Introduction to Howzah Studies Lesson 10:

1. Introduction to Howzah StudiesLesson 10: History of Knowledge and the Religious Laws (Shari’ah) - Part three By Sheikh Safdar Razi

2. After the Prophet (S) - WALI of AMR • يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلاً • (4:59) “O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Apostle and those in authority from among you; then if you quarrel about anything, refer it to Allah and the Apostle, if you believe in Allah and the last day; this is better and very good in the end.” Who is the source of knowledge? Who is the authority appointed by Allah?

3. Who is the WALI ? • إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلاَةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ • وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ اللّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ فَإِنَّ حِزْبَ اللّهِ هُمُ الْغَالِبُونَ • The word INNAMA is a restrictive phrase meaning “none but” or “nothing but.” • (5:55) “Only Allah is your Wali and His Apostle and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow (in rukoo).” (cont.)

4. (5:56) “And whoever takes Allah and His apostle and those who believe for a guardian, then surely the party of Allah are they that shall be triumphant.”

5. WALI is the Guardian • Wali has several meanings in the Arabic language. We do not want to focus on any general meanings; rather we want to study the specific Qur’anic meanings in these two verses. • The Wali in the verse of obedience and the verse of Wilayat, is the type of Wilayat which Allah and His messenger have. (cont.)

6. This type of Wilayat can only mean the guardianship or authority of Allah which has been given to His messenger. The same authority given to the Messenger (s) is given to this Wali, so it is considered to be divine authority and guardianship. • As Allah never makes mistakes, and His messenger is infallible, then the succeeding Wali (or authority) must also have the same qualities of infallibility and superior knowledge.

7. What is AMR of Allah? • The Wali of Amr, is the one who possesses the Amr which Allah has. That Amr is bestowed to the Prophet (s), and then to the succeeding Wali after the Prophet (s). That is why the succeeding Wali is called Wali of Amr, or the Wali who possesses the limitless power of Amr. The power of Amr can never be possessed unless the Wali is pure and infallible. Therefore, anyone claiming to be an authority from Allah, must have this limitless power, and superior knowledge above the people of his time.

8. AMR is the Miraculous Power of Allah • إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُ إِذَا أَرَادَ شَيْئًا أَنْ يَقُولَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ • (36:82) “His command, when He intends anything, is only to say to it: Be, so it is.” • وَمَا أَمْرُنَا إِلَّا وَاحِدَةٌ كَلَمْحٍ بِالْبَصَرِ • (54:50) “And Our command is but one, as the twinkling of an eye.” • This power requires purification and infallibility.

9. The Word Maula on the Day of GHADEER • The word Maula is derived from Wali and is used for the person who has the Wilayat from Allah. In reference to the the Prophet (S), it is meant the “authority” given by Allah. • The Prophet (S) announced to every Muslim several times that, “The Wali after me is Ali.” On the famous event of the Day of GHADEER, he clearly stated, “If I am the Maula of someone, then Ali is that person’s Maula too.” (cont.)

10. Imam Ali (a.s.) is the only companion who gave his ring to a beggar in the Masjid. There is a famous story about this event.

11. Imam Ali (a.s.) had the AMR. If we examine the history of Imam Ali’s (a.s.) life, we will find these facts: • After the Prophet’s (s) death, no one was superior in knowledge compared to Imam Ali (a.s.). The companions of the Prophet (s) used to seek Imam Ali’s (a.s.) help in solving problems, that is why he was called the “Solver of Problems.” (cont.)

12. He performed supernatural acts. Because of this, ignorant people started to worship him. • Imam Ali (a.s.) never ever committed a sin during his entire life. If he had committed a sin, his enemies would not have hesitated to make it known in public.

13. Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) are Pure • The title of “Ahlul Bayt (a.s.)” was specifically given to the house of Imam Ali (a.s.), which is actually the household of the Prophet (S). The Prophet (s) used to call for morning prayer at the door of Imam Ali (a.s.) for several months, so that everyone would know who were considered the “Ahlul Bayt (a.s.)” and not attempt to claim this title. • The Hadith of the Cloak is famous and is referred to as the “verse of purification.”

14. The Verse of Purification (TATHEER) • وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَى وَأَقِمْنَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتِينَ الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِعْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا' • (33:33) “And stay in your houses and do not display your finery like the displaying of the ignorance of yore; and keep up prayer, and pay the poor-rate, and obey Allah and His Apostle. Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O People of the House, and to purify you [with] a (thorough) purification.” (cont.)

15. The noble Um Salama was not included in reference to this verse when it was descended. • This verse clearly states the purification of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).

16. Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) as the Source of Knowledge • The Prophet (S) proclaimed several times that his Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) would be his successors and source of knowledge after him. There are several narrations from him mentioning this, the most famous one being THAQALAYN. • This hadith mentions that the Prophet (S) said, “I am leaving behind among you two valuable things, as long as you adhere to them, you will never go astray after me: the book of Allah and my Etrah (my household) (Ahlul Bayt). (cont.)

17. “These two things will never separate ‘til they come unto me near the pond (Hawdh), so be careful in how you treat them after me.” • This hadith is narrated by 15 authentic narrations in the School of Companions. There is however, another version in which the word “Ahlul Bayt” has been replaced by “my sunnat” (SUNNATI) but it is not linked and is narrated by only two narrators.

18. The 12 Infallible Imams (a.s.) • After the Prophet’s (s) death, the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) were the source of knowledge beginning with Imam Ali (a.s.) and ending with the living Imam Mahdi (a.j.). • Every Imam (a.s.) would declare or appoint the next Imam. (cont.)

19. In the book of YANABEEALMUWADAH, the author, who is from the School of Companions, mentions the narrations of the Prophet (S) regarding the names of the 12 Imams (a.s.) beginning with Imam Ali (a.s.) and ending with Imam Mahdi (a.j.).

20. Our Imams (a.s.) are Narrators, not Jurists • Many scholars and historians from the School of Companions acknowledge the superior knowledge of our Imams (a.s.), but they consider them to be jurists who express their opinions. The followers of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) consider the Imams (a.s.) to be narrators of the Hadiths of the Prophet (S) and believe their opinions to be the opinions of the Prophet (S), which are the revealed words of Allah. (cont.)

21. Imam As-Sadiq (a.s.) said, “My hadith is the hadith of my father, and my father’s hadith is my grandfather’s, and his hadith is the hadith of Hussein, and hadith of Hussein is the hadith of Hassan, and hadith of Hassan is hadith of the Chief of Believers, and the hadith of the Chief of the Believers is the hadith of the messenger of Allah, and the hadith of the messenger of Allah is the word of Allah the Exalted.”

22. The Specific Representation • After the Infallibles (a.s.), the source of knowledge was divided in two stages: the specified and appointed representatives or scholars, and the general representatives. • The specific representation: The 11th and 12th Imams (a.s.) appointed four representatives one after another. Their duty was to channel the communication between the 12th Imam (a.j.) and his followers through written letters. (cont.)

23. Those four representatives were: • Othman b. Saeed • Mohammad b. Othman • Hussain b. Rooh • Ali b. Mohammad Alsamari

24. The General Representation • Any God-fearing pious scholar who learns, properly understands and properly narrates the narrations of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), is a representative of the 12th Imam (a.j.). • The 12th Imam (a.j.) addresses the Shia: “And as for the events taking place, your duty is to refer it to the narrators of our hadiths, for they are my proof to you and I am Allah’s proof upon them.” • 11th Imam (a.s.) said: “There is no excuse for our followers in creating doubts against what is narrated by our trusted ones.”

25. TAQLEED of a Jurist (Scholar) • Imam As-Sadiq (a.s.) said: “Look into a person who narrates our hadiths, and studies what we consider to be Halaal and Haraam, and knows our laws, and accept him as a judge, for verily I have made him a judge upon you. So, if he rules with our laws, and it is not accepted, then surely it is an insult to the law of Allah and rejection of our authority.” (cont.)

26. In another hadith, Imam said: “Whoever among the Jurists is protecting his religion, securing his soul, guarding his desires, obeying the command of his master, then it becomes an obligation on laypeople to refer to him (to do TAQLEED to him).” فعلى العوام أن يقلدوه