Jump to content

Verse 181 of al-A'raf and Ghadir

From WikiGhadir

Template:Infobox Verse Verse 181 of Sūrat al-A'raf is a verse in the al-Ghadir Sermon for introducing the status of Imamate and the wilāya, which describes the Imams (a) as leaders who guide with truth and act justly with the help of truth.

The position of Verse 181 of Sūrat al-A'raf in the text of the al-Ghadir Sermon is depicted as follows: The Prophet (s) explicitly declared in the al-Ghadir Sermon that "my straight path is 'Ali and the Imams after him." Here, by referring to Verse 181 of al-A'raf, he introduced himself and the Imams (a) as leaders of guidance who guide with truth and act justly with the help of truth.

The phrase `وَ بِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ: and with it they act justly`, which the Prophet (s) quoted from Verse 181 of al-A'raf in his speech, is the very scale weight with which justice is established. Nations that do not possess this scale weight are incapable of establishing justice, but the Shi'a, under the guidance of Imams connected to truth and reality, always hold the most precise standard of justice. If there are no obstacles, the school of the Ahl al-Bayt (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 (a.j.) appears.

A Verse for Introducing Imamate and Wilāya

Verse 181 of Sūrat al-A'raf is among the verses that were used in the al-Ghadir Sermon. 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, in addition to the verses directly revealed during those days, other verses were also cited, alluded to, and quoted at Ghadir to further explain the dimensions of Imamate and divine caliphate in contrast to the satanic leaderships of Saqīfa. These verses were integrated interpretively into the speech of the Prophet (s) and were not mentioned independently.[1]

These cases include six verses, one of which is Verse 181 of Sūrat al-A'raf: وَ مِمَّنْ خَلَقْنا أُمَّةٌ یَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَ بِهِ یَعْدِلُونَ,And of those whom We have created is a nation who guide by the truth and do justice by it..

The Verse in the Text of the Sermon

The position of Verse 181 of Sūrat al-A'raf in the text of the al-Ghadir Sermon is depicted as follows: The Prophet (s), at the beginning of the seventh section of the al-Ghadir Sermon, by referring to Verse 153 of Sūrat al-An'am, placed the straight path against all other paths; a path that must be precisely introduced. The Prophet (s), by reminding that the knowledge of command and prohibition is with 'Ali (a), instructed the people to submit to the commands and prohibitions of 'Ali (a): "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." Here, by referring to Verse 181 of al-A'raf, he introduced himself and the Imams (a) as leaders of guidance who guide with truth and act justly with the help of truth:

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: O people, I am the straight path of God which He has commanded you to follow, then 'Ali after me, and then my children from his loins who are the Imams of guidance, they guide to the truth and act justly with the help of truth..[2]

Historical Context of the Verse's Use

Some researchers have described the historical context of the use of Verse 153 of Sūrat 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 wilāya and some other unstated matters. In the middle of the sermon, the Prophet (s) delved into a more precise explanation of Imamate and designated the holders of this position. 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 appears at the end of his speech, and the second half of the first verse is included as an assurance in the first part of the Prophet's speech. Furthermore, the first half of the first verse is fully interpreted in the second part of his speech, and the exact meaning of the "straight path" is precisely determined.[3]

Quranic Context of the Verse

From a Quranic perspective, Verse 181 of Sūrat al-A'raf is considered to have the following context: The phrase of Verse 181 of al-A'raf appears in the sermon once in this verse and again in Verse 159 of the same surah 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 by it..

These two instances are in the context of introducing the people of guidance in contrast to the blind-hearted who are لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لَا یَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْیُنٌ لَا یُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ آذَانٌ لَا یَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا ۚ,They have hearts with which they do not understand, and they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear., and then generally introduces a group as being guided to the truth.

Theological Analysis of the Verse: There is Only One Truth, Which is the Straight Path

In the divine plan, truth is not manifold, and it is not possible to consider all groups to be on the path of truth. God has only one path to Paradise, which is called the "straight path" (ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm), and truth is nothing but that; as He said: الْيَمينُ وَ الشِّمالُ مَضَلَّةٌ وَ الطَّريقُ الْوُسْطى هِىَ الْجادَّةِ.[4] God states in verse one hundred fifty-three of Sūrat al-Aʿrāf: "Among those We have created is a nation who guide by the truth." And the Prophet (s) interpreted this nation at Ghadir as referring to himself and the twelve Imams (a). This exclusivity of truth, in this exclusivity of its manifestation, is the sole identifier of God's straight path and the way of truth, as the Prophet (s) said: عَلِىٌّ مَعَ الْحَقِّ وَ الْحَقُّ مَعَ عَلِىٍّ، يَدُورُ مَعَهُ حَيْثُما دارَ.[5]

The phrase وَ بِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ, which the Prophet (s) quoted from the verse in his speech, is the very scale by which justice is established. Nations that lack this scale are incapable of establishing justice, but the Shi'a, 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 Ahl al-Bayt (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 Āl Muḥammad (may God hasten his reappearance) appears and Template:قرآن.[6]


Notes

[notes 1]


References

  • Asrār Ghadīr; Muḥammad Bāqir Anṣārī, Tehran: Nashr-e Tak, 1384 SH.
  • 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.
  • Ghadīr dar Qurʾān, Qurʾān dar Ghadīr; Muḥammad Bāqir Anṣārī, Qom: Intishārāt Dalīl-e Mā, 1387 SH.

Template:End of References

  1. ↑ Ghadir dar Qur'an, vol. two, p. 169.
  2. ↑ Asrar Ghadir, p. 151, section seven.
  3. ↑ Ghadir dar Qur'an, p. 182.
  4. ↑ Biḥār al-Anwār, vol. twenty-nine, p. five hundred eighty-five.
  5. ↑ Biḥār al-Anwār, vol. thirty-one, p. three hundred seventy-six.
  6. ↑ Biḥār al-Anwār: vol. fifty-one, pp. sixty-five–one hundred sixty-six.

Cite error: <ref> tags exist for a group named "notes", but no corresponding <references group="notes"/> tag was found
Retrieved from "https://en.wikighadir.com/index.php?title=Verse_181_of_al-A%27raf_and_Ghadir&oldid=3881"