بَلِ اللهُ مَوْلِكُمْ
Abu Abbas Mubarrad,1 Qurtubi says in his Tafseer,2 in Surah Aale Imran under the verse:
“Nay! Allah is your Patron.”3
…and they are not your patron.
Ibne Athir in Nihaya4 , Zubaidi in Tajul Uroos,5 and Ibne Manzur in Lisanul Arab6 have considered it to be the exclusive meaning of Maula
This meaning is also not separate from ‘Awla’, especially with the meaning
that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) himself described him as such in condition
that it should be the implication of this meaning.
It is necessary to mention that the point, which we have mentioned after
being drowned in the sea of language and books of Arabic literature, was that the
actual meaning of Maula is not other than Awla bi Shayyin. And this meaning is
collection of all meanings and the meaning of ‘Awla’ is included in each of them
in a form. And the term of ‘Maula’ is not used in each of the meaning, except in
accordance with the existence of ‘Awla’.
1. Lord; the Almighty Allah is most deserving and superior than everyone to
dominate the creatures. He created the people of the world according to His
wisdom and intention. He is having authority over them. [then ‘rabb’ from that
aspect is said to be ‘Maula’, because he is having more authority than others.].
2. Uncle; he is most suitable of the people for protecting the nephew and to
love him; and he becomes the successor of his father and he is the foremost for
his son.
3. Cousin; he is having preference in cooperating with his cousin, since the
two are branches of one tree.
4. Son; he is most deserving of people for obedience of the father and
expression of humility before him. Almighty Allah says:
وَاخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ اللَّهِ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ
“And make yourself submissively gentle to them with compassion, and say: O my Lord! have compassion on them.”7
5. Nephew (son of the sister); he is also most deserving for humility before his maternal uncle, who is equal to his mother.
6. Motiq [one who frees a slave]; he is also more deserving than others, as he has freed and done a good turn to the slave.
7. Motaq [freed slave]; he is most suitable than other for recognition of favor of his master and obedience to him is in fact thankfulness to him.
8. Abd [slave]; he is also most deserving than others for submission before the master, since this act is obligatory and success depends on it.
9. Maalik; he is also more deserving than others for guarding his properties, their administration and discretion over them, without injustice and oppression.
10. Taabe; he is also most deserving for companionship of his leader with relation to one, who is not under him.
11. Mun-am Alaih [one, who obtains the bounty]; he is also most deserving for thankfulness to the giver of the bounty.
12. Shareek [partner]; he is more deserving for fulfillment of the rights of partnership and initiative in preventing loss to his partner.
13. Haleef [ally]; it is clear that an ally is more deserving than others for protection of covenant and to repel harm from his ally.
14. Sahib [companions]; he is more deserving for fulfilling the rights of companionship and friendship.
15. Neighbor; he is also more deserving than others to fulfill the rights of neighbors.
16. Refuge-giver; he is also most eligible for appreciation and thankfulness from one he has given refuge.
17. Son-in-law; he is most deserving for fulfilling the rights of one, who accepted him as his son-in-law, supported him and made the foundation of his life stable. It is mentioned in a tradition that man has three fathers: The father, who gave birth to you, the father, who married you and the father, who educated you.8
18. Near kindred; he also is most deserving to remove difficulties of the relatives, to defend them and make efforts for them.
19. Giver of bounty; he is most deserving for doing good to one, who gaven him bounty and under whose care he is and one, who continues to favor him.
20. Aqeed [one, who has made pledge of allegiance of brotherhood with him]; he is most deserving like the ally, for fulfilling the right of one, who made a pledge with him.
21 & 22. Mohib and Nasir: these two mean ally and associate; because they are more eligible for defending the beloved and for helping those, who need help.
23. Master (Wali); discussion regarding was mentioned above and the matter became clear. And also the below meanings:
24. Sayyid (master and chief).
25. One having discretion.
26. Trustee of affairs
Conclusion
Maula is having only one meaning and it is ‘awla bi shayyin’ [one having
precedence] and most eligible than others. And this precedence is related to
instances that imply changeable uses and commonality of this meaning is ideal
and not literal and literal commonality is better than literal commonality.9 Since
literal commonality needs multiple situations, and here multiple situations are not
proved by absolute evidence, and the rule in such cases is negation [source of
absence of multiple situations].
And statement of some persons regarding the traditional report of Muslim,
which he has narrated through his authentic chains10 from the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) that he said: The slave should not say to his master: my master. And in
the tradition of Abu Muawiyah the following statement is added: Because your
master is Allah. It proves that when this word is without context, the meaning of
superiority comes to mind. And numerous scholars of traditions have narrated
this traditional report in their books.