The Prophet has more right to the Believers than their selves (33:6) and Hadith al-Ghadir

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدى يا رسول الله

Allah, Holy and Exalted is He, says

النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَىٰ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ

The Prophet is more entitled to the Believers than their own souls

(33:6)

To understand this Ayah it is profitable to refer to the narration of al-Bara bin Azib, may Allah be pleased with him, who said

كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي سَفَرٍ فَنَزَلْنَا بِغَدِيرِ خُمٍّ فَنُودِيَ فِينَا الصَّلَاةُ جَامِعَةٌ وَكُسِحَ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَحْتَ شَجَرَتَيْنِ فَصَلَّى الظُّهْرَ وَأَخَذَ بِيَدِ عَلِيٍّ ضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ فَقَالَ أَلَسْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ أَنِّي أَوْلَى بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ قَالُوا بَلَى قَالَ أَلَسْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ أَنِّي أَوْلَى بِكُلِّ مُؤْمِنٍ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ قَالُوا بَلَى قَالَ فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِ عَلِيٍّ فَقَالَ مَنْ كُنْتُ مَوْلَاهُ فَعَلِيٌّ مَوْلَاهُ ‌اللهُمَّ ‌وَالِ ‌مَنْ ‌وَالَاهُ ‌وَعَادِ ‌مَنْ ‌عَادَاهُ قَالَ فَلَقِيَهُ عُمَرُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ هَنِيئًا يَا ابْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ أَصْبَحْتَ وَأَمْسَيْتَ مَوْلَى كُلِّ مُؤْمِنٍ وَمُؤْمِنَةٍ

We were with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on a journey. We stopped at Ghadir Khumm, and the call was made to prayer in congregation. A place was swept for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, under two trees. He prayed the Zuhr prayer and took Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, by the hand and said: “Do you not know that I am more entitled to the Believers than their own souls?” They said: “Why not!” He said: “Do you not know that I am more entitled to every Believer than his own soul?” They said: “Why not!” Then he took Ali’s hand and said: “Whoever I am his Mawla, Ali is his Mawla. Allahumma, befriend whoever befriends him and be hostile to whoever is hostile to him.” Then Umar met him after that and said: “Congratulations, O son of Abu Talib. You have become and gone to bed the master of every believing male and believing female.” (Musnad Ahmad, v.30, p.430, #18479)

This wonderful and blessed Hadith clarifies the status and rank of Mawla Ali, may Allah honor his honorable face. As the Ayah says that the Prophet, peace be upon him, is more entitled to the Believers than their own selves, likewise this is the rank of Mawla Ali, who is also more entitled to the Believers than their own selves. The Shi’ah argue that this refers to the entitlement of rulership, since the entitlement of Allah and His Apostle over the Believers refers to the rulership of Allah and His Apostle. However, rulership is not intended by the Ayah “the Prophet is more entitled to the Believers than their own selves”. This entitlement or right that the Prophet has over the Believers is exemplified in the entitlement of kinship over each other, as mentioned in the rest of the Ayah

وَاُولُوا الۡاَرۡحَامِ بَعۡضُہُمۡ اَوۡلٰی بِبَعۡضٍ فِیۡ کِتٰبِ اللّٰہِ مِنَ الۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ وَالۡمُہٰجِرِیۡنَ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ تَفۡعَلُوۡۤا اِلٰۤی اَوۡلِیٰٓئِکُمۡ مَّعۡرُوۡفًا

And blood relations are more entitled to one another in the Book of Allah than the [other] Believers and Emigrants, except that you do good to your friends

(33:6)

Obviously, the entitlement or right which kinship related by blood have over each is not the entitlement of rulership or government. Hence, the Prophet, peace be upon him said, in explanation of this Ayah

مَا مِنْ مُؤْمِنٍ إِلاَّ وَأَنَا أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ

There is no Believer except I am, of the people, more entitled to him in this world and in the Hereafter (Sahih al-Bukhari)

By mentioning his entitlement over the Believer as extending into the Afterlife, the Prophet, peace be upon him, has differed from the Shi’ah in their claim that his entitlement over the Believers as mentioned in the Ayah refers to rulership over them in this temporal world. He also said,

وَمَنْ تَرَكَ دَيْنًا أَوْ ضَيَاعًا فَلْيَأْتِنِي فَأَنَا مَوْلاَهُ

Whoever left behind debt or destitute offspring, let him come to me for I am his Mawla (ibid)

Here the Prophet, peace be upon him, has explained in what sense he is the Mawla of the Believers, he has obligated himself with the responsibility of covering the debt and protecting and caring for the destitute family members of the deceased Believer—who have become destitute as a consequence of his death.

The Hadith of Ghadir Khumm that I have quoted also clarifies that it is not the Wilayah of rulership that is meant but rather of love, friendship and protection. Hence, as the Prophet is dearer to the Believers than their own souls in terms of love and attachment, likewise this must be for them the position of Ali bin Abi Talib, may Allah honor his face. And as the Prophet, peace be upon him, is a Mawla to the Believers in the sense of being responsible for their well-being, protecting them, paying off their debts, etc., likewise this is the character of Ali bin Abi Talib, may Allah honor his face. This sense of Wilayah, the sense of love and attachment, is again made plain when the Prophet supplicated, “Allahumma! Befriend whoever befriends him [walahu] and have enmity to whoever has enmity to him!”

By contrasting the wilayah of Ali with adawah (enmity), it becomes plain that the meaning of his wilayah is friendship and love and not rulership.

As for Umar al-Faruq congradulating Ali bin Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with them both, on becoming the Mawla of every Believer, it is Mawla in the sense of friend and being loved and not ruler. The Prophet peace be upon him was still manifestly alive at the time and it is not possible for there to be two rulers at one, or that Mawla Ali was a partner with the Prophet in his rule over the community.

And Allah and His Apostle know best!