It is quoted by Imam Abu Ishaq al Tha'labi while explaining...

It is quoted by Imam Abu Ishaq al Tha'labi while explaining the meaning of this verse in his Taftir al-Kabir from two respected sources. What testifies its reference to Ali is the fact that prayers had already been established, zakat was enforced; fasting was legislated, the pilgrimage to the House (Mecca) was conducted. All the forbidden and permissible orders were already regulated. So, what else required Allah to place so much emphasis other than on the issue of Leadership.

following verse: "Today I have perfected your religion for you and completed my favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as religion. " (Qur'an, 5:3) So, congratulations to Ali; this is Allah's favour; He grants it to whomsoever He pleases. Anyone who looks into these verses will be profoundly impressed by such divine favours. The order of Allah, which there will be no change in His creation, necessitates the consecutive reporting of this hadith in spite of all obstacles in conveying it.

Yet the Imams of follow their own wise methods of disseminating it and publicizing for it. Now let us consider the measure taken by amir ulMomenin Ali (p.b.u.h.), in gathering people in the serious meeting place, the Radha plain. He said: "I ask in the' name of Allah, that every muslim who heard what the Messenger of Allah said on the Ghadir Day to stand and testify to what he heard.

Nobody should stand except those who saw the Prophet with their own eyes and heard him with their own ears." Thirty Sahabis, 12 of them had particiated in the Battle of Badr, stood and testified that the Prophet took' Ali by the hand and asked people: "Do you know that I have more authority over the believers than the believers themselves?" They answered in the affirmative. He (p.b.u.h.) then said: "To 'whomsoever I have been mawla, this (Ali) is his mawla; 0 Lord!

Befriend whoever befriends him, and be enemy of whosoever is his enemy." You know that accusing 30 Sahabis of being liars is rejected by reason. Therefore, the achievement of consecutive report through their testimony is an irrefutable and undeniable proof. The same hadith was transmitted from those 30 Sahabis, by all those crowds who were then present at the Rahba, and disseminated it after their dispersal throughout the land, thus providing it with extremely wide publicity.

Obviously, the Rahba incident took place during the caliphate of Hazrat Ali (p.b.u.h.), who received the oath of allegiance in the year 35 A.H.