hands to pray, and at once the mountains began to tremble and smoke covered the earth. If he had spoken but one word everything would have been destroyed! So the Christians made peace, and agreed to pay an annual tribute of 2,000 robes and 1,000 misqâls of gold. The Shi'ites attach very great importance to this incident, not only as proving the prophetic mission of Muḥammad, but also because it establishes their doctrine of the Imâmate. See "Hyât-ul-Kuloob,” pp. 325, 326. Par. 204. For a fuller account of this incident see Par. 205. 66 Hyât-ul-Kuloob," ch. 19. This idea was possibly derived from Ibn Sabâ, the founder of the Saba'ites, a Jew who carried on a vigorous campaign for 'Alî. See Nicholson, "A Literary History of the Arabs," p. 215. Par. 207. а 66 Aided by divine power, Aly seized the outer ring of the gate, and shook it so violently that the whole fortress trembled. The gate broke away, and Aly, using it as a shield, rushed into the town, which he soon overcame. He then hurled the gate forty cubits distance, which seventy men, to satisfy their curiosity, tried in vain to lift " (“Hyât-ul-Kuloob,” p. 274). Par. 226. The Khârijites divided sins into great (kabîra) and small (șaghîra), and taught that a believer who committed a great sin and did not repent of it became an unbeliever, and if he died without repenting he would remain eternally in the Fire (see Macdonald, "Development," p. 126). The Mu'tazilites said that such a sinner ceased to be a believer, but did not become an unbeliever (kâfir), and must remain forever in the Fire, but his sufferings would be mitigated (see Shahrastânî, p. 29). The Ash'arites said: "We are of the opinion that we may not accuse anyone of unbelief (kufr), who prays towards Mecca, on account of sin committed by him, such as unchastity, theft, wine-drinking, as the Khârijites believe, who judge that these thereby become unbelievers. We teach that whoever commits a great sin (kabîra), or anything like it, holding it to be allowed, is an unbeliever, since he does not believe in its prohibition " (Macdonald, p. 296). Thus only one who holds that such sins are lawful becomes an unbeliever by committing them. With this agrees the creed of an-Nasafî (Macdonald, p. 311): "A great sin (kabîra) does not exclude the creature who believes from the Belief (îmân) and does not make him an unbeliever. And Allâh does not forgive him who joins another with Himself, but He forgives anything beneath that to whom He wills of sins small (şaghîra) or great. And there may be punishment for a small and pardon for a great one, if it be not of the nature of considering lawful what is forbidden, for that is 66 ... unbelief (kufr)." And according to the creed of al-Ghazzâlî (Macdonald, p. 307), the attestors of Allâh's Unity (muwaḥḥids) will be brought forth from the fire after vengeance has been taken on them, so that there will not remain in Hell an attestor of Allâh's Unity." Thus the orthodox belief came to be that after a period of punishment in Hell all believers would be admitted to the Garden. The Shi'ites take the same position. They hold that a believer does not become an unbeliever by committing a great sin. If the sin was against Allâh, he will be forgiven whenever he repents. If, however, the sin was against man, he must first make it right, and then he will be forgiven. If he dies without repenting he will go to Hell for a time, and then be transported to the Garden where he will remain for ever. If he has the intercession of the Prophet and the Imâms or the forgiveness of Allâh, the Fire will not burn him, otherwise he must be tormented to the extent that his sin deserves, and then be carried to the Garden. The Sunnites also hope for the intercession of Muḥammad—“ And the intercession of the Messengers and of the excellent on behalf of those who commit great sins is established" (creed of an-Nasafî, Macdonald, p. 311). "We teach that Allâh will release a few out of Hell on account of Muḥammad's intercession, after they have been scorched there " (creed of al-Ash'arî, Macdonald, p. 296). Par. 234. a The Mu'tazilites considered good works essential to faith (Sell, "The Faith of Islam," p. 185). But Shî'ites and Sunnites agree in holding that "faith (îmân) is assent (taşdîq) to that which comes from Allâh and confession (iqrâr) of it" (creed of an-Nasafî, Macdonald, p. 312), and works are separate from it. |