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 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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