Al-Hijr Verse 46 and Ghadir
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Al-Hijr Verse 46 is a verse in the al-Ghadir Sermon that demonstrates the connection between piety (taqwa) and the acceptance of the wilaya of the Imams (a). This verse also describes the special honors for the magnificent entry of the Shi'a into Paradise.
Al-Hijr Verse 46 is among the verses of the Quran cited in the al-Ghadir Sermon as an adaptation and guarantee in honor of those who accept the wilaya of Amir al-Mu'minin (a). The historical context of the use of this verse is depicted as follows: in the al-Ghadir Sermon, after the Prophet (s) finished explaining the principle of Imamate, he proceeded to introduce the friends and enemies of the Imamate. In this section, he expressed the magnificent entry of the friends of the Imamate into Paradise by adapting this verse.
Regarding the inclusion of al-Hijr Verse 46 in the al-Ghadir Sermon from the perspective of the connection between piety and wilaya, it has been stated: the subject of this verse is the "pious" (muttaqin), which the Prophet (s) interpreted as the friends of the twelve Imams (a). An important point is the connection between piety and wilaya, which naturally implies that the lack of piety is linked to the rejection of wilaya; just as someone who does not fear God commits sins, in the same way, they refuse to accept the wilaya and guardianship of 'Ali b. Abi Talib (a).
Regarding the inclusion of al-Hijr Verse 46 in the al-Ghadir Sermon from the perspective of describing special honors for the entry of the Shi'a into Paradise, it has been stated: the special favor of the Lord on the Day of Resurrection is for those who have accepted the wilaya of the Imams (a). They enter Paradise with peace; they are in safety and security amidst the chaos of the gathering (mahshar); Paradise awaits their arrival, and as soon as they arrive, the gates of Paradise are opened for them; the angels assigned to Paradise have three pieces of good news for them: "Peace be upon you," "You have become pure," and "You will be in Paradise forever."
A Verse Concerning the Friends of Ghadir
Al-Hijr Verse 46 is among the verses of the Quran cited in the al-Ghadir Sermon as an adaptation and guarantee in honor of those who accept the wilaya of Amir al-Mu'minin (a).
The status and dignity mentioned regarding the friends of Amir al-Mu'minin (a) in these sections begin with their foundational beliefs, namely possessing a secure and undoubted heart, and reach the description of their true faith, which is "faith in the unseen." Then, their salvation is confirmed by God and the Messenger, and forgiveness and a great reward are guaranteed for them. That great reward is Paradise, distance from the Fire, and the welcoming of the lovers of 'Ali (a) with heavenly peace.[1]
These verses guaranteed in the words of the Prophet (s) are six verses, among which is al-Hijr Verse 46: 
إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِینَ فِی جَنَّاتٍ وَ عُیُونٍ، ادْخُلُوها بِسَلامٍ آمِنِینَ
.[2]
The Verse in the Text of the Sermon
Al-Hijr Verse 46 appears in the text of the al-Ghadir Sermon as follows: الا انَّ اوْلِيائَهُمُ الَّذينَ يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ بِسَلامٍ آمِنِينَ تَتَلَقَّاهُمُ الْمَلائِكَةُ بِالتَّسْليم.[3]
Historical Context of the Use of the Verse
The historical context of the use of al-Hijr Verse 46 is depicted as follows: in the al-Ghadir Sermon, after the Prophet (s) finished explaining the principle of Imamate, he proceeded to introduce the friends and enemies of the Imamate. In this part, from the middle of the sermon, he expressed the magnificent entry of the friends of the Imamate into Paradise by adapting two verses of the Quran in his speech: al-Hijr Verse 46 and Al-Zumar Verse 73, which appear in the sermon with changes appropriate to the words of the Prophet (s).[4]
Quranic Context
Al-Hijr Verse 46 appears within the context of God's completion of arguments against Iblis, who was questioned when he did not prostrate to Adam. During this questioning, God told him: the promised place for those who are led astray by you is Hell; in contrast, the promised place for the pious is Paradise, which they will enter in peace.[5]
Theological Analysis of the Verse: The Reciprocal Relationship Between Piety and Wilaya
Regarding the inclusion of verse forty-six of Surah al-Hijr in the al-Ghadir Sermon from the perspective of the relationship between piety (taqwa) and wilaya, it has been stated: The subject of this verse, based on the preceding verse (verse forty-five of al-Hijr), is the "pious" (muttaqin), whom the Prophet (s) interpreted as the friends of the twelve Imams (a). The important point is the connection between piety and wilaya, which naturally implies that the opposite is the correlation between a lack of piety and the rejection of wilaya. "Piety" means fear of God and obedience to His commands, and its root meaning is "protection from danger." In technical piety, the danger refers to divine punishment and the fire of hell, which leads to fear of God and acting upon His instructions; therefore, piety does not manifest itself only in action and at the time of committing a sin, but the effects of piety appear in two situations in life: one in the realm of belief and thought, and the other in the realm of action, which in the realm of action is also influenced by the sins of the heart and mind.
Divine commands, from the appointment of the successor to the Prophet (s) to the obligatory and forbidden acts, require piety so that one may act in obedience to the Lord as He has commanded. Just as someone who does not fear God commits sins, in the same way, they refuse to accept the wilaya and authority of 'Ali b. Abi Talib (a); while the former relates to actions, the acceptance of wilaya is a matter of heart-felt belief. A lack of piety and a sin of belief are much more significant than a lack of piety in action; because a practical sin only carries its own corresponding hell, but a sin of belief has extensive effects on action because actions are directed by the shadow of belief; for example, someone who has accepted the wilaya of the Imams (a) learns how to perform prayer from them, but someone who has not accepted their wilaya, even if they pray, the quality of their prayer is not pleasing to God because it has been learned from the wrong path.[6]
The depth of this reciprocal relationship between piety and wilaya, relying on verse forty-six of Surah al-Hijr, has been explained in hadiths as follows:
- Imam al-Sadiq (a) introduces the faith of the Shi'a as the manifestation of their piety: "The pious are our Shi'a who believe in the unseen."[7]
- Imam al-Baqir (a): "By God, there is no one who is our Shi'a except one who fears God and obeys Him."[8]
The Relationship Between Lack of Piety and Rejection of Wilaya
The opposite point of the correlation between piety and the acceptance of wilaya is the connection between a lack of piety and the rejection of the wilaya of the Imams (a). If the opponents and enemies of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) possessed piety, the foremost of all commands would have been the acceptance of the wilaya of the Imams (a), which was revealed by the direct command of God. This defiance of the divine command signifies a lack of piety and a lack of fear of God and the punishment ordained for the disobedient.
During the events concurrent with the usurpation of the caliphate, several protesters against Abu Bakr used the word "piety" to describe his behavior regarding the wilaya and introduced him as lacking piety in the presence of the people. For example, Salman addressed Abu Bakr, saying: "O Abu Bakr, practice piety, rise from where you are sitting, and surrender it to its rightful people so that they may utilize it with joy until the Day of Resurrection, and two swords of this umma will not come into conflict with one another... and if you do not accept, you will milk blood from it, and the freed ones, the outcasts, and the hypocrites will covet the caliphate."[9]
Salman explains the two sides of piety and the lack thereof, showing how far the evil effects of a lack of piety extend, to the point that an umma must milk blood and the unworthy must follow this wrong path; as this event occurred, and what innocent blood was shed following this usurpation of the caliphate over the centuries, and what people took power and incited immense strife. Such a lack of piety cannot be compared to any other lack of piety or sin.
Furthermore, Miqdad said to Abu Bakr: "O Abu Bakr, turn back from your oppression, repent before your Lord, sit in your house, weep for your sin, and surrender the matter of the caliphate to its owner who is more deserving of it than you... Practice piety and return what you have usurped as soon as possible before the time passes."[10] In this statement by Miqdad, repentance for that lack of piety and weeping for such a sin are raised, and he is advised to practice piety, the requirement of which is returning the usurped caliphate.
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari also made the lack of piety of the people in aiding the usurpers of the caliphate and abandoning the divinely appointed caliph the subject of his speech, stating: "O servants of God, fear God regarding the Ahl al-Bayt of your Prophet and practice piety, and return to them the right that God has established for them. Repent before God, for God is the Oft-Forgiving, the Merciful."[11]
Theological Analysis of the Verse: Special Honors for the Magnificent Entry of the Shi'a into Paradise
Regarding the appearance of verse 46 of Surah al-Hijr in the al-Ghadir Sermon from the perspective of describing special honors for the entry of the Shi'a into Paradise, it has been stated: The special favor of the Lord on the Day of Resurrection is for those who have accepted the wilaya of the Imams (a). The grace of this honor lies in the fact that this minority, amidst the clamor of the majority, did not forget piety and the divine command regarding their guardian, and they thanked their God for such a blessing. On the Day of Resurrection, God will make the pride of this oppressed minority manifest to everyone and to the oppressive majority.
In this verse (considering verse 45 of al-Hijr and Verse 73 of al-Zumar), four divine favors for the Shi'a of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) are mentioned as follows:
- They will enter Paradise with peace;
- They will be in safety and security amidst the clamor of the gathering (Mahshar);
- Paradise awaits their arrival, and as soon as they arrive, the gates of Paradise will be opened for them;
- The angels assigned to Paradise have three pieces of good news for them: "Peace be upon you!", "You have become pure!", and "You will remain in Paradise forever!"
Furthermore, many hadiths have been narrated regarding God's generosity toward the Shi'a on the Day of Resurrection, to the extent that all the people of the world on that day will wish they had been among the "Fatimids" and "Alavids" and had attained all that divine favor.[12]
Footnotes
- ↑ Ghadir dar Quran, vol. 2, p. 345.
- ↑ Ghadir dar Quran, vol. 2, p. 354.
- ↑ Asrar-i Ghadir, p. 152, section 7.
- ↑ Ghadir dar Quran, vol. 2, p. 354.
- ↑ Ghadir dar Quran, vol. 2, p. 355.
- ↑ Ghadir dar Qur'an, vol. 2, pp. 355–356.
- ↑ Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 2, p. 21, hadith 59.
- ↑ Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 70, p. 97.
- ↑ Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 28, p. 301.
- ↑ Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 28, p. 196.
- ↑ Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 28, p. 201; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 28, p. 213; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 28, p. 219.
- ↑ Ghadir dar Quran, vol. 2, pp. 359–360.
References
- Asrar-i Ghadir; Muhammad Baqir Ansari, Tehran: Nashr-i Tak, 1384 Sh.
- Bihar al-Anwar al-Jami'a li-Durar Akhbar al-A'imma al-Athar; Muhammad Baqir b. Muhammad Taqi Majlisi, Beirut: Dar Ihya' al-Turath al-'Arabi, 1403 Q.
- Ghadir dar Quran, Quran dar Ghadir; Muhammad Baqir Ansari, Qom: Intisharat-i Dalil-i Ma, 1387 Sh.