The Book in the Balance

 

The author of the book detailing the conference of Baghdad’s scholars has stated that his book, or booklet, is the summary of a theological debate which he says took place between ten senior Sunni and Shi`i scholars in Baghdad who responded to the invitation of the Seljuk Sultan Malik-Shah and his vizier Nizam al-Malik who both attended and participated in it.

In this debate, which lasted for three days, it is proven that Shi`ism is right, so Sultan Malik-Shah embraced Shi`a Islam and so did his vizier Nizam al-Malik as well as a number of army commanders and prominent government officials.

The question that forces itself here is: Is this debate a fact or is it fiction?! He awaits the accurate and frank answer.

If we are permitted to voice our view, we would like to say that we tend to espouse the second option, that is, that it is fiction. We rely on many matters to issue such a judgment, though each one of them by itself cannot be a definite evidence. But collectively, they grant us the courage to register our exclusion which reaches the degree of feeling confident that it is fiction whose author wanted to promote his own sect and coin sectarian proofs which rely on famous historical facts recorded in the Muslims’ books as well as narratives whose authenticity and the accuracy of their isnad are recognized. He coins them in an exciting and captivating manner which stimulates the reader’s interest and possesses his feelings.

The issues upon which we rely to derive this view are the following: