The third & fourth shia tradition

The third and fourth Shi'a tradition

Ansar.org states:

Humayd ibn Ziyad-Ibn Sama'ah-Muhammad ibn Ziyad-'Abdullah ibn Sinan-Mu'awiyah ibn 'Ammar-Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq: -[Mu'awiyah ibn 'Ammar says:] I asked him about a woman whose husband died: Should she spend her 'iddah in her house, or where she wants to? He replied, "Where she wants to. When 'Umar died, 'Ali u came and took Umme Kalthum to his house." (Furu' al-Kafi, vol. 6 p. 117, Dar al-Adwa, Beirut 1992) Muhammad ibn Yahya and others-Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa-al-Husayn ibn Sa'id-an-Nadr ibn Suwayd-Hisham ibn Salim-Sulayman ibn Khalid, who says: -I asked Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq about the woman whose husband has died: Where should she spend her 'iddah? In her husband's house, or where she wants to? He said: "Where she wants to. When 'Umar died, 'Ali u came, took Umme Kalthum by the hand, and took her to his house." (Furu' al-Kafi, vol. 6 p. 117, Dar al-Adwa, Beirut 1992)

Reply one - The chain in both hadith includes weak narrators

Ansar.org states:

Humayd ibn Ziyad-Ibn Sama'ah-Muhammad ibn Ziyad-'Abdullah ibn Sinan-Mu'awiyah ibn 'Ammar-Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq:

Yet again Afriki seems to only rely on what is recorded in Jami' ar-Ruwat.

Ansar.org states:

al-Kulayni reports this narration from his teacher Humayd ibn Ziyad. This Humayd is graded by the Shi'i rijal critics as "'alim jalil al-qadr, wasi' al-'ilm, kathir at-tasnif, thiqah" (a learned scholar, of great status, wide knowledge, a prolific author, reliable) (Jami' ar-Ruwat, vol. 1 p. 284)

Interestingly is the fact that our great Shi'a scholar Allamah Hullee (ra) writing on this individual deemed him "Aam" (common) that in Shi'a circles means non Shi'a (Khulasathul al Kuwwal page 219). If Nasibi will take issue that a Sunni taught Kulayni then we shoiuld point out that your Imam Bukhari also had teachers that were Shi'a. The views of a non-Shi'a have no value to us.

Ansar.org states:

Ibn Sama'ah is properly known as al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Sama'ah. He was one of the foremost Shi'i fuqaha of Kufah, and is described as "kathir al-hadith, faqihun thiqah" (a prolific narrator of hadith, a jurist, reliable). (Jami' ar-Ruwat, vol. 1 p. 225)

Our most authentic text of rijjal that would be our primary source does NOT concur with this. According to Rijjal al Kashi he (Hasan bin Muhammad bin Sama'ah) was:

"An unreliable adherent of the Wakfee madhab"
Rijjal Kashi page 293

Followers of the Wakfee madhab have been condemned by the Shi'a Imams as Kaffir and Zindeeq, one can for example consult the words of Imam Reza (as) in Mukees ad'a raraya fi ilm al riwaya page 83

"An adherent of the wakfee al madhab is an individual opposed to the truth, should he remain on this deviant path until his die, his ultimate resting place shall be in Hell".
These words of the Imam are similarly worded in Rijjal Maqqani Volume 1 page 378

Ansar.org states:

Muhammad ibn Yahya and others-Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa-al-Husayn ibn Sa'id-an-Nadr ibn Suwayd-Hisham ibn Salim-Sulayman ibn Khalid

We have already proven in Reply one that from the Shi'a texts of Rijjal that Hisham bin Salim who had a "al fasad aqeedah and believed that you physically see Allah (swt)" (Rijjal Kashi page 184). A narration by a man with views that diametrically oppose Shi'a aqeedah means that they are to be rejected.

Ansar.org states:

Sulayman ibn Khalid is mentioned as having been a student of Imam al-Baqir. His death is recorded to have caused Imam Ja'far extreme grief. He is universally acclaimed as "thiqah" (reliable). (Jami' ar-Ruwat, vol. 1 p. 378)

Many people were students of Imam Muhammad Baqir (as) including Sunni Imams such as Imam Abu Hanifa, this does not automatically make such a person reliable. If the Imam (as) was aggrieved by his death then it does not mean that it was because he deemed him to be a reliable narrator, grief could be for a number of reasons, do we not have friends that for example are Non Muslim? Are we not heartbroken when they die? Grief may simply have been on account of the cordial relations that existed between the two men. The text claims that Sulayman is universally acclaimed as "thiqah" (reliable). - but by whom? No elaboration is given as to WHICH Shi'a scholars graded him as thiqah. The reality is Sulayman ibn Khalid was an adherent of the Zaydiyya Madhab. In our Shi'a authority source 'Tanqeeyh al Maqaal Volume 1 page 57' with regards to Sulayman bin Khalid we learn that:

"Najashi and Tusi did not deem him to be reliable. Ibn Daud deemed him to be Daeef (weak)".

Reply two - The narration is not logical

The narration is incorrect in terms of logic since there exists no evidence that Umar left any widow (as we shall Inshallah prove). If we find a narration where Rasulullah (s) had declared that two plus two equal five - will we deem it as Sahih? Would logic lead you to conclude that it was Sahih? We do not believe that a Prophet or Imam would ever say anything illogical, even if this can be attributed to a Sahih chain, we shall argue that the fault lies with narrator's recollection - and hence we shall automatically reject it? Now what we would like to know is where did UMME KALTHUM and her children go before and after the prescribed iddat period? We have no further information. Afriki asserts that the UMME KALTHUM that Imam 'Ali (as) brought home after Umar's death is the same UMME KALTHUM that:

Ansar.org states:

After the martyrdom of 'Umar she was married to her cousin 'Awn ibn Ja'far, and after his death to his brother Muhammad ibn Ja'far. Ultimately she died while married to a third of the sons of Ja'far, namely 'Abdullah during the first half of the fourth decade after the Hijrah.

If the above events can be proven, and ALL the pieces of the puzzle come in place then this is indeed the same UMME KALTHUM daughter of Fatima (as) that Imam 'Ali (as) brought home after Umar died. If however all these events can be refuted, then we are left with just one UMME KALTHUM who Imam 'Ali (as) brought home, and we will then have to analyse history and determine who this UMME KALTHUM was that married Umar.

So let us begin the research into this area, and see how the Ahl'ul Sunnah record the further marriages of UMME KALTHUM binte Fatima (as). Unfortunately like chapter one, we quickly learn that the Ahl'ul Sunnah Ulema fabricated further lies to back up their false claim. Lies that are so derogatory that it makes the blood boil of anyone with the slightest shred of love for Imam 'Ali (as). We would like to ask these Nasibis 'What grudge do you have against Imam 'Ali (as) that led to your Ulema writing such lies against him and his children? We ask forgiveness before Allah (swt) for citing the next references, but our intention is sincere�

The slandering of the children of Maula 'Ali (as) by the Ahl'ul Sunnah Ulema

For our evidence we shall rely on the following classical Sunni sources:

1. Asad ul Ghaybah Volume 7 page 288 Dhikr Umme Kalthum
   
2. Sawaiqh al Muhriqa page 94 Ayat Mubahila

We are quoting from Asad ul Ghaybah:

"When UMME KALTHUM was widowed, her brothers Hasan and Husayn approached her and said, "You are perfectly within your rights to marry a second time." If you place the matter the matter in the hands of your father 'Ali he shall marry you to an orphan from our family. Should you want property / worldly possessions then you can marry elsewhere. Imam 'Ali came downstairs and said 'Allow me to arrange your marriage'. UMME KALTHUM replied 'I desire worldly possessions, and shall deal with this matter myself. 'Ali then said, "My daughter this is not you speaking, rather these are the words of your brothers. "With that 'Ali stood up and said 'I am no longer going to talk to you' and walked off. Hasan and Husayn then made up with him and 'Ali said, "Allow me to arrange the marriage of UMME KALTHUM." UMME KALTHUM allowed this and 'Ali said 'I shall marry you to Aun bin Ja'far. 'Aun was a child at the time and 'Ali gave them 4000 dirhams.

One can see from this reference the huge efforts that were taken by these narrators to disrespect that family of Rasulullah (s). The suggestion by this narration and Afriki is that after Umar's death UMME KALTHUM married Aun bin Ja'far. Afriki's 'knowledge' reaches out yet further, who claims after Aun's death she then Muhammad bin Ja'far and then Abdullah bin Ja'far.

This narration is a lie as Aun bin Ja'far was martyred in 17 Hijri in the Battle of Tashthur whilst Umar was still alive

For proof of this we shall advance the following authentic texts of Ahl'ul Sunnah:

1. Asad ul Ghaybah Volume 4 page 314 "The letter Ayn"
   
2. Al Isaba Volume 3 page 44 "The letter Ayn"
   
3. Al Istiab Volume 3 page 141 "The letter Ayn"
   
4. Zakhair al Akba Part 3, Chapter 1, page 221
   
5. Al Maarif page 89 Dhikr al Khabar 'Ali ibn Abi Talib
   
6. Tareekh Kamil Volume 2 page 271 "Dhikr Fatah Tashthur"

We are quoting from Asad ul Ghaybah:

"Umar bin Ja'far bin Abi Talib was born during the Prophet's lifetime. He died during the battle of Tashthur. He had no children".

We read in Tareekh Kamil:

"This battle took place in 17 Hijri".

This is indeed a very interesting point since 17 Hijri is the same year that UMME KALTHUM is alleged to have married Umar. If UMME KALTHUM was widowed following Umar death in 23 Hijri, could Afriki kindly explain to us how she then managed to marry Aun bin Ja'far who had died six year earlier in the Battle of Tashthur?

In 23 Hijri there was no sign of Aun bin Ja'far on the earth. This completely destroys the claim that after Umar's death Imam 'Ali (as) married his widowed daughter UM binte Fatima (as) to Aun bin Ja'far. This clearly contradicts the text and logic, and the narrators of Usud ul Ghaybah concocted this marriage to discredit Ahl'ul bayt (as).

Reply three - Afriki's claim that Umme Kalthum binte Fatima (as) married Muhammad bin Ja'far is also a lie

Ansar.org states:

After the martyrdom of 'Umar she was married to her cousin 'Awn ibn Ja'far, and after his death to his brother Muhammad ibn Ja'far.

Yet again this Nasibi's claim is false for Imam of Ahl'ul Sunnah Ibn Qutaybah, in al Maarif page 89 "Dhikr Janaza 'Ali bin Abi Talib' states:

"Muhammad bin Ja'far and Aun bin Ja'far were both martyred in the battle of Tasthur".

Afriki and the texts Tabaqat ibn Sa'd and Asad ul Ghaybah claim that UMME KALTHUM's third marriage was to Muhammad bin Ja'far. Once again his is smashed to pieces when we learn of the fact that like his brother Aun, Muhammad bin Ja'far was ALSO martyred in 17 Hijri, at a time when she was still allegedly married to Umar! Afriki should conduct some research before presenting such claims before his faithful adherents.

Reply four - Afriki's claim that UMME KALTHUM widow of Umar died whilst married to Abdullah bin Ja'far is a lie

Afriki also claimed that:

Ansar.org states:

Ultimately she died while married to a third of the sons of Ja'far, namely 'Abdullah during the first half of the fourth decade after the Hijrah".

We searched in detail through which texts that this Nasibi had relied upon. We were fortunate enough to come across a reference in Mahmood Abbasid al Nasibi's book "Khilafat Mu'awiya aur Yazeed" where on page 148 he makes this claim:

"Abdullah bin Ja'far was opposed to the rebellion of Husayn, whereas his wife Zeyneb supported her brother. This caused such tensions between husband and wife that after five years he married Zeyneb's sister UMME KALTHUM�Ibn Hazm stated in Jameerath ul Nasab that 'UMME KALTHUM married Umar, then Aun bin Ja'far and then Abdullah bin Ja'far after he divorced Zeyneb'.

We feel it is of relevance to refute the comments of Nasibi Ibn Hazm here:

Hadhrath Zeyneb (as) died whilst she was married to Abdullah bin Ja'far

Here are the proofs from two authentic Sunni works:

1. Tareekh Khamees Volume 2 page 284 Dhikr Aula ai 'Ali
   
2. Zukhair al Akba Chapter 1 part 8 Dhikr Aulad ai Rasul page 181

"Abdullah bin Ja'far married Zeyneb bin 'Ali and she died whilst she was still his wife".

Nasibi Abbasid's claim that Abdullah married UMME KALTHUM AFTER Kerbala is a blatant lie. If any such marriage did indeed take place it could have only occurred after the death of Zeyneb (as) in 62 Hijri. The difficulty for Afriki is that he identifies the death of UMME KALTHUM wife of Umar:

Ansar.org states:

during the first half of the fourth decade after the Hijrah".

Could this Nasibi therefore kindly explain how the same who died during that decade managed to come back to life and marry Abdullah bin Ja'far after 61 Hijri?

For the benefit of our readers allow us to breakdown the contradictions in Afriki's claim:

1. Umme Kalthum from 17 Hijri until 23 Hijri was married to Umar
   
2. After 23 Hijri she married Aun bin Ja'far
   
3. She died in 50 Hijri
   
4. She was alive in 61 Hijri
   
5. She was alive after the tragedy of Kerbala in 61 Hijri when she married Abdullah bin Ja'far.

These five claims are a complete lie as Aun was martyred in 17 Hijri in the Battle of Tashthur. So how did he the deceased Aun manage to marry Umme Kalthum in 23 Hijri? If the same Umme Kalthum died in the fourth how did she then manage to resurrect herself and marry Abdullah bin Ja'far in 61 Hijri?

In the same way that these claims are a lie, so is the claim that she was also the widow of Umar ibn al Khattab. Before establishing that it was Umme Kalthum binte Fatima that Imam 'Ali (as) brought home our opponents will first of all need to prove that it was the same woman that left the home of Imam 'Ali (as) in the first place and then married Umar. If the Nikah cannot be proved, what credence can be given to Umme Kalthum's claim that binte Fatima (as) RETURNED having been previously married to Umar?

We openly challenge Afriki, prove to us from any authoritative Shi'a text with a Sahih isnad that informs us:

1. On which date this Nikah took place
   
2. Who read the Nikah

Sadly for our opponents despite their belated efforts the Nikah of Umme Kalthum binte Fatima CANNOT be established from Shi'a sources, that is pivotal if they are to prove the same woman retuned to Imam 'Ali (as) having been widowed. Alhamdolillah in the same way these Nasibi cannot prove the Nikah of Umme Kalthum from Shi'a traditions - her return following the iddat (waiting period) can also not be proven. The al Kafi tradition clearly needs to be interpreted in a way to support logic and what has already been clearly been established, and that is that Umar married Umme Kalthum binte Abu Bakr and this is the same Umme Kalthum being referred to in this text.

Reply five - Umme Kalthum's alleged marriage to Abdullah bin Ja'far can also be refuted from another angle

Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd and al Isaba both assert Afriki's claim that Umme Kalthum married Abdullah bin Ja'far. If we analyse this claim in the light of the Shari'a then we can also prove that this marriage could not have happened, since UMME KALTHUM and Zeyneb (as) were both sisters unless:

1. Zeyneb (as) was also present, and this would mean that Abdullah married two sisters at the same time that contradicts the Shari'a.
   
2. Zeyneb (as) divorced UMME KALTHUM, we have already refuted this in Reply 3.
   
3. UMME KALTHUM married Abdullah after Zeyneb (as)'s death. This would also be incorrect since according to our own Shi'a source Rayheen al Shareeh Dhikr Zeyneb wa Umme Kalthum page 205 we are told clearly that:

"After Kerbala in 62 Hijri when the captive women returned to Madina, UMME KALTHUM died four months later. Here sister Zeyneb (as) died two months and twenty days after her."

The very fact that Zeyneb (as) survived UMME KALTHUM means that her alleged marriage to Abdullah bin Ja'far was out of the question. The same UMME KALTHUM who Afriki claims married Umar and Abdullah was not on the earth at the time that Abdullah was widowed.

If this same UMME KALTHUM's marriage cannot be proven with regards to Abdullah it can also not be established with regards to Umar. The correct interpretation is that the UMME KALTHUM being referred to in the al Kafi tradition is UMME KALTHUM daughter of Abu Bakr. Both Sunni and Shi agree this marriage occurred and common sense dictate we accept that which is agreed upon by all. UMME KALTHUM was the last offspring of AB and according to the Ahl'ul Sunnah was five years of age when she married Umar.

Afriki's efforts to misinterpret and apply this Shi'a hadith to fit it with his viewpoints does not aid the Deen in any shape or form. This Nasibi is simply doing this to satiate his stomach and win favour with Fahad, and to achieve this aim he has employed tactics of dishonesty / fraud and an imaginative imagination that Roald Dahl would have been proud of.

Reply six - Umme Kalthum, widow of Umar's marriage to Abdullah bin Ja'far can also be refuted from another angle

Although Afriki seems to be the lone voice in the Sunni world, claiming that UMME KALTHUM binte Fatima (as) was a baligh so could marry Umar, whilst his esteemed authorities disagree with him, referring her too be little more than an infant, let us simply analyse this in accordance with his claim. If she was 11 at the time of marriage to Umar (17 Hijri) then at the time of his death (23 Hijri) she would have been 17 years of age. Aun and Muhammad bin Ja'far were both martyred in 17 Hijri so they no longer appear in the equation, we are left with just one husband that she allegedly married Abdullah bin Ja'far. She could not have married Abdullah until after her sister's death in 62 Hijri.

To conclude that she would have deemed it necessary to marry at the age of 56 contradicts logic and custom. Why would she remain unmarried from the age of 17 until the age of 56 - a passage of nearly forty years?

This is not logical, Imam 'Ali (as) was martyred in 40 Hijri, and this automatically raises the question, as to why he left his young widowed daughter unmarried for 17 years, when neither the Shari'a, logic nor the culture of that time would have been an obstacle to her marrying. Similarly Imam Hasan (as) was martyred in 50 Hijri, again this throws up the question as to why this elder brother failed to take on the responsibility of marrying of his sister in the 10 years that followed his father's death. Imam Husayn (as) was martyred in 61 Hijri, once again the question arises as to why he made no efforts to marry off his youngest sister. If she had not married again whilst a young woman of child bearing age, why did it automatically dawn on her to marry when she was a middle aged women?

Reply seven - Imam Muhammad Baqir (as) referred to Abu Bakr and Umar as Zaalim

If Afriki has misinterpreted a Shi'a text to prove his claim that UMME KALTHUM daughter of Fatima (as) married Umar ibn al Khattab, then we are perfectly within our rights to quote a Shi'a text that proves that such a marriage would not had been tolerated by Imam 'Ali (as).

We read in Rauza Kafi Volume 2 page 84, hadith 340:

"The narrator states, I asked Imam Muhammad Baqir with regards to his opinion on Abu Bakr and Umar. He (The Imam) replied 'Verily there exists no one from the Ahl'ul bayt who left this world, did not do being upset with them. Similarly there are none amongst his decisions who are not upset with them. Our elders made testament to our children that Ahl'ul bayt perpetrated injustice against us and denied us our rights in this world. If any injustices are meted out to the Ahl'ul bayt then it should be known that the foundations of such injustices were Abu Bakr and Umar. In relation to these two individuals, they have incurred the hatred of Allah, his angels and the majority of the people".

Afriki should know that this hadith has ALSO been taken from al Kafi, and it proves beyond a doubt that the family of the Prophet (s) hated Abu Bakr and Umar, so much so the elders told their children to hold the viewpoint that they were unjust? If we for arguments sake accept that relationships between Umar and Imam 'Ali (as) were so cordial that he made Umar his son in law, then why would his descendents condemn Umar in such a manner? The final portion reveals a great deal to us, a fact that the Sect of truth has always held to its hearts for 1400 years, that the Ahl'ul bayt (as) bore enmity towards Abu Bakr and Umar. This tradition in effect makes Afriki's definition of the al Kafi tradition, that Imam 'Ali (as) brought his natural daughter Umme Kalthum after Umar died - null and void.

Imam 'Ali (as) would never marry his daughter to a man that he hated so much that he made a will that was passed through his descendants, that all should deem him to be detestable and unjust. We do not believe that any momin would marry his innocent daughter to a man that he deemed to be unjust - and these Nasibi except us to believe that Ammer'ul Momineen would act in this manner.

If Afriki wishes to quote this hadith then we suggest he do so in a manner that tallies up with historical facts, namely that the Umme Kalthum here was Umme Kalthum binte Abu Bakr.

Some might feel that it is not right to prove our arguments by citing our own books, but Afriki has left us with no choice, since through deception this Nasibi has sought to exalt Umar my misinterpreting a Shi'a hadith. We should also point out that Ansar.org and other Nasibis also cite there own books as proofs against the Shi'a, we for example suggest they examine Nasibi Abu Sulaiman's refutations to Tijani's claims in Then I was guided.

For those critics that who still need convincing then allow us to present some further evidence�

Imam 'Ali (as) deemed the Shaykhayn to be sinners, dishonest, treacherous, liars and innovators

What better 'proof' can we find of Imam 'Ali's views than the testimony of Umar himself. We read in Sahih Muslim Book 019, Number 4349 that Umar acknowledged the following to Imam 'Ali (as):

When the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) passed away, Abu Bakr said:" I am the successor of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)." Both of you came to demand your shares from the property (left behind by the Messenger of Allah). (Referring to Hadrath 'Abbas), he said: You demanded your share from the property of your nephew, and he (referring to 'Ali) demanded a share on behalf of his wife from the property of her father. Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had said:" We do not have any heirs; what we leave behind is (to be given in) charity." So both of you thought him to be a liar, sinful, treacherous and dishonest. And Allah knows that he was true, virtuous, well-guided and a follower of truth. When Abu Bakr passed away and (I have become) the successor of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him), you thought me to be a liar, sinful, treacherous and dishonest.

No doubt Nasibi will plead that these views quickly evaporated, but clearly this was not the case, since we know from the texts of Ahl'ul Sunnah that when Imam 'Ali (as) was offered the khilafat following Umar's murder THREE conditions were put forward, The texts of Ahl'ul Sunnah record this event as follows:

Abdur Rahman bin Auf approached the pulpit and said that he (Imam 'Ali) shall be given bayya provided that he follow the Qur'an, Sunnah and that he adheres to the practices of Abu Bakr and Umar. 'Ali stated that he would adhere to the Qur'an and Sunnah but would not accept the condition that he adhere to the practices of Abu Bakr and Umar.

Try as they may there is no room for Nasibi to claim that this reference if a lie for the leading Imam of Ahl'ul Sunnah have recorded this event:

1. al Bidayah wa al Nihaya Volume 7 page 146
   
2. Sharh Fiqh Akbar page 66 "Fadail Naas badh ai Rasulullah"
   
3. Iqd al Fareed Volume 2 page 213
   
4. Tareekh Abu Fida Volume 1 page 166 Dhikr Maqaathil Umar
   
5. Tareekh Khamees Volume 2 page 255
   
6. Tareekh Tabari Volume 14 page 158-159
   
7. Tareekh Kamil Volume 3 page 35 Dhikr Shura

Now, this reference clearly demonstrates that Imam 'Ali (as) did not give bayya to Abu Bakr and Umar. Had he done so there would have been no grounds for him to reject this condition and Abdur Rahman would have naturally interjected and queried WHY he was rejecting this having already giving bayya to both men. Of interest for the purposes of this discussion is that Imam 'Ali (as) deemed Umar to be an innovator. As the Salafis always remind us Bidah is any practice that is an addition to the Qur'an and Sunnah. The very fact that Abdur Rahman put forward this condition is an admission that their decision were OUTSIDE the Qur'an and Sunnah. Imam 'Ali (as)'s rejection of this condition clearly proves that he deemed anything the two of them to be innovators. So Imam 'Ali (as) deemed Umar to be a:

• liar,
  
• sinful,
  
• treacherous
  
• dishonest
  
• innovator (that would make him Dhaleen) - misguided

Whilst the first four are bad enough one who commits bidah is the most serious since all bidah is dalallah one indulges in bidah is misguided. For Maula Ali (as), the innovations of Umar were so heinous that he even rejected the Khilafat for it.
Can anyone really understand this concept of khilafat? It was so important that:

• The Sheikhain ran towards Saqifa, abandoning the funeral of Rasulullah (s).
  
  
• The Sahaba whilst debating over the khilafat at Saqifa bani Sa'ada abused and attacked one another
  
  
• Abu Bakr sought to secure Imam 'Ali (as)'s bayya via duress and Umar threatened to set on fire the home of Sayyida Fatima (as) with her family and eminent Sahaba inside if bayya was not given.

Despite such importance, Imam 'Ali (as) turned his back on leadership as he refused to abide by the Bidahs of Abu Bakr and Umar. Imam Ali (as) was the one who rejected Umar due to his Innovations and Dalalah (misguidance). Then how is possible that he could have given his daughter in the Aqd of such a person to whom he considered Innovator and among the Dhaleen? Would a father not seek to locate that individual who is the 'best candidate'? Does a father not seek to identify those traits in a man that shall best compliment his daughter and ensure her happiness, traits such as decency, piety, faithfulness, honesty, religious? Would a father knowingly marry his daughter to man that he personally deemed to a lying, sinful, treacherous, dishonest, misguided innovator? In the eyes of Imam 'Ali (as) treachery was a most abhorrent trait, and in the Shi'a authority work Ghurar al Hikam page 446, we read his own words, namely:

"The worst of people is he who believes not in trust and refrains not from treachery"

The fact that Imam 'Ali (as) deemed Umar to be treacherous therefore meant that he deemed him to be the worst of people, would a loving father marry his daughter to a man who in his estimation had the traits belonging to the worst of people?

We pose these two questions to Afriki:

1. Would you marry your daughter to man that you deemed to be a lying, sinful, treacherous, dishonest misguided innovator?
   
   
2. You adhere to a madhab that holds the abusing of the Sahaba to constitute Bidah. Would you therefore happily marry your daughter / sister to a person who commits this bidah?

Reply eight - Umar's disgraceful ancestry means that he would never be the kuff (equivalent) to Umme Kalthum in marriage

As proof we shall cite al Maarif, by Ibn Qutaybah page 77, Chapter "Dhikr Umar":

"Khattab bin Nufayl was from amongst the Quraysh. His mother was from the Fehm tribe (known as San'a). This woman was Nufayl's wife. When Nufayl died his son Umar bin Nufayl, married his mother. Zayd was born from this union. Zayd's mother and al Khattab's mother were one and the same. Zayd was the father of Saeed who was one of the ten blessed with paradise".

From this reference four things are established:

1. Umar's grandmother was the mother of Khattab's father
   
2. Umar's grandmother was uncle Umar bin Nufayl's mother and wife.
   
3. Zayd bin Umro was Umar's uncle but was also his nephew
   
4. Zayd bin Umar was Umar's uncle and cousin.

No religion would endorse such acts of incest where a woman sleeps with her son, Umar's grandmother had done just that. Ibn Qutaybah is a famous Sunni scholar and al Muhaddith Shah Abdul Aziz in Taufa Ithna Ashari page 40 Chapter 19 cited him as a Sunni scholar that authored Maarif.

It is amusing that Afriki tried to adopt an outrage approach when reading the word Furuj in the al Kafi tradition, we suggest he consult al Maarif and at Umar's ancestry and then decide who should be outraged.

Through his essay Afriki touched on a sensitive issue for the Shi'a, we tried to avoid it, but his adherents love of this essay has left us with no other choice. Afriki has the audacity to claim that a woman from the family of Rasulullah (s) would marry into a family where mothers married their sons! The pure family of Rasulullah (s) would never marry into such a household. Umar was not the equivalent of Sayyida Umme Kalthum (as), and the Ahl'ul Sunnah in their very known Fatwa Rizviya Volume 5 page 101, have stated that:

"A man cannot be lower in family status than a woman".

Similarly in Fatwa al Kubra, Ibn Hajr al Makki states that:

"A Nikah is only permissible when a man and woman's parents are on equal ranking in terms of piety and family lineage".

Famous Deobandi scholar and vocal opponent of the Shi'a Ashraf 'Ali Thanvi expanded on the concept of kuff based on family lineage in Bahishti Zehwar, under the Chapter of Nikah, sub section 'kuff' - Equality in being a Muslim:

"1. Equality in being a Muslim is only considered among the Moghuls, Pathans, and other non-Arab nations. There is no consideration of this among the Shaykhs, Sayyids, 'Alawis, and Ans�ris. A man who accepts Islam and his father was a k�fir cannot be on par or equal to a woman who is a Muslim and her father was also a Muslim. The man who is a Muslim, his father is also a Muslim, but his grandfather was a k�fir; cannot be equal to a woman whose grandfather was also a Muslim.

2. A man whose father and grandfather were Muslims, but his great grandfather was a k�fir will be regarded as equal to a woman whose several forefathers were Muslims. In short, this equality is only considered till the grandfather. Equality beyond the grandfather, such as the great grandfather and beyond him is not considered".

Umme Kalthum was the granddaughter of Rasulullah (s), daughter of Imam 'Ali (as). Umar was the son of a kaffir. Umme Kalthum's mother was Sayyida Fatima (as), Umar's mother was a kaffir, hence there is no way that this pure lady was the equivalent of Umar. Such marriage would not have been correct under the Shari'a.

The al Kafi tradition mentions three facts:

1. Umme Kalthum
   
2. Iddat
   
3. Ali (as) bringing her home

Our assertion is that Umme Kalthum could not have been the natural daughter of Imam 'Ali (as) and Fatima (as), since this would contravene the Shari'a. It was in fact Umme Kalthum binte Abu Bakr, their names were the same and the iddat (waiting period) was incumbent on her following the death of Umar.

If the question is raised, why Imam 'Ali (as) brought this girl to his home, it is because her mother was Asma binte Umais whom Imam 'Ali (as) married after Abu Bakr died. She was the natural mother Umme Kalthum and the sister of Muhammad bin Abu Bakr. Umme Kalthum binte Abu Bakr remained with her mother, observed the iddat period, and then returned to the home of one of her brothers / sisters and this marriage did not contradict the Shari'a.

The existence of Umme Kalthum binte Abu Bakr's mother Asma binte Umais is proven from history

We shall rely on an esteemed Shi'a text Anwar kul fi Shamsheerai Ma'sum page 311:

"Umme Kalthum Hadi narrates: Umar proposed to marry Umme Kalthum binte 'Ali, he ['Ali] rejected the offer. Umar then asked for the hand of Umme Kalthum binte Abu Bakr (who was under 'Ali (as)'s guardianship), he replied that she was too young. Umar said, 'Send the girl to me'. 'Ali sent her on a pretext. Umar said 'Come here and grabbed the girl'. The girl shook free and ran to 'Ali and complained of Umar's behaviour. Umar then waited and eventually married Umme Kalthum binte Abu Bakr. The people began to say that Umar married Umme Kalthum binte 'Ali, and this became popular belief. She was the blood sister of Muhammad bin 'Abu Bakr".

From this tradition we can see that Umme Kalthum binte Abu Bakr, sister of Muhammad bin Abu Bakr was under the guardianship of Imam 'Ali (as). When Umar died this was the Umme Kalthum that he brought home, as her father was dead and he (as) had married her mother following Abu Bakr's death. It is the fact that no other women had the same name Umme Kalthum that the advocates of Umar have sought to take advantage of.

If the Nasibi are going to claim that Imam 'Ali (as)'s marriage to Abu Bakr's widow proves the cordial relations between these two Sahaba, we should point out that such a claim is baseless since Rasulullah (s) married widows whose husbands were kaffir.

We already quoted the comments of Sunni research scholar Malik Daulath Abadi in "Hidayaath al Saud" page 359 we are now going to quote the same conclusion that was reached by Imam of Ahl'ul Sunnah al Muhaddith Shah Abdul Haq Delavi who after examining the matter states:

"Asma binte Umais was initially the wife of Ja'far bin Tayyar then she married Abu Bakr from which relationship two children were born from this union a boy (called Muhammad) and a girl called Umme Kalthum. After that she married Hadhrath 'Ali Umme Kalthum came into his house. This is the Umme Kalthum daughter of Abu Bakr that Umar married.
Rijal Mishkat page 115

Ibn Hajr also pinpoints the marriage of the same Umme Kalthum in 17 Hijri. He writes in al Isaba page 323:

Umme Kalthum binte Abu Bakr was still in her mother's womb when Abu Bakr died in 13 Hijri. Umar married the girl in 17 Hijri, at the time she was 4 / 5 years of age.

All of the above Sunni texts concur that Abu Bakr had a daughter called Umme Kalthum. She was under the guardianship of Imam 'Ali (as), when Umar wanted to marry her Imam 'Ali (as) pointed out that she was very young. The very fact that prior to Nikah Umar embraced her and placed her on his knee clearly points to the fact that this was not Imam 'Ali (as)'s natural daughter, as she was too old to be placed on the elderly Umar's knee. Umme Kalthum was the stepdaughter of Imam 'Ali (as) - the fact she lived in the home of Imam 'Ali (as) led to a common view that she WAS the natural daughter of Imam 'Ali (as). Once Umar initiated his desire to marry her, the intervention of Ayesha meant that the matter was taken out of the hands of Imam 'Ali (as) as a result, this five year old girl had the honour of marrying Umar aged fifty five.

Some questions for Afriki to answer

Since Afriki seems to think that he is proven the case for the marriage from the texts of the Shi'a, the strongest tradition being the third / fourth al Kafi traditions, we challenge him to answer these questions:

1. Can you produce even a single reference with regards to what Umme Kalthum binte Fatima inherited when Umar died?
   
2. When Umar died was Hadhrath 'Ali (as) in Madina?
   
3. If he was, did he attend Umar's funeral?
   
4. If so, can you produce a Sahih mutawattir narration to this effect?
   
5. If you cannot, is there any reason why he failed to attend the funeral of his alleged son in law?