Hazrat `Ali - Part 4 - Hazrat `Ali's knowledge of the Holy Qur'an

Part 4 - Hazrat `Ali's knowledge of the Holy Qur'an

In the first part of this paper, it has been made amply clear that there was a special relationship between Hazrat `Ali and Prophet Muhammad. This relationship, as the various ahadith show was not an ordinary and physical relationship, rather it was ordained by God himself to continue the task of guidance after the Prophet. This special relationship is particularly emphasized in the hadith known as mumathalat-i Haruni (resemblance to Harun or Aaron), in which the Prophet compares himself to Hazrat Musa (May peace be through him) and Hazrat `Ali to Hazrat Harun (May peace be through him) (Aaron). It shows that Hazrat `Ali had all the virtues of the Prophet, except Prophethood.

Since here we are dealing with the knowledge of Hazrat `Ali, in order to understand the nature of his knowledge and his function to continue the Prophet's mission, it requires some elaboration of the very nature of knowledge and secondly, the Prophet's mission.

Pir Nasir Khusraw in Wajh-i Din, discusses the nature of knowledge and classifies it into two types: given knowledge (`ilm-i `ata'i) and acquired knowledge (`ilm-i iktisabi). The acquired knowledge is attained by man's own effort, but the given knowledge is directly granted by God without the intervention of the physical senses. As far as the knowledge of the Prophet is concerned, it is given knowledge, as it is not possible to guide humankind only on the basis of acquired knowledge. As the Qur'an says about the Prophet: "And lo! It is a revelation of the Lord of the Worlds, which the Trustworthy Spirit has brought down upon your heart, that you may be one of the warners, in plain Arabic speech". (26:192-195)

Also the verse: "He does not speak out of desire. This is naught but a revelation revealed, taught him by One Mighty in power". (53:3-5)

This clearly shows that this given knowledge or spiritual knowledge, in the form of 'revelation (tanzil)' was brought down to the Prophet's heart. In other words, Allah did not present the Prophet with an external book, rather it was revealed to his heart in the form of a light or spirit (see also the Qur'an, 42:52). As for the task of the Prophet in conveying this knowledge, again the Qur'an is quite explicit: "Allah verily has shown grace to the believers by sending unto them a messenger of their own who recites unto them His revelations, and purifies them and teaches them the Book and wisdom". (3:164)

The same functions of the Prophet are also mentioned in the verses (2:129; 62:2). These verses show that the main task of the Prophet was to purify the mu'mins through teaching them the Book and wisdom according to their understanding. There is another important verse about the teaching of the Qur'an: "And (it is) a Qur'an that We have divided, that you may recite it unto humankind at intervals". (17:106)

Therefore, one can ask a simple question at this point; were these essential tasks of reciting revelations to them, instructing them in the Book and in wisdom and purifying them, to come to an abrupt end with the demise of the Prophet? The obvious answer is 'No'. Humankind is in need of continuous Divine guidance as witnessed by past history and present circumstances. The tasks set out by Allah in the Qur'an for the Prophet are essential tasks. They were to be continued till the Day of Resurrection and since it was impossible for the Prophet to teach the people of every age personally, therefore, through the institution of Imamat, God continued the Prophets' mission.

The Complementary Roles of the Prophet and his Asas in the Holy Qur'an

Prophet	Asas	Qur'anic Verse
Mursal (Apostle)	Shahid (Witness)	13:43
Rasul (Messenger)	Wazir (the one who carries the burden or helps)	20:29
Rasul (Messenger)	Nasir-i Rasul (helper of the Messenger)	17:80
Rasul (Messenger)	Wali (friend, Guardian)	5:5
Mundhir (Warner)	Hadi (Guide)	13:7
Rasul (Messenger)	Nafs-i Rasul (Soul of the Messenger)	3:61
Siraj-i Munir (luminous lamp) (33:46)	Nur (Light)	62:28 ?
Dhikr (=Rasul) (65:10-11)	Ahl-i Dhikr (People of the Prophet)	16:43

Historically speaking, the special bond between Prophet Muhammad and Hazrat `Ali has been shown time and time again. In the realm of religion, their complementary roles can be demonstrated by reference to the holy Qur'an (see Table 1 above).

It is also evident that though their mission was the same, their functions differed. Prophet Muhammad was the Enunciator of the Law and its propounder; Hazrat `Ali, was the expounder of the Law since there would be no new law or Shari`ah. Prophet Muhammad brought the Book and gave its tanzil or exoteric meaning to the people. And the task of Hazrat `Ali and the Imams from his progeny was to teach the ta'wil or esoteric meaning of the Book, through the ages, according to the demands of the time and circumstances.²⁵

Pir Nasir-i Khusraw in Wajh-i Din explains the complementary roles of the Prophet and Imam, in his inimitable way by using the analogy of physical creation. He says that just as a human being, physically cannot come into this world without the interaction of a man and a woman, in the same way a person cannot reach spiritual perfection without the intermingling of the tanzil of the Natiq and the ta'wil of the Asas. In support of his argument, Pir Nasir quotes another famous hadith of the Prophet, which says 'O `Ali, I and you are the father and mother of the faithful'.

In the light of the above discussion it is easy to understand the momentous nature of Gadir-i Khumm and the fact that it was only after declaration of the Walayat of Hazrat `Ali, that the Prophet received the revelation: "This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed my favour unto you and have chosen for you as religion, al-Islam". (5:3)

This means that the greatest favour of God is in the form of religious and spiritual knowledge of the Prophets and Imams. This kind of knowledge, which gives the real spiritual life to the mu'mins called 'the miracle of knowledge' is regarded as the greatest miracle. Hazrat Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah (May peace be through him) has said: 'Hazrat `Ali's miraculous powers lay in his ability to help people to arrive at the Haqiqat. That is the greatest miracle'.²⁶

Regarding the continuity of this given knowledge in the `itrah or progeny of the Prophet, Hazrat `Ali says: "Verily, the knowledge which Adam brought and all that with which the Prophets were honoured, is in Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets, and in his pure progeny. Whither are you being led to wander? Nay, where are you going?"²⁷

In the context of the above discussion, some of the most famous ahadith of the Prophet and sayings of Hazrat `Ali concerning knowledge can be discussed for a deeper understanding. An extremely well-known and oft-repeated hadith of the Prophet Muhammad about Hazrat `Ali is: 'I am the city of knowledge, and `Ali is its gate. Whoever wants knowledge should enter through the gate.'²⁸

This tradition in the Prophet's own words is a clear proof that there was nobody equal to Hazrat `Ali's erudition and his knowledge of the holy Qur'an, since he was the gate to the Prophet's city of knowledge (or gate to the Prophet's House of wisdom). A related Qur'anic ayat is: "It is not righteousness that you go to houses by the backs thereof, but the righteous man is he who wards off (evil). So go to houses by the gates thereof". (2:189)²⁹

Hazrat `Ali is recorded as having said: 'Ask me regarding the Book of God for verily there is not a verse but I know whether it was revealed by night or day, in the plains or on the mountains'.³⁰ The holy Qur'an affirms this in Surah-yi Ra`d (13:43): "And they who disbelieve say: You are no messenger of Allah. Say: Allah is sufficient witness between me and you and also he who possesses the knowledge of the Book." In Islam the condition of two witnesses is fulfilled in this verse that Allah and Hazrat `Ali were the two witnesses of Prophet Muhammad's prophethood. With such comprehensive knowledge of the Qur'an, Hazrat `Ali used to explain and elaborate the verses to the other Muslims, even during the time of the Prophet.

Indicating to this knowledge of Hazrat `Ali, it is further recorded in both Sunni³¹ and Shi`ah³² sources that the Prophet, on one occasion indicating Hazrat `Ali (who at the time was mending the broken strap of the Prophet's sandal) with his hand, said: 'Verily he will fight you for the sake of the ta'wil of the Qur'an, as I have fought you for its tanzil'.

This particular hadith is significant for the way it clearly delineates the different roles of the Prophet and Hazrat `Ali. Tanzil (which literally means 'bringing down' or 'to cause to descend') was the main function of the Prophet. Further, it was linked to the teaching of the zahir (exoteric) of the kitab or the Qur'an. Ta'wil (which literally means 'to take back to the origin'), is the main function of the Imams. It is related to the interpretation of the Qur'an giving its esoteric meaning and wisdom to the faithful. It can be seen that both the tanzil and ta'wil are only for those people who obey the Imams and the Prophets. As the Qur'an says: "O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger and those of you who are the bearers of (Divine) authority". (4:59)

The hadith under discussion here is also known as the hadith of the Khasifu'n-Na`l or the Tradition about 'the mender of the shoe'. It is an extremely significant hadith from other angles too. It states in straight forward terms that, just as the Prophet had to defend Islam (or its exoteric aspect – tanzil/zahir) on the battlefield with the sword of iron, (and Hazrat `Ali was his greatest support in this), in the same way, Hazrat `Ali would have to struggle for the esoteric (ta'wil or batin) aspect of Islam with the sword of knowledge. The dissemination of true knowledge is the major function of the Imams from the progeny of the Prophet and Hazrat `Ali, as the first Imam or Asas (the foundation Imam) is the archetypal embodiment of true knowledge. This is best understood by considering Hazrat `Ali's own description of the ahlu'l-bayt or the Imams:

"They are life of knowledge and death of ignorance. Their discernment (insight) will tell you about their knowledge, and their exterior about their interior and their silence about the wisdom of their speeches. They do not oppose the truth, nor do they differ in it. They are the pillars of Islam and intimate confidants of refuge. By them the truth returned to its origin and the falsehood left its place and its tongue was cut off from its root. They understood the religion with an understanding of remembering and preserving, not with an understanding of hearing and narration. Indeed the narrators of knowledge are many but its protectors are few".³³

This discussion also helps to understand and appreciate the true meaning of the declaration of the angels on that critical day during the Battle of Uhud: 'La fata illa `Ali, la sayfa illa Dhulfaqar'. The angels were singing the praises, not only of Hazrat `Ali's extraordinary dexterity with the external sword of iron, but they were overwhelmed by the perfection of all his qualities, including the fact that he was at the apex of all real knowledge.

Another hadith of the Prophet, which leaves no room for doubt, is: " `Ali is with the Qur'an and the Qur'an is with `Ali". Further light is thrown on Hazrat `Ali's supremacy in the knowledge of the Qur'an by referring to his own saying: "If I were (to write) about the meanings of al-Fatihah I would load seventy camels" (i.e., that the weight of these books would be equal to the load of seventy camels).³⁴ The Surah al-Fatihah or the opening chapter of the Qur'an consists of just seven verses. Only someone with Hazrat `Ali's sublime and deep knowledge could claim to write so much on its meanings.³⁵

Hazrat `Ali was the custodian of the knowledge of the Qur'an, both exoteric and esoteric, as already mentioned. Not only is this evident from the Traditions of the Prophet and the sayings of Hazrat `Ali, but it is also substantiated by the Qur'an, which says:

"He it is Who has revealed unto you (Muhammad) the Scripture wherein are clear revelations – They are the substance of the Book – and others (which are) allegorical. But those in whose hearts is doubt, pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical seeking (to cause) dissension by seeking its ta'wil. None knows its ta'wil save Allah and those who are firmly grounded in knowledge (rasikhun fi'l`ilm)". (3:7)³⁶

In Da`a'im al-Islam of Qazi Nu`man, Mawlana Muhammad al-Baqir in a reply to a question who is referred to as 'those who are firmly grounded in knowledge (rasikhun fi'l-`ilm)', said that the Messenger of Allah was the most excellent among the rasikhun fi'l`ilm, who was the master of tanzil and the ta'wil. Then the awsiya' (his legatees) who came after him were the rasikhun fi'l-`ilm, who know its (tanzil's) ta'wil in its totality.

Jalaluddin a's-Suyuti, a historian, quotes Caliph `Umar as saying: '... none of the Companions (of the Prophet) used to say, ask you of me, except `Ali'.³⁷

In fact, the complete saying of Hazrat `Ali referred to above was: 'Saluni qabla an tafqiduni saluni `amma kana wa `amma yakunu ila yawmi'l-qiyamah', i.e., 'Ask me before you will lose me about what was and what will be till the Day of Resurrection'.

In Nahju'l-Balagah the famous testimony to Hazrat `Ali's profound knowledge and wisdom, Hazrat `Ali says to Kumayl:

"O Kumayl, knowledge is better than wealth. Knowledge guards you but you guard wealth. Expenditure decreases wealth but knowledge increases by expending it.
O Kumayl, recognition of knowledge is religion, which is to be followed. With it a human being attains obedience (to God) during his life and praise after his death. Knowledge is a ruler and wealth is a subject.
O Kumayl, the treasures of those who amass wealth perish while they are alive, and the possessesers of knowledge survive for eternity (dahr). Their persons disappear, but their images exist in the hearts".³⁸

How true are these words about Hazrat `Ali himself! Nearly fifteen hundred years later and scores of books having been written about him, the memory of Hazrat `Ali is as fresh as ever in the hearts of all thinking people and will 'last for eternity'.

²⁴This particular incident is immortalised by Pir Nasir-i Khusraw in his Diwan, where in a poem, he uses the phrase 'bi izari' in the refrain, meaning shameless, naked.
²⁵See the Prophetic Hadith: 'Are you not content, `Ali, that you should be unto me as Aaron was unto Moses, except that there will be no Prophet after me?'
²⁶Farman of Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah, Dar-es-Salaam 29th September, 1899.
²⁷Da`a'im al-Islam by al-Qazi al-Nu`man, p. 98, trans. by F.M. Hunzai.
²⁸Another similar Hadith about Hazrat `Ali is 'I am the House of wisdom (Dar al-Hikmah) and `Ali is its gate'. Note: During the Fatimid times, our Imams had established a Dar al-Hikmah in Cairo.
²⁹For an interpretation of this verse see: 'Tafsir al-Qur'an' by Zafar Hasan Amruhwi, Karachi, 1977 page 153 and 'Qur'an-i Majid' by Farman `Ali, Karachi, 1974, pg 50.
³⁰Quoted in 'History of the Caliphs', by J. Suyuti, trans by H.S. Jarrett.
³¹'Ta'rikh al-Khulafa' by J. Suyuti, pg 173. The Arabic version is being referred to because the English translation by H.S. Jarrett is incorrect.
³²'Kitab al-Irshad' by Shaykh Mufid, trans. by I.K.A Howard pg 83. See also Jami` al-Hikmatayn of Pir Nasir-i Khusraw pg 61 and Wajh-i Din pg 234.
³³'Nahju'l-Balagah' of Hazrat `Ali – Khutbah 234 – trans. by F. M. Hunzai.
³⁴Quoted in 'Tafsir al-Qur'an' by Zafar Hasan Amruhwi, Karachi, 1977 pg 58.
³⁵Another saying of Hazrat `Ali is: 'All that is in the Qur'an is contained in the first (opening) chapter or the Fatihah and all that is in the Fatihah is contained in the formula of the Basmalah, 'in the name of God', and all that is found in this formula is contained in its first letter ba (ب), and ultimately in the dot under that letter. I am that dot'. Some writers regard this as a weak saying on the grounds that there were no diacritical marks in the Arabic language at the time of Hazrat `Ali. However, this is a rather pedantic view. Hazrat `Ali was referring to the dot (or nuqtah) which is the mark or point made by a pen first touching the paper, the mark which contains all. Secondly, the letter ba in Arabic derives from the picture language depicting a house or bayt: (). Gradually, the letter ba evolved as: (). See the Hadith referring to Hazrat `Ali as the gate or door of the City of Knowledge and the House of Wisdom.
³⁶Sunni `ulama' or scholars differ regarding the knowledge of ta'wil. Those who confine the ta'wil of the Qur'an to Allah, put a full-stop after the word 'Allah', which means that even Prophet Muhammad who received the Qur'an did not know its meanings!
³⁷'History of the Caliphs' by J. Suyuti, trans. by H.S. Jarett, p. 174.
³⁸'Nahju'l-Balaghah' of Hazrat `Ali – quotation trans. by F. M. Hunzai.

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