Imamate The Vicegerency of the Prophet (s) [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

13. ULU 'L-AMR MUST BE MA'SUM

Allah says in the Qur'an:

O ye who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Apostle and those vested with authority
from among you; then if you quarrel about anything, refer it to Allah and the Apostle, if
you believe in Allah and the last day; this is better and very good in the end (4:59).

This verse obliges the Muslims to two obediences: First, the obedience of Allah;
second, the obedience of the Apostle and 'those vested with authority from among you' (uli'l-amri
minkum). The arrangement of the words shows that the obedience of ulu 'l-amr is
as much obligatory as is the obedience of the Apostle. Naturally, it means that ulu
'l-amr should be of the same caliber as the Apostle; otherwise Allah would not have
joined them together in this verse.

Before deciding who the ulu 'l-amr are, it will be of help to have a look at the
commandment of obeying the Apostle, to see how all-encampassing and al1-pervading this
commandment is and how great the authority of the Apostle of Allah is.

Allah says in the Qur'an: And We did not send any Apostle, but that he should be
obeyed by Allah's permission (4:64). The prophets and the apostles were to be obeyed
and followed; the followers were not expected to check every action of the prophet to
decide what was to be obeyed and what not. Clearly, it shows that the prophets and
apostles were free from error and sin; otherwise Allah would not have ordered the people
to obey the apostles unconditionally.

There are many verses in which Allah commands us to obey the Prophet: O ye who
believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Apostle. [41] Again, He says: And whoever obeys
Allah and His Apostle. . . [42] In the same surah it is asserted: Whoever obeys
the Apostle, he indeed obeys Allah (4:80). In these as well as numerous other verses
of the Qur'an, obedience of Allah is synonymous with the obedience of the prophets. Such
assertion would have been impossible if the prophets were not ma'sum (infallible).

Now, note the following verse: . . . and obey not from among them a sinner or an
ungrateful one (76:26). The picture is complete. The prophets are to be obeyed; the
sinners are not to be obeyed. The only conclusion is that the prophets were not sinners or
wrong-doers. In other words, they were ma'sum-infallible, sinless.

Just imagine what impossible situation would have been created if any prophet began
exhorting his followers to commit a mistake or sin. The wretched followers would have been
condemned to the displeasure of Allah in any case. If they obeyed the Prophet and
committed that sin they disobeyed the command given by Allah and thus were disgraced. If,
on the other hand, they disobeyed the Prophet, they again disobeyed the command of Allah
about obeying the Prophet. So, it appears that a non-ma'sum prophet could bring
nothing but disgrace and condemnation to his people.

Looking especially at the Holy Prophet of Islam, Allah tells us . . . and whatever
the Apostle gives you, take it; and from whatever he forbids you, keep back (59:7).
This means that the permission or prohibition of the Holy Prophet was always in accordance
with the will of Allah and always favoured by Him. It proves that the Holy Prophet was ma'sum.
No one can be so sure about the commands of a man who is not infallible.

There is another verse: Say: "If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will
love you and forgive you your sins" (3:31). Here the love of Allah is made
contingent on following the Prophet of Islam. Both sides of love are included in it. If
you love Allah follow the Prophet; if you love the Prophet, Allah will love you. Does it
not show that the Prophet was absolutely free from any type of blemish?

Not only his actions, even his words were the Commands of Allah. Allah says in the
Qur'an: Nor does he speak out of (his own) desire. It is naught but revelation that is
revealed (53:3-4). Here we find the highest degree of infallibility which can be
imagined.

Also, there are several verses in which the following words have been used for the Holy
Prophet: . . . and Apostle from among themselves, who recites to them His
communications and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom. [43] How could
a prophet purify others of sins and blemishes if he himself were not pure? How could a man
teach others wisdom if he had no wisdom to distinguish right from wrong; or worst still,
if he had no willpower to resist from doing wrong? The Prophet was to teach people the
Book of Allah; this means that he knew the Commandments of Allah. He was to purify them
and teach them wisdom. So this means he had wisdom and purity himself.

Witness to the perfection of his character is found in the Qur'an where it says: And
most surely you are on sublime morality (68:4). A man committing mistakes does not
deserve such compliments.

All these verses clearly show two things:

First

: The authority of the Holy Prophet upon the believers was unlimited
and all-comprehensive. Any order given by him, under any condition, in any place, at any
time, was to be obeyed unconditionally.

Second

: That supreme authority was given to him because he was ma'sum
(sinless) and free from all types of error and sin. Otherwise, Allah would not have
ordered us to obey him unconditionally .

In this verse, ulu 'l-amr, have been given exactly the same authority over the
Muslims, because both the 'Apostle' and the ulu 'l-amr have been jointly mentioned
under one word "obey"; which shows that the obedience of ulu 'l-amr has
the same standing as the obedience of the Apostle.

It naturally follows that ulu 'l-amr must also be ma 'sum ( sinless) and free
from any type of error and sin. Otherwise, their obedience would not have been joined with
the obedience of the Prophet. Amiru 'l-Mu'minin 'Ali (as), said: "The one who
disobeys Allah is not to be obeyed; and verily obedience is of Allah and of His Apostle
and those vested with authority. Verily, Allah ordered (the people) to obey the Apostle
because he was sinless and clean (pure), who would not tell the people to disobey Allah;
and verily He ordered (the people) to obey those vested with authority because they are
sinless and clean (pure), and would not tell the people to disobey Allah. [44]

14. ULU 'L-AMR: DOES IT MEAN MUSLIM RULERS?

Many of our Sunni brethren tend to interpret "ulu 'l-amr" as ' the
rulers from among yourselves', i.e., Muslims rulers. This interpretation is not based on
any logical reasoning; it is solely based on twists of history. The majority of the
Muslims have remained as a vassal of the monarchs and rulers, interpreting and
reinterpreting Islam and the Qur'an to please the powers to be.

The history of the Muslims (like any other nation ) is replete with the names of rulers
whose injustice, debauchery and tyranny have tarnished the name of Islam, as will be
mentioned briefly in the latter part of this text. Such rulers have always been and will
always be. And we are told that they are the ulu 'l-amr mentioned in this verse.

If Allah were to order us to obey such kings and rulers, an impossible situation would
be created for the Muslims. The wretched followers would be condemned to the displeasure
of Allah, no matter what they did. If they obeyed these rulers, they disobeyed the Command
of Allah: "Do not obey a sinner." And if they disobeyed such rulers, they again
disobeyed the Command of Allah to "obey the Muslim rulers " . So, if we accept
this interpretation, the Muslims are condemned to eternal disgrace whether they obey or
disobey their non-ma'sum Muslim rulers.

Also, there are Muslim rulers of different beliefs and persuasions. There are Shafi'is,
Wahhabis, Malikis, Hanafis, as well as Shi'ahs and Ibadis. Now, according to this
interpretation the Sunnis residing under an Ibadi Sultan (like in Oman) should follow
Ibadi tenents; and those residing under a Shi'ah ruler (like in Iran) should follow Shi'ah
beliefs. Do these people have the conviction of courage to follow their professed
interpretation to its logical end?

The famous Sunni commentator, Fakhru 'd-Din ar-Razi, concluded in his Tafsiru 'l
kabir [45]
that this verse proves that ulu 'l-amr must be ma'sum. He argues that Allah
has commanded the people to obey ulu 'l-amr unconditionally; therefore, it is
essential for the ulu 'l-amr to be ma'sum. Because if there is any
possiblity of their committing sin (and sin is forbidden ), it will mean that one has to
obey them and also disobey them in that very action. And this is impossible ! Then to
dissuade his readers from the Ahlu 'l-bayt, he invented the theory that the Muslim ummah
as a whole is ma 'sum.

This interpretation is unique, as no Muslim scholar ever subscribed to this theory and
it is not based on any tradition. It is quite surprising that ar-Razi accepts that each
individual of the Muslim nation is non-ma'sum, yet still claims that their
sum-total is ma'sum. Even a primary school student knows that 200 cows plus 200
cows makes 400 cows and not one horse.

But ar-Razi says that 70 million non ma'sum plus 70 rnillion non-ma'sum
will make one ma'sum! Does he want us to believe that if all the patients of a
mental hospital joined together they would be equal to one sane person? [46]

The poet of the Orient, Iqbal, has said:

The minds of two hundred donkeys cannot produce the thoughts of one man.

Obviously, with his great knowledge he was able to conclude that ulu 'l-amr must
be ma'sum; but it was his prejudice which compelled him to say that the Islamic ummah
as a whole is ma'sum.

Also, he did not pause to see that the verse contains the word "minkum"
("from among you" ) which shows that the said ulu 'l-amr shall be part of
the Muslim ummah, not the whole Muslim nation. And if the whole Muslim nation is to
be obeyed, then who is there left to obey ?

15. REAL MEANING OF ULU 'L-AMR

Now we return to the correct interpretation of the above verse.

al-Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (as) said that this verse was revealed about 'Ali ibn Abi
Talib, Hasan and Husayn (as) . Upon hearing this, someone asked the Imam: "People
say, 'Why did Allah not mention the names of 'Ali and his family in His Book?'"

The Imam answered: "Tell them that there came the command of salat
(prayer), but Allah did not mention whether three or four raka'at (units) (to be
performed); it was the Apostle of Allah who explained all the details. And (the command of
) zakat was revealed, but Allah did not say that it is one in every forty dirham;
it was the Apostle of Allah who explained it; and hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) was ordered
but Allah did not say to perform tawaf ( circumambulation of the Ka'bah) seven
times the Apostle of Allah explained it. Likewise, the verse was revealed: Obey Allah,
and obey the Apostle and those vested with authority from among you, and it was
revealed about 'A1i and Hasan and Husayn (as). [47]

In Kifayatu 'l-athar, there is a tradition from Jabir ibn 'Abdillah al-Ansari,
in explanation of this verse. When it was revealed, Jabir said to the Prophet: "We
know Allah and the Prophet, but who are those vested with authority whose obedience has
been conjoined to that of Allah and yourself ? " The Prophet said: " They are my
caliphs and the Imams of the Muslims after me. The first of them is 'Ali, then Hasan, then
Husayn, then 'A1i, son of Husayn; then Muhammad, son of 'A1i, who has been mentioned as
al-Baqir in the Torah. O Jabir! You will meet him. When you see him, convey my salam
(greetings) to him. He will be succeeded by his son Ja'far as-Sadiq (the Truthful); then
Musa, son of Ja'far; then 'A1i, son of Musa; then Muhammad, son of 'A1i; then 'A1i, son of
Muhammad; then Hasan, son of 'Ali.

"He will be followed by his son whose name and patronym (kunyah) will be
the same as mine. He will be Hujjatu-llah (Proof of Allah) on the earth, and Baqiyyatu-llah
(the one spared by Allah to maintain the cause of faith) among mankind. He will conquer
the whole world from east to west. So long will he remain hidden from the eyes of his
followers and friends that the belief in his imamah Will remain only in those
hearts which have been tested by Allah for faith. "

Jabir said: "O Messenger of Allah! Will his followers benefit from his seclusion?

The Prophet said "Yes! by Him Who sent me with prophethood! They will be guided by
his light, and benefit from his wilaayah (love; authority) during his seclusions
just as people benefit from the sun even when-it is hidden in a cloud O Jabir! This is
from the hidden secrets of Allah and the treasured knowledge of-Allah. So guard it except
from the people (who deserve to know ) . " [48]

This hadith has been quoted from Shi'ah sources. Sunni traditions do not provide
as much detail; still there are many Sunni traditions which refer to the Twelve Imams, as
explained in the chapter.

Now that we know who "those vested with Authority" are, it is evident
that the question of obeying tyrant and unjust rulers does not arise at all. Muslims are
not required by this verse to obey rulers who may be unjust, tyrannical, ignorant, selfish
and sunk in debauchery. They are in fact ordered to obey the specified Twelve Imams, all
of whom were sinless and free from evil thoughts and deeds. Obeying them has no risks
whatsoever. Nay, it protects from all risks; because they will never give an order against
the Will of Allah and will treat all human beings with love, justice and equity.

16. TWELVE CALIPHS OR IMAMS

Now it is advisable to refer to several parts of the 77th chapter of Yanabi'u
'l-mawaddah of al-Hafiz Sulayman ibn Ibrahim al-Qunduzi al-Hanafi.

A well known hadith has been quoted that: "There will be twelve caliphs,
all from the Quraysh", in many books including those of al Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud
and at-Tirmidhi .

The author quotes many traditions to the effect that the Holy Prophet said: "I,
'Ali, Hasan, Husayn and nine of the descendants of Husayn are pure and sinless."

He also quotes that the Holy Prophet told al-Imam Husayn: "You are a chief,
brother of a chief; you are an Imam, son of an Imam, brother of an Imam; you are Proof (of
Allah), son of a Proof (of Allah), brother of a Proof (of Allah), and father of nine
Proofs (of Allah), the ninth of whom will be al-Mahdi. "

After quoting many such traditions, he writes: "Some scholars have said that the
traditions (which show that the caliphs after the Holy Prophet would be twelve) are well
known, from many asnad. Now, with the passage of time and through historical
events, we know that in this hadith the Holy Prophet has referred to the Twelve
Imams from his Ahlu 'l-bayt and descendants, because:

"This hadith cannot apply to the four al-khulafa'u 'r-rdshidun from
among his Companions, as they were less than twelve.

"And it cannot apply to the caliphs from the tribe of Umayyad, because (a)
they were more than twelve; (b) all of them were tyrants and unjust (except 'Umar ibn
'Abdi'l-'Aziz); and (c) they were not from the Banu Hashim and the Holy Prophet had
said in a hadith that: 'all of them will be from the Banu Hashim. . .'

"And it cannot apply to the caliphs from the Banu 'Abbas, because: (a) they
were more than twelve; and (b) they did not comply with (the demands of) the verse: Say.
'I do not ask of you any recompense for it except the love for (my) near relatives'
(42:23), nor with the Tradition of the Mantle (Hadithu'l-kisa'); (i.e., they
persecuted the descendants of the Prophet).

"Therefore, the only way to interpret this hadith is to accept that it
refers to the Twelve Imams from the Holy Prophet's Ahlu'l-bayt and descendants, because
they were, in their times, the most knowledgeable, the most illustrious, the most
god-fearing, the most pious, the highest in their family lineage, the best in personal
virtues, and the most honoured before Allah; and their knowledge was derived from their
ancestor ( the Prophet ) through their fathers, and by inheritance and by direct teachings
from Allah." [49]

17. FEW FACTS ABOUT THE TWELVE IMAMS (as)

First Imam

: Amiru 'l-Mu'minin Abu '1-Hasan 'ALI al-Murtada, son of Abu Talib,
was born on 13th Rajab, 10 years before the declaration of the Prophethood (600
A.D.), inside the Kabah; became Imam, on the death of the Prophet on 28th Safar, 11
/632; was fatally wounded by the poisoned sword of Ibn Muljam while engaged in prayers at
the Mosque of Kufah (Iraq), and expired two days later on 21st Ramadan, 40/661 and
was buried at an-Najaf al-Ashraf (Iraq).

Second Imam

: Abu Muhammad AL-HASAN al-Mujtaba, son of 'Ali (as), was born on
15th Ramadan, 3/625 at Medina; died of poison on 7th or 28th Safar, 50/670
at Medina.

Third Imam

: Sayyidu'sh-Shuhada' Abu 'Abdillah AL-HUSAYN, son of 'Ali (as), was
born on 3rd Sha'ban, 4/626 at Medina, was martyred with his sons, relatives and
Companions, on 10th Muharram, 61/680, at Karbala' (Iraq). He and his elder brother,
al-Hasan, were sons of Fatimah az-Zahra' (as), daughter of the Holy Prophet.

Fourth Imam

: Abu Muhammad 'ALI Zaynu 'l-'Abidin, son of al-Husayn (as), was born
on 5th Sha'ban, 38/659; died of poison on 25th Muharram, 94/712 or 95/713 at
Medina.

Fifth Imam

: Abu Ja'far MUHAMMAD al-Baqir, son of 'Ali Zayn u'l-'Abidin (as), was
born on 1st Rajab, 57/677 at Medina; died of poison on 7th Dhu 'l-hijjah,
114/733 at Medina.

Sixth Imam

: Abu 'Abdillah JAFAR as-Sadiq, son of Muhammad al-Baqir (as), was
born on 17th Rabi u'l-awwal, 83/702 at Medina; died there of poison on 25th Shawwal,
148/765.

Seventh Imam

: Abu 'l-Hasan al-Awwal, MUSA al-Kazim, son of Ja'far as-Sadiq (as),
was born at al-Abwa' (7 miles from Medina) on 7th Safar, 129/746; died of poison on
25th Rajab, 183/799 in the prison of Harun ar-Rashld at Baghdad and was buried at
al-Kazimiyyah, near Baghdad (Iraq) .

Eighth Imam

: Abu 'l-Hasan ath-Thani, 'ALI ar-Rida, son of Musa al-Kazim (as),
was born at Medina on 11th Dhu 'l-qi'dah, 148/765; died of poison on 17th Safar,
203/818 at Mashhad (Khurasan, Iran).

Ninth Imam

: Abu Ja'far ath-Thani, MUHAM MAD at-Taqi al-Jawad, son of 'A1i
ar-Rida (as), was born on 10^th Rajab, 195/811 at Medina; died of poison
at Baghdad on 30th Dhu 'lqi'dah, 220/835; was buried near his grandfather at
al-Kazimiyyah.

Tenth Imam

: Abu 'l-Hasan ath-Thalith, 'ALI an-Naqi al-Hadi, son of Muhammad
at-Taqi (as), was born on 5th Rajab, 212/827 at Medina; died of poison at Samarra'
(Iraq) on 3rd Rajab, 254/868.

Eleventh Imam

: Abu Muhammad, ALHASAN al-'Askari, son of 'Ali an-Naqi (as), was
born on 8th Rabi 'u 'th-thani, 232/846 at Medina; died of poison at Samarra' (Iraq)
on 8th Rabi'u 'l-awwal, 260/874.

Twelfth Imam

: Abu 'l-Qasim, MUHAMMAD AL-MAHDI, son of al-Hasan al-'Askari (as),
was born on 15th Sha'ban, 255/869 at Samarra' (Iraq). He is our present Imam; he
went into Lesser Occultation in 260/874 which continued until 329/844; then the Greater
Occultation began, which still continues. He will reappear when Allah allows him, to
establish the Kingdom of Allah on earth, to fill the world with justice and equity, as it
would be full of injustice and tyranny. He is al-Qa'im (the one who shall stand to
establish the rule of Allah); al-Hujjah (the Proof of Allah over His creatures); Sahibu
'z-Zaman (the Lord of Our Time), and Sahibu 'l-Amr (the one vested with Divine
authority).

Notes:

[1] al-'Allamah al-Hilli: al-Babu
'l-hadi 'ashar, Eng. tr W.M. Miller, pp. 50, 62-4.

[2] Ibid. p.69.

[3] Ibid . pp. 64-8.

[4] Ibid., p. 68.

[5] Ibid., p. 69.

[6] as-Suyuti: Tari'khu 'l-khulafa,
p.217.

[7] Holy Qur'an, Eng . tr. S. V.
Mir Ahmed Ali, fn. 1857, p.l261 .

[8] Wahidu 'z-Zaman: Tafsir Wahidi
(on the margin of the Qur'an's translation by the same author), para. 22 fn. 7, p. 549.

[9] Wahidu'z-Zaman: Anwaru 'l-lughah,
para.22,P.51.

[10] al-Ghazzali: Ihya' 'ulumi
'd-din, vol. I, pt.2, p. 10.

[11] Ibn Abdi 'l-Barr:al-lsti'ab,
vol.2, p.470.

[12] al-Qunduzi: Yanabi'u 'l
-mawaddah, p. 253.

[13] Ibn 'Abdi 'l-Barr: al-Isti'ab,
vol. 3, p. 1 1 15.

[14] Ibn Hajar al-Haytami: Sawa'iqu
'l-muhriqah, p.72 Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani: Fathu 'l-bari, vol. 8, p.71.

[15] Amritsari, Arjahu 'l -matalib,
p. 112.

[16] Ibnu 'l-Athir: al-Kamil,
[vol.5, pp. 62-3]; al Baghawi: at-Tafsir, [vol. 4, p.127]; al-Khazin: at-Tafsir,
[vol. 4, p. 127]; al-Bayhaqi: Dala 'ilu 'n-nubuwwah [vol. I, pp.428-30]; as-Suyuti:
ad-Durru 'l-manthur [vol.5, p.97]; al-Muttaqi al-Hindi: Kanzu 'l-'ummal
[vol.15, pp .100,113,115-7]; Abu 'l -Fida': al -Mukhtasar, [vol. I, pp .116-7]; at
-Tabari: at Tarikh, [vol. I pp .171-3]; Carlyle , T.: On Heroes, Hero Worship
and the Heroic in History, [p.54]; Gibbon, E.: The Decline and Fall of the Roman
Empire, [vol. 3, p. 94]; Davenport, J.: An Apology for Muhammed and the Koran [
p.21 ]; Irving, W.: Mahommet and His Successors [p.45]. (For further details, see
al-Amini: al-Ghadir [ vol. 2, pp.278 89] . )

[17] See [at-Tabari; at-Tafsir,
vol. 6, p. 186]; as-Suyuti: ad-Durru 'l-manthur, [vol. 2,,, pp. 293-4]; ar-Razi: at-Tafsiru
'l-kabir, [vol.12, p. 26]; az-Zamakhshari: at-Tafsir (al-Kashshaf),
vol.l, p.649; [al-Jassas: Ahkamu 'l-Qur'an, vol. 2, pp.542-3; al-Khazin: at-Tafsir,
vol. 2, p. 68] .

[18] al-Qunduzi: Yanabi'u
'l-mawaddah, [p.168; Amritsari: Arjahu 'l-matalib, p.448].

[19] Siddiq Hasan Khan: Manhaju
'l-wusul, p.l3. death indicated in parentheses are in A. H. )

[20] al -Amini: al -Ghadi'r,
vol 1, pp . 14-18 .

[21] Ibid., pp. 62-63.

[22] Ibid., pp.73-81.

[23] Ibid ., pp. 73-151.

[24] at-Tirmidhi: as-Sahih,
vol. 2, p.298.

[25] at-Tahawi: Mushkilu 'l-athar,
vol.2, p.308.

[26] al-Hakim: al-Mustadrak,
vol.3, pp.109-10.

[27] al Amini: al-Ghadir, vol.
1, p. 295.

[28] Ibid., pp.294-313.

[29] Subhi' as-Salih: 'Ulumu
'l-hadith wa mustalahatuh, p. 145.

[30] Ibid., p.l56.

[31] al-Khatib at-Tabrizi: Mishkatu
'l-masabih [p.557]; Mir Khwand: Habibu 's-siyar, [vol. 1, pt. 3, p. 144];
at-Tabari: [al-Wilayah]; [ar-Razi: at-Tafsiru 'l-kabir, vol. 12, pp. 49-50];
Ahmad: al-Musnad, [vol. 4, p. 281 ]; Ibn Abi Shaybah: al-Musannaf; Abu
Ya'la: al-Musnad; Ahmad ibn 'Uqdah: al-Wilayah, and many others. [See also
al-Amini: al-Ghadir, vol. 1, pp. 270- 83 - for further references.]

[32] al-Amini: al-Ghadir, vol.
I, p. 340.

[33] See al-Amini: al-Ghadir,
pp. 344-50, for detail references .

[34] Ibid., pp. 370-371.

[35] al-Wahidi: Asbabu 'n-nuzul,
p. 40; as-Suyuti: ad-Durru 'l-manthur, vol. 2, p. 38.

[36] This hadith can be seen
in most books of traditions. See for instance, at-Tirmidhi: as-Sahih, vol. 2, p.
308; Ibnu 'l-Athir: Usdu 'l-ghabah, vol. 2, p. 12; as-Suyuti: ad-Durru
'l-manthur, vol. 6, p. 7; al-Muttaqi al-Hindi: Kanzu 'l-'ummal, (Hyderabad,
1312 A. H.), p. 48.

[37] Ibn Majah: as-Sunan,
p.l2; Ahmad: al-Musnad, vol. 1, p. 174; an-Nasa'i: al-Khasa'is, pp. I5-16;
atTahawi: Mushkilu 'l-athar, vol. 2, p. 309; al-Muhibb at-Tabari: Dhakhatiru
'l-'uqba, p.63.

[38] as-Suyuti: ad-Durru
'l-manthur, vol. 6, p. 209, at-Tabari: at-Tafsir, vol. 10, p. 47; an-Nasa'i: al-Khasa
'is, p. 20.

[39]. al-Khati'b al-Khwarazmi: al-Manaqib,
p. 56; al-Hammuyi: Fara'idu 's-simtayn, vol. 1, p. 176; al-Khati'b al-Baghdadi: Tari'kh
Baghdad, vo1. 14, p. 321.

[40] As quoted in Mafatihu
'l-matalib, p.396; al-Ganji: Kifayatu 't-talib, p. 176.

[41] Qur'an, 47:33; see
also:3:32,132; 5:92; 8:1,20, 46; 24:54; 58:13; 64:12.

[42] Qur'an,4:13;see also: 4:69;
24:52; 33:71; 48:18.

[43] Qur'an, 62:2; see also: 2:129;
3:164.

[44] as-Saduq: 'Ilalu 'sh shara'i',
[ vol. I, p . 123 ] .

[45] ar-Razi: at-Tafsiru 'l-kabir,
vol.10, p.l44.

[46] Though we hold special respect
for others' opinions, and particularly for the beliefs of our Sunni brothers, at the same
time, the author had no other alternative but to criticize the opinion of ar-Razi with
these examples. Of course, we do not regard this opinion of ar-Razi to be the manifesto of
all Sunni brothers. (pub.)

[47] al-'Ayyashi: at-Tafsir,
vol. 1, pp.249-50; Fayd al-Kashani: at-Tafsir (as-Safi), vol.1, p.364.

[48] al-Khazzaz: Kifayatu 'l-athar,
p. 53

[49] al-Qunduzi; Yanabi 'u
'l-mawaddah, pp.444-7.