By Cyril Anderson

There are three famous traditions going back to the Prophet Muhammad (saws), in relation to Imam Ali (as) which touch on Ali’s high position in the eyes of Muhammad.

1. “You are to me as Aaron was to Moses, except there will be no prophet after me.”
2. “I am the city of knowledge, and Ali is its gate.  He who wishes to enter into the city should enter through the gate.”
3.  “For whomsoever I am mawla (guardian), Ali is his mawla (guardian).”

To understand properly the first tradition, we must understand the position of Aaron to Moses.  Only then can we properly grasp the significance of such a statement.  To do this, we need to read into the Biblical accounts of Moses (as) and Aaron, to get a better sense of the story.  In the Torah, in Exodus, as Moses nears death and the community prepares, after its years of wandering in the wilderness, to enter the Holy Land of Palestine as a community, it is specified that Aaron was to be the spiritual leader of the community after Moses was dead.  This is described as part of the law revealed to Moses at Sinai. 

 After this time, it was established that the spiritual leadership of the Jewish people, the priesthood, was to pass through the line of the descendants of Aaron.  It became understood amongst the Jews that the religious leadership of the people had to be drawn from he descendants of Aaron.  With this important piece of information in mind, we see that the identification of Ali as being to Muhammad as Aaron was to Moses indicates that Muhammad saw Ali as a spiritual leader or guide for the Muslims after his death.  This is important, as the position of political leadership of the community which Shia Muslims believe to have been Ali’s right rests for its legitimacy on two things: exceptional knowledge combined with a high spiritual status giving a legitimate ability to serve as a spiritual leader for the community.  The first narration shows Ali’s position as designated spiritual leader after the death of Muhammad, in analogy to Aaron after the passing of Moses.  In addition, the second narration shows that Ali was a pinnacle of the sorts of wisdom and knowledge that were needed to run and state. 

 The address at Ghadir Khumm followed up on the earlier declarations and was an open appointment of Ali as the spiritual leader of the community, the guardian of the community spiritually and the guardian of them in this way.  When Muhammad was alive, the people turned to him as a spiritual guide and guardian.  Muhammad was telling them that they could also turn to Ali for the same guardianship. 

 In the light of the previous traditions, and keeping in mind the position of Aaron after Moses, the conclusion seems clear, at least in relation to spiritual leadership. 

The fact that Ali was selected to prepare the prophet’s body gives another indication of Ali’s position in terms of spiritual greatness and closeness to Muhammad.  If a proper election had been held after the death of Muhammad for the leader of the community, no doubt these factors would have been significant ones in choosing a leader.  Unfortunately, the turmoil after the death of Muhammad resulted in a situation where an open election by the whole community, or even the chief leaders was not held.  Abu Bakr was selected by a small group while Ali was busy preparing Muhammad’s body for burial.

 The past is now the past, but one can only speculate as to what weight the position of Ali as spiritual leader would have had in a more open selection process.  Those who justify the selection of Abu Bakr as somehow preordained by the appointing of Abu Bakr to lead a prayer in Medina while Muhammad was sick should reflect on that.  Regardless of whether this account of the prayer leading is authentic (accounts vary), it is clear that the statements regarding Ali are equally as impressive, and quite arguably, much more so.