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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Master and Mastership Chapter 4: Classes of Special Form of Positive Wala’ So far we have observed that the question of having affection towards Imam Ali and other members of the is incontrovertible. The only point which requires some further consideration is the exact sense of the affection which has been enjoined in this and other verses and in the hadith of the Holy Prophet.

To make the point clear we have to see in what context the words Wala’ and Wilayat translated by us as affection, have been used in the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah with reference to the . Generally speaking these words have been used in four different senses. Wala’ of Love or Kinship Wala’ of love or kinship means that the are the kinsfolk of the Holy Prophet and the Muslims have been asked to hold them in love and esteem to a greater degree than what general Wala’ demands.

A number of the verses of the Holy Qur'an and many sayings of the Holy Prophet which have come down to us both through the Shi'ah and the Sunni sources, show that the love of the including Imam Ali is one of the basic tenets of Islam. In this connection two questions arise The first question is why after all the people have been called upon to hold the in love and esteem and why this love has been declared to be a means of gaining proximity to Allah?

Suppose everybody recognizes the and loves them; what will be the practical advantage of that? We know that all the Islamic teachings are based on reason and philosophy. If affection towards the is one of the basic instructions of Islam, there must be a philosophy behind it. The answer to this question is that exhortation to love the does really have a philosophy. It is neither a superfluous demand nor a recompense to the Prophet or the themselves.

The Holy Qur'an has said " Say: I ask you no reward for my preaching save love and affection toward my progeny " The Holy Prophet explains that the advantage of having love for the or the Prophet's Family accrues to the believers themselves. This love is a prelude to all kinds of Wala’ prescribed by Islam. It binds the people to the Holy Family and gives them an opportunity to be benefited by its teachings, practice and precepts.

The second question is whether the love of the is a feature peculiar to the Shi'ah or all the Muslim sects believe in it. To answer this question it may be said that it is not a feature peculiar to the Shi'ah. All the Muslim sects attach importance to it.