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1. “Do Not Quote me Saying it!
Ibn Abul-Hadid, the Mu`tazilite scholar, says that he read to his mentor, Aba Ja`fer al-Naqab, the story of Zainab when she was terrorized by Habar ibn al-Aswad. Aba Ja`fer said to him, “If the Messenger of Allah (A.S.) had permitted the killing of Habar because he terrorized (his granddaughter) Zainab, so she miscarried, it is obvious that had he (A.S.) been alive, he would have permitted the killing of those who terrorized [her mother] Fatima (A.S.), so she miscarried.” He said to him, “Shall I quote you saying what some folks have been saying, that is, that Fatima (A.S.) was terrorized, so she miscarried al-Muhassan?” He said, “Do not quote me saying it, nor should you quote me saying that it did not happen, for I remain in my stand due to the contradictions in its narratives.”[1] So, Aba Ja`fer al-Naqab quickly retracts his steps when the Mu`tazilite scholar faces him with such a sensitive question, although he had already and definitely passed his judgment in the very beginning. Perhaps the reason for retracting was that it would cause him problems which he wanted to avoid. [1]Ibn Abul-Hadid, Sharh Nahjul Balagha, Vol. 14, p. 193. Al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 28, p. 323. Ithbat al-Hudat, Vol. 2, pp. 360, 337-38. |