You have become my guardian and the guardian of every...

You have become my guardian and the guardian of every believing man and believing woman.’ The homage to Imam Ali (a.s.) on the day of al-Ghadeer was a part of the mission of Islam and whoever denied it was not reasonable. Why the Prophet Nominated Ali Many people ask why the Prophet (S) had nominated Imam Ali (a.s.) for the caliphate and preferred him to all his cousins and companions.

We give the answer by the following points: Allah the Almighty had ordered his messenger to appoint Imam Ali (a.s.) a caliph after him and take the homage of Muslims to him on the day of Ghadeer Khum.

Allah had revealed to his messenger this verse, “O Messenger, deliver what bas been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people.” 5:67 After this warning, the Prophet (S) gathered the hajjis, who were coming back from the hajj, in the desert of Ghadeer Khum and declared to them what Allah had ordered him to do.

He announced to them that Imam Ali (a.s.) would be, according to Allah’s decree, the general leader over the Muslim community, and so all Muslims paid allegiance to him as we have mentioned before. The Prophet (S) had compared the prophethood to the caliphate when he invited his family to faith and to believe in his mission saying to them, ‘Which of you supports me to be the caliph after me?’ No one responded to him except Imam Ali (a.s.) who was too young then.

The Prophet (S) put his hand on Ali’s neck and addressed his family saying, ‘This is my brother and caliph (successor). You have to listen to and obey him.’ The Prophet’s care for the caliphate did not come at the last days of his life, but it was since the beginning of his mission.

The Prophet (S) looked thoughtfully at his family and companions and he did not find anyone who was worthy of this position after him except Imam Ali (a.s.) who believed the Prophet (S), believed in his mission, and understood his values and goals. The Prophet (S) himself had educated Imam Ali (a.s.) and fed him with the deep faith in Allah, the ideals of Islam, and the noble values.

It is completely untrue to say that the Prophet (S) had chosen Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s.) for the position of caliphate just because he was the closest one to him and the father of his two grandsons, because the matter of prophethood is too far above that.