This article deals with verses from the Quran that are said to have been revealed about
Ali ibn Abi Talib. In a hadith attributed to
Ibn Abbas
ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbbās ( ar, عَبْد ٱللَّٰه ٱبْن عَبَّاس; c. 619 – 687 CE), also known as Ibn ʿAbbās, was one of the cousins of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He is considered to be the greatest mufassir of the Qur'a ...
, he knows more than 300 verses of the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , s ...
about Ali.
The majority of
Islamic commentators believe that Ali ibn Abi Talib name isn't mentioned in the Quran. A notable exception is
Ja'far Ibn al-Haytham who, in his ''Kitab al-Munazarat'', points out that there are explicit uses of the words ''ʿAliyyan'' ( ar, عَلِيًّا), ''ʿAliyyun'' (), and ''ʿAlayya'' () in the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , s ...
which he believes are explicit references to
Ali
ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam ...
by name, modified according to
Arabic grammatical rules.
Chapters and verses
Verse 2:207
Laylat al-Mabit is the night when the
Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...
left the city of
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow ...
and began his
migration
Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration
* Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another
** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...
to
Medina
Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the second-holiest city in Islam, and the capital of the ...
. Many of the Meccan polytheists had planned to kill Muhammad on the night that he left Mecca. That night, Ali risked his life by sleeping in Muhammad's bed so that Muhammad could leave Mecca safely. When the polytheists of Mecca went to Muhammad's room with the aim of killing him, they instead found Ali in his bed.
The 207th
verse of
Surat al-Baqarah
Al-Baqara, alternatively transliterated Al-Baqarah ( ar, الْبَقَرَة, ; "The Heifer" or "The Cow"), is the second and longest chapter (''surah'') of the Quran. It consists of 286 verses ('' āyāt'') which begin with the "mysteriou ...
in the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , s ...
is interpreted as having been revealed in this regard to show the sacrifice of
Imam 'Ali for saving the life of the Islamic Prophet:
, the people) is he who sells his ''nafs'' ( ar, نَفْس, self), seeking the ''marḍātillāh'' (, approval of
God
In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
). And
Allāh is ''
Raʾūfum-bil-ʿibād'' ( ar, رَءُوْفٌ بِٱلْعِبَاد, Kind to the servants).,
Qur'an 2:207,
Verse 3:61
In the year 10
AH (631/32 CE), a Christian envoy from
Najran (now in southwestern
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
) came to Muhammad to debate doctrines regarding
ʿĪsā (
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
). After Muhammad linked Jesus' miraculous birth to the creation of
Ādam (
Adam),—who was born to neither a mother nor a father — and when the Christians did not accept the Islamic doctrine about Jesus, Muhammad was instructed to call them to
Mubahalah where each party should ask God to destroy the false party and their families.
Many historians, both Shi'ite and Sunni, state that the people that Muhammad brought to the Mubahalah were Ali,
Fatimah
Fāṭima bint Muḥammad ( ar, فَاطِمَة ٱبْنَت مُحَمَّد}, 605/15–632 CE), commonly known as Fāṭima al-Zahrāʾ (), was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his wife Khadija. Fatima's husband was Ali, ...
,
Hasan, and
Husain. Accordingly, in the
verse of Mubahalah, it has been stated the phrase "our sons" refers to Hasan and Husayn, "our women" refers to Fatimah, and that "ourselves" refers Muhammad and Ali.
Chapter 5
Verse 5:3
In the Shi'ite version of the
Farewell Sermon
The Farewell Sermon ( ar, خطبة الوداع, ''Khuṭbatu l-Widāʿ'' ) also known as Muhammad's Final Sermon or the Last Sermon, is a religious speech, delivered by the Islamic prophet Muhammad on Friday the 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah, 10 AH ( ...
, immediately after Muhammad had finished
his sermon at Ghadir Khumm, the following verse of the Quran was revealed:
This day have those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion: yet fear them not but fear Me. This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion (5:3).
Verse 5:55
, "your ''Walī''" (masculine, plural tense)) and His Messenger and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay ''az-Zakāh'' (the Poor-rate) while they bow.
Shi'ite scholars, along with Sunni ones such as Tabari,
Al-Suyuti and
Razi, recorded that one day, when Ali was performing the
ritual prayers in the
Mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
, a beggar began to ask for
alms. Ali extended his finger, and the beggar removed his ring.
Then Muhammad observed this, and a passage of the Qur'an was sent down upon him (5:55),
According to Shi'ites, in this verse, "obedience is absolute and conjoined with obedience to God and his messenger", so the person identified as ''Wali'' must be infallible.
Abu Dhar al-Ghifari
Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari Al-Kinani (, '), also spelled Abu Tharr or Abu Zar, born Jundab ibn Junādah (), was the fourth or fifth person converting to Islam, and from the Muhajirun. He belonged to the Banu Ghifar, the Kinanah tribe. No date of birt ...
, one of the earliest converts to Islam, was said to have related the following
ḥadith to
Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tha'labi
Al-Tha''ʿ''labi (''Abū Isḥāḳ Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm al-Nīsābūrī al-Thaʿlabī'' ; died November 1035) was an eleventh-century Islamic scholar of Persian origin.
He was accorded a high rank by Sunni scholars. In ''Tabaqa ...
, the
Sunni author of the ''
Tafsir al-Thalabi
''Al-Kashf wa-l-bayān ʿan tafsīr al-Qurʾān'' ( ar, الكشف والبيان عن تفسير القرآن), commonly known as the ''Tafsir al-Thalabi'', is a classical Sunni ''tafsir'', or commentary on the Quran, by eleventh-century Islamic s ...
'':
One day, I was praying with the Prophet in the mosque when a beggar walked in. No one responded to his pleas. The beggar raised his hands towards the heavens and said, " Allah! Be a witness that I came to the Prophet's Mosque
Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (), known in English as the Prophet's Mosque, is a mosque built by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the city of Medina in the Al Madinah Province of Saudi Arabia. It was the second mosque built by Muhammad in Medina, after Q ...
and no one gave me anything." Imam Ali ( a) was bowing during his prayer at that time. He pointed his little finger, on which was a ring, towards the beggar who came forward and took away the ring. The incident occurred in the Prophet's presence, and he raised his face towards heaven and prayed:"O Lord! my brother Musa
Musa may refer to:
Places
* Mūša, a river in Lithuania and Latvia
* Musa, Azerbaijan, a village in Yardymli Rayon
* Musa, Iran, a village in Ilam Province
* Musa, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Iran
*Musa, Kerman, Iran
* Musa, Bukan, West Azerbaija ...
had begged of Thee to open his breast and to make his work easy for him, to loosen the knot of his tongue so that people might understand him, and to appoint from among his relations his brother, as his ''wali'', and to strengthen his back with Harun and to make Harun his partner in his work. O Allah! Thou said to Musa, 'We will strengthen thy arm with thy brother. No one will now have access to either of you!' O Allah! I am Muhammad and Thou hast given me distinction. Open my breast for me, make my work easy for me, and from my family appoint my brother Ali as my ''wali''. Strengthen my back with him."
Verse 5:67
This verse, according to Shia beliefs urge the Prophet of Islam to
announce Ali as his successor on his way from his last pilgrimage to Mecca.
Verse 33:33
Shi'ite commentators, along with some Sunni ones, record that the ''people of the house'' in this verse are the
Ahl al-Kisāʾ (People of the Mantle): Muhammad, Ali, Fatimah, Hasan and Husayn.
[H. Algar, "Al-E Aba," Encyclopædia Iranica, I/7, p. 742; an updated version is available online at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/al-e-aba-the-family-of-the-cloak-i (accessed on 14 May 2014).](_blank)
/ref>
According to Wilferd Madelung
Wilferd Ferdinand Madelung FBA (b. December 26, 1930 in Stuttgart) is a German-British author and scholar of Islamic history.
Life
After World War II, the adolescent Wilferd accompanied his parents to the USA where his father Georg Hans Made ...
, "the great majority of the reports quoted by al-Tabari in his commentary on this verse support this interpretation." However, Ibn Kathir, in his tafsir of the verse, says "the unni Unni may refer to:
People
* Unni (Indian name)
* Unni (Norwegian given name)
* Unni (bishop) 9th century German bishop
Indian Malayalam films
* ''Unni'' (1989 film)
* ''Unni'' (2007 film)
* ''Unni Vanna Divasam
''Unni Vanna Divasam'' is a 1 ...
scholars are unanimously agreed that they (Muhammad's wives
Thirteen women were married to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Muslims use the term ''Umm al-Mu'minin'' ( ar, أم ٱلْمُؤْمِنِين; meaning 'Mother of the Believers') prominently before or after referring to them as a sign of respect ...
) were the reason for revelation in this case ... but others may be included by way of generalization."
Verse 42:23
, the love for the near relatives), and whoever earns good, We give him more of good therein; surely Allah is Forgiving, Grateful.
Shi'ite commentators and Sunni ones like Baydawi and Razi agree that the near relatives in question are Ali, Fatimah, Hasan and Husayn. Such a view is rejected by Ibn Kathir, who claims the verse refers to the Quraysh, quoting hadith
Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approva ...
s from Sahih Bukhari
Sahih al-Bukhari ( ar, صحيح البخاري, translit=Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī), group=note is a ''hadith'' collection and a book of '' sunnah'' compiled by the Persian scholar Muḥammad ibn Ismā‘īl al-Bukhārī (810–870) around 846. Al ...
and Ahmad ibn Hanbal
Ahmad ibn Hanbal al-Dhuhli ( ar, أَحْمَد بْن حَنْبَل الذهلي, translit=Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal al-Dhuhlī; November 780 – 2 August 855 CE/164–241 AH), was a Muslim jurist, theologian, ascetic, hadith traditionist, and ...
. According to Madelung Shi'ite and Sunni sources agree that by the near relatives in this verse and other similar verses were meant the descendants of Muhammad's great-grandfather Hashim ibn ʿAbd Manaf, and of Hashim's brother Al-Muṭṭalib.
See also
* Muhammad in the Quran
* Sahaba in the Quran
* Sunni view of Ali
* Shia view of Ali
Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and a member of the '' Ahl al-Bayt''. According to Shias, Ali was the first Imam who is believed to be the rightful successor to Muhammad, divinely appointed successors of ...
* Imamate and guardianship of Ali ibn Abi Talib
Imamate and guardianship of Ali ibn Abi Talib or Imamate in Shia doctrine, Imamate and Wilayah of Ali ibn Abi Talib refers to the spiritual position of Ali (''1st Shia Islam, Shia Imamate in Shia doctrine, Imam'' and ''4th Rashidun Caliph, Cali ...
Notes
References
Sources
*
*
* .
* {{cite journal , last=Shomali , first=Mohammad Ali , title=Imamate and Wilayah, Pt. IV , date=2012 , orig-year=2004 , location=London , publisher=Islamic Centre of England , journal=Message of Thaqalayn , volume=13 , issue=1 , pages=127–155 , url=http://www.ic-el.com/en/admin/uploadfolder/articles/49-wilayah%20iv.pdf
Quran
People of the Quran
Ali