Shia Influence on Historical Narratives and Hadith: Aban ibn Taghlib

My dear brothers, and this is truly a painful introduction, the early Shiites, the early Shiites who preferred Ali to Uthman, or the second tier, who preferred Ali ibn Abi Talib over all the Muhajirun and Ansar, or those who disparage the Companions,

may God be pleased with them all, and the third tier, the Rafidites.

All of these, my dear brothers, shared with us in the historical and hadith narrative tradition.

Before you, my dear brothers, is a doctoral study entitled The Impact of Shiism on Historical Narratives in the first century of the Hijra.

I mean, my brothers, the Shiites are not a recent sect.

I mean, it may be true that today's Imami Shiites are considered a new revival of paganism, but this, my brothers, is the culmination of the old innovation, namely the innovation of Shiism, and judging people by their lineage.

The early Shiites were with us from the first century and produced thousands of narrations, whether in Sunni history, Muslim history, or the hadith narrative tradition.

This study examines the impact of Shiism on historical accounts in the first century AH.

By Dr. Abdulaziz Mohammed Noor Wali. The author says, of course, we’ll take some elements from it.

The author says in the introduction: “To proceed, calls have grown more frequent for the Islamic past to be rewritten.”

Of course, look at that phrase, my brothers.

It’s a very weighty statement: “Rewrite Islamic history.”

I mean, where else would you find this, in any nation?

A nation rewriting its history from scratch.

I mean, he wouldn’t have said this if he hadn’t seen the calamities and disasters the Shiites introduced into this legacy.

He says these calls have some merit, for people of heretical views played a role in recording Islamic history, and among them, the Shiites stand out.

The Shiites played a major role in recording Islamic history, including extremists and those called Rafidites.

This isn’t a matter of mild Shiism, nor is it just the Shiites who favor Ali.

Even the Rafidites took part in this legacy.

Those who worked to distort this history because distorting it helps them to attack the transmitters of this religion.

Of course, as you know, my brothers, the Shia are enemies of this nation and enemies of this history, so they are always using their tongues and pens to attack this history Just as we oppose Crusader history, they oppose Islamic history,

for they took part in none of this nation's achievements.

He says that some eminent scholars drew attention to this issue and its importance to the study of history, including His Eminence Dr. Saleh Al-Muhaysin in his lecture, “The Shia's Contributions to Islamic History,” as well as Dr. Suleiman Al- Awda and Dr. Mohammed bin Samel Al- Sulami and Dr. Yahya bin Ibrahim Al-Yahya.

These scholars, my brothers, addressed a very important issue: the Imami Shia introduced into the Sunni narrative tradition much that serves their racist, class- based dynastic agenda, and they urge the nation to rewrite this history.

And the issue is not about history. It may be the title of the message, “History,” but the examples he gave in the book are all found, more or less, in the modern hadith tradition, Let’s take an example.

The second chapter says: “Accused of Shiism by the Akhbaris” Aban ibn Taghlib.

And here, brothers, when you look at this man’s biography, although he was, as they say, a staunch Shiite, you still find Sunni scholars treating him leniently, his Shiism and the scholars’ stance toward him.

Ibn Adi said, “Aban has hadiths and collections, and his hadiths are generally sound when he narrates, if a trustworthy person narrates from him.

He is among those truthful in narrations, even though his sect is Shiism.”

Of course, I always say, brothers: Shiites, a truthful Shiite, or an honest Shiite, is like the phoenix, found only in books, but not in reality.

That is, you’ll find an honest Shiite only if you find a phoenix, or a devout secularist, I mean, something that’s its exact opposite.

He says: “Al-Dhahabi said, ‘A staunch Shiite.

A staunch Shiite, but honest.’ We said: His honesty is to our credit, and his heresy is against him.”

Okay. Ibn Hajar said, “Reliable,” though he criticized him for Shiism and among what he narrated…

So, brothers, he serves his project, spreading his poison through the Sunni narrative tradition.

Al- Dhahabi tells us, “He was truthful, but had his innovation.”

Meaning, he places innovation within the Sunni narrative tradition, then says he had his innovation.

How can he have his innovation when it’s in your books?

He says, “Among what he narrated about the virtues of the Ahl al- Bayt: The Prophet, may God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his family, said, ‘Al- Hasan and Al- Husayn…’

‘…are the leaders of the youths of Paradise, and their father is better than they are.’

This is one example, brothers. There are so many examples.

Of course, dear brothers, the findings of this study are: First, adopting Shiite historical reports, especially extremist ones, as a general framework that accords with the beliefs and foundations on which Shiite doctrine is based,

and to extract facts from those reports, one must be alert to this approach and strip the reports of it.

Meaning, he says, “Glory be to God, brothers,” all Shiites, whether extremist or not, pour into the same cup and follow the same path, serving the project.

The racial, class- based Salafi approach is a service to the Shiism project.

Whether it involves mild Shiism or has reached rejectionism.

He also says, under the sixth point, Brothers, you can pause the screen if you want to read all the findings, but, I mean, time is very short, and we don't want to keep you too long.

He says, sixth: the sheer volume— and this is very important, brothers— this isn't a matter of one, two, or three narrations.

There are thousands of fabricated and preserved narrations found in Sunni books, whose bearers and transmitters are Shiites.

He says, sixth: the sheer volume of Shiite narrations contained in Sunni sources.

The sheer volume. God is our help. Eighth.

He says that historical sources rely on Shiite narrations about various events in history.

Perhaps one of the most important reasons for relying on them so heavily is the lack of corresponding narrations that provide the historical sequence of the event as depicted in the Shiite narration.

I mean, he's telling you there are historical events Historically, it has no transmitter other than the Shiites.

You won't find a Sunni account to match it.

Look at where we've ended up. I mean, some events, for example, if we take the killing of Hussein or the killing of Abdullah ibn al- Zubayr, or any historical incident, and this is their field, I mean, their field is civil strife.

He says you won't find a Sunni account. All the accounts are Shiite, as if you're reading the book Al-Kafi.

The eleventh point. He says not to ignore the aspect of Shiism.

Do not ignore the aspect of Shiism in those who are not extremists, for although they are not extremists, they still transmit what supports their Shiism, and this is considered a rebuttal to al- Dhahabi, who said, “His innovation is against him,

but we accept his truthfulness.” He says, “No, you should not ignore this innovation, because even a Shiite with only mild Shiite leanings will be found serving his cause and his innovation.”

That was the first introduction, brothers.

So you are faced with a huge number of Shiite narrations stored in Sunni sources.

So don't be misled when you read al- Musannaf, or that the compiler is Sunni.

No, the compiler may be Sunni. And the account in it is purely Shiite.