A Word Praised in the Quran — On the Accusation That Love of the Prophet’s Household Is an Innovation

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A Word Praised in the Quran — On the Accusation That Love of the Prophet’s Household Is an Innovation — Lawāmiʿ al-Anwār
Lawāmiʿ al-Anwār  ·  Islamic Scholarly Tradition

A Discussion in Quranic Exegesis, Ḥadīth, and the Science of Narrator Criticism

Majd al-Dīn ibn Muḥammad al-Muʾayyidī  ·  d. 1428 AH

They made the very word a crime. The term tashayyuʿ — partisanship toward the household of the Prophet ﷺ — was treated by their scholars as a ground for impeaching a narrator, when the same word appears in the Quran as a title of honour for Ibrāhīm himself. The author exposes the contradiction at the heart of their position.

I. The Word the Quran Praises

A term of honour in the Book of God, turned into a mark of disgrace

Among the most astonishing instances of the obstinacy of the factions of those who lead others astray — from among the enemies of the household of the Trustworthy Messenger ﷺ — is that they have made mere partisanship (tashayyuʿ) toward the household of Muḥammad ﷺ an innovation, as we have previously established from their own statements and confirmed it as their position. They have counted its very name among the grounds for impeachment and the causes of discrediting a narrator — whereas it is a word praised specifically by its own wording in the Noble Book, as in the Most High’s words concerning His intimate friend (may God’s blessings be upon him):

“And indeed, among his followers was Ibrāhīm.”

— Al-Ṣāffāt 37:83

And on the tongue of the Messenger ﷺ in the many reports that all factions of the community have agreed on transmitting. And its meaning is taken from1 God Almighty’s and His Messenger’s ﷺ imposition of allegiance, affection, and firm adherence to them — and what falls under those headings — as an obligation2 upon all those possessed of sound reason.

II. Ibn Ḥajar al-Makkī’s Unwitting Testimony

He cited the proof against himself in his own book

And look at the brazenness of this Shaykh, where he said in his Ṣawāʿiq,3 in his commentary on the Most High’s words:

“And indeed I am Most Forgiving toward whoever repents, believes, and does righteous deeds, then remains guided.”

— Ṭāhā 20:82

In his exact words: Thābit al-Bunānī said: “remains guided” — to allegiance toward the people of his household ﷺ.

III. The Transmitted Interpretations

From al-Ḥusayn, Abū Dharr, and al-Bāqir — all pointing to one meaning

I say: Al-Ḥākim al-Ḥaskānī transmitted with his chain to al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī (peace be upon him),4 concerning the Most High’s words: {And indeed I am Most Forgiving toward whoever repents…} up to: {then remains guided} — that he said concerning ʿAlī (peace be upon him): “to allegiance toward you.”

And from Abū Dharr:5 to love of the household of Muḥammad ﷺ.

And from al-Bāqir, who said: to allegiance toward us, the household. He transmitted it from him through two chains.6

This was noted — may God support him — in the takhrīj;7 and it has already been cited.8

Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī said: And this has been transmitted from Abū Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq.9

IV. The Prophet’s Words to ʿAlī

Your partisans shall come before God content — your enemy enraged

And he cited from ʿAlī (peace be upon him) … up to his words: My intimate friend Muḥammad ﷺ said: “You shall come before God Almighty with your partisans content and contented with, and your enemy shall come before Him enraged, with necks craned upward” — then he clasped his hand to show them the meaning of craning upward.

Editor’s Notes

The following footnotes are editorial additions accompanying the text and are not the author’s own words.

1. That is, partisanship (tashayyuʿ) is praised by its very wording as it appears in the Book of God Almighty, and is praised by its meaning through God Almighty’s and His Messenger’s ﷺ imposition of allegiance — as in the verse of affection, the ḥadīth of holding fast, and others.
2. His words “upon all” are connected to his words “imposition” — i.e. the imposition upon all those possessed of sound reason.
3. Al-Ṣawāʿiq al-Muḥriqa of Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī (2nd ed., p. 235), Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyya edition.
4. Shawāhid al-Tanzīl (1/376), no. 521.
5. Shawāhid al-Tanzīl (1/377), no. 522.
6. Shawāhid al-Tanzīl (1/375), nos. 518 and 519.
7. Al-Shāfī with takhrīj (1/313).
8. In the ninth chapter of Lawāmiʿ al-Anwār.
9. Al-Ṣawāʿiq al-Muḥriqa of Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī (2nd ed., p. 235), Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyya edition.
Source

Lawāmiʿ al-Anwār fī Jawāmiʿ al-ʿUlūm wa-l-Āthār (Radiant Lights in the Compendium of Sciences and Traditions), by Majd al-Dīn ibn Muḥammad al-Muʾayyidī (d. 1428 AH). Chapter: A Word Praised in the Quran — On the Accusation That Partisanship toward the Household of Muḥammad Is an Innovation.