All evidence indicates that it was Allah’s will that Imam Ali’s guardianship be the trial for the Muslims, as it was the reason behind every dispute and controversy that erupted. And since Allah is subtitle toward His bondmen, never takes the latter to task for what the earlier did. Therefore, He made His wisdom apparent and encompassed that incident (of Ghadir Khumm) with other splendid miracles-like events, so as to be an incentive for the Ummah, and the contemporary people would convey them and the followers would take an example of them, hoping that they might be guided to truth through searching and investigation.
First Evidence
It is related to punishing whoever denied Imam Ali’s guardianship, after the prevalence of the news of Ghadir Khumm, and the designation of Imam Ali (PBUH) as a caliph over the Muslims, with the Messengers telling the people: The attendant should inform the absent. When this news reached al-Harith ibn al-Numan al-Fahri, it displeased him. Therefore, he rushed toward the Messenger of Allah, made his camel kneel down before the Mosque door, and entered upon the Prophet (PBUHH). After saluting him, he said: O Muhammad! You ordered us to witness that no god is there but Allah and you are the Messenger of Allah, and we accepted this from you. You also commanded us to perform five prayers day and night, fast the Month of Ramadhan, perform pilgrimage to Allah’s House, and pay the alms-due out of our money and properties and so we did. But you were not satisfied with all this, till you one day surprised us by raising the hand of your cousin; preferring him over other people, and said: “Of whomever, I am a master, Ali also is his master.” Is this from you or ordained by Allah?
The Messenger of Allah (PBUHH), whose eyes turned red, replied: By Allah, Who no god is there but He. It is ordained by Almighty Allah, and not from me (repeating it three times). On standing up, al-Harith said: “O Allah, if what is uttered by Muhammad is true, send against us stones from the sky or bring us a painful doom.” Then he (PBUHH) said: By Allah, before reaching his camel, Allah pelted him with a stone from heaven, which fell upon the top of his head and went out from his posterior, causing his death. These verses were revealed by Allah the Almighty: “Demanded, a demander, the chastisement inevitable. For, the disbelievers against it, there is no repelled.” This episode is reported by a large number of Ahl al-Sunnah scholars, other than those we referred to. Whoever desires to go through more references, can refer to the book al-Ghadir by al-Allamah al-Amini.
Second Evidence
It is related to the punishment of anyone concealing the witness regarding the incident of al-Ghadir which was inflicted by the imprecation uttered by Imam Ali (PBUH). That was when Imam Ali, during a memorable day, rose up, and gathered people at al-Rahabah, proclaiming from over the minbar: I appeal to every Muslim who heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUHH), saying on the day of Ghadir Khumm. “Ali is the master of whomever I am his master”, to stand up and give witness of what he heard, provided that he saw him by his own eyes and heard him by his own ears.”
Thereat thirty Companions, among whom sixteen Badrites (those who attended Battle of Badr), stood up and witnessed that he (PBUHH) took him by hand and addressed people, saying: “Do you know that I have more authority over the believers than they have over themselves? They said: Yes, you do. He said: Of whomever, I am his master, this one (Ali) is also his master. O Allah, befriend whoever befriends him, and be the enemy of his enemy…”
But jealousy and hatred harboured inside the hearts of some Companions who attended the incident of al-Ghadir withheld them from standing and giving witness. Among them was Anas ibn Malik, toward whom Imam Ali descended the minbar (pulpit) and said to him: O Anas, what is the matter with you? Why don’t you rise up together with the Messenger of Allah’s Companions and give witness to what you heard on that day as they did? He replied: O Amir al-Muminin! I became old and forgot (that incident). Then Imam Ali said: If you are proven to be a liar, I invoke Allah to afflict you with leprosy in a way that no turban can cover. Then as soon as he stood up, his face turned white out of leprosy, after which he began to lament himself, weeping and saying: I am inflicted with the curse of the upright man because I concealed the witness to his benefit.
This episode is widely known, and was reported by Ibn Qutaybah in the book al-Marif, in which he counted Anas among the cripple persons under bab al-baras (leprosy), and also by al-Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his Musnad when he said: They all stood up except three, who didn’t rise up, so they were afflicted with his imprecation. It is noteworthy to mention here that these three men were referred to by Imam Ahmad as reported by al-Baladhuri when saying: After citing Imam Ali’s appeal to witness, Anas ibn Malik, al-Bar ibn Azib and Jarir ibn Abd Allah al-Bajali were sitting near the pulpit. Imam repeated his appeal but received no response from any of them, whereat he (PBUH) said: My Lord, whoever hides this witness while knowing it. You should never let him die and leave the world without branding him with a sign distinguishing him from all people. After that, Anas ibn Malik was affected with leprosy, al-Bar ibn Azib turned blind, and Jarir was converted to a bedouin after his migration, and on coming to al-Shurt he died inside his mother’s house.
This story is famous and reported by a large number of historians. So learn a lesson, O ye who have eyes. Any truth-seeker can recognize, out of this incident, that was revived by Imam Ali after elapse of twenty-five years and was about to be obliterated, the real value, greatness, sublimity and self-serenity of Imam Ali (PBUH). While he showed extreme forbearance, being a true counsellor to Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman as long as knowing that advising them being for the interest of Islam and Muslims, nevertheless he kept on holding in mind the Incident of al-Ghadir with all its denotations, besides its being remembered in his conscience throughout all of his life moments. As soon as finding an opportune time to resurrect and revive it, he would immediately embark on compelling others to give witness to it publicly and before all people.
Anyone can contemplate the way of reviving this blessed memory and its implied extreme wisdom for establishing the proof against all Muslims, whether those who attended the incident or others. If Imam said: “O people, the Messenger of Allah has committed caliphate to me at Ghadir Khumm”, this wouldn’t have had that influence and impression upon the hearts and minds of the attendants, and they would have surely disputed with him due to the silence he kept throughout all that period.
But when he said: I appeal to every Muslim, who heard what the Messenger of Allah (PBUHH) declared on the day of Ghadir Khumm, to stand up and give witness, so as to make the incident reported through a tradition from the Messenger of Allah (PBUHH), by thirty Companions among whom were sixteen men attending Badr (Battle). In this way, Imam closed the door before the deniers and sceptics, and those protesting against his keeping silent all that period, since keeping silence by these thirty men, who were the magnates among the Companions, would be strong evidence indicating the preciousness of the situation, and that silence implying the interest of Islam as known by all.
To be continued!
NOTES:
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1. This incident reveals the presence of some of the Bedouins living outside al-Madinah, who detest ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and never like him, besides disliking Muhammad (s.a.w.a). As a consequence, we can notice how did this fool enter the Prophet, and, without greeting him, called him: O Muhammad! He thus proved to be among those meant in the Holy Quranic verse: “The (rustic) Arabs (of the desert) are very hard in infidelity and hypocrisy, and more inclined not to know the limits of what Allah hath sent down unto His Apostle …” (9:97)
2. Qur’an 70:1-2.
3. Al-Hasakni, Shawahid al-Tanzil, Vol. 2, p. 286; Tafsir al-Tha’labi, on the Surat al-Ma’rij. Tafsir al-Qurtubi, Vol. 18, p. 278; Tafsir al-Manr, by Rashid Rida, Vol. 6, p. 464; Yanbi’ al-mawaddah, by al-Qunduzi al-Hanafi, p. 328; Al-Mustadrak ‘al al-Sahihayn, by al-Hkim, Vol. 2, p. 502; Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 3, p. 275; Tadhkirat al-khawass, by Ibn al-Jawzi, p. 37.
4. Ibn Qutaybah al-Dinawari, Kitb al-ma’rif, p. 251.
5. Al-‘Imm Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his Musnad, Vol. 1, p. 119.
6. Al-Baldhuri in Ansb al-‘Ashrf, Vols. 1 & 2, p. 152.
7. Ta’rikh Ibn ‘Askir, which is called Ta’rikh Dimashq, Vol. 2, p. 7 and Vol. 3, p. 150; ” Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah, of Ibn Abi al-Hadid, verified by Muhammad Abu al-Fadl, Vol. 19, p. 217; ” ‘Abaqat al-‘Anwar, Vol. 2, p. 309;” Manaqib ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, of Ibn al-Maghzili al-Shafi’i, p. 23; ” Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 3, p. 337.
8. The incident occurred on Rahbah Day when al-‘Imam ‘Ali asked the Sahabah to give witness about Hadith al-Ghadir. This incident is reported by a large number of traditionists and historians, to whom a reference was made previously, like Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ibn ‘Asakir and Ibn Abi al-Hadid, among others.
