Regarding the revelation of the first verse a summary of the...

Regarding the revelation of the first verse a summary of the research of thirty famous commentators is that when the caravan of the Apostle of God, while on his way from Mecca to Medina, stopped at the place of ` Khumm' the archangel Gabriel descended with the proclamation of God Almighty, "O Apostle! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord".

Sixteen eminent scholars presenting their researches regarding the second verse write that when the (s.a.w.) had proclaimed the succession of Ali bin Abi Talib as the Commander of the Faithful the angel assigned with the task of conveying the words of God descended with the Holy verse, 'Today have I perfected for you your religion'. The reason why three verses of the chapter `The Ways of Ascent' (Chap.

70.came down is said to be that Hadith bin Noaman Al-Fahri or Nazr bin Harith Al-Abdari denying the leadership of Ali had said, "If God has bestowed this exaltation on Ali and the (s.a.w.) is correct in respect of the declaration of the leadership of Ali then I may be cursed with God's punishment".

That very moment he received chastisement and God Almighty through threefold verses viz., `One demanding, demanded the chastisement which must befall' preordained the universal and eternal proclamation of this great event. The literary investigations of thirty most prominent commentators of the Qur'an' and Hadith have confirmed this event.

In the same way when we look towards the origins, sources and authorities of Ghadir we feel that the enthusiasm and spirit, which the scholars, commentators and historians have shown in this connection, has been exemplary. Perhaps no other event of Islamic History has been related or written with such zeal and zest.

For brevity's sake only a brief statistics is presented here: In the list of the narrators of the event of Ghadir we find 110 names of the companions of the (s.a.w.) Among the narrators we come across the names of 84 "Tabe'in". Tabe'in (followers) were those respected persons who had not seen the Prophet, but who followed him immediately in time and had remained in the company of the Prophet's companions.

If you hurriedly go through the period from the first century Hijri to the fourteenth century Hijri you will find that there are about four hundred scholars of Hadith, commentary, history and criticism who have discussed the details of Ghadir in their world famed writings.

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