Memorial stone of the Shia imam Ali al-Rida, on display in the Razavi museum, Mashhad, Iran. The stone was carved by Abd-Allah ibn Ahmad in the Seljuk era. The verse of walaya is engraved on its margins.
The verse of walaya (Arabic: آيَة ٱلْوَلَايَة) is verse 5:55 of the Quran, the central religious text of Islam. This verse specifies three authorities as the only sources of walaya for Muslims. In Sunni Islam, walaya in this context signifies 'friendship' or 'support', whereas Shia Muslims interpret it as 'spiritual authority' because of its exclusivity.
The first two authorities listed in the verse are God and the Islamic prophet Muhammad. 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, 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 verseofwalaya (Arabic: آيَة ٱلْوَلَايَة) is verse 5:55 of the Quran, the central religious text of Islam. This verse specifies three authorities...
divine investiture of Ali with the spiritual authority (walaya) over Muslims. A few Sunni authors have similarly linked this verse to Ali's merits. Shortly...
accounts. If so, then this verse gives Ali the same spiritual authority (walaya) as Muhammad. In Shia sources, the verseof tabligh (5:67) spurred Muhammad...
mawla," (Arabic: من كنت مولاه فعلي مولاه) which is known as the hadith of the walaya (lit. 'spiritual authority') in Shia. Muhammad might have repeated this...
Welayah or Walaya (Arabic: وَلاية, meaning "guardianship" or “governance”) is a general concept of the Islamic faith and a key word in Shia Islam that...
am, Ali is his mawla," is known as the hadith of the walaya in Shia Islam. Delivered to a large crowd of pilgrims, shortly after the Farewell Pilgrimage...
in his capacity as imam) is known as walaya. Shia Muslims also believe that Ali is endowed with the privilege of intercession on the Judgment Day, citing...
Nubuwwa (prophethood) or exoteric and from that derived another light called Walaya (Imamah) or esoteric. Allah said "Here is a Light from my Light, its trunk...
concepts ofwalāya (friendship/communication) and barāʼa (excommunication) were of the greatest importance. Which of the faithful and members of the community...
function of prophecy (nubuwwa) and Aaron that of sainthood (walaya), as with Muhammad and Ali, respectively. In Isma'ili Shia, Moses is counted as one of the...
the summit of the many stations by which the path ofwalaya (sometimes translated as Sainthood) is fully completed. This is the repository of liberating...
demanded the same type of loyalty that Muhammad did. These felt an absolute and all-encompassing bond of spiritual loyalty (walaya) to Ali that transcended...
as "certainty", and is considered the summit of the many maqāmāt (stations) by which the path ofwalaya (sometimes translated as Sainthood) is fully completed...
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