In an interview with the Hawzah News Agency, Hojjat al-Islam Hassan Torkashvand, Deputy for Research at the Qom Seminary, described the Event of Mubahala as a landmark moment in Islamic history—one that, despite its profound significance, has been unjustly overshadowed and largely forgotten by the passage of time.
"Mubahala, referenced in verse 61 of Surah Al-e-Imran, is without doubt one of the most fateful events of the Prophet's mission," Torkashvand stated. "It not only affirms the unparalleled station of the Ahl al-Bayt—the Household of Purity—but throughout Islamic history, the infallible Imams have consistently invoked it as one of the most powerful proofs of their divinely-ordained authority."
The seminary official went further, calling Mubahala "another Ghadir," and lamented that despite its extraordinary weight, the event has received far less attention than other major Islamic occasions, fading into near obscurity over the centuries.
What is Mubahala?
Explaining the term, Torkashvand said: "Mubahala, in its technical sense, means invoking divine curse and punishment upon those who, even after the truth has been made manifest through rational argument and discourse, stubbornly cling to their false beliefs."
The most renowned instance, he noted, was the Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) encounter with a Christian delegation from Najran regarding the true nature of Jesus Christ (AS).
The Najran delegation had traveled to Medina to debate the Prophet. The central dispute revolved around the divinity of Jesus. The Prophet, drawing on Quranic reasoning, argued that Adam (AS) was created without either father or mother, whereas Jesus (AS) was born only without a father—thus dismantling the Christian claim. Yet the delegation refused to yield.
It was at this impasse that the verse of Mubahala was revealed, instructing the Prophet to invite the obstinate party to a mutual imprecation. Both sides were to gather on an appointed day and beseech God to curse the liars.
The Day of Mubahala
Detailing the events of that day—which historical reports place on either the 24th or 25th of Dhu al-Hijjah—Torkashvand said: "On the appointed day, the Prophet brought with him only the nearest and purest members of his household: Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), Lady Fatima Zahra (SA), Imam Hasan (AS), and Imam Husayn (AS). This selection itself was a clear declaration of their exalted rank before God Almighty and His Messenger."
He continued: "When the Christians of Najran beheld this scene and grasped the spiritual majesty of those accompanying the Prophet, they recoiled from the Mubahala. They became certain that if these luminous figures raised their hands in supplication and curse, divine punishment would surely descend upon them." The delegation backed down, opting instead to pay the jizya, and some among them ultimately embraced Islam.
The official cited narrations in which the Prophet later declared: "By God, had the Mubahala proceeded, fire would have engulfed this entire plain." The Prophet also said of his companions that day: "By God, if I were to conduct a Mubahala with anyone alongside these five, they would be destroyed."
A Point of Consensus
Torkashvand highlighted that the significance of Mubahala extends across sectarian lines, noting that many prominent Sunni scholars—including Ibn al-Arabi al-Maliki and al-Qurtubi—have explicitly acknowledged that the verse was revealed concerning Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn (peace be upon them), recognizing it as an undeniable virtue of the Prophet's household.
So weighty was the event, he added, that even companions who later stood politically opposed to Imam Ali (AS) invoked Mubahala when speaking of his merits. He cited the case of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, who, when pressed by Muawiyah to curse Imam Ali, instead recalled three great virtues of the Imam—chief among them the Mubahala—quoting the Prophet's words: "O God, these are my Ahl al-Bayt."
In closing, Torkashvand stressed that revisiting and elucidating the dimensions of Mubahala can play a vital role in presenting the true station of the Ahl al-Bayt and strengthening unity around truths shared by all Muslims. He called on academic, cultural, and media institutions to bring this monumental Islamic occasion the attention it deserves.
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