Leadership of the Upright in Islam
By: Seyyed Ali Shahbaz
"O’ you who have faith; obey Allah and obey the Prophet and those vested with authority (Oul-il-Amr) among you…” (Holy Qur’an 4:59)
The Words of God Almighty are crystal clear regarding leadership in Islam. The Ayah explicitly says that after obedience to the One and Only Creator of the and His Last and Greatest Messenger, Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), "Iman” or "True Belief” requires adherence to the instructions of those vested with "authority”, or more properly Divinely-decreed "Authority” .
The Lord Most High has conveyed His words to mankind through His Prophet, with the Holy Qur’an being the supreme manifestation of the heavenly message.
This is confirmed by the opening ayahs of Surah Najm that the Prophet never errs nor speaks by himself, and whatever he says is Divine Revelation.
In view of this fact, obedience to the Prophet on the part of the believers means obedience to the Lord Most High, but the question may arise: Who are the "Oul-il-Amr” or those vested with authority that should be obeyed?
It is here the difference becomes manifest between "Iman” that is, "True Faith” from the depth of heart, and "Islam” or verbal expression of belief in God and outward submission to Him.
In the time of the Prophet when pagan Arab tribes, after years of opposition to his message of monotheism and constant failure of the armed battles they imposed upon him, started to become Muslims, the majority of them had no idea of "Iman” (True Faith); hence they paid scant regard to the words of guidance of the Seal of Messengers, who repeatedly expounded to them the Words of God, including the phrase "Oul-il-Amr” – its exact meaning, the identity of the authorized persons, and the fact that it is God Almighty Who invests them with authority.
This has been specified by Ayah 14 of Surah Hujuraat which says:
"The Bedouins say, ‘We believe.’ Say, ‘You do not have belief yet; rather say, "We have submitted (embraced Islam),” for faith ("Iman”) has not yet entered into your hearts…”
Thus, when Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) departed from the mortal world, and while his Divinely-designated Heir, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), was busy in performing his last rites, a group of conspirators, intent upon seizing political power of the Islamic realm, exploited this ignorance and lack of faith of the Arabs by misinterpreting the message of the Qur’an, including the phrase "Oul-il-Amr” to mean anyone who becomes head of the state, through whatever means – either by hook or by crook, and irrespective of the degree of faith in Islam, let alone the wide difference between his words and the words of God and the Prophet.
The result was hijacking of the caliphate from Imam Ali (AS), who a mere two months and ten days earlier on the 18th of Zilhijja 10 AH at Ghadeer-Khom near Mecca, had been publicly proclaimed as Vicegerent by the Prophet on the express commandment of God, as is clear by ayah 67 of Surah al-Mae’dah.
In view of these undeniable facts, today, the 15th of Ramadhan, the birth anniversary of the Prophet’s elder grandson, Imam Hasan Mujtaba (AS), brings into sharper focus the meaning of "Oul-il-Amr” and the catastrophe that afflicted the Ummah (from which it suffers till this day) because of being oblivious to the issue of the leadership of the upright.
Imam Hasan (AS) needs no introduction. Hailed, along with his younger brother Imam Husain (AS) as "Leaders of the Youths of Paradise” by his grandfather, he, his brother, and parents Imam Ali (AS) and Hazrat Fatema Zahra (SA) were the only ones to accompany the Prophet to the crucial "Mubahela” with the Christians of Najran for the unique challenge of proving the truth and invoking of God’s Wrath on the liars as is evident by ayah 61 of Surah Aal-e Imran.
God Almighty confirms the pristine purity of this select group in ayah 33 of Surah Ahzaab and calls them "Ahl al-Bayt”. On numerous occasions, the Prophet explained to his companions and the rest of the Muslims the prime position of his two grandsons and their parents.
At the time of the passing away of his grandfather, Imam Hasan (AS) was a boy of less than 8 years and soon he witnessed the tragic martyrdom of his noble mother, as a result of the wounds and miscarriage she suffered when those that had distorted the concept of "Oul-il-Amr” stormed her house and flung the burning door upon her, in a bid to force his father to acknowledge their misrule.
Nonetheless, at this tender age, once on entering the Prophet’s Mosque, when he saw the first caliph speaking to the audience from the Prophet’s pulpit, he said in a firm voice "come down from my father’s pulpit”, making the occupant admit: By God, you are right! This is your father’s pulpit, not my father’s!”
Could there be a better explanation of the meaning of "Oul-il-Amr”.
In 36 AH, when the caliphate came begging at the doorstep of his father, and the Commander of the Faithful reluctantly agreed to take charge of political affairs of the Ummah, Imam Hasan (AS) along with his brother, Imam Husain (AS), spared no efforts to help manage the works entrusted to them for betterment of the Ummah. For the next four-and-a-half years, the model government of social justice functioned smoothly despite the wars imposed by the pledge-breakers, the hypocrites, and the renegades on Imam Ali (AS).
In 40 AH, on the martyrdom of his father, Imam Hasan (AS) took charge of the caliphate or temporal rule of the Islamic realm, at a crucial period in Islamic history, when Mu’awiya ibn Abu Sufyan, the rebellious governor of the large province of Sham (present day Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Zionist Occupied Palestine) was trying to undermine the rule of the Ahl al-Bayt, by threatening and killing Muslims and bribing those who were weak of faith.
Mu’awiya, who was a hardcore heathen at heart, outwardly professed Islam in order to deceive Muslims, who were now hopelessly divided and failed to discern truth from falsehood, because of adverse propaganda including misinterpretation of the Qur’anic phrase "Oul-il-Amr”.
Imam Hasan (AS), as the Divinely-designated 2nd Infallible Heir of the Prophet, sensed the danger to the Muslim community. At first he made utmost efforts to mobilize Muslims to fight Mu’awiya and defeat his conspiracies on the battlefield. However, when he saw the weakness of faith of the Iraqis, that is their inability to discern between "Iman” and "Islam”, the gross ignorance of the Syrians, the intransigence of the Hijazis, and the hesitancy of the Yemenis – the four main Muslim elements of those days – he decided that in such a precarious situation, armed confrontation to Mu’awiya was not the solution, especially when the Christian Byzantine Emperor was waiting for civil war amongst Muslims, in order to launch an attack to seize Palestine and Bayt al-Moqaddas.
Like Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), who decades earlier at Hudaibiyya had entered into a truce with Mecca’s pagan Arabs, amongst whom Mu’awiya was also present as an open enemy of Islam, Imam Hasan (AS) agreed to the signing of a treaty to relinquish the caliphate, but on certain terms and conditions, which were all broken by the self-styled Omayyad caliph.
It was a masterstroke of peace by Imam Hasan (AS) that exposed Mu’awiya in his true heathen colours, and confirmed for all time that by "Oul-il-Amr” the authority of the righteous – whose words never differ from those of God and the Prophet –is meant, or else it would be a disaster for Muslims.
"O’ you who have faith; obey Allah and obey the Prophet and those vested with authority (Oul-il-Amr) among you…” (Holy Qur’an 4:59)
The Words of God Almighty are crystal clear regarding leadership in Islam. The Ayah explicitly says that after obedience to the One and Only Creator of the and His Last and Greatest Messenger, Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), "Iman” or "True Belief” requires adherence to the instructions of those vested with "authority”, or more properly Divinely-decreed "Authority” .
The Lord Most High has conveyed His words to mankind through His Prophet, with the Holy Qur’an being the supreme manifestation of the heavenly message.
This is confirmed by the opening ayahs of Surah Najm that the Prophet never errs nor speaks by himself, and whatever he says is Divine Revelation.
In view of this fact, obedience to the Prophet on the part of the believers means obedience to the Lord Most High, but the question may arise: Who are the "Oul-il-Amr” or those vested with authority that should be obeyed?
It is here the difference becomes manifest between "Iman” that is, "True Faith” from the depth of heart, and "Islam” or verbal expression of belief in God and outward submission to Him.
In the time of the Prophet when pagan Arab tribes, after years of opposition to his message of monotheism and constant failure of the armed battles they imposed upon him, started to become Muslims, the majority of them had no idea of "Iman” (True Faith); hence they paid scant regard to the words of guidance of the Seal of Messengers, who repeatedly expounded to them the Words of God, including the phrase "Oul-il-Amr” – its exact meaning, the identity of the authorized persons, and the fact that it is God Almighty Who invests them with authority.
This has been specified by Ayah 14 of Surah Hujuraat which says:
"The Bedouins say, ‘We believe.’ Say, ‘You do not have belief yet; rather say, "We have submitted (embraced Islam),” for faith ("Iman”) has not yet entered into your hearts…”
Thus, when Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) departed from the mortal world, and while his Divinely-designated Heir, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), was busy in performing his last rites, a group of conspirators, intent upon seizing political power of the Islamic realm, exploited this ignorance and lack of faith of the Arabs by misinterpreting the message of the Qur’an, including the phrase "Oul-il-Amr” to mean anyone who becomes head of the state, through whatever means – either by hook or by crook, and irrespective of the degree of faith in Islam, let alone the wide difference between his words and the words of God and the Prophet.
The result was hijacking of the caliphate from Imam Ali (AS), who a mere two months and ten days earlier on the 18th of Zilhijja 10 AH at Ghadeer-Khom near Mecca, had been publicly proclaimed as Vicegerent by the Prophet on the express commandment of God, as is clear by ayah 67 of Surah al-Mae’dah.
In view of these undeniable facts, today, the 15th of Ramadhan, the birth anniversary of the Prophet’s elder grandson, Imam Hasan Mujtaba (AS), brings into sharper focus the meaning of "Oul-il-Amr” and the catastrophe that afflicted the Ummah (from which it suffers till this day) because of being oblivious to the issue of the leadership of the upright.
Imam Hasan (AS) needs no introduction. Hailed, along with his younger brother Imam Husain (AS) as "Leaders of the Youths of Paradise” by his grandfather, he, his brother, and parents Imam Ali (AS) and Hazrat Fatema Zahra (SA) were the only ones to accompany the Prophet to the crucial "Mubahela” with the Christians of Najran for the unique challenge of proving the truth and invoking of God’s Wrath on the liars as is evident by ayah 61 of Surah Aal-e Imran.
God Almighty confirms the pristine purity of this select group in ayah 33 of Surah Ahzaab and calls them "Ahl al-Bayt”. On numerous occasions, the Prophet explained to his companions and the rest of the Muslims the prime position of his two grandsons and their parents.
At the time of the passing away of his grandfather, Imam Hasan (AS) was a boy of less than 8 years and soon he witnessed the tragic martyrdom of his noble mother, as a result of the wounds and miscarriage she suffered when those that had distorted the concept of "Oul-il-Amr” stormed her house and flung the burning door upon her, in a bid to force his father to acknowledge their misrule.
Nonetheless, at this tender age, once on entering the Prophet’s Mosque, when he saw the first caliph speaking to the audience from the Prophet’s pulpit, he said in a firm voice "come down from my father’s pulpit”, making the occupant admit: By God, you are right! This is your father’s pulpit, not my father’s!”
Could there be a better explanation of the meaning of "Oul-il-Amr”.
In 36 AH, when the caliphate came begging at the doorstep of his father, and the Commander of the Faithful reluctantly agreed to take charge of political affairs of the Ummah, Imam Hasan (AS) along with his brother, Imam Husain (AS), spared no efforts to help manage the works entrusted to them for betterment of the Ummah. For the next four-and-a-half years, the model government of social justice functioned smoothly despite the wars imposed by the pledge-breakers, the hypocrites, and the renegades on Imam Ali (AS).
In 40 AH, on the martyrdom of his father, Imam Hasan (AS) took charge of the caliphate or temporal rule of the Islamic realm, at a crucial period in Islamic history, when Mu’awiya ibn Abu Sufyan, the rebellious governor of the large province of Sham (present day Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Zionist Occupied Palestine) was trying to undermine the rule of the Ahl al-Bayt, by threatening and killing Muslims and bribing those who were weak of faith.
Mu’awiya, who was a hardcore heathen at heart, outwardly professed Islam in order to deceive Muslims, who were now hopelessly divided and failed to discern truth from falsehood, because of adverse propaganda including misinterpretation of the Qur’anic phrase "Oul-il-Amr”.
Imam Hasan (AS), as the Divinely-designated 2nd Infallible Heir of the Prophet, sensed the danger to the Muslim community. At first he made utmost efforts to mobilize Muslims to fight Mu’awiya and defeat his conspiracies on the battlefield. However, when he saw the weakness of faith of the Iraqis, that is their inability to discern between "Iman” and "Islam”, the gross ignorance of the Syrians, the intransigence of the Hijazis, and the hesitancy of the Yemenis – the four main Muslim elements of those days – he decided that in such a precarious situation, armed confrontation to Mu’awiya was not the solution, especially when the Christian Byzantine Emperor was waiting for civil war amongst Muslims, in order to launch an attack to seize Palestine and Bayt al-Moqaddas.
Like Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), who decades earlier at Hudaibiyya had entered into a truce with Mecca’s pagan Arabs, amongst whom Mu’awiya was also present as an open enemy of Islam, Imam Hasan (AS) agreed to the signing of a treaty to relinquish the caliphate, but on certain terms and conditions, which were all broken by the self-styled Omayyad caliph.
It was a masterstroke of peace by Imam Hasan (AS) that exposed Mu’awiya in his true heathen colours, and confirmed for all time that by "Oul-il-Amr” the authority of the righteous – whose words never differ from those of God and the Prophet –is meant, or else it would be a disaster for Muslims.