Al-Tabligh Verse: Difference between revisions

'''Al-Tablīgh verse''' (Arabic: {{ia|آیة التَّبليغ}}, propagation verse) is the 67th verse of [[Sura al-Ma'ida]] and one of the last verses revealed to [[the Prophet (s)]].

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]])

Shi'a exegetes and narrators believe that the al-Tabligh verse was revealed in [[Hajjat al-Wida']] (Hajj of farewell) in [[Ghadir Khumm]] regarding the announcement of Imam 'Ali's (a) succession of the Prophet (s).<ref>See: Qummī, ''Tafsīr al-Qummī'', vol. 1, p. 179; ʿAyyāshī, ''Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī'', vol. 1, p. 331-332.</ref> Some Sunni exegetes have agreed with that as well.<ref>See: Suyūṭī, ''al-Durr al-manthūr'', vol. 2, p. 298; Ālūsī, ''Rūḥ al-maʿānī''. Vol. 6, p. 194.</ref>

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.<ref>Ṭabrisī, ''Iʿlām al-warā'', vol. 3, p. 344.</ref>