Part 4: Announcing the perfection of religion due to Ali’s appointment and reminding the People of his virtues

جزء 4: إعلان إكمال الدّين بنصب علي (ع) و ذكر بعض فضائله

 

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ أَنْزَلْتَ [الْآيَةَ فِي عَلِيٍّ وَلِيِّكَ عِنْدَ تَبْيينِ ذَلِكَ وَ نَصْبِكَ إِيّاهُ لِهَذَا الْيَوْمِ:]

O Allah! (I testify that) You did send down [this verse regarding Ali, Your authorized representative, at the time of the explanation of his authority and appointment today:]

 

اَلْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَ أَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَ رَضيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلامَ ديناً.

“This day, I perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and was satisfied that Islam be your religion.”[1]

 

و قُلْتَ: وَ مَنْ يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلامِ دِيناً فَلَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ، وَ هُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخاسِرِينَ.

You (also) said, “If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Walaya of Ali), never shall it be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter, he shall be one of the losers.”[2]

 

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أُشْهِدُكَ أَنِّي قَدْ بَلَّغْتُ.

O Allah! I implore You to witness that I have conveyed (Your message).

 

مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ، إِنَّمَا أَكْمَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ دِينَكُمْ بِإِمَامَتِهِ،

O people! Allah, the mighty and the majestic, has indeed perfected your religion through his (i.e., Ali’s) leadership.

 

فَمَنْ لَمْ يَأْتَمَّ بِهِ وَ بِمَنْ يَقُومُ مَقَامَهُ مِنْ وُلْدِي مِنْ صُلْبِهِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَ الْعَرْضِ عَلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ،

Thus, whoever does not follow his example and the example of those of my children from his loins who will take his position until the Day of Judgement—when deeds are presented before Allah, the mighty and the majestic—

 

فَأُولئِكَ الَّذينَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمالُهُمْ وَ فِي النَّارِ هُمْ خالِدُونَ.

they are the ones whose deeds become vain and fruitless, and they shall be in Hellfire forever.[3]

 

لا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ الْعَذابُ وَ لا هُمْ يُنْظَرُونَ.

“Their torment shall not be lightened, nor shall it be postponed.” [4]

 

مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ، هَذَا عَلِيٌّ أَنْصَرُكُمْ لِي وَ أَحَقُّكُمْ بِي وَ أَقْرَبُكُمْ إِلَيَّ وَ أَعَزُّكُمْ عَلَيَّ.

O people! This is Ali, who has been my greatest aid, the most worthy of you before me, the closest in relation with me, and the dearest to me amongst you (all).

 

وَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ أَنَا عَنْهُ رَاضِيَانِ.

Both Allah, the mighty and the majestic, and I are pleased with him.

 

وَ مَا نَزَلَتْ آيَةُ رِضًى [فِي الْقُرْآنِ] إِلَّا فِيهِ،

No verse [in the Quran] has been sent down expressing (Allah’s) pleasure except that (in its absolute sense) it is about him,

 

وَ مَا خَاطَبَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِلَّا بَدَأَ بِهِ،

nor has Allah addressed with honor “those who believe” but that He meant him first,

 

وَ لَا نَزَلَتْ آيَةُ مَدْحٍ فِي الْقُرْآنِ إِلَّا فِيهِ،

nor has any verse of praise been revealed in the Quran but that it is in his honor,

 

وَ لَا شَهِدَ اللَّهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ فِي هَلْ أَتى‏ عَلَى الْإِنْسانِ إِلَّا لَهُ وَ لَا أَنْزَلَهَا فِي سِوَاهُ وَ لَا مَدَحَ بِهَا غَيْرَهُ.

nor did Allah testify Paradise in (the chapter starting with) “Has not passed over man a long period of time”[5] but for him, nor did He reveal it for other than him, nor did He mean to praise by it save him.

 

مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ، هُوَ نَاصِرُ دِينِ اللَّهِ وَ الْمُجَادِلُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ.

O people! He is the patron of the religion of Allah, and the one who argues on behalf of the Messenger of Allah.

 

وَ هُوَ التَّقِيُّ النَّقِيُّ وَ الْهَادِي الْمَهْدِيُّ.

He is the pious, the pure, the guide, and the rightly guided.

 

نَبِيُّكُمْ خَيْرُ نَبِيٍّ وَ وَصِيُّكُمْ خَيْرُ وَصِيٍّ وَ بَنُوهُ خَيْرُ الْأَوْصِيَاءِ

Your prophet is the best prophet, the executor (of my will) over you is the best executor and deputy, and his sons are the best deputies.

 

مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ، ذُرِّيَّةُ كُلِّ نَبِيٍّ مِنْ صُلْبِهِ، وَ ذُرِّيَّتِي مِنْ صُلْبِ عَلِيٍّ.

O people! The progeny of every prophet was from his own loins whereas my progeny is from the loins of Ali.

 

مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ، إِنَّ إِبْلِيسَ أَخْرَجَ آدَمَ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ بِالْحَسَدِ،

O people! Surely, Iblis (the greater Satan) caused Adam to be dismissed from the garden through envy.

 

فَلَا تَحْسُدُوهُ فَتَحْبَطَ أَعْمَالُكُمْ وَ تَزِلَّ أَقْدَامُكُمْ.

Thus, do not envy him or your deeds shall be nullified and your feet shall slip,

 

فَإِنَّ آدَمَ أُهْبِطَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ بِخَطِيئَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَ هُوَ صَفْوَةُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ،

Verily, Adam was sent down to earth only because of one mistake, while he was the elite of Allah, the mighty and the majestic.

 

وَ كَيْفَ بِكُمْ وَ أَنْتُمْ أَنْتُمْ وَ مِنْكُمْ أَعْدَاءُ اللَّهِ.

How, then, will be your condition, and you are what you really are, and among you are the enemies of Allah?

 

أَلَا إِنَّهُ لَا يُبْغِضُ عَلِيّاً إِلَّا شَقِيٌّ، وَ لَا يُوَالِي عَلِيّاً إِلَّا تَقِيٌّ، وَ لَا يُؤْمِنُ بِهِ إِلَّا مُؤْمِنٌ مُخْلِصٌ.

Indeed, none hates Ali but a wretched person, none keeps himself attached to Ali but a pious person, and none has faith in his (virtues) but a sincere believer.

 

وَ فِي عَلِيٍّ وَ اللَّهِ نَزَلَتْ سُورَةُ الْعَصْرِ:

And in the honor of Ali, by Allah, was the Chapter of al-Asr (Ch. 103) revealed:

 

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ، وَ الْعَصْرِ إِنَّ الْإِنْسانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ،

“In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful. By the Time (of rising)![6] Most surely man is in loss,

 

إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحاتِ، وَ تَواصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَ تَواصَوْا بِالصَّبْر.

except those who believe, do righteous deeds, and enjoin on each other the truth, and enjoin on each other patience and constancy.” [7]

 

مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ، قَدْ أَسْتَشْهَدْتُ اللَّهَ وَ بَلَّغَتْكُمْ رِسَالَتِي.

O people! I have sought Allah to be my witness and have conveyed my communication to you,

 

وَ ما عَلَى الرَّسُولِ إِلَّا الْبَلاغُ الْمُبِينُ‏.

and the messenger is only obligated to convey clearly.”[8]

 

مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ، اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقاتِهِ، وَ لا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَ أَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ.

O people! “Be cautious of (your duties towards) Allah, the caution that He deserves, and do not die except in the state of submission.”[9]


[1] Chapter 5, Verse 3 of the Holy Quran.

[2] Chapter 3, Verse 85 of the Holy Quran. On the commentary of this verse, Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) said, “It means: he who does not submit to our Walaya.” (al-Manaqib, vol. 4, p. 283; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 23, p. 358, Hadith #12).

[3] cf. Chapter 2, Verse 217 of the Holy Quran.

[4] Chapter 3, Verse 88 of the Holy Quran.

[5] Referring to Chapter 76, Verses 7-22 of the Holy Quran: “They perform (their) vows, and they fear a Day whose evil shall be widespread. They feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive, (saying), ‘We feed you for the sake of Allah alone; no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks. We fear a Day of severity and distress. But, Allah has kept away from them the evil of that Day, and has offered them radiance and (blissful) Joy. And for what they observed patience, He has rewarded them with a Garden and (garments of) silk …”

يُوفُونَ بِالنَّذْرِ وَ يَخافُونَ يَوْماً كانَ شَرُّهُ مُسْتَطيراً، وَ يُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعامَ عَلى‏ حُبِّهِ مِسْكيناً وَ يَتيماً وَ أَسيراً، إِنَّما نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ لا نُريدُ مِنْكُمْ جَزاءً وَ لا شُكُوراً، إِنَّا نَخافُ مِنْ رَبِّنا يَوْماً عَبُوساً قَمْطَريراً، فَوَقاهُمُ اللَّهُ شَرَّ ذلِكَ الْيَوْمِ وَ لَقَّاهُمْ نَضْرَةً وَ سُرُوراً، وَ جَزاهُمْ بِما صَبَرُوا جَنَّةً وَ حَريراً…

[6] The time in this verse, as Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) commented, refers to the time of rising of Imam al-Mahdi (PBUH). cf. Kamal al-Din, p. 656, Hadith 1.

[7] Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) interpreted these verses as follows: “Most surely man is in loss, except those who believe in the guardianship (Walaya) of the Commander of the Believers (PBUH), do righteous deeds, i.e., perform the religious duties, and enjoin on each other the truth, i.e., al-Walaya (accepting the leadership and guardianship of Ali (PBUH)), and enjoin on each other patience and constancy, i.e., urge their progeny and their next generation to it and to observe patience in that path.” (Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 24, p. 215, Hadith 4).

إِنَّ الْإِنْسانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِوَلَايَةِ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع وَ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحاتِ أَيْ أَدَّوُا الْفَرَائِضَ وَ تَواصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ أَيْ بِالْوَلَايَةِ  وَ تَواصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ أَيْ وَصَّوْا ذَرَارِيَّهُمْ وَ مَنْ خَلَّفُوا مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ بِهَا وَ بِالصَّبْرِ عَلَيْهَا.

[8] Chapter 24, Verse 54 of the Holy Quran.

[9] Chapter 3, Verse 102 of the Holy Quran. Since one does not know his time of death, this verse implies that one should always be in the state of submission.