Tag: Q n A

Praise be to Allah.
There are no isnaads in the books of the Sunnah and reports that
we have read for the incident of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased
with him) praying in the church at the time of the conquest of Bayt al-Maqdis.
Similarly, there is no report from the Sahaabah to suggest that they prayed
in the church. 

The oldest report we have seen that mentions the details of
the incident is the report of Ibn Khaldoon (may Allah have mercy on him),
which says that the reason why ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased
with him) refused to pray in the church was the fear that the Muslims after
him might take it as a mosque. 

Ibn Khaldoon (may Allah have mercy on him) said: ‘Umar ibn
al-Khattaab entered Bayt al-Maqdis, and came to the Church of the
Resurrection and sat in its courtyard. When the time for prayer came, he
said to the patriarch: I want to pray. He said to him: Pray where you are.
But he refused, and he prayed on the doorstep of the church, on his own.
Then when he had finished praying, he said to the patriarch: If I had prayed
inside the church, the Muslims after me would have taken it (as a mosque)
and they would have said: ‘Umar prayed here. And he wrote for them that they
were not to gather to pray on the steps and that adhaan was to be given from
that location.

End quote from Tareekh Ibn Khaldoon (2/225) 

There is no isnaad for this incident, so it is not
permissible to attribute it to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). 

What appears to us to be the case is that its text is munkar
(odd) and it is not valid for two reasons: 

1.    

The Muslims are not entitled to take a church if a Muslim
ruler or an ordinary Muslim prays in it, and that view [which says that if a
Muslim ruler prays in it, it becomes theirs] is not known to the leading
fuqaha’.

2.    

What is proven from ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)
is that he regarded it as permissible to pray in a church, if it is free of
statues and images, but if there were such things in a church, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab
would refuse to enter it, let alone pray in it.

Al-Bukhaari narrated in his Saheeh (1/167) from ‘Umar
(may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: We do not enter your churches
because of the statues and images in them. End quote.

For more information on the ruling on praying in churches,
please see the answer to question no. 147007.

And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:
There is nothing in the Qur’an or Sunnah to indicate that the progeny of Adam (peace be upon him) were limited to Qabil and Habil. Rather the scholars narrated that Adam (peace be upon him) had many children, from whom humanity are descended. This is what is indicated by the apparent meaning of the Qur’an, in the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. Fear Allah, in Whose name you demand your mutual [rights], and be mindful of your ties of kinship. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer} [an-Nisa’ 4:1].
Ibn Jarir at-Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It was said that Hawwa’ bore Adam one hundred and twenty sets of twins. The first of them were Qabil and his twin sister Qalima, and the last of them was ‘Abd al-Mughith and his twin sister Amat al-Mughith. Ibn Ishaq was quoted as saying that all the children that Hawwa’ bore Adam were forty children, male and female, from twenty twin pregnancies. And he said: The names of some of them have come down to us, and the names of others have not.”(Tarikh al-Umam wa’l-Muluk  1/98).
Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The historians stated that Adam (peace be upon him) did not die until he had seen four hundred thousand of his progeny – his children and grandchildren.”(Al-Bidayah wa’n-Nihayah 1/96).
In addition to that, Muhammad ibn Ishaq – who is one of the scholars who had knowledge of lineages and history – stated that the lineages of all humanity go back to Shith ibn Adam, and that the lineages of the children of Adam other than Shith disappeared and became extinct. This is mostly taken from the People of the Book.
Ibn Jarir at-Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
All the descendants of Adam today are descended from Shith. That is because the progeny of all the sons of Adam except for Shith have disappeared and became extinct, and not one of them remains. So the lineages of all people today go back to Shith (peace be upon him). “(Tarikh al-Umam wa’l-Muluk (1/103). See also: at-Tabsirah by Ibn al-Jawzi (1/36, 24) and al-Bidayah wa’n-Bihayah 1/98).
Secondly:
With regard to the period between Adam and Nuh (peace be upon them both), this is stated in a hadith which was classed as sahih by some of the scholars:
It was narrated from Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man said: O Messenger of Allah, was Adam a Prophet? He said: “Yes; he was spoken to.” The man said: How long was there between him and Nuh? The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Ten generations.”
Narrated by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih (14/69). It was also narrated by al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak (2/262); he said: It is sahih according to the conditions of Muslim, and adh-Dhahabi agreed with him. Ibn Kathir said in al-Bidayah wa’n-Nihayah (1/94): This is according to the conditions of Muslim, although he did not narrate it. Al-Albani classed is as sahih in as-Silsilah as-Sahihah (2668, 3289).
See also the answer to question no. 129959 .
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:
The Tabi‘in are those who came after the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and did not meet the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); rather they met the Companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and learned from them.
Those who came after of the Tabi‘in are those who did not meet the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); rather they met the Tabi‘in and learned from them.
The Tabi‘i, in hadith terminology, is the one who met the Companion, but it is not stipulated that he should have spent a long time with him, according to the correct view. Anyone who met the Companions and died as a Muslim is a Tabi‘i, and some of them are better than others.
Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Nukhbat al-Fikr (4/724): The Tabi‘i is the one who met the Companion. End quote.
Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi said: The Tabi‘i is the one who met the Companion. From the words of al-Hakim, it may be understood that the name Tabi‘i may be applied to the one who met the Companion and narrated from him, even if he did not spend time with him. End quote.
Al-‘Iraqi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his Alfiyah (p. 66):
The Tabi‘i is the one who met the one who accompanied [the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)].
Those who came after the Tabi‘in are those who met the Tabi‘in but did not meet the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
The Tabi’in include people such as: Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib, ‘Urwah ibn az-Zubayr, al-Hasan al-Basri, Muhajid ibn Jabr, Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, ‘Ikrimah the freed slave of Ibn ‘Abbas, and Nafi‘ the freed slave of Ibn ‘Umar.
Those who came after the Tabi‘in include people such as ath-Thawri, Malik, Rabi‘ah, Ibn Hormuz, al-Hasan ibn Salih, ‘Abdullah ibn al-Hasan, Ibn Abi Layla, Ibn Shubrumah and al-Awza‘i.
Secondly:
Al-Bukhari (3651) and Muslim (2533) narrated from Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The best of people are my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them. Then there will come people whose testimony will come before their oath, and their oath before their testimony.”
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The correct view is that his generation were the Companions, the second generation were the Tabi‘in, and the third generation were those who came after the Tabi‘in.”(Sharh an-Nawawi ‘ala Muslim 16/85).
Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The words “then those who come after them” mean the generation who followed them, namely the Tabi‘in, and “then those who come after them” refers to the generation who came after the Tabi‘in.”(Fath al-Bari  7/6).
Al-Qari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
As-Suyuti said: The correct view is that this word – al-qarn (generation) – does not have a defined duration. The Prophet’s generation, namely the Companions, lasted from the time his mission began until the last of the Companions died, approximately one hundred and twenty years. The generation of the Tabi‘in lasted until approximately 170 AH, and the generation of those who came after the Tabi‘in lasted until approximately 220 AH. During this time, innovations appeared and became widespread, the Mu‘tazilah began to preach their misguided notions, philosophers began to spread their misguided ideas, the scholars were put to trial and forced to say that the Qur’an was created, and circumstances changed drastically, and things have only been getting worse until now. This is a confirmation of the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “Then lying will become widespread.””(Mirqaat al-Mafatih  9/3878).
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.al-Hajjaaj ibn Yoosuf ath-Thaqafi was the governor of Iraq for the caliph ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwaan. He was known for oppression and bloodshed, showing disrespect to the early generations [the Sahaabah and Taabi‘een] and transgressing all the sacred limits of Allah for the slightest reason. The historians and biographers are unanimously agreed that he was one of the worst oppressors and the quickest to shed to kill people unlawfully. He did not show respect to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the way he treated his companions, and he showed no respect to the Prophet’s instructions to show kindness and respect to the scholars and people of virtue and righteousness among the followers of his companions. He was a vile Naasibi who hated ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) and his family.
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
He was a Naasibi who hated ‘Ali and his supporters so as to appease the family of Marwaan, namely Banu Umayyah. He was a stubborn tyrant, always ready to shed innocent blood for the slightest reason.
Some ugly and abhorrent words were narrated from him, the apparent meaning of which sounds like disbelief (kufr). If he had repented from that and given it up, that would have been counted in his favour, otherwise he is responsible for what he said. But there is the fear that these reports may have been inaccurate, with things added to what he said, because the Shi‘ah hated him intensely for many reasons, and they may have distorted some of his words and added to what they narrated from him some abhorrent and ugly words.” (Al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah 9/153).
It was narrated from Asma’ bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said to al-Hajjaaj: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told us that among Thaqeef there would be a liar and a shedder of blood. As for the liar, we have seen him; as for the shedder of blood, I do not think but that you are he.
The shedder of blood is the one who goes to extremes in killing people.
From an early age al-Hajjaaj was known to be intelligent, well-spoken and eloquent, and a hafiz of Qur’an. Some of the early generations said: al-Hajjaaj used to recite the entire Qur’an every night. Abu ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ala’ said: I have never seen anyone more eloquent [in Arabic] than him and al-Hasan al-Basri, but al-Hasan was more eloquent than him.
‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir said: I think that in terms of intelligence, people are close to one another, except al-Hajjaaj and Iyaas ibn Mu‘aawiyah, for their intelligence stood out in comparison to other people.” (Al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah 9/138-139).
Ibn Katheer said:
It was narrated to us that he was a religious person with regard to keeping away from intoxicants. He recited Qur’an a great deal and avoided other sins. It was not known that he ever committed fornication; however, he would not hesitate to shed the blood of innocent people. Allah, may He be exalted, knows best what is true and how matters really were, what is hidden of such matters and what is concealed in people’s hearts.
The worst of his evil deeds that made people hate him and it is proven that he did it was shedding blood. That is sufficient to make him deserve punishment from Allah, may He be glorified and exalted. However, he was very keen to engage in jihad and conquer many lands. He was very generous and gave gifts to the people of the Qur’an; he would spend a great deal on the reciters of the Qur’an and when he died, he did not leave behind anything except three hundred dirhams, or so it was said.” (Al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah  9/153).
He was a man of great chivalry, but he often hastened to use his sword unlawfully. He killed many people for the slightest reason  whom he had no right to kill, and when he got angry he would act on his anger (and wreak vengeance, punishing people) as if he were a king. ” (Al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah 9/138).
He went to extremes in transgressing the limits and would hasten to do evil; he would bear grudges and was filled with envy.
It was narrated from ‘Aasim ibn Abi’n-Najood and al-A‘mash that they heard al-Hajjaaj say to the people: By Allah, if I ordered you to exit through this door and you exited through that door, it would become permissible for me to shed your blood. If I find anyone reciting Qur’an according to the recitation of Ibn Umm ‘Abd [‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood], I will strike his neck and erase it from  that Mus-haf, even if I have to use the rib of a pig.
Al-Asma‘i said: ‘Abd al-Malik said to al-Hajjaaj one day: There is no one but he knows his shortcomings, so tell me about your shortcomings. He said: Let me off, O Ameer al-Mu’mineen. But he insisted, so al-Hajjaaj said: I am very stubborn, and my heart is filled with grudges and envy. ‘Abd al-Malik said: Then you must be descended from Iblees!” (Al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah 9/149-153).
A number of leading scholars were of the view that he was a disbeliever (kaafir), although most of the scholars did not think that he was a disbeliever. Some of the Sahaabah, such as Anas and Ibn ‘Umar, prayed behind him, and if they had regarded him as a disbeliever, they would not have prayed behind him.
It was narrated that Qataadah said: It was said to Sa‘eed ibn Jubayr: Did you rebel against al-Hajjaaj? He said: By Allah, I did not rebel against him until he became a disbeliever.
Al-A‘mash said: They differed concerning al-Hajjaaj, so they asked Mujaahid and he said: Are you asking me about this disbelieving old man?
Al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah (9/157-156).
Ash-Sha‘bi said: al-Hajjaaj was a believer in taaghoot (falsehood), and a disbeliever in Allah the Almighty.
Al-Qaasim ibn Mukhaymarah said: al-Hajjaaj is undoing the knots of Islam.
It was narrated that ‘Aasim ibn Abi’n-Najood said: There is no sacred limit ordained by Allah, may He be exalted, but al-Hajjaaj transgressed it.” (Taareekh Dimashq  12/185-188).
At-Tirmidhi narrated in his Sunan (2220) that Hishaam ibn Hassaan said: They counted how many people al-Hajjaaj captured then killed, and the number reached one hundred and twenty thousand.
‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez said: If the nations were to compete in evildoing when al-Hajjaaj is part of our community, we would surpass them in evil because of his evil deeds. He was not good for the people’s affairs in this world or in the hereafter.” (Taareekh Dimashq  12/185).
He was careless and heedless about prayer, and did not pray on time:
‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez wrote to ‘Adiy ibn Artaat, saying: I have heard that you are following in the footsteps of al-Hajjaaj. Do not follow in his footsteps, for he used to offer the prayer after the time for it had ended and take people’s wealth unlawfully, and he was even more negligent with regard to other matters.” ( Taareekh Dimashq 12/187).
Adh-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
He was an oppressor, a tyrant, a Naasibi, an evil man and a shedder of blood.
He was very courageous, brave, devious, crafty, well-spoken and eloquent, and he had a great deal of respect for the Qur’an.
I have mentioned his bad conduct in at-Taareekh al-Kabeer, including his siege of Ibn az-Zubayr when he holed up at the Ka‘bah, how he launched projectiles at it with the catapult, and how he humiliated the residents of the Haramayn (the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah); then his governorship of Iraq and the entire East (i.e., Persia) for twenty years; the rebellion of Ibn al-Ash‘ath against him; and his delaying of prayers until Allah eradicated him.
We revile him and do not love him; rather we hate him for the sake of Allah, for that is one of the strongest bonds of faith.
He did some good deeds, but they are like drops in the ocean of his evil deeds, and his ultimate fate is subject to the will of Allah.
He affirmed Allah’s oneness (Tawheed) in general, and there are other oppressive tyrants and governors of his ilk. End quote.
Siyar A‘laam an-Nubala’ (4/343).
To sum up, the man did a great deal of wrong and transgressed against the people, and he wronged himself a great deal.
He did some good deeds, but they are like drops in the ocean of his evil deeds. However, he strove hard in jihad, fought the enemies of Allah, conquered lands and spread Islam.
Allah, may He be exalted, will judge him. We condemn before Allah his oppression and transgression, and we declare our love and support for those of the Muslim leaders among the Sahaabah and Taabi‘een against whom he transgressed. We regard him as an enemy because of his mistreatment of them, and we leave his final judgement to Allah, may He be exalted.
It is better not to focus on him and worry about him. How good are the words narrated by Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) in az-Zuhd (p. 332) from Bilaal ibn al-Mundhir, who said: A man said: If I do not ask ar-Rabee‘ ibn Khaytham today about what happened, I will never find out his view. I said: O Abu Yazeed, the son of Faatimah (peace be upon her) – meaning al-Husayn – was killed. He said: Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raaji‘oon (Indeed we belong to Allah , and indeed to Him we will return), then he recited the verse (interpretation of the meaning): {Say, “O Allah , Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, You will judge between your servants concerning that over which they used to differ”} [az-Zumar 39:46].
I said: What do you say? He said: What should I say? To Allah they will return and Allah will bring them to account.
And Allah knows best.
See: Wafiyyaat al-A‘yaan (2/29-46); Taareekh Dimashq (12/113-123); Taareekh al-Islam (5/310-316; 6/314-327).

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:
The Sahabi ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him)
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib ibn Haashim, Abu’l-‘Abbas, the paternal cousin of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
His mother was Lubabah bint al-Harith ibn Hazan ibn Bajiyyah ibn al-Hazam ibn Rubiyyah ibn ‘Abdillah ibn Hilal ibn ‘Amir ibn Sa‘sa‘ah al-Hilali.
He was called the scholar (al-habr) and the ocean (al-bahr), because of his abundant knowledge and his deep understanding of subtle issues. He was the scholar and faqih of the ummah, the spokesman of the tribe, a brilliant reflection of prophethood, the one for whom the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed that he would have deep understanding of the faith and of the Quran, thus he was known as the interpreter of the Quran.
He was born when Banu Hashim were in the gully, three years before the Hijrah; it was also said that it was five years before that, but the former view is more sound, and it is closer to what is narrated from him in as-Sahihayn: I was going about some errands, riding a female donkey – and at that time I had just reached the age of puberty – and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was praying in Mina, not facing towards any wall. I passed in front of part of the row, then I let the donkey loose so that it could graze, and I joined the row, and he did not object to me doing that. Narrated by al-Bukhari (76) and Muslim (504).
In Sahih al-Bukhari (6299) it is narrated that Sa‘id ibn Jubayr said: Ibn ‘Abbas was asked: What age were you when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died? He said: At that time I was circumcised. He (the narrator) said: They used not to circumcise a boy until he reached puberty.
In Musnad Ahmad (3125) it is narrated from Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ‘Abbas, that he said: I learned al-Muhkam [surahs in which nothing is abrogated] at the time of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died, I was ten years old. He (the narrator) said: I said to him: What is al-Muhkam? He said: al-Mufassal [i.e., the surahs from al-Hujurat to the end of the Quran].
Al-Arnaut said: Its isnad is sahih according to the conditions of al-Bukhari and Muslim.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed for him, asking Allah to grant him deep understanding of religion and to teach him the interpretation of the Quran (tafsir). He said: “O Allah, grant him deep understanding of the faith and teach him the interpretation of the Quran.” Narrated by al-Bukhari (143), Muslim (2477), and Ahmad (2397).
He also asked Allah to teach him wisdom. It was narrated from ‘Ikrimah that Ibn ‘Abbas said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) embraced me and said: “O Allah, teach him wisdom.” Narrated by al-Bukhari (3756).
‘Umar ibn al-Khattab word bring him close to him and ask him questions, and he would let him attend gatherings with the elders of the people of Badr, to show them his knowledge and understanding. He would always have a ready answer and a radiant, handsome face. He had long hair dyed with henna; he was fair skinned and tall, with a yellowish complexion and a big build. His knowledge was abundant and many reports were narrated from him. An ignorant person would learn knowledge and wisdom from him, and a hungry person would have his fill of food and bread from him.
He (may Allah be pleased with him) died in at-Taif in 68 AH. The scholars differed concerning his age; it was said that he was seventy-one years old, or seventy-two, or seventy-four. The first is the strongest view.
For more information on his virtues, please see: Fadail as-Sahabah by Imam Ahmad (2/949); Ma‘rifat as-Sahabah by Abu Nu‘aym (3/1699); and al-Isabah by Ibn Hajar (4/122).
Secondly:
The impact of the Prophet’s supplication for ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas
Undoubtedly the supplication of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) for ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), asking Allah to teach him wisdom, understanding of the faith and the interpretation of the Quran, had a great impact on Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) in forming his character, in terms of faith, knowledge and ethics, and his keenness to seek knowledge and develop good understanding of the knowledge he acquired.
Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) did not rely only on the supplication of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) for him; rather he strove hard to accumulate and attain knowledge and to understand the religion of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, with all that he had of strength, energy, patience and resolve.
He began by staying close to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) from a very early age, until the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died.
When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died, he turned to his senior Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), to the extent that he would fold his rida into a pillow and lie at the door of one of them, so as to have the opportunity to learn hadith from him.
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died, I said to one of the Ansar: Let us go and ask the Companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about the sayings of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), for they are many [and this is an opportunity to learn].
The man said: I am astonished at you, O Ibn ‘Abbas. Do you think that people will need you, when there are still on earth what you see of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah?
So he did not like the idea, but I devoted myself to acquiring knowledge and seeking out the Companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), one after another, in order to learn from them. Sometimes I would hear that a man had heard some saying from the Messenger of Allah, so I would go to his house to ask him, but he would be having a siesta. So I would turn my rida (upper garment) into a pillow and rest at his door, with the wind blowing in my face, until he came out.
He would say: What brings you here, O cousin of the Messenger of Allah?
I would say: I have heard that you narrate something from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and I wanted to hear it from you.
He would say: Why did you not send for me so that I could come to you? And I would say: It is more appropriate for me to come to you.
That [Ansari] man would pass by me later on, and would see the people asking me questions, and he would say: You were wiser than me.
Narrated by Imam Ahmad in Fadail as-Sahabah (2/976) (1925); ad-Darimi (590); and by al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak (363) – he said: It is sahih according to the conditions of al-Bukhari, and this report is usually quoted in the context of seeking hadiths and showing respect to the muhaddith. And adh-Dhahabi agreed with him.
Hence if Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked: How did you acquire this knowledge? He said: By asking questions and understanding the answers.
Narrated by Imam Ahmad in Fadail as-Sahabah (2/970 (1903); al-Bayhaqi in al-Madkhil ila as-Sunan al-Kubra (427).
Hence the supplication of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) for Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) was fulfilled. Allah granted him wisdom, which means that he was able to do the right thing and be precise, and to put things in their appropriate places.
Allah granted him deep understanding of the faith, and He taught him the interpretation of the Quran, to the extent that he was known as the interpreter of the Quran and the scholar of the ummah.
Undoubtedly when someone is given knowledge, understanding and wisdom, that will have an impact on his entire life, his faith, his worship, his piety, his attitudes and manners, his bearing, his smartness, his wisdom, his integrity and his sound views.
Hence ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would let Ibn ‘Abbas attend his gatherings with the elders of the people of Badr; he would consult him and ask him questions in front of them, to show them his knowledge, wisdom and understanding of the faith.
It was narrated by Sa‘id ibn Jubayr that Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: ‘Umar would let me attend his gatherings with the elders of Badr. One of them said: Why do you let this young man join us, when we have sons like him? He said: He is one of those whom you know.
[Ibn ‘Abbas] said: One day, [‘Umar] called them, and he called me with them, and I thought that he only called me on that day to show them how much knowledge I had. He said: What do you say about the verse {When the victory of Allah has come and the conquest …} [an-Nasr 110:1] until the end of the surah? Some of them said: It is commanding us to praise Allah and seek His forgiveness because He granted us victory and conquest. And some of them said: We do not know, and some of them did not say anything. He said to me: O Ibn ‘Abbas, do you agree?
I said: No. He said: Then what do you say? I said: This refers to the approaching death of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), of which Allah informed him (in this surah). Allah told him: When the victory of Allah has come and the conquest – the conquest of Makkah – that is a sign of your approaching death, so glorify and praise your Lord and seek His forgiveness, for He is ever accepting of repentance. ‘Umar said: I do not know anything about its meaning except what you know.
Narrated by al-Bukhari (4294).
It was narrated that Tawus said: By Allah, I never saw anyone who respected the sacred limits of Allah more than Ibn ‘Abbas. By Allah, if I wanted to weep every time I mention him, I could do so.
Narrated by Imam Ahmad in Fadail as-Sahabah (2/950).
This is a brief glimpse of this great scholar. But his virtues are many, as are his stories with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his Companions. We do not have room here to mention them all.
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Before Islam, Arabia was in a very bad state. When they were blessed with Islam and became followers of this faith, the people of Arabia found themselves in the best state, for they became leaders of nations and the best nation that was ever brought forth for humanity.
The evil that was present in Arabia before Islam was manifested in many ways; we cannot list them all in this answer because there were so many. But this does not prevent us from mentioning the most significant of them. They include:

Beliefs

The Arabs were idol worshippers; they would seek to draw close to them, offer sacrifices before them and venerate them completely. The idols were made by other humans like them, and sometimes they made them themselves, from dates, clay and other things. The number of idols around the Holy Ka‘bah was approximately 360.

Allah, may He be exalted, says, describing those ignorant people (interpretation of the meaning):
“And they worship other than Allah that which neither harms them nor benefits them, and they say, ‘These are our intercessors with Allah’”
[Yoonus 10:18].

They used to seek omens, so if one of them wanted to get married, or travel, or engage in trade, he would throw a bird into the air, and if it flew right, he would go ahead with his plans and would believe that they were good and beneficial, but if the bird flew left, he would cancel his plans and not go ahead with them, and would believe that they were bad.

They believed in evil omens; if one of them heard the sound of an owl, or saw a crow, he would feel anxious and believe that some harm would befall him on that day. They would not get married in the month of Shawwaal, believing that marriage in that month would not succeed.

The loyalty of the people of Arabia was to different great powers of their time. Some of them were loyal to the Byzantines, others to the Persians, and others to the Ethiopians.

Morals and manners, conduct, and customs

During the Jaahiliyyah, the Arabs would attack and kill one another for the most trivial of reasons. Wars among them would continue for many years, in which the men would be killed and the women and children taken captive.

One example of that was the War of al-Basoos, which lasted for thirty years, because of a she-camel that stepped on the egg of a lark [a type of bird] and broke it. Another was the War of Daahis and al-Ghabraa’, which lasted for forty years, because one horse beat another in a race.

They did not refrain from eating unclean things. For example, they used to eat the meat of animals that died of natural causes, and drink blood.
Tribes other than Quraysh used to circumambulate the Ka‘bah (tawaaf) naked, women and men alike, if the people of Quraysh did not do them the favour of giving them clothes to wear. They believed that a garment in which one had committed sin was not fit to be worn when doing tawaaf. A woman would say: “Today all of it or some of it appears, and whatever of it appears, I do not permit it”!
Zina (fornication, adultery) was widespread among them, along with its consequences, the worst of which was attributing a child to someone other than the husband.

It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: There were four types of marriage during the Jaahiliyyah [period before Islam]:
One type was like the marriage of people today: one man would ask another for permission to marry a woman under his guardianship or his daughter, and he would give her a dowry, then marry her.
The second type was when a man would say to his wife, when she became pure following her menses: Send for So-and-so and have relations with him. Then her husband would stay away from her and not touch her until it became clear that she had got pregnant from that man with whom she was having relations. When her pregnancy became evident, her husband would have relations with her if he wanted to. He only did that so that he might have a child with good characteristics. This kind of marriage was called nikaah al-istibdaa‘.
Another kind of marriage was where a group of men, less than ten, would get together and go to a woman, and all have relations with her. Then if she became pregnant and gave birth, a few days after giving birth she would send for them, and not one of them would refuse to come. When they all gathered before her, she would say to them: You know what you have done, and now I have given birth. He is your son, O So-and-so – naming whoever she wanted, and her child would be attributed to him and he could not refuse to take him.
The fourth type of marriage was where many people would go to a woman and she never refused anyone who came to her. Those were the prostitutes, who used to put flags at their doors as a sign, so anyone who wanted to could go in (and have relations with them). If one of them got pregnant and gave birth, all those men would be brought together and they would call those who were skilled in recognizing the resemblance of a child to his father, then they would attribute the child to the one whom those skilled people thought that he resembled; the child would be called his son, and he could not refuse that.
But when Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sent with the truth, he abolished all the kinds of marriage that were known during the Jaahiliyyah, except the kind of marriage that people know today.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (4834).

They used to kill their children because of the poverty they were suffering, or because they feared falling into poverty. Some of them would bury their daughters alive for fear that they would be taken captive, thus bringing shame upon them. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“and do not kill your children out of poverty; We will provide for you and them”
[al-An‘aam 6:151].
“And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you. Indeed, their killing is ever a great sin”
[al-Isra’ 17:31]
“And when one of them is informed of [the birth of] a female, his face becomes dark, and he suppresses grief.
He hides himself from the people because of the ill of which he has been informed. Should he keep it in humiliation or bury it in the ground? Unquestionably, evil is what they decide”
[an-Nahl 16:58-59].

 They felt pride in their forefathers and lineage, to the extent that they would remember their forefathers and boast of them during Hajj season and when performing the rituals of Hajj.

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, has taken away your pride of Jaahiliyyah and your boasting about your forefathers. One is either a righteous believer or a doomed evildoer. You are the sons of Adam and Adam was created from dust. Men should stop boasting about people [their forefathers] who are no more than the coal of Hell, or they will certainly be more insignificant before Allah than the beetle that rolls dung with its nose.”
Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (3955) and Abu Dawood (5116); classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi.

They used to deal in riba (usury) in various forms.

Ja‘far ibn Abi Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) summed up their situation during the Jaahiliyyah when he said before the Negus (ruler) in Ethiopia, when he migrated there: “We were a people of ignorance, worshipping idols, eating dead meat, committing abominations, severing ties of kinship, treating neighbours badly, and the strong among us devoured the weak.
Narrated by Ahmad (3/265); classed as hasan by the commentators on al-Musnad.

Women during the Jaahiliyyah

Women were vulnerable to the worst types of mistreatment, humiliation and degradation during the Jaahiliyyah. That took many forms, apart from being buried alive in infancy, as referred to above:

Women would be deprived of inheritance altogether, so a woman would have no share of whatever wealth her son, father or mother left behind, even if it was great; rather they would treat her as chattels to be inherited! That is referred to in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who have believed, it is not lawful for you to inherit women by compulsion”
[an-Nisaa’ 4:19].
Al-Bukhaari (4303) narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: When a man died, his heirs would have more right to his wife. If one of them wanted to marry her, he would do so, and if they wanted to they would give her in marriage to someone else, or if they wanted to they would not arrange a marriage for her, because they had more right to her than her own family. Then this verse was revealed concerning that.

They would force a woman to marry someone she did not like, or they would prevent her from getting married.
Some husbands would leave their wives suspended, as it were, so a woman would not be treated with dignity as his wife, but she would not be able to marry anyone else. For example, a man would forbid his wife to himself, and make her like his mother or sister; or he would swear an oath not to have intercourse with her, so she would be left hanging, as it were. Then Islam came and prohibited zihaar [a jaahili form of divorce in which a man would say to his wife, “You are to me like my mother’s back]; and it set a time limit for the one who swore that he would not have intercourse with his wife, namely four months, after which he must either offer expiation for his oath and have intercourse with her, or he would be compelled to divorce her. This is what is called eelaa’, and it is mentioned in the verses (interpretation of the meaning):

“For those who swear not to have sexual relations with their wives is a waiting time of four months, but if they return [to normal relations] – then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
And if they decide on divorce – then indeed, Allah is Hearing and Merciful”
[al-Baqarah 2:226-227].

We may read what a wife used to do after her husband died:

Zaynab bint Abi Salamah said: If a woman’s husband died, she would go into a hut and wear her worst clothes, and she would not put on perfume until one year had passed. Then an animal would be brought – a donkey or a sheep or a bird – and she would rub her hands over it, and rarely did (such a woman) rub her hands over anything but it died, then she would come out and would be given a piece of dung which she would throw.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5024) and Muslim (1489).
Islam, with its wise rulings, changed all these ignorant customs and rulings, and replaced them with something better. We do not have room here to list all the changes that were made to the ways of Jaahiliyyah; doing so would require a large volume. It is sufficient for us to mention some of the ways of Jaahiliyyah and some of the changes that Islam brought. For more information, please see Buloogh al-Arab fi Ma‘rifat Ahwaal al-‘Arab by Mahmoud Shukri al-Aloosi; al-Mufassal fi Taareekh al-‘Arab qabl al-Islam; and Taareekh al-‘Arab qabl al-Islam.
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.I.
The Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) – even though they are the best of people – were also human, and there occurred among them that which usually occurs among people of disputes and differences of opinion. But they were the swiftest of people in doing good, and they were the foremost in knowledge of the truth, acting upon it and the swiftest to acknowledge and correct their mistakes, if one of them made a mistake, like any other human.
What is required of anyone who is accountable is to refrain from discussing the differences that arose among the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) and to think positively of every one of them.
Where could you find any people who are better than those who accompanied the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), migrated with him, strove with him in jihad, and prayed behind him?
See the answer to question no. 127028.
II.
It was narrated by ‘Abdullah ibn Ahmad in as-Sunnah (1312), Ibn Abi ‘Aasim in as-Sunnah (1219) and al-Bayhaqi in al-I‘tiqaad (p. 358) that ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib said: No one gives me precedence over Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) but I shall flog him with the hadd punishment of one who fabricates lies.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It is proven via many isnads from ‘Ali that he said: No man will be brought to me who gives me precedence over Abu Bakr and ‘Umar but I shall flog him with the hadd punishment of one who fabricates lies.
End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (4/479).
He also said:
It was narrated from ‘Ali via approximately eighty isnaads or more that he said on the minbar of Kufah: The best of this ummah after its Prophet are Abu Bakr and ‘Umar.
End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (4/407).
III.
It is proven in as-Saheehayn that ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib swore allegiance to Abu Bakr, even though it was delayed by a few months.
‘Ali did not show any disagreement towards Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) or express any disapproval of the caliphate of Abu Bakr, and never expressed any dissent. Rather he delayed giving his allegiance to Abu Bakr. The reason for that was that he objected to Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and others among the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) deciding the matter of the caliphate without him, despite his virtue, honour and high status, for he had the right to be present and be consulted about the matter, and that no decision should be taken without him.
The excuse that the Sahaabah gave was that they had hastened to swear allegiance to Abu Bakr so as to ward off fitnah and turmoil in the Muslim community, because they feared that disputes and conflicts might arise if they delayed it.
Another reason for the delay [in ‘Ali swearing allegiance to Abu Bakr] was the fact that Faatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) got angry with Abu Bakr’s response to her when she asked him about her inheritance (from the Prophet(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)], and ‘Ali thought that he should show sympathy to her by staying away from Abu Bakr, especially since she was going through sorrow, distress and grief at the passing of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) did not refuse to swear allegiance to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him); rather he delayed doing so for the reasons mentioned above. Then he came and swore allegiance to him without being forced to do so.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
It is known via tawaatur reports that no one held back from swearing allegiance to him – namely Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq (may Allah be pleased with him) – except Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaadah. As for ‘Ali and Banu Haashim, all of them swore allegiance to him, according to consensus, and none of them died until after swearing allegiance to him. But it was said that ‘Ali delayed swearing allegiance to him for six months, or that he swore allegiance to him on the second day. Whatever the case, they swore allegiance to him without being forced to do so.
End quote from Minhaaj as-Sunnah (8/232).
See also the answer to question no. 147540.
IV.
It is not proven that ‘Uthmaan beat ‘Ammaar (may Allah be pleased with them both), let alone that ‘Ali saw that and did not object. All of the reports that have been narrated concerning that are not sound in their isnaads (chains of narration).
Ibn Shabbah said in Taareekh al-Madinah (3/1098):
Al-Qaasim ibn al-Fudayl told us: ‘Amr ibn Murrah told me, from Saalim ibn Abi’l-Ja‘d, who said: ‘Uthmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) called some of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), among whom was ‘Ammar, and said: I am going to ask you something; I adjure you by Allah, do you know that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to give precedence to Quraysh over all other people, and he used to give precedence to Banu Haashim over the rest of Quraysh? The people remained silent, so he said: If the keys of Paradise were in my hand, I would give them to Banu Umayyah so that all of them, to the last man, would enter it. By Allah, I would surely give to them and appoint them (to positions of authority), in spite of you. ‘Ammar said: Inspite of me? ‘Uthmaan said: In spite of you. ‘Ammaar said: And in spite of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar? ‘Uthmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) got angry and leapt up, and started to beat him severely, and the people intervened and pushed him away from ‘Ammaar.
 This is a da‘eef (weak) isnad. Saalim ibn Abi’l-Ja‘d did not hear [reports] from ‘Uthmaan. Al-Haafiz al-‘Alaa’i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Saalim ibn Abi’l-Ja‘d al-Kufi is well known; he narrated many mursal reports from the senior Sahaabah such as ‘Umar, ‘Ali, ‘Aa’ishah, Ibn Mas‘ood and others (may Allah be pleased with them). Abu Zar‘ah said: [Reports narrated by] Saalim ibn Abi’l-Ja‘d from ‘Umar, ‘Uthmaan and ‘Ali are mursal.
End quote from Jaami‘ at-Tahseel (p. 179)
Ibn ‘Abd Rabbihi said in al-‘Aqd al-Fareed (5/57):
In a hadith narrated by al-A‘mash from Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah, he said: The companions of ‘Uthmaan wrote down his mistakes on a page and wrote down people’s criticisms of him. They said: Who will take this to him? ‘Ammaar said: I will. So he took it to him, and when he read it he [‘Uthmaan] said: May Allah cause your disgrace. ‘Ammaar said: And Abu Bakr and ‘Umar too? ‘Uthmaan stood up and beat him until he fell unconscious. Then ‘Uthmaan regretted it, and he sent Talhah and az-Zubayr to him to say to him: Choose one of three: either forgive me, or accept compensation for the injury, or retaliate in kind [qisas]. ‘Ammaar said: By Allah, I will not accept any of them until I meet Allah! Abu Bakr [ibn Abi Shaybah, the narrator of this report] said: I mentioned this hadith to al-Hasan ibn Saalih, and he said: ‘Uthmaan could not have done more than he did (to seek reconciliation).
This is a da‘eef (weak) isnad, like the previous report. Al-A‘mash is regarded as being among the junior Taabi‘een; he was born too late to have met ‘Uthmaan or ‘Ali or ‘Ammaar.
See: Mizaan al-I‘tidaal (2/224) and at-Tahdheeb (4/196).
In fact, Ibn ‘Abd Rabbihi, who quoted this report in his book, did not trace its isnad back to al-A‘mash. As it is possible that this report may be traced to someone who comes before al-A‘mash [in the chain of narration], it is also possible that it may be traced to someone who comes after him,  whom Ibn ‘Abd Rabbihi omitted between Ibn Abi Shaybah and al-A‘mash.
Ibn Abi Bakr al-Maaliqi said: If it is said that ‘Uthmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) beat ‘Ammaar, it should be pointed out that this is not proven. Even if it could be proven, the imam (ruler) has the right to discipline some of his subjects, as he sees fit, even if he is mistaken.
Do you not see that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) allowed people to settle scores with him. Similarly, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) disciplined some of their subjects slapping and hitting with a stick, and they allowed others to settle the score with them.
If someone says that ‘Uthmaan did not allow anyone to settle a score with him,
It should be said to him: How can that be true, when he made offers to that effect in an unprecedented manner, especially when he was under siege in his house, when he said: O people, if you find in the Book of Allah that you should put my feet in fetters, then do so.”
End quote from Shubuhaat hawla as-Sahaabah: Dhu’n-Noorayn ‘Uthmaan (p. 144).
There are sounder reports which contradict that. It was narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah in his Musannaf (7/521) and Ibn Shabbah in Taareekh al-Madinah (3/1101), via Husayn ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan who said: Juhaym, a man from Banu Fihr, told me: I witnessed this event. He said: Sa‘d and ‘Ammaar came and sent word to ‘Uthmaan, saying: Please come; we want to remind you of something novel that you introduced, or things that you did. He sent word to them telling them: Leave for today, because I am busy; your appointment is on such and such a day.
So Sa‘d left, but ‘Ammaar refused to leave.
So ‘Uthmaan’s messenger grabbed him and beat him.
When they and those who were with them gathered at the appointed time, ‘Uthmaan said to them: What grievances do you have against me?
They said: Our grievance is your beating of ‘Ammaar.
‘Uthmaan said: Sa‘d and ‘Ammaar came, and I sent word to them, then Sa‘d left but ‘Ammaar refused to leave, so a messenger grabbed him and beat without me instructing him to do that. By Allah, I did not give any instruction to that effect and I am not pleased with it. This is my hand for ‘Ammaar; let him retaliate.
There is nothing wrong with this isnad, and its men are thiqaat (trustworthy). Juhaym is a Taabi‘i from whom two trustworthy narrators narrated, and he was classed as trustworthy by Ibn Hibbaan, so his hadith may reach the level of hasan.
This report is the soundest of those that were narrated about ‘Uthmaan beating ‘Ammaar.
Conclusion:
It is not proven that ‘Uthmaan beat ‘Ammaar in the first place, let alone any notion that he beat him in the presence of ‘Ali and that ‘Ali remained silent and did not defend him. What is required of us is to acknowledge the high status of the companions of our Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), to love them and defend them.
It is not permissible to rely on everything that has been narrated in the books of history, except for that which is proven to be sound. How good are the words of Ibn Khaldoon:
How often the historians, mufassireen and narrators of reports make mistakes in the stories they narrate, because their method is mere transmission of reports, whether sound or unsound, without examining these reports and their chains of narration, and comparing them to other, similar reports, and without examining them in the light of reason and in the light of human nature. Thus they drifted away from the path of truth and fell into grievous mistakes and errors.
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:

The scholars differed concerning the relationship between
Zakariyya and Maryam (peace be upon them both). There are two views:

That
he was the husband of her sister

That
he was the husband of her maternal aunt.

See the answer to question no. 82569.

It was narrated that Zakariyya (peace be upon him) was also
one of the paternal cousins of Maryam (peace be upon her), in addition to
being the husband of her maternal aunt or sister. See: al-Hidaayah by
Makki (2/999).

Secondly:

Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, has told us about
Zakariyya’s sponsorship (kafaalah) of Maryam, as He said (interpretation of
the meaning):

“So her Lord accepted her with good acceptance and caused her
to grow in a good manner and put her in the care
[kaffalaha] of Zechariah [Zakariyya]”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:37].

What is meant by kafaalah [sponsorship or taking care] is
that he looked after her affairs and needs. Kafaalah includes taking care of
the interests of the person under one’s care, spending on him, and looking
after his needs.

Ibn ‘Atiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: What it means
is that he took her into his care and spent on her. The kaafil (sponsor) is
the one who takes care of another.

End quote from al-Muharrar al-Wajeez (1/425).

Al-Waahidi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: He took her
into his care and looked after her affairs.

Az- Zajjaaj said: What is meant is that he took care of her
affairs. … The kaafil is the one who sponsors a person, looks after him and
spends on him..

End quote from at-Tafseer al-Baseet (5/203).

Ibn Katheer said: Here our Lord is telling us that He
accepted the vow of her mother, and that He “caused her to grow in a good
manner” that is, He made her good-looking and endeared her to peopler,
and caused her to be in the company of the righteous among His slaves, so
that she could learn goodness, knowledge and religion from them.

Hence Allah says: “and put her in
the care [kaffalaha] of Zechariah
[Zakariyya]”; the grammatical
structure of this phrase in the original Arabic indicates that Zakariyya was
made to be her sponsor or carer.

Ibn Ishaaq said: That was only because she was an orphan.

Other scholars stated that the Children of Israel were
stricken by a famine, so Zakariyya sponsored Maryam and took care of her
because of that.

There is no contradiction between the two views. And Allah
knows best.

The reason why Allah decreed that Zakariyya should be her
sponsor was because this would be in her best interests, so that she might
learn a great deal of beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds from him, and
because he was the husband of her maternal aunt, according to what was
mentioned by Ibn Ishaaq, Ibn Jareer, and others.

It was also said that he was the husband of her sister.

At-Tafseer
(2/35).

Ibn ‘Ashoor said: When Maryam was born, her father had died,
and a number of the rabbis of the Children of Israel disputed over who was
to sponsor her, for they were all keen to sponsor the daughter of their
senior rabbi. They drew lots for that, and the lot fell to Zakariyya. What
appears to be the case is that the matter of her sponsorship was delegated
to the rabbis because she was dedicated to the service of the place of
worship, so it was essential that she be given a righteous upbringing for
that reason.

At-Tahreer wa’t-Tahreer
(2/235).

Conclusion:

It was narrated that Zakariyya was one of the paternal
cousins of Maryam, and he was the husband of her sister or maternal aunt. He
was her sponsor (kaafil), meaning that he used to take care of her needs and
look after her.

Praise be to Allah.
The Prophet of Allah Sulaymaan (peace be upon him) did not
force Balqees the queen of Saba’ (Sheba) to become Muslim; rather she became
Muslim voluntarily, as Allah, may He be exalted, tells us in the verse in
which He, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):

“She said: ‘My Lord! Verily, I
have wronged myself, and I submit (in Islam, together with Sulaymaan
(Solomon), to Allah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that
exists)”

[an-Naml 27:44].

She stated that she had wronged herself by worshipping the
sun instead of Allah, then she voluntarily affirmed Islam and submitted with
Sulaymaan to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. If she had been forced to become
Muslim, she would not have said that.

With regard to the words of the Prophet of Allah Sulaymaan
(peace be upon him), “Go
back to them. We verily shall come to them with hosts that they cannot
resist, and we shall drive them out from there in disgrace, and they will be
abased” [an-Naml 27:37],

this comes under the heading of jihad which is necessary to
spread the religion of Allah; it does not have anything to do with forcing
anyone to enter Islam. Jihad was only prescribed so that the word of Allah
might be supreme, and so as to take away authority of kingdoms that stand
between the people and the religion of Allah.

Moreover, Sulaymaan was a king, to whom Allah had granted
sovereignty on earth, as more than one of the early generations stated, so
no one had the right to decide any of the affairs of his kingdom without his
consent, especially with regard to the greatest matter concerning which
jihad was prescribed and for which kingdoms were established.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Jihad of the Muslims against the disbelievers is not for the
purpose of making them become Muslim. Allah, may He be glorified, says
(interpretation of the meaning): “There
is no compulsion in religion” [al-Baqarah
2:256]. Rather jihad is
so that the word of Allah may be supreme, and so that dominance may belong
to the religion of Islam.

End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il al-‘Uthaymeen
(25/303).

Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allah preserve him) said:

It is not possible to force anyone to enter Islam, for
entering Islam is something that comes from the heart, based on conviction
in the heart, and it is not possible for us to control hearts or make them
believe. That is in the hand of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, for
He is the Controller of the hearts, and it is He Who guides whomever He
wills and leaves astray whomever He wills. But our duty is to call people to
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, and to explain the truth, and to
strive in jihad for the sake of Allah against those who are stubborn and
recognise the truth but obstinately reject it after coming to know it. This
is the one against whom we must strive in jihad, but as for the idea of
forcing him to enter Islam and instilling faith in his heart by force, this
is not for us to do, rather that is up to Allah, may He be glorified and
exalted.

End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa ash-Shaykh Saalih ibn
Fawzaan (1/209)

The fact that the queen of Saba’ became Muslim and admitted
having wronged her self when she disbelieved clearly indicates that she was
content with faith and became Muslim voluntarily, and was not forced to do
so.

Please see also the answers to questions no.
178756 and 82613.

And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:

His full name is Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Ja‘far as-Saadiq ibn
Muhammad al-Baaqir ibn ‘Ali Zayn al-‘Aabideen ibn al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi
Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him and be pleased with them).

His mother was Umm Farwah bint al-Qaasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abi
Bakr at-Taymi. Her mother was Asmaa’ bint ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn Abi Bakr. So
his mother was descended from Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq on her mother’s side and
also on her father’s side.

Hence he used to say: Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq was my ancestor
twice over.

He was born in 80 AH, and met some of the Sahaabah.
Adh-Dhahabi said: I think he met Anas ibn Maalik and Sahl ibn Sa‘d.

See: Siyar A‘laam an-Nubala’ (6/255-270).

Secondly:

His shaykhs and students:

He narrated from his father, Abu Ja‘far al-Baaqir, and from
‘Ubaydullah ibn Abi Raafi‘, ‘Urwah ibn az-Zubayr, ‘Ata’ ibn Abi Rabaah – and
his reports from him are narrated in Muslim, his grandfather al-Qaasim ibn
Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, Naafi‘ al-‘Umari, Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, az-Zuhri,
Muslim ibn Abi Maryam, and others. He did not narrate a great deal, except
from his father; they were both among the scholars of Madinah.

The following narrated from him: his son Moosa al-Kaazim,
Yahya ibn Sa‘eed al-Ansaari, Yazeed ibn ‘Abdullah ibn al-Haadi – they (Yahya
and Yazeed) were both older than him –, Abaan ibn Taghlib, Ibn Jurayj,
Mu‘aawiyah ibn ‘Ammaar ad-Duhni, Ibn Ishaaq – among a group of his peers – ,
Sufyaan, Shu‘bah, Maalik, Ismaa‘eel ibn Ja‘far, Wahb ibn Khaalid, Haatim ibn
Ismaa‘eel, Sulaymaan ibn Bilaal, Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah, al-Hasan ibn Saalih,
al-Hasan ibn ‘Ayyaash – the brother of Abu Bakr, Zuhayr ibn Muhammad, Hafs
ibn Ghiyaath, Zayd ibn Hasan al-Anmaati, Sa‘eed ibn Sufyaan al-Aslami,
‘Abdullah ibn Maymoon, ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Imraan az-Zuhri, ‘Abd al-‘Azeez
ad-Daraawardi, ‘Abd al-Wahhaab ath-Thaqafi, ‘Uthmaan ibn Farqad, Muhammad
ibn Thaabit al-Bunaani, Muhammad ibn Maymoon az-Za‘faraani, Muslim az-Zanji,
Yahya al-Qattaan, Abu ‘Aasim an-Nabeel, and others. See: as-Siyar.

Thirdly:

His status in terms of knowledge, virtue and adherence to the
Sunnah, and his disavowal of the Raafidis and other extremists, and the
seriousness of their fabrications against him:

Abu Ahmad ibn ‘Adiyy said: He narrated many hadiths from his
father, from Jaabir and from his forefathers. The leading scholars narrated
from him. And he was one of the trustworthy people, as Ibn Ma‘een said.

It was narrated that ‘Amr ibn Abi’l-Miqdaam said: When I
looked at Ja‘far ibn Muhammad, I realised that he was descended from
Prophets. I saw him standing at the Jamrah, saying: Ask me, ask me.

‘Ali ibn al-Ja‘d narrated that Zuhayr ibn Mu‘aawiyah said: My
father said to Ja‘far ibn Muhammad: I have a neighbour who claims that you
disavowed Abu Bakr and ‘Umar. Ja‘far said: May Allah disavow your neighbour.
By Allah, I hope that Allah will benefit me through my ties of blood with
Abu Bakr, for I fell ill one time and  I left my will with my maternal uncle
‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn al-Qaasim (which means that he was very close to him).

Ibn ‘Uyaynah said: They narrated to me from Ja‘far ibn
Muhammad – although I did not hear it (directly) from him – that he said: At
the time of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him), the family of Abu Bakr were called the family of the Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).

Muhammad ibn Fudayl said, narrating from Saalim ibn Abi
Hafsah, that he said: I asked Abu Ja‘far and his son Ja‘far about Abu Bakr
and ‘Umar. He said: O Saalim, regard them as allies and disavow anyone who
regards them as enemies, for they are both imams of guidance.

Then Ja‘far said: O Saalim, would a man revile his
grandfather? Abu Bakr is my grandfather, and I will not attain the
intercession of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on the
Day of Resurrection if I do not regard them both (Abu Bakr and ‘Umar) as
allies and disavow those who regard them as enemies.

Adh-Dhahabi said: These words were narrated via mutawaatir
reports from Ja‘far as-Saadiq. I bear witness by Allah that he was sincere
in his words, and was not being hypocritical towards anyone or trying to
appease anyone. May Allah doom the Raafidis.

Adh-Dhahabi commented on the above report by saying:

Saalim had an obvious inclination towards Shi‘ism, yet
despite that he transmitted these true words. It is only people of virtue
who recognise the virtue of people of virtue. Similarly the one who narrated
it, Ibn Fudayl, was also a Shi‘i but trustworthy in narrating hadith. May
Allah doom the Shi‘ah of our times; how deeply they are immersed in
ignorance and lies! They impugn the two shaykhs (Abu Bakr and ‘Umar), the
two close companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him), and interpret these words of al-Baaqir and as-Saadiq as having been
said by way of taqiyyah (dissimulation).

End quote from Siyar A‘laam an-Nubala’, 4/402

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him)
said: 

As for telling lies about Ja‘far and what they narrate from
him of what he (allegedly) said in private (impugning Abu Bakr and ‘Umar),
it is among the gravest of lies, to the extent that it is said that no one
was lied about as Ja‘far (may Allah be pleased with him) was lied about.

End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 4/78.

He also said:

The Raafidis are the most ignorant of sects, the most
mendacious and the furthest removed from knowledge of religious texts and
reason. They regard taqiyyah (dissimulation) as one of the fundamental
principles of their religion, and they tell many lies about Ahl al-Bayt, the
extent of which no one knows except Allah. They even narrate from Ja‘far as-Saadiq
that he said: “Taqiyyah is my religion and the religion of my forefathers”!

Taqiyyah is the symbol of hypocrisy, because in reality it
means that they say something that is not in their hearts, and this is the
very essence of hypocrisy. Therefore because this is one of the fundamental
principles of their religion, whatever they transmit from ‘Ali or anyone
else of Ahl al-Bayt that is in harmony with the teachings of Ahl as-Sunnah
wa’l-Jamaa‘ah, they describe it as having been said by way of taqiyyah. Thus
they opened wide the doors of hypocrisy to the baatini Qaraamitah [an
extreme esoteric sect].

End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (13/263).

He also said:

The problem is with those who lied about Ja‘far, not with
Ja‘far himself… to the extent that everyone who wanted to make his lies
acceptable to people attributed them to Ja‘far.

End quote from Minhaaj as-Sunnah (4/54).

Imam Ja‘far as-Saadiq’s disavowal of the Raafidis and their
ilk is too well known to need a list of all the reports, and their
fabrications against him are too many to be counted.

A quick glance at the names of his shaykhs, such as ‘Ata’ ibn
Abi Rabaah, az-Zuhri, ‘Urwah ibn az-Zubayr, al-Qaasim ibn Muhammad and
others, and a quick glance at the names of his students who narrated from
him, such as Abu Haneefah, Sufyaan ath-Thawri, Ibn ‘Uyaynah, and Maalik, and
the high esteem in which they held him and the pride they felt in being his
students, will expose the lies of the baatinis (esoteric sects) concerning
him. How come his shaykhs from whom he acquired knowledge and his students
who learned from him, were the prominent figures among Ahl as-Sunnah in his
era, then he became the imam of their enemies among the Raafidis and their
ilk?

This is not the case of Ahl as-Sunnah vis-à-vis the Raafidis
concerning as-Saadiq only; rather it is also the case with regard to his son
and his forefathers.

See the answer to question no. 101272.

Fourthly:

As for books that give the biography of Ja‘far as-Saadiq,
there is hardly any book of biography (seerah) and prominent figures
(a‘laam) that does not mention his biography, such as Siyar al-A‘laam
by adh-Dhahabi, al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah by Ibn Katheer,
Wafiyyaat al-A‘yaan by Ibn Khallikaan, and others.

There are also books that deal exclusively with his
biography, such as al-Imam as-Saadiq: Hayaatuhu wa ‘Asruhu wa Aaraa’uhu
wa Fiqhuhu by Shaykh Muhammad Abu Zahrah.

There is a brief essay entitled al-Imam Ja‘far as-Saadiq
by Shaykh Saalih ad-Darweesh, at the end of which he mentions some other
writings that give his biography, including the following:

·
al-Imam Ja‘far as-Saadiq wa Aaraa’uhu f’il-Imaamah: Diraasah
Naqdiyyah lima nasabahu ilayhi ash-Shi‘ah min al-Abaateel
by Muhammad Mahfooz Abu ‘Akkaaz, Master’s thesis in Sharee‘ah and Usool ad-Deen
at Umm al-Qura University in Makkah.

·
Marwiyaat al-Imam Ja‘far as-Saadiq fi’s-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah
wa Ahwaal ar-Ruwwaat ‘anhu wa Namaadhij mimma nusiba ilayhi
by Lateefah Ibraaheem al-Haadi, PhD thesis in Sharee‘ah and Usool ad-Deen at
Umm al-Qura University in Makkah.

And Allah knows best.