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I've been asked a few times about the zaidi view of the sahaba. Zaidi view is they were all individuals some were praised some made errors. But we generally keep silent where Imam Ali kept silent and speak out where he spoke out. Muawiya is explicitly critised due to many reasons. The following is a conclusion to an article: Due to the aforementioned proofs, one should have no qualms about dispraising Mu’awiya bin Abi Sufy n. He should be condemned and not emulated as a righteous and just person. His deeds—even after his supposed conversion to Islam—should be placed against the balance of the Holy Qur’ n as well as that of the Prophetic Sunnah. Despite his tenure as a governor and ‘caliph,’ his legacy brings forth nothing but an unapologetic violation of the true message of Islam. Some apologists have sought to defend the son of Abu Sufy n. They claim that the text of hadīth and history that denigrate his character and show him to be a degenerate are concoctions engineered by the Abbasids. As we know, the Abbasids were the competing dynasty that overthrew the Umayyads. The Banu Abbaas—they say—did not hesitate to diminish the stature of their rivals and portrayed the rulers of the Banu Umayya as lawless and corrupt hedonists. Mu’awiya—they say—was an innocent victim of the anti- Umayyad propaganda. We can respond to this in many ways. However, suffice to say that Mu’awiya’s corruptions are equally reported by his defenders and pro-Umayyad apologists. Rather than deny them, they have attempted to justify them. For example, his all out war effort against the Commander of the Faithful, ‘Ali bin Abi ālib is not denied; rather, they say that Mu’awiya ‘exercised scholarly independent judgment (ijtih d)’ in waging war against him. Their weak justifications are immaterial; however, the point is that even the lovers of Mu’awiya do not deny what he did. Therefore, the claim that he was a hapless victim of anti-Umayyad misinformation is erroneous at best. We end our discussion on Mu’awiya by appealing to the intellect and sense of justice. Should a person of this calibre be honoured simply because he—briefly—accompanied Allah’s Messenger? Should we refrain from mentioning his violations of Islamic Law with the lame excuse of ‘scholarly independent judgment’? Should we continue to praise and pray for a person who implemented religious innovations and odious practices? We leave that for you and your conscience to decide. However, those of us who are slaves to the Truth will continue to condemn and dispraise Mu’awiya bin Abi Sufy n and his cohorts until the Day of Judgment! This is not because of some personal grudge or emotional reason, rather it is because our love for Islam and its inherent purity. May Allah send his choicest blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad and his Purified Progeny to the number of created things! May Allah send His damnation and punishment against their enemies to the number of created things! May Allah join our hearts to those who have submitted to the Truth for its own sake! May Allah distance our hearts from those who have turned away from the Truth for their own sake! Amen! O Allah, Amen!

I've been asked a few times on this forumn about Zaidi fundamentals so hopefully this will.answer a few questions inshallah. Translation of Bab Ma’rifat al-Usūl from Al-Muntakhab By Imam al-Hādi ila al-Haqq Yahya bin al-Hussein In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Gracious… Amongst the first questions that were asked to the imam was: “O Imam, may Allah be pleased with you, what do you say is the first thing that Allah makes religiously compulsory upon His slaves? He replied: “The first thing that Allah makes religiously compulsory upon His slaves is Gnosis of Him “What is the foundation of Gnosis?” “The foundation of the Gnosis of Allah is His Divine Oneness (at-Tawhīd).” “What is the perfection of the Gnosis of Divine Oneness?” “It is to negate all of the attributes of likeness from Him.” “Could you elucidate for me with a short, simple statement how does one negate the attributes of likeness from Allah?” “Yes, insha-Allah. Know, may Allah be merciful to you, that He cannot be imagined by the imaginers. Nor can they liken Him by their minds with any similarity to the Divine Essence of Allah except that Allah differs from what they imagine and liken Him to. The Witness to this as well as the proof of this is the statement of Allah, the Blessed and Exalted: {He is unlike anything. He is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing} (Q. 42:11). If one understands this, this would be sufficient.” “Then, what is after this?” ”It is that you know that He is All-Just in all of His actions.” “Then, what is after this?” “It is that you know that He does not differ in His Divine Promises and Divine Threats. These terms makes it evident to you as a proof for Gnosis of your Lord. Understand and contemplate it.” “I have understood this. What is after that?” “It is gnosis of the establishment of Prophethood and from where it was established" “Could you elucidate that for me?” “Know that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, created creation and placed intellect in them as a proof for or against them. He placed it in them and demonstrated it in them by means of the effects of His creation and what He created. However, it was not possible for Him to demonstrate to them His desire to command or prohibit them by this. This is because this demonstration is not amongst His attributes. Therefore, creation is in need of a means of demonstrating to them what Allah desires from them. This is why Allah makes it known that it is a proof for creation. This is so that it makes it necessary to convey to them and establish rulings upon them. This was by means of sending the prophets as a proof to them. If He had not sent the prophets, creation would have a proof against Him. It is as Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, says in a way to repudiate the repudiators and to respond to the critics: {…so that men will not have an argument against Allah after the Messengers…} (Q. 4:165). Also, so that they may not say: {“…There has not come to us a bringer of good news or a bringer of warning!”} (Q. 5:19). Therefore, Allah sent His Messengers as a proof against His creation. They were to teach His creation what they needed, and it was necessary that they be from amongst them. This should be sufficient for you.” “I have understood the establishment of Prophethood. What is after that?” “It is gnosis of the establishment of the Imamate, as well as the statements concerning it and from where the Imamate is established. “Could you elucidate for me with a short, simple statement until I understand?” “The answer to that can be found in what preceded. It is that Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, created creation and placed in them intellect. However, He did not demonstrate His Will to them. Creation is in need of a means of demonstrating His Will to them. Therefore, He sent Messengers to them as a proof. Then, after the Messenger is the imam who takes the place of the Messenger once the Messengership is finalized. He is not ignorant of any of the [the Messenger‟s] actions and rulings. The one who was after the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, and has these characteristics is the imam. The whole Muhammadan Community (al-ummah) can bear witness from the narrated reports that no one after the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, embodied these characteristics except Amīr al-Muminīn, „Ali bin Abi Ťālib may Allah be pleased with him.” “How did the whole Muhammadan Community bear witness to that regarding Ali?” “They all collectively narrate that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, said to his Companions: ((The most expert amongst you regarding the Qur‟ān is Ubayy. The most expert amongst you regarding the laws of distribution is Zayd. The most expert amongst you regarding judgments is Ali)). The knowledge of judgments encompasses the Qurān, distribution laws, and all other laws. They all collectively narrate that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, said: (('Ali is to me as Aaron was to Moses, except that there will be no prophet after me)). By his statement, he, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, demonstrated that Ali was his successor in all of his affairs just as Aaron was Moses successor in all of his affairs. They all collectively agree that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, formed brotherhoods between the Muslims. He formed a fraternal connection between Abu Bakr and Umar, Uthmān and Abdur-Rahmān bin Awf, Talha and az-Zubayr, Sa‟d and Sa‟īd, and others amongst the Muslims. Ali then said: "O Messenger of Allah, you have formed brotherhoods between the Muslims but left me?‟ The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, said to him: ((O Ali, are you not pleased to be my brother?)) Then, he made Ali his brother. Similarly, Kādih bin Ja‟far narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, said: ((O Ali, you are my brother and intimate in Paradise)). All of that from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, is a proof for Ali. This is because he was the imam after him. So, understand. Similarly, he, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, indicated that concerning al-Hassan and al-Hussein by his statement: ((They are the masters of the youths of Paradise, but their father is greater than them. The Mahdi is from their descendants)). He also said to Fātima during his illness in a long hadīth: ((By He in whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, the Mahdi of this community is from us)). All of this from Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, proves that the Imamate belongs to the Ahl al-Bayt, the children of Fātima. We have elucidated and explained that the Imam is from the children of Fātima. He must be willing to sacrifice himself, unsheathe his sword, call to the Book of his Lord, be strong in Allah, be trustworthy regarding the rulings and resources of Allah, and be scrupulous regarding his religion. This is how the Imamate is known, so understand.” “Then, what is after that?” “It is the research and examination concerning the lawful and unlawful in all of the religion.”