Dhul-Fiqaar: A Unique proof of Imamate
Dhul-Fiqaar: A Unique proof of Imamate
وَقَالَ لَهُمۡ نَبِیُّهُمۡ إِنَّ ءَایَةَ مُلۡكِهِۦۤ أَن یَأۡتِیَكُمُ ٱلتَّابُوتُ فِیهِ سَكِینَةࣱ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَبَقِیَّةࣱ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ ءَالُ مُوسَىٰ وَءَالُ هَـٰرُونَ تَحۡمِلُهُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰۤىِٕكَةُۚ إِنَّ فِی ذَ ٰلِكَ لَـَٔایَةࣰ لَّكُمۡ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِینَ
“And their prophet said to them, "Indeed, a sign of his kingship is that the chest will come to you in which is assurance from your Lord and a remnant of what the family of Moses and the family of Aaron had left, carried by the angels. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers." (2:248)
Per this blessed verse, one of the signs of the Kingship of Talut (Saul) is that he had in his possession a casket with the relics of Prophets Musa and Harun, which Allah describes as a “sign for you, if you are believers”.
Talut possessing these items would prove undoubtedly that he is the king appointed by Allah, who is of the successors of Prophets Musa and Harun.
Now that we’ve established this, this gives basis to the Shi’i narrations that state that possession of the weapon of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is evidence of one’s Imamate.
[al-Kafi, volume 1, page 238]
“Abu ‘Abdullah [al-Sadiq] said:
‘The example of the weapon with us is like the casket in Bani Israel. For Bani Israel, any house in which the casket was found on their door - it would be confirmed that they were given Prophethood. (A reference to 2:248, the verse discussed above).
Whomever is given the weapon [of the Prophet] in us, he is given the Imamate.”
باب ) * ( أن مثل سلاح رسول الله مثل التابوت في بني إسرائيل ) 1 - عدة من أصحابنا ، عن أحمد بن محمد ، عن علي بن الحكم ، عن معاوية ابن وهب عن سعيد السمان قال : سمعت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام يقول : إنما مثل السلاح فينا مثل التابوت في بني إسرائيل ، كانت بنو إسرائيل أي أهل بيت وجد التابوت على بابهم أوتوا النبوة فمن صار إليه السلاح منا أوتي الإمامة
Therefore, one who possesses the weapon of the Holy Prophet would be the Imam, the successor of the Prophet. As is known from popular Shi’i and non-Shi’i narrations, the sword of the Prophet is the Dhulfiqar.
[Sunan Ibn Majah 2808]
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) acquired his sword Dhulfiqar, from the spoils of war on the Day of Badr.
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الصَّلْتِ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم تَنَفَّلَ سَيْفَهُ ذَا الْفِقَارِ يَوْمَ بَدْرٍ
As we know, this sword was then gifted to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib. It is also cited in historical sources that the Dhulfiqar was the sword of Imam al-Hussain in the battle of Karbala and was then taken by Imam al-Sajjad after the Battle, as the following non-Shi’i hadith indicates:
[Sahih al-Bukhari 3110]
“Narrated `Ali ibn al-Hussain:
That when they reached Medina after returning from Yazid bin Mua’wiya after the martyrdom of al-Hussain bin ‘Ali (may Allah bestow His Mercy upon him), al-Miswar bin Makhrama met him and said to him, "Do you have any need you may order me to satisfy?" ‘Ali said, "No."
Al-Miswar said, Will you give me the sword of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) for I am afraid that people may take it from you by force? By Allah, if you give it to me, they will never be able to take it till I die."
حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْجَرْمِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي أَنَّ الْوَلِيدَ بْنَ كَثِيرٍ، حَدَّثَهُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ حَلْحَلَةَ الدُّؤَلِيِّ، حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ ابْنَ شِهَابٍ حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ حُسَيْنٍ حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّهُمْ، حِينَ قَدِمُوا الْمَدِينَةَ مِنْ عِنْدِ يَزِيدَ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ مَقْتَلَ حُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ لَقِيَهُ الْمِسْوَرُ بْنُ مَخْرَمَةَ فَقَالَ لَهُ هَلْ لَكَ إِلَىَّ مِنْ حَاجَةٍ تَأْمُرُنِي بِهَا فَقُلْتُ لَهُ لاَ. فَقَالَ لَهُ فَهَلْ أَنْتَ مُعْطِيَّ سَيْفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَإِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ يَغْلِبَكَ الْقَوْمُ عَلَيْهِ،
It is also well known that this weapon of the Holy Prophet stayed among the Ahlulbayt and per Shi’ism, will be the case until Imam al-Mahdi. This is one of the several evidences for their right to rulership, such that no other caliph could claim he had the sword of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as Imam al-Sadiq clarifies below:
[al-Kafi, volume 1, page 378]
“Abu ‘Abdullah al-Sadiq said:
“The master of this matter [the Imam] is known by three traits which are not present in a person other than him:
He is more worthy of the people of his predecessor (Imam) and he is his trustee [successor].
He has the weapon of the Messenger of Allah.
He has the will of the Messenger of Allah.
And those are in my possession - and no one disputes me in them.”
يعرف صاحب هذا الامر بثلاث خصال لا تكون في غيره : هو أولى الناس بالذين قبله وهو وصيه ، وعنده سلاح رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله ووصيته وذلك عندي ، لا أنازع فيه
“No one disputes me in them” - meaning this characteristic of possessing the sword of the Messenger of Allah is unique to His family.
Thus, the sword of the Messenger of Allah was possessed only by the Ahlulbayt, which, per Shi’i narrations, is a unique indicator of their Imamate.
Note:
Some people claim that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had up to 9 swords, many of which ended up in the hands of sultanates such as the Ottomans, thus invalidating the above points.
To this, we cite popular non-Shi’i Q/A website Islamqa:
“In the books of Seerah it is narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had a number of swords. Some of the scholars said that he had nine swords, but there is no proof of that in the saheeh Sunnah except in the case of only one. [..] The only sword for which there is proof in the saheeh Sunnah is Dhu’l-Fiqaar.” (1)
Wa Allahu ‘Aalam.
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