Texan Dude – You should know that we, Sunnis take only the Prophet (saw) to be infallible and no one else. We don’t take Hz. Abu Bakr (ra) Hz. Umar (ra), Hz. Uthman (ra), Hz. Ali (ra), Hz. Fatimah (ra) Hz. Aisha (ra) to be infallible. That doesn’t mean that they committed sins or were negligent in practicing Islam. We take them all to be the best examples to be followed. To us they are Humans and can make mistakes, but not with intent.
Quran only vouches for the infallibility of the Prophet (saw) and no one else.
Taking Hz. Ali, Hz. Fatimah, Hz. Hassan and Hz. Hussein [May Allah (swt) be pleased with them all] in mubahila doesn’t prove their infallibility. I think at the time of mubahila the Prophet (saw) had nine wives *, do you expect him to bring All his blessed wives [raa] out too.
He (saw) brought out part of his family to show his serious intent for mubahila.
If you see the ayah relating to mubahila it states our women, so I can safely say that Hz. Fatimah (ra) represented all the women of the Prophet’s Ahlul Bayt [Household].
If any one disputes in this matter with thee, now after (full) knowledge Had come to thee, say: “Come! Let us gather together, - our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves: Then let us earnestly pray, and invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie!” - 3:61
I don’t want to discuss about Fadak here. I have found a nice article on Fadak and have post it on GS
http://www.paklinks.com/gs/showthread.php?p=3294062&posted=1#post3294062
The book in question is authored by Al-Shaikh al-Saduq – who earned this title “on account of his great learning and his reputation for truthfulness”. He was born with the prayers of the Hidden Imam and al-Husain b. Rawh.
Check the link below:
He is also author of famous Shia book - Man la yahduruh al-faqih.
So it has somehow upset you that I called the book written by this learned scholar of yours as “which you hold very dear.”
You are getting very touchy. Should I have said, “The book that is not dear to you?” I thought that you will respect anything coming from Al-Shaikh al-Saduq – I guess I was wrong. May be, just that Hz. Fatimah (ra) was angry with Hz. Ali (ra) rattled you a bit [in fact quite a lot judging from your reaction.
Just to placate your sensitivities I take my words about the book which you hold dear. Happy?
For the benefit of the viewers I have got the following on Al-Shaikh al-Saduq to his authority within Shia.
Al-Shaikh al-Saduq is the title given to Abu Ja’far Muhammad b. 'Ali ibn Babawaih al Qummi. He was the leading traditionist of his time (4th Century A.H.) and one of the most outstanding traditionists of Shi’ite Islam. He earned the title of al-Shaikh al-Saduq on account of his great learning and his reputation for truthfulness. It is a title which he also shares with his father.
The date of al-Shaikh al-Saduq’s birth is not known exactly. However an interesting story surrounds the circumstances of his birth. When his father was in Iraq, he met Abul Qasim al-Husain b. Rawh, the third agent of the Hidden Imam. During their meeting he asked the latter several questions. Later he wrote to al-Husain b. Rawh asking him to take a letter to the Hidden Imam. In this letter he asked for a son. Al-Husain sent back an answer telling him that they (the Hidden Imam and al-Husain) had prayed to God to ask Him to grant the request and he would be rewarded with two sons. Another version of the story says three sons. The elder, or eldest, of these sons was Muhammad, that is al-Shaikh al-Saduq, our author.
http://www.al-islam.org/al-serat/saduq-howard.htm