A noble ayah says...

A noble ayah says: إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ “Only Allah is your Vali and His Messenger and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow (5:55)” The different schools are of one opinion, that this was revealed concerning `Ali (a.s.) at-Tabari cites many ahadith in this connection[^2], and az-Zamakhshari, who was one of the greatest scholars of the Sunni school, said in a definitive manner "This ayah was revealed concerning `Ali,” and the reason for the plural being used (i.e., those), although that which was revealed was not more than one person, that it is exhorting people to behave like this; and it explains that believers should acquire character and qualities like this, and should be eager and fervent in this way in doing good and in generosity and in helping the poor, and that even in prayer they should not procrastinate."' (i.e., although they may be in prayer when the matter of zakat arises, they should not delay, and should perform their obligation during the time of prayer.)[^3] Also Fakhru'd-Din ar-Razi, who, like az- Zamakhshari, is one of the great men of the Sunni school and of the whole community, said: "This ayah was revealed concerning `Ali, and scholars are all in agreement that the payment of zakat in the time of ruku`[^4] (the position of bowing down in prayer) did not take place except in the case of 'Ali."' Towards the end he makes some contention about the interpretation of the word wali, and later on we will discuss the meaning of this ayah.

And this is an indisputable fact.” [^5] & [^6] As we said before, a kind of wila' has been prescribed in Islam that is positive[^7] and has an ordinary meaning, and the noble ayah; وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ “And the believers, the men and the women, are wali one to the other (9:71).” Is a witness to this kind of wila'.