The following was a post I made another forum. I thought it would be beneficial to share it here.
4:54 Context
Imam Baqir (a) and Imam Reda (a) both according to our ahadith heavily emphasized on the link between 4:54 and 4:59. We also have a hadith from Imam Musa Al-Kathim (a) emphasizing the family of Mohammad (s) are the envied people. I understand Sunnis not seeing this but Shiites have no excuse since their ahadith explain the link and emphasize on it.
The Implication of "fa"
To expand what I mean by "fa" being an implication.
"Obey the principle and obey your teachers so/therefore if your math teacher tells you to do problems during class time then do it"
"Eat fruit and vegetables so/therefore eat the carrots and oranges in your fridge".
The latter part is included in the former it's implied. So part of obeying God and part of obeying Rasool and Ulul-Amr from us. It maybe because Rasool (s) is the current leader or the current Messenger.
It maybe also that Ulul-Amr will become a non-Nabi Messenger if the message becomes unclear, same with Bani-Israel Twelve Captains, they became Messengers because message was abandoned and it needed to be revived. The latter were Anbiya as well so received scripture and channeled that to humanity while our Imams won't receive scripture to channel to humanity.
The "from you"
This can mean what @ali_fatheroforphans said, however, I believe it refers back to verse 4:54. That is the emphasis is we too been given Ulul-Amr, and the from you is saying Auli-Ibrahim were an Ulul-Amr, but we too been given an Ulul-Amr to obey. Usually it's what @ali_fatheroforphans says in Quran, but I believe the flow to 4:54 has more implied, it implies we been given something similar to Auli-Ibrahim, and means we too have such a favor from God in the chosen family in this nation.
The Rasool and Ulul Amr from "them" later verse
Islam is concerned with things of security and fear in this world and next. The later verse, it can be that it is not really a statement of the people of Mohammad (S) time, but a statement of people of the past times. Going back to comparison of 4:54, it can be saying, every nation was meant to have a founding Messenger followed up by those bestowed the Authority from that Messenger after him. In the past these were mostly Nabis, but they were not meant to become Messengers. Messengers means the message needs to be revived. Haroun (a) becoming a Messenger AFTER (since we know he was a Messenger with Musa (a) to Pharaoh people) Musa (a) would mean they abandoned the message. That's never a good thing.
The Anbiya that follow up a founding Messenger are an Ulul-Amr from the people that Messenger is sent to. It can be saying, if they referred back to the Messenger and Ulul-Amr among them regarding all these matters of fear and safety, whether safety of the land in the outward or safety in the journey towards God and next world, then there would be no need of the Ulul-Amr becoming Messengers since those who could've perceived would have perceived it. The full perception of Islam is only possible by the Rasool and Ulul-Amr, but people would understand to degrees what they differed about, and division would not be a thing.
Going back to 4:59 and 4:54, this means, ALL people were given this opportunity, and so we should take lesson, and refer all matters of safety and fear to Rasool and Ulul-Amr from us.
What is emphasized after
- How Bani-Israel treated their Rasool and Ulul-Amr to the extent they all had to become Messengers reviving the message and would kill them for what they didn't desire.
- The trouble they gave Isa (a) and divisions they had about his based on conjecture.
- The emphasis all Messengers are meant to be obeyed and who obeys the Messenger has obeyed God
- The emphasis on obeying even if God tells you irrational commands like all go out or kill yourselves, it would be better to obey then disobey.
The one verse that can be suggestive of judges/commanders/governors
Verse 4:58 can be seen as a command to governors under Rasool (S) command, but if you keep in mind the flow from 4:54, and our hadiths will say what I'm saying too, it refers to Ahlulbayt (A). It can be saying, that the trust they are given, they pass it on to an Imam, but also partial trust of it is to be from them given to followers to implement justice. If they rule in midst of people it is God who commands them to do so by justice.
What has to be kept in mind, is the the reward accusation verses and the religion is Islam. The disbelievers had a huge problem with Islam because to them it gives too much power to Mohammad (s) who they saw motivated by greed for it from viewpoint he is false. The Quran through out argued that such authority is for our benefit. It's upon God to establish to guide us through appointing such authorities. This verse extending it to his family, can be seen controversial.
So God is emphasizing it is himself that is the light that commands towards justice in these people and this is what it means that he breathed into Adam (a) his spirit and that he inspired Mohammad (s) with a spirit from his authority/command. The spirit is just an expression, in reality, they are connected to God in a way of "two bows" or closer still, and two bows lined up make a full circle, and so they are so close, we can't describe it. This verse is saying the expression of the holy spirit that guides them is God himself, he is what commands them to justice.
Welayatal Faqih is extension of this verse
Now the rulers and governors on behalf of Imams (a) are addressed here to an extent, in that Imams (a) give them partial trust of this trust they been given by God. And this is volatile, people can betray that trust they are given by Imams (a). It is out of this flow, that Khomeini (q) said WF must be implemented as Imams (a) gave the narrators of ahadith or the Fuqaha given certain traits, the trust of leading politically in ghayba including if they can, to implement government. Imam Hussain (a) showed when Imams (a) lost authority, it was not just them losing, but in fact, fuqaha right of ruling was forsaken. They had a duty to stand for justice, not just the 12 Imams (a).
So while Ulul-Amr are the Imams we have to keep in mind that government is important here, leading politically is important. And to an extent, the position of obey God and his Messenger emphasis through out Quran has been extented to WF.
Difference between WF and Sunni System
Simon (a) is the best of the people and most capable of leading after Isa (a), we try to pick out of the most pious and most capable to lead as well. Simon (a) was not a leader that guides by God's command but was a successor of Isa (a) in terms of general leadership.
The Sunnis in the start of Abu Bakr, and Umar can argue that their system picked the best and most capable. They can argue by hadiths same about Uthman who history proves was corrupt, but say their hadiths are right. What about Ummayads and unjust rulers. Their hadiths say to obey those too. That's the major difference.
A volatile system based on corruption, it lead to ummayads being replaced by abbasids, and today, we see that we are ruled by corrupted dictators that are slaves to neo-colonialists.
This is while our hadiths even talk about in detail (see long letter of Imam Ali (a) to Malikal Ashtar (r)) who is to be put as administrator of justice in a local region who the rulers of Ummayads and rulers today, are all not fit per that condition, let alone the extra conditions such as courage and bravery required for the leader on top.
Caution regarding scholars with 4:54
The preceding part showed scholars of Jews and Christians were envious of Mohammad (S) and his family (a) authority. It also rhetorically asks if they can be given even a portion of this authority? Reality even scholars are not given a portion of this authority, but rather they are ENTRUSTED to govern, lead, and pass on teachings. That is VOLATILE. This is why we have to learn after Simon (a), things went eventually haywire in terms of authority for Christians. They were lead to trinity. So while they are entrusted to govern, this doesn't mean they actually have authority or even partial of it. This means we have to hold them accountable to Quran and Sunnah as well.
If we don't hold scholars accountable, deviation is likely, just as Christians were lead away from Tawhid even.
4:54 Context
Imam Baqir (a) and Imam Reda (a) both according to our ahadith heavily emphasized on the link between 4:54 and 4:59. We also have a hadith from Imam Musa Al-Kathim (a) emphasizing the family of Mohammad (s) are the envied people. I understand Sunnis not seeing this but Shiites have no excuse since their ahadith explain the link and emphasize on it.
The Implication of "fa"
To expand what I mean by "fa" being an implication.
"Obey the principle and obey your teachers so/therefore if your math teacher tells you to do problems during class time then do it"
"Eat fruit and vegetables so/therefore eat the carrots and oranges in your fridge".
The latter part is included in the former it's implied. So part of obeying God and part of obeying Rasool and Ulul-Amr from us. It maybe because Rasool (s) is the current leader or the current Messenger.
It maybe also that Ulul-Amr will become a non-Nabi Messenger if the message becomes unclear, same with Bani-Israel Twelve Captains, they became Messengers because message was abandoned and it needed to be revived. The latter were Anbiya as well so received scripture and channeled that to humanity while our Imams won't receive scripture to channel to humanity.
The "from you"
This can mean what @ali_fatheroforphans said, however, I believe it refers back to verse 4:54. That is the emphasis is we too been given Ulul-Amr, and the from you is saying Auli-Ibrahim were an Ulul-Amr, but we too been given an Ulul-Amr to obey. Usually it's what @ali_fatheroforphans says in Quran, but I believe the flow to 4:54 has more implied, it implies we been given something similar to Auli-Ibrahim, and means we too have such a favor from God in the chosen family in this nation.
The Rasool and Ulul Amr from "them" later verse
Islam is concerned with things of security and fear in this world and next. The later verse, it can be that it is not really a statement of the people of Mohammad (S) time, but a statement of people of the past times. Going back to comparison of 4:54, it can be saying, every nation was meant to have a founding Messenger followed up by those bestowed the Authority from that Messenger after him. In the past these were mostly Nabis, but they were not meant to become Messengers. Messengers means the message needs to be revived. Haroun (a) becoming a Messenger AFTER (since we know he was a Messenger with Musa (a) to Pharaoh people) Musa (a) would mean they abandoned the message. That's never a good thing.
The Anbiya that follow up a founding Messenger are an Ulul-Amr from the people that Messenger is sent to. It can be saying, if they referred back to the Messenger and Ulul-Amr among them regarding all these matters of fear and safety, whether safety of the land in the outward or safety in the journey towards God and next world, then there would be no need of the Ulul-Amr becoming Messengers since those who could've perceived would have perceived it. The full perception of Islam is only possible by the Rasool and Ulul-Amr, but people would understand to degrees what they differed about, and division would not be a thing.
Going back to 4:59 and 4:54, this means, ALL people were given this opportunity, and so we should take lesson, and refer all matters of safety and fear to Rasool and Ulul-Amr from us.
What is emphasized after
- How Bani-Israel treated their Rasool and Ulul-Amr to the extent they all had to become Messengers reviving the message and would kill them for what they didn't desire.
- The trouble they gave Isa (a) and divisions they had about his based on conjecture.
- The emphasis all Messengers are meant to be obeyed and who obeys the Messenger has obeyed God
- The emphasis on obeying even if God tells you irrational commands like all go out or kill yourselves, it would be better to obey then disobey.
The one verse that can be suggestive of judges/commanders/governors
Verse 4:58 can be seen as a command to governors under Rasool (S) command, but if you keep in mind the flow from 4:54, and our hadiths will say what I'm saying too, it refers to Ahlulbayt (A). It can be saying, that the trust they are given, they pass it on to an Imam, but also partial trust of it is to be from them given to followers to implement justice. If they rule in midst of people it is God who commands them to do so by justice.
What has to be kept in mind, is the the reward accusation verses and the religion is Islam. The disbelievers had a huge problem with Islam because to them it gives too much power to Mohammad (s) who they saw motivated by greed for it from viewpoint he is false. The Quran through out argued that such authority is for our benefit. It's upon God to establish to guide us through appointing such authorities. This verse extending it to his family, can be seen controversial.
So God is emphasizing it is himself that is the light that commands towards justice in these people and this is what it means that he breathed into Adam (a) his spirit and that he inspired Mohammad (s) with a spirit from his authority/command. The spirit is just an expression, in reality, they are connected to God in a way of "two bows" or closer still, and two bows lined up make a full circle, and so they are so close, we can't describe it. This verse is saying the expression of the holy spirit that guides them is God himself, he is what commands them to justice.
Welayatal Faqih is extension of this verse
Now the rulers and governors on behalf of Imams (a) are addressed here to an extent, in that Imams (a) give them partial trust of this trust they been given by God. And this is volatile, people can betray that trust they are given by Imams (a). It is out of this flow, that Khomeini (q) said WF must be implemented as Imams (a) gave the narrators of ahadith or the Fuqaha given certain traits, the trust of leading politically in ghayba including if they can, to implement government. Imam Hussain (a) showed when Imams (a) lost authority, it was not just them losing, but in fact, fuqaha right of ruling was forsaken. They had a duty to stand for justice, not just the 12 Imams (a).
So while Ulul-Amr are the Imams we have to keep in mind that government is important here, leading politically is important. And to an extent, the position of obey God and his Messenger emphasis through out Quran has been extented to WF.
Difference between WF and Sunni System
Simon (a) is the best of the people and most capable of leading after Isa (a), we try to pick out of the most pious and most capable to lead as well. Simon (a) was not a leader that guides by God's command but was a successor of Isa (a) in terms of general leadership.
The Sunnis in the start of Abu Bakr, and Umar can argue that their system picked the best and most capable. They can argue by hadiths same about Uthman who history proves was corrupt, but say their hadiths are right. What about Ummayads and unjust rulers. Their hadiths say to obey those too. That's the major difference.
A volatile system based on corruption, it lead to ummayads being replaced by abbasids, and today, we see that we are ruled by corrupted dictators that are slaves to neo-colonialists.
This is while our hadiths even talk about in detail (see long letter of Imam Ali (a) to Malikal Ashtar (r)) who is to be put as administrator of justice in a local region who the rulers of Ummayads and rulers today, are all not fit per that condition, let alone the extra conditions such as courage and bravery required for the leader on top.
Caution regarding scholars with 4:54
The preceding part showed scholars of Jews and Christians were envious of Mohammad (S) and his family (a) authority. It also rhetorically asks if they can be given even a portion of this authority? Reality even scholars are not given a portion of this authority, but rather they are ENTRUSTED to govern, lead, and pass on teachings. That is VOLATILE. This is why we have to learn after Simon (a), things went eventually haywire in terms of authority for Christians. They were lead to trinity. So while they are entrusted to govern, this doesn't mean they actually have authority or even partial of it. This means we have to hold them accountable to Quran and Sunnah as well.
If we don't hold scholars accountable, deviation is likely, just as Christians were lead away from Tawhid even.
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