1Cademy - بخش ۱۸ - الکلام فی اثبات الولایة / Section 18 - The Discourse on the Affirmation of Saintship (al-Walaya)

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بخش ۱۸ - الکلام فی اثبات الولایة / Section 18 - The Discourse on the Affirmation of Saintship (al-Walaya)

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بدان که قاعده و اساس طریقت تصوف و معرفت جمله بر ولایت و اثبات آن است که جملهٔ مشایخ رضی الله عنهم اندر حکم اثبات آن موافق اند؛ اما هر کسی به عبارتی دیگرگون بیان آن ظاهر کرده اند و محمدبن علی رضی الله عنه مخصوص است به اطلاق این عبارت مر حقیقت طریقت را.
اما ولایت به فتح واو نصرت بود اندر حق لغت، و ولایت به کسر واو إمارت بود ونیز هر دو مصدر ولیت باشد و چون چنین بود باید که تا دو لغت بود چون دلالت و دلالت و نیز ولایت ربوبیت بود و از آن است که خداوند تعالی گفت: «هنالک الولایة لله الحق (۴۴/الکهف)»، که کفار تولا بدو کنند و بدو بگروند و از معبودان خود تبرا کنند و نیز ولایت به معنی محبت بود.

اما ولی، روا باشد که فعیل باشد به معنی مفعول؛ چنان که خداوند تعالی گفت: «وهو یتولی الصالحین (۱۹۶/الاعراف)»؛ که خداوند تعالی بندهٔ خود را به افعال و اوصاف وی نگذارد و اندر کنف حفظ خودش بدارد و روا باشد که فعیل باشد به معنی مبالغت اندر فاعل؛ که بنده تولا به طاعت وی کند و رعایات حقوق وی را مداومت کند و از غیر وی اعراض کند این یکی مرید باشد و آن دیگر مراد.
و این جملهٔ معانی از حق به بنده و از بنده به حق روا باشد؛ از آن چه روا باشد که خدای تعالی ناصر دوستان خود باشد؛ از آن چه وعده کرد خداوند تعالی مر دوستان خود را از صحابهٔ پیغمبر به نصرت و گفت: «ألا إن نصر الله قریب (۲۱۴/البقره)»، و نیز گفت: «و أن الکافرین لامولی لهم (۱۱/محمد)؛ ای لاناصرلهم.» چون کفار را ناصر نبود لامحاله مؤمنان را ناصر بود که نصرت کند عقول ایشان را اندر استدلال آیات و بیان معانی بر دل های ایشان و کشف براهین بر اسرار ایشان و نصرت کند ایشان رابر مخالفت نفس و هوی و شیطان و موافقت امور خود.

و نیز روا باشد که به دوستی مخصوص گرداندشان و از محل عداوت نگاه دارد؛ چنان که گفت: «یحبهم ویحبونه (۵۴/المائده)»، تا وی را به دوستی وی دوست دارند و روی از خلق برتابند تا هم وی ولی ایشان باشد و هم ایشان اولیای وی.
و روا باشد که یکی را ولایتی دهد به اقامت کردن بر طاعت وی و وی را اندر حفظ و عصمت نگاه دارد تا وی بر طاعت وی اقامت کند و از مخالفتش بپرهیزد و شیطان از حس وی بگریزد.

و روا بود که یکی را ولایتی دهد تا حلش اندر ملک حل بود و عقدش عقد دعواتش مستجاب بود و انفاسش مقبول بود؛ کما قال النبی، علیه السلام: «رب أشعث أغبر ذی طمرین لایؤبه به لو أقسم علی الله لأبره.»
و معروف است اند رخلافت امیرالمؤمنین عمر رضی الله عنه رود نیل بر عادت خود باستاد؛ از آن چه اندر جاهلیت هر سال کنیزکی آراسته در وی انداختندی تا روان شدی. عمر رضی الله عنه بر کاغذ پاره ای نبشت که: «ای آب، اگر به خود استادهای، روا نباشد اگر به فرمان خدای عز و جل استادهای، عمر می گوید: برو.» چون کاغذ اندر آب انداختند آب روان گشت و این إمارت بر حقیقت بود.

پس مراد من اندر ولایت و اثبات آن، آن است که بدانی که اسم ولی مر آن کس را روا بود که این معانی مذکور اندر وی موجود باشد؛ چنان که ورا این حال بود که گفتیم نه قال.
و پیش از این مشایخ رحمهم الله اندر این، کتب ساخته اند از عزیزی زود نیست گشت. اکنون من عبارات آن پیر بزرگوار را که صاحب مذهب است جمال دهم؛ چنان که اعتقاد من بدان مهتر است، رضی الله عنه. تا تو را فواید بسیار به حاصل شود و به جز تو آن را نیز که سعادت خواندن این کتاب باشد از طالبان این طریقت، ان شاء الله عز و جل.

English translation

Know that the foundation and basis of the path of Sufism and gnosis rests entirely upon saintship (walaya) and its affirmation, in which all the shaykhs (may God be pleased with them) agree; but each has expressed it in a different manner, and Muhammad ibn Ali (may God be pleased with him) is distinguished for applying this term to the reality of the path.

Now walayat, with fatha on the waw, means, linguistically, help and victory (nusra); and wilayat, with kasra on the waw, means authority and governance (imara); and both are also verbal nouns of 'waliya.' Since it is so, there must be two readings, as with 'dalalat' and 'dilalat.' Walayat also means lordship (rububiyya), and hence God Most High said: 'There the walaya belongs to God, the True' (18:44), so that the disbelievers turn to Him in allegiance and believe in Him and disavow their own idols; and walayat also means love (mahabba).

As for 'wali,' it may be a fa'il form with the meaning of a passive participle (maf'ul), as God Most High said: 'And He befriends the righteous' (7:196); for God Most High does not leave His servant to his own acts and attributes but keeps him under His own protection. And it may be a fa'il form with the meaning of intensification in the active sense, in that the servant devotes himself to obedience to Him, persists in observing His rights, and turns away from all besides Him: the one is the seeker (murid) and the other the sought (murad).

And all these meanings are valid both from the Truth to the servant and from the servant to the Truth; for it is valid that God Most High be the helper of His friends, since God Most High promised His friends among the Companions of the Prophet victory and said: 'Truly the help of God is near' (2:214), and He also said: 'And truly the disbelievers have no protector (mawla)' (47:11), meaning no helper. Since the disbelievers have no helper, then inevitably the believers have a helper who aids their intellects in reasoning from the signs and the exposition of meanings upon their hearts and the unveiling of proofs upon their inner secrets, and aids them in opposing the lower self, desire, and Satan, and in conforming to His commands.

And it is also valid that He single them out with love and keep them from the place of enmity, as He said: 'He loves them and they love Him' (5:54), so that they love Him through His love and turn their faces away from creation, so that He is their protecting friend and they are His friends (awliya).

And it is valid that He grant one a walaya by keeping him steadfast in obedience to Him and keeping him in protection and preservation (isma), so that he stands firm in obedience to Him and avoids disobeying Him, and Satan flees from his presence.

And it is valid that He grant one a walaya so that his loosing is a true loosing in the realm and his binding a true binding, his supplications answered and his breaths accepted; as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Many a disheveled, dusty one with two worn garments, to whom no attention is paid, were he to swear an oath by God, He would fulfill it.'

And it is well known that in the caliphate of the Commander of the Faithful Umar (may God be pleased with him), the river Nile stopped as was its custom; for in the age of ignorance they would each year cast an adorned maiden into it so that it would flow. Umar (may God be pleased with him) wrote on a piece of paper: 'O water, if you stood still by your own power, that is not fitting; if you stood still by the command of God the Mighty and Majestic, Umar says: flow.' When they cast the paper into the water, the water flowed, and this was a true exercise of authority (imara).

So my aim in discussing walaya and its affirmation is that you should know that the name 'wali' befits the one in whom these mentioned meanings are present, such that he possesses this state (hal), as we have said, and not merely the talk (qal) of it.

And before this the shaykhs (may God have mercy on them) composed books on this matter, drawn from a precious one who did not soon pass into non-existence. Now I shall adorn the expressions of that venerable elder who is the founder of the school, in accordance with my belief in that great one (may God be pleased with him), so that many benefits may accrue to you, and to others besides you among the seekers of this path who have the good fortune of reading this book, God the Mighty and Majestic willing.

Updated 2026-07-20

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