Traditional polemical debate has not been over the cause of descent of this verse. As we shall evidence later, past Sunni Ulema have recorded in their Tafseers in Muttawatir traditions that the verse descended in honour of Maula Ali (as). Traditional Sunni scholarship has not denied the cause of the descent; the difference has been over the meaning of Wali in this the verse. We shall leave it to Ansar.Org to explain the two positions.
Ansar.org states:
Meaning and contextThis verse is called the “Verse of Wilayah” due to the appearance of the word wali in it. Linguistically the word wilayah may have one of two meanings.
Wilayah as Authority
The one meaning is authority. The wali would then be the possessor of authority. The Shi’ah have arbitrarily latched on to this meaning, seeking thereby to prove the Imamah of ‘Ali radiyallahu ‘anhu. By coupling this meaning of the term to the narrations which will come under discussion in due course—the gist of which is that Sayyiduna ‘Ali radiyallahu ‘anhu once gave his ring to a beggar whilst in the state of ruku’, and that the verse was revealed on that occasion—they draw the conclusion that the only legitimate authority in the Muslim community is that of Allah, His Messenger and the Imam. Any other kind of authority, like that of Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthman radiyallahu ‘anhum, for example, is then illegitimate and contradicts the Qur’an.
This is indeed the Shia position. Wali essentially carries two meanings, sovereign authority or friendship. Interestingly the Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Arabic, page 1100 defines Wali as:
‘to take over the government….to be in power, hold supreme power….to follow in succession’.
If Wali is interpreted as Master in the context of this verse, then it would make Allah (s), the Prophet (s) and those that give Zakat whilst bowing down in prayer to be the Master over the believers. If it also proven that the individual that gave Zakat in such a state, then it would be logical to assert that the individual that Allah (swt) describes as the Master over the believers during the lifetime of the Prophet (s) succeeds him as the Master at the helm of the State after him (s).
Naturally Ansar.Org find such an interpretation of Wali in the context of this verse as unacceptable, since doing so, takes their first three khalifas out of the equation, which is why the author stresses the importance of rejecting this notion. It also destroys the orthodox Sunni stance that no nass (text) occurs relating to the Prophet (s) appointing a successor after him (s). Our assertion is that:
(a). the verse descended in honour of Imam Ali (as)
(b). Wali here means Master
Now the best means of ascertaining the meaning of such a term would be to analyse the Hadeeth literature. After all, if Imam Ali (as) was indeed a Wali (friend) of the believers, then can Hadeeth literature point to the Holy Prophet (s) clarifying this fact and using the term Wali in this context? It is interesting to note that at no point has the author sought to site any Hadeeth literature that would point to Imam Ali (as) being the Wali of the believer from the context of friendship, had he done so, then his work would have been done, and no doubt the financial incentives from King Fahad would have doubled for him. His omission is quite intentional, for Imam Ali (as) has indeed been referred to as the Wali of the believers in Sunni Hadeeth literature but certainly not in the context of friendship. Allamah Dr Muhammad Tahir ul Qadri al-Hanafi in his book dealing with the traditions in honour of Maula Ali (as) ‘Kanzul Muttalib fee Fadail Manaqib Ali ibn Abi Talib’ records this on page 62:
“Hadhrath Imran bin Husain narrates the Prophet (s) said ‘verily ‘Ali is from me and I am from him. He is the Wali of every believer after me.
[Sahih al-Tirmidhi, Vol 5, Page 236, al Sahih by Ibn Habban Volume 1 page 383, Mustadrak al Hakim , Vol. 3, p. 119, Sunan al Nasai Volume 5 page 132, by Ibn Abi Sheeba Volume 6 page 383 Musnad Abu Yala Volume 1 page 293]”
Imam Nisai in ‘Khasais’, Imam Hakim in his ‘Mustadrak’ and Ibn Hajar Asqlani in ‘Al-Istiab’, Mulla Mutaqi Hindi in ‘Kanz ul Ummal’, Dahabi in ‘Talkhees Mustadrak’ and Al-Baani the Wahabi in ‘Silsilat al-ahadith al-Sahiha’ have decalred the tradition ‘Sahih’.
There is no doubt that Imam Ali (as) was always the friend of the believers. If the intention of the Prophet (s) was to clarify that Ali (as) was the friend of the believers what would have been the logic of him using the term ‘He is the Wali of every believer after me‘? It is clear that Rasulullah (s) was now referring to a different relationship that would exist between Ali (as) and the believers after him, one that would be implemented following his (s) death. It is logical that this can only refer to the station of authority, that the Imam (as) would attain as the Khaleefa after the Prophet (s). Now for Ansar.Org this tradition causes them a major headache? How do they react? They are left with two options:
(a). Ali (as) was the fourth rightly guided Khaleefa
(b). Ali (as) was the immediate Khaleefa after the Prophet (s)
If they embrace the first option that they no doubt will, how can this be held in tandem, with this hadith that cited Ali (as) as being the ‘Wali of every believer after me‘? Should the first three Khaleefa’s not be counted as believers in this tradition? If they are not, then they are not believers (Momineen). If they are counted as believers then what prevented them from adhering to the words of our Prophet (s) and accepting him as the Wali of every believer after the Prophet (s)? Ansar.Org is now left in a difficult position. They either declare that their first three leaders were not believers, or they deem them as rejecters of the dictates of Muhammad al Mustafa (s). It is only their desire to protect the doctrine of man made Imamate that has forced them to stress that Ali (as) was merely the friend of the believers and nothing more.
Ansar.org states:
Meaning and context
This verse is called the “Verse of Wilayah” due to the appearance of the word wali in it. Linguistically the word wilayah may have one of two meanings.Wilayah as AuthorityThe one meaning is authority. The wali would then be the possessor of authority. The Shi’ah have arbitrarily latched on to this meaning, seeking thereby to prove the Imamah of ‘Ali radiyallahu ‘anhu. By coupling this meaning of the term to the narrations which will come under discussion in due course—the gist of which is that Sayyiduna ‘Ali radiyallahu ‘anhu once gave his ring to a beggar whilst in the state of ruku’, and that the verse was revealed on that occasion—they draw the conclusion that the only legitimate authority in the Muslim community is that of Allah, His Messenger and the Imam. Any other kind of authority, like that of Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthman radiyallahu ‘anhum, for example, is then illegitimate and contradicts the Qur’an.
Wilayah as Friendship
The other meaning of wilayah, which in this sense might also appear as walayah, is a relationship of affection, attachment and solidarity in which each individual becomes the friend and protector of the other. In this sense the wali is then that person or entity whom you regard as your friend, your ally, the one with whom you associate, who can be counted upon to protect you and defend your rights. In this sense it stands opposed to terms such as “enemy”, “foe” and “adversary”.
In order to see which of these two meanings apply to the verse, one needs to look at the context in which it stands. The Verse of Wilayah is the 55th verse of Surah al-Ma’idah. In order for us to get the complete picture of the context in which it stands, we need to go back a few verses. In verse 51 Allah Ta’ala says:O you who believe, do not take the Jews and the Christians as your awliya (plural of wali). They are the awliya of one another. Whoever amongst you takes them as his awliya is one of them. Verily Allah does not guide the unjust people.
It can be seen from this verse that Allah Ta’ala is definitely not speaking of wilayah in the sense of authority. What is being spoken of here is taking non-Muslims as allies, friends and protectors.
When Allah then says in verse 55 that “your true wali is only Allah, His Messenger and the Believers” it is clear that it is wilayah in the sense of mutual solidarity and friendship, and not wilayah in the sense of authority, that is meant.
This meaning of wilayah is repeated again in verse 57:O you who believe, do not take as your awliya those who take your religion for a mockery and fun from amongst those who received the Scripture before you, and from amongst the disbelievers.
In light of the fact that in the preceding as well as successive verses wilayah is used in the sense of the relationship we have described earlier, it is unacceptable, and indeed most incoherent, to claim that in this verse in the middle it has been used in the sense of authority. The meaning of the verse of Wilayah is therefore that a Muslim’s allegiance should be only to Allah, His Messenger sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, and the Believers. Of the exclusive and pre-emptive right to authority which the Shi’ah seek to read into it, the verse does not speak at all.
The verse starts with referring directly to the Jews and Christians ‘O people of the Book!’ , but ends with an address to all people ‘There hath come to you from Allah a (new) light and a perspicuous Book’. Verse 17 then reverts back to the false belief if the Christians ‘In blasphemy indeed are those that say that Allah is Christ the son of Mary’.
If we for arguments sake accept this literal manner like that offered up by Ansar.Org namely that it means friendship, and then it should not in any way be deemed as some victory for them, since a friend is that person that is able to assist at a time of need. If you call someone for help without any reason / pending danger, anyone will respond to your call. When someone senses his personal weakness, fragility and desires the need for assistance, he calls upon that individual that can utilise his skills / strength to resolve the matter. The helper acts as the individual with the skills to intervene and rectify the difficulty that one is experiencing, and he will have the authority / clout to address the problem. When we look at this matter from a community level, then they will get this combined assistance through the help of the Head of State, Government, and such a person is rightfully seen as the Wali “helper” for the Ummah.
This is a crucial point that the author will conveniently not touch on. Allow us to see the usage of this term in a single verse:
[002.257 YUSUFALI:]
Allah is the ‘Wali’ Protector of those who have faith: from the depths of darkness He will lead them forth into light. Of those who reject faith the patrons ‘Wali’ are the evil ones: from light they will lead them forth into the depths of darkness. They will be companions of the fire, to dwell therein (For ever).
Allah (swt) has used the term Wali to refer to him and those that follow Satan. Clearly it cannot be taken to mean the same thing here. We need to determine the precise Wali relationship that exists between Allah (swt) and the believers. Let us for example consider two statements:
(a). Zahid is a friend of Imran.
(b). Zahid is a friend of Allah (swt).
Does friendship mean exactly the same thing in both of these statements? Do all the attributes associated with friendship apply to Imran and Allah (swt)? Zahid and Imran may be friends on an equal level; can the same be said of friendship with Allah (swt)? Is every individual that recites Kalima Tauheed a friend of Allah (swt) as the author of this article is seeking to stress? Can we conclude this, based on the verses that he quoted? Allow us to cite Surah Aal-e-Imran to get greater clarity:
[003.031 YUSUFALI:]
Say: “If ye do love Allah, Follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins: For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful’.
A friendship that Allah (swt) has with his Servant is based around love for Him (swt) that is linked to adherence to Prophet Muhammad (s). This love / friendship is dependent upon the duty to follow our Prophet (s). Can we conclude that every single person comes within this verse? Clearly not, love from the Creator (swt) is attained when the believer submits to the authority of Muhammad (s) in all matters. If all believers automatically came within this honour, then there would have been no reason for the Prophet (s) to declare as follows:
“God commanded me to love four and He informed me that he loves them. People asked him: Messenger of God who are they? He said: Ali is from them (repeating that three times). And Abu Dharr and Salman and al-Miqdad”
This tradition can be located in the following texts of Ahl’ul Sunnah:
Such is the rank of the four individuals in this hadith that Allah (swt) has declared His (swt) love for them, thay have earned the rank of the friends of Allah (swt) due to their deeds. The friendship that the believer has with Allah (swt) and his Prophet (s) can never be understood as that type of friendship one has with friends one goes out with! This isn’t some arrangement wherein both parties are on an equal standing! The Wilayah that the believer has with Allah (swt) and his Prophet (s) is where the believer is counted as a Wali of Allah (swt) because he has submitted to the authority of Allah (swt) and his Prophet (swt). It is this same Wilayah that Allah (swt) refers to in Surah al Maida verse 55, one that places Allah (swt), Rasulullah (swt) and Ali (as) upon the station of authority over the believers.
It is worthy to note that the Sunni Ulema themselves defining a single word to mean different things in just one verse. What clearer evidence of this can there be than the verse of Ul’ il Amr:
[4:59 YUSUF ALI:]
YUSUF ALI: O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the messenger and those of you who are in authority; and if ye have a dispute concerning any matter, refer it to Allah and the messenger if ye are (in truth) believers in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and more seemly in the end.
The scholars of Sunni Tafseer have given different interpretations to the term obey. Whilst the context of the verse would suggest that obedience to Allah (swt), Rasul and those in authority is the same, since all three are linked together, the Sunni Ulema spilt the term into categories deeming obedience to Allah (s), to Rasulullah (s) to when he talks about Deen, and to the Ul’il Amr as long as he does not commit Kufr. One term (Ithahee) and yet even here the Sunni scholars have given separate definitions of obedience for each category of person! Would Ansar.Org logic not be that you look at the context used and interpret it as it is? Why then has this single word been understood as referring to unconditional obedience to Allah (swt) and his Prophet (s), and conditional obedience to the Ul’il Amr?
The Sunni confusion in the previous reply was in the context of just one word, allow us to take the debate further using Ansar.Org’s magnificent argument. We shall cite the usage of the same word by Allah (swt) in the space of a verse.
Naas means people, and in the space of just a few roads Allah (swt) used this term to refer to a friend and foe of Allah (swt). We read in Surah Aal-e-Imran verse 173:
Allatheena qala laHumu alnNasu inna alnNasa qad JamaAAoo lakum faikhshawHum fazadaHum eemanan waqaloo hasbuna Allahu waniAAma alwakeelu
[003.173 YUSUFALI:]
‘ Men said to them: “A great army is gathering against you”: And frightened them: But it (only) increased their Faith: They said: “For us Allah sufficeth, and He is the best disposer of affairs ‘.
We read in Tafseer Jalalayn under the commentary of this verse:
Those to whom (alladhina, substitutes for the previous alladhina, ‘those who’, or an adjectival qualification [of it]) people, that is, Nu’aym b. Mas’ud al-Ashja’i, said, ‘The people, Abu Sufyan and his companions.
We read in Surah Aal-e-Imran verse 54:
WaMakaroo waMakara Allahu waAllahu khayru almakireena
[003.54 YUSUFALI:]
“And (the unbelievers) Plotted and planned, And Allah too planned, And the best of planners Is Allah.”.
The word Makar is used three times in one verse. Does it mean the same each time? According to the Hans Wehr dictionary of Modern Arabic (page 917) ‘Makr’ means “to deceive, delude, cheat, dupe, gull, double cross”.
Are Nawasib prepared to accept this interpretation for Allah (swt) because the term Makar has been used in the same context earlier? Clearly not, the planning of Allah (swt) can never be attributed in a negative sense. Our citing of the word Makar demonstrates how faulty the methodology of the author is, interpreting a word in a manner BECAUSE the preceding verse uses the same verse in that context!
Then we have the tern Nur (Light) used by Allah (swt) in one verse to refer both to Himself (swt) and a mechanism for guiding people. We read in Surah Maida verses 005.015-16:
Ya ahla alkitabi qad jaakum rasooluna yubayyinu lakum katheeran mimma kuntum tukhfoona mina alkitabi wayaAAfoo AAan katheerin qad jaakum mina Allahi noorun wakitabun mubeenun
Yahdee bihi Allahu mani ittabaAAa ridwanahu subula alssalami wayukhrijuhum mina alththulumati ila alnnoori biithnihi wayahdeehim ila siratin mustaqeemin
[005.15-16 YUSUFALI:]
‘O people of the Book! There hath come to you our Messenger, revealing to you much that ye used to hide in the Book, and passing over much (that is now unnecessary): There hath come to you from Allah a new) light and a perspicuous Book, -
Wherewith Allah guideth all who seek His good pleasure to ways of peace and safety, and leadeth them out of darkness, by His will, unto the light,- guideth them to a path that is straight’.
We see two completely different meanings of Nur in the space of just two verses. Allah (swt) is Nur, as is the path that people are guided towards.
The verse discusses the exclusive role of Allah (swt) granting superiority to whoever He (swt) chooses. The Muslims are being told of their duty to love those that Allah (swt) showers with superiority because He (swt) loves them and they love Him (swt). These individuals are soft with the believers, but firm against the Kuffar and perform Jihad against them, they are never discouraged by the words of others. Since the context of this verse is the granting of superiority by Allah (swt), the issue of superiority is the primary context of the verse, and love is secondary. This can be evidenced if we look at all the verses together:
O ye who believe! if any from among you turn back from his Faith, soon will Allah produce a people whom He will love as they will love Him,- lowly with the believers, mighty against the rejecters, fighting in the way of Allah, and never afraid of the reproaches of such as find fault. That is the grace of Allah, which He will bestow on whom He pleaseth. And Allah encompasseth all, and He knoweth all things.
Your Wali are Allah, His Messenger, and those who establish prayer and pay charity, whilst they bow
As to those who turn (for friendship) to Allah, His Messenger, and the (fellowship of) believers,- it is the fellowship of Allah that must certainly triumph.
Surah Al Maida verses 54-56
In this verse Allah (swt) makes reference to appointed leaders, citing their signs of recognition, and makes it clear that that one must be subservient to them, and accept their authority, due to their superiority. Since the verse is in the context of superiority it corroborates the Shia stance that it directs believers to the authority of three, Allah (swt), his Prophet (s) and Imam Ali (as).
Ansar.org states:
This is further corroborated by an authentic narration documented by Ibn Jarir at-Tabari and others, which states that verse 51 was revealed in connection with ‘Ubadah ibn Samit radiyallahu ‘anhu and ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy, both of whom had wilayah relationships with the Jews of Madinah. ‘Ubadah radiyallahu ‘anhu came to Rasulullah and announced that he was severing all ties of wilayah with them, while ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy insisted on keeping ties with them, saying that he feared a turnabout of circumstances. It was then that the 55th verse of al-Ma’idah was revealed. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir vol. 2 p. 68)
Ibn Katheer was the faithful student of Ibn Taymeeya, and like him had a bigoted view of Maula ‘Ali (as). It is hence little surprise that he would reject the notion that this verse descended in honour of Maula ‘Ali (as). Our question is ‘why’ should his viewpoint be seen as the last word? As we shall see later on, Ibn Katheer in his Tafseer also provided no comment to some traditions that state that the verses descended in honour of Maula ‘Ali (as). Additionally, we also have a long list of classical Sunni scholars that believed the verse descended in honour of Maula ‘Ali (as).