THE INTERPRETATION OF MASAJID
Abu Laylah was a chief justice in the
court of Mu'tasim, the Abbasid caliph. One day, he came to his
friend Zarqa in state of extreme anger and when asked the purpose of
anger, Abu Laylah said,
[O
Zarqa! Today I was put to a very big test in which I failed. A
thief, whose crime was established, was presented before Mu'tasim.
So Mu'tasim asked, 'Quran says that I should cut the hands of this
thief. You tell me from which part shall his hand be cut-off'. I
said, ' Quran states that chop-off the hand of a thief and in the
verse of wudhoo, it is mentioned that wash your hands till your
elbow. So from elbow downwards is considered as hand therefore cut
his hand from his elbow'.
Mu'tasim then asked other learned people in his court for their
opinion. Someone said, 'In the verse of Tayammum, hand has been
mentioned till the wrist so cut the thief's hand from his wrist'.
After a lot of discussion and debate, Mu'tasim then put the same
question to the Imam of the Shia’hs, Muhammad ibn Ali, who happened
to be present at the time. At first, he refused to comment but when
Mu'tasim insisted, he said, "You will only cut-off the fingers of
the thief because Quran says:
“Indeed the
places of prostration are for Allah”
meaning parts of the body placed on the ground during Sajdah. Since
the thief is also a Muslim who offers prayers, he will need his
palms during Sajdah. So you have to leave that and cut only his
fingers".
O
Zarqa! Mu'tasim was so pleased with this answer that he praised the
Imam of the Shia'hs and we felt discredited. O Zarqa! I am aware
that whoever harms this young man will burn in the hell-fire but I
will not rest till I have taken my revenge against him]
Having said this, Zarqa returned to Mu'tasim to provoke him against
the Imam (as). He said to him, "What have you done? People, as it is
believe in him as the true Imam and do not believe in you. Why did
you give him preference over us? Now you have confirmed to the
people through your action that indeed he is on truth and you are on
falsehood". Mu'tasim was so affected by this, that shortly after
this incident, he poisoned Imam Al-Jawad (as). (Bikhre
Moti)
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mulla@almahdi.org.uk