Hadith of Mubahela
Encyclopedia
The Hadith of Mubahela is Muslim tradition about a debate of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad
with the Christians
of Najran
and summoned the members of his household, the Ahl al-Bayt
.
The event is recorded in several hadith
collections and is referred to in the Qur'an
ic Sura
Al Imran
.
It is seen as one of the merits of Ahl al-Bayt and is widely used in Shia-Sunni arguments, and also used by the Shīa to prove that Ali
has the same authority over Muslims as Muhammad.
were unhappy about the rapid spread of Islam in the lands of Arabia. They wished to discuss this matter with Muhammad and arrived in Medina
in 630
CE. Learned scholars were selected by the Christians who had a continuous dialogue with Muhammad for three days. It started on Saturday, when Sunday arrived, the Christians asked to leave the city to pray. Muhammad told them to stay and pray inside the mosque
, which they did.
Muhammad and the Christians were unable to arrive on any mutual understanding. At this point, Muhammad received revelation from God (recorded in Sura Al Imran
):
The next morning, Muhammad emerged from his house with his closest family. He held the hand of Hasan
walking beside him, held Husain
in his arms, followed by his daughter Fatimah
and finally by his son-in-law Ali. He came and stood with this family in front of the Christian bishop
s who also came forward to perform the Mubahela.
The chief of the Christians was bishop Abul Harris. When he saw this small family of the Prophet he turned towards his fellow Christians and told them, They asked Muhammad for peace and it was accepted. Muhammad extended the hand of friendship towards them, a treaty was signed and both parties left on friendly terms.
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
with the Christians
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
of Najran
Najran
Najran , formerly known as Aba as Sa'ud, is a city in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen. It is the capital of Najran Province. Designated a New town, Najran is one of the fastest-growing cities in the kingdom; its population has risen from 47,500 in 1974 and 90,983 in 1992 to...
and summoned the members of his household, the Ahl al-Bayt
Ahl al-Bayt
Ahl al-Bayt is an Arabic phrase literally meaning People of the House, or family of the House. The phrase "ahl al-bayt" was used in Arabia before the advent of Islam to refer to one's clan, and would be adopted by the ruling family of a tribe. Within the Islamic tradition, the term refers to the...
.
The event is recorded in several hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
collections and is referred to in the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
ic Sura
Sura
A sura is a division of the Qur'an, often referred to as a chapter. The term chapter is sometimes avoided, as the suras are of unequal length; the shortest sura has only three ayat while the longest contains 286 ayat...
Al Imran
Al Imran
Sura Ali-Imran is the 3rd chapter of the Qur'an with two hundred verses.-Overview:Imran in Islam is regarded as the father of Mary. This chapter is named after the family Imran , which includes Imran, Saint Anne, Mary, and Jesus. The chapter is believed to have been revealed in Medina and is...
.
It is seen as one of the merits of Ahl al-Bayt and is widely used in Shia-Sunni arguments, and also used by the Shīa to prove that Ali
Ali
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
has the same authority over Muslims as Muhammad.
Narration
According to Islamic tradition, the Christians of NajranNajran
Najran , formerly known as Aba as Sa'ud, is a city in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen. It is the capital of Najran Province. Designated a New town, Najran is one of the fastest-growing cities in the kingdom; its population has risen from 47,500 in 1974 and 90,983 in 1992 to...
were unhappy about the rapid spread of Islam in the lands of Arabia. They wished to discuss this matter with Muhammad and arrived in Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
in 630
630
Year 630 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 630 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Byzantine Empire :* Croats and Serbs settle in the...
CE. Learned scholars were selected by the Christians who had a continuous dialogue with Muhammad for three days. It started on Saturday, when Sunday arrived, the Christians asked to leave the city to pray. Muhammad told them to stay and pray inside the mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
, which they did.
Muhammad and the Christians were unable to arrive on any mutual understanding. At this point, Muhammad received revelation from God (recorded in Sura Al Imran
Al Imran
Sura Ali-Imran is the 3rd chapter of the Qur'an with two hundred verses.-Overview:Imran in Islam is regarded as the father of Mary. This chapter is named after the family Imran , which includes Imran, Saint Anne, Mary, and Jesus. The chapter is believed to have been revealed in Medina and is...
):
The next morning, Muhammad emerged from his house with his closest family. He held the hand of Hasan
Hasan ibn Ali
Al-Hasan ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib is an important figure in Islam, the son of Fatimah the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and of the fourth Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib. Hasan is a member of the Ahl al-Bayt and Ahl al-Kisa...
walking beside him, held Husain
Husayn ibn Ali
Hussein ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fātimah Zahrā...
in his arms, followed by his daughter Fatimah
Fatimah
Fatimah was a daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad from his first wife Khadijah bint Khuwaylid. She is regarded by Muslims as an exemplar for men and women. She remained at her father's side through the difficulties suffered by him at the hands of the Quraysh of Mecca...
and finally by his son-in-law Ali. He came and stood with this family in front of the Christian bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s who also came forward to perform the Mubahela.
The chief of the Christians was bishop Abul Harris. When he saw this small family of the Prophet he turned towards his fellow Christians and told them, They asked Muhammad for peace and it was accepted. Muhammad extended the hand of friendship towards them, a treaty was signed and both parties left on friendly terms.