Cursing Yazeed
Sixth Reply
Sura Rad verse 25:
But those who break the Covenant of Allah, after having plighted their word thereto, and cut asunder those things which Allah has commanded to be joined, and work mischief in the land; – on them is the curse; for them is the terrible home!
Surah Ash Shura verse 151-2:
“And follow not the bidding of those who are extravagant, – Who make mischief in the land, and mend not (their ways).”The sum total of these two verses is as follows:
- We should steer away from mischief makers
- Allah (swt) has cursed those that indulge in mischief through the land
With these two verses in mind, now contemplate this verse:
Surah Baqarah verse 220:
“Their bearings on this life and the Hereafter. They ask thee concerning orphans. Say: “The best thing to do is what is for their good; if ye mix their affairs with yours, they are your brethren; but Allah knows the man who means mischief from the man who means good. And if Allah had wished, He could have put you into difficulties: He is indeed Exalted in Power, Wise.”
We would appeal to those with open minds to decide for themselves whose intention was mischief and whose intention was good in this circumstance? There are two paths: one of the Banu Ummayya with Yazeed at the helm (the Nasibi path) and one of Ahl’ul bayt (as) with a Shia Imam in Husayn (as) at the helm – which of these two individuals was working for the benefit of the Deen and for the salvation of our souls? Who was the mischief monger whose actions have been cursed by Allah (swt)?
Was the killing of Imam Husayn (as) not an act of Fitnah? Was the attack on Madina, slaughtering and raping its inhabitants not an act of Fitnah? Was the assault on Makka that included catapulting the Kaaba with fire causing it to catch fire not acts of Fitnah. Was killing men in the most sacred of all sanctuaries where it is forbidden to kill even an ant an act of Fitnah? It is forbidden to kill a man in the sanctuary of the Ka’aba even if that man is about to kill you, yet Yazeed slaughtered innocents there! There is no need to exercise caution when one is cursing an enemy of Allah (swt). It is a praiseworthy act so long as it does not create Fitnah.
Reply Seven – The Ulema of Ahl’ul Sunnah deemed it permissible to curse Yazeed
One: Imam Ahmad issued Takfeer against drunkard Yazeed and deemed it permissible to curse him
The Salafi cult share a close nexus with the Hanbali doctrine. Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal’s unequivocal Takfeer against Yazeed has such difficulties to the Salafies and other Nawasib that they have sought to cast doubts on the existence of such a Fatwa and have instead suggested hat Imam Ahmed urged his adherents to remain neutral and maintain silence on the matter of Yazeed. Curiously in this period of post modernity, we are witnessing a phenomenon wherein those professing adherence to Sunni Sufi influenced belief system are advocating a neutral viewpoint of Yazeed, at the forefront of this is Cyber Shaykh de jour Gibrael Hadad who has sought to (just like the Salafies) corroborate his point by falsely suggesting that Imam Ibn Hanbal adopted silence towards Yazeed.
Hadad opines as follows:
wondered what the position of the scholars of Ahl us sunna towards Yazid is. I ask this because I have read claims from Shia sources that quote:
“Most of your ulema regard Yazid as an infidel. Even Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and many other great ulema of your sect suggest that curses on him should be recited.
Wa `alaykum as-Salam:
What would be the source for this new concoction?
Abu Muhammad al-Tamimi said in `Aqidat al-Imam Ahmad as narrated from him by Ibn Abi Ya`la in Tabaqat al-Hanabila (2:273): “He [Imam Ahmad] withheld saying anything about Yazid ibn Mu`awiya but rather committed his matter to Allah. He would refrain from speaking against anyone from the first century. But our [Hanbali] colleagues differ concerning him [Yazid]. Some declared it permissible to blame him because he terrified Madina, and the Prophet cursed whoever terrifies Madina.
Others withheld from taking any position.
Imam Ahmad was asked about it and he said: ‘People prayed behind him and took his alms.’ Others considered him among the Muslims that sinned and it is better to refrain from taking any position in what is not obligatory. It was impermissible to curse any Muslim unless the Law provided a proof-text to that effect. For it is narrated and transmitted that ‘To curse a Muslim is like killing him’ and ‘The believer is not one given over to cursing.’”
We shall rebut this assertion by pointing out that this approach is otiose when we have the testimonies of esteemed Sunni scholars who confirmed the fact that Imam Ahmed did issue Takfeer against Yazeed and deemed it permissible to curse him. For example, we read in the prominent Sunni work Sharh Fiqh Akbar, page 88 that has also been quoted by the Mufti of Daarul Uloom Qadriyah Jilaniyah London namely Mufti Ghulam Rasool in:
“He considered alcohol halal and at the time of killing Husayn and his companions, he stated: ‘I have avenged the death of my ancestors at Badr’ and other statements like this. This is the reason that Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal declared Yazeed to be a kaafir as the copy of Yazeed’s statement was proved authentic to him (Imam Ahmed)”
Similarly, Ibn Hajar Makki al-Haythami in his book al-Menah al-Makkia fi Sharh al-Hamzia, page 220 recorded:
إنّ يزيد قد بلغ من قبائح الفسق والانحلال عن التقوى مبلغاً لا يستكثر عليه صدور تلك القبائح منه، بل قال الاِمام أحمد بن حنبل بكفره، وناهيك به علماً وورعاً يقضيان بأنّه لم يقل ذلك إلاّ لقضايا وقعت منه صريحة في ذلك
“Yazeed attained the worst level of corruption and moral degeneracy to the point that committing such evil actions had become the norm.This was to such an extent that Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal declared him a Kafir . Given that he (Ahmad Ibn Hanbal) is highly knowledgeable and a scholar of high integrity, he would only issue such statements on account of the actions perpetuated by Yazeed that would thus prove such a statement.”
Haddad has relied upon a report recorded by Qadhi Abu Ya’la regarding his and Imam Ahmed’s stance on Yazeed, later in this chapter we will be citing none other than but Imam Ibn Katheer who himself comfirmed that both of these esteemed personalities, amongst others, deemed it permissible to curse Yazeed and the affirmation by Ibn Katheer shall sreve as the final nail in the coffin such Yazeed apologetics.
Allamah Syed Mahmood Alusi al-Baghdadi (d. 1270 H) under the commentary of 47:22-23 as well as other Sunni scholars quoted the following opinion of Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal regarding Yazeed:
Al-Barzanji in al-Isha’at and al-Haythami in al-Sawaiq have recorded that Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal’s son (Saleh) narrated that he said to his father that he had seen people saying that they love Yazeed bin Muawiya. To this Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal said “For a person having belief in Allah there was no reason to love Yazeed bin Muawiya. Why should the person not be cursed who has been cursed by Allah in the Quran. To this Saleh asked that where in the Quran had Allah cursed Yazeed bin Muawiya. Imam Ahmed replied quoting the verse: ‘Then, is it to be expected of you, if ye were put in authority, that ye will do mischief in the land, and break your ties of kith and kin? Such are the men whom Allah has cursed for He has made them deaf and blinded their sight. Do they not then earnestly seek to understand the Qur’an, or are their hearts locked up by them?’ [47:22-24].
5. al-Rad ala al-Mutaseb al-Aneed al-Mane le zam Yazeed, page 41
In Sawaiq al-Muhriqa (Urdu), page 734, the conversation ends with the words of Imam Ahmed:
“Can there be any worse fitna than this murder (of Hussain)?”
We should point out that the above cited stance of Imam Ahmed has been narrated by out and out authentic personalities of Ahle Sunnah therefore, any other statement, if any, of Imam Ahmed contradicting the above stance automatically loses its credibility. Now in order to know the authenticity of the said tradition, let us see the chain of narration recorded by Imam Ibn Jauzi in his book al-Rad ala al-Mutaseb al-Aneed al-Mane le zam Yazeed, page 41:
“Abu Jaffar al-Akbari from Abu Ali al-Hussain bin al-Junaid from Abu Talib bin Shahab al-Akbari from Abu Bakr Muhammad bin al-Abbas from Saleh bin Ahmad bin Hanbal who said:…”
Abu Jaffar al-Akbari: Dahabi said: ‘Thiqah’ (Tarikh al-Islam, v23 p218). Al-Hussain bin Junaid: Dahabi said: ‘Authenticated’ (Al-Kashif, v1 p332). Abu Talib bin Shehab al-Akbari: Dahabi said: ‘Thiqah’ (Tarikh al-Islam, v25 p380). Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Abbas: Dahabi said: ‘Muhadith Imam’ (Siar alam alnubala, v15 p513). Saleh bin Ahmad bin Hanbal: Dahabi said: ‘Imam Muhadith Hafiz’ (Siar alam alnubala, v12 p529).
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