Transcript Slides - WordPress.com

The Conflicts of Companions
The Prophet implicitly or explicitly selected Abu Bakr to
succeed him. The was no disagreement between the
Family of the Prophet and the Companions after the
death of the Prophet. In the ridda wars, the Muslim army
only attacked apostates. There were no injustices
committed during the caliphate of Uthman. The armies
who fought Ali led these wars only to punish the men
who killed Uthman. The Battle of the Camel was started
by an evil band of men in Ali’s army who wished to
destroy Islam. Their leader was a scheming Jew. He
was black too. Muawiya possessed distinctions that
establish his sanctity and thus make him immune from
any criticism. His actions are considered ijtihad.
The Conflicts of Companions
(1) the pledge of allegiance to Abū Bakr
(2) the decision to attack some of the rebel Companions
accused of ridda,
(3) opposition to the policies of ‘Uthmān and his
Umayyad governors,
(4) the refusal to pledge allegiance to ‘Alī,
(5) the Battle of the Camel,
(6) the Battle of Ṣiffīn, and finally
(7) Mu‘āwiya's order to pillage and massacre people
living in provinces that had pledged allegiance to ‘Alī.
The Deputy of God on Earth under
the Umayyads


Muhammad guided his people, but the
khaliftullah is your living Guide.
The practice [sunna] of your Imam is the
truth. The parties of other Imams are
misguided.
The Paradigm Shift after 200 AH
After the eras of Shafi'i and Ma'mun only
scholars define the Sunna.
1. Exponents of the Sunna are Scholars not
Caliphs.
2. The sunna is a set of concrete rules not a
general spirit.
3. It is resistant to reinterpretation or
becoming curtailed to a circle of inheritors.
4. Sunna is found in the past, it is not a living
example.
Authority Today




Legislative, Executive and Spiritual
Authorities
Legislative: Placing potential laws upon the
table. Utilizing sacred texts (e.g. the
Constitution) and experts.
Executive: Administering affairs justly by
selecting the best method to implement
legislation.
Confusing the requisites of legislative and
executive authority.