Among the verses revealed after the declaration of Ghadeer, are the following from Surah Maarij:
سَأَلَ سَابِلْ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعِ لِلْكَفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ ذِي الْمَعارِج
“One demanding, demanded the chastisement which must befall. The unbelievers – there is none to avert it – from Allah, the Lord of the ways of Ascent.”1
Shia believe that this verse was revealed about Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) and this is proved from books of Tafseer and a large number of Ahle Sunnat sources as well.
The late Allamah in Al-Ghadeer,2 has listed twenty-nine persons from Ahle Sunnat among whom are:
1. Hafiz Abu Ubaid Harwi (d. 223. 224 A.H. in Mecca).
In his book of exegesis, Ghareebal Quran, he has narrated that when the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) announced what he was supposed to, and its news spread to all the areas, Jabir3 bin Nazar bin Harith bin Kalda Abdari came to His Eminence and said:
“You commanded us to believe in the oneness of Allah, in prayers, fast, Hajj and Zakat, but you were not content till you held the arm of your cousin and accorded him precedence over us and said: Of whomsoever I am the master, Ali is (also) his master. Was this statement from you or from the Almighty Allah?”
The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) replied: “By God, this statement was from Him.”
Jabir walked towards his mount saying: “O God, if what Muhammad says is truth, send down a stone on me from the sky or make us involved in a severe chastisement.”
He did not reach his mount, but that Almighty Allah dropped a rock from the sky on his head, which exited from his anus, killing him. And this verse was revealed:
سَأَلَ سَابِلْ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِع
“One demanding, demanded the chastisement which must befall”4
2. Abu Bakr Yahya Qurtubi (d. 567 A.H.).5
وَإِن تُكَذِّبُوا فَقَدْ كَذَّبَ أُمَمٌ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ ، وَمَا عَلَى الرَّسُولِ إِلَّا الْبَلْغُ الْمُبِينُ
“And if you reject (the truth), nations before you did indeed reject (the truth); and nothing is incumbent on the apostle but a plain delivering (of the message).”6