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Special Form of Positive Wala
The affection toward the Ahl al-Bayt
(the Prophet's progeny) is the special form of the positive Wala. It is an
incontrovertible fact that the Holy Prophet himself has urged the Muslims to have special
affection toward his progeny. Even the Sunni scholars do not deny that. It is this
affection which has been mentioned in the verse about the Ahl al-Bayt.
Say: I ask you no reward for my
preaching save love and affection toward my progeny". (al-Shura;42 23).
The well-known and authentic hadith
of Ghadir, according to which the Prophet said "Whoever regards me as his master and
guardian, must regard Ali, too, as his master and guardian"[1] also implies a sort of
affection which will be explained later. It is agreed by both the Shi'ah and the Sunni
that the verse:
Your Waly can be only Allah,
His Messenger and those who believe and establish prayers, and pay zakat while they kneel
down in prayer". (al-Ma'idah, 5:55);
was revealed in respect of Imam Ali.
Tabari, in his ''Exegesis'' [2] of the Holy Qur'an quotes a number of reports in this
connection. Zamakhshari, who is one of the most eminent Sunni scholars, is definite when
he says: "This verse was revealed in respect of Ali ibn Abi Talib. Though it refers
to a single person, plural form has been used with the intention of exhorting the Muslims
to follow the good example set by him, and to emphasize that even prayers may be delayed
for doing good to the poor and the needy". [3]
In other words if an occasion arises
to pay zakat while one is offering prayers, the payment should not be postponed for that
reason alone.
Fakhruddin al-Razi is another
important scholar. He also says that this verse is related to Ali ibn Abi Talib for no
other person except him paid zakat while offering prayers . [4]
At the most there may be some
difference of opinion as regards the meaning of Waly. We will discuss this point while
explaining the purport of the verse.
Ali ibn Hammad Baghdadi, who was one
of the most outstanding Shi'ah poets of the fourth century of the Hijri era, referring to
this verse says that because Imam Ali paid zakat while offering prayers Allah has
associated the Wala toward the Imam with the Wala towards himself. On the occasion of
Mubahilah.[5] He called Imam Ali the self of the Holy Prophet Muhammad. This is a fact
which cannot be denied. [6]
As we pointed out earlier Islam has
enjoined a sort of general form of the positive Wala towards all Muslims. The verse
"The believers, men and women, are waly of one another", refers to it.
But the verse which says: "Your
Waly can be only Allah, His Messenger and those who believe .." is not general in its
import. It cannot be said that it refers to general Wala for in this case the Qur'an does
not intend to lay down a general rule. It does not want to say that as a rule it is
obligatory or even desirable to pay zakat while offering prayers. It only mentions a
particular action characteristic of the person who did it and alludes to his being
entitled to special affection.
This style of using the plural form
of a word while describing an event which related to a single person is not unparalleled
in the Holy Qur'an. For example it says
They say: When we return to
Medina, the honourable ones will certainly drive out the mean ones". (al-Munafiqun,
63: 8).
In this case also the verse refers to
an incident relating to a single person. It says "They say". In fact only one
person, viz. Abdullah ibn Ubayy had said that.
According to modern idiom also we
sometimes say that "they say so" while we know well that only one single person
has made the statement in question.
To pay zakat while bowing in prayers
is not a common event. Hence it cannot be presumed that Allah extols all those who do such
an action and affirms Walayat for all of them, in whatever sense it may be.
This shows that the verse in question
has a particular and personal application. It means to say that there is a person, who
while engaged in the worship of Allah, was not unmindful of his fellow being and performed
this act. Now the Holy Qur'an says that like Allah and His Messenger he is also the Waly
of the believers (is entitled to their affection) and they should accept this Wala.
As to what the nature of this
affection is, and whether it is something higher than the special love and esteem, which
the people should have for Imam Ali, we will shortly take up that question. At present we
only want to emphasize that this verse has a particular application and not a general one.
[1] Sahih Tirmizi Vol. 5, p. 297.
Sahih Muslim Vol. 2, p. 362 printed in Egypt. Mustadrak 'ala al-Sahihayn—Hakim Vol.3
p.109 Al-Bidayah wa'l Nihayah—Ibn Kathir Vol.4, p.211 printed in Egypt. Sawaiq
al-Mohriqa — Ibn Hajar 'Asqalani Shafi'i p. 25. Tarikh-i Ya'qubi—Mus'udi Vol.2,
p.93. Al-Fusul al-Muhimmah—Ibn Asbagh Maliki p. 23 printed in Egypt. Yanabi
al-Mawaddah—Sulayman al-Qandozy al-Hanafi p. 29 — 38. Shawahid al-Tanzil
—Hakim al-Haskani Vol. 1 p. 190 printed in Beirut. Usud al-Ghaba—Ibn Athir
Shafi'i Vol. 1 p.367 printedin Egypt. Khasais Amirul Mo'minin Nisai Shafi'i p. 96 printed
in Egypt. Tarjuma al-lmam Ali bin Abi Talib min Tarikh Damshiq—Ibn Asakir Shafi'i
Vol. 1 p.211Abaqat al-Anwar—Sayyid Hamid Husayn. Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah —Ibn
Abi'l Hadid Mo'tazili Vol. 4 p. 388 First print (Egypt). Al-Ghadir Allama Amini Vol.1,
p.14.
[2] Tafsir al-Tabari Vol. 6, pp.
288—289.
[3] Al-Kashshaf Vol.1 p.505 printed
in Egypt in 1373 A.D.
[4] Al-Tafsir al-Kabir Vol .12 p . 30
printed in Egypt in 1 3 7 5 A.D.
[5] The Christians of Najran (a town
in Arabia Felix) were inimical to Islam. When the Holy Prophet of Islam invited them to
his faith and according to the Divine command they were challenged to come forward for a
contest. At first they agreed to contest. But when the Holy Prophet brought with him his
grandsons Hasan and Husayn for his sons, Fatima her daughter, for his women, and Ali his
vicegerant for his 'self', the christians seeing the awe-inspiring faces of the Prophet's
family members began trembling. Fearing a terrible disaster for them they acquiesced in
the terms imposed by the Holy Prophet. This historical event is one of the most glaring
examples of the superior merits of the Holy Five.
[6] Raihanatul Adab Vol. 5, p. 311.
