The Rightly-Guided Caliphs in Ahl al-Sunnah's Perspective

Al-Khulafa' al-Rashidun in the view of Ahl al-Sunnah are the Four Caliphs, who ascended the platform of successorship after the Messenger's demise. Ahl al-Sunnah consider them superior to all creatures except t he Prophet, in the order of their caliphate .This is common nowadays, and we have realized earlier that al-'Imam 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (A) had not been counted among the ordinary caliphs, not to say among the rightly-guided ones.He was never considered caliph but only very lately, by al-'Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and before that it was a sunnah to curse him over pulpits all over the Islamic lands and Umayyad Empire.

For giving more information to truth-seekers, I feel obliged to mention the following regrettable reality:

We have previously mentioned that 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar was regarded the most eminent faqih for Ahl al-Sunnah. He has been relied upon my Malik in his book al-Muwatta', and by al-Bukhari and Muslim in their books (Sahihs), and by all other traditionists.

In fact this man has been among the big nawasib who were known of their open hatred against Amir al-Muminin 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (A), and history tells that he refused to acknowledge 'Ali as a caliph, and rushed to declare allegiance unto al-Hajjaj, the enemy of Allah and His Messenger. 129
'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar has uncovered what is ensconsed in his heart, and disclosed his inherent nature, when he asserted openly that he never knew of any excellence or virtue or merit possessed by 'Ali, that might make 'Ali deserve even to be counted in t he fourth degree ager 'Uthman ibn 'Affan.

It is known about him that he used to prefere Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthman alone, but for him 'Ali was no more than common people if not of the least rank among them. I present another fact reported by the traditionalists (muhaddithun) and historians, that expressly manisfests Ibn 'Umar's spiteful nature and his hatred against 'Ali and all Imams, of the Prophet's Pure Progeny ('Itrah).

In his interpretation of the Prophet's hadith: "The successors after me are twelve ones, all being from Quryash", he said: Twelve caliphs will rule over the Ummah, and they are:

Abu Bakr al-Sadiq, 'Umar al-Faruq, 'Uthman Dhu al-Nurayn, Mu'awiyah and his son the two kings of the holy land, al-Saffah, Salam, Mansur, Jabir, al-Mahdi, al-'Amin and Amir al-Asab, all being from Banu Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy, and each one is an upright man with no parallel.130

How wonderful dear reader, that this faqih who is considered so great by Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah, perverts the realities and reverses them, making Muawiyah and his son Yazid, and al-Saffah the best bondmen, by saying expressly: each one of them is an upright with no parallel!

Grudge and ignorance have blinded his sight, as his insight has been blindered by jealosy and detestation,131to the extent that he has never found a merit or virtue to be ascribed to Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali (A), so he has prefered to him Mu'awiyah al-taliq (freed from bonds) and his son Yazid, the zindiq, culprit, and manslyer (saffer). As long as you live you see wonders!

Thus 'Abd Allah has proved to be the son of his father ('Umar) truly, as anything never finds its origin strange to it, and every vessel sprinkles with whatever is in it. His father has done his utmost to isolate 'Ali (A), keeping him away from caliphate, humilating and belittling him in people's eyes.

Then comes the turn of his spiteful son who, despite 'Ali's assuming the caliphate after the murder of 'Uthman, and being aknowledged by Muhajirun (Emigrants) and Ansar (Helpers), has refrained from acknowledging him, doing his best to degrade him and instigate people against him for deposing him. He has resorted to deluding people by telling them that 'Ali (A) had no merit or virtue, and he was just like common people.

Thus he rendered a great service to the Umayyad state by crowning Mu'awiyah and his son Yazid with the crown of caliphate, falsely and caluminously against the Prophet (S), recognizing the caliphate of al-Saffah, and al-Mansur and all the Umayyad debuachees, and prefering them to the Master of Muslims and Wali al-Mu'minin as recognized 'Ali's caliphate despite its being assumed, how wonderful is that!

In a coming chapter we will reveal and unveil more facts about ibn 'Umar, though what we have mentioned is sufficient for degrading him and dispossessing him of justice, and for reckoning him among the band of Nawasib who founded the school of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah, counting him as the greatest of fuqaha 'and muhaddithun.

If anyone traverses the earth, East and West, performs prayers in all the mosques of Ahl al-Sunnah, exchanging dialogue with their 'ulama', he will hear everywhere their Imams 'saying: "from 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar, may God be pleased with them both".

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129. Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi, who in known of his debauchery, atheism, atrocities and disrespect for religion. Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, vol. iii, p. 556, and Ibn 'Askir in his Ta'rikh, have reported that al-Hajjaj used to say: Ibn Mas'ud alleges he is reading a Qur'an revealed by Allah, whil by God it is no more than an iambic poem composed by the bedouins. And he (al-Hajjaj) used to say: Observe your duty to Allah as you can, as it has no reward, and adhere and obey Amir al-Muminin 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, as this act entails the reward.

Ibn ''Aqil has repoted also in his book al-Nasa'ih al-kafiyah, p. 81, that al-Hajjaj made a speech in Kufah, in which h referred to those visiting the Prophet's tomb at al-Madinah, saying: May they perish, they only circumambulate around only sticks and decayed carrion, isn't it better for them to circumambulate around the palace of Amir al-Muminin 'Abd al-Malik? Don't they know that the successor of any man is superior to his apostle?

130. Ta'rikh al-khulafa', by al-Suyuti i, p. 140; kanz al'ummal, vol, vi, p. 67', Ta'rikh Ibn 'Askir, and al-Dhahabi.

131. We should never forget the Prophet's saying, that is reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, ''To Love 'Ali is faith and to hate him is hypocrisy'', and that the only way for recognizing the hypocrites during the Prophet's lifetime, was through their detestation to 'Ali.

Adapted from the book: "The Shi'ah; The Real Followers of the Sunnah" by: "Dr. Muhamad al-Tijahi al-Samawi"