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Tafsir al-Tasnim – Verse 5:55 ​

The Verse ​

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

In the name of Allah, the most Merciful, the most Compassionate

إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَهُمْ رَٰكِعُونَ

Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down (5:55)

Exegesis Summary ​

The guardian of believers is God, His Messenger, and some believers who give zakāt while bowing in their prayers.

Exegesis ​

Keywords(1):

Innamā (إنّما): It is a particle used to establish restriction based on facticity (Ḥaṣr Ḥaqīqī Aw Muṭlaq: restriction based on a fact or reality). Its default function is restriction, unless a textual clue (qarīnah) modifies this function. In the verse it is translated as “only.”

Linguists have proven the restrictive function of Innamā based on revealed evidence, while Al-‘Allāma al-Ḥillī additionally relied on reason and linguistic knowledge to prove this function(2).

Meanwhile, Fakhr al-Rāzī opposed these explanations and claimed that Innamā does not always indicate restriction since it is used in non-restrictive contexts, such as the verse: “The parable of the life of this world is that of water which We send down from the sky” (10:24), since life has other parables besides this example(3).

Yet, al-Rāzi’s claim is lacking, since Innamā does in fact serve restriction, but its function is modified in the usage of a textual clue that nullifies it. And if there was a proof that its function is Restriction Based on Attribution (hasr idafi, Qiyasi, nisbi), then it would be caused by the textual clue; otherwise, the restriction remains based on facticity.

Some scholars argue that Innamā is composed of Inna (إنّ), used for affirmation in Arabic, and mā (ما), used for negation in Arabic (Kāshif al-Murād, p. 368). They argue that, based on the law of non-contradiction, negation and affirmation are distinct, and each corresponds to a part of the word [Innamā]: Inna affirms that the guardians are God, the Messenger, and Amīr al-Muʾminīn, while mā negates the guardianship of others. This interpretation, however, is mere inference based on opinions rather than concrete linguistic evidence, unless that inference is based on taʿaddud al-waḍʿ (a single form having multiple meanings). This assumption is established, becasue Innamā is single lexical element, not a compound word, therefore it cannot be analogized with the use of Inna in the verse: “I follow only what is revealed to me.” (6:50), where Inna serves to negate, while ‘Ila (إلا) serves to affirm.

Concordance of the Verses ​

The preceding verses address allyship with the Jews and Christians, and being mindful of taking them as allies. By contrast, this verse concerns guardianship over believers, managing the Islamic society, and shows that true guardianship belongs to God, the Messenger, and believers such as Imam ʿAlī.

Authority over Creation and Legislation ​

God possesses authority over creation (al-wilāyah al-takwīniyyah) and authority over legislation (al-wilāyah al-tashrīʿiyyah). He gives life and takes it, carries out His will in the universe, tightens and expands the means of life, brings sorrow and joy, enrichs people, and more—all of which are means of His creative authority. He also decreed laws and gave commands, which constitutes His legislative authority. The verse “Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down” combines both authorities. Similarly, the Messenger and select believers, whom we identify later, possess authority over creation and legislation(4), as indicated in the verse: “His Messenger, and the faithful.” These authorities are valid, because the authority of God is essential (dhātīyyah) and intrinsic, whereas the authority of the divine representatives (Messenger and the faithful) is derivative (tabʿīyyah) and added (‘ardiyyah), as God willed.

Authority to Act ​

The “guardianship” mentioned in the verse refers to governance and taking action, not love and allyship. Textual clues at the beginning and the end of the verse establish this meaning, and restrict guardianship to authority to act:

  1. Restriction through Innamā, and using it to signify one group over the others. That is “Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful.”

  2. The use of the second-person pronoun kum in walīyyukum (وليكم), indicated that guardianship flows in one direction. It is not ascribed to the true guardians and those under their guardianship so they would both possess this status over society.

Explanation:

The use of Innamā in the verse is unaccompanied by modifying textual clues, and thus indicating a restriction based on facticity, meaning it restricts guardianship to God. Since guardianship in the sense of allyship or love is not restricted to God, and may be held by everyone, the guardianship mentioned is specific and restricted, namely authority to act, not the general guardianship the encompasses the notions of allyship or love. The general form of guardianship is mentioned in the verse: “But the faithful, men and women, are comrades of one another,” (9:71) which applies to all believers and is not exclusive to one group, like the Prophet and some believers such as ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib. Whereas the textual indicators in the verse under discussion point to the believers, and the restriction established by “Innamā” restricts guardianship to the Messenger and a select of believers.

Thus, the guardianship specified in this verse, that which is exclusive to God, the Messenger, and the believers who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down, surely means ruling and leadership.

Moreover, the literal interpretation of the verse shows that this guardianship is on-directional—it is restricted to God, the Messenger, and select believers of the Islamic community, for they are the guardians and all others are subjects of that guardianship. Had the intended meaning been that people are guardians over one another, the verse would have said “But the faithful, men and women…” (9:71) regardless of whether “the faithful” in verse 5:55 refers to ʿAlī or not.

Undoubtedly, one-directional guardianship, from the Prophet and not from the people under his guardianship, is distinct from the guardianship in the sense of allyship and love. That latter would be a two-directional guardianship, since all believers can possess it as well, as indicated in the verse: “But the faithful, men and women, are comrades of one another.” (9:71)

When God says: “Your guardian is only Allah,” He positions Himself as the guardian to himself, and the addressed people in the verse are under it. Likewise, when He says: “His Messenger, and the faithful,” the messenger and certain believers are also guardians.

Therefore, God, who possesses independent guardianship, ascribed guardianship to His Messenger and to some believers(5). He is also the guardian of the addressed people in the verse, making the Prophet and some believers guardians, while over the rest are their followers. This guardianship does not signify allyship and love, since they [Prophet and certain believers] do not possess a distinguishing quality, that others do not possess, that would make their guardianship that of love and allyship. Just as God excluded Himself from “kum,” the Messenger and some believers are excluded as well.

Lack of Resonance with the Surrounding Verses ​

Sunni exegetes (mufassirūn) and theologians (mutakallimūn) focused on the meaning of the surrounding verses while neglecting the context and important subject matter of this verse itself. Consequently, they interpreted “guardian” as love and allyship(6) based on adjacent verses, and thus considered the verse: “who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down,” to be a general without a single referent. Furthermore, they saw that the restriction established through Innamā in the verse, corresponds to Jews and Christians (Sharḥ al-Maqāṣid, 5:270), and serves to negate their guardianship in the verse: “Do not take the Jews and the Christians for allies.” (5:51). They hold that this verse serves to affirm the guardianship of believers and being their ally while negating the guardianship of the Jews and Christians, loving them, and being their ally.

This interpretation is unacceptable, since the context of this verse is independent of other contexts. An unbiased mind which is capable of distinguishing truth from false, would realize the verse establishes a one-directional guardianship, not a dual one. The verse: “Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down,” refers to one-directional guardianship—in the sense of taking action, whereas “But the faithful, men and women, are comrades of one another,” (9:71) refers to the two-way guardianship—in the sense of love and allyship. The two verses differ fundamentally, rendering arguments of Sunni scholars invalid, unless the meaning of the verse resembled the context of verse 9:71—otherwise it is remains invalid.

Use of Derivatives for Future Instantiation of the Underlying State ​

One of Fakhr al-Rāzī’s arguments is that the term “walī” is a derivative. If guardianship is taken in the sense of taking action, and since ʿAlī had not yet attained Imamate when the verse was revealed, then the result would be the use of a derivative with respect to one who will instantiate the underlying state in the future. However, this is invalid, since authority over both creation and legislation is actual guardianship, as stated in the verse: “Allah is the Guardian of the faithful” (2:257). The guardianship of the Prophet is also actual, by proof of the verse: “The Prophet is closer to the faithful than their own souls” (33:6) and “A faithful man or woman may not, when Allah and His Apostle have decided on a matter, have any option” (33:36). Yet, ʿAlī did not possess actual guardianship. But if guardian meant love and allyship, then the derivative would be used with respect to one who instantiates the underlying state currently, which is the truth, since God, the Messenger, and ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib all possess actual allyship and love (al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, 12:30).

Author’s Response(7): Firstly, we must mention the arguments in al-Tibyān (al-Tibyān, 3:561) and Majmaʿ al-Bayān (Majmaʿ al-Bayān, 3-4:324-326), even if they are debatable, and present a final response:

  1. Using the derivative with respect to one who instantiates the underlying state currently is the truth, whereas using the derivative with respect to one who will instantiate the underlying state in the future is a figurative use. The real dispute regarding this topic concerns the one who does not instantiate the underlying state (al-mabda’) at all (Kifāyat al-Uṣūl, p. 44).

  2. Amīr al-Muʾminīn was a guardian during the life of the Prophet but only exercised his guardianship after the Prophet passed away.

  3. The adjective guardian (walī) can be attributed to someone who possesses potential guardianship. This is similar to the terms executor and successor after the death of the testator and the assignor of the successor, where the executor and successor both carry out their respective roles. The greatest example of this is Zechariah who asked God: “So grant me from Yourself an heir * who may inherit from me” (19:5-6). The term walī here (heir) is a derivative used with respect to one who instantiates potential guardianship, as proven by the phrase “who may inherit from me” in the verse.

Analogizing the verse about guardianship with the other verse is analogy with a difference (qiyās maʿ al-fāriq, false analogy) since:

  1. Some derivatives are particular, such that their underlying state entail the future, such as al- waṣī (the executor)(8), al-khalīfa (the successor), walī al-ʿahd (heir to the throne). All these terms, and others, indicate a future state after death, not the permissibility of using the derivational form (hayʾat al-mushtaq) to indicate the future. The discussion here concerns the derivational form itself, not the underlying state. On the other hand, the state of “walāʾ” does not indicate the future, and the derivational form is used with respect to the one who actually (bi-l-fiʿl) instantiates the underlying state. Therefore, al-walī is analogous to al-waṣī (executor) but with a difference.

  2. Some derivatives are based on underlying states that require the concrete manifestations to possess the state as a capacity or faculty (Malakah). However, this does not mean that every derivative has a concrete manifestation that possess the state as a capacity.

  3. In last verse the term walī is used in the context of inheritance and indicates multiple concrete manifestations (miṣdāq) in the future. This does not indicate the existence of multiple concrete manifestations, some that instantiate the underlying state by potential and others by actuality, such that the term is used for multiple meanings or used along with an abstract unifying concept (jāmiʿ intizāʿī) between potential and by actual instantiation. The verse about guardianship, however, includes a derivative whose concrete manifestations instantiate the underlying state both potentially and actually. It was either used because the figurative meaning of the unifying concept (jāmiʿ) is general, or because it was used for multiple meanings: actual and potential.

Another argument to counter Fakhr al-Rāzī’s argument is through the following evidence:

First Evidence: The conjunction “wāw” (و and) entails that there are three distinct sentences: “Your guardian is only Allah,” “Your guardian is only the Messenger,” and “Your guardian is only the faithful.” Undoubtedly, “guardian” in the first two sentences indicates entitlement to act actually, while the third sentence indicates entitlement to act potentially, as indicated through the textual clue, the “wāw”.

Second Evidence: The particle Innamā establishs restriction based on facticity (Ḥaṣr Ḥaqīqī Aw Muṭlaq). The intended meaning of walī is the one entitled to act(9), since love and allyship cannot be restricted to the Prophet and certain believers—guardianship in this sense is general to all. From the final segment of the verse: “and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down,” which points to a specific category of believers, it can be concluded that the term “wali” is attributed to the person who possesses both actual guardianship, namely God and His Messenger, and guardianship over affairs, namely Amīr al-Muʾminīn. Only this latter meaning is indicated through a textual clue.

Using “ulū al-amr” (those vested with authority) without identifying a referent in the verse: “O you who have faith! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those vested with authority among you” (4:59) entails an obligation to obey every future authoritative figure. This usage, together with the known fact that the Prophet was the sole authoritative figure during his lifetime, indicates that the referent of “and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down” is certainly his successor. This argument also applies to scholars who claimed that verse 4:59 refers to figures such as Abū Bakr(10).

Therefore, by achieving restriction using Innamā in the beginning of the verse, and through the implied indicator (qarīnah libbiyyah) establishing that the sole guardian during the life of the Prophet was the Prophet himself, it is concluded that the guardianship of the person who gave zakāt while bowing can only be exercised after the passing away of the Prophet. This case parallels with Zechariah asking God: “So grant me from Yourself an heir * who may inherit from me” (19:5-6), where walī means the executor and successor—both verses share one implication.

Third Evidence: The Prophet asserted his guardianship over people based on the verse: “The Prophet is closer to the faithful than their own souls” (33:6). When he asked people, “Am I not more entitled to you than yourselves?”, this question implies guardianship in the sense of authority over action not love and allyship. Afte the people agreed, he said: “Whoever I am their guardian (mawlā), then ʿAlī is their guardian” (Kitāb al-Khiṣāl, 1:311). The guardianship implied here is certainly authority over action, since it is to be executed in the future—the Prophet was preparing the ground for the guardianship over the future of the Islamic ummah, especially after it was revealed to him that he is nearing death: “The time to be called [to pass away] is nearing, and I shall respond.” (Maʿānī al-Akhbār, p.90).

Certainly, al-Rāzī states that if the guardianship mentioned in the verse meant authority to act, then Sunni Muslims would accept it, since they consider ʿAlī the fourth caliph (al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, 12:31), and the dispute between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims would be resolved. But the restriction achieved through Innamā is based on facticity, which maks having multiple referents of the verse impossible, since the restriction here limits guardianship to God, the Messenger, and certain believers who maintain the prayer, give zakāt while bowing down—guardianship is exclusive to them, while all others are subject to it. As for the occasion of revelation, the referent of “the faithful” is one person only, who gave zakāt while bowing down, not all believers.

The Evidence of Fakhr al-Rāzī ​

Fakhr al-Rāzī, who is regarded as a leading representative speaker of the opposing view, says that God and the Messenger are known in the verse: “Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger,” but the concrete manifestation (miṣdāq) of “and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down,” is unknown. Therefore, he holds that the verse refers to all believers, based on three pieces of evidence.

First evidence: Unity of context. The guardianship mentioned in the verse: “Do not take the Jews and the Christians for allies,” (5:51) and in the verse: “O you who have faith! Do not take those who take your religion in derision and play, from among those who were given the Book before you, and the infidels, as friends,” (5:57) indicates allyship and love. He argues that the guardianship mentioned in the verse: “Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger…” which falls between the two previous verses, does too. Therefore, the verse: “and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down” refers to all believers, not a specific individual, since guardianship in the sense of love and allyship is general (al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, 12:30), as mentioned in the Qur’an: “But the faithful, men and women, are comrades of one another” (9:71).

Author’s Response:

  1. The Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet over the period of twenty-three years, and he himself determined the order of the verses. Consecutive verses do not necessarily mean they were revealed at the same time. Furthermore, when a writer or speaker interrupts an idea to addresses a different topic through a parenthetical clause (jumla iʿtirāḍiyya), while maintaining connection to the original idea, this does not indicate unity of context.

    Therefore, a unity in context can only be proven if one of the following conditions are met: 1) The ideas being expressed are included together, and 2) not using a parenthetical clause. These conditions do not apply to the verses cited from Chapter 5, as there is no evidence proving unity between the verses. Moreover, the verse has a specific occasion of revelation(11), which further proves that it was revealed independently of the surrounding verses and their contexts.

  2. The verse contains evidence against unity of context. In the surrounding verses, 5:51 and 5:57, the term awliyāʾ (allies or friends) appears in the plural form, whereas in verse 5:55 it appears in the singular form, walī (guardian). Hence, this indicated that the context of verse 5:55 is not unified with that of the surrounding verses.

  3. The ideal method to determine the literal meaning of verses is to examine their occasion of revelation—verses and rulings are considered records (naṣ) from the context of their occasion of revelation, but they are considered literal in other contexts. If we were to overlook the occasion of revelation then the meaning would be literal. But, since the verse, within the occasion of revelation is a record, then common sense rules in favor of records over literal meaning.

Second evidence: Using the plural form to refer to the singular. The verse contains seven plural expressions in Arabic: al- al-ladhīna (الذين), āmanū (آمنو), al- al-ladhīna (الذين), yuqīmūna (يقيمون), yuʾtūna (يؤتون), hom (هم), and rākiʿūn (راكعون)(12). Using the plural form to refer to the singular is a figurative usage (majāz) that requires evidence, and al-Rāzī argues that there is no proof that these multiple plural forms refer to a single person [ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib] so that the plural form could be used figuratively seven times?! (al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, 12:30).

Author’s Response: Using the plural to indicate the singular is different from applying the plural to the singular. Fakhr al-Rāzī mixed up the two concepts. Figurative use refers to using the plural to indicate the singular, which means using the plural for other than its intended purpose. Applying the plural to the singular, however, is not figurative, it means using a word according to its intended purpose, but it has one concrete manifestation. This is not applying the plural to the singular(13); rather, it is using the plural for its intended purpose, while it happens to have one concrete manifestation only.

Words are used to denote concepts, not their physical or concrete manifestations, whether they are singular or plural. But the plural word may have either a singular or plural concrete manifestation. A solid proof of this usage is found in the Qur’anic usage of the plural to talk about moral virtues or vices. In the verse of Mubāhala (The act of two sides asking God to invoke His curse on the liar to prove who is saying the truth): “you say, ‘Come! Let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, our souls and your souls,” (3:61) “our souls” and “our women” appear in the plural, yet each has one concrete manifestation—Imam ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Sayyida Fāṭima al-Zahrāʾ. Moreover, the verse: “Yet you see those in whose hearts is a sickness rushing to them, saying, ‘We fear lest a turn of fortune should visit us.’ Maybe Allah will bring about a victory, or a command from Him, and then they will be regretful for what they kept secret in their hearts,” (5:52) contains ten usages of the plural, and Fakhr al-Rāzī and interpreted it as referring to ʿAbdallāh ibn Abi (al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, 12:18). Sunni exegetes have also claimed that Abū Bakr(14) is the referent of this verse: “Let the well-off and the opulent among you not vow not to give to the relatives and the needy, and to those who have migrated in the way of Allah, and let them excuse and forbear. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful” (24:22), even though “ulū” (the opulent) is a plural form.

Figurative and real usages apply to the concept and word itself. If the discussion was regarding whether a plural word directly refers to its concrete manifestations, then the question of real versus figurative is irrelevant. However, if a plural word has only one concrete manifestation, then the verse: “and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down,” refers to Amīr al-Muʾminīn, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib—the sole concrete manifestation of the verse. Since not all the plural forms in the verse refer to him, the discussion does not involve the issue of real versus figurative.

It should be noted that the mubtada’ (subject in the Arabic nominal sentence) in the verse: “Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down,” is “walīyyukum” (your guardian) which appears in the singular, while the third khabar (predicate in the Arabic nominal sentence) is “al-ladhīna āmanū” (the faithful), which appears in the plural. But, considering that the concrete manifestation of both the subject and the predicate is one, the predicate indicates reality (real use) despite its plural form.

Al- Rāzī claims that using the singular for the subject is justified because the guardianship of God is the essential or primary, while that of the Messenger and the believers is derivative (al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, 12:33). But he had overlooked that fact that the conjunction using “and” entails repetition of the subject, resulting in three distinct sentences: “Your guardian is only Allah,” “Your guardian is only the Messenger,” and “Your guardian is only the faithful.” In this case, there is no distinction between essential or derivative guardianship. God’s guardianship is essential to Him, but its essential nature is established through other proofs.

It is important to note that due to the monotheistic nature of the Qur’an, certain qualities of perfection and attributes that have been ascribed to people are later restricted exclusively to God, to show that these qualities and attributes are the manifestations of God in humans and not essential to them but derivative. This is evident in the verses about al-ʿizza (might and honor): “Yet all might belongs to Allah and His Messenger, and the faithful,” (63:8) and “indeed all honour belongs to Allah” (4:139). The second verse restricts honor to God alone. This pattern is seen with other attributes too, such as might, intercession, obedience, allyship, and more.

The distinction between essential and derivative obedience is demonstrated in the verse: “O you who have faith! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those vested with authority among you. And if you dispute concerning anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger” (4:59), where the first segment of it establishes a three-way obedience, while the second establishes dual obedience, and the third: “if you have faith in Allah and the Last Day” (4:49) expresses monotheism (tawheed). The third segment indicates that all form of obedience ultimately returns to monotheism, and that the Messenger and the Imams are the manifestations of God’s attributes and are signs from Him.

In the Qur’an, guardianship is ascribed to other than God in the verse: “Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down,” but it was also restricted to God in the verse: “Have they taken guardians besides Him? [Say,] ‘It is Allah who is the Guardian,” (42:9). This restriction was achieved through the use of both ḍamīr al-faṣl (The separating pronoun between the subject and predicate in a nominal sentence. Translated as “who is”), and the definite article “al,” (translated as the) both which serve restriction. The guardianship of the Messenger and the Imam is a form of God’s absolute guardianship, as established by the verses: “and they have no protector besides Him,” (13:11) and “And besides Allah you do not have any guardian or any helper.” (2:107).

All attributes of perfection are essential to God and intrinsic to Him, while they are derivative and added to others. Al-Rāzī failed to comprehend the application of these principles as Imamate scholars explained them.

Third evidence: The Three Categories in the Verse. During the time when the verse was revealed, people were divided into three categories: those maintaining the prayer, those giving zakāt, and those in the state of ruku’ (bowing down). For this reason, God included the attributes of the three categories in the verse, therefore, “the faithful,” applies to all believers, not to a specific individual (al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, 12:28).

Author’s response: The phrase “while bowing down,” indicates a state, not an attribute. Additionally, there is a reliable occasion of revelation narrating that ʿAlī was performing prayer and giving zakāt while bowing—he is the sole concrete manifestation of the verse, even if “the faithful” and the subsequent phrases are general.

Fakhr al-Rāzī on ʿAlī being the referent of the verse: his arguments and counterarguments ​

Fakhr al-Rāzī argues, based on the transmission from ʿIkrima, that the verse was revealed about Abū Bakr only(15) (al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, 12:28). His argument is rejected for multiple reasons:

First: the narration (ḥadīth) is mursal, meaning it was narrated from the Prophet without naming the companion who transmitted it.

Second: Abū Bakr never gave zakat while bowing down in prayer so the verse would be revealed about him. Both Sunni and Shi’i transmitter mention the narration of Abū Dharr—the most honest of them all(16), that he said: “I was praying Ẓuhr with God’s Messenger in the Mosque one day when a man in need asked for alms. When no one responded to him, he raised his hands and spoke to God: ‘O God, I seek alms in Your Messenger’s mosque, but no one helped me.’ Meanwhile, ʿAlī was bowed down in his prayer and beckoned the man over with his right pinky, where he usually wore a ring, so the man went to him and took the ring of his pinky. The Messenger witnessed it all and after he finished his prayer, he raised his said and spoke to God: ‘O God, my brother Moses asked you: ‘My Lord! Open my breast for me * Make my affair easy for me * Remove the hitch from my tongue * [so that] they may understand my discourse * Appoint for me a minister from my family * Aaron, my brother * Strengthen my back through him * and make him my associate in my affair.’ (20:25-32), and You granted him a speaking manifestation of your faith, as You said: ‘We will strengthen your arm by means of your brother, and invest both of you with such authority’ (28: 35). My Lord, I am Muḥammad, Your chosen one, Your Prophet; ease the burden on my heart for me and make my affair easy for me(…) and appoint for me a minister from my family, ʿAlī my brother, and strengthen my back through him.’” Abū Dharr said: “By God! As soon as he finished his prayer, Gabriel descended to him by God’s command and said: ‘O Muḥammad, recite,’ the Prophet asked: ‘What should I recite?’ Gabriel said: ‘Recite the verse: Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down”

The specific occasion of revelation and the reliability of Abū Dharr’s narration, which Fakhr al-Rāzī also quotes, indicate that the verse was revealed about ʿAlī and no one else, for he is the only person who gave the zakāt while bowing down. Yet, al-Rāzī’s bigotry stopped him from accepting the truth; instead, he poses three arguments:

First argument: the zakāt mentioned in the verse is obligatory, and since ʿAlī was poor(17), he would be exempted from that obligation, so that he would give zakāt during prayer. Therefore, we conclude that the verse was not revealed about him (al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, 12:33, fourth argument).

Author’s response: Zakāt, as a word, means reaching adolescence and growth, while in Islamic legal terms it refers to the money given for the sake of God. The zakāt mentioned in this verse is both the obligatory and recommended (mandūb or mustaḥabb) alms. Moreover, the Qur’an mentions recommended zakāt in Meccan and Madinan verses such as: “and pay the zakāt” (74,20). This verse is found in Sūrat al-Muzzammil, which was revealed early during the Prophet’s bi’tha in Mecca. At that time, zakāt did not yet carry the later technical meaning with the nine corresponding categories. In all Meccan verses and some Medinan verses, it meant purifying the soul and giving recommended alms. Only later, when it was revealed in Medinan verses, did it acquire the meaning of obligatory zakāt. This is why it sometimes indicates obligation.

On the other hand, since zakāt is not a legal reality (ḥaqīqa sharʿiyya, meaning its original meaning was not Islamic legal usage of paying alms), the term cannot be used to indicate recommended zakāt. If it were a legal reality, it would not indicate either obligatory or recommended zakāt. It would simply point to that financial act of worship. For this reason, the Qur’an uses the terms such as ṣalāt (prayer), zakāt, and charity for both the obligatory and recommended action. Therefore, the zakāt mentioned in “who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down” can be recommended.

Second argument: Delaying the payment of zakāt is prohibited (ḥarām), as most scholars agree. If ʿAlī had any zakāt to pay, he should have paid it before prayer, and since attributing a prohibited act to Ali is impossible, the occasion of revelation of the verse cannot be as they claimed [to be about ʿAlī] (al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, 12:33, first argument).

Author’s response: 1) If we agree that the zakāt mentioned in the verse is obligatory, and given that the urgency of performing obligations such as zakāt is customary not rational, the there was no error in paying zakāt during prayer. 2) If delaying zakāt is ḥarām then the claim of committing ḥarām extends to Abū Bakr and all believers, whom al-Rāzī, considers the referents of the verse.

Third argument: Giving alms and moving the pinky while praying are considered excessive actions (‘amal kathīr) that invalidate prayer—Ali would not commit such an act (al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, 12:33, third argument).

Author’s response

  1. Giving alms and moving the pinky are not considered excessive actions so they would invalidate prayer. Moreover, al-Rāzī himself, citing other scholars (al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, 12:33) states that giving alms while bowing is considered limited or minor action (‘amal qalīl) that does not invalidate prayer, as proven by this verse.

  2. If an action were considered excessive and invalidates prayer, then there would be no difference whether the verse was revealed about ʿAlī, Abū Bakr, or all believers. Additionally, according to al-Rāzī’s own claims, Abū Bakr rushing to join congregational prayer (al-Sunan al-Kubrā, 2:410), ‘Umar thinking about preparing the army during prayer (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 2:63), and the Prophet carrying a baby during prayer while reciting, then placing it down during bowing and prostration(18), would all be excessive actions that disrupt presence of the heart during prayer.

  3. God never praises an action that invalidate prayer. But he praises giving zakāt while bowing as indicated by the verse: “while bowing down,” based on the narrations regarding the occasion of revelation of the verse.

Forth Argument: Since Fakhr al-Rāzī argues that giving a ring as alms during prayer is an excessive action that invalidates prayer, he believes “bowing down” in the verse indicates the lexical meaning, submission, rather than the jurisprudential meaning. Thus, “bowing down” would mean “submitting [to God]” (al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, 12:34). Al-Rāzī quoted this interpretation from Abu Muslim as well (al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, 12:28).

Counterarguments:

  1. He refuted his own claim that the verse contains three categories of people—those who maintain the prayer, give zakāt, and bow down. He redefines “bowing down” to mean “submitting” so he would not attribute the verse to ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib.

  2. The conjunction “wāw” (و and) before “bowing down” indicates a state of action, as does the literal interpretation of the verse. Thus, it means literally giving zakāt while bowing down in prayer.

Fifth Argument: If the verse was revealed about ʿAlī, then his heart would not have been present during prayer, which does not befit him.

Counterarguments:

First evidence: See the response to the third argument.

Second Evidence: al-Rāzī overlooked that Shi’i figures and believers think only of God, His manifestations, and His commands and care for nothing else.

A person who reached perfection, such as Amir Amīr al-Muʾminīn, can hear the call of the poor person, for he said about the Messenger: “The destitute is the Messenger of Allah” (Nahj al-Balagha, ḥadīth 304). Hearing the poor man’s call and helping him is a form of worship, whereas ʿAlī would not feel pain if an arrow hits his leg, because such a pain is psychological. He gained control over all his psychological faculties through spiritual practices and piety, as he said: “It is my soul which I discipline through piety” (Nahj al- Balāgha, letter 45) He could restrain himself when he wants to, and likewise control the presence of his heart in prayer.

Acknowledging physical pain contradicts presence of the heart, but acknowledging the call of the poor does not.

Sixth Argument: If the verse was revealed regarding the guardianship of ʿAlī, in the sense of Imamate and taking action, then why did Imam Ali not quote this as prove of his Imamate, despite being the most knowing in Qur’an exegesis? Arguing that he refrained out of caution is false, because they claim he quoted the narrations of al- Ghadīr and al- Mubāhala on the Day of al- Shūrā (al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, 12:31).

Counterarguments:

First: Imam ʿAlī is not explicitly named in the verse, rather, it is his guardianship that is established through the verse according to the occasion of revelation, so he could not use the verse as proof.

Second: Imam ʿAlī quoted the narration of al- Ghadīr to the people as proof because thousands were witnesses that day, yet they refused him [his rule]—he had used the verse, they would not have obeyed him either.

Third: Narrations accepted by Shi’i Muslims transmit that Imam ʿAlī quoted this verse on the Day of al-Shūrā, saying: “’Did any of you give zakāt while bowing down and have the verse: ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down,’ revealed about him other than me?’ They replied: ‘No’” (al-Amālī by al-Ṭūsī, p.549). He also asked Abū Bakr: “’I adjure you by God, was it I or you whom God bestowed guardianship upon along with the Prophet in the verse about giving the ring as zakat?’ To which Abū Bakr replied: ‘It was you.’”(19)

The Concrete Manifestation is One ​

The specification throughout the verse “Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down” entails that the phrase “maintain the prayer” indicates continuity, whereas “while bowing down,” is a phrase indicating a state, which is neither static nor continuous in a way that would make its concrete manifestation multiple. This sentence structure can only include ʿAlī as the concrete manifestation. If anyone else were to give zakāt while bowing down after the verse was revealed, they would not be counted as a manifestation.

If the verse included an extra alladhīna (اللذين, meaning who), as such “and the faithful who maintain the prayer and who give the zakāt while bowing down,” then it would indicate continuity and include anyone who performs that act as a manifestation as well.

However, considering the other eleven Imams as concrete manifestations of the verse can only occur if other narrations are cited to support the claim; otherwise, the verse does not indicate that every person who gives zakāt while bowing down possessed guardianship in his time. Were this claim true, ‘Umar would not have said “I have donated forty rings while bowing down so that a verse like the one revealed about ʿAlī bn abi tʿAlīb might be revealed about me, but it did not happen.” (al-Amālī, al-Ṣadūq, p.108). Considering the amount of zakāt he gave, assuming it was proper, and assuming the validity of this narration, the verse would have included him, and he would not have to wait for a verse to be revealed about him—he would have claimed that he is also a concrete manifestation

Unless someone claims that ‘Umar wanted a separate verse dedicated to him and not to only be included within the verse revealed about someone else.

If he had been included, he would boast and that would have been transmitted but this did not happen.

Oneness of the Imam in Each Age ​

The proof of existence of certain matters also proves their oneness. This concept is intrinsic to God and derivative to the Imams and the Caliphate. If this world, which is made with a unique microsystem, had a God, which it does, then he is certainly One. It is impossible for the organized world to have two Gods whose attributes are their essence, who are all-knowing, capable, and actors—as God said: “Had there been gods in them1 other than Allah, they would surely have fallen apart” (21:22). The notion of both Gods taking action together is impossible, for there is only one truth in the world, that is God and his actions; everything other than him does not truly exist.

This principle about God’s oneness applies to the Prophet and Imams. The society requires one guardian—two Imams cannot rule at once, for each will have his own way of ruling. If this were to happen, there would be no way to guide society correctly or purify it of sin. One person must be the Imam, while all others follow him.

As mentioned, the verse: “Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down” establishes a one-directional guardianship. It was not made as a reward-based contract (al-juʿāla), by which only those who believe, maintain prayer, and give zakāt can become an Imam. Were that the case, each group would appoint a guardian, and legal ignorance would take over society because of following the mentioned general qualities(20).

Narrational Section(21) ​

Occasion of Revelation and the Imams Quoting the Verse ​

Abū Dharr al-Ghifārī said: “I was praying Ẓuhr with God’s Messenger in the Mosque one day when a man in need asked for alms. When no one responded to him, he raised his hands and spoke to God: ‘O God, I seek alms in Your Messenger’s mosque, but no one helped me.’ Meanwhile, ʿAlī was bowed down in his prayer and beckoned the man over with his right pinky, where he usually wore a ring, so the man went to him and took the ring of his pinky. The Messenger witnessed it all and after he finished his prayer, he raised his said and spoke to God: ‘O God, my brother Moses asked you: ‘My Lord! Open my breast for me * Make my affair easy for me * Remove the hitch from my tongue * [so that] they may understand my discourse * Appoint for me a minister from my family * Aaron, my brother * Strengthen my back through him * and make him my associate in my affair.’ (20:25-32), and You granted him a speaking manifestation of your faith, as You said: ‘We will strengthen your arm by means of your brother, and invest both of you with such authority’ (28: 35). My Lord, I am Muḥammad, Your chosen one, Your Prophet; open my breast for me and make my affair easy for me(…) and appoint for me a minister from my family, ʿAlī my brother, and strengthen my back through him.’” Abū Dharr said: “By God! As soon as he finished his prayer, Gabriel descended to him by God’s command and said: ‘O Muḥammad, recite,’ the Prophet asked: ‘What should I recite?’ Gabriel said: ‘Recite the verse: Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down”(22)

Abū al-Jārūd narrates from Abū Jaʿfar that he commented on the verse: ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down,’ that he said: “A group of Jewish [numbering between three and ten] who had entered Islam, including ʿAbd Allāh ibn Salām, Asad, Thaʿlabah, Ibn Yāmīn, and Ibn Ṣurayyā, came to the Prophet and asked him: ‘O Prophet of God, Moses have entrusted Joshua son of Nun after him, so who is your entrusted one and our guardian after you?’ And so, the verse was revealed: Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down. The Messenger asked them to follow him to the Mosque. There, they met a man in need leaving it, and the Messenger asked him whether anyone had given him anything. The man said that he had been given a ring, and told the Messenger it was the praying man who gave it him when he was asked about the giver’s identity. Then the Messenger asked, what was that man doing when he gave the ring, to which the man replied that he was bowing down. The Messenger said takbir and so did people in the Mosque. then he told the group [that accompanied him], ‘ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib is your guardian after me.’ They replied: ‘We accept God as our deity, Islam as our religion, Muḥammad as our Prophet and ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as our guardian. Then god revealed the verse: ‘Whoever takes for his guardians Allah, His Messenger and the faithful [should know that] the confederates of Allah are indeed the victorious.’ And it was narrated from ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb that he said: “I swear by God, I have donated forty rings while bowing down so that a verse like the one revealed about ʿAlī bn abi tʿAlīb might be revealed about me, but it did not happen.” (al-Amālī, al-Ṣadūq, p.108)

In a narration from al-Bāqir, he said: “God revealed in the Qur’an the verse ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down.’ ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib was that man who maintained his prayers and gave zakāt while bowing down, seeking nearness to God at all times, regardless of what he was doing.” (Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa, 9:378).

Abū Ḥamza narrates from Abū Jaʿfar that he said: “While God’s Messenger was sitting with a group of Jews, including Abd Allāh ibn Salām, the verse: ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down’, was revealed to him. So, the Messenger headed to the mosque and was met by man in need. He asked him whether anyone had given him anything, and the man said that the praying man had. When the Messenger moved closer, he found it was Amīr al-Muʾminīn (ʿAlī).” (Tafsīr ʿAlī ibn Ibrāhīm al-Qummī, 1:178)

Al-Ḥasan ibn Zayd(23) said: “I heard ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir say: ‘A seeker in need came to ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib while he was bowing down during a non-obligatory prayer. ʿAlī removed his ring and gave it to the man in need. When the Messenger came, he learned what had happened and the verse: ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down’, was revealed. The Messenger recited the verse to us then said: ‘Whoever I am his guardian (mawlā), then ʿAlī is their guardian, O Allah, be an ally to those who believe in him, and antagonize those who antagonize him.’”(24)

Ibn ʿAbbās narrates: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Salām came with several of his people who accepted the Prophet’s message and said: ‘O Messenger of God, our houses are far, we are not allowed to gather anywhere, an no one speaks to us beyond this place. When our people saw that we believed in Allah and His Messenger and accepted his message, they rejected us and refused to sit with us, let us marry among them, or speak to us. All of this burdened us greatly.’ The Messenger said to them: ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down.” The Prophet then went to the mosque, where people were praying. There he spotted a seeker in need so he asked him: ‘Did anyone give you anything?’ The man said that he had received a golden ring, so the Prophet asked: ‘Who gave it to you?’ And the man pointed to Amīr al-Muʾminīn who was standing upright after bowing down (rukūʿ) and said that he gave it to him. The Prophet asked: ‘In which part of the prayer was he?’ The man said he was bowing down. The Prophet said takbīr, then recited the verse ‘Whoever takes for his guardians Allah, His Messenger and the faithful [should know that] the confederates of Allah are indeed the victorious.’ (5:56). (Kāshif al-Ghumma, 1:301)

Aḥmad ibn ʿĪsā narrates from Abū ʿAbd Allāh his comment on the verse ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful’: Innamā (only) indicates that God, the Messenger, and the faithful possess greater authority, meaning that they are more entitled to you, your affairs, your own selves, and your money. Those faithful are ʿAlī and his sons, the Imams, until the Day of Judgement. Then God described them in the verse ‘who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down’ That person is Amīr al-Muʾminīn during the Ẓuhr prayer. He was wearing a garment over his clothes worth one thousand dinars [old currency] gifted to him by the Prophet, who in turn received it from al-Najāshī. After two rakʿahs, a seeker in need came to him and said: ‘Peace be upon you, O ally of God, O one with greater authority over believers, give this poor soul alms.’ So, the Imam removed the garment and placed it upon him. God revealed this verse at that moment and extended this blessing to all of his children, so that when they reach the rank of Imamate, they would practice it too, and give zakāt while bowing down. The seeker in need who asked for alms from Amīr al-Muʾminīn was an angel, and those who ask the Imams for alms are angels as well. (al-Kāfī, 1:288-289)

Salīm ibn Abī al-Jaʿd, in a saying that he traces back to Abū Dharr, he said [in Imam ʿAlī’s speech addressing ʿUthmān and al-zubair and others on the Day of al-Shūrā and his remonstration] He said: ‘Did anyone among you give zakāt while bowing down and have the verse ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down’ revealed about him other than me? They replied: ‘No.’ (al-Amālī, by al-Ṭūsī, p. 549)

Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad(25) said: ‘I mentioned to Abū ʿAbd Allāh our saying that obeying the executors of God’s will (awṣiyāʾ) is obligatory. He replied: ‘Yes, they are the referents in the verse ‘Obey God and Obey the Messenger, and those vested with authority among you’ (4:59), and ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful.’” (al-Kāfī, 1:187).

Remarks:

  1. ʿAllāma al-Ṭabāṭabāʾī quotes all these narrations, but also mentions that narrations and traditions regarding this incident are numerous and differ in reporting what exactly happened (Tafsīr al-Mīzān, 6:75). These differences, or the fact that some specifics of the incident are assumptions, do not indicate weakness of the occurrence; rather, it was proven to be maqṭūʿ (narrations attributed to the successors of the Prophet’s Companions) through the shared elements found across all narrations. That shared element, is proving the guardianship (wilāya) of Amīr al-Muʾminīn ʿAlī regardless of the variations in the narration.

  2. The seventh narration, that of Aḥmad ibn ʿĪsā, and other similar narrations, are among the manifestations of the verse: Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down.

  3. The “entitlement” implied in the verse is an obligation (Taʿyīn) not a choice, as proven through the narration: Innamā (only) indicates that God, the Messenger, and the faithful possess greater authority, meaning they are more entitled to you, your affairs, and your own selves(…) Each person possesses free will by nature, but given that God, the Messenger, and the authoritative figures over them are the guardians, in the commands they give or the decisions they make, people have no choice, since these guardians have greater rights over people by obligation. This concept mirrors the authority of entitlement in inheritance mentioned in the verse: ‘But the blood relatives are more entitled to inherit from one another.’ (8:75) This verse establishes a law for inheritance—if the close blood relatives are alive, they inherit, while the others do not.

    Therefore, the guardianship of God, the Messenger, and some believers is not a matter of choice, just as the guardianship of the Imams over Muslims is not optional. Rather, it equates the guardianship of God and the Messenger in being obligatory not optional.

  4. The word the ‘faithful’ in the verse: ‘The Prophet is closer to the faithful than their own souls’, as well as the attached pronoun Kum (كم, translated as ‘Your’) in the word ʿalaykum (عليكم, translated as your guardian) in the verse ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down,‘refers to the believers. Non-believers are not concerned with accepting this guardianship, even though God, the Messenger, and Imams possess authority over all of humanity, whether believers, disbelievers (kuffār), or otherwise—they have authority over everyone.

    The Qur’an is a book of guidance sent to all humans, but those who benefit from it are the true God-wary addressed in the verse ‘a guidance to the God-wary’ (2:2). It does not mean that guidance is exclusive to the God-wary.

  5. Amīr al-Muʾminīn, Imam ʿAlī, was not wealthy to afford a garment worth one thousand dinars. This garment was gifted to him by the Prophet, who had received it from al-Najāshī, the King of Abyssinia (al-Ḥabasha), and ʿAlī granted it to the seeker in need.

  6. Some narrations claim that Imam ʿAlī gave the seeker in need a ring as alms while praying behind the Prophet (al-Burhān fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, 2:487). Yet, most traditions mention that he gave the alms while performing a recommended prayer (mustaḥabba) alone.(26)

  7. Some traditions mention that the alms ʿAlī gave while bowing down was a ring, while others mention it was a garment. We can claim validity of both accounts by saying that he gave the alms while bowing down on more than one occasion. (Tafsīr al-Ṣāfī, 2:46).

  8. Al-Qurṭubī narrates from Imam al-Bāqir, his comment on the verse ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down’ when he was asked whether this verse was revealed about ʿAlī. The Imam answered “ʿAlī is among the faithful [mentioned in the verse].” The literal interpretation of the verse suggests that the verse was revealed about all the faithful beings in general, not about ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib in particular (al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān, 2:46).

    Response: Many valid narrations attributed to the Household of the Prophet state that the verse was revealed specifically about ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib. Additionally, the principle of preferring what contradicts the Sunni rulings (tarjīḥ mā khālafa al-ʿāmma), as well as the conflict of traditions regarding legal matters (ta’arud al-akhbar), further prove that statement. The traditions of the Imams have also been transmitted through different chains of transmission and are considered weighty (tarjīḥ).

    Thus, claims that the incident of donating the ring is fabricated are false, just as is Ibn Taymiyya’s exaggeration regarding consensus over its falsehood is irrelevant. Since both Shiʿi and Sunni narrators have transmitted the occasion of revelation of the verse, making the allegation about its fabrication mere obstinacy (al-Mīzān, 6:161).

    Among the companions of the Prophet who transmitted this narration are: Jundub ibn Junāda (Abū Dharr al-Ghifārī), ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbbās, Anas ibn Mālik, ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir, Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Anṣārī, Salama ibn Kuhayl, and Abū Rāfiʿ.

    The Imams who narrated the incident are: al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī, ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn, Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī al-Bāqir, Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad al-Ṣādiq, and ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Hādī.

    As for the Sunni exegetes who quoted this incident, they include: Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, al-Nasāʾī, al-Ṭabarī, al-Ṭabarānī, ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd, and others. None of these scholars declared any part of the narrations to be invalid. Moreover, the prominent narration transmitters (aʾimmat al-ḥadīth) and Islamic theologians (al-mutakallimūn) affirm that these traditions have been transmitted from the Prophet himself.

    Jurists cite this incident in chapters concerning prayer and what invalidates it, such as the extent of movement permissible, and how much renders prayer invalid, as well as sections regarding naming recommended alms (ṣadaqa mustaḥabba) “zakāt”. In both contexts, the arguments were based on reports of the incident, and uses the verse itself as evidence. This has been accepted by a number of literary and exegetical scholars such as al-Zamakhsharī and Abū Ḥayyān (Tafsīr al-Mīzān, 6:23-24).

    All in all, the only true referent (miṣdāq) of this verse is Amīr al-Muʾminīn, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib.

Notes:

First Note: blind sectarian bias blurs the senses and feelings and disrupts cognitive processes. Claiming that all traditions about ʿAlī’s act of giving alms and the revelation of the verse about him have a weak chain of transmission is bigotry. Ibn Taymiyya, went as far as to claim consensus had been reached over the falsehood of the incident, as previously mentioned.

Second Note: It cannot be argued that “if Imamate were the true path, then why do believers in the Sunni paths outnumber them?” Since our answer would be: “the number of followers is never a criterion factor for right and wrong, a principle every religion and man-made religion (niḥla) affirms. In our times the majority of people are not Muslims due to ignorance. Would that make them right and Muslims wrong?!

More importantly, if people fail to uphold their religion, they will be outnumbered by the irreligious people. Prophets and Messengers have given their best in proclamation to guide people, but only a limited number of them have accepted their message, as mentioned in the verse “but We did not find there other than one house of Muslim” (51:36). Noah spent nine and a half centuries trying to guide his people until he voiced his grievance to God, as the Qur’an recounts ‘and will not beget except vicious ingrates‘(72:27). If people do not sacrifice for what is right, then God will send onto them the infidels and non-believers.

Indeed, the future is bound by the prevalence of truth and honesty under the guardianship and leadership of the infallible Household of the Prophet.

Third Note: Muslims must not allow doctrines to split up the community. They must unite around religion and live in harmony as Islam intended, for the enemy is common and exploits division to weaken the community.

Proclamation of the Guardian and Obtaining al-Bay’a for ʿAlī ​

Al-Mufaḍḍal ibn Ṣāliḥ narrates from his companions that one of them said: “When this verse ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful’ was revealed, the Prophet felt troubled and worried Quraysh would slander him. Thus, God revealed to him the verse: ‘O Messenger! Communicate that which has been sent down to you from your Lord, and if you do not, you will not have communicated His message, and Allah shall protect you from the people. Indeed Allah does not guide the faithless lot.’ (5:67). He did so on Day of al-Ghadīr (Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, 1:357).

Ṣafwān al-Jammāl narrates from Abū ʿAbd Allāh that he said: “When this verse concerning guardianship was revealed, the Prophet ordered they gather trees with the largest crowns in Ghadīr Khumm. The people did so and arranged them atop of a raised spot. He then called for congregational prayer (ṣalāt al-jamāʿa), and after it he said: ‘O People, am I not more entitled to you than yourselves?’ They responded: ‘Yes, you are.’ He said: ‘Whoever I am their guardian (mawlā), then ʿAlī is their guardian. O God, be the ally of those who pledge allegiance to him and the enemy of those who oppose him.’ Then he ordered people to pledge allegiance to him, and everyone who came did so without objection. Then Abū Bakr came, and the Prophet said to him: ‘O Abū Bakr, accept the guardianship of ʿAlī.’ He replied: ‘Is this [the command] from God or from His Messenger?’ The Prophet said: ‘It is a command from God and His Messenger.’ Then ʿUmar came, and the Prophet said to him: ‘Accept the guardianship of ʿAlī.’ ʿUmar asked: ‘Is this from God or His Messenger?’ The Prophet said: ‘It is a command from God and His Messenger.’ He [Omar] refused obstinately. Afterwards, he met Abū Bakr and told him, “O how strongly he supports his cousin” then he left the gathering. He soon returned to the Prophet and said: ‘O Messenger of God! I parted from the gathering to attend to a need, and I saw a man dressed in white, whose pleasant appearance I had never seen before. His face was the most pleasant among people, and his scent the most pleasant too. He told me: ‘The Prophet has given ʿAlī a status that none but infidels reject.’ The Prophet asked ʿUmar: ‘Do you know who that was?’ He replied: ‘No.’ The Prophet replied: ‘That was Gabriel. Beware of being the first to reject the status [ʿAlī’s guardianship] and thus become an infidel.’” Abū ʿAbd Allāh then said: “Twelve thousand men were present at Ghadīr Khumm bearing witness to ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, yet, he was unable to exercise his right. [Meanwhile] If someone had rights to money and had two witnesses to support their claim, then they would receive what is rightfully theirs. The verse ‘the confederates of Allah are indeed the victorious’ (5:56) refers to ʿAlī.” (Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, 1:357-358).”

Aḥmad ibn ʿĪsā says: Ja’far ibn Muḥammad narrated to me(27) regarding the verse ‘They recognize the blessing of Allah and then deny it, and most of them are faithless’ (16:83): “When the verse ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down’ was revealed some of the Prophet’s companions gathered in the Mosque of Madīna and asked each other: ‘What do you think about this verse?’ Some replied: ‘If we reject this verse, we would be rejecting all verses, but if we accept it, we would be humiliated, for the Prophet has appointed ʿAlī over us.’ They then said: ‘We know Muḥammad is truthful in what he says; we accept his guardianship, but we will not obey ʿAlī as he commanded us.’” He [Ja’far ibn Muḥammad] said: “Thus, the verse was revealed: ‘They recognize the blessing of Allah and then deny it, and most of them are faithless.’” Hence, they recognized the guardianship of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, yet most of them denied it (al-Kāfī, 1:427).

Abū Jaʿfar says: “God relied to the Messenger the command of ʿAlī’s guardianship and revealed to him the verse: ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down.’ He made guardianship (wilāya) of those vested with authority (ulū al-amr) obligatory, but the people did not know what guardianship means. Thus, God commanded Muḥammad to explain it to them as he explained prayer, zakāt, fasting, and pilgrimage (ḥajj). When that command was given to him [to the Messenger], he felt troubled and feared the people might turn away from their faith and accuse him of lying, which aggravated his troubled feelings. So, he spoke to God about this, and He revealed to him: ‘O Messenger! Communicate that which has been sent down to you from your Lord, and if you do not, you will not have communicated His message, and Allah shall protect you from the people. Indeed Allah does not guide the faithless lot (5:67). So, he announced the command of God and proclaimed the guardianship of ʿAlī on the Day of Ghadī Khumm. He then called for congregational prayer and ordered the witnesses to inform the absentees [about what happened].” Abū Jaʿfar said: “Ordinances were revealed one after another, and the guardianship was the final revealed ordinance. It was then that God revealed the verse: ‘Today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed My blessing upon you.’ (5:3)”. Abū Jaʿfar said: “God is saying: I shall not reveal any ordinance after this one, for it has completed all ordinances.” (al-Kāfī, 1:289)

Remarks:

  1. The guardianship of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib was affirmed in Madīna after he gave his ring as alms to the seeker in need while bowing. However, this incident was not yet known among the Muslim community at that time.

  2. Warnings and good omens may be delivered regularly or through alternative means. A divine message may be conveyed to someone who committed a wrongdoing, to eliminate or mitigate it, as illustrated in the incident narrated by Ṣafwān al-Jammāl—the second narration.

  3. The Qur’an reveals general rulings concerning prayer, fasting, zakāt, pilgrimage, and other obligations, and assigns the Prophet the responsibility of explaining them. Similarly, he was assigned the responsibility to proclaim the guardianship of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib.

  4. The Prophet’s concerns were political rather than military since, at that time, the conquest of Mecca (fatḥ Makka) had already occurred, and the Arabian Peninsula was under Muslim rule; thus, the enemies were disarmed.

  5. ʿUmar ibn Uthayna said that the statement ‘Ordinances were revealed one after the other’ is related to the concluding part of the last narration above.

Interpretation of Wilāya and the meaning of “the Faithful” ​

Amīr al-Muʾminīn narrates: “‘The Faithful’ in this context are the figures entrusted with all beings and the executors of God’s will (awṣiyāʾ) across generations.” (al-Iḥtijāj, 1:582-583).

Amīr al-Muʾminīn said: “When these two verses were revealed, ‘Yo_ur guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down_’ and ‘and those who do not take, besides Allah and His Messenger and the faithful, anyone as [their] confidant? Allah is well aware of what you do,’ (9:16), people asked the Prophet whether these verses refer to some believers or all of them. God commanded his Prophet to inform them about their guardians, and explain guardianship to them as he explained prayers, zakāt, fasting, and pilgrimage. So, he appointed me over people at Ghadīr Khumm and addressed them: ‘My people, God has sent me with a message that troubled me, and because it I worried people would accuse me of lying. Thus, He revealed to me and commanded me to inform you, or else I would be punished.’ Then he called for congregational prayer and delivered a sermon after it concluded: ‘O People, do you believe that God is my guardian, and I am the guardian of the believers, more entitled to them than themselves?’ They answered in affirmation, so he said: ‘ʿAlī, come to me,’ and I did. He then said: ‘Whoever I am their guardian (mawlā), then ʿAlī is their guardian. O Allah, be an ally to those who believe in him, and the enemy of those who oppose him.’ Then Salmān al-Fārisī stood up and asked: ‘What is his guardianship like?’ The Prophet replied: ‘It is like mine—whoever I am more entitled to than themselves, then ʿAlī is more entitled to them than themselves.’” (Kamāl al-Dīn wa Tamām al-Niʿma, 1:517-518)

Abū Jaʿfar says: “God relied to the Messenger the command of ʿAlī’s guardianship and revealed to him the verse: ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down.’ He made guardianship (wilāya) of those vested with authority (ulū al-amr) obligatory, but the people did not know what guardianship means. Thus, God commanded Muḥammad to explain it to them as he explained prayer, zakāt, fasting, and pilgrimage (ḥajj). When that command was given to him [to the Messenger], he felt troubled and feared the people might turn away from their faith and accuse him of lying, which aggravated his troubled feelings. So, he spoke to God about this, and He revealed to him: ‘O Messenger! Communicate that which has been sent down to you from your Lord, and if you do not, you will not have communicated His message, and Allah shall protect you from the people. Indeed Allah does not guide the faithless lot (5:67). So, he announced the command of God and proclaimed the guardianship of ʿAlī on the Day of Ghadī Khumm. He then called for congregational prayer and ordered the witnesses to inform the absentees [about what happened].” Abū Jaʿfar said: “Ordinances were revealed one after another, and the guardianship was the final revealed ordinance. It was then that God revealed the verse: ‘Today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed My blessing upon you.’ (5:3)”.

Abū Jaʿfar said: “God is saying: I shall not reveal any ordinance after this one, for it has completed all ordinances.” (al-Kāfī, 1:289)

Abū Jaʿfar said: ‘God is greater and too mighty to be wronged, but He linked us to Himself, and made injustice towards us injustice towards Him, and our guardianship His guardianship. He says: ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful,’ which refers to us—the Imams (al-Kāfī, 1:289).

Al-Ḥusayn ibn Abī ʿAlāʾ said: ‘I mentioned to Abū ʿAbd Allāh our saying that obeying the executors of God’s will (awṣiyāʾ) is obligatory. He replied: ‘Yes, they are the referents in the verse ‘Obey God and Obey the Messenger, and those vested with authority among you’ (4:59), and ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful.’” (al-Kāfī, 1:187).

Remarks:

  1. As explained in the exegetical section, the plural form used in the verse served its intended function even if it had only one concrete manifestation in the early period of Islam (ṣadr al-Islām: from the time of the Prophet’s leadership until the end of the rule of the four caliphs). As time went by, all Imams came to embody those who maintain their prayers and give the zakāt while bowing down and became included among the referents of the verse ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down’ according to some narrations(28). Therefore, the plural form in the verse indeed indicates plurality, namely, all the twelve Imams.

  2. Transmitters of narrations who reported that close companions and some of the Imam’s students and companions asked about the obligation of obeying the Imams did so for one of two reasons:

    1. They felt touched

    2. To make a point to others so they may understand more clearly

Mūsā ibn Kādim said(29) he asked Abū Jaʿfar about the verse: “And they did not wrong Us, but they used to wrong [only] themselves,” (2:57). He replied: ‘God is greater and too mighty to be wronged, but He linked us to Himself, and made injustice towards us injustice towards Him, and our guardianship His guardianship. He says: ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful,’ which refers to us—the Imams (al-Kāfī, 1:289). He then said: “And they did not wrong Us, but they used to wrong [only] themselves,” (2:57) then he gave an example (al-Kāfī, 1:146).

…He said: “’Know that whatever thing you may come by, a fifth of it is for Allah and the Messenger, for the relatives,’ (8:41) is a firm confirmation and a lasting proof until the Day of Judgment in the Qur’an, in which God said: ‘falsehood cannot approach it, from before it nor from behind it, a [gradually] sent down [revelation] from One all-wise, all-laudable.’ (41:42) As for the verse ‘and the orphans, for the needy’ (8:41), it means that if an orphan ceases to be an orphan, they are no longer entitled to gains, similarly, if a needy person ceases to be needy, they are not entitled to gains anymore and would be forbidden from taking any. However, relatives remain entitled to their share until the Day of Judgement, whether rich or poor, for none of them is richer than God or the Messenger. Thus, is why God assigned a share to himself and a share to the Prophet, and whatever He assigned to Himself, He assigned to them. He also decreed a share of fay’ (money Muslims get from infields without war) to Himself and His Messenger get a share, and did the same for the relatives, just as with spoils. He placed himself first, then the Messenger, then them, and He linked their share to His and the Prophet’s share. Similarly, regarding obedience He said: ‘O you who have faith! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those vested with authority among you.’ (4:59). So, He placed himself first, then the Messenger, then the Messenger’s Household in the verse: ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down.’ He linked obedience to them and to the Messenger with obedience to Him. He linked their guardianship and that of the Messenger with obedience to Him, and their share and that of the Prophet with His share of spoils and fay’. All glory be to God for his generous blessings(30) towards the household of the Prophet.” ʿUyūn Akhbār al-Riḍā, 1:214-2015)

Remark: In the Qur’an, the share of relatives is linked to the share of God and the Messenger in financial and legal matters, just as He linked obedience to the authoritative figures to obedience to Him and the Messenger.

References ​

1. Tafsīr al-Tasnīm fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, 7:285; “Wallāhum”, 12:195; “walī”, 2:158; “yuqīmūn”, 7:83; “yuzakkīhim”, 14:250–251; “irkaʿi”.

2. Al-Mufradāt, p. 92; al-Miṣbāḥ al-Munīr, pp. 26–27; Kashf al-Murād p. 378.

3. Al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, 12:32; Sharḥ al-Maqāṣid, 5:270.

4. God, the Messenger, and the Imam have guardianship (wilāyah) over non-human beings as well, but this verse was revealed specifically about humans.

5. The guardianship of the Prophet and Amīr al-Muʾminīn is proven through this verse, and that of the other Imams through specific textual records regarding it (al-naṣ al-khāṣ)

6. Sharḥ al-Maqāṣid, 5:269; al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, 12:30. Whereas the verse, as both trends agree, was revealed with a specific referent, and its interpretation is independent of the surrounding verses.

7. Since this argument was addressed by Shaykh al-Ṭūsī in al-Tibyān and by Shaykh al-Ṭabrisī in Majmaʿ al-Bayān, it is evident that the same argument has been posed before Fakhr al-Rāzī brought it up.

8. It can only be exercised after the death of the testator.

9. Similar to authority over blood (death), over the deceased, and over marriage.

10. al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, 12:28; al-Jāmiʿ li Aḥkām al-Qurʾān, 6:161.

11. Shīʿī and Sunnī Muslims agree on a narration transmitted by Abū Dharr al-Ghifārī, which will be mentioned in the Narrational Section

12. The English equivalent of each, respectively: “who,” “the faithful,” (-), “maintain,” “give,” (-), “bowing down.”

13. This resembles saying “Those who cleaned the mosque get this and that” While in reality, in the physical world, only one person cleaned the mosque. This does not count as applying the plural to the singular, but rather using the plural for its intended function while having only one concrete manifestation.

14. Jāmiʿ al-Bayān, 18:129; al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, 23:187.

15. The narration was not found in the written traditions of Sunni Islam or the narrations collections of Shi’a Islam. Only the exegetes of Al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr (12:28) and Tafsīr Zad al-Masir (2:383) mentioned it.

16. According to the Prophet’s hadith: “There is no one under the shade of the sky, nor anyone who walks earth more truthful than Abū Dharr” (Ma’ani al-Akhbar, 2:179; Bihar al-Anwar, 10:121; Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, 6:442).

17. The proof of ʿAlī’s poverty is found in Chapter 76, Surat al-Insān, which describes how he fed the needy, the orphan, and the prisoner despite his poverty. The verse was revealed about him. Fakhr al-Rāzī overlooks that the verse [about feeding] does not point to each poor person who pays zakāt but demonstrates that the verse [about feeding] does not refer to every poor person who pays zakāt, but demonstrates the spiritual eminence of the Imam, who spent his wealth despite poverty. This is reflected in the verse: “‘We feed you only for the sake of Allah. We do not want any reward from you nor any thanks” (76:9)

18. Sahih bukhari, 1:129-130; sunan al-nisa’i, 4:442.

19. al-Ṣadūq, al-Khiṣāl, 2:459-550. This narration was rarely mentioned in Sunni books but is included in Shia sources.

20. Same applies to counsel based on the verse: “and consult them in the affairs, and once you are resolved, put your trust in Allah” (3:159). Decisions can only be made by the Prophet, that is why God said “and consult them” in the Arabic singular tawakal and not the plural tawakalu.

21. Al-Ghadīr, 2:52

22. Kāshif al-Ghiṭāʾ, pp. 166–167; Biḥār al-Anwār, 35:194–195.

23. From his father, Zayd ibn al-Ḥasan, from his grandfather

24. Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, 1:355–356; al-Durr al-Manthūr, 3:105.

25. From ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥakam, from al-Ḥusayn ibn Abī al-ʿAlāʾ

26. Al-Ḥasan ibn Zayd said: “I heard ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir say: ‘A seeker in need came to ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib while he was bowing down during a non-obligatory prayer. ʿAlī removed his ring and gave it to the man in need. When the Messenger came, he learned what had happened and the verse: ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down’, was revealed. The Messenger recited the verse to us then said: ‘Whoever I am his guardian (mawlā), then ʿAlī is their guardian, O Allah, be an ally to those who believe in him, and antagonize those who antagonize him.’” (Tafsir al-aishi, 1:355-356; al-durar al-manthoor, 3:105).

27. From his father, from his grandfather

28. Such as the narration of Aḥmad ibn ʿĪsā in al-Kāfī, 1:288-289, mentioned under the title “Occasion of Revelation and the Imams Quoting the Verse”

29. From Sulaymān, from Zurārah, from Abū Jaʿfar.

30. Abū Rāfiʿ transmitted the Prophet’s expression of gratitude for the guardianship of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib. He said: ‘I went to see the Messenger but found him asleep, while a snake was in the corner of the house. I hated for him to wake up if I killed it; since I thought he might be receiving a revelation. So I placed my body between him and the snake and said: ‘If any harm is to come from this snake, let it come to me rather than to him.’ Shortly after, the Prophet woke up while reciting: ‘Your guardian is only Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful…’ to the end of the verse. He then said: ‘Praise be to God for perfecting the blessing of ʿAlī, and felicitation to him for what God has granted him. (al-Āmulī by al-Ṭūsī, 1:59).