traditions. However, some evil people persisted in defaming their scholars and the scholars from their Shiites, like how they defamed Imam Ja‟far as-Šadiq, upon him be peace, Abu Khālid al-Wāsita, al-Hussein bin „Abdullah bin Ðamirah, and others (May Allah have mercy on them). They have persisted in that and have made the name “Shiites” something to be defamed. They have also defamed those that have promoted Allah and His Messenger and have promoted those that have defamed Allah and His Messenger. They have defamed those that loved „Ali while the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, said: ((The love of him is faith)).
They have promoted those that hated him [i.e. „Ali] while the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, said: ((The hatred of him is hypocrisy)). [They have also promoted] those that made war against him and sought his blood while the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, said ((The one that makes war against you [O „Ali], makes war against me)). These same ones killed al-Hussein bin „Ali, the master of the youths of Paradise; Ammār bin Yāsir, the one about whom the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, said: ((The disobedient rebels will kill you. You will be in Paradise, and they will be in Hellfire)); Hujr bin „Adi; al-Hāshim bin „Utbah bin Abi Waqqās; and others from the Emigrants, Helpers, and Followers.
„Ali bin Abi Tālib, upon him be peace, was cursed, and it was made a sunnah to curse him in every Friday sermon in all Muslim mosques. This cursing took place on 80,000 pulpits and it was promoted as a sunnah. They were called “Ahlul Sunnah” and it lasted approximately 40 years until the time of „Umar bin „Abdul „Azīz (May Allah be pleased with him) who stopped it [i.e. the cursing].
The ones that are ignorant of history are deceived to believe that “Ahlul Sunnah” refers to the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny. It was actually the sunnah of Mu„āwiyah (May Allah curse him and his followers). With this understanding, they ask for the pleasure [of Allah] on him, and oppose the cursing or verbally abusing of him. But Allah says: {If someone kills a believer intentionally, his reward is Hell, to remain forever. The wrath and curse of Allah are upon him, and a dreadful punishment is prepared for him.} (Q. 4:93). The Exalted also says: {Those who persecute the believing men and women and not repent, will have the Penalty of Hell: They will have the Penalty of the Burning Fire} (Q. 85:10). Allah curses this person in the first verse. One cannot take a person as a helper while Hell is made obligatory for him by these two verses.
They say that we should be silent regarding the defamation that the Companions had between each other and we should only speak well of them. They say:
The truth concerning the controversy (fitna) between the Companions maintains
That the correct position is that all of them executed independent judgment.
The victory that Abu as-Sibtain [i.e. „Ali] achieved was while he was in the right
Whoever says the contrary to what we have just said is proven wrong.
But Allah is not silent. The Exalted says: {If Allah had willed, previous generations would not have fought among each other, after clear [signs] had come to them, but they [chose] to fight, some believing and others rejecting} (Q. 2:253), {If he [i.e. Muhammad] were to die or be killed, will you then turn back on your heels?} (Q. 3:144), {Among you are those that desire this world and among you are those that desire the hereafter} (Q. 3:152), {And there are those who are around you amongst the Bedouins that are hypocrites as well as some of the people of Medina that are steeped in hypocrisy} (Q. 9:101), {It is not your desires or those of the people of the Book [that will prevail]. The one that does evil shall be
