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[Sayyid Fadil al-Husayni al-Milani]
 

Analysis and Evidence

Nahj al-Balaghah is a famous compilation of the sermons, letters, and sayings of Imam 'Ali (a). Such is the eloquence of his words and the depth of their meanings that many Sunni and Shi'i scholars have written commentaries upon it. One such commentary was written by Shaykh Muhammad `Abduh of Egypt. A well-known Sunni scholar and head of al-Azhar University, Muhammad `Abduh died in 1323 AH/1905 CE. 

The saying, as quoted in `Abduh's Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah,  can be seen in the extract below:
 

Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah, Words of Imam 'Ali (a) compiled by Sharif al-Radi (d. 406 AH), commentary by Muhammad `Abduh (d. 1323 AH), volume 4, p. 601 Beirut: Dar al-Andalus, 1963 CE, ed. 'Abd al-'Aziz Sayyid al-Ahl [also in the Damascus edition, volume 4, pp. 43-44] [Harvard] [London] [Ohio State] He (i.e. Imam 'Ali), peace be upon him, said: How strange!  Could the caliphate be through the (Prophet's) companionship and (his) kinship?

The reader could be forgiven for thinking that Imam 'Ali (a) was expressing his surprise and disagreement at the suggestion that suitability for caliphate derived from being a close Companion of the Prophet (s) as well as  being one of his kin and Family (Ahl al-Bayt).

So why is there a problem with this statement?
There are three reasons:

Firstly:  The poetry by Imam 'Ali that follows this quotation seems to tell a different story!
 

Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah, Words of Imam 'Ali (a) compiled by Sharif al-Radi (d. 406 AH), commentary by Muhammad `Abduh (d. 1323 AH), volume 4, p. 601 Beirut: Dar al-Andalus, 1963 CE, ed. 'Abd al-'Aziz Sayyid al-Ahl And verses have also been related from him (i.e. Imam 'Ali (a)) with this meaning: If you claim to have secured authority by consultation,  how did it happen when those to be consulted were absent!   If you have scored over your opponents by kinship  then someone else has greater right for being nearer to the Holy Prophet.

After apparently expressing his disapproval that kinship to the Prophet (s) had anything to do with suitability for caliphate, Imam 'Ali now seems to be suggesting quite the opposite!

Secondly:  The saying of Imam 'Ali (a), as it appears in the commentary by another Sunni scholar, Ibn Abi'l Hadid al-Mu'tazili (d. 656 AH), has the following words:

Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah, Ibn Abi'l Hadid al-Mu`tazili (d. 656 AH), volume 18, p. 185 Cairo: Dar Ihya al-kutub al-`arabiyyah, 1963 CE, ed. Muhammad Abu al-Fadl Ibrahim [Harvard] [London] [Ohio State] [Toronto] [Cairo] 190.  Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said:  How strange!  Could the caliphate be through the (Prophet's) companionship but not through (his) companionship and (his) kinship?

Notice how Imam 'Ali (a) expresses his astonishment at those who used the argument of lengthy companionship of the Prophet (s) as one of the reasons they were more deserving of caliphate, and yet deprived the Imam who not only possessed such companionship but was also close to the Prophet (s) in kinship, being a member of the Ahl al-Bayt.

This unadulterated wording in Ibn Abi'l Hadid's commentary is consistent with the poetry that follows it.

This correct wording can also be found in the other commonly available editions of Nahj al-Balaghah, such as:

• Arabic/English edition, Ansariyan Publications, Iran, n.d., volume 2, p. 627
• Arabic/English edition, Ahlul-Bayt Assembly of America, USA, 1417 AH/1996 CE, p. 287

Finally:  This saying by Imam 'Ali (a) can also be found in its full and correct wording in an independent source:

 

Ghurar al-hikam wa durar al-kalim, 'Abd al-Wahid al-'Amidi al-Tamimi (d. 588 AH), volume 2, p. 306 Beirut: Mu'assasat al-'a'lami li'l-matbu'at, 1407 AH/1987 CE, ed. Husayn al-'A'lami [Harvard] [London] [Ohio State] 64. How strange!  Could the caliphate be through the (Prophet's) companionship but not through (his) companionship and (his) kinship?

What did Imam 'Ali (a) really mean by this?

Ibn Abi'l Hadid al-Mu`tazili explains this saying and the verses that follow it in these words:

Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah, Ibn Abi'l Hadid al-Mu`tazili (d. 656 AH), volume 18, p. 185 Cairo: Dar Ihya al-kutub al-`arabiyyah, 1963 CE, ed. Muhammad Abu al-Fadl Ibrahim The saying of Amir al-Mu'minin in the form of prose and poetry was intended for Abu Bakr and 'Umar.  In his prose he addressed 'Umar, because when Abu Bakr asked 'Umar (on the day of Saqifah): 'Give me your hand so that I may swear allegiance to you', 'Umar replied, 'You are the companion of the Messenger of Allah in all circumstances - comfort and hardship.  So give me your hand.' 'Ali, peace be upon him, says (with regard to the claim of 'Umar) that: If you give arguments in favour of Abu Bakr's deserving the caliphate on the basis of his being the companion of the Holy Prophet in all circumstances, then why did you not hand over the caliphate to one (i.e. Amir al-Mu'minin) who shares with him (Abu Bakr) in this matter, and who had superiority over him by having a relation of kinship with the Holy Prophet? In his poetry, Amir al-Mu'minin addressed Abu Bakr, because he argued with the ansar at Saqifah saying: 'We (the Quraysh) are the kin of the Messenger of Allah and the seed from which he sprung, (therefore, we are the most deserving people to succeed him).' After allegiance was worn to Abu Bakr (by a small group at Saqifah) he used to argue with the Muslims that they must accept his caliphate since it had been accepted by the ahlu'l-halli wa'l-'aqd (the group who can tie and untie a matter - i.e. those who were present at Saqifah). 'Ali, peace be upon him, says (with regard to the claim of Abu Bakr) that: Regarding your argument with the ansar that you are from the seed from which the Messenger of Allah sprung, and one of his tribe, there is other one (i.e. Amir al-Mu'minin himself) who has the nearest relation of kinship to the Holy Prophet.  And concerning your argument that you have been accepted by the consultation of the companions of the Holy Prophet (whom you mean by ahlu'l-halli wa'l-'aqd), how did it happen that most of the companions were absent (on the day of Saqifah) and did not swear allegiance to you!"

But is the Nahj al-Balaghah and this saying reliable?

The fact that Sunni scholars such as Muhammad `Abduh and Ibn Abi'l Hadid al-Mu`tazili selected this work for their commentaries speaks for itself.  To find out more about the reliability of Nahj al-Balaghah and the alternative sources that verify its contents, see:

• Nahj al-Balaghah - Background information

As far as this particular saying is concerned, apart from being recorded in the independent source mentioned above, it is also consistent with Imam 'Ali's outlook on the early caliphate as demonstrated by other sermons and letters in the Nahj al-Balaghah.

For Imam Ali's views on the early caliphate in his own words, see the following extracts from Nahj al-Balaghah:

• Sermon 3 (Shiqshiqiyyah)
• Sermon 67
• Sermon 173
• Letter 28

To find out more about the event of Saqifah and how Abu Bakr assumed power after the Prophet (s), see:

• Imamate and Leadership
• Ask Those Who Know
• Peshawar Nights
• Al-Muraja'at

• Ghadir Khumm: Appointment of Imam 'Ali in the Qur'an, Hadith, History