إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلوةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّکٰوةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ
“Only Allah is your Guardian and His Apostle and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow.”1
Abu Ishaq Thalabi has, in his Tafseer,2 narrated as follows quoting on the
authority of Abu Zar Ghiffari:
“One day I prayed the Noon Prayer with the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.).
A beggar sought help from people in the Masjid, but none of them gave anything
to him. He raised his hands to the heavens and said: O God, remain witness that I
sought help at the Masjid of the Prophet, but no one gave anything. Meanwhile,
Ali (a.s.) was engrossed in his prayers and he was presently bowing. He gestured
towards the small finger of his right hand, in which he was wearing a ring. He stepped forward and removed the ring from his finger.
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), who was present in the Masjid witnessed this
scene. At this point, the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) raised his eyes to the sky
and said: O Allah, my brother, Moosa requested You and said:
قَالَ رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِنْ لِسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي وَاجْعَلْ لِي وَزِيرًا مِنْ أَهْلِي هُرُونَ أَخِي اشْدُدْ بِهِ أَزْرِى وَاشْرِكَهُ فِي أَمْرِي لَي نُسَبِّحَكَ كَثِيرًا
“He said: O my Lord! Expand my breast for me, and make my affair easy to me, and loose the knot from my tongue, (That) they may understand my word; and give to me an aide from my family: Harun, my brother, strengthen my back by him, and associate him (with me) in my affair,”3
You also fulfilled his supplication and said:
سَنَشُتُ عَضُدَكَ بِأَخِيكَ وَنَجْعَلُ لَكُمَا سُلْطَنَا فَلَا يَصِلُونَ إِلَيْكُمَا
“We will strengthen your arm with your brother, and We will give you both an authority, so that they shall not reach you.”4
O God, indeed I am your Prophet and chosen one. O Allah, expand my
breast and ease my mission and appoint from my kinsmen a deputy from me;
appoint Ali for this position and strengthen my back through him.
Abu Zar says: “The supplication of the Prophet had not concluded, but that
Jibraeel (a.s.) descended from Almighty Allah and said: O Muhammad, recite:
إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلوةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكُوةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ
“Only Allah is your Guardian and His Apostle and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow.”5
A large number of scholars of traditions and Quranic exegesis have narrated
the excellence of Ali (a.s.) and the revelation of the above verse in his honor. The
following persons can be mentioned from them:
1. Tabari in his Tafseer. 2. Wahidi in Asbabun Nuzul. Razi in his Tafseer.6 4. Mohibuddin Tabari in Riyaz. 5. Ibne Kathir Shami in Bidaya wa al-Nehaya. 6.
Hafiz Suyuti in Jamaul Jawame quoting from Kanzul Ummal. 7. Ibne Hajar in
Sawaiqul Mohriqa.