Mail Box Letter Relevant to this Topic
 Letter 10: Ali-yun Wali Allah
 Letter 07: Nomination of Ali and Refusal of Majority equals Failure of Prophet
 Letter 03: Mawlayiat of Ali (AS), Zaid and the Ahadith

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اُردو ترجمے کے لئے یہاں جائیں

Some people claim that Shias have a different Kalimah and thus they are out of the bounds of Islam. They claim that the shias have added 2 more lines to the Islamic kalimah. Since I don't know exactly what is meant here by the "two lines to our kalama", I will assume they mean "Ashhadu anna 'Alian waliyul Allah".

Before i proceed, the meaning and the essence of the Kalimah must be clarified. The shahadah means "to testify" or "to bear witness" in Arabic. The shahadah is the Muslim declaration of belief in the oneness of God and in Muhammad as his final prophet.

I can bear witness that Pakistan is located in Asia. Obviously it has nothing to do with the fundamentals of  religion and it doesn't make me a Muslim but it also doesn't make me a non Muslim.

There are Six Kalimahs, recorded in various books of knowledge, and are recited (and remembered) by Muslims across the globe. These kalimahs were compiled together for people to memorize and learn the basic fundamentals of Islam. They are not found altogether complete in any one hadith or Verse of the Quran but are derived from various places.

These are:

1. First Kalima - The Word of Purity (Tayyabah)
2. Second Kalima - The word of Testimony (Shahaadat)
3. Third Kalima - The word of Glorification (Tumjeed)
4. Fourth Kalima - The word of Unity (Tauhid)
5. Fifth Kalima - The word of Penitence (Astaghfar)
6. Sixth Kalima - The word in the disproving of Kufr (Rud-A-Kuffer)

These are the six kalimas. However you should know only the first one is necessary and the rest are just ways of expressing the beleif. It is interesting to note that "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger" is not in any single verse of the Quran but derived from two different verses of the Quran.

Most surely this is the true explanation, and there is no god but Allah; and most surely Allah-- He is the Mighty, the Wise.
Quran [3:62]

Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Last of the prophets; and Allah is cognizant of all things.
Quran [33:40]

You must note that the Kalimah only professes the start of faith and does not complete it. For example,I in my Kalimah state that Muhammad is the Rasool of Allah. I do not profess in my Kalimah that Muhammad is the last Rasool of Allah. Thus if Qadyanis believe that Mirza Ghulam Ahmed (the cursed) is also the prophet of Allah, they do not deny the Kalimah. They are Kaafirs even if they recite the Kalimah, because they deny the Quran itself.

Today, the Kalimah is not sufficient for one to become a Muslim, in a time where knowledge flows within seconds from place to place. I can believe Allah is one, Muhammad is his last prophet and Jesus is the Son of Allah. Will that make me a Muslim? It does not defy the Kalimah.

Technically speaking on broader terms, it does. When i recite the Kalimah, i promise that I will obey Muhammad (SAW) in all ways of my life. Thus if i testify that Muhammad (SAW) is Rasool of Allah, i automatically negate that Jesus is the son of Allah because that is what Prophet (SAW) has taught. Will it harm if we testify that Isa (AS) is the prophet of Allah in our Kalimah, infront of Christians, to highlight that he is not the son of Allah? I do not think it will make us kaafirs, infact it will help the cause.

Why shouldn't then i testify that Ali is the Wali chosen by Allah if Muhammad (SAW) himself taught so? The shias often recite, There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger and Ali is his Wali. The only difference is the addition which claims Mawla Ali (AS) to be a wali appointed by Allah himself.

From where does this derivation come from?

Only Allah is your Vali and His Messenger and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow.
Quran [5:55]

I will not argue what Vali means. The argument here is whether it is permissible to accept Mawla Ali (AS) as the Vali of Allah or no.

The ayat clearly instruct Muslims to accept three entities for Walis.

1. Allah
2. Mohammad (SAW)
3. Those who believe, keep up their prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow down.

This verse speaks about Ali bin abi Talib As he (Ali) was the one who when praying gave his ring as zakat to beggar while in the state of ruku'.

It is narrated by Ammar Yasir (RA) that a beggar came to Ali and stood besides him. Ali was kneeling in prayers. Ali put out his ring and gave it to the beggar. Then Ali (AS) called on the Prophet (SAW) and gave him the news. At this occasion, this verse (5:55) was revealed.

Click below for scanned page:
The Ghadir Declaration, by Dr Muhammad Tahir ul Qadri, pages 48-49

This verse was revealed in the honor of Ali ibn Abu Talib. Ali was the only one at the time of Prophet who paid Zakat while he was in the state of bowing (ruku').
Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v5, p38.
Tafsir al-Kashshaf, by Al-Zamakhshari, v1, p505, 649
Tafsir al-Khazin, v2, p68
Tafsir al-Bayan, by Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, v6, p186, 288-289.

Therefore, the shias say "Ali Wali Allah" per Allah's definition.

Whoever taketh as his guardian, God and His Apostle and those who believe, verily, (he hath joined) God's battalion; They are those that shall (always) by triumphant.
Quran [5:56]

Narrated Rifa'a bin Rafi AzZuraqi: One day we were praying behind the Prophet. When he raised his head from bowing, he said, "Sami'a-l-lahu Liman hamida." A man behind him said, "Rabbana walaka-l hamd hamdan Kathiran taiyiban mubarakan fihi" (O our Lord! All the praises are for You, many good and blessed praises). When the Prophet completed the prayer, he asked, "Who has said these words?" The man replied, "I." The Prophet said, "I saw over thirty angels competing to write it first." Prophet rose (from bowing) and stood straight till all the vertebrae of his spinal column came to a natural position.
Bukhari narrates in Volume 1, Book 12, Number 764

Ibn Hajar says in Fath al-Bari that the hadith indicates the permissibility of initiating new expressions of dhikr in the prayer other than the ones related through hadith texts, as long as they do not contradict those conveyed by the hadith [since the above words were a mere enhancement and addendum to the known, sunna dhikr].

Purpose of the Kalimah is to express ones belief, you testify that this is your belief. Is their any harm if Shias testify that Ali is the Wali of Allah? After all its derived from the Quran as well. And this does not make them a kaafir. Does it?

The Shia Kalimah: There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is his last prophet, Ali is the wali of Allah.

The belief in incarnation. The Nusayris believe that Ali is God in the flesh. Ali created Muhammad from his spirit, and Muhammad created Salman, an early Shi'ite saint. These three form a Trinity in which Ali is described as the 'meaning', Muhammad is the 'name' and Salman is the 'door'.
http://mb-soft.com/believe/txw/nusayri.htm

The Shia Kalimah places Imam Ali, a slave of Allah, a creation of Allah, and a servant of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), just where he belongs, Walayat and thus forces the ignorant to believe that Shias are not Nusayris.

However, this isn't obligatory to recite, it is only Mustahab (recommended) to say, but not Wajib (obligatory). The standard Shahadah (There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger) is enough to be a Muslim but to fulfill prophetic orders, Mawla Ali's walayat is equally important.