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Letter 54

Glitters of Ahadith Relevant to the Ghadir Incident

Muharram 18, 1330

Relying on the consensus of narrators of hadith, al-Tabrani and many others219 have quoted Zayd ibn Arqam saying:

"The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, once delivered a sermon at Ghadir Khumm under the shade of a few trees saying, ‘O people! It seems to me that soon I will be called upon and will respond to the call.220 I have my responsibility221 and you have yours;222 so, what do you say?' They said: ‘We bear witness that you have conveyed the Message, struggled and advised [the nation]; therefore, may Allah reward you with the best of His rewards.'

He asked them: ‘Do not you also bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger, that His Paradise is just and that His Fire is just, that death is just, that the life after death is just, that the Hour will undoubtedly approach, and that Allah shall bring the dead to life from their graves?'

They said: ‘Yes, indeed, we do bear witness to all of that.' He said: ‘O Mighty Lord! Bear witness that they have.' Then he said: ‘O people! Allah is my Master, and I am themawla (master) of the believers. I have more authority over their lives then they themselves have;223 therefore, to whomsoever I have been amawla , this (‘Ali) is hismawla ;224 O Lord! Befriend whoever befriends him, and be an enemy of whoever sets himself as his enemy.'

Then he said: ‘O people! I am to precede you, and you shall join me, at the Pool [of Kawthar] which is wider than the distance from Basra to San’a; it contains as many silver cups as the stars; and I shall ask you when you join me about the Two Weighty Things, how you shall succeed me in faring with them; the Greatest Weighty Thing is the Book of Allah, the Omniscient, the Sublime, one end of which is in Allah's hand and the other in yours; so, uphold it so that you may not go astray, and your faith shall not suffer any alteration; and the other are my Ahl al-Bayt, for the most Gracious and Knowing has informed me that they both shall never part from each other till they join me at the Pool.'"225

In a section dealing with ‘Ali's virtues inAl-Mustadrak , the author indicates that Zayd ibn Arqam226 is quoted through two sources both of which are held reliable by both Shaykhs: al-Hakim [one of such sources] says that when the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, returned from his Farewell Pilgrimage, he camped at Ghadir Khumm and ordered the believers to sweep the area under a few huge trees where a pulpit of camel litters was made for him.

He stood and said: "It seems as if I have been called upon and responded to the call, and I enjoin you to look after both the Book of Allah and my Progeny; see how you fare with them after me, for they shall never part from each other till they join me at the Pool."

Then he added: "Allah, the Dear and Mighty, is my Master, and I am the master of every believer," then he took ‘Ali by the hand and said: "To whomsoever I have been a master, this ‘Ali is [henceforth] his master; O Lord! Befriend whoever befriends him, and be the enemy to whoever antagonizes him."

The author quotes this lengthyhadith in its entirity. In hisTalkhis , al-Thahbi quotes it without commenting on it. Al-Hakim, too, quotes it as narrated by Zayd ibn Arqam in hisAl-Mustadrak , admitting its authenticity. In spite of his intolerance, al-Thahbi admits the same in hisTalkhis , to which you may refer.

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal has quoted the samehadith as narrated by Zayd ibn Arqam thus:

"We were in the company of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, when he camped in a valley called Wadi Khumm, and he ordered everyone to gather for prayers in midday heat. He then delivered a sermon to us under the shade of a robe over a rush tree [Juncus spinosus] to protect him from the heat of the sun.

He said: ‘Do you know - or do you bear witness - that I have more authority over a believer's life than the believer himself has?' They answered: ‘Yes, indeed, you do.' He said: ‘Whosoever accepts me as hismawla , ‘Ali is hismawla ; O Lord! Befriend whosoever befriends ‘Ali and be the enemy of whomsoever opposes ‘Ali.'"

Al-Nisa'i quotes Zayd ibn Arqam saying that when the Prophet (pbuh) returned from the Farewell Pilgrimage, and having reached Ghadir Khumm, he ordered the ground under a few huge trees to be swept clean. He announced: "It looks like I have been invited [to my Lord's presence] and I have accepted the invitation, and I am leaving with you the Two Weighty Things, one of them is bigger than the other: the Book of Allah and my Progeny, my Household; so, see how you succeed me in faring with both of them, for they shall never part from each other till they join me at the Pool."

Then he added: "Allah is my Master, and I am the master (mawla ) of every believer." Taking ‘Ali's hand, he added saying, "To whomsoever I have been a master, this ‘Ali is his master; O Lord! Befriend those who befriend him, and be the enemy of all those who antagonize him." Abul-Tufail says: "I asked Zayd: ‘Have you heard these words of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, yourself?"227 He answered that all those who were there under the huge trees had seen the Prophet with their own eyes and heard him with their own ears. Thishadith is recorded by Muslim in a chapter on the attributes of ‘Ali in hisSahih from several different narrators ending with Zayd ibn Arqam, but he abridged it and cut it short - and so do some people behave.

Imam Ahmad has recorded thishadith from al-Bara' ibn ‘Azib228 from two avenues saying; it reads: "We were in the company of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) when we camped at Ghadir Khumm. The call for congregational prayers was made. The site of two trees was chosen, and it was swept clean. He performed the noon-time prayers then took ‘Ali by the hand and asked the crowd: ‘Do you not know that I have more authority over the believers than the believers themselves have?'

They answered: ‘Yes, we do.' He asked: ‘Do you know that I have more authority over every believer than the believer himself has?' They answered in the affirmative; then he took ‘Ali's hand and said: ‘Whoever has accepted me as his master, this ‘Ali is his master; O Lord! Befriend whoever befriends him and be the enemy of whoever chooses to be his enemy.' ‘Umar met him immediately following that and said to him: ‘Congratulations to you, son of Abu Talib! You have become, at dawn and at sunset, the master of every believing man and woman.'"

Al-Nisa'i has quoted ‘Ayisha daughter of Sa’d saying that she heard her father saying: "I have heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, on the Day of Juhfa, when he took ‘Ali's hand and delivered a sermon, praised and adored Allah, then said: ‘O people! I am your wali.' They said: ‘You have said the truth.' Then he raised ‘Ali's hand and said: ‘This is mywali unto you to discharge the responsibilities of my religion on my own behalf, and I support whoever supports him and am the enemy of whosoever chooses to be his enemy.'"

Sa’d is also quoted saying: "We were in the company of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). When he arrived at Ghadir Khumm, those who went ahead of him returned to join him, while he waited for those who lagged behind, till all people assembled. Then he said: ‘O people! Who is your wali?'

They answered: ‘Allah and His Messenger.' Then he took ‘Ali's hand, made him rise and said: ‘Whoever has taken Allah and His Messenger as his wali, this (‘Ali) is his wali; O Lord! Befriend whoever befriends him and be the enemy of whoever chooses to be his enemy.'"

The books of traditons recording this incident are nUmarous and cannot be all cited here. They all contain explicit texts indicating that Ali is the Prophet's vicegerent and successor, just as al-Fadl ibn al-Abbas Abu Lahab has said:229

The one to be recognized as the Vicegeret, generation after generation,

After Muhammad, is ‘Ali; for he was his companion in every occasion.

Sincerely,

Sh

Letter 55

Why Use it as a Testimonial if not Transmitted Consecutively?

Muharram 19, 1330

Shi’as apply the principle of consecutive reporting when discussing imamate, due to the fact that they consider consecutive reporting as one of the principles of faith; so why do you quote the Ghadirhadith in support of your argument although suchhadith is not consecutively reported according to Sunnis, even if its authenticity is attested to by theirsahihs ?

Sincerely,

Letter 56

Muharram 22, 1330

Suffices to prove its application as an argument what we have mentioned in Letter No. 24 above.

I Natural Laws Necessitate the Consecutive Reporting of Hadith al-Ghadir

1) The consecutive reporting of the Ghadirhadith is necessitated by the natural laws which Allah has created. Its similitude is like that of any great historical step undertaken by the most important man of a nation who announces, in the presence of thousands of his nationals, the undertaking of a major step, so that they may convey its news to various lands and nations, especially if such an undertaking enjoys the concern of his own family and their supporters in all generations to come, so that such an announcement might receive the widest possible publicity.

Can such an announcement, as significant as it is, be transmitted by, say, just one single person? Certainly not. Its news would spread as widely as the early morning sun rays, encompassing the plains as well as the oceans;

"And you shall never find any alteration to Allah's order (Qur'an, 33:62)."

II The Almighty's Benevolence

2)Hadith al-Ghadir has won the divine concern of Allah, the Dear One, the Sublime, Who inspired to His Messenger, peace be upon him and his progeny, including it in His Qur'an which is recited by Muslims even during the late hours of the night or the early hours of the day, in public and in private, in their supplications and ceremonial prayers, from the top of their pulpits and the heights of their minarets, stating:

"O Messenger! Convey that which has been revealed unto you from your Lord, and if you do not do so, then you have not conveyed His Message at all, and Allah will protect you from (evil) men." (Qur'an, 5:67) 230

When he, peace be upon him and his progeny, conveyed the divine Message (implied in this verse), appointing ‘Ali as the Imam and entrusting him with the caliphate, Allah Almighty revealed the following verse:

"Today have I perfected your religion (Islam) for you, completed my blessing unto you, and accepted Islam as your religion." (Qur'an, 5:3) 231

So, congratulations upon congratulations to ‘Ali; this is Allah's favour; He grants it to whomsoever He pleases. Anyone who looks into these verses will be profoundly impressed by such divine favours.

III Concern of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh)

3) If divine concern is as such, no wonder, then, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, expressed such a profound concern when death approached him, may my life be sacrificed for his sake. It was then that, according to the order which he received from Allah Almighty, he set to announce ‘Ali's wilayat during his supreme pilgrimage, in the presence of so many witnesses, without being satisfied with similar previous announcements such as his warning in Mecca, or on other occasions with some of which you have by now become familiar. He, therefore, invited the believers to participate in his very last pilgrimage, known as the Farewell Pilgrimage. People from far and wide responded to his invitation, and no less than one hundred thousand pilgrims left Medina with him.232

On the standing day at ‘Arafat, he informed the attendants that: "‘Ali is of me, and I am of ‘Ali, and nobody discharges the responsibility [of my religion] on my behalf except I and ‘Ali."233 And when he came back from the pilgrimage and arrived at the valley of Khumm, trusted Gabriel descended upon him with "ayat al-tabligh," verse of conveying the Message, from the Lord of the Worlds.

Immediately thereupon, he alighted there till those who lagged behind him, as well as those who went ahead of him, joined him. When they all assembled, he conducted the obligatory prayers then delivered a sermon about Allah, the Dear and the Omniscient, emphasizing the significance of ‘Ali's wilayat. You have already heard a glittering report of its news, and what you have not heard is even more exact and more explicit; yet what you have heard should suffice you. Its news was carried on behalf of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, by all those masses who were present with him there and then and who are estimated to have been over one hundred thousand pilgrims from various lands.

The order of Allah, the Dear and Sublime, which does not suffer any alteration in His creation, necessitates the consecutive reporting of thishadith in spite of all obstacles in conveying it. Yet the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt (as) follow their own wise methods of disseminating it and publicizing for it.

IV Concern of the Commander of the Faithful

4) Referring to the latter, I suggest that you may consider the measure taken by the Commander of the Faithful (as), then Caliph, in gathering people in the spacious meeting place, the Rahba plain. He then said: "I ask in the Name of Allah each Muslim who heard what the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said on the Ghadir Day to stand and testify to what he heard. Nobody should stand except those who saw the Prophet with their own eyes and heard him with their own ears."

Thirty sahabis, twelve of whom had particiated in the Battle of Badr, stood and testified that the Prophet (pbuh) took ‘Ali by the hand and asked people: "Do you know that I have more authority over the believers than the believers themselves have?" They answered in the affirmative. He, peace be upon him and his progeny, then said: "To whomsoever I have beenmawla , this (‘Ali) is hismawla ; O Lord! Befriend whoever befriends him, and be the enemy of whosoever chooses to be his enemy." You know that accusing thirty sahabis of being liars is rejected by reason; therefore, the achievement of consecutive reporting through their testimony is an irrefutable and undeniable proof.

The samehadith was transmitted from those thirty sahabis by all those crowds who were then present at the Rahba, and who disseminated it after their dispersal throughout the land, thus providing it with extremely wide publicity. Obviously, the Rahba incident took place during the caliphate of the Commander of the Faithful (as) who received the oath of allegiance in the year 35 A.H.

The Ghadir event took place during the Farewell Pilgrimage, 10 A.H. The time period separating the first date from the second is twenty-five years during which many events took place such as a devastating plague, wars, the opening of new countries, and the invasions contemporary to the three righteous caliphs.

This time period, one fourth of a century, merely due to its duration, wars and invasions, in addition to a sweeping and devastating plague, had ended the lives of many of those who had witnessed the Ghadir event, especially the elderly among thesahabah as well as their youths who were eager to meet their Lord through conductingjihad in His way, the Exalted, the Omniscient, and in the way of His Messenger, peace be upon him and his progeny, so much so that their dead outnumbered their survivors.

Some of them were scattered throughout the land, and many of those were not present at the Rahba except those who kept company with the Commander of the Faithful (as) in Iraq, and these were only males.

In spite of all this, thirtysahabah , twelve of whom were participants in the Battle of Badr, had heardhadith al-Ghadir from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny.

There may have been others who hated to testify, such as Anas ibn Malik234 and others who received their due punishment in lieu of the prayers of the Commander of the Faithful to Allah to punish those who hid the truth while knowing it.

Had he been able to gather all sahabis who were alive then, males and females, and address them in the same way which he employed at Rahba, several times that many would have testified; so, what if he had asked people in Hijaz before the passage of such a long time after the incident of the Ghadir? Contemplate upon this fact and you will find it a very strong proof testifying to the consecutive reporting ofhadith al-Ghadir.

The books of tradition should suffice you in their documentation ofhadith al-Ghadir. Take, for example, what Imam Ahmad has quoted on page 370, Vol 4, of hisMusnad from Abul Tufayl who has said: "‘Ali gathered people at the Rahba, then he said to them: ‘I adjure in the name of Allah every Muslim who heard what the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, had said on the Ghadir Day to state his testimony.' Thirty persons stood up."

Abu Na’im has said: "Many stood up and testified how the Prophet (pbuh) took ‘Ali by the hand and asked people: ‘Do you know that I have more authority over the believers than the believers themselves have?' They answered: ‘We do, O Messenger of Allah!' Then he said: ‘To whomsoever I have been amawla , this ‘Ali is hismawla ; O Lord! Befriend whoever befriends him and be the enemy of whoever sets himself as his enemy.'"

Abul-Tufail continues to say: "I left the place dismayed (disgusted with many people's ignorance of this hadith), and I met Zayd ibn Arqam and said to him: ‘I have heard ‘Ali say such and such.' Zayd said: ‘Then do not deny that you have heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, say so about him.'"

Zayd's testimony stated above, and ‘Ali's statement in this regard, may be added to the testimony of the thirty sahabis, thus bringing the number of narrators of thishadith to thirty-two sahabis. Imam Ahmad has recorded ‘Ali'shadith on page 119, Vol. 1, of hisMusnad as transmitted by Abdul-Rahman ibn Abu Layla. The latter says: "I saw ‘Ali at the Rahba abjuring people to testify, emphasizing that only those who had seen and heard the Prophet (pbuh) should stand and testify. Twelve participants in the Battle of Badr, whom I remember so well as if I am looking at them right now, did so."

Abdul-Rahman quotes the latter testifying that they had all heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, asking people on the Ghadir Day: "Do not I have more authority over the believers' lives than they themselves do, and my wives are their mothers?" The audience responded: "Yes, indeed, O Messenger of Allah!"

Then he said, as Abdul-Rahman quotes him, "Then whosoever takes me as hismawla must take ‘Ali as hismawla ; O Mighty Lord! Befriend whoever befriends him and be the enemy of whoever bears animosity towards him!"

Another narration is recorded by imam Ahmad on the same page. It quotes the Prophet (pbuh) saying: "O Lord! Befriend whoever takes him as hiswali and be the enemy of whoever antagonizes him; support whoever supports him, and abandon whoever abandons him." The narrative goes on to state that with the exception of three men, the witnesses stood to testify. ‘Ali invoked Allah to curse those who hid the truth, and his invocation was heeded.

If you add ‘Ali and Zayd ibn Arqam to the afore-mentioned twelve participants in the Battle of Badr, then fourteen is obviously the number of witnesses. By tracing the traditions regarding the Rahba incident, ‘Ali's wisdom becomes manifest in disseminatinghadith al-Ghadir and publicizing for it.

V al-Husain's Concern

5) The Master of Martyrs, Abu Abdullah al-Husain, peace be upon him, has left us a legacy of a very memorable stand which he took during the reign of Mu’awiyah. It was then that truth became manifest. It was similar to the stand taken by ‘Ali at the Rahba.

During the pilgrimage season, al-Husain (as), surrounded by throngs of pilgrims, praised his grandfather, father, mother and brother, and delivered an unprecedented, wise and eloquent speech that captivated his audience and won their hearts and minds. His sermon was inclusive, one wherein he reawakened the masses, traced and researched history, and paid the Ghadir incident its fair and just dues. His great stand, therefore, produced great results, and it became equivalent tohadith al-Ghadir in its fame and wide publicity.

VI Concern of the Nine Imams (as)

6) His nine descendants, all sinless Imams, applied their own methods to publicizing and propagating the same hadith. Their methods reflect their wisdom which is comprehended by by all those who possess sound senses. They used the eighteenth of Thul-Hijjah as a special annual feast to congratulate and congratulate one another, merrily and humbly seeking nearness to Allah, the Exalted, the Mighty, through fasting, prayers and supplications.

They go beyond limits in their deeds of goodness and acts of righteousness, thanking Allah for the blessings which He bestowed upon them on that Day by virtue of the text that nominated the Commander of the Faithful (as) as Caliph, and His divine promise for him to be the Imam. They used to visit their kin, give more generously to their families, visit their brethren, look after their neighbours, and enjoin their followers to do likewise.

VII Shi’as' Concern

7) For this reason, the eighteenth of Thul-Hijjah of every year is celebrated as a feast by the Shi’as of all times and climes.235 It is then that they rush to their mosques to offer obligatory and supererogatory prayers, recite the Glorious Qur'an, and read the most celebrated supplications as a token of thanking Allah Almighty for perfecting His religion and completing His blessings upon them by nominating the Commander of the Faithful (as) as the Imam [in the theological as well as the secular sense].

It is then that they exchange visits and happily wish each other the best, seeking nearness to Allah through righteousnes and goodness, and through pleasing their kin and neighbours. On that day, every year, they visit the mausoleum of the Commander of the Faithful (as), where no less than a hundred thousand pilgrims come from far and wide. There, they worship Allah on that day in the same way their purified Imams used to worship Him: through fasting, prayers, and remembrance of Allah. They seek nearness to Him through acts of righteousness and the payment of sadaqat.

They do not disperse before addressing the sacred shrine with a highly commended address authored by some of their Imams. It includes testifying to the glorious stand taken by the Commander of the Faithful (as), honouring his feats and struggle to lay the foundations of the principles of the faith, his service of the Master of Prophets and Messengers (pbuh), and his virtues and merits, among which was the honour which he had received from the Prophet on the Ghadir Day. This is the custom of the Shi’as every year.

Their orators have always been referring tohadith al-Ghadir, quoting its traditon or even without reference to them, and their poets are accustomed to compose poems in its commemoration in old as well as modern times;236 therefore, there is no way to cast doubts about its being consecutively reported from the sources of Ahl al-Bayt (as) and their Shi’as.

Their motives to memorize it by heart, their efforts to maintain its pristine text, safeguard its authenticity, publicize and disseminate it.., all have indeed resulted in the achievement of their most aspired objectives. Refer to all the four major Shi’a Musnads, as well as other Shi’a references, containing well-documented and supported traditions, and you will find each one of them reverberating with the same meaning, and each tradition supporting the other. Whoever acquaints himself with these traditions will find out that thishadith is mutawatir through their precious sources.

VIII Its Consecutive Reporting Through the Masses

8) There is no doubt about its being consecutively reported through Sunni sources, according to natural laws, as you have come to know;

"Allah's creation suffers no alteration; this is the Right Guidance, but most people do not know." (Qur'an, 30:30)

The author ofAl-Fatawa alHamidiyya , in spite of his stubbornness, admits the consecutive reporting of thishadith in his abridged dissertation titled Al-Salawat al-Fakhira fil Ahadith al-Mutawatira." Al-Sayyuti and other scholars of exegesis all admit the same. Refer to Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari, author of the famous works titled "Tafsir" and "Tarikh,"

Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Sa’id ibn Aqdah, Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn ‘Uthman al-Thahbi, have all written critiques of the sources of this hadith. Each one of them has written an entire book on this subject. Ibn Jarir includes in his own book as many as one hundred and five sources for thishadith alone.237 Al-Thahbi, in spite of his fanaticism, has testified to the truth of many of its sources. In chapter sixteen of Ghayat al-Maram, as many as eightyahadith transmitted by Sunnis testify to the authenticity of the Ghadir hadith.

Yet he did not quote al-Tirmithi, al-Nisai, al-Tabrani, al-Bazzar, Abu Ya’li, or quite a few other reporters who transmit this hadith. Al-Sayyuti quotes thishadith while discussing ‘Ali in his book Tarikh al-Khulafa' transmitted by al-Tirmithi, adding, "Thishadith is also recorded by Ahmad as transmitted by ‘Ali (as), and also by Ayyub al-Ansari, Zayd ibn Arqam, ‘Umar [inb al-Khattab], and Thu Murr. Abu Ya’li quotes it from Abu Hurayrah, al-Tabrani from Ibn ‘Umar and from Ibn Abbas as transmitted by Malik ibn al-Huwayrith, Habshi ibn Janadah, and Jarir, and also by Ammarah and Buraydah."

A proof of the fame of thishadith is evident from the fact that imam Ahmad records it in hisMusnad from Riyah ibn al-Harish as transmitted by two sources. It states that a group of men once came to ‘Ali (as) and said: "Assalamu Alaikum, ourmawla ."

The Imam asked who they were, and they answered him by saying that they were his subjects. The Imam asked them: "How can I be yourmawla , while you are [stranger] bedouin Arabs?" They said: "We have heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, on the Ghadir Day saying: ‘Whoever I have been hismawla , ‘Ali is hismawla .'"

Riyah says that when they left, he followed them and asked them who they were, and that they said to him: "We are a group of the Ansar (Medenite Supporters) in the company of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari." Another proof of its fame is what has been recorded by Abu Ishaq al-Tha’labi while explaining Surat al-Ma’arij in his book Al-Tafsir al-Kabir, relying on two very highly respected sources, and stating the following:

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, ordered people on the Ghadir Day to assemble, then he took ‘Ali's hand and said: "Whoever accepts me as hismawla , ‘Ali is hismawla ." The news of this announcement spread throughout the land, and al-Nu’man al-Fahri came to know about this hadith. Riding his she-camel, he came to meet the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny.

Having alighted, he said the following to the Prophet: "O Muhammad! You ordered us to bear witness that there is no deity except Allah and that you are the Messenger of Allah, and we obeyed; then you ordered us to offer prayers five times a day, and we agreed; then you ordered us to pay zakat, and we agreed; then you ordered us to fast during the month of Ramadan and we agreed; then you ordered us to perform the pilgrimage and we agreed; then, as if all of this is not sufficient, you favoured your cousin to all of us and said ‘Whoever accepts me as hismawla , ‘Ali is hismawla ;' is this one of your own orders, or is it Allah's?"

He, peace be upon him and his progeny, answered: "I swear by the One and only God that this is the command of Allah, the Exalted and omni-Scient;" whereupon al-Harith left heading towards his animal murmuring softly to himself: "O Lord! If what Muhammad (pbuh) says is true, then let it rain stones, or let a severe torment descend upon us."

He hardly reached his animal before Allah caused a stone to cleave his head, penetrate his body and come out of his anus, leaving him dead on the spot. It is in reference to that incident that Allah Almighty revealed the following verse:

"A man who brought a question (to the Prophet) asked for a sure penalty - which cannot be warded off by those who reject the truth - from Allah, Lord of the Ways of Ascent." 238 (Qur'an, 70:1-3)

This is how the tradition, quotedverbatim ,239 concludes. Its authenticity is accepted by many Sunni scholars as a common fact, Wassalam.

Sincerely,

Sh

Letter 57

Muharram 25, 1330

I Interpreting Hadith al­Ghadir

1) Believing in the truthfulness of thesahabah requires interpretinghadith al­Ghadir, whether it is consecutively reported or not. For this reason, Sunnis have claimed that "mawla " bears various meanings all of which have been applied in the Holy Qur'an. It may mean "the deserving," as the Almighty says when He addresses the infidels: "Your resort is the Fire; it is yourmawla ," meaning "You deserve the punishment of the Fire."

Another meaning is "the supporter," as Allah, praised be His Name, says: "It is so because Allah is themawla of those who believe, and the infidels have nomawla ." It also means "the heir," as in the statement of the Almighty: "For each We have assignedmawali [mawlas ] from the inheritance of the parents and the relatives," meaning heirs.

It also means "relatives," as is clearly understood from the following verse of the Dear and Mighty One: "I fear themawali after me," meaning relatives. It also means "friend," as the verse suggests: "On that Day, nomawla will be able to do any good to hismawla ." "Wali" also connotes the person who is most qualified to fare with someone else's affairs, as we may say: "Mr. so and so is thewali of the minor."

It also means "the supporter" and "the loved one." Some have said: "The gist of thehadith could be ‘whoever I have supported, befriended, or loved;' for ‘Ali was as such, and this meaning agrees with the prestige enjoyed by the good ancestors, and with the imamate of the three righteous caliphs, may Allah be pleased with them.

II The Link

2) It is also possible that some people regarded thishadith to refer to ‘Ali simply because one of ‘Ali's companions in Yemen noticed his uncompromising policy in executing the commandments of Allah; therefore, he spoke ill of him; for this reason, the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, did not appreciate their attitude and stood up on the Ghadir Day, praised the Imam and lauded his contributions, attracting the attention to his prestige and defending his name against those who intended to chew it.

The pretext used by such a group of advocates is that in his sermon, the Prophet (pbuh) praised ‘Ali in particular, saying: "Whoever I have been his wali, ‘Ali is his wali," and his Ahl al­Bayt in general, saying: "I am leaving with you the Two Weighty Things: the Book of Allah and my progeny, my Ahl al­Bayt;" so, he simply recommended that they should cherish ‘Ali in particular and his kin in general. They claim that such a statement neither commits Ali to be his successor, nor does it connote imamate for him, Wassalam.

Sincerely,

Letter 58

Muharram 27, 1330

I Hadith al­Ghadir Cannot be Interpreted,

1) Somehow I have the feeling that your heart is not satisfied with what you yourself have stated, and your soul is not thereby pleased! You revere the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and cherish his pristine wisdom, infallibility, conclusive Prophethood, believing that he is the master of the wise, and the seal of the prophets:

"He does not speak of his own inclination; it is but a revealed inspiration; he has been taught by one mighty in power (Qur'an, 53:3-5)."

Suppose a philosopher from another faith asks you about the Ghadir Day saying:

"Why did he (pbuh) stop all those thousands of companions from proceeding, confining them in midday heat in such a sun­baked plain? Why did he make sure to call back whoever advanced, and wait for whoever lagged behind? Why did he camp with them in such a desolate place where neither water nor vegetation was available? Then why did he preach to them about Allah Almighty in that place and enjoined those who were present there to convey, upon dispersing, what they had heard to those who had not, and why did he start with a self­eulogizing sermon, saying: ‘It looks like my Lord's Messenger [angel of death, Isra'il] is about to come to call me [to return to my Lord] and I will respond to the call; I am responsible, and so are you,' and what message was the Prophet (pbuh) enjoined to convey and which the nation was enjoined to heed?

Why did he ask them: ‘Do not you believe that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad (pbuh) is His Servant and Messenger, that His Paradise is just and His Fire is just, that death is just and the life after death is just, that the Hour is undoubtedly approaching, that Allah will bring to life all those who are lying in their graves?' and they responded in the affirmative? Why did he immediately take ‘Ali's hand, lift it till the white hair in his arm­pit became visible, saying: ‘O people! Allah is mymawla , and I am themawla of the believers;' then why did he explain his statement ‘I am themawla of the believers' by asking them: ‘Do not I have more authority over your lives than you yourselves have?'

Then why did he say, having made such an explanation, ‘Whoever has accepted me as hismawla , this (‘Ali) is hismawla ; O Lord! Befriend whosoever befriends him and be the enemy of whosoever antagonizes him; support whosoever supports him and betray whosoever betrays him,' and why did he specifically choose him and pray for him in such a manner which is worthy only of just Imams and truthful successors?

And why did he require them to testify by asking them: ‘Do I not have more authority over you than you yourselves have?' and they answered in the affirmative; then he said: ‘To whomsoever I have been amawla , ‘Ali is hismawla ,' or ‘To whomsoever I have been a wali, ‘Ali is his wali, and why did he link the Qur'an to his progeny, thus making them the examples for the wise to follow till the day of Judgment?

Why so much concern from such a wise Prophet? What was the mission that necessitated all these introductions, and what was the aspired objective from such a memorable stand? What was the message which Allah Almighty ordered him to convey when He said:

‘O Messenger! Convey what has just been revealed unto you from your Lord, and if you do not do so, then you have not conveyed His Message (at all), and Allah will protect you from (evil) men (Qur'an, 5:67),'

and what mission required so much emphasis from Allah Who demanded, in a tone so close to threatening, to be conveyed? What was the affair regarding which the Prophet feared dissension if not conveyed by him, one the announcement of which required a profound protection from Allah against the harm of the hypocrites...?"

I ask you, in the name of your grandfather, if you are asked all these questions, will you answer them by saying that Allah, the omni­Scient, the all­Powerful, simply wanted to explain to the Muslims how ‘Ali had been supporting them, and how friendly he was to them? I do not think that you would give such an answer, and I do not think that you would interpret Allah's words, or the words of the master of the wise, the seal of messengers and prophets, as such.

You are above thinking that he (pbuh) would exhaust his means and resources in explaining something too clear, according to reason and common sense, to require such an explanation. There is no doubt that you look at the actions and statements of the Prophet (pbuh) in a better light, one which is not derided by the discreet, nor criticized by philosophers or sages. There is no doubt that you appreciate the value of his statements and actions and render them to wisdom and infallibility.

Allah the Almighty has said:

"He is a blessed Messenger endowed with strength from the One with the Throne, obeyed, able, and trustworthy; certainly your fellow is not possessed (Qur'an, 81:19-22)."

You are above accusing him of clarifying what is already clear, or expounding upon what is already common knowledge, or bringing unusual introductions for such clarifications, or introductions having no bearing over nor correlation thereto. Allah and His Messenger are above that. You, may Allah support the truth through your person, know that what suits such measures, undertaken in the midday heat of that place, ones that are conducive to his actions and statements on the Ghadir Day, is nothing less than the conveying of the divine Message, and the appointment of his vicegerent.

Logical proofs and rational explanations unequivocally prove that what he intended to do on that day was nothing other than the appointment of ‘Ali as his vicegerent and successor. This hadith, supported by proofs, is an explicit text regarding ‘Ali's caliphate, one which does not even require an interpretation, and there is no way to understand it otherwise. This is quite clear for anyone who is

"... with a sound mind, attentive, and a witness (Qur'an, 50:37)."

II Pretext for its Interpretation is Speculative and Misleading.

2) As regarding the pretext they claim, it is nothing but a speculation and an adulteration. It is the sophistry of confusion and embellishment. The Prophet (pbuh) dispatched ‘Ali to Yemen twice, the first took place in 8 A.H. It was then that scandal­mongers spread rumours about him, and some people complained about him to the Prophet (pbuh) upon their return to Medina. It was then that he resented their complaints,240 and they saw the sparkle of anger on his face; yet they did not refrain from trying again.

The second time took place in 10 A.H. It was then that the Prophet (pbuh) tied a knot on ‘Ali's standard, fixed his head­wear with his own hands, and said: "Proceed, and do not be distracted;" whereupon ‘Ali (as) proceeded to his destination as the divinely guided leader of the rest till he discharged the responsibility entrusted to him by the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny.

Then he participated in the Prophet's Farewell Pilgrimage. It was then that the Prophet welcomed him very warmly and even shared with him his own offering. It was then that no scandal­monger dared to open his mouth, nor did any unfair person charge him with anything; so, how can thishadith be necessitated by the objections of those in the opposition party? Or how could it be only an answer to their charges, as some people claim?

Yet mere antagonism to ‘Ali is not sufficient for the Prophet to pile praises on him in the way which he has done from a pulpit of camel saddles on the Ghadir Day except, Allah forbid, that he risks his own deeds and statements, responsibilities and mission, just to please ‘Ali. His divine wisdom is way above that, for Allah, praised be His Name, says: "It is the saying of a glorious Messenger; it is not the speech of a poet; little do you believe; nor is it the speech of a monk; little do you remember; it is but revelation from the Lord of the Worlds." (69:40-43)

Had he desired to just show ‘Ali's contributions, and to rebut those who bore grudge against him, he (pbuh) would simply have said: "This is my cousin, my son­in­law, the father of my descendants, the master of my household; therefore, do not harm him," or something like this to show mere admission of status and dignity.

But the way thishadith is worded gives no impression other than what we have suggested. It points out rational and deductive proofs. Let the reason be whatever it may be, the statements quite obviously bear explicit meanings which demand no inquiry into their causes.

As regarding his reference to his household inhadith al­Ghadir, it is only to support the same meaning which we have suggested, since he correlated them to the Glorious Book of Allah, setting them as examples for all the wise, saying: "I am leaving with you these which, as long as you adhere to, shall never let you stray: the Book of Allah, and my progeny, my household." He did not do that only so that the nation might realize that it had none to refer to, nor rely upon, after the Prophet, other than both of them.

Suffices you for a testimony regarding the Imams from the Prophet's purified progeny (as) is that they are correlated to Allah's Book which no wrong can approach from front nor from back. Just as it is not possible to refer to any book which differs in its judgment from the Book of Allah, the Praised One, the Sublime, it is not possible likewise to refer to an Imam who opposes in his judgment the Imams from the purified progeny (as).

Consider his statement, peace be upon him and his progeny, "They shall never separate till they join me at the Pool;" it is a proof that the earth shall never be without an Imam from his loins who is equivalent to the Book. Anyone who scrutinizes thishadith will find it restricting the caliphate to the Imams from the purified progeny of the Prophet (pbuh).

This is supported by thehadith reported by Zayd ibn Thabit and quoted by Ahmad in hisMusnad at the beginning of page 122, Vol. 5. It states that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, has said: "I am leaving you with two successors: the Book of Allah, like a rope extending from heavens to earth, and my household, for they both shall never part from each other till they join me at the Pool."

Such a statement is indeed indicative of assigning the caliphate to the Imams from the purified progeny, peace be upon them. You know that the text which emphasizes following the Prophet's progeny implies following ‘Ali's leadership, since ‘Ali, after the Prophet (pbuh), is the undisputed master, and the obeyed Imam of his household. On one hand,hadith al­Ghadir and others like it imply that ‘Ali is the Imam of the Prophet's household whose status, according to Allah and His Messenger, is equal to that of the Holy Qur'an. On the other hand, it gives credit to his own great personality because of which he became thewali of all those whosewali is none other than the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), Wassalam.

Sincerely,

Sh