1. Introduction
We have gathered [1] here tonight in memory of the person who has given us our
identity as "Shi'a Muslims". We take pride in calling ourselves
"Shi'as of 'Ali" - the Partisans or Followers of 'Ali bin Abi Talib
(a.s.).
Tonight I am going to talk on the caliphate of Imam 'Ali bin Abi Talib because
of questions asked by many people about the recent controversy on "the
explicit appointment" of the Imam to the position of caliphate versus
"the implicit appointment". Not only adults, but also youths have
approached me with this question; and it is my duty to ensure that the beliefs
of our youths in the imamate and caliphate of Amir al-Mu'min?n stays firm
without any shadow of doubt.
The controversy started regarding the statement of a learned Shi'a scholar
published in the Bio Ethics Encyclopaedia under the entry of "Islam"
in which he writes:
"Muhammad died in 632 C.E., having brought the whole of Arabia under the Medina government. However, he had left no explicit instructions regarding succession to
his religious-political authority."[2]
Initially, when I was given a copy of the article, I did not think much of it
because I realized that it was a paper written for a very wide audience.
(Although ideally the issue of succession should not have been mentioned in
that article at all, its deletion would not have harmed the main body of the
article.) However, the response of the learned writer to the questions sent to
him via internet by some Shi'as from the U.K. became a matter of concern for
me. He responded as follows:
"On the question whether there was no EXPLICIT instruction regarding
succession to the Prophet's 'religious-political authority' let it be clear
that the statement while asserting that there were no EXPLICIT (that is,
distinctly expressed, clearly stated, not merely implied) instruction in the
matter of succession to the 'Prophet's religious-political authority,' it
asserts by implication that there was an IMPLICIT (that is, necessarily involved
though not plainly expressed) direction in the matter. This implicit direction
of the Prophet was expressed on several occasions in his lifetime, including
finally at al-Ghadir.
"It was also because of this absence of explicit statement on these occasions
that Imam 'Ali never used any of these occasions, including al-Ghadir, to put
forward his candidacy as the only rightful successor of the Prophet."[3]
After the 21st of Ramadhan 1418, the learned scholar issued another statement
in which he reaffirmed his belief in the absence of the explicit appointment of
Imam 'Ali by writing:
"The foundation of our faith, that is the Shi'a faith, is based on this
IMPLICIT sense. Historically (the only position that can be taken in the
article here) the source of dissension in the early community was the absence
of EXPLICIT directions regarding the succession in the community."
"The statement of the wilaya (man kuntu mawla[hu] fa hadha 'Aliyyun
mawla[hu]), which is the documentation for the Shi'a acclamation in support of
the Imamate of Imam 'Ali, is regarded as an implicit rather than explicit
statement of the Prophet regarding the 'succession of his comprehensive
authority.' The reason is that the word mawla in Arabic is ambiguous as far as
the 'succession' itself is concerned."[4]
2. The Explicit vs. Implicit
First let us see whether or not this division of appointment of caliphate into
"implicit" and "explicit" has any historical precedence in
the history of Islamic theology. For the sake of time restraint, let me just
state the following historical facts:
1. On the issue of caliphate, the Muslims have different views. The Sunni
Muslims do not believe that the Prophet appointed anyone as his successor,
neither explicitly nor implicitly; and that it was left for the community to
choose whomsoever they wanted. The Shi'as, on the other hand, believes that the
Prophet appointed 'Ali bin Abi Talib as the caliph and successor after him.
2. All the Shi'a sects (i.e., the Imamiyya/Ithna-'Ashariyya and both the
existing Isma'iliyya groups: the Bohras and the Agha Khanis) believe that the
Prophet of Islam explicitly appointed Imam 'Ali on many occasions as his caliph
and successor.
3. The Zaydiyya sect has a belief different from the Sunnis as well as the
Shi'as. Although they believe that 'Ali was the best and the most qualified for
caliphate, they still accept Abu Bakr and 'Umar ibn al-Khattab as the first and
the second successors of the Prophet respectfully; but they do not accept
'Uthman bin 'Affan as the third caliph.
4. Historically speaking, it is the Jarûdiyya sub-sect of the Zaydiyya that
believed that the Prophet had appointed Imam 'Ali not by naming him but by just
describing his qualities: "nassa bi 'l-wasf dûna 't-tasmiyya - he [the
Prophet] appointed by the description without naming [the person]."[5]
It is from this belief that the nass (the directive for appointment) is divided
into "an-nass al-jali-the clear/explicit directive" and "an-nass
al-khafi-the hidden/implicit directive".
But the Shi'a Imamiyya Ithna-'Ashariyya have never subscribed to the idea that
"the foundation of our faith is based on this implicit sense." They
have believed all along that the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) on several
occasions, very clearly and very openly appointed 'Ali bin Abi Talib as his
successor, caliph and Imam of the Muslims after him.[6] Only when the Shi'a
Imamiyya theologians were in debate against their opponents (including the
Zaydiyya), they used the term "an-nass al-jali" on the principle of
dealing with the opponent on his own terms.[7]
So historically speaking, no Shi'a Imamiyya theologian has treaded exclusively
the path of implicit or implied appointment of Amiru 'l-Mu'minin 'Ali bin Abi
Talib (a.s.) as "the foundation of our faith" and none of them have
taken the hadith of Ghadir as an implicit appointment.
5. Why did the Zaydiyya insist on the implicitness of the appointment of 'Ali
to caliphate? Since some of their sub-sects had accepted the caliphate of Abu
Bakr and 'Umar, believing in the explicit statements of the Prophet appointing
'Ali would portray those two caliphs in a very negative light-it would mean
that they knowingly opposed the explicit statements of the Prophet! So in order
to safeguard the prestige of the first two caliphs, the appointment of 'Ali was
shrouded in ambiguity by saying that it was not explicit but only implied. And
since it was not explicit, the caliphs could not be blamed for usurping the
caliphate from Amiru 'l-Mu'minin 'Ali!
This shows the serious implications of believing that the appointment of 'Ali
was only implicit; it would mean that the blame of whatever happened after the
Prophet's death on the issue of succession is to be placed on the Prophet
himself, and not on the caliphs. It would mean that the first two caliphs are
not to be blamed for usurping the caliphate from Imam 'Ali because they were
doing what they thought, in the absence of any explicit instruction, was the
best for Islam.
So when the objections of the Shi'a community against the learned scholar
increased, in the last days of Ramadhan 1418, he issued a general circular
addressed to the Shi'as via the Internet:
"I am taking this opportunity to state in the most ABSOLUTE terms that not
only do I believe in the unequivocal authenticity of the event of al-Ghadir
which took place on the 18th of Dhul-Hijja, 11AH/632 CE; I believe that the
statement by the Prophet 'Everyone whose master I am, also has 'Ali as a
master,' to be the explicit designation of the Imam 'Ali to the office of the
Leadership of the Muslim Community, as upheld by the Twelver Shi'a
faith."[8]
3. The First Explicit Appointment
Islam began when the Prophet became 40 years old. Initially, the mission was
kept a secret. Then three years after the advent of Islam, the Prophet was
ordered to commence the open declaration of his message. This was the occasion
when Almighty Allah revealed the verse "And warn thy nearest
relations." (26:214)
When this verse was revealed, the Prophet organized a feast which is known as
"the Feast of the Clan" (da'wat dhi 'l-'ashira). This is the first
time that the Prophet openly and publicly called the relations to accept him as
the Messenger and Prophet of Allah. It is also the same feast in which the
Prophet declared 'Ali bin Abi Talib very openly, very clearly, and very
explicitly as his successor and caliph. I will just summarize what the Prophet
said:
O Sons of 'Abdu 'l-Muttalib! By Allah, I do not know of any person among the
Arabs who has come to his people with better than what I have brought to you. I
have brought to you the good of this world and the next, and I have been
commanded by the Lord to call you unto Him. Therefore, who amongst you will
support me in this matter so that he may be my brother (akhi), my successor
(wasiyyi) and my caliph (khalifati)?
The Prophet (s.a.w.) used the words "my brother, my successor, my
caliph". This is as explicit as it can get in the very first call to
Islam! No one answered except 'Ali bin Abi Talib who was only around fifteen
years old at that time. The Prophet called 'Ali closer to himself, patted his
neck, and said:
"Verily this is my brother, my successor, and my caliph amongst you.
Therefore, listen to him and obey."[9]
This is very explicit because the audience understand the appointment of 'Ali
very clearly. Some of them, including Abu Lahab, even joked with Abu Talib that
your nephew, Muhammad, has ordered you to listen to and obey your own son! At
the least, this shows that the appointment was clear and explicit, not just
implied.
The greatest proof of the explicit nature of this appointment at the very early
stage of Prophet Muhammad's mission is the attempt by Sunni writers to conceal
the words used by the Prophet. For example, the famous Muslim historian, Ibn
Jarir at-Tabari (d. 310 AH), has recorded this incident with the crucial words
intact in his Ta'rikhu 'l-Umam wa 'l-Mulûk. The 1879 edition of his Ta'rikh,
published in Leiden (Netherlands) has the words: "...this is my brother,
my successor and my caliph..." But when it came to at-Tabari's Tafsir,
while commenting on the verse 26:214, at-Tabari himself or the editors have
changed the words as follows: "...this is my brother and
so-and-so..."
All these attempts to delete the whole incident from the pages of history or
change the crucial words "my successor and my caliph" into "so-and-so"
clearly shows that those terms were very explicit in supporting the appointment
of Imam 'Ali as the successor of the Prophet. If it had been otherwise, then
there was no need on the part of our opponents to hide or change these words.
4. Abu Sufyan Knew But Others Didn't?
Insisting on the implicitness of the appointment of 'Ali safeguards the
prestige of the first two caliphs. Instead of looking for the truth and then
judging the people, they want to twist the truth to safeguard the positions of
the people.
It is difficult to believe that the companions of the Prophet did not hear him
appointing 'Ali on so many different occasions; and knowing that they were
Arabic speaking Qurayshi, it is unacceptable to think that they did not clearly
understand the appointment. One way of knowing this is to go to an interesting
turn of event that took place after the Prophet's death.
When 'Ali and the Banu Hashim were busy in the funeral rites of the Prophet, a
person comes to their door and offers his help for caliphate. That person was
Abu Sufyan. Yes, Abu Sufyan, the archenemy of the Prophet who fought many
battles against Islam and Muslims, and only surrendered when he could no longer
fight the Muslims. He surrendered just a couple of years before the Prophet's
death.
He comes to 'Ali's house and recites a poem in the praise of the Prophet's
family. Then he said: "O Banu Hashim! O Banu 'Abd Manaf! Will you accept
that Abu Fasal...rules over you? By Allah! If you wish, I can fill it [i.e.,
the city of Medina] with horses and soldiers."
'Ali bin Abi Talib knew that Abu Sufyan was not sincere, that he was just
trying to take advantage of the conflict on the issue of succession after the
Prophet. Abu Sufyan wanted Banu Hashim and the group of Abu Bakr/'Umar to fight
one another and weaken one another so that Banu Umayya could take advantage of
the situation and gain its lost supremacy over the Arabs. And so Imam 'Ali
replied: "Go away, O Abu Sufyan! By Allah you do not mean what you are
saying! You have always been deceiving Islam and its people; and we are busy
with [the funeral of] the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.). And [as for those who
are conspiring for caliphate], each person is responsible for what he
does."[10]
It is indeed unbelievable that Abu Sufyan, with his background, knew that 'Ali
had the right to caliphate while the other 'great' companions did not know or
did not understand the Prophet clearly.
It seems that Abu Sufyan further tried to incite 'Ali to take up arms for his
right of caliphate. At that time, 'Ali responded by saying: "If I speak
[for my right], they say, 'He is hungry for power.' And if I keep quiet, they
say, 'He fears death.' No, not at all; after all that chaos. By Allah, this son
of Abu Talib is more at ease with death than an infant is at its mother's
breast!"[11]
5. Why Didn't 'Ali Use These Arguments?
Did Imam 'Ali not use the arguments of Da'wat dhi 'l-'Ashira or Ghadir soon
after the Prophet's death because they were just implicit statements? The
learned Shi'a scholar wrote: "It is also because of this absence of
explicit statement on these occasions that Imam 'Ali never used any of these
occasions, including al-Ghadir, to put forward his candidacy as the only
rightful successor of the Prophet."[12] This is indeed a novel way of looking
at the conflict of caliphate. The Sunni opponent would just extend this view a
little bit further and say that 'Ali did not use these arguments because there
was no argument at all.
In order to understand why 'Ali did not use the arguments at that particular
time, we have to understand the circumstances, the opponents, and the
consequences of the actions of Imam 'Ali (a.s.).
The Circumstances:
When the Prophet passed away from this world, there were different kinds of
people among the Muslim community.
First there were the so-called fifth columnists among the Muslims who were
waiting for a civil war so as to put an end to Islam and gain power over the
Arabs. Abu Sufyan and his clan represented this group. They were neither in
Saqifa nor with 'Ali bin Abi Talib. The Qur'an also talks about the presence of
hypocrites among the Muslims. (See 9:97.) Then there was Musaylima al-Kadhdhab
and Sajjah bint al-Harath both claimed prophethood and had gained some
following among the Bedouins.
After surveying the circumstances, what could 'Ali have done?
Let me give you an example to illustrate the decision of Imam 'Ali. During the
caliphate of 'Umar, there is a story of an infant who was being claimed by two
women as their baby. The decision was forwarded to Imam 'Ali. When the Imam
found both women insisting on their claim, he ordered that the infant be cut
into two, and each woman be given one half. What was the reaction of the real
mother and the fake mother? The fake mother decided to go along with the
decision even if it meant cutting the baby into two halves whereas the real
mother announced her readiness to give up the child.
Islam is the baby in our discussion; the usurpers would do anything to keep the
power even if it meant endangering the survival of Islam itself. 'Ali, on the
other hand, as the true custodian of Islam, was prepared to relinquish the
power for sake of saving Islam from total destruction. That is why Imam 'Ali
did not resort to the sword or allow Abu Sufyan and others to incite him into
armed opposition. He accepted deprivation of his personal right of caliphate
over the destruction of Islam.
He accepted deprivation but did not stop from protesting whenever and wherever
the chance availed itself for him. When he was deprived again after 'Umar's
death, he addressed the Consultative Committee who had chosen 'Uthman and said,
"You have certainly known that I am the most rightful of all others for
the caliphate. By Allah, so long as the affairs of the Muslims remain intact
and there is no oppression in it save on myself, I shall be quiet..."[13]
The Opponents:
As for the opponents, they were not ready to listen to any word of reason. When
you know that your opponents are not opposing you because of ignorance, and
that they are ready even to kill you-there is no sense in mentioning all the
proofs right there and then. You may wonder why I am saying this.
You recall that in the Da'wat dhi 'l-'Ashira, the Prophet had used three words
for Imam 'Ali: "my brother, my successor, and my caliph." The last
two terms were very crucial for the claim of 'Ali to caliphate. The first one
"my brother" was not that forceful or threatening to the opponents.
That is why even when the Sunni writers started concealing the hadith of the
Prophet, they left the words "my brother" intact but they replaced
the words "my successor, my caliph" with the words
"so-and-so".
Now to understand the attitude and obstinacy of the opponents of 'Ali, let us
see just one part of the heated exchange of words between Imam 'Ali (a.s.) and
'Umar ibn al-Khattab during those early days of caliphate.
I will just summarize what happened before the actual conversation: After 'Umar
and his group imposed Abu Bakr over the Ansar (the inhabitants of Medina) at
Saqifa, they came to the Prophet's Mosque and declared that Abu Bakr has been
chosen as the caliph so all should come and pledge allegiance to him.
Then they were informed that 'Ali, other members of Banu Hashim and some
prominent companions of the Prophet had gathered in the house of Fatima, refusing to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr sent messages but nobody came
to pledge allegiance (bay'at). Then 'Umar came with his people and even put
firewood at the door to burn the house down if no one came out! They finally
forced the door open, injuring Fatima in the process, and forcefully brought
all people to the Mosque to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr.
Imam 'Ali was also arrested and brought to the Mosque. There was an exchange of
words between the Imam and Abu Bakr in which the Imam used only the argument
used by the Quraysh (Makkans) against the Ansar. The Quraysh had gained the
upper hand over the Ansar by saying that the Prophet was from their tribe,
therefore, they have more right to the caliphate; Imam 'Ali extended that line
of argument and said that we are from the family of the Prophet, therefore, we
have more right to the caliphate than you.[14]
Ibn Qutayba ad-Dinwari, a Sunni historian of caliphate, continues the
narration:
They said to 'Ali: "Pledge allegiance!"
'Ali said: "If I do not do, then what?"
They said: "Then, by Allah besides whom there
is no god, we shall chop off your neck!"
'Ali said: "Then you would be killing a servant
of Allah and the brother of His Messenger!"
'Umar said: "As for being a servant of Allah, yes;
as for being the brother of His Messenger, no![15]
What does this statement of 'Umar say? Out of the three things that the Prophet
had mentioned about Imam 'Ali, the least threatening was "my
brother," but during those days, 'Umar was not even prepared to accept
'Ali as "the brother of the Prophet"! Now you tell me why 'Ali did
not say, "I am also the Prophet's successor and caliph"?
Ibn Qutaybah goes on with his narration: While this conversation between Imam
'Ali and 'Umar was going on, "Abu Bakr was silent, not saying anything.
Then 'Umar turned to him and said, 'Why don't you issue your order concerning
him?' Abu Bakr said, 'I do not wish to impose anything on him as long as Fatima is by his side.'"
Yes, it was Fatima who protected the life of 'Ali during those bleak days of
the Muslim history. 'Ali leaves the oppressive atmosphere, goes to the
Prophet's grave and complains by addressing the Prophet: "O son of my
mother! The people oppressed me and had almost killed me." These are the
same words Harun used to complain about the Israelites when Prophet Musa came
back with the Tawrat. (See 7:150) Remember that the Prophet of Islam himself
had said, "O 'Ali, you are to me like Harun was to Musa; except that there
is no prophet after me."[16]
6. Didn't 'Ali Ever Use These Arguments?
'Ali did not use the arguments during the early days of caliphate for two
reasons: 1. for the sake of Islam's well-being and survival; 2. because of the
obstinacy of his opponents. It had nothing to do with the implicit vs. explicit
nature of appointment. The truth is that whenever the opportunity availed
itself, Imam 'Ali always talked about his right to the caliphate of the
Prophet.
No one can blame 'Ali for making the claim or presenting its proof at a later
date. He himself said, "No person is to be blamed for delay in (securing)
his own right but the blame lies on him who takes what he is not entitled
to."[17]
In the year 35 AH, while the Imam was in Kufa, he heard that some people
doubted his claim of precedence over the previous three caliphs. Therefore, he
came to the gathering at the mosque and implored the eyewitnesses of the event
of Ghadir Khumm to verify the truth of the Prophet's declaration about his
being "the mawla" (master, leader, lord) of those whose master was
the Prophet himself. In most sources, we have the names of twenty four
companions of the Prophet who testified to the truth of Imam 'Ali's claim.
Other sources like Musnad of Ibn Hanbal and Majma'u 'z-Zawa'id of al-Haythami
put that number at thirty.[18]
One should bear in mind that this incident took place 25 years after the event
of Ghadir Khumm, and during that period hundreds of eyewitnesses had died
naturally or in the battles fought during that time. Add to this the fact that
this incident took place in Kufa which was far from Medina, the center of the
companions.
* * *
Notes:
[1] This section is based on the notes of two lectures in memory of Imam 'Ali
bin Abu Talib (a.s.) given at Ja'fari Islamic Centre, Toronto, on the eve of
19th and 21st Ramadhan, 1418 (1998).
[2] Abdulaziz Sachedina, "Islam," The Bio Ethics Encyclopaedia, vol.
3 (1995) p. 1289.
[3] See the response of Dr. Sachedina widely distributed on the inter-net among
the Shi'as.
[4] See Sachedina's circular addressed to "All the Followers of the
Ahlul-Bayt".
[5] See 'Allama al-Hilli, Manahiju 'l-Yaqin, ed. M.R. al-Ansari (Qum, 1416) p. 306; al-Mufid, Awa'ilu 'l-Maqalat, p. 41-42. After 'Ali, the Zaydiyya believe
in Hasan and Husayn, and then in Zayd bin 'Ali. After Zayd, any descendant of
'Ali and Fatima who does jihad against the tyrants, is pious and is learned in
religion can become their Imam.
[6] See an-Nawbakhti (circ. 3rd century AH), Firaqu 'sh-Shi'a (Beirut, 1984) p. 19. This book is actually a summarized version of Maqalatu 'l-Imamiyya of
Sa'd bin 'Abdullah al-Ash'ari al-Qummi and has been erroneously attributed to
an-Nawbakhti. See S.M. Riza al-Husayni al-Jalali, "'Firaqu 'sh-Shi'a' aw
'Maqalatu 'l-Imamiyya' li 'n-Nawbakhti am li 'l-'Ashari?" in the first
issue of Turathun?, (Qum: Mu'assasa Ali 'l-Bayt, 1405) pp. 29-49.
[7] See, for example, one of the most famous books of Shi'a theology, Kashfu
'l-Murad, the commentary (sharh) of 'Allamah al-Hilli on Muhaqqiq at-Tusi's
Tajridu 'l-I'tiqadat, tr. Abu 'l-Hasan Sha'rani (Tehran: Islamiyya, n.d.) p.
516-518. In Usûlu 'l-Fiqh, the term "an-nass" means a statement whose
meaning is very clear and specific. In this sense, an-nass, by definition,
cannot be implicit or ambiguous, and so it cannot be divided into jali and
khafi.
[8] Issued in late Ramadhan or early Shawwal 1418 on the internet.
[9] For more on this event, see the chapter, "Self-Censorship in Muslim
History" above.
[10] Al-Mufid, al-Irshad, p. 190; al-Ya'qûbi, at-Ta'rikh, vol. 2 (Beirut: Dar
Sadir) p. 126; Sibt ibn al-Jawzi, Tadhkiratu Khawassi 'l-Umma, p. 121; Ibn
'Abdi Rabbih, al-'Iqdu 'l-Farid, vol. 4 (Beirut: Dar al-Kitab al-'Arabi, 1983)
p. 257; al-Qadi 'Abdu 'l-Jabbar, al-Mughni fi 't-Tawhid wa 'l-'Adl, vol. 2
(Cairo: Dar al-Misriyya li 't-Ta'lif) p. 121; Ibn Abi 'l-Hadid, Sharh Nahji
'l-Balagha, vol. 6 (Cairo: Dar Ihya Kutubi 'l-'Arabiya, 1959) p. 17.
[11] See Nahju 'l-Balagha, sermon no. 5.
[12] See the quotation in the first part of this chapter.
[13] Nahju 'l-Balagha, sermon # 74; see also at-Tabari in his Ta'rikh and Ibn
al-Athar in his al-Kamil in the events of 23 AH; al-Azhari, Tahzibu 'l-Lugha,
vol. 1 (Cairo edition) p. 341.
[14] What I have written above cannot even be considered as a summary of the
events of Saqifa and its aftermath. For details of the events in English, based
on the earliest sources of Muslim history, see Rizvi, Imamate, pp. 113-126;
al-'Askari, S. Murtaza, 'Abdu'l-lah ibn Sab?' and Other Myths (Tehran: Wofis,
1984) pp. 69-95; Jafri, The Origin & Early Development, pp. 27-53.
[15] For the conversation mentioned here, see Ibn Qutaybah ad-Dinwari,
al-Imamah wa 's-Siyasah, part 1 (Cairo: al-Halabi Publications, n.d.) p. 20.
Ibn Qutaybah's own words are as follows:
[16] Imam al-Bukhari has quoted this in two places in his Sahih, once in a
brief form (without "except there is no prophet after me") and then
in full. See Sahih, vol. 5, Arabic with English translation by M. Mohsin Khan (Beirut: Dar al-'Arabiyya, n.d.) p. 47, 492-493.
[17] Nahju 'l-Balagha, saying # 166.
[18] This incident of Kufa has been narrated by four companions of the Prophet
and fourteen of their disciples, and has been recorded in most books of history
and tradition. See al-Amini, al-Ghadir, vol. 1 (Tehran: Mu'assatu 'l-Muwahidi,
1976) pp. 166-186.
Some Anecdotes of Imam Ali (a.s)
The
Stranger
Tired and exhausted with the water-skin on her back, she was gasping and going
towards her house where innocent children, their eyes fixed at the door, were
eagerly waiting for the arrival of their mother.
On her way, an unknown man approached her. He took the water-skin from her and
placed it on his back. The door opened and the children saw their mother
entering the house with a stranger. He placed the water-skin on the ground and
said: "Well, it seems you don't have anyone to fetch water for you; how
come you are so forlorn?"
"My husband was a soldier; Ali sent him to the frontier where he was
killed. Now I am alone with these small children." The stranger said no
more. Bowing down his head he went away. But the thought of the helpless window
and orphans remained in his mind. He could hardly sleep in the night. Early in
the morning he picked up a basket; put some meat, flour and dates in it; went
straight to her house and knocked at the door.
"Who are you?" "I am the man who brought your water yesterday.
Now I have brought some food for the children." "May God bless you
and judge between us and Ali" She opened the door. Entering the house he
said: "I wish to do some good acts. Either let me knead the flour and bake
the bread or allow me to look after the children."
"Very well, but I can do the job of kneading and cooking better than you.
You take care of the children till I finish cooking". She went to knead
the flour. Immediately he grilled some meat, which he had brought and fed the
children saying to each child while putting morsel in his mouth: "My son,
forgive Ali if he has failed in his duty towards you" The flour got ready;
she called:
"Gentlemen! put fire in the oven". He went and put fire in the oven.
When flames rose up, he brought his face near the fire and said, "Taste
the heat of fire. It is the punishment for those who fail in their duty towards
orphans and widows." By chance, a woman from the neighboring house came
in. Recognizing the stranger, she cried: "Woe, don't you recognize the man
who is helping you? He is Ameer-ul-Momineen (commander of the faithful) Ali Ibn
Abi-Talib." The widow came forward and shamefacedly cried: "Curse and
shame to me. I beg your pardon." "No, I beg your pardon for I failed
in my duty towards you."
Imam
Ali (A.S.) And The Candle
A candle burnt by his side, as he sat down meticulously recording all the
revenue and the expenses of the treasury. Just then Talha and Zubair appeared.
They aspired to some positions of authority in Imam Ali's (A.S.) rule and had
come to strike a deal. If Imam Ali's (A.S.) gave them a place of distinction,
they would in turn pledge their full support. Imam Ali's (A.S.) knew of this.
Just as they sat down, Imam Ali's (A.S.) puts out the candle and lit another
one. Talha and Zubair exchanged a glance of surprise and then one of them said:
"O Ali, we have come on some important business. But why did you
extinguish the first candle?" Imam Ali's (A.S.) replied: "That was a
candle bought of Treasury funds. As long as I worked for the Treasury, I used
it. Now you have come for some personal work, so I use the candle bought of my
personal fund." Talha and Zubair left him without saying another word.
The
Five loaves
Zarr Bin Hobeish relates this story: Two travelers sat together on the way to
their destination to have a meal. One had five loaves of bread. The other had
three. A third traveler was passing by and at the request of the two joined in
the meal.
The travelers cut each of the loaf of bread in three equal parts. Each of the
travelers ate eight broken pieces of the loaf. At the time of leaving the third
traveler took out eight dirhams and gave to the first two men who had offered
him the meal, and went away.
On receiving the money the two travelers started quarrelling as to who should
have how much of the money. The five-loaf-man demanded five dirharns. The
three-loaf-man insisted on dividing the money in two equal parts. The dispute
was brought to Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (the Caliph of the time in Arabia) to be decided.
Imam Ali (A.S.) requested the three-loaf-man to accept three dirhams. The man
refused and said that he would take only four dirhams. At this Imam Ali (A.S.)
returned, "You can have only one dirham. You had eight loaves between
yourselves. Each loaf was broken in three parts. Therefore, you had 24 equal
parts. Your three loaves made nine parts out of which you have eaten eight
portions, leaving just one to the third traveler.
Your friend had five loaves which divided into three made fifteen pieces. He
ate eight pieces and gave seven pieces to the guest. As such the guest shared
one part from your loaves and seven from those of your friend. So you should
get one dirham and your friend should receive seven dirhams.
Are
you Asleep or Awake?
Habbah Arni and Nawf Bakali were lying in the courtyard of Darul-Amarah (fort)
of Kufah. After the midnight, they saw that the Leader of the Faithful, Imam
Ali (A.S.), was coming from the fort towards the courtyard. But his condition
was bad; he was having extraordinary fear and was unable to keep the
equilibrium of his body.
Keeping his hands on the wall and having his body in bent position, he was
walking slowly with the support of the wall. And he was reciting the last
verses(Ayat) of Surah Ale-Imran as follows: "Indeed in the creation of the
heaven and the earth and alteration of the night and the day, there are signs
for men of acumen. Those who extol Allah, standing, sitting and (lying) on
their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth,
(saying): 'Our Lord! You have not created this in vain! Glory is Yours; protect
us against the torment of the Fire. Our Lord! indeed whomsoever You enter the
Fire, You have surely disgraced him, and there shall be no helpers for the
worngdoers. Our Lord! surely we have heard a caller calling to faith (saying):
'Believe in your Lord', so we did believe; Our Lord! forgive us, therefore, our
sins and cover our evil deeds and recieve us with the righteous. Our Lord!
grant us what You have promised us through Your messengers and do not disgrace
us on the Resurrection Day; surely You do not break the promise ."(3:
190-194)
As soon as he finished these verses, his condition became bad; he then repeated
these verses again and again and his condition became bad to worse and he
became almost unconscious. Both Habbah and Nawf were witnessing this amazing
scene, while lying on their beds. Habbah, while quite startled, was looking
this astonishing scene. But Nawf was unable to control his tears and he was
continuously weeping. By this time, Imam Ali (A.S.) reached the bed of Habbah
and said: "Are you awake or asleep?"
Habbah replied: "I am awake, O Leader of the Pious! If a person like you
has such a condition of awe and fear of Allah, then what would heppen to poor
people like us." The Leader of the Pious looked down and wept. He then
said: "O Habbah! all of us will be presented before Allah one day. And no
deed of ours is hidden from Him. He is very near to you and to me. Nothing can
act as an obstruction between us and Allah."
Then he said to Nawf: "Are you asleep?" (Nawf replied:) "No, O
Leader of the Pious! I am awake. It is for some time that I am shedding
tears." Imam Ali (A.S.) said: "O Nawf! If today you shed tears in
fear of Allah, tomorrow your eyes will glitter.
"O Nawf! No one has more respect than that person who cries in the fear of
Allah and that he likes to do it only for His sake. "O Nawf! The one who
loves Allah and that whatever he loves, he does it just for the sake of Allah,
does not prefer anything over love of Allah. And the one who dislikes anything,
and does it for the sake of Allah, he would receive nothing except virtue for
his disliking. Whenever you reach such a stage, you have attained the truths of
faith to their perfection."
After saying this, he preached and gave a peice of advice to Habbah and Nawf.
His last sentence was: "I have told you that you should fear from
Allah." Then he passed by both of them and got busy with his own work. He
started his prayers and while doing so, he said: "O Allah! I wish I knew
that when I am neglectful towards You, do You ignore me or do You still care
for me? I wish I knew that in these long neglectful dreams of mine and in my
shortcomings in thanking you, what is my position before You?" Habbah and
Nawf, said: "By Allah! he(Ali(A.S.)) kept on walking and he had the same
condition continuously till dawn."
Loving
Children
Imam `Ali (A.S.) was very kind to children, especially to orphans. If he ever
saw an orphan crying, he would stop whatever he was doing. bend down. give the
child his salam. wipe away the child's tears, put his hand on the child's
shoulder and say,
"My child, why are you crying? Has someone hurt you? Come, let me take you
to my house." `Ali (A.S.) would take the child home and treat him better
than any father. He would bring the child sweets and cakes and honey and put
them in the child's mouth himself. Imam `Ali used to tell his followers to love
and be kind to orphans, especially the orphans of martyrs killed in the path of
Allah. "They have lost their loving fathers," he used to say.
"So cheer them up and look after them just like a father. "Their
fathers were martyred in jihad and for the sake of Islam. and they have rights
on you. Make their souls pleased with you by cheering up their children and
looking after them."
Imam Ali was always attentive to orphans especially to those of the martyrs Re
used to visit them and sit and chat and play with them He used to take care of
their education and training. He would strive to solve their difficulties and
always offered them guidance and advice. He would bring them gifts and, if they
were poor, he would respectfully provide their expenses.
Imam `Ali (A.S.) was so kind to orphans and laid so much stress on them in his
teachings that one of his companions said: "How I wish that I too was a
young orphan so that I would receive kindness and love from Imam 'Ali (A.S.)
*Love and be kind to children, especially orphans.*
Work
and Generosity
Imam `Ali (a.s.) was a hard-working man with a pleasant personality. He worked
hard while farming and cultivating orchards. He developed several plots and
orchards and then gave them all away for the sake of Allah. One day, he
acquired a piece of barren land outside Madinah which he wanted to cultivate.
In order to do this, he decided to dig a well, he chose a suitable place and,
putting his hopes in the grace of Allah, he began to dig.
Several days went by, but still there was no sign of any water coming out of
the well. One day, Imam Ali picked up a pickaxe, entered the well and, using all
his strength and energy, worked very hard for a while, but still there was no
sign of water.
Exhausted, he came out of the well, wiped away the sweat of his brow, rested
for a while, and then re-entered the well. He was swinging the pickaxe with
such vigor that the sound of his breathing could be heard all around. After
receiving a strong, hard blow with the pickaxe, the ground suddenly split open,
and fresh, clear water bubbled up. He climbed quickly out of what had now
become a wonderful well in the dry desert which would soon turn ill the
surrounding area into a lovely orchard.
Soon the people gathered around to see it. Each of them was commenting on It.
"What a hard working man is Ali" one said "since `Ali is a good
and generous man, "said another. "Allah has been generous to him and
given him goodness"
"Ali and his descendants have become rich forever." said some. Some
congratulated Imam `Ali while some were jealous.
"Bring me a paper and pen" said Ali (a.s.) and when they had done so,
he sat down and wrote the following: I have endowed this well and the land
surrounding it in charity for its income to be used as follows:
a. In helping the poor and destitute. b. In helping the travelers far away from
their homes. c. In providing the means for the marriages of orphans. d. In
providing medical care for the poor. e. In the doing of good works of public
benefit. I have endowed this well in charity so as to seek the pleasure of
Allah and the rewards of the Hereafter, and in order to be saved from the of Hell.
Enjoining the Right and Forbidding the Wrong
One summer day, Imam `Ali (A.S.) was walking through the town on his way home.
The sun was in tensely hot, and the Imam (A.S.) was tired and perspiring. Most
of the people were sleeping, and the streets were quiet and deserted. Suddenly,
Imam `Ali (A.S.) heard a voice of wailing and crying.
He stopped, looked all around, and seeing no one he carried on his way. Then a
woman appeared at the end of the alley. She was running helplessly, wailing and
weeping. She ran up to Imam Ali (A.S.), sank to the floor, and wiped the tears
from her eyes. She started to say something but she couldn't help crying.
Once again her face drowned in tears. The Imam (SA) asked her gently as to why
she was so upset. With hard breathing and her wailing voice, the woman replied:
`My husband is ill-treating me. He has put me out of the house. He wants to hit
me... O Amir al-Mu'minin, help me, for there is no one to help me, other than
you.
Imam Ali (A.S.) was very tired. He told her: "Wait until it becomes cool.
Then I will go with you and speak to your husband. At the moment it is very hot
and I am very tired. It is better that you wait a little." This once more
brought tears to the woman's face.
"O Amir al-Numinin.." she said. "I am afraid. I fear that if I
reach home late my husband will be even angrier with me, and will treat me even
more harshly"
Imam `Ali (SA) thought for a moment, and then said: "No, by Allah, I will
not delay enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong. I must help this
oppressed one.
With that he set off for the woman's house. As they approached the house she
pointed it out and stood a little way off, too afraid to go any nearer. Imam
Ali (SA) knocked at the door and offered his sa1am.
A powerful young man, obviously enraged, opened the door. Straightway the Imam
(SA) inquired about his behavior towards his wife, and then, in a gentle, kind
manner he advised him:
"O young man, why do you trouble your wife? Be fearful of Allah, and don't
trouble your wife any more. Don't hit her, and if she has annoyed you, you must
forgive her."
Standing at the other side of the lane the woman was listening to the
conversation and hoping that her husband would accept the Imam's (SA) advice
and mend his ways towards her. But the young man (who didn't seem to recognize
the Imam (A.S.) shouted angrily and impudently: !Who are you to poke your nose
into my affairs? I now intend to kill her and there is nothing you can do about
it. It's none of your business. Right now I am going to set her on fire; let me
see what you can do about it!"
Listening to this outburst, the Imam (A.S.) lowered his head and muttered
"La ilaha illa Allah". And when the youth rushed towards his wife
threatening to set her on fire, the Imam (A.S.) blocked his way, took his hand
and again reprimanded and advised him. Yet the young man did not heed the Imam
(A.S.) and continued his shouting and his violent and aggressive behavior.
Again he tried to move towards his wife, he really wanted to set her on fire. Imam
`Ali (A.S.) then got angry. With no hesitation he drew his sword and raised it
over the young man's head. The flash of the sword terrified the young man and
his whole body was badly trembling.
The Imam (A.S.) looked sternly into the young man's face: "I requested you
kindly and politely. I advised you to do good work, and I warned you of the
punishment of your evil deeds. But as for you, you began shouting like a
madman. You were bad-tempered, impudent and quarrelsome. Do you expect me to
allow you to tyrannize this lady! Be sorry for your bullying and cruelty, be
afraid of Allah, stop troubling your poor wife; or else you will earn the
punishments of your ugly deeds."
At this point some of Imam `Ali's (A.S.) companions arrived and greeted their
Imam. Hearing them address him as "Amir al-Muminin" the young man
recognized `Ali (A.S.) and became very ashamed of his behavior. Full of remorse
and regret, he apologized.
Imam `Ali (A.S.) sheathed his sword and said to the woman: "Go to your
house now, you will be safe. But in future treat your husband with more respect
and live more peacefully with him. O noble lady, you too, be loving and kind to
your husband, and give him no reason to be angry with you."