Islamzine.com states:
In the book “Al-Kafi fil-Usool, a collection of ahadith attributed to the Prophet SAWS and some of the Imams of the Shi’a, and held in the same esteem amongst Shi’a as Sahih Bukhari is amongst the Ahl us-Sunnah, we find the following…”Whoever sets up another Imam besides ‘Ali and delays ‘Ali’s caliphate is a polytheist.” (vol.10 p.55) (this “hadith” refers to everyone who accepts the validity of the caliphates of Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and Uthman. The Shi’a claim that the caliphate was stolen from ‘Ali, and only he and his descendants have the right to rule the Muslims):
What we are talking about here is the Wilayat (Mastership) of ‘Ali ibne Abi Talib (as) over the Ummah after Rasulullah (s). To expand on this we will need to explain that there is a world of difference between the two schools on Imamate. We will Inshallah expand on this in a separate chapter. Suffice it to say, Sunnis believe that the appointment of an Imam is the duty of the public, Shi’as believe it is a duty (RIGHT) of Allah (swt) via the Prophet. We would ask someone rationally, is it really logical to believe that the Prophet (S) did not even bother to leave a successor after him?, When he predicted that the Ummah would be divided, fall into turmoil, fight and kill each other? If the Sahaba thought the issue of Imamate was more important than the Prophet’s Janaza (funeral) don’t you think he did? Did they care more about future interests of the Ummah than him? That’s why we believe that Rasulullah (s) explicitly left a successor and that:
(1) It was Imam Ali (as)
(2) With this appointment he (s) inherited the same rights over the people as did Rasulullah (s)
(3)The Wilayat of ‘Ali is so important that we will be asked about it on the Day of Judgement
We read the following address to Rasulullah (s) in Surah Baqarah verse 120 (Yusuf Ali translation):
Never will the Jews or the Christians be satisfied with thee unless thou follow their form of religion. Say: “The Guidance of Allah,-that is the (only) Guidance.” Wert thou to follow their desires after the knowledge which hath reached thee, then wouldst thou find neither Protector nor helper against Allah.
Then in Surah Rad verse 37 (Yusuf Ali translation) Allah (swt) speaks to his beloved Messenger (s) as follows:
Thus have We revealed it to be a judgement of authority in Arabic. Wert thou to follow their (vain) desires after the knowledge which hath reached thee, then wouldn’t thou find neither protector nor defender against Allah.
Does it make sense that Hadhrath Muhammad (s) after whom no other Prophet shall come, is being rebuked that should he turn his back on his position, and follow falsehood, and leave Allah (swt)’s deen he will have no helper? Was there really a risk that Rasulullah (s) might turn his back on Allah (swt)? We are sure that no Muslim would ever entertain such a thought, then why would he address Rasulullah (s) in this manner? Although the verse was addressing Rasulullah (s) we the Shi’a believe that this was in fact an address to the Ummah at large. Accordingly we argue that an individual that ‘knowingly’ is aware of the wilayat of ‘Ali and then despite this seeks to ignore it and follow his own desires is on the path of falsehood.
There is no need for the Minhajj to make this an issue of contention with us since many leading Ulema of Ahl’ul Sunnah in their commentaries of this verse al Maidah ‘Baligh’ (5:67) have stated that following the descent of this verse Rasulullah (s) declared the wilayat of ‘Ali (as) to the people – that he was the Imam after him (s). It is common sense that any Leader when leaving a post puts in to position an individual to succeed him and administer the affairs of the State. Failure to do so will lead to insecurity in the State, uncertainty, confusion and worse still leaves the nation to the mercy of an enemy nation that might take the opportunity and seize power over a leaderless people. Appointment of a successor is the first thing that any ‘sensible’ leader will do. That is why we believe that in accordance with the guidance of Allah (swt) revealed this verse to Rasulullah (s), to openly declare his successor to the masses who had joined him at the time of the Farewell Pilgrimage. The declaration of Ali’s wilayat was to quell the scheming / nefarious planning of the hypocrites. That is why Allah (swt) declared:
“O Apostle! Deliver what has been sent down to you from your Lord; and if you don’t do it, you have not delivered His message (at all); and Allah will protect you from the people …” (Qur’an 5:67).
The following Ulema of Ahl’ul Sunnah have confirmed that the declaration of Ali’s wilayat followed this verse:
This was clearly that matter that Rasulullah (s) feared that the people would oppose. With the open declaration of Ali’s Wilayat all rules / regulations were completed. Deen was completed with the appointment of a successor / a Guide to ensure that the people followed the right path.
We believe that the evidence is so clear that any rational mind will conclude that this was a declaration of Imamate. Nasibis can disagree but let us cite the comments of one of your very own Deobandi scholars, Shah Ismail Shaheed the Indian reformist who introduced the teachings of Abdul Wahab in India. He writes:
“The Imam is the Prophet’s successor, the Imam has the same relations with Allah as the Prophet had with Allah. The Imam is the leader, in the same way the Prophet had the right to lead the people, the Imam also has the same rights over the people. We read in Surah Azhab ‘The Prophet is aula (authority) to the believers’, and the Prophet will be a witness to this fact on the Day of Judgement. The Prophet has rights over the people, as does the Imam, both in this world and the next, which is why the Prophet said ‘Don’t I have more rights over the people than they have over themselves, to which the people replied ‘Yes’. The Prophet then said ‘Of whomsoever I am Maula, Ali is his Maula’. This is why Allah says in the Qur’an that on the Day of Judgement you will be called according to your Imam (3:17), and why when Allah says ‘And stop they are to be questioned’ (37:24), we will be asked about the Wilayat of Ali on the Day of Judgement”
Munsub-e-Imamate, by Shah Ismail Shaheed, p 71
Shah Ismail was not writing in isolation when he asserted that we would be asked about the Wilayat (Mastership) of Ali (as) on the Day of Judgement.
Numerous Sunni scholars in their commentaries of the verse:
“And stop they are to be questioned” (Qur’an 37:24) – have narrated from Abu Said al Khudri (ra) that he heard the Prophet say that:
“On the Day of Judgement the people will be asked “whether or not they truly accepted Ali as their Wali (Master), as they were instructed by the Prophet to do, or did they ignore it”.
al Sawaiq al Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajr Haythami, Ch 11 subheading 1, as quoted by Wahidi and al Daylami; Faraid al Samtain, by Hamawaini, section 14; Mudham Durar al Samtain, by Jamal al Din al Zarandi
Mohib al Tabari, in his “Riyadh al Nadira”, records that the Holy Prophet (saww) declared:
“On the Day of Judgement, when the people will be brought together, no one will be able to pass the Bridge, until they have the ticket declaring Ali’s wilayat”
Riyadh al Nadira, by Mohib al Tabari, Part 3, p 116
Islamzine.com states:
In the book “Obedience to ‘Ali is true humility and disobedience to him is disbelief in Allah.” (vol.10 p.54)
The Nasibis do not even know what is on their own books, for the books of Ahl’ul Sunnah record the following words of Rasulullah (s):
“Whoever obeys ‘Ali, obeys me, whoever obeys me, obeys Allah, whoever disobeys ‘Ali disobeys me, whoever disobeys me, disobeys Allah”
1. Kanz ul Ummal, hadith numbers 32973-32976
2. Mustadrak al Hakim Volume 3 page 123
3. Riyadh ul Nadira Volume 3 page 110