By: Seyyed Ali Shahbaz

“O’ you who have faith, obey Allah and obey the Prophet and those vested with authority among you; and if you dispute concerning anything, refer it to Allah and the Prophet, if you have faith in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and more favourable in outcome.” (Holy Qur’an 4:59)
The words of God Almighty are crystal clear. They focus upon the firmness of faith as the key to success in its real sense and eventual salvation in afterlife.
This is fully evident by the above-mentioned wordings of the Heavenly Scripture which mean to say that flawless faith requires indisputable obedience to the One and Only Creator, His Last and Greatest Messenger, and the one (as well as those) vested with authority.
Authority in Islam flows from the All-Authoritative Power of the Lord Most High Who sent the Father of mankind, Adam, as His Khalifa or Vicegerent on Planet Earth (2:30), raised an unbroken chain of Prophets to guide humanity, and made Abraham an Imam after having granted him prophethood, with the pledge that this lofty position (imamate) will never be given to any unjust person (2:124).
It is God Alone Who grants real authority as is obvious by the request of Moses to make his brother Aaron “Assistant” in the mission of Prophethood – a request that is accepted in the Divine Court with the words: “We will strengthen your arm by means of your brother, and invest both of you with such authority that they (the disbelievers) will not touch you. With the help of Our signs, you two, and those who follow the two of you, shall be the victors.’ (28:34-35)
Divinely-decreed authority became manifest in the full limelight of history when Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) on being given the universal mission of Islam at Cave Hera on Mount Noor near Mecca in was hailed as “Mercy unto the creation” (21:107), and in his first public gathering “Dhu’l-Ashira”,on inviting the Arabs to monotheism, he said the first person to assist him in his God-given task will be his Khalifa.
The prominent Sunni scholar Ahmad ibn Hanbal says in his book “Musnad”: Except the young Ali no one volunteered to assist the Prophet, who declared him his future successor.”
It is now apparent that authority in Islam and over Muslims cannot be exercised by those whom neither the Prophet proposed nor God approved. In other words, it is not the prerogative of anyone who had ever been unjust for a moment, and this term includes deviation for even a fraction of a second from belief in monotheism, let alone the committing of sins, oppressing others and own self, worshipping idols, or indulging in polytheism, atheism, impolite behaviour, and etc.
In short, since Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) is the Emissary of the Almighty, it is God Alone Who designates the Khalifa or Vicegerent to ensure continuation of the genuine message of Islam.
This was the reason when the Prophet’s Immaculate Cousin, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), while engrossed in prayers, raised his ring-finger towards a beggar on hearing his pleas, God promptly specified in the Holy Qur’an: “Your guardian (Wali) is only Allah, His Prophet, and the Faithful (one) who maintain(s) the prayer and give(s) the alms, while in the state of genuflection (ruku’).”
Praised be Allah Almighty, Who never leaves humanity stumbling in the dark. The Source of all creation Who had entrusted Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) with the universal mission of Islam with the clear message that no heavenly scripture is to be sent down after the Most Complete Book, the Holy Qur’an, ensured that the seekers of truth will not be left without a guide in the period after the passing away of the Seal of Messengers and the end of life on Planet Earth.
Since Islam is the creed decreed by God for all humanity, no Tom, Dick or Harry of Arabia, could assume the leadership of mankind, after having spent the greater part of life in idolatry, adultery, and injustice and all sorts of immoralities.
Thus, on the 18th of Dhu’l-Hijjah in 10 AH, shortly after the Prophet while returning from his Farewell Hajj pilgrimage had parted ways with the caravans of pilgrims coming from Yemen and other parts, Gabriel descended with the express commandment:
“O Prophet! Convey that which has been sent down to you from your Lord, and if you do not, you will not have communicated His message; and Allah shall protect you from the people. Indeed Allah does not guide the faithless lot.”
As mentioned by all denominations of Muslim scholars, including our Sunni brethren, the Prophet halted at the Ghadeer (pond, watering place) of Khom, and summoned all those who had parted ways at Juhfa. Then before a huge assembly of 120,000 Hajj pilgrims, he delivered a historic sermon, as memorable as he had delivered nine days earlier on 9th Dhu’l-Hijjah from Mount Mercy (Jabal ar-Rahma) in the Plain of Arafaat, where he had informed Muslims of his imminent departure from the mortal world, saying:
“I am leaving behind among you the Thaqalayn (Two Precious or Weighty Things); the Book of God (Qur’an) and my progeny the Ahl al-Bayt; hold fast to them if you do not want to go astray, for the two never part with each other, even till they return to me at the Fountain (of Kowthar on Resurrection Day).”
Here at Ghadeer, the Prophet asked the Muslims whether he was superior to them than their own selves.”Yes O Prophet of God”, was the unanimous reply. Then he lifted his Immaculate Cousin and Son-in-Law, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS) and proclaimed those immortal words ensuring continuation of divinely-decreed leadership after him:
“Man kunto Mowla fa hadha Aliyun Mowla” (For whomsoever I am Master, this Ali is his Master).
Thus, Imamate or Leadership of mankind became the specific position of the only person to be born in Abraham’s edifice of monotheism, the holy Ka’ba.
With the formal proclamation as Vicegerent of the person whom the Prophet had already specified: “If you want to see knowledge of Adam, the piety of Noah, the devotion of Abraham, the awe of Moses and the service and abstinence of Jesus, look at the bright face of Ali,” Gabriel descended with a fresh message from the Lord Most High:
“Today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed My blessing upon you, and I have approved Islam as your religion.” (Holy Qur’an 5:3)