ExaminingtheIsmailiImams&theBohrasAliAzharArastu-XKP

Published:2014Tag(s):islambohriboridawoodishiasunniimam"aghakhani"ismailijaafrijafari

1ChapterDedication

Bohra2shia.com-IslamicMobility.com…Then,whentheyenteredintohispresence,theysaid,“OAziz!Distresshasbefallenourfamily,

andus,andwehavebrought[just]ameagersum.Yetgrantusthefullmeasure,andbecharitabletous!IndeedAllahrewardsthecharitable.”[1]IdedicatethisresearchtomybelovedImamMahdi,theawaitedsaviorofthemankind(mayAllah

hasten his return); to my father, Riazath Husain Arastu; my mother, Tahera Begum Arastu; mybrother, Shoukath Husain Arastu, mymother-in-law, Rabab Sultana Razavi, and my father-in-law,AkbarPatel.IalsopayspecialthankstothepersonalityofLadyFatimaMa’sumaofQum(Thegranddaughterof

Imamal-Sadiq[as]),forprovidingmewiththeopportunitytostudyinhercityandgrantingmetheblessingsofherproximity,throughwhichIwasabletocompletethisbook.

[1]SurahYusuf(12),Ayah88

2ChapterAbstract

Thisbookhasbeendividedinto5segmentswhichhavebeenfurtherdividedintodifferentparts.ThefirstsegmentdefinesthemeaningofShiaandtalksaboutthedifferentsectswithintheShias

and further divides Ismailis and talks about the sects within them. It also discusses some of theIsmaili/FatimidImams(theIsmailiImamsafterImamal-Sadiq(as)[1]anditquestionstheauthenticityoftheIsmailiImamsandquestionsthefactiftheyweredivinelyappointed.Thesecondsegmentofthebookdealswiththeimportanceoffollowingtherightchainandthe

needtofollowtherightfulImamsaftertheHolyProphet(sawa)[2]AlsodiscussesthetraditionsoftheHolyProphet(sawa)regardinghissuccessors(as)andhistraditionsregardingImamal-Mahdi,thetwelfthHolyImam(MayAllahhastenhisreappearance).AlsoclarifiessomedoubtsthatonemayhaveregardingtheoccultationofImamal-Mahdi(as).ThethirdsegmentdiscussesaboutanidealImamandthequalitiesweshouldexpectfromhimand

thenaddresses twoof the IthnaAshari Imamsafter Imamal-Sadiq (as), theirdesignation,whathasbeensaidaboutthemnotonlybyShiasbutalsobyAhleSunna.The fourth segment dealswith the effect of following thewrong chain and its consequences on

their deeds. In addition, one of the Bohra Jurisprudential issues (Bohra Calendar and the moonsighting)isscrutinizedindetail.

[1](as)indicatesAlaihisSalaammeaningpeacebeuponhim.[2](sawa)indicatesSallallahuAlaihiwaA’alihimeaningpeacebeuponhimandhisprogenyFinally,thefifthsegmentdiscussestheimportanceofhavingfaithinalloftheProphets,allofthe

HolybooksandalloftheImams.Itconcludes—aspertheHolyQuran—abouttheendresultofthedeedsperformedwithouthavingtruefaith.

3ChapterPreface

AllpraiseisduetoAllah(swt),[1]Creatoroftheuniverse,andblessingsandsalutationsuponthe

HolyProphetMuhammad(sawa)andhisHolyProgeny.This book is about the beliefs of Ismailis.Twomajor sects within the Ismailis are the Agha

Khanis,whobelievein49Imams,andtheBohraswhobelievein21Imams.HoweverboththeAghaKhanisandtheBohrasbelieve inIsmailasanImam,whowas thesonofImamal-Sadiq(as).Theytherefore reject Musa al-Kadhim s/o Imam al-Sadiq (as) as an Imam. This book investigates theauthenticityoftheIsmaili/FatimidImamsandquestionswhethertheyweretrulydivine.Someoftheimportantsourcesusedforthisbookwere:TheIsmaili’stheirhistoryanddoctrines,

writtenbyDrFarhadDaftary.DrFarhadDaftaryistheCo-DirectorandtheheadoftheDepartmentofAcademic Research and Publications at the Institute of Ismaili Studies, London. An authority onIsmailistudies,DrDaftaryhaswrittenmorethan150articlesandwrittenandeditedseveralacclaimedbooksinthisfield.AndothersourceslikeDa’aimulIslam,HamareyIsmailiMadhabKiHaqeeqataurUskaNizam,IsmailiyeazGuzashtetaHalaetcwerealsoutilized.Most of the translation of the verses used in this book is based upon Sayyid Ali Quli Qarai’s

translationoftheHolyQur ’an.I thankAllah(swt)forgivingmetheability tocomplete thisbook.Icouldnothavehandledthis

projectaloneandthecontributionsmadebyothershavebeeninvaluable.Mysincereanddeepthanksgo tomy teacher,ShaykhKumailRajani forhisguidanceandhelp;mycousin,HaneefArastu foreditingandinsight;SisterNahidHirmendiandBr

[1](swt)indicatesSubhanaWaTa’ala,meaningHeisGlorifiedandExalted

Zohair Zaidi for further editing and proof reading; Shaykh Salim Yusufali, Shaykh MuhammedHasnain,andBrSherAliValjifortheirhelp,valuablesuggestionsandbeingtherewhenneeded;andmywifeandmydaughtersforalltheirhelp,support,insightandsuggestions.

4ChapterShia–ButShiaofwhichImam(leader)?

ThemeaningofShia:“Shia”meansagroupoffollowers,membersofagroup,asperHolyQuran,SurahMaryamverse

69:۶٩ ایتع ن محرلا يلع دشا ہم يا ۃ عیش لك نم نعزننل مثThenfromeverygroupWeshalldrawwhicheverofthemwasmoredefianttotheAll-beneficent.

[1]ہ تعیش نم اذ ہThisonefromamonghisfollowers.[2]AsperthetwoayahsquotedaboveaShiacouldbeafolloweroramemberofagroup.TheHolyQuran,SurahIsraverse71says:ہم ماما ـ ب سانا لك اوعدن مویThedayweshallsummoneverygroupofpeoplewiththeirimam.[3]Aspertheayah,thedestinyofthefollowersdependsontheirimamandbeingaShiadoesnotmean

anything,unlessweknowtheShiaofwhom.IfoneisaShia(follower)ofawrongleader(Imam)thenthisleadermayinvitehisShiastowards

thefire.

[1]SurahMaryam(19)Ayah69[2]SurahQasas(28),Ayah15[3]SurahIsra(17),Ayah71HolyQuran,SurahQasasverse41,says:۴١ نورصنی مۃال يقلا مویو ٠ رانلا ىلا نوعدی ۃ م ىا ہم نلعجوWemadethemleaderswhoinvitetotheFireandonthedayofResurrectiontheywillnotreceive

anyhelp.[1]Thefateofthefollowers(shias)ofimamsofthiskindisnotgoingtobegood.ButifoneisaShia(follower)ofarightfulleader(Imam)thenthisleaderwillleadthemtowards

thetruth.HolyQuran,SurahSajdahverse24,says:٢۴ نونقوی انت ي اب اوناكو ٠ اوربص امل انرماب نود يہ ۃ م ىا ہم نم انلعجوAndamongstthemWeappointedimamswhoguidebyOurcommandwhentheyhadbeenpatient

andhadconvictionsinOursigns.[2]Certainly, the true followers (Shias) of these Imams will be very successful on the day of

resurrection. Thus, being a Shia does not mean anything, unless we know the Shia (follower) ofwhom.

[1]SurahQasas(28),Ayah41[2]SurahSajdah(32),Ayah24

5ChapterSectswithinShi’as

TheShiaandSunnischoolsofthoughtformthemajorsectswithintheIslamicnation.Similarto

theSunnisect,theShiasectalsohassub-sectswithinitself.Inthisbook,wewillbetalkingjustaboutthesectswithintheShiasect.

6ChapterTheIthnaAshariShias(TheTwelvers)

The Twelvers are the largest part of the Shia community. They get their name from their

acceptance of twelve divinely appointed successors of the Holy Prophet (sawa). They believe thatImamAli(as)wasthefirst[1]SurahQasas(28),Ayah41[1]SurahSajdah(32),Ayah24divinelyappointedHolyImam,whosucceededtheHolyProphet(sawa).AlloftheHolyImamsthat

the Twelvers followweremartyred, except the last Holy Imam, ImamAlMahdi (atfs)[1], who isbelieved to be in occultation. All of the Holy Imams are from the progeny of the Holy Prophet(sawa);theyarethesonsofFatima(sa)[2]andAli(as),andthereisnodoubtordisputeaboutit.ThebeliefsoftheIthnaAshariShiashavebeendiscussedinmanybooks&onlythelivesofthe2

imams,whicharenotfollowedbytheothersubsects,willbediscussedindetaillaterinthisbook.

[1]AjjalAllahoTalaFarajahuShareef(MayAllahhastenhisreappearance)[2]SalamullahAlaiha(Peacebeuponher)

Zaidis

TheZaidisdonotbelieve in the5th Imam, ImamMuhammadal-Baqir,becausehedidnot revolt

againstthecorruptgovernment.TheyfollowZaydibnAliZainulAbideenastheirImambecausehestaged a revolution against the corrupt rulers of Bani Umayyah. They do not believe in a directlineage – instead, any descendant of ImamHasan and ImamHusayn (as) who stages a revolutionagainstacorruptgovernmentisconsideredasanImam.TheZaidisdonotbelievethattheImamsaredivinelyappointed.TheyalsodonotbelieveintheinfallibilityoftheImams,nordotheybelievethattheImamsreceivedivineguidance.TheZaidisaremainlyfoundinYemen.

Alawis

AlawislovedtheAhlulBayt[12](as)totheextentthatafterseeingtheimpeccablequalitiesofthe

AhlulBayt(as)theystartedexaggeratingthestatusoftheImams.AlawitesarealsocalledNusayris,Nusairis, Namiriya or Ansariyya. They are also known as the exaggerators.Within Alawites theyhave various sects. There are over one million Alawis that live in Syria and Lebanon. The IthnaAshariImamshavecondemnedtheexaggerators.

[10]AjjalAllahoTalaFarajahuShareef(MayAllahhastenhisreappearance)[11]SalamullahAlaiha(Peacebeuponher)[12] The familyof theProphet (sawa), ImamAli,LadyFatema, ImamHasan, ImamHusayn (as)

andthenineImamsthatsucceededImamHusayn(as)

TheIsmailis

TheIsmailisareabranchofIslamthatisthesecondlargestpartoftheShiacommunityafterthe

Twelvers.TheygettheirnamefromtheiracceptanceofIsmailIbnJafar(as)asthedivinelyappointedspiritualsuccessortoImamJafaral-Sadiq(as).The Ismailis dispute the successionof the seventh Imam - they say that Ismail ibn Jafar actually

succeededImamJafaral-Sadiq(as),whereastheIthnaAshariShiasbelievethatMusaal-Kadhim(as)succeeded Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (as). Ismail died before his father. However, some of the IsmailisclaimthatIsmailhadnotdied,butrather,hadgoneintoGhaibat(occultation).SomeoftheIsmailisacceptedhisdeathandthereforeclaimthathiseldestson,MuhammadIbnIsmail,wasnowImam.ThereareseveraloffshootsofIsmailis;themostpopularonesamongthemaretheAgaKhanis,the

DawoodiBohras,andtheDruze.

TheDruze

AftertheFatimidEmpirewasestablishedin909ADbyUbaydallahal-MahdiBillah,heclaimedthe

IsmailiImamate.ThesixthcaliphoftheFatimidEmpire,al-Hakimbi-Amrillah,ascendedthethronewhen he was only eleven years old and was feared for his eccentricity and insanity. The FatimidEmpirewasknownforitsreligioustolerance,butunderthereignofal-Hakim,alotofpersecutionwasseen.In1021AD(441AH),al-Hakimhadgoneonhismulebutneverreturnedandonlyhismulereturnedanditwassoakedinblood.ThisledtothebirthofthesectoftheDruze,whodidnotacceptthesuccessorofal-Hakimandbelievedthatal-HakimwasanincarnationofGodandwastheMahdi,whowouldonedayreturnandbringjusticetotheworld.

TheNizaris

ThesecondbutmajorsplitamongtheIsmailisoccurredfollowingthedeathof theFatimidCaliph,al-MustansirBillah in487AH(1094AD).Afterhepassedaway, the

oldersonNizarandtheyoungersonfoughtfor theempire.Nizarwasdefeatedandwas jailed.Hisson,however,escaped.AgroupofpeoplestartedbelievinghimtobetheImam,andtheImamateoftheNizariscontinuestotheirpresent,ImamAgaKhanIV.ThetermIsmailisisreferredtotheNizaricommunity,whoarefollowersoftheAgaKhanandtheyarethelargestgroupamongtheIsmailis.TheAghaKhanisortheNizarisconsiderImamAli(as)asthefirstImamandImamHusayn(as)as

thesecondImamanddonotconsiderImamHasan(as)asanImam.[13]

[13]Daftary,Farhad,Ismailistheirhistoryanddoctrines,p.551

TheMustalis

Al-Mustaliwastheyoungersonofal-MustansirBillah,whomhesucceededindefeatingNizar.The

followers of theMustali line are also known as Taiyyebi, named after their 21st Imam, Imam al-Taiyyebwhotheybelievehasgoneintohiding.TheTaiyyebi’sfurthersplitintodifferentsects,suchasDawoodiBohras,SulaymaniBohras,AlaviBohrasandHebtiahBohrasetc…TheBohrasconsiderImamAli(as)astheWasioftheProphet(sawa);henceImamHasan(as)isthe

firstImamfortheBohras.[14]

[14]ibid,p.551

7ChapterIsmailiImams

AbrieflookattheIsmailiImams:ThissectionfocusesontheIsmailiImamsstartingfromIsmail.Iwillbrieflynarratetheirlivesand

examine the issues arising, especially from the point of view of their being qualified for beingappointedasLeadersoftheDivineReligionofIslamFollowingisthegenealogicaltableoftheFatimidIsmailiCaliphImams:1.IsmailIbnJafar(d136AH/754AD)(6thIsmailiImam)2.Muhammadal-MaktumibnIsmail(notmuchinfoavailable)(7thIsmailiImam)3.AbdAllahibnMuhammad(nodatesavailable)(8thIsmailiImam)4.AhmadibnAbdAllah(nodatesavailable)(9thIsmailiImam)5.Al-HusaynibnAhmad(d268AH/881AD)(10thIsmailiImam)6.AbuMuhammed‘UbaydAllah(AbdAllah)al-MahdiBillah(d322AH/934AD)(1stFatimid

Caliph)(11thIsmailiImam)7. AbulQasimMuhammedal-QaimbiAmrAllah(d334AH/946AD)(2ndFatimidCaliph)

(12thIsmailiImam)8. AbuTahirIsmailal-MansurBillah(d341AH/953AD)(3rdFatimidCaliph) (13th Ismaili

Imam)9. AbuTamimMa’addal-Muizz lidinAllah(d365AH/975AD)(4th FatimidCaliph)(14th

IsmailiImam)10. AbuMansurNizar al-AzizBillah (d 386AH/996AD) (5th FatimidCaliph) (15th Ismaili

Imam)11.AbuAlial-Mansural-HakimbiAmrAllah(d411AH/1021AD)(6thFatimidCaliph)(16th

IsmailiImam)12. AbulHasanAlial-ZahirliI’zazdinAllah(d427AH/1036AD)(7thFatimidCaliph)(17th

IsmailiImam)13.AbuTamimMa’addal-MustansirBillah(d487AH/1094AD)[15](8thFatimidCaliph)(18th

IsmailiImam)14.Al-MustaliBillah(d495AH/1101AD)9thFatimidCaliph)(19thTaiyyebi/MustaliImam)15. Al-Amir bi Ahkam Allah (d 524 AH/1130 AD)[16] (10th Fatimid Caliph)(20th

Taiyyebi/MustaliImam)16.Al-Tayyibwentintohiding(21stTaiyyebi/MustaliImam)

[15]There was a split among the Ismailis after the death of al-Mustansir, some believed that al-MustaliwastherightfulsuccessorandsomebelievedthatNizarwastherightfulsuccessor.TheoneswhobelievedinNizarareknownastheAghaKhanistoday.(TheIsmailis,theirHistoryandDoctrines,

p.552)[16]Anothersplitoccurredafter thedeathofAlAmrbiAhkamAllah,somebelievedinAlTayyibastheirImamandsomebelievedinAbdalMajidal-HafizibnAbulQasimMuhammadibnal-MustansirBillahastheirImam.TheoneswhobelievedinAlTaiyyibastheirImamareTayyibisandtheBohrastoday.

IsmailIbnJafar(6thIsmailiImam)StartoftheSplit

IsmailwastheoldestsonofImamJafaral-Sadiq(as).SomeoftheShiasusedtothinkthatIsmail

would be the next Imam after Imam al-Sadiq (as), since hewas the oldest and Imam al-Sadiq (as)lovedhimverymuch.However,IsmaildiedwhileImamal-Sadiq(as)wasstillalive.Itisreportedthatwhen the funeral of Ismail was being taken to the Baqi cemetery in Medina, Imam al-Sadiq (as)uncoveredthefaceofhisdeceasedsonIsmailafewtimestoshowthathewasdead.HisintentionindoingthatwastoestablishthefactofIsmail’sdeathtothosewhohadthoughtthathewastosucceedafter al-Sadiq (as) and to remove any doubt regarding him still being alive.[17]Many Ismaili andnon-Ismailisourcesreportthestoryofhow,beforeandduringIsmail’s

[17]Al-Mufid,Shaykh,KitabalIrshad,translatedbyI.K.A.Howard,p.431funeral procession, Imamal-Sadiqmadedeliberate attempts to show the face of his dead son to

witnesses.[18]IsmailisbelievethatIsmailwasthe6thImamandishighlyreveredbythem.Unfortunately,Ismaili

sources suchas the ‘Uyunal-Akhbar ’ contain littlehistorical informationof anyvalue concerninghim.[19]AccordingtosomeIsmailiauthors,IsmailsurvivedImamal-Sadiq(as).However,themajorityof

sourcesreport thathepredeceasedhis father inMedina,andwasburied inBaqicemetery.Hasanb.Nuh al-Bharuchi, an Indian Ismaili author, relates visiting Ismail’s grave inMedina in 904H/1498AD.[20]IsmailwaspopularamongtheradicalShiasandwascloselyassociatedwiththem.Imamal-Sadiq

(as)didnotapproveoftheseradicalShiaswhowereleadinghissonastray.[21]According to another report, Ismail was evidently involved in a militant anti-regime plot in

collaborationwithseveralothers,includingBassamb.AbdAllahal-Sayrafi,anotherextremistShia.This is one of the occasions reported by the Imami sources, duringwhich al-Sadiq expressed hisstrongdisapprovalofIsmail’sactivities.[22]IsmailisbelievethatIsmail{theoldestsonofImamal-Sadiq(as)}wastheImamwhosucceededImamal-Sadiq(as).However,itisaknownfactinhistorythatIsmaildiedintheyear136AH/754AD[23],whereasImamal-Sadiq(as)diedintheyear148AH/765AD.[24]Moreover,one

[18]Daftary,Farhad,TheIsmailistheirhistoryanddoctrines,p.97[19]Ibid.,p.97[20]Ibid.,p.97[21]TheIsmailistheirhistoryanddoctrines,p.98;Notethisisnottheexacttextrathergistofwhatwaswritten.[22[ibid.,pp.98&99;Note:Someextractsareusedandnotthewholeparagraph.[23]ibid,p.551[24]ibid,p.551sourceactuallyplacesthedeathofIsmailintheyear133AH/751AD.[25]HowcananImambea

successorifheisalreadydead?Itdoesnotmakesense!

SomeoftheIsmailisclaimthatIsmailhadnotdied,butrathergoneintoGhaibat(occultation)–thisbeliefcannotbe truebecause this isaknownfact inhistory that Imamal-Sadiq(as) led thefuneralprayersofIsmailwhenhedied.However,someoftheIsmailisacceptedhisdeath,andthereforeclaimthathiseldestson,MuhammedIbnIsmail,wastheImamafterIsmail.ThisalsodoesnotmakesensebecauseifIsmailhaddiedduringthelifetimeofImamal-Sadiq(as),andhencewasnotanImam,thenhowcanhissonMuhammedIbnIsmailbecomeanImam?

[25]Ali,Dr.Zahid,Tarikh-i-Fatimiyyin-i-Misr,vol.1,pp.41,43&63(2nd edition,Karachi1963)[26]Khan,Sa’adatHussain,BohraMadhabDarHaqeeqatKeAineyMe’,p.33Akhbar ’,containlittleinformationregardinghim.IsmailwaspopularamongtheradicalShiasandwascloselyassociatedwiththem.Imamal-

Sadiq(as)didnotapproveoftheseradicalShiaswhowereleadinghissonastray.ApersonwhoismeanttobeanImamshouldhaveimpeccablequalities.Ismailwascloselyassociatedwiththeradicalshias,whowerenotapprovedbyImamal-Sadiq(as),why? Ismailwas evidently involved in amilitant anti-regimeplot in collaborationwith several

others, including Bassam b. Abd Allah al-Sayrafi, another extremist Shia. Imam al-Sadiq (as)expressedhisstrongdisapprovalofIsmail’sactivities.HowcanitbepossiblethatImamal-Sadiq(as)wouldappointsuchasonashissuccessor?Asuccessorisonewhosucceeds,butIsmaildiedbeforehisfatheranddidnotsucceedImam

al-Sadiq(as).Howcanhebeasuccessorthen?TherearenothoughtprovokingsayingsofIsmailibnJafarfoundinthescrollsofhistory,

why?

MuhammedIbnIsmail,AbdAllahibnMuhammad&AhmadibnAbdAllah(7th,8thand9thIsmailiImamsrespectively)

MuhammadwastheeldestsonofIsmailibnJafar.AspertheIsmailisources,hewas26yearsold

whenImamal-Sadiq(as)wasmartyredandwas8yearsolder thanhisuncle, ImamMusa ibnJafar(as).On thebasisof thesedetails,Muhammad ibn Ismailmusthavebeenbornaround120AH/738AD. However, as per Dastur al-Munajjimin, he was born in 121 AH/November 739 AD.[27]Muhammadwas14yearsoldwhenhisfatherIsmaildied,andsinceIsmailpredeceasedhisfatherImamal-Sadiq(as)bysome12years,around136AH.Hence,hewas

[27]Bahmanpour,MuhammadSaeed,IsmailiyeazGuzashtetahala,p.21;TheIsmailistheirhistoryanddoctrines,p.102around26yearsoldwhenImamal-Sadiq(as)wasmartyred.[28]Idris Imad al-Din, the19thDai ofTayyibis (d 872AH), in the book, ‘Zahr alMa’ani’, says that

Imam al-Sadiq (as) appointedMusa al-Kadhim as his successor, but his goal in doing so was toprotecttheImamateofMuhammadIbnIsmail.[29]Dr.ZahidAliquotesIdrisImadal-Din,the19thDaiofTayyibis,“ImamMusaal-Kadhim’smother

wasaslave,andanImamcannotbeborntoaslavegirl;whereasthemotherofMuhammadIbnIsmailwasnotaslavegirl.”[30]It is strange that there isnotmuch informationregardingMuhammad ibn Ismail in thebooksof

Ismailis,eventhoughhewasoneofthemostimportantImamsoftheIsmailis.However,theydosaythat after most of the Shias accepted Musa Ibn Jafar as the successor of Imam al-Sadiq (as),MuhammadibnIsmailleftMadinaandwenttotheeastandlivedsecretly.Thisiswhyheacquiredtheepithetal-Maktum,theHidden.[31]ItisalsosaidthathefirstwenttosouthernIraqandthentoPersia,spendingthelatterpartofhislifeinKhuzistan,insouthwesternPersia.[32]ItisalsosaidthatafterthemartyrdomofImamal-Sadiq(as),MuhammadibnIsmaildidnotopposehisuncle,ImamMusaal-Kadhim(as),aslongashewasinMadina.Instead,herespectedhim.Additionally,healsoconsultedwithMusaibnJafaronimportantmatters.ItisnarratedfromAliibnJafarthatMuhammadibnIsmail,beforegoingtoIraq,askedthepermissionofhisuncle,ImamMusaal-

[28]TheIsmailis theirhistoryanddoctrines,p.601,quoting fromAsraralNutaqawrittenbyIdrisImadal-din.Note:Thegistofwhatiswritteninthenotes.[29]Ali,DrZahid,HamareyIsmailiMadhabKiHaqeeqatAurUskaNizam,p.156&157;IsmailiyeazGuzashtetahala,p.22[30]BohraMadhabHaqeeqatkeAineyme,p.10[31]IsmailiyeazGuzashtetahala,p.21;TheIsmailistheirhistoryanddoctrines,p.102;Notethisisnottheexacttextrathergistofwhatwaswritten.[32]TheIsmailistheirhistoryanddoctrines,pp.102&103;Notethisisnottheexacttextrathergistofwhatwaswritten

Kadhim (as). At this point, Imam Musa told Muhammad to refrain from shedding his (ImamMusa’s)blood.MuhammadibnIsmailrepliedbysaying,‘cursebeuponthepersonwhotakespartinsheddingyourblood’.MusaIbnJafar(as)gavehimamplemoneyforhistravel.Unfortunately,whenMuhammad ibn Ismail reached Iraq, he went to Harun al Rashid, the Abbasid king, and saidsomething to instigateHarunagainstMusa ibnJafar.This led to themartyrdomofMusa ibnJafar.Harun rewarded Muhammad ibn Ismail with 100,000 dirhams but when Muhammad ibn Ismailreachedhomewiththiswealth,hesufferedseverepaininhisthroatanddiedtheverynight.HecouldneverenjoythatwealthhereceivedbyfalseaccusationsagainsthisuncleMusaibnJafar.[33]TheexactdateofMuhammad’sdeathremainsunknown.Butitisalmostcertainthathediedduring

the caliphate of Harun al-Rashid, perhaps soon after 179Hijri/795-796AD, the year in which al-Rashid,continuing theanti-Alidpolicyofhispredecessors,arrestedMusa ibnJafar (as) inMedinaandbanishedhimtoIraqasaprisoner.[34]ThereisalmostnoinformationregardingthefollowersofMuhammadibnIsmailandthehistory

ofIsmailisisquietanddubiousforaboutalmostonecenturyafterthedeathofMuhammadIbnIsmail.[35]Somequestionstoraise&ponderabout

IdrisImadal-Dinthe19thDaiofTayyibis(d872AH)inthebook‘ZahralMa’ani’saysthatImamal-Sadiq(as)appointedMusaal-Kadhimashissuccessor,buthisgoalindoingsowastoprotecttheImamateofMuhammadIbnIsmail.Myquestionis,arethereanytraditionsofImamal-Sadiq(as)clarifyingthatheappointedMusaal-Kadhim(as)ashissuccessortoprotectMuhammadIbn

[33]IsmailiyeazGuzashtetahala,pp.23&24[34]TheIsmailistheirhistoryanddoctrines,p.103[35]IsmailiyeazGuzashtetahala,p.26quotingfromMadelong’sDairatulMaarefAdyan,p.248Ismail?Anotherquestion–aretheyaccusingImamal-Sadiq(as)ofnottellingthetruth?Imam,asa

Ma’soom(infallible),cannotlie!ThehistorytellsusthatImamMusaal-Kadhimwasappointed,butisthere anywhere in historywe find thatMuhammad Ibn Ismailwas appointed?There are traditionsfromauthenticsourcesthatImamal-Sadiq(as)appointedMusaal-Kadhim(as),notonlyinthebooksof IthnaAshariShiabut also found in the Ismailibooks too, likeDai Idris Imadal-Din,who talksaboutitinthebook‘ZahralMaani’.Dr.ZahidAliquotesIdrisImadal-Dinthe19thDaiofTayyibis,“ImamMusaal-Kadhim’smotherwasaslaveandanImamcannotbeborntoaslavegirl,whereasthemotherofMuhammadIbnIsmailwasnotaslavegirl.”TheDaiIdrisgivesthereasonwhytheIsmailisdonotacceptMusaal-KadhimastheirImam,justbecausehewasborntoaslavegirl.ThismeansthatifMusaal-Kadhim(as)wouldhavebeenborntoawifeofImamal-Sadiq(as),thentheIsmailiswouldhaveacceptedMusaal-KadhimastheirImam.Then,whataboutMuhammadibnIsmail?Then,whatabouttheirclaimthatImamal-Sadiq(as)appointedMusaal-KadhimjusttoprotectMuhammadIbnIsmail?Furthermore,whatiswrongifImamal-Kadhim(as)wasborntoaslavegirl?TheIsmailisdonotaccepthimasanImambecausehewasborntoaslavegirl!NabiIbrahim’ssonNabiIsmail(as)wasthesonofHajara(sa),whowasalsoaslavegirlofNabiIbrahim!OurHolyProphet(sawa)wasfromtheprogenyofNabiIsmail(as),whichmeansthegreatgrandmotheroftheHolyProphet(sawa)wasaslavegirl!Infact,oneofthemainreasonswhytheJewsandChristiansdidnotaccepttheHolyProphet(sawa)wasbecausehe(sawa)wasfromtheprogenyofNabiIsmail,whowasborntoaslavegirl!TheJewsandChristianssawthesignsofProphethoodintheHolyProphet(sawa),butstillrejectedhimjustbecause

hewasfromtheprogenyofNabiIsmail,whowasborntoaslavegirl.DoesthismeanthattheIsmailis,eventhoughtheysawthesignsofanImaminMusaal-Kadhim, rejected himonly because hewas born to a slave girl of Imam al-Sadiq (as)? This is

somethingtoseriouslyponderabout! Wasn’tHajara (sa), the ProphetAbraham’swife, a bondwoman?Did she not bear Ismail

(Ishmael)(as),ofwhomtheProphetMuhammad(sawa)isadirectdescendant?IfitisacceptablefortheProphetMuhammad(sawa),theSealofProphethood,tobeadescendantofIsmail(as)whowasborntoabondwoman,thenwhyshoulditbeshamefulforImamMusaal-Kadhim(as)?WhyaretherenothoughtprovokingsayingsofMuhammadibnIsmailfoundinthescrollsof

history?IfMuhammadibnIsmailwashidden,asisindicatedbyhistitle‘al-Maktum(Thehidden)’,then

whyaretherenotraditionsoftheHolyProphet(sawa)orImams[ImamAlitoImamal-Sadiq(as)]speakingabouthim?OurHolyProphet(sawa)andtheImams[ImamAlitoImamal-Sadiq(as)]haveall talkedabout ImamMahdi (as)and the fact thathewouldgo intooccultation.Therearea lotoftraditionsof theHolyProphet (sawa) talkingabout ImamMahdi, the12th Imamof theIthnaAshariShias,bothinthebooksofAhleSunna[36]andthebooksofIthnaAsharis.OurHolyProphet(sawa)spoke in detail about his successors, as documented in the books ofAhle Sunna and IthnaAshariShias. Then why is there nothing mentioned about Muhammad ibn Ismail and that he would behidden?ItisstrangethatthereisnotmuchinformationregardingMuhammadibnIsmailinthebooks

ofIsmailis,eventhoughhewasoneofthemostimportantImamsoftheIsmailis.Why?ArethereanytraditionsofImamal-Sadiq(as)thatheappointedMuhammadibnIsmailashis

successor?ArethereanytraditionsintheIsmailibooksregardingit?Whynot?

[36]ThetraditionsregardingImamal-Mahdiaregoingtobediscussedlaterinthisbook.TherealotofcleartraditionsaboutMusaal-Kadhim(as)thathewasappointedbyImamal-Sadiq

(as).[36]WhynotMuhammadibnIsmail?ThereisnotmuchknownaboutthethreeIsmailiImams,MuhammedIbnIsmail,Abdallahibn

MuhammedandAhmadibnAbdallah,threeIsmailiImamsafterIsmailibnJafar.Thehistorydoesnoteventelluswhentheydied.Supposetheargumentisposedthattheywerehiddenimamsandthisiswhythereisnothingknownaboutthem.Well,iftheywerehidden,thenwhyistherenotraditionfromthe Holy Prophet (sawa) or the Imams (as)? There is not a single tradition regarding these threehiddenimams?ItistruethattheIthnaAshariShiasbelieveinoccultation,buttheonetheybelieveinisthe

occultationofImamMahdi(atfs)becausetherearenumeroustraditionsoftheHolyProphet(sawa)andtherightfulImamsregardingImamMahdi(atfs)thatgivethereasonofhisoccultationandalsospeakaboutthesignsofhisreappearance.Onthecontrary,therearenotraditionsregardingthethreeIsmailiImamsiftheywouldbeMastoororhidden.Somethingtoponderabout…

[36]ThetraditionsregardingImamMusaal-Kadhim(as)willbediscussedlater.

UbaydAllahal-MahdiBillah(ThefirstFatimidCaliph)(11thIsmailiImam)

Husayn ibnAhmed(10th Ismaili Imam)succeededAhmed ibnAbdallah,anddied in268AH/881

AD.[37]There is not much information about Husayn ibn Ahmad. Then after 28 years, AbuMuhammad‘UbaydAllah(Abdallah)al-MahdiBillahemergedandfoundedtheFatimidkingdomin297AH/909AD.ItisnecessarytopointoutatthisjuncturethattheissueofthegenealogyoftheFatimidcaliphshas

beenthecenterofnumerous

[37]TheIsmailisTheirhistoryanddoctrines,p.551[38]TheIsmailisTheirhistoryanddoctrines,p.551controversies. The ancestors of the Fatimid, according to the later official doctrine, were the

Ismaili imamswhodescended fromMuhammad ibn Ismail.However, the Ismaili sources are veryreluctanttomentionthenamesoftheseso-called‘hiddenimams’whoarethelinksbetween‘UbaydAllah andMuhammad ibn Ismail ibn Jafar. Their names are in fact not even found in the earliestIsmailisourceswhichhavesofarcometolight.[39]TheFatimidcaliphsrefusedtopublishtheirofficialgenealogy.UbaydAllah,theonlyoneamong

themwhodidmakesuchanattempt,simplyaddedtotheconfusion.UbaydAllahclaimedthathewasthesonofAlHusaynibnAhmedibnAbdAllahibnAbdAllahibnJafar,strangelyenoughinsteadoftracinghisdescenttoIsmailibnJafarandhissonMuhammadibnIsmail,henamestheotherson,AbdAllahibnJafarashisprogenitor.[40]There isalsodebateonwhether thesuccessorofUbaydAllahwashissonornot.Ubaydallah and his forefathers were ‘Dais’ and representatives of the hidden Ismaili Imam and

werenotfromtheprogenyofAliIbnabiTalib(as)TheirclaimthattheywerefromtheprogenyofImamAli(as)Fatema(sa)isnullandvoid.[41]Ubaydallah, before he established the Fatimid kingdom, was considered as the ‘Dai’ and

representativeoftheHiddenImam-thisiswhyAbuAbdullahShi’ihelpedhimestablishthekingdom.But after establishing the Fatimid kingdom, Ubaydallah announced that he was the Imam himself.[42]MaybethisiswhyUbaydallahkilledAbdullahShi’i?AsAbdullahShi’iwasundertheimpressionthatUbaydallahwastheDaiofthehiddenImam,andwhenhesatonthethroneclaimingthathewasthe Imam,maybeAbdullahShi’iobjected to this claimandwaskilled. It is also said thatAbdullahShi’iwasverypowerfulandhadalot

[39]Ibid,p.108;Notethisisnottheexacttextrathergistofwhatwaswritten.[40]Ibid,p.108;Notethisisnottheexacttextrathergistofwhatwaswritten.[41]IsmailiyeazGuzashtetahala,p.28;quotedfrom‘TareekhJahangusha’byJuvaini,p.431;Andin‘alKamil’byIbnalAtheer,vol.9,p.236[42]IsmailiyeazGuzashtetahala,p.27offollowingandwasthemainpersonbehindthesuccessofUbaydallah.QadhiAbdul Jabbar inhisbook ‘TathbeetDalail alNabuvvat’ said, that ‘AbuAbdullah said that

Ubaydallahisnotal-MahdinorisheanImamratherheisaveryillnaturedindividual.’Andthiswassaid in front of Ubaydallah and the people.[43] Ubaydallah realized the danger and ordered theexecutionofAbuAbdullahShi’iandhisbrotherAbulAbbasandtheywerebothkilledinthemonthofJamadiulThaniofyear298AH.Ubaydallahdidnotstopthere;healsoorderedthesupportersofAbuAbdullahbekilledtoo.ThisishowUbaydallahestablishedhispoweronthebloodoftheoneswhobroughthimtopower.[44]Somequestionstoraise&ponderabout Asperourdiscussionabove,it isclearthattherearedefinitedoubtswhethertheFatimid

caliphsreallywerethedescendantsofFatima(sa)andImamAli(as).CanweacceptimamsiftheyarenotfromthechainofAhlulBayt(as)?WhydidtheFatimidrefusetopublishtheirofficialgenealogy?Somethingtoponderabout. Ubaydallahconfusedtheissueofhislineage;hetracedhislineagetoAbdAllahibnJafar

insteadofMuhammadibnIsmail.Why?Didhenotknow?WhydidUbaydallahusethetitlealMahdi?MaybebecausethereareseveralahadithoftheHoly

Prophet(sawa)andtherightfulImamsaboutImamMahdithathewillappearandestablishpeaceandjustice in the world. Could it be because when the eleventh Imam of the Ithna Ashari Shias wasmartyredin260H,andthetwelfthImamwentintominoroccultation,UbaydAllah

[43] Farmaniyan, Mahdi, Ismailiye dar Tarikh wa Aqaaed, p. 72, Quoted from Tathbeet Dalail AlNabuvvatvol.1,pp.389-390[44]IsmailiyedarTarikhwaAqaaed,p.72quotedfromIftitahalDaawattookadvantageof the timinganddeclaredhimself as Imamal-Mahdi?Maybe,Ubaydallahused

thistitletotellthepeoplethatheistheonethattheHolyProphet(sawa)talkedabout.Ubaydallah,whoclaimed to be al-Mahdi, was supposed to establish peace and justice in the world, but he did not.Ubaydallahal-Mahdidiedintheyear322AH/934AD.Aperson,whowaspopularlyknownasShaikhul-Mashaikh,askedUbaydallahal-Mahdi,‘If

you reallyare theMahdi, then showusa sign.’Ubaydallahkilledhim.[45]Why? If hewas the trueMahdithenheshouldhaveprovenit?ThenextIsmailiImamwhosucceededUbaydallahwasAbulQasimMuhammadal-Qaimbi-

AmrAllah(12thIsmailiImam).Whywasal-Qaimusedashistitle?Thetitleal-QaimisalsooneofthetitlesofImamMahdi,theawaitedsaviorofmankind.ThereareanumberoftraditionsoftheHolyProphet(sawa)andtheHolyImams(as) thatsayal-Qaim/al-Mahdi is theonefromtheAhlulBaytwhowillbringjusticeandpeacetotheworld.DidUbaydallahusethistitletogetintopower?Didhissuccessorusethetitletoremaininpower?Somethingtoponderabout! IfUbaydallahorhissuccessorwouldhavebroughtpeaceandjustice in theworld, thenI

wouldhavebelievedinthem.Buttheydidnot!TheHadithoftheProphet(sawa)saysthattheworldwillbe filledwithpeaceand justicewhenal-Mahdi returns.Thatdidnothappenatall.Weare stillsuffering!

[45]IsmailiyeazGuzashtetahala,p.77;quotedfrom‘alKamil’byibnalAtheerpp.51-52

OtherFatimidCaliphsafterthedeathofUbaydallah

Forthesakeofbrevity,someoftheIsmailiImamslikethe3rdandthe4thFatimidCaliphsarenot

beingdiscussedindetail.

AbuMansurNizaral-AzizBillah(Died386AH/996AD)(5thFatimidCaliph)(15thIsmailiImam)

Theunusualpolicyof assigningnumeroushighadministrativeposts toChristiansand Jews ina

ShiaMuslimstatewasbasicallyinlinewiththereligioustolerationpracticedbytheFatimids.Butal-Azizwent further thanhispredecessorsandset remarkableprecedents in thisarea,probablybeingencouragedbyhisChristianwife,perhapsthemotherofhisonlysurvivingsonandsuccessor. Infact, through the recommendations of al-Aziz that his two brothers-in-law, Orestes and Arseniusbecamerespectively,theMelkitepatriarchofJerusalemandthemetropolitanofCairoin375AH/986AD.Moreover,thecaliphbehavedfavorably,despiteMuslimopposition,towardstheCopticpatriarchEphraim,allowinghimtorebuildthechurchofStMercuriusnearFustat(OldCairo).TheChristians,inparticular,enjoyedalargedegreeofreligiousfreedomandparticipationingovernmentunderal-Aziz.[46]Somequestionstoraise&ponderaboutuItwasnotjustal-Aziz,rather,itwasthepracticeoftheFatimidtogivehighpoststoChristians

andtheJews.Why?Wasitforpower?Wasitfordiplomaticreasons?Thetrueappointedimamsarenotdiplomatic; theyarekindandhumble,butwhen it comes toduty, theyarenotdiplomatic.BestexamplewaswhenImamAli(as)wasKhalifa.Hewasnotdiplomatic,aswasinthecaseofMuwiya;when ImamAli (as) became theKhalifa,Muawiyawas the governor ofDamascus. ImamAli (as)wanted to send a letter toMuawiya askinghim to stepdownashewas corrupt. IbnAbbas advisedImamAli(as)nottodothis,andtobediplomaticforthetimebeing,asthingswereveryunstableatthe time.But, ImamAli (as)didnot listen toIbnAbbas’ssuggestionandsent the letter toMuawiyaanyway,orderinghimtostepdown.He

[46]TheIsmailisTheirhistoryanddoctrines,p.185;Noteextractwastakenfromtheparagraph.(as) was not flexible; that is why the worldly people did not like him (as) because he (as) did

everythinginthewayofAllahanddidnotmindthepeoplenorwashe(as)concernedaboutcaliphate.u Regarding al-Aziz’swife: The history does not say that she converted to Islam. She

remainedChristianandneverconvertedtoIslam.[47]Ifso,canweexpectadivinelyappointedImamtodosuchathing?Iwouldunderstandifshewouldhaveconverted,butasperhistory,shedidnot.Wereallyneedtohavesomeclearthinkingonthismatter…werethesedivinelyappointedImams?

[47]IsmailiyeazGuzashtetahala,p.86;quotedfromthebook‘alKamil’byibnalAtheervol.9,p.116.

AbuAlial-Mansural-HakimbiAmrAllah(d411AH/1021AD)(6thFatimidCaliph)(16thIsmailiImam)

Al-AzizBillahdiedinOctober996ADandwassucceededbyAbuAlial-Mansural-HakimbiAmr

Allahwhowasthenaboutelevenyearsofage.Barjawanwasthetutorandguardianofal-Hakim,since before the latter ’s accession.Al-Hakim had developed a deep hatred forBarjawan,who hadbeenaseveredisciplinarianwith thecaliph, limitinghisauthorityandrestrictinghimto thepalace.Al-HakimhadBarjawankilled in 390AH/1000ADwith the encouragement and collaboration ofanothereunuchslave,Raydan.Henceforth,al-HakimbecametherealruleroftheFatimidstate.[48]Questiontoraise&ponderaboutu Barjawanwas the tutor and the guardian of al-Hakim! Iwould understandmaybeBarjawan

mighthavegoneoverboard,soal-Hakimhadhimkilled?Iwouldunderstandthatifitwasthesoledecisionofal-Hakim…but itwasnothis soledecision!Hewasencouragedbya slaveRaydan.AnImambeingtoldwhattodoby

[48]TheIsmailisTheirhistoryanddoctrines,pp.186,187&188;Note:Thisisnottheexacttextrathergistofwhatwaswritten.aslave!Wasal-HakimafraidthatBarjawanwouldtakehisthronesohegotridofhimandsaton

thethrone?Wereallyneedtoseethekindoflivestheyled,clearlythinkthismatterout…werethesepeopledivinelyappointedImams?Al-Hakimissuedanendlessseriesofthemostextraordinarydecrees,whichwereoftenabolished

or reversedat laterdates.Hischangingmoodsandeccentricitieshavegiven rise tomanydifferentdescriptions of his character, even causing some to regard al-Hakim as a person of unbalancedcharacter.[49]Somethingstoponderabout ThedivinelyappointedImamsaresupposedtobeflawless,al-Hakimwasknownforhis

changingmoods and eccentricities and also known as a personof unbalanced character!Can suchpersonbeconsideredanImam?NoneofthedecreesofatrueImamwouldneedtobeabolishedorreversed!Dr.ZahidAli, quotesSyednaHamiduddinwhenhevisitedEgypt andhe saw thepolitics and the

government of al-Hakim he said, ‘Some of the deeds of Moulana Hakim were dark and mindbogglingand theywereacalamity for theoneswhoarepropagating (the Ismaili religion)andhisdeedswereagreattest,weshouldignorethesedeeds,weshouldnotevenconsiderthemasbaddeedseven though apparentlywe do not see anywisdom in them’.Dr. ZahidAli then says, ‘Syedna hasdescribedahorrifyingpictureoftheeraofal-Hakim.’[50]SomethingstoponderaboutIwonderwhatdidSyednaHamiduddinsee?

Usuallythedeedsthatareshamefulareconsideredasdark.

[49]Ibid.,p.188[50]HamareyIsmailiMadhabKiHaqeeqatAurUskaNizam,p.232What did Syedna Hamiduddin see that made him say that these deeds are going to hinder the

propagation? The deeds of the true divine Imams can never be dark (shameful). Can al-Hakim be

consideredasadivineImam?Someofthedeedsofal-HakimweresodarkandshamefulthatSyednaHamiduddindecided

toignorethemandsaidthatweshouldnotconsiderthemasbaddeeds.Whatdoesthissayaboutal-Hakim?AndwhatdoesthissayaboutSyednaHamiduddin?ThisextractistakenfromDr.ZahidAliafamousBohrascholar. TruedivinelyappointedImamsaresupposedtobeimpeccableincharacter,wasal-Hakim

divine?Dr.ZahidAlisays,thatthefactthatal-Hakimheldhiscourtatnightforthreeyearsisnotreported

in‘Uyunal-Akhbar ’andallthefactsthatmakeal-Hakim’scharacterlookbadhasbeenomittedfromUyun al- Akhbar. Then Dr. Zahid Ali questions, ‘why the author of Uyun al-Akhbar did not sayanythingaboutthesefacts?’DrZahidAlifurtherquestions,‘Uyunal-Akhbarwasmeanttobeabookforguidancethenwhydoesithavealotofpoemsinit,whichhavenohistoricalsignificance?’[51]SomethingtoponderaboutAl-Hakimheldhiscourtatnightandthattooforthreeyears!Thismeansthathewasgoing

againstnature;night ismeantforrestingandoneissupposedtoworkintheday.CanatruedivineImamorderhissubjectstoworkatnight?Whatweretheotherthingsregardingal-HakimthatUyunal-Akhbaromitted?WhydidUyunal-Akhbaromitsomeofthehistoricalfacts?

[51]HamareyIsmailiMadhabKiHaqeeqatAurUskaNizam,p.234One of al-Hakim’s most important acts was the foundation of the Dar al-Hikma (House of

Wisdom),inasectionoftheFatimidpalaceinCairo.Al-HakimoftenattendedthelecturesattheDaral-Hikma.SomeSunniJuriststoowerepermittedtoteachattheDaral-Hikma.In400AH,al-HakimapparentlyfoundedaseparateSunniinstituteoflearningatFustatundertwoMalikischolars.[52]SomethingtoponderaboutIfal-HakimwasanImamandwasinpower,thenwhydidheallowSunniJuriststospeakin

Dar ul-Hikma in the Fatimid palace? I would understand if he would let them speak in their ownMasajid.CoulditbethathewantedtopleasetheSunnistostayinpower?CoulditbethathefeltthattheIsmailiscouldgainsomethingfromtheJurisprudenceofAhleSunna?IfhewasthetruedivinelyappointedImamthenheshouldhimselfhaveknownalltheJurisprudence.WhydidheencouragetheSunniMadhabbyopeningaseparateinstituteoflearning?Wasittopleasethem?Imamal-Sadiq(as)had4000studentsbuthedidnotallowtheotherschoolofthoughtstoteachthem,eventhoughhewasnotinpower.Theotherschoolofthoughtswouldcomeanddebatewithhimorhisstudentsbutneverdidtheycometoteach.Alonglistofviziers,commandersandotherdignitarieslosttheirlivesathis(al-Hakim’s)order,startingwithBarjawanandincludingFahdIbnIbrahim,inadditiontoanumberofconcubinesandnumerousordinaryprisoners.OfthefivepersonswhoheldthepostofchiefDaiunderal-Hakim,al

Husaynb.Ali,al-Numan,hiscousin‘Abdal-Azizb.Muhammedb.al-NumanandMalikb.Sa’id,allthreeprominentpersonalitieswhosimultaneouslyheldtheprestigiousofficeofChief

[52]TheIsmailisTheirhistoryanddoctrines,p.189;Note:Extractsfromtheparagraphwerebroughtforbrevity.Qadiwereexecuted.[53]Husaynb.AliNumanandAbdal-Azizb.Muhammedb al-Numanwere

fromthefamilyofQadial-NumanwhoheldaveryhighpositionamongtheIsmailis.Al-Hakimhadthemkilled.[54]SomethingtoponderaboutWhywerethechiefDaisexecuted?Whyweretheconcubinesexecuted?Divinelyappointed

Imamsaresupposedtobeperfectlyjustsowerethesepeopleexecutedforjustreasons?There occurred several disturbances and open revolts during al- Hakim’s caliphate. The most

seriousoftheserevolts,whichlastedabouttwoyears,wasthatofAbuRakwaWalidb.Hisham,whoclaimedtoberelatedtotheUmayyadsofSpain….AbuRakwawasexecutedinCairoin397AH/1007AD.Itwasduringthisrevoltthatal-Hakimdecidedtoadoptmoreliberalpolicies,alsorevisinghisantiSunnimeasures.[55]In the year 395 AH, al-Hakim ordered the cursing of the first three caliphs of the Khulafa

Rashideen[56]intheMosquesandtheBazaars.AftertherevoltofAbuRakwain397AH,alHakimordered the cursing of the first three caliphs to stop. In the year 399AH, al-Hakimprohibited theSunnisfrompraying‘Taraveeh’intheHolymonthofRamadanandalsoexecutedoneoftheImamswhowas leading the Taraveeh prayers. Then in the year 408H, he allowed the Sunnis to pray theTaraveehprayersinthemonthofRamadan.[57]

[53]TheIsmailisTheirhistoryanddoctrines,p.190;Note:Extractsfromthetextwerebroughtforbrevity.[54]IsmailiyeazGuzashtetahala,p.85[55] The IsmailisTheirhistoryanddoctrines,p.190;Note this isnot theexact text rathergistofwhatwaswritten.[56]ThefirstfourKhalifasaftertheHolyProphet’s(sawa)demiseareknownasKhulafaRashideenbytheAhleSunna.[57]IsmailiyeazGuzashtetahala,p.85;quotedfromthebook‘alKamil’byibnalAtheer,vol.9,p.316.SomethingtoponderaboutWhywasal-HakimstrictwithSunnisinthefirstplace?Heshouldhaveletthempracticetheir

Madhab.Thenwhen they revolted,headopted liberalpoliciesand revisedhis antiSunnimeasures.Whywasal-Hakimstrictandthenlateradoptedliberalpolicies?Washeafraidthathewouldlosehisthrone?WouldatrulyanddivinelyappointedImamdosuchathing?Weneedtothinkthisoutclearly.Al-Hakimforced theChristians toaccept Islamand threatened tokill them if theydidnotaccept

Islam.Hedemolishedsomefamouschurchestoo.[58]SomethingtoponderaboutTheteachingsofIslamsaythatthereisnocompulsioninreligion!Islamdoesnotallowthe

demolitionofchurches.Thenhowcomeal-Hakimorderedthis?CanadivinelyappointedImameverdothiskindofact?Intheyear398AH,al-Hakimorderedthedemolitionofallthechurchesthatwereinhiskingdom

andaskedtheChristiansandtheJewstoacceptIslam.Iftheyrefused,thentheyhadtogetoutofhiskingdomandmigrate toRome, someof themmigrated, and others that could not do so, acceptedIslam,butnotwiththeirheartsandsouls.Intheyear404AH,al-Hakimchangedhismindandallowedthe Christians to practice their religion in his kingdom. Therefore, the ones who accepted Islamforciblyreturnedbacktotheirreligion.[59]Somethingtoponderabout

CanadivinelyappointedImamdothesekindsofcruelacts?As

[58] Ismailiye az Guzashte ta hala, p. 86; quoted from the book ‘Fatimid Dynasty’ by AbbasHamadani,p.190[59]Ibid,pp.86&87;quotedfromthebook‘al-Kamil’byibnalAtheer,vol.9,p.116per Islam, there is no compulsion in religion; would a divinely appointed Imam compel non-

Muslims?Oneofthemostdistinguishingfeaturesofal-Hakim’sreignwastheadoptionofpersecutorymeasuresagainstChristiansandJews.Hisanti–dhimmi[60]policy,whichtookdefiniteshapeintheyear395AH/1004AD,wasundoubtlypartiallymotivatedbythecaliph’sdesiretoenhancehispopularityamongsttheMuslimsofEgypt,whohadbecomeincreasinglyantagonistictowardsthedhimmi’s,underal-Aziz.Furthermore,bydirectinghisanti–ChristianmeasuresmainlyagainsttheMelkites,hemayhavewishedtowinthesupportoftheCopts,whocomprisedtheChristianmajorityinEgypt.Atanyevent,al-HakimimposednumerousrestrictionsonChristiansandJews,whowereobligedtoobserveIslamiclaw.Alargenumberofchurchesandmonasteriesweredemolished;otherswereconvertedtomosques,whiletheirpropertiesandrevenueswereconfiscated.OnlythemonasteryofMt.Sinaiwasspared.In400AH/1009AD,al-HakimevenorderedthedestructionofthechurchoftheHolySepulcheratJerusalem,anactwhichgreatlyanguishedtheChristiansthroughouttheworldandbroughttoanendtheFatimid-Byzantinetruce.In404AH/1013AD,al-HakimallowedthoseChristiansandJewswhohadbeenobligedtoembraceIslamtoreverttotheiroriginalfaiths,ortomigratetoByzantineterritories.Stilllater,herestoredsomeofthechurchesandadoptedamoretolerantattitudetowardstheChristiansandtheirreligiouspractices.Inthemeantime,al-HakimhadmaintainedhisantiSunnimeasures,althoughattimesheintensifiedthemandthenhadthemtemporarilyrevoked.Forinstance,hisorderforthedenouncementofAbuBakr,histwosuccessorsandothersamongsttheSahaba,issuedin395AHandaccordingtowhichtherelevantmaledictionswereinscribedonthewallsofthemosques,was

[60]ThenonMuslimslivinginaMuslimstateneedtopaytaxandtheyareexemptfromparticipatinginwarsandbattlesandtheyaresecureintheMuslimstate.repealedaftertwoyears,onlytobereintroducedin403AH/1013AD.[61]Somethingtoponderabout

Islamsays:Thereisnocompulsioninreligion.Thenwhydidal-HakimforcetheChristiansandJewstoembraceIslam?CanapersonlikethisbeanImam?DivinelyappointedImamsshouldbeimpeccable in character and flawless.An Imam should be balanced in character and shouldnot bemoody.As per the contents above, al-Hakim seems to be totally unbalanced in character and verymoody.Al-Hakim had developed a strong inclination towards asceticism. In 403AH/1012-1013AD, al-

Hakim forbade his subjects from prostrating before him; he also dressed simply and rode on adonkey.[62]Somethingstoponderabout Thismeans thatal-Hakimhad themprostrating tohimforabout16years,ashewas the

Caliphsince996AD!DoesthisalsomeanthattheFatimidImams(rulers)beforeal-Hakimhadtheirsubjectsprostratetothemtoo?Thehistorysaysal-Hakimforbadehissubjectsfromprostratingintheyear1012-1013AD?CanweexpectthetrulyanddivinelyappointedImamseverallowtheirsubjectstoprostratetothem?WereallyneedtoclearlythinkaboutthismatterandseeifwearefollowingandbelievingintherightImams.Also,historysaysthatal-Hakimdevelopedastronginclinationtowardsasceticism!Thismeansthathewasextravagantandledalifeofluxury.Later,aftersixteenyearsofhiscaliphate,hestartedincliningtowardsasceticism.Ifal-Hakimwasanordinaryking,thenIwouldunderstand,butheisbelievedbytheIsmailisasanImam.

[61]TheIsmailisTheirhistoryanddoctrines,p.189;Note:OnlysomeextractswereusedandnotthewholeParagraph.[62]ibid,p.195Al-Hakimwas11yearsoldwhenhebecameanImam.TheIsmailisaccepthimasanImam

when he was 11 yrs and had not yet reached puberty, but they object to the Imamate of ImamMuhammadJawad(as), theninthImamoftheIthnaAshariShias,becausehewasabout9yearsoldwhenhebecameanImam.

Al-Hakim’sdeathandascensionofAbulHasanAlial-ZahirliI’zazdinAllah(d427AH/1036AD)(7thFatimidCaliph)(17thIsmailiImam)

In 404 AH/1013 AD, al-Hakimmade yet another unprecedented decision in appointing Abd al-

Rahmanb.Ilyasb.Ahmed,agreatgrandsonofUbaydallahal-Mahdi,ashis‘WalialAhd’[63]totheexclusionofhisownsonAli.Thereupon,al-Hakimdelegatedalltheaffairsofstate,atleastforsometime,tohisheirapparent,whoattendedtheofficialceremoniesandlateralsobecamethegovernorofDamascus.[64] After the death of al-Hakim, according to one plausible version, he (Hakim) wasassassinatedbyhisschemingsisterSittaal-Mulk,becauseherownlifewasthreatenedbythecaliph.Sitta al-Mulkhad al-Hakim’s only sonAbulHasanAli, thenonly sixteenyears old, proclaimed asImamandCaliphwith the titleofal-Zahir li I’zazDinAllah.[65]TheshrewdSittaal-Mulkbecameregent. Itmaybeadded thathenceforth, theFatimid thronealways fell tochildrenoryouths;whileregents,viziersorgeneralsheldtheactualreignofpowerforextendedperiods.[66]Somequestionstoraise&ponderaboutWhogavetherighttoSittaal-Mulktoproclaimal-ZahirasImam?

[63]Successor,CrownPrince[64]TheIsmailisTheirhistoryanddoctrines,p.195[65]TheIsmailisTheirhistoryanddoctrines,p.200;ZahidAli,Tarikhvol.1,pp.262-272.Note:Gistofthetextwasusedforbrevity.[66]TheIsmailisTheirhistoryanddoctrines,p.200Al-HakimhadalreadyappointedAbdal-Rahmanashissuccessoranditisrecordedinhistory,even

thoughAbdal-Rahmanwasnothisson!Butafterhisdeath,al-Zahirwasplacedonthethrone!Ifal-Hakim,theFatimidImam,wantedAbdal-Rahmantosucceedhim,thenwhywasal-Zahirplacedonthe throne and called an Imam?The Ismailis follow al-Zahir as an Imam, even though al-Hakim,theirownImam,appointedAbdal-Rahmanashissuccessor!Why?TheIsmailisshouldhaveobeyedtheirimam.Historysaysthatal-HakimhaddelegatedalloftheaffairsofthestatetoAbdal-Rahman,at

leastforsometime.Abdal-Rahmanusedtoattendtheofficialceremoniestoo.Thismeansthematterwasnotasecret,thenwhydidthepeopletakeal-ZahirasthenextImam?Thereissomethingwronghere!AlloftheFatimidcaliphsImams,startingfromal-Zahirwerelittlechildrenoryouth.Hence,

the reignofpowerwas in thehandsof regentsandviziersorgenerals,why?AdivinelyappointedImamshouldbeabletohandlethesethings,ifheisdivinelyappointed,evenifheisachild!Weneedtoclearlythinkthismatterout.AretheIsmailisfollowingtherightImams?Weretheyreallydivinelyappointed?Also,whydidal-HakimappointAbdal-Rahman?Abdal-Rahmanwasnothisson,sowhydid

heappointhimwhenheshouldhaveappointedhisson?Sittaal-Mulk,whoisgivenvariousothernamesbythechroniclers,ruledefficientlyformorethan

threeyearsuntilherdeathin415AH/1024AD.[67]

SomethingtoponderaboutWhydidSittarule?Wasal-Zahir,theImam,notcompetent?AnImamshouldbecompetentenough,andthattooattheageof16.Heshouldhavebeenabletohandlethekingdom.Hewasat

[67]Ibid.,p.201themercyofSittaal-Mulk!Why?Atthebeginningofher(Sittaal-Mulk)regency,shemanagedtohave‘Abdal-Rahman,al-Hakim’s

heirdesignate,whohadmeanwhile revolted inDamascus,arrestedandbrought toCairo,wherehewasimprisonedandmurderedshortlybeforeSittaal-Mulk’sowndeath.[68]SomethingtoponderaboutAbdal-Rahman,al-Hakim’sheirdesignatewaskilled!HewassupposedtobethenextImam

becauseal-Hakim,theFatimidImam,appointedhim!Whathappened?WhydonottheIsmailisbelieveinAbdal-RahmanastheirImam?Whydidtheygofortheruleral-Zahir?

[68]TheIsmailisTheirhistoryanddoctrines,p.201

AbuTamimMa’addal-MustansirBillah(d487AH/1094AD)(8thFatimidCaliph)(18thIsmailiImam)

Al-Zahir died of plague in his early thirties in Sha’ban 427AH/June 1036AD, after ruling for

fifteenyears.Al-Zahirwassucceededbyhisseven-year-oldson,AbuTamimMa’add,whoadoptedthetitleofal-MustansirBillah.Hehadbeendesignatedasthecrownprinceattheageofeightmonths,in421AH/1030AD.[69]Al-Mustansir ’s caliphate lasting almost sixty lunar years (427-487 AH/1036-1094 AD), was the

longest of his dynasty. During the first nine years of al-Mustansir ’s reign, real political authorityremainedinthehandsofal-Jarjarai,whohadretainedthevizierate,whileal-Mustansir ’smother,aSudani,hadstartedherregencyandcontinually

[69]TheIsmailistheirhistoryanddoctrines,p.201;[70]Therewas a split among the Ismailis after the death of al-Mustansir, some believed that Al

Mustaliwas the rightful successorand somebelieved inNizarwas the rightful successor.TheoneswhobelievedinNizarareknownastheAghaKhanistoday.(TheIsmailistheirhistoryanddoctrines,p.552)[71]TheIsmailistheirhistoryanddoctrines,p.202;onthereignofMustansirsee‘alKamil’byibn

alAtheervol.9,pp.154-155and‘Tarikh’byZahidAlivol.1,pp.273-323intrigued behind the scenes. On al-Jarjarai’s death in 436H/1044 all power was seized and

maintained for a long time by the queenmother, who had kept close relations with Abu Sa’d al-Tustari,aJewishmerchantwhohadoriginallybroughthertoEgypt.UndertheinfluenceofAbuSa’d,shenowappointedarenegadeJew,Sadaqab.Yusuf,tothevizierate.[72]SomethingtoponderaboutAdivinelyappointedImamdoesnotneedanyregent;Why,duringthefirstnineyearsofal-

Mustansir ’scaliphate,didhenothaveanysay in thekingdom?Canweexpect this fromadivinelyappointedImam?Starting with al-Hakim, however, the Fatimid sovereign was usually aminor at the time of his

accessiontothethrone,andtherefore,oftenaregentoravizierheldtherealreinsofpowerinthestate. From 466AH/1074AD,whenBadr al-Jamali arrived in Egypt and became the all powerfulvizier, the authority of the caliph-imamwas reduceddrastically, and theFatimid rulers became, ineffect,merefigureheadsandpuppetsinthehandsoftheirviziers,henceforth,therealmastersoftheFatimidstate.[73]SomethingtoponderaboutHowcananImambeapuppetinthehandsofavizier?AnImamshouldbeaservantofAllah

(swt)andobeyAllah(swt)andnooneelse.AnImamshouldtakeordersandbeunderthecommandofonlyAllah(swt).FromBadral-Jamalionwards,theFatimidvizierobtainedfullpowersfromhissovereignandwas

called wazir al-tawfid, or vizier with delegated powers. As this latter type of vizier, actingindependently,

[72]TheIsmailistheirhistoryanddoctrines,p.202;Note:Extractsweretakenandnotthewholetextforbrevity[73]TheIsmailistheirhistoryanddoctrines,pp.222&223was normally ofmilitary status, hewas called ‘Vizier of the Pen and of the Sword’, or simply

‘VizieroftheSword’(waziral-sayf).Hewasnotonlythecommanderofthearmies(amiral-Juyush)andtheeffectiveheadofthecivilbureaucracy,butoftenalsotheheadofthereligioushierarchy.Adistinguished feature of the Fatimid vizierate, whose occupants were changed frequently, is thatseveralvizierswereChristians,servingsovereignswhoregardedthemselvesastherightfulleadersoftheMuslimsthroughouttheworld.InlaterFatimidtimes,thispositioncametobeheldbyyetotherChristians, notably the Armenian general Bahram (d. 535 AH/1140 AD), who was ‘Vizier of theSword’during529-531AH/1135-1137AD,andalsoborethetitleofSayfalIslam.[74]SomethingstoponderaboutHowcannon-Muslimsbetheheadofthereligioushierarchy?Honestly,weretheseImamsdivinelyappointedorweretheyafterpower?HowcanaChristianArmenianGeneralbegivenatitleof‘Sayfal-Islam’?Al-Mustansir ’sdeathmarkedtheendofthe‘classical’Fatimidperiod.Afteral-Mustansir,therewas

a dispute over his succession, which was the greatest internal crisis of the Fatimid dynasty andrevolved around the claims of al-Mustansir ’s sons Nizar and al-Mustali, causing a major split inFatimid Ismailism.This schism, as a result ofwhich theFatimid Ismailis becamedivided into tworival wings, the Mustaliyya (Mustalians) and the Nizariyya, proved to have a drastic and lastingconsequenceforthefuturecourseoftheIsmailimovement.[75]FollowingthedeathoftheFatimidCaliph,al-MustansirBillahin487AH

[74]Ibid,pp.222&223;quotedfromCanard,‘NotessurlesArmeniensenEgyptal’epoqueFatimite’,AIEO,13(1955),p.143-157.Note:Someextractswerewrittenforbrevity[75]Ibid,p.222

(1094),theoldersonNizar,andtheyoungersonMustalifoughtfortheempire.Nizarwasdefeatedandwasjailed,buthissonescaped.AgroupofpeoplestartedbelievinghimtobetheImam,andtheImamateoftheNizariscontinuestothepresentImamAgaKhanIV.ThetermIsmailisisreferredtotheNizaricommunity,whoisfollowersoftheAgaKhan,andisthelargestgroupamongtheIsmailis.TheAghaKhanis,ortheNizaris,considerImamAli(as)asthefirstImamandImamHusayn(as)

asthesecondImam-theydonotconsiderImamHasan(as)asanImam.Al-Mustali was the younger son of al-Mustansir Billah. He succeeded in defeating Nizar. The

followersofMustalilinearealsoknownasTaiyyebis,namedafterthe21stImam,Imamal-Taiyyeb,who went into hiding. The Taiyyebi’s further split into different sects, like Dawoodi Bohras,SulaymaniBohras,AlaviBohrasandHebtiahBohrasetc…TheBohrasconsiderImamAli(as)astheWasioftheProphet(sawa),henceImamHasan(as)isthe

firstImamfortheBohras.As per the Ismaili Taiyebi sect (BohraMadhab), it is believed by them that al-Tayyibwent into

hiding.However,not a singlehadith is found from theHolyProphet (sawa)or the rightful Imamssaying anything regarding al-Taiyyeb.On the other hand, several ahadith are found regarding al-

Mahdi, the twelfth Imamof theShiaswho is inoccultation, not only inShiabooksbut also in thebooksofthebrothersofAhleSunna.

Part1Followingthe‘Right’Imam

Importanceoffollowingthe‘Right’chain

Firstofall,weallacceptthatwearetheslaves(Ibaad)ofAllah(swt).AsMuslims,wemustsubmit

andobeyHim,asHeisourMaster.WeknowthatasMuslims,wemustbelieveinalloftheProphetsandallof thebooks thatwere sentbyAllah (swt) inorder tobeMuslims. Ifonebelieves insomeProphetsonly,thenheisnotaMuslim.ForexampleifonedoesnotbelieveinYusuf(as)orNuh(as),thenheisnotaMuslim.Inotherwords,wemustbelieveinalltheProphetsinordertobeaMuslim,whetherweknowalloftheirnamesornot.InQuran,onlyafewnamesoftheprophetsarementioned.TheHolyQuraninformsusonlyaboutsomeoftheProphets.QuranclearlysaysinSurahGhafirverse78:كیلع صصقن مل نم ہم نمو كیلع انصصق نم ہم نم كلبق نم السر انلسرا دقلو

“CertainlyWehavesentapostlesbeforeyou.OfthemarethoseWehaverecountedtoyouandofthemarethoseWehavenotrecountedtoyou….”[76]Inorder tobe aMuslim,onemustbelieve in all theprophets, thewhole chainofprophets;one

cannotpickandchooseandonlybelieveinsome.AsMuslims,webelieve that the lastmessengerofAllah (swt)wasourHolyProphet (sawa)and

therearenotgoingtobeanymoreprophetsafterhim.DoesthismeanthatthereisnodivineguidanceaftertheHolyprophet(sawa)?

[76]SurahGhafir(40),Ayah78

AftertheHolyProphet(sawa)what?

AsMuslims,webelievethatAllah(swt)hasneverlefthumanitywithoutadivinelyappointedguide

asHisrepresentativeonearth.HolyQuran,SurahRa’adverse7says,٧ دا ہ موق لكلو

Thereisaguideforeverynation.

WhoistheguideafterthedemiseofthelastmessengerofAllah(swt)?TheShiasbelievethatanImamistheguideafterthedemiseoftheHolyProphet(sawa).Asperthe

beliefoftheIthnaAshariShias(TheTwelvers),theHolyImams,thesuccessorsoftheHolyProphet(sawa), are divinely appointed and are infallible. Shias believe that Imamate is one of theUsool eDeen[77];itisanessentialpartofthereligion.Imamate,aspertheTwelvers,hasallthecharacteristicsofprophethood,exceptthattheImamsdo

not bring any changes in the religion. They preserve the religion that was brought by the HolyProphet(sawa),andtheyneedtobeobeyedatthesamelevelasweobeytheHolyProphet(sawa).TheHolyQuranSurahNisaverse59says:مكنم رمالا يلواو لوسرلا اوعیطاو ہ للا اوعیطا ا ونم ا نیذلا ھا يا ي

“Oyouwhohavefaith!ObeyAllahandObeytheApostleandthosevestedwithauthorityamongyou”.[78]This verse obliges the Muslims to obey three entities: First, to obey Allah; second, to obey

Messengerandthosevestedwithauthority(Ulil-Amr).ThearrangementofthewordsshowsthattheobedienceofUlil-Amr is asmuchobligatoryas is theobedienceof theMessengerbecauseQuranusesjustoneverbforbothofthemwithoutrepeating

[77]SurahRa’ad(13),Ayah7[78]Rootsofreligion

[79]SurahNisa(4),Ayah59the verb again. Naturally, it means that Ulil-Amr should be of the same importance as the

Messengerintermsofobediencetothem;otherwise,Allahwouldnothavejoinedthemtogetherinthisverseunderoneverb.It is interesting to note thatAllah (swt) uses a separate verb forHimself beforementioning the

MessengerandUlil-Amr,whichshowsthatAllahhashigherauthoritythanthatoftheMessengerandUlil-Amr. It isalsoclear fromtheaboveverse thatUlil-Amrdoesnotmeanmessengers,Ulil-AmrandtheMessengersarenotthesame.Otherwise,Allahwouldonlyhavesaid:“ObeyAllah,andObeyMessengeronly.”ButHeaddedUlil-Amr(thosewhoaregivenauthoritybyAllah).ThisisoneoftheplaceswheretheconceptofImamateandthenecessityofobediencetothemcomefrom.[80]ThebrothersofAhleSunna(theSunnis)translatethiswordUlil-Amrasrulersbecausetherulers

haveauthorityover their subjects.But this translationmakes the rulercomeandstandon the sameplatformasoftheHolyProphet(sawa),becauseasperArabicgrammar,theayahusesoneverbfortheProphet andUlil-Amr.This cannot be possible because the rulers tend to sin andoppress.TheHolyProphet(sawa)neversinned,andtheUlil-Amr(theonesvestedwithauthority)alsocannotsin.Why?SimplybecauseifAllahwantsustofollowandobeysomeone,thenHecannotobviouslyorderus to obey sinners. So, as per the Shia belief, the word Ulil-Amr in this ayah is referring to theinfallible/sinlessImams.Asper theayahSurahNisaayah59, it is thecommandofAllah(swt) toobeyHimandobeythe

HolyProphet(sawa)andtheUlil-Amr(thosevestedwithauthority).ShiassaythattheUlil-Amrare

theinfallibleImams.

[80]ThestatusoftheHolyProphet(sawa)wasmuchhigherthanourImams,therightfulsuccessorstohim.Pleasedonotmisunderstandme,asfarasobediencetothemisconcerned,wearerequiredtoobeythemequally,aspertheayah

8ChapterNeedtofollowallthe‘RightfulImams’

ThereisafamousHadithoftheProphet(sawa)“WhoeverdieswithoutknowinghisImamdiesa

deathof ignorance”.[81] Imam al-Baqir (as) also said something similar, the gist ofwhat he said;whoeverdieswithouthavinganImamdiesadeathofanonbelieverandahypocrite.[82]Now,sincewebelieveintheconceptofImamate,weneedtofollowtherightchainofImams,the

onesthataredivinelyappointedbyAllah(swt)…Otherwise,ifwefollowanyleader/guidewithoutdoinganyresearch,wewillendupgoingastray.Onemightsay,“IbelieveinImamate.Tome,itdoesnotmatteriftheimamswere12or21or49,

as long as I am a good person and I pray five times a day, etc….” This iswrong!Why? This isbecauseweneedtobelieveandhavefaithintherightchainofalltheprophetsandtheimams.Thisisaveryseriouscondition!For instance, ifapersonsays,“Webelieve inprophethood,butwedonotfollowtheprophetsafterProphetMoses(as),itisthesamething,anditdoesnotmatter.”Thispersonisnotabelieverthen,asherefusestoaccepttheProphetsafterProphetMoses(as).Now,ifaMuslimsays,“Ibelieveinalltheprophets;IbelieveinAllah(swt),andthatHeisone,I

believeinthelastmessenger,HolyProphetMuhammad(sawa),andIbelieveinQuran.ThatisallIneed,andIdonotcareabouttheotherdisputedissues.”WillthisjustificationcarryanyweightontheDayofJudgment?Satan worshipped Allah (swt) for thousands of years, and disobeyed Allah (swt) only once by

sayingthathewillnotprostratetoAdam(as).Justbecauseofoneactofdisobedience,hewasthrownoutofthekingdomofmercy.Sotheoneswhoclaimthatprayersareenough,shouldknowthatSatanworshippedAllah (swt) somuch thatAllahmovedhimup, broughthimandplacedhimabove theranksofAngels.Thenafterallofthatworship,justbecauseofoneactofdisobedience,

[81]Al-Hilali,SulaymibnQaysKitabSulaymibnQaysAl-Hilali,vol.2,p.932,H.71[82]Al-Kafi,vol.1,p.183,H.8hewasthrownoutofthekingdomofmercy.WeshouldnotforgetthatwearetheslavesofAllah.

WeneedtoobeyandworshipHimthewayHEwantsusto,notthewaywelike.Aslaveshouldsubmittotally.Allah(swt),inSurahNisaAyah59,isclearlyorderingustoobeyAllahandobeytheApostleandthosevestedwithauthority…Goingbacktoourdiscussion,InordertobeMomins(Truefaithfulbelievers),weneedtobelieve

andfollowthewholechainoftheImams.LikeinthecaseoftheProphets,wealsomustbelieveandfollowalltherightfulImams.Thequestionthatarisesnowis,howmanyImams?WhoaretherightfulImams?WhoaretheImamswhoarevestedwithauthority?

9ChapterWhoaretherightfulImams?

LetuslookintoImams:letusseeifthereareanyahadith(traditionsoftheProphet)regardingthe

numberofImamswhowillsucceedtheprophets.Anumberofahadith(traditions)arefoundinthebooksofShias,andsurprisinglyenoughinthe

booksofSunnibrotherstoo,thatsaythattheHolyProphet(sawa)hadsaidthattherewouldbetwelveKhulafa(Successors)afterhim.ThishadithmatchesthebeliefoftheIthnaAshariShias,butdoesnotmatchthebeliefoftheSunnibrothers.Yet,atleastafewahadithofthiskindarefoundinthebooksofSunnibrothers.NotasinglehadithisfoundwheretheHolyProphet(sawa)eversaidthathewillhave21Imams

afterhim,or49Imamsafterhim!Thisisachallengeifonecanfindoneauthentichadithregarding21Imams(Bohrabelief)or49Imams(AghaKhanibelief).SincetheShiabookswill,ofcourse,havethetwelveImamsmentioned,allowmetoquoteacouple

ofahadithfromthebooksofSunnibrothers:NarratedJabirIbnSamura:IheardtheProphetsaying,“Therewillbetwelvecommanders(Amir).”HethensaidasentencewhichIdidnothear.Myfathersaid,theProphetadded,“AllofthemwillbefromQuraish.”[83]TheProphet(sawa)said:“ThereshallbetwelveCaliphsforthiscommunity,allofthemfromQuraish.”[84]NarratedJabirIbnSamura:TheProphet(sawa)said:“Thematter(life)willnotend,untilitispassedbytwelveCaliphs.”Hethenwhisperedasentence.I

asked my father what the Prophet said. He said, the Prophet added: “All of them will be fromQuraish.”[85]The above traditions that I quoted are from the books that are deemed as very authentic by the

Sunnibrothers,especially‘Sahihal-Muslim’and‘Sahihal-Bukhari’,whichareconsideredtobethemostauthenticaftertheHolyQuranbythebrothersofAhleSunna.Wehave traditionswhere theProphet (sawa) indicates thenamesofhis12 successors, one after

another - theymatch the IthnaAshari (TheTwelvers)Shiabelief.However, I think that these threetraditionsabovearesufficienttoprovemypoint.

[83]Sahihal-BukhariHadith:9.329(Arabic-Englishversion)[84]MusnadAhmadIbnHanbal,vol.5,p.106[85] SahihMuslim,Arabic version,Kitab al-Imaara, 1980EditionPub. In SaudiArabia, vol. 3, p.1452, Tradition #5. Sahih Muslim, English version, Chapter DCCLIV (titled: The People aresubservient to theQuraishand theCaliphate is theRightof theQuraish),vol.3,p.1009,Tradition#4477

10ChapterWhoarethe‘TwelveCaliphs’?

Nowaquestionarises,whoarethe12caliphs/leaders/imams?Obviously,theabovetraditionsdonotfitthefirstfourCaliphs(asperthebeliefofSunnibrothers),

sincetheywerelessthantwelve.ThebeliefofourSunnibrothersdoesnotmatchwiththehadithofourHolyProphet(sawa).AndtheUmayyadCaliphsweremorethantwelveandalmostallofthemwereoppressors,sothey

cannot be applied to them.Also, they cannot be applied to theAbbasidCaliphs, because theyweremore than twelve; they were tyrants too; and they persecuted the descendants of the Propheteverywhere,meaning that they did not complywith theQuranic verse: “I don’t ask you anywageexcepttolovemyfamily.”[86]Theahadith(traditions)abouttwelvesuccessorsthatwetalkedaboutearlierarefoundinthebooks

thatareclaimedbytheSunnibrothersasthemostauthenticbooksaftertheHolyQuran.Theahadithclearly state that therewill be 12 successors of theHoly Prophet (sawa) and the scholars ofAhleSunnadoconsiderthesetraditionsauthentic.Thisiswhytheytriedtheirlevelbesttocomeupwiththenumbertwelve,butunfortunately,theyalldifferedintheiropinion.AsperJalalal-Dinal-Suyuti(GreatSunniScholar):ThereareonlytwelveCaliphsuntiltheDayofJudgement.Andtheywillcontinuetoactontruth,

eveniftheyarenotcontinuous.Weseethatfromthetwelve,fouraretheRighteousCaliphs,thenHasan,thenMuawiyah,thenIbn

Zubayr,andfinally‘Umarbin‘Abdal-’Aziz.Theyareeight.Fourofthemremain.MaybeMahdi,theAbbasidcouldbe includedashe isanAbbasid like‘Umarbin‘Abdal-’AzizwasanUmayyad,andTahir‘Abbasiwillalsobeincludedbecausehewasajustruler.Thustwomoreareyettocome.OneofthemisMahdi,becauseheisfromtheAhlulBayt(as).[87]AsperIbnal-Jawzi(SunniScholar):ThefirstCaliphofBaniUmayyawasYazidibnMu’awiyahandthelast,Marwanal-Himar.Their

total is thirteen. ’Uthman, Mu’awiyah and ibn Zubayr are not included as they were among theCompanionsoftheHolyProphet(s).

[86]SurahShura(42),Ayah23[87]Al-Suyuti,Tarikhal-Khulafa,p.12IfweexcludeMarwanbinal-HakambecauseofthecontroversyabouthisbeingaCompanion,or

thathewasinpower,eventhoughAbdullahibnZubayrhadthesupportofthepeople.ThenwecangetthefigureofTwelve.…[88]AsperAl-BayhaqianotherSunnischolar:Thisnumber(twelve)isfoundtilltheperiodofWalidibn‘Abdal-Malik.Afterthis,therewas

chaosanddisturbance. Then came theAbbasid dynasty. This report has increased the number ofImams.Ifweneglectsomeoftheircharacteristicswhichcameafterthedisturbance,thentheirnumberwillbemuchhigher.”[89]AsperIbnKathiranotherSunnischolar:WhosoeverfollowsBayhaqiandagreeswithhisassertionthatJama’ahmeansthoseCaliphswho

came intermittently till the time ofWalid ibn Yazid ibn ‘Abd al-Malik, the transgressor comesunderthepurviewofthetraditionquotedbyuscriticisinganddenouncingsuchpeople.And ifwe accept theCaliphate of Ibn Zubayr before ‘Abd al-Malik, the total shall be sixteen,

whereas their total should be twelve before ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-’Aziz. In this method, Yazid ibnMu’awiyahwillbe included,andnot ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdal-’Aziz.However, it is established that themajorityofthe‘ulamaaccept‘Umaribn‘Abdal-’AzizasatruthfulandajustCaliph.[90]ItcouldbeconcludedthattheSunnischolarsdidtakeseriouslythetraditionsoftheHolyProphet(sawa)regardinghimhavingtwelvesuccessorsafterhim.Thisiswhytheytriedtheirlevelbesttocomeupwithtwelvesuccessors.ThetraditionsregardingtwelvesuccessorsarefoundinthebooksofIthnaAshariShiastoo,andtheymatchwiththeirbeliefoftwelveImams.WhenonelooksintothelivesofthetwelveImamsthattheIthnaAshariShias(Twelvers)follow,theyhaveled

[88]Ibnal-Jawzi,Kashfal-Mushkil,asquotedinIbnHajaral-’Asqalani,Fathal-Bari16:340fromSibtIbnal-Jawzi[89]IbnKathir,Ta’rikh,6:249;Al-Suyuti,Tarikhal-Khulafa,p.11[90]IbnKathir,Ta’rikh,6:249-250impeccable lives and their traditions are full ofwisdom.Theywere allmartyred, except the last

Imam,ImamMahdi(atfs),whowentintooccultation.

11ChapterImamal-Mahdi(atfs)thetwelfthHolyImamoftheTwelvers

Regardingal-Mahdi,thetwelfthImamoftheIthnaAshariShias,therearemanytraditionsthatare

foundinShiabooksandinthebooksofAhleSunna.Someofthemareasfollows:TheProphet(sawa)said:“Al-Mahdiisoneofus,themembersofthehousehold(Ahlul-Bayt).”[91]It isevident from theabove tradition that Imamal-Mahdi (as) is from theAhlul-BaytofProphet

Muhammad.The following traditionclearlymentions that Imamal-Mahdi isoneofdescendantsofthedaughterofProphetMuhammad(sawa):TheProphet(sawa)said:TheMahdiwillbeofmyfamily,ofthedescendantsofFatimah(theHolyProphet’sdaughter).[92]Anotherhadith:TheProphet(sawa)said:“Eveniftheentiredurationoftheworld’sexistencehasalreadybeenexhaustedandonlyonedayis

left (before the day of judgment), Allah will expand that day to such a length of time, as toaccommodatethekingdomofapersonfrommyAhlul-Bayt,

[91]SunanIbnMajah,vol.2,Tradition#4085[92]SunanAbuDawud,Englishversion,Ch.36,Tradition#4271(narratedbyUmmSalama,thewifeoftheProphet);SunanIbnMajah,vol.2,Tradition#4086;al-Nisa’iandal-Bayhaqi;al-Sawa’iqal-Muhriqah,byIbnHajaral-Haythami,Ch.11,section1,p.249whowillbecalledbymyname.[93]Hewillfillouttheearthwithpeaceandjusticeasitwillhave

beenfullofinjusticeandtyranny(bythen).”[94]AnotherHadith:TheMessengerofAllah(sawa)saidtoAli(as):“AnissuewillbeborntoyouwhomIhavegiftedhimwithmynameandmynickname.”[95]Lookatallthesereferenceswheretheseahadith/traditionsarefound.Therearemore,butIthink

thisissufficienttomakemypoint.Theinterestingthingisthattheseahaditharefoundinthewell-known

[93]TheactualnameofthetwelfthImamisMuhammedhistitleisAlMahdi,AlQaim.[94]Sahihal-Tirmidhi,vol.2,p.86,vol.9,pp.74-75;SunanAbuDawud,vol.2,p.7;MusnadAhmadIbnHanbal, vol. 1, pp.84,376; vol. 3,p. 63;al-Mustadrakalaal-Sahihayn,byal-Hakim, vol. 4, p.557; Jami’al-Saghir, byal-Suyuti, pp.2, 160;al-ArfulWardi, byal-Suyuti, p. 2;al-Majma’,byal-Tabarani,p.217;Tahzeebal-Tahzeeb,byIbnHajaral-Asqalani,vol.9,p.144;Fat’hal-BarifiSharhSahih al-Bukhari, by IbnHajarAsqalani, vol. 7, p. 305; al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah, by IbnHajar al-

Haythami,Ch.11,section1,p.249;al-Tathkirah,byal-Qurtubi,p.617;al-Hawi,byal-Suyuti,vol.2,pp.165-166;Sharhal-Mawahibal-Ladunniyyah,byal-Zurqani,vol.5,p.348;Fat’hal-Mugheeth,byal-Sakhawi, vol. 3, p. 41; Kanz al-Ummal, vol. 7, p. 186; Iqd al-Durar Fi Akhbar al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar,vol.12,Ch.1;al-BayanfiAkhbarSahibal-Zaman,ByGanjial-Shafi’i,Ch.12;al-Fusoolal-Muhimmah,byIbnSabbaghal-Maliki,Ch.12;ArjahulMatalib,byUbaidallahHindial-Hanafi,p.380;Muqaddimah,byIbnKhaldoon,p.266;andalsointheworksofIbnHabban,AbuNua’ym,IbnAsakir,etc.[95]Sahihal-Tirmidhi,vol.5,p.137;SunanAbuDawud,vol.4,p.292;al-Mustadrak,byal-Hakim,vol.4,p.278whosaid it isauthenticbasedon thecriteriaof the twoShaikhs (i.e.,al-BukhariandMuslim);Ma’arifatUlumal-Hadith,byal-Hakim,p.189;MusnadAhmadIbnHanbal,vol.1,p.95;Fadha’ilal-Sahaba,byAhmadIbnHanbal,vol.2,p.676,Tradition#1155;al-Tabaqat,byIbnSa’d,vol.5,p.91books of our Sunni brothers. They do not believe in Imamate, and yet, they believe that Imam

Mahdi(as)willcome.IwouldliketoposethisquestiontothebrothersofAhleSunna:“IfyoubelievethatQuranandHadithareenough,andyoudonotneedanImamaftertheHolyProphet(sawa),thenwhyareyoutoowaitingforImamMahdi(as)?”Then,Iwouldliketoadd,‘YourbookshaveallkindsofahadithregardingImamMahdi(as),soyoucannotdenythisfact”.SomepeoplefindithardtobelievehowImamMahdi(as)canstillbealive.Howcanapersonlive

forsolong?Theyfindthisconceptunbelievable.Well,itispossibleifAllahwishes.TherearemanyincrediblestoriesinQuran,whichofcoursearealltrueandweareobligedtobelieveinthem.Forexample:QuranstatesthatProphetNoah(as)preachedfor950years(Justimaginehowmanyyearshemighthave lived,asperahadithhe lived2500years!).[96]Quran speaksabout thepeopleof thecave-theysleptinthecavefor309years![97]ProphetJesus(as)spokewhenhewasababy[98],asperQuran.Furthermore,wehavethestoryofProphetUzair[99]whowasdeadfor100yearsandthenwasbroughtbacktolife.Healsosawhisdonkeycomebacktolifeagain,allbytheleaveofAllah(swt).[100]ProphetJesus(as)isstillalive[101]andismorethan2000yearsold,andwillcomeback.Therearemanymorestories thatare incredible inQuran thatwebelieve in. IfAllah (swt)wishes,thenanythingispossible,hence,oneshouldnotdoubtaboutthelonglifeofImamMahdi(atfs).Asperthetraditions,itcouldfurtherbeproventhattheIthnaAshariImamsaretherightfulchainof

Imams.All the traditions found in the books ofAhle Sunna and the Shia books say that theHolyProphet(sawa)willhavetwelvesuccessors.Asdiscussedearlier,theAgha

[96]HolyQuran,SuratulAnkabutayah14talksaboutit[97]HolyQuran,SuratulKahfayah25talksaboutit[98]HolyQuran,SuratulMaryamayahs30-33talkaboutit.[99]BiblicalnameEzra[100]HolyQuran,SuratulBaqarah(2),Ayah259[101]HolyQuran,SuratunNisa(4),Ayahs157and158talksaboutit,itsaysthattheysaytheykilledJesusbuttheydidnot.Khani Ismaili Imamsare49and theBohraIsmaili Imamsare21 therefore thesenumbersdonot

matchthetraditionsoftheHolyProphet(sawa).

12ChapterKindoflifestyleandcharacteristicsexpectedfromanImam

Supposeonemight say that Idonotbelieve in the traditions found in thebooksof IthnaAshari

ShiasnorthebooksofAhleSunna.Theninthisscenario,whatshouldbethecriteriaforagoodrolemodelasaleader?Whatcharacteristicsshouldagoodleaderhave?WefollowtheImamssothattheyleadus towards the rightpath, thepathof theHolyProphet (sawa).Therefore, these ImamsshouldhavesomeimpeccablequalitiesinordertobethesuccessorsoftheHolyProphet(sawa).WehavealreadydiscussedthelifestylesofsomeoftheIsmaili/FatimidImams.NowIwouldliketo

shedsomelightontwooftheIthnaAshariImamsafterImamJafaral-Sadiq(as)afterwhichthesplitof sects took place, so the reader could compare on the huge difference between the personalitieswhicheachofthesectstookastheirleaders.

13ChapterImamMusaal-KadhimibnJafar(as)Martyred183AH/799AD.

ImamMusa al-Kadhimwas the sonof Imamal-Sadiq (as) andwasborn inAbwaaon the7th of

Safar128AH/745AD.Imamal-Sadiq(as)andhishonorablewifewerereturningfromHajjandontheir way back ImamMusa al-Kadhim was born in Abwaa, a city located in betweenMecca andMedina.HewasnamedMusaandal-Kadhimisthetitlegiventohimthatmeanstheonewhoswallowsanger, his other titles include:Abd-e-Salih,Ameen, andBabulHawaij. The titleBabulHawaijwasgiventohimbecauseofallthemiraculoushealingsandextraordinaryeventsthathavebeenwitnessedin his shrine in Baghdad for centuries. There are books written on this subject that narrate theeyewitness accounts of themiraculoushealings that tookplace in his shrine.Oneof the ImamsofAhleSunna,Imamal-Shafi’said,‘thetombofImamMusaal-Kadhim(as)isproveneffectiveforfulfillingwishes.’[102]ImamMusaal-Kadhim(as)is

alsoknownbyKunyas(nicknames)like:AbulHasanAwwal,AbulHasanMadhi,andAbuIbrahim.

[102]Jawadi,AllamahZeeshanHaider,NuqooshIsmat,p.599quotesfromMatalibusSo-ool,p.278;SawaiqulMohriqa,p.131;Manaqib,vol.3,p.125

HisLifeinaNutshell

ImamMusaal-Kadhim(as)wasborn in128AHduring the reignofMarwanHimar.After three

years,hisdynasticrulecametoanendandthefirstrulerofBaniAbbasascendedtothethrone.Heruledfrom132to136AH,whenMansurDawaniqisucceededhim,whogotImamJafaral-Sadiq(as)assassinatedthroughpoisonin148AHandtheImamateofImamMusaal-Kadhim(as)beganfromtheageoftwentyyears.Intheyear158AHMansurwassucceededbyMahdiAbbasi,whoruledfortenyearsandin169AHhewassucceededbyHadi,whocouldnotremaininpowerformorethanayear.In170AHHaruncametothethronewhohadImamMusaal-Kadhim(as)assassinatedthroughpoisonin183AH.Atthattime,theageoftheImamwasfifty-fiveyears,ofwhichtwentyyearspassedunderthecareofhisfatherandthenheheldthepositionofImamateforaperiodofthirty-fiveyears.

ThechildhoodofImamMusaal-Kadhim(as)

ImamMusaal-Kadhim(as)sincehischildhoodhadallthetraitsofbeingthesuccessorofImamal-

Sadiq(as)ashehadmanyextraordinarytraits,tolistafew:WhenImamMusaal-Kadhim(as)wasonly5yearsold,AbuHanifacametovisitImamal-Sadiq

(as),andhesawImamMusaal-Kadhim(as),sohenarrates:I,AbuHanifa,askedhim(Imamal-Kadhim),aboutthesourceoftheactsofdisobediencetoAllah,

he(as)answered:thesourceofanysinisunquestionablyoneofthethree:eitherAllahmakesmandothem,orAllahandtheservantarebothresponsible,ortheservantaloneisresponsible.IfAllahisthesourceofsins(whichcertainlyHeisnot)thenitisimproperforHimto

punish the servants for that which they did not commit. If Allah and the servants are togetherresponsible for the sins (this cannot be true either) then it is improper for the stronger partner towrongtheweakpartner.Andiftheservantisresponsibleforhissins(andthisistrue),thentheLordmaypardonhimorpunishhimforthecommitmentofsuchasin.AfterIhadheardso,IleftbeforeIcouldmeetAbu-Abdillah(Imamal-Sadiq)sincethosewordsweresufficientforme.[103]Itisinterestingtonotethatthefactthatthisbeliefinpredestinationissomethingthetyrantrulers

madeup, theywanted to justify theircrimesbymeansof thisbelief; theirgoalwas that thepeopleshouldconsiderthemasbeinggivenpowerthroughdestinyandthatpeopleshouldnotquestiontheirauthority.Inanotherincident,AbuHanifaoncecametoseeImamal-Sadiq(as)andwhenhesawtheyoung

boy(Imamal-Kadhim),heaskedaquestiontohim(as).Heasked:Ifapersonvisitsyourtownthenwhereshouldhego toanswer thecallofnature? Imamal-Kadhim(as) replied:Heshould take thesupport of the rearwalls, keep away from the viewof neighbors, remain aloof from river banks,avoid the shade of the fruit bearing trees, stay away from the courtyards and streets, leave themosques,refrainfromfacingKa’abaorkeepinghisbacktoit,heshouldtakecareofhisgarments,and sit down wherever he likes. Abu Hanifa asked the boy, ‘What is your name?’ The little boyreplied,‘IamMusaIbnJafaribnMuhammad.’AbuHanifawasastoundedbythisreplycomingfromayoungboy,sohiscompanionAbdullahIbnMuslimsaid,‘DidInottellyouthateventhechildrenfromthefamilyofprophetaredifferentfromordinarychildren?’[104]

[103]NuqooshIsmat,p.600,quotesfromBehaaral-Anwaar,vol.11,p.185;Amali,SayyidMurtada,vol.1,p.151;IhtijajTabarsi,p.198;Manaqib,vol.3,p.429[104]TohafulUqool,p.411;NuqooshIsmat,p.602

Thedesignation(Nass)

There are many ahadith in the books of Ithna Ashari Shias where Imam al-Sadiq (as) had

specificallyannouncedtheImamateofImamMusaal-Kadhimafterhim,infrontofhiscompanions.Iwouldliketolistafew: MufaddalIbnUmarJofi(knownforhisreliability)narrates:HeaskedImamal-Sadiq(as)

abouttheImamafterhim,Imam(as)replied:MysonMusa.[105]YazidIbnSulait(knownforhispiety)narrates:HemetImamJafaral-Sadiq(as)onthewayto

Meccaandsaid:Maymyparentsbesacrificedonyou;youareanImam,butnooneisexemptfromdeath;thusifsomethinghappenstoyou,whowillbetheImam?Imam(as)gesturedtohisson,Musa,and said: He is having all the good qualities like knowledge, wisdom, understanding, generosity,cognition of Islamic law, good nature, good behavior to relatives. He is a door of mercy and ishavinganotherexcellenceinadditiontothese.Thenarratorasked:Whatisit?Hereplied:Allahwillcreate fromhisprogenyonewhowillbe thehelperand refugeof thisUmmah;whowouldbe thestandard of its guidance and effulgence personified. Through him, Almighty Allah would protectlives,solvedisputesandremovedisunity;Hewouldprovidegarmentstotheunclothedandfeedthehungry.Thefearfulwouldgetreassurance;therainofmercywilldescend.Hewouldbethebestofthesonsandthemostexcellentelder;hisstatementwouldbe thedecidingstatementandhissilencewouldbethesilenceofwisdom.[106]DawoodIbnKathirnarrates,hesaidtoImamal-Sadiq(as):O’sonofthemessenger,beforeyou

allhavepassedaway,andifsomethinghappenstoyou,towhomshouldwerefer?He(as)

[105]Nuqoosh Ismat, p. 611quotes fromBehaaral-Anwaar, vol. 11, p. 234;KamaluddinTamamunNima,p.203,KitabulIrshad,p.308[106]NuqooshIsmat,pp.611,612quotedfromBehaaral-Anwaar,vol.11,p.234;Uyunal-Akhbaral-Ridha,vol.1,p.23replied,‘MysonMusa’.[107] FaidhIbnMukhtarNarrates:Hecame to ImamJafaral-Sadiq (as)andbegan to talkabout

ImamMusaal-Kadhim(as),whomeanwhilereturnedfromhomeandImamJafaral-Sadiq(as)said:Faidh,heistheoneaboutwhomyouwereaskingme.GetupandaccepthisrightfulnessforImamate.FaidhkissedthehandandforeheadoftheImamandthenasked:Moula,canthisinformationbegiventoothers?Hereplied:Indeed,informyourfamilymembersandfriends;butthisinformationshouldnotbecomepublicastimesareverydangerousandthecontemporaryregimeisalwaysinpursuitofdivineproof.[108] IsaAlawinarrates:Hewent tomeetImamal-Sadiq(as)andsaid: If,Godforbidsomething

happenstoyouwhowouldbetheImamafteryou?Imam(as)replied:Myson,Musa…[109]MaadIbnKathirnarrates:HecametoImamJafaral-Sadiq(as)andsaid:IpraytotheAlmighty

thatlikeHehasgivenyouthispositioninplaceofyourfather,Heshouldcreatesuchaworthypersoninyourprogenyaswell.Imam(as)replied:Allahhasalreadycreatedhimandsayingthishegesturedtohisson,Musa,whowasasleepatthatmoment.[110]MansurIbneHazimnarrates:HecametotheImamandsaid:Noonecanbesaidtoliveforever;

incasesomethinghappenstoyou,whowouldbetheImamafteryou?Imam(as)replied:This

[107]NuqooshIsmat,p.612quotedfromBehaaral-Anwaarvol.11,p.233;Uyunal-Akhbaral-Ridha,vol.1,p.156[108] Nuqoosh Ismat, p. 612 quoted from Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 11, p. 234; Usul Kafi; BasairudDarajaat,Vol.7,Chap.11;p.96;KitabulIrshad,p.307[109]NuqooshIsmat,p.613quotedfromUsulKafi,vol.1,p.309;Behaaral-Anwaar,vol.11,p.235;ElamulWara,p.288[110] Nuqoosh Ismat, p. 614 quoted from Usul Kafi, vol. 1, p. 308; al-Irshad, p. 308; Behaar al-Anwaar,vol.sonofmine,Musa.(Hewasagedonly5yearsatthattime).[111]SulaimanIbneKhalidnarrates:HewasseatedinthegatheringwithImamJafaral-Sadiq(as)

alongwithotherswhen ImamMusa (as) arrived. ImamJafar al-Sadiq (as) said:HewouldbeyourImamandWaliafterme.[112]IshaqIbneJafarnarrates:Hesays:IwastherewithmyfatherwhenImranIbneAliaskedImam

al-Sadiq(as):WhowouldbetheImamafteryou?Hesaid:Thefirsttoenterthisroom.JustthenImamMusa(as)enteredthegatheringandhewasonlyafewyearsold.[113]AliIbnJafarnarrates:Hesays:Myfather(Imamal-Sadiq)saidtoagroupofhiscompanions:

Behave nicely with my son, Musa as he is the best in the world and after me, he would be mysuccessor.[114]ZurarahIbneAyyinnarrates:Hesays:IwaspresentwithImamJafaral-Sadiq(as)andImamMusaIbneJafar(as)wasalsopresent.ImamJafaral-Sadiq(as)said:CallHumran,AbuBasirandDawoodRaqqifrommycompanions.IbroughtallofthemandbychanceMufaddalIbneUmarandothercompanionsalsoarrived.ImamJafaral-Sadiq(as)removedthesheetfromthefaceofIsmailandasked:Dawood,ishedeadoralive?Hesaid:Hehaspassedaway.TheImammadeeveryonewitnessthisandafterthatbeganthefuneralrites.Afterthat,Imam(as)againshowedhisfacetoallthosewhowerepresent;thatheisIsmailwhohasalreadypassedaway.Afterthat,heorderedhimtobeburied;whenthebodywasloweredintothegrave,theImam

[111] Nuqoosh Ismat, p. 614 quoted fromUsul Kafi, vol. 1, p. 309; al-Irshad, p. 308; Behaar al-Anwaar,vol.11,p.236[112]Ibid.[113]NuqooshIsmat,p.614quotedfromKitabal-Irshad,p.265;KashfulGhumma,p.244[114]NuqooshIsmat,p.215quotedfromKitabal-Irshad,p.310;Behaaral-Anwaar,vol.11,p.236displayedhisfacetoeveryoneagainandasked:Whoistheonethatisbeingburied?Allsaid:Itis

Ismail.Imam(as)heldthehandofhisson,Musaandsaid:ThisistherightfulImamandtruthiswithhimandwouldcontinueinhisgenerations.[115][Musaal-Sayqalreportedontheauthorityofal-Mufaddalb.Umaral-Jufi,mayGodhavemercy

onhim,whosaid:]I(i.e.al-Mufaddalb.Umaral-Jufi)waswithAbuAbdAllah(ImamSadiq),peacebeonhim.AbuIbrahim(Imamal-Kadhim),peacebeonhim,camein.Hewasstillaboy.AbuAbdAllah,peacebeonhim,saidtohim:“IndicatetothoseofyourCompanionswhomyoutrustthatthepositionofauthoritybelongstohim,Musa.”[116][AbuAlial-ArrajanireportedontheauthorityofAbdal-Rahmanb.alHajjaj,whosaid:]I(i.e.

Abdal-Rahmanb.al-Hajjaj)visitedJafarb.Muhammad,peacebeonthem,inhishouse.Hewasinsuch-and-sucha room inhishousewhichheusedasaprayer-room.Hewaspraying there.Onhis

right hand was Musa b. Jafar, peace be on them, following his prayer.”May God make me yourransom,”Isaid,“youknowhowIhavededicatedmylifetoyouand(youknowof)myservicetoyou.Whoisthemasteroftheaffair(walial-amr)afteryou?”Hesaid:“Abdal-Rahman,Musahasputonthearmoranditfittedhim.”“Afterthat,Ihavenofurtherneedofanything,”Ireplied.[117] [IbnMiskanreportedontheauthorityofSulaymanb.Khalid,whosaid:]OnedayAbuAbd

AllahJafar,peacebeonhim,calledforAbual-HasanMusa(Imamal-Kadhim)whilewewerewithhim. He told us: “It is your duty (to follow) this man after me. By God, he is your leader afterme.”[118]u[Muhammadb.al-Walidreported:IheardAlib.Jafarb.

[115]NuqooshIsmat,p.215quotedfromBehaaral-Anwaar,vol.11,p.238[116]KitabAlIrshad,p.437quotedfromAlKafivol.1,p.308[117]KitabAlIrshad,p.437quotedfromAlKafi,vol.1,p.308[118]KitabAlIrshad,p.439quotedfromAlKafi,vol.1,p.310Muhammad al-Sadiq, peace be on them, say:] I (i.e. ‘Ali b. Jafar) heard my father, Jafar b.

Muhammad,peacebeonthem,saytoagroupofhiscloseassociatesandfollowers:“Treatmyson,Musa,peacebeonhim,withkindness.Heisthemostmeritorious(afdal)ofmychildrenandtheonewhowillsucceedafterme.Heistheonewhowillundertake(qa’im)myposition.HeisGod’sproof(hujja)toallHiscreaturesafterme.”Alib.JafarremainedfirmlyloyaltohisbrotherMusa,peacebeonhim,devotedtohim,andenthusiasticintakingtheoutlinesofreligionfromhim.Hehasafamous(book)Masa’il(questions)inwhichherelatestheanswersheheardfrom(MusaibnJafar,peacebeuponhim).[119]

[119]KitabAlIrshad,pp.439&440Pointstoponderabout There are so many authentic narrators who confirm the fact that Imam al-Sadiq (as) did

announceImamal-Kadhim(as)ashissuccessor.HowcometherearenosuchnarrationsregardingIsmailorMuhammadibnIsmail?

WhathasbeensaidaboutImamMusaal-Kadhim(as)

HewasthesuccessorandinheritorofImamJafar(as)inknowledgeanddivinecognitionandwas

thegreatestworshipperandcharitablepersonalityoftheworld.[120] Hewas the owner of extreme dignity andmajesty andwas a respectable personality.He

possessedeverykindofexcellenceandwasarenownedpersonalityofhistime.Hespenthisnightsinprayersandfastsandgavecharityduringthedays.[121]

[120]NuqooshIsmat,p.616quotedfromIbneHajarMakki,p.121[121]NuqooshIsmat,p.616quotedfromIbneTalhaShafei,MatalibusSo-ool,p.308He was a very respected and honorable Imam and amajestic divine proof. He spent the nights

awakeinprayersandfastedduringdays.[122] Hewasthegreatestscholar,worshipperandthemostcharitablepersonofhistimeandhe

possessedaloftysoul.[123] He was the most sincere worshipper and pious man of his time. His excellences and

perfectionsareinnumerable.[124]Hewasthegreatestpersonalityoftheworldfromtheaspectofknowledgeandcognitionand

becametheguardianoftheUmmahaccordingtothenominationofhisfather.[125]PointstoponderaboutNotonlyShiasbutalsoscholarsofAhleSunnahadpraisesforImamal-Kadhim(as).ArethereanysuchcommentsfoundregardingtheIsmailiImams?

[122]NuqooshIsmat,p.616quotedfromAllamahShibli,AnwarulAkhbar,p.135[123] Nuqoosh Ismat, p. 616 quoted from FusululMuhaimma, ArjahulMatalib, p. 451; IbneSabbaghMaliki[124]NuqooshIsmat,p.616quotedfromHusaynWaizKashifi,RauzatusShohada,p.432[125]NuqooshIsmat,p.616quotedfromRauzatulAhbab

WorshipofImamMusaal-Kadhim(as)

Liketherestoftheinfallibles,ImamMusaal-Kadhimalsowasknownforhisworship.Thetotal

timeImam(as)spentintheprisonwasabout14years.HeusedtothankAllah(swt)forgivinghimtheopportunitytoworshipinpeaceintheprison.TheregimeofthattimewasbewilderedbythisattitudeoftheImam(as),thateveninsuchhardtimeshewasthankfultoAllah(swt),andwasengrossedinworship. Such was the state of his worship that after morning prayers, he used to place his headinprostrationandhewouldraisehisheadonlywhenitwastimefornoonprayers.Somuchsothathewascalledas‘onewhoperformedlongprostrations’.[126]Harunal-RashidtrieddifferenttacticstogetridofImamMusaal-Kadhim,buttheyfailed,so

hesentabeautifulladyintothecelloftheHolyImam(as)toframehimforunlawfulsex.Butwhentheprisonwardenssurveyedtheprison,theyfoundthewomaninprostration.Shewasaskedthatshehadatasktoperform,whathappened?Andsheexplained,‘whenIcamehereIsawthattheImamwasbusy in supplicating to theAlmightyand thevoicesofLabbaik (here I am)werecoming from theotherside;soIrealizedthattherecouldbenobetteropportunityofworship;thusnowIgetpleasureonlyinprostration.[127]Harunal-RashidorderedthatImamMusaal-Kadhim(as)beimprisonedinBasra,thegovernorof

BasraatthattimewasIsa’ibnJafaribnal-MansurthenafterayearHarunal-RashidwrotetoIsa’ibnJafar tokill theImam(as). Isa ibnJafarwrote toHarun:‘TheaffairofMusaibnJafarandhisstayunder my detention has been going on for a long time. I have become well acquainted with hissituation. I have set spies on him throughout this period and I have found him doing nothing butworship.Isetsomeonetolistentowhathesaidinhissupplications.Hehasneverprayedagainstyouorme.Hehasnevermentioneduswithmalice.Hedoesnotprayforhimselfexceptforforgivenessand mercy. Either you send someone whom I can hand him over to or I will set him free. I amtroubledatdetaininghim.’ It is reported thatoneof the spiesof Isa’ ibn Jafar reported tohim thatfrequentlyheusedtohearhim(ImamMusa)sayinhisprayerswhilehewas

[126]Nuqoosh Ismat, p. 621 quoted from Wasilatun Najaat, p. 310, quoted from Faslul Khitab;YanabiulMawaddah,Chap.65,p.321;ShawahidunNubuwwah,p.194;NurulAbsar,p.135;ElamulWara,p.178;SawanehMusaKadhim,p.8[127]NuqooshIsmat,pp.604-605quotedfromManaqib,IbneShahrAshobdetained:O’God,YouknowthatIusedtoaskYoutogivemefreetimetoworshipYou.O’God

youhave done that.ToYoube praise.’After receiving themessage from Isa’ ibn Jafar,Harun al-RashiddirectedthatImamal-Kadhim(as)shouldbesenttoBaghdad,therehe(as)washandedovertoal-Fadlibnal-Rabi’.[128]PointstoponderaboutTheamountofworshiptheHolyImamdid,evenwhileinprison!WhyweretherulersaftertheImams?Whatweretheyafraidof?Altogether14yearsofImamal-Kadhim’slifewasspentinprison.AreanyoftheIsmailiImamsknownforsuchworship?

[128]AlMufid,ShaykhKitabAlIrshad,p.454

EarningtheDailyBread

TheImamsofAhlulBayt(as)usedtoworkfora living.Forexample,ImamJafaral-Sadiq(as),

workedononeofhisfarms.Abu‘Umaral-Shaybanihasrelated,saying:“IsawAbi‘AbdAllah(Jafaral-Sadiq),peacebeonhim,carryingaspadeinhishand,wearingthickloinclothandoozingsweat.Thus,Isaidtohim:‘MayIbeyourransom,letmehelpyou!’He,peacebeonhim,said:‘Iliketoseemantoilingintheheatofthesunforseekinghislivelihood.”[129]Imam al-Kadhim (as)worked for earning a living too.Al-Hasan b. ‘Ali b.Hamza has narrates,

saying:“IsawAbial-HasanMusa(Imamal-Kadhim,peacebeuponhim)workingonalandofhis.Hisfeetweresoakedwithsweat,soIaskedhim:‘MayIbeyourransom,wherearethemen?’Imamal-Kadhim(as) replied: ‘Ali, theonewho isbetter than Iandmyfatherworkedwithhishand?Al-Hasanwasdazzledandaskedhim:Whoishe?He(as)replied:Allah’sApostle,mayAllahblesshimandhisfamily,theCommanderofthefaithful(ImamAli),andallmyforefathersworkedwiththeirhands;workisofthebehaviorsofthe

[129]Al-’AmalwaHuqooqal-’Amilfial-Islam,p.135prophets,theapostles,andtherighteous.[130]PointstoponderaboutThetrueImamsusedtoworkhardtomaketheirliving.Theyusedtoeventakeprideindoing

so.ArethereanysuchanecdotesregardingtheIsmaili/FatimidImams?

[130]ManLaYahdarahual-Faqeeh,vol.3,p.53.

SomeinterestingAnecdotesfromhisLife-Anecdote#1

AlloftheinfallibleImams(as)displayedexcellentmannersandhadimpeccablecharacter.Allama

Hillinarratesinhisbook‘MinhajulKarama’thatwhenImamMusaal-Kadhim(as)wasinBaghdad,hepassedbyadecoratedhouseandthesoundofsingingandmusicwasheardfromwithin.Justthen,amaidcameout to throwgarbage. Imamal-Kadhim(as)asked themaid:Who is theownerofhishouse,aslaveorafreeman?Shesaid:Afreeman.Imam(as)said:Indeed,ifithadbeenaslave,hewouldhaveobeyedhismaster.Sayingthis,theImammovedon.Whentheslavegirlreturnedinsidethehouse,Bushrthemasterof thehouseaskedwhyshetooksuchalongtimeandshenarratedtheincident.BushrwassomuchaffectedbythesewordsthatheranoutofthehousebarefootedtomeettheImam,andwhenhecaughtuptotheImam,heaskedfordivineforgivenessforhisactionsandinmemoryofthisincidenthewalkedbarefootallhislife.[131]mamMusaal-Kadhim(as)changedthismanwithashortstatement;thesewordsoftheImamweresoeffectivethatthismantotallychanged.BushrHafirepentedafterthisincidentandstartedpracticingpietyandbecameagreatsaint.PointstoponderaboutThegoalofthetrulydivinelyappointedImamswasguidance.

[131]NuqqoshIsmat,p.619quotedfromAlKunawalAlqaab,vol.2,p.168Theywerenotaftertheworldlypleasures.ThetrulydivinelyappointedImamsuseddifferentapproachestoguidethepeople.Imam(as)

usedsuchaniceapproachtoguideBushrHafi.ArethereanysuchanecdotesregardingtheIsmaili/FatimidImams?

Anecdote#2

OnceHarunal-RashidwasvisitingtheHolycityofMedinaandhecametothegraveoftheHoly

Prophet(sawa)andhesaid,‘peacebeuponyouO’sonofmyuncle’.ThepeoplearoundHarunwereveryimpressedthatHarunwasrelatedtotheHolyProphet(sawa).JustthenImamal-KadhimcametovisitthegraveoftheHolyProphet(sawa)andhesaid,‘peacebeonyouO’myfather ’.HearingthisHarunwasannoyedandsaid,‘howcanyoubethesonoftheProphet,youarethesonofAliandofFatimaand shewas thedaughter of theProphet (sawa)? Imamal-Kadhim (as) recited the ayahsofSuratulAn’am83-85:٨٣ میلع میكح كبر نا ٠ ء اشن نم ت جرد عفرن ٠ ہ موق ي لع می ہ ربا ہآ نیت ا آنتجح كلتو ThatwasOurargumentwhichWegavetoAbraham(touse)againsthispeople:WeraisewhomWe

will,degreeafterdegree:forthyLordisfullofwisdomandknowledge.[132]ي سومو فسویو بویاو ن میلسو د واد ہ تیرذ نمو لبق نم انید ہ احونو ٠ انید ہ الك ٠ بوقعیو ق حسا لہ انب ہ وو

٨۴ نین ـ سحملا يزجن كل ذكو ٠ نور وہWegavehimIsaacandJacob:all(three)Weguided:andbeforehim,WeguidedNoah,andamong

hisprogeny,David,Solomon

[132]SurahAn’am(6),Ayah83Job,Joseph,Moses,andAaron:thusdoWerewardthosewhodogood.[133]٨۵ نیحل صلا نم لك ٠ سایلاو ي سیعو ى يحیو ایركزوAndZakariyaandJohn,andJesusandElias:allintheranksoftheRighteous:[134]Afterrecitingtheayahs,ImamKadhim(as)askedHarun,“WhoisthefatherofJesus(as)?”Imam

continued,“JesusisconsideredamongtheProphet’soffspringthroughhismotherMaryam;likewise,we are the offspring of theHolyProphet (sawa) throughourmother, Fatima (sa)…” [Here as perthese ayahs Jesus (as) is the sonofNoah (as), but Jesus (as)was the sonofMary (sa) andhewasmiraculouslybornwithoutafatherandasperQuran,Jesus(as)isfromtheprogenyofNoah(as)].ThenImamal-Kadhim(as)quotedtheayah61ofSuratulAaleImran:ہل تبن مث ٠ مكسفناو ان ـ سفناو مكء اسنو انء اسنو مكء انباو انء انبا عدن اولاعت لقف ملعلا نم كء اج ام دعب نم ہ يف كج اح نمف

۶١ نیبذ كلا يلع ہ للا تنعل لعجنفShould anyone arguewith you concerning him, after the knowledge that has come to you, say,

“Come!Letuscalloursonsandyoursons,ourwomenandyourwomen,oursoulsandyoursouls,thenletusprayearnestlyandcalldownAllah’scurseupontheliars.”[135](Here the Holy Prophet (sawa) took Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn (as) as his sons when he

confrontedtheChristians)Afterquoting theayahs toHarun, Imamal-Kadhim(as)askedhim,“If theProphet (sawa)would

comebackandaskyouO’Harun,foryour

[133]SurahAn’am(6),Ayah84[134]SurahAn’am(6),Ayah85[135]SurahAal-e-Imran(3),Ayah61

daughter, thenwouldyougiveyourdaughter ’shand inmarriage to theProphet (sawa)?”Harunreplied,“GlorybetoAllah!Whywouldn’tIfulfillhiswish?IndeedIwouldbehonoredamongtheArabs,non-Arabs,andQuraishtodoso.”TheImamthensaid:“Buthewouldnotasktomarrymydaughter,norcould Igiveher tohim inmarriage.”Harunexclaimed:“Whynot?”The Imamsaid:“Forhehasbegottenmeandhasnotbegottenyou,mydaughterwillbeMahramtohim(sawa)assheisfromhisprogeny.”[136]PointstoponderaboutThetrulydivinelyappointedImamsinalotofcasesusedtoanswerthequestionsusingthe

versesofQuran.AreanysuchanswersfoundinthelivesoftheIsmaili/FatimidImams? The divinely appointed Imamswere not afraid of telling the truth even in front of the

oppressorcaliph. Theanswersof thedivinelyappointed Imamswere logical.Canone findany such logical

answersgivenbytheIsmaili/FatimidImams?

[136]Uyunal-Akhbaral-Ridha:vol.1,p.81;Ehtejajal-Tabarsi:vol.2,p.389;Behaaral-Anwaar,vol.48,p.125

SayingsofImamMusaal-Kadhim(as)

Kindnessandlovetopeopleishalfofwisdom.[137]WhoeverwantstobethestrongestamongthepeopleshoulddependuponAllah.[138]Heisnotofus(theone)whodoesnotreckonhimselfeveryday,soifhedidagooddeedhe

asksAllahforincreasingit,andifhedidabaddeed,heasksAllah’sforgivenessandrepentstoHim.[139]

[137]Tohafal-Uqool,p.425[138]Behaaral-Anwaar,vol.71,p.143[139]Usoolal-Kafi,vol.4,p.191Angeristhekeytoeveryevil.[140]Whoevermadesupplicationbefore(thankingand)praisingAllahandbeforesendingblessing

upontheProphet(sawa)isastheonewhothrowsanarrowwithoutabowstring.[141]Whoevermadehisparentssadhasbeenungratefultothem.[142] Whenever people commit new sinswhich they didn’t use to do, Allah gives them new

afflictionswhichtheydidn’texpect.[143]Youraidtotheweakisofthebestofcharities.[144] RelianceonAllahhasgrades.OneofthemisthatyourelyonHimineverymatterandbe

pleasedwithwhateverHe decides for you and know thatHe never hesitates in providing you anygoodandgraceandthateverydecisionisfromHimsoleaveeveryaffairtoHisWillandrelyandputtrustonlyinHim.[145] Everypersonwho strives toobtainHalal (permissible) sustenanceorprovision is likea

fighterinthepathofGod.[146]Ifthereisawalnutinyourhandandpeoplesaythatitisapearl,theirsayingwillnotbenefit

youinanywaywhenyouknowthatit isactuallyawalnut.Andifthereisapearlinyourhandandpeople say that it is awalnut, their sayingwill not harmyou in anywaywhenyouknow that it isactuallyapearl.[147] Indeedcultivationandgrowthtakesshape inasoft,evenlandandnot inarocky(barren) land.

Likewise,wisdomgrowsanddevelopsinahumbleheartandnotinaproud,vainandarrogant

[140]Tohafal-Uqool,p.416[141]Tohafal-Uqool,p.425[142]Tohafal-Uqool,p.425[143]Tohafal-Uqool,p.434[144[Tohafal-Uqool,p.437[145]AlKafi,vol.2,p.65[146]Behaaral-Anwaar,vol.103,p.4[147]Tohafal-Uqool,p.383heart.[148]

Pointstoponderabout The sayingsof thedivinelyappointed Imamsare fullofwisdom.Do the Ismaili/Fatimid

Imamshavesuchsayingsatall?

[148]Tohafal-Uqool,p.395

14ChapterImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha(as)Martyred818AD

Imam al-Ridha (as)was the son of the seventhHoly Imam al-Kadhim (as).Hewas born in 148

Hijri.HeisbelievedbyIthnaAsharistobetheeighthHolyImam.

HisNicknames

Al-Ridha:Heispopularlyknownasal-RidhabecausehewasthepleasureofAllah(swt).Al-Bizanti

asked Imam al-Jawad (as), ‘weren’t your forefathers (as) the pleasure of Allah (swt) and of HisMessenger(sawa)too?’“Yes,”repliedImamal-Jawad.“Thenwhyhasonlyyourfatherbeennamedal-Ridha?” al-Bizanti asked. “Because both his opposing enemies and obedient supporters werepleasedwithhim,while thisdidnothappen to anyofhis fathers, soonlyhewas called al-Ridha.”[149]Someofhis(as)othernicknamesare:Al-Sabir(thepatient),al-Zaki(pure,noble),al-Wafi(Loyal),

SirajAllah (the lampofAllah),Qurat ‘Aynal-Mumineen (delightof theeyeof thebelievers), al-Siddiq(theverytruthfulone),andal-Fadhil(themostmeritoriousoneofallthepeopleofhistime).[150]OneofthefamouskunyaofImamal-Ridha(as)isAbual-Hasan;HisfatherImamMusaal-Kadhim,

peacebeonhim,gavehimthiskunya.

[149]Al-Qarashi,BaqirSharif,LifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.64[150]LifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,pp.64-66He,peacebeonhim,saidto‘Alib.Yaqtin:“O‘Ali,thissonofmine-andhepointedtoImamal-

Ridhaisthemasterofmychildren,andIhavegivenhimmykunya.“Imamal-RidhawasgiventhekunyaofAbual-Hasan.Asthiskunyawascommonbetweenthem,Imamal-Kadhimwascalled:Abual-Hasanthefirst,andImamal-RidhawascalledAbual-Hasanthesecond,sothat thepeoplemightdistinguishbetweenthetwokunyas.[142]

[151]LifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.67quotedfromal-Majlisi,Behaaral-Anwaar,vol.12,pp.3,4

WhathasbeensaidaboutImamal-Ridha(as)IbrahïmBinal-’Abbasal-Sawli

(Ibrahïmb.al-’Abbasal-Sawli),acreativewriterandfamouspoet,hassaid:“Ihaveneverseennor

have I heard that anyone ismoremeritorious thanAbulHasan al-Ridha.Do not believe himwhoclaimsthathehasseenthelikeofhiminhisexcellence.TheImamwasthemodelofoutstandingmeritsandtalents.Therewasnonelikehiminhistime,for

hewasamongthepillarsofthoughtandvirtueintheworldofIslam.[152]

[152]LifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.106

Abual-Saltal-Harawi

Abual-Salt, ‘Abdal-Salamal-Harawi,whowasamong thegreat figuresofhis time,hassaid:“I

havenever seen anyonemore learned than ‘Ali b.Musa al-Ridha.When a (religious) scholar seeshim,hebearswitnessforhimjustasIdo.Al-Ma’mungatheredforhimanumberofthescholarsofreligions,thejuristsofIslamiclaw,andthetheologians.However,he(al-Ridha)overcamethem,totheextentthattheyacknowledgedhisexcellenceoverthem.ThesewordsgiveanaccountofthegreatscientificabilitiesoftheImam,peacebeonhim,forhe

wasthemostknowledgeableandmeritoriousofthepeopleofhistime.Thiscanclearlybeseeninthedebateswhichal-Ma’munheldinhispalaceinorder to test theImam.Al-Ma’munhadgatheredthescholarsofthecountriesandcities,andtheytestedtheImamwiththemostdifficultquestions;yethe(as)answeredthemskilfully.Sothescholarsadmiredhim,confessedtheirfeeblenessbeforehim,andacknowledgedhisexcellenceoverthem.[153]

[153]LifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.106

Al-Raja’BinAbual-Dhhak

Al-Raja’BinAbual-Dhhak,amilitarycommander,hassaid:“ByAllah,Ihaveneverseenanyone

more devout to Allah than him, praised Allah throughout his timesmore than he did, and fearedAllah,theGreatandAlmighty,morethanhedid.ThesewordsshowthespiritualsideintheImam’scharacter,forhewasthemostreligiousofall

thepeople;hepraisedAllahandfearedHimmorethantheydid.[154]

[154]LifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.106

Al-Shaykhal-Mufïd

Shaykhal-Mufïd,said:“TheImamwhoundertook(theoffice)(qa’im)afterAbual-HasanMusab.

Ja’far,peacebeonthem,washissonAbual-Hasan‘Alib.Musaal-Ridha,peacebeonthem,becauseof his merit over all his brothers and the members of his House (ahl baytihi), because of theknowledge, forbearance and pity which he showed, and which the Shïa (khasa) and the non-Shïa(‘amma)agreedonwithregardtohimandrecognizedhimfor.[155]Al-Shaykhal-MufïdhasmentionedsomequalitieswhichdistinguishedImamal-Ridha,peacebeon

him, from the rest of his brothers and the members of his House. These noble qualities andpeculiaritiesareasfollows:1.Knowledge.

2.Forbearance.3.Piety

[155]LifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.107,quotedfromal-Irshad,p.34

Al-Waqidi

Al-Waqidihassaid:Ali(al-Ridha)heardthehadithfromhisfather,hisuncles,andothers.Hewas

trustworthyandgave religiousprecepts in theMosqueofAllah’sMessenger,mayAllahblesshimandhisfamily,attheageofmorethantwenty.HebelongedtotheeighthclassofthenextgenerationfromamongthemembersoftheHouse(ahlal-Bayt).[156]Al-WaqidihasmentionedtwooftheImam’squalitieswhichareasfollows:1.Trustworthiness.2.Hisgivingreligiousdecisionsattheageofovertwenty.

[156]LifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.107quotedfromTazkeratulKhawaas,p.361

JamalAl-Din

Jamal al-DinAhmed b. ‘Ali, a genealogist, popularly known as ibn ‘Anba, has said: “Imam al-

Ridhawasgiven thekunya ofAbual-Hasan.Noneof theTa`libiyyïnofhis timewas likehim.Al-Ma’munpledgedallegiancetohim,minteddirhamsanddinarsinhisname,andorderedhisnametobementionedonthepulpits.”[157]Al-SayyidJamalal-DinhasmentionedthatnonewasliketheImaminhistime;hewasuniqueinhis

timeduetohistalentsandgeniuses.

[157]LifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.108quotedfromUmdatual-TalibfiAnsabAl-AbuTalib,p.198

YousifB.TaghriBardi

Jamal al-Din Abu al-Mahasin Yousif b. Taghri has said: “Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi,

al-’Alawi,al-HusayniwasalearnedImam.HewasthechiefoftheHashimitesofhistimeandwasthegreatestofthem.Al-Ma’munmagnifiedhim,honoredhim,yieldedtohimandextremelymentionedhim,totheextentthathemadehimhissuccessor.”[158]ThesewordsshedlightonsomequalitiesofthepersonalityoftheImam(as),whichare:Hewas

learned.HewasthechiefoftheHa`shimitesandwasthegreatestofthem.Ashehadagreatcharacter,al-Ma’munappointedhimashissuccessor.

[158]LifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.208quotedfromAl-Nujumal-Zahirah,vol.2,p.74

IbnMaja

IbnMajahassaid:He(Imamal-Ridha)wasthechiefoftheHashimites.Al-Ma’munmagnifiedand

honouredhim.HedesignatedhimashissuccessorandtookthePledgeofallegiancetohim(fromthepeople).[159]IbnMajatookcareofoneoftheImam’squalities,whichisthathewasthechiefoftheHashimites.

Ofcourse,theImamwasthemasterofthepeopleofhistime,fortheHashimiteswerethemasterofthepeoplebecauseoftheirgoodmanners,theirexaltedethics,andtheirexcellentbehaviour.

[159]LifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.108quotedfromKhulasatTahzeebalKamal,p278

IbnHajar

IbnHajarhassaid:Al-Ridhawasamongthemenofknowledgeandmerits;hehadnoblelineage.

[160]EventheknownscholarsofAhleSunnahadgreatthingstosayaboutImamal-Ridha(as)

[160]LifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.109quotedfromTahzeebal-Tahzeeb,vol.7,p.389

Al-Yafi’i

Al-Ya`fi’ihassaid:“Thegreat,magnifiedImam,thedescendantofthenobleSayyids,‘Alib.Musa

al-Ridha`,wasoneof the twelveImams, thepossessorsof the laudabledeeds; theImamiShïahavefollowedthemandadoptedtheirdoctrine.”[161]

[161]LifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.109quotedfromMir’atal-Jinan,vol.2,p.11

‘Amiral-Ta’i

‘Amiral-Ta’ihascommentedonthebookentitledSahïfatAhlal-Bayt,peacebeonthem,whichis

one of Imam al-Ridha’sworks, saying: “Ali b.Musa al-Ridha, the Imam of theAllah-fearing andmodelofthegrandsonsoftheMasterofmessengersrelatedtous…“[162]Imamal-RidhawasthechiefoftheAllah-fearingandImamofworshippers.

[162]TheLifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.109

HashimMa’ruf

‘Allama,lateal-SayyidHashimMa’rufal-Husaynihassaid:“Imamal-Ridha,peacebeonhim,was

distinguishedbywonderfulnoblemoraltraitswhichhelpedhimattractbothShïa(khaassah)andnon-Shïa (aammah).He took theseethics fromtheessenceof theMessagewithwhichhewasentrusted,andwhichhesafeguardedandinherited.[163]This statement reports one of the qualities of the Imam, peace be on him, which is his exalted

morals.It isworthmentioningthathismoralsweresimilartothoseofhisgrandfather, thegreatestProphet,mayAllahblesshimandhisfamily,whowasthemasterofallprophets.

[163]TheLifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.110quotedfromSiratalAimmaalIthna‘Ashar,vol.2,p359

Al-Dhahabi

Al-Dhahabihassaid:“He(al-Ridha)isImamAbual-Hasanb.Musaal-Kadhimb.Jafaral-Sadiqb.

Mohammedal-Baqirb.‘AliZaynal-’AbiDinb.al-Husaynb.‘Alib.AbuTalibal-Hashimial-’Alawi.Hewasthemasterof theHashimitesofhis time;hewas themostclementandnoblestof them.Al-Ma’munhonouredhim,yieldedtohim,andmagnifiedhimtotheextentthatheappointedhimashissuccessor.”[164]Al-Dhahabi, known for showing enmity toward the ahl al-Bayt (peace be on them), has

acknowledgedtheoutstandingmeritsofImamal-Ridha,peacebeonhim.[165]

[164]TheLifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.111quotedfromTarikhalIslamp34[165]TheLifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.111

MahmudBinWihayb

MahmudBinWihayb al-Baghdadi has said: “He (al-Ridha),mayAllahbepleasedwithhim, had

numerousmiracles,sohewastheuniqueofhistime.”[166]Imamal-Ridhawastheuniqueofhistimebecauseofhisabundantknowledge,hisreverentialfear,

hispiety,hisclemency,andhismunificence.Nonewaslikehiminexcellenceandtalents.

[166]TheLifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.111quotedfromJawahiral-Kalam,p.143

‘ArifThamir

‘ArifThamirhassaid:“He(Imamal-Ridha)isregardedasoneoftheImamswhoplayedagreat

roleonthearenaoftheIslamiceventsinhistime.”[167]Duringtheshortperiodofhisundertakingtheofficeofregency,Imamal-Ridhacouldmanifestthe

originvaluesofIslamicpolicy,forheorderedal-Ma’muntoestablishjusticeandfairnessamongthepeople,preventedhimfromwastingthepropertiesofthestateandfromothermatters.

[167]TheLifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.111quotedfromUyyunalTawarikh,vol.3,p.226

MohammedBinShakiral-Kutubi

MohammedBinShakir al-Kutubi has said: “He (Imamal-Ridha, peace be onhim) is one of the

twelveImams.HewasthemasteroftheHa`shimitesofhistime.”[168]

[168]TheLifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.111

Yousifal-Nabahani

Yousifal-Nabahanihassaid:“‘Alib.Musaal-Kadhimb.Jafaral-Sadiq,peacebeonthem,wasone

ofthegreatImams,thelampsofthecommunityfromamongtheHouseholdoftheProphet,theoriginofknowledge,andgenerosity.Hehadagreatpositionandfamousreputation.Hehadmanymiraclesofwhichare thatheforetold thathewoulddieofeating(poisoned)grapesandpomegranates.Thematterhappenedjustashehadpredicted.”[169]TheImam,peacebeonhim,wasabrilliantbranchof thePropheticfamily throughwhomAllah

exaltedtheArabsandtheMuslims,inadditiontohisclearlineage.PointstoponderaboutNotonlytheShias,ratherevensomefamousSunnischolarshadnothingbutpraisesforImam

AliIbnMusaal-Ridha(as).ThescholarsofAhleSunna,likeIbnMaja,IbnHajarandevenDhahabihadpraisesforImamal-Ridha(as).ThisshowsthatthedivinelyappointedImamswereimpeccableincharacterthisiswhyeventheoppositionhadnothingbutpraises.DowefindanysuchpraisesregardingtheIsmaili/FatimidImams?

[169]TheLifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.112

Part2HisNomination

HisTextualNominationfortheImamateofal-Ridha

ImamMusa,peacebeonhim,appointedhissonImamal-Ridha,peacebeonhim,asanImamand

highauthorityafterhim, thathemight leadhisShï’itesand thecommunity.Manyordinanceswerebroughtoutoftheprison.Inthemitwaswritten:“Mytestament(‘ahd)istomyeldestson.”[170]ImamMusatookgreatcareofappointinghissonasanImamafterhim.Heentrustedthisaffairtoa

largegroupofhiseminentShï’ites,ofwhomarethefollowing:

[170]TheLifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.136quotedfromHayatal-ImamMusaBinJa’far,vol.2,pp.469-471

‘AliBinYaqtin

‘AliBinYaqtinhasreported:“I(i.e.‘AliBinYaqtin)waswithAbual-HasanMusab.Jafar,peacebe

onhim,andwaswithhimhisson‘Ali.Hesaid:‘O‘Ali,thissonofmineisthemasterofmychildrenand I havegivenhimmykunya (i.e. bothwere calledAbu al-Hasan).’Hishamb. Salimwas in theassembly.Hestruckhis facewith thepalmofhishandandsaid: ‘Webelong toAllah,byAllah;he(Imamal-Kadhim)hasannouncedhisdeathforyou.”[171]

[171]TheLifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.137quotedfromKashfalGhummaVol.3,p.88

Na’eemBinQabus

Na’eemBinQa`bu`shasreported,saying:[Abual-Hasan(Musa),peacebeonhim,said:]“Myson

‘Ali is theeldestofmychildren, themostattentiveof themtomywords,and themostobedientofthemtomyorder…”[172]

[172]TheLifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.137quotedfromKashfalGhummaVol.3,p.88

DawudBinKuthayr

Dawud b. Kuthayr al-Raqqi has narrated, saying: [I (i.e. Dawud b. Kuthayr) said to Musa al-

Kadhim:]“May Ibeyour ransom, Ihavegrownold.So takemyhandandsaveme fromhell-fire.Whoisourleader(sahib)afteryou?”“Thisisyourleaderafterme,”hesaidandpointedtohissonAbual-Hasanal-Ridha.[173]

[173]TheLifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.138quotedfromAl-Fusulal-Muhimma,p.225

SulaymanBinHafs

Sulaymanb.Hafsal-Marwazihasreported:[I(i.e.Sulaymanb.Hafs)visitedAbual-HasanMusab.

Jafar.Iwantedtoaskhimabouttheproofoverthepeopleafterhim.Whenhelookedatme,hebegansaying:]“OSulayman,myson‘Aliismytestamentarytrustee.Heistheproofoverthepeopleafterme.He is themostmeritorious ofmy children. If it happens that you remain alive afterme, bearwitnesstohimaboutthismatterbeforemyShi’itesandthepeopleofmyauthoritywhoaskyouaboutmysuccessorafterme.[174]

[174]TheLifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.138quotedfrom‘Uyunal-Akhbaral-Ridha,vol.1,p.26

‘AbdAllahAl-Hashimi

‘AbdAllahal-Hashimihassaid:[Wewerebesidethegrave(i.e.thegraveoftheProphet,mayAllah

blesshimandhisfamily).Suddenly,AbuIbrahimMusab.Ja’farcametowardushandinhandwithhisson‘Ali.Thenhesaid:]“DoyouknowwhoIam?”“Youareourmasterandoureldestone,”wesaid. “Name and ascribeme,” he demanded. “You areMusa b. Ja’far,”we said. “Who is this?” heaskedandpointedtohisson.“Heis‘Alib.Musab.Ja’far,”wereplied.“Witnessthatheismyagentinthisworldduringmylifetimeandmytestamentarytrusteeaftermydeath.[175]Pointstoponderabout There aremanymore references that talk about the nomination of Imam al-Ridha. The

narrators are authentic. Are there any authentic traditions regarding the nomination of Ismail ibnJafarorMuhammadibnIsmail? On the contrarywhenwe look into theFatimidhistorywe see that their Imamappointed

someone but they follow someone else: Al-Hakim had already appointed Abd al-Rahman as hissuccessorand it is recorded inhistory,even thoughAbdal-Rahmanwasnothisson!Butafter thedeathofal-Hakim,al-Zahirwasplacedonthethrone!Ifal-Hakim,theFatimidImam,wantedAbdal-Rahmantosucceedhim,thenwhywasal-ZahirplacedonthethroneandcalledanImam?TheIsmailisfollowal-ZahirasanImam,eventhoughal-Hakim,theirownImam,appointedAbdal-Rahmanashissuccessor?

[175]TheLifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.138quotedfrom‘Uyunal-Akhbaral-Ridha,vol.1,pp.26-27

HisDebates

The timeof the Imam,peacebe onhim, is famous for the debates and argumentswhich spread

amongthegreatfiguresofreligions,ofIslamicschools,andofotherideologies.Al-Ma’mun,theAbbasidCaliphappointedImamal-Ridha,(as),ashisheirapparent.However,he

wasnotsincereinthispurposenordidhebelievethattheImamwasmoreappropriatethanhimforthe caliphate. He (al-Ma’mun) ordered all his governors in Islamic world to summon the great(religious)scholars,whowereexperiencedindifferentkindsofscience,togotoKhurasaninordertoquestiontheImamaboutthemostdifficultscientificmatters.Whentheycametohim(al-Ma’mun),hementionedthematterbeforethemandpromisedtoenrichthosewhowouldquestiontheImamandrenderhimincapableofansweringthem.Generallyspeaking,heappointedhimashisheirapparentforthefollowingpoliticalreasons:1. Al-Ma’mun intended to destroy the beliefs of the Shi’ites and to efface their traces.He

wanted the religious scholars to render Imam al-Ridha, peace be on him, incapable of answeringthem,thathemightusehisincapabilityasmeanstocancelthebeliefsoftheShi’ites,whomaintainedthattheImamshouldbethemostlearnedofthepeopleofhistimeandmostknowledgeableoftheminallkindsofscience.Ofcourse,iftheImamhadbeenincapableofdisprovingthescholars’beliefs,hewouldhaveshakentheentityoftheShi'itesandabrogatedtheirbeliefsintheImamsofthemembersoftheHouse,Ahlal-Bayt,peacebeonthem.2.IftheImamhadbeenunabletoanswerthequestionsofthereligiousscholars,al-Ma’mun

wouldhavebeenabletoremovehimfromregency.Inotherwordsal-Ma’munwouldhavebeenabletoachievehispoliticalaimsthroughtheImam,forhehadtoldthepeoplethathenominatedhimforthatimportantofficebecausehewasthemostlearnedofthecommunity.Meanwhile,hismassmediawouldhaveannouncedthattheImamhadfallenshortofansweringthe

scholars’ questions so that itmight respond to theAbbasid family’s feelings.Anyhow, the leadingscholarshadprepared themostdifficultquestionsandasked theImamabout them,andheskilfullyanswered them. The narrators have mentioned: “He (Imam al-Ridha) was asked about more thantwentythousandquestionsindifferenttimestotheextentthatal-Ma’mun’spalacebecameascientificcentre, that the leadingscholarsadmiredtheImam’stalentsandabilities, that theyannouncedto thepeopletheImam’sgreatabilitiesinknowledgeandexcellence,andthatmostofthembelievedinhisImamate.[175]

[175]TheLifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,pp.158-159to enrich those who would question the Imam and render him incapable of answering them.

Generallyspeaking,heappointedhimashisheirapparentforthefollowingpoliticalreasons:1. Al-Ma’mun intended to destroy the beliefs of the Shi’ites and to efface their traces.He

wanted the religious scholars to render Imam al-Ridha, peace be on him, incapable of answeringthem,thathemightusehisincapabilityasmeanstocancelthebeliefsoftheShi’ites,whomaintainedthattheImamshouldbethemostlearnedofthepeopleofhistimeandmostknowledgeableoftheminallkindsofscience.Ofcourse,iftheImamhadbeenincapableofdisprovingthescholars’beliefs,hewouldhaveshakentheentityoftheShi'itesandabrogatedtheirbeliefsintheImamsofthemembersoftheHouse,Ahlal-Bayt,peacebeonthem.2.IftheImamhadbeenunabletoanswerthequestionsofthereligiousscholars,al-Ma’mun

wouldhavebeenabletoremovehimfromregency.Inotherwordsal-Ma’munwouldhavebeenabletoachievehispoliticalaimsthroughtheImam,forhehadtoldthepeoplethathenominatedhimforthatimportantofficebecausehewasthemostlearnedofthecommunity.Meanwhile,hismassmediawouldhaveannouncedthattheImamhadfallenshortofansweringthe

scholars’ questions so that itmight respond to theAbbasid family’s feelings.Anyhow, the leadingscholarshadprepared themostdifficultquestionsandasked theImamabout them,andheskilfullyanswered them. The narrators have mentioned: “He (Imam al-Ridha) was asked about more thantwentythousandquestionsindifferenttimestotheextentthatal-Ma’mun’spalacebecameascientificcentre, that the leadingscholarsadmiredtheImam’stalentsandabilities, that theyannouncedto thepeopletheImam’sgreatabilitiesinknowledgeandexcellence,andthatmostofthembelievedinhisImamate.[176]

[176]TheLifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,pp.158-159Thefollowingaresomeextractsofsomeofthedebates:

DebatewithAbuQurra

“WhereisAllah?”askedAbuQurra.Imamal-Ridha(as)answered,“The‘where’isaplace.Thisisthequestionofonewhoispresent

aboutonewho is absent.As forAllah, theMostHigh isnotabsent;norwas thereaneternal thingbeforeHim.He is everywhere.He isDirector,Creator,Keeper, theHolder of the heavens and theearth.”[177]

[177]TheLifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,p.195

DebatewiththeCatholic

Amongothers,al-Ma’munalsoinvitedZoroastrianPriests,Rabbi’s,CatholicArchbishoptodebate

withImamal-Ridha.Whentheyallarrivedinthepalace,al-Fadlb.SahlwentinahurrytotheImam(as)andsaid tohim:“MayIbeyourransom,yourcousin(i.e.al-Ma’mun) iswaitingforyou.Thepeoplehavegathered.Whatisyourviewofgoingtohim?”The Imam answered him that hewas ready to attend (the session) and that hewas going to al-

Ma’mun. The session was attended by the Ta’libiyyin, the Ha’shimites, the military commanders,Muslimandnon-Muslimscholars.WhentheImamcame,al-Ma’munandall thosewhowere in thesessionstoodupforhimandwelcomedhimwithhonour.TheImamsatwhilethepeoplewerestillstandinginordertoshowrespectforhim.Al-Ma’munorderedthemtositandtheysatdown.AllthepeopleinthesessionkeptsilentasasignofrespectfortheImam,andthenal-Ma’munturnedtotheCatholicArchbishopandsaidtohim:“Catholic,thisismycousinAlib.Musab.Jafar.HeisoneofthechildrenofFatemah,daughterofourProphet(sawa)andofAlib.AbuTalib(as).Iwouldlikeyoutodebatewithhimontheology,arguewithhim,andshowjusticetowardhim.”“Commander of the faithful, how can I arguewith amanwho argueswithme through a Book

whichwehavedeniedandaProphetwhomIdonotbelievein?”askedtheCatholic.TheCatholic thought that the Imam,peacebeonhim,wouldproduceevidence in supportofhis

beliefsthroughsomeversesoftheHolyQur ’anorthroughsomewordsoftheMessenger(sawa).AshehadnofaithintheQur ’anicversesandtheProphetictraditions,heaskedtheImamtogiveproofofhis beliefs from their ownBooks, and the Imam answered him saying: “Christian, if I give prooffromyourGospel,willyouadmitit?”“Yes,”retortedtheCatholic,“ByAllah,Iwilladmitit.CanlrepelwhattheBiblespeaksabout?”Imamal-Ridha(as)provedtotheCatholicfromtheBiblethatProphetMuhammadandhisfamily

hasbeenmentionedintheBible.HealsonamedthedisciplesofNabiIsa(as).Later theHoly Imamal-Ridha (as) added, saying: “ByAllah,webelieve in ‘Isawhobelieved in

Muhammad(sawa).Wehavenothingagainst‘Isaexcepthisweaknessandthepaucityofhisfastingandprayer.”WhentheCatholicheardthelastwordsoftheImam’sstatement,heshouted:“ByAllah,youhave

corruptedyourknowledge!Youraffairhasbecomeweak!IthoughtthatyouwerethemostlearnedoftheMuslims!”TheImamfacedhimcalmly,asking:“Why?”TheCatholiclosthismind,sohebegansaying:“Becauseofyourstatement(whichis)that‘Isawas

weakwithlittlefastingandpraying,(while)‘Isaneverbrokefastingbydayandneversleptbynight.Healwaysfastedbydayandprayedbynight.”TheImamgotreadytodisprovetheChristianbeliefwhichsaidthatNabiIsa(as)wasagodother

thanAllahandwasserved!HeaskedtheCatholic:“Forwhomdidhe(NabiIsa)fastandpray?”(InotherwordsImamal-Ridha(as)askedtheCatholic,‘ifyouclaimthatNabiIsaworshipped,thenwhodidheworship?Ifyouclaimthathewasagod?’)TheCatholicdidnotanswer,notknowingwhattosay.SotheImamturnedtohim,saying:“Iwant

toaskyouaquestion.”“Ask,”SaidtheCatholic,“IwillansweryouifIhaveknowledgeofit.”Imam al-Ridha (as) asked, “Did you not deny that ‘Isa gave life to the dead with Allah’s

permission?”“Ihaddeniedthatbefore,”theCatholicanswered,“hewhogiveslifetothedead,healstheblindand

theleprousisalordworthyofbeingserved.”TheImam(as)disprovedhisstatement,saying:“Indeedal-Yasa’didjustas‘Isa,peacebeonhim,

did:hewalkedonthewater,gavelifetothedead,andhealedtheblindandtheleprous.Whydidhiscommunitynotadopthimasalord?Whydidnotanyoneservehim(asagod)otherthanAllah?Hegavelifetothirty-fivemensixtyyearsaftertheirdeath.This(statement)isintheTorah.Nonedeniesitexceptanunbeliever.”TheCatholicadmiredtheImam’sknowledgeoftheirBooks,andthenhesaid:“Wehaveheardofit

andrecognizedit.”Imamal-Ridha(as)continued,“Ifyouhaveadopted‘Isaasalord,thenitispermissibleforyouto

adoptal-Yasa’andHizqalastwolords,fortheydidjustas‘Isab.Maryamdidsuchasgivinglifetothedead.YoucannotdenyallthesethingswhichIhavementionedtoyou,fortheTorah,theBible,theZabur(David’sPsalms)theFurqa`n(Qur ’a`n)havementionedthem”.TheImamcriticizedtheChristiansfortheiradoptingJesus(as)asalordotherthanAllah,forhe

gave life to the dead, healed the blind and the leprous,while suchmiracles happened through themaster of the prophets, theMessenger (sawa) and through somegreat prophets, but theywere notadoptedandservedaslordsotherthanAllah,theMostHigh.After the Catholic Archbishop had heard these brilliant words of the Imam, he addressed him,

saying:“Myviewagreeswithyours,andthereisnogodbutAllah.”[178]Imamal-Ridha(as)continuedandbroughtupalotofpointsfromtheBible.TheCatholicadmired

theImamandconfessedtohimthathehadnoknowledgeofallthat,saying:“ThisIdidnotknowandnowIhavelearnedfromyouthingswithwhichIwasfamiliarandtowhichmyhearttestifiestobethetruth.Ihave,therefore,gainedabetterunderstanding.”[179]

[178]TheLifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridhap199-204[179]TheLifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridhap206

DebatewithRabbi

Before starting thedebate theRabbiput forwardacondition that Imamal-Ridha shouldbasehis

argumentsontheTorah,BibleandZaburonly.TheImamagreedtothiscondition,saying:“DonotacceptanyprooffrommeexceptwhattheTorahsaysbythetongueofMusa`,theBiblebythetongueof‘Isab.Maryam,andtheZaburbythetongueofDawud,peacebeonthem.”AfterprovingthatProphetMuhammadismentionedintheTorahandZabur,Imamal-Ridhasaidto

theRabbi,“IwanttoquestionyouaboutyourprophetMusa`.”“Question,”wastheanswer.“WhatistheevidencefortheProphethoodofMusa`?”askedtheImam.TheRabbibeganproducingevidenceinsupportoftheProphethoodofMusa,saying:“Hebrought

whattheprophetsbeforehimhadnotbrought.”“Couldyougivemeanexampleofwhathebrought?”askedtheImam.TheRabbireplied:“Hesplitthesea,turnedthecaneintoarunningsnake,cleavedtherockssothat

springsgushedforthfromthem,tookouthishandshinningwhitefortheonlookers,andothersignsthelikeofwhichthecreatureareunabletobring.”TheImamconfirmedhisstatement,saying:“Youareright;theyareproofofhisProphethood.He

broughtthelikeofwhichthecreatureswereunabletobring.IsitobligatoryonyoutobelievehimwhoclaimsProphethoodandperformssomethingwhichallcreaturesareunabletoperform?”TheJewdeniedtheImam’sstatement,saying:“No,becausethereisnonelikeMusa`,becauseofhis

positionwithhisLordandhisnearnesstoHim.ItisnotincumbentonustoprofesstheProphethoodofhimwhoclaimsitunlesshebringsusknowledgesimilartothatbroughtbyMusa.”TheImamdisprovedtheJew’sstatement,saying:“Thenhowcomeyouadmittheprophethoodof

theotherprophetswhoprecededMusa`whodidnotsplitthesea;nordidtheycleavethestonesothattwelvespringswouldgushforthfromthem;nordidtheytaketheirhandsoutshiningwhiteasMusadid;nordidtheyturntherodintoasnakerunning.”The Jew replied: “I told you that if they performed signs as evidence for their Prophethood all

othercreationwereunabletoperform,iftheybroughtsomethingthelikeofwhichMusahadbroughtortheyfollowedwhatMusahadbrought,thenitisincumbentonustobelievethem.”TheImam,peacebeonhim,disprovedhisargument,saying:“HighRabbi,whathaspreventedyou

fromprofessing(theProphethoodof)‘Isab.Maryamwhobroughtthedeadtolife,healedtheblindandtheleprous,determinedoutofdustliketheformofabird,thenhebreathedintoitanditbecamebirdwithAllah’spermission?”TheJewdodgedandsaid:“Itissaidthathedidthat,butwedidnotseeit.”TheImamansweredhimwithaconclusiveargument,saying:“DidyouseethesignswhichMusa

performed?Weren’tMusa’strustworthycompanionswhogaveanaccountofthat?”“Yes,”cametheanswer.TheImamforcedhim(toadmitthat)throughadecisiveargument,andthenhesaid:“Inthismanner

the successive accounts about what ‘Isa` b. Maryam had done also came to you. So why do youbelieveinMusaanddonotbelievein‘Isa`?”TheHighRabbikeptsilent,andfeeblenessappearedonhisface,fortheImamhadclosedbefore

himall avenuesofargumentandestablishedadecisiveproofagainsthim.The Imam,peacebeonhim,added:“SuchisthematterofMuhammed,mayAllahblesshimandhisfamily,whathebrought,andeveryprophetwhomAllahsent.Amonghis(Muhammed’s)signsare:Hewasapoororphanandwage shepherd. He did not learn (reading and writing); nor he studied under a teacher. Then he

brought theQur ’an inwhich are the stories of the prophets, peace be on them, and their accountsletterforletter,andwhichreportsaboutthebygone(communities)andthosewhowillremainuntiltheDayofResurrection.Then it gives accounts of their secrets andwhat theydid in their houses;thereinaremanyverses(inthisconnection).”[180]SomeofthemafterthedebateacceptedIslam,forexampleal-Sabi’i.

[180]TheLifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,pp.208-212

Al-Sabi’ibecomesMuslim

‘Umranal-Sabi’iacknowledgedthemanyscientificabilitiesoftheImam,peacebeonhim,suchas

hisdefinitiveanswerstothemostdifficultphilosophicalquestions,whichnonewereabletoanswerexcept the divine successors of the prophets whom Allah endowed with knowledge and soundjudgment.Accordingly,heembracedIslamandbegansaying:“IwitnessthatAllah,theMostHigh,isas you have described, and witness that Muhammed, may Allah bless him and his family, is HisServantsentwithguidanceandthereligionofthetruth.”ThenheprostratedhimselfinprayerbeforeAllahandsubmittedtoHim.ThereligiousscholarsandthetheologiansadmiredtheImam’sknowledgeandtalents,hencetheytoldthepeopleabouthisexcellenceandabundantknowledge.As

foral-Ma’mun,hedrownedinpain,harbouredmaliceagainsttheImam,enviedhim,andthenleftthesession.[181]SomepointstoponderaboutAreanysuchdebatesfoundinthehistoryoftheIsmaili/FatimidImams? Thedivinely appointed Imamshad thoroughknowledgeofnotonlyQuranbut theother

heavenlybookstoo!AnysuchexamplesfoundamongtheIsmaili/Fatimidimams?ThedivinelyappointedImamscouldspeakalllanguages.Anysuchexamplesfoundamongthe

Ismaili/FatimidImams?ThedivineImamsafterImamAlial-Ridha(as)areasfollows:ImamMohammedTaqi(as),Imam

AliNaqi(as),ImamHasanAlAskari(as)&the12thImamMohammedAlMahdi(atfs)Asimplestudyofthelives,sayings,andtheworshipofalltheseImamsisavailableeasilynowon

theinternetandinbooksandcansufficetoprovethatthesearethedivineleaders.

[181]TheLifeofImamAliIbnMusaal-Ridha,pp.174-175

15ChapterProblemswithFiqh/Jurisprudence

Followingtherightchainisveryimportantotherwisethefollowersofthewrongimamarebound

togoastray.Itwillhaveaneffectontheirdeeds.TheIsmailis,mostlyBohras follow thebookofDa’aimul IslamwrittenbyQadial-Nu’man,and

useitastheirguideforjurisprudence.Qadial-Nu’manservedfouroftheIsmaili/FatimidImamsandwasintheirservicefor50yearsyetthisbookhasnosayingsoftheIsmaili/FatimidImams.Why?ThedivineImamsaresupposedtobefullofknowledgeandwisdomthenhowcomeQadial-Nu’mandidnot recordanyof thesayingsof the Ismaili/Fatimid Imams inhis famousbookDa’aimul Islam?IttookQadi alNu’man thirty years to complete this bookyet in these thirty years he foundnothingworthrecordingabouttheIsmaili/FatimidImamsinthisbook?Moreover,thebookhastraditionsoftheHolyProphet(sawa)andtheImamsuptoImamal-Sadiq(as),buthasnochainofnarrators,andthechainofnarratorsisveryimportantindeterminingifthetraditionisauthenticornot,especiallywhenthecontentofthetraditionisunusualanddoesnotmatchthenorm.Likementionedearlier,followingtherightchainisveryimportantotherwisethefollowersofthe

wrongimamaregoingtoperformthedeedsthatarenotaccurateandquestionable.Asanexample,I’d like to examine the Bohra Calendar. The Bohras take pride that they follow a fixed calendar;therefore,theyknowtheexactdatewhenanewlunarmonthwouldstartandwhenitfinishes.Ontheotherhand,themajorityoftheMuslimworldreliesonmoonsightingtodeterminethestartandendofamonth.AspertheHolyQur ’anandtraditionsoftheHolyProphet(sawa),Imamal-Baqir(as)andImamal-Sadiq(as),theMuslimsareinstructedtosightthenewmoontodeterminethestartandendofamonth.Iwould like to shed some lighton theBohracalendar andprove that theBohraCalendar isnot

accurate.

16ChapterTheBohraCalendar&Moonsighting

Qurantellsustofollowthelunarcalendar;however,itdoesnotspecifytheexactnumberofdays

inagivenmonth.Forinstance,QurandoesnottelltheMuslimsthatMuharramisalwaysgoingtobe30days,nordoesitsaythattheHolyRamadhanisalwaysgoingtobe30days.TheHolyQuran,SurahBaqarahverse189says:

جحلاو سانلل تیقاوم ہى لق ٠ ۃ ل ہ الا نع كنول ـــ سیTheyquestionyouconcerningthenewmoons.Say,“Theyaretimekeepingsignsforthepeopleand

[forthesakeof]hajj.[182]ت دودعم امایا(Fasting)acertainnumberofdays…[183]AndinSurahBaqarahverse185:ناك نمو ٠ ہ مصیلف ہر شلا مكنم شہد نمف ٠ ناقرفلاو ى ہد لا نم ت نیبو سانلل ىد نھ ارقلا ہ يف لزنا يذلا ناضمر شہر

ام ي لع ہ للا اوربكتلو ۃ دعلا اولمكتلو ٠ رسعلا مكب دیری الو رسیلا مكب ہ للا دیری ٠ رخا مایا نم ۃ دعف رفس ي لع وا اضیرم١٨۵ نوركشت مكلعلو مكى ھدThe month of Ramadan is that in which the Quran was revealed, a guidance to men and clear

proofsoftheguidanceandthedistinctionThereforewhoeverofyouispresentinthemonth,heshallfastthereinAndwhoeverissickoruponajourney,then[heshallfast]a[like]numberofotherdaysAllahdesireseaseforyou,andHedoesnotdesireforyoudifficulty,and[Hedesires]thatyoushouldcompletethenumberandthat

[182]SurahBaqarah(2),Ayah189;TranslationofSayyidAliQuliQarai[183]SurahBaqarah(2),Ayah184youshouldexalttheGreatnessofAllahforHishavingguidedyouandthatyoumaygivethanks.

[184]As per the ayahs above,we are supposed to follow the lunar calendar but nowhere doesQuran

specifyfixednumberofdaysforanymonths.Theahadithof theAhlulBayt(as)specifically tellus tostart fastingwhen themoonof theHoly

monthofRamadanissightedandthenstopfastingwhenthemoonofShawwalissighted.HereisatraditionoftheHolyProphet(sawa)thatisinthefamousbookofQadhiNumanthatthe

Ismailis,especiallytheBohrasfollow.الا اورطفت ال لاق و هرخآ يف وا راهنلا لوا يف كل ذ ناك سمشلا برغت ى تح اورطفت الف اراهن لدع اوذ هآر وا لالهلا متیار اذا : لاقهایار امهنا نیدهاش ةداهشب وا لالهلا ةیؤر نم اموی نیثالث مامتلTheHolyProphet(sawa)said:‘Wheninthedaytime,yousightthecrescentortwojust(‘Adil)personssightitdonotbreakyour

fastuntilthesunsets,thisiswhether(itissighted)inthebeginningofthedayorthelatterpartoftheday.Andhe(sawa)said:Donotstopfastingunless&untilallthirtydaysarecompletestartingwith

sightingofthecrescent(forthebeginningofRamadhan)orwiththewitnessingoftwowitnesseswhosightedit(crescentofShawwal).’[185](Meaning:ifthewitnessessightedthecrescentofShawwalearlierthenyoumuststopfastingeven

if30daysarenotcomplete).ThisiswhatcouldbeunderstoodfromthishadithoftheHolyProphet(sawa):Supposeitisthe29thdayofRamadhanandtwojust(‘Adil)peopleinformtheonewhoisfastingthattheysawthecrescentinthedaytime,thenthispersonshouldnotbreakthefast.Nowsupposeonefastsfor30daysandstillthemoonwasnotsightedthenheshouldnot

[184]SurahBaqarah185;TranslationofMHShakir[185]QadhiNuman(NumanibnMuhammed),Da’aimulIslam1stvol.,p.280fastmore than 30 days. Suppose themoonwas sighted on the 29th day and the two just (‘Adil)

peoplereportedit,thenheshouldnotfastthe30thday.Inotherwords,thishadithoftheHolyProphet(sawa)thatisfoundinDa’aimulIslam,clearlysays

thatthestartingandtheendingofthemonthshouldbebasedonsightingofthecrescent.WealsolearnfromthishadiththatRamadhancouldbelessthan30days.ThefollowingarecoupleofahadithofImamal-Baqir(as)andImamal-Sadiq(as): نب دامح نع ریمع يبأ نبا نع اعیمج دمحم نب دمحأ نع ىیحی نب دمحم نع و هیبأ نع میهاربإ نب يلع نع بوقعی نب دمحمرطفأف هتیأر اذإ و مصف لالهلا تیأر اذإف روهشلا ةلهأ يه لاقف ةلهألا نع لئس هنإ لاق ع هللا دبع يبأ نع يبلحلا نع نامثع Imam al-Sadiq (as) (when) he was asked about the crescents, so he said: The crescents are for

(distinguishing) the months, so when you sight the crescent, fast and when you sight it (at thebeginningofthenextmonth)stopfasting.[186]

لاق ع رفعج يبأ نع ملسم نب دمحم نع دامح و بویأ نع ریمع يبأ نب دمحم نع رایزهم نب يلع نع هدانسإب نسحلا نب دمحمثیدحلا ةیؤرلاب نكل و ينظتلاب وال يأرلاب سیل و اورطفأف هومتیأر اذإ و اوموصف لالهلا متیأر اذإ

Imamal-Baqir(as)said:fastwhenyousightthecrescentandstopfastingwhenyouseeitandnotwithopinionnorwithguessingbutwithactuallyseeingithappen.[186]TheIsmailisandtheIthnaAsharisbothbelieveinImamal-Baqirand

[185]Wasa’ilash-Shia,vol.10,p.252[186]Wasa’ilash-Shia,vol.10,p.252Imamal-Sadiq(as).Thesetraditionsareclearlysayingthatweshouldfastwhenweseethecrescent

andstop fastingwhenwesee thecrescentof thenextmonthandguesstimating isnotallowed.Thecrescent isvisibleafterabout seventeenhours [187]of conjunction (newbornmoon), sowhen theHolyProphet(sawa)andtheImams(as)askedtheMuslimstosightthecrescentthismeansthatmoonwillbeaboutseventeenhoursold.WeMuslimsfollowtheHolyQuranandQurandoesnotgiveallthedetails,forexampleittellsus

topraybutas forhowtoprayandhowmanyunitsare ineachprayer,wehave toget thesedetailsfrom the Holy Prophet (sawa) and his Holy Progeny (as). Similarly, Quran tells us that the newmoonsaretimekeepingsignsforthepeople.TheHolyProphet(sawa)andtheImams(as)clarifiedhowtodeterminewhenthemonthstarts;thatisbysightingthecrescent.It would be great to have an accurate calendar but unfortunately there is no such calendar. It is

impossibletocomeupwithanaccurateuniversalcalendarasthetimewhenthemooncanbesighted

differs from region to region. Since the traditionswe have from theHolyProphet (sawa) and theImams(as) tellusspecifically tosight thecrescent todetermine thestartof themonth,wehavenochoice but to submit. So, on theDay of Judgment ifwe are asked thenwe can present this strongargumentthatwefollowedtherulingsoftheHolyProphet(sawa).TheBohraswhichisasectofIsmailishavetheirownlunarcalendarandalltheBohrasaroundtheworldstartandendthemonthonthesamedate,theydonotconsidertheregionalvariationsatall.IftheBohraswouldconsidertheseregionalvariationstheywouldseethatitisimpossibleforthewholeworldtosightthecrescentatthesametime;thisisdueinparttotherisingandsettingofthemooninaperceivedarcfashionmuchlikethesun.InthesamewaythateverypointontheEarthdoesnotseethesuninthesameplaceatthesame

[187]Moonsighting.comunder‘FAQ’sYoungestmoon&SightingCriteria’AnswertoQuestions#2.1&10.6timetotheextentthatsomeareasarenotabletoseethesunatallforprolongedperiods,different

pointontheEarthwillnotseethemoonatthesameplaceatthetime.Theclearestexampleofhowaperson’slocationaffectswhattheycanandcan’tsee,astronomicallyspeaking,isthefactthatwhileitiswinterinthenorthernhemispherewithveryshortdaystotheextentthatinthearcticcircleitcanbenight formonthson endwhile at that same time it is summer in the southernhemisphere so therewouldbelongdaystotheextentintheAntarcticitisdayformonthsonend.Atthattime,inthesouthyoucanclearlysee thesunbut in thenorthespeciallyfarnorthyouwillnotsee thesunatall.Thesamecanbesaid for themoon that thereare timeswhenoneareawillclearlysee themoonwhileanotherwillbetotallydevoidofitspresence.So,itisimpossibletohaveonestandardlunarcalendarforthewholeworld.TheBohrasneglectwithrespecttothisfactseemstoshowthatsightingofthemoonforthemisnotacriteriawhenconstructingtheircalendarclearlycontradictingthetraditionoftheHolyProphet(sawa).TheydonotpayheedtothetraditionfromtheHolyProphet(sawa)foundintheirbooks(thathasbeenquotedabovefromtheirbookDa’aimulIslambyQadhiNuman)wheretheHolyProphet(sawa)clearlyspecifiesthesignificanceofsightingthecrescent.Nowthisheedlessnesscouldbeargued(allbeitwrongly)iftheircalendarwasaccuratebutaswewillseeitisnotaccurateatall.

17ChapterBohraIslamicCalendar

The Bohra/Ismaili calendar has fixed days for eachmonth every year except for themonth of

Dhul-Hijjah which alternates between 29 or 30 days. Below is a four year reading of a Bohracalendar.

1429Hijri/2008AD

Muharram30 days, Safar 29 days,Rabi ul-Awwal 30 days,Rabi uth-Thani 29 days, Jamadi ul-

Awwal 30 days, Jamadi uth-Thani 29 days, Rajab 30 days, Shaban 29 days, Ramadhan 30 days,Shawwal29days,Dhul-Qa’dah30daysandDhul-Hijjah30days.

1430Hijri/2009AD

Muharram30 days, Safar 29 days,Rabi ul-Awwal 30 days,Rabi uth-Thani 29 days, Jamadi ul-

Awwal 30 days, Jamadi uth-Thani 29 days, Rajab 30 days, Shaban 29 days, Ramadhan 30 days,Shawwal29days,Dhul-Qa’dah30daysandDhul-Hijjah29days.

1431Hijri/2010AD

Muharram30 days, Safar 29 days,Rabi ul-Awwal 30 days,Rabi uth-Thani 29 days, Jamadi ul-

Awwal 30 days, Jamadi uth-Thani 29 days, Rajab 30 days, Shaban 29 days, Ramadhan 30 days,Shawwal29days,Dhul-Qa’dah30daysandDhul-Hijjah30days.

1432Hijri/2011AD

Muharram30 days, Safar 29 days,Rabi ul-Awwal 30 days,Rabi uth-Thani 29 days, Jamadi ul-

Awwal 30 days, Jamadi uth-Thani 29 days, Rajab 30 days, Shaban 29 days, Ramadhan 30 days,Shawwal29days,Dhul-Qa’dah30daysandDhul-Hijjah29days.AspertheBohracalendar,alltheoddnumbermonthsare30daysandalltheevennumbermonths

are29daysexceptthelastmonth(Dhul-Hijjah)is29or30days.Therecanbenosuchpatternasfaras phases of themoon go. If itwould have been that simple theHoly Prophet (sawa)would havespecifiedit,buthedidnot.Moreover,thesciencetodayalsosaysthatthereisnogivenpattern.Some questions regarding the number of days in a lunar month were posed to

‘Moonsighting.com’, which specializes in the moon sighting issue; one of their answers is listedbelow:Question:Is thereapatternofsequenceof29and30daysmonth?Somepeoplesay thatafter19

yearsmoonphasesrepeat.Someotherssaythatafter30yearsmooncyclerepeats.Answer:After careful scrutiny of long term calculations ofmoon cycleswe found that, in fact,

there is no pattern.We have checked 4000 years of calculations i.e. 48000 months and found nopattern.The19yearcycleofGregorianyear(equalto228monthsinGregorianCalendar),isacycleafter

which themoon phases roughly repeat.Remember theword roughly,not exactly; and hence 228Gregorian months (or 6940 days) are approximately equal to 235 lunar months (19 years and 7monthinLunarCalendar).Similarly30lunaryears(10631days)areapproximatelyequalto29yearsand1monthofsolarcalendar,butagainthisisalsoapproximate.Longtermcalculationsbasedonthisrulesometimesgivesresultsthatarewrongbyoneday.Someothershavepointedacycleof210lunar years, and it has the same flawas 30year cycle. In short, there isnopattern that canbequotedexactlyrepeating.[188]

[188]Moonsighting.com

WheredotheBohrasgetthiscalendarfrom?

TheTabular Islamic calendar (an example is the Fatimid or Misri calendar) is a rule-based

variationoftheIslamiccalendarIthasthesamenumberingofyearsandmonths,butthemonthsaredeterminedbyarithmeticrulesrather thanbyobservationorastronomical calculations. ItwasdevelopedbyearlyMuslimastronomersofthesecondhijracentury(the8thcenturyoftheCommonEra)toprovideapredictabletimebaseforcalculatingthepositionsofthemoon,sun,andplanets.ItisusedbysomeMuslimsineverydaylife,particularlyintheBohraIsmailicommunity.Itistheirfirmbelief,thatallFatimidImamsandtheirDa’is[189]havefollowedthistradition.Eachyearhas12months.Theoddnumberedmonthshave30daysandtheevennumberedmonths

have29days,exceptinaleapyearwhenthe12thandfinalmonthhas30days.Thereare11leapyearsina30yearcycle.Notingthattheaverageyearhas35411/30daysanda

commonyearhas354days,attheendofthefirstyearofthe30-yearcycletheremainderis11/30day.Whenever the remainder exceeds a half day (15/30 day), then a leap day is added to that year,reducingtheremainderbyoneday.Thusattheendofthe

[189]RepresentativesoftheImamsecondyeartheremainderwouldbe22/30daywhichisreducedto−8/30daybyaleapday.Usingthisruletheleapyearsare2,5,7,10,13,16,18,21,24,26and29ofthe30-yearcycle.If

leapdaysareaddedwhenevertheremainderequalsorexceedsahalfday,thenallleapyearsarethesameexcept15replaces16.The IsmailiTayyebi (Bohra) communityuses the followingorderof leapyears in their30-year

cycle:2,5,8,10,13,16,19,21,24,27and29Apartfromthese,therearetwomoreordersfortheleapyearswhichareasfollows:2,5,7,10,13,15,18,21,24,26and292,5,8,11,13,16,19,21,24,27and30Themeanmonthis29191/360days=29.5305555…days.Thisisslightlytooshortandsowillbea

dayoutinabout2500years.[190]TheTabularIslamiccalendaralsodeviatesfromtheobservationbasedcalendarintheshorttermforvariousreasons.[191]TheBohracalendarhasanaveragemonthof29.530555[192]andthelong-termaverageduration

of the lunarmonth is29.530589aswecansee theaveragemonth in theBohracalendar is slightlyshorterthantheactualaveragemeaningthatinaround2500years[193]theBohra

[190]Detailedexplanationtofollow[191]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabular_Islamic_calendar[192]Weobtain thisby taking thecommonBohracalendaryear,6months29dayand6months30day,thenmultiplyingthatby30years(asthatisthecycle)andaddingonthe11leapdays.Finallywedividethatby30togettheaverageyearandby12togettheaveragemonth.[194]WeobtainthisvaluebysubtractingtheBohracalendaraveragemonthfromthelunarcalendaraveragemonth,thenwedivide1bythisnumber(aswearetryingtoseewhenthecalendarswilldifferbyaday)andfinallydividetheobtainednumberby12togetthevalueinyearsandwegetthevalue

2491.65years(approximately2500years)calendarwill be awhole day further behind[195] the scientifically calculated birth of themoon

couplethiswiththecurrentdifferencesandwecanconcludeinaround1000years(ascurrentlywearein1432)theBohracalendarwillhavelittletodowiththelunarphasesorlunarcalendar.Another important reasonwhy theBohra calendar is inaccurate iswhen I looked into themoon

sightingreportsforcoupleofmonths(HolyRamadhanandShawwal)andcompareditwiththeBohraCalendar, I found that theBohras calendar is definitelyoff and inoneof theyears (1431AH) theBohras started fasting when the moon was barely born! Actually, the Bohras in India startedRamadhanfastbeforethemoonwasbornin1431AH.Following is a four year study based upon the data found in moonsighting.com and

crescentmoonwatch.org:

[195]WhatthismeansisthattheBohrasafterabout1000yearswillbestartingthemonthaboutadayordayandahalfbeforethenewmoonisborn!!!Asitistheyaresometimesstartingthemonthevenbeforethemoonisborn.PleaseseebelowwhereRamadhanof1431Hijri(2010)isdiscussed.

MoonsightingforRamadan1429Hijri(2008)

TheastronomicalNewmoonisonSaturday,August30th,2008at19:57UT:Nosightingreportsare

expectedonAugust30.However,NigeriahasclaimedtoseethemoononSaturday.[196]Thismeans that themoonwas barely born onAugust 30th. It was seen on probably on 31st of

Augustor1stofSeptember.ThenthefirstoftheHolymonthofRamadhanshouldhavebeenthe1stofSeptormax2nd

[196]Moonsighting.com.NoteasperCrescentmoonwatch.orgthenewmoonwasbornat19:58UTanditwasnotvisibleatallonAug30th,2008.Inordertoaccessthedataoncrescentmoonwatch.orggoonthesiteandclickon‘nextnewmoon’andscrolldownanduntilyouseethe‘GlobalVisibilityMapsforpreviousmonths’. Also note that crescentmoonwatch.org is a non-Muslim site. The site address ishttp://www.crescentmoonwatch.org/ofSeptember,butasper theBohra/Ismailicalendar the1stofRamadanwasAugust31st, 2008. It

wasimpossibletoseethecrescentonAugust30th, thenhowcometheBohrasstartedfastingonthe31stofAugust?Indiais5½hoursaheadofUniversalTime(UTorGMT),sothemoonwasbornat1:27AMon

Aug31st(IndianStandardTime)andtheBohrasstartedfastingthesamedayinIndia!!!

MoonsightingreportforShawwal1429Hijri(2008)

TheAstronomicalNewMoonisonMonday,September29,2008at8:12GMT,4:12amEDT,1:12

amPDT).Itwillnotbevisible[197]onSeptember29exceptsmallpossibilityinPolynesianIslands.OnTuesday,September30,itwillbevisibleinNewZealandAustralia,Indonesia,SouthAsia,AfricaandAmericas.InNorthAmericaonSeptember30,itcanbeseeninSouthernbeltstates.[198]ThismeansthatthemoonofShawwalcouldbesightedonlyonthe30thofSeptemberor1stofOct

2008, soEidulFitr shouldhavebeenon1stor2nd ofOctober2008,but asper theBohra/Ismailiscalendar Eid ul Fitr was on Sept 30th, 2008. It was impossible to see the crescent on the 29th ofSeptember,thenhowcometheycelebratedtheEidonthe30th?IfonedoesnotfastintentionallyonadaythatfastingiswajibthenasperShariahheshouldmakeupthatfastandgivekaffarah(Penalty).TheBohrasneedtobecarefulandlookintothismatterseriously.

[197]Note:When they say not visible, theymean the crescent will not be visible even in the bestweatherconditions.[198]Moonsighting.com;andasperCrescentmoonwatch.orgthecrescentwasnotvisibleonthe29thexceptprobablywithopticalaidinSouthAfrica.

MoonsightingforRamadan1430Hijri(2009)

TheAstronomicalNewMoonisonAugust20,2009(Thursday)at10:01UT.Thismooncannotbe

seen in anycontinent.There is a small chance to seeonly inPolynesian IslandsonAugust20.OnAugust 21, it is very difficult to see inEurope andCanada. It can be seenwith difficulty in India,Pakistan,Middle East, and Northern Africa. OnAugust 21, it can be easily seen in New Zealand,Australia,mostofAfrica,andAmericas.[199]ThismeansthatthecrescentoftheHolymonthofRamadhancouldbesightedonlyonthe21stor

22nd ofAugustdependingon thehorizon, so the1st ofRamadan shouldhavebeen22ndor23rd ofAugust,2009,butaspertheBohra/Ismailicalendarthe1stofRamadanwason21stofAugust.ItwasimpossibletosightthecrescentonAugust20thbutstillBohraswentaheadandstartedfastingon21stofAugust?

[199]Moonsighting.com;Noteaspercrescentmoonwatch.orgthenewmoonwasbornat10:02UTanditwasnotvisibleatallonAugust20th.

NewSection

TheAstronomicalNewMoon isonSeptember18,2009 (Friday)at18:44UT.Thismoon isnot

visibleanywhereonSeptember18.OnSeptember19,itwillstillnotbevisibleinAsia,EuropeandCanada. Itcaneasilybeseen inSouthAfricaandSouthAmericaonSep19.On thesameday,withdifficulty, it is possible to be seen inWesternAustralia,CentralAfrica,Caribbean Islands,CentralAmericaandverySouthernareasofUSA.InUSA,onSep.19,themoonisgoingtobeverylowonthehorizonatsunset,sotrytoseebeforeMaghrib.Binocluarswillhelp.[200]ThismeansthatthemoonforShawwalcouldbesightedonSeptember20thor21stdependingonthe

zone,soEidulfitrshouldhavebeenon21stor22ndofSeptember,2009,butaspertheBohra/IsmailicalendarEidulFitrwason20thofSeptember,2009.Thecrescentwasnotatallvisibleonthe18thandon the19th itwasnotatallvisible inAsia,EuropeandCanadabut theBohras inAsia,EuropeandCanadacelebratedtheirEidonSeptember20th?

[200] Moonsighting.com; and as per crescentmoonwatch.org the moon was not visible at all onSeptember18thatall.

MoonsightingforRamadan1431Hijri(2010)

TheAstronomicalNewMoonisonAugust10,2010(Tuesday)at3:08UT.Onthisday,thismoon

may not be seen in any continent. With difficulty it may be visible in South America. Only inPolynesianIslandsonAugust10,itwillbeeasilyvisible.OnAugust11,itwillbeeasytoseeinNewZealand,Australia,South-EastAsia,AfricaandAmericas,whileitwillbedifficulttoseeinNorthernAsia,Europe,andCanada.[201]According to thedata above themoon for theHolymonthofRamadhanwasbarelyborn on

August10th,2010anditwasnotvisibleatallonthe10thofAugust.Henceitcouldhavebeensightedon11thofAugustor12thofAugust;thismeansthe1stofHolyRamadhanshouldhavebeen12thofAugustor13thofAugust.AspertheBohra/IsmailicalendarthefirstofRamadhanwasonthe10thofAugust,whichmeanstheyfastedonthedaythatmoonwasbarelyborn.AsamatteroffactIndiais5½hoursaheadofUniversalTime(UTorGMT),thenewmoonwas

born at 3:08UTon the 10th ofAugustwhich is equivalent to 8:38AM Indian StandardTime, thismeansthatBohraswhostartedfastinginIndiaonthe10thwouldhavestartedfastingbeforethenewmoonwasactuallyborn!!!Thisisanobviouserror.

[201]Moonsighting.com;andaspercrescentmoonwatch.orgthecrescentwillbeeasilyvisibleonlyinaverysmallpartofSouthAfricaandnowhereelseonAugust10th.

MoonsightingforShawwal1431(2010)

TheAstronomicalNewMoonisonSeptember8,2010(Wednesday)at10:30UT.Thismoonmay

notbevisibleanywhereonSeptember8exceptsomePolynesianIslands.OnSeptember9,itwillstillnotbevisibleinNorthernAsia,EuropeandCanada.ItcaneasilybeseeninNewZealand,Australia,South-EastAsia,AfricaandAmericasonSep9th.[202]

[202]Moonsighting.com;andaspercrescentmoonwatch.orgthecrescentwasnotvisibleatallexceptwiththeaidofopticalaidinSouthAfricaonlyonSeptember8th.ThedataaboveshowsthatthemoonforShawwalwasbornon8thofSeptember,2010andhenceit

was probably visible on September 9th, 2010. Hence, Eid ul Fitr should have been on 10th ofSeptember,butasper theBohra/IsmailcalendarEidulFitrwason9thofSeptember.Thescientificdata clearly says that crescent will not be visible at all except in Polynesian islands and as percrescentmoonwatch.org,withthehelpofopticalaidinSouthAfricaandnowhereelsebuttheBohrascelebratedEidon9thofSeptember?

MoonsightingforRamadan1432(2011)

TheAstronomicalNewMoonisonJuly30,2011(Saturday)at18:40UT.OnJuly30,itcannotbe

seenanywhereintheworld.OnSunday,July31,2011, itcanbeeasilyseeninSouthernAfricaandSouthAmerica,butwithdifficultyinCentralAfrica.OnAugust1, itcanbeeasilyseeneverywhereexceptNorthernEurope.[203]As per the information above, the moon was born on July 30th, 2011 and it cannot be seen

anywhere.HenceitwasprobablyvisibleonJuly31storAugust1st,2011,whichmeansthattheHolyRamadhan should have started on 1st of August or 2nd of August, 2011. As per the Bohra/Ismailicalendarthe1stofHolyRamadhanwason31stJuly,2011.

[203]Moonsighting.com;andaspercrescentmoonwatch.orgthecrescentwasnotvisibleatallonJuly30th

MoonsightingreportforShawwal1432(2011)

TheAstronomicalNewMoonisonAugust29,2011(Monday)at3:04UT.OnAugust29,bynaked

eyeitcanbeseeninSouthernpartofSouthAmericaandPolynesianIslands.Withbinocularsitmaybe seen inCapeTownSouthAfrica,Northernpart ofSouthAmerica, and inHawaii.OnTuesday,August30,2011,itcanbeeasilyseeneverywhereexceptNorthernAsiaandNorthernEurope.[204]

[204]Moonsighting.com; and as per crescentmoonwatch.org the crescentwas only visible in SouthAfricaonthe29thofAugust.AsperthedataabovethemoonforShawwalwasbornon29thofAugust,2011anditwasprobably

visibleonAugust29th,2011inveryfewplaceslikeSouthernpartofSouthAmericaandPolynesianIslands, but it was definitely not visible in India, UK, North America etc. It was easily visibleeverywhere onAugust 30th. Hence Eid ul Fitr should have been on 31st of August, but as per theBohra/Ismail calendar Eid ul Fitr was on 30th of August, 2011 and all the Bohras throughout theworldcelebratedEidon30thofAugust.Asperthedatapresentedabove,itisclearthattheBohracalendarisnotaccurateatall.Thedata

aboveshowsthatmostof thetimetheBohrasstartedthemonthbeforethecrescentwasvisibleandsometimes even before the crescent was born[125]in their region, which is against the rulings ofIslam.TheBohraCalendardoessoundverygoodasthedatesarefixed,butitisnotaccurateanditisagainsttherulingsofIslam.ItisinterestingthatBohrasfollowthebookDa’aimulIslamandthereisatradition of the Holy Prophet (sawa) regarding sighting the crescent, but the Bohras insist onfollowingacalendar.ItseemsthatthiscalendarwasmadebytheFatimidforthesakeofconvenienceonly. Like I said earlier, that itwould be great to have an accurate calendar, but unfortunately theBohraCalendarisnotaccurate.

[205]]InRamadhan1431H(2010),wediscussedabove.SomefrequentlyaskedquestionsaboutmoonsightingFollowingaresomeveryfrequentlyaskedquestionsthatwereposedtoMoonsighting.com:Question:Whatistheprocessonemustusetocorrectlysightthemoon?

AnswerofMoonsighting.com:Goafterabout15minutesaftersunset.Lookinthedirectionofthesettingsun,justaboveit,alsolooktotherightorleftofitupto30°ineitherdirectionofthesettingsun.Keeplookinguntilthetimeofmoonsetthatyoucanobtainfromlocalnewspapers.Binocularhelps.Haveoneormorepersonswithyou,ifpossible.Ifyoudothisforafewmonths,youwillknowyourselfaboutimprovingyourprocedure.Whateveningyoushouldgotolook,canbefoundfrommywebsite,orifyouknowwhenthemoonwassightedinyourareaforthepreviousmonth,thencount29daysfromit.Question:Ifthemoonisbig,doesitmeanitisaseconddaymoon?AnswerofMoonsighting.com:Asmostofusknow, themoongoes through severalphases.The

monthsoftheIslamicCalendararebasedonsightingofthenewmooneverymonth.InAstronomy,a

newmoonmeans “when the moon of the previous month disappears (i.e. the moon goes from aslightlyvisiblecrescenttoacompletelyblackspherethatisimpossibletobeseen).”Remember,newmoonisdarkandinvisible.About17-23hoursafterthenewmoon,athincrescentbecomesvisibleonearth; this is visible new moon. As we were taught by Allah (Qur ’an 2:189) and the ProphetMuhammad(peacebeuponhim),itisthesightingofthiscrescentthatmarksthestartofanewmonth.Therefore, even though amoonmaybe born on one day, itmay not been seen until the next day.Furthermore,ifanewmoonisbornlessthan15hoursbeforesunsetonday1;itwillnotbeenseenuntilsunsetofday2;andwhenit is finallyseen it is15+24=39hoursoldandwill lookvery thick.ThisdoesNOTmeanthatthisisaseconddaymoon.Afirstdaycrescent-mooncanbeverythininsomelocationsanditcanalsobethickinotherlocationsbecauseoftimedifference.AsMuslims,weshould always remember that our first priority is to follow the teachings of our beloved Prophet(peacebeuponhim)whotoldustostartthemonthwhenweseethecrescent,notwhenthemoonis“born.” If we do that, Insha-Allah we will start themonth at the “right” time (the time that Allahintendsforthemonthtostartforaspecificlocation).Formorequestionsregardingmoonsighting,pleasevisittheirwebsite.

18ChapterConclusivePoints

InthediscussionsofarafewexamplesandsomeextractsfromthelivesoftheIsmailiImamsand

someoftheIthnaAshariImamswerediscussed.WhenwelookatthehistoryofIsmailiImams,itisapparent that theywere not divinely appointed. They sinned and oppressed, like in the case of al-Hakim. How can we follow someone who sins? The Fatimid/Ismaili Imams had no traits in theirlifestyles toshowthat theywerespiritual Imams.Theyhavenonoblesayingsand their lifehistoryhasnothing in it thatonecansay,by lookingand following their lifestyle,onecouldgetcloser toAllah(swt).ThegoaloftheProphetsandtheImamswastoleadmankindclosertoAllah(swt),buttheFatimid/IsmailiImamshadnotraitsthatwouldleadsomeoneclosertotheAlmighty.On theotherhand, the Imamsof the IthnaAshariShiaswere fullofknowledge,had impeccable

characters,theirsayings,theirlifestylesandsupplications,allleadtowardsseekingclosenesstoAllah(swt).Yes,theFatimidperiodwasagoldenperiod.Egyptwasflourishing;nicemosquesanduniversity

like al-Azharwere built, I agree that thiswas a great achievement but this does notmean that theFatimidweretherightfulImams.Rightnow,whenwegotoSaudiArabia,theMasjidul-NabiandtheMasjidul-Haraamareverynicelybuilt.TheSaudi’sareworkingveryactivelyinpropagatingtheiropinionofIslam.Thisdoesnotmeanthattheyareontherightpath.Letusgoastepfurther,rightnowthe western countries are flourishing and they have very good universities, and they are highlydevelopednationsbutthisdoesnotmeanthattheyareontherightpath.Bohrasareveryorganized,so this isoneof thearguments thatIsmailiBohrasgive toprovethe

authenticityoftheirbeliefs.Beingorganizeddoesnotmeanthattheyareontherightpath!Thereareotherreligions thatprevail in theGujaratregionofIndiaandthosepeopleareveryorganizedtoo;doesitmeanthattheyareontherightpath?EventheAgaKhaniKhojasareveryorganized;doesitmeanthattheyareontherightpath?Moreover,iftheBohrasareontherightpaththenhowcomewedonotseepeopleaccepting their religion?Howcome theBohrasdonotpropagate their religion?Daiissupposedtoinvitepeopletowardsthereligion,ishedoinghisjob?WhentheyouthquestiontheBohraMullasabouttheinconsistencies,theyaretoldtofollowjust

like their fathers. There are ayahs in the Quran that condemn following the religion of yourforefathersblindly, forexample;“Whentheyare told‘FollowwhatAllahhassentdown,’ theysay,‘Wewillratherfollowwhatwehavefoundourfathersfollowing,’“whateveniftheirfathersneitherappliedreasonnorwereguided?!”[126]ThisAyahtellsusnottofollowblindlywhatourfathersandforefathers followed.Also tells us, that our fathers and forefathers could have been following thewrongpath.Iwas told, ‘What is thebigdeal, ifonefollows12Imamsor21Imams?’Theyfurtheraddedby

saying‘wefollowImamatetoo, likewearesupposedto.So,what is thebigdeal?’Well, it isabigdeal.Allah (swt) orders us to followHisProphet (sawa) and the ones vestedwith authority. IfwefollowtheonesnotvestedwithauthoritybyAllah(swt),thenwewillgoastray.Forexample:Ibuy very sophisticated equipment. It comes with an instruction booklet that asks me to call an

authorized agent for a demonstration. If I just follow the instruction booklet and not call theauthorized agent, then I am not following the instructions of the manufacturer. The manufacturerknowsitsproductandknowsthatjustfollowingtheinstructionbookletisnotenough.Alongwiththeinstructionbooklet,anauthorizedagent isnecessary.Mindyou, itmustbeanauthorizedagent,notanyleader.Inthesameway,Allah(swt)knowsus.Alongwiththebook,HesenttheMessenger(sawa)andtheImams(as).Wemustfollowthemall.WemustfollowtheonesHegavetheauthorityto.

[206]]SurahBaqarah(2),Ayah170Itisveryimportanttofollowthechain.Yes!Itisabigdeal.Pleasetakethisissueveryseriouslyand

do some research. Thisworld aswe know is temporary.We are being tested. The real life is thehereafter. Iknowthatworkkeepsusbusy.Weneedtohaveabalance.Weneedto takeout timeforAllah(swt).WeneedtoseekclosenesstoAllah(swt).InordertoseekclosenesstoHim,weneedtobelieve in all theMessengers and followour Prophet (sawa) and all the Imams (as).Aswe know,Risalat[207]andImamatarebothimportant,becausetheybotharepartoftheprinciplesofreligion.Asperourbelief,ontheDayofJudgment,wewillbecalledwithourImams;ifinthisworld,we

believedintherightfulImams,theonesthattheHolyProphet(sawa)declaredbytheorderofAllah,thenweshallbecalledwiththem.Otherwise,Godforbid,ifwehadfollowedthewrongimams,thenwewillbeintheirgroup.Sowedefinitelydoneedtodosomeseriousresearchanduseourintellectanddecide.Weshouldresearchwithoutanybiasandweshouldbecarefulwhenweencounterthetruthbecause

peoplereacttothetruthindifferentways.Someknowthetruth,butduetosocialpressures,theydonotacceptthetruth.Tothem,societyismoreimportantthanthewordoftheAlmighty.Theythinkthattheywillliveinthisworldforeverandlookattheworldlythingsandclingtotheearth.SomesaythesethingsdonotmatteraslongasweprayandfastandgotoHajjetc.Thisisawrongbelief!IrepeatthatSatanworshippedAllah(swt)likenooneelse.TheonlywrongthinghedidwastodisobeyonecommandofAllah(swt),whenherefusedtodoSajda[207]toAdam(as).SatanrefusedtoobeyonlyonecommandofAllah(swt),andalltheyearsofhisworshipwerenullifiedandhewasthrownoutofthekingdomofmercy.Allah(swt)wantsustoworshipHimthewayhewantstobeworshipped.Weshouldreallyponderonthis.Theproblemwithus,Muslims,isthatwepickandchoose.Thethingsthatareeasytodooraresociallyacceptable,orareprofitable,weacceptthem;the

[206]Prophethood[207]Prostrateonesthatwedonotwanttodoforsomereason,werejectorjustify.TheproblemwithusMuslims

isthatwedonotsubmittoHislaws.Some say that it doesnotmatterwhatwebelieve as long aswedo righteousdeeds. If onedoes

righteousdeedswithoutbelief,isthatsufficient?Whataretherighteousdeeds?IntheHolyQuran,wheneverweseethementionofrighteousdeeds,itisaccompaniedbybeliefin

almostalltheayahs.ForexampleinSuratulBayyinatverse7:٧ ۃ يربلا ریخ ہم ىك لوا ٠ ت حل صلا اولمعو اونم ا نیذلا ناThosewhohavefaithanddorighteousdeeds,-theyarethebestofcreatures.[208]

Anotherexample,SuratulBaqarahverse82:٨٢ نودل خ ہا يف ٠ھم ۃ نجلا ب حصا ىك لوا ت حل صلا اولمعو اونم ا نیذلاوAnd thosewhohave faith anddo righteousdeeds, they shall be the inhabitants of paradise; they

shallremaininit(forever).[209]And there are many other places where faith and righteous deeds come together. Bottom line:

righteousdeedsarealmostalwayswithfaith(Imaan)inQuran.Ifonedoesrighteousdeedsonly,withouthavingfaith(Imaan), thenit isnotenough;thesedeeds

whichareapparentlygooddeedswillnothelpthispersoninthehereafter.TheHolyQuran,SurahNurverse39,says:ىہ فوف ہ دنع ہ للا دجوو ا ـ ــــ شـي ہ دجی مل ءہ اج اذا ي تح ٠ ء ام ن امظلا ہ بسحی ۃ عیقب بارسك ہم لامعا ا ورفك نیذلاو

٣٩ باسحلا عیرس ہ للاو ٠ ہ باسحAsforthefaithless,theirworksarelikeamirageinaplain,

[208]SuratulBayyinat(98),Ayah7[209]SuratulBaqarah(2),Ayah82whichthethirstymansupposestobewater.Whenhecomestoit,hefindsittobenothing;butthere

hefindsAllah,whowillpayhimhisfullaccount,andAllahisswiftatreckoning.[210]Whatisimaan?IfonesaystheShahadatain(IbearwitnessthatthereisnogodbutAllah,andIbear

witnessthatMuhammadistheMessengerofAllah),isthatenough?Doesitmeanthatthispersonhasfaith?Theanswerisno!AsperQuranSuratulHujuratverse14:مكتل ہاليـ لوسرو ہ للا اوعیطت ناو ٠ مكبولق يف نامیالا لخدی املو انملسا ا ولوق نك لو اونم وت مل لق ٠ انم ا بارعالا تلاق

١۴ میحر روفغ ہ للا نا ٠ ا ـــــ شـي مكلامعا نمTheBedouinssay,“Wehavefaith.”Say,“Youdonothavefaithyet;rathersay,“Wehaveembraced

Islam,”forfaithhasnotyetenteredintoyourhearts.YetifyouobeyAllahandHisApostle,Hewillnotstintanythingof(therewardof)yourworks.IndeedAllahisall-forgiving,all-merciful.”[211]ThisayahisclearlysayingthatifoneembracesIslam,itdoesnotmeanthatthispersonhasfaith.

Thistellsusthatmoreisneededtosaythatwehavefaith!OnecannotjustsaythathehasfaithwhenheembracesIslam.Then,whatisfaith?Whencanonesaythathehasfaith?ImamAli(as)inNahjulBalaghasays: ناكرالاب لمع و ناسللاب رارقا و بلقلاب ةفرعم نامیالا لاقف نامیالا نع لئس [ دق ] و لاق و

Hewasaskedaboutfaithsohesaid;faithistoknowwithone’sheartandaffirmwithone’stongueandtoactwithone’s

[210]SuratulNur(24),Ayah39[211]SuratulHujurat(49),Ayah14limbs.[212]He(as)issayingthat:Imaanismadeupofthreeelements(Rukn),Tongue(Say),Heart(Belief)and

Amal(Practice).Letusponderonthishadith:IfonesaystheShahadatainusinghistonguebutdoesnotbelieveinit

andnorpracticesit,thenwhatgoodisit?Ifonesaysitandbelievesinitbutdoesnotpractice,thenwhatgoodisit?Ifonesaysit,practicesitanddoesnotbelieveinit,heisahypocrite.Therefore,whatImamAli(as)hadrightlysaidinorderforonetohaveImaan,heshouldsayitandbelieveinitfrom

thebottomofhisheartandpractice.Whatare the righteousdeeds?Therighteousdeedsare those thatare requiredby thedivine law.

Once a person has Imaan in the true sense (say it, believe in it and practice it), then he will dorighteousdeeds.In order to practice and do righteous deeds, then it is important to follow the rightful divine

leaders.Otherwise,ifwefollowtheoneswhoarenotdivinethenwewillendupdoingdeedsthatweareassumingare righteousbutare likemirages, just likewhat theayahofSurahNur that Iquotedabove,says.Followingtheoneswhoarenotdivinelyappointedwillendupindeedsthatarenullandvoid.[213]Somepeoplesaythatintentioncounts,iftheintentionisgoodthenthatisallthatmatters.Agooddeed,inordertobeaccepted,mustbedoneright.Otherwise,itwillnotbeaccepted,whethertheintentionwaspureornot.Iwillgiveaworldlyexample:Letustakecomputersforinstance;whenwearesupposedtohit‘enter ’andwehit‘backspace’instead,thecomputerwillnotacceptthecommand.Wewillgonoplace,nomatterhowgoodourintentionis.Fromthisworldlyexample,weseetheresultsofworldlythingsrightinthisworld.ButwebelieveinAllah(swt),whoisUnseen.Webelieveintheheavenandhell,whichareunseen.Webelieveinthehereafter,whichisunseen,andtherewardsorpunishmentthatweaccumulate

[212]NahjulBalagha,Saying#227[213]TheBohracalendardiscussedearlierprovesthispointinshaAllahforthedeedswedoforthehereafterareunseen.Sowedoneedtobecarefulandperformthedeeds

asper therequirementofourLord theAlmighty.Wecando thatonlywhenwefollowtherightfuldivinerepresentativessentorappointedbyAllah(swt).IfwefollowanyTomDickandHarry,wewillerr.Enoughinformationwasprovidedinthislittlebookletforonetoseriouslyponderaboutanduse

theintellectandscrutinizewithoutanybias,inordertoseekclosenesstotheAlmightyAllah(swt).ImyselfwasaBohraonce,IhadmanyquestionsandafterIgotmyanswersIconvertedtoIthna

AshariShiasect,andIwantedtosharemyfindingswithothers.Ifanyonehasanyargumentsagainstwhat Iwroteormybeliefs, I amwilling to listen. Ibelieve thatweshouldneverbebiasedandweshouldalwaysleavethelidofourheartopen,sothattheguidancecouldseepin.IwouldliketoconcludewiththesayingofNabiShoayb(as)tohispeoplewhichisinQur ’anIn

SuratulHudverse88:Hesaid,“Omypeople!Haveyouconsidered,shouldIstandonamanifestprooffrommyLord,

whohasprovidedmeagoodprovisionfromHimself?IdonotwishtoopposeyoubywhatIforbidyou.Ionlydesiretoputthingsinorder,asfarasIcan,andmysuccessliesonlywithAllah:inHimIhaveputmytrust,andtoHimIturnpenitently.”[214]

[214]SuratulHud(11),Ayah88

19ChapterFinalpointstoponderabout

TheBohrasandtheIthnaAshariShiasarecommonintheirbeliefupuntilImamal-Sadiq(as),then

howcometheBohrasdonotconsiderthesayingsoftheHolyProphet(sawa)wherehetalkedabouthavingtwelvesuccessorsandalsothetraditionsoftheHolyProphet(sawa)regardingjurisprudence,forexamplethetraditiononmoonsightingthatisfoundintheirownbook,‘Da’aimulIslam’thatwasquotedearlier? IftheBohrasbelieveinImamal-Baqir(as)andImamal-Sadiq(as),thenwhydotheynot

follow theauthentic traditionsof Imamal-Baqir (as)andImamal-Sadiq (as) found in theauthenticbooksofIthnaAshariShias?WhydotheBohrasinsistonfollowingjustonebook‘Da’aimulIslam’forderivingtheirrulings,knowingthatDa’aimulIslamdoesnothavethechainofnarrators,sothereisnowayofknowingifthetraditionbeingquotedisauthenticornot?Onemustbelieveintheprinciplesofreligion(DivineUnity,DivineJustice,Prophethood,

ImamateandTheDayofJudgment)inordertobeabeliever;onecannotbelieveinfouroutoffivetenetsandstillconsiderhimselfabeliever.AmongthefivetenetsisProphethood,onemustbelieveinall124,000Prophetsinordertobeabeliever,andsimilarly,theImamate;onemustbelieveinallthedivinelyappointedImamsinordertobeabeliever.WeprovedearlierthattheFatimid/IsmailiImamscouldnothavebeendivinelyappointed. TherearetraditionsoftheHolyProphet(sawa)regardingtwelvesuccessorsfoundinthe

books of Shias aswell asAhle Sunna.However not a single tradition regarding 21 successors isfoundinanybooks.Why? Thereare traditionsof theHolyProphet (sawa) regarding twelvesuccessors found in the

books of Shias as well as the books of Ahle Sunna. However not a single tradition regarding 21successorsor49successorsisfoundinanybooks.Why? Ichallenge ifonecan findoneauthentichadithof theHolyProphet (sawa) regarding21

Imams(Bohrabelief)or49Imams(AghaKhanibelief).

20ChapterBibliography

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www.IslamicMobility.com"WisdomisthelostpropertyoftheBeliever,lethimclaimitwhereverhefindsit"-ImamAli(as)"