The Implications of Wilayah on our Lives

The Religion of Islam is built on five foundations: Salat, Zakat, Sawm, Hajj and Wilayat – and there was no call to any of these resembling that which the people were called towards in order to accept the Wilayah of Hazrat Imam Ali bin AbiTalib (as) on the Day of Ghadir.

Moreover the Wilayat of Hazrat Imam Ali (as) has been written in all of the previous books of the Prophets. Also Allah the All Mighty, All Powerful did not appoint even a single Messenger except with a pledge to the “Prophethood of Hazrat Muhammad (saw)” and “the successorship of Hazrat Imam Ali (as)”.

Now that the importance of the acceptance of wilayat Hazrat Imam Ali bin AbiTalib (as) has been established, let’s evaluate the effects of the wilayat of Hazrat Imam Ali (as) in our lives with the help of some traditions:

1. Living the Life of Holy Prophet (saw)

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللٌّه:ِمَنْ يَرِيدُ أَنْ يَحْـيـى حَيَاتِي، وَ يَمُوتَ مَمَاتِي، وَيَسْكُنَ جَنَّةَ الْخُلْدِ الَّتِي وَعَدَنِي رَبِّي‏ فَلْيَتَوَلَّ عَلِيَّ ابْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍفَإِنَّهُ لَنْ يُّخْرِجَكُمْ مِنْ هُدىً، وَلَنْ يَّدْخِلَكُمْ فِي ضَلاَلَةٍ

The Messenger of Allah (saw) has said: “A person who wishes to live the life that I (saw) lived and wishes to die the way I (saw) die, and wants to reside in the perpetual Paradise which has been promised to Me (saw) by my Lord should accept the Wilayat of Hazrat Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as), because He (as) will never take you away from the path of true guidance and He (as) will make you enter misguidance.”

(Ref :Al-Ghadir, Volume 10, Page 278)

2. Wilayah and Tawhid go hand in hand

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللٌّهِ : وِلاَيَةُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ وِلاَيَةُ اللٌّهِ ‏َوَ حُبُّهُ عِبَادَةُ اللٌّهِ وَ اتِّبَاعُهُ فَرِيضَةُ اللٌّهِ ‏َوَ أَوْلِيَاؤُهُ أَوْلِيَاءُ اللٌّهِ وَ أَعْدَاؤُهُ أَعْدَاءُ اللٌّهِ ‏َوَ حَرْبُهُ حَرْبُ اللٌّهِ وَ سِلْمُهُ سِلْمُ اللٌّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ

The Messenger of Allah (saw) narrated, “The Wilayat of Hazrat Imam Ali ibn AbiTalib (as) is the Wilayat of Allah; love for Him (Ali) (as) is worship of Allah; following Him (Ali) (as) is an obligatory act from Allah; His (as) friends are the friends of Allah and His (as) enemies are the enemies of Allah; fighting with Him (as) is (like) fighting against Allah; and making peace with Him (as) is (like) making peace with Allah, the Noble and Grand.”

(Ref :Al-Amali of as-Saduq, Page 32)

3. Wilayah of Hazrat Imam Ameerul Momineen (as) is Allah’s fortress (Tawhid)

عَنِ النَّبِيّ:ِ يَقُولُ اللٌّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالـى: وِلاَيَةُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ حِصْنِي، فَمَنْ دَخَلَ حِصْنِي أَمِنَ مِنْ نَارِي

It has been narrated from the Prophet (saw) that: “Allah, the Glorious and High, has said, “The Wilayat of Hazrat Imam Ali ibnAbiTalib (as) is My fortress, so whoever enters into My fortress will be protected from My fire.”

(Ref :Jami' al-Akhbar, Page 52, Hadith 7)

4. Exegesis of the Book of Allah

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ فِي إِحْتِجَاجِهِ يَوْمَ الْغَدِيرِ: عَلى تَفْسِيرُ كِتَابِ اللٌّهِ، وَ الدَّاعِيَ إِلَيهِ، أَلاَ وَ إِنَّ الْحَلاَلَ وَ الْحَرَامَ أَكْثَرُ مِنْ أَنْ أُحْصِيَهُمَا وَ أُعَرِّفَهُمَا، فَآمُرُ بِالْحَلاَلِ وَ أَنْهى عَنِ الْحَرَامِ فِي مَقَامٍ وَاحِدٍ، فَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ آخُذَ الْبَيْعَةَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَ الصَّفْقَةَ مِنْكُمْ، بِقُـبُولِ مَا جِئْتُ بِهِ عَنِ اللٌّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِي عَلِيٍّ أَمِيـرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ الأَئِمَّةِ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ. مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ تَدَبَّرُوا وَ افْهَمُوا آيَاتِهِ، وَ انْظُرُوا فِي مُحْكَمَاتِهِ وَ لاَ تَتَّبِعُوا مُتَشَابِهَهُ، فَوَ اللٌّهِ لَنْ يُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ زَوَاجِرَهُ، وَ لاَ يُوْضَـعُ لَكُمْ عَنْ تَفْسِيـرِهِ إِلاَّ الَّذِي أَنَا آخُذُ بِيَدِهِ.
The Prophet (saw), in his address on the Day of Ghadir: “Hazrat Imam Ali (as) is the exegesis (Tafsir) of the book of Allah and the one who calls others to it. Verily, that which is permitted and forbidden is more than what I (saw) can explain to you; what I (saw) command you as permitted and forbid you as prohibited, is all from one position. I (saw) was commanded to take your allegiance and your pledge to accept what I (saw) brought from Allah, the Exalted, regarding Hazrat Imam Ali (as), the commander of the believers, and the Imams (as) after him. O’ People! Ponder and understand the verses (of the Qur'an), observe those that are clear and do not follow those that are allegorical; for by Allah no one can explain to you its limitations or clarify its meanings except the one whose hand I (saw) am holding [meaning Hazrat Imam Ali (saw)].”

(Ref :Wasa'il ash-Shi'a, Volume 18, Page 142, Hadith 43)

5. The Love of Ahle Bait (a.s) cannot be combined with the love of their adversaries

From Hanash b. al - Mo’tamar, who said: Once I called upon Hazrat Imam Amirul Mo’mineen, Ali b. AbiTalib (a.s.) while He (as) was at al - Rahbah, reclining. So I said: “Peace be upon you, O,Hazrat Imam Amirul Mo’mineen (as) and His mercy and His blessing, how are You this morning?” He (as) raised His (a.s.) head and returned the greetings and then said: “I (as) have entered this morning with love for those who love Us (as) and patience for those who hate Us (as). Surely, he who loves Us (a.s.), awaits for repose, happiness and deliverance every day and night. And he who hates Us (a.s.) has built a structure whose foundation is laid on the edge of a crumbling bank; which tumbles and tumbles down with him into the fire of hell. O, Abu Mo’tamar, he who loves Us (as) cannot nurse hatred against Us (as) in his bosom and he who hates Us (as) cannot love Us (as). No doubt, Allah, Most High, created the hearts of the slaves with a propensity to love Us (as) and has forsaken those who deviated to hate Us. So, those who love Us (as) cannot hate Us (as) and those who hate Us (as) cannot love Us (as); and Our (as) love can never be combined with the love of Our (as) adversaries in one heart. Allah has not assigned to any man two hearts in his chest -loving one group with this heart and loving those who are their enemies with the other.

( Ref : Al-Amali by Sheikh Al-Mufid, Chp. no 27, Hadith 4)

From the above traditions, we can easily conclude the fact that the acceptance of the wilayat of Hazrat Imam Ameerul Momineen (as) effects our actions as well as beliefs like no other.