Ali in the Quran collects the verses of the Quran, the central religious text of Islam, which are said to have been revealed about Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophetMuhammad. Ali played a pivotal role during the formative years of Islam and is recognized as the fourth Rashidun caliph (r.656–661) in Sunni Islam and the first imam in Shia Islam. Perhaps the most controversial such verse is 5:55, also known as the verse of walaya, which gave Ali the same spiritual authority (walaya) as Muhammad, according to the Shia.
Ali regularly represented Muhammad in missions that were preceded or followed by Quranic injunctions.[1][2] Nevertheless, the mainstream view in Islam is that he is not mentioned by name in the Quran,[3][4] although some have interpreted certain occurrences of the words aliyyan, aliyyun, alayya in the Quran in reference to Ali.[1] One such instance is verse 19:50, which some have interpreted as, "We appointed for them Ali as a voice of truth."[1] Independent of such views, Shia tradition connects Ali and other Shia imams with many ambiguous (mutashabih) verses of the Quran, cf. verse 3:7.[5] For instance, a tradition ascribed to Ali suggests that a fourth of the Quran is about the House of Muhammad, or the Ahl al-Bayt, while another fourth is about their enemies. The extant Quran certainly does not meet this description but the inconsistency can be explained by another Shia tradition, which states that the verses of the Quran about the virtuous are primarily directed at the Ahl al-Bayt, while those verses about the evildoers are directed first at their enemies.[6] Beyond these, certain verses of the Quran were directly revealed about Ali, according to some Shia and Sunni authorities,[1] a few of which are listed below.
Laylat al-mabit (lit.'the overnight stay') refers to the night in 622 CE in which Muhammad migrated from the city of Mecca to Yathrib, later renamed Medina, apparently to foil an assassination plan.[7][8] That night, Ali reputedly risked his life by sleeping in Muhammad's bed instead of him to facilitate his escape.[9][10][11] When the assassins broke into Muhammad's residence, they found Ali, whose life they spared.[12][13] His act of self-sacrifice may have been the reason for the revelation of verse 2:207 in the Quran,[14] "But there is also a kind of man who gives his life away to please God, and God is most compassionate to his servants."[15] This was the opinion Ibn Abbas (d.687), an influential early exegete,[15] and such reports are also found in the works of the Sunni authors al-Tha'labi (d.1035-6),[14]al-Razi (d.1209),[16] and al-Haskani,[17] the Shia authors al-Tabarsi (d.1153),[16]al-Hilli (d.1325),[17]al-Balaghi (d.1933),[18] and the Mu'tazilite scholar Ibn Abi'l-Hadid (d.1258).[18]
A Christian envoy from Najran, located in South Arabia, arrived in Medina circa 632 and negotiated a peace treaty with Muhammad.[19][20] During their stay, the two parties may have also debated the nature of Jesus, human or divine, although the delegation ultimately rejected the Islamic belief,[21] which acknowledges the miraculous birth of Jesus but rejects the Christians' belief in his divinity.[22] Linked to this ordeal is verse 3:61 of the Qur'an.[23] This verse instructs Muhammad to challenge his opponents to mubahala (lit.'mutual cursing'),[24] perhaps when the debate had reached a deadlock.[25]
فَمَنْ حَآجَّكَ فِيهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا۟ نَدْعُ أَبْنَآءَنَا وَأَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَنِسَآءَنَا وَنِسَآءَكُمْ وَأَنفُسَنَا وَأَنفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَل لَّعْنَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ And to whomsoever disputes with thee over it, after the knowledge that has come unto thee, say, "Come! Let us call upon our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves. Then let us pray earnestly, so as to place the curse of God upon those who lie."[23]
The delegation withdrew from the challenge and negotiated for peace.[20] The majority of reports indicate that Muhammad appeared for the occasion of mubahala, accompanied by his daughter Fatima, her husband 'Ali, and their two sons, Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn.[26] Such reports are given by the Shi'a-leaning historian Ibn Ishaq (d.767),[18] and the Sunni scholars al-Razi,[18]Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (d.875), Hakim al-Nishapuri (d.1014),[27] and Ibn Kathir (d.1373).[28] The inclusion of these four by Muhammad in the mubahala ritual, as his witnesses and guarantors,[29][30] must have raised their religious rank within the community.[21][31] If the word 'ourselves' (Arabic: أَنفُسَنَا, romanized:anfusana) in the verse is a reference to 'Ali and Muhammad, as Shi'a authors argue, then the former naturally enjoys a similar religious authority in the Qur'an as the latter.[32][33]
Also known as the verse of ikmal al-din, verse 5:3 of the Quran includes the passage, "This day those who disbelieve have despaired of your religion. So fear them not, but fear Me! This day I have perfected for you your religion, and completed My blessing upon you, and have approved for you as religion, submission [to God] (islam)."[34] The chief Sunni interpretation of this verse is that it was revealed to Muhammad during his Farewell Pilgrimage to Mecca to signal the completion of Islamic legislation, although some legal injunctions about riba were probably revealed after this verse.[15] By contrast, Shia authorities are nearly unanimous that the verse of ikmal was revealed following the announcement of Muhammad at the Ghadir Khumm, after his Farewell Pilgrimage and shortly before his death in 632.[35] In Shia sources, Muhammad received this revelation following his designation of Ali at the Ghadir Khumm to guide the nascent Muslim community after him.[36] Some Sunni sources also associate the verse of ikmal with the Ghadir Khumm but reject its Shia significance.[35]
Known in Shia Islam as the verse of walaya (or wilaya),[37] verse 5:55 of the Quran is translated by The Study Quran as, "Your protector (wali) is only (innama) God, and His Messenger, and those who believe, who perform the prayer and give alms (zakat) while (waw) bowing down."[37] This matches the Shia translation,[38][39] while the Sunni translation of the verse is, "Your (real) friends are (no less than) God, His Messenger, and the believers—those who establish prayers and pay zakat and (waw) they bow down humbly (in worship)."[38] Responsible for their difference is the Arabic conjunction waw, which can mean 'while', as in the Shia translation, or may mean 'and', as in the Sunni translation.[40] As for the occasion of its revelation, the verse is considered a specific reference to Ali by Shia and some Sunni commentators, that is, a reference to when Ali reputedly gave his ring to a beggar while he was bowing in worship in the mosque.[37] The frequent association of this verse with Ali in early Sunni sources may support the authenticity of this claim.[41][42]
Also known as the verse of tabligh (lit.'proclamation'), verse of 5:67 of the Quran reads,
O Messenger! Convey that which has been sent down unto thee from thy Lord, and if thou dost not, thou wilt not have conveyed His message. And God will protect thee from mankind. Surely God guides not disbelieving people.[43]
In Shia Islam, this verse spurred Muhammad to deliver his announcement at the Ghadir Khumm about Ali,[44] which in Shia signifies the divine investiture of Ali with the spiritual authority (walaya) over Muslims.[45][46] A few Sunni authors have similarly linked this verse to Ali's merits.[47] Other Sunni exegetes forward different views, one of which connects this verse to Muhammad's criticism of Jews and Christians.[48]
Verse 33:33
Verse of purification, inscribed in the shrine of Husayn in Karbala, Iraq
Known as the verse of purification, verse 33:33 of the Quran concerns the status of purity of the Ahl al-Bayt, the last passage of which reads, "God only desires (innama yuridu llahu) to remove defilement (rijs) from you, O Ahl al-Bayt, and to purify you completely."[49] Pointing to authentic traditions in Sunni and Shia sources,[50][51][24] Shia Islam limits the Ahl al-Bayt to Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, and their two sons, Hasan and Husayn.[50][51] There are various views in Sunni Islam, though a typical compromise is to include also Muhammad's wives in the Ahl al-Bayt,[52] perhaps because the earlier injunctions in the verse of purification are addressed at Muhammad's wives.[53] The verse of purification is regarded by the Shia as evidence of the infallibility of the Ahl al-Bayt.[54]
Known as the verse of mawadda (lit.'affection' or 'love'), verse 42:23 of the Quran includes the passage, "[O Mohammad!] Say, 'I ask not of you any reward for it, save affection among kinsfolk.'"[55] The Shia-leaning Ibn Ishaq narrates that Muhammad specified al-qurba in this verse as Ali, Fatima, and their two sons, Hasan and Husayn.[56] This is also the view of some Sunni scholars, including al-Razi (d.1209), Baydawi (d.1319),[57] and Ibn al-Maghazili.[56] Most Sunni authors, however, reject the Shia view and offer various alternatives,[55] chief among them is that this verse enjoins love for kinsfolk in general.[58][59] In Twelver Shia, the love in the verse of mawadda also entails obedience to the Ahl al-Bayt as the source of exoteric and esoteric religious guidance.[60][61]
Verses 76:5–22
Verses 76:5-22 are connected to Ali in most Shia and some Sunni sources, including the works of the Shia al-Tabarsi, and the Sunni scholars al-Qurtubi (d.1273) and al-Alusi (d.1854).[62] According to these authors, verses 76:5–22 were revealed to Muhammad after Ali, Fatima, Hasan, Husayn, and their maidservant Fidda gave away their only meal of the day to beggars who visited their home, for three consecutive days.[63][32] In particular, verses 76:7–12 read,
They fulfill their vows and fear a day whose evil is widespread, and give food, despite loving it, to the indigent, the orphan, and the captive. "We feed you only for the Face of God. We do not desire any recompense or thanks from you. Truly we fear from our Lord a grim, calamitous day." So God has shielded them from the evil of that Day, bestowed upon them radiance and joy, and rewarded them for having been patient with a Garden and with silk.[64]
Ali ibn Abi Talib was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from 656 CE to 661, as well as the first Shia imam. Born to Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib and Fatima bint Asad, young Ali was raised by his elder cousin Muhammad and was among the first to accept his teachings.
Hasan ibn Ali was an Alid political and religious leader. The eldest son of Ali and Fatima and a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, Hasan briefly ruled as Rashidun caliph from January 661 until August 661. He is considered as the second Imam in Shia Islam, succeeding Ali and preceding his brother Husayn. As a grandson of the prophet, he is part of the ahl al-bayt and the ahl al-kisa, and also participated in the event of the mubahala.
Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the fifth of the twelve Shia imams, succeeding his father, Ali al-Sajjad, and succeeded by his son, Ja'far al-Sadiq. Muhammad's honorific title al-Baqir is short for baqir al-ilm, which means 'the one who splits knowledge open', a reference to his fame as a religious scholar.
The issue of succession following the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad is the central issue in the schisms that divided the early Muslim community in the first century of Islamic history into numerous schools and branches. The two most prominent branches that emerged from these divisions are Sunni and Shia branches of Islam. Sunni Islam asserts that Abu Bakr rightfully succeeded Muhammad through a process of election. In contrast, Shia Islam maintains that Ali ibn Abi Talib was Muhammad's designated successor.
Ahl al-Bayt refers to the family of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. In Sunni Islam, the term has also been extended to all descendants of the Banu Hashim and even to all Muslims. In Shia Islam, the term is limited to Muhammad, his daughter Fatima, his cousin and son-in-law Ali, and their two sons, Ḥasan and Ḥusayn. A common Sunni view adds the wives of Muhammad to these five.
Imāmah means "leadership" and is a concept in Twelver theology. The Twelve Imams are the spiritual and political successors to Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, in the Twelver branch of Shia Islam. According to Twelver theology, the successors to Muhammad are infallible human beings, who rule justly over the community and maintain and interpret sharia and undertake the esoteric interpretation of the Quran. The words and deeds of Muhammad and the Imams guide the community. For this, the Imams must be free from error and sin and chosen by divine decree—nass—through the Prophet.
The hadith of the thaqalayn refers to a statement, attributed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, that introduces the Quran, the principal religious text in Islam, and his progeny as the only two sources of divine guidance after his death. Widely reported by both Shia and Sunni authorities, the hadith of the thaqalayn is of particular significance in Twelver Shia, where their Twelve Imams are viewed as the spiritual and political successors of Muhammad.
Ali ibn Abi Talib was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Ali contributed significantly to Islam in its early years and was likely the first male to accept the teachings of Muhammad. Ali is accorded an almost legendary place in Islam as a paragon of virtues, a fount of wisdom, and a fearless but magnanimous warrior. In Shia Islam Ali is regarded as the foremost companion of Muhammad and his rightful successor through divinely-ordained designation at the Ghadir Khumm.
The Ghadīr Khumm was a gathering of Muslims to attend a sermon delivered by the Islamic prophet Muhammad on 16 March 632 CE. The gathering is said to have taken place by the ghadir in the wadi of Khumm, located near the then settlement of al-Juhfa on the path between Mecca and Medina, where Muhammad halted the large caravan of Muslims who had accompanied him in the Farewell Pilgrimage, his only Hajj ritual.
The event of the mubahala was an aborted attempt to resolve a theological dispute between Muslims and Christians in c. 632 CE by invoking the curse of God upon the liars. These debates took place in Medina, located in the Arabian Peninsula, between a Christian delegation from Najran, a city in South Arabia, and the Islamic prophet Muhammad, who proposed this solution probably when their discourse had reached a deadlock concerning the nature of Jesus, human or divine.
Fatima bint Muhammad, commonly known as Fatima al-Zahra', was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his wife Khadija. Fatima's husband was Ali, the fourth of the Rashidun Caliphs and the first Shia Imam. Fatima's sons were Hasan and Husayn, the second and third Shia Imams, respectively. Fatima has been compared to Mary, mother of Jesus, especially in Shia Islam. Muhammad is said to have regarded her as the best of women and the dearest person to him. She is often viewed as an ultimate archetype for Muslim women and an example of compassion, generosity, and enduring suffering. It is through Fatima that Muhammad's family line has survived to this date. Her name and her epithets remain popular choices for Muslim girls.
Ahl al-Kisa, also known as the Al al-Aba, are Muhammad the Islamic prophet, his daughter Fatima, his cousin and son-in-law Ali, and his two grandsons Hasan and Husayn.
The verse of purification refers to verse 33:33 of the Quran, the central religious text in Islam. The verse concerns the status of purity of the Ahl al-Bayt, the last passage of which reads,
God only desires to remove defilement from you, O Ahl al-Bayt, and to purify you completely.
The hadith of the position is a widely-reported saying (hadith), attributed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, that equates the standing of his cousin and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib to him with the standing of Aaron to Moses, with the exception that Ali is not a prophet. In Shia Islam, this hadith is invoked to prove Ali's usurped right to succeed Muhammad. In Sunni Islam, the hadith of the position primarily supports the belief in the finality of Muhammad in the chain of prophets.
The hadith of the ark is a saying (hadith) attributed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad that likens his household to Noah's ark; whoever turns to them is saved and whoever turns away from them perishes. Reported by both Shia and Sunni authorities, this hadith is of particular significance in Shia Islam, where the Ahl al-Bayt are viewed as the spiritual and political successors of Muhammad.
The verse of walaya is verse 5:55 of the Quran, the central religious text of Islam. This verse specifies three authorities as the only sources of walaya for Muslims. In Sunni Islam, walaya in this context signifies 'friendship' or 'support', whereas Shia Muslims interpret it as 'spiritual authority' because of its exclusivity.
The verse ofikmal al-din or the verse ofikmal refers to verse 5:3 of the Qur'an, the central religious text in Islam. Included in this verse is the passage,
فِسْقٌ ۗ ٱلْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن دِينِكُمْ فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَٱخْشَوْنِ ۚ ٱلْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلْإِسْلَـٰمَ دِينًۭا ۚ This day those who disbelieve have despaired of your religion. So fear them not, but fear Me! This day I have perfected for you your religion, and completed My blessing upon you, and have approved for you as religion, submission [to God].
The verse of the mawadda refers to verse al-Shura 42:23 of the Quran, the central religious text of Islam. This verse is often cited in Shia Islam to support the elevated status of the family of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, known as the Ahl al-Bayt. Most Sunni authors reject the Shia view and offer various alternatives, chief among them that this verse enjoins love for kinsfolk in general. The verse of the mawadda includes the passage,
قُل لَّآ أَسْـَٔلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا ٱلْمَوَدَّةَ فِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ ۗ وَمَن يَقْتَرِفْ حَسَنَةًۭ نَّزِدْ لَهُۥ فِيهَا حُسْنًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ شَكُورٌ [O Mohammad!] Say, "I ask not of you any reward for it, save affection among kinsfolk ." And whosoever accomplishes a good deed, We shall increase him in goodness thereby. Truly God is Forgiving, Thankful.
The verse oftablīgh refers to verse of 5:67 of the Quran, the central religious text of Islam, which reads
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ ۖ وَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُۥ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ O Messenger! Convey that which has been sent down unto thee from thy Lord, and if thou dost not, thou wilt not have conveyed His message. And God will protect thee from mankind. Surely God guides not disbelieving people.
Ali in hadith literature collects some of the statements about Ali ibn Abi Tlib, attributed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, also recognized as the fourth Rashidun caliph in Sunni Islam and the first imam in Shia Islam. The two men enjoyed a close relationship, for Ali was raised in Muhammad's household as a child and a young Ali later played a pivotal role in the formative years of Islam. The most controversial such prophetic saying (hadith) was delivered at the Ghadir Khumm in 632 CE and gave Ali the same spiritual authority as Muhammad, according to the Shia.
Brunner, R. (2014). "Ahl al-Bayt". In Fitzpatrick, C.; Walker, A.H. (eds.). Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Prophet of God. ABC-CLIO. pp.5–9. ISBN9781610691772.
Fedele, Valentina (2018). "Fatima (605/615–632 CE)". In de-Gaia, Susan (ed.). Encyclopedia of Women in World Religions: Faith and Culture Across History. ABC-CLIO. p.56. ISBN9781440848506.
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