A Probe into Imam Ali's Government

[humble_servant_us]

In 35 AH, after the death of the third caliph, the Muslim community rushed to Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and paid allegiance to him as the apparent ruler of the Muslim world. In 40 AH, the accursed Ibn Muljim struck the Imam with a poisonous sword, ending the Imam's reign. Despite being distracted by three tiresome battles during this short time, the Imam nonetheless established a golden era in the history of Islam, one that extended the legacy of the Prophet's era. Imam Ali's government has set the example in terms of ruling and leadership, and it deserves to be studied and understood.

The Two Dimensions

Imam Ali said "Know that people are of two types: they are either your brothers in religion or your equals in creation." (Nahjul Balagha, Sermon #53)

These words summarize the philosophy behind the government of Imam Ali. The leadership of the Imam was centered on the religion as one and the human being as the other. In reality, both cores imply the other, and they complete one another.

Islam as the Core

Imam Ali was the infallible representative of Allah, and we know that he would have never gone against Allah. It is the Imam's dedication to the religion of Islam that made him establish justice and oppose all forms of oppression. One example of that fact was recounted by a woman called Sawda bint Amara Al-Hamadaneyya. She says that she came to the Imam Ali, and he was about to begin his prayers. As soon as he saw her, he came to her, and gently asked her need. She told the Imam about an injustice committed by one of the ministers appointed by the Imam. The Imam cried and said, "Oh Allah! I bear You as my witness and theirs, I have not ordered them to oppress your creations." He immediately deposed his minister. (Kashf Al Ghumma)

Another dimension of his justice was the policy that no one was above from the law, even himself. The law during the Imam's term did not distinguish between poor and rich, relative or stranger, merchant or farmer. The story is famous when the Jewish man stole Imam Ali's shield. The Imam, despite being the infallible leader who has control of the whole nation, did not abuse his power and went to court. The judge ruled the shield for the Jewish man, and the Imam accepted the decision. The Jewish man accepted Islam after seeing the justice of the Commander of the Faithful.

Imam Ali truly excelled in keeping Islam alive, protecting the welfare of the community, and spreading justice. And how can this come as a surprise when it is he who says "By God, even if I am given all the domains of the seven (stars) with all that exists under the skies in order that I may disobey Allah to the extent of snatching one grain of barley from an ant, I would not do it."(Nahjul Balagha, Sermon 224)

Humanity as the Core

The religion of Islam is dedicated towards the human being and ensuring a productive life in this world and the Hereafter. Since Islam was at the core of Imam Ali's leadership, the human being becomes a core automatically.

The Imam did not segregate between the social classes. The Imam was often seen roaming the streets of Kufa like everyone else. He did not need the army to protect him. He did not require a showy parade to inform people that he was passing by. In fact, many times, the people who interacted with him did not even recognize him. The Imam used to help them. The Imam used to protect them. One recalls the time where he brought food for a widow and her children and how he played with orphans. The Imam was part of his people.

He cared about the poor very much. His representative in Basra, Othman ibn Hunaif Al Ansari, was once invited to a feast by a rich person. When Imam Ali knew about the invitation, he sent a letter to his representative condemning this act [feasting with the rich while the poor have no place in that]. (Nahjul Balagha, Letter 45)


The Imam worked very hard to ensure that no person felt on the outside of the community. Even if the person was not a Muslim, the Imam wanted everyone to feel welcomed.

The Imam was once walking in the streets, and he passed by a Christian beggar. His question was, "What is this?" When they told him that he is an old Christian man who cannot work and is asking people for help, the Imam replied and said, "you [the Muslim community] used him [in his youth] and when he became old, you left him." Then the Imam assigned a salary for him from the treasury, the same way he did with Muslims. (Wasa'il al-Shia)

The question the Imam raised in the previous story sheds light on yet another important aspect of his government. Note that the Imam did not ask about the identity of the beggar; rather, he asked about the situation. (What, not who, is this?) In other words, the Imam rendered begging as uncommon during his rule, and in fact it was. Imam Ali fought poverty and begging by providing the three most essential needs for humans, independent of who they were: shelter, water, and sustenance (usually in the form of jobs). Unemployment was almost nonexistent during the Imam Ali's rule. (Fatima Al Zahraa – Alayha Al Salam Afdal Oswa Lil Nisa')

The Need for Inspiration

The leadership of Imam Ali is a school we all have to learn from. During those years, his domain extended over fifty countries as per today's map. It is unfortunate that today, with all the technological advancements, there are countries with worrying unemployment rates. There are countries where water is barely available. There are countries where people sleep on the streets. And more importantly, there are countries who belong to Islam by name, but when it comes to the laws, the religion could not be any further.

It is incumbent upon us to learn from the examples of our Prophet and Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them all), and we should strive hard to change our situation to the better. This of course is the necessary lead-in to the government of Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance) – the government which will be a continuation of the Prophet's and Imam Ali's leadership examples.

http://islamicinsights.com/religion/his ... nment.html

[lakshya]

Imam Ali was masooom....

[humble_servant_us]

The Perfect Leader
For all of its material progress, modern society continues to suffer from incredible moral lapses, and honest role
models and leaders are a distant memory. The search for leaders free of shameful attributes appears to draw voids as we live in a world increasingly overtaken by gluttony and corruption. The question then arises: where are the honest leaders? Although it would be predictable to disparage the West for its apparent lack of moral leaders, in this case charity begins at home, and the Muslim world continues to produce leaders that easily outdo even the worst Western politicians.
Instead of having responsible and innovative presidents, prime ministers, and even clerical bodies, the Muslim world is plagued by leaders searching for their own self interest at the detriment of the people they are charged with ruling. While society has reached the peaks of industrial and technological achievement, our leadership resembles more and more the ignorance of the pre-Islamic times. Where does this blindness come from? It stems from our society's inability to recognize the greatness of the leadership of the Twelve Purified Imams (peace be upon them) and establishing them as the standard of leadership.

Each of the Twelve Imams maintains a level of just and ideal leadership that is beyond reproach. However, not all of the Imams were given the ability to rule due to the usurpation of their rights by the tyrannical forces of the time. Therefore, a case study on the leadership of the first Imam, Ali son of Abu Talib (peace be upon him), is most appropriate in order to gain a true appreciation of the Islamic concept of leadership. How great must his conduct have been, such that thousands of years have passed and the United Nations in the year 2010 uses his words to chide Muslim nations on how to conduct themselves?

During his brief era as caliph, Imam Ali emphasized that he should serve those under his rule, rather than them servicing him. In today's world, the masses have little voice in how things are operated, and most often their wishes are not respected even in so-called democratic societies. Imam Ali's dress was humble and modest compared to today's world leaders, who spend untold fortunes on their apparel. Imam Ali's clothes were patched up so heavily one of his companions made an observation. The Imam replied, "This dress of mine is remote from pride, and it is deserving to serve as a model for Muslims." (Akhlaq Aimmah)

In today's world, it seems we have convinced ourselves we can only force people and societies into submission through absurd laws and brunt showings of force. Imam Ali's leadership rejects this concept; instead, the Imam demonstrated that loyalty and respect of the ruled can only be obtained through treating them with respect and sincerity. Leaders currently favor one class of society over another, and lawmaking is controlled almost exclusively through lobbyists. People on an individual level have lost any value and honor in the eyes of their leaders. Imam Ali would volunteers to help farmers with their farming and would provide social assistance himself to the poor and unfortunate. On one occasion, when Imam Ali was very sick and unable to deliver food to the destitute of Kufa, his blessed sons, the second and third Imams, offered to fulfill this duty for him. However, Imam Ali's noble and determined character did not allow this to happen, and he told his sons, "No, the Almighty Allah has entrusted me with the responsibility of this government. Let me perform my duty." (Ibid.)

Imam Ali further made great strides to ensure his governors and officials were free from corruption and greed and treated people with dignity, honor, and kindness as he told his officials:

"Behave humbly with the people, keep yourself lenient, meet them with a big heart, and accord them equal treatment, so that the high should not expect injustices from you in their favor, and the low should not be despondent of your justice towards them."

At a time where bureaucratic corruption is a social norm, Imam Ali shared his own allocation of income from the state with the poor and unequivocally stated his position on justice, "By God, even if I am given all the domains of the seven countries with all that exists under the skies in order that I may disobey Allah to the extent of snatching one grain of barley from an ant, I would not do it." The heritage of Imam Ali is one of justice and equity, and subsequently, the history of his enemies is tainted by oppression and tyranny. His speech, dress, and actions were humble and just, and his love towards God led his conduct towards righteousness.

In 2002, the United Nations in its 2002 Arab Human Development Report, quoted six sayings from Imam Ali as an advice to world leaders who lack all the virtues and glory possessed by Imam Ali. The quotes came from Imam Ali's directive to Malik al-Ashtar, his appointed governor of Egypt. The words of the Imam provide a comprehensive framework of ethical governance:

"Malik! You must never forget that if you are a ruler over them, then the caliph is the ruler over you, and Allah is the Supreme Lord over the caliph. And the reality is that He has appointed you as the governor and tested you through the responsibility of this rulership over them. Never think of raising yourself to such a false prestige that you can declare war against Allah, because you cannot ward off His Wrath, and you can never be free from the need of His Mercy and Compassion."

[Muslim First]

Imam Ali was masooom....

For Shia Ali is Allah, period.

[juzerali]

Imam Ali was masooom....

For Shia Ali is Allah, period.

Ali himself called the act of calling him Allah as despicable. Allah is one and only and He has no associates. Making associations with Allah is shirk. Do not do that brother, you might invite wrath of Ali (PBUH) himself for calling him Allah.

[Muslim First]

Ali himself called the act of calling him Allah as despicable.
Many Shia do not know meaning of 'despicable'
Allah is one and only and He has no associates.
It is just a slogan
Making associations with Allah is shirk.
Really
Do not do that brother, you might invite wrath of Ali (PBUH) himself for calling him Allah.
Ali is incapable of doing good or harm to anybody. I am only afraid of wrath of Allah SWT. Hz Ali was cousin and sun an law of Prophet. He was first male to accept Islam. He was 4 th Rasidun Khalifa. He advised and accepted Khilafat of first 2. He was myrtered and buried in desert. These are fact.

When one says " Ali is capable of causing wrath after his physical death" one puts him next to God you know what it means? You should be afraid of wrath of Allah

[Al-Muizz]

Ali himself called the act of calling him Allah as despicable.
Many Shia do not know meaning of 'despicable'
Allah is one and only and He has no associates.
It is just a slogan
Making associations with Allah is shirk.
Really
Do not do that brother, you might invite wrath of Ali (PBUH) himself for calling him Allah.
Ali is incapable of doing good or harm to anybody. I am only afraid of wrath of Allah SWT. Hz Ali was cousin and sun an law of Prophet. He was first male to accept Islam. He was 4 th Rasidun Khalifa. He advised and accepted Khilafat of first 2. He was myrtered and buried in desert. These are fact.

When one says " Ali is capable of causing wrath after his physical death" one puts him next to God you know what it means? You should be afraid of wrath of Allah

Man, I highly doubt you even fear Allah's wrath. Your sheer arrogance and haughtiness is palpable....how can someone as blindly in love with yourself and your apparent knowledge ever have fear of Allah? Please don't fool yourself. You are like a camel in the desert pissing in the wind, and wondering why it's only raining on you. Your haughtiness arrogance self-centeredness, are the very reason why we are all here on earth. Some are trying to get to our najaat with the help of this safina we call deen ul Islam, and some like you are busy trying to piss on the parade in the pretex that its rain! Many like you have come and have gone....and the only ONE FACT is many like you will COME AND GO. Eternal salvation is for those who accept to sit in this safina and give yaari to those who are trying to get into the safina, not those bemoya who say they are with you and turn around to be against you...you and your fellow wahabis who are so willing to kill your fellow Muslims at a drop of a dime, dinar, shekel, etc and then justifying it. Your intense hatred of the Ahlul Bait is totally un Islamic, yet you run behind a thin veiled thinly understood idea that the wahabi theology is the ONLY one that's right.
One fact is real. You and I will die and be buried (in the desert or somewhere else) and most certainly be forgotten. This safina and their Captains(-the Prophets, Wasis, Imams, Dais) will still be going on towards its destination and will never be forgotten.

[Muslim First]

You and I will die and be buried (in the desert or somewhere else) and most certainly be forgotten.
You are right
This safina and their Captains(-the Prophets, Wasis, Imams, Dais)
Sho me anAya of Qur'n appointing socalled captains. This point have been argued over and over so be just post Ayas
will still be going on towards its destination and will never be forgotten
Ofcourse Shas will always worship them and show will go on

[Muslim First]

Man, I highly doubt you even fear Allah's wrath. Your sheer arrogance and haughtiness is palpable....how can someone as blindly in love with yourself and your apparent knowledge ever have fear of Allah? Please don't fool yourself. You are like a camel in the desert pissing in the wind, and wondering why it's only raining on you. Your haughtiness arrogance self-centeredness, are the very reason why we are all here on earth. Some are trying to get to our najaat with the help of this safina we call deen ul Islam, and some like you are busy trying to piss on the parade in the pretex that its rain! Many like you have come and have gone....and the only ONE FACT is many like you will COME AND GO. Eternal salvation is for those who accept to sit in this safina and give yaari to those who are trying to get into the safina, not those bemoya who say they are with you and turn around to be against you...you and your fellow wahabis who are so willing to kill your fellow Muslims at a drop of a dime, dinar, shekel, etc and then justifying it. Your intense hatred of the Ahlul Bait is totally un Islamic, yet you run behind a thin veiled thinly

Truth is hard to digest. Boy you are really peed off. Brother could you please point this Safina thing in Qur'an or Ahadith.

[lakshya]

Man, I highly doubt you even fear Allah's wrath. Your sheer arrogance and haughtiness is palpable....how can someone as blindly in love with yourself and your apparent knowledge ever have fear of Allah? Please don't fool yourself. You are like a camel in the desert pissing in the wind, and wondering why it's only raining on you. Your haughtiness arrogance self-centeredness, are the very reason why we are all here on earth. Some are trying to get to our najaat with the help of this safina we call deen ul Islam, and some like you are busy trying to piss on the parade in the pretex that its rain! Many like you have come and have gone....and the only ONE FACT is many like you will COME AND GO. Eternal salvation is for those who accept to sit in this safina and give yaari to those who are trying to get into the safina, not those bemoya who say they are with you and turn around to be against you...you and your fellow wahabis who are so willing to kill your fellow Muslims at a drop of a dime, dinar, shekel, etc and then justifying it. Your intense hatred of the Ahlul Bait is totally un Islamic, yet you run behind a thin veiled thinly understood idea that the wahabi theology is the ONLY one that's right.
One fact is real. You and I will die and be buried (in the desert or somewhere else) and most certainly be forgotten. This safina and their Captains(-the Prophets, Wasis, Imams, Dais) will still be going on towards its destination and will never be forgotten.

Bhai, do u really think, this bidi smoker, zaanikaar miyaa bhai, can really understand deep thoughts of your post? I highly doubt.

this illegitimate kids of umar miya bhais are bond to be damned taa qayamat and even after that.

[ghulam muhammed]

Bhai, do u really think, this bidi smoker, zaanikaar miyaa bhai, can really understand deep thoughts of your post? I highly doubt.

You are right ! Only the bevdas like Shaukat Sarkar and the dawat hierarchy who owned Ambassador hotel with liqour bars and the present zaadas who fill their belly from the liqour shops rented in their buildings can understand the so called deep thoughts !

[lakshya]

Bhai, do u really think, this bidi smoker, zaanikaar miyaa bhai, can really understand deep thoughts of your post? I highly doubt.

You are right ! Only the bevdas like Shaukat Sarkar and the dawat hierarchy who owned Ambassador hotel with liqour bars and the present zaadas who fill their belly from the liqour shops rented in their buildings can understand the so called deep thoughts !

u dont get any better reply isnt it? hahaha loser

[ghulam muhammed]

u dont get any better reply isnt it? hahaha loser

"Pot calling the kettle Black".......... you wont understand this as it is beyond your pea sized brain !

[sixfeetunder]

"Ali was so popular even among the non-Muslims that when he died, all the Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians of Kufa, particularly their women and children who were personally looked after by Ali, lamented his death and wept as one does for one’s father. Mourning was observed even in Jerusalem and the Lord Bishop also could not restrain his tears."

(Prof. M. G. Reynold’s Book on Islam, Chapter 3.)

[sixfeetunder]

Imam Ali was masooom....

For Shia Ali is Allah, period.

Why does 'Muslim First' spoil every thread with his hateful comments and instigate a Shia-Sunni confrontation everywhere? This thread was nice and peaceful until his comment started a virtual riot.

I request everybody to avoid replying his hateful comments. Let's try to increase our knowledge constructively rather than indulging in petty sectarian fights which have no hands and no legs.

[Muslim First]

For Shia Ali is Allah, period.

Why does 'Muslim First' spoil every thread with his hateful comments and instigate a Shia-Sunni confrontation everywhere? This thread was nice and peaceful until his comment started a virtual riot.

I request everybody to avoid replying his hateful comments. Let's try to increase our knowledge constructively rather than indulging in petty sectarian fights which have no hands and no legs.

Why blame me. Why don't you blame this multiple nick idiot who butted in with this comment

Imam Ali was masooom....

Then I commented

For Shia Ali is Allah, period.

Which was "Hanif's" admission with "period" added as emphases.
Then came 
Juserali's comment

Ali himself called the act of calling him Allah as despicable. Allah is one and only and He has no associates. Making associations with Allah is shirk. Do not do that brother, you might invite wrath of Ali (PBUH) himself for calling him Allah.

Giving Ali divine quality of capable of 'wrath' which only Allah is capable of as per Tauhid.

Brother
Myself and anjmi tolerate many worshipfull quotes from Shia brothers but when it crosses line we comment.

[Muslim First]

Brother
Why don't you study following Sermon from Nahjul Balagha:

In the Nahjul Balagha, one of the most revered books of the Shia, Ali (رضّى الله عنه) said in Sermon 126:

“With regard to me, two categories of people will be ruined, namely he who loves me too much and the love takes him away from rightfulness, and he who hates me too much and the hatred takes him away from rightfulness. The best man with regard to me is he who is on the middle course. So be with him and be with the great majority of Muslims because Allah’s hand of protection is on keeping unity. You should beware of division because the one isolated from the group is a prey to Satan just as the one isolated from the flock of sheep is a prey to the wolf.

Beware! Whoever calls to this course [of sectarianism], kill him, even though he may be under this headband of mine.”

(Source: Al-Islam.org, http://www.al-islam.org/nahjul/126.htm)

It is truly sad that people have exploited the memory of the Ahlel Bayt in order to schism into various sects, against the Command of Allah. The Ahlel Bayt were Muwahiddoon (Unitarians of Islam) who would never split into sects. The Ahlel Bayt website was designed by the Muwahiddoon as an open invitation to the Shia of the world to reject sectarianism and accept the Islam of the mainstream orthodoxy, the same group to which the Ahlel Bayt belonged to.

One who loves Hz Ali too much are people like you
One who hated him myrtered him.
One who follow middle course are people like me who respect Hz Ali and his family but do not worship him.

Now please go on posting Ali praising post. May be you want to give little credit to Prophet SAW for Islam.

[sixfeetunder]

Brother
Why don't you study following Sermon from Nahjul Balagha:

In the Nahjul Balagha, one of the most revered books of the Shia, Ali (رضّى الله عنه) said in Sermon 126:

“With regard to me, two categories of people will be ruined, namely he who loves me too much and the love takes him away from rightfulness, and he who hates me too much and the hatred takes him away from rightfulness. The best man with regard to me is he who is on the middle course. So be with him and be with the great majority of Muslims because Allah’s hand of protection is on keeping unity. You should beware of division because the one isolated from the group is a prey to Satan just as the one isolated from the flock of sheep is a prey to the wolf.

Beware! Whoever calls to this course [of sectarianism], kill him, even though he may be under this headband of mine.”

(Source: Al-Islam.org, http://www.al-islam.org/nahjul/126.htm)

It is truly sad that people have exploited the memory of the Ahlel Bayt in order to schism into various sects, against the Command of Allah. The Ahlel Bayt were Muwahiddoon (Unitarians of Islam) who would never split into sects. The Ahlel Bayt website was designed by the Muwahiddoon as an open invitation to the Shia of the world to reject sectarianism and accept the Islam of the mainstream orthodoxy, the same group to which the Ahlel Bayt belonged to.

One who loves Hz Ali too much are people like you
One who hated him myrtered him.
One who follow middle course are people like me who respect Hz Ali and his family but do not worship him.

Now please go on posting Ali praising post. May be you want to give little credit to Prophet SAW for Islam.

Let me post something which I had posted before on this same topic of Hadhrat Ali's sermon. The below is my understanding of the sermon from my own little research.

The love Shias have for Ali (a.s) has not taken them away from rightfulness. They are as much Muslim as others and believe in all fundamentals of Islam. Shia and Sunni have too much in common among themselves. And the great majority of Muslims classically includes Shia+Sunni. Only the extremist elements among both sects love to keep the fires burning. The ones who have isolated from the majority are tiny groups and cults, who have tremendously differing beliefs and ideas from the majority of Muslims.

Also, this sermon is under the heading 'About the kharijites' in Nahjul Balagha. "The ones who love Ali (as) too much and that love has taken them away from rightfulness" refers to those who believe that Ali (a.s) is God. There were these people who declared Ali as god and believed that once you saw Ali, you don't need to practise Islam literally. i.e No praying, no fasting, no zakat/khums, no hajj etc. These were the people whose love for Ali had taken them away from "rightfulness". They had to be killed even though they were under the banner of Ali (a.s), as they were causing confusion and mischief among the sincere Muslims and refused to amend their wayward ways, even when Ali (a.s) himself prostrated to show them that he is a mere human.

As for "he who hates me too much..." is referring to the Kharijites of that time, who were once under the banner of Ali (a.s), but their subsequent hatred for Ali (a.s), had taken them away from rightfulness. They starting murdering innocent Shii', rampaging and looting and hence invited battle.

[sixfeetunder]

Now please go on posting Ali praising post. May be you want to give little credit to Prophet SAW for Islam.

There is nothing wrong in praising someone whom Allah and the Prophet praises. As for giving credit to Prophet, all credit belongs to him alone. The greatness of Ali is because of the greatness of the Prophet. Prophet raised him like his own child. Ali learned everything from his master. The Prophet is the fountainhead. May my mother and father be sacrificed for the sake of Prophet.

The Prophet (s) said, "Embellish your gatherings by mentioning Ali (a.s)."

Source: Mustadrak Al-Sahihain of Al-Hakim Al-Nisabori, 3/109; Musnad Ahmad, 4/368, 5/419; Al-Khasa'is of Al-Nisa'I, 9; Ibn Al-Maghazeli, 16; Al-Manaqib of Akhtab Khawarizm, 94; Tarikh Baghdad of Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi, 8/290; Yanabi Al-Mawda.

[Muslim First]

Here is my comment from another thread

Well yes, whole Sunni Islam is fake. It is fake bacuse they did not buy and still not buying that Islam was not and is not personal property of Ahle e bait. Abu Bakr, Umar, Usman, Aisha, Muwaya and Ahadith narrators like Abu Hurera are liers. How dare they blame God annoited Masooms?

So now true Muslims are Shias and their various fractions.

Wasalaam and Ramdaan Kareem.

[sixfeetunder]

Here is my comment from another thread

Well yes, whole Sunni Islam is fake. It is fake bacuse they did not buy and still not buying that Islam was not and is not personal property of Ahle e bait. Abu Bakr, Umar, Usman, Aisha, Muwaya and Ahadith narrators like Abu Hurera are liers. How dare they blame God annoited Masooms?

So now true Muslims are Shias and their various fractions.

Wasalaam and Ramdaan Kareem.

And here is my reply to your same comment:

Alhamdolillah. Yes, it is true that Sunni Islam is fake. Sunni Islam is CNN/Fox news and Shia Islam is wikileaks (or rather 'Sahabaleaks').

Wasalaam and Ramadan Kareem.

[Muslim First]

6'U
Alhamdolillah. Yes, it is true that Sunni Islam is fake. Sunni Islam is CNN/Fox news and Shia Islam is wikileaks (or rather 'Sahabaleaks')

No comment
Ramadaan Kareem

[Al-Muizz]

6'U
Alhamdolillah. Yes, it is true that Sunni Islam is fake. Sunni Islam is CNN/Fox news and Shia Islam is wikileaks (or rather 'Sahabaleaks')

No comment
Ramadaan Kareem

Can someone please explain to me how you can reconcile this fact?

The Holy Prophet SAW said that he's leaving behind TWO things....the Quran AND his Itraat (MF can argue what this means...). The Holy Quran, which is universally acknowledged by Sunni and Shia scholars, was FIRST complied by Ali A.S., months AFTER the Prophet's (SAW) death. The Holy Quran as we know it today was FINALLY complied and accepted during Usman's caliphate-YEARS LATER.

The question is, knowing full well that the Holy Quran had not been complied yet, why did the Holy Prophet SAW say that he's leaving behind TWO things, the Quran and his Itraat? The answer is really simple....only his Itraat would ensure the authenticity of the complied Quran! Only Ali A.S. has been known without a doubt, to be present with the Prophet during the revelations AND have recorded them. Now let's extrapolate from here. The Lord would entrust THE ultimate Book on a committee of men who don't have the capacity to even care about the Holy Prophet's passing?? A committee can hold elections while the Prophet's body is not buried, but only the Itraat will carry out the necessary rituals and only the Itraat will ensure the content of the BOOK will not be embellished!

[ghulam muhammed]

Can someone please explain to me how you can reconcile this fact?

The Holy Prophet SAW said that he's leaving behind TWO things....the Quran AND his Itraat (MF can argue what this means...). The Holy Quran, which is universally acknowledged by Sunni and Shia scholars, was FIRST complied by Ali A.S., months AFTER the Prophet's (SAW) death. The Holy Quran as we know it today was FINALLY complied and accepted during Usman's caliphate-YEARS LATER.

I would refrain from commenting on the historical aspects of the compilation of Quran, first by Mola Ali (a.s.) then by Hazrat Usman, supposedly years later as these events are the results of various Ahadith which were written almost 300 years after Prophet (s.a.w.) left for heavenly abode. Even if we were supposed to accept that the Quran, as we have with us in its present form is compiled by Hazrat Usman and for which there is an element of doubt amongst shias with regard to its authenticity then the question arises as to why then did Mola Ali (a.s.) NOT bring it in its original form as was compiled by him years before Hazrat Usman's compilation. Mola Ali (a.s.) became Khalifa AFTER Hazrat Usman passed away and hence he had full authority and power to retain it in its so called original form.

Although you have mentioned that Shia/Sunni universally accept the Quran in its present form but you still raise a doubt with regard to its authenticity by questioning its compilation by Hazrat Usman. If I have misunderstood your point then please correct me.

[anajmi]

The question is, knowing full well that the Holy Quran had not been complied yet, why did the Holy Prophet SAW say that he's leaving behind TWO things, the Quran and his Itraat?

Here are some ayahs of the Quran.

2:185 Ramadhan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an....

4:82 Do they not consider the Qur'an (with care)? ....

6:19 Say: "What thing is most weighty in evidence?" Say: "(Allah) is witness between me and you; This Qur'an hath been revealed to me by inspiration,...

huh wait.. what???? Al Muizz knows more than Allah himself??? Allah says Quran, Quran, Quran when the Quran came into being during the time of Uthman (or a Quran by Ali which we do not have!!)???

What a brilliant catch by Al Muizz!!!!

The point to note is that Allah says in ayah 6:19 - "Hadhal Quran" - "This Quran"... To the one who is reading the Uthman Quran, this ayah makes perfect sense. For the Al Muizzes of this world, this ayah should be completely out of place. How can "this Quran" refer to this Quran when this Quran is actually not that Quran? Make sense???