When God Approved Islam as Religion
The question is, what happened on that day so that God approved Islam as the religion.
The Event of Ghadir, which took place in the year ten after Hijrah, is such a great event that several verses of the Quran were revealed about it.
They include the Verse of Tabligh that was revealed prior to it and underline the necessity and importance to convey the divine order: “O Messenger, deliver what is sent down to you from your Lord; if you do not, you will not have conveyed His Message.” (Verse 67 of Surah Al-Ma’idah)
Among the verses that were revealed after the Event of Ghadir is the Verse of ikmal al-din (perfection of religion): “Those who disbelieve have this day despaired of your religion. Do not fear them, but fear Me. This day I have perfected your religion for you and completed My favor to you. I have approved Islam to be your religion.” (Verse 3 of Surah Al-Ma’idah)
This part of the verse is quite independent from the first part that talks about what meat can be eaten, because, first of all eating or not eating meat has nothing to do with disbelievers having lost hope in the religion. Second, Hadiths about the Shaan Nuzul (condition of revelation) of the verse mainly feature explain this part (on perfection of religion) not the parts before and after it. And third, according to Shia and Sunni Hadiths, this part was revealed after the Event of Ghadir.
The Quran mentions major features for a day about which the word ‘Al-Yawm” (today) is used twice. Among those features are: 1- The day of despair of disbelievers, 2- The day of perfection of religion, 3- The day of completion of divine favor to people, 4- The day on which Islam was approved by God as the perfect religion. If each of these things happened in one day, it would be enough to call it a Yawm Allah (Day of God), let alone all of them happening in one day.
Other Hadiths and theories like revelation on the Day of Arafah do not offer a correct explanation given the features of this day. For example, one should wonder what happened on the 9th day of Dhul Hajjah that despaired the disbelievers. Or how can one say that teaching the rituals of Hajj (teaching a fraction of a religious duty) has to do with the perfection of the religion?
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This verse (3 of Surah Al-Ma’idah) is about the perfection of religion and completion of divine favor to people. The Sharia of the religion was completed during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) but in order to lead the Islamic government toward the desired destination and to implement Islamic rules in society, there is need for a principle that would make the religion stable (despair of disbelievers), perfect the religion, and complete the divine blessings (for Muslims).
Since the main purpose of religion is legislation of divine rules, in order to implement these rules, a person must be selected so that after the Holy Prophet (PBUH), there would be no confusion in understanding and implementing the Islamic rules. This can only be achieved through the appointment of the leader of the Islamic Ummah.
Wilayat was the last Faridhah (precept, religious duty) about which a verse was revealed and then God said He will not sent any more Faridhah, because the religion was perfected and the mission of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was completed with Imamate: “If you do not, you will not have conveyed His Message.”
In fact, the outcome of Risalah (prophetic mission) is nothing but Wilayat, without which religion, Risalah, and the blessing of Hidayah (guidance) would be incomplete, as the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said in a Hadith, narrated by both Sunni and Shia sources: “One who dies without having an Imam and leader dies death of Jahiliyyah.”
