Muawiyah and Tariq Masood: Different names with indentical motives

For the folks who are suprised by the controversial statement of the so-called Islamic cleric hailing from Karachi naming Mr. Tariq Masood, one should keep in mind that the paradox of slandering and insulting Imam Ali ع is not a new one. The phenomenon of habitual ABUSING of Imam Ali ع existed even in the past, present and will continue to do so until the reappearance of Imam Mahdi ع . 

For knowing the reason behind these derogatory statements, we have to rewind into the depths of history and find the root cause, the origins from where it all began:

One cannot deny the fact that Imam Ali ع was indeed SLANDERED on the pulpits of the mosques for 90 years, during the rein of Bani Umayya and it is unanimously ACCEPTED by the scholars, wether they belong to the Shia or the Sunni school of thought. This policy was initiated by Mua'awiya ibn Abi Sufyaan ل and ensured its implementation. Wether secretly or openly, even upto the extent of going on the pulpits of the mosques, they (ie. the Umayyads) insulted Imam Ali ع with their full power and the reason was because of the heavy and deep hatred they had for Him ع and the other members of Ahlulbayth ع . As if the slandering of Imam Ali ع was not enough, he also ordered the persecution of his followers. Unfortunately, it did not stop there. The son of Mua'waiya, ie. Yazid (may Allah's infinite curse be upon both) carried on this bloody and heidous legacy. This ignominy of Imam Ali ع was finally stopped by Umar ibn Abdel A'aziz (99 A.H), who had compassion towards the Ahlulbayth ع .

This is the bitter part of the history which historians deliberately avoid discussing in order to hide the crimes of Muawiyah ibn Abu Sufiyan ع under the pretext of 'ISLAMIC UNITY'. Unity between the Muslims is of utmost importance, but hiding the truth under it's banner is completely UNACCEPTABLE.

THE POLICY OF INSULTING IMAM ALI ع

1) Abu A'ammar said he was at the house of Wathila ibn al-Asqa'a. The people brought up the name of Ali and they INSULTED him. When they left, Wathila told Abu A'ammar to stay so he can tell him about the man they INSULTED. Wathila said: “One of these days, I was at the Prophet’s house when Ali, Fatima, al-Hassan and al-Hussein came to him. The Prophet covered them with his cloak then said:

‘O Allah, these are my Ahlul Bayt, O Allah, keep away the uncleanness from them and purify them a thorough purifying’

Musnad of Ahmad, vol 3 pg 3

2) Amir b. Sa’d b. Abi Waqqas reported on the authority of his father that Muawiya b. Abi Sufyan ل appointed Sa’d as the Governor and said: What prevents you from ABUSING Abu Turab (ie. Imam Ali ع), whereupon he said: It is because of three things which I remember Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) 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 (may peace be upon him) say about 'Ali as he left behind him in one of his campaigns (that was Tabuk). 'Ali said to him: Allah’s Messenger, you leave me behind along with women and children. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) said to him: Aren’t you satisfied with being unto me what Aaron was unto Moses but with this exception that there is no prophethood after me. And I (also) heard him say on the Day of Khybar: 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 (may peace be upon him) called 'Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain and said: 'O Allah, they are my family'

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبَّادٍ وَتَقَارَبَا فِي اللَّفْظِ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا حَاتِمٌ وَهُوَ ابْنُ إِسْمَعِيلَ عَنْ بُكَيْرِ بْنِ مِسْمَارٍ عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ أَمَرَ مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ سَعْدًا فَقَالَ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَسُبَّ أَبَا التُّرَابِ فَقَالَ أَمَّا مَا ذَكَرْتُ ثَلَاثًا قَالَهُنَّ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَلَنْ أَسُبَّهُ لَأَنْ تَكُونَ لِي وَاحِدَةٌ مِنْهُنَّ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ حُمْرِ النَّعَمِ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ لَهُ خَلَّفَهُ فِي بَعْضِ مَغَازِيهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ عَلِيٌّ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ خَلَّفْتَنِي مَعَ النِّسَاءِ وَالصِّبْيَانِ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَمَا تَرْضَى أَنْ تَكُونَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى إِلَّا أَنَّهُ لَا نُبُوَّةَ بَعْدِي وَسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ يَوْمَ خَيْبَرَ لَأُعْطِيَنَّ الرَّايَةَ رَجُلًا يُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيُحِبُّهُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ قَالَ فَتَطَاوَلْنَا لَهَا فَقَالَ ادْعُوا لِي عَلِيًّا فَأُتِيَ بِهِ أَرْمَدَ فَبَصَقَ فِي عَيْنِهِ وَدَفَعَ الرَّايَةَ إِلَيْهِ فَفَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَأَبْنَاءَكُمْ دَعَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلِيًّا وَفَاطِمَةَ وَحَسَنًا وَحُسَيْنًا فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ هَؤُلَاءِ أَهْلِي

Sahih Muslim, Book 031, # 5915, Book of Fada'il Al-Sahabah; Page 940, # (2404)-32, Arabic version

Ibn Manzur, Lisan al Arab Volume 11 page 685

A'amir ibn Sa'ad from his father said that he heard the Messenger of Allah say about him (Imam Ali ع) as he left behind him in one of his campaigns. 'Ali said to him: Allah’s Messenger, you leave me behind along with women and children….

• حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا حَاتِمٌ ابْنُ إِسْمَعِيلَ عن بكير بن مسمار عن عامر بن سعد عن أبيه قال: سمعت رسول الله يقول له وخلفه في بعض مغازيه فقال علي رضي الله عنه: أتخلفني مع النساء والصبيان قال: يا علي أما ترضى أن تكون مني بمنزلة هارون من موسى إلا أنه لا نبوة بعدي وسمعته يقول يوم خيبر: لأعطين الراية رجلا يحب الله ورسوله ويحبه الله ورسوله فتطاولنا لها فقال : ادعوا لي عليا رضي الله عنه فأتي به أرمد فبصق في عينه ودفع الراية اليه ففتح الله عليه ولما نزلت هذه الآية: ندع أبناءنا وأبناءكم دعا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عليا وفاطمة وحسناً وحسيناً رضوان الله عليهم فقال اللهم هؤلاء أهلي

You can see that the part where Mua'awiya asked Sa'ad ibn Abi Waqqas What prevented him from ABUSING Imam Ali ع is missing ! Why this hypocrisy ?

Here is another narration (AUTHENTICATED by al-Albani in Sahih Sunan ibn Majjah), which points to the fact that Mua'awiya is the one who used to INSULT Imam Ali ع :

'On his way to Hajj, Sa'ad met Mua'awiya ل and his companions mentioned 'Ali upon and he (Mua'awiya ل) showed DISRESPECT towards Ali, Sa'ad got angry and asked 'You say this to a man about whom I heard the Prophet say 'Whomever I am his Mawla Ali is also his Mawla, and I heard him say The position to Ali to me is similar to that of Harun to his brother except that there is no Prophet after me and he also said Today, I will give the banner to someone who a man who loves Allah and his Prophet and whom Allah and His Prophet love'

(In the Arabic text the words used to show the action of Mua'awiya ل are 'fanala minho' and the editor Muhammad Faula Abdul Bakee states in the footnotes that these words mean that Mua'awiya ل cursed and insulted Imam Ali ع)

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ. حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ. حَدَّثَنَا مُوْسَى بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنْ ابْن سَابِطٍ، وَهُوَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ سَعْد بْنُ أَبِي وَقَّاص؛

قَالَ: قَدِمَ مُعَاوِيَةَ فِي بَعْضِ حَجَّاتِهِ، فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ سَعْد، فَذَكَرُوا عَلِيُّاً. فَنَالَ مِنْهُ. فَغَضِبَ سَعْد، وَقَالَ: تَقُولُ هَذَا لِرَجُلٍ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسلَّمْ يَقُولُ (مَنْ كُنْت مَوْلاَهُ فَعَلِيُّ مَوْلاَهُ) وَسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ (أَنْتَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوْسَى إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ لاَ نَبِيَّ بَعْدي) وَسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ (لأُعْطِيَنَّ الرَّأَيةَ الْيَوْمَ رَجُلاً يُحِبُّ اللَّه وَرَسُولَهُ)؟

[ش (فنال منه) أَي نال مُعَاوِيَةَ من عَلِيّ، ووقع فِيه وسبه].

Sunan ibn Majah page 12, # 121, Dhikr 'Ali

(الجزء الأول >> [افتتاح الكتاب في: الإيمان، وفضائل الصحابة، والعلم] >> (11) بَاب فِيْ فضائل أصحاب رَسُول اللَّه صَلَى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَمْ >> (فَضْلُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ رَضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُ))

In the footnotes of the narration, al-Albani wrote:

'Fanala Minhu' : that is Mua'awiya 'Nal Min' Ali (slandered Ali) and Takalama Feehi (spoke ill of him)

فنال منه: أي نال معاوية من علي وتكلم فيه

It becomes clear that INSULTING AND SLANDERING Imam Ali ع was an ongoing practice by Mua'awaiya ل and his followers. After all, there is a reason why Sa'ad got angry !

أخبرنا أبوالقاسم بن الحصين أنا أبو محمد الحسن بن عيسى بن المقتدر أنا أبو العباس أحمد بن منصور اليشكري نا الصولي نا أبو علي هشام بن علي العطار ناعمر بن عبيد الله التيمي نا حفص بن جميع حدثني سماك بن حرب قال

قلت لجابر إن هؤلاء القوم يدعونني إلى شتم علي قال وما عسيت أن تشتمه به قال أكنيه بأبي تراب قال فوالله ما كانت لعلي كنية أحب إليه من أبي تراب إن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم اخى بين الناس ولم يؤاخ بينه وبين أحد فخرج مغضبا حتى أتى كثيبا من رمل فنام عليه فأتاه النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال قم أبا تراب وجعل ينفض التراب عن ظهره وبردته ويقول قم أبا تراب أغضبت أن اخيت بين الناس ولم أواخ بينك وبين أحد قال نعم فقال أنت أخي وأنا أخوك \ح

Tarikh Dimashq by ibn A'asakir (الجزء 42. حرف الطاء في آباء من اسمه علي. )

Here is another narration from Sahih Muslim (also reported by ibn A'asakir in his book Tarikh Dimashq) which depicts the practice by someone from the clan of Marwan:

Sahl b. Sa’d reported that a person from the offspring of Marwan was appointed as the governor of Medina. He called Sahl b. 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.

Sahih Muslim, Book 031, # 5924, Book of Fada'il Al-Sahabah; Page 940, #(2404)-32, Arabic version

Zayd ibn Arquam (a companion of the Prophet ﷺ ) heard that some governor had INSULTED and SLANDERED Imam Ali ع , so he got up and reminded him that the Prophet ﷺ FORBADE doing this.

Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, vol 4, pg 371 [entire book: page 1413, # 19530]

Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, vol 4, pg 369 [entire book: page 1411, # 19503]

In her letter, Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ wrote to Muawiyah: 

“…You are SLANDERING Allah and His Messenger ﷺ on your minbar, and that is because you are SLANDERING Ali Ibn Abi Talib ع and whomever loves him, and I am a witness that Allah and His messenger loved him” 

But no one paid any attention to what she said.

al-Aqd al-Fareed, vol 2, pg 300

“Ali Ibn Abi Talib (ra) was SLANDERED on the pulpits (manabir) of the east and west…”, during the time of Muawiyah.

Mu'jam al-Buldan, al-Hamawi, vol 5, pg 38

Mu'awiya ordered Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas to SLANDER 'Abu Turab’

Mohibuddin al-Tabari, in his classical book of hadith Riyad ul Nadira, Volume 3, page 194

“Mu'awiya issued an order to SLANDER Hazrat Ali. Upon hearing this Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas said: "Even if you place a sword over my head and demand that I SLANDER 'Ali, I will refuse to do so”.

Ibn Hajar Asqalani in his commentary of Sahih al Bukhari “Fathul Bari”, Volume 7, page 74, Bab Manaqib 'Ali

“Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas said to Mu'awiya: You have sat me next to you on your throne and begun to SLANDER Hazrat Ali”

Ibn Kathir, Al Bidayah al Nihayah" page 341 Volume 7 the Chapter 'The virtues of 'Ali’

When Mu'awiya was proceeding to Hajj, he saw Sad, grabbed him by the hand and sat him next to his pulpit. Thereafter he proceeded to SLANDER Ali, Sad got angry stating you have sat me next to you and began to indulge in the awful act !“

Abu Zahra al-Dimashqi, in his Tarikh ul Islam, Volume 1, page 38

Sibt Ibn Jauzi al Hanafi, in His Tadhkiratul Khawass, page 113

At last but not the least, it is unanimously accepted by the scholars, wether they belong to the Shia or the Sunni school of thought, that insulting Imam Ali ع is also insulting Allah (SWT) and His beloved Prophet ﷺ . 

It is historically established, by scholars of both the secrs that Mua'awiya ل used to give orders to all his appointed governors to implement this practice. The governors would in turn ask, and at times compell, the companions of the Prophet ﷺ and Imam Ali ع to enforce such sinful practice. For instance, when Mua'awiya ل appointed Sa'ad bin Abi Waqqas ل as the governor of one of the cities, Mua'awiya ل asked him to CURSE Imam Ali bin Abi Talib ع . Sa'ad ل refused. In a letter to Mua'awiya ل , the mother of the believers, Janab e Umm Salama (ra) warned Mua'awiya ل about his sinful practice. She made it clear to him that INSULTING Imam Ali was also insulting Allah and His Messenger ﷺ .

“He who insults Ali, insults me. He who insults me, insults Allah. And he who insults Allah, Allah will throw him into Hell”

من سب عليا فقد سبني، ومن سبني فقد سب الله

التخريج (مفصلا): أحمد في مسنده والحاكم في المستدرك عن أم سلمة - تصحيح السيوطي: صحيح

Mustadrak, hakim, vol 3 p 121 (المجلد الثالث >> -31- كتاب معرفة الصحابة رضي الله تعالى عنهم >> ذكر إسلام أمير المؤمنين: علي -رضي الله تعالى عنه)

al-Jami'i al-Sagheer by Jalaludin al-Suyuti, vol 6, #8736 (الجامع الصغير. الإصدار 3,21 - لجلال الدين السيوطي

المجلد السادس >> [تتمة باب حرف الميم])

Kanz al-U'ummal by al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, vol 11, # 32903 (المجلد الحادي عشر >> فضائل علي رضي الله عنه)

Khasais, al Nasai, pg 24

al-Manaqib, al Khawarizmi, pg 81

al-Riyadh al Nadira, Tabari, vol 2, pg 219

Tarikh al-Khulafa, by Jalaluddin al-Suyuti, pg 173

Fada'il al-Sahaba, by Ahmad Hanbal, vol 2, pg 594, Tradition # 1011

Majma’ al-Zawa'id, by al-Haythami, vol 9, pg 130

Mishkat al-Masabih, English version, Tradition # 6092

حدثنا عبد الله حدثني أبي حدثنا يحيى بن أبي بكير قال حدثنا إسرائيل عن أبي إسحق عن عبد الله الجدلي قال دخلت على أم سلمة فقالت لي: أيسب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فيكم قلت معاذ الله أو سبحان الله أو كلمة نحوها قالت: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: من سب عليا فقد سبني.

Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, vol 6,pg 323 [entire book: pg 988, # 27284]

We would like to conclude this article by saying that wether be it Muawiyah ل or his son Mr. Tariq Masood ل , they both are people with:

DIFFERENT NAMES BUT WITH INDENTICAL MOTIVES

The enemies of Imam Ali ع will continue to exist and the practice of habitual SLANDERING AND INSULTING Imam Ali ع will exist until the reappearance of Imam Mahdi ع . May Allah hasten the reappearance of Imam Mahdi ع and include us amongst his sincere companions.