17. WILAYAH TAKWINIYYAH by Muhammad Amin Samad

17. WILĀYAH TAKWĪNIYYAH Definition and Scope َ ‫(و‬ The term wilāyah )‫ال َية‬ ِ is derived from the verb waliya )‫(ول َِي‬ َ yalī ) ْ‫ ( َيلي‬, “to be near (someone or something)”, “to adjoin (something)”; (‫ َو َالء‬walā’, ‫ َو َال َية‬walāyah); “to be a friends (of someone)”, “to be friends”; )‫ َو َال َية‬walāyah, wilāyah), “to be in charge, to run, to administer, to govern, to rule, to have power. Therefore, the term wilāyah means “authority, power.” According to Shia (Shī‘ah) theology, it is the authority invested in the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬and the ahlu ’l-bayt (the Prophet’s family) as representatives of Allah the Almighty on this earth. The Iranian cleric, philosopher, lecturer and politician Morteza Motahhari )‫ مُرْ َتضى ُم َطه َِّري‬, 1919–979)1 mentioned four dimensions of wilāyah in: (a) Wilāyah Mahabbah, namely, the right of love of the Prophet and his family; (b) Wilāyah 1

Mortaza Mutahhari was an Iranian Shiite (Shī‘ī, ‫ (شيعي‬religious scholar, a philosopher, a thinker and a prolific writer. He was one the prominent student of the Islamic philosopher Muḥammad Ḥusayn al-Ṭabāṭabā’ī and Rūḥ Allāh al-Khumaynī (Khomeini). He was born in the province of Khorasan in 31 of January, 1919 from a family originated from Herat, Afghanistan. He attended the religious centre in Qom from 1944 till 1952. As a politician he was arrested three times: in 1963 for joining demonstration against the arrest of Khomeini; 1969 for his participation in collecting donations for Palestinian people; and in 1972 for his activity in alJawād mosque. In 1979 he went to Paris where he was assigned by Khomeini to form the Council of the Islamic Revolution and became its chairman, and in 1979 he was assigned by Khomeini to be responsible for a committee for his reception. In 1 May 1979 less than three months after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Mutahhari was assassinated by a member of fighters of a group of dissidents. He was a prolific writer in various subjects, such as: ‫نقد‬ ‫( الماركسية‬Critiques on Marxism), ‫( العدل اإللهي‬The Divine Justice), ‫فلسفة‬ ‫( التاريخ‬Philosophy of History), ‫( اإلنسان الكامل‬The Perfect Man), ‫هدف‬ ‫( الحياة اإلنسانية‬The Purpose of Human Life), and ‫شمس الدين لن تغيب‬ (The Sun of the Religion—of Islam—will never Set).

Imāmah, namely, their authority in spiritual guidance, in guiding their followers in spiritual matters; (c) Wilāyah Zi‘āmah, namely, their authority in socio-political guidance, in the sense that they have to lead the Muslims in socio-political aspects of life; (d) Wilāyah Taṣarruf, namely, universal power over the entire universe. This is also called Wilāyah Takwīniyyah. The term takwīniyyah )‫ ( َت ْك ِو ْي ِنيَّة‬is derived from kawwana yukawwinu takwīn )‫ ( َك َّو َن ُي َكوِّ نُ َتك ِِويْن‬meaning “to make, to create, to produce, to form, to bring into being, to shape, to fashion.” Therefore, in Shiite theology, wilāyah takwīniyyah is “the universal authority given to Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬and his family (Ahlu’-Bayt) that makes it possible for them to exercise their power over everything that exists.” In Ayatollah Khomeini’s words, "It is a vicegerency pertaining to the whole of creation, by virtue of which all the atoms in the universe humble themselves before the holder of authority."2 Khomeini elaborated the spiritual power of the imāms, as follows: It is one of the essential beliefs of our Shia school that no one can attain the spiritual status of the Imams, even the cherubim or the prophets. In fact, according to the traditions that have been handed down to us, the Most 2

According to scientists the sphere appears almost 28 billion light-years in diameter, but it is far larger. It is because the universe is expanding. They say that while they “might see a spot that lay 13.8 billion lightyears from Earth at the time of the Big Bang, the universe has continued to expand over its lifetime. If inflation occurred at a constant rate through the life of the universe, that same spot is 46 billion light-years away today, making the diameter of the observable universe a sphere around 92 billion light-years.” Other scientists say that its diameter is about 93 billion light years. They say further that the whole Universe is roughly 250 times as large as the observable Universe. If we consider the speed of light in kilo meters per second (kps), it is 299,794.58 (almost 300,000 kps), or 186,282.39705122 miles per second (mps), traveling from one corner of the observable Universe to the other with the speed of light will take between 92 and 93 billion years. This indicates the huge unimaginable authority given to the imāms according to the Shiis.

Noble Messenger and the Imams existed before the creation of the world in the form of lights situated beneath the divine throne; they were superior to other men even in the sperm from which they grew and in their physical composition. Their exalted station is limited only by the divine will, as indicated by the saying of Jibra'il recorded in the traditions on the mi'raj: 'Were I to draw closer by as much as the breadth of a finger, surely I would burn.'"3 The Persian Shiite ḥadīth collector al-Kulaynī (d. 329/941) in his Uṣūl al-Kāfī (1/279) narrated the following: From Muhammad ibn Sinan who has said the following: “Once I was in the presence of Abu Ja‘far (alaihis salam), and I mentioned the differences among the Shia. The Imam said, ‘O Muhammad, Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, is One and eternal. He created Muhammad, Ali and Fatimah, recipients of divine supreme covenant. They were there for a thousand Dahr (courses of time). Then He created all other things. He made them witness the creation of all other things. He made obedience to them obligatory and gave them control of the affairs of the creation. They can, thus, make lawful whatever they wish and unlawful whatever they wish and they never wish anything unless Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, wishes.’ He then said, ‘O Muhammad, this is a religion that, if exaggerated, will lead to disproportionate belief and ignoring it will cause degradation. Those holding to it properly will have proper contact. Keep it with you, O Muhammad.’ It is also mentioned in Al-Kulaynī in his Uṣūl al-Kāfī that ْ ‫“ َو َرحْ َمتِي َوسِ َع‬My the meaning of the verse )151:‫ت ُك َّل َشيْ ء (األعراف‬ Mercy embraces all things” is that “the knowledge of the imām embraces all things.” The following verse is about the Doomsday: 3

This quotation was taken from Khomeini, Islam and Revolution, tr. Hamid Algar (Berkeley: Mizan Press, 1981), pp. 64-65.

َ ِ ‫َوأَ ْش َر َق‬ )19:‫ِّين َوال ُّش َه َدا ِء (الزمر‬ َ ‫ور َر ِّب َها َووُ ضِ َع ْال ِك َتابُ َو ِجي َء ِبال َّن ِبي‬ ِ ‫ت ْاألرْ ُْ ِب ُن‬ And the earth will shine with the light of its Lord (Allah, when He will come to judge among men), and the Book will be placed (open), and the Prophets and the witnesses will be brought forward,…(Q. 39:69) According to the Twelver Shia scholar Fayḍ Kāshānī (10071091/1598-1680)4 in his al-Tafsīr al-Ṣāfī, “the light of its Lord” in the above verse is the expected al-Mahdī as the Lord of the earth, when he came out from the subterranean vault, so that people would no longer need sunshine and moonlight. Based on these reports the imāms are in control of the universe and are permitted to play with the Sharī‘ah (Islamic law) as they wish. They can make ḥalāl what is ḥarām, and vice versa if they want it. It is in contradiction with the Qur’ān which states that Islam has been perfected in the times of the Prophet. Allah said: ُ ‫ت لَ ُك ْم دِي َن ُك ْم َوأَ ْت َمم‬ ُ ‫ْال َي ْو َم أَ ْك َم ْل‬ ‫ْت َعلَ ْي ُك ْم نِعْ َمتِي‬ ُ ِ‫َو َرض‬ )3:‫اإلسْ ََل َم دِي ًنا (المائدة‬ ِ ْ ‫يت َل ُك ُم‬ This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion (Q. 5:3) One of the most influential Iranian Twelver Shia marja' (religious reference),5 Ayatullah Abū’l-Qāsim al-Khū’ī or Khoei 4

Muhsin Fayd (Fayz, or Feyz) Kashani was born in Kashan, Iran. He was a poet, philosopher and muḥaddith (narrator of ḥadīths). At the age of twenty he travelled to Isfahan to study, and a year later he moved to Shiraz to study ḥadīth and fiqh. He studied from Molla Sadra ascetic exercises and other disciplines for eight years. A prolific writer in Persian and Arabic, he wrote 122 works, such as: Abwāb al-Jinān (“The Doors of Paradise”), Mohjat al-Beyza which was al-Ghazālī’s Iḥyā Ulūm al-Dīn (Revival of Religious Sciences) rewritten from the Shiite point of view. He was one of those who said that Islamic prayer does not have to be in Arabic. He passed away in Kashan in 1680. 5 Marja‘ (pl. marāji‘) is a title given to highest level of Shia authority on religious laws after the Qur’ān, the prophets and imāms. It accords with

(November 19, 1899 – August 8, 1992)6 said on the wilāyah takwīniyyah of the Prophet and the Ahlul Bayt as follows: As for the first type of wilayat [takviniya, universal], obviously there is no doubt in their authority over the entire creation as is clear from the ahadíth because they are the link in creation, through them [continues] the existence, and they are reason for creation [of the universe]; if it had not been for them, Allah would not have created the people altogether, the people have been created for them, through them the people exist, and they are the means of the pouring forth Ajatollah Uzma )‫(آية هللا العظمى‬. Previously the titles ‘Allāmah and Imām have also been used. His role as the representative of al-Mahdi during his occultation is to understand and explain religious jurisprudence. In 2014 there were 64 living marāji‘, mostly living in Najaf and Qom. Among them is Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran in Tehran. 6 Al-Khū’ī was the spiritual leader of the Shia world until his death in 1992. He was born in the Iranian city of Khoy, West Azerbaijan province in 1899, and grew up in Iran. Around the age of 13, he moved to Najaf (Negev) in Iraq where he began studying Shia theology until he eventually attained the rank of Ayatollah and was made a marja‘. Khoei would continue to live in Najaf, becoming a teacher for the remainder of his life, and overseeing the studies of scholars who would be qualified to issue fatwas based on Shia theology. In 1971 he was made the most prominent Grand Ayatollah after the death of the marja‘ Muḥsin alḤakīm (d. 1390/1970) -- who had prohibited people from fighting the Kurds, and who had interfered with Gamal Abdel Nasser’s decision to execute Sayyid Quṭub in Egypt. Al-Khū’ī was prominent in various branches of Islamic studies, such as the principles of jurisprudence and Islamic law, and one of the leading exponents of 'kalām'-scholastic theology- and 'rijāl'- study of the biographies of transmitters of aḥādīth, the prophetic traditions, 'fiqh'- jurisprudence- and 'tafsīr'- exegesis of the Qur'an. He was also interested in astronomy, mathematics, and philosophy. As a prolific writer he wrote 37 books and treatises, most of which have been published, including: Lectures in the Principles of Jurisprudence, 10 volumes; Biographies of Narrators of Tradition, 24 volumes; Islamic Law, 18 volumes; and Al-Bayan fī Tafsīr al-Qur’ān (The Elucidation of the Exegesis of The Qur'ān and sometimes entitled The Prolegomena to the Qur’ān).

[of the Divine grace]. "Actually, they have the universal authority just below that of the Creator Himself; this authority [of theirs] is like the authority of Almighty Allah on the creation, however, it is weaker compared to the authority of Almighty Allah on the creation.” The Persian Shia scholar Abū Ja‘far Ibn Bābawayh alQummī (“the native of Qom”), also referred to as al-Shaykh alṢadūq (“the Truthful Scholar”) (ca. 923-991)7 in his al-Amālī (which was a collection of his lectures, pp.252-253) mentioned the statement of ‘Alī ibn al-Ḥusayn (‘alayhim al-salām) regarding the wilāyah takwīniyyah of the imāms as follows: We are the imāms of the Muslims, Allah’s ḥujaj (proofs, competent authorities) over the ‘ālamīn (human beings, the world, the universe), the masters of the believers, the guides of the inexperienced needy, the protectors (mawālī) of the believers; we are the amān (the shelter, security, protection) of the inhabitants of the earth, as are the stars amān (the shelter, security, protection) of the inhabitants of the heaven; it is for our sake that Allah keeps the heavens from falling into the earth except by His leave; it is for our sake that the earth keeps itself from shaking its inhabitants violently; it is for us the rain falls; 7

Abū Ja‘far Muḥammad Ibn ‘Alī Ibn Bābawayh (Bābūyah in Persian)) was born and raised in Qom, a town about 125 kilometres (78 miles) southwest of modern day Tehran, in Iran. His father ‘Alī was one of Islamic scholars in that town which was the centre of study of Shiite traditions. In 966 he left Qom for Baghdad. He compiled traditions and wrote al-I‘tiqādāt (Creed) of Shiite Islam, later revised with some critiques as Taṣḥīḥ al-I‘tiqād (“the Correction of Creed”) by his student al-Shaykh al-Mufīd. His main work was Man lā Yaḥḍuruhu ‘l-Faqīh (lit. “for him who is not in the presence of a jurisprudent”) translated as “Every Man his own Lawyer” dealing with jurisprudence. It is one of the “Four Books” (the basic authorities of the doctrine of the Twelver Shia). Among his other important works are: ‘Ilal al-Sharā’ī‘ (“the Causes of Situations”), namely, the philosophy behind Islamic ordinances, and I‘tiqādāt al-Imāmiyyah (“the Shiite Creed”). In 991 he died at Rayy.

it is for us compassion spreads, and it is for us the earth brings forth its blessings; were we not on this earth it would have sunk its inhabitants. Since Allah’s creation of Adam the earth would not be absent from a ḥujjah for Allah, either well-known or hidden unknown; the earth would not be absent from a ḥujjah for Allah till the Doomsday, without which Allah would not have been worshiped. Another example is the Iranian marja‘ Grand Ayatollah Khalil Mobasher Kashani )‫( (خليل مبشر كاشاني‬b. 1951) said that alwalī al-faqīh can control the course of events in the universe, such as the fall of rain. He said that Ayatollah Khomeini himself can order the clouds to rain. Having wilāyah takwīniyyah does the imām know or is it necessary for him to know everything including the divine secret (al-ghayb)? Some scholars among the Shia do not accept it, such as al-Shaykh al-Ṭūsī who said: “Their view that it is necessary for the imām to know everything and al-ghayb (the divine secret), there is no doubt of its fallacy, as it is known that all that have nothing to do with religion, and the imām has no control of any of them. Therefore, how could it be incumbent for him to have authority to something beyond his control?” The Twelver Shia theologian and jurist al-Shaykh al-Mufīd (c. 336/8- 413/948–1022)8, has the same view. He said: 8

Al-Shaykh al-Mufīd was born in ‘Ukbarā (‫ )عكبرا‬a small town on the left bank of the Tigris between Samarra and Baghdad. He later migrated with his father to Baghdad in the time of the Shia Buwayhids’ ruling where he studied with Ibn Babawayh. Among his students were Sharif al-Murtaza and al-Shaykh al-Ṭūsi. He tended to believe that the Imāms are superior to all the prophets and messengers, with the exception of Muhammad and can "take the place of the prophets in enforcing judgments, seeing to the execution of the legal penalties, safeguarding the Law, and educating mankind", so that they are not only "the head of the

It is neither a condition for prophets to have comprehensive knowledge of everything, nor that he should seek information about the inmost of every external sense. Our Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬was the best among the prophet and the most knowledgeable among messengers, and yet he had no comprehensive knowledge on astronomy, and did not turn his attention to it; the expression of poet did not come from him, and being a poet was not proper for him. He was illiterate as expressed in the divine texts. And he did not occupy himself with learning any skill, and when he wanted to go to Madinah he hired a guide to show him the way, and he used to ask the news which were unknown to him as long as no reliable person brought them to him. This view of al-Mufīd was supported by the later scholar al-Sayyid Muḥsin al-Amīn who said that his statement that the imām did not know everything except the laws was very true. Similarly, it is not proper that the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬or the imām did not know anything about the laws where people were in need of it, and it was not necessary for the Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬to know all laws before they were needed. Objection of Wilāyah Takwīniyyah The issue of wilāyah takwīniyyah was the object of controversy among scholars, even among the Shia scholars themselves, some support it, and others object it. Among its

community in administrative, judicial, and military matters", but also an "authoritative teacher of mankind". He also believes that the imām is immune from sin or error, and it is necessary to have an imām in all the times. He is said to have written 200 works, but a few more than ten have survived, such as al-Amālī, also known as "al-Majālis", traditions recorded by his students during the sessions where he gave the chain of narration ending up with himself; Taṣḥīḥ al-I‘tiqādāt, a correction of alṢadūq's Risālat al-I ‘tiqādāt.

exponents was al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-Ḥamīd al-Muhājir (1950-now)9 who says that there are five foundations of Islam: al-ṣalāh (prayer), al-zakāt, al-ḥajj (pilgrimage to Makkah), al-ṣiyām (fasting), and al-wilāyah.10 Al-wilāyah is the basic condition of accepting good deeds. He says, “If a person worshipped Allah for one thousand years between the Rukn (the corner of the Ka‘bah) and the Maqām (namely, Maqām Ibrāhīm, a small building near the Ka‘bah in Makkah, housing a stone with Prophet Ibrāhīm’s footprints, but now it has been removed) until his neck fell apart from bowing and prostrating in prayer, but he did not meet Allah with his belief in the wilāyah of AhlBayt, Allah would throw him down to Hellfire with his nostrils. Allah does not want your prayers only, but also the wilāyah.” Another Shia scholar but with the opposite view is alShaykh Muḥammad Jawād Mughanniyyah (1322-1400/19041979).11 In his book al-Falsafāt al-Islāmiyyah he insists that 9

‘Abd al-Ḥamīd al-Muhājir was a Shiite Iraqi preacher and public speaker, writer of several books on Islam and history, and founder of ‫ُكلِّ َّي ُة‬ َ ‫ْن ل ِْلخ‬ ‫ِطابة‬ ِ ‫( اإل َمام ْالحُ َسي‬Al-Imām al-Ḥusayn Academy for Oratory) in Karbala. Besides his mother-tongue Arabic he was fluent in English and Persian. He gave many speeches in Syrian, Lebanese and Iranian televisions; he gave lectures at the University of Kuwait, and Arabic University of Beirut. He also gave lectures in the American television as well as lectures in the University of Albany, N.Y. His speeches can be heard in the Shiite channels, such as al-Anwār, al-Zahrā’, al-Mahdī and Fadak. Among his writings are: ‫( اِعْ لَمُوا أَ ِّنيْ َقاطِ َم ُة‬Be aware that I am Fāṭimah), in 7 vols., ُ‫ْال ِم ْن َبر‬ ُّ‫( ْالحُ ر‬the Free Pulpit) in 4 vols., ‫ان َي ْل َت ِق َيان‬ ِ ‫‘( َعلِيٌّ َو َفاطِ َم ُة َبحْ َر‬Ali and Fāṭimah two Oceans Merging), and ‫ت أَسْ َما ٌء الَ ُت ْن َسى‬ ِ ‫( أَهْ ُل ْال ِب ْي‬Ahl al-Bayt, the Unforgettable Names). 10 For the Sunnis, there are also five foundations of Islam, but instead of wilāyah, it is the shahādah, the declaration that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. It is the key to Paradise, as whoever believes in it will eventually enter Paradise, even after long suffering in Hell. 11 Al-Shaykh Mughanniyyah was one of the Lebanese leading scholars and a prolific writer. He wrote over sixty books, among which were: ‫( ال ُّنب َُّوةُ َو ْال َع ْقل‬Prophethood and Reason),‫( اآلخ َِرةُ َو ْال َع ْقل‬The Last Day and

wilāyah takwīniyyah is not one of the necessities of the Shia school, as there is no evidence for it. Everything could happen with Allah’s leave, but the consideration is whether it really happens, not whether it could happen. Therefore, the necessity of believing in wilāyah takwīniyyah is not one of the necessities, neither of the religion nor of the school. Another Lebanese Shi’ī marja‘ al-Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn Faḍlullāh (1354-1432/1935-2010)12 confirms that the is not an essential part of Islam, not one of the principal beliefs, and there is no harm for a person’s faith in Islam in not believing in it. He says further that wilāyah takwīniyyah as an authority over the universe at someone’s disposal or setting it in motion has not occurred to anyone among human beings, even prophets and imāms as it is not needed for their duty in conveying their messages. Stating that it exists is contradictory to the Qur’ān, and is inconsistent with pure tawḥīd (Oneness of Allah). He cites the following verses to indicate the Prophet’s humanness: ‫ْب َو َال‬ ِ َّ ُ‫قُ ْل َال أَقُو ُل َل ُك ْم عِ ْندِي َخ َزائِن‬ َ ‫هللا َو َال أَعْ َل ُم ْال َغي‬ ٌ َ‫أَقُو ُل لَ ُك ْم إِ ِّني َمل‬ )55:‫ك (األنعام‬ Say (O Muhammad): “I don’t tell you that with me are the treasures of Allah, nor (that) I know the Unseen; nor do I tell you that I am an angel.” (Q. 6:50) Reason), ‫( ْال َم ْهدِي ْال ُم ْن َت َط ُر َو ال َِع ْقل‬the Expected Mahdī and Reason), ‫َعلِيٌّ َو ْالقُرْ آن‬ (‘Alī and the Qur’ān), and ‫( ْالحُ َسيْنُ َو ْالقُرْ آن‬al-Ḥusayn and the Qur’ān). 12 Al-Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn Faḍlullāh was a Lebanese Shiite marja‘. He was born in Najaf (Negev) in Iraq in 1354/1935 and died in Lebanon in 1432/2010. While in Najaf he was interested in studying in the religious centre as well as cultural activity. When he moved to Lebanon in 1966 he started preaching in the mosque, building charitable organizations, orphanages and charitable hospitals which made him popular. He received many criticism for his views, but al-Sayyid ‘Ali alKhāminī (Khamenei) issued a fatwa defending him stating that he was one of the prominent figures in the Shia school for his purity, faith, and jihād.

َّ ‫ض ًرا إِ َّال َما َشا َء‬ ُ ‫هللا ُ َولَ ْو ُك ْن‬ ‫ت‬ ُ ِ‫قُ ْل َال أَ ْمل‬ َ ‫ك لِ َن ْفسِ ي َن ْف ًعا َو َال‬ ُ ْ‫ْب َالسْ َت ْك َثر‬ ‫ت م َِن ْال َخي ِْر َو َما َم َّسن َِي السُّو ُء إِنْ أَ َنا‬ َ ‫أَعْ لَ ُم ْال َغي‬ )111:‫ون (األعراف‬ َ ‫إِ َّال َنذِي ٌر َوبَشِ ي ٌر ِل َق ْوم ي ُْؤ ِم ُن‬ Say (O Muhammad): “I possess no power over benefit or harm to myself except as Allah wills. If I had the knowledge of the Ghayb (Unseen), I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil should have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings to a people who believe.” (Q. 7:188) ُ ‫قُ ْل َما ُك ْن‬ ‫ت ِب ْد ًعا م َِن الرُّ س ُِل َو َما أَ ْد ِري َما ُي ْف َع ُل ِبي َو َال ِب ُك ْم إِنْ أَ َّت ِب ُع‬ )9:‫ُوحى إِلَيَّ َو َما أَ َنا إِ َّال َنذِي ٌر م ُِبينٌ (األحقاف‬ َ ‫إِ َّال َما ي‬ Say (O Muhammad): “I am not a new thing among the Messengers (of Allah, i.e. I am not the first Messenger) nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I only follow that which is revealed to me, and I am but a plain warner.” (Q. 46:9) ‫ك‬ َ َ‫ون ل‬ َ ‫ أَ ْو َت ُك‬. ‫ْ َي ْنبُو ًعا‬ َ َ‫َو َقالُوا لَنْ ُن ْؤم َِن ل‬ ِ ْ‫ك َح َّتى َت ْفج َُر َل َنا م َِن ْاألَر‬ ‫ أَ ْو ُتسْ ِق َط ال َّس َما َء‬.‫ار خ ََِللَ َها َت ْف ِجيرً ا‬ َ ‫َج َّن ٌة مِنْ َنخِيل َوعِ َنب َف ُت َفجِّ َر ْاألَ ْن َه‬ ً ‫اّلل َو ْال َم ََل ِئ َك ِة َق ِب‬ ٌ ‫ك َبي‬ َ ‫َك َما َز َعم‬ ‫ْت‬ ِ َّ ‫ْت َعلَ ْي َنا ِك َس ًفا أَ ْو َتأْت َِي ِب‬ َ َ‫ون ل‬ َ ‫ أَ ْو َي ُك‬.‫يَل‬ ‫ك َح َّتى ُت َن ِّز َل َعلَ ْي َنا ِك َتابًا‬ َ ‫مِنْ ُز ْخرُف أَ ْو َترْ َقى فِي ال َّس َما ِء َولَنْ ُن ْؤم َِن لِ ُر ِق ِّي‬ ً ‫ت إِ َّال َب َشرً ا َرس‬ ُ ‫ان َربِّي َه ْل ُك ْن‬ )93-95:‫ُوال (اإلسراء‬ َ ‫َن ْق َرؤُ هُ قُ ْل ُسب َْح‬ And they say: “We shall not believe in you (O Muhammad), until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us; Or you have a garden of date palms and grapes, and cause rivers t gush forth in its midst abundantly; Or you cause the heaven to fall upon us in pieces, as you have pretended, or you bring Allah and the angels before (us) face to face; Or you have a house of Zukhruf (like silver and pure gold), or you ascend up into the sky and even then we will put no faith in your ascension until you bring down for us a Book that we would read.” Say (O Muhammad)” “Glorified (and Exalted) is my Lord (Allah) above all that evil they (polytheists) associate with Him! Am I anything but a man, sent as a Messenger?” (Q. 17:90-93)

Based on these verses al-Sayyid Faḍlullāh says that any power possessed by the Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬is only from Allah given to him in accordance with its necessity in conveying his message. There is no indication that Allah has given wilāyah takwīniyyah to prophets and imams, but Allah gives the prophets mu‘jizāt (miracles) in facing the challenge of infidelity in case of necessity. This view of al-Sayyid Faḍlullāh as well his rejection and prohibition of cursing some of the Prophet’s companions, such as Abū Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Ā’ishah, are contradictory to that of the majority of the Shia. The Iranian scholar Jawād al-Tibrīzī criticized him and called him ‫ضا ُّل ْالمُضِ ُّل‬ َ ‫“( ال‬the misled and misleading”), and prohibited people from following him, reading his books and spreading his views. Another Iranian scholar Ḥusayn Waḥīd al-Khurasānī who criticized him said that َّ ‫“( اِضْ َل ٌل َعنْ َس ِبي ِْل‬misguiding his belief was ‫هللا َو ِا ْف َسا ٌد فِي ْال َع َقا ِئ ِد ْال َح َّقة‬ from the path of Allah and undermining the true beliefs”). Eventually, al-Sayyid al-Khāminī (Khamenei) issued a fatwā prohibiting criticism against him and stating that “he was one of the authorities of the school with his purity, faith and jihad.” The contemporary Shiite marja‘ Kamāl ibn Bāqir ibn Ḥasan al-Ḥaydarī (1951-now),13 admits that there is no solid evidence in the Qur’ān stating that imāmah (including wilāyah) is one of the fundamentals of faith. The Sunnī View of the Wilāyah Takwīniyyah 13

Kamāl Ḥaydarī who is living now in Qom in Iran was one of the authorities in Reformation of Islamic Legacy Movement and was wellknown with his debates on beliefs with other schools and groups on television. He was born in Karbala in Iraq, and then he moved to Najaf (Negev) in Central Iraq in 1974 where he obtained his B.A. degree in Islamic studies with honours in 1978. Then he emigrated to Kuwait in 1980 because of the government’s legal persecution, then to Damascus where he stayed for almost four months, then to Iran through Turkey where he settled in Qom.

Shaykh Khālid al-Wuṣābī in an interview on the wilāyah takwīniyyah in Qanāt Ṣafā with Muḥammad Ṣābir he talked about its possibility or impossibility to occur. He said that suppose a group of people in Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia ask ‘Alī, “O ‘Ali!” can he hear them all at the same time and answer their request also at the same time? If the Shia say that it is possible, then is it also possible to take place with Abū Bakr, as the wilāyah takwīniyyah is not exclusively for the twelve īmams. If they say “no”, then they would become infidel by denying Allah’s power and claiming Him to be weak. If they say “yes”, then there will be no privilege for the imāms over ordinary people. Shaykh Khālid al-Wuṣābī said further that there is no clear evidence in the Qur’ān and the Ḥadīth indicating that Allah has given wilāyah takwīniyyah to any of the human beings. What they try to find is evidence to support the existence of wilāyah takwīniyyah by using analogy comparing the miracles given to prophets like wilāyah takwīniyyah given to imams. But miracles of prophets are different, as they have no full knowledge and full control on them, as they are gifts from Allah for certain occasions. Some examples are as follows: Prophet Moses a.s. did not know that his staff would turn into a serpent, otherwise he would not have scared and run away. Allah said: ْ‫ك َفلَمَّا َرآ َها َت ْه َت ُّز َكأ َ َّن َها َجانٌّ َولَّى م ُْد ِبرً ا َولَ ْم ُي َع ِّقب‬ َ ‫صا‬ َ ‫َوأَ ْل ِق َع‬ )15:‫ون (النمل‬ َ ُ ‫ُوسى َال َت َخفْ إِ ِّني َال َي َخافُ لَدَيَّ ْالمُرْ َسل‬ َ ‫َيا م‬ “And throw down your stick!” But when he saw it moving as if it were a snake, he turned in flight, and did not look back. (It was said: “O Mūsā (Moses)! Fear not: verily, the Messengers fear not in front of Me.”(Q. 27:10) Similarly, Moses had not known beforehand that Pharaoh and his army who were chasing him and his followers would be drowned. Allah ordered him to strike the sea with his staff to rescue him and his followers. He said:

‫ان ُك ُّل‬ َ ‫ك ْال َبحْ َر َفا ْن َفلَ َق َف َك‬ َ ‫صا‬ َ ‫ُوسى أَ ِن اضْ ِربْ ِب َع‬ َ ‫َفأ َ ْو َح ْي َنا إِ َلى م‬ َّ ‫فِرْ ق َك‬ ْ‫ُوسى َو َمن‬ َ ‫ َوأَ ْن َج ْي َنا م‬.‫ين‬ َ ‫ َوأَ ْزلَ ْف َنا َث َّم ْاآل َخ ِر‬. ‫الط ْو ِد ْال َعظِ ِيم‬ )11-13:‫ين (الشعراء‬ َ ‫ ُث َّم أَ ْغ َر ْق َنا ْاآل َخ ِر‬.‫ِين‬ َ ‫َم َع ُه أَجْ َمع‬ Then We revealed to Mūsā (Moses) (saying): “Strike the sea with your stick.” And it parted, and each separate part (of the sea water) became like huge mountain. Then We brought near the others [Fir‘awn’s (Pharaoh’s) party] to the place. And We saved Mūsā (Moses) and all those with him. Then We drowned the others. (Q. 26:63-66)14 Prophet Aaron (Hārūn) was powerless to make people listen to him, and was unable to stop them from worshiping idols, as mentioned in the following verse: َّ‫َولَ َق ْد َقا َل لَ ُه ْم َهارُونُ مِنْ َق ْب ُل َيا َق ْو ِم إِ َّن َما فُ ِت ْن ُت ْم ِب ِه َوإِن‬ ‫ َقالُوا لَنْ َنب َْر َح َعلَ ْي ِه‬.‫َر َّب ُك ُم الرَّ حْ َمنُ َفا َّت ِبعُونِي َوأَطِ يعُوا أَ ْم ِري‬ )91-95:‫ِين َح َّتى َيرْ ِج َع إِلَ ْي َنا مُو َسى (طه‬ َ ‫َعا ِكف‬ And Hārūn (Aaron) indeed had said to them beforehand: “O my people! You are being tried in this, and verily, your Lord is (Allah) the Most Gracious, so follow me and obey my order.” They said: “We will not stop worshipping it (i.e. the calf), until Mūsā (Moses) returns to us.” (Q. 20:90-91) Prophet Ya‘qub (Jacob) a.s. had not known the whereabouts of Yūsuf (Joseph) when he asked his children to keep looking for him without losing hope. He said: ‫ُف َوأَخِي ِه َو َال َتيْأَسُوا مِنْ َر ْو ِح‬ َ ‫َيا َبنِيَّ ْاذ َهبُوا َف َت َح َّسسُوا مِنْ يُوس‬ )17:‫ُون (يوسف‬ ِ َّ ‫هللا إِ َّن ُه َال َييْأَسُ مِنْ َر ْو ِح‬ ِ َّ َ ‫هللا إِ َّال ْال َق ْو ُم ْال َكا ِفر‬ “O my sons! Go and enquire about Yūsuf (Joseph) and his brother, and never give up hope of Allah’s Mercy. Certainly no one despairs of Allah’s Mercy, except the people who disbelieve.” (Q. 12:87) Prophet Yūsuf (Joseph) a.s. because of women’s trick would prefer prison as mentioned in the following verse: ‫َقا َل َربِّ السِّجْ نُ أَ َحبُّ إِ َليَّ ِممَّا َي ْدعُو َننِي إِ َل ْي ِه َوإِ َّال َتصْ ِرفْ َع ِّني‬ 14

For a similar verse see also Q. 2:50)

)33:‫ِين (يوسف‬ َ ‫َك ْي َدهُنَّ أَصْ بُ إِلَي ِْهنَّ َوأَ ُكنْ م َِن ْال َجا ِهل‬ He said: “O my Lord! Prison is dearer to me than that to which they invite me. Unless You turn away their plot from me, I will feel inclined towards them and be one (of those who commit sin and deserve blame or those who do deeds) of the ignorant.” (Q. 12:33) Prophet Ibrāhīm (Abraham) a.s. had not known beforehand that he would be saved when he was thrown into fire. He later learned that Allah made fire cool and harmless to him, as in the following verse: )19:‫قُ ْل َنا َيا َنا ُر ُكونِي َبرْ ًدا َو َس ََلمًا َعلَى إِب َْراهِي َم (األنبياء‬ We (Allah) said: “O fire! Be you coolness and safety for Ibrāhīm (Abraham).” (Q. 21:69) Allah gave miracles to Prophet Jesus (‘Īsā) a.s. as mentioned in the Qur’ān, as follows: ً ‫َو َرس‬ ‫ُوال إِلَى َبنِي إِسْ َرائِي َل أَ ِّني َق ْد ِج ْئ ُت ُك ْم ِبآ َية مِنْ َر ِّب ُك ْم أَ ِّني أَ ْخل ُ ُق َل ُك ْم‬ ِّ ‫م َِن‬ َّ ‫ين َك َه ْي َئ ِة‬ ‫ئ ْاألَ ْك َم َه‬ ُ ‫هللا َوأُب ِْر‬ ِ َّ ‫الطي ِْر َفأ َ ْنفُ ُخ فِي ِه َف َي ُكونُ َطيْرً ا ِبإِ ْذ ِن‬ ِ ‫الط‬ ‫ُون‬ ِ َّ ‫ص َوأُحْ يِ ْال َم ْو َتى ِبإِ ْذ ِن‬ َ ‫ون َو َما َت َّد ِخر‬ َ ُ‫هللا َوأ ُ َن ِّب ُئ ُك ْم ِب َما َتأْ ُكل‬ َ ‫َو ْاألَب َْر‬ )99:‫ (آل عمران‬...‫فِي ُبيُو ِت ُك ْم‬ And will make him [‘Īsā (Jesus)] a Messenger to the Children of Israel (saying): “I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, That I design for you out of clay, a figure like that of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah’s Leave; and I heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I bring the dead to life by Allah’s Leave. And I inform you of what you eat, and what you store in your houses…” (Q. 3:49) Allah gave miracles to Prophet Sulaymān (Solomon) mentioned in the Qur’ān as follows: ‫ان الرِّ ي َح ُغ ُد ُّو َها َش ْه ٌر َو َر َوا ُح َها َش ْه ٌر َوأَ َس ْل َنا َل ُه َعي َْن ْالق ِْط ِر‬ َ ‫َو ِل ُسلَ ْي َم‬ ‫َوم َِن ْال ِجنِّ َمنْ َيعْ َم ُل َبي َْن َي َد ْي ِه ِبإِ ْذ ِن َر ِّب ِه َو َمنْ َي ِز ْغ ِم ْن ُه ْم َعنْ أَ ْم ِر َنا‬ ‫يب َو َت َماثِي َل‬ ِ ‫ُن ِذ ْق ُه مِنْ َع َذا‬ َ ‫ار‬ َ ُ ‫ َيعْ َمل‬.‫ِير‬ ِ ‫ون لَ ُه َما َي َشا ُء مِنْ َم َح‬ ِ ‫ب ال َّسع‬ )13-11:‫ (سبآ‬... ‫ب َوقُ ُدور َراسِ َيات‬ ِ ‫َو ِج َفان َك ْال َج َوا‬

And to |Sulaymān (Solomon) (We subjected) the wind, its morning (stride from sunrise till midnoon) was a month’s (journey, and its afternoon (stride from the midday decline of the sun to sunset was a month’s (journey, i.e. in one day he could travel two months’ journey). And We caused a fount of (molten) brass to flow for him, and there were jinn that worked in front of him, by the Leave of his Lord. And whosoever of them turned aside from Our Command, We shall cause him to taste of the torment of the blazing Fire. They worked for him as he desired, (making) high rooms, images, basins as large as reservoirs, and (cooking) cauldrons fixed (in their places) … (Q. 34:12-13)15 Then could we say that Prophet ‘Īsā (Jesus) had wilāyah takwīniyyah? He did not control the jinn and the wind as Prophet Solomon a.s. did, but Prophet Solomon could not revive the dead as Prophet Jesus did. Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬had neither control the jinn and the wind, not revive the dead. Therefore, prophets had limited miracles given by Allah, and they could not control the universe. Through improper analogy they say that since prophets had miracles, then the imāms also possess miracles, even more, namely, wilāyah takwīniyyah , to control the universe. Miracles are limited, whereas wilāyah takwīniyyah is an extended power to control the universe. According to the Shia the imāms are greater than prophets. Even if prophets had wilāyah takwīniyyah the imāms with wilāyah takwīniyyah had high position, as Khomeini put it, “has not been reached by a sent prophet or an angel.” Allah said that He had spoken to Prophet Mūsā (Moses) َّ ‫َو َكلَّ َم‬ )119:‫هللا ُ مُو َسى َت ْكلِيمًا (النساء‬ - And to Mūsā (Moses) Allah spoke directly (Q. 4:164) 15