Al-Tabligh Verse: Difference between revisions

According to this verse, the Prophet (s) was obliged to proclaim an important message to people. The verse explicitly denotes the importance of the message that if the Prophet (s) had not proclaimed it, he would not have performed his mission. According to [[Shi'a]] and some [[Sunnis]], it is revealed in [[Hajjat al-Wida']] (Hajj of farewell) just before the 18th Dhu l-Hijja 10/632.

Shi'a believe that the subject of the message was succession of the Prophet (s) by [['Ali (a)]], so after the [[revelation]] of this verse the Prophet (s) announced 'Ali (a) as his vicegerent and successor in Ghadir Khumm. (See: [[The event of Ghadir]])

O, Messenger! Proclaim that which has been sent down to you from your Lord, and if you do not you will not have proclaimed His message and Allah shall protect you from people, indeed Allah do not guide the faithless lot.

==Occasion of Revelation==

According to Shi'a sources, after that the Prophet (s) postponed the announcement of Imam 'Ali's succession because he was afraid of [[hypocrite]]s's conspiracy, [[Gabriel]] delivered this verse to him in which God has emphasized on proclaiming of 'Ali's guardianship and protecting the Prophet (s) from hypocrites. Based on this, "Proclaim that which has been sent down to you from your Lord" means the guardianship and succession of 'Ali (a) which was revealed to the Prophet (s) earlier but he was worried about its announcement as people might have said he had chosen his cousin for his succession.

 

Other possible causes have been put forth for the revelation of this verse, however, these causes have been criticized by Muslim and Shi'a scholars.

Based on some [[hadith]]s, it is said that the al-Tabligh verse was sent down in [[Mecca]] obliging the Prophet (s) to propagate the truths of the religion among unbelievers and polytheists. According to these hadiths, some guards were appointed to protect him against his enemies, but after the [[revelation]] of this verse he discharged them and said that God will protect him from his enemies. Moreover, he was obliged to inform unbelievers and polytheists about the truths of the religion without any fear.

====Criticism====

Exegetes unanimously believe that [[Surat al-Ma'ida]] was revealed in [[Medina]] and according to some hadiths narrated from [['Abd Allah b. 'Umar]], it was the last revealed [[Sura]]. Therefore it is wrong to assume that the al-Tabligh verse was sent down in Mecca and that, for many years, it was recited alone without being joined to any Sura. Moreover, some scholars counted the hadiths about the guards protecting the Prophet (s) in Mecca as gharib (strange) and munkar (denied).

===Proclamation among Ahl al-Kitab===

As stated by some, al-Tabligh Verse was revealed in Medina with the purpose of obliging the Prophet (s) to convey the revealed truths to [[Ahl al-Kitab]] (the people of the book i.e. Jews and Christians) with no fear. According to Abu Hayyan, the message that the Prophet (s) was supposed to convey was the ruling of [[Rajm]] (stoning) and [[Qisas]] (death penalty), which was sent down in Torah and Gospel but were distorted and changed by Jews and Christians.

He argues that verses before and after this verse are also about Ahl al-Kitab and that the topic of this verse should not differ from the subject of those verses.

====Criticism====

According to historical sources, following the battles between Muslims and Jews including the [[Battle of Khaybar]] and [[Battle of Banu Qurayza|Banu Qurayza]], Jews lost their power and grandeur and by the occupation of their castles and expulsion of many of them, their influence waned.

Christians also did not have power in [[Hijaz]] and especially in [[Medina]]. The only instance in which these Christians confronted Muslims was the event of [[Mubahala]], which was canceled at the former's request.

Considering the fact that Muslims were very powerful in the final years of the Prophet's life, there was no reason for the Prophet (a) to worry about propagating the truths of religion among Jews and Christians. Moreover, the al-Tabligh Verse is not alien to preceding and following verses. The context of the verses is about rebuking Jews and Christians and probably they thought that by the demise of the Prophet (s), Muslims will lose their power and domination and that they can return to power. But the al-Tabligh verse, which is about appointment of a leader for the Islamic [[Umma]] succeeding the Prophet (s), negated their assumptions. This interpretation is consistent with the [[al-Ikmal verse]], which was revealed after the announcement of Imam 'Ali's guardianship.

===Importance of this Mission===

This verse explicitly denotes the importance and sensitivity of the message; for failure to deliver this message has been considered equal to not fulfilling the whole prophetic mission assigned by God. Therefore, the message can not be considered as a message about theological issues such as [[tawhid]] (monotheism), [[prophethood]] or the [[resurrection]] or jurisprudential issues such as the rulings on [[prayer]], [[fasting]] and [[Hajj]], because Surat al-Ma'ida is the last sura revealed to the Prophet (s) but those rulings have been sent down before the revelation of Surat al-Ma'ida. It can be said that it should be about an issue which is , in addition to importance and novelty, considered as a complement to the Prophet's (s) prophetic mission which is nothing but the leadership of the Muslim umma after the Prophet (s).

Due to the sensitivity of the issue, the Prophet (s) was worried about delivering the message, but God dispelled his worry by this phrase "Allah shall protect you from people."

As it was demonstrated, the verse is not about the [[polytheists]] of [[Quraysh]] nor about Ahl al-Kitab, the referent of "people" is [[hypocrite]]s within the Islamic society.

* Some new Muslim (specially from [[Quraysh]]) had grudge against 'Ali (a) as he had killed their relatives in the battles.

* 'Ali was young (when the Prophet (s) passed away he was 33). The Arab society was not going to easily accept him, since for them, age and senility was one of the most important requirements for leadership. This attitude towards leadership was reflected in objections which arose twice during the Prophet's (s) life: during the [[Battle of Tabuk]] when 'Ali (a) was appointed as the Prophet's successor in Medina, and appointment of [[Usama b. Zayd]] as the commander of the army in the last days of the Prophet's (s) life.