Shia Muslims celebrate 5 Eids: Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha, Eid-e-Mubahela,
Eid-e-Ghadeer,
Wedding of Lady of Paradise Hazrat Fatima Zahra (s.a.) and
Commander of Faithfuls Imam Ali (a.s.).
Apart from these, the birth days of Chahardah Masoomeen are
also days of rejoicings and celebrations are treated as Eids.
On the 18th
day of Dhul-Hijjah 10 A.H. the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s) was returning along
with over 120,000 Muslims after performing last Hajj, when Archangel Jibra’il
descended on earth and brought Sura al-Mai’dah Ayah 67, “O Apostle, deliver
what has been sent down to you from your Lord, and if you don’t do it, you have
not delivered His message (at all); and Allah will protect you from the
people.” By this time, every
command of Allah has been delivered and nothing was added after this day. A
question arises in every mind as to why Allah was threatening His Messenger
that if he did not comply with the directive of Allah then it would liquidate his
efforts of whole life. The Noble Prophet
(s.a.w.a.s.) died about 70 days after the event of Ghadeer. The last
sentence indicates that the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) was apprehensive of the
reaction of his people in delivering that message but Allah informed him not to
worry, for He will protect His Messenger from the people!
The Noble Prophet (s.a.w.s.) spent about 5 hours at Ghadeer-e-Khumm
in the scorching heat of the Arabian Desert. He recited about 100 verses of the
Holy Qur’an for about 3 hours. The Messenger declared “It seems the time approached when I shall be called away (by Allah)
and I shall answer that call. I am leaving for you two precious things
(thaqalayn) and if you adhere to them both, you will never go astray after me.
They are the Book of Allah and my Progeny that is my Ahlul Bayt. The two shall
never separate from each other until they come to me by the Pool of Kauthar (in
Paradise)” Then the Messenger continued “Do I not have more right over the
believers than what they have over themselves.” People cried and answered “Yes,
O Messenger of Allah” Then followed the key sentence denoting the clear designation
of Imam Ali (a.s.) as the Leader of Muslim ummah. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.)
held up the hand of Imam Ali (a.s.) and said “For whoever, I am his Leader (Maula),
Ali is his Leader (Maula) .The Prophet continued “O’God, love those
who love him and be hostile to those who are hostile to him.” Immediately after the
Prophet finished his speech, the following Ayah was revealed, Sura
Al-Ma'ida Ayah 3
“Today, I have perfected your religion, completed My favors to you, and have
chosen Islam as your religion”. This Ayah clearly indicates that Islam,
without clearing up matter of leadership after Prophet, was not complete, and
completion of religion was due to the announcement of the Prophet’s immediate
successor.
As soon as the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) completed his
sermon, Has'san Bin Thabit, the
companion and poet of the Messenger of Islam asked for his permission to
compose a few verses of poetry for the newly
crowned successor Imam Ali (a.s.) for the audience. The Prophet said “Say,
with the blessings of Allah”. Has'san stood up and said “O People of Quraysh, I
follow with my words what preceded and witnessed by the Messenger of Allah. He
then composed the following verses extempore:
He calls
them on the Day of Ghadeer, their Prophet
In Khumm so
hear (and heed) the Messenger’s call
He said
“Who is your Guide and Leader?
They said,
and there was no apparent blindness clearly:
“Your God,
our Guide, and you are our leader
And you won’t
find from among us, in this, any disobedient”
He said to
him “Stand up O Ali, for I am
Pleased to
announce you Imam and Guide after me
So whomsoever
I am his leader (mawla),
then this is his leader (mawla)
So be to
him supporters in truth and followers”
Then he
prayed “Allah! Be a friend and Guide to his follower
And be, to
the one who is Ali’s enemy, an enemy”
After his speech, The
Messenger of Allah asked everybody to give the oath of allegiance to Imam Ali (a.s.) and congratulate him. Among those who did so was Umar bin al-Khattab, who said
“Well done, Ibne Abi Talib! Today you became the Leader (mawla)
of all believing men and women.”
Allah ordered His Prophet to inform the people of this
designation at a time of crowded populace so that all become the witnesses and narrators
of the tradition, while they exceeded a hundred twenty thousand. Narrated by Zayd bin Arqam: Abu al-Tufayl
said “I heard from the Messenger of Allah and there was no one there except
that he saw him with his eyes and heard him with his ears”
Some Sunni commentators report that when the first three
verses of Sura al-Maa’rij were revealed, some problem arose when the Noble Prophet
(s.a.w.a.s.) reached Madinah as discussed below:
On the day of Ghadeer, the Prophet summoned the people
towards Ali and said “Ali is the mawla
of whom I am the mawla.
The news spread quickly all over the urban and rural areas. When Harith Ibne Nauman al-Fahri came to
know of it, he rode his camel and came to Madina and went to the Messenger of
Allah and said to him “You commanded us to testify that there is no deity but
Allah and that you are the Messenger of Allah. We obeyed you. You ordered us to
pray five times a day and we obeyed. You ordered us to observe fasts during
month of Ramadan and we obeyed. Then you commanded us to offer pilgrimage to
Makkah and we obeyed. You are not satisfied with all this and you raised your
cousin by hand and imposed upon us as our master as saying ‘Ali is the mawla
of whom I am the mawla.’ Is this imposition from
Allah or you?”
The Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.)
said “By Allah, who is the only deity! This is from Allah, The Mighty and The Glorious” On hearing
this, Harith turned back and proceeded towards his she-camel saying “O Allah!
If what Muhammad said is correct then fling on us a stone from sky and subject
us to severe pain and torture” He had not reached his she-camel when Allah, who
is above all defects, flung at him a stone which struck him on his head,
penetrated his body, and passed out through his body and left him dead. It was
on this occasion that Allah, the Exalted sent the following verse “A questioner
questioned about the punishment to fall. For the disbelievers, there is nothing
to avert it, from Allah, The Lord of the Ascent.” Surah al-Maa’rij Ayahs 1-3.
Irrespective of the meaning of “Maula”, whether “Friend” or “Ruler”,
it is the Day when Allah perfected the religion for every Muslim, hence every
Muslim should celebrate and rejoice on this day!
Sources used:
The Glorious Qur'an
Al-Ghadeer by Allama Abdul Hussayn Al-Amini Al-Najafi
WIKIPEDIA
Sources used:
The Glorious Qur'an
Al-Ghadeer by Allama Abdul Hussayn Al-Amini Al-Najafi
WIKIPEDIA
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