Likewise, there is what has been reported about the verse, “For every community there is a guide” (al-Raʿd 7): that it supposedly refers to ʿAlī; and about the verse, “so let a listening ear take heed” (al-Ḥāqqah 12): that it means, “Your ear, O ʿAlī.”

Explanation

It is clear that this interpretation comes from the Rāfiḍah (the rejectionists); they are the ones who insert such claims. There is no doubt that every people has a guide, but that guide is not ʿAlī alone. Allah appoints for every nation someone who leads them, and foremost among all guides are the messengers, peace be upon them. As for “so let a listening ear take heed,” it applies to any receptive ear that hears and understands; such a person falls under this verse.

A similar case is what Ibn Jarīr, Ibn Mardūyah, Abū Nuʿaym, and others related from Ibn ʿAbbās: when the verse, “You are only a warner, and for every people there is a guide” (al-Raʿd 7) was revealed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ placed his hand on his own chest and said, “I am the warner,” then gestured toward ʿAlī’s shoulder and said, “You are the guide, O ʿAlī; through you the rightly guided will find guidance after me.” (1) Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Kathīr said, “This ḥadith is sharply irregular.” (2)