Appearance
Sūrah al-Māʾidah, verse 55
إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ
Innama waliyyukumu Allahu wa rasuluhu wa'lladhina amanu'lladhina yuqimuna's-salata wa yu'tuna'z-zakata wa hum raki'un
Your waliyy (guardian) is only Allah, His Apostle, and those who believe who maintain the prayer and give the zakāt while bowing down.
Context and significance
This verse, simple in wording yet profound in implication, has been a focal point of theological reflection and sectarian debate throughout Islamic history. Its interpretation raises several pivotal questions about authority, allegiance, and the nature of guardianship in Islam.
The first question concerns the meaning of the term waliyy. In Arabic, waliyy carries a rich spectrum of meanings: friend, ally, helper, patron, master, and guardian. Determining which sense is intended here is crucial, for the verse could be affirming mere solidarity among believers, or it could be designating a spiritual-political authority akin to guardianship.
The next issue is the identification of “those who believe.” The verse describes them as those who establish prayer and pay zakāt while bowing. Is this a general description of the believing community as a whole, or does it single out particular individuals whose act of charity during prayer was meant to exemplify a unique role? Reports from early Islam point to specific occasions of revelation, and whether these are taken literally or generally shapes the entire understanding of the verse.
The striking circumstantial clause “pay zakāt while they bow” also calls for examination. Does it refer to the ordinary fulfilment of charity alongside prayer, or is it an explicit reference to an unusual act of charity performed in the very state of bowing (rukūʿ)? If so, the verse might be alluding to a symbolic deed that marks out a specific figure as the exemplar of this guardianship.
Finally, the verse situates the wilāyah of “those who believe” in direct relation to the wilāyah of Allah and His Messenger. This raises the theological question: how is the guardianship of the Messenger and of the believers connected to the divine guardianship of Allah? Is their authority an extension of His, delegated to preserve His religion, or is it merely one of mutual support and fraternity within the community? The placement of Allah, His Messenger, and the believers together in a single chain of guardianship suggests an integrated vision of authority, but its scope and depth remain debated.
These questions frame the exegetical struggle over verse . Whether it is understood as a general statement of solidarity or as a decisive designation of religious leadership, its implications are far-reaching, shaping Islamic conceptions of authority, community, and divine trust.
What the exegetes say
At a glance
The question: Does the verse’s wilāyah mean alliance and friendship among believers or authority over them, and does “give zakāt while bowing” point specifically to ʿAlī?
Ibn KathīrReads walāyah as alliance with Allah, His Messenger and the believers against the disbelievers; rejects the ʿAlī ring reports as weakly transmitted and links the verse to ʿUbādah ibn al-Ṣāmit.
Al-QurṭubīRecords reports naming Ibn Salām, Abū Bakr and ʿAlī’s ring without choosing, and reads walāyah as allegiance to the believing community, with “bowing” possibly marking humility.
Al-ṬabarsīTakes walī as the one who governs believers’ affairs, restricted by innamā; holds the verse refers to ʿAlī giving his ring in rukūʿ, the plural being honorific, proving his Imāmah.
ʿAllāmah ṬabāṭabāʾīRejects “help” or “friendship”: the singular walīyyukum signals one authority flowing from Allah to the Messenger and to ʿAlī, identified by widely transmitted reports of the ring given in rukūʿ.
How each exegete answers the question, in one line. Click a name to read his reading in full.
Ibn Kathīr
In his commentary on the verse, Ibn Kathīr emphasizes that the believers should not seek friendship or loyalty from the disbelievers, but instead their true alliance (walāyah) lies with Allah, His Messenger, and the believing community.
He begins by underlining the qualities that define these true believers: they establish the ṣalāh, described as the most important pillar of Islam after the testimony of faith and as the exclusive right of Allah; and they pay the zakāt, which he identifies as the right of the poor and needy in the Muslim community. Ibn Kathīr stresses that these two acts form the essential characteristics of the faithful, upon which their identity as protectors and allies rests.
The exegete then addresses a debated phrase or circumstantial clause in the verse, namely the description of the believers as those who “give zakāt while bowing down.” According to Ibn Kathīr, this expression should not be taken literally to mean that zakāt must be given during the act of physical bowing (rukūʿ) in prayer. He argues that no scholar has ever held such a view, and he dismisses as incorrect the reports that claim it is preferable to give charity in that position.
Linked to this point is the well-known narration concerning ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (r.a.), who is said to have given his ring to a beggar while in rukūʿ. Ibn Kathīr acknowledges that some exegetes have explained the verse in light of this incident and that there are even narrations attributed to the Prophet (s.a.w.) which mention it. However, he rejects the reliability of these reports, asserting that the isnād (chain of transmission) is weak and that none of the transmitters can be deemed trustworthy. For Ibn Kathīr, the “ring incident” cannot be used as valid evidence for the interpretation of the verse.
Instead, he situates the verse in a different historical context. According to him, it was revealed in connection with ʿUbādah ibn al-Ṣāmit (r.a.), a Companion who publicly disavowed his prior alliances with his Jewish associates and instead declared his allegiance to Allah, His Messenger, and the righteous believers. This, Ibn Kathīr argues, is the true meaning of the verse – that loyalty and protection must be sought within the fold of Islam and not outside it.
To reinforce this point, Ibn Kathīr cites other Qur’ānic passages that highlight the triumph of Allah and His Messengers over the disbelievers, such as: “Allah has decreed: ‘Verily, it is I and My Messengers who shall be victorious.’ Verily, Allah is All-Powerful, Almighty” (), and “You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day loving those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even though they be their fathers, sons, brothers, or kindred…” (). These verses, for him, echo the principle enshrined in : whoever allies himself with Allah, His Messenger, and the faithful will be counted among the “party of Allah” (ḥizb Allāh), who are destined for victory and success in both this world and the Hereafter.
In summary, Ibn Kathīr interprets as a categorical command to sever allegiances with disbelievers and to attach oneself firmly to Allah, His Messenger, and the community of believers defined by prayer and zakāt. He strongly rejects the interpretation of the verse as referring specifically to ʿAlī’s act of giving charity during rukūʿ, considering the reports unsound, and instead locates the verse within the broader framework of Islamic loyalty and communal identity.
Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged). Translated by Ṣafī al-Raḥmān. Vol. 3 (Chapter 5, Verse 55) Riyadh: Maktaba Dār-us-Salām, 2003.
Al-Qurṭubī
In his commentary on the verse of walāyah , al-Qurṭubī collects a wide range of reports and opinions regarding both the circumstances of revelation and the meaning of the terms.
He begins with a narration attributed to Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Salām, a Jewish convert to Islam, complained to the Prophet (s.a.w.) that his former tribesmen from Qurayẓa and Naḍīr had abandoned him, while the distance of his house prevented him from sitting often with the Prophet’s companions. In this context, the verse was revealed, and Ibn Salām declared that he had accepted Allah, His Messenger, and the believers as his awliyāʾ. Al-Qurṭubī notes that some exegetes, such as Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī al-Bāqir, understood the verse in a general sense, covering all believers rather than one specific person. Others, however, including Ibn ʿAbbās, narrated that it was revealed in reference to Abū Bakr, while other traditions report that it was revealed concerning ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib.
The most famous account links the verse to the incident in which ʿAlī gave his ring to a beggar while in rukūʿ (bowing in prayer). Al-Qurṭubī cites this story, noting that many exegetes accepted it as the reason for revelation. On this basis, jurists such as al-Kiyā al-Ṭabarī drew certain legal conclusions: that small acts of charity do not invalidate the prayer; that voluntary almsgiving may also be referred to as zakāt; and that the Qur’an itself can use a single term to encompass both obligatory and recommended acts, just as ṣalāh may designate both prescribed and supererogatory prayers.
At the same time, al-Qurṭubī distances himself somewhat from a narrow reading of zakāt in this verse as simply “the giving of the ring.” While acknowledging that the event is part of the verse’s background, he argues that zakāt in its strict sense refers to the obligatory alms that are a pillar of Islam, and therefore the broader meaning of the verse should not be confined to a single incident. He suggests instead that the praise in the verse may point to the believer’s fulfillment of both obligations: establishing the ṣalāh with all its conditions and performing zakāt in its due form, with “bowing” mentioned to highlight the believer’s humility.
Al-Qurṭubī also discusses juristic implications. Ibn Khuwāyz Mandād, for example, held that the verse demonstrates the permissibility of small actions during prayer, since it praises a believer for giving charity in rukūʿ. This permissibility, al-Qurṭubī notes, would at least apply in the case of voluntary prayers, even if discouraged in the obligatory. Another interpretive possibility is that the verse describes believers generally by their commitment to prayer and zakāt, with “bowing” serving as a rhetorical flourish rather than a literal description of the moment of charity.
The commentary concludes by pointing to the verse that follows (): “And whoever takes Allah, His Messenger, and those who believe as protectors, then surely the party of Allah are they that shall be triumphant.” For al-Qurṭubī, this reinforces the principle that the true walāyah lies in allegiance to Allah, His Messenger, and the believing community. Whether linked to ʿAlī’s specific act or understood in general terms, the verse affirms that belonging to this chain of guardianship is the path to victory.
Source: Al-Qurṭubī, Al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qur’ān (Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī), vol. 8, under Surah al-Māʾidah, Ayah 55, Pub. by Al-Risalah Foundation, Beirut.
Al-Ṭabarsī
Al-Ṭabarsī begins by explaining the key terms of the verse. The word walī carries several shades of meaning, including supporter, helper, guardian, ruler, and the one entrusted with authority over others’ affairs. In the Qur’anic context, it implies the one who directs, manages, and governs the affairs of the believers. He cites examples from Arabic usage and poetry to show that wilāyah denotes closeness, authority, and rightful management of matters. Likewise, he notes that rukūʿ literally means bowing or lowering oneself, but it can also be used metaphorically for humility and submission. In this verse, however, the word has a specific sense connected to an actual incident.
Al-Ṭabarsī explains that the restrictive particle innamā (“only”) confines the meaning exclusively to those mentioned—Allah, His Messenger, and the believers who “establish prayer and give zakāt while bowing.” Thus, the verse affirms that no one besides them can claim true guardianship (wilāyah) over the believers.
Citing numerous reports from both Sunnī and Shīʿī sources, al-Ṭabarsī relates the well-known story of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (a.s.) giving his ring in charity to a beggar while he was in the state of rukūʿ during prayer. Among those who narrated this incident are Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī, Ibn ʿAbbās, ʿAṭāʾ, Mujāhid, al-Suddī, and others, while the report is also preserved by exegetes such as al-Thaʿlabī and Abū Bakr al-Rāzī. In this context, the Prophet (s.a.w.) prayed to Allah, recalling the supplication of Moses for a helper from his family (), and asking that ʿAlī be appointed as his supporter and strengthened partner. Jibrīl then descended with this verse, confirming ʿAlī’s act of charity as the occasion of revelation. Poets such as Ḥassān ibn Thābit also composed verses celebrating this event and its significance.
According to al-Ṭabarsī, the verse thus establishes that the true walī of the believers is none other than Allah, His Messenger, and the believer described by the unique act of giving zakāt while in rukūʿ. This makes the verse one of the clearest Qur’anic evidences for the Imāmah of ʿAlī after the Prophet.
The clause “Indeed your guardian is Allah, His Messenger, and those who believe…” signifies that the one who truly manages the affairs of the believers, governs their interests, and deserves their obedience and loyalty is Allah, then His Messenger by His command, and then that specific believer who was described by this verse. The singular word walīyyukum (your guardian) indicates that the guardianship is one and unified in essence, though exercised by Allah directly and by the Messenger and the Imām by Allah’s permission.
Al-Ṭabarsī acknowledges that some may object to the use of the plural (“those who believe…”) when the verse refers specifically to a single person (ʿAlī). He replies that it is a well-attested feature of Arabic eloquence to use the plural to exalt and magnify a single individual. Moreover, the plural allows the verse to express a general principle of wilāyah, while its foremost and clearest application is the person of ʿAlī, who uniquely fulfilled the condition of giving zakāt in rukūʿ.
While some exegetes suggested that “bowing” here is metaphorical for humility and submission, al-Ṭabarsī considers this interpretation weak and redundant. The stronger and more consistent meaning, supported by authentic reports, is that the verse refers to giving zakāt during the actual rukūʿ of prayer.
The verse concludes by declaring that whoever aligns himself with Allah, His Messenger, and those believers described here, will be counted among the “party of Allah” (ḥizb Allāh). According to al-Ḥasan, this term means the army of Allah or His supporters. The promise is that such a party will ultimately be victorious, prevailing over their enemies and securing divine triumph.
Source: Majmaʿ al-Bayān fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, vol. 3 (Qom: Dār al-ʿIlm), commentary on Q. 5:55.
ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī
In commenting on the verse , Allāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī approaches the text with a systematic analysis of context, language, and transmitted reports.
He first situates the verse historically, noting that although this chapter was revealed in the final years of the Prophet’s life (during the Farewell Pilgrimage), the meanings of its verses show that they were not revealed all at once. The verses surrounding prohibit alliances with the People of the Book and disbelievers, but the purpose of verse is distinct. It should not, therefore, be reduced to the same context.
Central to his interpretation is the meaning of wilāyah. Ṭabāṭabāʾī rejects the view advanced by some Sunni exegetes that it refers here to simple “help” or “friendship.” This meaning, he argues, is not consistent with the context. The Qur’an never describes the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) as the “helper” of the believers; rather, he is their leader and guardian. “Help,” in the sense of practical support, belongs exclusively to Allah, who aids His religion, while the Prophet’s position is one of authority. Thus, where the Qur’an speaks of the Prophet’s wilāyah, it signifies guardianship and authority, or else love and precedence, as confirmed by verses such as “The Prophet has a greater claim on the believers than they have on themselves” ().
Ṭabāṭabāʾī then engages the well-known body of reports which state that this verse was revealed in relation to ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (a.s.), when he gave his ring to a beggar while in rukūʿ (bowing). These reports, he observes, are too numerous and widely transmitted to be ignored; to dismiss them would render the principle of asbāb al-nuzūl (occasions of revelation) meaningless. Objections to these traditions*—*such as the use of the plural “those who believe” for a single individual, or the claim that giving a ring cannot be called *zakāt—*are, in his view, baseless. The Qur’an often uses plural expressions for singular actions (e.g., , , ). Moreover, while the term zakāt came to be used primarily for the fixed legal obligation, its Qur’anic sense also encompasses acts of almsgiving and charity, making it appropriate to describe ʿAlī’s act in this way.
On the meaning of wilāyah, Ṭabāṭabāʾī provides a layered analysis. Drawing from the lexicographer al-Rāghib, he explains that wilāyah denotes closeness without barrier, and in its essence means the management of affairs. A walī or mawlā is one who either exercises guardianship or has his affairs managed by another. When applied to spiritual or religious matters, wilāyah signifies authority, precedence, and right of decision. Accordingly, Allah is the Guardian of the believers inasmuch as He legislates, guides, and aids them; the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) is their Guardian inasmuch as he has authority to legislate, judge, and lead; and by the Prophet’s appointment, believers such as ʿAlī (a.s.) may also be vested with this guardianship.
The structure of the verse supports this reading. The word “walīyyukum” (your Guardian) is singular, even though it applies to Allah, the Messenger, and the believers. This, Ṭabāṭabāʾī argues, indicates a single meaning of wilāyah, which originates in Allah and extends to the Messenger and, by His permission, to certain believers. It cannot mean mere “help,” since Allah’s help, the Prophet’s help, and the help of believers are not of the same kind. But guardianship as authority can be shared in this way, with Allah as the source and His Messenger and chosen believers as deputies.
The exclusivity expressed in the verse*—“Only Allah is your Guardian…”—*is also important. It restricts wilāyah to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers described, thereby negating claims of authority by anyone else. Thus, the verse does not permit a general or diffuse interpretation of wilāyah, but rather confines it to this divinely sanctioned chain of guardianship.
For Ṭabāṭabāʾī, then, the verse establishes a continuity of *wilāyah—from Allah to the Messenger to ʿAlī (a.s.), as indicated by the event of the ring in rukūʿ. This is not merely an incident of generosity during prayer, but a sign that ʿAlī’s guardianship was divinely acknowledged and publicly indicated through revelation. The concluding verse ()—“Whoever takes Allah, His Messenger, and those who believe as protectors, surely the party of Allah are they that shall be triumphant”—*further reinforces that this guardianship is not friendship but divine authority, a source of victory and triumph for the Muslim community.
In summary, Ṭabāṭabāʾī interprets as a foundational text for the doctrine of wilāyah. By ruling out “help” as the meaning of waliyy, carefully addressing linguistic and jurisprudential objections, and grounding his interpretation in Qur’anic usage and widely transmitted traditions, he concludes that the verse refers specifically to the authority of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (a.s.) and, by extension, to the divinely appointed guardianship that secures the continuation of the Prophet’s mission.
Source: Al-Mīzān fī Tafsīr al-Qur'ān, Eng. Vol. 10 under Chapter 5, Verse 55 (WOFIS, Iran).
Read ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī’s full commentary in Tafsir al-Mizan: 5:55–56 on almizan.org ↗
Our reflection
This is our own reflection on the readings above. It is one way of reading the comparison, offered to encourage further thought rather than as the final word.
The exegetical traditions surrounding verse reveal one of the most pivotal theological debates in Qur’anic interpretation: the meaning of wilāyah and the identity of “those who believe, who establish prayer and give zakāt while bowing down.” The contrast between the approaches of Ibn Kathīr, al-Qurṭubī, al-Ṭabrisī, and ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī illustrates two distinct trajectories—one that reduces the verse to friendship and general solidarity, and another that reads it as a proclamation of divinely ordained guardianship tied to the succession of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (a.s.).
Ibn Kathīr reads walī in the sense of “friend” or “helper,” thereby collapsing verse into the surrounding injunctions against befriending Jews and Christians. He consequently interprets “those who believe” as a collective reference to the Muslim community, dismisses the many reports connecting the verse to ʿAlī’s act of giving his ring in prayer, and instead isolates a solitary narration concerning ʿUbādah ibn al-Ṣāmit. The result is a flattening of the verse’s distinctive grammar—particularly the singular walīyyukum (“your guardian”) and the restrictive innamā (“only”)—into a generalized moral exhortation. This reading, however, leaves unanswered why the Qur’an would single out a banal truth (that believers are friends of each other) in such emphatic and elevated language.
Al-Qurṭubī preserves more of the transmitted reports about ʿAlī but similarly avoids probing the deeper significance of wilāyah. While he acknowledges that the giving of a ring in prayer could be a form of zakāt, his discussion remains focused on technicalities of ritual and narrations of Ibn Salām, without addressing the theological weight of innamā and the singular walī. As a result, he does not explore the integrated meaning of divine guardianship that binds Allah, the Prophet, and the believer described in the verse. His tafsīr safeguards tradition but leaves the verse’s theological core underdeveloped.
Al-Ṭabrisī, by contrast, approaches the verse with philological precision and strong reliance on transmitted traditions. He establishes that wilāyah here cannot mean mere friendship, for the Qur’an already elsewhere commands believers to love and assist one another. Instead, he roots the meaning in guardianship and authority over the affairs of the community, reinforced by the restrictive innamā. He records the multiple Sunni and Shīʿī reports that this verse was revealed in connection with ʿAlī’s act of charity in rukūʿ, explaining that the Qur’an’s use of the plural is an honorific style. In his reading, the verse is not a general statement about believers, but a particular designation of ʿAlī as the divinely appointed walī after the Prophet, whose guardianship continues the unified reality of divine authority.
ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī deepens this analysis with systematic theological reasoning. He demonstrates that the Prophet’s wilāyah could never mean “help,” since this would absurdly imply that the believers owned the religion and the Prophet merely assisted them. Instead, drawing on verses such as and , he shows that wilāyah denotes authority, judgment, and the right of precedence over the believers. The singular walīyyukum binds Allah, His Messenger, and the believer of this verse into a single continuum of guardianship, with Allah as the source. Numerous examples of the Qur’an’s use of the plural for a singular act validate its application to ʿAlī, while the phrase “while they bow” situates the verse in the concrete event of his giving charity in rukūʿ. For Ṭabāṭabāʾī, this verse confirms the chain of divine wilāyah: Allah’s legislative authority entrusted to His Prophet, and, by divine decree, extended to the Imām after him. Without this, the religion would remain incomplete, as verse makes clear when linking perfection of religion with the appointment of a guardian.
Taken together, these exegetical traditions reveal a fault line. Ibn Kathīr and al-Qurṭubī, though differing in detail, ultimately reduce wilāyah to solidarity and friendship, leaving the verse theologically thin and disconnected from its emphatic grammar. Al-Ṭabrisī and Ṭabāṭabāʾī, however, converge on the view that wilāyah is guardianship, substantiated by both linguistic evidence and transmitted reports, with Ṭabāṭabāʾī providing the most systematic theological synthesis. His tafsīr shows that the guardianship of Allah, the Prophet, and the designated believer is one in nature, ensuring the continuity of divine leadership beyond the Prophet’s earthly life.
In conclusion, verse is not a generic call to fraternity but a Qur’anic proclamation of authority, situating ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (a.s.) within the continuum of divine guardianship. To interpret walī as mere friendship, as Ibn Kathīr does, empties the verse of its force. To preserve its grammar, context, and transmitted reports, as al-Ṭabrisī and Ṭabāṭabāʾī do, is to recognize it as one of the Qur’an’s most decisive statements on succession and the continuation of divine authority in Islam.
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