On his official website, Yasir Al-Habib is asked why the name of Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.) has not been mentioned in the Qur’an
To this he replies:
على خلاف ما هو شائع فإنّا نميل إلى أن مولانا أمير المؤمنين صلوات الله عليه مذكور بالاسم صراحة في القرآن الحكيم وفي ذلك روايات عدّة غير أنّا نرى أكثرها جلاء وانطباقا على المراد الآية الكريمة هذا صراطُ عليٍّ مستقيم / الحجر: ٤١
“In contrast to, what is commonly used, we accept that the Commander of the Believers (a.) is clearly mentioned by name in the Qur’an, and there are numerous traditions regarding this. However, we see that the clearest and most appropriate of all of them in this regard is the noble verse: “Hāḏā Ṣirāṭu ʿAliyyin Mustaqīm.” (15:41)
After this, he cites four traditions, where the name of Ali (a.) was clearly mentioned in this verse (Manaqib Ibn Shahr Ashub, vol. 2, p. 302; Tafsir-ul-Kufi, p. 43; Tafsir-ul-Burhan, vol. 2, p. 344; Shawahid-ut-Tanzil, vol. 1, p. 78).
Then Yasir Al-Habib says:
إلا أن المخالفين يقرأون هذه الآية على المشهور بينهم قراءة خاطئة أي هكذا هذا صراطٌ علَيَّ مستقيم بتنوين صراط وفتح اللام و مع أن سياق الآيات لا يشفع لهذه القراءة بل يشفع للقراءة المرويّة عن أهل البيت صلوات الله عليهم ذلك لأن الآيات في مقام محاورة بين الله جل جلاله وبين إبليس لعنه الله فيقول إبليس: قال ربّ بما أغويتني لأزيّننَّ لهم في الأرض ولأُغويّنهم أجمعين إلا عبادك منهم المخلَصين فيردّ الله تعالى عليه بالقول قال هذا صراطُ علِيٍّ مستقيم إن عبادي ليس لك عليهم سلطان إلا من اتبّعك من الغاوين
“However, the opponents (Sunnis) widely read this verse among themselves with a wrong reading, namely: “Hāḏā Ṣirāṭun ʿAlayya Mustaqīm.” (15:41) With the nunation at Ṣirāṭ and Fatḥah on the Lām (ʿAlayya), although the context of the verses does not align with this reading, but it aligns with the reading narrated by the People of the House (a.), for the verses thematize a dialogue between God and the Devil. Thus the devil says: “O Lord, by that with which You caused me to differ, I do indeed adorn it to them on earth, and I certainly cause them all to differ, except Your chosen servants.” Then God answered him: “This is the straight path of Ali (Hāḏā Ṣirāṭu ʿAliyyin Mustaqīm). (15:41) You have no power over My servants except the one who followed you from the deviants.” (15:42)
Hereupon Yasir Al-Habib said:
ولا يخفى أن هذا الاستنتاج ليس معناه تحريف القرآن وإنما تحريف القراءة، وهم مختلفون في قراءاتهم حتى اليوم وليس اختلاف القراءات عندهم بممنوع بل هو عندهم مشروع، ونحن إنما نتمسك إن شاء الله تعالى بقراءة أئمتنا للكتاب العزيز
“It is not unknown, that this differentiation does not express the falsification of the Qur’an, but only the falsification of the way of reading and they (the Sunnis) disagree about their ways of reading until today and the difference of the ways of reading is not forbidden according to them, but they consider it lawful and we, God willing, only adhere to the way of reading the noble scripture from our Imams.”
Also in another article Yasir Al-Habib says:
مثلا كيف يقرأون هذه الآية هذا صراط عليَّ مستقيم أما القراءة الواردة عن أهل البيت ما هي ؟ هذا صراطُ عليٍّ مستقيم أي أن عليّا صلوات الله عليه مذكور بالنص وبالصراحة في كتاب الله حرفوا القراءة يعني التشكيل بدلا من أن يقولوا هذا صراطُ عليٍّ مستقيم أصبح هذا صراطٌ عليَّ مستقيم حتى المعنى أصلا يكون كأنما شاذ يعني غير متجانس حسب البحث الذي سبق وأشرنا إليه مفصلا
“For example, how do they read this verse? Hāḏā Ṣirāṭun ʿAlayya Mustaqīm (15:41) However, what is the reading that has been narrated by the people of the house? Hāḏā Ṣirāṭu ʿAliyyin Mustaqīm. Therefore, Ali (a.) was textually and unambiguously mentioned in the scripture of God. They distorted the reading, that is, the vowelization. Instead of reading (Hāḏā Ṣirāṭu ʿAliyyin Mustaqīm), it became (Hāḏā Ṣirāṭun ʿAlayya Mustaqīm). Even the meaning seems wholly strange, thus degenerate, according to the treatise, that has preceded it and to which we have referred at length.”
And in another article, he states:
إذا تتذكرن قلنا وأثبتنا بما لايدع مجالا للشك أن الآية الشريفة في القرآن الحكيم تقرأ هكذا قال {هذا صراطُ عليٍّ مستقيم} وليس قال {هذا صراط عليَّ مستقيم} كما القراءة المتداولة الآن هذه الأيام تلك هي قراءة أهل البيت وعلى هذا يكون عليٌّ بالنص في القرآن بصراحة بغير تفسير ولا تأويل هو صراط الله المستقيم
“If you remember, we said and proved beyond doubt that the noble verse in the Qur’an is read (Qāla Hāḏā Ṣirāṭu ʿAliyyin Mustaqīm) and not (Qāla Hāḏā Ṣirāṭun ʿAlayya Mustaqīm) (15:41) as is commonly used at the present time. The latter is the reading of the people of the House and based on it, Ali (a.) is clearly mentioned in the text of the Qur’an. Without it being part of any explanation and interpretation. He is the straight path of God.”
On this the office tries to justify:
كان كلام الشيخ في المقطع المذكور عن القراءة التأويلية التي فائدتها إصابة المعنى لا التعبدية التي لا تصح العبادة إلا بها. يرجى مراجعة البحوث القرآنية ففيها التفصيل وفقكم الله لمراضيه مكتب الشيخ الحبيب في لندن ملاحظة: الإجابات صادرة عن المكتب لا عن الشيخ مباشرة إلا أن يتم ذكر ذلك. المكتب يبذل وسعه في تتبع آراء الشيخ ومراجعته قدر الإمكان
“The treatise of the Shaikh, as mentioned in the excerpt, is about the explanatory reading, the benefit of which is to get to the meaning. Not the worshipful one, without which no worship is valid. Please refer to the Qur’anic treatises in which the detail is located. May God grant you His pleasure. / Office of Shaikh Al-Habib in London. Note: The answers come from the office. Not directly from the Shaikh. Unless this is indicated. The office does its utmost to heed the opinions from the Shaikh and consult him to whatever extent possible.”
Comment:
If Hafs is a wrong way of reading, what is the right way of reading? The fact that the reading of Hafs, which he transmitted from Asim, is not the same as the reading of Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.), was known to Shiite scholars such as At-Tusi about a thousand years ago [Here!]. Thus, it is not a new discovery on the part of Yasir Al-Habib, but an classical viewpoint. Sunni scholars like At-Tabari also rejected the reading of Hafs [Here!].
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