ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Al-Muraja'at Letter 108 The Recommendation as Evidence Rabi’ al-Thani 22, 1330 Yes, indeed, they did. The Commander of the Faithful (as) mentioned it while preaching from the pulpit, and we have in Letter No. 104 quoted its text. Anyone who quotes the tradition of the Household on the day of warning has done so, quoting ‘Ali (as). We have also quoted it in Letter No. 20. It contains the explicit text recommending him for the caliphate.

Imam Abu Muhammad al-Hasan (as), grandson of the Prophet (pbuh), and master of all the the young of Paradise, delivered a sermon when his father the Commander of the Faithful (as) was assassinated in which he said: "I am the descendant of the Prophet (pbuh), and the son of his vicegerent," as quoted by al-Hakim on page 172, Vol. 3, of his authentic Mustadrak . Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (as), as on page 254, Vol.

3, of Sharh Nahjul Balaghah , at the end of the commentary on the qasi’a sermon, has said: "Even before the [Islamic] Message became public, ‘Ali (as), while in the company of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), used to see the light and hear the voice [of angels]." He also quotes him (pbuh) saying: "Had I not been the seal of Prophets, you [‘Ali (as)] would have been made a partner in my Prophethood; yet since you cannot be a prophet, you certainly are the wasi and the heir of a Prophet ," according to Buraydah.

Such usage is common among all the Imams of , and it is a necessity among them and their followers from the time of the sahabah till now.

Salman al-Farisi is reported saying that he heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saying: "The one who is my wasi , confidant, the best I leave behind me to execute my will and cancel my debts, is ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib (as)." Abu Ayyüb al-Ansari has reported a tradition in which he says that he heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saying to Fatima (as): "Have you not come to know that Allah, the Exalted and omni-Scient, cast a look at the inhabitants of the earth and chose your father for His Messenger, then He cast a second look and chose your husband, then He inspired me to marry you to him and take him as my vicegerent?" Buraydah has narrated a tradition in which he says that he heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saying: "For every Prophet there is a vicegerent and heir, and my vicegerent and heir is ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib (as)," and both ahadith of Abu Ayyüb and Salman have already been quoted above in Letter No.

68.