During the history of Islam, the Shi‘a have provided a bunch of evidence to prove the Imamate of Ali and his immediate successorship after the Prophet Muhammad (S). Such arguments can be convincing for other denominations, if they are based on their books. Therefore, the Shi‘a have proved this concept by referring to the Noble Wur’an az well as hadiths from Sunni sources.

A. Wilayah (Guardianship), Imamate And Caliphate Of Ali In The Holy Qur’an

1. Verse Of Wilayah

إِنَّما وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذينَ آمَنُوا الَّذينَ يُقيمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَ يُؤْتُونَ الزَّكاةَ وَ هُمْ راكِعُونَ

As for the occasion of revelation (sha’n al-nuzul), al-Tabari, one the most prominent Sunni scholars of tafsir (commentary on the Qur’an) writes:

{إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ} الآية: .نزلت في علي بن أبي طالب تصدق وهو راكع.

The verse “Your guardian is only Allah, His Apostle …”(5:55) was revealed about Ali ibn Abi Talib, when he gave charity in the state of ruku‘ (bowing down) in prayer.1

The same has been quoted by ibn Abi Hatam from ‘Utba b. Hakim.2

Regarding the authenticity of these sources, ibn Taymiyya, the founder of Salafism, writes:

الطبري و ... وابن أبي حاتم ... تفاسيرهم متضمّنة للمنقولات التي يعتمد عليها في التفسير

The books of tafsir by al-Tabari … and ibn Abi Hatam … contain commentaries relied on in tafsir.3

Al-Alusi, a well-known Sunni scholar of tafsir, writes about the occasion of revelation of the above-mentioned verse:

وغالب الأخباريّين على أنّ هذه الآية نزلت في‌علي‌كرّم اللّه‌وجهه.

In another part of his commentary, al-Alusi states:

و الآية عند معظم المحدثين نزلت في عليّ كرم اللّه تعالى وجهه

2. Verse Of Iblagh (Proclamation)

يا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ ما أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَ إِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَما بَلَّغْتَ رِسالَتَهُ وَ اللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكافِرينَ

O Apostle! 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)

Ibn Abi Hatam, narrating from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri, a companion of the Prophet (S), writes:

نزلت هذه الآية . . . في علي بن أبي طالب

In his Ruh al-Ma‘ani, al-Alusi writes:

ابن مردويه عن ابن مسعود قال: كنا نقرأ على عهد رسول اللّه صلّى اللّه عليه و سلّم يا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ ما أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ أن عليا ولي المؤمنين وَ إِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَما بَلَّغْتَ رِسالَته

Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, a prominent Sunni scholar of hadith, explains that:

بَلِّغْ مَا اُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ إنّ علياً مَولَي المؤمنين وَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ

Therefore, the verse commands the Prophet Muhammad (S) to proclaim openly that Ali is the Mawla or Waliyy (guardian/leader) of Muslims and the immediate successor of the Prophet (S).

3.Verse Of Ikmal Al-Din (Perfection Of Religion)

الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دينَكُمْ وَ أَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتي‏ وَ رَضيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلامَ دينا

Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi writes about the occasion of revelation:

عن أبي هريرة: يوم غدير خم، لما أخذ النبي بيد علي بن أبي طالب، فقال: ألست ولي المؤمنين؟. قالوا: بلى يا رسول الله! قال: مَنْ كنت مولاه فعلي مولاه. فقال عمر بن الخطاب: بخ بخ لك يا بن أبي طالب أصبحت مولاي ومولى كل مسلم، فأنزل الله: {الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ}.

B. Wilayah (Guardianship), Imamate And Caliphate Of Ali In Narrations

1. Hadith Of Wilayah

According to the following narration from the Prophet Muhammad (S), quoted and authenticated by al-Hakim al-Nayshaburi and Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi, Wilayah and Imamate of Ali after the Prophet (S) is clearly proved:

قال النبي صلی الله علیه واله وسلم : إنّ عليّا منّي وأنا منه و هو وليّ كلّ مؤمن بعدي. صحيح على شرط مسلم

This hadith has also been narrated in the following version:

قال النبي صلی الله علیه واله وسلم لعلي: أنت ولي كل مؤمن و مؤمنة. قال الألباني: صحّحه الحاكم و الذهبي و هو كما قالا.

The question usually raised is that how the words “Waliyy” and “Mawla” are translated to mean Imam and Caliph. Here reference is made to some Sunni sources where the same words are applied to mean the same.

قال ابوبكر: قد وُلِّيتُ أمركم ولست بخيركم.إسناد صحيح.

Also choosing ‘Umar b. al-Khattab as the Second Caliph, Abu Bakr said:

وَلَّيْتُ عليكم عمرَ

The Second Caliph says the following about his caliphate and that of Abu Bakr:

قال عمر: فلمّا توفّي رسول اللّه قال أبو بكر: أنا وليّ رسول اللّه . . . ثُمَّ تُوُفِّيَ أَبُو بَكْر وَ أَنَا وَلِيُّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَ وَلِيُّ أَبِي بَكْر

2. Hadith Of Caliphate

Addressing Ali, the Prophet Muhammad (S) said:

وأنت خليفتي في كلّ مؤمن من بعدي

According to al-Albani, it is an authentic (hasan) narration.

Also, according to al-Hakim al-Nayshaburi and al-Dhahabi, the Prophet Muhammad (S) told Ali:

لا ينبغي ان اذهب الا وأنت خليفتي. قال الألباني: صحّحه الحاكم و الذهبي وهو كما قالا.

These narrations explicitly refer to the fact that Ali was the immediate successor of the Prophet Muhammad (S).

3. Hadith Of Imamate

In the following narration, Ali is introduced as the Imam (leader) of the righteous people:

قال النبي صلی الله علیه واله وسلم: علي إمام المتقين. صحيح الاسناد.

In yet another hadith, addressing Ali, the Prophet (S) said:

أنت إمام كلّ مؤمن و مؤمنة

4. Hadith Of Wasiyyah (Vicegerency), Also Known As Hadith Yawm Al-Dar

In early Islam, [after 3 years of private preaching of Islam], the Prophet (S) was commanded to invite his close relatives to Islam. They gathered in the house of Abu Talib and in his call, the Prophet (S) introduced Ali as his “brother, vicegerent and caliph”. Al-Tabari, the well-known historian, writes in his history:

عن علي بن أبي طالب لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هذِهِ الآْيَةُ عَلى رَسُولِ اللَّه: وَأَنْذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الأقْرَبِينَ (الشعراء: 214) ]في جمع[ بَنِي عَبْدِ المطَّلِبِ أَخَذَ بِرَقَبَتِي فَقَالَ: إِنَّ هَذَا أَخِي وَوَصِيي وَخَلِيفَتِي فِيكُمْ فَاسْمَعُوا لَهُ وَأَطِيعُوا.

Ali ibn Abi Talib narrates: When the verse, “Warn the nearest of your kinsfolk” (26:214) was revealed on the Prophet (S), in a gathering of the sons of Abd al-Muttalib, he (S) took my neck and said: “Indeed, this [i.e. Ali] is my brother, vicegerent and caliph among you. So listen to and obey him.”19

Great Sunni scholars including al-Haythami, al-Tabari, al-Hakim al-Nayshaburi and al-Dhahabi have testified to the authenticity of this hadith.20

In another hadith, the Prophet (S) tells his daughter Fatimah al-Zahra:

وَ وَصِيِّي خَيْرُ الأَوْصِيَاءِ وَأَحَبُّهُمُ إلى اللَّهِ وهو بَعْلُكِ.

According to a Prophetic narration, to have a vicegerent is a feature shared by all prophets:

إن لكل نبي وصيا ووارثا وإن عليا وصيي ووارثي

The vicegerency and caliphate of Ali was so well-known among people and men of literature that it was considered as a feature of him in the books of philology and lexicography. In his Taj al-‘Arus, al-Zubaydi, the prominent Sunni lexicographer writes:

والوصي كغني لقب علي رضي اللّه تعالى عنه

Another Sunni scholar of lexicography is ibn Manzur who writes in his Lisan al-‘Arab:

وقيل لعلي علیه السلام : وصِيٌّ

Al-Mubarrad, one the founders of Arabic literature, commenting on Kumayt’s poems states:

قوله الوصي، فهذا شيء كانوا يقولونه ويكثرون فيه.

The fact that “Wasiyy” was a famous epithet for Ali is more confirmed by its usage by Aram poets. Hassan b. Thabit, the well-known poet of the Prophet’s era, addressing Ali, writes in one of his poems:

ألست أخاه في الهدى ووصيّه و أعلم منهم بالكتاب و السنن.

Also, Fazl b. ‘Abbas composed:

ألا إنّ خيرالناس بعد محمد(ص) وصيّ النبيّ المصطفى عندذي الذَّکر.

The following verses were composed by al-Mubarrad:

أحبّ محمداً حبّاً شديداً وعبّاساً وحمزة والوصيّا

إنّي أدين بما دان الوصيّ به يوم النخيلة من قتال المحلّينا

5. Hadith Of Safina (The Ark)

One of the narrations indicating the Wilayah of Ali is the hadith of Safina according to which, the Ahl al-Bayt (progeny) of the Prophet (S) including Ali, are like Noah’s Ark; whoever embarks it will be saved and those who lag behind will perish. This hadith has been quoted with authentic chains of narration by many Sunni scholars including Ahmad b. Hanbal, al-Tabarani and al-Khatib al-Baghdadi:

عن أبي ذَر يَقُول وَهُوَ آخِذٌ بِبَابِ الكعبة: مَنْ عَرَفَنِي فَأَنَا مَنْ قَد عَرَفَنِي،وَمَنْ أَنْكَرَنِي فَأَنَا أبُو ذَر سَمِعْتُ النبي صلي الله عليه واله وسلم يقول: إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي فِيكُمْ كَمَثَلِ سَفِينَةِ نُوحٍ مَنْ دَخَلَهَا نَجَا، وَ مَنْ تَخَلَّفَ عَنْهَا غَرِقَ.

According to al-Hakim al-Nayshaburi, this is an authentic narration, based on the criteria of Muslim.31

6. Hadith Of Opposing The Ahl Al-Bayt

This Prophetic narration which shows the true path of guidance indicates that the Ahl al-Bayt are the haven and place of refuge for Muslims and opposing them is tantamount to entering the party of Satan. Al-Hakim al-Nayshaburi has quoted this hadith with an authentic chain of narration in his al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn:

وَأَهْلُ بَيْتِي أَمَانٌ لأُمَّتِي مِنَ الاختِلاَفِ فَإِذَا خَالَفَتْهَا قَبِيلَةٌ مِنَ العَرَبِ اخْتَلَفُوا، فَصَارُوا حِزْبَ إِبْلِيسَ.

• 1. Al-Tabari, al-Tafsir, vol. 10, p. 426, hadith no. 12214.
• 2. Ibn Abi Hatam, al-Tafsir, vol. 4, p. 1162.
• 3. Ibn Taymiyya, Minhaj al-Sunna, vol. 7, p. 179.
• 4. Al-Alusi, Ruh al-Ma‘ani, vol. 6, p. 167.
• 5. Ruh al-Ma‘ani, vol. 3, p. 352.
• 6. Tafsir ibn Abi Hatam, vol. 4, p. 1172, hadith no. 6609.
• 7. Al-Alusi, Ruh al-Ma‘ani, vol. 6, p. 19.
• 8. Al-Suyuti, al-Durr al-Manthur, vol. 2, p. 283. Also see Fath al-Qadir, vol. 2, p. 60; al-Manar, vol. 6, p. 463.
• 9. Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 9, p. 222. Also see. Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, vol. 7, p.350.
• 10. Al-Hakim al-Nayshaburi, al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, vol. 3, p. 119.
• 11. Al-Albani, Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah, vol. 5, p. 222. See. al-Hakim al-Nayshaburi, al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, vol. 3, p. 133.
• 12. Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, vol. 8, p. 89.
• 13. Ibn al-Athir, Jami‘ al-Usul, vol. 4, p. 109.
• 14. Sahih Muslim, vol. 3, p. 1378.
• 15. Ibn Abi ‘Asim, Kitab al-Sunna, p. 565.
• 16. Al-Albani, Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah, vol. 5, p. 222; al-Hakim al-Nayshaburi, al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, vol. 3, p. 133.
• 17. Al-Hakim al-Nayshaburi, al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, vol. 3, p. 148.
• 18. Al-Kharazmi, al-Manaqib, vol. 61, p. 31.
• 19. Al-Tabari, al-Tarikh, vol. 3, p. 321; ibn Athir, al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, vol. 1, p. 586.
• 20. See e.g. al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Kanz al-‘Ummal, vol. 13, p. 128, hadith no. 36408; al-Haythami, Majma‘ al-Zawa’id, vol. 8, p. 302; al-Hakim al-Nayshaburi, al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, vol. 3, p. 132.
• 21. Al-Tabarani, al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir, vol. 3, p. 57, hadith no. 2675.
• 22. Ibn ‘Asakir, Tarikh Madinat Dimashq, vol. 42, p. 392.
• 23. Al-Zubaydi, Taj al-‘Arus, vol. 40, p. 210.
• 24. Ibn Manzur, Lisan al-‘Arab, vol. 15, p. 394.
• 25. Al-Mubarrad, al-Kamil fi al-Lughah, vol 3, p. 1124.
• 26. Al-Zubayr b. Bakkar, al-Muwaffaqiyyat, p. 477; Tarikh al-Ya‘qubi, vol. 2, p. 128; ibn Abi al-Hadid, Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. 6, p. 35.
• 27. Tarikh al-Tabari, vol. 4, p. 426.
• 28. Al-Mubarrad, al-Kamil fi al-Lughah, vol. 2, p. 1125; Abu al-Faraj Isfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 7, p. 269.
• 29. Al-Mubarrad, al-Kamil fi al-Lughah, vol. 2, p. 175; Abu al-Faraj Isfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 7, p. 292.
• 30. Al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir, vol. 3, p. 38; Faza’il al-Sahaba, vol. 2, p. 285; Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 12, p. 91; Hilyat al-Awliya’, vol. 4, p. 306.
• 31. Al-Hakim al-Nayshaburi, al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, vol. 2, p. 343.
• 32. Al-Hakim al-Nayshaburi, al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, vol. 3, p. 162; al-Saqa‘iq al-Muhriqah, vol. 2, p. 685.