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In His Name the Most High
Unity the Essence of Ghadeer’s Message
By: Dr A.R. Ghavidel
Sunday,6 dec. 2009, the 18th of Zil-hejjah, marks Eid-e Ghadeer Khum, the day prophet Muhammad (SAWA) designated Imam Ali (AS) as his successor in the year 10 AH as per Allah’s command near juhfa in the Arabian Peninsula, while returning from his farewell Hajj pilgrim.
Juhfah, a short distance from Mecca was near to a small pond (Ghadeer) called Khum. It was here that the most important event in the history of Islam, which nobody can ever forget, occurred. More than 110,000 pilgrims were returning from the last Hajj of the prophet. It was here that the prophet ordered the pilgrim caravan to halt. It was blistering hot, but the prophet stopped to hold congregational afternoon prayers.
He then ordered that a pedestal of camel saddles be erected. He stood on this pedestal where everyone could see him and started to speak. His speech was so eloquent and so sweet that the people all forget the heat. The speech of the prophet was of great importance and quite long and contained some very interesting and important points. Some of the most important points should be mentioned here: he stated: “O people! I am human being like you. In the near future, Izrail, the angel of death, will come as a messenger from our creator and I will accept his invitation of death. Yes, I will so. Leave you, but I will leave you two worthy and priceless reminders (Thaqalain) of me. The people were all ears. The prophet told the people that these two worthy things would fill his empty place and that he would introduce them to the people.
All were listening with great curiosity, when he continued: “people! The first and greeting thing I leave with you is God’s book, the book of light, filled with knowledge and guidance. O people! Take God’s book, and keep to it.” In this part of his speech he recommended and encouraged people to act according to the Quran. Then he said: “people my second trust that I leave in your care are my immediate household members (ahl al-bait).” Here the holy prophet (S) paused, as if he knew the followers would oppress his ahl al-bait, and then he said “yes” three times. “People! In your dealings with my ahl-al bait, I ask you to remember God. Don’t be curt in regard to their status.”
After pausing again he continued: “I inform you, from the time you grasp onto these two reminders of me, be sure, you will never go astray. And know this that without any doubt, the Quran and my ahl al-bait will never be separated from one another till the day of resurrection when they will join me by the fountain of Kauthar.” The prophet spoke the last sentences with particular firmness. The people were certain that he put special emphasis on those subjects. then he said :” yes I swear by God , in that time- the day of resurrection- and besides the fountain by kaunthar , I will ask both of them- the Quran and my relatives- how they were they were treated after me .” The words of the prophet were full of meaning. Another important event that happened on that scorching hot day of Ghadeer was that the prophet asked Imam Ali (AS) to come to him. He took Ali’s (AS) hand and said: “o people! Do you know that Allah is my master and I am the master of the believers and I am worthier than they?”They said:” o messenger of Allah.” He then said: “Of whomsoever I am Master Ali (AS) is his master too. O Allah! Love the one who loves Ali and humiliate the one who loves Ali (AS) is his master too. O Allah! Love the one who loves Ali (AS) and humiliate the one who bears enmity to him.” Salman al- Farsi (the Persian), one of his closest companions of the prophet, stood of and said:” what kind of vicegerency?” Hi said: “vicegerency like vicegerency upon the one whom I am worthier than.” Their after, the Allah the exalted revealed: “today, I have perfected for you your religion, completed my favors upon you...” ( Holy Quran 5:3) The prophet proclaimed Allah’s greatness (Allah Akbar), saying the completion of my prophet hood and the perfection of Allah’s religion are only after Ali’s (AS) vicegerency after me.” At this moment Abu-Bakr and Omar stood up and said: “O messenger of Allah, dose this verse exclusively refers to Ali (AS)? The prophet said:”yes, it refers to Ali (AS). And my legatees till the Day of Judgment.” They said:” O messenger of Allah name mention them to us.” The prophet said :” Ali (AS) ,my brother my successor (vazir), my heir, my legatee, and my vicegerent amongst my ummah and custodian of every believer after me. Then, my (grand) son Hasan (AS) then Hussein (AS), followed by nine more from the progeny of Hussein (AS) . They are with the Quran and the Quran is with them. They shall not separate from it and the Quran (too) shall not separate from them until they will joint by the fountain of Kauthar.”Before this, the holy prophet (S), in the pact of brother hood, proclaimed that believers were each other’s brothers and even ordered them, two by two, to make brotherhood pacts. This made it clear that the rank of brother was higher than that of a friend. However, on that memorable day of Ghadeer, Ali (AS) was not given the title of friend or brother but was considered higher and was introduced as a supervisor and authority, a governor, the leader and Imam of all Muslims. On that day, Ali (AS) was officially designated as the prophet’s successor. He had all the ranks of the prophet expect, of course, the prophet hood. From the spiritual point of view, Imamate is somewhat like prophet hood, a shower of divine grace for mankind.
Eid-ul-Ghadeer in saying of the Infallible
1- Holy Prophet Mohammad (s) said:”The Eid-ul-Ghadeer is the most exacted Eid of my ummah” (Islamic nation).[Page 308, Chapter 3, Volume 15, Avalem]
2- The commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (AS) said:”The day of Ghadeer is day of high status” [for the believers all].[Page 209, Chapter3, Volume 15, Avalem]
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Islamic Culture 
