“O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women: if you are mindful, then do not be overly effeminate in speech or those with sickness in their hearts may be tempted, but speak in a moderate tone.” (Qur’an 33:32)
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In Islam, the preference of the Mothers of the Believers over all other women of this Ummah is by the text of the Qur’an.
So, they are not like any of the other women.
“And whoever of you devoutly obeys Allah and His Messenger and does good, We will grant her double the reward, and We have prepared for her an honourable provision.” (Qur’an 33:31)
Thus, their reward is doubled, and this is a distinction that Allah has made only for the Prophets and the Mothers of the Believers.
Narrated `Abdullah:
I visited Allah’s Messenger (saw) while he was suffering from a high fever. I said, “O Allah’s Messenger (saw)! You have a high fever.” He said, “Yes, I have as much fever as two men of you.” I said, “Is it because you will have a double reward?” He said, “Yes, it is so. No Muslim is afflicted with any harm, even if it were the prick of a thorn, but that Allah expiates his sins because of that, as a tree sheds its leaves.”
In Islamic theology, the doubling of reward (mudā‘afah) for trials and obedience is typically a characteristic reserved for prophets and those with the highest stations, further solidifying their unique status
“It is not lawful for you to marry more women after this, nor can you replace any of your present wives with another, even if her beauty may attract you—except those whom your right hand posses. And Allah is ever Watchful over all things.” (Qur’an 33:52)
It is not lawful for the Messenger of Allah (saw) to exchange them, because they are virtuous and Allah-fearing.
“O Prophet! Ask your wives, daughters, and believing women to draw their cloaks over their bodies. In this way it is more likely that they will be recognized and not be harassed. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Qur’an 33:59)
Allah has given precedence to the wives of the Messenger of Allah (saw) over his daughters in the mention, because they are superior.
“And it is not right for you to annoy the Messenger of Allah, nor ever marry his wives after him. This would certainly be a major offence in the sight of Allah.” (Qur’an 33:53)
The understanding of this is obvious. Do not marry the wives of the Blessed Prophet (saw) after his death. Allah (swt) considers an offence.
However, there was no problem for any of his daughters to be married multiple times.
Ruqayyah (ra) married Utbah ibn Abu Lahab (divorced), then married Uthman Ibn Affan.
Umm Kulthum (ra) married Utaybah ibn Abu Lahab (divorced), then married Uthman Ibn Affan after Ruqayyah’s death.
Zaynab (ra) the favourite daughter of the Prophet (saw) married Abu al-As ibn al-Rabi, then later married Abdullah ibn Jahsh.
Fatima (ra) married only Ali ibn Abi Talib.
And the Qur’an is full of praise for the Mothers of the Believers, and there is not even a single verse that praises the daughters of the Messenger of Allah in terms of their being daughters.
Although you will find praise of the daughters in the hadith literature. Even then the hadith literature is coloured by the hatred that the Umayyads, Abbasids and pro Alids had for each other.
So, for example, when Urwah ibn al-Zubayr narrated that Zaynab bint Muhammed (ra) was mentioned by the Blessed Prophet (saw) to be the best of his daughters, he (Zubayr) was accosted by Zayn al-Abidin who approached Urwah ibn Al-Zubayr in a very hostile manner demanding why he would put anyone anywhere near the rank of Fatima (ra).
A kind of terrorism and suppression by the Abbasids and the Alids towards anyone who would put someone else other then Fatima and Ali first. Here we narrate to you how Ali ibn al-Husayn went after Urwah ibn al-Zubayr (ra) like a raving madman.
Ahmad Abu Bakr ibn Muhammed ibn Hamdan al-Sayrafi in Marw told me, Abu Ismail Muhammed ibn Ismail told us, Saeed ibn Abi Maryam told us, Yahya ibn Ayyub informed us, Ibn al-Had told me, Amr ibn Abdullah ibn Urwah ibn al-Zubayr told me, on the authority of Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, on the authority of Aisha, the wife of the Prophet, (saw) When the Messenger of Allah, (saw), arrived in Medina, his daughter Zaynab left Mecca with Kinanah—or the son of Kinanah—and they went after her. Habbar ibn al-Aswad caught up with her and kept stabbing her camel with his spear until it felled her, and she miscarried and bled. The Banu Hashim and the Banu Umayyah then quarreled over her. She said… The Banu Umayya said: We are more entitled to her, and she was married to their cousin Abu al-As, and she was with Hind bint Utbah ibn Rabi’ah, and Hind used to say to her: This is because of your father. So the Messenger of Allah, (saw), said to Zayd ibn Harithah: “Won’t you go and bring me Zaynab?” He said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah. He said: “Then take my ring.” So he gave it to him. Then Zayd set off and made his camel kneel. He kept being polite until he met a shepherd and said: Whose sheep do you tend? He said: For Abu al-Aas. He said: And whose sheep are these? He said: To Zainab bint Muhammed, so he walked with him for a while, then he said to him: Would you like me to give you something to give to her, and not mention it to anyone? He said: Yes, so he gave him the ring, so the shepherd went and brought his sheep in, and gave them the ring, and they recognized it, so she said: Who gave you this? He said: A man, she said: Where did you leave it? He said: In such and such a place. He said: So she remained silent until night came, then she went out to him. When she came to him, he said to her: Ride in front of me on his camel. She said: No, but you ride in front of me. So he rode and she rode behind him until she came. The Messenger of Allah, (saw), used to say: “She is the best of my daughters, and she was afflicted because of me.”This reached Ali ibn al-Husayn, so he went to Urwah and said: What is this hadith that I heard you narrate in which you diminish Fatimah’s right? He said, “By Allah, I would not wish to possess everything between the East and the West if it meant depriving Fatima of a right that belongs to her. And after that, you have the right to never speak of it again.” Urwah said, “This was before the revelation of the verse: {Call them by their fathers’ names; that is more just in the sight of God} [Al-Ahzab: 5]. This is an authentic hadith according to the criteria of the two Sheikhs (Al-Bukhari and Muslim), but they did not include it in their collections.”
There is a fascinating article by Professor Deborah G Tor: “The Parting of Ways between ʿAlid Shiʿism and Abbasid Shiʿism: An Analysis of the Missives between the Caliph al-Manṣūr and Muḥammed al-Nafs al-Zakiyya.” That gives some background in regard to the landscape.
Wouldn’t be suprised to see Professor Deborah G Tor on podcast in the future. You’re welcome.
However, we have digressed.
The Mothers of the Believers hold a textual precedence over all other women of the Ummah—including the Prophet’s own daughters in terms of legislated distinction—is consistent with the principles of usul al-fiqh (legal theory) and the explicit wording of Surah Al-Ahzab. Their status is derived from a direct divine address that establishes a unique category, whereas the virtue of other women (including the daughters) is derived from specific narrations regarding personal piety rather than a categorical divine address.
“My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.” (Qur’an 20:114)
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This fascinating video came to our attention. It appears to be two AI bots having a conversation about the Ibadi school. As regards the YouTube channel, CIISR is not affiliated or registered with any known university or college in the world. Dr. M A Mufazzal seems to be an individual not known to be attached to any reputable college or university in the world. In fact, leave the reputable aside, he is simply not known at all.
This is the video. We give our comments below.
@4:37 minutes, we were curious where the idea came from that we upheld divine predestination (qadar) in the sense of fatalism. Which was curious given that the AI bots speak about the Ibadi, avoiding binaries. We do not uphold the view of the Mutazil’i nor the Jabariyyah. We hold to the doctrine of kasb (acquisition). This is something the Ash’ari followed us on.
@6:16 this is also incorrect. We do not believe that Ali was a divinely appointed leader. A good portion of the community made shura and among them were the ansar and the muhjirin, who agreed upon him. Once that is done, it is obligatory for the others to pledge allegiance. No such thing as being divinely appointed.
This becomes abundantly clear in our article here:
The battle of Siffin and practical implications of the above verse.
O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in the result. (Qur’an 4:59)
The battle of Siffin gives us a demonstration of how some of the companions understood the above verse. If we are to believe the historical narrative as told by Shi’i and Sunni sources.
If we are to believe the Shi’i narrative.
Ali agreed to arbitration with Muaviya on the basis that they would judge by the Qur’an. If Ali understood that he was of the same authority as the Qur’an and the Messenger (saw) he would not have submitted to arbitration. He would have been on the same page as those in his army who wanted to continue the fight. However, if he did think he was of the same authority as the Qur’an and the Messenger (saw), then he would be a hypocrite for going against what he himself believed. Or he was not sincere in submitting to the authority of the Qur’an.
If we are to believe the Sunni narrative.
If those in Muaviya’s camp believed that the Shi’i held any of the views about Ali that Imami Shi’i held, namely that he (Ali) was maʿṣūm (معصوم) and he (Ali) held ʿiṣmah (عصمة) they themselves would have never asked for arbitration as it too would have simply been a ruse. This becomes very clear that these concepts were not among the followers of Ali because Muaviya’s camp would have known this and would have never cooked up the idea of raising the Mushafs as it would have easily backfired.
@9:03 “They also believe that Ali was wrong to arbitrate.” So this is a contradiction with the AI chatbots. You cannot have a belief in a divinely appointed Imamate and then believe that same Imam is wrong in a decision he makes!
@6:34 is also a tired trope that we hear time and again. Fiqh and Itjihad are a part of Islam. It is something that has been with us in the beginning. The companions who opposed Ali were not claiming you cannot arbitrate God’s law with mortal men. That is a flawed misunderstanding. It is that you cannot make a ruling in place of where the rule is already established and clear.
None of our scholars say that human beings cannot arbitrate. The Qur’an specifically says they can in several places. It is just that humans cannot arbitrate on a matter on which Allah judged. If Allah (swt) gave his ruling on a matter, a human being cannot come along and do otherwise. This is a huge miss by this AI-generated dialogue.
This was established by the companions in their debate with Ibn Abbas (ra). And Ibn Abbas (ra) eventually understood that the people of the river were correct.
And by repeating these same tired tropes, the Sunnis have actually mocked their own Imams. With stories that make Imam Abu Hanifa look ignorant of other people’s positions.
@12:02 to miss out on the robust populations of the Ibadi in Tunisia, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Ghana is unfortunate. To skip the presence in East Africa altogether is unfortunate.
@13:09 We didn’t quite get the point the AI bots were making: “But again, like with the kharijites question, they take it to its most extreme logical conclusion.” We don’t see the connection they were trying to draw?
@13:40 we were curious as to which verse mentions Allah “sitting” on a throne?
There were other things we could have picked apart, but we did not want to be overly pedantic.
Other than that, for an AI-generated dialogue over all it is o.k. It is what you would expect from agnostic secular academics or historians discussing the matter. Although they would probably refrain from throwing in the occasional ‘eww’ as we saw from the female AI bot. The lasting thoughts were very profound, especially from an AI algorithm.
“And (He desires) that you should complete the number and that you should exalt the greatness of Allah for His having guided you and that you may give thanks” (Qur’an 2:185)
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Eid Mubarak! May this blessed occasion fill your heart with joy, your home with warmth, and your life with countless blessings. May Allah grant you peace, love, and unity in the company of family and friends. Please forgive our many short comings and faults. While we celebrate let us not forget those who can’t due to war and oppression. Let us not forget the converts, often alone and isolated.
May this be a very blessed and joyous Eid for all of you!
“O believers! Stand firm for justice as witnesses for Allah even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or close relatives. Be they rich or poor, Allah is best to ensure their interests. So do not let your desires cause you to deviate . If you distort the testimony or refuse to give it, then Allah is certainly All-Aware of what you do.” (Qur’an 4:135)
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Imagine you happend upon someone calling Ali Ibn Abu Talib a sinful treacherous deceitful liar what would cross your mind? Would we call this person a Nasibi? Would we call this person a hypocrite? A vile sinner?
Well, where we come from we call such a person, a member of Banu Hashim, Uncle to the Prophet, thaer of Ibn Abbas the scholar of the Qur’an, none other than Al Abbas (ra).
It is reported by Zuhri that this tradition was narrated to him by Malik b. Aus who said:
Umar b. al-Khattab sent for me and I came to him when the day had advanced. I found him in his house sitting on his bare bed-stead, reclining on a leather pillow. He said (to me): Malik, some people of your tribe have hastened to me (with a request for help). I have ordered a little money for them. Take it and distribute it among them. I said: I wish you had ordered somebody else to do this job. He said: Malik, take it (and do what you have been told). At this moment (his man-servant) Yarfa’ came in and said: Commander of the Faithful, what do you say about Uthman, Abd al-Rabman b. ‘Auf, Zubair and Sa’d (who have come to seek an audience with you)? He said: Yes, and permitted them. so they entered. Then he (Yarfa’) came again and said: What do you say about ‘Ali and Abbas (who are present at the door)? He said: Yes, and permitted them to enter. Abbas said: Commander of the Faithful, decide (the dispute) between me and this sinful, treacherous, dishonest liar. The people (who were present) also said: Yes. Commander of the Faithful, do decide (the dispute) and have mercy on them. Malik b. Aus said: I could well imagine that they had sent them in advance for this purpose (by ‘Ali and Abbas). ‘Umar said: Wait and be patient. I adjure you by Allah by Whose order the heavens and the earth are sustained, don’t you know that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:” We (prophets) do not have any heirs; what we leave behind is (to be given in) charity”? They said: Yes. Then he turned to Abbas and ‘Ali and said: I adjure you both by Allah by Whose order the heavens and earth are sustained, don’t you know that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:” We do not have any heirs; what we leave behind is (to be given in) charity”? They (too) said: Yes. (Then) Umar said: Allah, the Glorious and Exalted, had done to His Messenger (ﷺ) a special favour that He has not done to anyone else except him. He quoted the Qur’anic verse:” What Allah has bestowed upon His Apostle from (the properties) of the people of township is for Allah and His Messenger”. The narrator said: I do not know whether he also recited the previous verse or not. Umar continued: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) distrbuted among you the properties abandoned by Banu Nadir. By Allah, he never preferred himself over you and never appropriated anything to your exclusion. (After a fair distribution in this way) this property was left over. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would meet from its income his annual expenditure, and what remained would be deposited in the Bait-ul-Mal. (Continuing further) he said: I adjure you by Allah by Whose order the heavens and the earth are sustained. Do you know this? They said: Yes. Then he adjured Abbas and ‘All as he had adjured the other persons and asked: Do you both know this? They said: Yes. He said: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed away, Abu Bakr said:” I am the successor of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).” Both of you came to demand your shares from the property (left behind by the Messenger of Allah). (Referring to Hadrat ‘Abbas), he said: You demanded your share from the property of your nephew, and he (referring to ‘Ali) demanded a share on behalf of his wife from the property of her father. Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had said:” We do not have any heirs; what we leave behind is (to be given in) charity.” So both of you thought him to be a liar, sinful, treacherous and dishonest. And Allah knows that he was true, virtuous, well-guided and a follower of truth. When Abu Bakr passed away and (I have become) the successor of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him), you thought me to be a liar, sinful, treacherous and dishonest. And Allah knows that I am true, virtuous, well-guided and a follower of truth. I became the guardian of this property. Then you as well as he came to me. Both of you have come and your purpose is identical. You said: Entrust the property to us. I said: If you wish that I should entrust it to you, it will be on the condition that both of you will undertake to abide by a pledge made with Allah that you will use it in the same way as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used it. So both of you got it. He said: Wasn’t it like this? They said: Yes. He said: Then you have (again) come to me with the request that I should adjudge between you. No, by Allah. I will not give any other judgment except this until the arrival of the Doomsday. If you are unable to hold the property on this condition, return it to me.
The above hadith is an indication that the companions were people just like anyone else. They could be petty and had disputes with each other, called each other names and as we all know at one point in history killed one another.
So Al Abbas said: “O Commander of the Faithful, judge between me and this one – the liar, the sinful, the treacherous, the deceitful.”
Umar Ibn Al Khattab (ra) did not object to this statement. Others that were said to be present:
Uthman ibn Affan. Abd Al-Rahman ibn Awf & Al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwan.
The Abbasid Sunni Muslims who are the bulk of the Sunni Muslims today are those who underwent a Shi’ification. Go bring this narration to your teachers and watch how they react! They panic out over such statements. Whereas the original Sunni Muslims, the Umayyad Sunnis had no problems with such narrations. The proof of this is that this is one of the narrations of al-Zuhri, who was an Umayyad and one of the elders of the Umayyad court.The Abbasid Sunnis, the bulk of the Sunni Muslims today, will say about the statement of Al Abbas. “The statement is not befitting of him.” However, the chain is sound, and thus elaborate interpretative measures are deployed. They even go so far as to admit that the people of the past would remove such statements from the copies of their books. It has nothing to do with the truth and everything to do with the doctrine they contrived: Adalah al-Sahabah.
If only we could be honest with ourselves and honest with our history.
In the Khutba the Khatib says:
…وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ …wa ‘ala aalihi wa sahbihi ajma’een.
Which means upon the people of Muhammed (saw) and companions. So to this we say amin. Because it is generic and general.
This is exactly the position of the angels.
“Those (angels) who bear the Throne and those around it glorify the praises of their Lord, and believe in Him, and ask forgiveness for those who believe (saying): ‘Our Lord! You comprehend all things in mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who repent and follow Your Way, and save them from the torment of the blazing Fire! Our Lord! And make them enter the Paradise which you have promised them, and to the righteous among their fathers, their wives, and their offspring! Verily, You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. And save them from the sins, and whomsoever You save from the sins that Day, him verily, You have taken into mercy.” And that is the supreme success.’” (Qur’an 40: 7-9)
Those. Those. Them. Them. Their. Their. Their. Them. Whomsoever. All very generic and general. Because at the end of the day Allah (swt) knows best who dies upon Islam.
We can apply this in every situation and absolutely safeguard our faith. This goes for those of you who are Muslim converts or those of you who are looking into Islam. The testimony of faith is to bear witness that Allah is the one and only God. That Muhammed (peace be upon him) is his last and final messenger.
As regards to the politics and the events of the past.
“That was a community that had already gone before. For them is what they earned and for you is what you have earned. And you will not be accountable for what they have done.” (Qur’an 2:141)
From the questions one will be asked in the grave:
The Questions:
Rabbu-ka? (Who is your Lord?)
Ma Deenu-ka? (What is your religion?)
Man Nabiyyu-ka? (Who is your Prophet? / Or what did you say about Muhammed?)
The angels are not asking you about the companions and your affiliation or dissociation with any of them.
Then the day of judgement. That awesome and terrifying day.
You will then be presented ˹before Him for judgment˺, and none of your secrets will stay hidden. (Qur’an 69:18)
One thing Allah (swt) already exhonerated us from is about what people in the past did. Al hamdulillah! Allah is the Most Merciful!
“That was a community that had already gone before. For them is what they earned and for you is what you have earned. And you will not be accountable for what they have done.” (Qur’an 2:141)
Today there are is much writing about what are claimed to be Nasibi tendencies in our books of history and even in the hadith narrations. Yet, no one speaks about on the censorship and the injustice did to the umayyad clan. Surely they did injustice themselves by the Abbasids were no angels.
“Fight in the cause of Allah ˹only˺ against those who wage war against you, but do not exceed the limits. Allah does not like transgressors.” (Qur’an 2:190)
Systematically wiping out entire bloodlines is certainly exceeding the limits.
Abd al-Rahman ibn Mu’awiya the founder of the Umayyad dynasty in Al-Andalus was helped in his escape by the friendly Ibadi Nafza Berber tribes. This inspite of the conflict the Ibadis had with the Umayyads. However, Ibadis are not people who go beyond the limits. No Muslim should go beyond thelimits. In fact, he (Abd-al Rahman ibn Mu’awiya) received support from the Ibadis. Beyond the help from these village communities.
Our school simply does not like bullies. Whoever they are and whatever form they take at the time. Yesterday’s monster is now today’s vulnerable individual.
“Non-Ibadi historians mentioned these delegates to Umar bin Abdul-Aziz, though they said with their usual insinuation: “The Khawarij sent him a delegation.” However, they did not mention what happened between them and the Caliph Umar and his acceptance of all their suggestions about spreading justice and purging the country of the Umayyad tradition of cursing Ali from the pulpit. The Ibadi delegation said to Umar, “Muslims are cursing from pulpits in mosques, so this evil tradition must be changed.” Thus, Umar replaced it with the words of Allah: ‘
“Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that you remember.” (Qur’an 16: 90)
This is a legacy of the Ibadi school that is found in a Friday Khutba in Sunni Masjids all over the world.
A powerful verse and a reminder to the entire Ummah.
“And each one hath a goal toward which he turns; so contend with one another in good works. Wheresoever you may be, Allah will bring you all together. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things.” (Qur’an 2:148)
“Allah will judge between you on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which you used to differ.” (Qur’an 22:69)
“So after the truth, what else can there be, save error? How then are you turned away?” –(Qur’an 10:32).
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Insh’Allah the following section in the future will be found under the section above: Engaging The Sunni & Shi’I
This is a collection of articles in regard to the Shi’i and their various claims. Also are articles in relation to the Shi’i.
“Do not fight the kharijites after me, because one who seeks a right but does not find it, is not like the one who seeks a wrong and finds it.” –Ali Ibn Abu Talib
Source: (Nahju Al-Balagha Vol. 1, p. 67, speech no. 56.)
The words “He who seeks a right but does not find it” – as ‘Ali himself says – is an allusion to the Nahrawanees who are otherwise known as the Khawarij. The words “Unlike he who seeks misguidance intentionally” refer to Mu’awiya and his Syrian forces.
“Are the Khawarij mushrikun?” Ali said: “They flee from shirk.” Are they munafiqun? Ali said: “The hypocrites remember Allah only a little.” Then what are they? Ali said: “They are our brothers who transgressed against us (ikhwanuna baghaw ‘alayna), so we fought them for their transgression.”
Source: (Al-Bidāya wa l-Nihāya 10:591)
The Ibadi are obviously not Khawarij to anyone who has common sense. However, for those who insist that we are you have to contend with those statements.
DO READ THIS FIRST. It is important to understand that we believe and accept that those who call themselves ‘Shi’i’ are Muslims.
We understand that ‘Shi’i’ is a term for a loose federation of various sects that all come under the understanding that Ali Ibn Abu Talib should have been the first Amir of the Muslims or was the most deserving of being that Amir.
The Shi’i are not all the same.
The name shi’i refers to a broad spectrum. From among them are those who simply prefer Ali. Believing he had the qualities best suited for leadership. Among them are those who believe in esoteric doctrines which blur the lines and distinction between the Creator and the created.
Even before the Amman accord the Ibadi have regarded the Shi’i as Ahl Al Qiblah.
You have your polemical works directed towards each other -Ithna-Ashari versus Zaydi versus Ismaili.
Thus it is in that spirit that this section is created. We have just as much right to contend for the truth as anyone else does.We have the right to allow the Muslim community to make an informed decision on various controversial issues.
You have your narrative and we have our narrative. Allah is with those who are the truthful!
“So after the truth, what else can there be, save error? How then are you turned away?” –(Qur’an 10:32).
There are a few reasons why we need to becareful or approach with caution what the Shi’i claim about themselves and their sources.
Dr. Musa Al-Musawi (The grandson of Ayatollah Abu L-Hassan al-Isfahani) says the following:
“Although we believe that most of the forged narratives from the Imams, were forged after al-ghiba al-kubra (the disappearance of Al-Mahdi Al Muntadhar)…..but any impartial researcher will necessarily conclude that even during the time of the Shiite Imams, many narratives were fabricated and ascribed to the Imams, in the like manner as they were fabricated and attributed to the Prophet.”
Source: (al-Shi’a wa-l-tashih: al-Sira’ bayn al-shi’a wa-l-tashayyu'(the struggle between Shia and Shiism p. 135)
We cannot take Ali at face value.
Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet (saw) said:
“On the Day of Resurrection a group of companions will come to me, but will be driven away from the Lake-Fount, and I will say, ‘O Lord (those are) my companions!’ It will be said, ‘You have no knowledge as to what they innovated after you left; they turned apostate as renegades (reverted from Islam).
There are those who would make the Ummah believe that Ali is an article of faith or part of the testimony of faith. This is a far cry from the truth. This hadith shows that Ali has to be examined like anyone else. One cannot cite a particular hadith and say that Ali is exempted from examination. Why is this? Once one accepts this particular hadith,everyone becomes suspect. There are no exemptions. Because at this point we cannot be sure that those who narrate this or that in favour of this or that one are not among the apostates themselves! Therefore, we have to systematically examine the data case by case. Islam is a faith of proof and evidence and not a faith of emotions and rhetoric.
Our school is pragmatic.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
When Allah revealed the Verse: “Warn your nearest kinsmen,” Allah’s Messenger (saw) got up and said, “O people of Quraish (or said similar words)! Buy (i.e. save) yourselves (from the Hellfire) as I cannot save you from Allah’s Punishment; O Bani `Abd Manaf! I cannot save you from Allah’s Punishment, O Safiya, the Aunt of Allah’s Messenger (saw)! I cannot save you from Allah’s Punishment; O Fatima bint Muhammed! Ask me anything from my wealth, but I cannot save you from Allah’s Punishment.”
“Neither your relatives nor children will benefit you on Judgment Day—He will decide between you ˹all˺. For Allah is All-Seeing of what you do.” (Qur’an 60:3)
“It is not ˹proper˺ for the Prophet and the believers to seek forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they were close relatives, after it has become clear to the believers that they are bound for the Hellfire.” (Qur’an 9:113)
Social experiment: If Shi’i sources are to be believed it portrays Umar Ibn Al Khattab (ra) as a violent woman abuser and Ali Ibn Abu Talib as a cowardly man.
“Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it. And whatever he forbids you from, leave it. And fear Allah. Surely Allah is severe in punishment.” (Qur’an 59:7)
“The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. They believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers. “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and obey. Your forgiveness, our Lord! And to You is the final return.” (Qur’an 2:285)
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Narrated ‘Ubaidullah bin `Abdullah:
Ibn `Abbas said, “When the ailment of the Prophet (saw) became worse, he said, ‘Bring for me (writing) paper and I will write for you a statement after which you will not go astray.’ But `Umar said, ‘The Prophet is seriously ill, and we have got Allah’s Book with us and that is sufficient for us.’ But the companions of the Prophet (saw) differed about this and there was a hue and cry. On that the Prophet (saw) said to them, ‘Go away (and leave me alone). It is not right that you should quarrel in front of me.” Ibn `Abbas came out saying, “It was most unfortunate (a great disaster) that Allah’s Messenger (saw) was prevented from writing that statement for them because of their disagreement and noise. (Note: It is apparent from this Hadith that Ibn `Abbas had witnessed the event and came out saying this statement. The truth is not so, for Ibn `Abbas used to say this statement on narrating the Hadith and he had not witnessed the event personally. See Fath Al-Bari Vol. 1, p.220 footnote.) (See Hadith No. 228, Vol. 4).
The first problem is that the hadith portrays the Prophet (saw) as someone literate enough to write something lengthy. This goes against the ‘ijma that it is well known that the Blessed Prophet (saw) was unlettered.
The second problem is that if it was something short, why couldn’t he have simply said it?
The third problem is as follows. Everyone would agree that by writing down he meant for others to transcribe his words. The Blessed Prophet (saw) had many more days ahead of him. Why not simply ask the people to reconvene and write down what he willed?
The fourth problem is that the Prophet (saw) said to them, :Go away (and leave me alone). It is not right that you should quarrel in front of me.” So, if he had the strength to make this statement surely he could have said what he needed to say, presuming it was short and to the point.
The fifth problem is that the hadith speaks ill of Allah (swt).
Today I have perfected your faith for you, completed My favour upon you, and chosen Islam as your way. But whoever is compelled by extreme hunger—not intending to sin—then surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Qur’an 5:3)
Allah speaks the truth and in this case the hadith is batil (falsehood). The hadith is batil (falsehood) as indicates the faith has not been perfected.
The sixth problem is the statement attributed to the Prophet (saw) ‘Bring for me (writing) paper and I will write for you a statement after which you will not go astray.’ and the statement attributed to Ibn Abbas (ra): “It was most unfortunate (a great disaster) that Allah’s Messenger (saw) was prevented from writing that statement for them because of their disagreement and noise” have problems.
Why is it a problem? It does not preclude the possibility that everyone present there and not present there would all go astray. That would include Umar, Ali, Ibn Abbas, and whoever else was present. Without that alleged document, they were all (without exception) liable to go astray.
The seventh problem. What good is a written letter to an unlettered people?!
“It is He who sent among the unlettered [Arabs] a Messenger from themselves reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom – although they were before in clear error.” (Qur’an 62:2)
We know that the Qur’an was transmitted orally. So what good does some document on a piece of paper with few witnesses do for a population that is mostly illiterate?
The eighth problem is that this is a strong argument for Christian missionaries or anyone else under the sun that Muslims do not have complete guidance.
The ninth problem is that it makes the Prophet (saw) as someone who did not submit to Allah (swt).
“O Messenger! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord, for if you fail to do that, you have not fulfilled the task of His messengership. Allah will certainly protect you from the evil of men. Surely Allah will not guide the unbelievers.” (Qur’an 5:67)
So this is an admission that the Blessed Prophet (saw) did not submit to Allah (swt) fully.
Aisha (ra), a member of the household of the Blessed Prophet (saw) should know if there was anything pressing. She crushes such satanic innuendo with the following:
“She said: He who presumes that the Messenger of Allah saw) concealed anything from the Book of Allah fabricates the greatest lie against Allah. Allah says: “O Messenger, announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message. And Allah will protect you from the people. Indeed, Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.” (Al-Qur’an, Surat al-Ma’idah, 5:67).
The tenth problem is makes the Blessed Prophet (saw) as someone who wasn’t responsible or thinking carefully about his duties and role as a Messenger to mankind. If you have something so important to say, you do not wait until you are feeble and meek.
The eleventh problem is that if what is given was to be a matter of creed, we cannot take our creed upon the ahad. The lone narrator reports.
There are more that a well-trained eye can spot.
The issue with the sanad.
Narrated Yahya ibn Sulaiman: Ibn Wahb told me: Yunus informed me, from Ibn Shihab, from ‘Ubaidullah ibn ‘Abdullah, from Ibn ‘Abbas, who said:
The wording used by Ibn Shihab al-Zuhrī is: “عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ” — meaning “‘an” (from/on the authority of) , not “haddathanā” (he narrated to us) or “sami’tu” (I heard).
Why This Matters
Form
Meaning
Implication for Authenticity
haddathanā / akhbaranā
Explicit confirmation that the narrator heard directly from his teacher.
The transmission is muttaṣil (connected) and can be accepted if the narrators are trustworthy.
‘an (عن)
Ambiguous; could mean direct hearing, but could also mean through an intermediary or even from a written source without direct audition.
If the narrator is known to be a mudallis (one who conceals), ‘an is problematic unless it is proven he heard it directly.
However, there are additional problems for Shi’i when it comes to this.
It presents the Prophet (saw) as someone who was unaware that people would prevent him from writing these things down and, it is not acceptable for a Prophet to be unaware of it.
It is a tacit admission that it was not made clear that Ali should be the leader of anyone at Ghadir Khum.
It makes our faith one of esoteric secrecy in which the truth cannot be openly proclaimed but rather revealed via secret channels to a select few. More akin to a gnostic cult than an abrahamic faith.This ultimately explains the various disputes among the shi’i in their lines of succession which we discussed here: https://primaquran.com/2026/02/28/how-the-muslim-ummah-approach-the-shia-in-the-wrong-way/
It shows that if Ali was present he was disobedient as well. Since he obviously did not obey the Prophet (saw) at that moment either.
No one in that room felt that the order of the Prophet (saw) was worth fighting and dying for.
Ultimately, for the Shi’i to rely upon such things it does not make their case look strong.
“It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muhammed], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise – they are the foundation of the Book – and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation [suitable to them]” (Qur’an 3:7)
Our faith has to be built upon that which is certain and foundational. It cannot be built upon ambiguity, uncertainty or matters that are not clear.
From Shaykh Ahmed Al Khalili (h) the Mufti of Oman.
Agakhanism/Nizarism is an absolute joke. A womanizing playboy, “Imam Kardashian” who marries models and drinks alcohol on his megayacht? Such a good Muslim leader he is! A few online Nizari apologists probably know more about their religion than their actual “imam” (and since he has the right to change laws to keep up with modernity, a couple of imams down the line, and we’ll probably see their jamaat legalizing same-sex marriages, smoking cannabis, etc.).
The Mustaalite branches are even smaller in numbers, more isolated than Agakhanis and live in their bubbles, suffering from a number of schisms. These branches are just dying off. And before they vanish, they may suffer a few more schisms on their way. Irrelevant. إن شاء الله, some of them join the jamaat of أهل الحق والاستقامة!
Zaydis are like Ibadis in sheer numbers, but geographically limited to Yemen and a few thousand in Saudi Najran geographically (unlike Ibadis who’re more distributed). Their monarchist imamate has been absent since the establishment of the unified Yemeni Republic. If this dormant imamate is ever revived, it will be purely spiritual (no political governance). Unless Yemen breaks up again. The Houthis are more about politics than religion, they want to control the entire country, and so they don’t claim to revive their imamate. Their Zaydi imamate is as pointless as that of the Twelvers. Twelvers at least have the excuse that their imam is wandering the Earth and waiting for some right conditions to leave the state of occultation. Zaydis just outright don’t care about their imamate anymore, no explanation whatsoever, no efforts to revive it.
As for Twelvers, brother, you have a slight misconception. I have a Twelver Shia Azeri friend, quite knowledgeable and religious.
I was surprised to learn from him that the Iranian regime departed quite a lot from “orthodox” Twelverism (in general fiqh and in aqeeda too, e.g. Sufi pantheism/وحدة الوجود, false unity between the Creator and His creation, أعوذ بالله, but I digress, here I’ll be talking about fiqh of governance specifically).
He told me that when Khomeini succeeded in overthrowing Pahlavi and declared his Islamic Republic, the vast majority of then-ayatollahs actually refused to recognize the regime of wali al-faqih (one ayatollah who did later did tawba and rejected it, was placed under house arrest and died).
Since the constitution required the most knowledgeable cleric to take over after Khomeini’s death, the regime got stuck because other ayatollahs rejected it. So they just changed the constitution to allow a mid-ranking cleric like Khamenei to take over. They put loyalty above proper religious credentials.
Some Twelver clerics opposed to Wilayat al-faqih still support the idea of some collective clerical rule (shura al-fuqaha). Because however knowledgeable a single cleric is, he is not infallible (unlike their alleged Mahdi), so to mitigate the potential impact (mistakes in ijtihad, etc.) of political/religious decisions, you should have a BENCH with SEVERAL governing clerics (and even then the political extent of their authority is debatable), not one-man dictatorship we see in Iran. Because having one-man rule is usurping the rights of their awaited Mahdi. So no single wali faqih/imam/caliph (he told me referring to Khomeini and Khamenei as imams is blasphemous, the title of imam is reserved for their 12 infallible imams). If Sunnis are supposed to have a caliph elected by their shura (أهل الحل والعقد), Twelvers may be ruled by their shura itself.
Some more radical Twelvers even go as far as claiming ANY Islamic governance (even by several clerics) is fake. Any such “Islamic” regime should be rejected as a taghoot. Because there are several narrations in their hadith collections which promote passivity (and the Khomeinist revolution of 1979 is thus contrary to their view, for they don’t believe in any Islamic political activity and any Islamic state except the state of Mahdi. Only he is infallible and can properly apply sharia, so until he comes, just enjoy your secular rule). Some narrations he cited:
Sort of “Shia Madkhalism”, you know. It’s a possible option for Usulis (depending on whether they perceive these narrations as reliable by isnad or not). And it’s a MUST for Akhbaris (who accept these alleged narrations from their imams without questioning isnad).
It was a very eye-opening experience. Wilayat al-faqih is a “makeshift” heteredox doctrine, a بدعة. If the Iranian regime falls, it will be utterly discredited. And since Twelvers have no other shot at Islamic governance (Iraq has a significant Sunni minority, almost a third of its population, Twelver Islamic state is unviable there, lest we see a new Da’esh from reactionary Sunnis. Azerbaijan is the same, huge Sunni minority + ruled by a secular post-Soviet pro-Israeli dictator. Bahrain is the same + ruled by an apartheid Sunni monarchy propped up by the Saudis), Islamic governance will be completely dead for them (whether it is Wilayat al-faqih or Shura al-fuqaha). They will end up in the same situation as Zaydis.
I hope it helps you understand the Twelverist perspective better. It’s not just Iran.
You know, the whole situation serves as an additional confirmation of Ibadism to me as the most valid Islam. The Qur’an clearly instructs not to divide:
And yet Shias are divided: many sects have died off, but Twelvers, Zaydis, several Ismaili branches still remain there, and Twelvers are further subdivided into 3 aqeedas: Usuli, Akhbari, Ihqaqi (and Usulis are subdivided into allies of “Iranian” Shiism with Wilayat al-faqih, wahdat al-wujood, irfan and everything related and its enemies from more orthodox Twelvers).
So did Sunnis, with a bunch of fiqh schools (some died off, but 4 survive, Hanafi, Shafi’i, Hanbali, Maliki + there are some small ultra-rare pockets for the 5th madhab, Zahiri + there are some Salafi/athari who don’t follow any particular madhab) and 3 aqeedas (Salafi/athari, Maturidi, Ashari. Maybe 4 if you count neo-Mutazilites). And don’t forget a truckload of Sufi orders.
Ibadis are the only Muslims who take this ayat seriously. One fiqh school, one aqeeda, no Sufism, no schisms, no nonsense. It’s just beautiful.
“O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion – Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allah ; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing. (Qur’an 5:54)
“And thus We set some wrongdoers on some others because of what they used to commit” (Qur’an 6:129)
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Seeing Sunni-Shi’i sectarian /political point scoring over Palestine is actually kind of sick and disturbing.
We wanted to be happy about the Houthis than we realized. Wait a minute. Palestine has been suffering even before Oct 7th.
Why the rocket attacks now?
Do those attacks really benefit Palestine as much as they help Iran? Does it really present some united front for Palestine as much as it helps Iran send a message to the United States?
When will Iran/Turkey send troops to help Palestine? Well, you see there is a conflict going on between Turkey/Azerbaijan on one side and Armenia/Iran are going to need those troops for when it turns into a hot war between the two.
We have Shi’i majority Iran who are allied with Christian majority Armenia and Christian majority Russia against their own brothers, Shi’i Azerbaijan.
Then we have Shi’a Azerbaijan, which directly gives oil to the Zionists.
Every time there is a flare-up against Iran, look at who shows up. Surprise! Hezbollah!
Iran needs that proxy militia for when the real geopolitical conflict comes between Iran/Saudi or Saudi/US/Zionist.
Can’t be spending those soldiers’ lives on the freedom of Palestine now, can we?
Hezbollah really ruined their image by allying with Bashar Al Assad.
To be fair, that whole situation was murky.
You had the al Nusra Front, which claimed to have split from Al-Qaeda. You had ISIS. You had Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)-led coalition—formerly Al Nusra Front, and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) and the U.S. backed Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
This does not at all justify the culpability of the Iranian government and Hezbollah for the crimes committed against the Sunni in that nation anymore than it justifies the culpability of Qatar or U.A.E. or Saudi Arabia in any support they gave towards Sunni extremists and the crimes committed towards the Shi’i there.
Let us not forget about Sudan, where we have Saudi Arabia, who supports the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the primary patron and supporter of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“O believers! Take neither Jews nor Christians as guardians-they are guardians of each other. Whoever does so will be counted as one of them. Surely Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people. (Qur’an 5:51).
We cannot quote the above ayat when it is convenient to do so against Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain and then forget the ayat the moment Iran sides with Christian Armenia against Shi’i majority Azerbaijan or seeks aid from Christian majority Russia.
If we are honest and consistent, there is probably no Muslim country that has not violated the above ayat in some shape or form.
What can we do?
First and foremost, pray! We make du’a for the Ummah. Especially in Ramadan.
Take every country that has a Muslim majority and target where they can assist and help the oppressed and where they can harm and hurt the oppressors.
We could start with places like the Sunni majority United Arab Emirates, and the Sunni majority Saudi Arabia asking them to not recognize the rogue terrorist state. To mention from the minbar and during the Friday prayers the suffering of our brothers and sisters. We can ask the Shi’i majority Azerbaijan not to supply oil to the Zionists.
Point scoring and sectarian point scoring at this time is no bueno.
Who do we support in the ongoing clashes between the Shi’i in Iraq? (Sadrist -Khomeinist)
After the 2003 US-led invasion, the Sadrist Mahdi Army and Iran-backed militias like the Badr Brigades were ostensibly allied. However, tensions over Iran’s growing influence erupted into open fighting. A key moment was the August 2007 clashes in Karbala, where fighting between the Mahdi Army and Badr Brigades killed 50 Shia pilgrims.
Escalation and Fragmentation: By 2006, factions that were more loyal to Iran than to Sadr, such as Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), broke away from the Mahdi Army . These “Special Groups” continued to fight, targeting both US forces and Sadrists, solidifying the split between the nationalist and pro-Iran camps.
Recent Confrontations: The rivalry remains a central feature of Iraqi politics. In August 2022, following Sadr’s electoral success, huge battles broke out in Baghdad between the Sadrists and Iran-backed militias, shutting down the headquarters of AAH and Badr in several areas. Clashes continued into September 2022 in Basra. As recently as April 2023, Iraqi forces had to intervene to prevent all-out fighting between the sides in Baghdad.
Even more recently, with the assassination of Khamenei, the Grand Ayatollah Sistani, himself represented by his office, and the broader religious establishment in Najaf, expressed condolences but did not issue a call for holy war or urge Iraqis to fight for Iran. Their focus remains on the interests of Iraq and preventing their country from becoming a battleground.
What can you do for Palestine?
Continue to do whatever you are doing now.
Do not vote for politicians that have strong pro-Zionist stances. Continue to raise awareness. Continue to boycott products that support the Zionists. Continue to attend protests and pro-awareness demonstrations. By any means that you can send support (that is when they allow it to get through). Continue to write to the heads of state in the Middle East, as a citizen and voice your anger and frustration at what is happening. Put pressure on all Muslim majority countries not to support the Zionist entity with economic trade and/or recognition at all.
Remember Islam is NOT an anti-semetic religion. We do not hate Jewish people.
“O believers! Stand firm for Allah and bear true testimony. Do not let the hatred of a people lead you to injustice. Be just! That is closer to righteousness. And be mindful of Allah. Surely Allah is All-Aware of what you do.” (Qur’an 5:8)
“And thus We set some wrongdoers on some others because of what they used to commit” (Qur’an 6:129)
This verse can be used against ANYONE in the Middle East involved in doing injustice. Allah (swt) uses some zalim to punish other zalim.
Remember the Shi’i in Iran and throughout the Middle East are extremely vulnerable. They are in a state of major shock.
They lost the Yamani and the Khorasani while waiting for the Sufyani. They are in a state of shock. Many are feeling disillusioned, and so we should have empathy for them.
Likewise, many Sunnis feel very disillusioned with their own leadership. This could be the beginning of something wonderful for the Muslim Ummah.
Don’t get behind countries. As if there are good guys and bad guys. Ask Allah (swt) to support the Muslims wherever they may be. Ask Allah (swt) to support the believers wherever they may be.
“Surely, Allah does not change the condition of a people unless they change themselves. When Allah intends evil for a people, there is no way to turn it back, and for them there is no patron other than Him.” (Qur’an 13:11)
Whenever Allah (swt) opens any ideas or means to support them insh’Allah pursue that avenue as well! Above all else, remember them, remember the Rohingya, the Uigurs, the people of Congo and all oppressed people on this Earth. Remember them in your prayers and especially in Ramadan.
“Beware of a trial that will not only affect the wrongdoers among you. And know that Allah is severe in punishment.” (Qur’an 8:25)
“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes so that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” (Qur’an 49:13)
“Moreover, of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and your colors. Indeed in that are signs for those of knowledge.” (Qur’an 30:22)
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There is nothing in the Qur’an that even remotely suggests that human diversity is in any way shape or form connected to some type of punishment, sin or curse. However, the Shi’i have come along with some very bizarre assertions.
There is for all to see in broad daylight. This is related by way of their 10th Imam Ali Ibn Muhammed Al-Hadi (Al Naqi)
By authentic traditions, it is related from ‘Abd al-‘Azim that Imam ‘Ali al-Naqi said that Nuh lived for two thousand five hundred years. One day while he was sleeping on the Ark, a strong wind blew and uncovered him. Ham and Yafith saw this and started laughing. Sam scolded them and covered Nuh. Nuh woke up and saw the two of them laughing and inquired the reason for that. Sam narrated what had happened. Nuh raised his hands towards the heavens and said, “O God, change the seed of Ham and al-Yasa‘ so that they beget dark-skinned children.” Nuh told them: “God has made your children the slaves of the children of Sam because he did good to me. You both are disinherited and your disinheritance will manifest itself in your children and the signs of notoriety will remain distinguishable in the progeny of Sam until the time the world will last. Therefore, all dark-skinned people are children of Ham and all the Turks, Saqaleyeh, Gog and Magog are the descendants of Yafith.
“Apart from this, those who are reddish and fair, are the children of Sam.”
So you can imagine with the Shi’i making a fuss about the Hadith of the Ark and supposedly all the vile people were wiped out in a flood and only the pure and the righteous were taken on the Ark of Noah (as), that eventually some people began to inquire about the variations in phenotypes, colours and complexions of human beings.
Of course, there are obvious theological questions that come from this.
All the Ahl Bayt of Noah (as) on the ark would have to be righteous and pure. This makes logical sense. If Allah (swt) was going to wipe out the whole of humanity for their evil and sins, you certainly wouldn’t want any evil people hitching a ride on the Ark.
For example:
“So it sailed with them through waves like mountains, and NOAH CALLED TO HIS SON who was apart , “O MY SON, come aboard with us and be not with the disbelievers. But he said, “I will take refuge on a mountain to protect me from the water.” Noah said, “There is no protector today from the decree of Allah, except for whom Allah gives mercy.” And the waves came between them, and he was among the drowned.” (Qur’an 11:42-43)
So it is not going to make any sense to say that those who went on Ahl Bayt of Noah (as) on the ark are those who are not pure, those with treachery in their hearts. However, the Shi’i go and make a big mess of things concerning this Hadith of the Ark.
So, naturally, there might be curious people who would inquire about the variations of phenotypes, pigmentation, and colours of human beings.
So this ‘infallible’ Imam Ali Ibn Mohammed Al-Hadi (Al Naqi) went into the kitchen and started to cook up something for the curious. He added carrots, cumin and ginger, and he added the black and the brown, and he threw everything in there except for the “reddish, fair-skinned”. Of course, because he was from among them!
So let’s look at this. Noah (as) apparently has a part of his body uncovered by the wind.
Who handles the wind blowing? Is it not Allah (swt)?
“Nuh raised his hands towards the heavens and said, “O God, change the seed of Ham and al-Yasa‘ so that they beget dark-skinned children.”
So what are dark-skinned people supposed to think of their complexion? That it is the result of the majesty and glory of Allah (swt) or that it is the result of sin?
What makes this even more riveting is that when you take into account that Noah (as) is considered the third prophet after Adam (as). This means that the original humans were ‘the fair-skinned’. Normally, that would be an absolute laugh riot if it were not for the fact that it is so incredibly sad.
This beautiful little girl is the creation of Allah (swt). She is beautiful. Black is beautiful, and it is only the hearts that are corrupt and ugly!
“God has made your children the slaves of the children of Sam because he did good to me.”
You have to ask yourself what the children did?
Is this the concept of justice the Shi’i uphold?
Is this what we can expect from Imam Mahdi?
We know where the Shi’i imams got this nonsense from.
They got it from:
“Also, Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his brothers outside. But Shem and Japeth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.” (Genesis 9:22-23).
However, even then there is nothing about anyone’s phenotype or skin pigmentation being changed. This was used with devestating effect by Christian Protestant Churches in South Africa. You may read about that here: https://ojs.reformedjournals.co.za/index.php/stj/article/view/1330
The Shi’i imams give their own twist to this.
The problem, of course, is that the Shi’i tell us that Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Babawayh al-Qummi or Shaykh As Saduq quote this as evidence to explain why blacks are black.
Al-Majlisi authenticated it!’
OPEN CHALLENGE TO ANY 12ER SHI’i UNDER THE SUN.
Here is an open challenge to any 12er Shi’i reading this.
Bring for us one piece of evidence from any of the Hadith Masters who critiqued this narration based upon the Matn alone!
Never mind the chain of narrators. Why wouldn’t the text alone be enough to call into account its veracity? Especially in light of the Qur’an.
“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes so that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” (Qur’an 49:13)
Prima Qur’an Conclusion:
We are regarded in the sight of Allah (swt) based upon our righteousness and nothing else. If Allah (swt) bestows favours upon any of us more than others, it is simply a mercy and a blessing from Allah (swt). It is also a trial if we are not grateful.
Allah (swt) loves all of His creation. In fact, when describing the process of creating humanity, Allah (swt) chose to tell us that it from altered ‘black mud’.
˹Remember, O Prophet˺, when your Lord said to the angels, “I am going to create a human being from sounding clay molded from black mud .”(Qur’an 15:28)
We also know that it is the characteristic of the most vile of creations, Iblis, that insists that he would not regard a creation made from altered black mud.
He said, “Never would I prostrate to a human whom You created out of clay from an altered black mud.” (Qur’an 15:33)
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
Allah’s Messenger (saw) said, “You should listen to and obey, your ruler even if he was an Ethiopian (black) slave whose head looks like a raisin.”
And when such a leader comes forth, may our oath of allegiance be to him. May his allegiance be to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah, so that his authority be on our necks; and may Allah support him with the truth!
This is not the only time an Imam of the Shi’i has had something heinous to say.
You can where Imams al-Bāqir and Al Sadiq attack the mother of the believers Aisha (ra) who is actually in Wilāyat al-Ḥaqīqah! They use the death of the Blessed Prophet’s son as a plot to device to attack Aisha (ra)!
“Oh Mankind! Behold, We have created you all out of a male and a female, and have made you into nations and tribes so that you might come to know one another. Truly, the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the one who is most deeply conscious of Him. Behold, Allah is all-knowing, All-Aware.” (Qur’an 49:13)
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There are many across the Islamic spectrum who claim superiority based upon lineage, family affiliation via blood ties, tribe or ethnicity.
This includes and is not limited to all Alids, Imami Shi’i, Zaydis, and the Sunni scholars this article will address in particular. Prepare to deal with the overwhelming force of the Qur’an, Sunnah, and basic 101 common sense logic.
By the way, the above-mentioned groups are glib when it comes to this issue anyway. You would think that if you claim superior merit based upon lineage, family affiliation via blood ties, tribe or ethnicity, that this would be the case for the whole of said lineage, family, tribe or ethnicity.
Yet, you have Hussein bin Talal, former Viceroy of Jordan who was married once to Toni Avril Gardiner & Lisa Halaby.
These names didn’t sound very Islamic, nor did they cater to the sensitivities of Arab superiority, to say, King Hussein and “Queen Toni” so she became: “Muna Al Hussein.”
Likewise, it didn’t sound very Islamic, nor cater to the sensitivities of those who believed in Arab superiority to say, King Hussein and “Queen Lisa,” so she became: Noor Al Hussein.”
Guess what happens to all these alid women, rather they are from the lineage of Hassan or Hussein? Well, very often they are confined to a life of bitter spinsterhood.
While the men get their pick of the entire planet (and often do pass up the supposed superior brand), the superior brand often get consigned to a life of Netflix, cats and spinsterhood.
What is the point of mentioning these things? Is it to shame these women? Did Toni Avril Gardiner & Lisa Halaby do something wrong by getting wooed and marrying a wealthy man? No, we pity these women (in the case of the Alid spinsters). They are simply victims of an unjust system and a flawed representation of Islam.
Remember how we are told that the Aga Khan is a descendant of the Blessed Prophet (saw) via Fatima(ra)? What does that even matter?
Andrew Ali Aga Khan Embiricos
A descendant of the Aga Khan, Andrew Embiricos made headlines in 2007 when his secret life as an amateur porn star was exposed. He was found to be posting a series of raunchy videos starring himself. It was said he contracted HIV and battled drug addiction.
The claim being refuted: That descent from the Prophet (saw) confers some inherent spiritual status, nobility, or moral excellence.
The evidence: Andrew Embiricos—a descendant of the Aga Khan, and thus tracing lineage to the Prophet through Fatima (ra)—lived a life dramatically contrary to Islamic teachings (pornography, drug addiction).
The rhetorical question: “What does that even matter?” — i.e., if this person has the lineage but not the righteousness, what value did the lineage actually provide?
Once again, you have acclaimed descendants of the Blessed Prophet (saw) passing over the women of the household for western women.
This entry is to soundly refute the unfounded and baseless assertions made by scholars from the Ahl Sunnah, in particular, Abū ʿAbdullāh Muhammed ibn Idrīs al-Shāfīʿī and Abu Zakaria Muhiy ad-Din Yahya Ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi. As well as Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥalīm ibn ʿAbd as-Salām Ibn Taymiyya al-Ḥarrānī whom we reference as Ibn Taymiyya.
You know it is rather tongue in cheek when many of these so-called ‘traditionalists’ lament about ‘the good ‘ole days’. Especially in the imaginary chess game of ‘Islam vs the West’. What a rather clever and sinister thing to do; rally the masses to throw off one oppressor only to clothe themselves in another tyranny.
So before we begin our refutationn let us take a look at what some from Ahl Sunnah have to say shall we?
Note: We are not quite sure if this is a troll site because there are numerous other articles here that are simply bizarre. However, there have been people within our tradition who have held some of the views that he posts. As regards this particular article, everything he says here checks out. It checks out, meaning he did not misquote any of the sources.
We are going to produce the totality of what is said here:
Recently I’ve noticed a trend among Arab Muslim families, especially those living in the West, where they allow their daughters to get married to non-Arab men.
Yes, it is true,I am not making this up.
How disgusting!
Yes, I know that it is not haraam to do so, but neither is rubbing feces on your face! Would you do that as well?
Brothers and Sisters, our deen is clear. It is recommended for people to marry someone who is their kafa’a (religiously suitable match), and non-Arab men are NOT a suitable match for Arab women.
This is well-established in our faith. Read, for example, my previous post about how Arabs are the most superior of all races. But if that isn’t enough, read what our worthy scholars have told us about this matter. We see the following regarding the kafa’a for marriage in the classic Shafi’i manual of Islamic law titled ‘Umdat as-Salik wa ‘Uddat an-Nasik (Reliance of the Traveller and Tools of the Worshipper):
والكفاءةُ في: النسَبِ والدِّينِ والحريةِ والصَّنعةِ وسلامة العيوبِ المُثْبِتَةِ للخِيار، فلا يُكافئ العجميُّ عربيةً، ولا غيرُ قُرَشيٍّ قُرشيَّةً، ولا غيرُ هاشميٍّ أو مُطَّلبيٍّ هاشميةً أو مطَّلبيةً، ولا فاسقٌ عفيفةً، ولا عبدٌ حرةً، ولا العتيقُ أو من مسَّ آباءَهُ رِقٌّ حرةَ الأصلِ، ولا ذو حِرفَةٍ دنيئةٍ بنتَ ذي حِرفةٍ أرفعَ، كخياطٍ بنتَ تاجرٍ، ولا معيبٌ بعيبٍ يُثْبِتُ الخِيارَ سليمةً منهُ، ولا اعتبارَ باليسارِ والشيخوخةِ، فمتى زوَّجها بغَيْرِ كُفءٍ بغَيرِ رضاها ورِضا الأولياءِ الذينَ هم في درَجتهِ فالنِّكاحُ باطلٌ، وإن رَضُوا أو رضيَتْ فليسَ للأبعدِ اعتراضٌ.
(Taken from the section of Kafa’a in the chapter of Nikaah in the text)
Translation: Kafa’a (Suitability in marriage for a female) is in the lineage (ancestry of the man), and in religiousness, and his being a free man (not a slave), and in his profession, and his being free of defects that can cause the annulment of the marriage. And the ajami (non-Arab) is NOT suitable for an Arab woman, and a non-Qurayshi is NOT suitable for a Qurayshi woman (Quraysh was the tribe of the Holy Prophet (S)), nor is a non-Hashimi or non-Muttalabi suitable for a Hashimi or Muttalabi woman (Hashimites are the members of the clan to which the Holy Prophet (S) belonged to, and Muttalabites are the descendants of the grandfather of the Holy Prophet(S)). Nor is an immoral man suitable for a virtuous woman, nor is a slave suitable for a free woman, nor is a freed slave or one whose ancestors were touched by slavery suitable for a (free) woman whose ancestors were free. Nor is a man of a lowly profession suitable for the daughter of someone with a noble profession, such as a tailor wanting to marry a tradesman’s daughter.
So we see that the following are NOT kafa’a (suitable for marriage) for women:
Non-Arab men for Arab women
Non-Qurayshi man for a Qurayshi woman
Non-Hashimi or non-Muttalabi for a Hashimi or Muttalabi woman
Sinful man for virtuous a woman
A slave or a freed slave for a free woman
A free man but one whose ancestors might have been slaves for a free woman whose ancestors were not slaves
A man with a lowly profession for a woman whose father has a noble profession
Brothers and Sisters, your deen is not a game. Do not ignore the instructions of our scholars who labored long and hard for our benefit and left us with such treasures. As for this book, you might be pleased to know that there exists a partial translation of this work in English as well, which you can read more about here and here. The translator included the Arabic text I’ve quoted above in the book (pages 523-524), but did not translate it into English. It seems that he is also one of these “modern Muslims” who stoops low to ingratiate the Western kuffaar by ignoring the teachings of our Muslim scholars.
So I warn you again, do not ignore your deen for the sake of worldly desires or to please the kuffaar Westerners, and keep your daughters and sisters away from non-Arab men, descendants of slaves, and those in lowly professions.
But that is only if you are Arab. If you do not belong to this superior race, then these conditions do not apply to you, so do with your women as you please.”
Prima Qur’an comments: We will respond to the above. They continue with:
“SubhanAllaah! What has the ummah come to when Muslims ban you for quoting Imam Nawawi! You’re right, Imam Nawawi has been very clear about this issue in his Minhaj. He says:
The characteristics of suitability (kafa’a) are the following: Absence of permanent (bodily) defects And freedom: The male slave is not suitable for a free woman. And the freed slave is not suitable for a woman who is free since birth (hurratun asliyyah).
And genealogy: The non-Arab male (A’jamiy) is not suitable for an Arab woman, nor is a non-Qurayshi male (suitable) for a Qurayshi woman, nor a non-Hashimi or non-Muttalibi male for a Hashimi or Muttalibi female. Rather the consideration of genealogy among non-Arabs is to be taken into account just as it is with Arabs. And virtuousness: An evil-doer man is not suitable for a virtuous/chaste woman.
And occupation (job/profession): A male with a lowly occupation is not suitable for a woman whose rank (in society) is higher than his. A sweeper, a cupper (or barber), a doorkeeper (or guard), a shepherd, a person who works at a bathhouse (hummaam) are not suitable for the daughter of a tailor. And a tailor is not suitable for the daughter of a merchant or clothier. And neither of those are suitable for the daughter of a scholar or judge.
Differences in ease of circumstances (wealth) are not considered (in suitability for marriage).
Defects in certain characteristics (of suitability) are not compensated by (excellence in) other characteristics. (As for men) A man cannot marry his minor (sagheer), son, to a slave woman, for this is dishonorable for the religion (madhab), but it is allowed for him to marry his son to a woman even if the remaining suitability conditions (mentioned above) do not match his.
From the beginning of Creation, humans of every race have been wondering which race is the most superior. Alhamdulillah, with the arrival of our Blessed Prophet (S), this question has been thoroughly answered to the satisfaction of all. For our Blessed Prophet (S) has said in this authentic narration:
Narrated Wathilah bin Al-Asqa’: that the Messenger of Allah (S) said: “Indeed Allah has granted eminence (istafa) to Isma’il [the ancestor of the Arabs] from the children of Ibrahim, and He granted eminence to Banu Kinanah from the children of Isma’il, and He granted eminence to the Quraish [the tribe of the Prophet(s)] from Banu Kinanah, and He granted eminence to the Banu Hashim [the clan of the Prophet(S)] from the Quraish, and He granted eminence to me from Banu Hashim.” http://sunnah.com/urn/634660
As well as in this authentic narration from Imam Muslim’s Saheeh:
Wathila b. al-Asqa’ reported: I heard Allah’s Messenger (S) as saying: Verily Allah granted eminence to Kinana from amongst the descendants of Isma’il [the ancestor of the Arabs] and he granted eminence to the Quraish amongst Kinana, and he granted eminence to the Banu Hashim amongst the Quraish, and he granted me eminence from the tribe of Banu Hashim. http://sunnah.com/muslim/43/1
And in a similar authentic narration from our Blessed Prophet (S), he said:
أنا محمدُ بنُ عبدِ اللهِ بنِ عبدِ المطلبِ ، إنَّ اللهَ تعالى خلق الخلْقَ فجعلني في خيرِهم ، ثم جعلهم فرقتَين ، فجعلَني في خيرِهم فرقةً ، ثم جعلهم قبائلَ ، فجعلني في خيرِهم قبيلةً ، ثم جعلهم بيوتًا ، فجعلني في خيرهم بيتًا ، فأنا خيركُم بيتًا ، وأنا خيرُكم نفسًا
(The Prophet(S) said): ‘I am Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib. Indeed, Allah created the creation and made me from the best of them, and He then made them two groups (Arabs and non-Arabs) and made me from the best of them (the Arabs), then He made the tribes and made me from the best tribe, then He made the houses and made me from the best house. So I am the best house among them, and I am the best person among them.’”
This narration has been recorded and authenticated by Shaykh Albani in his Saheeh Jami` al-Sagheer, hadith number 1472 (the book (in Arabic) can be read here: http://www.alalbany.net/4314)
The following is the text from the scanned PDF of this text:
This narration has also been authenticated in the following texts:
Shaykh Albani also authenticated it (as narrated by Abbas bin Abd al-Muttalib) in his Takhreej Mishkat al-Masabeeh, hadith number 5689
Imam Ahmad bin Muhammad Shakir authenticated it in his Umdah at-Tafseer, volume 1, page 819
Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaani said it is sound (Hasan) in his Al-Amaali al-Mutlaqah, page 70
Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haythami authenticated it in his Mujma` al-Zawa’id, vol 8, pg 218
Imam Ibn Katheer said it has a good (jayyid) chain in his Jami` al-Masaneed wal-Sunan, hadith #5933
Shaykh Amjad Rasheed of SunniPath.com has also clarified this matter for us:
It is obligatory on a Muslim to believe that Arabs are preferred over other nations because there is a proof for it. However, this is not one of the pillars of our religion such that if someone rejected this, they would be considered outside of Islam. But if one does reject this, one has sinned for not believing in it because it is an affirmed matter according to a clear rigorously authenticated hadith.
So, dear brothers and sisters, do not be deceived by the propaganda of the Westerners, who wish to debase the deen of Allaah because of their own racial inferiority. But what Allaah has elevated, no one can debase!
To close, I will leave you with this statement from Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah in his IqtiDaa’ Siraat al-Mustaqeem, volume 1, page 419:
فإن الذي عليه أهل السنة والجماعة اعتقاد أن جنس العرب أفضل من جنس العجم عبرانيهم وسريانيهم رومهم وفرسهم وغيرهم وأن قريشا أفضل العرب وأن بني هاشم أفضل قريش وأن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أفضل بني هاشم فهو أفضل الخلق نفسا وافضلهم نسبا
Indeed it is the belief of the Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jama’ah that the race of Arabs is superior to the race of non-Arabs, the Hebrews (Jews), the Syrians (Arameans), the Romans (Europeans), the Persians, and others. And indeed the Quraysh [tribe of the Prophet (S)] is the most superior among the Arabs. And indeed the Banu Hashim [the clan of the Prophet (S)] is the most superior among the Quraysh. And indeed the Prophet, may the Blessings and Peace of Allaah be upon him, is the most superior of the Banu Hashim, for he is the most superior of all creation by his own self, and also the most superior among them because of his lineage (ancestry) PDF Scan of the above:
The Ibadi school refutes the claims of Arab superiority.
How the Ibadi school uses the Qur’ān, Sunnah, and manṭiq(logic).
Let’s get into it.
As far as preference and superiority are concerned. Allah (swt) has himself informed us that he has given preference to some people over others in various situations.
“Behold! The angels said: “O Mary! Allah has chosen you and purified you- chosen you above the women of all nations.” (Qur’an 3:42)
“O Children of Israel, remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you and that I preferred you over the worlds.” (Qur’an 2:122)
It is likely and even factual that there are people who are ‘superior’ to us in terms of mathematical knowledge, basketball skills, archery skills, typing speed, etc.
In fact, we know this to be the case. The opposite is also true. However, this has absolutely nothing to do with one’s ethnicity, family affiliation or tribal identity.
In fact, often when Allah (swt) does favour one group of people or an individual over the other with his blessings, they ‘repay’ Allah (swt) with blatant rebellion, defiance of his command or outright negligence.
An example would be the following verse:
“And on some of you Allah has bestowed more abundant means of sustenance than on others: and yet, they who are more abundantly favoured are [often] unwilling to share their sustenance with those whom their right hands possess, so that they [all] might be equal in this respect. Will they, then, Allah’s blessings [thus] deny?” (Qur’an 16:71)
How about the fact that Allah (swt) conditions his statements of praise? for example:
“You are the best of people, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah. If only the People of the Book had faith, it would be best for them: among them are some who have faith, but most of them are perverted transgressors.” (Qur’an 3:110)
Why are they the best of people? They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. Yet some of those people from the above-mentioned groups believe that those who are the ‘best of people’ betrayed the trust of the blessed Prophet (saw).
The station of people can change before Allah (swt). This should go without saying, as one can go from a sinner to one who is repentant. One who is far from Allah (swt) to one who is close to Allah (swt).
“Say: “O Allah! Lord of Sovereignty! You give power to whom You please, and You strip off power from whom You please: You endow with honour whom You please, and You bring low whom You please: In Your hand is all good. Verily, over all things You have power.” Qur’an 3:26)
“Lo! you are those who are called to spend in the way of Allah, yet among you, there are some who hoard. And as for him who hoards, he hoards only from his soul. And Allah is the Rich, and you are the poor. And if you turn away He will exchange you for some other folk, and they will not be the likes of you.” (Qur’an 47:38)
Allah (swt) not once gives anyone in the Qur’an some protected status based solely upon their lineage, family blood ties, tribe or ethnicity.
Let the Alids, Imami Shi’i, Zaydis, and the Sunni scholars bring their proofs and evidence.
On the contrary, this is what we find:
“So they say, “Never will the Fire touch us, except for a few days.” Say, “Have you taken a covenant with Allah? Allah will never break His covenant. Or do you say about Allah that which you do not know?” (Qur’an 2:80)
“But the Jews and the Christians say, “We are the children of Allah and His beloved (hibbaohu).” Say, “Then why does He punish you for your sins?” Rather, you are human beings from among those He has created. He forgives whom He wills, and He punishes whom He wills. And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, and to Him is the [final] destination.” (Qur’an 5:18)
“So when the Horn is blown, no relationship will there be among them that Day, nor will they ask about one another.” (Qur’an 23:10)
“O humanity! Be mindful of your Lord, and beware of a Day when no parent will be of any benefit to their child, nor will a child be of any benefit to their parent. Surely Allah’s promise is true. So do not let the life of this world deceive you, nor let the Chief Deceiver deceive you about Allah.” (Qur’an 31:33)
The English say: Blood is thicker than water. In Islam, we say: Faith is thicker than blood.
Believers, do not take your fathers and brothers for allies if unbelief is dearer to them than faith; those of you who do so are unjust. (Qur’an 9:23)
You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred. Those – He has decreed within their hearts faith and supported them with spirit from Him. And We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him – those are the party of Allah . Unquestionably, the party of Allah – they are the successful. (Qur’an 58:22)
“The Day when neither wealth nor children will be of any benefit. Only those who come before Allah with a pure heart.” (Qur’an 26:88-89)
So, basically, the ‘adab’ or the hierarchy when it comes to phenotypes, according to Ibn Taymiyya, Imam Al Shafi’i, The Imami Shi’i, Zaydis and Alids, are as follows:
So let us see if this pyramid that is championed by Ibn Taymiyya (Imami Shi’i, Shafi’i, Zaydi, Alids) stands up to scrutiny.
Allah (swt) not once gives anyone in the Qur’an some protected status based solely upon their lineage, family blood ties, tribe or ethnicity.
The best that any of them are going to bring forward is as follows:
“O wives of the Prophet, whoever of you should commit a clear immorality – for her, the punishment would be doubled two fold, and ever is that, for Allah, easy. And whoever of you devoutly obeys Allah and His Messenger and does righteousness – We will give her reward twice; and We have prepared for her a noble provision. O wives of the Prophet, you are not like anyone among women. If you fear Allah, then do not be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should covet, but speak with appropriate speech. And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance. And establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah intends only to remove from you the impurity of sin, O people of the Prophet’s household, and to purify you with extensive purification. And remember what is recited in your houses of the verses of Allah and wisdom. Indeed, Allah is ever Subtle and Acquainted with all things.” (Qur’an 33:30-34)
Wives, women, her. The wives of the Prophet (saw) are all pure and purified. These verses, in their context, have absolutely nothing to do with any male relations of the Prophet (saw).
Allah (swt) gives instructions for how the wives of the Blessed Prophet (saw) are to become purified.
There is no ‘ismah or infallibility being imputed here and this is clear from the admonishment that Allah (swt) gives: “O wives of the Prophet, whoever of you should commit a clear immorality – for her, the punishment would be doubled twofold, and even is that, for Allah, easy.”
The purification is due to their being wives and proximity to the Blessed Prophet (saw) and not because of blood ties. Safiyya bint Huyayy (ra) is proof of this.
Whatever blessing is being conferred upon the wives of the Blessed Prophet (saw) the verses are absolutely silent about their descendants.
Similar to Allah (swt) doing this for the Blessed Virgin Mary (as)
“Behold! the angels said: “O Mary! Allah has chosen you and purified you- chosen you above the women of all nations.” (Qur’an 3:42)
Look again at point 4.
“Whatever blessing is being conferred upon the wives of the Blessed Prophet (saw) the verses are absolutely silent about their descendants.”
“Moreover, remember that Abraham was tried by his Lord with certain commands, which he fulfilled: He said: “I will make you an Imam to the Nations.” He pleaded: “And also (Imams) from my offspring!” He answered: “But My Promise is not within the reach of evildoers.” (Qur’an 2:124)
The Shi’i (Zaydi, Imami) would counter as follows: “My covenant does not include the wrongdoers.” This is a cornerstone of their argument. They use it to prove that an Imam must be free from wrongdoing (infallible). They would argue that Abraham, after passing his tests, was made an Imam, and then asked about his progeny. Allah’s response clarified that the Imamate would continue in his progeny, but only among those who are not wrongdoers. Therefore, they would say, the Imamate is a divinely bestowed position that runs in the purified lineage of Abraham, through Ismail, and ultimately to the Prophet Muhammed (saw) and his purified Ahl al-Bayt (Ali, Fatima, and their righteous descendants). The sinful descendants we mention are precisely the ones who are excluded from this covenant because they are wrongdoers.
This counter argument is also deeply flawed. It puts the carriage before the horse. We will not know which of the descendants are just. We can only know by observing their behavior through their lifetime.
This brings a crucial distinction between ontological reality (what something is) and epistemological access (how we know what it is).
If you notice Allah (swt) didn’t write a blank check for the descendants of Abraham. If you were made virtuous by being a descendant of a prophet, then Allah(swt) would have simply granted Abraham’s du’a; however, he did not. He made a caveat, “My promise is not within reach of the evildoers.”
Is this not interesting? Make Imams of me and my offspring!
In other words, I will grant your du’a to those who hold on to my commands and strive their utmost to be righteous servants.
What did these descendants of Prophet Ibrahim (as) get up to?
They cried, “Our father! We went racing and left Joseph with our belongings, and a wolf devoured him! But you will not believe us, no matter how truthful we are.” (Qur’an 12:17)
These Muwahid, The Ahl Bayt of Jacob (as), Sons of a Prophet lied to their father! Imagine telling your own father that his son (your own brother) was eaten by a wolf! Can you imagine the grief it would bring him?!
Allah (swt) tells us in very vivid language how severe was the grief and trauma of Jacob (as). The trauma that Prophet Jacob (as) went through on account of his progeny, the progeny of the Household.
“He turned away from them, lamenting, “Alas, poor Joseph!” And his eyes turned white out of the grief he suppressed.” (Qur’an 12:84)
A more recent example.
As mentioned above, Andrew Ali Aga Khan Embiricos is a more recent and widely known example, that if this person has the lineage but not the righteousness, what value does the lineage actually provide?
Allah (swt) has given us multiple examlpes of lineage not equating to piety or righteousness.
Cain killed his brother Abel. Both were descendants of the Prophet Adam (upon whom be peace). Yet, one was righteous and the other became the ‘first’ murderer. Such that Allah (swt) made an example of this particular incident throughout time.
“So his soul permitted to him the murder of his brother, so he killed him and became among the losers.” (Qur’an 5:30)
In reality, if you want to be technical, from the perspective that we all came from Adam, or are ‘Bani Adam‘—the children of Adam, we are in reality all descendants of the Prophets.
However, there has not been revealed in the Qur’an (the primary source for all Muslims) any indication that righteousness, piety, awareness of Allah, humility, humbleness, charity, chivalry etc. are traits that one acquires via genetics.
So let us take this group’s ideas that tend to be shared among the cabal that preaches supremacy on the basis of tribal affiliation.
“And the ajami (non-Arab) is NOT suitable for an Arab woman, and a non-Qurayshi is NOT suitable for a Qurayshi woman (Quraysh was the tribe of the Holy Prophet (saw), nor is a non-Hashimi or non-Muttalabi suitable for a Hashimi or Muttalabi woman (Hashimites are the members of the clan to which the Holy Prophet (saw) belonged to, and Muttalabites are the descendants of the grandfather of the Holy Prophet (Saw). Nor is an immoral man suitable for a virtuous woman, nor is a slave suitable for a free woman, nor is a freed slave or one whose ancestors were touched by slavery suitable for a (free) woman whose ancestors were free.”
Their first argument: and a non-Qurayshi is NOT suitable for a Qurayshi woman
Ibadi response: You can go and tell that to the Blessed Prophet (saw) whom married Zayd ibn Haritha al-Kalbi (ra) of a non-Qurayshi to Zaynab bint Jahsh (ra) a Qurayshi.
When there was some consternation from the family of Zaynab (ra) on the very point of tribal concerns the following verses were revealed:
“It is not fitting for a Believer, man or woman when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger to have any option about their decision: if anyone disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path.” (Qur’an 33: 36)
So it does not matter what people think.
What matters is what Allah (swt) and his Messenger (saw) has given us.
No Qurayshi individual is praised by name in the Qur’an. This is a valid observation.
In fact, the only companion that is mentioned by name in the Qur’an just so happens to be a Non-Qurashi.
“And [remember, O Muhammed], when you said to the one on whom Allah bestowed favor and you bestowed favor, “Keep your wife and fear Allah ,” while you concealed within yourself that which Allah is to disclose. And you feared the people, while Allah has more right that you fear Him. So when Zayd had no longer any need for her, We married her to you in order that there not be upon the believers any discomfort concerning the wives of their adopted sons when they no longer have need of them. And ever is the command of Allah accomplished.” (Qur’an 33:37)
Where as the one Qurashi mentioned by name is done so in damnation and dishonour!
“May the hands of Abu Lahab perish, and he ˹himself˺ perish!” (Qur’an 111:1)
Their second argument: And the ajami (non-Arab) is NOT suitable for an Arab woman
Ibadi response: Yet here we have Bilal Ibn Rabah (ra) whom married Arab women. He married Halah bint Auf (Halal bint Awf) the sister of Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf. He married Hind Khaulaniyah (Hind bint Awf Al-Khazraji).
Their third argument: nor is a slave suitable for a free woman, nor is a freed slave or one whose ancestors were touched by slavery suitable for a (free) woman whose ancestors were free
Pay close attention to the status of the on in this verse before society and before Allah.
“And do not marry mushrik women until they believe. And a believing slave woman is better than a mushrik, even though she might please you. And do not marry mushrik men until they believe. And a believing slave is better than a mushrik, even though he might please you. Those invite to the Fire, but Allāh invites to Paradise and to forgiveness, by His permission. And He makes clear His verses to the people that perhaps they may remember.” (Qur’an 2:221)
In the scenario above the slave has a low status before the people. The free person has the high status before the people.
In both situations when a believer is to access who to give their son or daughter to for the continuation of their lineagethe believer is always superior to the unbelieverin every scenario.
They may even agree and say yes, yes, but the slave is not suitable for a believer that is free. Well, Allah (swt) didn’t qualify that at all. Allah (swt) shows us in the text above that, in a consideration of marriage, that a believing slave is better than a mushrik. Which does not disbar the free from marrying them, as the text itself would not make any sense.
Not withstanding the previous examples given. Coupled with the fact that none of these people who are obsessed with lineage give us clear text from the Qur’an or Sunnah to counter our evidence.
THE QUR’AN NEVER ONCES REFERENCES THE ARABS AS A QAWM (PEOPLE or NATION)
The Qur’an’s silence on “Arabs” as a distinct people (qawm) is striking precisely because the term existed and was used in pre-Islamic poetry and contemporary sources. The Qur’an could have addressed them as a qawm—but it doesn’t. This isn’t accidental.
When the Qur’an wants to address a people by their collective identity, it does so repeatedly:
“Children of Israel” (Bani Isra’il) — over 40 times
“People of Pharaoh” (Āli Fir’awn)
“People of Noah” (qawmi Nūh)
“People of ‘Ād” (qawmu ‘Ād)
“People of Thamūd” (qawmu Thamūd)
“People of Abraham” (qawmi Ibrāhīm)
“People of Lot” (qawmi Lūt)
“People of Shu’ayb” (qawmi Shu’ayb)
The contrast with “Children of Israel” is telling
Allah repeatedly addresses the Children of Israel, reminding them of their favored status and holding them accountable. The Qur’an could have similarly addressed “Arabs” or “Children of Ishmael”—but it doesn’t. Instead, the only ethnic/national group addressed as a collective with a shared genealogy is the Israelites.
This suggests the Qur’an is deliberately decenteringgenealogy-based collective identity for the new community, except as a point of reference to past nations.
“Arab” in the Qur’an is adjectival, not nominal
“arabiyyun” appears 11 times—always describing:
The Qur’an itself (lisanun ‘arabiyyun mubin)
Clear Arabic speech
Arabic judgment
The term describes a linguistic medium of revelation, not an ethnic identity that confers privilege. This shifts the frame: what matters is that the message was revealed in a particular language for accessibility, not that the people who spoke it are inherently superior.
You will not find the expression: “lisan al qawm al Arabi” in the Qur’an. Rather, the Qur’an uses the adjective arabiyy-un to describe the Qur’an and as a language. It does this 11 times.
“Had We made it a Quran not in Arabic, surely they would have said, “These verses should have been understandable! A non-Arabic (Quran) to one Arabic speaking? ” (wa’arabiyyun) Say, “It is guidance and healing (enabling healthy thought) for the believers!” As for those who do not believe, there is heaviness in their ears; it is an unperceivable object for them! (Thus it is as though) they are being called from a distant place.” (Qur’an 41:44)
“Indeed, We have sent it down as an (‘arabiyyan) Arabic Qur’an that you might understand.” (Qur’an 12:2)
What does this mean?
First, it is important to know that the Blessed Prophet (saw) himself is a descendant of Ishmael (Ismail). Ismail (as) is said to have had 12 sons. One of those are Kedar.
“These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam.” (Genesis 25:13)
Those who claim descent from Qahţān were called al-‘Arab al-Āribah (The Arabizing Arabs) while the descendants of Ismā’īl were called Al-‘Arab al-Musta’ribah (The Arabized Arabs). The Quraysh, the tribe of the Blessed Prophet Muhammed (saw) belonged to the class of Arabized Arabs and they were the Northern Arabs.
The Blessed Prophet (saw) comes from Ismail (as) whom is the progenitor of the musta’rab. This means they became Arab via adoption of the language and customs.
An eye opening and powerful reminder of those who put stock in one’s lineage. Interestingly, this also gives the meaning of what it is to be an Arab a broader range relating to adaptation and adoption and language culture and customs.
Think about the case of adoption. People in the former United States who adopt children from Cambodia or other places raise those children as their own. Those children will be raised learning to speak the English language and not Khmer. Culturally that child would be part of what ever cultural milieu is part and parcel of the family that adopted him/her; as well as the dominant society that surrounds them.
This totally undermines the kafa’a framework structurally
In discussions of marriage, كفاءة (kafāʾa) refers to compatibility or suitability between spouses (for example in religion, social standing, character, etc.).
If the Qur’an consistently avoids treating “Arab” as a qawm with inherent spiritual status, then building a marriage suitability system on that very category (al-‘arabiyyah vs. al-‘ajamiyyah) imports a framework the Qur’an itself doesn’t authorize. The kafa’a rules require “Arab” to be a meaningful religious-legal category. The Qur’an’s linguistic usage suggests otherwise.
So why does this matter?
We are pointing out that the classical jurists’ entire edifice of racial/ethnic hierarchy in marriage relies on treating “Arab” as a qawm with inherent spiritual weight. But the Qur’an—the primary source—doesn’t do that. It uses “Arab” adjectivally, for language. It uses “qawm” for peoples who receive prophets and face judgment.
This is textual evidence for a deliberate divine framing: your value isn’t in your ethnic identity but in your response to the message delivered in your tongue. We are defending what the Qur’an itself authorizes versus what categories later jurists imported.
Let’s take this statement of Ibn Taymiyyah:
“That the race of Arabs is superior to the race of non-Arabs, the Hebrews (Jews)…”
We can drop a precision guided nuke right on top of that statement with the following:
“Behold! The angels said: “O Mary! Allah has chosen you and purified you — chosen you above the women of all nations.” (Qur’an 3:42)
It is impossible for the Arabs to be above all people as this would include their women too. The Qur’an flat contradicts this assertion by asserting that the Blessed Mother Mary was above women of all nations.
This would mean that Arabs could not be de facto superior to Jews, because a Jewish woman is above all their women. Preferred by none other than Allah (swt)!
Not only this, but it is also not possible for the Quraysh or the Arabs to ever be superior to any other tribes of people who received Prophets and Messengers from Allah (swt) while they (the Quraysh and the Arabs — in general) were in a state of Jahiliyyah.
How anyone in their right frame of mind could argue this to be the case is truly beyond us!
Allah (swt) has reminded humanity of their lowly origins in the following verse:
“Surely We created man from a sperm-drop, a mingling, trying him; so We made him constantly hearing, constantly beholding.” (Qur’an 76:2)
The Blessed Messenger (saw) was brought into this world through conjugal relations.
Contrast that with the following:
“Behold! The angels said: “O Mary! Allah has chosen you and purified you — chosen you above the women of all nations.” (Qur’an 3:42)
Christ Jesus’ miraculous birth did not evolve the use of conjugal relations.
However, do we hold Christ Jesus (as) to be superior to the Blessed Prophet (saw)?
We do not.
Allah (swt) didn’t give the Blessed Messenger (saw) any sons. He gave other prophets many sons. However, Allah (swt) gave the Blessed Prophet (saw) Al Kawthar, the river of abundance. Which shows that this blessing supersedes the blessing of having children.
As mentioned above: Notice that Allah (swt) also admonished that those who given material wealth often squandered it over others.
“And on some of you Allah has bestowed more abundant means of sustenance than on others: and yet, they who are more abundantly favoured are [often] unwilling to share their sustenance with those whom their right hands possess, so that they [all] might be equal in this respect. Will they, then, Allah’s blessings [thus] deny?” (Qur’an 16:71)
Notice what Allah (swt) says to the children of Jacob
“O Children of Israel, remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you and that I preferred you over the worlds.” (Quran 2:122)
Yet, in the Bible we find:
” Thus says the LORD, which gives the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divides the sea when the waves roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: if those ordinances depart from before me, says the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever. Thus says the LORD; If…the foundations of the earth [can be] searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.” Source: (Jeremiah 31:35-36)
Thus, being in favour with Allah (swt) is contingent.
“You are the best of people, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah. If only the People of the Book had faith, it would be best for them: among them are some who have faith, but most of them are perverted transgressors.” (Qur’an 3:110)
This verse shows that being the ‘best of people’ is contingent upon: A enjoining what is right. B forbidding what is wrong
This verse cannot refer to Arabs (only) because there were and are many Arabs who are not-yet-Muslims. Many of them (Arabs) even killed those near and dear to the Blessed Messenger (saw).
“Lo! you are those who are called to spend in the way of Allah, yet among you, there are some who hoard. And as for him who hoards, he hoards only from his soul. And Allah is the Rich, and you are the poor. And if you turn away He will exchange you for some other folk, and they will not be the likes of you.” (Qur’an 47:38)
We also know, as the verse above and others like it show us that Allah (swt) only replaces with that which is better.
Again, Allah (swt) would not threaten the people of that time by being replaced by other folk if their status was not contingent upon obeying Him, following His commands and leaving that which He prohibited.
“Even if the one appointed over you is a mutilated Ethiopian slave whose nose and ears have been cut off, listen to him and obey, so long as he leads you according to the Book of Allah.”
Be prepared to be ruled over by people you used to own.
Be prepared to be ruled over by someone who you may even personally find uncomely or unsightly.
“The Messenger of Allah (saw), said: Be upright to the Quraysh as they are upright to you. If they do not do so, put your swords on your shoulders and annihilate their green crops. If you do not do so, then be wretched farmers and eat from the toil of your hands.”
Prima Qur’an Commentary on the above hadith: What does it mean to take the sword on the shoulders and to “annihilate their green crops” ? It means to “take their ni’ama” (take their blessings from them). Another meaning is to “waste their face,” i.e. annihilate them. To fight them because they are rejecting the orders of Islam. They become unjust. Just like the Prophet (saw) fought them when they rejected the truth.
As the Alids and the Ahl Bayt are from the Quraysh, the statement of the Blessed Prophet (saw) equally applies to them. If they are just to us, we are just to them. If they are not, we annihilate their green crops.
They are no better than anyone else.
So these (Alids, Imami Shi’a, Zaydis and those among the Sunnis) who claim superiority of this family or that tribe or this ethnic group is the same tired tune that was played by the Children of Israel before them.
The Quraysh tribe have something over the vast majority of the other tribes of the Earth. They put an embargo on the Blessed Prophet (saw). They killed many of his companions and loved ones. They treated him ill and more.
We can clearly see that Jews started to develop such doctrines themselves. In fact, the Talmud is filled with disdain for non-Jews.
It can be easy to be a member of the 12 tribes of Israel or, as Jews are the descendants of Judah and think that since they are ‘chosen’, they are somehow superior.
“But the Jews and the Christians say, “We are the children of Allah and His beloved (hibbaohu).” Say, “Then why does He punish you for your sins?” Rather, you are human beings from among those He has created. He forgives whom He wills, and He punishes whom He wills. And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, and to Him is the [final] destination.” (Qur’an 5:18)
Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar:
When we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (saw), he talked about periods of trial (fitnahs), mentioning many of them.
When he mentioned the one when people should stay in their houses, some asked him: Messenger of Allah, what is the trial (fitnah) of staying at home?
He replied: It will be flight and plunder. Then there will come a test which is pleasant. Its murkiness is due to the fact that it is produced by a man from the people of my house, who will assert that he belongs to me, whereas he does not, for my friends are only the God-fearing. (رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي يَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ مِنِّي وَلَيْسَ مِنِّي وَإِنَّمَا أَوْلِيَائِيَ الْمُتَّقُونَ) Then the people will unite under a man who will be like a hip-bone on a rib. Then there will be the little black trial which will leave none of this community without giving him a slap, and when people say that it is finished, it will be extended. During it a man will be a believer in the morning and an infidel in the evening, so that the people will be in two camps: the camp of faith which will contain no hypocrisy, and the camp of hypocrisy which will contain no faith. When that happens, expect the Antichrist (Dajjal) that day or the next.
“Say: “O Allah! Lord of Sovereignty! You give power to whom You please, and You strip off power from whom You please: You endow with honour whom You please, and You bring low whom You please: In Your hand is all good. Verily, over all things You have power.” (Qur’an 3:26)
The following is such a powerful verse!
Oh Mankind! Behold, We have created you all out of a male and a female, and have made you into nations and tribes so that you might come to know one another. Truly, the (akramakum) noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the one who is (atqākum)most deeply conscious of Him. Behold, Allah is all-knowing, All-Aware.” (Qur’an 49:13)
Akram — embodies the high qualities of nobility, honour and dignity.
Atqa — The one most fearful of Allah. Most conscious of one’s duty to Allah (swt).
Allah is addressing all mankind with a common point of origin and a common denominator. All of mankind is addressed in the above verse. Allah (swt) did not automatically give the qualities of atqa to blood ties, tribe, or ethnic group. Never!
“Those who avoid the major sins and immoralities, save small faults. Indeed, your Lord is vast in forgiveness. He was most knowing of you when He produced you from the earth and when you were fetuses in the wombs of your mothers. So do not claim yourselves to be (tuzzaku) pure; He is most knowing of who fears (ittaqa) Him.” (Qur’an 53:32)
Do not ascribe purity to yourselves.
Allah is most knowing of who truly fears him.
Prima Qur’an Conclusion:
Dear reader, any impartial and fair-minded individual will recognize from the preceding discussion, along with the many Qur’anic verses cited, that the Ibadi arguments—supported by evidence from the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and historical precedent—provide a compelling refutation of the opposing view on this issue.
It is already challenging enough that many Muslim men and women are being denied an opportunity to marry another believer because they are from another tribe or have a particular social status.
The last thing we need is people trying to Judaize Islam with some false notion of superior lineage, clans and families.
Simple basic logic shows the self-refutation nature of such a stance. It’s not made wajib for men to marry the best of women, but the best of women can only marry the best of the men?
Please forgive our many short comings and faults. While we celebrate let us not forget those who can’t due to war and oppression. Let us not forget the converts, often alone and isolated. 
Prima Quran 