CAUSE OF THE REVELATION (VERSE NO. 55)

      TABARSI in his MAJMA- AL- BAYAN and many other commentators and authors have narrated that IBN- ABBASS said:-

      ``I was sitting besides the spring of ZAMZAM in Mecca, and I was narrating traditions for a group of people gathered round me that the prophet said so and so. Then there came a man with a turban on his head and a veil upon his face, who sat among the audience. When I rehearsed a tradition from our prophet, he too, narrated another commencing with; ``The prophet said...''

      I earnestly and by a swearing asked him who he was? He uncovered his face and said:- ``O people! Let all of you know that I am ABUZAR GHAFFARI, the near companion to the Messenger of God. I heard with my own ear, and saw with my own eyes; and if I lie let Allah render me deaf and blind - that Mohammad S.A. our dear prophet said:- `Ali is the leader and guardian of the righteous and good- doers, and the slayer of the unbelievers. Whoever helps him, God will help him; and whoever leaves him, Allah will leave him. ABUZAR then continued his narration saying:-

      Once I was performing my prayer with the prophet in his mosque. A beggar came in and asked the Muslims for alms and charity; but no one gave him anything! The beggar raised up his hands towards the heavens and said:- `O, My Gracious Lord! Do testify that in your prophet's mosque I asked for help, and no one stretched out a hand in favour towards me. In that very moment HAZRAT ALI (AS) was performing prayer, and was then in the state of bowing when he pointed with his little finger to the beggar to come near, the beggar approached, and took out Ali's relatively valuable ring out of his little finger. A while after GABRIEL appeared bringing down with him the above verse.''

      The above tradition has been narrated by many narrators, commentators and scholars with a little difference only in the wordings.

COMMENTS

      The verse begins with the Arabic word; `ENNAMط' which implies restriction and monopoly, saying:- ``Your guardian and leaders authourized on your corporeal and incorporeal matters are only three persons:- God, His Messenger, and the believers who pay alms to the poor, while they are in the bowing state of their prayer.''

      Without any doubt, BOWING here is that part of the ordinary prayer, through which the body is bended in reverence and submission to God. True that the verb to bow, has also a connotation to mean reverence or esteem, but here it is clear and evident that the denotation of the word is wanted in the sentence. Worthy of note here is that, the CONNOTATIONS of the word TO BOW, has not been used at all throughout the Glorious Quran.

      So also the meaning of VALI in this sentence is not other shades of the principal meaning such a friend, helper, and etc; because to be a friend to all Muslims and to help them, is a duty incumbent upon every other Muslims, and it is one of the Islam's general instruction and teachings, and it is not specialized to those who pray - Every Muslims has to perform his Daily Prayer, and he must pay his alms- tax and they have to be the brothers and helpers to one another.

      Therefore VALI in this sentence has its direct meaning and denotation, which is guardian, governor, or better to say; spiritual and material leader, or Imam, as the technical term is.

      The verse is one of the many that proves the vicegerency and VALطYAT of Hazrat Imam Ali, who was the real successor of the Messenger, appointed by God.