|
“Today I have perfected your religion and completed my favor upon
you, and I was satisfied that Islam be your religion.”
(The Holy Quran, 5:3)
Eid
al-Ghadir,
which is known as Eid al-Akbar (the greatest Eid) in
Islamic narrations, could be referred to as the greatest
celebration (Eid) of all religions. For the result of the
mission of all the messengers of Allah (SWT) became accomplished on
this day.
When Prophet Nuh (Noah) (PBUH) was appointed, he introduced
his people to his religion and told them: “Allah has called upon you
to have faith in this religion; however, there shall be a prophet
after me whose religion is more perfect than mine, so have faith in
him and be aware that the most perfect religion will be brought by
the last prophet”. Similar to that, Ibrahim (Abraham),
Musa (Moses), Isa (Jesus) (PBUT) were appointed and they
gradually made the religion more perfect, and they spoke of the most
perfect religion, the one brought by the last prophet.
Now, Islam has been brought to people and the religion has reached
its most perfect state, and the mission of all Allah’s (SWT)
messengers is manifested in Islam. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) has
established Islam within 23 years of enormous endeavors, and has
conveyed brotherhood and equality amongst all the Muslims. Now, he
is preparing to visit the house of Allah (SWT), and he has called
upon all Muslims, no matter what their race or tribe is, to join him
in performing Hajjah al-Weedaa’ (farewell pilgrimage), his
last pilgrimage.
People were accompanying Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) in performing
the Hajj rituals and meanwhile, they heard the last words of
him. When returning, Gabriel comes down to Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH&HP) saying:” O Messenger!
Proclaim what has been revealed to you from your Lord.”
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) was worried about the reaction of
some of his companions since he was aware of their hypocrisy through
revelation (2).
Then, Gabriel came down for the second time:”
O Messenger! Proclaim what has been
revealed to you from your Lord”.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP), the mercy upon mankind, was
worried about the ailing hearts and weak faith of new Muslims. As he
was looking for a solution, Gabriel came down for the third time:”
O Messenger! Proclaim what has
been revealed to you from your Lord, for if you do it not you have
not conveyed His message and Allah will protect you from the (evil
designs of) people.”
(3)
What is this message that if not proclaimed, the Prophet’s mission
would not be conveyed?
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP), who possesses both the states of
Prophethood and Imamate, is addressed as “O Messenger!”,
which reveals that his state of Prophethood is targeted. On the
other hand, the phrase “you have not conveyed His message”
indicates that not proclaiming this message would result in not
having accomplished the duty of Prophethood.
In the following section of the verse, Allah (SWT) assures Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH&HP) by saying that:”
Allah will protect you from the (evil
designs of) people.” Here
protection does not mean to address physical, financial… protection;
because Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) never felt fear during the
battles, and his life’s history testifies that he never stood back
even a single step in the battles. Even
in the battle of Uhud, when the Muslims were seemingly
defeated and their army was collapsed, Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH&HP) was still fighting against the
pagans. In addition to that, Allah (SWT) describes not only
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP), but also other prophets as:” those
who proclaim the messages of Allah and
have fear in Him, and have fear in no one but Allah.”(4)
Therefore, Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH&HP) fear was about
damages to the religion and the ignorance of people; hence, the good
tidings by Allah (SWT) were about the victory over the ignorance of
people, just like as he told Prophet Moses (PBUH):” Fear not;
you are the superior”(5).
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) stops at a place called Ghadir. He
summons those who have gone forward to return and wait for the
followers to join. Them, he climbs an eminence and gives a sermon:
“Praise be to Allah; I testify that He is the Lord and I am His
servant. Gabriel has descended to me thrice, and has ordered me from
Allah to stop on this land to proclaim His message.
Am I not your Wali (more precious to you than your own
lives)?" People
replied:" Yes". He continued:” Am I not your prophet and leader?”
Again, all the people confirmed. It was then that he took Ali ibn
Abi Talib's (PBUH) hands and raised them high, and said, "Whoever
has me as his Master (Wali), Ali is his Master (Wali)”.
After that, those that were present came to Ali (PBUH) at the tent
which Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) had ordered to be set up, and
congratulated him on his new position. They addressed him as Amir
al-Mu’minin (Ruler of the Faithful). Historians have mentioned
numbers up to 120000 for the people present at that time.
Then, the following verse of the Quran was revealed:” Today,
those who disbelieve have despaired of your religion; so fear
them not and fear Me. Today I have perfected for you your religion
and have completed My favor upon you, and I was satisfied that Islam
be your religion.”(6)
In the Holy Quran, the terms "Yaum" and “Yauma’izin”
usually refer to the resurrection day; however, the former is used
in this verse referring to the issue of Imamate. Since the Holy
Quran starts talking about important issues with the terms “Al”
and “Yaum”, it is indicated that the aforementioned
verse, in which the term “al-Yaum” is repeated twice,
contains important news. That important news is indeed appointing
the Master and Ruler of the Muslim community after Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH&HP).
This important event made the disbelievers disappointed. The enemies
of Islam would say: " … we are waiting to see him die”
(7), so his religion would be removed; because it is possible
to fight against the book and the law and to interpret them
according to one’s desires; however, such divine Leader could not be
fought. Therefore, the event of Ghadir made the disbelievers despair
of this hope due to the fact that a leader was appointed for the
Muslims who possessed virtues such as bravery, wisdom, patience and
constancy, just like Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP). There, a divine
successor was appointed by Allah to continue Prophet’s path and
supervise the Muslims after Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP).
The next section of the verse talks about perfection of religion and
completion of favor. Obviously, it does not refer to materialistic
favors, because the creatures are constantly blessed by such favors
from Allah (SWT), and they are not such that could be completed;
hence, another type of favor (which is indeed superior to and more
important than materialistic favors) is meant. According to the
event of Ghadir, this favor is nothing but the favor of Imamat
(Leadership) and Wilayat (Mastership). Even Allah (SWT) has
admired the favor of prophethood and Imamat as His greatest favors
in the Holy Quran, and has used the term Minnah (a
significant and enormous favor which is difficult to receive and
maintain) regarding these two favors:”
Certainly Allah conferred a great favor upon the believers when He
raised among them a Messenger from amongst themselves.”
(8); “And We desired to bestow a great favor upon those
who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them the Imams, and to
make them the inheritors.”(9)
And
finally, the endeavors of all the prophets before Islam and the 23
year endeavors of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) became fruitful on the
day of Ghadir, and the argument on mankind became complete.
It
is noteworthy that according to the knowledge of Hadith,
there are few events reported to be as authentic as the event of
Ghadir. Mas’ood ibn Nasser Sajestani in the book “Wilayatkade”,
which is printed in seventeen volumes, narrates this event on the
authority of one hundred twenty people. Muhammad bin Jarir Tabari in
the book “Radd Alaa al-Kharqouziah”, narrates the event of Ghadir
from seventy-five different routes, and Ibn Ouqdah mentions 125
different narrators for this Hadith in the book of Wilayat.
It is quoted from Abou al-Ma’ali Jowni that:” I saw a book in a
bookbinding store which contained the Hadith of Ghadir, and
it was written on its back:” Volume 28 of the routes for the
Hadith of Man Kuntu Mawlah (the beginning phrase of the
Hadith of Ghadir which means whoever has me as Master)”. Sayyid
Murtada writes that:” We have not come up to a single Islamic
sect that denies the event of Ghadir”. Finally, the book of
Al-Ghadir by Allamah Amini is the most general and complete
encyclopedia for narrations about the Ghadir event.
Based
on the above, it is on us to celebrate this great Eid. There
is a Hadith in Sahih Muslim narrating from Taariq ibn Shahab
that:” A group of Jews told the second Caliph that:” If such a verse
had been revealed to us (Today I have perfected for you
your religion and have completed my favor upon you) and we knew
that day it had been revealed, We would have celebrated that day.”
References:
-
Al-Ghadir,
by Allamah Amini
-
Tafsir al-Mizan,
by Ayatullah Jawadi Amuli
-
Explanations of the Event of Ghadir,
by Ayatullah Jawadi Amuli,
-
Haqq al-Yaqin, by Allamah Majlisi
Footnotes:
1-
The Holy Quran, (5:3)
2-
The Holy Quran, (9:101)
3-
The Holy Quran, (5:67)
4-
The Holy Quran, (33:39)
5-
The Holy Quran, (20:67)
6-
The
Holy Quran, (5:3)
7-
The Holy Quran, (52:30)
8-
The Holy Quran, (2:164)
9-
The Holy Quran, (28:5) |