Tuesday, August 28, 2018

THE CORONATION OF THE NAFSE RASOOL, IMAM ALI (A.S.)


Shia Muslims celebrate 5 Eid: Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha, Eid-e-Mubahela, Eid-e-Ghadeer, Wedding of Lady of Paradise Hazrat Fatima Zahra (s.a.) and the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a.s.).
Apart from these, the birth days of Chahardah Masoomeen are days of rejoicings and celebrations hence treated as Eid.

On the 17th 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 Jibril descended on earth and brought Ayah 67 of Sura al-Mai’dah , “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 to Muslims 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 it would liquidate efforts of his 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.a.s.) spent about 5 hours at Ghadeer-e-Khumm in the scorching heat of Arabian Desert. He recited about 100 Ayahs of the Glorious Qur’an for about 3 hours. The Messenger declared “It seems the time has 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.a.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’Allah, 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, Surah Al-Ma’idah 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 the Messenger, was not complete, and completion of religion was achieved by the appointment of the Messenger’s successor.
As soon as the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) completed his sermon, Hassan 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”. Hassan 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, whoever I am his leader (Maula), then this is his leader(Maula),
            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 everyone 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 (Maula), of all believing men and women.”
Allah ordered His Prophet to inform the people of this designation at a time of mammoth congregation 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 Ayahs of Surah al-Maa’rij were revealed, a man challenged the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) when he reached Madinah as detailed 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 she-camel and came to Madinah 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)

Some of the opponents of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) tried to belittle the occasion by interpreting that “Maula” means friend!
In the scorching heat of the desert, making a pulpit of the camel seats, reciting more than 100 Ayahs of the Glorious Qur’an, giving sermon for 5 hours in the light of the Divine threat that if he (the Messenger) did not deliver the Message of Allah to Muslims as if he did not deliver any message and that in consequence of delivering the Message, Allah will protect the Messenger. All the pains and effort were taken by the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) to tell the Muslims that Ali is their friend! It is plain and simple logic!

Sources used:

The Glorious Qur’an
Al-Ghadeer by Allama Abdul Husayn Al-Amini Al-Najafi, WIKIPEDIA    


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