Ask a Shia

[Karbala]

:saws2:

((The best people are those living in my generation, then those coming after them, and then those coming after (the second generation).)), [saheeh al-Bukhaaree, 3/219]

Indeed there were many great personalities living during the generations of the Prophet of Mercy :saws2: . This however cannot be generalised to include every single person in those generations.

It's enough for a man to be astray who seek to justify finding fault with the best generation, Regardless of who he may be

When did I find fault with the "best generation". We find faults with the actions of certain individuals.

"The Prophet deputed me to lead the army of Dhat-as-salasil. I came to him and said, "Who is most beloved to you? He said, Aisha." I asked, Amoung the men? He said her father(meaning Abu Bakr) I said, Who than?" He said"Then Umar bin Al-Khattab" He then named other men.
Sahih al-Bukharee, hadeeth no.14, vol.5

Lets critically look a this Hadith. 2 Questions I will pose.


1. Was Aisha really the most beloved to The Holy Prophet :saws2: ?


2. Was AbuBakr and Umar ibn al-Khattab really more beloved to the Holy Prophet than Ali ibn Abi Talib ( :asalam: ).


1. Was Aisha really the most beloved to The Holy Prophet :saws2: ?


We believe Fatima to be higher in rank and piety.


<i> Narrated 'Aisha: </i>


Once Fatima came walking and her gait resembled the gait of the Prophet . The Prophet said, "Welcome, O my daughter!" Then he made her sit on his right or on his left side, and then he told her a secret and she started weeping. I asked her, "Why are you weeping?" He again told her a secret and she started laughing. I said, "I never saw happiness so near to sadness as I saw today." I asked her what the Prophet had told her. She said, "I would never disclose the secret of Allah's Apostle ." When the Prophet died, I asked her about it. She replied. "The Prophet said.) 'Every year Gabriel used to revise the Qur'an with me once only, but this year he has done so twice. I think this portends my death, and you will be the first of my family to follow me.' So I started weeping. Then he said. 'Don't you like to be the mistress of all the ladies of Paradise or the mistress of all the lady believers? So I laughed for that."


Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 56, Number 819 cited in http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/h...ri/056.sbt.html


same hadiths recorded:


Sahih Muslim Book 031, Number 6004: <i>Fatima, are you not pleased that you should be at the head of the believing women or the head of this Umma?</i> cited in http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/h...im/031.smt.html


Sahih Muslim Book 031, Number 6005: <i>Arn't you pleased that you should be the sovereign amongst the believing women or the head of women of this Umma?</i> cited in http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/h...im/031.smt.html


<i>The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) drew four lines on the ground, then he said, "Do you know what this is?" We said, "Allaah and His Messenger know best." The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The best of the women of Paradise are Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid, Faatimah bint Muhammad, Aasiyah bint Mazaahim the wife of Pharaoh, and Maryam bint ‘Imraan – may Allaah be pleased with them."</i>


Classed as saheeh by Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1135


Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, 2663


A narration attributed to `Abd Allah ibn `Abbas reports:


<i>"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) said: Four women are the mistress of the worlds: Mary, Asiya (the wife of Pharaoh), Khadija, and Fatimah. And the most excellent one among them in the world is Fatimah."</i>


Tafsir ibn Kathir under the tafsir of verse 3:42


Sunan al-Tirmidhi, v5, p702 3878


al-Mustadrak, by al-Hakim, v3, p157, (who said this tradition is authentic based on the criteria of two Shaikhs (al-Bukhari and Muslim);


Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v3, p135 2663


Also the Shia maintain that the most beloved wife to the Prophet :saws2: wasnt Aisha rather it was Khadija. To this affect history narrates that Aisha often felt jealous of Khadija:


<i>Narrated 'Aisha: </i>


I did not feel jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet as much as I did of Khadija though I did not see her,


Consider the following statement from http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/history/biogra...T_ABI_BAKR.html


<i>After Khadijah al-Kubra (the Great) and Fatimah az-Zahra (the Resplendent), Aishah as-Siddiqah (the one who affirms the Truth) is regarded as the best woman in Islam. </i>


So far the hadith in question seems to failing in this first regard.