This excerpt is taken from the book of Sheikh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri Hafizahullah Difa-e-Sahaba Radi Allahu Anhum.
The Wilayah of Ali Radi Allahu Anhu
According to Ahl al-Sunnah, love for Ahl al-Bayt is true faith. According to them, Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه is included among the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet. Regarding the Companions, some people are at two extremes: one are the Rawafid and the other are the Nawasib.
The fourth Caliph, Amir al-Mu'minin Sayyiduna Ali ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه states:
ليحبني قوم حتى يدخلوا النار فى حبي، وليبغضني قوم حتى يدخلوا النار فى بغضي .
"One group will claim love for me but due to excess in love will enter Hellfire. Another will harbor hatred for me, and because of that will enter Hellfire."
Reference: (Fada'il al-Sahaba by Ahmad ibn Hanbal: 952, Sanad Sahih)
Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (728 AH) writes:
طائفة رافضة يظهرون موالاة أهل البيت، وهم فى الباطن إما ملاحدة زنادقة، وإما جهال، وأصحاب هوى، وطائفة ناصبة تبغض عليا، وأصحابه، لما جرى من القتال فى الفتنة ما جرى .
"A group of the Rawafid claims love for Ahl al-Bayt, but in reality, they are atheists and heretics or blind to religion and self-centered. Another group is Nasiabi, who harbor hatred for Sayyiduna Muawiyah رضي الله عنه and Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها because of the wars against them, and thus bear enmity towards Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه and his companions."
Reference: (Al-Fatawa al-Kubra: 195/1, Majmu' al-Fatawa: 301/25)
He also states:
أما أهل الحديث والسنة والجماعة فقد اختصوا باتباعهم الكتاب والسنة الثابتة عن نبيهم صلى الله عليه وسلم فى الأصول والفروع، وما كان عليه أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بخلاف الخوارج والمعتزلة والروافض ومن وافقهم فى بعض أقوالهم، فإنهم لا يتبعون الأحاديث التى رواها الثقات عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم التى يعلم أهل الحديث صحتها، فالمعتزلة يقولون : هذه أخبار آحاد، وأما الرافضة فيطعنون فى الصحابة ونقلهم، وباطن أمرهم الطعن فى الرسالة .
"The method of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah and Ahl al-Hadith is to follow the Quran, authentic Prophetic hadiths, and the methodology of the Companions رضي الله عنهم in beliefs and issues. Whereas the Kharijites, Mu'tazilah, Rawafid, and their allies are not like this because they do not follow hadiths narrated by trustworthy narrators. The Mu'tazilah say: these hadiths are ahad reports; the Rawafid criticize the Companions رضي الله عنهم and their narrations, but in reality, their attack is on the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم."
Reference: (Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah: 463/3)
Rafidism and the Guardianship of Ali, may Allah be pleased with him
The Shia, exaggerating about Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), claim that he is the immediate Caliph, and therefore they have dared to add to the Kalima Tayyiba. Their Kalima is:
لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله على ولي الله
By "Ali Wali Allah" they mean the guardianship (Wilayah) of Ali. And by the guardianship of Ali, they mean his immediate caliphate. This is an unfounded and baseless theory, entirely based on exaggeration. It is written:
ولاية على عليه السلام مكتوبة فى جميع صحف الأنبياء، ولن يبعث الله رسولا إلا بنبوة محمد صلى الله عليه وآله، ووصية على عليه السلام.
"The guardianship of Ali (peace be upon him) was recorded in the scriptures of all previous prophets, and Allah Almighty sent every prophet with the prophethood of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) and the guardianship of Ali (peace be upon him)."
Reference: (أصول الكافي للكليني: 437/1)
What kind of claim is this, when Allah Almighty has endowed us with intellect, religion, and even a particle of modesty, we are incapable and unable to say such things. They even say:
Sayyidina Yunus (peace be upon him) denied the guardianship of Ali, so he remained in the belly of the fish. He was saved upon acknowledgment.
Reference: (بحار الأنوار للمجلسي : 333/26)
In this regard, they have committed semantic distortion in dozens of Quranic verses. They say that wherever in the Holy Quran there is a prohibition of shirk (polytheism), there it is a prohibition against associating Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) in the guardianship of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Wherever there is mention of disbelief and denial, it means denial of the guardianship of Ali. Perhaps on this basis, they fabricated the belief of the distortion of the Quran, claiming that the Quran originally mentioned the guardianship of Ali, which was removed.
In this matter, they have also fabricated numerous hadiths, the authentic hadith is:
من كنت مولاه فعلي مولاه
"Whoever I am the master (Mawla) of, Ali is his master (Mawla)."
They interpret Mawla as "master," which is not correct in any case.
Imam Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
أما حديث الموالاة فليس فيه إن صح إسناده نص على ولاية على بعده .... فأراد النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يذكر اختصاصه به ومحبته إياه ويحثهم بذلك على محبته وموالاته وترك معاداته فقال: من كنت وليه فعلي وليه، وفي بعض الروايات: من كنت مولاه فعلي مولاه، اللهم وال من والاه وعاد من عاداه، والمراد به ولاء الإسلام ومودته، وعلى المسلمين أن يوالي بعضهم بعضا ولا يعادي بعضهم بعضا، وهو فى معنى ما ثبت عن على رضى الله عنه أنه قال: والذي فلق الحبة وبرأ النسمة إنه لعهد النبى الأمي صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى أنه لا يحبني إلا مؤمن ولا يبغضني إلا منافق.
"If the Hadith of Mawalat is authentic, then it does not contain any text about Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) being the immediate Caliph. The Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) wanted to mention his special status and love for Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and encourage people to love and be loyal to him and to abandon enmity towards him. Here, the meaning is the bond of Islam and love of Islam. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Whoever I am a friend of, Ali is also a friend of him. In another narration: Whoever I am a friend of, Ali is also a friend of him. O Allah! Whoever loves Ali, then love him too, and whoever harbors hatred and enmity towards Ali, then harbor enmity towards him as well. It is obligatory upon Muslims to love one another and not to harbor enmity. The meaning of the hadith narrated by Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) is this: By the One Who split the seed and created life! The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) gave me a promise that only a believer will love me and only a hypocrite will harbor enmity towards me."
Reference: (الاعتقاد ص : 354)
Nasibism and Ahl al-Bayt :
The famous lexicographer Allama Ibn Manzur, may Allah have mercy on him (711 AH), writes:
قوم يتدينون ببغض على عليه السلام.
"A Nasibi is a group that considers harboring hatred towards Sayyidina Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, as a virtue."
Reference: (Lisan al-Arab: 726/1)
Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him (728 AH), states:
تبغض عليا، وأصحابه.
"A Nasibi harbors hatred towards Sayyidina Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, and his companions."
Reference: (Majmoo' al-Fatawa: 301/25)
He also says:
يكفرون عليا أو يفسقونه أو يشكون فى عدالته.
"A Nasibi considers Sayyidina Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, a disbeliever and a sinner, and doubts his integrity."
Reference: (Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah: 386/4)
