Al-Ghadir: A Message of Muslim Unity & Reconciliation Avowal and affirmation of Guardianship and Custodian of Islam The Day Completed & Perfected

Al-Ghadir: A Message of Muslim Unity & Reconciliation

Avowal and affirmation  of Guardianship and Custodian of Islam 

The Day Completed & Perfected Deen e Islam 

Rasheed Ahmad Chughtai

On the most jubilant occasion of the day of Ghadir, felicitations of immense volume and profundity to all the Muslims over the world are on board. It is prayed that all the Muslims reap good fortune, receive Almighty Allah’s bounteous blessings, bask in the sunlight of divine goodness, drink at the fountain of divine wisdom and cherish divine hope to enter the gardens of Paradise. Surely, Ghadir has the potential to make everyone a blessed and elevated soul that wins pleasure, favor and recommendations of divine Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Ahle Bayt (S.A) in this world and the world hereafter. being celebrated this year all around the globe, will unveil and bring to light the real image of Islam.      

Day-of-Ghadir is a reminder and revival of our faith in divine authority and divine selection to preach, teach and mould the ways of humanity on earth. It also reminds us that Allah Almighty is most caring, most loving and most thoughtful to direct mankind onto the righteous path. Emphasizing and revealing this day importance and significance  Quran says:

(??? ??????? ????????? ?????? ??? ???????? ???????? ??? ?????? ????? ???? ???????? ????? ???????? ??????????? ???????? ?????????? ???? ??????? ???? ?????? ??? ??????? ????????? ?????????????) ??????? /.

Responding this commandment of Allah Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) divulged and revealed the significance in exceptional manner:

On this day of 18th Dhulhajja, the Last Prophet (S.A.A.W) stopped his companions in the valley of Ghadir-e-Khumm on his way back from Makkah to Madina and asked them, “O my people! I am going to be recalled shortly and I must comply. I shall be interrogated and you also shall be interrogated. What will you say?” The entire audience answered: “We shall bear witness that you did convey to us the message of Allah, and tried your best to guide us on the right path and always gave us good console. May Allah bless you with a good reward!” The Prophet proceeded: “Why do you not bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, and that Paradise is true. Hell is true, Death is true, Resurrection after death is true, that the Day of Judgment will doubtlessly come and that Allah will raise to life the dead from their graves?” They said: “O Yes! We bear witness to all this.” The he said: “O Allah! You also my

witness.” Then he said: “?? ??? ????? ???? ??? ????? O my people! Allah is my Mawla and I am mawla of the faithful and I have superior right on and control over their lives. And this Ali is the mawla of all those of whom I am mawla. O Allah! Love him who love him and hate him who hates him.” (Sahih Tirmizi, Vol.2 Page 298. Sahih ibn-e-Maja, Chapter: Virtues of the Companions of the Holy Prophet (pbuh&hf), Page 12. Kinz-al-Amaal, Vol.6, Page 397 Khasais-e-Nisaee, Page 25)

(????????? ?????????? ?????? ????????? ???????????? ?????????? ????????? ????????? ?????? ???????????? ??????) ???????

Day –of -Ghadir is a day of the completion of divine message (????????? ?????????? ?????? ?????????) which Allah sent to mankind through His prophets and Holy Books. Therefore, this day symbolizes human completion and perfection in wisdom, insight, vision and all the commendable virtues which make us the Crown of all Creation. Being Muslims, we must seek completion of our character throuh divine source of wisdom and light. We must humble ourselves at “the Door to Knowledge”, who is no one else except Amirul Mominin Ali Ibne Abi Talib (A.S), so that we are enlightened in mind, ennobled in soul and elevated in spirit. This is possible only when we forge an unbreakable bond of faith, love, obedience and gratitude with the Prophet (PBUH)and his Pious Family (S.A).

Muslim thinkers and reformists are of the view that unity and solidarity of Muslims are the most imperative Islamic exigencies at the present juncture when the enemies have made extensive inroads upon the Islamic community and have tried to resort to

different ways and means to spread the old differences and create new ones. We are aware that Islamic unity and fraternity is the focus of attention of the Holy Legislator of Islam and is actually the major objective pursued by this Divine religion as firmed by the Qur'an, the "Sunnah", and the history of Islam.

Imam 'Ali ('a) chose a very logical and reasonable approach and also adopted Reconciliation Policy. He left no stone unturned to retrieve his right. He used everything within his power to restore the principle of "imamah", but he never adhered to the motto of "all or none". 'Ali ('a) did not rise up for his right, and that was not compulsory. On the contrary, it was a calculated and chosen approach. He did not fear death. Why didn't he rise up? There could have been nothing above martyrdom. Being killed for the cause of the Almighty was his ultimate desire. He was more intimate with martyrdom than a child is with his mother's breast. But in his sound calculations, Imam 'All ('a) had reached the conclusion that under the existing conditions it was to the interest of Islam to foster collaboration and cooperation among the Muslims and give up revolt. He repeatedly stressed this point.

In one of his letters (No.62 "Nahj al Balaghah") to Malik al-Ashtar, he wrote the following:

"First I pulled back my hand until I realized that a group of people converted from Islam and invited the people toward annihilating the religion of Muhammad(s). So I feared that if I did not rush to help Islam and the Muslims, I would see gaps or destruction which calamity would be far worse than the several-day-long demise of caliphate."

In the six-man council, after appointment of 'Uthman by 'Abdul-Rahman ibn 'Awf, 'Ali ('a) set forth his objection as well as his readiness for collaboration as follows:"

You well know that I am more deserving than others for caliphate. But now by Allah, so long as the affairs of the Muslims are in order and my rivals suffice with setting me aside and only I am alone subjected to oppression, I will not oppose (the move) and will give in (to it)." (From Sermon 72, "Nahj al- Balaghah").                               

These indicate that in this issue 'Ali ('a) condemned the principle of "all or none". There is no need to further elaborate the approach taken by 'Ali ('a) toward this issue.

There are ample historical proofs and reasons in this regard.The prejudice and narrow minded old and present scholar’s fabrications and accusations sow the seeds of corruption, stir hostilities, abhorrence, intolerance, intimidation and coercion among the 'ummah', create discord among the Islamic community, divide the 'ummah', and clash with the public interests of the Muslims against the teachings of real Islam. This group is creating and producing Terrorists, Extremists, TAKFRI and Militants like ISIL, Al-Qaeda, Taliban, etc., who are damaging the peaceful image of Islam. The (concept of) Islamic brotherhood which has been set forth in the Qur'an and the 'sunnah' (the Prophet's sayings and actions), and in this respect, no discrimination has been made between the Shi'ahs and the Sunnis. People are free to express views and ideas on religion. These (views and ideas) will never tear apart the bond of Islamic brotherhood to which the holy Qur'an has referred by stating that 'surely the believers are brethren'; even though academic discussion and theological and religious debates reach a peak. This has been the style of the predecessors, and of the 'sahaba' and the 'tabi'un', at the head of them. the world of Islam the eminent Commander of the faithful 'Ali ('a) who is the most oppressed and the least praised grand Islamic personality and who could be the leader of all Muslims, as well as his pure offspring.

In the Islamic schema and hierarchy of things, Man figures conspicuously; he is the crown of the entire creation. Children of Adam have been endowed with dignity and honor, and Man has been created in the most beautiful form, and the unjust killing of a single soul is equal to the killing of the entire mankind as saving of a single human soul is equal to the saving of entire humanity – this is all what the Quran announces.

The religion of Islam came forward with these humanitarian and peace-loving ideas. But unfortunately Islam as a religion with human dignity and honor and peace as its prime mission was sabotaged by the autocratic Omayyad rulers who for the first time in the history of Islam introduced the ideology of takfir at the pretext of which they not only massacred hundreds of innocent souls, looted their homes and property, and usurped their human and civil rights, but also martyred the Holy Prophet’s beloved grandson Imam Hussain along with his younger son Ali Akbar and his infant-child Ali Asghar and his almost seventy two companions. All this they did in the name of Islam, thus sowing the seed of killing innocent souls in the name of religion, and making Islam, the religion of human dignity and honor, peace, beauty, and love into a religion of sword, holy wars and expansionism. In the long run and at last these anti-Islamic inhuman precedents gave birth to a deep-rooted and long-term ideology of terrorism, which engendered the culture of religious extremism and violence. This ideology of terrorism is based on the doctrine of takfir which is the root-cause of the present world crisis, tension and sense of insecurity and which unfortunately has found safe heaven in some sensitive parts of the Muslim world. To save the world from the future shock, this ideology of terrorism needs to be addressed and uprooted.

The message of Ghadir is conclusively the message of the unity of Muslim Ummah. Unfortunately such a vibrant and potential message has been deliberately ignored by the opportunists and Machiavellians. The true message of Ghadir evokes peace, unity and brotherhood among the Muslims with its true Islamic spirit. Would that the Muslims of that time had accepted and practiced it truly, the situation would have been very different than we face today. We cannot imagine any differences among the Muslims had the message of Ghadir been perpetuated after the demise of the Prophet (May peace be upon him). Even if we adopt it today, we can mitigate most of the differences among the Muslims. A staunch campaign to spread the message of Ghadir can surely solve many of the problems which the Muslim Ummah has been facing today. All those who advocate peace, all those who champion the cause of Islamic glory, all those who uphold the banner of brotherhood, mutual co-existence and justice must step forward to enunciate afresh the spirit of truthfulness, honesty, virtue, peace, cooperation and justice through the message of Ghadir.

One important aspect of the post-Ghadir scenario draws our attention to a very telling fact: Imam Ali adopted and practiced Reconciliation Policy after being deprived of his divine right to Caliphate, just to dispel all threats and dangers that might harm Islam after the Prophet’s demise. This policy of reconciliation serves a golden rule for

the Muslims today to mitigate differences and live peacefully with those who practice Islam in a different way.  

Therefore, this happy occasion reminds us of our religious duties as well. It lays obligations on us that we follow the Last Prophet (S.A.A.S) in letter and spirit and spread this message to others so that they may also win both Allah and His Prophet’s pleasure. Not only this, Eid-e-Ghadir also invites us to come under the banner of a united Ummah.

We pray that all the Muslims come in the light of divine authority and divine wisdom. Amen!