An accomplished scholar, Mirza Abdullah Isfahani, student
of Allamah Majlisi, in the second part of Riyaazul Ulama3 has
said that Shaykh Abul Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abul Qasim
Hasmi, erudite scholar well known as Hasmi is from the our elder
scholars.
It is apparent that he was from our ancient scholars and
Amir Sayyid Husain Amili known as Mujtahid, a contemporary
of Sultan Shah Abbas Maazi Safawi has said at the end of his
treatise, which he has written the condition of opponents in the
world and the hereafter in some debates, which occurred between
Shia and Ahle Sunnat with the explanation that the second of
them is an odd incident, which occurred in the holy city of
Hamadan, between Twelver Shia and a Sunni person, which I
saw in that book.
The ancient one, which as per habit, comprises of the date of
inscribing it is 300 years before this and it was mentioned in that
book as follows:
There was a fast friendship and close alliance between a
Twelver Shia scholar named Abul Qasim bin Muhammad Abul
Qasim Hasmi and an Ahle Sunnat scholar named Rafiuddin
Husain in most of their affairs and journeys.
Each of these two made no secret of their religion and their
beliefs on the other and jokingly referred to Rafiuddin as a Nasibi
and Rafiuddin labeled Abul Qasim as a Rafidi.
There was no serious dispute between them with regard to
religion. Till it so happened that in the Masjid Atiq of Hamadan
there was a conversation between him and Rafiuddin Husain
gave preference to Abu Bakr and Umar over Ameerul Momineen
(a.s.) and Abul Qasim refuted Rafiuddin and accorded superiority
to Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) over Abu Bakr and Umar and Abul
Qasim argued in favor of his religion with the help of Quranic
verses and many traditions and mentioned the ranks, excellence
and many miracles performed by Imam Ali (a.s.) and Rafiuddin
argued to the opposite and argued in favor of superiority of Abu
Bakr over Imam Ali (a.s.) due to Abu Bakr’s companionship in
the cave with the Prophet who referred to him as Siddiq Akbar
among the immigrants and the Ansar.
Also, he said: Abu Bakr was chosen from the immigrants
and Ansar for Caliphate and Imamate and companionship of the
Prophet.
Rafiuddin also said: Two traditions of Prophet Muhammad
are issued in favor of Abu Bakr, one being: You are like a dress
for me…and so on.
And second being: Follow two persons after me: Abu Bakr
and Umar.
Abul Qasim, the Shia, after hearing this statement from
Rafiuddin said: Why do you accord superiority to Abu Bakr over
the chief of successors and the leader of the saints, the bearer of
Liwa and the Imam of the Jinns and men, the distributor of Hell
and Paradise; whereas you know that he the true Siddiq Akbar
and Farooq is the brother of Prophet Muhammad and husband of
Lady Fatima Zahra (s.a.)?
And you know well that His Eminence, Ali (a.s.) slept on
the bed of the Prophet when he left Mecca towards the cave,
escaping from the oppressors and infidels. Imam Ali (a.s.) slept
on his bed, and shared in the hard times of the Prophet.
Messenger of Allah closed the doors of the companions
opening into the mosque, except the door of Imam Ali (a.s.).
He raised Ali (a.s.) on his shoulders to break the idols
installed at the roof of the Kaaba.
The Almighty Allah married Ali and Fatima at the High
Heavens.
He fought a duel with Amr Ibne Abde Wudd and conquered
Khyber and did not associate anything with the Almighty Allah
even for a blink of the eye as opposed to those three.
Prophet Muhammad compared Imam Ali (a.s.) to four
prophets, when he said: Whoever wants to see Adam in
knowledge and Noah (a.s.) in his perception and see Prophet
Moosa as his severity and Isa (a.s.) in his piety, he should look
towards Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.).
Despite these virtues and perfections and relationship to the
Holy Prophet Muhammad and his turning the sun for him, how is it reasonable and permissible to prefer Abu Bakr to Ali?
When Rafiuddin heard these statements from Abul Qasim,
that he gave precedence to Ali (a.s.) over Abu Bakr, the base of
his specialty with Abul Qasim was destroyed. After some
conversation Rafiuddin said to Abul Qasim: I will follow the
religion of any person who comes to the mosque.
Since the belief of the people of Hamadan was known to
Abul Qasim, that he knew that they were Ahle Sunnat, he feared
this challenge from Rafiuddin. But Abul Qasim accepted this
condition after excessive arguments and unwillingly agreed to the
above condition. Immediately entered a young man on whose
face were signs of nobility and demeanor. It seemed that he was
coming from a journey. He entered the Masjid and after
performing the Tawaf, he came to them.
Rafiuddin arose and after greeting asked the young man
about the matter, which had been decided between him and
Abdul Qasim and he exaggerated his belief greatly for that youth
and adjured him to reveal his belief to them.
That youth without any delay recited these following lines:
When should I say that my Master is superior to the two of
them?
When I say this I am finding fault in one regarding whom I
say this.
Do you not see that the sword attacks the enemy by its sharp
edge
You are saying that the walking stick is sharper than the
sword.
When the young man completed the recitation of these
verses and Abul Qasim and Rafiuddin were amazed at his
eloquence and wanted to ask more about him, he disappeared
from their sight and no trace was seen. When Rafiuddin
witnessed this strange matter, he left his false religion and
adopted the true religion of the Twelver Shia.
Reyaazul Olamaa wa Hayaazul Fozalaa, vol. 5, pp. 504-506