The name Ali (A) in the Quran

Imamat is a divine institution, the root of which is clearly indicated in the Qur’an. As for the particulars, for example, the names of the infallible Imams (A), they were left to the noble Sunnah, supplementing the Book. For example, if the names of only 26 Prophets are mentioned in the Qur’an, this does not mean that the remaining 124 thousand were not Prophets.

Nevertheless, the name of Commander of the Faithful Ali (A) is repeatedly mentioned in the verses of the Qur’an, although this is done implicitly, only for those who understand, have eyes and listen to the words of the Imams (A).

The implicit mention of the name Ali has its deep meaning: firstly, to separate the ones who understand from those who don’t, and secondly, to prevent any impostors with the name “Ali” from assuming the position of Commander of the Faithful for themselves during the future centuries of Islamic history. For example, if the Qur’an had a verse – conditionally speaking – “obey Ali after Muhammad,” this would not at all mean that people would certainly obey Ali ibn Abu Talib (A). They could proclaim other people with the name “Ali” as their rulers, and this would go on for centuries, giving rise to wars and unrest of endless “Ali”, each of which would declare that he was mentioned in the Qur’an.

Of course, a huge number of other verses were revealed about Ali (A), as it is explained in the Sunnah, but this is another question. Now we are only interested in the mention of the very name of Commander of the Faithful (A).

Let’s point out two mentions of the name Ali (A):

1. Surah “Maryam,” ayat 50:

وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُم مِّن رَّحْمَتِنَا وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ لِسَانَ صِدْقٍ عَلِيّاً

Wa wahabna lahum min rahmatina wa jaalna lahum lisana sidqin aliyan.

“And We bestowed of Our Mercy on them (the Prophets) and made Ali for them the tongue of truth.”

The word “ali” is here at the end of the verse in the accusative case (“aliyan”).

The literal translation of the verse is as follows: “And We bestowed of Our Mercy on them and made for them the tongue of truth, Aliyan.” What does “aliyan” mean here? In Arabic, this word is both an adjective with the meaning “exalted,” “high”, and a name – “Ali”. That is, in any place where we meet the word “Ali,” we can translate it both as the adjective “exalted,” and as the name of a person.

The “Sunnis” believe that “ali” in this verse is an adjective, and therefore they translate it, for example, as follows: “And We bestowed of Our Mercy on them, and We granted them lofty honour on the tongue of truth,” or “And We gave them of Our mercy, and we made for them a reputation of high honor.”

The problem is that in the case of such a translation and understanding, the meaning of the verse becomes unclear. What does it mean “made the tongue of truth high to them”?

The Qur’an is the greatest example of Arabic eloquence; however, in Arabic, the word “tongue” is not combined with the adjective “high,” and this expression sounds counterintuitive to the Arabs.

Hadiths from the Imams (А) say that the word “aliyan” should be understood here not as the adjective “exalted,” but as the name “Ali”. This verse speaks of Imam Ali (A), and the correct translation will sound like this:

“And We bestowed of Our Mercy on them and made Ali for them the tongue of truth.”

The correctness of such a translation is also confirmed by many hadiths – both Shii and “Sunni” – that Ali (A) is the keeper of knowledge about Revelation and the bearer of the Wilayat for all the Prophets (A). There is a hadith that Ali (A) said, “With all the previous Prophets, I was sent secretly. With Muhammad I was sent openly.”

In the above verse the word “sidq” – “truth” is mentioned. In the same “Sunni” books it is mentioned that the nickname given to Ali (A) by the Prophet (S) is “Siddiq” (truthful). The Umayyads would later assign this nickname to Abu Bakr, but the real “siddiq” – “truthful” – is Ali (A).

As he said:

أنا عبدالله واخو رسوله وأنا الصدّيق الأكبر

“I am the servant of Allah and the brother of His Messenger, and I am the great siddiq (great truthful)”.

Now let us open the surah “Poets”, ayat 84, where the Prophet Ibrahim (A) asks Allah:

وَاجْعَل لِّي لِسَانَ صِدْقٍ فِي الْآخِرِينَ

“And give me the tongue of truth (lisana sidq) for the last (generations).”

The answer to this request of Ibrahim (A) is given in the 50th verse of Surah “Maryam”:

“And We bestowed of Our Mercy on them (the Prophets) and made Ali for them the tongue of truth.”

There can be no doubt for any mufassir of the Qur’an that this verse is an answer to the request of Ibrahim (A), because in both verses even the form of the verb – “jaala” (“to do”), as well as the expression “lisanu sidk” (“the tongue of truth”), are the same.

So, how can the word “aliyan” be translated as the adjective “exalted”? Ibrahim (A) asks Allah to make one of his descendants a “tongue of truth” after himself, that is, among next generations. Allah responds to his request and makes Ali (A) this tongue.

In the “Shawahidu ttanzil” by the Sunni author Hakim Haskani (volume 1, p. 462) we read:

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله. ليلة عرج بي إلى السماء حملني جبرئيل على جناحه الأيمن ، فقيل لي. من استخلفته على أهل الأرض؟ فقلت خير أهلها لها أهلا. علي بن أبي طالب أخي وحبيبي وصهري يعني ابن عمي. فقيل لي. يا محمد أتحبه؟ فقلت. نعم يا رب العالمين. فقال لي. أحبه ومر أمتك بحبه ، فإني أنا العلي الأعلى اشتقت له من أسمائي اسما فسميته عليا ، فهبط جبرئيل فقال. إن الله يقرأ عليك السلام ويقول لك. إقرأ. قلت. وما أقرأ؟ قال. (ووهبنا لهم من رحمتنا و جعلنا لهم لسان صدق عليا

The Messenger of Allah said: On the night when I was ascended to heaven, Jabrail carried me on his right wing. And he asked me, “Whom did you choose as your successor (khalif) among the inhabitants of the earth?” I said, “The best of its inhabitants is Ali ibn Abu Talib – my brother, my beloved and my uncle’s son.” And it was said to me, “O Muhammad! You love him?”. I answered, “Yes, O Lord of the worlds!” And He said to me, “Love him and command your ummah to love him! For I am the High, the Highest (aliyun, aala) derived his name from My name and called him Ali (High).” And (then) Jabrail came down and said, “Your Lord greets you and says: Read!”. I asked, “What should I read?” He said, “And We bestowed of Our Mercy on them and made Ali for them the tongue of truth.”

As for the Shia sources, Sheikh Saduq narrated from Imam Sadiq (A) that this verse means the name of Commander of the Faithful Ali (Kamal ud-din, vol. 1, p. 139), and this hadith is authentic.

And the same was quoted by Ali ibn Ibrahim from his father from Imam Hasan Askari (“Tafsir Qummi”, volume 2, p. 51).

Also in “Dua nudba” (“Prayer of lamentation”) from Imam Sadiq (A), which Shia read on Fridays, it is said that the “tongue of truth” is Ali (A).

2. Surah “Zuhruf”, ayah 4:

وَإِنَّهُ فِي أُمِّ الْكِتَابِ لَدَيْنَا لَعَلِيٌّ حَكِيمٌ

Literal translation: “And, verily, he is in the Mother of the Book with Us – Ali the Wise.“

In this verse, the same confusion of the adjective “Ali” and the name “Ali” is possibly again.

If we translate the word “Ali” as an adjective, then it turns out, literally: “And, verily, he is in the Mother of the Book with Us, exalted, wise.”

However, the most pure Imams (A) said that “Ali” in this verse is the name of Commander of the Faithful (A).

It is narrated by Ali ibn Ibrahim from his father from Hammad from Imam Sadiq (A) regarding the words of Allah “the straight path” (sirat al-mustakim). He said: “This is Commander of the Faithful Ali and his knowledge, and the proof that this is Commander of the Faithful are the words of Allah: And, verily, he is in the Mother of the Book with Us – Ali the Wise” (Tafsir Burhan, volume 4 , p. 845).

And from Imam Reza (A) it is quoted that Imam Sadiq (A) said about the meaning of this verse: “Ali ibn Abu Talib” (Ibid, p. 846).

It is narrated from Ahmad ibn Idris from Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya from Ibrahim ibn Hashim from Ali ibn Muabid from Wasil ibn Suleiman from Abdullah ibn Sinan that Imam Sadyk (A) said: “When Zeid ibn Sauhan was defeated in the battle of Jamal, Commander of the Faithful (A) came up to him, sat down near his head and said, “May Allah have mercy on you, Zeid, you had few supplies from this world and a lot of help (for the other world).” And Zeid raised his head to him and said, “May Allah reward you, o Commander of the Faithful! By Allah, you are the one who knows about Allah and you are the wise one in the Mother of the Book” (Ibid, p. 846).

Also in the dua “Gadir” it is said, “And I testify that he is the leading, guided, righteous Imam, he is Ali, Commander of the Faithful, about whom You said in Your Book: And, verily, he is in the Mother of the Book with Us – Ali the Wise.”

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