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

Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

20 Questions

What are some of the innovations of the first 3 caliphs and where can I read more about them?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

There is a good book in this regard called (Al-Nass wal Ijtihad النص والإجتهاد. By Sayyed Sharafuddin.

It is translated into English and available on many sites. https://downloadshiabooks.com/book/al-nass-wal-ijtihad/
'Innovations include :

1. Changing the Athaan and removing Hayya Ala Khairlanji Amal.

2. Changing the Wudhu to washing the feet against the Quranic order to wipe over the feet.

3. Changing the Salah by folding hands which never done by the Prophet.

4. Changing the Khums.

5. Changing the Hajj.

And many other changes which you can find in the above book.

Wassalam.
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.
The first 3 caliphs and the Umayyads created a vast empire. Were any of these conquests justified, or were they all based on greed for land and war booty?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

Allah (SWT) knows the intentions in the hearts. We can not take political propaganda as the real intention. Those rulers who opposed the Holy Progeny of the Prophet (SAWA) can not be trusted as their behaviour against the orders of the Prophet speak about them. If they were after spreading Islam not expanding their rule, they should have practiced Islam in their own life.

Wassalam.
Was Prophet Muhammad in any way a founder of the Umayyad caliphate?
Amina Inloes

Absolutely not.

Perhaps you are familiar with the narration attributed to the Prophet (S):

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Al-Qummi indicates on page 432, Vol. 2, of his Tafsir, that the Messenger of Allah (S) once saw in a vision monkeys climbing over his pulpit, and he felt very distressed; thereupon, the chapter of Qadr was revealed to remove his distress. The period of Banu Umayyad's government lasted roughly a thousand months: from 661 to 750 A.D., with the first ruler being Abu Sufyan and the last Mu’awiyah al-Himar.

Both al-Kulayni in his Al-Kafi and al-Majlisi in his Bihar al-Anwar quote Ahmed ibn Muhammad quoting Ali ibn al-Hassan quoting Muhammad ibn al-Walid and Muhammad ibn Ahmed quoting Yunus ibn Ya’qub quoting Ali ibn ‘Eisa al-Qammat quoting his uncle quoting Imam Abu Abdullah al-Sadiq (as) saying, "The Messenger of Allah (S) was shown in a vision how Banu Umayyah climbed over his pulpit (like monkeys climb over trees), so he felt very unhappy, whereupon Gabriel (as) descended upon him and asked him why he was so forlorn.

He (S) said, ‘I have seen (in a vision) tonight Banu Umayya ascending my pulpit after having misled people from the Straight Path.' Gabriel (as) said, ‘I swear by the One Who has sent me (as a messenger) with the truth, this is something with which I am not familiar.' Having said so, he ascended to the heavens. After a short while, he brought him one verse to remove thereby his grief; it said: ‘Have you considered if We would let them enjoy themselves for (a few) years, then that with which they are threatened comes to them, so much so that whatever they were permitted to enjoy shall not avail them (in the least)?' (Holy Qur'an, Surah Shu’ara 26:205-207).
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