One of the great events in the history of Islam before the passing of the Messenger of Allah SAAW is the event of Ghadir Khum. The event of Ghadir Khum is among the mutawatir reports (1). In the hadith of Ghadir Khum, after the farewell hajj (the last hajj), the Messenger of Allah halted the journey of his companions, who were almost home to their own houses, at a place called Khum (between Makkah and Madinah). Earlier, on the journey from Makkah to Madinah, Jibril came down and said, “O Messenger, convey it!” The Messenger of Allah did not convey it at once, but looked for the right situation and time to convey that command of Allah. Before long Jibril came down again and said, “O Messenger, convey it!” and still the Messenger of Allah had not conveyed it. Then Jibril came down a third time, bringing the following verse:

Al-Maaidah (QS5:67)
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

“O Messenger, convey (balligh) what your Lord has sent down to you from your Lord. If you do not do it, then you have not carried out His message. And Allah will protect you from the people. Indeed Allah does not guide the disbelieving people”

If we attend to the Arabic of the verse above, Allah uses the word balligh (convey!), which indicates a command of Allah of a compelling nature. If we attend to the verses in all thirty juz of the Qur’an, we will find no other command of Allah compelling the Messenger of Allah in the way this verse does. This of course shows how important the command of “conveying” in that verse is. For this reason this verse is also called the verse of tabligh.

The importance of the matter to be conveyed is also pictured in the closing part of the verse, where there is a warning from Allah should the Messenger not carry out that command. In that warning it is as though the Prophet’s struggle of twenty-three years would be of no account, or in vain, if he did not convey a certain “matter”. The delay in conveying it on the part of the Messenger of Allah must have rested on a concern in his mind about the capacity of his community to receive and carry out the command he conveyed. For this reason the Messenger of Allah sought a strategy by which the community would have no ground to refuse. The verse above also states that Allah, besides giving the Messenger of Allah the command to convey that “matter”, also gave a guarantee in the form of protection for him against harm from people.(2)

There are thus three important matters in this verse:
1. The Prophet is commanded to convey a matter of importance
2. Allah protects the Messenger of Allah from harm by people
3. The consequence for those who do not accept what the Messenger of Allah conveys

What then is the content of the commentary on the verse of tabligh above? As with the differences of interpretation that so often arise, a small number of commentaries say that the verse of tabligh came down in Madinah, when the Messenger of Allah was commanded to convey the teaching of Islam to the Jews. If we examine that commentary critically, we should recall that the Messenger of Allah, since migrating from the city of Makkah, had lived ten years in the city of Madinah. During the time the Messenger of Allah was in Madinah, were there not Jews already? Then why only now would Allah command him to convey Islam to them? Why, in the last moments before the Messenger of Allah died, would Allah only then warn him to convey Islam to the Jews? On the basis of logic and our understanding of the history of Islam, we can surely judge that this commentary is not right and has no basis at all.

Back to the event of Ghadir Khum. After the Messenger of Allah ordered his companions to halt, he then ordered stones to be piled up into a pulpit. The Messenger of Allah then climbed onto that pulpit and gave an address to a hundred and twenty thousand companions. It is this very great number of hearers that makes this report not merely sound but mutawatir. In his address the Messenger of Allah explained in great detail the leadership after him. He said, “Man kuntu maula fa Aliyyun maula (Whoever takes me as his leader, Ali is his leader after me).”

Regarding those words of the Messenger of Allah, there is a group who say that what he said was “Whoever takes me as his beloved takes Ali as his beloved.” If we examine that view critically, we would surely hold it a futility that the Messenger of Allah should gather a hundred and twenty thousand of his companions merely to say “love Ali”. The word “Maula” itself does not mean beloved but “leader”. Besides this, in delivering it the Messenger of Allah not only raised the hand of Imam Ali, but also moved his turban onto Ali’s head. This rests on the standing of the turban as a symbol of leadership, so that those of the community who were mute and deaf, who could not hear the address, could understand what the Messenger of Allah meant to convey by that sign. (3)

Reports such as the above may be found in the following books:
1. Tafsir Al-Manar by Muhammad Rasyid Ridho, vol. 6 p. 343
This book states that the verse of tabligh (Al-Maaidah:67) is the verse in which Allah sternly admonished His beloved, the Messenger of Allah, to convey the wilayah of Amirul Mu’minin.

2. The book Kanzul Ummal by Al-Allamah Al-Hindi, vol. 5 p. 114
States the same as Tafsir Al-Manar

3. Fushulul Muhimmah by Ibnu Sobbar, p. 42
States the same as Tafsir Al-Manar

4. Asbabun Nuzul by Al-Wahidi, p. 104
States the same as Tafsir Al-Manar, with the addition that after this verse came down Umar bin Kathab came to Ali bin Abi Thalib and said, “Congratulations, congratulations, O son of Abu Thalib. Today you have become the leader of us all.”

5. Yanabiul Mawaddah by Ibrahim Al-Qundusi Al-Hanafi
6. Tafsir Al-Kabir by Fakhrurrozi, vol. 6 p. 53
7. Mustadrak Shahihain, vol. 3 p. 330
8. Syawahidu Tanzil by Al-Hashakani, vol. 1 p. 192
9. Faraidus shimtain, vol. 1 p. 63
10. Ibnu Katsir
11. Al-Milal wal Nihar by Syakhrestani, p. 141
In this book it is told that when the Messenger SAAW was about to depart this world, he ordered the army of Usamah bin Zaid to fight a certain people. Abu Bakar, Umar and Usman were ordered to serve as soldiers under Usamah’s command. What was the Messenger SAAW’s purpose in involving them (given that they were no longer young)? This rested on his awareness that he was about to depart this world, and that the presence of those three would disturb the smooth transfer of the caliphate. The Messenger of Allah then also gave a warning: “The curse of Allah on whoever leaves the army of Usamah.” The army of Usamah set out. While on the way, word came that the Messenger of Allah had died, and Abu Bakar, Umar and Usman left the army.

12. Tafsir Durul Mantsur by Imam Suyuthi, vol. 3 p. 117
Explains that the verse of tabligh came down at Ghadir Khum

13. The book Farhul Khadir by Syaukhani, vol. 2 p. 88

On the basis of the report of Ghadir Khum, it is plain to us that the important matter Allah commanded the Messenger of Allah to convey concerns the wilayah (leadership) of Imam Ali bin Abi Thalib. If we return to the Qur’an, this is explained in surah Al-Maaidah (5):55 as follows:

إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ

“Indeed your protector is only Allah, His Messenger, and those who believe — those who establish the prayer and pay the zakat while bowing in ruku (رَاكِعُونَ)”

If we read the translation of the Qur’an from the Department of Religion, the word “رَاكِعُونَ” in the verse above is rendered as “submitting”, when the sense of رَاكِعُونَ is ruku’. To make this clearer, let us look at QS At-Taubah (9):112 as follows:

التَّائِبُونَ الْعَابِدُونَ الْحَامِدُونَ السَّائِحُونَ الرَّاكِعُونَ السَّاجِدُونَ الْآمِرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّاهُونَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَالْحَافِظُونَ لِحُدُودِ اللَّهِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“They are those who repent, who worship, who praise Allah, who fast, who bow in ruku’ (الرَّاكِعُونَ), who prostrate, who enjoin good and forbid wrong, and who keep the limits of Allah. And give glad tidings to the believers”

We can see that in this verse, the word “الرَّاكِعُونَ” is rendered as ruku’. The same can be seen in the following verse:
QS Ali Imran (3):43:

يَا مَرْيَمُ اقْنُتِي لِرَبِّكِ وَاسْجُدِي وَارْكَعِي مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ

“O Maryam, be devout to your Lord, prostrate and bow in ruku’ with those who bow (الرَّاكِعِينَ)”

The word “الرَّاكِعِينَ” in this verse is also translated as ruku’. So we may fairly ask why in QS Al-Maaidah (5):55 the word rakiun is rendered as submitting.

Returning to QS Al-Maaidah (5):55, that verse opens with the word “إِنَّمَا”. When we come upon the word “إِنَّمَا” in the Qur’an, it indicates kalimatul hasyr (a restriction). So we may conclude that there is no leader other than those mentioned in that verse. Accordingly, the leader (for the Muslims) is Allah, the Messenger and those who believe. Which believers are meant here? Ibnu Katsir says that this verse came down concerning Imam Ali bin Abi Thalib. The report says that while he was praying in the mosque, a beggar came and asked money of the Prophet’s companions. None of the companions had money on him, and then the Messenger said, “Go in and ask of the one who is praying.” Imam Ali, who at that moment was in ruku’, gave charity by a sign, holding out the ring on his finger. It is plain that this was a command from the Messenger of Allah SAAW carrying great meaning, such that it is recorded in the Qur’an. Then what of the words “those” who believe, which is plural in this verse? It should be known that in the Qur’an a phrase in plural form is not necessarily ascribed to many people. A plural phrase may be ascribed to one person. An example is in the verse QS Ali Imran (3):61 (the Verse of Mubahalah) below:

فَمَنْ حَاجَّكَ فِيهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَأَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَنِسَاءَنَا وَنِسَاءَكُمْ وَأَنْفُسَنَا وَأَنْفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَلْ لَعْنَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَاذِبِي

“Whoever disputes with you in this matter after the knowledge that has come to you, say (Muhammad), ‘Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves; then let us pray earnestly that the curse of Allah be upon those who lie.’”

The word “نِسَاءَنَا” in the verse above means “our women”, which is plural, yet is ascribed to one person only, namely Sayyidah Zahra a.s.

Another example is found in QS An-Nahl (16):120 as follows:

إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِلَّهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِي

“Indeed Ibrahim was a community (أُمَّةً) devoutly obedient to Allah, upright, and he was not among the polytheists”

Considering the verse above: how many people is Ibrahim? Only one. Yet Allah says “أُمَّةً”. Ummatan is a plural word yet is ascribed to the Prophet Ibrahim alone.

Further, QS Al-Maaidah (5):55 states that a person, when he takes Allah as his leader, the Messenger as his leader, and those believers as his leader, enters the party of hizbollah (the followers of Allah). So the condition for entering as a follower of Allah is to take Allah, the Messenger and those believers as one’s leader (to hold wilayah to Allah, the Messenger and those who believe). Whoever does not take Allah, the Messenger and the believers as his leader as a single whole is the opposite of a follower of Allah, that is, a follower of Satan.

On the basis of the discussion above it is plain that the command that had to be conveyed in the verse of tabligh is the wilayah of Amirul Mukminin Ali bin Abi Thalib as. The content of QS Al-Maaidah (5):55 explains that it is obligatory for the Muslim community to obey that wilayah absolutely. This is also explained in the verse QS An-Nisa (4):59 as follows:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ ۖ فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا

“O you who believe, obey Allah, the Messenger and those in authority. If you differ in a matter, refer it back to Allah and His Messenger, if you truly believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and finer in outcome”

The verse above states that the believers (in general) are commanded to obey Allah, the Messenger and those in authority. If you (the believers) differ as to who those in authority are, Allah says refer it back to Allah and the Messenger, who will explain. If one truly professes belief in Allah and the Last Day, then one must obey Allah, the Messenger and those in authority. This accords with the hadith found in Sahih Muslim which says that whoever dies not knowing the imam of his age dies the death of ignorance.

The Messenger of Allah, when asked who those in authority are, answered, “They are the imams of my ahlul bayt.” This is set down in the books:
1. Yanabiul Mawaddah
2. Faraidus Shimtain
3. Syawahidu Tanzil

After the wilayah was established through the text and the explanation of the Messenger of Allah SAAW, once the community had accepted all this, then Islam was complete as their religion.
QS Al-Maaidah (5):3:

الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا ۚ

“This day I have perfected your religion for you, and completed My favour upon you, and approved Islam as your religion.”

If we look at the words in the verse above, we can see that the terms used are:
Akmaltu = I have perfected
Atmamtu = I have completed
Kafaitu = I have made sufficient

From the verse above it is plain that there was still something to be perfected by Allah SWT, which means there was one matter not yet complete in what had been conveyed thus far. As soon as that matter was conveyed, only then does the end of the verse say that Allah approved the religion of Islam. So we must follow that perfected favour; if not, we will of course not attain the Islam that Allah SWT approved.

In the book Bidayah wal Nihayah, vol. 5 p. 464, by Ibnu Katsir:
From Abu Hurairah, who said, “Whoever fasts on the 18th of Dzulhijjah, it is written for him as the fast of sixty months. And on the day of Ghadir Khum, on that day the Prophet took the hand of Ali. The Prophet said, ‘Am I not the leader of the believers?’ ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah,’ they answered. The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Whoever takes me as maula, Ali is his maula.’ Then Umar bin Khattab said, ‘Congratulations, congratulations, O son of Abu Thalib. Today you are my leader, and the leader of every Muslim.’” At that moment Allah sent down the verse QS Al-Maaidah (5):3.

After all the companions had pledged allegiance to the Messenger, one man named Harris bin Nu’man would not pledge. He came to the Messenger of Allah and asked, “Is this command from Allah or your own invention, O Messenger of Allah?” The Messenger of Allah said, “By Allah, this is a command from Allah.” “Then send down the punishment of Allah, if it is truly from Allah,” said Harris. QS Al-Maarij (70):1 - 2

سَأَلَ سَائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ

لِلْكَافِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ

“A questioner asked about a punishment bound to fall. Upon the disbelievers, which none can repel.”

A man asked for a swift punishment, and Allah made that man a disbeliever; this account is set down in the books:
1. Faraidus Shintain, vol. 1 p. 82
2. Tafsir Qurtubi, vol. 9 p. 216
3. The book Fushulul Muhimmah, p. 42
4. Faidhul Ghadir, vol. 6 p. 268, by Manawi
5. The book Nur Abshor, p. 87, by Sarblanji
relating the story of Harris bin Nu’man. When this verse came down, a stone came down from the sky and passed through his head.

To close this discussion, consider the following verse, QS Az-Zukhruf (43):45:

وَاسْأَلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رُسُلِنَا أَجَعَلْنَا مِنْ دُونِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ آلِهَةً يُعْبَدُونَ

“And ask (Muhammad) those of Our messengers whom We sent before you: did We appoint gods besides (Allah) the Most Merciful to be worshipped?”

The verse above states that there was a meeting between the Messenger of Allah and the other messengers of Allah, namely at the Isra Mi’raj. The verse above states that Allah commanded the Messenger of Allah to ask those messengers. What was it that Allah commanded him to ask?

In the books:
1. Faraidush Shimtain, vol. 1 p. 81, by Juwaini
2. Tarikh Damsikh, vol. 42 p. 241, by Ibnu Ashakir asy-Syafii
3. Syawahidu Tanzil, vol. 2 p. 157, by Al-Hashakani al-Hanafi
it is related that the Messenger of Allah said, “An angel came to me and said, ‘Ask those We sent of the messengers before you what they were sent for.’ The messengers answered, ‘We brought your wilayah and the wilayah of Ali bin Abi Thalib.’”

=====
(1) Viewed from the side of transmission, the grades of hadith are sound, good, weak, and so on. But there is a hadith of a grade above sound, namely mutawatir. If more than three relate it, it is called a sound hadith, but if more than seven relate it, it is called mutawatir. The standing of a mutawatir hadith is almost the same as the Qur’an.

(2) This verse also sets aside the view that the Messenger of Allah died of poisoning

(3) Subhanallah, the place of Ghadir Khum still exists today, and from the place where the Messenger of Allah stood a voice speaking there carries as far as 5km. That is how a hundred and twenty thousand companions could hear the words of the Messenger.