All Muslims

Argument 21:

How pleasant is the fact that all Muslims in addition to being united in the belief of tawh§d (Oneness of God) and nubuwwat (Prophethood) are also in a sense united in the wilayat of Ali. That is, in whatever degree it may be, Ali is definitely accepted as a guide and leader. When his guidance and leadership is universally accepted, then this guidance and leadership is to obtain his help and support. This means al-hamdu li’llah (Praise be to God) that all Muslims accept him as helper and supporter, even though they may not often say “Ya Ali madad”. As we have explained many times in this book, he who is the guide is also the helper, because guidance is help and help is guidance, for they both have the same meaning.

Help through Light

Argument 20:

Verse (57:13) says:

“The day when the hypocritical men and hypocritical women will say to the believers: Wait for us that we may borrow (a little) light from your light. They will be told: Go back (to the initial history of the world) and (thence) seek the light”.

This wisdom-filled verse has many aspects from which appear the glimpses of manifold wisdoms. One of them is that one should go back through the path of history and recognise the true successor of the Prophet. This also means that the light in whose illumination the mu’mins will traverse the distance of the path of the Hereafter or the spiritual path, will be the same light which used to be among them in this world. Therefore, the hypocrites will be told that if you want to walk like them in the illumination of the light, go back to the world and recognise it there.

Another significant point in it is: Do not the hypocrites at this place cry for guidance, support and help? And do they not receive this reply that today you will not receive any help from the light, because you did not attain help from it in the life of the world?

Ansar (Helpers)

Argument 19:

Verse (3:52) says:

“But when Isa became conscious of their disbelief, he said: Who will be my helpers unto God? The disciples said: We will be God’s helpers.”

Another verse (61:14):

“O you who believe! Be helpers of God, as Isa, son of Maryam, said to the disciples: Who will be my helpers unto God? The disciples said: We are the helpers of God”.

The gist of these two verses is that those who wish to help God, should help the Prophet, and those who wish to help the Prophet should help the Imam of the time, so that they may receive the help of God, the Prophet and the Imam, in the form of external and internal guidance and as a result they will be the fountainhead of human powers and they will
be provided with the means of success in both worlds.

Help God

Argument 18:

God says:

“O you who believe! If you help God, He will help you and make firm your feet” (47:7).

Several great wisdoms appear from this holy verse: The first wisdom is that the help is both most special as well as quite ordinary, therefore, after God we can seek help from the Prophet and the Imam. Had it not been so, God would not have brought it to the generality and said: If you help God, He will help you. It is therefore clear that help is not a special word which is used only for God. The second wisdom is that as the Prophet and the Imam in their luminosity help mu’mins, similarly, it is incumbent upon mu’mins to help the Prophet and the Imam like the disciples of Hazrat Ali helped him (3:52). They will be rewarded for this help as if they have helped God, for God Himself is not in need of anyone’s help. The third wisdom is that when you help the Vicegerent of God, you should know that you help God, and when he helps you, you should accept that this help is from God.

The fourth wisdom is that the exalted rank of the Prophet and the Imam does not diminish because of the help provided by mu’mins as there cannot be any doubt about His glory and majesty from the concept of helping Him. The fifth wisdom is that this command of God is not general but it is special. Because in a general command, people are either frightened of Hell or given glad tidings of Paradise. But in this command it is not so, for in His infinite mercy, He has said this command as though He is favoured by us helping Him in one of His interrupted works. This is the final degree of the description of the importance and excellence of religious service and obedience. The sixth wisdom is that in this verse is mentioned the standard of ascent and descent. That is, if a mu’min cannot improve in his intention, speech and action and cannot progress on the path of Islam and the spiritual path, and time and again takes false steps, then he should know that he does not help God, so God also does not help him and as a result his feet slip.

Witness of the Prophet

Argument 17:

The verse (13:43) says:

“And those who disbelieve say: You are not the messenger sent (by God). Say (O Muhammad!): God is sufficient as witness between me and you, and he who has knowledge of the Book.”

And the other verse mentioned above (11:17) is:

“Is he then (like unto him) who has a clear proof from his Lord, and a witness from Him”.

It is well known that these two verses are revealed about Mawlana Ali, that he was the second witness of the Holy Prophet’s messengership and prophethood, whereas God is the first witness. He who is fortunate will reflect upon and understand the point about what is the meaning of becoming a witness of the prophethood of the Chief of Prophets. Hallowed be God! He has made Mawlana Ali (a.s.) master of the unbounded treasure of spiritual secrets of the words shah§d and shahid (shahiid and shaahid both mean Present and Witness).

The gist of these verses is that Mawlana Ali was aware of all the states of the Holy Prophet’s rophethood, which is a magnificent world of knowledge, wisdom, rectitude and guidance and secrets of spirituality and luminosity (and which comprised his spiritual and physical life). Otherwise, where God on the subliminity of luminosity has made Himself witness with respect to the secrets of prophethood and the observations of Divine miracles, how was it possible to make a witness of an ordinary person who had not personally seen these events? R

ather, the truth is that Muhammad (s.a.s.) and Ali (a.s.) are two physical figures of the same one holy light. And this purport is clear from “shahidun minhu (a witness from him)” in the abovementioned verse. That is, Ali (a.s.) is the witness of the prophethood of the Holy Prophet in the sense that he is from his holy light, as the Prophet has said: “We (I and Ali) were in the presence of God in the form of a light…. Ali is from me and I am from Ali”. (Yanab§u’l-Mawaddah, Chapter 1).

Helper of Religion

Argument 16:

It is mentioned in Kawkab-i Durri (Chapter 2, manqabat 145) on the authority of Abã Dharr Ghifari, may God be pleased with him, that the Holy Prophet said: “Indeed, God has supported this religion through Ali. And I am from him and about him is revealed the verse (11:17):

“Is he then (like unto him) who has a clear proof from his Lord…”.

Nasir-i Rasul (Helper of the Holy Prophet)

Argument 15:

According to the report of Abu’l-Hamra’, it is mentioned in Hilyatu’l-Awliya’ that the Prophet said: “When I was carried by night to the heaven I saw written on the leg of the Throne : I (God) planted the paradise of Eden. Muhammad is the best of My creations. I helped him through Ali.” (Kawkab-i Durr§, Chapter 2, manqabat 53).

The Qur’anic verse (17:80) shows that the above Hadith is an absolutely sound Hadith, and the verse is:

“(The Prophet is told) And pray: O my Lord! Cause me to enter a goodly entrance and cause me to go out with a goodly exit. And grant me from Your presence a powerful helper”.

(For further information see translation and footnote of Farman Ali).

Supreme Names of God

Argument 14:

God says: ”

And to God belong the beautiful names (al-asma’u’l-husna), so call on Him by them” (7:180).

The beautiful names are also mentioned in the Qur’an in verses (17:110; 20:8; 59:24). In Kawkab-i Durri (Chapter 3, manqabat 29), there is the blessed saying of Mawlana Ali (a.s): “I am the beautiful names by which God has commanded people to call on Him”. For further information, refer to the Shii commentaries and other related works. We want to explain here some subtle points in that the above-mentioned verse implies that the beautiful and great names of God be recognised. Thus the custodian of ta’wil, Mawlana Ali (a.s.) has explained that he is the Supreme Name of God. This means that first and foremost the Holy Prophet, then Mawlana Ali and the Imams from his progeny are the Supreme Name of God in their respective times. Thus considering them as the beautiful names of God, He should be called on by them so that He may listen to and accept our supplications.

Waliyy and Nasir (Guardian and Helper)

Argument 13:

The verse (4:75) says:

“Our Lord! get us out of this town whose inhabitants are tyrants, and appoint for us from You a guardian, and appoint for us from You a helper”.

It is clear that the gist of this sacred Qur’anic teaching is that the guardian and helper who is appointed by God Himself is true and can guard and help people. For God has also granted him power to comply with and accomplish the task for which He has appointed him. Since such a person is the mazhar of the guardianship and help of God, no ordinary person can attain this exalted rank, except the Perfect Man who is the Holy Prophet and his true successor, the exalted Imam.

Hadi (Guide)

Argument 12:

Everyone knows the clear reality that “Hadi” means “guide”, that is, the one who shows the path. And by this is meant the one who guides the people on the path of religion, in which is included the concept of attachment, clinging to the skirt and also help. That is, sometimes a weak traveller needs his guide’s help, i.e. the guide may hold his hand to support him and sometimes the traveller needs to hold the skirt of his guide and walk with its support. Now even a small child can easily understand that the meaning of guide in this example is helper, because the guidance itself is the greatest help. Can anyone still say of the Imam, whose title is Guide of Religion (hadi-yi din) and who guides mu’mins and leads them towards the desired destination, that there is no help and support in his work? We are firmly convinced that knowledge, wisdom, rectitude and guidance, in their true sense, are nothing but help. Therefore, not only is there no harm in it, but in fact there is great blessing in saying “Ya Ali madad”.