SHAFAQNA-
This topic has been the subject of intense debate in the world of Sunni / Shia polemics since the death of Rasulullah (s). Discussions in connection with the attack on the house of Sayyida Fatima always generate huge emotions, so intense that they in effect force people to think about which side of the Sunni / Shia divide they choose to remain on. This tragic episode in effect explains why it is that Shia Muslims bear enmity to some of those individuals that Sunni Muslims deem to be their heroes.
Whilst traditional Sunni scholars have sought to acknowledge / defend and indeed praise the actions of Caliph Umar in this episode, the modern day self declared champions of the Sahaba the Salafi and Deobandi have scrapped this traditional approach and a adopted a new approach to tackling this issue. Their approach is a nice simple one that can be easily digested by the ignorant masses:
1. The event never occurred (as was the approach of Ansar.org)
2. Scholars that narrated this event are unreliable, unknown authorities
3. Scholars that narrated this event were actually Shia posing as Sunni (practising taqiyya).
This three pronged approach is what I would deem the Pinocchio factor of Neo Nasibi ideaology, denial. After all it is far easier to dismiss / deny event than to acknowledge it and provide defences for it.
The reason for such an approach is of course two folds:
1. We are living in a time where people want to learn and they can get answers at the touch of a button via the World Wide Web ? hence focusing on this event in effect raises many questions that these Nasibi Ulema will find difficult to explain to the enquiring mind.
2. These Nasibi know only too well that if reverts [who are not ingrained with a love for the Sahaba like those born in the faith] were to read up on this event then the untouchable concept of see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil? ? when it comes to the Sahaba may be called into question.
Our reply to Afriki is most certainly not aimed at appeasing the followers of Mu’awiya. It is a case of fighting fire with fire. We are saddened by the fact that even amongst our Shia brethren there are many who do not like our use of strong language. Nevertheless, a minority believes that we should have the freedom to express our extreme and on-target beliefs and this minority has won. Every individual has the right to defend himself / his people / beliefs.
At Answering-Ansar.org, we are proud to contribute to this rebuttal, – and this shall be the first use of literary weapons of mass destruction?.
Do not condemn us; we warn you now, for what you shall read in this book shall lead you to understand our vicious hatred of the cult of the Santas that for so many years have misguided many.
Whilst most Shia writers fight with conventional weapons our approach at Answering-Ansar.org is to only use the literary atom bomb. If this causes upset in some quarters we should point out that the Nasibi have used a ‘No holds barred approach’ against the Shi’a. If you analyse their websites you will observe that they deem it permissible to hurl any insult they like at the Shia, and to cite any reference they find from our books, as proof against the Shi’a even if that means citing the weakest of weak tradition.
They have stooped so low as to insult the honour of Imam Ali (as) and Imam Mahdi (as) and they shall most surely regret that as we expose their oppressive leaders. Despite this, we have not followed this approach of lying and relying on weak reports, we have relied on classical Sunni sources as our proofs and have ensured that the sources are correctly translated. The only similarity in approach with the Salafis lies in the language that we have adopted. If they have no regrets when they shout abuse at us and insult Imam Ali (as) they should not shed tears if we adopt the same approach.
One of the Answering-Ansar.org team member himself was a victim of such propaganda against the Shia for more years than he care to remember, and this is just the beginning of our assault against his former Nasibi captors.
Let the Nasibis live in cloud cuckoo land thinking that the companions were all and sundry, a bunch of saintly old men with woolly white beards that the Christians got their idea for Santa Claus from. That?s the Public Relations (PR) hype, so if they want to believe the likes of (Spin) Doctor Abu Huraira? so be it.
Here is the portrayal that Mr Afriki and like-minded stooges like to pass of as fact to their followers:
“A long, long time ago, in a city far, far away, there was a beautiful. Then there were also lots and lots of other Santas in that city. At the barbers, all there could be seen were strands of woolly white hair everywhere. They all had these really long, woolly white beards that sprouted from their radiant faces. Where did all these saintly old men come from? They were all companions of the Holy Prophet (saws) and they lived in a place called Madina. The Santas were into group hugs, cooking halal feasts for the pilgrims, surviving on one date a day, praying all night long, organising tea parties for the orphans, campaigning to save the desert palm-tree from extinction, and they used to say Salam ‘Alaikum with the biggest chuckles you ever did hear. Oh, what a bunch of saintly old men?..AND, when the kaffirs attacked, they were the biggest, bravest, most daring warriors you ever did see.
Sometimes they would bring their swords with them to group picnics, minor disputes would break out and sometimes the swords that were used for cutting sandwiches ended up being used as weapons! Despite this they all loved each other very much; they were just truthful Santas who were never subject to vices such as corruption, greed, lust or power. My heroes.”
This is the idyllic image that is portrayed in the popular Sunni consciousness about the companions. Women must have been throwing themselves at their feet to get hold of these strong, sensitive types with the older man look. And they were powerful? another aphrodisiac or could it be that the Santa story was just??.. PR? Let’s go into the world of the Santas and examine some of the tools they used to get hold of their power in this context ? this fairytale is in reality a very grim fairytale…in fact the Santas were actually frauds living in a very seedy world with some of the best spin doctors in history, rivaling those of the Christian church.
May Allah (swt) accept our intention, and bless Prophet Muhammad and his purified family.