‘Ali ibn Abi Talib ( ‘a )...

‘Ali ibn Abi Talib ( ‘a ), the great leader who is followed by the Shi‘ah testifies to this truth in these eloquent words: "وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أن محمد عبده ورسوله خاتم النبيّين حجة الله على العالمين." And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, the One and Only, Who has no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, the Seal of the Prophets and the Proof of Allah to the worlds.[^4] Imam as-Sadiq ( ‘a ) also says: "لم يبعث الله عز وجل من العرب إلا خمسة أنبياء: هوداً وصالحاً وإسماعيل وشعيب ومحمد خاتم النبيّين." “From among the Arabs, God appointed only five prophets: Hud, Salih, Isma‘il, Shu‘ayb, and Muhammad as the Seal of the Prophets (S).”[^5] This noble hadith which proves the groundlessness of this repulsive accusation against the Shi‘ah refers to Hadrat[^6] Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah (S) as the last and final Prophet of God.[^7] Accordingly, the Shi‘ah all over the world think that Jibra’il ( ‘a ) was truthful and honest in conveying the message, Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah (S) is the Prophet in truth and the last and final Messenger of Allah, and ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib ( ‘a ) is the Prophet’s successor and executor of his will.

Here, it is appropriate to quote a tradition on whose authenticity all the Sunnis and the Shi‘ah agree and which can be found in their reliable books.

In this tradition known as the Hadith al-Manzilah , after announcing his being the Seal of the Prophets, the Holy Prophet ( ‘a ) introduces ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib ( ‘a ) as his successor and the executor of his will when he says to him: أما ترضى أن تكون منّي بمنزلة هارون من موسى إلا أنه لا نبيّ بعدي؟ “Are you not satisfied that you are to me as Harun (Aaron) is to Musa (Moses) except that there shall be no prophet after me?”[^8] This tradition whose chain of transmission is approved by great scholars of hadith { muhaddithun }—both Sunni and Shi‘ah—is a clear testimony to the soundness of the Shi‘ah’s view on the following: Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah (S) is the most beloved prophet of God and the seal of the prophets who by the decree of God was sent as the final and universal messenger after whom no prophet will come.

‘Ali ibn Abi Talib ( ‘a ) is the Prophet’s successor and executor of his will, and the caliph of the Muslims after him. [^1]: Al-Fakhr ar-Razi (Egypt, 1308 AH), vol. 1, p. pp. 436-437. [^2]: Surah ash-Shu‘ara’ 26:193-194. [^3]: Surah al-Baqarah 2:97. [^4]: Nahj as-Sa‘adah (Beirut), vol. 1, p.