufyan who is the last narrator in the chain of the tradition against Abu Talib. We still have to declare this hadeeth void, because, al-Dhahabi writes about him that "Sufyan narrations are lies" Sunni reference: - Mizan al-Itidal, by al-Dhahabi, v 1 p 396 I find it very difficult to believe that despite the fact the commentators who have written down the traditions are respectable personalities, they have copied it down from cheap people such as above, without any hesitation. Despite all these weak traditions that have been narrated by weak narrators, we find hadeeths related by Ibn Abbas that are genuine and state the opposite of what we find in the hadeeth mentioned above. Let see what they have to offer: - Tabari states that the above verse came down for all the mushrikeen who used to stay away from the Prophet and used to advise others to stay away from him ( the Prophet ). Sunni reference: - Tafseer Tabari, v 7 p 109 - Tafseer Durre Manthoor, v 3 p 8 The fact is that Abu Talib never advised others to stay away from Prophet (PBUH&HF). Even many of those who accused him for not uttering Shahadah, confess that he helped the Holy Prophet (PBUH&HF) during those days of tribulations of the young Islam with all his means. Also he raised the Prophet when he was child, and then accepted that Imam Ali (as) to be raised by Prophet. He, in fact, was Muslim from the beginning, but was ordered by Prophet to practice Taqiyya (to conceal his belief) so that he could play as a mediator between Prophet and chiefs of unbelievers in Mecca (like Abu Sufyan). Also it is important to note that we do NOT believe that the parents of Prophets and Imams were necessarily perfect (Infallible). However we believe that their parents and all their forefathers were righteous and believers and monotheist during their entire life. End of Part 1 of 4

One person thinks that 2 hadith are more than enough to come to the "solid" conclusion that the father of the man who was born in the Ka'bah was a kafir. Does anyone have any more reasons for believing this? Please feel free to add to this thread InshaAllah.

InshaAllah I will. Is the hadith the sole basis for you forming the opinion that he died a disbeliever?

Salaamu Alaikum, For those who believe Abu Talib died as a kafir - can you please outline why this is your opinion? i.e. #1 - ... hadith xyz #2 - ... verse of quran abc #3 - ... historical proof(s) The above is just an example. Please list the reasons why you think he died as a kafir, and this way the thread will be organized. They can be all hadith, all quran, all history, some of each etc. I don't care - just want your basis for forming this opinion. -- Zaki_InshaAllah

Salaamu Alaikum. I wanted to post an email I received that evaluates the fast on Ashura. May Allah SWT guide us all InshaAllah, and may we open our hearts to receiving guidance. By all standards, the day Imam Hussain, the grandson of the beloved Prophet Muhammad, was killed was a great tragedy. Indeed, it was the greatest tragedy. He was martyred, along with his family members, simply because he stood against injustice. The family of Yazeed (the Banu Umayyah) and the family of Ziyad rejoiced the day he was killed. Not only did they celebrate the day of Ashura, but they turned it into a tradition for subsequent years. They would gather their family and friends and rejoice at the martyrdom of Imam Hussain. While fasting is a great form of worship, we the Shia have valid reservations regarding the fast of Ashura. It is always recommended to fast, anytime throughout the year (except Eid), but the problem is that there is a history of politics behind the fast of Ashura. Killing the very grandson of the Prophet was a major crime, so Banu Umayya attempted to shift the focus of the people for the day of Ashura. Possessing power and money, they spread to the Muslims that Ashura is a blessed day. They did so by indoctrinating their people that on Ashura God saved Prophet Musa and his people from the pharaoh. He saved Prophet Ibrahim from the fire of Namrud, and so on. To thank God for that blessed day, they encouraged the people to fast on Ashura. Here are several points that demonstrate how the hadeeths which speak of the fast of Ashura are fabricated. The Prophet probably never said them, but they were forged after him. First: There are several hadeeths in Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and Tirmidhi which tell us when the Prophet arrived Medina, he saw the Jews fasting, Upon knowing the reason why they were fasting, he said we the Muslims are closer to Musa, so we should also fast. If you analyze these hadeeths, you will realize that they all go back to these four narrators who supposedly narrated them directly from the Prophet: 1- Ibn Abbas 2- Abu Musa Al-Ash‚ari 3- Abu Huraira 4- Mu‚awiya The Prophet came to Medina the first year of the Hijra. As for Ibn Abbas, he was born three years before Hijra, which makes him four years old when the Prophet supposedly said this Hadith. In the Science of Hadith, the narration of a four-year-old boy is generally not accepted. As for Abu Musa, he came from the tribe of Banu Ash‚ar in Yemen. He became Muslim before the Hijra, but he was not seen in Medina till the battle of Khaybar in the seventh year after Hijra. The Prophet had sent him to Yemen to preach to his tribe. Hence, Abu Musa was not in Medina in the first year of Hijra, so how could he possibly narrate this hadith? As for Abu Huraira, he also was not seen in Medina until after the battle of Khaybar in the seventh year of Hijra. He also came from Yemen. As for Muawiya, the son of Abu Sufyan, he became Muslim in the eighth year of Hijra, so how could he narrate a hadith from the Prophet seven or eight years before he became Muslim? Some of the hadeeth go back to Ibn Zubayr, who was also a young boy when the Prophet entered Medina. Therefore, it is quite clear that all the narrators of this hadith were either not in Medina at the time, or they were young boys, so how can we possibly accept such a hadith? It is pretty convincing that the hadith was forged later on by Bani Umayya. Second: Let's look at the word "Ashura" which is mentioned in the hadith. According to Ibn Al-Atheer, there are two meanings to Ashura: an old meaning and a new meaning. The old meaning, which was during the Arab's time and the Prophet's time, meant the tenth day of any month. The new meaning surfaced after Imam Hussain was killed on the tenth of Muharram. After that, Ashura came to be known as the tenth of Muharram, but before that it was simply the tenth day of any month. So when the Prophet supposedly said this hadith, he just said Ashura, and he didn't say the tenth day of which month. This demonstrates that the hadith was forged after the day of Ashura, and it slipped from the mind of the ones who forged it that before Ashura, the word had a different, more general meaning. Third: Today, go to any Jew, even their scholars, and ask them: Do you have a fast on the day which God saved Moses, or a day which corresponds to the tenth of Muharram? They don't, and they will tell you that even in the past they didn't have such a fast. They fast on Yum Kippur, the day when Moses returned from Mt. Sinai and realized that his people were worshipping the calf. To expiate for their sin, they fasted, but they have no fast they day God saved them from the pharaoh. But the hadith in the books of Saheeh tells us that it was a tradition of the Jews, and they would all fast that day. If you even look at the day the Jews fast, it never corresponded with the tenth of Muharram when the Prophet came to Medina. It corresponded with Muharram on the 28th year after Hijra. Fourth: It seems the one who forged the hadith was not aware of how the Islamic Calendar originated. During the time of Umar, since Muslims wanted a set date to refer to, he created the Hijri calendar by seeking the advice of Imam Ali. So they decided to make the starting point the migration of the Prophet, and they made the first month Muharram. However, the Prophet entered Medina in Rabi-ul-Awwal, not in Muharram, and so the one who probably forged the hadith assumed that the Prophet entered Medina in Muharram because that is when the calendar starts. So the hadith tells us the Prophet when he first entered Medina he saw the Jews fasting on Ashura, but the Prophet didn't enter Medina in Muharram, he did so in Rabu-ul-Awwal, ten months before Muharram! There's a clear discrepancy here. Fifth: The prophet knows more about the Shariah of previous Prophets such as Prophet Musa, and he doesn‚t need the Jews to teach him that. The Prophet is also higher than copying what the Jews would do. Sixth: How come there is so much emphasis on the fast of Ashura around the world? Thousands of speeches are dedicated to it, millions of pamphlets are distributed encouraging people to fast on Ashura, and so on. There are many other days throughout the year which are highly recommended to fast, such as the 27th of Rajab, but how come you don‚t see a single pamphlet or speech encouraging it? This shows that this is a political thing, originally designed to focus the attention away from the Martyrdom of Imam Hussain, and to consider it a blessed day. I don‚t know how anyone can stand on the Day of Judgment before Prophet Muhammad and consider the very day his grandson was slaughtered a blessed day. Thus, based on these reasons we Shia have our reservations on the fast of Ashura. Banu Umayya were behind it, and considering it a blessed day is not an offence to us the Shia, but an offence to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family. -- Zaki_InshaAllah "And from among you there should be a party who invite to good and enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong, and these it is that shall be successful." (3:104)

Doesn't matter? If the Prophet (SAW) asks people to look after his family when he departs, and the people end up killing his daughter, it doesn't matter? Just because he had knowledge of the unseen as given by Allah SWT doesn't mean that justifies her being killed. Furthermore, if one sends their salaams to the Prophet (SAW) and his family before and after salaat, and then don't care about who was unjust to them, I don't see the point. Praising the victim and the killer - sort of contradictory. So you are ok with going to the Prophet (SAW) on the day of Judgment and saying that you didn't research his (SAW) daughters killer because it doesn't matter, and that it is a hardly relevant issue? Brother, look at the title of this thread. Some people are interested in seeking out Haqq. Salaamu Alaikum -- Zaki_InshaAllah "And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, these are with those upon whom Allah has bestowed favors from among the prophets and the truthful and the martyrs and the good, and a goodly company are they!" (4:69)

So brother - you are telling me that no one killed Bibi Fatima (S.A.)? Then how did she die? -- Zaki_InshaAllah "Whoever makes his secret intentions righteous, God will make his outer conduct righteous." - Imam Ali (A.S.)