Surah al-Hujurat, Verse 17 and al-Ghadir
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Surah al-Hujurat, Verse 17 is a verse mentioned in the al-Ghadir Sermon that prohibits seeking a share in divine wilaya by boasting about one's background in Islam.
Surah al-Hujurat, Verse 17 is considered one of the verses used during al-Ghadir to explain the stages of the divine test of al-Ghadir. The historical context for the use of Surah al-Hujurat, Verse 17 is described as follows: In a part of the sixth section of the al-Ghadir Sermon, the Prophet (s) deemed it necessary for the people to know that they were exposed to dangers; the first was apostasy from Islam, the second was the feeling of pride in being Muslim, and the third was the imams of misguidance, which was accompanied by conspiracies against the caliphate and seeking a share in divine wilaya.
The response of the Prophet (s) to this demand for a share was an emphasis on the worldly and otherworldly dangers of opposing the divine command, and the response of the Commander of the Faithful (a) was an emphasis on his own background in faith and Islam.
A Verse Concerning Opposition to the Enemies of al-Ghadir
Surah al-Hujurat, Verse 17 is considered one of the verses used during al-Ghadir to explain the stages of the divine test of al-Ghadir. Some researchers have explained the basis for using this verse as follows: The greatest test of humanity at al-Ghadir was a comprehensive test in which the completion of the argument was carried out completely, leaving no way for anyone to escape for any reason or excuse.
In this divine test, both the aspects that could be the source of the test were numerous, and the causes that could be a satanic motivation for failing the test appeared in various manifestations. In his long sermon, the Prophet (s) explained these conditions of the test to the people so that they would welcome it with full preparation. The Prophet predicted this bitter future of the test by allusion and explicitly, and explained the stages of such a great test by citing eleven verses guaranteed in the al-Ghadir Sermon.
Among these verses is Surah al-Hujurat, Verse 17: 
یَمُنُّونَ عَلَیْکَ أَنْ أَسْلَمُوا، قُلْ لا تَمُنُّوا عَلَیَّ إِسْلامَکُمْ، بَلِ اللَّه یَمُنُّ عَلَیْکُمْ أَنْ هَداکُمْ لِلْإِیمانِ إِنْ کُنْتُمْ صادِقِینَ,They count it as a favor to you that they have embraced Islam. Say, 'Do not count your embracing Islam as a favor to me. Indeed, it is Allah who has bestowed a favor upon you by guiding you to the faith, if you are truthful.'
Besides Surah al-Hujurat, Verse 17, Surah Muhammad, Verse 28, Surah al-Rahman, Verse 35, and Surah al-Fajr, Verses 13 and 14 are among these verses.
The Verse in the Text of the al-Ghadir Sermon
The position of Surah al-Hujurat, Verse 17 in the text of the al-Ghadir Sermon is depicted as follows: In a part of the sixth section of the al-Ghadir Sermon, the Prophet (s) warned against the danger of Muslim pride and the boasting of Muslims to God and the Messenger for accepting the religion. To warn against this satanic trait, the Prophet merged four Quranic verses into one long sentence, which have been reported as follows according to different versions:
- مَعاشِرَ النّاسِ، لا تَمُنُّوا عَلَىَّ بِاسْلامِكُمْ، بَلْ لا تَمُنُّوا عَلَى اللَّه فَيُحْبِطَ عَمَلَكُمْ وَ يَسْخَطَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَ يَبْتَلِيَكُمْ بِشُواظٍ مِنْ نارٍ وَ نُحاسٍ، انَّ رَبَّكُمْ لَبِالْمِرْصادِ: O people, do not boast to me about your Islam, rather do not boast to God, for He will nullify your deeds, become angry with you, and afflict you with a flame of fire and molten copper. Indeed, your Lord is in ambush.[1]
- (v.l.): لا تَمُنُّوا عَلَى اللَّه اسْلامَكُمْ فَيَسْخَطَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَ يُصيبَكُمْ بِعَذابٍ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ ("J": وَ يَبْتَلِيَكُمْ بِسَوْطِ عَذابٍ), انَّهُ لَبِالْمِرْصادِ: Do not boast to God about your Islam, for He will become angry with you and a punishment will reach you from Him ("J": He will afflict you with a lash of punishment), and God is in ambush.[2]
- (v.l.): لا تَمُنُّوا عَلَى اللَّه فينا ما لا يُطيعُكُمْ ("W": وَ لا يُطيعُكُمُ) اللَّه وَ يَسْخَطَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَ يَبْتَلِيَكُمْ بِسَوْطِ عَذابٍ: Do not boast to God about us regarding what He does not obey you in ("W": for God does not obey you) and He will become angry with you and afflict you with a lash of punishment.[3]
Historical Context of the Use of the Verse
The historical context of the use of Surah al-Hujurat, Verse 17 is depicted as follows: In a part of the sixth section of the al-Ghadir Sermon, the Prophet (s) deemed it necessary for the people to know that they were exposed to dangers that threatened them from several directions. One was apostasy from Islam, the second was the feeling of pride in being Muslim, and the third was the imams of misguidance. The second danger was Muslim pride and the boasting of Muslims to God and the Prophet (s) for accepting the religion. To warn against this satanic trait, the Prophet (s) merged four Quranic verses, one of which was Surah al-Hujurat, Verse 17.
From another perspective, the historical context of the use of this verse is depicted as follows: In the middle of the al-Ghadir Sermon, before the Prophet (s) raised the danger of conspirators against the caliphate, in order for Muslims not to be proud of their background in Islam and to consider themselves exposed to a difficult test, these four verses were combined into one sentence.
Quranic Position of the Verse
According to some researchers, the Quranic position of Surah al-Hujurat, Verse 17 is as follows: This verse speaks of people who have only uttered the word of Islam and do not have true faith. Then it introduces the true believers and asks them not to have any claims before divine commands and to be humble. Up to the mentioned verse, which explicitly points out that God has a favor upon you and do not boast to God in accepting Islam, and one verse after this is the end of Surah al-Hujurat.
Regarding the theological analysis of the use of verse 17 of Surah al-Hujurat in the text of the al-Ghadir Sermon, it is stated: The interpretation presented for the mention of this verse in this context refers to the Muslims bestowing favors upon God and the Prophet (s) regarding the issue of the caliphate and the succession of the Prophet (s). In some versions, this point is explicitly mentioned: لا تَمُنُّوا عَلَى اللَّه فِينَا مَا لَا يُطيعُكُمُ اللَّه, where the word فِينَا (concerning us) is used instead of Template:قرآن (your Islam) in the verse; meaning, do not bestow favors upon God regarding us, the Ahl al-Bayt, or regarding the matter of our caliphate. It then adds that "God will not accept your speech in this regard."
This act of bestowing favors can be interpreted as the arrogance of being a Muslim. Naturally, this behavior manifested itself in the presence of the Prophet (s) over minor issues such as the distribution of war spoils, but after the martyrdom of the Prophet (s), satanic thoughts portrayed the caliphate as the highest spoil obtained from Islam, over which selfish competition was ignited. At Ghadir, this matter was openly voiced by some who said that if 'Ali is to be the caliph, then at least include others with him or nominate people for the caliphate after him, to which the Prophet (s) strongly countered this greed in the face of the divine command and rejected it.[4]
One of the aspects of divine testing is that bestowing favors is never explicitly stated by anyone; rather, everyone tries to claim a share of the benefits of the Islamic society by bringing up their own background. Precedence in Islam, sacrifice for its cause, kinship with the Prophet (s), and other such factors led some to seek a share in the caliphate.
Amir al-Mu'minin (a) was incomparable to anyone in terms of background, virtues, sacrifices, and adherence to the commands of Islam and the orders of the Prophet (s). However, when he saw that some were intending to disrupt the religion of God and the divine wilayah by putting forward their own backgrounds, he stood against the people from that very point. He presented his virtues and background to show that if virtues and background are the reason for precedence, no one has precedence over me. On the other hand, I am the one who receives God's favor, not the one who bestows favors upon God; had it not been for God appointing me to this position, I would not have stepped forward to obtain it.
Everything the Prophet (s) said in the al-Ghadir Sermon regarding the reason and manner of the appointment of the caliph by God, when placed alongside verse 17 of Surah al-Hujurat, leads to this conclusion: The matter of the caliphate, like the principle of Islam, is among the commands that have come from God for the welfare of the people in this world and the hereafter. How imamate and caliphate should be and who should be its holder is a matter from God and has been determined according to divine wisdom. Just as you must be grateful for God's favor for Islam, God has also bestowed a favor upon you in the matter of wilayah by appointing infallible Imams for the people. Every Muslim must be grateful for this divine grace, rather than protestingly claiming why God has appointed a caliph without considering a right for other Muslims in the caliphate.
Using other verses in the words of the Prophet (s), it has been said that if anyone meets the wise divine appointment regarding wilayah with jahili (ignorant) thoughts that lead to prejudice, bestowing favors, and demanding quotas, they are considered by God to be deserving of four great punishments:
- Nullification of deeds (Habt al-'Amal): This means that whoever bestows favors upon God, God will destroy his deeds, and he will remain empty-handed for the Day of Judgment.
- God's dissatisfaction and wrath: This means that God becomes angry at this treatment by His servant toward such a merciful Lord, who has prepared all the conditions for his guidance, and He does not look upon such a servant with satisfaction and mercy.
- Affliction with the fire of Hell: This means that the end of this path, where someone bestows favors upon God regarding the acceptance of Islam, is that it leads him to Hell and subjects him to severe divine punishment.
- The lash of punishment: Since the object of the lash of punishment in the Quranic verse refers to the punishments that descended upon the tyrants in the presence of the Lord in this world, the meaning of this part of the sermon, which is mentioned after شُواظٌ مِنْ نارٍ وَ نُحاسٌ, refers to the fact that those who bestow favors upon God must also expect divine punishment in this world, which descends upon them like a lash.[5]
Footnotes
- ↑ Asrar-i Ghadir, p. 149, section 6.
- ↑ Asrar-i Ghadir, p. 149, footnote 2 from versions "A" and "J".
- ↑ Asrar-i Ghadir: p. 149, footnote 2 from versions "H" and "W".
- ↑ Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 37, pp. 160–161.
- ↑ Ghadir dar Qur'an, vol. 2, pp. 280–286; Waqi'a-yi Qur'ani-yi Ghadir, p. 95; Sokhanrani-yi Istithna'i-yi Ghadir, pp. 179–186.
References
- Asrār-i Ghadīr; Muḥammad Bāqir Anṣārī, Qom: Nashr-i Mawlūd-i Kaʿba, 1420 AH.
- Biḥār al-Anwār al-Jāmiʿa li-Durar Akhbār al-Aʾimma al-Aṭhār; Muḥammad Bāqir b. Muḥammad Taqī Majlisī, Beirut: Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 1403 AH.
- Sukh-ranī-yi Istithnāʾī-yi Ghadīr; Muḥammad Bāqir Anṣārī, Qom: Intishārāt-i Dalīl-i Mā, 1386 Sh.
- Ghadīr dar Qurʾān, Qurʾān dar Ghadīr; Muḥammad Bāqir Anṣārī, Qom: Intishārāt-i Dalīl-i Mā, 1387 Sh.
- Wāqiʿa-yi Qurʾānī-yi Ghadīr: Guzārish-i Safar-i Yek-māha-yi Payāmbar barā-yi Iʿlām-i Wilāyat dar Sāya-yi Āyāt-i Qurʾānī; Muḥammad Bāqir Anṣārī, Qom: Intishārāt-i Dalīl-i Mā, 1386 Sh.