IN THE NAME OF GOD

() The Messenger of Allah (A.S.) has said: Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) says: The day of Ghadir Khum is the greatest 'Eid of my nation. It is the day on which Allah, the High, ordered me to mention the appointment of my brother, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib as the flag and standard of my nation. People shall be guided by him after me and this is the day in which Allah completed the religion and perfected the bounties upon my nation and on which He was pleased with Islam as their religion.

Mawla Ali (A.S.)

By: Prof. M.S. Tajar

There is a beautiful verse in the Holy Quran, in which Allah (S.W.T.) says: Truly! Truly! Your only Wali (=Mawla/ Master) is Allah and His Messenger (Mohammad), and those who believethose who establish the prayers, and give charity, while they are (still) in prayer. See Holy Quran (5:55) A great number of Muslim scholars have written that the third person (after Allah and His Messenger) who is indicated in that verse to be the Wali of the Muslims, is Imam Ali. In other words, Imam Ali is the Muslim Ummahs Wali or Mawla, as per the directive of Allah (S.W.T.) in the Holy Quran. (Ref. The Musnad of Imam Ahmad Hanbal, Vol.. 5/p. 38; Also p. 331/356, etc.) This important Quranic Message, regarding the hierarchy of the leadership or Wali, in the Islamic Government, was also re-iterated many times, by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) himself. Specifically, on the occasion of Ghadir Khum, when a great celebration took place, in an open field, while the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) and thousands of his followers were returning from the Pilgrimage to Mecca, in the year 10 A.H. (632 A.D.) In that historic gathering, in the desert, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) was ordered by Allah (S.W.T.) through the Archangel Jebrail (A.S.) to announce that important Message to one and
2

all, immediately; and he did so, to all the Muslims, those who were present on that fateful day , as well as to those who were to come, in the future generations. In his own Khutbah to the crowd who were present, the Holy Prophet declared: MAN KONTO MAWLAH , FA HAZA ALIYYON MAWLAH! meaning: To whomever I (the Holy Prophet) was Mawla (= from the word Wali meaning Master) this Ali is Mawla, too. (Ref. Sawa-iq Muhriqa by Ibni Hajar, chapter 11 p.9; also in Sec. 5, chapter 1, p. 25; as well as in Sahih Tirmidi and Al-Mustadrak, Vol.. 2, p.325 and Vol.. 4, p. 281. Also refer to the commentaries of the Holy Quran, regarding the verse 67 of the chapter 5 (Al-Maidah), etc. This was how the Quranic guideline about Wali or Mawla, meaning leader/master/ruler, etc. was explained and emphasized further by the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) in the last year of his life, just a few months before his own death, in the year 10 A.H.(632 A.D.) The Meaning of Mawla No self-respecting Muslim scholar has ever denied or questioned the Declaration of Imam Ali, as Mawla of the Muslim Ummah, in Ghadhir Khum by the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.). Yet, some enemies of Imam Ali (A.S.) have tried, helplessly, to confuse the Muslim Ummah, by saying that in Arabic language, the word Mawla has several other meanings, too; including friend/ neighbor/servant, etc. (Ref. The English-Arabic Dictionary of Al-Mawrid/Beirut, p.562). The answer to this misinformation and misunderstanding is very simple and very clear. If they had listened carefully ,the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) was referring to Mawla as he himself was the Mawla of the Muslim Ummah, therefore, the word Mawla in that context, cannot be any other than the Holy Prophets own Mawla-ship(=leadership) was.
3

Especially, considering the fact that he made this important declaration, in the desert, immediately after that famous Quranic verse in which Allah (S.W.T.) ordered him to do so, with the warning that if he failed to do it, then he had not accomplished Allahs Mission, at all! (Ref. The Holy Quran: Chap. 5, Verse 67) In that fundamental verse of the Holy Quran, Allah (S.W.T.) says, and we quote: O Messenger of God! (Mohammad) declare that which has been sent down to you, from your Lord! And if you dont do it, then you have not accomplished His Mission! Allah will protect you from the (evil) people! ... (H.Q. 5:67) There are lots of interesting points in this verse for us to explore, for which we dont have much of time and space. But, then as they say: To those who believe, there is no need of a proof, and to those who dont, no proof is enough! Now, going back to what actually the word Mawla means in the Arabic language, and what the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) meant, when he said: Man Konto Mawlah. We believe it was the Wilayah or the leadership of the Muslim Ummah, after the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.), not what the Nay Sayers, hypocrites, and the sick of heart have claimed.

Mawla Means Authorized Successor Taking into account that the Holy Prophets declaration came just a few months before his own death; and again considering the fact that the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) had already told his followers that this was going to be his last Haj (= Hajjatul Widaa/or Goodbye Haj meaning to say that he would never be around to perform another Hajj (in another words his last year of life) then saying: To who I was Mawla (=wali) this Ali is his Mawla means exactly the appointment of the successor after him. (Not a neighbor /friend or a servant!).
4

Did Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) Appoint Any Successor? As far as the blessed family of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) or the Ahlul Bayt are concerned, yes, he did! And their followers also throughout the history of Islam, have maintained this faith, dearly, even at the expense of their own lives and property. (See the brutal murder of Shi-ah Muslim, by the Taliban, in Pakistan and Afghanistan, or by the Al-Qaidah in Iraq). But, again, some enemies of Imam Ali (A.S.) have claimed that the Prophet, (P.B.U.H.) died without saying a single word about his own succession. If we accept that argument, then it means that all the four Caliphs (Khulafa Rashidin, or the well guided Khalifahs), who were also some of the greatest companions of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) actually opposed and denied the Sunnah and the tradition of the Holy Prophet; Because, unlike the Holy Prophet, they appointed their own successors after themselves, whithout exception! (Is it possible that the greatest followers and disciples of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) were deviating from his tradition, immediately after his death?) Look at the following instances that took place, after the death of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.): 1. The first Khalifah of the Holy Prophet, i.e. Abu Bakr, did actually appoint his own successor, by naming the second Caliph Omar as the next ruler after him! Yet, some Muslims, claim that the Holy Prophet did not appoint any successor! So, this was a violation of the Sunnah or the tradition of the Holy Prophet. 2. The second Khalifah Omar also appointed a successor after himself, by choosing a council of six people, to name one among themselves,

as the Khalifah of the Prophet. (Again another violation of what the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) did, or actually did not do). 3. Then, the third Khalifah Othman was killed, even before he could appoint anyone, as his own successor, but because he was one of the six members of the council that was established by the second Khalifah Omar, then it means that he also believed in appointing a successor, again another violation of what the Holy Prophet is believed to have not done, at all! 4. The fourth Khalifah among the Khulafa Rashidin or the well guided Khalifs, /the righteous rulers was Imam Ali. He also appointed his eldest son, Imam Hasan, saying that this was actually based on the instructions of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) before his death, when he said: The Emirs after me (the righteous and legitimate successors to the Holy Prophet) shall only be 12, as were the righteous successors to the Prophet Moses (A.S.) among the Israelites, before me. And all the 12 Emirs shall come from the Bani Hashim (i.e. the family of the Holy Prophet). See Yanabi A l-Mawaddah by Qonduzi Al-hanafi, Ch. 77, pp. 308, 533. 5. Then, again Imam Hassan (A.S.) who was also the grandson of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) appointed his own younger brother Imam Hosain (A.S.) as his own successor , just like the Prophet Moses (A.S.) who appointed his own younger brother Haroon (A.S.), in the earlier times. (Ref. The Holy Quran 7:142) Imam Hassan also believed that this was based on the instruction of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.). (see Abaqat Al-Anwar by Mir Hamid Hosain Musawi, p. 980). Another interesting point to ponder here is that the last three Imams that were mentioned above, were also, members of the Holy Ahlul Bayt, or the Household of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) who, according to the belief of all the Muslims, were Purified by Allah from all forms of wrongdoing, as the Glorious Quran declared them to be,
6

in the Ayah 33 of the Surah 33. (Ref: The Glorious Quran by Abdullah Yusuf Ali/p.1116. This tradition of appointing their own successors, continued in the family of the Holy Prophet, generation after generation, and that is what the true followers of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) and his Household still believe, to this day. So, what the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) declared on that hot summer day, in the Ghadir Khum, by appointing Imam Ali (A.S.) the Mawla/Wali of the Muslims, just like he himself was, over the Muslim Ummah, is valid until the last day of life, on this earth. And that is the true meaning of: Ash-hado An-na Aliyyan WaliyyulLah! meaning to say that, being the faithful followers of the Sunnah or the tradition of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) we Muslims also declare Imam Ali (A.S) as our own Mawla/Wali, as the beloved Prophet taught us, in that historic day of Ghadir Khum by saying: Man Konto mawlah, Aliyyon Mawlah.

References: 1) The Holy Quran (with English Explanations, transliterated, by Prof. M.S. Tajar, National Bookstores, Philippines, 2011 3rd edition. 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) Imam Ahmad Hanbal, Al-Musnad, Vol.. 5/ Elmi Books/Lebanon,2002. Shibli Numani, Siratun Nabi, Muarif Press, Azam Gad/1920/pp.165,166, Amir Ali, The Spirit of Islam, Siraj Books, Karachi, Pakistan,1972 Imam Tabarani Al-kabir Darul Ilm Publications/ Damascus/1980/Hadith No.2625 Ali Muttaqi, Kanzul Ummal Egypt, 1938/Vol. 6, p.153,157. Munir Ba-albakki, Al-Maurid English -Arabic Dictionary. Dar Al-Ilm Books/ Beirut/1980-p.562. Elias A. Elias The School Arabic-English Dic. Dar Al-Jil Books, Lebanon,1962/p.454 Mohammad F. Abdul Baqi The Holy Quran Dictionary Darul Kutub Publishers, Cairo, Egypt, 1945

10) Mohammad Bin Isma-il Bukhari Sahih BukhariDarul Kutub, Cairo, 1935. 11) Muslim Bin Hajjaj, Sahih Muslim Darul ilm, Beirut, 1978. 12) Mohammad Tirmidi, Sahih Tirmidi, Darul Kutub, Cairo, 1952 13) Hanbal, Imam Ahmad, Al-Musnad Ilmi Books, Beirut, 1968
14) Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Glorious Quran, with commentary, Libya, 1973.

Edited by: CSD