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Verses 1 to 4 of Al-'Ankabut and Ghadir

Verses one to four of Sura Al-'Ankabut are verses that were revealed before Ghadir and introduced the acceptance or rejection of the Wilaya of Imam 'Ali (a) as a means of testing the Ummah after the Prophet (s).

Verses 1 to 4 of Al-'Ankabut and Ghadir
Verses 1 to 4 of Al-'Ankabut and Ghadir
Verse Specifications
Juz'20
Verse Content
TopicTesting the Ummah by accepting or rejecting Ghadir

Among other matters clarified by the revelation of verses one to four of Sura Al-'Ankabut during the Ghadir event are: the approaching demise of the Prophet (s), the command to introduce and appoint Amir al-Mu'minin (a), news of those who would sow discord regarding the caliphate, the command to entrust the trusts of knowledge and wisdom to 'Ali (a), and the divine selection of 'Ali (a) for successorship. The historical context of the revelation of these verses is depicted as follows: after the completion of the Hajj rituals in the early morning of Dhu l-Hijja thirteen, the Ghadir caravan returned to Mecca, and it was decided that on the fourteenth, the caravan would depart for Ghadir Khumm. The Prophet's (s) not stopping in Mecca and his haste to move towards Ghadir indicated the importance of the Ghadir ceremony.

Some researchers have analyzed the revelation of verses one to four of Sura Al-'Ankabut before Ghadir as follows: the composition of the Muslim community in the last year of the Prophet's (s) life necessitated the warning given at the beginning of Sura Al-'Ankabut; this was because, alongside sincere Muslims like Salman, Abu Dharr, and Miqdad, there were also new converts with a history of animosity towards Islam and worldly individuals. The spirit of tribal prejudice, the lingering resentments from the battles of Badr, Uhud, and Khaybar, and hidden jealousies could also reflect the inner state of the Muslim community at that time. These factors led some individuals in the last year of the Prophet's (s) life to take actions to disrupt the divine plan of Ghadir.


Historical Context of Revelation

According to some researchers, among the verses revealed to the Prophet (s) in Mecca after Hajjat al-Wida' and before Ghadir were verses one to four of Sura Al-'Ankabut.[1] The historical context of the revelation of these verses is depicted as follows:[2] After the completion of the Hajj rituals in the early morning of Dhu l-Hijja thirteen, the Ghadir caravan returned to Mecca, and it was decided that on the fourteenth, the caravan would depart for Ghadir Khumm. The Prophet's (s) not stopping in Mecca and his haste to move towards Ghadir indicated the importance of the Ghadir ceremony. This importance began immediately upon returning from Mina to Mecca with the revelation of four verses of the Qur'an; verses that spoke of a divine test regarding the Wilaya of 'Ali (a). A test that the Prophet (s) considered a criterion for faith: لَوْ لا انْتَ يا عَلِىُّ لَمْ يُعْرَفِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ بَعْدى.[3]


Revelation of Verses and Clarification of Six Fundamental Matters

According to some researchers, with the revelation of verses one to four of Sura Al-'Ankabut in Mecca and the Prophet's (s) inquiry to Jibra'il about them, six fundamental matters were clarified:

  1. The approaching demise of the Prophet (s).
  2. The command to introduce and appoint Amir al-Mu'minin (a).
  3. The Wilaya of 'Ali (a) as a touchstone for distinguishing the truthful from the liars in faith.
  4. News of those who would sow discord regarding the caliphate.
  5. The command to entrust the trusts of knowledge and wisdom to 'Ali (a).
  6. The divine selection of 'Ali (a) for successorship.[4]

Occasion of Revelation of Verses

In sources, a narration regarding the occasion of revelation of verses one to four of Sura Al-'Ankabut has been mentioned: During the Hajjat al-Wadaʿ, the Prophet (s) entered Mecca and stayed there for one day. At this time, Gabriel brought down the first verses of Sura Al-'Ankabut and said: O Muhammad! Read:

Template:Quran text: "In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful. Alif, Lam, Mim. (1) Do the people suppose that they will be let off by [merely] saying, 'We believe,' and will not be tested? (2) Certainly We tested those who were before them. So Allah will surely ascertain those who are truthful, and He will surely ascertain the liars. (3) Do those who commit evil deeds suppose that they will outrun Us? How evil is the judgment they make! (4)"

The Prophet (s) asked: O Gabriel, what is this trial? Gabriel said: O Muhammad, Allah sends His greetings to you and says: I have not sent any prophet before you except that when his time came to an end, I commanded him to appoint someone as his successor over his community to be his vicegerent and to revive his Sunnah and his rulings for them. Those who obey Allah in what the Prophet (s) commands them are the truthful ones, and those who oppose his command (and are against him) are the liars. O Muhammad, your return to your Lord and His Paradise is near, and He commands you to appoint 'Ali b. Abī Ṭālib as your successor for your community after you and to entrust your recommendations to him, for he is the successor who will take charge of the affairs of your subjects and your community, whether they obey him or disobey. Soon they will disobey, and this is the trial about which I recited the verses to you. Allah, the Exalted, commands you to teach him all that He has taught you and to enjoin him to preserve all that Allah has placed in your keeping and entrusted to you, for he is the trustworthy and reliable one. O Muhammad, I have chosen you as a prophet from among My servants, and I have chosen 'Ali as your successor.[5]


Consequences of Revelation of Verses

For the revelation of verses one to four of Sura Al-'Ankabut before the Event of Ghadir, according to narrations, several consequences have been enumerated:

  • This divine revelation signified the end of the first obligation, which was Hajj, and the beginning of the second obligation, which was Wilaya. As such, the Prophet (s) prepared the ground for the imamate of the twelve Imams (a) and said: This religion will continue to prevail over its enemies, and no opponent or separatist will harm it, as long as twelve caliphs rule over my community, all of whom are from Quraysh.[6]
  • The Prophet (s) was commanded by Allah: Your prophethood has ended, and your time has been completed. Entrust the Greatest Name, the effects of knowledge, and the inheritance of the prophets to 'Ali b. Abī Ṭālib, who is the first believer. I will not leave the earth without a scholar through whom My obedience and My Wilaya are known, and who is the proof after My Prophet. In another hadith, the Prophet (s) was commanded: Whatever you have of knowledge and the inheritance of the knowledge of the prophets before you, and weapons and the ark, and whatever signs of the prophets are with you, hand them over to your successor and caliph after you.[7]
  • After the revelation of the verses, the caravan entered Mecca from Mina and stopped at "Muḥaṣṣab"—which was the place of the Quraysh's conspiracy before the migration—before reaching Abtah.[8] Then they performed the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers and remained there until sunset, performing the Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers there as well, and then slept briefly.[9]

Relics of the Prophets (a)

Some researchers have stated regarding the relics of the prophets: The scriptures of Adam, Noah, and Abraham (a), and the Torah, and the staff of Moses (a), and the ring of Solomon (a) are valuable inheritances that should only be in the possession of the divine proofs. These inheritances were in the hands of the Seal of the Prophets until before Ghadir, and by divine command, they were transferred to Amir al-Mu'minin (a) from before Ghadir. These trusts have been transferred from Amir al-Mu'minin (a) to the subsequent Imams and are now in the hands of Imam al-Mahdi (a). According to sources, the Prophet (s) privately called Amir al-Mu'minin (a), and the rest of the thirteenth of Dhu l-Hijja was spent on entrusting the divine trusts. The Great Prophet (s) handed over the knowledge, wisdom, and books of the prophets (a) and their other relics to Amir al-Mu'minin (a) and conveyed Gabriel's words to him.[10]

Doctrinal Analysis of the Revelation of the Verses

Some researchers have analyzed the revelation of verses one to four of Sura Al-'Ankabut before Ghadir as follows: The composition of the Muslim community in the last year of the Prophet's (s) life necessitated that the warning given at the beginning of Sura Al-'Ankabut be given to them; this was because, alongside sincere Muslims like Salman, Abu Dharr, and Miqdad, there were also new converts with a history of enmity towards Islam and worldly people. The spirit of pre-Islamic tribalism, the complexes from the battles of Badr, Uḥud, and Khaybar, and hidden jealousies could also reflect the inner state of the Muslim society of that day. These were factors that led some people in the last year of the Prophet's (s) life to take actions to disrupt the divine plan of Ghadir.

Verses one to four of Sura Al-'Ankabut promised people an examination in two fronts: faith and action, so that they would not be content with superficial faith. In these verses, to make the examination easier to digest, it was stated that all previous nations were also tested; an examination whose goal is the realistic recognition of people: so that the truthful in their claim of faith would be separated from the liars, in such a way that hypocrisy could not conceal it. This examination was realized in the acceptance of the *wilaya* of 'Ali (a): Kādhibīn denied it and insisted on their words. Based on this, Ghadir has been called "the day of people's final examination."[11]


Footnotes

  1. ↑ Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 28, p. 95.
  2. ↑ Ghadir dar Qur'an, vol. 1, p. 61.
  3. ↑ Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 37, p. 273.
  4. ↑ Ghadir dar Qur'an, vol. 1, p. 61.
  5. ↑ Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 28, pp. 95–96; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 40, p. 216.
  6. ↑ Musnad Ahmad, vol. 34, p. 461.
  7. ↑ Al-Ihtijaj, vol. 1, p. 56; 'Awalim al-'Ulum, vol. 2/15, p. 176.
  8. ↑ Akhbar Mecca, vol. 2, p. 160; Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, vol. 2, p. 555.
  9. ↑ Al-Kafi, vol. 4, pp. 520–521; Tahdhib al-Ahkam, vol. 5, p. 273.
  10. ↑ Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 28, p. 96; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 40, p. 216.
  11. ↑ Ghadir dar Quran, vol. 1, p. 64.


References

  • _Al-Iḥtijāj_; Aḥmad b. 'Ali Ṭabarsi, research by Muḥammad Bāqir Mūsawi Khursān, Mashhad: Nashr al-Murtadā, 1403 AH.
  • _Akhbār Makka wa mā jāʾa fīhā min al-āthār_; Muḥammad b. 'Abd Allāh al-Azraqi, research by Rushdi al-Ṣāliḥ, Beirut: Dār al-Andalus, first edition, 1416 AH.
  • _Biḥār al-Anwār_; Muḥammad Bāqir b. Muḥammad Taqi Majlisi, d. 1110 AH, Beirut: Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-'Arabi, second edition, 1403 AH.
  • _Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām_; Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan Ṭūsi, d. 460 AH, research by Ḥasan al-Mūsawi Khursān, Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, fourth edition, 1407 AH.
  • _Ghadir dar Quran, Quran dar Ghadir_; Muḥammad Bāqir Anṣāri, Qom: Intishārāt Dalīl Mā, 1387 SH.
  • _Al-Kāfī_; Muḥammad b. Ya'qūb b. Isḥāq Kulayni, d. 329 AH, research by 'Ali Akbar Ghaffari and Muḥammad Ākhundi, Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, fourth edition, 1407 AH.
  • _Musnad Aḥmad_; Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Ḥanbal Shaybāni, d. 241 AH, research by Shu'ayb al-Arnāʾūṭ and 'Ādil Murshid, Beirut: Muʾassasat al-Risāla, first edition, 1421 AH.
  • _Man lā yaḥḍuruhu al-faqīh_; Muḥammad b. 'Ali Ibn Bābawayh, d. 381 AH, research by 'Ali Akbar Ghaffari, Qom: Daftar Intishārāt Islāmi, second edition, 1413 AH.
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