Shia Sources have Referred to Ayesha as the Imam al-Kufr

-:Objection Three:- 

Shia Sources have Referred to Ayesha as the Imam al-Kufr

Ibn al Hashimi states:

In fact, the very same Shia Tafseer on Al-Islam.org declares that Aisha (رضّى الله عنها) is not only a Kaffir but rather she is the very leader of the Kufaar [Imam al-Kufr]. Al-Islam.org quotes the Shia Tafseer for verse 9:12 as:

Al-Islam.org says

“According to the Holy Prophet, a-immatal kufr (leaders of infidelity) are also those who opposed and fought against the divinely commissioned Imams of the Ahl ul Bayt…Ali ibn abi Talib had recited this verse at the battle of Jamal and quoted the above noted prophecy of the Holy Prophet.

[Pooya/M.A. Ali 9:12]

source: http://www.al-islam.org/quran/ ”

In Tafseer Al-Qumi (which is perhaps the most classical of Shia Tafseer), it is said that it is the people whom Ali (رضّى الله عنه) fought in the Battle of Jamal including Aisha (رضّى الله عنها), Talha (رضّى الله عنه), and Zubair (رضّى الله عنه) who are being referred to in this Verse as the “Leaders of Kufr.” This view is also the position of Kashani in his Tafseer Al-Safi, and in other Shia interpretations. The Majma ul Bayan Tafseer also includes Aisha (رضّى الله عنها) as one of the “Aimmatul Kufr” (Imams of Kufr) along with the Quraish polythiests, the Persian Magians, and the Byzantine Christians

Reply One – One can assess the position of Ayesha fighting Ali (as) by assessing her conduct against the Hadith of the Prophet (s)

The tragedy lies in the fact Ibn al Hashimi refuses to apply Hadith of the Prophet (s) to assess the conduct of others. The harsh reality is the conduct of Ayesha and her war mongering cohorts was that which violated the Quran and a plethora of Hadith setting out the consequences for those that fight Maula Ali (as). We have cited the relevant traditions at length in an earlier chapter. Ayesha did not accept the Imam of her time (Ali), she fought him, and the traditions against her are clear, that fighting against Ali (as) as on par with fighting against Rasulullah, how should we then adjudge those whose conduct constitutes fighting Rasulullah (s)?

These traditions leave us with no doubt about how Ayesha should be judged.

Moreover we would like to remind our readers that it was Prophet (s) himself who referred to the Ayesha & Co as infidels fighting agasint Ali (as), as we read in We read in Al-Mustadrak:

Kaythama ibn Abdurahman said: ‘We were with Hudayfah (ra) and some of us said: ‘O Aba Abdillah, narrate to us what you heard from the Messenger of Allah (s)’. He said: ‘If I do this, you will stone me.’ We said: ‘Subhanallah! Would we do that!?’ He said: ‘What would you say if I narrate to you that some of your mothers would come to you with a battalion large in number, with great harm in it, would you have believed me?’ They said: ‘Subhanallah, and who would believe this!’ Then Hudayfah said: ‘Humayra came to you in a battalion being led by infidels, blackening your faces’. Then he (Hudayfah) got up and entered another chamber.’ 

Al-Mustadrak, Volume 7 page 44 Tradition 8453

The Arabic word used herein is:

أعلاجها

And we read the definition of this word in Lisan al-Arab, Volume 2 page 326:

ويقال للرجل القويّ الضخم من الكفار عِلْج

“The strong and huge man of the infidels is called Elj”

Reply Two – Ayesha failed to recognise the Imam of her time

We read in Sharh Fiqh Akbar, by Mulla Ali Qari, p 175 (publishers Muhammad Saeed and son, Qur’an Muhall, Karachi) we read:

“…there is a hadith in Sahih Muslim, narrated by Abdullah ibne Umar ‘He who dies without recognising giving bayah and following his Imam dies the death of one belonging to the days of jahiliyya’. This is why the Sahaba viewed the appointment of the Imam as so important that they preferred it to attending the Prophet’s funeral, because the Muslims need an Imam so that orders can be made on Jihad, and so that Islamic Laws can be implemented”

Ibn Abu Asim in his book ‘al-Sunnah’ page 489 records this hadith:

من مات وليس عليه إمام مات ميتة جاهلية

“Whoever dies without having an Imam dies the death of Jahiliyyah”.

Imam Albaani al-Salafi in his commentary on the hadith, writes:

إسناده حسن ورجاله ثقات

“Its chain is Hasan and all of its narrators are Thiqah’.

Imam Muslim has recorded this one in his Sahih, Kitab al-Imarah:

من مات وليس في عنقه بيعة مات ميته جاهلية

“Whoever dies without having on his neck bayah (to an Imam) dies the death of Jahiliyyah.”

Lastly, Imam Ibn Hibban has recorded in his Sahih, Volume 7 page 49:

من مات بغير إمام مات ميتة جاهلية

“Whoever dies without an Imam dies the death of Jahiliyyah”

Imam Ali (as) WAS the Imam of the time, his obedience was unconditional, it was incumbent on Ayesha to recognise his Leadership and follow him in all his decisions. Rather than do this, she chose to oppose him, instigate rebellion against him and a war that lead to the deaths of thousands of her supporters, as a result these individuals died the death of jahilyya because they failed to recognise the Imam of their time. Not only did Ayesha fail to do so she led others in to misguidance, they fell in to error on account of her position.

Reply Three – One who opposes Ahl’ul bayt (as) is from the Party of Shaytan

“The stars protect the inhabitants of earth against drowning, and my Ahl alBayt protect my nation against dissension. If a tribe among the Arabs differs from them, they will all then differ and become the party of Satan.”

al-Hakim on page 149, Vol. 3, of Al-Mustadrak from Ibn `Abbas. Al-Hakim adds: 

“This is an authentic hadith though they (both Shaykhs, i.e. Bukhari and Muslim) did not include it (in their own books).”

Ayesha’s duty after Rasulullah (s) was to attach herself to the Ahl’ul bayt (as) not to openly dissent against them and mount armed rebellion against Imam ‘Ali (as). Rasulullah (s) had declared that Ali was with the truth, and Ayesha’s duty was to obey Imam ‘Ali (as) not to oppose him. Allah (swt) had also made love of the Ahl’ul bayt (as) a duty in the Qur’an but rather than attach herself to the Ahl’ul bayt (as) and love them, Ayesha bore resentment towards them, fought Imam ‘Ali (as) and rejoiced at his martyrdom.

Had Ayesha remained in her station as Ummul Momineen living a life of piety within the confines of her home, she would have indeed attained the esteemed respect that the wives of Rasulullah (s) deserve. Unfortunately her envy and greed caused her to mount a mass rebellion against the Imam of the time ‘Ali ibne abi Talib (as). By acting in the way that she did, she in effect set a precedent that it was perfectly legitimate to rebel against the rightful Imam to get your demands met. This in effect gave the green light to Mu’awiya and his clan to act in the same way towards Imam ‘Ali (as) – for they saw a wife of the Prophet leading armed rebellion against the rightful Imam of the time.