Re: Sunni Perspective on Shia Traditions
I came across this, but I’m not sure how true it is that Ali (R) recommended a divorce. There was no evidence, there was just a rumor, that too, spread by a sahabah that had some relation or friendship to Abu Bakr I understand.
So, if there is an “immamat” to Ali (R), here he is making a clear mistake. There was a verse revealed regarding Aisha (R) backing up her innocence. Hence the lesson that we can’t put blame on people without proof. Would anyone today recommend a divorce based on a whim of a rumor? But there were Sahabah who did it.
That’s why I don’t think any of the Sahabah were infallible, and yes, you’re right, the Sunni scholarly work probably has it’s own set of biases. It’s dangerous, because you have to be able to question the Sahabah.
That’s why I question whether it’s a proper muslim belief in general, sunni or Shiah, to put this much weight on the spirituality of Ali (R) who was a COUSIN of Muhammad (SAW), not even a direct blood descendent. So even the argument of purity of blood doesn’t totally work, he’s a cousin, he shared a grandparent with Prophet Muhammad (SAW).