Investigating Distortions in Islamic Texts [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Tahrif

Investigating Distortions

in Islamic Texts

Muhammad Abduh's commentary of the Nahj
al-Balaghah

and Imam Ali's view on the criteria for caliphate
Synopsis:

In a short saying quoted in Nahj al-Balaghah, Imam 'Ali (a)
expressed amazement at the logic of those who considered the criterion for
caliphate to be merely companionship of the Prophet (s).

According to the edition
containing the commentary of the Sunni scholar Muhammad Abduh, this saying
has been changed resulting in a complete twist in its meaning!
Source of the Allegation
Sayyid
Fadil al-Husayni al-Milani

Nahj al-Balaghah is a famous compilation of the sermons, letters, and
sayings of Imam 'Ali (a). Such is the eloquence of his words and the
depth of their meanings that many Sunni and Shi'i scholars have
written commentaries upon it. One such commentary was written by
Shaykh Muhammad Abduh of Egypt. A well-known Sunni scholar and head
of al-Azhar University, Muhammad Abduh died in 1323 AH/1905 CE.

The saying, as quoted in Abduh's Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah,
can be seen in the
extract below:

Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah, Words of Imam 'Ali (a) compiled by Sharif al-Radi
(d. 406 AH), commentary by Muhammad Abduh (d. 1323 AH),
volume 4, p. 601

Beirut: Dar al-Andalus, 1963 CE, ed. 'Abd al-'Aziz Sayyid al-Ahl

[also in the Damascus edition,
volume 4, pp. 43-44]

He
(i.e. Imam 'Ali), peace be upon him, said: How
strange! Could the caliphate be through the (Prophet's) companionship and (his) kinship?

The reader could be forgiven for thinking that Imam 'Ali (a) was expressing
his surprise and disagreement at the suggestion that suitability for caliphate
derived from being a close Companion of the Prophet (s) as well as
being one of his kin and Family (Ahl al-Bayt).

So why is there a problem with this statement?

There are three reasons:

Firstly:

The poetry by Imam 'Ali
that follows this
quotation seems to tell a different story!

Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah, Words of Imam 'Ali (a) compiled by Sharif al-Radi
(d. 406 AH), commentary by Muhammad Abduh (d. 1323 AH), volume 4,
p. 601

Beirut: Dar al-Andalus, 1963 CE, ed. 'Abd al-'Aziz Sayyid al-Ahl

And verses have also been related from him (i.e. Imam 'Ali (a)) with this
meaning:

If you claim to have secured authority by consultation,

how did it happen
when those to be consulted were absent!

If you have scored over your
opponents by kinship

then someone else has greater right for being nearer to
the Holy Prophet.

After apparently expressing his disapproval that kinship to the Prophet (s)
had anything to do with suitability for caliphate, Imam 'Ali now seems to be
suggesting quite the opposite!

Secondly:

The saying of Imam 'Ali
(a), as it appears in the commentary by another Sunni scholar, Ibn Abi'l Hadid
al-Mu'tazili (d. 656 AH), has the following words:

Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah, Ibn Abi'l Hadid al-Mutazili (d. 656 AH), volume
18, p. 185

Cairo: Dar Ihya al-kutub al-arabiyyah, 1963 CE, ed. Muhammad Abu al-Fadl
Ibrahim

190. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: How
strange! Could the caliphate be through the (Prophet's) companionship
but not through (his) companionship and (his) kinship?

Notice how Imam 'Ali (a) expresses his astonishment at those who used the
argument of lengthy companionship of the Prophet (s) as one of the reasons they
were more deserving of caliphate, and yet deprived the Imam who not only
possessed such companionship but was also close to the Prophet (s) in kinship,
being a member of the Ahl al-Bayt.

This unadulterated wording in Ibn Abi'l Hadid's commentary is consistent with
the poetry that follows it.

This correct wording can also be found in the other commonly available
editions of Nahj al-Balaghah, such as:
Arabic/English edition, Ansariyan Publications, Iran, n.d., volume
2, p. 627
Arabic/English edition, Ahlul-Bayt Assembly of America, USA, 1417 AH/1996
CE, p. 287

Finally:

This saying by Imam 'Ali
(a) can also be found in its full and correct wording in an independent source:

al-hikam wa durar al-kalim, 'Abd al-Wahid al-'Amidi al-Tamimi (d.
588 AH), volume 2, p. 306

Beirut: Mu'assasat al-'a'lami li'l-matbu'at, 1407 AH/1987 CE, ed.
Husayn al-'A'lami

64. How
strange! Could the caliphate be through the (Prophet's) companionship
but not through (his) companionship and (his) kinship?

What
did Imam 'Ali (a) really mean by this?

Ibn Abi'l Hadid al-Mutazili
explains this saying
and the verses that follow it in these words:

Nahj al-Balaghah, Ibn Abi'l Hadid al-Mutazili (d. 656 AH), volume
18, p. 185

Cairo: Dar Ihya al-kutub al-arabiyyah, 1963 CE, ed. Muhammad Abu al-Fadl
Ibrahim

The saying of Amir al-Mu'minin in the form of prose and poetry was intended
for Abu Bakr and 'Umar. In his prose he addressed 'Umar, because when
Abu Bakr asked 'Umar (on the day of Saqifah): 'Give me your hand so that I may
swear allegiance to you', 'Umar replied, 'You are the companion of the
Messenger of Allah in all circumstances - comfort and hardship. So give
me your hand.'

'Ali, peace be upon him, says (with regard to the claim of 'Umar) that:

If you give arguments in favour of Abu Bakr's deserving the caliphate on
the basis of his being the companion of the Holy Prophet in all
circumstances, then why did you not hand over the caliphate to one (i.e.
Amir al-Mu'minin) who shares with him (Abu Bakr) in this matter, and who had
superiority over him by having a relation of kinship with the Holy Prophet?

In his poetry, Amir al-Mu'minin addressed Abu Bakr, because he argued with
the ansar at Saqifah saying: 'We (the Quraysh) are the kin of the
Messenger of Allah and the seed from which he sprung, (therefore, we are the
most deserving people to succeed him).'

After allegiance was worn to Abu Bakr (by a small group at Saqifah) he used
to argue with the Muslims that they must accept his caliphate since it had
been accepted by the ahlu'l-halli wa'l-'aqd (the group who can tie and
untie a matter - i.e. those who were present at Saqifah).

'Ali, peace be upon him, says (with regard to the claim of Abu Bakr) that:

Regarding your argument with the ansar that you are from the seed
from which the Messenger of Allah sprung, and one of his tribe, there is other
one (i.e. Amir al-Mu'minin himself) who has the nearest relation of kinship to
the Holy Prophet. And concerning your argument that you have been
accepted by the consultation of the companions of the Holy Prophet (whom you
mean by ahlu'l-halli wa'l-'aqd), how did it happen that most of the
companions were absent (on the day of Saqifah) and did not swear allegiance to
you!

But
is the Nahj al-Balaghah and this saying reliable?

The fact that Sunni scholars such as Muhammad Abduh and Ibn Abi'l Hadid al-Mutazili
selected this work for their commentaries speaks
for itself. To find out more about the reliability of Nahj al-Balaghah
and the alternative sources that verify its contents, see:

As far as this
particular saying is concerned, apart from being recorded in the independent
source mentioned above, it is also consistent with Imam 'Ali's
outlook on the early caliphate as demonstrated by other sermons and letters in
the Nahj al-Balaghah.

For Imam Ali's views on the early caliphate in
his own words, see the following extracts from Nahj al-Balaghah:

To find out more about the event of Saqifah and how Abu Bakr assumed power
after the Prophet (s), see:

To find out more about the evidence that Imam 'Ali was appointed by the Prophet
(s) as his immediate successor, see:

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