Question:

Is it permissible to kill those who insult the infallible (a.) without their permission?

Answer:

Abu Sabah reported that he asked Imam As-Sadiq (a.): “In our environment there is a person who is mocking Ali (a.) when we mention him and his virtue. Will you give me the permission to take action against him?” He said: “So is that what you would have done?” I said: “Yes, by God, if you had given me the permission, I would have followed him. As soon as he would have positioned himself, I would have thrown my sword at him and smashed him until I killed him.” He said: “O Abu Sabah, this is murder, and the Messenger has forbidden murder. O Abu Sabah, Islam has put the murder in shackles, so let him go, because someone else besides you has provided satisfaction.” [Al-Wasa’il of Al-Amili, vol. 29 page 229 – 230]

محمد بن يعقوب, عن علي بن إبراهيم, عن أبيه, عن ابن محبوب عن رجل عن أبي الصباح, قال: قلت لابي عبد الله عليهالسلام: إن لنا جارا فنذكر عليا عليهالسلام وفضله فيقع فيه, أفتأذن لي فيه فقال: أو كنت فاعلا فقلت: إي والله لو أذنت لي فيه لارصدنه فاذا صار فيها اقتحمت عليه بسيفي فخبطته حتى أقتله, فقال: يا أبا الصباح هذا القتل وقد نهى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله عن القتل يا أبا الصباح إن الاسلام قيد القتل ولكن دعه فستكفى بغيرك

Ibn Muskan reported that Imam As-Sadiq (a.) said: “I count on you that if Ali (a.) was insulted in front of your nose and you could eat the nose of his insultor, you would have done it.” I said: “So is it, by God, may my life be sacrificed to you, for that is what the people of my house and i are for.” He said: “But do not do it, by God, it may be that I hear someone insult Ali (a.), and there is nothing between me and him but a pillar behind which I hide. When I have finished my prayer, I walk past him and give him the greeting of peace and shake his hand.” [Al-Mahasin of Al-Barqi, Volume 1 Page 259 – 260]

عنه، عن النضر بن سويد، عن يحيى الحلبي عن ابن مسكان قال قال لي أبو عبد الله عليه السلام: إني لأحسبك إذا شتم علي بين يديك لو تستطيع أن تأكل أنف شاتمه لفعلت، فقلت: إي والله جعلت فداك، إني لهكذا وأهل بيتي، فقال لي: فلا تفعل، فوالله لربما سمعت من يشتم عليا وما بيني وبينه إلا أسطوانة فأستتر بها، فإذا فرغت من صلاتي فأمر به فأسلم عليه وأصافحه

Ali Ibn Ibrahim reported that Abu Asim As-Sijistani said: “I accompanied Abdullah Ibn An-Najashi and he held the view of those who split off to Zaid (a.).” Until he said: “He entered Abu Abdillah As-Sadiq (a.) and said: “I killed seven of those whom I heard insulting the Commander of the Believers (a.). Then I questioned Abdullah Ibn Al-Hasan about it and he said: “You will be held accountable for their blood in this world and in the hereafter.” Abu Abdillah (a.) said: “It is up to you to slaughter a goat in the valley of Mina for every man you have killed of them, for you have killed them without the permission of the Imam and if you had killed them with the permission of the Imam, there would be no burden on you in this world or in the hereafter.” [Al-Wasa’il by Al-Amili, Volume 19, Pages 204-205]

محمد بن يعقوب، عن علي بن إبراهيم، رفعه عن بعض أصحاب أبي عبد الله عليه السلام أظنه أبا عاصم السجستاني قال: زاملت عبد الله ابن النجاشي وكان يرى رأى الزيدية إلى أن قال: فدخل على أبي عبد الله عليه السلام فقال: إني قتلت سبعة ممن سمعته يشتم أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام فسألت عن ذلك عبد الله بن الحسن فقال: أنت مأخوذ بدمائهم في الدنيا والآخرة – إلى أن قال: فقال أبو عبد الله عليه السلام: عليك بكل رجل قتلته منهم كبش تذبحه بمنى لأنك قتلتهم بدون إذن الإمام، ولو أنك قتلتهم باذن الامام لم يكن عليك شئ في الدنيا والآخرة

Al-Husain (a.) reported that Imam Ali (a.) said: “There is no lawful judgment and no boundary punishment (Hudud) and no Friday prayer except with an Imam.” [Mustadrak-ul-Wasa’il by An-Nuri, vol. 16 page 13]

الجعفريات أخبرنا محمد, حدثني موسى حدثنا أبي, عن أبيه عن جده جعفر بن محمد عن أبيه عن جده علي بن الحسين عن أبيه عن علي عليه السلام قال: لا يصح الحكم ولا الحدود ولا الجمعة إلا بإمام

Abu Abdillah Al-Mufid writes: “Whoever defames the Prophet Muhammad (s.) or one of the Imams (a.) is a apostate from Islam and his blood is to be shed, which is carried out by the Imam of the Muslims. If it comes to the ears of anyone other than the Imam and he rushes forward to his killing out of anger for God, then he has neither blood nor atonement, for he has earned the killing according to what we mentioned, but he would be guilty because he hastened ahead of the authorized one.” [Al-Muqni’, page 743]

قال أبو عبد الله المفيد: ومن سب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله أو أحدا من الأئمة عليهم السلام فهو مرتد عن الإسلام ودمه هدر يتولى ذلك منه إمام المسلمين فإن سمعه منه غير الإمام فبدر إلى قتله غضبا لله لم يكن عليه قود ولا دية لاستحقاقه القتل على ما ذكرناه لكنه يكون مخطئا بتقدمه على السلطان

Abu Mansur Al-Hilli writes: “The situation looks like Al-Mufid described it, because there is a boundary punishment (Hadd) and the executor of the boundary punishments (Hudud) is the Imam (a) and the tradition of Abu Asim As-Sijistani proves it.” [Mukhtalif-ush-Shi’ah, Volume 9 Page 452]

قال أبو منصور الحلي: والوجه ما قاله المفيد لأنه حد والمستوفي للحدود هو الإمام ورواية أبي عاصم السجستاني دالة عليه

Comment:

The infallible (a.) also forgave those who insulted them