Walayah
This article may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. (March 2023) |
Part of a series on |
Islam |
---|
Welayah or Walaya (
Welayah is a word which a power gives authority/guardianship to a person, community, or country that is under the direction and rule on behalf of another. "Wali" is someone who has "Walayah" (authority or guardianship) over somebody else. For example, in fiqh, a father is wali of his children. The term wali holds a special importance in Islamic spiritual life and it is used with various meanings, which relate to its different functions, which include: “next of kin, ally, friend, helper, guardian, patron, and saint”. In Islam, the phrase ولي الله walīyu l-Lāh[2] can be used to denote one vested with the "authority of God":
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلاَةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ
"In the name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate: Only God is your wali and his messenger and those who believe, establish worship, and pay the poor due while bowing down (in prayer)."[Quran 5:55]
Terminology
Two nouns are derived from the
The concept of Walayah
There are several kinds of Walayah: Wila of love or nearness which implies that the household of the prophet are his near relatives and the believers should love them.
According to
Walayah of socio-political leadership
Spiritual Walayah which concerns changing the potentials to the action and making the people to get to the divine nearness, therefore there is a proof in every age.[15] The Wali has a kind of creative power over the world and the men.[16] Corbin states that Walayah is the foundation of the prophecy and the mission of the messenger.[17] And it concerns to the esoteric dimension of the prophetic reality.[18] Abu al-Hasan Sharif Isfahani, a student of Muhammad Baqir Majlisi, by many hadith argues that "the walayah is the inner, esoteric meaning (batin) of the Qur'anic Revelation.".[19] Mulla Sadra states that the genealogical descendants of Muhammad and his spiritual heirs are Awliya.[20] Dakake describes Walayah as a spiritual inheritance, esoteric knowledge, that Imams inherit from the prophets.[21] Which expresses the spiritual and political authority of ahl al-Bayt.[22] Tabatabaei regards that Walayah is the esoteric dimension of the Imamah and it is not just guiding the man, but it is conveying the man to the Truth.[23]
Argument
By Quran
By verse 42:23 and hadith of Ghadir, the prophet called the Muslims to love his pure, sinless family. Al-Tabari, Az-Zamakhshari and Fakhru'd-Din ar-Razi state that verse 5:55 is revealed about Ali.[24] The verse implies that Allah and His prophet is the Wali and the holders of the authority of the Muslims and the believers must accept their Wila.[25] This bond of love further causes that the Muslims follow their speeches, deeds, behaviors. In Quran, the term walayah is used in conjunction with nusrah and it is not only used in relation to God but also is used for those who have perfect devotion to God.[26]The verse 7:172 deals with the primordial pact (mithaq) that God has taken for His Lordship and the Walayah to the prophet and the ahl al-Bayt.[27] In the Quran, the term shows a link between faithfulness to God and devotion to the members of the community.[28] Tabatabaei claims that wherever Quran ascribes the guardianship for the prophet, it means authority and devotion.[29] By the verse 5:55, he claims that as the word Walayah once is used for Allah and His messenger and those who have believed, though they are under His Guardianship and at last he proves that the prophet's obedience is God's obedience.[30]
By hadith
Ar-Razi quotes from az-Zamakhshari that the Prophet said: "Who so ever died in the love of the Household of Muhammad has died a martyr; Whosoever died in the love of the Household of Muhammad has died in forgiveness; Whosoever died in the love of the Household of Muhammad has died a believer and in the perfection of his faith. Whosoever dies in enmity to the family of Muhammad, dies an nbeliever. Whosoever dies in enmity of the family of Muhammad,will not smell the scent of Paradise."[31] A hadith al-Baqir narrates that "Islam is built upon five: prayer, alms-giving, fasting, pilgrimage, and walayah; and not one of them was proclaimed, the way walayah was proclaimed.[32][33] Hasan ibn Ali narrates that after professing tawhid and the mission of the prophets, nothing is more important than professing to the Walayah of Imams.[34] Ja'far al-Sadiq told that Imam separates the people of the Heaven from the Hell, without any judgement, because their love for the Imam is their Heaven or Hell respectively.[35] The prophet tells Ali that he heard Allah say to him: "I wrote thy name and his name on My Throne before creating the creatures because of my love of you both. Whoever loves you and takes you as friends numbers among those drawn-nigh to Me. Whoever rejects your walayah and separates himself from you numbers among the impious transgressors against Me."."[36] Al-Baqir states that "...There was never a prophet nor an angel who did not profess the religion of our love."[37]
Theological and philosophical argument
Part of a series on Shia Islam |
---|
Shia Islam portal |
Part of a series on Shia Islam |
Twelver Shi'ism |
---|
Shia Islam portal |
In
According to
Walayah is the foundation of the prophecy (nubuwah) and the messengership (risalah), so, closer to the inner realities, more sufficient and nearer to God.[17] As Wali is concerned with guiding the spiritual life of the community, his presence in the community is not effective.[50] As all the possible beings are dependent to self-existent, this dependence results on the authority of the self-existent; so Walayah is just his right and he can designate this authority to whom he chooses.[51]History of the concept of Walayah
The concept of Walayah is present at the early Shia history which indicates the legitimacy of Alids and an allegiance to ahl al-Bayt. The term derives from
For Sufism, There is a problem about definition of walī and his attributes when wali compared to prophet. It seems that the notion of wali was superior to nabi in third/ninth. Someones such as Abū Bakr Ḵarrāz(d. 286/899) and following him, Ḥakīm Termeḏī (d. between 295/907 and 310/922) refuted this superiority. They believed that the prophethood has superiority over wali. However they maintained that there are many different categories for welayah. On this occasion, Ḥakīm Termeḏī divided wali into two categories: welāya ʿāmma, which embraces all believers, and welāya ḵāṣṣa, which pertains exclusively to the spiritual elect.[4] Ibn Arabi also refers to a relation between nabi and wali. He believed that although the prophet is indeed superior to wali, nabi is himself a wali besides being prophet. Ibn Arabi also mentioned[citation needed] that the wali-aspect of nabi's being is superior to the nabi-dimension. Syed Ahmad Khan agreed with Ibn Arabi's view and explained it.[4]
Ismaili and Druze pillar
Part of a series on Islam Isma'ilism |
---|
Islam portal |
Part of a series on
Druze |
---|
Walayah or Walayat is a pillar of Shia Islam specifically in
One should have Walayat (guardianship of the faith) on the wali. If someone has been made Wali of yours than have full walayat (guardianship of faith) of him.
There is a famous incident mentioned amongst the writings of
Qadi al-Nu'man, a famous Muslim jurist of the Fatimid period, identifies walaya, the concept that God's authority must always have a representative in creation, as the most important pillar of Islam, that “imbues all other pillars with meaning and efficacy”. In his work The Foundation of Symbolic Interpretation (Asas al-Tawil) he talks about the history of walaya throughout the lives of the prophets and the succession of imams from the time of Adam to Muhammad.[62]
God is He Who loves, guards and directs those who believe; He has led them out of all kinds of darkness into the light, and keeps them firm therein.
and also in (10:62):
Know well that the confidants (saintly servants) of God-there will be no reason for them to fear (both in this world and the next, for they shall always find My help and support with them), nor shall they grieve.[64]
One who has been favored with sainthood is called a wali or Waliullah, meaning a saint.[64] Waliullah may also be translated as a word used to describe a certain group of people selected by God from among millions of others to be “His friends” because of their closeness to God. And thus, a saint, or a friend to God, is thought to have favor in the eyes of the Lord.[64] For an individual to achieve walaya, or sainthood, a person must first become, and remain, a pristine example of a truly religious person, an example for all other Muslims to look up to. Upon these individuals, the peace and blessing of God have been placed.[64] In the Qur'an, walaya is expressed in the Sura al-Kahf's fable of the rich but immoral owner of two gardens and his poor but pious companion. The rich man ends up a loser despite his prosperity and power, for ultimately, the walayah belongs to God, the Truth (18:44).[65]
See also
- Islamic leadership
- Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)
- Imamah (Twelver Shi`i Doctrine)
- Imamah (Ismaili doctrine)
- Imamah (Nizari Ismaili doctrine)
- Tayyibi
Notes
Footnotes
- ^ a b c d Newman in Meri 2006, p. 734
- ^ "Walī (a., pl. awliyā;)"
- ^ Dakake 2007, p. 16
- ^ a b c d e f Algar 1987
- ^ Šarīf Jorjānī 1993, p. 112
- ^ Elmore 1999, p. 113
- ^ Motahhari 1982, p. 50
- ^ a b Corbin 1993, p. 26,27
- ^ Lambton in Nasr 1989, p. 96
- ^ Motahhari 1982, p. 63
- ^ Motahhari 1982, p. 66
- ^ Moezzi 1994, p. 34
- ^ Moezzi 1994, p. 126
- ^ Moezzi 1994, p. 159
- ^ Motahhari 1982, p. 76
- ^ Motahhari 1982, p. 79
- ^ a b Corbin 1993, p. 44
- ^ Corbin 1993, p. 41
- ^ a b Nasr, Dabashi & Nasr 1988, p. 169
- ^ Dakake 2007, p. 27
- ^ Dakake 2007, p. 26,27
- ^ Dakake 2007, p. 49
- ^ tabatabaei 2008, p. 79
- ^ Motahhari 1982, p. 42,43
- ^ Motahhari 1982, p. 47,61
- ^ Dakake 2007, pp. 18, 19
- ^ Dakake 2007, pp. 147
- ^ Dakake 2007, pp. 23
- ^ Tabatabaei 2002, p. 6
- ^ Tabatabaei 2002, pp. 11–13
- ^ Motahhari 1982, p. 54,55,58
- ^ Motahhari 1982, p. 129
- ^ Dakake 2007, p. 114
- ^ Nasr, Dabashi & Nasr 1988, p. 171
- ^ Nasr, Dabashi & Nasr 1988, p. 172
- ^ Nasr, Dabashi & Nasr 1988, p. 173
- ^ Nasr, Dabashi & Nasr 1988, p. 174
- ^ a b Dakake 2007, pp. 119
- ^ Nasr, Dabashi & Nasr 1989, p. 96
- ^ Dakake 2007, pp. 133
- ^ Dakake 2007, p. 146
- ^ Nasr, Dabashi & Nasr 1988, p. 155
- ^ Nasr, Dabashi & Nasr 1988, p. 168
- ^ Nasr, Dabashi & Nasr 1988, p. 170,171
- ^ Nasr 1994, p. 79,80
- ^ Nasr 1994, p. 158
- ^ Nasr 1994, p. 159
- ^ Corbin 1993, p. 26
- ^ Corbin 1993, p. 27
- ^ Nasr, Dabashi & Nasr 1989, p. 11
- ^ Negaresh, Seraji & Khatibi 2007, p. 460
- ^ Dakake 2007, pp. 33
- ^ Dakake 2007, pp. 103
- ^ Dakake 2007, pp. 104
- ^ Dakake 2007, pp. 105
- ^ Dakake 2007, pp. 117
- ^ Dakake 2007, pp. 118
- ^ Dakake 2007, pp. 191
- ^ Dakake 2007, pp. 192
- ^ Dakake 2007, pp. 63
- ^ "Moulai Adam Bin Moulaya Suleman bin Masood".
- ^ Virani, Shafique. "Hierohistory in Qāḍī l-Nuʿmān's Foundation of Symbolic Interpretation (Asās al-Taʾwīl): The Birth of Jesus". Studies in Islamic Historiography.
- ^ BookRags.
- ^ a b c d e "Walaya sainthood".
- ^ "WALAYAH, WALI, WILAYAH". BookRags.
References
- Bloom, J.; Blair, S. (2002). Islam, A Thousand Years of Faith and Power. New Haven: ISBN 9780300094220.
- Corbin, Henry (1993). History of Islamic philosophy. London: Kegan Paul International. ISBN 9780710304162.
- Dakake, Maria Massi (2007). The charismatic community : shi'ite identity in early islam. Albany (N. Y.): SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-7033-6.
- Nasr, Seyyed Hossein (1994). Ideals and realities of Islam. London: Aquarian. ISBN 9781855384095.
- Nasr, Seyyed Hossein; Dabashi, Hamid; Nasr, Seyyed Vali Reza (1988). Shiʻism : doctrines, thought, and spirituality. Albany: State University of New York Press. ISBN 9780887066894.
- Nasr, Seyyed Hossein; Dabashi, Hamid; Nasr, Seyyed Vali Reza (1989). Expectation of the millennium : Shiʻism in history. Albany: State University of New York Press. ISBN 9780887068430.
- Negaresh; Seraji; Khatibi (2007). Shia Terminology (in Persian). Qom: ZamzameHedayat.
- Motahhari, Morteza (1982). Wilāyah : the station of the master. Tehran: Wofis.
- Tabatabaei, Sayyid Muhammad Hussayn (2008). al-Mizan. Vol. 2. Tehran: WOFIS.
- Tabatabaei, Sayyid Muhammad Hussayn (2002). al-Mizan. Vol. 11. Tehran: WOFIS.
Further reading
- Lawson, Todd. Friendship, Illumination and the Water of Life. Journal of the Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi Society, Vol. 59, 2016.