Justifying Falsehood in the Name of Orthodoxy: A Critique of Calumny against the Family of Muhammad

Should I interpret the Imams of the Family of Muhammad—the callers and their scholars—charitably in matters where their biographies and reports are ambiguous, or should I take advantage of that to defame them and lie against them with the aim of intentionally discrediting them?!
—And for some people, mubāhatah (calumnious confrontation) is a hidden form of religiosity, attainable only by scholars; those people think they are following the Family of Muhammad in this—yet they have lied against the pure progeny.

It is narrated by the “Shaykh of the Imamiyyah,” al-Kulaynī, through a chain he considered sound, from Dāwūd ibn Sirḥān, from Abū ʿAbd Allāh (peace be upon him), who said: The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:

“When you see the people of doubt and innovation after me, openly declare dissociation from them, increase in reviling them, speaking against them, and disparaging them, and confront them with calumny¹ so that they do not aspire to cause corruption in Islam, so that people beware of them and do not learn from their innovations. God will record good deeds for you because of that and will raise your درجات (ranks) in the Hereafter.”

(Al-Kāfī 4/123). Al-Majlisī declared it authentic (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl 11/77). The point of evidence is his statement: “and confront them with calumny.”

The scholar Abū al-Qāsim al-Khoei says—when asked: “Is it permissible to lie about an innovator or a promoter of misguidance in the course of arguing against him if the lie would refute his proof and invalidate his false claims?”—al-Khoei replied: “If refuting his falsehood depends on it, then it is permissible.” (Ṣirāṭ al-Najāh 1/447).

—Therefore, their hadith heritage is the greatest heritage in false accusation and obscenity against the nobles of the descendants of al-Ḥusayn (peace be upon them), for separating people from them is achieved only through that! We have even found al-Khoei and others like him openly committing abuse against them!

May God grant you success.
O God, send prayers and peace upon Muhammad and upon the Family of Muhammad

Translation of Ustadh Kadhim Al Zaydi (May Allah reward him)

Footnotes

¹ – The making of false and defamatory statements about someone in order to damage their reputation; slander.