ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Peshawar Nights Sixth Session, Tuesday night, 28th Rajab 1345 A.H. Mr. Ghulam Imamain, a respected Sunni merchant, came to the meeting place before sunset. He mentioned the reason for his coming. He said that he and some others were greatly influenced by the Well-Wisher's remarks. He said that he heard facts he had never heard before.

He and some other Sunnis had an unpleasant discussion with their ulama’, who could not refute Well-Wisher's arguments but who stuck stubbornly to their position. When the time for Maghrib prayers came, Mr. Ghulam Imamain offered both Maghrib and Isha' prayers led by Well-Wisher. When the others arrived, the discussion began with a comment by Nawab Sahib. Nawab: Please continue last night's discourse. The interpretation of the verse was incomplete.

Well-Wisher: (Looking toward the Sunni ulama’.) Provided you so allow. Hafiz: (A bit angrily) No harm. If something remains to be said, we are prepared to listen. Well-Wisher: Last night I proved, from the grammatical point of view, that the statement of some commentators that this verse refers to the manner of determining the caliphate was unacceptable. Now I will argue from another point of view. Sheikh Abdu's-Salam Sahib said last night that there are four qualities mentioned in this verse.

These qualities, he said, indicate that the verse was revealed in reference to the first four caliphs and that the verse indicates the order of the caliphate. My response to this argument is, first, reliable commentators have never made such a statement about the significance of this verse. Second, you all know that when a quality attributed to a person corresponds precisely with his characteristics, only then it worth considering.

If we consider the facts objectively, we find that it is only ‘Ali who had possessed the attributes described in this verse. These qualities in no way correspond with those named by Sheikh Sahib. Hafiz: Weren't all those verses you have already narrated about ‘Ali sufficient? Do you now wish through your rhetorical cleverness to prove that this Holy verse was also revealed in praise of ‘Ali? If so, let us know how it does not fit in with the caliphate of the first four caliphs.

300 hundred verses in praise of ‘Ali Well-Wisher: I haven't falsely attributed verses of the Holy Qur'an in praise of ‘Ali. You are confused.