The grand event of Ghadeer is a firm testimony to the prime position of Imam Ali (A.S.)

Compiled By: Syed Ali Shahbaz
On 18th of Zil-Hijja, the day on which the Last and Greatest Messenger of God, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), on the express commandment of the Almighty Creator, proclaimed Imam Ali (AS) his vicegerent, towards the end of his mission on Earth.
The event of Ghadeer did not spontaneously occur while the Prophet was returning to Medina after performing his Farewell Hajj pilgrimage. As a matter of fact, throughout his 23-year mission, right from the day known as the Invitation of Dhu’l-Ashira, when the Prophet made the first public announcement of his mission as the Last Messenger with the universal creed of Islam, the issue of succession to him figured as an important matter. He had declared on that day to the Arabs steeped in polytheism and fratricide that God is One and the person who will support him in his mission to spread Islam will be his vicegerent. But none of the stupefied Arabs accepted the words of the person whom they had known for years as Sadeq or Truthful and Amin and Trustworthy, except a young lad of ten years. And the Prophet, according to all books of hadith and history, including those of authoritative Sunni scholars, had said: O Ali: You are my legatee and caliph. In the next 23 years, at every turn, the Prophet’s cousin had risked his life and limb to stand steadfast as the firm defender of God’s Messenger and the Message of Islam. The Prophet for his part had said on many an occasion hinted to his companions about the prime position of Imam Ali (AS), saying: “Ali is from me and I am from Ali”, and “Ali’s relation to me is that of Aaron to Moses, except that there is no Prophet after me.” Thus, in view of these facts, the proclamation at Ghadeer on this day in 10 AH, before a huge gathering of 120,000 Muslims, was the formal declaration of Imam Ali (AS) as the vicegerent, on the commandment of God, following revelation of ayah 67 of Surah Ma’edah, which reads: \"O Messenger! Convey that which has been sent down to you from your Lord, and if you do not, you will not have conveyed His message, and Allah shall protect you from the people. Indeed Allah does not guide the faithless lot.\"
The Prophet promptly halted the caravan at the Pond or Ghadeer in the wilderness of Khom near Juhfa, and called on all those, whether those who had gone ahead or those who had lagged behind to assemble at this place. Here on the 18th of Zilhijja at noon under the midday sun, he mounted a makeshift pulpit of camel saddles, and delivered a memorable sermon, in which he again emphasized the famous Hadith Thaqalayn, which he had said on several occasions, the last time, a week earlier on the 9th of Zilhijja at the Plain of Arafaat during the Hajj rituals, as part of his famous sermon from Jabal ar-Rahma or Mount Mercy. He said in explicit words: “I am leaving behind among you the Two Preciously Weighty Things; the Book of God (i.e. the holy Qur’an) and my progeny, the Ahl al-Bayt. Hold fast to them and you will not go astray, because the two will never part with each other, even when they return to me (on the Day of Resurrection) at the Fountain (of Kowthar).”
In his sermon on the Day of Ghadeer, the Prophet then asked the huge gathering whether he is superior to the Muslims than their own selves. The reply was in the affirmative, and then he lifted Imam Ali (AS) and declared the phrase that has become immortal as the keys of Wilaya or divine guidance: “Man kunto Mowla fa haza Aliyun Mowla.” It means “For whomsoever I am Master, this Ali is his Master.”
The Prophet also made it clear that so vital is the issue of God-oriented leadership of mankind that the Almighty will befriend those who are the friends of Ali, and is displeased with those who are his enemies. Then he asked the huge gathering of 120,000 Muslims to swear allegiance, and all did by acknowledging Imam Ali (AS) as his successor. Even women in this huge gathering paid their allegiance by dipping their hands in a basin of water, after the Imam had first dipped his hands. All these events are indicative of the importance of Wilaya in Islam as well as the rights of both men and women. Since Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) is the Seal of Messengers, Divine Providence made the necessary preparations to continue guidance after him through Imamate, with the formal declaration of the Wilaya or God-given absolute authority of Imam Ali (AS). For this reason, following the Prophet’s proclamation of his cousin and son-in-law as vicegerent, God Almighty sent Archangel Gabriel with another revelation, that is, ayah 3 of Surah Ma’edah, which says: “Today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed My blessing upon you, and I have approved Islam as your religion.”
It is interesting to note that the glorious event of Ghadeer has been mentioned in the authoritative works of all scholars and historians, whether Sunni or Shi’ite Muslims. Exegetes of the holy Qur’an have explained it in their works. It has been eulogized by poets in every age and era, and recorded by the philologists of Arabic literature. Over 300 companions of the Prophet have testified to the occurrence of this event.
“Today the faithless have despaired of your religion. So do not fear them, but fear Me. Today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed My blessing upon you, and I have approved Islam as your religion.” (Holy Qur’an 5:3)
It has dawned again. The day on which the Almighty Creator perfected faith, completed divine blessings and decreed Islam as the universal religion of mankind, before a huge gathering of 120,000-plus Hajj pilgrims, by setting up an everlasting barometer in order to discern truth from falsehood, and thus making the faithless despaired of completely distorting Islam – as had been done by imposters with the messages entrusted to the Prophets of the past.
This historic event occurred in the wilderness of Khom near Juhfa beside the Ghadeer (Pond) – perhaps to signify the perennial freshness of this event – while Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) was returning from his Farewell Hajj pilgrimage, some 23 years after having been entrusted with the mission of Islam as the Last and Greatest Messenger of God on Mount Noor in Mecca.
The day chosen by God for this great phenomenon was the 18th of Zilhijja – a day on which in antiquity great miracles had happened, such as the turning into a garden of the huge fire the tyrant Nimrod had ignited and flung Prophet Abraham into it. This is another indication that the even the most intricate plots of the faithless will come to naught against the epitome of faith that emerged at Ghadeer.
Moreover, according to Hadith, it was on the 18th of Zilhijja, as per divine commandment, Prophet Moses had designated Prophet Joshua as his successor, while in the following centuries Prophet Solomon had appointed Asef the son of Barkhiya as his deputy, and Prophet Jesus (AS) had named Simeon as his vicegerent.
Thus, when the Prophet, after a memorable midday sermon under the blazing Arabian sun, extracted the pledge of obedience to his superiority over all others from the huge assembly and then lifted his cousin to proclaim “for whomsoever I am Master, this Ali is his Master,” he was not saying anything from himself, but like the Prophets of the past, was only pronouncing what God had inspired him to do so for fixing a permanent criterion for humanity to recognize faith.
Interestingly, God and the Prophet did not choose as custodians of Islam any Tom, Dick and Harry of Arabia, who had spent the greater part of life in idolatry and vices before paying lip service to monotheism.
This would have been against the principles of Divine Justice, and contrary to the course of events ever since the Day of Mab’ath, when in the solitude of Cave Hera, Archangel Gabriel had descended to the 40-year old son of Abdullah with the first rays of divine revelation, while outside stood a 10-year boy, hearing what transpired, and who later testified to the prophethood of his cousin while the Arabs exchanged stupefied looks, as Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) said: “O Ali! You are my legatee and my caliph.” (Refer to Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and other Sunni sources).
The rest is history. Every single person from the huge gathering, including women for whom a separate arrangement had been made, surged to congratulate Imam Ali (AS) and swear allegiance to his leadership, thus de-legitimizing for ever any bid in the future by any person (other than the Infallible Ahl al-Bayt), to call himself caliph or successor of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA).
This grand event of Ghadeer is a firm testimony to the prime position of Imam Ali (AS) after the Prophet as the most competent person in the sight of God. Among the messages of Ghadeer is emphasis on piety, honesty, and justice as the traits that the divinely-decreed leaders should possess. It inspires Muslims in subsequent to aspire for such qualities, and also to firmly oppose oppressive regimes who trample the rights of people. According to the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), it is on the basis of Ghadeer that the relationship between the leader and people has been clarified, and according to which the government ought to fulfill its duties properly towards the society. The Late Imam, as a true servant of the Ahl al-Bayt also said that it was Imam Ali (AS) as the epitome of piety, justice, and valour, who established the model government of social justice in history. Hence, it is vital to keep alive in society the message and values of Ghadeer, which is undoubtedly the greatest ever Eid for Muslims, as the Prophet had said. It also means that it is incumbent on truly Islamic officials to study the government of justice of Imam Ali (AS) in order to better govern and cater to the needs of the people. Here it will not be out of context to cite a hadith mentioned by the famous Sunni exegete and historian, Abu Ja’far Tabari, who quotes Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) as saying: On the Day of Resurrection when God gathers all people, no one will be able cross the Sirat unless he believes in the Wilaya of Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS).
Now we understand, why Divine Providence has decreed that Imam Mahdi (AS), who would reappear in the end times, with Prophet Jesus as his lieutenant, to establish the global government of peace and justice, will be the direct descendent of Imam Ali (AS) and the Prophet’s Immaculate Daughter, Hazrat Fatema Zahra (SA) – and not the offspring of any those who had masqueraded as caliphs to terrorize Muslims.
Here are some verses composed extempore on the Day of Ghadeer by the poet, Hassan bin Thabet, as mentioned in books of history and hadith:
“He calls them, (on) the Day of Ghadir, their Prophet
“In Khom so hear (and heed) the Messenger\'s call,
“He said: \"Who is your guide and leader? (mawlakum wa waliyyukum)\"
“They said, and there was no apparent blindness (clearly):
“Your God, our guide, and you are our leader
“And you won\'t find from among us, in this, any disobedient,\"
“He said to him: \"Stand up O\' Ali, for I am pleased to announce
“You Imam and guide after me (min ba\'di imam(an) wa hadiy(an)).”
To end the column, here are passages from the special Ziyara of the Day of Ghadeer, narrated by the Ahl al-Bayt for proper salutation of Imam Ali (AS): “O Commander of the Faithful, I affirm that those who have doubts about you[r Imamate] do not have faith in the trusted Prophet and that those who put others on a par with you deviate from the upright religion which has been approved for us by the Lord of all the worlds, who perfected it with your wilayah on the Day of Ghadeer. (Holy Qur\'an 5:3)
“I affirm that you are the one who is meant by the words of the Almighty and the All-Merciful, “This indeed is my straight path, so follow it, and do not follow [other] ways, for they will separate you from His way.”(Holy Qur\'an 6:153). By God, those who follow others besides you have gone astray and misled others and those who are hostile toward you deviate from the Truth. O Allah, we have heard Your command and we obey and follow Your straight path, so guide us, Our Lord! Do not make our hearts swerve after You have guided us, and enable us to be of those who are grateful for Your blessings!