The Ghadir Sermon

Part 6

Adherents to the AhlulBayt (PBUT) and Their Enemies

O people! I am "the Straight Path" of Allah whom He has commanded you to follow (41), and such after me also is Ali, and then my offspring from his Solb, the Imams of Guidance who guide to the Truth, and therewith, they do justice.” (42)

"In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful; All Praise be for Allah, the Lord of the worlds; the Compassionate, the Merciful; the Master of the Day of Judgment; You We worship and serve, and from You We seek aid; guide us to "the Straight Path"; the path of those upon whom You bestowed blessings and favors, not of those upon whom Your Wrath is brought down, nor of those who go astray." (43)

This (Surah) was revealed in my honor, and in their (the Imams') honor, it was revealed; and, generalizes for them, and particularizes only them.

They are the Awliya (plural of Wali) of Allah, for whom there shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (44)

Behold! Truly, it is the Party of Allah who are the prevailers. (45)

Lo! Surely Ali's enemies, they are adherents to dissentiency and hypocrisy; and the opposers, and they are the adversaries; and the brethren of Shaitaans (devils) some of whom inspire others with embellished vain discourses, out of arrogance. (46)

Behold! It is their close adherents whom Allah has mentioned in His Book, and, the Mighty and the Majestic, has said: “you will not find any group of people who (truly) Believe in Allah and in the Last Day, yet they love and follow those who have opposed Allah and His Messenger, even though they've been their (own) fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their kinsfolk; those are the ones in whose hearts He has written and impressed the Eemaan (Faith …).” (47)

Lo! Their close adherents are those whom Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, has described as: “And those who Believe and do not cover their Eemaan (Faith) with injustice, are the ones for whom is the safety and security (from Hell Fire), and they are the rightly guided.” (48)

Lo! Their close adherents shall certainly enter Paradise with security and safety; and the angels shall receive them with greetings and Salaam that, happy and well you are, so enter into it to dwell therein forever. (49)

Behold! Indeed, their close adherents are those about whom Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, has said, they shall enter Heaven, in it, they shall be receiving sustenance, without calculation. (50)

Lo! Their enemies are indeed those who shall arrive at Hell.

Behold! Indeed, their enemies are the ones who shall hear the (terrible) drawing in of Hell's breath as it blazes forth, and for that, there shall be the heaving of sighs and sobs. (51)

Behold! Their enemies are surely those about whom Allah has stated: “whenever a nation enters, it shall La'n and curse its peer.” (52)

Lo! Certainly their enemies are those whom Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, has stated: “Every time a group is cast therein, its keepers shall ask them, ‘Did no warner come to you?’ They shall say, ‘Yes indeed. A warner came to us, but we rejected (him) and we said, Allah has not revealed anything; you are but in a grand state of aberration and error.’" (53)

Behold! Their (AhlulBayt’s) close adherents are, indeed, ones who fear their Lord in secret; for them is forgiveness and a grand reward! (54)

O people! What a difference it is between HellFire and Heaven! Our enemy is whom Allah censures and La'ns (keeps His Mercy away from), and our adherent friend is whom Allah praises and loves.

O people! Behold! And I am surely a Warner and Ali is a Guide. (55)

O people! Indeed I am a Prophet and Ali is my Wasi.

Notes of Part 6

41. cf. Qur'an, Surah 6, verse 153

42. cf. Qur'an, Surah 7, verse 181

43 Qur'an, Surah 1, verses 1 to 7

44. cf. Qur'an, Surah 10, verse 62

45. cf. Qur'an, Surah 5, verse 56

46. cf. Qur'an, Surah 6, verse 112

47. Qur'an, Surah 58, verse 22

48. Qur'an, Surah 6, verse 82

49. cf. Qur'an, Surah 39, verse 73

50. cf. Qur'an, Surah 40, verse 40

51. cf. Qur'an, Surah 67, verse 7, and Surah 11, verse 106

52. Qur'an, Surah 7, verse 38

53. Qur'an, Surah 67, verses 8 & 9

54. cf. Qur'an, Surah 67, verse 12

55. cf. Qur'an, Surah 13, verse 7

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The Ghadir Sermon

Part 7

Mentioning Imam Mahdi (PBUH)

Behold! Surely the last of the Imams from among us shall be the Qaa’em, the Mahdi.

Behold! He shall, most certainly, prevail over (all) religions.

Behold! He shall certainly be the avenger against the oppressors.

Behold! He shall surely be the conqueror of the strongholds and their annihilator.

Behold! He shall, indeed, be the killer of every group among the people of polytheism (those who will not submit.

Behold! He shall be the attainer for the (unrightfully wasted) blood of all Awliya of Allah, the Mighty, the Majestic.

Behold! He shall certainly be the supporter and helper of the Religion of Allah.

Behold! Indeed he shall bring out big portions from a very deep ocean (of Knowledge …).

Behold! He shall certainly identify each man of distinction by his distinction and every man of ignorance by his ignorance.

Behold! Indeed he is the choicest elite of Allah, and chosen by Him.

Behold! He shall indeed be the heir of all knowledge, and the one who shall encompass it.

Behold! He shall surely advise and inform on behalf of his Lord, the mighty and the majestic, and shall remind about the matters pertaining to His Faith.

Behold! Certainly, he shall be the Rashid (perfect guide …), the firm.

Behold! Indeed in him (Authority …) shall be vested.

Behold! Surely all former ones before him (Prophets, Successors …), had given glad tidings about him.

Behold! Certainly he shall be the Remanent Hojjat (of Allah), after whom there shall be no (new) Hojjat (Proof); and no Truth shall there be, except with him; nor there shall be any Light (of guidance …) unless with him.

Behold! None, indeed, shall overcome him, and none shall be supported and helped against him.

Behold! Indeed he shall be the Wali of Allah on His earth, His judge over His creation, and His trustee in His secrets and in what He has made evident.

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The Ghadir Sermon

Part 8

Exhorting People to give their Pledge

O people! I have, indeed, clarified and explained for you and made you comprehend, and it is this Ali that shall make you comprehend after me.

Behold! And indeed, at the end of my Sermon, I shall call upon you to shake hands with me as the oath of allegiance to him and the acknowledgement of him, and to shake hands with him afterwards.

Behold! I have indeed sworn allegiance to Allah, and Ali has surely sworn allegiance to me, and on behalf of Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, I require you to swear the oath of allegiance to him; “(Allah has said:) Verily those who pledge allegiance to you (the Prophet), they indeed pledge allegiance to Allah; the Hand of Allah is over their hands. Thus, anyone who breaks and violates his oath has indeed violated his (own) soul, and anyone who fulfills the Covenant he has made with Allah, He shall soon grant him a grand reward.” (56)

Note of Part 8

56. Qur'an, Surah 48, verse 10

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The Ghadir Sermon

Part 9

Finality of the Religious Laws and the Role of the Imams (PBUT)

O people! "Surely the Al-Safaa and Al-Marwah are among the Emblems of Allah; thus, whoever goes to visit the House (Ka’bah) in the Hajj season, or performs the 'Omrah, he has not made a mistake when he goes them round both. (57)

O people! Do the Hajj of the House, for, no members of a family went there except that they became free of need; and none failed to go there except that they were impoverished.

O people! No believer stands at the standing place (at the 'Arafaat desert) except that Allah forgives all his past sins until then; thus, once his Hajj pilgrimage is over, (recording of) his actions are resumed.

O people! The pilgrims shall be assisted, and their expenses shall be reimbursed; and Allah shall not waste the reward of those who do well. (58)

O people! Perform Pilgrimage to the House with Perfection of the Religion and with deep understanding, and do not leave the sacred places except after repenting and desisting (from all that is forbidden).

O people! Uphold the Salaat (Prayers) and pay the Zakaat as Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, has commanded you.

And, if time lapses and you fall short or forget, then Ali is your Wali, and shall clarify and explain for you.

He (Ali) is whom Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, appointed for you after me, and whom Allah chose as Caliph; he is from me and I am from him.

He shall inform you of anything you ask about, and shall clarify what you do.

Behold! Certainly, the Halaal and Haraam are more than that I could enumerate, and make them known and urge to Halaal or advise against Haraam, all in one place; therefore, I have been commanded to take an oath of allegiance from you and to make a covenant with you in accepting what I brought you from Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, regarding Ali, the Amir-Ol-Mo’menin (the Commander of the Believers) and the Imams after him who are from me and from him; the Imams -until the Day of Qiyaamat- whose Qaa'em (Riser) shall be Mahdi, he who shall judge based on the Truth.

O people! (By this appointment) I have directed you to every Halaal and prohibited you from every Haraam.

And certainly I shall never take (my word) back, and nor shall I replace it.

Behold! Hence, remember it, and safeguard it, and advise each other to it, and never substitute nor alter it.

Behold! And I certainly repeat the saying:

Behold! Uphold the Salaat, pay the Zakaat, exhort earnestly to the Ma'roof (specified good deeds), and forbid the Monkar (specified evil deeds); and behold! Surely The head of (the uppermost important) enjoining Ma'roof and forbidding Monkar is, resorting to my saying, and conveying it to whoever is not present, and urging him to accept it, and advising him against violating it, for, it surely is a Command of Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, from me.

And there is no enjoining Ma'roof and forbidding Monkar except with (the obedience of) a Ma'soom (Infallible) Imam.

O people! The Qur'an makes it known to you that the Imams after him (Ali) are his descendants, and I have made known to you that they surely are of me and of him; where Allah says in His Book, "And He made it a Remaining Kalemah (Word …), in his posterity." (59)

And I said: "you will never go astray so long as you adhere to both (the Qur'an and my AhlulBayt)." (The Hadith of Thaqalain)

O people! (Observe) Taqwa (Piety …)! (Observe) Taqwa! And be wary of the Hour as Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, has said, "Surely the Quake Hour shall be a tremendous thing." (60)

Remember death, the reckoning, the scales (of justice) (61), and the call to account -before the Lord of the Worlds- and the reward and punishment.

Thus, whoever comes with a righteous deed, shall be rewarded for it, and whoever comes with an (unforgivable) sin, shall not have any share in the gardens. (62)

Notes of Part 9

57. cf. Qur'an, Surah 2, verse 158

58. cf. Qur'an, Surah 11, verse 115

59. Qur'an, Surah 43, verse 28

60. Qur'an, Surah 22, verse 1

61. cf. Qur'an, Surah 21, verse 47

62. Qur'an, Surah 27, verse 89-90

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The Ghadir Sermon, Last Part

Part 10

Pronouncing the Covenant and Taking the Oath of Allegiance

O people! There surely are too many of you to shake my hand at one single time, and certainly Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, commanded me to seek from your tongues, the acknowledgement of what I have finalized regarding Ali, the Commander of the Believers, and about those of the Imams from me and him, who shall come after him, according to what I have informed you that my offspring are from his Solb.

Therefore, pronounce this in one voice:

"Surely we hear, obey, are pleased, and are bound to what you have conveyed to us from our Lord and your Lord with regard to the Amr (matter of Commandership …) of Ali, and the Amr of the Imams, your sons from his Solb.

We pledge allegiance to you in this regard with our hearts, and our souls, and our tongues, and our hands.

According to this, shall we live, and shall we die, and shall we be resurrected.

We shall not alter, and nor we shall substitute, and nor shall we doubt, and nor we shall distrust; and we shall not withdraw from the Covenant, and nor shall we breach the pact.

And we obey Allah and we obey you that Ali is the AmirulMo'menin, and his sons are the Imams whom you mentioned to be of your offspring from his Solb after Al-Hasan and Al-Hosain.

The two whom I (the Prophet PBUH&HP) have made known to you, their place from me, and their status next to me, and their position, from my Lord, the Mighty and the Majestic.

Indeed I have conveyed this to you; and certainly those two are the lords of the youth of Paradise; and surely they are the Imams after their father Ali, and I am their father before him.

And say:

We obey Allah about this, and (we obey) you and Ali and the Imams you mentioned; a Covenant and a Promise regarding the AmirulMo'menin is taken from our hearts, and our souls, and our tongues, and through the shaking of our hands.

-Anyone who reached the two of them (the Prophet and Ali PBUT), (pledged) with his hand, and acknowledged them by his tongue.-

And we shall not seek any substitute for it, and nor shall we ever see in our souls any diversion from it.

We take Allah as witness to this, and surely, Allah suffices as witness.

And you are also witness over us; and so are anyone who has obeyed, from those who are apparent, and concealed, and Allah’s angels, and His troops, and His servants. And Allah is greater than every witness.

O people! What do you say?! Verily, Allah is well-aware of every voice and the secrecy of every soul.

“So he who accepts guidance, it is to the benefit of his own soul, and he who goes astray, does so only against it (his own self).” (63)

Those who pledge fealty, they indeed pledge fealty to Allah; the Hand of Allah is over their hands.” (64)

O people! Thus Taqollah (Fear Allah …), and pledge your oath of allegiance to Ali, Amir-Ol-Mo'menin, and to Al-Hasan and Al-Hosain, and to the Imams, a pure, Remaining Kalemah. (65)

Allah shall let whoever acts treacherously to perish, and shall have Mercy on whoever remains loyal.

“Thus, anyone who violates his oath has indeed violated his (own) soul, and anyone who fulfills the covenant he has made with Allah, He shall soon grant him a grand reward.” (66)

O people! Say what I told you, and greet and Salaam Ali as the “Amir-Ol-Mo'menin”.

And say: “We listened, and we obeyed, and Your forgiveness (do we seek), our Lord, and towards You (Your reward and punishment) is the eventual course.” (67)

And say: “All Praise be to Allah who has guided us to this. And never were we guided had Allah not guided us.” (68)

O people! Indeed, the merits and virtues of Ali ebn AbiTaaleb by (the view of) Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, which are indeed revealed in the Qur'an , are more numerous than I could recount in one time; thus , whenever someone informs you of them, and makes them known, accept him.

O people! Whoever obeys Allah, and His Messenger, and Ali, and the Imams that I mentioned, has indeed achieved a grand Salvation. (69)

O people! The foremost from among you in paying homage to him, and adhering to his Wilayat, and Salaaming him as the Amir (Commander) of the Believers, they are the winners in the gardens of blessings.

O people! Say of the sayings that which by it, Allah becomes pleased with you; and (know that) if you and everyone on earth disbelieve together, then never shall it harm Allah a thing.

O Allah! Forgive the Believers, and let Your Wrath descend upon the disbelievers; and all Praise belong to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

Notes of Part 10

63. cf. Qur'an, Surah 39, verse 41

64. cf. Qur'an, Surah 48, verse 10

65. cf. Qur'an, Surah 43, verse 28

66. Qur'an, Surah 48, verse 10

67. cf. Qur'an, Surah 2, verse 285

68. Qur'an, Surah 7, verse 43

69. Qur'an, Surah 33, verse 71

The End