Nasibi: Difference between revisions

'''Nāṣibī''' (Arabic: {{ia|ناصبي}}) is someone who is hostile, and publicly displays his or her hostility, towards [[Imam Ali (a)]] or other persons from [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]]. Instances of Nasibism is said to include the denial of the virtues of Ahl al-Bayt, the cursing of Imams, and enmity towards [[Shi'a]]s.

According to [[Shiite jurisprudent]]s, Nasibis are [[najis]] and are treated as [[disbelievers]]. Thus, it is impermissible to eat an animal slaughtered by Nasibis, to pay [[charity]] to them, or to marry them, and they cannot [[inherit]] from Muslims.

According to some contemporary scholars, Nasibism officially emerged after the [[murder of Uthman]] and the beginning of the [[Umayyad dynasty]]. Nasibism in this period is characterized by prevention of the propagation of Ahl al-Bayt's virtues, murder of Shi'as, and the [[cursing of Imam Ali]] on [[minbar]]s. Nasibis are said to include [[Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan]], [[Khawarij]], [[Uthmaniya]], and [[Hariz b. Uthman]].

Nasibism is to publicly display oneگs hostility towards [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]] and their followers. Thus, enmity towards [[Shi'a]]s or followers of Ahl al-Bayt (a) counts as Nasibism only if it is because of their love for Ahl al-Bayt.

The majority of Muslim scholars characterize Nasibis as people who are hostile towards Ahl al-Bayt (a) and publicly display their hostility, and according to some scholars, they also take animus towards [[Imam Ali (a)]] as part of their religious beliefs. They take the following as instances of Nasibism: belief in the impiety (fisq) or disbelief of Imam Ali, belief in the superiority of others over Imam Ali, the cursing of Ahl al-Bayt (a), the denial of their virtues, and the refusal to mention them.

[[Hasan b. Farhan al-Maliki]], a Sunni scholar, counts any deviation from Imam Ali (a) and Ahl al-Bayt as an instance of Nasibism. His instances of Nasibism include the rejection of correct [[hadith]]s in praise of Imam Ali (a), believing that the Imam made mistakes in battles of the period of his [[caliphate]], excessive praise of his enemies, skepticism about his caliphate, and the refusal to pledge one's [[allegiance]] to him. [[Al-Muhaddith al-Bahrani]], a Shiite jurisprudent, counts the priority of others to Imam Ali with regard to the position of [[Imamate]] (that is, the acceptance of their imamate) as an instance of animus towards Ali and Nasibism.

The majority of Shiite jurisprudents characterize Nasibis as people who are hostile, and publicly display their hostility, towards Ahl al-Bayt (a). Thus, in their view, Sunni Muslims who are not hostile towards Ahl al-Bayt do not count as Nasibis. However, al-Muhaddith al-Bahrani maintains that Nasibis are people who give priority to others over Imam Ali (a) with regard to imamate, or believe in their imamate. His evidence is a hadith in which the belief in the imamate of any person other than the Shiite Imams counts as Nasibism. [[Muhammad Hasan al-Najafi|Al-Najafi]] the author of ''[[Jawahir al-kalam]]'' takes the view to be contrary to the practice of Shi'as. Moreover, doubts are cast over the validity of the chain of the transmission and implications of the hadith cited by al-Bahrani.

According to [[Shiite jurisprudent]]s, Nasibis are [[najis]] and are treated as [[disbelievers]]. In books of [[jurisprudence]], Nasibis are discussed in the section on the najasa of disbelievers. Here are some jurisprudential rulings of Nasibis:

*Impermissibility of representing a Nasibi in [[Hajj]]

*Impermissibility of paying [[kaffara]] to Nasibis

Some contemporary scholars believe that Nasibism started after the [[murder of Uthman]] and became official during the [[Umayyad dynasty]]. According to historical sources, when [[Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan]] appointed [[Mughira b. Shu'ba]] as the ruler of [[Kufa]] in 41/661-62, he commanded him to [[cursing Imam Ali|curse Imam Ali]] and defame his companions. Umayyad caliphs from Mu'awiya to the period of [[Umar b. Abd al-Aziz]] cursed Ali on their [[minbar]]s. [[Al-Hakim al-Niyshaburi]] characterizes the 4th/10th century as replete with opposition and hostility to Imam Ali, saying that his motivation for writing his ''Fada'il Fatima al-Zahra'' (virtues of Fatima al-Zahra) was to resist the strand. He characterizes the atmosphere of the time as follows:

: "The time has made us captives to leaders for the proximity to whom people appeal to animus towards, and humiliation of, the family of the Messenger of God."

*Punishment and murder of people who expressed Imam Ali's virtues or avoided cursing him or did not cite any virtues for Mu'awiya. For example, [[Atiyya b. Sa'd]], a Shi'a of Imam Ali (a), was whipped at the command of [[Hajjaj b. Yusuf al-Thaqafi]] and [[Ahmad b. Ali al-Nisa'i]], an author of one of [[al-Sihah al-Sitta]] (Sunni collections of hadiths), was murdered.

*'''[[Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan]]''': he was the first Umayyad ruler. He ruled over [[Damascus]] for about 20 years. [[Ibn Abi l-Hadid]], a commentator on ''[[Nahj al-balagha]]'', quoted "Jahiz" as saying that Mu'awiya cursed Ali (a) at the end of his [[Friday Prayer]] sermons, and emphasized that the practice of cursing had to be so propagated that no one would cite any virtues for Ali (a).

*'''[[Uthmaniyya]]''': those who believed that [[Imam Ali (a)]] murdered [[Uthman]] or helped his murder. Thus, they refused to pledge their [[allegiance]] to him. Ibn al-Hajar al-Asqalani, a Sunni biographer of the 9th/15th century, has characterized Nasibis as those who believe that Imam Ali murdered, or helped murder, Uthman. Because of their exaggerated love for Uthman, these people defamed and slandered Imam Ali (a).

*'''[[Khawarij]]''': a group of Imam Ali's army in the Battle of Siffin who accused Ali b. Abi Talib of disbelief and rioted against him. Because of their animus towards Imam Ali (a), they are also referred to as "Nasiba."

*'''[[Hajjaj b. Yusuf al-Thaqafi]]''' (d. [[95]]/713-14): according to [[al-Mas'udi]], a historiographer of the 4th/10th century, Hajjaj was hostile towards [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]]. He murdered those who did not express their disassociation from Imam Ali and his companions. He slaughtered Shi'as and arrested them on ground of the slightest accusation or suspicion. Under his rule, people had rather be accused of disbelief than of being a Shi'a of Ali. In the period of the [[caliphate]] of Abd al-Malik, Hajjaj was at first the ruler of [[Hijaz]] and then the ruler of [[Iraq]].

*'''[[Hariz b. Uthman]]''': he cursed Imam Ali (a) on his [[minbar]]. He distorted [[Hadith al-Manzila]] in which [[the Prophet (s)]] addresses Ali (a) by saying that "you are to me like [[Aaron]] from [[Moses]]," and changed it to: "you are to me like [[Korah]] (Qarun) to Moses.” According to [[ibn Hibban]], a Sunni scholar of rijal, Hariz cursed Ali b. Abi Talib 70 times every morning and every evening.

*'''[[Mughira b. Shu'ba]]''': when he was appointed by Mu'awiya as the ruler of [[Kufa]], he cursed Imam Ali and his Shi'as on his minbar. He was a [[companion of the Prophet (s)]] who was allegedly involved in the invasion on the house of [[Fatima al-Zahra (a)]].

*'''[[Ibn Taymiyya]]''': he is the intellectual leader of today's [[Salafis]]. Some Shiite scholars appeal to his denial of the Hadith of [[Radd al-Shams]], his rejection of [[Hadith al-Ghadir]], and his enmity towards Shi'as as evidence that he was a Nasibi. Moreover, according to ibn al-Hajar al-Asqalani, Ibn Taymiyya was accused of hypocrisy because of his remarks about Imam Ali (a).

*''Al-Nasb wa l-Nawasib'' by Muhsin Mu'allim in Arabic. The book contains discussions of the notion of Nasibism, its instances, its rulings, and a bibliography of the literature on Nasibism. The author defines Nasibism in terms of animus towards Imam 'Ali, referring to 250 people as Nasibis or at least accused of being Nasibis. The book also refers to areas in which Nasibis have lived. It was published by Dar al-Hadi Publications in 1418 AH.

Moreover, titles of some rejections written by Shiite scholars against their opponents involve the term, "Nawasib" (Nasibis). They include ''Masa'ib al-nawasib fi l-radd ala l-nawaqid al-rafawid'' by [[Qadi Nur Allah Shushtari]] and ''[[Mathalib al-nawasib fi naqd ba'd fada'ih al-rafawid]]'' by [[Abd al-Jalil al-Qazwini]]. The book, ''al-Nasb wa l-nawasib'', refers to 29 books concerning Nasibis and Nasibism.

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