Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Alhassanain (p) Network for Islamic Heritage and Thought

Master and Mastership

Definition of the words stemming from the arabic root wala, types of wala, wala of Imamate, leadership and control.

Author(s): Ayatullah Murtadha Mutahhari

Publisher(s): Islamic Seminary Publications

www.alhassanain.org/english

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Root Word 4

Chapter 2: Two Kinds of Wala’ 6

Negative Wala’ 6

General Form of Positive Wala’ 8

Note 10

Chapter 3: Special Form of Positive Wala’ 11

Notes 12

Chapter 4: Classes of Special Form of Positive Wala’ 13

Wala’ of Love or Kinship 13

Notes 15

Chapter 5: Wala’ of Imamate 17

Notes 18

Chapter 6: Wala’ of Leadership 19

Notes 21

Chapter 7: Wala’ of Control 22

What Nearness to Allah Means 25

Exoteric and Esoteric Life 27

Prophethood and Wilayat 27

Imam as a Holder of Wilayat 28

From Subservience to Mastership 29

Stages 29

Notes 33

Appendix: Spiritual Guidance of the Imam 34

Evidence of the Qur'an in regard to the Spiritual Life of Man 35

How does Spiritual Life Come into Existence 36

Guide to Spiritual Life 36

What is Guidance by Behest 37

Wonderful Power 37

The Man from Damascus 37

Maytham al-Tammar 38

Uwas al-Qarani 40

Qambar 41

Notes 41

Chapter 1: Root Word

The words, Wala’, Wilayat, Wilayat, Waly, Mawla, Awlaand the like have been derived from the same root, viz. Waly. The various forms of this root-word and its derivatives are the most oft-recurring words in the Holy Qur'an. It is said that they have been used 124 times in the form of a noun and 112 times in the form of a verb.

The original meaning of this root-word as mentioned by Raghib in his lexicon "Mufradatul Qur'an" is one thing taking place by the side of another in such a way that there is no distance between them i.e. if two things are placed side by side in such a manner that there is no other thing between them the root-word 'Waly' is used.

For example, if some persons are sitting side by side with one another and we wish to mention the manner and order in which they have taken their seats we say that Zayd is the head of the assembly and i.e. Amr is sitting by Zayd without there being any distance between them and similarly Bakr is sitting by Amr without there being any distance between them.

That is why this root-word is naturally used for nearness and proximity also, both physical and figurative. And again for this very reason it has been used in the sense of friendship, love, patronage, guardianship, control etc., because all these conceptions involve some sort of contact and proximity.

A number of meanings have been given for this root word and its derivatives. For example, some 27 meanings of the word Mawla have been given. It is obvious that originally it was not coined for all of them and could not have more than one original meaning. Other meanings are to be obtained from contextual indications.

This word has been used in the case of material and corporeal matters as well as in the case of spiritual and abstract matters, but in the beginning it has admittedly been used in connection with material matters and has also been used in spiritual matters by way of likening contemplative with perceptible or by way of abstraction of the meaning of perceptible from its material and palpable characteristic.

This is so because whether it be from the point of view of an individual during his lifetime or from the point of view of human society during its history the attention of man has always been directed towards perceptible things before he has reflected rationally. After perceiving palpable meanings and concepts man has gradually moved towards spiritual meanings and concepts. And naturally he has used and employed the same words which he first utilized in connection with material matters.

It is just as the scientists do not coin new terminology for their sciences and do not make use of the words which are in use in common parlance, but give them particular meanings which are different from those which they carry in common terminology.

In regard to the use of the words Wilayat and Wilayat, Raghib says that the former means "help" and the latter denotes to be "in charge". It may be said that in reality both the words have the same sense i.e. in charge.

In regard to the words, Waly and Mawla, Raghib says that both of them have the same meaning. The only thing is that they are used sometimes in the active and sometimes in the passive sense.

Then he mentions the occasions on which these words are used.

Chapter 2: Two Kinds of Wala’

The Holy Qur'an has talked much of Wala’, Muwalat and Tawalla (friendship and cooperation). This Celestial Book has discussed a number of questions under these headings. A thorough study of the Holy Qur'an indicates that from the Islamic point of view there are two kinds of Wala’; negative and positive i.e. on the one hand the Muslims have been asked not to accept one kind of Wala’ and to refrain from it, and on the other hand they have been asked to observe another kind of Wala’.

The positive Wala’ enjoined by Islam has two forms; general and special. Again the special form of Wala’ is further subdivided into several categories; Wala’ of Love, Wala’ of Imamate, Wala’ of Leadership and Wala’ of Control. Now we take up each of them briefly.

Negative Wala’

The Holy Qur'an has strictly warned the Muslims against accepting the friendship or tutelage of the non-Muslims. This does not mean that Islam is in any way against the Muslims having good relations with the fellow human beings or it exhorts them to be always hostile to the non-Muslims and not to do any good to them. The Holy Qur'an expressly says:

"Allah does not forbid you to show kindness or to deal justly with those who did not fight against you on account of your religion and did not drive you out from your homes. Surely Allah does not love the unjust people" (Mumtahina, 60: 8)

Islam does not say that good fellowship should be exclusively confined to the Muslims or that a Muslim should not be philanthropic to others. How could a religion, which, in the words of the Qur'an, has described its Prophet as a blessing to all the worlds, say that?

Actually the idea is that the Muslims must never be unmindful of the designs of the enemy despite his claim of friendship. They should always be vigilant and should not take the pretensions of the enemy on their face value.

A Muslim must regard himself as a member of the Muslim body politic and a part of the whole. To be a member of a particular society automatically imposes certain conditions and limits. The non-Muslims being members of a different society, the relations of the Muslims with them must be such as may not be incompatible with their being members of their own society. They should in no way jeopardize their own independence and integrity. Hence the relations of a Muslim with the non-Muslims cannot be similar to those which he has with the fellow Muslims.

The Muslims should have as close and cordial relations with one another as the members of the same body politic should normally have. According to Islam the negative aspect of this friendship demands that a Muslim, while dealing with a non-Muslim, should always be alive to the fact that he is facing a member of an alien body; and the relations of a Muslim with a non-Muslim should not be similar to those with a Muslim, in the sense that Muslim should not practically become a member of the non- Muslim society or assume such a shape that his membership of the Muslim society should in no way be unrecognizable. He should at no time ignore that he is a member of the Muslim body politic.

A Muslim may be nice and friendly to a non-Muslim but at the same time he should not take him as a member of the same body to which he himself belongs. There is no contradiction between these two attitudes.

Thus there is no contradiction between negative Wala’ and the principles of fellow-feeling and philanthropy. Fellow-feeling requires a man to be concerned with the destiny, welfare and happiness of all human beings. As such a Muslim is naturally concerned with the salvation of all other human beings and is interested in their becoming Muslims. But so long as this target is not achieved those who have embraced Islam cannot be sacrificed for the sake of those who have not come under the fold of Islam.

Suppose certain people are afflicted with a certain disease. The fellow-feeling requires us to do everything possible to see that they are cured and to treat them with tenderness and sympathy so long as they are ill. But that does not mean that those who are suffering from a contagious disease should not be segregated from those who are sound in health. That is why Islam allows a Muslim to be benevolent to the non-Muslims but it does not permit him to undertake allegiance to them.

Islam is a religion of love towards mankind. It loves even a polytheist, not because of his polytheism, but because of his being a creation of Allah. At the same time it feels concerned because he has gone astray.

Had it not loved him, it would have been indifferent to his bad- luck.

In Islam there exists love and hatred both. But both are logical and reasonable, not emotional and haphazard. The friendship and enmity produced by pure emotions are blind feelings and have no logical basis. On the other hand, rational friendship and enmity produced by a sort of consciousness, stem from a concern in the destiny of a fellow being.

Let us take an example. The parents have two kinds of attachment to their child, one logical and the other sentimental. Logical attachment sometimes may impel them to take an action, which may apparently cause pain and distress to their child. For instance they may submit him to a surgeon.

In such a case they may weep and shed tears, but they ask the surgeon to perform the operation as early as possible and amputate the festering limb, if necessary. They shed tears out of their emotional attachment, and ask for surgical operation and amputation out of their logical attachment.

In case they give preference to their emotional attachment and do not agree to amputation, they virtually acquiesce in giving their child in the pale of death. But because of their intellectual logic and keen interest in his welfare, they ignore their emotions and agree to the pain and inconvenience to their child.

To get himself cured any sensible person may occasionally submit himself to the surgeon and ask him, for example, to amputate one of his fingers. He does not like to suffer the pain of amputation. He knows that the loss of a finger will cause him much inconvenience. Still his reason and logic require him to bear the pain and agree to this organic defect. In such cases it is reason and logic, and not emotions, which induce a person to ask for a surgical operation.

In order to eliminate corruption from a society in which infidelity and ignorance prevail, Islam gives instruction for armed struggle, "Fight them until revolt is rooted out" (al-Baqarah, 2:193).

At the same time for the security of the society it warns the Muslims against opening their heart to the infidels. There is no contradiction between this policy and the principle of entertaining goodwill towards all.

Imitating is human nature. Man-often unconsciously adopts the ideas and notions of others. The Qur'an says

"O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies for friends. Would you offer them strong love while they have rejected the Truth which has come to you" (al-Mumtahina, 60: 1).

It continues to say

"If they have the upper hand of you, they will be your enemies and will stretch out their hands and tongues towards you with evil intent. They love to see you turn away from your faith". (al-Mumtahina, 60: 2)

Here the Holy Qur'an gives the reason why the Muslims should be cautious and vigilant while dealing with the non-Muslims. It says that they like to persuade others to adopt their customs, their way of thinking and religion. Had it been merely a question of their wish and liking, there was not much danger in it. The Holy Qur'an points out that they earnestly strive for misleading the Muslims.

This position makes it essential that the Muslims should be prudent about their relations with the non-Muslims. They should always remember that they belong to a Unitarian society totally different from that of the non-Muslims. Anyhow, that does not mean that the Muslims should have no social, economic or political contact with them. The point to be kept in mind is that all such relations must be in keeping with the overall interests of the Muslim society.

General Form of Positive Wala’

Islam wants the Muslims to live an independent life as a militarily coordinated and socially homogeneous unit. To enable the Muslim society to grow strong and vigorous every Muslim is expected to consider himself to be a member of it. The Holy Qur'an wants the Muslim society to be superior to all others. It says:

"Don't be discouraged or grieved. You alone will have true dignity if you are true believers". (Ale Imran, 3:139)

Faith is the criterion of the superiority of the Muslim society. It is its motivating force, the sanction for its independence, the mainstay of its personality and the essential pre-requisite of its unity. The Holy Qur'an says

"Don't dispute with one another lest you falter and your strength departs from you: But be steadfast! "(al-Anfal, 8: 46)

Internal discord and dissension pull down the structure and personality of the society. Faith is the basis of mutual friendship, love and loyalty among the Muslims.

The Holy Qur'an says:

"The believers, men and women are the Waly (guide) of each other; they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong. They keep up prayers and pay zakat and obey Allah and His Messenger". (al-Tauba,9:71)

The Muslims are closely linked together and as such they support one another. They are interested in one another's fate, in reality in their own fate, for they, all together form one compact unit. That is why they exhort one another to do the good and abstain from doing the evil.

This exhortation and this restraint stem from mutual Wala’. That is why in the Holy Qur'an the sentence "They enjoin the right and forbid the wrong", has been placed immediately after the statement that the Muslims are Waly of one another.

Interest in the fate of another person originates from the interest in that person himself. A father who is interested in his children automatically feels himself concerned with their future. But he may not feel interested in the children of others, and because of his not being interested in them, he is not likely to be concerned about their fate. Hence their good or bad behavior is not likely to produce positive or negative feelings in him.

The exhortation to do the right and to restrain others from doing the wrong are the outcome of these very positive and negative feelings. Such feelings do not arise without the existence of love and attachment.

If a man is disinterested in a particular person, he will be indifferent to his behavior and conduct. But if he is interested, his attachment will not allow him to remain unconcerned. That is why the Holy Qur'an has connected the exhortation for the good and the restraint from the wrong under the head of Wala’.

The Holy Qur'an has mentioned two other things which follow this exhortation and restraint. It says: "They offer prayers and pay zakat". Prayer represents the relation between the Creator and man and zakat represents the goodwill among the Muslims who support one another because of their mutual affection and sympathy. Then the Qur'an says "As for these, Allah will have mercy on them; and they will have lasting happiness ". Later we will elucidate this passage further and will show that not only this but many other verses of the Holy Qur'an which mention general Wala’, imply a sort of responsibility of the Muslims in respect of the mutual goodwill among them.

The Holy Prophet has said "The Muslims in their mutual affection and sympathy are like the human body. If one part of it suffers, all other parts feel uneasy".

In respect of the Holy Prophet and those who received training under him the Holy Qur'an says :

"Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and those with him are hard to the disbelievers yet kind among themselves". (al-Fath 48: 29).

This verse refers both to the special form of positive Wala’ and the negative Wala’. As we have said above many verses of the Holy Qur'an point out that the enemies of Islam have always been trying to turn the negative Wala’ into a positive one and the positive Wala’ into a negative one. In other words they do their utmost to make the relations between the Muslims and the non-Muslims cordial and between the Muslims themselves hostile on one pretext or another.

For this purpose they fan the sectarian differences. In our own time these aliens have become more active in this respect.1 They have been spending huge sums of money to sow the seeds of discord among the Muslims. Unfortunately they have been able to produce certain elements among the Muslims whose only concern is to convert the positive Islamic Wala’ into a negative one and the negative Islamic Wala’ into a positive one and this is the most severe blow which these wicked persons deal to the Holy Prophet.

This is the most deplorable tragedy with which Islam is faced today. Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib has said "It is really disturbing and most surprising that the enemies, despite their being in the wrong, are united, and you despite your being in the right, are divided".

We pray to Allah to protect the Muslims from the machinations of these wicked people.

Note

1. "Muslims should be awake, Muslims should be alert that if a dispute takes place among Sunni and Shi'ah brothers, it is harmful to Muslim ummah. Those who want to sow discord are neither Sunni nor Shi'ah; they are agents of the superpowers and work for them. Those who attempt to cause discord among Muslims are people who conspire for the enemies of Islam and want them to triumph over Muslims. They are the supporters of America and Russia." (Imam Khumayni).

Chapter 3: Special Form of Positive Wala’

The affection toward the Ahl al-Bayt (the Prophet's progeny) is the special form of the positive Wala’. It is an incontrovertible fact that the Holy Prophet himself has urged the Muslims to have special affection toward his progeny. Even the Sunni scholars do not deny that. It is this affection which has been mentioned in the verse about the Ahl al-Bayt.

"Say: I ask you no reward for my preaching save love and affection toward my progeny". (al-Shura;42 23).

The well-known and authentic hadith of Ghadir, according to which the Prophet said "Whoever regards me as his master and guardian, must regard Ali, too, as his master and guardian"1 also implies a sort of affection which will be explained later. It is agreed by both the Shi'ah and the Sunni that the verse:

"Your Waly can be only Allah, His Messenger and those who believe and establish prayers, and pay zakat while they kneel down in prayer". (al-Ma'idah, 5:55);

was revealed in respect of Imam Ali. Tabari, in his ''Exegesis''2 of the Holy Qur'an quotes a number of reports in this connection. Zamakhshari, who is one of the most eminent Sunni scholars, is definite when he says: "This verse was revealed in respect of Ali ibn Abi Talib. Though it refers to a single person, plural form has been used with the intention of exhorting the Muslims to follow the good example set by him, and to emphasize that even prayers may be delayed for doing good to the poor and the needy".3

In other words if an occasion arises to pay zakat while one is offering prayers, the payment should not be postponed for that reason alone.

Fakhruddin al-Razi is another important scholar. He also says that this verse is related to Ali ibn Abi Talib for no other person except him paid zakat while offering prayers.4

At the most there may be some difference of opinion as regards the meaning of Waly. We will discuss this point while explaining the purport of the verse.

Ali ibn Hammad Baghdadi, who was one of the most outstanding Shi'ah poets of the fourth century of the Hijri era, referring to this verse says that because Imam Ali paid zakat while offering prayers Allah has associated the Wala’ toward the Imam with the Wala’ towards himself. On the occasion of Mubahilah.5 He called Imam Ali the self of the Holy Prophet Muhammad. This is a fact which cannot be denied.6

As we pointed out earlier Islam has enjoined a sort of general form of the positive Wala’ towards all Muslims. The verse "The believers, men and women, are waly of one another", refers to it.

But the verse which says: "Your Waly can be only Allah, His Messenger and those who believe .." is not general in its import. It cannot be said that it refers to general Wala’ for in this case the Qur'an does not intend to lay down a general rule. It does not want to say that as a rule it is obligatory or even desirable to pay zakat while offering prayers. It only mentions a particular action characteristic of the person who did it and alludes to his being entitled to special affection.

This style of using the plural form of a word while describing an event which related to a single person is not unparalleled in the Holy Qur'an. For example it says

"They say: When we return to Medina, the honourable ones will certainly drive out the mean ones". (al-Munafiqun, 63: 8).

In this case also the verse refers to an incident relating to a single person. It says "They say". In fact only one person, viz. Abdullah ibn Ubayy had said that.

According to modern idiom also we sometimes say that "they say so" while we know well that only one single person has made the statement in question.

To pay zakat while bowing in prayers is not a common event. Hence it cannot be presumed that Allah extols all those who do such an action and affirms Wilayat for all of them, in whatever sense it may be.

This shows that the verse in question has a particular and personal application. It means to say that there is a person, who while engaged in the worship of Allah, was not unmindful of his fellow being and performed this act. Now the Holy Qur'an says that like Allah and His Messenger he is also the Waly of the believers (is entitled to their affection) and they should accept this Wala’.

As to what the nature of this affection is, and whether it is something higher than the special love and esteem, which the people should have for Imam Ali, we will shortly take up that question. At present we only want to emphasize that this verse has a particular application and not a general one.

Notes

1. Sahih Tirmizi Vol. 5, p. 297. Sahih Muslim Vol. 2, p. 362 printed in Egypt. Mustadrak 'ala al-Sahihayn-Hakim Vol.3 p.109 Al-Bidayah wa'l Nihayah-Ibn Kathir Vol.4, p.211 printed in Egypt. Sawaiq al-Mohriqa - Ibn Hajar 'Asqalani Shafi'i p. 25. Tarikh-i Ya'qubi-Mus'udi Vol.2, p.93. Al-Fusul al-Muhimmah-Ibn Asbagh Maliki p. 23 printed in Egypt. Yanabi al-Mawaddah-Sulayman al-Qandozy al-Hanafi p. 29 - 38. Shawahid al-Tanzil -Hakim al-Haskani Vol. 1 p. 190 printed in Beirut. Usud al-Ghaba-Ibn Athir Shafi'i Vol. 1 p.367 printedin Egypt. Khasais Amirul Mo'minin Nisai Shafi'i p. 96 printed in Egypt. Tarjuma al-lmam Ali bin Abi Talib min Tarikh Damshiq-Ibn Asakir Shafi'i Vol. 1 p.211Abaqat al-Anwar-Sayyid Hamid Husayn. Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah -Ibn Abi'l Hadid Mo'tazili Vol. 4 p. 388 First print (Egypt). Al-Ghadir Allama Amini Vol.1, p.14.

2. Tafsir al-Tabari Vol. 6, pp. 288-289.

3. Al-Kashshaf Vol.1 p.505 printed in Egypt in 1373 A.D.

4. Al-Tafsir al-Kabir Vol .12 p 30 printed in Egypt in 1 3 7 5 A.D.

5. The Christians of Najran (a town in Arabia Felix) were inimical to Islam. When the Holy Prophet of Islam invited them to his faith and according to the Divine command they were challenged to come forward for a contest. At first they agreed to contest. But when the Holy Prophet brought with him his grandsons Hasan and Husayn for his sons, Fatima her daughter, for his women, and Ali his vicegerant for his 'self', the christians seeing the awe-inspiring faces of the Prophet's family members began trembling. Fearing a terrible disaster for them they acquiesced in the terms imposed by the Holy Prophet. This historical event is one of the most glaring examples of the superior merits of the Holy Five.

6. Raihanatul Adab Vol. 5, p. 311.

Chapter 4: Classes of Special Form of Positive Wala’

So far we have observed that the question of having affection towards Imam Ali and other members of the Ahl al-Bayt is incontrovertible. The only point which requires some further consideration is the exact sense of the affection which has been enjoined in this and other verses and in the hadith of the Holy Prophet.

To make the point clear we have to see in what context the words Wala’ and Wilayat translated by us as affection, have been used in the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah with reference to the Ahl al-Bayt. Generally speaking these words have been used in four different senses.

Wala’ of Love or Kinship

Wala’ of love or kinship means that the Ahl al-Bayt are the kinsfolk of the Holy Prophet and the Muslims have been asked to hold them in love and esteem to a greater degree than what general Wala’ demands. A number of the verses of the Holy Qur'an and many sayings of the Holy Prophet which have come down to us both through the Shi'ah and the Sunni sources, show that the love of the Ahl al-Bayt including Imam Ali is one of the basic tenets of Islam. In this connection two questions arise:

The first question is why after all the people have been called upon to hold the Ahl al-Bayt in love and esteem and why this love has been declared to be a means of gaining proximity to Allah? Suppose everybody recognizes the Ahl al-Bayt and loves them; what will be the practical advantage of that? We know that all the Islamic teachings are based on reason and philosophy. If affection towards the Ahl al-Bayt is one of the basic instructions of Islam, there must be a philosophy behind it.

The answer to this question is that exhortation to love the Ahl al-Bayt does really have a philosophy. It is neither a superfluous demand nor a recompense to the Prophet or the Ahl al-Bayt themselves. The Holy Qur'an has said "Say: I ask you no reward for my preaching save love and affection toward my progeny" The Holy Prophet explains that the advantage of having love for the Ahl al-Bayt or the Prophet's Family accrues to the believers themselves.

This love is a prelude to all kinds of Wala’ prescribed by Islam. It binds the people to the Holy Family and gives them an opportunity to be benefited by its teachings, practice and precepts.

The second question is whether the love of the Ahl al-Bayt is a feature peculiar to the Shi'ah or all the Muslim sects believe in it.To answer this question it may be said that it is not a feature peculiar to the Shi'ah. All the Muslim sects attach importance to it. Imam Shafi'i, one of the four Imams of the Sunni, in his famous verses says "Let everybody know that if the love of Muhammad's descendants means to be a Rafizi, I am a Rafizi ".1

Imam Shafi'i also says "O Ahl al-Bayt! Allah has made it obligatory in the Qur'an to love you. It is a matter of pride for you that without invoking blessing on you, prayer is not valid,". Again he says in his verses "After having seen that the people have chosen different ways which have led them to the Ocean of deviation and ignorance. I have, in the name of Allah, embarked the ship which may lead me to safety. The Ahl al-Bayt of the Holy Prophet are that very ship We have been ordered to hold fast the rope of Allah, and that rope is their love".2

Zamakhshari and Fakhruddin al-Razi, who bitterly oppose the Sh'iah on the question of succession to the Holy Prophet, quote him in their commentaries on the Qur'an as having said "He who dies adhering to the progeny of Muhammad dies the death of a martyr; his sins will be forgiven he dies the death of a repentant and his faith will be regarded as perfect".3

Imam Ali also says in Nahj al-Balaghah, in the end of sermon 232 "He who dies in his bed, but acknowledges the rights of Allah, His messenger and tbe Ahl al-Bayt is as good as one who dies a martyr in the battlefield He will be rewarded for his good intentions, which will be regarded as a substitute for his fighting with his sword".

Ibn al-Fariz, the well-known Egyptian mystic and lyric poet, who is compared to the Persian poet, Hafiz, says addressing Allah "If I do not earn Your pleasure, my life will be wasted and will go in vain. But I have no means to please You except the bond of my affection towards the progeny of Muhammad, a descendant of Qusayy''.4

In this case it is possible that by using the word Wala’ he might have meant a higher feeling, but there is no doubt that the word signifies love.

Mulla Abd al-Rahman Jami is a man about whom Qazi Nurullah Shustari has said that the two Abd al-Rahman(s) - Abd al-Rahman Jami and Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljim Muradi, have hurt Imam Ali. Still he has rendered into Persian verse the ode composed by Farazdaq in praise of Imam Ali ibn Husayn al-Sajjad.

He has narrated a story that after the death of Farazdaq somebody saw him in a dream and asked him what treatment was meted out to him by Allah. Farazdaq said that he was delivered from sins and sent to Paradise on account of the ode he had written in praise of Ali ibn al-Husayn.

Jami himself adds that it would not be surprising if all people were delivered because of this ode. Jami has also written some lines about Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, who imprisoned and tortured Farazdaq. He says "Had Hisham been sagacious and virtuous, he would not have done wrong to Farazdaq, and, instead of imprisoning him, would have awarded him a robe of honour".5

Thus the Shi'ah and the Sunni do not differ on the question of Wala’ of love. Only the Nasibis are inimical towards the Prophet's House. They are denounced by the whole Muslim society and regarded to be as dirty as the infidels. Fortunately in modern times they have become almost extinct.

These days a few persons are seen here and there who sporadically write books with the sole purpose of widening the gulf between the various sects of the Muslims. Persons of similar character exist in our own ranks also. All those persons, who work to create discord among the Muslims, whether they call themselves Shi'ah or Sunni, are the lackeys of imperialist powers.

Zamakhshari and Fakhruddin al-Razi, immediately after quoting the above saying of the Holy Prophet, quote one more of his sayings according to which he said "He who dies disliking the progeny of Muhammad will die as an infidel and will not even smell the fragrance of Paradise".

Imam al-Sadiq has said "The filthiest thing that the Almighty has created is the dog, and he, who is hostile to us, is even filthier than that''.6

This kind of Wala’, if it is ascribed to the Ahl al-Bayt and it is said that they are entitled to it, may be called the Wala’ of Kinship and if it is ascribed to the Muslims as their duty, it may be called the Wala’ of Love.

There is no doubt about the fact that the root of the word "Wala’" and its derivatives give the sense of love. We come across the word, Muwal especially in Ziarats in the sense of friend. For example, we say "We are friends of those who are your friends and we are enemies of those who are your enemies".

There are two other points which deserve consideration. Firstly, is the word "Waly" used in the sense of friend and secondly in what sense has it been used particularly in the verse "Surely Allah is your Waly.." which proves the Wilayat of Imam Ali?

Some people believe that the word "Wala’" used in the Holy Qur'an, invariably means friend. But if you look at its use minutely, you can observe that it means something different. For example, take the verse

"Allah is the Waly of the believers and it is He who takes them out of the darkness into light". (al-Baqarah, 2 258)

It does not mean that Allah is the friend of the believers. It means that Allah in His kindness takes special care of the believers, and they enjoy His special protection. Similarly take the verse "The Waly (s) of Allah have nothing to fear, nor will they be grieved ". It does not mean that the friends of Allah have nothing to fear. Here the word, Waly has been used as a past participle.

Hence that verse means that those who are looked after by Allah have nothing to fear. The same is the case with the verse "The believers, men and women, are the Waly of one another". It does not mean that the believers are friends of one another. On the other hand it means that they take care of one another and influence the destiny of one another. That is why the next verse says "They enjoin the right and forbid the wrong".

This makes the answer to the second question clear. In the verse in question the intention is not that Allah, the Prophet, and Imam Ali are the friends of the believers. The intention, in fact, is to say that they have an authority to deal with the affairs of the Muslims.

Even if it is presumed that the word "Waly" has the meaning of friend also, this meaning is not appropriate in the context of this verse, for it does not make sense to say that Allah, Prophet Muhammad and Imam Ali are the only friends of the believers. This shows that those Sunni exegetes of the Holy Qur'an who hold that this verse does not say anything more than that Ali is a friend of the believers and as such should be an object of their love, are misunderstood.

As a matter of fact, in this verse Wala’ does not signify mere love. It indicates something higher. The explanation we propose to give later will make the point clear.

Notes

1. Al-Kuna wa al-Alqab by Muhaddith al-Qummi and Nur al-Absar by Shiblanji.

2. Al-Kuna wa al-AIqab by Muhaddith al-Qummi.

3. Al-Tafsir al-Kabir by Fakhruddin al-Razi Vol. 27, p. 166 and Al-Kashshaf by Zaamakhshari Vol. 4 commentary on verse 32nd of Surah al-Shura.

4. Qusayy was the fourth ancestor of the Holy Prophet.

5. Silsilatul Zahab.

6. Wasail al-Shi'ah, Vol. 1, p. 159, New Edition.

Chapter 5: Wala’ of Imamate

"Wala’ of Imamate" signifies religious authority, i.e. a position which makes the Imam a model for others who have to follow him and take instructions from him. Such a position automatically implies the infallibility of the Imam. It is the same position about which the Holy Qur'an, while referring to the Holy Prophet, says:

"The Messenger of Allah is certainly a good example for those of you who have hope in Allah and believe in the Last Day and remember Allah very often". (al-Ahzab, 33: 21)

"Say: If you love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins". (Ale Imran, 3: 31)

These verses of the Holy Qur'an put forward the Holy Prophet as a model for others who are required to mould their conduct according to his and to follow in his footsteps. This in itself is a proof of his infallibility, because if he were liable to commit mistakes and sins Allah would not have introduced him as the leader and the guide.

After the Holy Prophet the Ahl al-Bayt succeeded to this position. There is a hadith quoted on the authority of about 30 companions of the Holy Prophet by most of the Sunni scholars in their books of hadith, history and biography of the Prophet.

According to it the Holy Prophet has said "I am leaving behind among you two authorities, the Book of Allah and my Ahl al-Bayt. They shall not be separated from each other till they arrive at the Fountain of Kauthar. If you go ahead of them or fall short of expectations, you shall be misled. Do not try to teach them, for they know better than you''.1

Here the Holy Prophet has associated the Ahl al-Bayt with the Book of Allah as its co-equal. In respect of His Book, Allah says

"Falsehood cannot come at it from any direction". (Ham-mim, 41: 42)

If falsehood could come at the Ahl al-Bayt, how could they be its co-equal? Similarly if they had not been infallible like the Holy Prophet, they could not succeed him as the leaders of the ummah. The contents of the hadith show that it could apply only to certain infallible persons. As Nasiruddin Tusi has pointed out, no one except the Ahl al-Bayt is infallible, nor does anybody claim infallibility for anyone else. Hence the hadith can apply only to the Holy Imams (of the Shi'ah).

Ibn Hajar 'Asqalani says: "The Holy Prophet has told the people that they would be misled if they go ahead of the Ahl al-Bayt or fail to follow them. He has also said that they know better than others. This saying of the Holy Prophet proves that the Ahl al-Bayt, who reached the highest level of knowledge and were worthy of religious leadership, were superior to others.2

Hafiz Abu Na'im reports on the authority of Ibn Abbas that the Holy Prophet said "Whoever desires to live like me and to die like me should select Ali after me as his Waly and should follow the Imams of my family who have been endowed with knowledge and intelligence. Unlucky are those who deny their excellence and disregard my kinship to them. Such people shall be deprived of my intercession on their behalf”.3

That kind of religious leadership which makes every word and action of the leader authoritative is called Imamate. It is a sort of wilayat in the sense that it implies a sort of control over the affairs of the people.

Every teacher and every guardian, as a rule, exercises some control over those who are under his tutelage. Naturally the teacher appointed by Allah should have a greater control.

The verse,

"Your Waly can be only Allah, His Messenger and those who believe, tbose who are steadfast in prayers and pay zakat while they are bowing". (al-Mai'dah, 5 55)

envisages this kind of Wilayat. This does not mean that this verse does not imply some other kinds of Wilayat which we propose to mention later. What we intend to point out is that this verse speaks of Imamate and religious leadership and authority. In a number of the sayings of the Holy Prophet also the word "Waly" has been used for an Imam.

This kind of Wala’ when used with reference to an Imam means religious authority and the right of leadership, and when used with reference to the Muslims means the acknowledgement of this right.

Notes

1. Al-Sawaiq al-Mohriqah by Ibn Hajar al-Shafi'i pp. 148 and 226 printed at Al-Muhammadiah Press, pp. 89 and 126 printed at Al-Maimaniah Press, Majma al-Zawa'id Vol. 9 p. 163 printed in Beirut. Yanabi al-Mawaddah by Qandozy al-Hanafi pp. 41 and 335 printed at Al-Hayderiah Press, pp. 37 and 296 printed in Istanbul. Al-Dur al-Manthur by Suyuti Vol. 2 p. 60 printed in Egypt, Al-Ghadir by Allama Amini Vol.1 p.34, Vol.3 p.80 printed in Beirut. Kanz al-Ummal by Alauddin Hindi Vol. 1 p. 168 hadith serial No.958 second edition, printed in Hyderabad.

2. Al-Sawaiq al-Mohriqah.

3. Hulyatul 'Ulya, Vol. 1, p. 86.