Argument Number: 5
Riyah bin Harith narrates that:
كُنْتُ قَاعِدًا عِنْدَ فُلَانٍ فِي مَسْجِدِ الْكُوفَةِ وَعِنْدَهُ أَهْلُ الْكُوفَةِ، فَجَاءَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ زَيْدِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ نُفَيْلٍ فَرَحَّبَ بِهِ وَحَيَّاهُ وَأَقْعَدَهُ عِنْدَ رِجْلِهِ عَلَى السَّرِيرِ، فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ يُقَالُ لَهُ قَيْسُ بْنُ عَلْقَمَةَ فَاسْتَقْبَلَهُ فَسَبَّ وَسَبَّ، فَقَالَ سَعِيدٌ: مَنْ يَسُبُّ هَذَا الرَّجُلُ؟ قَالَ: يَسُبُّ عَلِيًّا، قَالَ: أَلَا أَرَى أَصْحَابَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُسَبُّونَ عِنْدَكَ ثُمَّ لَا تُنْكِرُ وَلَا تُغَيِّرُ، أَنَا سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ، وَإِنِّي لَغَنِيٌّ أَنْ أَقُولَ عَلَيْهِ مَا لَمْ يَقُلْ فَيَسْأَلَنِي عَنْهُ غَدًا إِذَا لَقِيتُهُ: أَبُو بَكْرٍ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَعُمَرُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَسَاقَ مَعْنَاهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: لَمَشْهَدُ رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَغْبَرُّ فِيهِ وَجْهُهُ خَيْرٌ مِنْ عَمَلِ أَحَدِكُمْ عُمْرَهُ وَلَوْ عُمِّرَ عُمُرَ نُوحٍ۔
“I was sitting with a certain person in the mosque of Kufa, and some people of Kufa were also with him. Hazrat Saeed bin Zaid bin Amr bin Nufail (may Allah be pleased with him) came, so that person welcomed him and seated him on a cot towards his feet. Then a person from the people of Kufa came, who was called Qais bin Alqamah, and he turned towards him and started cursing continuously. Hazrat Saeed (may Allah be pleased with him) asked, ‘Whom is he cursing?’ The answer was, ‘Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).’ Then Hazrat Saeed bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) said: ‘What am I seeing that the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) are being cursed in your presence, and neither is it being stopped nor is there any anger shown, whereas I have heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say—and indeed I am not careless about saying something attributed to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that he did not say, and tomorrow (on the Day of Judgment) when I meet him, I will have to answer for it (meaning I will not lie about him, so I am not careless about being accountable for this either). (And the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is that he said:) Abu Bakr is in Paradise, Umar is in Paradise, (Uthman is in Paradise, Ali is in Paradise… the complete hadith follows).’ After this, Saeed bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) said: ‘The dust on the face of any companion in the company of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is better than your deeds, even if you are given the lifespan of Prophet Noah (peace be upon him).'”
Along with this, you narrate the method from Musnad Ahmad:
أَنَّ الْمُغِيرَةَ بْنَ شُعْبَةَ كَانَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَكْبَرِ، وَعِنْدَهُ أَهْلُ الْكُوفَةِ، عَنْ يَمِينِهِ، وَعَنْ يَسَارِهِ، فَجَاءَهُ رَجُلٌ يُدْعَى سَعِيدَ بْنَ زَيْدٍ، فَحَيَّاهُ الْمُغِيرَةُ، وَأَجْلَسَهُ عِنْدَ رِجْلَيْهِ عَلَى السَّرِيرِ، فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ، فَاسْتَقْبَلَ الْمُغِيرَةَ، فَسَبَّ، وَسَبَّ، فَقَالَ: مَنْ يَسُبُّ هَذَا يَا مُغِيرَةُ؟ قَالَ: يَسُبُّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، قَالَ: يَا مُغِيرَ بْنَ شُعْبَ، يَا مُغِيرَ بْنَ شُعْبَ ثَلَاثًا، أَلَا أَسْمَعُ أَصْحَابَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُسَبُّونَ عِنْدَكَ؟ لَا تُنْكِرُ وَلَا تُغَيِّرُ، فَأَنَا أَشْهَدُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِمَا سَمِعَتْ أُذُنَايَ، وَوَعَاهُ قَلْبِي مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَإِنِّي لَمْ أَكُنْ أَرْوِي عَنْهُ كَذِبًا يَسْأَلُنِي عَنْهُ إِذَا لَقِيتُهُ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ: “أَبُو بَكْرٍ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَعُمَرُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَعَلِيٌّ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَعُثْمَانُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَطَلْحَةُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَالزُّبَيْرُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَسَعْدُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ فِي الْجَنَّةِ”. وَتَاسِعُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، لَوْ شِئْتُ أَنْ أُسَمِّيَهُ لَسَمَّيْتُهُ. قَالَ: فَضَجَّ أَهْلُ الْمَسْجِدِ يُنَاشِدُونَهُ: يَا صَاحِبَ رَسُولِ اللهِ، مَنِ التَّاسِعُ؟ قَالَ: نَاشَدْتُمُونِي بِاللهِ، وَاللهُ عَظِيمٌ، أَنَا تَاسِعُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، وَرَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْعَاشِرُ، ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ ذَلِكَ يَمِينًا، قَالَ: وَاللهِ لَمَشْهَدٌ شَهِدَهُ رَجُلٌ يُغَبِّرُ فِيهِ وَجْهَهُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ عَمَلِ أَحَدِكُمْ، وَلَوْ عُمِّرَ عُمُرَ نُوحٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامِ۔
“Riyah bin Harith narrates that Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him) was in the great mosque, and on his right and left were some people of Kufa. A person came who was called Saeed bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him). Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him) welcomed him and seated him on his cot towards his feet. Then a person from Kufa came and turned towards Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him) and started cursing continuously. Hazrat Saeed bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) said: ‘O Mughirah, whom is he cursing?’ Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: ‘He is cursing Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).’ Hazrat Saeed bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) said: ‘O Mughirah bin Shu’bah, O Mughirah bin Shu’bah,’—he said three times—(then said) ‘Do I not hear that the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) are being cursed in your presence, and neither are they being stopped nor is there anger shown, whereas I bear witness regarding the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) what my ears have heard and my heart has remembered, and I will not say anything false in the name of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) for which I will have to answer tomorrow before you. Indeed, you (peace be upon him) said: Abu Bakr is in Paradise, Umar is in Paradise, Ali is in Paradise, Uthman is in Paradise, Talhah is in Paradise, Zubair is in Paradise, Abdur Rahman bin Awf is in Paradise, and Saad bin Malik is in Paradise (may Allah be pleased with them), and there is a ninth believer also in Paradise, if I wish I can tell his name.’ Then the people present in the mosque began to ask you by Allah’s name, ‘O companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), who is that ninth?’ You (may Allah be pleased with him) said: ‘You invoke Allah on me, Allah is Great, that ninth believer is me (about whom the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) gave the glad tidings of Paradise) and the tenth is the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).’ Then Hazrat Saeed (may Allah be pleased with him) turned to the right and said: ‘The dust on the face of any companion in the company of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is better than your deeds, even if you are given the lifespan of Prophet Noah (peace be upon him).'”
Now recall Mirza Sahib’s claim and see if there is even a single point in this that matches his claim? Is there any mention of a pulpit? Any mention of curses or insults? Sixty years? Or any mention of Hazrat Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him)?
The first point is that your claim was about Hazrat Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he used to curse and make others curse, but here there is nothing of that sort. Regarding the answer of this anchor, you had shifted to say that yes, there are separate hadiths about Hazrat Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), but we are also looking at those separate hadiths you presented, and so far there is no trace of them. Allah knows where those separate hadiths are that you have been making noise about.
Second point: Here also the word “sab” (curse) is used, but Mirza Sahib translates it as “abuse.” Why? Do you like curses so much?
Third point: The one who is cursing is neither a companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), nor Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him), nor anyone belonging to Banu Umayyah, so that you could attribute it to Hazrat Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) in any way. Rather, he was just a person from Kufa, and neither Hazrat Mughirah nor Hazrat Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with them) ordered him to do so.
Fourth point: Mirza Sahib either due to ignorance or to misrepresent the matter translates the word “فَاسْتَقْبَلَهُ” in Abu Dawood’s narration as “Hazrat Mughirah (may Allah be pleased with him) welcomed him.” Whereas this is not correct! Mirza Sahib himself translated it in his research paper under Musnad Ahmad’s narration as “he turned towards Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him)…” And by translating it as “welcomed,” you want to give the impression that see how such people are given protocol, and that this person is a special man of Hazrat Mughirah (may Allah be pleased with him). Whereas nothing like this is proven!
Fifth point: It is true that Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him) should have stopped him, but accusing him and suspecting him of being involved in this is absolutely not permissible (may Allah protect us). Mirza Engineer Sahib says: “He should have stopped him, but he himself used to make them curse.” This is one hundred percent wrong and baseless. After all, what proof is there that Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him) ever did such a thing or ordered it? You have seen the condition of the narration presented by Mirza Sahib from Sunan Abu Dawood and Sunan Nasai al-Kubra; it has an unknown narrator, and Mirza Sahib himself considers such narrations fabricated and false. Or prove that Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him) had any personal hatred or enmity towards Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). Which is not true. Therefore, when nothing like this is proven, accusing or suspecting a companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and then insulting them because of these matters is not permissible.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظَّنَّ، فَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ أَكْذَبُ الْحَدِيثِ۔
“Avoid suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales.”
If suspicion is not permissible regarding an ordinary person, then what about a companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)?
Imam Abu Zakariya al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
وَمَذْهَبُ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ وَالْحَقِّ إِحْسَانُ الظَّنِّ بِهِمْ وَالْإِمْسَاكُ عَمَّا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ۔
“The truth and the methodology of Ahl al-Sunnah is to have good opinion of the noble companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and to keep silent regarding their mutual differences.”
If someone insists and says that their silence on the Kufan’s action was an endorsement, then we say that if that is so, then after that Hazrat Saeed bin Zaid’s (may Allah be pleased with him) corrective statement and Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu’bah’s (may Allah be pleased with him) complete silence and not opposing it is also an endorsement of Hazrat Saeed’s statement by Hazrat Mughirah, and Hazrat Mughirah corrected himself, and after that, such an incident never occurred again. If it did, present it. Therefore, now insulting Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him), harboring ill feelings towards him, and criticizing him instead of praising him is absolutely forbidden. But regarding this, Engineer Sahib is fulfilling his duty very responsibly and does not hold back from abusing Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him). Whereas if Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) is a companion of the Messenger of Allah and cursing him is forbidden, then who is Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him)? After all, if it is forbidden to insult Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), then by what verse or hadith have you been given permission to insult some companions? Therefore, here too Mirza Sahib is hypocritical.
Mirza Sahib, in this very narration, what is mentioned is the essence of our call, that when this Kufan insulted Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), Hazrat Saeed bin Zaid immediately spoke in his defense and said that the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) are being insulted? Notice, he did not say that a single companion is being insulted. He considered the insult to one companion as an insult to all companions. So what is our point? We also say that criticizing any companion, harboring hatred and enmity in the heart for them is not permissible, and respect for all companions is obligatory upon us. It is not that some companions are excessively honored, loved, and sincerely devoted to, while others are insulted, cursed day and night, accused repeatedly, and negative impressions about them are spread. This is not love. Remember, if someone is an enemy of all companions, then he is not only an enemy of all but if someone insults even one companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), he is an enemy, not a lover of the companions! Because love and respect for the companions require loving all companions wholeheartedly and honoring all companions greatly.
Listen to the command of the Master of the Children of Adam, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):
أَكْرِمُوا أَصْحَابِي، فَإِنَّهُمْ خِيَارُكُمْ……
“Respect my companions, for they are better than you all.”
In another narration:
أَحْسِنُوا إِلَى أَصْحَابِي……
“Treat my companions well.”
And in another narration:
اسْتَوْصُوا بِأَصْحَابِي خَيْرًا……
“I advise you to do good regarding my companions.”
This is the same hadith narrated with different words. Allama Albani, Sheikh Shoaib al-Arnaout, and Maulana Zubair Ali Zai (may Allah have mercy on them) have declared this hadith authentic.
It is clear from this hadith that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) commanded kindness, good treatment, respect, and honor for all the noble companions (may Allah be pleased with them). He did not say to honor some excessively and not others.
Imam Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
ومن السنة تولي أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ومحبتهم وذكر محاسنهم، والترحم عليهم، والاستغفار لهم والكف عن ذكر مساوئهم وما شجر بينهم، واعتقاد فضلهم ومعرفة سابقتهم۔
“And it is also from the Sunnah to befriend the noble companions (may Allah be pleased with them), to love them, to mention their virtues, to pray for mercy and forgiveness for them, to refrain from mentioning their faults and their mutual differences, to hold the belief in their excellence, and to recognize their precedence in Islam.”
Imam Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Hussain al-Ajuri (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
مَنْ جَاءَ إِلَى أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتّٰى يَطْعَنَ فِي بَعْضِهِمْ وَيَهْوَى بَعْضَهُمْ وَيَذُمَّ بَعْضًا وَيَمْدَحَ بَعْضًا فَهَذَا رَجُلٌ طَالِبُ فِتْنَةٍ وَفِي الْفِتْنَةِ وَقَعَ، لِأَنَّهُ وَاجِبٌ عَلَيْهِ مَحَبَّةُ الْجَمِيعِ وَالِاسْتِغْفَارِ لِلْجَمِيعِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمْ وَنَفَعَنَا بِحُبِّهِمْ۔
“Whoever insults some companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and loves others, condemns some companions and praises others, is a troublemaker and afflicted with fitnah, because it was obligatory upon him to love all the noble companions and to seek forgiveness for all of them. May Allah be pleased with the noble companions and grant us benefit through their love.”
The companions whom Mirza Sahib used to defame and malign include Hazrat Mughirah (may Allah be pleased with him), based on the falsehood that he used to curse and order cursing Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), whereas this is not proven by any authentic chain. He (may Allah be pleased with him) is among the companions who pledged allegiance under the tree (Bay’at al-Ridwan), whom the Quran has specially honored
. No one denies the virtues of Hazrat Ali and the Ahl al-Bayt (may Allah be pleased with them). Our purpose is only to clarify the reality of those deceivers who, under the guise of Ahl al-Bayt, speak ill of the companions.
And consider the last part of the narration under discussion: Hazrat Saeed bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) did not say that insulting one companion is wrong; rather, his tone indicates that he is addressing every non-companion and saying that all the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) are better than you, and even if you live as long as Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) and do good deeds, the noble companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) will remain better and superior to you. Therefore, you have no right to insult any companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Mirza Sahib and his followers should understand well that this address is for people like you who criticize the companions under the pretext of truthfulness, but truthfulness is merely a fraud, and you accuse them falsely. Now see this issue that how big an accusation is on Hazrat Muawiyah and Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with them) that they insulted Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), cursed him, and ordered it. But you are seeing the evidence presented by Engineer Sahib; if this is not an accusation, then what is it?
If we stand against Mirza Sahib, then in reality, we stand on the biography of Hazrat Saeed bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him), who refuted those who insult the noble companions, while Mirza Sahib is following the footsteps of this Kufan and the Rafidah in this narration.
