Taa-Haa (Taa-Haa)

29. “And appoint for me an assistant from my family,”

30. “Aaron, my brother;”

31. “Strengthen my back by him,”

32. “And associate him (with me) in my affair.”

Since carrying on the heavy responsibility of prophethood toward the final point needs someone to aid so that it is impossible to afford it alone, then the fourth request of Moses (as) from Allah was that he said:

“And appoint for me an assistant from my family,”

Then he mentioned his brother in particular, and said:

“Aaron, my brother;”

Aaron was the elder brother of Moses. He was three years older than Moses, with a tall stature and a well-proportioned body, and with a very eloquent tongue and an excellent apprehension. He passed away three years before the death of Moses.

Aaron was one of the appointed messengers whom Allah bestowed on Moses (as) in a way of His Mercy.

Then Moses stated his purpose why he asked Allah to appoint Aaron as his minister and assistant.

He said:

“Strengthen my back by him,”

And, in order to complete this meaning, he continued saying:

“And associate him (with me) in my affair.”

Moses asked Allah that Aaron associated him both in the rank of Messengership and in accomplishing that great mission. Thus, Moses did not ask Allah, only for the ministry of Aaron, but he also requested for his prophethood. Yet, in all respects, Aaron was a follower of Moses in all affairs, and Moses was his leader.

The reason why it is said in the verse ‘minister’ is that a minister carries out the heavy affairs and duties of the guardian of the affairs. The Arabic word /wazir/ (minister) is derived from the word /wizr/ in the sense of ‘a heavy load’, and it is called to a person who carries the burden of other’s responsibility on his back; and the Arabic term /’azri/ also means ‘back’.

However, it has been cited in many commentary books that the Prophet of Islam (S) repeatedly recited these verses and said:

“My Lord! Like Moses, I also ask for an assistant from my family”1

Allamah Tabataba’i in The Commentary of Al-Mizan says:

“In the tradition of Rank, the holy Prophet (S) told Ali-ibn-Abitalib:

‘O Ali! You are to me as Aaron was to Moses, save that there is no prophet after me’.

This tradition has been narrated in one hundred ways by the Sunnites and in seventy ways by the Shi‘ite.”

Again, some of the traditions recorded in the books compiled by the scholars of the Sunnite and the Shi‘ite denote that the Prophet of Islam (S) asked Allah the same things that Moses had asked for the succession in his mission, with a difference that instead of Aaron he (S) mentioned the name of Ali (as) and said as follows:

“O Allah! I ask You the same thing that my brother Moses asked You that You expand my breast, and make easy for me my task, and loose a knot from my tongue that they may understand my saying, and appoint for me an assistant from my family, Ali, my brother. My Lord! Strengthen my back by him, and associate him (with me) in my affair, so that we glorify You much, and remember You abundantly; verily You are ever seeing of us.”

This tradition has been recorded in The Commentary of Durr-ul-Manthur, by Suyuti; in Majma‘-ul-Bayan by the Late Tabarsi; and a great deal of the great scholars of the Sunnite and the Shi‘ite have also narrated it with some differences, of curse.

Similar to this tradition is the tradition of Rank; wherein the Prophet (S) has said to Ali (as):

“Are you not content with (this fact) that you are to me as Aaron was to Moses, save that there is no prophet after me?”

This tradition, which has been cited in the first level books of the Sunnites, and as Mohaddith Bahrani has said in his book entitled ‘Qayat-ul-Maram’, it has been narrated in one hundred ways by the Sunnites and in seventy ways by the Shi‘ite, is so authentic and valid that there is no room for any denial or rejection against it.

However, another tradition in respect of the rank and position of Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali-ibn-Abitalib (as) may be considered, too, wherein the Messenger of Allah (S) has said:

“Verily Ali is from me and I am from him; and he is the master of every believer after me.”

(This statement is an indication to the rank of mastership and Imamate of Ali (as).)

This tradition has been authorized by many Islamic scholars, such as: Ibn-abi-‘Asim, No. 1187; Al-Baqawi in Mu‘jam-us-Sahabah, No. 20-q; Ibn-‘Asakir, vol. 12, p. 108; Al-Juweyni, in Fara’id-us-Samtayn, vol. 1, p. 15; Fada’il-ul-Khamsah, vol. 1, p. 342; ‘Abdu-r-Razzaq, in ‘Amali, q-12: 1; At-Tayalisi, p. 829; Ahmad, vol. 4, p.p. 437-438; Al-Fada’il, p. 1035; Al-Quti‘i in Ziyadatih, N. 1104; Ibn-ul-Maqazili, in Manaqib-i-Ali (as), pp. 221, 23, 224, and 230.

This very tradition in which the Prophet (S) says:

“Verily Ali is from me and I am from him, and he is the master of every believer after me”

is also recorded in Jami‘ah, vol. 13, p. 164 and vol. 5, p.296, No. 3796, published in Al-Madinah by Tarmathi; Hilyat-ul-’Auliya’, vol. 6, p. 294; Manaqib-ul-Kharazmi, p. 92; Jami‘-ul-’Usul, vol. 9, p. 470; Asad-ul-Qayah, vol. 4, p. 27; Zakha’ir-ul-‘Ughba, p. 68; Al-’Isabah, vol. 2, p. 503; Ash-Shajari-Fil-’Amali, vol. 1, p. 134;’Ihghagh-ul-Haghgh, vol. 4, pp. 37 and 210, and in some other volumes of it. Al-Qadir, by ‘Allamah’Amini, vol. 1, p.376 and some other volumes of it; Tara’if, p. 65, by Sayyid-ibn-Tawus; Bihar-ul-’Anwar, vol. 38, p. 296