By: Seyyed Ali Shahbaz

“Say (O Prophet): ‘O People of the Book! Come to a word common between us and you: that we will worship no one but Allah, and that we will not ascribe any partner to Him, and that we will not take each other as lords besides Allah.’ But if they turn away, say, ‘Be witnesses that we are Muslims.’” (Holy Qur’an 3:64)
The words of God Almighty are crystal year. He has decreed Islam, which means peace, healthy way of life, and submission to none but God, as the religion of all mankind. Thus, all people irrespective of their ethnicity, language, colour of skin, and social status, are called “Muslims” for obeying the commandments of the One and Only Creator without ascribing partners to Him.
Islam, which was the theme of the message of all prophets in every land since the creation of Adam, became the proper name for the universal mission entrusted by the Lord Most High to His Last and Greatest Messenger, Prophet Muhammad (SAWA). No prophet would come after him nor would any heavenly scripture revealed after the Holy Qur’an. The chain of Divinely-designated guidance (not self-assumed pseudo religious authority), however, will continue till doomsday.
As the Mercy unto the whole creation, Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) preached his message in the most rational manner by presenting facts, purifying souls, cleansing consciences, awakening minds, and instilling love, affection, and compassion in hearts.
The pagan Arabs, who were devoid of any humanitarian values and whose hearts were as harsh as the barren and burning landscape of the Arabian Desert, persecuted the Prophet in Mecca and the early Muslims.
By the command of Creator, the Prophet migrated to the oasis town of Yathreb, which became known as “Medinat-an-Nabi” (City of the Prophet) or simply Medina, whose people living in a congenial climate with abundance of palm groves and orchards of pomegranates and other fruits, welcomed him and those that had migrated with him, with open arms that facilitated establishment of the first-ever Islamic State.
For the first time the world was witnessing a system of administration based on justice, compassion and other humanitarian values that certainly appealed to people of reason, but for the polytheists of Mecca and other pagan Arabs, as well as the ever-scheming Israelites, Islam and Muslims meant end of their freewheeling devilish ways of life.
The Arabs and the Israelites thus ganged up together to try to kill the Prophet of Peace and to wipe out the system of life called Islam, but to their utter dismay and to the frustration of their accomplices (the hypocrites amongst the Muslims), whatever battles they imposed upon him, were decisively defeated by his valiant cousin – later son-in-law, and finally Divinely-designated vicegerent – Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), despite their cannibalistic cruelty in tearing apart the limbs of their victims and carving out the liver of the Prophet’s uncle, Hamza.
These rapacious beasts in human form, finding no other option to continue their polytheist ways would soon pretend to be Muslims – not in sincerity and obedience to God but with mouths watering for the riches of other lands through unnecessary wars and bloodshed. It is an irony of history that centuries later these elements would be hailed as “Salaf” [progenitors] by simpletons or by like-minded persons craving for violence, vandalism, and massacre of all those who object to their misinterpretation and misuse of Islam.
No wonder, till this day the hearts of these Takfiri terrorists in whatever land they dwell under various names, are full of hatred for the Prophet’s peaceful legacy and for followers of his Ahl al-Bayt, especially Imam Ali (AS), because he was the person who had volunteered to sleep on the Prophet’s bed on the crucial Night of Hijra to thwart the murderous designs of their forbears, and who after migration to Medina decisively defeated battles imposed by them. As a matter of fact, when no one was a Muslim or claimed to be a “Sahabi” (companion), the 10-year old cousin of the Prophet was present on Mount Noor when Archangel Gabriel formally entrusted the universal mission of Islam to the Messenger of Mercy.
He consequently became the first person to testify the prophethood of his cousin with the immortal phrase: “Ash-hado anna Muhammadan Rasoul-Allah” (I bear witness Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah), and in turn was declared by the Prophet as “my “Vizier” (Assistant), “Wasi” (Testamentary Legatee), and “Khalifa” (Vicegerent) – a designation that was formalized at the historic event of Ghadee-Khom in 10 AH, with the immortal words “For whoever I am Master Ali is the Master”.
God Almighty thus ensured immortality for genuine Islam and those whom He had decreed as its Guardians (“Awliya”, plural of “Wali”) by vouching the pristine purity of the Ahl al-Bayt (Holy Qur’an 33:33), specifying their characteristics of giving alms while in genuflection in the state of prayer (Holy Qur’an 5:55), and their accompanying the Prophet to the field of Mubahela with the Christians of Najran to invoke Divine Wrath on the liars (Holy Qur’an 3:61), after three days of an unconvincing dialogue with the Christian priests of Najran on the nature of Prophet Jesus (AS) – whether he was godson or human.
(Takfiri terrorists take note: The Prophet held the dialogue with the Christians in the Masjid an-Nabi and allotted a corner of it to them to pray in peace and security as per the tenets of their own religion, while you destroy churches, mosques, and tombs of saints).
Every year the 24th Dhu’l-Hijjah refreshes our thoughts regarding the peaceful nature of Islam and the dynamism of the Prophet and his Immaculate Ahl al-Bayt.
“Indeed the case of Jesus with God is like the case of Adam: He created him from dust then said to him, ‘Be’, and he was.
“This is the truth from your Lord so do not be among the doubters.
“Should anyone argue with you concerning him after the knowledge that has come to you, say: Come let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, our souls and your souls, then let us invoke and call down Allah’s curse upon the liars.” (Holy Qur’an 3:59-61)
Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) calmly and confidently strode to the rendezvous, and to the surprise of the Christians of Najran who were present with their women and children, none of his companions were with him, nor were any of the nine spouses he had taken in the last ten years of his life out of social necessity and to break the customs of Jahiiliiya, following the passing away of his loyal wife of 25 long years of marital bliss, Hazrat Khadija (SA).
The only persons accompanying the Prophet were four in number, of which two were mere children, and of the two grownups there was only one male in the prime of manhood, while the other was a fully veiled lady.
These Fabulous Four were his Immaculate Daughter Hazrat Fatema Zahra (SA), his Infallible Son-in-law Imam Ali (AS), and his Impeccable Grandsons Imam Hasan (AS) and Imam Husain (AS).
Mubahela is thus another firm proof of the Ahl al-Bayt’s leadership and the prime position of Imam Ali (AS) as the Prophet’s “Nafs” (soul) without whom Islam is meaningless.