AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF GHADEER-E-KHUMM BY THE ORIENTALISTS

If the objective is to correctly and truly understand any subject, one must be impartial, unbiased and approach with an open mind.

The Western scholars approached Islamic history through the biased Sunni writers from early days of Islam up to the fall of Ottoman Empire after the First World War.

The Muslim historians who were mostly Sunnis always tried to show that all other schools of thought than their own were not only false but, if possible, were less than true Muslim. Until very recently, western scholars easily described Sunnism as ‘Orthodox Islam, and Shi’ism as a heretical (separatist) sect. Consequently, when ever an orientalist found time to study Shi’ism, his recommittment to Judeo-Christian tradition of the west was compounded with the Sunni bias towards Shi’ism.  

The event of Ghadeer-e-Khum is a very good example to trace the Sunni bias which found its way in to the mental state of the orientalists. Whenever the Shi’as present a hadith, the Sunni writers respond in the following manner:

Firstly, they will out right deny the existence of any hadith or event. Secondly, when confronted with hard evidences from their own sources, they will cast doubts on the reliability of the transmitters of that hadith or event. Thirdly, when they are shown the reliability of all transmitters by Sunni standards, they will give an interpretation of that hadith or event quite different from the Shi’as.

A quotation from Ibne Khaldun’s Muqaddimah: “The Shi’as believe that Ali is the one Muhammad appointed. The (Shi’as) transmit the texts (of traditions) in support of this belief…The authority of Sunnah and the transmitters of the religious law do not know these texts (1) Most of them are suppositions, or (2) some of their transmitters are suspect, or (3) their (true) interpretation is very different from the wicked interpretation that (the Shi’as) give to them. (Franz Rosenthal, Pantheon Books 1958)

It is a case of conflict of interest. If the Sunni writers would have included the events at Ghadeer, which was the compliance of the Divine Command and clear Traditions of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.), then the historical facts of elections by the people for the Khilafat after Prophet’s death, will contradict the Divine Command!

Allama Abdul Hussayn al-Amini have written a book, al-Ghadeer in Arabic spread over 11 volumes in which he had provided the complete list of trusted traditionalists, historians, exegetic and poets from first century to the fourteenth century. It also includes the names of 110 Sahabas of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and 84 tabi’un (disciples of the Sahaba).

N.B. Please refer to my previous article “EID-E-GHADEER” dated October 29, 2012

Reference:

Orientalists and Ghadeer Khumm-Al-Islam.org