Doctrines Of Wilayah & Wisaya

THE DOCTRINES OF WILAYAH (PATRONAGE) AND WISAYA (TRUSTEESHIP) ARE THE MOST FUNDMENTAL IN THE SHIA BELIEFS.

WILAYAH ORIGINALLY SIGNIFIES PROXIMITY AND FRIENDSHIP. THE SHIAS STYLE ALI AS THE WALI OF ALLAH, THE MAN WHO IS ATTACHED TO THE DIVINITY BY THE MYSTICAL TIE OF WILAYAH. ACCORDING TO THEM ALI AND HIS DESCENDENTS ALONE DESERVE TO BE RECKONED WALI (SPIRITUAL PATRON) AND AS SUCH THE WALI OR THE IMAM IS THE SUPREME RULER OF THE WORLD OF ISLAM.

IT WOULD BE WORTH-WHILE TO MENTION HERE THAT AFTER THE MARTYRDOM OF HAZRAT USMAN (R.A) WHEN THE PEOPLE OF MADINAH WISHED TO OWE ALLEGIANCE AT THE HANDS OF ALI AS A CALIPH, HE ADVISED THEM IN THESE WORDS:

"LEAVE ME AND SELECT SOMEONE ELSE TO THE SEAT OF CALIPHATE" (NAJJAH-TUL-BALIGHA).

HE IS ALSO REPORTED TO HAVE SAID:

"IF YOU WOULD LEAVE ME OUT AND SELECT SOMEONE ELSE AS A CALIPH, I WOULD BE CONTENTED TO BE AN ORDINARY CITIZEN LIKE YOU. I HOPE THAT ONCE YOU HAVE SLECTED SOMEONE AS YOUR WALI AND CALIPH, I WOULD BE MORE SERIOUS THAN YOU IN FOLLOWING AND OBEYING HIM AND FOR YOU MY BECOMING A MINISTER (WAZIR) IS BETTER THAN BEING MADE AMIR''. (NAJJAH-TUL-BALIGHAH, P. 122, PUBLISHED FROM TEHRAN 1345 H).

FROM THE ABOVE SAYING OF HADHRAT ALI (R.A) IT IS EVIDENT THAT HE WAS NOT NOMINATED AS CALIPH THROUGH WAHI (REVELATION FROM ALAH); OTHERWISE HE WOULD NOT HAVE WISHED TO BE AN ORDINARY CITIZEN OR MINISTER INSTEAD OF AMIR-UL-MOMINEEN AND KHALIFA-TUL-MUSLIMEEN AS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AGAINST THE COMMAND OF ALLAH. AND DELIBERATELY DISOBEYING ALLAH WOULD HAVE VIOLATED HIS ISMAT (QUALITY OF SINLESSNESS & INFALLIBILITY) WHICH ACCORDING TO SHIAS IS A MUST FOR THE OFFICE OF IMAM.

IT IS RELATED FROM HASAN BASRI (R.A.) THAT HADHRAT ALI (R.A) IS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID: "RASUL--ALLAH (S.A.W) GAVE PRECEDENCE TO HADHRAT ABU BAKR (R.A.) OVER OTHERS. AS SUCH HE LED THE PEOPLE IN CONGREGATIONAL PRAYERS (I.E. WHEN THE PROPHET (S.A.W.) WAS ILL TOWARDS THE CLOSE OF HIS LIFE) ALTHOUGH I (ALI) WAS PHYSICALLY PRESENT AND ENJOYING GOOD HEALTH AND AS NOT SICK OR INDISPOSED AT THAT TIME. IF RASUL--ALLAH (S.A.W.) WANTED TO GIVE ME PRECEDENCE HE COULD HAVE DONE SO. HENCE WHEN ALMIGHTY ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER CHOOSE A PERSON FOR LEADING US IN THE CONGREGATIONAL PRAYERS (I.E. ABU BAKR), WE CONSENTED IN ENTRUSTING OUR WORLDLY AFFAIRS TO HIM (I.E. ACCEPTED THE CALIPHATE OF ABU BAKR)."

HAZRAT JUBAIR BIN MUTHAM REPORTED THAT A WOMAN SOUGHT AUDIENCE WITH THE PROPHET (SAW) (TO SOLICIT ANSWERS FOR CERTAIN QUERIES) AND (AFTER ATTENDING TO HER QUERIES) HE ASKED HER TO COME AGAIN. SHE SAID: O MESSENGER OF ALLAH! I MAY NOT FIND YOU DURING MY NEXT VISIT (I.E. SHE THOUGHT THAT THE PROPHET MIGHT EXPIRE BY THAT TIME) RASUL--ALLAH (SAW) SAID, "IF YOU DO NOT FIND ME, CALL ON ABU BAKR." (BUKHARI).

FROM THE CONDUCT AND CHARACTER OF HADHRAT ALI IT IS CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT HE HAD UNDOUNDED LOVE FOR HADHRAT ABU BAKR, UMAR AND UTHMAN (R.A). I HIS WAS A HABIT WITH HAZRAT ALI AND HIS CHILDREN TO SIDE WITH THE COMPANIONS OF THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH AND HIS SUCCESSORS (THE CALIPHS). THEY WERE ALWAYS ANGRY WITH THE SHIA AND THOSE WHO ATTRIBUTED THEMSELVES TO THE AHL-AL-BAIT (PEOPLE OF THE HOUSE OF THE PROPHET -- SAW) AND CLAIMED LOVE FOR THEM OR ASSERTED TO BE THEIR FOLLOWERS. THEY CONDEMNED THE SHIA IN THEIR FACES WHO SOWED THE SEED OF RANCOUR AND HATRED FOR HAZRAT ABU BAKR, UMAR, USMAN AND REST OF HTE NINE COMPANIONS WHO HAD BEEN GREETED WITH THE AWARD OF PARADISE IN THE HEREAFTER.

IT IS STATED IN NAHJATUL-BALIGHA THAT WHEN THE 2ND CALIPH HADHRAT UMAR (R.A) CONSULTED HADHRAT ALI (R.A) REGARDING HIS DESIRE TO LEAD THE MUSLIM ARMY IN HIS ROMAN EXPEDITION, THE LATTER (I.E. HADHRAT ALI) ADVISED HIM AS UNDER:-

"IF YOU YOURSELF GO TO FIGHT AGAINST THE ENEMY AND IN THE PROCESS RECEIVE SOME INJURIES, THEN IN THAT EVENT THERE WOULD REMAIN NO CENTRE OF GRAVITY OR CONVERGING POINT FOR MUSLIMS FOR MANY TIMES TO COME. AS SUCH, YOU SHOULD DEPUTE SOME EXPERIENCED COMMANDER TO LEAD THE MUSLIM FORCES AGAINST THE ENEMY. PEOPLE WHO ARE USED TO HARDSHIPS AND ARE SINCERE SHOULD BE PLACED UNDER HIS COMMAND. ALLAH WILL GIVE YOU VICTORY AND THIS IS YOUR DESIRE. AND IF SUPPOSING, MUSLIM ARMY IS CONFRONTED WITH DEFEAT, THEN AT LEAST YOU ARE A SOURCE OF SHELTER FOR THE PEOPLE AND DEFENDER OF THE LAST RESORT."

WHAT COULD BE GREATER EXCELLENCE THAN THIS THAT HADHRAT ALI (R.A.) PAID TRIBUTES TO THE 2ND CALIPH HADHRAT UMAR AS CONVERGING POINT FOR THE ISLAMIC UMMAH AND DEFENDER OF THE LAST RESORT. AGAIN WHEN HADHRAT UMAR (R.A) CONSULTED HADHRAT ALI (R.A) REGARDING EXPEDITION AGAINST PERSIA, HE ADVISED:

"ALMIGHTY ALLAH HAS DESIRED US TO DOMINATE IN THIS WORLD. AND SURELY ALLAH TA'ALA IS GOING TO FULFIL HIS DESIRE AND ACCELERATE THE FORCES OF ISLAM. ONE WHO IS THE LEADER OF MUSLIMS IN MATTERS OF DEEN, HE IS JUST LIKE A THREAD IN THE NECKLACE OF PEARLS. WHEN THAT THREADIS BROKEN, THE PEARLS GET SCATTERED AND CANNOT BE REASSEMBLED. ALTHOUGH THE PEOPLE OF ARABIA ARE LESS IN NUMBER AS COMPARED TO THEIR ENEMIES BUT THEY ARE SUPERIOR ON THE BASIS OF ISLAM AND BEING A UNITED COMMUNITY THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE AN UPPER HAND (OVER THEIR ENEMY).

HENCE LIKE THE PIVOT OF A HAND-MILL YOU REMAIN AT THE CENTRE OF THE ISLAMIC EMPIRE AND PUSH WAR BUTTON FROM THERE THROUGH THE AGENCY OF A COMMANDER DEPUTED TO THE FONT ON YOUR BEHALF." (NAJJA-TUL-BALIGHAH P. 187 AND 198).

FROM THE ABOVE, IT IS CLEARLY ESTABLISHED THAT HADHRAT ALI (R.A) CONSIDERED HADHRAT UMAR (R.A) AS A FIGURE OF CENTRAL IMPORTANCE LKE THE THREAD OF NECKLACE AND PIVOT OF HAND-MILL. HE WAS THE SYMBOL OF UNITY FOR THE FOLLOWERS OF ISLAM AND IF ALLAH FORBID, SOME MISHAP OVERTOOK HIM, THAT WOULD SPELL A DISASTER. HADHRAT ALI GAVE THE TITLE OF "ALLAH'S ARMY" TO THE ARMY OF HADHRAT UMAR AND ACCEPTED THE CALIPHATE OF UMAR AS THE ONE WHICH HAS BEEN DIVINELY PROMISED ( ).

THE SHIA HAVE PAID DEAF EARS TO SUCH SAYINGS AND PRACTICES OF HADHRAT ALI AND INSTEAD HAVE EXPRESSED THE VIEWS OF THEIR OWN SELF MORE FREQUENTLY. FOR INSTANCE THEY RELATE FROM ZURARA ON THE AUTHORITY OF IMAM JAFFAR SADIQ WHO IS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID: "THE EDIFICE OF ISLAM STANDS ON FIVE THINGS -- ON THE PRAYER, THE POOR-DUE, THE PILGRIMAGE, THE FASTING (OF RAMADAN DAYS) AND THE WILAYA." ZARARA FURTHER SAYS: I ASKED HIM AS TO WHICH OF THESE (FIVE THINGS) IS THE MOST IMPORTANT. HE SAID: THE WILAYA ENJOYS PRECEDENCE OVER ALL THE OTHERS." (AL-KAFI, VOL. II P. 18).

LATER THE SHIAS SUPPORESSED THE FASTING (OF RAMADAN) AND THE PILGRIMAGE. THE SHIAS THEN WENT A STEP FURTHER. THEY SUPPRESSED FROM THE LIST ALL THE PILLARS OF ISLAM, AND KEPT ONLY WILAYAH AS THE BASIS OF ISLAM. THE SHIAS WERE NOT CONTENTED WITH THIS MUCH OF THEIR CREED. THEY BODLY PROCLAIMED THE INSULT OF THE PROPHETS AND MESSENGERS. THEY, ON THE OTHER HAND, EXTOLLED THEIR IMAMS, AND RAISED THEIR STATUS ABOVE THE STATUS AND POSITION OF ALL THESE PROPHETS AND MESENERS. THEY ALSO INTEND THEREBY TO ABROGATE THE ISLAMIC SHARIA'H. THEY ARGUE THAT SALVATION DOES NOT IN THE SUNNAH OF THE PROPHET BUT IN FACT IT DEPENDS ON (LOVE OF ALI) AND GRIEF OVER THE MARTYRDOM OF HUSSAIN IN THE FIRST TEN DAYS OF MUHARRAM WHEREAS SHARIAH BROUGHT BY THE PROPHET LAYS GREAT EMPHASIS ON DOING GOOD WORKS IN ORDER TO ATTAIN SALVATION. ALLAH SAYS IN HIS HOLY BOOK:

"LO! THOSE WHO BELIEVE AND DO GOOD WORKS, THEIR LORD GUIDETH THEM BY THEIR FAITH. RIVERS WILL FLOW BENEATH THEM IN THE GARDENS OF DELIGHT." (10:9).

IT IS RELATED ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU'1 -HASAN WHO IS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID: "THE WILAYAH OF ALI HAS BEEN WRIT AS AN ESSENTIAL DUTY IN ALL THE SCRIPTURES OF PREVIOUS PROPHETS; AND ALLAH DID NOT EVER SEND A MESSENGER BUT WITH THE AFFIRMATION OF MUHAMMAD (SAW) AND WITH THE SISAYA (TRUSTEESHIP) OF ALI". (AL-KULAINI: AL KAFI, IRAN, VOL. I. P. 438).

AL-QUMMI IN HIS TAFSHIR WRITES: "ALLAH DID NOT COMMISSION ANY PROPHET FROM AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ADAM AND SO ON, TILL HE WOULD RETURN TO THIS WORLD AND ASSIST THE COMMANDER OF THE FAITHFUL (ALI) SAYING: "YE SHALL SURELY BELIEVE IN HIM' I.E. IN THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH, AND YE SHALL ASSIST HIM I.E. ASSIST THE COMMANDER OF THE FAITHFUL, ALI." (VOL. I, P. 106).

LOOK HOW SHIAS HAVE DEVIATED FROM THE ACCEPTED PATH OF ISLAM UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THEIR JEWISH MENTORS!

THE SHIAS HAVE MADE THE NOTION OF IMAMATE AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF FAITH PARALLED WITH SALAT (PRAYER), ZAKAT, (POOR-DUE), SAWM (FASTING IN THE MONTH OF RAMADAN), HAJJ (PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOUSE OF ALLAH). THE GREAT MUHADDITH OF SHIA, KULAINI RELATES IN HIS BOOK AL-KAFI, A SAYING FROM IMAM JAFFAR SADIQ WHO IS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID: "ISLAM IS BASED ON FIVE THINGS: SALAT, ZAKAT, SAWM, HAJJ AND WILAYA, AND NOTHING WAS EVER PROCLAIMED AS ESSENTIAL EXCEPT WILAYAH, ON THE DAY OF AL-GHADIR." (P. 369).

HERE A QUESTION ARISES IN THE MIND: IF THE WILAYAH IS SO IMPORTANT AND IS OF SUCH GREAT STATUS, HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT SALAT AND ZAKAT ARE SO FREQUENTLY MENTIONED IN THE QUR'AN, WHILE THERE IS NO TRACE OF THE SO-CALLED WILAYAH IN IT? THE WILAYAH IS NOT RECKONED AS ONE OF THE PILLARS OF ISLAM, NOR IS IT ONE OF THE FOUNDATIONS OF ISLAM. BUT IT IS SOMETHING AROUND WHICH ISLAM REVOLVES ACCORDING TO THE SHIAS. WHEN THE SHIAS ARE CONFRONTED WITH THIS QUESTION, THEY COME OUT WITH THE EXCUSE THAT SINCE THE TEXT OF THE QUR'AN HAS BEEN CORRUPTED AND INTERPOLATED OR A LARGE NUMBER OF VERSES HAD BEEN SUPPRESSED AND VERY MANY WORDS HAD BEEN DROPPED OUT OF THE QUR'AN. THIS ACCORDING TO THEM WAS DONE BY THE FIRST THREE CALIPHS AND COMPANIONS OF THE PROPHET (SAW) WHO BORE MALICE FOR ALI AND HATRED FOR HIS CHILDREN. THEY WANTED TO PUT THE LEGACY OF PROPHET (SAW) INTO OBLIVION.

THE SHIAS HAVE GROSSLY MISQUOTED THE EVENT OF GHADIR--KHUM (WHERE THE PROPHET CAMPED ON RETURN FROM THE 'FAREWELL PILGRIMAGE' IN ORDER TO LEND SUPPORT TO SUCCESSION OF ALI TO CALIPHATE ON ACCOUNT OF A CERTAIN SAYING OF THE PROPHET (SAW) ON THIS OCCASION WHICH IS GIVEN AS UNDER:

"HE WHOSE PATRON I AM HAS ALI AS HIS PATRON."

MAUL ( ) MEANS PATRON, BELOVED, FRIEND OR HELPER. AND NO ONE DENIES THAT ALI WAS PATRON, FRIEND, HELPER OF THE PROPHET (SAW).

THE OTHER WORDS AFTER THE ABOVE SAYING OF THE PROPHET (SAW) ARE:

"O ALLAH! BE FRIENDLY TO THOSE WHO ARE FRIENDLY TO HIM AND HOSTILE TO THOSE WHO ARE HOSTILE TO HIM".

THIS CONCLUSIVELY PROVE THAT MULA HERE HAS BEEN USED IN THE CONTEXT OF A FRIEND. THE BACKGROUND OF THIS INCIDENT IS THAT RASUL-ALLAH (SAW) SENT HADHRAT ALI TO YEMEN IN THE COMPANY OF 300 PERSONS SEVEN OR EIGHT MONTHS BEFORE THE FAREWELL PILGRIMAGE. HADHRAT ALI ON RETURN FROM YEMEN MET RASUL-ALLAH (SAW) ON THE OCCASION OF 'HUJJ-TUL-WIDA DURING THIS PERIOD OF STAY IN YEMEN CERTAIN STEPS TAKEN BY HADHRAT ALI DID NOT MEET THE APPROVAL OF SOME PEOPLE WHO ALSO ACCOMPANIED HIM ON HUJJ-TUL-WIDA. THOSE PEOPLE TALKED OF THEIR DIFFERENCES WITH HADHRAT ALI TO OTHER PEOPLE. UNDOUBTEDLY THIS WAS A MISTAKE ON THEIR PART AND SATAN TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SUCH SITUATIONS CASTS SUSPICION AND MALICE IN THE HEARTS OF PEOPLE. WHEN RASUL-ALLAH (SAW) COME TO KNOW ABOUT IT HE FELT IT NECESSARY TO CLARIFY THE POSITION IN REGARD TO ALI AND INFORM PEOPLE ABOUT THE POSITION OF ACCEPTANCE AND BELOVEDNESS WHICH HADHRAT ALI OCCUPIES IN THE SIGHT OF ALLAH. FOR THIS PURPOSE HE DELIVERED THE ABOVE SERMON DURING THE COURSE OF WHICH HE SAID: HERE IN THIS HADITH THE WORD "MAULA" HAS BEEN USED IN THE CONTEXT OF BELOVED AND FRIEND AND THIS UTTERANCE OF RASUL-ALLAH (SAW) HAS NO LINK OR RELATIONSHIP WHATSOEVER WITH THE QUESTION OF IMAMATE AND CALIPHATE OF HADHRAT ALI. IF SHIAS COOLY DELIBERATE OVER THE ISSUE AND REMOVE THE COLOURED SPECTACLES OF PREJUDICE THEY WILL SURELY REALISE THAT THE FRIENDSHIP OF HADHRAT ALI WITH AHLE-SUNNAH (SUNNIS) AND ALL THE COMPANIONS OF THE PROPHET (SAW) IS BEYOND AN IOTA OF DOUBT.

MAY ALLAH SHOW THE RIGHT PATH TO THE SHIAS SO THAT THEY SHOULD ACCEPTTHE TRUTH AS SUCH AND DISCARD THEIR BATIL (FALSE) BELIEFS. AMEEN.

NOTES

1. THE FULL TEXT OF THE HADITH IS: 'ABD AR-RAHMAN B. 'AUF REPORTED THE PROPHET AS SAYING, "ABU BAKR WILL GO TO PARADISE, 'UMAR WILL GO TO PARADISE, 'UTHMAN WILL GO TO PARADISE, 'ALI WILL GO TO PARADISE, 'TALHA WILL GO TO PARADISE, AZ-ZUBAIR WILL GO TO PARADISE, 'ABD AR-RAHMAN B. 'AUF WILL GO TO PARADISE, SA'D B. ABU WAQQAS WILL GO TO PARADISE, SAD B. ZAID WILL GO TO PARADISE, AND ABU 'UBAIDA B. AL-JARRAH WILL GO TO PARADISE." (TIRMIDHI & IBN MAJAH).