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Verse Of Guardianship

11. Is there any verse in the Qur′an that supports the meaning of word "Wali" as guardian, or to prove mastership for Ali?

Answer:

The verse of "Wilayah" (Mastership) and its descent about Ali

Indeed, there is a perfect verse of Allah, the Exalted, the Almighty, in His great Book, which distinguishes right from wrong.

"Your guardian is only Allah, His Apostle, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakat while bowing down. Whoever takes for his guardians Allah, His Apostle, and the faithful [should know that] the confederates of Allah are indeed the victorious." (Qur'an, 5: 55-56)

It is unanimous that these verses were revealed in honor of ‘Ali who offered his own ring in the way of Allah while engaged in performing the prayers.1

Suffices us what Imam Abu Ishaq Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Nisaburi al-Tha’labi has stated in his Tafsir al-Kabir. When the writer comes to this verse, he quotes Abu Dharr al-Ghifari saying: "I have heard the Messenger of Allah (S) with these ears - may I be deaf if I tell a lie - and saw him with these eyes - may I be blinded if I lie - saying: ‘Ali is the leader of the pious, the annihilator of infidels; whoever supports him is supported by Allah, and whoever abandons him is abandoned by Allah.' I have, indeed, said my prayers once in the company of the Messenger of Allah (S) when a beggar came to the mosque and nobody gave him anything. ‘Ali was in the state of ceremonial prostration when he beckoned to him to take his ring. The beggar came and took it from ‘Ali's finger, whereupon the Messenger of Allah invoked Allah, the Almighty, the Omniscient, and prayed Him on behalf of ‘Ali saying: ‘Lord! My Brother Moses had prayed to you saying: Lord! Remove the distress from my bosom, render my mission easy for me, and untie my tongue's knot so that people may understand me. Let me have a vizier from my own kin, my brother Aaron, to support my endeavor and participate in my undertaking, so that we may both praise you a great deal and mention your Name a great deal; You have been most Kind unto us (Qur'an, 20:25-35) thereupon, You inspired to him: Verily, your prayer has been granted, O Moses! (Qur'an; 20:36) Lord! I am Your servant and Prophet; therefore, remove my distress, render my mission easy for me, and grant me a vizier from my kin, ‘Ali, to support my endeavor'. By Allah, the Messenger of Allah had hardly finished his supplication before Gabriel, the trusted one, brought him this verse: ‘Only Allah is your wali and His Messenger and those who believe, those who say their prayers and offer zakat even while prostrating (in prayers). Whoever takes for wali Allah, His Messenger, and the believers, they, indeed, are the party of Allah; they are the ones who shall achieve victory (Qur'an, 5: 55-56)

The meaning of the word "wali" in such a context is "one who has the top priority in faring with one's affairs."

The Almighty has in these verses reserved wilayat for Himself and for both His Messenger and the successor in the same manner. The guardianship of Allah, the Almighty and Omniscient, is general and inclusive. So is the guardianship of the Prophet as well as his successor; it carries the same meaning. It is not possible to apply to it in this context the meanings of "supporter, loved one, etc.," since such a restriction [of application] is groundless, as is obvious.

  • 1. . Refer to it as published in Nisa'i's Sahih, or in Al-Jami Bayna al-Sihah al-Sittah, in a chapter dealing with the interpretation of chapter Ma'ida. Likewise, refer to the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbas who explains the meanings of these verses in imam Wahidi's book Asbab al-Nuzul. Khatib has included it in Al-Muttafaq. Also refer to ‘Ali's hadith in the musnads of Ibn Mardawayh and Abul-Shaykh. If you wish, refer to it in Kanz al-’Ummal.