[17] Wilayah - Wilayah in an Individual and in Society
A series of discussions on the teachings of Imam Sadiq (sixth Imam of the Muslims), from the book Misbah ash-Sharia (The Lantern of the Path)
In His Name, the Most High
This is part seventeen of an ongoing series of discussions on the book by Imam as-Sadiq titled ‘Misbah ash-Sharia’ (the Lantern of the Path).
This is the third of our discussions on the subject of Wilayah or Guardianship/Authority.
It is strongly recommended that the previous parts are read, before proceeding with this one; to avoid any confusion or misunderstanding within the subject matter.
The nature of the subject matter, and the style of discourse requires that each part build upon those that came before it, so once more, I strongly recommend that the reader, read the previous parts, and then continue with this one.
The previous parts, can be found here:
Video of the Majlis (Sermon/Lecture)
This write up is a companion to the video majlis (sermon/lecture) found below:
Contents
Majlis - Misbah ash-Sharia - Servitude - Part 17
Maddahi/Maqtal - Lamentation Eulogy on the Martyrdom of Imam Ali (English)
Nohe - Lamentation Poetry - Ya Ali, Ya Ali al-Mortada (English)
Dua - Dua (Supplication) al-Iftitah - English (via @DuasTranslated)
Munajaat - Munajaat (Whispered Prayer) of Imam Ali (via @IshaSHaider)
Ziyarat - Ziyarat (Salutation) Aal-i-Yaseen (via @AliFaniOfficial)
Recap
This session continues the exploration of wilayah (Guardianship/Authority) as part of our discussions inspired by Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq in Misbah ash-Sharia (The Lantern of the Path).
Inspired by our desire to understand both what is due to God, as well as His limits so that we can accord Him that which is due to Him, as well as adhere to His limits.
This necessitated that we discuss and work to understand our ideology; and in light of that, studied Tawheed (Monotheism), Adalah (Divine Justice), and Nubuwwah (Prophethood), all of which have built the necessary groundwork for our current discussions on wilayah (Guardianship or Authority).
This is the third session on wilayah, and we have garnered the following key insights from our sessions thus far:
Wilayah as a Divine Principle – It extends from God’s ultimate authority to His chosen representatives, ensuring the continuity of divine governance.
Wilayah and Society – The Prophet Muhammad established not just faith but a Tawheed-oriented society governed by divine principles.
Wilayah and the Survival of Faith – Throughout history, Wilayah has protected the integrity of the faith, preserving unity and safeguarding believers from ideological deviation.
The Quranic Command for Wilayah – Quranic verses, including Surah al-Mumtahinah (the Chapter of the Woman to be Examined) #60, Verses 1 to 6 and Surah al-Maidah (the Chapter of the Table Spread) #5, Verses 51 to 56, emphasise aligning with God’s chosen authority while rejecting allegiance to those who oppose divine guidance.
The discussion further explored:
The internal and external aspects of wilayah:
Internal Unity – The Ummah must remain united, resolving conflicts justly within itself.
External Independence – The Muslim world must not fall under non-Islamic influence but maintain self-reliance and independence in governance, economy, and social structure.
The Concept of Leadership in Islam:
Wilayah necessitates a leader (Imam) who serves as the heart of the Ummah, ensuring all efforts align with divine objectives.
The Quranic concept of Wilayah supports the Shia understanding that the Imam is divinely appointed, as illustrated in Surah al-Maidah (the Chapter of the Table Spread) #5, Verse 55, which refers to Imam Ali, the first Imam of the Muslims.
Leadership is either explicitly appointed (as in the case of Imam Ali) or based on qualifications (as seen in the system of Marjaiyyah or Wilayat al-Faqih).
The Role of Wilayah in Islamic Governance:
The Ummah must ensure that leadership adheres to divine law.
Governance must be based on Quranic principles, not influenced by external ideologies.
Historical examples, such as the early Muslim response to Roman economic threats, highlight the necessity of self-sufficiency.
The Importance of Strengthening the Bond with the Imam:
Wilayah is not just about theoretical allegiance but practical adherence to the Imam’s teachings.
True Wilayah means following the Imam in thought, action, and deed.
The Quranic command for Wilayah ensures that those who uphold it are ultimately victorious.
In this session we will explore The Paradise of Wilayah, discussing how embracing true Wilayah revitalises society and individuals, bringing them closer to a Tawheed-oriented existence.
We pray that in His infinite mercy, He fill our hearts with vigour and desire to improve and learn, that He help us to understand when the subjects become complex, and that He grant us the patience to persist and push through, even when everything appears too difficult or too confusing.
In His Most Beautiful of Names, we proceed …
Wilayah (Guardianship or Authority) - Part 3
Introduction
الَّذِينَ إِن مَّكَّنَّاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَمَرُوا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَنَهَوْا عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ ۗ وَلِلَّهِ عَاقِبَةُ الْأُمُورِ
Those who, if We granted them power in the land, will maintain the prayer, give the zakat, bid what is right and forbid what is wrong. And with God rests the outcome of all matters.
- Quran, Surah al-Hajj (the Chapter of the Pilgrimage) #22, Verse 41
There are a number of points, worthy of mention and indeed discussion, following on from our previous discussions on the subject of Wilayah.
Firstly, a general description of the society that has wilayah and the individual that has wilayah.
Secondly, an overview of a society which has wilayah.
In the last two sessions, we discussed this topic, we reflected on the meaning of the Quranic verses and extracted meanings from them in the light of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and his family on the subject of Wilayah.
Put simply, on the basis of the Quran and the hadeeth (traditions, narrations and/or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad and/or his family), we saw that wilayah has several aspects.
Independence and Self-Sufficiency in Wilayah
One of these is that in a Muslim society, there should not be connections with elements outside of itself, there should not be a reliance on non-Muslims.
However, we did explain that this lack of connection does not mean there should be no relationship whatsoever.
We would never say that the Islamic world should withdraw from the global political and economic stages and have no relationship at all with any non-Muslim nation, country or power.
No, not at all. This is not what we mean, nor what we had meant in the previous sessions and we were very clear about this.
Rather, the issue is that of dependency.
Muslims should not be dependent upon or subservient to any non-Muslim power.
Muslims must stand on their own two feet.
Unity and Brotherhood in the Islamic Society
Another aspect of Wilayah is the strong and harmonious connection of Muslims to one another. In other words, when we speak or think about an Islamic society, what we call wilayah is the unity and commonality of the Islamic society.
Just as we read in sayings from the Prophet Muhammad and others:
“The similitude of the faithful in their mutual affection and concern for one another is like unto a single body”
- Sahih Muslim, al-Nayshabouri / Usul al-Kafi, al-Kulayni
The Islamic nation is like a single body or structure, whose components are joined to one another like a single edifice.
Wilayah and Collective Strength
Muslims must be united; they must be bound to one another with firm ties. They must be as one, united against the attacks of their enemies.
This is what was discussed in the previous session.
We also learned from Surah al-Maidah - the Chapter of the Table Spread - that the faithful are:
“Humble towards the faithful, stern towards the faithless”
There is yet another verse which makes this even clearer:
مُّحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللَّهِ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ تَرَاهُمْ رُكَّعًا سُجَّدًا يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانًا ۖ سِيمَاهُمْ فِي وُجُوهِهِم مِّنْ أَثَرِ السُّجُودِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مَثَلُهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ ۚ وَمَثَلُهُمْ فِي الْإِنجِيلِ كَزَرْعٍ أَخْرَجَ شَطْأَهُ فَآزَرَهُ فَاسْتَغْلَظَ فَاسْتَوَىٰ عَلَىٰ سُوقِهِ يُعْجِبُ الزُّرَّاعَ لِيَغِيظَ بِهِمُ الْكُفَّارَ ۗ وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ مِنْهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
Muhammad, [is] the Apostle of God, and those who are with him are hard against the faithless and merciful amongst themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating [in worship], seeking God’s grace, and [His] pleasure. Their mark is [visible] on their faces, from the effect of prostration. Such is their description in the Torah and their description in the Gospel. Like a tillage that sends out its shoots and builds them up, and they grow stout and settle on their stalks, impressing the sowers, so that He may enrage the faithless by them. God has promised those of them who have faith and do righteous deeds forgiveness and a great reward.
- Quran, Surah al-Fath (the Chapter of the Conquest) #48, Verse 29
Muhammad, [is] the Apostle of God, and those who are with him are hard against the faithless and merciful amongst themselves.
When they confront an external threat, you will find nothing more impenetrable or firm than they are, you will find nothing more powerful or committed than they are.
They are independent.
However, when it comes to dealing with each other, and the different branches of the Islamic society, there is no harshness, there is no sternness.
On the contrary, the faithful influence each other and call one another towards goodness and righteousness, they advice one another to follow whatever is true and good, they encourage each other to stand up to whatever is evil and corrupt, and they look after one another.
This is exactly like the example we gave in a previous session about the mountain climbers; how they tie themselves to one another as they ascend the mountain so that if one of them loses their footing and slips, rather than plunging a hundred or more meters to their death, the others are able to hold on to them and pull them to safety.
So the faithful hold on to one another as tightly as possible; they make sure no one slips, no one gets lost, no one gets left behind, that no one goes hungry.
They see if there is any amongst them who is weaker in their thinking, in their material wellbeing, or in their knowledge of the truth, and if there is someone like this, then everyone strives to help them and guide them to the right path.
Put simply, the faithful are like members of the same family.
This is another manifestation of wilayah in the Islamic society.
The Role of Leadership in Wilayah
Another aspect of wilayah that was mentioned in our previous sessions, and that we indicated was a very important aspect to understand - in fact, it is arguably the most important of all the aspects and the one that guarantees the existence of the others - is that the Islamic society needs a central leadership with very specific qualifications.
This is because the islamic society must be like a single body whose constituent parts are joined to one another internally, and which externally is like a single fist, like a single mass, facing opposing forces.
This unity is essential in an Islamic society.
But unity cannot come about without there being a focal point for all of this society’s energies.
If there is a different power in control of each corner of the Islamic society, then these different parts will eventually come apart, separate from each other, and take different paths, just as would happen if the central nervous system of the human being was altered so that instead of a single controlling organ - the brain - there were two, one for the right side and one for the left, as an example.
When both sides of the body are controlled by one brain, it is easy for one to let them work in harmony. This is because both sides are receiving instructions from a single source.
If someone wants to carry a heavy load from one side of a room to another, they can manage this because both sides of their body are working together in harmony with each other; one hand grips one side of the load and the other hand grips the other, and both move the load in the same direction, and then both sides set it down together.
On the other hand, imagine if there were two different centres for our central nervous system - one for the right side and another for the left - how can the right and left side work together?
The right hand goes to pick up this heavy load, while the left hand sits immobile, because each of them are receiving orders from a different centre of control!
The right hand tells the left to come and help, but the left pays no attention and does not answer. The more the right hand insists that the left hand helps, the more adamant the left hand becomes that it will not.
Now imagine if two sides of the body are facing a common foe, and the left hand calls on the right to help it fight, but the right hand remembers when the left hand didn’t help it lift that load, so it does nothing.
Do you see how if the human body had two centres of control, what the body would be reduced to?
It cannot even carry a load from one place to another, let alone protect itself from a foe!
If the Islamic society wants to defend itself from an enemy, but one part of that society wants to launch an attack tomorrow, while another wants to attack the day after tomorrow, this will also not be of any use!
If this society wants to be like a single body to fight its enemy, then there must be a single point of leadership that directs all the faculties of that society against its enemy.
If each part of the society wants to attack on a different day - one today, another tomorrow, and yet another the day after tomorrow - then the enemy will be able to rest easy.
This reminds me of a story told by the great sage Rumi, a story of three people who went into a grape orchard together and, in order to get rid of them, the owner of the orchard used trickery to separate them from each other, then he could easily chase them off one by one.
And how many times has this happened in the history of Islam?!
So, if the Islamic community wants to secure its wellbeing and protect itself from harm, its constituent members must be joined to one another internally so that, externally, it forms a single body against its enemies, and if the whole of the Islamic society is to work together as one, then it requires a single controlling organ to direct it and marshal all of its constituent parts towards a single goal, whether these goals are intellectual or practical, and whether this is for the sake of its own life-giving activities or to face the threat of an external enemy - all of its members must be connected to the single leadership.
That centre of control sits within the fabric of the Islamic society, it directs all the wings of the society, employs each individual as befits his status and ability, and prevents disagreements.
It directs all the energies of that society towards a singular goal.
The Characteristics of the Wali
This leader must be appointed by God, he must be a scholar, he must be aware, he must be trustworthy, and protected from sinning, he must be someone who fully embodies all the different elements of Islam.
He must be a physical manifestation of the Quran.
By what name do we call this leader? We call him a wali.
Therefore, wilayah in the Islamic society, in the two senses that we have described, necessitates the existence of a wali in that society.
This is yet another dimension of the issue of wilayah.
This summarised that which we have already discussed thus far in our sessions on the subject of wilayah, meaning guardianship or authority.
The State of Wilayah in Individuals and Society
The question that logically follows on from this discussion is:
“Do we have wilayah or not?”
Now, you or I as individuals might have wilayah, but does our society as a whole have wilayah or not?
You might be wondering whether there is a difference.
There is.
It is possible for one organ to be healthy, but just because one organ is healthy, it does not mean that the entire body is healthy.
This is the first point.
The Duty to Establish Wilayah in Society
Secondly, even if the organ itself is healthy, if the body is sick, then the organ cannot fully benefit from its own health.
These are the two points that we need to consider and reflect upon.
So, first of all, we must ask what an individual who has wilayah looks like, what kind of person is he or she? This way we can know whether or not we have wilayah as individuals.
Once we have discussed this, it will be clear - God willing - that you and I have wilayah.
Then, we must ask how society must be, in order to have wilayah.
Now, there is no reason to suppose that a person who lives in a society without wilayah cannot attain wilayah. We are not saying there are no problems with this, only that there is nothing to rule out this possibility.
But, has this person fulfilled their moral duty? That is the question.
Can he have wilayah, while living in a society that is deprived of it? Is this the right way for a person to live?
If someone lives in a society that has wilayah, but knows of others that live in a society that is without wilayah, and if he feels no sense of responsibility to those without wilayah, does this lack of a sense of responsibility not clash with the very principle of wilayah itself?
These are the questions that Muslim men and women, and especially the Muslim youth must reflect on.
Covering these subjects in the detail they need to fully be discussed is an arduous task and would take many many sessions; however, we can attempt to cover them in a way that at the very least plants the seeds of reflection and helps to move us towards a solution and a path forward.
So, the subjects we must discuss, that we must consider are as follows:
Firstly, when a person has wilayah, what kind of person are they? How should I be when I have wilayah? How would I be when I do not have wilayah?
Secondly, we must ask how we must be if our society - in the sense of a group of people who have gathered together - be it online or in person - is to have wilayah, and what is it like when our society does not have wilayah?
What form does a society take when there is a wali and the people follow the wali in accordance with the teachings of Islam?
In what form, and in what condition is a society without wilayah as prescribed by the teachings of Islam?
These are two subjects.
The third subject, when an individual person has wilayah, is his moral duty discharged merely by him having wilayah as an individual? Does he not have a duty to create a society that is founded on wilayah?
Fourth, if there is an individual person with wilayah who lives in a society that is deprived of wilayah, but does not feel any sense of responsibility to instil wilayah in that society, does this absence of a sense of responsibility invalidate his wilayah?
It doesn’t matter whether other individuals with wilayah are doing this or not, the question is whether this lack of a sense of responsibility, this lack of a sense of duty, weakens or impairs his or own wilayah in any way.
These are topics we must discuss.
We will focus on one or two of them. However, as we discuss them, I want you to compare the way in which wilayah is presented in the Quran and hadeeth (traditions, narrations and/or teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and his pure family) with the way in which it is imagined by those people who just want to enjoy an easy life.
Misconceptions About Wilayah
Some imagine that having wilayah means just crying in the majalis (gatherings) we hold for the Prophet’s Family. They think that wilayah means when the name of the Prophet’s Family is mentioned, they say ‘peace and blessings be upon them’.
They think this is all it is.
They think that having wilayah means that a person loves the Prophet’s Family in their heart.
They think that is all it takes.
Of course, it is a duty to love the Prophet’s Family. it is a duty to mention their names with respect. It is important to hold gatherings in their names, to mourn their deaths, and celebrate their births, to learn from their lives, to commemorate and remember their deeds, to weep over their tragedies, their martyrdoms, and their sufferings … all of this is necessary.
But, all of these by themselves, do not constitute wilayah.
Wilayah is something more than these.
When you sit in a majlis of Imam Husayn, may the peace and blessings of God be upon him, and shed tears, you are doing something good - it is good and proper to cry for him!
However, you are doing something bad indeed, if you believe that shedding these tears is enough to qualify for wilayah.
I want us to try to understand what is being said here. For those people whose minds are - sadly - under the influence of the slogans and banners of some ignorant and/or corrupt preachers should pay very close attention here.
Let it not be said that anyone is opposing the shedding of tears for Imam Husayn!
No, not at all!
If anyone is opposed to this, we are not opposed to it.
We say that shedding tears for Imam Husayn is enough sometimes to save a whole nation of people!
The Legacy of Wilayah in Action
The Tawwabun Movement (The Penitent Movement) gathered at the grave of Imam Husayn in Kerbala, and spent two or three days weeping for him.
But what was the outcome of their weeping?
The outcome was that they had made a pact of blood and self-sacrifice.
They said:
“We are going to the battlefield, and we are never going to turn back. We pledge not to return alive!”
This is crying for Imam Husayn - and no-one opposes this!
No reasonable person opposes the mentioning of the names of Imam Husayn and Imam Ali with reverence - not only does no Shia oppose this, no Sunni opposes this either.
Nor does any disbeliever oppose this.
Anyone who knows these people acknowledges that their names are worthy of being mentioned with respect!
Indeed, a family whose legacy is martyrdom, a family whose dearest memories are of self-sacrifice, forbearance, selflessness and sacrifice for the sake of God.
A family, all of whose energies and being, are directed purely for the sake of God - is this not a family that any human being would hold in the highest esteem?
Indeed, they must!
I promise you, that if we, as people in Europe, the Americas, and any of the countries outside the Muslim world, a place where Islam is not dominant, and is in a minority.
If you go to any of our countries, and tell them there was someone called Ali ibn Abi Talib, and tell them about his life.
Tell them his life story, and you will see how they will respect and praise such a person, to the extent that his name will remained lodged in their minds.
This is not something only for the Shia! Do you think the Shia have done anything outstanding and great by simply saying ‘peace be upon him’ after hearing his name mentioned?
Is this something momentous that has been accomplished?
Do we think that wilayah is nothing more than this?!
What a mistake! The wilayah that takes the human being to Paradise is not this.
Yes, this can be considered an important component of the totality of wilayah, as can weeping for Imam Husayn.
But, some people without realising it - God willing, without realising it - not intentionally - distort these issues.
The matter of weeping for Imam Husayn is something people who oppose the Prophet’s Household, with their words - rather than their ideas - distort in this way.
They make Shi’ism and wilayah seem very shallow and restrict wilayah to these issues. They restrict it to the point where it is so small and narrow that it hardly seems worthy of being considered one of the fundamental teachings of Islam.
Wilayah in an Individual
Wilayah in an individual person refers to that person’s connection in thought and deed (practice) with the wali. Find the wali, recognise God’s wali, that person who is the rightful wali of the Islamic society, and identify him.
Once you have identified him, then your thoughts, your practices, your deeds, and your spirituality must be guided by him.
Connect yourself to him, follow him.
His fight is your fight.
His friend is your friend.
His struggle is your struggle.
His enemy is your enemy.
His side is your side.
If you see yourself in this position, then you have wilayah.
Do you see? Do you understand?
This is what it means for someone to have wilayah. Know the wali, know what the wali thinks, align your thoughts and stances with his, know what the wali thinks, align your thoughts with his, act with the wali, connect yourself to the wali in both thought and deed - in both your mindset and your practice.
This is what it means to have wilayah.
Who here, reading this, listening to the recording, or watching the video, who here can or will raise his or her hand and claim that they have wilayah?
Who here will raise his or her hand and admit, and accept, that their wilayah is incomplete?
What Have We Reduced Wilayah To?
We have reduced wilayah to feeling affection for Imam Ali, for Ali ibn Abi Talib and shedding a tear for him, even though our actions are the opposite of his, even if our thoughts and ideas are antithetical to his.
Do we dare to call this wilayah?
We have made a myth and superstition for our own benefit, to keep us content and happy, so we can say we are followers of Ali ibn Abi Talib, and claim that we have his wilayah.
That way, we can please ourselves, we can naval gaze, we can placate ourselves, we can quench the raging fire that should be burning within our hearts and souls that drives us to be like Imam Ali, to follow his way, to understand and have his thoughts.
We can please ourselves with the idea that everything that has been promised to the followers of Imam Ali, is also promised to us for sure!
After all don’t we read in the Narrative of the Cloak (Hadeeth al-Kisa):
فَقالَ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: إِذنْ وَاللّهِ فُزْنَا وَفازَ شِيعَتُنا وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ
So Imam Ali said : "Verily, by the Lord of Ka’bah! we and our followers are the successful ones!"
- Hadeeth al-Kisa (the Narrative of the Cloak)
and
فَقالَ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: إِذن وَاللّه فُزْنا وَسُعِدْنا وَكَذلِكَ شِيعَتُنا
فازُوا وَسُعِدُوا فِي الدُّنْيا وَالاْخِرَةِ وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِImam Ali, peace be upon him, said, "Then, we have won and attained success. I swear it by God. So have our adherents; they have won and attained success in this world and in the Hereafter. I swear it by the Lord of the Ka’bah!"
- Hadeeth al-Kisa (the Narrative of the Cloak)
Those who think in this superficial manner, they are foolish. This type of thinking is foolish and misguided. Indeed it does not do justice to Imam Ali, to Ali ibn Abi Talib.
In fact, we could say, that it is an injustice to Islam and indeed to God, because it is an injustice to the fundamental teaching of Islam that is wilayah.
We are not ready to understand wilayah, as it must be understood, and prefer it to be a panacea that makes us feel like we are doing well.
Indeed, in Quran, in Surah al-Kahf, God speaks about the greatest losers in their works in this regard:
قُلْ هَلْ نُنَبِّئُكُم بِالْأَخْسَرِينَ أَعْمَالًا
الَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ يُحْسِنُونَ صُنْعًاSay, ‘Shall we inform you who are the biggest losers in their works?
Those whose efforts are misguided in the life of the world, while they suppose they are doing good.’- Quran, Surah al-Kahf (the Chapter of the Cave) #18, Verse 103 to 104
Imam as-Sadiq told his own followers - those who had wilayah, whose value he recognised, and whom he held in high esteem - that wilayah required action.
He said, that he who acted righteously was the ally (wali) of the Household of the Prophet Muhammad, while he who did not act righteously was the enemy of the Prophet’s Household.
This is exactly what we are saying here.
The Dangers of Misconceptions in the Understanding of Wilayah
Imam as-Sadiq explained wilayah in such a way that the difference between wilayah in his vocabulary and wilayah in the vocabulary of that ignorant person who thinks he is living his life in the name of Imam as-Sadiq, could not be more stark, could not be clearer.
Why do we not understand the true meaning of wilayah?
Why do we not grasp the profundity of this Islamic principle. Why are we content to ossify and regress, to stray from Islam, and to lose this world and the next?
Indeed, when reflecting, sometimes I worry that we spend our lives in Hell in this world out of hope of Paradise in the next, only to find, when we are brought back to life on the Day of Judgement, and we see our deeds for what they actually are, that our hopes come to naught - and there is no Paradise for us.
What a regretful situation, how wretched would our situation be in that case!
So, the wilayah of an individual person. is his connection and relation with the wali. He must be connected to the wali. This is first of all.
Wilayah in Society
But what does wilayah mean at a societal level? What is wilayah in society?
Wilayah in society means that the wali in that society is, first of all, known - in the sense that people know that this person is the wali - and second, that this wali guides and directs all the energies and activities of that society, and serves as the axis around which all elements of the society arrange themselves.
The wali should be the centre who issues all directives and implements all the laws in the society. He should be a point at which all the veins and sinews of a society converge.
All should look towards him. All should follow him.
He should be the one who ignites the engine of life in that society. He should be the driver and the leader of the caravan of life in that society.
This society is one that has wilayah.
After the Prophet, the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali, was deprived of his rightful place for 25 years as the leader of the society the Prophet had founded.
After the Prophet, the Islamic society spent twenty-five years without wilayah. It vanished.
In that society, Salmaan al-Farsi, was an individual who had wilayah. Abu Dhar was an individual who had wilayah.
But what about the Islamic society?
The Islamic society after the Prophet did not have wilayah for twenty-five years. Only when the Commander of the Faithful returned to rule did the Islamic society have wilayah once more.
To what extent?
To the extent that Imam Ali was a source of guidance and direction for the society.
The wilayah of a society is nothing other than this.
When the Imam rules over a society, when the Imam is the source of commands and prohibitions of a society, when all the different branches of that society go back to the Imam, when the Imam is actually organising the affairs of the society, when it is the Imam who ties the battle standard, when it is the Imam who gives the order to attack, when it is the Imam who writes the peace treaty, it is then that this society can be said to have wilayah.
In any other set of circumstances, this society does not have wilayah.
Now, if we have wilayah in our society, then we must thank God! But if we do not have wilayah in our society, then we must take steps to bring it about.
If you have been blessed with this divine gift, be grateful to God.
There is no greater blessing than wilayah.
Let me explain why wilayah is such a great blessing so that, if you do not have it, you will do whatever it takes to obtain it for yourself and human society.
We must try to live like Imam Ali. We must try to follow Imam Ali’s example. We must try to create a strong bond between ourselves and Imam Ali, who is God’s wali for us.
This requires effort, struggle, and sacrifice. I tell you that the Imams themselves, after the martyrdom of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali, all struggled in the path of wilayah without exception.
All of their efforts were for the sake of keeping this wilayah alive, to revive the Islamic society to nurture this sapling we call a human being in the garden of this world with the life-giving water of wilayah so that it would grow tall and thrive.
This was the goal that the Imams struggled for their entire lives. We will learn more about this, and about their struggle when we discuss their lives as outlined by Imam Khamenei in his series of discussions titled the 250 year old man, God willing.
When we speak about making an effort to bring wilayah into society, this does not mean we should here stoically and tell John, David, Jawad and Abdullah what to do.
This is not how wilayah comes about.
If fact by doing this, we only make wilayah harder to obtain.
Bringing About Wilayah
The way to bring about wilayah is by striving to give power to God’s wali, to the wali God has appointed.
In the previous session, we discussed how God appoints the wali, sometimes God names the wali specifically, while at other times he designates the wali by signs, by his characteristics.
Sometimes God designates the wali like he designated Imam Ali, Imam Hasan, Imam Husayn, Imam Sajjad and so on until the last Imam, by name and a specific description of him.
Other times, God does not name his wali specifically, instead he says:
فأما من كان من الفقهاء صائنًا لنفسه، حافظًا لدينه، مخالفًا لهواه، مطيعًا لأمر مولاه، فللعوام أن يقلّدوه
“As for those among the jurists (learned) who protect themselves from sin, safeguard their religion, oppose their desires, and obey the command of their Master, then the common people may follow them.”
Al-Ihtijaj by Al-Tabarsi, vol. 2, p. 263. / Wasā’il al-Shī‘a by Al-Hurr al-‘Āmili, vol. 27, p. 131. / Bihar al-Anwar by Allāmah al-Majlisi, vol. 2, p. 88.
He designates the wali in this way.
This also means they are appointed by God. So, the wali can be appointed by name or by qualification, so that you can determine for yourself, for example, that the wali is someone like the late Ayatullah Burujerdi, or the late great Ayatullah Khomeini, or in this time, Ayatullah Khamenei, for example.
Do you see?
When a person wants to revive the divine teachings and laws of Islam in a society in accordance with the principle of wilayah, he finds a way to do so. He learns the different ways and methods that the world presents to the human beings to do so.
At this time, however, we are not talking about the ways and means, the methods, rather we are interested in the principle itself.
So, when a society has wilayah, what happens then? To put it in a single sentence:
This society becomes like a dead person, who has been brought back to life.
Reviving a Dead Body with Wilayah
This single sentence sums it up perfectly. Imagine a dead person, someone who has lost their life, who does nothing. He has eyes, but he does not see. He has a mouth, but does not eat. He has a digestive system, but it cannot extract nutrients from the food. He has veins, but his blood does not flow through them.
Why?
Because he is not alive.
He has hands, but he cannot protect himself from the smallest of insects. He has feet, but he cannot move out of the sun and into the shade.
He is dead.
Now imagine, you bring him back to life:
His brain works. His nervous system works. His hands grasp things. His mouth eats things. His stomach digests things. His blood flows. The energy reaches all parts of his body. His body becomes warm again. He can strive. He can walk. He can lash out at his foes and look after his friends. He can improve himself and make himself better.
This analogy will help you understand the importance of wilayah for a society.
The human body is the society, and wilayah is the soul. A society without wilayah has potential, but it is unrealised, wasted, fading away, or - worse still - being used to suppress human flourishing.
It has a brain, and the brain is thinking, but its thoughts are of corruption, of murder, of destruction, of misery, of exploitation and tyranny.
There is an eye, but it does not see what it should and instead sees only what it should not.
There is an ear, but it does not hear the words of truth, and the nerves do not covey the words of truth to the brain, and the brain does not send instructions in accordance with the truth to the limbs and organs, so the limbs and organs do not act in accordance with the truth in objective reality.
A Society Without Wilayah
The conditions of the world do not allow a person to act in accordance with truth.
This is a society without wilayah.
In a society without wilayah, not only are the lamps not lit, but there is no power, no oil, no electricity with which to light them.
The electricity or oil that the Prophet poured into the lamps of guidance has been used up and the wicks and LEDs are failing.
Do you see how in the days after the death of the Prophet, they lit the lamps and illuminated the world? It was the Prophet who charged these lamps, who put oil into these lamps, but because the hand of wilayah was not above these lamps to recharge them, or to refill them, the energy needed to light them was gradually exhausted, and their light or flames died down, the lights dimmed.
It came to the time of Uthman ibn Affan, the third caliph of the Muslims, and power was transferred to Muawiyyah - the then governor of Syria (Shaam).
Do you see what happened?
The things that Lady Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet, may the peace and blessings be upon them both and their family and righteous companions, foretold to the women of the Muhajereen (the emigrants - those who came with Prophet to Madinah from Makkah during the Hijrah) and the Ansar (the helpers - those who were from Madinah and chose to help the Prophet and welcome him to Madinah) came to pass, but they had not paid attention to her.
The things she had warned the Muslim community about were happening, but they had not understood her warning.
They all happened.
The sharp and bloody sword, the spear that had killed virtue and goodness, the hand that had smothered humans and humanity.
These were the things that Lady Fatimah had warned the people about, and before her, the Prophet had also warned the people of the same things.
The two of them had foreseen these things, they had warned of these things, but the Muslim society had not paid attention to, or heeded their warnings.
They closed their ears to the predictions of doom.
But today, the warnings of Lady Fatimah are still reaching our ears.
Oh heedful ears! Can you hear her warning?
A Society With Wilayah
A society that has wilayah in which all human potential is realised, a society in which all the things that God gave the human being for his growth and perfection are safeguarded.
The human sapling grows tall.
Human beings flourish.
Humanity is strengthened.
In this society, the wali is the ruler; he is the one who is in charge of all of its different faculties and departments, ministries and institutions; and the society as a whole is walking the path of God and living in the remembrance of God.
Quranic Discussion of the Wali and His Manner of Governance
In terms of wealth, the wali divides the wealth fairly amongst the people. He tries to promote good, and erase evil.
The Quran, in Surah al-Hajj (the Chapter of the Pilgrimage) says:
الَّذِينَ إِن مَّكَّنَّاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَمَرُوا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَنَهَوْا عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ ۗ وَلِلَّهِ عَاقِبَةُ الْأُمُورِ
Those who, if We granted them power in the land, will maintain the prayer, give the zakat, enjoin/bid what is right and forbid what is wrong. And with God rests the outcome of all matters.
- Quran, Surah al-Hajj (the Chapter of the Pilgrimage) #22, Verse 41
“Those who, if We granted them power in the land, will maintain the prayer”
Prayer here symbolises God’s remembrance and turning towards God on a societal level; maintaining the prayer means they go towards God, and they organise their life in accordance with God’s directives.
“Give the zakat”
This refers to the fair distribution of wealth; the word “zakat” in the Quran has a very broad meaning, and according to Imam Khamenei’s analysis and understanding, based on some evidences that he has researched on this, the word “zakat” in the Quran could very possibly refer to all forms of monetary expenditure and charities.
So giving the “zakat”, generally speaking, means a fair distribution of wealth in society, based on the narrations on the topic which say that “zakat” has this overall effect.
“Bid what is right and forbid what is wrong.”
They try to uproot all wrongfulness.
We sometimes imagine that ‘enjoining/bidding the right, and forbidding the wrong’ (amr bil ma’rouf and nahi anil munkar - الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر) means that we go and tell someone not to do something bad, and tell them to do something good instead.
However, this is only one aspect of enjoining or bidding the right and forbidding the wrong (we will cover this in a future session, when we will discuss these subjects in much more detail, God willing).
People asked the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali:
“Why are you fighting Muawiyyah?”
He gave a very comprehensive answer. I will not repeat the entire narration (hadeeth) in the interests of brevity, however, in it, one of the reasons he gives is that enjoining or bidding the right and forbidding the wrong is an obligation.
Pay very close attention here, and reflect deeply on this!
They ask him:
“What business do you have with Muawiyyah at Siffien?
You should go to Kufa and he should go to Damascus!”
What does Imam Ali reply? What does Imam Ali say?
He tells them that God has made enjoining or bidding the right and forbidding the wrong a duty.
Imam Husayn rises up and they ask him:
“Where are you going?”
He replies by saying:
“I want to bid that which is right, and forbid that which is wrong”
Do you see how broad the scope of this is compared to the narrow way in which many imagine it?
When wilayah exists in a society, this is what happens:
Prayer is maintained, zakat is given, the good is enjoined and evil is forbidden.
To put it simply, a lifeless corpse is brought back to life!
Conclusion
This concludes our third session on wilayah. You can see from what we have learned so far, that wilayah is a far more profound concept than is normally understood, and that without wilayah an individual and even a society is essentially lifeless.
Wilayah provides the guidance and direction that both an individual and a society needs in order to move successfully towards perfection, and without wilayah, it is akin to a rudderless ship, moving in any direction the wind moves it, to quote a colloquialism, getting nowhere fast!
In the next session, we will study the idea of the wali, the central authority, and we will learn the importance of the position of the wali, who the wali is, and how to recognise the wali.
This is a crucial subject that is necessary to understand.
Much of the backwardness of Muslim - and non-Muslim - societies and communities, nations and regions, is because of a lack of understanding of this, and more so a lack of the implementation of wilayah in and of itself - a core requirement for which is the position of the wali - the central authority.
We pray that the Ultimate Wali, the Lord of the Universes, grants us the patience, the fortitude, the wisdom, the humility to understand these important subjects, and more than to just understand, but that He gives us the ability, the tawfeeq (ability), to be able to both implement wilayah, which is akin to the entire notion of the tawheed-oriented society, as well as recognise and follow properly and righteously, the wali.
And from Him alone is all ability, and He has authority over all things.
O God, Shower your choicest blessing upon Abraham and the Family of Abraham, and upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad, the Purest of the Pure, the Most Righteous, the Most Perfect.
O Lord, do not deprive us through our misgivings, the intercession of Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad, and count us amongst those who are a source of joy for them, and never as a means of causing them any harm.
O God, place us amongst Your people, for Your people are the successful.
O God, place us amongst Your confederates, for Your confederates are the victorious.
O God, place us amongst Your friends, for Your friends are those who never want for anything nor do they grieve.
O God, Be always for and with Your servant, the Hujjah (Proof) son of al-Hasan [al-Askari], in this time, and in all times.
O God, Be for him, a Master, a Protector, a Leader, a Helper, a Guide and a Guardian, till you allow him to dwell upon Your earth and provide him with a long and fruitful life within it.
O God, Honour us with being those who work and serve your Hujjah (Proof), in his absence and in his presence, and give us the wisdom, belief, guidance, fortitude and ability to be able to discern the wali in our time, and to always be with the wali, never against him.
O God, let us never be from those who sadden or upset You, or your creation, and let us always be from those who stand firm for the oppressed and against the arrogant.
O God, remove from us any speck of hypocrisy and arrogance, and cleanse the mirror of our hearts, that we can see You more perfectly.
Forgive our sins against ourselves, in disobedience to You, and in any harm we have done to Your creation, knowingly or unknowingly, and protect us from falling prey to the whims of the devils, be they within ourselves, from the jinn, or the humans.
O God, we ask you to protect the wali of the Muslims, in the absence of Your proof, our beloved Sayyed Ali, we pray that you grant him health and strength, and if required take from us to augment his!
We ask this to You, with Your most beautiful names, and for the sake of Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad,
O Lord Sustainer of the Universes,
O Most Merciful of the Merciful.
O the Wali of the Believers
Martyrdom Anniversary of Imam Ali
This write-up and its corresponding sermon/majlis correspond this year - 2025 - with the martyrdom anniversary of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali.
In collaboration with - The Martyr - we have a eulogy as part of our program, and it is included here:
