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Ghadhir Declaration - Day of Celebration
18th Dhul Hijjah - Ghadhir i Khum
Most of all Sufi Tariqah's in World today that spread Islam were and will be under the flag of Ali bin Abi Talib (as).
The event of Ghadhir i Khum happened approximately 42 days before our beloved Prophet passed away from this world and the event occured on the return from the last Hajj. Believers must pay careful attention to this parting advise.
ON the 18th Dhul-hijjah, the day when the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) stayed at Ghadīr Khum after his return from Hajjat-ul-wadā‘ to Medina, and surrounded by the Companions (رضي الله عنهم), he declared while raising the hand of ‘Alī al-Murtadā (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم):
مَنْ كُنتُ مَولاهُ فعَلِيٌّ مَولاهُ
One who has me as his master has ‘Alī as his master.
This was the declaration of ‘Alī’s spiritual sovereignty and its unconditional acceptance is binding on the believers till the Day of Judgment. It clearly proves that anyone who denies ‘Alī’s spiritual leadership in fact denies the Prophet’s leadership. This most humble follower of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) felt that some people deny this reality partly out of ignorance and partly out of prejudice, which is spreading unnecessary tension in the Muslim community. Under the circumstances I thought it necessary to write two pamphlets on the issue of sovereignty and leadership: one titled as The Ghadīr Declaration and the other titled The Awaited Imām. The former is designed to clarify the status of ‘Alī (عليه السلام) as the opener of the spiritual sovereignty and the latter is designed to describe the status of Imām Mahdī (عليه السلام), the seal of spiritual sovereignty. The main purpose is to remove the doubts that have gathered around the issue and to make the Muslims aware of the reality. The spiritual sovereignty of ‘Alī and Mahdī (عليهما السلام) are proved by the authentic hadīth-books of Ahl-us-Sunnah wal-Jamā‘ah, in the form of continuous traditions, that is, there is uninterrupted evidence to endorse the soundness of the claim. In the first pamphlet I have included 51 traditions which are authentically documented. The reason for this number is that this year I have completed 51 years of my life. Therefore, I have relied on the relationship of figure to make my humble contribution to the glory of ‘Alī al-Murtadā (عليه السلام) and to seek the divine blessing through an expression of my humility.
Shāh Walī Allāh (رحمة الله تعالى عليه) writes:
“Now in Ummah anyone who is blessed with spiritual leadership by Allāh’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) is indebted either to ‘Alī al-Murtadā (عليه السلام) or to the Chief Helper Jīlānī (رحمة الله تعالى عليه). No one can reach the status of wilāyah without this (indebted-ness).”
It may be noted that the relationship with Chief Helper is a ray of the lamp that is ‘Alī al-Murtadā (عليه السلام) and therefore indebtedness to him is in fact indebtedness to ‘Alī (عليه السلام).
Shāh Ismā‘īl Dihlawī has clarified this point:
Alī al-Murtadā (عليه السلام) has also an edge over Abū Bakr as-Siddīq (رضي الله عنه) and ‘Umar Fārūq (رضي الله عنه) and this edge lies because of the greater number of his followers and all the highest spiritual and saintly activity, from his days to the end of the world, has to be mediated through him, and he has a say in the kingdom of the kings and the leadership of the leaders and this is not hidden from those who are familiar with the world of sovereignty… Most spiritual chains are directly derived from ‘Alī al-Murtadā (عليه السلام). So, on the Day of Judgement, ‘Alī’s army including followers of high status and great reputation, will outnumber and outshine others to be a source of wonder for all the spectators.”
This spiritual treasure house, whose fountainhead is ‘Alī al-Murtadā (عليه السلام), is shared by Fātimah, Hasan and Husayn (عليه السلام) as its direct legatees and then it was filtered down to the twelve Imāms (spiritual leaders), the last leader being Imām Mahdī (عليه السلام). Just as ‘Alī al-Murtadā (عليه السلام) is the opener of spiritual sovereignty, Imām Mahdī (عليه السلام) is the seal of spiritual sovereignty.
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