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Answer:
Thanks are
due to Allah the most merciful, the most compassionate. Prayer and peace
are upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, and his companions.
The story of the dogs of Howab is not narrated in the nine Sunni books
(Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Al-Nisa’ei, Ibn Majah, Al-Turmithi, Abu
Dawood, Mowati’a Imam Malik, Musnad Ahmed and Al-Darumi) except in Musnad
Ahmed. Ahmed narrated two versions of the story. Also, the story is found
in Saheeh Ibn Habban, Al-Mustadrik by Al-Hakim, and in history books. This
hadeeth is authentic and true.
The story goes as:
“Isma’eel narrated from Qays who said, ‘When Aysha approached the waters
of Bani A’amir, she heard some dogs barking. Aysha asked, ‘What is the
location of these waters?’ She was answered, ‘This is the waters of the
Howab.’ Then she said, ‘I am going back!’ Some of the people with her
said, ‘No, you should go on. Then the Muslims would see you and Allah
would make peace between them.’ Then she said again, ‘I heard that the
prophet peace be upon him said, ‘Then what would you (the wives of the
prophet) do when you hear the barking of Al-Howab dogs?’’ "
The prophet peace be upon him said one time to his wives, “Which one of
you would be barked at by the dogs of Al-Howab?” This showed dispraise,
but it did not mean dispraise itself.
And when the prophet peace be upon him passed away, and after the years of
the caliphate of Abu Bakr, Omar, and Uthman, and the affliction happened,
and people killed the innocent Uthman, then Talha, Al-Zubair, and some
Muslim agreed to go to Iraq and to persuade the people of Iraq to avenge
from the killers of Uthman. The Companions asked the caliph Ali Bin Abi
Talib to execute the killers of Uthman, but Ali refused fearing to agitate
more afflictions. So Talha and Al-Zubair sought the help of the people of
Iraq by asking the help of Aysha, the mother of the believers. If Aysha
came along, Talha and Al-Zubair reasoned, then the people of Iraq would
listen to them.
Therefore, when Aysha agreed to join them, she heard along the way the
barking of the dogs. Then she remembered the words of the prophet peace be
upon him. She asked her companions for the location. They answered that
they were close to Al-Howab. So Aysha decided to go back from where she
came, but the companions pleaded her not to saying that they came for a
good cause, not an evil one. Hence, she agreed on moving on with them.
This hadeeth confused some people so they rejected it although it is a
true hadeeth. We have to understand something important. When a virtuous
and a pious person does a bad thing, it does not mean that it became one
of his characteristic. The infallible is infallible through Allah, and the
Sunni man should not exceed the limits in his respect or love as the Shia
do with their twelve Imams. Aysha wanted to avenge the killers of the
caliph. This intention in itself is virtuous. However, this idea from its
roots is wrong. Therefore, Aysha wanted to go back after she heard the
barking near Al-Howab, but Al-Zubair persuaded her to stay to “reform
between people.” There is no doubt that Al-Zubair was wrong as well.
Ahl Al-Sunnah agreed on the above. Ahl Al-Sunnah did not say that the
march of Aysha is right. Ahl Al-Sunnah wrote in their books that the march
of Aysha was wrong, but Ahl Al-Sunnah rejected the exaggeration of the
Shia of this march. As if the Shia want the Companions not to commit any
mistakes whatsoever! They do not consider the Companions as infallible,
but they judge them as if the Companions are true infallibles!
Nevertheless, Allah in the mighty Quran had called Aysha, and the rest of
the prophet’s wives, as the mothers of the believers. If the Shia do not
consider Aysha as their mother, then it is their business, not us.
Surat Al-Ahzab, “The Prophet is closer to the Believers than their own
selves, and his wives are their mothers. Blood-relations among each other
have closer personal ties, in the Decree of Allah, than (the Brotherhood
of) Believers and Muhajirs: nevertheless do ye what is just to your
closest friends: such is the writing of the Decree (of Allah).”
Then how come such a Muslim who says the two Shahadah to slander the
mother of the believers and the Companions of the prophet peace be upon
him when Allah says about the companions,
“The vanguard (of Islam), the first of those who forsook (their homes) and
of those who gave them aid, and (also) those who follow them in (all) good
deeds, well-pleased is Allah with them, as are they with Him: for them
Hath He prepared Gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein
forever: that is the supreme Felicity” [Towbah, 100]
And we, Ahl Al-Sunnah say, “And those who came after them say: "Our Lord!
Forgive us, and our brethren who came before us into the Faith, and leave
not, in our hearts, rancor (or sense of injury) against those who have
believed. Our Lord! Thou art indeed Full of Kindness, Most Merciful.”
[Al-Hashr, 10]
wa al salam alaykum wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuh
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