On many occasions, many verses and traditions reminded the Muslims that Imam Ali (A.S) was their master after the Holy Prophet (S.A.W). One of the most important verses is as follows:

Verily, your Master is only Allah (S.W.T) and His Apostle and those who believe, those who establish prayers, and pay the zakat while bowed (in worship) (5:55).

Many scholars, Sunni and Shi'ah alike, agree that this verse was revealed in honour of Imam Ali (A.S). It clearly shows that there are only three masters of the believers. Firstly, Allah (S.W.T) secondly, His Prophet (S.A.W) and thirdly, Ali (with the eleven succeeding Imams).

Abu Zarr al-Ghifari says that one day he was praying with Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) when a beggar came to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W)'s mosque. No one responded to his pleas. The beggar raised his hands towards heavens and said, "Allah (S.W.T)! Be a witness that I came to Thy Prophet (S.A.W)'s mosque and no one gave me anything". Imam Ali (A.S) was bowing in Ruku at that time. He pointed his little finger, on which was a ring, towards the beggar who came forward and took away the ring. This incident occurred in Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W)'s presence who raised his face towards heaven and prayed: "O Lord! my brother Musa had begged of Thee to open his breast and to make his work easy for him, to loose the knot of his tongue so that people might understand him, and to appoint from among his relations his brother, as his vizier, and to strengthen his back with Harun and to make Harun his partner in his work. O Allah (S.W.T)! Thou said to Musa, 'We will strengthen thy arm with thy brother. No one will now have an access to either of you!' O Allah (S.W.T)! I am Muhammad and Thou hast given me distinction. Open my breast for me, make my work easy for me, and from my family appoint my brother Ali as my vizier. Strengthen my back with him". Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) had not yet finished his prayers when Gibrael brought the quoted verse.

Here is not the place to give all the references of this hadees. (They run in the hundreds.) This verse and the prayer of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) jointly and separately show that Ali (A.S) was designated to be the Master of the Muslims after the Holy Prophet (S.A.W).

Allah (S.W.T) says in the Qur'an: O ye who believe! Obey Allah (S.W.T) and obey the Apostle and those vested with authority from among you; then if you quarrel about anything, refer it to Allah (S.W.T) and the Apostle, if you believe in Allah (S.W.T) and the last day; this is better and very good in the end (4:59).

This verse obliges the Muslims to two obedience's: First, the obedience of Allah (S.W.T); second, the obedience of the Apostle and 'those vested with authority from among you' (uli'l-amri minkum). The arrangement of the words shows that the obedience of Ulul Amr is as much obligatory as is the obedience of the Apostle. Naturally, it means that Ulul Amr should be of the same calibre as the Apostle; otherwise Allah (S.W.T) would not have joined them together in this verse.

Many Sunni's tend to interpret "Ulul Amr" as 'the rulers from among yourselves', i.e., Muslims rulers. This interpretation is not based on any logical reasoning; it is solely based on twists of history. The majority of the Muslims have remained as a vassal of the monarchs and rulers, interpreting and reinterpreting Islam and the Qur'an to please the powers to be.

The history of the Muslims (like any other nation) is replete with the names of rulers whose injustice, debauchery and tyranny have tarnished the name of Islam. Such rulers have always been and will always be. And we are told that they are the Ulul Amr mentioned in this verse.

If Allah (S.W.T) were to order us to obey such kings and rulers, an impossible situation would be created for the Muslims. The wretched followers would be condemned to the displeasure of Allah (S.W.T), no matter what they did. If they obeyed these rulers, they disobeyed the Command of Allah (S.W.T): "Do not obey a sinner." And if they disobeyed such rulers, they again disobeyed the Command of Allah (S.W.T) to "obey the Muslim rulers". So, if we accept this interpretation, the Muslims are condemned to eternal disgrace whether they obey or disobey their non-masoom Muslim rulers.

Also, there are Muslim rulers of different beliefs and persuasions. There are Shafi'is, Wahhabis, Malikis, Hanafis, as well as Shi'ahs and Ibadis. Now, according to this interpretation the Sunnis residing under an Ibadi Sultan (like in Oman) should follow Ibadi tenants; and those residing under a Shi'ah ruler (like in Iran) should follow Shi'ah beliefs. Do these people have the conviction of courage to follow their professed interpretation to its logical end?

The famous Sunni commentator, Fakhru 'd-Din ar-Razi, concluded in his Tafsir ul Kabir that this verse proves that Ulul Amr must be masoom. He argues that Allah (S.W.T) has commanded the people to obey Ulul Amr unconditionally; therefore, it is essential for the Ulul Amr to be masoom. Because if there is any possibility of their committing sin (and sin is forbidden), it will mean that one has to obey them and also disobey them in that very action. And this is impossible! Then to dissuade his readers from the Ahylul Bayt he invented the theory that the Muslim ummah as a whole is masoom.

This interpretation is unique, as no Muslim scholar ever subscribed to this theory and it is not based on any tradition. It is quite surprising that ar-Razi accepts that each individual of the Muslim nation is non-masoom, yet still claims that their sum-total is masoom. Even a primary school student knows that 200 cows plus 200 cows makes 400 cows and not one horse.

But ar-Razi says that 70 million non masoom plus 70 million non-masoom will make one masoom! Does he want us to believe that if all the patients of a mental hospital joined together they would be equal to one sane person?

The poet of the Orient, Iqbal, has said: The minds of two hundred donkeys cannot produce the thoughts of one man.

Obviously, with his great knowledge he was able to conclude that Ulul Amr must be masoom; but it was his prejudice which compelled him to say that the Islamic ummah as a whole is masoom.

Also, he did not pause to see that the verse contains the word "minkum" ("from among you") which shows that the said Ulul Amr shall be part of the Muslim ummah, not the whole Muslim nation. And if the whole Muslim nation is to be obeyed, then who is there left to obey?

Real Meaning of Ulul Amr