ALLAH IS PLEASED WITH ABUBAKR !!! - DOUBT AND REPLY

DOUBT :-
It has been reported through sources that the archangel Jibrail once said to Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) – ‘O Prophet of God, the Lord sends His greetings to you and says – I am pleased with Abu Bakr, ask him if he is also pleased with me?’

REPLY :-

Mamoon al-Rashid while celebrating the marriage of his daughter to Imam Muhammad b. Ali al-Jawaad (a.s.) organized a function wherein many people were present including Yahya b. Aktham, Mamoon and Imam Jawaad (a.s.) himself. Yahya b. Aktham, a Sunni scholar and a leading jurist of his time, grabbed the opportunity to confront Imam (a.s.) on the subject of Imamat and asked him a series of questions on the topic.

Yahya: It has been reported through sources that the archangel Jibrail once said to Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) – ‘O Prophet of God, the Lord sends His greetings to you and says – I am pleased with Abu Bakr, ask him if he is also pleased with me?’ What are your views regarding this tradition?[1]

Imam Jawaad (a.s.): I do not deny the merits of Abu Bakr[2] but the narrator of this tradition must definitely have been aware of another tradition of the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) that he (s.a.w.a.) narrated on the eve of his farewell pilgrimage – The number of people who attribute false traditions to me has increased and there will be more such people after my departure. Whosoever narrates false traditions in my name will deserve severe punishment in Hell. Therefore, any tradition recorded in my name must be verified in accordance to the Book of Allah and my Sunnah; if it is in accordance to them accept it, else reject it.

The tradition (about Allah inquiring about whether Abu Bakr is pleased with Him) lacks conformity with the Quran because Allah Himself says:

وَ لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْاِنۡسَانَ وَ نَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِہٖ نَفْسُہٗ ۚۖ وَ نَحْنُ اَقْرَبُ اِلَیۡہِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِیۡدِ

And certainly We created man, and We know what his mind suggests to him, and We are nearer to him than his life-vein. (Surah Qaaf (50): 16)

(According to the verse Allah is closer to man than his own life vein, so how is it possible that He is not aware of Abu Bakr’s feeling and had to send Jibrail to ascertain if Abu Bakr was pleased with Allah! In the backdrop of such fabricated traditions, it is absurd that the Sunnis accuse the Shias of exaggerating the status of the Ahle Bait!)

______________________________________________________________________________________________

[1]                 This is a false and fabricated tradition (Muhammad b. Baabshaz al-Basari).  Imam Zahabi, a reputed Sunni scholar, in his book Mizaan al-Etedaal has documented this tradition with the comment – This is a false and fabricated tradition. (Mizaan al-Etedaal vol 3 pg 488)

[2]                 Imam’s (a.s.) statement – ‘I do not deny Abu Bakr’s excellence’ is a pointer towards Imam’s (a.s.) taqayya. There is a tradition from Zakariyyah b. Adam – I was in the presence of Imam Reza (a.s.) who brought Imam Jawaad (a.s.) who was just 4 years old.  Then Imam Jawaad (a.s.) struck the floor with his hand, raised his head towards the sky and went into a state of deep reflection.  Imam Reza (a.s.) asked: May my life be sacrificed for you.  What are you thinking in this manner?  Imam Jawaad (a.s.) – Regarding the afflictions related to my mother Hazrat Faatemah (s.a.).  By Allah, I will bring those two (the first and second caliph) out of their graves and throw them into the Fire.  Then I will destroy their ashes or consign them to the oceans.  Then Imam Reza (a.s.) drew him towards himself and kissed him between the eyes and declared – My son, you are worthy of Imamat.

(Dalaail al-Imamah pg 600, Navaadir al- Mojizaat pg 183, Behaar al-Anwaar vol 50 pg 59, Medinah al-Ma’aajiz vol 7 pg 324, Anwaar al-Bahiyyah pg 258, Khaatimah al-Mustadrak vol 1 pg 224, Bait al-Ahzaan pg 124)

In the backdrop of such traditions regarding the caliphs and their evident oppression of the Ahle Bait (a.s.) we conclude that statements like – I am not a denier of the excellence of Abu Bakr/Umar is due to taqayya especially when they were made in the court of the king or in the midst of government spies.