The Caliphate Its Conception and Consequences

Chapter Five : the Nomination

To appreciate fully how wisely and cautiously the delicate problem of the nomination was handled by the prophet, we must realize the awkward situation created for him by his enemies and by the attitude of his companions towards this problem. From the very beginning, QURAISH had accused Muhammad of seeking personal aggrandizement in the garb of a prophet, and had been harping upon this theme ever since the message was announced.

What was worse, among his own followers there had arisen a faction which had an eye on the throne, and were ready to exploit any rumor or murmuring against the prophet and his mission. And the nomination of Ali, which appeared to them to amount to the perpetuation of rule in his family, was a theme well worth building a huge edifice of calumny and vilification on.

The prophet (P) knew full well that they were likely to stop at nothing, however damaging to the interests of Islam, to achieve their object. As s matter of fact, when the nomination became well known it at once brought about a fusion between these two parties, that is, the pagan Arabs with their veneer of Islam, generally known as the MUNAFIQIN, and the party of ambitious companions of the prophet who were determined to make a bid for the throne. The existence of such a party among his followers, and the prophet's knowledge of it, have already been discussed.

The prophet (p) therefore had to take every step in this direction with a caution bordering on hesitation. But at the same time he had to proceed in the matter as it was imperative for the continuance and development in the right direction of his mission, which, as he honestly believed, was to endure for all time to come. The message could not be completely and entirely executed unless and until he had made arrangements for its continuance after his death.

Therefore, keeping in view all these things, the prophet proceeded cautiously but firmly and with undaunted determination. His method, which was characterized by caution, clarity and thoroughness was this; to prepare the people for the final announcement, he declared on every proper occasion that in Ali were combined those qualities of head and heart -and indeed he possessed those requirements- which are essential and indispensable for a successor of the last of the prophets. In between these declarations, he also made statements indicating, sometimes by implication, sometimes expressly, that Ali was to succeed him.

To refute his enemies and confound the MUNAFIQIN, it was necessary to establish beyond all doubt that Ali's appointment was not due to nepotism or a selfish desire for personal or family aggrandizement. This object was achieved by announcing Ali's appointment at the very beginning of his ministry at MAKKA, when no one could dream of a worldly position for Muhammad, not to speak of an empire, when forlorn and forsaken he wandered from place to place meeting with derision and scorn everywhere, and when his very life was in danger. This announcement came at a time when the great events of his life were yet to follow; he was to be pursued and persecuted from place to place; he was to have to seek the protection of his uncle Abu TALIB, without which his life was in danger;

he, with all the children of HASHIM, was to be confined in a cave and to be excommunicated. "After a time the situation became intolerable. The resources of the believers who were independent were insufficient to support the strain of their starving brethren, nor was the life of the latter endurable, amid ceaseless vexations and persecutions". In the end, life at MAKKA became so intolerable that flight from the place was thought the only means of safety. All these events were yet to come when this nomination was made. The announcement of Imam Ali's nomination as a Vizier and successor of Muhammad (p), coming as it did at a time when despair and disappointment stared Muhammad in the face, proves conclusively the sincerity of his heart and the truth of his mission. We proceed to describe this very important event.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE FEAST:

Ali's Caliphate was announced at the same meeting and at the same time, as the prophet's own NUBUWWA was announced. This was done under express divine command. I refer to SURA XXVI, 213, which translated into English runs as follows: "Admonish thy nearest relations". Muhammad had not as yet publicly announced his mission, for he could not do so without God's permission. Now this permission had been given, but it was restricted to his nearest relatives. I quote from ABU AL-FIDA?

"For the first three years, the prophet carried on his work of conversion secretly. After that, God commanded his Prophet to invite people openly. This AYA was therefore revealed to the Prophet (P). Upon this, he sent for Imam Ali and asked him to prepare food consisting of goat meat and milk and invite all the children of ABD AL-MOTALIB, so that he might talk to them and convey to them God's message. Ali did so; they numbered about forty persons, including the Prophet's uncles, ABU TALIB, HAMZA and ABBAS…. When those persons had finished eating, the Prophet wanted to speak to them;

but ABU LAHAB forestalled him, and the assembly dispersed without hearing Muhammad. The Prophet (P) asked Imam Ali to do the same thing on the following day. When they had finished eating, Muhammad spoke to them thus; "In the whole of Arabia, I do not know anyone who has brought better things to his nation than what I have brought to you, which is good both for this world and the next. Verily God has commanded me to incite you to Him. Who is there among you ready and willing to assist me and share my burden in this mission of mine,

and be my vizier, my colleague, my WASI, and my KHALIFA". All of them remained silent. Then Ali, who was the youngest of all, stood up and said, "Oh Prophet of God, I am prepared to be your vizier, to share your burden with you, and be your KHALIFA". Upon this the Prophet (P) caught hold of the neck of Imam Ali and said, "Oh people, this Ali is my colleague, my WASI, and my KHALIFA. You are all to hearken unto him and obey him". All of them got up laughing, and turning to ABU TALIB, they said, "Listen to thy son and obey him!".

This is a very important matter and must be given due weight. The unequivocal term KHALIFA should be notices. After that solemn declaration of nomination, coming as it did in the form of an offer being accepted, did anything unusual happen to cancel it? Its cancellation without good cause would have been very damaging to the reputation of a Prophet who claimed God's inspiration for his words; for of what use was that inspiration if it failed him on this momentous occasion and in this very important matter, arranged as it was under God's command? From Muhammad's circumspective nature,

it is evident that he would not have made this declaration in respect of a boy in his teens, especially in the presence of the elders of the family, many of whom were in the habit of deriding him and his uncles, among whom was the father of Imam Ali himself, unless he had been driven to do so God's command. The evidence that this nomination and its announcement were under the command of God is inherent in the very nature of the nomination itself.

Who except God could have known at that time that this boy would prove himself worthy of the position that was being reserved for him? At a time when nothing certain could be known about Ali's character and qualities, he being yet a raw youth, Muhammad says with a certainty that is obviously prophetic that Ali is his vizier, WASI, KHALIFA and a sharer in the great responsibility that has been placed on his own shoulders. What if in later years Ali turned out to be a coward,

running after the joys of this world and shunning the hardships and toils of warfare, lukewarm, in his profession of the faith like so many others, and avoiding the brunt of battle, fleeing for his life as others had? Friend and foe alike would have tauntingly said that the God of Muhammad could not foresee of what stuff the successor of Muhammad had been made. But the events of Ali's life that took place in the ensuing years, being quite in keeping with this prophetic declaration, clearly prove that the declaration was one of the ways in which "God fulfils Himself".

The story of his life shows that Imam Ali completely fulfilled the promise that he had made to the Prophet (P) at the Feast. Was the Prophet to break his own promise, and leave the succession to the chances of an election? Were there for that matter any grounds to break that solemn promise? Two objections may be anticipated here. Firstly, the assembly was a limited one comprising only the relatives, and so the whole UMMA cannot be bound by the declaration. Secondly, a successor should be chosen only towards the end, when the true character of every man is pretty well known, and when the mission is just entering its first stage. I will proceed to meet both these objections.

Regarding the first objection, God had willed that Muhammad's successor should be from among the nearest of kin. The same principle had been observed by the previous prophets, and there were no grounds for deviating from that well-established rule, which among other reasons had the law of transmission through heredity in its favor. It has now been established that experience and habits pass on from father to son through the hereditary process. Anyhow, I need not pursue this subject any further, as I have another mathematically exact argument that will carry conviction to even a biased mind. At the momentous meeting of the SAQIFA where ABU BAKR was declared Caliph through the efforts of UMAR, this latter,

cornered from every side, took refuge not in the Book of God but in the HADITH of the prophet, and declared that the prophet had said that the Imams (leaders of the Islamic Nation) must only be from the tribe of QURAISH. This was to meet the arguments of the ANSAR, who had been maintaining that the Caliph should be from them. At the time of appointing the SHURA, UMAR said that the ANSAR had no claim to the Caliphate. But why not? The reason given by ABU BAKR at the SAQIFA was that it was because the prophet did not belong to that tribe. If this principle is accepted, and there is no reason why it should not be as it effectively silenced the ANSAR at that critical moment, then it must also devolve from within the tribe to the family, and from within the family to the nearest relative.

I turn now to the second of the above objections. This earliest announcement was absolutely essential. It served many purposes, and I invite attention to the following.

The situation pertaining to crown princes in all monarchies is so well known that little needs to be said about it. The prince designated as the crown prince is given special education to prepare him for the high position that he is to fill and the onerous duties he will have to discharge.
This earliest announcement at a time when there was no kingdom and thus no attached worldly glamour prevented any doubts or sinister suspicions from crossing the minds of friends or foes when the announcement was finally made at the place called KHUM, after an empire had been established.
It served as a clear demonstration of the truth and genuineness of the NUBUWWA of Muhammad, as no one except a prophet could have known at that time this boy of fourteen would prove himself worthy of this great task being entrusted to him at such a tender age.

The Condition For The Making Of an Ideal Caliph

For the efficient running of an institution, it is absolutely essential that the successor, who follows the founder in the management of that institution, be an exact similitude of the founder, a mirror in which he is reflected in his true exactness, a faithful facsimile. That Ali fulfilled this condition to the greatest possible extent was disclosed by the prophet in the following sayings. I have divided these sayings into four sections.

HADITH AL-NUR:

The prophet (p) said:

"Ali and I have been created out of the same NUR. This NUR has been engaged in worshipping God on the right side of His throne for fourteen thousand years before the birth of Adam. After his birth, this NUR was being transferred from the same parents, all of whom were immaculate, until finally it was deposited in the back of ABD AL-MUTTALIB, whence it was divided in two; half of it went to my father ABDALLAH of whom I was born, and the other half was transferred to ABU TALIB of whom Ali was born".

I have already explained what "NUR" means in Muslim theological parlance. The language of this HADITH is no doubt unintelligible to those born and brought up under the "modern" atmosphere of atheism. But this atheism is of a fairly recent growth. Not so long ago, even in the latter half of the nineteenth century, European philosophers could write in language such as this; "All truly historical events are brought about by God's raising up of gifted men, or "geniuses", and breathing into them his own light and life". What is this light? The same NUR spoken of in this HADITH.

It is comparatively recently that Frederick Von Schlegel wrote; "For this organic frame of the human body, which has become a body of death, is still endowed with many and wonderful powers, and still encloses the hidden light of its celestial origin". What is this celestial origin? This same NUR. Nor should those who claim to have understood and appreciated the intricate problem of "three-in-one-and-one-in-three" and to know the nature of the "Father" from the nature of the "Son" or the "Holy Ghost", look askance at those who believe in this theory of NUR. Even in this modern age, and even in Europe, we find an increasing number of people who believe in the existence of the soul after the death of the body. If the soul can exist after death, it must have existed before birth. That state of the soul before the birth of its body is what is termed NUR in Muslim theology.

As to worshipping God before the birth of the body which it was to inhabit, we must admit that the problem of the "chance of birth" has not so far been satisfactorily resolved; why one soul should be "born" into a royal family and another into a beggar's hut; how it is that one man is born a genius and another a dunce; or one man born with virtuous proclivities and another with vicious propensities. How is this to be explained?

Brahmanism purports to explain it by means of a theory called "transmigration of souls". The modern philosopher is almost silent over the main problem, though he conjectures that transmission of vice and virtue may be through the law of heredity. The former is a very defective explanation, and the later is no explanation at all. Heredity does not take into account the main problem concerning the "chance of birth". As to vice and virtue, it may explain their existence in the sons, but how they first came into the nature of the fathers it does not say. Why should Cain feel a desire in his heart to kill his brother Abel, and why should Abel not raise his hand against his brother? The theory of heredity cannot explain it.

To let things remain stationary is not the law of God. Is it not reasonable belief that before its birth in a body, the soul had s sphere of activities, and that the differences of birth are the result of those activities?

Brothers in this World and the Next:

Earlier at MAKKA, and later on his arrival at Medina, the Prophet (P) declared the formation of fraternal relationships among his companions. He also included himself in this. It involved one man being proclaimed to be the brother of another. The chief consideration in pairing the brothers was their similarity of character and mental capacity; I quote below the English version of a passage from the "Life of Muhammad" by IBN-ISHAQ, as arranged by IBN HISHAM, the earliest work extent on Muhammad.

"Saying "Let you be brothers, one man a brother of the other", the Prophet (P) caught hold of the hand of Imam Ali, and said, "This is my brother". Thus, the Prophet (P) who was the head of all the Prophets, the leader of the virtuous, and the messenger of God, having no like of his among the creatures of God, became the brother of Imam Ali".

IBN-ISHAQ then goes on to mention who was the brother of whom JA'FAR, brother of Imam Ali, though in ABYSSINIA at the time, was made the brother of MA'ADH and HAMZA, the uncle of the Prophet, was made the brother of ZAID, a freedman. ABU BAKR was made the brother of "UTBA", son of MALIK, and so on.

IBN-HIJIR AL-ASCALANI has written a very good note about this event.

MAWLAWI HAFIZ MUHAMMAD ALI HAIDAR HANAFI, a SUNNI historian, says "The word "MU'AKHAT" means brothers. This is a proof of the fact that the two men who have been made brothers are similar in character and equal in qualities". On two occasions, once at MAKKA and again at Medina, the Prophet (P) made Imam Ali his brother. This is an established fact, and every historian has mentioned it.

This event must be given the weight it deserves. It clearly indicates the Prophet's scheme to install Ali in his place. I would like to point out, as an aside, the manner in which the historians of the majority section write their histories. MAWLAWI SHIBLI, that great historian of India, who has written his histories simply to distort and mould the facts in order to suit or support his religious beliefs, has prepared a statement showing who was made the brother of whom, and a footnote says that his statement has been prepared from the "SIRA" of IBN HISHAM. But significantly enough, the names of Ali, HAMZA and JA'FAR, though given in IBN HISHAM'S original book, are omitted from this statement.

The reason why is obvious; MAWLAWI SHIBLI has mentioned this event in such a way as will minimize its importance. He means to convey instead the idea that this was simply a temporary arrangement to provide for the homeless MUHAJIRIN who had come from MAKKA, and who in their turn educated the ANSAR in the tenets of Islam by example. Had the learned "historian" mentioned Ali, JA'FAR and HAMZA in this statement, he would not have been able to propound his pet theories intended to minimize the importance of this event.

HAMZA was made a brother of ZAID, freedman of the Prophet (P), and both were MUHAJIRIN; JA'FAR was not in need of help from MA'ADH IBN JABAL, whose brother he was declared to be, as JA'FAR was in ABYSSINIA at that time. Thus neither the question of education nor that of support arises here. Imam Ali and the Prophet (P) were both MUHAJIRIN, yet Imam Ali was not paired with any one of the ANSAR of Medina. This was something far higher than mere relationship; JA'FAR and Ali were real brothers, yet they were not made brothers at this function. HAMZA too was not given to anyone of his own kin. Now it is clear as day why the great historian of Muslim India did not mention JA'FAR, Ali and HAMZA in his statement, even though their names appear in the original book of IBN HISHAM.

"Both as One":

The Prophet (P) said:

"Ali is from me and I from Ali, and no one can execute this mission of mine except Ali or I". "He who abandons Ali abandons me, and who abandons me abandons God". "He who is spiteful towards Ali is spiteful towards me, and he who is spiteful towards me is a KAFIR". "He who obeys me obeys God, and he who disobeys me disobeys God; and he, Oh Ali, who obeys you obeys me, and he who disobeys you disobeys me". "He who causes pain to Ali causes pain to me". "He who curses Ali, in fact curses me". "He who deprecates Ali deprecates me".

Exhortation to Love Ali"

We often hear such expressions as "love of God", "love of the Prophet (P)", "love of one's leader", "love of one's parents". Let us see what love of a superior implies. It implies the following:

To obey his orders willingly and with pleasure.
To follow his actions with a view to imitating his conduct.
To be always ready to please him, and never to think of displeasing him.
To yield to him what he wants.
Never to give him any cause of grief, sorrow or pain.

When the Prophet (P) required his UMMA to love Imam Ali, he meant all these things. He wanted them to obey and follow Imam Ali, to yield themselves entirely to his will, and never to do anything that would cause him pain or sorrow. In view of the Prophet's exhortations, they ought not to have disputed the Caliphate with Imam Ali. How these orders of the Prophet were obeyed by the UMMA we all know. The Prophet (P) said:

"He who loves Ali loves me, and he who loves me loves God. He who offends Ali offends me, and he who offends me offends God". "One who desires to live a life like mine, and to die a death like mine, and then to dwell in the abode of everlasting bless, let him love Ali son of ABU TALIB, as he will never lead you away from the right path, and will never lead you into error". (Addressing Imam Ali) "No one but a true faith, and enmity against thee is hypocrisy to Islam. The first person to enter paradise will be thy friend, and the first person to enter hell will be thy enemy. Happy is he who loves thee, and woe to thy enemy".

"He who loves Ali during his life and also after his death will be blessed by God with peace and protection against the fire".

During the time of the Prophet (P), people used to distinguish the MUNAFIQ from the true Muslim by the formers enmity to Ali (see note 44); and the Prophet (P) used to say that but for Imam Ali, the true Muslims would not be known-able after his death (see note 42). This is obvious, because it was love of Ali, alone which discriminated between the Muslim and the MUNAFIQ, as the latter could never love Ali. The question naturally arises as to why this was so, and why the love of Muhammad should not be the distinguishing criterion; for if loving anyone were to be a precondition of salvation, why would it not be love of the Prophet himself? It is on the basis of these sayings that the critics are wont to say that the SHI'AS have installed Imam Ali in the place of God and the Prophet (P). These sayings are found in the books of the Sunnis, and yet the SHI'AS are blamed for them. I proceed to answer their objection.

The MUNAFIQIN, who though really heathen at heart concealed their inner feelings under an outward show of Islam, are frequently mentioned in the QUR'AN. Their contrivances for concealment were so complete that sometimes it was very difficult to know them, and the QUR'ANIC revelations became necessary for apprising the Muslims of their machinations. These MUNAFIQIN were always on the lookout for opportunities to spread disaffection against the Prophet (P). The efforts of the Prophet (P) to secure Imam Ali's succession, or more accurately his sayings in appreciation of Imam Ali,

provided them with a good opportunity; they argued with much vehemence that Muhammad's claim to inspiration from one high was only a cloak to cover his ardent desire to acquire an empire for himself and his family. This way of talking, which was very appealing to the Arab nature, saturated as it was with tribal jealousy and love of feuds, also provided a good handle to the faction that was bent on taking the Prophet's place after his demise. The identity of interests, namely the undoing of Muhammad's work, though for different motives, and the identity of their methods for achieving that object, that is, by dislodging Ali from the position which the Prophet had allotted him to ensure the power, continuity and progress of Islam in the right direction, made them join hands in the pursuit of their common objective. There were also other parties who were animated with strong feelings of animosity against Ali, whom I have described in Chapter Three of this book. Thus the enmity of Imam Ali was common to all these parties.

Imam Ali had not had any private dealings with them; the only grounds for this hatred and enmity was that Imam Ali had served Islam, the Prophet (P), and God with a zeal and devotion that totally and finally defeated paganism, and won everlasting victory for Islam. A detailed account of the battles fought by Imam Ali for Islam is given in Chapter Seven of this book. Suffice it to say here that by his selfless devotion in the cause of God and the Prophet (P), Ali had earned himself the deadliest and everlasting enmity of these enemies of Islam, who looked upon him as the sole cause of their misfortunes and miseries.

No doubt they were in the first instance the enemies of Muhammad (P) and Islam, but for obvious reasons it was not safe for them to express those feelings; and at this stage it had become entirely useless for them to give vent to their emotions against the Prophet and Islam, as no hope remained for them to begin the fight afresh. They had, therefore, to conceal their feelings, and on account of this they could not be distinguished from the true believers. But in the case of Imam Ali they had no such need to conceal their feelings of hatred and enmity from the common Muslims. Here the case was quite the contrary; they could not gain their object unless and until they disseminated, by propaganda and intrigue, all those "evil" consequences which in their opinion would result from Imam Ali's taking the place of Muhammad (P), such as the likelihood of Islam becoming ingrained in the nature of men in its purity and thereby ensuring its permanency.

That was an eventuality, which they could not conceive without horror and anguish. In the case of the Prophet (P), they could not show their hostility for fear of bringing the wrath of the whole nation on their heads. In the case of Imam Ali however, there was no such impediment. They were the enemies of the Prophet and Islam, but without Imam Ali they could not be known. The love of Ali was therefore the touchstone by means of which the genuineness of a man's faith could be tested. IBLIS (Satan) was turned out of paradise and doomed to everlasting perdition because he refused to bow before Adam when ordered to do so by God, maintaining that he was superior to Adam. He never refused to kneel before God, whom he always acknowledged as his Lord. It does not follow that Adam was equal to or greater than God. Similarly, their refusal to acknowledge Imam Ali as the rightful successor of the Prophet meant disobedience to the orders of the Prophet and God.

On the other hand, the love of and submission to Imam Ali, and the acknowledgment of him as the rightful successor of Muhammad (P), in spite of the attraction of worldly gains and advancement in the opposite camp, indicated an unflinching belief in the prophet-hood of Muhammad and a staunch faith in his infallibility as a messenger of God. It can therefore be rightly said that the love of hatred of Ali, more than anything else, has correctly exposed the innermost recesses of the Muslims' hearts, both then and for all time to come.

MUHAMMAD'S TREATMENT OF ALI AS HIS HEIR AND SUCCESSOR:

Education:

In this day and age, no long or labored dissertation is required to prove the advantages of an early education and training over a later one. First impressions become ingrained in nature, later images are faint and fading; the former are indelible, the latter liable to be washed away by any storm that blows. Anxious, therefore, to train Ali under his own eyes, Muhammad (P), who had evinced a peculiar interest in him right from the time of his birth (which took place inside the HARAM of the KA'BA under the express directions of the Prophet to Ali's mother when she had felt the onset of travails while engaged in performing the religious circuits of the KA'BA, took Ali from his parents when he was an infant of four or five years, and trained him and brought him up in his own house as his own child. The historians rightly remark that this early training under the very eyes of the Prophet was one of those blessings of God to Ali in which none else shared.

It is true that at the time of Ali's birth and education, Muhammad (P) had not yet proclaimed his Prophet-hood. But both the Bible and the QUR'AN say that the Prophets are Prophets from the moment of their birth. It is immaterial at what point in their life they are called upon to declare themselves to the world as the chosen Prophets of God. Muhammad himself is known to have said that he was a Prophet before Adam's soul had been joined to his body. The QUR'AN declares in unambiguous terms that the Prophets were given their powers as Prophets at birth. It was as a baby just born that Christ spoke up for the innocence of his mother and declared that he had been given the knowledge and the Book. The Gospel of St Matthew tells us of the prodigies that attended the birth of Christ. The declaring of Ali's succession simultaneously with the announcement of his own Prophet-hood at the meeting of the family members ("Feast of the Relatives") showed clearly that the two were coeval.

Substitution on the Bed on the Night of HIJRA:

When threat and persuasion failed to check the advance of the Prophet in his mission, QURAISH assembled in the town hall to devise ways and means to do away with Muhammad. ABU SUFIAN was the soul of this conspiracy. It was suggested by an old man, and finally agreed to, that a number of young men chosen from different families should plunge their swords simultaneously into Muhammad's chest, so that the responsibility for the murder would lie upon all the families, and the relations of Muhammad would be unable to avenge it. Some youths were selected for the sanguinary deed. MR. AMIR ALI says, "As the night advanced, the assassins posted themselves around the Prophet's dwelling. Thus they watched all night, waiting to murder him when he left his house in the early dawn, peeping now and then through a hole in the door to make sure that he still lay on his bed".

He then goes on to say, "In order to keep the attention of the assassins fixed upon the bed, Muhammad put his own green garment upon the devoted and faithful Ali, bade him lie on his bed, and escaped as David had escaped, through the windows". Ali slept soundly, taking no account of what was happening outside. The crowd kept throwing stones and bricks throughout the night. In the early morning they rushed into the house, and were greatly incensed at finding Imam Ali instead of Muhammad (P). They were greatly enraged at Imam Ali, through whose agency Muhammad had escaped.

This rage resulting from the failure of their scheme was greatly heightened by a sense of having been duped, and the person who had been the chief instrument of all this discomfiture was before them. All honor is thus due to Imam Ali for his devotedness and faithfulness in courting death in order to protect the Prophet (P), and thereby save Islam. The majority section of the Islamic Nation would have us believe that the Prophet (P) forgot all these sacrifices of Imam Ali, as well as the promise he had made him in his announcement at the Feast of the Relatives,

and that when the time came for rewarding merit and selecting the right person to lead the nation, he left Imam Ali in the lurch by keeping a meaningless silence on the question. The angry crowd asked Imam Ali where Muhammad was. Undaunted by their numbers and unmoved by their threats, the future conqueror of Khyber and HUNAIN replied, "Did you entrust Muhammad to me that now you want him back from me?" overawed by this unprecedented defiance of danger and matchless display of courage, the crowd retreated. The Prophet (P) had asked Imam Ali to return the deposits that had been entrusted to his care by the people to their owners. Imam Ali remained at MAKKA for three days for this purpose, and having completed the task joined his illustrious cousin at Medina.

ABU BAKR was not aware of the Prophet's having left MAKKA on that night. After the Prophet had gone, he came to his house, and finding Imam Ali in his bed, asked him where Muhammad was. Imam Ali replied that he had proceeded towards the cave of THAUR, and that if he wanted to see him he should go there. ABU BAKR, therefore, proceeded in that direction in haste. When the Prophet heard the sound of his footsteps, he quickened his pace, thinking that some enemy had come in pursuit, as he had not anticipated the arrival of ABU BAKR. He increased his speed so much that his feet began to bleed. ABU BAKR, realizing this, raised his voice. The Prophet, now knowing that it was ABU BAKR, stopped. It was no use sending him back,

so he took him with himself into the cave. This stands to reason; it was not a thing to be bruited about, for strictest secrecy was the soul of the whole scheme. It was also a matter of far-reaching consequences and involving unknown dangers. It could not be undertaken by the Prophet (P), who claimed direct union with God, without God's express commands. Muslim historians and traditions are unanimous in saying that after the meeting of QURAISH when this deadly scheme was decided upon, and when the selected youths set out to take up their positions in front of the Prophet's house, JABRA'IL appeared to Muhammad with a message from God, informing him of the designs of QURAISH and asking him not to sleep in his bed that night; he also commanded him to undertake the HIJRA directly. Muhammad (P) made up his mind at once, and asked Imam Ali to sleep in his bed that night, and then come to Medina after discharging the Prophet's debts and returning to their owners the deposits which they had entrusted to him.

In the QUR'AN this plan is ascribed to God Himself. It is obvious that under the circumstances no time was left to go to ABU BAKR'S house, the way to which must have been infested by the Prophet's enemies, who were keeping a watch on him. The saying that it was at ABU BAKR'S house that the two camels were provided, and that the Prophet and ABU BAKR started out from the latter's house by camel, is ascribed to A'ISHA. This is highly improbable under the circumstances then prevailing. A departure on camelback would have drawn everyone's attention to their going. The fact is that the camels were brought to them at the cave when they were leaving it, and the Prophet took one only after first paying for it. Furthermore, AISHA'S narrations in such matters are looked on with suspicion by MARGOLIOUTH. The fact that the two were found in the cave has lent color to this theory, which in fact is incorrect.

The following AYA was revealed in praise of Imam Ali, who saved the Prophet at the risk of his own life: "Among the people, there is a man who sells his life to earn the pleasure of God, and God is full of kindness to His devotees". (SURA,VIII. 207). All commentators of the QUR'AN are agreed that this verse refers to Imam Ali, and is in his praise.

3.The Closing of the Doors to the Mosque from the Houses of all the Companions except Imam Ali:

The Prophet (P) and his companions had built their houses round the mosque and opening into it. Thus ingress to and egress from their houses was through the mosque, which had become, as it were, a part of the houses. Under the Islamic SHARI'A, a man is considered to be impure after nocturnal emissions or coition until he makes the ablution in the prescribed form. It was considered improper that the Companions should pollute the mosque by entering it in this impure condition.

They were therefore ordered to close off the doors opening into the mosque, and open up new doors on the other side. However, the Prophet (P) and Imam Ali were exempted from this order. This exception in favor of Imam Ali greatly annoyed the other Companions, and gave the MUNAFIQIN a chance to sow disaffection among them.

They openly criticized the Prophet for letting the door of Ali's house remain open. This disaffection was so great that the prophet had to tell them from the pulpit that it was not his order, but the command of God, which had closed their doors but allowed Ali's door to remain open. He recited the AYA of the QUR'AN, which states that God sent a message to Moses and Aaron to build hoses in Egypt for their community, and to make their own houses into places of worship and establish regular prayers. He likened himself to Moses, and Ali and his sons to Aaron and his sons.

This was certainly an instance of the treatment of Imam Ali as the successor of Muhammad (P), both being treated alike and being given the same position. UMAR used to say that Ali had three distinctions of such a high degree that if he had but one of them it would be more valuable to him than red-eyed dromedaries. Those three distinctions were (a), he had as his wife FATIMA, the daughter of the prophet (P), (b) he was allowed to reside in the mosque by virtue of the opening of his door into it remaining intact, while the doors of the others had been closed up, and (c) he was given the flag at the battle of KHYBER. It is expressly mentioned that the doors of ABU BAKR, UMAR and HAMZA were also closed.

This distinction in Ali's favor was too great to escape the notice of BANU OMAYYA tyrants, and so they had similar HADITH coined for ABU BAKR. Some of the writers say that a window of the house of ABU BAKR was allowed to remain open towards the mosque. In the first place, this is a fabricated story. In the second place, the question is one of ingress and egress through the mosque, and in the regard a window is irrelevant, as it is not used for passing through but is meant only for view or ventilation. AL-BUKHARI set the ball rolling by mentioning this HADITH in his "SAHIH". In one place its "RUWAT" (narrators) are: ABDALLAH IBN MUHAMMAD, ABU "AMA, FALIJ, SALIM, BISR IBN SA'ID and ABU SA'ID AL-KHUDRI.

It has been repeated twice in "KITAB-AL-SALAT", once with the word "BAB" (meaning door), and again with the word "KUWWA" (meaning window). Their narrators respectively are (1): MUHAMMD IBN SANA'AN, FALIJ, SALIM IBN AL-NADR, UBAID IBN HUNAIN, BISR IBN SA'ID, and ABU SA'ID AL-KHUDRI; and (2): ABDALLAH IBN MUHAMMAD, WAHAB IBN JARIR, YA'LA IBN HAKIM, AKRAMA, and ABDALLAH IBN ABBAS.

Thus, there are three versions; in two of them ABDALLAH IBN MUHAMMAD is common, and in the third, his father Muhammad appears. Let us see what the evaluators of these RUWAT have to say about some of them:

(a) ABDALLAH IBN MUHAMMAD: He used to narrate fabricated HADITH, and used to "steal" other people's HADITH, as IBN ADEI has said. DAR QUTNI and ABDAL-GHANI say that he is always to be avoided (That is, HADITH mentioned by him are to be avoided). IBN HABBAN says that he used to forge false HADITH. The same thing is said about him by HAFIZ ABU NA'IM.

(b) MUHAMMAD IBN SAN'AN: ABU DAWUD says that he is a liar. IBN KHARASH says that he is not truthful.

(c) FALIJ IBN SULAIMAN: IBN MU'IN, AL-NISA'L and ABU HATIM say that he is not to be relied upon. ABU HATIM says that he has heard MU'AWIYA IBN SALEH quoting YAHYA IBN MU'IN that neither FALIJ nor is son are reliable. UTHMAN IBN SA'ID says that he is very unreliable. ABBAS has said that he heard YAHYA saying that FALIJ should not be relied upon. ABDALLAH IBN AHMAD says that he heard IBN MU'IN saying that the HADITH told by three persons must be rejected: MUHAMMAD IBN TALHA, AYYUB IBN 'UTBA, and FALIJ IBN SULAIMAN: he had heard this from MUZFFAR IBN MUDRAK. MU'AWIYA IBN SALEH reports YAHYA as saying that no confidence should be placed in FALIJ.

(d) AKRAMA: People question his faith. Imam MALIK has avoided him. WAHAB says that he went to YAHYA IBN SA'ID and AYYUB, and both of them spoke about AKRAMA; YAHYA said that AKRAMA was a great liar; AYYUB said that he was a liar to some extent. JARIR quotes ABDALLAH IBN AL-HARITH through YAZID IBN ABI ZIYAD saying that he (i.e. ABDALLAH IBN HARITH) went to ALI IBN ABDALLAH IBN ABBAS, and saw AKRAMA chained at the door, that he asked ALI IBN ABDALLAH IBN ABBAS what he had done, and that he replied that the wicked AKRAMA was narrating false and forged HADITH with his (i.e. ALI IBN ABDALLAH IBN ABBAS) father's references.

TAWUS says that had AKRAMA had any fear of God, and were he not to tell false HADITH, people would have come to him frequently. MUHAMMAD IBN SIRIN says that he would think it strange if God sent AKRAMA to paradise, and that AKRAMA was a great liar. ABI ZAYID says that AKRAMA was not religious. YAHYA IBN BUKAIR says that AKRAMA came to Egypt on his way further west, that the KHAWARIJ of the west were his followers in religion, and that they accepted his HADITH. AL-ZUBAIRI says that AKRAMA was a KHARIJI; the same thing is said by his master ALI IBN ABDALLAH IBN ABBAS. AKRAMA used to visit rich people and demand rewards from them, IBN UL-MUSSAB says. He told his slave Bard not to quote false HADITH with his reference, as AKRAMA used to do.

Such are the RUWAT of the HADITH relating to the door or window of ABU BAKR. On the other hand, let us hear what a great SUNNI divine learned in HADITH has to say regarding the authenticity of the HADITH relating to the order permitting the door of Ali's house to remain open but ordering those of the houses of all other Companions and relatives to be closed. IBN HIJIR AL-ASCALANI, the great commentator of BAKHARI, says:

"Many sayings of the Prophet have been handed down to us relating to the closing of the doors to the houses which had been built around the mosque.

One of them is the HADITH related by SA'D IBN ABI WAQQAS, who says that the Prophet ordered all the doors opening into the mosque to be closed, but the door of the house of Imam Ali which also opened into the mosque was allowed to remain open. This HADITH has been testified through reliable narrators by AHMAD IBN HANBAL and AL-NISA'I, and all their RUWAT are very reliable. There is a similar HADITH in the "AUSAT" of AT-TABARANI with some addition. Its RUWAT are also undoubtedly reliable. The addition is this: "They said, "Oh prophet of God, you have closed our doors, but have left open the door of Ali's house". The prophet (P) replied, "I have neither closed your door nor left open his. All this has been done under God's commands". "A similar tradition has been handed down to us through ZAID IBN ARQAM. He says "Some of the Companions had built their houses with doors opening into the mosque. On this the prophet said, "Close all the doors except the door of Ali".

The people began to criticize this order. Upon this the prophet said, "By God, I have neither closed your door nor opened that of Ali. All this I was commanded to do by God and I have followed his commands". "This tradition has been verified through its narrators by AHMAD, AL-NISA'I and AL-HAKIM, and all his RUWAT are pious and reliable. To the same effect is the tradition handed down through ABDALLAH IBN ABBAS, who says, "The prophet (P) ordered all the doors except the door of Imam Ali to be closed? Ali had only this one door. He therefore used to pass through the mosque in every condition, even when JUNUB (i.e. the condition after coition or nocturnal emissions prior to making ablutions). "All the RUWAT of this tradition are also reliable. There is another tradition through JABIR IBN SUMRA, who says, "the prophet ordered us to close all the doors opening into the mosque except the door of Ali. He therefore used to pass through the mosque in all conditions, even when he was JUNUB". This tradition has been verified by AT-TABARANI".

Another learned SUNNI writer criticizes and rejects the HADITH relating to the window or door of ABU BAKR thus:

"But the traditions of AL-BUKHARI relating to the door or window of ABU BAKR appears to be forged. In the first place, in some traditions "BAB" (door) is mentioned, while in other traditions "KUWWA" (window) is mentioned. The meanings of these two words are quite different. Secondly, one tradition of AL-BUKHARI is FALIJ, who is extremely unreliable. YAHYA IBN MU'IN, ABU HATIM and ABU DAWUD say that ASIM IBN UBAIDALLAH, IBN AQIL, and FALIJ are not to be relied upon in HADITH. ABU DAWUD says that FALIJ is worthless; AL-NISA'I says he is unreliable; IBN ALI says FALIJ narrates false HADITH. AT-TABARI, the historian, says that AL-MANSUR appointed FALIJ to supervise SADAQAT, and that FALIJ imprisoned the children of HASSAN IBN ALI. The other tradition of AL-BUKHARI is from IBN ABBAS. This is also not genuine according to those learned in HADITH, as it involves AKRAMA:

it is he who relates it through IBN ABBAS. AKRAMA is unreliable according to Imam MALIK and other learned men. He is known to be a liar, a KHARIJI, and a NASIBI, as is related by IBN KHALAKAN in his "TARIKH" and other books of reference. Besides this, there are traditions from IBN ABBAS in the "MUSNAD" of Imam AHMAD IBN HANBAL, which contradict this HADITH of AL-BUKHARI.

4.The Placing of Imam Ali under the Subordination of No-one except the Prophet (P):

This is very important; it unequivocally shows that the Prophet (P) intended Imam Ali to be their ruler, for in this case he could never make him subordinate to any one of them. The fact is undeniable. Even in the battles that were conducted by the Prophet in person, the principal flag of the army was always in the hands of Imam Ali. This was considered to be a unique honor intended only for one specially chosen. ABDALLAH IBN ABBAS says, "Ali has four unique distinctions which did not fall to the lot of anyone else; he was the first man among the Arabs and non-Arabs to accept Islam and read the prayers with the Prophet; he was the man who held the flag of the Prophet in every battle; he was the man who never fled the field of battle, always remaining at the Prophet's side even when all the others had fled and forsaken him; and it was he who gave the last bath to the prophet".

On the other hand, other Companions were placed under the subordination of others superior to themselves. In the expedition called "DHAT-AL-SALASIL" in the month of JUMADA-AL-AKHIRA A.H.8, AMR IBN AL-AS was sent with three hundred soldiers to fight the tribe of QUDA'A. He did not succeed at first, and applied to the prophet for help. The prophet sent two hundred soldiers under ABU UBAIDA IBN AL-JARAH to help him. ABU BAKR and UMAR were among those who had been placed under ABU UBAIDA. Upon joining up with AMR,

AMR was to be the head of the whole army. On one occasion, AMR ordered his army not to light any fires. UMAR disobeyed, and AMR punished him for his disobedience, threatening to throw him into his own fire if he persisted. UMAR remained silent at the time, but when he returned to Medina he complained of this treatment to the Prophet, who asked UMAR what the matter was. UMAR explained that the fires would have indicated their positions and smallness of numbers to the enemy. It may be noted that ABU BAKR had also joined UMAR in making the complaint. On hearing the explanation the Prophet approved of the orders of AMR, and held UMAR and ABU BAKR to be in the wrong.

In the army of OSAMA, which the Prophet ordered to be mobilized during his last illness, all these Companions except Ali were placed under the subordination of the youthful OSAMA. I give the details of this later in their proper place.

The Clearing of the KA'BA of its Idols:

The chief object of Muhammad's mission was to dispel the darkness of paganism and polytheism and preach the unity of God, to destroy the idols and replace idolatry by the worship of the one true God. To associate Ali with himself in that work was to associate him in his mission. When MAKKA had been subjugated, the first thing the Prophet did was to break and remove the idols that had been there for centuries. The Prophet did not invite anyone to share in this task except Ali. The two alone went into the KA'BA, and began the work of dismantling the idols.

The biggest idol had been installed on the roof of the KA'BA; it was made of metal and was strongly fastened to the roof. Out of respect for the Prophet (P), Imam Ali bent down to take the Prophet on his shoulders, but could not bear his weight. Then the Prophet bent down, and Ali, standing on his shoulders, broke the idol into pieces and threw it down. Thus the foremost item on the Prophet's list of duties was executed with Ali's aid. This was a very clear indication of the fact that Imam Ali was intended to succeed the Prophet (P).

Promulgation of the State Policy:

In the month of DHU AL-QIDA', A.G.9, the first forty verses of SURAT BARA'A (AT-TAWBA) containing the future policy of the Islamic State towards the non-Muslims, were given to ABU BAKR to announce to the assemblage that was to gather at the time of the HAJJ, that is, the 10th of DHU AL-HIJJA in that year. But as soon as he had started out with the caravan he was to lead, the Prophet (P) was reminded through inspiration that it was a duty which should be discharged either by him personally or by the one of his own kith nearest to and like him. The Prophet (P) therefore entrusted this task to Imam Ali, and sent him on his special camel with orders to take the verses from ABU BAKR and promulgate them himself at the time of the HAJJ. He was thus made the AMIR of the Hajj.

Imam Ali overtook ABU BAKR on the way and communicated the prophet's orders to him. ABU BAKR complied and handed the verses to Imam Ali, but was naturally very dejected, did not proceed further, and came back to the prophet, asking if anything had been revealed to the prophet against him. The prophet (P) replied that nothing particular against him had been revealed on this occasion, but that God had commanded that is was a duty which should be carried out either by himself personally or by one of his own kith nearest to and like himself. The prophet (P) went on to say, "Ali is my own; he is my brother, my WASI and my successor and KHALIFA in my UMMA after me. He will discharge my obligations and fulfill my promises, and no-one other than Ali can discharge my obligations".

Another clear and direct indication to the same effect is that if ABU BAKR could not discharge the burden of only forty verses, how could he fulfill the obligations of the whole of the QUR'AN? How beautifully and effectively the prophet demonstrated to the whole Muslim nation, and for the benefit of the generations to come, that the mission of Muhammad could be executed and completed only by the prophet or, in his absence, by Imam Ali and that therefore Imam Ali was his rightful KHALIFA. The displacement of ABU BAKR in this task added very significant pointed-ness to the event. ABU BAKR felt his dismissal very keenly, and no wonder. He could not control his feelings, returned at once to the prophet (p) and was told that the work was of such a nature that it could be done only by either the prophet or his KHALIFA. This is also yet another proof of the fact that age is not determining factor in the leadership of Islam. YUSUF Ali, the modern translator of the QUR'AN, refers to these verses as a notable declaration of state policy.

The Spiritual Duel ("MUBAHALA") with the Christians of NAJRAN:

This is yet another instance of Imam Ali taking a very prominent part in the discharge of the duties connected with the prophet's mission. In the year of the deputations (A.H.10), a Christian emissary came from NAJRAN, a flourishing Christian colony on the seventh stage of the road from MAKKA to Yemen. The Christians had a magnificent church in this place, which was known as the "KA'BA of the Christians" on account of its having been built in rivalry to the KA'BA of MAKKA. It was the biggest Christian church in the whole of Arabia, and very learned bishops and monks resided there. The highest leader was called a "SAYYID", and the next one down from him was known as an "AQIB". The deputation included one SAYYID and one AQIB, plus five other persons of lower rank.

The prophet (P) invited them to Islam. They put many questions to him, which were answered with the help of revelations. During their stay at Medina, no less than eighty verses of SURAT AL-IMRAN, which contained replies to their queries, were revealed. Their careful perusal is essential for a person who wants to appreciate the religious differences of the two parties. Owing to the unscientific collecting together of the verses of the QUR'AN, these verses are not all found together, nor has the chronological order of their revelation been observed. I cannot help quoting one of those verses, as it is so beautiful and logical in expression and so catholic and tolerant in spirit. Its English translation runs as follows:

"Say: Oh people of the book, come to those principles that are common to us both, that is that we should not worship anyone except the one true God, that we should not associate any partner with Him, and that we should not make anyone of us a lord beside God".

But the compromise could not be effected even on these terms. In theory the people of the Book could agree to all these three propositions, but in practice they failed to do so. Their inexplicable doctrine of "Three in one and one in three" came in the way. The members of the deputation asked what view the prophet held about Christ. The following verses were revealed in reply:

"The similitude of Jesus before God is as that of Adam: He created him from dust, then said to him "Be", and he was". But the Christians could not accept this description of the nature of Christ. Then came the final challenge: to refer the matter to the arbitration of God. The memorable words are:

"And whoever shall dispute with thee concerning him (Christ), after the knowledge which has been given thee, say unto them, come, let us call together our sons and your sons, and our wives and your wives, and our selves and your selves; then let us utter imprecations, and invoke the curse of God on those who lie".

The prophet (P) asked them to get ready for this mutual imprecation and invoking of the curse of God on the one who was in the wrong (known as "MUBAHALA"). The Christians asked for one day's delay to consider the matter: this was agreed to. On the following day, the prophet (P) prepared himself for praying to God to punish the liars, and in the morning he came out of his house prepared for the "MUBAHALA". SHAH ABD AL-HAQQ of Delhi says that the scene was worth observing; the prophet (P) took Imam HUSSAIN, the son of Imam Ali on his lap; Imam HASSAN, another son of Imam Ali he took by the hand; his daughter FATIMA, the wife of Imam Ali, was behind him; and Imam Ali was behind her. The prophet (P) asked them to say "AMEN" to his invocation of God's curse on the liars. When the Christians saw these angelic faces, awe and terror filled their hearts, and they refused to enter into the MUBAHALA with them. Except for the payment of KHIRAJ, their liberty of thought and action was not touched.

The whole period of the prophet's mission is full of instances of Ali's direct involvement in its discharge. This was the best example, and was also an instance of the QUR'AN and the Children of the Prophet coming together and complementing one another's work.

The Disclosing of State Secrets and Other Important Matters to Imam Ali, and his Presence with Muhammad (P) when he Breathed his Last:

AT-TIRMIDHI has it from JABIR, and AT-TABARANI and AL-NISA'I have it from ANAS, that on the day when AT-TA'IF was besieged by the prophet (P), he sent for Imam Ali, and was closeted with him for a long time. This created jealousy in the hearts of many of the Companions, some of whom could not restrain their feelings and remarked to the Prophet that he had spent much time in telling secrets to his cousin. This criticism, based on jealousy of Imam Ali, led the prophet (P) to declare that he had held this secret talk with Imam Ali under orders from God, and that one who was jealous of Imam Ali was in fact jealous of the prophet (P), and moreover that jealousy of the prophet would lead to heathenism. SHAIKH ABD AL-HAQQ of Delhi, a great SUNNI divine, traditionalist and historian says:

"When the prophet was in the agony of death, he asked his daughter FATIMA to send for HASSAN and HUSSAIN, who came, and seeing the condition of their grandfather began to weep. Their cries caused everyone present there to weep. The prophet kissed them, and as a last wishes asked the Companions and the UMMA to love and respect them. After that, he sent for Ali, and took his head on his thighs. The prophet said, "I had taken a loan from a certain Jew for the preparation of the army of OSAMA, be careful to pay that debt and lighten the burden from my shoulders. Oh Ali, you will be the first to arrive at the HAWD where I will be on the Day of Resurrection.

When I am dead, many calamities will befall you; you should bear them patiently; and when you find that the people have chosen this world, you should choose the next"…. Ali says that while he was thus speaking, the water from his mouth was falling on him. Just then his condition became worse, and the women began to weep… Some persons say that AISHA used to boast that at the time of his death, the head of the prophet was her lap; but this is wrong. AL-HAKIM and IBN S'AD have definitely proved that the prophet died while talking to Ali and when his head was on Ali's thighs".

IBN SA'D says that when the prophet (P) died, his head was in the lap of Imam Ali. Similarly he has it form IBN ABBAS, who was asked by ABU-ATFAN as to whose lap the head of the Prophet was in at the time of his death. IBN ABBAS replied that the prophet (P) was reclining on bosom of Imam Ali when he died. ABI ATFAN then said that URWA had narrated through AISHA that the prophet (P) had died with his neck between her neck and breast. IBN ABBAS replied, "Don't be a fool. By God, the prophet died while reclining on the bosom of Ali, who also gave him the last ablutions".

Knowledge: The "HADITH of MEDINAT-AL-ILM":

Knowledge of the kind mentioned in the QUR'AN is absolutely essential, as much for his successor as for the prophet himself. The QUR'AN abounds in statements about the fact that God Himself imparts knowledge of things to His chosen ones. Among others, consider the following AYAT:

"God has imparted knowledge to him (TALUT) and has given him strength".

(SURA II, 247) 2. "And God taught Adam the nature of all things". (SURA II,31) 3. "And him we had taught knowledge from Our own presence". (SURA XVIII, 65)

About Christ it is said, "Thou didst speak to the people in infancy and maturity. Behold, I taught thee the Book and wisdom". (SURA V, 113) 5. "We gave him (YAHYA) wisdom while he was still an infant". (SURA XIX, 12)
"To each (of Our chosen ones) we gave wisdom and knowledge". (SURA XXI, 79)

Those not conversant with spiritual matters may scorn the idea of God-given knowledge as unworthy of serious consideration. But let them pause a moment and reflect. Consider for example a man of fifty who does not know how to swim: he requires instructors to teach him. But the young of fish are born with a knowledge of the rules of water, and cam swim without being taught the art. It has taken many centuries to invent the airplane; yet the birds, from the commencement of winged life on earth, know all the rules of the air. Can man extract honey from flowers without the aid of instruments and with the residue make hexagons of geometrical accuracy? The bees can. Who has imparted all this knowledge to the birds and animals? It might be said that they have it by "instinct"; but what, then, is this instinct? Is it gifted or acquired? It cannot be acquired, because it is obvious that these birds and fish have not learnt their art in stages by experience. It can only be gifted; but gifted by whom?

By heredity or nature? I have purposely used the word "nature" because modern man dislikes the word "God". Heredity is not an adequate explanation as this only pushes the question back in time; the first fish of the world did not have the benefit of heredity, yet it had to know the art of swimming from the very moment it saw the light of the world, or else die. This knowledge must therefore have been instilled by nature. But this does not take us any further, for what is this nature? Nature could be defined as the final outcome of working of certain rules on matter. But who then formed these rules and created this matter? This is the point at which the existence of a "first cause" has to be admitted. And that first cause must itself have life, intelligence and knowledge in order to be able to impart the life, intelligence and knowledge, which we find in the things, created in the universe. That first cause we call God, though you may call it by any name you like.

Now, if God, or the "First Cause", can impart knowledge to birds, fish and insects, then surely He can also give knowledge to men of His own selection. Just as it may be said that instinct is an inherent part of the beast, bird, animal or insect with which it is born, and is not imparted at any particular stage of its life, so the same can be said in the case of God's chosen ones. They are born with knowledge, purity and immunity from sin interwoven in their nature, kneaded with it so as to make one complete whole, with the result that these attributes become a second nature to them. Can knowledge be thus mixes with a man's nature? I see no reason why not. If knowledge can be interwoven in the nature of birds, beasts and insects and be called instinct, then it can also be interwoven in the nature of certain men and be called second nature.

The knowledge, which God imparts to His chosen ones, is different from the knowledge which man acquires through his efforts, or learns from his teachers. The Holy QUR'AN abounds in instances of knowledge of the former kind, for instance SURAT AL-KAHF and SURAT MARYAM. We learn that God teaches wisdom and grants knowledge to His chosen ones from their birth. This kind of knowledge is essential for both the prophet and his successor, because both have the same assignment, and, as we have learnt from SHIBLI and SHAIKH ABD AL-HAQQ, the natures of the two are similar; they are born alike. The prophet Muhammad (P) refers to this same kind of knowledge when he says, in what is known as the "HADITH of MEDINAT AL-ILM":

"I am the city of knowledge, and Ali is its gate; those who desire to get knowledge must come to the gate".

This means that Imam Ali is the only source from which a correct exposition of the QUR'AN and the right knowledge of Islam and its teaching can be obtained. Everywhere else you are liable to get a wrong interpretation of the QUR'AN and twisted teachings of Islam. To save Islam from dangerous divisions and sinful dissentions, and to prevent the Muslims from straying along diverse paths and dangerous offshoots, all leading go jungles of confusion and whirlpools of destruction, the prophet (P) wanted to fix a center where all should converge and combine, and whence all should derive right knowledge of the QUR'AN and Islam. He strongly deprecated running hither and thither in search of a leader, favoring instead the appointment of one trusted and able leader capable of taking decisions on all the various problems arising, quickly, confidently and correctly.

The prophet (P) wanted to give such a leader to the UMMA, but they refused to accept him, with the consequences that are all too apparent. The UMMA went in a direction quite opposite to the one indicated by the prophet (P). In a well known speech at JABIA, UMAR exhorted the people thus: "Anyone who wants to learn the QUR'AN must go to UBAI IBN KA'B, he who wants to know the intricacies of the law relating to inheritance and other matters must go to ZAID IBN THABIT, and he who is desirous of learning FIQH should go to MA'ADH IBN JABAL". The name of Imam Ali is conspicuous by its absence, which makes this in direct opposition to the prophet (P), and in a much too direct and pointed way to be ignored.

UMAR also sent round a circular to all his officials that they were to decide cases and pass orders in accordance with their own free judgment if they could find nothing applicable to the case in hand in the QUR'AN, the HADITH, or in the decisions of the first Caliph. Now, it is a matter of common experience that the powers of deduction and inference of people differ. For example, one man might find solid stuff for human thought in Herbert Spencer's "First Principles", while another can see nothing but confusing ideas jumbled together in incomprehensible language, even though both may be graduates of the same university. And then there is the matter of personal predilection to be reckoned with.

What ensued as a consequence of these orders of UMAR could easily have been foretold. To permit everyone to use his own judgment in matters of religion and theology was tantamount to permitting the people to tear Islam to shreds, each one using his own judgment and then sticking to it, and thus creating as many sects and sub-sects as the persons who had leisure enough to indulge in the pastime. This in fact has been the result; and this is what the prophet wanted to avoid. MAWLAWI SHIBLI says that UMAR was the first to use his own discretion and judgment in religious matters, and that up till the death of ABU BAKR, the deciding factors were the QUR'AN, the HADITH of the prophet (P), and the IJMA.

Purity:

There is an AYA of the QUR'AN, known as "AYAT AT-TATHIR", as follows: "Verily God has wished to remove all impurities and abominations from you, Oh ye members of the family, and to make you pure and immaculate". (SURA XXXIII, 34)

When this verse was revealed, the prophet (P) took Imam Ali, FATIMA, Imam HASSAN and Imam HUSSAIN with himself under a covering, and then recited this verse, adding that it applied to them alone and no one else.

To emphasize this fact and to demonstrate it to the whole UMMA clearly and unequivocally, the prophet (P), for full six months, used to go to the house of Imam Ali and FATIMA every morning and call out to them, and addressing them, would recite this verse, showing that it was applicable to them and no-one else.

'AISHA says that one day, the prophet (P) came out of the house wearing a black cloak, AL-HASSAN came alone, and the prophet took him in under the cloak. Then AL-HUSSAIN came, and the prophet did likewise. Then FATIMA came and he took her under the cloak too. Then the same with Imam Ali when he came. Thus with them all under the cloak, he then said, "These are the members of my family", and then recited this verse. UMM SALAMA says, "This verse was revealed in my house; the prophet then sent for Ali, FATIMA, AL-HASSAN and AL-HUSSAIN, and then said they were the members of his family meant by this verse.

I have proved beyond all doubt in my other works that the wives of the prophet are not meant by this verse. But I need not go into that question here, as it is admitted by all that Imam Ali is included in this verse, and that those who superceded the prophet after his death are not; this is enough for our present purposes.

The Position of Imam Ali in Relation to the prophet (P), and the Duties of the UMMA towards Both:

The Prophet (P) said on many occasions:

"Ali is to me what Aaron was to Moses, except that there will be no Prophet after me". This saying, known as "HADITH AL-MANZILA", bears directly on the subject in hand, and leaves little doubt as to his intention regarding a successor. Of all the persons in the world the Prophet (P) loved Imam Ali the most.

The Prophet (P) described himself and Imam Ali as "Two fathers of the UMMA" in the following saying:

"Ali has the same rights on you as I have. God has enjoined upon you to obey me, and has warned you against setting my authority at naught. Similarly, he has enjoined upon you to obey Ali, and has warned you against setting his authority at naught. Ali is my WASI and heir. He is the master and ruler of all the Muslim men and women, as I am. Love of him is the faith; enmity of him is KUFR. He and I are the two fathers of the UMMA".