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PART I
The
Origins of the Shi'ahs
Shi'ism is not a new religion. It begins with the
beginning of Islam. The embodiment of the code of
religion, that is, the seal of the Prophets (s.a.w.)
planted the tree of Shi'ism together with Islam; with his
own hands, he watered it and looked after it. The plant
grew up to be a green tree which began blooming in the
life-time of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.). But it had not
yet born fruit, when the light of prophethood was put
out.
We are not alone in advancing this claim. Even the
eminent scholars from among Sunnis agree with us. For
instance, 'Allamah Siyuti in his famous commentary
"ad-Durru l-Manthur" Says in connection with
God's words "Hum khayru l-bariyah" (they are
the best of created beings) (Surah: The Clear Proof: Ayat
7):
"Ibn 'Asakir quotes Jabir ibn Adbillah as saying:
"We were present in the company of the Holy Prophet
(s.a.w.) when 'Ali (a.s.) came towards us. Seeing 'Ali
(a.s.) the Prophet (s.a.w.) said: "I swear by God
the Almighty, who is the Master of my life, that he ('Ali
(a.s.)) and his Shi'ahs shall be successful on the day of
judgement."
Ibn 'Adi reports from ibn 'Abbas that when the verse
"Inna l-ladhina amanu wa 'amilu 's-salihat"
(Verily these are those who believed and did good deeds)
was revealed, the Holy Prophet (s-a.) said to 'Ali ibn
Abi Talib (a.s.):"It refers to you and your Shi'as; God will be
pleased with them and they with Him on the Day of
Judgement."
Ibn Mardawa'ih quotes Hadrat 'Ali (a.s.) himself as
saying: "The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) said to me: 'Oh
'Ali, Did you not hear what God said: 'Inna 'l-ladhina
amanu wa 'amilu 's-salihat ula'ika hum khayru
'l-bariyyah.' Verily it means you and your Shi'as. The
promise between your people and me shall be fulfilled at
the fountain of Kawthar; there, when all the nations
shall be present to account for their actions, your
people will be called forward, your faces, hands and feet
shining with light'." These three hadith are to be
found in as-Suyuti's "ad-Durr al-manthur".
Ibn Hajar has also reported some of these traditions
in his as-Sawa'iq) from Darqutni- He quotes Umm Salamah
as saying: "Oh Ali, You and your shi'as shall attain
Paradise." Ibn Athir writes in connection with the
word "qumh." that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.)
said to Hadrat 'Ali (a-s.): "When people come into
the presence of God, your Shi'as will be there content
with God and He with them, and your enemies shall be
subjected to God's wrath and their hands shall be tied to
their necks." The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) demonstrated
this by putting his hands behind his neck, and said:
"See, they shall be tied up in this way."
Probably this tradition has been reported by Ibn Hajar
also in his as-Sawa'iq" and other 'ulama' have also
reported it in different ways, showing that it is among
the well known hadith.
In az-Zamakhshari's "Rabi' al-Abrar" the
following statement of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) has been
recorded:"Oh 'Ali, On the Day of Judgement the skirt of God's
mercy will be in my hand and my skirt will be in your
hand and your skirt will beheld by your descendants and
the Shi'as of your descendants will be hanging on to
their skirt. Then you will see where we will be taken
(i.e. Paradise)." For further satisfaction, it will
be useful to study Ahmad ibn Hanbal's
"al-Musnad" and an-NaSa'i's
"Khasa'is" etc., which contain a number of such
traditions.
These traditions show that the Prophet of Islam
(s.a.w.) spoke a number of times about the Shi'as of 'Ali
(a.s.) and pointed out that on the Day of Judgement they,
in particular, shall be safe and successful, God being
pleased with them and they with Him.
Everyone who believes that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.)
was the embodiment of truthfulness and that the verse
which begins "ma yantiqu 'an il-hawa . . . "
(He does not speak of himself unless 'why' is revealed to
him) refers to the Prophet himself, realise that these
hadith must be true. Those people however who understand
the above hadith as referring to all the companions of
the prophet, have failed to recognise their real inner
meaning.
We find that during the days of the Holy Prophet
(s.a.w.) a group of outstanding companions was attached
to Hadrat 'Ali (a.s.). Not only did every man in this
group acknowledge the Holy Imam (a.s.) to be his
spiritual leader, the real transmitter of the Holy
Prophet's teachings, but they also acknowledged him as
the true interpreter and commentator of the orders and
secrets of the Prophet (s.a.w.). It is this group which
is popularly known as the Shi'a. Even the lexicographers
support this truth. If you refer to the famous
dictionaries "an-Nihayah" and "Lisan
ul-'Arab", you will find the meaning of
"shi'a" as "one who loves and follows 'Ali
(a.s.) and his descendants."
If however we are to understand that "shi'a"
means any person who loves 'Ali (a.s.) or is not his
enemy, then the use of this word would be inappropriate,
because only loving, or at least, not being an enemy of
him, does not mean that a person is a Shi'a; if however,
he has the characteristic of persistent following and
obedience then the word Shi'a would apply; this is
crystal clear to those who have an understanding of
Arabic and a notion of the relationship between word,
meaning and context.
In view of these realities, it is unlikely that any
sensible man, after studying the appropriate traditions,
could draw the conclusion that the word shi'a means the
Muslims in general, but will understand that it refers to
a particular class which has a special attachment to 'Ali
(a.s.).
Hopefully, after this explanation, no fair-minded man
will try to conclude that the above quoted traditions do
not prove the existence of a group who, because of their
special relation with the master of the pious, 'Ali
(a.s.) were superior to all the Muslims of that time, and
who all expressed their love for him.
Personally, I do not agree with the assumption that
the Caliphs, who could not accept this fact, consciously
violated the words of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.). It is
possible many of them did not hear his edicts, or that
those who heard them were unable to follow his
directions.
Moreover, if the Statements of the Prophet (s.a.w.) in
which he announced the rank and high position of Amiru
'l-Mu'minin (a.s.) and the Ahlu 'l-bayt (a.s.) are
studied with an open mind, it will be seen that these
reports do not only show merits of a general nature, but
also contain clear indications of how to recognise the
status and capability of the Leader of Shi'ism, and of
how to contribute to the establishment and justness of
that school of thought. The following traditions may be
cited as examples.
"'Ali (a.s.) bears the same relationship to me as
Harun (Aaron) had to Musa (Moses)".
"Oh 'Ali, only those with faith (iman) are your
friends, and only the hypocrites (munafiqin) are your
enemies."
"Oh people of my ummah. I leave behind two things
worthy of great esteem - the Book of God and my progeny,
my Ahlu 'l-bayt."
"According to the tradition of at-Tayr, the
prophet made the following prayer: "Oh God. Send to
me your most beloved slave", and immediately Ali
entered his presence.
"Tomorrow I will give this standard to the man
who loves God and His Prophet (s.a.w.) and whom God and
His Prophet (s.a.w.) also love."
"'Ali is with the Truth and the Truth is with
'Ali."
These traditions are mostly taken from "Sahih
al-Bukhari" and "Sahi'h al-Muslim", and
there are thousands of such authentic reports. This small
booklet cannot accommodate details of them. Those who are
fond of research work can study the famous book
"Abiqat al-Anwar" by Allama' Sayyid Hamid
Husayn, which is ten times as voluminous as "Sahih
al-Bukhari" and is a master-piece of research in the
field of hadiths.
When the light of prophethood was extinguished, a
group of the "sahaba" started to act to prevent
the Caliphate from passing to 'Ali.
The cause of this opposition might have been the young
age of the holy Imam, or the feeling among the Quraysh
that the prophethood and the imamate should not be
combined in the house of Banu Hashim; there might have
been other causes, we do not have the space to discuss
them here.
Both the Sunni and the Shi'a sects Wee however that,
when allegiance was being taken from the Muslims, 'Ali
(a.s.) did not accept the authority of Abu Bakr, and,
according to the learned al-Bukhari ("Sahih"',
see the chapter on the victory at Khaybar), he did not
pay allegiance until six months had passed. Some of the
eminent companions, like az-Zubayr, 'Ammar and Miqdad and
others, also refused to pay homage to Abu Bakr.
The fact is that 'Ali (a.s.) had no craving for
political power, nor desire to rule, other than in his
capacity as Imam.
The talk that he had with ibn , Abbas at Dhiqar
clearly proves which way the son of Abu Talib (a.s.) was
going. Amiru 'l-Mu'minin (a.s.) had only one purpose in
view, and it was that "religion" might remain
safe, "right" might prevail and
"wrong" might be exterminated. Imbued with
these high feelings, 'Ali (a.s.) resorted to protest
only. He did not adopt any plans to overthrow the
caliphs. Rather, in order to lead and guide the people to
the right path he always cooperated with the government;
his wise suggestions enabled Islam to flourish and meant
that religious commands were made known to all. If Ali
(a.s.) had not adopted this course of action, not only
would Islamic unity have been shattered, but the people
also would have been lost in the labyrinth of ignorance.
The Shi'as too continued to follow their leader; the
spirit of the time demanded that differences should be
ignored. For this very reason, they did not try to
establish themselves as a sect during the regime of the
first caliphs. Of course Ali's friends silently observed
the modus operandi of every ruler and the changing
conditions till at last the nation itself selected Ali
(a.s.) as its leader. When Amiru 'l-Mu'minin (a.s.) took
the seat of the caliphate, Mu'awiyah revolted and sent
out a large number of forces to Siffin.
A group of the "sahaba" (companions)
remained from the very beginning with 'Ali (a.s.). The
rest of the companions also sided with the Holy Imam.
Eighty prominent companions, like 'Ammar ibn Yasir,
Khuzaymah Dhu 'sh Shahadatayn and Abu Ayub al-Ansari,
nearly all of whom were either Badri (from the battle of
Badr) or 'Aqb (Bay'atu 'l-'Aqbi - the pledge of 'Aqbi),
joined 'Ali's party. Most of them sacrificed their lives
for the Holy Imam (a.s.).
The fighting continued however, and Mu'awiyah's
intriguings also increased. When Hadrat , Ali (a.s.) was
martyred, the ruler of Damascus gave a sight of relief
Islam disappeared from Mu'awiyah's royal courts and he
began to revive all the tyrannical traditions of the past
kings.
'Ali's (a.s.) pious way of life, devout manners and
exalted character contrasted sharply with Mu'awiy ah's
corrupt morals and his dealings with 'Amr b. al-'As, with
the Governorship of Egypt, Yazid and his despotic
caliphate, and Ziyad ibn Abih and his activity against
Islam. Mu'awiyah's notorious over-indulgence and passion
for revelry clearly demonstrated the depraved condition
of his mind and of the court surrounding him. We have
thus before us the simple way of living taught by Islam,
and on the other side the pomp and vanity of the son of
Abu Sufyan. Mu'awiyah's kingly aspirations were fulfilled
with the hard-earned money of the Muslims.
The dining cloth of the Amawi palace was always laid
with the daintiest of foods. The vizier, Abu Sa'id
al-Mansur ibn al-Husayn al-Abi (died 422 A-H.) recorded
an event in his work "Nathr ad-Dur". He writes:
"Ahnaf ibn Qays used to say that one day when he
went to Mu'awiyah, the latter put before him such a large
variety of food that it was difficult to count the
different dishes. He was bewildered when Mu'awiyah
extended towards him one of the dishes which he did not
recognise. He asked what it was. The answer was . . . the
stomach of duck filled with sheep's brain, fried in
pistachio oil and sprinkled with spices." Ahnaf said
that on hearing this he began to weep. Mu'awiyah said:
"Why do you weep?" He replied: "At this
time 'Ali (a.s.) has come to my mind. One day I was
sitting with the Holy Imam (a.s.); the time for breaking
the fast approached. The Imam (a.s.) ordered me to stay.
Meanwhile a sealed bag was brought. I asked: "O
Imam, what does it contain?" The Imam (a.s) said:
"Powdered barley". I said: "Was there any
fear of theft, O Amiru l-Mu'minin, or is it because of
financial stringency that it has been sealed?"
"It is for none of these reasons," he said,
"the reason for this care is only the thought that
my sons al-Hasan (a.s.) and al-Husayn (a.s.) might mix
this powdered barley with butter or olive oil."
Again I asked: "Is butter or olive oil
unlawful?" The Holy Imam said: "It is not
unlawful, but for the true Imams it is necessary that
they remain attached to the ranks of the poor, so that
indigence and want may not make the poverty stricken
rebellious." Mu'awiyah said: "Ahnaf, you have
reminded me of a person whose supreme merits are
difficult to be denied."In az-Zamakshari's
"Rabi' al-Abrar", and in other compilations,
many such events are related.
Mu'awiyah's bad nature was inextricably linked with
these unlawful actions; he had an inner desire to reach
the height of wickedness. So he broke all the promises
that he had made to Imam al-Hasan (a.s.) and in the end
had the Prophet's grandson poisoned. As a result of this
state of affairs and these events, the Muslims began to
look at Syria's politics with scorn and contempt; the
true believers realised that Mu'awiyah was only a man of
this world, and he himself acknowledged this truth. In
az-Zamakhshari's "Rabi' al-Abrar", the
following statement is narrated from the ruler of Syria:
"Abu Bakr wanted to keep aloof from the world and
the world kept aloof from him. 'Umar tested the world and
the world tested him. As to 'Uthman, he took hold of the
world and the world also madly pursued him; and I at
every step tried with my heart and soul to make it a bed
of roses- The result was that I became of the world and
the world became mine."
Gradually, the people's opinion was changing; the
close companions of the Prophet (s.a.w.) were letting the
ordinary Muslims know about the superior merits, virtues
and character of 'Ali (a.s.) and his descendants, which
they had seen with their own eyes. Who cannot be moved
when he recalls the sight of the Prophet of God (s.a.w.)
lifting his loving grandsons onto his back and saying:
"What do you think of your mount, it is not the best
mount; and as for you, you are the best rifers." And
do not these words, full of the purity of revelation,
"al-Hasan and al-Husayn (a.s.) are the leaders of
the youth of Paradise", demand to be known by all.
Truth has a right to spread, and those who have a sense
of truth in them are desirous of spreading it. The result
of this desire for truth was that the common Muslims
began inclining towards Shi'ism and opportunities were
created for the advancement of this sect.
The greatest cause of the advancement of Shi'ism,
however, was that bloody event which revolutionzed the
Islamic world. This painful event of 61 A.H. which is
known as the tragedy of Karbala' was the most momentous
of its kind. The effects of the martyrdom of al-Husayn
(a.s.) were felt by all, even those living in the most
distant regions of the Muslim territory. Companions like
Zayd ibn Arqam, Jabir ibn 'Abdillah al-Ansari, Sahl ibn
Sa'd as-Sa'idi and Anas ibn Malik survived Karbala'. The
pain they felt had no bounds, and, remembering their duty
towards, and love for, the Prophet and his progeny, they
intensified their efforts to make known the superior
merits of Ahlu 'l-bayt (a.s.). The Umayyad tyrants
pursued them and these remaining sahaba were finally also
victims of the sword and poison. But the cry of the
oppressed is not made in vain. These events were not such
that the nation of the Muslims were unaware of them.
Indeed, they keenly observed them, with the result that a
great many groups of people began to declare their love
for 'Ali (a.s.). and his descendants; the numerical
strength of the Shi'as increased dramatically. With the
same rapidity with which the tyranny of Banu Umayyah was
increasing, the love for Ahlu 'l-bayt was also increasing
in the hearts of the common people. The descendants of
the Umayyids tortured and tyrannized to the extreme, but
every action has its reaction. It is related that Shu'abi
said to his son: "Oh my son, the world cannot harm
the values which religion has brought, but those things
which were made and adorned by the world can all be
destroyed by religion. Just reflect upon 'Ali (a.s.) and
his affairs. Did the descendants of the Umayyids ever
relinquish their oppression? They concealed the merits of
Ahlu 'l-bayt. They tried to hide the realities of the
situation and never left off singing the praises of their
ancestors.But all their plans were reversed: the Umayyids were
humbled to dust and the name of Al Muhammad grew brighter
and brighter". Though Shu'abi was known as an enemy
of 'Ali (a.s.), these words of truth came from his tongue
and have been preserved in history.
az-Zamakhshari in his 'Rabi' al-Abrar" reports
this statement of Shu'abi: "Our condition was very
perplexing if we loved 'Ali (a.s.) there was fear of
murder, and if we became enemies to him, our ruin was
certain."
The troubles and worries for the Ahlu 'l-bayt did not
cease when the Sufyani throne came under the control of
the Marwanid ruIer 'Abdu 'l-Malik. 'Abdu 'l-Malik Was a
monster of a man by whose order Hajjaj razed the Holy
House of the Ka'ba to the ground and mercilessly put the
residents of that sacred place to the sword; having
killed 'Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr in the Mosque of al-Haram,
he desecrated the holy place and finally killed his
cousin Sa'id ibn Ashdaq, who had been his former ally.
We must ask ourselves whether the perpetrator of such
heinous crimes be called a Muslim. What should we think
of his being called "Khalifatu 'l-Muslimin"
(the Caliph of the Muslims)?
In truth, the entire government of the Marwanids Was
run on the same lines, and, with the exception of. Umar
ibn 'Abdu 'l-'Aziz, every ruler showed the same
Outrageous tendencies. Thereafter followed the rule of
the 'Abbasids.During their period the height of tyranny far exceeded
that of the Marwanids. A poet of that time said: We would
have preferred to suffer the Marwanids oppression
forever. May the justice and equity of the 'Abbasids go
to hell."
How mercilessly the blood of the descendants of the
Prophet (s.a.w.) was spilled, what strange ways were
adopted to annihilate them! The literature of that time
presents us with a picture of life at that time. The
poets have, in different ways, described the tyrannical
acts of these people. How true indeed is the picture
drawn by a poet of al-Mutawakkil's age who says:
"God be my witness that, if the descendants of the
Umayyids have so cruelly martyred the grandson of the
Prophet (s.a.w.), these 'Abbasids, who call themselves
the descendants of the Prophet's uncle, in no way lag
behind the Umayyid family in oppression and tyranny. Just
see, these tyrants have even demolished the grave of
al-Imam al-Husayn. The Banu 'Abbas are repentant,
however, for they feel regret over one thing, that they
did not take part in spilling the spotless blood of
al-Imam al-Husayn (a.s.) along with Banu Umayyah; they
have tried to make amends by pulling down the grave of
the Imam (a.s.)." These are just a few examples of
the character of Banu Umayyah and the Marwanid and
'Abbasid kings.
Now, on the other hand, if you reflect upon the life
of Ali (a.s.) and his descendants, you will come to know
why Shi'ism spread and how it spread; moreover the truth
will be revealed as to whether Shi'ism was the innovation
of the Iranians, or the ingenuity of the Sabeans, or
whether it was the simple and straight way of Islam as
shown by Muhammad (s.a.w.).
After the martyrdom of Sayyid ash-Shuhadah (the Leader
of the Martyrs) Imam al-Husayn (a.s.), Imam Zayb
al-'Abidin (a.s.) became the head of the 'Alawi family
After the tragedy of Karbala', the Holy Imam lived a
secluded life, mostly spent either in worship of God or
in giving moral teachings and spiritual guidance to the
people.Highly pious and devout persons like Hasan al-Basri,
Tawus al-Yamani, ibn Sirin and Amr ibn al-'Ubayd were
products of this very school.
The Muslims received great instruction and knowledge
from the Sayyid as-Sajjad (a.s.) at a time when the
common people had been driven far off the paths of
reality.
Imam Zayn ul-'Abidin (a.s.) was succeeded by Imam
Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) who was also a shining example
of the same noble character. His legacy was handed down
to Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.).
The age of Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) was comparatively more
favourable to the Shi'as because the Umayyid and 'Abbasid
powers had been exhausted; open tyranny and oppression
became rare. Accordingly the previously Suppressed truths
and hidden realities rose like the sun and diffused like
the light. Those who had been living in 'taqiyyah',
hiding their beliefs on account of fear and danger to
their lives, also disclosed their identity. The
atmosphere was well-disposed to the expansion of Shi'ism.
The Holy Imam (a.s.) spent day and night preaching; his
sermons explained the teachings of Muhammad and Al
Muhammad (s.a.w.). The teachings of the truth were now
within the reach of every common man; larger and larger
groups of people began to accept the 'Ja'fari' religion.
This age was called the golden age for the propagation of
Shi'ism, because before this the Muslims could not openly
profess Shi'ism, nor even find out about its teachings.
This academy of learning was Iike a flowing river
where people in quest of knowledge came to quench their
thirst and later quenched the thirst of others. According
to Abu 'l-Hasan al-Washsha'. "I personally saw a
crowd of four thousand 'Ulama' (scholars) in the Mosque
of Kufah and heard all of them saying: 'This tradition
was related to us by Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.).'"
Banu Umayyah and Banu 'Abbas's wanton love for power,
their stormy violence, extreme worldliness and unlimited
indulgence in luxuries, contrasted sharply with the love
for knowledge of the descendants of 'Ali (a.s.), their
devotion to God, their truthfulness and their abstention
from corrupt politics, and it was this obvious contrast
which showed people the truth of Shi'ism and led to the
rapid expansion of this sect.
It goes without saying that many people's spiritual
lives are ruined by their attachment to the world.
Nevertheless they too have a natural feeling for the
different branches of learning and the validity of
religious matters. The period about which we are talking was not only close
to the period of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.), but also the
mind of the common Muslims were imbued with the
conviction that the Islamic way of life was endowed with
countless blessings. The Quranic teachings gave them
rights which they had never imagined existed. It was
Islam which conquered the Caesars of Rome and the
Emperors of Iran; it was in the name of Islam alone that
they were the rulers of the east and the west; they also
knew that there was sufficient liberality within the laws
of this religion to enable all to accept it without
hardship. If the modus operandi is lawful, it does
not restrain anybody from gaining worldly wealth. This
religion is, in fact, pure mercy.
These inner feelings were the hidden motives which
made the masses incline towards a religious way of life.
There always exist men who know that they should mould
their social life according to the light of religious
commandment. There are always men who desire that their
entire culture be completely Islamic. But where could
they pin the necessary learning from? Could they get it
from the despots, who claimed to be "khulafa'u
'l-muslimin" (Caliphs of the Muslims) but did not
live accordingly?
Of course, the desire for knowledge was fulfilled by
the descendants of Muhammad (s.a.w.) who were the
treasure houses of the Quran and the repositories of
knowledge, and a vivid impression of their superiority
was stamped on the minds of the common people; gradually
the Muslims began to believe that it was these persons
who were the true heirs to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.), and
that the right of the Imamate must be theirs alone.
The Shi'as grew so firm that they were ready to
undergo anything to protect their faith. Most of the
Shi'as proved to be immeasurably brave, valiant and
inspired with the spirit of sacrifice; Hajar ibn 'Adi
al-Kindi, 'Amr ibn Himq al-Khuza'i, Rushayd al-Hajari and
'Abdullah ibn Afif al-Azdi to name but a few, were
stalwart Shi'as who, on various occasions, confronted the
antagonists; they triumphed despite the fact that the
opposite group was always materially more powerful. The
moral strength of these people showed the weakness of the
apparently strong armies of the enemy; their sacrifices,
on the one hand, shook the governments of the oppressors
to their foundations, and, on the other, awakened the
intellect of the elite and changed the way of thinking of
the masses.
We must ask why these chivalrous men played with death
in this way. Did they expect any worldly gain from the
descendants of Muhammad (s.a.w.)? Were they afraid of
loss of life and property? History has answered both
these questions in the negative; the sons of 'Ali (a.s.),
it is true, were bereft of material means, but they had
no interest in this world. What had they to give? They
gave Islam to those thirsty for the truth; the luminous
hearts of these fighters were filled with strong faith
and perfect sincerity and it was these very sentiments
which drove them to do battle against tyranny and
corruption.
If one considers the literary men of the first and
second century of the hijrah, we will find that, in spite
of the atmosphere of fear and despair, the poets of the
time expressed their aversion towards the kings of their
age and their misdeeds and praised the Ahlu 'l-bayt of
Muhammad al-Mustafa (s.a.w.).
Numerous men of letters have testified against the
ruling Caliphs and in favour of the true Imams (a.s.) in
their works. Farazdaq, Kumayt, Sayyid al-Humayri, Du'bil,
Diku'l-Jin, Abu Tamam al-Balarri'and Abu Faras al-Hamdani
are full of praise for the holy progeny. The following
couplet of Abu Faras clearly shows how the poets of that
age felt at that time.
"Religion has been shattered to pieces. Truth has
be come the victim of oppression and the share of the
descendants of the Prophet of God has been usurped."
Du'bil says: "I have been courting death for
forty years, but no one has yet accepted to be the
killer." Du'bil railed at Harun ar-Rashid, al-Ma'mun
and al-Mu'tasim, and yet composed a great many famous
panegyrics in praise of Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.), Imam
Musa al-Kazim (a.s.) and Imam ar-Rida (a.s.) in the most
colourful verse.
We must ask whether the Shi'as endangered their lives
in vain? Did they give up their ease and comfort without
any rhyme or reason? When we examine the causes and
motives for their sacrifices, we find that it was only
the truthfulness of the descendants of the Prophet
(s.a.w.) which made them despise the sky-high golden
palaces and attracted their attention towards the miracle
of the Quran.
We could pursue this discussion further but the aim of
the introduction was merely to outline the origin and
rise of Shi'ism. We hope nothing has been left ambiguous
despite the brevity of this account. We can only
emphasize that Shi'ism was started by the Holy Prophet
(s.a.w.) himself, and its spread and propagation is a
historical fact. We may observe the series of causes and
motives, connected in a regular sequence, which gave rise
to the separation of Shi'a Islam from the Islam of the
rest of the community.
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