The Day of Mubahalah - IMAM-US.org

The 24th of Dhu al-Hijjah marks the occasion of the Day of Mubahalah, when the Prophet (pbuh&hp) invited the Christians of Najran to mutual imprecation on account of their challenging the veracity of the message of Islam and what the Quran says about the Prophet Jesus (p) not being divine.

The Quran mentions the event in verse 61 of Surah Al Imran:

فَمَنْ حَآجَّكَ فِيهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا۟ نَدْعُ أَبْنَآءَنَا وَأَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَنِسَآءَنَا وَنِسَآءَكُمْ وَأَنفُسَنَا وَأَنفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَل لَّعْنَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ

Should anyone argue with you concerning it, after the knowledge that has come to you, say, ‘Come! Let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, our souls and your souls, then let us pray earnestly and call down Allah’s curse upon the liars.’

This event served as a clear indicator of who the true Ahl al-Bayt (pbut) are, and it continues to do so to this day.

Shaykh Saduq narrates that Imam Musa al-Kazim (p) recited the verse of mubahalah to convince the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid that Imams (pbut)—and not the Abbasids—are the true Ahl al-Bayt (pbut) and successors of the Prophet (pbuh&hp). Here we will provide an abbreviated version of the story.

Harun al-Rashid: “How can you claim, ‘We are the progeny of the Prophet (pbuh&hp),’ when the Prophet did not leave any male descendants? Lineage is through males, not females…”

Imam Kazim (p): “I ask you—by the right of kinship and the grave and who is in it—to excuse me from answering this question.”

Harun al-Rashid: No, you must give me your proof for it, O son of Ali… I will not excuse you from answering anything I ask you until you provide me with proof from the Book of God…”

Imam Kazim (p): “I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan, in the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. And We gave him Isaac and Jacob and guided each of them. And Noah We had guided before, and from his offspring, David and Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron—thus do We reward the virtuous—and Zechariah, John, Jesus and Ilyās, each of them among the righteous. [Quran, 6:84-85].

Who is the father of Jesus, O Commander of the Faithful?”

Harun al-Rashid: “Jesus has no father.”

Imam Kazim (p): “Yet he was included among the descendants of the prophets through Mary (p). Similarly, we are included among the descendants of the Prophet (pbuh&hp) through our mother Fatimah (p). Shall I continue, O Commander of the Faithful?”

Harun al-Rashid: “Go on.”

Imam Kazim (p): “God the Almighty says: Should anyone argue with you concerning it, after the knowledge that has come to you, say, ‘Come! Let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, our souls and your souls, then let us pray earnestly and call down Allah’s curse upon the liars.’ [Quran, 3:61]

No one claims that the Prophet (pbuh&hp) brought under the cloak for the mubahalah with the Christians anyone other than Ali ibn Abi Talib, Fatimah, Hasan, and Hussain.

So our sons are Hasan and Hussain, our women is Fatimah, and ourselves is Ali ibn Abi Talib…”

Harun al-Rashid: “Well said, O Musa!”

[Uyun Akhbar al-Rida (as), v. 2, pp. 78-82]

Here are three lessons we can learn from this historical event: