CORONATION OF IMAM ALI (A.S.) AS REPOPTED BY A SUNNI SCHOLAR

A great Sunni Doctor, Allama Shahab-ud-Deen Ahmed, have preserved the entire Sermon of the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.), delivered on the auspicious occasion of the Coronation of the Conqueror of Khyber, the Gateway of Knowledge, the Commander of the Faithful, the Infallible Imam Ali (a.s.), in his famous book titled “Taudih-ed-Dala’el” Following is a condensation of the speech as recorded in “Taudih-ed-Dala’el”:

I offer Praise and Thanks to Allah (s.w.t.) for all His Bounties. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and He is One, the Almighty, the Perfect .He has no consort or son, no partner (s), and I am one of His slaves but He chose me as one of His Messenger for the guidance of all mankind. O people! Fear Him at all times and never disobey Him. Remember that Allah’s knowledge encompasses everything.

O Muslims! Beware that when I am gone, there will arise men who will attribute false statements to me and there will be people who will believe in them. But I seek Allah’s protection that I should ever say anything but the Truth and invite you toward anything but what He has revealed to me. Those who transgress in this matter will pay the penalty. At this point, Ibada ibn Samit, a companion, rose and asked: “O Messenger of Allah! When that time comes, whom should we look up to for guidance?” The Messenger replied: “You should follow and obey “The people of my House (Ahlul Bait)” They are the heirs of my apostolic and prophetic knowledge. They will save you from going astray, and they will lead you to salvation. They would invite you toward the Book (Al-Qur’an al-Majid) and my Sunnah. Follow them because they are never in doubt about anything. Their faith in Allah is unshakable. They are the rightly-guided ones; they are the Imams, and they alone can save you from misbelieve, heresy and innovations.

Allah has commanded you to love my Ahlul-Bait. Devotion to them is made mandatory for you (Chapter 42 verse 23). They are the ones who are sanctified (Chapter 33 verse 33). They are the ones endowed with virtues and excellence which no one else possesses. They are the chosen ones of Allah Himself. Now I have been commanded by Allah to make this announcement: At this point he held Ali’s hand, lifted it high and said:

“Know you all, of whomsoever I am the Maula (Master), Ali is his Maula (Master). O Allah! Be You a Friend of him who is a friend of Ali, and be You an Enemy to him who is an enemy of Ali. O Allah! Help him who helps Ali, and abandon him who abandons him.”

The speech was over. Muhammad Mustafa, the Messenger of Allah, had formally and officially declared Ali ibn Abi Talib to be the Sovereign of all Muslims, and had appointed him as the head of the State and Government of Islam.

As soon as this announcement was made, another verse, the last one of the Al-Qur’an al-Majid, was revealed to Muhammad. It reads as follows:

“This day I have perfected for you, Your Religion and have completed My favors on you, and have Chosen for you Islam to be your Religion.” (Chapter 5 verse 3)

It was the 18^th day of the 12^th month of 10 A.H. (March 21 632 A.D.), when the last word of the Revelation was sent down to this earth. The Revelation started in 610 A.D. in the cave of Hira in Makka, and was brought to a conclusion in 632 A.D. in the plain of Khumm with the proclamation that Ali ibn Abi Talib would be Chief Executive, after Muhammad himself, of the Government of Madina and the State of Islam. Ibn Hajr Asqalani writes in “Isaba” that after making this announcement, the Apostle of God placed a turban on the head Ali ibn Abi Talib, thus completing his Coronation.

All the companions congratulated Ali on this glorious occasion when the Apostle of God himself crowned him and proclaimed him his vicegerent and successor. Among those who congratulated him were Umar bin al-Khattab and the wives of the Apostle.

Hassan bin Thabit Ansari and Qays ibn Ubada Ansari composed verses on this occasion.

Most of the Sunni commentators have conceded that the command of God to His Messenger in the first verse pertains specifically to the declaration that Ali is the Sovereign of all Muslims. Some of these commentators are: Wahidi in Asbab-un-Nazool, Suyuti in Tafsir Durr al-Manthoor, Ibne Kathir, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, Abu Ishaq Naishapuri, Ghazali in Sirrul Alameen, Tabari in Tarikh -ar-Rusul wal –Mulook, Shaikh Abdul Haq Muhaddith of Delhi, India.

Muhammad did not pick out Ali to be his successor merely because Ali was his cousin, his son-in-law, and his favorite disciple; nor did he pick out Ali because of his personal qualities. Muhammad had very little to do with this choice. The timing of the revelation of the last two verses of Al-Qur’an al-Majid (5:70 and 5:4), the events that transpired during the interval of these two revelations and their correlation, lead the observer to but one conclusion, viz., the choice of Ali as the successor of the Prophet of Islam, was made in Heaven. God Himself Chose Ali.

Source: A Restatement of the History of Islam and Muslims by Sayyid Ali Asghar Razwy