The Question of Wilayat in Islam After Holy Prophet (S)

The question of Wilayat or leadership of Ummah both in spiritual and temporal affairs after Prophet
(SAW) is the cause for division between Shia’s and Sunnis. Both agree on the indispensable need of
a Wali, but differ on the method and ways of its selection or appointment. Whether Prophet (SAW)
left Muslims without appointing any leader as his successor after him? Whether Muslims have right
to elect their own leader as successor of Prophet (SAW)? Whether the right of appointment of Wali
or leader of Muslims rests with Allah? Such questions form the basic difference between the two
sects of Islam.

Ayatullah Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr has discussed three possibilities in his essay entitled “A Study
on the Question of Al-Wilaya” namely firstly, Prophet (SAW) left Ummah with out any successor to
replace his place as leader after him, secondly, Prophet (SAW) wanted Muslims to choose
themselves their leader through as-Saqifa or consultation, and thirdly, Prophet (SAW) appointed
Imam Ali (AS) his successor, and Imam of Ummah.

First Approach:

The Prophet (SAW) was assuming the leadership of a revolutionary faith, and inducing radical
transformations of the customs, structures, and concepts of society. The path for such
transformation was long and the faith which Prophet (SAW) practiced had to begin with the man
belonging to the period of Jahiliyyah and raise him to new institutions, thus converting him into an
Islamic man who could carry the new light, and uproot the trunk and roots of Jahiliyyah from his
heart and mind. The Prophet (SAW) made astonishing headway in the task of transformation in a
very short time, but it was necessary for this task of transformation to continue on its way even after
the death of Prophet (SAW).

So now to think that Prophet (SAW) adopted a passive approach for leadership after him is to
attribute to Prophet (SAW) the lack of insight. To think such a thing is a great sin, besides all logic
and reason with many evidences refute such attribution. Prophet (SAW) was well aware with the
maturity of faith of Muslims, these Muslims were just out from the dark alleys of pre-Islam
jahiliyyah and they were certainly not in a condition to cope up with the vacuum of leadership.
There were also many hypocrites present in the garb of Muslims and Prophet (SAW) also knew it
well.

So, Prophet (SAW) was were aware with the dangers to Islam after him, and hence claims of any
kind of passivity on his level for the Future of Islam is not acceptable. In fact both Shia’ and Sunnis
have this tradition in their authentic works that Umar al-Khattab was amongst a group of men in the
house when Prophet (SAW), before his death, said: “Bring me parchment and pen so that I may
write something for you after which you shall never go astray”

In fact this act of Prophet (SAW) illustrates clearly that he was deeply concerned about the dangers
which had to be faced in the future, and recognized the need to plan ahead as to protect the Ummah
from deviation, and save it from inattentiveness and disintegration. It is thus totally impossible to
substantiate any claim of passivity leveled against the Prophet (SAW).

Second Approach:

The second approach says that Prophet (SAW) adopted a positive policy concerning the future of
Ummah and Islam, and he advocated the appointment of a Shura or counsel, which would be
entitled to select leader of Muslims.
Had the holy Prophet (SAW) adopted a positive attitude towards shura after him, he would have
found it absolutely necessary to educate the Ummah and the faithful concerning the principles of
shura with its rules and details, and to give it a form which reflected the divine and holy sanction,
while also preparing the Islamic society both mentally and spiritually to accept this system.

But we can easily discover that holy Prophet (SAW) never sought to educate Ummah for any such
plan for future. We do not find any ahadiths attributed to holy Prophet (SAW) giving details of
principles, legal aspects or theoretical concepts of shura. Therefore, we can conclude that holy
Prophet (SAW) did not seek shura for Ummah after his death.

The shura, which was formed after, holy Prophet (SAW) could not survive even a short time. First
Caliph neglected it and appointed the second Caliph himself, while the second one formed a six-
member group enshrining the right to elect leader amongst them. In this way as-Saqifa collapsed
immediately after it was formed.

The first Caliph regretted the fact that he was elected too speedily, while the second one regretted
the first one’s election saying it was a slip, he himself on many occasions confessed his inability in
handling the affairs of Ummah.

Third Approach:

The third approach is the only possibility, which is consistent with the nature of facts and logical in
light of the circumstances surrounding Islam, Muslims and the Prophet (SAW). The holy Prophet
(SAW) adopted a positive stance towards the future of Islam after his death and as per the orders of
Allah (SWT) chose Imam Ali (AS) who had deep involvement in the formation of Islam, and
specifically prepared him religiously in the art of leadership so that he could exemplify the
intellectual authority and political leadership of the experience, and maintain the leadership of
Ummah and its ideological structure after the holy Prophet (SAW)’s death.

In fact the evidence from the lives of the holy Prophet (SAW) and the Imam (AS), which indicate
that the holy Prophet (SAW) prepared the Imam (AS) specifically in religious matters is indeed
substantial. For the holy Prophet (SAW) chose to explain the concept of Islam and its truths to him,
and gave him intellectual answers and sought to cultivate the Imam (AS)’s awareness when he
asked numerous questions while also spending long hours with during both the night and the day,
opening his eyes to the concepts of Islam and to the problems to be faced during its progress, and to
the management of the task until the last day of his noble life.

Imam Ali (AS) - the commander of the faithful himself describes his unique relationship with the
holy Prophet (SAW):

“You know of my connection with the Messenger of Allah (SAW), my close kinship to him and my
intimate position. He put me on his lap when I was a child, hugged me to his breast, embraced me
in his bed, so that his body touched mine and so I smelled his scent, and would also chew things
and give, them to me to eat. But he did not find me lying in my speech or pompous in my act. I used
to follow him as the small camel follows its mother and every day he showed me part of his moral
acts and ordered me to do likewise. Every year he used to take me to Hira and only I could see him,
for at that period of time of Islam there was only the Messenger of Allah (SAW), Khadija and
myself as the third, as nobody else lived in the house. So I saw the light of revelation and the
message and smelled the fragrance of prophecy.”

Similarly, there are a great many indications from the lifetime of Imam Ali (AS) after the death of
holy Prophet (SAW), which reveal the Prophet’s private ideological training of Imam Ali (AS) and
reflect the effects and results of this private instruction. The Imam (AS) was the man to whom the
ruling leadership resorted for consultation and authority when they wished to solve some difficult
problems, which they could not solve themselves. But we cannot find a single instance in the
history of the Islamic experience during the time of the four khulafah in which the Imam (AS)
turned to someone else for an opinion as to the way in which a problem should be dealt with
according to Islam, whereas there were tens of instances in which the ruling Islamic leadership felt
it necessary to consult the Imam (AS), in spite of their reservations in this matter.

The above arguments along with the event of Ghadir establish fact that successor of Prophet (SAW)
was none other than Imam Ali (AS). The holy Prophet (SAW) himself, on the instructions of Allah
(SWT), appointed him his successor.