Ali Wali Allah

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Flag of 'Ali Wali Allah in the holy shrine of Imam 'Ali (a)

ʿAlī Walī Allāh (Arabic: علي وليُّ الله, lit: 'Ali is the chosen guardian of Allah) is a mantra commonly used by Shiites to affirm their faith in the Imamate and the divine appointment of Imam Ali (a). According to Shi'a beliefs, the immediate succession of Prophet Muhammad (s) by Imam Ali (a) was a divine decree from God.

When reciting the adhan and iqama, and after the recitation of Shahadatayn, Shias affirm their belief in the guardianship of Imam Ali (a) by testifying that he is the chosen guardian of Allah after testifying that Muhammad (s) is the apostle of Allah. However, they do not believe this is part of adhan and iqama.

Al-Mirza al-Qummi, a thirteenth/nineteenth century Shiite scholar, believes that it is recommended to recite "Ali wali Allah" after uttering the statements "la ilah illa Allah" (there is no god but Allah) and "Muhammad Rasul Allah" (Muhammad (s) is the apostle of Allah). Moreover, according to Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tihrani, these phrases are inseparable because, on the first day when the Prophet (s) called his relatives to embrace Islam, he also commanded them to follow Imam Ali (a).

Surviving coins with the phrase "'Ali wali Allah" have been discovered from the Shiite, Isma'ili, and Fatimid eras. The oldest of these coins dates back to the middle of the fourth/tenth century. In addition to being used on coins, this phrase is also found in Shiite and Fatimid architecture. For instance, a mihrab featuring the phrase was added to the Mosque of Ibn Tulun in Cairo in 478/1094.

Place and Notion

Calligraphy of "Ali Wali Allah" in the style of mirror writing, in the handwriting of Mahmud Ebrahim, 18th century

'Ali wali Allah is a well-known Shiite mantra that expresses the belief in the imamate and guardianship of Imam 'Ali (a). This phrase is derived from various sources, including the al-Wilaya Verse, Hadith al-Wilaya, and the al-Ghadir Sermon.[1] According to Shi'a interpretation, 'Ali wali Allah[2] means that Ali (a) was chosen by Allah as a guardian,[3] and they maintain that his immediate succession after the demise of the Prophet (s) was a decree from God.[4] In contrast, Sunni Muslims believe that Ali (a) was a caliph after the first three caliphs,[5] and like them, his caliphate was not based on a decree from God.[6]

The phrase 'Ali wali Allah is mentioned in al-Kafi[7] and Man la yahduruh al-faqih[8] as two of the four major Shiite sources of hadiths. Moreover, in pilgrimage texts or ziyaras cited in these books, Imam Ali (a) is addressed as "Wali Allah."[9] In some hadiths cited in Shiite sources, the phrase is followed by "wasi rasul Allah" (meaning the successor of the apostle of Allah)[10] and in others it is followed by "khalifa rasul Allah" (meaning the caliph of the apostle of Allah).[11] The phrase 'Ali wali Allah appears in some Sufi works as well.[12]

During the ceremonies organized by Shias to commemorate Eid al-Ghadir, it is a common practice for them to display banners with the inscription of the phrase 'Ali wali Allah.[13] Additionally, this phrase is often engraved on rings as an expression of devotion. In present times, it is observed that some contemporary Shias in Iran choose to write this phrase on the rear windows of their cars.

The Third Testimony

Main article: Third Testimony

In their adhan and iqama, Shias traditionally include a testimony of the divine guardianship of Ali (a), following their testimony of Muhammad's (s) prophethood.[14] However, it is important to note that Shiite jurists hold the view that this particular phrase is not an integral part of the adhan and iqama.[15] Nonetheless, they acknowledge that reciting this phrase with the intention of seeking divine reward is permissible.[16] Furthermore, Shias believe that upon converting to Islam, one affirms not only monotheism and Muhammad's (s) prophethood but also the guardianship of Ali (a).[17] It should be noted, however, that Shiite jurists do not consider the affirmation of Ali's (a) guardianship as a mandatory requirement for conversion to Islam.[18]

In Shiite sources, there are hadiths that mention the phrase 'Ali wali Allah[19] following the phrases "la ilah illa Allah" and "Muhammad rasul Allah" as a means of seeking forgiveness for sins.[20] Mirza al-Qummi, a Shiite jurist from the thirteenth/nineteenth century, refers to certain hadiths that recommend reciting 'Ali wali Allah after Muhammad Rasul Allah.[21] Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tihrani, a Shiite scholar (d. 1995), asserts that the phrases "la ilah illa Allah," "Muhammad Rasul Allah," and "'Ali wali Allah" are inseparable. He cites the Hadith of Yawm al-Dar to illustrate that on the first day, when the Prophet (s) called his relatives to Islam and recited the Shahadatayn, he also commanded them to follow Imam Ali (a).[22]

According to certain hadiths, it is mentioned that on the day of resurrection, both the Prophet (s)[23] and Imam Ali (a)[24] will be adorned with crowns inscribed with the phrases "la ilah illa Allah Muhammad Rasul Allah, and 'Ali wali Allah." Similar narratives can be found in other hadiths within Shiite sources.[25]

The phrase "bism Allah al-rahman al-rahim, la ilah illa Allah, Muhammad Rasul Allah, 'Ali wali Allah" can be found inscribed on cloths from the Fatimid era.[26]

Coin Mintage with the Phrase "'Ali Wali Allah"

The phrase 'Ali Wali Allah on a dinar known as Mustansariyyah dinar, which Arsalan Basasiri minted in 450/1059.

Some rulers in the Shiite,[27] Ismaili[28] and Fatimid dynasties[29] minted coins with the phrase "'Ali wali Allah." Here are some examples:

There are reports indicating that non-Shiite rulers, including Arghun, the fourth Ilkhanid ruler (reign 683/1284-690/1291),[37] and Aq Qoyunlu (reign 872/1468-908/1503),[38] went as far as minting coins inscribed with the phrase 'Ali wali Allah. Some researchers attribute this practice to their potential inclination towards Shi'ism[39] or the allure of gaining support from Shiites.[40]

In Historical and Religious Buildings

The phrase 'Ali Wali Allah, on one of the mihrabs of Ibn Tulun Mosque in Cairo.

The phrase 'Ali wali Allah had significant presence in Shiite architectural works,[41] especially during the Fatimid era.[42] For example, on a mihrab added to the Mosque of Ibn Tulun in Cairo in 478/1094, there is an inscription of the phrase "la ilah illa Allah, Muhammad Rasul Allah, 'Ali wali Allah."[43] This mihrab was constructed during the caliphate of Mu'adh Mustansar al-Fatimi (reign 427/1036-487/1094), the eighteenth Ismaili Imam.[44]

The Dome of Soltaniye, located in the city of Soltaniye near Zanjan, contains an inscription of 'Ali wali Allah dating back to 710/1310. This architectural marvel was commissioned by Öljaitü, the eighth Ilkhanid king, following his conversion to Shiism.[45] Additionally, the Blue Mosque in Tabriz, constructed during the reign of Jahan Shah, a Qara Qoyunlu king, in 870/1465, features the inscription of the phrase 'Ali wali Allah on its walls.[46] In Kashan, the mihrab of Imamzada Habib b. Musa, dating back to 770/1368, also bears the inscription of the phrase "la ilah illa Allah, Muhammad Rasul Allah, 'Ali wali Allah."[47]

The phrase "'Ali wali Allah" is inscribed in the shrines of some Imams of the Shia (a) and Imamzadas, including the darih of the Shrine of Imam Ali (a),[48] the darih of Imam al-Rida (a), and the minaret of the Shrine of al-Abbas (a).[49]

In Literature

The phrase 'Ali wali Allah is frequently used in Persian literature. It finds its expression in the poetic works of various renowned figures, including Sayyid 'Ali 'Imad al-Din Nasimi, a Sufi poet from the eighth/fourteenth century, Asiri Lahiji Nurbakhshi, a Sufi poet from the ninth/fifteenth century, 'Urfi Shirazi,[50] a poet from the tenth/sixteenth century, Muhammad Quli Salim Tihrani, a poet from the eleventh/seventeenth century, and Muhammad Kazim Ashufta Shirazi, a poet from the Qajar era, among many others.

The phrase 'Ali wali Allah is not limited to Persian literature; it can also be found in Arabic poems. For example, in response to a poem written by Walid b. 'Aqaba b. Abi Mu'ayt, who was 'Uthman's stepbrother, lamented his murder and cast blame on Banu Hashim, Fadl b. 'Abbas al-Lahabi, a poet from Banu Hashim, composed a poem that includes the phrase 'Ali wali Allah.[51]

Additionally, Ibn Shahrashub, a prominent Shiite scholar from the sixth/tenth century,[52] and Jamal al-Din Muhammad al-Najafi al-Maliki (d. after 1086/1675), a poet and descendant of Malik al-Ashtar,[53] both incorporated the phrase 'Ali wali Allah in their Arabic poems.

Notes

  1. ↑ Muḥaddithī, Farhang-i Ghadīr, p. 422 and 423.
  2. ↑ See: Ḥusaynī Mīlānī, Jawāhir al-kalām fī maʿrifat al-imāma wa al-Imām, vol. 2, p. 294.
  3. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Barrasīhā-yi Islāmī, vol. 1, p. 150.
  4. ↑ Ṭabarī, Dalāʾil al-imāma, p. 18.
  5. ↑ See: Qīrawānī, ʿAqīdat al-Salaf, p. 61.
  6. ↑ ʿĪjī, al-Mawāqif fī ʿilm al-kalām, p. 295.
  7. ↑ Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, vol. 8, p. 99.
  8. ↑ Ṣadūq, Man lā yaḥḍuruh al-faqīh, vol. 2, p. 604.
  9. ↑ See: Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, vol. 9, p. 295, 296; Ṣadūq, Man lā yaḥḍuruh al-faqīh, vol. 2, p. 586, 589, 590, 592; Ṭūsī, Tahdhīb al-aḥkām, vol. 6, p. 26, 27, 28.
  10. ↑ Rāwandī, Daʿawāt, p. 211.
  11. ↑ Qummī, Tafsīr al-Qummī, vol. 2, p. 208.
  12. ↑ See: Kashfī Tirmidhī, Manāqib-i Murtaḍawī, p. 140, 319; Mazharī, Tafsīr al-mazharī, vol. 7, p. 256; Qundūzī, Yanābīʿ al-mawadat li-dhi l-qurbā, vol. 1, p. 250, 288 and 249.
  13. ↑ See: The presence of millions of Tehran people in the 10 km Eid al-Ghadir party (Persian).
  14. ↑ Sarāwī, al-Quṭūf al-dānīya fī al-masāʾil al-thamānīya, vol. 1, p. 55.
  15. ↑ Subḥānī, Shīʿa shinākht, p. 352; Yazdī, al-ʿUrwat al-wuthqā, vol. 1, p. 532.
  16. ↑ Ghizzī, al-Shahāda al-thālitha al-muqaddasa, p. 361-384.
  17. ↑ See: Ibn Shahrāshūb, Manāqib Āl Abī Ṭālib, vol. 2, p. 52; Ibn Shādhān, al-Rawḍa fī faḍāʾīl al-Imām Amīr al-Muʾminīn (a), p. 196.
  18. ↑ See: Najafī, Jawāhir al-kalām, vol. 41, p. 630; Shahīd al-Thānī, Masālik al-ifhām ilā tanqīh sharāyiʿ al-Islām, vol. 15, p. 36.
  19. ↑ See: Qummī, Tafsīr al-Qummī, vol. 2, p. 325; Ṣadūq, al-Amālī, p. 670.
  20. ↑ Ibn Shādhān, al-Rawḍa fī faḍāʾīl al-Imām Amīr al-Muʾminīn (a), p. 23.
  21. ↑ Mirzā al-Qummī, Ghanāʾim al-ayyām, vol. 2, p. 423.
  22. ↑ Ḥusaynī Tihrānī, Imām shināsī, vol. 1, p. 95.
  23. ↑ Qummī, Tafsīr al-Qummī, vol. 2, p. 325.
  24. ↑ Ṣadūq, al-Amālī, p. 670.
  25. ↑ See: Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, vol. 8, p. 99; Ṣadūq, al-Khiṣāl, vol. 1, p. 324; Ṭabarī, Dalāʾil al-imāma, p. 413; Ibn Shādhān, Miʾat manqaba min manāqib Amīr al-Muʾminīn, p. 49.
  26. ↑ Zakī Muḥammad Ḥasan, al-mansūjāt al-Islāmīyya al-Miṣrīyya wa maʿraḍ jūblān bi-bārīs, p. 29.
  27. ↑ See: bn al-Jawzī, al-Muntaẓam fī tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk, vol. 16, p. 37.
  28. ↑ Sarafrāzī, Shaʿāʾir-i Shīʿī bar sikkih-hā-yi Islāmī tā shikl gīrī-yi hukūmat-i Ṣafawīyān, p. 13.
  29. ↑ ʿAwdī, Kāwushī nuwīn dar tārikh-i Faṭimīyyāt-i Miṣr, p. 35.
  30. ↑ Mawaddat, Taḥlīlī bar rawand-i ḍarb-i ʿibārat-i ʿAlī walī Allāh bar sikki-hā-yi Bāwanīyān-i Kayūsīya, p. 219.
  31. ↑ Jaʿfariyān, Tārīkh-i Tashayyuʿ dar Irān, p. 361.
  32. ↑ Ibn al-Jawzī, al-Muntaẓam fī tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk, vol. 16, p. 37.
  33. ↑ Fasāʾī, Fārsnāma-yi nāṣirī, vol. 1, p. 288.
  34. ↑ John Masson, Khurūj wa ʿurūj-i Sarbidārān, p. 83.
  35. ↑ Sarafrāzī, Shaʿāʾir-i Shīʿī bar sikkih-hā-yi Islāmī tā shikl gīrī-yi hukūmat-i Ṣafawīyān, p. 13.
  36. ↑ Andamī and Sulaymānī, Bargī az sikkah shināsī (Rawand-i Tashayyuʿ dar Irān), p. 83 and 84.
  37. ↑ Jaʿfariyān, Tārīkh-i Tashayyuʿ dar Irān, p. 691.
  38. ↑ Sarafrāzī, Shaʿāʾir-i Shīʿī bar sikkih-hā-yi Islāmī tā shikl gīrī-yi hukūmat-i Ṣafawīyān, p. 23.
  39. ↑ John Masson, Khurūj wa ʿurūj-i Sarbidārān, p. 83; Jaʿfariyān, Tārīkh-i Tashayyuʿ dar Irān, p. 361.
  40. ↑ Sarafrāzī, Shaʿāʾir-i Shīʿī bar sikkih-hā-yi Islāmī tā shikl gīrī-yi hukūmat-i Ṣafawīyān, p. 15.
  41. ↑ Muḥaddithī, Farhang-i Ghadīr, p. 423.
  42. ↑ See: Molana Mustansirbillah.
  43. ↑ Fuʾad Sayyid, al-Qāhira, p. 8044.
  44. ↑ Molana Mustansirbillah.
  45. ↑ Jaʿfariyān, Tārīkh-i Tashayyuʿ dar Irān, p. 737.
  46. ↑ Sarafrāzī, Shaʿāʾir-i Shīʿī bar sikkih-hā-yi Islāmī tā shikl gīrī-yi hukūmat-i Ṣafawīyān, p. 22.
  47. ↑ Jaʿfariyān, Tārīkh-i Tashayyuʿ dar Irān, p. 850.
  48. ↑ Darih of the Shrine of Imam 'Ali (a).
  49. ↑ The dome and minaret of the shrine of Hazrat Abbas (a).
  50. ↑ Taqī al-Dīn Kāshī, Khulāṣat al-ashʿār wa zubdat al-afkār, p. 200.
  51. ↑ Masʿūdī, Murūj al-dhahab, vol. 2, p. 347, 348.
  52. ↑ Shahrāshūb, Manāqib Āl Abī Ṭālib, vol. 1, p. 323.
  53. ↑ ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Dirham, Nazhat al-abṣār bi-ṭarāʾif al-akhbār al-ashʿār, p. 225.

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