26. What is the complete text of Ghadir according to Shi′a belief?

Answer:

The Prophet, when returning from his last pilgrimage on the 18th of Dhyl-Hajjah stopped by the pond of Ghadir and in front of over one hundred thousand people delivered the following sermon and after the speech, the people pledged their allegiance to the Prophet Mohammad and his divinely chosen Successor, Ali (‘a).

Here is some part of it:

"Praise belongs to Allah Who is exalted above in His oneness, and is near (to His creations) in His Loneliness and uniqueness, and is sublime in His Authority. His knowledge encompasses everything while He is in His Status; He subdues all creations through His Power and Proof…

I confess before Him that submissiveness befits my soul, and I bear witness that Lordship befits Him. I convey what He revealed to me, lest should I not do it, He may make lawful that a calamity befalls me; that which no one can turn away from me even if he has great schemes and sincere friendship, there is no God but He. He has informed me that if I do not convey what He has revealed to me [about Ali's right], then I have not conveyed His message at all.

Certainly, He, the most holy, the most high, has guaranteed for me protection from the people, and He is Allah, Who is sufficient and bountiful. Thus, He revealed to me: "O' Messenger! Deliver what has been sent down to you from your Lord [regarding Ali Ibn Abi Talib and his leadership] and if you do not, you have not conveyed His message at all, and Allah shall protect you from people.” (Qur′an; 5:67)

O' people! I have never been neglectful of conveying what Allah, the exalted, sent down to me, and I shall now explain to you the reason behind the revelation of this verse. Verily, Gabriel came down to me three times and delivering me my Lord's Salaam and His Order that I should stand in this scene and inform everyone, white and black: Ali Ibn Abi Talib is my brother, my deputy and my executor (Wasi), my successor (Caliph) [over my nation], and the leader (Imam) after me. His position to me is as that of Aaron to Moses except that there shall be no prophet after me, and that he is your guardian (Waly) after Allah and His messenger…

O' people! Know that Allah has assigned him (Ali) as a guardian and a leader for you, whose obedience is obligatory for the Immigrants (Mohaajerin), the Helpers (Ansar), and for all my followers. His (Ali) decree is to be carried out, his sayings are permitted (as law), and his command is effective. Far from Allah's mercy is whoever opposes him, blessed with mercy is whoever follows him, faithful is whoever acknowledges him. Indeed, Allah has covered him and those who listen to him and obey him with mercy and forgiveness. O' people! This is the last stand I make in his gathering; thus, listen, obey and submit to the command of your Lord, for Allah, the mighty and the majestic, is your Mawla and Master, then His Messenger, Mohammad, who is now addressing you, is your guardian and master. Then after me, Ali is your guardian and your Imam by the command of Allah, your Lord.

Then Imamate shall be in my progeny, from his offspring, until the Day you meet Allah and His Messenger. Nothing is lawful (Halaal) except what Allah declared so, as well as His Messenger, and them, and nothing is unlawful (Haraam) except what Allah declared so, as well as His Messenger, and them. Allah the mighty and the majestic, has informed me of the permissible and the forbidden things, and I have made known to him (Ali) what my Lord has taught me of His Book, the permissible, and the forbidden things. O' people! There is no knowledge except that Allah has kept its account in me, and I have recorded the details of all the knowledge that I was taught, in the Imam of the pious, (Ali).

O' people! Do not stray from him, nor should you flee from him, nor should you refuse his guardianship and his authority, for he is the one who guides to the Truth and acts upon it, and crushes falsehood and proscribes it, and in the path of Allah the blame of blamers do not hold him back.

He is the first to believe in Allah and in His Messenger; and he is the one who offered his life as a sacrifice for the Messenger of Allah. I commanded him, on behalf of Allah, to sleep in my bed, and he did it to sacrifice himself for me. He was with the Messenger of Allah when no one among men worshiped Allah in the company of His Messenger other than him.

O' people! Prefer him (over all others), for Allah has indeed preferred him, and turn to him, for Allah has indeed appointed him. O' people! He is an Imam authorized by Allah, and Allah shall never turn to anyone (in mercy) who denies his authority, nor shall He ever forgive him; this is a decisive decree by Allah that He shall do so to anyone who opposes His command about him, and shall torment him with the most painful torment, which lasts forever and ever. Hence, beware lest you oppose him, and then, enter Fire whose fuel is people and stones, prepared for the disbelievers.

O' people! By Allah, all early prophets and messengers have given the glad tiding of my advent. I am the last (ending seal) of the prophets and the messengers, and the proof over all the creatures, of the inhabitants of the heavens and the earths. He who doubts this, is indeed a disbeliever, with the disbelief of the early era of ignorance. And he who doubts anything of this which was said, has doubted all that has been revealed to me. And any one who doubts any of the Imams, has doubted them all, and anyone who doubts us, shall be in the Fire…

O' People! Reflect on the Qur'an and comprehend its verses. Look into its clear and firm (Mohkam) verses and do not follow its ambiguous (Motashaabeh) parts. Swear by Allah, none shall be able to explain to you its (Quran's) warnings and its mysteries, nor shall anyone clarify its interpretation, other than the one that I have lifted his hand; the one about whom I inform you that whomever I am his Mawla and Master, this Ali is his Master and Mawla.

O' people! Indeed, I am leaving amongst you two weighty and precious things that if you adhere to both, you will never go astray. Verily, Ali and the pure ones among my progeny are the lesser weight, and the Qur'an is the greater weight. Each one [of the two] informs about the other and agrees with it. They shall never part until they return to me at the Pool (of Al-kawthar on the Day of Judgment).

O' people! Who has more priority over you than yourselves? (People said, "Allah and His Messenger." Then, he (S) said,) Behold! Whosoever I am his Mawla, this Ali is his Mawla. O' Allah! Stay firm in supporting those who stay firm in following him, be hostile to those who are hostile to him, help those who help him, and forsake those who forsake him.

O' people! This Ali is my brother, my executor (wasi), the container of my knowledge, my successor (Caliph) over my nation, and over the interpretation of the Book of Allah, the mighty and the majestic. He is the one who acts according to what pleases Him, fights His enemies, causes to adhere to His obedience, and advises against His disobedience. Surely, He is the successor of the Messenger of Allah, the commander of the Believers, the guiding Imam, and the killer of the oath breakers (Naakethin) the transgressors (Qaasetin), and the apostates (Maareqin)…

O' Allah! Be the guardian of him who adheres to him. Be the enemy of him who bears enmity against him. Be wrathful towards him who denies his right. Indeed, I have now fulfilled. Indeed, I have now conveyed. Indeed, I have now made you hear. Indeed, I have now clarified. Indeed, Allah, the mighty and the majestic, so said, and so did I on His behalf…

O people! There shall soon be leaders after me who shall invite (people) to the Fire, and on the Day of Judgment they shall not be helped. O people! Indeed, Allah and I both dissociate ourselves from them. O people! They, their supporters, their followers, and their adherents shall be in the lowest depths of the Fire; and evil indeed, is the abode of the arrogant...

O people! Allah has commanded and prohibited me, and I commanded and prohibited Ali by the order of Allah. Hence, the knowledge of all commandments and prohibitions are with him (Ali). Thus, listen to his orders so that you remain safe, obey him so that you are guided, and leave what he prohibits so that you grow in guidance. Conform to what he wants, and do not let different paths separate you from his path.

O people! I am the straight path of Allah whom He commanded you to follow, and such after me is Ali, and then my offspring from him, "the Imams who guide with Truth and turn (people) to it." (Qur′an; 21:73)

…Know that the last of the Imams from among us shall be the Qa’im, the Mahdi. He shall, most certainly, prevail over (all) religions (methods of life). He shall definitely be the avenger against the oppressors. He shall surely be the conqueror of the strongholds and their demolisher...1

• 1. . Al-Ehtejaaj, vol. 1, p. 56.