Further Evidence of the Significance of the Tradition of Al-Ghadir (Part 2)
The Seventh Evidence:
This hadith has confirmed in many ways, that the Prophet (PBUH) uttered this honorable saying after he had gotten the people to confess the Oneness of Allah and the Prophecy of Muhammad (PBUH). This fact shows that this matter was very important for Islam and was considered as one of the fundamentals of faith.
The Eighth Evidence:
Before he had conveyed this important matter, the Prophet (PBUH) had said: "I am about to be called (to die) and I am to respond." This shows that the Prophet (PBUH) was afraid of leaving something very important which he had to reveal before his death. It was nothing but Ali’s guardianship.
The Ninth Evidence:
The Prophet (PBUH) said after conveying the news of Ali’s guardianship: "Let him who is present inform him who is absent." This shows that he was very concerned that this matter reached all the Muslims.
The Tenth Evidence:
The Prophet (PBUH) said after the conveying the news of Ali’s guardianship: "O Allah, You are a witness that I have informed and advised." This shows that he informed of a great and important matter which he had made the Muslims for and had acquitted himself of this great duty.
The Eleventh Evidence:
There is the factual evidence that is clear and copious confirming the purpose of this tradition. For example, when the Prophet (PBUH) stopped in the desert in the heat of the midday sun. The narrators of Hadith and historians mention that it was so hot that some people had to put cloths over their heads, some had covered their heads with their saddlebags, some sat in the shade of their camels and others sat in the shade of the rocks. Then the Prophet (PBUH) asked his Companions to erect a high platform of camel saddles and stones in order to see over all Muslims who were about seventy, eighty or one hundred thousand as some historians have said.
The Prophet (PBUH) ordered the Muslims who had gone ahead to return and those who had been behind to halt.
Then he (PBUH) took Ali with him up the platform, held his hand, and raised it until the white of the Prophet’ s armpit appeared to the lookers.
The Twelfth Evidence:
People paid homage to Imam Ali (A.S); shook hands with him, and congratulated both him and the Prophet. It was mentioned that Umar bin al-Khattab was the first to congratulate him. The hadith of Umar’s congratulation of Imam Ali has come down to us in more than sixty different forms. Abu Sa’id an-Neisaburi (died in 407 A.H.)
Mentioned in his book Sharaful-Mustafa about the event of Ghadir according to a tradition narrated by Ahmad bin Hanbal from al-Bara' bin Aazib and another one narrated by Abu Sa’ id al-Khudri, that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Congratulate me! Congratulate me! For Allah has favored me with Prophecy and favored my family with Imamate." Then Umar bin al-Khattab met Imam Ali and said: "May you be blest, you have become my guardian and the guardian of every believer; men and women."
At-Tabari mentioned in his book al-Wilayah a tradition narrated by Zayd bin Arqam that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had said, "Say that we have given a vow from ourselves and a word from our tongues and homage with our hands which we pass on to our offspring and to our families. We will never change that…"
The author of Rawzatus-Safa mentioned in vol. 1 p. 173, that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) sat in a tent and let Imam Ali sit in another. He ordered people to congratulate Imam Ali in his tent. When the men had finished congratulating Imam Ali, the Prophet (PBUH) ordered his wives to go and congratulate Imam Ali.
Al-Ghazali said in his book Sirrul-Aalameen, in the Fourth Essay: ((The fact was crystal clear and the public had unanimously agreed on with the content of the Prophet’s speech when he said on that Day in Ghadir Khum: "Of whomsover I had been guardian, Ali here is to be his guardian." Umar then said: "Excellent, O Abul-Hasan (Imam Ali’s surname)! You have become my guardian as well as that of every believer; man and woman."
Thus there was acceptance, approval and the appointment of his leadership. But later on this right was defeated by the passion for being in charge, for bearing the title of the caliphate, for the waving of ensigns and the snorting of horses in the wars and for conquering countries. All of this made them drink the cup of vanity and go back to the first discord. They threw the right behind their backs and sold it for a little price, and what a bad thing they had bought
Source: imamreza.net
Other links:
The Closing Sermon of Gods Prophet on the pond of khome
Imam Ali (A.S) as Guardian and Successor
The Significance of Ghadir
Velayat in the Quranic Context
Narrators of Ghadir-e khome event
