ABWA Official Website – In an exclusive interview with the ABNA International News Agency ABNA, Sheikh Vali Badr, one of the influential ulama of the Iğdır, Turkey, Friday prayer leader and Imam of the Haj Yousef and Haji Hajar Mosque of the city, while explaining the activities of the mosque, expressed the importance of the position of the Wilayat and the Eid Ghadir Khumm.
In this interview, he stated, “During his prophethood, the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) struggled to guide the people for twenty-three years. However, God Almighty told him that if he did not deliver the new order, he would not have fulfilled his prophetic duty. From this, we understand how important the new order was so that the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) kept more than 100,000 pilgrims in the Ghadir Khumm region for three days to convey this important order to everyone. That important order was the declaration of Imamate and the succession of Imam Ali (a.s.) and the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) said in a famous hadith: “Whomever I am his master (maula), this Ali is his master (maula)”.”
“Today, in order to elect a representative, people have been making preparations for a long time,” he added, “In the same way, we can see God Almighty prepared this Infallible Imam (a.s.) for this great matter, even before his birth. Being born in the holiest place in the world, i.e. Kaaba, has not happened to any other human being except Imam Ali (a.s.). The birth in the Kaaba, with the rituals that everyone has heard of, was Imam Ali’s (a.s.) first introduction to this great responsibility. After that, the training and education of this Infallible Imam was by the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h). In history, many acts of Imam Ali (a.s.) during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) have been narrated and recorded.”
Sheikh Vali Badr stated, “Whatever we say about the importance of Wilayat, is not enough. The important issue of declaring Imam Ali (a.s.) as the successor of the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) on the day of Ghadir, and declaring this day as an Eid, is so important that is considered the biggest Eid among Islamic Eids. Since the issue of Wilayat is of great importance, recommended acts of worship on the day of Eid al-Ghadir have a great Thawab (reward) that is difficult to know.”
“This divine choice and the Prophet’s (p.b.u.h) love for Imam Ali (a.s.) have been expressed in various narrations. Among these narrations is this hadith from the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h): “Anyone who bothers Ali (a.s.) is as if he has offended me, and whoever bothers me it is as if he has bothered God Almighty; and whoever makes Ali (a.s.) happy, it is as if he has made me happy, and whoever makes me happy, it is as if he has made God happy,” he mentioned.
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