On Mawla Ali

@a_concerned_sunni please let us know what do you deem to be the correct/sunni meaning of 'mawla' in the hadith.

 

Public Statement Regarding the Recent Exchange with Shaykh Faheem, Mohammed Ameen Barelvi, and Riza Ally

On Sunday, a post was published on Facebook by Shaykh Faheem (ILS).
On Monday, I responded to that post with evidence-based refutations. This led to an online debate that took place over 3 days consecutively involving Shaykh Faheem, Mohammed Ameen Barelvi, and Riza Ally.

This statement serves solely to clarify the facts for the public and the Ahl al-Sunnah community, as my comments and proofs were deleted, and I have since been blocked by Shaykh Faheem. Despite this, he continues to post about me indirectly, using personal attacks instead of addressing the scholarly evidence that was presented.

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Claim 1:

Shaykh Faheem claimed that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (RA) and Sayyiduna Umar (RA) did not congratulate Sayyiduna Ali (RA) at Ghadir Khumm when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ declared:

“Man kuntu mawlahu fa-ʿAliyyun mawlahu.”
(“Whoever I am his mawla, Ali is his mawla.”)

Evidence Presented:

Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal (Vol. 4, p. 281)
al-Mustadrak ʿala al-Ṣaḥīḥayn — al-Ḥākim (Vol. 3, p. 110)
Khaṣāʾiṣ ʿAli — al-Nasa’i, p. 25

All three narrations confirm that Sayyiduna Umar (RA) congratulated Sayyiduna Ali (RA), saying:

“Congratulations, O son of Abu Talib! You have become the mawla of every believing man and woman.”
(Bakhin bakhin laka ya Abal-Hasan, asbahta mawlay wa mawla kulli mu’minin wa mu’minah)

This report has been cited and authenticated by numerous Sunni authorities:
• Ibn Kathir – al-Bidayah wa’l-Nihayah (5/209)
• Ibn Hajar al-ʿAsqalani – al-Isabah (4/569)
• al-Haythami – Majmaʿ al-Zawa’id (9/105) (chain graded hasan)
• Ibn Hajar al-Haythami – al-Sawaʿiq al-Muhriqah (p. 26)
• al-Suyuti – Tarikh al-Khulafa’ (p. 169)

➡ No response was given to this evidence. Instead, all my comments were deleted, and I was subsequently blocked.

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Claim 2:

He claimed that the Awliya Allah did not recognize Sayyiduna Ali (RA) as Mawla al-Mu’minin.

Evidence Presented:
1. Shajrah Sharif of both Qadri and Chishti orders — after the Prophet ﷺ, both mention Mawla Ali (RA) directly in the chain.
Their response: the Naqshbandi silsila originates from Abu Bakr (RA), which is irrelevant to the point presented.
2. The Kaul of Amir Khusro (RA), recited for over 700 years in Chishti gatherings:
“Man kunto Mawla, fa haza Ali-un Mawla.”
This was mocked and dismissed without response.
3. Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (RA) said of Imam Husain (RA):
“Shah hast Husain, Badshah hast Husain, Deen hast Husain, Deen pana hast Husain.”
If Khwaja Sahib addressed Imam Husain (RA) as “King of Religion,” then it follows naturally that he acknowledged his father, Mawla Ali (RA), as Mawla.
Shaykh Faheem rejected this entirely — claiming “no scholarly evidence” for a couplet known and revered across the Sunni world.
4. Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (RA) – Sirr al-Asrar (The Secret of Secrets)
States that the Prophet ﷺ breathed into the mouth of Ghawth al-Aʿzam seven times, and Mawla Ali (RA) six times, out of adab.
The spiritual cloak received on Mi’raj by the prophet “صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ passed through the chain: Mawla Ali → Hasan al-Basri ….→ Ghawth al-Aʿzam.
All of this was laughed at by the three participants.

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Claim 3:

Shaykh Faheem claimed that the word Mawla in “Man kuntu mawla…” means merely “friend.”

Response:

Authentic hadiths and classical linguistic evidence were provided disproving this reductionist interpretation — all later deleted.

I posed the following question, to which no answer was given:

“Did the Prophet ﷺ stop thousands at Ghadir Khumm, raise Ali’s hand, and declare this solemn statement merely to announce that ‘Ali is my friend’? Is this what the ILS now teaches as ‘Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama‘ah’ doctrine?”

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Conclusion

I have shared this summary not for argument or division, but for transparency and to protect truth.
When authentic Sunni sources are deleted and blocking replaces scholarly dialogue, it becomes a duty to inform the public.

May Allah guide us all to uphold the truth of with sincerity, adab, and evidence —
and protect the honor of Ahl al-Bayt .

⸻

✍ Muhammed Siraaj علي

 

the hadith of bukhari is indeed about sayyiduna abu bakr al-siddiq raDi'Allahu anhu. this is the sahih narration: #3654, #466 and portion in #3904.



however, there are other narrations that mention mawla ali raDi'Allahu anhu. imam ibn al-jawzi in his al-mawDu'at claimed that they were forgeries and concocted by rawafiD to counter the narration of mawla abu bakr raDi'Allahu anhu and hence posit against his superiority. imam ibn Hajar does not agree with it and says that it is a serious mistake on the part of ibn al-jawzi, because it summarily rejects a number of sahih narrations.

ibn al-jawzi's argument was that the narration mentioning mawla ali opposes well-known sahih narrations that mention mawla abu bakr. ibn Hajar is not convinced and says he cannot consign this narration (of mawla ali) to forgery merely because it is apparently contradictory; because that would reject a number of sahih narrations. besides, both narrations can be reconciled and he then he explains citing bazzar and others.

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in summary: the narrations that mentions "not to close the door of mawla ali" as in fat'h al-bari: 8/331

via sa'ad ibn abi waqqas - hadith in musnad ahmad and nasayi (the isnad is strong / qawi)

hadith in tabarani's mu'jam awsat (narrators are all trustworthy / thiqaat)

via zayd ibn arqam - hadith in musnad ahmad, nasayi and hakim. (all narators are trustworthy / rijaluhu thiqat)

another similar narration via ibn abbas - hadith in musnad ahmad and nasayi.

via jabir ibn samurah - reported by tabarani

via ibn umar - reported by imam ahmad via a hasan chain

via ibn umar - reported by nasayi - thru the route of alaa ibn araar; all narrators except alaa are narrators of sahihayn.

 

I think this hadith refers to hazrat Abu Bakr and not hazrat Ali, please cross check

 

faSlu'l khitab is that it is faSl. wAllahu a'alam.

---
at the outset, it looks a simple verse. but has many inside references.

aSl nasl e Safaa, wajh e waSl e khudaa
baab e faSl e wilayat pay lakhon salam.

the origin of the pure descendants [of the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam]; the way to reach Allah
the door to the section of Divine Friendship [wilayah] - a billion salutations upon him

-----
faSl rhymes and is juxtaposed with waSl in the previous sheyr.

waSl = to join, to reach.
faSl = to be separated.

in the context of a book: waSl is a discussion that is being continued from previous;
faSl is a section [literally!] which is separate from previous topic.

here is another word play. baab is a chapter. faSl is a section, usually within a chapter. so a faSl is a portion of a chapter and a faSl belongs to a chapter.

thus if all the awliya of the ummah are like separate sections, they are all gathered under one 'chapter': mawla ali raDi'Allah anhu.

and mawla ali raDi'Allahu anhu is the baab = the door to the madinatu'l ilm. sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam.

in mufradat of raghib: "in the context of knowledge, [or books] one says: baab kadhaa / door to something. this knowledge is a "door" to such and such knowledge; i.e. a door to reach [yatawaSSalu] it. hence the hadith: "i am the city of knowledge and ali is its door."
meaning "you can reach my knowledge through him" [i.e. reach the knowledge of the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam thru mawla ali].

in another hadith that mentions 'door' in the context of mawla ali: "all the doors opening into the masjid were closed except for the door of ali"


----
wajh e waSl e khuda = the means to help you reach Allah
baab e faSl e wilayat = the door to the section of 'Friends of Allah' / door to the section of "relation" with the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam. [see below]

====
faSl rhymes with, can also be juxtaposed with aSl in the previous sheyr.

aSl means - the origin and the root; ancestor in other words;
faSl in THIS context is a branch, that is progeny.

in this meaning the sheyr becomes:

he is the root, the origin of the pure descendants [aSl e nasl e safa]
he is door for the branches/spiritual offspring of wilayah to reach Allah [baab e faSl e wilayat]

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the arabic idiom: laa aSla lahu wa laa faSl لا أصل له ولا فصل means - a person of neither notable ancestry, nor having children.
the opposite of which is a man of aSl and faSl - he is from a noble family [haseeb] and his descendants are notable and numerous. i.e. 'fasl e wilayat' / numerous awliyaa among his descendants and he is the 'baab' / the door by which so many awliya in the ahl bayt - or awliya in general are given wilayah.

---
faSl also is used as "judgement" / as in yawmu'l faSl = judgement day.
faSl is to judge between truth and falsehood / al-qaDaa bayn al-haqq wa'l baTil [see taj al-arus]
Allah ta'ala is "wa huwa khayru'l faSilin" / and He the absolutely the best in judgement. [see mufradat imam raghib].
faSlu'l khitab = conclusion, and final verdict [literally, 'severing the speech'] fayslah/verdict in urdu is derived from this root.
qawlun faSl = haqq = truth; the right word. as said in the verse: "innahu la qawlun faSl"

here baab al-faSl could also indicate towards the hadith: aqDakum ali = ali is the best judge among you [that is among saHabah and obviously the context precludes Prophets and the Lord Almighty, who is the Absolute Judge; sub'hanahu wa ta'ala].

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wilayah - friendship, closeness, guardianship, rule etc.

the hadith in this context is very famous: "man kuntu mawlahu fa aliyyun mawlah" / whoever i am master of, aliyy is also his master; or ali is also his helper; or ali is also to be deemed close and befriended and loved as i am. etc.

ibn asakir has narrated a hadith in varying wording (and also with various asanid); i am quoting just two of them below

ali is the best among my followers who judge by the Book of Allah; whosoever loves me, then let him love him [ali]
for indeed a man [lit. slave/abd] cannot reach my friendship [or closeness /wilayah] except by the love of ali.
ibn asakir via his chain. [42/241]​

thus mawla ali is the decisive door [baab-e-faSl] to the closeness of Allah and His Messenger [wilayat]


in another narration:

i enjoin one who professes belief in me and affirms in my Messengership to love and befriend ali [bi wilayati ali]; one who befriends him [ali] has befriended me; and one who befriends me and befriended Allah.​

thus baab e faSl e wilayat pay lakhon salam because he is the way to reach Allah: wajh e waSl e khudaa.

Allah ta'ala knows best.


====
both narrations of ibn asakir in his tarikh dimashq vol.42

42/241:




42/239

 

Fasl e Wilayat


https://ridawipress.org/wp-content/uploads/salam.pdf