Refuting the Shiite Manipulative Exploitation of the Term “Weli” Mentioned in Surah Al-Ma’idah to Support Their Creed of the Appointed Imams

Abstract

A major deflection in the Shiite creed that widened the gap between them and the Islamic faith is their belief in the continuation of the religious message after the departure of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The Shiites called this belief pillar Al-Welayah, and they defined it as “Leadership with divine authority”. The Shiite claimed that Allah SWT appointed men whom He chose from the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to continue leading the Muslim nation righteously. The failure of Shiite theologists to find clear evidence from the Holy Qur’an supporting this alleged creed provoked them to exploit certain verses, assuming they would indirectly serve their purpose. This article aims to reveal the falsehood in the Shiite devious explanation, and the Muslim scholars’ invalidation of the incorrect interpretation of verse no. 55 of chapter 5, Surah Al-Ma’idah. In conclusion, the term “weli” did not mean a leader in this verse, as this meaning will lead to false implications. Moreover, the exegesis of Ibn Katheer refuted the authenticity of the incident made up to imbue the idea that the verse indicated a person per se. Yet, it was an instruction for the Muslim nation to consider allies from the believers rather than the non-believers. Furthermore, the context of the verses testifies to the forged incident of the Shiite story. Therefore, this verse does not stand as evidence to support the Shiite belief, neither from the linguistic view nor from the logical, and contextual aspects of the verse.