Sharh as-Sunnah : Lesson 53: Point 90B
Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]
Imaam Barbahaaree rahimahullaah said:
This is how the religion was until the Khilaafah of `Umar ibn al-Khattaab; the single Jamaa`ah. And likewise in the time of `Uthmaan. Then when `Uthmaan radiyAllaahu `anhu was killed, schism; splitting and differing and innovations came about. The people split into parties and sects. Amongst the people were those who remained upon the truth when the changes first started to occur; they spoke with it, acted upon it and called the people to it.
Transcribed Audio:
His saying, “This is how the religion was till the time of `Umar ibn al-Khattaab radiyAllaahu `anhu; the single Jamaa`ah. And likewise in the time of `Uthmaan.” In the lives of the companions and the taabi`een (the next generation after companions), those who opposed the truth kept themselves hidden and they concealed themselves amongst the people such as the Qadariyyah and other than them and that was on account of the strength of Islaam and the strength of the Muslims until the Jews infiltrated. A Jewish man from Yemen who was called Ibn As Sawdaa` `Abdullaah ibn Sabaa`; the Jew. So, he came to Al-Madeenah and he manifested Islaam in the caliphate of `Uthmaan radiyAllaahu `anhu and he began speaking ill of `Uthmaan in gatherings because he was just claiming to be a Muslim as a plot against Islaam.[1]
Then he started spitting out his poison in gatherings and the foolish people attended and the scoundrels, evildoers and the ignorant ones. And some people or indeed many people desire vilification, they like to hear people being abused, been spoken ill of and they like qeel wa qaal (rumour mongering). So therefore they gathered around him.
And when his reality became known and he was expelled from Al-Madeenah, he went off to Egypt and he found a village in Egypt, which was famous for dissension, splits and the like. So he immersed himself in it and he spread his poison in it and he vilified; spoke ill of `Uthmaan. Then in the end, he organised a group of them having weapons and strength. So they came to `Uthmaan radiyAllaahu `anhu and raised objections to him and declared him to be in error. So `Uthmaan radiyAllaahu `anhu responded to them and refuted them; refuted their doubts. Then they went back.
Then they rebuked themselves whilst they were on the way and they said we have achieved nothing then they went back to `Uthmaan radiyAllaahu `anhu and they encircled him whilst he was in his house and the companions wanted to defend the Khaleefah. However, `Uthmaan radiyAllaahu `anhu forbade that for fear of fitnah (discord) and for fear of shedding blood hoping that the affair could be dealt with upon the basis of discussion and examination. He wanted to convince them. However, when they saw that they could not reach anything by using evidence then they sprang upon him during the night whilst the rest of the people were sleeping and they killed him radiyAllaahu `anhu.
When they saw that their false doubts had been refuted and that they were not going to be accepted then they ceased the opportunity at a time of inattentiveness. And most of the people were performing Hajj and the people still in Madinah were asleep in security and the matter was under discussion and being examined. So they sprang upon him by night, may Allaah disfigure them. They sprang upon in his house and they killed him as a martyr radiyAllaahu `anhu whilst he was reciting the Qur’aan and he had the mus–haf; the written copy of the Qur’aan so that his blood spilled onto the mus–haf radiyAllaahu `anhu. So then fitnah (discord) occurred.[2]
And this filthy one (Abdullaah ibn Sabaa), he claims that the Khilaafah should’ve been for `Aliyy and that it was not for Aboo Bakr nor for `Umar nor for `Uthmaan. Rather, that it should’ve been just for `Aliyy and that `Aliyy was the wasiyy (the one personally appointed to take over) by Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam and that those people had wrongfully seized the Khilaafah and taken it by force from `Aliyy. And the amazing thing is that `Aliyy radiyAllaahu `anhu did not claim this nor did he seek the Khilaafah nor did he say “I have more right to it”; rather, he gave the bay`ah (the pledge) and he heard and obeyed his brothers, the rightly guided Khulafaa· radiyAllaahu `anhum ajma`een jamee`an; all of them.
So then al-fitnah discord occurred between the Muslims and fighting occurred between the Muslims on account of this filthy one, this one who infiltrated the ranks of the Muslims. However, Allaah caused his hopes to become frustrated. It is correct that tribulations occurred between the Muslims, some of them were killed. However, this did not do anything to Islaam. Islaam and all praise is for Allaah remained strong and established and he did not damage Islaam at all.
And he and the Jews did not damage this religion and all praise is for Allaah. Yes, some calamities occurred for the companions and discord and fighting, however, this was all in the cause of Allaah, radiyAllaahu `anhum wa ardaahum (may Allaah be pleased with them and cause them to be pleased). And this filthy one did not really achieve anything and all praise is for Allaah.
So this is a summary of the affair of the fitnah (discord), which came about on the killing of `Uthmaan radiyAllaahu `anhu. And this is something which shows that it’s not permissible to rebel against the ruler and that rebelling against him brings about evil in the nation and the shedding of blood and the people have continued to suffer from fitan (discord) from that time till this time of ours now; and you know about the callers to discord, those who call to fitnah (discord) and to rebellion against the rulers and with the excuse of correcting the evil. The Mu`tazilah arose and the Khawaarij, all of them from this aspect and they still continue until this time.
His saying, “So when `Uthmaan radiyAllaahu `anhu was killed then schism; splitting and differing came about and innovations.” It is obligatory to beware of the callers to misguidance and their affair should not be treated lightly and that it is not permissible to speak against the rulers. And therefore he sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam enjoined hearing and obeying and not rebelling against those in charge of the affairs even if they are tyrannical and even if they oppress and even if they are sinful as long as they do not reach the level of clear and open kufr (disbelief). This is how Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam enjoined this.
His saying, “And the people became sects. So from the people were those who remained firm upon the truth when things first changed; and who spoke with it and acted upon it and called to it.” When the firq (sects) came about and differing, then Allaah caused the people of the truth to remain firm upon the truth and upon the Sunnah and they preceded upon that which the Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam and his companions radiyAllaahu `anhum had been upon. And the other sects contradict it, what the Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam and his companions had been upon. So therefore they became deserving of the threat of the Fire in accordance with the degree of what occurred from them.
Footnotes:
[1] Translator’s side point: `Abdullaah ibn Sabaa`; founder of the religion of the Raafidah Shee`ah.
[2] You can refer to two books here;
(1) Itihaaf al Jamaa`ah of the noble Shaykh Hamood at-Tuwayjiree rahimahullaah and
(2) Fitnat Maqtal ‘Uthmaan of Dr. Muhammad al-Gabaan – a book of research about this whole issue of the killing of `Uthmaan radiyAllaahu `anhu.
—
Ithaaful-Qaaree bit-Ta`leeqaat `alaa Sharhis-Sunnah
(A Gift To The Reader In Annotation Of Sharh As-Sunnah)
by Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan al-Fowzaan hafizahullaah
Translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood Burbank, rahimahullaah
Transcribed by Saima Zaher.
Posted with kind permission from Dawud Burbank rahimahullaah
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