In the Name of Allah, the All-Beneficent, the All-Merciful.
May Allah bless Muhammad and his Family and damn their enemies.
Ahmad Zaghab, a professor in the Algerian Al-Wadi University, is facing relentless attacks by the preachers of the ‘Sunni’ sect for criticising Abu Bakr (may Allah curse him) on camera while discussing the history of the so-called Companions with other academics. Mr Zaghab exposed the crimes of Abu Bakr against Muslims who refused to pay Zakah to him because they rejected his claim to succession, declaring instead that they would only pay their Zakah to Ali (peace be upon him), the rightful successor. In retaliation, Abu Bakr declared them apostates, waged war upon them and wiped them out.
Sheikh al-Habib strongly condemned the attacks on the Algerian professor when informed of the matter. His Eminence sees this escalation as proof that the leftovers of the ‘Sunni’ sect are shaken, weak and overcome with doubt because they are unable to accept or comprehend an academic view that challenges long-held beliefs, even if the evidence supports it.
His Eminence reiterated that Islam is bigger than the likes of Abu Bakr and that neither they nor their acts are immune to criticism and judgement. Such individuals, and their actions, must be judged according to the standards of Shari’a, justice and noble humanitarian values to disseminate the good from the bad. His Eminence points out that Abu Bakr is guilty of great crimes not just according to the rules of Shari’a but also according to the standards of civil societies. Abu Bakr was a sadistic monster who revelled in crimes such as burning people alive, ripping women’s bodies in half by having them pulled apart by horses they are attached to, cooking food atop the skulls of his victims, and burying his opponents in mass graves.
Sheikh al-Habib once again calls on all Muslims to not blindly follow the faith they inherited from their forefathers but to strive to free themselves from the shackles of the past and seek the truth. Only then could Muslims discover their true faith, cleansed of the filth brought about by hypocrites, and the negative impact they left behind when they used this faith to give legitimacy to their political motives. They are not sacred men and women; they are disingenuous and deceitful individuals who believed only in their worldly ambitions.
His Eminence advises Muslims to stand firmly and unequivocally against divisive characters in our history, as Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) have done so in the past. We follow in their footsteps because they are the purists, most noble and the only ones who truly know the religion of their father (blessings and peace be upon him and his pure family). It has been proven that the Lady of Heaven, Fatima al-Zahra (peace be upon her), was displeased with Abu Bakr, cutting him off completely and refusing to speak to him until she met her Lord, grieving for the pain she faced at the hands of Abu Bakr (may Allah curse him). Lady Fatima (peace be upon her) denounced Abu Bakr, cursed him and called upon Muslims to fight and oppose the tyrant who claimed what was not his. Indeed, Lady Fatima’s (peace be upon her) position against Abu Bakr is sufficient for any uncertain Muslim who desires the approval of Allah and His rewards in the Hereafter. It would become clear then that history was altered by the machinations of Abu Bakr’s regime to give him a positive image, one that was upheld by his followers for centuries to protect their idol and to safeguard their false religion.
Finally, Sheikh al-Habib encourages academics and students of knowledge not to be disheartened by such attempts and continue their search for the truth. Freedom of speech, learning, academic research, and criticism keeps the soul of Islam alive and rids it of misconceptions and falsehoods that hold it back.
Sheikh al-Habib