Documents of the Right Word

An âyat-i-kerîma in Fat-h sûra purports, “Thine As-hâb are
always very compassionate with one another. They are always
very vehement towards unbelievers.” Islam’s enemies, on the
other hand, assert that the As-hâb-i-kirâm were inimical towards
one another, that they had one another poisoned. Certainly,
Muslims will (prefer to) believe Allâhu ta’âlâ. We say that the Ashâb-i-kirâm
loved one another very much. The As-hâb-i-kirâm
performed ijtihâd on the question whether retaliation was
necessary against the murderers of hadrat ’Uthmân. This was a
religious matter. They disagreed in their ijtihâd. Such
disagreements of ijtihâd took place in Rasûlullah’s time as well. In
fact, their ijtihâd would sometimes disagree with that of
Rasûlullah. And this disagreement would not be considered a sin.
On the contrary, it was informed that all of them would be given
thawâb (for their ijtihâd). A couple of times the âyat-i-kerîmas
revealed through Wahy informed that the ijtihâd contrary to
Rasûlullah’s ijtihâd was correct. For Islam has granted men the
freedom of thought and the freedom to express their thoughts.
Islam is the source of human rights and human freedoms. The
disagreement among the As-hâb-i-kirâm was based on their
ijtihâd on the question of retaliation. Disagreement of this sort is
not considered a sin, neither by Allâhu ta’âlâ, nor by His
Messenger, nor by a person with common sense. They consider it
a right conferred on humanity. Those who disagreed with one
another in their ijtihâd did not think of fighting, nor even of
offending, one another. For it was not the first time that such
disagreements took place. Disagreements had taken place several
times before. And it had not even occurred to them that they
should hurt one another. Some of their children,
misunderstanding the disagreements of ijtihâd among their
fathers, had had tiffs with one another from time to time. Yet their
fathers, who could not tolerate even such petty huffs among their
children, had stopped them, each father rebuking his own child.
This fact is known very well by Shiites as well. Yet zindiqs are
trying to convince other people that the As-hâb-i-kirâm felt
enmity against one another and that they perpetrated sordid and
abominable deeds. Thus, they plan, they will manage to spread
the conviction that the As-hâb-i-kirâm were thoughtless,
unlearned and bad-tempered people, which consequently will
give them the chance to demolish, extirpate Islam. For Islam
consists of the total of the narrations reported by the As-hâb-ikirâm.
Qur’ân al-kerîm and hadîth-i-sherîfs were conveyed to us
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