The verse of () is verse 5:55 of the

Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...

, the central religious text of

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

. This verse specifies three authorities as the only sources of for

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

. In

Sunni Islam Sunni Islam is the largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any Succession to Muhammad, successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr ...

, in this context signifies 'friendship' or 'support', whereas

Shia Muslims Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...

interpret it as 'spiritual authority' because of its exclusivity. The first two authorities listed in the verse are God and the

Islamic prophet Prophets in Islam () are individuals in Islam who are believed to spread God's message on Earth and serve as models of ideal human behaviour. Some prophets are categorized as messengers (; sing. , ), those who transmit divine revelation, mos ...

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

. In some Sunni sources, the third authority is all Muslims, whereas Shia sources identify the third authority in this verse as

Ali ibn Abi Talib Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until Assassination of Ali, his assassination in 661, as well as the first imamate in Shia doctrine, Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muha ...

, cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, citing the occasion of its revelation. In Shia Islam, this verse thus sanctions the spiritual authority of Ali over all Muslims, after God and Muhammad, and supports his (usurped) right to succeed the prophet. Other Sunni sources link this verse to Ali but reject any Shia implications.

The

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

root of the word describes affinity and proximity between two parties, and the word itself thus means one who is near and close, as in guardian, friend, helper, master, or heir. In a political context, is an individual who exercises political authority on behalf of a superior power (even God). The plural form of the word is and the words , , , are from the same Arabic root; all these words appear in the

. Therein, al-Wali appears as a name of God, meaning Protector (of those who believe in Him). Applied to others, the word in the Quran takes various meanings, including 'protecting friend', 'guardian', 'lord', 'master', and (spiritual or material) heir.

and

The two corresponding nouns, and , are indistinguishable in an unvocalized text, and have nearly identical meanings, namely, 'to be near or close to something', 'to be a friend or relative of someone', 'to manage or govern, to have authority or command'. Between the two words, often refers to the first two of the three meanings, while commonly refers to the last meaning, that is, authority. In the Quran, the word broadly indicates the mutual bond of loyalty between God and those who believe in Him, the bond of loyalty among Muslims, and lastly the bond among adherents of all

monotheistic religions Monotheism is the belief that one God is the only, or at least the dominant deity.F. L. Cross, Cross, F.L.; Livingstone, E.A., eds. (1974). "Monotheism". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. A ...

. The strength of these loyalties may vary, however, as suggested by the

Shia Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

translation of verse 33:6 of the Quran, "The prophet has a greater claim () on the faithful that they have on themselves." Yet the

Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...

translation of the same verse is, "The prophet is more caring towards the believers than they are themselves." Alternatively, the word signifies authority and power in the Quran, as personified by the leader of the

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

community after the

, a reference to the Quranic term (). In particular, the words and occur twice in the Quran, in verses 8:72 and 18:44, but experts disagree about their correct vocalization.

Verse of

Known in Shia Islam as the verse of (or ), verse 5:55 of the Quran is translated by ''

The Study Quran ''The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary'' (TSQ) is a 2015 English-language edition of the Quran edited by Seyyed Hossein Nasr and published by HarperOne. Fellow Muslims Joseph Lumbard, Caner Dagli and Maria Massi Dakake, prepared t ...

'' as This matches the Shia translation, and also appears similar to that provided by the Islamicist Hermann Landolt. However, the Sunni translation of the verse is, "Your (real) friends are (no less than) God, His Messenger, and the believersthose who establish prayers and pay and () they bow down humbly (in worship)." Responsible for their difference is the Arabic conjunction , which can mean 'while', as in the Shia translation, or may mean 'and', as in the Sunni translation.

Occasion of revelation

Jewish tribes

The verse of was revealed in

Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...

. As for the occasion of its revelation, the Sunni exegetes

Ibn Kathir Abu al-Fida Isma'il ibn Umar ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi (; ), known simply as Ibn Kathir, was an Arab Islamic Exegesis, exegete, historian and scholar. An expert on (Quranic exegesis), (history) and (Islamic jurisprudence), he is considered a lea ...

() and al-Kashani () report that the verse was revealed after Ubada ibn al-Samit broke his ties with the

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

clans and pledged his allegiance solely to Muhammad. Alternatively, the Sunni exegeses and consider this verse a response to some companions of Muhammad who complained about their social ostracization by certain Jewish tribes. Finally, the Sunni historian

Ibn al-Kalbi Hishām ibn al-Kalbī (), 737 – 819 CE / 204 AH, also known as Ibn al-Kalbi (), was an Arab historian. His full name was Abu al-Mundhir Hisham ibn Muhammad ibn al-Sa'ib ibn Bishr al-Kalbi. Born in Kufa, he spent much of his life in Baghdad. L ...

() believes that the verse was revealed when Abd-Allah ibn Salam and some others converted to Islam and the Jewish tribes subsequently revoked their contract of clientage ().

Ali

By contrast, the verse is considered a specific reference to

by Shia and some Sunni commentators, specifically a reference to when Ali reputedly gave his ring to a beggar while he was bowing in worship. This was the verdict of

Ibn Abbas ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbbās (; c. 619 – 687 CE), also known as Ibn ʿAbbās, was one of the cousins of the Prophets and messengers in Islam, prophet Muhammad. He is considered to be the greatest Tafsir#Conditions, mufassir of the Quran, Qur'an. ...

() and

Mujahid ibn Jabr Abū l-Ḥajjāj Mujāhid ibn Jabr al-Qāriʾ () (642–722 CE) was a Tabi' and one of the major early Islamic scholars. According to some sources, Mujahid wrote a tafsīr of the Qur'an (exegesis/commentary), although it is likely that a writ ...

(), two influential early exegetes. Such reports are included in the works of the Shia theologian al-Mufid (), and the Sunni authors

al-Baydawi Qadi Baydawi (also known as Naṣir ad-Din al-Bayḍawi, also spelled Baidawi, Bayzawi and Beyzavi; d. June 1319, Tabriz) was a jurist, theologian, and Quran commentator. He lived during the post-Seljuk Empire, Seljuk and early Mongol Empire, Mon ...

(), Ibn Kathir,

al-Tabari Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn Jarīr ibn Yazīd al-Ṭabarī (; 839–923 CE / 224–310 AH), commonly known as al-Ṭabarī (), was a Sunni Muslim scholar, polymath, historian, exegete, jurist, and theologian from Amol, Tabaristan, present- ...

(),

al-Zamakhshari Abu al-Qasim Mahmud ibn Umar al-Zamakhshari (; 1074 –1143) was a medieval Muslim scholar of Iranian descent. He travelled to Mecca and settled there for five years and has been known since then as 'Jar Allah' (God's Neighbor). He was a Mu'tazi ...

(),

al-Wahidi 'Alī b. Aḥmad al-Wāḥidī al-Naysābūrī, who was better known as Al-Wāḥidī (), was a prominent grammarian and philologist of the Classical Arabic and a Quran scholar who wrote several classical exegetical works. He is considered one o ...

(),

al-Razi Razi () or al-Razi () is a name that was historically used to indicate a person coming from Ray, Iran. People It most commonly refers to: * Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi (865–925), influential physician, alchemist and philosopher, also known b ...

(), Ahmad al-Tabari (), and

al-Suyuti Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (; 1445–1505), or al-Suyuti, was an Egyptians, Egyptian Sunni Muslims, Muslim polymath of Persians, Persian descent. Considered the mujtahid and mujaddid of the Islamic 10th century, he was a leading Hadith studies, muh ...

(). For instance, al-Tabari ascribes a similar tradition to the

Shia imam In Shia Islam, the Imamah () is a doctrine which asserts that certain individuals from the lineage of the Islamic prophet Muhammad are to be accepted as leaders and guides of the ummah after the death of Muhammad. Imamah further says that Imam ...

Muhammad al-Baqir Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir (; ) was a descendant of the prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad and the fifth of the Twelve Imams, twelve Shia imams, succeeding his father, Ali al-Sajjad, and succeeded by his son, Ja'far al-Sad ...

() but also includes in his work a contradictory report in which al-Baqir explicitly denies any specific link between the verse and Ali. Yet the two traditions share a common origin in their s, which casts doubts on their authenticity. The attribution of the latter anti-Shia report to the Shia imam al-Baqir may also suggest some early Sunni efforts to present al-Baqir as a Sunni scholar. A minority of Sunni traditions link the verse of to Abu Bakr. Nevertheless, the frequent association of this verse with Ali in early Sunni sources supports its authenticity. In particular, the Sunni authors al-Suyuti and Muhib al-Din al-Tabari () include in their works essentially the same account on the authority of Abu Dharr (), a companion of Muhammad.

Exegesis

For al-Tabari, the last part of the verse of describes believers in general, while al-Razi and al-Zamakhshari limit the verse to sincere believers who are untainted by hypocrisy. In their view, the verse also stresses the importance of humility in religious deeds. The verse of for Sunnis thus necessitates that Muslims only rely on God, Muhammad, and other Muslims for protection. Even those Sunni authors who acknowledge a link between this verse and Ali reject any Shia implications. For instance, al-Zamakhshari suggests that the verse encourages Muslims to emulate Ali, who did not delay charity until the end of his prayer, al-Razi interprets in this verse as a protecting friend, while Ibn Kathir questions the authenticity of the related hadiths about Ali.

Extent of

The Sunni interpretation of the verse is rejected by Shias who argue that the notion of loyalty among Muslims already appears elsewhere in verse 9:71 without the restrictive particle (). By contrast, the particle confines the in the verse to God, Muhammad, and those believers who gave alms while praying. in this verse thus has a different significance than mere friendship. The in this verse, they argue, is similar to that in verse 33:6, "The prophet has a greater claim () on the faithful that they have on themselves." For the Shia, in this verse thus signifies spiritual authority. Because of its link to Ali, the verse of therefore presents Ali as the rightful authority over all believers, after God and Muhammad, and naturally sanctions his right to succeed Muhammad as the spiritual and political leader of the Muslim community. The hadith literature, consensus among scholars, and the occasion of its revelation are further cited in Shia sources to support this interpretation of the verse. Indeed, the verse of might be the most frequently cited verse by the Shia in support of Ali's rights. The absolute loyalty ordained in the verse also supports the Shia claim that the prophet and imams are infallible, lest their followers would be misled. In the Shia literature, the word is primarily reserved for this spiritual authority of the

Shia imams In Shia Islam, the Imamah () is a doctrine which asserts that certain individuals from the lineage of the Islamic prophet Muhammad are to be accepted as leaders and guides of the ummah after the death of Muhammad. Imamah further says that Imam ...

(and the prophets in their capacity as imams), which is an all-encompassing bond of spiritual loyalty between the infallible imam and his followers. The term is applied both to Shia imams in Shia Islam and to Sufi sheikhs in

Sufism Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

. Especially in Sufism, () denotes God's elect.

Singular and plural forms

The appearance of the word in the verse of , instead of its plural form , does not contradict its Shia interpretation, that is the verse exclusively refers to Ali. Yet the word ''those'' in the verse suggests otherwise. At the same time, there may also be other instances in the Quran where the plural form is used but a single person is meant, including verse 3:168 about

Abd Allah ibn Ubayy Abd-Allah ibn Ubayy (, died 631), also called Ibn Salul in reference to his grandmother, was a chief of the Arab tribe Banu Khazraj and one of the leading men of Medina (then known as Yathrib). Upon the arrival of Muhammad, Ibn Ubayy became a Musl ...

(), a tribal chief contemporary to Muhammad. Some other such instances were listed by the Shia theologian al-Tusi (). Alternatively, the Islamic author

Reza Shah-Kazemi Reza Shah-Kazemi (born 1 June 1960) is an author who specializes in comparative mysticism, Islamic Studies, Sufism and Shi'ism. He is the founding editor of the ''Islamic World Report'' and currently a research associate at the Institute of Isma ...

proposes that 'those who believe' in the verse of are symbolized by Ali, referring to the description of Ali as "faith, in its entirety," attributed to Muhammad. That is, Shah-Kazemi suggests that the authority in this verse is limited to God, Muhammad, Ali, and all those believers who reach the rank of sainthood.

Footnotes

References

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and