Hazart Ali (RA) as I do not know
By Prof Dr.
Sohail Ansari
Conceived and worded by DR Sohail Ansari
(originality of concepts and originality of words).
He believes that there
can never be a zero scope for improvement and appreciates criticism if it is
not for the sake of criticism.
Want to believe in Hazart Ali
(RA) as you know
Answer me only a
few questions.
(I was honored to watch a video …….extolling the virtues of Hazrat ALI Karam allah wajho. I respect Hazart Ali as much as I respect the Islamic worldview of
justice: ‘justice denotes placing things in their rightful place’ hence,
Justice is to give thing importance as it deserves and Injustice is
underestimation or overestimation. I do not intend to imply that Allama is
wrong, this is my deficiency of knowledge
that does not permit me to believe all what he says; however if someone answers
me a few questions I will be at home with the content of Allama’s speech).
Honorable Allama
said:
‘A scientist was extended in measuring the distance between different
galaxies. A friend of his gave him the book Nahj al-Balagha (“The Nahj
al-Balagha (Arabic: نهج البلاغة)
(‘The Peak of Eloquence") is the most famous collection of sermons,
letters, tafsirs and narrations
attributed to Hazart Ali, It was collected by Sharif Razi, a Shia scholar in the tenth
century. Known for its eloquent
content, it is considered a masterpiece of literature in Shi'i Islam, third
only to the Quran and Prophetic
narrations’’). Scientist
having read it wrote 1000 letters to his friends (1000 scientists) and said to
them: ‘author of this book (Hazart Ali) either created galaxies himself or he
was the witness when the galaxies were being created (Hazart Ali was shown the
formation of galaxies)’.
·
A group of scientists invested itself in documenting the
intelligence of dolphin and concluded through various experiments that dolphin
has a level of intelligence very near to human intelligence. Other group believes that comparison may not
be especially helpful and asserts: ‘Just as human intelligence is appropriate
for the human needs, dolphin intelligence is right for the dolphin’s way of
life; therefore, dolphin intelligence is different. Human intelligence is adequate to the needs
of human. If Allama wants to prove that Hazrat Ali was extraordinarily intelligent
human, so this intelligence was not right for Ali’s way of life. Why he was given this intelligence?
·
God gives knowledge to His prophets to things beyond the grasp
of human beings to establish their status as prophets or in other words to
establish their superior status. Knowledge; however, is of things yet to happen
(foreseeing or foreknowing) or is of things happened but known to very few
(secret of past, or secret of nations or secret of individuals). Prophets have
never given knowledge of things such as how galaxies came into being or what
atom is composed of as knowledge of such things is irrelevant to the mission of
theirs. Why Hazrat Ali was given that knowledge? And what utility that
knowledge had for Hazrat Ali?
·
Things are beyond
human if they do not lie within the domain of five senses. God, angels, hell
are realities those are beyond physical perception as man cannot process them
through five senses and therefore, are termed transcendental. There are two
sources of knowledge: One through sense and second through divine means called
Wahi (‘The Arabic word wahi comes from the root word waha and is used to
describe divine revelation. In Islamic terminology, wahi can be precisely
defined as God’s divine message conveyed to Allah’s chosen persons (Prophets).
This message can be conveyed openly or in a hidden and concealed manner,
imparting wisdom and knowledge that is beyond the material and physical
realities of man’). How Hazrat Ali got that knowledge of the
formation of galaxies? (Knowledge that is too advanced even by modern standard).
If Hazrat Ali had acquired this knowledge through five senses so he must have
had extraordinarily sophisticated lab and equipment for observing, collecting
and analyzing data. This is impossible as such lab (that helped Hazrat Ali to
have so advanced knowledge) does not exist even today. Hazrat Ali must have had
that knowledge then through divine means. This is impossible as well. Prophet
was the only recipient of divine knowledge by virtue of his status as prophet.
Hazrat Ali never had Wahi as he was not prophet; so he must have obtained this
knowledge from prophet(P.B.U.H) but
prophet (P.B.U.H) needs not to have such knowledge because of its irrelevancy
to his mission; furthermore prophet (P.B.U.H) never indicated to have knowledge
of the formation of Galaxies. How
Ali got such information? Is he God? Is he prophet? Is he a scientist who had
Lab and equipment to collect information?
·
Respectable Allama must quote that
particular passage or pages of a book Nahj al-Balagha that prompted a scientist to have that observation and to write
thousands of letters.
Allama quoted a
hadith: 'I am the house of wisdom and 'Ali is
its door'."
·
Above mentioned Hadith is debatable.
TAHRIF in ‘Investigating Distortions in IslamicTexts’ has proved the
presence of it in several detailed works
(https://www.al-islam.org/tahrif/cityofknowledge/).
·
One should read Sunni perspective (http://www.chiite.fr/en/hadith_10.html) that
‘declared the Hadith to be Mawdoo (fabricated). Daraqutni labeled
the Hadith as mudtarib (shaky), both in isnad and text. Tirmidhi labeled
it is ghareeb (weak) and munkar (rejected). Bukhari said
that the Hadith has no sahih narration and declared it un-acknowledgeable. Qurtubi said
about this Hadith in al-Jame’ li Ahkam al-Quran: “This Hadith is Batil
(false)!” Ibn Maeen said
that the Hadith is a baseless lie. Dhahabi considered
it a forgery and included it in his book on forged Hadiths. Al-Hakim declared
that it is weak. Amongst others who dismissed the Hadith are Abu Zur`ah, Abu Hatim, Yahya bin Saeed, etc’.
(I believe for the sake of discussion that Hadith is accurate
and reliable.)
Allama interpreted Hadith: ‘door means that one has to go through it (door) to approach prophet
(P.B.U.H) and then he has to leave through it. Entrance and exit are through
door.
·
Allama suggests that one leaves through Hazrat Ali having gained
knowledge from Prophet (P.B.U.H). Allama means that one meets prophet, gains
knowledge and then meets Hazrat Ali. Hazrat Ali assesses the learning of a
person. This reasoning can be right if
Allama proves two things: He must prove that Prophet taught first Hazrat Ali
the things and later to other companions, because for assessment one must have
knowledge of the things he assess. Allama must prove that this was the practice (confirmation
of knowledge by Hazrat Ali) among the companions of prophet (P.B.U.H).
·
Allama suggests that one goes through Hazrat Ali to gain
knowledge. Leaving through Hazrat Ali having gained knowledge (Exit through
door) at least makes some sense but entrance through door (going through Hazrat
Ali) means that a person going to Prophet (P.BU.H) meets Hazrat Ali first and
then goes to Holy prophet. For what he meets Hazart
Ali? Does Hazrat Ali tell him what and how to ask from Prophet? Or Does
Hazart Ali assess the problem, suggests solution and then prophet confirms
Ali’s solution? If answer of these questions is yes then, one must prove that Prophet
has taught everything before meeting question and problems of companions. But
as we know that the Quran was not revealed at once, it was revealed in part and
many times according to situation; and as soon as prophet discovered the
solution through divine means he responded to questioner or to problem. If
reasoning of Allma is right then he must prove that prophet
kept questioner waiting or problem unsolved and first informed and taught Hazrat
Ali things revealed and then responded to questions or problems.
·
Going through door (going through Hazrat Ali to meet prophet
P.B.U.H) has two more possible meaning. Hazrat Ali gave people knowledge and
people went to Prophet (P.B.U.H) to confirm it; Or Hazrat Ali gave form to
things people had in mind to ask (shaping or refining questions). If this was
the pattern of learning from Prophet (P.B.U.H) so Allama must
prove from history through examples. If this were the pattern
of learning then questions must have had uniformity in character. Different people as we know dictated by their
particular needs or problems went to Prophet; and the way of asking was as varied
as people.
·
The word door is used figuratively and it means that sayings of
Hazrat Ali or interpretations of Hazrat Ali to various things help one to
understand sayings and interpretations of prophet (P.B.U.H). The word door is
not used in literal sense; and if it is taken literally (as Allama has taken) then
one has to prove that Hazrat Ali was with prophet (P.B.U.H) as the door keeper/
gatekeeper and everybody had to go through former to meet latter and then leaves
through former after meeting latter.
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