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"Uncovering Ghadeer Khumm: The Historical Truth" is a historical documentary series that examines the momentous event of Ghadeer Khumm. This series explores the historical dimensions of Ghadeer with the help of distinguished scholars from Islamic seminaries and academia, while addressing related questions and misconceptions through historical evidence and reasoned analysis. Part 3 explores the Quranic verses associated with Ghadeer Khumm and addresses the common question of why Imam Ali's (AS) name is not mentioned explicitly in the Quran. It also examines the historical accounts surrounding the revelation of the Verse of Wilayah (Quran 5:55) and provides well-supported responses to the questions and misconceptions related to its interpretation.
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00:21UNCOVERING GHADIR ECHOM THE HISTORICAL TRUTH
00:24PART 3 GHADIR IN THE QUR'AN
00:32In the final year of his life, God instructed Prophet Muhammad to complete two remaining duties of Islam.
00:41One was to teach Muslims the proper rituals of Hajj and to eliminate pre-Islamic pagan customs from this divine
00:49act of worship.
00:50And the other was to announce and appoint his successor.
00:55The Prophet set out for Mecca and invited all Muslims to join him in the Hajj pilgrimage.
01:01During this great congregation of Muslims in the farewell pilgrimage,
01:04the angel Gabriel revealed and presented a long, significant chapter of the Qur'an.
01:12According to a reliable report in the commentary of the Qur'an by Ayashi from the 3rd or 4th century
01:19of Hijri about 1000 years ago,
01:22Ayashi's commentary was in four volumes, though unfortunately two volumes are missing.
01:30And only two volumes have survived for us till today.
01:35In this commentary, it is narrated from Imam Ali that the chapter of Al-Ma'idah was the last chapter
01:42ever revealed to the Holy Prophet.
01:46This revelation was on the day of Arafat, during the first stop of the Hajj pilgrimage, which is in the
01:54plain of Arafat where it is obligatory for pilgrims to stay there from noon until sunset.
02:01The Holy Prophet was preparing to move from Arafat to the next stop, which is Muzdalifah, located towards Mecca.
02:15The Prophet was ready to leave and even mounted his right to go, but he was overcome by a state
02:24of revelation.
02:26While waiting for this state of revelation to pass, it became clear that,
02:32Yes, the chapter of Al-Ma'idah was revealed in full, all at once, to the Prophet,
02:37as the final lengthy chapter of the Quran, approximately three months before his demise.
02:43According to commentators, the chapter of Al-Ma'idah is considered to be unabrogated.
02:49This means that none of its verses have been repealed or subrogated by any other verse in the Quran,
02:55as no other verses were revealed after Al-Ma'idah.
02:58Additionally, all verses in the chapter of Al-Ma'idah are clear and definitive.
03:04There are no metaphorical verses in this chapter.
03:08The chapter also contains several divine Islamic laws that are accepted and honored by Islamic scholars today.
03:15The question arises of whether there is a connection between this chapter and the divine duty the Prophet had during
03:22this Hajj journey.
03:23Does this chapter mention anything about the crucial subject of the Prophet's succession?
03:28The Quran is the most sacred reference for all Muslims, addresses all important religious duties, including prayer, zakat, hajj.
03:39Could it even be possible that the Quran does not refer to the significant issue of the Prophet's succession?
03:44The answer to this question is clearly found within the chapter of Al-Ma'idah itself.
03:50The essence of Al-Ma'idah involves urging Muslims to uphold their commitments, maintain their covenants, and avoid breaking their
03:59pledges.
04:00This is why the chapter is also referred to as the chapter of Al-Uqud or the chapter of contracts.
04:06This is explicitly and decisively demonstrated at the very beginning of the chapter.
04:15The emphasis on fulfilling promises and covenants is repeated multiple times throughout this chapter.
04:22In this chapter, God recounts the stories of past prophets and their people.
04:27In all of these stories, a common issue is emphasized, breaking covenants.
04:32It seems God wants to warn Muslims to be vigilant and not to violate their divine covenants like the people
04:39of past nations.
04:40In verse 27 of this chapter, God tells the story of Habil and Qabil, or Abel and Cain, the two
04:47sons of Prophet Adam.
04:48It mentions that Qabil, out of jealousy over the succession and appointment of Adam's successor, killed his brother Habil.
04:55And recite to them the story of the two sons of Adam truthfully.
05:00When they offered an offering, and it was accepted from one of them, but it was not accepted from the
05:06other.
05:06He said, I will kill you.
05:09He said, God only accepts from the righteous.
05:13The story is as follows.
05:15The Almighty God revealed to Prophet Adam that Habil should be appointed as his successor,
05:20and that the divine name should be entrusted to him.
05:23This news reached Qabil.
05:24The older brother, who became angry and said,
05:28I am older and more deserving of the succession.
05:32Subsequently, Prophet Adam, following God's command, instructed both of them to make an offering to God.
05:38They did so, and God only accepted Habil's offering, which was sincere and humble.
05:44So out of jealousy, Qabil killed Habil.
05:48In these verses, God refers to one of the most destructive moral vices
05:52that can lead a person to evil and even perish.
05:57Jealousy, especially toward God's chosen ones.
06:01This verse, along with its hidden message and its timing with the event of Hadid Echom,
06:06is a clear and evident warning for those who are not ready to accept the truth and God's command.
06:12The clarifications in the Quran regarding this issue do not end here.
06:17In verse 12 of this chapter, God's covenant with the children of Israel and His final warning to them are
06:24mentioned.
06:25Indeed, Allah took the covenant from the children of Israel, and we appointed twelve leaders among them.
06:32In the very next verse, it says that they broke their divine covenant and were cursed by God.
06:37Their hearts were hardened to the point that no advice or guidance could reach them.
06:42So because of their breach of their covenant, we cursed them and made their hearts grow hard.
06:48Continuing with the stories in this chapter, Prophet Moses, a.s. reminds the children of Israel
06:54of the great blessings and favors that God had bestowed upon them.
06:59Blessings that had not been given to any other people on earth up to that time.
07:03When Moses said to his people,
07:05O my people, remember God's blessings upon you,
07:10when he placed prophets among you and made you kings
07:14and gave you what he never gave any other people.
07:18Indeed, what greater blessing could there be than their liberation from the great oppression of the pharaohs,
07:25who as the Quran states were killing their sons and taking their daughters as slaves,
07:30killing your sons and sparing your women.
07:33However, after crossing the sea and achieving freedom from Pharaoh's oppression,
07:38when arriving at the promised land, they became defiant when told to enter the land.
07:43God had promised them victory and gave them glad tidings that they would inherit this land.
07:47But the children of Israel shamelessly said to Prophet Moses,
07:51You and your God, go and fight. We will stay here and wait for the outcome.
07:56They said,
07:57O Moses, we will not enter it, ever, as long as they are in it.
08:03So go ahead, you and your Lord, and fight. We are staying right here.
08:08And it is then when Prophet Moses, with a cry of despair, turns to God and says,
08:13My Lord, I only have authority over myself and my brother Aaron, not over my rebellious people.
08:19So separate us from these wicked people.
08:22He said,
08:24My Lord, I have control only over myself and my brother.
08:29So separate between us and between the wicked people.
08:33The reminder of the betrayal of the children of Israel is particularly significant
08:37in conjunction with the event of Ghadir.
08:40Because Muslims have frequently heard from Prophet Muhammad,
08:43that Ali to me is as Aaron was to Moses.
08:47It was possible that history could repeat itself.
08:50And Muslims might oppose God's command, just as the children of Israel did.
08:54In the moment of decision and action, they might say,
08:58We will never enter it.
08:59Or in other words, we will never accept his leadership.
09:03The last story of this chapter is about the descent of the heavenly food.
09:06For the disciples and supporters of Prophet Jesus .
09:10Again, God took a pledge from them.
09:13That after witnessing this divine miracle, they would have no excuse.
09:17If they broke their covenant, they would face a punishment
09:20that no one else in the world has ever faced.
09:23God said,
09:24I will send it down to you.
09:26But whoever among you disbelieves thereafter,
09:29I will punish him with a punishment
09:32the like of which I never punish any other being.
09:36Emphasizing the morality of allegiance and providing a detailed account
09:40of how previous nations violated their covenants is clear foreshadowing
09:45to caution the Muslims from repeating the mistakes of previous nations
09:48and from following a path of misfortune and wickedness.
09:52Additionally, God provides comfort to his compassionate and kind prophet.
09:57In verse 26 of this chapter, after Prophet Moses complains about his people, God tells him,
10:03Do not be sorrowful over these disobedient and wicked people.
10:08So, do not grieve for the wicked people.
10:11This chapter goes on to emphasize that humans have the freedom to choose a path of prosperity or misery.
10:18It states that the prophet is merely responsible for delivering the divine message,
10:23while it is up to individuals themselves to uphold God's covenants and remain steadfast.
10:29Obey God and the prophet, and beware.
10:32If you turn away, remember that the duty of our apostle is to give you a clear warning.
10:38Furthermore, in verse 54 of this chapter, God speaks about the future and implies that the current Muslims
10:44will also break and turn away from the divine covenant.
10:47However, he also gives a great promise that in the future,
10:51people and individuals beloved to God will take their place.
10:54They will revive God's religion and renew his covenants.
10:58O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion,
11:03Allah will bring forth in place of them a people he will love and who will love him,
11:09who are humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers.
11:13They strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic.
11:19That is the favor of Allah.
11:20He bestows it upon whom he wills.
11:23And Allah is all-encompassing and knowing.
11:27In addition to the verses in the chapter of Al-Ma'idah
11:30that discuss the covenants and the breaking of promises by past nations of prophets,
11:35there are also three specific, well-known verses in this chapter
11:40that are directly related to the matter of the prophet's succession and the event of Hadir.
11:45These verses were specifically revealed for this purpose.
11:50In verse 67, God commands the prophet to convey an important message to the people.
11:56In verse 3, God tells the Muslims that he has completed their religion
12:01and fulfilled his favor upon them with this divine message.
12:05These two verses will be examined in detail in later episodes.
12:11For now, we will instead focus on verse 55 of this chapter, known as the Verse of Vilaya.
12:18This honorable verse refers to Imam Ali as the true guardian and leader of the Muslim nation.
12:25Your guardian is only Allah, his apostle, the prophet,
12:30and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakat while bowing down.
12:36This verse refers to a specific virtue of Imam Ali that has become a Quranic praise.
12:43Like many travelers in that era, and even up to today, a well-known souvenir from Yemen was a Yemeni
12:53ring,
12:54an agate ring with a red or a yellowish color.
12:59Imam Ali had brought this ring from Yemen as a souvenir for himself.
13:06One day, in the afternoon, when he was performing recommended prayers in the Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca,
13:14a beggar came seeking help from the Muslims present.
13:18But no one paid attention to him.
13:22Imam Ali thought to himself that this ring which he had brought from Yemen
13:27could be given in the way of God in this sacred mosque during this Hajj season.
13:34He decided to give the ring to the beggar.
13:37Imam Ali alayhi salam gestured to the beggar with the ring on his finger,
13:43and the beggar realized that Imam Ali was offering him the ring.
13:49The beggar then took out the ring from Imam Ali's finger.
13:53A day or two later, when they moved towards the plains of Arafat to begin the rituals of Hajj,
14:01the chapter of Al-Ma'idah and this verse of Wilayah was revealed.
14:07The verse refers to that incident stating,
14:11Your guardian is only Allah, his apostle, the prophet,
14:16and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give sakat while bowing down.
14:22This verse specifically refers to the ring given by Imam Ali in the state of bowing.
14:30After Imam Ali alayhi salam donated his ring in the state of prayer,
14:35news of this incident spread quickly amongst the Muslims.
14:39A few days later, the chapter of Al-Ma'idah was revealed to the Holy Prophet.
14:44When the Muslims heard this verse, they clearly understood that the Quran was appointing Imam Ali alayhi salam as the
14:54guardian of the Muslims.
14:55This event is very unique in Islamic history.
14:59Because in Islam, there is no mention of a previous occurrence or even a guideline suggesting charity during prayer.
15:10Therefore, this verse refers to this precise event praised by God.
15:17And it declares the person responsible as the appointed guardian and leader of the Muslims after the Prophet.
15:25It is noteworthy that to this day, no one has been able to claim that the context of this verse
15:32was related to anyone other than Imam Ali alayhi salam.
15:36This is a unique virtue and a special quality that applies only to him.
15:43In the Quran, we see that God mentions the words prayer and zakat or charity next to each other more
15:51than 30 times.
15:53Prayer symbolizes the connection with God, while zakat symbolizes the connection with people.
15:59Religion and faith are not complete without these two aspects, complete prayer and complete zakat.
16:06Complete connection with God requires a complete connection with people.
16:10Imam Ali alayhi salam exemplifies the pinnacle of worship and personal excellence in the height of his devotion to God.
16:19While immersed in the divine splendor and beauty of prayer, his connection with people remains steadfast.
16:26He hears the cries and needs of the oppressed just as he experiences the whispers and dialogues with God, filling
16:35his heart and soul.
16:37This level of capability and depth is found uniquely only in Ali ibn Abu Talib.
16:45Although the historical event related to this verse is an established fact,
16:50those who deny the leadership and succession of Imam Ali alayhi salam have attempted to distort the interpretation of this
16:57verse in an attempt to undermine the truth.
17:00However, all such doubts can be easily rebutted with solid evidence and scholarly Quranic responses.
17:09The first objection raised regarding this verse is that the word Vali in this verse is understood to mean friend
17:18rather than authority or guardian.
17:22The term Vilaya means closeness.
17:26The term Vilaya means closeness.
17:26This closeness can be due to love or due to help and support or due to guardianship and leadership.
17:34The question arises here that what evidence indicates that in this context Vilaya means leadership or guardianship rather than just
17:47friendship.
17:48What's crucial is the use of the word Vali in this verse.
17:52God says your only guardian is Allah.
17:56The term innama or indeed only is used for exclusivity.
18:01This means that your only guardian is Allah, his messenger and the believers who establish prayer and give zakat while
18:10bowing.
18:11If Vali meant something other than guardianship or leadership here, it would have to align with this exclusivity.
18:20Can we say your only friend is Allah or your only friend is the prophet and the believers who do
18:26such acts?
18:27This interpretation certainly does not fit because the relationship among believers as explicitly described in the Quran is one of
18:38brotherhood and mutual love.
18:41The believers are brothers and the believing men and believing women are friends of one another.
18:48If Vali in this verse meant friendship or support, it would conflict with the exclusivity stated at the beginning of
18:58the verse.
18:59Therefore, Vilaya here absolutely means guardianship, leadership or authority.
19:09Furthermore, the relationship God describes in this verse is a one way guardianship.
19:17It is not stated as your only guardian is Allah and you are the guardians of Allah or the prophet
19:26is your guardian and you are the prophet's guardians.
19:29In friendships, there is mutual affection and a two way relationship.
19:35But here God is describing a one way relationship where Vali means having authority or control over a group, not
19:46mutual affection.
19:49This interpretation aligns exclusively with the meaning of guardianship or leadership.
19:59Another objection raised by those who deny Imam Ali's succession based on this verse is that the term allazina or
20:07those who is in the plural form.
20:10They argue that if the verse were referring to a single person such as Imam Ali, it would use the
20:17singular form al-lazih, the one who instead.
20:22In this holy verse, the plural form was not being used for a single person.
20:29The external example of this plural in practice is just one person.
20:34We are talking about a group that in practice only manifests in just one person.
20:41We have other places in the Quran with similar analogies.
20:45For example, in the chapter of Al-Ibran, verse of Mubahilah, say,
20:51Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, our souls and your souls.
21:00Then, let us pray earnestly and call down Allah's curse upon the liars.
21:06Here, the terms our sons, our women and our souls are in the plural form.
21:13However, according to all interpreters, historians and theologians,
21:19when the sun rose on the 24th of Zul Hijjah,
21:24the Holy Prophet emerged from his house with his grandsons,
21:28Hussain ibn Ali in his arms and Hassan ibn Ali holding his other hand
21:35and Fatima al-Zarah walking behind him,
21:39with Ali ibn Abu Dalib following all of them.
21:42This verse was applied in practice with the plural form referred to a single individual,
21:49Fatima as our women and Ali ibn Abu Talib as our souls.
21:54Thus, the plural form Allah's zina can indeed refer to a single person in practical terms,
22:02as demonstrated by historical and Quranic contexts.
22:07The use of plural terms to refer to a single individual does exist in other places in the Quran as
22:15well.
22:15For example, in the chapter of Al-Mumtahina, where God addresses the believers with,
22:21O you who have believed, do not take my enemies and your enemies as allies,
22:28extending to them affection while they have disbelieved in what came to you of the truth.
22:34The term O you who have believed is plural,
22:38but the verse is specifically addressing a single individual,
22:42Hatib ibn Abi Balta'a,
22:44who was involved in a particular incident.
22:47He was secretly informing the disbelievers in Mecca about the Holy Prophet's secretive plan
22:52to move the Muslim troops toward Mecca.
22:55This conspiracy was discovered and neutralized in the middle of the way by Imam Ali .
23:00The person who committed this conspiracy was just one person,
23:04Hatib ibn Abi Balta'a.
23:06However, God addresses him in plural by addressing all the believers in that verse.
23:12This usage of plural forms in the Quran,
23:15where the plural may refer to a single person,
23:18is a known and effective rhetorical style.
23:21The next objection some raise regarding this verse surrounds Imam Ali's giving of charity during prayer.
23:28They argue that this is considered an act of voluntary charity,
23:32not obligatory almsgiving or zakat,
23:35which is explicitly mentioned in this verse.
23:37Therefore, the context or reason for the revelation of this verse must be different.
23:43In the Quran, the term zakat broadly means growth, purification and development.
23:49It covers all types of financial help a Muslim can give,
23:54not just the specific nine types of alms described in Islamic legal texts by Islamic jurists,
24:01which applies on four agricultural products, three livestock and two types of cash.
24:10So then, what is the name of the obligatory almsgiving or zakat in the Quran?
24:17Saddta.
24:19God in the Quran says to the prophet,
24:22O prophet, take the obligatory charity from their wealth.
24:28So which type of charity is required to be given and received?
24:34It's the one we commonly call zakat, mentioned in the Quran like this one.
24:40Charities are only for the poor and the needy.
24:44However, the term zakat in the Quran is used in a broader sense,
24:49covering all financial obligations, recommended donations and acts of giving.
24:56Keep in mind that the rules for obligatory almsgiving or zakat,
25:00as understood in Islamic law, came in Medina,
25:04while we see verses about zakat in the early years of the prophet's mission in Surah Al-Muzammil,
25:12which do not relate to the legal understanding of zakat.
25:16So the zakat mentioned here is not the legal zakat,
25:21but rather a type of financial giving done by Imam Ali.
25:28In light of these explanations,
25:30it is clear that these doubts and claims are baseless and unfounded.
25:35They cannot undermine the significance of this blessed verse.
25:39Naming this verse as the verse of vilayah or guardianship is truly fitting and appropriate.
25:47Some individuals have taken their excuses to the extreme,
25:51arguing that if the succession and leadership of the prophet are stated in the Quran,
25:56Imam Ali's name should have been explicitly mentioned to leave no room for doubt or ambiguity.
26:03The response is that it would have been contrary to divine wisdom.
26:08The superior preservation of the Quran lies in the fact that it should not be subject to alteration by its
26:17followers,
26:18unlike previous heavenly books.
26:21Past followers who claimed to be knowledgeable about those scriptures unfortunately made changes to them.
26:28The Quran is intended to remain untouched.
26:33It can be reasonably suggested that one aspect of divine wisdom in this regard is to keep it free from
26:40tampering
26:41by people who do not agree with the message of appointing Imam Ali as the successor of the prophet.
26:48Such individuals might not have any reservations about making changes.
26:54Although God has promised indeed we sent down the Quran and indeed we will preserve it,
27:01this does not mean that God would not provide the necessary means to preserve the Quran.
27:06It does not mean that preservation of the Quran would be miraculous in the sense that no external means for
27:13its preservation are provided.
27:15Therefore, one way to keep it preserved is to have fewer or no reasons for change.
27:23So the Quran remains preserved.
27:25It is evident that God has placed clear signs throughout the Holy Quran for those seeking and accepting the truth.
27:32After his demise, the Holy Prophet entrusted this noble and heavenly book to the hands and hearts of people to
27:39always be a guiding light.
27:41The Prophet repeatedly said, in the famous and authentic Hadith al-Saklan,
27:45I am leaving among you the Quran and my Al al-Bayt.
27:49However, people did not follow his will.
27:52Jealousy and arrogance led them to disregard the Prophet's noble message.
27:57Not only did they deprive themselves of the Prophet's family, the Al al-Bayt,
28:02but they also turned away from the truth.
28:05In the backbone of the divine Quran, they forgot the clear message of the verse of Vilaya.
28:12Throughout history, there have always been those who, with stubbornness and enmity, seek to obscure the radiant face of truth.
28:21Many blindly follow their path.
28:25Those who broke their covenant after the event of Hadith claiming,
28:30The Book of Allah is sufficient for us.
28:33And all those who mindlessly followed them, deprived themselves of Imam Ali's divine knowledge.
28:40Imam Ali held a distinct position among those firmly grounded in knowledge, as mentioned in the Quran.
28:47They quickly deviated from the true interpretation of Quranic verses and fell into contradiction.
28:56It's unfortunate that despite God's repeated warnings in the Quran, Muslims were deceived by Satan's tricks at crucial moments.
29:05Like the people of past prophets, they broke their divine covenant and fell into disagreement and division in their faith.
29:17We will wait and see in the barking, Lord, of weakness peeps.
29:171
29:17Let it be, God tell us.
29:17Let it be, God tell us.
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