The Ghadir Event and Its Significance

8/8/2019 The Ghadir Event and Its Significance

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The Ghadir event and its significance

INTRODUCTION

Seventy days before his demise, when Prophet Muhammad(PBUH&HF) 1

was returning to Medina after his last pilgrimage to Mecca, he reachedthe pond of Khum (Ghadir Khum)near Juhfa. It was the 18th of the month of Dhul-Hijja of the year 10 AH(March 15, 632 AD). By this time, the Prophet (PBUH&HF) had conveyed allof the divine commandments to his nation except for the formal andexplicit public announcement of his divinely appointed successors asthe leaders, guardians, and guides for the believers for all days tocome.By the order of Allah, the Prophet (PBUH&HF) stopped at the pond of Khum, gathered the crowd of pilgrims, and delivered his last universal

speech. In this sermon, he presented his last religious instruction whichfinalized the last divine religion and made Islam the perfect religion inthe sight of Allah. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (PBUH), the fifth Imam andsuccessor of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) said:1 The acronym “PBUH&HF” refers to phrase “peace be upon him and his family.”

“The last obligatory duty that Allah sent down was al-Walaya(adherence to the guardian assigned by Allah). Then, He sent down theverse: ‘Today, I completed your religion…’1 once the Messenger of Allah established it in Juhfa area.”2 This message was the most uniquein the entire mission of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) due to the revelation of

Verse 67, Chapter 5 of the Holy Quran before his speech. In thisrevelation, Allah warned His Messenger that failing to deliver this lastmessage would nullify his entire mission. This unprecedented warningproves that this last message contained the most important religiouscommandment of Allah for the Muslim nation. Moreover, the contentsof this last message were so crucial to the faith that the Prophet(PBUH&HF) emphatically required all those who directly or indirectly heardthe sermon of Ghadir Khum to convey it to people who were not awareof its details, and parents to convey it to their children for allgenerations to come. Hence, this sermon addresses all Muslimgenerations of the world until the Day of Judgement. This emphasisnaturally implies that the content of this

1 Chapter 5, Verse 3 of the Holy Quran2 al-Tafsir , Ali Ibn Ibrahim al-Qummi, vol. 1, p. 162, under the commentary of Verse5:3; al-Tafsir , al-Ayyashi, vol. 1, p. 292, under the commentary of Verse 5:3; Bihar al-

Anwar , vol. 37, p. 112, Hadith 5, vol. 37, p. 138, Hadith 27.



message has a vital role in the future of the Muslims, their spiritualhealth, and their felicity in the Hereafter. The main issue that the Prophet (PBUH&HF) addressed in his speech inGhadir Khum was that Allah appointed Ali Ibn Abi Talib (PBUH) as theguardian (Wali), the master (Mawla), the leader (Imam), and the

commander ( Amir ) of all believing men and women, the deputy andthe executor of his affairs (Wasi), and his successor (Khalifa). Hissayings and commands should be preferred over the opinions of allothers in every matter. Obeying him is obeying Allah, and disobeyinghim is disobeying Allah. Whoever follows him (and his sayings) is abeliever under the guardianship of Allah, and whoever turns away fromhim (or his sayings) is a disbeliever under the guardianship of Satan.Guardianship (al-Walaya) expresses a bilateral relation between theguardian and the people. Observing al-Walaya by people meansadhering to the guardian and acknowledging his authority by heart,tongue, and action. On the other hand, the action of al-Walaya by the

guardian means offering protection from evil, spiritual assistance, care,support, and guidance for his adherents. A divinely appointed guardianguards his adherents from misguidance, spiritual destruction,wrongdoing, and sin as much as they adhere to him and hiscommands.Establishing al-Walaya has been the ultimate goal of religion and thefruit of the entire efforts of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HF) during hismission. One who submits to Allah’s representative and adheres to himhas indeed acknowledged Allah’s authority and guardianship and is atrue monotheist in obeying Allah. Acknowledging the guardianship of the leaders that Allah appointed and submitting to them is the greatest

pillar of faith. It safeguards the followers from the wrath andpunishment of Allah. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (PBUH) said:“Islam is established by five things: prayer, charity, fasting, pilgrimage,and al-Walaya(adhering to the guardians authorized by Allah). None (among them)was called for as(emphatically as) al-Walaya was called for. However, people acceptedthe first four andabandoned al-Walaya.”1 People who refused to submit to the leadersthat Allah appointed resemble the Satan who refused to submit to theviceregent of Allah, Adam (PBUH), and consequently, became an outcast

and went under the curse of Allah forever as mentioned1 al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 18, Hadith 3.

in the Holy Quran.1 It is narrated that Imam al-Ridha (PBUH) said: “The similitude of the believers in accepting the guardianship of theCommander of the Believers (Ali) on the day of Ghadir Khum is that of the angels in prostrating before Adam (i.e., submitting to him), and the



similitude of those who turned away from the guardianship of theCommander of the Believers on the day of Ghadir is that of the devil(Iblis).”2

:1 cf. the Holy Quran, Chapter 38, Verses 73-78.

2 Iqbal al-A'amal, p. 465.

In one of his speeches on the anniversary of the day of Ghadir, ImamAli (PBUH) said:“Allah does not accept the faith (of an individual) except after heacknowledges the guardianship of whom He required. He does notarrange the means of His obedience (for an individual) except after headheres to His ropes and the ropes of His authorized people. Thus,Allah sent down to His Prophet (PBUH&HF) on the day of the large trees1

thatwhich explained His will for His sincere and chosen servants. Allahcommanded him to convey (the message) without being concerned

about the hypocrites or the deviants, and guaranteed him protectionagainst their evil... By that, Allah completed His religion, and delightedthe eyes of His Prophet (PBUH&HF), and the believers. Some of youwitnessed this event and some received its news. This (appointment)concluded the beautiful word of Allah for those who observe patience…”2

1 This phrase refers to the day of Ghadir Khum as there had been some large treesbeside the pond at the time.2 Bihar al-Anwar , vol. 94, p. 115, Hadith 8.

What does the sermon establish for Ali (PBUH)?

Does successorship only refer to political authority?Some people do terrible injustice to the event of Ghadir by portrayingit as a matter of transferring political power. They unwittingly borrowthe Sunni understanding of the term Khalifa, interpreting it as “a rulingsuccessor”. They state that the main goal of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) inGhadir Khum was to establish Imam Ali (PBUH) as a political leader afterhis departure.Were it truly so, the matter would have been a historical matter, and itwould be meaningless to quarrel over the right of Imam Ali (PBUH) to ruleafter passing 1400 years. It is almost fourteen centuries too late todecide whether Ali (PBUH) should have been the first or the fourth ruling

governor after the departure of the Prophet (PBUH&HF). Were there amistake during the upheaval after his departure, it should not bestressed, because no one can change the past, and believing that Ali(PBUH) should have been the first ruler instead of the fourth would haveno consequence in today’s life.

This viewpoint ultimately led some to believe that the differencesbetween the Shia and the Sunnis are limited to some minor historical



disagreements, which do not have any bearing on their salvation in theHereafter, and that their beliefs are the same; thus, they shouldabandon their differences for the sake of their prosperity in the life of this world.

By considering the issue of successorship to be a matter of politicalrule, they have unknowingly belittled the goals and the achievementsof Allah’s Messenger and his successors, peace be upon them, forhistorical records show that, due to a lack of sincere supporters, theywere unable to implement their ideal divine government. Besides,most of the Shia Imams (PBUT) never attempted to implement their owngovernment and used to refer those who questioned their stance1 toImam Mahdi (PBUH) who will appear at the end of time and will establishthe Kingdom of Justice on earth.

On the other hand, a brief look at the sermon of Ghadir shows that the

Prophet (PBUH&HF) wanted to pass on much more than political authorityto Imam Ali (PBUH) and the Imams after him. An examination of his wordsshows that they are the guardians that Allah appointed, and peoplemust acknowledge their authority inside their hearts and follow themin all aspects of life. People will benefit from them as their Imams andwill be rewarded by Allah only if they accept them willingly and notthrough political dominion. Whether or not the guardians that Allahappointed become a ruling authority, the believers of all generationshave a duty to abide by their instructions.

Therefore, it is not too late to follow their commands, accept them as

guardians, submit to them, prefer their sayings over one’s own andother’s opinions, consider them as the1 See for instance, al-Kafi, vol. 1, pp. 341-342, Hadith 25, 26, and 27; Bihar al-Anwar ,vol. 51, p. 132, Hadith 1, and p. 109, Hadith 1.

center of truth, evaluate everything by their standard, and keep aloof from their enemies who opposed their commands. It is also interestingto observe that the Prophet (PBUH&HF)

mentioned the titles Wali, Mawla, and Imam for Ali (PBUH) in his sermonover 27 times, whereas he used the word Khalifa for him only three

times. Even under the Sunni implication of the word Khalifa (successor)—which limits it to political rule—it is clear that the Prophet (PBUH&HF)

stressed spiritual leadership in his speech, which would guarantee thesalvation of those who follow the Imam, and would lead them towardsParadise. Worldly issues never took priority for the Prophet (PBUH&HF) andhis successors.Imam Ali himself has said:



“By Allah, this world of yours is more despicable in my eyes than a pigbone in the hand of a leper.”1

Certainly, had the majority of people followed the sayings of theProphet (PBUH&HF) concerning the divinely appointed guide, he wouldhave naturally come to power. Thus, Imam Ali’s exclusive qualification

for political rule is only one of the natural outcomes of theguardianship (Walaya) that the Prophet (PBUH&HF) established for him onbehalf of Allah on the day of Ghadir. In this manner, the spiritualauthority of Imam Ali (PBUH) and1 Nahj al-Balagha, Maxim 236. Also refer to Sermon 3 (known as al- Shiqshiqiyya) foranother similar statement.

his pure descendants is still effective over the remaining believers untilthe Day of Judgement, irrespective of the support of the majority of people for them or their political authority.

Believing in the Imam’s virtues in one’s heart and adhering to hiswords in disguise (al-Taqiyya) under tyrannical rule are not onlysufficient for salvation in the Hereafter but also rewarded many-fold,because observing faith is more difficult at times of terror and fear.According to the traditions, worship during the days of tyrannicalgovernment is more rewarding for the believers than worship duringthe time of the just government, though this fact should not preventthe believers from praying to Allah for the manifestation of theKingdom of Justice on earth by Imam al-Mahdi (PBUH).1

The rights and virtues of Imam Ali and other Imams

The sermon of Ghadir Khum confirms the following rights and virtues of Imam Ali (PBUH) and the Imams after him:1- Allah has decreed absolute authority for them over the believers,and thus, just like the Prophet (PBUH&HF), all their commands must beobeyed unconditionally.2- Like the Prophet (PBUH&HF), they have priority over people, and theyhave more rights1 cf. al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 333, Hadith 2, also Hadith 1; Bihar al-Anwar , vol. 52, p. 127,Hadith 20, also p. 145, Hadith 67. Another related tradition can be found at: al-Ikhtisas, p. 20, Hadith; Bihar al-Anwar , vol. 52, p. 144, Hadith 62.

over the believers than what they have over their own souls. They

should be preferred over others (in position, sayings, ideas,commands, etc.) for Allah has preferred them.

3- Allah has made them the leaders of the believers and the medium of divine guidance after the Prophet (PBUH&HF). They guide people towardsthe pleasure of Allah, keep them from His disobedience and His wrath,and lead them to Paradise.



4- Allah has made them the guardians of the faithful, who protect theirclose adherents from evil and misguidance.5- They are the “Straight Path” of Allah, whom people are ordered tofollow.6- They have all the knowledge of the Prophet (PBUH&HF). Allah has

placed the knowledge of everything in them. They are the inheritors of all branches of knowledge. Particularly, they possess the completeknowledge of religion. They are authorized to expound the religion andexplain its commandments and prohibitions.7- Allah has authorized them to interpret the Holy Quran and to explainits meaning after the Prophet (PBUH&HF). No one knows itsinterpretations, its hidden warnings, and its mysteries except throughthem. They guide people to the truth of the Quran and call them to it.8- They are the executors of the will of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) and thedeputies of his affairs (Wasi). Imam Ali (PBUH) was the greatest in virtueand rank among the deputies of all the prophets (most of whom were

prophets themselves) just as the Prophet (PBUH&HF) was the greatestamong all prophets (PBUT).9- Imam Ali (PBUH) is the most virtuous amongst the creation of Allah solong as creation exists.10- Imam Ali (PBUH) was foremost in accepting Islam and worshippingAllah.11- Imam Ali (PBUH) fought against the enemies of Allah by His commandand was the greatest helper of religion.12- Imam Ali (PBUH) was the greatest aid and defender of the Prophet(PBUH&HF). He fought on his behalf and offered his life as a sacrifice forhim. His relation to the Prophet (PBUH&HF) was that of Aaron to Moses

(PBUT).13- Imam Ali (PBUH) was the dearest and the closest to the Prophet(PBUH&HF). He is from the Prophet (PBUH&HF), and the Prophet (PBUH&HF) isfrom him. The Prophet (PBUH&HF) called him his brother.14- The title of “the Commander of the Believers” exclusively belongsto him.15- Allah and His Prophet (PBUH&HF) are pleased with him. All verses of the Holy Quran that express Allah’s satisfaction or praise in their idealsense have been revealed about him.16- The divine light, the divine guidance, and the divine leadershiphave been placed in Imam Ali (PBUH) and the Imams from his

descendants up to Imam Mahdi (PBUH), the last divinely appointed Imam. The earth will never lack an Imam until the Day of Judgement.17- Imam Ali (PBUH) and the Imams of his descendents are the trusteesof Allah, His appointed judges, the vessels of divine knowledge1, thegreatest proofs of Allah among1 The “divine knowledge” refers to all the heavenly knowledge created by Allah, andplaced in His best creation. It is called divine just because Allah issued andauthorized it, and because it is not a science generated by a human. It is called His



knowledge since it is His creation and is attributed to Him. However, this should notbe confused with His “Eternal Knowledge”. It should be made clear that anyknowledge that a human being can possess, grasp, or comprehend is a creation, andhas no similarity whatsoever with Allah’s Eternal Knowledge (i.e., His Essence), whichis not created. The knowledge that a human or even an Imam possesses is not a partof Allah’s Eternal Knowledge, otherwise it would imply His Essence has parts. Any

imagination or perception of Allah's Eternal Knowledge by us is a creation of our mindand cannot be attributed to Allah. With regard to the Essence of Allah, we are notallowed to theorize or converse because we have no way to understand Him, and by“His Eternal Knowledge”, we only mean, “He is not ignorant”. We should recognizethat His Essence (Dhat ) is free from any type of knowledge that we know (i.e., anygenerated knowledge even if it is multiplied by infinity in terms of quality andquantity) just as we recognize that there is nothing that He is unaware of. Nothing islike Him. Maintaining a difference on the quality or the quantity between Hisknowledge and the concept of knowledge that is known to us is not enough to avoidresemblance, and we need to deny the resemblance in the concept of knowledgebetween the Creator and the creation. There is neither concept, nor quality for HisEssence. Allah is the creator of perfections and qualities, and He is not limited by theextension of qualities and concepts that we imagine. Allah knows, but not like howHis creation knows. Hence, our understanding of His Eternal Knowledge (i.e., HisEssence) is only limited to denying any opposite in Him. In other words, we shouldregard Him free from all defects such as ignorance

His creation, and His exhaustive arguments against them.18- Imam Ali (PBUH) and the pure members of his progeny constitute oneof the two weighty symbols besides the Holy Quran. If people adhere toboth, they will be never misled. Each one of the two guides to theother and agrees with it.19- Imam Ali (PBUH) and the Imams of his progeny are the most learnedabout the religion. The lawful and unlawful things are only those that

the book of Allah, the Messenger, and the Imams, have declared so,respectively.20- The last Imam of his descendants, the Mahdi (PBUH), shall establishthe global kingdom of justice. He will revive Allah’s religion, and willovercome all religions and ideas. He will annihilate falsehood, willpurify the earth from the enemies of Allah, will avenge the blood of allthe friends of Allah, and will re-establish the rights of Allah, the Prophet(PBUH&HF), and his family.

His followers, his enemies, and their fateIn the sermon of Ghadir Khum, the Prophet (PBUH&HF) describes the

followers and the enemies of Imam Ali (PBUH) and the Imams after him,and informs them of their destinies:. 1- Those who acknowledge the authority of Imam Ali (PBUH) are thetriumphant Party of Allah and the true believers who will achievefelicity and a great reward.2- Whoever doubts any of the Imams has doubted them all, and hisabode is the everlasting Hellfire. Whoever doubts the sayings of the



Prophet (PBUH&HF) in this sermon concerning them has doubted all of what Allah has revealed to the Prophet (PBUH&HF) throughout his entiremission. Such a person is accursed and under the wrath of Allah.3- If anyone chooses a religion other than submission to theguardianship of Imam Ali (PBUH), Allah will never accept it from him, nor

will He accept his deeds, and he will be among the losers on the Day of Judgement.4- Allah loves whoever loves Ali (PBUH). He keeps up His support,protection, guidance, forgiveness, and mercy for anyone who keepsattached to Ali (PBUH), listens to him, and remains under hisguardianship.5- Anyone who turns away from Imam Ali (PBUH), he has rejected Allah’sguardianship and has gone under the guardianship of Satan. Such aperson has attained the curse of Allah and His wrath.6- As long as someone denies Ali’s authority, Allah will never turn tohim nor will He ever forgive him. If he dies like that, he will remain in

Hell forever. This is a decisive decree by Allah that will never change.7- The friends of Imam Ali (PBUH) are those who believe in his

guardianship and never doubt their belief. They detest those whooppose Allah and His Messenger even if they are their closest kin.8- The enemies of Imam Ali (PBUH) are those who turn away from hisguardianship, doubt the virtues that Allah has bestowed upon him, are jealous of him, abandon support for him, reject his sayings, disagreewith his actions, oppose his commands, or have friendship with thosewho oppose him.9- His enemies are the wretched, the misguided, the arrogant, thebrothers of Satan, and the rejecters of faith. Their deeds are all in vain.

Their lasting punishment will not be lessened, and they will never bepardoned.10- Those who usurped the rights of the family of the Prophet (PBUH&HF)

are the leaders who invite people to Hell. Allah and His Prophet (PBUH&HF)

are clear of them and their actions. They, their supporters, and theirfollowers will be in the lowest pit of the Hellfire.

The Ghadir event leaves no excuseDuring the Sermon, the Prophet (PBUH&HF) stressed that his speechcompletes Allah’s argument against everyone until the Day of Judgement. After the departure of the Prophet

(PBUH&HF), other members of Ahl al-Bait (PBUT) 1 emphasized this fact aswell. Lady Fatima (PBUH), the Prophet’s daughter, said:“Allah did not leave any argument or any excuse for anyone after theevent of Ghadir Khum.”2

Similarly, when Imam Ali (PBUH) addressed the immigrants and thehelpers in the Prophet’s Mosque (after they had pledged fealty to AbuBakr), he reminded them of his exclusive right for the leadership of the



community and their covenant with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF)

concerning him. Some of the helpers said to Imam Ali, “OAbul Hasan! Had the helpers heard your arguments before giving theirpledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr, none would have disputed your rule.”In response to them, Imam Ali (PBUH) said:

1 Ahl al-Bait means People of the House. However, the Ahl al-Bait of the Prophet(PBUH&HF) as specifically defined by him and believed by the Shia, refers only to thedivinely selected individuals of his house. They are his daughter (Lady Fatima (PBUH))as well as twelve divinely appointed leaders (Imams) after him. The twelve Imamsinclude the Prophet’s son in law and cousin, Ali (PBUH), Ali’s two sons, al-Hasan and al-Husain (PBUT), as well as nine descendants of al-Husain (PBUH).2 Dala’il al-Imama, p. 38. See also, al-Khisal, vol. 1, p. 173; Bihar al- Anwar , vol. 30, p.124.

“Did you want me to leave the shrouded body of the Messenger of Allah without burial and come out to quarrel for his sovereignty? ByAllah! I could not believe anyone would yearn for it, dispute with us Ahlal-Bait (PBUT) in it, and make lawful to do what you did (in usurping ourrights). I do not see that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) left any placefor any controversial talks, any plea, or any argument for anyone (byhis speech) on the day of Ghadir Khum.”1

The above testimonies, among others, show that the speech of theProphet (PBUH&HF) at Ghadir Khum in defining the position of Imam Ali(PBUH) is clear, evident, and definitive, and it exhausts argumentsbrought by anyone. Thus, it can be presented as a comprehensiveproof to everyone.

Our obligations towards the sermon and the eventThe necessity of submitting to the Prophet’s sayingsOne of the important differences that distinguishes Islam from all theearly divine1 al-Ihtijaj, vol. 1, p. 74; Bihar al-Anwar , vol. 28, p. 185.

religions is that it states that it is the final religion of Allah. It offers theultimate divineinstructions for people in terms of beliefs and practices, and all itscommandments and prohibitions are effective until the Day of Judgement. Believers of all generations are required to submit to thesayings of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) to achieve felicity. Allahstates in the Holy Quran: “It is not permissible for a believer, man or woman, to exercise choicein a matter for which Allah and His Messenger issued a command.Whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has surely strayed off (the path), a manifest straying.”1



Whoever does not judge according to what Allah has sent down is adisbeliever.2

1 Chapter 33, Verse 36 of the Holy Quran.2 Chapter 5, Verse 44 of the Holy Quran.

“O You who believe! Do not precede Allah and His Messenger; and bewatchful of (your duties toward) Allah. Verily, Allah hears and knows allthings.”1

“But no, by your Lord, they have not truly believed until they make you judge in all disputes between them, find in their souls no resistanceagainst your decision, and submit (to you) with complete conviction.”2

“O You who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and thosewho are given authority from among you; and if you had a dispute in amatter, return it to Allah and His Messenger if you believe in Allah andthe Last Day.”3

1 Chapter 49, Verse 1 of the Holy Quran.2 Chapter 4, Verse 65 of the Holy Quran.3 Chapter 4, Verse 59 of the Holy Quran.

“Say, ‘If you truly love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and will

forgive you your sins; and Allah is oft-forgiving and the most merciful.’Say, ‘Obey Allah and His Messenger.’ But if they turn back, Allah lovesnot those who reject faith.” 1

Therefore, it is necessary for a believer to follow all the sayings of theProphet (PBUH&HF) which have reached us in the form of traditions.Opposing the traditions of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) means opposing Allahand disbelieving the above-mentioned verses of the Holy Quran.

Weakening and disregarding the sayings of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) thathave been handed down to us means believing that the Quranicverses, which require us to follow his sayings, are useless in our time.

Particularly, for such an important issue as the message of GhadirKhum, rejecting it means believing that Allah and His Prophet (PBUH&HF)

have failed to convey the message that, according to the Quran, if notconveyed, would be as if nothing of His religion was conveyed,2 andreligion would remain deficient and unsatisfactory in the sight of Allah.3It is, therefore, our duty to acquire and learn this final message of theProphet (PBUH&HF), to comply with what it entails, and to follow itsdirections.



1 Chapter 3, Verses 31-32 of the Quran.2 cf. the Holy Quran, Chapter 5, Verse 67.3 cf. the Holy Quran, Chapter 5, Verse 3.

Learning, acknowledging, and protecting the text of thesermon

The sermon of Ghadir Khum constitutes the last instructions of the lastprophet of Allah in his last days. Hence, it is of prime importance forevery believer to study the text of the sermon with care, reflect on it,and acknowledge all its implications in one’s heart. In the sermon of Ghadir, the Prophet (PBUH&HF) has emphasized that all his finalcommandments and prohibitions are effective forever and shouldnever be altered by people’s desires, needs, ideas, opinions, ortendencies in any era. He (PBUH&HF) considered it a duty of every believerto learn and comprehend the instructions of the sermon as it washanded down to them, and to protect them from any alteration orchange for the use of the current and future generations.

Acting upon the instructions of the sermon and observing thecovenantAfter understanding and acknowledging the message of the Prophet(PBUH&HF) in the heart, one must put it in practice in his/her life. Callingpeople toward the truth by self-practice is the most beautiful and themost effective method of propagating the truth, which protects themessage on a practical level and keeps it alive in the community. The covenant taken by the Prophet (PBUH&HF) from all people whoeventually hear the sermon includes the following verbal declarations:

1- We heard and understood the divine message concerning theauthority and the rights of Ali (PBUH) and the Imams of his offspring.2- We pledge our fealty to them by our hearts, our souls, our tongues,and our hands.3- We are satisfied with the message and submit to it.4- We will never deny it, nor will we break the covenant.5- We will never doubt it.6- We will obey it by our actions.7- We will live and die with this belief.8- We will never change nor replace its instructions.

9- We will convey it to our children, family, and friends, near or far.10- We take Allah as witness to this covenant, and His Prophet (PBUH&HF),Allah’s Angels, His forces, and His servants, and anyone who obeyed it.According to the saying of the Prophet (PBUH&HF), this covenant is takenby the order of Allah, and anyone who pledges his allegiance to him,Imam Ali, and the pure Imams of his progeny according to the terms of the covenant has indeed pledged his allegiance to Allah, the mightyand the majestic. This fact is also verified by the Holy Quran.1



1 cf. Chapter 48, Verse 10 of the Holy Quran.

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) stated that those who precede othersin acknowledging their covenant with Imam Ali (PBUH) and the Imamsafter him and truly believe in their guardianship are those who succeedin attaining the gardens of bliss.

Transmitting the sermon through modern waysAs the Prophet (PBUH&HF) ordered, every Muslim who receives hismessage should transmit it to other members of his community,especially the youth and children. Transmitting the sermon is thegreatest manifestation of enjoining what is right ( Amr bil ma’ruf )1. TheProphet (PBUH&HF) mentioned that the most important example of enjoining the right is conveying what he said in this sermon to truth-seeking individuals who have not heard its details, urging them tofollow it as an order from Allah and His Prophet (PBUH&HF), and advisingthem against violating it.Introducing the position and virtues of Imam Ali (PBUH) to the people isthe best possible deed, because it makes known to people theauthentic source of inquiry for all righteous deeds. The Prophet (PBUH&HF)

stated in the sermon that without recognizing Imam Ali1 The word al-Ma’ruf means what is recognized. It refers to the deeds that Allah hasrecognized as good. On the other hand, the word al- Munkar means what is rejected.It refers to what Allah did not recognize as righteous deeds, and thus, people shouldavoid them.

(PBUH), there is neither any value nor any effect in enjoining otherrighteous deeds. Therefore, it is the duty of all believing men and

women to inform other Muslims, who are prepared to hear the truth,about the content of this sermon without screening it according topersonal opinion.What follow are some suggestions to make the text as well as themeanings of this sermon popular in our community:1- Holding frequent special meetings for reciting the Arabic text of thesermon, its translation, and its explanation. Seeking nearness to Allahby reminding about the Prophet’s statements on the day of Ghadir, andmaking such spiritual gatherings as the medium of one’s requestsbefore Allah.2- Reciting a part of the sermon, even a small amount, in any general

gathering, and reminding about one’s obligation towards it.3- Holding classes of memorizing the text of the sermon for the youth,organizing competitions, quizzes, and offering prizes for learning thecontents of the sermon.4- Presenting the books containing the full text of the Prophet’s (PBUH&HF)

sermon at Ghadir Khum as gifts to the family and friends.5- Making decorative objects, goods, and greeting cards, etc., on whichthe key phrases of the sermon are written or carved.



6- Developing extracurricular programs in schools for teaching the textof the sermon to the students.7- Translating the sermon into different languages andpublishing themin papers and on the Internet.

Keeping alive the event and observing its anniversary There are many traditions on the importance of observing theanniversary of the event of Ghadir Khum. To be brief, only threetraditions are partially quoted below. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF)

said: “The day of Ghadir Khum is the greatest religious festival (Eid ) of mynation. It was the day that Allah, exalted is His rememberance,commanded me to appoint my brother, Ali Ibn Abi Talib, as the guidingbanner for my nation, by whom they will be rightly guided after me. Itwas the day in which Allah finalized religion and fulfilled His blessingson my nation and was pleased that Islam be their faith.”1

1 al-Amali, al-Saduq, p. 125, Hadith 8, Bihar al-Anwar , vol. 94, p. 110,Hadith 2.

Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) said to one of his companions:“Fasting on the day of Ghadir is equivalent to fasting throughout theentire age of the world… It is the greatest festival of Allah. Allah hasnot sent any prophet but that he celebrated this day as Eid and wasaware of its sanctity. It is known in the heavens as ‘The Day of theFamous Covenant’… You might think that Allah, the mighty and themajestic, has created a day more sacred than that. No, by Allah! No, byAllah! No, by Allah!”1

Imam Ridha (PBUH) said:“Certainly, the day of Ghadir is more famous in the heavens than in theearth… and by

1 Tahdhib al-Ahkam, vol. 3, p. 143, Hadith 1; Bihar al-Anwar , vol. 95,p. 302, Hadith 2.

Allah, had people truly known the superiority of this day, the angelswould have been shaking hands with them ten times a day.”1

Thanking Allah for this greatest blessing

Being grateful to the benefactor for his favors is a matter of rationalnecessity. The wiser the servant, the more gratitude he expresses inwords and actions to his master.Allah states in the Holy Quran: “We indeed bestowed wisdom upon Luqman: ‘Be grateful to Allah.’Certainly, whoever is grateful does so to the profit of his own soul, butif any is ungrateful, verily Allah is free of all wants and is abundantlypraised.”2



In addition, the greater the favor, the more appreciation that is due.Divine guardianship (al-Walaya) is the greatest favor that Allah hasbestowed upon His creation. The more gratitude that someoneexpresses to Allah by adhering to it, the more benefit he receives

1 Tahdhib al-Ahkam, vol. 6, p. 24, Hadith 9, Bihar al-Anwar , vol. 94, p. 118, Hadith 9.2 Chapter 31, Verse 12 of the Holy Quran.

from it. On the other hand, the more someone rejects Allah’s mercy,the more he is entitled to His curse, which lies in the absence of Hismercy and protection.Allah states: “If you are grateful, I will increase your (benefits from My favor); but if you show ingratitude, truly My torment is intense indeed.”1

1 Chapter 14, Verse 7 of the Holy Quran.

On the anniversary of the event of Ghadir Khum, Imam al- Sadiq (PBUH)

praised and thanked Allah, saying:

“O Allah! We listened, obeyed, and answered the caller from You dueto Your favor. Thus, praise belongs to You. We seek Your forgiveness,our Lord, and towards Your (reward or punishment) is the eventualturn.1 We believed in Allah, who is Unique and has no partner, believedin His Messenger, Muhammad, answered the caller of Allah andfollowed the Messenger in adhering to our master, the commander andthe guardian of the believers, Ali Ibn Ali Talib. He is the servant of

Allah, the brother of His Prophet, the most truthful, His exhaustiveargument against His creation, the supporter of His Prophet, and Histrue and clear religion. He is a flag of the religion of Allah, the treasurerof His (issued) knowledge, the chest of what is hidden by Allah, theplace of His secrets, and the trustee of Allah and His witness over Hiscreation.O Allah! We have heard the call of one calling (us) to faith, ‘Believe in Your Lord,’ thus we have believed. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, blotout from us our evil deeds, and take our souls in the company of therighteous. Our Lord! Grant us what You promised to1 cf., Chapter 2, Verse 285 of the Holy Quran.

us through Your messengers, and disgrace us not on the Day of Judgement, for You never break Your promise.1 Surely it was by Yourfavor and Your grace that we acknowledged the Prophet and theCommander of the Believers (Ali), and disbelieved in al-Jibt and al-Taghut .2 Thus, keep us attached to what we have adhered to.



Resurrect us with our Imams, for we believe in them, have confidencein their (authorities and virtues), and are submissive before them …”3

1 Chapter 3, Verses 193-194 of the Holy Quran.2 These two terms refer to the idols that are obeyed against Allah, which, in reality,implies they are worshipped instead of Him. According to the traditions, they refer to

the two foremost enemies of the family of the Prophet (PBUH&HF). Both terms havealso been used in Chapter 4, Verses 51 of the Quran. However, the latter term, al-Taghut , has been used in seven more places in the Holy Quran. See for instance:Chapter 2, Verses 256-257, and Chapter 4, Verses 60 and 76.3 Iqbal al-A'amal, p. 473, Bihar al-Anwar , vol. 95, p. 299, Hadith #1.

Some statistics about the text of the sermonHere are some statistical facts about the sermon:- The Prophet (PBUH&HF) explicitly mentioned the name of Imam Ali (PBUH)

in his sermon about forty times besides many more instances that he(PBUH&HF) referred to him by pronoun.

He (PBUH&HF) repeatedly used the following titles for Imam Ali (PBUH) in thissermon:- Wali and Mawla (guardian) fifteen times.- Imam (leader) twelve times.- Amir (commander) seven times.- Wasi (executor of the will and deputy of the affairs) seven times.- Akh (brother) four times.- Khalifa (successor) three times.- Hadi (guide) three times.- The Prophet explicitly mentioned the word A’imma (Imams), referringto the eleven Imams after Imam Ali (PBUH), nine times in his sermon.- The sermon also refers to over one hundred verses of the Holy Quranconcerning Imam Ali (PBUH) and his authority, his followers, and theirenemies.- The number of sentences categorized by some important subjects of the sermon is as follows:- Over fifty sentences on the Walaya of Imam Ali (PBUH).- Twenty sentences about his virtues, yet stressing that it is impossibleto enumerate all his virtues in the sermon. - Twenty-five sentences about the followers (Shia) of Imam Ali (PBUH)

and their enemies.- Ten sentences on the Walaya of the Imams (PBUT) after him.- Twenty sentences specifically about Imam Mahdi (PBUH), the lastdivinely appointed Imam who will establish the divine government onearth at the end of time.- Twelve sentences about the importance of the Quran, and introducingImam Ali (PBUH) and his children as its exclusive authorized interpreters.- Ten sentences on urging people to pledge their fealty to Imam Ali(PBUH) and the Imams after him from his offspring.



Documentation of the sermonDifferent pieces of the sermon of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) at the pond of Khum are found separately in many books narrated through numerousShia and Sunni authorities. However, the most complete text of the

sermon that has reached us, which covers most aforementionedpieces, is found in a number of books of traditions; the mostdistinguished of those which have been preserved to this date, is al-Ihtijaj, compiled by Ahmad Ibn Ali al-Tabarsi, an outstanding Shiascholar who lived in the 5th century AH.

Prophet's (PBUH&HF) historic Ghadir sermon

There is a humble translation of the Prophet's historic Ghadir Khumm sermon

All Praise is due to Allah Who is Exalted in His Unity, Near in His Uniqueness, Sublimein His Authority, Magnanimous in His Dominance. He knows everything; He subdues allcreation through His might and evidence. He is Praised always and forever, Glorified and

has no end. He begins and He repeats, and to Him every matter is referred.

Allah is the Creator of everything; He dominates with His power the earth and the

heavens. Holy, He is, and Praised, the Lord of the angels and of the spirits. His favoursoverwhelm whatever He creates, and He is the Mighty over whatever He initiates. He

observes all eyes while no eye can observe Him. He is Generous, Clement, Patient. His

mercy encompasses everything, and so is His giving. He never rushes His revenge, nor does He hasten the retribution they deserve. He comprehends what the breast conceals

and what the conscience hides. No inner I thought can be concealed from Him, nor doesHe confuse one with another. He encompasses everything, dominates everything, andsubdues everything. Nothing is like Him. He initiates the creation from nothing; He is

everlasting, living, sustaining in the truth; there is no god but He, the Omnipotent, the

Wise One.

He is greater than can be conceived by visions, while He conceives all visions, theEternal, the Knowing. None can describe Him by seeing Him, nor can anyone find out

how He is, be it by his intellect or by a spoken word except through what leads to Him,

the Sublime, the Mighty that He is.

I testify that He is Allah, the One Who has filled time with His Holiness, the One WhoseLight overwhelms eternity, Who effects His will without consulting anyone; there is no

partner with Him in His decisions, nor is He assisted in running His affairs. He shaped

what He made without following a preexisting model, and He created whatever Hecreated without receiving help from anyone, nor did doing so exhaust Him nor frustrated

His designs. He created, and so it was, and He initiated, and it became visible. So He is

Allah, the One and Only God, the One Who does whatever He does extremely well. He is

the Just One Who never oppresses, the most Holy to Whom all affairs are referred.



I further testify that He is Allah before Whom everything is humbled, to Whose

Greatness everything is humiliated, and to Whose Dignity everything submits. He is the

King of every domain and the One Who places planets in their orbits. He controls themovements of the sun and of the moon, each circles till a certain time. He makes the

night follow the day and the day follow the night, seeking it incessantly. He splits the

spine of every stubborn tyrant and annihilates every mighty devil.

Never has there been any opponent opposing Him nor a peer assisting Him. He isIndependent; He never begets nor is He begotten, and none can ever be His equal. He is

One God, the Glorified Lord. His will is done; His word is the law. He knows, so He

takes account. He causes death and gives life. He makes some poor and others rich. Hecauses some to smile and others to cry .He brings some nearer to Him while distancing

others from Him. He withholds and He gives. The domain belongs to Him and so is all

the Praise. In His hand is all goodness, and He can do anything at all.

He lets the night cover the day and the day cover the night; there is no god but He, the

Sublime, the oft-Forgiving One. He responds to the supplication; He gives generously;He computes the breath; He is the Lord of the jinns and of mankind, the One Whom

nothing confuses, nor is He annoyed by those who cry for His help, nor is He fed-up bythose who persist. He safeguards the righteous against sinning, and He enables the

winners to win. He is the Master of the faithful, the Lord of the Worlds Who deserves the

appreciation of all those whom He created and is praised no matter what.

I praise Him and always thank Him for the ease He brings me and for the constriction, inhardship and in prosperity, and I believe in Him, in His angels, in His Books and

messengers. I listen to His Command and I obey, and I initiate the doing of whatever

pleases Him, and I submit to His decree hoping to acquire obedience to Him and fear of

His penalty, for He is Allah against Whose designs nobody should feel secure, nor shouldanyone ever fear His "oppression."

I testify, even against my own soul, that I am His servant, and I bear witness that he is my

Lord. I convey what He reveals to me, being cautious lest I should not do it, so acatastrophe from Him would befall upon me, one which none can keep away, no matter

how great his design may be and how sincere his friendship. There is no god but He, for

He has informed me that if I do not convey what He has just revealed to me in honor of'Ali in truth, I will not have conveyed His Message at all, and He, the Praised and the

Exalted One, has guaranteed for me to protect me from the (evil) people, and He is Allah,

the One Who suffices, the Sublime. He has just revealed to me the following (verse):

In The Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

O Messenger! Convey what has (just) been revealed to you (with regard to 'Ali), and if you do not do so, you will not have conveyed His Message at all, and Allah shall Protect

you from (evil) people; surely Allah will not guide the unbelieving people. (Qur'an, 5:67)



O people! I have not committed any shortcoming in conveying what Allah Almighty

revealed to me, and I am now going to explain to you the reason behind the revelation of

this verse: Three times did Gabriel command me on behalf of the Peace, my Lord, Who isthe source of all peace, to thus make a stand in order to inform everyone, black and white,

that: ' Ali ibn Abu Talib is my Brother, Wasi, and successor over my nation and the Imam

after me, the one whose status to me is like that of Aaron to Moses except there will beno prophet after me, and he is your master next only to Allah and to His Messenger, and

Allah has already revealed to me the same in one of the fixed verses1 of His Book saying,

"Your Master is Allah and His Messenger and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay zakat even as they bow down" (Qur'an, 5:55), and, Ali ibn Abu Talib the

one who keeps up prayers, who pays zakat even as he bows down, seeking to please

Allah, the Sublime, the Almighty, on each and every occasion.

I asked Gabriel to plead to the Peace to excuse me from having to convey such a messageto you, O people, due to my knowledge that the pious are few1 while the hypocrites are

many, and due to those who will blame me, and due to the trickery of those who ridiculeIslam and whom Allah described in His Book as saying with their tongues contrarily to

what their hearts conceal, thinking lightly of it, while it is with Allah magnanimous, anddue to the abundance of their harm to me, so much so that they called me "ears" and

claimed that I am so because of being so much in his (' Ali's) company, always

welcoming him, loving him and being so much pleased with him till Allah, the Exaltedand the Sublime One, revealed in this regard the verse saying: " And there are some of

them who harm the (feelings of the) Prophet and say: He is an ear (uthun; i.e. he always

listens to' Ali).

Say: One who listens (to' Ali) is good for you; He believes in Allah and testifies to the

conviction of the believers and a mercy for those of you who believe; and those who(thus ) harm the Messenger of Allah shall have a painful punishment" (Qur'an, 9:61). Had

I wished to name those who have called me so, I would have called them by their names,and I would have pointed them out. I would have singled them out and called them by

what they really are, but I, by Allah, am fully aware of their affairs. Yet despite all of

that, Allah insisted that I should convey what He has just revealed to me in honor of' Ali.

Then the Prophet recited the following verse :

O Messenger! Convey what has (just) been revealed to you (with regard to 'Ali), and if

you do not do so, you will not have conveyed His Message at all, and Allah shall protect

you from (evil) people. (Qur'an, 5:67)

O people! Comprehend (the implications of) what I have just said, and again docomprehend it, and be (further) informed that Allah has installed him (' Ali) as your

Master and Imam, obligating the Muhajirun and the Ansar and those who follow them in

goodness to obey him, and so must everyone who lives in the desert or in the city, who is

a non-Arab or an Arab, who is a free man or a slave, who is young or old, white or black,and so should everyone who believes in His Unity. His decree shall be carried out. His ('



Ali's) word is binding; his command is obligating; cursed is whoever opposes him,

blessed with mercy is whoever follows him and believes in him, for Allah has already

forgiven him and forgiven whoever listens to him and obeys him.

O people! This is the last stand I make in such a situation; so, listen and obey, and submit

to the Command of Allah, your Lord, for Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime One, is your Master and Lord, then next to Him is His Messenger and Prophet who is now addressing

you, then after me 'Ali is your Master and Imam according to the Command of Allah,your Lord, then the lmams from among my progeny, his offspring, till the Day you meet

Allah and His Messenger.

Nothing is permissible except what is deemed so by Allah, His Messenger, and they (the

Imams), and nothing is prohibitive except what is deemed so by Allah and His Messenger and they (the Imams). Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime One, has made me acquainted

with what is permissible and what is prohibitive, and I have conveyed to you what my

Lord has taught me of His Book, of what it decrees as permissible or as prohibitive.

O people! Prefer him (' Ali) over all others! There is no knowledge except that Allah has

divulged it to me, and all the knowledge I have learned I have divulged to Imam al-

Muttaqin (leader of the righteous), and there is no knowledge (that I know) except that I

divulged it to' Ali, and he is al-Imam al-Mubin (the evident Imam) whom Allah mentionsin Surat ya-Sin: "... and everything We have computed is in (the knowledge of) an

evident Imam" (Qur'an, 36:12).

O people! Do not abandon him, nor should you flee away from him, nor should you be

too arrogant to accept his authority, for he is the one who guides to righteousness andwho acts according to it. He defeats falsehood and prohibits others from acting according

to it, accepting no blame from anyone while seeking to please Allah. He is the first to believe in Allah and in His Messenger; none preceded him as such. And he is the onewho offered his life as a sacrifice for the Messenger of Allah and who was in the

company of the Messenger of Allah while no other man was. He is the first of all people

to offer prayers and the first to worship Allah with me. I ordered him, on behalf of Allah,to sleep in my bed, and he did, offering his life as a sacrifice for my sake.

O people! Prefer him (over all others), for Allah has preferred him, and accept him, for

Allah has appointed him (as your leader).

O people! He is an Imam appointed by Allah, and Allah shall never accept the repentance

of anyone who denies his authority, nor shall He forgive him; this is a must decree fromAllah never to do so to anyone who opposes him, and that He shall torment him with a

most painful torment for all time to come, for eternity; so, beware lest you should oppose

him and thus enter the fire the fuel of which is the people and the stones prepared for theunbelievers.

O people! By Allah! All past prophets and messengers conveyed the glad tiding of my

advent, and I, by Allah, am the seal of the prophets and of the messengers and the



argument against all beings in the heavens and on earth. Anyone who doubts this

commits apostasy similar to that of the early jahiliyya, and anyone who doubts anything

of what I have just said doubts everything which has been revealed to me, and anyonewho doubts any of the Imams doubts all of them, and anyone who doubts us shall be

lodged in the fire.

O people! Allah, the most Exalted and the Almighty, has bestowed this virtue upon me

out of His kindness towards' Ali and as a boon to' Ali and there is no god but He; to Himall praise belongs in all times, for eternity, and in all circumstances.

O people! Prefer' Ali (over all others), for he is the very best of all people after me, be

they males or females, so long as Allah sends down His sustenance, so long as there are

beings. Cursed and again cursed, condemned and again condemned, is anyone who doesnot accept this statement of mine and who does not agree to it. Gabriel himself has

informed me of the same on behalf of Allah Almighty Who he said (in Gabriel's words):

" Anyone who antagonizes' Ali and refuses to accept his wilayat shall incur My curse

upon him and My wrath." "... and let every soul consider what it has sent forth for themorrow, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah" (Qur'an, 59:18), "And do not make your

oaths a means of deceit between you lest a foot should slip after its stability" (Qur'an,16:94), " Allah is fully aware of all what you do" (Qur'an, 58: 13).

O people! He (' Ali) is janb-Allah mentioned in the Book of Allah, the Sublime One: The

Almighty, forewarning his (' Ali's) adversaries, says, "Lest a soul should say: O woe unto

me for what I fell short of my duty to Allah, and most surely I was of those who laughedto scorn" (Qur'an, 39:56).

O people! Study the Qur'an and comprehend its verses, look into its fixed verses and do

not follow what is similar thereof, for by Allah, none shall explain to you what it forbidsyou from doing, nor clarify its exegesis, other than the one whose hand I am taking andwhom I am lifting to me, the one whose arm I am taking and whom I am lifting, so that I

may enable you to understand that: Whoever among you takes me as his master, this, Ali

is his master, and he is' Ali ibn Abu Talib, my Brother and wasi, and his appointment asyour wali is from Allah, the Sublime, the Exalted One, a commandment which He

revealed to me.

O people! ' Ali and the good ones from among my offspring from his loins are the Lesser

Weight, while the Qur'an is the Greater One: each one of them informs you of and agreeswith the other. They shall never part till they meet me at the Pool (of Kawthar).

They are the Trustees of Allah over His creation, the rulers on His earth.

Indeed now I have performed my duty and conveyed the Message. Indeed you have heard

what I have said and explained. Indeed Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime, has said,and so have Ion behalf of Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime, that there is no

Ameerul-Mo'mineen (Commander of the Faithful) save this Brother of mine; no authority

over a believer is permissible after me except to him.



Then the Prophet patted ' Ali's arm, lifting him up. Since the time when the Messenger of

Allah ascended the pulpit, Ameerul-Mo'mineen was one pulpit step below where the

Messenger of Allah had seated himself on his pulpit, while' Ali was on his (Prophet's)right side, one pulpit step lower, now they both appeared to the gathering to be on the

same level; the Prophet lifted him up. The Prophet then raised his hands to the heavens in

supplication while' Ali's leg was touching the knee of the Messenger of Allah. TheProphet continued his sermon thus:

O people! This is' Ali, my Brother, Wasi, the one who comprehends my knowledge, and

my successor over my nation, over everyone who believes in me. He is the one entrusted

with explaining the Book of Allah, the most Exalted One, the Sublime, and the one whoinvites people to His path. He is the one who does whatever pleases Him, fighting His

enemies, befriending His friends who obey Him, prohibiting disobedience to Him. He is

the successor of the Messenger of Allah and Ameerul- Mo'mineen, the man assigned byAllah to guide others, killer of the renegades and of those who believe in equals to Allah,

those who violate the Commandments of Allah. Allah says, "My Word shall not be

changed, nor am I in the least unjust to the servants" (Qur'an, 50.29), and by Your Command, O Lord, do I (submit and) say, O Allah! Befriend whoever befriends him(Ali) and be the enemy of whoever antagonizes him; support whoever supports him and

abandon whoever abandons him; curse whoever disavows him, and let Your Wrath

descend on whoever usurps his right.

O Lord! You revealed a verse in honor of' Ali, Your wali, in its explanation and to effect

Your own appointment of him this very day did You say, "This day have I perfected your

religion for you, completed My favour on you, and chosen for you Islam as a religion"

(Qur'an, 5.3); "And whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted

from him, and in the hereafter he shall be one of the losers" (Qur'an, 3:85).

Lord! I implore You to testify that I have conveyed (Your Message).

O people! Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, has perfected your religion through his ('

Ali's) Imamate; so, whoever rejects him as his Imam or rejects those of my offspring

from his loins who assume the same status (as lmams) till the Day of Judgment whenthey shall all be displayed before Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, these are the ones

whose (good) deeds shall be nil and void in the life of this world and in the hereafter, and

in the fire shall they be lodged forever, " ...their torture shall not be decreased, nor shallthey be given a respite" (Qur'an,2:162).

O people! Here is' Ali, the one who has supported me more than anyone else among you,

the one who most deserves my gratitude, the one who is closest of all of you to me and

the one who is the very dearest to me. Both Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, and I are pleased with him, and no verse of the Holy Qur'an expressing Allah's Pleasure except that

he is implied therein, nor has any verse of praise been revealed in the Qur'an except that

he is implied therein, nor has the Lord testified to Paradise in the (Qur'anic) Chapter



starting with "Has there not come over man a long period of timewhen he was nothing

(not even) mentioned?" (Qur'an, 76:1) nor was this Chapter revealed except in his praise.

O people! He is the one who supports the religion of Allah, who argues on behalf of theMessenger of Allah. He is the pious, the pure, the guide, the one rightly guided. Your

Prophet is the best of all prophets, and your wasi is the best of all wasis, and his offspringare the best of wasis .

O people! Each prophet's progeny is from his own loins whereas mine is from the loins of Arneerul-Mo'mineen ' Ali.

O people! Iblis caused Adam to be dismissed from the garden through envy; so, do not

envy him lest your deeds should be voided and lest your feet should slip away, for Adam

was sent down to earth after having committed only one sin, and he was among the eliteof Allah's creation. How, then, will be your case, and you being who you are, and among

you are enemies of Allah?

Indeed, none hates' Ali except a wretch, and none accepts ' Ali's wilayat except a pious

person. None believes in him except a sincere mu'min, and in honor of, Ali was theChapter of 'Asr (Ch. 103) revealed, I swear to it by Allah: "In the Name of Allah, the

Beneficent, the Merciful. I swear by time that most surely man is in loss" (Qur'an, 103:1-

2) except' Ali who believed and was pleased with the truth and with perseverance.

O people! I have sought Allah to be my Witness and have conveyed my Message to you,and the Messenger is obligated only to clearly convey (his Message). O people! " Fear

Allah as Re ought to be feared, and do not die except as Muslims" (Qur'an, 3:102). O

people! " ...Believe in what We have revealed, verifying what you have, before We alter

faces then turn them on their backs or curse them as We cursed the violators of theSabbath" (Qur'an, 4:47). By Allah! Redid not imply anyone in this verse except a certain

band of my sahaba whom I know by name and by lineage, and I have been ordered (bymy Lord) to pardon them; so, let each person deal with ' Ali according to what he finds

in his heart of love or of hatred.

O people! The noor from Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime, flows through me then

through ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib then in the progeny that descends from him till al-Qa'imal-Mehdi, who shall effect the justice of Allah, and who will take back any right belonging

to us because Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, made us Hujjat over those who take us

lightly, the stubborn ones, those who act contrarily to our word, who are treacherous, who

are sinners, who are oppressors, who are usurpers, from the entire world.

O people! I warn you that I am the Messenger of Allah; messengers before me have

already passed away; so, should I die or should I be killed, are you going to turn upon

your heels? And whoever turns upon his heels shall not harm Allah in the least, and Allahshall reward those who are grateful, those who persevere. 'Ali is surely the one described

with perseverance and gratitude, then after him are my offspring from his loins.



O people! Do not think that you are doing me a favour by your accepting Islam. Nay! Do

not think that you are doing Allah such a favour lest He should void your deeds, lest His

wrath should descend upon you, lest He should try you with a flame of fire and brass;surely your Lord is ever-watchful.

O people! There shall be Imams after me who shall invite people to the fire, and theyshall not be helped on the Day of Judgment.

O people! Allah and I are both clear of them.

O people! They and their supporters and followers shall be in the lowest rung of the fire;

miserable, indeed, is the resort of the arrogant ones. Indeed, these are the folks of the

sahifa; so, let each one of you look into his sahifa!

This reference to the sahifa has been overlooked by most people with the exception of a

small band, and we will, Insha-Allah, shed a light on this sahifa later on. The Prophetcontinued his historic sermon thus:

O people! I am calling for it to be an Imamate and a succession confined to my offspring

till the Day of Judgment, and I have conveyed only what I have been commanded (by my

Lord) to convey to drive the argument home against everyone present or absent and oneveryone who has witnessed or who has not, who is already born or he is yet to be born;

therefore, let those present here convey it to those who are absent, and let the father

convey it to his son, and so on till the Day of Judgment.

And they shall make the Imamate after me a property, a usurpation; may Allah curse the

usurpers who usurp , and it is then that you, O jinns and mankind, will get the fullattention of the One Who shall cause a flame of fire and brass to be hurled upon you, and

you shall not achieve any victory!

O people! Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, is not to let you be whatever you want to be except so that He may distinguish the bad ones from among you from the good, and

Allah is not to make you acquainted with the unknown.

O people! There shall be no town that falsifies except that Allah shall annihilate it on

account of its falsehood before the Day of Judgment, and He shall give al-lmam al-Mahdi(PBUH) authority over it, and surely Allah's promise is true.

O people! Most of the early generations before you have strayed, and by Allah, He surely

annihilated the early generations, and He shall annihilate the later ones. Allah Almighty

has said, "Did We not destroy the former generations? Then did We follow them up withlater ones. Even thus shall We deal with the guilty. Woe on that Day to the rejecters!"

(Qur'an, 77: 16-19).



O people! Allah has ordered me to do and not to do, and I have ordered 'Ali to do and

not to do, so he learned what should be done and what should not; therefore. you should

listen to his orders so that you may be safe, and you should obey him so that you may berightly guided. Do not do what he forbids you from doing so that you may acquire

wisdom. Agree with him, and do not let your paths be different from his.

O people! I am al-Sirat al-Mustaqeem (the Straight Path) of Allah whom He commanded

you to follow, and it is after me 'Ali then my offspring from his loins, the Imams of Guidance: they guide to the truth and act accordingly.

Then the Prophet recited the entire text of Surat al-Fatiha and commented by saying:

It is in my honor that this (Sura) was revealed, including them (the Imams) specifically;

they are the friends of Allah for whom there shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve; trulythe Party of Allah are the winners.

Indeed, it is their enemies who are the impudent ones, the deviators, the brethren of Satan; they inspire each other with embellished speech out of their haughtiness.

Indeed, their (Imams') friends are the ones whom Allah, the Exalted One, the Great,

mentions in His Book saying, "You shall not find a people who believe in Allah and inthe latter Day befriending those who act in opposition to Allah and to His Prophet, even

though they may be their own fathers or sons or brothers or kinsfolk; these are they into

whose hearts He has impressed conviction" (Qur'an, 58:22). Indeed, their (Imams')friends are the mu'mins (believers) whom Allah, the Exalted One, the Sublime, describes

as: "Those who believe and do not mix up their faith with iniquity, those are the ones

who shall have the security, and they are the rightly guided" (Qur'an, 6:82).

Indeed, their friends are those who believed and never doubted. Indeed, their friends arethe ones who shall enter Paradise in peace and security; the angels shall receive them

with welcome saying, "Peace be upon you! Enter it and reside in it forever!"

Indeed, their friends shall be rewarded with Paradise where they shall be sustained

without having to account for anything.

Indeed, their enemies are the ones who shall be hurled into the fire.

Indeed, their enemies are the ones who shall hear the exhalation of hell as it increases in

intensity, and they shall see it sigh.

Indeed, their enemies are the ones thus described by Allah: "Whenever a nation enters, it

shall curse its sister..." (Qur'an, 7:38).

Indeed, their enemies are the ones whom Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime,

describes thus: "Whenever a group is cast into it, its keepers shall ask them: Did any

warner not come to you? They shall say: Yea! Indeed, there came to us a warner but we



rejected (him) and said: Allah has not revealed anything; you are only in a great error.

And they shall say: Had we but listened or pondered, we would not have been among the

inmates of the burning fire. So they shall acknowledge their sins, but far will beforgiveness) from the inmates of the burning fire" (Qur'an, 67:8-11).

Indeed, their friends are the ones who fear their Lord in the unseen; forgiveness shall be

theirs and a great reward.

O people! What a difference it is between the fire and the great reward! .

O people! Our enemy is the one whom Allah censures and curses, whereas our friend iseveryone praised and loved by Allah.

O people! I am the Warner (nathir) and' Ali is the one who brings glad tidings (bashir).

O people! I am the one who warns (munthir) while 'Ali is the guide (hadi).

O people! I am a Prophet (nabi) and' Ali is the successor (wasi).

O people! I am a Messenger (rasul) and' Ali is the Imam and the Wasi after me, and so

are the Imams after him from among his offspring. Indeed, I am their father, and theyshall descend from his loins.

Indeed, the seal of the lmams from among us is al-Qa'im al-Mehdi. He, indeed, is the one

who shall come out so that the creed may prevail. He, indeed, is the one who shall seek

revenge against the oppressor. He, indeed, is the one who conquers the forts and

demolishes them. He, indeed, is the one who subdues every tribe from among the peopleof polytheism and the one to guide it.

He is the one who shall seek redress for all friends of Allah. He is the one who supports

the religion of Allah. He ever derives (his knowledge) from a very deep ocean. He shallidentify each man of distinction by his distinction and every man of ignorance by his

ignorance. He shall be the choicest of Allah's beings and the chosen one. He is the heir of

all (branches of) knowledge, the one who encompasses every perception. He conveys on behalf of his Lord, the Exalted and the Sublime, who points out His miracles. He is the

wise, the one endowed with wisdom, the one upon whom (Divine) authority is vested.

Glad tidings of him have been conveyed by past generations, yet he is the one who shallremain as a Hujja, and there shall be no Hujja after him nor any right except with him,nor any noor except with him.

None, indeed, shall subdue him, nor shall he ever be vanquished. He is the friend of Allah

on His earth, the judge over His creatures, the custodian of what is evident and what is

hidden of His.



O people! I have explained (everything) for you and enabled you to comprehend it, and

this 'Ali shall after me explain everything to you.

At the conclusion of my khutba, I shall call upon you to shake hands with me to swear your allegiance to him and to recognize his authority, then to shake hands with him after

you have shaken hands with me.

I had, indeed, sworn allegiance to Allah, and ‘Ali had sworn allegiance to me, and I on

behalf of Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime, I require you to swear the oath of allegiance to him: "Surely those who swear (the oath of) allegiance to you do but swear

allegiance to Allah; the hand of Allah is above their hands; therefore, whoever reneges

(from his oath), he reneges only to the injury of his own soul, and whoever fulfills what

he has covenanted with Allah, He will grant him a mighty reward" (Qur'an,48:10).

O people! The pilgrimage (hajj) and the 'umra are among Allah's rituals; "So whoever

makes a pilgrimage to the House or pays a visit (to it), there is no blame on him if he

goes round them [Safa and Marwa] both" (Qur'an, 2:158).

O people! Perform your pilgrimage to the House, for no members of a family went thereexcept that they became wealthy, and receive glad tidings! None failed to do so except

that their lineage was cut-off and were impoverished.

O people! No believer stands at the standing place [at 'Arafa] except that Allah forgives

his past sins till then; so, once his pilgrimage is over, he resumes his deeds.

O people! Pilgrims are assisted, and their expenses shall be replenished, and Allah never

suffers the rewards of the doers of good to be lost.

O people! Perform your pilgrimage to the House by perfecting your religion and by

delving into fiqh, and do not leave the sacred places except after having repented andabandoned (the doing of anything prohibited).

O people! Uphold prayers and pay the zakat as Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime,

commanded you; so, if time lapses and you were short of doing so or you forgot, ' Ali is

your wali and he will explain for you.

He is the one whom Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, appointed for you after me as thecustodian of Hiscreation. He is from me and I am from him, and he and those who will

succeed him from my progeny shall inform you of anything you ask them about, and theyshall clarify whatever you do not know.

Halal and haram things are more than I can count for you now or explain, for acommandment to enjoin what is permissible and a prohibition from what is not

permissible are both on the same level, so I was ordered (by my Lord) to take your oath

of allegiance and to make a covenant with you to accept what I brought you from Allah,the Exalted One and the Sublime, with regards to' Ali Ameerul-Mo'mineen and to the



wasis after him who are from me and from him, a standing Imamate whose seal is al-

Mehdi till the Day he meets Allah Who decrees and Who judges.

O people! I never refrained from informing you of everything permissible or prohibitive;so, do remember this and safeguard it and advise each other to do likewise; do not alter it;

do not substitute it with something else.

I am now repeating what I have already said: Uphold the prayers and pay the zakat and

enjoin righteousness and forbid abomination.

The peak of enjoining righteousness is to resort to my speech and to convey it to whoever did not attend it and to order him on my behalf to accept it and to (likewise) order him

not to violate it, for it is an order from Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, and there is no

knowledge of enjoining righteousness nor prohibiting abomination except that it is with ama'soom Imam.

0 people! The Qur'an informs you that the Imams after him are his (' Ali's) descendants,and I have already informed you that they are from me and from him, for Allah says in

His Book, " And he made it a word to continue in his posterity so that they may return "(Qur'an, 43:28) while I have said: "You shall not stray as long as you uphold both of

them (simultaneously)."

O people! (Uphold) piety, (uphold) piety, and be forewarned of the Hour as Allah, the

Exalted and the Sublime, has said, "0 people! Guard (yourselves) against (punishmentfrom) your Lord; surely the violence of the Hour is a grievous thing" (Qur'an, 22:1).

Remember death, resurrection, the judgment, the scales, and the account before the Lord

of the Worlds, and (remember) the rewards and the penalty. So whoever does a gooddeed shall be rewarded for it, and whoever commits a sin shall have no place in theGardens.

O people! You are more numerous than (it is practical) to shake hands with me all at the

same time, and Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, commanded me to require you to

confirm what authority I have vested upon 'Ali Ameerul-Mo'mineen and to whoever succeeds him of the Imams from me and from him, since I have just informed you that

my offspring are from his loins.

You, therefore, should say in one voice: "We hear, and we obey; we accept and we are

bound by what you have conveyed to us from our Lord and yours with regard to our Imam' Ali (V' Ameerul-Mo'mineen, and to the Imams, your sons from his loins. We

swear the oath of allegiance to you in this regard with our hearts, with our souls, with our

tongues, with our hands. According to it shall we live, and according to it shall we die,and according to it shall we be resurrected. We shall not alter anything or substitute

anything with another, nor shall we doubt nor deny nor suspect, nor shall we violate our

covenant nor abrogate the pledge. You admonished us on behalf of Allah with regard to'Ali (Ameerul-Mo'mineen,) and to the Imams whom you mentioned to be from your



offspring from among his descendants after him: al-Hasan and al-Husain and to whoever

is appointed (as such) by Allah after them. The covenant and the pledge are taken from

us, from our hearts, from our souls, from our tongues, from our conscience, from our hands. Whoever does so by his handshake, it shall be so, or otherwise testified to it by his

tongue, and we do not seek any substitute for it, nor shall Allah see our souls deviating

there from. We shall convey the same on your behalf to anyone near and far of our offspring and families, and we implore Allah to testify to it, and surely Allah suffices as

the Witness and you, too, shall testify for us."

O people! What are you going to say?! Allah knows every sound and the innermost of

every soul; "Whoever chooses the right guidance, it is for his own soul that he is rightlyguided, and whoever strays, it is only to its detriment that he goes astray" (Qur'an, 17:15).

O people! Swear the oath of allegiance to Allah, and swear it to me, and swear it to' Ali

Ameerul-Mo'mineen, and to al-Hasan and al-Husain and to the Imams from their

offspring in the life of this world and in the hereafter, a word that shall always remain so.

Allah shall annihilate anyone guilty of treachery and be merciful upon everyone whoremains true to his word: "Whoever reneges (from his oath), he reneges only to the

harm of his own soul, and whoever fulfills what he has covenanted with Allah, He will

grant him a mighty reward" (Qur'an, 48:10).

O people! Repeat what I have just told you to, and greet' Ali with the title of authority of

"Ameerul-Mo'mineen" and say: "We hear, and we obey, O Lord! Your forgiveness (do

we seek), and to You is the eventual course" (Qur'an, 2:285), and you should say: "All

praise is due to Allah Who guided us to this, and we would not have found the way had itnot been for Allah Who guided us" (Qur'an, 7:43).

O people! The merits of' Ali ibn Abu Talib with Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, the

merits which are revealed in the Qur'an, are more numerous than I can recount in onespeech; so, whoever informs you of them and defines them for you, you should believe

him.

O people! Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger and' Ali (U and the Imams to whom

I have already referred shall attain a great victory. O people! Those foremost from amongyou who swear allegiance to him and who pledge to obey him and who greet him with

the greeting of being the Commander of the Faithful are the ones who shall win the

Gardens of Felicity.

O people! Say what brings you the Pleasure of Allah, for if you and all the people of theearth disbelieve, it will not harm Allah in the least.

O Lord! Forgive the believers through what I have conveyed, and let Your Wrath

descend upon those who renege, the apostates, and all Praise is due to Allah, the Lord of

the Worlds.



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