We have made it clear that both Shia and Sunni adhere to the doctrine of Bada’. It is only the Nawasib who (due to Jewish financers) are unable to accept this Quranic belief. In chapter 3 we cited some traditions from Sunni sources that contains the word Bada and shall now cite further episodes from Sunni books that might not contain the word Bada depicts the same concept.
We will start with the hadith from Sahih al Bukhari that contains the word Bada we had previously cited some of its lines in chapter 3 and promised to cite the complete tradition here. The Hadith has the word in exactly the same manner that the Shi’a understand it:
We now present the whole tradition from the English version of Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 56, Number 670:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
that he heard Allah’s Apostle saying, “Allah willed to test three Israelis who were a Leper, a blind man and a bald-headed man. So, he sent them an angel who came to the leper and said, ‘What thing do you like most?’ He replied, “Good color and good skin, for the people have a strong aversion to me.’ The angel touched him and his illness was cured, and he was given a good color and beautiful skin. The angel asked him, ‘What kind of property do you like best?’ He replied, ‘Camels (or cows).’ (The narrator is in doubt, for either the leper or the bald-headed man demanded camels and the other demanded cows.) So he (i.e. the leper) was given a pregnant she-camei, and the angel said (to him), ‘May Allah bless you in it.’
The angel then went to the bald-headed man and said, ‘What thing do you like most?’ He said, ‘I like good hair and wish to be cured of this disease, for the people feel repulsion for me.’ The angel touched him and his illness was cured, and he was given good hair. The angel asked (him), ‘What kind of property do you like bests’ He replied, ‘Cows,’ The angel gave him a pregnant cow and said, ‘May Allah bless you in it.’ The angel went to the blind man and asked, ‘What thing do you like best?’ He said, ‘(I like) that Allah may restore my eye-sight to me so that I may see the people.’ The angel touched his eyes and Allah gave him back his eye-sight. The angel asked him, “What kind of property do you like best?’ He replied, ‘Sheep.’ The angel gave him a pregnant sheep. Afterwards, all the three pregnant animals gave birth to young ones, and multiplied and brought forth so much that one of the (three) men had a herd of camels filling a valley, and one had a herd of cows filling a valley, and one had a flock of sheep filling a valley. Then the angel, disguised in the shape and appearance of a leper, went to the leper and said, I am a poor man, who has lost all means of livelihood while on a journey. So none will satisfy my need except Allah and then you. In the Name of Him Who has given you such nice color and beautiful skin, and so much property, I ask you to give me a camel so that I may reach my destination. The man replied, ‘I have many obligations (so I cannot give you).’ The angel said, ‘I think I know you; were you not a leper to whom the people had a strong aversion? Weren’t you a poor man, and then Allah gave you (all this property).’ He replied, ‘(This is all wrong), I got this property through inheritance from my fore-fathers’ The angel said, ‘If you are telling a lie, then let Allah make you as you were before. ‘
Then the angel, disguised in the shape and appearance of a bald man, went to the bald man and said to him the same as he told the first one, and he too answered the same as the first one did. The angel said, ‘If you are telling a lie, then let Allah make you as you were before.’
The angel, disguised in the shape of a blind man, went to the blind man and said, ‘I am a poor man and a traveler, whose means of livelihood have been exhausted while on a journey. I have nobody to help me except Allah, and after Him, you yourself. I ask you in the Name of Him Who has given you back your eye-sight to give me a sheep, so that with its help, I may complete my journey’ The man said, ‘No doubt, I was blind and Allah gave me back my eye-sight; I was poor and Allah made me rich; so take anything you wish from my property. By Allah, I will not stop you for taking anything (you need) of my property which you may take for Allah’s sake.’ The angel replied, ‘Keep your property with you. You (i.e 3 men) have been tested and Allah is pleased with you and is angry with your two companions.”
This historic example of Bada utilised by Allah (swt) serves as the practical example of what had previously been referred to by the Shia and Sunni ulema as Bada, namely to impoverish after giving wealth, or to make sick after keeping healthy. The most fortunate thing is that the tradition contains the word “Bada” if these Nasibi choose to ponder over this tradition carefully it will dawn on them that Bada is not an exclusive Shi’a doctrine.
We read in ‘Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 429’ that when Holy Prophet (s) was ascended to heavens, he said:
“…fifty prayers were enjoined on me. I descended till I met Moses who asked me, ‘What have you done?’ I said, ‘Fifty prayers have been enjoined on me.’ He said, ‘I know the people better than you, because I had the hardest experience to bring Bani Israel to obedience. Your followers cannot put up with such obligation. So, return to your Lord and request Him (to reduce the number of prayers.’ I returned and requested Allah (for reduction) and He made it forty. I returned and (met Moses) and had a similar discussion, and then returned again to Allah for reduction and He made it thirty, then twenty, then ten, and then I came to Moses who repeated the same advice. Ultimately Allah reduced it to five. When I came to Moses again, he said, ‘What have you done?’ I said, ‘Allah has made it five only.’ He repeated the same advice but I said that I surrendered (to Allah’s Final Order)’” Allah’s Apostle was addressed by Allah, “I have decreed My Obligation and have reduced the burden on My slaves, and I shall reward a single good deed as if it were ten good deeds.”
If the Nasibies like that of Sipah-eSahabah (kr-hcy.com) abhor the belief of Bada’ like their Jewish brethren, then they should denounce the change in the units of prayers and should accordingly perform 50 units that had been initially enjoined. The logical thing would be for Nasibis, at the rejecters of Bada’ to reject praying five times a day, unlike other Muslims who believe that Allah (swt) can change what He likes, anywhere and are anytime (i.e. Bada’).
Qadhi Thanaullah Panee Pathee in his authority work ‘Tafseer Mazhari’ Volume 3 page 22 records:
“Imam Sha’afi had said ‘I don’t know of anything in Islam with the exception of Mut’ah that was halaal on one occasion, then made haraam, then made halaal and then haraam’. Some ‘ulama have said that it was abrogated on three occasions while some have said that it was abrogated more than thrice”.
Tafseer Mazhari, Volume 3 page 22
Ibn Katheer also made similar comments in his Tafseer of this verse:
“The verse refers to Nikah Mut’ah that was allowed in the beginning of Islam, but was then abrogated. Shafi and a group amongst the Ulema said that it was Mubah twice and abrogated twice. Some say that it was mubah once and then abrogated, so say that it occurred on may occasions”
Tafseer Ibn Katheer, Surah an-Nisa, Page 3
Imam of Ahl as-Sunnah Qurtubi commented in his Tafsir, Volume 5 page 130:
Other (scholars) who collected the chains of narrations said: ‘It (Mut’ah) was made Halal and Haram on seven occasions’
The Nasibi rejecters of Bada’ may try to escape from this belief in other incidences but their stance about Nikah al-Mutah is such a thorn in their throats that they can neither swallow nor spit. According to them Mutah is adultery while they also subscribe to the belief that Allah (swt) does not change his decisions i.e they do not believe in Bada’. Then would they like to tell us as to why according to their belief Allah (swt) kept changing his decision on the issue of Mutah and made ‘adultery’ Halal twice (God forbid)?
We read the following traditions in SahihBukhari, the chapter entitled Praying at Night in Ramadaan (Taraweeh)
Volume 3, Book 32, Number 234:
Narrated ‘Aisha:
Allah’s Apostle said, “Search for the Night of Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan.”
Volume 3, Book 32, Number 237:
Narrated ‘Aisha:
Allah’s Apostle used to practice Itikaf in the last ten nights of Ramadan and used to say, “Look for the Night of Qadr in the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan ,”
Volume 3, Book 32, Number 240:
Narrated ‘Ubada bin As-Samit:
The Prophet came out to inform us about the Night of Qadr but two Muslims were quarreling (sic) with each other. So, the Prophet said, “I came out to inform you about the Night of Qadr but such-and-such persons were quarreling , so the news about it had been taken away; yet that might be for your own good, so search for it on the 29th, 27th and 25th (of Ramadan).
According to the Nawasib the doctrine of Bada, wherein Allah (swt) alters a decision constitutes open kufr. Now look carefully at these three traditions. The night of power is that night which Allah (swt) says in Surah Qadr verse 3:
YUSUF ALI: The Night of Power is better than a thousand months
Now the precise night in question was disclosed to the Prophet (s), and he was given the consent to cascade the date to his followers. After this authority was govern to him and the Porphet ventured out to let his subjects know of the date, he states “the news about it had been taken away”
Now who took this news away from the Prophet (s)? It can only be two entities Allah (swt) or Satan (la). Whilst a nexus between Satan and the Prophet (s) cannot be ruled out in Sunnism, the Shia IthnaAsharireject any notion that our Prophet (s) would ever become deceived by Satan, and we base this belief from the Quran and teachings of our Imams (as).
This brings us to the second possibility that the news was removed by Allah (swt). Think carefully when the Prophet (s) was in the first instance told to convey the date to his people the ruling was this ruling not different? When the date was subsequently wiped from the memory of the Prophet (s) had the order of Allah (swt) not changed? If Allah (swt) altered his decision then our opponents will have to accept that Bada has occurred. If they reject this argument, and a decision of Allah (swt) has not been altered, why was it removed from the memory of the Prophet (s)?
Think carefully about the words of the Prophet (s) ‘so the news about it had been taken away; yet that might be for your own good’. When Allah (swt) first told the Prophet (s) to inform his Ummah of the precise date of the Night of Power it is logical that at that time, the stance of Allah (swt) was that knowledge of the precise date was for their own good. When the Prophet (s) was subsequently caused to forget the date, thus leaving the Ummah ignorant of it, such ignorance was deemed for their betterment, is this not Bada? Does this tradition from Bukhari, as narrated by Aisha the highest ranking female narrator of Sunni Hadith not support the Shia belief about Bada?