If he had not carried out what Allah had intended in respect...

If he had not carried out what Allah had intended in respect of appointing Imam Ali, he would not have made known Allah’s message, and all his efforts would have been lost. So he (a.s) undertook carrying out that even if he would anger those craving after the caliphate and those turned away from the Imam (a.s). He (a.s) put the burdens of the journey and stopped at that desert place.

It was a day of intense heat, to the extent that the travelers wrapped their cloaks around their feet because of the scorching hot ground. Then he (a.s) ordered the masses to come together. When they gathered, he led them in prayer. When he had finished his prayers, he ordered them to gather the saddles of the camels, that he might use them as a pulpit. They did to him what he wanted, and he went up on them. The number of those present was one hundred thousand or more.

They turned to him through their hearts before their ears, that they might listen to that which he would say to them. Firstly, the Prophet (a.s) explained to them his holy jihad and his arduous efforts in respect of guiding them and saving them from polytheism and slavery. Secondly, he reminded them of a group of Islamic precepts and religious manners. He ordered them to put them into practice.

After that he said to them: “Therefore, see how you would obey me in respect of the Two Weighty Things (Allah’s Book, and the Prophet’s family).” One of the people asked him: “What are the Two Weighty Things, O Allah’s Apostle?” The Prophet (a.s) answered him, saying: “The great weighty thing is the Book of Allah. One end of it is in the hand of Allah, the Great and Almighty, and the other end is in your hand; therefore cling to it lest you should go astray.

The other small (weighty thing) is my family. The Sublime and Omniscient has informed me that they shall never part from each other till they reach me by the Pool. So I asked my Lord to do that for them; therefore, do not go ahead of them lest you should perish, and do not lag behind them lest you should perish.” Then he took Ali’s hand and lifted it, to the extent that the whiteness of their armpits appeared.