Shia Muslims have 5 Eids: Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha, Eid-e-Mubahela,
Eid-e-Ghadeer,
Wedding of Bibi Fatima Zehra (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 and may be treated as Eids.
On the 18th day of Dhul-Hijjah 10 A.H., the Holy
Prophet (s.a.w.s) was returning along with some 100,000 Muslims after
performing the last Hajj, when Archangel Jibra’il descended and brought
Sura al-Mai’dah verse 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 that time, every command
of Allah has been delivered and nothing was added after this day. A question
arises as to why Allah was threatening His Messenger that if he did not do as
directed by Allah then it will liquidate his efforts of the whole life. Because,
the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) died about 70 days after the Last Hajj. The last
sentence indicates that the Prophet was mindful 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 Arabian Desert . He recited about
100 verses of the Holy Qur’an for about 3 hours. The Messenger declared “It
seems the time had 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 )” The Messenger continued “Do I not have more right over You (the believers) than
what You have over yourselves?” People cried and answered “Yes, O Messenger of
God” Then followed the key sentence denoting the clear designation of Imam Ali
(a.s.) as the Leader of the 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
verse was revealed, Sura al-Maida verse 3 “Today, I have perfected your religion,
completed My favors to you, and have chosen Islam as your religion”. This verse
clearly indicates that Islam, without finalizing the matter of leadership after
Prophet, was not complete, and completion of religion was due to the
announcement of Imam Ali(a.s.) as his successor.
As soon as the Prophet 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 whomever
I was 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 and congratulate him. Among those who
did so included 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 narrators of
the tradition, while they exceeded a hundred 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 Prophet
reached Madina 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 the month of Ramadan and we obeyed. Then you commanded us to offer pilgrimage to
Makkah and we obeyed. But you are not satisfied with all this and you raised your cousin by hand and imposed upon us as our
master saying ‘Ali is the mawla
of whom I am mawla.’
Is this imposition from Allah or you?”
The Prophet 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 lower body and left him dead. It was on this occasion
that Allah, the Exalted revealed 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.” Sura al-Maa’rij verses 1-3.
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