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The Position Of Yazid
I wondered what the position of the scholars of Ahl us
sunna towards Yazid is. I ask this because I have read
claims from Shia sources that quote:
"Most of your ulema regard Yazid as an infidel. Even
Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and many other great ulema of
your sect suggest that curses on him should be
recited.
Wa ʿalaykum as-Salam:
What would be the source for this new concoction?
Abu Muhammad al-Tamimi said in ʿAqidat al-Imam Ahmad as narrated from him by
Ibn Abi Yaʿla in Tabaqat al-Hanabila (2:273): "He [Imam Ahmad] withheld
saying anything about Yazid ibn Muʿawiya but rather committed his matter to
Allah. He would refrain from speaking against anyone from the first century.
But our [Hanbali] colleagues differ concerning him [Yazid]. Some declared it
permissible to blame him because he terrified Madina, and the Prophet ﷺ
cursed whoever terrifies Madina.
Others withheld from taking any position.
Imam Ahmad was asked about it and he said: 'People prayed behind him and
took his alms.' Others considered him among the Muslims that sinned and it
is better to refrain from taking any position in what is not obligatory. It
was impermissible to curse any Muslim unless the Law provided a proof-text
to that effect. For it is narrated and transmitted that 'To curse a Muslim
is like killing him' and 'The believer is not one given over to cursing.'"
Abdu'r-Rahman Abu'l-Faraj Bin Jauzi has written a book
on this subject, Kitabu'l-Radd
la'l-Muta'asibu'l-Anidu'l-Mani'an La'n-e-Yazid
La'natullah.
Ibn al-Jawzi was a prolific author of over seven hundred books, but I doubt
very much that the above is one of them. This can be checked by looking up
the Kuwaiti publishing house of Idarat al-Buhuth wa al-Turath who brought
out a complete bibliography and manucriptography of his works a few years
ago.
To a man who kept asking Ibn al-Jawzi who was better, Abu Bakr or ʿAli, he
replied: "Sit down. You are better than everyone else."
Only a few of the fanatical ulema of your
sect, like Ghazali, have shown partiality to Yazid and
have fabricated ludicrous objections in defense of
him.
Then probably most or all of "the Ulema of our sect" are equally fanatical
in this respect, beginning with Imam Ahmad as shown.
Moreover, there is no doubt that to insult Imam al-Ghazzali and accuse him
of fabrication, is certainly a greater sin than to refrain from cursing
Yazid.
Was-Salamu ʿala man ittabaʿa al-Huda.
Hajj Gibril ©
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