The Hadith of Ghadir Khumm
Niall Christie
Ahmad ibn ‘Ali al-Tabrisi, from Al-Ihtijaj (The Argumentation)
The Hadith of Ghadir Khumm
Praise belongs to Allah Who is exalted above all the creation in His Oneness, and is near to His creation in His loneliness. Sublime is His authority, and great are the pillars of His names. His knowledge encompasses everything while He is lofty in status. He subdues all the creation through His power and evidence. He has always been praiseworthy and shall always be praised. […] I testify that He is Allah, Whose holiness overspreads all ages, Whose light overwhelms perpetuity, Who enforces His command without consulting an advisor. There is no partner with Him in His planning, nor is there any discrepancy in His management. He shaped whatever He originated without a pre-existing model, and created whatever He created without getting assistance from anyone, burdening Himself, or having any need to find out a solution. He originated it in His will, thus it came into being, and He formed it in His intention, thus it became distinct. So, He is Allah, the One that there is no god but He, Who is proficient in skill, and beautiful in action. He is the just Who never oppresses, and the most generous to Whom all affairs are referred. […] Nevertheless, Allah is not satisfied with me until I convey what He has sent down to me. Then, the Prophet recited again the following verse: “O Messenger! Deliver what has been sent down to you from your Lord—with regard to ‘Ali[2]—and if you do not, you will not have conveyed His message at all, and Allah shall protect you from (evil) people.”
O people! Know that Allah has assigned ‘Ali as a guardian and a leader for you, whose obedience is obligatory for the immigrants, the helpers,[3] and those who follow them in goodness, and for everyone, whether nomad or city resident, Arab or non-Arab, free or slave, young or old, white or black, and for every monotheist. Ali’s decree is to be carried out, his saying is sanctioned as law, and his command is effective. 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 this gathering; Thus, listen, obey, and submit to the command of your Lord, for Allah, the mighty and the majestic, is your mawla, then Muhammad, who is now addressing you, is your mawla. Then, after me, ‘Ali is your wali and your imam[4] by the command of Allah, your Lord. Then, leadership shall be in my progeny, within his offspring, until the Day you meet Allah and His Messenger. Nothing is lawful except what Allah declared so (in His book), and nothing is unlawful except Allah declared so in His book, for Allah, the mighty and the majestic, has informed me of the permissible and the forbidden things, and I have made known to ‘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 the heart