Chapter Nine: The Nasibi attack on the wives of the Prophet (s)

Nasibi attack on Ayesha’s dignity

Before analysing the text let us pose the following questions to those with rational minds:

1. If two of your relatives went to your home and asked your mother about how to perform Ghusl after sex how would you react?
2. Is it not an insult to ask such a question to your mother?
3. How would you feel if your mother then provided a practical demonstration by removing her clothes and taking a bath?

With this in mind we invite you to ponder over this hadith:

Abu Salama b. ‘Abd al-Rahman reported: I along with the foster brother of ‘A’isha went to her and he asked about the bath of the Apostle (may peace be upon him) because of sexual intercourse. She called for a vessel equal to a Sa’ and she took a bath, and there was a curtain between us and her. She poured water on her head thrice and he (Abu Salama) said: The wives of the Apostle (may peace be upon him) collected hair on their heads and these lopped up to ears (and did not go beyond that).
Sahih Muslim, Book 003, Number 0626

Perhaps the Nawasib would be so kind as to answer these questions:

1. As the query was with regards to Ghusl after intercourse, could the two men not have obtained the information from one of the male companions?
2. As the matter was linked to Sexual intercourse both men must have been married – so why couldn’t they send their respective wives to ask this most delicate question?
3. Why would A’isha find it necessary to ‘take a bath’ to demonstrate the point could she not have simply relayed actions verbally with her clothes on?
4. If there was a net between them that presumable acted as purdah does this not defeat the object of A’isha removing her clothes and demonstrating how Ghusl is performed?
5. The net clearly was NOT very thick, since they were able to observe that A’isha had placed her hair over her head – they could even SEE her ears through it.
6. Is such a hadith not an insult on the dignity of Hadhrath A’isha?

Alhamdolillah we the Shi’a do NOT believe such hadith that attack the dignity of A’isha, it is unfortunate that Nawasib regard such traditions as Sahih. If those that slander A’isha are kaffir what about those that regard this hadith to be Sahih?

Ayesha was accused of adultery by the Sahaba

The Nawasib have for centuries spread propaganda that Shias accuse Ayesha of committing adultery [naudobillah] that is a blanat lie on their part. Whilst the Shia do not count Ayesha as amongst the best of the wives of the Holy Prophet (s) on account of her actions recorded in the Quran and annals of history none of have cast aspersions upon her character. It seems that the sole motive of the Nawasib in pursuing this propaganda is to hide the names of those who had actually accused Ayesha of committing adultery because those individuals happened to be Sahaba. Ibn Kathir records in Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, Volume 4 page 186:

“Then he (prophet) went to the people and addressed and then recited what Allah revealed in Quran, then he ordered that Mastah bin Uthatha, Hasaan bin Thabit, Hamna bint Jahsh be punished because they were among those who had spread the allegation of adultery”.

Ayesha was not sure if Holy Prophet (s) would tell truth

Imam of Ahl’ul Sunnah Abdul Hamid Ghazzali records the following in his classic Ihya Ulum-id-din:

“Once there was an altercation between the Prophet and Ayesha when they found Abu Bakr as judge. Ayesha said to the Prophet: ‘You speak but don’t speak except truth’. At once Abu Bakr gave her such a slap that blood began to ooze out from her mouth. Then he said: ‘O enemy, will he speak the truth?’”.
Ihya Ulum-id-din by Imam Ghazzali, Volume 2 page 36, Chapter “The secrets of marriage” – English translation by Maulana Fazlul Karim.

Ayesha and Hafsa tried to create rift between Prophet (s) and his wife Asma by attributing a lie to Prophet (s)

We read in Tabaqat Ibn Saad:

Hamza bin Abi Usaid narrated from his father that he said: ‘Allah’s messenger got married to Asma bin al-Numan al-Jaunia. He sent me to bring her to him, then Hafsa said to Ayesha or Ayesha said to Hafsa: ‘You color her hair while I will comb her hair’. Then they both did that, then one of them said to her (Asma): ‘The prophet (pbuh) likes a woman to say to him: ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of you’. When she entered on the prophet and he (prophet) closed the door and advanced his hand to her, she said: ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of you.”
Tabaqat Ibn Saad, Volume 8 page 145

Ayesha tried to incite Prophet’s wife Malika against Him (s)

We read in Tabaqat Ibn Saad:

Abu Masher said: ‘The prophet (pbuh) got married to Malika bint Kaab, she was very beautiful, thus Ayesha went to her and said: ‘Are you not ashamed of getting married to the killer of your father?’
Tabaqat Ibn Saad, Volume 8 page 148

Ayesha and Hafsa tried to create rift between Prophet (s) and his wife Zainab by attributing a lie to Him (s)

We read in Sahih Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 434:

“Narrated ‘Aisha: Allah’s Apostle used to drink honey in the house of Zainab, the daughter of Jahsh, and would stay there with her. So Hafsa and I agreed secretly that, if he come to either of us, she would say to him. “It seems you have eaten Maghafir (a kind of bad-smelling resin), for I smell in you the smell of Maghafir,” (We did so) and he replied. “No, but I was drinking honey in the house of Zainab, the daughter of Jahsh, and I shall never take it again. I have taken an oath as to that, and you should not tell anybody about it”.

Chapter Ten: The Nasibi assault on the companions (Sahaba) of the Prophet 

As a part their propaganda campaign, the Nawasib make every effort to stress to their adherents and naïve Muslims that the Shia disrespect the companions of the Holy Prophet (s). In this chapter, we will reveal the colourful narrations about the Sahaba from the pens of the Sunni works. We shall seek to split this into four parts that shall highlight the:

• Kufr, hypocrisy and transgressions of the Sahaba
• Shameless conduct of the Sahaba
• Alcoholism amongst the Sahaba
• Sex, sexuality and the Sahaba
• General

Part One – The kufr, hypocrisy and transgressions of the Sahaba

Nawasib are fond of painting a milk and honey approach of the Sahaba, wherein the Sahaba having benefited from the company of the Muhammad, were guaranteed Paradise and became beacons of guidance for us all to adhere to. The company of the Prophet (s) had such an influence on them that all the nasty traits that they once possessed in Jahilyya evaporated. Once they entered the fold of Islam they protected themselves from wrong doing and were so successful that all are just, truthful and paradise bound. The references that we shall cite hereunder challenges this absurd notion.

First example – The Salafi belief that some of the Sahabah were adulterers and drunkards

Let us present the Salafi belief regarding the Sahaba from the pen of a revered Salafi Imam Imam Ibn Uthamin. In his book ‘Sharh al-Aqyda al-Tahawyia’ under the chapter ‘The stance of Ahlul Sunnah wal Jama’ah in relation to the Sahabah’ stated:

“There is no doubting that some of them stole, drank alcohol, launched a charge against chaste women, performed adultery whilst being married and performed adultery whilst being single, but all these are forgivable on account of their virtues and good deeds, and some of them were punished so as to purify them.”

Comment

It is really strange to see that on the one hand the Salafies believe that the Sahaba performed all of the above cited evil deeds but then seek solace by suggesting that the punishments some of them received coupled with good deeds will render their sins forgivable, in other words ‘the slate will be wiped clean’!

Second example – The Salafi belief that some of the Sahaba were Kaafirs

Imam of Wahabi cult Muhamad bin AbdulWahab records in Risala Kashf al-Shubahat, page 33:

“Allah declared that they were Kafir though they were living with Allah’s messenger (pbuh) and they were performing jihad with him, prayed, paid alms, fasted, performed pilgrimage, and ascribed to oneness”

Third example – Nasibi Hadith works on the kufr of the Sahaba

We read the following traditions in Sahih Bukhari:

Narrated ‘Abdullah:
The Prophet said, “I am your predecessor at the Lake-Fount”. ‘Abdullah added: The Prophet said, “I am your predecessor at the Lake-Fount, and some of you will be brought in front of me till I will see them and then they will be taken away from me and I will say, ‘O Lord, my companions!’ It will be said, ‘You do not know what they did after you had left.’
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8 Hadith 578

Narrated Anas:
The Prophet said, “Some of my companions will come to me at my Lake Fount, and after I recognise them, they will then be taken away from me, whereupon I will say, ‘My companions!’ Then it will be said, ‘You do not know what they innovated (new things) in the religion after you.”
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8 Hadith 584 (also Sahih Muslim, part 15, pp 53-54)

Narrated Abu Hazim from Sahl bin Sa’d:
The Prophet said, “I am your predecessor (forerunner) at the Lake-Fount, and whoever will pass by there, he will drink from it and whoever will drink from it, he will never be thirsty. There will come to me some people whom I will recognise, and they will recognise me, but a barrier will be placed between me and them.” Abu Hazim added: Nu’man bin Abi ‘Aiyash, on hearing me, said. “Did you hear this from Sahl?” I said, “Yes.” He said, ” I bear witness that I heard Abu Said al-Khudri saying the same, adding that the Prophet said: ‘I will say: They are my companions. Then it will be said to me, ‘You do not know what they innovated (new things) in the religion after you left’. I will say, ‘Far removed, far removed (from mercy), those who changed after me.” Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet 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 the true Islam)”
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8 Hadith 585

Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, “While I was sleeping, a group (of my followers were brought close to me), and when I recognised them, a man (an angel) came out from amongst (us) me and them, he said (to them), ‘Come along.’ I asked, ‘Where?’ He said, ‘To the (Hell) Fire, by Allah’ I asked, ‘what is wrong with them?’ He said, ‘They turned APOSTATE as renegades after you left.’ Then behold! (Another) group (of my followers) were brought close to me, and when I recognised them, a man (an angel) came out from (me and them) he said (to them); Come along. ‘I asked, “Where?’ He said, ‘To the (Hell) Fire, by Allah.’ I asked, ‘What is wrong with them?’ He said, ‘They turned APOSTATE as renegades after you left. So I did not see anyone of them escaping except a few who were like camels without a shepherd.”
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8 Hadith 587

Comment

Faced with such explicit traditions the Nawasib often try to re-define Sahaba here, namely that the words don’t refer to the Sahaba per se but in fact refer to the Ummah as a whole throughout history (i.e. that the vast bulk of the Ummah will be in the fire). To counter this we suggest Nawasib check the Arabic it says the words “Sahaba”. We are yet to find any Arabic dictionary that states the word Sahaba has the connotation of ‘Ummah’.

Further proofs come from the wording of the traditions. In addition 8: 587 ‘They turned APOSTATE as renegades after you left.’ When you LEAVE somebody, you do so having already BEEN WITH THEM, (i.e. he had been amongst them). The words “after you left” clearly indicate that the group being referred to are those who survived the Prophet (S) i.e. the Sahaba. This is absolutely logical, when a parent dies, they leave behind them their children – they have survived their parents-they don’t leave behind all their descendants until the day of resurrection.

Moreover in tradition 8: 585 Rasulullah (s) says “There will come to me some people whom I will RECOGNIZE” and in 8: 587 “While I was sleeping, a group (of my followers were brought close to me), and when I RECOGNIZED them.” Now in both of these hadith our infallible Prophet (S) refers to a group “whom I will recognise” – I can only recognise someone if I have SEEN that person – common sense Rasulullah (s)’s surprise is because he is seeing those who he sat with (companions) being lead into the fire.

These authentic traditions make it clear that the vast bulk of Sahaba

(1) Innovated
(2) Became Kaffir
(3) Only a few will be saved from the fire!

These are the Sahaba who are kaffirs and yet the Shi’as are called kaffirs for repeating the words of the Prophet (s). If calling the Sahaba kaffir makes you one then this is the view espoused by your beloved Shaykh Bukhari.

Fourth example – The Prophet (s) cited the existence of twelve hypocrites in the shape of the Sahaba

We read in Sahih Muslim, Book 038, Number 6688:

Qais reported: I said to ‘Ammar: What is your opinion about that which you have done in case (of your siding with Hadrat ‘Ali)? Is it your personal opinion or something you got from Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him)? ‘Ammar said: We have got nothing from Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) which people at large did not get, but Hudhaifa told me that Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him) had especially told him amongst his Companions, that there would be twelve hypocrites out of whom eight would not get into Paradise, until a camel would be able to pass through the needle hole. The ulcer would be itself sufficient (to kill) eight. So far as four are concerned, I do not remember what Shu’ba said about them.

Comment

Nawasib vigorously argue that there is a distinction between a Sahabi and a Munafiq. They insist that Sahaba are believers and Munafiqeen are not, that is the