The following is an abridged translation of an excellent article written by a researcher in Qum, Shaykh Rūḥullāh Malekiān, linguistically analyzing Sūrah Shūrā verse 23, the famous verse known colloquially as “Āyah al-Mawaddah.” The original article is entitled, “Kalimah Ḥawl Āyah al-Mawaddah fī al-Qurbā.”^[1] The linguistic analysis provided by Shaykh Malekiān is excellent, although we felt the need to supplement some of his points, specifically regarding the interpretation of al-qurbā, with Shaykh Ali Akbar Bābā’ī’s analysis on the verse entitled “Pazhūheshī dar Āye-ye-Mawaddat.” We will indicate where we have done so in our footnotes. We hope this discussion will serve useful for clarifying the various doubts surrounding the signification of this verse.

Religious love for the Holy Prophet (sawa) and prioritization of affection for him over all other affections—of course after love for God—is an obligation upon every Muslim.^[2] Whoever loves the Holy Prophet (sawa) ought to love those whom the Prophet loved, among them being his daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons. Based on this, love for Fāṭimah, Imām ‘Alī, and Imāms Ḥasan and Ḥusayn (as) is incumbent upon every Muslim, both rationally and scripturally (‘aqlan wa naqlan). This is a point of unanimity among all Muslims; nonetheless, there is controversy about the import of specific scriptural verses and whether this affection is truly considered a recompense to the Prophet for his transmission of the Divine message (al-risālah). Among these scriptural proofs is the following verse from the Qur’ān:

ذَلِكَ الَّذِي يُبَشِّرُ اللهُ عِبَادَهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ قُلْ لا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْراً إِلاّ الموَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَى وَمَنْ يَقْتَرِفْ حَسَنَةً نَزِدْ لَهُ فِيهَا حُسْناً إِنَّ اللهَ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ

“That is [the good news] which God announces to his servants who believe and do righteous deeds. Say [Oh Prophet]: “I do not ask of you any ajr (lit. recompense) for it except al-mawaddah fī al-qurbā^[3] (lit. love for the kinship).” And whomsoever gains a good deed, We will grant him through it an increase in goodness; indeed God is Most-Forgiving, Most-Appreciative.” (Sūrah al-Shūrā, verse 23)

The Dispute Regarding this Verse

Shaykh al-Ṣadūq states in his book “The Beliefs of the Imāmiyyah” (al-I’tiqādāt al-Imāmiyyah) under the chapter “Belief about the ‘Alids[4]” (al-I’tiqād fī al-‘Alawiyyah) the following:

اعتقادنا في العلويّة أنّهم آل رسول الله، وأنّ مودّتهم واجبة؛ لأنّها أجر النبوّة، قال عزَّ وجلَّ: ﴿قُلْ لا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْراً إِلاّ المَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَى﴾

“Our belief about the ‘Alids is that they are the family of the Messenger of God and that affection for them is obligatory because that is the recompense of Prophethood, as God has stated: “Say [Oh Prophet]: “I do not ask of you any ajr for it except al-mawaddah fī al-qurbā.”^[5]

Shaykh al-Mufīd has stated as a corrective addendum on these words of al-Ṣadūq:

لا يصحّ القول بأنّ الله تعالى جعل أجر نبيّه مودّة أهل بيته^، ولا أنّه جعل ذلك من أجره×؛ لأنّ أجر النبيّ| في التقرّب إلى الله تعالى هو الثواب الدائم، وهو مستحقّ على الله تعالى في عدله و جوده وكرمه، وليس المستحقّ على الأعمال يتعلّق بالعباد؛ لأنّ العمل يجب أن يكون لله تعالى خالصاً، وما كان لله فالأجر فيه على الله تعالى، دون غيره. هذا، مع أنّ الله تعالى يقول: ﴿وَيَا قَوْمِ لا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مَالاً إِنْ أَجْرِىَ إِلاَّ عَلَى اللهِ﴾، وفي موضعٍ آخر: ﴿يَا قَوْمِ لا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْراً إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلاَّ عَلَى الَّذِي فَطَرَنِي﴾، فلو كان الأجر على ما ظنّه أبو جعفر في معنى الآية لتناقَضَ القرآن؛ وذلك أنّه كان تقدير الآية: «قل لا أسألكم عليه أجراً، بل أسألكم عليه أجراً»، ويكون أيضاً: «إن أجري إلاّ على الله، بل أجري على الله وعلى غيره»، وهذا محالٌ، لايصحّ حمل القرآن عليه. فإنْ قال قائلٌ: فما معنى قوله: ﴿قُلْ لا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْراً إِلاَّ الموَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَى﴾؟ أَوَليس هذا يفيد أنّه قد سألهم مودّة القربى لأجره على الأداء؟ قيل له: ليس الأمر على ما ظننت؛ لما قدّمناه من حجّة العقل والقرآن. والاستثناء في هذا المكان ليس هو من الجملة، لكنّه استثناءٌ منقطع، ومعناه: «قل لا أسألكم عليه أجراً، لكنْ أُلزِمُكم المودّةَ في القربى وأَسأَلُكموها»، فيكون قوله: ﴿قُلْ لا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْراً﴾ كلاماً تامّاً قد استوفى معناه، ويكون قوله: ﴿إِلاَّ المَوَدَّةَ في الْقُرْبى﴾ كلاماً مبتدأً، فائدته «لكن المودّة في القربى سألتكموها». وهذا كقوله: ﴿فَسَجَدَ المَلائِكَةُ كُلُّهُمْ أَجْمَعُونَ إِلاَّ إِبْلِيسَ﴾، والمعنى فيه «لكنْ إبليس»، وليس باستثناءٍ من جملة، وكقوله: ﴿فَإِنَّهُمْ عَدُوٌّ لِي إِلاَّ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ﴾، معناه «لكنْ ربّ العالمين ليس بعدوٍّ لي

“It is not correct to state that God made the recompense for His Prophet love of his Ahl al-Bayt nor that it is even part of the recompense. The recompense of the Prophet for drawing close to God is rather everlasting reward that has become worthy of bestowal by God—owing to His Justice, Liberality, and Bounty. It is completely incorrect to say that the reward of righteous actions should be bestowed by God’s servants, because actions must be purely for God, the Exalted. Hence, anything which is solely for God’s sake should be recompensed by God alone, as is made clear in the verse where Prophet Noah states: “And oh my people! I do not ask you for any wealth; my recompense is only upon God.”^[6] A similar import is found in the verse on the tongue of Prophet Hūd, “Oh my people I do not ask you for any recompense; my recompense is only upon the One who created me.”^[7] Therefore, if the meaning of recompense here should be that which Abū Ja’far (i.e., Shaykh al-Ṣadūq) proposes, the Qur’ān will contradict itself as these latter two verses come to mean, “My recompense is only upon God [and others],” and “I do not ask you for any recompense [rather I do ask you for recompense],” and of course this is clearly untenable. 

Now someone may ask what is the meaning of the statement, “Say [Oh Prophet]: “I do not ask of you any ajr for it, except al-mawaddah fī al-qurbā;” doesn’t this clearly imply that the Prophet asked them for recompense for his delivery of the message? In response (we would say) that the import is not as you surmise, rather the Qur’ān and the intellect necessitate that this “except” here be a severed exception (al-istithnā’ al-munqaṭi’).^[8] Therefore, the meaning is, “Say [Oh Prophet]: “I do not ask of you any ajr; however (I do demand and hold you to) al-mawaddah fī al-qurbā,” Therefore, the statement, “I do not ask you for any recompense” is a separate clause and “however (I do demand and hold you to) al-mawaddah fī al-qurbā” is a separate clause. This is just like the words of God, “All the angels prostrated illā (except for) the Devil^[9],” as the meaning is “although the Devil [did not].” It is similar also to the verse on the tongue of Ibrāhīm, “they [your idols] are all enemies unto me illā (except for) the Lord of the Worlds,”^[10] where the meaning is, “although the Lord of the Worlds [is not].”^[11]

Therefore, the gist of what al-Mufīd has stated is that he disagrees with al-Ṣadūq on the import of the verse being that God made the recompense of his Prophet affection for his Ahl al-Bayt. Nonetheless, he agrees that the verse is explicit in requiring from the believers that they love his qurbā. Therefore, both al-Ṣadūq and al-Mufīd agree that the verse proves the incumbency of loving the qurbā and that the meaning of al-qurbā is the Ahlulbayt. The only difference between them is that al-Ṣadūq believes that the recompense of the Prophet is love for the qurbā, while al-Mufīd disagrees with this. The latter uses two proofs for this, in his words “derived from the intellect and the Qur’ān,” namely:

1. Given that good deeds are solely for God, they should be recompensed by God alone, and not by others.
2. The verses of the Qur’ān state that the Prophets did not ask for recompense, and therefore if the verse of al-mawaddah was truly requesting recompense this would imply contradiction in the Qur’ān. Therefore, al-Mufīd interprets the particle of exception (illā) in the verse as a severed exception to reconcile this perceived contradiction.

The Severed Exception

The statement of al-Mufīd that, “The severed exception is not part of the genus from which it is being excluded,” is famous in Arabic linguistics. However, there is some obfuscation here because “exception” by its very nature implies by necessity that there is some form of inclusion that is being negated; therefore, if the exception is not at all part of the genus from which it is being excluded, it is frivolous and rationally fallacious to exclude it (taḥṣīl al-ḥāṣil). Such meaningless language could not be part of Divine Revelation. Therefore, the exception must somehow be included in the genus from which it is being excepted, even if it is a severed exception.

As an example, the logic behind a severed exception such as:

 جاءني القوم إلا حمارا

“The people arrived to me except [their] donkeys,” is that a listener would subconsciously posit that the arrival of the people would include their entourage. Since people would need to come on some means of transportation, donkeys would be expected to be included in the entourage. Therefore, making donkeys an exception here is predicated upon the fact that the arrival would be expected to include the people’s concomitants. Otherwise, there would be no linguistic need to exclude donkeys from the people’s arrival. It becomes clear from this example that the exception must be presupposed in some way to be part of the genus from which it is being excluded.

In other words, when someone states, “All A are B except C” there are three possibilities:

1. C truly is a member of the genus of A but has been excluded because B does not apply to it. This would be an example of a connected exception.
2. C is presupposed by the listener to be a member of the genus of A, and therefore B is implicitly thought to apply to it. Therefore, the speaker excludes C only to make it clear to the listener that it is not included in A.
3. C is a concomitant of A and would normally be thought to be governed by the same rule as A through association. However, since C does not accompany A in this situation, the speaker excepts it.

All of this aside, it behooves us to note that al-Mufīd did not notice a separate very clear verse of God wherein the Prophet is indeed referenced as seeking an ajr; this is where God states:

قُلْ مَا سَأَلْتُكُمْ مِنْ أَجْرٍ فَهُوَ لَكُمْ إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلاَّ عَلَى اللهِ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ

“Say [Oh Prophet]: Whatever I ask you of ajr is for yourselves; my ajr is only upon God; and He is the Witness over all things.”^[12]

The recompense that the Prophet asks for in this verse is the self-same one that is mentioned in the verse of mawaddah. Therefore, the exception in the verse of mawaddah must be connected and not severed. At this juncture, it becomes important for us to inquire about what the ajr being requested in this verse means so that we may reconcile it with the apparently contradicting verses that al-Mufīd mentioned.

The Meaning of Al-Ajr

 There are several opinions for what the meaning of al-ajr is in the Arabic language:

1. Recompense for an action or work^[13]
2. Reward in general, whether in this world or the Hereafter^[14]
3. A replacement for an action^[15]

The last opinion appears to be the most sound; however, in the Qur’ān we find that dowry is also occasionally referred to as al-ajr, such as in the following verses:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّا أَحْلَلْنَا لَكَ أَزْوَاجَكَ اللاَّتِي آتَيْتَ أُجُورَهُنَّ

“Oh Prophet, we have made lawful for you your wives to whom you give their ujūr (plural of ajr).”^[16]

 وَلا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ تَنْكِحُوهُنَّ إِذَا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ

“There is no blame upon you if you marry them after you have granted them their ujūr (plural of ajr).”^[17]

Now the dowry (al-mahr) that is mentioned here is not a recompense, reward, or replacement for an action performed by the woman, as there is not yet any action she has done to be recompensed. Therefore, it flies against what the Arabic linguists say in terms of the meaning of al-ajr. Some have therefore interpreted the use of the word al-ajr for dowry here in a metaphorical manner, although this seems to be quite contrived.^[18]

Rather, the most correct view appears to be that al-ajr here instead means “exchange” (al-badal) in the sense of something quickly taking the place of something else.^[19] The difference between “replacement” (al-‘iwaḍ) and “exchange” (al-badal) is explained beautifully by al-‘Askarī in his al-Furūq al-Lughawiyyah:

(العوض) ما تُعُقِّب به الشيءُ على جهة المثامنة، تقول: «هذا الدرهم عوض من خاتمك» و«هذا الدينار عوض من ثوبك»… و(البدل) ما يُقام مُقامه ويُوقَع مُوقَعه على جهة التعاقب دون المثامنة. ألا ترى أنّك تقول لمَنْ أساء إلى مَنْ أحسن إليه: «إنّه بدَّل نعمته كفراً»؛ لأنّه أقام الكفر مقام الشكر. ولا تقول: «عوَّضه كفراً»؛ لأنّ معنى المثامنة لا يصحّ في ذلك

“Al-‘iwaḍ (replacement) refers to something that follows something else in the sense of being of equal value; for instance, “this silver coin is a replacement for your ring;” or “this gold coin is a replacement for your robe.” Meanwhile, al-badal (exchange) refers to something that assumes the place of another on the basis of sequence alone without implying equal value. Do you not see that you tell someone who has behaved with vice to one who treated him with kindness that “he has exchanged his blessing with ingratitude” because he placed ingratitude in the place of gratitude? You cannot say here that “he replaced his blessing with ingratitude,” because the meaning of equal value is not correct.”

It is known that the dowry of a woman (or half of it) is given to her in exchange, even without consummation of the marriage. This implies that the dowry is given solely on the basis of sequence (i.e., as an exchanged item after the marriage contract) without an implication of equal value. Nonetheless, the Qur’ān uses the word al-ajr to refer to it.

This is further buttressed by the fact that God states, “And give women their dowries (ṣaduqātihinna) freely (niḥlah).”^[20] Here we can see that the word mahr is replaced with the word ṣaduqah and then further emphasized by using the word niḥlah (freely). This indicates that the dowry is not necessarily a replacement nor a recompense for something.

From the above, the deficiency becomes clear of the two arguments that al-Mufīd had presented to refute the notion of the Prophet’s recompense being love for his Ahl al-Bayt. This is garnered from the clear verse that states, “Say [Oh Prophet]: Whatever I ask you of ajr is for yourselves,”^[21] wherein the ajr here is for their sake and not the Holy Prophet’s sake. Therefore, the meaning of ajr here is not the meaning that is commonly understood among linguists of “recompense” or “replacement” for the one who is demanding it. Rather the meaning here is “exchange,” for the benefit of the one from whom it is being requested. It becomes clear that the demanding a badal rather than an ‘iwaḍ renders the arguments that al-Mufīd presents reconcilable; for the Prophet worked solely for Allāh and did not ask for a recompense for himself. Therefore, the rational and scriptural arguments that al-Mufīd presents are both rendered incomplete.

However, all of this is based on the reading of many commentators that the referent of the pronoun in the phrase of the verse ‘for it (‘alayhi)’ is the delivery of the risālah. We have sought to demonstrate that there is not necessarily an implication in the word “al-ajr” of requesting a replacement of equal value nor a recompense.

However, there is another possibility that entirely circumvents the two arguments proposed by al-Mufīd by making the referent of the pronoun the “glad tidings” (al-tabshīr) that are mentioned in the previous verse. To demonstrate, let us look at both verses in context:

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ فِي رَوْضَاتِ الْجَنَّاتِ لَهُمْ ما يَشاؤُونَ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْكَبِيرُ * ذَلِكَ الَّذِي يُبَشِّرُ اللهُ عِبَادَهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ قُلْ لا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْراً إِلاَّ الموَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبى وَمَنْ يَقْتَرِفْ حَسَنَةً نَزِدْ لَهُ فِيهَا حُسْناً إِنَّ اللهَ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ﴾

“…And those who believe and do righteous deeds will be in the flowering meadows of gardens, for them is whatever they wish with their Lord. That is the Great Bounty! That [bounty] whereof God gives glad-tidings to such of His servants as attain to faith and do righteous deeds. Say [O Prophet]: “No ajr do I ask of you for it other al-mawaddah fī al-qurbā.” For, if anyone gains [the merit of] a good deed, We shall grant him through it an increase of good: and, verily, God is much-forgiving, ever responsive to gratitude.” (Sūrah Shūra: verses 23-24)

Therefore, the prima facie meaning derived from the context is that the pronoun “it” refers instead back to the glad-tidings of Heaven, and this has been further corroborated by some commentators of the Qur’ān.^[22] Rather, it would seem from the apparent context that making this pronoun refer to the Prophetic delivery of the risālah is completely untenable; when the glad-tidings are referred to twice with the demonstrate pronoun “that” (dhālika), how does it make sense to claim that the pronoun in ‘alayhi is a referent that is completely external to the context?!

Therefore, the meaning becomes that they are being asked to give recompense to the Prophet for giving the believers the glad-tidings of Heaven; as it is said, “Whoever gives glad-tidings of goodness to someone may request recompense from him.”^[23] By this critical observation, the arguments that al-Mufīd presents are entirely circumvented; for the Prophet is not asking the believers here to reward him for his risālah or his nubūwwah in the first place. In contrast, the verses that refute other Prophets asking for a reward are clearly in reference to their risālah.

Therefore, from all the above it becomes clear that as borne out of the context, the verse of al-mawaddah is most likely to be implying, “Oh Apostle say: I do not ask you believers for any recompense due to these glad-tidings except al-mawaddah fī al-qurbā.” Thus the next step of the discussion is to understand the meaning of al-mawaddah fī al-qurbā, which is supposed to be the recompense for these glad-tidings of everlasting reward.

The Difference between Al-Wudd and al-Ḥubb

The commentators and linguists diverge about the difference in the meanings of al-wudd and al-ḥubb. Some have said that al-mawaddah simply implies the pinnacle of al-maḥabbah.^[24] Others have stated that al-maḥabbah is the more general word and al-mawaddah is more specific: they claim that al-mawaddah is specifically used when love is accompanied by a natural proclivity for affection.^[25] Yet others have claimed that al-maḥabbah is more specific and al-mawaddah is more general, implying either love or a sense of longing.^[26] Further, some say they are complete synonyms.^[27]

Al-‘Askarī corroborates the difference between the two words when he says:

الفرق بين الحبّ والودّ أنّ الحبّ يكون في ما يوجبه ميلُ الطباع والحكمةُ جميعاً، والوداد من جهة ميل الطباع فقط. ألا ترى أنّك تقول: «أُحبّ فلاناً وأَوَدّه»، وتقول: «أُحبّ الصلاة»، ولا تقول: «أودّ الصلاة

“The difference between al-ḥubb and al-wudd is that the former applies when both wisdom and the soul’s natural predisposition dictate love. Meanwhile, al-wudd is specifically used only for when the soul is naturally predisposed to love. Do you not see that you use al-ḥubb to express your love for prayer and not al-wudd?” ^[28]

It is clear that what al-‘Askarī states is borne out in the Qur’ānic terminology, because the numerous verses that utilize al-wudd in the Qur’ān are typically speaking of the love of the disbelievers, such as for example the following (we will suffice with these five examples although there are many):

وَدُّوا لَوْ تَكْفُرُونَ

“They wish that you should disbelieve.”^[29]

 

وَدَّ الَّذينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْ تَغْفُلُونَ عَنْ أَسْلِحَتِكُمْ وَأَمْتِعَتِكُمْ فَيَميلُونَ عَلَيْكُمْ

“The disbelievers wish that you should neglect your weapons and provisions so that they may attack you all at once.”^[30]

 

وَإِنْ يَأْتِ الأَحْزَابُ يَوَدُّوا لَوْ أَنَّهُمْ بَادُونَ فِي الأَعْرَابِ

“And if the hosts (of the enemy) should come, they (the hypocrites) will wish that they had instead been nomads among the Arabs.^”[31]

 

يَوَدُّ الْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِي مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍ بِبَنِيهِ

“The wrongdoer will wish that he could ransom himself from the punishment of that day with his children.”^[32]

وَلَتَجِدَنَّهُمْ أَحْرَصَ النَّاسِ عَلَى حَيَاةٍ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا يَوَدُّ أَحَدُهُمْ لَوْ يُعَمَّرُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ

“You will find them (the Jews) and the idolaters the most avaricious of people for life; each one of them wishes that he could live for a thousand years.”^[33]

In these verses, we see that the ones who are described as having al-wudd are the disbelievers, the hypocrites, the disbelieving Jews, and the wrongdoers; this applies generally in the Qur’ān except for two places.^[34] This serves to indicate that these individuals gravitate towards their base whims rather than to the dictates of intelligence and wisdom. Secondly, most of the verses which use al-wudd are not doing so in a spirit of praise; rather most of them are accompanied by a censuring connotation. Thirdly, the word al-wudd is never used to describe Allāh’s active love in the Qur’ān; rather it is al-ḥubb which is used to describe God’s affection to others.^[35]

Additionally in the Qur’ān, we find that al-mawaddah is considered the opposite of animosity (al-‘adāwah), such as in the verse:

لَتَجِدَنَّ أَشَدَّ النَّاسِ عَدَاوَةً لِلَّذينَ آمَنُوا الْيَهُودَ وَالَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا وَلَتَجِدَنَّ أَقْرَبَهُمْ مَوَدَّةً لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّا نَصَارَى

“You shall indeed find that the most steadfast of people in animosity (‘adāwatan) for the believers are the Jews and the idolaters; and you shall find the closest of them in affection (mawaddatan) for the believers are those who say, “We are Christians.””^[36]

Meanwhile, we find that al-maḥabbah’s opposite in the Qur’ān is actually disdain (al-karāhah), such as in this verse:

عَسَى أَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئاً وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ وَعَسَى أَنْ تُحِبُّوا شَيْئاً وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَكُمْ

“Perhaps you should disdain (takrahū) something while it is good for you, and perhaps you should love something (tuḥibbū) something while it is evil for you.”^[37]

Therefore, to the extent that animosity and dislike are different, we can posit that al-ḥubb and al-wudd also differ. As an example, one who has diabetes disdains (al-karāhah) sugary foods due to knowing its effects upon him, although he would not innately despise them (al-‘adāwah) and may indeed have a natural inclination (al-wudd) for them. However he does not love them (al-ḥubb) because his insight informs him they are dangerous.

The Difference Between al-Mawaddah and al-Wudd

There is a famous adage in Arabic studies that “a difference in morphology indicates a difference in meaning.” Therefore, it would be incorrect to posit that al-mawaddah means precisely the same thing as al-wudd or al-widād. The word al-mawaddah is termed a “maṣdar mīmī” wherein the tā’ marbūṭah is attached for the purposes of hyperbole. Therefore, it should be said that the word al-mawaddah implies a degree of affection that is stronger and more permanent than mere al-wudd.^[38]

The Difference Between “Al-Mawaddah fī al-Qurbā” and “Al-Mawaddah li al-Qurbā”

Even if the syntactic difference should be just in prepositions, there must be an implied difference in meaning through use of the phraseology “al-mawaddah fī al-qurbā.” Therefore, the use of the ḥarf (particle) “fī” instead of “li” must have a significance. Some have proposed that the particle “fī” can be used for a causative purpose (al-sababiyyah), but the reality is that the word still carries a locative significance (al-ẓarfiyyah).

Therefore, we find that al-Zamakhsharī answers this question quite beautifully when he states:

فإنْ قلت: هلاّ قيل: «إلاّ مودّة القربى»، أو «إلاّ المودة للقربى»؟ وما معنى قوله: ﴿إِلاَّ الموَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَى﴾؟ قلتُ: جُعِلوا مكاناً للمودّة ومقرّاً لها، كقولك: «لي في آل فلان مودّة» و«لي فيهم هوىً وحبّ شديد»، تريد أُحبّهم وهُم مكانُ حبّي ومحلُّه.

 “If you should ask: what is the meaning of “illā al-mawaddah fī al-qurba,” and why didn’t the verse say “illā mawaddah al-qurbā” or “illā al-mawaddah li al-qurbā,” I respond that the qurbā have been made the repository of affection. It is just as you say, “In such-and-such a family, I bear a deep affection,” meaning that they are the embodiment and repository of your love.”^[39]

Therefore, we understand that the ajr which the Prophet is asking for is affection that is binding and firmly established for the qurbā. The use of the preposition “fī” creates a connotation of personification, as though the entire group being referred to has been made the repository of affection. This phraseology is therefore even more binding in indicating the permanence of the affection.

The Meaning of al-Qurbā^[40]

The most contentious part of this verse by far is understanding the meaning of al-qurbā; on this frontier there are about four different opinions among the mufassīrīn:

1. The meaning of al-qurbā here refers to the Prophet’s closest relatives; this view has been narrated on the authority of Imam al-Sajjād, Imam al-Bāqir, Imam al-Ṣādiq, Sa’īd ibn Jubayr, and ‘Amr ibn Shu’ayb, among others. All Shī’ah mufassirs and a large number of Sunnī ones have adopted this view.
2. The meaning of al-qurbā here refers to acts that draw one close to God; therefore the meaning is “I don’t ask you for any recompense except to love drawing close to God through His obedience and doing righteous deeds.” This view is attributed to Hasan al-Baṣrī.
3. The meaning of al-qurbā is the Prophet’s kinship to the Quraysh, so the meaning therefore becomes, “I don’t ask you for any recompense except to love me for the sake of familial kinship that we share.” This view is attributed to ibn ‘Abbās, Qatādah, Mujāhid, Ḍaḥḥāk, ‘Aṭā’ ibn Dīnār, and others.
4. The meaning of al-qurbā here is that each person should love and show kindness to his own respective family. This view has been mentioned in passing by Al-Ṭūsī and Abū Ḥayyān in their respective commentaries.

The correct meaning based on both the apparent context of the verse (al-istiẓhār) and the narrations is the first opinion. We will first seek to substantiate this view from both these perspectives, and then we will critique the other views:^[41]

A. The Argument from the Apparent Context Of the Verse

The Imāmiyyah sect and others are unanimous that the word al-qurbā is a verbal noun that means “closeness in familial relation by the womb,”^[42] on the pattern of al-zulfā, al-‘uqbā, al-bushrā, etc. Linguists such as Abū al-Abbās al-Fayyūmī and ibn Durayd have also affirmed this meaning in their works.^[43] Given that verbal nouns are often placed in genitive constructions with nouns of place and time, some have claimed that the meaning is “ahl al-qurbā” (the folks of close relation), however this is quite contrived because ellipsis should not be invoked except when there is a clear context clue to suggest it and the meaning would not be clear without it. Furthermore, if the meaning here was “ahl al-qurbā” then the Qur’ān could easily have said this, as there are other places where it states “dhawī al-qurbā.”^[44] Of note, there is no place in the Qur’ān where the word “qurbā” by itself is used to refer to “ahl al-qurbā” or “ulū al-qurbā.”

Nonetheless, linguists such as Ibn Manẓūr have noted that the use of the word “qurbā” alone to denote one’s close relations is linguistically allowable.^[45] Some commentators have noted that the meaning here is specifically those relatives of the Prophet whose relationship to him is so apparent and clear that it is as though they have no relationship to anyone else; therefore, the use of “ahl,” “ulū” and “dhawū” becomes superfluous in this context.^[46]

Therefore, in this case the word “al-qurbā” by itself denotes “closeness by womb relation.”^[47] The use of the definite article “al” before the word “qurbā” implies that this kinship is known to the listener (al-‘ahdiyyah); given that the Prophet is the one who is requesting this affection for al-qurbā, it naturally follows that al-qurbā here refers to the Prophetic kinship. Hence, the meaning becomes “I do not ask you for any follow-up for this except love for the (Prophetic) kin.”

This also makes clear why the word al-mawaddah is specifically used in this context; as we discussed previously, the word al-wudd implies a love that emanates from a natural predisposition towards the object of affection. Given that a follower of the Prophet is already naturally predisposed towards loving him, it naturally follows that they would be predisposed to loving his kinsfolk. Therefore, the word al-mawaddah is more salient than the use of the more general al-maḥabbah. Beyond this, however, the verse is somewhat silent about who precisely these Prophetic “womb relations” are, and thus we must resort to the riwāyāt to understand the referents.

B. The Argument from the Traditions

There are many narrations from both Shī’ah and Sunnī sources that indicate the meaning of al-qurbā here is the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet; restricting ourselves specifically to those mentioned in Sunnī books, we can reference the following aḥādīth:

1. أخرج ابن المنذر وابن أبي حاتم والطبراني وابن مردويه، من طريق سعيد بن جبير، عن ابن عبّاس قال: لما نزلت هذه الآية ﴿قُلْ لا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْراً إِلاَّ الموَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَى﴾ قالوا: يا رسول الله، مَنْ قرابتك هؤلاء الذين وجبت مودّتهم؟ قال: عليٌّ وفاطمة وولداها

On the authority of ibn ‘Abbās: “When the verse “Say I do not ask of you any recompense for it except love for the womb relations” was revealed, the people asked, “Oh Messenger of God! Who are these relatives of yours for whom love is incumbent?” He answered, “Alī, Fāṭimah, and her two children.”””^[48]

1. خرج ابن جرير، عن أبي الديلم قال: لما جيء بعليّ بن الحسين (رضي الله عنه) أسيراً، فأُقيم على درج دمشق، قام رجلٌ من أهل الشام فقال: الحمد لله الذي قتلكم واستأصلكم، فقال له عليّ بن الحسين (رضي الله عنه): أَقَرأت القرآن؟ قال: نعم، قال: أقرأت آل حم؟ قال: لا، قال: أما قرأت ﴿قُلْ لا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْراً إِلاَّ الموَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَى﴾؟ قال: فإنّكم لأنتم هم؟! قال: نعم

On the authority of Abū al-Daylam: “When ‘Alī ibn Ḥusayn (as) was brought as a captive and made to stand at the gate of Damascus, a man from Shām came to him and said, “Praise be to God who has killed you and exterminated you.” ‘Alī ibn Ḥusayn (as) answered: “Have you read the Book of God?” He replied, “Yes.” He asked, “Have you read the Chapters of Ḥāmīm?” He said, “No.” ‘Alī ibn Ḥusayn then said, “Haven’t you read “Say I do not ask you any recompense for it except for love of my womb relations?” He responded, “Are you really them?” He answered, “Yes.””^[49]

1. وروى أبو الشيخ وغيره عن علي كرم الله وجهه فينا آل حم آية لا يحفظ مودتنا إلا كل مؤمن ثم قرأ قل لا أسألكم عليه أجرا إلا المودة في القربى

On the authority of ‘Alī (as): “In our honor, a verse of the Chapters of Ḥāmīm exists; no one preserves that love for us except a believer. Then he recited, “Say I do not ask you for any recompense for it except the love of the womb relations.”^[50]

1. وأخرج البزار والطبراني عن الحسن رضي الله قال أنا ابن البشير أنا ابن النذير ثم قال وأنا من أهل البيت الذين افترض الله عز و جل مودتهم وموالاتهم فقال فيما أنزل على محمد قل لا أسألكم عليه

On the authority of al-Ḥasan ibn ‘Alī (as) that he said: “I am the son of the giver of glad-tidings, I am the son of the warner.” Then he said, “I am from an Ahl al-Bayt for whom God has obligated love and friendship.” Then he said, “Among what was revealed to Prophet Muḥammad is the verse, “Say I do not ask of you for it…””^[51]

Of course, these are just examples of narrations and more detailed discussions regarding the number of riwāyāt that affirm this meaning from both Shī’ah and Sunnī sources can be found in the relevant books.^[52]

C. Refuting the Other Viewpoints

At this juncture, we ought to critically examine the other interpretations of “qurbā” that we presented earlier to analyze whether they hold any water:

i. The meaning of al-qurbā here refers to acts that draw one close to God. Therefore the meaning becomes, “I don’t ask you for any recompense for it except love for doing acts that make you closer to God.”

This meaning of qurbā is not grounded in linguistic usage. Rather, when one examines the Qur’ān the word used for expressing deeds that draw one close to God is instead “qurbah” or “qurubāt.”^[53] Secondly, proximity to God is the entire basis upon which one has faith and does righteous deeds in the first place; therefore, the Prophet asking the believers to love seeking nearness to God—after addressing them as those who believe and do righteous deeds—seems quite redundant in this context. Finally, this interpretation goes against the numerous traditions that directly clarify the import of the qurbā.

ii. The meaning of al-qurbā is the Prophet’s kinship to the Quraysh, so the meaning therefore becomes, “I don’t ask you for any recompense for it except to love me because of the familial kinship that we share.”

Based on this interpretation, the addressees of this verse would specifically become the polytheists of Quraysh. This is somewhat contrived, because as we previously stated using the particle “fī” for causative purposes (i.e. because of the familial kinship) is rejected by a number of linguists.^[54] Furthermore, this goes against the dictates of reason because it makes no sense to request a recompense from someone who does not even accept the validity of your message in the first place. Secondly, it goes against the context as the verse is clearly addressed to “those who believe and do righteous deeds,” not the disbelievers; there is nothing in the context of the verse which would indicate the address is the disbelievers of Quraysh. Thirdly, the verse is clearly identified as Madanī by both Ibn ‘Abbās and Qatādah, so it would make no sense for God to be addressing the Qurayshite Makkans in this verse.[55] Finally, this type of commandment goes against the Qur’ān as it would portray a sense of weakness and submission, whereas the Prophet in many verses has been clearly instructed to fight against the disbelievers of Makkah and to be harsh with them.^[56]

iii. The meaning of al-qurbā here is that each person should love and show kindness to his own family.

This interpretation takes the definite article in “al-qurbā” to be one of “al-jinsiyyah” (subsuming the entire genus); however, it suffers from several weaknesses. Firstly, there is no need for the Prophet to ask the believers to do this, because an inclination towards one’s relatives is natural and does not require a specific Prophetic prescription. Secondly, this verse goes clearly against the import of other verses of the Qur’ān wherein the believers are told not to love the disbelievers, even if they should be their kindred.[57] Thirdly, it disconnects the meaning of the word from the command to the Prophet to say it; it is clear that the Prophet is asking for “love of the kinsfolk” as his recompense, and it is therefore unclear how loving one’s own family is specifically relevant to the Prophet.

The Problem of Attempting to Use this Verse to Prove the Imāmate of the Twelfth Imāms

Some of the Shī’ahs of the more contemporary period have attempted to use the verse of mawaddah to prove the Imāmate of the Twelve Imams, notwithstanding the fact that for hundreds of years, not one of our Shī’ah scholars ever used this verse for that purpose. Shaykh al-Ṭūsī, al-Ṣadūq, and al-Mufīd never mentioned this verse as substantiating the belief in Imāmate! Neither do we find ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī, ‘Allāmah Ḥillī, or al-Ṭabarsī utilizing this verse to prove this concept. Rather, all they would substantiate from this verse is that love for the Ahl al-Bayt is a religiously sanctioned obligation upon every Muslim.

To demonstrate just how convoluted such type of reasoning is, we will present the words of one of the Shī’ah scholars where the verse is used to prove the concept of Imāmate:

إنّ هذه المحبّة ليست أمراً عاديّاً، بل هي جزاءٌ للنبوّة وأجر للرسالة، ولا بُدَّ أن يكون الأجر والثمن مساوياً للمثمن حتّى يمكن اعتباره جزاءً له. من جانبٍ ثانٍ فإنّ الآيات القرآنيّة تؤكّد أنّ نفع هذه المحبّة ليس شيئاً يعود إلى النبيّ|، بل إنّ حاصل ذلك يعود إلى المؤمنين أنفسهم. وبعبارةٍ أخرى: يعتبر أمراً معنويّاً يؤثّر في هداية المسلمين وتكاملهم. وبهذا الترتيب، ورغم أنّه لا يستفاد من الآية سوى وجوب المحبّة، إلاّ أنّ وجوب المحبّة هذه ـ بمراعاة القرائن المذكورة ـ لها علاقة بقضيّة الإمامة، التي تعتبر السند لمقام النبوّة والرسالة

“This love is not something ordinary; rather it is the recompense for the nubūwwah and risālah; therefore it must be equal and proportionate in value in order for it to be considered a proper reward. Furthermore, the verses of the Qur’ān confirm that the benefit of this love is not something which goes back to the Prophet; rather it goes back to the Muslims themselves. In other words, it is considered a spiritual affair that strengthens and completes the guidance of the Muslims. Based on this, although the verse is only enjoining towards the obligation of love, the contextual clues indicate that it is linked to the affair of Imāmate, being as how it is an extension of the nubūwwah and risālah.”^[58]

The flimsiness of this argument can easily be garnered based on what we discussed about the meaning of ajr in this verse not necessarily implying a replacement of equal value. Rather, using verses such as these to derive beliefs like Imāmate is extremely convoluted and sophistic; it should be said that we have enough other verses and mutawātir traditions to substantiate our belief in Imāmate without having to rely on such shoddy reasoning.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the verse of mawaddah states:

“Oh Prophet: tell the believers to whom you have delivered the message and given the glad-tidings of “being in the pastures of Paradise with whatever they want in proximity to their Lord:” I do not ask you for any recompense for giving you these glad-tidings except strong affection for my kinsfolk—this strong affection which is borne out of your natural inclination towards me.”

Hence, this verse does not have absolutely anything to do with the leadership or Imāmate of the Ahl al-Bayt.

[1] The original article can be found at this link: http://nosos.net/%D9%83%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A9%D9%8C-%D8%AD%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%A2%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%88%D8%AF%D9%91%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%89/             

[2] Tafsīr al-Sa’dī, in commentary on 42:23

[3] We have purposely left these terms italicized and untranslated, as the author will analyze the meanings of these words in-depth in his discussion.

[4] Alids of course are those who descend from Imām ‘Ali and Lady Fāṭimah (as).

[5] See I’tiqād al-Imāmiyyah page 111

[6] Sūrah Hūd verse 29

[7] Sūrah Hūd verse 51

[8] In Arabic, there are generally two types of exceptions: a connected exception (al-istithnā al-muttaṣil or al-istithnā min al-jumlah) wherein the exception is actually a member of the genus from which it is being excluded, and the severed exception (al-istithnā al-munqaṭi’) wherein the exception is not a member of the genus from which it is being excluded. A famous example of the latter is in the verse, “All the angels prostrated except for the Devil.” (Sūrah al-Ḥijr verse 30). Obviously, the Devil is not an angel, but he is being excluded here from those who prostrated to Adam.

[9] Sūrah al-Ḥijr verse 30

[10] Sūrah al-Shu’arā verse 77

[11] Taṣḥīh I’tiqādāt al-Imāmiyyah pages 140-142

[12] Sūrah Saba’, verse 47

[13] In Arabic, defined as jazā’ al-‘amal. This view is held by the linguists al-Khalīl, al-Fayrūzābādī, and ibn Manẓūr.

[14] In Arabic, defined as thawāb. This view is held by the linguists al-Jawharī, al-Iṣfahānī, and al-Harawī.

[15] In Arabic, defined as ‘iwaḍ. This view is mentioned in al-Muṭli’, al-Mu’jam al-Wasīṭ, and al-Taḥqīq fī Kalimāt al-Qur’ān.

[16] Sūrah al-Aḥzāb verse 50

[17] Sūrah al-Mumtaḥinah, verse 10

[18] Such as al-Sayyid Murtaḍā al-Zabīdī. There is some discussion here in the Arabic about why metaphor should not be invoked. Advanced readers are recommended to refer to the Arabic original of this article for more details.

[19] Owing somewhat to the lack of precision in the English language, it is difficult to approximate the difference between these two Arabic words. However, we aim to indicate that a “replacement” is an object that is of roughly equivalent worth while an “exchange” has no connotation of equal value.

[20] Sūrah al-Nisā: verse 20

[21] Sūrah Saba’: verse 47

[22] For instance, see the following tafsīrs Anwār al-Tanzīl, al-Baḥr al-Madīd, Rūḥ al-Bayān, Kanz al-Daqā’iq, Rūḥ al-Ma’ānī, and Zubdah al-Tafāsīr.

[23] See Laṭā’if al-Ishārāt volume 3, page 351. The

[24] This view is shared by al-Rāzī, al-Ḥusaynī al-Hamadānī, and Ḥaydar al-Āmulī

[25] This view is espoused by al-Ṭūsī in his al-Tibyān volume 6 page 101

[26] Among these are al-Ṭūsī again, as well as al-Ṭabarsī and al-Gharnāṭī.

[27] Such as ibn ‘Āshūr, al-Marāghī, al-Zuḥaylī, Āyatullāh Muḥammad Ḥusayn Faḍlullāh, al-Qurṭubī, al-Ṭabarsī, and al-Ṭabāṭabā’ī.

[28] Al-Furūq al-Lughawiyyah page 174

[29] Sūrah al-Nisā’: verse 89 and al-Mumtaḥinah: verse 2

[30] Sūrah al-Nisā’: verse 102

[31] Sūrah al-Aḥzāb: verse 20

[32] Sūrah al-Ma’ārij: verse 11

[33] Sūrah al-Baqarah: verse 96

[34] The two verses where al-wudd is used to describe believers is Sūrah al-Baqarah verse 166 and Sūrah al-Anfāl verse 7, and even in these verses, the implication is love due to one’s natural inclination rather than love wrought of wisdom.

[35] Of course, among the attributes of God is “Al-Wadūd” however this is considered among his Essential Attributes (al-ṣifāt al-dhātiyyah), not among his Active Attributes (al-ṣifāt al-fi’liyyah). The implication of the author here is that you will never find in the Qur’ān that it says إن الله يود المحسنين for example. The verbal form of al-ḥubb is exclusively used for this purpose.

[36] Sūrah al-Mā’idah verse 82

[37] Sūrah al-Baqarah verse 216

[38] See al-Naḥw al-‘Arabī volume 3 page 465

[39] Al-Kashshāf volume 4 page 219

[40] Most of the information in this section is derived from Shaykh Bābā’ī’s commentary on the verse in his “Pazhūheshī dar Āye-ye-Mawaddat.”

[42] See al-Tibyān volume 1 page 328, Al-Baḥr al-Muḥīṭ volume 1 page 453, Al-Baḥr al-Madīd volume 5 page 211, Al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr volume 25, page 146, Rūḥ al-Ma’ānī volume 1 page 308, al-Kashshāf volume 4 page 219, etc.

[43] Please see al-Miṣbāḥ al-Munīr page 49 and Jamharat al-Lughah volume 1 page 324.

[44] See Sūrah al-Anfāl verse 41, Sūrah al-Ḥashr verse 7, Sūrah al-Isrā verse 26, Sūrah al-Nisā’ verse 8

[45] Please see the entry for ق ر ب in Lisān al-‘Arab, wherein he states:

والقريبة ذو القرابة ، والجمع من النساء قرائب ومن الرجال أقارب ، ولو قيل : قربى لجاز

“Al-qarībah” is used to refer to someone of kinship. The plural for women is “qarā’ib” and the plural for men is “aqārib.” However, if “qurbā” should be used (for the plural) that is also allowable.”

[46] This point has been noted by Shaykh Murtazā Hā’iri in his “Tafsīr-e-Āye-ye-Mawaddat,” page 153.

[47] This is as per ibn al-Manẓūr who states, “Al-qarābah and al-qurbā are words used to refer to closeness in familial relation; and al-qurbā specifically is used to refer to those who are kins by blood.” (Lisān al-‘Arab volume 1 page 665)

[48] See al-Durr al-Manthūr of al-Suyūṭī on the commentary of 42:23

[49] Ibid.

[50] Al-Ṣawā’iq al-Muḥriqah volume 2 page 487

[51] Ibid.

[52] Āyatullah Shihāb al-Dīn Mar’ashī Najafī on his commentary of Iḥqāq al-Ḥaqq has enumerated 64 scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah that have narrated these traditions. Sayyid Hāshim al-Baḥrānī in his Ghāyat al-Marām has counted 17 narrations from the books of Ahl al-Sunnah and 22 from the Shī’ah that confirm the meaning of qurbā as we have expounded.

[53] As an example see Sūrah Tawbah, verse 99

[54] Among these are al-Rāzī and al-Muḥaqqiq al-Ḥillī.

[55] See Majma’ al-Bayān volume 9 page 31 and al-Jāmi’ li Aḥkām al-Qur’ān volume 16 page 1

[56] See Sūrah Tawbah verse 73 and Sūrah al-Taḥrīm verse 9

[57] See Sūrah al-Mujādilah verse 22

[58] Tafsīr al-Amthal volume 15 page 518