Questions On the Third Testimony

The Firmest Handle

THE HOLY QUR'AN - AL BAQARAH VERSE 256

[Shakir 2:256] There is no compulsion in religion; truly the right way has become clearly distinct from error; therefore, whoever disbelieves in the Shaitan and believes in Allah he indeed has laid hold on the firmest handle, which shall not break off, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

AL FADHAAIL - SHADHAAN BIN JIBRAEEL - 6C AH P152

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) said: Whoever intends to hold on to the Firmest Handle in this world and in the hereafter should immediately say 'There is no God but Allah (s.w.t.), Muhammad (s.a.w.) is the Messenger of Allah (s.w.t.), Ali (a.s.) is the Trustee of Allah (s.w.t.).'

Wonderful! Indeed there is no compulsion in religion. Indeed, the truth has clearly become distinct from error.

How much more clarity do you expect? Those who hold on to the Third Testimony are on truth whereas the others have erred.

That's it!

Adhaan (The Call) The First Call

Let us start from the beginning.

BIHAR UL ANWAAR - VOL 37 CH 54 H 10

The first One to bear the third testimony after the two was Allah (s.w.t.). It has been related from the Holy Imam Jafar Al Sadiq (a.s.) who said: 'When Allah (s.w.t.) Created the heavens and the earth, He (s.w.t.) Commanded a caller who announced - I bear witness that there is no God except Allah, three times; I bear witness that Muhammad (s.aw.) is the Messenger of Allah (s.w.t.), three times; I bear witness that Ali (a.s.) is the Commander of the faithful truly, three times'.

And so this is how it all began, with the Third Testimony forming part of the bearing of all testimonies. This is the reason why the Holy Imam (a.s.) commanded us to bear this testimony whenever we bear the first two.

AL IHTIJAJ AL TABARSI - VOL 1 P230

So came the order from the Imam Ja'far Al Sadiq (a.s.): 'Whoever says - There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah must immediately say Ali is the Commander of the Faithful'.

And thus, the hypocrites, who only bear two testimonies, were trapped.

[Shakir 63:1] When the hypocrites come to you, they say: We bear witness that you are most surely Allah's Messenger; and Allah knows that you are most surely His Messenger, and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are surely liars.

As you can see, technically, they are correct in bearing of the two testimonies, but they have still been branded as liars by Allah (s.w.t.).

ADHAAN AT THE TIME OF THE HOLY PROPHET (S.A.W.)

The question that arises in the mind of a lot of people is - Did the third testimony form part of the Adhaan during the time of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.)? If it did, then that would put an end to all arguments.

ABU DHARR'S ADHAAN AFTER GHADEER - AL SALAFA FI AMR AL KHILAFA - SHEYKH ABDULLAH AL MIRAGI - 7TH C AH

The honourable companion Abu Dharr Al Ghafari (a.r.), after the event of Ghadeer, in his call for the prayer, made an increment of bearing witness to the Mastership of the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a.s.), after the two testimonies.

The hypocrites and the enemies gathered around the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) and related to him (s.a.w.) what they had heard from Abu Dharr (a.r.). They then waited for the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) to join his (s.a.w.) voice along with theirs in rebuking Abu Dharr (a.r.) for the increase. Instead the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) turned his faced towards them and rebuked them: 'Did I not address this in my sermon to you?'

They replied: 'Yes!' He (s.a.w.) asked them: 'What was the meaning of my long sermon in the scorching heat of this blazing desert? Does this not mean to you that the Commander of the Faithful is the Trustee of Allah?

You all heard Abu Dharr, what greenery did you pick up from this dust bowl, in the truthful tone of Abu Dharr?' They said: 'Yes! Abu Dharr does not talk in vain and he is steadfast in his truth. He does not speak except the truth.' He (s.a.w.) continued: 'After witnessing his sincerity, why did you come to doubt him?

Has Abu Dharr come with something new?' He (s.a.w.) then uncovered the consequences of the opposition to the Command and said: 'You will overcome, after me, in your opposition. Yes, you will all change after me and reject my caliph as a consequence of your evil.'

And the meaning of his (s.a.w.) words is that Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.s.) is the third pillar of religion after Allah (s.w.t.) and the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.). Imamate is the third pillar of Islam after Tawheed (Oneness of Allah) and Nabuwwat (Prophethood).

And so He (s.a.w.) decided this testimony to be part of the Adhaan and stressed its validity and permissibility. It is likely that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) had himself advised Abu Dharr to take this blessed step. We do not exclude this possibility because a companion as honourable as Abu Dharr would not have taken this step of his own accord.

This must be as a result of two things - either the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) had ordered him to do so or else this was Abu Dharr's understanding of the statements of the Holy prophet (s.a.w.) and his (s.a.w.) stance. Anyhow, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) has made his (s.a.w.) move. It is agreed by the scholars and the jurists that the words of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.), his (s.a.w.) actions and his (s.a.w.) sermon is proof of law.

Okay, so this Hadeeth comes from a non-Shiite source. Sometimes it happens that even the adversaries concur with your position and then you can point to them and say that 'See! Even they agree with us!'

Incidentally, there is also another Hadeeth from non-Shiite sources from Abu Laith Al Harwi where it is stated that the Third Testimony did form part of the Adhaan during the time of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.), but soon after was stopped by the ruling Caliphs who claimed it to have been abrogated.

The main Hadeeth from Shiite sources for the third testimony is the one below:

BIHAR UL ANWAAR - VOL 27 CH1 H1

It has been related that Qasim Bin Muwaiya said to the Holy Imam Ja'far Al Sadiq (a.s): 'The people of the Sunnah relate a Hadeeth about Me'raaj that when the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) was taken on Me'raaj he (s.a.w.) saw written upon the Throne - There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and Abu Bakr As Siddiq'.

He (a.s.) said: 'Glory be to Allah (s.w.t.)! They have changed everything, even this?' He said: 'Yes!' The Holy Imam (a.s.) continued: 'When Allah (s.w.t.) the High created the Throne, He (s.w.t.) wrote upon it - There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and Ali is the Commander of the believers.

And when He (s.w.t.) the High Created the Chair, He (s.w.t.) wrote upon it - There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and Ali is the Commander of the believers. And when He (s.w.t.) Created the Tablet, He (s.w.t.) wrote on it - He (s.w.t.) wrote upon it - There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and Ali is the Commander of the believers.

And when He (s.w.t.) the High Created Israfeel (the angel) he (s.w.t.) wrote upon his forehead - There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and Ali is the Commander of the believers.

And when He (s.w.t.) Created the heavens he (s.w.t.) wrote on its fringes - There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and Ali is the Commander of the believers. And when he (s.w.t.) the Exalted Created the earth He (s.w.t.) wrote on its layers - There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and Ali is the Commander of the believers.

And when he (s.w.t.) the High Created the sun he wrote on it - There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and Ali is the Commander of the believers. And when He (s.w.t.0 Created the moon He (s.w.t.) wrote upon it - There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and Ali is the Commander of the believers. Then the Holy Imam (a.s.) added: 'Whenever any one of you says - There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah - he must say - Ali is the Commander of the believers'.

O reader! Look at the extent of the focus on the name of the Holy Imam Ali (a.s.) wherever is the mention of the Glorified (s.w.t.) and the mention of the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.). Why this emphasis?

Why this insistence upon writing of the name of Imam Ali (a.s.) on the Throne, the Chair, the Tablet, the forehead of Israfeel, the fringes of the heavens, the layers of the earth, the sun, the moon and elsewhere? This demonstrates the necessity of mentioning the name of Imam Ali (a.s.) when mentioning the Oneness of Allah (s.w.t.) and the Prophethood of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) whenever and wherever they are mentioned. It is clear that the Adhaan and the Iqamah are from the resources and there is no doubt about the necessity of the third testimony after the two testimonies, and the two testimonies with the third testimony.

Then we come to the argument whether any of our two testimonies are acceptable without the bearing of the third.

AL YAQEEN - SYED IBN TAWOOS 589 - 664 AH

It is reflected in the sayings of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) and his infallible sons (a.s.) in many of the chants of Allah (s.w.t.) that Wilayah (Mastership) is a precondition to the acceptability of the two testimonies and it is in the nature of the people - The Oneness of Allah (s.w.t.), the Prophethood of Muhammad (s.a.w.) and Ali the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.).

So, if the absence of the third renders the first two unacceptable, where does that leave any of our deeds?