Further Evidence of the Significance of the Tradition of Al-Ghadir (Part 3)

The Thirteenth Evidence:

The incident of al-Harith bin an-Nu’Man al-Fihri is another piece of evidence. It has been mentioned by many historians, one of which was ath-Tha’ labi in his Tafsir.

The Prophet (PBUH) in Ghadir Khum, called for people to gather, then he took Ali’s hand, and said: "Of whomsoever I had been guardian; Ali here is to be his guardian."

The news spread everywhere and reached al-Harith bin an-Nu’ man al-Fihri. He came on his camel until he reached a place called al-Abtah. He rode off and hobbled his camel. He came to the Prophet (PBUH) with some of Companions and said: "O Muhammad, you had ordered us, from Allah, to witness that there is no god but Allah and that you are His Messenger and we accepted. And you had ordered us to pray five times a day and we accepted.

And you had ordered us to go to Mecca to perform the Hajj and we accepted. All of that did not please you until you raised your cousin’s hand to prefer him among us and you said, of whomsoever I had been guardian Ali here is to be his guardian! Is this from you or from Allah?" The Prophet (PBUH) said: "I swear by Allah other than Whom there is no other god, that this is from none other but Allah."

Al-Harith went towards his camel saying: "O Allah, if what Muhammad said was true then let the heavens shower us with stones or bring us painful torment." Before he could reach his camel, Allah hurled a stone at him that descended upon the crown of his head and exited out from the other side and killed him.

The Fourteenth Evidence:

Hassan bin Thabit asked permission from the Prophet (PBUH) to describe the event in poetry. His poems have been repeatedly narrated and mentioned in both Sunni and Shiite books. Hassan wrote:

Their Apostle called upon them on the Day of Ghadir Khum, what a caller he was, the best. He said, "Who is your guardian and who is your Apostle?"

They said, and no one refrained

"Your Allah is our Guardian and you are our Apostle,

You will not find anyone of us disobedient."

Then he said "O Ali, rise.

I have chosen you to be Imam and a guide after me.

Of him whose guardian was I, this is to be his guardian.

Be, for him, followers truthful."

Then he prayed "O Allah, help whoever helps him,

And be an enemy for Ali’s enemy."

Ibnu-al Jawzi and Abu Abdullah al-Kanji ash-Shafi’ ee said that the Prophet (PBUH) said after hearing that poem, "O Hassan, you are still aided by Holy Spirit whenever you strive for us with your tongue."

Qays bin Ubada al-Ansari said the following poem in the presence of Imam Ali during the battle of Siffin,

I said, when the enemy had oppressed us,

'It is enough for us to rely on Allah, our Guardian,

And Ali, our Imam and our standard bearer,'

As it had been revealed in the Holy Qur’an.

When the Prophet said, of whomsoever I had been guardian,

This is to be his guardian, great and honorable.

The Fifteenth Evidence:

Imam Ali came to the courtyard of Kufa Mosque while the people were gathered there and asked about this tradition in order to refute his dissenters in the matter of caliphate. He said: "I ask anyone to bear witness before Allah if he had heard the Prophet say, on that day in Ghadir Khum, "Of whomsoever I had been guardian, Ali here is to be his guardian." Some people then stood up and testified.

Accounts of Imam Ali’s urgent appeal spread so widely that it reached a degree of wide transmission. Al-Hamawini said in his book Fara’ id as-Samtein, "Zayd bin Arqam, al-Bara' bin Aazib, Salman and Abu Dharr stood up and said, 'We testify that we remember that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was on the pulpit when he said: "O people, Allah ordered me to appoint your Imam who is in charge of your affairs after me to be my inheritor and successor. He is to be obeyed by all believers according to Allah’s order as in the Qur’an. Allah made obedience to him as same as obedience to me and He ordered you to take him as guardian… etc.

The Sixteenth Evidence:

Source: imamreza.net

Other links:

The Closing Sermon of Gods Prophet on the pond of khome

Imam Ali (A.S) as Guardian and Successor

Qur’anic Verses Concerning the Homage at Al-Ghadir

Narrators of Ghadir-e khome event

The Significance of Ghadir