Verse 16 of Sura al-Tawba and Ghadir

Verse 16 of Sura al-Tawba is a verse revealed before the Farewell Pilgrimage in which specific instances of wilāya after the Messenger of God (s) are introduced.

Verse 16 of Sura al-Tawba and Ghadir

Ayah Specifications
Surah Name	Sura al-Tawba
Ayah Number	16
Juz'	10
Ayah Content
Place of Revelation	Medina
Topic	Introduction of specific instances of wilāya
Ayah Recitation Audio Translation

Upon the revelation of this Verse 16 of Sura al-Tawba, people asked: O Messenger of God, does المؤمنین in this verse refer to a specific group of believers or does it include all of them? In response, God commanded His Prophet to introduce the guardians of the people's affairs to them. It was from this point that the Ghadir program was prepared so that in that ceremony, the concept and aspects of wilāya could be explained to the people in the best possible way. At the Ghadir ceremony, after the sermon, people recalled that they had asked about this verse and two other verses in Medina and had received an answer.

After the conclusion of the al-Ghadir Sermon, several questions were asked of the Prophet (s) by believers and also by hypocrites, which further clarified Ghadir. After questions from Salman al-Farsi and another person, Abu Bakr b. Abi Quhafa and 'Umar b. al-Khattab raised three verses—Verse 59 of Sura al-Nisa and Ghadir, Verse 55 of Sura al-Ma'ida and Ghadir, and 16 of al-Tawba—which had also been questioned during the departure from Medina: O Messenger of God, are these three verses specific to ʿAlī? The Prophet replied: Yes, they are about him and my successors until the Day of Resurrection.

A Verse Related to the Prophet's Actions (s) at Ghadir

The context of the revelation of Verse 16 of Sura al-Tawba has been explained as follows: Many verses of the Qurʾān were revealed during the Prophet's journey from Medina to Mecca and his return, twenty-one of which are directly related to the subject of Ghadir and its message. These verses indicate divine support and God's direct command for the Ghadir ceremony. Some verses refer to the conclusion of the prophethood and the beginning of wilāya, while others prepare people for a great divine test. Furthermore, Ghadir is introduced as a great victory and the despair of enemies, emphasizing the importance of proclaiming wilāya. Ultimately, these verses declare the perfection of religion and the pinnacle of God's blessings through wilāya. These verses number forty-nine and were revealed on twenty-one occasions.

Among these verses is Verse 16 of Sura al-Tawba. Before the Farewell Pilgrimage and the event of Ghadir, three verses of the Qurʾān were revealed in Medina, one of which was Verse 16 of al-Tawba:

اَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ اَنْ تُتْرَکُوا وَ لَمّا یَعْلَمِ اللَّهُ الَّذینَ جاهَدُوا مِنْکُمْ وَ لَمْ‌یَتَّخِذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَ لا رَسُولِهِ وَ لا الْمُؤْمِنینَ وَلیجَةً وَاللَّهُ خَبِیرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ

Do you suppose that you will be let off, while God has not yet ascertained those of you who wage jihād, and do not take anyone as an intimate friend besides God and His Apostle and the faithful? And God is well aware of what you do.

Events After the Revelation of the Verse

Upon the revelation of Verse 16 of Sura al-Tawba, people asked: O Messenger of God, does المؤمنین in this verse refer to a specific group of believers or does it include all of them? In response, God commanded His Prophet to introduce the guardians of the people's affairs to them and to interpret wilāya for them. It was from this point that the Ghadir program was prepared so that in that ceremony, the concept and aspects of wilāya could be explained to the people in the best possible way. At the Ghadir ceremony, after the sermon, people recalled that they had asked about this verse and two other verses in Medina, and that today was the day of their answer. Thus, they asked about these three verses once again.

With these preliminaries that had made people curious about the issue of wilāya, Gabriel descended upon the Prophet and, referring to the Verse of Ikmāl, brought this message: "O Muḥammad, God—may His name be glorified—sends His greetings to you and says: I have not taken any prophet from My prophets or messenger from My messengers from the world except after the perfection of My religion and the confirmation of My proof. Now two matters from the obligations remain that you must convey to your people: one is the ḥajj, and the other is wilāya and succession after yourself; for I have not left My earth devoid of My proof, and I will not leave it devoid forever."

After the conclusion of the al-Ghadir Sermon, several questions were asked of the Prophet (s) by believers and also by hypocrites, which further clarified Ghadir. After questions from Salman al-Farsi and another person, Abu Bakr b. Abi Quḥafa and 'Umar b. al-Khattab raised three verses—Verse 59 of al-Nisāʾ and Ghadir, Verse 55 of Sura al-Ma'ida and Ghadir, and 16 of al-Tawba—which had also been questioned during the departure from Medina: O Messenger of God, are these three verses specific to ʿAlī? The Prophet replied: Yes, they are about him and my successors until the Day of Resurrection. They said: O Messenger of God, explain them to us. He replied: ʿAlī is my brother, my minister, my heir, my executor, and my caliph among my *umma* and the master of every believer after me, then my son Ḥasan, and then Ḥusayn, and after him nine of the descendants of my son Ḥusayn, one after another, with whom the Qurʾān is, and they are with the Qurʾān. They will not separate from it, nor will the Qurʾān separate from them, until they come to me at the Pond of Kawthar. Then the Prophet (s) turned to ʿAlī (a) in front of the people and said: Whoever obeys you has obeyed me, and whoever obeys me has obeyed God; and whoever disobeys you has disobeyed me, and whoever disobeys me has disobeyed God Almighty.

Walīja: A General or Specific Title in the Verse

According to some researchers, regarding verse sixteen of Sūrat al-Tawba, a question raised by the people was whether وَلیجَة (meaning 'a place of people's trust') is a general title or refers to specific individuals? That is, will every believer be a place of trust for other believers? It is evident that the question about the station of walāya required a detailed and clear answer, so that no ambiguity would remain and it would not be exploited by mischief-makers. In response to such an important question, God commanded the Prophet (s) to fully explain the issue of walāya, just like ṣalāt, zakat, and ḥajj, and to introduce the holders of this walāya to the people, and to appoint 'Alī (a) to imamate at Ghadīr; therefore, the event of Ghadīr is an answer to a great question about walāya, which originated from the revelation of three verses of the Qur'an, including verse sixteen of Sūrat al-Tawba.

The story of this historical sequence is narrated by Imam 'Alī (a) during his arguments (iṭmām ḥujaj) in the time of 'Uthmān in the Prophet's Mosque, and in the presence of those who were at Ghadīr, as follows: When verse fifty-nine of al-Nisāʾ, verse fifty-five of al-Māʾida, and sixteen of al-Tawba were revealed, people asked: 'O Messenger of God! Is it specific to some believers or does it include everyone?' God, the Exalted and Glorious, commanded His Prophet to introduce the guardians of the people's affairs to them and to interpret walāya for them, just as he had interpreted their ṣalāt, zakat, and ḥajj, and to appoint me at Ghadīr Khumm.

(At Ghadīr) the Prophet (s) addressed the people and said: 'O people! God has sent me with a message that has constricted my chest, and I thought that people would deny me, but God has threatened me that I must either convey that message or He will punish me!' Then the Prophet (s) commanded that people be called to gather. He then delivered a sermon and said: 'O people, do you know that God, the Exalted and Glorious, is my Master, and I am the Master of the believers, and I have more authority over them than they have over themselves?' They said: 'Yes, O Messenger of God.' He said: 'O 'Alī, stand up.' I stood up, and he said: مَنْ كُنْتُ مَوْلاهُ فَهذا عَلِىٌّ مَوْلاهُ، اللهمَّ والِ مَنْ والاهُ وَ عادِ مَنْ عاداهُ. Salmān stood up and asked: 'O Messenger of God, what kind of walāya is this?' He replied: 'A walāya like my walāya; whoever I have more authority over than himself, 'Alī also has more authority over him than himself.' It was then that God, the Exalted, revealed verse three of Sūrat al-Māʾida, and the Prophet (s) exclaimed with takbīr: 'Allāhu Akbar! The perfection of my prophethood and the completion of God's religion is the walāya of 'Alī (a) after me.'

Abū Bakr and 'Umar stood up and asked: 'O Messenger of God, are these verses specific to 'Alī (a)?' He replied: 'Yes, they are about him and my successors until the Day of Resurrection.' They said: 'O Messenger of God, clarify them for us.' He said: 'My brother 'Alī, and my minister, and my heir, and my legatee, and my successor in my umma, and the master of every believer after me. Then my son Ḥasan, and then Ḥusayn, and then nine of the descendants of my son Ḥusayn, who will follow one after another. The Qur'an is with them, and they are with the Qur'an. They will not separate from it, nor will the Qur'an separate from them, until they meet me at the Pond of Kawthar.'

Theological Analysis of the Verse

According to some researchers, the great Ghadir ceremony was held by God's command to answer several vital questions regarding the theological pillar of wilāya. If these questions and their answers are extracted from the above text, the following results are obtained, which is an interpretation of verse sixteen of al-Tawba and two other verses:

1. Question: Is the issue of wilāya and the authority over people specific to certain individuals, or is the intention the principle of taking charge of people's affairs, and the individuals are not important and can be chosen at any time? Answer: wilāya and authority over people is not only not general, but it is specific to twelve designated individuals who possess the status of *ʿiṣma* (infallibility).
2. Question: What is the basis for this wilāya and authority over people? Answer: The wilāya of God is the origin of this wilāya over people. In the second step is the wilāya of the Messenger of Allah (s), and in its continuation is the wilāya of the Imams (a); therefore, the wilāya of the Prophet and the Imam successively rely on the first wilāya, which is the wilāya of the Creator of the world over His creatures.
3. Question: Is wilāya specific to ʿAlī (a)? Answer: ʿAlī and his successors until the Day of Resurrection possess this wilāya, who are Ḥasan and Ḥusayn and nine of the descendants of Ḥusayn (a).
4. Question: What is the scope of this wilāya? Answer: It is exactly like the wilāya of the Prophet (s) and means authority over all people in all aspects, even their personal affairs.
5. Question: What is the importance of wilāya? Answer: With this wilāya, the religion has been perfected, and the mission of the Prophet (s) as the Seal of Prophethood has been accomplished.

References

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