(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Dialogue between several Sunni divines and a 31 year-old Shi'ite scholar, Sayyed al-`Abd al-Fani Muhammad al-Musawi Sultanu'l-Wa'izin, of Shiraz, Iran.
Sunni scholar 'Hafez' asked Shia cleric 'Sayyed Muhammad al-Musawi': Excuse me, you refer your relationship with the Holy Prophet. It is commonly known, but I ask that you let me know your genealogy so that I may know how your ancestral line reaches the Prophet.
Shia cleric: My ancestral line reaches the Prophet through Imam Musa Kazim as follows: Muhammad,son of Ali Akbar (Ashrafu'l-Wa'izin), son of Isma'il Mujtahidal-Wa'iz, son of Ibrahim, son of Salih, son of Abi Ali Muhammad,son of Ali (known as Mardan), son of Abi'l-Qasim Muhammad Taqi,son of (Maqbulu'd-din) Husain, son of Abi Ali Hasan, son of Muhammadbin Fathullah, son of Ishaq, son of Hashim, son of Abi Muhammad,son of Ibrahim, son of Abi'l-Fityan, son of Abdullah, son of Hasan,son of Ahmad (Abu Tayyib), son of Abi Ali Hasan, son of Abu Ja'farMuhammad al-Hairi (Nazil-e-Kirman), son of Ibrahim Az-Zarir (knownas Mujab), son of Amir Muhammad al-Abid, son of Imam Musa Kazim,son of Imam Muhammad Baqir, son of Imam Ali Zainu'l-Abidin, sonof Imam Husain, son of the Commander of the Faithful, Ali binAbi Talib.
Sunni scholar: This line of descent reaches the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (may Allah bless him) although you have said that it ends with the holy Prophet. Infact, with this genealogy, you should call yourself among the relations of the holy Prophet and not among his direct descendants. A descendent is one who is directly linked with the Prophet.
Shia cleric: Our ancestral line reaches the Prophet through Bibi Fatima Zahra, the mother of Imam Husain. I don't understand why you insist so much on this point.
Sunni cleric: I think I am misunderstood. It is my point of view that descent is recognized from the male side only. I quote an Arabic couplet: "بنونا بنو أبنائنا وبناتنا بنوهن أبناء الرجال الاباعد"
"My sons, grandsons, and daughters are from me, but my daughter's sons are not from me." If you can prove otherwise, please do so.
Shia cleric: There is strong evidence, both from the Holy Qur'an and from authentic Hadith (narration), to establish my point.
Sunni scholar: Please relate it so that we may understand.
Shia cleric: While you were speaking just now, I recalled a discussion between Harun ar-Rashid, the Abbasid caliph, and our Imam Musa Kazim on this topic. The Imam gave such a convincing reply that the caliph himself accepted it.
Sunni scholar: I would like to hear about that discussion.
Shia cleric: Abu Ja'far Muhammad Bin Ali, entitled Sheikh Saduq, a greatest Shia scholar in the fourth century A.H. in his Uyun-e-Akbar ar-Riza (Major Sources for Riza), and Abu Mansur Bin Ali Tabarsi, in his Ehtijajj (Supports) give a detailed account of the conversation that took place between Harun ar-Rashid and Imam Musa Ja'far in the caliph's court. The caliph asked the Imam,"How can you claim that you are a descendant of the Holy Prophet? The Prophet Muhammad had no descendant. It is acknowledged that descendants are from the male side and not from the female side. You belong to the generation of his daughter." The Imam recited verses 84-85 from Chapter VI of the Holy Qur'an:
وَ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِهِ داوُدَ وَ سُلَيْمانَ وَ أَيُّوبَ وَ يُوسُفَ وَ مُوسى وَ هارُونَ وَ کَذلِکَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنينَ وَ زَکَرِيَّا وَ يَحْيى وَ عيسى وَ إِلْياسَ کُلٌّ مِنَ الصَّالِحينَ
"And We gave to him Isaac and Jacob; each did We guide, and Noah did We guide before, and of his descendants David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Aaron; and thus do We reward those who do good. And Zakariyya and John and Jesus and Elias; every one was of the good." (6:84-85)
The Imam asked the caliph: "Who was Jesus's father? "Harun replied that Jesus had no father. The Imam said: "There was no one, and yet Allah included Jesus in the progeny of the prophets through Mary. Similarly, He has included us in the progeny of the holy Prophet through our ancestor Bibi Fatima." Moreover, Imam Fakhru'd-Din Razi, a [greatest Sunni scholars], in his Tafsir-e-Kabir (Great Commentary), Bk IV, P. 124, Problem V, says regarding this verse that the verse proves that [Imam] Hasan and Husain are the descendants of the Prophet of Islam. Since in this verse God has verified Jesus as a descendant of Abraham, and Jesus had no father, this relationship is from the side of the mother. In the same manner, [Imam] Hasan and Husain are truly the descendants of the Prophet. Imam Musa Kazim asked Harun if he wanted further proof. The caliph asked the Imam to continue. The Imam read verse 60 from Chapter III, "Al-e-Imran,"of the Holy Qur'an:
فَمَنْ حَاجَّکَ فيهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ ما جاءَکَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْناءَنا وَ أَبْناءَکُمْ وَ نِساءَنا وَ نِساءَکُمْ وَ أَنْفُسَنا وَ أَنْفُسَکُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَلْ لَعْنَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْکاذِبينَ
"But whoever disputes with you in this matter after what has come to you of knowledge, then say: come, let us call our sons and your sons and our women and your women and our selves and your selves, then let us be earnest in prayer and pray for the curse of Allah on the liars." (3:61)
He continued, saying that no one has ever claimed that on the occasion of the spiritual contest (Mubahala) against the Christians of Najran that the Prophet took with him anyone except Ali Bin Abi Talib, Fatima, Hasan, and Husain. It follows, therefore that"selves" (anfusana) means Ali Bin Abi Talib. "Women"(nisa'ana) means Fatima and "sons" (abna'ana) meansHasan and Husain whom Allah has identified as the Prophet's own sons. Upon hearing this argument, Harun exclaimed, "Bravo,O Abu'l-Hasan." Clearly, this reasoning proves that Hasan and Husain are the sons of the Prophet and that the Sa'dat Fatima (descendants of Bibi Fatima) are of the progeny of the holy Prophet.
Ibn Abi'l-Hadid Mu'tazali, one of greatest Sunni scholars, in his Sharh-i-Nahju'l-Balagha (Commentary on the Peak of Eloquence [writings of Commander of the Faithful, Ali]), and Abu Bakr Razi in his commentary, have cited the same verse, arguing that Hasan and Husain are, from the side of their mother, the sons of the holy Prophet in the same way that Allah in the Holy Qur'an has included Christ in the progeny of Abraham from the side of his mother,Mary.
[Some greatest Sunni scholars such as] Muhammad Bin Yusuf Ganji Shafi'i, in his book Kifayatu't-Talib, and Ibn Hajar Makki on pages 74 and 93 of Sawa'iq Muhariqa from Tabrani and Jabir Bin Abdullah Ansari [prominent companion of Muhammad and his descendants], and Khatib Khawarizmi [top Sunni scholar] in Manaqib from Ibn Abbas - all relate that the Prophet said: "Allah created the progeny of every Prophet from his own generation, but my progeny was created in the generation of Ali." Also Khatib-e-Khawarizmi in Manaqib, Mir Seyyed Ali Hamadani Shafi'i in Mawaddatu'l-Qurba, Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal, in Musnad, and Sulayman Hanafi Balkhi in Yanabiu'l-Mawadda relate, in more or less the same words, that the holy Prophet said: "These, my two sons, are two flowers of this world, and both of them are Imams (leaders), whether they are Imams openly or silently sitting at home."And Sheikh Sulayman Hanafi [prominent Sunni scholar], in his book Yanabiu'l-Mawadda, devotes Chapter 57 to this topic and cites many hadith from his own learned men, like Tabrani, Hafiz Abdu'l-Aziz Ibn Abi Shaiba, Khatib-e-Baghdadi Hakim, Baihaqi, Baghawi and Tabari - all relating in slightly differing versions that Hasan and Husain are the sons of the Prophet.
Towards the end of the same Chapter, Abu Salih writes: Hafiz Abdu'l-Aziz Bin Al-Akhzar, Abu Nu'aim, Tabari, Ibn Hajar Makkion page 112 of Sawa'iq Muhriqa, from Muhammad Bin Yusuf GanjiShafi'i at the end of Part I after 100 Chapters of Kifayatu't-Talib, and Tabari in the narration of the life of Imam Hasan relates that the second caliph, Umar Bin Khattab, said: "I heard the Prophet say that on the Day of Judgement every ancestry will be disconnected except my generation. Every generation of a daughter is from the father's side except the generation of Fatima, which is connected with me. I am their father and ancestor." Sheikh Abdullah Bin Muhammad Bin Amir Shabrawi Shafi'i, in his book Kitabu'l-Ittihafbi Hubbi'l-Ashraf, quoted this hadith from Baihaqi and Darqutni from Abdullah Bin Umar, and he from his father, on the occasion of the wedding of Umme Kulthum. And Jalalu'd-din Suyuti quoting from Tabrani in his Ausat, has related from Caliph Umar and Seyyed Abu Bakr Bin Shahabu'd-din Alawi on pages 39-42 of Chapter III of Rishfatu's-sadi min Bahra Faza'il Bani Nabiu'l-Hadi (printedin Maktabi A'lamiyya, Egypt in the year 1303 A.H.), proving that the descendants of Fatima are of the progeny of the Prophet of Islam.
Hence, the couplet that you quoted has no force in the face of all this contrary evidence. Muhammad Bin Yusuf Ganji Shafi'i, in his "Kifayatu't Talib," proves that the sons of the Prophet's daughter are the sons of the holy Prophet. Our ancestral line goes back to Imam Husain; we are, therefore, descendants of the Prophet.
Sunni scholar: Your argument is reasonable and convincing.
Attention: Some of the names of the scholars that the Shia cleric exampled are the greatest Sunni scholars which he used to proof his sayings.
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Sunni scholar 'Hafez' asked Shia cleric 'Sayyed Muhammad al-Musawi': Excuse me, you refer your relationship with the Holy Prophet. It is commonly known, but I ask that you let me know your genealogy so that I may know how your ancestral line reaches the Prophet.
Shia cleric: My ancestral line reaches the Prophet through Imam Musa Kazim as follows: Muhammad,son of Ali Akbar (Ashrafu'l-Wa'izin), son of Isma'il Mujtahidal-Wa'iz, son of Ibrahim, son of Salih, son of Abi Ali Muhammad,son of Ali (known as Mardan), son of Abi'l-Qasim Muhammad Taqi,son of (Maqbulu'd-din) Husain, son of Abi Ali Hasan, son of Muhammadbin Fathullah, son of Ishaq, son of Hashim, son of Abi Muhammad,son of Ibrahim, son of Abi'l-Fityan, son of Abdullah, son of Hasan,son of Ahmad (Abu Tayyib), son of Abi Ali Hasan, son of Abu Ja'farMuhammad al-Hairi (Nazil-e-Kirman), son of Ibrahim Az-Zarir (knownas Mujab), son of Amir Muhammad al-Abid, son of Imam Musa Kazim,son of Imam Muhammad Baqir, son of Imam Ali Zainu'l-Abidin, sonof Imam Husain, son of the Commander of the Faithful, Ali binAbi Talib.
Sunni scholar: This line of descent reaches the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (may Allah bless him) although you have said that it ends with the holy Prophet. Infact, with this genealogy, you should call yourself among the relations of the holy Prophet and not among his direct descendants. A descendent is one who is directly linked with the Prophet.
Shia cleric: Our ancestral line reaches the Prophet through Bibi Fatima Zahra, the mother of Imam Husain. I don't understand why you insist so much on this point.
Sunni cleric: I think I am misunderstood. It is my point of view that descent is recognized from the male side only. I quote an Arabic couplet: "بنونا بنو أبنائنا وبناتنا بنوهن أبناء الرجال الاباعد"
"My sons, grandsons, and daughters are from me, but my daughter's sons are not from me." If you can prove otherwise, please do so.
Shia cleric: There is strong evidence, both from the Holy Qur'an and from authentic Hadith (narration), to establish my point.
Sunni scholar: Please relate it so that we may understand.
Shia cleric: While you were speaking just now, I recalled a discussion between Harun ar-Rashid, the Abbasid caliph, and our Imam Musa Kazim on this topic. The Imam gave such a convincing reply that the caliph himself accepted it.
Sunni scholar: I would like to hear about that discussion.
Shia cleric: Abu Ja'far Muhammad Bin Ali, entitled Sheikh Saduq, a greatest Shia scholar in the fourth century A.H. in his Uyun-e-Akbar ar-Riza (Major Sources for Riza), and Abu Mansur Bin Ali Tabarsi, in his Ehtijajj (Supports) give a detailed account of the conversation that took place between Harun ar-Rashid and Imam Musa Ja'far in the caliph's court. The caliph asked the Imam,"How can you claim that you are a descendant of the Holy Prophet? The Prophet Muhammad had no descendant. It is acknowledged that descendants are from the male side and not from the female side. You belong to the generation of his daughter." The Imam recited verses 84-85 from Chapter VI of the Holy Qur'an:
وَ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِهِ داوُدَ وَ سُلَيْمانَ وَ أَيُّوبَ وَ يُوسُفَ وَ مُوسى وَ هارُونَ وَ کَذلِکَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنينَ وَ زَکَرِيَّا وَ يَحْيى وَ عيسى وَ إِلْياسَ کُلٌّ مِنَ الصَّالِحينَ
"And We gave to him Isaac and Jacob; each did We guide, and Noah did We guide before, and of his descendants David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Aaron; and thus do We reward those who do good. And Zakariyya and John and Jesus and Elias; every one was of the good." (6:84-85)
The Imam asked the caliph: "Who was Jesus's father? "Harun replied that Jesus had no father. The Imam said: "There was no one, and yet Allah included Jesus in the progeny of the prophets through Mary. Similarly, He has included us in the progeny of the holy Prophet through our ancestor Bibi Fatima." Moreover, Imam Fakhru'd-Din Razi, a [greatest Sunni scholars], in his Tafsir-e-Kabir (Great Commentary), Bk IV, P. 124, Problem V, says regarding this verse that the verse proves that [Imam] Hasan and Husain are the descendants of the Prophet of Islam. Since in this verse God has verified Jesus as a descendant of Abraham, and Jesus had no father, this relationship is from the side of the mother. In the same manner, [Imam] Hasan and Husain are truly the descendants of the Prophet. Imam Musa Kazim asked Harun if he wanted further proof. The caliph asked the Imam to continue. The Imam read verse 60 from Chapter III, "Al-e-Imran,"of the Holy Qur'an:
فَمَنْ حَاجَّکَ فيهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ ما جاءَکَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْناءَنا وَ أَبْناءَکُمْ وَ نِساءَنا وَ نِساءَکُمْ وَ أَنْفُسَنا وَ أَنْفُسَکُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَلْ لَعْنَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْکاذِبينَ
"But whoever disputes with you in this matter after what has come to you of knowledge, then say: come, let us call our sons and your sons and our women and your women and our selves and your selves, then let us be earnest in prayer and pray for the curse of Allah on the liars." (3:61)
He continued, saying that no one has ever claimed that on the occasion of the spiritual contest (Mubahala) against the Christians of Najran that the Prophet took with him anyone except Ali Bin Abi Talib, Fatima, Hasan, and Husain. It follows, therefore that"selves" (anfusana) means Ali Bin Abi Talib. "Women"(nisa'ana) means Fatima and "sons" (abna'ana) meansHasan and Husain whom Allah has identified as the Prophet's own sons. Upon hearing this argument, Harun exclaimed, "Bravo,O Abu'l-Hasan." Clearly, this reasoning proves that Hasan and Husain are the sons of the Prophet and that the Sa'dat Fatima (descendants of Bibi Fatima) are of the progeny of the holy Prophet.
ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE PROVING THAT
THE DESCENDANTS OF BIBI FATIMA ARE
OF THE PROGENY OF THE HOLY PROPHET
THE DESCENDANTS OF BIBI FATIMA ARE
OF THE PROGENY OF THE HOLY PROPHET
Ibn Abi'l-Hadid Mu'tazali, one of greatest Sunni scholars, in his Sharh-i-Nahju'l-Balagha (Commentary on the Peak of Eloquence [writings of Commander of the Faithful, Ali]), and Abu Bakr Razi in his commentary, have cited the same verse, arguing that Hasan and Husain are, from the side of their mother, the sons of the holy Prophet in the same way that Allah in the Holy Qur'an has included Christ in the progeny of Abraham from the side of his mother,Mary.
[Some greatest Sunni scholars such as] Muhammad Bin Yusuf Ganji Shafi'i, in his book Kifayatu't-Talib, and Ibn Hajar Makki on pages 74 and 93 of Sawa'iq Muhariqa from Tabrani and Jabir Bin Abdullah Ansari [prominent companion of Muhammad and his descendants], and Khatib Khawarizmi [top Sunni scholar] in Manaqib from Ibn Abbas - all relate that the Prophet said: "Allah created the progeny of every Prophet from his own generation, but my progeny was created in the generation of Ali." Also Khatib-e-Khawarizmi in Manaqib, Mir Seyyed Ali Hamadani Shafi'i in Mawaddatu'l-Qurba, Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal, in Musnad, and Sulayman Hanafi Balkhi in Yanabiu'l-Mawadda relate, in more or less the same words, that the holy Prophet said: "These, my two sons, are two flowers of this world, and both of them are Imams (leaders), whether they are Imams openly or silently sitting at home."And Sheikh Sulayman Hanafi [prominent Sunni scholar], in his book Yanabiu'l-Mawadda, devotes Chapter 57 to this topic and cites many hadith from his own learned men, like Tabrani, Hafiz Abdu'l-Aziz Ibn Abi Shaiba, Khatib-e-Baghdadi Hakim, Baihaqi, Baghawi and Tabari - all relating in slightly differing versions that Hasan and Husain are the sons of the Prophet.
Towards the end of the same Chapter, Abu Salih writes: Hafiz Abdu'l-Aziz Bin Al-Akhzar, Abu Nu'aim, Tabari, Ibn Hajar Makkion page 112 of Sawa'iq Muhriqa, from Muhammad Bin Yusuf GanjiShafi'i at the end of Part I after 100 Chapters of Kifayatu't-Talib, and Tabari in the narration of the life of Imam Hasan relates that the second caliph, Umar Bin Khattab, said: "I heard the Prophet say that on the Day of Judgement every ancestry will be disconnected except my generation. Every generation of a daughter is from the father's side except the generation of Fatima, which is connected with me. I am their father and ancestor." Sheikh Abdullah Bin Muhammad Bin Amir Shabrawi Shafi'i, in his book Kitabu'l-Ittihafbi Hubbi'l-Ashraf, quoted this hadith from Baihaqi and Darqutni from Abdullah Bin Umar, and he from his father, on the occasion of the wedding of Umme Kulthum. And Jalalu'd-din Suyuti quoting from Tabrani in his Ausat, has related from Caliph Umar and Seyyed Abu Bakr Bin Shahabu'd-din Alawi on pages 39-42 of Chapter III of Rishfatu's-sadi min Bahra Faza'il Bani Nabiu'l-Hadi (printedin Maktabi A'lamiyya, Egypt in the year 1303 A.H.), proving that the descendants of Fatima are of the progeny of the Prophet of Islam.
Hence, the couplet that you quoted has no force in the face of all this contrary evidence. Muhammad Bin Yusuf Ganji Shafi'i, in his "Kifayatu't Talib," proves that the sons of the Prophet's daughter are the sons of the holy Prophet. Our ancestral line goes back to Imam Husain; we are, therefore, descendants of the Prophet.
Sunni scholar: Your argument is reasonable and convincing.
Attention: Some of the names of the scholars that the Shia cleric exampled are the greatest Sunni scholars which he used to proof his sayings.
/129