Verse 67

Chapter 5: Al-Māʾidah (The Table) · Printed edition: Volume 11, pp. 47–72

يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ ۖ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ ٦٧

(5:67) O Messenger! Deliver what has 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.

The meaning of the verse in itself is clear. It contains an order in the form of threat to the Messenger to convey the message, and promises to protect him from the people.

Key Debate: The Verse of Delivery (Tablīgh) →

If we ponder on the verse looking at the position it has been placed in, and look at the verses preceding and following it, you will see them exposing the condition of the People of the Book and admonishing and condemning them for their various transgressions, their crossing the limit and indulging in things prohibited by God and their rejection of divine communications. For example, the preceding verse says: And if they had kept up the Torah and the Gospel and that which was revealed to them from their Lord, they would certainly have eaten from above them and from beneath their feet; and the following one says: Say: “O People of the Book! You have no ground to stand upon until you keep up the Torah and the Gospel and that which is revealed to you from your Lord;” ...

Then ponder on the verse itself and see how its clauses are interlinked together. Now, you will be astonished, (and realize that this verse is not connected with the preceding or following verses).

Had this verse been connected to the preceding and following verses which deal with the People of the Book, it would have meant that the Prophet was ordered—in extremely harsh words—to deliver what God had revealed regarding the People of the Book; and the context would show that: what has been revealed to you from your Lord refers to what he was told to convey in the immediately following verse: Say: “O People of the Book! You have no ground to stand upon until you keep up the Torah and the Gospel and that which is revealed to you from your Lord;” ...

But the context of the verse itself rejects this interpretation. The clause: and Allah will protect you from the people, shows that the revealed order which the Prophet is urged to convey is a very important one; the delivery of which would put the life of the Prophet in peril or would cause the divine religion to fail in its aim. But the Jews or the Christians did not have such a power during the days of the Prophet as to put his life in danger to such an extent as to justify holding back or delaying its conveyance, until God gives him a promise to protect him from the people if he conveys the revealed order. Even in the early days of the Prophet’s hijrah to Medina the People of the Book were not in a position to put his life in danger, although the Jews were fiercely opposed to him and their active opposition ultimately led to the battle of Khaybar, etc.

Moreover, this verse does not contain any tough order or any vehement word. The Prophet had delivered before that the verses, which were harder, sharper and much bitter than it for the Jews. Also, before that he was told to convey to the unbelievers of the Quraysh and the polytheists of Arabia what was more distasteful than it, example: the message of tawḥīd and the rebuttal of idol-worship. Besides, those people were more ruthless, more violent and more given to bloodshed than the Jews and other People of the Book. Hence, God did not use any threatening word when ordering him to convey His message, nor did He find it necessary to give him assurance of His protection.

Apart from that, the verses describing the condition of the People of the Book constitute the major part of the chapter, “The Table.” Therefore, this verse was certainly revealed in it; and at the time this chapter was revealed, the Jews’ power was already broken, their fire had died down, and they were engulfed by the divine curse and wrath. Whenever they kindled a fire for war, God put it out. In this background, there was no reason for the Messenger of God to fear them regarding the divine religion. They had already entered through peace treaties in the domain of Islam and they, as well as the Christians, had agreed to pay jizyah. How could God talk, in this environment, about the Messenger’s fear and worry in delivering the divine message to them; while he had conveyed to them messages which were much harder, and stood before them in surroundings which were more frightful and more weird.

Thus, there is no room for any doubt that this verse is totally separate in its context from that of the preceding and following verses; and has no connection with them. In short, it is a single verse, which was revealed alone.

The verse speaks about an order which was sent to the Prophet—the entire religion or some parts of it—and the Prophet was afraid of the people in delivering that message and kept postponing it waiting for a suitable time. If there were no fear and no delaying there was no reason why he should be addressed in such a threatening way: and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message. Compare it with the verses revealed in early period of the Call none of which has any shade of threat. For example: Read in the name of thy Lord Who created … (to the end of ch. 96); O you who are enwrapped, arise and warn (); … therefore, follow the right way to Him and ask His forgiveness; and woe to the polytheists (), apart from other such verses.

No doubt, the Prophet was afraid of the people, but he was not afraid of sacrificing his life in the cause of God, because his whole life and character is a rebuttal of such thinking. Moreover, God Himself testifies about His Messengers that they did not fear the adversaries. For example: There is no harm in the Prophet doing that which God has ordained for him; such has been the course of God with respect to those who have gone before; and the command of God is a decree that is made absolute. Those who deliver the message of Allah and fear Him, and do not fear any one but Allah; and Allah is sufficient to take account (). Also, God has said concerning such situations: … so do not fear them, and fear Me if you are believers (). And He has praised a group of believers that they were not afraid of the people although the people had tried to frighten them: Those to whom the people said: “Surely men have gathered against you, therefore fear them”; but this (only) increased their faith, and they said: “Allah is sufficient for us and most excellent Protector is (He).” So they returned with favor from Allah and (His) grace; no evil touched them and they followed the pleasure of Allah; and Allah is the Lord of mighty grace (3:173–4).

Also, it is not possible to say that the Prophet was afraid for his life because if he were killed the divine mission was bound to perish, and for this reason he was delaying its conveyance waiting for a suitable time. But this hypothesis is patently false, because God says: You have no concern in the affair (); and if they had killed the Prophet, God had power to revive His mission through any means He pleased and any cause He wished.

Of course, it is possible to infer from the clause: and Allah will protect you from the people, that the Prophet was afraid of the people concerning the delivery that they would accuse him (of having selfish motive), which would irreparably damage the whole fabric of conveyance. He had permission from God to use his discretion in such matters, and it had no connection with any fear regarding his own self.

The above description makes it clear that the verse was not revealed in the early days of prophethood, as some exegetes have thought; as in that case there would be no sense in the clause: and Allah will protect you from the people; because such an interpretation would imply that Prophet was delaying the delivery of the divine message because he was afraid that they would kill him and it would cost him his life, or would nullify the effects of tablīgh. But such a hypothesis is not tenable.

Again, let us see what is the connotation of the phrase: what has been revealed to you from your Lord. Does it mean the whole religion? If so, then the clauses: and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, would mean: O Messenger! Deliver the religion, and if you do not deliver the religion, then you did not deliver the religion!

Someone has said: The verse means: If you do not deliver the message, then you will be liable to blame for dereliction of duty and negligence of what God had most emphatically commanded you to do and it is in the same vein as the well known Arab poet, Abu al-Najm, has said:

I’m Abu al-Najm, and my poem is poem.

But this explanation is wrong; such rhetorical expressions are used regarding the general and the particular, or the unrestricted and the restricted, and such expressions allude that the both are one and the same; as Abu al-Najm says that my poem is my poem, that is, no one should think that my talent has now dulled, or vicissitudes of time have adversely affected my genius and robbed me of the gift of poetry; because the poem which I compose today has the same brilliance which my poems had in the past.

However, this explanation cannot be applied to the divine speech: and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message. Because if it is believed that the verse was revealed in early days of prophethood, then the message—the religion in its totality or the basic religion—was a single unit, not changeable or alterable. Then how can it be said that if you did not deliver this message then you did not deliver that message of the basic messages; admittedly in the beginning it was the basic message that was a collection of religious cognition.

It is now clear that the verse could not have been revealed in the early period of prophethood, nor can the phrase: what has been revealed to you from your Lord, point to the basic religion or totality of religion—either in the early days or at any later period; because all such interpretations would render the clause: and if you do it not then you have not delivered His message, devoid of meaning and irrelevant.

We should reiterate here that if message were to refer to the basic or total religion, then the words: O Messenger! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord, could not have been revealed except in the early days of prophethood, as is clear;

And the problem would remain as before, that the Prophet was afraid of the people in delivering the divine message.

Apparently, the matter which was revealed to the Prophet and this verse put emphasis on its delivery was not the religion in its totality, or basic religion—whatever meaning is understood from it. Therefore, we have to admit that it was a part of religion. The meaning in this case will be as follows: O Messenger! Deliver the particular command revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do it not, then you have not delivered God’s message at all. According to this interpretation, “His message” means all the things that the Messenger of God had brought as part of religion. Otherwise, the previous trouble—that the speech would be devoid of meaning—would continue. Let us put it in this way: If “His message” means this particular order, it would mean: ‘Deliver this order, and if you did it not, you did not deliver this message!’ It is clearly absurd.

The verse therefore means: ‘O Messenger! Deliver this particular command, and if you do it not, then you have not delivered the basic message or the message in its totality.’ This meaning is correct and understandable and then the speech will be in the style of the poem of Abu al-Najm:

I’m Abu al-Najm, and my poem is poem.

Why was this order so important that if it was not conveyed then the message was not conveyed at all? It was because religion’s knowledge and commands are interlinked, intertwined with one another on all sides; if one coil is unravelled, the whole material is destructed—especially in the sphere of delivery—because each item is connected with all others. This supposition has no defect in itself, yet the clauses coming after it: and God will protect you from the people; surely God will not guide the unbelieving people, do not fit on it. These clauses clearly show that some unbelieving people had decided to oppose this revealed command, or, seeing their tendency, they were expected to oppose it to the extreme. They would use every strategem to nullify this divine mission and neutralize it, so that it could not bring about any effect or benefit. Therefore, God promised His Messenger that He would protect him from them, nullify their artifice and leave them wandering in their own viles.

This meaning does not fit on any revealed order whatsoever; because the religious cognition and orders in Islam are not all of them of the same importance, some are the pillars of religion, others are like the invocation on sighting the crescent, there is prohibition of adultery and that of looking at a stranger woman. The fear that the Prophet had and for which God promised him His protection, cannot be related to every such order; obviously it had emanated from some special commandment.

The fact, that if this commandment was not conveyed, then no other order was conveyed, shows its utmost importance, and makes it crystal clear that this particular order occupies such a central position in the whole structure that if it was left unannounced, it would amount to leaving all other orders unannounced, because its relation to other items is like that of soul with body; if it is disconnected, there would remain only a dead body, devoid of feeling, movement (and perception, etc.).

The verse thus proves that God had sent to his Messenger an order which was to complete the religion, and by which the religion would firmly settle in its proper pedestal. As such there was a danger that the people would oppose it and strive hard to overturn it against the Prophet aiming at demolishing the structure of religion he had built and disintegrating all its parts. The Prophet, having intuitive knowledge of the people’s nature, understood their tendency and was afraid that they would contrive to neutralize all his endeavours. Accordingly, he kept postponing its delivery from time to time, waiting for a suitable circumstances and peaceful atmosphere, in order that his mission might be successful and his endeavours fruitful. But God ordered him to make haste in conveying that message, showing to him its importance, and promising to protect him from the people. In this way, He assured him that He would not let their plans succeed, nor would they be able to overturn his Mission’s affairs.

Overturning the Prophetic Mission and negating his efforts after the spread of Islam was not possible for the polytheists and idol-worshippers of Arabia or outside. In other words, it is not possible to suppose that the verse was revealed in Mecca before hijrah, and the Prophet was afraid that the people would slander and accuse him of lying in his affairs, as God quotes their calumnies in the Qur’an: “One taught (by others), a madman” (); “A poet, we wait for him the evil accidents of time” (); “A magician or a mad man” (); “You follow only a man deprived of reason” (); “This is not but enchantment, narrated” (); “The stories of the ancients—he has got them written—so these are read out to him morning and evening” (); “Only a mortal teaches him …” (); “Go and steadily adhere to your gods; this is most surely a thing sought after” (); and other such things which they used to say about him. However, such talks could not shake the foundation of religion. They only show—if they show anything—the confusion and perturbation in their ideas and their crookedness. Moreover, such slanders were not reserved for the Prophet, so that he would be disturbed because of them or afraid of their appearance; in fact all the messengers and prophets were equally made targets of such afflictions and misfortunes; they all had to face such unpalatable situations from their people, as God has described in the stories of Noah and the succeeding prophets who are mentioned in the Qur’an.

If there was something like that—and there must have been—it could be imagined after the hijrah when the religion was firmly established in the Islamic society. The Muslims were then a mixed lot: There were good believers, and there were the hypocrites who were powerful and could not be underrated. Lastly there were those whose hearts were diseased whom the Mighty Book calls “the listeners.” These people dealt with the Prophet—although they believed in him really or apparently—like the kings are dealt with; and the divine religion in their eyes was not different from man-made national laws. All this may be seen in various sets of Qur’anic verses; and some of them have already been explained in previous volumes of this book.

In this background, it could possibly happen that delivery of some orders which could apparently give some advantage to the Prophet, could generate a misconception in those people’s minds that he is a king in the guise of prophethood, and his sharīʾah is the worldly law disguised as religion; as we find its evidence in some people’s talk on various occasions.

If this or similar doubt had entered into their hearts, it would have generated such corruption and perversion in religion which no power on earth could rectify or anyone could remove. Obviously, this revealed order which the Prophet had to deliver was of such a nature that people could think of it to be especially benefitting the Prophet, and that it was particularly reserved to him without any Muslim having any part in it, like the story of Zayd, and plurality of marriages and the one fifth of the war booty, etc.

However, the especial rules, if not affecting general Muslims, were not expected to create doubts in minds. For examples, permission of marriage with a woman divorced by an adopted son was not particularly reserved to him. Likewise, if marrying more than four wives were based on his own desire without permission of God, there was nothing to prevent him from allowing it to all Muslims. His lifelong conduct of giving preference to Muslims over his own self in division of wealth, etc. which came into his hands leaves no room for any doubt in such affairs.

All the above elaboration makes it clear that the verse speaks about a revealed order that could create a misunderstanding that it contains a sort of personal benefit and interest for the Prophet, and gives him a privilege which the others too would have desired; and its delivery and enforcement would deprive them of its enjoyment. That is why the Prophet was afraid of its delivery. But God ordered him to convey it and put utmost emphasis on this delivery, and promised to protect him from the people, telling him that his adversaries will not succeed in their machination, even if they tried.

This supports the traditions, narrated by both sects, that the verse was revealed about the guardianship of ʿAlī; that God had sent direction to convey this commandment, but the Prophet was afraid that the people would accuse him regarding his cousin; that was why he kept postponing its delivery until this verse was sent down; and he delivered it at Ghadīr Khumm, and announced: “He whose mawlā (Guardian) am I, this ʿAlī is his mawlā.”

The essentiality of the Guardianship of the affairs of the ummah for religion is clear without any doubt. Islam is a religion so comprehensive and all-encompassing that it has laid down for the whole mankind in all regions and for all times all fundamental gnosis, ethical principles and practical rules which cover all human movement and stillness, separately and collectively, contrary to other general legal systems. How can it be imagined that such a comprehensive system does not need a guardian who should protect and preserve it properly. Or, can it be said that of all the human societies, only the Muslim ummah and Islamic society is so self-sufficient that it does not need any ruler to manage its affairs and look after its interests. What excuse can be offered to a research scholar who looks at the social system established by the Prophet and finds that whenever he went out of Medina, he invariably always put a man in his place to manage the society. He had appointed ʿAlī in his place in Medina at the time of going forth to Tabūk; ʿAlī said: “O Messenger of God! Are you leaving me among the women and children?” The Prophet said: “Well, are you not pleased that you should be to me as Aaron was to Moses, except that there is no prophet after me?”

And the Prophet used to appoint governors in all towns, which were in the hands of the Muslims, example: Mecca, Ṭāif and Yemen, etc. Likewise, he appointed people at the head of expeditions and battalions, which he used to send around. And what difference is there between his lifetime and after his death? Rather the essentiality of such appointment is more emphatic for the time after his departure from this world; and the need of such a ruler at that time is more and more pressing.

Qur’an: O Messenger! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord: The order is addressed to the Messenger, as it is the most appropriate attribute to the conveying the divine order, which was revealed. It is a sort of proof that the delivery mentioned in the verse is obligatory and compulsory; because the only function of a messenger is to convey the message he is entrusted with. In other words, the office of messengership obligates him to deliver the message.

The verse does not elaborate what was revealed to him from his Lord. It alludes to it just as a thing revealed to him. This vagueness points to the greatness of that message, and shows that the Messenger of God had no hand in it, nor did he have any authority in his own affairs. It would be another proof that he had no power or discretion to keep the order secret and postpone its conveyance from this time to that. It also provided him with an excuse that he had been obligated to deliver this order; and showed that he was perfectly justified in fearing the people in this respect; but at the same time indicated that this important order had to be announced by him, in his own words, through his own tongue.

… and if you do it not, then you have not delivered his message: Some reciters have read, “his messages” in plural. In any case, it means the totality of the messages that was sent by God to His Messenger. We have explained above that this clause shows the utmost importance of the order alluded to; and that it enjoyed such a dignity and position that if it was not conveyed then it would be as if no message was ever delivered by him.

The speech is constructed as a threat; and in reality it connotes the importance of the order—if this one order was not conveyed to the people and its implications were not preserved, it would be as though no other part of religion was ever conveyed.

It is a conditional sentence, to show the importance of the conditional clause; that its subordinate clause depends totally on the principle one for its existence.

This conditional sentence is not like such sentences found in our speech. We use conditional sentences because we do not know whether the principle clause would lake place, bringing about with it the subordinate clause. But far be it from the position of the Prophet that the Qur’an should imply that it was not sure whether the Prophet would convey or not the revealed message. And God says: Allah best knows where He places His message ().

In short, this sentence apparently contains a threat, but in fact it makes it known to the Prophet and other people the utmost importance of the order and that the Messenger had no power to delay its delivery.

… and Allah will protect you from the people; surely Allah will not guide the unbelieving people: al-Rāghib has said:

“al-’Aṣm means to take hold; and al-i’tiṣām is to adhere. al-‘Iṣām is strap, that which is used for binding; the prophets enjoy ‘iṣmah—that is, God protects them, first through the pure nature which is reserved for them; then through the physical and psychological virtues which He has bestowed upon them. Then through helping them and keeping their feet firm (on righteousness); then by sending tranquillity upon them and protecting their hearts, and finally through tawfīq (divine help); God says: “and God will protect you from the people.” And al-’iṣmah is like bracelet, and al-mi’ṣam is wrist, the part of hand where it is worn; the wrist’s whiteness is called ‘iṣmah, likening it to bracelet, as the whiteness of foot is called taḥjīl (wearing anklet); in the same vein they say, a’ṣam (white-footed) crow (that is, rare).”

Comment: The explanation given above of the prophets’ ‘iṣmah is good, there is no objection to it; but those meanings cannot be applied to the verse under discussion: and Allah will protect you from the people; if we were to apply it, it may be applied to the verse: … and they shall not harm you in any way, and Allah has revealed to you the Book and the Wisdom, and He has taught you what you did not know, and Allah’s grace on you is very great (). As for the clause: and Allah will protect you from the people, the verb, ya’ṣim, in it apparently denotes protection and safety from the people’s evil which they aimed at the noble person of the Prophet, or his religious objectives or at the success of his Call and the triumph of his endeavours—in short, any connotation appropriate to his sacred office.

However, looking at the usage of this word, we find that it actually means holding fast and clutching. Therefore, its use in the meaning of protection is based on allusion because protection necessitates holding it fast.

Protection from the people is unrestricted and general. It does not say from which type of machination of the people the Prophet shall be protected. Does it point to their transgression and endeavours to harm him in body, like murder, poisoning, or assassination? Or through speech, like abusing and slandering? Or through some other devices, like disrupting his affairs one way or another through treachery, deception and double-dealing? In short this non-identification of things protected against, implies a sort of generalization; yet the context confines it to their evil that could have disrupted and destroyed what he had built and raised of the structure of religion.

“The people” refers to all human beings, without looking at any speciality, be it natural and in field of creation, like masculinity and femininity, or otherwise, like knowledge, virtues, and richness, etc. That is why it is seldom used for other than a group; and for this very reason, it often points to virtuous human beings if the virtue spoken of has some relation with humanity, as God says: And when it is said to them: “Believe as the people have believed” (), that is, those in whom meaning of humanity is found, and it is by which truth is perceived and distinguished from falsity.

Also, sometimes it denotes a sort of vileness and downfall in circumstances. This happens when the subject of talk is a thing in which some such human virtues are contemplated which are extraneous to the basic theme of the species, as God says: … but most people do not know (). Or, as you may say: Don’t put trust in the people’s promises; or, don’t seek help from their masses. In the above clauses, you want to express the idea that trust or appeal to help should be placed in virtuous people who have natural disposition to fulfil their undertakings and to remain firm on their stand; that you should not trust such people who are merely called humans, without any praise or blame being attached to them; (especially) when the main theme does not indicate any merit or demerit other than the basic meaning of humanity, as God says: O you people! Surely We have created you of a male and a female and made you nations and tribes that you may recognize each other; surely the most honorable of you with Allah is the one who is most pious; … ().

Probably, the word: “the people”, in the clause: “and God will protect you from the people”, points to the multitude of people which encompasses believers and hypocrites and those whose hearts are diseased; all of them are mixed together without any distinction. Therefore, if there is a cause to fear them, all of them combined will be feared.

Probably the clause: “surely God will not guide the unbelieving people,” points to it. This clause explains the reason of the preceding one: “and God will protect you from the people”; it has been described earlier that the verse was revealed after hijrah when the Islam had gained upper hand in Arabia, and most of the people had apparently entered into the fold of Islam, although there were among them the hypocrites and those whose hearts were diseased. Therefore, the phrase: “unbelieving people” denotes those who were mingled with the general public, who were not called “unbelievers” yet the characteristics of disbelief had taken root in their hearts. And through this clause, God has given assurance that He will nullify their machinations and protect His Messenger from their evil.

Also, it seems clear that in this clause, disbelief means disbelieving in one of the commandments of God, that is, the order to which the phrase: what has been revealed to you from your Lord points to, is the same style that has been used in the verse of Ḥājj: … and whoever disbelieves, then surely Allah is Self-sufficient (independent) of the worlds ().

In any case, the context of the verse does not allow taking “disbelief” in the meaning of rejection of the two testimonies. Such views can only be considered if we take: what has been revealed to you from your Lord, as referring to the sum total of all the revealed messages, but you have seen that this interpretation has no leg to stand upon.

The statement that God will not guide the disbelievers, means that He will not guide them in their treachery and machinations, and will prevent usual causes to submit to them when they proceed to their objectives of evil and mischief. It is like the verses: … surely Allah does not guide the transgressing people (); … and Allah does not guide aright the unjust people (). Detailed discussion on this subject may be seen in volume two.

It is certainly not correct to say that the non-guidance here means not guiding them to correct faith, because it goes against the basic concept of Divine Call. How can God tell His Messenger: You call them to God, or, invite them to obey the divine command, but I will not guide them to it, except for the purpose of completing the proof against them!

Moreover, we see with our own eyes that God guides a lot of unbelievers to faith, and continues to do so every day; and He Himself has said: … and Allah guides whom He pleases to the straight path ().

Now, it is crystal clear that not guiding the unbelievers means that God does not let them achieve their goal of negating the word of truth and extinguishing the light of the revealed commandments. The unbelievers as well as the unjust people and the transgressors, under the influence of their sinister minds and erroneous views, want to change the custom of God, which encompasses the whole creation. They intend to divert the proceedings of true causes (which are free from stigma of disobeying the Lord of the universe) towards their own false goals and wicked destinations. But their formal powers can never debilitate Almighty Lord. Let them ponder on this question. Who has put these powers in their body? The only answer is: God. (How can these powers overpower their Creator?)

They might occasionally succeed in their endeavours and obtain for a short time what they want, but soon all this is turned upside down and their trickery turns against themselves and the evil plan does not beset any save the authors of it … (); thus does Allah compare truth and falsehood; then as for the scum, it passes away as a worthless thing; and as for that which profits the people, it remains in the earth; thus does Allah set forth parables ().

Accordingly, the clause: “surely God will not guide the unbelieving people”, elaborates the preceding one: “and God will protect you from the people”, putting some limitation on its generality. The protection then means that God will protect him so that the people do not inflict any harm on him before he achieves his objectives of delivering this order and announcing it to the ummah. For example, He will not let them kill him before he conveys the message; they would not be able to rise against him or overturn his affairs, or accuse him of such matters which would make the believers go out of his religion, or affect such devices which would destroy and annihilate this sharīʾah. Nay, God will certainly make the word of truth victorious, and establish the religion as He pleases, wherever He pleases and whenever He pleases. God says: If He pleases, He can make you pass away, O people! And bring others; and Allah has the power to do this ().

However, the sentence: “and God will protect you from the people”, cannot be taken to imply a general and all-encompassing protection from all and every trouble and harm; because such a view is rebutted by the Qur’an, the ḥadīth and accepted history. The Prophet had to suffer from his people—be they believers, unbelievers or hypocrites—such misfortunes, tribulations and multifarious afflictions and grievances which nobody could ever bear—except the noble Prophet; and he has said—in a famous ḥadīth: “No prophet was ever harmed like I have been.”

Examining Narrations

1. al-ʿAyyāshī narrates from Abū Ṣāliḥ, from Ibn ʿAbbās and Jābir b. ʿAbdillāh, that they said, “God, the High, ordered His Prophet Muḥammad, to set up ʿAlī (as a) standard among the people, in order to inform them of his wilāyah (guardianship); so the Messenger of God, was afraid lest they say, ‘He has brought his cousin to us,’ and speak against him in this matter. Then God revealed to him the verse: O Messenger! Deliver what has 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. So, the Messenger of God, raised up his wilāyah on the day of Ghadīr Khumm.” (al-Tafsīr)
2. Also, he narrates from Ḥanān b. Sadīr, from his father, from Abū Jaʾfar that he said, “When Jibrīl brought, in the days of the Messenger of God, in the Last Pilgrimage, (the order of) announcement of the matter of ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib: O Messenger! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord (to the end of the verse); so the Prophet delayed (it) for three days until he reached Juḥfah, yet he did not take ʿAlī’s hand for fear of the people. Then when he came down at Juḥfah on the day of Ghadīr at a place called Mahya’ah, he (ordered to announce): The congregational prayer. The people gathered together. The Prophet, then said, ‘Who has more authority on you than you have yourselves?’ They loudly said, ‘God and His Messenger.’ Then he asked them the second time and they said, ‘God and His Messenger.’ Then he again asked the third time and they said, ‘God and His Messenger.’

“Then he caught the hand of ʿAlī and said, ‘Whoever whose Master I am, ʿAlī is his Master; O God! Love him who loves ʿAlī, and be the enemy of the enemy of ʿAlī; help him who helps ʿAlī, and forsake him who forsakes ʿAlī; for indeed he is from me and I am from him; and he has the same position in relation to me as Aaron had to Moses except that there is no prophet after me.’” (ibid.)

3. Also he narrates from Abu al-Jārūd, from Abū Jaʾfar that he said, “When God revealed to His Prophet: O Messenger! Deliver what has 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, (The Imam said), ‘Then the Messenger of God caught the hand of ʿAlī and said, “O people! Surely there was not any prophet, among the prophets who were before me, but he lived his life then (God) called him (back) and he accepted (the call); and the time is near that I’ll be called and I’ll accept it; and I shall be asked and you shall be asked; so what are you going to say?” They said, “We shall bear witness that you had certainly delivered (the message) and acted in good faith and fulfilled what was incumbent upon you, so may God recompense you the best of the recompense He had given to the Messengers.” (The Prophet) said, “O God! Be witness (of it).”

Then he said, “O group of the Muslims! He who is present should convey it to those who are absent. Whoever believes in me and gives credence to my truth, I enjoin on him the wilāyah of ʿAlī. Well certainly ʿAlī’s wilāyah is my wilāyah, being a covenant which my Lord made with me; and He has ordered me to convey it to you.” Then he said, “Did you hear?”—saying it three times—so someone said, “Indeed we have heard, O Messenger of God!” (ibid.)

4. (al-Ṣaffār) narrates through his chain from al-Fuḍayl b. Yasār, from Abū Jaʾfar that he said about the words of God: O Messenger! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, that “It is wilāyah.” (Baṣāir al-darajāt)

Author’s comment: al-Kulaynī has narrated about the revelation of this verse in relation to wilāyah with the story of Ghadīr in al-Kāfī, through his chain, from Abu al-Jārūd, from Abū Jaʾfar in a lengthy ḥadīth. Also, this meaning has been narrated by al-Ṣadūq, in Maʾāni al-akhbār, through his chain, from Muḥammad b. al-Fayḍ b. al-Mukhtār, from his father, from Abū Jaʾfar in a lengthy ḥadīth. Also, al-ʿAyyāshī has narrated from Abu al-Jārūd in a lengthy narration; and from ʿAmr b. Yazīd from Abū ʿAbdillāh in abbreviated form.

5. al-Thaʾlabī writes in his al-Tafsīr: “Jaʾfar b. Muḥammad said explaining the word of God: O Messenger! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord, (that it was revealed) about the excellence of ʿAlī; so when it was revealed, the Prophet caught the hand of ʿAlī and said, ‘Whoever whose Master am I, ʿAlī is his Master.’”
6. The same writer narrates through his chain from al-Kalbī, from Abū Ṣāliḥ, from Ibn ʿAbbās that he said about this verse, “It was revealed about ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib; God ordered the Prophet that he should convey (the order) about him; so he caught the hand of ʿAlī and said, ‘Whoever whose Master am I, ʿAlī is his Master; O God! Love him who loves ʿAlī, and be enemy of the enemy of ʿAlī.’”
7. (al-Baḥrānī) narrates from Abraham al-Thaqafī through his chain, from al-Khudrī and Buraydah al-Aslamī and Muḥammad b. ʿAlī that it was revealed on the day of Ghadīr about ʿAlī. (al-Tafsīr)
8. al-Thaʾlabī writes about its meaning that Abū Jaʾfar Muḥammad b. ʿAlī said, “It means, deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord about ʿAlī.”
9. Tafsīr al-Manār quotes the following from al-Tafsīr of al-Thaʾlabī:

“Verily this word of the Prophet, regarding the love of ʿAlī spread about and reached all towns; it was conveyed to al-Ḥārith b. al-Nuʾmān al-Fihrī; so he came to the Prophet, on his camel, and (the Prophet) was in al-Abṭaḥ; he came down and tied his camel, and said to the Prophet—and he was in a gathering of his companions: ‘O Muḥammad! You ordered us on behalf of God that we should bear witness that there is no god except God and that you are the Messenger of God; and we accepted (it) from you.’ (Then he likewise mentioned all the pillars of Islam.) ‘Yet you were not pleased with all this until you caught the upper arm of your cousin and gave him preference over us saying: “Whoever whose Master am I, ʿAlī is his Master;” so is this from you or from God?’ He said, ‘By God, except Whom there is no god! It is the order of God.’ Thereupon al-Ḥārith turned back towards his riding camel, and he was saying: ‘O God! If this is the truth from Thee, then rain upon us stones from heaven or inflict on us a painful punishment.’ So he had not yet reached his camel when God struck him with a stone, it fell on his head and came out from his rear; and God revealed: One demanding (person) demanded the chastisement which must befall the unbelievers—there is none to avert it ().”

Author’s comment: The author of al-Manār after quoting this ḥadīth has commented as follows:

“This tradition is forged; and this sūrah of al-Maʾārij (ch.70) is of Meccan period; and the saying of some unbelievers of the Quraysh (“O God! If this is the truth from Thee, …”) which God has quoted (in ) was a reminder of what they had said before hijrah. That reminder is in the sūrah of al-Anfāl (ch.8) which was revealed after the battle of Badr, years before the revelation of ‘The Table’; while this tradition apparently shows that al-Ḥārith b. al-Nuʾmān was a Muslim and then he apostatized, but he is not known as a companion. al-Abṭaḥ is in Mecca, and the Prophet did not return from Ghadīr Khumm to Mecca, as he had come down at Ghadīr when he was returning to Medina after the Last Pilgrimage.”

You may clearly see how arbitrarily he has pontificated. Let us look at it, sentence by sentence:

al-Manār: “This tradition is forged; and this chapter of al-Maʾārij is of Meccan period.”

Comment: This claim relies on some traditions narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās and Ibn al-Zubayr that the chapter of al-Maʾārij was revealed at Mecca. Would that I knew why those traditions should be given preference over this tradition, because both of them are khabar al-wāḥid (solitary tradition).

Let us accept that this chapter is of Meccan period, as the theme of most of its verses support it. Yet what is the proof that all its verses were revealed at Mecca? May be the chapter was Meccan but these two verses were non-Meccan. For example, this chapter “The Table” is of Medina period which was revealed during the last days of the Messenger of God (may God bless him and his progeny!), and in this Medinan chapter, the verse under discussion (O Messenger! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord …) has been placed, which, many exegetes insist, was revealed at Mecca in the early days of the Mission. Thus, if a Meccan verse (O Messenger! Deliver …) can be placed in a Medinan chapter, “The Table”, why cannot a Medinan verse (One demanding (person) demanded …) be put in a Meccan chapter, al-Maʾārij?

al-Manār: And the saying of some unbelievers of the Quraysh …:

Comment: It is not less than the preceding sentence in arbitrariness. Even if we accept that the chapter of al-Anfāl was revealed several years before the chapter of “The Table” is there any reason to say that at the time of compilation some later revealed verses could not be placed in it. For example, the verses of usury and the verse: And fear the day in which you shall be returned to Allah; … (), (which according to them were the last verses revealed to the Prophet), were placed in the chapter of “The Cow” (which was revealed in the early days of hijrah several years before those verses).

al-Manār: The quotation of the saying of some unbelievers of the Quraysh (O God! If this is the truth from Thee, …) was a reminder of what they had said before hijrah:

Comment: It is another arbitrary statement for which there is no proof at all—if we do not say that the context proves the opposite. Those who understand the style of literature cannot entertain any doubt that the words: O Allah! If this is the truth from Thee, then rain upon us stones from heaven or inflict on us a painful punishment, were not uttered by an idolater polytheist. This verse contains a demonstrative pronoun strengthened with a detached pronoun, then the word “the truth” which has been turned into a proper noun by addition of al (the), and the clause: from Thee, all these factors show that, far from being the talk of an idolator who mocks the truth and takes it as a joke, it is the speech of the one who believes in God’s Lordship and knows that the truthful affairs are decided by Him, and the laws are sent by Him. But he is not sure about a matter, which is attributed to God, and a claimant says that it is the Truth—to the exclusion of all other things—nevertheless he finds himself unable to accept it. At this stage he curses himself invoking God’s wrath on himself, as is done by someone who is wearied and tired of life.

al-Manār: This tradition apparently shows that al-Ḥārith b. al-Nuʾmān was a Muslim and then he apostatized; but he is not known as a companion:

Comment: Again the same arbitrary attitude! Can anyone claim that the Muslims had recorded the names of all those who had seen the Prophet and believed in him? Or of those who believed and then went out of Islam? And if they need any proof, then this tradition may be treated as the proof of this man’s companionship.

al-Manār: al-Abṭaḥ is in Mecca, and the Prophet did not return from Ghadīr Khumm to Mecca.

Comment: It shows that he has taken the word, al-Abṭaḥ, as the name of a particular place in Mecca, instead of taking it in its general (or literal) meaning, as the word is used for any sandy place. But there is no proof to support his interpretation; rather the proof goes against it—and it is the narrative given in this tradition and other places.

There is a verse:

I was saved and al-Murādī (Ibn Muljam) had made his sword wet, from (the blood of) the son of Abū Ṭālib, the Chief of al-Abāṭiḥ.

It may be inferred from it that Mecca and its adjacent areas were called al-Abāṭiḥ.

Apart from that, this very tradition has been narrated by other than al-Thaʾlabī, and there is no mention of al-Abṭaḥ in it—this tradition is coming below from Majmaʾ al-bayān through the Sunnī chains and other books.

However, the tradition is a solitary one; it is neither mutawātir nor is it verified and confirmed by definite associations; and you have known from our previous discourses that we do not rely on solitary traditions in other than the rules of practical fiqh. It is in accordance with the general system of the intelligent persons on which man has based his life. Anyhow, the following discussion merely aims at showing the untenability of the proofs he has offered for the putative forgery of this tradition.

10. al-Ṭabrisī writes: Informed us al-Sayyid Abu al-Ḥamd; he said: narrated to us al-Ḥākim Abu al-Qāsim al-Ḥaskānī; he said: informed us Abū ʿAbdillāh al-Shīrāzī; he said: informed us Abū Bakr al-Jurjānī; he said: informed us Abū Aḥmad al-Baṣrī; he said: narrated to us Muḥammad b. Sahl; he said: narrated to us Zayd b. Ishmael Mawlā of al-Anṣār; he said: narrated to us Muḥammad b. Ayyūb al-Wāsiṭī; he said: narrated to us Sufyān b. ‘Uyaynah, from Jaʾfar b. Muḥammad al-Ṣādiq, from his fathers, that he said, “When the Messenger of God, installed ʿAlī on the day of Ghadīr Khumm (and) said, ‘Whoever whose Master am I, this ʿAlī is his Master,’ and it reached (various) towns, so al-Nuʾmān b. al-Ḥārith al-Fihrī came to the Prophet and said, ‘You ordered us from God that we should bear witness that there is no god except God and that you are the Messenger of God; and you ordered us to fight (in the way of God) and to perform ḥajj, and to fast, and to pray, and to pay zakāt; so we accepted it (all); yet you were not pleased until you have installed this youth, and you said, “Whoever whose Master am I, ʿAlī is his Master.” Now, is this thing from you or is it an order from God, the High?’ So (the Prophet) said, ‘Certainly, by God other than Whom there is no god! Indeed it is from God.’

“Then al-Nuʾmān b. al-Ḥārith turned away, and he was saying: ‘O Allah! If this is the truth from Thee, then rain upon us stones from heaven (...).’ So God struck a stone on his head and killed him. Then God revealed: One demanding (person) demanded the chastisement which must befall. (Majmaʾ al-bayān)

Author’s comment: This theme is also narrated in al-Kafī.

11. al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū Nu’aym narrates a ḥadīth which he has ascribed to ʿAlī b. ʿĀmir, from Abu al-Ḥajjāf, from al-Aʾmash, from ʿAṭiyyah that he said, “This verse was revealed to the Messenger of God (may God bless him and his progeny and send peace on them), about ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib: O Messenger! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord; and God has said: This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as religion.” (Nuzūl al-Qur’an)
12. al-Mālikī has said, “al-Imam Abu al-Ḥasan al-Wāḥidī has narrated in his book, Asbāb al-nuzūl, ascribing it through his chain to Abū Saʾīd al-Khudrī (may God be pleased with him), that he said, ‘This verse: O Messenger! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord, was revealed on the day of Ghadīr Khumm about ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib.’” (al-Fuṣūl al-muhimmah)

Author’s comment: And it has been narrated in Fatḥ al-Qadīr, from Ibn Abī Ḥātim, Ibn Marduwayh and Ibn ʿAsākir, from Abū Saʾīd al-Khudrī; and likewise in al-Durr al-manthūr.

13. al-Shaykh Muḥyi al-Dīn al-Nawawī has explained the word Khumm as follows: “It is the name of a field, three miles from al-Juḥfah; in it is a well known Ghadīr (pond) which is ascribed to this field.”
14. Ibn Marduwayh has narrated from Ibn Mas’ūd that he said, “We used to recite during the time of the Messenger of God: O Messenger! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord that ʿAlī is the Master of the believers, and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message; and Allah will protect you from the people.” (Fatḥ al-qadīr)

Author’s comment: This is a small portion of the traditions, which show that, the verse: O Messenger! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord …, was revealed about ʿAlī on the day of Ghadīr Khumm. As for the ḥadīth of Ghadīr, (that is, the Prophet’s declaration: ‘Whoever whose Master am I, ʿAlī is his Master’), it is a mutawātir ḥadīth which has been narrated in Shī’ah and Sunnī sources through more than a hundred chains.

It has been narrated from a great multitude of the companions, among them being al-Barā’ b. ‘Āzib, Zayd b. Arqam, Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣārī, ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb, ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib, Salmān al-Fārisī, Abū Dharr al-Ghifārī, ʿAmmār b. Yāsir, Buraydah, Saʾd b. Abī Waqqāṣ, ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbbās, Abū Hurayrah, Jābir b. ʿAbdillāh, Abū Saʾīd al-Khudrī, Anas b. Mālik, ‘Imrān b. al-Ḥuṣayn, Ibn Abī Awfā, Su’dānah and the wife of Zayd b. Arqam.

The Imams of Ahl al-bayt are all agreed on it; and ʿAlī had adjured the people by God at the public square (of Kūfah) about this ḥadīth, and a group of the companions who were present there stood up and testified that they had heard the Messenger of God saying it on the day of Ghadīr.

Many of these traditions show that the Messenger of God said in his speech, inter alia: “O people! Don’t you know that certainly I have more authority over the believers than they have themselves?” They said, “Certainly.” He said, “Whoever whose Master am I, ʿAlī is his Master.” These wordings are seen in many traditions narrated by Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal in his Musnad, and by others. The Sunnīs and the Shīʾahs both have compiled many books especially to enumerate the chains of the tradition and to discuss and comment on its text; and they have done full justice to it which has not left any room for further elaboration.

15. al-Ḥamawaynī narrates through his chain from Abū Hurayrah that he said, “The Messenger of God, said, ‘The night when I was taken to the seventh heaven, I heard a voice from under the Throne: Verily ʿAlī is the sign of guidance and beloved of him who believes in Me; convey (it) to ʿAlī.’ When the Prophet descended from the heaven, he was made to forget it. Then God, the Mighty, the Great, revealed (to him): O Messenger! Deliver what has 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.’” (Farāid al-simṭayn)
16. Ibn Abī Ḥātim has narrated from Jābir b. ʿAbdillāh that he said, “When the Messenger of God, fought Banū Anmār, he came down at Dhāt al-Raqī’ in the higher part of the date orchard. So while he was sitting on the top of a well, dangling his feet (in it), al-Wārith of Banu al-Najjār, said, ‘Indeed I’ll certainly kill Muḥammad.’ His companions said, ‘How will you kill him?’ He said, ‘I’ll tell him: “Give me your sword,” and when he will give me it, I’ll kill him with it.’ So he came to him and said, ‘O Muḥammad! Give me your sword, so that I may smell it.’ So he gave it to him. But his hand trembled until the sword fell down from his hand. The Messenger of God said, ‘God intervened between you and what you had intended.’ Then God revealed: O Messenger! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord …” (Fatḥ al-qadīr).

Author’s comment: After the above, al-Shawkānī has written in Fatḥ al-qadīr: “Ibn Ḥibbān has narrated it in his al-Ṣaḥīḥ. Also Ibn Marduwayh has narrated from Abū Hurayrah nearly the same story without giving the man’s name; and Ibn Jarīr has narrated likewise from Muḥammad b. Ka’b al-Qaraẓī; and the story of Ghawrath b. al-Ḥārith is written in al-Ṣaḥīḥ, and it is famous and well known.” However, the problem here is to fit the story on the theme of this verse—and it will never fit on it.

17. It is narrated in al-Durr al-manthūr and Fatḥ al-qadīr, etc. from Ibn Marduwayh and al-Ḍiyā’ in al-Mukhtārah, from Ibn ʿAbbās that he said, “Verily the Messenger of God, was asked, ‘Which of the verses sent down from the heaven was the hardest for you?’ He said, ‘I was in Minā during the ḥajj period; and gathered there—in those days—the polytheists of Arabia and other people. Then Jibrīl brought to me and said: O Messenger! Deliver what has been revealed to you …’ (The Prophet) said, ‘Then I stood near the mountain pass and called out, “O people! Who will help me in delivering the message of my Lord, and he shall enter the Garden? O people! Say: ‘There is no god except God and I am God’s Messenger to you’, (and) you will be successful and will prosper, and you shall get the Garden.’”

“(The Prophet) said, ‘Then there was not any man, woman or child, but they were hurling earth and stone (at me) and spitting on my face and saying, “The Liar, the Ṣābian.” Then someone appeared before me and said, “O Muḥammad! If you are the Messenger, then the time has come for you to curse them, as Noah had invoked against his people to annihilate them.” But the Prophet said, “O God! Guide my people, because they do not know.’”

“Then his uncle, ʿAbbās, came and rescued him from them and removed them from him.”

Author’s comment: The complete verse does not fit on this story, as you have known its details. However, if it is taken to mean that only a part of the verse (O Messenger! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord) was revealed on that occasion, it could be tenable. But the tradition apparently rejects this view. And the same is the position of the following traditions:

18. It is written in al-Durr al-manthūr and Fatḥ al-qadīr. ʿAbd b. Ḥamīd, Ibn Jarīr, Ibn Abī Ḥātim and Abu al-Shaykh have narrated from Mujāhid that he said, “When the verse: Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord, was revealed, (the Prophet) said, ‘O my Lord! I’m but one, how should I do it? The people will combine together again me.’ Then it was revealed: and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message.”
19. The same two books narrate from al-Ḥasan, “The Messenger of God, said, ‘Verily God sent me with His message, and I felt uneasy about it, and I knew that the people would accuse me of lying. Then (God) promised me that I must deliver (it) or He would punish me; so He revealed: O Messenger! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord.’”

Author’s comment: These two traditions, in addition to being maqṭū’ and mursal, have the same defect as the preceding one—that they do not fit the theme of the verse. Similar is the condition of some traditions saying that the Messenger of God used to keep guards for himself; but when this verse was revealed he let them disperse and said, “Verily my Lord has promised to protect me.”

20. Tafsīr al-Manār says: It has been narrated by those exegetes who base their exegesis on tradition, as well as by al-Tirmidhī, Abu al-Shaykh, al-Ḥākim, Abū Nu’aym, al-Bayhaqī and al-Ṭabarānī from several companions that the Prophet used to keep guards in Mecca before revelation of this verse; when it was revealed, he discarded them; and Abū Ṭālib was the first person to manage his guarding; and ʿAbbās too used to guard him.

Also, it is written therein: Among the traditions on this subject, it is narrated from Jābir and Ibn ʿAbbās that the Prophet used to keep guards, and his uncle, Abū Ṭālib, used to send with him everyday some men from Banū Hāshim (for protection), until this verse was revealed; then he said, “O Uncle! Verily God has given me protection. (Now), I have no need of anyone to be sent (with me).”

Author’s comment: These two traditions, as you see, show that the verse was revealed in the middle of the Prophet’s stay at Mecca. They imply that he conveyed for sometime his message, but then he felt unable to bear the people’s offensives and their denials of his veracity, until he feared that they would kill him. So he abandoned the delivery of the Message and the Divine Call. Then he was ordered again to engage in the Call, and God threatened him if he neglected it, and also promised to protect him, then he began the noble work the second time. But the Prophet’s dignity and sanctity totally rejects such an idea.

21. Also, al-Durr al-manthūr and Fatḥ al-qadīr have reported: ʿAbdb. Ḥamīd, al-Tirmidhī, Abu al-Shaykh, al-Ḥākim and Ibn Marduwayh as well as Abū Nu’aym and al-Bayhaqī (both in al-Dalāil) have narrated from ‘Āishah that she said, “The Messenger of God used to keep guards until the verse: and Allah will protect you from the people, was revealed. So he stuck his head out of the cupola and said, ‘O people! Go away (now) because God has (promised to) protect me.’”

Author’s comment: As you see, the tradition apparently shows that the verse was revealed at Medina.

22. al-Ṭabarī narrates in his al-Tafsīr from Ibn ʿAbbās in explanation of: and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, that it means: “If you hide a verse out of what has been revealed to you, then you have not delivered His message.”

Author’s comment: If this refers to a particular verse—a particular order—that was revealed to the Prophet, then it may be treated as correct. But if it means a threat concerning any unspecified verse or order, then you have seen earlier that the verse does not fit such interpretation.

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1. For example, the verses giving the story of Uḥud in ch.3; and verses 105–6 of ch.4. (Auth.) ↩︎

2. As Abū Sufyān is reported to speak in the presence of ʿUthmān when he got the caliphate. (Auth.) ↩︎

3. al-Mīzān (Eng), vol.4. (Trans.) ↩︎

4. It is written in Marāṣid al-iṭṭilāʾ: “Abṭaḥ = every riverbed containing smaller pebbles is called abṭaḥ. Ibn Durayd has said, al-Abṭaḥ and al-Baṭḥā means soft ground spread out.’ Abū Zayd has said, al-Abṭaḥ = sign of a riverbed, be it narrow or wide. al-Abṭaḥ is correlated to Mecca as well as to Minā because it is equidistant from both, and possibly it is nearer to Minā and it is al-Muḥaṣṣab, and it is Khīf Banī Kinānah; and it has also been said that it is Dhū Ṭuwā, but it is separate from it.’” (Auth.) ↩︎

5. For a concise yet comprehensive review of the ḥadīth of Ghadīr, see the translator’s book, Imamate, published by WOFIS, 1985/1405, pp.62–81. (Ed.) ↩︎