The opponents of Islam realized that the Imam of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) were the very embodiment of originality and purity and acted as a refuge for Muslims in time of distress and calamities. They have a special status and respect in the self of every Muslim who loves the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.).
History tells us that diverse, deviated groups appeared, such as; the Zindiks, Exaggerators, Mazdakis, Jews, hypocrites, and even those who are affected with pagan thoughts which came either from the Magis, or from the philosophies of India, China, and Greece, and the like have used their different destructive attempts to deviate Islam and defame its illuminated face.
Some of these deviated groups have even slipped into the ranks of the school of Ahlul-Bait and claimed attachment to them in order to defame Islam and to pollute the right cause of Ahlul-Bait and its purity; like the Exaggerators and the Mazdakis who described the Imams of Ahlul-Bait through the attributes of Divinity and pretented that Allah, the Most Glorified, had transmigrated into the bodies of the Imams of the Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) and authorized the affair of the creation to them. But, the Imams of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) stood firmly against such destructive and deviated beliefs and disclosed them to the people; strongly repudiated, cursed, dismissed and renounced them.
Among these deviated groups were: 'The Mughira Group', the followers of Mughira bin Sa'id and 'The Kattabiyah', the followers of Abi Khattab Muhammad bin Abi Zainab al-Assadi.
Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, son of Imam al-Baqir (a.s.), is quoted to have said:
;May Allah curse Mughira bin Sa'id as he used to tell lies against my father, may Allah make him taste the heat of burning iron, may Allah curse those who say a bout us, what we do not say ourselves, may Allah curse those who try to take us away from the servitude of Allah, Who created us, and to Him is our return and in His hand is our control."(51)
He (a.s.) also said:
;Don't accept any saying (hadith) relating them to us except that which agrees with the Qur'an and the Prophetic traditions (sunnah) unless you see an evidence of our previous sayings with it; indeed Mughira bin Sa'id, may Allah curse him, has interpolated sayings (hadiths) in the books of the companions of my father of which he (my father) did not narrate them, so, fear Allah and don't accept any saying related to us, which disagrees with the statement of Our Lord, the Exalted, and the traditions of our Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) - because we, if we narrate any hadith, we always say: The Almighty Allah or the Messenger ofAllah (s.a.w) said so and so."(52)
He (a.s.) further said:
;Mughira bin Sa'id was intentionally belying my father; he used to take the books of his companions, who disguised themselves to be of the companions of my father, and then, they gave them to Mughira who interpolated in them preverted beliefs of unbelief and infidelity and, then, attributed them to my father and therefore, returned them to his companions and ordered them to distribute them among the Shi'a; whenever there is any exaggeration in the books of the companions of my father, be sure that it is the act of Mughira bin Sa'id who interpolated them in his books.
Regarding the exaggeration and the interpolation of Abi Al-Khattab and his lie against the Imams of Ahlul-Bait, Imam Ali bin Musa al-Rida (a.s.) said:
;Indeed Abi Khattab used to tell lies against Abi Abdullah (Imam al-Sadiq) (a.s.), may Allah curse Abi Khattab, whereas his companions used to interpolate these sayings (hadiths) up until today in the books of Abi Abdullah (a.s.); therefore, don't accept any saying (hadith) related by them to us if they disagree with the Qur'an, because, all our sayings should agree with both the Qur'an and the Prophetic traditions."(53)
Thus, the Imams of Ahlul-Bait fought the Exaggerators and deviated groups. They called on the Muslims to hold fast to the Book of Allah (the Qur'an) and the pure Prophetic traditions so that they can differenciate between the illuminated path of Ahlul-Bait to which the followers of the school of the Imamiya Shi'a firmly adhered and the misguidance of the Exaggerators and their strayed beliefs.
51. Rijal al-Kishi.
52. Ibid.
53. Ibid.
source : Al-Serat A Journal of Islamic Studies
