[127] Among what was stated in the book Al-Kawkab al-Durri is the saying of the Messenger—Exalted is His might—after some words: "And whoever pledges allegiance is only pledging allegiance to Allah—Exalted and Majestic is He. The Hand of Allah is over their hands. Say what I have said, and greet Ali with the title of 'Commander of the Faithful,' and say: 'We hear and we obey, [we seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination,' etc."

As for the term 'alayhu (عَلَيْهِ) with the damma on the letter ha (الهَاءِ)—which exoteric commentators consider a manifest grammatical error—it points from a hidden side to the fact that it is actually 'Aliyyuhu (عَلِيُّهُ), meaning "Ali is his God."

The pronoun in the ha (الهاء) of 'alayhu refers back to the relative pronoun man (مَنْ) occurring before the term awfa. The proof for this interpretation is the damma on the ha (الهَاءِ), and the fact that the term 'alayhi appears throughout the entire Quran with the kasra on the ha (الهَاءِ), except in this verse.

Furthermore, the presentation of the ya (اليَاءِ) with a sukun (quiescence) instead of a fatha and tashdid is a form of tawriya (hidden meaning) and obfuscation for the people of denial, which only the learned and cognizant can grasp. The correct meaning of the sentence is: "And whoever fulfills what he has covenanted [with] Ali, his God" (wa man awfa bima ‘ahada ‘Aliyyuhu Allah).

In this reading, 'Aliyyuhu (عَلِيُّهُ) is rendered with the tashdid on the ya (اليَاءِ) and the damma on the ha (الهَاءِ), signifying "Ali is his Master."