The word ولایة is
derived from the root word و ۔ ل ۔ ی . Few meanings of this root word
as per the Arabic dictionary of Cowan are - to be near, to adjoin, to follow,
to be a friend, to lie next to, etc.
The word ولایة is derived from this root word and as per the
same dictionary this word can be pronounced in two ways – وَلایة or as وِلایة. The difference is the sign of
Fatha (َ) or Kasra (ِ) on the alphabet و. The
meaning for both these recitation as per Cowan is, to be incharge, manage,
govern, rule, have power, have authority.
Similarly, the scholars of Arabic
literature have discussed the meaning of the word ولایة as well. We present one such
example below.
Ibn Abil Hadeed says, وَلایة with Fatha on و is مصدر and وِلایة with Kasra
is اسم. He further says, وَلایة with Fatha means mohabbat (love)
or nusrat (helping) or obedience and the meaning of وِلایة with Kasra follows the meaning of ولایة with Fatha except that
one is مصدر and other is اسم.[1]
It is evident from the above examples
that the meanings of the word ولایة are in the context of love,
obedience, helping and having authority.
After this brief discussion on
the word ولایة itself, let us now examine the meaning of this word when it is
used in the context of Wilayat (ولایة) of Ahle Bait (a.s.) or Wilayat
of Ameerul Momieen (a.s.).
We refer to our esteemed scholars
and see what they have said about the meaning of the term Wilayat of Ahle Bait
(a.s.) or Wilayat of Ameerul Momineen (a.s.). We will see what it means and what are its implications.
For the purpose of convenience of
our respected readers, we quote from a very popular book, which is widely
available in English and Urdu language as well, this book is Greater Sins or
Gunah e Kabira written by Shaheed e Mehraab Ayatullah Dastagaib Shirazi (r.a.).
In Part 2 of the first volume
(English) before listing the Greater Sins, the respected scholar has brought
three topics related to Wilayat. One such topic is ‘The meaning of Wilayat’
where he has explained the meaning of Wilayat of Ahle Bait (a.s.) and he has
given reference of Majmaul Bahraeen which is authored by another great scholar
Aqa Turahi.
While discussing this topic
Ayatullah Dastagaib Shirazi (r.a.) says in Greater Sins,
“It is written in the book Majmaul Bahraen regarding the meaning of the word ‘Wilayat’:
“Wilayat is the love for Ahlul Bayt
(a.s.), the natural consequence of which is to follow them in religious
matters, to fulfil the obligations laid down on us and to abstain from the things
prohibited. Wilayat is to walk in the footsteps of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.)
following their ways in deeds, behaviour and manner of speech.”
Wilayat therefore means love and obedience. This idea
is supported by a tradition from Imam Muhammad
al-Baqir (a.s.) wherein the Holy Imam (a.s.) has related love with obedience.”[2]
As we can conclusively say from
the above explanation that Wilayat of Ahle Bait (a.s.) means possessing or
having love for Ahle Bait (a.s.), obedience of Ahle Bait (a.s.) and submission
to Ahle Bait (a.s.).
To conclude, we can say Wilayat
means ‘love and obedience’.
Also, Wilayat is an Arabic word
and most translators well versed with both the languages (Arabic and English)
have translated Wilayat as ‘Mastership’.
Even if we look at traditions of
Ahle Bait (a.s.) or duas which have been taught to us by Ahle Bait (a.s.) the
same meaning of Wilayat (Mastership) is conveyed in these narrations, that is –
Wilayat of Ahle Bait (a.s.) means love and obedience of Ahle Bait (a.s.).
Let us look at the below
narrations.
1. It is narrated that Hazrat
Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) said to Imam Husain (a.s.),
يَا حُسَيْنُ أَنَا
أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِين… فَمَنْ
تَمَسَّكَ بِوَلَايَتِي وَ مَحَبَّتِي أَمِنَ مِنَ النَّارِ
“O Husain (a.s.)! I am the master
of believers… then one who clings to my mastership and my love is saved from
fire”[3]
As we can see above my mastership
(Wilayat) and my love is used by Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) in the same context.
Although as mentioned above the word Wilayat has a wider domain which includes
obedience, submission, helping and love.
Therefore we can say, the one who
submits to Ameerul Momineen (a.s.), obeys him, strives to help him and loves
him unconditionally will be saved from fire.
2. Meaning of the word Wilayat in
the below dua narrated by Sayyed ibn Taus in his book Iqbal al Amaal.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي
أَدِينُكَ بِطَاعَتِكَ وَ وَلَايَتِكَ وَ وَلَايَةِ مُحَمَّدٍ نَبِيِّكَ وَ
وَلَايَةِ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَبِيبِ نَبِيِّكَ وَ وَلَايَةِ الْحَسَنِ وَ
الْحُسَيْنِ سِبْطَيْ نَبِيِّكَ وَ سَيِّدَيْ شَبَابِ أَهْلِ جَنَّتِكَ وَ
أَدِينُكَ يَا رَبِّ بِوَلَايَةِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ وَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ
عَلِيٍّ وَ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ وَ عَلِيِّ بْنِ
مُوسَى وَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ وَ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ والْحَسَنِ بْنِ
عَلِيٍّ وَ سَيِّدِي وَ مَوْلَايَ صَاحِبِ الزَّمَانِ أَدِينُكَ يَا رَبِّ
بِطَاعَتِهِمْ وَ وَلَايَتِهِمْ وَ بِالتَّسْلِيمِ بِمَا فَضَّلْتَهُمْ رَاضِياً
غَيْرَ مُنْكِرٍ وَ لَا مُسْتَكْبِرٍ [مُتَكَبِّرٍ] عَلَى مَا [معنى] أَنْزَلْتَ
فِي كِتَابِكَ اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ
“O Allah! I implore you through
your obedience and your mastership and the mastership of Mohammed (s.a.w.a)
Your Prophet and through the mastership of Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) the beloved
of Your Prophet and the mastership of Hasan and Husain (a.s.) sons of Your
Prophet and the master of the youths of the Paradise and I impore you O my
Lord! Through the mastership of Ali ibn Husain (a.s.) and Mohammed ibn Ali
(a.s.) and Jafar ibn Mohammed (a.s.) and Musa ibn Jafar (a.s.) and Ali ibn Musa
(a.s.) and Mohammed ibn Ali (a.s.) and Ali ibn Mohammed (a.s.) and Hasan ibn
Ali (a.s.) and my leader and my master – the master of the time. I implore You
O my Lord! Through their obedience and their mastership and submitting to their
excellence (bestowed by you), satisfied and not rejecting (them) and not being
arrogant upon what you revealed in Your book. O Allah! Send your salutations on
Mohammed (s.a.w.a.) and the progeny of Mohammed (a.s.).[4]
As we can see in the above dua as
well, the word mastership (Wilayat) has been used along with words like
obedience and submitting. Therefore, this further indicates and emphasises that
Wilayat means obedience, submitting and love.
Today, we also see few people
translating the word Wilayat or using it in the meaning of kingdom, government
or hukumat. While we mentioned in the beginning of our discussion that
the word ولایت is
derived from the root word و ۔ ل ۔ ی which has many meanings depending upon its
context of usage. One of the meaning of the word wilayat is indeed government
or kingdom but when wilayat is used in context of Wilayat of Ahle Bait (a.s.)
or Wilayat of Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) it does not mean
their kingdom or their government rather it implies their mastership which
means their obedience, their love and submitting to them.
We even saw our great scholar of
recent times Ayatullah Dastagaib e Shirazi explaining that Wialyat means love
and obedience. He did not indicate that it means government or kingdom of Ahle
Bait (a.s.).
If we pay attention to the
narration of Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) to Hazrat Imam Husain (a.s.) where he says
one who clings to my Wilayat and my love is saved from fire, if we translate
the word Wilayat as government or hukumat it would mean, one who clings
to my government and my love, then the word government or humukat looks
misrepresented. Also the (apparent) government of Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) was
for only four odd years. Does it mean only those who were present in those four
years will be saved from fire and other Shias who died before his apparent
government or were born after his apparent government will not be saved from
fire! No, this is not the case. The word Wilayat used is in the context of
love, obedience and submission to Ameerul Momineen (a.s.).
Similarly, if we pay attention to
the above dua narrated from Iqbal al Amaal, the dua says, O Allah! I implore
you through the Wilayat of Ameerul Momieen (a.s.), Imam Hasan (a.s.) and Imam
Husain (a.s) and goes on to mention Wilayat of every Imam till the twelfth Imam
– Hazrat Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.). Again here, if we take the meaning of Wilayat
as government or hukumat then there is a conflict in
meaning since only 2 Imams who had an apparent government or hukumat i.e.
Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) and Hazrat Imam Hasan (a.s.) and after him there was no
Imam who had an apparent government for even a single day. Therefore, again, we
can conclude that when the Wilayat of Ahle Bait (a.s.) or Wilayat of any Imam (a.s.)
is used it means their love, their obedience and submission to them and does
not refer to government or hukumat.
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