(Text mostly culled from The Holy Quran transated by S.V. Mir Ahmed Ali with special notes from Ayatullah Agha Haji Mirza Mahdi Pooya Yazdi)
Some of the most authentic declarations of the Holy Prophet are:
Ali is of me and I am of Ali.
Ali is with the Quran and Quran will be with Ali.
Ali is with the Right and the Right will be with Ali.
The Quran and the Ahlebait are the Two inseparable Entities, each perfect in itself reflecting then others. – (left behind among the people by the Holy Prophet for their guidance till the Day of Resurrection, assuring the Muslims of being safe from getting astray, should they stick up to these Two Inseparable Ones.)
Moreover, the Holy Prophet before departing from this world, had openly and repeatedly made the following guiding announcements, for the people to abide by them:
Of whomsoever I am the Lord, This Ali is the Lord. (Hadith-e-Ghadeer-e-Khum)
And finally the Holy Prophet, before his departure, had declared:
I leave behind me amidst you Two Weighty (very important) things, the Book of God (the Holy Quran) and my Ahlebait. Should ye be attached to these two, never shall ye get astray and never shall these Two be separated form one an other until they meet me at the Spring of ‘Kauthar’ (i.e.
The Holy Prophet further announced:
The likeness of my Ahlebait is that of the
People neglected the Ahlebayt and began following their own ways and yet called their own innovated schools as Islam, and themselves the deviators from the prescribed course, as Muslims. Therefore those who faithfully followed the original teachings of the Holy Quran and remained faithfully attached to the course prescribed by the Holy Prophet, had necessarily to distinguish themselves from the others who had discarded the divinely set up guides, the Ahlebaits. Thus, those who followed Ali in the place of the Holy Prophet, called themselves as the Shias of Ali, just to distinguish the Islam-Original which they faithfully followed and identified it as Shiaism.
This was wholly in accordance with the ‘Bait’ or the allegiance taken from the Muslims by the Holy Prophet, for Ali at Ghadeer-e-Khum, while the others disregarded it and paid their allegiance to their own chosen leaders.
(This is a well-accepted and well-documented fact that the Prophet, on the day of Ghadeer-e-Khum, had commanded the Muslims to put their hand on that of Ali and call him Amir-ul-Momineen (Commander of the Faithfuls). Also, it is recorded that Omar b. Khattab, who later became the second Calipf of the Muslims, was the first to congratulate Ali on this nomination.)
Imamat – or Divine Guidance
‘Imamat’ and ‘Khilafat’
It is to be noted that the institution which is now generally called ‘Khilafat’ is not the ‘Khilafat-e-Ilahia’ i.e. the vicegerency of God which is bestowed by God Himself and never could be the choice of mankind. The institution called by man as ‘Khilafat’ is ‘Amarat’, i.e. the political leadership or the rulership of the state instituted by man, is quite different from the one established by the Divine Command through the Holy Prophet.
The one who assumes such an authority, the Muslims have called him the ‘Khilifatul-Muslimeen’, i.e. the Ruler of the Muslims. No such ‘Calipf’ could also be the ‘Kahlifatur-Rasul’, i.e. the Successor to the Holy Prophet, for any one who occupied the throne could never also be the rightful successor to the Holy Prophet, who has to be the ‘Khalifatullah’, i.e., God’s Vicegerent on earth as was the Holy Prophet himself. Otherwise people like Yazid the well-known brute in human frame, the historically acknowledged habitual drunkard and the naturalized libertines and the most licentious free lances like Valid son of Yazid son of Abdul Malik and the others of the Omayyids, and the assassin Calipfs of the Abbasids, will also have to be acknowledged as the vicegerents of God, succeeding the Holy Prophet, which none in the world with common sense would ever agree to do.
The ‘Khilafat-e-Ilahia’ was the Apostleship and after the conclusion of the apostleship with the Holy Prophet Mohammad, it was conveyed to Imamat, the divinely inspired heavenly guidance through the godly ones purified by God Himself, who were born pure, who lived pure and who surrendered themselves in the way of the Lord in all purity, which historic fact is unanimously acknowledged by the Muslim world as a whole.
Islam demands faith in these Holy Imams as in the apostleship of God, as the All-Truthful, Holy and infallible guides divinely commissioned for the preservation of the verbal form and the true meanings, both external and internal, of the Holy Quran. The Final World of God, as its authentic custodians and the divinely inspired interpreters and the correct models of godly life on earth to be copied by their devotees.
The series of Imamat starts with Ali s/o Abi Taleb and ends with Mohammad s/o Hasan al-Mahdi the Last and the Living Imam of the Age.
The Distinguishing and the Distinctive Qualities of an Imam
It must be remembered that ‘Imamat’ which is ‘Khilafat-e-Ilahia’ is not a man-made institution like the ‘Caliphate’, which was started by man and annihilated by man himself, nor is the position of an ‘Imam’ like that of a ‘Calipf’, who was once appointed at the choice of a few, once by nomination and once by arbitration and later became hereditary in dynasty until it was snatched away by another lineage and ultimately distributed to be held by several at one and the same time, on a territorial basis in Spain, Egypt, Turkey, Baghdad, etc. ‘Imamat’ is the institution inaugurated by God Himself for the guidance of man and conferred upon His Own chosen one among His apostles like Abraham, even that after Abraham’s proving himself worthy of it, by passing through a test. The following verse of the Holy Quran declares the actual position of ‘Imamat’ and the ‘Imam’:
And remember when his Lord tried Abraham with certain words then he fulfilled them; He said, ‘Verily I make thee an Imam for mankind;’ (Abraham) said ‘And of my off spring. He said: ‘My covenant reacheth not the unjust. (2:124)
The above verse of the Holy Quran declares the following points about ‘Imamat’, i.e., God’s appointed leadership of mankind.
1. ‘Imamat’ is such an important post that it is not conferred upon even great prophets like Abraham, without passing a special test, effected by God Himself.
2. God Himself confers the Designation and none else.
3. That ‘Imamat’ is a Covenant between God and the tested one of His own chosen ones.
4. It is not promised indefinitely to go to an one and every one in the offsprings of even the chosen ones like Abraham who has passed the test and already declared an ‘Imam’ i.e. it is not unconditionally hereditary.
5. ‘Imamat’ will never be conferred upon the Unjust and the greatest injustice according to the Holy Quran is ‘Shirk’ i.e. Polytheism, which clearly means that one who has been once polluted with ‘Shirk’, i.e., been a polytheist, can never hold this post i.e., can never be an ‘Imam’, i.e., a divinely commissioned leader of mankind.
And when said Luqman unto his son, while he was exhorting unto him: ‘O’ my son! Associate not aught with God for verily associating (aught) with God is the greatest iniquity.’ (31:13)
The Imamat conferred upon Abraham continued in his seed among those who were pure physically and spiritually and it reached the Holy Prophet. With the conclusion of the Apostleship with the Holy Prophet Mohammad, the Imamat continued in the Holy ‘Ahlebait’ who have been declared by God to have been purified by Himself:
Verily, verily God intendeth but to keep off from you (every kind of) uncleanness O’ ye the People of the House, and purify you (with) a thorough purification. (33:33)
Under the command from God the Holy Prophet on almost the eve of his departure from this world, while returning from the Last ‘Haj’ or the Pilgrimage, appointed Ali s/o Abi Taleb as the Lord, Guardian, Master, the Imam and the Amir of the people in his own place. And at the appointment of Ali as the Lord of the people in the place of the Holy Prophet, God named the religion as ‘Islam’ and ordained it to be His Own prescribed religion for mankind.
The following are the verses of the Holy Quran concerning this event:
The Command of God at which the Holy Prophet appointed Ali as the Lord of the Muslims, in his own place:
(O’ Our Apostle Mohammad!) Deliver thou what hath been sent down unto Thee from Thy Lord: and if thou dost it not, then (it will be as if) Thou hast not delivered His message (at all); and surely, will God protect thee from (the mischief) of men; Verily, God guideth not an infidel people. (5:67)
We have to keep in mind the following points. Why is this being said towards the end of Prophet’s time? What is it that the God wishes to deliver which is so important that He says that if the Prophet does not deliver, it would be akin to delivering nothing at all? What was delivered as a consequence?
Another major point is why this injunction to deliver is put later (5:67) than the verse that was revealed when the Prophet delivered what was intended (5:3).
History reports all the details how the Holy Prophet stopped the caravan, delivered a long sermon on an improvised pulpit and before the mammoth assembly of the thousands of the Hajies called Ali on the pulpit and raising him with the miraculous strength of this apostolic arms declared Ali as the ‘Maula’ or the Lord of the Muslims as he the Holy Prophet himself was to them. Immediately as this ceremonial installation of the Imam or the divinely commissioned Guide of mankind in the place of the Holy Prophet, was done, the following verse was revealed naming the religion as ‘Islam’ and declaring it as God’s Own prescribed religion for mankind:
This day have I perfected for you, your religion, and have completed My favour on you, and chosen for you Islam (to be) the Religion; (5:3)
Muslims are invited to search the background of this verse. What happened on ‘this day’, as a consequence of which religion Islam got perfected? Who was declared as the Maula (Lord) among a huge gathering on this day?
See this in the light of the Quranic verse, as per which the word of the Holy Prophet is final.
And it is not for a believer man or woman to have an choice in their affair when God and His Apostle have decided a matter; and whoever disobeyed God and His Apostle, indeed he hath strayed off a manifest straying. (33:36)
Also, there is one precedence in Quran where the Leader (Imam) was appointed by God. The following verse even suggests that God keeps appointing leaders (Imams) from amongst men.
Verily God has chosen him (last) in preference to you and has increaseth him abundantly in knowledge and physique and God granteth His Kingdom to whosoever he pleaseth, and God is Ample Giving, All Knowing. (2:247)
We invite you to note that abundant knowledge and physique are the parameters chosen by God for granting His Kingdom. Search the entire history of Islam and you will find that the Gate of the City of
Immediately as the Holy Prophet came down the pulpit, he commanded every one to pay ‘Bait’ or homage to Ali and to address him thereafter as ‘Amirul-Momineen’, i.e., the Commander of the Faithful. Under this injunction of God received through the Holy Prophet the true Muslims have been found to follow only Ali as their Imam or the Guide in the place of the Holy Prophet and none else and accordingly the Shias follow Ali and identify themselves with the title as the Shias of Ali, i.e., the followers of the Imam appointed by the Holy Prophet, just to distinguish themselves from those who have deviated from the course ordained by God through His Prophet.
According to the restrictions divinely laid on Imamat under verse 2:124 quoted above the following are the essential qualities for Imamat.
1. He must be of the same purity physical and spiritual as possessed by the Holy Prophet. Otherwise an impure cannot rightfully succeed the pure one.
About Ali the Holy Prophet had declared:
I and Ali are of the same Divine Light (noor).
And Ali had never worshipped any one besides God, as had done the Holy Prophet whereas all the others were once polytheists, i.e., idol worshippers.
2. He must possess the same store of knowledge as did the Holy Prophet. About Ali alone the Holy Prophet had declared:
I am the City of
O’ Ali! Thy flesh is my flesh, thy blood is my blood, thou heareth what I hear and thou seest what I see save that there is no apostle after me.
3. He must be as truthful as was The Holy Prophet. The greatest falsehood is polytheism and that was far away from Ali, whereas all the others were once polytheists. The Holy Prophet had declared that Truth shall always be with Ali and Ali will always be with Truth.
4. He must be brave and courageous, as was the Holy Prophet to face any situation that may arise. The Islamic World knows that it was Ali and none else who was titled as Asadullah the ever victorious Lion of God and a heavenly voice had announced at Ali’s valour that there is no youth but Ali and there is no sword but his sword the ‘Zulfiqar’. ‘La fata illa Ali’ ‘La saif illa Zulfiqar’. Ali’s bravery is unchallengeable and universally accepted on all hands, even by his antagonists. History records that it was Ali’s bravery and valour that saved Islam and the Muslims on more than one occasion when the companions of the Holy Prophet, even the most prominent of them, had fled away from the field, deserting the Holy Prophet in the thick of the battle, practically in the valley of death. It was Ali who knew not what fear was, save the fear of God.
5. He must always be as just and impartial as was the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet had declared Aqza Kom Ali ibne Abi Talib - ‘The Most just among you is Ali’. Al-Haqqo Ma’at Ali wa Aliyyun ma’al Haq – ‘Truth will always be with Ali and Ali will always be with the Truth.’ There is the famous well-known declaration of the Holy Prophet about Ali’s position and relationship to him saying:
O Ali! Thou art to me as Aaron was to Moses.
Guidance to choice of an Imam
Though man has been put into the field of a continued test but the All-merciful Lord while subjecting man to the test, has also placed at man’s disposal the necessary guiding factors to enable him to get through it successfully, if he chooses to avail of the merciful opportunities and chances.
The supreme power and the ruling authority vested in the office of an apostle and a divinely chosen Imam, has tempted many an imposter to claim the heavenly office for himself. Practically in every age have arisen several false prophets and false Imams. God, of His infinite mercy, has cautioned man against such dangerous and grossly misleading elements among mankind, through very eloquent declarations in the Holy Quran announcing the definite qualities of His own commissioned Guide or Imam. The following two verses are more than sufficient to any one with common sense, who sincerely desires to be guided a right in choosing or identifying the correct guide for himself:
Say thou (O’ Our Apostle Mohammad) ‘Of your associates is there any one who can guide unto truth?’ Say thou! ‘It is God alone Who guideth unto truth; Is then He Who guideth unto truth more worthy to be followed or he who himself goeth not aright unless he is guided?’ What then hath befallen you? How (ill) ye judge? (10:35)
What! Is he who goeth along groveling on his face, better guided or he who walketh upright upon the straight path? (67:22)
The qualities of a true Imam mentioned in both the above verses are clearly manifest in the personalities of all the Holy Imams who were never educated under any one save by divine native endowment in them inherited from the Holy Prophet Mohammad who was inspired directly by God and through the Messenger Angel and by none else and yet each one of them was the fountainhead of knowledge and guidance for mankind and this is a factor of history acknowledged by those correctly aware of these chosen holy ones of the Lord.
The beginning and the end of the Caliphate
The divinely instituted system of the godly guidance of Imamat should not be confused with the movement started with political exigencies for the secular power and authority called the ‘Caliphate’ which was started by man and ended by man himself. It looks as if the Caliphate was a play or a game which some children started, played with it for some time and themselves got tired of it and themselves ended it. Or it can be said that the Caliphate was a toy which looked to be very attractive to some children who aspired to own it, quarreled and even fought for it, got it, and broke it into bits and ultimately the bits were thrown away, one after another until the toy altogether disappeared.
The start of the Caliphate
The Holy Prophet had not even breathed his last, the people who only waited for his departure from this world to gain hold over the vast Muslim Empire, quarreled among themselves as to who should hold the Authority-Supreme, the Mohajirs, (i.e. those who had migrated from Makkah to Medina) or the ‘Ansars’ (the helpers (i.e. the Medinites) who gave the Mohajirs, the emigrants, the asylum. The people deserted the Holy Prophet, in his death-bed and assembled at a place called the ‘Saqeefa-e-Bani Sa’ada.’
We put the question to you! Where would you like to be if you have a chance to be by your Prophet’s side at the time when he is about to depart for his final journey? Look in the pages of history to find where were some of the most prominent Muslims of the time when Prophet was dying.
At Saqeefa, the contest between the Mohajirs and the Ansars started and at a stage a reconciliatory proposal was made that there should be an ‘Amir’ or the ruler from each of the groups but ultimately Omar s/o Khattab enforced his own personal decision, as his veto and holding the hand of Abu-Bakr declared him as the Amir or the Caliph, and paid his ‘Bait’ or allegiance to him. Here an intelligent student of the Islamic History, particularly a true Muslim, will naturally ask what happened to the ‘Amir’ appointed by the Holy Prophet at Ghadeer-e-Khum, and what happened to Omar’s paying his allegiance to him, (i.e., Ali ibne Abi Talib) as the one who was first to do it, congratulating Ali on his appointment? Why did not Omar with the command over the affairs he had on the occasion, to get his personal decision supercede all the other proposals, declare that there is the decision of the Prophet of God about the appointment of the Amir in his own place and the decision of the Holy Prophet shall stand and going against it is ‘kufr’ infidelity. However, it was not done, and Abu-Bakr was declared the Caliph.
Any student of political science, will never call the appointment in the manner it was made, as a democratic appointment or as the decision of the people as a whole, for those few gathered at the Saqeefa, were not all of the Muslims, even of
It is a historic fact that most of the people, and not all assembled in the Saqeefa, willingly or reluctantly agreed to the appointment made by Omar and the Hashimites who remained with the Holy Prophet’s family and the group of the Ansars who supported their Chief Sa’d s/o Abi Waqqas, did not accept it up to the end of the life of their Chief, and did not swear allegiance to Abu-Bakr as the Caliph or the ‘Amir’.
Abu Bakr, a few hours before his death, appointed Omar as the Caliph, thus the principle of the so-called democratic appointment of the Calipf, at the decision of the people, was arbitrarily given up. Our question here is that if Abu-Bakr’s arbitrary decision was to be accepted, why not accept the decision of Prophet himself, an act which has endorsement in the Quran itself.
Omar before his death adopted a new device and appointed a committee of six persons to decide among themselves as to who should be the Caliph after him. Even in formulating the committee, Omar did not implement his knowledge about the actual position of Ali about who, he knew the Holy Prophet had repeatedly declared as:
Thy flesh is my flesh and thy blood is my blood, thou hearest what I hear and thou seest what I see save that there is no apostle after me.
And had also declared:
I and Ali are of one and the same Divine Light (noor).
Though Omar knew that there was no question of appointment besides that of Ali as the Amir, which was declared by the Holy Prophet at Ghadeer-e-Khum, and Omar himself was the first to congratulate Ali, paying him his allegiance. However, the committee of the following was nominated by Omar and even then the veto was not given to Ali but to Abdur Rahman s/oAuf:
(1) Ali, (2) Zubair, (3) Talha, (4) Abdur Rahman s/o Auf, (5) Othman, and (6) Sa’d s/o Waqqas.
Abdur Rahman laid down an unwarranted condition of his own that the successor to Omar should abide by the tradition laid down by the previous Caliphs, besides the Holy Quran. The offer was made to Ali. Anybody who aspired for the supreme authority of the State, would have readily accepted the condition to act or not according to the terms, later on. But Ali who detested the worldly glory, could never accept it when it included the acceptance of new authority set up parallel to the Word of God and the Tradition of Holy Prophet. Ali said he would rule the State by the Word of God as explained by the word of the Holy Prophet and if any of the traditions of the former Caliphs were opposed to these two authorities they would naturally be unworthy to follow. Abdur Rahman insisted upon his own innovated condition and Ali rejected the offer which was diametrically opposed to the Spirit of Islam. Othman accepted the condition and Abdur Rahman appointed Othman as the Caliph. The device is quite evident that the condition was intentionally innovated for the people and particularly Abdur Rahman knew the loyalty of Ali to the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet; with which Ali would never accept anything in the world which is opposed to even any one of these two. At the appointment of Othman, the entire Muslim world viz.
After Othman’s death, whole multitude of the Muslims, approached Ali to handle the affairs as the Caliph. Although the approach was unanimous from the people and was pressing on him to accept the Caliphate, Ali bluntly refused and ultimately when it became unavoidable and also expedient that the chaos in the public life should be halted and Peace and Order be restored, Ali accepted the Caliphate declaring openly in Mosque of the Holy Prophet, fully packed by the people, that he would be guided only by the Word of God and the tradition of the Holy Prophet and nothing else. Thus at the unanimous persistent imploration of the people consisting of the representatives of the various units of the
The
Hasan, the eldest son of Ali and Fatima, the First grandson of the Holy Prophet, remained a Caliph only for six months and when Muawiya’s intrigues, conspiracies and mischief, began hurting the general interest of the poor people, particularly of those faithfully attached to the family of the Holy Prophet and more particularly those pious ones who called themselves the Shias of Ali, i.e., followers of Ali, Hasan in the interest of the public peace and safety, concluded a Truce with Muawiya with the following conditions:
(1) That Muawiya would follow the Holy Quran and the tradition of the Holy Prophet in word and action.
(2) That Muawiya would stop abusing Ali, which he had enforced even from the pulpits in the Mosques.
(3) That Muawiya would give protection of life, property and honour of the Shias, i.e., the devotees of Ali.
(4) That Muawiya would not appoint any one as his successor to the throne.
Thus Imam Hasan relinquished the Caliphate and Muawiya became the Caliph but violated the terms of the truce and the same treachery and tyranny continued and converted the Caliphate into Kingship, i.e., a Hereditary Monarchy. Thus the rule called the Caliphate, virtually ended and in its place started the despotic hereditary kingdom.
The Caliphate or the rulership ran in the following order:
(1) Abu-Bakr who ruled for 2 years 4 months
(2) Omar who ruled for 10 years 6 months
(3) Othman who ruled for 11 years 11 months
(4) Ali who ruled for 4 years 9 months
(5) Hasan who ruled for 6 months
————————————————
about 30 years in all.
Calculating the exact dates of the months of the start and the end of the Caliphate and the Prophet had already prophesied the start and the end of this institution.
The Holy Imam Hasan, after relinquishing the Caliphate retired into seclusion, having nothing at all to do with politics or any of the political leaders and yet he was black-mailed through all sorts of degrading fabrications against him and was ultimately martyred through poison, and even his body was not allowed to be buried besides his Grandfather, the Holy Prophet. As his funeral proceeded, arrows were shot at the coffin and some of the arrows had even entered the coffin and some were stuck in the holy body of the poisoned Imam. Hasan was ultimately forced to be buried in the public cemetery of the ‘Jannatul Baqi’.
However, the Omayyad rule commenced from Muawiyah and Muawiyah against the Truce, appointed Yazid who was an acknowledged brute in human frame, who enacted the wholesale massacre of the Holy Imam Husain, hiskith and kin, and his godly comrades at
The Omayyid rule continued about Marwan II (133 A.H.).To know about the manners and conduct of the Omayyad rulers who called themselves the successors of the Holy Prophet, a reference to the detailed work by Hitti the well-known historian who has given a detailed version of the Muslim rule, with the documentary evidence, will suffice.
Who were the Holy Ahlebaits?
The Holy Prophet had repeatedly pointed out as to who his Ahlebaits are. Repeatedly did the Holy Prophet mysteriously collect:
(1) his Vicegerent Ali s/o Abi Taleb
(2) his daughter Fatima Zehra
(3) his first grandson Hasan, and
(4) his second grandson, Husain
and prayed to God saying,
O’ Lord! These are my Ahlebait.
And once when, on such an occasion, The Holy Prophet’s wife Umme Salema desired to join the group of the holy ones, the Holy Prophet told her that, that was not the place for her though she was, on the right path and once when on a similar occasion his wife Ayesha similarly desired, she was denied the unique privilege. Ommol Mo’mineen Ayesha herself reports the event.
Again when the Holy Prophet had invited the Christians of Najran who were not amenable to reasoning, to a spiritual contest, to prove the truthfulness of Islam against Christianity under the following command from God:
And unto him who disputeth with thee therein after the knowledge hath come unto thee, Say! (O’ Our Apostle Mohammad!) (Unto them) ‘Come ye, let us summon our sons, and (ye summon) your sons, and (we summon) our women and (ye) your women, and (we summon) our selves and (ye) your selves and then let us invoke and lay the curse of God on the liars! (Quran:3:60)
It is the unanimous report of all historians that on that memorable occasion of proving the truthfulness of Islam against the contesting Christian world, the Holy Prophet appeared in the field with Husain who was then only a baby, in his lap, Hasan held by his hand, followed by his daughter Fatima the Lady of Light and behind her, her husband Ali s/o Abi Taleb, his son-in-law and cousin brother. Standing in the open field with the multitude of the Muslims and the Christians surrounding him, turning his face towards heaven declared:
Lord! These are my Ahlebait.
Why the love of the Ahlebait made incumbent
The Ahlebait are the beings purified by God Himself and those purified by the Lord are naturally infallible ones (i.e. the Masoom), who never committed even a minor sin or fault in their life. God Himself declares for the information and the guidance of mankind that He has Himself purified them to the limits of purity:
Verily, verily God intendeth but to keep off from you (ever kind of) uncleanness O’ ye the Ahlebait (the people of the House), and purify you (with) a thorough purification. (Quran: 33:33)
The Ahlebait are the godly ones of the family of the Holy Prophet whom the Muslim world as a whole unanimously acknowledges as the pure personalities and holds them as the infallible holy ones purified by God Himself. In their love of the divinely purified ones, the devotees, will naturally be inclined to purity and their self purification.
It is extremely unfortunate that while the Ahlebait find special reference in Quran as well, thereby signifying their place and position in the eyes of God, some sections of Muslims attributed the countless incidents where the Holy Prophet went out of the way to show his love or regard for the Ahlebait, as his extreme love for the members of his family. This has been done when there are proofs that are available that the Prophet does not speak but with the Will of God.
Fact is that there are such a long number of such incidents that have found place in the books of history that it was not possible for these Muslims to deny them. The only option left for them was to portray the Prophet himself as human, very much similar to them, with no divinity except for being the chosen one, on whom Gabriel came with the revelations.
In their attempt to do so, they also negate all the narrations related to the Holy Prophet’s divine status and even those narrations that talk of the noor (light). Why wouldn’t have they done so when one such narration also talks of Ali as part of the noor?
Also, there is no denying the fact that right from the announcement of Prophethood till the last breath of the Holy Prophet, Ali was at his side all the time. Why is it then that traditions narrated by Ali are not given importance and those like Abu Huraira, who was just a small child when the Prophet died, narrates a great portion of traditions that have been included in Sahih Bukhari? Even if Ali was not there, there was Hasan and then Husain, who surely had spent far more time in the company of the Holy Prophet than Abu Huraira. Can those who vouch for Sahih Bukhari as the most authenticated of all books related to traditions given an answer? Fact is that Bukhari’s book is the most unreliable one as it even failed to include the incident of Mubahila, where the Prophet openly pronounced Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain as his Ahlebait and which incident serves as a background to at least one verse of Quran.
There are hundreds of incidents from the life of the Holy Prophet, recorded in history, highlighting the true position of the Ahlebait. Why is it that Bukhari could find only a handful of them to be listed in his collection?
In spite of this, the six books held as authentic by the Sunnis (the Siha-e-Sittah) still hold enough material for a man of wisdom to conclude that the Ahlebait truly inherited the legacy of the Holy Prophet.
What Happened at Ghadeer-e-Khum?
Verse 5:67 of the Quran states:
(O’ Our Apostle Mohammad!) Deliver thou what hath been sent down unto thee from Thy Lord; and if thou dost it not, then (it will be as if) thou hast not delivered His message (at all); and surely will God protect thee from (the mischief) of men; Verily, God guideth not an infidel people.
This verse occupies a very important and a leading position in the Holy Quran and forms a very vital part of the Word of God. When the huge caravan of several thousands of the pilgrims along with the Holy Prophet was on its march, returning from Makkah after the ‘Hajjatul-Wida’ and the Caravan was at the place called ‘Ghadeer-e-e-Khum’, this verse was revealed to the Holy Prophet. Immediately on the receipt of the revelation, the Holy Prophet ordered halt to the marching Caravan and called back those who had gone ahead and waited for those who were coming behind. When all the pilgrims had gathered, the Holy Prophet ordered a pulpit of the ‘Kajawas’ (the seats used at the back of the camels) to be prepared. The Holy Prophet mounting the pulpit delivered a long sermon of his parting advice to the people, and demanding acknowledgement form one and all of the huge audience, of his services towards the fulfillment of his mission as the Apostle of God, He asked if he had conveyed to them the Commands of God about the faith and its practice enumerating them one after another. The gathering in one voice replied to each question saying ‘Yes’ (O’ Apostle of God we do acknowledge that thou hast conveyed the commands of the Lord to us). At last he asked ‘Alasto Aulo bil Momineen min anfosihim? (33:6) i.e., Am I not superior or the Master to the believers more than their own selves?
The huge crowd in one voice shouted ‘Certainly O’ Apostle of God!’ Again he asked ‘Alasto Aula Kulle Momineen min Anfusehim’ i.e., Am I not superior (or Master) to every faithful one than his self? Every one of the huge gathering shouted ‘Certainly O’ Apostle of God!’ Then the Holy Prophet called Ali son of Abu Taleb to mount the pulpit and raised him with the miraculous strength of his apostolic hands so much that the whole gathering could see the white under his armpit and declared:
‘Mau kunto Maulaho fahaza Aliyun Maulahu’
To whosoever I am the Maula (the Lord – the Master) this Ali is his Maula (the Lord – the Master).
Having said this he prayed:
Allahomma Waa’le man Waa’lahu’
Aade man aadahu
Wansorman nasarahu
Wakhzul man Khuzalahu
O’ God! Be Thou a friend to him who is a friend to him (Ali). (Be Thou) an enemy to him who is enemy to him (i.e. Ali). Help the one who helps him (i.e. Ali). Forsake the one who forsaketh him (i.e. Ali).
As the Holy Prophet completed this declaration the Verse 5:3 was revealed:
This day have I perfected your religion for you and have completed my bounties on you and am pleased your religion to be Islam. (5:3)
[See how the two verses 5:67 and 5:3 that were revealed on the same day have been placed so far apart. Whether it was down with malafide intentions or not by later day Muslims is not certain. What is known clearly is that the verse that was revealed later has come towards the beginning (5:3) and the verse which was revealed a few minutes earlier has came after a gap of 63 verses in Quran (5:67) and the intervening verses were not revealed at Ghadeer-e-Khum at all. Why is that some commentators do not talk of the background of these verses, when and under what circumstances were they revealed?]
Descending from the pulpit, the Holy Prophet commanded everyone of the huge gathering to pay his ‘Baiyat’ or homage or allegiance to Ali. The first one to pay the baiyat was Omar ibne Khattab (who later became the 2nd Khalif) saying:
“Bakhkhin Bakhkhin laka yabna Abi Taleb, Asbahta Maulaee wa Maula Kulle Momineen wa mominatin.”
Hurrah, Hurrah, O’ Son of Abu Taleb thou hast now become my Maula (Master) and the Maula (Master) of every faithful man and faithful woman – (Ghuzzali, Sirrul-Alameen).
Hearing the words with which Omar felicitated Ali, the Holy Prophet commanded Omar not to address Ali as son of Abu Taleb but as ‘Amirul-Momineen’, i.e., the Commander of the Faithful. Every one paid his baiyat and the Holy Prophet commanded every one in the audience to receive ‘baiyat’ for Ali as the ‘Amirul-Momineen’ in their own places on their return from the ‘Haj’.
Like his other titles, viz. ‘Asadullah’ – the Lion of God’, ‘Abu Turab’ – the Father of the Earth, ‘Akho Rasullah’ – The Brother of the Apostle of God, etc., the title of ‘Amirul-Momineen also was bestowed upon Ali exclusively for him by the Holy Prophet himself for none else held any of the titles during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet, particularly the title ‘Amirul-Momineen’.
As to the revelation of this verse and the action taken by the Holy Prophet at Ghadeer-e-Khum it will be unnecessarily swelling of the note on this verse to give the whole list of the great traditionists, historians, the scholars and the divines who have related this event with its true significance. The number of such authorities is innumerable. One of the most famous and the celebrated historians has collected them in a book called ‘Kitabul Vilayat’ about which the great critic Zahabi remarks that when he looked at the book, he was thunder-struck at the number of the authentic sources through which the author has brought the event to be recorded. ‘Ibne-Uqda’ has written a book named ‘Hadithul-Wilayat’, entirely devoted to this event, in which he cites the authorities of no less than 120 ‘Sahabas’ (companions of the Holy Prophet) giving the names of 101 Sahabas. Of the long list of the named Sahabas, only a few who are well-known ones, is given here: (1) Abu Bakr, (2) Omar, (3) Othman, (4) Talha, (5) Zubair, (6) Abdur Rahman bin Auf, (7) Salman, (8) Saad, (9) Khazimah, (10) Abu Ayyub, (11) Sahl-ibn Hunaif, (12) Zaid ibne Sabit, (13) Hassein ibne Sabit, (14) Abul Tufail, etc. Readers interested in knowing further about the authenticity of this report may refer to the two gigantic volumes of the celebrated work ‘Abaqatul-Anwar’. As a matter of fact, there is not a single event of the Islamic history nor even of any other Quranic verses which has earned so much of unanimous, universal, unquestionable and doubtless attention from such great authorities in such a huge manner.
The event was so much known to every one during the time of the Holy Prophet and so many of the great personalities have witnessed and vouched it that none could ever venture to deny, excepting that some with vested interest have only attempted to misinterpret the meaning of the word ‘Maula’ to mean an ordinary friend but a Persian poet has given an apt reply to such perverted interpretation saying:
Abbas dar mana-e-mankomto Maula Meeravi harsoo
Ali Maula ba-on ma’na ke paighambar bowad Maula
In vain, for the interpretation of the expression of whomsoever can the Maula dost thou run in every direction, Ali is Maula in the very same sense as the Holy Prophet himself was.
The very word and the construction of the verse is sufficiently eloquent about the actual meaning and the object of the revelation.
‘Ma’ Onzila ilaik’ – that which has already been sent down to thee (O’ Our Apostle) – It clearly indicates that that which the Holy Prophet had then been commanded by God to convey, had already been communicated to him and it had not been conveyed to the people.
The Holy Prophet had already preached the Unity of God.
All the Divine attributes had also been preached.
The faith in all the previous apostles of God and in the Holy Prophet himself being the last of God’s Apostles had also been established.
The faith in the Last Day i.e., the Day of Resurrection for the Final Judgment had also been preached.
This was all about the fundamentals of the theoretical side of the religion, Islam. As regards to the practical side of the faith –
‘Salat’ or the prescribed prayer had already been taught and it was being regularly offered.
‘Saum’, i.e. fasting was being done.
‘Haj’, i.e. pilgrimage to Ka’aba; that was being done and the multitude was returning only after performing it.
‘Zakat’, i.e., the prescribed poor-rate was being paid and daily collected.
‘Khums’, i.e., the 1/5th of the net gain was being duly paid and collected.
‘Jehad’, i.e. the Fight for the cause of God was already being done whenever the believers were called to do it.
‘Amar bin Maaroof’, i.e., Enjoining of good and ‘Nahya anil munkar’, i.e., the preaching of abstinence from evil, was being done. There was nothing of the fundamentals of the doctrines of the faith or its practice was left unconveyed to the people.
The succeeding words raise the importance of the object of the revelation to the climax.
Wa in lam taf’al fama ballaghta risalateh
[and if thou doeth it not, then thou hast not discharged His apostleship at all.]
which means that which the Holy Prophet was now under this revelation commanded to convey, was the life and soul or the chief object of his apostleship on the discharge of which duty, depended the fulfillment of the object of his apostleship. The concluding words of the revelation reveal the cause of the Holy Prophet having deferred the conveyance of that which had already been sent down to him ‘Wallaho Ya’simuka Minan-nas’ – verily will God save thee (O’ Our Apostle Mohammad) form the mischief of the people.
This assurance from God to His apostle, against the mischief of the people makes the whole situation quite clear that the Holy Prophet had received something very important to be conveyed but it was something in his own knowledge which would have never been relished or even accepted by a certain group of some mischief-mongers, the hypocrites, who were powerful elements for it would have frustrated all their hopes in their plans for the future (i.e., after the departure of the Holy Prophet). The Holy Prophet apprehending some great flare-up and awaiting some suitable opportunity to discharge the duty in a safer way had deferred the action as the revelation already received would have demanded any immediate action then and there as it has now imperatively demanded. But the matter was of such an important and vital one that without it, the faith was not a faith complete and all that the Holy Prophet had done for it would have been of no effect or of any avail at all for humanity. And what the Holy Prophet did immediately on the receipt of this revelation must be the object of this revelation and that alone would by all reasoning be the matter upon which depended the fulfillment of the mission of the Holy Prophet.
Immediately as this revelation was revealed, the Holy Prophet halted the whole caravan. Certainly this speaks very eloquently clarifying the position, the value and the greatness of the significance of the object of the revelation. Most of the people had joined the ranks of Islam (the hypocrites) with plans of their own to be executed after departure of the Holy Prophet form this world and by the conveyance of that which has already received, they would have certainly deserted him and everything which he had done would have gone along with him and again the disbelief of the heathenism would have gained its original sway over the minds of the people. It is quite obvious that it was also the divine plan to make conveyance imperative on such an occasion.
Without the appointment of some with divine qualities in the place of the Holy Prophet the security of the Final Word of God, the Holy Quran, and its true interpretation, the Holy Book would have met the same fate as that of the previous scriptures at the hands of the Jews and the Christians and the promise of God Himself taking care of securing His Own Word in its originality under 15:9 could not have been fulfilled.
Thus without the faith in the Imamat, i.e., continuation of the divine guidance, the religion Islam remains incomplete, to be nothing but what the fancy of the corrupt minds would have remoulded it to suit their own selfish ends.
Besides the others, the following great authorities of even the accredited Sunni Scholars, have reported this event with all its details:
(!) Ahmad ibn Hambal, (2) Abdullah ibne Ahmed, (3) Abdullah ibne Mohammad ibne abi Shaiba Asdi, (4) Abdul Abbas Nasvi, (5) Abdul Malki Farkoosh, (6) Abu Ishaq Naishapuri, (7) Ismail Ali as Ibne Samam, (8) Abdul Karim Sam’aani, (9) Moaffaq bin Ahmad, (10) Omar bin Mohammad, (11) Yousuf bin Qari Ali Sibt ibne Jawzi, (12) Moheb-Tabari, (13) Ibrahim ibne Mohammad, (14) Mohammad ibne Abdullah, (15) Jamaluddin Karandi, (16) Ibne Kathir, (17) Ali ibne Shahabuddin-e-Hamadani, (18) Ahmed bin Ali Maqreezi, (19) Ibne Sabbagh Malliki, (20) Allama Maiband, (21) Aseeluddin Waiz, (22) Mahmood bin Mohammad, (23) Mohammad bin Abdur Rasool Barzanji, (24) Mirza Mohammad bin Mo’tamed Khan Hadsi, (25) Mohammad ibne Sadre Alam, (26) Mohammad ibne Ismail bin Salatul Amir, (27) Sulaiman bin Dawar, (28) Ahmed bin Manee’ Baghavi, (29) Ibrahim ibne Mohammad Jovaini, (30) Jalaluddin-e-Suyuti, (31) Jamaluddin, (32) Atauddin, (33) Fazlullah Mohaddis, (34) Alauddin Muttaqi, (35) Mahmood bin Ali Subhani Qadri, (36) Ahmed bin Mohammad Qushas, (37) Ibne Uqdah.
Some books which have repeated this event:
(1) Sirrul Aalamam-Ghuzaali, (2) Asadul Ghaba, (3) Kitabul Masool - Mohammd bin Talha-e-Shafayi, (4) Tazkirah-e-Khawasul-Umma – Sibt ibne Jawazi, (5) Manaqib-e-ibne Maghazili – Faqeeh Shafayi, (6) Tafsir Thalabi, (7) Tafsir Abu Saud, (8) Tafsir-e-Durrer Manthur, (9) Moaddatul Qurba – of Syed Ali Hamadani, (10) Kitabul Rasul wal Malook – Tabarri, (11) Sawaeq-e-Moharriqa – Ibne Haja-e-Macci, (12) Nuzulul Abrar – Mirza Md. Motamad Khan, (13) Hisn-e-Haseenul Mataleb – Shamsuddin Mohammad ibne Mohammad Jazari, (14) Arbayeen – Hafiz Jamaluddin, (15) Tazkiratul Haffaz – Hafiz Zahabi, (16) Sharhe Mishqat – Mullah Ali, (17) Insaanul Oyoona – Hafiz Nooruddin Halbi, (18) Abqathul-Masdooh – Allama Ziauddin Salah-bin Mahdi Muqbih, (19) Zainul Fata – Hafiz Ahmed bin Mohammad Asemi, (20) Siratus Sawa – Hafiz Mahmood bin Mohammad bin Ali – Shaikhani Qadri, (21) Lam’ate Sharhe Mishkat – Shaik Abdul Huq-e-Muhaddis Dahlavi, (22) Nawaqizur Rawafiz – Mirza Maqdom bin Mir Abdul Baqi, (23) Rawzatun Nadiah – Mohammad Ismail ibne Salahut, (24) Ma’arijul Ola – Allama Mohammad Sadrul-Alam, (25) Saiful Maslool – Qazi Sanaull Panepatti, (26) Do’atul Hadat ila Ada-el-Haqqul Mo’aalat – Allama Abul Qasim-Ubaidullah ibne Abdul Alhaskani, (27) Diraya-e-Hadithul Wilaya – Allama Abu Syeed Masbin Nasir Assanjari (28) Miftahul-Kanzul Daqaiq – Hafiz Shamsuddin Abu Abdullah Mohammd bin Nasir Assanjari, (29) Musnad-Imam-e-Ahmed Hambal, (30) Shawahidun Nubuwwath – Mullah Jami, (31) Tawzihul-Dalail – Syed Shahabuddin, (32) Yanabiul-Mo’addah – Sheikhi Sulaiman-Qandozi Hanafi, (33) Rauzatus Safa, (34) Tarikhe Kamil, (35) Tarikhe-ibnul Wardi, (36) Kitabul Saniul Mataleb – Allama-Jarazi, (42) Istee-aab – Abdul Bar, etc.
A complete list of all the historians and the traditionists (Mohaddithen) is impossible to give here. Only the well-known and the leading ones whose position is universally accepted by the Sunni School have been given. In spite of so much of the doubtless and the unchallengeable acknowledgement of the facts it is only a wonder how man could ever insist upon his own fanciful notions and hold himself fast to them, unless his conscience and reasoning cease to work or he does not want to be corrected.
[Those disbelieving are invited to search and tell the background of the verse from Quran; where it was revealed and what happened on that day that was so important that God had to tell Prophet that if he did not do so, it would be akin to giving no teaching at all. Also search when was the verse 5:3 was revealed and under what conditions?]
When the Holy Prophet declared about Ali being the ‘Maula’ or the Lord or the Commander of the Faithful, one of the hypocrites – Harith bin No’man Fehri could not tolerate the appointment of Ali in the place of the Holy Prophet and got upon his camel and deciding to leave the gathering, approached the Holy Prophet and said:
“O’ Apostle of God, thou wanted us to discard idolatry, we did it. Thou wanted us to pray, fast, to go on pilgrimage, give the poor-rate, the Khums, to fight in the way of God, we did everything.
And now thou art placing Ali over and above us. Is this what thou doest of thine own accord or in accordance with the command from God?”
The Holy Prophet said: “Whatever I have done is nothing, but the execution of the revealed will of God.” Then the hypocrite prayed God saying that if what the Holy Prophet said was true then let a torment come from heaven and kill him. Immediately a stone came from heaven and passing right through the man’s body killed him. [This event shows how God fulfilled His claim of protecting Holy Prophet from the mischief of infidels. Surely there must have been a lot many more sitting in the audience. Had there been no stone from heaven, a lot many more would have stood up in rebellion. But the very incident of the death of this hypocrite must have stunned others into silence.]
The fate of those who annoy the Holy Prophet
Among them are those who hurt the Apostle (Mohammad) and say they (that) ‘he is (all) – ear’ (i.e., one who believes in everything he hears); say he (Mohammad) is the Ear of good for you; he believeth in God and hath faith in the believers and a mercy unto those of you who believe, and those who hurt the Apostle of God (Mohammad) for them is a grievous chastisement. (Quran: 9:61)
Know they not that whosoever opposeth God and His Apostle (Mohammad) verily for him is the fire of Hell to abide therein? That is the grievous abasement. (Quran: 9:63)
Verily those who annoy God and His Apostle (Mohammad), God hath cursed them in this world and the hereafter, and He hath prepared for them a chastisement disgraceful. (Quran: 33: 57)
Judge the position of those who annoyed Fatima – about whom the Holy Prophet had declared:
He who annoyed Fatima, annoyed me and he who annoyed me, annoyed God and he who annoyed God hath turned an infidel.
On the Day of Judgment, everyone will be called with his Imam
Quran makes it explicitly clear that one the Day of Judgment, everyone will be called along with his ‘Imam’ or the leader whom he followed in his life:
Remember the Day (of Judgment) when We will summon every people with their Imam (Leader): Then whosoever is given his book in his right hand, these shall read books (with pleasure), and they shall not be dealt with (even) a shred unjustly. (Quran: 17: 71)
Who will be better than the Holy Ahlebait whom God Himself purified (Quran: 33:33). The Imam is he, in whom all things have been encompassed. The Holy Prophet declared:
Ana Madeenatul ilme wa Aliyyun Babuha.
I am the City of Knowledge and Ali its Gate.
Surah Ahzab (verse 33:33) has already been mentioned before:
Verily, verily God intendeth but to keep off (not allowed even to approach) from you (every kind of) uncleanness O’ ye the People of the House, and purify you (with) a thorough purification.
The portion of this verse relating to the divinely effected purity of the Holy Ahlebait needs a proper explanation commenting with reference to its correct context. This portion of this verse is a separate ayat or verse by itself revealed separately on particular occasion but placed here as it deals with the wives of the Holy Prophet. The location of this verse here if studied properly makes it obvious that it has its own significance and important purpose behind it. While the address in the beginning of this verse is in the feminine gender – there is the transition here in the address from the feminine to the masculine gender. While referring to the consorts of the Holy Prophet, the pronouns also are consistently feminine. For a mixed assembly of men and women, generally the masculine gender is used. This transition in the grammatical use of the language, makes it quite obvious that this clause is quite a different matter used for a different group other than the previous one, and has been suitably placed here to show a comparative position of the Ahlebait in contrast to the wives of the Holy Prophet. Amr s/o Abi Salma who was brought up by the Holy Prophet relates:
“When this verse was revealed, the Holy Prophet was in the house of Omme-Salma. At the revelation of: “Verily willeth God to keep away impurity from you O’ People of the House’ and He purifieth you with the perfect purification,” the Holy Prophet assembled his daughter Fatima, her sons Hasan and Husain and her husband his cousin Ali and covered the group including himself, with his own mantle and addressing God said “O God! These constitute my progeny! Keep them away from every kind of impurity, purified with perfect purification. Omme-Salma, the righteous wife of the Holy Prophet, witnessing this marvelous occasion, humbly submitted to the Holy Prophet “O’ Apostle of God! May I also join the group?” to which the Holy Prophet replied, “No’ remain thou in thine own place, thou art in goodness.” (See Jama-e-Tirmize, Istee’aab, Riazun Nazarah, Usdul-Ghaba, Izalatul-Khifa, Mustadrak)
The fact that this incident is referred even by the most authentic of the six books of traditions viz. Jama-e-Tirmizi leaves no room for any doubt. As regards to the later part regarding Omme-Salma, it is evident that even Omme-Salma was aware that the ‘Bait’ in contention was not a material house where she lived, otherwise she would not have sought permission to enter the mantle, under which the five personified already gathered. Holy Prophet’s refusal for her entry although confirming that she was on the right indicates that this was not just a grouping of pious or righteous, neither of family members because then Omme-Salma should have been included, but a grouping of a higher order.
Ommul Momineen Ayesha’s report on the revelation of this part of this verse, says that the matter was repeatedly revealed which indicates its extra-importance to make people know it through various sources to bear witness to the fact so that none, be he a friend or even a foe, dare deny the special excellence and glory bestowed upon the holy ones and their divine unique position in view of the Lord. Ayesha’s version fully concurs with that of Omme Salma.
It is a historically acknowledged fact that Ayesha was not well-disposed towards Fatima and particularly towards Ali. This one and the same matter being revealed, repeatedly once in the house of Omme Salma and again in that of Ayesha, makes the divine plan quite obvious that it was willed by God to put the two wives of the Holy Prophet differently disposed towards the Holy Prophet and his progeny, to bear witness to the event. Ayesha reports:
“One day the Holy Prophet was enwrapped in a black mantle, came to him (his grandson) Hasan and the Holy Prophet got him under the mantle. Then came Husain (the other grandson) and he was also received similarly by the Holy Prophet under the mantle, when came his daughter Fatima, the Holy Prophet took her under the mantle. In the last, came Ali. The Holy Prophet received him also under the mantle and the Holy Prophet recited the above-mentioned verse of Tatheer (i.e., purification).” (See Sahih Muslim, Musnad-e-Imam-Ahmad Hambal, Kanzul Ammal).
According to all the basic and the fundamental authorities like Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Musnad-e-Imam-e-Hambal, Sunan-e-Abu Dawood, Sawique-Mohriqa, Mawatta of Malik, it has been unanimously acknowledged that the reference in the last sentence of this verse is only to the Holy Prophet, the Holy Imam Ali s/o Abi Taleb, Fatima the Lady of Light and the two sons of Lady Fatima, Hasan and Husain. It could reasonably be said that the revelation of one and the same verse in the houses of two of the wives of the Holy Prophet was the divine plan to declare the exclusive position of the Ahlebait, so that the two ladies may themselves vouch for their exclusion from the term Ahlebait, so that any votaries on behalf of the wives of the Holy Prophet may not later attempt to include the wives in the term.
The above quoted basic Sunni authorities related to Ayesha, Omme Salma and Abu-Sayeed Khudri that this verse was revealed referring to the Holy Prophet, Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain. Musnad-e-Imam Hambal in his renowned work Musnad relates of Ata s/o Riah “that Omme Salma said that once when the Holy Prophet was in her house, came Fatima with food cooked in a mud pot. The Holy Prophet desired Fatima to call Ali her husband and her two sons Hasan and Husain. When these holy ones had come, they sat together and had their meals, then the Messenger Angel Gabriel appeared with this verse. The Holy Prophet threw his mantle over these persons and said, “O’ God! These are my ‘Ahlebait’. Keep these away from every impurity!” Then Omme Salma said: “I am also of you.” The Holy Prophet said: “Thou art in goodness but not of my Ahlebait.” And according to the report in the Name-ul-Usool which is the consolidation of the traditions of all the renowned six Sunni basic authorities viz. the ‘Siha-e-Sittah’ – Omme Salma said that “I also caught hold of a corner of the mantle and wanted to get under it but the Holy Prophet snatched it away from me and said: “Thou art in goodness but not of the Ahlebait.”
Tha’labi reports that once it was told to Ayesha that going to the Battle of Jamal she was violating the ordinance from God for the wives of the Holy Prophet, to stay indoors, to which she replied that it was her fate. When she was asked about Ali s/o Abi-Taleb Ayesha replied: ‘Thou hast asked me about the one whom the Holy Prophet loved the most.” “By God!,” continued Ayesha, saying, “I saw the Holy Prophet taking Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain under his mantle and saying “O God! These and only these are my ‘Ahlebait’, Keep them away from every impurity, I asked the Holy Prophet ‘Am I not of thine ‘Ahlebait’? (Umdatul Byan, Menhajus Sadiqeen). It is in Sawique Mohriqa and Sahih Muslim, that the Holy Prophet says: “I remind you all about my ‘Ahlebait’. It was asked of Zaid ibn Arqam as to those who constitute the ‘Ahlebait’, if the wives are also included in them? The reply was that a wife is associated as long as the wedlock continues or the husband lives… If divorced or widowed the wife returns to her parents. The Ahlebait are those whose relationship is unbreakable or unceasable with the Holy Prophet and on whom ‘Sadaqa’ (i.e. charity does not repulse any calamity to any person) is ‘Haram’, i.e. forbidden.
Note that in spite of all his attempts to belittle the true meaning of Ahlebait, it was not possible for Zaid s/o Arqam to include the wives of the Prophet in the ‘Ahlebait’. If the section of the Muslims holds on to them, whose purity has been guaranteed by the Holy Quran as well, why complain.
Sunan-e-Abu Dawood and Imam Malik have reported of Anas that after the revelation of this verse, whenever the Holy Prophet got out of his house for his morning prayers, he used to recite it at the door of his daughter Fatima.
On the occasion of the historic event of Mubahila, when the Holy Prophet was commanded by God to call the Christians of Najran to a Spiritual Contest, which the whole public around, both Muslims and the non-Muslims witnessed, the Holy Prophet, came out with his daughter Fatima, her husband Ali and her two sons Hasan and Husain and said “O’ God these are my Ahlebait.” (Sahih Muslim). Though the challenge contained the plural for women also but the Holy Prophet took only one woman although there were nine wives of his. Besides the word ‘Nisa’ could mean wives as well as women in general, but the Holy Prophet leaving his wives at home took along with him only his daughter.
Some commentators advance the term Ahlebait used in verse 11:73 where the term has been used by the angels addressing ‘Sara’ the wife of Abraham. It must be noted that the address to Sara was not because she was the wife of Abraham but as she would be the mother of Isaac who was to be the apostle of God. Otherwise merely being the wife of an apostle of God could not be of any avail to any woman for there are the wives of the apostles Noah and Lot, and we know what kind of women they were and what their fate was.
The word ‘Innama’ indicates the firmly determined decision of the Lord against anything else otherwise. The mention of the mere decision does not serve any purpose at all without its having taken full effect. A decision or a determination on the part of a mortal like man is quite different from its taking any effect for our decisions need the means to the end. This is not the case with the will of God. God’s will is itself the effect of it for He Himself is the cause of a thing and its simultaneous effect (Rnv. 36:82, 16:40. 2:117, 19:35). It is quite obvious that it was not the mere revelation of the will of the Lord but the declaration of its effect, to announce their excellence and their unique position among mankind, and the declaration of the will here would naturally mean to say that since the Ahlebait had already been purified, the decision is also to keep them as such, i.e., to keep them away from every kind of impurity, for ever. The prayer in 2:127-129 seems a prayer for the future but it actually is a prayer to be kept or to be maintained as already conditioned, i.e., for the continuance of the graciously gifted excellence in their own selves and also in their progeny.
It is a matter of common sense and simple logic that those who had been purified by God Himself could never at any time be impure. It could not be that God the Creator by mistake thoughtlessly made some one with any impurity and then with an after-thought amended the original decision and brought about any change in His policy, and purified the creature, for God is free from the defect of ‘Taghaiyyur’, i.e. change. His will never undergoes any change; it is and it shall be always as it was so. Those whom He purifies He does it at the very creation of that being. Those purified by God would naturally be pure in their very origin, spiritual as well as physical and their practical life from its very beginning until its divinely determined destination, cannot be but infallible.
We must be thankful to the Upanishads and the Vedas for telling us when exactly this process of purification was started that was reinforced through the Will of God, when this verse was revealed.
It should be remembered that when any quality or attribute is mentioned in an indefinite sense the degree meant in the context would be the perfect or the maximum possible one. The purity meant here is the purity absolute, i.e., of every kind, without any impurity or uncleanness whatsoever, otherwise the use of the terms pure would never be in its fullness. The ‘Shirk’ polytheism is mentioned in the Holy Quran as impurity and also the greatest iniquity (31:13) and iniquity is the impurity of faith. Hence the purified ones by God would be only those whom ‘Shirk’, i.e. polytheism should never have polluted their lives at any time in their life and none of the wives of the Holy Prophet were free from this impurity prior to their embracing Islam and joining him in the revocable social contract of the matrimonial alliance. Hence from all points of view of reasoning, and the factual position, and as clearly proved by the open declaration of the Holy Prophet, conveyed to us through the evidence from the several wives of the Holy Prophet themselves, and the companions, and the great scholars that only Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain constitute the Ahlebait of the Holy Prophet. It is also the fact of history that only these are the ones whose lives had ever been pure and free from the polytheistic pollution while all the others had once been polluted with the impurity of idolatry and the heathen and the pagan life.
The very fact that so many reliable people have consistently related the different occasions of the revelation of this clause, is itself evident of the significance of the matter so repeatedly revealed by God and the necessity of the people knowing its importance and significance for use in guiding themselves with regard to their faith and their faithfulness to the Holy Prophet and his family (the holy Ahlebait). In spite of so much of caution and care divinely taken to make the people know the actual position of the holy ones, the brutal treatment they had at the hands of the people is a matter of surprise and wonder. A reference to the detailed history of the godly but the most miserable life of these divines, would disclose to any fair-minded one that none of the holy fourteen passed any moments of their life in this world without suffering some misery or torture at the hands of the people and none but the last of them departed from this world in the natural course of it, for all of them were martyred. Even in the worst of their sufferings they led an absolutely pure and an ideal godly life, as the best and the most perfect models of a pure human life tempered with divinity in every aspect of their faith and its practice to guide the others. It is in view of this unique significance and its usefulness to the human race as a whole the Holy Prophet declared:
I leave behind me amidst you Two great things, the ‘Book of God’ (the Holy Quran) and my ‘Ahlebait’. Should ye be attached to these Two, never shall ye be misled after me, for verily these Two will never, never be separated form each other, until they meet me at the Cistern of ‘Kausar’ (in heavens).
And said:
The likeness of my Ahlebait is that of the Ark of Noah; whosoever got into it, got saved, and whosoever turned away from it got drowned and lost.
Quran says:
And unto him who disputeth with thee therein after the knowledge hath come unto thee, Say! (O’ Our Apostle Mohammad!) (Unto them) “Come ye, let us summon our sons, and (ye summon) your sons, and (we summon) our women, and (ye) your women, and (we summon) our selves and (ye) your selves and let us invoke and lay the curse of God on the liars! (Quran: 3:61)
This verse is a reference to the historic ‘Mubahila’ or the Spiritual Contest with the Christians of Najran when the Holy Prophet declared the personnel of his Ahlebait. It is worth noticing whom the Prophet carried as his ‘selves’ which mean the nearest or the dearest as the very soul itself.
This famous event of ‘Mubahila’ took place in 10 A.H. A deputation of sixty Christians of Najran headed by Abdul Mashih their chief monk priest came and discussed with the Holy Prophet about the personality of Jesus. The Holy Prophet told them not to deify Jesus for he was only a mortal created by God, and not God Himself. Then they asked as to who the father of Jesus was. By this, they thought that since Jesus was born without a father the Holy Prophet would helplessly accept Jesus’ father being God Himself. In reply to this question, was revealed the preceding verse i.e. 3:60 of Quran in which the instance of Jesus has been compared to that of Adam who was created without a father and also a mother. When the Christians did not agree to any amount of reasoning, then this verse was revealed enjoining upon the prophet to call the Christians to ‘Mubahila’ (a spiritual contest invoking the curse of God upon the liar). To this, the Christians agreed but they wanted to return to their place and would have the Mubahila the next day.
Early next morning, the Holy Prophet sent Salman to the open place, fixed outside the city, for the historic event, to erect a small shelter for himself and those he intended to take along with him for the contest. A number of the companions of the Holy Prophet also assembled in the Mosque for the Holy Prophet to take them along with him to the contest. On the opposite side appeared the Christians with their selected Holy men, women and children. At the appointed hour the Christians witnessed the Holy Prophet entering the field with Husain in his lap, Hasan holding his finger and walking beside him, Lady Fatima following him with Ali behind her. The Holy Prophet reaching the appointed spot stationed himself with his daughter, her two sons and her husband, raising his hands to heavens said:
‘Alla humma haa’oolaae Ahlul-Bait’
i.e.
Lord These are the people of my house.
At the appearance of these godly souls with the hallow of the divine light radiating from their holy faces, the chief Monk who had brought the selected group of Christians, began to gaze at the faces and exclaimed: “By God! I see the faces which if they pray to God for mountains to move from their places, the mountains will immediately move.” The Leader Monk asked as to who were those whom the Holy Prophet had brought along with him. He was informed that the baby in the lap of the Holy Prophet was his young grandson, Husain, the child walking holding the Holy Prophet’s finger in his tiny hand was his first grandson, Hasan, the Lady coming behind him was his daughter (his only surviving issue was Fatima, who was the mother of the two children) and the one who followed the lady was his son-in-law, the husband of Fatima. The Chief Monk, the leader of the selected holy group of the Christians turned to the huge crowd of his people who had gathered on the spot, and addressed them saying:
“O’ believers in Jesus of Nazareth, I will tell you the truth that should ye fail to enter into some agreement with Mohammad and if these godly souls whom Mohammad hath brought with him, curse you, ye will be wiped out of existence to the last day of the life of the earth.”
Every one of the crowd of the Christians had also witnessed the halo of the divine light around the holy faces of the godly ones whom the Holy Prophet had brought with him. The people readily agreed to the advice counseled by their leader. They beseeched the Holy Prophet to give up the idea of the agreed ‘Mubahila’ and requested for themselves to be allowed to continue in their faith – offering to pay ‘Jizya’ the ‘Protection Tax’, the payment of which entitles the payers, full freedom in their religious practice, with full protection for themselves, their religious places and their life, property and personal integrity.
This historic event of a unique triumph of Islam took place on 23-12-10 A.H. and thus some section of Muslims celebrate it as religious thanksgiving festival of the triumph of the truth against falsehood, and which is the believer in Islam who will not rejoice at such a decisive triumph of his faith.
This event has a great significance with regard to what it discloses about those who accompanied the Holy Prophet on that memorable and unique occasion of highest sanctity and great import. Many great Sunni scholars, commentators and traditionists have given the details of the event with the various aspects of its significance, saying:
1) The event unquestionably establishes the truth about the spiritual purity and the holiness of the Holy Ahlebait.
2) It proves beyond all doubt as to who are the members of the family of the Holy Prophet, i.e., the Holy Prophet’s Ahlebait, whose purity has been authenticated by God in the Quran.
3) The seriousness and the solemnity of the occasion demands absolute purity, spiritual as well as physical in the individuals, to serve in the fateful occasion for the Holy Prophet to present them to God as the best ones of His creation to be heard in their prayers for the Truth. [Remember, it was God, through the Quranic verse quoted above, who had asked for Mubahila and not the Prophet. If it was God’s command for Mubahila, it will only be right to conclude that the Prophet carried out the God’s wish by taking those who were dearest to God after him, as his sons, women and selves. Eventually God wanted to show that there is also a special place for Ahlebait in God’s plan for the future of mankind.]
Thus it was unquestionably and firmly established and openly proved beyond all doubts, before the huge crowds of the Muslims as well as the non-Muslims to bear witness that the Holy Prophet, his daughter the Lady Fatima, her sons, Hasan and Husain and her husband Ali s/o Abi Taleb, are the divinely purified “Ahlebait” addressed to, in verse 33:33 and none else, for God’s command in this verse contains plurals as regards each kind of the relations to be summoned for the event, i.e., to call sons, women, and the selves to invoke the heaven’s curse on the liars, but the Holy Prophet took only two children whereas there were innumerable other children of his followers, only one lady was taken whereas there were nine other ladies in his own household who were his wives among whom were the daughter of Abu Bakr and also of Omar, and only one soul Ali, in place of his Self was taken whereas there were those who claimed to be his companions and very close companions too. This act of the godly selection on the part of the Holy Prophet, loudly declares that there were no others either among the children, or the women or the other adults to be compared to these godly souls in their personal purity and holiness (Baidavi Tafseer-Mohammad Nasiruddin Abdullah Al-Baidavi, Managib-e-Murtazavi, Tafsir-e-Husaini).
The one most significant and the most important point is that the word about the Selves or Souls ‘Anfus’ is the plural, the singular of which is ‘Nafs’ (i.e., Self or Soul). Self or Soul when used in relation to any individual only means as another being of the same identity of the person implying perfect unity in equality, each one of the two being the true replica of the other, be that in thought, in action, in status or position to the extent that the one to be fully qualified to be identified and substituted for the other whenever any occasion demands it. ‘Nafs’ the Self or the Soul of the Holy Prophet, the term ‘Nafs’ in the verse has been misinterpreted as ‘the people’. Even so since Ali alone was taken on the occasion, Ali alone will be the ‘People’ of the Holy Prophet and none else.
[An interesting thing to note here is that Gita too has referred to the devatas as Self, wherein we have proved that devas are none but the Ahlebait. Also, this further authenticates Prophet’s narration as per which Ali and Mohammad were divisions of the same noor (light); thereby leaving no doubt whatsoever that Ali was the Self of Mohammad.]
The irony of fate presents quite a surprising scene of the events which followed immediately as the Holy Prophet departed from this world. Far from recognizing the Ahlebait in consideration of their position par excellence, what happened to them was:
The same Fatima: The Lady of Light about whom the Holy Prophet had openly declared: “Fatima is my part and parcel; whosoever hurts her, hurts me; and whosoever hurts me, hurts God; and whosoever hurts God turns an infidel,” was martyred with a fall of the door on her side caused by the kick by one in an insurgent crowd which surrounded her holy house to arrest her husband Ali.
The same Ali about whom the Holy Prophet had declared: “I and Ali are of one and the same light (noor).” “He who displeaseth Ali displeaseth me” was martyred while in prayer in the Mosque at Kufa and prior to to martyrdom dragged on the lanes of Medina with a rope tied to his neck.
The same Hasan who accompanied his grand-father to the fateful scene of ‘Mubahila’ while a child, walking besides him holding the finger of his holy grand-father, was poisoned through a woman who was hired for the purpose. The same Husain who appeared for the ‘Mubahila’ to defend the Truth from the lap of his grand-father, was put to the sufferings unequalled in any tragedy and was heartlessly butchered at Karbala with all his comrades, and his ladies and children were taken prisoners and put to the most miserable and the tortuous plight of indignity, suffering, captivity and imprisonment. The body of Husain was left unburied for days together.
The worse was that anyone who professed friendship with these holy souls was chastised, persecuted bullied and condemned calling him a ‘Rafazi’ or a dissenter.
But those blessed with independent minds, able to distinguish the right from the wrong, the truth from the falsehood, did not care and had always been with these divines, even if it was to cost them to suffer the worst miseries or to face death or even destruction in this life. In short those who are after the pleasures and the prosperity of this world can never be their followers.
The whole Muslim world recognizes these five as the ‘Panjetan-e-Pak’ the ‘Pure Five’ and this Sacred term is not used for any other.
The points to be noted here are:
1) That the Mobahila or resorting to prayer to curse the liar, is after forwarding all sound arguments to convince the opponent and if he still insists on his wrong belief or doctrine, was the test of the truthfulness of the persons commissioned with the apostolic mission.
2) Each side has to stake all that is nearest and the dearest to him.
3) For a prophet who has devoted himself and whatever belongs to him, to God, and has been purified from all egoistic liking and disliking and the limited carnal desires and passions, the dearest and the nearest to him, will naturally be those the closest or the identical with him in his devotional excellence.
4) The Prophet has been ordered to call certain categories of the people and to ask the opponents also to bring the similar categories, and the call is not of his own choice but of the order and the will of God. (see 33:46)
5) Right from the very commencement of his mission to the last moment of his departure, on all important occasions, the Holy Prophet called only Ali or one of the same categories as the occasion demanded:
a) The Holy Prophet called Ali, when he started his apostolic mission, when Ali was only ten years of age.
b) When he was ordered by God to call his closest kith and kin. Ali who was then of only thirteen years of age, was the first, the foremost to be called, and he was the only person who responded to it.
c) When leaving Makkah on his historic immigration to Medina. Ali was called by the Holy Prophet, to lie down occupying his place in the bed, facing the dangers of the situation, when death for the one in the situation was a sure return.
d) To return the deposits entrusted to him. The Holy Prophet, handed over the deposits to restore them to the owners on his behalf.
e) In Badr. Ali was called to fight and repulse the enemy when many of his companions were quietly witnessing the critical event.
f) In Ohad. Ali was called to fight and repulse the enemy who had gained the upper hand against the Muslims on account of the desertion of the companions of the Holy Prophet, who had even run away from the field and had disappeared for days together.
g) In Ahzab, Ali was called to fight the enemy, whom none in the Muslim army was ready to face, to protect the disheartened army of the Muslims and save them from annihilation and lead them to victory.
h) In Khaibar, Ali was called to fight the enemy who was not conquered by an one of the Holy Prophet’s companions, and win the decisive victory.
i) While proceeding to Tabuk, Ali was called to succeed the Holy Prophet in his place in Medina, as his vicegerent to assume the place as Haroon (Aaron) was for Moses with the exception of ‘Nubowwat’ (apostleship).
j) To preach the first verses of the ‘Sura-e-Bar’at’ which contains the declaration of complete disassociation from idolatry and paganism, Ali was called and deputed to rush and take away the matter of the ‘Sura’ from Abu Bakr who was leading the pilgrims to Makkah, as the only one identical with the Holy Prophet competent to convey what the Holy Prophet had himself to do to the people.
And here Ali is called as one of the ‘Selves’ of the Holy Prophet. ‘Anfosona’; not alone but with his two sons Hasan and Husain in the term ‘Abnaa’ana’ (sons) and with his wife Fatima in the term ‘Nisaa’ana’ (women), while there were the other souls, sons and women of the Hashimites, the Quraishites, the Ansars and also the wives of the Holy Prophet, but the early Muslim historians, traditionists, commentators and even a man like ‘Ibne Hazm’ who was of a staunch Omayyid tendency, all have unanimously stated that on this important occasion of the Holy Prophet facing the enemy with the spiritual forces, none was brought to participate save Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain. And Muslim (Sahih Muslim) tells us that on this occasion the Holy Prophet praying to God said:
Allahomme Ha’oola’ee Ahlobaiti
O’ my Lord! These are my Ahlul-Bait (the people of my house).
It is surprising that some historians, commentators and theologians of modern times have started to deface the fact of history regarding the historic ‘Mubahila’ or to entirely ignore it as has done Bukhari (Sahih Bukhari), but the truth is there and shall be there for ever.
Some of the modern writers have gone to the extent of denying the applicability of the word ‘Nisa’ana’ to daughters saying that in the Arabic literature ‘Nisa’ has not been used for daughters. This betrays the failure of their memory or the lack of their knowledge of the verse of the Holy Quran on inheritance (4:7,11). And even supposing Fatima was not represented as the daughter of the Holy Prophet but as the wife of Ali as the soul of the Holy Prophet, in the term ‘Anfosona’ the significance becomes greater still, to mean that no wife of the other partner in the term ‘Anfusona’ (i.e., the Holy Prophet was competent to participate in the spiritual contest, the fact which is supported by the well known traditions narrated by Omme-Salma and Ayesha in connection with verse 33:33 (Aya-e-Tat’heer). Both the ladies report that they were denied inclusion among those under the Holy Mantle (‘Kisa’ i.e. Chadar-e-Tatheer). Furthermore, 66:5 shows that there were women better than the wives of the Holy Prophet to be substituted in their places, if divorce takes place. But no better one than the persons included in the ‘Mubahila’ or even equals to them were available otherwise they would have been taken by the Holy Prophet to complete the plural numbers of the candidates invited for the contest (vide the wordings of the Quranic verse).
Hence whoever is included in this verse and Verse 33:33, is undoubtedly included in the term ‘Siddeeq-e-Akbar’, i.e. The Greatest Truthful, and ‘Shaheed’, i.e. The Martyr, and if there were any others, males or females entitled to these terms at that time they would have been included. This is supported by what Ali has said:
Ana Siddeequl Akbar wa Farooqul Aazam
La Yad’aeeyahum ghairi illa Kazzab.
I am the ‘Siddeequl Akbar’ (The Greatest Truthful) and the ‘Farooqul Aazam’ (The Greatest Distinguisher of Truth and Falsehood). None shall claim this besides me save the greatest liar.
The same identical status of Ali with the Holy Prophet has been declared by the Holy Prophet for Fatima, Hasan and Husain saying:
Fatima is a part of mine, whoever annoyeth her annoyeth me.
And in some other place the Holy Prophet has been reported to have declared about Fatima:
Whoever maketh her angry hath made me angry.
Fatima is the Chief of the ladies of Paradise.
The same expression has been recorded about Hasan and Husain, that they are the Two Chiefs of the Youths of Paradise and they (both) are Imams (divinely commissioned guides), be they active or retired. The Holy Prophet has also declared:
Husain is of me and I am of Husain.
*****
56:77-79 of Holy Quran says:
Verity it is Quran honourable,
In a Book hidden,
Toucheth it not save the purified ones.
To get the full meaning, all three verses had to be read together. Note the Holy Quran is called ‘Kareen’ which may mean Honourable as well as Charitable, Beneficent, Liberal, Kind. All the various meanings of the word ‘Kareen’ are equally applicable to the Holy Quran. Taking the meaning Gracious, Beneficent, it has the quality in perfect consonance with the fact that it is the word of the Gracious and the Beneficent Lord of the Universe. Beneficence or Grace, is always given to anyone who seeks it. Similarly the Holy Quran is there, ever ready to benefit or profit whosoever approaches it duly as the guidance of God is promised to whosoever seeks it. (See 29:69)
It is clearly said, that it (the Holy Quran) is treasured in a Concealed or a Hidden Book, which means that the Holy Quran is an object contained in a Book which is Concealed or Hidden, i.e. duly protected – in which case the thing in our hands is only a Recital form of the Holy Quran and not the actual Book itself, for it is clearly said here that, it is in the ‘Kitabe-Maknoon’ ‘Hidden Book’. Supporting this is verse 43:3, which says, that this is the only Arabic version of the Holy Quran – and 43:4 says that the actual Holy Quran is in the ‘Ummol Kitab’ the ‘Mother Book’. The Holy Quran was revealed through the Messenger Angel Gabriel descending on the heart of the Holy Prophet 26:193,194. In verse 53:5, it is said that the One Strong, taught it to the Holy Prophet – In 29:49, it is clearly said that the Holy Quran which consists of manifest signs or verses, is treasured in the hearts of those who are gifted with the knowledge, naturally of the Holy Quran. All these show that the Hidden Book, in heavens is the ‘Lauhe-Mahfouz’, the ‘Secured or Guarded Tablet’ which on earth is represented by the heart of the Holy Prophet. The description of the Book given is so perfect (6:59) as that in which neither any wet nor nay dry thing is omitted. The Holy Prophet says:
I am the City of Knowledge and Ali is its Gate.
Thus, “The Hidden Book on earth in which the Holy Quran is treasured is the heart of the Holy Prophet and this heavenly treasure has been passed on to the Twelve Imams (all of whom are from the seed of the Holy Prophet through Ali and Fatima). The first inheritor (or the custodian) of it was Ali who got it direct from the Holy Prophet. To understand or realize this fact needs the purity of mind, the sincerity of the quest for the true guidance to serve the determined personal excellence, to raise itself from the abyss of degradation to the sublime heights of spiritual glory and eternal bliss.
The ordinary rendering of translation of verse 79 is that it shall be held in all honour and purity. It shall not even by touched but by the clean at least in body with the prescribed ablution without which none shall even touch its written form. The wording means also that none but the purified one would understand it duly. Here the mental or the intellectual touch is meant. Even the Ahmadi commentator (Maulana Mohammad Ali) acknowledges this to be one of the meanings of this verse saying: “This acknowledges this to be one of the meanings of this verse saying: “This also shows that the understanding of the Quran is granted only to those who are pure in heart.” One should know as to who could be the purified ones who could have the external as well as internal purity to have the perfect touch to it. The Holy Quran affords the guidance to the divine personalities whose purity in every aspect of their life was effected by God Himself – See 33:33.
There are few points to be noted:
(1) That Quran has a pre-revealed state of being in a Hidden Book on Protected Tablet (Lauhe-Mahfouz). 85:21-22.
(2) That state is not of material or of physical nature to appeal to human external senses or to be touchable by any physical body.
(3) Such a state belongs to a Psychic and the intellectual sphere, i.e. the angelical realm. Hence the question arises and thus the word ‘mass’ – meaning ‘Touch means the intellectual Touch, or Grasp – as the inseparable pronoun in Objective case ‘Yamassoho’ either refers to the Hidden Book or to the Quran which is in the Hidden Book.
(4) The clause ‘La-Yamassoho’ should be taken as purely indicative and not of imperative significance.
(5) If there is any tradition which prohibits the touching of the Revealed version of the Quran by impure ones, it should be taken as an imperative based on this indicative preposition. Similar to what was pointed out in 37:102, that as Abraham telling his son Ishmael of the dream he had in the indication form, his son translated the indicative into imperative.
(6) The phrase ‘Al-Mutahharoon’ i.e. the Purified Ones in verse 79, does not convey the meaning of those who purify themselves by water or by embracing Islam. This phrase has been used in the Quran in several places indicating or referring to the Beings purified by God Himself viz. 80:13-16, 98:2,3 referring to the purified Books and 2:25 referring to the purified wives in the life hereafter.
(7) In the case of the physical touch, the surface of one object touches the surface of the other and thus the touch would be partial but in the case of intellectual touch or grasp, it is not the case. The Knower grasps the known in such a way that the known, knowing and the knower become identified with one another. Hence the touch is entire or total.
(8) As the term touch requires, the toucher and the touched one should be at the same level otherwise the touch would be impossible.
(9) Considering all these points, many commentators have said that the purified ones in the exceptional clause belong are angels. This shows that they accepted in principal that touching of Quran in its original state of the Hidden Book or the Guarded Tablet, is only possible for those purified ones whose conscious self is of the angelical level but their attempt to confine the application of the term only the angels discard the status that God has given to men whom He has chosen to represent Him as His Vicegerent on earth and has purified them, as an outstanding example of human beings purified by God with the thorough purification by Himself – refer to 33:33. Taking this verse as the minor promises and the exceptional clause as the major one, the conclusion would be that the members of the Ahlebait are in total touch with the Quran in its original state of angelical order and this has been confirmed by the most authentic and irrefutable declaration of the Holy Prophet - the ‘Hadeethuth Thaqalain’ - that Quran and his Ahlebait are the Two purified entities inseparable which he left within the reach of the Muslims as his representatives, announcing that whoever adheres to these Two, will be safe from getting astray.
Thus Quran and Sunnat in unequivocal terms, asserted beyond doubt the status of Ahlebait to be identified with that of Quran, i.e., both are infallible. (Agha Pooya). [The same status of the Ahlebait inclusive of their purity and their noor, having access to the Book, taking up the responsibility of leading mankind towards the worship of Absolute God, is the subject of discussion in various Upanishads, Vedas and Gita.]
Erreth not the Apostle Mohammad
There are a few occasions when the Ahlebait are directly referred to in Quran. But there are also countless occasions where the Ahlebait are referred to in Quran but it is easy to remove their mention if you do not talk of the background when the verses were revealed. If you try to find the background or circumstances in which these verses were revealed, it will become apparent who are the people being referred to. The same is the case with the incidents of Ghadeer-e-Khum or Mobahila or the verse that was revealed when Ali gave away his ring to the beggar while in prayers or even the incident described in the opening lines of Surah An-Najm (Ch. 53).
The houses of the emigrants from Makkah were built around the Mosque at Medina with the doors of the houses opening in the Mosque. When, with the spread of Islam day by day, the number of the believers increased, the Holy Prophet received God’s command to get all the doors opening into the Mosque, to be closed, save that of Ali. When the revelation was announced, the first one who was prepared to carry out the divine order was Ali, but the Holy Prophet said “O Ali! The order does not apply to thee, for thou art of me and I am of thee.” Some people remarked that the Holy Prophet has been maddened of his love for Ali and has gone astray.
Ibne Abbas says that once we offered our ‘Isha’ night prayer with the Holy Prophet, who after concluding the prayer turned to us and said “At dawn a stall will descend from heaven. On whomsoever’s house it gets down he shall be my heir, my Caliph and the Imam,” (i.e., the Divinely Commissioned Guide). Every one sat waiting for the star, and more than anyone, Abbas the uncle of the Holy Prophet, coveted for the star, but the star from heaven, descended on Ali’s house.
The Holy Prophet told Ali “O’ Ali! By the One who has sent me as His Apostle, I say that for thee has been assigned by God, to be my Heir, my Caliph and Imam.” The hypocrites who could not relish it, said that the Holy Prophet in his love for Ali had gone mad or gone astray. On this occasion, this verse was revealed:
(Quran:53:1-4)
By the star when it goeth down.
Erreth not your Companion (our Apostle Mohammad) nor is he led astray
And nor he speaketh of (his own) inclination.
It (the wording) is naught but a revelation revealed (unto him).”
*****
Talk of ‘NOOR’ in the Holy Quran
The Upanishads and Vedas talk of the devatas. Some of the Sanskrit scholars have said that the word deva has origin in ‘divya’ or ‘light’. It has been explicitly stated that the devatas are the presiding deities of this world. They were also the leaders in the previous Manvantaras and the Puranas have even given their names in seven previous creations. It has been said that these devas have been created by God for 1000 creations and they continue to survive creation after creation. Verse 39:68 of the Holy Quran confirms that there are some who would continue to survive even when the entire creation will die when the Trumpet is blown. (24:68)
And (when) shall be blown the Trumpet, then shall swoon (die) whoever is in the heavens and whoever is in the earth save those whom God hath willed (to keep alive); then (The Trumpet) shall be blown again, then lo! They shall stand up awaiting.
This verse clearly shows that there will be some who will survive death even when the Trumpet is blown. There is another interesting point. Quran says that whoever is in heavens too will die. This is in perfect accordance with Krishna’s detailed view on this in Gita as per which the ultimate aim is to attain unity with God. This is called salvation or freedom from rebirth. Those who are in heaven are those who have not attained salvation in their lives i.e. freedom from rebirth but are there because of the good deeds performed while they were living on earth. Gita says that once they have relished the rewards of their good deeds on earth, they are sent again to the earth. There is some vague description of this process of resending on earth given by Buddha as well, which again seem to be referring to the role of devas in this process of sending the spirits back on earth (Remember, vagueness might have been because of the translators inability to understand the subject of discussion).
There is no doubt whatsoever that once the reward for deeds is given in heaven, the spirit which failed to attain salvation will be sent again in the world for yet another test. This argument, if accepted, may also give an acceptable answer to the archaeologists who find discrepancy in their findings of human fossils dating back to 50,000 years and more and the Biblical description as per which only about 12,000 years have passed since Adam was sent on earth.
All Muslims are of the opinion that there is a heaven and hell in existence at this moment as well. There are narrations related to the Prophet that confirm that the heaven and hell are not empty at the moment but there are inmates in both of them. Muslims are also of belief that the verdict on the deeds of the humans who live or have lived in this world will be passed on the Day of Judgment, after the sounding of the Trumpet. If people of this world have not gone to heaven or hell yet, who are the present inmates of heaven and hell? Quran itself is giving an answer to this question but it has not been understood till now because of the utter force with which we blindly deny everything associated with other religions like Hinduism, without putting the claim to the test of reason.
Quran says that when the Trumpet will be sounded, those on earth will die and those in heavens presently, who were there because they performed good deeds in the previous creation and have lived there for the entire life of this creation, too will die. The word used in the Quran is ‘man fis samavate wa man fil arz’ ‘Those in the skies and in the earth’.
Heaven and earth will also cease to live with the blowing of the Trumpet and there will come into existence a new earth, a new heaven with the people resurrected. (See 14: 48, 36:51, 78:18)
‘Saayeqa’ literally does not mean death but ‘swoon’ – 7:143, but the lost of consciousness in that state is synonymous with death. However, there is an exception which according to Ahlebait, are those who have attained the state of ‘Shahadat’. Gita and various Upanishads clearly states that those who attain unity with God while recognizing the path of the devatas (Masooms) attain life forever and are no longer sent to this mortal world. It also states that those who do not come to God through the path of the devas will not attain salvation, even if they perform righteous deeds and are sent to heaven as a consequence of performing righteous deeds. Their stay in heaven will not be permanent but will be a long one, equal to the entire length of the next creation referred to as Brahma’s Day and an equal length of time preceding the next creation, when there is nothing at all on earth, referred to as Brahma’s Night.
Quran (29:65) confirms that associating others to the ‘Sirat-e-Mustaqeem’ or the True Path laid by God nullifies all the good deeds done in the life.
And indeed hat it been revealed unto thee and unto those before thee: Verily if thou associatest (others with God), certainly would come to naught thy work, and certainly wouldst thou be of the losers.
What to say of those who disowned the Imams (guides, who are the Torch-bearers for that True Path) chosen by God, who have been identified time and again through various Quranic verses and Prophet’s traditions.
36:12 of Quran talks of these Imams:
Verily, We, (and) We (alone) give life unto the dead, and We write down what they have sent before them and (even) their footprints (which they leave behind them): And everything have We confined into a Manifesting Imam (Guide).
This cannot be reference to Quran because the Holy Prophet too has talked of the Imam saying:
He who died while he recognized not the Imam of his age, certainly died of ignorance.
Paingala Upanishad and Brhad-aranyaka Upanishad have stated how God created a Manifest Self or Power and all living and non-living things of this world emanate or took birth out of this Power. There are clear references which suggest that the Manifest Self became fourteen-fold and life was created out of these Powers. Quran too is talking of everything ‘confined into a Manifesting Imam’ by God. All through Gita, Krishna is talking of recognizing this Manifest Self.
Verses 2:124, 6:59 and 34:3 have talked of the ‘Imamun-Mobeen’, the true definition of which is yet to be understood by Muslims.
The fifth Holy Imam Mohammad ibn Ali Al-Baquir says that when this verse was revealed, there were Abu-Bakr and Umar who asked the Holy Prophet, “O’ Apostle of God! Is the ‘Imamun-Mubeen’ the Torch, the scripture given to Moses?” The answer was “No”. Again they asked, “Is it the Injeel, i.e. the Evangel given to Jesus?” Again the answer was “No!” Then they asked, “Is it the Holy Quran?” Again “No” was the answer and then turning towards Ali s/o Abi Taleb, the Holy Prophet said: “Verily this is that (‘Imam’, i.e. guide) in whom God has contained the knowledge of everything.” Then addressing the people present there, the Holy Prophet said: “O’ group of men! There is no branch of knowledge which God did not bestow on me and I have conveyed that knowledge to Ali – verily God has contained in me knowledge and I have contained it in Ali.” This statement corroborates the renowned tradition of the Holy Prophet: “I am the City of Knowledge and Ali is its Gate.” This is also in perfect sync with the role of Imam described in the Upanishads and Vedas. The opening lines of Tulsidas’s Raghuvansham too confirm this relation of Ali (Siva of the Vedas and Upanishads) and Parvati (Fatima of the Vedas and Upanishads) with knowledge. The Hindi translation of these opening lines is as follows:
Shabd aur arth the samyak gyan prapt karne ke liye jagat ke mata pita Siva aur Parvati kee vandana karta houn jo shabd aur arth ke samaan sada mile rahte hain.
Another Quranic verse explicitly states the position of Imam:
17:71:
Remember, the Day (of Judgment) when We will summon every people with their Imam (Leader);
It is said that whosoever, an individual follows in his life, on the Day of Judgment will him only the individual will be called to account for his faith and deeds.
When this verse was revealed, people asked the Holy Prophet if he was not the Imam of the all the people. The Holy Prophet said: “Yes,” “I am the Imam until I am alive in this world; and after me the Imam will be Ali s/o Abi Taleb, followed by his divinely chosen issues. People attached to them will be safe and shall gain salvation, and those who go astray and disassociate themselves from them, will be lost."
You will be interested to know that Krishna too has said the same. Gita has linked salvation with reaching the Absolute God through recognizing the Manifest Self i.e. Prophet Mohammad and the rest of Masooms, made pure by none other but God.
It is now left to every individual to follow those Holy Souls who are divinely purified, under the verse 33:33, i.e. the Holy Ahlebait, who were the fountainhead of knowledge and guidance and who never in their lives yielded to falsehood, or to follow those who themselves needed to be guided. To guide mankind towards the correct leadership, the Divine Mercy has given several guiding notes. See 67:21
Is he who leadeth to the truth more deserving that he should be followed, or he who findeth not the way unless he himself be guided?
What aileth you? How ye judge? (10:35)
Again the all-Merciful Lord gives the following guiding note through the Holy Quran:
Is he who goeth groping on his face, more rightly guided, or he who walketh upright in a straight road? (67:22)
As to who are those divinely chosen to be Imams of the people, the Lord Himself has made it clear. 2:124 states:
When Abraham was granted ‘Imamat’, he prayed for his issues. It was said to Abraham that it (i.e. Imamat) would not reach the iniquitous ones in his seed.
The greatest iniquity according to the Quran being polytheism, (31:13) it gets quite clear that those whom polytheism had polluted, would never have this great gift of God. Now let us see besides the Holy Prophet who has been totally free from the pollution of polytheism or shirk. There is only one among the many around the Holy Prophet who had never in his life yielded to any false deity and that singular personality is Ali s/o Abi-Taleb; and what the Holy Prophet declared was true that after him, Ali will be the Imam of the people. Besides taking the other qualities of supreme excellence of Knowledge, Bravery, Piety, Wisdom, Justice and Godliness, there is none to be compared to him. It is referring to this unique position of Ali the Muslim World as a whole mentions the name of Ali with the suffix – ‘Karramallaho Wajhaho’ – he whose face God has graced to have not bowed to any one, besides God.
Verily We have shown man the Right Way, let him now follow it thankfully or ungratefully reject it. (76:2)
Regarding the actual meaning of the word Imam here, the commentators have given different accounts:
(1) Scripture; (2) Prophet, (3) Leaders of the respective ages; (4) the recorded life-action, (5) Mothers
The most appropriate ones are the first three. As to follow a scripture means nothing but to follow the prophet, for the scripture and the prophet, who brought it, are not separable. But Quran says that there are two kinds of leaders or Imam – (q) Those who lead to the fire (28:41), (2) and those who lead to the Right Path – Paradise (11:73, 32:24).It is obvious that the right Imam, is the same as the Prophet, is not separable from the scripture, as it was announced by the Holy Prophet in conformity with the Holy Quran that the Ahlebait are with Quran and Quran is with them, inseparable till the Resurrection Day.
And the Holy Prophet has asserted in the most authentic traditions that whoever dies without recognizing the Imam of his age has died a pagan death; which proves that every age has got its right Imam and he has also asserted their number is confined to Twelve, neither more nor less.
[The term ‘Aditya’ of the Upanishad and Vedas stand for Imam and you will be pleased to note that they talk of 12 Adityas; Aditya meaning the sun or the guiding light.]
Having all this in view, the meaning of the verse becomes that clear that every group of human being will be called through the Imam of their age, i.e., the person who leads them. If he is the right Imam, his identity will be inseparability with the scripture and the Holy Prophet. And any leader who is opposed to the Imam of his age is opposed to the scripture, to the Prophet and to the God.
Other verses referring to Imams are as follows:
For then (in this life) are guided unto goodly words, and they are guided unto the path of the Praised one.(32:24)
And We made them leaders, guiding (the people) by our command, and revealed We unto them the doing of good, and the establishing of prayer, and the giving of alms, and (only) unto Us did they worship. (26:73)
This verse not only shows that Imams or Leaders are appointed by God but also refers to them in plural.
NOOR
Now see what 64:8 says:
So believe ye in God and His Apostle and the Noor (Light) We have sent down; and God is Well-Aware of whatsoever ye do.
This is a clear verse where God is talking of a noor (light) being sent on earth. Clearly, it cannot be the light of the material sun. Because God is asking us to believe in God and His Apostle and the Light therefore, Light or noor is something that people may disbelieve as well but God wants them to believe in the Light or Noor coming down.
Most commentators, unable to find any other definition, say that Light (noor) has been mentioned for the Holy Quran. But there is no clear logic or proof to know the truth.
If that is so, why not believe what the Vedas and Upanishads are saying in this regard, which is also substantiated by the hadith of Prophet where Ali has been mentioned as ‘noor’ or light.
I and Ali are of one and the same light.
Ali is a part of me, and I am of Ali.
The people are of various stocks but I and Ali are of one stock.
(Tirmizi, Nisai, Ibne Masuud, Tabarani, Early History of Islam – SS Husain, 1933 ed.)
Fact is that all three of these hadiths can be properly understood only through recourse to Vedas and Puranas, which talk of one illuminated power, created by God from the pure tatvas (hence the guarantee of their purity in the Quran), which divided into two equal lights, where were the lights or noors of Mohammad and Ali (and hence Mohammad saying that both him and Ali are of the same stock), and further went through a process where there were 14 noors or lights or devatas (from root ‘divya’ or light), who were given the rulership of the 14 spheres by God (hence God saying that ‘first among us is Mohammad, last is Mohammad, middle is Mohammad, all are Mohammad’).
In fact, we have also seen Mohammad saying that Fatima is a part or portion of him while the Upanishadic description too describes part of one getting married with the other who was created as the division of the One Power or Noor which was Brahma. In fact, Upanishads also describe them as Life, as all life teems out of them or is dependent on them (and there is a Quranic verse we have quoted above which says that all things have been confined in a manifesting Imam. These noors or devatas were to manifest themselves as humans for our guidance and hence were called Imams.
Light referred in the traditions related to the Ahlebait, stands for the divinely commissioned Imams – i.e., to believe in God as directed by the Holy Prophet and to believe in the Holy Prophet as directed by the Holy Imams. We are sure you are aware that there are 12 Imams in all and we have already mentioned elsewhere in this text that the parallel word for Imam in Vedas is Adityas; there are 12 Adityas, Aditya meaning the sun (again related to light).
Fact is that along with the inauguration of the ‘Risalat’, i.e, the apostleship of the Holy Prophet Mohammad, i.e. along with the announcement of the last Apostle of God, was also inaugurated or announced the Imamat or the Guidance of the First Holy Imam Ali ibne Abi Taleb vide the event of the ‘Dawat-e-Asheera’, i.e., the Feast of the Nearest Kin.
Feast of the nearest kin
Quran describes the Dawat-e-Asheera in 26:214:
And warn thou thy relatives of nearest kin.
The command to warn the nearest kinsmen was with the idea that when the admonition is given to the very nearest relations of the Holy Prophet, the others in mankind automatically came under the warning. On receipt of this command from God what the Holy Prophet did is recorded in all the basic books of Sunni commentary on the Holy Quran and books on the biography of the Holy Prophet and Islam viz. Ma’alimut-Tanzil, Tafsir-e-Durre-Manthur, Musnade Imame Hambal and Riazun-Nazra, etc. When this verse was revealed the Holy Prophet called Ali and ordered making a few loaves, with some meat on them and a cup of milk and to invite the sons of Abdul Muttalib. Ali acted as he was commanded and there assembled forty men from the seed of Abdul Muttalib – among whom were the uncles of the Holy Prophet, viz. Abu-Taleb, Abbas, Hamza, and Abu Lahab. The Holy Prophet commanded Ali to serve the food to the guests. Ali kept before the people the few loaves with the little meat and the milk in a small cup which would not suffice even for a single one on the assembly. The Holy Prophet blessed the food with the name of God and told the people to have it. Every one of the forty guests had his fill and yet the stuff remained the same. After the feast the Holy Prophet wanted to speak to the assembly but Abu-Lahab took the initiative and addressing the assembly remarked that it was a great sorcery and the gathering dispersed giving no opportunity to the Holy Prophet to speak to them. The next day the Holy Prophet again called Ali and repeated the same command about the preparation of the food and inviting the same people but the assembly behaved in the same way. For a third time the same people gathered, food in the same way as on the previous occasions was served with God’s blessings from the Holy Prophet and immediately as the eating was over, the Holy Prophet stood up and addressed the assembly saying:
“O’ sons of Abdul-Muttalib! Would you believe if I tell you that an army is lying in wait behind this mountain to attack you?”
“Aye!” exclaimed the assembly in one voice saying, “for thou hast never uttered anything but truth.”
Then the Holy Prophet addressed them saying:
“Know ye all that I am the apostle of God to warn you of God and to warn you of an approaching doom. And I am the bearer of glad tidings of the abode of eternal bliss to those who believe in the only True God and in my ministry. And God did not send any apostle of His but he sent along with him his Heir and his Caliph. Who is there among you who would be a Vazier to me and my Heir and Caliph, and join me in task of the ministry?”
None but the young Ali who was yet only twelve or fourteen years of age, stood up and readily exclaimed, “I am here for thee O’ Apostle of God!” But the Holy Prophet bade Ali to sit down and again he asked the same question and every time Ali alone got up offering himself for the service to God and the Holy Prophet. When thrice it was asked and every time none but Ali stood up in response to the call, the Holy Prophet called Ali to him, opened his mouth and dropping some saliva from his own mouth into Ali’s mouth, embraced him and holding up his hand aloft declared,
"Know ye all! This is my Vazier, my Heir and my Caliph! Hear him and obey him!”
Abu Lahab who was present there witnessing the whole event, could not suppress his evil feelings any longer and addressing the Holy Prophet said:
“Thou hast done an evil return to thy cousin for his ready response to thy call. Thou hast spat in his mouth.” To this the Holy Prophet replied, “I have filled Ali’s mouth with the Divine Knowledge.”
Syeed Ibne Jubair relates that this event took place at the mound of Safa.
It is reported by historians the gathering in a taunt addressing Abu-Taleb remarked saying: “Now obey thine own son Ali when Mohammad has placed in authority along with himself.” (See Tabari, Ibne Athir, Abul-Fida, Gibbon, W. Smith, Amir Ali, Early History of Islam, etc.)
This incident may be taken as a miracle that a boy (Ali) of about 13 years responds to the bargain of a man (the Holy Prophet) of forty. The boy promises the assistance required and the man declares the status mentioned in return and throughout the vicissitude of fortune – throughout all the 23 years of the Holy Prophet’s ministry neither the boy (Ali) failed to fulfill his declaration wherever the occasion suited it and thus the declaration of Ali’s succession to the office of the apostleship (as the First Imam or the First Caliph) and his other status was simultaneous with the declaration of his apostolic mission and the event of Ghadeer-e-Khum, but it was an open and public confirmation of the first declaration in the presence of the dignitaries of the Quresh.
*****
Thus it is clear that what happened at Ghadeer-e-Khum, while the Holy Prophet was returning from his last pilgrimage of Haj, was not something new to the people but time and again, on several occasions, Ali was identified as the Holy Prophet’s vicegerent and Caliph and one following whose path guaranteed salvation.
We have seen in the Gita that Krishna too has talked of salvation only for a man who does good acts and knowing that the true path to God is through the Manifest Self i.e. the Manifest Light or Noor. Right belief in this relationship of man with the Manifest Self or Light and the relationship of this Manifest Self with the Absolute God on one side and we humans on the other is utmost important, so much so that time and again Gita has talked of this subject. Quran too confirms that belief in God and His Apostle and Light is extremely important and goes on to say that if one performs good acts while possessing the right belief about God, he heads for even though if he has committed a few sins, which would be wiped out. And those who disbelieveth in God and His signs or the manifested proofs in the form of Imams, there is a sure hell waiting for them (there is no mention of bad deeds here). Read the verses 8-10 of 64 to see what God says:
So believe ye in God and His Apostle and the Light We have sent down; and God is Well-Aware of whatsoever ye do. (64:8)
The day that He will gather you for the day of gathering, that is the day of mutual loss; and whosoever believeth in God and doeth good, He will wipe out from him his sins and admit him into gardens `neath which flow rivers, to abide therein for ever; that is a great achievement. (64:9 )
And those who disbelieved and belied Our signs, they are the fellows of the fire, to abide therein; and wretched is the destination. (64:10)
Also see 4:174 which says:
O mankind! Indeed hath come unto you (an undefinable) proof from your Lord, and We have sent down unto you a manifest Light (noor).
According to the interpretation of the Holy Ahlebait – ‘Burhan’, i.e., the Manifest Proof means the Holy Prophet who appeared with the Holy Quran and the ‘Noorun-Mubeena’, i.e., the Clear Light, stands for the guidance through Imamat granted by the Divine Grace, after the conclusion of the apostleship with the Holy Prophet. Kindly remember that the Gita too talks of Manifest Proofs of God all through and has also talked of the devatas (From root divya or noor).
‘Burhan’ – Proof, and ‘Noor’ – Light sent down by God is the same that Quran explains in a simile 24:35-38 which manifested in the niche in some particular houses allowed by God to be raised about all and authorized His Holy Name to be remembered therein, wherein He is glorified night and day by such people whom no temporal business engages their hearts or distracts them from His remembrance. No light of the guidance of God can ever reach but through the medium of these holy ones. These holy ones cannot but be of those of the lineage chosen by God which excellence reaches its zenith and the summit is the divinely purified ones by God Himself (Reverence 33:33).This fact is testified by the sixth Holy Imam Jafar ibne Mohammad as-Sadiq, who said:
“Bena Orefallah” – Through we (Ahlebait) God is known
“Bena Obedallah” – And through us, is God worshipped.
Another verse of Quran that also talks of light or noor is 24:35:
God is the Light of the heavens and the earth; the similitude of His Light is as a niche which is a lamp, the lamp is in a glass; the glass is as it were a star shining bright, lit from a blessed olive tree, neither eastern nor western, the oil where of almost gloweth forth (of itself), and (even) though fire toucheth it not; Light upon Light: God guideth unto His Light whomsoever He willeth; and God setteth forth parables for people; and God is All-Aware of all things.
Again, note that olive tree is mentioned, whereas Upanishads and Gita too talk of a special tree. Quran talks of neither eastern nor western region where Light from Light will shine while Vedas talk of a Middle Country or Middle Kingdom (which is neither in east nor in the west). Quran talks of Light being created from Light and all Lights owing their glow to the Absolute God and the Upanishads describing how One Power (or Light) got divided into two, how another part of one of the two got united with the other of the two and likewise more powers (lights) got created, ultimately taking the count to fourteen.
God has declared that the Holy Prophet spoke nothing but only that which was revealed to him (53:3,4). The shining of light upon light refers to the successive line of the Holy Imams issued from the seed of Ali and Fatima, one holy Imam immediately succeeding the other until the end of the world. The Light of Knowledge in the heart of the Holy Prophet, is so safe as in the glass, (i.e., Ali s/o Abi Taleb), it is referred to in (56:77-79) – saying that the Holy Quran is a protected Book and none shall touch it save the purified ones; and who are the purified ones (see 33:33).
It is said that God Himself guides towards His Light whosoever He pleases, which clearly indicates that anyone and every one, can never have the guidance without God is graciously granting it according to the justification or the qualification of the sincerity in the quest for it in each individual aspirant. And mere common sense suffices for any one to know that no impure soul could ever be imagined to have the approach to the Light of God. This factor is made clear in 2:257 and in 2:256, the condition for earning the guidance is laid saying:
Whosoever disbelieveth in the Devil and believeth in God, he indeed has laid hold on the firmest handle or the rope or the (means), there is no break for it. (i.e., handle, the rope, or the means).
A sincere and intelligent reflection would lead lead us to the handle or the rope, following whom one can surely get out of the abyss of darkness into light, and they can be no others but those purified by God Himself (33:33) for as the perfectly purified ones by God Himself, they and only they could be the manifestation or the reflections of the Divine Light in God’s creation. Thus he who will be attached to the holy ones of the House of the Holy Prophet viz. the Ahlebait – would have the grace of God to be enlightened but only to the extent of the degree of the attachment to them. Among his companions, to only Salman, and to none else, the Holy Prophet said: “Salman is of we Ahlebait.”
The Holy Prophet has announced this fact in his well-known saying:
The likeness of my Ahlebait is that of the Ark of Noah, whosoever entered it got saved, and whosoever turned away from it, got drowned and perished.
At another occasion the Holy Prophet talked of leaving behind two things – Quran and Itrat (Ahlebait) for the guidance of mankind. Relate this with 57:28, which is telling of a “two-fold of His (God’s) Mercy. See:
O ye who believe! Fear ye (the wrath of) God and believe in His apostle; He will give you a two fold of His Mercy, He will appoint for you a light wherein ye shall walk (straight on the right path) and He will forgive you; and God is Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
And see 9:32:
Intend they that they put out the Light of God with (the blow of) their mouths, and disdaineth God save that He perfected His Light, though may detest it the infidels.
*****
Those who do not believe in Meraj or the ascent of the Prophet should read the first few verses of Surah Najm wherein it is clearly stated:
Thus was (he) the measure between two bows (facing each other) or nigher still, (53:9)
Then revealed he unto His Servant what He did reveal (53:10)
And indeed he did see him at another Descent (53:13)
At the Sidra (the Lote-Tree) ‘Muntaha’ (the all-Comprehensive Terminus). (53:14)
Nigh unto it is the Garden Abode (53:15)
When covereth (over) the ‘Sidra’ (Tree) that which covereth it. (53:16)
Neither his eye did dazzle nor did it rebel (53:17)
Indeed he did see of the greatest signs of his Lord. (53:18)
These verses talking of Meraj refer to the highest state of communion with God granted to the Holy Prophet. The measure or the distance of two bows, to mean that when the two bows meet, they meet at their ends but still they are away from each other on all points of their body. It could never mean that the Holy Prophet was totally absorbed into divinity and yet bodily as is mortal, he was separate from God.
It must also be remembered that the Ascension of the Holy Prophet to the heavens was with his physical body and not in a vision as those opposed to the holy Ahlebait interpret it and this fact is more and more realized by man with his progress in his scientific achievements, in his travel through space. Very recently the Russian and the American space-men have gone round the earth and returned all in a few minutes and there is the attempt to travel to the moon and to the other planets. It is getting easier for human intelligence to realize the factors of higher knowledge by applying a wholesome reasoning that if this be possible by means of the atomic energy by the experimental use of it how easy it would be for the Creator Lord of all energies still unknown to man to effect the Ascension of one of His chosen ones and what is that the Will of the Omnipotent Lord of the Universe cannot do.
See 2:117, 16:40, 19:35, 40:68 and 36:82. There was a time when we could not believe in the possibility of conveying sounds through a wire charged with electricity and when telegraphic and telephonic devices became a reality and we believed in it. Before the invention of the wireless system we could not believe in any sound being heard from distances without any medium of a wire and when the radioactivity became a reality, we believed in it and prior to the invention o television we could not believe matter being reflected far away without any visible medium and today it is a reality to us. As we advance in our scientific achievements, we are increased in our knowledge about the possibilities endowed in our environmental world which were known and unbelievable. How long will it take to begin our actual and perfectly reliable knowledge of the heavenly kingdom which is infinite – in its extent and nature.
Hence it would be nothing but a miserable betrayal of the bankruptcy of one’s intellect to deny or doubt about the bodily Ascent (Meraj) of the Holy Prophet and any of his experiences during his heavenly journey.
The tone of the statement in verse 10 clearly states that which transpired between God and the Select Servant and the Chosen One of His Apostles, i.e., the Holy Prophet, during the state of the maximum communion with the Lord, none could ever know it. Verse 12 is an interrogatory address to those who disbelieveth in what the Holy Prophet related about his experiences, in the heavens, during his Ascension – Journey. Verse 13 tells of the Holy Prophet seeing Gabriel for a second time (on return journey). Verse 14 says that the second time the Holy Prophet saw Gabriel, was at the ‘Sidratul-Muntaha’ the point where ends or stops all knowledge of every one – and no one’s knowledge crosses the limit. It is said that when the Holy Prophet reached the point of ‘Sidratul-Muntaha’, Gabriel said: “I shall not step an inch further from this.” The Holy Prophet passed that point of ‘Sidratul-Muntaha’ and what is mentioned in verse 8,9 and 10 is what happened after crossing this point when Gabriel had stopped away. There is the mention of the Lote-tree in verses 34:16 and 56:28 as symbolic of the heavenly bliss. But the mention of it here, is a symbol marking the extreme bounds or the last limit of heavenly knowledge beyond which neither any angel nor any human being could pass. Verse 15 talks of a garden or
It is evident that God is talking of this garden beyond the point where Gabriel could go. This place in Gita has been referred to as Indra’s heaven (or Mohammad’s heaven, as there is no doubt that Indra is Mohammad), as the highest level of heaven. Since Mohammad passed that point, we should have no doubt that the same Garden must be the heaven of Mohammad, where even Gabriel cannot dare enter. Now see this in the light of another mention from Gita that salvation or freedom from birth is only for those who reach God through the path shown by Indra (Mohammad) and other devatas (Ahlebait). And Quran says that all things in the skies and earth will die when the Trumpet will sound. That leads us to conclude that those in the Garden beyond Sidra will be exclusively those who obtain salvation and do not die when the Trumpet is sounded. Other than this, those in sky or earth will all perish. Freedom from rebirth and a permanent stay in the highest Heaven is only for those who attain union with God through the right path. Other than these, Gita confirms that all the rest in heaven will return for yet another test in another of God’s creations.
Verse 16 also confirms that after reaching the point of Sidra, the realities of the
This description can be more clearly understood after reading the Vedas and Upanishads and Puranas. The place was not new to Mohammad as it was the abode when in its noor state. He had stayed there prior to taking birth as Mohammad on earth, he is there at this point of time as well and will continue to dwell until God creates yet another creation and it is time for him to manifest himself in the creation to impart God’s teachings. That is why all the marvels and wonders around could not shift the gaze of Mohammad from his Lord – most probably the Manifested Self of God that is the subject of all discussion in the Vedas and Upanishads.
Quran confirms repeated births through repeated creations through verse 57:17, which says:
Know ye! That God enliveneth the earth after its death; indeed have we made the signs clear unto you, that ye may understand.
According to the statement of the Sixth Holy Imam Jafar s/o Mohammad As-Sadiq, it was at this stage that the question of Vilayat and Imamat and its finality and perfection was revealed to the Holy Prophet. That is why when the verse came down at Ghadeer, it was said to Prophet to tell what had already been told. Considering this state of realization far beyond the grasp of the average intelligence, the Quran says “why do men argue” vide verse 12.
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