Ahraz

Ibn Taymiyyah's Refutation of the Hadith of Ghadīr Khumm as Proof of ʿAlī's Imāmah Al Ḥillī (d. 726 AH) claims that the hadith of Ghadīr Khumm is a mutawātir report establishing the imāmah of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib رضي الله عنه, just like Allāhyārī did. Al Ḥillī argues that when Allah revealed: "O Messenger! Convey what has been revealed to you from your Lord. If you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message." (Sūrat al Māʾidah, 5:67) The Prophet ﷺ gathered the people at Ghadīr Khumm and asked: "Am I not more entitled to you than you are to yourselves?" They replied: "Yes." He then said: "Whoever I am his mawlā, ʿAlī is his mawlā. O Allah, befriend whoever befriends him, oppose whoever opposes him, support whoever supports him, and abandon whoever abandons him." Al Ḥillī also claims that ʿUmar ibn al Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه congratulated ʿAlī, saying: "Congratulations! You have become my mawlā and the mawlā of every believing man and woman." He concludes that mawlā here means al awlā bi al taṣarruf (the one possessing greater entitlement to exercise authority). Since the Prophet ﷺ first declared himself more entitled to the believers than they were to themselves, his subsequent statement concerning ʿAlī must establish the same authority for him. Thus, the hadith is presented as an explicit designation of ʿAlī as the imām after the Prophet ﷺ. (Minhāj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah, Ibn Taymiyyah, 7/313) The Verse of Conveyance Was Revealed Before Ghadīr Khumm The claim that Sūrat al Māʾidah, verse 67, was revealed at Ghadīr Khumm is contradicted by the chronology of its revelation. The verse was revealed before the Farewell Pilgrimage, whereas Ghadīr Khumm took place on the eighteenth of Dhū al Ḥijjah, after the Prophet ﷺ had completed his pilgrimage. Allah had already revealed: "Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and chosen Islam as your religion." (Sūrat al Māʾidah, 5:3) This verse was revealed on the ninth of Dhū al Ḥijjah, while the Prophet ﷺ was standing at ʿArafah during the Farewell Pilgrimage. Ghadīr Khumm occurred nine days later. It is incorrect to claim that the earlier command to convey Allah's revelation was first revealed at Ghadīr Khumm to establish ʿAlī's appointment. (Minhāj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah, Ibn Taymiyyah, 7/314) The Order of Verses in Sūrat al Māʾidah Does Not Establish Their Chronological Revelation The fact that verse 67 appears in Sūrat al Māʾidah does not show that it was revealed at the same time as the verses revealed during the Farewell Pilgrimage. The same chapter contains rulings revealed considerably earlier. For example, Allah says: "If they come to you, judge between them or turn away from them." (Sūrat al Māʾidah, 5:42) This verse concerns events involving the Jews, including the judgment between Banū Qurayẓah and Banū al Naḍīr or the punishment of two Jews for adultery. These events occurred before the Farewell Pilgrimage. Banū al Naḍīr were expelled before the Battle of the Trench, while Banū Qurayẓah were dealt with after that battle. The Battle of the Trench itself preceded the Treaty of al Ḥudaybiyyah, the conquest of Khaybar, the conquest of Makkah, and the Farewell Pilgrimage. Therefore, the placement of verse 67 within Sūrat al Māʾidah provides no evidence that it was revealed on the day of Ghadīr Khumm. (Minhāj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah, Ibn Taymiyyah 7/314–315) The Command to Convey the Message Had Already Been Fulfilled Allah says: "O Messenger! Convey what has been revealed to you from your Lord. If you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message. And Allah will protect you from the people." (Sūrat al Māʾidah, 5:67) The verse contains both a command to convey the revelation and a promise of protection from those who might harm the Prophet ﷺ. This promise concerned the period in which he was conveying the Message. It is also reported that the Prophet ﷺ had previously been guarded, but discontinued that protection after the revelation of this verse. During the Farewell Pilgrimage, however, the Prophet ﷺ had already completed the general proclamation of his Message. He asked the people: "Have I conveyed the Message?" They replied: "Yes." He then said: "O Allah, bear witness." In another wording, he declared: "O people! I am leaving among you that which, if you hold firmly to it, you will never go astray: the Book of Allah." He then asked what they would testify concerning him, and they affirmed that he had conveyed the Message, fulfilled his duty, and given sincere counsel. The Prophet ﷺ raised his finger towards the sky and pointed it towards the people, saying: "O Allah, bear witness." (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 1218) The Message had already been publicly conveyed before Ghadīr Khumm. The command associated with divine protection cannot therefore be presented as an appointment that the Prophet ﷺ was still required to announce after completing the Farewell Pilgrimage. (Minhāj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah, Ibn Taymiyyah, 7/315–316) An Appointment to the Imāmah Would Have Been Announced During the Farewell Pilgrimage – Refutation of Allāhyārī If appointing ʿAlī to the imāmah had been an obligation that the Prophet ﷺ was commanded to convey to the entire Muslim community, the Farewell Pilgrimage would have been the appropriate occasion to announce it. A large gathering of Muslims attended the pilgrimage, including people from Makkah, al Ṭāʾif, Yemen, Madinah, and the surrounding regions. After the pilgrimage, many of these people returned directly to their homes rather than accompanying the Prophet ﷺ towards Madinah. The people of Makkah returned to Makkah, those from al Ṭāʾif returned to al Ṭāʾif, and the people of Yemen returned to Yemen. Only the people of Madinah and those travelling in that direction accompanied him towards Ghadīr Khumm. Had the appointment of ʿAlī been an essential command intended for the entire Muslim community, it would have been proclaimed during the Farewell Pilgrimage, when the wider gathering was present. But no narration with an authentic or weak chain establishes that the Prophet ﷺ announced ʿAlī's imāmah during his Farewell Sermon. Nor is ʿAlī mentioned in that sermon as his appointed successor. The absence of such a proclamation at the general gathering undermines the claim that an obligatory appointment to the imāmah was announced afterwards at Ghadīr Khumm. (Minhāj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah, Ibn Taymiyyah, 7/317) The Hadith of al Thaqalayn Does Not Establish ʿAlī's Appointment – Refutes Allāhyārī's point at the end of the clip The authentic narration concerning al thaqalayn (the two weighty matters) does not establish an appointment to the imāmah. Zayd ibn Arqam رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ addressed the people at Ghadīr Khumm and said: "I am leaving among you two weighty matters. The first is the Book of Allah." He encouraged the people to hold firmly to the Book of Allah and then said: "And my household. I remind you of Allah concerning my household." He repeated this reminder three times. (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 2408) This narration commands adherence to the Book of Allah while reminding the Muslims to fulfil the rights of the Prophet's household. It does not command the Muslims to appoint ʿAlī as their imām, nor does it designate the members of the Prophet's household as political successors. The rights of his household include honouring them, fulfilling their established rights, and refraining from oppression against them. These obligations were already established before Ghadīr Khumm. The narration therefore contains a reminder of existing duties rather than a new command concerning the imāmah. (Minhāj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah, Ibn Taymiyyah, 7/318) The Additional Wording Concerning the Two Weighty Matters – Refutes Allāhyārī's point at the end of the clip Imam Al Tirmidhī (d. 279 AH) transmitted an additional wording stating that the Book of Allah and the Prophet's household would not separate until they returned to him at the Ḥawḍ (Reservoir). Ibn Taymiyyah mentions that several hadith scholars questioned this addition and regarded it as not belonging to the authentic report. Even among those who accepted it, the interpretation presented was that the Prophet's household, understood collectively as Banū Hāshim, would not unanimously agree upon misguidance. This interpretation does not establish that any particular individual among them was appointed to the imāmah. (Minhāj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah, Ibn Taymiyyah, 7/318) The Authenticity of the Hadith Must Be Distinguished From Its Additional Wordings The wording: "Whoever I am his mawlā (one entitled to loyalty), ʿAlī is his mawlā." was transmitted by al Tirmidhī and Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (d. 241 AH). However, the hadith scholars differed concerning its authenticity. Ibn Taymiyyah records that al Bukhārī (d. 256 AH), Ibrāhīm al Ḥarbī (d. 285 AH), and other hadith scholars criticised its transmission, whereas Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and al Tirmidhī regarded it as ḥasan (acceptable). Abū al ʿAbbās ibn ʿUqdah (d. 332 AH) also compiled a work collecting its different chains of transmission. (Minhāj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah, Ibn Taymiyyah, 7/ 319–320) The additional supplication: "O Allah, befriend whoever befriends him and oppose whoever opposes him." is treated separately. Ibn Taymiyyah says this addition fabricated and cites the criticism transmitted by al Athram (d. 273 AH) from Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal concerning reports containing this wording. He likewise says the additional statement, "You are more entitled to every believing man and woman," to be false. The wording concerning ʿAlī being a mawlā must therefore be distinguished from the longer narration containing additional statements. The acceptance of one wording does not establish the authenticity of every addition attached to it. (Minhāj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah, Ibn Taymiyyah, 7/319) The Virtues of ʿAlī Do Not Establish His Exclusive Right to the Imāmah Ibn Ḥazm (d. 456 AH) identifies several authentic reports concerning the virtues of ʿAlī رضي الله عنه. Among them is the statement of the Prophet ﷺ: "You are to me as Hārūn was to Mūsā, except that there is no prophet after me." He also mentions the Prophet's ﷺ statement concerning the banner: "Tomorrow I shall give the banner to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and whom Allah and His Messenger love." Another established virtue is that none loves ʿAlī except a believer and none hates him except a hypocrite. However, love for Allah and His Messenger, and being loved by them, are not characteristics exclusive to the imām. The Prophet ﷺ likewise established that hatred of the Anṣār is associated with hypocrisy. Thus, affirming ʿAlī's virtues does not establish that those virtues constitute an exclusive designation to political leadership. (Minhāj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah, Ibn Taymiyyah, 7/320) The other authentic reports concerning ʿAlī's virtues must be understood according to their contents. The Prophet ﷺ also told Jaʿfar ibn Abī Ṭālib رضي الله عنه: "You resemble me in appearance and character." And he told Zayd ibn Ḥārithah رضي الله عنه: "You are our brother and our mawlā (one closely associated with us)." Likewise, the narrations concerning al mubāhalah and al kisāʾ (the cloak) mention ʿAlī together with Fāṭimah, al Ḥasan, and al Ḥusayn. These reports affirm particular virtues without establishing that every individual mentioned was appointed to the imāmah. (Minhāj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah, Ibn Taymiyyah, 7/321) The Meaning of Mawlā Is Established by Its Usage in the Qur'an – Direct Refutation of Allāhyārī Even if the wording "Whoever I am his mawlā, ʿAlī is his mawlā" is accepted as authentic, it does not establish the imāmah (leadership), because the expression itself does not designate a political successor. The word mawlā is related to walī (ally or one joined by loyalty). Allah says: "Your walī is Allah, His Messenger, and those who believe." (Sūrat al Māʾidah, 5:55) Allah also says: "If you both support one another against him, then Allah is his mawlā, as are Jibrīl and the righteous believers; and the angels, after that, are his supporters." (Sūrat al Taḥrīm, 66:4) These verses establish muwālāh (loyalty, allegiance, and mutual support). They do not mean that Allah, His Messenger, Jibrīl, the righteous believers, and the angels all occupy the same position of political authority. Likewise, the believers are described as allies of one another, although they are not all rulers over one another. Therefore, the use of mawlā in relation to ʿAlī establishes a relationship of loyalty and support, not an exclusive right to political leadership. (Minhāj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah, Ibn Taymiyyah, 7/321–322) Muwālāh Is the Opposite of Enmity, Not a Designation to Political Rule – Direct Refutation of Allāhyārī Muwālāh (loyalty and allegiance) is the opposite of muʿādāh (enmity). It concerns love, support, and the duties arising from these relationships. Allah says: "Do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies." (Sūrat al Mumtaḥanah, 60:1) The distinction is therefore between those deserving loyalty and those towards whom enmity is required. This relationship may exist between individuals of unequal rank. Allah is the walī of the believers, while the believers are His allies through obedience and worship. Likewise, the Prophet ﷺ is the mawlā of the believers, while they are his supporters. The relationship of muwālāh does not require equality in authority, nor does it require that one person exercise political rule over another. (Minhāj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah, Ibn Taymiyyah, 7/322) The Hadith Establishes ʿAlī's Faith and His Right to Loyalty The hadith, when accepted, establishes that ʿAlī رضي الله عنه possesses true īmān (faith) and deserves the loyalty of the believers both inwardly and outwardly. This refutes the hostility of those among the Khawārij and Nāṣibah who opposed him and denied his virtues. However, it does not show that ʿAlī is the only mawlā of the believers. The Prophet ﷺ also declared concerning several Arab tribes, including Aslam, Ghifār, Muzaynah, Juhaynah, Quraysh, and the Anṣār, that they had no mawlā apart from Allah and His Messenger. The righteous believers were likewise described as supporters of the Prophet ﷺ. ʿAlī's entitlement to loyalty therefore does not exclude other believers from possessing the same relationship of mutual support and allegiance. (Minhāj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah, Ibn Taymiyyah, 7/323) The Difference Between Mawlā and Wālī – Direct Refutation of Allāhyārī The distinction between mawlā (one connected through loyalty) and wālī (a ruler or governor) is essential to understanding the hadith. These expressions belong to different meanings: Wilāyat al muwālāh (the relationship of loyalty): Love, support, allegiance, and the opposite of enmity. Wilāyat al imārah (political authority): The exercise of government and leadership over others. The Prophet ﷺ did not say: "Whoever I am his wālī (ruler), ʿAlī is his wālī." Rather, the transmitted wording is: "Whoever I am his mawlā, ʿAlī is his mawlā." The first expression would concern political authority, while the second concerns the relationship of loyalty. It is therefore incorrect to interpret the wording of muwālāh as an appointment to the imārah (political leadership) without evidence establishing that meaning. (Minhāj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah, Ibn Taymiyyah, 7/324) The Prophet's Authority Over the Believers Is Exclusive to His Prophethood Al Ḥillī interprets mawlā as al awlā bi al taṣarruf (the one possessing greater entitlement to exercise authority). However, the Prophet's ﷺ being more entitled to the believers than they are to themselves is a characteristic of his Prophethood. This authority belongs to him during his lifetime and continues after his death. Even if the Prophet ﷺ had explicitly appointed a successor, that successor would not acquire every characteristic belonging exclusively to the Prophet ﷺ. For example, the Prophet's wives are the mothers of the believers. The wives of his successor do not acquire the same status through his succession. Likewise, a successor does not become more entitled to every believer than the believer is to himself in the same sense as the Prophet ﷺ. Had the intended meaning been to transfer this particular authority to ʿAlī, the Prophet ﷺ would have said: "Whoever I am more entitled to than he is to himself, ʿAlī is more entitled to him than he is to himself." This wording was neither spoken nor transmitted. The wording actually reported cannot therefore be treated as an explicit transfer of the Prophet's unique authority. (Minhāj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah, Ibn Taymiyyah, 7/324) The Timing of the Hadith Prevents Mawlā From Meaning Caliph – Direct Refutation of Allāhyārī The hadith describes ʿAlī as the mawlā of the believers while the Prophet ﷺ was still alive. However, khilāf can only commence after the preceding leader's authority has ended. ʿAlī could not have been the Prophet's successor while the Prophet ﷺ was still exercising his authority. Therefore, a description already applicable to ʿAlī during the Prophet's lifetime cannot, by itself, mean that he had become his successor. If the meaning of mawlā were restricted to khalīfah (successor), the description could not apply to ʿAlī during the Prophet's lifetime, even though the hadith applied it to him at that time. (Minhāj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah, Ibn Taymiyyah, 7/324–325) Furthermore, the Prophet ﷺ remains more entitled to the believers than they are to themselves until the Day of Resurrection. Neither an appointed successor nor someone who assumes leadership through the agreement of the Muslims acquires this exclusive prophetic characteristic. ʿAlī's status as a mawlā of the believers continues after the Prophet's death and even after ʿAlī's own death. He remains deserving of the believers' loyalty today, despite no longer exercising political authority. The same principle applies to the remaining believers, who continue to possess relationships of loyalty towards one another, whether living or deceased. The meaning of mawlā cannot be restricted to the office of khalīfah, because the former continues independently of political rule, whereas the latter exists only during the period in which the office is held. (Minhāj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah, Ibn Taymiyyah, 7/325) Minhāj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah fī Naqḍ Kalām al Shīʿah al Qadariyyah, Ibn Taymiyyah, , 7/313–325