Quick Answer:
Detailed Answer:
Question: How some of the historians and narrators have encountered with Administration traditions?
Answer: Since being known with the title of “administrator” for Imam Ali (a.s.) is not compatible with policy of some individuals, they have seriously tried to encounter with such traditions in any possible way. Hereunder, we will refer to some types of encounters with the texts of “administration”:
a- Deletion and change
One of the types of encounter is deletion of the word from Prophet’s (s.a.) tradition and changing it to an ambiguous word. We find such type of alteration in the phrases of Tabari and Ebne Athir in commentary of the verse, وَأَنْذِرْ عَشِیرَتَکَ الاَْقْرَبِینَ (1), because these two people they have altered the words, وصیى و خلیفتى, in Prophet’s (s.a.) phrase about Imam Ali (a.s.) who said: انت اخى و وصیّى و خلیفتى فیکم, and replaced them with the words, کذا و کذا.
b- Deletion of the whole tradition
One of the other types of alteration and encounter with “administration” traditions is deletion of the whole tradition with reference to the deletion. One of the examples is: Mohammad Ebne Aboubakr has written a letter to Moavieh the details of which has been mentioned in the book, وقعه صفین, by Nasr Ebne Mozahem, and مروج الذهب, by Massoudi. In that letter, Mohammad Ebne Aboubakr refers to the virtues and merits of Imam Ali (a.s.) including his administration and succession after Prophet (s.a.) and Moavieh’s confession in his reply to him.
However, Tabari and Ebne Athir have d e l e t ed it, while they refer to those two books as their chain of transmission, and justify their action with the pretext that the people can not tolerate hearing it! On the other hand, Ebne Kathir just refers to the Mohammad Ebne Aboubakr’s letter, and at the end says: It is somehow exaggerated. (2)
c- Deletion without declaration
Another type of alteration and encounter with administration traditions and narrations is deletion of the title of “administration” without any reference to it. The example is ode by Naeman Ebne Ajalan, the companion from the Helpers when referring to Saqifeh events. He says in his poem:
وقلتم: حرام نصب سعد و نصبکم *** عتیق بن عثمان حلال ابابکر
واهل ابوبکر لها خیر قائم *** و انّ علیّاً اخلق بالأمر
وکان هواناً فی علىّ و انّه *** لأهل لها یا عمرو من حیث لا تدرى
وکان هواناً بعون الله یدعو الى الهدى *** وینهى عن الفحشاء والبغى والنکر
وصىّ النبىّ المصطفى وابن عمّه *** وقاتل فرسان الضلالة والکفر (3)
Ebne Abdolbar has narrated the whole ode in الاستیعاب, the translation of Naeman Ebne Ajalan, but he has d e l e t ed the last two verses admiring and lauding Imam Ali (a.s.) and referring explicitly to his rank of administration.
Ebne Athir Jazari too has made the same alteration in his translation in اسد الغابه. The same applies to whoever has done this after him.
One of such like examples to which could be referred is the alteration made by Ebne Athir in his history book regarding Imam Hossein’s (a.s.) sermon. Tabari and Ebne Athir narrate his sermon as follows:
He said:
اما بعد، فانسبونى فانظروا من أنا ثم ارجعوا الى انفسکم و عاتبوها هل یجوز لکم قتلى و انتهاک حرمتى؟ الست ابن بنت نبیّکم وابن وصیه... (4)
Then, remember my lineage and reflect on who I am? Then, refer to yourself, and blame yourselves! Is it authorized for you to kill me and outrage me?! Am I not the son of Prophet’s (s.a.) daughter, the son of his administrator? …
However, Ebne Athir has d e l e t ed and altered the phrase, وابن وصیّه, in his history when narrating this sermon. (5)
d- Deletion of the whole tradition without declaration
One of the other types of encounter with “administration” traditions is deletion of the whole tradition in which the Arabic term, وصی, translated to “Administrator” has been applied, without any reference to its deletion. The example is what has been done by Ebne Hesham. Although in his first book, he stipulates that he narrates his history from Ebne Ishaq, but he does not narrate the story of Prophet’s (s.a.) invitation of his tribe after revelation of the verse, وَأَنْذِرْ عَشِیرَتَکَ الاَْقْرَبِینَ, and giving the good tidings to Imam Ali’s (a.s.) administration. Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, the Egyptian writer is one of those who have made such alteration. Although he has narrated this tradition in the first issue of his book, Life of Mohammad (s.a.), but he d e l e t ed it in the next issues. (6), (7)
1- Quran, Poets:214
2- البدایه و النهایه, vol. 7, page 314
3- الموفقیات, ابن بکار, page 592; شرح ابن ابی الحدید, vol. 6, page 31
4- تاریخ طبری, vol. 2, page 329; تاریخ ابن اثیر, vol. 4, page 25
5- تاریخ ابن کثیر, vol. 7, page 179
6- حیات محمد, page 104, first issue
7- Ali Asghar Rezvani, Imamology and reply to questions (2), page 211
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