Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord...

Deliver what has 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; surely Allah will not guide the unbelieving people. (5:67) After the revelation of this verse, the Prophet ordered a pulpit to be built using camels saddles and gathered all the people.

When people gathered, he delivered a sermon; then he raised the hand of Imam ‘Ali (a) and announced: “Allah is my master and I am the master of all believers.

‘Ali is the master of those for whom I am the master.”[^1] Immediately after this, Almighty Allah announced the completion of religion in the verse: «الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلاَمَ دِيناً.» This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion.

(5:3) When this verse was revealed, the Prophet thanked God and said: “Glory be to Allah for perfection of religion, completion of bounties and Wilayat (mastership) of ‘Ali.” It must be mentioned that Shias celebrate Eid Ghadeer in the remembrance of this incident. Maqrizi has explained this celebration in the following words: “We should know that there was no such Eid as Eid Ghadeer during the early days of Islam. Also we do not have its mention from the chaste people’s words.

This Eid was first celebrated in the year 352 Hijra during the time of Muizzud Daula ‘Ali ibn Babawahy in Iraq, which is based on the tradition narrated by Baraa ibn Aazib quoted by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad: We were traveling with the Prophet, when we reached the place of Ghadeer Khumm and an announcement for congregational prayers was made. The place between two trees was swept and the Prophet offered Zuhr (noon) prayers and delivered a sermon.

He addressed the people and said: “Don’t you know that I have more right on believers than they have on their own self?” Then he raised Imam ‘Ali’s hand and announced: “‘Ali is the master of whomsoever I am the master. O Allah! Love one who loves ‘Ali and hate those who hate ‘Ali.” After this Umar came to Imam ‘Ali (a) and said: “O son of Abu Talib! Congratulations!

You have become the master of all believing men and women.” The place of Ghadeer Khumm is three miles from Johfa and there is a spring of water over there; there are many trees covering this place.

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