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Authentic source and evidence about Hazrat Ali (as).

Q:

One of our Sunni brother asked for detail information with reference and authentic source about where is it written that
1)A Star came in Hazrat Ali’s  house.
2)Ali (as) helped all the Nabi (a.s)
3)Saying ‘Ya Ali madad’ is not shirk
4)Taboot and taziya are correct According to Islam.

A:

Salamun Alaykum

Thank you for your query.

Our Sunni brothers should question or reject something that great Shia scholars have claimed in their important books.

What is not in our important or authentic books and maybe in some of the secondary books are not the words of the Shia scholars that they (sunnis) reject or question.

Answer 1:

Some ahadith say that the star came down to Imam Ali’s house. There are 2 different riwayat where the reason for this is mentioned. First hand of ahadith says, for marrying Bibi Zahra (as), The Prophet (saww) said Bibi Zahra (as) will get married to the man, upon whose house the start descends. While the second set of riwayat says Prophet’s successor will be the one upon whose house the star comes down.

Some also believe that such narrations are made by the enemies of the Shia.

Assuming the acceptance of some of these narrations, it can be said that the meaning of the star in them is a luminous body, and in the lexical sources, the word “star” is mentioned in the same sense. And what is meant by “Najm” is not a giant star that is the size of the earth or bigger than it. This assumption, that a luminous body miraculously came to the house of the Imam Ali(as) is not against religious teachings, and similar to it can be observed on the night of the Ascension(Meraj).

Finally, it must be said; if we accept those ahadith, then it is not impossible for light to land anywhere, including the house of Imam Ali (a.s.), and we can see the same in laser lights. Therefore, there is no need to consider these narrations to be false with certainty and to question their possibility, even though their acceptance is not one of the essentials of the Shia school of thought.

Not to forget, the ahadith which are either Daif or do not have authenticity or are not against the teachings of Islam, it is not a must for us to make people accept them.

www.islamquest.net/fa/archive/fa108844

 

Answer 2:

Regarding the second question, it is mentioned in the narrations that Imam Ali(as) was with some of the Prophets in secrecy or helped the Prophets when they were in need of help.

This riwayat is famous by the name of Hadith Nooraniyyah and has been narrated in Bihar al-Anwar and Anwar al-Yaqin but not in other authentic sources.

 

Answer 3:

Asking for help and seeking help in matters from other than God Almighty is shirk and disbelief IF it is in such a way that we consider them to have independent power and ability in front of God’s power and consider them as capable and not in need of God’s power, but if the power is considered to be from God’s power and not their independent power, then it is not considered as Shirk.

For example: when people are sick or in a very critical health situation, they tell the doctor to save their lives. We know that these people don’t consider Doctors to be independent and do not claim doctors’ powers’ to be other than the power of God. This means they know the cure is from Allah but they can receive it from the Doctor. Asking for help from doctors or others is not considered Shirk because we don’t believe them to be independent rather we believe they get the power and everything from the Allah(swt). Similarly when we say Ya Ali Madad, it is not shirk as we don’t consider Imam Ali(as) to be independent. We the Shias do not believe Imam Ali(as) to be independent or a partner of God in God’s power rather whatever Imam Ali(as) has, is from Allah(swt). Therefore, there is no problem in asking for help from Masumeen(as) who are the best creation of Allah(swt) and has great powers given by Him. They are in a better position to pray for us than ourselves.

Even Amirul Momineen(as) does not have his own independency without God, then how could this be called Shirk and Haram.

 

Answer 4:

Taboot & Taziya are made to remember the Shuhada and the event of Ashura. As far as it doesn’t go out of the Islamic circle there is no problem in it but things shouldn’t be used which portray and propagate any other religion or non-Islamic culture.

You can write back to us if there are further questions.

May Allah(swt) grant you success

Wassalam,

Syed Haider