hasan
8th April 2007, 09:23
From the Book Hujaj-i-Qatiyya (http://www.hizmetbooks.org/Documents_of_the_Right_Word/1.htm)
In the meantime, the talks that were made during the debate were reported accurately to the Shah (King). Upon this, he (the Shah) ordered that scholars from Iran, Bukhara and Afghanistan should come together, eliminate all the heretical elements, and make out an irrevocable written report, and appointed me his representative and president to this council of scholars representing three different nationalities. We went out of the tents. The Afghans, the Uzbeks, the Persians were pointing to me with their fingers. Seventy of the Iranian scholars assembled behind the blessed grave of Imam-i-Ali 'karram-allahu ta'ala wajhah'. Ali Akbar, the head Molla, was the chief of the Iranian scholars.
The head Molla showed me to Molla Hadi Khodja, who was the Bahr-ul 'ilm and a scholar from Bukhara, and asked him if he knew me. When the Bahr-ul 'ilm answered in the negative, he said, "This person is Suwaydi-zada Shaikh Abdullah Effendi, a prominent Sunni scholar. The Shah asked Ahmad Pasha to send him here to attend our debate and to preside over us as the Shah's representative. If we come to a unanimous agreement, he will bear witness for all of us and make the final decision for us. Now, let us clear out all the heretical elements whatsoever. Let us eliminate them in his presence. After all, Abu Hanifa does not call us disbelievers. However, let us ponder deeply over this matter. The book (Sharh-i-mawaqif) does not call the Imamiyya (Imamite) group disbelievers. Abu Hanifa 'rahmat-ullahi ta'ala alaih' states in his book (Fiqh-i-akbar), 'We do not call people who perform the namaz in the direction of qibla ( The direction which Muslims face as they perform the prayer called Namaz (or Salat). This direction is Kaba, in Mecca (Mecca).) disbelievers.' And it is written in the book (Sharh-i-hidaya) that the Imamiyya group are one of the groups of Muslims. However, the later generations (of Sunnites) called us disbelievers.
"And our later generations in turn called you disbelievers. Neither we nor you are disbelievers. Now, let us know our utterances that caused your later generations to call us disbelievers, so that we will cease from such utterances (beliefs)."
Hadi Khodja said, "You become disbelievers because you swear at the Shaikhayn (the two Shaikhs), that is, Abu Bakr and 'Umar 'radi-allahu ta'ala anhuma'."
The head Molla said, "We desist from swearing at the Shaikhayn."
Hadi Khodja: "You become disbelievers by calling the Ashab al-kiram 'radi-allahu ta'ala anhum ajmain' disbelievers."
The head Molla: "Now we say that all the Ashab al-kiram 'radi-allahu anhum' are Muslims and are true ones, too."
"You say that Mut'a nikah is halal."
"It is haram; only ignoble people would to it."
"You hold hadrat Ali superior to hadrat Abu Bakr, and say that it was Ali's right to become the (first) Khalifa."
"The second highest man after the Prophet 'sall-allahu alaihi wa sallam' is Abu Bakr-i- Siddiq. Next to him is hadrat 'Umar. Then comes hadrat 'Uthman. Hadrat Ali comes after him 'radi-allahu anhum ajmain'. Their (right of) succession to caliphate is in the order I have given above." The Bahr-ul 'ilm asked:
"What is your Madhhab (Muslims have two Madhhabs in matters pertaining to belief. They are: (1) Abulhasan-i-Ashari; and (2) Abu Mansur-i-Ma-Turidi. For detailed information, please see the books Belief and Islam, Endless Bliss, and The Sunni Path.) in belief?"
The head Molla: "Our creed is that of Abulhasan-i-Ashari."
"Now it is necessary to know correctly all the things that are stated (by Islam) to be halal and haram and to believe in them as such; in other words, you should not say haram about things that are stated to be halal, or halal about those which are stated to be haram."
"We accept this principle," he said. Upon this, the Bahr-ul 'ilm said:
"It is necessary not to do the actions which all the four Madhhabs of Ahl as-sunnat unanimously state to be haram."
The head Molla said they accepted this, too.
Then he added, "We accept all these. Now will you say we are one of the Islamic groups?" The Bahr-ul 'ilm paused for a while, and said:
"A person who swears at the Shaikhayn becomes a disbeliever."
"We have ceased from swearing at the Shaikhayn 'radi-allahu ta'ala anhuma'. We have accepted the other principles, too. Won't you consider us Muslims now?" The Bahr-ul'ilm repeated:
"It is disbelief to swear at the Shaikhayn." His purpose was to imply that "According to Hanafi Madhhab, if a person has sworn at the Shaikhayn, his tawba (repentance) will not be accepted. Iranians used to swear at the Shaikhayn before. Therefore they had become disbelievers. Their ceasing from swearing (at the Shaikhayn) now will not salvage them from the state of disbelief." Molla Hamza, the Afghan Mufti, said:
"O Hadi Khodja! Is there any evidence to prove that the Iranians swore (at the Shaikhayn) before this meeting?"
Hadi Khodja replied, "No, there is no evidence."
Molla Hamza: "Since they will not swear at them from now on, what other reason could there be for saying they could not be Muslims?"
Hadi Khodja: "If so, they are Muslims. This means to say that we agree on halals and harams, on good and evil." Upon this, they all stood up and made musafaha (shook hands in the manner prescribed by Islam); they turned to me and said, "Be our witness." Then we dispersed. It was a Wednesday evening, the twenty-fourth day of (the Arabic month) Shawwal. There were some ten thousand Iranians around us, all watching us.
As it was customary, at four o'clock after midnight the I'timad-ud-dawla (Grand Vizier) left the Shah and came to me. He said:
"Hadrat Shah sends you his thanks and salutations. He orders that tomorrow the same scholars (who attended the debate) should convene again, write down and undersign the decision made. And he asks you to register your testimony by putting your signature on top of the decision." I said I would do so.
Thursday afternoon I went to the place of the meeting first. Some sixty thousand Iranians had gathered there, so that they made up a huge crowd extending far away from the Merqad-i-Ali (his blessed grave) 'radi-allahu ta'ala anh'. When I arrived there and sat down, a long piece of paper was brought. With the command of the head Molla, Mufti Aqa Husain read it (aloud). It was in Persian. Its Turkish (English) translation is as follows:
The divine habit and hikmat of Allahu ta'ala is such that He has sent Prophets to men in order to announce His commands and prohibitions. Among Prophets, the final turn belonged to our Peygamber-i-zishan, hadrat (MUHAMMAD) 'sall-allahu alaihi wa sallam'. As the last Prophet, he accomplished his task of teaching the commandments and prohibitions of Allahu ta'ala, and passed away. After him the Ashab-i-Ghuzin assembled and unanimously agreed on the superiority of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq with respect to piety, goodness, and religious devotion, and elected him the Khalifa. Hadrat Ali, too, was among the electors. He used his vote on his own volition, not under compulsion or intimidation. Thus his (Abu Bakr's) caliphate was by the unanimous vote of all the Ashab al-kiram. All the Ashab al-kiram who elected him are just and true Muslims 'radi-allahu ta'ala anhum'. They are praised in Qur'an-i-azim-ush-shan, in the ayats that purport, "Muhajirs and Ansar, who are ahead of and above all others..." and "Verily, Allahu ta'ala loves those believers who promised thee under the tree." Also, the Fakhr-i-alam 'sall-allahu alaihi wa sallam' praises them: "My Ashab are like celestial stars. If you follow any one of them you will attain hidayat!"
After Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, hadrat 'Umar Faruq, commended by him, became the Khalifa. Hadrat Ali was again among the people who voted for him. Hadrat 'Umar commended six people before he passed away, and advised that after him these six people should elect the next Khalifa among themselves. Hadrat Ali was one of these six people. Five of them unanimously voted for hadrat 'Uthman and elected him the Khalifa. Hadrat 'Uthman was undecided in this election. After his martyrdom all the Ashab unanimously voted hadrat Ali to caliphate. When these four people lived together, no disagreement, no quarrel ever occurred among them. They always loved, praised and lauded one another. In fact, when hadrat Ali was asked about the Shaikhayn he said, "These two noble persons are the imams elected justly and rightfully." Also, when hadrat Abu Bakr as-Siddiq became the Khalifa, he said, "Have you voted for me, with Ali among you?"
O Persians! Superiority and fitness for caliphate among the four Khalifas follows this succession. If any person swears at them, censures them, or speaks ill of them, his household and blood will be halal for the Shah. May such people be accursed in the opinion of Allah, as well as in the opinions of Angels, Holy Books, and Prophets! When you made me the Shah at the Megan Square in the year eleven forty-eight (1148), I made some stipulations. Now I add this stipulation: I forbid you to swear at the Shaikhayn. You must certainly desist from it! If anyone gets involved in this abominable practice of swearing (at the Shaikhayn), his household shall be taken prisoner, and his property shall be confiscated, and he shall be killed. Formerly this ignoble practice of swearing at the Shaikhayn did not exist in the Iranian country. This atrocious deed was invented by Shah Ismail Safawi and his children, who followed his way. It held on for some three hundred years.
This agreement was undersigned and sealed by all the scholars. Then the (Ferman-i-ali), the firman issued by Nadir Shah in order to address the whole nation, was read aloud. The following is its Turkish (English) version.
FERMAN-I-SHAHI
First I trust myself to Allahu ta'ala. Be it known that Shah Ismail Safawi appeared in the year 906 [A.D. 1500]. He gathered some ignorant people around himself. In order to obtain this base world and attain his sensuous desires, he instigated faction and mischief among the people. He invented the practice of swearing at the Shaikhayn, (which was later turned into a sect called) Shiah. Thus he sowed very grave discord among Muslims. He caused the flags of hypocrisy and aggression to fly. So much so that, while disbelievers are leading a life in comfort free from anxieties, Muslims are molesting one another. They are destroying one another's blood and chastity. It is for this reason that when all of you, from the oldest to the youngest ones, wanted to make me the Shah in the meeting held at the Megan Square, you stated you would cease from all the wrong beliefs and inane words that had settled in Iran since the time of Shah Ismail if I accepted this request of yours. You promised you would believe and express with your tongues that the four Khalifas are rightful and true, which was the Madhhab of your virtuous grandfathers and which has therefore been our blessed tradition, and that you would stop censuring and speaking ill of them and love all the four. And now, in order to emphasize this auspicious performance, I have studied the matter by asking distinguished scholars and highly devout persons. As all of them have unanimously stated, since the day our Prophet 'sall-allahu alaihi wa ala alihi wa ashabihi ajmain' called (people) to the way of Haqq, each of the four Khalifas 'radi- allahu anhum', who were the Sahaba-i-rashidin, sacrificed their lives and property, left their wives, children, and uncles, and tolerated all sorts of abusive terms, vilifications, and arrows for the promulgation of the Din-i-mubin (Islam). On account of this, they were honored with the special sohbat ( The lexical meaning of "sohbat" is being together. When this togetherness is with someone loved by Allahu ta'ala, it causes great spiritual benefit and elevation. Since our Prophet 'sall-allahu alaihi wa sallam' is the creature Allahu ta'ala loves best, it goes without saying how useful, how progressive spiritually it should have been to attain his sohbat.) of our master, hadrat Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wa sallam'. It was on account of this, again, that they attained the praise and laud expressed in the ayat al-karima purporting, "The eminent ones of the Muhajirs and Ansars...". After the master of the good passed away, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq 'radi-allahu ta'ala anh', his companion in the cave, was appointed the first Khalifa by a unanimous vote of the notables of the Ashab al- kiram, who were the managers of the matters among the Muslims. After him, appointed by the Khalifa and approved by the Ashab al-kiram, hadrat 'Umar Faruq 'radi-allahu anh' became the Khalifa; and after him 'Uthman bin Affan, the Zinnurain, 'radi-allahu anh', out of the six candidates (nominated by hadrat 'Umar), was voted into the office of caliphate unanimously; and after him the Amir ul-Muminin Ali ibni Abi Talib 'karram-allahu wajhah', the lion of Allah, the aim of those who seek someone (to guide them), the treasure of bewildering values, became the Khalifa. During their caliphates, all these four Khalifas were in harmony with one another and were beyond the blemish of any sort of disagreement among themselves. They were in brotherly terms and in unity with one another. Every one of them protected the Islamic countries against polytheism and the malice of polytheists. After these four Khalifas, Muslims preserved their unity in matters concerning belief. As times and situations changed, the Islamic scholars had some differing inferences in matters pertaining to fast, hajj, zakat and the other types of worships; yet no fault or deficiency or decay or slackness took place in the principles of belief or in loving Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wa sallam' and his Ashab or in regarding them all as true Muslims. All the Islamic countries retained this pure and clean quality until the emergence of Shah Ismail. Fortunately, owing to your common sense and the guidance of your pure hearts, you have ceased from such practices as swearing at the Ashab al-kiram and being Shiites, which were invented afterwards. You have embellished your hearts with love of the four Khalifas, who are the four main pillars of the Islamic palace. I therefore promise to report these five covenants of ours to the Islamic Padishah, who is as high as heavens, the sultan of lands and seas, the servant of the haramain-i- Sharifayn (the two blessed cities, Mecca and Medina), the earth's second Zulqarnain ( Alexander the Great. This name has nothing to do with Alexander, the son of Philip and the king of Macedonia, or Alexander, the king of the ancient Yaman. This Alexander, whose name is given as Zulqarnain in Qur'an al-karim because he went to Western as well as to Eastern countries, was either a Prophet or a Wali. He lived long before the other two Alexanders. He was of Japhethic descent. Hidir 'alaihis-salam' was one of the commanders in his army and was the son of his maternal aunt. He saw and talked to hadrat Ibrahim, who asked a blessing on him. He dominated the European and Asian continents. Upon the request of the Mumin (believer) Turks living in the Northeastern part of Asia, he built a great wall in order to protect them against Ye'juj and Me'juj (Gog and Magog). Built between two mountains, the wall, which has nothing to do with the famous Wall of China, was six kilometers long, twenty-five meters wide, and one hundred meters tall. Gog and Magog were left behind the wall, and the Turks were thus saved. History books mostly mistake these three Alexanders with one another.), our brother, and the Sultan of Byzantine Greek lands. Let us accomplish this concern in a manner concordant with our wishes. May what we have written here, with the help of Allahu ta'ala, be realized very soon! Now, in order to reinforce this auspicious endeavor, the Allama-i-'Ulama (Molla Ali Akbar), the head Molla, and our other scholars have written a memorial. They have thus torn apart all the curtains of doubt. It has been realized that all these slanders, heresies and discordances were born from the fitna (mischief, instigation) invented by Shah Ismail. Before him, Muslims of all times, especially those in the early days of Islam, held one common belief, one way of thought. Therefore, with the help of Allahu ta'ala and the inspiration He has endowed our hearts with, we have come to this noble and exalted decision. From the arising of Islam till he emergence of Shah Ismail, all Muslims regarded the Khulafa-i-rashidin (the four rightly-guided Khalifas) as rightful and true Khalifas. They knew that they became Khalifas rightfully. They avoided reviling and speaking ill of them. Orators and great preachers would tell about the goodness, merits, superiorities of these Khalifas in their speeches and discourses. Whenever they were to pronounce or write their blessed names, they would add the expression 'radi-allahu anhum'. I have ordered hadrat Mirza Muhammad Ali, a profound scholar and the essence of the superior, to promulgate the Ferman-i-humayun of ours in all the cities of Iran, so that my people will hear it and accept it! Disobeying or opposing it shall incur the torment of Allahu ta'ala and the wrath of the Shah-an-shah. Be it known so.
After this firman was read and understood, I was admitted to the Shah's presence, where I attained most sincere compliments. Nadir Shah was very pleased about this achievement of mine, and expressed his gratitude very earnestly. He ordered that the Friday prayer should be performed acceptably in Kufa Mosque. I said to the I'timad-ud-dawla (the Grand Vizier) that that prayer would not be acceptable, for three individuals from the towns-folk would have to attend the prayer according to Hanafi Madhhab, and this compulsory number would be forty (at least) according to Shafii Madhhab. The Grand Vizier said they (people) would be invited only to listen to the khutba. I went to the mosque. There were some five thousand scholars and officials. Ali Meded, the Shah's imam, was on the menber. Meanwhile, the head Molla and the scholars of Karbala talked among themselves, and Ali Meded was dismounted from the menber. One of the scholars of Karbala took his place and mounted the menber. (Menber is a raised enclosed platform from which the preacher in the mosque delivers discourse or the khutba, that is, the special discourse delivered before Friday prayer). After saying the prayers of Hamd ( Praising, lauding, and thanking Allahu ta'ala.) and Salawat (Special prayer for asking a blessing on our Prophet's soul, e.g. 'sall-allahu ta'ala alaihi wa sallam.'), he cited the names of the four Khalifas, saying, 'radi-allahu anh', after each name. Yet when the turn came to hadrat 'Umar, he uttered the name 'Umar in munsarif (declined) case, though he knew Arabic well (enough not to do it by mistake). (That is, he said 'Umari' instead of 'Umara'). Thus he severed (the qualities of) adl (justice) and marifat (occult spiritual knowledge), which makes the name ghayr-i-munsarif (not declined), from hadrat 'Umar. It was obvious that there was some trick in this. With the Shah's order, benedictions were pronounced, first over the welfare and majesty of hadrat Mahmud Khan bin Mustafa Khan, who was the Khalifa-i-Muslimin, and then over the welfare and majesty of Nadir Shah. The Juma (Friday) sura was recited in the first rakat (of the Friday namaz). After the namaz, I asked for Nadir Shah's permission and returned to Baghdad. I related all the events to Ahmad Pasha. I submitted a copy of the covenant made between the two parties and a copy of the Ferman-i-Shahi, which Nadir Shah proclaimed to the Persian people. These, and an account of the event was sent to Istanbul and presented to the Khalifa. This incapable person (hadrat Abdullah Suwaydi means himself) was honored with so many favors and gifts by His Highness the Khalifa, that I should confess I would fall short of paying the debt of gratitude were I to pronounce benedictions over His Highness till my death.
[Sultan Mahmud I 'rahimah-ullahu ta'ala' was born in 1108, and passed away in 1168 [A.D. 1754]. He became the Khalifa in 1143 [A.D. 1730]. He is in the graveyard called Valide (Mother) Turhan Sultan, beside the Yeni Cami' (New Mosque), at Eminonu, Istanbul. This graveyard contains (the graves of) Turhan Sultan and her son, Mehmed IV, Mustafa II, Ahmad III, Uthman ('Uthman) III, and Murad V 'rahimahum-ullahu ta'ala'].
The Arabic original of the book Hujaj-i-Qatiyya was reproduced by offset process in Istanbul in 1400 [A.D. 1980].
In the meantime, the talks that were made during the debate were reported accurately to the Shah (King). Upon this, he (the Shah) ordered that scholars from Iran, Bukhara and Afghanistan should come together, eliminate all the heretical elements, and make out an irrevocable written report, and appointed me his representative and president to this council of scholars representing three different nationalities. We went out of the tents. The Afghans, the Uzbeks, the Persians were pointing to me with their fingers. Seventy of the Iranian scholars assembled behind the blessed grave of Imam-i-Ali 'karram-allahu ta'ala wajhah'. Ali Akbar, the head Molla, was the chief of the Iranian scholars.
The head Molla showed me to Molla Hadi Khodja, who was the Bahr-ul 'ilm and a scholar from Bukhara, and asked him if he knew me. When the Bahr-ul 'ilm answered in the negative, he said, "This person is Suwaydi-zada Shaikh Abdullah Effendi, a prominent Sunni scholar. The Shah asked Ahmad Pasha to send him here to attend our debate and to preside over us as the Shah's representative. If we come to a unanimous agreement, he will bear witness for all of us and make the final decision for us. Now, let us clear out all the heretical elements whatsoever. Let us eliminate them in his presence. After all, Abu Hanifa does not call us disbelievers. However, let us ponder deeply over this matter. The book (Sharh-i-mawaqif) does not call the Imamiyya (Imamite) group disbelievers. Abu Hanifa 'rahmat-ullahi ta'ala alaih' states in his book (Fiqh-i-akbar), 'We do not call people who perform the namaz in the direction of qibla ( The direction which Muslims face as they perform the prayer called Namaz (or Salat). This direction is Kaba, in Mecca (Mecca).) disbelievers.' And it is written in the book (Sharh-i-hidaya) that the Imamiyya group are one of the groups of Muslims. However, the later generations (of Sunnites) called us disbelievers.
"And our later generations in turn called you disbelievers. Neither we nor you are disbelievers. Now, let us know our utterances that caused your later generations to call us disbelievers, so that we will cease from such utterances (beliefs)."
Hadi Khodja said, "You become disbelievers because you swear at the Shaikhayn (the two Shaikhs), that is, Abu Bakr and 'Umar 'radi-allahu ta'ala anhuma'."
The head Molla said, "We desist from swearing at the Shaikhayn."
Hadi Khodja: "You become disbelievers by calling the Ashab al-kiram 'radi-allahu ta'ala anhum ajmain' disbelievers."
The head Molla: "Now we say that all the Ashab al-kiram 'radi-allahu anhum' are Muslims and are true ones, too."
"You say that Mut'a nikah is halal."
"It is haram; only ignoble people would to it."
"You hold hadrat Ali superior to hadrat Abu Bakr, and say that it was Ali's right to become the (first) Khalifa."
"The second highest man after the Prophet 'sall-allahu alaihi wa sallam' is Abu Bakr-i- Siddiq. Next to him is hadrat 'Umar. Then comes hadrat 'Uthman. Hadrat Ali comes after him 'radi-allahu anhum ajmain'. Their (right of) succession to caliphate is in the order I have given above." The Bahr-ul 'ilm asked:
"What is your Madhhab (Muslims have two Madhhabs in matters pertaining to belief. They are: (1) Abulhasan-i-Ashari; and (2) Abu Mansur-i-Ma-Turidi. For detailed information, please see the books Belief and Islam, Endless Bliss, and The Sunni Path.) in belief?"
The head Molla: "Our creed is that of Abulhasan-i-Ashari."
"Now it is necessary to know correctly all the things that are stated (by Islam) to be halal and haram and to believe in them as such; in other words, you should not say haram about things that are stated to be halal, or halal about those which are stated to be haram."
"We accept this principle," he said. Upon this, the Bahr-ul 'ilm said:
"It is necessary not to do the actions which all the four Madhhabs of Ahl as-sunnat unanimously state to be haram."
The head Molla said they accepted this, too.
Then he added, "We accept all these. Now will you say we are one of the Islamic groups?" The Bahr-ul 'ilm paused for a while, and said:
"A person who swears at the Shaikhayn becomes a disbeliever."
"We have ceased from swearing at the Shaikhayn 'radi-allahu ta'ala anhuma'. We have accepted the other principles, too. Won't you consider us Muslims now?" The Bahr-ul'ilm repeated:
"It is disbelief to swear at the Shaikhayn." His purpose was to imply that "According to Hanafi Madhhab, if a person has sworn at the Shaikhayn, his tawba (repentance) will not be accepted. Iranians used to swear at the Shaikhayn before. Therefore they had become disbelievers. Their ceasing from swearing (at the Shaikhayn) now will not salvage them from the state of disbelief." Molla Hamza, the Afghan Mufti, said:
"O Hadi Khodja! Is there any evidence to prove that the Iranians swore (at the Shaikhayn) before this meeting?"
Hadi Khodja replied, "No, there is no evidence."
Molla Hamza: "Since they will not swear at them from now on, what other reason could there be for saying they could not be Muslims?"
Hadi Khodja: "If so, they are Muslims. This means to say that we agree on halals and harams, on good and evil." Upon this, they all stood up and made musafaha (shook hands in the manner prescribed by Islam); they turned to me and said, "Be our witness." Then we dispersed. It was a Wednesday evening, the twenty-fourth day of (the Arabic month) Shawwal. There were some ten thousand Iranians around us, all watching us.
As it was customary, at four o'clock after midnight the I'timad-ud-dawla (Grand Vizier) left the Shah and came to me. He said:
"Hadrat Shah sends you his thanks and salutations. He orders that tomorrow the same scholars (who attended the debate) should convene again, write down and undersign the decision made. And he asks you to register your testimony by putting your signature on top of the decision." I said I would do so.
Thursday afternoon I went to the place of the meeting first. Some sixty thousand Iranians had gathered there, so that they made up a huge crowd extending far away from the Merqad-i-Ali (his blessed grave) 'radi-allahu ta'ala anh'. When I arrived there and sat down, a long piece of paper was brought. With the command of the head Molla, Mufti Aqa Husain read it (aloud). It was in Persian. Its Turkish (English) translation is as follows:
The divine habit and hikmat of Allahu ta'ala is such that He has sent Prophets to men in order to announce His commands and prohibitions. Among Prophets, the final turn belonged to our Peygamber-i-zishan, hadrat (MUHAMMAD) 'sall-allahu alaihi wa sallam'. As the last Prophet, he accomplished his task of teaching the commandments and prohibitions of Allahu ta'ala, and passed away. After him the Ashab-i-Ghuzin assembled and unanimously agreed on the superiority of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq with respect to piety, goodness, and religious devotion, and elected him the Khalifa. Hadrat Ali, too, was among the electors. He used his vote on his own volition, not under compulsion or intimidation. Thus his (Abu Bakr's) caliphate was by the unanimous vote of all the Ashab al-kiram. All the Ashab al-kiram who elected him are just and true Muslims 'radi-allahu ta'ala anhum'. They are praised in Qur'an-i-azim-ush-shan, in the ayats that purport, "Muhajirs and Ansar, who are ahead of and above all others..." and "Verily, Allahu ta'ala loves those believers who promised thee under the tree." Also, the Fakhr-i-alam 'sall-allahu alaihi wa sallam' praises them: "My Ashab are like celestial stars. If you follow any one of them you will attain hidayat!"
After Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, hadrat 'Umar Faruq, commended by him, became the Khalifa. Hadrat Ali was again among the people who voted for him. Hadrat 'Umar commended six people before he passed away, and advised that after him these six people should elect the next Khalifa among themselves. Hadrat Ali was one of these six people. Five of them unanimously voted for hadrat 'Uthman and elected him the Khalifa. Hadrat 'Uthman was undecided in this election. After his martyrdom all the Ashab unanimously voted hadrat Ali to caliphate. When these four people lived together, no disagreement, no quarrel ever occurred among them. They always loved, praised and lauded one another. In fact, when hadrat Ali was asked about the Shaikhayn he said, "These two noble persons are the imams elected justly and rightfully." Also, when hadrat Abu Bakr as-Siddiq became the Khalifa, he said, "Have you voted for me, with Ali among you?"
O Persians! Superiority and fitness for caliphate among the four Khalifas follows this succession. If any person swears at them, censures them, or speaks ill of them, his household and blood will be halal for the Shah. May such people be accursed in the opinion of Allah, as well as in the opinions of Angels, Holy Books, and Prophets! When you made me the Shah at the Megan Square in the year eleven forty-eight (1148), I made some stipulations. Now I add this stipulation: I forbid you to swear at the Shaikhayn. You must certainly desist from it! If anyone gets involved in this abominable practice of swearing (at the Shaikhayn), his household shall be taken prisoner, and his property shall be confiscated, and he shall be killed. Formerly this ignoble practice of swearing at the Shaikhayn did not exist in the Iranian country. This atrocious deed was invented by Shah Ismail Safawi and his children, who followed his way. It held on for some three hundred years.
This agreement was undersigned and sealed by all the scholars. Then the (Ferman-i-ali), the firman issued by Nadir Shah in order to address the whole nation, was read aloud. The following is its Turkish (English) version.
FERMAN-I-SHAHI
First I trust myself to Allahu ta'ala. Be it known that Shah Ismail Safawi appeared in the year 906 [A.D. 1500]. He gathered some ignorant people around himself. In order to obtain this base world and attain his sensuous desires, he instigated faction and mischief among the people. He invented the practice of swearing at the Shaikhayn, (which was later turned into a sect called) Shiah. Thus he sowed very grave discord among Muslims. He caused the flags of hypocrisy and aggression to fly. So much so that, while disbelievers are leading a life in comfort free from anxieties, Muslims are molesting one another. They are destroying one another's blood and chastity. It is for this reason that when all of you, from the oldest to the youngest ones, wanted to make me the Shah in the meeting held at the Megan Square, you stated you would cease from all the wrong beliefs and inane words that had settled in Iran since the time of Shah Ismail if I accepted this request of yours. You promised you would believe and express with your tongues that the four Khalifas are rightful and true, which was the Madhhab of your virtuous grandfathers and which has therefore been our blessed tradition, and that you would stop censuring and speaking ill of them and love all the four. And now, in order to emphasize this auspicious performance, I have studied the matter by asking distinguished scholars and highly devout persons. As all of them have unanimously stated, since the day our Prophet 'sall-allahu alaihi wa ala alihi wa ashabihi ajmain' called (people) to the way of Haqq, each of the four Khalifas 'radi- allahu anhum', who were the Sahaba-i-rashidin, sacrificed their lives and property, left their wives, children, and uncles, and tolerated all sorts of abusive terms, vilifications, and arrows for the promulgation of the Din-i-mubin (Islam). On account of this, they were honored with the special sohbat ( The lexical meaning of "sohbat" is being together. When this togetherness is with someone loved by Allahu ta'ala, it causes great spiritual benefit and elevation. Since our Prophet 'sall-allahu alaihi wa sallam' is the creature Allahu ta'ala loves best, it goes without saying how useful, how progressive spiritually it should have been to attain his sohbat.) of our master, hadrat Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wa sallam'. It was on account of this, again, that they attained the praise and laud expressed in the ayat al-karima purporting, "The eminent ones of the Muhajirs and Ansars...". After the master of the good passed away, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq 'radi-allahu ta'ala anh', his companion in the cave, was appointed the first Khalifa by a unanimous vote of the notables of the Ashab al- kiram, who were the managers of the matters among the Muslims. After him, appointed by the Khalifa and approved by the Ashab al-kiram, hadrat 'Umar Faruq 'radi-allahu anh' became the Khalifa; and after him 'Uthman bin Affan, the Zinnurain, 'radi-allahu anh', out of the six candidates (nominated by hadrat 'Umar), was voted into the office of caliphate unanimously; and after him the Amir ul-Muminin Ali ibni Abi Talib 'karram-allahu wajhah', the lion of Allah, the aim of those who seek someone (to guide them), the treasure of bewildering values, became the Khalifa. During their caliphates, all these four Khalifas were in harmony with one another and were beyond the blemish of any sort of disagreement among themselves. They were in brotherly terms and in unity with one another. Every one of them protected the Islamic countries against polytheism and the malice of polytheists. After these four Khalifas, Muslims preserved their unity in matters concerning belief. As times and situations changed, the Islamic scholars had some differing inferences in matters pertaining to fast, hajj, zakat and the other types of worships; yet no fault or deficiency or decay or slackness took place in the principles of belief or in loving Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wa sallam' and his Ashab or in regarding them all as true Muslims. All the Islamic countries retained this pure and clean quality until the emergence of Shah Ismail. Fortunately, owing to your common sense and the guidance of your pure hearts, you have ceased from such practices as swearing at the Ashab al-kiram and being Shiites, which were invented afterwards. You have embellished your hearts with love of the four Khalifas, who are the four main pillars of the Islamic palace. I therefore promise to report these five covenants of ours to the Islamic Padishah, who is as high as heavens, the sultan of lands and seas, the servant of the haramain-i- Sharifayn (the two blessed cities, Mecca and Medina), the earth's second Zulqarnain ( Alexander the Great. This name has nothing to do with Alexander, the son of Philip and the king of Macedonia, or Alexander, the king of the ancient Yaman. This Alexander, whose name is given as Zulqarnain in Qur'an al-karim because he went to Western as well as to Eastern countries, was either a Prophet or a Wali. He lived long before the other two Alexanders. He was of Japhethic descent. Hidir 'alaihis-salam' was one of the commanders in his army and was the son of his maternal aunt. He saw and talked to hadrat Ibrahim, who asked a blessing on him. He dominated the European and Asian continents. Upon the request of the Mumin (believer) Turks living in the Northeastern part of Asia, he built a great wall in order to protect them against Ye'juj and Me'juj (Gog and Magog). Built between two mountains, the wall, which has nothing to do with the famous Wall of China, was six kilometers long, twenty-five meters wide, and one hundred meters tall. Gog and Magog were left behind the wall, and the Turks were thus saved. History books mostly mistake these three Alexanders with one another.), our brother, and the Sultan of Byzantine Greek lands. Let us accomplish this concern in a manner concordant with our wishes. May what we have written here, with the help of Allahu ta'ala, be realized very soon! Now, in order to reinforce this auspicious endeavor, the Allama-i-'Ulama (Molla Ali Akbar), the head Molla, and our other scholars have written a memorial. They have thus torn apart all the curtains of doubt. It has been realized that all these slanders, heresies and discordances were born from the fitna (mischief, instigation) invented by Shah Ismail. Before him, Muslims of all times, especially those in the early days of Islam, held one common belief, one way of thought. Therefore, with the help of Allahu ta'ala and the inspiration He has endowed our hearts with, we have come to this noble and exalted decision. From the arising of Islam till he emergence of Shah Ismail, all Muslims regarded the Khulafa-i-rashidin (the four rightly-guided Khalifas) as rightful and true Khalifas. They knew that they became Khalifas rightfully. They avoided reviling and speaking ill of them. Orators and great preachers would tell about the goodness, merits, superiorities of these Khalifas in their speeches and discourses. Whenever they were to pronounce or write their blessed names, they would add the expression 'radi-allahu anhum'. I have ordered hadrat Mirza Muhammad Ali, a profound scholar and the essence of the superior, to promulgate the Ferman-i-humayun of ours in all the cities of Iran, so that my people will hear it and accept it! Disobeying or opposing it shall incur the torment of Allahu ta'ala and the wrath of the Shah-an-shah. Be it known so.
After this firman was read and understood, I was admitted to the Shah's presence, where I attained most sincere compliments. Nadir Shah was very pleased about this achievement of mine, and expressed his gratitude very earnestly. He ordered that the Friday prayer should be performed acceptably in Kufa Mosque. I said to the I'timad-ud-dawla (the Grand Vizier) that that prayer would not be acceptable, for three individuals from the towns-folk would have to attend the prayer according to Hanafi Madhhab, and this compulsory number would be forty (at least) according to Shafii Madhhab. The Grand Vizier said they (people) would be invited only to listen to the khutba. I went to the mosque. There were some five thousand scholars and officials. Ali Meded, the Shah's imam, was on the menber. Meanwhile, the head Molla and the scholars of Karbala talked among themselves, and Ali Meded was dismounted from the menber. One of the scholars of Karbala took his place and mounted the menber. (Menber is a raised enclosed platform from which the preacher in the mosque delivers discourse or the khutba, that is, the special discourse delivered before Friday prayer). After saying the prayers of Hamd ( Praising, lauding, and thanking Allahu ta'ala.) and Salawat (Special prayer for asking a blessing on our Prophet's soul, e.g. 'sall-allahu ta'ala alaihi wa sallam.'), he cited the names of the four Khalifas, saying, 'radi-allahu anh', after each name. Yet when the turn came to hadrat 'Umar, he uttered the name 'Umar in munsarif (declined) case, though he knew Arabic well (enough not to do it by mistake). (That is, he said 'Umari' instead of 'Umara'). Thus he severed (the qualities of) adl (justice) and marifat (occult spiritual knowledge), which makes the name ghayr-i-munsarif (not declined), from hadrat 'Umar. It was obvious that there was some trick in this. With the Shah's order, benedictions were pronounced, first over the welfare and majesty of hadrat Mahmud Khan bin Mustafa Khan, who was the Khalifa-i-Muslimin, and then over the welfare and majesty of Nadir Shah. The Juma (Friday) sura was recited in the first rakat (of the Friday namaz). After the namaz, I asked for Nadir Shah's permission and returned to Baghdad. I related all the events to Ahmad Pasha. I submitted a copy of the covenant made between the two parties and a copy of the Ferman-i-Shahi, which Nadir Shah proclaimed to the Persian people. These, and an account of the event was sent to Istanbul and presented to the Khalifa. This incapable person (hadrat Abdullah Suwaydi means himself) was honored with so many favors and gifts by His Highness the Khalifa, that I should confess I would fall short of paying the debt of gratitude were I to pronounce benedictions over His Highness till my death.
[Sultan Mahmud I 'rahimah-ullahu ta'ala' was born in 1108, and passed away in 1168 [A.D. 1754]. He became the Khalifa in 1143 [A.D. 1730]. He is in the graveyard called Valide (Mother) Turhan Sultan, beside the Yeni Cami' (New Mosque), at Eminonu, Istanbul. This graveyard contains (the graves of) Turhan Sultan and her son, Mehmed IV, Mustafa II, Ahmad III, Uthman ('Uthman) III, and Murad V 'rahimahum-ullahu ta'ala'].
The Arabic original of the book Hujaj-i-Qatiyya was reproduced by offset process in Istanbul in 1400 [A.D. 1980].