The scholar Abu Ali Mohammad bin Ali bin Qarwash Al-Tamimi narrated from the scholars Abi Taleb Mohammad bin Mohammad bin Husain Al-Sabbagh Al-Qorashi and Abi Qasem Hasan bin Zaid bin Hamza Al-Bazzaz, from Ali bin Abdul Rahman bin Maani Al-Kateb, from Abi Jaafar Mohammad bin Mansour, from Ali bin Hasan bin Omar bin Ali bin Husain, from Ibrahim bin Rajaa Al-Sheibani, who said:
Someone asked Imam JAAFAR BIN MOHAMMAD (ASWS), “What did the PROPHET (SAWW) mean by the word MOWLA on the day of Ghadeer when he said, ‘Of whomsoever I am their Mowla, ALI (ASWS) is their Mowla. ALLAH (SWT) ! Befriend his friends and be the enemy of his enemies.”
JAAFAR BIN MOHAMMAD (ASWS) sat up straight and said, “I swear to ALLAH (SWT) that people asked the MESSENGER OF ALLAH (SAWW) the same question and the PROPHET (SAWW) replied (in the following way):
ALLAH (SWT) is my master and has more authority on me than I do on myself. I do not have any authority on myself compared to His authority on me.
I am the master of the believers, and I have more authority on them than they have on themselves. They do not have any authority on themselves compared to my authority (on them).
And ALI (ASWS) is the master of the believers, and ALI (ASWS) has more authority on them than they have themselves. They do not have any authority on themselves compared to ALI'S (ASWS) authority (on them).
(Bihar Al-Anwar 37:222)