Tabarri: Difference between revisions

"Tabarri" is an Arabic infinitive from the root "b-r-ʾ" which means "avoiding and dissociating". <ref>Rāghib al-Iṣfahānī, al-Mufradāt, under “burʾ”; Ibn Manẓūr, Lisān al-ʿArab, under “burʾ”. </ref>

The term "tabarri" is originally derived from the Qur'an. The paronyms of tabarri appear to be cited around thirty times in the Qu'ran. <ref>Muṣṭafawī, al-Taḥqīq, vol. 5, p. 34. </ref> Qur'an 9 begins with the repudiation of the polytheists <ref>[This is] a [declaration of] repudiation by Allah and His Apostle [addressed] to the polytheists with whom you had made a treaty (Quran 9:1) </ref>. <ref>Muṣṭafawī, al-Taḥqīq, vol. 5, p. 34. </ref> Some of them are: the dissociation from polytheism, <ref>Say, 'What thing is greatest as witness?' Say, 'Allah! [He is] witness between me and you, and this Qurʾān has been revealed to me that I may warn thereby you and whomever it may reach.' 'Do you indeed bear witness that there are other gods besides Allah?' Say, 'I do not bear witness [to any such thing].' Say, 'Indeed He is the One God, and I indeed disown what you associate [with Him].' (Quran 6:19) </ref> the declaration of the Prophet (s) that he is dissociated from the actions of the polytheists (Qur'an 10:41 <ref>If they deny you, say, 'My deeds belong to me and your deeds belong to you: you are absolved of what I do and I am absolved of what you do.' </ref>, Qur'an 26:216 <ref>But if they disobey you, say, 'I am absolved of what you do.' </ref>).  

The general meaning of tabarri and its paronyms in the Qur'an is, basically, "avoiding and dissociating from the enemies of God". <ref>Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 5, p. 34. </ref>

In many hadiths from the Prophet (s), the importance of tabarri is stated and that he considers the "hate for God" as one of the most important pillars of faith. <ref>Muttaqī al-Hindī, Kanz al-ʿummāl, vol. 1, p. 267; Majlisī, Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 66, p. 242. </ref> Imam al-Sadiq (a) clearly states the necessity of the separation of the enemies of the religion and their allies. <ref>Ibn Bābawayh, al-Iʿtiqādāt, p. 86. </ref>

Most of the Islamic sects, by realizing the emphasis of the Qur'an and the hadiths from Prophet (s), confirm tabarri and there is no difference of opinion among them over this general Qur'anic concept and its necessity. However, there are differences in identifying the enemies of God and the criteria for apostasy in Islam. Some scholars have had radical views and considered Islamic sects like Imamiyya and Zaydiyya as infidels but not all theologians and Muslim scholars have accepted it. <ref>Baghdādī, al-Farq bayn al-firaq, p. 16, 278, 281.</ref>

The Prophet (s) told Imam 'Ali (a): "Indeed I am at peace with who is at peace with you, and I am at war against who is at war against you." He also said the same phrase for Ahl al-Kisa'. The Prophet (s) said: "Imams after me are twelve, rejecting any of them is the rejection of me. <ref>Ibn Bābawayh, al-Iʿtiqādāt, p. 78-81; Ibn Bābawayh, Faḍʾil al-Shīʿā, p. 125; Akhṭab Khwārazm, al-Manāqib, p. 61. </ref>

Also there are people who consider Imam 'Ali (a) as god (Ghulat), they are also subjects to tabarri. <ref>Ibn Bābawayh, al-Iʿtiqādāt, p. 71-76; Ṭabāṭabāʾī Yazdī, al-ʿUrwat al-wuthqā, vol. 1, p. 67-68. Narāqī, Mustanad al-Shīʿa, vol. 1, p. 204. </ref>

Those who oppressed Ahl al-Bayt (a) and violated their dignity, those who changed the sunna of the Prophet (s), those who exiled the elite companions of the Prophet (s) and gave the wealth of the poor to the rich, Nakithun (those who broke their allegiance to Imam 'Ali (a), Qasitun (Mu'awiya and his army), Mariqun (Khawarij), all of those misleading scholars and cruel tyrants along with the killer of Imam 'Ali (a) and the killers of other Imams (a) are subjects to tabarri. <ref>Ibn Bābawayh, al-Khiṣāl, vol. 2, p. 607-608. Majlisī, Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 10, p. 358; vol. 65, p. 263. </ref>

Also there are some hadiths which suggest avoiding any provocation and pessimism between Muslims. <ref>Ibn Bābawayh, al-Iʿtiqādāt, p. 82. </ref>

Some instances of contentions of some past Shi'a governments with Sunnis is reported, like in the period of Buyids, Fatimids, Safawids, Adil Shahi dynasty, Nizamshahi dynasty, and Qutbshahi dynasty. <ref>Hamadānī, Takmila, vol. 1, p. 183-187. Ibn al-Jawzī, al-Muntaẓam, vol. 14, p. 150-151. Ibn Athīr, al-Kāmil, vol. 8, p. 542-543. Ibn Khallikān, Wafayāt al-aʿyān, vol. 1, p. 407. Dhahabī, Tārīkh al-Islām, vol. 8, p. 248. Maqrīzī, Ittiʿāẓ al-ḥunafā, vol. 1, p. 142, 145-146. Maqrīzī, al-Mawāʿiẓ wa l-iʿtibār, vol. 2, p. 286-287, 342-341. Firishta, Tārīkh Firishta, vol. 2, p. 11, p. 109-113. ʿAzzāwī, Tārīkh al-Irāq bayn al-iḥtilālayn, vol. 3, p. 341-343. Falsafī, Zindigānī-yi Shāh ʿAbbās-i Awwal, vol. 3, p. 889, 894, 895. </ref> On the other hand, Wahhabis attacked the cities of Najaf and Karbala and other holy shrines of Imams. They demolished the shrines of the companions of the Prophet (s) and even the birthplace of the Prophet (s) in Mecca. They have slaughtered many people of different religions on the basis of their affiliations, especially Shi'as. <ref>Āl Maḥbūba, Māḍī l-Najaf wa ḥāḍiruhā, vol. 1, p. 324-326. Amīn, Kashf al-irtīyāb, p. 13-14, 22-23. Karkūklī, Dawḥat al-wuzarāʾ, p. 212. </ref> <ref>https://en.wikishia.net/view/Tabarri</ref>