The Promise to the Followers, and Conclusion

Then the Prophet said, “By the Lord who appointed me as a true Prophet and has chosen me as holding communion to convey the message.

The Holy Prophet swears in the above-mentioned expression, and we know that the Infallibles swear only on important issues.

Whenever the tale of this gathering of us is mentioned in an assembly of the people of the earth in which a group of our adherents and lovers are present, the (divine) mercy shall certainly be poured down on them…

This seems to be the single narrative that is mentioned for the Ahl Al-Bayt’s followers who gather to read this: they will indeed be showered with mercy.

…And the angels will surround them…

Angels are instinctively inclined to worship. It is known then that such a meeting, upon which the causality of the origin of creation and the purification of the infallible family of the Prophet are spoken of, is a meeting of worship onto which angels descend.

…asking forgiveness for them until they depart.”

For those who make a habit of participating in gatherings that include worshipping God with prayers and invocations, as well as holding academic discussions that revere the Ahl Al-Bayt, angels seek forgiveness for them.

Then Ali said, “Then, by God I swear it, we are saved…

Salvation is prosperity. The Holy Prophet quotes this reassuring report from God who displays His satisfaction with the servitude and purification of the Ahl Al-Bayt. And Imam Ali states, “By the Lord! We accomplished God’s salvation.” We should not forget that God assigns this privilege to each of them according to His knowledge of the future of each of the Infallibles. Each one of the Infallibles - the Holy Prophet, Imam Ali, Lady Fatima, Imam Hasan, and Imam Husayn - have been tested many times with many trials and have succeeded in patiently tolerating them as well as passing the tests with God’s satisfaction. Thus, Imam Ali rightfully expresses his satisfaction with the Prophet’s report.

and so have our adherents. I swear it by the Lord of the Kaaba.”

Interestingly, Imam Ali brims with satisfaction with the report of his own salvation, as though his worries are removed. Additionally, he expresses his satisfaction with the fact that their followers, the Shi‘a, also enjoy salvation.

In many historical scenes of the life of the Infallibles we witness their continuous concern for their followers and God has bestowed upon them the intercession of the ummah to remove such concerns.

Here, too, from the last part of the abovementioned expression, we observe that Imam Ali expresses the nature of his previous concern and presents joy and happiness. This expression of the Narration of the Cloak is truly a great gift to the Shi‘a. Yet, it is at the same time an important warning about appreciating our own values: we should follow the lifestyle of the Infallibles. We should be proponents of truth, and never commit sins or submit to despotism. We should follow justice and support the poor. In summary, we should act based on what has been mentioned as good deeds in the Chapter The Age, which is to “exhort one another to truth, exhort one another to endurance.”

Then the Prophet said, “O Ali! By the Lord who appointed me as the Messenger and has chosen me, by holding communion, to convey the Message, whenever the tale of this gathering of us is mentioned in an assembly of the people of the earth in which a group of our adherents and lovers are present and among them there is a distressed one, Almighty Allah shall certainly relieve him from distress, or if there is among them an aggrieved one, God shall certainly relive him from grief. Or if there is among them one who needs a request to be granted, the Almighty Allah shall certainly grant him his request…

Here, the Holy Prophet has taught us how to implore for help and express our request to God.

No sad person will be found except that God removes his sadness.

This part of the tradition is the concern of our esteemed Prophet about us. We should not feel sad when we are able to remember or mention God. The solution to your worries is that you should gather together and speak of truth and exhort one another to truth.

And you will not find any one asking for a blessing unless God fulfils it.’

The Shi‘a and lovers of the Ahl Al-Bayt who participate in reading the Narration of the Cloak together are guaranteed to have their desires fulfilled by God. It seems that since such a meeting is the place for worship, it becomes a ground for His satisfaction and this causes a person’s desire to be granted.

The more we participate at the meetings of good people, the more we will refrain from participating in the meetings of false doers. The solution presented in this tradition for avoiding false-doers is to participate at the meetings in which the virtues of the Ahl Al-Bayt are discussed instead of falsehood, backbiting, and accusation. Very evidently, discussions about the Ahl Al-Bayt encourage the angels’ presence. God willing, they will descend onto it, and a meeting at which the angels are present is surely the place of worship and where prayers are accepted. Sin and felony have no room at such a meeting, and if they ever happen to find their way into it, they can generally be prevented through performing the injunctions of enjoining good and forbidding wrong (amr bil ma’roof wal nahy an al-munkar).

Then Ali said, “Then, by Allah, we are saved and have become blissful in this world and the hereafter, and our followers are saved and became blissful, by the Creator of the Kaaba.”

Imam Ali was known for remembering his followers and lovers, as seen in many narrations in which there is news of good tidings for himself. Here, Imam Ali, who fears he may have not earned God’s satisfaction with his actions, will be gladdened and satisfied when he learns that God has brought good tidings through Gabriel. In such cases, he remembers his followers and reveals his satisfaction of them. His satisfaction is emphasized in his repeated expression.

In this statement, God has been sworn twice, once at the beginning and once at the end of the statement.

Conclusion

The Tradition of the Cloak highly revers the Ahl Al-Bayt with regards to their status before God, their infallibility, and their Imamate, or unique divine leadership over the Muslim community. Within this tradition is a wealth of admirable traits of love and courtesy that stem from perfect faith in the Almighty.

As it introduces the impeccable servants of God, people are encouraged to ponder over their faith and the actions that derive from it, and as a result, emulate their actions to lead a faithful and fulfilling life.