CHAPTER 22 The Fake Kalimah Shahada of Abu Hurairah and the Ahlul Sunnah
We have seen how Islam has been changed from the perfection that is still found within the pages of the Quran to become basically an Arab paganism of the medieval desert which is actually a plagiarism from the Christian Bible. In this part of the book we will discuss an example of the religion of Ahlul Sunnah Wal Jamaah and the Shiah which are again in contradiction to the teachings of the Quran.
The Fake Shahadah
To profess their faith in their religion, the Sunnis and Shiahs make this declaration: "I bear witness that there is no god except God and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God. " (Arabic transliteration: "Ash hadu anlaa ilaaha illallaahu wa ash hadu anna muhammadar-rasulallah"). The Shiahs may add the words ‘wa Ali Waliullah’ meaning ‘and Ali is the vicegerent of God’.
This testimony is called the Shahadah and according to Sunni belief it must be recited by every Sunni as an attestation of their allegiance to their religion. Consequently any person who does not 'bear witness' is not accepted as a Sunni by them.
However this testimony is not sanctioned by the true teachings of the Prophet, which are found in the Quran, the veritable word of God.
The Sunnis may feel astounded at this statement especially as the Shahadah is considered to be the foundation of Sunni faith. This is why it is important to take a careful and critical look before reaching any impulsive conclusions.
For the Sunni, the purpose of the Shahadah is many fold. For example without reciting the Shahadah, the Sunnis consider their ritual prayer (to God) as nullified. Also before a newcomer is accepted into the Sunni religion, a public declaration by reciting the Shahadah in front of witnesses must be made. In some countries converts are given a "certificate" after reciting the Shahadah to confirm they have been "admitted" into the Sunni fold. However, it is not known if such "certificates" are also a complimentary pass into heaven!
To associate anything or anyone with God is known as 'shirk', the highest degree of blasphemy, which God does not forgive. This is made clear in chapter 4 verse 48.
[Surah 4:48] Surely God does not forgive that anything should be associated with Him, and forgives what is besides that to whomsoever He pleases; and whoever associates anything with God, he devises indeed a great sin.
The Quran also stipulates that Muslims must profess faith in the One God and not call on anyone else other than God.
The Quran is quite clear on this :
[Surah 39:45] And when God alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the hereafter shrink with aversion, and when those besides Him are mentioned, lo! they are joyful.
This verse describes the Sunnis most exactly. When you tell the Sunnis ‘Please mention God’s name alone’ they will get uncontrollably angry. Angry enough to want to kill you. This is because they do not believe in God. But when you tell the Sunnis ‘Alright lets also mention the name Muhammad’ they will immediately become joyful.
The Shahadah, therefore, cannot be the correct way to affirm faith because besides God, the name Muhammad is included in this attestation and also mentioned in the Sunni ritual prayer. The Sunnis retort that they worship God and are not worshipping Muhammad but they are merely paying Muhammad due respect by mentioning his name in their ritual prayers and their Shahadah. But at the same time they also say that if the name Muhammad is not mentioned their ritual worship of God is nullified plus also their Shadahah attestation of faith is also nullified. It is obvious that the key to their faith is mentioning the name Muhammad. Without mentioning this name Muhammad, everything else fails for them. This is shirk or associating partners with God.
People blindly following their ulema without thinking or challenge are the root of wrong beliefs. This acceptance of the Shahadah is no different. If only people read and understand the Quran then they would realize that God revealed the following verse to the Messenger which is just as applicable to us today as it was to him: "
[Surah 17:36] You shall not accept any information, unless you verify it for yourself. I have given you the hearing, the eyesight, and the brain, and you are responsible for using them.
God wants us to substantiate our beliefs and we should follow His advice.
Abu Hurairah
The Shahadah testimony that is recited by the Sunnis originates from a fictional character by the name of Abu Hurairah and is recorded in the fake 'hadith'. The hadith given below is from "Mishkat-ul-Masabih", translation by Maulana Fazlul Karim, Volume 1, Chapter 1, no.27. (Published by the Book House, Lahore, Pakistan). As there are many versions of this hadith, the collections of Tirmidzi should also be read.
The fake hadith regarding the Shahadah says: One day Abu Hurairah went to the people and told them that the Messenger had authorized him to go and tell them to recite the Shahadah "ash hadu anlaa ilaha illallhu wa ash hadu anna muhammadar-rasulullah". Another version reads " muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu". The first person Abu Hurairah came across to give the Shahadah was Saidina Omar (later the second caliph). When Omar heard it he promptly punched Abu Hurairah in the chest and knocked him to the ground. Then Omar put his foot on Abu Hurairah's neck and asked him how dare he utter such a blasphemy.
Abu Hurairah (who is recorded in the hadith as having received quite a few beatings from Omar during his lifetime) then cried out and named the Messenger as his authority. When again challenged by Saidina Omar, Abu Hurairah pulled out a pair of leather slippers and showed them to Omar. The slippers, he said, were given to him by the Prophet, as proof of what he was saying. Recognizing the prophet's slippers, Omar simmered down. Everyone then happily started reciting the shahadah.
This most incredible story is the background to the Shahadah of Abu Hurairah, which has been adopted by millions of Sunnis. Quite understandably after the falsehood of the Sunni Shadahah was exposed many years ago, some Sunni ulema immediately started casting doubt on this fake hadith from Abu Hurairah. Some of them said that the authenticity of this fake hadith was in question. This is so typical of the ulema. When it does not suit them they say their own fake hadith is not reliable. When the occasion serves them well, the fake hadith is accepted. This is the Ulema Shuffle.
In the Quran God says, "The believers are kind to each other and stern with the disbelievers..." Sura 5:54. The 'fake hadith' books too are full of incredible stories of how great friends the companions of the prophet (known as 'Sahaba') were and the love and kindness they showed towards each other.
Fourteen centuries down the road today the Tabligh people (sunni missionaries) always greet each other with hugs and kisses, supposedly to emulate the brotherly Sahaba. But in this particular 'fake hadith', we have one Sahaba knocking another down to the ground for bringing along something as important as the Shahadah!
In another fake account of this same episode, Omar is reported as challenging the Messenger if he did indeed send Abu Hurairah with his slippers to recite the Shahadah. When the Messenger said yes, Omar disagreed with him and said the Shahadah will make people "lazy"! Whatever the logic of this fake hadith can be left for the advocates of the fake hadith to explain. Yet again the narrator of this fabrication is Abu Hurairah.
About the believers and the companions of the prophet, the Quran says;
[Surah 24:51] The only utterance of the believers, whenever invited to GOD and His messenger to judge in their affairs, is to say, "We hear and we obey." These are the winners.
Abu Hurairah's ridiculous fable not only contradicts the above verse but also contradicts Sura 6:51 where God tells the Messenger, the companions and whomever the Quran reaches:
[Surah 6:51] And preach with this (Quran) to those who reverence the summoning before their Lord - they have none beside Him as a Lord and Master, nor an intercessor - that they may attain salvation.
Instead Abu Hurairah said that the Prophet handed over his pair of slippers to him and told him to preach with the slippers in hand as proof of authenticity. By his confession Abu Hurairah was beaten by Omar, who argued with the Prophet and said that the Shahadah was unwise. Does the “basis of faith” rest on such an absurd tale?
No one seems to know the correct identity of this Abu Hurairah. Even today scholars cannot agree on his real name. Despite there being a fake hadith (also attributed to Abu Hurairah) that we should not call people by nicknames, Abu Hurairah is itself a nickname which means "the Father of Cats". So the originator of the Sunni Shahadah was an unknown man who was attacked unceremoniously by another companion of the Messenger! It is now apparent that there is significant evidence to show that the Shahadah testimony of the Sunni people has a very dubious background based on ludicrous hadith falsely attributed to the Prophet whom they claim to love!
How then does Abu Hurairah's Shahadah contradict the Prophet's true teachings? The Quran was revealed by God to the Prophet who then passed on this message, first to the companions and then to the rest of the people. Besides being God's own revelation, the Quran represents what was actually said by the Prophet. Anyone who rejects this simple fact cannot at all claim to be a Muslim.
So what did God commanded the Messenger to tell us?
[Surah 72:18] The places of worship belong to GOD; do not call on anyone else beside GOD.
However, in the Shahadah of Abu Hurairah, the Sunnis call on the Messenger as well as God. The Sunni scholars will argue that the mention of the Messenger's name is only out of respect. But then in the same breath, they will insist that their five times a day ritual prayer to God Almighty is nullified if the name Muhammad is not mentioned in the Shahadah during the ritual prayers. This is tantamount to idolatry as associating another person with God is committing 'shirk' - the unforgivable offence.
God Alone
The human has a major weakness. He finds it difficult to believe in an unseen God. Even the Prophet Moses had this problem.
"When Moses came to our audience, and His Lord spoke to him, he said, "My Lord let me look and see you". He said, "You cannot see Me..." (Surah 7:143).
The human looks for something tangible, hence the Christians first elevated Jesus to a Son of God and then to the status of God Himself. The Hindus worship humans like Rama and Krishna who they say are gods. The Sunnis have similarly idolized Muhammad and have given him a divine status by adding his name to the Shahadah testament. Most appropriately the Sunnis should be called "Mohammedans".
To remind them of this folly will only raise their anger. Perhaps they do not know that it is the Prophet himself who taught the following:
"When God alone is advocated, the hearts of those who do not believe in the hereafter shrink with aversion. But when OTHERS are mentioned besides Him, they rejoice" Sura 39:45.
Note how angry the Mohammedan become when you mention God alone. Their anger subsides only when you agree to add "Muhammad" as the second half of Abu Hurairah's Shahada - “And I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God" (Arabic transliteration: wa ash hadu anna muhammadar rasulullah).
It may come as a great surprise to the Sunnis and Shiahs too but this Shahadah is actually the Shahadah of the Munafiks. God has revealed to the Messenger that this is actually the Shahadah of the hypocrites (Arabic: Munafiq).
"Among the Arabs around you there are hypocrites, and among the city dwellers as well. They persist in hypocrisy and while you (Muhammad) may not know them, me know them. We will double the punishment for them, then they will be returned for a terrible retribution" (Sura 9:101).
Here God is telling the Messenger that hypocrites surround him and that he does not know who they are. Only God knows the hypocrites. But God promises
"... He will most certainly expose the hypocrites" Sura 29:11.
The hypocrites around the Prophet are worried about this too:
[Surah 9:64] The hypocrites worry that a sura may be revealed exposing what is inside their hearts. Say, "Go ahead and mock. GOD will expose exactly what you are afraid of."
Hypocrites Exposed
God also says that the hypocrites can be recognized by way they engage in vain talk.
“If we will we can expose them for you, so that you can recognize them just by looking at them. However you can recognize them from what they say. God is fully aware of all your works" (Surah 47:30).
Hence God promises to expose the hypocrites. One such method is recorded in the Quran in Sura 63:1.
"When the hypocrites come to you and say: "WE BEAR WITNESS THAT YOU ARE THE MESSENGER OF GOD. God indeed knows that you are His Messenger. God bears witness that the hypocrites are liars" (Surah 63:1).
The Arabic is quite unmistakable. The munafiks or hypocrites come and say ‘nash hadu innaka rasuulillah’. The important thing to note in this verse is that the emphasized words form the second part of Abu Hurairah's Shahadah, which is now recited by all the Mohammedan Sunnis and Shiahs. This as we see from the verse 63.1 is actually the Shahadah of the hypocrites!
What the hypocrites say is vain talk because God indeed knows that the Prophet is already His Messenger
‘..God indeed knows that you are His Messenger..’ (Surah 63:1).
God does not need any one to affirm back to Him what He already knows about His own Messenger.
The Quran says; "We have sent you as a Messenger and GOD SUFFICES AS A WITNESS..." Sura 4:79.
This is exactly what the Messenger told the believers. There is no need to bear witness on him because God has already done so and that is enough. For those who are hard of hearing or dim witted God repeats this important message again :
"God bears witness concerning what He has revealed to you. He has revealed it with His knowledge. And the angels bear witness as well, BUT GOD IS ENOUGH AS A WITNESS" Sura 4:166.
Again this is what the Messenger told the companions. God is enough as a witness. God even discourages attempts at witnessing other Messengers:
"You were not on the slope of the western Mount when we gave Moses the commandments. YOU WERE NOT A WITNESS" Sura 28:44.
So people cannot "witness" the messengership of the Messengers. We were NOT witnesses.
To reiterate, God says He will certainly expose the hypocrites (sura 29:11). God then says the Messenger can recognize the hypocrites from the things they say (sura 47:30). So when the hypocrites come and insist that they want to bear witness on the Messenger (sura 63;1), they expose themselves as hypocrites.
And the fictional character Abu Hurairah (after 1400 years no one among the Ahlul Sunnah ulema knows his real name) has fooled millions of Ahlul Sunnah and Shiah into reciting the same hypocrisy everyday of their lives.
The Quran says: [3:18] GOD bears witness that there is no god except He, and so do the angels and those who possess knowledge. Truthfully and equitably, He is the absolute god; there is no god but He, the Almighty, Most Wise.
God is enough as a Witness
Again God says that His own witness is enough:
"Say, Whose testimony is the greatest'' Say, "God's (testimony is the greatest). HE IS THE WITNESS BETWEEN ME AND YOU that this Quran has been inspired to me, to preach it to you and whomever it reaches.." Sura 6:19.
And because "... God suffices as a witness..." Sura 4:79 and 4:166 the Shahadah as proclaimed by Abu Hurairah is therefore a lie – a fabrication by whoever wrote the 'hadith'.
Despite the evidence of the Quran, which even the Ahlul Sunnah will not deny is the truest teaching of the Messenger, the hypocrites insist on bearing witness to Muhammad. They insist on bearing witness when God says He needs no other witness apart from Himself.
Most importantly, the Shahadah of Abu Hurairah, by its purpose, goes against Sura 72:18 and Sura 39:45 in that it associates the name Muhammad with God. Without bearing witness on Muhammad, the Sunnis say that their ritual prayer and faith are void. Even though by evidence from the Quran this is shown to be idol-worship, "shirk" of the highest order. Each time recite the Sunni Shahadah they are committing idol-worship, "shirk", the unpardonable blasphemy for which they may burn in hell.
The True Shahada
There is no god except He
What then is the real attestation, which Muslims can recite to affirm their faith? Perhaps when the companions asked the Messenger this question, he would have replied: "The word of your Lord is complete, in truth and justice. Nothing shall abrogate His words. He is the hearer, the knower". Sura 6:114
Therefore the answer is definitely in the Quran. God gave it to us complete, clear and simple in Surah 3:18, " GOD bears witness that there is no god except He, and so do the angels and those who possess knowledge. Truthfully and equitably, He is the absolute god; there is no god but He, the Almighty, Most Wise. "
Adding Muhammad's name to this Shahada of God, of the angels and of those who possess knowledge is a gross sign of the hypocrites.
Surah 63:1 "When the hypocrites come to you they say, "We bear witness that you are the messenger of GOD."* GOD knows that you are His messenger, and GOD bears witness that the hypocrites are liars."
The Ahlul Sunnah and Shiah have been fooled by their ulema to follow the munafiks. They themselves become hypocrites.