The Crime of Divinity
It was the 750s CE, and the sword of the Abbasid caliph al-Mansur was dripping with the blood of the Shi'a of Al Muhammad.
Indeed, it was a very troublesome as the authorities began to impose severe restrictions on the mobility of Imam al-Sadiq - which was preventing him from being able to reach his Shi'a and share his blessed words with them.
Imam al-Sadiq tells his Shi'a from the town of al-Taif (in western Arabia):
(Rijal al-Kashi)
"If only you and I were in al-Ṭāʾif, I would share my ahadith with you and you would keep me company, and I would guarantee Abbasid authorities that we would never rise against them"
- رجال الكشي: صدقة بن حماد، عن سهل، عن موسى بن سلام، عن الحكم ابن مسكين، عن عيص بن القاسم، قال: دخلت على أبي عبدالله عليه السلام مع خالي سليمان بن خالد فقال لخالي: من هذا الفتى؟ قال: هذا ابن أختي قال: فيعرف أمركم؟ فقال له: نعم، فقال: الحمدلله الذي لم يجعله شيطانا، ثم قال: يا ليتني وإياكم بالطائف، أحدثكم وتؤنسوني، وأضمن لهم أن لا نخرج عليهم أبدا (2).
Abbasid control over Imam al-Sadiq was highly tightened on him in Medina, and the easy access of the Shi'a to him had become more controlled than in previous years.
The predicament facing the Shi'a at that time necessitated different measures to protect the truth of Al Muhammad, in the face of these new challenges.
The Imam will now engage in a significant level of taqiyya, to induce collective amnesia in the lay Shi'a with regards to ahadith that will strike Abbasid attention.
(Basa'ir al-Darajat)
Abū ʿAbd Allāh (peace be upon him) said:
“I do not find anyone to whom I can share my ahadith with.
Even if I were to tell one of you a hadith (narration), he would not leave Medina before publicizing my hadith.
After that same hadith I uttered is publicized and is brought up to me, I would say: I never said it.”
بصائر الدرجات: إبراهيم بن هاشم، عن محمد بن أبي عمير، عن جميل بن صالح، عن منصور ابن حازم قال: قال أبو عبد الله عليه السلام: ما أجد من أحدثه ولو أني احدث رجلا منكم بالحديث فما يخرج من المدينة حتى أوتي بعينه فأقول: لم أقله.
Only with such levels of denial and disassociation from genuine ahadith - can the remembrance of Abu al-Khattab be forcibly forgotten in the Shi'a.
It is not because Abu al-Khattab was a malevolent character.
Rather, it is because Abu al-Khattab was entrusted with a special mission which numerous elite before him and contemporary to him were also assigned.
Allama Majlisi writes:
"And I say: these great men — the distinguished companions of the Imams (peace be upon them) — were permitted by the Imams (peace be upon them) to abandon taqiyyah (dissimulation) for a special and hidden reason.
Or, they knew that taqiyyah would not benefit them — that they would be killed in any case — either through information from the infallible (Imam) or otherwise."
وأقول : كان هؤلاء الأجلاء من خواص أصحاب الأئمة عليهمالسلام كانوا مأذونين من قبل الأئمة عليهمالسلام بترك التقية لمصلحة خاصةخفية ، أو أنهم كانوا يعلمون أنه لا ينفعهم التقية وأنهم يقتلون على كل حال بأخبار المعصوم أو غيره ،
Abu al-Khattab, like numerous other elite, was permitted by the Imam to break taqiyya during this time period - for a "special and hidden reason."
At the same time, the Imam did not break taqiyya.
The best way for the Imam to be able to transmit his true (non-taqiyya) teachings, would be through his Babs such as Abu al-Khattab.
This would only be possible if the Imam cuts all ties to Abu al-Khattab in the apparent, and induce a collective amnesia over his ahadith.
Thus,
The purpose of our article today will investigate a hadith which reveals to us a glimspe on how Imam al-Sadiq induced the death of Abu al-Khattab's memory, for the purpose of taqiyya.
So without further adue
Let us begin!
1 ) THE CRIME OF DIVINITY
Zurara ibn A'yan is best known as a behemoth among the companions of Imam al-Sadiq, his ahadith on jurisprudence number in the thousands.
In general, he is very well regarded in mainstream literature.
Typically, Zurara's ahadith are directly narrated from the Imam.
Given his towering persona, it is extremely rare for Zurara to narrate from other Shi'a - unless they were of superior station to him.
One of such people Zurara narrated from was Abu al-Khattab, before Imam al-Sadiq's condemnation.
In the following narration, Zurara narrates the following hadith from Abu al-Khattab and seems to indicate his acceptance of it when he says "Abu Al-Khattab narrated to me while he was in the best of state"
The narration is as follows:
(Al-Kafi)
“On the authority of Zurara, he said:
Abu Al-Khattab narrated to me while he was in the best of state:
I asked Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) about the saying of God Almighty: “And when God alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter disgust.”
If God alone is mentioned through obedience to whom Allah ordered obedience from the the family of Muhammad, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter are disgusted, and if those whom God has not commanded to obey are mentioned, then they are rejoicing”
471 - علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن عمر بن أذينة، عن زرارة قال:
حدثني أبو الخطاب في أحسن ما يكون حالا قال: سألت أبا عبد الله (عليه السلام) عن قول الله عز وجل: " وإذا ذكر الله وحده اشمأزت قلوبالذين لا يؤمنون بالآخرة " فقال: وإذا ذكر الله وحده (بطاعة من أمر الله بطاعته من آل محمد) اشمأزت قلوب الذين لا يؤمنون بالآخرة وإذاذكر الذين لم يأمر الله بطاعتهم إذا هم يستبشرون
In essence -
Imam al-Sadiq to Abu al-Khattab the esoteric (batin) interpretation of the verse:
“And when God alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter disgust.”
The verse is not saying that the idea of monotheism (mentioning God alone) is what disgusts the hearts of disbelievers.
Rather - in the batin, the verse is saying:
The remembrance of God alone can only be achieved by obedience to those whom Allah ordered obedience from the family of Muhammad.
In other words, the Imams of Ahlulbayt.
Hence, "God alone is mentioned" in the verse refers to the Imams of Ahlulbayt, in the batin.
Because you cannot worship God alone - without obeying the Imams of Ahlulbayt (the guardians of Allah's name).
The Ahlulbayt's teachings are the one which will ensure you have proper Tawhid (monotheism) of God. Without the Ahlulbayt, you cannot mention Allah alone.
Imam al-Baqir further affirms below that God alone in the verse refers to the Imams.
(Bihar al-Anwar)
Muḥammad ibn al-ʿAbbās, from Muḥammad al-Ḥasanī, from Idrīs ibn Ziyād, from Ḥanān ibn Sudayr, from his father, who said:
I heard Ṣāmit, the seller from Herat, ask Abū Jaʿfar (peace be upon him) about the Murjiʾah (a sect),
and he (the Imam) said:
“Pray with them, attend their funerals, and visit their sick —
but when they die, do not seek forgiveness for them.
For indeed, when we are mentioned in their presence, their hearts are disgusted
and when those less than us are mentioned, they rejoice.”
Allama Majlisi interpretation:
His saying (peace be upon him): ‘For indeed, when we are mentioned…’ is an interpretation of the Almighty’s saying:
‘And when Allah alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter are disgusted; but when those other than Him are mentioned, they rejoice.’ (Qur’an 39:45)
And al-ishmiʾzāz (الاشمئزاز) means contraction and aversion (a turning away in disgust).
21 - كنز جامع الفوائد وتأويل الآيات الظاهرة: محمد بن العباس عن محمد الحسني (2) عن إدريس بن زياد عن حنان بن سدير عن أبيهقال: سمعت صامتا بياع الهروي وقد سأل أبا جعفر عليه السلام عن المرجئة فقال: صل معهم واشهد جنائزهم وعد مرضاهم، وإذا ماتوا فلاتستغفر لهم، فإنا إذا ذكرنا عندهم اشمأزت قلوبهم، وإذا ذكر الذين من دوننا إذا هم يستبشرون (3).
بيان: قوله عليه السلام: فإنا إذا ذكرنا الخ تأويل لقوله تعالى: " وإذا ذكر الله وحده اشمأزت قلوب الذين لا يؤمنون بالآخرة وإذا ذكر الذينمن دونه إذا هم يستبشرون (4) " والاشمئزاز: الانقباض والنفرة.
However,
When Imam al-Sadiq instructed total amnesia of Abu al-Khattab's ahadith - despite validating them in the past.
He rejected this same hadith by Abu al-Khattab which Zurara affirmed and Imam al-Baqir's hadith confirms.
When Abu al-Khattab's hadith was brought to the Imam, after his condemnation against Abu al-Khattab,
Imam al-Sadiq said:
"Then Abū ʿAbd Allāh (peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever says this is a polytheist (mushrik) — three times.
I disavow them before Allah — three times.
Rather, Allah meant Himself by that verse — rather, Allah meant Himself. rather, Allah meant Himself.”
(Basa'ir al-Darajat)
Narrated by Ḥabīb al-Khathʿamī:
He said:
I mentioned to Abū ʿAbd Allāh (peace be upon him) what Abū al-Khaṭṭāb says.
He (the Imam) said:
“Tell me some of what he says.”
I said:
Concerning the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic —
‘And when Allah alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter are disgusted…’ [Qur’an 39:45] —
he (Abū al-Khaṭṭāb) says:
“When Allah alone is mentioned” refers to the Commander of the Faithful (ʿAlī, peace be upon him),
“and when those other than Him are mentioned” refers to so-and-so and so-and-so (Abu Bakr and Umar).
Then Abū ʿAbd Allāh (peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever says this is a polytheist (mushrik) — three times.
I disavow them before Allah — three times.
Rather, Allah meant Himself by that verse — rather, Allah meant Himself. rather, Allah meant Himself.”
عن حبيب الخثعمي قال ذكرت لابي عبد الله عليه السلام ما يقول ابى الخطاب فقال اذكر لى بعض ما يقول قلت في قول الله عزوجل وإذاذكر الله وحده اشمأزت [1] إلى آخر الاية يقول إذا ذكر الله وحده امير المؤمنين عليه السلام وإذا ذكر الذين من دونه فلان وفلان فقال أبو عبدالله عليه السلام من قال هذا فهو مشرك ثلثا انا إلى الله منهم برئ ثلثا بل عنى الله بذلك نفسه بل عنى الله بذلك نفسه
A total collective amnesia!
A hadith which the topranking companion Zurara affirmed and saw no polytheistic inclinations in it
Is it logical that that Zurara whom the mainstream believes Imam al-Sadiq referred to him in this way:
(Rijal al-Kashi)
"Abū ʿAbd Allāh (peace be upon him) said:
“May Allah have mercy on Zurārah ibn Aʿyun.
Were it not for Zurārah and those like him, the traditions (hadiths) of my father (peace be upon him) would have been lost (wiped out).”
قال أبو عبد الله (عليه السلام): " رحم الله زرارة بن أعين لولا زرارة ونظرائه لاندرست أحاديث أبي (عليه السلام) ".
Is it logical for Zurara to believe in the authenticity of a hadith which Imam al-Sadiq affirms three times is:
- polytheism
- The Imam disassociates from it
- Is contradictory to the Quran
?
Definitely not.
Therefore,
What is clear is that ahadith of the Imams' high stations were genuinely fed to Abu al-Khattab by Imam al-Sadiq.
There was no polytheism or kufr in the ahadith of Abu al-Khattab.
Rather, Imam al-Sadiq put the the "kufr" label on Abu al-Khattab's ahadith post-facto - in ahadith that are perfectly sound and devoid of kufr.
Solely purpose of taqiyya and protecting himself (and the Shi'i movement as a whole) from Abbasid authorities and the Sunni laity.
Hope this was a beneficial read
Wasalaam
John Andaluso
