The Soul of Pillars of Islam is the Wilayah:
Our 5th Imam-asws said that Islam was built on five pillars: the Salat, the Zakat, the Pilgrimage, the Soam (Fasting) and the Wilayah. Wilayah is the most important, because it is the soul and His-azwj ‘Wali’ (the Imams-asws) are the evidence on them (people).[1]
The Wilayah (Total Submission/Obedience):
Allah-azwj Says in the Holy Quran:
: إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ (5:55)
Only Allah is your Wali and His Messenger and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow.
(Imam-asws says in a Hadith): ‘The Wilayah of Allah-azwj, Rasool Allah-saww and Imam Ali-asws is of the same value.’
Amir-ul-Momineen-asws said: ‘My-asws Wilayah is the Wilayah of Allah-azwj and all Prophets-as had to submit to our Wilayah, as part of the major requirement (to be given the Prophet-hood).’[2]
Amir-ul-Momineen-asws said to his close disciples in one of his-asws sermons: ‘O Salman! Allah-azwj, Said: “Do not seek Allah-azwj‘s Help but through ‘Patience and Prayer; It is indeed hard except for those who possess a humble spirit.” ‘Patience’ is Prophet Muhammad-saww and ‘Prayer’ is my-asws Wilayah. Thus, that is why Allah-azwj has declared that it is indeed hard to understand these Powers. In fact, my-asws‘ Wilayah is not easy to understand but for those who have a humble spirit. Thus, Allah-azwj Made my Wilayah easier only for those who have the ‘humble spirits.’
The Scope of Wilayah:
The ‘Imam-asws’ is the guide for the seekers of truth and an inspiration for the rightly guided. His-asws ‘Wilayah’ is the means leading to salvation (in the Hereafter). Wilayah safeguards followers from danger and disasters and the management of their all affairs.[3] (The scope of an Imam’s Wilayah is to provide protection and to fulfil our needs – that is the Imam-asws made by Allah-azwj)
Allah-azwj Says in the Holy Quran:
يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِي أُوفِ بِعَهْدِكُمْ وَإِيَّايَ فَارْهَبُونِ (2:40)
Children of Israel, remember My favour which I have shown you, and fulfil My agreement! I shall fulfil your covenant. I am the One you should revere![4]
Imam Jafar Sadiq-asws (our 6th Imam-asws) was asked about the meanings of this Verse and Imam-asws replied, ‘It means, if you submit to the Wilayah of Ali-asws, which has been made compulsory by Your Lord-azwj on to you then Allah-azwj will enter you into Paradise.’[5]
In the famous Verse of Kursi (Holy Quran), Allah-azwj Says:
اللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يُخْرِجُهُمْ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَوْلِيَاؤُهُمُ الطَّاغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُمْ مِنَ النُّورِ إِلَى الظُّلُمَاتِ ۗ أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ {2:257}
Allah is the guardian of those who believe. He brings them out of the darkness into the Light; and (as to) those who disbelieve, their guardians are Shaitans who take them out of the Light into the darkness; they are the inmates of the fire, in it they shall live (forever).
Imam Jafar e Sadiq-asws said in the explanation of the above Verse that the ‘Darkness’ means the enemies of the Imams-asws and the Light means the Imam and/or their Wilayah.[6]
Rasool Allah-saww was asked to announce the Wilayah of Imam Ali-asws Ibn Abi Talib‑asws on the Days of Arfah (9th of Zilhaj) during the last Hajj but Rasool Allah-saww did not announce Wilayah of Ali-asws due to the opposition of those present. Then Message of Allah-azwj Came again on the 18th of Zilhaj and this time it was very Clear and Strict:
يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ ۖ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ {5:67}
O Messenger! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people; surely, Allah will not guide the unbelieving people.
Rasool Allah-saww announced the Wilayah of Imam Ali-asws at Ghadir-e-Khumm in his-saww farewell Hajj Sermon by raising the Hand of Imam Ali-asws and saying:
‘Munkuntu Mola ho Fa Haza Ali un Mola’ (Whosoever I-saww am the Mola (Wali) his/her is this Ali-asws the Mola/Wali’)
The famous Verse of the Holy Quran (5:3) was Revealed only after Rasool Allah-saww announced the Wilayah of Imam Ali-asws Ibn Abi Talib-asws after returning from the Last Hajj at the place called ‘Ghadir-e-Khumm’. In this Verse Allah-azwj Says:
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا ۚ {5:3}
This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favour on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion;
Allah-azwj also Says in the Holy Quran:
Surely, this Quran guides to that which is most upright and gives good news to the believers who do good that they shall have a great reward (17:9).
Imam-asws says the ‘Most Upright’ refers to the Wilayah of the Imams-asws.[7]
Imam Ali-asws Ibn Abi Talib-asws (our first Imam) says: ‘whosoever comes with a good deed (al-Hasana), he shall have (a reward which is) better than it; and they shall be secure from terror of that day (Day of Judgement). And whosoever comes with an evil deed (Sayyia), their faces shall be thrust into the Fire; the good deed is the recognition of our Wilayah and love (hubb) for us, the Ahl Al-Bayt-asws. The evil deed is denial of our Wilayah and hatred (bughz) for us-asws.’[8]
Rasool Allah-saww said that the Wilayah of Ali-asws is a good deed that cannot give rise to an error.[9]
A Brief Account of Ghadir-e-Khumm
(It has been narrated) from Abu Ja’far-asws (5th Imam-asws): ‘When Rasool-Allah-saww finished the Farewell Pilgrimage, encamped at a land called ‘Zawjan’, this Verse was Revealed [5:67] O Rasool! Deliver what has been Revealed unto you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His Message, and Allah will Protect you from the people. So Rasool Allah-saww called for the congregational Prayer. The people gathered and Rasool Allah-saww said: ‘Who is higher among you than your own selves?’ They all said, ‘Allah-azwj and His-azwj Rasool-saww’. So Rasool Allah-saww grabbed Imam Ali-asws Bin Abu Talib-asws and said: ‘The one whom I-saww was a Moula (Master) of, so Imam Ali-asws is his Moula! Our Allah-azwj! Befriend the one who befriends him-asws, and be hostile to the one who is hostile to him-asws, and Help the one who helps him-asws, and Abandon the one who abandons him-asws, for he-asws is from me-saww’ and it was the last Obligation which Allah-azwj the High Obligated upon the community of Muhammad-saww, then Allah-azwj Revealed unto His-azwj Prophet-saww [5:3] This day have I Perfected for you your Religion and Completed My Favour on you and Chosen for you Islam as a Religion’.’
Abu Ja’far-asws said: ‘So they received from Rasool-Allah-saww everything which Allah-azwj Commanded them, from the Obligation regarding the Salat (Prayer), and the Soam (Fasts), and the Zakat (alms-giving), and the Hajj (Pilgrimage), and submitted to Imam Ali-asws’s (Wilayah) by agreeing with Rasool Allah-saww.’ Ibn Is’haq asked: ‘When was that?’ He-asws said: ‘Seventeen nights from Zilhaj in the year ten (Hijra) during the returning from the Farewell Hajj.’[10]
Declaration of Wilayah in Ghadir-e-Khumm
(Amir-ul-Momineen-asws) said in a sermon: ‘I-asws adjure you to Allah-azwj regarding the Words of Allah-azwj “[4:59] O you who believe! obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority from among you”, and His-azwj Words “[5:55] Only Allah is your Guardian and His Rasool and those who believe, those who keep up the Prayers and pay the Zakat while they are bowing”, then Said [9:16] Are you reckoning that you would be left alone while Allah has not yet Known those of you who have struggled hard and do not take to any one besides Allah and His Rasool and the Believers as a confidant. Allah-azwj Ordered His-azwj Messenger-saww that he-saww should teach them about the ‘Wilayah’ just as he-saww had explained to them their Salat (Prayers), and their Soam (Fasts), and their Zakat (alms-giving), and their Hajj (Pilgrimage). So the Rasool-saww nominated me-asws at Ghadir-e-Khumm and said that: “Allah-azwj Sent me-saww with a Message which constricted my-saww chest as I-saww could see that the people were not going to believe me-saww. Allah-azwj Promised me-saww that I-saww should preach it or else Allah-azwj would Punish me-saww so Arise! O Ali-asws.”
‘Then Rasool Allah-saww called for the congregational Prayer, so we all Prayed with him-asws Al-Zohr (Midday Prayer), then Rasool Allah-saww said: “O you people! Surely, Allah-azwj is my-saww Moula (Master), and I-saww am the Moula of the believers and higher to them than their own selves. Beware! The one to whom I-saww was the Moula of, Ali-asws is that person’s Moula. Our Allah-azwj! Befriend the one who befriends him-asws, and be hostile to the one who is hostile to him-asws, and Help the one who helps him-asws and Abandon the one who abandons him-asws.”
‘So, Salman Al-Farsy-as stood up in front of Rasool Allah-saww and said, ‘O Rasool Allah-saww, be submissive to Imam Ali-asws like what?’ Rasool Allah-saww said: ‘Be submissive to him-asws like you are submissive to me-saww. The one to whom I-saww am higher than his own self, so Ali-asws is higher to him than his own self’, and Allah-azwj Blessed and High Sent down [5:3] This day have I Perfected for you your Religion and Completed My Favour on you and Chosen for you Islam as a Religion. So, Salman Al-Farsy-as said, ‘O Rasool Allah-saww, this Verse has Descended regarding Imam Ali-asws especially?’ The Rasool Allah-saww said: ‘Indeed, it is regarding Imam Ali-asws, and regarding my-saww successors up to the Day of Judgement.’
‘Then the Rasool Allah-saww said: ‘O Salman, you and those who are present are witnesses of that, and those present should make it reach to the ones who are absent’. Salman Al-Farsy-as said, ‘O Rasool Allah-saww, explain it for us’. So Rasool Allah-saww said: ‘Ali-asws, who is my-saww brother, and my-saww Vizier, and my-saww successor, and my-saww inheritor, and my-saww Caliph in my-saww community, and the Guardian of every believer after me-saww, and eleven Imams-asws from his sons-asws. The first of them-asws is my-saww son Al-Hassan-asws, then Al-Husayn-asws, then nine from the sons-asws of Al-Husayn-asws, one after the other. The Quran is with them-asws and they-asws are with the Quran. Neither will it separate from them-asws nor will they separate from it until they-asws return to the Fountain’.’ Twelve men from the people of Badr stood up and said, ‘We testify that we heard that from the Rasool Allah-saww as you-asws have said it exactly, neither have you-asws added nor you-asws have been deficient by a single letter, and the Rasool Allah-saww made us witnesses on that’. And the remaining seventy said, ‘We have heard that but did not memorise all of it, and these twelve are our good ones, and the best ones of us’. So Imam Ali-asws said: ‘You spoke the truth. It is not for all the people to be memorisers, some of them are better at memorising than others.’
Al-No’man Al-Haris Al-Fahry and his punishment:
Imam Ja’far Bin Muhammad Al-Sadiq-asws, (the 6th Imam-asws) said that when Rasool-Allah-saww nominated Imam Ali-asws on the Day of Ghadir-e-Khumm and said: ‘The one whom I-saww was the Master of, so Ali-asws is his Master (من كنت مولاه فعلي مولاه), that became common knowledge in the country. Then Al-No’man Al-Haris Al-Fahry came to the Prophet-saww, and said, ‘You-saww commanded us from Allah-azwj that we should testify that there is no god except for Allah-azwj, and that you-saww are the Rasool-Allah-saww, and commanded us for the Jihad, and the Hajj, and the Fasts, and the Prayer, and the Zakat, so we accepted these, then you-asws are not happy until you-saww nominate this boy, so you-saww said: ‘The one whom I-saww was the Master of, so Ali-asws is his Master (من كنت مولاه فعلي مولاه)’. So is this thing from you-saww or a Command from Allah-azwj?’ So he-saww said: ‘Yes, and Allah-azwj is the One, there is no god except Him-azwj, this is from Allah-azwj’.
So No’man Bin Al-Haris turned around and he was saying, ‘O Allah-azwj)! If this is the Truth from You-azwj, so let stones rain upon us from the sky!’ So Allah-azwj Stoned him upon his head, and killed him. And Allah-azwj Revealed [70:1] A questioner asked for the Punishment to befall’.[11]
Abu Saeed Al-Khudry reports the allegiance of Ghadir
Abu Saeed Al-Khudry said that the Rasool Allah-saww called the people at Ghadir e Khum. So he-saww ordered to have the thorns cleared from under the tree.
Then he-saww called the people over to himself-saww and took the arms of Imam Ali-asws and raised them. He-saww said: ‘The one whose ‘Mola’ Master I-saww was, Ali-asws is that person’s ‘Mola’ Master.’ Abu Saeed said, ‘He did not come down from the Pulpit until this Verse was Revealed: “[5:3] This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favour on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion”. So the Rasool Allah-saww said: ‘Allah-azwj is Great, for having Perfected the Religion, and Completed the Favour and the Lord-azwj is Pleased by the Wilayah of Ali-asws from after me-saww’.
Objections of Abu Bakr and Umar in Al-Ghadir
The Rasool Allah-saww stood up during the time of midday, and ordered for a tent to be set up, and ordered Imam Ali-asws to enter inside it, and the first ones that the Rasool Allah-saww ordered to accept his-asws Wilayat were Abu Bakr and Umar.
Neither of them stood up until after they asked the Rasool Allah-saww, ‘Is the Order for this allegiance from Allah-azwj?’ So he-saww replied to them both: ‘Yes, this is from the Orders of Allah-azwj Majestic and High, and both of you should know that the one who breaks this allegiance is ‘Kafir’ (an infidel), for the words of Ali-asws are my-saww words, and his-asws command is my-saww command. So the one who opposes the words of Ali-asws, he has opposed me-saww.’
After having emphasised this speech to the two of them, he-saww quickly ordered them for the allegiance. So they both stood up and came up to Imam Ali-asws and paid allegiance to him-asws as ‘Amir-ul-Momineen’. And Umar said during the allegiance, ‘Congratulations, congratulations to you-asws O Ali-asws, you-asws have become my Master and the Master of every believing man and believing woman.’
(It has been narrated) from Abu Ja’far-asws: ‘The last Obligation which Allah-azwj the High Revealed was Al-Wilayah.’[12]
(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullah-asws regarding the Statement of the Mighty and Majestic: “[107:1] Have you considered him who belied the Religion?” The Imam-asws said: ‘It means that the Religion is Al-Wilayah. And it is supported by the Words of the High: “[3:19] Surely the Religion with Allah is Islam” and it is not complete except by Al-Wilayah, because the Glorious One-azwj Said on the day that He-azwj Obligated the Wilayah: [5:3] This day have I Perfected for you your Religion and Completed My Favour on you and Chosen for you Islam as a Religion. Had it not been for Al-Wilayah, the religion would not have been perfected, nor would the Favours have been completed, nor would Allah-azwj the Glorious have been Pleased for us with the Religion of Al-Islam. It is for that purpose Al-Wilayah became the Religion. So attach yourselves to the organization, its people, the Al-Mawaleen (those with Al-Wilayah)’.[13]
Wilayah of Imam Ali-asws and 11-Imams-asws after him-asws From the Holy Quran
الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فِي قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ مَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَ رَسُولَهُ فِي وَلَايَةِ عَلِيٍّ وَ وَلَايَةِ الْأَئِمَّةِ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ فَقَدْ فازَ فَوْزاً عَظِيماً هَكَذَا نَزَلَتْ
Al-Hussain ibn Mohammed, who from Mullah ibn Mohammed, who from Ali ibn Asbat, who from Ali ibn Abi Hamza who reports from Imam Abu Abd Allah-asws:
About the Words of Allah-azwj: One who Obeys Allah and His Messenger regarding the Wilayah of Ali and the Wilayah of Imams after him, will certainly achieve a great success (33:71), Imam Abu Abd Allah-asws said: This is how it was Revealed (originally by Allah-azwj).[14]
The Muslims (in general) Left the Wilayah:
Our 5th Imam-asws says: ‘Allah-azwj, has Commanded people to fulfil five obligations (the five pillars of Islam). However, they have undertaken the responsibility for four of these obligations but they have ignored one.’
The narrator asked: ‘May Allah-azwj Keep my soul in service for your cause, will you please describe them for me?’ The Imam-asws replied: ‘The Prayer is one of such obligations, then was the Zakat, then was the Fast (Soam), and the Hajj, and then came the Command regarding the Wilayah of Imam Ali and (11) Imams-asws after him (an Extract from a long Hadith).[15]
[1] الكافي ج : 2 ص : 19, H. 5
)علي بن ابراهيم، عن أبيه وعبد الله بن الصلت جميعا، عن حماد بن عيسى، عن حريز بن عبد الله، عن زرارة، عن أبي جعفر (عليه السلام) قال: بني الاسلام على خمسة أشياء: على الصلاة والزكاة والحج والصوم والولاية، قال زرارة: فقلت: وأي شئ من ذلك أفضل؟ فقال: الولاية أفضل، لانها مفتاحهن والوالي هو الدليل عليهن.(
[2] AlQatara, vol. 2, pp. 64, Amali Mufeed 142, tradition 9, Bihar Volume 100, pp. 262, tradition 15, Amali Tusi, 271, tradition 19.
[3] بحارالأنوار 26 1 باب 14- نادر في معرفتهم صلوات الله
[4] Al Baqra, (2), verse 40.
[5] Tafseer by Syed Imdad Hussain, pp. 9
[6] Al-Ayyashi, Tafsir, Vol. 1, pg. 138-139, Al-Majlisi, Bihar, Vol. 15/1, pg. 17, 129, Al-Bahrani, Al-Burhan, Vol. 1, pg. 244.
[7] Al-Ayyashi, Tafsir, Vol. 2, pg. 283-139, Al-Bahrani, Al-Burhan, Vol. 2, pg. 409.
[8] Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, pg. 262, H. 14.
[9] Bihar, Vol. 8, pg. 300
[10] غاية المرام: 337/ 6
[11] (مجمع البيان 10: 529.)
[12] تفسير القمّي 1: 162
[13] Taweel Al Ayaat Al Zahira – CH 107 H 2
[14] H. 8, الكافي ج : 1 ص : 414
[15] Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, Ch. 64, H. 6.