Verse 1 of Sura al-Nasr and Ghadir
Verse 1 of Sura al-Nasr is a verse that was revealed before the declaration of the Wilaya of Imam 'Ali (a) at Ghadir, promising the Prophet (s) ultimate victory.
The consequences of the revelation of the first verse of Sura al-Nasr during the Event of Ghadir have been described by some researchers as follows: First, immediately upon the revelation of this verse, the Prophet (s) announced his approaching death and introduced 'Ali (a) as his successor; second, the Prophet (s) summoned 'Ali (a) to himself and declared him worthy of his succession; third, the Prophet (s) gathered the people near the Mosque of Khayf and delivered a speech to them. After praising God, he addressed several social issues: by mentioning verses thirty-six and thirty-seven of Sura al-Tawba, he referred to the annulment of some pre-Islamic traditions, such as usury and tribal bloodshed.
Occasion of Revelation of the Verse
Some researchers have described the occasion of the revelation of verse one of Sura al-Nasr as follows:[1] On the last day of Hajj during the Hajjat al-Wida', i.e., Dhu l-Hijja twelve, the Prophet (s) went to the Mosque of Khayf (a mosque built by Ibrahim (a)) in Mina. There, the command to proclaim Wilaya was once again revealed to the Prophet (s), but the promise of his protection from the evil of enemies had not yet been revealed. Given that this command was not urgent, the Prophet (s) once again postponed its announcement to an opportune moment.[2]
In such a situation, divine revelation descended once again, and the last complete Sura that was revealed in a single descent by Gabriel was revealed to the Prophet (s), and that was Sura al-Nasr, including its first verse: "In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, When the help of God and the victory come…"
Consequences of the Revelation of the Verse
The consequences of the revelation of the first verse of Sura al-Nasr during the Event of Ghadir have been described by some researchers as follows: Immediately upon the revelation of this verse, the Prophet (s) officially announced his approaching death and said: "My soul informs me that I will be taken this year," meaning the coming year.[3]
It is said that the first issue that came to everyone's mind after the revelation of the first verse of Sura al-Nasr and hearing the news of the Prophet's demise was his succession. This topic was the clearest intellectual background for Ghadir. The companions of the Prophet (s) went to Salman al-Farsi and asked him to ask the Prophet (s): "To whom do you entrust our affairs, and who will be our reference, and who is the most beloved person to you?" The Prophet (s) did not answer three times to make the people more sensitive to the issue and more eager for the answer. Then he said: "My brother, my minister, and my successor among my Ahl al-Bayt, and the best person I leave behind who will pay my debts and fulfill my promises, is 'Ali b. Abi Talib."[4]
The second consequence of the revelation of the first verse of Sura al-Nasr was that the Prophet (s) summoned Amir al-Mu'minin (a) and, referring to 'Ali's worthiness for the position of caliphate, told him: "O 'Ali, what was promised to me has been fulfilled: victory has come, and people have entered the religion of God in throngs. No one is more worthy than you to take my place, because of your precedence in Islam, your closeness to me, your being my son-in-law, and because the mistress of the women of the world is with you, and before that, the support your father Abu Talib gave me, and the difficulties he endured during the revelation of the Qur'an…"[5]
The third reaction of the Prophet (s) to the revelation of the first verse of Sura al-Nasr was that, in the remaining time of the last day of Hajj, he gathered the people near the Mosque of Khayf and delivered a speech to them. After praising God, he addressed several social issues: by mentioning verses thirty-six and thirty-seven of Sura al-Tawba, he referred to the annulment of some pre-Islamic traditions, such as usury and tribal bloodshed.[6]
Footnotes
- ↑ Waqi'a Qur'ani Ghadir, p. 33.
- ↑ ʿAwalim al-ʿUlum, vol. 2/15, p. 177.
- ↑ Tafsir al-Qummi, vol. 2, p. 447; al-Iqbal, vol. 2, p. 242; Tafsir Nur al-Thaqalayn, vol. 5, p. 689; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 37, p. 114; ʿAwalim al-ʿUlum, vol. 3/15, p. 171; ʿAwalim al-ʿUlum, vol. 3/15, p. 298.
- ↑ Tafsir Furat al-Kufi, p. 613; Sharh al-Akhbar, vol. 1, p. 211, hadith 183; Tarjamat al-Imam 'Ali (a) min Tarikh Madinat Dimashq, vol. 1, p. 130.
- ↑ Sharh Nahj al-Balagha, vol. 9, p. 174; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 40, pp. 85–86; Yanabi' al-Mawadda, vol. 2, p. 495, hadith 389.
- ↑ Tafsir Furat al-Kufi, p. 280; al-Amali, p. 503; Majma' al-Bayan, vol. 7, p. 186; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 9, p. 150; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 36, pp. 23–24; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 37, p. 114.
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