Imamate: The Vicegerency of the Prophet [s] [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

It is interesting to note here that the Leiden edition ( 1879 A.D., p. 1173) of at-Tarikh
of at Tabari records the words of the Holy Prophet as "wasiyyi wa khalifati"
(my successor and my caliph); but in the Cairo edition of 1963 A.D., (which claims to be
checked with the Leiden edition) these important words have been changed to "kadha
wa kadha" (so-and-so) ! How sad it is to see the academic world sacrificing its
honesty and integrity on the altar of political expediency !

9. VERSE OF MASTERSHIP (WILAYAH)

After that, on many occasions, many verses and traditions reminded the Muslims that
'Ali was their master after the Holy Prophet. One of the most important verse is as
follows:

Verily, your Master is only Allah and His Apostle and those who believe, those who
establish prayers, and pay the zakat while bowed (in worship) (5:55) .

The Muslim scholars, Sunni and Shi'ah alike, agree that this verse was revealed in
honour of Imam 'Ali (as). It clearly shows that there are only three masters of the
believers. Firstly, Allah secondly, His Prophet and thirdly, 'Ali (with the eleven
succeeding Imams).

Abu Dharr al-Ghifari says that one day he was praying with the Prophet when a beggar
came to the Prophet's mosque. No one responded to his pleas. The beggar raised his hands
towards heavens and said, "Allah! be a witness that I came to Thy Prophet's mosque
and no one gave me anything". 'Ali (as) was bowing in ruku' at that time. He pointed
his little finger, on which was a ring, towards the beggar who came forward and took away
the ring. This incident occurred in the Prophet's presence who raised his face towards
heaven and prayed: "O Lord! my brother Musa had begged of Thee to open his breast and
to make his work easy for him, to loose the knot of his tongue so that people might
understand him, and to appoint from among his relations his brother, as his vizier, and to
strengthen his back with Harun and to make Harun his partner in his work. O Allah! Thou
said to Musa, 'We will strengthen thy arm with thy brother. No one will now have an access
to either of you!' O Allah! I am Muhammad and Thou hast given me distinction. Open my
breast for me, make my work easy for me, and from my family appoint my brother 'Ali as my
vizier. Strengthen my back with him". The Prophet had not yet finished his prayers
when Jibril brought the above quoted verse. [17]

Here is not the place to give all the references of this hadith. (They run in
the hundreds.) This verse and the prayer of the Prophet jointly and separately show that
'A1i (as) was designated to be the Master of the Muslims after the Holy Prophet.

10. THE FORMAL DECLARATION OF GHADIR KHUMM

All the previous declarations may be classified as a prelude to the formal declaration
of Ghadir Khumm.

This event has been unanimously described by the learned historians and scholars of
both sects. Here we give a brief account to show what great arrangements were made to
declare 'Ali as the successor to the Holy Prophet.

Ghadir Khumm lies in Juhfa between Mecca and Medina. When the Prophet was on his way
home, after performing his last pilgrimage, Jibril brought him this urgent command of
Allah:

O Apostle! deliver what has been sent down to you from your Lord; and if you do it
not, then you have not delivered His message (at all); and Allah will protect you from the
people . . . (5 :67)

The Prophet stopped at once and ordered that all people who had gone ahead should be
called back, and he waited for those who were following. When all the caravan had
gathered, a pulpit was set up by piling up camel saddles; the acacia thorns were swept
away. The Prophet ascended the pulpit and delivered a long sermon. The day was very hot;
people had to stretch their cloaks under their feet and over their heads. The Prophet
addressed them as follows: O you people! Know it well that Jibril came down to me several
times bringing me orders from the Lord, the Merciful, that I should halt at this place and
inform every man, white and black, that 'Ali, the son of Abu Talib, is my brother and my wasiyy
(successor) and my caliph, and the Imam after me. His position to me is like that of Harun
to Musa, except that there is to be no prophet after me, and he is your master to
Allah and His Prophet.

O you people! Verily, Allah has appointed him to be your Imam and ruler. Obedience to
him is obligatory alike on all the muhajirun (Emigrants) and ansar (Helpers)
and on those who follow them in virtue, and on the dwellers in cities and the nomads, the
Arabs and the non-Arabs, the freeman and the slave, the young and the old, the great and
the small, the white and the black. His command is to be obeyed, his word is binding and
his orders obligatory on everyone believing in the One God. Cursed is the man who disobeys
him and blessed is he who follows him, and he who believes in him is a true believer.

O you people! This is the last time I shall stand in this assembly. Therefore, listen
and obey and surrender to the command of your Lord. Verily, Allah, He is your Lord and
God; then after Him, His Prophet, Muhammad, who is addressing you, is your Master, then
after me 'Ali is your Master and your Imam, according to Allah's command. Then after him
the Imamate will continue through my descendants begotten by him till the day you
meet Allah and His Prophet. O you people! Meditate on the Qur'an and understand its
verses; reflect over its clear verses and do not go to the ambiguous ones. For, by Allah,
none will properly explain to you its warnings and expound to you its meanings except
,this man (i.e.,'Ali) whose hand I am lifting up in front of myself. And I say unto you
that

whoever whose Master I am, 'Ali is his Master

; and he is 'Ali, the son
of Abu Talib, my brother and wasiyy (successor); and wilayah (obedience to
him and love for him) has been made obligatory by Allah, the Powerful, the Exalted.

The other Imams have also been briefly referred to in this address; and they are
mentioned in precise detail in many other traditions. For example, on one occasion
addressing Imam Husayn the Prophet said: "You arean Imam, the son of an Imam, the
brother of an Imam, nine of your lineal descendants will be pious Imams; the ninth of them
being their Qa'im (he who will rise).'' [18]

Even a casual observer would not fail to realize that, it was a matter of vital
importance to Islam and that is why the Prophet, under the Divine Command, made all the
possible preparations to accomplish it. Exposed to the scorching rays of the midday sun,
he mounted the pulpit to make the important pronouncement.

First of all, he informed the audience of his approaching end and then called them to
witness that he had faithfully discharged his duties. Then he asked them: "Do I not
have more authority upon you than you yourselves have. All of them cried out that he
certainly had more right on them than they themselves had. The Prophet then said:
"Whoever whose Master I am, 'Ali is his Master." In the end he invoked blessings
on 'Ali, saying: "O Allah! Love him who loves 'Ali, and be the enemy of the enemy of
'Ali; help him who helps 'Ali, and forsake him who forsakes 'Ali.''

When the ceremony was over, the following verse of the Qur'an was revealed:

This day I have perfected your religion for you and I have completed My bounty upon
you and I have approved Islam as your religion (5:3).

This Divine Communication clearly shows that because of 'Ali's appointment to thee
Imamate the religion was perfected, the bounty; and favour of Allah completed, and Islam
approved by Allah. On the arrival of this glad tiding from heaven the believers
congratulated 'Ali in the Prophet's presence and many poets composed poems on this event.
All these facts stand recorded in books of tradition as will be seen in the following
pages.

I. Hadith of Ghadir: Mutawatir

The following extracts (taken from authentic Sunni books) from the said lecture (khutbah)
of the Holy Prophet are very important:

I am leaving behind, among you, two most precious things. . . (1) the Book of Allah . .
. and (2) my descendants who are my family members. They will not separate from each other
until they come to me near Kawthar (a pool in Paradise). Verily Allah is my Master and I
am the Master of every believer. Then he took the hand of 'Ali and said:

Whoever whose Master I am, 'Ali is his Master.

These two traditions are referred to as the traditions of 'Two Precious Things' (Thaqalayn)
and Mastership' (Wilayah) . They are singly and Jointly narrated by hundreds of
traditionalists.

Nawwab Siddiq Hasan Khan of Bhopal, says: "al-Hakim Abu Sa'id says that the
tradition of 'Two Precious Things' and of 'Whoever whose Master I am, 'Ali is his Master'
are mutawatir (i.e., narrated unbrokenly by so many people that no doubt can be
entertained about their authenticity), because a great number of the Companions of the
Prophet have narrated them. So much so that Muhammad ibn Jarir has written these two
traditions through seventy-five different chains (asnad); and he has written a
separate book which he named Kitabu 'l-wilayah; and al-Hafiz adh-Dhahabi also has
written a complete book on its asnad and has passed the verdict that it is mutawatir;
and Abu 'l-'Abbas ibn 'Uqdah has narrated the hadith of Ghadir Khumm through one
hundred and fifty chains and has written a complete book on it." [19]

Some writers have tried to cast doubt on the authenticity of the events of Ghadir
Khumm. It is necessary to mention that this hadith is mutawatir, and the
late renowned scholar al'Allamah al-Amini in the first volume of his celebrated book al-Ghadir
has given (with full references) the names of 110 famous Companions of the Holy Prophet
who have narrated this hadith. As an example, I am enumerating the names given
under letter alif. ( The years of

1. Abu Layla al-Ansari (37); 2. Abu Zaynab ibn 'Awf al-Ansari; 3. Abu Fadalah al-Ansari
(38); 4. Abu Qudamah al-Ansari; 5. Abu 'Amrah ibn 'Amr ibn Mutassin al-Ansari; 6. Abu
'l-Haytham ibn at-Tayyihan (37); 7. Abu Rafi' al-Qibti, slave of the Holy Prophet; 8. Abu
Dhuwayb Khuwaylid (or Khalid) ibn Khalid al-Hudhali; 9. Usamah ibn Zayd ibn Harithah (54);
10. Ubayy ibn Ka'b al-Ansari (30 or 32); 11. As'ad ibn Zurarah al Ansari; 12. Asma' bint
'Umays; 13. Umm Salamah, wife of the Holy Prophet; 14. Umm Hani bint Abi Talib; 15. Abu
Hamzah Anas ibn Malik al-Ansari; 16. Abu Bakr ibn Abi Quhafah; and 17. Abu Hurayrah. [20]

And there are not less than 84 tabi'in (disciples of the Companions) who
narrated this hadith from the above-mentioned Companions. Again, the list under
letter alif is given here as an example:

1. Abu Rashid al-Hubrani ash-Shami, 2. Abu Salamah ibn 'Abdi'r-Rahman ibn 'Awf; 3. Abu
Sulayman al-Mu'adhdhin; 4. Abu Salih as-Samman, Dhakwan al-Madani; 5. Abu 'Unfuwanah
al-Mazini; 6. Abu 'Abdi 'r-Rahim al-Kindi; 7. Abu 'l Qasim, Asbagh ibn Nubatah at-Tamimi;
8. Abu Layla al-Kindi; and 9. Iyas ibn Nudhayr.[21]

Traditionists have recorded this hadith in their books in every century and
every era. For example, the names of those writers and scholars who have narrated this hadith
in the second century of hijrah are:

1. Abu Muhammad, 'Amr ibn Dinar al-Jumahi al-Makki (115 or 116); 2. Abu Bakr Muhammad
ibn Muslim ibn 'Ubaydillah al-Qurashi az Zuhri (124); 3. 'Abdu'r Rahman ibn Qasim ibn
Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr at-Taymi al-Madani (126); 4. Bakr ibn Sawadah ibn Thumamah, Abu
Thumamah al-Basri (128); 5. 'Abdullah ibn Abi Najih, Yasar ath-Thaqafi, Abu Yasar al-Makki
(131); 6. al-Hafiz Mughirah ibn Muqassim, Abu Hisham ad-Dabbi al-Kufi (133); 7. Abu
'Abdi'r-Rahim Khalid ibn Zayd al-Jurnahi al Misri (139); 8. Hasan ibn al-Hakam an-Nakha'i
al-Kufi (ca. 140); 9. Idris ibn Yazid, Abu 'Abdillah al-Awd; al-Kufi; 10. Yahya ibn Sa'id
ibn Hayyan at-Taymi al-Kufi; 11. al-Hafiz 'Abdu'l Malik ibn Abi Sulayman al-'Arzami
al-Kufi (145); 12. 'Awf ibn Abi Jamilah al'Abdi al Hajar; al-Basri (146); 13. 'Ubaydullah
ibn 'Umar ibn Hafs ibn 'Asim ibn 'Umar ibn al-Khattab al-'Adawi al-Madani (147); 14.
Nu'aym ibn al Hakim al-Madayini (148); 15. Talhah ibn Yahya ibn Talkah ibn 'Ubaydillah
at-Taymi al-Kufi (148); 16. Abu Mukammad Kathir ibn Zayd al-Aslami (ca. 150); 17. al-Hafiz
Mukammad ibn Ishaq al-Madani (151 or 152); 18. al-Hafiz Mu'ammar ibn Rashid, Abu 'Urwah
al-Azdi al-Basri (153 or 154); 19. al-Hafiz Mis'ar ibn Kidam ibn Zahir al-Hilali ar-Rawasi
al-Kufi (153 or 154); 20. Abu 'Isa Hakam ibn Aban al-'Adani (154 or 155); 21. 'Abdullah
ibn Shawdhab al Balkhi al-Basri (157); 22. al-Hafiz Shu'bah ibn al-Hajjaj, Abu Bistam
al-Wasit; (160); 23. al Hafiz Abu'1-'Ala', Kamil ibn al-'Ala' at-Tamimi al-Kufi (ca. 160);
24. al-Hafiz Sufyan ibn Sa'id ath-Thawri, Abu 'Abdillah al-Kufi (161); 25. al Hafiz.
Isra'il ibn Yunus ibn Abi Ishaq as-Sabi'i Abu Yusuf al-Kufi (162); 26. Ja'far ibn Ziyad
al-Kufi al-Ahmar (165 or 167); 27. Muslim ibn Salim an-Nahdi, Abu Farwah al-Kufi; 28. al
Hafiz Qays ibn ar-Rabi', Abu Mukammad alAsadi al-Kufi (165); 29. al-Hafiz Hammad ibn
Salamah, Abu Salamah al-Basri (167); 30. al Hafiz 'Abdullah ibn Lahi'ah, Abu 'Abdi
'r-Rakman al-Misri (174); 31. al-Hafiz Abu 'Uwanah al-Waddak ibn 'Abdillah ai-Yashkuri
al-Wasit; al-Bazzaz (175 or 176); 32. Al Qadi Sharik ibn 'Abdillah, Abu 'Abdillah
an-Nakha'i al-Kufi (177); 33. al-Hafiz 'Abdullah (or 'Ubaydullah) ibn 'Ubaydu 'r-Rahman
(or 'Abdu 'r-Rahman) al-Kufi, Abu 'Abdi 'r-Rahman al-Ashja'i (182); 34. Nuh ibn Qays, Abu
Rawh al-Huddani al-Basri (183); 35. al-Muttalib ibn Ziyad ibn Ab; Zuhayr al-Kufi, Abu
Talib (185); 36. Al Qadi Hassan ibn Ibrahim al-'Anazi, Abu Hashim (186); 37. al-Hafiz
Jarir ibn 'Abdi 'l-Hamid, Abu 'Abdillah ad-Dabbi al-Kufi ar-Razi (188); 38. al-Fadl ibn
Musa, Abu 'Abdillah al-Marwazi as-Sinani (192); 39. al-Hafiz Muhammad ibn Ja'far al-Madani
al-Basri (193); 40. al-Hafiz Isma'il ibn 'Uliyyah, Abu Bishr ibn Ibrahim al-Asadi (193);
41. al-Hafiz Muhammad ibn Ibrahim, Abu 'Amr ibn Abi 'Adiyy as-Sulami al-Basri(194);42.
al-Hafiz Muhammad ibn Khazim, Abu Mu' awiyah atTamimi ad-Darir (195); 43. al-Hafiz.
Muhammad ibn Fudayl, Abu 'Abdi'r-Rahman al-Kufi (195); 44. al-Hafiz al-Waki' ibn al-Jarrah
ar-Ru'asi alKufi (196); 45. al-Hafiz Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah, Abu Muhammad ai-Hilali al-Kufi
(198); 46. al-Hafiz 'Abdullah ibn Numayr, Abu Hisham al-Hamdan; al-Kharifi (199); 47.
al-Hafiz Hanash ibn al Marith ibn Laqit an-Nakha'i al-Kufi; 48. Abu Mupammad Musa ibn
Ya'qub az-Zama'; al-Madani; 49. al-'Ala' ibn Salim al-'Attar al-Kufi; 50. al-Azraq ibn
'Ali ibn Muslim al-Hanafi, Abu 'l-Jahm al-Kufi; 51. Ham ibn Ayyub al-Hanafi al-Kufi; 52.
Fudayl ibn Marzuq al-Agharr ar-Ru'asi al-Kufi (ca. 160); 53. Abu Hamzah Sa'd ibn 'Ubaydah
as-Sulami al-Kufi; 54. Musa ibn Muslim al-Hizami ash-Shaybani, Abu 'Isa al-Kufi at-Tahhan
(Musa as-Saghir); 55. Ya'qub ibn Ja'far ibn Abi Kathir al-Ansari al-Madani 56. 'Uthman ibn
Sa'd ibn Murrah al Qurashi, Abu 'Abdillah (Abu 'Ali) al-Kufi. [22]

Thus this hadith continues to be narrated by so many narrators (ruwat) in
every era as to make it mutawatir. Coming to the scholars and writers who have narrated
this hadith in their books of traditions, it is enough to mention that al-'Allamah
al-Amini has listed the names of 360 scholars according to fourteenth century . [23]

Some people have tried to cast doubts about the asnad of this hadith. As every
student of Islamic tradition knows, if a hadith is mutawatir there is no
need to look at individual's asnad at all. Still to show the hollowness of this
charge, I would like to give here the opinions of some of the famous traditionalists (muhaddithun).

II. Asnad of Hadith of Ghadir:

a. al-Hafiz Abu 'Isa at-Tirmidhi (d.279 A.H.) has said in his Sahih (one of the as-Sihah
as-Sittah) that "This is a good (hasan) and correct (sahih) hadith.''[24]

b. al-Hafiz Abu Ja'far at-Tahawi (d. 321 A.H.) has said in his Mushkil u'l-athar
that "This hadith is sahih according to the chains of narrators (asnad)
and no one has said anything contrary to its narTators." [25]

c. Abu 'Abdillah al-Hakim an-Naysaburi (d. 405 A.H.) has narrated this hadith
from several chains in his al-Mustadrak and has said that this hadith is sahih. [26]

d. Abu Muhammad Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-'Asim; has said: "This hadith is
accepted by ummah, and it is in conformity with the principles.

Likewise, the following traditionalists (among hundreds of others) have quoted that
this hadith is sahih:-

1. Abu 'Abdillah al-Mahamili al-Baghdadi in his Amali; 2. Ibn 'Abdi 'l-Barr
al-Qurtubi in al-Isti 'ab; 3. Ibnu 'l-Maghazili ash-shafi'i in al-Manaqib;
4. Abu Hamid Ghazzali in Sirru 'l-'alamayn; 5. Abu'l-Faraj ibn al-Jawzi in alManaqib;
6. Sibt ibn al-Jawzi in Tadhkirat khawaissi 'l-ummah; 7. Ibn Abi'l-Hadid
al-Mu'tazili in his Sharh Nahji 'l-balaighah; 8. Abu 'Abdillah al Ganji ash-Shafi'i
in Kifayatu 't-talib; 9. Abu 'l-Makarim 'Ala'ud-Din as-Simnani in al-'Urwatu'l-wuthqa;
10. Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani in Tahdhibu'l-tahdhib; 11. Ibn Kathir ad-Dimashqi in his
Tarikh; 12. Jalalu'd-Din as-Suyuti; 13. al-Qastalani in al-Mawahibu
'l-ladunniyyah; 14. Ibn Hajar al-Makki in as-Sawa'iqu 'l-muhriqah; 15.
'Abdu'l-Haqq ad Dihlawi in Sharhu 'l-mishkat; and many others. [28]

It should be noted that all the names mentioned above are of Sunni scholars; and in
Sunni usage, a hadith is called ''sahih'' when it is uninterruptedly
narrated by persons of approved probity ('adil) who have perfect memory, does not
have any defect, and is not unusual (shadhdh). [29]

If the above virtues are found in the asnad of a hadith but the memory of
one or more of its narrators is a degree less than that required for sahih, then it
is called "hasan " [30]

So when the Sunni scholars say that the hadith of Ghadir is sahih, they
mean that its narrators are of approved probity (i.e., they do not have any defect in
belief and deeds) and have perfect memory, and that this hadith has no defect and
is not unusual.

III. General Meanings of Mawla:

As the Sunnis cannot deny the authenticity of the hadith of Ghadir, they try to
downplay its significance by saying that the word "mawla" in this hadith
means 'friend', and that the Holy Prophet wanted to announce that: "Whoever whose
friend I am, 'Ali is his friend!"

The trouble is that not a single person who was present in Ghadir grasped this alleged
meaning. Hassan ibn Thabit, the famous poet of the Holy Prophet, composed a poem and
recited it before the audience, in which he said:

The Prophet then said to him: "Stand up, O Ali, As I am pleased to make you Imam
and Guide after me."

'Umar ibn al-Khattab congratulated 'Aliin these words:

"Congratulations, O son of Abu Talib, this morning you became mawla of
every believing man and woman.'' [31]

If mawla means 'friend' then why the congratulations? And was 'Ali 'enemy' of
all believing men and women before that time, so that 'Umar said that 'this morning' you
became friend of them all?

al-Imam 'Ali (a. s.) himself wrote to Mu' awiyah: "And the Messenger of Allah
granted to me his authority over you on the day of Ghadir Khumm. [32]

And there are many other Companions of the Holy Prophet who used in their poems the
word "mawla" in connection with Ghadir Khumm in the sense of
"master".

Countless scholars of the Qur'an, Arabic grammar and literature have interpreted the
word "mawla " as "awla " which means "having more
authority " . The names of the following scholars may be quoted here as examples:

Ibn 'Abbas (in his Tafsir, on the margin of ad-Durru 'l-manthur, vol. 5,
p. 355); al-Kalbi (as quoted in at-Tafsiru 'l-kabir of ar-Razi, vol. 29. p.227;
al-Alusi, Ruhu 'l-ma'ani, vol. 27, p. 178); al-Farra', (ar-Razi, ibid.; al-Alusi,
ibid.); Abu 'Ubaydah Mu'ammar ibn Muthanna alBasri (ar-Razi, ibid.; and
ash-Sharif al-Jurjani, Sharhu 'l-mawaqif, vol. 3, p. 271); al-Akhfash al-Awsat (in Nihayatu
'l-'uqul); al-Bukhari (in as-Sahih, vol.7, p. 240); Ibn Qutaybah (in al
Qurtayn, vol.2, p.164); Abu'l-'Abbas Tha'lab (in Sharhu 's-sab'ah al-mu'allaqah
of az-Zuzani); at-Tabari (in his Tafsir, vol.9, p. 117); al-Wahidi (in al-Wasit);
ath-Tha'labi (in al-Kashf wa 'l-bayan); az-Zamakhshari (in al-Kashshaf, vol.
2, p. 435); al-Baydawi (in his Tafsir, vol.2, p. 497); an-Nasafi (in his Tafsir,
vol. 4, p. 229); al-Khazin al-Baghdadi (in his Tafsir vol. 4, p. 229); and
Muhibbu'd-Din Afandi (in his Tanzilu 'l-ayat). [33]

IV. Meaning of "Mawla" in the Context:

Now let us examine what meaning can be inferred from the context of this hadith.
If a word has more than one meaning, the best way to ascertain its true connotation is to
look at the association (qarinah) and the context. There are scores of
"associations" in this hadith which clearly show that the only meaning
fitting the occasion can be "master". Some of them are as follows:

First

: The question which the Holy Prophet asked just before this
declaration: He asked them: "Do I Not have more authority upon you than you have
yourselves?" When they said: "Yes, surely," then the Prophet proceeded to
declare that:

"

Whoever whose mawla I am. 'Ali is his mawla.

"

Without doubt, the word "mawla" in this declaration has the same
meaning as: (having more authority upon you) has in the preceding question. At least 64
Sunni traditionalists have quoted that preceding question; among them are Ahmad ibn
Hanbal, Ibn Majah, an-Nasa'i and at-Tirmidhi. [34]

Second

: The following prayer which the Holy Prophet uttered just after
this declaration:

"O Allah! Love him who loves 'Ali, and be the enemy of the enemy of 'Ali; help him
who helps 'Ali, and forsake him who forsakes 'A1i."

This prayer shows that 'A1i, on that day, was entrusted with a responsibility which, by
its very nature, would make some people his enemy (and that responsibility could not be
that except of a ruler); and in carrying out that responsibility he would need helpers and
supporters. Are helpers ever needed to carry on a ' friendship ' ?

Third

: The declaration of the Holy Prophet that: "It seems imminent
that I will be called away (by Allah) and I will answer that call." This clearly
shows that he was making arrangements for the leadership of the Muslims after his death.

Fourth

: The congratulations of the Companions and their expressions of
joy do not leave room for doubt concerning the meaning of this declaration.

Fifth

: The occasion, place and time: Imagine the Holy Prophet breaking
his journey in midday, and detaining nearly one-hundred-thousand travellers under the
burning sun of the Arabian desert, making them sit in a thorny place on the burning sand,
and making a pulpit of camelsaddles; then imagine him delivering a long lecture and at the
end of all those preparations coming out with an announcement that: "Whoover loves me
should love 'Ali," or "Whoever whose friend I am, 'Ali is his friend! "

Is such a thing excusable before common sense? No, but some people are ready to accuse
the Holy Prophet of such childish behaviour!

11. 'ALI "SELF" OF THE PROPHET

There are many verses which point to the caliphate of 'A1i ibn Abi Talib (as). It is
not possible to enumerate them all here. But the event of Mubahalah (malediction,
imprecation) which took place in the ninth year of the hijrah should be noted.

In this year a delegation consisting of fourteen Christians came from Najran to meet
the Prophet. When they met the Prophet they asked him: "What is your opinion about
Jesus?" The Apostle said: "You may take rest today and you will receive the
reply afterwards." The day three verses of the third chapter of the Qur'an
(3:59-61) about Jesus were revealed. When the Christians did not accept the words of Allah
and insisted on their own beliefs, the Apostle recited the following verse:

But whoever disputes with you in this matter after what has come to you of
knowledge, then say: "Come let us call our sons and your-sons, and our women and your
women, and our selves and your selves, then let us be earnest in prayer and invoke the
curse of Allah upon the liars (3:61).

The day the Christians came out on one side; and on the other side, the Apostle
came out of his house carrying Husayn in his arms with Hasan walking by his side holding
his hand. Behind him was Fatimah, and behind her, 'A1i. When the Christians saw the five
pure souls they abstained from the proposed malediction and submitted to a treaty with the
Prophet.

In this verse, according to Jabir ibn 'Abdillah al-Ansari, the word "sons"
refers to Hasan and Husayn, the word "women" refers to Fatimah, and the words
"our selves" refer to the Prophet and 'A1i . Thus 'A1i ibn Abi Talib ( a. s.),
has been referred to in the verse of Mubahalah as "the self" of the
Prophet. [35]

It also follows that just as it is unlawful to seek to be superior to the Prophet,
similarly it is unlawful to supercede 'Ali he being the "self" of the Prophet
according to the words of Allah. Anyone who presumed to supercede him was in essence
presuming to supercede the Prophet.

12. TRADITIONS

After the declaration of Ghadir, there is really no need to provide more proofs of the
caliphate of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (as). Yet, it may be pertinent to quote some ahadith
in this regard.

In the Hadithu'th-thaqalayn the Prophet said:

I am leaving two weighty things among you -the Book of Allah and my Ahlu 'l-bayt.
If you adhere to them and continue to and obey both of them and forsake neither, you will
never be misled. They will not separate from each other till they reach me at Kawthar (the
pool in Paradise).

Now, it is admitted on all hands that 'Ali ibn Abi Talib is not only one of the Ahlu
'l-bayt but is the head of the Ahlu 'l-bayt. Therefore, the obligation of his
obedience is proved from this universal accepted tradition. [36]

Then there is the hadith known as Hadithu 'l-manzilah. In the expedition
of Tabuk (in the month of Rajab of the ninth year A.H.) the Prophet left 'A1i as his
deputy in Medina. 'Ali exclaimed with dismay: "Are You leaving me behind?" The
Prophet asked him: "O 'Ali, are you not satisfied that you have the same position in
relation to me as Harun had to Musa except that there is no prophet after me? "

The Prophet thereby meant that as Musa had left behind Harun to look after his people
when he went to receive the Commandments, in the same way he was leaving 'Ali behind as
his deputy to look after the affairs of Islam during his absence. [37]

Then there is the occasion of communicating the verses of surah al-Bara'ah (ch.
9) to the people of Mecca. First Abu Bakr was sent to proclaim it before the pagans. Later
the Prophet sent 'Ali to take the surah from Abu Bakr and announce it at Mecca. Abu
Bakr returned to Medina from his journey midway en route to

Mecca and asked the Prophet whether any verse or order was received from Allah against
him announcing the surah. The Prophet said: ''Jibril came to me and said that no
one shall deliver the message except myself or the person who is from me." [38]

The moral principle evident in these declarations of the Prophet is also expressed in
the following tradition which has been accepted by all sects.

The Prophet said: " 'Ali is with the truth and the truth is with 'Ali; whither
soever 'Ali turns, the truth (also) turns with him." [39] The
rightful caliphate is thus rightly entrusted to 'Ali and to none else.

Another is the hadith of "Divine Light" (Hadithu 'n-nur).
Sayyid 'Ali Hamadani writes in Mawaddatu'l-qurba, on the authority of Salman
al-Farsi, that the Prophet said: "I and 'Ali were both created from one and the same nur
(Divine Light) four thousand years before Adam was created, and when Adam was created that
nur was given a place in his backbone. So we continued to occupy the same place
till we were separated in the back of 'Abdu 'l-Muttalib. Therefore in me is the
prophethood and in 'Ali is the caliphate." In Riyadu 'l-fada'il, the last
words of the above hadith are written as follows: "Then He made me a prophet
and made 'A1i a wasiyy (vicegerent)." [40]

13. ULU 'L-AMR MUST BE MA'SUM

Allah says in the Qur'an:

O ye who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Apostle and those vested with authority
from among you; then if you quarrel about anything, refer it to Allah and the Apostle, if
you believe in Allah and the last day; this is better and very good in the end (4:59).

This verse obliges the Muslims to two obediences: First, the obedience of Allah;
second, the obedience of the Apostle and 'those vested with authority from among you' (uli'l-amri
minkum). The arrangement of the words shows that the obedience of ulu 'l-amr is
as much obligatory as is the obedience of the Apostle. Naturally, it means that ulu
'l-amr should be of the same caliber as the Apostle; otherwise Allah would not have
joined them together in this verse.

Before deciding who the ulu 'l-amr are, it will be of help to have a look at the
commandment of obeying the Apostle, to see how all-encampassing and al1-pervading this
commandment is and how great the authority of the Apostle of Allah is.

Allah says in the Qur'an: And We did not send any Apostle, but that he should be
obeyed by Allah's permission (4:64). The prophets and the apostles were to be obeyed
and followed; the followers were not expected to check every action of the prophet to
decide what was to be obeyed and what not. Clearly, it shows that the prophets and
apostles were free from error and sin; otherwise Allah would not have ordered the people
to obey the apostles unconditionally.

There are many verses in which Allah commands us to obey the Prophet: O ye who
believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Apostle. [41] Again, He says: And whoever obeys
Allah and His Apostle. . . [42] In the same surah it is asserted: Whoever obeys
the Apostle, he indeed obeys Allah (4:80). In these as well as numerous other verses
of the Qur'an, obedience of Allah is synonymous with the obedience of the prophets. Such
assertion would have been impossible if the prophets were not ma'sum (infallible).

Now, note the following verse: . . . and obey not from among them a sinner or an
ungrateful one (76:26). The picture is complete. The prophets are to be obeyed; the
sinners are not to be obeyed. The only conclusion is that the prophets were not sinners or
wrong-doers. In other words, they were ma'sum-infallible, sinless.

Just imagine what impossible situation would have been created if any prophet began
exhorting his followers to commit a mistake or sin. The wretched followers would have been
condemned to the displeasure of Allah in any case. If they obeyed the Prophet and
committed that sin they disobeyed the command given by Allah and thus were disgraced. If,
on the other hand, they disobeyed the Prophet, they again disobeyed the command of Allah
about obeying the Prophet. So, it appears that a non-ma'sum prophet could bring
nothing but disgrace and condemnation to his people.

Looking especially at the Holy Prophet of Islam, Allah tells us . . . and whatever
the Apostle gives you, take it; and from whatever he forbids you, keep back (59:7).
This means that the permission or prohibition of the Holy Prophet was always in accordance
with the will of Allah and always favoured by Him. It proves that the Holy Prophet was ma'sum.
No one can be so sure about the commands of a man who is not infallible.

There is another verse: Say: "If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will
love you and forgive you your sins" (3:31). Here the love of Allah is made
contingent on following the Prophet of Islam. Both sides of love are included in it. If
you love Allah follow the Prophet; if you love the Prophet, Allah will love you. Does it
not show that the Prophet was absolutely free from any type of blemish?

Not only his actions, even his words were the Commands of Allah. Allah says in the
Qur'an: Nor does he speak out of (his own) desire. It is naught but revelation that is
revealed (53:3-4). Here we find the highest degree of infallibility which can be
imagined.

Also, there are several verses in which the following words have been used for the Holy
Prophet: . . . and Apostle from among themselves, who recites to them His
communications and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom. [43] How could
a prophet purify others of sins and blemishes if he himself were not pure? How could a man
teach others wisdom if he had no wisdom to distinguish right from wrong; or worst still,
if he had no willpower to resist from doing wrong? The Prophet was to teach people the
Book of Allah; this means that he knew the Commandments of Allah. He was to purify them
and teach them wisdom. So this means he had wisdom and purity himself.

Witness to the perfection of his character is found in the Qur'an where it says: And
most surely you are on sublime morality (68:4). A man committing mistakes does not
deserve such compliments.

All these verses clearly show two things:

First

: The authority of the Holy Prophet upon the believers was unlimited
and all-comprehensive. Any order given by him, under any condition, in any place, at any
time, was to be obeyed unconditionally.

Second

: That supreme authority was given to him because he was ma'sum
(sinless) and free from all types of error and sin. Otherwise, Allah would not have
ordered us to obey him unconditionally .

In this verse, ulu 'l-amr, have been given exactly the same authority over the
Muslims, because both the 'Apostle' and the ulu 'l-amr have been jointly mentioned
under one word "obey"; which shows that the obedience of ulu 'l-amr has
the same standing as the obedience of the Apostle.

It naturally follows that ulu 'l-amr must also be ma 'sum ( sinless) and free
from any type of error and sin. Otherwise, their obedience would not have been joined with
the obedience of the Prophet. Amiru 'l-Mu'minin 'Ali (as), said: "The one who
disobeys Allah is not to be obeyed; and verily obedience is of Allah and of His Apostle
and those vested with authority. Verily, Allah ordered (the people) to obey the Apostle
because he was sinless and clean (pure), who would not tell the people to disobey Allah;
and verily He ordered (the people) to obey those vested with authority because they are
sinless and clean (pure), and would not tell the people to disobey Allah. [44]

14. ULU 'L-AMR: DOES IT MEAN MUSLIM RULERS?

Many of our Sunni brethren tend to interpret "ulu 'l-amr" as ' the
rulers from among yourselves', i.e., Muslims rulers. This interpretation is not based on
any logical reasoning; it is solely based on twists of history. The majority of the
Muslims have remained as a vassal of the monarchs and rulers, interpreting and
reinterpreting Islam and the Qur'an to please the powers to be.

The history of the Muslims (like any other nation ) is replete with the names of rulers
whose injustice, debauchery and tyranny have tarnished the name of Islam, as will be
mentioned briefly in the latter part of this text. Such rulers have always been and will
always be. And we are told that they are the ulu 'l-amr mentioned in this verse.

If Allah were to order us to obey such kings and rulers, an impossible situation would
be created for the Muslims. The wretched followers would be condemned to the displeasure
of Allah, no matter what they did. If they obeyed these rulers, they disobeyed the Command
of Allah: "Do not obey a sinner." And if they disobeyed such rulers, they again
disobeyed the Command of Allah to "obey the Muslim rulers " . So, if we accept
this interpretation, the Muslims are condemned to eternal disgrace whether they obey or
disobey their non-ma'sum Muslim rulers.

Also, there are Muslim rulers of different beliefs and persuasions. There are Shafi'is,
Wahhabis, Malikis, Hanafis, as well as Shi'ahs and Ibadis. Now, according to this
interpretation the Sunnis residing under an Ibadi Sultan (like in Oman) should follow
Ibadi tenents; and those residing under a Shi'ah ruler (like in Iran) should follow Shi'ah
beliefs. Do these people have the conviction of courage to follow their professed
interpretation to its logical end?

The famous Sunni commentator, Fakhru 'd-Din ar-Razi, concluded in his Tafsiru 'l
kabir [45]
that this verse proves that ulu 'l-amr must be ma'sum. He argues that Allah
has commanded the people to obey ulu 'l-amr unconditionally; therefore, it is
essential for the ulu 'l-amr to be ma'sum. Because if there is any
possiblity of their committing sin (and sin is forbidden ), it will mean that one has to
obey them and also disobey them in that very action. And this is impossible ! Then to
dissuade his readers from the Ahlu 'l-bayt, he invented the theory that the Muslim ummah
as a whole is ma 'sum.

This interpretation is unique, as no Muslim scholar ever subscribed to this theory and
it is not based on any tradition. It is quite surprising that ar-Razi accepts that each
individual of the Muslim nation is non-ma'sum, yet still claims that their
sum-total is ma'sum. Even a primary school student knows that 200 cows plus 200
cows makes 400 cows and not one horse.

But ar-Razi says that 70 million non ma'sum plus 70 rnillion non-ma'sum
will make one ma'sum! Does he want us to believe that if all the patients of a
mental hospital joined together they would be equal to one sane person? [46]

The poet of the Orient, Iqbal, has said:

The minds of two hundred donkeys cannot produce the thoughts of one man.

Obviously, with his great knowledge he was able to conclude that ulu 'l-amr must
be ma'sum; but it was his prejudice which compelled him to say that the Islamic ummah
as a whole is ma'sum.

Also, he did not pause to see that the verse contains the word "minkum"
("from among you" ) which shows that the said ulu 'l-amr shall be part of
the Muslim ummah, not the whole Muslim nation. And if the whole Muslim nation is to
be obeyed, then who is there left to obey ?

15. REAL MEANING OF ULU 'L-AMR

Now we return to the correct interpretation of the above verse.

al-Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (as) said that this verse was revealed about 'Ali ibn Abi
Talib, Hasan and Husayn (as) . Upon hearing this, someone asked the Imam: "People
say, 'Why did Allah not mention the names of 'Ali and his family in His Book?'"

The Imam answered: "Tell them that there came the command of salat
(prayer), but Allah did not mention whether three or four raka'at (units) (to be
performed); it was the Apostle of Allah who explained all the details. And (the command of
) zakat was revealed, but Allah did not say that it is one in every forty dirham;
it was the Apostle of Allah who explained it; and hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) was ordered
but Allah did not say to perform tawaf ( circumambulation of the Ka'bah) seven
times the Apostle of Allah explained it. Likewise, the verse was revealed: Obey Allah,
and obey the Apostle and those vested with authority from among you, and it was
revealed about 'A1i and Hasan and Husayn (as). [47]

Notes:

[17] See [at-Tabari; at-Tafsir,
vol. 6, p. 186]; as-Suyuti: ad-Durru 'l-manthur, [vol. 2,,, pp. 293-4]; ar-Razi: at-Tafsiru
'l-kabir, [vol.12, p. 26]; az-Zamakhshari: at-Tafsir (al-Kashshaf),
vol.l, p.649; [al-Jassas: Ahkamu 'l-Qur'an, vol. 2, pp.542-3; al-Khazin: at-Tafsir,
vol. 2, p. 68] .

[18] al-Qunduzi: Yanabi'u
'l-mawaddah, [p.168; Amritsari: Arjahu 'l-matalib, p.448].

[19] Siddiq Hasan Khan: Manhaju
'l-wusul, p.l3. death indicated in parentheses are in A. H. )

[20] al -Amini: al -Ghadi'r,
vol 1, pp . 14-18 .

[21] Ibid., pp. 62-63.

[22] Ibid., pp.73-81.

[23] Ibid ., pp. 73-151.

[24] at-Tirmidhi: as-Sahih,
vol. 2, p.298.

[25] at-Tahawi: Mushkilu 'l-athar,
vol.2, p.308.

[26] al-Hakim: al-Mustadrak,
vol.3, pp.109-10.

[27] al Amini: al-Ghadir, vol.
1, p. 295.

[28] Ibid., pp.294-313.

[29] Subhi' as-Salih: 'Ulumu
'l-hadith wa mustalahatuh, p. 145.

[30] Ibid., p.l56.

[31] al-Khatib at-Tabrizi: Mishkatu
'l-masabih [p.557]; Mir Khwand: Habibu 's-siyar, [vol. 1, pt. 3, p. 144];
at-Tabari: [al-Wilayah]; [ar-Razi: at-Tafsiru 'l-kabir, vol. 12, pp. 49-50];
Ahmad: al-Musnad, [vol. 4, p. 281 ]; Ibn Abi Shaybah: al-Musannaf; Abu
Ya'la: al-Musnad; Ahmad ibn 'Uqdah: al-Wilayah, and many others. [See also
al-Amini: al-Ghadir, vol. 1, pp. 270- 83 - for further references.]

[32] al-Amini: al-Ghadir, vol.
I, p. 340.

[33] See al-Amini: al-Ghadir,
pp. 344-50, for detail references .

[34] Ibid., pp. 370-371.

[35] al-Wahidi: Asbabu 'n-nuzul,
p. 40; as-Suyuti: ad-Durru 'l-manthur, vol. 2, p. 38.

[36] This hadith can be seen
in most books of traditions. See for instance, at-Tirmidhi: as-Sahih, vol. 2, p.
308; Ibnu 'l-Athir: Usdu 'l-ghabah, vol. 2, p. 12; as-Suyuti: ad-Durru
'l-manthur, vol. 6, p. 7; al-Muttaqi al-Hindi: Kanzu 'l-'ummal, (Hyderabad,
1312 A. H.), p. 48.

[37] Ibn Majah: as-Sunan,
p.l2; Ahmad: al-Musnad, vol. 1, p. 174; an-Nasa'i: al-Khasa'is, pp. I5-16;
atTahawi: Mushkilu 'l-athar, vol. 2, p. 309; al-Muhibb at-Tabari: Dhakhatiru
'l-'uqba, p.63.

[38] as-Suyuti: ad-Durru
'l-manthur, vol. 6, p. 209, at-Tabari: at-Tafsir, vol. 10, p. 47; an-Nasa'i: al-Khasa
'is, p. 20.

[39]. al-Khati'b al-Khwarazmi: al-Manaqib,
p. 56; al-Hammuyi: Fara'idu 's-simtayn, vol. 1, p. 176; al-Khati'b al-Baghdadi: Tari'kh
Baghdad, vo1. 14, p. 321.

[40] As quoted in Mafatihu
'l-matalib, p.396; al-Ganji: Kifayatu 't-talib, p. 176.

[41] Qur'an, 47:33; see
also:3:32,132; 5:92; 8:1,20, 46; 24:54; 58:13; 64:12.

[42] Qur'an,4:13;see also: 4:69;
24:52; 33:71; 48:18.

[43] Qur'an, 62:2; see also: 2:129;
3:164.

[44] as-Saduq: 'Ilalu 'sh shara'i',
[ vol. I, p . 123 ] .

[45] ar-Razi: at-Tafsiru 'l-kabir,
vol.10, p.l44.

[46] Though we hold special respect
for others' opinions, and particularly for the beliefs of our Sunni brothers, at the same
time, the author had no other alternative but to criticize the opinion of ar-Razi with
these examples. Of course, we do not regard this opinion of ar-Razi to be the manifesto of
all Sunni brothers. (pub.)

[47] al-'Ayyashi: at-Tafsir,
vol. 1, pp.249-50; Fayd al-Kashani: at-Tafsir (as-Safi), vol.1, p.364.