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Question: Is there any similarity between the belief of Shia regarding the exclusive right of the household of Ali (a.s.) for ruling and the Jews' belief?
Answer: ibn ‘Abd Rabbah has stated in al-‘Aqd al-Farid book that: “the affliction of Shia is similar to the Jews’; the Jews believe that the government has been allocated to the household of Dawud, and Shia believe that the government has been allocated to the households of Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.)”. We have to say in response that if this saying of Shia has a bad consequence, it relates to someone [the Prophet (s.a.)] who has appointed the households of Ali as his vicegerents by the following tradition which is unanimously authentic, widely narrated and valid: “verily, I am leaving two weighty –or two successors- things among you. You will never go astray after me, if you hold fast to them: they are the Book of God and my household (‘Itrah). They will never separate, until they two come to me by the pond of Kowthar”.
Based on the statement of the writer of <al-Sawaiq al-Mahraqah> book (1), about twenty men of the companions have narrated it. The Prophet (s.a.) delivered explicitly this sermon to the companions who were about 100,000 people. He informed them of the caliphate of his pure households, whose leader and father was Ali (a.s.)”
Imam Zarqani Maliki has narrated from ‘Allamah Samhudi in <Sharh al-Mawahib> (2) that he said: “it can be realized from this narrative that there will be always a man from the household of the Prophet, who is deserving of obedience and leadership, in this case the mentioned reward will be given to those who follow and obey him. It is the same as Quran [until the Day of Judgment it can be held fast]; so they (the households of the Prophet) are the protectors of all the people, if they had not been, all the people would have been annihilated”.
After being aware of this word of the Prophet (s.a.), is there anyone who doesn’t follow Ali’s household, and doesn’t accept them as ways leading the way to God, by means of them? or follow others and go astray from God’s way? I hope it never happens.
إِنَّا هَدَیْنَاهُ السَّبِیلَ إِمَّا شَاکِرًا وَإِمَّا کَفُورًا
Surely we have shown him the way: he may be thankful or unthankful”. (3)
By the following word of the Prophet (s.a.), the purity of Shia would be clearn, he said that: “the prosperous is the one who lives and dies like me, enters the paradise created by Allah, loves Ali and his Shiite after me, and follows my households after me; because they are my kinsmen from my nature and to whom my knowledge have been given. So woe be upon a group of my community who deny my households’ virtues and cut their relationships with me. God will never make them take advantage of my intercession”. (4)
According to this word of the Prophet (s.a.), who can criticize the Shia?, he has said that: “my households and I are like the ship of Noah, those who embark on it, they will be safe, and those who avoid to do that, they will be drowned”. (5)
How is it possible that the Shia do not consider the Prophet’s households, who are pure (as the prophet) as their caliphs among the community (Ummah)? Is the feeling of Shia toward the Prophet’s household the same as the Jews’? And to whom is concerned this painful word?
Haven’t ibn Abd Rabbah heard the following word of the Prophet (s.a.)?: “ stars prevent the people of earth from being drowned and my household prevent my community from any dissension. Those who oppose with them, they will suffer from dissention and they will be among the party of Satan”. (6)
So how would it be possible that one not follows the Prophet’s household, who are like the guidance stars and the ones that save people from going astray and deviating? What is the excuse of a person who doesn’t follow them?!
God has chosen this holy household for they all have attained the competency of absolute guardianship, and the ability to manage the affairs once leadership has been delegated to them. But the opponents of the Prophet’s household have taken away the right of caliphate and leadership from them, out of jealousy and avarice. As ibn ‘Abd has thought, the Shia government and leadership is not considered as kingdom and sovereignty, but a divine caliphate. (7)
1. Al-Sawaiq al-Mahraqah:136 [P. 228]
2. Sharh al-Mawahib 7:8
3. Insan Sura: 3
4. This tradition has been narrated by these people: Abu Naim in al-Hillia 1:86 [No. 4]; Tabarani [in al-Mujam al-Kabir 5/194, Tradition 5067]; and Rafi’I, according to hierarchy narrative of Jam’ al-Jawami 6:217 [Kanz al-‘Ummal 12/103, Tradition 34198]
5. Khatib Baghdadi has narrated this tradition in his Tarikh 12:91 [No. 6507]. And Hakim has considered it as an authentic tradition in al-Mustadrak 3:151 [3/163, Tradition 4720]
6. Hakim has narrated this tradition and has considered it as an authentic tradition in al-Mustadrak 3:149 [3/162, Tradition 4715]
7. Shafi’I Shahrudi, a comprehensive selection of al-Ghadir, P. 270
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