It was then that the prophet turned to his relatives and said...

It was then that the prophet turned to his relatives and said: "He (Ali) is my brother, guardian and successor (caliph) among you, so listen to him and obey him." In the battle of 'Tabuk': The prophet (p) said to Ali (p): "Aren't you pleased to be considered by me as Aaroon (was) for Moses, except that after me there is no prophet." That is, Aaroon was the immediate successor of Moses, you too are my successor in the same manner.

In the tenth year of Hijrat: God's messenger (p), when returning from Hajjat-ul-wida (last pilgrimage of the prophet), stopped in an area known as 'Ghadeer Khum' and introduced Ali (p) to a unanimous gathering as the guardian of the Muslims and believers.

He said: "Whosoever (until now) I was his guardian, (from now on) Ali is his guardian." The point worth mentioning and of paramount importance is that the prophet (p) at the beginning of his speech said: "Am I not more superior to you than yourselves?" All the Muslims stood up in approval to his statement.

Therefore, it should be clearly noted that what the prophet (p) meant by the term 'Mawla'in his tradition is the position of superiority over them; this result can be used as a deduction that his holiness approved for Ali (p) the same position of superiority that he possessed.

The narration of Ghadeer is one of the most widely transmitted Islamic narrations which in addition to the Shia scholars, about a number of three hundred and sixty Sunni scholars have also narrated it; it's narration reaches up to a hundred and ten companions, twenty six of the great scholars have also written an independent book regarding its chain of transmitters. Abu-Jaffer Tabari, the renowned Muslim historian, has collected the chains of transmitters of this tradition in two thick volumes.

For more information, refer to the book of 'Al-Ghadeer' Shura: 214. Tarikh Al-Tabari vol.2 p. 62-63; Al-Tarikh Al-Kamil, vol.2 p. 40-41, Masnad Ahmad vol.1 p. 111, and Shar e Nahjul Balagha (Ibn Abi Al-Hadid) vol. 13 p. 210-212 Seerat Ibn Hisham vol.2 p.520 and 'Al-Sawa-eq Al- mohrigha (Ibn Hajar) 2nd print, Egypt section 9, chapt. 2, p. 121. For example, 'Al-sawa-eq Al-mohregha' (Ibn Hajar) 2nd print, Egypt, section 9, p. 122.…