Verses of Wilayah

In this 2.5 hour presentation, we will explore the understanding of the Sunni and Shi’a schools of thought relating to the verses of the Quran revealed regarding the issue of wilayah. The verses we will be discussing are 5:55 (verse of wilayah), 5:67 (verse of tabligh), 5:3 (verse of ikmaal), 33:33 (verse of tathir). Due to the length of the topic, we will briefly discuss the views of some prominent Shi’a scholars namely Allamah Tabatabai, Ayatullah Jawadi Amoli and Ayatullah Makarem Shirazi as well as some prominent Sunni scholars, namely Fakhr al-Razi, Zamakhshari, al-Tabari and Ibn Taymiyyah.

Some Key Questions:

1. Certain verses of the Quran have been claimed to refer to wilayah; which verses are these?

2. Are these verses clear or ambiguous?

3. How do Shia and Sunni figures understand these verses?

4. What are the 13 objections that Fakhr Razi raises regarding the Verse of Wilayah?

5. What is Ibn Taymiyya’s understanding of hadith al-ghadir? (And More)