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THE CALAMITY OF QIRTAS

Islam was the life’s achievement for the prophet (a.s) for the propagation of which he had borne all sorts of hardships and severe opposition. Every individual desires that whatever he has developed with hard work remains safe from the machinations of destructive opponents. He preserves and protects it in his lifetime and tries to leave it in safe hands when the time for leaving the world arrives. He therefore makes an oral will or reduces his instructions on paper to doubly safeguard his legacy. Can we imagine that the Prophet (a.s) would leave intestate especially when it was the question of preserving and protecting his legacy which was the great Faith of Islam!

In view of this very important and urgent need, knowing that his sickness was of terminal nature, the Prophet (a.s) asked for pen and paper brought to him two to four days before he demised. He wanted to write a document that would be a source of guidance for the people until the end of the world and safeguard his Ummah from getting divided into many sects and groupings. But some persons conspired to obstruct the Prophet (a.s) from making his will and testament.

“`Umar said that the Prophet (a.s) was overwhelmed with pain and for us the Book of Allah is sufficient.”[1]

This is a narration from al-Bukhari who also says:

“The Prophet (a.s) said, ‘Bring a paper to me that I write for you a document after which you will not go astray!’ On this, persons started sharp arguments, although quarreling near the Prophet (a.s) was not proper. People said, ‘The Prophet (a.s) is in a delirium!’ the Prophet (a.s) said, ‘Leave me to my scruples! I am fine in whatever condition I am than what you are calling me to!”[2]

[1] Sahīh al-Bukhārī, Vol 1, Page 25
[2] Sahīh al-Bukhārī, Vol 2, Page 121

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When the differences overstretched and the sounds of shouts were coming, the consorts of the Prophet (a.s) said from behind the curtains:

“Give to the Prophet (a.s) whatever he is asking for. `Umar asked them to keep quiet and said that they were like the women of Yūsuf who cry when the Prophet (a.s) falls ill and when he is hale and hearty ride on his neck. At this, the Prophet said, ‘they are better than you!’”[1]

The ladies kept calling from their private quarters but none paid any heed and never gave a paper and pen to the Prophet (a.s). The Prophet (a.s) was sad over the Companions disobeying his Commands, terming his ill heath, although he was in full senses, as delirium and raising a rumpus instead of leaving him in peace. He was fed up of the happening around him and said, “Go away from me!” this was the worst calamity of the History of Islam that its founder wanted to write down his last will and testament for the benefit of the Ummah to protect them from going astray and his voice was submerged with in the noise raised by the people around him. Alas! He left this world disappointed and dismayed with certain of his close associates! Ibn `Abbas used to cry much thinking of the events of that day and the pebbles of sand kept in front of him used to get wet with the tears that dropped from his eyes:

“It was such a great calamity that the differences between the Companions and their shouting and misbehavior obstructed the Prophet (a.s) writing down his will.”[2]

People have tried in several ways to find excuses from the happenings of that sad day. They tried to put the blame on the entire crowd instead of pin pointing the culprits and exposing their evil designs and faces! But all these efforts went in vain and the facts could not be hidden from the public gaze. Al-Bukhari’s two narrations quoted above are a reflection of this. While in the first narration there is reference of the Prophet’s acute pain and the accusation of delirium, he has tried to hide the name of the person by referring to the accuser in the plural form instead of mentioning it as a singular and recording the name of that person. Where the events are light of nature al-Bukhari does not refrain from using the names of the characters involved! Where the words used are unpalatable, he cleverly tries to avoid the name of the person who used them. But this attempt does not seem to protect the memory of the perpetrators of those cruel and undesirable words. In some


[1] Al-Tabaqāt Ibn Sa`d, Vol 2, Page 244
[2] Tabaqāt Ibn Sa`d, Vol 2, Page 244

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narratives, they use the word “some” instead of blaming the “crowd” to protect the big ones from ignominy. Ibn Sa`d says:

“Some persons who were there said that because of the intensity of the ailment, the Prophet (a.s) was uttering insensible words.”[1]

In this narration, the circle of the perpetrators has been narrowed down. Bu even there the use of the word “some” does not pinpoint the real culprit! However Shaykh Shihabuddin al-Khafaji has lifted the curtain from the face of the person and written the fact, and nothing but the fact!

“`Umar said that the Prophet (a.s) was uttering insensible words.”[2]

Accusing the Prophet (a.s) of delirium and insensible talk, from whatever quarter, is the most heinous thing to do and the persons who perpetrated such talk must be identified! A person having the ordinary knowledge of the Divine Knowledge of the Prophet will never dare to say that the prophet (a.s) was talking insensible things in his delirium. Because of this impertinent talk, the Prophet (a.s) had to ask those persons to leave him alone! It is really a great calamity that the people succeeded in preventing the Prophet (a.s) from making his will and testament. One fails to understand what fear the person had in his mind that he was not allowing the Prophet (a.s) to get the paper and pen. Even in the state of delirium he wanted to write something, what was the problem for the person allowing reducing to writing down the last wishes of a person no lesser than the Prophet 0f Islam (a.s)? The persons who were bent on disobeying the Prophet (a.s) succeeded in disobeying his last Command and wish!

Here, to get over the blame of disobeying the Prophet (a.s) they said that the Faith was Complete and the chain of the Revelations was already broken. Therefore, it was not necessary to write down any thing else. Of course, the Din or Faith was complete, but it does not mean that the Ummah was totally safe from going astray. If it were the case, there would never have been schisms in the ranks of the Muslims nor the springing up of myriad sects. This is all the result of the Ummah going astray. To eliminate these causes the Prophet (a.s) wanted to write down his final Will and Testament. If he had not thought it necessary, what was the need for him to ask for paper and pen? It is


[1] Tabaqāt Ibn Sa`d, Vol 2, Page 242
[2] Nasīm al-Riyā¤, Vol 4, Page 278

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also not correct to say that the chain of the Revelations was broken. Until the last breath, the Prophet (a.s) continued to get the Revelations. Therefore, Anas ibn Malik says:

“Allah continued the series of Revelations from the time before the demise of the Prophet (a.s) until his last breath and the maximum revelations came on the day of his death.”[1]

This proves that whatever the Prophet (a.s) was saying, and whatever he wanted to be written down, was on the basis of revelations and the commands of Allah. The person who said that it was delirious talks, even if it were reduced to writing; they would have rejected it to suit their own ends!

We have also to consider what the Prophet (a.s) was trying to communicate and what was the need for doing it. The books of history and tradition are witness that on his deathbed, the Prophet (a.s) was continuously saying:

“I am leaving behind me two things for you. If you remain attached to both of them, you will not go astray after me. Both the things are bigger than each other. One is the Book of Allah that is a rope that has one end in the Heaven and the other on the earth. The second thing is my `itrah, my Ahl al-Bayt. These two shall not separate from each other until they come to me at the Cistern of Kawthar. You must think yourself what attitude you should have for these things.”[2]

When the time for his death drew nigh, he raised the hand of `Ali (a.s) and said:

“`Ali (a.s) is with the Qur’an and the Qur’an is with him. The two will not separate from each other until they reach me at the Cistern of Kawthar. I shall ask them how you proved yourself in THEIR regard.”[3]

In the tradition previous to this, the Prophet (a.s) had termed remaining attached to the Qur’an and the Ahl al-Bayt as a guarantee against depravity and going astray. The words used by him were, “You will not go astray after me.” We have also used the same words here lest we go astray in our act! After now, you shall never go astray! This proves to every individual of average intelligence that the things that the Prophet (a.s) termed as the


[1] Tabaqāt Ibn Sa`d, Vol 2, Page 93
[2] Al-Mishkāt, Page 599
[3] Al-Sawā`iq al-Muhriqah, Page 126

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guarantee for their protection from going astray, he wanted to write in his Will and Testament for the benefit of the Posterity. He knew that there were certain forces in the Ummah who will leave no stone unturned to obstruct people coming to the Right Path. For this reason he wanted it to be reduced to writing that the people must attach themselves firmly to the Qur’an and the Ahl al-Bayt. The opponents knew it well that the Prophet (a.s) wanted to make his will in support of `Ali (a.s) and they enacted all the drama to obstruct it. Therefore, one of the chiefs said, “Allah’s Book is sufficient for us!” Although this sentence was said in a situation of disorder, it grew and bore fruits in the time to come! One sect made this saying as the foundation of their Faith and rejected even the Traditions of the Holy Prophet (a.s). Although `Umar, in his later life, realized that the Qur’an was not sufficient to guide the people in their lives and he had to make access to the Traditions of the Prophet (a.s). So the author of “Allah’s Book is sufficient for us” realized very soon that he was not right when he said this. When there was a dispute between the Quraysh and Ansar for the Caliphate, instead of seeking a solution from the Qur’an he said “Leaders must be from Quraysh” and for denying the Garden of Fadak to Fatimah (a.s), they quoted the tradition, “We the group of prophets (a.s) do not leave any inheritance. Whenever `Umar said, “Without `Ali, `Umar would certainly perish.” He was turning to `Ali (a.s) for resolution of his problems instead of solely depending on the Holy Qur’an! In practice, he was not following his own dictum of “Sufficient for us is the Book of Allah!” The Qur’an without its interpreters (The Ahl al-Bayt) is certainly not sufficient!