Imam Sadiq's debate with Motazilis regarding appointment

A group of the Mu'tazelites came to al- Sadiq, peace be on him. Among them were 'Amru b. 'Ubayd, Wasil b. 'Ata', Hafs b. Salim, and the like. They came to al- Sadiq after al- Walid had been killed and the people of Sham (Syria) differed in opinion. They talked very much. So, al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said to them: 'You have talked very much to me, then entrust your matter to a man of you to speak briefly about your proof.'" So, they entrusted their matter to 'Amru b. 'Ubayd, who spoke at great length about the matter. Some of his speech is as follows:
"The people of Sham killed their Caliph. Allah has hit some of them with some of them. So, the have differed in opinion. We had thought of a man (to lead us), then we have found the man with religion, reason, manhood, worthiness of the Caliphate. He is Mohammed b. Abd Allah b. al- Hasan.
We want to nominate him, support him, then we declare our matter through him, and summon people to nominate him. So, whoever nominates him, we will be with him and be with us. Whoever isolates himself from us, we will isolate ourselves from him. Whoever shows enmity toward us, we will fight against him and show enmity toward him due to his enmity and bring him back to the true religion and its people. So, we have decided to submit this matter to you because we are in need of you, and you have outstanding merits and many followers(Shi'a)."
When 'Amru had finished his speech, Abu Abd Allah said: "Do you accept 'Amru's words?' 'Yes, they said, Then, Abu Abd Allah praised Allah and lauded Him and asked Allah to bless the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and then he said: 'Indeed, we become indignant when Allah is disobeyed and we become pleased when He is obeyed. 'Amru, tell me: If the community entrusted its affairs to you and you ruled it without fighting nor provisions, then it was said to you: Nominate the ruler whomever you want over it (the community), whom will you nominate?' 'Amru said: 'I will make it (authority) consultation among the Muslims.'
Al- Sadiq said: 'Among them all?' 'Yes,' said 'Amru. Al- Sadiq said: 'Among their jurists and their good ones?' 'Yes,' 'Amru said. Al-Sadiq said: 'Quraysh and other than them?'
'Arabs and non Arabs,' 'Amru said: 'Yes.' Al- Sadiq said: "Amru, will you support Abu Bakr and 'Umar or renounce them?' 'I will support them,' said 'Amru. Al- Sadiq said: ''Amru, if you are man, then renounce them, for it is permitted for you to disobey them. If you support them, then I disobey them. That is because 'Umar nominated Abu Bakr and did not ask the advice of anyone. Then, 'Umar made the Caliphate consultation among six persons.
He excluded the Ansar and chose those six persons from Quraysh. Then he gave his orders to men concerning those six person. I think that neither you nor your companions accept them.' 'What did 'Umar order men to do?' asked 'Amru. Al- Sadiq answered: ''Umar ordered Suhayb to lead people in prayers for three days.
Those six persons should ask the advice of each other. No one should be among them except 'Umar's son. They should ask the advice of 'Umar's son but he had no right in the Caliphate. He ordered the Muhajrin (immigrants) and Ansars (the supporters) to behead those six persons if they did not elect one of them during the three days.
And if four of the six persons held a meeting before the three days end and two persons absented themselves from the meeting, then the two persons had to be killed. Do you accept these deeds concerning consultation which you intend to summon Muslims to?' 'No,' they said. Al- Sadiq said: 'Amru, leave this. Suppose that you have nominated your companion and all Muslim community accepted that, then will you reach the atheists?' 'Yes,' the said. Al- Sadiq said: 'What will you do?' 'Amru said: "We will summon them to Islam. When they refuse that, we will impose poll tax on them.' Al- Sadiq said: 'What will you do when they are magians, fire and animal worshippers, and are not from the followers of the Divine Books?' 'They are equal,' 'Amru answered.
Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said: 'Tell me: Do you read the Koran?' "Yes," 'Amru answered. Al- Sadiq said: 'Read (this) verse: Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Apostle have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay poll tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection.'(242) 'Amru said: 'Allah, the Great and Almighty, has regarded them as equal.' 'From whom have you learned that?" asked al- Sadiq. 'I have heard people say that.' Answered 'Amru.
Al- Sadiq said: 'Now, leave that. Suppose that they (non- Muslims) refused to pay poll tax and you fought against them and defeated them, then how would you divide the booty?" 'Amru answered: 'I take out one fifth (Khoms) and divided four fifths among the fighters.' Al- Sadiq asked: 'You divide the booty among all the fighters?' 'Yes,' 'Amru answered. Al-Sadiq, peace be on him, said: 'Then you disagree with Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, on his acts and behavior. Between you and I are the jurists of Medina and their Shaykhs. Ask them.
They are all in agreement that Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, made peace with the Bedouins (A'rab) to let them live in their houses and that they had not to immigrate. However, when his enemies attacked him, he mobilized them (the Bedouins) and gave them nothing of the booty, while you say that you divide booty equally among them. So, you are in disagreement with Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, on his behavior toward the atheists.'
Al- Sadiq said: 'Now,leave that. What is about alms?' 'Amru read this verse: 'Alms are only for the poor and the needy, and the officials (appointed) over it (alms)...."(243) Al- Sadiq said: 'Yes, how do you divide it (alms) among them?'
'Amru answered: 'I divide it into eight shares. So, I give each group a share.' Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said: 'If one group is ten thousands people, and one group is one or two or three people, then you have made the share of the second group as the share of the first group?' 'Yes,' 'Amru answered. Al- Sadiq said:
'Do you divide alms equally among the people of towns and the people of the deserts?' 'Yes,' 'Amru answered. Al- Sadiq said: 'Then, you are in disagreement with Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, on his behavior. Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, divided the alms of the deserts, the alms of towns among the people of the towns. He did not divided alms equally among them. He divided alms among those who came to him and those whom he saw. Then, if you have doubt about what I have said, the jurists of the people of Medina and their Shaykhs are all in agreement that Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, did that.'
Then, al- Sadiq turned to 'Amru and said: ''Amru, fear Allah. You, people, fear Allah, too. That is because my father, who was the best of the people of the earth and the most knowledgeable of them in Allah's Book and the Sunna of His Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, has told me: 'Whoever hits people with his sword and summons them to himself, and there is (a person) more knowledgeable than him among the Muslims is astray and pretending.'"(244)

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