Aghlu fi Bad al-Qaraba wa Jafa fi al-Anbiya wa al-Sahaba
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- Dār al-Mughnī
Aghlu fi Bad al-Qaraba wa Jafa fi al-Anbiya wa al-Sahaba (Is it Extremism Regarding Some Kin and Coldness Towards the Prophets and Companions?) is a polemical treatise by the Saudi hadith scholar Abd al-Muhsin al-Abbad addressing modern and classical Twelver Shi'i doctrines concerning the Prophet's household (Ahl al-Bayt), the earlier prophets, and the Prophet's Companions.
Background and Purpose
Al-Abbad composed the work after examining the transcript and audio recording of a lecture by the Kuwaiti Shi'i figure Yasser al-Habib. Al-Abbad noted that the recording contained extreme veneration for certain figures among the Prophet's household alongside hostility toward earlier prophets and the Companions, especially Abu Bakr and Umar ibn al-Khattab. Rather than engaging in an exhaustive point-by-point rebuttal, al-Abbad stated that citing such discourse alongside earlier Shi'i literature was sufficient to illustrate its nature, contrasting those claims with the Sunni creed regarding the Companions and the Prophet's family.
Contents and Arguments
Critiques of Shi'i Doctrines
The treatise presents excerpts of contemporary and historical Twelver Shi'i writings to argue that they elevate their Imams above earlier prophets and display hostility toward the Companions:
- Exaltation of the Imams above Prophets: Al-Abbad quotes al-Habib and Ruhollah Khomeini (from al-Hukuma al-Islamiyya) asserting that Fatima and the Twelve Imams hold a status higher than prophets such as Ibrahim. He also cites chapter titles from al-Kulayni's Usul al-Kafi that attribute knowledge of the unseen, cosmological supremacy, and exclusive knowledge of scripture to the Imams.
- Condemnation of Abu Bakr and Umar: Al-Abbad reproduces passages from al-Habib attacking Abu Bakr and Umar. He traces these views to earlier figures, citing Nimat Allah al-Jaza'iri's al-Anwar al-Nu'maniyya and the 1,000-verse poem al-Qasida al-Udhriyya by Kazim al-Udhri (d. 1212 AH), citing critiques from Mahmud al-Mallah's al-Raziyya fi al-Qasida al-Udhriyya.
- Reliability of the Transmission: Quoting Abu Zur'a al-Razi, al-Abbad emphasizes that defaming the Companions undermines the preservation and transmission of the Quran and the Sunnah, as they were the witnesses and conveyors of revelation.
The Sunni Position
Al-Abbad outlines the Sunni perspective on the Companions and the Prophet's household, supporting it with classical narrations:
- Statements of Ali ibn Abi Talib: The text cites narrations from Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and Musnad Ahmad wherein Ali ibn Abi Talib explicitly declared Abu Bakr and Umar to be the best of the Muslim community after the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. It also notes that Ali named three of his sons Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman, and married his daughter Umm Kulthum to Umar.
- Legitimacy of Succession and Inheritance: The author defends Abu Bakr's caliphate by citing prophetic reports and explains the legal withholding of the Prophet's estate at Fadak as compliance with the hadith stating that prophets do not leave inheritance.
- Definition and Honor of Ahl al-Bayt: Al-Abbad defines Ahl al-Bayt in Sunni theology as the Prophet's wives, his offspring, and all Muslim descendants of Banu Hashim, referring readers to his earlier 1422 AH treatise Fadl Ahl al-Bayt wa-Uluww Makanatihim 'inda Ahl al-Sunna wa-l-Jama'a (The Virtue of the Prophet's Household and Their High Status among Ahl al-Sunna). He maintains that while noble lineage is valued, it remains secondary to faith and righteous actions.
- Naming Traditions: To illustrate Sunni affection for both the Companions and the Prophet's family, al-Abbad highlights the historical practice of naming children after both groups, citing scholars such as Ibn Daqiq al-Id and Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, as well as his own naming choices for his children.
Answer updated