(al-Ra’d...

(al-Ra’d:43) There is no doubt in the understanding of the greatness of the station of those who have the knowledge of the book, as it is a clear and certain fact that their testimony is parallel to that of God the Supreme. It has been referred to in another Qur’anic verse, and it is stated that Imam Ali is to be counted after the Prophet:“Is he who stands on a manifest proof from his Lord, and whom a witness of his own [family] follows?”(Hūd:17).

The word “from him” indicates that this witness is actually one of the Prophet’s relatives and a member of his household. There are dozens of narrations from both the Sunnite and Shi’ite sources stating that this witness is Ali bin Abi Tālib.

Some of these narrations are as follows:Ibn Al-Maghazeli Al-Shafi’i narrated from Abdullah ibn ‘Ata, that: I was sitting with Abi Ja’afar (Imam Baqir) when Abdullah ibn Salam passed by us (Abdullah was one of the people of the book who converted to Islam during the time of the Prophet), I said:m Is this man the son of he who was described as possessing the knowledge of the book?

He said: No, it is your friend Ali bin Abi Taleb, about whom many Qur’anic verses were revealed, such as: “and he who possesses the knowledge of the book”(al-Ra’d:43.)“Is he who stands on a manifest proof from his Lord, and whom a witness of his own [family] follows?”(Hūd: 17).

“Your guardian is only Allah, His Apostle, and the faithful” (al-Māi’dah :55) There are also many narrations from both schools of thought (Shi’ite and Sunnite), which state that the use of the word “Shāhid” in the Qur’anic chapter Hūd, verse 17, actually refers to Imam Ali (as). When we reflect upon the word used “from him”, we realise that it can only refer to him.

We can understand the importance of possessing the knowledge of the Book when we read the story of Solomon and the summoning of the throne of Bilquis.

The Qur’an has mentioned: “The one who had knowledge of the Book said, ‘I will bring it to you in the twinkling of an eye” (al-Naml:40) From this Qur’anic verse one is able to recognise that if this miraculous effect can be achieved through possessing partial knowledge of the Book, then how great is the power of those whom possess complete knowledge.

Imam Sadiq (a) has referred to this fact in another narration: “I, Abu Basir, Yahya Al- Bazzaz and Dawud ibn Kathir were in the reception room -‘majlis’, of Abu Abdullah (a), when he came out to us in a state of anger.