The Imam was a person whose knowledge and virtues were...

The Imam was a person whose knowledge and virtues were believed and confirmed by both Shiites and Sunnis. As we have seen, Mawla Ali (as), by resorting to the Ghadir's Event, says: God's Apostle, on the Ghadir day appointed me as your Imam.

There are clues in the narration itself that attest to the fact that the Prophet had meant Ali's Imamate because, the Prophet, prior to the sentence من كنت مولاه had uttered the following words: “أَلَسْتُ أولی بِكُم مِن اَنفُسِكُم” “Am I not superior to your souls”. Then he added: “ مَن كنتُ مَولاهُ فعليٌ مولاهُ “ Why were these two sentences juxtaposed?

Did the Prophet not intend to refer to Ali's Imamate as the one who dominates over people's souls, a trait which he attributed to himself in the beginning of his sermon? In the beginning of his speech, the Prophet made people confirm their belief in three Islamic principles (monotheism, prophethood and resurrection), saying: “أَلَسْتُمْ تَشْهَدونَ أنَّ لا إله إلّا اللهَ وَ أنّ مُحمّداً عَبْدُهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ أَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ حَقٌّ وَ النّارَ حَقٌّ...”.

Do you not confess that God has no associate that Muhammad is his slave and his apostle and that both hell and paradise do exist? What was the objective behind such confessions? Was it not for the purpose of preparing people to accept Ali's position, which he was going to explain in a short time, and was it not his intention to let people realize that the confirmation of Ali's position is a part of the three above-mentioned principles which were accepted by all?

If “Mawla” meant “a friend or helper” then the transition between sentences would fade away and the eloquence of the Prophet's speech would have been destroyed. This is because Ali minus Imamate equals a distinguished Muslim man of those days, and the Prophet's friendship with believing people was not a hidden fact to be revealed with that splendor in a large congregation of Muslims. Besides in that case the attribute “friendship” as a part of those three Islamic principles.

In the start of his sermon, the Prophet talks about his eminent death, saying إنه يوشك ان أُدعى فاجيب “I am about to pass away, answering God's call”. This sentence reveals the fact that the Prophet wishes to deliberate in a way to fill in his place after his demise. It is absolutely clear that what could fill in this empty place was Ali's Imamate so that he could manage the Islamic issues not merely asking for Ali's friendship or loyalty. Having uttered the expression “من كنت مولاه...

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