The researcher-imam Nasar ad-Din al-Tusi, namely Muhammed ibn Muhammed ibn al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy on his soul, has said, “... And he sent people to the house of the Commander of the Faithful (A.S.) when he refused to swear the oath of allegiance to him (to Abu Bakr), so he set it ablaze while Fatima (A.S.) and a number of Bani Hashim were still inside it.”[1]
`Allama al-Hilli added to the above his saying, “And they took Ali (A.S.) out by force, and with him al-Zubayr was inside the house. They broke the latter’s sword and took him out of the house. Fatima (A.S.) was beaten, and she miscarried a son named Muhassan.”[2]
Making a list of criticisms against the second caliph, he also said, “... He intended to burn the house of the Prophet.”[3]
We would like to note here that neither Shams ad-Din al-Isfarayani, in his book titled Tasdad al-`Aqa’id fa Tajrad al-Qawa`id, which is also known as the ancient Sharh, nor al-Qawshaji denies what the researcher al-Tusi has said, nor did they cast any doubt about the authenticity of the narrative as they used to do in other instances. Rather, he was satisfied with justifying Ali’s lagging behind rather than take the oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr by saying that he had an excuse, or something like that, so refer to it.[4]
This is so despite the fact that al-Qawshaji is so well known for his fanaticism, he is described by major Imamite scholars as a “stubborn and relentless fanatic.”[5]
In another place, the same author says the following about him: “This, coming from him, is an outrageous arrogance, purely and simply so, because their lagging behind his (Usamah’s) army, and his allegiance to him, is famous to both parties and is mentioned by them both. Nobody can refute it. When someone is honest and fair, you should surrender to him and obey him. Since al-Qawshaji is a stubborn arrogant man, a stubbornly argumentative man, he stopped him, as was his habit in all subjects, when providing an answer is impossible for him.”[6]
There are other subjects wherein he discusses this characteristic of al-Qawshaji.[7]
[1]Al-Tusi, Sharh Tajrad al-A`tiqad (included in Kashf al-Murad), p. 402. Nahj al-Haqq, pp. 271-72.
[2]Kashf al-Murad, pp. 402-03.
[3]Nahj al-Haqq, pp. 275-76.
[4]Al-Qawshaji, Sharh al-Tajrad, pp. 482-83 (ancient edition).
[5]Al-Khawajoo’i, Al-Rasa’il al-I`tiqadiyya, p. 409.
[6]Ibid., p. 412.
[7]Refer to pp. 471 and 473 of the previous reference.
