Al-Ghadir in the Qur’an (Part 1)
The Holy Qur’an states: “This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion” (Surat Al-Ma’idah, Verse 3)
One of the controversial interpretations about this verse is that there is no relationship between this verse and what is said before and after it. Whether we regard this verse as Al-Ghadir Verse like all Shia or most of Sunn scholars or we accept that it is not related to the Ghadir Event, the Question will be:
Why the said verse isn’t closely related to what comes before and after that in the Quran?
Is it basically necessary for verses in the Qur’an to be related to what comes before and after them like all usual books? And if it is necessary, will this relevance be understandable for ordinary people?
How much have exegetes taken the relationship between verses into consideration?
Probably God has mentioned these statements in Surat Al- Ma’idah Verse (3) because He wanted to draw our attention in a special way. When we want to draw attentions to particular point, we foreground it in a special way, for instance, we utter that point louder than others or in written texts we may make it bold, highlight it or write it down in another color so that it will be different with the rest of the text.
These statements in Verse 3 of Chapter Al-Ma’idah are perfectly related to the previous sentences: “This day those who disbelieve have despaired of [defeating] your religion; so fear them not, but fear Me”, (Surat Al-Ma’idah, Verse 3), which implies that on this day the disbelievers thought that by the demise of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), they can defeat his religion but God appointed Imam Ali (A.S) as his successor and so disappointed them and in this way, He perfected the religion.
But Al-Ghadir statement is apparently not related to the rest of the verses, which are relatively long, nor are they related to the verses before and after it. The reason may have its roots in what was mentioned in the above questions, that is, highlighting the verse; it looks as if someone is delivering a speech; suddenly, he stops his speech and expresses another important issue in parenthesis which may not be even related before he finishes the topic he was talking about since he wonders if the time expires and he would not mention that issue anymore!
Hamid Haj Ali
Translated by: Sadroddin Musawi
Other links:
Ameerul Momenin (A.S) In Qur’an
Ameerul Momenin (A.S) in the verses of Surah the Family of Imran
