Does 'Mawla' mean friend in Hadith Al-Ghadeer?
- Anonymous
- May 25
- 13 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
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Understanding how to identify the meaning 'mawla' is crucial for understanding Hadith al-Ghadeer. It is without a doubt that the narrative of Ahlus Sunnah cannot be true simply because it does not make sense for the Holy Prophet (saw) to gather a large group of the Muslims and reiterate to them what they already knew. It further does not in any way link to the context that we went over in the previous article, where we found how the Prophet (saw) narrated this near the end of his life and stated that he left for us two things. The exchange of this is not coincidental, but entirely intentional.
Did the Prophet (saw) gather all the Muslims for a message that serves no purpose? In this article, we will examine the meaning of the word with reference to its context. Below is the table of contents:
Polysemy Does Not Negate the Meaning of the Hadith
Our opponents often argue that due to the polysemy (the coexistence of many possible meanings for a word or phrase) of the word Mawla, Hadith al-Ghadeer disqualifies a clear designation for Ali (as) as the successor of the Prophet (ﷺ).
We reply in three ways:
Firstly, the Prophet (ﷺ) was the most eloquent of all of Allah’s creation, and this logically entails that his words at Ghadeer must have meant something meaningful, and not riddles or misleading the Muslims. Therefore we must look at the context of his words in order to deduce the correct meaning.
Secondly, while Mawla indeed has multiple meanings, that does not diminish the clarity of the statement, as the presence of multiple meanings within a word does not inherently render a statement as unclear.
Thirdly, when the word Mawla is used in the context of the Prophet (ﷺ), it is not ambiguous and we shall demonstrate this when we go over the possible meanings of the word.
We read from Ibn al-Athir’s al-Nihayah fi Gharib al-Hadith pg. 990:
وَقَدْ تَكَرَّرَ ذِكْرُ «المَوْلَى» فِي الْحَدِيثِ، وَهُوَ اسْمٌ يقَع عَلَى جَماعةٍ كَثيِرَة، فَهُوَ الرَّبُّ، والمَالكُ، والسَّيِّد، والمُنْعِم، والمُعْتِقُ، والنَّاصر، والمُحِبّ، والتَّابِع، والجارُ، وابنُ العَمّ، والحَلِيفُ، والعَقيد، والصِّهْر، والعبْد، والمُعْتَقُ، والمُنْعَم عَلَيه.
وأكْثرها قَدْ جَاءَتْ فِي الْحَدِيثِ، فَيُضاف كُلّ واحِدٍ إِلَى مَا يَقْتَضيه الحديثُ الوَارِدُ فِيهِ. وكُلُّ مَن وَلِيَ أمْراً أَوْ قَامَ بِهِ فَهُو مَوْلاهُ وَوَليُّه. وَقَدْ تَخْتَلِف مَصادرُ هَذِهِ الأسْمَاء. فَالْوَلَايَةُ بالفَتْح، فِي النَّسَب والنُّصْرة والمُعْتِق. والْوِلَايَةُ بالكسْر، فِي الإمَارة. والوَلاءُ، المُعْتَق والمُوَالاةُ مِن وَالَى القَوْمَ.
(هـ س) وَمِنْهُ الْحَدِيثُ «مَن كُنْتُ مَوْلاه فَعَليٌّ مَوْلاه» يُحْمَل عَلَى أكْثر الأسْمَاء المذْكورة. قَالَ الشَّافعي رضي الله عنه: يَعْني بذَلِك وَلَاءَ الإسْلام، كَقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: ذلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ مَوْلَى الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَأَنَّ الْكافِرِينَ لا مَوْلى لَهُمْ.
The term Mawla appears frequently in hadith literature, and it has a wide array of meanings. It can refer to: a Lord, a owner, a master, benefactor, liberator, helper, lover, follower, neighbour, cousin, ally, companion-in-oath, in-law, servant, freed one, and the one upon whom favor is bestowed.
Many of these meanings appear in the hadith literature, where each one aligns with the context required by the specific hadith. Whoever assumes responsibility for or administers something is called its mawla and its wali (guardian). The sources of these names vary. The term 'walayah' with an open vowel refers to kinship, support, or liberation, while 'wilayah' with a closed vowel pertains to governance, and 'wala' indicates loyalty or support.
The hadith, 'Whoever's mawla I am, ‘Ali is his mawla,' can be interpreted according to most of the meanings mentioned here. Imam al-Shafi’i explained it as referring to the 'mawla' of Islam, as in God's statement: That is because Allah is the mawla of those who believe, while the disbelievers have no mawla.
This is echoed by al-Nawawi in Fatawa al-Nawawi, al-Masa'il al-Manthurah, pg. 252.
Several analogies illustrate this point:
For example, if a Muslim states, “Pigs are haram,” the common and obvious understanding is that pigs are prohibited to eat. While it is technically correct that pigs are also haram to marry, this is not the intended meaning, and any claim otherwise would be absurd.
Similarly, if someone says, “I charged my phone,” the natural understanding is that they recharged the device’s battery, rather than physically running at the phone.
Likewise, the statement, “When my father would come home, he would take off his belt and beat me,” is commonly understood to mean physical punishment, rather than a reference to playing a video game. These examples demonstrate that while words may have multiple meanings, context dictates the correct interpretation.
Eliminating the Other Possible Meanings
We often hear our opponents argue that the term mawla in fact means friend or beloved. Our response is that those terms are not even listed as possible meanings of mawla, hence we have nothing to refute.
We have already cited the possible meanings of Mawla as listed by Ibn al-Athir, now we shall go over the actual possible meanings that our opponents argue. Note that we are only referring to the possible meanings that our opponents actually try to argue, as some of them such as emancipator, in law, or cousin make no sense since the Prophet (saw) was not the emancipator, in law, or cousin of all the believers.
The other possible meanings that may be applicable are supporter (النَّاصر) or lover (لمُحِبّ). The applicability of these terms was refuted by the contemporay companion of Ahmad b. Hanbal and major Sunni jurist of the Islamic Golden age, Abu Bakr Ibn Zanjawayh (d. 258), in al-Rawd al-Antiq Vol. 1, pg. 573:
وكذلك لو قلنا: إنما أراد بقوله من كنت مولاه فعلي مولاه أي من كنت ناصرا له فعلي ناصر له لم يكن لعلي خصوصية في هذا دون المؤمنين؛ لأنه واجب على جميع المؤمنين نصرة من ينصره الرسول فقد شاركه في هذا التأويل جميع المؤمنين
كذلك لو قلنا : أراد بقوله: من كنت مولاه فعلي مولاه» أي: من كنت محبا له فعلي محب له لم يكن لعلي في ذلك خصوصية دون المؤمنين؛ لأنه يجب على جميع المؤمنين محبة من أحبه الرسول؛ لأنه لا يُحِبُّ في الدين إلا من أحبه الله والله لا يحب إلا من أطاعه فوجب على جميع المؤمنين محبة من أحبه الله ورسوله فقد شاركه في هذا التأويل جميع المؤمنين
Likewise, if we say that the Prophet's statement "For whomever I am a Mawla, Ali is his mawla" means "For whomever I am a supporter, Ali is a supporter," then Ali would have no special distinction in this regard over other believers, because it is obligatory for all believers to support those whom the Messenger supports. In this interpretation, all believers would share this meaning with Ali.
Similarly, if we say that the Prophet meant by his statement "For whomever I am a Mawla, Ali is his Mawla" that "For whomever I love him, Ali loves him as well," then Ali would not have any special distinction over other believers, because it is obligatory for all believers to love those whom the Messenger loves. This is because in religion, one should love only those whom God loves, and God loves only those who obey Him. Therefre, it is obligatory for all believers to love those whom God and His Messenger love, and in this interpretation, all believers would share this meaning with ‘Ali.
As he explains, it cannot be supporter as all of the Muslims are supporters for one another so Ali has nothing to be singled out for, and this becomes even more absurd when one recognizes that ‘Umar congratulated Ali after the announcement, which we shall go over later. As for lover, it also equally useless as no new information to the audience is offered as it applies to everyone else. Note that lover is not the same as beloved.
This leaves us with the only other potential meaning for the term Mawla, namely master, and this aligns with the context of the Prophet’s announcement, which was made in front of a large body of his companions, many of whom were the Muhajireen and Ansar. The fact that he also mentioned his impending death as well as giving instructions regarding what he will leave behind (the Quran and his Ahl al-Bayt), all showcase that the message the Prophet was leaving behind wasn't directed for Ali (as)'s status amongst the other companions.
The Context as Derived from the Verse 33:6
With the context of the verse, the Prophet stated: “Whomsoever I have more authority over him than he has over himself, then Ali has more authority over him than he has over himself.”
Once it is determined that the interpretation of Mawla suggested by Sunnis does not fit the context, it is helpful to analyze the Hadith as per the correct context. The Prophet ﷺ states:
الست اولى بالمؤمنين من انفسهم؟
من كنت مولاه فعلي مولاه
اللهم وال من والاه وعاد من عاداه
Do I not have a greater right to the believers than themselves?
Whoever I am his Mawla, then ‘Ali is his Mawla
Oh Allah, support those who support him and oppose those who oppose him
The hadith here is clear, it’s establishing for Imam Ali (as) what is established for the Prophet (ﷺ) of authority. The Prophet (ﷺ) establishes his own authority, and after the audience agrees, he applies that same position to ‘Ali (as). He asks the audience if he is worthier of them than their own selves”. This is a reference to Quran 33:6, an explicit verse showing the authority of the Prophet (ﷺ).
The audience agrees. He then uses what he just established of his authority- “Whoever I am his Master”- and applies it to Ali (as) “then Ali is his Master”. He establishes something for himself, authority, and shows that the authority he has extends to Ali (as), by saying “Whoever I am his Master then Ali is his Master”.
He then switches and asks Allah to support those who support him and oppose those who oppose him, a very befitting Du’a for somebody who is the Master of the Muslims, just as the Prophet (ﷺ) is the Master of the Muslims.
Tafsir of the verse 33:6
As is clear, Hadith al-Ghadeer is the Prophet (ﷺ) showing that he shares this position of Mawla of the believers with Ali (as). Having this Prophetically-centered approach is critical to understanding the Hadith, and puts things in the right perspective.
As we have seen, there is only one relationship affirmed for the Prophet (ﷺ) in the context, that of authority. Thus it’s clear that the position he is sharing with Ali (as) is Master of the believers. The Shi’a reading is thus derived from the context, Quran 33:6:
النَّبِىُّ أَوْلَى بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ
The Prophet is worthier of the believers than themselves
In the above verse in Arabic we find the term اولى here means Guardian (or Mastership), referring to a person who has control over others; or he who has ownership of the believers more than themselves. Thus this person can make decisions for the believers without their permission. This means that this verse is proof that the Prophet (ﷺ) has binding authority that must be obeyed (i.e., divine authority).
Before we cite the works of tafsir, let us first look at the opinion of Ibn Taymiyya regarding which of the tafsirs of Ahl al-Sunnah are the most authoritative in Majmu’ al-Fatawa Vol. 13, pg. 385 - 386:
وأي التفاسير أقرب إلى الكتاب والسنة؟ الزمخشري؟ أم القرطبي؟ أم البغوي؟ أو غير هؤلاء؟
وأما «التفاسير» التي في أيدي الناس فأصحها «تفسير محمد بن جرير الطبري»، فإنه يذكر مقالات السلف بالأسانيد الثابتة، وليس فيه بدعة، ولا ينقل عن المتهمين، كمقاتل بن بكير والكلبي.
والتفاسير غير المأثورة بالأسانيد كثيرة، كتفسير عبد الرزاق، وعبد بن حميد، ووكيع، وابن أبي قتيبة، وأحمد بن حنبل، وإسحاق بن راهويه.
وأما «التفاسير الثلاثة» المسؤول عنها، فأسلمها من البدعة والأحاديث الضعيفة «البغوي»، لكنه مختصر من «تفسير الثعلبي» وحذف منه الأحاديث الموضوعة، والبدع التي فيه، وحذف أشياء غير ذلك.
Which Tafsir is closer to the Book and the Sunnah? Al-Zamakhshari, al-Qurtubi, al-Baghawi or others besides them?
As for the Tafsirs that are in the hands of people, the most authentic of them is the Tafsir al-Tabari, as he mentions the opinions of the early generations with authentic chains, and there is no innovation in it. He does not narrate from those who are accused (of falsehood), such as Maqatil b. Bukayr and al-Kalbi.
There are many other Tafsirs not based on chains of narration, such as the Tafsir Abd al-Razzaq, Abd b. Humaid, Waki', Ibn Abi Qutaybah, Ahmad b. Hanbal, and Ishaq b. Rahwayh.
As for the “three Tafsirs” in question, the one safest from innovation and weak narrations is al-Baghawi. Although it is an abridgment of al-Tha’labi’s Tafsir, Al-Baghawi removed the fabricated narrations and the innovations found in it, as well as other unnecessary things.
With that being said, let us see what al-Tabari and al-Baghawi have said the same regarding the meaning of this verse. We read in Tafsir al-Tabari, Vol. 19, pg. 14 - 15 for this understanding:
يقول تعالى ذكره: ﴿النَّبِيُّ محمد أَوْلَى بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾. يقولُ: أَحَقُّ بالمؤمنين به من أنفسهم، أن يَحْكُمَ فيهم بما يَشاءُ من حكم، فيجوز ذلك عليهم.
كما حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد: ﴿النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَى بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ﴾: كما أنت أولى بعبدك ، ما قضى فيهم من أمر جاز؛ كما كلما قضَيْتَ على عبدك جاز.
وحدثني حدثني محمد بن عمرو، قا : ثنا أبو عاصم، قال: ثنا عيسى، و الحارث، قال: ثنا الحسن، قال: ثنا ورقاء، جميعًا عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد: ﴿النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَى بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ﴾ قال: هو أبٌ لهم.
Allah Almighty says: {The Prophet (Muhammad) is more worthy of the believers} It means that he is more rightful over the believers than their own selves, to the extent that he may rule over them with whatever judgments he wishes, and that such rulings are valid for them.
As Yunus narrated to me, he said: Ibn Wahb told us that Ibn Zayd said: [The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than their own selves] meaning just as one is more entitled over their own servant; whatever judgment he gives among them is binding, just as anything you decide for your servant is valid.
Muhammad b. Amr narrated to me, he said: Abu Asim told us, Isa and al-Harith narrated to us, al-Hasan told us, Waraqa narrated to us—all from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid: [The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than their own selves.] He said: He is like a father to them.
We read in Tafsir al-Baghawi Vol. 6, pg. 318 - 319:
قوله عز وجل: {النبي أولى بالمؤمنين من أنفسهم} يعني من بعضهم ببعض في نفوذ حكمه عليهم ووجوب طاعته عليهم. وقال ابن عباس وعطاء: يعني إذا دعاهم النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ودعتهم أنفسهم إلى شيء كانت طاعة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أولى بهم من طاعتهم أنفسهم.
وقال ابن زيد: النبي أولى بالمؤمنين من أنفسهم فيما قضى فيهم، كما أنت أولى بعبدك فيما قضيت عليه. وقيل: هو أولى بهم في الحمل على الجهاد وبذل النفس دونه. وقيل: كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يخرج إلى الجهاد فيقول قوم: نذهب فنستأذن من آبائنا وأمهاتنا، فنزلت الآية.
أخبرنا عبد الواحد عبد المليحي، أخبرنا أحمد بن عبد الله النعيمي، أخبرنا محمد بن يوسف، أخبرنا محمد بن إسماعيل، أخبرنا عبد الله بن محمد، أخبرنا أبو عامر، أخبرنا فليح، عن هلال بن علي بن عبد الرحمن بن أبي عمرة عن أبي هريرة أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: "ما من مؤمن إلا أنا أولى به في الدنيا والآخرة"، اقرأوا إن شئتم {النبي أولى بالمؤمنين من أنفسهم} فأيما مؤمن مات وترك مالا فليرثه عصبته، ومن ترك دينا أو ضياعا فليأتني فأنا مولاه
The Almighty’s statement: {The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than themselves} means that he has more authority over them than they have over one another, in terms of his rulings being binding upon them and the obligation of obeying him. Ibn Abbas and Ata’ said: This means that if the Prophet (SAW) calls them to something, and their own selves call them to something else, the Prophet’s call takes precedence over their own desires.
Ibn Zayd said: The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than themselves in what he decrees for them, just as you have more authority over your servant in what you decide for him. It is also said that he is more worthy in terms of leading them to jihad and sacrificing themselves for his sake. Another interpretation mentions that when the Prophet (SAW) would go out for jihad, some people would say, "Let us seek permission from our fathers and mothers," so this verse was revealed.
Abd al-Wahid b. Abd al-Malih told us, narrated by Ahmad b. Abdullah al-Naimi, narrated by Muhammad b. Yusuf, narrated by Muhammad b. Ismail, narrated by ‘Abdullah b. Muhammad, narrated by Abu Amer, narrated by Fulaikh, from Hilal b. ‘Ali, from ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Abi Amrah, from Abu Hurairah, that the Prophet (SAW) said: "There is no believer except that I am more entitled to him in this world and the Hereafter. Recite if you wish: {The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than themselves}. So if any believer dies and leaves wealth, let his heirs inherit it. And if he leaves behind debt or dependents, let them come to me, for I am his guardian.
Challenge to our opponents
In order to justify their concocted narrative, our opponents seek to find alternative readings for this hadith when there are none, such as “supporter” or “One who loves”. Contrary to their desires, there are no other meanings of the word Mawla for the Prophet (SAW) in the context of Ghadeer; nothing about him loving the believers or supporting them. So our opponent’s misreading is inserted into the Hadith. They simply chose the least ridiculous sounding alternate meaning, then attempted to smooth out the inconsistencies.
We challenge our opponents to prove from the context that the word Mawla as it applies to the Prophet (SAW) means anything else, and if their reading can’t be derived from the Prophet’s (SAW) own words, then they are implying that the Prophet (SAW) was ineloquent.
Failed Attempts
Some of our opponents try to substantiate their misreading by appealing to the Prophet’s ﷺ du’a where he prays for Allah to support Ali’s (as) supporters. They say the context shows that the meaning of the word Mawla is supporter.
This line of reasoning fails because as we highlighted earlier the Hadith is centered on the status of the Prophet ﷺ with the believers. The Du’a does not state anything about the Prophet (SAW) loving or supporting the believers; it’s simply a Du’a for Ali’s (as) supporters and against his enemies.
Furthermore, it’s a Du’a, meaning it is addressed to Allah instead of the audience. As we highlighted earlier, the meaning of Mawla is linked to the verse that the Prophet ﷺ cited, and this verse speaks about the Prophet’s relationship with the believers, and not Allah’s relationship with the believers. Thus, this interpretation is false.
Now, some of our opponents even go so far as to say that this Du’a would not make sense if Mawla means authority. This is an absurd argument as there is nothing incoherent about the Prophet ﷺ praying for ‘Ali’s supporters and against his enemies after he declared his authority. It is simply a Du’a after the fact. Furthermore, we have already refuted that Mawla could mean “supporter”.
Conclusion
We have demonstrated that Mawla as it refers to Muhammad ﷺ means authority as the Prophet referenced a verse regarding his authority. On the other hand, we challenge our opponents to prove that Mawla as it refers to Muhammad ﷺ means anything else. There is nothing in the context of Ghadeer about the Prophet ﷺ loving the believers or supporting them. This shows that the Shi’i reading is derived from the context, while our opponents reading is inserted into the context, leading to many awkward contradictions which they frantically then try to sort out.
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