Al-Ikmal Verse

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Al-Ikmal Verse
Verse's Information
NameAl-Ikmal Verse
SuraQur'an 5
Verse3
Juz'6
Content Information
Cause of
Revelation		Appointment of Ali (a) as successor
Place of
Revelation		Mecca
AboutImam Ali (a) and Event of Ghadir
Related VersesAl-Tabligh verse, Al-Wilaya verse


Al-Ikmal verse (Arabic: آية الإكمال) is the third verse of Chapter 5 of the Qur'an (Sura al-Ma'ida) which was revealed to the Prophet (s) during the event of Ghadir. In this verse, God states that he has perfected the religion and completed his blessing. There is a disagreement about the day in which this verse was revealed. Some scholars maintain that it was revealed on the day of 'Arafa and some believe that the 18th of Dhu l-Hijja of 10/March 16, 632 is the day. Shi'a unanimously believe that the verse was revealed about the event of Ghadir and the guardianship (Wilaya) of Imam 'Ali (a).

Text

Time of Revelation

There are two groups of narrations in Shi'a and Sunni sources about the exact time of its revelation. It was definitely revealed during Hajjat al-Wida' (farewell Hajj), however, some have said it was revealed on the Day of 'Arafa or and some have narrated that it was revealed on the 18th of Dhu l-Hijja, the Day of Ghadir.

Day of 'Arafa

In al-Kafi, al-Kulayni has narrated a hadith which says this verse was revealed on the day of 'Arafa to announce the guardianship of 'Ali (a)[1]; however al-'Allama al-Majlisi said that this hadith has weak and unreliable chain of narrators as well as distorted content[2].

Al-'Ayyashi also narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (a): "When the Messenger of God stayed in 'Arafat on a Friday, Gabriel came to him and said: "O, Muhammad! God sends you salutation and says: Tell your Umma (community) "Today, I have perfected your religion by the guardianship of 'Ali b. Abi Talib and I have completed My blessing upon you, and I have approved Islam as your religion and I will not reveal anything after this."[3]

In the chain of narrators of this hadith, there is a person named Ja'far b. Muhammad al-Khuza'i whose identity is unknown.[4]

Moreover, some Sunni sources including an exegesis of the Qur'an and a history book authored by Ibn Kathir, maintain that it was revealed on the day of 'Arafa.[5]

18th of Dhu al-Hijja

According to several hadiths, Ikmal verse was revealed on the day of Ghadir or soon after. These hadiths have been narrated in Shiite sources through numerous sahih (correct) chains of transmission.[6]

Some Sunni sources also maintain that it was revealed on the Day of Ghadir, however, some other Sunnis believe that those hadiths are weak and unreliable.[7] Narrators in the chain of transmitters are trusted according to Sunni scholars of rijal, though. 'Allama Amini has checked all the narrators of these hadiths according to Sunni Rijal books and principles and concluded that all of them are reliable from Sunni point of view.[8]

Both Days

Some scholars believe that this verse was revealed twice, once, on the day of 'Arafa - and the Prophet (s), for some reasons, was worried to inform people about it after which al-Tabligh Verse was revealed and God assured him in that verse; then al-Ikmal verse was revealed once again - on the day of Ghadir.[9]

Occasion of Revelation

Shi'a Viewpoint

Shi'a unanimously believe that Ikmal verse was revealed about the event of Ghadir and the guardianship (Wilaya) of 'Ali (a).[10]

Sunni Viewpoint

Some Sunni sources reported that the verse was revealed on day of 'Arafa.[11]

However, 'Allama Amini in al-Ghadir and Mir Hamid Husayn in 'Abaqat al-Anwar have found ample indications in Sunni sources that it was revealed about 'Ali (s).

Analysis

When the al-Tabligh Verse was revealed in Ghadir Khumm, the Prophet (s) appointed 'Ali (a) as the guardian and caliph following which the Ikmal verse was revealed. Then the Prophet said:

"God is the greatest upon perfection of the religion and completion of blessing and God's satisfaction with my messengerhood and 'Ali's guardianship after me."[12]

According to this, announcing the guardianship of Ali (a) was the last duty of the Prophet (s) and nothing was sent down after that except the Ikmal verse.[13]

Word Description

Today (اليوم)

There are different opinions about the referent of "Today" in the verse:

  • The day of Conquest of Mecca[14]: considering the fact that many rulings were introduced after the Conquest of Mecca and a religion cannot be perfect without complete rulings, this report is not acceptable.[15]
  • After the Battle of Tabuk: it was then that Qur'an 9 was revealed and the traditions of the Age of Ignorance were broken.[16] This report is not acceptable either, because Qur'an 5 in which many rulings are issued was revealed after Qur'an 9.[17]
  • The day of 'Arafa: Bukhari, Muslim and some other Sunni sources have said that it was the day of 'Arafa.[18] It is unacceptable too, as some rulings were issued after 'Arafa in 10/632 including a report narrated from 'Umar that the ruling to forbid Riba was issued after Hajjat al-Wida' (farewell Hajj).[19]
  • The day of Ghadir: the only issue that is as important as it can be considered to be the cause of perfection of the religion and completion of blessing and disappointment of unbelievers is the guardianship of 'Ali (a) and appointing him as the Prophet's (s) vicegerent during the event of Ghadir.

Difference between Completion and Perfection

  • Completion is applied where various parts of something come in a sequence and it is not complete unless all parts are assembled. When the last part joins the other parts we can say it is complete.
  • But in the case of perfection, it is not that there is an incomplete issue. An item may be complete but still not perfect.

In fact, the difference between completion and perfection is the same as the difference between quantity and quality. Qur'an says, on the one hand, that I have completed your religion and says, on the other hand, that I have perfected my blessings.[20]

See Also

Notes

  1. ↑ Kulaynī, "al-Kāfī", vol. 1, p. 259.
  2. ↑ Majlisī, Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 3, p. 259-261.
  3. ↑ ʿAyyāshī, Kitāb al-tafsīr, vol. 2, p. 9.
  4. ↑ Khoei, Muʿjam rijāl al-ḥadīth, vol. 4, p. 126.
  5. ↑ Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿaẓīm, vol. 3, p. 26; Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya, vol. 5, p. 155.
  6. ↑ Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, vol. 1, p. 289-292; Baḥrānī, al-Burhān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, vol. 1, p. 434-447.
  7. ↑ Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿaẓīm, vol. 3, p. 28; Suyūṭī, al-Durar al-manthūr, vol. 3, p. 19.
  8. ↑ Amīnī, al-Ghadīr, vol. 1, p. 294-298.
  9. ↑ ʿĀmilī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ min sīrat al-Nabī al-aʿẓam, vol. 31, p. 311.
  10. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, vol. 5, p. 169; Ḥuwayzī, Tafsīr nūr al-thaqalayn, vol. 1, p. 589.
  11. ↑ Sayyid b. Ṭāwūs, al-Yaqīn, p. 344; Bayḍāwī, Anwār al-tanzīl, vol. 1, p. 255; Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-maʿānī, vol. 4, p. 90-91.
  12. ↑ Ṭabarī, Bishārat al-Muṣṭafā, p. 211; Ḥusaynī Astar Ābādī, Taʾwīl al-āyāt al-ẓāhira, p. 152; Sayyid b. Ṭāwūs, al-Ṭarāʾif, vol. 1, p. 146.
  13. ↑ Baḥrānī, al-Burhān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, vol. 1, p. 424.
  14. ↑ Tafsīr al-Samarqandī, vol. 1, p. 393 quoted from: ʿĀmilī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ min sīrat al-Nabī al-aʿẓam, vol. 31, p. 304; al-Jāmīʿ l-aḥkām al-Qurʾān l-l-Qurṭubī, vol. 4, p. 60 quoted from: ʿĀmilī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ min sīrat al-Nabī al-aʿẓam, vol. 31, p. 304.
  15. ↑ ʿĀmilī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ min sīrat al-Nabī al-aʿẓam, vol. 31, p. 304.
  16. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, vol. 5, p. 169.
  17. ↑ ʿĀmilī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ min sīrat al-Nabī al-aʿẓam, vol. 31, p. 305.
  18. ↑ ʿĀmilī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ min sīrat al-Nabī al-aʿẓam, vol. 31, p. 311.
  19. ↑ Amīnī, al-Ghadīr, vol. 6, p. 127.
  20. ↑ Motahari, Imāmat wa rahbarī, p. 88-89.

References

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