This is another reply I wrote on a forum, I have just edited it up and obviously a lot more could have been added, but I wrote what ever was relevant to the thread I was posting on.
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Some people will state that Imam Ali (as) never opposed the first 3 caliphs. This is completely false as history is proof that there were some major differences and oppositions, and we know that there were companions who were on Imam Ali’s side, they were so loyal to the extent that when the case of Fadak came to Abu Bakr, Umar rejected the testimony of Salman saying that ‘he is one of yours’. To understand why Imam Ali (as) didn’t rise up against the caliphs like the way Imam Hussain (as) did you need to look at the context and environment of the situation at that time. Imam Ali (as) himself says to his wife Bibi Fatima (sa); that if I were to take my sword out at this time, the religion of your father will cease to exist. If he had taken out his sword at that specific time the civil war and confusion would have caused more havoc and problems and as the Imam said, Islam would be threatened more than ever. We shouldn’t question the fact whether such confusion could have existed or not. Why? Why do we forget that during the Ridda War it was under the caliphate of Abu Bakar where people who had turned apostates were being killed. If such a big confusion can occur that when it’s hardly been a year or two after the demise of the Prophet people had started to become non-Muslims and many were confused over the leadership of Abu Bakar himself and not ready to accept his leadership, why is it so hard to digest the fact that had Imam Ali (as) taken out his sword to fight for his physical right over the caliphate, at that time civil war due to the confusion would have caused much more damage to Islam? How long after the Prophet (P) had these people turned apostates? Not long at all, after 20 odd years of Prophet’s divine mission, very soon after his death, so many Muslims had turned apostates. These tribes that gave allegiance to the Prophet turned their backs on Islam after the Prophet died. They thought Islam would die with him. Not to mention the fact that Imam Ali (as) did not take part in the Ridda Wars.
An example I can relate to for the case of Imam Ali (as) is of the famous story when two women came and stated that this child belongs to them. The only way to figure that out was when the Imam ordered the baby to be cut into half, but then the real mother started to cry and said no, let my baby live even if it is in the hands of the wrong mother, but the real mother still lived and those who knew she was the real mother would have always belived in her no matter what the majority thought. Islam was like a little baby after the death of the Prophet (P), Imam Ali (as) chose to do what the mother had done in the case of the baby.
But even after the Ridda Wars, is it still hard to believe that people could not have been in confusion had Ali taken out his sword? There shouldn’t be, there are many incidents in history where many majorities of the people had gone astray and wrong. If Imam Hussain (as) was in the position of Imam Ali (as), he would have done the exact same thing Imam Ali (as) did, which was to remain patient. Let me quote you the words of Imam Ali (as) himself from Nahjul Balagha, sermon #3:
Beware! By Allah the son of Abu Quhafah (Abu Bakr) dressed himself with it (the caliphate) and he certainly knew that my position in relation to it was the same as the position of the axis in relation to the hand-mill. The flood water flows down from me and the bird cannot fly upto me. I put a curtain against the caliphate and kept myself detached from it. Then I began to think whether I should assault or endure calmly the blinding darkness of tribulations wherein the grown up are made feeble and the young grow old and the true believer acts under strain till he meets Allah (on his death). I found that endurance thereon was wiser. So I adopted patience although there was pricking in the eye and suffocation (of mortification) in the throat. I watched the plundering of my inheritance till the first one went his way but handed over the Caliphate to Ibn al-Khattab after himself. . .
. . . Nevertheless, I remained patient despite length of period and stiffness of trial, till when he (Umar) went his way (of death) he put the matter (of Caliphate) in a group and regarded me to be one of them. But good Heavens! what had I to do with this “consultation”? Where was any doubt about me with regard to the first of them that I was now considered akin to these ones? But I remained low when they were low and flew high when they flew high. One of them turned against me because of his hatred and the other got inclined the other way due to his in-law relationship and this thing and that thing, till the third man of these people stood up with heaving breasts between his dung and fodder. With him his children of his grand-father, (Umayyah) also stood up swallowing up Allah’s wealth like a camel devouring the foliage of spring, till his rope broke down, his actions finished him and his gluttony brought him down prostrate.
Now coming back to the actual issue of Imamat. . .
• [4:59] O you who believe! obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority from among you;
If you look at the life of the Prophet brother, where ever the Prophet wasn’t present he had appointed someone as a leader to over take the authority. But then you deny the fact that he forgot to leave behind a successor before he died, yet even Abu Bakar was smart enough to appoint a successor directly – without any Shura? Yet you take the saying of Mun Qunto Mawla Haza Aliyun Mawla in the event of Ghadeer as trivial and that it doesn’t show anything? For every Prophet (pbuh) there had been a successor or a vicegerent of Allah (swt). Why is Prophet Muhammad (P) an exception? It is written in the Ahlul Sunnah book Muwadatul Qurba by Ali Hamdani that the Prophet (P) said: “Verily Allah has Appointed a vicegerent for every prophet: Seth, vicegerent of Adam; Joshua, vicegerent of Moses; Simon Peter vicegerent of Christ; and Ali, my vicegerent; and my vicegerent is superior to all vicegerents. I call the people to truth and Ali illuminates it.”
[17:77] (This is Our) course with regard to those of Our messengers whom We sent before you, and you shall not find a change in Our course.
Why according to Ahlul Sunnah, is Prophet Muhammad (P) an exception?
[24:55] Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth as He made rulers those before them, and that He will most certainly establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them, and that He will most certainly, after their fear, give them security in exchange; they shall serve Me, not associating aught with Me; and whoever is ungrateful after this, these it is who are the. transgressors.
In this ayah it clearly shows that Allah (swt) will make rulers on the earth, not you and not me. It doesn’t say anything about us choosing a rightful leader. Besides the fact that you pass the Ghadeer issue as trivial, you also do not bother to comprehend another authentic hadeeth: Ali is to me as Haroon was to Musa, except that there is no Prophet after me. Haroon (as) had the authority of a caliph during the time of the Prophet Musa (as), but the above hadeeth clearly points out the fact that not only was Ali an authority after Prophet Muhammad during his life, but also after his life, only that he is not a Prophet. Keeping the story of Haroon (as) in mind at the same time and looking back at the scenario, you will see that when Musa (as) left Haroon as a successor, over about 70,000 people of Bani Israel; in a matter of a short time these people had started to follow Samiri instead. Amazing how this history repeats itself and also gives us something to ponder over that the words of the Prophet (P) as per the will of Allah (Swt) can have very deep meanings behind them, as only a while after the death of the Prophet (P) the people started to follow Abu Bakar over Ali (as), just like they had started to follow Samiri over Haroon (as).
•[5:55] Only Allah is your Vali and His Messenger and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow.
Sunnis scholars themselves have acknolwedged the fact that this ayah is referring to the incident when Ali (as) gave away his ring to the beggar while in ruku. Scholars like Suyuti, have written in the tafseer Dur al-Manthur, that this ayah is talking about Imam Ali (as). Tha’labi in his Tafir al-Kabir has also recorded it.
On the authority of Abu Dharr al Ghifari, who said “Both of my ears may turn deaf and both my eyes may become blind if I speak a lie. I heard the Holy Prophet saying, ‘Ali is the guide of the righteous and the slayer of the infidels. He who has helped him is victorious and he who has abandoned him is forsaken’. One day I said my prayers in the company of the Holy Prophet; a beggar came to the masjid and begged for alms, but nobody gave him anything. Ali was in a state of ruku in the prayer. He pointed out his ring to the beggar, who approached him and removed the ring from his finger. Thereupon the Holy Prophet implored Allah, saying: ‘O Allah! My brother Musa begged You saying: My Lord, delight my heart and make my task easy and undo the knot in my tongue so that they may understand me, and appoint from among my kinsmen, Harun, my brother, as my vizier, and strengthen my back with him and make him participate in my mission so that we may glorify You and remember You more frequently. Certainly You see us-and You inspired him: O Musa! All your requests have been granted. (The Holy Prophet continued) Delight my heart and make my task easy and appoint from among my kinsmen Ali as my vizier and strengthen my back with him’. (Abu Dhar proceeds) By Allah, the Holy Prophet had not yet finished his supplication when the trustworthy Jibril descended to him with this verse“. Tafsir al Kabir
There are more than just Suyuti and Tha’labi who have mentioned this event, I only named these two. Is Ali (as) not your vali?
• [2:124] And when his Lord tried Ibrahim with certain words, he fulfilled them. He said: Surely I will make you an Imam of men. Ibrahim said: And of my offspring? My covenant does not include the unjust, said He.This ayah shows that Ibrahim (as) was made an Imam for all people. The ayah also tells me that an Imam who is to be followed at all times can only be chosen by Allah (swt). Those who say that if there was to be an Imam after the Prophet (P) why had there been no political rulership like the first 4 caliphs had. From this ayah we can clearly see that when Ibrahim was made an Imam, he was not a king or had any type of political power or government over the region.
It has been narrated on the authority of Jabir b. Samura who said: I joined the company of the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) with my father and I heard him say: This Caliphate will not end until there have been twelve Caliphs among them. The narrator said: Then Muhammad said something that I could not follow. I said to my father: What did he say? He said: He has said: All of them will be from the Quraish.
It has been narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: The Caliphate will remain among the Quraish even if only two persons are left (on the earth).
You can read both the above ahadeeth in Sahih Bukhari over here.
al-Juwayni, who was a Sunni scholar as well, has recorded in Fara’id al-Simtayn the following narration, that the Messenger of Allah (P) informed: “I and Ali and Hasan and Husayn and nine of the descendants of Husayn are the purified ones and the infallible.”
Ibn ‘Abbas narrates from the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.): “Certainly my Caliphs and my legatees and the Proofs of Allah upon his creatures after me are twelve. The first of them is my brother and the last of them is my (grand) son.” He was asked: “O Messenger of Allah, who is your brother?” He said, “Ali ibn Abi Talib” Then they asked, “And who is your son?” The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) replied, “Al Mahdi, the one who will fill the earth with justice and equity like it would be brimming with injustice and tyranny. And by the One Who has raised me as a warner and a give of good tidings, even if a day remains for the life of this world, the Almighty Allah will prolong this day to an extent till he sends my son Mahdi, then he will make Ruhullah ‘Isa ibn Maryam (a.s.) to descend and pray behind him (Mahdi). And the earth will be illuminated by his radiance. And his power will reach to the east and the west.”
• [17:71] (Remember) the day when We will call every people with their Imam; then whoever is given his book in his right hand, these shall read their book; and they shall not be dealt with a whit unjustly.
Besides the fact that this ayah clearly shows that there is a position of Imamat that someone has to take and people have to follow, please tell me who was the Imam after the death of the Prophet (pbuh) with whom the people who followed him will be raised up with. Who is your Imam today and who will you be raised up with?
This also means that Allah (swt) appoints the Imam because He has the power to not appoint unjust people as rulers. Second of all, you will notice that this notion of leadership runs through the line of Ibrahim (as) and doesn’t end at the Prophet Muhammad (P). When we follow our Imams, they don’t necessarily have to be in a position of a caliph to be an Imam and they were clearly the most just and knowledgeable people of the time.
On April 7, 2008 