Verse 153 of Sura al-An'am and Ghadir
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| Ayah Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Surah Name | Sura al-An'am |
| Ayah Number | 153 |
| Juz' | 8 |
| Ayah Content | |
| Place of Revelation | Mecca |
| Topic | Ghadir, the Divine Straight Path |
| Ayah Recitation Audio Translation | |
Verse 153 of al-An'am is a verse in the al-Ghadir Sermon which is used to introduce Ghadir as the Divine Straight Path and recommend following it.
The position of Verse 153 of Sura al-An'am within the text of the al-Ghadir Sermon is depicted as follows: The Prophet (s) in the concluding part of the sixth section of the al-Ghadir Sermon, considered the knowledge of divine command and prohibition exclusive to Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali (a) and commanded everyone to obey him. At the end, by referring to Verse 153 of Sura al-An'am, he warned everyone not to deviate from the path of Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali (a).
Some researchers have analyzed the use of Verse 153 of Sura al-An'am in the text of the al-Ghadir Sermon from three theological perspectives: first, introducing the orientation and content of the Straight Path; second, introducing the guides to the Straight Path; and third, that there is only one truth, which is the Straight Path. For example, regarding the third perspective, it has been stated: In the divine plan, truth is not manifold, and not all groups can be considered to be on the path of truth. God has only one path to Paradise, which is called the "Straight Path," and "truth" is nothing but that; this Straight Path was interpreted at Ghadir by the Prophet (s) as his own path, and the path of 'Ali (a) and the Imams (a) after him.
A Verse Related to Introducing the Station of Imamate and Wilaya
Verse 153 of Sura al-An'am is among the verses that have been used in the al-Ghadir Sermon.[1] Some researchers have described the position of the verse in the event of Ghadir as follows: Considering that Ghadir was an elaborate ceremony lasting three days, apart from the verses directly revealed during those days, other verses were also cited in Ghadir as evidence, allusion, and quotation to further explain the aspects of Imamate and divine succession in contrast to the satanic leaderships of Saqifa. These were integrated interpretively into the words of the Prophet (s), and the verse was not mentioned independently. There are six such verses, one of which is Verse 153 of Sura al-An'am:
وَ أَنَّ هذا صِراطِی مُسْتَقِیماً فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَ لا تَتَّبِعُوا السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِکُمْ عَنْ سَبِیلِهِ ذلِکُمْ وَصَّاکُمْ بِهِ لَعَلَّکُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
- Indeed this is My straight path, so follow it, and do not follow [other] ways, for they will separate you from His way. This is what He has enjoined upon you so that you may be Godwary.
The Verse in the Text of the Sermon
The position of Verse 153 of Sura al-An'am within the text of the al-Ghadir Sermon is depicted as follows: The Prophet (s) in the concluding part of the sixth section of the al-Ghadir Sermon, considered the knowledge of divine command and prohibition exclusive to Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali (a) and commanded everyone to obey him. At the end, by referring to Verse 153 of Sura al-An'am, he warned everyone not to deviate from the path of Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali (a).
Also, the Prophet (s), at the beginning of the seventh section of the al-Ghadir Sermon, by referring to Verse 153 of Sura al-An'am, placed the Straight Path against all other paths; a path that must be precisely introduced. By reminding the people that the knowledge of command and prohibition is with 'Ali (a), he instructed them to submit to 'Ali's (a) commands and prohibitions: "Be careful that other paths do not divert you from his path." He then explicitly declared that "my Straight Path is 'Ali and the Imams after him," and referred to Verse 181 of Sura al-A'raf, which states:
وَ مِمَّنْ خَلَقْنا اُمَّةٌ یَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَ بِهِ یَعْدِلُونَ- And among those whom We have created is a nation who guide by the truth and do justice thereby:
O people, God has commanded and forbidden me, and I have also commanded and forbidden 'Ali by divine command. The knowledge of command and prohibition is with him. So listen to his command to remain safe, and obey him to be guided, and accept his prohibition to be on the right path, and go towards his aim and desire, and let not strange paths divert you from his path. O people, I am the Straight Path of God, which He has commanded you to follow, and then 'Ali after me, and then my children from his loins who are the Imams of guidance, they guide to the truth and act with justice by the truth.[notes 1][2]
Historical Context of the Verse's Use
Some researchers have described the historical context of the use of Verse 153 of Sura al-An'am as follows: In the seventh section of the al-Ghadir Sermon — when the sermon was past its midpoint — the Prophet (s) began a comprehensive explanation of the dimensions of the issue of Wilaya and some other unspoken matters. In the middle of the sermon, the Prophet (s) elaborated on Imamate and designated the holders of this station. In such a context, by presenting two verses from the Qur'an, he introduced the Imams and the reason for the necessity of obeying them. The second verse is at the end of his speech, and the second half of the first verse is presented as an assurance in the first part of his speech. Furthermore, the first half of the first verse is fully interpreted in the second part of his speech, and the specific instance of the "Straight Path" is precisely determined.[3]
Quranic Context of the Verse
From a Quranic perspective, Verse 153 of Sura al-An'am is considered to have the following position: This verse is placed within a semantic category of verses in Sura al-An'am that begins with Verse 151; a verse in which God invites to explain the lawful and unlawful to people. Then, polytheism, killing children, committing indecencies, taking a life, and consuming the property of an orphan are introduced as clear examples of prohibitions. In contrast, kindness to parents, precision in weighing, justice in speech, and fulfilling covenants are mentioned as examples of divine obligatory commands. It then reaches Verse 153, which is a fundamental command from God's directives. Verse 153 of the Sura appears once again in Verse 159 of the same Sura with the expression:
وَ مِنْ قَوْمِ مُوسی أُمَّةٌ یَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَ بِهِ یَعْدِلُونَ- And among the people of Moses is a nation who guide by the truth and do justice thereby.
These two instances are in the context of introducing the people of guidance in contrast to the people of misguidance.
Theological Analysis of the Verse
Some researchers have analyzed the use of Verse 153 of Sūrat al-Anʿām in the text of the al-Ghadir Sermon from three theological perspectives:
First Aspect: Introducing the Orientation and Content of the Straight Path
The Prophet (s) begins by outlining the objective and intellectual foundations of the straight path and the means of achieving it, starting with God in a few interconnected sentences: first, that God has commanded and forbidden him; second, that he has commanded and forbidden ʿAlī (a), adding that this action of his was also by God's command. He then concludes that the knowledge of all divine commands and prohibitions rests with ʿAlī (a). It is here that the straight path emerges: that the commands and prohibitions of ʿAlī (a) are precisely the commands and prohibitions of God, and by obeying him, God is obeyed. He then summarizes the entire matter in one sentence: 'Move towards the goals of ʿAlī (a) and accept him fully.'
At the end of this section, it is time to introduce the verse: "and do not follow other ways, for they will separate you from His way." Firstly, he interpreted the word سَبِیلِهِ in the Qurʾān as سَبيلُ عَلِىٍّ: the way of ʿAlī, and secondly, he interpreted سُبُل as paths of misguidance in contrast to the way of ʿAlī (a). The final conclusion is that when ʿAlī (a) is the complete guide appointed by God, any adherence to another path means dispersing a vast multitude that is all moving on a straight path towards the highest goal.
Second Aspect: Introducing the Guides to the Straight Path
In four instances in the al-Ghadir Sermon, the Imams after ʿAlī (a) are introduced, and this particular instance has more prominent content. In this case, their names are mentioned in the introduction of the straight path, and on the other hand, they are mentioned alongside the name of the Prophet (s). Both of these are done in the form of an allusion to Verse 153 of al-Anʿām. God has indicated the straight path with the demonstrative pronoun "hādhā" so that people do not follow other ways. The Prophet (s) pointed out the position of the demonstrative pronoun هذا in this verse at Ghadir. The visual imagery of this verse is such that the Prophet (s) and the twelve Imams (a) stand together before the Majestic Essence, and God Almighty points to these thirteen pure lights and says:
هذا صِراطِی مُسْتَقِیماً فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَ لا تَتَّبِعُوا السُّبُلَThis is what the Prophet (s) states in the sermon: انَا صِراطُ اللَّه الْمُسْتَقيمِ الَّذى امَرَكُمْ بِاتِّباعِهِ ثُمَّ عَلِىٌّ مِنْ بَعْدى ثُمَّ وُلْدى مِنْ صُلْبِهِ..
Third Aspect: There is Only One Truth, Which is the Straight Path
In the divine plan, truth is not manifold, and not all groups can be considered to be on the path of truth. God has only one way to Paradise, which is called the "straight path," and "truth" is nothing but that; as He said: Right and left are misguidance, and the middle path is the way[notes 2].[4] God says in Verse 153 of Sūrat al-Aʿrāf: "And among those whom We have created there is a nation who guide by the truth" and the Prophet (s) in Ghadir interprets this nation as himself and the twelve Imams (a). This exclusivity of truth in this exclusivity of its manifestation is the sole identifier of the straight path and the way of God's truth, as the Prophet (s) said: ʿAlī is with the truth and the truth is with ʿAlī, it revolves with him wherever he revolves[notes 3].[5]
The phrase وَ بِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ: and do justice thereby, which the Prophet (s) quoted from the verse in his speech, is the very touchstone by which justice is established. Nations that lack this touchstone are incapable of establishing justice, but the Shiʿa, under the guidance of Imams connected to truth and reality, always possess the most precise standard of justice. If there are no obstacles, the school of the Infallibles (a) will implement justice in its highest sense in all aspects of people's lives, and that will be the day when the Qāʾim of the family of Muḥammad (may God hasten his reappearance) appears and
یَمْلَأُ اللَّه بِهِ الارْضَ قِسْطاً وَ عَدْلاً کَما مُلِئَتْ ظُلْماً وَ جَوْراً- God will fill the earth with justice and fairness, just as it had been filled with injustice and tyranny.[6]
A Verse in Ziyarat al-Ghadiriyya
One of the verses cited in Ziyarat al-Ghadiriyya is verse 153 of Sūrat al-Anʿām. One of the profound concepts in Ziyarat al-Ghadiriyya is the relationship between the verses of the Qur'an and the wilāya (guardianship), imamate, and Amīr al-Muʾminīn (a), which is elucidated by citing this verse:
Imam al-Hādī (a) says: 'And I bear witness that you are the meaning of the words of God, the All-Mighty, the All-Merciful:
وَ أَنَّ هٰذَا صِرَاطِی مُسْتَقِیمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ ۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِکُمْ عَنْ سَبِیلِهِ- And that this is My straight path, so follow it, and do not follow [other] ways, for they will separate you from His way. By God! Whoever followed other than you went astray and led others astray, and whoever showed enmity towards you deviated from the truth. The divine straight path is Amīr al-Muʾminīn (a), and the clear way towards divine proximity is his obedience and wilāya.[7]
Here, a question remains: how are other narrations, which consider the straight path to be monotheism, the Qur'an, religion, prophethood, and so on, to be reconciled?
The answer to this question is found in the statement of Imam al-Ṣādiq (a): 'The Qur'an has an outward and an inward meaning; all that is declared forbidden in the Qur'an, its outward and inward meaning refers to the unjust imams, and all that God Almighty has declared lawful in His Book, its outward meaning, and what is intended by them in the inward meaning, refers to the imams of truth.'[notes 4][8] Based on this, the spirit of religion and the guiding principle for all religious teachings and knowledge, especially monotheism, prophethood, and the afterlife, is the matter of imamate, wilāya, and following the imams of truth. A review of the Ṣiḥāḥ al-Sitta of the Ahl al-Sunna and their comparison with valuable Shiʿi books illustrates this point; the book Sīrī dar Ṣaḥīḥayn (A Journey Through the Two Ṣaḥīḥs), written by Muḥammad Ṣādiq Najmī, and parts of the book Shabhā-yi Pīshāwar (The Nights of Peshawar), written by Sulṭān al-Wāʿiẓīn Shīrāzī, and the book Naqsh-i Aʾimma dar Iḥyā-yi Dīn (The Role of the Imams in Reviving Religion), written by Sayyid Murtaḍā ʿAskarī, have addressed this topic to some extent.
Footnotes
- ↑ For more information, see: Ghadir dar Qur'an, vol. two, pp. one hundred eighty-one–one hundred eighty-six; Waqi'a-ye Qur'ani-ye Ghadir, p. ninety-eight; Sokhanrani-ye Istithna'i-ye Ghadir, pp. one hundred seventy-nine–one hundred eighty-six; Sokhanrani-ye Istithna'i-ye Ghadir, two hundred one–two hundred twelve; Negahi bar Ziyarat-e Ghadiriyya, pp. one hundred eleven–one hundred fifty.
- ↑ Bihar al-Anwar, vol. thirty-seven, p. two hundred twelve.
- ↑ Ghadir dar Qur'an, p. one hundred eighty-two.
- ↑ Biḥār al-Anwār, vol. twenty-nine, p. five hundred eighty-five.
- ↑ Biḥār al-Anwār, vol. thirty-one, p. three hundred seventy-six.
- ↑ Biḥār al-Anwār: vol. fifty-one, pp. sixty-five–one hundred sixty-six.
- ↑ Tafsīr Ahl al-Bayt (a), vol. four, p. 642.
- ↑ Tafsīr Nūr al-Thaqalayn, vol. two, p. twenty-five, ḥadīth eighty-nine; Biḥār al-Anwār, vol. twenty-four, p. 301.
- ↑ مَعاشِرَ النّاسِ، اِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ اَمَرَنى وَ نَهانى، وَ قَدْ اَمَرْتُ عَلِيّاً وَ نَهَيْتُهُ بِاَمْرِهِ. فَعِلْمُ الاَمْرِ وَ النَّهْىِ لَدَيْهِ، فَاسْمَعُوا لاَمْرِهِ تَسْلِمُوا وَ اَطيعُوهُ تَهْتَدُوا وَ انْتَهُوا لِنَهْيِهِ تَرْشُدُوا، وَ صيرُوا اِلى مُرادِهِ وَ لا تَتَفَرَّقْ بِكُمُ السُّبُلُ عَنْ سَبيلِهِ. مَعاشِرَ النّاسِ، اَنَا صِراطُ اللَّهِ الْمُسْتَقيمُ الَّذى اَمَرَكُمْ بِاتِّباعِهِ، ثُمَّ عَلِىٌّ مِنْ بَعْدى، ثُمَّ وُلْدى مِنْ صُلْبِهِ اَئِمَّةُ الْهُدى، يَهْدُونَ اِلَى الْحَقِّ وَ بِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ
- ↑ الْيَمينُ وَ الشِّمالُ مَضَلَّةٌ وَ الطَّريقُ الْوُسْطى هِىَ الْجادَّةِ
- ↑ عَلِىٌّ مَعَ الْحَقِّ وَ الْحَقُّ مَعَ عَلِىٍّ، يَدُورُ مَعَهُ حَيْثُما دارَ
- ↑ The same content is narrated with more detail from Imam al-Kāẓim (a). (Tafsīr Nūr al-Thaqalayn, vol. two, pp. twenty-five–twenty-six)
References
- 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.
- Tafsīr Ahl al-Bayt (a); group of authors under the supervision of ʿAlī Reẓā Barāzish, translated by a group of translators, Tehran, Amīr Kabīr Publishing Institute, 1394 SH.
- Tafsīr Nūr al-Thaqalayn; ʿAbd ʿAlī b. Jumʿa, research by: Sayyid Hāshim Rasūlī Maḥallātī, Qom: Ismāʿīliyān Publications, 1415 AH.
- Sokhanrānī-yi Istithnāʾī-yi Ghadīr (The Exceptional al-Ghadir Speech); Muḥammad Bāqir Anṣārī, Qom: Dalīl-i Mā Publications, 1386 SH.
- Ghadīr dar Qurʾān, Qurʾān dar Ghadīr (Ghadir in the Qur'an, the Qur'an in Ghadir); Muḥammad Bāqir Anṣārī, Qom: Dalīl-i Mā Publications, 1387 SH.
- Negāhī bar Ziyārat-i Ghadīriyya: Ziyārat-i Amīr al-Muʾminīn (a) dar Rūz-i ʿĪd-i Ghadīr bi Bayān-i Imām al-Hādī (a) (A Look at Ziyarat al-Ghadiriyya: The Ziyarat of Amīr al-Muʾminīn (a) on the Day of Eid al-Ghadir According to Imam al-Hādī (a)); Muḥammad Ḥusayn Ṣafākhwāh and ʿAbd al-Ḥusayn Ṭāliʿī, Tehran: Sahāra Publications, 1380 SH.
- Wāqiʿa-yi Qurʾānī-yi Ghadīr: Guzārish-i Safar-i Yek Māha-yi Payāmbar barā-yi Iʿlān-i Wilāyat dar Sāya-yi Āyāt-i Qurʾānī (The Qur'anic Event of Ghadir: A Report on the Prophet's One-Month Journey to Announce Wilāya in the Light of Qur'anic Verses); Muḥammad Bāqir Anṣārī, Qom: Dalīl-i Mā Publications, 1386 SH.