NEXT DAY:  

   The next day Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) with Al-Hasan and Al-Husain, each holding one of his hands, and Ali and his wife Fatima following, went to the place for Mubaahala as agreed.  This was the very four components of Ahlul Bayt, the ones who were the dearest and closest to the heart of the Prophet (pbuh).  No, it wasn't a wife of his, an aunt, uncle or anyone else, instead it was Ahlul Bayt.  Muhammad (pbuh) took them because they represented to him the very essence, the very ones, the most important.

► The Ayah said:    Our children and Muhammad took Al-Hasan and Al-Husain

► The Ayah said:    Our women and Muhammad took Fatima

► The Ayah said:    Our selves and Muhammad took Ali as if Ali is the self of the Prophet.

   Upon seeing this group the Patriarch was startled.  He was taken aback!  He immediately consulted with his group.  They concluded it was now obvious that Muhammad was saying only the truth, otherwise he would not have brought the closest people to him.  It was clear now that he was the Prophet.  For him to call upon Allah for putting a curse on people would bring the damnation on these Christians.  They knew Allah would respond to a Prophet, and by conducting the Mubaahala their lot would be ruin!

   Having debated the matter the Patriarch came forth with a look of relief.  He acknowledged Muhammad (pbuh) and opted for immediate withdrawal from the Mubaahala!  The Patriarch also said: "If it weren't for my obligations with the Emperor I would have changed to Islam!"

   Arrangements for a treaty were then made, written and signed.  The Patriarch along with his group left Medina with much food for thought. 

THE TERM OURSELVES IN MUBAAHALA  

   For Mubaahala the Quran asked Muhammad (pbuh) to bring forth a person who would be the replica of himself.  The Prophet (pbuh) brought Ali, none else would do, Ali (a.s.) was the replica, the mirror image, the very one!

   Muhammad (pbuh) didn't bring a Companion, a friend, or a relative, no matter how close he was to him.  Muhammad (pbuh) brought none but Ali as the replica of himself!  Such was Ali.

   Ali then is the replica of the self of the Prophet (pbuh), the true representation of him.  Ali was in his eyes: the figurative brother, supporter, deputy and defender.  And Ali's idealism, thinking, and spiritual make-up were a mirror image to those of the Prophet (pbuh).

TABUK  

   At the age of 61, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was heading a large expedition.  They were heading north, the aim was Tabuk.  Ali was asked to stay behind however, to be in charge of Medina, to be the administrator in the absence of Muhammad (pbuh).  This was to give Ali the experience to administer the Ummah in the absence of the Prophet (pbuh), and to let people become accustomed to the idea that, though Ali was quite young, he was the ideal for the task.

   By deputizing Ali, the Prophet (pbuh) had fulfilled the second point of his previous saying (At the party given to his relatives when the 13 year old Ali supported him) that Ali was a) his brother, b) deputy, and c) the one to follow him.

   This, however, was the only time in which a confrontation of Muslims versus the adversaries might take place and Ali did not participate.  Ali participated in all confrontations so far and was the banner bearer of most.  Ali, not used to being left behind, and hearing some accusations, went to the Prophet and asked him why he was to be left behind.

   A very moving answer with deep implications came from the Prophet (pbuh).  He said:

Thus to Muhammad (pbuh), Ali was of the same bond to him as Aaron was to Moses, i.e.  like his brother, deputy, and himself, but with one exception, and that of course was the matter of Prophethood.

GHADEER KHUM  

   The Muslims were returning from the farewell Haj.  Muhammad (pbuh) was 63 years old, Ali was 33 years old, along with numerous Companions and about 100,000 Muslims were traveling away from Mecca on their way home.  These were cheerful, happy and gratified people.  It was summertime, so blistering hot that even the ground was too painfully hot to stand on.

   It was midway between Mecca and Medina 3 miles north of Juh'fa, when the Prophet (pbuh) received a special Revelation.  It made him ask to gather the people immediately.  The Revelation had an urgent call, it said (Surah  5:  Ayah  67):

This Ayah meant that an exceptional matter had not been declared to the people as of yet, and it was urgent to do so.  The place was Ghadeer Khum, (Ghadeer Khum was 3 miles north of Juh'fa, the midway point between Mecca and Medina.  It was a very busy highway intersection in those days.  Ghadeer Khum was a dry pond with two acacia trees at the time.) in which the Prophet (pbuh) delivered a very profound speech.  The Prophet stood on an elevation so that the multitude of thousands of people could see and hear him well.  There was a tone of urgency, a tone of emphasis.  He held Ali (a.s.) in such a way that the people could see them both.  With everyone silent, the Prophet (pbuh) declared:

   Thus, putting it formally Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) declared in front of thousands and thousands of people:

► that it was Ali who was to be the leader after the Prophet's death,

► that it was Ali who was to be the one to follow him, to take his place,

► that it was Ali who was to be his successor.

   This was also the fulfillment of the third point what he had already said about Ali at the party when Ali was 13 years old 20 years back when he said:

Ghadeer Khum was a bold declaration in which the Prophet supported Ali and those who supported Ali, and asked for Allah's help to be for Ali and those who supported Ali, and to impede any who would impede Ali.  Muhammad (pbuh) asked Allah to let the Truth be with Ali and to be part of him, and for Ali to be the truthful wherever and whenever.

   Ghadeer Khum declaration came after the Ayah of Declaration was revealed, to formalize the numerous Hadiths hinting toward this point.  Now it is put in specifics, after all the Quran had ordered Muhammad (pbuh) to do so.

   At the end of this gathering, group after group came to congratulate Ali.  Foremost among them was Omar (r), the friend of Ali (a.s.) and the second Khalifa to be.  He said to Ali:

BACK IN MEDINA  

   There was a fresh and pleasant feeling in Medina.  It was sensed everywhere.  Be it in the houses, in the winding streets, in the shops, or in the mosque, everyone had that feeling.  How marvelously can triumph affect the mind!

   People kept talking about Ghadeer Khum.  They were pleased that Ali (a.s.) was the choice, the one the Prophet specified to follow him.  Who else but Ali (a.s.) would deserve it, they often said, who was with such a vast knowledge of Islam, who had such a penetrating mind, whose power of thinking was so deep!  Wasn't he the hero of heroes, the one who defended Islam so brilliantly, about whom Omar (r) had said:

"WITHOUT HIS SWORD, THE BACK-BONE OF ISLAM WOULD NEVER HAVE RISEN!"

   Fatima (a.s.) heard a great deal about this too from friends to relatives, from the close and the distant.  Naturally her father and her husband had told her about it, and she received the news with gratitude.

   Ali would discuss such matters with his family, now that Al-Hasan was 7 ½ years old and Al-Husain 6 ½.  Both boys were known for their intelligence and uniqueness, and they had a great attraction to adults' conversation, and enjoyed discussing matters with them.  Young Al-Hasan many times rushed to inform his mother about a new Revelation Muhammad (pbuh) had just received and made public in the mosque.  This often preceded his father's informing Fatima about it.  Many times Ali was surprised at how fast Fatima learned of the Revelation until Fatima told him of the source of the information—her son Al-Hasan!

THE FAMILY:  

   Ali by now is 33 years old, Fatima (a.s.) in her early twenties, Al-Hasan 7 ½ and Al-Husain 6 ½.

   Fatima (a.s.) was thin, somewhat pale but dainty, she had her father's spirited looks.  She commanded great affection and much respect.  Visits from the Prophet (pbuh) were almost on a daily basis.  Every time the Prophet (pbuh) passed by their house or entered it he would say:

Muhammad (pbuh) was noticed to say it day in and day out, constantly and without fail, ever since the Ayah about Ahlul Bayt was revealed!!

   The two young brothers also heard their grandfather referring to them repeatedly:

   People repeated these Hadiths over and over, since the Hadiths were profound and binding and the Prophet (pbuh) won't say anything out of his own, but is directed by way of Revelations.  People repeated other Hadiths too, and often the two boys would hear them in the Mosque or other places.

   They heard people repeating what Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had said about them:

    Not only that, but every once in a while Al-Hasan and Al-Husain heard some others quote:

   They often heard:

referring lovingly to Ahlul Bayt, wanting to emphasize it in their minds.  They say it to keep reminding themselves when Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) took the two boys during Mubaahala as his own children, and Fatima as the only representative of women in his eyes, and Ali as the only one to represent his self, (the Self of the Prophet).

   Of course Al-Hasan and Al-Husain had heard those Hadiths directly from the Prophet (pbuh) or from their parents, but it was nice to see numerous people quoting them too.

   In addition to that and among better than 17 Ayahs in reference to Ali, one Ayah stood out.  This Ayah was revealed a few years previously at a special occasion and it necessitated our obedience to Allah, the Prophet, and Ali as the Wali, the one in charge of us, the one with the authority.  It said:

  The Quran also attested that Ali and Ahlul Bayt were the seas of knowledge who knew the deep meaning of the Quran as no one else.  The Quran attests to them as the ones with deep and encyclopedic knowledge by saying:

A FEW PREDICTING HADITHS:  

   A few Predicting Hadiths were also said by Muhammad (pbuh) now that he was 63 years old.  These Hadiths came true to the letter some 20-60 years later, as history unfolded.  There are numerous examples in this regard.

► For instance, to the highly esteemed Companion Ammar Prophet Muhammad said:

► To Ali the Prophet said a predictive Hadith:

► and at one time he said to Zubair in regard to Ali (a.s.).