Mubahala

The Event of Mubahala () was a meeting between the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a Christian delegation from Najran (present-day Saudi Arabia), in the month of Dhu'l-Hijja, 10 AH (October 631, October 631–32, October 632–33), where Muhammad called for invoking a curse to reveal who was lying about their religious differences.

The initial effort was to invite the Najrani Christians to Islam and acknowledgement of Muhammad as a prophet. During religious discussions of similarities and differences, the topic of the divinity of 'Īsā (Jesus) arose. The Christians refused to accept Muhammad's teachings about Christ and refused denying their beliefs. Muhammad suggested invoking a mubahala (prayer curse) regarding their refusal, and included his ''Ahl al-Bayt'' in the call to invoke a curse.

The Christians returned to the place they were staying. Their leader al-Sayyid, al-'Aqib advised them saying: "If he challenges us with his people, we accept the challenge for he is not a prophet; but if he challenges us with his family in particular we don't challenge him, for he is not going to put forward his family unless he is truthful."

The morning of 24th Dhul Hijjah, Muhammad emerged at the appointed time. He brought only selected members of his family, carrying Husayn in his arm with Hasan holding his hand, followed by Fatima and Ali. Tradition states the Christians were surprised when they saw Muhammad's family (" Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husayn") accompanying Muhammad. Christians were surprised and, according to the traditions, decided not to invoke a curse on Muhammad and the others. They instead asked for peace by offering Muhammad tribute in return for protection. Islamic sources offer various explanations of the outcome. Some narratives suggest the Christians would have perished by the end of the year if they had entered into the imprecations.

The event is commemorated annually on 24 Dhu al-Hijjah by Shia and is an inceptual argument for Shia Muslims in proving that ''Ahl al-Kisaʾ'' (People of the Cloak) are the ''Ahl al-Bayt'' (People of the Household f Muhammad mentioned in the Quran.

Concept

''Al-Mubahalah'' ( ar, ٱلْمُبَاهَلَة) is derived from the Arabic word ''bahlah'' ( ar, بَهْلَة, lit=curse), with ''Bahala'' ar, بَهَلَ) being a root verb which means "to curse". ''Al-bahl'' ( ar, ٱلْبَهْل, lit=the curse) is also used to mean a scarcity of water. The term 'mubahala' can also mean withdrawing mercy from one who lies or engages in falsehood.

In the Quran, ''al-mubahala'' (invocation of God's curse) was mentioned as a decisive solution to the dispute over Jesus between the Christians of Najran and Muhammad. Allah ordered Muhammad to call on the Christians to invoke God's curse (''mubahala'' – verse 3.61) upon those who are intentionally unjust in their claim in order to determine who was telling the truth.

The Quran's mubahala verse is one of the most controversial verses due to the debate with Christianity and more-so the Shia and Sunni division within Islam. Praying for God to curse the liar regarding religious disputes is an ancient Arabic tradition. Mubahala was common among Semitic tribes, being found in writings that existed prior to Muhammad's preaching of Islam.

The event of Mubahala is an instance of the Quran's critique of Christians doctrine; God on earth as Christ (Incarnation). From this historical event, Muslims were to continue debating major points of the Christians' faith with Christians defending and defining their doctrines and practices.

Background

In the ninth year of Hijra, Muhammad is reported to have sent a letter to Abd al-Harith ibn Alqama, the Grand Bishop of Najran, the official representative of the Roman Church in the Hijaz, inviting the people of that area to embrace Islam. In response to that letter a delegation was sent to Muhammad.

Between 21 and 25 of Dhu'l-Hijja 10 A.H. / 22 to 26 March 632 A.D. pecific dates contested the delegation arrived and discussions of religion and theology began, with the subject eventually turning to Jesus, the Messiah, and the question of defining what and who Jesus really is compared to what he is actually understood to be for each party. Muhammad preached to them that Jesus is a human being granted revelation by God and requested them to accept Islam. The Christians, however, were not convinced and responded with their explanations of Christ being divine.

Because of the Christians' refusal to accept Muhammad's demand to acknowledge his message of Jesus, at odds with the Christians' view of Jesus' divinity as the Son of God, the call to invoke a curse was initiated by Muhammad in order for God to disclose the truth in a practical manner.

According to the Ismalic tradition, after being unable to resolve the conflict over who Jesus is, the verse of Mubahalah (Quran 3:61) was revealed to Muhammad: We include the Mubahalah verse and its previous two verses.

Traditional narrative from hadiths

According to Ibn Hisham's '' sirah'', Muhammad recites the mubahala verses to the Christians and after lengthy discussions, no agreement was reached on the position and standing of Jesus. At the end of the discussions, Muhammad demands the two sides engage in Mubahala.

The Christians returned to the place they were staying. Their leader al-Sayyid, al-'Aqib advised them saying: "If he challenges us with his people, we accept the challenge for he is not a prophet; but if he challenges us with his family in particular we don't challenge him, for he is not going to put forward his family unless he is truthful."

The morning of 24th Dhul Hijjah, Muhammad emerged at the appointed time. He brought only selected members of his family, carrying Husayn in his arm with Hasan holding his hand, followed by Fatima and Ali. Tradition states the Christians were surprised when they saw Muhammad's family (" Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husayn") accompanying Muhammad.

Muhammad offered to do the ''Mubahala'', asking each conflicting party to cover themselves with a cloak, and that all parties ask God sincerely to destroy and inflict with curses on the lying party and their families. The Christians consulted each other, and Abdul Haris lbne Alqama, a scholar among them, talked them out of carrying out the Mubahala.

The Christians refused, so Muhammad gave them two alternatives: either to convert to Islam or pay the ''Jizyah'' (a tax on free non-Muslims under Muslim rule). The Christians agreed to pay tribute and asked Muhammad to send with them a trustworthy man to aid them in judging monetary disputes amongst themselves. Muhammad is said to have agreed and appointed Abu 'Ubaydah ibn Al-Jarrah, out of a large group of willing and hopeful contenders.

Accounts of the Christians' response

The earliest Islamic testimonials (hadith) and histories report different details regarding the dialogue between the Christians and Muhammad which some of them have been brought in following:

Ibn Ishaq reports in his '' Sirat al-Nabi'' that the delegation's leader is convinced of Muhammad's prophethood and advises cursing Muhammad would be a disaster.

In Muqatil, the Christian leader simply says that, in any scenario, cursing Muhammad would be disastrous and that Allāh will destroy the liars by the end of the year.

Al-Tabari reports uncertainty among the Christians and that, according to Amir al-Shabi, after the Christians initially accept the mubahala they later seek advice from a wise man in their group, with that man rebuking them and convincing them not to invoke the curse.

Ibn Sa'd doesn't provide details of the dialogue aside from the Christian leader responding to Muhammad with "We think it proper not to curse you. You may order us as you like and we shall obey you and shall make peace with you."

Participants

Regarding the participants in the Event of Mubahala, Madelung argues that 'our sons' in the Verse of Mubahala (Quran 3:61) must refer to Muhammad's grandchildren, Hasan and Husayn. In that case, he continues, it would be reasonable to also include in the event their parents, Ali and Fatima. Of those present on Muhammad's side, Shia traditions are unanimous that 'our women' refers to Fatima and 'ourselves' refers to Ali. In particular, since the verse refers to Ali as the self of Muhammad, Shia holds that the former enjoys the same authority as the prophet. In contrast, most Sunni accounts by al-Tabari do not name the participants of the event, while some other Sunni historians agree with the Shia view.

Some accounts about the Event of Mubahala add that Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn stood under Muhammad's cloak and this five are thus known as the Ahl al-Kisa (). Madelung writes that their inclusion by Muhammad in this significant ritual must have raised the religious rank of his family. A similar view is voiced by Lalani. At the , Muhammad is reported to have defined his () as Ali, Fatima, and their two sons, according to Shia and some Sunni sources, including the canonical ''Sahih Muslim'' and ''Sunan al-Tirmidhi''.

Modern understanding

According to Sidney H. Griffith, it is noteworthy that in this passage the Quran leaves the judgment with God, once the two parties "would have staked their lives and those of their loved ones on their own steadfastness in faith".

Parts of the Quran are interpreted as forging a continuous dialogue between Muslims and Christians, in the same time, however, it assumes that the dialogue between Jews, Christians, and Muslims will sometimes take the form of arguments about religion, for one passage says, "Do not dispute with the People of the Book save in the fairest way; Except for those who are evil doers." And say: "We believe in what has been sent down to us and what has been sent to you. Our God and your God are one and to Him we are submissive."

Archeologist and historical linguist, Dr. Mohammed Maraqten, states regarding how ancient Arabic practices fashioned Islamic thought:

Summary from Muqatil's Tafsir explains the event of Mubahala was less about the confrontation with the Najran Christians but more about the authority of Muḥammad and his claim of prophethood. As explained in the Muqatil's exegesis, the divinity of Jesus was less of a precedent despite the legend of the confrontation between Muhammad and the Christians. According to Gordon Nickel, the effort instead, as described in the Tafsir, was to determine the Jewish community of Madina and the Najrani Christians to be subordinate to Muhammad's honor.

According to Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i in ''Tafsir al-Mizan'', Muhammad said that the Christians escaped being turned into monkeys and pigs, and all of Najran would have perished within a year of the mubahala.

Eid al-Mubahalah

''ʿĪd al-Mubāhalah'' ( ar, عِيْد ٱلْمُبَاهَلَة) is an annual Shi'ite Muslim commemoration of Mubahala.

In the Gregorian calendar

While Eid al-Mubahalah is always on nearly the same day (24 Dhu al-Hijjah) of the Islamic calendar, the date on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year because of differences between the two calendars, since the Islamic calendar, the Hijri calendar (AH), is a lunar calendar and the Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar. This date is shown for a selection of years, according to the Calendar center of Geophysics institute of Tehran University, in the table below:

See also

*Imprecatory Psalms
*Curse
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Notes

References

Sources

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External links

Tafseer al-Mizan, exegesis of 3:61–63Peshawar NightsMubahalah in Persian

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