Ghadeer


   

A caravan moves slowly towards its destination. It is on its way to Medina from Mecca. About one hundred thousand people are part of this caravan. They are all Hajj pilgrims. Suddenly the leader of the caravan stops the procession. The spot where this command is given is Ghadeer-Khumm. It is approximately 4km away from Juhfa, which is 64kms to the north of Mecca.
Ghadeer-Khumm is the name of a pond and because of availability of water and shady trees, caravans passing through this route stop to relax and recoup. When the leader asks the caravan to stop, people think that he wants them to relax and recoup. But then he gives another command. Those who have gone ahead should come back and those who are lagging behind should arrive at the same spot.
Pilgrims start whispering among themselves. ‘The leader is surely going to make an important announcement otherwise why should he want everyone to gather here?’ Finally, all are assembled. Everyone’s eyes are glued on the leader. He is tall and handsome with a divine light radiating from his face. He steps forward. The murmuring starts again. ‘What is he going to say?’ Breathlessly, they wait for the sermon to start.
The leader speaks eloquently and people are wonderstruck. Then he stops and looks at a stately man standing near him. From head to toe, this man is dignity personified. He is the leader’s cousin and son-in-law. The leader holds his hand and lifts it in the air for all to see. When he is assured that everyone has seen, he says, ‘Of whomsoever I am the Master, he is their Master also.’
Congratulations pour in from all quarters. The leader continues with his sermon. He says, ‘O God, be a supporter of whoever supports him and an enemy of whoever opposes him and divert the Truth towards him.’ Further on he also says, ‘I will leave behind two weighty things after me. One is the Holy Book and the other is my Holy Family. If you are with these two, you will never deviate.’
Immediately after the sermon is over, Archangel reveals the following verse to the leader of the caravan:
This day have I perfected your religion for you…
The leader heaves a sigh of relief. Finally, the mission for which, he was sent to this earth is accomplished. He recalls the earlier verse that was revealed to him:
‘Proclaim the message which has been sent to you from your Lord. If you do not, then you would not have fulfilled and proclaimed His mission.’
So, Ghadeer is that hallowed turf where the divine mission reached its breath-taking climax.
-          NZ
20.8.2019
BN: 102


                                                         

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