I - It was for the sake of obedience to the Caliph that they obstructed the Ahl-e-bayt of the Prophet from receiving water at Karbala. They massacred them so far as that they did not even spare their infants and killed them too. They let loose their horses to gallop over their respectable bodies and plundered and burnt down their tents. They took as captives the female members of the Holy Prophet's household. They severed the heads of Hazrat's sons and took them along with the captives from one city to another and from one territory to another and during the last days of captivity, they were presented before the Caliph (Yazid) in such a manner that as if they were some captives belonging to the groups of unbelievers.
Whatever has been told, has taken place for the sake of obedience to Yazid. The Syrians who attached the House of Allah i.e. Kaaba with ballistas, in reply to those who said: 'This is a divine sanctuary' cried out:- Obedience! Obedience!!
They also said:
The reverence for the House of Allah and obedience of the Caliph came in conjunction with each other. Obedience to the Caliph prevailed over respect for the House of Allah.
During the period of leadership of Hajjaj, when lightning struck the Syrian army and consequently they desisted from destroying the Holy Ka'aba, Hajjaj cried out: Remember Allah! Remember Allah in order that you show your obedience to the Caliph - i.e. Abdul Malik!
After gaining victory over the rebels of Medina and after killing, looting and vislating the chastity of their women, the Commands of Yazid's army, while moving towards Mecca with the intention of giving them the same treatment as the people of Medina, was overtaken by death and just as mentioned before, when he was on the verge of dying he said: 'O Lord, if after so much of. obedience to the Caliph and killing of the people of Medina. Thou shall chastise me, I shall be the most wretched person!
Amro-ibn-Hajjaj who was amongst the commanders of Yazid's army at Karbala addressed the Kufian army on the day of Ashura as such:
'O Kufians, do not lag behind in obedience and do not keep distant from the congregation. Do not hesitate even for a moment in killing the one who has existed from the religion and has made opposition with Imam Yazidl-ibn-Muawiya.
Ka'ab-ibn-Jabir who had fought against Hazrat Imam Hussein (A.S.) in Karbala says in his supplications as such: 'O Lord, we have remained loyal to our pledge (with the Caliph). Do not place us on equal footing with those who have not been loyal to the Caliph and have not obeyed him.
The killer of Hazrat Hussein (A.S.) i.e. Shimr-ibn-Zil-Jaushan after the dawn prayers, supplicated until sunrise and in his supplication said: 'O Lord, forgive me. The people said: How will Allah forgive you while you have set out from your house with the intention of killing the son of the Messenger of Allah and has had a hand in his killing! In reply, he said:
Woe to you! Then what should have we done? Our leader gave us orders and we did not disobey them. If we had disobeyed them we would have been worse than these donkeys pointing to several standing there. 103
The caliphate school reckoned the obedience of God to be a vital Islamic duty and believed that [Arabic text] in the verse:
[Arabic text]
refer to those very official- Caliphs whose obedience has been made obligatory by God. Also, they have supported themselves with a tradition which they attribute to the Holy Prophet that obedience of the precepts is necessary and obligatory in all the circumstances. They spread around that all the official Caliphs are the Caliphs of God and whatever they command must be obeyed.
What was mentioned was a powerful and effective factor in inducing the followers of the caliphate school in accepting and putting into action the views and opinion of the Caliph, even though they were contrary to the decisive Islamic ordinances.
For example, the manner in which they treated the innocent people and the sanctuary of God, the shrine of the Holy Prophet and his Ahl-e-bayt, the Prophet's followers and hundreds of others like them and celebrated the day of Ashura as the day of 'Eid'.
However, in spite of the fact that the views of all the Caliph were sacred for the followers of this school of thought yet none took the shape of religious decree other than the views and opinion of Khulafa-e-Rashideen (rightly - guided Caliphs). This is because whatever the Umayyad Caliphs had left behind in the society as a 'Sunnah' (practice) was so forgotten in the course of time especially so after the setting up of the Abbassid Caliphate. However, the views of the «Khulafa-e-Rashideen» (the rightly guided Calilphs) and their independent judgements vis-a-vis the 'Sunnah' of the Messenger of Allah has till now been accepted as the religious precepts by some of the Muslim sects and is still put into practice by them! This is only because of the fabricated traditions (mentioned in our previous discussion) which strived to lower the position of the Holy Prophet and raise the status of the rightly - guided Caliphs especially Omar-ibn-Khattab. We believe that this has been the second vital factor in creating distortion in some of the Islamic precepts and this is exactly the reason why the orientalists have said that the Islamic precepts, after the departure of the Holy Prophet have had a gradual development and have expanded with the passage of time -. For example, the famous Jewish and Zionist orientalist, Agnas Goldzihar has written an important book in this regard called «Perfection of beliefs and precepts in Islam.104»
Whatever we have mentioned till now, is the result of one action and that is the separation of the Muslims from the Imams of Ahl-e-bayt and their disinterest in referring to them. The Aimmas are those who in reply to a questioner would say:
[Arabic text] 105
'Whatever I have said in reply is certainly from the Messenger of Allah. We never say anything according to our own views and opinion!
They would also say:
«I narrate from my father who narrates from his father who narrates from Hussein who narrates from Amir-ul-Mumineen who narrates from Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.A.) whose sayings are the sayings of Almighty God. 106
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If, after the departure of the Holy Prophet, the Muslims had referred to the Imams of Ahl-e-bayt, and had taken their religious beliefs and precepts from them and learnt Islam from them, this beloved Islam would not have faced such calamities as it has faced till today. Moreover, the Messenger of Allah had made a will to his nation which is as follows:
[Arabic text] 107
'I am leaving behind among you two most precious things - the Book of Allah and my descendants and Ahl-e-bayt. If you keep hold of these two things, you will never go astray. The Wise and All-Aware God has informed me that these two will never separate until they meet me at the pool of «Kauthar». (in Paradise).
They are the ones who have been vested in authority [Arabic text] after the Holy Prophet.
Rulers like Muawiya, Yazid, Walid, Haroon, Mutawwakil and the Uthmani Caliphs cannot be the [Arabic text] amongst the Muslims.
Just as the case when the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.A.) was the [Arabic text] (Master of the affairs) of the Muslims in Mecca but was not a ruler, in the same manner the Imams of Ahl-e-bayt too are the [Arabic text] of the Muslims and God has commanded us in the verse
[Arabic text]
to obey them, even though they have not been the rulers. Although the true rulership is enclusively meant for them, yet this right will not. reach its rightful owner until the people cooperate with him in this regard.