Sunni view of Ali

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This is a parallel sub-article to Ali and Sunni.
Book about the Sunni view of Ali: Ali bin Abi Talib (R) : The Fourth Caliph of Islam
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Book about the Sunni view of Ali: Ali bin Abi Talib (R) : The Fourth Caliph of Islam

Sunnis hold him in high respect as one of the Ahl al-Bayt and the last of the Four Righteously Guided Caliphs.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Battles

A painting from Siyer-i Nebi, Ali beheading Nasr ibn al-Hareth in the presence of Muhammed and his companions
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A painting from Siyer-i Nebi, Ali beheading Nasr ibn al-Hareth in the presence of Muhammed and his companions

Sunnis view Ali as one of the greatest warrior champions of Islam. Examples include taking on the Quraish champion at the Battle of Tabuk when nobody else dared [1]. After multiple failed attempts of breaking the fort in the Battle of Khaybar, Ali was summoned, miraculously healed and conquered the fort [2].

[edit] Family life

[edit] Marrying Fatimah

He is also seen as honoured for marying Fatimah, a honour they believe is shared with Uthman, whom Sunni believe married two of Muhammad's biological daughters.

However, while Sunnis do call Uthman for "the holder of two lights", they do not call Ali "the holder of the light", although Fatimah is considered by Sunnis as the "Mistress of Paradise."

[edit] Fatima angry with Ali

Sunnis also believe that there are some blemishes on Ali's character, such as him angrying Fatimah and Muhammad when he allegedly wanted to marry the daughet of Abu Jahl.

Al-Bukhari held for authentic this hadith:

Ali demanded the hand of the daughter of Abu Jahl. Fatima heard of this and went to God's Apostle saying, "Your people think that you do not become angry for the sake of your daughters as 'Ali is now going to marry the daughter of Abu Jahl." On that, God's Apostle got up and after his recitation of Tashah-hud, I heard him saying, "Then after! I married one of my daughters to Abu Al-'As bin Al-Rabi' (the husband of Zainab, the daughter of the Prophet) before Islam and he proved truthful in whatever he said to me. No doubt, Fatima is a part of me, I hate to see her being troubled. By God, the daughter of God's Apostle and the daughter of God's Enemy cannot be the wives of one man." So 'Ali gave up that engagement.
Al-Miswar further said: I heard the Prophet talking and he mentioned a son-in-law of his belonging to the tribe of Bani 'Abd-Shams. He highly praised him concerning that relationship and said (whenever) he spoke to me, he spoke the truth, and whenever he promised me, he fulfilled his promise." [3]


Shia reject this entire narration on grounds of Isnad. They further dissmis it as a way of taking blame of Abu Bakr for hurting Fatimah [8] by fabricating a hadith where Ali hurt Fatimah and was addressed with the famous quote:

"Fatima is a part of me, and he who makes her angry, makes me angry." [4]

They further deem the whole hadith is constructed to be pejorative to Ali and Muhammad:

  • Ali wanting to marry Abu Jahl daghter
  • Ali demanding to do it, even though Fatimah objected
  • Muhammad rejecting Ali to marry other woman, while doing so himself
  • Muhammad lecturing Ali in public, and not in any of the countless private talks they had
  • Fatima being angry at Ali to the point she wanted arbitration from her father.

[edit] Ali angry with Fatima

Al-Bukhari held for authentic this hadith:

The most beloved names to 'Ali was Abu Turab, and he used to be pleased when we called him by it, for none named him Abu Turab (for the first time), but the Prophet. Once 'Ali got angry with (his wife) Fatima, and went out (of his house) and slept near a wall in the mosque. The Prophet came searching for him, and someone said, "He is there, Lying near the wall." The Prophet came to him while his ('Ali's) back was covered with dust. The Prophet started removing the dust from his back, saying, "Get up, O Abu Turab!" [5]

Shia also reject this version, where Ali and Fatimah were angry at each other.

[edit] Umm Khultum bint Ali

Sunni regard as authentic some hadith where Ali is reported to have given his biological daghter, Umm Khultum bint Ali to marry Umar [6], when she was five years old, after giving in to public duress from Umar. These narrations are strongly rejected by Shi'a as despicable fabrications, aimed as portraing Ali as week and feeble, to the point of not even being able to standing up for his daughter. [7].

However, contemporary Sunnis often describe the event as a confirmation of their mutual friendship.

[edit] Abu Bakr and Umar

Although these events are regarded authentic by Sunni scholars, Sunni practice the doctrine of not mentioning the faults of the Sahaba, and don't mention these events, and rather talk good about Ali. Sunni often portraying Ali as a loyal friend to Muhammad, Abu Bakr and Umar, even if they sometimes had friendly disagreeances.

[edit] Scholars

Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi`i, a 9th century Sunni Shafi'i Islamic scholar said in his Diwan:

   
Sunni view of Ali

I call upon my Lord to witness that `Uthman is of high merit And that `Ali's high merit is shared by none. [8]
   
Sunni view of Ali

[edit] Views

[edit] Shi'a view of the Sunni view

The Banu Umayyad fabricated a large amount of hadith aimed at taking honour of Ali. Shi'a believe that although later Sunni scholars tried to sift them out, they still included some of those hadith. They believe it was partly done to downgrade the rank of Ali to the rank of the other caliphs, ie even out their rank.

[edit] Non-Muslim view of the Sunni view

Some non-Muslims have pointed out to some hadith that include the three first Caliphs, but excludes Ali:

Anas reported that the Prophet ascended Uhud with Abu Bakr, Omar and Uthman. It trembled with them and so he struck it with his foot and said: "Be firm, O Uhud, and verily on you there are a prophet, a truthful man and two martyrs." [9]

Then they argue:

The above traditions have been picked out at random from many others as examples to show the characteristic partiality of hadith. The obvious omission of Ali in the first hadith points to its fabrication by his detractors: there was no other reason why Ali was not in that company [10].

However, they have a similar view on the Shi'a view of Ali.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.swordofallah.com/html/bookchapter4page9.htm
  2. ^ http://www.sunnah.org/publication/khulafa_rashideen/caliph4.htm
  3. ^ Sahih Bukhari57.076, Sahih Muslim 31.6002
  4. ^ [1] [2]
  5. ^ Sahih Bukhari73.223
  6. ^ [3], [4], [5]
  7. ^ [6]
  8. ^ http://www.livingislam.org/fiqhi/fiqha_e14.html
  9. ^ (Bukhari)
  10. ^ [7]

[edit] External links

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