Ghadir Nation
from Ghadir's Ali to Ghadir's Mahdi
Undoubtedly, the observer of history will notice that the ideological structure, which was based on Ghadir event, produced a nation whose bases expanded, and its incubators increased despite the extreme hardship of time, and the targeting of unjust regimes against it, until it transformed from a persecuted and ostracized group, into a nation that has, in recent times, established rules that are taking root and entrenching gradually in the paths of civilization, and geopolitical maps. It continues to do so with greater determination and ability, despite the fact that historical injustice continues to haunt it, and to produce new examples of this injustice every day.
Undoubtedly, also, that this injustice would not have occurred without the vital nature that characterizes al- Ghadir nation. As the nation that loses its vitality, and surrenders to the arrogant will is shepherded like a sheep owner takes care of his sheep!
The prevailing injustice would not have occurred, if it were not for the oppressor finding out that the oppressed is a substitute for him. Therefore, he (oppressor) fears him (oppressed), and directs the means of injustice to subjugate him and work to make him submit to the will of the oppressor. This is why the continuation of suffering with the oppressors is a sure sign of the nation’s vitality, and its non-surrender. You can consider the reality of the nation between the first day it was began, when the Amir [Amir al Mu'mineen, Imam Ali b. Abi Talib] (peace be upon him), called on the people to support him, in order to prevent the destruction of the religious and political Ghadir project; but his call was not answered, except as Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) expresses it in the statement of Abu Bakr al-Hadrami, who said: "People apostatized except for three people; Salman, Abu Dharr, and Al-Miqdad, said: I said: So Ammar? He said: He had gone for a while, and then came back" (1). Then consider its reality today, after its stages of time have passed, and it is being persecuted by oppressor and thug, by perpetrator and deceiver, by corruptor and unjust, and by invader and occupier.
Undoubtedly, when we reach this historical position, Ghadir nation has come a long way in terms of ideological stability, and has gone through a unique experience of patience with the entitlements and taxes of belonging. This experience clearly shows that the path of wounds, pain, and suffering, which has passed, has resulted in qualitative integration, and there is no better evidence of this than the contemporary suffering of the arrogant regimes from it in particular, in a way that almost matches the nature of the indication that we benefit from the two narrations of Aban bin Taghlib and Mansour bin Hazim, on the authority of Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), while he was talking about the conditions of the preface society, and what moves from it to the reality of the honorable appearance, as Aban bin Taghlib said: "I heard Abu Abdullah Jaafar bin Muhammad (peace be upon him) saying: If the Banner of truth [Banner of Imam Mahdi] appears, it is cursed by every person. Do you know why? I said no. He said: Because of what happens to people from his family before his appearance" (2).
It is clear that the East and West, at that time, will be full of oppression and unfair. When oppressors curse someone, that only because he is annoying, obstructive, and preventing their approach. The reality, which Ghadir nation has reached, requires us to look at the Ghadir matter from two aspects:
- The first is concerned with authenticity; that is, a return to Ghadir’s ideological and objective requirements, as Ghadir was associated with the announcement of major divine platforms, that were referred to in the verse of Ghadir, and by platforms I mean: (the completion of the religion, the completion of the blessing and Islam pleasing to God, Ghadir nation's strength against disbelief and having power over the infidels). These platforms were not announced to entrust the matter to the owner of Ghadir alone to achieve them, rather, they were announced to be an approach for those who belong to it, to work to support the divine project that Allah (Almighty) told His verse to the Greatest Messenger [Mohammad] (peace be upon him and his family): {announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord.} [Holy Qura'n, al-Ma'idah, verse 67]. It is clear that this telling has faced challenges, which related to what will happened to the supporters from their seeking towards completing the religion, completing the blessing to achieve the complete content of Islam, being strong against the will of disbelief and injustice, providing the requirements for strength and power by confronting the people who will oppose and confront this project. This is what Allah (Almighty) meant when He said: {And Allah will protect you from the people} [Holy Qura'n, al-Ma'idah, verse 67]. Whoever imagines that the mere telling will mean the fulfillment of the project is delusional, otherwise, we would find that the telling when it took place on Ghadir Day, where the greatest Messenger said his word regarding the Commander of the Faithful [Amir al Mu'mineen, Imam Ali b. Abi Talib], (peace be upon him): " O’ people! Of whomsoever I am a master, Ali is his master" was sufficient for the project to be fulfilled. However, the historical reality reveals that the calamity on Ghadir began immediately after its announcement. You can reflect on the historical stages that followed the announcement from Almighty’s saying: {And Allah will protect you from the people} [Holy Qura'n, al-Ma'idah, verse 67], represented by the refusal to join Osama’s army, razeyah Khamis [thursday tragedy], the testimony of the prophet Mohammad (may my father and mother be sacrificed), al-Saqifa meeting [location where companions of prophet Mohammad pledged their allegiance to Abu Bakr as the first caliph and successor to prophet Mohammad], and what happened in the house of al-Zahra (peace be upon her) up to this day. People have imagined that Allah Almighty’s saying about "protection from people" means that He will confront these people with His will, even though His (Almighty) condition is that He should not change their situation, unless they change themselves. Therefore, it is right to say: Belonging to Ghadir means continuing the work, and making an effort towards achieving the positions and platforms of this day. That is, accomplishing the tasks of completing the religion, completing the blessing, satisfying Allah (Almighty) about our Islam, standing up to those who object and weakening their front, and preventing them from being empowered.
- The second: It is to work on the requirements of modernity after achieving the requirements of authenticity. That is, when these positions commented on the announcement of the imamate of the Commander of the Faithful [Amir al Mu'mineen, Imam Ali b. Abi Talib], (peace be upon him) and the commitment to it, and since the nation failed to do so, some people betrayed the Commander of the Faithful [Amir al Mu'mineen, Imam Ali b. Abi Talib], (peace be upon him), Ghadir project could not have ended, and how could it be ended while Allah (Almighty) pledged to complete it even if the disbelievers disliked it? Therefore, it is necessary to work towards paving the way for the ruler of Ghadir after the Amir [Amir al Mu'mineen, Imam Ali b. Abi Talib] (peace be upon him) in our time. If the hypocritical nation betrayed the Ghadir of Ali (peace be upon him) and the imams after him, and some were ignorant of it, it does not mean that the Ghadir has ended, nor does it mean that the sign of completing the religion has been eliminated; rather, the occasion of the verse, and what happened during it, must urge us to persevere to reach the position of serious support for the Deputy of the Amir and his Awaited grandson [Imam Mahdi] (peace be upon him) in the reality in which we live. This position does not require that the imam [Imam Mahdi] (may my father and mother be sacrificed for him) be visible, so that we can work to support him, rather, it requires a permanent movement from us in order to provide the requirements for victory, with all its means, such as preparing souls and working on their integration, providing the requirements for strengthening the believers, and the ability of the incubator that will receive the Imam’s project (may our souls be sacrificed for him), and work to achieve it.
We must be careful not to repeat the historical mistake committed by the companions, when they renounced the pledge of Ghadir allegiance for many reasons. There was a lot of betrayal, which was then followed by a process of betrayal, that claimed the lives of Imams (peace be upon them) and handed them over to the tyrants. Rather, we must pay attention and be aware of the obligations of transforming the ideological adopted into a nation. Belonging alone is not enough to achieve what is desired of it, and the strength that achieves support for the divine project, and it is what achieves the preparation for our Imam [Mahdi] (peace be upon him), and it is what will remove the factors and circumstances that led the Imam [Mahdi], (may my father and mother be sacrificed for him), to disappear by necessity, not by choice.
1- Ikhtiyar Ma’rifat al-Rijal Book: pa. 23, part 1, hadith 13.
2- Al-Gayba (al-Nu'mani), pa. 308, chpt. 17, hadith 4, or Mansur bin Hazim' hadith mentioned in: pa.309, chpt 17, hadith 5.
Sheikh Jalal Al-Din Ali Al-Saghir
Source: ALENTEDHAR, issue 2021, no. 2
