Besides...

Besides, from the angle of jurisprudence too he is not fit to the office of leading congregation prayers. He is neither a just man nor conditions in him qualify him to lead prayers for a congregation – no matter, small or large. In other words, the Imam of prayers is impaired with his followers of prayers.

As such, to pray behind such a man can only be possible in dissimulation and the reward mentioned for this act is like the value of dissimulation and it has no connection with the leader of prayer. Secondly: Narrators who have quoted these narrations in the section related to ‘The Prophet married’ in the discussion of marriage, have clearly kept veiled the entity and personality of wife and Imam of prayers. This reflects the conditions prevalent in society, which necessitated dissimulation.

Point Two To understand a part of a narration we cannot ignore the wordings ahead or behind which would result in making the narration itself deficient. Such a look would end in a contradictory comprehension in relation to its real meaning. Therefore we write a full extract from, Wasaelush Shia (the Aal al-Bait Print).

The narration runs as follows: “Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Isa, in his miscellaneous reports from Uthman bin Isa from Samma that he said: [2] I asked him about their marriages and prayers behind them. He said: This is a difficult thing. You cannot do that.

The Prophet married and Ali prayed behind them.” [3] In the first part we read the tradition: “It is a difficult thing that you are asked to do and you cannot cut off relations with them and are compelled to do it.” [1] Muhaddith Noori: Mustadrak al-Wasael, Vol. 14, Pg. 440 [2] Mustadrak al-Wasael, Vol. 14, Pg. 144 [3] Shaykh Hurr Amili: Wasaelush Shia, Vol. 8, Pg. 301, Tr. 10 This shows there was compulsion and coercion. One is forced to maintain relations with the opponents.

As if the main thing is to keep away but under compulsion one is to remain with them. Point Three If we ignore the beginning of this narration and suffice on the part, we conclude that the narration is silent with regard to conditions. To learn about the conditions prevailing at that time we have to seek some other report similar to these narrations.

This tradition is known as the ninth tradition and exists in Wasaelush Shia in the following wordings: “Ali bin Ja’far says in his book narrating from his brother, Moosa bin Ja’far, that Hasan and Husain prayed behind Marwan and we prayed along with them.”[1] Attention is required here.