1. Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims
  2. Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

126 Questions

What were the differences, if any, between the Quran compiled by Imam Ali and Uthman? If there were differences how do we know what we have today is unaltered?
Amina Inloes

Insofar as we do not physically have the Qur'anic manuscript compiled by Imam 'Ali, it is not possible to answer this question with the certainty that comes from seeing things with one's own eyes. Rather, it is necessary to rely on historical reports, and the validity of historical reports can be debated.

Anyway, one difference is that it is reported that Imam 'Ali added commentary and explanations to the codex that he compiled, including an explanation of when/why the ayat were revealed (asbab al-nuzul) and also a broader explanation of the ayat.

It is also reported that Imam 'Ali's manuscript was arranged chronologically, in order of the date of revelation, whereas the 'Uthmanic codex is not arranged chronologically.

In any case, we have been told by the Imams to use the codex that we have today as it is, so it is good to have faith that this is what we are meant to be using.

Allah knows best.

 
Why could Maula Ali (a) not correct the wrongdoings of the earlier caliphs when he became caliph of the Muslims?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

Maula Ali (As) did correct the wrongdoings of the previous rulers of Saqeefah, except things which concerned him and his family because he did not want to use the power for his own or his family's benefit.

1. Ameerul Mo'mineen Ali (AS) removed all the wrong, corrupt and unjust rulers who were been appointed by Saqeefah rulers.

2. He removed discrimination between Arabs against non Arab Muslims and between Quraish against other tribes and all sorts of discrimination which was practiced by Saqeefah rulers.

3. He distributed all the wealth among all Muslims equally and did not keep anything for himself or his family.

4. He implemented justice in every case and dispute among Muslims even those were against him.

5, During his rule, poverty diminished among Muslims because he gave the poor  their proper rights which led to real social and economic justice.

Wassalam.
Why did Imam Hassan made Ubaidullah b. Abbas commander of the troops he sent to fight with Muawia, when he had shown his lack of support during the caliphate of Imam Ali and was condemned by the Imam for it?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

Imam Hasan (AS) knew things which we do not know as his knowledge is from the Allah (SWT) and the Prophet (SAWA) and Ameerul Mo'mineen (AS). We, with our limited knowledge are not entitled to argue on any decision of any Infallible as he does not do but what Allah (SWT) wants.

We believe that every act done by the Prophet (SAWA) and Ahlul Bayt (AS) is in favour of Islam, whether we know the details or not.

Wassalam.
If folding hands in prayer was a government order, what benefit did that government get from it? Did Imam Ali or any other Sahaba oppose this order?
Mahmood Abu Maryam

The default position when you stand up to commence prayer is putting hands on the side - sadl al-yadayn. This was the way Muslims in Medina, Makka, and later in cities such as Kufa, would have been praying, until the rise of the Umayyads in Syria.

The contrary position of qabd - folding hands - almost certainly got introduced by Mu’awiya and this Umayyad custom survived into Sunni orthodoxy, except for the Maliki madhhab.

Professor Yasin Dutton has written an interesting paper - Amal vs Hadith in Islamic Law - that tackles this topic where he says:

  • The non-Sunni madhhab’s, however - the Ithna Asahri Shi’a, the Zaydi’s, the Isma’li’s and the Ibadi’s (Khawarij) - are all agreed, along with the majority of the Maliki’s, on sadl.

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, a prominent contemporary Sunni scholar, has explained, in a video you can find online, how the act of folding hands, versus not, was seen as an indicator of political affiliation during those days such as the civil war between Imam ‘Ali and Mu’awiya. Clearly he sees sadl as the more authentic and well-evidenced position.

He makes the following key points:

  • People who were on the side of Imam ‘Ali in the civil wars prayed with their hands by the side (sadl)
  • Even the Khawarij who seceded from the side continued to pray like that.
  • Later Shi’a Imams, for instance Imams al-Baqir and Ja’far al-Sadiq, prayed the same way, without folding.
  • Basically the outward form of a person, practicing sadl or qabd, used to be an immediate and visual indicator of their political position with respect to Imam ‘Ali or Mu’awiya.

Hope this helps.