سورة الفتح

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): Then Allah speaks about the desert-dwelling Arabs who stayed behind from accompanying the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) on this journey and says: سَیَقُولُ لَکَ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ مِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ شَغَلَتْنَا أَمْوَالُنَا وَ أَهْلُونَا فَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَنَا یَقُولُونَ بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ مَا لَیْسَ فِی قُلُوبِهِمْ قُلْ فَمَنْ یَمْلِکُ لَکُمْ مِنَ اللهِ شَیْئًا إِنْ أَرَادَ بِکُمْ ضَرًّا أَوْ أَرَادَ بِکُمْ نَفْعًا بَلْ کَانَ اللهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِیرًا، بَلْ ظَنَنْتُمْ أَنْ لَنْ یَنْقَلِبَ الرَّسُولُ وَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِلَی أَهْلِیهِمْ أَبَدًا وَ زُیِّنَ ذَلِکَ فِی قُلُوبِکُمْ وَ ظَنَنْتُمْ ظَنَّ السَّوْءِ وَ کُنْتُمْ قَوْمًا بُورًا [Those of the dwellers of the desert who were left behind will say to you: Our property and our families kept us busy, so ask forgiveness for us. They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. Say: Then who can control anything for you from Allah if He intends to do you harm or if He intends to do you good; nay, Allah is Aware of what you do. Nay, you thought that the Messenger and the believers would never return to their families, and that was made fair-seeming in your hearts, and you thought an evil thought and were a ruined people] — meaning they were the worst of people, whom he had displeased at the treaty of Hudaybiyyah. When the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) returned from Hudaybiyyah to Medina, he attacked Khaybar. Those who had stayed behind from accompanying him came into his presence and asked him to permit them to accompany him on the march toward Khaybar. At that time Allah revealed the following verse: سَیَقُولُ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ ... [Those who were left behind will say ...].

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): When the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was returning from Hajjat al-Wida (the Farewell Pilgrimage) and reached the land of Ghadir Khumm, which is at al-Juhfah between Mecca and Medina, he stopped there. Then he ordered that the thorns around be gathered, and he commanded that preparations be made for the congregational prayer. So we came into the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) on a day that was extremely hot, to the extent that some of us placed our cloaks under our feet from the intensity of the heat and the burning sand, and some of us covered our heads. In this state we performed the prayer with the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). Then he turned to us and said: "Allah has informed me that if I do not convey what has been sent down to me, it is as though I have not conveyed His message and mission. And Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has Himself guaranteed my protection. He is the Generous and Sufficient Allah, and He has revealed to me thus: بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِیمِ یا أَیُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ ما أُنْزِلَ إِلَیْکَ مِنْ رَبِّکَ وَ إِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَما بَلَّغْتَ رِسالَتَهُ وَ اللهُ یَعْصِمُکَ مِنَ النَّاسِ [In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful. O Messenger! Convey fully [to the people] what has been sent down to you from your Lord! And if you do not, you will not have performed His mission. Allah will protect you from [the possible dangers of] the people, and Allah does not guide the group of [obstinate] disbelievers.] (al-Ma'idah/67). O assembly of people! I have not fallen short in conveying what Allah sent down upon me, and I shall now explain to you the reason for the revelation of this verse. Know that Jibra'il came to me three times and, from my Lord, who is the source and essence of Salam (peace), commanded me to rise up in such a gathering and announce to every person, black and white, that Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) is my brother, my successor, my legatee, and the Imam after me. That is, one whose rank and station in relation to me is the rank and station of Harun in relation to Musa (peace be upon him), except that there is no prophet after me. Indeed, after Allah and the Messenger of Allah, Ali (peace be upon him) is your wali (guardian), and Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, sent down to me a verse of the Quran in this regard, in which He says: إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَ یُؤْتُونَ الزَّکاةَ وَ هُمْ راکِعُونَ [Your guardian and wali is only Allah, His Messenger, and those who have believed — those who establish the prayer and give zakat while bowing in ruku.] (al-Ma'idah/55). And Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) established the prayer and, while in the state of ruku (bowing), gave alms, and in every state he intended and intends only Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. I asked Jibra'il to request from Allah that I be excused from conveying this matter to you, because I know that the believers are few and the hypocrites are many, and that the sinners will act basely in this affair, and that those who mock Islam lie in wait — the very ones whom Allah has described in His Book thus: یَقُولُونَ بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ ما لَیْسَ فِی قُلُوبِهِم [They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts.]"

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): Say: فَمَنْ یَمْلِکُ لَکُمْ مِنَ اللهِ شَیْئاً إِنْ أَرادَ بِکُمْ ضَرًّا أَوْ أَرادَ بِکُمْ نَفْعا [Then who can control anything for you from Allah if He intends to do you harm or if He intends to do you good], meaning: who will keep Allah's punishment away from you if Allah intends evil for you, or intends for you spoils and benefit.