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We believe that a true and comprehensive understanding of Islam would not be possible without careful recognition of the Prophetic Tradition and the Prophet's Household. And Allah is the Source of Strength.
 

Event Of Gadeer

AboutMail Box Letter Relevant to this Topic
 Letter 01: Caliphate, Imamat and Ali's loyalty to Caliphs
 Letter 07: Nomination of Ali and Refusal of Majority equals Failure of Prophet
 Letter 03: Mawlayiat of Ali (AS), Zaid and the Ahadith

I hope you have read articles related to Imamat and Mawlayiat of Ali Ibne Abu Talib. Coming straight to the point;

O Messenger! deliver what bas been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people; surely Allah will not guide the unbelieving people.
Quran [5:67]

This verse was revealed at Gadeer. What was the message the prophet was told to deliver, and if was being delivered to Muslims only, then why was Allah's protection required.

The Ummah of Muhammad has testified that he has delivered the Message and fulfilled the trust, when he asked them during the biggest gathering in his speech during the Farewell Hajj. At that time, there were over forty thousand of his Companions. .........  (And if you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message.) "It means, if you hide only one Ayah that was revealed to you from your Lord, then you have not conveyed His Message.'' Allah's statement, (Allah will protect you from mankind.) means, you convey My Message and I will protect, aid and support you over your enemies and will grant you victory over them. Therefore, do not have any fear or sadness, for none of them will be able to touch you with harm. Before this Ayah was revealed, the Prophet was being guarded........
Tasir Ibne Kathir, Tafsir of Verse 67 Surah 5

We agree that the verse was revealed at the moment of the farewell pilgrimage. Ibne Kathir however then takes the interpretation of this verse to link it with events of the past. Analyzing the fact that at the Hajj, there were more than 40,000 Muslims/Sahabas with Prophet Muhammad (SAW) who had hopefully believed in everything the prophet (SAW) had said so far. They believed Muhammad to be a Prophet of Allah and they were prepared to follow/believe everything Muhammad (SAW) would say.

According to the verse, Prophet (SAW) was told to deliver a message,

According to Ibn Kathir, the final message which Allah asked the Prophet (SAW) to deliver was to summarize the whole basics/concepts/teachings of Islam which the Prophet (SAW) did in the final sermon. Without any doubt, the prophet did deliver that sermon but that sermon was not what this verse had ordered, for simple reasons;

What is this message then? Definitely it was something which would arouse an unexpected and unfavorable response from the people. What could be more worse than to know that your teacher grades a student with bias because the student is related to the teacher? Read Why Ali to know what i am talking about.

As the Prophet pulled up his reins, the whole entourage came to a halt. Those who had gone ahead were summoned back. The pebbles and thorns were brushed aside and a makeshift pulpit of saddles was set up. People clustered round, the Prophet bent down and lifted Ali in his hands, and showing him to the crowds on all sides of the pulpit and proclaimed,  "Allah is my Mawla, Of whomsoever I am the Mawla, This Ali is his Mawla. Whoever obeys 'Ali, obeys me, whoever obeys me, obeys Allah, whoever disobeys 'Ali disobeys me, whoever disobeys me, disobeys Allah"
Kanz ul Ummal, hadith numbers 32973-32976
Mustadrak al Hakim Volume 3 page 123
Riyadh ul Nadira Volume 3 page 110

 Click below for scanned page:
The Ghadir Declaration, by Dr Muhammad Tahir ul Qadri, page 49

It was on this occasion that the Holy Prophet made the choice final, leaving no doubt or uncertainty in the selection of his Successor. It was a matter of prime importance that the Divine Guidance should continue after him and that the Divine Sovereignty should be exercised by the chosen ones of God, to be appointed by the Prophet.

The declaration of Ali’s wilayath was to quell the scheming / nefarious planning of the hypocrites. Why was Imam Ali's nomination important is discussed in other articles such as Why Ali. This one only deals with the authenticity of the reports.

The question now arises that people oppsed La Illaha Illallah, as well as Muhammad Ur Rasool Allah but the quran never said that allah will protect the prophet from the people who oppose this message but Allah will protect the prophet from the people who oppose the message of Gadeer, Ali Yun Wali Allah. It was beautifully explained by Talib Johri that when La Illaha Illallah was under threat, Ali protected the prophet, when Muhammad Ur Rasool Allah was under threat, Ali protected the prophet, and when Ali Yun Walli Allah is under threat, Allah will protect. Such a bond existed between Ali and Allah. Allah knew the reactions of ummah.

This was clearly that matter that Rasulullah (s) feared that the people would oppose. With the open declaration of Ali’s Wilayath 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.

The birth, the alliance, the character of Ali, which exalt­ed him above the rest of his countrymen, might justify his claim to the vacant throne of Arabia. The son of Abu Talib was, in his own right, the chief of the family of Hashim, and the hereditary prince or guardian of the city and temple of Mecca. The light of prophecy was extinct, but the husband of Fatima might expect the in­heritance and blessing of her father: the Arabs had some­times been patient of a female reign: and the two grand­sons of the Prophet had often been fondled in his lap and shown in his pulpit, as the hope of his age, and the chief of the youth of paradise. From the first hour of his mission to the last rites of his funeral, the apostle was never forsaken by a generous friend, whom he delighted to name his brother, his vicegerent, and the faithful Aaron of a second Moses’.
Gibbon abridged by W. Smith, p. 466.

“Ali was cousin-germane of Muhammad and husband of Fatima, his beloved daughter. The right of succession, in order of consanguinity, lay with Ali; and his virtues and services eminently entitled him to it. On the first burst of his generous zeal, when Islamism was a derided and per­secuted faith, he had been pronounced by Muhammad his brother, his vicegerent; he had ever since been devoted to him in word and deed, and had honored the cause by his magnanimity as signally as he had vindicated it by his valor.”
W. Irving

Sunnis however do agree that the event of Gadeer is true. References will be presented later. But most of them interpret the verse Mawla as friend and perhaps not a master/Imam/Caliph. Even if we take the word Mawla to be a friend, then those who fought Mawla Ali (AS) did not obviously consider him to be their friend, and similarly they rejected their loyalty to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as well. I will not name who did what in this article.

Following are the reports of the event of Gadeer as reported above in sunni narrations: 

Prophet said: "O Allah! You also may witness." Then he said: 'O my people! Allah is my Mawla and I am mawla of the faithful and I have superior right on and control over their lives. And this Ali is the mawla of all those of whom I am mawla. O Allah! Love him who loves him and hate him who hates him."

Sunni Traditionists who mentioned the Tradition of Ghadir Khum above
Mohammed Ibn Idris al-Shafi'i (Imam al-Shafi'i, d. 204) per "al-Nihayah" by Ibn al-Athir
Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (Imam al-Hanbali, d. 241), in "Masnad" and "al-Manaqib"
Ibn Majah (d. 273), in "Sunan Ibn Majah"
al-Tirmidhi (d. 279), in "Sahih al-Tirmidhi"
al-Nisa'i (d. 303), in "al-Khasa'is"
Abu-Ya'la al-Mousilli (d. 307), in "al-Masnad"
al-Baghawi (d. 317), in "al-Sunan"
al-Doolabi (d. 320), in "al-Kuna wal Asmaa"
al-Tahawi (d. 321), in "Mushkil al-Athar"
al-Hakim (d. 405), in "al-Mustadrak"
Ibn al-Maghazili al-Shafi'i (d. 483), in "al-Manaqib"
Muhammad al-Ghazzali (d. 505), in "Sirrul `Alamayn"
Ibn Mindah al-Asbahani (d. 512), in his book
al-Khatib al-Khawarizmi (d. 568), in "al-Manaqib" and "Maqtal al-Imam al-Sibt"
Abul Faraj Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 597), in "Manaqib"
al-Ganji al-Shafi'i (d. 658), in "Kifayat al-Talib"
Muhib al-Din al-Tabari (d. 694), in "al-Riyadh al-Nadhirah" and "Dhakha'ir al-'Aqabi"
al-Hamawainy (d. 722), in "Fara'id al-Samdtin"
al-Dhahabi (d. 748), in "al-Talkhis"
al-Khatib al-Tabrizi (d. 8th century), in "Mishkat al-Masabih"
al-Haythami (d. 807), in "Majma' al-Zawa'id"
al-Jazri (d. 830), in "Asna al-Matalib"
Abul Abbas al-Qastalani (d. 923), in "al-Mawahib al-Ladaniya"
al-Muttaqi al-Hindi (d. 975), in "Kanz al-Ummal"
Abdul Haqq al-Dihlawi, in "Sharh al-Mishkat"
al-Hurawi al-Qari (d. 1014), in "al-Muraqat fi Sharh al-Mishkat"
al-Shaikhani al-Qadiri, in "al-Siratul Sawi fi Manaqib Aal al-Nabi"
Ba Kathir al-Makki (d. 1047), in "Wasilatul Amal fi Manaqib al-Aal"
Abu-Abdullah al-Zarqani al-Maliki (d. 1122), in "Sharh al-Mawahib"
Ibn Hamzah al-Dimashqi al-Hanafi, in "al-Bayan wal Taarif"

Sunni Commentators of Quran who mentioned Ghadir Khum
Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (d. 310), in "Tafsir al-Bayan"
al-Jassas (d. 370), in "Ahkam al-Quran"
al-Hafiz Abu Nu'aym (d. 430), in "Asbab al-Nuzool"
al-Tha'labi (d. 427 or 437), in "Tafsir al-Tha'labi"
al-Wahidi (d. 468), in "Asbab al-Nuzool"
al-Qurtubi (d. 568), in "Tafsir Jamiul Hukam al-Quran"
al-Fakhr al-Razi (d. 606), in "al-Tafsir al-Kabir"
al-Khazin Baghdadi (d. 741), in "Tafsir al-Khazin"
al-Nisaboori (8th century), in "Tafsir al-Nisaboori"
al-Hafiz Jalaluddin al-Suyuti (d. 910), in his "Tafsir"
al-Khatib al-Sharbini, in his "Tafsir"
Abu al-Saud al-Hanafi (d. 972), in his "Tafsir"
al-Aloosi al-Baghdadi (d. 1270), in his "Tafsir"

Sunni Historians who mentioned the Tradition of Ghadir Khum
Ibn Qutaybah (d. 276), in "Ma'arif" and "Imamah wal Siyasah"
al-Baladhuri (d. 279), in "Ansab al-ashraf"
Ibn Zawlaq al-Laithi al-Misri (d. 287), in his book
Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (d. 310), in an exclussive book "Kitabul Wilayah"
al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (d. 463), in "Tarikh Baghdad"
Ibn Abd al-Bar (d. 463), in "al-Isti'ab"
al-Shahristani (d. 548), in "al-Milal wal Nihal"
Ibn 'Asakir (d. 571), in "Tarikh Ibn 'Asakir" and "Yaqoot al-Hamawi"
Ibn al-Athir (d. 630), in "Usd al-Ghabah"
Sibt Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 654), in "Tadhkirat Khawas al-Ummah"
Ibn Abi al-Hadid (d. 656), in "Sharh Nahjul Balagha"
Ibn Khalkan (d. 681), in "Tarikh Ibn Khalkan"
Abul Fida (d. 732), in his "Tarikh"
al-Dhahabi (d. 748) , in "Tadhkirat al-Huffadh"
al-Yafi'i (d. 768), in "Miraat al-Jinan"
Ibn al-Shaikh al-Balawi, in "Alef Baa"
Ibn Kathir (d. 774), in "al-Bidayah wal Nihayah"
Ibn Khaldoon (d. 808), in "al-Muqaddimah"
al-Nuwairi (d. ~833), in "Nihayat al-Irab fi Finoon al-Adab"
al-Maqrizi (d. 845), in "al-Khitat"
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (d. 852), in "al-Isabah" and "Tahdhib al-Tahdhib"
Ibn al-Sabbagh al-Maliki (d. 855), in "al-Fusool al-Muhimmah"
Mir Khand (d. 903), in "Habib al-Siyar"
Jalalulddin al-Suyuti (d. 910), in "Tarikh al-Khulafa"
Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, (d. 974), in "al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah"
al-Hafiz Ahmad Ibn Muhammad al-'Asimi, in "Zain al-Fata"
al-Qirmani al-Dimashqi (d. 1019), in "Akhbar al-Duwal"
 Noor al-Din al-Halabi (d. 1044), in "al-Sirah al-Halabiyah"

The Tradition of Ghadir Khum in parallel (mutawatir)
Ahmad Ibn Hanbal narrated it from 40 chains;
Ibn Jarir al-Tabari in more than 70 chains;
Abu Sa'id al-Sijistani from 120 chains;
Abu Bakir al-Jaabi from 125 chains;
al-Amir Muhammad al-Yamani (2nd century) had 150 chains;
al-Dhahabi has written a complete book on its chains and passed a verdict that it is Mutawatir;
Abul Abbas Ibn `Uqdah has narrated it through 150 chains.

Anyhow there were several reasons why there was a general hate towards Imam Ali from the people contrary to the Quranic and Prophetic orders.

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