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I‘ve wondered if they could heal us (Wilayat Takwiniyyah?).I often hear of people being healed during a Ziyarah.

Allah has never left the earth, the habitation of earth and humanity without a leader. Everywhere, where their was a survival of human beings (a human society) of any kind, a Leader has come into place. A leader by every aspects needed according to the time. Here, comes the hierarchy of prophethood. How prophets are ranked? According to how big the responsibility is on their shoulders, size of community they have to deal with and other complex parameters. Other than prophets, even men are granted leadership. For example, Hazrat Zulqarnain. Even great men have played the role of a guide, for example, Ashab e Kahf. The most convenient example can be the leaders of our time and recent periods. Basically, we always have a leader who leads us to justice. This system where people are not left without a leader is called Nizaam e Wilayat (System of Leadership). Wali means leader. Here, I'm talking about Waliullah (Leader appointed by Allah). Now, what is this hierarchy? First of all, our absolute leader is Allah — 'Qul hu wallahu Ahad'. Only he. But in order to reveal his leadership, guidance, kindness, help etc. we need a system. This is why we need Nizaam e Wilaayat. Allah appoints prophets and Imams as our divine guides. These are those entities which bring the command of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) in the society. And because they are immune from error, they are irrefutable. Because they are irrefutable, they must be followed undisputedly. When they are followed undisputedly, it brings harmony and order in the social system like the system of military and defence. How disciplined they are! Because they have to follow the commandments in which there is no question and hence, no chaos. So, Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) and then his divine guides chosen from among people should be followed in a similar manner. After that there are other people too who are given this responsibility as an obligation or they achieve it through their hard work. Such leaders are refutable most of the times. Their work is only to pass the divine law, values and conjuctions of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) in the right way. They don't have to say anything from their own side. They are coordinators or minor leaders. For example, the scholars, the imam e Juma, Imams of mosques, parents. Their role is to spread the message. Pass it to impose the divine will. All the leaders should be obeyed. In order to obey Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) we need to obey his Wali irrespective of there ranks. But as per the nature of hierarchy, one supercedes the other. The ones refutable should connect their orders to the irrefutable ones (Ambiya/Aimmah). If they don't do so, respect them but don't obey them because here their order can be replaced by the order of ones above them. So, moving in a bottom to top order of leadership — Parents hold the first right to leadership, then Imam of the mosque, then Imam e Juma, then an appointee of your region — for example if someone holds the authority of wilaayat for a country or state. Then, the appointees closest to the wali e Asr or irrefutable Wali of your time. Then, the prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم). Then, Allah. Thus, this is the system of wilayat from the perspective of history and also from the perspective of region. Now, question comes up about woman? Question is genuine and begs an answer. Woman don't hold the position of leadership. They hold the role or responsibility but not the position on a larger level. Here, I'm talking about physical leadership. As an opinion, the female gender naturally seems to be a superior gender. It holds a lot of other major gigantic roles which can never be taken by men. Now, in a team, if the person who is extremely valuable and has a lots of roles to carry. Does it ever happens that such a person should also be burdened by this role of leadership? No. Secondly, men are by nature more stronger physically and because of their role in the society only, they are also more discrete and straight forward in thinking. Women are greatly attached to many things very closely. 'Lam yalid wa lamyulad' — Allah the absolute leader who is free from all attachments, would also like to give wilaayat to someone who is less prone to bending towards attachments. Now, I'm not saying that woman cannot hold this position. They certainly play this role but they are not given this position because of the other burdens on them. Women are leaders and this is undisputable. They are leaders ideologically, in a symbolic way and in the matters purely related to them. Like Mawla Ali (عليه السلام) is a man in portrayal. He will not teach or explain the roles solely related to woman. So, a woman needs a symbolic leader whose footsteps she can follow. A leader of heart who she can see as an example. A woman cannot step her foot in Imam Ali's (عليه السلام) shoe. She needs a woman for that. Who will tell her how to treat people? Who will make her aware about her own identity? Answer is : The ones who are the leaders of woman and the ones who have taken their legacy ahead. The one who can be called Sayyadatun Nisa il Alamin. It is Fatima tul Kubra, Khadija tul Gharra, Maryam e Muqaddas and all those who have carried their legacy ahead. These are the symbolic and ideological leaders of a woman. Take the concept of leader I said before and combine it with these leaders. Bibi Fatima (SA) is the leader of woman. A Woman should follow her until she becomes like her. Women have to say what she ordered them to say. Stand where she says 'Stand!'. Sit where she says 'sit!'. Her order is irrefutable. In order to become a perfect woman, a woman has to follow her. She should be an example and role model for woman. Now, how to follow her? Study about her. Find her traces in history. Try to understand why a woman who just lived so less (18 or 28) has become eternal in history. Don't we want such eternity. But for that women should struggle. They should struggle to get closer to her character. She is Imam of every woman. Though, only women are not bound to follow her but rather every human being but she is more important and specific for a woman. We should not only love her, but drive ourselves on her path. It is so bad that woman don't take her as there leader. They don't do hijab but lament for Hazrat Zainab. All this love is useless. In conclusion, It is crucial to study about Bibi Fatima (عليه السلام), Bibi Zainab (عليه السلام) and women in history similar to them. If women don't follow them, they have not attended completely to the message of Ghadeer. Traditional woman was submissive to oppression. Today's woman is herself an oppressor, heedless, worthless; who adores the fake beauty but can't perceive the character. Has no sense of self-sacrifice. A follower of Bibi Fatima is not actually like that. She has the ability to conquer the world but sacrifices herself to the duties given by Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى). She like Bibi Fatima (عليه السلام) uses her outer beauty, exploits it as a useful tool, sacrifices it with the sword of time and space, and burns it in the afflictions of this world. Why? To defend her inside. To bring her inner character. To shine her inner beauty. She kills her outside body in honor of the inside character and as a gift or sadaqah to create an ideal Islamic society. Such a woman is the Shia of Fatima (عليه السلام), Maryam, Hajra and all the noble names. Ghadeer for a woman (and muslims in general) is not only the acceptance of Mawla Ali (عليه السلام) as there Leader but also the acceptance and recognition of Hazrat Fatima (عليه السلام), the pure. Ghadeer is the only place which not only connects Imamate with nabuwwat but also resembles Islam as a political religion. Shame on us that we have accepted tyrants as leaders. We respect this worthless system of tyranny and are heedless about Nizaam e Wilaayat. If we really understand the message of ghadeer, we can never accept 'Taghut' to rule upon us. But we accept oppression. We are corrupt, top to bottom. The one who says that religion is separate from politics is neither aware of Religion, nor politics. Politics is bad because good people don't pay attention to it. Islam covers every dimension of life. But we don't follow Islam. We follow mawla Ali (عليه السلام) like Hindus follow Ram or Christians follow Jesus. We don't accept them as our leaders but rather as some holy figures who had a legacy. What is the use of wasting time on such personalities when we don't have to do anything with their character and leadership? Our leaders are our leaders in all aspects of life. And yes only these pure ones. You know the impact of ghadeer in politics? The banner of palestine is kept strongly by Shias only. Palestinians are Sunnis and so they asked help from their pretend leaders only. But they were duped, betrayed. They felt leaderless and forgotten many times. Because they didn't had a wise leader. Sometimes they even were deviated from there path. Muslims establish empires that caused bloodshed, were unjust and based on the old baseless system of monarchy like Ottomans, the Seljuks, Ghaznavis, Mughals etc. We as muslims feel insulted that these empires were muslim empires. If muslims had remembered Ghadir and accepted Nizaam e Wilaayat. All the administrations would have been called 'Islamic' Empires, not 'Muslim' Empires. People, irrespective of there faith, would have loved to take pride in such empires and rulers of Nizam e Wilaayat. Today, Iran is Iran because of Nizam e Wilaayat. In Lebanon, there is a Shia organisation, even some jews have supported it. A jewish scholar said, "They show courage, they show disciple." Where does this disciple come from. It comes from Nizam e Wilaayat (Leadership). Mawla Ali (عليه السلام) loved Bibi Fatima (عليه السلام). Respected daughters a lot. Our leaders were those who gave women opportunity, wings, a freedom to speak, to express but yes were strict in order to direct them in the right direction and in order to point them out. Just like a person having love for someone does. What we have done to this? In what way have we followed are leaders? Does leadership means celebrating a day for them, reciting poetries, eating delicious food? Do good to people this day. And say if someone asks, "My Leader Imam Ali, Imam Hussain. My leader Wali e Asr has taught me this. I am helping you as a tribute to my leader." Our leaders dealt with woman in a compassionate way. They loved them. Mawla Ali (عليه السلام) grieved and was in pain for what bibi Fatima (عليه السلام) had to endure. It is a matter of shame that we have never realised the honor of woman in such a manner. Even when they strictly commanded them or got angry, such treatment was in love because they wanted to direct them in a right direction.

Reading Time: 2 minutes Some Saudi Salafi scholars invited Allamah Amini ((رضي الله عنه).) – the author of the Al-Ghadeer, arguably the most decisive book on the event of Ghadeer – for dinner. However Allamah Amini ((رضي الله عنه).) turned down their invitation. They insisted that Allmah Amini ((رضي الله عنه).) accompany them. On insistence, Allmah Amini ((رضي الله عنه).) acceded to their request. However, he put a condition that there would be no discussion or debate over dinner. They agreed. After dinner, a Salafi scholar in the assembly (there were around 70-80 of them) attempted to initiate a discussion. However, Allamah Amini ((رضي الله عنه).) refused to be drawn into a debate. Some of them suggested that in order to increase divine blessings, every scholar in the gathering should narrate a tradition from the Holy Prophet ((صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم).a.) so that the gathering is illuminated through it. Those present there were are renowned traditionalists (Haafiz-e-hadees), a title conferred on those who have memorized at least a hundred thousand traditions. They started narrating traditions one by one until it was Allamah Amini’s ((رضي الله عنه).) turn. CLICK HERE FOR MORE STORIES Allamah Amini ((رضي الله عنه).) said – My condition for narrating the tradition is that when I have narrated the same, each one should confirm whether he considers this tradition authentic or not. All those present agreed. Thus Allamah Amini ((رضي الله عنه).) narrated the famous tradition of the Holy Prophet of Islam ((صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم).a.): قال رسول الله (صلوات الله علیه و آله ) : من مات و لم یعرف امام زمانه مات میته جاهلیه ‘One who dies without recognising the Imam of his time dies the death of ignorance.’ Thereafter he asked each and every person to testify the authenticity of the tradition. Everyone testified that the tradition was indeed authentic. Then Allamah Amini ((رضي الله عنه).) said: Now that you all accept this tradition, I have a question for each one of you: Did Fatima Zahra (s.a.) recognise the Imam of her time or not? And if she did, who was the Imam of Fatima Zahra (s.a.)? All the scholars present fell silent for a long time, with their heads bowed down. And since they didn’t have any reply, they began leaving the assembly one by one. Clearly they were in a fix. If they claim – she didn’t recognize (her Imam), then they are saying Fatima Zahra (s.a.) left the world in a state of disbelief (Allah forbid), and it is impossible that the Chief of all Women of the Worlds dies a disbeliever (Allah forbid)! If they say she did recognize (her Imam), then they have to find another Imam for her in place of Abu Bakr, since Bukhari (the most prominent scholar of Ahle Tasannun) says: ماتت و هي ساخته عليهما Fatima (s.a.) left the world in a state of intense anger at Abu Bakr (and Umar – as the narration says علیهما i.e. both of them) Since the Ahle Tasannun scholars were cornered and had no option but to testify to the legitimacy and leadership Ali b. Abi Talib ((عليه السلام).), they left the assembly with their heads hanging in shame.

Can someone elaborate on these two wilayat concepts Also on a video by sayed ammar, I head that both shia and sunni literature suggest that Imam Ali(عليه السلام) was able to place back the fingers of a thief after already cutting them. Can I please see sources

In the name of Allah, the most beneficent, the most merciful. *IN THE ADHAN The third Shahadah is something you will find never missed out in almost every single Adhan, so much so it is pretty much part of the Adhan. However, to examine the origins of the third Shahadah - and this may come as a shock to many- we need to look at our most eminent scholars who lived very close to the time of the Imams a.s, who would have been exposed to bidahs and deviance's. Now, some individuals are going to say: "It is not part of the adhan , we recite it for the intention of seeking nearness to Allah swt". Before i go on, let me add, i believe in wilayah, i believe in the twelve chosen imams of the ahlulbayt a.s, the preservers of the sunnah of Muhammed pbuh, and Ali a.s is the rightful successor of Muhammed pbuh as ordained by Allah swt. And therefore i want to copy what the Imams a.s did without adding innovations. Holy Quran: "And when it is said to them, "Follow what Allah has revealed," they say, "Rather, we will follow that which we found our fathers doing." Even though their fathers understood nothing, nor were they guided?" However, such a view is flawed on the following premises: 1. Why did our Imams a.s, nor their companions, nor our classical scholars ever adhere to this view, or ever were informed of the added benefit of reciting it ? 2. Why did our Imams a.s not add it with the intention it is not part of the adhan, and its to seek nearness to Allah swt? 3. The fact is the 3rd shahdah being added into the Adhan came from the ghulaat who were upon ghuluw - without a doubt we can give great historical weight to this statement, and it is even testified by our classical scholars. 4. So that begs the question, why are we still doing it? Chances are, if you lived among the great shia scholars in the past, you would have never added this in the Adhan and they would have forbidden it. You may be shocked at reading the following: Allaamah Hillee(The man who wrote works on Shiism, and Ibn Taymiyyah wrote his famous refutation Minhaaj as sunnah) One of our great classical scholars (d. 726 AH) has said about the 3rd testimony in the Adhaan and Iqaamah: و لا يجوز قول «إن عليا ولي اللَّه» و «آل محمد خير البرية» في فصول الآذان، لعدم مشروعيته "And it is NOT permissible to say إن عليا ولي اللَّه and آل محمد خير البرية since there is no ruling for it in the sharee'ah" Source:1. 'Allaamah Hilli, Nihaayah Al-aHkaam fee ma'rifah al-aHkaam, vol. 1, pg. 412 ere is what Al-Toosi (one of our great reported scholars) (d. 460 AH) had to say about the 3rd testimony in the adhaan. و أمّا ما روي في شواذّ الأخبار من قول: «أشهد انّ عليا وليّ اللّه و آل محمّد خير البريّة» فممّا لا يعمل عليه في الأذان و الإقامة. فمن عمل بها كان مخطئاTranslation: "The are some odd (shaadh) reports of saying أشهد انّ عليا وليّ اللّه and آل محمّد خير البريّة. You must NOT do it in the Adhaan and Iqaamah. And whoever does this action is in mukhTi (error)" Source:1. Al-Toosi, Al-Nihaayah fee Mujarrad Al-Fiqh wa Al-Fataawaa, pg. 69 Sheikh Al Sadooq is one of our great scholars! He lived not too long after the major occultation, and infact, living so close to the time of the Imams a.s relative to the others means he had the ability to see historically events, when they originated and so on. He testifies that the addition of the third Shahadah in Adhan has come from a form of Ghullah, and that may Allah swt curse them! Here is what Al-Sadooq (d. 381 AH) has said concerning the 3rd testimony. Here are his actual words. هَذَا هُوَ الْأَذَانُ الصَّحِيحُ لَا يُزَادُ فِيهِ وَ لَا يُنْقَصُ مِنْهُ وَ الْمُفَوِّضَةُ لَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ قَدْ وَضَعُوا أَخْبَاراً وَ زَادُوا فِي الْأَذَانِ مُحَمَّدٌ وَ آلُ مُحَمَّدٍ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَ فِي بَعْضِ رِوَايَاتِهِمْ بَعْدَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللَّهِ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ عَلِيّاً وَلِيُّ اللَّهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ رَوَى بَدَلَ ذَلِكَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ عَلِيّاً أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَقّاً مَرَّتَيْنِ وَ لَا شَكَّ فِي أَنَّ عَلِيّاً وَلِيُّ اللَّهِ وَ أَنَّهُ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَقّاً وَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً وَ آلَهُ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ وَ لَكِنْ لَيْسَ ذَلِكَ فِي أَصْلِ الْأَذَانِ وَ إِنَّمَا ذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِيُعْرَفَ بِهَذِهِ الزِّيَادَةِ الْمُتَّهَمُونَ بِالتَّفْوِيضِ الْمُدَلِّسُونَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ فِي جُمْلَتِنَاTranslation: "This is the Authentic / Correct (SaHeeH) adhaan; nothing is to be added or subtracted from it. The mufawwidah's (form of ghullah), may Allaah curse them, have fabricated traditions and have added to the adhaan مُحَمَّدٌ وَ آلُ مُحَمَّدٍ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ (Muhammad and the family of Muhammad are the best of mankind) twice. In some of their traditions, after saying أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللَّهِ (I bear witness that Muhammad is the Prophet of Allaah) (they add) أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ عَلِيّاً وَلِيُّ اللَّهِ (I bear witness that 'Alee is the Walee of Allaah) twice. Among them there are others who narrate this أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ عَلِيّاً أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (I bear witness that 'Alee is the commander of the faithfull) twice. There is NO doubt that 'Alee is the walee of God and that he is the true commander of the faithful and that Muhammad and his family, peace be upon them, are the best of creatures. However, that is not [part] of the original adhaan. I have mentioned this so that those who have been accused of concocting tafweed and have insulated themselves in our ranks should be known." Source:1. Al-Sadooq, Man Laa YaHduruh Al-Faqeeh, vol. 1, pg. 290 - 291 Credit to Nader Zaveri, a man accused of attacking shi'ism but himself is perhaps the biggest advocate for pure shi'ism:http://www.revivingalislam.com/2010/06/3rd-testimony-in-adhaan-and-iqaamah.html An Ayatullah who is among the ranks of a marajah himself giving the following Fatawah(Modern day Fatwa's) Grand Ayatullah Sheikh Muhammed Hussain Najafi Grand Ayatollah Allama Shaikh Muhammad Hussain Najafi (Arabic/Persian/Urdu/Punjabi: آية الله العظمی علامہ الشیخ محمد حسین النجفي) (born April 1932) is a Twelver Shi'i alim from Pakistan and has been elevated to the status ofmarjiyyat. At present, there are two maraji of Pakistani descent, the other one Basheer Hussain Najafi. As Basheer Hussain Najafi has chosen to reside in Najaf, Iraq, Muhammad Hussain Najafi is the only marja' on Pakistani soil, running a Hawza in Sargodha.[1] He was included in the lists "The 500 Most Influential Muslims" for the years 2010 and 2011 Question # 1: Why is it not permitted by you to say "Ali-un-Waliullah" in azan? If we don’t say this, what is the difference between us and the others? Answer: It is established through all Shia books of Hadith, Fiqh, etc. that the azaan which was made a creed by Allah, which Allah then revealed through Jibrail (as) to the Holy Prophet (SAWAW), which the Prophet (SAWAW) first taught to Hazrat Ali (as), which Hazrat Ali (as) then taught to Hazrat Bilal (ra) and he continued to pronounce it until the demise of the Holy Prophet (SAWAW), that azaan consisted of 18 sentences i.e. this sentence was not included in it. It was the azaan which the Imams of Ahl-e-Bait (as), starting from Hazrat Imam Ali (as) until the Ghaibat-e-Kubra of Hazrat Imam Mahdi (as), used to pronounce and let others pronounce. Therefore, we also pronounce the same azaan. As far as difference with others is concerned, the difference of "Hayya ala khair-il-amal" is enough. For us it is an integral part of azaan, while the Sunni brothers have excluded it from azaan. http://www.sibtain.com/en/Questions_Answers_Azan.aspx I will look at what Grand Ayatullah Fadllulah r.a said too and post it inshAllah

Are there sunni hadith about the wilayat of Imam Amir ul mumineen (as) that are free from any shia in their chain of transmissions

Can someone provide me with a SAHIH sunni chain of ali(as) giving zakat while in ruku. http://www.shiapen.com/comprehensive/verse-wilayah/analysing-chains-narrations.html ALL OF THESE HADITH were discovered to be weak by Wahabi Ccan someone please find me just one with a sahih chain, not disconnected and is on the authority of a prominent sunni companions

PROPHET'S HISTORIC GHADlR SERMON There is a humble translation of the Prophet's historic Ghadir Khumm sermon. The reader can review the original Arabic text included in this book. All Praise is due to Allah Who is Exalted in His Unity, Near in His Uniqueness, Sublime in His Authority, Magnanimous in His Dominance. He knows everything; He subdues all creation through His might and evidence. He is Praised always and forever, Glorified and has no end. He begins and He repeats, and to Him every matter is referred. Allah is the Creator of everything; He dominates with His power the earth and the heavens. Holy, He is, and Praised, the Lord of the angels and of the spirits. His favours overwhelm whatever He creates, and He is the Mighty over whatever He initiates. He observes all eyes while no eye can observe Him. He is Generous, Clement, Patient. His mercy encompasses everything, and so is His giving. He never rushes His revenge, nor does He hasten the retribution they deserve. He comprehends what the breast conceals and what the conscience hides. No inner I thought can be concealed from Him, nor does He confuse one with another. He encompasses everything, dominates everything, and subdues everything. Nothing is like Him. He initiates the creation from nothing; He is everlasting, living, sustaining in the truth; there is no god but He, the Omnipotent, the Wise One. He is greater than can be conceived by visions, while He conceives all visions, the Eternal, the Knowing. None can describe Him by seeing Him, nor can anyone find out how He is, be it by his intellect or by a spoken word except through what leads to Him, the Sublime, the Mighty that He is. I testify that He is Allah, the One Who has filled time with His Holiness, the One Whose Light overwhelms eternity, Who effects His will without consulting anyone; there is no partner with Him in His decisions, nor is He assisted in running His affairs. He shaped what He made without following a preexisting model, and He created whatever He created without receiving help from anyone, nor did doing so exhaust Him nor frustrated His designs. He created, and so it was, and He initiated, and it became visible. So He is Allah, the One and Only God, the One Who does whatever He does extremely well. He is the Just One Who never oppresses, the most Holy to Whom all affairs are referred. I further testify that He is Allah before Whom everything is humbled, to Whose Greatness everything is humiliated, and to Whose Dignity everything submits. He is the King of every domain and the One Who places planets in their orbits. He controls the movements of the sun and of the moon, each circles till a certain time. He makes the night follow the day and the day follow the night, seeking it incessantly. He splits the spine of every stubborn tyrant and annihilates every mighty devil. Never has there been any opponent opposing Him nor a peer assisting Him. He is Independent; He never begets nor is He begotten, and none can ever be His equal. He is One God, the Glorified Lord. His will is done; His word is the law. He knows, so He takes account. He causes death and gives life. He makes some poor and others rich. He causes some to smile and others to cry .He brings some nearer to Him while distancing others from Him. He withholds and He gives. The domain belongs to Him and so is all the Praise. In His hand is all goodness, and He can do anything at all. He lets the night cover the day and the day cover the night; there is no god but He, the Sublime, the oft-Forgiving One. He responds to the supplication; He gives generously; He computes the breath; He is the Lord of the jinns and of mankind, the One Whom nothing confuses, nor is He annoyed by those who cry for His help, nor is He fed-up by those who persist. He safeguards the righteous against sinning, and He enables the winners to win. He is the Master of the faithful, the Lord of the Worlds Who deserves the appreciation of all those whom He created and is praised no matter what. I praise Him and always thank Him for the ease He brings me and for the constriction, in hardship and in prosperity, and I believe in Him, in His angels, in His Books and messengers. I listen to His Command and I obey, and I initiate the doing of whatever pleases Him, and I submit to His decree hoping to acquire obedience to Him and fear of His penalty, for He is Allah against Whose designs nobody should feel secure, nor should anyone ever fear His "oppression." I testify, even against my own soul, that I am His servant, and I bear witness that he is my Lord. I convey what He reveals to me, being cautious lest I should not do it, so a catastrophe from Him would befall upon me, one which none can keep away, no matter how great his design may be and how sincere his friendship. There is no god but He, for He has informed me that if I do not convey what He has just revealed to me in honor of' Ali in truth, I will not have conveyed His Message at all, and He, the Praised and the Exalted One, has guaranteed for me to protect me from the (evil) people, and He is Allah, the One Who suffices, the Sublime. He has just revealed to me the following (verse): In The Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. O Messenger! Convey what has (just) been revealed to you (with regard to 'Ali), and if you do not do so, you will not have conveyed His Message at all, and Allah shall Protect you from (evil) people; surely Allah will not guide the unbelieving people.(Qur'an, 5:67) O people! I have not committed any shortcoming in conveying what Allah Almighty revealed to me, and I am now going to explain to you the reason behind the revelation of this verse: Three times did Gabriel command me on behalf of the Peace, my Lord, Who is the source of all peace, to thus make a stand in order to inform everyone, black and white, that: ' Ali ibn Abu Talib is my Brother, Wasi, and successor over my nation and the Imam after me, the one whose status to me is like that of Aaron to Moses except there will be no prophet after me, and he is your master next only to Allah and to His Messenger, and Allah has already revealed to me the same in one of the fixed verses1 of His Book saying, "Your Master is Allah and His Messenger and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay zakat even as they bow down" (Qur'an, 5:55), and, Ali ibn Abu Talib the one who keeps up prayers, who pays zakat even as he bows down, seeking to please Allah, the Sublime, the Almighty, on each and every occasion. I asked Gabriel to plead to the Peace to excuse me from having to convey such a message to you, O 1 Fixed verses are those which are never abrogated; the injunction(s) they contain remain valid forever. people, due to my knowledge that the pious are few1 while the hypocrites are many, and due to those who will blame me, and due to the trickery of those who ridicule Islam and whom Allah described in His Book as saying with their tongues contrarily to what their hearts conceal, thinking lightly of it, while it is with Allah magnanimous, and due to the abundance of their harm to me, so much so that they called me "ears" and claimed that I am so because of being so much in his (' Ali's) company, always welcoming him, loving him and being so much pleased with him till Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime One, revealed in this regard the verse saying: " And there are some of them who harm the (feelings of the) Prophet and say: He is an ear (uthun; i.e. he always listens to' Ali). 1 The pious are always few in any age or time, creed or faith or clime,in any place, in every space. As many as 72 verses in the Holy Qur'an condemnthe majority, praising the minority, underscoring what mankind knew, that thepious are always few. Indeed, the Prophet's statement is quite weighty, wise,terse, and not hasty. Nowadays, only a few pious ones remember this historic sermon and try their best to keep its memory alive. Yes; it is true, the pious are always few ... Say: One who listens (to' Ali) is good for you; He believes in Allah and testifies to the conviction of the believers and a mercy for those of you who believe; and those who (thus ) harm the Messenger of Allah shall have a painful punishment" (Qur'an, 9:61). Had I wished to name those who have called me so, I would have called them by their names, and I would have pointed them out. I would have singled them out and called them by what they really are, but I, by Allah, am fully aware of their affairs. Yet despite all of that, Allah insisted that I should convey what He has just revealed to me in honor of' Ali. Then the Prophet recited the following verse:) O Messenger! Convey what has (just) been revealed to you (with regard to 'Ali), and if you do not do so, you will not have conveyed His Message at all, and Allah shall protect you from (evil) people. (Qur'an, 5:67) O people! Comprehend (the implications of) what I have just said, and again do comprehend it, and be (further) informed that Allah has installed him (' Ali) as your Master and Imam, obligating the Muhajirun and the Ansar and those who follow them in goodness to obey him, and so must everyone who lives in the desert or in the city, who is a non-Arab or an Arab, who is a free man or a slave, who is young or old, white or black, and so should everyone who believes in His Unity. His decree shall be carried out. His (' Ali's) word is binding; his command is obligating; cursed is whoever opposes him, blessed with mercy is whoever follows him and believes in him, for Allah has already forgiven him and forgiven whoever listens to him and obeys him. O people! This is the last stand I make in such a situation; so, listen and obey, and submit to the Command of Allah, your Lord, for Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime One, is your Master and Lord, then next to Him is His Messenger and Prophet who is now addressing you, then after me 'Ali is your Master and Imam according to the Command of Allah, your Lord, then the lmams from among my progeny, his offspring, till the Day you meet Allah and His Messenger. Nothing is permissible except what is deemed so by Allah, His Messenger, and they (the Imams), and nothing is prohibitive except what is deemed so by Allah and His Messenger and they (the Imams). Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime One, has made me acquainted with what is permissible and what is prohibitive, and I have conveyed to you what my Lord has taught me of His Book, of what it decrees as permissible or as prohibitive. O people! Prefer him (' Ali) over all others! There is no knowledge except that Allah has divulged it to me, and all the knowledge I have learned I have divulged to Imam al-Muttaqin (leader of the righteous), and there is no knowledge (that I know) except that I divulged it to' Ali, and he is al-Imam al-Mubin (the evident Imam) whom Allah mentions in Surat ya-Sin: "... and everything We have computed is in (the knowledge of) an evident Imam" (Qur'an, 36:12). O people! Do not abandon him, nor should you flee away from him, nor should you be too arrogant to accept his authority, for he is the one who guides to righteousness and who acts according to it. He defeats falsehood and prohibits others from acting according to it, accepting no blame from anyone while seeking to please Allah. He is the first to believe in Allah and in His Messenger; none preceded him as such. And he is the one who offered his life as a sacrifice for the Messenger of Allah and who was in the company of the Messenger of Allah while no other man was. He is the first of all people to offer prayers and the first to worship Allah with me. I ordered him, on behalf of Allah, to sleep in my bed, and he did, offering his life as a sacrifice for my sake. O people! Prefer him (over all others), for Allah has preferred him, and accept him, for Allah has appointed him (as your leader). O people! He is an Imam appointed by Allah, and Allah shall never accept the repentance of anyone who denies his authority, nor shall He forgive him; this is a must decree from Allah never to do so to anyone who opposes him, and that He shall torment him with a most painful torment for all time to come, for eternity; so, beware lest you should oppose him and thus enter the fire the fuel of which is the people and the stones prepared for the unbelievers. O people! By Allah! All past prophets and messengers conveyed the glad tiding of my advent, and I, by Allah, am the seal of the prophets and of the messengers and the argument against all beings in the heavens and on earth. Anyone who doubts this commits apostasy similar to that of the early jahiliyya, and anyone who doubts anything of what I have just said doubts everything which has been revealed to me, and anyone who doubts any of the Imams doubts all of them, and anyone who doubts us shall be lodged in the fire. O people! Allah, the most Exalted and the Almighty, has bestowed this virtue upon me out of His kindness towards' Ali and as a boon to' Ali and there is no god but He; to Him all praise belongs in all times, for eternity, and in all circumstances. O people! Prefer' Ali (over all others), for he is the very best of all people after me, be they males or females, so long as Allah sends down His sustenance, so long as there are beings. Cursed and again cursed, condemned and again condemned, is anyone who does not accept this statement of mine and who does not agree to it. Gabriel himself has informed me of the same on behalf of Allah Almighty Who he said (in Gabriel's words): " Anyone who antagonizes' Ali and refuses to accept his wilayat shall incur My curse upon him and My wrath." "... and let every soul consider what it has sent forth for the morrow, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah" (Qur'an, 59:18), "And do not make your oaths a means of deceit between you lest a foot should slip after its stability" (Qur'an, 16:94), " Allah is fully aware of all what you do" (Qur'an, 58: 13). O people! He (' Ali) is janb-Allah mentioned in the Book of Allah, the Sublime One: The Almighty, forewarning his (' Ali's) adversaries, says, "Lest a soul should say: O woe unto me for what I fell short of my duty to Allah, and most surely I was of those who laughed to scorn" (Qur'an, 39:56). O people! Study the Qur'an and comprehend its verses, look into its fixed verses and do not follow what is similar thereof, for by Allah, none shall explain to you what it forbids you from doing, nor clarify its exegesis, other than the one whose hand I am taking and whom I am lifting to me, the one whose arm I am taking and whom I am lifting, so that I may enable you to understand that: Whoever among you takes me as his master, this, Ali is his master, and he is' Ali ibn Abu Talib, my Brother and wasi, and his appointment as your wali is from Allah, the Sublime, the Exalted One, a commandment which He revealed to me. O people! ' Ali and the good ones from among my offspring from his loins are the Lesser Weight, while the Qur'an is the Greater One: each one of them informs you of and agrees with the other. They shall never part till they meet me at the Pool (of Kawthar). They are the Trustees of Allah over His creation, the rulers on His earth. Indeed now I have performed my duty and conveyed the Message. Indeed you have heard what I have said and explained. Indeed Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime, has said, and so have Ion behalf of Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime, that there is no Ameerul-Mo'mineen (Commander of the Faithful) save this Brother of mine; no authority over a believer is permissible after me except to him. Then the Prophet patted ' Ali's arm, lifting him up. Since the time when the Messenger of Allah ascended the pulpit, Ameerul-Mo'mineen was one pulpit step below where the Messenger of Allah had seated himself on his pulpit, while' Ali was on his (Prophet's) right side, one pulpit step lower, now they both appeared to the gathering to be on the same level; the Prophet lifted him up. The Prophet then raised his hands to the heavens in supplication while' Ali's leg was touching the knee of the Messenger of Allah. The Prophet continued his sermon thus: O people! This is' Ali, my Brother, Wasi, the one who comprehends my knowledge, and my successor over my nation, over everyone who believes in me. He is the one entrusted with explaining the Book of Allah, the most Exalted One, the Sublime, and the one who invites people to His path. He is the one who does whatever pleases Him, fighting His enemies, befriending His friends who obey Him, prohibiting disobedience to Him. He is the successor of the Messenger of Allah and Ameerul- Mo'mineen, the man assigned by Allah to guide others, killer of the renegades and of those who believe in equals to Allah, those who violate the Commandments of Allah. Allah says, "My Word shall not be changed, nor am I in the least unjust to the servants" (Qur'an, 50.29), and by Your Command, O Lord, do I (submit and) say, O Allah! Befriend whoever befriends him (Ali) and be the enemy of whoever antagonizes him; support whoever supports him and abandon whoever abandons him; curse whoever disavows him, and let Your Wrath descend on whoever usurps his right. O Lord! You revealed a verse in honor of' Ali, Your wali, in its explanation and to effect Your own appointment of him this very day did You say, "This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour on you, and chosen for you Islam as a religion" (Qur'an, 5.3); "And whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted from him, and in the hereafter he shall be one of the losers" (Qur'an, 3:85). Lord! I implore You to testify that I have conveyed (Your Message). O people! Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, has perfected your religion through his (' Ali's) Imamate; so, whoever rejects him as his Imam or rejects those of my offspring from his loins who assume the same status (as lmams) till the Day of Judgment when they shall all be displayed before Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, these are the ones whose (good) deeds shall be nil and void in the life of this world and in the hereafter, and in the fire shall they be lodged forever, " ...their torture shall not be decreased, nor shall they be given a respite" (Qur'an,2:162). O people! Here is' Ali, the one who has supported me more than anyone else among you, the one who most deserves my gratitude, the one who is closest of all of you to me and the one who is the very dearest to me. Both Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, and I are pleased with him, and no verse of the Holy Qur'an expressing Allah's Pleasure except that he is implied therein, nor has any verse of praise been revealed in the Qur'an except that he is implied therein, nor has the Lord testified to Paradise in the (Qur'anic) Chapter starting with "Has there not come over man a long period of time when he was nothing (not even) mentioned?" (Qur'an, 76:1) nor was this Chapter revealed except in his praise. O people! He is the one who supports the religion of Allah, who argues on behalf of the Messenger of Allah. He is the pious, the pure, the guide, the one rightly guided. Your Prophet is the best of all prophets, and your wasi is the best of all wasis, and his offspring are the best of wasis . O people! Each prophet's progeny is from his own loins whereas mine is from the loins of Arneerul-Mo'mineen ' Ali. O people! Iblis caused Adam to be dismissed from the garden through envy; so, do not envy him lest your deeds should be voided and lest your feet should slip away, for Adam was sent down to earth after having committed only one sin, and he was among the elite of Allah's creation. How, then, will be your case, and you being who you are, and among you are enemies of Allah? Indeed, none hates' Ali except a wretch, and none accepts ' Ali's wilayat except a pious person. None believes in him except a sincere mu'min, and in honor of, Ali was the Chapter of 'Asr (Ch. 103) revealed, I swear to it by Allah: "In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. I swear by time that most surely man is in loss" (Qur'an, 103:1-2) except' Ali who believed and was pleased with the truth and with perseverance. O people! I have sought Allah to be my Witness and have conveyed my Message to you, and the Messenger is obligated only to clearly convey (his Message). O people! " Fear Allah as Re ought to be feared, and do not die except as Muslims" (Qur'an, 3:102). O people! " ...Believe in what We have revealed, verifying what you have, before We alter faces then turn them on their backs or curse them as We cursed the violators of the Sabbath" (Qur'an, 4:47). By Allah! Redid not imply anyone in this verse except a certain band of my sahaba whom I know by name and by lineage, and I have been ordered (by my Lord) to pardon them; so, let each person deal with ' Ali according to what he finds in his heart of love or of hatred. O people! The noor from Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime, flows through me then through ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib then in the progeny that descends from him till al-Qa'imal-Mehdi, who shall effect the justice of Allah, and who will take back any right belonging to us because Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, made us Hujjat over those who take us lightly, the stubborn ones, those who act contrarily to our word, who are treacherous, who are sinners, who are oppressors, who are usurpers, from the entire world. O people! I warn you that I am the Messenger of Allah; messengers before me have already passed away; so, should I die or should I be killed, are you going to turn upon your heels? And whoever turns upon his heels shall not harm Allah in the least, and Allah shall reward those who are grateful, those who persevere. 'Ali is surely the one described with perseverance and gratitude, then after him are my offspring from his loins. O people! Do not think that you are doing me a favour by your accepting Islam. Nay! Do not think that you are doing Allah such a favour lest He should void your deeds, lest His wrath should descend upon you, lest He should try you with a flame of fire and brass; surely your Lord is ever-watchful. O people! There shall be Imams after me who shall invite people to the fire, and they shall not be helped on the Day of Judgment. O people! Allah and I are both clear of them. O people! They and their supporters and followers shall be in the lowest rung of the fire; miserable, indeed, is the resort of the arrogant ones. Indeed, these are the folks of the sahifa; so, let each one of you look into his sahifa! This reference to the sahifa has been overlooked by most people with the exception of a small band, and we will, Insha-Allah, shed a light on this sahifa later on. The Prophet continued his historic sermon thus: O people! I am calling for it to be an Imamate and a succession confined to my offspring till the Day of Judgment, and I have conveyed only what I have been commanded (by my Lord) to convey to drive the argument home against everyone present or absent and on everyone who has witnessed or who has not, who is already born or he is yet to be born; therefore, let those present here convey it to those who are absent, and let the father convey it to his son, and so on till the Day of Judgment. And they shall make the Imamate after me a property, a usurpation; may Allah curse the usurpers who usurp1, and it is then that you, O jinns and mankind, will get the full attention of the One Who shall cause a flame of fire and brass to be hurled upon you, and you shall not achieve any victory! O people! Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, is not to let you be whatever you want to be except so that He may distinguish the bad ones from among you from the good, and Allah is not to make you acquainted with the unknown. O people! There shall be no town that falsifies except that Allah shall annihilate it on account of its falsehood before the Day of Judgment, and He shall give al-lmam al-Mehdi (U authority over it, and surely Allah's promise is true. 1 This is surely a Prophetic prediction that' Ali's right to the caliphate would be usurped. The usurpers were the very first to swear the oath of allegiance to Ameerul-Mo'mineen ' Ali and the very first to violate it. O people! Most of the early generations before you have strayed, and by Allah, He surely annihilated the early generations, and He shall annihilate the later ones. Allah Almighty has said, "Did We not destroy the former generations? Then did We follow them up with later ones. Even thus shall We deal with the guilty. Woe on that Day to the rejecters!" (Qur'an, 77: 16-19). O people! Allah has ordered me to do and not to do, and I have ordered 'Ali to do and not to do, so he learned what should be done and what should not; therefore. you should listen to his orders so that you may be safe, and you should obey him so that you may be rightly guided. Do not do what he forbids you from doing so that you may acquire wisdom. Agree with him, and do not let your paths be different from his. O people! I am al-Sirat al-Mustaqeem (the Straight Path) of Allah whom He commanded you to follow, and it is after me 'Ali then my offspring from his loins, the Imams of Guidance: they guide to the truth and act accordingly. Then the Prophet recited the entire text of Surat al-Fatiha and commented by saying: It is in my honor that this (Sura) was revealed, including them (the Imams) specifically; they are the friends of Allah for whom there shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve; truly the Party of Allah are the winners. Indeed, it is their enemies who are the impudent ones, the deviators, the brethren of Satan; they inspire each other with embellished speech out of their haughtiness. Indeed, their (Imams') friends are the ones whom Allah, the Exalted One, the Great, mentions in His Book saying, "You shall not find a people who believe in Allah and in the latter Day befriending those who act in opposition to Allah and to His Prophet, even though they may be their own fathers or sons or brothers or kinsfolk; these are they into whose hearts He has impressed conviction" (Qur'an, 58:22). Indeed, their (Imams') friends are the mu'mins (believers) whom Allah, the Exalted One, the Sublime, describes as: "Those who believe and do not mix up their faith with iniquity, those are the ones who shall have the security, and they are the rightly guided" (Qur'an, 6:82). Indeed, their friends are those who believed and never doubted. Indeed, their friends are the ones who shall enter Paradise in peace and security; the angels shall receive them with welcome saying, "Peace be upon you! Enter it and reside in it forever!" Indeed, their friends shall be rewarded with Paradise where they shall be sustained without having to account for anything. Indeed, their enemies are the ones who shall be hurled into the fire. Indeed, their enemies are the ones who shall hear the exhalation of hell as it increases in intensity, and they shall see it sigh. Indeed, their enemies are the ones thus described by Allah: "Whenever a nation enters, it shall curse its sister..." (Qur'an, 7:38). Indeed, their enemies are the ones whom Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime, describes thus: "Whenever a group is cast into it, its keepers shall ask them: Did any warner not come to you? They shall say: Yea! Indeed, there came to us a warner but we rejected (him) and said: Allah has not revealed anything; you are only in a great error. And they shall say: Had we but listened or pondered, we would not have been among the inmates of the burning fire. So they shall acknowledge their sins, but far will be forgiveness) from the inmates of the burning fire" (Qur'an, 67:8-11). Indeed, their friends are the ones who fear their Lord in the unseen; forgiveness shall be theirs and a great reward. O people! What a difference it is between the fire and the great reward! . O people! Our enemy is the one whom Allah censures and curses, whereas our friend is everyone praised and loved by Allah. O people! I am the Warner (nathir) and' Ali is the one who brings glad tidings (bashir). O people! I am the one who warns (munthir) while 'Ali is the guide (hadi). O people! I am a Prophet (nabi) and' Ali is the successor (wasi). O people! I am a Messenger (rasul) and' Ali is the Imam and the Wasi after me, and so are the Imams after him from among his offspring. Indeed, I am their father, and they shall descend from his loins. Indeed, the seal of the lmams from among us is al-Qa'im al-Mehdi. He, indeed, is the one who shall come out so that the creed may prevail. He, indeed, is the one who shall seek revenge against the oppressor. He, indeed, is the one who conquers the forts and demolishes them. He, indeed, is the one who subdues every tribe from among the people of polytheism and the one to guide it. He is the one who shall seek redress for all friends of Allah. He is the one who supports the religion of Allah. He ever derives (his knowledge) from a very deep ocean. He shall identify each man of distinction by his distinction and every man of ignorance by his ignorance. He shall be the choicest of Allah's beings and the chosen one. He is the heir of all (branches of) knowledge, the one who encompasses every perception. He conveys on behalf of his Lord, the Exalted and the Sublime, who points out His miracles. He is the wise, the one endowed with wisdom, the one upon whom (Divine) authority is vested. Glad tidings of him have been conveyed by past generations, yet he is the one who shall remain as a Hujja, and there shall be no Hujja after him nor any right except with him, nor any noor except with him. None, indeed, shall subdue him, nor shall he ever be vanquished. He is the friend of Allah on His earth, the judge over His creatures, the custodian of what is evident and what is hidden of His. O people! I have explained (everything) for you and enabled you to comprehend it, and this 'Ali shall after me explain everything to you. At the conclusion of my khutba, I shall call upon you to shake hands with me to swear your allegiance to him and to recognize his authority, then to shake hands with him after you have shaken hands with me. I had, indeed, sworn allegiance to Allah, and ‘Ali had sworn allegiance to me, and I on behalf of Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime, I require you to swear the oath of allegiance to him: "Surely those who swear (the oath of) allegiance to you do but swear allegiance to Allah; the hand of Allah is above their hands; therefore, whoever reneges (from his oath), he reneges only to the injury of his own soul, and whoever fulfills what he has covenanted with Allah, He will grant him a mighty reward" (Qur'an,48:10). O people! The pilgrimage (hajj) and the 'umra are among Allah's rituals; "So whoever makes a pilgrimage to the House or pays a visit (to it), there is no blame on him if he goes round them [safa and Marwa] both" (Qur'an, 2:158). O people! Perform your pilgrimage to the House, for no members of a family went there except that they became wealthy, and receive glad tidings! None failed to do so except that their lineage was cut-off and were impoverished. O people! No believer stands at the standing place [at 'Arafa] except that Allah forgives his past sins till then; so, once his pilgrimage is over, he resumes his deeds. O people! Pilgrims are assisted, and their expenses shall be replenished, and Allah never suffers the rewards of the doers of good to be lost. O people! Perform your pilgrimage to the House by perfecting your religion and by delving into fiqh, and do not leave the sacred places except after having repented and abandoned (the doing of anything prohibited). O people! Uphold prayers and pay the zakat as Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime, commanded you; so, if time lapses and you were short of doing so or you forgot, ' Ali is your wali and he will explain for you. He is the one whom Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, appointed for you after me as the custodian of Hiscreation. He is from me and I am from him, and he and those who will succeed him from my progeny shall inform you of anything you ask them about, and they shall clarify whatever you do not know. Halal and haram things are more than I can count for you now or explain, for a commandment to enjoin what is permissible and a prohibition from what is not permissible are both on the same level, so I was ordered (by my Lord) to take your oath of allegiance and to make a covenant with you to accept what I brought you from Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime, with regards to' Ali Ameerul-Mo'mineen and to the wasis after him who are from me and from him, a standing Imamate whose seal is al-Mehdi till the Day he meets Allah Who decrees and Who judges. O people! I never refrained from informing you of everything permissible or prohibitive; so, do remember this and safeguard it and advise each other to do likewise; do not alter it; do not substitute it with something else. I am now repeating what I have already said: Uphold the prayers and pay the zakat and enjoin righteousness and forbid abomination. The peak of enjoining righteousness is to resort to my speech and to convey it to whoever did not attend it and to order him on my behalf to accept it and to (likewise) order him not to violate it, for it is an order from Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, and there is no knowledge of enjoining righteousness nor prohibiting abomination except that it is with a ma'soom Imam. 0 people! The Qur'an informs you that the Imams after him are his (' Ali's) descendants, and I have already informed you that they are from me and from him, for Allah says in His Book, " And he made it a word to continue in his posterity so that they may return " (Qur'an, 43:28) while I have said: "You shall not stray as long as you uphold both of them (simultaneously)." O people! (Uphold) piety, (uphold) piety, and be forewarned of the Hour as Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, has said, "0 people! Guard (yourselves) against (punishment from) your Lord; surely the violence of the Hour is a grievous thing" (Qur'an, 22:1). Remember death, resurrection, the judgment, the scales, and the account before the Lord of the Worlds, and (remember) the rewards and the penalty. So whoever does a good deed shall be rewarded for it, and whoever commits a sin shall have no place in the Gardens. O people! You are more numerous than (it is practical) to shake hands with me all at the same time, and Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, commanded me to require you to confirm what authority I have vested upon 'Ali Ameerul-Mo'mineen and to whoever succeeds him of the Imams from me and from him, since I have just informed you that my offspring are from his loins. You, therefore, should say in one voice: "We hear, and we obey; we accept and we are bound by what you have conveyed to us from our Lord and yours with regard to our Imam' Ali (V' Ameerul-Mo'mineen, and to the Imams, your sons from his loins. We swear the oath of allegiance to you in this regard with our hearts, with our souls, with our tongues, with our hands. According to it shall we live, and according to it shall we die, and according to it shall we be resurrected. We shall not alter anything or substitute anything with another, nor shall we doubt nor deny nor suspect, nor shall we violate our covenant nor abrogate the pledge. You admonished us on behalf of Allah with regard to' Ali (V' Ameerul-Mo'mineen, and to the Imams whom you mentioned to be from your offspring from among his descendants after him: al-Hasan and al-Husain and to whoever is appointed (as such) by Allah after them. The covenant and the pledge are taken from us, from our hearts, from our souls, from our tongues, from our conscience, from our hands. Whoever does so by his handshake, it shall be so, or otherwise testified to it by his tongue, and we do not seek any substitute for it, nor shall Allah see our souls deviating there from. We shall convey the same on your behalf to anyone near and far of our offspring and families, and we implore Allah to testify to it, and surely Allah suffices as the Witness and you, too, shall testify for us." O people! What are you going to say?! Allah knows every sound and the innermost of every soul; "Whoever chooses the right guidance, it is for his own soul that he is rightly guided, and whoever strays, it is only to its detriment that he goes astray" (Qur'an, 17:15). O people! Swear the oath of allegiance to Allah, and swear it to me, and swear it to' Ali Ameerul-Mo'mineen, and to al-Hasan and al-Husain and to the Imams from their offspring in the life of this world and in the hereafter, a word that shall always remain so. Allah shall annihilate anyone guilty of treachery and be merciful upon everyone who remains true to his word: "Whoever reneges (from his oath), he reneges only to the harm of his own soul, and whoever fulfills what he has covenanted with Allah, He will grant him a mighty reward" (Qur'an, 48:10) O people! Repeat what I have just told you to, and greet' Ali with the title of authority of "Ameerul-Mo'mineen" and say: "We hear, and we obey, O Lord! Your forgiveness (do we seek), and to You is the eventual course" (Qur'an, 2:285), and you should say: "All praise is due to Allah Who guided us to this, and we would not have found the way had it not been for Allah Who guided us" (Qur'an, 7:43). O people! The merits of' Ali ibn Abu Talib with Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, the merits which are revealed in the Qur'an, are more numerous than I can recount in one speech; so, whoever informs you of them and defines them for you, you should believe him. O people! Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger and' Ali (U and the Imams to whom I have already referred shall attain a great victory. O people! Those foremost from among you who swear allegiance to him and who pledge to obey him and who greet him with the greeting of being the Commander of the Faithful are the ones who shall win the Gardens of Felicity. O people! Say what brings you the Pleasure of Allah, for if you and all the people of the earth disbelieve, it will not harm Allah in the least. O Lord! Forgive the believers through what I have conveyed, and let Your Wrath descend upon those who renege, the apostates, and all Praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. CONCLUSION: Thus did the Prophet of Allah speak on behalf of the Almighty Who sent him as the beacon of guidance not only for the Muslims but for all mankind. But the question that forces itself here is: "What happened after that historic event? Why did the Muslims forget, or pretend to have forgotten, their Prophet's instructions with regards to' Ali and "elected" someone else in his stead? To answer this question requires another book, and indeed many such books have been written. May the Almighty grant all of us guidance, and may He count us among His true servants who recognize the truth when they see it, who abide by His tenets, Who revere His Prophet and follow his instructions in all times, in all climes, Allahomma Ameen. REFERENCES: KHUTBA OF AL-GHADEER The following constitutes only major references of the components of Khutba of Ghadeer. In these references the reader can deliberate on the various portions of this historic sermon as quoted in bits and pieces in those references. Most of these references are considered reliable by the majority of Muslims (of the Shi'a or Sunni persuation): Jalaal ad-Deen al-Sayyuti, Kitaab Al-Itqaan, Vol. 1, p. 31. al-Majlisi, Bihaar.al-Anwaar, Vol. 21, pp. 360-90, Vol. 37, pp. 111-235, and Vol. 41, p. 228.He Quotes bookal-Ih'tijaj by al-Tibrisi (vol.2) Al-Bldaaya wal Nihaaya, Vol. 5, p. 208. Badee' al-Ma'aani, p. 75 Tareekh Baghdad, V01. 1, p. 411 and V01. 8, p. 290. Tareekh Dimashq, Vol. 5, p. 210. Ibn al-Jawziyya, Tadh'kirat al-Khawaas, pp. 18-20. Ibn al-Sa'ud's Tafseer, Vol. 8, p. 292. Al-Tibari, Tafseer al-Qur'an, Vol. 3, p. 428 and Vol. 6, p. 46. al-Fakhr al-Razi, Al-Tafseer al-Kabeer, Vol. 3, p. 636. Al-Tamhid fi USool al-Deen, p. 171. Tayseer al-Wusul, Vol. 1, p. 122. Ghiyaath ad-Din ibn Hammaam, Tareekh Habib al-Siyar, V01. 1, p. 144. al-Maqrizi, Khutat, p. 223. al-Sayyuti, Al-Durr al-Manthur, Vol. 2, pp. 259, 298. Thakhaa'ir al-'Uqba, p. 68. Ruh al-Ma'aani, Vol. 2, p. 348. Mohibb al-Tabal-;, AI.Riyadh al-r:adhirah, Vol. 2, p.169. Al-Siraaj al-Munir, Vol. 4, p. 364. al-Hakim, Al-Seera al-Halabiyya, Vol. 3, p. 302. Shar'h al-Mawaahib, V01. 7, p. 13. Ibn Hajar al-' Asqalaani, Al-Sawaa'iq al-Muhriqa, p. 26. Ibn al-Badriq, Al-'Umda, p. 52. Badr ad-Deen, 'Umdat al-Qari fi Shar'h al-Bukhari, V01. 8, p. 584. al-Ghadeer, V01. 2, p. 57. Sharafud-Deen al-Musawi, AI-Fusul al-Muhimma, pp. 25-27. Fadha 'il al-Sahaaba, p. 272. Faydh al-Ghadeer, V01. 6, p. 218. Kashf al-Ghumma, p. 94. Kifaayat al- Taalib, pp. 17, 28. al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Kanz al-'Ummaal, Vol. 6, p. 397. Imam Ibn Hanbal, Mus'nad, V01. 4, p. 281. Mishkaat al-Masabeeh, p. 272. Mushkil al-aathaar, Vol. 3, p. 196. Mataalib al-Su'ul, p. 16. Muftah al-Najaat, p. 216. al-Shahristaani, AI-Milal wal Nihal, V 01. 1, p. 220. al-Khawarizmi, Manaaqib, pp. 80, 94. Ibn al-Maghaazli, Manaaqib, p. 232. al-Qastalani, Al-Mawaahib, Vol. 2, p. 13. al-Samhudi, Wafaa' al-Wafaa', Vol. 2, p. 173. al-Qanduzi, Yanabi al-Mawadda, p. 120.

Shia Muslims are often wrongly accused of stressing a whole lot about the divine guidance, the Imamat or the Wilayat. Perhaps the Shia Muslims are trying to tell you something that you are choosing to ignore, at your own peril and here's why To understand the Islamic concept of Imamat, first you will need to understand the purpose of creation. Everything that Allah (swt) has created in this universe is on the level of "ismat-e-sughra" meaning everything is sinless because everything is doing Allah's bidding , the complete obedience, the total robotic submission, the pure Adalah, the perfect balance - meaning doing exactly what Allah has intended. Among all the creations, you will find transgressors only among the 'free willed' Jinns and Humans. Incidentally the whole purpose of Jins and humans existence is to bring this complete Adalah in their full lives, all the while being bestowed with free will. The most critical purpose of Iamamt is to bring and keep 'free willed' Jinns and Humans on this perfect Adalah - the perfect tasleem of Allah. The whole reason of coming of Mahdi (as) is to bring this Adlaha and to prove it in action that Islam or total obedience can and does work for free willed creatures as well. Ever wonder why Allah was so proud when HE made humans and told to angels that this is my Khalifa on earth. Imamat (willaya) is THE most critical, almost pivotal part of the "system of Tawheed"; believing in this is which makes the righteous different from the non-righteous. Interestingly Ibless is more believer in Tawheed than you and I. But he doesn't believe in Nabuwat and Imamat. Why else was he stopping Ibrahim to pass the test of sacrifice. Becuase Ibrahim the prophet was supposed to be made Ibrahim the Imam after passing the test of sacrifice. Hence Allah made Muslims to hit Shaitan three times during Hajj, because these were the places where he tried to stop Ibrahim from being an Imam. Same goes for Christian and Jews. They believe in Tawheed and Nabuawat but not the last of the Prophets. Christians talking more about Jesus does not make them a better believer of Jesus. Muslims are better believers of Jesus than Christians are. It's part of basic Islam. Same goes for Sunnis, they believe in Tawheed and the last Nabuwat, but not the Imamat. Sunnis talking all day about Quran and Sunnah does not make them better believer than anybody. Becuase the Sunnah (hadith and why and when the Ayat of Quran were revealed) they got is distorted and comes from people who did not spend more than a few months with prophet throughout their lives. They all are LOST due to their lack of concept of divine guidance (Imamat, Wilayat, and in the physical absence of Imam, the wilayat of an Aadil Jurist). It's only the Shia who believe in the Tawheed as it should be and Nabuwat as it should be because they believe in Imamat as it should be, and by default Quran and Sunnah as it should be believed in.