Category: Religion and Philosophy
Tradition One
The darling of the Nasibi movement Qadhi Mazhar Husayn in his book 'Ham Matam kyo nahee kurthai hai' said:
Imam Ja'far Sadiq (as) has said that patience and hardships, both comes to the believer, hence on the appearance of hardships, he exhibit patience and adversities impatience comes to k?r hence on the appearance of adversities, he exhibits signs of anxiety / mourning [Jazza]
Furu Al Kafi v 1, p 121
It is proved from this tradition that the one who exhibit patience is a believer while the one who display anxiety is k?r.
Reply One
This tradition is Daeef. Please see Muruth al Uqool Volume 3, page 92.
Reply Two
The Nasibi does not know the true meaning of 'patience' - its is Nasibi perception that those who stay quite during grief and hardships and refraining from wailing and crying are considered patient. The reality is that wailing and crying does not negate the concept of patience while complaining and holding Allah (swt) responsible for the adversities during hardships constitutes impatience, i.e. commenting on an act due to a lack of knowledge is impatience.
The story of Musa (as) and Khider (as) mentioned in Qur'an serves as a proof for our notion. As Musa (as) asked Khider (as) that He wanted to go with him and wanted to learn the things which Khider (as) had learnt from Ilm-e-Ladunni. Khider (as) told Musa (as) that He didn't possess patience and how would he endure a matter that he lacked knowledge of. Prophet Musa (as) told him that "Inshallah", he will find Khider (as) enduring and would not oppose anything Khider (as) did. Despite this, when Khider (as) made an hole in the boat and Khider (as) said that hadn't, Khider (as) said he failed to maintain patience. The same reply was given to Musa (as) by Khider (as) when he (as) commented on the killing of servant by Khider (as). The verse proves that lack of 'Sabr' involves commenting on mater that you lack knowledge of.
In the eyes of Ulema, the definition of patience is that the 'self' shall not indulge in an unsound act. True patience is that exhibited in war, and refers to not fleeing the battlefield.
The terms "Sabr" patience means not to complain about Allah (swt) before any other than God. We have the example of Prophet Yaqub (as) who maintained this high level of patience even after his lamentation. as he complained about his adversities to Allah (swt) as we have already mentioned.
Unless someone issues a complaint at adversities to persons other than Allah (swt), merely weeping and chest beating does not fall under the category of impatience.
The tradition makes no reference to the prohibition of mourning etc rather the condition of two classes are being discussed that a believer is he who stands firm on his iman and his endurance is unshakable whilst a K?r complains and holds Allah responsible for his calamity and suffering and hence shows impatience.
During the pre Islamic era, it was the tradition of these people to wail and cry at adversities blaming all on Taqdir, they would recite poetry wherein they commented on the wisdom of Allah and how they exhibited impatience. The same thing has been mentioned in this tradition. To advance a weak Hadeeth and twist in effort to prove that mourning for Imam Husayn (as) is Haraam is fitting of these Nasibi.
Tradition Two - The Definition of Mourning`/ Lamentation
On asking the meaning of [Anxiety / Jazza] Mourning Imam Ja'far (as) said that extreme mourning means to wail and cry loudly and to beat face and chest and to eliminate the hairs of forehead. And one who maintained the lamenting ritual; he has abandoned patience and went against the path of Islam.
Furu e Kafi, Volume 1, page 121
Reply One - The tradition had been graded as weak
Allamah Hilli in his book "Kitab Ar Rijjal" said that the narrator of the tradition, Suhail Bin Zayd 'very' weak', who narrated 'absurd traditions'. "Marqaat Al Uqool" Volume 3, page 91 also grades the tradition as weak. Furu e Kafi has also stated it is weak. (Please see chapter 79, tradition 1, Kitab al khabair page 187)
Reply Two
Even if we suppose this tradition was Saheeh, than the only meaning which we get from this is to make Mourning while going out of the mentioned limits is impatience and illegitimate. In pre Islamic age people during the adversities and when confronted by clamities, used to wail and cry along with the making of poetry based on inappropriate words for Allah (swt) and this condemnation is for the same absurd customs adopted in that era. But in the Azadari of Imam Husayn (as) maintains the high prestige of Allah (swt) we don't commit any blasphemy against Allah (swt) and our lamentation would not be defined by our Imam (as) as Jazza. When it comes to Imam Husayn (as) such mourning is valid and legitimate!? The Shi'a do not conduct Azadari for ordinary people, we reserve it for Imam Husayn (as), these acts are in accordance with dictates of the Qur'an and Sunnah.
Tradition Three
Imam Ja'far Sadiq (as) quoted Prophet (s) that when a Muslim hits his 'thighs' during the time of adversities , than his reward is destroyed.
Furu Kafi, volume 1, page 121
Reply
Furu al Kafi and Marat al Uqool volume 3, page 92 have graded this tradition as Daef. It contradicts a Saheeh tradition in "'Man la Yanzarul Fiqh', Kitab at Taharah, Bab al Takhfiziyah":
"The one who is affected by calamity, whether he does patience or wail, his reward is paradise during suffering".
Similarly we read in "Mishkat al Masabih" that when adversity affects a Muslim, he suffers from despondency, even if he is injured by a thorn, Allah (swt) will eliminate his sins for him.
Sunni traditions record the act of our Prophet (s) striking his 'thighs' this was his Sunnah, hence this tradition means nothing to us.
Tradition Four
The Prophet(s) instructed at the time of His death that Fatima (as) not strike her face or open her hair, do not invite the women to recite elegies nor weep and cry loudly.
Furu Kafi, Volume 2, page 214
Reply One
This tradition is also Daef. Please see Marqath al Uqool Volume 4, Page 513.
Reply Two
Had Prophet (s) prohibited Fatima al-Zahra (as) than she would have not lamented and mourned after Prophet (s)'s death. We read in Al Bidaya Wal Nahaya volume 5, page 243:
"When Prophet (s) died on the bed and the women who were around him (s) had made their faces red by beating their faces."
If beating the faces was prohibited by Prophet (s) then why were these women opposing the instructions of Prophet (s)? It is obvious that Prophet (s)'s daughter Fatima Zahra (sa) was among those women she would have at least refrained from this Haraam act and instructed the other women to stop.
Tradition Five
Ibne Baboya, through "Mo'tabar" (decent) chain has reported from Imam Mohammad al-Baqir (as) that The Holy Prophet (s) bequeathed Hadrath Fatima (sa) in following words.
"Fatima! When I die, don't gripe your hair due to my separation, don't disturb your hair and do not lament and do not mourn and do not call females who lament and scream."
Jila Ul Ayoon (Urdu translation) part 1, page 67, Published in Lucknow
Reply
This Tradition is the translation of the same tradition of Kafi which was noted in the earlier proof and according to the reference from 'Miraat ul Uqool' that was proved to be a weak tradition. The Word Mo'tabar that is used for authentic traditions also includes weak ones, the inventor of this Expression too is Allama Majlisi, he himself has explained this point in his 'Risala e Rijaal' that the word 'Mo'tabar' also includes the weak traditions, see "Hadiyatul Mo'mineen" and "Durayat ul Hadees".
Had the Holy Prophet (s) prohibited Hadrath Fatima (sa) from the above mentioned acts, she would have never insisted on them and would have never preformed them, but besides the Shi'a books, even the Sunni books quote that Hadrath Fatima (sa) cried, Lamented and mourned over her father's death.
We read in Mishkat , Bab al Karbaat Fazal, Volume 1, page 336 that Fatima Zahra (sa) recited the a complete elegy that can also be found in Saheeh Bukharee ,Volume 2, page 641.
Shiekh Abdul Haq Muhadis Dehalvi while mentioning the grievious atmosphere after Prophet?s death records in his esteem work ?Madarij un Nabuwat Volume 2 Page 753-754 (Madina Publishing Co. Karachi):
?After the burial of the Prophet [s], the companions in a state of sorrow were virtually throwing dust of yearning and shame over their lives and living, and were burning and crying due to being separated from their beloved of the world and the hereafter. Especially Hadhrat Fatima [ra] was the most aggrieved, the loneliest and was crying and wailing the most, she was looking at the faces of her sons Imam Hasan [ra] and Imam Hussein [ra] and was crying at their plight and herself being orphaned. At the other side Hadhrat Ayesha in the same apartment where Holy Prophet [s] had passed away, was continuously crying and wailing. Days and nights the voices of crying and mourning rose from this house which became house of grief [Bait ul Huzn] and separation.?
Madarij un Nabuwat, Volume 2, Page 753 & 754Tradition Six
Hadhrath Imam Husayn (as) said to Hadrath Zaynab (as) at Karbala:
O' Sister! By the right that I have on you. Be patient on my separation, and when I get killed do not beat yourself and do not gripe your hair, you are the daughter of Hadhrath Fatima e Zahra (sa), show patience the wa she showed on the death of Holy Prophet (s).
Jila ul Ayoon (translated) Chapter of 'Qazaaha e Karbala' page 382
Reply One
This is one of the traditions of "Ahaad" (Plural of Ahad, which means one). There no such comprehension or perception in 'Jila ul Ayoon' the compiler of Jila ul Ayoon himself has mentioned on the very first page that their are some weak references in this book, other then that we can perceive that these words have been said for consolation.
Reply Two - The same text has traditions wherein Sayyida Zaynab (as) mourned the loss of her brother
Had mourning (Azadari) not been permissible, the Ahl'ulbayt (as) would have never performed it. Its also quoted in 'Jila ul Ayoon' that after Imam Husayn's (as), Hadrath Zaynab (sa) and Hadhrath Ume e Kulthum (sa) mourned, lamented and recited elegies. Its also stated that when Zuljanah (Imam's holy horse) came back towards the tents of the caravan, Hadhrath Um e Kulthum beat her head with her hands and repeatedly said "O' Mohammad!(s)".
From: Jila ul Ayoon Page 207
Its is further said that when Hadrath Zaynab (sa) saw Imam Husayn (as)'s holy head, she hit her forehead to the camel's saddle and it started bleeding, and she lamented.
From: Jila ul Ayoon Page 311
It's also said that When Hadrath Zaynab (sa) saw Imam Husayn (as) head in the court of Yazeed she took off her veil, and lamented in a unbearable manner and said "Oh! Husayn, Oh! Husayn."
Reply Three
But these are Shi'a traditions, now lets provide references from Sunni books because if we give reference from 'Maqtal e Muhnaf' you would call it Shi'a, and if we give reference from 'Yanabi al Muwaddat' you would call it unauthentic, therefore have a tradition from your beloved Imam Ibn Katheer. He states that:
When the forces of Yazeed planned to attack the camp of Imam Husayn, Hadhrath Zainab came to Imam Husayn and asked that why was there so much noise outside their tents, Imam replied that I just dreamt of Holy Prophet (s) and he said that you will be meeting me tomorrow, hearing this Hadhrath Zainab started crying and hitting herself on the face.
Al Bidaya wal Nahaya Volume 8, Page 176, printed in Beirut
In the same book a bit further it is mentioned that:
Hadhrath Zainab heard the elegies from Imam, reflecting the tragedy of Karbala and the Martyrdom of Imam Husayn she cried, lamented and beat herself on the head until she fainted.
Al Bidaya wal Nihaya Volume 8, Page 177, printed in Beirut
Now the point is that Hadhrath Zaynab (as) performed these acts twice in the presence of the Imam Husayn (as) himself, and he didn't stop her from doing that, which means there was nothing wrong with lamentation.
CRITICISM: Sayyida Zaynab (as) was prohibited to mourn by Imam Husayn (as)
Reply
In Minhaj-ul-Sunna Volume 4 page written by Ibn-a-Tameema in his discussion on the verses in the Cave (Ghaar), he says the terms 'La-takhzun' (an order not to do some thing) is not always used to prohibit an action but it can also be used for consolation and satisfaction.
If Ibn Taymeeya al Nasibi takes the Qur'anic order not to weep, as a consolation, for this forty year old man, then the same applies to Sayyida Zaynab (as) who was after all a modest lady. Her brothers, sons and relatives had been martyred, she was in a far off unfamiliar land, and had been taken as a prisoner, surrounded by enemies, there was only one male member in the house left (Imam Husayn (as)) and he was also preparing for his martyrdom. If under these circumstances Imam Husayn (as) had ordered Sayyida Zaynab (as) not to weep then this order was not an compulsory order but it was for her consolation and satisfaction as appears in the following verses of Quran
"wa la-takhzun alay him wa la tak fee zaka mima yum koroon"
(Oh Habib (beloved) don't be disappointed with the ill wills and plans of opponents)
This order (not to be disappointed) descended as a source of consolation.
If we compare the circumstances faced by Sayyida Zaynab (as) and Abu Bakr then there is a world of difference between the two. Let us give an example:
"A young teenager is killed in a road accident. Friends and relatives attend the home of the deceased sop as to console his parents. The mother of the child is completely overcome with grief she is slapping her face, wailing, in such circumstances it is common in Muslim culture her elders to comfort he, embrace her and tell her to calm down, stop crying"
The action of these elders does NOT mean that her mourning is Haraam; they are simply saying this to console her. Similarly, the order of the Imam Husayn (as) under the given circumstances was for consolation and satisfaction of Sayyida Zaynab (as) because dead bodies of all her family members were in front of her and these include the bodies of her sons, brothers and nephews and she was in a state of journey and nobody intimate and beloved was left alive.
On the other hand Abu Bakar was a male, he was sitting in a safe place in the company of Apostle of Allah, all his family was safe in his native area, no dead body of any of his beloved was in front of him, under these circumstances act of weeping was timidity for a male so if such a man was asked "not to weep" then it was not for his consolation and satisfaction but it was to act upon in true sense.
In the same way a very biased historian Ibn Katheer states that after the martyrdom of Imam Hussain [as], Umer Ibn Sa`d dispatched the women who were in the camps of Imam Hussain [as]:
?..They were made to sit on the camels, when they passed by the battlefield, they saw Imam Hussein (as) and his companions, the women started crying and shouting and Hadhrat Zaynab did Nudba for her brother and said:
?O Muhammad (s)! O Muhammad (s)! May Allah and the angels on the heavens send blessings on you; Hussain (s) is lying on the ground blood-tangled with his organs cut-off, O Muhammad (s)! Your daughters have been made captives and your progeny is killed and lying on the ground with the wind blowing dust onto their bodies.?
The narrator says: ?By God! Hadhrat Zaynab made every friend and enemy cry.?
Qarat bin Qais narrates that when the women passed by the killed, they cried and started hitting their faces.
1)
Al Bidaya wal Nahaya, Volume 8, page 10912) Tareekh e Tabari, volume 7, page 370
3) Tareekh e Kamil, volume 4, page 42
The confirmation of a staunch Sunni and biased historian like Ibn Katheer is enough to cancel the lame evidences of Nasibis. Now if it is said that earlier two proofs of mourning (Azadari) were before the last will of Imam Husayn (as) then the example of mourning after the tragedy where Sayyida Zaynab (as) was also present is also mentioned above, reported from Qarat bin Qais. Further more in the books of both the sects the elegies are quoted which were recited by the women of Ahl'ulbayt (as) after the tragedy of Karbala. The lamentation and elegies of Sayyida Zaynab (as) and Sayyida Umme Kulthum (as) prove that it was never prohibited and Imam's will was just for consolation.
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