(Mobahele verse and Imam Hussein (a.s.)

Those who dispute with you concerning him after the knowledge has come to you, say: 'come, let us gather our sons and your sons, our womenfolk and your womenfolk, ourselves and yourselves. then let us humbly pray, so lay the curse of Allah upon the ones who lie. '

The word «نَبتَهل» means opening your hands and arms towards the sky in order to pray. This verse has been known as “Mobahele verse” because of this word.Mobahele means the supplication and interest of two conflicting groups toward Allah and their request in order to curse and destruction of his opponent who is vanity in their mind.

we read, in some interpretations of Sunni, Shia, history and Hadith books that in the tenth year of Hijrat, some persons were appointed by the Prophet (PBUH) to advertise Islam in the Najran city in Yemen. Christians of Najransent a group as their representative to Medina in order to talk to the prophet (PBUH). Despite the conversations were exchanged between them and the Prophet, they still find excuses and doubts about the truth of Islam. This verse was revealed and said to the prophet: say to those who argue and fight with you, and deny accepting the truth that let’s call Allah by calling our wives and children , let’s curse the liars with the mode of supplication by which we can end this disputes. When the representatives of the Christians of Najran heard the suggestion of Mobaheleh from the prophet, looked at each other and were amazed. They asked for time to think and consult. One of the great men of Christians said: Accept the offer, if the prophet came with o large population, do not worry, but if you see him with a small population, you have not to regard the Mobahele and compromise with him. On Mobahele day, they saw the prophet with two children and a young woman who came out. Those two children were Hassan and Hussein (as) and that young man was Ali ibn Abitaleb and the young lady was the prophet’s daughter, Fatemeh.

Christian bishop said: I know somebodies that if they ask God to move the mountain he will do it for them and if they curse the Christians there won’t be one Christian on the earth. So they rejected Mobahele and accepted to compromise.

This story was mentioned in mentioned in the Sunni sources and Shia interpretation books.Mobahele day is the twenty-fourth or twenty-fifth day of Dhu al-Hijjamonth. It was held outside the city of Medina but nowadays it is celebrated inside the city. In that place a mosque is made which is called “Al-ejabat mosque”.It is about two kilometers away from the mosque of the Prophet. «الّلهم ارزقنا زیارته و شفاعته»

According to a narration in Tafsir al-Mizan, the invitation for Mobahele was not special for the Christians, and the prophet invited the Jews for Mobahele.

Mobahele was not special for the prophet’s era. But according to some accounts, the other believers can have Mobahele. Imam Sadeq has some orders in this case.

Question: in this case. Fatemeh Zahra was only present,so why does Quran use the plural form of “women”?

Answer: in Quran there are several cases in which God calls a person as a plural entity. Like the verse 118 in Al-Imran chapter that a guy insulted God and said: God is poor. But the verse answers in plural:  «الّذین قالوا انّ اللّه فقیر». As Quran says about Ibrahim: Ibrahim is like a nation, while he is just one person.

Although the prophet could curse individually without Ali, Hassan and Hussein’ interference but he wanted to tell us that these people are the prophet’s followers in the invitation toward God and truth and they will follow his way.

Messages:

1. 1.If the man believes in his purpose, he will put his family and himself at risk.«من بعد ما جائك من العلم»
2. 2.The last weapon for a believer is the prayer. «فقل تعالوا ندع»
3. 3.Our grandchildren are as dear as our children. So, Imam Hassan and Imam Hussein (as) are the prophet’s sons.
4. 4.Men and women are at the same level in all religious scenes. «نسائنا»
5. 5.In the prayer, your mood is so important not the number of prayers. The group who accepted the Mobahele were only five people. «ابنائنا،نسائنا،انفسنا»
6. 6.Imam Ali was so dear for the Prophet. «انفسنا»
7. 7.Take your children to the prayer meetings. «ابنائنا»
8. 8.God accepts the prophet’s household prayers. «ابنائنا،نسائنا،انفسنا»
9. 9.Appeal of the unseen is applicable after using the ordinary abilities. «نبتهل»
10. 10.A person who does not accept the truth by logic and miracles, should be given Mobahele. «تعالوا... نبتهل»
11. 11.If the believers be firm and resistant, the enemy will withdraw. «ندع... نبتهل»
12. 12.Argument must be answered by reasoning, but bickering and obstinacy should be suppressed. «لعنة اللّه على الكاذبین»

“Mubahala” literally meaning 'mutual prayer' (Arabic: مباهلة Cursing‎) or Li’an (Arabic: لعان‎). In Islamic tradition it refers to a form of resolving religious disputes. When two sides of the argument can't come to a conclusion about which side is right, they start to pray to God for truth to be revealed by the cursing of the wrong side. Since curse means 'moving someone far away from the divine mercy' and moving far away from mercy is being close to divine wrath—therefore, the essence of the meaning is: Wrath be on the liar. As such, whoever is the liar shall face the evil consequences whereupon the truth will become evident before the disbelievers as well.[1] Many times Mubahala is a kind of ordeal which instigation or call to the ordeal may be more important than execution of it.