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Al-Wasiyyat — The Testament of the Prophet: 'Ali's Designation and the Doctrine of Succession

الوَصِيَّة — وَصِيَّةُ النَّبِيّ: تَعيِينُ عَلِيٍّ وَعَقِيدَةُ الخِلَافَة
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Al-Wasiyyat (الوَصِيَّة — the testament, the bequest, the designation by will; from *awsa* — to entrust, to designate, to bequeath; *al-wasi* — the designated successor, the legatee) is the Islamic-Shia/Ismaili doctrine that the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) designated 'Ali ibn Abi Talib as his rightful successor before his death — not merely as a political caliph but as the guardian of the *batin* (inner dimension) of revelation, the inheritor of the prophetic 'ilm (knowledge), and the spiritual and religious authority for the Muslim community. The central textual evidence is the event of *Ghadir Khumm* — on the 18th of Dhu al-Hijja, 10 AH (March 632 CE), two months before the Prophet's death, he stopped the returning Hajj caravan at the pool of Khumm between Mecca and Medina and declared: *'Man kuntu mawlahu fa-'Aliyyun mawlahu'* — 'Whoever considers me their master/protector, 'Ali is their master/protector.'* (Tirmidhi, Ahmad, Ibn Majah — with authentic chains; Shia and many Sunni hadith scholars authenticate it) — The interpretation of *mawla* (master/protector/friend) in this hadith is the central point of Sunni-Shia theological divergence. This article covers: the Ghadir Khumm event, other textual evidences for the wasiyyat doctrine, the Ismaili understanding of the *wasi*, and the theological significance of this doctrine for Bohra community life.

The Event of Ghadir Khumm

On the return from the Farewell Pilgrimage (Hajjat al-Wada’, 10 AH), the Prophet (SAW) stopped at Ghadir Khumm — a pool between Mecca and Medina where several caravan routes diverged, ensuring maximum witnesses before people dispersed to their home regions.

He delivered a sermon remembered as the Khutbat al-Wada’ or Khutbat Ghadir. Key statements:

  1. “Am I not more deserving to the believers than themselves?” — Referencing Quran 33:6: “The Prophet is closer to the believers than themselves” — establishing his wilaya (authority, closeness, right to command) over all believers.

  2. The declaration: “Man kuntu mawlahu fa-‘Aliyyun mawlahu” (مَن كُنتُ مَولَاهُ فَعَلِيٌّ مَولَاه) — “Whoever considers me their master/protector, ‘Ali is their master/protector.”

  3. The du’a: “O Allah, befriend those who befriend him [Ali] and be an enemy to those who are his enemy. Help those who help him and abandon those who abandon him.”

The Textual Evidence

Ghadir Khumm hadith: Transmitted by a very large number of Companions. Ibn Kathir (a Sunni scholar) in his al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya acknowledges the hadith is mutawatir (transmitted through so many chains it cannot be disputed as to the event occurring). The debate is not whether this was said, but what mawla means in this context.

Hadith al-Manzila: “You are to me in the position of Harun [Aaron] to Musa [Moses], except that there is no prophet after me.” (Bukhari, Muslim) — Said by the Prophet to ‘Ali when ‘Ali remained in Medina during the Tabuk expedition. Shi’a/Ismaili scholars read this as designating ‘Ali as the religious and political successor (just as Harun was Musa’s designated successor).

Hadith al-Thaqalayn: “I am leaving among you two weighty things: the Book of Allah and my household (Ahl al-Bayt). They will not separate until they come to me at the Pool [of Kawthar]. Pay attention to how you treat them after me.” (Muslim, Tirmidhi — with variations)

The Quran reference: Many Ismaili scholars read 5:55 as a direct reference: “Your ally (waliyyukum) is only Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed, who establish prayer and give zakat, and they bow [in worship].” — Tradition holds this verse was revealed when ‘Ali gave his ring in charity while bowing in prayer.

The Theological Debate — What Does Mawla Mean?

Sunni interpretation: Mawla in the Ghadir Khumm hadith means friend, supporter, ally — the Prophet was saying “Whoever loves me, let them love ‘Ali.” This was a statement of ‘Ali’s honor, not a designation of political succession. The succession was determined by the community’s consensus (ijma’) at Saqifa after the Prophet’s death, and Abu Bakr was legitimately elected.

Shia/Ismaili interpretation: Mawla in this context, especially given the sermon’s preamble (confirming the Prophet’s own wilaya over believers, asking for acknowledgment) and the du’a that followed, clearly means master, leader, one with authority over. The context of the Farewell Pilgrimage and the deliberate stopping of the caravan for this statement indicate it was a formal designation, not a general expression of affection.

The Ismaili Understanding of the Wasi

In Ismaili theology, the wasi (الوَصِيّ — the legatee/designated successor) is a formal theological rank — the asas (foundation) who receives the batin of the prophetic message and guards it across generations.

Every natiq (speaking prophet who brings a new shari’a) has a wasi who receives the inner meaning:

The chain of Imamate then runs through ‘Ali and Fatima’s descendants — with the inner ‘ilm of prophethood transmitted from each Imam to the next by designation (nass). The wasiyyat is not a one-time historical event but the ongoing structure of how divine guidance is preserved in the world through the living Imam.

See also: Understanding Walayah, Dai Al Mutlaq Institution, Ali Ibn Abi Talib, Fatimid Caliphate, Abu Bakr, Imam Al Tayyib, Bohra History, Sulook

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