سورة المائدة

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ الله وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا [Only Allah is your Vali and His Messenger and those who believe] was revealed concerning Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him).

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): I asked Ali ibn Husayn and Abdullah ibn Muhammad about this word of Allah the Exalted: إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ الله وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا [Only Allah is your Vali and His Messenger and those who believe]. They said: "It was revealed concerning Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him)."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Indeed Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, revealed in His Book: إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ الله... وَ هُمْ راکِعُونَ [Only Allah is your Vali... while they bow], and it is Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) who established the prayer and gave the zakat while in the state of ruku (bowing), and it is he who is constantly, in every state, turned toward Allah and takes Him into account in all matters.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): إِنَّمَا وَلِیُّکُمُ الله وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِینَ آمَنُوا [Only Allah is your Vali and His Messenger and those who believe] — they are the Imams (peace be upon them).

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) asked that person: "Did anyone give you anything?" He said: "Yes, I passed by a man who was in the state of ruku (bowing) and he gave me his ring." Then he pointed to Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him). And this verse was revealed: إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ الله وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَ یُؤْتُونَ الزَّکاةَ وَ هُمْ راکِعُونَ [Only Allah is your Vali and His Apostle and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow]; the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "He is your wali after me."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him) said: When we were in Mecca during the days of Hajj, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) turned to Ali (peace be upon him) and said: "Congratulations to you, O Abu al-Hasan (peace be upon him), indeed Allah has revealed upon me a decisive, non-ambiguous verse in which I and you are mentioned equally: الْیَوْمَ أَکْمَلْتُ لَکُمْ دینَکُمْ [This day I have perfected for you your religion]."

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): When this verse was revealed: إِنَّمَا وَلِیُّکُمُ الله وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِینَ آمَنُواْ الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاَةَ وَیُؤْتُونَ الزَّکَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاکِعونَ [Only Allah is your Vali and His Apostle and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow], a group of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) gathered in the mosque of Medina and said to one another: "What do you say about this verse?" Some of them said: "If we disbelieve in this verse, we have disbelieved in the rest of them too, and if we believe in it, when the son of Abu Talib becomes appointed over us, this is humiliation." They said: "We know that Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) is truthful in what he says, but we will take him as our wali and we will not obey Ali (peace be upon him) in what he commands us." He said: Then this verse was revealed: "They recognize the favor of Allah, then they deny it" (Nahl/83), meaning they know the wilayah of Ali (peace be upon him), but most of them do not believe in the wilayah.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Ammar ibn Yasir narrates: A beggar stopped by Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) while he was in the state of ruku in a recommended prayer. He took off his ring and gave it to the beggar. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) came, and he informed him of the matter, and this verse was revealed: إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ الله وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَ یُؤْتُونَ الزَّکاةَ وَ هُمْ راکِعُونَ [Only Allah is your Vali and His Apostle and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow]..., and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) recited it upon us." Then he said: "Whoever I am his mawla, then Ali (peace be upon him) is his mawla. O Lord! Whoever loves him, love him, and whoever is his enemy, be his enemy."

Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him): Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him), in his letter to the people of Ahwaz when he was asked about jabr (predestination) and tafwid (delegation), said... The most authentic report is that whose clarity and verification is recognised through the Qur'an, such as the narration upon which all are in agreement from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), when he said: "I leave behind me two successors among you: the Book of Allah and my progeny. So long as you hold fast to them, you will not go astray, and they will not separate from each other until they meet me at the Pond of Paradise." And there is another wording from him with this very same meaning, in which he said: "I leave among you two weighty things: the Book of Allah and my Ahl al-Bayt, and they will not separate from each other until they meet me at the Pond of Paradise. So long as you hold fast to them, you will not go astray." When we found the evidence of this hadith as an explicit text in the Book of Allah, such as this verse: إِنَّمَا وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِینَ آمَنُوا الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَیُؤْتُونَ الزَّکاةَ وَهُمْ رَاکِعُونَ [Only Allah is your Vali and His Apostle and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow], and then the narrations of the scholars also confirmed it — that it concerns the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (peace be upon him), who while in ruku' gave his ring in charity, and Allah thanked him for that and revealed this verse concerning him — and we saw that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), with plain declaration and in these words, said to his companions: "Whoever's mawla I am, from now on Ali (peace be upon him) shall be his mawla. O Allah, befriend whoever befriends him and be the enemy of whoever is his enemy." And he also said: "Ali (peace be upon him) will discharge my debt and fulfil my promise, and he will be your caliph after me."

Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him): The first report whose verification is recognised through the Book, and which is confirmed and can have the Book's testimony sought upon it, is a hadith reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), which is found to be in agreement with the Book and confirmed by it, with which their statements do not conflict, in which he said: "I leave among you two weighty things: the Book of Allah and my progeny, my Ahl al-Bayt. You will not go astray so long as you hold fast to them, and they will not separate from each other until they meet me at the Pond." When we found the evidence of this hadith in the Book of Allah as an explicit text, such as the saying of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَ یُؤْتُونَ الزَّکاةَ وَ هُمْ راکِعُونَ * وَ مَنْ یَتَوَلَّ اللهَ وَ رَسُولَهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا فَإِنَّ حِزْبَ اللهِ هُمُ الْغالِبُونَ [Only Allah is your Vali and His Apostle and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow. And whoever takes Allah and His Apostle and those who believe as guardians, then surely the party of Allah are the victors].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): The mustahfizun (guardians of Allah's Greatest Name) among the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) know that there is not one among them who has a virtue except that I too possess that virtue. I have seventy noble qualities that no one among them possesses. I said: 'O Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him), tell them to me.' He said: 'My first virtue is that I never associated any partner with Allah for the blink of an eye, and I never worshipped Lat and Uzza... And as for the sixty-fifth, I was praying in the mosque when a beggar came and asked for something while I was in ruku (bowing). I extended my ring from my finger within his reach. Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, revealed this verse concerning me: إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَ یُؤْتُونَ الزَّکاةَ وَ هُمْ راکِعُونَ [Only Allah is your Vali and His Messenger and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow].'

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): I adjure you by Allah! Is there anyone among you other than me concerning whom the verse: إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَ یُؤْتُونَ الزَّکاةَ وَ هُمْ راکِعُونَ [Only Allah is your Vali and His Messenger and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow] was revealed? They said: 'No.'

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): I adjure you by Allah, do you confirm that when the verses: 'O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you' (Nisa 4:59) and إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَ یُؤْتُونَ الزَّکاةَ وَ هُمْ راکِعُونَ [Only Allah is your Vali and His Messenger and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow], and 'and they do not take as intimate confidants anyone other than Allah, His Messenger, and the believers' (Tawba 9:16) were revealed, the people asked: 'O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), are these verses only specific to some of the believers or do they pertain to all of them?' So Allah commanded the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to appoint for them the wali of their affairs and to explain to them the wilayah (guardianship) in the same way that He had explained to them their prayer, zakat, fasting and hajj, and the Prophet appointed me on the day of Ghadir Khumm.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) — In a narration from Abu Dharr (may Allah have mercy on him) it is reported that the beggar said: "O Allah, be witness that I asked in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and no one gave me anything. At that moment, Ali (peace be upon him) was in the state of ruku (bowing) and pointed with the little finger of his right hand, on which was a ring. So the beggar came forward and took the ring off his finger, and this took place before the eyes of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) finished his prayer, he raised his head toward the sky and said: 'O Allah, my brother Musa (peace be upon him) made a request of You and said: [Musa] said: "My Lord! Expand my breast for me, and make my task easy for me, and untie the knot from my tongue that they may understand my speech, and appoint from my family a helper for me, strengthen my back through him, and make him a partner in my task." (Ta-Ha/25–32) So You sent down the Qur'an to him [and said]: He said: "We will soon strengthen your arm through your brother, and We will give you both authority and dominance, and through the blessing of Our signs they will not overpower you." (Al-Qasas/35) O Allah, I am Muhammad, Your Prophet and Your chosen one. O Allah, expand my breast for me, make my task easy for me, and appoint for me a wazir (minister) from my family — Ali (peace be upon him) — strengthen my back through him.' Abu Dharr (may Allah have mercy on him) says: By Allah, the words of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) were not yet finished when Jibril descended upon him from Allah and said: 'O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), recite.' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'What shall I recite?' He said: 'Recite: إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَ یُؤْتُونَ الزَّکاةَ وَ هُمْ راکِعُونَ [Only Allah is your Vali and His Messenger and those who believe, those who keep up prayer and pay zakat while they bow].'"

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Abu Maryam said: 'I was sitting with Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) when the son of Abdullah ibn Sallam passed by us. I said: "May I be your ransom! Is this the son of the one with whom is the "knowledge of the Book"?" He said: "No, but the one with whom is the "knowledge of the Book" is your master Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), concerning whom verses from the Book of Allah the Exalted have been revealed. Such as: [it] is sufficient between me and you. (Ra'd/43) And 'Is he then who has with him clear proof from his Lord, and a witness from Him recites it...' (Hud/17) And إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَ یُؤْتُونَ الزَّکاةَ وَ هُمْ راکِعُونَ [Only Allah is your Vali and His Apostle and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow]."'

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) — narrated from Hudhayfa: The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) had sent Ali (peace be upon him) to Yemen. Then he came to Mecca, and we were with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) in Mecca. Then one day Ali (peace be upon him) went towards the Ka'ba to pray. When he went into ruku (bowing), a beggar came to him and he gave his ring in charity to the beggar. Allah the Exalted revealed: إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ الله وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَ یُؤْتُونَ الزَّکاةَ وَ هُمْ راکِعُونَ [Only Allah is your Vali, and His Messenger, and those who believe, those who establish prayer and give the zakat while they bow]. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said the takbir and recited it to us, then said: "Rise, let us seek the one whom Allah has described with this attribute." When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) entered the mosque, a beggar came up in front of him. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) asked: "Where have you come from?" He said: "From this worshipper who gave me this ring in charity while he was in ruku." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said the takbir and went towards Ali (peace be upon him) and said: "O Ali (peace be upon him)! What good deed have you done today?" Ali (peace be upon him) informed the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) of the good deed he had done for the beggar; so the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said the takbir a third time. The hypocrites looked at one another and said: "Although we obey him, our hearts do not have the capacity for this; so let us ask the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) to change it for us." Then they came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and reported this matter to him; as a result, Allah the Exalted revealed a verse of the Qur'an, which is this verse: Say: "I have no right to change it of my own accord; I follow only what is revealed to me..." (Yunus/15). Jibra'il said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! Complete it." Then he said: "My beloved Jibra'il, you have heard what they took counsel about." Then Jibra'il the Trustworthy departed from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family).

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): It is narrated from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) was returning from Hajjat al-Wida (the Farewell Pilgrimage), he came until he reached Ghadir Khumm, which is three miles before Juhfa. Jibra'il came to him and ordered that those who had gone ahead should be brought back to this place, and those who were coming from behind should all be kept there, so that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) could appoint Ali (peace be upon him) to the Imamate and convey to them what Allah had revealed concerning this matter... The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) ordered that beneath them [the trees] be cleaned and dried, and that stones be placed for him in the form of a pulpit so that he could look over the people. The people returned, and those who had lagged behind stopped at the place of gathering, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) went up upon those stones and offered praise and thanks to Allah. Then he said... Know that Jibra'il came to me three times, and on behalf of my Lord — who is the source and essence of peace — commanded me to stand in such a gathering and announce to all people, 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 station and position in relation to me is the station and position of Harun in relation to Musa (peace be upon him), except that after me there is no prophet. And indeed, after Allah and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), Ali is your wali (guardian), and indeed Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has revealed to me in this matter a verse of the Qur'an in which He says: إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَ یُؤْتُونَ الزَّکاةَ وَ هُمْ راکِعُونَ [Only Allah is your Vali and His Apostle and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow], and Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) established the prayer and, while he was in ruku (bowing), paid the charity, and in all circumstances he has intended and continues to intend only Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Abu Jamila narrates from one of the Shia who narrated from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) or Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Allah has revealed to me that I should love four persons: Ali (peace be upon him), Abu Dharr (may Allah have mercy on him), Salman (may Allah have mercy on him) and Miqdad (may Allah have mercy on him)." I said: "Was there anyone among all these people who recognised the matter of wilayah (guardianship)?" He said: "Yes, three persons." I said: "These verses which were revealed: إِنَّمَا وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا [Only Allah is your Vali and His Apostle and those who believe], and the verse: أَطِیعواْ اللهَ وَأَطِیعواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِی الأَمْرِ مِنکُمْ [Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you] — did no one ask about the occasion of the revelation of the verse, concerning whom this verse was revealed?" He said: "From the time these verses came to them, they did not ask."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): When this verse was revealed: إِنَّمَا وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِینَ آمَنُوا [Only Allah is your Vali and His Apostle and those who believe], it weighed heavily on the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and he feared that the Quraysh would call him a liar. So Allah revealed this verse: یَا أَیُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَیْکَ مِن رَّبِّکَ [O Messenger! Deliver what has been sent down to you from your Lord], and the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) carried out this task on the day of Ghadir Khumm.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Indeed, in the Book of Allah the Exalted there are verses whose wording and meaning are both particular and general. Some verses have particular wording and general meaning, and among them are those whose wording and meaning are both general, by which Allah the Exalted intends all people, and likewise the particular wording is of the same kind. And among the verses are those whose apparent wording conveys generality but whose meaning is particular... such as this statement of Allah the Exalted: إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَ یُؤْتُونَ الزَّکاةَ وَ هُمْ راکِعُون [Only Allah is your Vali and His Messenger and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow].

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Sulaym narrates: I said to Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him), while Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari was beside him: "Were you present at the time of the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) passing?" He said: "Yes. When the Messenger's illness grew severe, he gathered every mature youth, woman and understanding child from the descendants of Abd al-Muttalib. He gathered only them, and no one else entered with them except al-Zubayr — whom he admitted on account of Safiyya — and Umar ibn Abi Salama and Usama ibn Zayd. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said to Ali (peace be upon him): 'My brother, sit me up.' The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) sat him up and rested him against his chest up to his throat. Then he praised Allah and extolled Him, and said: 'O Bani Abd al-Muttalib, adopt taqwa (Allah-consciousness) of Allah and worship Him. All of you hold fast to the rope of Allah and do not become divided and do not differ. Islam is built upon five pillars: wilaya (guardianship), prayer, zakat, fasting the month of Ramadan, and the Hajj. Wilaya is for Allah and His Messenger and for the believers. وَ یُؤْتُونَ الزَّکاةَ وَ هُمْ راکِعُونَ وَ مَنْ یَتَوَلَّ اللهَ وَ رَسُولَهُ وَ الَّذینَ آمَنُوا فَإِنَّ حِزْبَ اللهِ هُمُ الْغالِبُونَ [and they pay zakat while they are bowing. And whoever takes Allah, His Messenger and those who believe as guardians — indeed the party of Allah, they are the victorious].' Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him) said: At that point Salman, al-Miqdad and Abu Dharr arrived, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) permitted them too to enter along with the Bani Abd al-Muttalib. Salman (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 'O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), do these verses include all the believers, or are they specific to some of them?' He said: 'They are specific to some of them — those whom Allah has joined with Himself and His Prophet in more than one verse of the Quran.' Salman (may Allah have mercy on him) asked: 'O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), who are they?' He said: 'The first of them, the most excellent of them and the best of them is this brother of mine, Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him)' — and he placed his blessed hand upon the head of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) — 'then this son of mine after him' — and he placed his blessed hand upon the head of Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) — 'then this son of mine after him' — and he placed his blessed hand upon the head of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) — 'and the successors will be nine of the descendants of Husayn (peace be upon him), one after another. They are the firm ropes of Allah and His trustworthy handholds. They are the proof of Allah over His creation and His witnesses upon His earth. Whoever obeys them has obeyed Allah and has obeyed me, and whoever disobeys them has disobeyed Allah and has disobeyed me. They are with the Quran and the Quran is with them. The Quran will not part from them and they will not part from the Quran, until they come upon me at the pool of Kawthar.'"

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The ring that Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) gave in charity weighed four mithqals. Its band was of silver, and its stone was five mithqals and was of red ruby, and it was worth as much as the kharaj (land tax) of Sham. The kharaj of Sham was three hundred camel-loads of silver and four camel-loads of gold. This ring belonged to Marwan ibn Tawq. Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) killed him and took the ring off his finger and handed it to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) together with all the spoils. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) ordered him to keep the ring. So while he had the ring on his finger, he came forward and gave it in charity during the ruku (bowing) of his prayer, while he was standing in prayer behind the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Husayn ibn Abi al-Ala said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about our belief that obeying the awsiya (successors) is obligatory. He said: "Yes, they are the ones about whom Allah the Exalted said: أَطِیعُوا اللهَ وَ أَطِیعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَ أُولِی الْأَمْرِ مِنْکُمْ [Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you] (al-Nisa/59), and they are the ones about whom Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: إِنَّمَا وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِینَ آمَنُوا [Only Allah is your Vali, and His Messenger, and those who believe]."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Fadl ibn Yahya said: Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) was asked about this word of Allah: "Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you" (al-Nisa/59). In answer he said: ... إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَ یُؤْتُونَ الزَّکاةَ وَ هُمْ راکِعُونَ [Only Allah is your Vali, and His Messenger, and those who believe, those who keep up prayer and pay zakat while they bow] — He said: it is we who are meant.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Ahmad ibn Isa narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) regarding the verse إِنَّمَا وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِینَ آمَنُوا [Only Allah is your Vali and His Messenger and those who believe] that the Imam (peace be upon him) said: "That is, only they take precedence over you — meaning they have more right over you, over your affairs, over your souls and over your properties. اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِینَ آمَنُوا [Allah and His Messenger and those who believe] means Ali (peace be upon him) and those of his descendants who are Imams until the Day of Resurrection. Then Allah the Mighty and Majestic described them and said: الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَیُؤْتُونَ الزَّکاةَ وَهُمْ رَاکِعُونَ [those who keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate while they bow]; and Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) was in the Zuhr prayer, having performed two rak'ats, and was in ruku (bowing)." That noble one was wearing a cloak whose price was one thousand dinars. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) had clothed him in that cloak, and the Najashi had gifted it to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). At that moment, a poor man came and said: "Peace be upon you, O Vali of Allah, and O you who takes precedence over the souls of the believers over themselves — give charity to a needy one." So the noble one dropped that cloak off his shoulder and gestured to him with his hand to pick it up. Then Allah the Mighty and Majestic revealed this verse concerning it, and the blessing which He had given to him, He also bestowed upon his descendants. Every one of his descendants who reaches the capacity of imamate is, in this blessing, on par and equal with him — that is, they give charity while they are in ruku. That needy one who requested charity from Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) was of the angels, and those who request charity from the descendants of Ali (peace be upon him) who are among the Imams (peace be upon them) are also of the angels.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): It is narrated from Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): When Abdullah ibn Salam believed in the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), after the questions he had asked and the answers he had received... the eye of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) fell upon him and he saw that his colour had changed and tears were pouring from his eyes. He said: "What has happened, Abdullah?" He said: "O Messenger of Allah, the Jews attacked me and took as a loan whatever I had in my house and broke it, and whatever I sought from them as a loan they did not give. Then they made an agreement among themselves not to sit with me, deal with me, consult with me, and not even to speak with me, and never to come and go [with me]. They made this same agreement with my family, so that even the people of my house no longer speak with me, and all my Jewish neighbours are the same. I have become weary of them and I have no companionship or intimacy with them anymore; but the distance between me and your mosque and house is great, and it is not possible for me, whenever I am distressed, to come to your service at the mosque or your house." After hearing Abdullah's words, a state like the state of revelation came upon the Noble Prophet, and after a moment that state was lifted, and this verse was revealed: إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَ یُؤْتُونَ الزَّکاةَ وَ هُمْ راکِعُونَ وَ مَنْ یَتَوَلَّ اللهَ وَ رَسُولَهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا فَإِنَّ حِزْبَ اللهِ هُمُ الْغالِبُونَ [Only Allah is your Vali (guardian) and His Messenger and those who believe, those who establish prayer and give zakat while they bow. And whoever takes Allah and His Messenger and those who believe as guardian — indeed the party of Allah, they are the victors]. He said: "O Abdullah ibn Salam, your Vali is Allah, and your helper against the Jews who are plotting against you is He, and the Messenger of Allah too is your helper, and those who establish prayer and give zakat while in the state of ruku (bowing)." Then he said: "O Abdullah, whoever loves Allah and the Prophet and the believers, and loves their friends, and is an enemy to their enemies, and in difficulties takes refuge in Allah and in them — indeed the party of Allah are victorious over the Jews and the rest of the disbelievers. Do not be distressed; Allah and this group are your helpers, and He is your defender from the evil of your enemies and He wards off their plots and schemes." The Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "O Abdullah ibn Salam, I give you glad tidings that Allah has granted you friends better than them, and those friends are: 'Allah and His Messenger and those who believe and pray and give zakat while in the state of ruku.'" Abdullah said: "Who is that person who has this distinction?" The Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) turned towards a beggar and said: "Did anyone give you anything just now?" He said: "Yes, that person praying stretched out his hand towards me and gestured that I should take this ring from him, and I took it from his hand." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) looked at the ring and in that direction, and saw that it was the ring of Ali (peace be upon him). Then he said: "Allahu Akbar, this person is your Vali after me and the most excellent of people after me."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) — Abu Rafi' said: The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) woke up while reciting this verse: إِنَّمَا وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِینَ آمَنُوا [Only Allah is your Vali and His Messenger and those who believe], until he recited the verse to its end. Then he said: "Praise be to Allah who has completed His blessing upon Ali (peace be upon him), and may this favour that has come to him from Allah be pleasant for him." Then he said: "O Abu Rafi'! What will you do concerning a people who will fight against Ali (peace be upon him), while he is upon the truth and they are upon falsehood? Jihad against them is a right for Allah the Exalted! So whoever is not able to be present in this jihad, then let him at least wage jihad with his heart, and there is nothing beyond this."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) — Jabir (may Allah have mercy on him) said: We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) when a dishevelled bedouin came to us, wearing worn-out clothes, with poverty showing on his forehead. When he entered and gave the greeting, he recited a poem and said: "I have come to you while the maiden is weeping aloud, and the mother of the child has forgotten her infant. And a sister, two daughters and an aged mother [are weeping], and I am on the verge of losing my mind because of poverty. Poverty, humiliation and destitution have struck me, and we have nothing bitter or sweet [to eat]. The end of the matter, and our place of refuge [in hardships], is none but you — and where do people flee, except to the prophets?" When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) heard this, he wept intensely. Then he said to his companions: "O company of Muslims! Allah the Exalted has sent forward a reward for you, and the reward from Allah is chambers in Paradise resembling the chambers of Ibrahim al-Khalil (peace be upon him); so which of you will help this poor man?" No one answered the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) was in one side of the mosque performing a recommended prayer, which he used to perform continually. He gestured to the bedouin man; so he drew near to him, and while in prayer he took off the ring from his finger and gave it to him. The bedouin left, and after sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) he was saying: "You are a master through whom it is hoped that Allah will establish the religion in this world. All five, among all creation, [are chosen], and you are the blessed ones among the worlds." Then Jibra'il came to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and called out: "Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! Your Lord sends His greeting to you and says: Recite: إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَ یُؤْتُونَ الزَّکاةَ وَ هُمْ راکِعُونَ وَ مَنْ یَتَوَلَّ اللهَ وَ رَسُولَهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا فَإِنَّ حِزْبَ اللهِ هُمُ الْغالِبُونَ [Only Allah is your Vali and His Apostle and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow. And whoever takes Allah, His Messenger and those who believe as guardians — indeed the party of Allah is the victorious]." At that, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) stood up on his feet and said: "O company of Muslims! Which of you today has done a good deed such that Allah has made him the guardian of every believer?" They said: "O Messenger of Allah! There is none among us who has done a good deed except your cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), for he gave his ring in charity to the bedouin while he was praying." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "The chambers of Paradise have been made obligatory for my cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him)." Then he recited this very verse to them. The people gave charity to that bedouin that day, and he turned back saying: "I am the friend of five concerning whom surahs were revealed: they are the people of [the surahs] Ta-Ha and Hal Ata; recite them and the news [about them] will become known to you. And [the surahs of] the Tawasin, and after them the Hawamim and az-Zumar. I love these ones and I am the enemy of whoever disbelieves [in them]."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): One of the heretics went to the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (peace be upon him), and said: "Were it not for the disagreements and contradictions in the Qur'an, I would surely have entered your religion." Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said to him: "What are you speaking of [where in the Qur'an is there disagreement and contradiction]?"... [The heretic said:] "And I find it saying: قُلْ إِنَّما أَعِظُکُمْ بِواحِدَةٍ [Say: I admonish you of one thing] (Saba/46). So what is this 'one thing'?"... The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "As for His statement, the Exalted: إِنَّما أَعِظُکُمْ بِواحِدَةٍ [I admonish you of one thing] (Saba/46) — Allah, blessed and exalted is His remembrance, sent down the injunctions of the laws and the signs of the obligations at different times, just as He created the heavens and the earth in six days. Had He willed to create them in less than the blink of an eye, He would have created them. But He made forbearance and patience an example for His trustees and a proof against His creation. So the first thing He bound them with was the acknowledgement of Oneness and Lordship, and the testimony that there is no god but Allah, the One. When they acknowledged that, He followed it with the acknowledgement of the prophethood of His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and the testimony to his messengership. When they submitted to this, He made obligatory upon them prayer, then fasting, then Hajj, then jihad, then zakat, then charity and what runs in its course — namely the fay' (spoils). The hypocrites said: 'Is there anything more remaining from your Lord upon us after what you have made obligatory upon us, that He has ordained? Then tell it to us, so that our souls may be at ease that nothing else remains.' Then Allah revealed regarding this: قُلْ إِنَّما أَعِظُکُمْ بِواحِدَةٍ [Say: I admonish you of one thing] (Saba/46), meaning wilayah. And He revealed: إِنَّمَا وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِینَ آمَنُواْ الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاَةَ وَیُؤْتُونَ الزَّکَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاکِعُونَ [Only Allah is your Vali and His Apostle and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow]. There is no disagreement among this ummah that on that day no one gave zakat while bowing except one man. Had his name been mentioned in the Book, it would surely have been removed along with what was removed of his mention. This verse and the symbols like it which I have mentioned to you were established firmly [in this manner] so that the distorters would not grasp its meaning, and so it would reach you and the likes of you. At that point Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, said: الْیَوْمَ أَکْمَلْتُ لَکُمْ دِینَکُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَیْکُمْ نِعْمَتِی وَرَضِیتُ لَکُمُ الإِسْلاَمَ دِینًا [This day I have perfected your religion for you and completed My favor upon you and chosen for you Islam as a religion]."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Ibn Abi Ya'fur said: I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "May I present to you my own understanding of the religion by which Allah has bound me?" The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "Present it." I said: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) is the Messenger of Allah, and I accept whatever he has brought from Allah." Then I enumerated the qualities of the Imams (peace be upon them) for him until I reached Imam Baqir (peace be upon him), and I said: "And concerning you I say what I said concerning them." Then he said: "I forbid you from spreading my name among the people." Aban narrated from Ibn Abi Ya'fur: I said this, together with the first statement, to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "I think that these are the ones about whom Allah says in the Quran: Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you (al-Nisa 4:59)." Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "Recite the other verse." I said: "May I be your ransom, which verse?" He said: "إِنَّمَا وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِینَ آمَنُوا الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَیُؤْتُونَ الزَّکَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاکِعُونَ [Only Allah is your Vali and His Apostle and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow]."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Zayd ibn Hamza: Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: Whoever loves Allah loves the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), and whoever loves the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) loves us, and whoever loves us loves our Shia; for the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and we and our Shia are of one nature, and in Paradise we do not hold as enemy the one who loves us, and we do not love the one who is our enemy. If you wish, recite: إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا... [Only Allah is your Vali and His Apostle and those who believe...]. Harith said: Allah has spoken truly. It was not revealed except concerning Ali (peace be upon him).

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Abdullah ibn Abi al-Hudhayl said: I asked him about the imamate: "In whom does the imamate reside, and what is the sign of the one who holds the station of imamate?" He said: "The guide to this matter, the proof over the believers, the one who stands with the affairs of the Muslims, the one who speaks by the Qur'an, and the one who knows the rulings, is the very brother of the Prophet of Allah, his successor over his ummah, his executor (wasi) over them, and his wali — the one who was to him in the position of Harun to Musa (peace be upon him); the one whose obedience is made obligatory by the word of Allah: 'O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you' (Nisa/59); and he is the one described by this word of Allah: إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَ یُؤْتُونَ الزَّکاةَ وَ هُمْ راکِعُونَ [Only Allah is your Vali and His Messenger and those who believe, those who keep up prayer and pay the zakat while they bow]; and he is the one to whom wilayah belongs, and whose imamate was established on the day of Ghadir Khumm by the word of the Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) from Allah: 'Am I not more entitled to you than you are to yourselves?' They said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Whoever's mawla I am, Ali (peace be upon him) is also his mawla. O Allah, befriend whoever befriends Ali, be an enemy to whoever is an enemy to Ali, and help whoever helps Ali.'"

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Zurarah said: I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about the verse: 'And they did not wrong Us, but they were wronging themselves' (Baqarah/57). He said: "Allah the Exalted is greater, more glorious, mightier and more unreachable than to be wronged, but He has placed Himself alongside us and joined us with Himself, and thus He has considered wronging us as wronging Himself and made our wilayah His wilayah, where He says: إِنَّمَا وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِینَ آمَنُوا [Only Allah is your Vali and His Messenger and those who believe] — meaning the Imams (peace be upon them) from among us. Then in another place He says: 'And they did not wrong Us, but they were wronging themselves' (Baqarah/57)."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Zurara and others narrate: Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, commanded His Messenger to [proclaim] the wilayah (guardianship) of Ali (peace be upon him), and revealed this verse to him: إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَ یُؤْتُونَ الزَّکاةَ [Only Allah is your Vali and His Apostle and those who believe, those who keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate], and He made obligatory the wilayah of the Ulu'l-Amr (those in authority), but they did not know what it was. So Allah commanded Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) to explain the wilayah for them, just as He had explained the prayer, zakat, fasting and Hajj for them. When this command came to him from Allah, the Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) became distressed on account of this command, and feared that they would turn back from their religion and would call him a liar. He became distressed and turned to his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic [meaning, he did not act on it at that time]. Then Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, revealed this verse to him: یَا أَیُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَیْکَ مِن رَّبِّکَ وَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ وَاللهُ یَعصِمُکَ مِنَ النَّاس [O Messenger! Deliver what has been sent down to you from your Lord; and if you do not, you will not have delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people]. So he submitted to the command of Allah. On the day of Ghadir Khumm, he gave the wilayah to Ali (peace be upon him), then he called out: "The prayer is a congregational gathering," and he commanded the people that those present should convey this matter to those who were absent.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Masruq said: I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "We speak with people and present the verse: 'Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you' (Nisa/59) as proof." They reply: "This verse was revealed concerning the commanders of the military expeditions." We present the verse: إِنَّمَا وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ [Only Allah is your Vali and His Messenger] and to the end of the verse as an argument, and they say: "It was revealed concerning the believers." We bring forward the verse: 'Say: I do not ask you for any reward for this [message] except love for [my] near relatives' (Shura/23), and they answer: "What is meant is the near relatives of the Muslims." Whatever of this kind of matter and the like I could remember, I brought up. He (peace be upon him) said: "If it is as you say, then invite them to mubahala (mutual invocation of a curse)."

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Rayyan narrates: Imam Rida (peace be upon him) argued with the scholars of the Ahl al-Sunnah about the virtue and rank of the family (‘itrah) of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), in the presence of Ma'mun, and he said... And likewise concerning the obligation of obedience, Allah has said: يا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا أَطِیعُوا اللهَ وَ أَطِیعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَ أُولِی الْأَمْرِ مِنْکُمْ [O you who believe, obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you]. (al-Nisa/59) So in this verse He began with Himself, then mentioned His Messenger, then the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet. And likewise in the verse of wilayah, Allah has said: إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا [Only Allah is your Vali and His Messenger and those who believe]; so He linked their obedience and wilayah, and the obedience and wilayah of the Messenger, to obedience and wilayah of Himself, just as in the verse of fay' and the verse of ghanimah He linked their share and the share of the Messenger to His own share. Tabarak Allah! How great is His blessing upon this Ahl al-Bayt.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Abd al-Malik said: I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about the verse: إِنَّما وَلِیُّکُمُ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاةَ [Only Allah is your Vali and His Messenger and those who believe, those who keep up prayer]: "Who are they?" He said: "They are the believers." I said: "People say it is Ali (peace be upon him)." He said: "Ali (peace be upon him) is also among them."