Verse 53 of Surah Al-Imran demonstrates the commitment and sincerity of those who responded positively to the message of truth. The similarity of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) to the disciples lies in the fact that he believed from the very beginning of the mission of the Prophet of Islam and never withheld his support and guidance of Islam throughout all difficult and challenging stages. So much so that the Seal of the Prophets(peace be upon him and his family) introduced him as his brother, successor, and vicegerent.
Verse 53 of Surah Al-Imran
“Our Lord, we have believed in what You have revealed and have followed the messenger, so register us among the witnesses.”
According to the narration of Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him) in the al-Ghadir Pilgrimage, these verses recall the lofty station of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) .
In a passage of the al-Ghadir Pilgrimage, it is stated:
“So none believed in what God had revealed to His Prophet concerning you except a few, and it added nothing for most of them but loss. Before that, God had revealed this verse about you while they disliked it: ‘Our Lord, we have believed in what You have revealed (from Yourself for our guidance) and have followed this messenger (i.e., Jesus Christ), so register us among the witnesses (to the truth of Jesus’ prophethood and the veracity of the heavenly books).'”
The believers introduced in Verse 53 of Surah Al-Imran — which is among the ‘Alawi verses of the Noble Quran — as supporters of the religion have a model, and the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) is among the most prominent examples of that within the Muslim nation. He played an unparalleled role both in the implementation of divine justice and in supporting the Seal of the Prophets and spreading the religion of Islam.
In the interpretation of Verse 53 of Surah Al-Imran Imam, al-Kadim (peace be upon him) said:
“We are those witnesses; we bear witness for the prophets (peace be upon them) over their nations.” (1)
- Tafsir Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), Vol. 2, p. 586; Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 23, p. 336; Al-Manaqib, Vol. 4, p. 283
