['Aalim Network QR] Bearing Witness to the Wilayat of Imam Ali (AS) in

[Mustafa Rawji <mrawji@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca>]

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|       In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the All-Merciful       |\
|  Greeting of Allah be upon Muhammad and the pure members of his House |\
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Salaamun alaykum,

The following  question on bearing witness to the Wilayat of Imam Ali(AS) 
in Adhan and Iqamah was kindly answered by Shaykh Hamid Mavani.

Wasalaam,

Mustafa Rawji
Moderator, ABDG-A

Question:

As salamu alaykum.

I have a question. Why are we permitted in our prayers to say "ashadunna 
aliyyan waliyullah" and why then don't we mention ALL the names of our 
masoomen since they are also our representatives?

Answer:
                              Bismihi Ta'ala

According to the opinion of all our jurists, past and present, affirmation
of the wilayah of Imam Ali (a.s.) is not part of adhan.  However, some
jurists have advised us to recite it with the hope that God will be
pleased with that addition and some have recommended its insertion for
thawab. 

eg. Agha Khui, in the Articles of Islamic Acts, Article 385, states:
	Ash hadu anna Amiral Mu'minina 'aliyan Waliyullah (i.e. I testify 
that the commander of the Faithful Imam Ali is the vicegerent of Allah) 
is not part of either Azan or Iqamah.  It is however better to pronounce 
it after -Ash hadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah- to seek divine pleasure.

Ayat. Fadlullah states: "Ashadu anna Aliyyan waliyy-ul-laah" is not part
of the adhan or the iqamah and it is prohibited for one to regard it as a
legislated part (of the adhan or iqamah).  Further, it is not proven that
(the recitation of wilayah) is recommended in them (i.e. the adhan and
iqamah). . . however, it can be recited with the hope of acceptance
without objection and recitation of it does not invalidate the adhan or
iqamah . . ."Al-Masa'il-ul-Fiqhiyya," p. 72. 

Shaykh Saduq (d. 381 A.H.) was of the opinion that the statement on the
wilayah of Imam Ali (a.s.) was not part of the original adhan and was
added by the extremist Shi'a known as mufawwidah:  "The mufawwidah, may
God curse them, have forged traditions and have inserted additions to the
adhan. Thus, some of them add Muhammad and the house of Muhammad are the
best of creation, twice.  And in some of their quotations, after I witness
that Muhammad is the messenger of God, I witness that Ali is the wali of
God, twice.  Some of them state, instead of that, I bear witness that Ali
is truly the Commander of the Faithful, twice.  There is no doubt that Ali
is the wali of God, that he is truly the Commander of the Faithful and
that Muhammad and his house are the best of creation, but all this is not
in the original adhan.  I have mentioned this so that those who are
suspected of tafwid and who with deception include themselves in our
community may be made known."  (Shaykh Saduq, "Man la yaduruh al-faqih,
5th edition, Tehran: Dar al-kutub al-Islamiyyah, 1390 A.H., vol. 1, pp.
188-89). 

As to why we mention Imam Ali (a.s.) and not the other Imams (a.s.), it is
perhaps because he is the progenitor of all the other Imams (a.s.) 
Perhaps a case could be made that mentioning the names of other Imams
would entitle the believer to thawab.  However, this is something on which
we would need to consult the jurist. 


wa bi-l-laahi-t-tawfiq,

Hamid Mavani