A Shi’i-Sunni dialogue (also known as ‘The Right Path’)Letter 51 and 52
Letter 51
Rebutting the Arguments Through Similar Ones
Muharram 14, 1330
Their debaters may refute your claim by citing texts which enUmarate the virtues of the three righteous caliphs, and by citing other texts praising the posterity from the Muhajirun (Meccan Immigrants) and the Ansar (Medenite Supporters); so, what would you say to that?
Sincerely,
Letter 52
Rejecting the Rebuttal’s Premises
Muharram 15, 1330
We believe in the virtues of all posterity since the time of the Muhajirun and the Ansar, may Allah be pleased with them and they with Him, and these are beyond count or reckoning. Certain verses of the Book (Qur’an), in addition to a few Sunni sahih books, must suffice you for a testimony in this regard. We have scrutinized these, too. We have not found them at all, and Allah knows best, to be in contradiction to the texts that praise ‘Ali (as), or even in any way eligible to disqualify him [from caliphate].
Yes, our opponents may stand alone in narrating the ahadith which are not authentic according to our sources. Their use of such ahadith to disprove our views is rejected and is not expected from any unbiased arbitrator. We by no means can take them into serious consideration. Do you not see how we do not argue by quoting the texts narrated only by our own sources?
On the contrary, we base our arguments on their own narrations regarding events such as the Ghadir incident or the like. But we have scrutinized the texts pertaining to these virtues recorded by their sources, and we could not find any clues in them opposing such caliphate, nor do they contain anything suggesting it; therefore, they have not been relied upon by anyone to prove the legitimacy of the caliphate of the three righteous caliphs, Wassalam.
Sincerely,
Did the Prophet say ‘Follow the two Caliphs after me’ Part 1
