Defining a Nasibi
For an introduction to the literal meaning of Nasibi we have relied on the definitions stipulated by several recognised Ahl’ul Sunnah scholars:
“Famhuus” page 53, Chapter “Al Ba”.
“Taj al Uroous page 277, Volume 4 Chapter “Al Ba Murtazi al Zubaydi”.
“Lisan al Arab” page 762, by Ibn Manzur.
“Hadiya al Sahil ay adalta al Masail” page 96.
“Tadhrib al Radhi” page 311 Allamah Jalaladeen as-Suyuti.
“Akrab al Muwarid” page 2 Chapter “Lananat Nusub”.
In “Lisan al Arab” by Ibn Manzur states:
“Nawasib are those who hate Hadhrath Ali, and embrace that hatred as part of their faith”
May Allah’s curse be upon such people!
In “Taj al Uroous“, we read:
“Nasibi are those who hate Ameer ul Momineen Ali bin Abi Talib (as) and take that enmity as part of their faith”.
“Tadhrib al Radhi” provides the following definition:
“Nasibi ideology means hating Ali and preferring Mu’awiya”.
“Hadiya al Sahil” elaborates yet further:
“Nasibi ideology is a type of flawed character that is very bad, in its worst form is has a hatred for the Imam of Guidance Hadhrath Ali, and takes this as part of its Deen / Iman”.
Note that we have proven the definition by faithfully translating the works of Ahl’ul Sunnah and we invite our Sunni brothers and sisters to ponder. Do not be fooled by these long beards because among these are the enemies of Imam ‘Ali (as). Their enmity is evident from their speeches, but is disguised in such a way that the ordinary man would not recognise it. Their methodology is just like that of hypocrites. They read the Kalima with their tongues but their hearts are polluted with hatred and the proof is their animosity towards Hadhrath ‘Ali (as). Just like a bad foot odour they carry the stench of Nasibi thought everywhere they go - seeking to deceive the majority by proclaiming that this is the correct faith of Ahl’ul Sunnah wa al Jamaa.
To recognise the Nasibi let us investigate the matter further.
Pinpointing the Nasibi founding forefathers
Whilst defining a Nasibi the pen of the Ahl’ul Sunnah Ulema has been somewhat reluctant to pinpoint where Nasibis existed in history and who their Imams were.
Al Muhaddith Shah Abdul Aziz makes two interesting comments in his “Haddeeya Mujedeeya“:
“One who fights ‘Ali [r] with enmity is a kaffir according to the ijma of Ahl’ul Sunnah.”
“Haddeeya Mujedeeya” by Al Muhaddith Shah Abdul Aziz Dehlavi page 813
“Whoever deems ‘Ali [r] to be a kaffir or opposes his khilafath is a kaffir, this trait was evident amongst the Khawaarij at Naharwaan”.
“Haddeeya Mujedeeya” by Al Muhaddith Shah Abdul Aziz Dehlavi page 813
On the same page Shah Abdul Aziz seeks to protect Mu’awiya by pointing out that Mu’awiya does NOT come within this definition since:
“Mu’awiya and the people of Syria sought revenge for the killing of Uthman”.
Unfortunately Shah’s efforts to protect Mu’awiya and his supporters are in vain because it is an established fact that Mu’awiya and his clansmen:
- Opposed the khilafath of Imam Ali (as)
- Bore enmity to Imam Ali (as) by cursing him
- Fought him
All of these points have been discussed at length in our refutation of Ansar’s defence of Mu’awiya.
Hence we have pinpointed those that first wore the Nasibi garb, now let us delve further.
Identifying and recognising Nasibi ideology
Several authoritative Sunni works are being relied on for this section.
Al Muhaddith Shah Abdul Aziz states in “Taufa Ithna Ashari” states:
“Marwan was a Nasibi and was in fact its leader”.
Taufa Ithna Ashari” page 95 Chapter 2 paragraph number 74, by Al Muhaddith Shah ‘Abdul Aziz Dehlavi
Maulana Sayyid Lal Shah Bukhari attributes a different name as the actual Imam of the Nasibis, he writes:
“The founder of Nasibi ideology was Mu’awiya”.
“Isthakhlaaf ai Yazid” by Maulana Sayyid Lal Shah Bukhari page 216
In “Al Bidayah al Nihayah” Ibn Kathir states:
“Marwan was so evil that he would curse Hadhrath ‘Ali”.
“Al Bidayah al Nihayah” page 259, Volume 8 by Ibn Kathir
In “Fatwa Azizi” by Shah Abdul Aziz we read that:
“Mu’awiya would curse Hadhrath ‘Ali (as)”.
“Fatwa Azizi” by al’ Muhaddith Shah Abdul Aziz Dehlavi page 123
Hence Marwan and Mu’awiya were both Nasibis. They were enemies of ‘Ali and embraced this as part of their faith. Their followers are also Nasibis. Their hatred takes numerous guises. In their lectures and writings their Nasibi thought becomes evident as does their hatred for the Shi’a of ‘Ali. This party who pass fatwas of Kufr upon the Shi’a are in fact the spiritual descendants of Marwan and Mu’awiya and thus they adhere to an illegitimate belief formulated in the minds of the enemies of Hadhrath Ali (as).
From the outside one might mistakenly assume that Nasibis are pious adherents of the Sunnah. In their speeches they advocate the importance of adhering to the Sunnah, they wear long caftans, carry miswak, grow long beards, and lick their fingers after a meal - why? Because they will tell you that this was the Sunnah of the Prophet (s). It is curious that they adhere to such minute details, mimicking the Prophet (s) even in his dress sense and yet the important Sunnah, namely that of loving and adhering to the teachings of his Ahl’ul bayt (as) is rejected by them. What is even worse is the fact that they display hatred towards Ahl’ul bayt (as), evident from the fact that they regard their enemies as their Imams.
The casual observer may indeed be taken in by their acts of charity, Islamic circles, lengthy prayers etc - but the reality is these deeds are of no avail, for Rasulullah (s) declared:
“Hatred of ‘Ali is such a thing that no good deeds will benefit, whilst love of ‘Ali is such a thing that no bad deeds will harm you”
al-Nasa’ih al-Kaafiyah page 67
Mu’awiya and Yazid were the Founding Forefathers of Nasibi ideology
A peculiarity of the Nasibis is the immense love they hold for Mu’awiya, the enemy of Ali. The reason is due the fact that the Nasibis owe their religious ideology to him. In the same way a child seeks to cover up the sins of his father, the Nasibis try their utmost to conceal the actions of their father Mu’awiya in hope that the cat is not let out of the bag and their hypocrisy is not publicly unveiled. They will try to convince their faithful that Mu’awiya was a pious man who never hated Ali (as) who fought him for the pleasure of Allah (swt). Alas the Nasibis can continue to deceive their flock but the classical works of the Ahl’ul Sunnah do not tally up with their lies, and as we shall prove the origin of the Nasibi movement in fact lies at the door of their beloved Imam Mu’awiya. We have again relied on two recognised Sunni sources for