This excerpt is taken from A Research Review of Mirza Muhammad Ali Engineer's Objections and Criticisms, authored by Haroon bin Shabbir Ahmad, may Allah preserve him, and revised by Fazilat al-Sheikh Maulana Muhammad Rafiq Tahir, may Allah preserve him.
Cursing and Abusive Language Against Sayyiduna Ali, May Allah Be Pleased With Him, on Pulpits?
To defame Amir al-Mu'minin Hazrat Muawiyah رضي الله عنه, this propaganda is spread that you harbored hatred and enmity towards Amir al-Mu'minin Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه. Among the lies told in this regard is also that Hazrat Muawiyah رضي الله عنه used to insult Hazrat Ali رضي الله عنه, may Allah protect us from such falsehood!
The summary of Mirza Sahib's videos and statements on this matter is: (1) Hazrat Muawiyah رضي الله عنه used to insult and curse Hazrat Ali رضي الله عنه. (2) He also ordered this act and appointed preachers who would curse and insult Hazrat Ali رضي الله عنه from the pulpits. (3) This was based on tribal and personal prejudice, and there was enmity in his heart towards Hazrat Ali رضي الله عنه. (4) This continued for sixty years.
Mas alah 55 b- 1:49:00
Mas alah 101- 1:09:10
Mas alah 157 a - 1:22:33
Mas alah 157 b - 1:08:52
Ilmi o tahqiqi majlis no.63 - 4:14:00
Research paper 5b, page- 16
This is one of the biggest objections of Engineer Sahib against Hazrat Muawiyah رضي الله عنه. In this regard, Maududi Sahib collected baseless and fabricated historical traditions in his book "Khilafat wa Mulukiyat." When scholars opposed him and clarified the authenticity of these false traditions, Mirza Sahib claimed that since Maududi Sahib quoted historical traditions, they have completed the deficiency by proving all this from the books of Hadith.
Before discussing Mirza Sahib's arguments, pay attention to a verse from the Holy Quran, where Allah Almighty describes the qualities of the Companions رضي الله عنهم:
مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمْ.......
"Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is the Messenger of Allah, and those who are with him are severe against disbelievers but merciful among themselves."
Reference: (Al-Fath:29)
Now remember, the Quran gives us information about the Companions that they are very merciful among themselves. But is the impression that Mirza Sahib is giving consistent with this verse? The claim is baseless, and the evidence presented does not remotely support these assertions. Engineer Sahib frequently refers to his research paper in his videos and asks to consult it. Regarding this, he also says that all the evidence on this matter is mentioned in his research paper. Therefore, we will keep that in front of us here.
Argument Number: 1
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 اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَلَنْ أَسُبَّهُ، لَأَنْ تَكُونَ لِي وَاحِدَةٌ مِنْهُنَّ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ حُمْرِ النَّعَمِ، سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ لَهُ، خَلَّفَهُ فِي بَعْضِ مَغَازِيهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ عَلِيٌّ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ خَلَّفْتَنِي مَعَ النِّسَاءِ وَالصِّبْيَانِ؟ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: أَمَا تَرْضَى أَنْ تَكُونَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى؟ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ لَا نُبُوَّةَ بَعْدِي، وَسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ يَوْمَ خَيْبَرَ لَأُعْطِيَنَّ الرَّايَةَ رَجُلًا يُحِبُّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ، وَيُحِبُّهُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ قَالَ فَتَطَاوَلْنَا لَهَا فَقَالَ: ادْعُوا لِي عَلِيًّا فَأُتِيَ بِهِ أَرْمَدَ، فَبَصَقَ فِي عَيْنِهِ وَدَفَعَ الرَّايَةَ إِلَيْهِ، فَفَتَحَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ: فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَأَبْنَاءَكُمْ
Reference: Al Imran: 61
دَعَا رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلِيًّا وَفَاطِمَةَ وَحَسَنًا وَحُسَيْنًا فَقَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ هَؤُلَاءِ أَهْلِي۔ "Aamir bin Saad bin Abi Waqas narrates from his father (Sayyiduna Saad bin Abi Waqas, may Allah be pleased with him) that Hazrat Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan, may Allah be pleased with him, ordered Sayyiduna Saad, may Allah be pleased with him, and then said: What has stopped you from cursing / insulting Abut-Turab (Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him)? He replied: As long as I remember those three things which the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said about him, I will never curse him. If even one of those things were true for me, it would be more beloved to me than red camels. I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say about Sayyiduna Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, that when you, peace be upon him, were leaving him behind in a battle and when Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said to the Prophet, peace be upon him: O Messenger of Allah! Are you leaving me among women and children? The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said to him: Do you not like that your relationship with me be like that of Harun (Aaron) to Musa (Moses), except that there is no prophethood after me? Similarly, on the day of Khyber, I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, say: I will give the flag to the person who loves Allah and His Messenger and Allah and His Messenger love him. (Sayyid Saad bin Abi Waqas, may Allah be pleased with him, said) we raised our necks to look, then the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: Call Ali! He was brought in a state that his eyes were in pain. The Prophet, peace be upon him, applied his saliva to his eyes and gave him the flag. Allah granted him victory over Khyber. And (the third virtue is that) when this verse was revealed: (O Prophet! Say: Come) let us call our sons and your sons (i.e., the verse of Mubahala). Then the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, called Hazrat Ali, Hazrat Fatimah, Hazrat Hasan, and Hazrat Husayn, may Allah be pleased with them, and said: O Allah! These are my Ahl al-Bayt."
Reference: (Sahih Muslim:2404)
This is the fundamental proof that indeed Hazrat Muawiyah, may Allah be pleased with him, in his time used to curse and insult Sayyiduna Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, and had him cursed from the pulpits. What is the argument? That Hazrat Muawiyah, may Allah be pleased with him, said to Sayyid Saad, may Allah be pleased with him, why do you not curse Sayyiduna Ali? Now Mirza Sahib translates this word "Sab" as "curse" or "insult," whereas this is a great injustice! There is a hadith:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ فَأَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ سَبَبْتُهُ أَوْ لَعَنْتُهُ أَوْ جَلَدْتُهُ فَاجْعَلْهَا لَهُ زَكَاةً وَرَحْمَةً۔
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "O Allah! Indeed, I am only a human being, so if I curse, or invoke a curse, or strike any Muslim among the Muslims, then make it a cause of purification and mercy for him."
Reference: (Sahih Muslim:2601)
In another narration:
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ: دَخَلَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَجُلَانِ، فَكَلَّمَاهُ بِشَيْءٍ لَا أَدْرِي مَا هُوَ، فَأَغْضَبَاهُ، فَلَعَنَهُمَا وَسَبَّهُمَا، فَلَمَّا خَرَجَا قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، مَنْ أَصَابَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ شَيْئًا مَا أَصَابَهُ هَذَانِ۔ قَالَ: وَمَا ذَاكِ؟ قَالَتْ: قُلْتُ: لَعَنْتَهُمَا وَسَبَبْتَهُمَا۔ قَالَ: أَوَمَا عَلِمْتِ مَا شَارَطْتُ عَلَيْهِ رَبِّي؟ قُلْتُ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ، فَأَيُّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ لَعَنْتُهُ أَوْ سَبَبْتُهُ، فَاجْعَلْهُ لَهُ زَكَاةً وَأَجْرًا۔
Narrated from Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, she said: Two men came to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and they said something I do not know, the Prophet became angry and cursed them and invoked "Sab" upon them. When they left, I said that no good has come to them. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: Why? I said: You cursed and invoked "Sab" upon them. The Prophet said: "You do not know what I have made a condition with my Lord. I said: O Allah! I am only a human being, so whoever among the Muslims I curse or invoke 'Sab' upon, make it a means of purification from sins and a cause of reward for him."
Reference: (Sahih Muslim:2600)
Are Mirza Sahib and others ready to translate the word "Sab" in these hadiths as "curse" or "insult"? Can such a thought be entertained about the blessed personality of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him?
In Sahih Muslim it is mentioned: خَرَجْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَامَ غَزْوَةِ تَبُوكَ، فَكَانَ يَجْمَعُ الصَّلَاةَ، فَصَلَّى الظُّهْرَ وَالْعَصْرَ جَمِيعًا، وَالْمَغْرِبَ وَالْعِشَاءَ جَمِيعًا، حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمًا أَخَّرَ الصَّلَاةَ، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَصَلَّى الظُّهْرَ وَالْعَصْرَ جَمِيعًا، ثُمَّ دَخَلَ، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ، فَصَلَّى الْمَغْرِبَ وَالْعِشَاءَ جَمِيعًا، ثُمَّ قَالَ: إِنَّكُمْ سَتَأْتُونَ غَدًا، إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ، عَيْنَ تَبُوكَ، وَإِنَّكُمْ لَنْ تَأْتُوهَا حَتَّى يُضْحِيَ النَّهَارُ، فَمَنْ جَاءَهَا مِنْكُمْ فَلَا يَمَسَّ مِنْ مَائِهَا شَيْئًا حَتَّى آتِيَ، فَجِئْنَاهَا وَقَدْ سَبَقَنَا إِلَيْهَا رَجُلَانِ، وَالْعَيْنُ مِثْلُ الشِّرَاكِ تَبِضُّ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ، قَالَ فَسَأَلَهُمَا رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ هَلْ مَسَسْتُمَا مِنْ مَائِهَا شَيْئًا؟ قَالَا: نَعَمْ، فَسَبَّهُمَا النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَقَالَ لَهُمَا مَا شَاءَ اللهُ أَنْ يَقُولَ۔
Sayyiduna Muadh bin Jabal, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that in the year of the Battle of Tabuk, we set out with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. He was combining prayers, combining Dhuhr and Asr, and Maghrib and Isha. One day he delayed the prayer, then went inside the tent, then came out and prayed Maghrib and Isha together. Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: Tomorrow, God willing, you will reach the spring of Tabuk, and you will not be able to reach it before the sun rises. So whoever among you goes to that spring should not touch its water even a little until I come. When we reached there, two men had already arrived before us. The spring was about the size of a shoe strap, very little water. The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked them: Did you touch its water? They said yes. Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, invoked "Sab" upon them and said what Allah willed to say to them."
Reference: (Sahih Muslim:706)
So Mirza Sahib! Here also the word "Sab" appears in the hadith, so did the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, curse them with foul language?
عَنْ جَابِرِ بن عَبْدِ اللّٰهِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ دَخَلَ عَلَى أُمِّ السَّائِبِ أَوْ أُمِّ الْمُسَيَّبِ فَقَالَ مَا لَكِ يَا أُمَّ السَّائِبِ أَوْ يَا أُمَّ الْمُسَيَّبِ تُزَفْزِفِينَ قَالَتْ الْحُمَّى لَا بَارَكَ اللّٰهُ فِيهَا فَقَالَ لَا تَسُبِّي الْحُمَّى فَإِنَّهَا تُذْهِبُ خَطَايَا بَنِي آدَمَ كَمَا يُذْهِبُ الْكِيرُ خَبَثَ الْحَدِيدِ۔
Hazrat Jabir bin Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with them both, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, went to Hazrat Umm Saib or Hazrat Umm Musib, may Allah be pleased with them. He said: Umm Saib or (he said) Umm Musib! What is the matter? You are trembling severely. She said: Fever, may Allah not bless it! The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Do not invoke 'Sab' upon fever, for it removes the sins of the children of Adam as the furnace removes rust from iron."
Reference: (Sahih Muslim:2575)
Consider that the Sahabiyyah only said: May Allah not bless it, no curse or insult, yet the word "Sab" was used for it. All these hadiths are also found in Sahih Muslim. Now you take the name of Sahih Muslim and say that all critical hadiths are in Sahih Muslim, and in Sahih Muslim it is mentioned that Hazrat Muawiyah, may Allah be pleased with him, had Sayyiduna Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, cursed. So now have the courage and translate the word "Sab" in all these hadiths of Sahih Muslim as "curse" or "insult"!
If not, then on what basis do you translate "Sab" as curse? Whereas it can also mean to speak ill or to oppose. Engineer Sahib himself comments on this word in one place:
"The rest is Sab and Shatm! Shatm is indeed translated as curse, Sab can mean criticism, can mean evil, mentioning with evil..."
Ilmi o Tahqeeqi Majlis no. 28 -2:21:49
So if this word has meanings other than curse, then why insist only on curse? And the silly argument Mirza Sahib presents for this is coming ahead.
Disagreement or displeasure among people is not a big matter, and even among the Companions, due to human nature, disputes used to occur, and harsh words were spoken to each other. Many examples can be given, but the point is that we have no right to insult any party or spread negative impressions because of their mutual differences and disputes. If there was any disagreement between Sayyiduna Ali and Sayyiduna Muawiyah, may Allah be pleased with them both, it was only and solely regarding the retaliation for Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him. Hazrat Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, was the third rightly guided Caliph and was unjustly martyred. After that, Sayyiduna Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, became the rightly guided Caliph, and the killers of Uthman had also pledged allegiance to him, may Allah be pleased with him. Hazrat Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, and several companions including Sayyiduna Talhah and Zubair, demanded retaliation for Uthman in front of Sayyiduna Ali, may Allah be pleased with him. Then Hazrat Muawiyah's disagreement was only on the point that Sayyiduna Ali should hasten in this matter. Hazrat Muawiyah considered his ijtihad (independent reasoning) wrong. For this reason, Hazrat Muawiyah said to Sayyiduna Saad bin Abi Waqas, may Allah be pleased with him, why do you not curse Ali, may Allah be pleased with him? Otherwise, tell me, before the matter of retaliation for Uthman, was there any narration from Hazrat Muawiyah against Sayyiduna Ali? Did he oppose or insult him in any way?
It is authentically narrated with a sound chain from Abu Muslim al-Khawlani, may Allah have mercy on him, that he and some of his companions came to Hazrat Muawiyah, may Allah be pleased with him, and asked:
أنت تنازع عليا! أم أنت مثله؟ فقال: لا والله إنى لأعلم أن عليا أفضل منى وأحق بالأمر منى، ولكن ألستم تعلمون أن عثمان قتل مظلوما، وأنا ابن عمه، وإنما أطلب بدمه، فأتوا عليا فقولوا له، فليدفع إلى قتلة عثمان وأسلم له. فأتوا عليا فكلموه بذلك، فلم يدفعهم إليه۔
"Regarding your dispute with Sayyiduna Ali, do you consider yourself equal to him?" Hazrat Muawiyah, may Allah be pleased with him, replied: By Allah, no! Indeed, I know that Sayyiduna Ali is superior to me and has more right to the Caliphate than me, but the matter is that do you not know that Sayyiduna Uthman was unjustly martyred and I am his cousin and demanding his retaliation? You people go to Ali and tell him to hand over the killers of Uthman to me, then I will pledge allegiance to Ali. So people went to Sayyiduna Ali regarding this matter, but he did not hand over the killers to Hazrat Muawiyah."
Reference: (Tarikh Ibn Asakir:132/59, Siyar A'lam al-Nubala:523/2)
Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, declared its chain authentic (sound).
Reference: (Fath al-Bari:86/13)
And it is clear from this that Hazrat Muawiyah, may Allah be pleased with him, had no hatred or enmity towards Sayyiduna Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, rather he considered him superior and better than himself and respected him.
And even after this (incident presented by Mirza Sahib), nothing like this was ever narrated from Hazrat Muawiyah, may Allah be pleased with him, rather after that he never spoke against Sayyiduna Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, as is mentioned in another version of the same narration, which will be discussed, God willing, later.
