Mubahalah So That Ummah Is Not In Dispute
Written by Dr. Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin
Translation by Umm Hajar (ummhajar@gmail.com)
Political work is meant to be an affair that administers the country and the nation so that life can go on peacefully under the divine guidance. This is also the duty of humankind as khalifah (vicegerent of Allah) on the face of this earth.
Allah says (translated as): “Behold, Thy Lord said to the angels: “I will create a vicegerent on earth.” They said: “Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood? Whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?” He said: “I know what ye know not.”” (Surah al-Baqarah: verse 30)
“From linguistic point of view, the word khalifah refers to whoever assumes the position of another person or becomes his representative. In this verse, khalifah refers to Adam a.s because he was the khalifah of Allah on His earth. So were all the other Prophets appointed by Allah to be His representatives (khalifah) to foster the earth, administer humankind, fulfill their needs and ensure the execution of Allah’s commands on them.” (Refer to: Al-Baidawi, Anwar al-Tanzil wa Asrar al-Takwil, 1/64.)
Therefore, the duty of khalifah is to embrace the trust assigned to him by Allah in planning and developing the system to foster the earth based on His decrees. It is not only the duty of Adam a.s but his grandchildren are also obligated to execute the same duty. Allah SWT says (translated as): “To the Thamud people (We sent) Salih, one of their own brethren. He said: “O My people! Worship Allah. Ye have no other god but Him. It is He who hath produced you from the earth and settled you therein: then ask forgiveness of him, and turn to Him (in repentance): for My Lord is (always) near, ready to answer.” (Surah Hud: verse 61)
Therefore, this is what the work of the politicians should be. It is to foster the earth by bringing to life tranquility and peace in the life of humankind. So, it is unfortunate to see the way of some of the politicians in our country who admit that they are Muslims but it looks as if they do not understand the fact that the caliphate duty is to bring to life peace and not havoc.
Political work that should have been providing the nation with ideas in administrating the country to assure justice and peace in the life of the people has changed into the work of exposing each other’s dirty laundry in the name of politics. Their private stories have become political spears used for them to attack each other. Those stories are so private that it is embarrassing for us to explain to the children when they are around whenever the news is being broadcasted by the media. They foster their caliphate affair by capitalizing on that kind of stories to prove the ‘sharpness of their political ideas’ to the people and simultaneously bring to life havoc and uneasiness in the life of the people.
Some people allege that ‘politics is kin to lies’ and that is indeed true. Many have been sending me SMS and e-mails to state their intense unhappiness over the way of the Malay political leaders. Those who I know have had high interest in politics siding either for the opposition or government have become fed-up and bored with the ‘politics of dirty laundry’ currently being actively displayed.
In Islam, personal shame cannot be used as a source of amusement or treated as a major news disseminated in the community for fear that the community will be so used with that evil behavior that they will allow people’s dignity to be used as a wager to win personal interest. Only when it is really necessary such as the recent court case then only personal shame can be disclosed. It is not to gamble the dignity of others in the contest of power struggle.
Allah says (translated as): “Allah loveth not that evil should be noised abroad in public speech, except where injustice hath been done; for Allah is He who heareth and knoweth all things. Whether ye publish a good deed or conceal it or cover evil with pardon, verily Allah doth blot out (sins) and hath power (in the Judgment of values).” (Surah al-Nisa: verse 148-149)
Matters involving dignity are perceived as substantial in Islam unlike the West that turns dignity into a competition of gathering sensational news. Because of that, although Islam imposes one hundred lashes as a punishment for those who commit zina (sexual relation outside of wedlock), Islam also stipulates strict conditions in accepting the accusations of zina. Therefore, Islam imposes eighty lashes as a punishment for the accuser if he fails to bring enough witnesses because he has disgraced the dignity of others. Additionally, Islam forbids the propensity of exposing the flaws of others in matters where there is not enough basis and proof.
Allah says (translated as): “And those who launch a charge against chaste women, and produce not four witnesses (to support their allegations), flog them with eighty stripes; and reject their evidence ever after: for such men are wicked transgressors.” (Surah al-Nur: verse 4)
However, Islam does not obligate a husband who accuses his wife of committing zina to produce four witnesses because the accusation of zina towards one’s wife will only smear the dignity of the accuser. Therefore, it is hard for someone to falsely accuse his wife of committing zina. On the other hands, it is also hard for someone to just keep quiet after knowing that his wife has committed zina. This is because both situations wreck his pride and dignity. If it is another person committing zina, he can probably still be quiet about it if he does not have enough number of witnesses but surely not in zina cases involving his wife.
Because of that, Allah says (translated as): “And for those who launch a charge against their spouses, and have (in support) no evidence but their own, their solitary evidence (can be received) if they bear witness four times (with an oath) by Allah that they are solemnly telling the truth; and the fifth (oath) (should be) that they solemnly invoke the curse of Allah on themselves if they tell a lie. But it would avert the punishment from the wife, if she bears witness four times (with an oath) by Allah that (her husband) is telling a lie; and the fifth (oath) should be that she solemnly invokes the wrath of Allah on herself if (her accuser) is telling the Truth.” (Surah al-Nur: verse 6-9)
This part is named as ‘li’an’ or invoking the curse of Allah. This is the way out provided by Allah for husbands and wives who are accusing each other in such manner. After this process is done, they will be separated forever without being subjected to any trials in court but instead, the matter is left for Allah to judge because this is a case of disclosing one’s shame.
Therefore, those who claim that they have been raped or sodomized are also considered as splashing themselves with shame. It is very hard for a normal person to recklessly make such claims unless there is a hidden benefit expected from it. Consequently, they are also not required to bring in four witnesses. Instead, qarinah (evidence relating to the case) can be used to proof that the event has really occurred. For the sake of safeguarding bloodline and dignity, Islam provides the axis around which all these issues can revolve.
It is clear that personal shame should not be brought into the playfield in a Muslim community causing everyone to feel that he has a license to accuse anyone he wants to or anyone he regards as his enemy. However, in the last few days, the opposite has been happening in this community. Issues related to the dirty laundry of some of the politicians have been inciting the feeling of uneasiness among the masses. It sets of apprehension, finger pointing and blasphemy without any ending to it. If nothing is done about it, peace will be forfeited due to those actions.
In al-Quran, Allah teaches us to mubahalah (malediction) as a way out for a dispute that cannot be dealt with properly following the stipulated rules because of the bullheaded attitude of some quarter that causes much commotion. Mubahalah means those who have a dispute with each other meet and implore Allah to befall harm to the liar among them (refer to: Ibn Manzur, Lisan al-‘Arab, 11/71). It is also called mulaa’nah that is to invoke the curse of Allah on the ones who lie or are guilty among those involved in a conflict.
Allah says (translated as): “The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: “Be”. And He was. The truth (comes) from Allah alone; so be not of those who doubt. If any one disputes In this matter with thee, now after (full) knowledge hath come to thee, say: “Come! Let us gather together,- Our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves: then let us earnestly pray, and invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie!”” (Surah Ali ‘Imran: 59-61)
As reported by al-Bukhari, the Prophet s.a.w once challenged a group of Christians from Najran to mubahalah with him regarding the Prophet Isa (Jesus) and the trueness of the teaching of Islam but they were afraid and refused to do it. Al-Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jauziyyah (deceased in 751H) said: “Mubahalah is sunnah (the way of the Prophet) to those who are being bullheaded among the immoral group. When the immoral group persists in refusing to revert to the truth after rationale and reasoning have been presented to them, it is sunnah to call them to mubahalah. Allah commanded His Messenger to do that without Allah stating that this is not for your followers to go by. His cousin Abd Allah bin ‘Abbas also asked those who disagreed with him in some furu’ (branches of opinions) matters to mubahalah with him. No one among the companions of the Prophet SAW objected his action. Al-Auza’i once asked Sufyan al-Thauri to mubahalah with him in issues of ‘raising hands’ and no one objected his action. This is a strong reasoning for mubahalah.” ((Ibn Qayyim, Zad al-Ma‘ad 3/562-563).
In a mubahalah, each individual will beseech Allah to befall harm on him if he is in the wrong. This is like the case of finger pointing currently going on in our country. In a mubahalah, one side is asked to say, “O Allah! If I have committed the offense I am being accused of, then curse me” and the other side is to say, “O Allah! If he has not committed the offense I am accusing him for then curse me.” After that, we wait for the punishment. Many ulama of the past said that more often than not Allah does not postpone the punishment for more than a year. Moreover, it is written in history that in many cases, the punishment took place in just a few months or a few days.
Al-Imam al-Sakhawi (deceased in 902H) in his book al-Qaul al-Munbi ‘An Tarjamati Ibn ‘Arabi narrated how his teacher al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani (deceased in 852H) carried out mubahalah with a follower of Ibn ‘Arabi Ibn ‘Arabi (not al-Imam Ibn al-‘Arabi) who was a deviant Sufi figure conveying the doctrine of wahdatul wujud that is the unification of God with human. His teaching is being followed by many Sufi followers until these days.
In Malaysia, among the fans of this doctrine is the spokesperson of the teaching of the Seven Ranks. During the time of Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani, the devotees of Ibn ‘Arabi proliferated. When al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar contradicted Ibn ‘Arabi, his followers tried to coax the intervention of the Sultan and accused al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar of humiliating a pious man. In the end, Ibn Hajar called their teacher to a mubahalah. Ibn Hajar told him to say, “O Allah! If Ibn ‘Arabi deviates from the right path then curse him” and he did as told.
Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar said, “O Allah! If Abn ‘Arabi is on the guided path then curse me.” After that was done, they dispersed. In the month of Zulqaedah, the devotees of Ibn ‘Arabi became blind and death befell them. During the time of Harun al-Rasyid, there were some people who suffered Allah’s punishment after a mubahalah. Al-Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab (a scholar accused of devising the Wahhabi teaching) once challenged those who contradicted him to mubahalah but his opponents refused to accept it.
I do not wish for Allah to send down calamity to those involved in finger pointing each other. It is just that their dispute has been breaking apart the ummah and country and thus, it is much better if they mubahalah so that the masses will not be in dispute forever. After the mubahalah, we leave this matter to Allah. He is Most Knowing of the affair of His servants. If they are not in the wrong, what is there for them to be afraid of? Politicians are willing to spend millions in order to clean up their image. Mubahalah does not require any money or other capital but it is able to restore confidence and eliminate prejudice that has been disseminated in the community.
kzso - yes... anwar and saiful, your dispute has been breaking apart the ummah and the country especially you anwar. mubahalah and leave the matter to ALLAH SWT, He is the MOST KNOWING of the affairs of HIS servants
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