Ulul Amr

In a recent success of the Indian cricket team a lot of credit had been given to their coach. The world record holder of almost 100 centuries in International Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, attributed his recent batting success to this coach. This shows even he needed somebody to guide him to improve upon his batting performance.

In the business world, most of the successful managers after spending many years at the top retire to become business coaches. Their experience and guidance helps small and upcoming businesses to channelize their efforts in a right direction and move ahead on a success path.

A bright student apart from attending school, still needs a tutor to make him perform well in his board exams. The expert tips given by his tutor ensure that he shines in exams and comes out with flying colours.

 Thus in order to make our efforts meaningful we do require guidance and mentoring of an expert coach in various walks of life. These coaches are from the specific field where we need to achieve expertise and they have a successful track record as a proof of their ability. Let us strive with this article to find out the right and chosen guides in our lives who would make our efforts meaningful to reach the straight path and attain nearness to Allah.

As Allah (SWT) says in the following ayah:

•“Aur jo shakhs Khuda ki yaad se andha banta hai Hum (goya khud) uske waaste shaitaan muqarar kar dete hai.” – (Surah-e-Zakhruf, ayah 32)

“(And whoever turns himself away from the remembrance of the Beneficent Allah, We appoint for him a Shaitan, so he becomes his associate.)”

It is thus mandatory for us to remember Allah to be able to save ourselves from the Satan. If we forget Allah, Allah Himself would appoint a Satan and we would get astray.

And Allah (SWT) again says in the following ayah:

•“Agaah raho ye log yaqeenan jhoote hain shaitaan ne unn par qaboo paaliya hai aur Khuda ki yaad unn se bhula di hai. Ye log shaitaan ke giroh hai sunn rakho ke shaitaan ka giroh ghaata uthane wala hai.” – (Surah-e-Mujadla, ayah 19)

“(The Shaitan has gained the mastery over them, so he has made them forget the remembrance of Allah; they are the Shaitan's party; now surely the Shaitan's party are the losers.)”

So if we get tempted by Satan and forget Allah, we become part of Satan’s party of losers. So how should we please Allah (SWT) and avoid getting tempted by the Satan?

Let us see the following ayah and contemplate:

•“Aur na kisi imaandar mard ko ye munasib hai aur na kisi imaandar aurat ko jab Khuda aur us ke Rasool (SAW) kisi kaam ka hukm dein to unko apne uss kam (ke karne na karne) ka akhtiyaar ho aur (yaad rahe ki) jiss shakhs ne Khuda aur uss ke Rasool (SAW) ki nafarmani ki wo yaqeenan khulam khulla gumrahi main mubtela ho chukka.”- (Surah-e-Ahzab, ayah 36)

“(No believing men and women have any choice in a matter after God and His Apostle have decided it. Whoever disobeys God and His Apostle has clearly lost the way and gone astray.)”

Whatever Allah (SWT) has instructed and ordered us and whatever the holy Prophet (pbuh) has ordered us is to be followed and respected. Failing, we might get tempted by Satan and get astray.

That is the reason Allah (SWT) further says:



•“Ae Rasool (SAW) kehdo ke Khuda aur Rasool (SAW) ki farmabardaari karo phir agar yeh log uss se sartaabi karein to (samajh lein ki) Khuda kafiron ko hargiz dost nahin rakhta.” – (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 32)

“(Say: Obey Allah and the Messenger; but if they turn back, then surely Allah does not love the unbelievers.)”


Thus in order to be a believer and be loved by Allah it is mandatory for us to not only obey Allah’s command but we need to equally obey whatever the holy Prophet (pbuh) has instructed us.

Now let us see what the following ayah says:


•“Ae Imaandaro Khuda ki ita’at karo aur Rasool (SAW) ki aur jo tum main se ulul amr (sahaban e hukumat) ho unki ita’at karo.” – (Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 59)

“O ye who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those vested with authority from among you (Ulul Amr)”.

Again, from the above ayah it seems that there is one more authority from among us which needs to be followed and obeyed the way we obey Allah (SWT) and the holy Prophet (pbuh). If we ponder upon the ayah we will observe that the instruction of obeying the Ulul Amr is unconditional; hence we need to obey them in whatever condition to remain guided and avoid getting astray. So who are they?

Allah (SWT) is the Greatest, the holy Prophet (pbuh) is His Greatest Messenger for which Allah (SWT) Himself is the witness; thus two great authorities to be obeyed and followed. Logically it seems that Ulul Amr, the third authority, hence should have the following characteristics:

•Ulul Amr must be appointed by Allah (SWT) Himself; we don’t have any authority in this regard.

•Like the holy Prophet (pbuh) Ulul Amr must be steadfast on the straight path and similar to him in conduct as duly testified by Quran.

•They need to be well guided to guide the ummah; hence they need to be infallible.

Keeping this in mind let us further go deep in Quran to find them. The following ayah from Surah-e-Airaf will help us in this regard:

•“Hud ne jawab diya (ke bas samajhlo) ke tumhare Parwardigaar ki taraf se tum per azaab aur ghazab naazil ho chuuka kya tum mujhse chand (buuton ke farzi) naamon ke baare main jhagadte ho jinko tum ne aur tumhare baap dadao ne (khwamkhwaah) ghad liya hai haalaanke Khuda ne unn ke liye koi sanad nahin naazil ki pus tum (azaabe Khuda ka) intezaar karo main bhi tumhare saath muntazir hoon.” – (Surah-e-Airaf, ayah 71)

“(He said: "Punishment and wrath have already come upon you from your Lord: dispute ye with me over names which ye have devised - ye and your fathers, - without authority from Allah? then wait: I am amongst you, also waiting.")

The above ayah mentions the dispute between Hud (A.S) and his community regarding worshiping and following certain names. He is trying to stop them to do that since there was no authority established by Allah over the genuineness of the names. Hence we can say that only the authority which is duly appointed by Allah (SWT) needs to be followed.

And in the following ayah Allah (SWT) further declares:


•“Aur tumhara Parwardigaar jo chahta hai paida karta hai aur (jise chahta hai) muntakhab karta hai aur yeh intekhaab logon ke ikhtiyaar main nahin hai..” – (Surah-e-Qasas, ayah 68)

“(Your Lord creates what He will and chooses (for His tasks) whomsoever He will. It is not for them to make the choice.)”

The ayah has said very clearly that it is Allah and Allah alone who chooses whomsoever for His tasks and we don’t have any authority to choose them. If we do that we might lose the straight path.

And in the following ayah He says it very explicitly that:

•"(logo) jo tumhare Parvardigar ki taraf se tum per naazil kiya gaya hai usski pairvi karo aur uss ke siwa doosre (farzi) sarparaston ki pairvi na karna.” - (Surah-e-Airaf, ayah 3)

“(Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord and do not follow guardians besides Him, how little do you mind.)”

Since it is Allah (SWT) who appoints the authority and guardian above the people to carry His tasks, He reveals and indicates their presence. The above ayah thus orders us to look for them and follow them rather than following people for whom nothing has been revealed by Allah (SWT).

Now with this result it is easy to establish that Ulul Amr, as indicated by in Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 59, are duly appointed by Allah (SWT) and there must be indications in form of ayahs regarding them in Quran.

Let us try to find out those references regarding Ulul Amr in Quran then:

•“Aur Shaitaan ne apne khayal ko jo unke baare main kiya tha sach kar dikhaya to un logon ne usski pairvi ki magar imaandaron ka ek giroh na bhatka.” – (Surah-e-Saba, ayah 20)

“(And certainly the Shaitan found true his conjecture concerning them, so they follow him, except a group of true believers.)”

The ayah clearly indicates that there was one specific group of believers who did not get lured by Satan but it does not say this for every believer. This group remained steadfast on straight path always and hence was sinless and purified. It means that every believer needs to strive to find them and follow them to remain steadfast on the right path.

Now let us see the following ayah from Surah-e-Baqra:

•“(Aur) ae hamare paalne wale Tu hamein apna farmabardaar banda bana aur hamari aulaad se ek giroh paida kar jo Tera farmabardar ho.” – (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 128)

“(And make us submit, O Lord, to Your will, and our progeny a group submissive to You. Teach us the way of worship and forgive our trespasses, for You are compassionate and merciful)”


While raising the foundations of the House (Ka’aba) Ibrahim (A.S) and Ismail (A.S) used to recite the above mentioned prayer. As per the prayer there is a group from within the progeny of Ibrahim (A.S) submissive to Allah (SWT)’s Will and hence steadfast on the straight path. We can infer that this group is the same group which is being referred in ayah 20 Surah-e-Saba which we discussed above.

And the following ayah from Surah-e-Aale Imran says:


•“Tum kya achhe giroh ho ke logon ki hidayat ke waaste paida kiye gaye ho. Tum logon ko achhe kaam ka to hukm karte ho aur bure kaamon se rokte ho aur Khuda per Imaan rakhte ho aur agar ahl-e-kitab bhi isi tarah imaan laate to unke haq main bahot achha hota un main se kuch to imaandar hai aur aksar badkaar”. – ( Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 110)

“(You are the best of the nations raised up for (the benefit of) men; you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah; and if the followers of the Book had believed it would have been better for them; of them (some) are believers and most of them are transgressors.)”


This group of people is raised for the benefit of mankind. They are best in conduct and character. They guide people to the right path.

On the explanation of the above ayah Ibn-e-Abi Hakim has quoted Hazrat Abu Ja’far that they are Ahl-ul-bait of Rasool (SAW). (Ref: Tafseer-e-Suyuti, Vol 2, P 64)

Thus we can infer that the Ahl-ul-bait are the duly appointed Ulul Amr, and we need to obey them the way we obey holy Prophet (pbuh).

In the earlier section we had inferred 3 things about Ulul Amr; first that they are duly appointed by Allah - which we have already established. Second, that they should be steadfast on the straight path like the holy Prophet (pbuh) and similar to him in their conduct and this needs to be verified now and hence let us see the following two ayahs:


•“(Ae logo) beshak tumhare liye pairvi karne ko achhe se achha namoona khud Rasulallah (SAW) mawjood hai ya’ani us shakhs ke liye jo Allah aur qayamat ke din ki ummeed rakhta ho aur Allah ki bahot si yaad karta ho.” – (Surah-e-Ahzaab, ayah 21)

“(Certainly you have in the Apostle of Allah an excellent exemplar for him who hopes in Allah and the latter day and remembers Allah much.)”

•“Humain seedha raasta dikha, un logo ka raasta jin per Tu ne inaam farmaya…” – (Surah-e-Fateha Ayah 6-7)

(“Show us the straight way, the way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace...”)

The first ayah informs us that the holy Prophet (pbuh) is the great example for us to follow. While the second ayah from Surah-e-Fateha is the prayer to seek guidance to the straight path the way certain chosen and blessed people of Allah have treaded.

From both the ayahs mentioned above, we can infer that the path treaded by these chosen and blessed people and the holy Prophet (pbuh) needs to be same. Thus Quran testifies here about their steadfastness on the straight path and their conduct and character similar to the holy Prophet (pbuh).

While commenting on the above mentioned ayah from Surah-e-Fateha, Sa’labi writes in his tafseer, a tradition from Abu Hureira that the ‘straight path’ means the path taken by Mohammed (SAW) and the children of Mohammed (SAW). (Ref: Sa’labi in his Tafseer, Waki ibn-e-Jarrah in his commentary).


And that is the reason the holy Prophet (pbuh) has displayed his closeness to Ali (A.S) and Hussain (A.S) in following words:
•"He created me and Ali from the same light".

(Ref: Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his Fadail, volume 2, p 663, Tradition #1130, from Abdur-Razzak, from Mu'amar, from al-Zuhri, from Khalid ibn Mu'dan, from Zadan, from Salman al-Farsi, Mizan Al-Ei'tidal, by al-Dhahabi, v1, p235, al-Riyadh al-Nadhirah, by al-Muhib al-Tabari, v2, p164, v3, p154, History of Ibn Asakir)

• He has also said that "I am from Husain and Husain is from me"

(Ref: Sahih Tirmizi, vol 6, P 307, Kanzul Ammal, vol 4, P 221, Masnad Ahmed, vol 4 P 972)


Our third inference was that they need to be infallible to be a perfect guide. Imam Fakhruddin al-Razi, a grand Islamic Scholar writes in his tafseer while referring to ayah 59 of Surah-e-Nisa:

“The type of obedience that Allah (SWT) has ordered is unconditional obedience. It must relate to that individual who is infallible. If he was fallible and could do mistakes, then would Allah (SWT) be telling us to follow such a person and adhere to him? Allah (SWT) tells us to follow the Ulul Amr unconditionally. He must be infallible, a fact that is testified to by this verse". (Ref: Tafseer al Kabir Volume 3 page 243)

And Quran confirms about their piety in the following words:

•“Ae Paighambar ki Ahl-ul-bait Khuda to buss yeh chahta hai ke tum ko har tarah ki burai se door rakkhe aur itna paak rakkhe jitna paak rakhne ka haq hai” - (Surah-e-Ahzab, Ayah 33)

(“Verily, Verily Allah intendeth but to keep off from you (every kind of) uncleanliness, O ye people of the House, and purify you with a thorough purification.”)


Thus it is Allah’s Will that the people of household (Ahl-ul-bait) remain purified from all kind of uncleanliness and thus they are ofcourse infallible as per the above ayah. (Ref: Tafseer Durr-e- Mansoor, Mulla Jalaluddin Suyuti, Vol 5, P 198-199).

We were able to establish all the 3 inferences about the Ulul Amr and we have rightly recognized them now. Let us see few more ayahs that would support and substantiate our claim.

In the ayah no. 3 from Surah-e-Airaf – which has been mentioned in the earlier section - Allah (SWT) has given clear instructions to follow whatever has been revealed and not to follow other guardians. Now let us see the following ayah and try to contemplate on both the ayahs:

•“Ae Rasool jo hukm tumhare Parvardigar ki taraf se tum per naazil kiya gaya hai pahoncha do. Aur agar tum ne aisa nahin kiya to samjhlo tum ne Us ka koi paigham hi nahin pahonchaya aur tum daro nahin Khuda tum ko logon ke shar se mahfooz rakhe gaa aur Khuda hargiz kafiron ki qaum ko manzil e maqsood tak nahin pahonchata.” – (Surah-e-Maeda, ayah 67)

(“O Apostle! 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.”)

This ayah was revealed at Ghadeer-e-Khum, when the holy Prophet (pbuh) was returning from his last Hajj. (Ref: Tafseer al Kabir by Fakhr al Din Mohammed ibn Umar al razi (1357/1938), Umdatul Qari fi Sharh Sahih al Bukhari - by Al Ayni, Tafsir al Nisaburi, v6 P194)

And at this point he announced “Man Kunto Maula fa hazaa Ali-un Mawla” in front of the huge gathering of 120000 Muslims. (Ref: Sahih Tirmizi, V2, P298, Bukhari, V5, Book 59).


The message of “Man Kunto Mawla...” was revealed to the holy Prophet (pbuh) which was needed to be delivered. Thus Mawla Ali (A.S) is the Ulul Amr and for establishing his authority the ayah was revealed and Allah (SWT) has given lots of indications in Quran in this regard.

That is why Allah says in the following ayah:

•“Ae Imaandaro tumhare malik sarparast to buss yehi hain Khuda aur uss ka Rasool (SAW) aur wo momineen jo pabandi se namaz adaa karte hai aur haalat-e-ruku main zakat dete hai…” – (Surah-e-Maeda, Ayah 55)

“(Verily your leader is only Allah and His messenger and those who believe; those who establish worship and pay the poor-rate while they bow down in prayer.)”

Thus Allah (SWT) confirms that there is the third authority that needs to be followed explicitly in the above ayah.

There are various references available of prominent Islamic commentators who are unanimous in their opinion that the above ayah refers to Mawla Ali when he gave his ring to a beggar while bowing down in the ‘ruku’. (Ref: Imam Nasai in Saheeh-e-Nasai, Aljam’a Bain-ul-Sihah-ul-Sittah, Sa’labi)


Tradition from Hazrat Abu Dharr al Ghaffari says that one day he was praying with the holy Prophet (pbuh) when a beggar approached them in the mosque. No one responded to his pleas. Beggar then raised his hands towards heavens and said, “Allah! Be a witness that I came to Thy Prophet's mosque and no one gave me anything". At that time Mawla Ali (A.S) was bowing in Ruku, he pointed his little finger, which had a ring on it, towards the beggar who came forward and took the ring. The holy Prophet (pbuh) raised his hands towards heaven and prayed then in following words:

"O Lord! my brother Moses had begged of Thee to open his breast and to make his work easy for him, to loose the knot of his tongue so that people might understand him, and to appoint from among his relations his brother, as his successor, and to strengthen his back with Aaron and to make Aaron his partner in his work. O Allah! Thou said to Moses, 'We will strengthen thy arm with thy brother. No one will now have an access to either of you!' O Allah! I am Muhammad and Thou hast given me distinction. Open my breast for me, make my work easy for me, and from my family appoint my brother Ali as my vizier. Strengthen my back with him".

It is mentioned in the tradition that even before the holy Prophet (pbuh) could finish his prayers the above mentioned ayah was revealed by Gabriel (A.S) establishing Mawla Ali (A.S) as a guardian over the Muslim World.

In the beginning of this article we referred ayah 19 from Surah-e-Mujjadala which has said that the party of Satan is the party of losers. Now let us see ayah no. 56 from Surah-e-Maeda, which is a subsequent ayah to the above mentioned ayah which we just discussed:

•“Aur jisne Khuda aur Rasool (SAW) aur unhi Imaadaro ko apna sarparast banaya to Khuda ke lashkar main aagaya aur issme shak nahin ke Khuda hi ka lashkar ghalib rehta hai.” – (Surah-e-Maeda, Ayah 56)

“(And whoever takes Allah and His apostle and those who believe for a guardian, then surely the party of Allah are they that shall be triumphant.)”

Along with Allah (SWT) & our holy Prophet (pbuh) if we consider Mawla Ali (A.S) as our guardian we enter Allah’s triumphant party. If someone does not follow all of them, he is at risk of joining the Satan’s party of losers.

By pondering upon various ayahs, the holy Quran has helped us in identifying the true Ulul Amr – Mawla Ali (A.S) and Ahl-ul-bait. Let us now see some of the hadith and other references by leading Islamic Scholars in this regard:

•It is narrated by Mawla Ali (A.S) that when he asked the holy Prophet (pbuh) about who were Ulul Amr, the Prophet (pbuh) replied that: "You (Ali) are the first of them". (Ref: Shawahid Tanzil, Vol. 1, p. 148)

•The ayah no. 59 Surah-e-Nisa, referring to Ulul Amr was revealed to establish the authority of Mohammed wa aale Mohammed as per the tradition of Jabir Ibn Abdullah Ansari (Ref: Rowzatul Ahbab page 134-135, Vol II).

•The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said: "The Ulul Amr from the Ahl-ul-Bait (as) are pure and inerrant. They never disobey any of Allah's (SWT) order and are always guided and supported by Him. Their deeds are free from all forms of deviation, and their feet are firmly planted on His Straight Path. It is through the blessed existence of these great ones that Allah's (SWT) servants receive their sustenance, cities become prosperous, and the rainfall descends. The Ruh-ul-Qudus (A.S) always accompanies them, and there is never any separation between them and the Qur'an". (Ref: Bihar al-Anwar, al-Majlisi, Vol. 23, p. 19.)


•In the 77th chapter of Yanabi-ul-Mawaddah of al-Hafiz Sulaiman ibn Ibrahim al-Qunduzi al-Hanafi, the author quotes many traditions to the effect that the holy Prophet (pbuh) has said: “I, Ali, Hassan, Hussain and nine of the descendants of Hussain are pure and sinless.”

The author in the same book writes that the holy Prophet (pbuh) has told this to Hussain (A.S) that “You are a chief, brother of a chief; you are an Imam, son of an Imam, brother of an Imam; you are Proof (of Allah), son of a Proof (of Allah), brother of a Proof (of Allah), and father of nine Proofs (of Allah), the ninth of whom will be al-Mahdi."

With all the inferences and references we can conclude that Ulul Amr are Mawla Ali (A.S) and 11 other Imams from his lineage. They are the authority above us and we need to follow them to be guided.

When we follow the advice of coaches and tutors we improve our performance in that specific field and at times we might attain expertise if we diligently obey them. So let us see what we gain if we follow and obey Ulul Amr? As Quran says in the following two ayahs:

•“Beshak jo log imaan laye achhe kaam karte rahe yahi log bahtereen khalayaq hain.” – (Surah-e-Bayyina, ayah 7)

“((As for) those who believe and do good, surely they are the -best of men.)”

•“Khuda un se raazi aur wo Khuda se khush”. - (Surah-e-Bayyina, ayah 8)

“(Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him)”

The above two ayahs talk about few chosen believers who are good in their deeds. They are the best people and are pleased with Allah and even Allah is pleased with them.

It is mentioned in Durr-e-Mansoor that the above two ayahs were revealed in the praise of Mawla Ali (A.S) and his followers. (Ref: Durr-e-Mansoor, vol 6, P 379)
Thus if we want that our deeds be accepted by Allah (SWT) and wish to seek His nearness we need to follow and obey Ulul Amr – Imam Ali (A.S) and be guided the way Allah (SWT) wants us to be.

Here I am tempted now to mention a couplet from a well-known Qawwali written by Hazrat Amir Khusro:

“Ali imam-e-manasto manam ghulaam-e-Ali”
“(Ali is the master of all, I am the slave of Ali)”

“Hazaar jaan-e-giraami fidaa-e-naam-e-Ali”
“(Thousands lives are to be sacrificed in the name of Ali)”

And with the beautiful excerpt of a dua of Sahifa-e-Kamila, let me pray for all of us :

“O My Lord! Bless Muhammad (SAW) and his Household with a permanent, ever-growing blessing, whose perpetuity has no cutting off and whose term knows no limit, and make that a help to me and a cause for the granting of my request!
Thou art Boundless, Generous” Aamin.

Inspiration at its Best

From:
Anurag Srivastava
...

Sir,

I hereby take this opportunity to thank you for all the support that you gave me which helped me to make an appreciable effort in terms of submitting my assignment.

I would also beg to state that your story has inculcated in me new zeal and ignited my thought process enabling it to think beyond horizons.

I do not promise big but I ensure you that knowledge gained from you will not be wasted from my side.

I am sorry for the hustle bustle as I was engaged between evaluations as well as assignment completion and so could not be with you at ease.

Hoping for long term mentor - menty relationship with you, Sir.

Thank you
Anurag Srivastava
SBS

Rope of Allah

Have you ever observed how various products that serve our daily needs come to us from the factory - their point of origin?

The manufacturer appoints a distributor, who in turn further carries the products to different retailers and from these retail points we get access to those products which we need on a regular basis. In management terminology it is called Supply Chain or a Value Chain.


We can thus say that these products exchange various hands; which are in fact appointed by the manufacturer, before we receive them.

Again, in any organization, the review for a promotion of a subordinate is done by his immediate senior. The senior sends his views to his senior for further approval and this chain reaches the final authority who in turn confirms the promotion.

These are value chains that connect the consumer to the originator or the subordinate to the ultimate authority. The value chain works wonderfully in the business world. So let us try to find out which is that value chain which works wonderfully in Islamic world?

Allah (SWT) is such that no vision can ever grasp Him. He is Omnipresent but we cannot see Him. So if ever we want to reach Him what should we do?

Let us start with few ayahs which talks about Allah – The Originator.


• “(Ae Rasool (SAW)) jab Mere bande Mera haal tumse poochein to (kehdo ki) Main unke paas hi hoon aur jab Mujh se koi dua maangta hai to Main har dua karne waalon ki dua (sunn leta hoon aur jo munasib ho to) qubool karta hoon pas unhain chahiye ke Mera kehna maanein aur Mujh per imaan laayein taake woh hidayat paajaeein.” - (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 186)

“(And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way)”
The above ayah says that Allah is always with us and when we call Him He responds to our prayers. He promises that if we remain His believers we will always be on the right path.

Then He further says in the following two ayahs:

•“Aur jo kuch aasman main hai aur jo kuch zameen main hai (gharz sabhi) khaas Khuda ka hai aur Khuda to karsaazi ke liye kafi hai.” – (Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 132)

“(And whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is Allah's, and Allah is sufficient as a Guardian.)”

Everything belongs to Him, He is the creator of all and He is the sufficient Guardian for all of us.

•“Aur dosti ke liye bas Khuda kafi hai aur himayat ke waaste bhi Khuda hi kaafi hai.” – (Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 45)

“(Allah is enough for a protector, and Allah is enough for a Helper.)”

Thus we can say that He is the Guardian, He is the Protector and He is the Helper. There is no one but Him and we should seek whatever we want always from Him.

Then He endorses the apostleship of the holy Prophet (SAW) in the following words:

•“Aur (ae Rasool (SAW)) Hum ne tum ko logon ke paas Paighamber bana ke bheja hai aur (uske liye) Khuda ki gawahi kaafi hai.” – (Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 79)

“(And We have sent thee as a messenger to (instruct) mankind. And enough is Allah for a witness.)”

It is Allah (SWT) who sent the holy Prophet (SAW) to this world as His chosen Apostle. And He further says that He is enough as a witness for this and He does not require any other witness in this regard.

He is always ready to bestow His mercy over us and hence He says:

•“Aur Khuda se maghferat ki dua ma’ango Khuda bada bakshne wala Maherbaan hai.” – (Surah-e-Muzammil, ayah 20)

“(And ask forgiveness of Allah; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful)”.


He definitely forgives those who seek forgiveness from Him. Yes, He is the most Merciful and Ever forgiving.

 From the various ayahs which we saw, we can infer that Allah (SWT) is always with us, He listens to our prayers and guides us to the right path if we remain steadfast in our belief in Him, carry our matters to Him and seek help only from Him. He forgives our misconduct and sins if we seek forgiveness from Him; as He is the only Creator and Originator of everything.

So if He is the only Creator and the Originator of everything and always ready to forgive us, why do we see so many problems everywhere? Why does not He forgive all of us? Has he created any rule which is to be followed if we seek His forgiveness and Mercy? Let us see the following ayah and contemplate:


•“Aur (Rasool (SAW)) jab unn logon ne (nafarmani karke) apni jaanon per zulm kiya tha agar tumhare paas chale aate aur Khuda se maafi maangte aur Rasool (SAW) (tum) bhi unnki maghferat chahte to beshak wo log Khuda ko badaa tauba qubool karne wala Meharbaan paate.” – (Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 64)

“(If they had come to you after wronging themselves and asked forgiveness of God, and you had also asked forgiveness for them, they would surely have found God forgiving and merciful.)”

The people would find Allah (SWT) as the Most Merciful and Ever Forgiving, if they come to the holy Prophet (SAW) and seek Forgiveness from Allah (SWT). But this is not enough as the ayah further says that Allah (SWT) would only forgive those for whom apart from their prayers the holy Prophet (SAW) also prays. Thus Rasool (SAW) is the appointed authority for Allah’s Mercy.

And that is why Allah (SWT) has said in the following ayah about the holy Prophet (SAW):

•“"Aur Ae Rasool (SAW) Hum ne tum ko tamam alamon ke liye rehmat hi karke bheja hai". – (Surah-e-Ambiya, ayah 107)

(“And We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds.”)

Thus Allah (SWT) is the Originator of Mercy and the holy Prophet (SAW) has been appointed for that purpose. So seeking mercy from the holy Prophet (SAW) is to seek mercy from Allah (SWT) Himself.


In Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 45, Allah (SWT) has said that Allah is enough for a Protector and Helper, while in the following ayah He says:

•“(Ae Rasool (SAW)) unn logon se kehdo ke agar tum Khuda ko dost rakhte ho to meri pairvi karo ki Khuda (bhi) tum ko dost rakhega aur tum ko tumhare gunaah bakhsh dega aur Khuda bada Bakhsh ne waala Meharbaan hai.” - (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 31)

“(Say: "If you love God then follow me that God may love you and forgive your faults; for God is forgiving and kind.")”

Thus He has given clear instructions that if somebody wishes that Allah (SWT) loves him and protects him, he needs to follow the holy Prophet (SAW). Without this Allah (SWT) may not love anybody and neither will He protect anyone.

Allah (SWT) is the sufficient Guardian for all of us as He has said this in Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 132. But again He says in the following two ayahs from Surah-e-Maeda:

•“Ae Imaandaro tumhare malik sarparast to buss yehi hai Khuda aur uss ka Rasool (SAW) aur wo momineen jo pabandi se namaz adaa karte hai aur haalat-e-ruku main zakat dete hai…” – (Surah-e-Maeda, Ayah 55)

“(Verily your leader is only Allah and His messenger and those who believe; those who establish worship and pay the poor-rate while they bow down in prayer.)”

•“Aur jisne Khuda aur Rasool (SAW) aur unhi Imaadaro ko apna sarparast banaya to Khuda ke lashkar main aagaya aur issme shak nahin ke Khuda hi ka lashkar ghalib rehta hai.” – (Surah-e-Maeda, Ayah 56)

(And whoever takes Allah and His apostle and those who believe for a guardian, then surely the party of Allah are they that shall be triumphant.)”

Here by mentioning a specific incident of paying the poor-rate while in ruku, Allah (SWT) has indicated that apart from Allah Himself and the holy Prophet (SAW) there is one more leader and guardian for us and if we wish to be the triumphant party of Allah we need to be under the guardianship of him. Without considering him as our guardian we can never be Allah’s party.

It was Mawla Ali (A.S), who gave his ring to a beggar while bowing down in the ruku which above ayahs have mentioned. (Ref: Imam Nasai in Saheeh-e-Nasai, Aljam’a Bain-ul-Sihah-ul-Sittah, Sa’labi).

Allah is the Ultimate Guardian and He has appointed Mawla Ali (A.S) for His Guardianship. Thus Mawla Ali (A.S) is appointed Guardian for all of us. Hence seeking help from Mawla Ali (A.S) is to seek help from Allah Himself.

As per Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 79, Allah (SWT) has confirmed that He Himself is enough a witness for the apostleship of the holy Prophet (SAW) but again He says in the following ayah:

•“Aur Ae Rasool (SAW) kafir log kehte hai ke tum paighambar nahin ho to tum un se kehdo ke mere aur tumhare darmiyan meri risalat ki gawahi ke waaste Khuda aur wo shakhs jis ko aasmani kitab ka ilm hai kafi hai.” – (Surah-e-Ra’ad, Ayah 43)

(“Yet those who are disbelievers say: "You are not the apostle sent (by God)." Tell them: "God is sufficient as witness between me and you, and he who has knowledge of the Book."”)

Allah (SWT) is the Ultimate witness of the holy Prophet (SAW)’s Apostleship and He has further appointed one more witness for all of us.

The chosen witness which the above ayah has referred is Mawla Ali (A.S). It was he who had the knowledge of the holy book. (Ref: Tafseer-e-Suyuti, Vol 4, P 69, Ahteyaj-e-Tabresi, Tafseer-e-Ayashi).

Thus in order to understand the greatness of the apostleship of the holy Prophet (SAW); we need to see towards the life of Mawla Ali, the rightly chosen witness by Allah (SWT). As whatever he has said and done is as per Allah (SWT) and the holy Prophet (SAW). And that is why he is the chosen guardian and the leader of Ummah.

We have seen up till now what are the ways of Allah (SWT) to bestow His Grace and Mercy on us. Let us see what should be our way to reach Him and become eligible for His Grace.

In this connection let us see few ayahs that would take us to the logical inference. We will see ayah from Surah-e-Saba first:


•“(Ae Rasool (SAW)) tum (yeh bhi) kehdo ki (tableegh-e-risalat ka) main tumse koi badla nahin maangta wo tumhain hi mubarak ho, mera badla to bas Allah ke zimme hai aur Wo har cheez se khoob waqif hai.” – (Surah-e-Saba, ayah 47)

Say: “The reward I ask is for yourself. My reward is due from none but Allah; and He is witness over everything.”

It was the hardwork and persistence of our beloved Prophet (SAW) which brought us to the light of guidance from the darkness of misguidance. Still in the above ayah Allah (SWT) has asked the holy Prophet (SAW) to inform us that he is not seeking any reward for his messengership from us. It will be Allah (SWT) who would reward him the way he should be rewarded. That means whatever he is asking is for our own good. If we follow whatever he has asked we would be rewarded.

In the following ayah Allah (SWT) has further clarified:

•“Ae Rasool (SAW) un logon se tum kehdo ke main iss tabligh-e-risaalat per tum se kuch mazdoori to maangta nahin hoon magar tamanna ye hai ke jo chaahe apne Parvardigar tak pahonch ne ki raah pakad le.” – (Surah-e-Furqaan, ayah 57)

“(Say: "No reward do I ask of you for it but this: that each one who will may take a (straight) Path to his Lord.")”


We would be duly rewarded by Allah (SWT) if we take the straight Path which reaches Him. We don’t see Him so how can we ever reach Him?

The following ayah has shown us the way to Him:

•“Ae Rasool (SAW) tum kehdo ke main apni tableegh-e-risalat ka apne karabatdaron ki mohabbat ke siwa tumse koi sila nahin maangta” – (Surah-e-Shura, aayat – 23)

“(‘Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relatives’)”

The love for the household of the Prophet (SAW) is the Straight Path that reaches Allah (SWT). By contemplating on the above mentioned 3 ayahs we can infer that in the love for them the great reward from Allah (SWT) has been concealed. So if we wish to be rewarded by Allah’s Mercy, Forgiveness and Grace we need to love them.

As per the holy Prophet (SAW) his near relatives mentioned in the above ayah are Ali (A.S), Fatema (A.S), their children Hasan (A.S) and Husain (A.S). (Ref: Tafseer-e-Kishaf, Allama Zamkhashri, Vol 3, P 67)

Even prominent Islamic researchers like Sa’labi, Zamakhshari, Suyuti and Baidhavi have recorded that the above ayah was revealed to make the love of household of Mawla Ali (A.S) mandatory on the Muslim world. The similar tradition from Ibn-e-Abbas has also been recorded in Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmed Ibn Hambal and others.

Thus Allah (SWT) says this about the Straight Path in the following ayah:

• "Aur (Ae Rasool (SAW)) yeh tumhare Parvardigar ka banaya hua seedhaa raasta hai ibrat haasil karne walon ke waaste Hum ne apne aayaat ko tafsilan bayaan kar diye hai. Uunke waaste uunke Parvardigar ke yahaan aman wa chaen ka ghar (bahisht) hai aur duniya main jo kaarguzariyan unhone ki thi usski aewaz Khuda uunka sarparast hoga.” – (Surah-e-An’am, ayah 126-127)

“(This is the straight path of your Lord. Distinct have We made Our signs for those who reflect. For them is an abode of peace with their Lord. He will be their defender as reward for what they did.)”

The above ayah confirms our inference that if we remain on the Straight Path, we would be rewarded and find Allah (SWT) as our Guardian and Defender. We would thus be honoured for remaining on the straight path. And we can remain so by loving the household of our beloved Prophet (SAW).

And since their love is the Straight Path to Allah (SWT) He says that:

•““Ae Imaandaro Khuda se daro jitna Us se darne ka haq hai aur tum (deen) Islam ke siwa kisi aur deen per hargiz na marna aur tum sab milkar Khuda ki rassi mazbooti se thame raho…” – (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 102 )

(“O ye who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam. And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves…)”

Here Allah (SWT) has instructed us to remain a believer and not to die except in a state of Islam. But who can ensure that, devil – the satan is always looking to pounce on us. How can we save ourselves from him? To this Allah (SWT) has instructed us to hold fast His rope which would ensure that we remain on the Straight Path.

It has been recorded by Salabi, Ibn-e-Hajar and others that Imam Jafar-e-Sadiq (A.S) has mentioned that Rope of Allah are we the Ahl ul bait of the holy Prophet (SAW). (Ref: Imam Sa’labi, Tafseer-e-Kabeer, Sawaiq-e-Mohriqa, Chapter 11, Part 1, Imam Abu Bakr – Rishfat-us-Saadi)

So if we wish to remain a believer forever and succeed we need to hold on to them since they are the rope of Allah. And here I would like to thus mention a beautiful couplet in this regard:

“Lee kham satun utfi beha. Har al wa baa al hatema.”
(For me there are five with the help of whom, I extinguish the fire of the most lasting calamity.)

Al Mustufa (SAW) wal Murtuza (A.S) wab na homa wal Fatema (S.A).
(Al Mustafa (SAW), Al Murtuza (A.S), their two sons and Fatema (S.A))”

 Let me mention here the extract from Dua-e-Kumail and pray for all of us – “O Allah, assign unto me a place in Thy Presence with the best of Thy servants whose place is nearest to Thee, for verily that position cannot be attained except through Thy Favour.” Aamin.

I seek Thy Wisdom

It has been almost one year that I have started writing articles in the light of Thy holy book My Lord! Yes, I always wished to write them but never expected that it would happen so fast.

It is all possible because of Thy limitless Grace on me and the blessings of my uncle and parents. My Lord! I want to continue this till my last breath. Bestow upon me Thy Divine Knowledge, purify my bosom so that I can imbibe Thy Knowledge and make my chest a safe for Thy Wisdom and Knowledge.

I am looking for a publisher to publish my compilation of 'Pearls of Guidance: In view of Quran'. Help me so that my search of the publisher is fulfilled and my work gets to see the light which becomes a source of spreading Thy Divine Message for many many generations to come. And I pray to Thee My Lord, that if Thee would help me I shall write volumes on this subject.

Bless my Holy Prophet (SAW) and his holy and pious progeny and fulfill my wish. O My Lord! The Omnipotent! The Omnipresent

Maulood-e-Ka’aba

As an advertising executive I was required to go to Delhi quite often for some or the other official work. During one of such trips to Delhi, one day after I was through with my work, I decided to go sightseeing and have a look at its various prominent places. I requested my Delhi based colleague to be my guide in this little expedition.

It was an interesting journey as we saw the places of historical prominence about which I had read in my school days or had seen in films. My friend also took me to a place called Raisina Hills where I saw a beautiful building which was a real architectural masterpiece. My friend told me that it was Rashtrapati Bhavan and obviously only Head of the State – The President could stay there. When I asked whether there is any way we could go inside, he told me that for that we should be either a close associate or a relative of the President only then we would be allowed to be in. He further added to my knowledge by saying that it took 4 years of planning and 19 years of construction to get this building completed. During the British period it was palace of the Viceroy of India and later it got converted into Rashtrapati Bhavan after independence.

What struck me beside the grandeur of the building was that in the most prominent building like Rashtrapati Bhavan only the country’s most important people like the President can stay.


In order to take the advantage of the goodwill which companies generate after years of hard work and commitment they insist on mentioning the company’s name prominently in every communication of new product launch.

Thus if Tata’s launch a new product their advertisements would mention without fail as “From the House of Tatas”. This small caption is good enough to convince their loyal customers that the new product has the same quality and goodness for which the company stands for.


 In the light of the above two examples let us try to understand the prominence of Ka’aba – The House of Allah and Mawla Ali (A.S) – The Imam-ul-Muttaqeen in our lives through this article.

But before we start let us look at few of ayahs relating to Ibrahim (A.S) as his time was of utmost prominence in the history of establishment of Islam. As the following ayah says:

• “(Ae Rasool (SAW)) kehdo ke Khuda ne sach farmaya to ab tum Millat-e-Ibrahim (A.S) ki pairvi karo jo baatil se katraake chalte the aur mushrikeen se na the.” – (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 95)

“(Say: Allah has spoken the truth, therefore follow the religion of Ibrahim, the upright one; and he was not one of the polytheists.)”

In the above ayah Allah (SWT) instructs the holy Prophet (SAW) to propagate the religion of Ibrahim (A.S) since that was the foundation of Islam. So whoever was following this religion prior to the revelation of Islam was not a polytheist and in fact he was steadfast on the straight path.

Further Allah (SWT) says in the following ayah:

• “Aur kaun hai jo Ibrahim (A.S) ke tariqe se nafrat kare magar jo apne ko ahmaq banaye.” – (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 130)

“(No one turns away from Abraham's Tradition except one who makes a fool of himself.)”

And thus it can inferred that Allah (SWT) liked those who follow the tradition and creed of Ibrahim (A.S) and He terms those people as fools who reject the faith and tradition.

Again let us see the following ayah referring to Ibrahim (A.S) and his descendants:

• “Beshak Khuda ne Aadam (A.S) aur Nooh (A.S) aur Aale Ibrahim (A.S) aur Aale Imran (A.S) ko saare jahan se barguzida kiya hai ba’az ki aulad ko ba’az se aur Khuda sab ki sunta aur sab kuch jaanta hai.” – (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 33-34)

“(Surely Allah chose Adam and Nuh and the descendants of Ibrahim and the descendants of Imran above the nations)”

The descendants of Ibrahim (A.S) who followed the faith and tradition of Ibrahim (A.S) prior to Islam where surely on the right path and as per the above ayah they were amongst the chosen ones by Allah (SWT).

This background is necessary for us to understand few points which I intend to discuss later on. This would help us find out certain answers pertaining to our faith.

It was Ibrahim (A.S) who raised the walls of Ka’aba centuries before Islam was revealed. And for this Allah (SWT) says:

• “Aur (wo waqt yaad dilao) jab Ibrahim (A.S) aur Ismail (A.S) Khana-e-Ka’aba ki buniyaadein buland kar rahe the (aur dua) maangte jaate the ke Ae hamare Parwardigaar hamari (yeh khidmat) qubool kar beshak tuhi (dua ka) sunne wala aur (uss ka) jaanne wala hai.” – (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 127)

“(And remember Abraham and Isma'il raised the foundations of the House (With this prayer): "Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us: For Thou art the All-Hearing, the All-knowing.)”

The above ayah mentions the commitment and sincere prayers of Ibrahim (A.S) and Ismail (A.S) towards the development of Ka’aba. And Allah (SWT) accepted their efforts, as the below mention ayahs confirm this:

•“Baaz ahmaq log ye keh baithenge ki Muslamaan jis Qible Baitul Mukkadas ki taraf pehle se sajda karte the usse dusre qible ki taraf mudjaane ka kya baais hua. Ae Rasool (SAW) tum un ke jawab main kaho purab pachchim sab Khuda ka hai jise chahta hai sidhe raaste ki taraf hidayat karta hai.” – (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 142)

“(The fools among the people will say: What has turned them from their Qiblah which they had? Say: The East and the West belong only to Allah; He guides whom He likes to the right path.)”

Though East and West belong only to Allah, He still changed the Qiblah from Baitul Muqqadas to Ka’aba; thus by doing so Allah (SWT) accepted their efforts and listened to their prayers. Allah (SWT) further instructs the Holy Prophet (SAW) regarding Ka’aba in following words:

• “Aur (Ae Rasool (SAW)) tum jahan se jao (yahan tak ke Makka se to bhi) tum namaz main apna mooh Masjid-e-Haram ki taraf kar liya karo aur (Ae Rasool (SAW)) tum jahan kahi hua karo to namaz main apna mooh ussi Ka’aba ki taraf kar liya karo (baar baar hukm dene ka ek faayda ye hai taaki logon ka ilzaam tum per na aane paaye magar unn main se jo log nahaq hatdharmi karte hai wo to zaroor ilzaam denge) to tum log unn se daro nahin aur sirf Mujh se daro aur (doosra fayda ye hai) taaki tum per Apni ne’matein poori kar doon.” – (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 150)

“(And (Mohammed (SAW)) from whatsoever place you come forth, turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque; and wherever you are turn your faces towards it, so that people shall have no accusation against you, except such of them as are unjust; so do not fear them, and fear Me, that I may complete My favour on you and that you may walk on the right course)”

The above ayah clearly indicates that only Ka’aba is the Qiblah and during our prayers we need to face the direction of Ka’aba otherwise our prayers are void. All the mosques are made as a copy of Ka’ba, and they should be made in such a manner that they are facing Ka’aba so that prayers could be offered in them.

Further when we contemplate on the words of Allah (SWT) in the above ayah, He says if we all start facing the Ka’ba during our prayers He might complete His favours on us. It means He starts bestowing His favours when we start facing the Ka’aba in our prayers.


Let us now see one more ayah pertaining to Ka’aba:

•“Logon (ki ibadat) ke waaste jo ghar sab se pehle banaya gaya woh to yaqeenan yahi (Ka’aba) hai jo Mecca main hai badi (khair wa barkat) wala aur sare jahan ke logon ka rehnuma” – (Surah-e-Ale Imran, ayah 96)

“(Indeed the first house that was appointed as a place of worship for mankind, is the one at Mecca (the Holy Ka’aba), blessed and a guidance to the whole world)”

Ka’aba was the first house that was appointed as a place of worship for people and it is of course guidance to the whole world of believers. There are many questions which come to our mind then:

• Why did Allah (SWT) take so long to appoint it as Qiblah?
• If Ka’aba is guidance why did Allah (SWT) not declare it as Qiblah straightaway and waited till Islam was revealed?
• Was Allah (SWT) waiting for some specific event to take place?

In order to answer these questions let us go to back to the time of Ibrahim (A.S) and contemplate on the following ayah:

•"Ae Rasool (S.A.W) Bani Israel ko woh waqt bhi yaad dilao jab Ibrahim (A.S) ko unke Parvardigar ne chand baton main aazmaya aur unhone pura kar diya to Khuda ne farmaya Main tumko logon ka Imam banane wala hoon. Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) ne arz ki aur meri aulad main se. Farmaya haan magar mere ahad per zaalimon main se koi shakhs faaez nahin ho sakta." – (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 124)

(“And when his Lord tried Ibrahim with certain commands, he fulfilled them. He said: Surely I will make you an Imam of men. Ibrahim said: And of my offspring? My covenant does not include the unjust, said He.”)

The above ayah is referring to the incidence of the sacrifice of Ismail (A.S) which Ibrahim (A.S) had to fulfill. Thus it was a great trial which when Ibrahim (A.S) fulfilled he became Imam. He then wished that there should be Imams from his progeny as well. And Allah (SWT) promised to fulfill his wish provided they should not be unjust.

The results which we can derive from the above ayah are:
a) The Imams would have to undergo great trials in their lives.
b) They would be just and pure in their conduct and would be surely from the lineage of Ibrahim (A.S) only.

So if we wish to recognize and identify our Imams, we need to see their lives in the light of above ayah and we would surely find them.

The way Allah (SWT) fulfilled prayers of Ibrahim (A.S) by making Ka’aba as Qibla, let us see now how Allah (SWT) fulfills his wish to have Imams in his lineage.
For this we would see the following ayah:

•“Ae Rasool jo hukm tumhare Parvardigar ki taraf se tum per naazil kiya gaya hai pahoncha do. Aur agar tum ne aisa nahin kiya to samjhlo tum ne Us ka koi paigham hi nahin pahonchaya aur tum daro nahin Khuda tum ko logon ke shar se mahfooz rakhe gaa aur Khuda hargiz kafiron ki qaum ko manzil e maqsood tak nahin pahonchata.” – (Surah-e-Maida, ayah 67)

(“O Apostle! 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.”)

The above ayah was revealed in Ghadeer-e-Khum when the holy prophet (pbuh) was returning to Medina after offering his last Hajj (Ref: Tafseer al Kabir by Fakhr al Din Mohammed ibn Umar al razi (1357/1938), Umdatul Qari fi Sharh Sahih al Bukhari - by Al Ayni, Tafsir al Nisaboori, v6 P194)

After the revelation of this ayah the holy prophet (pbuh) called all the pilgrims for one huge assemblage here. He instructed Salman (R.A) and other companions to make a pulpit of rocks and he then sat on the ‘mimber’ thus created. In front of this gathering he declared Mawla Ali (A.S) as his successor and announced “Man Kunto Mawla fa hazaa Ali un-Mawla”. (Ref: Sahih Tirmizi, V2, P298, Bukhari, V5, Book 59).

Thus this way Allah (SWT) fulfilled the wish of Ibrahim (A.S) and first Imam from his lineage was announced.

In order to further substantiate this order of Imamate, Allah (SWT) has given His clear instructions to Umah-e-Muslema in the following ayah:

• “Ae Imaandaro tumhare malik sarparast to buss yehi hai Khuda aur uss ka Rasool (SAW) aur wo momineen jo pabandi se namaz adaa karte hai aur haalat-e-ruku main zakat dete hai…” – (Surah-e-Maida, Ayah 55)

“(Verily your leader is only Allah and His messenger and those who believe; those who establish worship and pay the poor-rate while they bow down in prayer.)”

Apart from Allah (SWT) the Greatest and the Holy Prophet (SAW), there is one more leader of Muslims. He is the one who pays the poor-rate while bowing down in ruku. And this leader and Imam is Mawla Ali who gave his ring to a beggar while bowing down in ruku. (Ref: Imam Nasai in Saheeh-e-Nasai, Aljam’a Bain-ul-Sihah-ul-Sittah, Sa’labi)

Ibrahim (A.S) prayed for Ka’aba and it became Qibla, he wished to have Imams in his lineage and Mawla Ali (A.S) and rest of 11 Imams were born in his lineage. Is there any other association between Ka’aba and Mawla Ali (A.S) apart from the prayers of Ibrahim (A.S)? Can we draw parallels between Ka’aba and Mawla Ali (A.S)?


The biggest association of Mawla Ali (A.S) with Ka’aba is his birth. It was Friday 13th of Rajab 30 Amulfeel, Hazrat Fatima binte Asad (A. S), the wife of Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) entered the precincts of the Kaaba, she then touched herself with its wall and prayed in the following words which are recorded in all prominent books of Islamic history: “O Allah, I firmly believe in you, your prophets and your books. I bear testimony to my ancestor Ibrahim (A.S)’s prophethood. I beseech you through this house of yours, its constructor and the child who is in my womb, make this problem very easy for me.” All of a sudden the wall of the Ka’aba opened up and she, as if by some unseen force went inside the Ka’aba and the wall closed. Ali (A.S) the youngest son of Abu Talib was born inside the Holy Ka’aba. She stayed inside for three days.

(Ref: Muhammad ibn Talha el-Shafei in Matalib-us-saool, page 11, Hakim in Mustadrak, page 483, Vol. III, El-Umari in Sharh Ainia, page 15, Halabi in Sira, page 165, Vol. I, Sibt ibn al-Jauzi in Tadhkera Khawasil Ummah, page 7, Ibn Sabbagh Maleki in Fusoolul Mohimma, page 14, Muhammad bin Yousuf Shafei in Kifayet al-Talib, page 261, Shablanji in Nurul Absar, page 76, Ibn Zahra in Ghiyathul Ikhtisar, page 97, Edvi in Nafhatul Qudsia, page 41, Mohaddith-e-Dehlvi in ‘Izalatul Kholafa’)

This was much before Islam was revealed. It shows that she followed the religion of Ibrahim (A.S) and thus was on the right path.


Fatima binte Asad (A.S) was daughter of Hazrat Asad bin Hashim and grand-daughter of Hazrat Hashim bin Abd Manaf, who was the leader of Quraysh and the keeper of Ka’aba. Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) was also from the Bani Hashim clan, they both followed the religion of Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) and believed and acted accordingly.


Thus they were descendants of Ibrahim (A.S) following the religion and creed of the Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) and in the light of the ayahs from Surah-e-Aale Imran (Ayah no. 33-34) they were from amongst the chosen ones of Allah (SWT).

Nobody after Fatima binte Asad (A.S) ever entered Ka’aba for giving birth to a child and nobody else was born in Ka’aba except Mawla Ali (A.S), this was much before Ka’aba became Qibla and hence it seems that Allah (SWT) waited till Mawla Ali’s birth and here He united both the prayer and wish of Ibrahim (A.S) by giving birth to first Imam in Ka’aba and then making Ka’aba as Qibla for Muslims.

In the introductory section we saw that the companies endorse their new product by mentioning their names along with the product name in order to convince the customers about the goodness and quality of their new product. Similarly Imamate was new to Islam after Apostleship. Thus Allah (SWT) has endorsed the Imamate by making it emerge from Ka’aba – The House of Allah. Also the way Quran is witness to the Apostleship of Rasool (SAW), the Ka’aba which bears the birth marks of Mawla Ali (A.S) at the ‘Rukne Yamani’ corner of its wall till date, has thus became witness to Imamate of Mawla Ali (A.S).

Maulana Rume in his Mathnawi has documented Mawla Ali (A.S) association with Ka’aba in the following words. He writes:

• "'O’ one who travels to Najaf to visit the tomb of Ali must know the fact that the pearl of the Kaaba lies there to give us security because of our intense love for him.”

When the holy prophet (pbuh) did the announcement of Man Kunto Mawla at Ghadeer-e-Khum the following ayah was revealed:

•“Aaj Maine tumhare din ko kaamil kardiya aur tum per apni ne’mat poori kardi aur tumhare iss Deen-e-Islam ko pasand kiya.” – (Surah-e-Maida, ayah 3)

“(This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.)


(Ref: Durr-e-Mansoor, Jalalluddin Suyuti, V3, P 19, Tarikh by Khatib al Baghdadi, V8 P 290, 596, Yanabi-al-Mawaddah from Abu Hureira by Al-Qudoozi Al-Hanafi).

On acceptance of Hazrat Ali (A.S) as Mawla and leader, the religion is perfected and Allah (SWT) completes His favours. While when we bow to Ka’aba our prayers are perfected and Allah (SWT) starts bestowing his favours as per ayah from Surah-e-Baqra (Ayah no. 150), which has been mentioned in the beginning of this article. Thus in order to have complete favours we need to pray by bowing down to Ka’aba with love for Mawla Ali (A.S) in our hearts.

Again we have seen in the ayah from Surah-e-Aale Imran (Ayah no. 96) Ka’aba is the guidance for believers of the whole world.
Now let us see the following ayah:

•“(Ae Rasool (SAW)) tum to sirf khauf e Khuda se daraane wale ho, aur har qaum ke liye ek hidayat kar ne wala hai.” – (Surah-e-Ra’ad, ayah 7)

"(O Prophet, surely, you are a warner and for every people there is a guide)".

Sa`labi writes in his tafseer on the authority of Abdullah ibn Abbas that when this verse was revealed, the Prophet said that through Ali (AS), Muslims will be guided. It has also been recorded by various authentic sources in other prominent books (Ref: Durr-e-Mansoor, Mulla Jalaluddin Suyuti, Vol 4 Page 45, Ibn-e-Asakir)

And the holy prophet (pbuh) has said about Mawla Ali (A.S):
• “Ali is your guide and all of you are to come to me at the Hauz-e-Kausar…” (Ref: Kanz-ul-Ummal Vol2, p. 350)

And because of these parallels of Mawla Ali (A.S) with Ka’aba the holy prophet (pbuh) has also said to Mawla Ali (A.S) that:

• “Ali, the pride of your place is like that of House of Allah. People of themselves go to House of Allah; the House of Allah does not go after the people. So when I am no more, if these people of themselves, elect you as their Caliph, do become their Caliph. If they don’t approach you, never go to them so long as they themselves do not come up to you. ” (Ref: Usd-ul-Ghaba Vol 4 P 31, Kunooz-ul-Haqaique P 173)


With this beautiful couplet of Mirza Ghalib let us conclude the article:


“Ghalib nadeem-e-dost se aati hai boo-e-dost
Mashghool-e-Haqq hoon, bandagi-e-Bu Turab mein!”

 And may Allah accept our efforts and bless us, so let us pray to Allah in the words of Ibrahim (A.S): “Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us: For Thou art the All-Hearing, the All-knowing.” Aamin

Ayat-ul-Kubra

As a child whenever I would come to Dholka, while still in a car I would invariably look for the minarets of Khan Masjid; a historic mosque in the town. These minarets were visible from the highway from a great distance and thus became a prominent landmark for all of us to know that Dholka had arrived. A mere sight of these minarets would make us forget the fatigue of the long journey and we would be filled with enthusiasm of meeting everybody.

The vast city of Mumbai can be represented in a magazine by showcasing just the picture of Gateway of India. Instead of Gateway of India if some other picture is used it would be really difficult as most of the people might fail to recognize it and hence may not relate it with Mumbai unless proper address along with lane number and area is mentioned along with the picture. Similarly Hyderabad can be represented by Charminar and Delhi by India Gate.

 These are the Most Prominent Landmarks of these large cities as each landmark has historical association with its respective city and has represented the city since centuries.

Allah (SWT) is Omnipotent, He is Omnipresent still we are unable to see Him. As the following ayah says:

•“Us ko aankhein dekh nahin sakti na duniya main na aakherat main aur Woh logo ki nazaron ko khoob dekhta hai aur Woh bada bareekbeen wakifkaar hai...” – ( Surah-e-Anam, ayah 103)


“(No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision: He is above all comprehension, yet is acquainted with all things.)”


It is not possible for mortals to see Him, neither in this world nor in hereafter. So how do we know about His existence? As the Holy Quran again says in the following ayah:


•“Usee ne do dariya bahae jo baham mil jaate hain, donon ke darmiyaan ek hud faasil aad hai jisse tajawiz nahin karte. To ae Jinn-o-Ins tum dono apne Parvardigar ki kaun kaunsi nemat ko jhootlaoge.” – (Surah-e-Rahman, ayah 19-20-21)

“(He has let free the two bodies of flowing water, meeting together: Between them is a Barrier which they do not transgress: Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?)”

Allah (SWT) reveals Himself to us through His creations. As the above ayah says all His creations are His Favours which He has bestowed upon us.

In Surah-e-Rehman after mentioning His Favours He has discussed the conditions of those who would reject them. And the following two ayahs further confirm their conditions:

•“Aur jin logon ne kufr ikhtiyaar kiya aur Hamari aayaton ko jhutlaya to wahi Jahannami aur hamesha Dozakh hi main pade rahenge.” – (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 39)

“(But those who reject Faith and belie Our Signs, they shall be companions of the Fire; they shall abide therein.)”

•“Aur un logon ne qahar-e-Khuda ki taraf palta khaya ye sab iss sabab se hua ke woh log Khuda ki aayaton ka inkaar karte the.” – (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 61)

“(They drew on themselves the wrath of Allah. This because they went on rejecting the Signs of Allah)”

Thus these Favours are the Signs of His Existence. He dislikes those who reject His Favours and they might incur Allah’s wrath in their life and He shall make them companions of Hell Fire after their death.

In the introductory section of this article we established that the manner in which the Gateway of India is a prominent landmark or the greatest sign that depicts the vastness of the city of Mumbai; similarly let us try to find out The Greatest Sign of Almighty Allah which truly depicts His Grandeur.

In order to understand this let us look at the historical journey – Meraj, of our Holy Prophet (pbuh) to the highest point. He (pbuh) began his holy journey escorted by Jibraeel (A.S) from the house of ‘Umm-e-Hani” on his steed al-Buraq.

The Traditions say that Jibraeel (A.S) who was escorting the Holy Prophet (pbuh) till Sidrat-ul-Muntaha was not permitted to go beyond it. It was only the Prophet (pbuh) who was elevated upto the highest horizons. Mentioning this journey the Holy Quran says in Surah-e-Najm:


•“Aur iss haal main ke wo Ufaq-e-Aala per hai. Phir kareeb ho aur aage badha. Phir do kamaan ka faasla rah gaya balke isse bhi kareeb tha. Khuda ne apne bande ki taraf jo wahi bheji so bheji”. – (Surah-e-Najm, ayah 7-10)

“(And he is in the highest part of the horizon. Then he drew near, then he bowed So he was the measure of two bows or closer still. And He revealed to His servant what He revealed.)”

The above ayahs narrate the journey of Rasool (SAW) to the highest horizon (Ufaq-e-Aala). When he reached there he drew closer than the measure of two bows. There are two things worth pondering upon. Firstly, who did he draw closer to as the ayah mentions? Could it be Jibraeel (A.S)? Reasoning says it cannot be him as he could not travel beyond Sidrat-ul-Muntaha. Secondly was it Allah? To think so too would be wrong as Allah is Omnipresent and He is not limited to a specific position. Also, in order to come closer to someone you need to see him, while Allah cannot be seen. Hence it was neither Allah nor Jibraeel (A.S). So who was the prophet (pbuh) coming closer to?


Also the ayah says that Allah (SWT) revealed ‘Wahi’ to Rasool (SAW). Normally whenever any ‘wahi’ was revealed to him it was always in the voice of Jibraeel (A.S), but since here Jibraeel (A.S) was not present then whose voice did Allah choose to reveal the wahi?

Further ayahs from the same Surah might help us in deriving some result:

•“To jo kuch unhonne dekha unke dil ne jhoot na jaana. To kya wo Rasool jo kuch dekhta hai tum log uss main jhagadte ho? Aur unhonne to uss ko ek baar aur dekha hai, Sidrat-ul-Munteha ke nazdeek. Ussi ke paas to rahne ki bahisht hai, jab chhaa raha tha sidra per jo chhaa raha tha. (Uss waqt bhi) unki aankh na to aur taraf maail hui aur na had se aage badhi. Aur unhonne yaqeenan apne Parvardigar ki Badi Badi Nishaniyan dekhi.” – (Surah-e-Najm, ayah 11-18)

“(The heart was not untrue in (making him see) what he saw. What! do you then dispute with him as to what he saw? And certainly he saw him in another descent, At the farthest lote-tree; Near which is the garden, the place to be resorted to. When that which covers covered the lote-tree; The eye did not turn aside, nor did it exceed the limit. Certainly he saw of The Greatest Signs of his Lord.)”

The above ayahs confirm that Rasool (SAW) saw someone which was definitely amongst The Greatest Signs of Allah.

All His creations are His Signs of Existence. And we Humans are the Best amongst His creations (Ashraf-ul-Makhlukaat). Thus the Greatest Sign which Rasool (SAW) saw at the highest horizon must be from the best of creations i.e. must be a human being. Again he should be much higher in stature and closer to Rasool (SAW) and Allah (SWT) than Jibraeel (A.S).

Since Allah (SWT) reveals Himself through His creations He must have surely revealed His Greatest Sign to this world. Let us then try to identify that.

When we look at the life of our holy prophet (pbuh) we find that he trusted Hazrat Ali (A.S) the most from amongst his companions. In every war Hazrat Ali (A.S) remained steadfast and was ready to lay his life for the sake of holy prophet (pbuh) and Allah (SWT).

Following are the rare distinctions which associate Hazrat Ali (A.S) to Allah which no other human being in the entire history had:

•His Name:

Ali is his name and so is the name of Allah

•His Birth:

He was born in Kaaba, the house of Allah. It was Friday 13th of Rajab 30 Amulfeel, Hazrat Fatima binte Asad (A. S), the wife of Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) entered the precincts of the Kaaba. Ali (A.S) the youngest son of Abu Talib was born inside the Holy Kaaba. She stayed inside for three days. This incidence is well documented by many Islamic scholars and historians.

(Ref: Muhammad ibn Talha el-Shafei in Matalib-us-saool, page 11, Hakim in Mustadrak, page 483, Vol. III, El-Umari in Sharh Ainia, page 15, Halabi in Sira, page 165, Vol. I, Sibt ibn al-Jauzi in Tadhkera Khawasil Ummah, page 7, Ibn Sabbagh Maleki in Fusoolul Mohimma, page 14, Muhammad bin Yousuf Shafei in Kifayet al-Talib, page 261, Shablanji in Nurul Absar, page 76, Ibn Zahra in Ghiyathul Ikhtisar, page 97, Edvi in Nafhatul Qudsia, page 41, Mohaddith-e-Dehlvi in ‘Izalatul Kholafa’)

And Nuru’ddin Bin Sabbagh Maliki in his work documents birth of Hazrat Ali (A.S) in Ka’ba in following words:

•"No one before Ali was born in the Ka'ba. This was a distinction given to Ali in order to enhance his honor, rank, and dignity." (Ref: Nuru'd-din Bin Sabbagh Maliki in his Fusulu'l- Muhimma, Fasl I, p.14)

•His Help is Allah’s Help:

We would try to establish the above claim by referring few ayahs from the Holy Quran. Allah (SWT) says this to the holy prophet (SAW) in Surah-e-Bani Israel:

“Aur ye dua maanga karo ke Ae mere Parvardigaar mujhe jahan pahoncha achhi tarah pahoncha aur mujhe jahan se nikaal to achhi tarah se nikaal aur mujhe khaas apni bargaah se ek Sultan ataa farma jisse har qism ki madad pahonche.” – (Surah-e-Bani Israel, ayah 80)

“(Say: "O my Lord! Let my entry be by the Gate of Truth and Honour, and likewise my exit by the Gate of Truth and Honour; and grant me from Thy Presence an Authority to aid (me).")”

Allah (SWT) instructs Rasool (SAW) to ask for an Authority (Sultan-un-Naseera) who would help him in every way. It means that Allah (SWT) wanted to help Rasool (SAW) through someone who is the authority duly appointed by Allah, Himself.

Again the ayah from Anfal says:

“Ae Rasool (SAW) wohi to woh Khuda hai jis ne apni khaas madad aur momineen se tumhari taeed ki” – (Surah-e-Anfal, ayah 62)

“(He it is Who strengthened you with His help and with the believers)”

This help of a Believer (Momin) to Rasool (SAW) was actually the help from Allah (SWT) as confirmed by the above ayah.

As per the tradition of Abu Hureira, quoted by Ibn-e-Asakir, Rasool (SAW) has said that it is written on ‘arsh’ that there is no God but Allah, Mohammed (SAW) is My slave and My Rasool and I helped him through Ali. (Ref: Durr-e-Mansoor, Vol 3, P 199, Mulla Jalaluddin Suyuti, Tarkih Ibn-e-Asakir, Zainul falli).

And how did He help Rasool (SAW) through Hazrat Ali? For this Allah (SWT) says:


“Aur Hum hi ne lohe ko naazil kiya jis ke zariye se sakht ladai aur logon ke bahot se nafa ki baatein hain aur taake Khuda dekh le ke be dekhe bhaale Khuda aur usske Rasoolon ki kaun madad karta hai, beshak Khuda bahot zabardast Ghalib hai.” – (Surah-e-Hadid, ayah 25)

“(And We sent down Iron, in which is (material for) mighty war, as well as many benefits for mankind, that Allah may test who it is that will help, Unseen, Him and His messengers: For Allah is Full of Strength, Exalted in Might (and able to enforce His Will).”

Which was the iron sent down to help the holy prophet (pbuh) as mentioned in the above ayah? In the battlefield of Ohad, Jibraeel (A.S), the angel brought down the sword ‘Zulfiqar’ and presented it to Mawla Ali (A.S) by saying: ‘La fataah illa Ali La Saif illa Zulfiqar.’ (Zulfiqar is the only effective sword and Ali the unique champion) (Ref: Habib-al-Siyar; Rawdzat-al-Ahbab.)

Thus with Allah’s Sword in his hand during the battlefield of Ohad he became “Yadullah” (Allah’s hand). And looking at his valour and courage in the battlefield of Khaibar Rasool (SAW) bestowed on him the surname of "Sher-e-Khuda” (Lion of God). (Ref: Gibbon, D.& F. of Roman Empire Vol. V. p. 365).

Mir Ahmad Ali (1988) writes that Ali Ibn Abi Talib is known as mazhar al aja-ib and mazhar al ghara-ib because, as willed by Allah, he used to appear in different forms to carry out divine plans under very special circumstances. These two epithets are exclusively reserved for Ali. Even today the true believers invoke Allah to send him for help.

•His Soul:

Now let us look at the following ayah from Surah-e-Baqra:

“Aur logon main se Khuda ke bande kuch aise hai jo Khuda ki (khushnudi) haasil karne ki gharaz se apni jaan tak bech daalte hai aur Khuda aise bandon per bada hi shafkat wala hai.” – (Surah-e- Baqra, ayah 207)

“(And among men is he who sells himself to seek the pleasure of Allah; and Allah is Affectionate to the servants.)”


Imam Ghizali in his Tareekhe Khamees writes that the above ayah of Surah-e-Baqra was revealed mentioning this sacrifice of Mawla Ali (A.S) when he slept on the bed of Rasool (SAW) during the night of Hijrat.

Looking at Hazrat Ali (A.S)’s commitment to sacrifice his life and protect the Prophet (pbuh) of His religion; Allah (SWT) also granted Hazrat Ali (A.S) with divine status by purchasing his soul. He thus became ‘Nafsullah’ (Allah’s Soul).

•His Martyrdom:

Mentioning about his martyrdom, S Ockley writes in his famous work the ‘History of the Saracens’ that when Ali (A.S) was leaving his abode for his morning prayers, the household birds began making a great noise. And when seeing this one of the servants attempted to calm them Ali (A.S) said, "Leave them alone, for their cries are only lamentations foreboding my death."

He got martyrdom on the 21st of Ramzan. On 19th Ramzan during his morning prayers while Hazrat Ali (A.S) was in a state of prostration, Abdur Rahman Ibn Muljim (may Allah curse him) gave a blow of poisonous sword causing a deep wound on his head. He survived for two more days after that.

Thus all these events in his life showcase his proximity to Allah which is unique and no other individual had the same distinctions. That is why the holy prophet has said this about Hazrat Ali (A.S) that:

•“Amongst men it is Ali who knows Allah the best.” – (Ref: Selections from Kanz-ul-Ummal, Bahamash Al Masnad, Vol 5 P 32)

 Our reasoning on the basis of above mentioned proofs definitely indicates that beyond Sidrat-ul-Muntaha, on the highest horizon, it must be Mawla Ali (A.S) whom Rasool (SAW) saw. He is surely the The Greatest Sign (Ayat-ul-Kubra) and Divine Proof of Allah (SWT).

In order to further substantiate our above-mentioned result let us contemplate on the following ayah from Surah-e-Ra’ad:

•“Aur Ae Rasool (SAW) kafir log kehte hai ke tum paighambar nahin ho to tum un se kehdo ke mere aur tumhare darmiyan meri risalat ki gawahi ke waste Khuda aur wo shakhs jis ko aasmani kitab ka ilm hai kafi hai.” – (Surah-e-Raad, Ayah 43)

(“Yet those who are disbelievers say: "You are not the apostle sent (by God)." Tell them: "God is sufficient as witness between me and you, and he who has knowledge of the Book."”)

When we observe the above ayah, it says that there are two witnesses to the apostleship of the holy Prophet (pbuh). First one is Allah (SWT) who is Omnipresent, the other witness is the one who has knowledge of the book. All the translators of Quran have invariably used the word ‘witness’ in their translation and the dictionary meaning suggests witness means: to see, hear or know by personal presence. And the other meaning which I found was ‘to be present as a spectator’.

Now the Meraj was one of the most important aspects of Rasool (SAW)’s risalat (apostleship) which is duly testified by Quran. It means that the witness of his apostleship needs to be present at the time of Meraj to testify as per the above ayah. Because if he is not present during Meraj how can he testify and thus it would be against the above ayah.

As per the Islamic scholars and historians the witness mentioned in the above ayah who has the complete knowledge of the book is Hazrat Ali (A.S). (Ref: Tafseer-e-Suyuti, Vol 4, P 69, Ahteyaj-e-Tabresi, Tafseer-e-Ayashi)

The following hadith of the holy Prophet (SAW) further throws some light on this as he says:

•“Ali is the divine proof from his Almighty and I am witness on it.” (Ref: Tarikh Ibn-e-Asakir, vol 43 P 220, Kareeb Minal lafaz fi Yanabe-ul-mowaddat, vol 1 P 293)


It seems that on the highest horizon then Rasool (SAW) became witness to Hazrat Ali (A.S) as being the “Greatest Sign of Allah (Ayat-ul-Kubra) while Mawla Ali (A.S) became witness to the ‘Greatest Journey of the Greatest Prophet to the Greatest Horizon”.

Narrating this Mir Ahmed Ali (1988) writes that when the Prophet (pbuh) returned from his heavenly journey, before he could relate his experiences, Ali (A.S) began giving him the minutest details of the journey, making it quite obvious that Ali (A.S) was with the Prophet (pbuh) throughout his journey.


In the earlier section of this article as per the ayah from Surah-e-Najm, we found that Allah (SWT) revealed His ‘wahi’ to the holy Prophet (pbuh) at the highest horizon in absence of Jibraeel (A.S) and we wondered whose voice it must be?
Faidh-al-Kashani in his famous book Kashful Ghummah narrates a tradition from Hazrat Umar that when the Prophet (pbuh) was asked as to what voice did Allah (SWT) speak to him during Meraj, the Prophet said:

“My Lord spoke to me with the voice of Ali Ibn Abi Talib and said, “O Ahmad! I am an Entity that is not like anything else. I cannot be compared to anything else and I know all the secrets of your heart. With the exception of Ali Ibn Abu Talib, you have no other close friend. Thus, I speak to you with the voice of Ali Ibn Abi Talib so that your heart will be at ease”


 We can thus infer that Allah (SWT) reveals Himself through His creations, all creations are His Signs and amongst them Hazrat Ali (A.S) is the Greatest Sign of Allah (SWT) sent down to help and protect His Greatest Prophet (pbuh) and His Greatest Religion.


With the help of ayah from Surah-e-Rahman and couple of more ayahs from Surah-e-Baqra we understood that Allah’s wrath is incurred upon those who reject His Signs and Favours. Let us now try to further substantiate this with few more ayahs. As the holy Quran says:

•“Aaj Maine tumhare din ko kaamil kardiya aur tum per apni ne’mat poori kardi aur tumhare iss Deen-e-Islam ko pasand kiya.” – (Surah-e-Maida, ayah 3)

“(This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.)

Commenting on the revelation of this ayah, most of the compilers have unanimously said that it was revealed after the holy Prophet (pbuh) announced ‘Man Kunto Mawla’ by holding the hand of Hazrat Ali (A.S) and indicating him to the gathering at Ghadeer-e-Khum.

(Ref: Durr-e-Mansoor, Jalalluddin Suyuti, V3, P 19, Tarikh by Khatib al Baghdadi, V8 P 290, 596, Yanabi-al-Mawaddah from Abu Hureira by Al-Qudoozi Al-Hanafi).

After this ayah was revealed the holy Prophet (pbuh) said:

•“Allah is Great on the perfection of religion, completion of bounties and Allah’s satisfaction with my messengership and Ameerul Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a.s.)’s mastership after me.” – (Ref: Tirmizi, Nisaai, Hakim Neshapuri, Ahmad-e-Hanbal, Tabari)

There are couple of things which can be inferred from the above ayah. First is that Islam was perfected on the announcement of Man Kunto Mawla. And second is that Allah(SWT) did complete all His Favours on this announcement. Thus it can be said that Mawla Ali (A.S) is not only the ‘Greatest Sign of Allah’ but Allah’s Favours are incomplete without him.

And we have already seen that rejecting any of Allah’s Favour invoke His wrath. So what happens if “The Complete Favour’ is rejected? The Holy Quran confirms in the following manner:

•“Ek maangne wale ne kafiron ke liye ho kar rahne wale azaab ko maanga jisko koi taal nahin sakta jo Darje wale Khuda ki taraf se (hone wala) tha.” – (Surah-e-Meraj, ayah 1-3)

“(A questioner asked about a Penalty to befall- The Unbelievers, the which there is none to ward off,- (A Penalty) from Allah, Lord of the Ways of Ascent)”


Commenting on the revelation of above ayah Sala’bi writes in his tafseer that the news of Hazrat Ali (A.S.)’s appointment as master and leader by the Holy Prophet (pbuh) on divine command spread everywhere. A person named Haaris Ibn Noman Fehri came to the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and said: “You asked us to give two witnesses (of divinity and messengership), we gave. You made prayers, Zakaat and Hajj obligatory upon us, we accepted. Now, you intend to appoint your cousin (Ali) as our master by announcing, “Of whomsoever I am his master, Ali is his master too.” Is this announcement from your side or on divine order?” The Messenger of Allah answered:

“I swear by Allah, except Whom there is no God, this command was certainly divine.”

On hearing this, Haaris stood up and walking towards his camel, grumbled, “O Allah, if this order is from your side, then punish me by raining stones upon me.” He had hardly completed his sentence, when a stone fell from the sky and crushed him to death. At this justice, the Qur’anic verse was revealed: “A questioner asked about a Penalty to befall.” (Ref: Tafseer-e-Sal’abi)

Thus the ayah explains that penalty befell the unbeliever who rejected Allah’s Favour i.e. rejected the leadership of Hazrat Ali (A.S).

I feel like mentioning here a beautiful couplet from a famous Qawwali:

“Shahe Mardaan Shere Yazdaan Quwwate Parwardigar
Lafata illah Ali (A.S) la Saif e illa Zulfiqar”

 And conclude that Hazrat Ali (A.S) is the Greatest Sign and The Greatest Favour of Allah (SWT) and hence Allah has concealed His bounties in the love for Hazrat Ali (A.S)while hatred towards Ali (A.S) invokes His wrath. So let us pray that May Allah give us enough strength to love Hazrat Ali (A.S) and remain thankful to Allah for His limitless Bounties and Favours. Aamin