Verse of Mawadda

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The Verse of Mawadda (Arabic: آية الْمَوَدَّة) is a verse in the Quran (Q42:23) that specifies what the Islamic prophet Muhammad expected in return for his divine mission. The interpretation of this verse is highly disputed, with beliefs primarily split along sectarian lines between Sunni and Shia denominations of Islam. In particular, according to Shia Islam, this verse asks Muslims to be kind to Muhammad's family, Ahl al-Bayt, as divine guardians of Islam after Muhammad's death. Sunni Islam rejects this view but does not offer a definitive interpretation of the Mawadda verse.[1][2] This article is primarily based on leading Sunni sources.

Verse of Mawadda[]

Quran 42:23
Text Translation
ذَٰلِكَ ٱلَّذِى يُبَشِّرُ ٱللَّهُ عِبَادَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ ۗ قُل لَّآ أَسْـَٔلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا ٱلْمَوَدَّةَ فِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ ۗ وَمَن يَقْتَرِفْ حَسَنَةً نَّزِدْ لَهُۥ فِيهَا حُسْنًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ That [reward] is the good news which Allah gives to His servants who believe and do good. [O Prophet,] say, "I do not ask you for a reward for this [message] except for showing affection to close relatives." Whoever earns a good deed, We will increase it in goodness for them. Surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Appreciative.

The contentious part of the Mawadda verse is boldfaced above. For brevity, we will refer to this boldfaced part as the Mawadda sentence. Aside from its interpretation, another point of contention is whether the Mawadda sentence was revealed to Muhammad in Mecca or Medina. According to the well-known Lisān al-'Arab dictionary of the Arabic language, illa (إِلَّا) commonly means except, al-mawadda (الْمَوَدَّةَ) means to show affection to a person. Also, al-qorba (الْقُرْبَی) is commonly defined as close relatives.[3] However, some Sunni interpretations of the Mawadda sentence rely on less common definitions of these words, as detailed below.

Analysis[]

There are two other notable instances in the Quran that explain what Muhammad expected in return for his divine mission.[4] The first instance is "[O Prophet,] say, 'Whatever reward I may have asked you - it is for yourself.'"[5] The second instance is "[O Prophet,] say, 'I do not ask you for any reward for this [message] except that anyone who wishes should take the way to their Lord.'"[6] Elsewhere, Quran is clear that Muhammad expects nothing from Muslims in return for his teachings.[7][8][9] These instances help us interpret the Mawadda sentence: In particular, the love for relatives is not Muhammad's personal reward. Instead, it only benefits Muslims and guides them on the righteous path. It is natural to ask who these relatives are and how their love would lead Muslims to salvation?

A first answer might be that "I do not ask you for a reward for this [message] except showing affection to [your own] close relatives." However, kindness to one's own relatives is not enough to guide one on the righteous path. Muslims are also required to pray, practice almsgiving, etc. Moreover, while Muslims are required to show kindness (إحسان) to all of their relatives,[10][11] Quran explicitly forbids Muslims from expressing deep affection (الْمَوَدَّةَ) to those relatives who are disbelievers.[12][13][14]

The second and more reasonable answer is that Muhammad's close relatives are those intended in the Mawadda sentence.[4][15][16] This analysis leads to the interpretation

[O Prophet,] say, "I do not ask you any reward for this [message] except showing affection to [my] close relatives."

This interpretation is also supported by the fact that Muslims are required to pray on a daily basis for God's mercy upon Muhammad and his family.[17]

The Mawadda sentence and the other two similar instances in the Quran[5][6] together imply: It is the love for Muhammad's close family that will guide Muslims to salvation. Indeed, Quran asked Muslims to love and protect Muhammad to ensure Islam's growth in Muhammad's lifetime.[13][18] Similarly, Quran required Muslims to love Muhammad's close relatives to ensure Islam's continuation after Muhammad's death and to guide Muslims after Muhammad's demise.

As a side note, the Arabic wording in the Mawadda sentence signifies the strength of this affection. As Sunni scholar Al-Zamakhshari writes, the last phrase in the Mawadda sentence might be shortened for "Except for an affection set firmly on [my] close relatives."[19] This is because the last phrase in the Mawadda sentence assigns a place to affection (فِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ) instead of the more common form (للْقُرْبَى).

What does the Islamic tradition say?[]

Sunni Islam offers a few interpretations for the Mawadda sentence, which are based on dozens of (inevitably contradictory) hadiths. In particular, several Sunni hadiths corroborate the above interpretation of the Mawadda sentence

[O Prophet,] say, "I do not ask you any reward for this [message] except showing affection to [my] close relatives,"

and specify those relatives as Muhammad's daughter, Fatimah, her husband, Ali, and their two sons, Hasan and Husayn.[15][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34] Sunni views Fatimah as the purest woman of all time and holds that Ali to Muhammad was what Aaron had been to Moses.[35][36][37] Hasan and Husayn are also seen as the most virtuous youths in Heaven.[38] It is worth noting that, shortly after Muhammad's death, Fatimah died under suspicious circumstances. Ali was later assassinated. Hasan and Husayn were also murdered by Umayyad caliphs. In particular, Husayn was beheaded alongside most of his extended family and those who survived---mostly women and children---were taken prisoner and marched through the streets of Kufa and Damascus.[39][40] The above interpretation is also supported by the al-Thaqalayn hadith from Muhammad, which can be summarized as:

I am leaving two things among you, to which if you hold on, you will never go astray: Quran and my family.[41][42][43][44][45]

A few other Sunni interpretations of the Mawadda sentence are reviewed below.[46]

  • Some Sunni hadiths posit that the Mawadda sentence was directed at disbelievers of Muhammad's own tribe: "I do not ask you any reward for this [message, but if you don't accept my teachings, at least show] kindness [to me because I am your] relative." It is unclear why Muhammad would ask those who have not converted to Islam for any reward. Yet another variation is that "I do not ask you any reward for this [message. I preach this message] only [because of my] affection [for you, who are my] relatives." However, Quran strictly prohibits Muslims from showing deep affection towards disbelievers, even if they are relatives.[12][13][14]
  • According to some Sunni hadiths, the Mawadda sentence was directed at Ansar. Ansar were natives of Medina who supported Muhammad when he was exiled from Mecca. Ansar wilfully paid with their lives and their donations to help Muhammad's cause.[47] According to these hadiths, when Ansar offered Muhammad some money, he replied: "I do not ask you any reward for this [message] except showing affection to [my distant maternal] relatives [who live amongst you]." Considering the dedication of Ansar to Muhammad and his cause, it is difficult to understand why God would explicitly task them with caring for Muhammad's distant maternal relatives.
  • Lastly, some Sunni hadiths interpret the Mawadda sentence as a religious teaching: "I do not ask you any reward for this [message] except [that you should] love [your Lord by doing what would bring you] closer [to your Lord]." The missing ingredient in this interpretation is monotheism. Indeed, polytheists also worshiped their idols to bring them closer to God.[48][49] Nowhere in this verse God commands the faithful to worship only Him. Another argument that weakens this interpretation is that every other instance of the word al-qorba (الْقُرْبَی) in the Quran refers to close relatives.[50] Finally, the use of the word al-mawadda (الْمَوَدَّةَ) in relation to God does not have any precedents elsewhere in the Quran. Instead, Quran uses the word al-wadoud (الودود) to describe this kindness.[51][52]

Shia hadiths also interpret the Mawadda sentence as

[O Prophet,] say, "I do not ask you any reward for this [message] except showing affection to [my] close relatives,"

and specify those relatives as Fatimah, Ali, Hasan and Husayn.[16] As was the case with Muhammad, these four relatives were elevated by divine will and Quran regards them as infallible in the verse of purification. As with Muhammad,[13][18] Quran required Muslims to show deference to these four relatives as their role models who would guide them to salvation. Following Quran's instructions,[53] Muhammad designated Ali as his successor in the Ghadir Khumm event. Likewise, Ali was followed by Hasan and Husayn, and nine divinely ordained Imams from the descendants of Husayn.

As was the case with Muhammad's divine mission, Muslims were free to disobey their Imam and to withhold their support or undermine his divine mission.[54] In fact, Ali was prevented from carrying out his divine role and later assassinated.[55] After Ali, all but the last Shia Imam were murdered by Islamic rulers.[56] However, Mahdi, the last of these Imams, is the promised savior of mankind who is destined by God to establish peace and justice on Earth, accompanied by Jesus. A hadith narrated by both Shia and Sunni reads: "Even if there is only one day left to the end of time, God will send a man who will fill the earth with justice as it had been filled with injustice."[57] All Muslims, Shia and Sunni alike, await Mahdi's reemergence.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Hamid Mavani (26 June 2013). Religious Authority and Political Thought in Twelver Shi'ism: From Ali to Post-Khomeini. Routledge. pp. 264–. ISBN 978-1-135-04473-2.
  2. ^ Madelung, Wilferd (1997). The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate. Cambridge University Press. p. 13. ISBN 0-521-64696-0.
  3. ^ Ibn Manzur. Lisān al-ʿArab. Qom Hawza Publication.
  4. ^ a b مكارم شيرازى. تفسير نمونه vol. 20. p. 429.
  5. ^ a b "(Quran 34:47) Say, 'Whatever reward I may have asked you is for your own good. My [true] reward lies only with Allah, and He is witness to all things.'".
  6. ^ a b "(Quran 25:57) Say, 'I do not ask you any reward for it, except that anyone who wishes should take the way to his Lord.'".
  7. ^ "(Quran 12:104) You do not ask them any reward for it: It is just a reminder for all the nations".
  8. ^ "(Quran 6:90) Say, 'I do not ask you any recompense for it. It is just an admonition for all the nations.'".
  9. ^ "(Quran 38:86) Say, 'I do not ask you any reward for it, and I am no impostor".
  10. ^ "(Quran 2:177) Piety is not to turn your faces to the east or the west; rather, piety is [personified by] those who have faith in Allah and the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets, and who give their wealth, for the love of Him, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveller and the beggar, and for [the freeing of] the slaves, and maintain the prayer and give the zakat, and those who fulfill their covenants, when they pledge themselves, and those who are patient in stress and distress, and in the heat of battle. They are the ones who are true [to their covenant], and it is they who are the Godwary".
  11. ^ "(Quran 16:90) Indeed Allah enjoins justice and kindness and generosity towards relatives, and He forbids indecency, wrong, and aggression. He advises you, so that you may take admonition".
  12. ^ a b "(Quran 58:22) You will not find a people believing in Allah and the Last Day endearing those who oppose Allah and His Apostle even though they were their own parents, or children, or brothers, or kinsfolk".
  13. ^ a b c d "(Quran 9:24) Say, 'If your fathers and your sons, your brethren, your spouses, and your kinsfolk, the possessions that you have acquired, the business you fear may suffer, and the dwellings you are fond of, are dearer to you than Allah and His Apostle and to waging jihad in His way, then wait until Allah issues His edict, and Allah does not guide the transgressing lot".
  14. ^ a b "(Quran 42:1) O you who have faith! Do not take My enemy and your enemy for friends, [secretly] offering them affection (for they have certainly defied whatever has come to you of the truth, expelling the Apostle and you, because you have faith in Allah, your Lord) if you have set out for jihad in My way and to seek My pleasure".
  15. ^ a b تفسير الزمخشري vol. 4. p. 220.
  16. ^ a b الميزان في التفسير القرآن vol. 18. p. 46.
  17. ^ "How to Perform Salah".
  18. ^ a b "(Quran 9:120) It is not fitting for the people of Madinah and the Bedouins around them to hang back behind the Apostle of Allah and prefer their own lives to his life. That is because they neither experience any thirst, nor fatigue, nor hunger, in the way of Allah, nor do they tread any ground enraging the faithless, nor do they gain any ground against an enemy but a righteous deed is written for them on its account. Indeed Allah does not waste the reward of the virtuous".
  19. ^ تفسير الزمخشري vol. 4. p. 219.
  20. ^ مجمع الزوائد vol. 9. p. 168.
  21. ^ موسوعة التفسير المأثور vol. 19. pp. 551, 552.
  22. ^ تفسير الرازي vol. 27. p. 595.
  23. ^ تفسير النيسابوري vol. 6. p. 74.
  24. ^ تفسير الثعلبي vol. 8. p. 310.
  25. ^ تفسير الطبري vol. 21. p. 528.
  26. ^ تفسير الخازن لباب التاويل في معاني التنزيل vol. 4. p. 98.
  27. ^ تفسير الألوسي vol. 13. p. 31.
  28. ^ تفسير الدر المنثور vol. 7. p. 348.
  29. ^ فضائل الصحابة الأحمد بن حنبل vol. 2. p. 669.
  30. ^ المعجم الكبير للطبراني vol. 3. p. 47.
  31. ^ حلية الاولياء و طبقات الأصفياء vol. 3. p. 201.
  32. ^ المستدرك علي صحيحين vol. 3. p. 188.
  33. ^ الصواعق المحرقة vol. 2. p. 651.
  34. ^ مسند للشاشى vol. 2. p. 127.
  35. ^ Both Moses and Aaron are considered infallible in Islam. In particular, Quran vindicates Aaron in Israelites' worship of the golden calf, see Q7:150.
  36. ^ صحيح مسلم vol. 4. p. 1504.
  37. ^ صحيح بخاري vol. 6. p. 3.
  38. ^ المستدرك علي الصحيحين vol. 3. p. 182.
  39. ^ Madelung, Wilferd. "HOSAYN B. ALI". Iranica. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
  40. ^ Gordon, Matthew. The Rise of Islam. pp. 144–146.
  41. ^ صحيح سنن الترمذي vol. 5. p. 662.
  42. ^ المستدرك علي الصحيحين vol. 3. p. 118.
  43. ^ مسند أحمد vol. 17. p. 211.
  44. ^ المعجم الكبير للطبرانى vol. 5. p. 166.
  45. ^ السنن الكبرى للنسائي vol. 7. p. 320.
  46. ^ تفسير الألوسي vol. 13. pp. 31–33.
  47. ^ "(Quran 59:9) [They are as well] for those who were settled in the land and [abided] in faith before them, who love those who migrate toward them, and do not find in their breasts any need for that which is given to them, but prefer [the Immigrants] to themselves, though poverty be their own lot. And those who are saved from their own greed—it is they who are the felicitous".
  48. ^ "(Quran 39:3) And those who take guardians besides Him [claiming,] 'We only worship them so that they may bring us near to Allah,' Allah will indeed judge between them concerning that about which they differ".
  49. ^ "(Quran 10:18) They worship besides Allah that which neither causes them any harm, nor brings them any benefit, and they say, 'These are our intercessors with Allah.'".
  50. ^ مکارم شیرازی. تفسیر نمونه vol. 20. p. 433.
  51. ^ "(Quran 11:90) 'My Lord is indeed all-merciful, all-affectionate.'".
  52. ^ "(Quran 85:14) And He is the All-forgiving, the All-affectionate".
  53. ^ "Al-Tabligh Verse (Q5:67)".
  54. ^ "(Quran 16:9) With Allah rests guidance to the straight path, and some of them are devious, and had He wished He would have guided you all".
  55. ^ "Ali ibn Abi Talib".
  56. ^ "Imams of the Shia".
  57. ^ سنن أبي داود vol. 4. p. 107.
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