سورة الزخرف

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Abu Rabi' said: In the year Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik went for Hajj, we too went for Hajj in the company of Imam Baqir (peace be upon him). Nafi', the client (slave) of Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab, was with Hisham... Nafi' pressed forward, leaning on the people, until he reached Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) and drew near to him. He said: "O Muhammad ibn Ali... explain to me the following verse in which Allah has said: وَ سْئَلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنا مِنْ قَبْلِکَ مِنْ رُسُلِنا أَ جَعَلْنا مِنْ دُونِ الرَّحْمنِ آلِهَةً یُعْبَدُونَ [And ask those of Our messengers whom We sent before you: Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the Beneficent?]. Whom did the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) ask, when the interval between him and Isa (peace be upon him) was five hundred years?" Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) recited this verse: سُبْحانَ الَّذِی أَسْری بِعَبْدِهِ لَیْلًا مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرامِ إِلَی الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَی الَّذِی بارَکْنا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِیَهُ مِنْ آیاتِنا [Glorified is He who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose surroundings We have blessed, so that We might show him some of Our signs] (al-Isra/1). One of the signs which Allah showed the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) at the time of the Isra from Mecca to Bayt al-Muqaddas was that He gathered together all the prophets and messengers (peace be upon them). Then He commanded Jibra'il to give the adhan and establish the prayer. [Jibra'il said in his adhan: حَیَّ عَلَی خَیْرِ الْعَمَلِ (Hasten to the best of deeds)]. Then the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) took on the leadership of the prayer. When the prayer ended, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) asked them: "To what do you bear witness? And what were you worshipping?" They replied: "We bear witness that there is no god but Allah. He is One, without partner, and you are the Messenger of Allah, and on this basis a covenant and pledge has been taken from us." Nafi' said: "O Abu Ja'far! You have spoken the truth."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): In the hadith of Nafi' ibn al-Azraq it is reported that he put several questions to Imam Baqir (peace be upon him), among them a question about this verse: وَ سْئَلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنا مِنْ قَبْلِکَ مِنْ رُسُلِنا أَ جَعَلْنا مِنْ دُونِ الرَّحْمنِ آلِهَةً یُعْبَدُونَ [And ask those of Our messengers whom We sent before you: Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the Beneficent?]. Whom did the Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) ask, given that between him and Isa (peace be upon him) there was an interval of five hundred years? Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) recited the verse سُبْحانَ الَّذِی أَسْری بِعَبْدِهِ لَیْلًا [Glorified is Allah who took His servant by night] (al-Isra/1) — pure and glorified is Allah who took His servant in one night — and then related the account of the Prophet's gathering with the prophets and messengers (peace be upon them), where he led them in prayer.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): In the commentary on the verse وَ سْئَلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنا مِنْ قَبْلِکَ مِنْ رُسُلِنا [And ask those of Our messengers whom We sent before you] it is reported that on the night of the Mi'raj Allah gathered together the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his family) and the other prophets (peace be upon them), and said to him: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! Ask them: For what were you sent?" They replied: "For the declaration of the testimony لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ [There is no god but Allah], the acknowledgement of your prophethood, and the wilayah of Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him)."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)- It is narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): When the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was taken by night to Masjid al-Aqsa, Allah the Exalted raised up for him Adam (peace be upon him) and all the messengers from among his descendants. Then Jibra'il gave the adhan and then stood up and said: "O Muhammad! Come forward and lead them in prayer." When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) finished the prayer, Jibra'il said to him: "O Muhammad! Ask مَنْ أَرْسَلْنا مِنْ قَبْلِکَ مِنْ رُسُلِنا [those of Our messengers whom We sent before you]?" And he (peace be upon him and his family) said: "I will not ask, for I have no doubt whatsoever about it."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: A man came to Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) while he was in the Mosque of Kufa leaning on his sword. The man said: "O Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him), a verse in the Quran has caused corruption of heart and doubt in my religion." He asked: "Which verse is that?" He said: "This verse: وَ سْئَلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنا مِنْ قَبْلِکَ مِنْ رُسُلِنا [And ask those of Our messengers whom We sent before you]; was there in the time of the Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) a prophet from whom he could ask?" Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said to him: "Sit down, Allah willing I will explain it to you. Allah says in the Quran: سُبْحانَ الَّذِی أَسْری بِعَبْدِهِ لَیْلًا مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرامِ إِلَی الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَی الَّذِی بارَکْنا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِیَهُ مِنْ آیاتِنا [Glory be to the One who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose surroundings We have blessed, that We might show him some of Our signs] (al-Isra/1). Among the signs Allah showed His Prophet on the night of Mi'raj was that Jibra'il came and took him from Mecca, and within one hour of the night brought him to Bayt al-Muqaddas, then brought Buraq for him and took the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) up to the heavens as far as al-Bayt al-Ma'mur. Jibra'il performed wudu and the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) likewise performed wudu as he did; Jibra'il gave the adhan and iqama. Then he said to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): 'Step forward and pray, and recite aloud, for behind you is a company of angels whose number none knows but Allah; in the first row are your father Adam, and Nuh, and Hud, and Ibrahim, and Musa (peace be upon them), and every prophet Allah has sent from the beginning of the creation of the heavens and the earth up to the time of your commissioning.' The noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) stepped forward, without fear or hesitation, and prayed two rak'ahs. When the prayer ended, Allah revealed to him: وَ سْئَلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنا مِنْ قَبْلِکَ مِنْ رُسُلِنا [And ask those of Our messengers whom We sent before you] — ask the prophets whom I sent before you. The noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) turned to them and said: 'To what do you testify?' They said: 'We testify that there is no god but the One Lord who has no partner, and that you are His Messenger, and that Ali (peace be upon him) is Amir al-Mu'minin and your successor, and every prophet who departed this world left a successor from his own family — except this one', and he indicated Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him), for he had no kin from a father's side; his successor was Sham'un al-Safa son of Hamun ibn 'Imama. 'And I testify that you are the Messenger of Allah and of the prophets (peace be upon them), and that Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) is the master of the successors; a covenant has been taken from us to affirm you both.'" The man said: "O Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him)! You have brought my heart to life and untied the knot in my heart."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Allah has not taken the soul of any prophet without having commanded him to make his testament to the best of his kinsfolk from among his clan, and He commanded me too to make a testament. I said: 'O Lord! To whom?' Allah said: 'O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! Make your testament to your cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), for indeed I have recorded his succession in the earlier scriptures and written therein that he is your successor. Concerning this I have taken the covenant from all mankind and from My prophets and messengers (peace be upon them). I have taken their covenants for My Lordship, for your prophethood, O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), and for the wilayah of Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him).'

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): It is narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: When I went on the Mi'raj, Jibra'il took me with him to the fourth heaven. Suddenly I saw a house made of red ruby. Jibra'il said to me: 'O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! This is Bayt al-Ma'mur (the Frequented House). Allah created it fifty thousand years before the creation of the heavens and the earth. Pray in it.' I stood for prayer. Allah gathered the prophets (peace be upon them) together, and Jibra'il arranged them in orderly rows. I led them in prayer. When I finished the prayer, a messenger came from my Lord and said: 'O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! Your Lord conveys His greetings to you and says to you: Ask the prophets — for what were you sent before me to preach? On the basis of what did Allah raise you up before me?' They said: 'On the basis of your wilayah and the wilayah of Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him). This is the very matter that has come in the verse: وَ سْئَلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رُسُلِنا [And ask those of Our messengers whom We sent before you].'

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Allah, Blessed and Exalted, sent down the Quran in seven parts, and among them is a refutation of one who denies the superiority of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) over all creation ... And the proof that he is the most excellent of the prophets is that Allah took a covenant from all the prophets on his behalf, and He said: "And [remember] when Allah took a firm covenant from the prophets [and their followers], that whenever I give you a Book and knowledge, then an apostle comes to you confirming that which is with you, you shall surely believe in him and help him." Then [Allah] said to them: "Do you affirm this? And do you take upon yourselves My firm covenant on that?" They said: "[Yes]; we affirm!" [Allah] said to them: "Then bear witness, and I too am with you among the witnesses." (Al Imran/81) This is a declaration of the superiority of the Messenger of Allah over the rest of the messengers and prophets, of which the Quran speaks. Likewise, when the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) went up on that night to the fourth heaven and entered al-Bayt al-Ma'mur (the Frequented House), Allah the Mighty and Majestic gathered all the prophets, from Adam (peace be upon him) and others, and the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) led them in prayer. Allah the Exalted says: وَ سْئَلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنا مِنْ قَبْلِکَ مِنْ رُسُلِنا أَ جَعَلْنا مِنْ دُونِ الرَّحْمنِ آلِهَةً یُعْبَدُونَ [And ask those of Our apostles whom We sent before you: Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the Beneficent Allah?] And whoever reflects will be convinced by this word.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Jarud ibn Mundhir al-Abdi was a Christian, and he accepted Islam in the year of the Battle of Hudaybiyya and became an excellent Muslim ... He said: I came into the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "O Jarud, on the night I was taken up to the heavens, Allah the Mighty and Majestic revealed to me: 'Ask those messengers whom We sent before you on what basis they were sent.' I said: 'On what basis were you sent?' They said: 'With [the belief] in your prophethood and the wilayah of Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) and the Imams who will be born from the two of you.' Then Allah revealed to me: 'Turn to the right of the Throne.' I looked in that direction and suddenly I saw Ali, Hasan, Husayn, Ali ibn al-Husayn, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ja'far ibn Muhammad, Musa ibn Ja'far, Ali ibn Musa, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ali ibn Muhammad, Hasan ibn Ali, and Mahdi (peace be upon them) in a radiance of light, engaged in prayer. The Lord Exalted said: 'These are the proofs, My friends, and this man will take revenge upon My enemies.'" Jarud said: After that, Salman (may Allah have mercy on him) said to me: "O Jarud! In the Torah, the Injil, and the Zabur too, they have been mentioned."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): وَ اسْأَلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِکَ مِنْ رُسُلِنَا [And ask those of Our messengers whom We sent before you]; this is one of the proofs of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) which Allah granted to him and through which He established the proof (hujjah) upon the rest of His creation. For when Allah made him the Seal of the Prophets and a messenger to all nations, He singled him out by raising him to the heavens at the Miraj (ascension), and on that day gathered the prophets for him. He learned from them the verses, the proofs and the divine covenants which the prophets had been sent to convey. All the prophets acknowledged his excellence and the excellence of the successors and proofs (hujjahs) on earth after him, and the excellence of the followers of his successor from among the believing men and women who submitted to the people of merit in their merit and did not act arrogantly regarding their command; and he came to know who among their nations obeyed them and who disobeyed them, and all who had passed and who remained, whether earlier or later.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): As for the refutation of those who deny the Miraj (ascension), Allah the Exalted says: وَ هُوَ بِالْأُفُقِ الْأَعْلی* ثُمَّ دَنا فَتَدَلَّی* فَکانَ قابَ قَوْسَیْنِ أَوْ أَدْنی* فَأَوْحی إِلی عَبْدِهِ ما أَوْحی [while he was in the highest horizon! Then he drew near and came closer, until he was at a distance of two bow-lengths or nearer. Then Allah revealed to His servant what He revealed] ... up to His statement: عِنْدَها جَنَّةُ الْمَأْوی [near it is the Garden of Refuge] ... at Sidrat al-Muntaha, where Jannat al-Ma'wa is! (Najm/15–17). Sidrat al-Muntaha is in the seventh heaven. Then Allah the Glorified said: وَ سْئَلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنا مِنْ قَبْلِکَ مِنْ رُسُلِنا أَ جَعَلْنا مِنْ دُونِ الرَّحْمنِ آلِهَةً یُعْبَدُونَ [And ask those of Our messengers whom We sent before you: Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the All-Merciful?]. Allah the Exalted commanded His Prophet to ask them in the heavens, similar to His statement: فَإِنْ کُنْتَ فِی شَکٍّ مِمَّا أَنْزَلْنا إِلَیْکَ فَسْئَلِ الَّذِینَ یَقْرَؤُنَ الْکِتابَ مِنْ قَبْلِکَ [If you are in doubt about what We have sent down to you, then ask those who read the Book before you] — meaning the prophets (Yunus/94). All of this took place on the night of the Miraj, when he questioned them.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Our wilayah (guardianship) is the wilayah of Allah, with which Allah never sent any prophet except with it.

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): The wilayah (guardianship) of Ali (peace be upon him) is written in all the scriptures of the prophets, and Allah has never sent a messenger except with the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and the successorship of his successor Ali (peace be upon him).