Tawalli and Tabarri

Question: What is the meaning of Tawalla and Tabarra that we are taught as principles of faith? Can we act upon them in the modern age?

Answer: Generally Islam is compared to a blooming tree whose roots are equivalent to the principles of belief and the practical laws are like the branches. Generally ten branches of religion are mentioned.

Also the system of acts and worship acts in Islam is very vast. It is not limited to these ten. However, keeping in mind the importance of these ten they are given priority.

Three of these: Prayer, Fast and Hajj are connected with the worship acts, Prayers and attachment with the Almighty. Two of them (Zakah and Khums) are related to economics and pledge of Allah and five (Jihad, Amr bil Ma’roof, Nahy Anil Munkar, Tawalla and Tabarra) are associated with social, military and political problems.

Here the topics of discussion are the last two; Tawalla (to love) and Tabarra (to express aloofness). That is, we love some and hate some. We should love the friends of Allah, those who desire truth, righteous people and supporters of truth and justice and we should hate the evildoers, oppressors, lovers of enjoyment and enemies of Allah, His Prophet and humanity.

Why shouldn’t we love all of them? Why shouldn’t we behave nicely with all of them? Can we forgo the method of living with amity in the present age? However, those who are in favor of having friendly relations with all must be asked:

In the world which has oppressors and oppressed, the unjust and the victims of injustice, the tyrants and the weak, the equitable and the usurpers, the pure and the dirty; shall we love all of them? Shall we remain pleased with all of them? Shall we help all of them? Can any human logic permit us to do so? Can the living conscience permit this mixing up?

These two principles are included in the basic principles of Islam so that the followers of truth, justice, freedom, purity and goodness can create unity among their ranks and that the impure, oppressive, and the unjust one’s are boycotted and in way they are socially and morally subjugated by the unity of the good people.

Does the human body accept any sort of food? Isn’t the sense of taste a device to discriminate between tasty and harmful substances? Isn’t it a kind of Tawalla and Tabarra? Does the human body accept the poisonous substance or in case of cholera does it not throw out the harmful matter in vomit? Or does it accept everything and take the person to death? Does not it express distaste of harmful substances and separates it from useful matter?

Are not the capabilities of attraction and repulsion necessary for survival of the universe? Then why should the human society be exempted from Tawalla and Tabarra?

If instead of acting upon the two principles everyone agrees with every school of thought, every condition is accepted and human society does not get close to useful things and does not keep away from harmful things, the humanity will soon be destroyed.

That is the reason that the Holy Prophet (a.s.) has said: “The strongest support of faith is to love for Allah and to express hatred for the sake of Allah.”

Did Imam Ali depend on the tradition of Ghadir to prove his Caliphate?

Question: As we know, on the day of Ghadir, the Holy Prophet (a.s.) announced the vicegerency and Caliphate of Commander of the faithful (a.s.) and made obedience obligatory on all Muslims. Now the question arises:

“When the successorship of Commander of the faithful (a.s.) was declared on this, why didn’t he use the hadith to prove his caliphate?”

Answer: Opposite to the assumption in the above question, Commander of the faithful (a.s.) had during his lifetime many times quoted the tradition of Ghadir to prove his successorship. He used to mention the tradition of his Ghadir to his opponent whenever it was appropriate according to circumstances and in this way he used to make people aware of his status. And not only Imam (a.s.), the honorable daughter of the Holy Prophet (a.s.), her sons, Hazrat Imam Hasan-al-Mujtaba and Chief of the Martyrs, Hazrat Imam Husain (a.s.) and many other exalted personalities like Abdullah Ibn Ja’far, Ammar Yasir, Asbagh bin Nubata, Qays bin Saad, Umar bin Abdul Aziz, the Abbasid Caliph, Mamoon and even the opponents like Amr Aas etc. had quoted this tradition.

Therefore the tradition of Ghadir had been used since the time of Ali (a.s.) himself. In every age his followers had considered the tradition of Ghadir to be one of the proofs of his Imamate and Wilayah (Guardianship). Here we shall mention of these instances by way of examples.

On the day of shura (The shura was designated by the second caliph in such a way that everyone was knowing that someone other than Ali (a.s.) would become the Caliph) when the ball of Caliphate was thrown by Abdur Rahman Awf to Uthman, Ali (a.s.) delivered a speech to render the decision of shura invalid:

“I am presenting such an argument that none of you can deny.” Then he said:

I put you under the oath of Allah and ask you is there anyone among you regarding whom the Holy Prophet (a.s.) has said: Of whomsoever I am the master, this Ali is his master too. O Allah love those who love Ali and help those who help Ali, And those who are present here should convey this to those who are absent_. [1]

On this juncture the members of shura confessed that this distinction was solely for Ali (a.s.).

Without any doubt this was not the only occasion that Ali (a.s.) had argued with this tradition. He had employed this argument at other times also as mentioned below:

One day Commander of the faithful (a.s.) was delivering a sermon in Kufah. During the speech he turned towards the people and said:

“I put you under the oath of God, if one who was present in Ghadir must have himself heard the Holy Prophet (a.s.) had bestowed on me the distinction of his successorship, he should stand up and testify this. But only those people should stand up who had themselves heard this from the Holy Prophet (a.s.) and not those who have heard it from others.”

At this moment thirty people stood up and testified that they had heard the tradition of Ghadir.

We should remember that at this time twenty five years had passed since the event of Ghadir and some of the Companions of the Holy Prophet (a.s.) were not in Kufah at this time or they had died before this. It is also possible that some people had refrained from giving testimony due to various reasons, otherwise the number would have been higher.

The Late Allamah Amini has recorded numerous sources of this tradition in his flawless book, Al Ghadir. Those who wish may refer to this book.[2]

During the Caliphate of Uthman two hundred senior people from the Muhajireen and Ansar were present in the Prophet’s mosque and were discussing various topics. The subject of the superiority of Quraysh, their foremost position and migration came up. Thus every tribe of Quraysh began to express their superior personalities.

This gathering started from the early morning and was on till the noon. During this many people gave various statements but Commander of the faithful (a.s.) only heard their discussion and did not say anything. On this moment the people turned to him and implored him to say something.

Due to this insistence, Ali (a.s.) stood up and spoke about his relationship with the Holy Prophet (a.s.) and his distinctions. He said:

You must remember that on the day of Ghadir when Allah told the Holy Prophet (a.s.) that just as he has explained the rules of Prayer, Zakah and rituals of Hajj he should declare my leadership.

And to fulfill this duty the Holy Prophet (a.s.) delivered the following sermon:

The Almighty Allah has commanded me to perform a duty and I was fearful that some people will falsify my conveying of divine command. However, the Almighty commanded me. Convey the message and also assured me security from the mischief of the people.

Yes! O People! Do you know that Allah is my master and I am the master of the believers? And I have more authority on them than they themselves have:”

On this moment the Prophet (a.s.) said:

Ali, get up! And I stood up. Then the Holy Prophet (a.s.) turned towards the people and said:

 Of whomsoever I am the master, this Ali is also his master. O Allah! Love those who love Ali and hate those who hate Ali (a.s.)

At that moment Salman Farsi asked the Messenger of Allah (a.s.): What type of authority does Ali (a.s.) have on us?

The Prophet (a.s.) replied: Ali’s mastership on you is same as my mastership upon you. On whomsoever’s life I have authority, Ali also has the authority.”

It is not only Ali (a.s.) who had argued with the tradition of Ghadir. The daughter of the Messenger of Allah (a.s.) also said on a historical day to the Companions when she was demanding her rights from them: [3]

“Have you forgotten the day of Ghadir when the Prophet (a.s.) said: Of whomsoever I am the master this Ali is his master too?”

When Imam Hasan (a.s.) decided to make truce with Muawiyah he stood up and delivered a sermon in which he said:

The Almighty Allah preferred the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) through the medium of Islam. And he selected us and kept us away from every type of impurity.

Then he said:

All the people heard that the Holy Prophet (a.s.) addressed Ali: Your position to me is as the position of Haroon with Moosa (a.s.)

Everyone has heard and seen that on the day of Ghadir the Holy Prophet (a.s.) held the hand of Ali (a.s.) and said:

Hazrat Imam Husain (a.s.) addressing a large gathering at Makkah wherein some Companions of the Holy Prophet (a.s.) were also present said:

“I put you under oath of God. Do you know that on the day of Ghadir the Holy Prophet (a.s.) selected Ali (a.s.) for caliphate and guardianship and said: Those who are present should convey this message to those who are not.”

All the people said that they testify for this

In addition to this many Companions of the Prophet (a.s.), like Ammar Yasir, Zaid bin Arqam, Abdullah bin Ja’far, Asbagh bin Nubata (may Allah be pleased with them) and other people used to argue the caliphate and guardianship of Ali (a.s.) with the tradition of Ghadir.[5]

Footnotes:

[1] Manaqib Khwarizmi p. 217 etc.
[2] Al Ghadeer vol. 1 pgs. 153-171
[3] Faraedus Simtain Chap. 58 Ali (a.s.) has also quoted this tradition on the day of Rahba, the day of Jamal in the incident of hadithur Rikban and also in Siffeen.

Of whomsoever I am the master, this Ali is his master too. O Allah! Love those [3]