Aqd literally means tying together. Uqud (plural) here may mean covenants, contracts agreements, promises, treaties-between man and God or (any of) His prophets, or between human beings.

For peace and harmony in this world fulfilment of uqud has been enjoined by Islam. Islam means complete surrender and submission to the divine will manifested through the sayings and doings of the Holy Prophet, because "He does not speak of his own will; it is naught but revelation revealed" (Najm: 2, 3); and verse 7 of al Hashr enjoins upon the believers: "whatever the Holy Prophet gives you accept it; and whatever he forbids, abstain from it."

There are covenants which constitute the basis of the religion of Allah-belief in Allah, His prophets, His books, His guidance, His justice; and the covenant taken by the Holy Prophet on the day of Ghadir Khum (see commentary of al Ma-idah: 67). The divine guidance made available to mankind (from His mercy and grace), without which the din of Allah would have not been found in its true and original colour, has been clearly made known by the Holy Prophet in his last pronouncement known as hadith al thaqalayn.

According to the Ahl ul Bayt the covenants referred to in this verse are those taken by the Holy Prophet from his followers on various occasions to follow and obey the holy Imams of the Ahl ul Bayt after the conclusion of his risalat.

Please refer to the commentary of al Baqarah: 196 for "unlawful during hajj is game". Verse 95 of this surah also says not to kill game when one is on pilgrimage.

See commentary of al Baqarah : 158 for sha-irallah.

Hadya and qala-id stands for the animals chosen and reserved for sacrifice, with garlands in their necks to mark them off as sacred.

Let not hatred of any people lead to aggression in the sacred city of Makka. There should be no hindrance at all to the pilgrims while they are proceeding to Ka-bah.

Co-operate in righteousness (tawallah) but do not assist in crime and transgression (tabarra)- these two commandments are the universal maxims of justice.

Please refer to the commentary of al Baqarah: 173 for carrion (corpse of a dead animal), blood flesh of swine, and that over which is invoked the name a ghayrallah (other than Allah). Also forbidden are the strangled, the beaten down, the fallen down, the gored, that which has been devoured by beasts of prey, and that which has been slaughtered at altars; and also dividing the meat by casting lots with arrows is forbidden.

Illa ma dhakkaytun-tadhkiyah means to cleanse (allowing the heat in the body to pass away through the Islamic way of slaughter).

From alyawm to Islama dina was revealed when the Holy Prophet announced at Ghadir Khum: "Of whomsoever I am the mawla (master) Ali is his mawla (master)". Please study the event of Ghadir Khum in the commentary of verse 67 of this surah.

Ahmad bin Hanbal, the founder of Hanbali sect, writes in his Musnad that a Jew had told the second caliph: "If there were a similar declaration in the Pentateuch, the Jews would have celebrated the day as a great festival."

This verse is also a clear testimony to the perfection of the religion of Islam. Please refer to the commentary of al Fatihah: 7.

Allah has completed and perfected Islam only when, under His command (Ma-idah: 67), the Holy Prophet had announced the imamat of Ali after the termination of risalat-he being the last messenger of Allah. Fakhruddin Razi has said that the Holy Prophet died 81 or 82 days after the revelation of this verse. All authorities agree that no law-giving verse was revealed after this verse. So without believing in Ali as the immediate successor of the Holy Prophet, according to this verse, the faith is neither complete nor perfect. The institution of imamat is necessary to keep intact the final word of Allah (the Quran) and to guide mankind unto the right path till the day of resurrection.

As verse 67 of this surah is inevitably connected with this verse, please study its commentary very carefully. To avoid repetition, all the historical, logical and rational arguments with authentic references pertaining to the imamah of Ali and his descendants mentioned in verse 67 of this surah have not been related here. This verse should be read as an immediate corollary of verse 67 of this surah.

This fact stands confirmed by a large number of non-Shia scholars, therefore, if any tradition contrary to this fact is narrated by Bukhari and Muslim, based upon diplomacy and political pressures, should be reviewed in the light of the bias and hostility they, and men like them, display whenever they deal with the merits of the Ahl ul Bayt. Please refer to Peshawar Nights, a well-known book published by Peermahomed Ebrahim Trust and Zahra Publications.

In the first verse of this surah it is said: "Verily Allah commands whatsoever He intends". So there is no sense in questioning the will of Allah if He intermingles various issues in any chapter, or in one verse, or two closely connected verses, or passages are placed away from each other. This arrangement was made by the Holy Prophet in his own lifetime. Please refer to "Genuineness of the Quran" (by Aqa Mahdi Puya) in this book.

Aqa Mahdi Puya says:

Aqa Mahdi Puya says:

Jawrihi means any hunting animal, but mimma amsakna restricts the animal to be that who can hold the prey for its master. The adverb makallibin refers to dogs only.

According to Imam Jafar bin Muhammad al Sadiq the word ta-am implies food made of grains not containing flesh of permitted animals.

The Jews and the Christians do not follow the prescribed method of slaughtering the animals, nor do they seek Allah's pleasure before killing the animal, therefore, to eat flesh of any animal offered by them is not lawful for the Muslims.

"Whosoever denies the faith, his deeds will be rendered useless" clearly lays down the principle that good deeds cannot be of any use unless one believes in Allah, His messengers and guides appointed by Him, and the day of judgement .

Aqa Mahdi Puya says:

Wudu and tayammum, the two methods of cleansing for praying salat, have been prescribed in this verse.

The emission of seed, whether in waking or in sleep, makes bathing (ghusl) obligatory.

Wudu (ablution) is done with water. If water is not available, or there is a genuine danger to health if used, then tayammum (use of dust to cleanse) has been prescribed. For details refer to fiqh. It is written in Sahih Bukhari and other books of history that the second caliph disliked this divine ordinance so much that he was prepared not to pray at all rather than observe these commands.

Aqa Mahdi Puya says:

Those who wipe the whole head with a wet hand and wash the feet instead of wiping them with the wet hands do not take into consideration that which the ba in biru-usikum implies.

In tayammum, again due to the possessive particle ba in biwujuhikum, only a portion of the face and the hands have to be wiped-the parts which have to be washed in wudu are wiped in tayammum, and the parts which are wiped in wudu are omitted in tayammum.

The intention of Allah is to purify and complete His favour. This verse is legislative. It implies that whoever submits to Allah's command will get His blessings. The will of Allah as in Ahzab: 33 is creative which means "Be; and it becomes".

Aqa Mahdi Puya says:

The covenant, mentioned in this verse, wherewith Allah has bound the faithful, and by virtue of which His favour has been bestowed on them, is that which has been referred to in verse 3 of this surah-the last covenant taken from the faithfuls at Ghadir Khum (please refer to the commentary of verse 3 of this surah pertaining to "today I have perfected for you your religion and have completed My favour upon you ").

"When you said" refers to the reply they gave to the Holy Prophet when he told them "of whomsoever I am the master (mawla) Ali is his master (mawla)." Please refer to the commentary of verse 67 of this surah for authentic references from the books written by well-known Muslim (non-Shia) scholars; and to know the names of the historians, traditionists and commentators who have reported the proceedings of the historic event at Ghadir Khum.

Refer to the commentary of an Nisa: 135.

Many attempts were made by the enemies of Allah and the Holy Prophet to kill him so as to prevent the march of Islam which was uprooting the pagan society, but Allah saved him and His religion on all occasions through His wali, Ali ibn abi Talib, who is known as yadullah (the hand of Allah).

For the covenant taken from the Jews refer to Deut 26: 16 and 17 mentioned in the commentary of al Baqarah: 40; and for the goodly loan, refer to the commentary of al Baqarah : 245; and for the twelve leaders, refer to Numbers 1: 1 to 15; and 13: 3 to 15. If righteousness (as defined in this verse and in al Baqarah: 177) is adopted and put in practice Allah absolves man of his sins, but whosoever deviates, after coming into the fold of the religion of Allah, shall go astray into the camp of Shaytan-a warning to those who had broken the covenant taken by the Holy Prophet at Ghadir Khum, and their followers till the day of resurrection.

Refer to al Baqarah: 40 for the covenant taken from Bani Israil to accept the Holy Prophet as the promised prophet, which they did not fulfil; and to deny the genuineness of his divine mission they corrupted the books sent to their prophets.

Allah curses the people who break their pledge. So the Muslims should take precaution and avoid to act like the Jews. It is incumbent upon the Muslims to remain attached with the covenant the Holy Prophet bound them with at Ghadir Khum. They must also safeguard themselves from misinterpreting the Quran in order to keep away the curse of Allah which will certainly be upon them if they, like the Jews, distort the true meanings of the book of Allah to serve their worldly interests.

Please refer to John 14: 16, 17; 15: 26; and 16: 7 to 13 mentioned in the commentary of al Baqarah: 253, according to which the comforter, the advocate and the spirit of truth (the Holy Prophet) will be with mankind for ever- through his descendants (the twelve holy Imams), because the Holy Prophet said:

The first of us is Muhammad, the middle of us is Muhammad the last of us is Muhammad, everyone of us is Muhammad.

Please refer to pages 1 to 7, and the commentary of al Fatihah: 6, 7; al Baqarah: 2 to 5, 27, 30 to 39, 51, 83, 93, 124 to 126, 207, 247 to 251; Ali Imran: 7,13,61.

The Jews had corrupted their written book revealed to Musa, and the Christians had forgotten the verbal announcements of Isa.

"Hide" implies both suppression or concealment and distortion or misinterpretation, which the Jews and the Christians employed to deny the prophethood of the Holy Prophet; and "you" refers to them and their forefathers.

In their books there were many clear prophecies of the advent of the Holy Prophet, but they changed some and disguised others. There were also other truths, concealed by them, which have been again revealed in the Quran, omitting those which pertained to the particular age of their earlier prophets, and were not needed for mankind any more.

The "light" stands for that light about which the Holy Prophet had said:

Kitabun mubin refers to the samit (silent) as well the natiq (speaking) Quran-Muhammad and ali Muhammad. See commentary of al Baqarah:2. Through the Holy Prophet and his Ahl ul Bayt and the Quran Allah guides those who follow His pleasure to the path of peace, out of darkness into light, by His will (bi-idhnihi).

"Darkness" implies ghulu and taqsir-refer to the commentary al Fatihah: 7.

Please refer to the commentary of al Baqarah: 253, 255; Ali Imran: 2, 3, 7, 42 to 55, 59 to 63; and al Nisa : 171, to know about the hayyal qayyam Allah and the false beliefs of the Christians regarding Isa in the form of trinity. Isa was a man, a created being, like Adam (Ali Imran: 59) or any other prophet. He was neither the soul-incarnate of God, nor the son of God, nor the redeemer of the sins of mankind. In fact trinitarianism is a flagrant variety of polytheism. The relationship between God and His created beings is, as per verses 91 to 93 of Maryam, of the master and His slaves, with no exception; the highest and the lowest among them are equal in submission to His lordship, because they all come before the beneficent Lord in all obedience, and the most obedient is nearest to Him.

The theory of atonement of sins by Isa is a fanciful conjecture.

It has no effect. It cannot and does not change the law of retribution. His mercy is available to His created beings. He forgives whomsoever He wills and punishes whomsoever He wills. He is just. The kingdom (sovereignty) of the whole universe belongs to Him, and everything will go back to Him.

Verses 7 and 8 of al Zilzal render the doctrine of atonement null and void.

Whomsoever had done (even) an atom's weight of good will behold it;and whosoever has done (even) an atom's weight of evil will behold it. Islam is a religion of justice, rightness and exactitude.

Aqa Mahdi Puya says:

The promise of sending the comforter or the spirit of God was fulfilled in the advent of the Holy Prophet but the Jews and the Christians disbelieved in him.

Please refer to the commentary of al Baqarah: 40 to 147 to know the favours and bounties Allah had bestowed on Bani Israil, and how they always rebelled against Allah and His messengers, earning (in consequence) His displeasure.

Aqa Mahdi Puya says:

The following extract is given from Milman's History of the Jews:-

Some quotations from the Old Testament are given below:

Aqa Mahdi Puya says:

In Minhaj us Sadiqin it is stated that rabbuka before faqatila (fight you two) implies Harun because he was the elder brother of Musa, which has been made clear in verse 25 when Musa mentions the name of Harun.

Aqa Mahdi Puya says:

The impertinent disobedience of the Muslims to the order of the Holy Prophet to march under the command of Usamah, or of some of the companions to his order to bring paper and pen (hadith al qirtas), bears similarity to the conduct of the followers of Musa. Not only the paper and pen demanded by the Holy Prophet was not provided to him but also it was observed that the old man (Holy Prophet) was in a delirium, uttering nonsense. Like Musa the Holy Prophet said:

The forty years wandering of the Bani Israil lasted, according to Sir Charles Marston's computation, from 1440 B.C. to 1400 B.C.

Refer to Numbers 14: 29 to 34.

Aqa Mahdi Puya says:

The wandering of the children of Israil was for forty years, but the wandering of those who have broken the covenant made at Ghadir Khum shall last till the reappearance of the last Imam of the house of the Holy Prophet.

Habil (Abel) and Qabil (Cain) were the two sons of Adam. Adam had nominated the younger son Habil as his successor. The elder son, Qabil, disputed his father's judgement. Thereupon Adam asked each of them to offer a sacrifice to Allah separately so that Allah might accept the sacrifice of one whom He found deserving to succeed him. Habil was a shepherd and Qabil a tiller of the soil. Habil brought the best of his flock as a gift to the Lord; and Qabil brought some dried up ears of corn. Allah received Habil's gift with favour; but He did not receive Qabil's gift. Qabil was very angry and his face fell. He attacked his brother Habil and murdered him. As this was the first murder, in fact, first human death, Qabil did not know what to do with the corpse and stood puzzled. A raven was sent by Allah to show him how to bury a dead body. Adam was greatly disturbed. Allah had granted him another son, Shith, in place of Habil. Shith, a prophet of Allah, succeeded Adam. Qabil's descendants were drowned when the waters of the great flood came upon the earth in the days of Nuh.

Allah only accepts sacrifice from those who are pious and safeguard themselves against evil with full awareness of Allah's laws. Three loaves of bread given to the needy by such men have earned highest praise from Allah (see commentary of al Dahr: 5 to 22); while verse 264 of al Baqarah condemns those who spend large quantities with ungodly motives.

The murderer bears the sins of the person he has slain. If the murdered person is a prophet, as Habil was, the murderer bears the sins of those who might have been guided to the right path, by the slain prophet or the guide appointed by Allah, till the day of resurrection. Every prophet or guide, divinely chosen, represents his people, and the sins of the people are laid at his door, so that Allah may pardon them on account of His chosen representative, as has been indicated in verse 2 of al Fat-h.

In verse 31 Qabil is sorry for his ignorance (not repentant) and condemns himself for not knowing even that which a raven knew.

Murder of an individual has been compared to "killing all humanity", in order to lay emphasis on the establishment of peace and harmony on the earth.

Keeping this verse and the preceding verse in view the conduct of the so-called followers of the Holy Prophet has to be condemned and cursed, who, immediately after his departure from this world, raided the house of Ali and Fatimah's and set it on fire; and afterwards killed Imam Hasan, and murdered Imam Husayn together with other members of the holy house and their friends and followers, and put to death all the holy Imams in the progeny of the Holy Prophet till the last Imam Muhammad al Mahdi had to go from among them by the command of Allah. Besides this the followers of the holy Imams had been persecuted and murdered by the khalifatul muslimin and their agents in every age, and still the persecution and killing continue.

In the time of the first caliph, Khalid bin Walid killed Malik ibn Nuwayra, raped his wife, and murdered all the men, women and children of his tribe in one single night and burned their bodies to cook food for his army. To ridicule the divine declaration in these verses all these atrocities were described as the result of khata al ijtihadi (error of judgement) so as to set the pattern which despot after despot followed to annihilate the descendants of the Holy Prophet and their followers.

Those who wage war against Allah and His prophet, kill the believers and plunder their property shall be disgraced in this world, and for them is a dreadful doom in the hereafter.

Refer to the commentary of al Baqarah: 48, 97 and 98 and the preceding verse to know how the so-called followers of the Holy Prophet waged war against the holy house of the Holy Prophet and committed heinous crimes while carrying out their ugly plan to eliminate them for ever. No doubt they have been disgraced in this world (all the sincere believers curse and condemn them), and they shall be severely punished on the day of judgement .

Aqa Mahdi Puya says:

Allah forgives only those who turn repentant to Him before they are proved guilty of the crime.

Wasilah is a means of access to a thing or a being.

If Allah had willed He could have guided mankind directly through inspiration, but in His infinite wisdom, He had not deemed it desirable. He selected and appointed His representatives to convey His message and laws to people and administer their affairs in every age. Please refer to pages 1 to 7, and the commentary of al Baqarah: 2 to 5, 30 to 38, 48, and 124 to know that the Holy Prophet and his Ahl ul Bayt are the only means of approach to Allah.

Thus wasilah or means of access to Allah is to faithfully follow the Holy Prophet and the holy Imams of his holy house, who have been thoroughly purified by Allah (Ahzab: 33).

The Holy Prophet said:

All the riches of the world, and two times more, shall be of no use if the disbelievers offer it as ransom on the day of judgement to save themselves from the painful punishment of the fire wherein they shall abide for ever.

Next to high moral education and deep religious upbringing, it is fear of consequences, as experience proves, that keeps in check the tendency to steal and thieve. Adultery destroys purity of character and rends asunder the peace and harmony of human society. Thievery upsets the social and economic structure of the social life of a community. It snatches away happiness from the people and exposes them to misery. Therefore, these two crimes have been particularly underlined for severe punishment. The penalty prescribed in this verse is a divine statute, and is not to be taken lightly. Adultery and thievery are the "hallmark" of modern (so-called) civilised nations. They have failed to keep these crimes in check because they do not agree with the injunctions prescribed by Islam. One day they will be destroyed by adultery and thievery if not by their nuclear weapons.

Refer to verse 34 of this surah.

Refer to the commentary of al Baqarah: 255 for Allah's dominion of the heavens and the earth.

"Those who say: We believe, but do not believe in their hearts and hasten to outpace others in infidelity" are the hypocrites. He who professed the faith with his mouth in the presence of the Holy Prophet was not a believer. Such hypocrites, after the Holy Prophet, persecuted his Ahl ul Bayt, usurped their rights, and killed them. They have been grouped with the Jews who used to give ear to lies, spy on behalf of others and distort the words of God out of context (see commentary of al Baqarah: 75 to 79 and 104). They only agreed with that which was mentioned in their corrupted books.

According to an agreement between the two Jewish tribes of Madina (Bani Nadhir and Bani Qurayza) if a man of Bani Nadhir killed a man of Bani Qurayza, he would only pay half of the blood-money and would be paraded in the streets sitting on a camel with his face towards its tail On the other hand the murderer from the Bani Qurayza would pay full blood-money and would also face death if he killed any one of the Bani Nadhir tribe. This unjust arrangement was imposed on Bani Qurayza with the help of Abdullah bin Obayy. After the arrival of the Holy Prophet in Madina, a case of murder was referred to him for arbitration by both the tribes because the murderer, who belonged to Bani Qurayza, refused to comply with the terms of the unjust agreement which, his tribe declared, was against the law of Musa. The tribe of Bani Nadhir tried to influence the Holy Prophet through Abdullah bin Obay for obtaining his judgement in their favour, with the reservation that if he did not oblige them his judgement would not be accepted. It is reported that on that occasion this verse was revealed.

Please refer to the commentary of Ali Imran: 23 for the judgement the Holy Prophet gave in a case of adultery according to the law of Musa. The choice whether to act as an arbitrator in the suits and disputes of the Jews, devourers of gains through unlawful means, entirely lay with the Holy Prophet. The Madinite Jews, true to their traditions of mischief, sometimes submitted their disputes to the Holy Prophet for decision to test and try his knowledge of their law.

They did not approach him as bonafide seekers of justice, with any honest motives at all, because they declined to abide by the decision of the Holy Prophet, made in the light of the law of Musa, whenever it went against them.

The original Tawrat contained guidance (huda) and light (nur) in order to dispel the darkness of ignorance, in accordance with which the Israelite prophets, who had submitted to Allah (aslamu), gave instructions to the Jews, as did the rabbis and priests who remembered the true wordings of the original book. This verse does not testify the integrity of the corrupted book the Jews now refer to as their revealed book, known as the Old Testament (refer to "The Tawrat" at the end of al-Ma-idah). The rabbis and priests were the witnesses of Allah's writ because they had memorised and kept safe (istahfizu- from hifz) the true text of the original book.

It should be noted that although the original Tawrat had been corrupted by the Jews but some important and basic essentials were kept safe in the memory of some of their honest scholars; whereas Allah Himself has taken the responsibility of keeping the Quran in original form without any additions or omissions (Hijr: 9). The declaration of the Holy Prophet (refer to hadith al thaqalayn on page 6) points to the divinely chosen custodians of the book of Allah.

"Those who do not judge by Allah's revelations are disbelievers indeed" applies also to those Muslims who do not follow the verdict given in verse 65 of an Nisa-unconditional obedience to whatever the Holy Prophet decided. Many of them failed to adhere to his declaration at Ghadir Khum. They neither listened to his advice of "remaining attached to his Ahl ul Bayt and the Quran", nor accepted Ali as his successor; on the contrary they quarrelled among themselves on the issue of his successorship by putting forward their own arguments in Saqifa bani Sa-ida, notwithstanding his clear guidance given to them a few months before at Ghadir Khum.

Aqa Mahdi Puya says:

Please refer to Exodus 21: 1 to 36; Exodus 22: 1 to 24; and Leviticus 24: 13 to 23 which confirm the law of retribution prescribed by Islam, but the Christians, for no reason at all, refuse to accept the divine commandments, inspite of the fact that Isa had clearly stated: Do not suppose that I have come to abolish the law (Tawrat) or the prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to complete (Matthew 5: 17).

In the train of the Israelite prophets Isa was sent to confirm and verify the basic doctrines of the universal religion of Allah-unity and justice of Allah, truthfulness of all the prophets, and prophethood of the last prophet of Allah, the Holy Prophet.

In the end of this verse it is stated that every book of Allah was a guidance to the muttaqin (who safeguard themselves against evil with full awareness of Allah's laws), as has been said in verse 2 of al Baqarah.

The original Tawrat, revealed to Musa, has been confirmed by the original Injil, given to Isa. The false books in the hands of the Jews and the Christians have not been referred to here.

The Christians, as the Jews in verse 44 of this surah, have been warned not to use their own discretion but to judge in the light of the revealed books.

Aqa Mahdi Puya says:

"To each of you (every people or community) Allah has given a law and a way and a pattern of life", before the revelation of the final law, the Quran, which confirms the earlier revelations and preserves them from change and corruption. The word "guardian" has been exclusively used for the Quran in connection with the other revealed books. Refer to the commentary of verse 44 of this surah. Therefore Islam is a universal religion. Please refer to the commentary of al Baqarah: 4, 136 and 285; al Nisa: 150.

Aqa Mahdi Puya says:

These verses should be studied in the light of verses 42 to 48 of this surah. The Jews used to come to the Holy Prophet as contending parties but always flouted his authority after seeking his judgement if it was against their worldly interests; and inspite of their high-sounding talk of the scripture-learning, stooped low to be judged by the laws and customs of paganism.

Aqa Mahdi Puya says:.

The Jews and the Christians had much in common, and therefore readily formed an alliance against Islam. so anyone who makes them his friends must have some points of identity with them. A believer, in order to keep himself safe from the influence of falsehood, must avoid the company of disbelievers. The doctrines of tawalla (staying attached with the Ahl ul Bayt) and tabarra (avoiding the enemies of Allah, the Holy Prophet and his Ahl ul Bayt) are the articles of the faith of them followers of Muhammad and ali Muhammad.

The Holy Prophet said:

Do not adopt the style and mannerism of my enemies, lest you may be considered as one of them. He who appears like a certain type shall be identified as of that type.

"In whose hearts is a disease only hasten towards them saying: we fear lest a reverse (misfortune) may befall us" refers to the hypocrites. Victory for the Muslims and punishment for their enemies have been promised in this verse.

The conspiracies and artifices of the hypocrites will be rendered useless. They shall not succeed in their schemes.

A careful study of verses 54 and 55 indicates that they have no relation with the preceding verses prohibiting friendship with infidels. The subject matter of verse 54 is quite different. It is in praise of Ali, about his nomination to political and religious leadership; and wherein the renegades have been warned of his might and valour, and frightened of his great overwhelming influence.

The Holy Prophet said:

Whereupon Abu Bakr inquired if he was that man and Umar inquired if he was that man. The Holy Prophet replied: "No. But the person who is mending shoes inside the room is that man." And Ali turned up with shoes in his hand which he was repairing for the Holy Prophet.

Many traditionists have recorded it with slight variations-Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his Musnad, Hakim in his Mustadrak, Abu Yala in his Musnad, and Muttaqi in his Kanz al Ummal.

It is a warning about Ali's might, as explained by himself on the day of the battle of Jamal. Tha-labi has mentioned it in his Tafsir and the compiler of Majma al Bayan has reproduced it as related by Ammar, Hudhayfah and Ibn Abbas. This becomes clearer when we notice the fact that verse 55 (innama waliyukum) follows this verse, wherein Allah has suggested His superior authority and hinted at the necessity of Ali's leadership (imamat). Verse 55 explains and clarifies the reference in verse 54.

"In the battle of Khaybar the second caliph (like other companions) tried to conquer the fort, but took to flight when the Jew soldiers overpowered his contingent. Before the Holy Prophet they blamed each other for showing cowardice in the battlefield."

(Tarikh Tabari Vol. 2; page 300)

The Holy Prophet said:

Utter disappointment was the lot of many a companion who yearned for this distinction - "Allah shall bring a people whom He shall love and who shall love Him", as has been clearly pointed out in this verse. Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his Musnad, vol. 1, p. 330; Nisa-i in Khasa-is al Alawiyyah, p. 6; Hakim in his Mustadrak, Vol. 3, p. 123; and Dhahabi in his Talkhis have recorded this tradition in the "ten excellent merits" of Ali, not possessed by anybody else.

"Striving hard in the way of Allah", refers to no one but Ali, who, in all the battles fought by the Holy Prophet (Badr, Uhad, Khandaq, Khaybar and others-refer to authentic books of history written by well-known Muslim scholars), not only defeated and destroyed the enemies of Allah but demolished their power base beyond recovery.

Aqa Mahdi Puya says:

The qualities, mentioned in this verse and verse 29 of al Fat-h (according to well-known traditions written in Sahihs, Musnads and Tafsirs), were owned by no one but Ali. In all the battles fought by the Holy Prophet against the enemies of Allah, the Shaykhayn (the first caliph and the second caliph) never played a decisive role in any battle, nor won victory in single combats or general confrontations; on the contrary they were always either overpowered or ran away from the scene of action. More often they did not carry out the orders given to them by the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet knew that Dhith-Thadiyyah was an apostate, so he asked the Shaykhayn to kill him, but they disobeyed and spared his life; and it was this renegade who, according to Sahih Bukhari and others, became the leader of the Khawarij, and was finally killed by Ali in the battle of Nahrawan.

No doubt the Shaykhan and their adherents were severe and hard against the Ahl ul Bayt and their followers .

"Allah shall bring a people", refers to those who, later on, gathered under the banner of Ali (whose qualities have been clearly described in this verse and verse 29 of al Fat-h), in the battles of Jamal, Siffin and Nahrawan. When Ammar ibn Yasir was asked as to how could he fight against the people who professed Islam, he replied: "We fight under the banner of Ali against those who are under the banner of Mu-awiyah, in keeping with the Quran. They professed Islam but concealed infidelity in their hearts, and have now come out

in their true colour of apostasy." The followers of Ali strive hard in the way of Allah, not fearing the criticism of the apostates. The devotees of the other Imams of Ahl ul Bayt also come in this category, and according to many commentators of all schools of thought in Islam (Majma ul Bayan) at the time of the reappearance of Imam al Mahdi the world will witness the true interpretation of these phrases of the Quran.

The Muslims did not oppose the actions taken against the apostates in the times of the Shaykhayn, but they criticised Ali ibn abi Talib for fighting against A-isha and Mu-awiyah; therefore, this verse refers only to Ali and his devotees.

All the commentators unanimously hold, as Qushaji admits in the Sharh al Tajrid on the subject of imamat, that this verse refers to Ali when he gave his ring to a beggar while bowing down in the course of his prayers. Nasa-i has also recorded this tradition in his Sahihah al Nasa-i, and so has the author of Al Jama Bayn al Sihah al Sittah (corroboration of the six authentic books) in discussion of the commentary on al Ma-idah, and so does Tha-labi in his Tafsir Kabir, and al Balakhi in his Yanabi has copied it from Ahmad bin Hanbal's Musnad, vol. 5, margin of p. 38. Please refer to the commentary on this verse in Wahidi's book Asbab al Nuzul (the circumstances of descent) which contains the tradition related by Ibn Abbas. Al Khatib has recorded the tradition in Al Muttafiq, and Ibn Marduwayh and Abu Shaykh in their Musnads. It is mentioned in Kanz al Ummal, vol. 6, p. 391, tradition no. 5991. In Ghayah al Maram, chapter 18, there are twenty four traditions from sources other than the Ahl ul Bayt, all supporting the above statement about the descent of this verse.

When Abi Ishaq Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Naysaburi al Tha-labi reached this verse he recorded the following in his Tafsir al Kabir on the authority of Abu Dharr al Ghifari, who said "Both of my ears may turn deaf and both my eyes may become blind if I speak a lie. I heard the Holy Prophet saying, 'Ali is the guide of the righteous and the slayer of the infidels. He who has helped him is victorious and he who has abandoned him is forsaken'. One day I said my prayers in the company of the Holy Prophet; a beggar came to the masjid and begged for alms, but nobody gave him anything. Ali was in a state of ruku in the prayer. He pointed out his ring to the beggar, who approached him and removed the ring from his finger. Thereupon the Holy Prophet implored Allah, saying: 'O Allah! My brother Musa begged You saying: My Lord, delight my heart and make my task easy and undo the knot in my tongue so that they may understand me, and appoint from among my kinsmen, Harun, my brother, as my vizier, and strengthen my back with him and make him participate in my mission so that we may glorify You and remember You more frequently. Certainly You see us-and You inspired him: O Musa! All your requests have been granted. (The Holy Prophet continued) Delight my heart and make my task easy and appoint from among my kinsmen Ali as my vizier and strengthen my back with him'. (Abu Dhar proceeds) By Allah, the Holy Prophet had not yet finished his supplication when the trustworthy Jibril descended to him with this verse". (Ibn Khallikan says that Al Tha-labi was unique as a commentator of the Quran and his Tafsir al Kabir is superior to all other Tafsirs).

In this verse the word wali has been used in the meaning of guardian or master or who holds authority superior to others. Please refer to the origin of the word wali in Sihah or Mukhtar al Sihah or any other good dictionary. The lexicographers have explained that he who manages the affairs of and exercises authority for another person is the wali of that person. This verse, therefore, means that those who manage the affairs of the people (mankind) are superior to all men, and certainly they are Allah, His messenger, the Holy Prophet, and Ali, who possesses all the qualifications enumerated in this verse. Allah has simultaneously confirmed His wilayah (superior authority), that of His prophet and his wali (Ali) in unbroken succession. Allah's wilayah is universal, so likewise, the wilayah of the Holy Prophet and his wali (Ali) must be so. It is not possible to assign to the word wali in this verse the meaning of a helper or a friend, etcetera, for help and friendship are not confined to these three only. All the faithful men and women, according to the holy book, are friends and helpers of one another. It is as obvious as can be that the word wali in this verse means, guardian, ruler, possessor of superior authority. It is in this sense that the word wali has been used by the Holy Prophet in the abovenoted tradition related by Al Tha-labi in his Tafsir al Kabir on the authority of Abu Dharr al Ghifari whom the Holy Prophet had given the title of siddiq (the truthful). There are other authentic traditions, given below, in which the word wali indicates its true meaning:

(i) Abu Dawud al Tayalisi has recorded in Isti-ab on the authority of Ibn Abbas, who said: "The Holy Prophet said to Ali, 'You are the master (wali) of the faithful after me'."

(ii) After an expedition, under the command of Ali, some of the men, who went with him, complained to the Holy Prophet about Ali's refusal to oblige them favourably. The Holy Prophet turned to them with signs of displeasure on his face and said: "What do you want to do to Ali? Surely Ali is from me and I am from him, and after me he is the master (wali) of all the faithful."

Nasa-i has recorded it in his Khasa-is al Alawiyyah, p. 17, Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his Musnad, vol. 4, p. 438; Hakim in Mustadrak, vol. 11, p. 11; Al Dhahabi in his Talkhis al Mustadrak; Ibn Shaybah and Jarir both have recorded it from whom Muttaqi of India has copied it in his Kanz al Ummal, vol. 6, p. 400; Tirmidhi has recorded it from Asqalani, mentioned in his account of Ali in his Isabah; Ibn Hadid has copied it from Tirmidhi in his Sharh al Nahj al Balagha, vol. 2, p. 450.

(iii) The Holy Prophet said to Buraydah:

Ahmad ibn Hanbal has recorded it in his Musnad, vol. 5, p. 356, Hakim has recorded it in his Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 110, besides many other traditionists.

(iv) The Holy Prophet said:

Hakim has recorded this tradition as reported by Ibn Abbas in his Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 134; and Dhahabi in his Talkhis; Nasa-i in Khasa-is al Alawiyyah p. 6; Ahmad ibn Hanbal in Musnad vol. 1, p. 331.

"Ali is your wali after me", means that Ali and none else will be the master of the faithful after the Holy Prophet. It confines in Ali the authority to manage the affairs of the ummah after him. It is, therefore, necessary to attach the same meaning to the word wali and to understand it in the same sense as has been pointed out above. Help, affection, love, friendship are not confined to any one person. All faithful men and women love and are friends of one another. If the meaning of wali is taken as helper or friend, then why the Holy Prophet took so much interest in, and attached so much importance to, clarifying emphatically what was obvious and evident, so as to repeat the declaration off and on? His perfect wisdom, his thorough impeccability and termination with him of the prophethood make him far above the indulgence of explaining the self-evident, emphasising the obvious and making unnecessary repetitions. Besides, the traditions lay down clearly that Ali is or will be master of the nation after the Holy Prophet, and this makes it all the more necessary to understand the word wali in the same sense and fix for it the same meaning as has been stated above. The abovenoted traditionists, commentators and historians also deal with the word wali or mawla as the "more privileged master of the lives of the faithful than the faithful themselves."

"Those who believe" is in the plural form. How can it be applicable to an individual?

All the annotators, traditionists and historians agree that it was Na-im ibn Mas-ud al Ashja-i, whom Abu Sufyan gave ten camels for discouraging the Muslim, said to them: "Fear your enemies who have united against you and gathered in large numbers to attack you" (Ali Imran: 173), but in this verse "people said to them" (a plural form) has been used.

It was Ghawrath from the tribe of Banu Maharib, some scholars say, while others say that it was Umar ibn Jahash of the tribe of Banu Nadir, (a single man) single man) who drew out his sword to strike the Holy Prophet, but verse 11 of al Ma-idah describes it as "when a group of persons became so bold as to stretch their hands to you"-in plural form. Verse 120 of al Nahl says: "Ibrahim was certainly a people obedient to Allah".

There are plenty of other examples of using the plural form for an individual.

Tabrasi, while commenting on this verse in his Majma al Bayan, says: "The plural form has been used for Ali in order to express his glory and eminence ."

Zamakhshari, in his Tafsir al Kashshaf, says:

The Imams among the Ahl ul Bayt have frequently referred to this verse as a proof of their rightful imamat and have assigned the same meaning to the word wali as we have stated.

The word innama makes the decision of Allah (that He, the Holy Prophet and Ali alone are the masters of the believers) final and decisive. The construction of the sentence and the word wali, used in singular for all the three, means that wilayah of all the three is essentially one in nature as well as in effect. Therefore, obedience to the Holy Prophet must be as it should be to Allah, and obedience to Ali and his successors (the Imams among the Ahl ul Bayt) must be as it should be to the Holy Prophet.

Wa hum raki-un is an adverbial clause qualifying the manner in which the alms were given. If it is taken as a conjunctive clause, then yuqimunas salat or this clause becomes an unnecessary repetition.

In fact this verse points out the highest state of spiritual attainment-fully absorbed in witnessing the glory of the absolute Lord and at the same time alive to the needs of His servants so as to solve them at once to their full satisfaction- which alone entitles a man to be a master like the eternal master, the almighty Allah. The Quran a asserts this possibility for such a man, not for all the followers because they have been addressed in

second person (kum). The plural term "those who believe" is used to include the Imams among the Ahl ul Bayt in the same way as has been done in verse 61 of Ali Imran (Mubahilah).

Please also refer to verse 67 of this surah for the event of Ghadir Khum where the Holy Prophet openly declared Ali as the wali or mawla of the faithfuls just as the Holy Prophet himself is. The entire Muslim nation is unanimous that when the verses of the Quran were collected they were not arranged in the same order in which they descended. There is many a verse occurring in an irrelevant context, for instance, the verse of purification, which occurs in the account of the wives of the Holy Prophet, but actually is in praise of the five persons of al kisa, as has been universally admitted. All Muslims are agreed that arguments are to be preferred to the context, and whenever the implication of the context was opposed to the implication of arguments they ignored the context and yielded to the arguments, because they were doubtful about the context in which a certain verse occurs.

Whoever takes Allah, His messenger and "those who believe" (particularised in the preceding verse) as his master, joins Allah's party-only Allah's party will be successful in the end. This verse is in continuation of the preceding verse.

See commentary of verse 51 of this surah.

The ignorant and stupid people of the book and the infidels, mentioned in the preceding verse, make fun of the azan (call to prayers), therefore, they must not be befriended.

The Muslims believed in Allah and the book sent down to the Holy Prophet and also in the books sent down to earlier prophets, but the Jews and the Christians, rejecting all the books, always found fault with that which the Muslims believed.

Dhalika in verse 60 refers to the statement made in verse 59, comparing those mentioned in verse 59 with those mentioned in verse 60, who are worse than them. Verse 61, wherein the hypocrites have been referred to, should be read alongwith these verses. The words apes and swines may refer to their character which will make them appear as such in the life of the hereafter.

See commentary of al Baqarah: 65 and 256 for apes (qiradata) and false gods (taghut). Please note that cursing the wicked is a godly act.

Suht is any income earned by forbidden means. Please refer to Isiah 1: 23- 56: 11: ;59: 27; and Micah 3: 10, 11; and Proverbs 1 :16, wherein the Old Testament, inspite of being profusely corrupted, confirms that which is stated in this verse about the Jews.

"Their rulers sell justice, their priests give directions in return for a bribe" says verse 11 of Micah. From the lowest of them even unto the greatest of them every one was given to covetousness.

Verse 63 lays down the basis of amr bil ma-ruf and nahya anil munkar (refer to Ali Imran: 110).

It is reported that when the Muslims had to raise funds for their defence, the Jews made fun of the Muslims by saying that their God had become close-fisted. In fact they themselves were niggardly. They habitually uttered blasphemies. Allah, the almighty, is as generous as ever. He spends according to His infinite wisdom and universal plans. (Refer to the commentary of rahmanir rahim and rabba alamin in surah al Fatihah). The Muslims willingly contributed to the defence fund to show their spirit of sacrifice in the way of Allah, who, through such circumstances, tests their faith in Him.

The revelations revealed to the Holy Prophet increased their (the Jews) rebellion and unbelief. They availed every opportunity to kindle the fire of war against the Muslims, but on all occasions it was extinguished by Allah either by raising feuds and quarrels among themselves, or by granting victory to the Muslims, yet secretly and stealthily, often very cunningly, they strived to spread corruption in the land.

If the people of the book had believed in the true and final religion of Allah and the Holy Prophet, through whom it was conveyed, and refrained from vice and sin, as commanded in the code of Islamic law, Allah would surely have forgiven their past sins.

Islam invites people to the right path, walking on which earns pardon for all the past sins.

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.

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:

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.

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:

At the end of this declaration the following verse was revealed:

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:

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:

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:

(The English version of Shibli's Urdu translation of the above is given below):

Shah Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehalvi has mentioned this tradition in Madarijun Nabuwwah:

(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.

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:

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:

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 .

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:

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:

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:

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"

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:

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.

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:

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.

Unless the Jews and the Christians sincerely follow the Tawrat and the Injil and the Quran, their faith is of no use. If they honestly refer to their scriptures they have to accept the Holy Prophet as the promised prophet mentioned in their books (see commentary of al Baqarah: 40), even after the omissions and additions they have made in the original revealed books of Allah.

The Christians of the first three centuries were Unitarians, but as explained in the commentary of Ali Imran: 2 and 3, the Christian church imposed upon them the idea of trinity.

Ma unzila ilaykum refers to the Quran, and ma unzila ilayka refers to that which was revealed to the Holy Prophet in the preceding verse regarding the wilayah of Ali ibn abu Talib.

Please refer to the commentary of al Baqarah: 62.

For a similar reference to the covenant taken from the Jews refer to the commentary of al Baqarah: 83, and for their belying and slaying the prophets see commentary of al Baqarah: 61, Ali lmran: 21 ,112.

The Jews wrongly supposed that, as they were once the favourites of Allah, they would never be punished for their evil deeds, so they turned deaf and blind to the truth. Out of His mercy Allah sent many prophets to them but belying the prophets of Allah and slaying them had become their second nature.

Here fitna means affliction.

Aqa Mahdi Puya says:

The followers of the Christian Church say "Jesus is without qualification God, and the greater the contradiction to the mind, the more the heart responds to the wonder of the mystery". The idea of trinity has been dealt with in the commentary of Ali-lmran: 2 and 3; also refer to al Baqarah: 255 for knowing the true faith of Isa.

Cheyne and Black's Encyclopaedia Biblica says:

Encyclopaedia Britannica says:

"And for the unjust there shall be no helpers" implies that for those who are not unjust there will be helpers (intercessors).