[Pooya/Ali Commentary 25:44]
Refer to the commentary of Araf : 179 and Anfal : 55 and 56.
[Shakir 7:179] And certainly We have created for hell many of the jinn and the men; they have hearts with which they do not understand, and they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear; they are as cattle, nay, they are in worse errors; these are the heedless ones.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 7:179]
Those who do not use the profit yielding faculties, given to them, which can help them to find out the truth, have been referred to in this verse. Those who misuse or neglect the faculties, which can make them real human beings, superior to all created beings, finally deteriorate to the animal state.
[Shakir 8:55] Surely the vilest of animals in Allah's sight are those who disbelieve, then they would not believe.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 8:55]
The disbelievers are the vilest animals. They are not human beings.
[Shakir 8:56] Those with whom you make an agreement, then they break their agreement every time and they do not guard (against punishment).
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 8:56]
The immediate occasion was the repeated treachery of the Banu Qurayza after their treaties with the Holy Prophet.
Violation of a covenant has been described as a treacherous crime. The Muslims also broke the covenant they made with the Holy Prophet, after his departure from this world. See commentary of al Ma-idah: 67.
[Shakir 5:66] And if they had kept up the Taurat and the Injeel and that which was revealed to them from their Lord, they would certainly have eaten from above them and from beneath their feet there is a party of them keeping to the moderate course, and (as for) most of them, evil is that which they do
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 5:66]
If the people of the book had followed the teachings of the Tawrat and the Injil and the Quran they would have enjoyed blessings in both the worlds; but only very few of them become Muslims, and most of them are vile.
[Shakir 5:67] O Messenger! deliver what bas been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people; surely Allah will not guide the unbelieving people.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 5:67]
The followers of "Muhammad and ali Muhammad" are quite certain that this verse descended about the wilayah (regency) of Ali on the day of Ghadir Khum, and the traditions in our records on the subject are numerous and consecutively transmitted through the Imams of the holy posterity of the Holy Prophet, whose reporting is enough for us, and should also be so for the Muslims, because they alone are the truthful (sadiqin) as per verse 119 of al Tawbah (refer to Hafiz Abu Nu-aym; Muwaffaq ibn Ahmad; and Ibn Hajar in his Sawa-iq al Muhriqah, chap. 11, p. 90).
Ibn abi Hatim quotes Abu Sa-id Khudri and Antara; Ibn Marduwayh quotes Abdullah bin Masud and Abu Sa-id Khudri; Ibn Asakir quotes Abu Said Khudri; Abu Bakr Shirazi, Muhammad bin Talha Qarshi and Sayyid Ali al Hamdani quote Abdullah bin Abbas; Nizamuddin Nayshapuri quotes Abdullah bin Abbas, Abu Sa-id Khudri and Bara bin Azib, to say that this verse was revealed about the wilayah of Ali ibn abi Talib; and Sabbagh Maliki in Fusul al Muhimma; Badruddin Ayni in Umdatul Qari, Muhaddith Shirazi in Kitab al Arba-in; Shahabuddin Ahmad in Tawdih al Dala-il; and Mu-tamad Khan Badakhshani in Miftah al Nijat also confirm it.
Hafiz Abu Bakr bin Marduwayh in Manaqib quotes Abdullah bin Masud that during the life time of the Holy Prophet they used to recite this verse with Inna Aliyyan Mawla al mu-minin (Ali is the master of the faithful).
The shortest narration of the event of Ghadir is given below:
While returning from his last hajj, in 10 Hijra, the Holy Prophet, alongwith the huge caravan of nearly one hundred thousand Muslims, made a halt at Ghadir Khum, a midway stop between Makka and Madina.
He had received the following verse from Allah:
O Our Messenger! Deliver what has been sent down unto you from your Lord; and if you do not, then you have not delivered His Message; and surely Allah will protect you from men."
(MA-IDAH: 67)
The Holy Prophet mounted a tall pulpit and delivered a long sermon, recounting his services towards the fulfilment of his mission as the messenger of Allah. He asked the audience whether he had conveyed to them the commands of Allah, enumerating them one after another.
The huge gathering, in one voice, said "yes". "Do I wield authority over your souls more than you do?" He asked.
"Certainly it is so, O Messenger of Allah" . They replied.
Then he asked Ali to come up. He held him in both his hands, raised him high, so much that the whole assembly of men and women saw him clearly.
He again addressed them:
"O men and women! Allah is my Mawla (Lord-Master). I am the mawla of the faithfuls. I have a clear authority over their souls, And of whomsoever I am themawla (this) Ali is his mawla. O Allah! Love him who loves Ali, hate him who hates Ali."
At the end of this declaration the following verse was revealed:
"This day I have perfected for you, your religion, and have completed my favour on you, and have chosen for you Islam, as religion."
(MA-IDAH: 3)
For those whose minds are clouded with the doubts created over the years by the enemies of the Holy Prophet and his holy Ahl ul Bayt, there are sufficient references in the books written by their own scholars whom they acclaim with one voice.
Several eminent traditionists have clearly stated it to be genuine. Even Ibn Hajar has admitted it to be genuine where he has copied the tradition from Tabarani and others; in Sawa-iq, sec. 5, chap. 1. p. 25.
Tabarani and others have recorded the following tradition as related by Zayd ibn Arqam and transmitted through sources unanimously acknowledged to be reliable. Zayd says that the Holy Prophet delivered a sermon at Ghadir Khum under a cloth spread as a canopy on two large trees. The Holy Prophet said:
"O my people! I am going to be recalled shortly and I must comply. I shall be interrogated and you also shall be interrogated. What will you say then?" The entire audience answered: "We shall bear witness that you did convey to us the message of Allah, and tried your best to guide us on the right path and always gave us good counsel. May Allah bless you with a good reward." The Holy Prophet proceeded: "Why do you not bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and messenger, and that paradise is true, hell is true, death is true, resurrection after death is true, that the day of judgement will doubtlessly come and that Allah will raise to life the dead from their graves?" They said: "O Yes! We bear witness to all this." Then he said: "O Allah! You also may witness." Then he said: "O my people! Allah is my Mawla and I am mawla of the faithful and I have superior right on and control over their lives. And this Ali is the mawla of all those of whom I am mawla. O Allah! Love him who loves him and hate him who hates him." He further said: "O my people! I will precede you, you also shall arrive at the pool of Kawthar, the pool wider than the distance between Basrah and Sana, and there are on the pool as many goblets of silver as stars. When you shall reach me I shall interrogate you about your behaviour towards the two invaluable assets after my death. The major asset is the book of Allah, one end of which is in the hand of Allah, and the other end in your hands. Grasp it tightly and do not go astray and do not change or amend it. The other asset is my progeny, who are my Ahl al Bayt. Allah has informed me that the two will not part from each other before they reach me at the pool."
First of all he announced that the time of his death was fast approaching. This was a warning to the people that the time had come for the completion of his divine message and ensuring the future spiritual welfare of his followers by appointing his successor. This important matter brooked no delay, lest his death might arrive before properly establishing his successor in office.
As the appointment of his own brother (cousin) was very unpalatable for self-seekers, jealous and malicious persons, and the hypocrites, he thought it fit to appease their feelings and to calm their hearts by prefacing the declaration of appointment with "I shall be interrogated," so that they might know that the Holy Prophet was in command from Allah to make this declaration and would be interrogated about discharging this important duty and, that there was no alternative.
Wahidi has stated in his book Asbab al Nuzul through reliable sources culminating with Abu Said al-Khudri that Chap. 5, Verse 67" O Messenger; do proclaim what has descended upon you from your Lord" descended at Ghadir Khum about Ali ibn Abu Talib.
Daylami and others have recorded as related by Abu Said and as stated in Sawa-iq that the Holy Prophet said: "Call them to a halt. They will be interrogated about the superior authority and guardianship of Ali." And Wahidi says: "They will be interrogated about the superior authority and guardianship of Ali and the Ahl al Bayt."
This sermon calls for special attention. A careful perusal of it will reveal the truth that belief in the superior authority and guardianship of Ali is one of the fundamental principles of faith and this is what the Shi-as believe. The Holy Prophet first asked the audience to bear witness that Allah is the only God, that Muhammad is His slave and messenger, that the day of judgement is bound to come and that Allah will raise to life the dead from their graves. And when they had promised to bear witness to all these things and expressed their belief therein, he asked them to believe "Ali to be wali, i.e. defender of the faith, supreme commander of the faithful and favourite of Allah," so that everybody might know that witnessing of belief in the wilayah of Ali was as important an article of faith as belief in the unity of Allah, the prophethood of Muhammad, the resurrection of the dead, and the day of judgement, and that he will be interrogated about it too. Anyone who follows the style of the sermon, the juxtaposition of sentences therein and the import of the words will reach the same unavoidable conclusion.
Mawla means master; lord; guardian; one more deserving of superior authority.
The words ana awla (I am superior) indicate that the word mawla means awla, i.e., superior. What the Holy Prophet meant by this sentence was, "Allah is superior in right and might to him and he is superior in right and might to the faithful and Ali is superior in right and might to all those to whom the Holy Prophet is superior."
These are the words of Zayd ibn Arqam, who related the tradition. Tabarani, Ibn Jarir, Hakim and Tirmidhi all have recorded the tradition in identical words. Ibn Hajar has copied the tradition from Tabarani in his Sawa-iq, p. 25, and has stated that the tradition is accepted as genuine by all Muslims. Hakim has recorded in the chapter on the "Virtues of Ali" in Mustadrak (vol. 3, p. 109) this tradition as related by Zayd bin Arqam and transmitted through two different sources, and has stated that both the sources are reliable according to the standard set by Bukhari and Muslim. Hakim has recorded it also in the account of Zayd ibn Arqam in Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 533, and held it to be genuine. In spite of his orthodoxy, Dhahabi has copied it from this chapter in his Talkhis from the account of Zayd.
Ahmad ibn Hanbal has recorded the tradition related by Zayd ibn Arqam (in his Musnad, vol. 4, p. 372). In Khasa-is al Alawiyyah, p. 21, Nasa-i has recorded this tradition as related by Zayd ibn Arqam.
Abu Tufayl says: "I asked Zayd if he had personally heard the Holy Prophet uttering the tradition related by him." Zayd replied: "Everyone in the huge crowd saw the Holy Prophet with his own eyes and heard him (making the declaration) with his own ears."
Abu Tufayl's question to Zayd indicates his surprise at the action of the Muslim nation in disregarding the imperative instructions of the Holy Prophet in respect to Ali, in spite of the reports concerning the declaration the Holy Prophet made on the day of Ghadir about the prior right of Ali and his superior authority over the lives of the faithful, similar to the prior right and superior authority over the lives of the faithful held by the Holy Prophet himself. He was either extremely doubtful about the genuineness of the tradition of Ghadir, because the nation had settled the question of succession of the Holy Prophet by vote of allegiance in glaring contradiction of the Holy Prophet's declaration, or astonished at the utter disregard by the followers of the Holy Prophet's important declaration. He therefore inquired if Zayd had himself heard the Holy Prophet making the declaration. Zayd ibn Arqam replied that in spite of there being a huge crowd of men on the occasion there was not a single person who could not see the Holy Prophet with his own eyes and hear his words with his own ears. Zayd's reply convinced him of the truth of what has been expressed by Kumayl, a prominent poet who composed poems in praise of Ali in the following lines:
"In the valley of Ghadir Khum the Holy Prophet had declared Ali to be his successor. Would that the nation had complied with the declaration.
But they decided the matter of succession by vote of allegiance; I have never witnessed casting a vote of allegiance about such an important matter.
I have neither witnessed another day so important as the day of Ghadir;
Nor have I ever seen so serious a destruction of right."
Muslim has also recorded this tradition in the chapter on the 'Virtues of Ali' in his Sahih (vol. 2 p. 325) as related by Zayd ibn Arqam and transmitted through several sources. But he has recorded it briefly in a curtailed form as men of his class are apt to do about such matters.
Ahmad ibn Hanbal has recorded the tradition related by Bara ibn Azib in his Musnad, vol. 4, p. 281, transmitted through two different sources.
Bara says: "We were with the Messenger of Allah. "We alighted at Ghadir Khum. Congregational prayer was in order. An area under two trees was swept and cleaned for the Holy Prophet. He offered midday prayers and he grasped the hand of Ali and said: 'Do you not know that I have greater authority over the lives of the faithful than the faithful themselves?" "Yes you have," they replied. He again inquired: "'Do you not know that I have greater right to the life of every believer than the believer himself?" "Surely, you have," they answered. Then he grasped the hand of Ali and said: "Ali is the mawla of all those of whom I am mawla. O Allah! Love him who loves him and hate him who hates him." Bara ibn Azib says: "Then Umar came to Ali and said: 'Congratulations to you O the son of Abu Talib. You have become the mawla (master) of all the faithful men and women." Nasa-i has recorded a tradition related by A-ishah bint Sad, who says that she heard her father saying that on the day of Ghadir he heard the Holy Prophet delivering a sermon while holding the hand of Ali. He praised and eulogised Allah and then he said: "O my people! I am your master." "True it is, O messenger of Allah," they responded. Then he raised the hand of Ali and said: "He is my wali, and he will repay my debts. I am a friend of him who loves him and an enemy of him who hates him."
Sad also relates that he was among the people accompanying the Holy Prophet. When he reached Ghadir Khum he ordered a halt and called back those who had preceded him and waited for those who were lagging behind. When all the people gathered there he said: "O my people! Who is your wali (master)?" "Allah and His messenger," they said. Then he grasped the hand of Ali and caused him to stand and said: "He is wali of whom Allah and His messenger are wali. O Allah! Love him who loves him and hate him who hates him."
Shibli Nu-mani in Siratun Nabi (completed by Sayyid Sulayman
Nadvi) writes:
While returning from Makka to Madina, after the last hajj,
alongwith his companions, the Holy Prophet broke the journey at a lake, 3 miles
away from Juhfa. A small lake is called ghadir in Arabic, so this place is known
as Ghadir Khum. There, the Holy Prophet addressed his companions and said:
Glory be to Allah. I am a human being. I may be recalled
shortly and I must comply. I leave behind, among you, the two weighty things.
One of them is the book of Allah wherein there is guidance and light; hold fast
to the book. The other thing is my Ahl ul Bayt. I call your attention to Allah
in the matter of my Ahl ul Bayt."
He repeated the last sentence thrice. This tradition is
mentioned in Sahih Muslim.
Nisa-i, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Tirmidhi, Tibrani, Tabari, and Hakim
have mentioned the following words also:
"Man kuntu mawlahu fa Aliyyun mawlahu
Allahumma wali man walahu wa adi man adahu "
(The English version of Shibli's Urdu translation of the above
is given below):
"Of whomsoever I am the beloved Ali is his beloved. O Allah
love him who loves Ali and be hostile to him who shows hostility to Ali."
(Siratun Nabi p. 165, 166; printed in 1352 Hijra at Mu-arif
press, Azam Gad).
Shah Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehalvi has mentioned this tradition
in Madarijun Nabuwwah:
"While addressing his companions at Ghadir Khum, the Holy
Prophet said:
'Do you not know that I am nearer to the faithful than they are
themselves?"
The Quran also says that the prophet is nearer to the faithful
than they are themselves (Ahzab 6).
'Yes, you are,' replied all of them. According to another
tradition the Holy Prophet continued:
'I have been recalled and I must comply. I am leaving behind,
among you, two things, each of which is better than the other, the Quran and the
Ahl ul Bayt. Be careful how you deal with them and discharge your obligation
unto each of them. They shall never be separated from each other till they reach
me at Kawthar. Allah is my Mawla and I am the mawla of all the
faithful. (Then he took the hand of Ali in his hand and said:) O my Allah! of
whomsoever I am mawla Ali is his mawla. O my Allah! Love him who
loves Ali and be hostile to him who is hostile to Ali. O my Allah! Help him who
helps Ali and forsake him who forsakes Ali; and turn truth to whichever side Ali
turns.
It is related that, after this address, Umar came to Ali and
said: 'Greetings be to you O son of Abu Talib! Now you are the mawla of all the
believing men and believing women.'
Know you all that this tradition speaks about the honour,
glory, distinction and greatness of Ali. It commands all the believers to love
Ali remain attached with him, and never to malign him or to oppose him. In
another tradition it has been declared that:" Will not love Ali save a true
believer and will not oppose Ali save a dishonest hypocrite."
(Minhaj al Nabuwwah p. 752 and 753, printed at Nawal Kishur,
Kanpur, 1873 A.D-Urdu translation of Madarij al Nabuwwah by Shah Abdul Haq
Muhaddith Dihalvi).
The imamah or wilayah of Ali ibn abi Talib has
been proved in the commentary of Ali Imran: 52 and 53 and Ma-idah: 54 and 55.
Moreover, human nature confirms the consecutiveness of the
tradition of Ghadir. Like all other historical events of national importance
which become the talk of the nation and are transmitted from generation to
generation, the tradition of Ghadir has ever since been the talk of the entire
Muslim nation and has been consecutively transmitted to this day. The Holy
Prophet made extraordinary arrangements for transmission of this tradition. The
occasion was the return journey from his last pilgrimage announced beforehand.
He halted at midday in a wayside tract of barren land with no shade other than
that provided by a few acacia trees for the huge audience of hundreds of
thousands of his followers flocked from different and distant places. The place
of the congregation was the confluence of routes from several directions. He was
particularly careful to ensure that those who had preceded him retraced their
steps and those who were behind came up to him, so that the largest possible
number of Muslims might hear and witness the important proclamation which was
made before they dispersed along their different routes. Besides, they were
instructed to convey the proclamation to others in their respective places. So,
it spread all over the Muslim world, on land and coasts, instantaneously as the
rays of the rising sun spread light everywhere on land and water.
You will never find a change in the practice of Allah. (Fatir:
43)
The tradition of Ghadir is a place of descent for the
providence and concern of Allah, when He revealed it to His prophet, and He
epitomised it in the Quran, which the Muslims recite day and night, study in
solitude, read in gatherings, prayers and supplications, and chant it in sermons
on pulpits and in the call for prayers on minarets, saying:
O Messenger! Do proclaim what has descended on you from your
Lord. And if you fail to comply then you have failed altogether in the discharge
of your duty as Messenger and Allah will protect you from the people.
We are quite certain that this verse descended about the
regency of Ali on the day of Ghadir Khum, and the traditions in our records on
this subject are numerous and consecutively transmitted through the Imams of the
holy posterity of the Holy Prophet. But we also refer to what has been related,
transmitted and recorded by other sources. Please refer to Wahidi's commentary
on this verse of al Ma-idah, in his book Asbab al Nuzul, p. 50, where he has
recorded the tradition of Ghadir from two reliable sources-Atiyah and Abu Sa-id
al Khudri. The former heard the latter saying that the verse, "O messenger, do
proclaim what has descended on you from your Lord," descended on the day of
Ghadir about Ali ibn Abu Talib. Hafiz Abu Nu-aym, while commenting on the verse
in his book Nuzul al Quran, has recorded the tradition as related by two
authorities, Abu Sa-id and Abu Rafi. Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al Hamwayni al
Shafi-i, in his book Al Fara-id, has recorded the tradition as related by Abu
Hurayrah and transmitted through several sources. Abu Ishaq al Thalabi has
recorded the tradition while explaining the verses in his Tafsir al-Kabir on the
basis of two reliable authorities. Besides, we should keep in mind that salat
had been established before the verse in question descended; zakat
had already been made obligatory and was being paid; Ramadan fasts were
being observed; pilgrimage to Makka was being annually performed and the do's
and don'ts of the faith had been explained and commandments had been scribed. If
it was not the proclamation about the regent and successor of the Holy Prophet,
what was the other divine message still to be conveyed which Allah imperiously
commanded the Holy Prophet to convey, leaving him no option and allowing him no
delay, with the impelling exhortation to convey which almost amounted to a
threat. And what was the important message other than succession on conveyance
of which the Holy Prophet apprehended mischief and turbulence, and needed help
and protection of Allah against harm from the people? And when the Holy Prophet
had proclaimed Ali as Imam of his followers and his successor, Allah caused to
descend on him the same day the verse:
"Today I have perfected for you your faith and completed my
favour upon you and chosen for you Islam (to be) the religion;" (Ma-idah: 3).
There are in our records many authentic and consecutively
transmitted reports of the Ahl al Bayt confirming our statement that the verse
descended on the 18th of Dhil Hijjah at Ghadir Khum, and the reports are above
doubt. Whereas Bukhari states that the verse descended on the day of Arafat, the
ninth of Dhil Hijjah. The inmates of a house and their descendants have a more
correct knowledge of the affairs pertaining to them than any outsider.
This is an extraordinary favour of Allah which He bestows upon
whomsoever He likes. He who carefully considers these verses cannot help
acknowledging the special favours of Allah.
When Allah was so particular about the proclamation, there is
no wonder that the matter assumed great importance in the eyes of the Holy
Prophet. And so it was, that when he felt the time of his death was near, he
decided, at the command of Allah, to make the proclamation about Ali's
succession on the occasion of the great pilgrimage in the presence of a huge
crowd of his followers even though he had previously announced Ali to be his
successor on the occasion of the declaration of his prophethood (according to
the tradition of warning to his nearest relations in Makka in the house of Abu
Talib-see commentary of Ali Imran : 52 and s3, and on numerous subsequent
occasions as we have already stated. But he was not satisfied with these
occasional announcements. He, therefore, arranged for a public declaration well
in advance that he was going to perform his farewell pilgrimage. Consequently,
the faithful poured in from all places near and distant, and there were with him
more than one hundred thousand people when he left Madina for Makka.
Sayyid Ahmad Zayni Duhlani, in the chapter on the 'Farewell
Pilgrimage' in his book Sirat al Nabawiyah says: "According to one source there
were ninety thousand persons with the Holy Prophet when he came out of Madina,
while according to another source there were one hundred thousand persons with
him, and according to still another source even more than that. This is the
number of those who were with the Holy Prophet when he started from Madina.
Others joined him on the way, and thus, the number of persons who performed
pilgrimage with him was far in excess of this." This indicates that the number
of pilgrims who returned with him up to Ghadir Khum was to all reckoning more'
than one hundred thousand, all of whom witnessed the Holy Prophet uttering the
tradition of Ghadir.
In an address to the pilgrims at Arafat on 9 Dhil Hijjah he
said: 'Ali is from me and I am from Ali, and none can discharge my duty as a
prophet except myself or Ali (see on page 358, para 15, in the "Forty
Traditions").
On his return journey after the pilgrimage all the hundred
thousand were with him. When he arrived at the valley of Khum the angel brought
to him the 'verse of proclamation' from Allah. He got down there and waited till
those who were travelling behind him came up and those who had preceded him came
back to him. When all of them had gathered he led the congregational midday
prayers and then addressed them from the pulpit made of camel litters, and as
peremptorily commanded by Allah, unequivocally proclaimed Ali to be his
successor as previously described to some extent. And all the people who were
there with the Holy Prophet that day heard the tradition from him and carried
the news with them, and they numbered more than a hundred thousand belonging to
various places. The 'tradition of Ghadir,' irrespective of all artificial
hindrances and hurdles in transmission, has been successively and consecutively
transmitted by traditionists, historians, biographers and other scholars.
Moreover, the Imams among the Ahl ul Bayt have diffused and propagated the
tradition continuously and appropriately.
Only one event is enough to convince the seeker of truth of the
successive and consecutive transmission of the tradition. When at Ali's
insistence a large number of people gathered in the plain of Rahbah in Kufah, he
addressed them saying: "I administer an oath in the name of Allah to all such
Muslims as heard the Holy Prophet making a proclamation on the day of Ghadir
Khum, to stand up and testify what they heard him say. Only those who saw the
Holy Prophet that day with their own eyes and heard the proclamation with their
own ears should stand up." Thereupon, thirty companions of the Holy Prophet,
including twelve of those who had participated in the battle of Badr, stood up
and witnessed that the Holy Prophet grasped his (Ali's) hand and said to the
audience: "Do you know that I have a prior right to and superior authority over
the souls (i.e. lives) of the faithful than the faithful themselves?" "O yes!"
they said. The Holy Prophet then said: "He (Ali) is the mawla (i.e., has
prior right to and superior authority over the lives) of all those of whom I am
mawla. O Allah, love him who loves him (Ali) and hate him who hates him."
It is logically impossible that thirty companions might have secretly agreed to
speak a unanimous lie. In addition to the thirty witnesses there were other male
companions whom enmity with Ali prevented from standing up and giving their
evidence as eye-witnesses, like Anas ibn Malik.
When Ali said to Anas: "Why do you not stand up and testify
what you heard from the messenger of Allah on the day of Ghadir?" he answered,
"O Amir al-Muminin! I have grown old and do not remember." Thereupon Ali said:
"May Allah mark you with a white spot (of leprosy) unconcealable with your
turban, if you are intentionally withholding the truth." And before Anas got up
from his place he bore a large white spot on his face. Thereafter, Anas used to
say: "I am under the curse of a righteous slave of Allah." Ibn Qutaybah
Daynawari has described this event in the account of Anas among disabled persons
in his Al-Ma-arif, p. 14. Ahmad ibn Hanbal has testified to this anecdote in his
Musnad, vol. 1 p. 199, where he says: "All stood up except three persons who
came under the curse of Ali."
The evidence of these thirty men doubtlessly proves that the
tradition has been successively and consecutively transmitted. All those who had
gathered in the plain of Rahbah heard the tradition from those thirty
companions, and when they dispersed they carried the tradition with them to
various towns and villages and reported it to the people there, and thus, the
tradition was very widely circulated. It should also be borne in mind that the
event of Rahbah took place during the caliphate of Ali ibn abi Talib, at least
twenty-five years after the proclamation of Ghadir, which took place on the Holy
Prophet's return from his farewell pilgrimage in 10 Hijra. The masses took oath
of allegiance to Ali ibn abi Talib in the year 35 Hijra, when he was
acknowledged as caliph. The quarter of a century that intervened between the two
events was marked with many a battle fought and conquests made, with the
accompanying disturbances and disasters during the rule of the first three
caliphs, and with the devastation by the plague of Amwas. Many an aged companion
of the Holy Prophet had breathed his last, and many a zealous youth had met his
death in battlefields in an ardent desire to merit special favour of Allah and
His messenger. Thus, most of those who had accompanied the Holy Prophet on his
farewell pilgrimage and had witnessed the proclamation of Ghadir were no longer
in this world, and the comparatively few survivors were in different places in
different lands. Still, thirty of the companions, excluding women, and including
twelve participants of the crusade of Badr who were with Ali in Iraq, stood up
and declared that they had seen the Holy Prophet personally and had heard the
tradition of Ghadir from him .
If you will carefully consider the event of Rahbah, you will
find it to be the most valid proof of the consecutive transmission of the
tradition of Ghadir This event of Rahbah has been described in several books of
traditions. Ahmad has recorded in his Musnad, vol. 4, p. 370, the tradition of
Ghadir as related by Zayd ibn Arqam and reported by Abu Tufayl, who says that he
(Ali) gathered the people in the plain of Rahbah and adjured in the name of
Allah every Muslim male there who had heard the proclamation of Ghadir from the
Holy Prophet to stand up and testify what he had heard from the Holy Prophet on
the day of Ghadir. Thereupon thirty men stood up; and according to Hafiz Abu
Nu-aym many people stood up and gave evidence that he (the Holy Prophet) grasped
his (Ali's) hand and said to the audience: "Do you know that I have superior
authority over the souls of the faithful than the faithful themselves." "O yes,
Messenger of Allah," they answered. Then he said: "He (Ali) has superior
authority over the lives of those who believe me to have superior authority over
their lives. O Allah! Love him who loves him and hate him who hates him." Abu
Tufayl says that it was in a state of great mental agitation that he left the
plain of Rahbah, for the Muslim masses had not complied with the tradition. He,
therefore, called on Zayd ibn Arqam and told him what he had heard from Ali;
Zayd asked him not to entertain any doubt about it for he had himself heard the
Holy Prophet uttering the tradition. Ahmad has recorded in his Musnad, vol. 1,
p. 119, a tradition related by Abd al-Rahman ibn Abu Laylah, who says that he
witnessed Ali administering an oath to the people in the plain of Rahbah, Ali
said: "I adjure those of you in the name of Allah who heard the messenger of
Allah on the day of Ghadir saying 'Ali is the mawla of whom I am
mawla' to stand up and give evidence. He who is not an eyewitness need
not stand up." Abd al-Rahman adds: "Thereupon twelve such companions as had
participated in the battle of Badr stood up. The occasion is still fresh in my
memory. They said: We testify that we heard the Holy Prophet saying on the day
of Ghadir, 'Have I not a superior authority over the lives of the faithful than
the faithful have to themselves and are my wives not their mothers?' 'O,
Messenger of Allah! It is so, no doubt,' they responded. Then he said: 'Ali is
the mawla of whom I am mawla. O, Allah! Love him who loves him and
hate him who hates him.'''
At the close of the same page Ahmad has recorded another
version of the evidence according to which the Holy Prophet said: "O Allah! Love
him who loves him and hate him who hates him, and help him who helps him and
forsake him who forsakes him." And that all the eyewitnesses stood up except
three who came under the curse of Ali. If you add the name of Ali and Zayd ibn
Arqam to the twelve eyewitnesses, the number of the eyewitnesses in Rahbah who
had participated in the crusade of Badr will become fourteen.
If you pay attention to the numerous reports regarding the
event of Rahbah as contained in books of traditions and precepts, you cannot
help appreciating the wisdom behind this arrangement for the widest possible
publication and propagation of the tradition by Ali ibn abi Talib, so that
everybody might know his right to succeed to the Holy Prophet.
The chief of the martyrs Imam Husayn also utilised an occasion
similar to that of Rahbah, during the reign of Mu-awiyah, when the truth once
again came to be widely known. It was at Arafat before hundreds of thousands of
pilgrims during the days of hajj that he delivered a sermon unsurpassed
in eloquence. Therein he praised his grandfather, his father, his mother and his
elder brother. No ear ever since has heard so fluent and eloquent a sermon, no
eye witnessed so magnificent a delivery and no heart has ever been sparked by a
speech to such an extent. The sermon was heard with rapt attention, carefully
followed and retained in memory, and the proclamation of Ghadir was fully
re-echoed. This was a prudent and big step towards the propagation and
circulation of the tradition of Ghadir.
The nine immaculate Imams among the descendants of Husayn also
took various but extremely wise steps towards the further propagation and
circulation of the tradition and gave it a commonly perceptible form. They used
to celebrate the eighteenth day of Dhil-Hijjah every year as a day of great
festivity, feasting, rejoicing and congratulating each other, and they would
seek further pleasure of Allah, by saying extra prayers, observing fasts,
reciting traditionally transmitted hymns and supplications to Allah, and
practising extra sympathy and benevolence in thanksgiving for Allah blessing
them with a day on which Ali was proclaimed successor of the Holy Prophet and
appointed Imam of the Muslim masses. On this day they used to present gifts to
their relations and friends, provide their family members and others of their
household with means of comfort, visit their brothers and friends, satisfy the
needs of their neighbours and also instruct their friends to celebrate the day
likewise.
This is why the eighteenth of Dhil-Hijjah has ever since been
celebrated by the Shi-as as an Id (festival) in all lands and climes. On
this day they offer obligatory and supererogatory prayers in their masjids
and recite the Quran and traditionally transmitted prayers and supplications
expressing gratitude to Allah for perfecting the faith and completing His
blessings by appointing Ali ibn abi Talib as Imam.
Ibn Athir, while recording the events of the year 350 Hijra
writes in his Tarikh al-Kamil, vol. 8, p. 181, that on the eighteenth of
Dhil-Hijjah, Mu-izz al-Dawlah ordered decoration and illuminated the city of
Baghdad. There was general rejoicing. Shops and markets remained open for the
night as on the nights of the two Ids. All this decoration and rejoicing
was in celebration of Id al-Ghadir, a memorable day.
There can be no doubt about the consecutive transmission of the
tradition through the Ahl al-Bayt and their followers who consider it to be of
utmost importance, and who have been extremely careful in preserving the
original version of the tradition and have taken great pains for propagation and
publishing it as widely as possible. If one takes the trouble of going through
the four classical and other authentic Shi-ah books of traditions, the
consecutive transmission of the tradition according to Shi-ah sources will
become as clear as daylight.
And as Allah had willed, the tradition has been consecutively
transmitted through Sunni sources also." There is no altering Allah's creation.
That is the firm and upright religion, but most people do not know it (Ar Rum:
30)." The compiler of Fatawi al-Hamidiyyah, in spite of his being an orthodox
Sunni, has, in his pamphlet named Salawat al-Fakhirah fi al-Ahadith
al-Mutawatirah, treated and explained the tradition as having been consecutively
transmitted. Suyuti and others, who like him had committed the traditions to
memory, have stated the tradition as having been consecutively transmitted.
Besides him, Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari, whose commentary of the Quran and
History are well known books, Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Sa-id ibn Aqdah and
Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Uthman al-Dhahabi considered the tradition of Ghadir to
be so important that every one of them has written an independent book on this
tradition alone, and has collected the various versions of the tradition and
enumerated all the sources thereof. Ibn Jarir has recorded in his book the
tradition as passed through seventy-five different sources, and Ibn Aqdah as
passed through one hundred and five sources. Dhahabi, in spite of being an
orthodox Sunni, has testified or admitted the reliability of most of the
sources, and in chapter 16 of Ghayah al-Maram has recorded eighty-nine
traditions, transmitted through Sunni sources, all of which mention the
memorable event of Ghadir.
Those eighty-nine traditions are in addition to those recorded
by Tirmidhi, Nasa-i, Tabrani, Bazar, Abu Yula and many other traditionists.
Suyuti, in his book Tarikh al-Khulafa in the account of Ali, has copied the
tradition from Tirmidhi and says: "Ahmad has recorded the tradition as related
by Ali, Abu Ayyub Ansari, Zayd ibn Araqam, Umar and Dhi Mar.
The author of Ghayah al-Maram, at the close of chap. 16, p. 89
thereof, has stated that Ibn Jarir has recorded the tradition of Ghadir as
passed through ninety-five sources in his book Al-Wilayah and Ibn Aqdah through
one hundred and five different sources. Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Siddiq
al-Maghribi has stated that both Dhahabi and Ibn Aqdah have written independent
books on this tradition alone. Please refer to his great work Fath al-Mulk
al-Ali Bi-Sihah-i Hadith-i Bab-i Madinat al-Ilm al-Ali. Ibn Hajar has stated
this in his Sawa-iq, sec. 5, chap. 1.
Ahmad also recorded it in his Musnad, vol. 1, p. 131, as
related by Ibn Abbas and again in vol. 4, page 281, as related by Bara ibn Azib.
Abu Yula has recorded it as related by Abu Hurayrah and Tabrani
as related by Ibn Umar, Malik ibn al-Hawayrith, Habashi ibn Janadah, Jarir, Sad
ibn Abi Waqqas, Abu Said al-Khudri and Anas; Bazar has recorded it as related by
Ibn Abbas and Buraydah.
Among other proofs of the very wide publicity of the tradition
is the tradition recorded by Ahmad in his Musnad vol. 5, p. 419, as related by
Riyah ibn al-Harith from two sources. He says that a party of Muslims came to
Ali and saluted him saying; "Peace be upon you, our mawla." Ali asked
them who they were. "Your dependants, your bondsmen, O Amir al-Muminin," they
answered. Ali said: "How am I the mawla (master) of you Arabs?" They said
on the day of Ghadir Khum they heard the Holy Prophet saying: "He is the
mawla of whom I am mawla." Riyah says that when they left he followed
them and inquired who they were; he was informed that they were some of the
ansars of Madina and that Abu Ayyub Ansari was one of them.
Among other hard proofs of successive and consecutive
transmission of the tradition of Ghadir is the tradition recorded by Ishaq
Thalabi in his commentary of the Quran. While commenting on al-Ma-arij he
recorded from two authentic sources the tradition that on the day of Ghadir the
Holy Prophet summoned the people through Ali and said: "Ali is the mawla
of whom I am mawla." The news quickly spread over all urban and rural
areas. When Harith ibn Numan al-Fahri came to know of it he rode his she-camel
and came to Madina to see the Holy Prophet. When he reached his destination he
made the she-camel sit, got down, approached the Holy Prophet and said: "You
commanded us to testify that there is no deity but Allah and that you are the
messenger of Allah. We obeyed you. You ordered us to say prayers five times a
day and we obeyed. You directed us to pay zakat and we obeyed. You
ordered us to observe fasts during Ramadan and we obeyed. Then you commanded us
to perform pilgrimage to Makka and we obeyed. But you were not satisfied with
all this and you raised your cousin by the hand and imposed him upon us as our
master by saying: "Ali is the mawla of whom I am mawla Is this
imposition from you or from Allah?" The Holy Prophet said: "By Allah who is the
only Deity! This is from Allah, the mighty and glorious." On hearing this Harith
turned back and proceeded towards his she-camel saying: "O Allah! If what
Muhammad says is correct then fling on us a stone from the sky and subject us to
severe pain and torture." He had not yet reached his she-camel when Allah, who
is above all defects, flung at him a stone which struck him on his head,
penetrated into his body and passed out through his anus and left him dead. It
was on this occasion that Allah caused to descend the first three verses of
al-Ma-arij .
A questioner questioned about the punishment about to fall. For
the disbelievers there is nothing to avert it, from Allah the Lord of Ascent.
This is a literal translation of the tradition recorded by
Thalabi. Many of the Sunni scholars of traditions have classified this tradition
with the traditions universally accepted to be genuine. Shablanji has recorded
this tradition in his Nur al Absar on p. 71 ,and it is mentioned in Sirah al
Halbiyyah vol. 2, p. 214; and in Mustadrak, vol. 2, p. 502.
Harith ibn Numan, the first denier of the wilayah of Ali
was killed by Allah Himself.
The tradition of Ghadir admits of no other interpretation
except the divine declaration of Ali's universal imamah. Likelihood of a
different interpretation is random talk and positively misleading. All the
well-informed Muslims believe in the perfect wisdom, unquestionable
impeccability and the lasting prophethood of the Holy Prophet, and that he was
the leader of all the wise, and the last of all the prophets. "He speaks not
from his own desire, but it is a revelation from Allah. He has been taught by
one of the mighty powers (Najm: 3-5). Why did the Holy Prophet on the day of
Ghadir order the hundreds of thousand pilgrims returning from Makka to make a
halt? Why did he detain them in the intense heat of the midday sun? Why did he
call back those who had preceded him and wait for those travelling behind to
come up to him? Why did he order them to punctuate their journey in the open
air, in a plain without water and vegetation, and then address them as commanded
by Allah in a place of divergence of the routes to various places, and bade
those present to convey the news to the rest? Why, as an introduction to his
address, did he refer to his death in the near future, when he said: "I feel
that I am shortly going to be recalled by my Lord and I shall have to obey; I
will be interrogated and you also shall be interrogated"? What was the important
message of which he would be interrogated about its delivery and the nation
interrogated about their compliance with it? And why did he say: "Do you not
bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and
messenger, and that paradise is true, hell is true, death is true, coming back
to life after death is true, the day of judgement is sure to come and that Allah
will raise to life those in graves?" and they said: 'Oh Yes! We bear witness to
all this." And why did he immediately grasp the hand of Ali and raise it so high
that the whiteness of his armpit became visible and then say: "O my people!
Allah is my Lord and I am mawla (the master) of the faithful"? Why did he
explain his words, "I am mawla of the faithful," by saying: "I have a
prior right to and superior authority over their lives"? Why did he, after his
explanation, declare: "He is the mawla of whom I am mawla," or "He
is the wali (guardian) of whom I am wali .O Allah! Love him
who loves him and hate him who hates him; help him who helps him and forsake him
who forsakes him"? Why did he make about Ali in particular the supplication
which befitted only the rightful Imams and true successors? Why did he secure
their admission by inquiring: "Do I not enjoy an authority over your souls
superior to your own," to which they replied in the affirmative, and then he
said: "Ali is the mawla of whom I am mawla," or "Ali is the
wali of whom I am wali"? Why did he establish an inseparable
connection between his children, the Ahl ul Bayt, and the holy book and proclaim
the two to be sure guides for the faithful till the day of judgement? What was
it about which the great sage, the prophet of Islam, was so anxious and took so
much precaution and unusual arrangement? What was the important mission which he
intended to fulfil before so huge a gathering? What was the great message which
Allah peremptorily commanded him to deliver when He said:
O Messenger! Do proclaim what has descended on you from your
Lord. And if you fail to comply then you have failed altogether in the discharge
of your duty as messenger, and Allah will protect you from the
people?
What was the urgent message for the delivery of which Allah
issued so peremptory an order, or the exhortation for its conveyance which
almost amounted to a threat? What was the commandment the announcement of which
was apprehended with the danger of insurrection and needed protection by Allah
against injury from the hypocrites?
If these questions are put to a learned scholar, will he answer
that the purpose of the peremptory exhortation by Allah and the unusual
arrangement and precaution by the Prophet was to declare that Ali was the helper
and friend of Muslims? It cannot, for a moment, be thought that the purpose
behind all the arrangements made, and the precautions taken by the Holy Prophet
and his intently setting his mind, was the declaration of a fact which was too
well known to require a special declaration, and the explanation of what was
self-evident and perceptible to common sense.
The actions and words of the Holy Prophet were far above what
people with common sense may dislike or disdain and sages and philosophers may
censure or find faulty. Certainly his words and actions are based on perfect
wisdom and impeccability. Allah says:
Surely it is the word of an honoured messenger, mighty,
established in the presence of the Lord of the throne, (one) to be obeyed, and
trust worthy; and your companion is not mad.
(Takwir: 19-22).
Would we attach so much importance to the clarification of what
was obvious, the explanation of what was self-evident, and the making of unusual
arrangements taking so much precaution for announcing what was apparent? This is
quite irrelevant and impossible. Allah and His messenger are far above speaking
trifles and doing negligible acts. And anyone whom Allah has gifted with right
judgement, knows well that the important aim of his words and actions on the day
of Ghadir, in the scorching heat of the midday sun, in a waterless plain before
a huge crowd of pilgrims, in a concurrence of divergent routes, was no other
than completion of his mission and appointment of his successor after him. The
implication of his words and reason both lead to the inevitable conclusion that
on that day the Holy Prophet had no other purpose in view than the appointment
of Ali as regent in his lifetime and successor after his death. The tradition
with all its suggestions and implications, and the connotation of its
constituent words, is a clear proof of the successorship of Ali, and admits no
other interpretation. There is no escape from this meaning and no trace of any
other meaning. The tradition is self-evident "for him who has an open heart or
has an attentive ear and an observant eye." (Qaf: 37).
To say that the hostile attitude of Ali's enemies was the
underlying cause of what the Holy Prophet declared about Ali at Ghadir Khum is
random talk and positively misleading. Enmity with Ali could be no justification
for the extraordinary precaution and unusual arrangement of litters into a
pulpit, and profuse and emphatic praise of Ali by the Holy Prophet on the day of
Ghadir. Only those who regard the Holy Prophet, God forbid, rash and reckless in
his speech and action, observation and decision, will agree with the above said
interpretation. But his excellence and mature intellect is far from that, for
Allah, who is above all defects says:
That it is indeed the speech of an illustrious messenger. It is
not a poet's speech-little is it that you believe! Nor the speech of a
soothsayer-little is it that you remember. It is a revelation from the Lord of
the worlds.
(Haqqah: 4043)
If it was his purpose to make the people aware of the
excellence and merits of Ali or to refute any complaint against him, he would
have said: "He is my cousin, my son-in-law, the father of my grandchildren and
the chief of my Ahl ul Bayt. Do not incur my displeasure by your misbehaviour
towards him," or similar other things recounting his virtues and indicating his
sublime rank. Besides, from the words of the tradition (particularly in view of
the logical and historical indications that we have mentioned), nothing occurs
to the mind other than what has been stated. The tradition will be and ought to
be regarded as conveying the same meaning which first occurs to the mind upon
hearing it, and which the words of the tradition naturally suggest, irrespective
of the occasion and circumstances of the tradition.
The inclusion of the Ahl ul Bayt in the tradition of Ghadir
only supports the meaning that we have stated, for therein the Holy Prophet
asserted eternal association between the Ahl ul Bayt and the Quran, and
commended them to the nation as models of guidance by saying: "I leave among you
two things. If you cling to both of them you will never deviate from the right
path; they are the book of Allah and my children who are my Ahl ul Bayt." He did
this so that the nation might know that there was no asylum for it after the
Holy Prophet, except these two, and there was none else to depend upon for
guidance after him save the Quran and the Ahl ul Bayt. The importance and
obligatory nature of allegiance to the Imams in his holy posterity can be judged
by the fact that the Holy Prophet declared them to be eternally associated with
the book of Allah, which is unapproachable by falsehood. Just as it is not
permissible to follow any book other than the book of Allah, so it is not
permissible to follow any Imam other than the Imams in his posterity. The words
of the Holy Prophet that, "the two will not come to an end" or "will not
separate till they return to me on the pool of Kawthar," clearly prove that
after the Holy Prophet the earth will never be without an Imam from among his
children who will maintain the inseparable association with the book and will be
a guide with it.
Through this tradition the succession of the Holy Prophet, or
caliphate, is confirmed to the Imams in his holy posterity. Please refer to
Ahmad's Musnad, vol. 5, beginning of p. 122, where the following tradition is
recorded as related by Zayd ibn Thabit, according to whom the Holy Prophet said:
"I am going to leave among you two successors-the book of Allah, which is a long
cord hanging down from the heavens to earth, and my children, who are my Ahl ul
Bayt. These two will never part from each other till they reach me at the pool."
This is a valid argument supporting succession of the Imams in his posterity.
And the stipulation of allegiance to his posterity, as a duty, is an
unassailable argument that allegiance to Ali is a duty, for he is certainly the
chief of his posterity and its indisputable Imam. Thus, the tradition of Ghadir,
and similar other traditions which impose allegiance to the posterity of the
Holy Prophet as a duty, simultaneously prove the right of succession of Ali and
allegiance to him as a duty as the chief of the holy posterity to which Allah
and His messenger have assigned the same status as the book, while other
traditions, which speak of his great personality and his unrivalled merits and
virtues, prove that he was the wali, that is, the master and guardian of
all those of whom the Holy Prophet was the master and guardian.
Some of the Sunni scholars advise the Muslims to understand
from the tradition of Ghadir that Ali had a superior right to imamah in
the future, when the Muslim nation chose him as Imam and took oath of allegiance
to him as such, and not at the time of the declaration of Ghadir. This is
suggested so that the khilafat of the three caliphs who preceded him may
not prove to be contrary to the tradition of Ghadir. One feels surprised at the
interpretation and is in wonderment about those who were the authors of the
interpretation, which neither the words of the tradition suggest nor occurs to
one's mind on hearing it, nor is it associable with the intelligence of the Holy
Prophet . It is not in consonance with his judicious words, nor compatible with
his elaborate arrangement and precaution and mighty words on the day of Ghadir.
The interpretation is also incompatible with the indications and likelihoods we
have stated above, and with the meaning of the tradition as understood by Harith
ibn Numan al-Fahri and signified by Allah or intended by His messenger, and
understood by all the companions.
Moreover, the wording of the tradition does not indicate that
the superiority of Ali was not for the present but for a future time, for in
that case Ali would not have been mawla (superior or master) to either of
the first three caliphs nor of any other Muslim who died during their reign,
which is against the precept of the Holy Prophet who said: "And am I not for the
faithful superior to their own souls?" And when they acknowledged his
superiority, he said: "Ali is the mawla of whom I am mawla," that
is, of all his followers without any exception, and this is why Abu Bakr and
Umar on hearing the declaration of Ghadir from the Holy Prophet said to Ali: "Oh
Ibn Abu Talib, you have become the mawla of every Muslim man and woman."
This has been recorded by Darqutni as stated in Ibn Hajar's Sawa-iq, chap. 1,
sec 5, p. 26. Many other traditionists have also recorded the event as related
and transmitted through various sources. Ahmad has recorded the words of Umar as
related by Bara ibn Azib in his Musnad, vol. 4, p. 281: "O the son of Abu Talib!
Now you have become the master of all the faithful."
Both of them clarified that Ali was the master and guardian of
every faithful man and woman on the day of Ghadir. Once they said to Umar: "How
is that your behaviour towards Ali is marked with more respect and favour than
your behaviour towards any other companion of the Holy Prophet? " He replied:
"He is my mawla. "Darqutni has reported this incident. Please refer to
Ibn Hajar's Sawa-iq al-Muhriqah, chap. 11, last part of sec. 1.
This is a clear admission that Ali was mawla at that
time although they had not chosen him as the successor of the Holy Prophet, and
had not taken oaths of allegiance to him. This proves that Ali became the
mawla of Umar and of all other faithful men and women from the time the
Holy Prophet proclaimed him mawla in compliance with the command of Allah
on the day of Ghadir.
Ibn Hajar and Halabi contend that if Ali is regarded as
mawla of the nation since the proclamation of Ghadir, it would lead to
the unacceptable conclusion that he became Imam during the lifetime of the Holy
Prophet. This is a strange linking and is a misrepresentation of the facts. They
have feigned to be unaware of the practice of all the prophets of deciding the
question of succession and naming their successors during their lifetime. They
have affected ignorance of the implication of the tradition, "O Ali! You hold in
relation to me the same position as Harun held in relation to Musa except that
there will be no prophet after me," and pretended to be forgetful of the
tradition of warning to near relations wherein the Holy Prophet, said: "Listen
to him and obey him," and of similar other traditions. Moreover, if we suppose
Ali's imamah during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet to be unacceptable,
then we must necessarily accept him as universal Imam immediately after the
death of the Holy Prophet without any gap, according to the well-known rule laid
down by elocutionists and rhetoricians: that when it is difficult or impossible
to understand a word in its original meaning, it should be understood in its
nearest idiomatic or conventional meaning.
Here, we take the opportunity to mention the "Forty Traditions'
which throw light on Ali's right of imamah (succession to the Holy
Prophet):
FORTY TRADITIONS
[RECORDED IN THE BOOKS OF HISTORY TRADITIONS AND COMMENTARIES
WRITTEN BY WELL KNOWN NON-SHI-A MUSLIM SCHOLARS].
1. The Holy Prophet placed his hand on the neck of Ali and
said: "This is the guide of the righteous and the slayer of the profligate. He
who helps him is victorious and he who abandons him is forsaken. Hakim has
recorded this in his Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 129, as a tradition related by Jabir.
This is tradition No. 2527 in Kanz al-Ummal, vol. 6, p.153, and Thalabi has
recorded it as related by Abu Dharr while commenting on the verse of 'superior
authority' in his Tafsir al-Kabir.
2. The Holy Prophet said: "Three things have been revealed to
me about Ali: he is the master of the Muslims, leader of the pious and the chief
of the singularly radiant." Hakim has recorded this tradition in his Mustadrak,
vol. 3, beginning of p. 138. Al-Barudi Ibn Qani, Abu Nu-aym and al Bazar have
recorded it; and this is tradition No. 2628 in Kanz al-Ummal, vol. 6, p. 157.
3. The Holy Prophet said: "It has been revealed to me about Ali
that he is the master of the Muslims, friend of the pious and the chief of the
singularly radiant." Ibn Najjar and many other traditionists have recorded it.
This is tradition No. 2630 in Kanz al-Ummal, vol. 6, 157.
4. The Holy Prophet said to Ali: "Welcome to the master of the
Muslims and leader of the pious." Abu Nu-aym has recorded it in his book Hilyah
al Awliya. This is No. 11 of the traditions cited by Ibn Abi al-Hadid and
appears in his Sharh al Nahj al-Balagha, vol. 2, p. 450, and tradition No. 2627
in Kanz al-Ummal, vol. 6, p.157.
5. The Holy Prophet said: "The first person who enters this
door is the leader of the pious, the master of the Muslims, the protector of the
faith, the seal of those who execute the trust and the chief of the singularly
radiant." Then Ali entered the door and the Holy Prophet stood up and joyously
embraced him and wiped off the sweat from his forehead, and he was heard saying:
"You will repay my debts, convey my message to the people and will show them the
right path when there will be dissension among them after me." Abu Nu-aym has
recorded this tradition in his Hilyah al-Awliya as related by Anas, and Ibn Abi
al Hadid has copied it with details in his Sharh al-Nahj al-Balagha, vol. 2,
p.450.
6. The Holy Prophet said: "Allah has informed me that Ali is
the flag of guidance, the Imam of my friends and a light for those who are
obedient to me; and he is the word which I have imposed upon the pious as duty."
Abu Nu-aym has recorded it in his Hilyah al-Awliya as related by Abu Barzah
al-Aslami and Anas ibn Malik. Ibn Abi al-Hadid has copied it in his Sharh
al-Nahj al-Balagha, vol. 2, p.449.
7. The Holy Prophet pointed with his hand towards Ali and said:
"This Ali is the first person to believe in my prophethood and will be the first
person to shake hands with me on the day of judgement. He is the truest person
and the wisest discriminator in this nation. He will differentiate between truth
and falsehood and he is the ruler of the faithful."
Tabrani has recorded it in his Kabir as a tradition related by
Salman and Abu Dharr. Bayhaqi has recorded it in his Sunan and Ibn Adi in his
Kamil as a tradition related by Hudhayfah. This is tradition No. 2608 in Kanz
al-Ummal, vol. 6, p.156.
8. The Holy Prophet said: "O you ansars-residents of
Madina! Let me tell you one thing. If you will rigidly follow it you will never
go astray. Here is Ali. Love him as you love me and be respectful to him as you
are respectful to me. What I have told you is certainly the commandment of the
almighty and glorious Allah which Jibra-il has conveyed to me." Tabrani has
recorded it in Kabir, and this is tradition no. 2625 in Kanz, vol. 6, p. 157,
and tradition no. 10 in Sharh al-Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. 2, p. 450, by Ibn Abi
al-Hadid. Please note how the adherence to Ali has been made a condition for
their not deviating from the right path. This clearly means that those who will
not adhere to Ali will go astray. Also please note the tone of his instruction.
He asks his followers to hold Ali as dear as they held the Holy Prophet himself
and to be as respectful to Ali as they were to the Holy Prophet himself. This
could not have been said about anybody other than he who was his regent in his
lifetime and was going to be his successor after his death. A great truth will
dawn upon your mind when you will consider the words, "What I have told is
certainly the commandment of the almighty and glorious Allah, which Jibra-il has
conveyed to me."
9. The Holy Prophet said: "I am the city of knowledge and Ali
is its door. He who wants to acquire knowledge should come through the door."
Tabrani has recorded it in his Kabir as related by Ibn Abbas as mentioned in
Suyuti's Jami al-Saghir, p. 107. Hakim has recorded it in the chapter 'Virtues
of Ali' in Sahih al-Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 226, on the authority of two reliable
reporters-one, Ibn Abbas, whose report has been transmitted through two
different but reliable sources, and the other, Jabir ibn Abdullah Ansari- and
has advanced decisive arguments in support of the reliability of its sources.
Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Siddiq al-Maghribi, residing in Cairo, has compiled a
magnificent book to prove the genuineness of this tradition and named it Fath
al-Mulk al-Ali. The book was printed in the year 1354 Hijrah in Matba
al-Islamiyah, Egypt. Research scholars will immensely benefit by its perusal,
because the book embraces many branches of knowledge.
10. The Holy Prophet said: "I am the store-house of wisdom and
Ali is its door." Tirmidhi has recorded it in his Sahih. Ibn Jarir has also
recorded it and many eminent scholars have taken the tradition from them, for
example, Muttaqi of India, who has copied it in his Kanz, vol. 6, p. 401, and
has quoted Ibn Jarir as saying: "We believe this tradition to be genuine and
authentic." Jalal al-Din Suyuti has copied it from Tirmidhi in Jami al Jawami
and Jami al-Saghir. Please refer to Jami al-Saghir vol. 1, p. 170.
11. The Holy Prophet said: "Ali is the door of my knowledge,
and after me he will explain to my followers what has been sent with me. Love
for him is faith and hatred towards him is hypocrisy." Al-Daylami has recorded
it from the tradition attributed to Abu Dharr as found in Kanz al-Ummal, pt. 6,
p. 156.
12. The Holy Prophet said to Ali: "After me you will explain to
my followers about that which they will differ." Hakim has recorded it in
Mustadrak, vol. 3. p. 122, as related by Anas. Daylami has recorded it as
related by Anas as stated in Kanz, vol.6, p. 156.
[A careful consideration of this and other similar traditions
reveals that Ali holds the same position in relation to the Holy Prophet as the
Holy Prophet holds in relation to Allah, who says about His Prophet: I have
caused the book to descend on you so that you may show them the right path when
there is a difference among them and for the faithful this book is a guidance
and a mercy (Nahl: 64). Please note how similar and parallel to this are the
words of the Holy Prophet addressed to Ali: "After me you will explain to my
followers those matters in which they will differ ."]
13. Ibn al-Samak has recorded the following tradition as
related by Abu Bakr, who heard it from the Holy Prophet himself. "Ali holds in
relation to me the same position as I hold in relation to my Lord." Ibn Hajar
has copied it in his Sawa-iq, p. 106, while explaining the fifth meaning of the
fourteenth of the verses dealt with in chapter 11 of his book.
14. The Holy Prophet, said: "Ali ibn Abu Talib is the door of
forgiveness. He who enters the door is faithful and he who goes out of it is an
infidel.' This is tradition no. 2528 in Kanz al-Ummal, vol. 6.p. 153.
15. The Holy Prophet, on the day of Arafat (the climactic day
of the pilgrimage) during the farewell pilgrimage, said: "Ali is from me and I
am from Ali and nobody can discharge my duty as a messenger except myself or
Ali." Ibn Majah has recorded it in his Sunan, vol. 1, p. 92, in the chapter on
the virtues of the sahabah. Tirmidhi and Nasa-i have recorded it in their
Sahihs and this is tradition no. 2531 in Kanz al-Ummal, vol. 6, p. 153. Ahmad
has recorded it in his Musnad, vol. 4, p. 164, as a tradition related by Habashi
ibn Junada transmitted through numerous and reliable sources. Please note that
Ahmad has taken the tradition from Yahya ibn Adam, who took it from Israil ibn
Yunus, who took it from his grandfather Abu Ishaq al-Sabi-i, who heard it from
Habashi. All these persons are considered responsible and reliable by the two
Shaykhs, Bukhari and Muslim, who have treated them all as authorities in their
Sahihs. He who refers to this tradition in Ahmad's Musnad will come to know that
the Holy Prophet uttered this tradition on the occasion of the last pilgrimage,
after which he spent only a brief period in this world. Prior to this, he sent
Abu Bakr with ten verses of al-Tawbah to be recited to the people of Makka. Then
he called up Ali and, as recorded by Ahmad in the Musnad, vol. 1, p. 151, said
to him: "Go and overtake Abu Bakr, take from him the script immediately when you
meet him, and go to the people of Makka and recite the verses to them." Ali
overtook Abu Bakr at Juhfa and took the script from him. Ahmad says: "Abu Bakr
returned to the Holy Prophet and inquired from him if any verse had descended
about him. The Holy Prophet replied: "No. But the angel Jibra-il came to me and
said, 'Either discharge your duty yourself or depute for its discharge the man
who is from you."
According to the report made by Ali, which Ahmad has recorded
in his Musnad, vol . 1, p . 150, when al-Tawbah descended on the Holy Prophet he
said to Ali; "Either I myself or you must go with these verses," and Ali said:
"If it is so, then I will go." The Holy Prophet said: "Then depart. Allah will
confirm your utterance and guide your heart"
Certainly it is the speech of a noble messenger, possessed of
strength, established in the presence of the Lord of the throne, (one) to be
obeyed, and trustworthy. And your companion is not mad (Takwir: 19-22) .
And he does not speak from his own desire; it is nothing but
revelation revealed (Najm: 34). So, where then are you going? (Takwir: 26). And
if you picture in your imagination that period, and reflect upon the wisdom in
making a declaration in Arafat on the occasion of the great pilgrimage before a
huge crowd, the truth will dawn on you in its full resplendence. And if you
consider the brief wording of the tradition and its extensive and lofty meaning
and the unambiguous and formidable implication the Holy Prophet has conveyed
through this extremely terse expression, you will realise that the tradition
rigidly confines to Ali, to the exclusion of all others, the fitness to
participate with the Holy Prophet in his mission. It is not a matter of surmise
that only the executor of the will of a prophet can discharge the duty of the
prophet, and none else can hold the superior position of true guide and leader
of the nation except his rightful-regent and successor. All praise is due to
Allah who has guided us to this path which we could not have discovered without
His guidance.
16. The Holy Prophet said: "He who obeyed me obeyed Allah and
he who disobeyed me disobeyed Allah, and he who obeyed Ali obeyed me and he who
disobeyed Ali disobeyed me." Hakim has recorded it in Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 121,
and Dhahabi has recorded it in his Talkhis al-Mustadrak; both of them have
clearly stated this tradition to be genuine according to the standard set by
Bukhari and Muslim.
17. The Holy Prophet said: "O Ali! He who separated himself
from me separated himself from Allah, and he who separated himself from you
separated himself from me." Hakim has recorded it in his Sahih al Mustadrak,
vol.3, p .124,
18. The Holy Prophet said: "He who uttered a curse against Ali
uttered it against me." This was reported by Umm Salmah and has been recorded by
Hakim in Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 121; he has admitted it to be genuine according
to the standards set by Bukhari and Muslim. Dhahabi has recorded it in his
Talkhis and confessed it to be genuine.
Ahmad has recorded it in his Musnad, vol. 6, p. 323, among the
traditions related by Umm Salmah, Nasa-i has recorded it in his Khasa-is
al-Alawiyyah, p. 17, and many other traditionists have recorded it also. A
similar tradition of the Holy Prophet as reported by Amr ibn Shash says: "He who
caused grief to Ali caused grief to me."
19. The Holy Prophet said: "He who loves Ali loves me and he
who hates Ali hates me." Hakim has recorded it in Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 130, and
confessed it to be genuine according to the standard set by the two Shaykhs.
Dhahabi has recorded it in his Talkhis and confessed it to be true according to
the same standard. There is a similar statement by Ali, who said: "By Him who
produces a plant from a seed and blows soft and fresh breezes, the Holy Prophet
had assured me that only the faithful will love me and none but the hypocrite
will hate me." Muslim has recorded it in his Sahih, vol. 1, p. 46, and Ibn Abd
al-Barr has recorded it in his account of Ali in his book Isti-ab on the
authority of several companions of the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet's
well-known words, "O Allah! Love him who loves him (Ali) and hate him who hates
him," have been reliably transmitted throughout as has been confessed by the
compiler of Fatawa-i al-Hamidiyyah in his pamphlet Salawat al-Fakhirah fi
Ahadith al-Mutawatirah.
20. The Holy Prophet said: "O Ali! You are the leader in this
world and the leader in the world hereafter. Your friend is my friend and my
friend is the friend of Allah, and your enemy is my enemy and my enemy is the
enemy of Allah. Woe to him who hates you after me." Hakim has recorded this in
his Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 128, and has stated it to be genuine according to the
standard set by the two Shaykhs. Hakim has recorded it as stated by Abu
al-Azhar, who took it from Mu-ammar, who took it from Abd al-Razzaq, who took it
from Zahri, who took it from Ubaydallah ibn Abdullah, who heard it from Ibn
Abbas, all of whom are reliable persons. Hakim states that the tradition is
genuine according to the standard set by Bukhari and Muslim. Sunni scholars have
unanimously accepted Abu al-Azhar as reliable, and when a reliable person alone
reports a tradition it is considered genuine by the two Shaykhs.
21. The Holy Prophet said: "O Ali! Good news of entering the
paradise to him who faithfully loves and confirms your words and woe to him who
hates and belies you." Hakim has recorded it in his Mustadrak, vol., p. 135.
22. The Holy Prophet said: "He who wants to live my life and
die my death and have an abode in the garden of eternal peace in paradise which
my Lord has promised me should make friends with Ali ibn Abu Talib, for he will
never allow you to deviate from the path of truth and to fall in the track of
falsehood." Tabrani in his Mu-jam al Kabir and Rafa-i in his Musnad reproduce
this tradition from Ibn Abbas. This tradition is found in Kanz al Ummal, pt. 6,
p. 217, tradition No. 3819, and has also been mentioned on the margin of Musnad
of Ahmad ibn Hanbal. pt. 5. p. 94. Hafiz Abu Nu-aym has also included this
tradition in his Hilyah al Awliya and Ibn Abi al Hadid has taken it from him in
his commentary on Nahj al Balagha (Cairo edition, vol.2. p.450).
23. The Ho]y Prophet said: "I advise all those who believe in
my prophethood and confirm my message to obey Ali ibn Abu Talib. for he who
obeys him obeys me and he who obeys me obeys Allah, and he who loves him loves
me and he who loves me loves Allah, and he who hates him hales me and he who
hates me hates Allah, the mighty and glorious." Tabrani has recorded this
tradition in his Al Kabir; Ibn Asakir in his History and it is included in Kanz
al Ummal, pt. 6, as tradition No. 2571 at the end of p. 154, and tradition No.
2576 in pt.6, p.155.
24. The Holy Prophet said: "He who is desirous of living my
life and dying my death and of having an abode in the garden of Eden planted by
my Lord should obey Ali after me and his successor after him and follow my Ahl
ul Bayt, who are my children and have been created from the same clay as myself
and have been gifted with my wisdom and knowledge. Woe to those of my nation who
deny their merits and disregard their relation with me. May they be deprived of
my intercession ."
25. The Holy Prophet said: "He who wishes to live my life and
die my death and to enter the garden which my Lord has promised me, which is the
garden of eternal peace, should obey Ali and his children after him, for they
will never allow you to deviate from the path of truth and follow in the track
of falsehood."
For 24 and 25, which contain the merits of Ahl ul Bayt, and
instructions to follow them after the Holy Prophet, refer to:
(i) Ibn Hajar's Sawa-iq al Muhriqah p. 90, in connection with
the interpretation of verse 24 of al Saffat, and chapter 11, p. 89 reported on
Al Tabrani's authority.
(ii) Tha-labi's Tafsir al Kabir in connection with the
commentary on verse 23 of al Shura. .
(iii) Al Zamakhshari's Tafsir
(iv) Al Tabrani's Awsat
(v) Jalal al Din al Suyuti's Ihya al Mayyit
(vi) Al Nabhani's Ara-in and al Sharaf al Mu-abbad
(vii) Abd al Ghani's Aydah al Ishkal
(viii) Al Mulla's Sirat
(ix) Qadi Ayad's Al Shifa
(x) Kanz al Ummal pt.6, p.396.
26. The Holy Prophet said: "O Ammar! When you find Ali walking
on one path and the people walking on a different track, then follow the path of
Ali and leave the people. Ali will never lead you to destruction and will never
misguide you." Daylami has recorded this tradition as related by Ammar and Abu
Ayyub as stated in Kanz al-Ummal, vol. 6, beginning of p. 156.
27. A tradition of the Holy Prophet, as related by Abu Bakr
runs as: "My hand and the hand of Ali are equal in dispensing justice." This is
tradition no. 2539 in Kanz al-Ummal, vol.6, p .153.
28. The Holy Prophet said: "O Fatimah! Are you not pleased with
this, that Allah cast a glance on the dwellers of earth and selected from them
two men, . one of them your father and the other your husband?" Hakim has
recorded it in his Sahih al-Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 129, and many other
traditionists have reported it and admitted it to be genuine.
29. The Holy Prophet said: "I am the warner and Ali the guide.
O Ali! After me the seekers of guidance will get guidance from you." Daylami has
recorded it as related by Ibn Abbas and this is tradition no.2631 in Kanz, vol.
6, p. 157.
30. The Holy Prophet said: "O Ali! It is not permissible for
anybody to cohabit and enter the masjid except you and me." Tabrani has
recorded another tradition with a similar meaning as related by Umm Salmah and
Bazar and by Sad, who heard it from the Holy Prophet himself. The tradition runs
as: "It is not permissible for anybody to cohabit and enter this masjid
except me and Ali." Ibn Hajar has recorded it in his Sawa-iq. Please refer
to tradition no. l 3 of the forty traditions which he has recorded in chap .9.
This tradition appears in Mustadrak, vol.3, p. l 17, 125; Abu
Yula has recorded it as mentioned in Sawa-iq, chap. 9, p. 76; Ahmad ibn Hanbal
has recorded it in his Musnad, vol.2, p. 269 and vol.4, p. 369; Muttaqi of India
has reproduced it in Kanz vol. 5, p. 29; Tirmidhi has recorded it in his Sahih;
Ibn Maghazali has recorded it in Al Manaqib; and Tabrani has recorded it in Al
Mu-jamah al Kabir.
31. The Holy Prophet said: "I and this man Ali will be the
judge upon my followers on the day of judgement." Khatib has recorded this
tradition among the traditions related by Anas. It is tradition no.2632 in Kanz
al-Ummal, pt.6, p. 157.
32. The Holy Prophet said: 'There is this inscription on the
gate of paradise: "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah
and Ali is the brother of the messenger of Allah." Tabrani has recorded it in
Aswat and Khatib in Muttafiq wa al-Muftarak as stated in Kanz al-Ummal, vol. 6
p.159. The compiler of Kanz al Ummal has copied it therein and also in his
Muntakhab. In his Musnad vol. 5, p.35, Ahmad has copied it; on page 46 he copied
it from Ibn Asakir.
It is a well-known fact that the Holy Prophet established
brotherhood among his companions on two occasions On the first occasion
brotherly relation was established between Abu Bakr and Umar, and between Uthman
and Abd al Rahman ibn Awf- on the second occasion brotherly relation was
established between Umar and Atban ibn Malik, but on both occasions Ali was
adopted as brother by the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet is reported to have
said to Ali: "You are my brother in this world and the world to come." Hakim has
recorded this tradition in his Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 14; Dhahabi has recorded it
in his Talkhis; Tirmidhi has recorded it, and Ibn Hajar has copied it from him
in his Sawa-iq, p. 73. Fakhr al Din Razi has mentioned the following tradition
in his interpretation of verse 207 of al Baqarah in his Tafsir al Kabir, vol. 2,
p. 189.
On the night of hijrah Allah revealed to Jibra-il and Mika-il:
"I have established brotherhood between you two and have ordained the life of
one to be longer than the life of the other. Now, who of you is willing to make
a present of the extra length of his life to the other?" But each preferred the
longer life for himself. Then Allah revealed: 'Why not follow the example of Ali
ibn Abu Talib. l have established brotherhood between him and Muhammad. He is
now sleeping on the bed of Muhammad in order to save the life of Muhammad by
sacrificing his own." It was on this occasion that Allah caused to descend the
following verse: "And there is among the people he who sells his life for the
pleasure of Allah." (Baqarah: 207) Ali ibn Abu Talib used to say:
"By Allah, I am the brother of the Messenger of Allah and his
friend and his brother and the inheritor of his knowledge. No one has a better
title for succeeding him than I."
Nasa-i has recorded it in his Khasa-is al Alawiyyah; Hakim in
Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 112; Abu Nu-aym in his Ma-rifah, Ahmad in his Musnad, vol.
5, p. 40; and Muttaqi of India in Kanz al Ummal and also in Muntakhab.
33. The Holy Prophet said: "On the leg of the great and sacred
throne in the highest heaven is inscribed: "There is no god but Allah. Muhammad
is the Messenger of Allah. I strengthened him with Ali and helped him through
Ali." Tabrani has recorded it in Kabir, Ibn Asakir has taken it from Abu Hamra,
whose sources culminate with the Holy Prophet as appears in Kanz, vol.6. 158.
34. The Holy Prophet said: "He who wants to see Adam in his
knowledge, Nuh in his determination, Ibrahim in his clemency, Musa in his
intelligence and Isa in his religious devotion should look at Ali ibn Abu
Talib." Bayhaqi has recorded it in his Sahih and Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his Musnad.
Ibn Abi al-Hadid has copied it from them as tradition No. 4 among the traditions
reproduced by him in Sharh al Nahj al-Balaghah, vol.2, p.449. Fakhr al-Din Razi
has quoted it in his annotation of the 'Verse of Imprecation' (Mubahilah)
in his Tafsir al-Kabir, vol. 2, p. 288, and has stated that this tradition
has been accepted by all as genuine. Ibn Batah has recorded it as a tradition
related by Ibn Abbas as is stated in the book Fath al-Mulk al-Ali bi Sihah
Hadith-i Bab-i Madinat al-Ilm Ali, p. 34, by Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Siddiq
al-Hasani al-Maghribi. Please refer to that book. Among those who have admitted
Ali to be the store-house of the secrets of all the prophets is the chief of
Gnostics, Muhi al-Din ibn al-Arabi, from whom Al-Arif al-Sharani has copied it
in his Al-Yuwaqit wa al Jawahir, p.172, topic 32.
35. The Holy Prophet said: "O Ali! There is a resemblance
between you and Isa whom the Jews hated so much that they laid a false blame on
his mother; the Christians loved him so much that they assigned to him the
position which is not for him." Hakim has recorded it in Mustadrak, vol.3, p.
122.
36. The Holy Prophet said: "There are three foremost persons:
Yusha ibn Nun, who was the foremost in believing in the prophethood of Musa, the
companion Yasin, who was the foremost in believing in the prophethood of Isa,
and Ali ibn Abu Talib, who is the foremost in believing in the prophethood of
Muhammad." Tabrani and Ibn Marduwayh have recorded it as related by Ibn Abbas,
while Daylami has recorded it as related by A-ishah.
37. The Holy Prophet, said: "There are three siddiqs
(absolutely sincere and truthful): Habib al-Najjar, the believer of the
people of Yasin, who said: O my people! Follow the messengers; Hizqil, the
believer of the people of Fir-wan, who said: Do you kill a man because he says
that his Lord is Allah; and Ali ibn Abi Talib, who is superior to them." Abu
Nu-aym and Ibn Asakir have recorded it as related by Abu Layla, whose sources
culminate in the Holy Prophet himself, Ibn Najjar has recorded it as related by
Ibn Abbas, who heard it from the Holy Prophet himself. Please refer to
traditions nos. 30 & 31 in Ibn Hajar's Sawa-iq al-Muhriqah, chap.9, end of
p. 74.
38. The Holy Prophet said to Ali: "My followers will turn
treacherous towards you, when you will be living according to my way, and you
will be killed while still adhering to my sunnah. He who loves you loves
me and he who hates you hates me. And this," pointing to Ali's beard, "will be
deeply tinged with the blood of this" (pointing to Ali's head). Hakim has
recorded it in Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 147, and confirmed . to be genuine. Dhahabi
has also recorded this tradition in his Talkhis.
Ali ibn abu Talib is reported to have said: 'The Prophet had
foretold me that after him his followers would become insubordinate to me."
Hakim has recorded it and the subsequently stated tradition as related by ibn
Abbas in Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 140, and Dhahabi has reproduced both these
traditions in his Talkhis.
39. The Holy Prophet said: "There is among you a person who
will fight for the interpretation of the Quran just as I fought for its
revelation." The people around him raised their heads and cast inquisitive
glances at the Holy Prophet and at one another. Abu Bakr and Umar were there.
Abu Bakr inquired if he was that person and the Holy Prophet replied in the
negative. Then Umar inquired if he was that person and the Holy Prophet said:
"No, but the person who is mending shoes (i.e. Ali)." Abu Sa-id al-Khudri says:
"Then we went to Ali and conveyed the good news to him. He did not even raise
his head and remained as busy as he was, as if he had already heard it from the
Messenger of Allah." Hakim has recorded it in Mustadrak, vol. 3, end of p. 122.
Dhahabi, who had recorded it in his Talkhis, has also admitted it to be genuine.
Ahmad has recorded it as a tradition related by Abu Sa-id in his Musnad, vol. 3,
pp. 33 & 82. Bayhaqi has recorded it in his Shab al-Iman, Sa-id ibn Mansur
in his Sunan, Abu Nu-aym in his Hilya al-Awliyah and Abu Yula in Sunan. This is
tradition no. 2585 in Kanz al Ummal, vol. 6. p. 155.
Similar to this is the tradition related by Abu Ayyub al-Ansari
regarding the caliphate of Umar. He says that the Messenger of Allah had ordered
Ali to wage war against and kill those who broke the allegiance, the deviators
from the right path and the renegades. Hakim has recorded it in his Mustadrak,
vol.3, p. 139.
There is another tradition as related by Ammar ibn Yasir. He
says: 'The Messenger of Allah said: 'O Ali! Soon you will fight against a group
of rebels and you will be on the side of right. He who fails to help you on that
day is not from me." Ibn Asakir has recorded it. It also appears as tradition
no.2588 in Kanz al-Ummal, vol. 6. p. 155.
And Abu Dharr says: "The Messenger of Allah said: "By Him who
has my life in His hand, there is among you a man who will fight after me for
interpretation of the Quran just as I fought with the non-believers for its
revelation." Daylami has recorded it as stated in Kanz al-Ummal, vol. 6, at the
close of p. 155.
Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abu Rafi says that his father related
to him on the authority of his grandfather, Abu Rafi, this tradition of the
Messenger of Allah: "O Abu Rafi! After me there will be a group which will fight
against Ali. He who will side with Ali and fight against that group will secure
a right on Allah. He who cannot fight against that group with his hand ought to
use his tongue against it, and he who cannot use his tongue ought to oppose that
group with his heart."
Tabrani has recorded it in his Kabir as stated in Kanz
al-Ummal, vol. 6, p. 155.
40. The Holy Prophet said: "O Ali! I have surpassed you in
prophethood, for there will be no Prophet after me, and you surpass all others
in seven things: You are the first to believe in Allah, the best fulfiller of
the promise made to Allah, the best adherer to the commandments of Allah, the
most equitable distributor among the people, the best dispenser of justice to
the people, you have the best insight into controversial cases, and are the most
conspicuous in virtue and honour before Allah. "Abu Nu-aym has recorded it as
related by Ma-adh and also the subsequent tradition related by Abu Sa-id
al-Khudri in his Hilya al-Awliyah; this tradition appears in Kanz al Ummal, vol.
6, p. 156.
There are plenty of similar traditions in Sahihs and Sunans
(books of traditions) which one frequently comes across that mutually support
and confirm one another. All of them lead to the same conclusion, that in this
nation (i.e. the Muslims) the person next to the Holy Prophet is Ali, and that
after the Holy Prophet the same kind of leadership and right to command rests
with Ali as rested with the Holy Prophet himself.
FORTY CLEAR TRADITIONS
There is on record with us many a clear and genuine tradition
not known to the Ahl al-Sunnah. The traditions have been consecutively
transmitted through the holy posterity of the Holy Prophet. We have chosen this
number because there is in our records a tradition as related by Ali ibn Abu
Talib, Abdullah ibn Abbas, Abdullah ibn Masud, Abdullah ibn Umar, Abu Sa-id
al-Khudri, Abu Darda, Abu Hurayrah, Anas ibn Malik and Ma-adh ibn Jabal and
transmitted through various sources in slightly different version that the
Messenger of Allah said: "Such of my followers as will commit to memory forty of
my traditions about religious matters, Allah will raise him on the day of
judgement among theologians and scholars." One report says that Allah will raise
him as a learned theologian. According to Abu Darda, the Holy Prophet said: "I
shall be his intercessor and witness on the day of judgement." According to Ibn
Masud, he said: "He would be given the option of entering paradise from any door
he likes," and according to Ibn Umar, "He will be included among the learned and
raised with martyrs." For us the tradition of the Holy Prophet, "May Allah keep
fresh the face of him who listens to my words, retains them in his memory and
conveys them to others exactly as he heard them," is a sufficient authority for
committing to memory these forty traditions. A similar authority is contained in
the tradition: "Those who heard me speak should convey my words to those who are
absent."
1. Al Saduq Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Musa ibn
Babawayh al-Qumi has recorded in his book Ikmal al-Din wa Itmam al-Ni-mah
quoting consecutive sources up to Abd al-Rahman ibn Sumrah, who says: "The
Messenger of Allah said: 'O the son of Sumrah! When ambitions are at variance
and opinions in conflict then you ought to follow Ali ibn Abu Talib, for he is
the Imam (leader) of my followers and my successor over them ."
2. Al Saduq has recorded in the same book, Ikmal, a tradition
related by Ibn Abbas who says: "The Messenger of Allah said: "Allah, the
bestower of all blessings and the most high, cast a glance over all the
inhabitants of the earth and chose me and made me a prophet. Then he cast a
second glance and chose Ali and made him Imam and commanded me to take him as my
brother and friend, and to appoint him as my executor of will, successor and
minister."
3. In the same book, Ikmal, there is a tradition transmitted
from Imam Jafar al-Sadiq to whom it was related by his holy forefathers from
generation to generation that the Messenger of Allah, said: "The angel Jibra-il
as directed by the Lord of might, great is His majesty, said to me, "He who
knows that there is no god but I alone and that Muhammad is My slave and
messenger, that Ali ibn Abu Talib is My representative and the Imams among his
descendants are My proofs, I shall admit him into paradise with My mercy."
4. Al-Saduq has recorded in the same book, Ikmal, the following
tradition quoting sources up to Imam al-Sadiq, who heard it from his father, and
his father heard it from his grandfather and so on, that the Messenger of Allah
said: "After me there will be twelve Imams. Ali is the first of them and Qa-im
the last of them. All of them are my successors and executors of my will."
5. In the same book, Ikmal, Al-Saduq has recorded a report
through sources reaching up to Asbagh ibn Nabatah, who says: "One day Amir al
Muminin came to us and his hand was in the hand of his son, Imam Hasan and he
said: "One day the Messenger of Allah came to us. His hand was similarly in my
hand and he was saying: "This brother of mine is the best of all the creation
next to me and is their chief. He is the Imam of all the Muslims and commander
of all the faithful after me ."
6. In the same book, Ikmal, Al-Saduq has recorded the following
tradition quoting sources up to Imam al-Rida, who related it on the authority of
his forefathers, that the Holy Prophet said: "He who wants to adhere to the
faith brought by me and to board the ark of salvation after me, must follow Ali
ibn Abu Talib, who is my executor of will and the successor over my nation in my
lifetime and after my death."
7. In the same book, Ikmal, Al-Saduq has recorded another
tradition after quoting sources up to Imam al-Rida, who heard it from his father
and his father from his forefathers going up to the Messenger of Allah, wherein
he said: "I and Ali are the fathers of this nation. He who recognises us as such
believes in Allah and he who does not recognise us as such does not believe in
Allah. And from Ali are my two grandchildren, Hasan and Husayn, who are the
princes of the youth of paradise, and among the descendants of Husayn are nine
(Imams), obedience to whom is obedience to me and disobedience to whom is
disobedience to me. The ninth of them is their Qa-im (successor to stay till the
day of judgement) and Mahdi (divinely trained for right guidance)."
8. In the same book, Ikmal, Al-Saduq has recorded, after
quoting sources, a tradition related by Imam Hasan al-Askari, who heard it from
his father, who heard it from his forefathers, who heard it from the Holy
Prophet, wherein he said: "O the son of Masud! Ali ibn Abu Talib is your Imam
after me and my successor over you all."
9. In the same book, Ikmal, Al-Saduq, after mentioning
successive sources, has recorded a tradition as related by Salman, who says that
once he went to see the Holy Prophet and found Husayn ibn Ali sitting on his
thigh. He was kissing the mouth of Husayn and saying: "You are a master
(sayyid) and son of a master, you are an Imam and son of an Imam, the
brother of an Imam and father of Imams, and you are a proof of Allah and the son
of His proof and the father of nine of His proofs in your line of descendants.
Their ninth is their Qa-im (successor to stay till the day of judgement).
10. In the same book, Ikmal, Al-Saduq has recorded and
supported by references a lengthy tradition of the Holy Prophet as related by
Salman wherein occurs: "O Fatimah! Do you not know that we are the Ahl ul Bayt
for whom Allah has preferred the hereafter to this world and that Allah, the
bestower of blessings and the most high, cast a glance over the inhabitants of
the earth and chose me out of all his creatures. Then He cast a second glance
and chose your husband and inspired me to give you to him in marriage and take
him as my friend and to appoint him as my minister and successor over my
followers. So, your father is the best of all the prophets, and your husband the
best of all the executors of will. And you will be the first to rejoin me (after
my death)."
11. In the same book, Ikmal, Al-Saduq has recorded a lengthy
tradition wherein it is stated that once in the reign of Uthman more than a
hundred Muslims consisting of the migrators of Makka and the original
inhabitants of Madina gathered in the masjid. They were talking of
problems of theology and other branches of knowledge when they began to boast of
their knowledge. But Ali, who was also there, was silent. They said to him: "O
Abu al-Hasan. Why do you not participate in our conversation?" Ali reminded them
of the words of the Messenger of Allah: "Ali is my brother, my minister, my
heir, executor of my will, the successor over my nation and the master of all
the faithful after me." All of them admitted that the Messenger of Allah had so
spoken of him.
12. In the same book, Ikmal, Al-Saduq has recorded a tradition
as related by Abdullah ibn Jafar, Hasan, Husayn, Abdullah ibn Abbas, Umar ibn
Abu Salmah, Usamah ibn Zayd, Salman, Abu Dharr and Miqdad. They said that they
heard the Messenger of Allah saying: "For the faithful I am superior to their
souls, and next to me Ali is superior to the faithful over their souls."
13. In the same book, immal, Al-Saduq has recorded a
tradition as related by Asbagh ibn Nabatah, who heard it from Ibn Abbas, who
says that he had heard the Messenger of Allah saying: "I and Ali and Hasan and
Husayn and nine children (son and grandsons) of Husayn are pure and purifiers."
14. In the same book, Ikmal, Al-Saduq has recorded a tradition
as related by Abayah ibn Rabi, who heard it from ibn Abbas, who says that the
Messenger of Allah said: "I am the chief of all the prophets and Ali is the
chief of all the executors of will (successors of prophets)."
15. In the same book, Ikmal, Al-Saduq has recorded a tradition
quoting sources upto Imam al-Sadiq who heard it from his forefathers, who heard
it from the Messenger of Allah who said: "Allah, the mighty and glorious,
selected me out of all the prophets and chose from me Ali and made him superior
to all the executors of will and chose from Ali Hasan and Husayn and chose from
Husayn executors of will out of his descendants. They will drive away from the
faith the twistings and deviations of the exaggerators, plagiarism of the
preachers of falsehood and misinterpretations of those who have gone astray."
16. Al-Saduq has recorded in the same book, Ikmal, another
tradition as related by Ali, who says that the Messenger of Allah said: "There
will be twelve Imams after me, O Ali! You are the first of them and the last of
them will be the Qa-im (to stay upto the day of judgement) to whom Allah, the
mighty and glorious, will grant victory over the easts and wests of the earth."
(THIS AND THE PRECEDING FIFTEEN TRADITIONS OF THE HOLY PROPHET
REGARDING THE QA-IM AND THAT HE WILL BE THE TWELFTH OF THE IMAMS, are in Ikmal
al-Din wa Itmam al-Ni-mah, chap. 24, pp. 149-167.)
17. In another book Amali, Al-Saduq has recorded a tradition as
related by Imam al-Sadiq who heard it from his forefathers, who heard it from
the Holy Prophet wherein the Messenger of Allah said: "Ali is from me and I am
from Ali, he has been created from the same material as myself. He will explain
to the people the controversial matters about my precepts and commandments, and
he is the commander of the faithful and the leader of the people with bright
faces and the best of all the executors of will."
18. In Amali, Al-Saduq has recorded, after quoting sources a
lengthy tradition as related by Ali, who heard it from the Holy Prophet. Therein
the messenger of Allah said: "Ali is the commander of the faithful. Allah, the
mighty and glorious, appointed him wali in His highest heaven and made
His angels the witnesses, and certainly Ali is the representative of Allah and
His proof, and he is the Imam (leader) of all the Muslims."
19. In Amali, Al-Saduq has recorded a tradition as related by
Ibn Abbas, who says that the Messenger of Allah said: "O Ali you are the Imam of
all the Muslims, commander of the faithful, leader of the people with bright
faces and the proof of Allah after me, and you are the chief of all the
executors of will."
20. In Amali, Al-Saduq has recorded another tradition as
related by Ibn Abbas, who says that the Messenger of Allah said: "O Ali! You are
my successor over my followers and you are from me as Shith was from Adam."
21. In Amali, Al-Saduq, after quoting references, has recorded
a tradition as related by Abu Dharr, who says that one day he was in the company
of the Messenger of Allah in his masjid when he said: "From this door a
man will enter who is the commander of the faithful and Imam (leader) of the
Muslims." Soon Ali appeared at the door and the Messenger of Allah stepped
forward and received him, then he turned his gracious face to us and said: "He
is your Imam after me."
22. In Amali, Al-Saduq has recorded this tradition as related
by Jabir ibn Abdullah Ansari, who says that the Messenger of Allah said: "Ali
ibn Abu Talib was the first to accept Islam and is the most learned of all." And
he concluded with: "He is the Imam and khalifah (successor) after me."
23. In Amali, Al-Saduq, after quoting successive sources, has
recorded a tradition as related by Ibn Abbas, who says that the Messenger of
Allah said: "O my people! Who is better in speech than Allah? Your Lord, great
is His glory, has ordered me to establish Ali in knowledge, as Imam, successor
and executor of will for you, and to take him as my brother and minister."
24. In Amali, Al-Saduq, after quoting sources, has recorded a
tradition as related by Ibn Abbas, who says that the Messenger of Allah ascended
the pulpit and delivered an address. Al-Saduq has recorded the address wherein
occurs: "My uncle's son Ali is my brother and my minister and he is my
khalifah (successor) and propagator of religion on my behalf."
25. In Amali, Al-Saduq, after tracing sources upto Amir
al-Muminin, quotes him as: "One day the Messenger of Allah addressed us saying:
'O my people! The month of Allah is coming.' Then he uttered the tradition on
the blessing of the month of Ramadan. I inquired from the Messenger of Allah
what the most desirable act in that month was, and He replied: 'Abstinence from
what Allah has declared haram (forbidden).' Then he started weeping and I
said: 'O Messenger of Allah! What is it that makes you weep?' He said: 'I am
weeping about the tyranny to which you will be subjected in this month' He
concluded with: 'O Ali! You are the executor of my will, the father of my
children and my successor over my nation in my lifetime and after my death. Your
command is my command, and your prohibition is my prohibition."
26. In Amali, Al-Saduq has recorded a tradition as related by
Ali who says that the Messenger of Allah said: "O Ali ! You are my brother and
am your brother. I have been selected for prophethood and you have been chosen
for imamat, divine commandments are revealed to me and you have to
interpret them. And you are the father of this nation. O Ali! You are the
executor of my will and my successor, my vizier, my heir and the father of my
children."
27. In Amali, Al-Saduq, after quoting sources, has recorded a
tradition as related by Ibn Abbas, who says that one day when the Messenger of
Allah was in masjid al-Quba in the company of some ansars he said:
"O Ali! You are my brother and I am your brother, and you are executor of my
will (heir) and my khalifah (successor) and the Imam of my nation after
me. May Allah love him who loves you and be hostile to him who is hostile to you
. "
28. In Amali, Al-Saduq has recorded a length) tradition as
related by Umm Salmah (a) pious wife of the Holy Prophet) wherein the Messenger
of Allah said: "O Umm Salmah. Listen to me and be a witness. This Ali ibn Abu
Talib is executor of m) will and my khalifah (successor) after me; he is
the fulfiller of my promises and the remover of the hypocrites from my pool of
kawthar."
29. In Amali, Al-Saduq has recorded a tradition as related by
Salman al-Farsi, after quoting sources upto him. Salman says that he heard the
Messenger of Allah saying: "O muhajirs and ansars! Should I not
guide you to the person, your staunch loyalt and adherence to whom will never
let you go astray after me?" "O yes, Messenger of Allah you should", they
replied. He said: "This Ali iz my brother and executor of my will, my vizier my
heir and successor and your Imam. So love him as you love me and be respectful
to him as you are respectful to me. The angel Jibra-il has advised me to tell
you so."
30. In Amali, Al-Saduq, after quoting successive sources has
recorded a tradition related by Zayd ibn Arqam, who says that the Messenger of
Allah said: "Should I not guide you to the person, your staunch adherence and
loyalty to whom will never let you perish or go astray? Your Imam and guardian
is Ali ibn Abu Talib. So help him in bearing his burden, wish him well and
testify and support what he says. This is advised by Jibra-il to me."
31. Al-Saduq has recorded in his Amali a tradition as related
by Ibn Abbas, wherein the Messenger of Allah said: "O Ali! You are the Imam of
my nation and my caliph over them after me."
32. Al-Saduq has recorded in his Amali another tradition as
related by Ibn Abbas, who says that the Messenger of Allah said: "Allah, the
bestower of blessings and the most high, revealed to me that He would appoint
from among my nation a brother, an heir, a successor and executor of my will." I
inquired: "O my Lord! Who is he?" He revealed to me: "He is the Imam of your
nation and My proof to them after you." "O my Lord, who is he?" I said. He
replied: "He is he whom I love and who loves me." The revelation concluded with
the words: "He is Ali ibn Abu Talib."
33. In Amali, Al-Saduq has recorded a tradition as related by
Imam al-Sadiq on the authority of his forefathers, who heard it directly from
the Messenger of Allah who said: "When I was taken up into the heavens (on the
'night of ascension') my Lord informed me about Ali, that he is the Imam
(leader) of the pious, guide of the people with bright faces and the prince of
the faithful."
34. In Amali, Al-Saduq, after quoting sources, has recorded a
tradition as related by Imam al Rida, who heard it from his forefathers, who
heard it directly from the Messenger of Allah, who said: "Ali is from me and I
am from Ali. May Allah curse him who fights against Ali. Ali is the Imam of all
the creatures after me."
35. Shaykh al-Tadfah Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Tusi has
recorded, after quoting references, in his Amali a tradition as related by Ammar
ibn Yasir, who says that the Messenger of Allah said to Ali: "Allah has
decorated you with those excellent qualities and ornamental attributes which are
dearer to Him than those with which He has decorated any other of His slaves. He
has decorated you with religious devotion and fervour, and denouncement of
worldly pleasures from which you will feel no loss nor will anything be missed
by you. And He has bestowed upon you love for the indigent, and made you
agreeable to their following, and (made) them agreeable to your imamat.
Blessed is he who loves, testifies and supports your words, and woe to him
who hates you and denies the truth of your words."
36. Shaykh al-Ta-ifah Abu Jafar al-Tusi, after quoting sources
upto Ali, has recorded in his Amali that once in an address from the pulpit in
the masjid of Kufah Ali said: "O people, the Messenger of Allah conferred
upon me ten special privileges which are dearer to me than anything else under
the sun. The Messenger of Allah said to me: 'O Ali, you are my brother in this
world and in the world hereafter, and of all the creatures you are nearest to me
until the day of judgement.
Your abode in paradise is in front of my abode, and you are my
heir and the executor of fulfilling my will after my death, which are the
promises made by me and my family. You are the protector of my Ahl ul Bayt in my
absence, the Imam of my nation, and you will be the dispenser of justice among
my followers. Your friend is my friend and my friend is the friend of Allah.
Your enemy is my enemy and my enemy is the enemy of Allah."
37. Al-Saduq, in his book Al-Nussus ala al-Imah, has quoted
sources up to Hasan ibn Ali, who said that he heard the Messenger of Allah
saying to Ali: "You are the inheritor of my knowledge and the store-house of my
wisdom and the Imam after me."
38. In the same book, Al-Nusus, after quoting sources, Al-Saduq
has recorded a tradition as related by Imran ibn Hasin, who says that he had
heard the Holy Prophet saying to Ali: "And you are the Imam and my khalifah
(successor) after me ."
39. In Al-Nusus, Al-Saduq has recorded a tradition after
quoting consecutive sources upto Ali who says that the Messenger of Allah said
to him: "O Ali, you are the executor of will over those who have died among my
Ahl ul Bayt, and my successor over those alive among my nation."
40. In Al-Nusus, Al-Saduq has recorded a tradition after
quoting sources up to Husayn ibn Ali, who says that when Allah sent down the
verse," Those who are akin are nearer one to another in the ordinance of Allah,"
he requested the Messenger of Allah to explain it. The Messenger said: "You are
the kin. When I die, your father, Ali, who is nearest to me, has a better title
than anybody else for succeeding me. When your father passes away then your
brother Hasan has a better title than others (for succeeding your father), and
when Hasan passes away you have a better title (for succeeding him)."
Aqa Mahdi Puya says:
There is no historical evidence or traditions which may inform
us that (after the revelation of "Deliver you what has been sent down unto you
from your Lord; and if you do not do it, then you have not delivered His message
at all") any command relating either to doctrine or practice was announced by
the Holy Prophet. The decision of wilayah or imamah (successorship
of the Holy Prophet) should have been and was the most important issue to
complete the religion of Allah, therefore, in this verse through the abovenoted
emphatic words, the almighty Lord of the worlds has asked His last messenger to
declare the name of his successor as prophethood was going to be terminated
after him and this duty was so rightly emphasised that if it was not done the
Holy Prophet would have not carried out the divine mission for which he was
chosen. It also implies that without declaration of the successorship of the
divinely chosen successor the din would have remained incomplete and
defective. So after the declaration of the wilayah or imamah of
Ali ibn abi Talib, at Ghadir Khum, verse 3 of this surah was revealed:
"This day I have perfected, for you, your religion and have
completed My favour on you, and have chosen for you Islam (to be) your
religion."
It is known to all that the divine arrangement of the surah and
their verses is not based on chronological order. Verse 3 of this surah was
revealed after the revelation of this verse
Ma unzila cannot mean "whatever or all that which has been
revealed", as some commentators try to do. because an order to repeat all the
doctrinal and practicable teachings, so far revealed, as a reminder. does not
justify the use of the words "If you do not do it, then you have not delivered
the message (Islam) at all." Moreover, in the long sermon, the Holy Prophet gave
at Ghadir Khum. he first enumerated all the divine commands, he conveyed to the
people one by one and obtained the confirmation of all those who were present
there that he did exactly what he had mentioned, then he declared that of
whomsoever he was the mawla, Ali was his Mawla- a
declaration of the utmost importance for the completion and perfection of
the religion of Allah, the sole axis of his 23 years of prophetic mission. The
verse also points out the danger the Holy Prophet might encounter due to the
appointment of Ali as his successor, not from the infidels, but from the people
surrounding him, the hypocrites, who had their own plans to carry out after his
departure; and also assures the Holy Prophet that He would protect him from
their mischief. Any man of ordinary common-sense knows that in only repeating
the already revealed commands there could have been no danger to be encountered
by the Holy Prophet. It was the declaration of Ali's successorship that could
generate the hostility the hypocrites had hidden within themselves, and history
is a witness that they all opposed Ali and his descendants after the departure
of the Holy Prophet, persecuted them and killed them. The issue of wilayah
or imamah had to be decisively finalised so that there be no plea for
the ummah against Allah (Nisa: 165). Now the burden of discord and
deviation, in which a large number of Muslims and their leaders, whom they
follow or followed, sank deep after the Holy Prophet, has to be carried by them
till they are summoned before Allah on the day of judgement alongwith their
leaders (Bani Israil: 71). On the day of reckoning they shall not have any
excuse, because verses 67 and 3 of this surah and declaration of Ali's
wilayah is an everlasting argument and evidence (hujjat) over the
ummah in particular and mankind in general.
Please also refer to the commentary of verse 55 of this surah
for further proofs of the wilayah or imamah of Ali ibn abu Talib.
According to Imam Jafar al Sadiq, although salat, zakat,
sawm and hajj are (generally considered) the pillars of din,
yet more emphasis was laid on and importance given to (the issue of)
waliyah by Allah (through verses 67 and 3 of al Ma-idah).
