Compilation, Wiláyah in the Baha'i Faith

Annotated Compilation On Guardianship, Divine Intimacy, and Spiritual Preeminence

Oct 21, 2025

Featured here is an annotated compilation on a concept of tremendous significance in the Baha’i Writings. Wiláyah or waláyah (Guardianship, Sainthood, Providence, divine intimacy) is a famously challenging word to translate. In this compilation we will explore a few of the dimensions of meaning conveyed by this concept. Wiláyah is one of the most under-recognized, but theologically weighty concepts found throughout the Baha’i Writings, unnoticed without a grounding in the original language or without sign-posting from translators. The aim of this compilation is to present a broad overview of this concept to expose English readers to this idea.

Wiláyah threads through many passages in the Writings and is the topic of extended focus in certain works, especially of the Báb. In the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh, wiláyah plays a vital role in covenantal succession. Many will be familiar with some dimensions of its meaning when aided by annotations of well-known passages. Alongside these familiar quotes will be introduced lesser-known quotes, provisional translations, and important quotes from the Islamic background that broaden our range of understanding of how the term has evolved into the Baha’i context from its roots in the Qur’an and Islamic spirituality.

A Brief Introduction to Wiláyah and Its Semantic Range

Waláyah / wiláyah: special [divine] intimacy, friendship with God, saintliness or sainthood, Providence, ‘overseership’; Trusteeship; Guardianship; vicegerency; protectorship; and successorship.

Dimensions of Meaning and Key Words Rooted in this Concept:

Wiláyah as an abstract concept is that special quality of ‘spiritual authority’, charisma, leadership, especially that invested in Imam ‘Alí by the Prophet Muḥammad. It encompasses a ‘special intimacy’ or true (divine) friendship, and well as the exercise of ‘Guardianship’, i.e. presiding over the community of believers as the chief and foremost spiritual authority. It is often also rendered incompletely as ‘sainthood’, or ‘saintliness’ on account of its important role in that context within Sufism. Sufi ‘saints’ are known by the title of ‘waliyy’ and wiláyah describes their unique relationship with God.
In Shi’i thought there are few concepts with greater significance than that of wiláyah. Henry Corbin has neatly summarized it as the ‘spiritual ministry of the Imams, the source of initiation into the esoteric meaning’ of the Word of God.
Given its continued use and frequent reference in the Writings, gaining an understanding of how the Baha’i perspective affirms or discontinues certain ideas from that background is of great importance.

Al-Waliy / Al-Wali : One of the most theologically weighty Names of God, meaning ‘the Guardian’, ‘the Friend’, ‘the Protector’.

waliyy ; (pl.) awliya’: ‘friend’ saint/sage, leader, authority, guardian, trustee, holy one, Holy Ones (pl.)

In a more general sense, it has come to mean the ‘saintliness’ or sanctification that aligns one with the divine, the special intimacy or high spiritual station one has in relation to God. On this basis it became a widespread term used among Sufi and in Shi’i religious society. Even today this concept is of central importance in Sufism, but also became in the 20th-century the basis for the establishment of the Shi’i theocratic government of Iran, as formulated by its ‘Supreme Leader’ and central theological thinker, Ayatollah Khomeini (d. 1989). He articulated the doctrine of ‘wilāyat al-faqīh’ — the ‘Guardianship of the Jurist’, grounding the authority of qualified jurists (fuqahā’) as representatives of the Hidden Imam. Contrasting this with the vision of wiláyah as found in the Baha’i Faith [refer to the quotes that follow], and one can begin to get a sense of the gravity of the difference that characterizes these two visions of wiláyah, and even the roots of why the Islamic Republic would target the Faith so vigorously.
awliya’: Holy Ones. This is often a designation of the 12 Holy Imams. Otherwise indicates the ‘Chosen Ones’, or the ‘Saints’ or ‘Friends of God’.

Mawlah (Mulla) | مولى, chief, lord, master, patron (or) client. ally, friend, follower. Trustee. | *mawālī* مولائی [my Lord] | Mawlanā مولانا [our Master] |

Mawla is a polysemous word. Someone who is a Mawla is a ‘Lord’ or ‘Locus’ of Wiláyah, someone who participates in the quality and is in a special relationship of intimacy with the Divine. Mawla also designates a ‘Patron-Client’ relationship. Hence, one’s Mawla can mean either their Lord or Patron, or Mawla can indicate onself as a client in relation to a Lord. It eventually became a title of respect for learned Muslim religious scholars (Mullā, as in Mullā Husayn)
Muḥammad, famously, is said to have stated at Ghadīr Khumm, shortly before His death “He whose mawlā I am, Ali is his mawlā” (Arabic: من كنت مولاه فهذا علي مولاه). This is known as the Hadith of Wiláyah among Shi’a.
Bahá’u’lláh in at least two instances uniquely designates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as *mawālī* مولائی [my mawla, e.g. my ‘master, lord, friend, locus of wilaya’] and ‘my Siyyid’, evocative of the event at Ghadīr Khumm [one instance is found in a Tablet to Ibn Asdaq in the collection Payk-i-Rastan].
Leading spiritual figures, such as Sufi ‘saints’ or Shaykhs are often referred to by the title Mawlanā مولانا [our Master]. Commonly Mawlanā Jalal al-Din Rumi is known simply as Mawlanā. The Ismaili Shi’a community refer to their presently Living Imam as Mawlanā.
The most common use of the term Mawlā in the Writings, of the Bab and Bahá’u’lláh, is in reference to God, the Supreme Lord (Mawlā):
See for example:
“Sanctified be the Lord (Mawlā) of all mankind, at the mention of Whose name all the atoms of the earth have been made to vibrate, and the Tongue of Grandeur hath been moved to disclose that which had been wrapt in His knowledge and lay concealed within the treasury of His might.” - Bahá’u’lláh in the Tablet of Carmel (Lawh-i-Karmil)

On Wilayah, Prophethood and Revelation

Critically, wali and wilayah can be understood as attempts to intersect across a set of related, overlapping but (non-systematically) distinct terms/roles, including that of nabi and nubuwwa, rasul, and Imam. These are varying roles rooted in the Qur’anic terminology and Ahadith (reports and sayings of the Prophets and Imams) that became the subject of theological exploration in different schools of thought. ‘Imamate’ [Imamah] or Imamology, for instance, captures the stream of theological and philosophical speculation within Shi’a Islam that defined the purpose, station, and function of the Imams.

Wiláyah forms an indispensible part of the doctrine of Imamah, which can be distilled into the following: Imamah describes the cessation of revelation (tanzil) with the death of the Prophet, its succession by spiritual guardianship and authority (wiláyah), teaching (ta‘lim), and esoteric interpretation (ta’wil), centered on the person of the Imam who is the Quṭb [Pole, Axis or Pivot] of spiritual guidance and the direct inheritor and successor (wasi) of the Prophet to whom all in the community of believers must turn. In the eyes of some Shi’a thinkers these concepts [wilayah and imamah] are nearly interchangeable.

Related to the variety of roles envisioned in the Islamic dispensation, there are also the distinct categories of transcendent knowledge and one’s relationship and dialogue with God’s knowledge. These are namely “Revelation” [usually wahy & nazzala], Divine Inspiration [ilham], theophany & epiphany [Mazhariyya and Tajaliyya], and unveiling or disclosure [kashfiyya]. Certain of these [wahy] are understood to be restricted to God’s Divine Revelator. Others are principally the mode of the Imams [ilham] but may also be accessible to others. Others [tajalliyya, kashfiyya] cut across all these roles, and are also seen as accessible to the ‘gnostic’ or mystic knower, e.g. those believers most oriented toward path of spiritual ascent and seeking recognition and true understanding of God [‘irfan, ma’rifah].

There is a theological tension, however. As one ‘ascends’ closer to divine knowledge and achieves a higher station, the question is opened: what distinguishes such Holy Souls from the divinely appointed Prophets and Messengers? Further, the Qur’an reveals that Muḥammad was the ‘Seal of the Prophets’, which has been understood in Islamic thought to mean the cessation of nubuwwa [Prophethood] and risalah [Messengership]. This provokes tension between the cessation and the continuity of divine guidance. Nabi, Rasul and Imam; these are all distinctive roles understood to be occupied by certain figures alone, and not accessible to just anyone. Prophecy, as stated, was understood to have ceased with Muḥammad (until the End-Times). In Shi’a Islam authoritative Divine Guidance did continue through the persons of the Imams. Later, after the ‘Occultation’ (disappearance of the 12th Imam), this too ceased, and hence the flow of divine guidance (ostensibly).

In esoteric and mystical practice however, the continuity of special connection with the divine continued via the spiritual authority and charisma cultivated by Sufi leaders, gnostics, and Shaykhs, whose spiritual claims grew markedly in scope across the centuries. In the absence of ongoing Prophecy and Imamhood, as the spiritual stations and access to divine knowledge claimed by various figures drew closer and closer akin to roles such as Prophets, Messengers, Imams, there arose the need to distinguish their station and authority, hence the elaboration and emphasis on wiláyah as a general spiritual intimacy and authority that is not limited to specific figures such as a Nabi or Rasul.

In other words, the cessation or seal of Prophethood need not seal divine guidance through participation in wiláyah, an ongoing and ceaseless spiritual bequest. Wiláyah, as was conceived, could be achieved by those walking the path of annihilation of self [faná] and subsistence in God [baqá]. By the time of Ibn al-’Arabi, who greatly elaborated this doctrine, wiláyah in the general sense was seen as something shared by God [in His Name al-Waliy], the Prophets and Messengers, the Imams, but also accessible to enlightened human beings [‘Saints’ or distinctive holy souls]. Ibn al-’Arabi provided a unified framework of Sufi cosmology and mystical experiential insight to undergird these concepts, one that proved to be extremely influential in the centuries to follow.

The expansive references to wiláyah in the Bahá’i Revelation remain under-explored at this point and will merit many detailed studies in the future. The topic of Wiláyah is a frequent subject of reflection in the Revealed Word from the earliest Writings of the Báb [Tafsir Surat al-Baqarah], up to and throughout Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation, until even His final works. At the outset, we can identify a few of the foremost relevancies to the Faith:

Wiláyah as an Essential Concept in the Baha’i Covenant: Wiláyah as an Institution [Guardianship] and the Figure of the Guardian of the Cause of God [Wali Amr Alláh]:
- Wiláyah is, alongside such concepts as ‘Ahd [Covenant] and Wiṣáyyah [Divine Testament], one of the most critical concepts to understand the Succession of Leadership in the Faith after Bahá’u’lláh’s passing.
- Bahá’u’lláh’s unveiled the “Wiṣáyyat Allah” in the Book of His Covenant [Kitab-i-’Ahd]: His son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was to be His immediate successor, ‘He whom hath God purposed’, the one to whom all must turn for leadership and refer to for knowledge of the Sacred Word. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in turn in His Will & Testament (His ‘Waṣiyyat-námih’) designated His grandson Shoghi Effendi to be Guardian of the Cause of God [Wali Amr Alláh], formally creating Wiláyah as an Institution (the ‘Institution of the Guardianship’) and defining its functions and operations in congruity with the other Institution and authority ordained by Bahá’u’lláh (the House of Justice). Shoghi Effendi was the first and only to hold the role of “Wali” (Guardian) of the Cause of God. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá can also be understood as fulfilling the function and qualities of wiláyah but to a higher degree, in His own sphere. This is perhaps one implication of Bahá’u’lláh’s unique reference to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His ‘mawla’. However, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is not principally understood with respect to this function, but rather by His other roles, titles, and most especially that quintessential descriptor of His reality, ‘ubúdíyyat (servitude).
The Awliya’, the Holy Ones and ‘Chosen Ones’: An Essential Corollary to Progressive Revelation
- The Awliya’ [Holy Ones, Chosen Ones] are a frequent subject of reference, across hundreds of instances. Most often we see them mentioned directly alongside the main sources of Divine Revelation, the Prophets, Messengers and Manifestations. So who then are ‘the Holy Ones’ or ‘Chosen Ones’? The most important direct referent indicated by this term are the Holy Imams [specifically the Twelve Shi’a Imams]. At other times, these are more general designation of the saintly figures and ‘Chosen Ones’ of a Dispensation, especially those Holy Ones who arise to great heights of service, serve the Cause, are first to believe in the Manifestation, and achieve high spiritual stations.
Wiláyah as an Interface with the Islamic Dispensation and the Continued Relevance of Imam ‘Alí
- Through Muḥammad’s designation of Imam ‘Alí as mawla we already see the relevance of the notion of wiláyah to the Islamic dispensation. Given that Imam ‘Alí is, after Muḥammad, the central figure of Islam for all Shi’a Muslims, He is the principal subject of many contemplations of the concept of wiláyah. Indeed, testifying to Imam ‘Alí’s ‘Guardianship is a core part of Shi’a religious identity via the phrase ‘ʿAlī Walī Allāh’ (Arabic: علي وليُّ الله, ‘Ali is the Guardian-Friend of God), which forms part of the call to prayer for Shi’a believers. It is not surprising, then, that we find that many of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh’s expositions on wiláyah also revolve around Imam ‘Alí. As a result, the concept is an important nexus for the continued reverence for and significance of Imam ‘Alí in the Baha’i Faith.

The Báb

From the Qayyúm al-Asmá’

“O people of the earth! Whoso obeyeth the Remembrance of God and His Book hath in truth obeyed God and His chosen ones [awliyá’ihu] and he will, in the life to come, be reckoned in the presence of God among the inmates of the Paradise of His good-pleasure.” - QA Surah 1:40, SWB, 2:3

“O Qurratu’-’Ayn! Point to Thy truthful breast through the power of truth and exclaim: I swear by the One true God, herein lieth the vicegerency of God [wilayat’ullah]; I am indeed the One Who is regarded as the Best Reward [cf. Qur’án 18:42] and I am indeed He Who is the Most Excellent Abode.” - QA Surah 72:40; SWB 2:40, pp. 84-85

“God had, in truth, proposed [a’aradna] Our Mission [wiláyatna] [cf. Q33:72] unto the heavens and the earth and the mountains [Q33:72], but they refused to bear it and were afraid thereof. However, Man, this ‘Alí [e.g. the Báb], Who is none other but the Great Remembrance of God, undertook to bear it [e.g wiláyat] .” - QA Surah 12:19, SWB, 2:47, pp. 89-90

“We did indeed send down this Book (al-kitab) upon Our servant (`abd) [the Bab] for such as believe in God and in His lofty ones (awliyá’) to the end that they might instruct the righteous ones persons upright before God, the Elevated (al-aliyy), the One Praised (al-mahmud an), in the ways of the Bab (subul al-bab).” - QA Surah 25:4, prov. transl. by Stephen Lambden, Hurqalya

“Such as acted according to the wilaya (Imami guidance) of the [Shi’i] Family of God (al Allah), the True One (al-haqq) will assuredly be guided within their own selves to act mindfully at the direction of the Dhikr Allah (Remembrance of God).” - QA Surah 18:21; prov transl by Stephen Lambden

From the Persian Bayan

“The ulama today, because of the utterance of one of the Imams - peace be upon them - who said: ‘Turn towards those who transmit our hadith’, believe themselves to be supreme judges (hakam) appointed by the Imam. Moreover, they attribute titles (asmá’) to themselves which are not suitable. If they spoke honestly, they would not have remained as veiled from him, who confers authority (wiláyah or waláyah) and prophethood through a single word. However, when they perceived that the Revelation of God was not in accordance with [safeguarding] their own station... they even issued a verdict (fatwá) against God” - Persian Bayan 2:3, provisional translation by Armin Eschraghi, A Most Noble Pattern, p. 234

“ln this day, the station of the wilaya is established by the very same thing that established the station of the Prophet in former days, even though the manifestation of the Point of the Bayan is absolutely identical with that of Muḥammad, which has been brought back to life. Nevertheless, since he has appeared in the (form of the) revelation of God Himself, all the names beneath his shadow are God’s tokens, for he is the First and the Last, the Outward and the lnward, and the Beautiful Names belong to him.” - Persian Bayán 1:2, provisional translation by Denis MacEoin

From the Sahifiy-i-’Adlíyyih

From Sahifiy-i-’Adlíyyih, Gate 3, ‘the third [of seven degrees of ma’rifah] which is Recognition of the Gates’:

“In this station it is incumbent upon those of sound mind to confess [belief] in the Vicegerency-Successorship [wasáyyat] of the Commander of the Faithful [Amīr al-Mu’minīn, e.g. Imam ‘Alí ] - Peace be upon Him! In this realm without distinction naught exists apart from His Sanctified Personage and all the aforementioned stages [maratib مراتب] in the ‘Gnosis of [inner] Meanings’ (ma’rifat ma’ani) [e.g. the Second Degree of Knowledge] in this station are obligatory, each with their respective provisions and pillars [arkan]. And it amounts to this: that in all these stations, that Sanctified Being [dhat muqaddas] who is the bearer of Absolute Wiláyah [wiláyat mutlaqa] is the Servant [‘abd] of the Apostle of God - the Blessings of God be upon Him and His family! Know thou, indeed, that the Absolute Wiláyah of that Greatest Lord [siyyid akbar] is the very Self-Soul-Essence of His Vicegerency [wasáyyat] for Muḥammad - the Blessings of God be upon Him and His Family! - and none have penetrated the depths of true understanding of His Being save God the Peerless One, and the Most Great Lord, the Apostle of God - the Blessings of God be upon Him and His family! And He [e.g. Imam ‘Alí] is the Absolute Gate of God [báb mutlaqa illahi] through whose permission alone does any word of Origination [ibda’] come into being, and except by His decree, no letter can ascend unto God. And recognition of this Holy Soul is recognition of the Apostle of God [Muḥammad] - the Blessings of God be upon Him and His progeny - nay, rather even the word “Divine Unity” [tawḥīd] and the testimony of Prophethood is but confession of the Wiláyah of that Blessed One!” - the Báb, Sahifiy-i-’Adlíyyih, Gate 3, provisional translation by Aaron Ferguson

Bahá’u’lláh

Tafsír Súratu’l-Shams, excerpt translated in Gleanings, LXXXIX, pp. 75-77

“Know assuredly that just as thou firmly believest that the Word of God, exalted be His glory, endureth for ever, thou must, likewise, believe with undoubting faith that its meaning can never be exhausted. They who are its appointed interpreters [mubayyin], they whose hearts are the repositories of its secrets, are, however, the only ones who can comprehend its manifold wisdom. Whoso, while reading the Sacred Scriptures, is tempted to choose therefrom whatever may suit him with which to challenge the authority of the Representative of God [maṭlaʻ al-wilāyah - مطلع الولایة ] among men, is, indeed, as one dead, though to outward seeming he may walk and converse with his neighbors, and share with them their food and their drink.

Note the word for “Representative” here is ‘maṭlaʻ al-wilāyah’, which could also be understood as the ‘Dawning-Place of Wilayah’.

Elsewhere in the Tafsír Súratu’l-Shams, Bahá’u’lláh comments on the word moon in Q91:2, and indicates that it signifies “Wiláyah”. The relationship of the Sun and the Moon, which reflects its light, is a naturally applicable way to understand that between the Manifestation of God and Their successor, vicegerent, guardian.

From the Kitab-i-Aqdas

“Beware lest any name debar you from Him Who is the Possessor of all names, or any word shut you out from this Remembrance of God, this Source of Wisdom amongst you... Say: Through this Cause the day-star of testimony hath dawned, and the luminary of proof hath shed its radiance upon all that dwell on earth. Fear God, O men of insight, and be not of those who disbelieve in Me. Take heed lest the word [e.g. name] “Prophet” withhold you from this Most Great Announcement, or any reference to “Vicegerency” [wilayah] debar you from the sovereignty of Him Who is the Vicegerent of God [awliyat ullah], which overshadoweth all the worlds. Every name hath been created by His Word, and every cause is dependent on His irresistible, His mighty and wondrous Cause. Say: This is the Day of God, the Day on which naught shall be mentioned save His own Self, the omnipotent Protector of all worlds. This is the Cause that hath made all your superstitions and idols to tremble.” - Kitab-i-Aqdas, para. 167

From the Ishraqat:

“In response to thy request the Pen of Glory hath graciously described the stations and grades of the Most Great Infallibility [al-‘ismatu’l-kūbrā]. The purpose is that all should know of a certainty that the Seal of the Prophets —may the souls of all else but Him be offered up for His sake—is without likeness, peer or partner in His Own station. The Holy Ones [awliya’, e.g. the Imams] —may the blessings of God be upon them—were created through the potency of His Word, and after Him they were the most learned and the most distinguished among the people and abide in the utmost station of servitude [al-’ubudiyya]. The divine Essence, sanctified from every comparison and likeness, is established in the Prophet, and God’s inmost Reality, exalted above any peer or partner, is manifest in Him. This is the station of true unity and of veritable singleness. The followers of the previous Dispensation grievously failed to acquire an adequate understanding of this station. The Primal Point [the Bab] — may the life of all else but Him be offered up for His sake—saith: ‘If the Seal of the Prophets had not uttered the word “Successorship” [al-wilāyat], such a station would not have been created.’”

From Gleanings,

Gleanings, XXVII:

“in the kingdoms of earth and heaven there must needs be manifested a Being, an Essence Who shall act as a Manifestation and Vehicle for the transmission of the grace of the Divinity Itself, the Sovereign Lord of all. Through the Teachings of this Daystar of Truth every man will advance and develop until he attaineth the station at which he can manifest all the potential forces with which his inmost true self hath been endowed. It is for this very purpose that in every age and dispensation the Prophets of God [anbiya'] and His chosen Ones [awliya’] have appeared amongst men, and have evinced such power as is born of God and such might as only the Eternal can reveal.”

Gleanings, XXIII:

“Thou hast known how grievously the Prophets of God, His Messengers and Chosen Ones [awliya’ - انبيا و اصفيا و اوليای الهی], have been afflicted. Meditate awhile on the motive and reason which have been responsible for such a persecution.”

From the Kitab-i-Iqān, para. 110

“It hath therefore become manifest and evident that within the tabernacles of these Prophets [anbiya] and chosen Ones of God [awliya’] the light of His infinite names and exalted attributes hath been reflected, even though the light of some of these attributes may or may not be outwardly revealed from these luminous Temples [haykal-i-nuriyyih] to the eyes of men. That a certain attribute of God hath not been outwardly manifested by these Essences of Detachment doth in no wise imply that they Who are the Daysprings of God’s attributes and the Treasuries of His holy names did not actually possess it. Therefore, these illuminated Souls, these beauteous Countenances have, each and every one of them, been endowed with all the attributes of God, such as sovereignty, dominion, and the like, even though to outward seeming they be shorn of all earthly majesty.…”

Tafsīr al-ḥurūfāt al-muqaṭṭa`āt (Commentary on the Isolated Letters)

Paragraph 24: [1] And on another level the [isolated Arabic letter] “A” (alif) represents the Absolute Divinity (al-uluhiyya al-muṭaqah). [2] The [isolated letter] “L” (al-lām) represents the Absolute Wilāya (”Providential Overseership”) al-wilāya al-muṭlaqah) which is realized through His “Logos- Self” (nafs); actualized (al-qa’ima) through His saying, “Thy waliyy (”Patron”) is [only] God” (Q. 5:55a). [3] This is by virtue of the Mighty, Praiseworthy Trusteeship (wilāya al-`aziz al-maḥmūd). [4] The [isolated, Isolated letter] “M” (al-Mīm) is expressive of the Muhammandan Actuality [Beingness] (al-kaynūnah al-muhammadiyya) and the Aḥmadī Modality (al-ṭarāz al-aḥmadiyya). [5] And God addressed him [Muhammad] by means of these [isolated] letters to the end that all might attain certitude for everything that He expounds is of importance, is communicated through created languages or made meaningful relative to the earthly originated domain (arḍ al-inshā’iyya). [6] All of this appears in the Muhammadan garment (qamīṣ al-muhammadiyya) and thus doth the Dove (al-warqā’) warble forth on every level the melodies of the Spirit perchance thou might comprehend something of what is communicated unto thee.”
…
Paragraph 39: [1] Now on another level God, glorified be He, intendeth by the ا [letter] “A” (alif) of the [isolated letters A-L-M] the Oneness of His Essence (aḥadiyya dhātihi). [2] By the ل [letter] “L” (lām) [is indicated] the wilāya (providential custodianship) of His ولى walī (intimate authority, custodian, legatee, guardian, etc) for the [letter] “L” (lām) is the letter indicative of al-wilāya (one representative of special custodianship) if thou art of such are informed. [3] By the م [isolated letter] “M” (mīm) is indicated the prophethood (nubuwwa) of His Beloved (ḥabīb, = Muhammad] for this letter (”M”) is the letter of prophethood (nubuwwa) as is indicated by the fact that it appears at the beginning of the name of His Messenger (= Muhammad) just as thou dost witness. [4] And the letter of the wilāya (ḥarf al-wilāya custodianship = “L”) hath precedence over the letter of Prophethood (ḥarf al-nubuwwa = M)[5] This so that those possessed of heartfelt vision testify to the fact that this is an expression of eschatological glad-tidings (bishāra min ba’d) unto all who inhabit the heavens and the earth for he who succeeded Muhammad (= the Bāb) hath in his mighty name (= ‘Alī Muhammad) the name of wilāya (custodianship..) (ism al-wilāya) [=’Alī] precede the name of prophethood (ism al-nubuwwa) [= Muhammad] just as thou art aware in [the Bāb’s name] ‘Ali before Muhammad (`Ali Muhammad = the Bāb).” (Baha’ullah, provisional translation by Stephen Lambden)

Note here that by the idea that ‘Wiláyah hath precedence over Prophethood’ is reminiscent of the articulation of Ibn al-’Arabi about Wiláyah having precedence over Prophethood and Messengership, though for different reasons. The Bab also granted precedence to wiláyah above nubuwwa in His first major work, the Tafsir Surat al-Baqarah.

From the Kitab-i-Badi’

Excerpt #1

حال ملاحظه نمائيد كه چه مقدار كلمات را مغاير و مخالف و غير موقع ذكر مي نمائيد. نفسی را كه می فرمايد اخذ ولايت او را قبل از اخذ عهد ولايت خود نموده ام، مع ذلك معرضين بيانيّه نفوس مقبله به اين نفس رحمانيّه را اهل تأويل شمرده اند. نَشكُو بثَّنا و حُزنَنَا إلی اللهِ فيما ورد عليه مِن عبادِهِ الّذين خُلِقُوا بِقولِهِ “كُنْ” فَيكونُ.

Excerpt #2

إيّاكم، يا قوم، أن تتمسّكوا بالأسماء و تعترضوا علی الّذی خلقها بأمرٍ من عنده. لا إله إلاّ هو المقتدر العالم الحكيم. قل: إنّه خلق الأسماء كما خلق كلّ شیء إن أنتم من العالمين. كلّ ذی قدرةٍ عاجزٌ عند سلطان قدرته، و كلّ ذی علم جاهلٌ لدی علمه، و كلّ ذی غناء فقير لدی بابه الّذی فُتح علی وجه الخلائق أجمعين. إيّاكم أن يصُدَّنَّكُم الأسماء عن موجدها. تجنّبوا عن الّذين تمسّكوا بها و كانوا عليها لَمِن العاكفين! قل: إنّ النّبیَّ مَن سمع نبأی و آمن بنفسی، و الرّسولَ[۴۱۰]مَن بلّغ رسالاتی، و الإمام مَن قام أمام وجهی و فاز بأيّامی، و الولیَّ مَن دخل حِصن ولايتی و إنقطع عن سوائی، و الوصیَّ مَن وصّی نفسه، ثمّ العباد بحبّی و ذكری و ثنائی. كذلك أشرقت شمسُ البيان عن أفق مشيّة ربّكم الرّحمن فی هذا الرّضوان المقدّس الممتنع المتعالی المنيع. و الحمد للّه محبوبی و محبوب العارفين.

‘Abdu’l-Baha

From the Secret of Divine Civilization

“The highest station, the supreme sphere, the noblest, most sublime position in creation, whether visible or invisible, whether alpha or omega, is that of the Prophets of God [anbiya’ illahi], notwithstanding the fact that for the most part they have to outward seeming been possessed of nothing but their own poverty. In the same way, ineffable glory is set apart for the Holy Ones [awliya-yi-haqq] and those who are nearest to the Threshold of God [muqarriban-i-dargah-i-ahadiyyat], although such as these have never for a moment concerned themselves with material gain.” para. 39

Qur’an and Islamica

Q42:28 - “He is the One Who sends down rain after people have given up hope, spreading out His mercy. He [Allah] is the Guardian [al-waliyyu], the Praiseworthy.”

Q5:55 - “Your only guardians [waliyyukum] are Allah, His Messenger, and fellow believers—who establish prayer and pay alms-tax with humility.”

Q8:40 “And if they do not comply, then know that Allah is your Protector [Allaha mawla kum]. What an excellent Protector [almawla], and what an excellent Helper!” | “وَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَوْلَىٰكُمْ ۚ نِعْمَ ٱلْمَوْلَىٰ وَنِعْمَ ٱلنَّصِيرُ”

Q7:196 “Indeed, my Protector (Wali, Supporter, and Helper) is Allah Who has revealed this Book. For He ˹alone˺ protects the righteous.” | إِنَّ وَلِـِّۧىَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى نَزَّلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ ۖ وَهُوَ يَتَوَلَّى ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ

Sermons from Imam ‘Alí

“God has given me rights over you by placing me in charge of your affairs [bi wilayat amrikum], and you have rights over me, just as I have over you.” | فقد جعل الله لي علیکم حقّا بولایة أمرکم ولکم علّي من الحقّ مثل الذي علیکم | - Nahj al-Balagha, pp. 494-495

“They [Muḥammad’s family] are the embodiments of God’s mystery, the foundations of his creed, the vessels of his knowledge, the harbors for his wisdom, the havens for his scriptures, and the peaks of his religion. Through them, he straightens religion’s back when it becomes crooked, and calms its limbs when it trembles… No one from this community may be compared to Muḥammad’s family, and no one blessed by God’s favors may be equated with them in this regard. They are the pillar of religion and the column of certainty. The exaggerator must return to their position, and the laggard must join up with it. Theirs is the right of allegiance [haqq al-wilayah], theirs the Prophet’s testament [wasiyyah] and inheritance. Now, in this moment, truth has been restored to its owners and returned to its home.” - Nahj al-Balagha, pp. 116-117

Hadith and the Ghadir Khumm:

“as has been said by the Holy Prophet ﷺ in another authentic Hadith: مَن کُنت موَلاہُ فَعَلِیُّ مَولاہُ (To whomever I am a friend [or Master], then, ` Ali too is a friend[master] of his) (narrated by Ahmad, as in Mazhari). In yet another hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been reported to have said: اللَّھُمَّ وَالِ مَن وَالَاہُ وَ عَادِ مَن عَادَاہُ (o Allah, befriend whoever befriends him and take as enemy whoever shows enmity to him).” - Ma’arif al-Quran, commentary on Q5:55

“‘Do you not acknowledge that I have a greater claim on each of the believ. ers than they have on themselves?’ And they replied: ‘Yea verily!’ (bala) And he took ‘Ali’s hand and said: ‘Of whomsoever I am Lord (Mawla), then ‘Ali is also his Lord. O God! Be Thou the supporter of whoever supports ‘Ali and the enemy of whoever op poses him.’ And ‘Umar Ithe future second caliphl met him l’Ali) after this and said to him: ‘Congratulations, O son of Abu Talib! Now morning and evening [i.e., forever] you are the master of every believing man and woman.” lbn Hanbal, Musnad, tr. and cited in Momen, “An Introduction to Shi’i Islam” p. 15.

Episodes from Hadith related to Imam ‘Alí’s successorship, guardianship: Imam ‘Alí as Guardian, ‘Authorized Representative’, and the Opposition of the Hypocrites

“On one occasion when four of the Muslims complained to the Prophet concerning something that ‘Ali had done, the Prophet grew angry and said: ‘What do you want from ‘Ali? ‘Ali is from me and I am from ‘Ali. He is the guardian (wali) of every believer after me.’ And in another context, the Prophet said: to ‘Ali: “You are my authorized representative (wali) in this world and the next.’ The Prophet is reported to have said: ‘No one may execute my affairs except myself and ‘Ali? ... The Prophet said: ‘As for ‘Ali, Fatimah, Hasan and Husayn, I am at war with whoever fights against these and at peace with whoever is at peace with these?’... ‘No one but a believer loves ‘Ali and no one but a hypocrite (munafiq) hates ‘Ali.’” -Hadith cited in Momen, An Introduction to Shi’i Islam

Ibn Arabi, Selections on Wilayah

“Know! Wilayah is a universal concept and a great circle; one of its rules is that God takes each of His servants, as He wishes, as His friends and as His prophets. Prophethood is among His rules of wilayah. Thus, each and every prophet should inevitably be a messenger and each and every messenger should be a wali.” - Ibn Arabi, Al-Futuhat al-makkiyyah, 2:256, 3:14, cited in Kazemzadeh & Davarnia

“In each era, the world needs a prophet or a messenger and after them a successor or a wali who is his successor so that the divine command may be handed down by a messenger to another prophet to the seal of the prophets and after that, the same command may be handed down to special successors and awliya‟ to the seal of the awliya‟ with whose death the Day of Resurrection will come. The command of the world refers to the other world and the otherworldly aspect will appear to remain stable, permanent, and unchangeable.” - Ibn ‘Arabi, quoted in Amuli, Nass al-nusus fi sharh Fusus al-hikam, 1:157, cited in Kazemzadeh & Davarnia

Syed Hossein Nasr, On the Imams and Wilayah

“Specifically in Islam the door of prophecy closed with the Prophet Muḥammad-upon whom be peace. He was both the exoteric and esoteric source of the revelation but in his function as revealer of Divine legislation he represents the exoteric aspect. After him there must be those who inherited his esoteric function and whose duty it is to expound the inner meaning of the Divine Law. Just as the function of prophecy, in as much as it concerns the bringing of Divine Legislation, is called nubuwwah, so is the function of interpreting its inner meaning to men and preserving a link with the source of the revelation called wilayah in Shi’ism. In general the word wilayah in Arabic, Persian and other Islamic languages means sainthood and the saint is called waliyallah ‘the friend of God’. But in the specific context of Shi’ism it refers, not only to the saintly life in general, but to the very function of interpreting the esoteric dimension of the revelation.” - Syed Hossein Nasr, Ideals and Realities of Islam, Ch. 6 “Sunnism and Shi’ism”, p. 160-163

Excerpts from Baha’i Scholarship

Todd Lawson in ‘Gnostic Apocalypse in Islam’, Introducing Walaya with respect to the Imams and the Qayyúm al-Asmá’

“[for Shi’a Islam] the two sources of religious authority, the Qur’an and the Imam, function in a complementary manner to such a degree that their respective titles are interchangeable. Dhikr [Remembrance] may designate either the written scripture (the Qur’an), or the human form that has been designated as the bearer of divine authority, the Prophet or one of the Imams. Often the former is referred to as the “Silent Book” (al-kitāb al-samit), while the latter is referred to as the Speaking Book (al-kitāb al-nāțiq). 39 In the same way, both the written text and the human bearer of authority may be referred to as Imam.” … The underlying assumption of this Shi’i principle is that a text, in this case the Qur`an, is susceptible of multiple interpretations and that, in order to minimize disharmony within the community resulting from conflicting interpretations, a single interpreter must be established and recognized. In this regard, the principle or rukn (”pillar,” “support”) of walaya contains within it profound implications for hermeneutics, as a result of which the preeminent function of the guardian (walii, who may be, in this case, either the Prophet, or one of the Imams) is precisely that of Interpreter (mutarjim) par excellence, This function is designated in early Isma’ili literature by the epithet al-nātiq al-wahīd (the single speaker), a term which denotes the absolute authority (ontological, eschatological, hermeneutical, legal and political), involved in the office of Imam/wali.” - Todd Lawson, Gnostic Apocalypse in Islam, p. 55

Excerpt from Todd Lawson’s work on the Bab’s first major work, the Tafsir Súrat al-Baqarah, with reference to the prior mentioned idea of wilayah as having precedence over nubuwwa:

“This hierarchy is interesting because it ranks walaya above nubuwwa. As such, it may be seen as deriving ultimately (although probably not directly) from the mystical philosophy of Ibn Arabi. Izutsu’s study of Ibn Arabi’s theory of walaya has shown that this notion represents a kind of universal and supreme relationship to the divine as a function of which it is possible to say that every prophet is also a bearer of walaya and may therefore be designated, in some sense, a wali. However, not every wali is the bearer of nubuwwa. Thus, while Muḥammad is a nabi, he is also a wali. In this connection, it is important to observe that according to the Quran, nubuwwa and risala (not to mention imama) must be considered derivative from walaya: God is never called a nabi or a rasul, but he is called, or more accurately, refers to Himself as wali par excellence (Q. passim) and therefore the direct source of walaya in a way that he is not the direct source of prophethood or messengership. Numerous Quranic verses could be cited here, but reference to a recent thorough study will suffice.67 The upshot is that walaya is superior to all other “offices” in any Islamic sacerdotal hierarchy. It is this fact, together with the Quranic insistence that God is the best of walis, which renders walaya superior to prophecy.68 It is also precisely this kind of theory, emphasized by Ibn Arabi, which commended his work so well to the concerns of mystically inclined Imami thinkers such as Rajab Bursi, Haydar Amuli, and Ibn Abi Jumhūr who were, in turn, responsible for its Shii assimilation. 69 But, whereas in Ibn Arabi’s thought Jesus is the bearer of absolute walaya (khātim al-awliya), according to Shi’i thought it is ‘Ali who is the non plus ultra symbol of walāya.” - Lawson, Todd. “Tafsir as Mystical Experience: Intimacy and Ecstasy in Quran Commentary: Tafsīr sūrat al-baqara by Sayyid ʿAlī Muḥammad Shīrāzī, The Báb (1819-1850)”

Todd Lawson in his article “The Authority of the Feminine and Fatima’s Place in an Early Work by the Bab” (pp. 96-97) outlines the core features of Wilaya as follows:

1 of the 5 pillars of Shi’ism, overlapping with/identified with Imamat: “Walaya is implicated in the fourth of five pillars of belief of traditional Ithna ‘Ashari Shi’ism, which are (1) Divine Unity (rawhid), (2) Prophethood (nubuwwa), (3) the Resurrection/Return (ma ad), (4) the Imamate (imama), and (5) Divine Justice (adl).”
Distinct from Prophetic and Revelatory Authority: “In Shi’ism prophetic authority ended with the death of Muhammad (632), but the Prophet is understood as having two types of mutually complementing authority: the one, connoted with the office of propherhorse (nubunwa); the other, in some ways a more general, yet at the same time purer (and therefore higher) type of authority connected with the office of guardianship (walaya).”
Rooted in the Qur’an, Explains distinctive mode leadership in Shi’i thought: “This teaching is based on the Qur’an, where the noun wali occurs in several important contexts. Most important for this discussion are all those Qur’anic verses that describe God as the wali of the believers? or the single verse that says that walaya belongs to God alone (18:44). The general meaning of wali in these instances is “protector,” “friend,” and “guardian.” By extension, and in the context of the most urgent doctrinal need of the Shi i community, namely to explain the system of distinctive leadership which it developed, walaya came to mean “religious authority”: believers are bound to obey what God, their best friend and guardian, ordains.
Only the “Family of God” are conduits for this special religious authority: “The “Family of God,” to use the Bab’s distinctive terminology, are the only conduits of this divine protective friendship, particularly in the context of the earliest struggles for leadership within the Islamic community where one could make the error of choosing the wrong “protecting friend” as a leader. Shi’ism says that this is precisely what happened to those Muslims who chose ‘Abu Bakr and the other two early caliphs as leaders.”
In some senses an elevated essential quality over nubuwwa: “While prophethood is in some sense superior to guardianship because only a prophet receives revelation through direct inspiration (wahy) and the task of a prophet is to establish a code of law (shari a), walaya is essential because only through this office or institution can true religious authority be continued beyond the death of the prophet. Furthermore, it is thought to be superior to nubuwa because unlike that institution, it is related directly to God. God is frequently called a wali in the Quran, but never a nabi. In this way walaya is seen to be a divine attribute certainly shared by all prophets, with nubuwwa representing in some ways a subfunction of walaya. Postprophetic guardians (awliya) do not have nubuwwa; it is only by virtue of their walaya that they have authority in the community to interpret (never reveal) scripture. But their interpretation has the authority of revelation.”

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