Imam Ali(a.s)

A Glance at the Life of Imam Ali (A.S.)

Name : Ali

Title : al-Murtadha (The One Whom Allah Pleased)

Kuniyat : Abul Hasan

Father : Abu Talib bin Abdul Muttalib

Mother : Bibi Fatima binte Asad

Birthdate : 13th Rajab, 23 years before Hijra, in
Makka

Imamat : From 11 A.H. to 40 A.H.

Martyrdom : 21st Mahe Ramadhan 40 A.H.

Buried : Najaf, Iraq.

The first Holy Imam (A) was born in the Sacred House, the Holy
Ka`ba, in Makka in 600 A.D. The place of his birth was a sign of
his position in the eyes of Allah and no one else has ever been
born in the Holy Ka`ba.

Just before he was born, his mother Fatima binte Asad came to the
Holy Ka`ba. As she stood there, she felt the intense pain of
pregnancy and knelt down to pray. As she raised her head from her
prayers, the wall of the sacred building split by a miracle. Abbas
bin Abdul Muttalib and some of his companions watched in
amazement as she walked into the building which closed behind
her. As the door was locked, nobody could get in. Soon the news
of this miraculous event had spread round Makka.

Fatima binte Asad stayed in the Holy Ka`ba for three days and on
the fourth day she stepped out holding her baby in her arms. The
child had squeezed its eyes tightly shut and had not opened them
since its birth. As she came out of the Holy Ka`ba she saw that the
Holy Prophet (S) was anxiously awaiting to receive the newly
born child. He knew that this child would grow up to strengthen
the cause of Islam and prove to be his right hand in the great
mission that lay ahead. As he came into the arms of the Holy
Prophet (S), the Holy Imam (A) opened his eyes for the first time
to look upon the blessed face of Prophethood.

At that time, the Holy Prophet (S) had just suffered the death of
his own son. He therefore was all the more attached to his new
cousin and brought him up under his affectionate care.

In Nahjul Balagha the Holy Imam (A) says, "The Holy Prophet (S)
brought me up in his own arms and fed me his own morsel. I
followed him wherever he went like a baby camel following its
mother. Each day a new part of his character would become
known to me and I would accept and follow it as a command."

His childhood was spent in the company of the Holy Prophet (S)
and the Holy Imam (A) was similar in his character, knowledge,
self-sacrifice, patience, bravery, kindness and eloquence. From
his infancy, he prostrated to Allah with the Holy Prophet (S), and
when the message of Prophethood was declared, he was the first
man to become a Muslim.

After the declaration of Prophethood, the Holy Imam (A) was
always ready to serve the Holy Prophet (S) and defend him from
his enemies. He used to write down the verses of the Holy Qur'an
and discuss them with the Holy Prophet (S) as soon as they were
revealed to him. His matchless devotion lasted up to the day when
the Holy Prophet (S) passed away in 11 A.H. The Holy Prophet
(S) has said of the Holy Imam (A):

"O Ali, you are my brother in this world and the Hereafter."

"I am the city of knowledge and Ali is the gate."

"Nobody knows Allah except I and Ali. Nobody knows Ali except
Allah and I. Nobody knows me except Allah and Ali."

"If you want to see the knowledge of Adam, the piety of Nuh, the
devotion of Ibrahim, the awe of Musa and the service and devotion
of Isa, look at the bright face of Ali."

Among the many titles of the Holy Imam (A) are:

1. Amir al-Mu'mineen (Commander of the Faithful)

2. Sayyid al-Wasiyyeen (Master of the successors of
Prophets)

3. Qaseem an-Naar wal Jannah (Distributor of Hell
and Paradise)

4. Saqi al-Kawthar (Waiter at the Pool of Kawthar)

5. Haider al-Karraar (The Charging Knight)

6. Imam al-Muttaqeen (Leader of the Pious)

7. As-Siddeeq al-Akbar (The Greatest Testifier)

8. Al-Farooq al-A'zam (The Greatest Distinguisher
between Right and Wrong)

9. Ya'soob al-Muslimeen (The Best amongst
Muslims)

10. Khalifatu Rasulullah (Successor of the Messenger
of God)

11. Wasi ar-Rasulullah (The Viceregent of the
Messenger of God)

12. Waliullah (The Friend of God)

13. Yadullah (The Hand of God)

14. As-Saafi (The Pure)

15. Asadullah al-Ghalib (The Victorious Lion of God)

The Virtues and the Qualities of the Holy Imam (A)

The Holy Imam (A) was a man who possessed and displayed the
greatest character that a human being is capable of achieving. In
all fields he has left for his followers a model on which to base
their own lives. The Holy Prophet (S) said to the Holy Imam (A),
"O Ali, you will be engaged in disputes but you will overcome
them because of seven qualities that you have which no one else
has: you are the first of those who believed in me, the greatest of
them in war, the most knowledgeable of them in the signs of
Allah, the one of them who is most loyal in keeping the covenant
(Ahd) of Allah, the most compassionate of them towards people,
the most capable of giving equal treatment and the greatest of
them in distinction before Allah." Hereunder, we attempt to list
some of his outstanding merits.

1. His faith in Allah and the Holy Prophet (S)

The Holy Imam (A) was the first man to become a Muslim. The
Holy Prophet (S) has said, "The angels bless me and Ali for 70
years because, for a time, Ali and I were the only ones who
recited the Kalima." He also said, "Ali was the first to believe in
me and will be the first to shake my hand in greeting on the Day of
Judgement. He is the greatest testifier of the truth (Siddeeq). He
is the chief of the believers."

2. His knowledge

The Holy Prophet (S) said, "Ali is the most learned of my
community and the most capable of giving legal decisions after
me." The Holy Imam (A) proved superiority in all branches of
knowledge throughout his life. After the death of the Holy
Prophet (S), even the Caliphs who had wrongly seized power had
to come to the Holy Imam (A) for the solution of their difficult
problems. When he came to power, he put on the cloak and turban
of the Holy Prophet (S) and went to the mosque and sat on the
pulpit.

After praising Allah and giving guidance to the people, he sat back
confidently, knitted his fingers and placed them on his stomach.
Then, he said, "Question me before you lose me. Question me, for
I have the knowledge of those who came earlier and those who
will come later. I could give judgements to the people of the
Tawrat by their Tawrat, to the people of the Gospels by their
Gospels, to the people of the Psalms by their Psalms and the
people of the Furqaan (Holy Qur'an) by their Furqaan. By Allah, I
know the Qur'an and its interpretation better than anyone who
claims knowledge of it."

3. His bravery

The Holy Imam (A) was always at the forefront of the battles of
Islam and personally brought about victory for the Muslims in
many of them. He was both a great soldier and a great general and
was the victor of Badr, Uhud, Khandaq, Khayber and Hunayn.

Not only was he unstoppable in the battlefield, he also taught his
friends and enemies how to conduct themselves in war. His
bravery extended to his general dealing with the people and he
never hesitated in saying or doing something in the cause of
Islam, no matter what the opposition.

4. His eloquence

The Holy Imam (A) had a total command over the Arabic
language. During the time when others wrongfully occupied the
Caliphate he busied himself in writing various books. He
compiled the Holy Qur'an and also regulated the syntax and
grammar of the Arabic language. Some of his lectures and words
are contained in the book Nahjul Balagha, which contains the best
examples of Arabic oratory.

5. To love the Holy Imam (A) and to be his Shia

The Holy Imam (A) once said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him
and his family, told me that only believers will love me and only
hypocrites will hate me." Therefore, one of the ways in which the
faith of a Muslim can be judged is by examining his feelings
towards the Holy Imam (A).

When Umme Salama, a wife of the Holy Prophet (S), was asked
about the Holy Imam (A), she replied, "I heard the Apostle of God
say that Ali and his Shia will be the successful ones." The Holy
Prophet (S) once said, "70,000 of my community will enter
Heaven without any reckoning or punishment against them." Then
he turned to the Holy Imam (A) and said, "They are your Shia and
you are their Imam. "

Another time the Holy Prophet (S) said to the Holy Imam (A),
"Both I and you have been created from one piece of clay. Part of
it was left over and from that Allah created our Shia. On the Day
of Resurrection all the people will be called by the names of their
mothers except our Shia. They will be summoned by the names of
their fathers because of their good birth." Once when the Holy
Prophet (S) was with a group of Muslims he said to them. "O
People of Ansar, instil in your children the love of Ali bin Abu
Talib (A). Whoever loves him should know that he is rightly
guided and whoever hates him should know that he is in error."

May Allah raise us on the Day of Judgement at the side of Imam
Ali (A).

The life of the Holy Imam (A) is filled with events that prove his
merits and his position as the foremost amongst Muslims after
the Holy Prophet (S). No other person achieved so much or
possessed such qualities. Here we list very briefly some
highlights from his life.

1. His Conduct at Zul Ashira

When the Holy Prophet (S) was commanded by Allah to preach to
his relatives, he called them together for a meal after which he
introduced them to Islam and asked who would help him in his
mission. None came forward except the Holy Imam (A) although
at the time he was only a young boy. At that time the Holy Prophet
(S) told him, "O Ali, you are my brother, my trustee, my helper,
my inheritor and my successor after me". At a time when his own
family was not prepared to believe in him, the Holy Prophet (S)
received the guarantee of lifetime support from the Holy Imam
(A).

2. His Sacrifice on the Night of Migration.

After he had ordered the Muslims to leave Makka for Madina for
their safety, the Holy Prophet (S) received the command to
migrate himself. As per the command of Allah he asked the Holy
Imam (A) to sleep on his bed, while he left the house secretly.
Although the Holy Imam (A) was aware that he might be killed in
the place of the Holy Prophet (S) he did not hesitate to carry out
the order. The plot by the Quraish to collectively kill the Holy
Prophet (S) was thus averted and in recognition of the sacrifice of
the Holy Imam (A), Allah revealed the following verse:

And among men there is one who sells his soul
seeking the pleasure of Allah and truly, Allah is
affectionate to his (such) servants.

Surae Baqarah, 2 : 207

3. His Fulfilment of the Obligations of the Holy Prophet (S)
in Makka

A lot of people in Makka used to leave their valuables with the
Holy Prophet (S) because of his reputation for honesty. Even his
enemies trusted him in this matter. After he left for Madina he
instructed the Holy Imam (A), who was the only person he could
trust, to return the deposits to their owners. He was also entrusted
the duty of bringing his own family to Madina.

4. Deputation of the Holy Imam (A) to Yemen

The Holy Prophet (S) had sent Khalid bin Walid to the people of
Bani Jadhima in Yemen to call them to Islam. However, Khalid
exceeded his orders and made war on the people even after they
had accepted Islam. In order to repair the damage done by Khalid,
the Holy Prophet (S) sent the Holy Imam (A) to Yemen.

He dealt gently with the people, and compensated them for their
losses, paying them more than they asked. By his speeches he was
responsible for the conversion of the entire Yemen to Islam and
only when the faith of the people was firm, did he return to
Madina.

5. Removing the Idols from the Holy Ka`ba

After the conquest of Makka, the Holy Prophet (S) decided to
remove all the idols that the Makkans had placed within the walls
of the Holy Ka`ba. He could not reach up to some of them and he
chose the Holy Imam (A) to climb onto his shoulders and knock
down every last idol.

6. Taking up the Standard at Khayber

During the battle of Khayber, the Muslims were unable to conquer
one of the Jewish forts, despite numerous attempts under
different commanders. The Holy Imam (A) was present but could
not take part due to a severe eye infection. Finally the Holy
Prophet (S) declared: "Tomorrow, I will give the standard to one
whom Allah and His Apostle love. He does not flee from battle
and will not come back until Allah has brought about victory at his
hands". The Muslims waited anxiously for the next day, each
wanting to be the one chosen.

However, the Holy Prophet (S) called the Holy Imam (A) and
restored the health of his eyes by rubbing them with his saliva.
The Holy Imam (A) then went into battle with such ferociousness
that none could withstand him. He did not return until he had
captured every fort and brought about victory for the Muslims.

7. The Delivery of the Verses of the Holy Qur'an to Makka

The Holy Prophet (S) sent a document containing the first forty
verses of Surae Tawba (Bara'at) with Abu Bakr to Makka to read it
out during the Haj. However, the angel Jibraeel (A) came to the
Holy Prophet (S) and said, "Allah sends His greetings to you and
wills that the verses be delivered only by you or a man from you".
The Holy Prophet (S) immediately sent the Holy Imam (A) on a
fast camel to overtake Abu Bakr and take the verses in his place.
Thus, the Holy Imam (A) completed the task of reciting the
verses, which contained an important message, that the Muslims
would no longer tolerate the idol worshippers, to the people of
Makka.

8. The Nomination at Ghadeer Khum.

After his final Haj, the Holy Prophet (S) received a command
from Allah to inform the people of the succession of the Holy
Imam (A). At a place called Ghadeer Khum, the Holy Prophet (S)
gave a speech in which he summarised his entire mission. At the
end of it he said, "O people, for whomever I am the Master, this
Ali is also his Master." There is no doubt that everyone present
understood the message although many did not follow it in their
greed for power and their jealousy of the Holy Imam (A).

The Martyrdom of Imam Ali (A)

After Imam Ali (A) became the Caliph of the Muslims, he had to
fight many battles. The last of these was the Battle of Nahrawan,
against the Kharjites. These were the people who had deserted the
Holy Imam (A) because they thought he had been too lenient with
Muawiya at Siffin. After their defeat they went to Makka, where
they plotted the assassination of the Holy Imam (A), Muawiya and
Amr al-Aas. Amr was Muawiya's close advisor and his governor in
Egypt and they feared that he would claim the Caliphate after the
death of Muawiya. By these murders the Kharjites thought that
they could bring order to the Muslim empire. Accordingly, Abdur
Rahman ibne Muljam agreed to kill the Holy Imam (A), Burak bin
Abdallah Tymi to kill Muawiya and Amr bin Bakr Tymi to kill Amr
al-Aas.

The morning of Friday the 19th of Mahe Ramadhan was fixed for
the execution. The three assassins poisoned their swords and set
off towards Kufa, Damascus and Egypt. The man sent to Egypt was
killed before he could approach Amr al-Aas. The second man,
Burak, reached Damascus and actually struck at Muawiya but
missed, and was killed before he could do him any harm.
However, the man sent to kill the Holy Imam (A) reached Kufa
safely and stationed himself in the mosque of Kufa on the night of
the 19th of Mahe Ramadhan.

The Holy Imam (A) had prophesied his departure from this world
several days beforehand. When he left the house, his chickens
began making a great noise and when one of his servants
attempted to quieten them, the Holy Imam (A) said, "Leave them
alone, for their cries are only in grief of my approaching death."

On the morning of the 19th of Mahe Ramadhan, the Holy Imam
(A) went to the mosque of Kufa and began to wake up all the
people sleeping there. Ibne Muljam was lying on his stomach so
as to hide the sword, and the Holy Imam (A) woke him up as well,
telling him not to sleep on his stomach as that was the way of
Shaitan. After giving the Adhaan, the Holy Imam (A) led the prayer
and Ibne Muljam, pretending to pray, stood behind him. When the
Holy Imam (A) was in the state of prostration, Ibne Muljam dealt
a heavy stroke with his sword on the Holy Imam's (A) head. The
Holy Prophet (S) had foretold the assassination of the Holy Imam
(A) and his children and had said "O Ali, I see before my eyes your
beard dyed with the blood of your forehead".

The murderer was caught and brought to the Holy Imam (A) and
when the Holy Imam (A) saw that the ropes tied to him were
cutting his flesh, he forgot his own agony and requested that Ibne
Muljam should be treated more humanely. Touched by these
words the murderer started to weep. A smile played on the Holy
Imam's (A) lips and in a faint voice he said, "It is too late to repent
now, you have done your deed. Was I a bad Imam or an unkind
ruler?" This conduct was typical of the Holy Imam (A), whose
justice was always tempered with mercy, even to the worst of his
enemies.

The Holy Imam (A) was taken home from the mosque. During his
last hours, Asbagh bin Nabata, one of his companions, visited him
and asked him for some words of advice. The Holy Imam (A)
replied, "O Asbagh, what can be greater counsel than the fact that
yesterday I was your companion, today I am your guest and
tomorrow I will only be a memory."

His last words to his sons were, "Remain steadfast in piety and
resign yourself to the Will of Allah. Never aspire to anything
which is beyond your reach. Always be truthful and merciful
towards the orphans. Help the poor and needy and try to live in the
world in a way which may help it to become better."

He also instructed them to carry his coffin from behind only, as
the front would be carried by unseen hands. He told them to take
the route guided by the coffin itself. At the place where the coffin
would stop, they would find a grave already dug for him. He also
requested his sons that he should be buried secretly, because he
feared his enemies might desecrate his grave.

On the 21st of Mahe Ramadhan in 40 A.H. the Holy Imam (A)
departed this world. He was 63 years old at the time. After
washing and shrouding his body, his two sons Imam Hasan (A) and
Imam Husain (A) carried the coffin. The coffin stopped at Najaf
which is about four miles from Kufa. Here they found a grave
already prepared with a message in it saying: "This grave has been
dug by Prophet Nuh (A) for the Commander of the Faithful, Ali
(A)."

The Holy Imam (A) was buried in this grave. Until recently, the
shrine of the Holy Imam (A) at Najaf was breathtaking. Countless
number of people from all over the world used to flock to his
tomb day after day to pay their respects and to offer salutations.
Here they prayed to Allah seeking the Holy Imam's (A)
intercession.

Today the tomb has been demolished by the evil Saddam Husain
who has destroyed all the holy shrines in Najaf and Karbala and
committed enormous crimes against innocent people, especially
the Shia. May Allah cut short the life of this cruel tyrant and send
him to everlasting Hel