By Ruhullāh Zeyn’alī

Ghadeer Khumm is located between Mecca and Medina indicating one of the most important Islamic events. Here and on the 18th of Dhu al-Hijjah, the Holy Prophet of Islam (Peace be upon Him and His Family), with the order of Allah, announced ‘Alī ībn Abī Tālib as his successor. though Imam ‘Alī (A.S) was already appointed for several times as the successor by the Holy Prophet (PBUH), doubtlessly; the big gathering of Muslims at Qadir Khumm and in the last Hajj pilgrimage of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad was of special importance. That is why Qadir event has been the most obvious, the most trustful and the most successive evidence for Imam ‘Alī’s (A.S) leadership and imamate.

Qadir event has been analyzed from different angles over time. Among these angles the Qur’anic view is the most striking of all which rises this question whether
this event is stated in the Qur’an? If it is, which verses are concerned? What are Islamic scholars’ opinions about this event?

Doubtlessly, proving this event as a Qur’anic issue plays an important role in people’s believes. In this paper some Qur’anic verses related to the event of Qadir are analyzed.

Three verses in the holy Qur’an indicate the event of Qadir. One of them is Surah Al-Ma’idah (The Table Spread), verse 67 as saying: O Messenger! Make known that which hath been revealed unto thee from thy Lord, for if thou do it not, thou wilt not have conveyed His message. Allah will protect thee from mankind. Lo! Allah guideth not the disbelieving folk. This verse is said to contain prophecy and can be analyzed of different angles. Here are two aspects examined: Firstly, lexical interpretation of the verse and then implication and cause of revelation.

There are many remarkable issues in the first case. Initially, is the provision in this verse stated to the Prophet (PBUH) as:” if thou do it not, thou wilt not have conveyed His message” this sentence communicates kind of threat which is by its turn indicates the importance of the subject to be known to people.
The other point is the sentence “Allah will protect thee from mankind” proving that the Prophet’s (PBUH) apprehension was not due to his own affairs yet those of people. What is meant by people? Allame Tabataba’i believes that “what meant by people is not actually those dealing with the Qur’ān, since they weren’t a threat for Islam. Neither are the disbelievers; since it is not a good equivalence for the word people (Arabic: Nās). Thus; the main cause of the Prophet (PBUH) apprehension was people of his Ummah (Muslim nations) .

There are many narrations on causes of this verse’ revelation. Following you will find some of them. Abū-Sa’īd Khudrī said: “this verse was sent on grandeur of ‘Alī ībn Abī Tālib (A.S.) . In his book al-Qadir, Allāme Amīnī has brought up 30 narrations concerning this verse .
Considering many narrations from Shi’a and Sunni scholars in this regard, the aforementioned narration and the event of Qadir are believed to be more successive one enjoying the Muslims’ consensus and unanimity. Amongst the narrations are: Ahmad ībn Hambal in his book Al-Musnad , Muslim ībn Hajjāj Nayshābūī in his book al-Sahīh , Fakhr ad-dīn ar-rāzi in his book Tafsir al-Kabīr , Suyutī in Tafsīr Dūrr al-Mansūr , etc . Therefore there is no doubt that this verse was sent to reveal the event of Qadir.

Another verse sent on this issue is Surah Al-Ma’idah (The Table Spread), verse 3 known as verse of accomplishment as saying: “This day are those who disbelieve in despair of (ever harming) your religion; so fear them not, fear Me! This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favor unto you, and have chosen for you as religion al-Islam.

Based on authentic narrations, this verse was also sent on grandeur of ‘Alī ībn Abī Tālib (A.S.). Allāme Amīnī mentioned 16 different narrations concerned in his book Al-Qadīr .it is narrated that no sooner the holy Prophet (PBUH) announced Imam ‘Alī as his successor than did he command people to hold pledges of allegiance to Imam ‘Ali (A.S). It is narrated that the pledges of allegiance lasted till late evening and people hadn’t walked away yet that the aforesaid verse was sent .
“Many narrative saying confirmed that this verse was sent on 18th of Dhu al-Hijjah”. Allame Amīnī said. Amongst these narratives sayings are that of ībn Jarīr Tabarī , ībn al- Mardūyah Isfahanī , ībn al-Muqadhilī Shafi’ī , Khatīb al-Baqdādī , ībn ‘asākir al-Damishqī Shafi’ī , etc.

There are many other ideas about the cause of this verse’s revelation. It is believed that what meant by the word ‘al-yawm’ is The Day of ‘Arafah. While some might say it refers to a period of time. Yet, and on basis of many evidences, this verse is believed to be sent on 18th day of Dhu al-Hijjah since there is little evidence that the cause of revelation is The Day of ‘Arafah.

Besides, Fakhr ad-dīn ar-rāzi in his book titled Tafsir al-Kabīr states that the holy Prophet (PBUH) was living for 81 or 82 days after the revelation of this verse .
Also the revelation of this verse is more compatible with what the people of Sunnah believe about the holy Prophet (PBUH) date of birth on 12th of Rabi’ al-awwal.
The analysis of this verse proves that what meant by “al-yawm” was known to the addressor and the addressee. It was the day on which the disbelievers grew disappointed to penetrate into Islam or ruin it. Initially, the disbelievers attempted to abolish Islam, yet they failed to do so and decided to mislead the Muslims. Again they got nowhere. Having taken lot of pointless attempts, they were daydreaming that Islam will soon disappear after death of Allah Messenger, since he didn’t have any son as his successor. On the day of al-Qadir and upon the Prophet appointment of his successor, their hope turned into frustration and the verse was sent to their status. The other verses sent upon the event of al-Qadir are verses 1-3 in Surah al-Ma’rij (The Ways of Ascent) as saying: A questioner questioned concerning the doom about to fall. Upon the disbelievers, which none can repel, From Allah, Lord of the Ascending Stairways.

These verses are related to the event which has been mentioned in the narrative meetings of people of Shi’a and Sunnah. Allāme Amīnī narrated 30 narrations to prove that these verses are concerned with the event of Qadir . Amongst these narrations is that of Abū Ishāq Sa’labī, of Abu Ubayd Heravī, of Shaykh al-Islam Hamu’ī and Hakim Haskāni. Following is what Sa’labī narrated: my father narrated from Ja’far ībn al-Muhammad (PBUH) to me that when Allah Prophet (PBUH) was in Qadir Khumm, he managed to summon his companions and then raised Imam ‘Ali’s hand and said: ‘he of whom I am the master, of him ‘Ali will be the master then”. This news was spread throughout the city.

To explain the cause of this verse’s revelation, some has narrated that “when Harīth ībn Nu’man al-Fahrī came to know of it, he rode his camel and entered Abtah and went to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), who was among his companions, and said to him: you commanded us to testify that there is no deity but Allah and that you are the messenger of Allah. We obeyed you. you ordered us to perform the prayers five times a day and we obeyed. You ordered us to observe fasts during the month of Ramadhan and we obeyed. Then you commanded us to offer pilgrimage to Mecca and to pay alms and we obeyed. But you are not satisfied with all this and you raised your cousin’s hand and imposed him upon us as our master by saying “’Ali is the master (Mawlā) of whom I am master (Mawlā). Is this imposition from Allah or from you? the Prophet then said: “ I swear by Allah, who is the only deity, this is from Allah, the Mighty and the Glorious”.

Hearing this, Harīth turned his back to the Prophet proceeding toward his camel while saying:”O’ Allah, if what Muhammad said is the truth then fling on us stones from the sky and subject us to severe pain and torture” he had not reached his camel yet when Allah flung at him a stone which struck him on head, pierced his body and passes out through his lower body and left him dead. It was on this occasion that Allah caused to descend the foresaid verse .

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