As we said before most of Sonni brothers say that all Sahaba meaning persons who were in the time of Prophet (s.a.) or had met him and be with him for a period of time, have the rank of impartiality without an exception and Qur'an proves that.
Unfortunately these brothers have accepted those verses which have benefit for them and forgot the other verses, verses which offer exceptions for this issue (we know that all generalities have exceptions).
We talk about that:
What a justice is this which Qur'an says contrary expressions lots of time. For instance we read in verse 155 of Aal -e- Imran Sura: “Those who escaped in the day of confronting of two groups (Uhud war), Satan made them slip due to some sins that they had. Allah forgave them, Allah is merciful and forbearing.” This verse points to those who escaped in the day of Uhud war and leave Prophet (s.a.) alone in front of enemies.
We understand from this verse that a group of people escaped that day and the number of them mentioned a lot in histories and it is interesting that Qur'an says Satan dominates them and this domination was due to their sins, therefore former sins caused the great sin of escaping from battlefield. Although Qur'an says in continue that Allah forgave them, but forgiveness of Allah because of holy Prophet (s.a.) does not mean that they were impartial and infallible, rather Qur'an says explicitly that they had numerous sins.
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What a justice is this which Qur'an introduces some of them in verse 6 of Hojorat Sura as debauchee: “Those who believe in Allah! If a debauchee gives you news, investigate about that, lest harm a group because of ignorance and afterward be regretful of what you have done.”
Among commentators it is known that this verse points to “Waleed ibn Oghba” whom holy Prophet (s.a.) sent him with some others for collecting Zakat of “Bani Almustalaq” tribe. Waleed returned and said they are not prepared to pay Zakat and have arose against Islam.
A group of Muslims believed the words of Waleed and prepared to fight that disobedient tribe, but this holy verse from Hojorat Sura descended and warn Muslims that if a debauchee give you news, investigate, lest harm a group because of that news and attack them an afterwards be regretful of what you have done.
By the way it was cleared after investigation that “Bani Almustalaq” tribe are believer people and they had came to welcome Waleed not to arise against Islam or Waleed, but because Waleed had enmity with them, dissemble this and returned to holy Prophet (s.a.) and told that wrong news.
Waleed was one of Sahaba of Prophet (s.a.) which means he was one of persons who had met him and be at his service. Qur'an knows him debauchee here, is this compatible with impartiality of all Sahaba?
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What a justice is this which some of Sahaba protest Prophet (s.a.) during prorating Zakat. Qur'an has cited their protest in verse 58 of Tawba Sura: “There are those among them who protest you for prorating spoils, if a share is given from one to another they will be satisfied, unless will be enraged.” Are these people impartial?
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What a justice is this which holy Qur'an says about Ahzab war in verses 12 and 13 of Ahzab Sura: A group of hypocritical and cynical people who were at Prophet’s service and were in the battlefield, accuse holy Prophet (s.a.) for deceiving Muslims and said: “Allah and his Prophet gave us nothing but false promises!” Some of them thought that holy Prophet (s.a.) will loose the war and they will be killed and Islam will be ended, or it is derived from Shiite and Sonni cabbalas that when holy Prophet (s.a.) was digging a trench and he found and broke a stone and then he promised the conquer of Shaam, Iran and Yemen, there were a group of people who sneered at these expressions.
Were these people not from Sahaba?
And more interesting that Qur'an says in the next verse: “A group of them (refers to people of Medina who were in the war) said that here is not the place for you to stay, return to your homes.
And again another group came to Prophet and made excuses for leaving the Ahzab battlefield and Qur'an says in this verse: “A group them were asking Prophet’s permission to return and were saying that their homes are defenseless, please let us return to Medina for saving our homes. They were lying, their homes were not defenseless, they just wanted to escape.” Well, how can we ignore all these acts and do not accept animadversions about them.
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The worst of all is accusation of holy Prophet (s.a.) for betrayal which is reflected in verse 161 of Aal -e- Imran Sura. Qur'an says: “It is impossible that a prophet betrays and anyone who betrays will bring the thing that he betrays in with him at the judgment day, then anything that anyone earned will be given to him and they will not be oppressed”, it means that if they will be punished it is the fruit of what they have done.
Two cause have been cited for descending this verse: Some said that this verse points to soldiers of “Abdullah ibn Jubayr” who were hiding in the Ainein Mountain and when Muslim troops overcame enemies at the beginning of the war, archers accompanying Abdullah leave their positions in their fort and went for collecting spoil albeit Prophet had told them not to leave their positions even for a second and worse than this act was their expression that they said we are aware that Prophet do not think of us when prorating spoils (they expressed sentences that a man can be ashamed of writing that).
Another cause for descending this verse which Ibn Kathir and Tabari had brought in their interpretations is that: A valuable scarlet cloth lost after winning the Badr war. Some fools accused holy Prophet (s.a.) for this and after a while it had discovered that one of soldiers had kept the cloth.
Are all these trump ups to holy Prophet (s.a.) compatible with justice? If our conscience be the judge, can we accept that these people were infallible and impartial, and nobody has the right to animadvert their acts?
We do not deny that most of Sahaba and friends of Prophet (s.a.) were pious and pure persons, but to issue a general statement and wash all of them with justice and virtue, and take away the right of animadversion from anyone is very amazing.
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What a justice is this which one person who is apparently one of Sahaba of holy Prophet (s.a.) (we mean Muaviya), let himself to damn and maledict a high rank Sahaba like Ali (a.s.) for years and command all people in all cities without an exception to do that. Notice to these two Hadith: 1- In Sahih of Muslim which is one of most reliable books of Ahl -e- Sonnat we read: “Muaviya” told “Sa’d ibn Abi Waqas”: why you abstain from maledicting Abu Torab (Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.))? He said: I heard three superiority of him from holy Prophet (s.a.) that if I have one of them it is better for me to have all the great treasures of the world, and because of this I do not let myself to damn his holiness.1 2- In the book “Al’aghd Alfareed” written by one of Sonni scholars (Ibn Abs Rabboh Andalusi) we read: when Hassan ibn Ali (a.s.) died Muaviya came for pilgrimage the house of Allah and entered the Medina. He had decided to damn Ali (a.s.) at the Pulpit of Prophet (s.a.)! People told Muaviya that “Sa’d ibn Abi Waqas” is in the mosque and we do not think that he can bear this act of yours, he may react hard. Send someone to know his opinion. Muaviya sent someone to Sa’d and asked him about the issue, and Sa’d answered: If you do this I will leave the mosque and I will never return to the mosque of prophet of Allah.
After hearing this message and this reaction Muaviya abstain from maledicting Ali (a.s.) until Sa’d died. After the death of Sa’d, Muaviya damned Ali (a.s.) in his pulpit and wrote to all of his governors to do the same in their pulpits; and they did this. This acts had been heard by “Umm Salama”, wife of Prophet (s.a.). She wrote a letter to Muaviya that you are maledicting Allah and Prophet at your pulpits! Unless you are saying damn to Ali and anyone who loves him? I testify that Allah loves Ali, Prophet of Allah loves Ali, therefore your are maledicting Allah and Prophet (s.a.), Muaviya read her letter but ignore that.1
Are these bad and evil acts compatible and agree justice? Does any wise or impartial human let himself to damn this great character and great human, and even in this dreadful and expanded way?
An Arab poet says:
“Are you maledicting his holiness above pulpits, whenas these pulpits have been built because of blessings of his sword!”
1- Sahih of Muslim, vol. 2, page 1871, the book “Fazael Alsahaba” and also the book “Fath Albari fi Sharh -e- Sahih of Bokhari”, vol. 7, page 60 (those three superiorities are Manzilat Hadith, لأعطین الرایة غداً Hadith and Mubahela verse).
2- Al’aghd Alfareed, vol. 4, page 366 and Jawahir Almatalib fi Managheb Alimam Ali ibn Abi Talib, vol. 2, page 228, written by Mohammad ibn Ahmad Damishqi Shafe’ee, died 9th century h.gh.
