[18] Wilayah - The Wali: The Central Authority

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 eighteen 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 fourth 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:

The Lantern of the Path - Index

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 18 - The Wali: The Central Authority

• Dua: Dua al-Iftitah - English Only

• Nasheed: Bright Nights - Children Nasheed in English

• Ziyarah: Ziyarat Aal-i-Yaseen

Recap

This session continues the exploration of Wilayah (Guardianship/Authority) as part of our discussions, drawing inspiration from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq’s Misbah ash-Sharia (The Lantern of the Path), and the first hadeeth therein, which discusses the notion of Servitude (Ubudiyyah).

In the previous session, we examined the role of Wilayah in both individual and societal life, building upon earlier discussions to understand what it means for a person and a community to have Wilayah.

A key point discussed was the importance of independence and self-sufficiency. A Muslim society should not be dependent on non-Muslim powers, though this does not mean complete isolation. Rather, it must preserve its dignity and avoid subjugation to external forces.

Wilayah also fosters unity and brotherhood, with believers forming a strong, interconnected community, much like a single body where each part supports the other. This unity is essential in facing challenges and standing firm against external threats.

The discussion then moved to the role of leadership in Wilayah. A society cannot function effectively without a central leader (wali) who provides guidance, cohesion, and direction. Without such leadership, a society becomes fragmented and weak—much like a body with multiple conflicting control centres.

The wali must be appointed by God, possessing knowledge, wisdom, and piety, guiding the people toward righteousness.

We also understood that the wali can be indicated directly by name, or by qualities.

Another major theme was the difference between individual and societal Wilayah.

While an individual may possess Wilayah by recognising and following the rightful leader, a society without Wilayah remains weak and vulnerable.

True Wilayah is not just about expressing love for religious figures—it requires action and commitment to Islamic principles.

There was also a reflection on misconceptions, where some reduce Wilayah to emotional expressions, such as crying for Imam Husayn, without truly embodying his teachings in their lives.

The session concluded by emphasising the need to actively establish Wilayah in society. A society with Wilayah thrives, while one without it remains spiritually and politically lifeless.

Today’s session will explore the identity of the wali, their role, and how to recognise them—an essential step in understanding and implementing Wilayah properly.

So, with full reliance on Him, and with a yearning to please not only the Ultimate Wali, but also the living Wali of God, Imam al-Hujjah, may our souls be his ransom, and may God hasten his return, we proceed with this next part, where we discuss the idea of the Wali - the Central Authority.

In His Name, the Most High, and with His assistance, we move forward …

Wilayah (Guardianship or Authority) - Part 4

Introduction

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تُؤَدُّوا الْأَمَانَاتِ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهَا وَإِذَا حَكَمْتُم بَيْنَ النَّاسِ أَن تَحْكُمُوا بِالْعَدْلِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ نِعِمَّا يَعِظُكُم بِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا

Indeed God commands you to deliver the trusts to their [rightful] owners, and to judge with fairness when you judge between people. Excellent indeed is what God advises you. Indeed God is all-hearing, all-seeing.
O you who have faith! Obey God and obey the Apostle and those vested with authority among you. And if you dispute concerning anything, refer it to God and the Apostle, if you have faith in God and the Last Day. That is better and more favourable in outcome.

- Quran, Surah an-Nisa (the Chapter of the Women) #4, Verses 58 to 59

Following on from our previous sessions, I would now like to discuss some of the issues that surround the matter of wilayah.

These are not questions about the fundamental aspects of wilayah such as:

What is wilayah?

Where is it found in the Quran?

What are the different dimensions of it?

These are topics we have covered already.

However, there are a series of issues that arise from wilayah and are subsidiary to it, but which are nevertheless essential in their own right for the proper direction of the Islamic society.

In this session, we will, God willing, touch on two of these, and in the next session, we will deal with two more.

One such issue arises from the fact that we established from the Quran, that maintaining the internal cohesion of the Muslim society and cutting off entanglements with external powers, depends on their being a central authority and power in the Islamic society, to direct all of its energies and activities towards a single goal, and to govern all of the different tendencies and axes of society, and that this central power is called the wali.

The Need for Central Authority in an Islamic Society

The wali is the leader, from whom the different elements of society must draw inspiration, and to whom all activities must ultimately devolve. Put simply, it is the wali who manages the Islamic society, whether from the theoretical or practical aspect.

We established all of this from the Quran.

Identifying the Wali: Who Has Authority in Society?

Now, one might ask:

So, who is the wali of the Islamic society? Do we have a simple answer to this question?

If someone turns around and says:

“Okay, we want to know who this wali is!”

Who can be this wali? Who is the power around whom all the energies of the Islamic society must converge, and from whom they must take orders?

If someone asks the question of us, do we have an answer or not?

Yes, we have an answer. We have already made references to the answer to this question in previous sessions - this is not something that is completely unknown.

So, now, we want to address this in a logical and scientific manner.

God as the Ultimate Wali

The Quran gives a straightforward answer to this question. It says that the one who is the true wali of the Islamic society is none other than God. It is God who rules the Islamic society and no one else.

This is what tawheed teaches us.

There is none aside from God.

Prophethood also affirms this point.

Now let us see whether wilayah does the same.

Here, I would like to make a brief point, that the fundamental doctrines of a school of thought or movement must be such that each of these doctrines are in perfect harmony and conformity with all the others.

It should not be the case, that one of these doctrines, taken to its logical conclusion, will produce a result that is opposite to all of the others.

And yes, unfortunately this is exactly how it is in the hearts and minds of many of the Muslim folk. They derive things from some of their fundamental beliefs that are completely at odds with others.

The Scope of Divine Authority: From Creation to Human Affairs

Therefore, a person in an Islamic society, who has the right to command and prohibit, and to implement these dictates and direct the orientation of the society, and who has the right to govern all aspects of the human existence, is God.

إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِإِبْرَاهِيمَ لَلَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ وَهَٰذَا النَّبِيُّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ۗ وَاللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

Indeed the nearest of all people to Abraham are those who follow him and this prophet and those who have faith, and God is the wali of the faithful.

- Quran, Surah Aal-i-Imraan (the Chapter of the Family of Imran) #3, Verse 68

وَاللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“God is the wali of the faithful”

Having looked at all of the verses in the Quran that use the terms wali and awliya, I can safely say that doctrines such as God being the wali of the Muslim community, that the faithful have no wali or helper except God, that God governs all aspects of human life, are a given in the Quran.

However, to avoid anyone misunderstanding this point, I want to make clear that this is not about God’s authority over creation. That is a separate discussion, namely God has complete control over the heavens and the earth and that He directs all their affairs.

However, what we are talking about here is the fact that even the laws that govern human life, and individual and social human relations, must also come from God.

In other words, in a godly and Islamic society that is founded on Islamic principles and governed by the Islamic system, or the Quranic system, or the tawheed-oriented system, or perhaps it is better that we say the system of Imam Ali, or the government of Imam Ali - is one in which God rules over human affairs.

The Need for a Human Representative of Divine Authority

Now, someone might ask:

What do you mean that God rules over human affairs?

God does not come and appear directly to people in order to command or prohibit things. There must be a person ruling over people! There must be a person who directs all the organs of society.

Now, by this, I do not mean there must be just one person - I am not saying there cannot be a group of people - but, ultimately, the ruler - or rulers of human society must themselves be human.

Otherwise there will only be laws and ordinances, and even if the law comes from God, there is no ruler such as the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali, or a group of people to lead that society and implement those laws and ordinances.

In which case, how will the human society be organised?

Therefore, there must be a person. Now, who is that person?

This person, or people, whose role it is to govern human society is, in practice, the wali of that society, and they have wilayah of that society.

Competing Views on Leadership in Islamic History

So, who is this?

Different schools of thought have given different answers to this question, and historical realities have also answered it in a variety of different ways.

There have been those who have said that power belongs to whoever can take it - the law of the jungle. Others have said that whoever is better able to govern should rule, while others still have said that whoever the people accept should rule over them.

Frequently the dynastic principle has been invoked, saying that leadership belongs to people of a particular family or lineage.

And there have been other theories about this also.

The Quranic Designation of the Wali

Religion and religious thought answer this question with the Quranic verse:

إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ

Your wali is only God, His Apostle, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakat while bowing down.

- Quran, Surah al-Maidah (the Chapter of the Table Spread) #5, Verse 55

إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

“Your wali is only God, His Apostle,”

The one who is given command over society by God himself, is God’s messenger.

Therefore, when a prophet comes to a society, it is meaningless for people to choose a ruler other than this prophet to govern them.

The prophet is the person who must take hold of the reins of power in society. The prophet must rule.

When the Prophet left this world, what was the people’s duty then?

When the Prophet of God, like all other people, dies and leaves this world to return to his maker, then what are we supposed to do?

The same verse of the Quran also answers this question:

The faithful are your wali.

To which of the faithful does this refer? Does this now mean anyone who believes in the religions teachings can be the wali and ruler of the Islamic society?

If that is the case, then there are as many rulers as there are believers! What should we do in that case? No, the verse doesn’t just say ‘faithful’ and leave it at that, it singles out those faithful with a particular quality.

Clearly this verse of the Quran, wants to designate a particular individual for this role. It wants to point at one specific person and identify them as the rightful ruler of society, while at the same time explaining the criteria by which this appointment has been made.

Pay close attention to this!

The Quran wants to say that this person who has been selected by the Lawgiver should rule over the people, but at the same time, it wants to explain the criteria for this decision.

Meaning, the reason we have selected this person to rule over you, is this criterion.

This is why God chose him, and appointed him to lead.

The Qualities of the Quranic Wali

So, the Quran begins by saying:

This is a categorical statement. Faith here refers to genuine faith and not just the outward profession thereof.

Therefore, it is already pointing to someone who has spent the entirety of their life being faithful, and who has confirmed faith through his actions.

Therefore ‘and the faithful’ is the first condition; this person must be a true believer.

However, there are other conditions too:

So, the faithful who maintain the prayer.

They do not just offer their prayers - offering prayers is something else - they maintain or establish the prayer.

If God had wanted to say they offered prayers, he would have said:

“And the faithful who pray”

not:

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا
الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ

“And the faithful, who maintain the prayer”

as the former is more succinct and direct.

Maintaining prayer in society means keeping the spirit of prayer alive in society, so that the society is the kind of society that offers prayers.

You know that a society which prays - meaning a society in which all of its elements are mindful of God and remember God - creates a wave … and you know that a society in which the mindfulness and remembrance of God creates a wave - this is a society in which the values of humanity are upheld and never betrayed.

The society in which the remembrance of God creates a wave is one in which the majority of people are mindful of God, in which they orient themselves in accordance with God, and in which everything people do is for the sake of God.

The cause of theft, the cause of crimes, the cause of wrongdoing, and the cause of allowing wrongdoing - from both sides - the reason for the transgressions that take place, and the reason why the transgressions are allowed to take place, is entirely down to people’s distance from the remembrance of God.

A society in which God is remembered, will have a leader like Ali ibn Abi Talib, Imam Ali, who neither wrongs others nor allows others to do wrong.

It will have citizens like Abu Dhar al-Ghiffari who, even though he was beaten, even though he was exiled, even though he was threatened with death, even though he was isolated from friends and family, he never wronged anyone, and never turned away from the path of God.

This is the society in which God is always remembered.

This is the society in which prayer is maintained.

When a person of faith maintains the prayer, this means he turns the society towards God, and promotes the remembrance of God in society:

However, the Quran has not finished:

وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ

“And give the zakat”

They divide the wealth fairly, they give the zakat, they spend in God’s way. Then God says:

وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ

“While bowing down”

In other words, they give the zakat while in a state of bowing down. This, of course, refers to a particular series of events with which we are familiar, but to those who are not, here is a summary:

While he was in ruku (the bowing posture) a poor person asked for charity.

Imam Ali extended his finger and allowed the beggar to take his ring. Shortly after, the Prophet was informed, and the verse was revealed:

إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ

Your wali is only God, His Apostle, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakat while bowing down.

- Quran, Surah al-Maidah (the Chapter of the Table Spread) #5, Verse 55

This event is indicated in both Shia and Sunni sources such as:

• Tafsir al-Qummi

• Al-Amali of Shaykh al-Tusi

• Al-Kafi by Al-Kulayni

• Musnad of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal

• Tafsir al-Durr al-Manthur by Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti

This event is also outlined by Imam Ali himself in as indicated by Ibn Abi al-Hadid in his excellent commentary of Nahjul Balagha. What is even more interesting is that Ibn Abi al-Hadid is not a Shia, but is rather a Sunni - indeed a Mu’tazilite - scholar:

“One day the Prophet of God led us in prayer. A beggar came into the mosque and asked for alms, but no one gave him anything.

While I was in ruku’, I gave him my ring. The Prophet prayed to Allah to reveal something in this regard.

Then this verse was revealed: ‘Your Wali is only Allah, His Messenger, and those who believe – those who establish prayer and give zakat while in ruku’.’”

- Commentary on Nahj al-Balagha by Ibn Abi al-Hadid, Volume 3, Page 375

Historical Context and Sunni-Shia Agreement on the Verse of Wilayah

There are those commentators of the Quran who say that this phrase “while bowing down” simply means that these faithful are always in a state of prayer, and that it does not refer to any particular occurrence.

However, the Arabic language does not allow for this interpretation, because “while bowing down” here means that they give zakat while in a state of bowing down at that particular point.

This corresponds to the point we made in the previous session, where I had said that this refers to all forms of spending in God’s way, as the ring that the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali, gave the beggar, was not technically within the realm of zakat, but rather it was a simple act of spending in the way of God, and yet, this was called zakat in the Quran:

وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ

“And give the zakat while bowing down.”

This means that there was someone who was so concerned with fairness, and so committed to spending in the way of God, to the extent that seeing poverty was so painful for him that he could not even wait to finish his prayer out of fear that this beggar might leave.

Rather than signal for the beggar to wait so that he could give him something, he gave his own ring while still praying.

This person is so attracted to giving to others, this person is so determined to fulfil his duties that he does not allow himself to wait. He sees a poor person, he sees his poverty, he sees something which God does not like, and which by extension, he does not like. He has nothing but his ring, and he is in the middle of prayer, so he gives that ring to the beggar.

As we have mentioned, this is a reference to a particular historical event in the life of Imam Ali:

While Ali ibn Abi Talib was praying, a poor person came and Imam Ali gave alms to him. As a result, this verse was revealed.

Imam Ali as the Quranically Appointed Wali

So you can see, this verse is somehow designating Ali ibn Abi Talib, designating Imam Ali, as being the wali after the Prophet.

This is not the same as what the wrongdoers in history have done throughout history.

For example, when Muawiyyah wanted to appoint a successor, he appointed his son to succeed him as caliph. This is not how God appointed Imam Ali as the successor of the Prophet.

God said that Ali must succeed the Prophet as ruler of the Muslim community because he possesses the qualifications necessary to lead.

What are these?

Complete faith in God, maintaining the prayer in society, and a commitment to give zakat to the extent that he neglects his own needs.

God’s Appointment Versus Dynastic Succession

So, at the same time as appointing the successor to the Prophet, and designating Ali ibn Abi Talib for this role, God also explains the criteria and the philosophy behind this choice.

This is what this verse of the Quran is saying.

Therefore, in Islam, the wali must be the one whom God has sent, and the one one whom He has appointed to the role because, seeing as all people are equal in their nature and creation, no person has the right to rule over others.

The only person who has the right to rule over human beings is God, and because God has this right, He can give this right to others based on what He knows to be in the best interests of humankind.

We know that nothing God does is without benefit for us. He is not a dictator! God does not act like a bully or tyrant!

God acts in the interest of human beings.

So, when God appoints someone to lead us, it is because it is to our benefit, and we should, therefore, submit to God’s choice.

He sends the Prophet. He appoints the Imam.

After the Imam, he says that those individuals who meet these criteria and possess these qualifications should lead:

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 says that anyone who has these qualities, after the infallible Imams, should rule over the Islamic society.

So, it is God who appoints the wali. He is Himself the Wali. The Prophet is the wali, the Imams are the awliya.

The twelve Imams from the Household of the Prophet, one after another, were appointed as successors to the Prophet. Following them, those people who have these qualities and qualifications are appointed as rulers and leaders.

The Divine Chain of Wilayah

The issue of designating the wali is this. And this is just one verse of the Quran that I have presented to you.

There are other verses in the Quran also, some of which you will be familiar with, and others you will need to go and find. There are many verses on this subject.

The Consequences of Misplaced Leadership

What the matter ultimately devolves to, from the perspective of Islam, is that power should not fall into the hands of those who will lead humanity towards hellfire.

Is this not also the lesson that history teaches us?

Have we not seen what happened shortly after the bright dawn of Islam?

Have we not seen what became of the Prophet’s society? A society in which people did not give power to good men, a society in which people changes the standards of goodness, a society in which people could not recognise who was sincerely trying to look after their best interests?

How much work it must have needed to reduce the society of the Prophet to this horrific state!

How Corruption in Leadership Dismantled Islamic Values

Poisonous propaganda from the tyrannical and unjust regime spread through the Muslim society, to the extent that it completely changed the horizons of people’s thoughts and perceptions, to the extent that these people saw black as white and white as black.

This is why we study the history of the second and third centuries (of the lunar hijrah), we see the terrible crimes carried out by the government and the caliphate, and we see how indifferent and confused people were.

Are these the same people?

Are these the same people who would not put with the Uthman bin Affan (the third Caliph of the Muslims)?

Are these the same people who came and besieged him in his home, and in the end, removed him from power?

Are these the same people?

Are these the same people who saw no problem with the Abbasid caliph spending exorbitant amounts of wealth on his wedding?

When they saw the debauchery he created by spending out of the public purse?

I am not even talking about morality; the Abbasid caliph spent enough money for a thousand people on himself. Even if he was not spending this money on debauchery, but on prayers and fasting, would it be allowed? Would it be permissible?

These events were happening right in front of the eyes of the people, and yet they were utterly headless. They did not care!

Another example of this opulence is what happened at the wedding of Ja’far al-Barmaki, the favourite vizier of Harun al-Rashid - the fifth and arguably most famous of the Abbasid caliphs.

Ja’far al-Barmaki was a young man of between twenty-eight and thirty years when he got married. Of course, we mustn’t forget that he was only thirty-four or thirty-five when the Abbasid’s put him to death.

However, when he was at the peak of his influence and favour, he got married. Harun al-Rashid himself had a close relationship with this vizier. So, to celebrate his marriage instead of throwing sweets over the heads of the bride and groom as was customary at a wedding, Harun al-Rashid, threw something else over their heads.

When the guests came close and picked up these things from the floor, they saw they were not sweets, or even coins. They were little cases, no bigger than a finger, made from gold.

Inside they found a folded piece of very fine paper and, when they unfolded it they saw it was actually very large!

They read the piece of paper and to their amazement, it was a deed of ownership for a piece of land. It was a land grant (iqta’ - الإقطاع).

So, in a single night, God only knows how many of these were given out - five hundred, eight hundred, a thousand! - on very fine pieces of paper, wrapped in golden cases, and thrown over the heads of the bride and groom, without the caliph even knowing who would receive them!

Imagine ownership of a big piece of land being given to a child, or a drunkard, or a common thief.

The caliph had no idea, these grants were literally thrown away and whoever picked them up, got one.

As for this region, which was now in the hands of such a person, how the people there would now suffer; their wealth and livelihoods would be ruined, their rights would be usurped, they would lose everything.

The caliph didn’t think about this of course.

At the same time, class differences in society were so severe that, while the caliph was quite literally giving away land grants and living a life of opulence and excess, a descendant of Imam hasan by the name of Yahya ibn Abdullah al-Alawi was fighting against tyranny and oppression in the mountains of Tabaristan (modern day Mazandaran province in the Islamic Republic of Iran), and he and his family had only a single cloak between them, such that when they wanted to pray, they would have to use the same cloak one after another to cover themselves.

The family of the Prophet were fighting against tyranny, while living such difficult lives, while the caliph and his entourage could not care less.

But we are not interested in Harun al-Rashid personally. If Harun al-Rashid had not done these things, he would not be Harun al-Rashid.

It was the ruling class, to which Harun belonged, that had decided that as long as they existed, they would live like this.

So, this isn’t about Harun al-Rashid - this is about the people who had lost the sensitivity that had existed at the advent of Islam and had forgotten what the Prophet had stood for.

Faced with such clear wrongdoing, they felt no sense of responsibility, no sense of duty, they were of no use!

What for?

From all the harm and corrupting propaganda that people had been exposed to.

This kind of propaganda and the ones responsible for spreading it were dispersed throughout the Muslim world and found in every Muslim land, and they had spent years corrupting people’s souls and people’s minds, until it had reached this point.

Obedience to God, the Prophet, and Those Truly Vested with Authority

So, do you see how important it is for the right person to rule an Islamic society? The person whom God appointed as the head of this society.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا

O you who have faith! Obey God and obey the Apostle and those vested with authority among you. And if you dispute concerning anything, refer it to God and the Apostle, if you have faith in God and the Last Day. That is better and more favourable in outcome.

- Quran, Surah an-Nisa (the Chapter of the Women) #4, Verse 59

The Quran says:

Clarifying “Those Vested with Authority” (Uli al-Amr)

Who are those vested with authority (uli al-amr - أُولِي الْأَمْرِ)?

Do those ignoramuses who call themselves Muslims imagine that anyone can hold authority?

That anyone who can take power has the right to it and can be called one “vested with authority”?

We, Imam Khamenei, the righteous Islamic scholars, myself and those with honour and decency, say that this is not the case at all.

These people are not the ones God has vested with authority.

If we think that anyone who issues orders is the same, one “vested with authority”, as is recognised by and indicated within the Quran, then in some mountains somewhere, there is a bandit leader who issues commands, is he one that is “vested with authority”?

Is it, therefore, a religious obligation to obey him?

What about the person who told everyone that only women could come out of the home for three nights and men were banned from leaving their homes - this is one of the Safavid notables who, according to some accounts, made this ban a norm in Isfahan.

An eyewitness wrote this report, but we do not know whether it is entirely accurate or not, that only women were allowed outside in public places, like markets and shops, so that in every place women and girls were working and men were not allowed outside.

So, were there no men in the city? So that women could be at ease without any strangers around? Not at all!

This leader allowed his own associates outside during this time. Men, whose mother or sister were in the market had no right to come outside, but this man and his friends were allowed outside.

Are these people “vested with authority”? Should these people’s commands be obeyed? Is their command God’s command?

How about in more contemporary times, that when there is a genocide happening and good, water and energy is being blocked from people, and at that time some leaders of so-called Muslim countries, are busy cutting deals and being subservient to those directly engaged in the genocide.

Leaders who are actively supplying resources and materials to the child-killers massacring children. While feigning great religiosity and piety.

Are such people those who are “vested with authority”? Is what they are doing righteous and in line with Islamic teachings?

According to the Shia, who are “those vested with authority” whom God expects us to obey?

It is those people who, while they are “among you”, they are people like you, they have been granted wilayah by God - they have received their authority from God.

Now, is Harun al-Rashid “vested with authority”?

This man who mistreated people, who lived an opulent lifestyle filled with excess and extravagance, who butchered and massacred countless people, including his vizier Ja’far al-Barmaki and many of his family members in a single day? Including many of the true believers and the Muslims?

Who committed so many crimes that only God knows their number?!

The Shia Response: Qualifications Over Power

So, Abu Hanifa, says this man - Harun al-Rashid - is “vested with authority”. The same Abu Hanifa who is always at odds with Imam as-Sadiq, the sixth Imam of the Muslims.

He was always arguing with him - with Imam as-Sadiq.

He asked him:

“Why do you oppose the one vested with authority in your time?”

He meant Harun al-Rashid!

Do you see?

Issue One: Who Has the Right to Rule?

So, the Shia observe a very subtle and meticulous logic in this issue. As well as deriving the fact the fact that God must appoint the wali from the Quran, they also provide the criteria and conditions for people to protect them from being led astray.

So that the people would not say we accept Imam Ali, Ali ibn Abi Talib, as our leader, but we also accept Harun al-Rashid as his successor!

This was exactly the argument that the Abbasids had made themselves! That they were the true successors of Imam Ali and the Prophet!

The (second) Abbasid caliph, al-Mansour, would say that he accepted the caliphate of Imam Hasan, but claimed that Imam Hasan, the second Imam of the Muslims, had sold the caliphate.

This is the logic of al-Mansour:

Hasan sold the caliphate, so he has no right to it! On the other hand, we took the caliphate by force from those to whom he sold it, so it belongs to us now!

This is what they - the Abbasids - say.

So, they accepted Imam Ali and respected him, at least outwardly, but they saw no contradiction between this and the rule of someone like Harun al-Rashid.

On the other hand, the Shia say that this is not correct.

The Shia says that if you accept the rule of Ali ibn Abi Talib - Imam Ali - then you must also accept the criteria for the caliphate and wilayah. You must accept that the reason why Ali ibn Abi Talib was appointed by God as the wali, is because he possessed the necessary qualifications for this office.

Therefore, if someone lacks these qualifications or, in fact, has the opposite qualities in him, he has no right to call himself Imam Ali’s successor.

He has no right to claim to hold wilayah or to be one of those “vested with authority”, and no one has the right to accept such claims made by him.

This is the first issue that arises concerning the issue of wilayah.

Issue Two: What Is the Purpose of God’s Wilayah?

However, there is a second issue we must address, namely:

What is God’s wilayah for?

If someone asks you why you say God must choose the holder of wilayah, how do you answer?

The answer stems from a philosophy of the natural order that is laid down by the Islamic worldview.

According to the Islamic worldview, everything in the world is the result of God’s power:

وَلَهُ مَا سَكَنَ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ ۚ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

To Him belongs whatever abides in the night and the day, and He is the All-hearing, the All-knowing.

- Quran, Surah al-An’aam (the Chapter of the Cattle) #6, Verse 13

So when everything that exists only does so because of Him, and He directs all the affairs of the cosmos, then the government of the human realm should also be His to direct, there is no avoiding this conclusion.

This is the second issue.

Divine Command and the Trust of Leadership

Consider the following verse:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تُؤَدُّوا الْأَمَانَاتِ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهَا وَإِذَا حَكَمْتُم بَيْنَ النَّاسِ أَن تَحْكُمُوا بِالْعَدْلِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ نِعِمَّا يَعِظُكُم بِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا

Indeed, God commands you to deliver the trusts to their [rightful] owners, and to judge with fairness when you judge between people. Excellent indeed is what God advises you. Indeed God is all-hearing, all-seeing.

- Quran, Surah an-Nisa (the Chapter of the Women) #4, Verse 58

This shows that whatever God commands you to do is good, and that His command emanates from His perfect knowledge, awareness and, wisdom. He hears even your innermost needs, He sees your fate and, therefore, whatever it is you need, He gives you.

This verse also speaks about trusts (amanah - الْأَمَانَاتِ) and says that you should deliver them to their owners.

In reality, this prepares the ground for the verse following it, because fulfilling a trust does not just mean giving you a gold coin that is due to you, or collecting one from you that is due to me.

In fact, the most important manifestation of fulfilling a trust is that whatever God has entrusted mankind with, mankind should put it in its proper place and deliver it to its rightful owners.

Obedience to God is part of the covenant God has made with mankind; fulfilling it means obeying God, and obeying the one whom God has made the obedience of obligatory.

This is the most important form of trust there is.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا

O you who have faith! Obey God and obey the Apostle and those vested with authority among you. And if you dispute concerning anything, refer it to God and the Apostle, if you have faith in God and the Last Day. That is better and more favourable in outcome.

- Quran, Surah an-Nisa (the Chapter of the Women) #4, Verse 59

Next, the Quran says:

Islam’s View on Governance: A Permanent Need

This verse shows how Islam’s thesis of government differs from that of other schools of thought. Islam’s thesis does not say that government will one day be unnecessary. Islam does not predict a day in the future when there will be no need for a state or government in society - this is unlike some other schools of thought which foretell the advent of an ideal society, one of whose features will be the absence of any form of government or state apparatus.

Islamic does not accept such a worldview.

The Khawarej (the precursors to the later day al-Qaeda, DAESH and other extremist Wahhabi cults) used the pretext of supporting divine rule in order to say that Imam Ali, Ali ibn Abi Talib, should not lead the Muslims.

They relied on the slogan:

لَا حُكْمَ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ

“There is no rule, except that of God”

In response to this, the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali, said:

كَلِمَةُ حَقٍّ يُرَادُ بِهَا بَاطِلٌ

“A true word, with a false meaning”

- Nahjul Balagha, Sermon 40

Refuting Extremist Misinterpretations of Divine Rule

Yes, it is correct that the true ruler is God, as it is He who promulgates laws and determines life’s outcomes. However, when they say:

or

“There is no command, except that of God!”

The question they must answer then, is who applies God’s laws? No doubt their response would be:

“People must have a leader”

Because, ultimately, there must always be someone ruling over society. It is human nature to want to live in a society that is governed by laws; it is not enough to just have laws, there must be someone to ensure these laws are properly implemented.

The Balance Between Divine Command and Human Implementation

This is why the Quran says:

But is this anyone who has authority?

Does this mean anyone who issues commands should be obeyed?

Sometimes, a person gains authority but human reason and wisdom judges him unfit to rule, is he still one of “those vested with authority among you”?

A Doctrinal Divide: Shia vs Sunni Views on Authority

Here is a fundamental difference between the Shia and the Sunni schools of thought.

We, the Shia, say that “those vested with authority” are those who meet the God-given criteria for leadership.

On the other hand, they - the Sunni schools of thought - do not consider this a necessary condition.

Now, I cannot say that I have thoroughly researched the contents of the Sunni works of jurisprudence, however, what they frequently say in their public statements is that anyone who occupies a position of power and authority should be respected and recognised as legitimate.

The Outcome of Obedience to Divine Authority

This verse makes clear that good leadership produces good outcomes and bad leadership produces bad outcomes.

The third verse, then criticises those who reject this general command:

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَحَاكَمُوا إِلَى الطَّاغُوتِ وَقَدْ أُمِرُوا أَن يَكْفُرُوا بِهِ وَيُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَن يُضِلَّهُمْ ضَلَالًا بَعِيدًا

Have you not regarded those who claim that they believe in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down before you? They desire to seek the judgment of satanic entities, though they were commanded to reject them, and Satan desires to lead them astray into far error.

- Quran, Surah an-Nisa (the Chapter of the Women) #4, Verse 60

Rejecting Taghut: A Warning Against Illegitimate Authority

These people think they believe in your religion and the religion which was revealed to those prophets who came before you; they fancy themselves faithful, but they do things that are contrary to their faith in God.

What are those things?

In other words, to solve their problems they turn to illegitimate authorities (taghut), receive judgement from them, and organise their life according to what they tell them.

This is contrary to the tenets of their own faith:

They follow satanic entities, heedless of the fact that this taghut, this devil, whom the Quran calls taghut - wants to lead them off the right path, so that they become lost.

This taghut, this rebel, Satan, wants to take them so far from the path that it is not easy for them to find their way to it with ease.

This is what the Quran says.

Wilayah as a Manifestation of Divine Ownership

To sum up, the faithful accept God’s wilayah on the basis of a philosophy which has been laid down under the Islamic worldview and is therefore a natural matter.

When we say we must obey God and that God is the wali al-amr - وَلِيُّ ٱلْأَمْرِ, this is based on a clear and natural philosophy because everything belongs to God.

As the verse says:

وَلَهُ مَا سَكَنَ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ ۚ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

To Him belongs whatever abides in the night and the day, and He is the All-hearing, the All-knowing.

- Quran, Surah al-An’aam (the Chapter of the Cattle) #6, Verse 13

In the next session, God willing, we will continue this discussion, with more of a focus on the notion of ‘wilayah to the taghut’.

Conclusion

This concludes the first part of this section, which we have titled as The Wali - the Central Authority. In the coming section will be be continuing this discussion and will be looking at the notion of Wilayah to the Taghut, and how dangerous and damaging such a corrupted and damaged form of wilayah can be, and how - as we have discussed herein - it goes against the teachings of the Quran.

A key lesson from this session, is that the position of leadership is not for everyone, and it has key requirements and characteristics that must be understood. Above all, generally the idea of Wilayah is only from the holder of the ultimate Wilayah, which is God.

When we begin our discussion - God willing in maybe two or three sessions time - regarding the life history of the Prophet and the Imams of the Muslims, which interestingly will also including the lives of Lady Fatimah and Lady Zaynab, as part of the 250 Year Old Man series as taught by Imam Khamenei, we will understand this in more detail.

The position of the wali is not something trivial, it is perhaps the most difficult position that can beheld by any human being, to have authority over the people, authority that is God’s authority, is something monumental.

As we proceed on our journey we will understand that there are smaller wilayah’s, such as those within ourselves, within the family, within small communities and larger communities, wilayah’s within localities, provinces, nations and indeed across the world, and all of them need leaders that fulfil the characteristics that have been taught by the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad, as well as his family, as we have mentioned in this session and the previous sessions.

Indeed, according to many thinkers and scholars, many of the problems that are faced by Muslim societies and communities across the world are on account of a lack of wilayah within them; a lack of them choosing their leaders correctly.

Instead of choosing leaders based on Islamic principles, Quranic and Prophetic instructions, they are chosen using systems that are inherently those of the taghut, while being dressed to appear somewhat ‘Islamic’.

This allows analogs of Harun al-Rashid and such to rise to power in - even small communities - and operate in a way that is harmful to the community.

One of the important reasons for understanding this subject, and why I have chosen to go into it in such detail is to ensure that people understand the reality. That people understand who the righteous leaders are, and who the imposters are.

Imposters who are known to have alliances with those who seek to destroy the oppressed, who are funded by those who seek to destroy the people, who manipulate the instructions of the righteous Islamic scholars, and who seek to ensure that people remain misguided and confused, all the while - much like Harun al-Rashid - feign religiosity and piety.

Such people have been able to take the reigns of power, because the people have been stupefied and rendered impotent by the court mullas who have refused to educate the people as they should be educated, who have refused to give the true teachings of Prophet Muhammad and his Family to the people; and instead have focused on arcane and meaningless myths, fairy tales and hyperbolic gibberish.

We pray to God, the Lord of the Universes, the Lord of Truth, that He allow the people to become guided, to help the people come out of their stupefied state, and to have their own internal resurrection.

Since, as I write this we are in the last days of the month of Ramadhan, the month wherein the Muslims fast from dawn to dusk; and there are many supplications that are recited; but one of the most famous ones is Dua al-Iftitah - the supplication of the opening.

Amongst the stanzas in that dua (supplication) we have:

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِي يُؤْمِنُ ٱلْخَائِفِينَ
وَيُنَجِّي ٱلصَّالِحِينَ
وَيَرْفَعُ ٱلْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ
وَيَضَعُ ٱلْمُسْتَكْبِرِينَ
وَيُهْلِكُ مُلُوكاً وَيَسْتَخْلِفُ آخَرِينَ

All praise be to God Who believes in the fearful,
Comes to the help of the righteous,
Raises the oppressed,
Annihilates the arrogant,
Destroys (unjust) rulers, and replaces them with others.

- Dua al-Iftitah

And we also have within that supplication:

اَللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَرْغَبُ إِلَيْكَ فِي دَوْلَةٍ كَرِيمَةٍ
تُعِزُّ بِهَا ٱلإِسْلاَمَ وَأَهْلَهُ
وَتُذِلُّ بِهَا ٱلنِّفَاقَ وَأَهْلَهُ
وَتَجْعَلُنَا فِيهَا مِنَ ٱلدُّعَاةِ إِلَىٰ طَاعَتِكَ
وَٱلْقَادَةِ إِلَىٰ سَبِيلِكَ
وَتَرْزُقُنَا بِهَا كَرَامَةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلآخِرَةِ

O God, we ardently desire that You confer upon us an honourable government,
Through which You give honour to Islam and its followers,
And humiliate hypocrisy and its people,
And include us among those who call to Your way,
And lead them to Your path.
And grant us the best of this world, and the world to come (the hereafter)

- Dua al-Iftitah

These supplications are not just rituals that people do - or rather they should not be rituals that people do, every night during the blessed month of Ramadhan, rather they are lessons, lessons to reflect upon, to understand, and to improve our situation, that of our families, friends and loved ones, of our communities, and of our regions, countries and indeed of the world.

The tragedy that Islam has been lied about, has been presented as something vile and disgusting, and the greater tragedy that the Muslims have not shown Islam as it aught to be show, as its reality, which is the most beautiful and most natural system, that originates from Adam and was perfected when it was revealed to Prophet Muhammad, is a monumental catastrophe in and of itself.

But, God willing, with His grace and permission, with these sessions, which are all taken from reliable Islamic sources, primarily from the Quran, and also the teachings of senior and righteous Islamic scholars, the lies said about Islam, as well as the shameful behaviour of many who identify as Muslims, things that has made it something repugnant, can be dispelled, and the true light of Truth.

That the light that Jesus, the son of Mary, the Messiah, may God hasten his return, and may our souls be his sacrifice, taught tirelessly, and due to his teachings and speaking the truth he was oppressed hugely with some, who were from the disciples of Satan, working to attempt to kill him called the ‘good news’ - that was the final testament, the Quran and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, can be understood by people.

And for those under the delusion, that Islam is somehow a ‘foreign’ religion, that it is an ‘Arab’ religion, this is a lie that Satan wants you to believe somehow. Rather, Islam, is something universal.

Prophet Muhammad was sent as a mercy to mankind. Not as a mercy to the Arabs, or the Persians, etc. But rather to the entirety of humanity.

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