He said: "O assembly of people, am I not more worthy of you than your own selves, as God the Almighty said: {The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers. And those of [blood] relationship are more worthy of one another in the decree of God than the [other] believers and the Emigrants, except that you may do a kindness to your friends. That has been in the Book inscribed.}1"
These believers mentioned here are the Gates. They said: "Yes." He said: "O God, bear witness!"
He said it thrice, repeating it to them while they said "Yes." At that he said: "Whomever I am his master (mawla), then this Ali is his master." O people: "Know that Ali is my Master and your Master, my God and your God, my Lord and your Lord." All this was to negate from himself what they claimed regarding his divinity. "Master" (al-Mawla) in the Book of God has five aspects; the highest is: "Whomever I am his master, then this Ali is his master."
This is supported by the words of the Almighty: {Never would the Messiah disdain to be a servant of God, nor would the angels near [to Him]. And whoever disdains His worship and is arrogant—He will gather them to Himself all together.}2 The "angels near" are: the Gate and those beneath him of the masters of the ranks; they are the possessors of God’s knowledge and recognition.
And His word—the Almighty: {And whoever disdains His worship and is arrogant—He will gather them to Himself all together.}3 The indication here is toward the Second, his followers, his party, and those who succeeded him among the Pharaohs and those who were stubborn toward our Master—exalted be his glory—throughout the cycles and ages.