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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Caliphate Its Conception and Consequences Chapter Eleven : Nepotism Or Sheer Justice The view that the opposition party formulated and propagated for political purposes, was that Muhammad (P) was unjustly, and merely out of domestic love and affection, trying to install Imam Ali in his place, and was thus adopting the means to perpetuate the rule of his family, and to raise his own tribe to dominance over others.

This may well also be the opinion of non-Muslim readers of this book. This view was very readily accepted by those parties or sections of the people who, for one reason or another, were unfavorably disposed towards Imam Ali and the Prophet (P), for example the MUNAFIQIN of BANU OMAYYA, the families whose men Imam Ali had killed in the battles for Islam, and those numerous tribes who were jealous of the rise of BANU HASHIM. Thus the ranks of the opposition were swelled to a considerable extent.

Even in foreign non-Muslim countries, which were naturally averse to the new religion and its founder, this view and all those views akin to it found a ready response and were greedily welcomed. They gained easy currency among the non-Muslims, with the result that the only Islam that they know today is that which has resulted from the twisting and stretching of its principles by those with an interest in molding it into a shape suited to their ends.

The have accepted a distorted view of Islam so readily because in it they find reflected their own opinions about Muhammad (P) and Islam, and have, therefore, patted this faction on the back. This situation, coupled with the active propaganda that has been carried on in foreign countries throughout these thirteen centuries, is responsible for the crass ignorance in Europe of the true principles of Islam. Every book on Islam published there bears testimony to this.

To continue the thread of our narration, we must revert to the criticism of the accusation, if true, exposes the Prophet (P) to many other charges which flow from it as a consequence, for example falsehood, injustice, want of love for Islam, selfishness, and so on. Nepotism implies that one prefers one's own unfit relatives to others who are more able, suitable and competent.