I am a Zaydi: Ask me anything

[Guest Imām Zayd al-Shahīd]

Salam alaykum

 

If you have any queries about the Zaydi followers of the Ahl al-Bayt ع

Please ask. 

I'm open to any discussions.

 

[Guest Guest A]

What is Zaydi belief? Specifically, how does it differ to Twelver Shia belief?

[The Thoughtful Seeker]

I want you to authenticate the following narration from the Zaidi sect. It has been reported by the Zaidiyah as per the Ahlus Sunnah.

Quote

 

When Abu Bakr observed that Fatimah (رضي الله عنه) had distanced herself from him, was displeased with him, and had stopped discussing the matter of Fadak, he was greatly troubled by it. He sought her satisfaction and thus approached her and said:

"O daughter of the Messenger of Allah, you are truthful in all that you have claimed. However, I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) distributing the land of Fadak, giving it to the poor, the needy, and the wayfarers, after ensuring that he provided for your sustenance and the requirements of your family from it."

Fatimah (رضي الله عنه) replied:

"Then do in it as my father, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), used to do."

Abu Bakr responded:

"I swear by Allah that I will do in it exactly as your father, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), used to do."

Fatimah (رضي الله عنه) then said:

"O Allah, bear witness that I am satisfied with this."

She then took a promise from Abu Bakr that he would manage it in the same manner. Subsequently, Abu Bakr would provide them with their sustenance from it and distribute the remaining proceeds to the poor, the needy, and the wayfarers.

 

 

[Guest Imām Zayd al-Shahīd]

Salam alaykum

 

In matters of religion, we uphold that Guidance is in the Muhkam verse of the Qur'an, a widely agreed upon Sunna, and a decisive proof from 'Aql

Because Allah and the Messenger ص broadcasted the message widely to make sure that Guidance will be preserved and clear

 

As Allah says:

"There is no Compulsion in religion; the Upright has been made clear from the Astray"

 

That is why we reject any belief that is not firmly based on clearly stated in the Guidance, and we reject any practice that contradicts this Guidance

 

The Zaydi heritage shows the Ahl al-Bayt ع teaching the implications of the hadith of Thaqalayn without adding or subtracting qualifications from what the Messenger said. These implications are:

 

1. Qur'an is a clear guide until the Day of Judgment

 

2. The Descendants of the Prophet ص transmit and know the family Sunna and are therefore tasked with teaching and implementing the guidance of the Qur'an until the Day of Judgment

 

3. As long as there is human life on earth, the Qur'an will be accessible in the breasts of scholars from the progeny and scholars from the progeny who embody the Qur'an will be accessible

 

4. Obedience in Jihad should be given to the political Imam, who is known to be the preeminent Qur'anic scholar from the progeny, like Imam 'Ali ع, then Imam al-Hasan ع, then Imam al-Husayn ع, who were known to be preeminent because of the hadiths of the Prophet ص; but afterwards, when there are a number of men of equal standing, then the political Imam is the one who rises first and risks his life by leading the jihad against the Taghut and calling to its overthrow and replacement by Quranic legislation, like Imam Zayd b. 'Ali ع and Imam Yahya b. Zayd ع from the Husaynid line and Imam Muhammad b. 'Abdullah ع and Imam Husayn b. 'Ali b. Hasan ع from the Hasanid line - and this obligation of obedience continues to this day and the Day of Judgment without gaps

 

5. In times of dispute in the Umma, in order to know if the dispute is a permissible or impermissible kind, Guidance should be gotten from a scholarly imam who is any Qur'anic scholar from the progeny who was raised by and studied under Qur'anic scholars from the progeny of the previous generation and who insists on the Sunna of the family - from political Imams like the ones mentioned, as well as scholars who did not broadcast their political leadership - like imam Zayn al-'Abidin ع, imam Ja'far al-Sadiq ع from the Husaynid line or imam 'Abdullah b. al-Hasan al-Kamil ع or 'Abdullah b. Husayn al-Rassi ع from the Hasanid line - and this preservation of guidance continues until today and the Day of Judgment without gaps

 

*

 

Some minor differences, but 3 big differences with Twelvers:

1. Ghayba: 1200 years of a hidden Imam does not agree with the social and political obligations in the Qur'an for each generation, which require the function of Imamate to organise the community and implement the Shari'a and wage obligatory jihad

2. Ghuluw of Ahl al-Bayt: The Ahl al-Bayt ع did know ghayb or receive angels or speak all the languages including the speech of birds or pre-exist creation as lights or have power over the atoms or answer prayers from beyond the grave. This is not because it is impossible for Allah, but because these things need decisive proof from Allah before one may believe in them, and yet Allah said about the Prophet ص himself in the Qur'an: 

They say, ‘We will not believe you until you make a spring gush forth for us from the ground.

Or until you have a garden of date palms and vines and you make streams gush through it.

Or until you cause the sky to fall in fragments upon us, just as you have averred. Or until you bring Allah and the angels [right] in front of us.

Or until you have a house of gold, or you ascend into the sky. And we will not believe your ascension until you bring down for us a book that we may read.’ Say, ‘Immaculate is my Lord! Am I anything but a human apostle?!’

We do not exaggerate anyone supernaturally beyond their natural default unless there is decisive proof. And we do not exaggerate the Ahl al-Bayt ع the way the Christians exaggerated Maryam س or her son ع, but we love and bless them and learn from their scholars and obey the mujahid-scholars from among them

3. Nass-based Imamate: This belief was promoted by some Kufan thinkers, but we look at the actions of the early Family as recorded in history. We see that this belief was rejected by scholars of Ahl al-Bayt ع themselves when throughout the first three centuries both Hasanids and Husaynids rose against Bani Umayya and Bani 'Abbas and accepted bay'a for themselves, as recorded by the historians. Indeed, Ja'far al-Sadiq ع was recorded as declaring his willingness to give bay'a to 'Abdullah b Hasan al-Kamil ع, and Musa b. Ja'far al-Kazim ع was recorded as joining one of these revolts under the leadership of Imam Nafs Zakiyya ع, and Muhammad b. Ja'far ع was recorded as leading a revolt, as well as Ahmad b. Musa ع (who is now entombed in Shiraz and is visited by the Twelver Shi'a)

The history of the Kufan Imamis as recorded in Firaq al-Shi'a also show that this Nass was always shrouded in mystery, since they continued to splinter over the post-Husayn ع line up to the very end, when 14 groups emerged with the death of Hasan al-'Askari ع, one group upholding the Imamate of Ja'far b. 'Ali ع (whose opponents called 'the Liar' because he denied that his brother had had a son)

 

We teach that Guidance is clear and based on a clear indication from Qur'an, widely-held Sunna, and 'Aql, and that is the root of the difference between the teachings of Ahl al-Bayt ع as preserved in the Zaydi heritage, and other interpretations of Islam; 

We teach that we should not include isolated reports or shrouded notions or speculative theories or hidden communications in the clear Deen of Allah;

We teach that instead we should focus on the obligations revealed in the Book of Allah and its implementation through struggle, while rallying around the preeminent mujahid-scholars of the Progeny in every generation - and we believe that Allah will give success

And that is what we see biHamdillah in Yemen today, and we have seen that this formula works everywhere, including in Iran and Lebanon under the Qur'anic mujahid-sadat who in action emulate the path of Imam Zayd b. 'Ali ع, which is that we should continue the struggle of Imam al-Husayn ع whenever the opportunity lends itself, around the charismatic leadership of a noble descendent of the Prophet ص

 

 

 

 

[Guest Imām Zayd al-Shahīd]

1 hour ago, The Thoughtful Seeker said:

I want you to authenticate the following narration from the Zaidi sect. It has been reported by the Zaidiyah as per the Ahlus Sunnah.

 

Salam alaykum

 

Please share the reference or the Arabic original. 

Thank you

[Guest Guest A]

12 hours ago, Imām Zayd al-Shahīd said:

Salam alaykum

 

In matters of religion, we uphold that Guidance is in the Muhkam verse of the Qur'an, a widely agreed upon Sunna, and a decisive proof from 'Aql

Because Allah and the Messenger ص broadcasted the message widely to make sure that Guidance will be preserved and clear

 

As Allah says:

"There is no Compulsion in religion; the Upright has been made clear from the Astray"

 

That is why we reject any belief that is not firmly based on clearly stated in the Guidance, and we reject any practice that contradicts this Guidance

 

The Zaydi heritage shows the Ahl al-Bayt ع teaching the implications of the hadith of Thaqalayn without adding or subtracting qualifications from what the Messenger said. These implications are:

 

1. Qur'an is a clear guide until the Day of Judgment

 

2. The Descendants of the Prophet ص transmit and know the family Sunna and are therefore tasked with teaching and implementing the guidance of the Qur'an until the Day of Judgment

 

3. As long as there is human life on earth, the Qur'an will be accessible in the breasts of scholars from the progeny and scholars from the progeny who embody the Qur'an will be accessible

 

4. Obedience in Jihad should be given to the political Imam, who is known to be the preeminent Qur'anic scholar from the progeny, like Imam 'Ali ع, then Imam al-Hasan ع, then Imam al-Husayn ع, who were known to be preeminent because of the hadiths of the Prophet ص; but afterwards, when there are a number of men of equal standing, then the political Imam is the one who rises first and risks his life by leading the jihad against the Taghut and calling to its overthrow and replacement by Quranic legislation, like Imam Zayd b. 'Ali ع and Imam Yahya b. Zayd ع from the Husaynid line and Imam Muhammad b. 'Abdullah ع and Imam Husayn b. 'Ali b. Hasan ع from the Hasanid line - and this obligation of obedience continues to this day and the Day of Judgment without gaps

 

5. In times of dispute in the Umma, in order to know if the dispute is a permissible or impermissible kind, Guidance should be gotten from a scholarly imam who is any Qur'anic scholar from the progeny who was raised by and studied under Qur'anic scholars from the progeny of the previous generation and who insists on the Sunna of the family - from political Imams like the ones mentioned, as well as scholars who did not broadcast their political leadership - like imam Zayn al-'Abidin ع, imam Ja'far al-Sadiq ع from the Husaynid line or imam 'Abdullah b. al-Hasan al-Kamil ع or 'Abdullah b. Husayn al-Rassi ع from the Hasanid line - and this preservation of guidance continues until today and the Day of Judgment without gaps

 

*

 

Some minor differences, but 3 big differences with Twelvers:

1. Ghayba: 1200 years of a hidden Imam does not agree with the social and political obligations in the Qur'an for each generation, which require the function of Imamate to organise the community and implement the Shari'a and wage obligatory jihad

2. Ghuluw of Ahl al-Bayt: The Ahl al-Bayt ع did know ghayb or receive angels or speak all the languages including the speech of birds or pre-exist creation as lights or have power over the atoms or answer prayers from beyond the grave. This is not because it is impossible for Allah, but because these things need decisive proof from Allah before one may believe in them, and yet Allah said about the Prophet ص himself in the Qur'an: 

They say, ‘We will not believe you until you make a spring gush forth for us from the ground.

Or until you have a garden of date palms and vines and you make streams gush through it.

Or until you cause the sky to fall in fragments upon us, just as you have averred. Or until you bring Allah and the angels [right] in front of us.

Or until you have a house of gold, or you ascend into the sky. And we will not believe your ascension until you bring down for us a book that we may read.’ Say, ‘Immaculate is my Lord! Am I anything but a human apostle?!’

We do not exaggerate anyone supernaturally beyond their natural default unless there is decisive proof. And we do not exaggerate the Ahl al-Bayt ع the way the Christians exaggerated Maryam س or her son ع, but we love and bless them and learn from their scholars and obey the mujahid-scholars from among them

3. Nass-based Imamate: This belief was promoted by some Kufan thinkers, but we look at the actions of the early Family as recorded in history. We see that this belief was rejected by scholars of Ahl al-Bayt ع themselves when throughout the first three centuries both Hasanids and Husaynids rose against Bani Umayya and Bani 'Abbas and accepted bay'a for themselves, as recorded by the historians. Indeed, Ja'far al-Sadiq ع was recorded as declaring his willingness to give bay'a to 'Abdullah b Hasan al-Kamil ع, and Musa b. Ja'far al-Kazim ع was recorded as joining one of these revolts under the leadership of Imam Nafs Zakiyya ع, and Muhammad b. Ja'far ع was recorded as leading a revolt, as well as Ahmad b. Musa ع (who is now entombed in Shiraz and is visited by the Twelver Shi'a)

The history of the Kufan Imamis as recorded in Firaq al-Shi'a also show that this Nass was always shrouded in mystery, since they continued to splinter over the post-Husayn ع line up to the very end, when 14 groups emerged with the death of Hasan al-'Askari ع, one group upholding the Imamate of Ja'far b. 'Ali ع (whose opponents called 'the Liar' because he denied that his brother had had a son)

 

We teach that Guidance is clear and based on a clear indication from Qur'an, widely-held Sunna, and 'Aql, and that is the root of the difference between the teachings of Ahl al-Bayt ع as preserved in the Zaydi heritage, and other interpretations of Islam; 

We teach that we should not include isolated reports or shrouded notions or speculative theories or hidden communications in the clear Deen of Allah;

We teach that instead we should focus on the obligations revealed in the Book of Allah and its implementation through struggle, while rallying around the preeminent mujahid-scholars of the Progeny in every generation - and we believe that Allah will give success

And that is what we see biHamdillah in Yemen today, and we have seen that this formula works everywhere, including in Iran and Lebanon under the Qur'anic mujahid-sadat who in action emulate the path of Imam Zayd b. 'Ali ع, which is that we should continue the struggle of Imam al-Husayn ع whenever the opportunity lends itself, around the charismatic leadership of a noble descendent of the Prophet ص

 

 

 

 

W Salam 

Thank you for your explanation

[The Thoughtful Seeker]

21 hours ago, Imām Zayd al-Shahīd said:

Salam alaykum

 

Please share the reference or the Arabic original. 

Thank you

إِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ لَمَّا رَأَى أَنَّ فَاطِمَةَ انْقَبَضَتْ عَنْهُ وَهَجَرَتْهُ، وَلَمْ يَتَكَلَّمْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فِي أَمْرِ فَدَكَ، كَبُرَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِ، فَأَرَادَ اسْتِرْضَاءَهَا، فَأَتَاهَا فَقَالَ لَهَا: صَدَقْتِ يَا بِنْتَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ فِيمَا دَعَوْتِ، وَلَكِنِّي رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقْسِمُهَا، فَيُعْطِي الْفُقَرَاءَ وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ، بَعْدَ أَنْ يُعْطِيَ مِنْهَا قُوتَكُمْ وَالصَّانِعِينَ فِيهَا.

فَقَالَتْ: افْعَلْ فِيهَا كَمَا كَانَ أَبِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَفْعَلُ فِيهَا. فَقَالَ: ذَلِكَ اللَّهُ عَلَيَّ أَنْ أَفْعَلَ فِيهَا مَا كَانَ يَفْعَلُهُ أَبُوكِ.

فَقَالَتْ: اللَّهُمَّ اشْهَدْ، فَرَضِيتُ بِذَلِكَ، وَأَخَذَتِ الْعَهْدَ عَلَيْهِ. وَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ يُعْطِيهِمْ مِنْهَا قُوتَهُمْ، وَيَقْسِمُ الْبَاقِيَ، فَيُعْطِي الْفُقَرَاءَ وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ.

[Lion of Shia]

How do Zaydis pray?Is it like 12ers or Sunni?

[Guest Imām Zayd al-Shahīd]

Salam alaykum

 

There are two videos here:

https://x.com/Zaydiyya/status/1786450567042101520/video/1

First one, when he's wearing all white, showing the the primary 2 rak'a without the final sujud/tashahhud/taslim (this is probably Fajr, because after the Ruku' in 2nd rak'a, he rises and does qunut without raising the hands. We generally do qunut only in Fajr & Witr)

Second one, when he's wearing a mustard jacket, showing the final 2 rak'as (this is from the final 2 rak'as of 'Isha, because he's reciting loudly, and it includes tasbihat/ruku'/sajdatayn/tashahhud/taslim - after giving salam, he also demonstrates the two "sahw" sajdas which one performs after a salat where one has doubt that one has negligently added or subtracted from the salat)

Please ask further if anything is unclear

 

17 minutes ago, Lion of Shia said:

How do Zaydis pray?Is it like 12ers or Sunni?

 

[Guest Imām Zayd al-Shahīd]

21 hours ago, The Thoughtful Seeker said:

إِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ لَمَّا رَأَى أَنَّ فَاطِمَةَ انْقَبَضَتْ عَنْهُ وَهَجَرَتْهُ، وَلَمْ يَتَكَلَّمْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فِي أَمْرِ فَدَكَ، كَبُرَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِ، فَأَرَادَ اسْتِرْضَاءَهَا، فَأَتَاهَا فَقَالَ لَهَا: صَدَقْتِ يَا بِنْتَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ فِيمَا دَعَوْتِ، وَلَكِنِّي رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقْسِمُهَا، فَيُعْطِي الْفُقَرَاءَ وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ، بَعْدَ أَنْ يُعْطِيَ مِنْهَا قُوتَكُمْ وَالصَّانِعِينَ فِيهَا.

فَقَالَتْ: افْعَلْ فِيهَا كَمَا كَانَ أَبِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَفْعَلُ فِيهَا. فَقَالَ: ذَلِكَ اللَّهُ عَلَيَّ أَنْ أَفْعَلَ فِيهَا مَا كَانَ يَفْعَلُهُ أَبُوكِ.

فَقَالَتْ: اللَّهُمَّ اشْهَدْ، فَرَضِيتُ بِذَلِكَ، وَأَخَذَتِ الْعَهْدَ عَلَيْهِ. وَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ يُعْطِيهِمْ مِنْهَا قُوتَهُمْ، وَيَقْسِمُ الْبَاقِيَ، فَيُعْطِي الْفُقَرَاءَ وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ.

Salam alaykum

 

This text is not in the Zaydi heritage

 

The legacy among the learned scholars of the progeny ع agrees with what is in Bukhari's book on the matter: she was angry and did not speak to them and shunned them till she died

Imam al-Qasim b. Ibrahim ع (a contemporary of imam 'Ali al-Rida ع and al-Shafi'i رح) said, when asked about the Shaykhayn: 

We had a mother, a truthful daughter of a truthful, who died while angered by them, and we are angry for the sake of her anger, because the Prophet ص said: "Allah is angered by Fatima's anger"

This is a position of agreement between the Muslims of various leanings in their most authentic teachings.

[shafii]

What are the differences between different zaidi fiqh schools such as hadawi and nasiri madhabs.

What is the zaidi opinion on Hasan bin zaid bin Hasan bin Ali.

[Guest Imām Zayd al-Shahīd]

6 hours ago, shafii said:

What are the differences between different zaidi fiqh schools such as hadawi and nasiri madhabs.

What is the zaidi opinion on Hasan bin zaid bin Hasan bin Ali.

Salam alaykum

 

They are differences in fiqh, as you point out, and it's not possible to enumerate, and for each difference there's an argument.

The more famous are Hadawi and Nasiri, but there is also the Muayyadi, the Mansuri, and the Hamzi, which are modifications within the Hadawiyya; as well as the Zaydi (in the fiqhi and not the Milal & Nihal sense), the Ja'fari, and what is called the school of Kufa, which in large part is the Qasimi, or overlaps greatly with it. 

These emerged because they received a larger following, often linked to geography of a community and the imam who became influential. So in Kufa, al-Qasim b. Ibrahim ع and al-Hasan b. Yahya ع and Ahmad b. 'Isa ع as well as their celebrated student Muhammad b. Mansur al-Muradi رح - as well as Ja'far b. Muhammad ع for many of the moderate Shi'a who considered Ja'far ع as the most knowledgeable. Later, in Yemen, Yahya b. Husayn al-Hadi ع and in Jil and Daylam (Caspian) al-Hasan b. 'Ali al-Nasir ع. As for the fiqh of Zayd ع, it had a following in Kufa and was incorporated into the more broadly defined school in that city. In the Caspian, the existing Qasimi school was taken and developed by al-Muayyad billah Ahmad b. Husayn ع which coexisted with the Nasiri school. In Yemen, after a significant hiatus that left the Hadawiyya in disarray, al-Mansur billah 'Abdullah b. Hamza ع rejuvenated that school, but with some alterations or expansions that many subsequently followed as the best position for the Hadawi madhhab. al-Muayyad Yahya b. Hamza ع is another great rejuvenator and furthest from taqlid. His tolerance towards khilaf produced a legacy of ijtihad that much later enabled someone like al-Shawkani رح to be a judge under an Imam. (Of course, al-Shawkani رح in fiqh is closer to the Ahl al-Hadith, which falls outside the methodology of Ahl al-Bayt ع, as well as rejecting and contradicting the consensus of Ahl al-Bayt ع, which also falls outside the methodology of Ahl al-Bayt ع)

To answer the question in a way that provides a clue as to the hermeneutic preferences that differentiated the fiqhi schools, for example al-Nasir ع from al-Hadi ع, requires a very careful study - which hasn't been done.

But to speak in more general terms, it has been observed that al-Nasir ع agrees more with the fatawa and ijtihadat narrated from Ja'far al-Sadiq ع and Muhammad al-Baqir ع in matters of legal disagreement (khilaf), and is more restricted to the wording of what is established from the Qur'an and Sunna, and gives greater weight to a legal argument that relies on the wording of the Qur'an over a previous widespread agreement of an opinion.

Much more scholarship needs to be done to confirm and refine these observations.

 

*

 

It is said of him that he greatly erred to support Abu Ja'far al-Mansur and work as governor in Medina. But his motives are not known, and his subsequent imprisonment by al-Mansur is today perceived as a possible sign that he modified his position vis-a-vis the Abbasid state. Allah knows best as to the truth of that.

al-Hasan b. Zayd b. al-Hasan رح is cited as an example of those who inherit the Book but are unjust to themselves, because everybody else from Ahl al-Bayt ع considered al-Mansur an oppressor and dishonest. 

 

Edited January 31 by Imām Zayd al-Shahīd

[Guest testguest]

AssalamuAlaikum!

Please excuse if I am a bit direct. I ask these questions with a genuine desire to know/understand but I am also a bit irritated. You are not the first to promote Zaydism but I am yet to come across compelling arguments/evidence. I am not particularly well read in religion but what I've come across in 12er Shiasm are sound arguments and plenty of scholars the like of which I have not seen in any other belief system (knowledge and akhlaq).

So the Zaydis don't believe the Hadith of the 12 Imams/Successors by our Prophet (pbuhhp) to be authentic?

So who is/are the current Imams? Can we have some links. What are their "current" rulings for the global Ummah, not just Yemen?

You mention above that your beliefs don't entail speculation and follow only clear guidance but in a following post you accept there are various schools and branches. So which one is the "correct" path. Which one do you follow? Why the differences?

I'd like to see/hear some of who you consider to be your best scholars either in English or with English subtitles. Please post some links.

To the point of exaggeration of the Prophet (pbuhhp) and the Imams: It is confirmed that previous Prophets (pbut) were granted miracles or do you disbelieve in those? Do you believe that our Prophet (pbuhhp), who is considered the most beloved and exalted of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى), was granted anything less than the other or previous prophets (عليه السلام) or could not have performed those miracles? Was the moon split or not, were there not various other miracles, is the Qur'an not a miracle?

Did Imam Ali (عليه السلام) lift the gate of Khaybar or not?

And I really don't get the issue with Ghayba. Previous people lived hundreds of years (Prophet Nuh), you have the story of the people of the cave, Prophet Isa is alive, with Khizar I'm not sure what the idea is, Shaytan (la) is in ghayba influencing us constantly and you believe in him. So what's the issue with ghayba of an Imam?

Thank you for taking the time and look forward to your reply!

[Guest testguest]

What are the beliefs regarding Imam Mahdi (عليه السلام) in Zaydism?

[Guest Imām Zayd al-Shahīd]

Wa alaykum assalam 

For the Guest (with the multiple questions)

You have kindly placed a lot on my plate and have filled my cup to the brim and beyond. A good variety of questions here. 

Given time restrictions, inshaAllah I'll answer them gradually over the coming days, so please do keep revisiting this thread.

I just want to preface by saying that I have a great respect for the men of knowledge and piety among the Twelver community. So there's no need to be irritated. Alhamdulillah, we are all Muslims and we must join hands and work to implement our Quranic duties which we all hold in common

And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you - when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be guided [Aal 'Imran 103]

 

Cooperate in piety and Godwariness, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression, and be wary of Allah. Indeed Allah is severe in retribution. [Maaida 2]

*

Replying to your first question:

So the Zaydis don't believe the Hadith of the 12 Imams/Successors by our Prophet (pbuhhp) to be authentic?

 

The answer is that it is not corroborated by any of the early Progeny ع, so we don't give it weight as a prophetic hadith

Apart from its absence in our heritage, we point to historical evidence for its absence in the Imami heritage prior to imam al-Hasan al-'Askari ع (the eleventh for the Imamis).

I'll only briefly touch upon the historical evidence (some of it can also be found in a more Twelver-friendly monograph: "Crisis & Consolidation" by Hossein Modarresi):

The first is that the Kufans divided after so many imams, claiming occultation. This does not cohere with the notion that the Prophet ص made known the existence of 12 caliphs.

Even when al-'Askari ع died, about 14 groups emerged about the status of the imamate, with Abu Sahl al-Nawbakhti, a significant Imami theologian at the time contemplating the possibility of the imamate continuing beyond 12. 

The second is that there is not one but many versions of the 12 caliph/amirs: Some that make the 12 look good; some that make the 12 look bad.

And it has been linked to the political war between the Umayyads and their enemies at the time of the reign of Hisham b. 'Abd al-Malik who was by some reckoning the 12th caliph excluding 'Ali ع and al-Hasan ع.

Some versions prophesy good days for Islam through these 12 Qurayshi caliphs: some versions prophesy good days for Islam until these 12 Qurayshi caliphs come along.

Despite containing many forgeries (as confirmed by Shaykh al-Mufid رح), the famous Imami book of Sulaym b. Qays al-Hilali still retains the 12 caliphs from Quraysh, but they are considered misguided.

Eventually, when Twelverism became orthodoxy, another 12 were added who were from Ahl al-Bayt ع, but this is of course a later addition, because the famous version only has 12 caliphs from Quraysh. 

The third is that the famous version in Sahih Muslim is false. Because it says that Islam will continue to be triumphant until there have been 12 caliphs from Quraysh.

While we agree that Islam was triumphant in the time of the Prophet ص, we question if it was a triumph for Islam that Fatima س was deprived from her right, or that civil wars happened, or that 'Ali ع was killed, or that al-Hasan ع was compelled to make peace with Mu'awiya who is reported as the Pharaoh of this Umma, or that al-Husayn ع and his family were betrayed and massacred, or that Zayd ع was killed, stripped and crucified because he made war against Hisham b. 'Abd al-Malik, reportedly after his patience with Umayyad tyranny broke when he saw Hisham allow a Jewish man insult the Prophet ص in his presence.

If by triumph of Islam it means the triumph of Justice, then we do not see that. If by triumph of Islam it means conquest, then this is untrue too:

conquest continued under the Ghaznavids, and the converted Mongol hordes, and the Ottomans, and through other means into South East Asia, and inshaAllah will continue in the future too.

But if conquest is meant, then we should confess that Islam was the very opposite of triumphant in the last few centuries, and sadly today billions of Muslims realised that they can't get water into Gaza if a tiny Zionist clique does not wish it. So the content of the famous version of the hadith undermines credibility.

The fourth is that again and again the great men from the Family ع , including from the descendents of the Twelver imams (and in instances some of the Twelver imams) participated in revolts under the leadership of different 'Alids ع. And this continued even after the death of al-'Askari ع and the death of the Sufaraa (Deputies).

This reveals that for the Family, the succession of the Prophet ص is not linked to such a hadith. And the Zaydi Muslims have been following the Family ever since ع, and anyone is free to follow their heritage and make it their own

اللهم صل علی محمد وآل محمد کما صليت علی إبراهيم وآل إبراهيم إنك حميد مجيد

 

*

inshaAllah in future will attend to the next question(s).

 

Edited February 2 by Imām Zayd al-Shahīd

[shafii]

After the death of Imam Musa al Kadhim, major fuqaha of the Shia became waqifi and considered Imam Musa al Kadhim tobbe the Mahdi and the last imam. That puts rest to any othe claim to the 12 caliph hadith. Since if that was the proof for Shia then top jurists of Shia wouldn't have become 7ers. They only used this hadith after the death of Imam Hasan al Askari

[shafii]

I have a question. What is the zaidi view of Ja'far bin Ali the brother of Hasan al Askari.

[Guest Imām Zayd al-Shahīd]

11 hours ago, shafii said:

I have a question. What is the zaidi view of Ja'far bin Ali the brother of Hasan al Askari.

Nothing bad about him has been established for us.

We reject the 'Liar' epithet, and this is clear from Imam Abu Talib al-Haruni ع who connects the use of this epithet to the Twelvers when he rejected the birth of a son to his brother al-'Askari

We believe that his testimony on the matter is reasonable and was vindicated

Overall, his memory is a good one, and he is referred in later sources as al-Zaki or the Pure one, and some of his descendents became Imams in Yemen. One such descendent wrote a brief passage on his general virtues and piety, saying May the Pleasure of Allah be upon him

رضوان الله تعالی علیه

Ja'far's son, al-Muhsin is mentioned in an addendum in one manuscript of Maqatil al-Talibiyyin as having been killed by some bedouins and his head sent to Baghdad. The text continues that this makes apparent that they killed him because he was calling against the Sultan

Allah knows best. 

 

[Guest Imām Zayd al-Shahīd]

On 2/1/2025 at 8:22 AM, Guest testguest said:

So who is/are the current Imams? Can we have some links. What are their "current" rulings for the global Ummah, not just Yemen?

To continue with the questions of the Guest 

Briefly,

In the heritage, the Ahl al-Bayt ع differentiate between scholarly imams and political Imams who must also be scholarly. 

The scholarly imams teach the guidance and ensure its preservation and transmission ; the political Imams take the extra step of implementing that guidance in society. 

*

In more detail,

The scholarly imams, by knowing and preaching the heritage of their forefathers are a hujja. Thus, in the past, 'Abdullah al-Kamil al-Hasani ع and Ja'far al-Sadiq al-Husayni ع were both contemporary scholarly imams and were a hujja or proof as to the religion. 

And this is generally agreed upon by the vast majority of the Umma, who respect these two scholarly imams for their knowledge. 

Today, we have scholarly imams as well. The most famous are sayyid Muhammad b. 'Abdullah al-'Uwadh and sayyid Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Azim al-Huthi.*

Probably one of the greatest of such learned imams died earlier in this century, sayyid Majd al-Din b. Muhammad al-Muayyadi ع

They are always present for the sake of teaching the guidance.

But for the sake of implementation of the guidance in society, then this requires a scholarly imam to rise and call to his Imamate and challenge the friends of Taghut. Such an Imam would be obligatory to obey in the religion of Allah.

One might think that sayyid 'Abd al-Malik b. Badr al-Din al-Huthi fulfils that role, but in fact this is not known to be so, because he hasn't clearly called to his Imamate, and because he was not considered one of the preeminent scholarly imams. 

As to the future, no one knows.

So he can be currently considered as a Daa'i**, a Caller to Allah & the Book of Allah and the Sunna of his noble ancestor the Messenger of Allah ص 

And insofar as he calls to this, it is for the believers to cooperate in the good that he calls to, for Allah has said

Cooperate in piety and Godwariness, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression, and be wary of Allah. Indeed Allah is severe in retribution. [Maaida 2]

I advise listening to or reading translations of his speeches to see what he teaches for the wider Umma and humanity, which is in line with the Qur'anic heritage of the Progeny ع

_____________

*There are no links to anything from them in English, sadly. In Arabic, you may be interested in this: 

https://www.jezaidia.com/lessons/category/15

which contains sayyid Muhammad 'Abd al-'Azim's lessons in audio.

**This role of Daa'i has precedent in al-Daa'i al-Kabir (al-Hasan b. Zayd رح) and al-Daa'i al-Saghir (al-Hasan b. al-Qasim رح) who governed in the Caspian region for a while and were supported but conditionally and were not known to be Imams. (Every Imam is a Daa'i, but not every Daa'i is an Imam.)

 

I'll continue with the next questions in days ahead inshaAllah. Please continue revisiting the thread. 

 

Edited February 3 by Imām Zayd al-Shahīd

[Guest Imām Zayd al-Shahīd]

On 2/1/2025 at 8:22 AM, Guest testguest said:

You mention above that your beliefs don't entail speculation and follow only clear guidance but in a following post you accept there are various schools and branches. So which one is the "correct" path. Which one do you follow? Why the differences?

To continue with the questions of the Guest 

 

Yes. There are two kinds of disagreements/ikhtilaf in questions of religious interpretation. One is in matters that affect your Salvation; and one is in matters that do not affect salvation.

In the first, you have right and wrong answers; and in the second you have good and better answers.

For the first type, the Qur'an mentions: 

O you who have faith! Have faith in Allah and His Apostle and the Book that He has sent down to His Apostle and the Book He had sent down earlier. Whoever disbelieves in Allah and His angels, His Books and His apostles and the Last Day, has certainly strayed into far error. [Nisaa 136]

 

In these matters we must cling only to what is epistemologically clear, because Allah & His Messenger ص have said that Guidance that ensures salvation has been made clear. 

There is no compulsion in religion: rectitude has become distinct from error. So one who disavows fake deities and has faith in Allah has held fast to the firmest handle for which there is no breaking; and Allah is all-hearing, all-knowing. [Baqara 256]

Examples of these are matters of imaan and kufr, what they mean, what they attach to, how they manifest, what they entail, what validates and what invalidates them, and how they are nurtured. 

For example, deliberately sinning what Allah has threatened with fire removes imaan from a person until he stops and repents. Because if a person trusts Allah and believes Him to be truthful in His Book, then that person would not commit that sin without subsequent repentance. 

Or for example that faith should attach itself to Allah who is superior and absolutely worthy of worship and transcends inferiority: thus any notion that has a hint of injustice or blemish or limitation should not be attributed to Allah, and the Qur'an should be read properly, in a way that does not attribute meanings that are inferior, because our faith should attach to what is superior. 

In these, all the Imams ع of Ahl al-Bayt are in agreement. 

*

For the second type, the Qur'an mentions:

And [remember] David and Solomon when they gave judgement concerning the tillage when the sheep of some people strayed into it by night, and We were witness to their judgement.

We gave its understanding to Solomon, and to each We gave judgement and knowledge. [Anbiya 78-79]

In these matters, two persons of knowledge and piety may disagree, because intellects are not equal even in the best of men, with some individuals being very discerning, and reaching a better, more accurate solution - even as it was the prophets of Bani Israil.

 

Examples of this are the various fiqhi opinions on matters on new cases, which should be based on what Allah and His Messenger ص has made clear, but even then there are good and better answers. 

Thus the different imams of Ahl al-Bayt ع answered fiqhi questions differently, based on the same clear knowledge, but each interpreting it in the way that appears to them to be best, some reading a Sunna or Aya as Wujub where others claim Mustahabb, and others prefer to read it as merely Jawaaz - and in this they resemble the two prophets Dawud ع and Sulayman ع

This Ijtihadi disagreement on the niceties of fiqh did not undermine the salvation of Dawud ع and Sulayman ع, and does not undermine the salvation of the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt ع

So these fiqhi schools are jurisprudential and are not considered different branches or subsects or anything like that. It's just that the fatawa of those particular imams were studied more by subsequent 'ulama. 

The Imams ع have always said that you can take any of their diverging opinions on the niceties of fiqh that your intellect prefers as long as it does not contradict the core Sunna, which can be achieved by holding onto the Consensus that they transmitted to us.

This Consensus reveals a common practice going up to 'Ali ع, whom we consider the most knowledgeable disciple of the Prophet ص and whose fiqh we prefer as the best

The Prophet ص said that he was the best judge in his community, which means he has all the qualities of the best judge: knowledge, piety, justice, decisiveness, fairness, discernment.

Such a man should settle the disputes of the community as the supreme court, as the khalifa on earth

 

 

 

 

Edited February 4 by Imām Zayd al-Shahīd
Brevity and clarity

[Guest Imām Zayd al-Shahīd]

On 2/1/2025 at 8:22 AM, Guest testguest said:

I'd like to see/hear some of who you consider to be your best scholars either in English or with English subtitles. Please post some links.

Sadly there's nothing from our scholars in English.

English only became significant in the last century for large English-speaking Muslim communities, almost all who are from Sunni, Twelver and Ismaili background.

Communities who take from the Zaydi heritage or the Ibadhi tradition don't have diaspora concentrations in the English-speaking demographic, and those individuals or families who have travelled would rely on their Arabic mother tongue. This may change, but tricklingly so for now. 

I assume there is no or very little Twelver scholars speaking in Greek or with Greek subtitles, or in Korean or with Korean subtitles, because of the negligible size of Twelver communities in Greece or the Koreas. Or if there are such scholars and scholarly materials, it's unlikely that they existed ten-twenty years ago.

*

However, one notices that a very very small number of works have been translated into English through individual efforts as of recent. As just one example, I'll provide an Amazon link to al-Bisaat البساط, the work of Imam al-Nasir al-Kabir ع on the fundamentals of imaan.

al-Nasir al-Kabir ع [d. 304 AH] was a Husaynid; he was contemporary to al-Hasan al-'Askari ع and some of the Twelver sufara, and he is also the maternal grandfather of the Imami jurist Sayyid al-Murtada رح

He rose and ruled in the Caspian and his reign was was praised for his justice by his contemporary, the historian al-Tabari رح, and his personal piety and knowledge remained etched in the memories, and was extolled by al-Murtada رح

 

For the translated work, click here

In this work he explains the meanings and implications of Ma'rifat/understanding Allah, Imaan/faith, Kufr/disbelief, Nifaq/hypocrisy, Hudaa/guidance, Dhalal/misguidance from the language of the Arabs and the verses of the noble Qur'an, and then enumerates some corroborative hadiths which the Umma narrates through their chains. 

 

Another work is al-Aqd al-Thamin العقد الثمين, by Imam al-Husayn b. Badr al-Din ع [d. 663 AH] that summarises the fundamentals. A translation can be read online here

This is a more standardised book and falls neatly into the basic Kalam genre. It highlights and draws from the Consensus of the Progeny ع on the most basic questions which the theologians have disputed under the following categories: Tawhid, 'Adl, Nubuwwa, Imama, Wa'd & Wa'id

 

______________

 

inshaAllah I'll continue with the other questions in coming days. 

Edited February 4 by Imām Zayd al-Shahīd

[Guest Imām Zayd al-Shahīd]

On 2/1/2025 at 8:22 AM, Guest testguest said:

To the point of exaggeration of the Prophet (pbuhhp) and the Imams: It is confirmed that previous Prophets (pbut) were granted miracles or do you disbelieve in those? Do you believe that our Prophet (pbuhhp), who is considered the most beloved and exalted of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى), was granted anything less than the other or previous prophets (عليه السلام) or could not have performed those miracles? Was the moon split or not, were there not various other miracles, is the Qur'an not a miracle?

Did Imam Ali (عليه السلام) lift the gate of Khaybar or not?

Continuing from the list.

 

A series of questions are posed here. Apart from the lifting of the door of Khaybar, the rest of the questions are about the miracles of prophets. I assume the idea is that if miracles are possible for prophets, then it's not an exaggeration to believe that human beings can do supernatural things. 

I feel there is also an assumption that if someone is more beloved, the more miracles or supernatural powers they'll be granted.

 

My answer will have the following structure: 

- Meaning of Exaggeration

- Exaggeration & Comparing Prophetic Miracles

- Anti-Exaggeration in the Qur'an (Case of Miracles)

-  Anti-Exaggeration in the Qur'an (Case of Intercession)

- Karaamaat

- Exaggerations beyond Miracles

 

 

 

MEANING OF EXAGGERATION 

Exaggeration means representing something beyond its actual fact. 

 

For example, you and I will agree that the Ismailis exaggerated the Aga Khan by representing him as someone beyond his actual fact. 

They say he was Imam, infallible, the conduit of divine grace, a Knower of the secrets of the Qur'an - you and I would say that all of these are exaggerations. 

This is not because any of these things are intrinsically impossible. Rather, it's because these are serious claims and need clear proof from religious sources. Because these concepts lay a religious claim: to be an Imam, to be infallible, to be the conduit of divine grace, to be a knower of the secrets of the Qur'an: if any one of these is true, it would make it obligatory for humanity to follow them in religion.

If the claim is made but is not substantiated with clear authority, we call it an exaggeration - as you and I do with the Aga Khan.

*

 

 

EXAGGERATION & COMPARING PROPHETIC MIRACLES

If we say Jesus ع was born of a virgin, this is not exaggeration, because even though it is contrary to nature, yet it is also established for us by Decisive Qur'an.

If however anyone says that the Prophet Muhammad ص was born of a virgin, we say this is false, because it goes against what is established, but also that it is an exaggeration, because it suggests a supernatural birth.

 

Furthermore, this example shows clearly how some earlier prophet was distinguished with a divine mark that is not found in the Final Messenger ص, who indeed was the most beloved. This shows that such marks do not correlate at all with ranks. 

Indeed, one of the most beloved of men was Ayyub ع, who was afflicted with the hardest tribulations and illness, yet he remained patient and grateful to Allah. Not only did Allah not give him supernatural powers to release himself from the illness, He also deprived him of effective natural medicines for a long time, as a trial. Yet Allah tells us in the Qur'an that Ayyub was His good servant. 

So there is no correlation between a person's value for Allah and what Allah gives them of external bounties. Sulayman ع was given a kingdom, but Ibrahim ع, who was greater, was not. 

 

*

 

ANTI-EXAGGERATION IN THE QUR'AN (CASE OF MIRACLES)

In the Ayat of the Qur'an, the disbelievers expect that a prophet who is truly loved by Allah should be able to deliver on the following: 

They say, ‘We will not believe you until you make a spring gush forth for us from the ground.

Or until you have a garden of date palms and vines and you make streams gush through it.

Or until you cause the sky to fall in fragments upon us, just as you have averred. Or until you bring Allah and the angels [right] in front of us.

Or until you have a house of gold, or you ascend into the sky. And we will not believe your ascension until you bring down for us a book that we may read.’

But Allah tells the Prophet ص to respond with:

Say, ‘Immaculate is my Lord! Am I anything but a human apostle?!’ [al-Israa 90-93]

 

The Qur'an uses words carefully. Why does He use the word "human" ("bashar") in response? Because it is not within ordinary human capability to do any of those things. And the Truthful Allah is telling the truthful Prophet ص to say that: his capabilities are those of an ordinary human being, and these expectations are exaggerations. 

 

Their apostles said to them, ‘Indeed we are just human beings like yourselves; but Allah favours whomever of His servants that He wishes. We may not bring you an authority except by Allah’s leave, and in Allah let all the faithful put their trust. [Ibrahim 11]

 

Also

 

And they say: Why are not signs sent down upon him from his Lord? Say: The signs are only with Allah, and I am only a plain warner. [al-'Ankabut 50]

 

The Qur'an, which is the truthful Word of Allah, settles the matter for us: miracles are not things prophets have for themselves, but they are with Allah, and He grants it if He sees fit.

 

Now, we see that our expectations of the greatest of prophets is moderated. He is "just a human", whose only distinction is that he receives revelation:

 

Say, ‘I am just a human being like you. It has been revealed to me that your God is the One God. So whoever expects to encounter his Lord—let him act righteously, and not associate anyone with the worship of his Lord.’ [al-Kahf 110]

 

Therefore, as a rule, we treat every human as "just a human" in their circumstances and capabilities, and every claim beyond this requires clear authority.

 

*

 

ANTI-EXAGGERATION IN THE QUR'AN (CASE OF INTERCESSION)

Intercession is a religious function, linked to Ghayb. To claim anything about it, one needs clear authority.

To expect that anyone from Ahl al-Bayt ع can be our intercessors needs clear authority. Yes, the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt ع are noble servants of Allah. But in matters of religion, we must keep only to what is established guidance. 

Some ancient peoples used to think that they can hope for shafaa'a (intercession) from angels - and angels are among the noblest of Allah's creations, about whom Allah has said 'they do as they are commanded'. Yet, Allah also says: 

How many an angel there is in the heavens whose intercession is of not any avail, except after Allah permits whomever He wishes and approves of! [al-Najm 26]

This Aya showed them that even the assumption that angels can be expected to intercede was an exaggerated expectation. 

 

*

 

KARAAMAAT

When we emphasise everyone's humanity, we don't mean Allah won't shows His glory and power and grace through saintly people (what is called 'karaama'). 

But we need to be careful that we do not give the wrong kind of significance to such events. 

 

Firstly, they are not given supernatural powers. At most, their natural powers are enhanced by Allah. The example is how Allah enhanced the natural fighting power of the Muslims at Badr through an extra army of angels. 

When you appealed to your Lord for help, He answered you: ‘I will aid you with a thousand angels in a file.’ [Anfal 9]

Secondly, these are not religious proofs and don't establish the person as a religious authority, and they may even be tests or fitna:

Relate to them an account of him to whom We gave Our signs, but he cast them off. Thereupon Satan pursued him, and he became one of the perverse. [al-A'raaf 175]

Thirdly, just because the stories of karaamaat are possible, it doesn't mean they are credible, especially since many such stories were told for lowly motives.

There's no need to believe in any karaamaat unless they are established by clear, reliable evidence:

They do not have any knowledge of that. They follow nothing but conjectures, and conjecture is no substitute for the truth. [Najm 28]

 

Now I'll apply these 3 points in an example:

Sufi (Sunni) literature contains many instances of alleged karaamaat.

But, firstly, those Sufis remain human like the rest of us; they didn't perform karramaat from their own capabilities. It was a gift of Allah which He gives and takes as & when He wills. 

Secondly, if you believe any of these alleged karaamaat, it doesn't mean that the Sufi individual is a religious authority. At best, it only means that Allah showed His favour through them, perhaps rewarding them for one of their moral virtues. 

And thirdly, you're not obliged to believe all or any of it if the evidence is zanni/conjectural and does not reach the level of certain truth. 

 

*

 

EXAGGERATIONS BEYOND MIRACLES

Believing that some miracles were granted to some prophets in their missions is not the same as the exaggerations about Imams from Ahl al-Bayt ع like wilaya takwiniyya, or that they have power over the atoms of the universe - and that they receive divine inspiration of knowledge for every issue they face - and that they know the deeds of their followers -  and that they do not make mistakes - and that by invoking them as well as Allah, they can intervene in fulfilling our needs and keeping us away from harm -

These are all ghaybi matters of huge religious consequence. It's also remarkable that the Qur'an rejects these for the prophets ع themselves

 

We calibrate our positions with the Qur'an.

The Qur'an presents the prophets as: humans like us, but far more pious; they received revelation, and Allah occasionally bestowed on them special extraordinary signs as they carried out their prophetic missions. These signs depended on what they faced. 

This can be gleaned from the following report involving Imam 'Ali b. Musa al-Rida ع

 

Ibn al-Sikkit asked Abu al-Hasan al-Rida ع:  

"Why did God send Moses, son of Imran ع, with the staff, the white hand, and the instruments of magic? And why did He send Jesus ع with the tools of medicine? And why did He send Muhammad ص, above all the prophets, with speech and sermons?"

 

Abu al-Hasan ع replied:  

"When God sent Moses ع, sorcery was dominant among the people of his time. So, God gave him miracles beyond their ability, which nullified their magic and established proof against them.  

 

When God sent Jesus ع, it was a time when diseases had become widespread, and people were in need of medicine. So, God granted him miracles that surpassed their medical knowledge—such as reviving the dead, healing the blind and the leper by God's permission—thus establishing proof against them.  

 

And when God sent Muhammad ص, it was during an era when eloquence, speech, and— I believe he also said—poetry were dominant. So, God granted him sermons and divine teachings that refuted their arguments and established proof against them." 

 

Ibn al-Sikkit then said:  

"By God, I have never seen anyone like you!"

 

inshaAllah I'll answer the remaining questions in the coming days. 

Edited February 9 by Imām Zayd al-Shahīd

[Guest Imām Zayd al-Shahīd]

On 2/1/2025 at 8:22 AM, Guest testguest said:

And I really don't get the issue with Ghayba. Previous people lived hundreds of years (Prophet Nuh), you have the story of the people of the cave, Prophet Isa is alive, with Khizar I'm not sure what the idea is, Shaytan (la) is in ghayba influencing us constantly and you believe in him. So what's the issue with ghayba of an Imam?

Continuing with the questions. 

 

There are many ways one can analyse and evaluate the Twelver concept of 'Hidden Imam' in Islamic history & theology. From studying the similar patterns that exist between Kaysani, Waqifi, Ithna 'Ashari & Musta'li Isma'ili which led to the adoption of hidden imams, to the obscure and conflicting details reported about the circumstances around the moment of occultation in the alleged son of al-Hasan al-'Askari ع; from the falsafi 'irfani arguments that have been used to equate the Hujja with the Perfect Man theorised by some Muslim metaphysicians, to the rather popular and populist tales of instances in history when the Twelfth Imam intervened through karaamat in some isolated affair, often pertaining to ordinary individuals, without being recognised as such until afterwards.

It's a very colourful religious phenomenon, and even Twelvers should recognise that it has anthropological interest as to why communities are driven to such beliefs, since it is a Consensus of the Umma that several communities definitely adopted the belief in an occult imam without evidence. Ok - but why?

 

*

But in this post, I can't expand and elaborate as much as I'd like.

So my answer will only have 2 open-ended parts. If you or anybody else is interested in exploring more of either part, I'll be happy to expand in the future.

 

1. The Hidden Imam does not solve the 'Necessity of a Political/Scholarly Imam' problem

 

Believing in an occulted infallible person does not mean that Twelver still don't need accessible fallible imams to represent the two types of religious authority: guidance (scholarly) & enforcement (political).

This need has been both in teaching the halal and haram (scholarly imam), and in overseeing the organisation of the community so it performs what Allah has commanded the Muslims (political Imam):

You are the best nation [ever] brought forth for mankind: you bid what is right and forbid what is wrong, and have faith in Allah. [Aal 'Imran 110]

So for over a millennium, Twelver Muslims have needed fallible scholarly imams, and when their circumstances improved, they resorted to fallible political Imams as well, so that the commandment of Allah is not suspended.

We respect and agree with this decision to adopt scholarly and political leaders, because they are necessary.

But if you have your two types of religious authority, scholarship & political, assumed fully by accessible imams (whom you rarely call as such), what is the type of religious authority that is represented by the Hidden Imam?

 

The answers given to this question have been one of the three: the first, that he occasionally intervenes in correcting the scholars; the second, that his du'a preserves the community; the third, that through him the heavens and the earth are held together. 

In honesty, these answers do not sound to us as convincing. They are very big claims.

Twelvers, like any fallible community, have had their lively history of division, calling each other misguided, takfir and execution. To this day. 

If the first answer to the question was valid, we should see evidence of it in groups of scholars changing their opinions because of a correction by the Hidden Imam. But there is no evidence. 

Furthermore, one can see that there is a Consensus among the Twelvers that in an authentic hadith it says that nobody can claim to have met and recognised the Hidden Imam (which would be necessary if his alleged correction was to be accepted by the scholars).

The second answer appeals to his du'a for the preservation of the community. But either this community is on the truth or or isn't. If it isn't, du'as won't save it in the end. If it is, then Allah Himself will preserve it and His angels pray and ask forgiveness for them. As He said in the Qur'an:

 

Those who bear the Throne, and those who are around it, celebrate the praise of their Lord and have faith in Him, and they plead for forgiveness for the faithful: ‘Our Lord! You embrace all things in mercy and knowledge. So forgive those who repent and follow Your way and save them from the punishment of hell. [Ghafir 7]

and

The heavens are about to be rent apart from above them, while the angels celebrate the praise of their Lord and plead for forgiveness for those who are on the earth. Indeed, Allah is the All-forgiving, the All-merciful! [Shura 5]

 

And the Prophet's ص own prayers will preserve them and be fulfilled in them just as Ibrahim's ع prayer was fulfilled in the Prophet ص and his companions

[Ibrahim said:] ‘Our Lord, raise amongst them an apostle from among them, who will recite to them Your signs and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them. Indeed You are the All-mighty, the All-wise.’ [Baqara 129]

 

Which leaves the third answer, which believes that the role of the Hidden Imam is a metaphysical one of holding heaven and earth together and ensuring sustenance reaches the creatures of Allah. 

This is based on ghaali (exaggerated) readings of hadiths attributed to Ahl al-Bayt ع

Yet Allah says the Kingdom of the Heavens and the Earth is solely His, to do as He pleases, and the Power is entirely His. Nor does that Power depend at all on anyone on earth, not even the great Hujja of his time Jesus ع and his great mother Maryam س or anyone else. He is the Creator and creates what He wishes and His creation does not depend at all on any of His creatures. 

They are certainly faithless who say, ‘Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary.’ Say, ‘Who can avail anything against Allah should He wish to destroy the Messiah, son of Mary, and his mother, and everyone upon the earth?’ To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and whatever is between them. He creates whatever He wishes, and Allah has power over all things. [Maida 17]

As to the hadiths, it has been reported that the Ahl al-Bayt ع taught that Allah will never leave mankind without a guide, otherwise the earth would swallow its inhabitants.

How is this to be read? In the Quranic way.

This doesn't mean that a human being is keeping the earth from swallowing its inhabitants, or that a perfect human must exist for life to continue. Allah is doing so by Himself and has done so since before the first living creature and will do so after the last living creature, and everyone and everything else is dispensable. 

So what it means is that Allah maintains this world because this world has in it the proofs that establish His divinity and glorify His Majesty, and if the world did not do that, it would have perished. And as for mankind, Allah has placed in mankind 'Aql, which is a divine proof, as the Ahl al-Bayt ع have taught. And without that 'Aql, mankind would have perished and been replaced by another species with 'Aql. 

And after 'Aql, Allah has placed signs and guides like Scriptures and Prophets. And in the Umma, as Thaqalayn indicates, Allah has made a sign of Qur'anic Imams from the progeny of Muhammad ص

 

So no one today can say that the proof has not been established on them for over a millennium using the argument that the Hujja has been hidden from them. Quite the contrary: the Hujja has been visible and accessible in the signs of Allah in the Heavens and the Earth, in the intellects of mankind, in the scriptures of the prophets and the continued legacy of their heirs.

Compare this to the reading proposed by various groups like Kaysanites and Waqifites, which was sadly later adopted by Twelvers and Musta'li Isma'ilis.

How much more Qur'anic and Rational and Clear is this reading!  

The Ahl al-Bayt ع taught that when competing things are attributed to them, we weigh them according to the Qur'an: what agrees with it is correct, whereas what needs to be foisted on it with intellectual stretching and speculative comparisons are incorrect. 

*

Just to recap: the question was: 

If for over a millennium the Twelvers have had to fill the two types of authority with fallible imams, then what role has the belief in the Hidden Imam played?

I mentioned the three common answers, and yet all the answers went against established truths in the Consensus of Twelvers and the Verses of the Qur'an.

That is why we are forced to conclude what Twelvers conclude about Musta'li Isma'ilis awaiting a Hidden Imam. We are forced to conclude that the belief in the Hidden Imam plays no role except to continue the sect. Originally, it played no role except to continue the financial leadership of some of the Wakils. This is the pattern we find in the Waqifites. 

Even if we do not want to accuse anyone of foul play (out of respect), but Denialism is a well-attested psychological and anthropological phenomenon.

When a crisis hits a community's identity in a potentially existential way, Denialism compels groups to hold fast to each other under ideological stress and work overtime to conjure new survival strategies that preserve maximum coherence and consistency with the status quo before the crisis.

Under this pressure, previously discarded material may become precious again, while arguments that were considered devastating against certain opponents are suppressed and replaced. What used to be called ghuluw (exaggerations) is now normalised, and what was normal is termed taqsir (diminution). The learned who have studied the history of formative and early classical Imami textual heritage are aware of the signs of fluctuation and undulation I'm referring to. 

 

May Allah guide us all to that which is aqwam (upright/stable)

Indeed this Quran guides to what is most upright/stable (aqwam) [Israa 9]

 

2. The Epistemological Problem

Allah & His Messenger ص made this religion clear. 

With regard to the greater merit of 'Ali ع, we argue on the basis of a Consensus mutawatir hadith that is specific to 'Ali's role & status vis-a-vis the Prophet ص

With regard to the greater merit of the Prophet's ص descendants, we argue on the basis of a Consensus hadith of Thaqalayn that is general to Ahl al-Bayt's role & status vis-a-vis the Qur'an

With regard to the greater merit of al-Hasanayn ع, we argue on the basis of a Consensus mutawatir hadith that they are the masters of the youth of paradise. 

With regard to the righteousness of 'Ali ع and the rebelliousness of Mu'awiya, we argue on the basis of a Consensus mutawatir hadith that 'Ammar will be killed by a rebellious group.

With regard to a coming Mahdi from the children of Fatima who will fill the land with justice as it was once filled with injustice, we argue on the basis of a Consensus hadith to that effect. 

With regard to a coming time when there will be the Occult Imam for over a millennium, where can we argue from Allah or His Messenger ص?

*

The religion of Allah is clear, my brethren. We must all go to His proof, His hujja, in the Qur'an. Our differences are due to our distances from His argument. His argument is perfect. He has said it so Himself:

 

Say, ‘Do you have any knowledge that you can produce before us? You follow nothing but conjectures, and you do nothing but surmise.’ 

Say, ‘To Allah belongs the conclusive argument. Had He wished, He would have surely guided you all.’

[An'aam 148-9]

 

Edited February 9 by Imām Zayd al-Shahīd

[Guest Imām Zayd al-Shahīd]

On 2/1/2025 at 11:47 AM, Guest testguest said:

What are the beliefs regarding Imam Mahdi (عليه السلام) in Zaydism?

Salam alaykum

 

We narrate that a man will come from the Ahl al-Bayt who will fill the land with equity and justice just as before him it was filled with injustice and oppression.

 

As to his name and identity, I quote what Ibrahim b. 'Abdullah ع said to those who queried or differed, or debating if his brother Imam Muhammad b. 'Abdullah al-Nafs al-Zakiyya ع was the prophesied Mahdi. He ع said:

 

"The Mahdi is a promise from Allah that He made to His Prophet—to bring forth from his descendants a rightly guided man (Mahdi). However, He did not specify him by name, nor did He set a fixed time for his appearance.

If my brother is the Mahdi whom Allah has promised, then that is Allah’s grace, which He grants to whomever He wills. But if my brother is not the Mahdi whom Allah has promised, then he has not abandoned any obligation imposed upon him by Allah by waiting for something he was not commanded to wait for."

 

If there had been more detail of identity in the Prophetic hadith, the Imam ع would have said so, since that very thing was the topic of debate. 

 

Apart from identity, other things about the Mahdi have also been relayed that reveal what was orthodox among the early Ahl al-Bayt ع

inshaAllah at some point I will present you with the translation of some of the relevant passaages.

 

Imam al-Hadi Yahya b. al-Husayn ع said about the emergence of the Mahdi: 

"We hope that Allah has brought it near and made it imminent."

Amin.

 

 

[Guest Imām Zayd al-Shahīd]

Just to clarify & provide a bit more information: 

The hadith of Mahdi is not consensus of Umma. It is however consensus of Imams of Ahl al-Bayt ع

It is also agreed-upon by the mainstream of Sunni and Shi'i Muslims. Ibadhis and possibly other early groups denied the prophecy as well.

The early Imams of Ahl al-Bayt ع, who should be more aware of this matter, have confirmed it.

And the report is mashhur. 

Furthermore, it is confirmed in the Qur'an: 

It is He who has sent His Apostle with guidance and the true religion that He may make it prevail over all religions though the polytheists should be averse [Saff 9]

and this is a prophecy that indicates that on this earth, the true Just religion will prevail under a guided leadership whose conduct is like the Apostle's.

Some of our imams ع have also accepted or at least are fine narrating the hadith that indicates that his name will be like the Apostle's (Muhammad b. 'Abdullah)

This seems to contradict what Imam Ibrahim b. 'Abdullah said, which I quoted previously

To reconcile, it's possible that what he meant by the Mahdi's name not being fixed was his full lineage or identifying him by a method by which he could be perfectly tracked as an individual. This reconciliation appeals to Imam 'Abdullah b. Hamza ع

The latter ع also says that this hadith has become so famous that almost the general majority of the masses will have heard of it - indicating its strength, and perhaps suggesting that Allah has established it as a known sign among the Umma (this is my little added thought, but Allah knows best)

The name of the beloved Prophet ص is certainly the most beloved name for the friends of Allah and the most hated for the enemies of Allah, and the victory of his namesake would certainly be loaded with profound symbolism. 

 

To keep to what is certain, I say

Allah knows best. 

 

 

Edited February 10 by Imām Zayd al-Shahīd

[Guest Imām Zayd al-Shahīd]

Alhamdulillah, I have answered all the questions by the Guest

Happy to answer any other

[StrangerInThisWorld]

Salamun 'alaykum, 

how would you respond to the accusation that the scholars and leaders of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) had to rely on Sunni narrators and this even for things that their own grandfathers had said. Did they even rely on Ahadith or was it only used because the opponents relied on them? 

Why did they not narrate from their own forefathers (through their fathers and grandfathers and not other than them) with the exact wording they heard (similar to how the Ahl al-Hadith did or at least claimed to narrate the exact wording)? Is it connected with their very rejection of the methodology of Ahl al-Hadith? 

 

Edited February 15 by StrangerInThisWorld

[Guest Imām Zayd al-Shahīd]

Wa alaykum assalam

@StrangerInThisWorld

I'll try to keep it very brief. You'll appreciate that a full answer would be time-consuming for the reader as well as the writer

I've presented the answer in 7 points

 

1. We don't believe any of the Ahl al-Bayt ع had any 'ilm al-ghayb or were inspired any of the Prophetic Sunna or could narrate hadiths from their earlier forefathers without having heard him. So if we see al-Sadiq ع or al-Rida ع narrate straight from the Prophet ص or 'Ali ع, we know that they've heard it from some source and have verified it (and some of it may have been through learned men who were not from Ahl al-Bayt ع - see next point)

 

2. We don't believe that Ahl al-Bayt ع were above learning from learned individuals of the previous generation outside of the Ahl al-Bayt ع. We believe the Prophet ص taught the Sunna widely, and we also appreciate that many Emigrants and Helpers taught this Sunna to their own children, just as Imam 'Ali ع did and just as Hasanayn ع‌ did. Some of these Emigrants and Helpers lived longer lives and met the next generation of Ahl al-Bayt ع, such as when Jabir b. 'Abdullah رض met al-Baqir ع. It is entirely plausible and fine if al-Baqir ع would narrate some of the events that Jabir رض‌ witnessed from al-Baqir's grandfather. Knowledge from trustworthy witnesses is taken. That is the method of the Ahl al-Bayt ع. That is why we see 'Abdullah al-Kamil ع give his son al-Nafs al-Zakiyya ع to Tawus رح to be taught. Tawus was a companion of Zayn al-'Abidin ع as well, but he narrated from other Sahaba too, like Ibn Abbas رض, and he taught the Umayyad caliph 'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz

 

3. What we say is that besides the Qur'an, there is a core 'Alid Sunna that the imams of Ahl al-Bayt ع preserved in practice and this practice was recorded in writing by those who saw the handful of imams from the Tabi' Tabi'in of Ahl al-Bayt ع who were themselves raised by the handful of imams from the Tabi'in of Ahl al-Bayt ع . For example, al-Qasim met his father and Musa al-Kazim, and these were close to the Tabi'i al-Sadiq ع who met companions like Jabir b. 'Abdullah رض. Given the very small numbers of the Ahl al-Bayt ع and the even smaller number of the imams from the family in the first two centuries, records of consensus were possible and authoritatively revealed the practice of 'Ali ع and Hasanyan ع

4. It should be clear that Prophetic hadith is one form of recording Sunna. But another form is simply through oral instructions and practical example. All forms were naturally used by Ahl al-Bayt ع, however the hadith was never preserved according to the stringent formats of the Ahl al-Hadith. Instead they were cited quite like how family memories are cited in our own families, without scholarly formality and often ad hoc and perhaps repeated over the years via different mouths (and sometimes from non-family members who were aware of the same memory).

The Ahl al-Hadith had to develop special formats in order to maintain a record of who heard hadith from whom and in what manner of transmission in order to separate the wheat from the chaff. By the mid-second century, anything lacking such formatting was understandably considered less authoritative. Whereas earlier imams of Ahl al-Bayt ع would directly attribute the Prophetic hadith they knew to the Prophet ص (what is known as 'irsaal'), in order to be persuasive from now on, they had to rely on a genuine pre-existing chain of transmission.

The traditionists of Ahl al-Bayt ع therefore had to rely on those who had a formatted record of the hadith which agreed with the hadith/practice of their forefathers. Naturally, they privileged those who had a formatted record of the hadith of Ahl al-Bayt ع, such as Abu Khalid from Zayd from his forefathers. 

5. Whereas Ahl al-Hadith laid much value on a sound chain, the early imams of Ahl al-Bayt ع did not, and that is why they would not act on all reports from a sound chain. This is because the sound chain only was corroborative evidence that something was probably said. But the manner in which it was meant or whether there was no mistake or whether it was complete - these possibilities meant that a sound chain could carry an error. Yes, it was increasingly considered authoritative, and that is why it was employed to strengthen known practice, but a sound chain could never automatically supplant the witnessed Sunna of imams of Ahl al-Bayt ع which was then recorded by the likes of al-Qasim ع and Abu al-Tahir al-'Alawi ع and Ahmad b. 'Isa ع

6. Not everything the Prophet ص or 'Ali ع have said could be recorded in hadith. And not everything they said was transmitted by everyone, including by 'Ali ع. And it is quite understandable that some hadiths might have been remembered and transmitted by other than 'Ali ع. All we say is that, as far as Divine Guidance is concerned, then the core Sunna, that which demarcates the halal and haram, the nusuk and the hudud, that which constitutes all that is necessary of Sunna for salvation, was definitely taught and preserved through example and through hadith by 'Ali ع to his sons, then through them to the Tabi'i generation which were his grandsons and great-grandsons, then through them to the Tabi' Tabi'i generation of his great-great-grandsons etc, after whom it was recorded by imams of Ahl al-Bayt ع. Therefore, by relying on this record, we rely on the sufficient Divine Guidance as far as Sunna is concerned

7. What the Ahl al-Bayt ع teach above all is a sound methodology: guidance is in Decisive Qur'an, Consensus Sunna and 'Aql. And for the practice and interpretation of 'Ali ع, the Consensus of the imams of his progeny ع is a good method to ensure that your practice and interpretation is in agreement with 'Ali's ع. Therefore, if a hadith has reached some of the imams of fiqh & hadith from the Umma and they've practiced it, and there is nothing in the Consensus from 'Ali ع that contradicts it, and nothing in the Decisive Qur'an or 'Aql that questions its attribution to the Prophet ص, then one shouldn't be surprised to find an Imam from Ahl al-Bayt ع citing it and using it to prefer one fiqhi position over another. This is because it is in harmony with the methodology of Ahl al-Bayt ع, and it is the methodology that creates a school

I pray that this brief post was clear and satisfactory 

 

 

[Guest Imām Zayd al-Shahīd]

Correction: 

It was al-Baqir ع and 'Abdullah al-Kamil ع who would have met Jabir, though al-Kamil ع would have been a child of 7-8 when Jabir died

Ja'far al-Sadiq ع would have met the Sahaba who were among the last to die, like Anas b. Malik and Sahl b. Sa'd according to al-Dhahabi, though he ع would have been a child of 6-8 years

[StrangerInThisWorld]

Barakallahu fik for the clarification. 

There is another point that comes to my mind why the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) preferred to simply ascribe a teaching or position to their forefathers instead of following the style of Ahl al-Hadith:

When using Ahadith, you will still need more informations (like the context) and they're still subject to interpretation. But if the scholars from the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) mention their agreement on let's say something like Sadl in prayer, then they have basically given you their understanding and there is no need for further interpretation such that the risk of misunderstandings and misinterpretations are much lesser. 

[Guest Imām Zayd al-Shahīd]

5 hours ago, StrangerInThisWorld said:

Barakallahu fik for the clarification. 

There is another point that comes to my mind why the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) preferred to simply ascribe a teaching or position to their forefathers instead of following the style of Ahl al-Hadith:

When using Ahadith, you will still need more informations (like the context) and they're still subject to interpretation. But if the scholars from the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) mention their agreement on let's say something like Sadl in prayer, then they have basically given you their understanding and there is no need for further interpretation such that the risk of misunderstandings and misinterpretations are much lesser. 

Yes indeed. I refer to that under point 5, but you have elaborated nicely with an example

[Eddie Mecca]

On 2/15/2025 at 5:03 PM, Imām Zayd al-Shahīd said:

We don't believe any of the Ahl al-Bayt ع had any 'ilm al-ghayb or were inspired any of the Prophetic Sunna or could narrate hadiths from their earlier forefathers without having heard him.

Salaam brother...isn't this stance too naturalistic? Ali (a) enjoys semi-legendary status even among normative Sunnis (i.e. non-Wahhabi)...I believe Imam Ali (a) acquired the bulk of his knowledge through diligent study as well...but I simultaneously believe Allah (s) chose to bestow 'gifts' to his beloved ones (a) on occasion...the language of Nahj ul Balagha is bordering on the level of a prophet's word...the language itself is a self-proving testament and is above the capability of 'ordinary', 'average', 'normal' etc. human beings...is it not?  

[Guest Imām Zayd al-Shahīd]

6 hours ago, Eddie Mecca said:

Salaam brother...isn't this stance too naturalistic? Ali (a) enjoys semi-legendary status even among normative Sunnis (i.e. non-Wahhabi)...I believe Imam Ali (a) acquired the bulk of his knowledge through diligent study as well...but I simultaneously believe Allah (s) chose to bestow 'gifts' to his beloved ones (a) on occasion...the language of Nahj ul Balagha is bordering on the level of a prophet's word...the language itself is a self-proving testament and is above the capability of 'ordinary', 'average', 'normal' etc. human beings...is it not?  

Wa alaykum assalam brother 

 

History is filled with far-above-average merits bestowed on various individuals, but this doesn't mean they aren't natural

The genius of an Archimedes or Aristotle or Rumi or Shakespeare or Blaise Pascal or Isaac Newton is undeniably extraordinary, occasionally bordering on the superhuman, but they remain natural gifts, albeit by the grace of Allah (like all bounties)

On earth, you will always have some towering mountain peaks through natural processes

There's no doubt that such above-average natural gifts will also be bestowed on some of the beloved servants of Allah, to serve His plan

But supernatural, whereby natural processes are overcome, requires evidence that can't be explained naturally

Unlike the Qur'an which claims to be supernatural, Imam 'Ali ع never claimed his speech is supernaturally extraordinary. But it's obvious that it was naturally extraordinary

With respect to the eloquence of Nahj al-Balagha, it is a natural gift, which Allah bestowed on Imam 'Ali ع

One reason the Qur'an is supernatural is because the Prophet ص was not able with his natural epistemic and linguistic resources to produce the Qur'an. It was like fresh water gushing out of a solid dry rock

Another reason, which the Qur'an insists, is that it is beyond the natural epistemic and linguistic resources of mankind and jinnkind combined to produce something 'like' it (what this 'likeness' means has been debated by Muslim theologians since antiquity)

But the eloquence of 'Ali ع, no matter how beyond the ordinary, was within his natural epistemic and linguistic resources, which by the grace of Allah was quite broad

 

Edited February 20 by Imām Zayd al-Shahīd