Eventually the inevitable occurred and the spirit of the Prophet (S.A.) flew to its eternal abode. For in the words of the poet Nizami, 'he who has not died and will not die is only God.'

It was clear that with the death of this great man a storm would blow up over the peaceful ocean of Islam, and that turbulent waters would be churned up. The ambitious would try to benefit and to get as much as they could from this turbulence and commotion, to fish in these troubled waters. On the other hand, we know that the great mass of people believe anything they see; they have always been thus and have always been fuel for a fire that anyone may care to kindle. They need constant training and continual taking care of, and without an educator they cannot reach their own perfection.

Now we must ask if such a society, in such conditions, needs a leader who can take the reins of command in the place of the Prophet or not, so that the result of all the pains the Messenger of Allah took should not be dissipated. Is there not a need for a knowledgeable, political authority who is thoroughly acquainted with the Divine laws and who can guide and lead the people on the right path in the right way?

The Shi'a belief holds that the generous Grace and Love of God and His infinite wisdom demand that after the Prophet the people Should not be without a leader. Such a leader must be sinless and wise, so that his correctness of speech and action may be a guarantee and a true sign of a superior man, selected by God. He must take the reins of the Muslim community in his hands and lead and guide them with extensive wisdom and foresight, without error, and this he must take from the Prophet of Islam. Because there is no reason for God, Who was considerate of the people in the time of the Prophet, to change His judgment and to withdraw His loving concern.

How could it be possible that God, Who by His Grace created thousands of elaborate details for the protection and growth of our bodies, which caused the eyebrows to grow so that the salty, bitter, tainted sweat of the forehead cannot hurt the eyes, and Who made the eyelashes also so that under their outspread canopy the eyes can be more beautiful and better protected, how can God, Who created these and many more known and unknown things, have neglected to appoint a goodly successor to the Prophet? Does not the bringing into existence of the best of communities, which is the aim of Islam, need the selection of the best of leaders? Is not the appointment of a sinless leader, educator and Imam the basis of the contentment of society? Can Islamic society attain contentment and happiness without divine supervision and leadership?

So if there is a need for the divine, sinless leader, and Islamic society wants a divine educator, how can it be said that this matter has been ignored by Islam and that the people have been left to themselves?

In short, the same philosophy, which demands the appointment of the Prophet also precisely, demands that God introduce and appoint a successor through the Prophet.

The Prophet of Islam (S.A.) said in the latter part of his life: "0 People, I swear before Allah that I have explained what will make you nearer to heaven (contentment) and what will make you far from the Fire (error)". (Usul al-Kafi, vol. 2, p.74)

With this explanation, how can it be said that the Prophet of Islam did not appoint his immediate successor?

The great and mighty Qur'an is the fundamental basis for every kind of Islamic concept. Like a mighty rock, all the fruitful buildings of Islamic knowledge have been made steady on it. It is the clear spring from which all the streams of insight flow. The credibility and prestige of other religious foundations rest on it.

But, on the basis of the proofs we shall give, one cannot be content with the Qur'an alone to solve the problems of leadership, the differences that crop up in Islamic society, or the satisfying of the needs of the Muslim people.

1. Firstly because the Qur'an and its great and abundant contents need commentary and explanation. Since all the verses are not alike in clarity and openness, unacquainted and unknowing readers in the first moments of their journey may become lost and not take the path to their destination.

So the Prophet himself or those appointed by him who have a spiritual link with what is beyond the external world, must be a guide in this valley also, so that they can interpret and explain the ayahs according to Allah's purpose. For if not, ordinary people will sometimes interpret incorrectly and will end up far from the truth.

It is recounted that a thief was brought into the presence of the Abassid Caliph Mu'tasim so that he might have the punishment proscribed in the Qur'an administered to him. The command of the Qur'an is: "Cut off the hand of a thief." But Mu'tasim did not know from where the hand should be cut. He asked the 'ulema. One of them said:

1. The great Prophet of Islam (S.A) said that everyone who interprets the Qur'an according to his own. Pinions will have the place in fire. (Tafsir Safi, vol, 1, p. 21).

"From the wrist."

"From the elbow" another said.

Mu'tasim was not satisfied. He was forced to ask Imam Muhammad al-Taqi the 9th Imam (A.S.) who was present, and he replied:

"Four fingers must be cut off."

"Why?"

"Since Allah has decreed in the Qur'an:

'And that the places of sajdah are for Allah.' (LXXII; 18), that is the seven places of the body, of which one is the palm, which in sajdah contact the ground belong to Allah, they should not be cut off.

All those present accepted and were satisfied with his proof.

This kind of interpretation is in fact interpretation of the Qur'an by the Qur'an, and is peculiar to the descendents of the prophetic mission, and no one, to whatever degree be may be a master of interpretation, is able to succeed in perfectly unders- tanding interpretation in this way unless he has taken the habit from the Household of the Prophet and has taken them as his model.

2. Another proof is that what we have said concerning the need for correct interpretation of the Qur'an concerns only one side of the Qur'an, the exoteric meaning and the commands of the Qur'an. But in the shelter of these exoteric words and meanings, a deeper and wider aim, a spiritual profundity is concealed, especially in the sections on knowledge, beliefs and the virtues.

The respected Prophet (S.A.) said: "The Qur'an has a beautiful outer meaning and a profound inner meaning." (Usul al-Kafi, vol. 2,P.599).

He also said: "The Qur'an has profundity, and the profundity of that is deep too, up to seven inner meanings." (Tafsir Safi, vol 1, p. 39).

Truly, all the Qur'an has, according to the words of the great exegetes, a hermeneutics and an inner meaning, and to arrive at them by thought and research alone is not possible. It is not explicable to all through words, for the ability to perceive and practice this is not given to all men. Only those near to God, the pure, those free from corruption, can comprehend this, and use it for the solution of the differences and incidents between men, and learn it, and then, by virtue of the immunity from error and mistake that they have from God, teach it to others.

These ones near to God, the slaves immune from error are the Prophet (S.A.) and his Household (A.S.) about whom the Qur'an said:

انما يريد الله ليذهب عنكم الرجس اهل البيت و يطهركم تطهيرآ
(سوره احزاب آيه 33)

"Household of the Prophet; Allah desires only to put away from you abomination and to cleanse you." (XXXII1, 33)

There is also a hadith that only the Prophet and his Household, who are the original ones to be addressed by the Qur'an, can perceive all the truths of the Book.1 That is to say the Prophet who was addressed by Jibra'il and his Household, since they are the family of the Prophet, are more acquainted with the meaning of the Qur'an.

It is because of this connection between the Qur'an and the Household that the Prophet said to the people in the last days of his life: "I leave two things in your trust, the Book of Allah and my descendents; if you attach yourselves to these two you will never go astray.

1. Tafsir Mirat al - Anwar, p.16.

2. Thu Hanbal, Musnad, Beirut, vol. 3,p.17; at - Ghadir, vol

3. The Qur'an needs a sinless, enforcing guarantor. Since the Qur'an is a fundamental law, a kind of constitution, it needs an enforcing guarantor and a power to implement it. But only he who likes the Prophet (S.A.) is free from error and who understands and knows the Qur'an with competence can be the guarantor of its commands and laws.

These special qualities are to be found in the beings of the Imams (A.S.), and the best witness to this is the few years of the leadership of 'Ali (A.S.), who, despite the difficulties which beset his holding of the rein of government, carried out to the end the great and resplendent laws of Islam each and every one.

Of this lesson can be found in a discussion which students following the sixth Imam, Ja'far as-Sadiq (A.S.), had with a man in the presence of the Imam. A man from Damascus was given a meeting with Imam Sadiq (A.S.) and said that he had come for a discussion with one of his students.

The Imam said, "Introduce him to Hisham." Hisham was the youngest of his students.

"0 Boy," said the man from Damascus, "ask me concerning the Imamate of this man (Imam Sadiq (AS.)."

Hisham was angered by his lack of manners and shuddered. But he concealed his temper and began.

"Is your Creator more kind and loving towards His slaves, or the slaves themselves."?2

"The Creator."

"What has the loving Creator done for his slaves?"

"He has appointed a clear guidance and proof, to protect them from differences and disunity, and to establish friendship and unity among them. He has made clear to them their religious duties."

"Who is that guide?"

"The Prophet."

"Who is it after the death of the Prophet?"

"The Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet of Allah."

"Can the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet prevent us from differences today?"

"Yes."

"So why do you and I who are both Muslims have a dispute, or in other words, why have you come here from Damascus as a result of this difference?"

The man from Damascus was silent and said no more.

Imam Sadiq (AS.) said to him: "Why don't you speak up?"

"What sahll I say?" he replied. "If I say we have no difference, then I lie. And just as I said the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet should take away the difference between us, so this also is untrue, because, in many instances, the Book of Allah and the Sunnah do not have a clear and obvious meaning that could dispel our differences."

So the man from Damascus said that he wanted to ask the very same question from Hisham. The Imam agreed "0 Hisham, Who is the more loving towards people? God, or the people themselves?"

"God."

"Did he send them someone to protect the iL unity of Muslims and to take over their control, to explain to them truth and falsity?"

"Are you talking about the time of the Prophet, or about now?"

"In the time of the Prophet, it was him; no, tell me about now."

"Today it is this man who is seated here and to whom people come from every corner of the land, and who gives us news of the heaven and the earth; and this knowledge was bequeathed to him from his father and so on back to the Prophet."

"How can I verify and accept this statement for myself?"

"Go now and ask him anything you like."

"That's right, there is no other excuse; only I must ask."

Then Imam Sadiq (A.S.) told him about his journey and of the things that had happened to him on his way, which only the man could know of. When he had explained so that no doubt remained for him, the man declared his belief in the Imam.

The life of the Prophet (S.A.), as well as his deeds, is a sure demonstration of the basic project of Islam. He was both the political leader and the social governor of the Muslims, and the bringer of the revelation, who delivered the commands and laws of Islam from Allah, employing them in the field of Islamic government. His actions were the manifestation of the law, his behaviour pure virtue, and his instructions the guidance and leadership of a strong and wise man.

He was not content merely to counsel and advise, but rather proceeded to establish a model society founded on true justice.

Since Islam also gives mundane sanction to the securing of satisfaction within the society, this does not mean that it refers the punishment of those who damage social happiness with their criminality to another time; for it carries out the prescribed punishment for these people in this world also. So government and leadership together formed the work of this great man.

But, of course, Islam has the distinction over other worldly systems of government that, together with this side of the coin, it always looks to the being of each individual, and it always recommends the keeping pace of Islamic laws with the pursuit of spiritual and human virtues. This matter it is which today within civilizations is left to oblivion,and gradually the festering and putrefying results of this are seen.

However, Islam has lent a special emphasis to this important point, and Islamic leadership has always established the basis of its philosophy on the spiritual training of mankind.

The majority of men are unaware of the reality of their own exalted human essence, since it is so subtle and delicate that it is only seen by the clear-sighted. So, in the understanding of the ordinary man, this verdant land of the existence of each human being is situated in an area far from his cogitation and ideation, and he cannot conceive of this land, let alone be a leader towards it.

How can man, who, after the passing of centuries and centuries, has still not come to understand even half of the physical actions and reactions that govern his body, expect to know its metaphysical side? Or give guidance and a way to reach that far objective?

So, without any dispute, the leader to this land must be someone, the essence of whose existence is in union with the metaphysical world, and who is in relation with and knows this terrain from being a traveler in its known and unknown valleys. Till you have not traveled, how can you be a guide?

Now, is it right that we should wash our hands of our spiritual destiny? Should we suppose that we have not noticed the spiritual genius and sublime essence of man and take him to be the equal of a beast and leave him in the world of appetites and the libido?

No, ever! This is not the reality of man's great status.

Man, with his spiritual and celestial needs, and with the special genius which God has placed in?

His character is the masterpiece of creation, and the sun of the world of created things. This is why he takes his place like the world-illuminating sun in heights beyond reach, and sheds his warmth and heat on all quarters of the world like the rays of the sun.

Since it has been determined thus, man is no mere wanderer in the order of creation: he is a small speck, but a great Divine Sun shines on him, and God regards him with his special favour out of all creation.

We can see the results of this favour from God to man along the length of human history in His sending of the prophets. God sent the prophets on the basis of this love and favour, so that they might lead men and take there great but turbulent spirit to the shore of that great salvation and eminence.

The great Qur'an refers to this reality in numerous verses, as, for instance, when Ibrahim (AS.) asks God:

ربنا و بعث فيهم رسولآ منهم يتلو عليهم آياتك و يعلمهم الكتاب و الحكمة و يزكيهم انك انت العزيز الحكيم
(سوره بقره آيه 129)

"And, our Lord, do Thou send among them a Messenger, one of them, who shall recite to them Thy signs, and teach them the Book and the Wisdom, and purify them; Thou art the All-mighty, the all-wise." (II; 129)

In this verse we clearly see that apart from knowledge and wisdom and guidance, the purification of the soul, which is the same as spiritual training, is counted as one of the essentials of the calling of the prophets.

In the school of the illustrious Prophet, his followers benefit from this special training, and participate in the following of a dazzling and wondrous path of perfection. Salman Farsi, Abu Dharr, Miqdad, Ammar, Uways al-Qarani and many others are among this distinguished group.

Their beings were pure and righteous springs; they were purified from all badness; they wished for nothing apart from Allah, and saw nothing apart from Him. Only Allah ruled in their beings, throughout their souls, hearts, spirits and bodies.

Similarly, virtue and the refining of the spirit is not a superfluous matter of mere formality, that we should be indifferent to, and set apart from all other matters of life, to be attended to only when we feel like it, or at our leisure. No, virtue is the builder of life and a part of it, even, much more important than it. For, according to the testimony of wisdom and the senses, the great qualities of spiritual virtue and purity are so immense and so fathomless that man can with its protection leave his form and mould and reach to the spiritual life, and realise the high reality of his humanness; till he sees that which is beyond sight.

من عمل صالحآ من ذكر او انثي و هو مؤمن فلنحييه حيوة طيبة ...
(سوره نحل آيه 97)

"And whosoever does a righteous dee4 be it male or female, a believer, we shall surely give him to live a goodly life." (XVi~97)

When He calls you to that which will give you life." (VJJI; 24)

It is obvious that the life, which is mentioned in the above verses, is not the ordinary life. It is nothing but the spiritual life, virtuous human existence, which can only be obtained from the way of righteous action and refinement of the soul.

As with other phenomena, the finding of the spiritual life requires the fulfillment of certain conditions. The spiritual life is the fruit of man's behaviour and deeds; naturally, that behaviour and those deeds, which are formed by true and righteous training, which are taught by celestial teachings.

The command and prohibition of God, which we call the shari'ah; stand in exact correspondence with the truths and realities of the world of creation and the realm of existence; that is to say, creation and genesis. Since we are unaware of the truths of the universe, its workings, its ins and outs and its happenings, for our intellects are insufficient, we are ignorant of the 'behaviour which builds our spiritual lives. But the Imam (a.s.) reveals these high truths and superior workings to man like a wise and loving teacher, with many clear explanations, so that we may become filled with bliss and reach to the spiritual So, the way of Islam (din) is the sum total of realities and instructions which are greater than our ordinary understanding and which Allah has explained by means of the Prophet and his pure, unsullied representatives, so that the spiritual life may take root within us, and assure us of eternal bliss.

Now, if we obey the command, salvation will be ours; if not, it is our loss. Just like a child who is placed under instruction, who hears only command and prohibition from his instructor, and who does what is required of him without asking why. Although he does not understand in the. Depths of the matter what it means, he will, after the passing of the days of his education, live a life of contentment, because of the virtue and praiseworthy ways of action which were brought into action within him. However, if he revolts against carrying out the orders of his instructors, it will result in inestimable loss to him.

Now let us see who is the guarantee for this spiritual life and its perfection, which surely needs a guide?

Will he be found among ordinary men? Or will he be someone who speaks with sureness and dependability, who is in his behaviour free from error, immaculate, and who himself stands on the pinnacle of the spiritual life?

Until God guides someone completely Himself, He does not entrust to him the duty of guiding others.

قل الله يهدي للحق افمن يهدي الي الحق احق ان يتبع امن لايهدي الا ان يهدي فمالكم كيف تحكمون
(سوره يونس آيه 35)

"Say: Allah guides to the truth; and which is worthier to be followed He who guides to the truth, or he who guides not unless he is guided? What ails you, how you act?" (X, ~35)

More particularly, the Imamate is not leadership in the ordinary sense, for this is the duty of every Muslim, and not confined to the Imam. The meaning of guidance here is esoteric guidance; and those who have not found the spiritual life and to whom the realities of the universe have not been revealed, cannot take on this kind of leadership.

By looking into the ayahs of the Qur'an, which speak of Imamate and guidance, we can see that everywhere that Imamate is mentioned; the subject of guidance is also mentioned in commentary and explanation.

The Imam, besides being an educator in the commands of Islam, the exoteric side, is also the leader in the esoteric of Islam; he is the wall. That is to say, he takes man through the inner way, the man who has the predisposition and the worthiness, and leads him towards perfection.

This guidance, because it is carried out on the basis of spiritual blessing and inner Stations, is called esoteric guidance.

Esoteric guidance is a superior station, which the great prophets reached after the station of prophet hood. Thus, Ibrahim (a.s.), after he had been made a prophet, was raised by God to the station of esoteric guidance.

اني جاعلك للناس امامآ...
(سوره بقره آيه 123)

"Verily, I make you an Imam for mankind." (II; 124)

When he had reached the station of Wilayat and esoteric guidance, the Imam (A.S.) can apply himself to great works, which seem miraculous or impossible from the point of view of ordinary people. The Qur'an tells how Asia ibn Barkhya, one of the counsellors of Sulayman (A.S.) could cause the throne of the Queen of Sheba to come before Sulayman (A.S.) ahead of her own arrival, in a time shorter than the blinking of an eye, since he had a certain conversance over the supernatural world and could take away the shutters covering the facts and realities of this world.

Our sinless leaders and Imams are situated on a level greater and higher than Asif. The proof of this is the authoritative and documented histories of the narrators, where we find many stories of the spiritual guidance and inner Wilayat of our Imams.

Therefore, the Imam, since he is in the highest stage of spiritual life, has a kind of spiritual guidance and charisma, which can have an effect on the hearts of worthy people and cause a transformation in them, attracting them towards perfection. We can read in histories about the states and conditions of groups of followers of the Imams, and how they illuminated their times with their brilliance.

Ali ibn Khalid was a Zaydi, i.e. he did not accept any of the Imams after the fourth Imam, Zayn al-'Abidin (A.S.), and he lived in the time of the ninth Imam, Hazrat Muhammad al-Taqi (A.S.).

He related that he had been in Samarra, and he was informed that a man had been brought from Damascus to that place in captivity a~ a prisoner,who claimed to be a prophet? 'All ibn Khalid went to see him, and asked him to relate his story.

"I was busy in worship," he began, "at the place which they say is the resting place of the pure head of the noble martyr Imam -Husayn (a.s.). One night, a man suddenly appeared in front of me, and told me to stand up. I stood up despite myself and went a short way with him when I found myself in the mosque at Kufah! He asked me if I knew the mosque, and I said that I did, it was the mosque of Kufah. He prayed, and I prayed with him, and then we set out again. We had gone no distance at all when I noticed the mosque of Medina! He asked for blessings on the Prophet of Allah, and we both prayed there. Then we left and set out once more. Then I noticed we were in Mecca. We circumambulated the Ka'bali, left it, and then arrived at our original place, Damascus, after no time at all. Then that person vanished from my sight. A slight breeze came and brushed my face and went.

"A year after that adventure, I saw the very same man. I became greatly gladdened, he took me on the same journey, and like the first time we visited all those places, fully aware. But when he wanted to leave me, I said to him: 'I beseech you, who have such a great power as I see in you, tell me your name.' He said: 'I am Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Musa ibn Ja'far.' He was the ninth Imam.

"Now I proceeded to tell everyone I met of this extraordinary event, till news reached Muhammad ibn 'Abdi'l-Malik Zayyat. He ordered that I be arrested and accused of posing as a prophet. And now, as you see, I am in prison."

'All ibn Khalid asked him if he wanted him to write to Muhammad ibn 'Abdi'l-Malik about his case. The man told him to write. So he wrote, but in his answer Ibn 'Abdi'l-Malik wrote: "Tell him that he can escape from his prison, if he wants, in the same way as he went in the night from Damascus to Kufah, and from there to Medina and Mecca, and then back again to Damascus."

Ibn Khalid was most depressed by this answer. In the morning, he went to the prison to give the man the answer. But he saw there were many soldiers and a crowd of people coming and going around the prison, so he asked what had happened.

They told him that the prisoner who had claimed to be a prophet had escaped from the prison. No one knew how he had escaped, by going through the ground or by flying!

'Ali ibn Khalid said: "When I saw this, I left my own Zaydi creed and became a follower of Hazrat Imam Muhammad al-Taqi (a.s.), the ninth Imam."

Hazrat 'Mi (A.S.), bought and freed Maytham. He asked him what his name was.

"Salim," he replied.

"But I heard from the Prophet that your name, your true name, is Maytham."

"He spoke correctly, and you speak correctly; my name, my true name is Maytham."

"Then stay with the name the Prophet called you by, and leave the other name."

In this way Hazrat 'Mi (A.S.) bought and freed the slave, but he cast the noose of love around his neck so that he remained with him up to the last moment of his life - even death could not break this link.

Maytham was a free man who had amazing ability, and he gradually attained great honour in the school of 'Au (a.s.), and took his place among the group of the friends of 'Mi.

He became aware of the subtleties and discovered the realities. He had great love for 'All (A.S.); like a thirsty plant in the rain, he was inspired by him. For him he grew; he was totally absorbed in him. With him the light of his heart and the rejoicing of his soul increased. He never sold this happiness to the world of affluence.

One day, Hazrat 'Mi (AS.) said to him: "When I am gone, you will be hanged; they will scar your body with weapons, and on the third day your beard will be stained with the blood of your eyes and mouth. They will hang you beside the house of 'Amr ibn Hurayth, together with nine others. The tree they hang you from will be the smallest; come, I will show you the date-palm from whose branch you will be hung."

And then he showed Maytham the tree.

The years passed and Hazrat 'Au (A.S.) was martyred.

The Umayyads gained power over the people.

Maytham occasionally went out to look at the tree, prayed there, and spoke to it: "0 tree! May Allah bless you! I have been created for you, and you grew for me."

In the year of his martyrdom, Maytham went into the precincts of the Ka'bah and met Umm Salmah.

"I have heard your name from the Prophet," she said, "that he recommended you to 'All (AS.)."

Maytham asked her about Imam Husayn (AS.), and learnt that he had left the city.

"Convey my salam to him," he said, "and tell him it will not be long before I and he will see each other again in the next world before the lord."

Umm Salmah ordered that perfume should be brought to scent Maytham's beard, and then said to him: "Soon your beard will be colored by your blood, in the true way of the Prophet and his family."

Maytham then went to Kufah, where two of Ibn Ziyad's agents arrested him, and took him before the latter. This exchange took place:

"Where is your God?"

"Lying in wait among the oppressors, and you are one of tham."

"What did your master, 'All say about you and I?"

"He said you would hang me together with nine other martyrs, and that my gallows would be the shortest"I want to go against the word of your lord, and I shall kill you in another way."

"How can you? He learnt from the Prophet, and the Prophet learnt from Allah. Can you go against Allah? I also know the place of my martyrdom, and I am the first Muslim in whose mouth they will put a bridle."

'Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad, his eyes wide open, gave the order to take him immediately to prison. In that prison Maytham gave Mukhtar Thaqafi the good news of his liberty.

"You will kill Ibn Ziyad," he told him, "in revenge for the prince of martyrs, Hazrat Husayn (AS.)."

And so it was.

Maytham was taken to the place of his sacrifice-, to the place of his spiritual departure, the place from which his spirit was to soar to the highest and greatest heights of human spirituality. They hung him beside the house of 'Amr ibn Hurayth, from that very tree that he had been shown.

The people gathered round him, and on the gallows he took the opportunity to tell them of the virtues of Hazrat 'All (A.S.). He spoke and unlocked the hearts of the people and they understood.

Ibn Ziyad was informed that Maytham had defamed him, so he ordered him to be gagged so that he should be unable to speak. Then they attacked him with weapons as Hazrat 'All (A.S.), had foretold.

"Allaho Akbar!" he cried.

At the end of the third day, the blood from his eyes and mouth flowed down and stained his beard.

The Prophet (A.S) said: "The scent of paradise is wafting over from Qaran. 0 Uways al-Qarani, I am eager to see you. Anyone who sees you should give you my salam!"

When everyone swore allegiance to Hazrat 'Au (A.S.) at Dhi Qar, he said: "From Kufah a thousand soldiers, no more no less, will come and swear their allegiance to me."

Then they arrived and Ibn 'Abbas counted them, but found only 999 persons. He was puzzled why there was one person missing.

After a moment, a man came near with Armour, a sword and a shield, and the other accoutrements of war; he went up to Hazrat 'All (AS.) and said:

"I want to swear allegiance to you up to death and self-sacrifice."

What is your name? Said 'Ali (A.S)". Uways."

"Are you Uways al-Qarani?"

"Yes."

"Allaho Akbar! My beloved Prophet, the Prophet of Allah told me that I would meet one of his followers called Uways al-Qarani, who was one of the parties of Allah and His messenger, and who would die a martyr. He would intercede a numberless group."

Thus it was that he was martyred in the service of Hazrat 'Ali (A.S.).'

Uways is well known for his spirituality as having a high position. His pleasure was worship, and he had no interest in the things of this world. We can learn from the sayings of Uways the extraordinary nature of the spiritual life of this man.

"1 swear by Allah, the thought of death and the fear and trembling at the last days, leaves no place for happiness in this world for the man of faith."

"When we bid to good and forbid from evil they abuse us, but with all that we stand up for the truth of Allah."

Qanbar also was one of those brave people who reached a high station by the rays of the spiritual power of the Prophet (S.A.) and 'Mi (AS.).

He did not fear to tell the truth and to seek the way of righteousness. Although in the eyes of the people of this world he was no more than a slave, in the path of spiritual stations he was intimate to the secrets of 'Mi (AS.).

The live, powerful, hard-hitting words with which this iron man replied to Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, the bloodthirsty ruler who had the cruelty of a murderer and a criminal, have become well known.

Hajjaj asked him: "What was your work in the service of 'All?"

"I made ready his water for wudu."

"When he had finished wudu, what did he used to say?"

"He used to recite this ayah: 'So when they forgot what they were reminded of, We opened unto them the gates of everything until, when they rejoiced in what they were doing, We seized them suddenly, and behold, they were sore confounded. So the last remnant of the people who did evil was cut off. Praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds." (VI; 4445)

"I presume that ayah speaks about me?"

"Yes," said Qanbar with perfect heroism.

"If I kill you, what can you do?"

"I shall become a man of bliss, and you a man of wretchedness."

"Confess that you have left 'All's service!"

"If I leave his way, will I be guided to a better way?"

Hajjaj could not answer this question, so he said: "1 am your killer. Whatever way you wish, let me know, and I shall kill you in this way."

"I leave that to you."

"Why?"

"Because however you kill me, I shall kill you in hat way in the next life. 'Ali, my master, told me that I should be beheaded cruelly and unjustly."So Hajjaj ordered that he be beheaded.

1. Al-Ghadir', and Allamah al-Amini.

The encyclopedic work 'al-Ghadir', the grea enterprise of the late mujahid, 'Allamah Sheikh 'Abdal - Husayn al-Amini is wrtten around the hadith of al - chadir.

This great book, which is the achievement of a lifetime of pure seeking by this scholar, is in many volumes and is in the Arabic language. Till now, 11 volumes have been published.

The exposition of the book was put together in a strong and easy style, and its contents are so well reasoned that according to the acknowledgement of the leaders and scholars the Twelver Shi'ites believe that after the Prophet of Allah, the leadership of the world of Islam fell to Amir al-Mu'minin, 'Ali (AS.), and then to his eleven pure descendents.

This idea, this belief, is as clear as the rays of the morning sun, and those who are' unprejudiced and impartial will have no cause for doubt in it.

Jabir ibn Abdillah, one of the special companions of the Prophet (S.A.) said: "The day the ayah concerning obedience to Allah, the of the Sunni school, the question of the legitimacy of the Shi'ites has been revived. It has transformed the attitude of the Sunnis towards the Shi'ites, and has rendered a great service to these two groups.

Much use has been made of this great book during the prophet and those vested with authority was revealed (IV; 59), I asked the Prophet: 'We know Allah and the Prophet, but who is the third?' He said: 'They are the Imams, my successors, the first of whom is 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, then, in order, Hasan, Husayn, 'Ali ibn al-Husayn, Muhammad ibn 'Ali, who was called Baqir in the Torah, and whom you, Jabir, will meet and to whom you will convey my salam; then, after him, Ja'far ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq, Musa ibn Ja'far, 'Au ibn Musa, Muhammad ibn 'Mi, 'Mi ibn Muhammad, Hasan ibn 'Au, and in the end the son of Hasan ibn 'Au will come, whose name will be the same as mine (Muhammad Abu'l-Qasim)."

1. Safi, Muntakhab al-Athar. p.101. the writer quotes 50 similar hadith from Sunni and Shi'a sources.

No society, at any time or place, can stand free and liberated without a leader. This is always true. Inspired by this reality, we can proceed to say that anyone who is the ruler over a society, if he is dedicated to its strength and happiness, must necessarily strive to protect it and must, to the extent of his power, ability, knowledge and foresight, take into consideration the present, future and even the distant future of that society, and plan and programmed so that the destiny of that society may become near to the realm of ideal contentment.

It is because of this necessity that rulers, even during short journeys, appoint a deputy. This is remarked in every case of leadership.

A head of a family, a headmaster, a foreman in a factory, all put a deputy in their place for the absence of a few hours, and they give instructions on the orders of the one they replace in their absence. This matter is so obvious that it needs no proof.

The great Prophet, who was the leader of world Islamic society, observed this very principle. Wherever the light of Islam shone for the first time, however much or little it shone, he always appointed a worthy administrator for that place to look after its affairs.

For armies, which he sent off on jihad, he appointed a specific commander of the troops, and he sometimes appointed several persons as assistant leaders to the commander, so that if one were killed, the army would not be without a commander.

Thus we know of persons whom the Prophet appointed as his deputies and repetitive whenever he traveled from Medina, so that Medina should not be without a leader in his absence.

The Shi'ites ask how, with this evidence, it is consistent with the wisdom of the Prophet (S.A.) that he should die without appointing a successor. Which of the following possibilities accords with reason:

- Was Islamic society, after the death of the Prophet (S.A.), not in need of a leader again?

- Or did the Prophet (S~A.) attach no importance to the community of Muslims after he had gone?

- Or were concern and prudence something he could do nothing about?

- Or did he not know who was the most worthy successor?

Which of these possibilities accords with reason?

With his all-embracing love, and the signs of leadership and determining of duties, which he gave to the Muslims in all the ups and downs of their lives, how could the Prophet of Islam (S.A.) not give an order on this great matter?

In the light of these realities, the followers of the Imams proceeded to investigate the first and original texts and documents of Islam, and in this investigation they came across an enormous quantity of sources which their Islamic wisdom and consciences judged to be the most important, and they arrived at this result: that there are clear, sufficient, exact orders from the Prophet (S.A.) about the detailing of a successor: the ayah of Wilayat, the hadith of Ghadir, the hadith of Safinah, the hadith of Thaqalayn, and examined with great details in these great books. From all these we shall select the hadith of Ghadire and we shall seek to judge its value in an unprejudiced manner.

In the tenth year of the hijrah, the Prophet (S.A.) set out for Mecca to perform the rites of Hajj. This Hajj was undertaken in the last years of the dear Prophet's life, and for this reason history has given it the name of the "Farewell Hajj" (hijjah al-wida').

Those who accompanied the Prophet, who were pressing forward in their stirrups with eagerness to follow him, to see and learn the true Hajj, numbered about 120,000. Some groups also became attached to him in the town of Meccah.

Then, when returning to Medina after completing the Hajj, on the 18th day of Dhu'l-hijjah, at Ghadir Khumm, this ayah was revealed:

يا ايها الرسول بلغ ما انزل اليك من ربك و ان لم تفعل فما بلغت رسالته و الله يعصمك من الناس ...
(سوره مائده آيه 67)

0 Messenger, deliver that which has been sent down to thee from8 thy Lord; for if thou dost not, thou wilt not have delivered His Message. Allah will protect thee from men." (1'; 67)

Thus a great message reached the Prophet from Allah. The edges of the caravan were slowly rolling along.

"Allah has given a command... Let everyone await the command..."

Thereupon, the Prophet (S.A.) gave the order that everyone should stop moving and come to a halt; and they did. Many travelers stood there on the order of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.) to hear the news. About the desert we have been told, 'Ghadir Khumm is a plain without water, parched'. It is midday and the heat of the sun was scorching. What is the news for which the Prophet is keeping the people standing in such a place, at such a time?

Now the sound of adhan is heard. The Prophet performs the prayer with the people, and then camel saddle-packs are built up to form a raised platform. The Prophet stands on the top of them. People catch their breath, and are as quiet as the sands of the desert. They are waiting for the news.

The Prophet starts. His speech, like the spray of drops that shower from a waterfall, is cool and soothing; it calms the heat, and the people quench their thirst under the sun by listening with their souls. After praising Allah, the Prophet continues:

"I and you, we have shouldered every responsibility. Don't you agree?"

"We are witnesses that you have delivered the message to us, that you made every effort in this direction. May Allah give you the best reward!"

"Do you witness to the Unity of Allah, and to the prophet hood of his slave, Muhammad. And to heaven and hell, death and the resurrection, and life after death?"

"We do witness to these.

"May Allah he our witness!" And then he continued, saying to the people: "0 people; land you, we shall see one another beside Kawthar. Be careful after me how you deal with two precious jewels."

"0 Prophet, what are these two?"

"The Book of Allah, and my descendents. Allah told me that these two are not to be separated from one another till they reach me beside Kawthar. Do not go ahead of them, for you will be ruined. Do not fall behind them, for you will also be ruined."

Then he raised the hand of 'Ali, Amir al-Mu'minin (AS.), so that everyone could see him and know him. Then, in the same position, he read the divine firman of succession.

"0 people. Who is more deserving among the believers to have Wilayat and guardianship over them?"

"Allah and the Prophet know best."

"Allah gave me Wilayat, and I am more worthy than the believers and the followers themselves. Therefore to whomsoever I am guardian, 'Ali is guardian.

0 Allah, be the friend of his friends, and the enemy of his enemies. Help anyone who helps him, and punish anyone who rebels against him.

"Now everyone who is present must tell those who are absent."

The people had not dispersed when the following ayah was revealed:

...اليوم اكملت لكم دينكم و اتممت عليكم نعمتي ورضيت لكم الاسلام دينآ...
(سوره مائده آيه 3)

"Today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed my blessing upon you, and I have approved Islam for your religion." (V; 3)

Then the Prophet cried out: "Allaho Akbar! The religion of Allah has been perfected, and He is pleased with my prophet hood and the Imamate of 'Au after me."

After this ceremony, people felicitated Imam 'Au and called him Amir al-Mu'minin. Among the foremost of the companions who felicitated him were Abu Bakr and 'Umar who said: "How good for you, 0 'Au, to have become my master and the master of every believing man and woman."

From the point of view of its chain of narration, this hadith is so strong that it is probably unique.

One hundred and ten thousand of the companions of the Prophet (S.A.) who were present at Ghadir have narrated it from the Prophet (S.A.) without any intermediary, and also eighty-four of the followers, those who knew the companions.

Aware and unprejudiced scholars, be they historians or commentators or whatever, from the Sunni school have mentioned the matter of Ghadir with much documentation in their books. The names of three hundred and fifty such scholars are mentioned in the book 'al-Ghadir' (see footnote above).

Many of the great Islamic scholars have written books on this subject, and twenty-six such writers have been recorded in 'al-Ghadir', together with the particulars of each of their books.

Dictionary compilers have related the story of ghadir under the entry of 'Ghadir' or 'Mawla' (master).

So there is not the smallest doubt, not the least shadow, over the chain of narration of the hadith of Ghadir; unless for that handful of people who can stand in the light of the sun and feel its warmth on their skin, but then say that there is no light or warmth.

The hadith of Ghadir, with the signs contained within it and without it, is so striking that everybody must in all fairness notice, and then become certain, that Amir al-Mu'minin, 'Au (A.S.), became the first successor to the Prophet (S.A.).

Unlocking of some of these signs and testimonies.

1. The word ''maw/a', which we come across in this hadith, is one of the clearest words which can be used in this area.

Mawla, in this hadith, means someone who has the stations of Wilayat and Imamate, and can give his opinion and command on them; what he wants has priority over all other wants. For this reason, before he said "He whose master (maw/a) I am", he said "0 People, who among the believers is more deserving?"

The meaning of the priority of the Prophet (S.A.) is that his wish comes before the wish of the people, and that whatever he says or does is an authority for the people. People follow him, and in fact he has Wilayat and guardianship over them. Now, we can see that just as in the first sentence the priority and Wilayat of the Prophet (S.A.) is mentioned, so in the following sentence, his priority and Wilayat must be spoken of with the same meaning, so that there can be some connection in meaning between the two sentences.

Therefore the correct and complete meaning, which we get from these, few sentences are as the Prophet (S.A.) said: "Am I, compared with you, not more deserving?"

"Yes, you are! "Everyone replied.

"So, this being deserving, this priority and Wilayat which I have as regards you, 'Ali also has, and, after me, he will be the Mawla of all Muslims and my successor."

Thus, in this hadith, there is no question of any other meaning for 'maw/a' apart from priority, Wilayat and Imamate; and any other meaning in its place is entirely irrelevant. We should also note that the Prophet of Islam kept people standing in this great heat. This historical fact makes it clear that the matter has a special importance; for, if not, no reasonable man would suppose that the Prophet would detain people under such conditions when his purpose was only to remind people of a trivial matter, for example, that 'All was his friend.

2. A second proof is that after this the Prophet said:

"0 Allah, help those who help 'All, and keep far from Thy Mercy those who refuse help to 'All."

The Prophet (S.A.) knew that after him Hazrat 'Au (A.S.) would take official command of power and the army, and people would have to help him so that Islam would take root. For Islamic government needs just and obeyed commanders, and it is necessary that all people obey the Prophet's successor. Therefore he prayed for Hazrat 'Ali's helpers and cursed his opponents so that in this way too the people would understand that to oppose Hazrat 'Au would bring about the anger of Allah and the curses of the Prophet.

3. In the beginning of his speech, the Prophet said: "Do you witness to the Unity of Allah and the prophet hood of his slave, Muhammad?"

"We do," they replied.

"Who is your wali and Mawla? Whoever I am his Mawla, 'Mi will also be his Mawla."

It is clear that the meaning of the Wilayat of Hazrat 'Ali (A.S.), after the witnessing of the Unity of Allah and the prophet hood and wilayat of the Prophet, is the Imamate, because, with any other meaning, the connection between the sentences would be broken, and we know that the Prophet (S.A.) was one of the most eloquent and accurate of speakers.

Congratulated Amir al-Mu'minin. It is obvious that this felicitation was because they had accepted the truth of Hazrat 'Mi being appointed that day to a high station by Allah and the Prophet. If there had been another reason, felicitation would have had no place.

5. According to scholars of the Sunni school, the ayah 67 of Sura V mentioned above was revealed on the day of Ghadir about the matter of the succession of Hazrat 'Ali. As a sample, let us see what the great Sunni commentator and historian; Hafiz Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari has to say:

"...After this ayah, which was revealed at Ghadir Khumm, the Prophet said: 'Jibra'il has brought a command from Allah that we should halt in this place, and to announce to all, black or white, that 'Mi ibn Abi Talib, my brother, my executor (wasi), is my successor and the Imam after me."

6. The splendid, magnificent poems and odes which the poets and writers of the times from those days up to now have composed on the subject of Ghadir and the succession of Amir al-Mu'minin, Hazrat 'All (A.S.), are, apart from their literary importance, a strong proof in the matter of our discussion, for they have all acknowledged and commented upon the speech of Ghadir Khumm in connection with wilayat and the Imamate.

The poems and the names of the poets have all been recorded, and those who are acquainted with Arabic literature can consult the book of al-Ghadir mentioned previously.

In this great book, the poems and many of the names of the poets who composed poems about Ghadir Khumm from the first century A.H. through the subsequent centuries have been mentioned in order and analyzed.

7. Our great Prophet (S.A.) and Imams (A.S.) have ordered that the 18th day of Dhu'l-hijjah be kept as a true Muslim 'id, so that the event of Ghadir might be remembered every year and not fall into oblivion.

Thus Abu Rayhan al-Biruni, the famous fifth-century (A.H.) Iranian scholar, in his book The Chronology of Ancient Nations, and also Ibn Talhah ash-Shafi'i in his book, Matalib as-Sa'ul, name the day of Ghadir as one of the 'ids of Islam.

Abu Mansur ath-Tha 'alibi, the famous writer and scholar, also wrote in his book Thimar al-Qulub that the eve of Ghadir is one of the greatest nights in Islam.

8. Objections.Whenever Amir al-Mu'minin, Hazrat 'Ali (A.S.), and the other Imams reasoned about the hadith o Ghadir with objectors and in front of opposes, no one raised any objection about its significance or about its connection with the Imamate and the succession of Amir al-Mu'minin who was not reduced to silence.

One day in Kufah, Amir al-Mu'minin gave a speech during which he said: "Anyone who was present at Ghadir, and heard with his own ear the Prophet appoint me as his successor, stand up. Only those who heard the Prophet with their own ear, not those who heard from others who were there."

A number of people rose up. Ahmad ibn Hanbal, the Imam of the Hanbalites, says that there were thirty people who stood up that day, and testified to having heard the hadith of Ghadir.

It should be remembered that this event took place twenty-five years after Ghadir, that some of the companions of the Prophet (S.A.) were not present on that day in Kufah, or had died since, and that some also, for various motives, did not testify.

The leader of the free, Hazrat Imam Husayn (A.S.), also asked during a speech he gave to the Islamic community in Mecca, among seven hundred of the pious companions and followers of the Prophet (S.A.):

"Do you know that the Prophet appointed 'Mi to the califate and the Imamate at Ghadir, and ordered those present to tell those who were absent?"

"Allah is witness that it was so."

We shall end this lesson with a foreword, which Shaykh Muhammad Duhduh, the Sunni Imam and the spiritual leader of the town of Aleppo, wrote for the book a/-Ghadir. We have abbreviated it.

"The book aI-Ghadir confirms the facts, and equally refutes the superstitions. It expounds some things, which we were ignorant of, and cancels out sayings, which we have kept in our hearts for centuries.

'Indeed, past events bad been related in a way which made us say: 'We do not know where these come from, and we do not want to think about their secrets', whereas we should have learnt from these events, and we should have conducted research into historical problems on a higher level.

"As we have seen, before the book al-Ghadir, the general knowledge of the Sunnis about the historical reality of Ghadir was only slight, but now and after this, as the parts of aI-Ghadir are published, they will, on the contrary, see a boiling sea overflowing with impressive arguments, clear proofs and brilliant knowledge. What I see in al-Ghadir says with one voice:

'The radiance of the moon cannot be concealed."