Al-Mawadda Verse: Difference between revisions

| Cause of Revelation = Introducing the love of Ahl al-Bayt (a) as the reward of the Prophetic mission

'''Al-Mawadda verse''' (Arabic: {{arabic|آية المودة}}) (the Love Verse) is a part of [[verse]] 23 of [[Chapter 42]] of the Holy [[Qur'an]] (Sura al-Shura) which shows the high status of the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]] and considers the [[reward]] for the mission of the [[Prophet (s)]] nothing except for the love of the Ahl al-Bayt (a).

All [[Shi'a]] and most of [[Sunni]] [[exegete]]s have [[narration|narrated]] from [[Ibn 'Abbas]] that after the Prophet's (s) [[migration to Medina]], [[Helpers]] had discussions about the Islamic government. They decided to go the [[Prophet (s)]] and say, "We will submit to you all our small wealth and facilities if you have any financial needs for the progress of [[Islam]] and the management of the newly-established Islamic society. In any way you take and use it would be our honor."<ref>See: Ālūsī, ''Rūḥ al-maʿānī'', vol. 13, p. 30.</ref> That was when the al-Mawadda verse was [[revelation|revealed]] to the Prophet (s) to mention the love of the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]] as the reward for the Prophet's (s) mission, not any material or worldly [[reward]].

Shia scholars have responded to and rejected these four suggestions. (See sources below for more details.)

* Others hold that "al-mawadda fi l-qurbā" means love of the Prophet's (s) relatives, that is, his [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]]. There are many [[hadiths]] in Sunni and Shia sources in which the verse is interpreted in this way. Such [[mutawatir]] hadiths in both sources support this view.<ref>Ṭabrisī, ''Majmaʿ al-bayān'', vol. 9, p. 48.</ref>

[[Imam al-Sajjad (a)]] was asked about the meaning of the al-Mawadda verse, and [[Imam]] (a) answered, "The intended meaning of the verse is loving us, the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]]."<ref>Kūfī, ''Tafsīr al-Furāt al-Kūfī'', p. 392.</ref>

In his commentary on ''[[Ihqaq al-haqq (book)|Ihqaq al-haq]]'', [[Sayyid Shihab al-Din Mar'ashi Najafi|Mar'ashi Najafi]] has enumerated up to fifty great Sunni scholars who have included hadiths about al-Mawadda verse in their books through numerous [[chain of transmission|chains of transmission]].<ref>Shūshtarī, ''Iḥqāq al-ḥaq'', vol. 3, p. 2-18, footnote. 2.</ref> Also, [[al-Sayyid Hashim al-Bahrani]] has mentioned seventeen hadiths from Sunnis and twenty-two hadiths from Shias about this verse in his book ''[[Ghayat al-maram wa hujjat al-khisam]]''.<ref>Baḥrānī, ''Ghāyat al-marām'', vol. 3, p. 230-244.</ref>

A careful consideration of [[hadiths]] from the [[Prophet (s)]] in Shia and Sunni sources to the effect that people should consult [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]] to understand the [[Qur'an]] as well as the principles and ancillaries of Islam, such as [[Hadith al-Thaqalayn]] and [[Hadith al-Safina]], leaves no doubt that love of Ahl al-Bayt (a) is obligatory as a reward for the Prophet (s) in order to make people consult them to understand the religion. Thus, the love of Ahl al-Bayt (a) is in continuity with [[prophethood]], and thus, the verse is not contradictory to other verses according to which there is no [[reward]] for prophethood. Thus, although the love of Ahl al-Bayt (a) is taken to be a reward, it is indeed in the interest of people rather than Ahl al-Bayt (a).<ref>Ṭabāṭabāʾī, ''al-Mīzān'', vol. 18, p. 46.</ref>