Sunni vs. Shi'ite Narrative on Early History of Islam

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدي يا رسول الله

وعلى آلك واصحابك يا سيدي يا رسول الله

فداك ابي وامي يا رسول الله

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

A crucial difference in the narratives of the Sunni Muslims and the heretical Shi’ites concerning the early Muslims and the early history of Islam is that the Sunni narrative is positive, viewing the early triumphs of the Muslims and the successful spread of Islam under the Prophet’s immediate Successors as a sign of the Muslims being divinely favored, whereas the Shi’ite narrative implies that the forces of hypocrisy and apostasy prevailed immediately following the passing away of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم

We Muslims recognize the following passage in the Torah to be a glad-tiding of the advent of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم

נָבִ֨יא אָקִ֥ים לָהֶ֛ם מִקֶּ֥רֶב אֲחֵיהֶ֖ם כָּמֹ֑וךָ וְנָתַתִּ֤י דְבָרַי֙ בְּפִ֔יו וְדִבֶּ֣ר אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם אֵ֖ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲצַוֶּֽנּוּ

I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him

(Deuteronomy 18:18)

The Holy Quran confirms that the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is the promised Prophet who is the likeness of Moses:

اِنَّاۤ اَرۡسَلۡنَاۤ اِلَیۡکُمۡ رَسُوۡلًا ۬ۙ شَاہِدًا عَلَیۡکُمۡ کَمَاۤ اَرۡسَلۡنَاۤ اِلٰی فِرۡعَوۡنَ رَسُوۡلًا

Verily, We have sent you a Messenger, who is a witness over you, even as we sent a Messenger to Pharaoh

(Surah 73, Ayah 15)

It therefore follows that the blessed leadership which the Israelites were under subsequent to the passing away of Moses عليه السلام and the triumphs they were granted during the Conquest of Canaan would be mirrored in this Ummah in the immediate days subsequent to the departure of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم from this world. After Moses passed away he was immediately succeeded by Joshua son of Nun, who was appointed a Prophet by God. Subsequent to Joshua عليه السلام some righteous figures were raised up by God to lead the Israelites, known as the Judges, namely, Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah and Samson. Then a monarchy was established in Israel, beginning with Saul, then Kings David and Solomon. After Solomon عليه السلام the Kingdom of Israel was divided and was given over to a succession of mainly corrupt and evil rulers. But in general, the period from Joshua to Solomon was a blessed period when the Israelites were under a succession of righteous leaders and experienced worldly triumphs and success, a sign of being divinely favored.

In the history of this Ummah, after the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم departure, he was succeeded by four rightly guided Successors, namely, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali رضى الله عنهم and then the monarchy was established for Mu’awiyah رضى الله عنه who ruled for approximately twenty years. Thus the first fifty years of this Ummah’s history was a blessed period that mirrors the history of the Israelites subsequent to Moses, the period of Joshua, the Judges, and the united monarchy under Kings David and Solomon.

Another proof for the Sunni Islamic narrative is the Ayat al-Istikhlaf:

وَعَدَ اللّٰہُ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مِنۡکُمۡ وَعَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ لَیَسۡتَخۡلِفَنَّہُمۡ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ کَمَا اسۡتَخۡلَفَ الَّذِیۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِہِمۡ

Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will surely make them Successors in the land, as He made Successors from among those who were before them

(Surah 24, Ayah 55)

The Ayah clearly states that the Succession which this Ummah is promised, on condition of faith and good works, shall mirror the Succession of those who came before, meaning the Israelites and their history of triumph and success in the period that begins with Prophet Joshua and ends with King Solomon as has already been discussed. Now if the early Believers of this Ummah, meaning the Sahabah رضى الله عنهم were not truly pious Believers and were not, in general, doers of good works (as per the false Shi’ite narrative) then how does one explain the establishment of the Religion for them and the success of the Khilafat ar-Rashidah in those early days? The Shi’ite narrative is that subsequent to the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم departure, all of the Sahabah committed apostasy (God forbid!) with the exception of a handful of individuals, and that the forces of hypocrisy and apostasy usurped the leadership of the Ummah. But how could the alleged usurpers then be granted such incredible success and triumphs through which Islam expanded and was established throughout the land? Such a notion of the corrupt forces of hypocrisy and apostasy being granted succession in the land directly opposes Ayat al-Istikhlaf.

Now the so-called Imamiyah, the dominant branch of Shi’ism today, argue that it is impossible and irrational that the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم would leave this world without naming his Successor under divine instruction. Ayat al-Istikhlaf is a clear answer to their flimsy argument. Allah عز وجل revealed through this Ayah that He Himself shall bear the responsibility of establishing the Prophet’s succession and bringing about the establishment of this Religion, on condition of the Community’s continued faith and good works. Therefore, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was never meant to name his Successor, Allah Himself would bring it about through means. The Community could trust this would happen as part of their Faith and indeed it did. Through means Allah established for Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه the Khilafah, and during his blessed Khilafah Islam was re-established in the land of Arabia after a brief apostasy from the Bedouin tribes which rebelled but whose rebellion was crushed. Again, the Shi’ite narrative fails to explain that if the Sahabah and Shaikhain رضى الله عنهما were hypocrites and apostates معاذ الله how they came to clash with other factions of apostates during the Ridda Wars. Jesus Christ عليه السلام famously said, when he was accused of exorcising demons with the help of other demons: “And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?” (Matthew 24:26) “And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” (Mark 3:25)