Imam Ali: Like the position of Aaron to Moses

A few days back on the 18th of Zilhijja, we marked the anniversary of the historic event of Ghadeer-Khom, a place near holy Mecca, where in the year 10 AH on the express commandment of God Almighty, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny), proclaimed his cousin and son-in-law as vicegerent, thereby ensuring the continuation of divinely-decreed leadership in Islam after the end of prophethood.

It is worth noting that the Prophet of Islam would often say that the position of his dear cousin to him was that of Aaron to Prophet Moses (peace upon them). Recently, on the occasion of Ghadeer-Khom, Egypt’s lady scholar, Mrs. Jerrmein Abu Shahba, wrote an interesting article titled “Imam Ali: Like the Position of Aaron to Moses”.

The place was Mount Sinai. And the time was at night. A fire was noticed from a distance, a fire not like any fire used for seeking warmth or preparing a meal. It was a divine fire flickered in preparation for a holy event about to take place. From above the heavens, the invitation was sent for Prophet Moses to answer the call from the Almighty Creator. Prophet Moses had lost his way and the light emanating from that divine fire was the ‘guidance’ delivered to him and his nation after him. As Prophet Moses went to fetch that fire, he heard a voice calling him, “Oh Moses, I am Allah, the Lord of the Universe!”

Moses halted there and then in his tracks. It is typical that with any visit from a guest to the host, the host presents a gift out of common etiquette. The host this time was the Almighty Allah, and the gift was the formal bestowing of Prophethood on Moses for guiding his people and delivering them from bondage in Egypt. The divine mission was entrusted to Moses at a time when the Israelites were lost and in need of guidance. This mission presented through the divine leader represented hope for peace, dignity, humanity, and morality. Moses requested God to appoint his brother Aaron as his assistant in the mission to Egypt – a requested that was granted, and which means the vicegerent or successor to Prophets, needs formal approval from the Almighty Creator.  

Similarly there are lessons for us Muslims whenever we are lost and in need of guidance, we should resort to our Creator and place our hopes in Him via the intermediaries He has specified for us. Before proceeding further, it should be noted that in the first ten days of the Islamic lunar month Zilhijja, it is highly recommended to pray a 2-unit prayer every night after the Maghreb ritual prayer, reciting ayah 142 of Surah A’raaf, which needs:

“And We made an appointment with Moses for thirty nights, and completed them with ten [more]; thus the tryst of his Lord was completed in forty nights. And Moses said to Aaron, his brother, ‘Be my successor among my people, and set things right and do not follow the way of the agents of corruption.’

This begs the question–why this particular ayah out of all Qur’anic ayahs, is it to be recited for 10 consecutive days? What significance does this ayah carry and what message is Allah trying to deliver to us? Was it on Mount Sinai that God made an appointment with Moses, or was it in some other land to which Moses had been summoned.

Upon further reflection, we realize that the context of this ayah is the journey of Prophet Moses to the appointed place in Mount Sinai where he had a private “dialogue” with Allah. The exact place of this meeting is traced further afield to be in Mesopotamia, the holy land of Karbala – a message that conveys to us that the divine chain of revelations and prophets all emanate from one source and for one purpose. The ayah further points out that during his absence in this divine journey, he left a successor and a caretaker to watch over the people. This guardian was his brother Prophet Aaron. With further contemplation, one can easily make the correlation of this ayah to the grand event which we celebrate and honour every year on the 18th day of Zilhijja, that is, Eid al-Ghadeer.

Indeed there is great resemblance in the story of Prophets Moses and Aaron to the Prophet of Islam and Imam Ali (AS). It was the day of divine appointment of the successorship, guardianship, and leadership of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) after the anticipated departure from the mortal world of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny). Nine days earlier on the 9^th of Zilhijja, while delivering his sermon from atop Jabal ar-Rahmah or Mount Mercy at Arafaat during his farewell pilgrimage, the Prophet had specifically said:

“I am leaving behind among you the Thaqalayn (or two precious and weighty things), the Book of God (i.e. the holy Qur’an) and my progeny the Ahl al-Bayt. Hold fast to them and you will never go astray, for the two never separate from each other, even when they return to me at the fountain (of Kowthar on the Day of Resurrection.”

While contemplating on the Prophet of Islam’s sermons at both Arafaat and Ghadeer, we are to be reminded of the most authentic “Hadeeth al-Manzela” where the Prophet said to Imam Ali:

“Your position to me is like the position of AarooibgHarun to Moses, except that there will be no prophet after me.”

This hadith is also mentioned in leading Sunni sources, such as Sahih Bukhari – in volume 5, book 59, Hadith number 700

The point is that: If Prophet Moses through divine commandment found it necessary to appoint a successor during his absence of merely 40 days during his lifetime, isn’t more worthy that the Seal of Prophets also have a divinely appointed successor to act as guardian after his departure from this life to safeguard a religion which is the seal of religions sent to all of mankind?!

If the people of Moses easily became misguided as they worshiped a metal calf when their Prophet has only been absent for few days, shouldn’t the concern and protection be greater when the Prophet of Islam departs from the world and a newly born religion has emerged?

Allah mentions in the holy Qur’an that Aaron was “blamed” for the failure of his people and not being able to assume his role of temporary successorship. Yet after further knowledge and explanation, Prophet Moses understands that Aaron is not to be blamed since the people oppressed him and neglected his role of authority. This reminds us of the argument of some that Imam Ali should have claimed his right for successorship by force, yet through the story of Moses and Aaron, we find the divine answer given to us!

The appointment of Aaron was indeed a test for the people of Bani Israel and they failed that test when they did not follow Aaron and instead they worshipped the metal calf crafted by Samiri. The Sahaba or companions of the Prophet of Islam were also tested. Muslims since then are indeed tested with the successorship of Imam Ali (AS) – whether they will wholeheartedly accept him or not, whether they will keep their pledge of allegiance at Ghadeer or break it, whether they will replace him with another “Samirite” and follow the guidance of the representatives of devil who seek the disobedience of Allah and His prophets. As God says in ayah 85 of Surah TA HA:

“Verily! We have tried your people in your absence, and Samiri has led them astray.”

Today the Muslims continue to be tested. And the test results await us in afterlife, the moment we depart this transient world and our scroll of deeds become apparent to us as the truth is unveiled before our eyes. Did we observe Ghadeer and acknowledge it as the day Imam Ali (AS) was chosen by God as the vicegerent of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny)? Or we deceived ourselves by following others, whom neither the Prophet had chosen nor God Almighty confirmed, thus ending in perpetual doom.

AS/SS