Umayyad tradition of cursing Ali

The Umayyad tradition of cursing Ali was performed in state-controlled mosques from 657 to 717 CE.

Muawiyah I, after the stalemate of the Battle of Siffin, began the custom of including a curse against Ali from the pulpit in Damascus. As he consolidated his position he mandated this "through all the west" .[1]

People who chose death over cursing Ali include:

Umar II put an end to the practice.[2]

Contents

Hadith

Several hadiths recall the practice under Muawiyah:

A narration attributed to Amir b. Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas reports:

“ This hadith has been narrated. on the authority of Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters. Amir b. Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas reported on the authority of his father that Muawiya b. Abi Sufyin appointed Sa'd as the Governor and said: What prevents you from abusing Abu Turab (Hadrat 'Ali), whereupon he said: It is because of three things which I remember Allah's Messenger having said about him that I would not abuse him and even if I find one of those three things for me, it would be more dear to me than the red camel. I heard Allah's Messenger say to Ali as he left him behind in one of his campaigns (that was Tabuk). Ali said to Allah's Messenger, you leave me behind along with women and children. Thereupon Allah's Messenger said to him: Aren't you satisfied with being unto me what Aaron was unto Moses but with the exception that there is no prophethood after me. And I (also) heard him say on the Day of Khaibar: I would certainly give this standard to a person who loves Allah and his Messenger and Allah and his Messenger love him too. He (the narrator) said: We have been anxiously waiting for it, when he (the Holy Prophet) said: Call 'Ali. He was called and his eyes were inflamed. He applied saliva to his eyes and handed over the standard to him, and Allah gave him victory. (The third occasion is this) when the (following) verse was revealed:" Let us summon our children and your children." Allah's Messenger called 'Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain and said: O Allah, they are my family. ”
Sunnis tend to view this as Sahih and have included it in Sahih Muslim[3]

A narration attributed to Sunan Ibn Majah reports:

“ "On his way to Hajj, Sa'd met Mu'awiya and his companions mentioned `Ali upon which Mu'awiya showed disrespect towards `Ali, Sa'd got angry and asked 'why do you say such things?” ”
Sunnis tend to view this as Sahih and have included it in Sahih Sunan Ibn Majah by Albani[4]

Ibn Ishaq, a 8th century Sunni Islamic scholar reported similarly:

“ When Mu'awiya went for Hajj, he held the hand of Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas and said to him: 'Oh Abi Ishaq! We are the people who abandoned Hajj because of wars until we almost forgot some of its laws, so we performed Tawaf (circumambulation) to imitate your Tawaf'. When they completed (the Hajj), he (Mu'awiya) entered upon him (Sa'd) in a conference room and sat with him on his sofa, then he (Mu'awiya) mentioned `Ali Ibn Abi Talib and cursed him. He (Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas) said: 'You brought me to your house and made me sit on your sofa and then you have begun to curse `Ali?'[5] ”

A narration attributed to Ahmad ibn Hanbal reports:

“ Abdullah al-Jadali said: 'I came to Umm Salama and she said to me: 'How come Allah’s Messenger is being cursed among you?’. I replied: 'We seek refuge from Allah or praise Allah or some similar words'. She said: 'I heard Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) saying ‘whoever curses `Ali Ibn Abi Talib has cursed me’” ”
Sunnis tend to view this as Sahih and have included it in Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal[6]

Ali ibn al-Athir, a 13th century Sunni Islamic scholar writes:

“ Marwan the architect of Umayyad dynastic rule, clearly recognized the importance of cursing as a tool of the government. He told 'Ali's grandson Ali ibn al-Husayn privately: 'No one [among the Islamic nobility] was more temperate (akaff) towards our master than your master'. The harmless son of al Husayn asked him: 'Why do you curse him then from the pulpits? 'He answered: 'Our reign would not be sound without that (la yastaqimu l-amru illa bi-dhalik)[7]. ”

The hadiths also recall that the practice continued under the sons of Marwan:

A narration attributed to Sahl ibn Sa'd reports:

“ A person from the offspring of Marwan was appointed as the governor of Medina. He called Sahl ibn Sa'd and ordered him to abuse Ali. Sahl refused to do that. He (the governor) said to him: If you do not agree to it (at least) say: May Allah curse Abu Turab. Sahl said: There was no name dearer to Ali than Abu Turab (for it was given to him by the Holy Prophet himself) and he felt delighted when he was called by this name. He (the governor) said to him: Narrate to us the story of his being named as Abu Turab. He said: Allah's Messenger came to the house of Fatima and he did not find 'Ali in the house; whereupon he said: Where is your uncle's son? She said: (There cropped up something) between me and him which had annoyed him with me. He went out and did not rest here. Allah's Messenger said to a person to find out where he was. He came and said: Allah's Messenger, he is sleeping in the mosque. Allah's Messenger came to him and found him lying in the mosque and saw that his mantle had slipped from his back and his back was covered with dust and Allah's Messenger began to wipe it away from him (from the body of Hadrat 'Ali) saying: Get up, covered with dust (Arabic:Abu Turab); get up, covered with dust. ”
Sunnis tend to view this as Sahih and have included it in Sahih Muslim[8]

The future Umar II was Marwan's grandson and governed Medina 706-12 CE.

Sunni Denials

Some Sunnis have historically denied that the Umayyads cursed `Ali. Imam al-Nawawi: "The ulamas said: Any hadith that appear to refer to intra-Sahaba enmity is interpreted figuratively. In this hadith [Muslim 31.5915] there is nothing that states that Mu`awiya actually ordered Sa`d to curse `Ali, but he only asked him for the reason why he refrained from cursing him: was it Godwariness? in which case, well done; or fear? etc. It may be that Sa`d was observed among a group that cursed `Ali, but he himself abstained from it although unable to reprimand them, then they were subsequently reprimanded, and Mu`awiya asked him this question. Another possible interpretation is: What prevented you from proving `Ali wrong in his opinion and ijtihad, and tell people the rightness and correctness of our position and ijtihad?"

These denials, in light of the Sunni witnesses and also the Christian witnesses, are dismissed by Western scholars and Shi`ites.

See also

References

  1. ^ Palmer, Andrew (1993). "Extract from the Chronicle of 1234". The Seventh-Century in the West-Syrian Chronicles. Translated Texts For Historians. 15. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. p. 184. ISBN 0-85323-238-5. 
  2. ^ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 31, 5924 (Siddiqui numeration: [1])
  3. ^ Sahih Muslim, 31:5915
  4. ^ Sahih Sunan Ibn Majah by Albani #98
  5. ^ Translation of Ibn Kathir, Al Bidayah wa al Nahayah, Volume 7 page 341, Chapter: The virtues of Ali; from Abû Zurʿa al-Dimashqî < Aḥmad b. Khâlid al-Dhahabî. This is also in al-Masʿûdî, Murûj al-Dhahabi, from Abû Jaʿfar Muḥammad b. Jarîr al-Ṭabarî < Muḥammad b. Ḥumayd al-Râzî < Abû Mujâhid. This latter version goes on to append the hadith Muslim 31.5915.
  6. ^ (Online Arabic version)
  7. ^ Baladhuri, AnsabII, 184-5 and ; Ibn Asakir, 'Ali, III, 98-9
  8. ^ Sahih Muslim, 31:5924

External links