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Imam Ali’s (A.S.) Fulfilment of Pledge to God
Compiled By: Syed Ali Shahbaz
On the 19th of Ramadhan the Commander of the Faithful, the Leader of the Pious, the Epitome of Justice, the divinely-decreed successor of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), was struck a fatal blow on his head by the poisoned sword of a renegade, while engrossed in the Morning Prayer in the Grand Mosque of Kufa in Iraq.
He was none other Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), who at this critical juncture when blood flowed from his fatally injured head, said the immortal phrase: Fuzto wa Rabbil-Ka’ba, which means by the Lord of the Holy Ka’ba I have succeeded in my life that was spent from childhood till this day in the service of God, the Prophet, Islam, and humanity. Before we present you a special feature for this day, let us listen to the special supplication for the 19th of Ramadhan: “O Allah! Grant me this day an ample share of its blessings; ease my way to its goods and bounties; and do not deprive me from receiving its graces, O Guide to the manifest truth.”
Once, during his discourse from the pulpit of the Grand Mosque of Kufa, Imam Ali (AS) was asked to explain ayah 23 of Surah Roum, where God Almighty says: "Among the Believers are men who fulfil what they pledge unto Allah; of them some have fulfilled their pledge, and of them are some who still wait; and they have not changed in the least."
Imam Ali (AS) replied: "This ayah was revealed in my honour, and that of my uncle Hamzah, and my cousin Ubaydah ibn alHareth ibn Abd alMuttalib."
The Imam went on to say to say how the two had fulfilled their pledge with Allah by attaining martyrdom in the defence of Islam and humanitarian values – that is, Ubaydah in the Battle of Badr and Hamzah in the Battle of Ohad. Then Imam Ali (AS) added: "As for myself, I am awaiting a most painful death, when this (pointing to his beard) shall be drenched from the blood of this (pointing to his head)… and have never changed the least."
He said his source of information on the manner of fulfilment of his own pledge to Allah, or in other words, martyrdom, was his cousin and father-in-law, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), in whose lap he had been raised ever since a child. (This famous incident has been narrated by both Sunni and Shi'ite Muslim scholars – such as Hakem Naishapuri in Mustadrik as-Sahihayn and Amin ol-Islam Tabarsi in Tafsir Majma' al-Bayan.
We are commemorating these days the anniversary of the tragic event that ended the only instance in history of the model administration of social justice. Imam Ali (AS), who was struck the fatal sword blow on his head today, true to his pledge to Allah, attained immortal martyrdom on the 21st of the month of fasting in 40 AH in the very manner that a weeping Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) had prophesied decades earlier at the onset of a fasting Ramadhan, saying: “O Ali, I weep for that which will befall you in this month. (visualising) to be in your place when you will be praying to your Lord, and the most wicked person of all times, like the one who chopped off the feet of the camel of Thamoud (that was proof of Prophet Saleh's divine mission) will strike you on your head and your beard will be dyed in blood.”
So fatal was the blow from the poisoned sword of that most wicked terrorist, Abdur-Rahman ibn Muljam, that the Islamic ummah has still not recovered till this day from its disastrous consequences, despite the passing of over a millennium and almost four centuries. The Muslims are still in a state of bewilderment because of their failure to heed the words of the person regarding whom the Prophet had said: "I am the City of Knowledge and Ali is its Gateway."
In other words, in order to properly understand the sunnah, seerah, that is practice and behaviour of the Almighty's Last Messenger to mankind and his genuine message of Islam, we have no other choice but to approach him through the proper channel, that is, through Imam Ali (AS), regarding whose pivotal position in Islam, the Prophet had also said: "If there was no Ali (AS), it would have been impossible to identify true believers after me."
The martyrdom anniversary of Imam Ali (AS) ought to awaken our conscience to these facts. There are immortal lessons to be learnt, not just from the Imam's discourses, but from all his actions and deeds spread over 63 glorious years, since the day he was born in the holiest of holies – that is, God's symbolic house, the Ka'ba – and departed from the world after being struck the fatal blow on his head while in prostration to the Almighty in the Grand Mosque of Kufa (also a house of God). The bezels of wisdom bequeathed to humanity by the man who transcends history and historical developments are outside the scope of this brief radio programme, which we would like to end with a passage from his Last Will on his deathbed, as found in Letter 47 of the book Nahj al-Balagha: “I advise you to fear Allah. Do not go after this vicious world though it may try to entice you. Do not seek it though it may seek you and do not grieve over and pine for things which this world refuses you. Let the eternal Reward and Blessings of Allah be the prompting factors for all that you say and do. Be an enemy of tyrants and oppressors and be a friend and helper of those who are oppressed and tyrannized.
“Develop mutual liking, friendship and love, and help one another. Take care that you do not spurn and treat one another badly and unsympathetically. Exhort people to do good and abstain them from evil, otherwise the vicious and the wicked will be your overlords and if you willingly allow such persons to be your rulers then your prayers will not be heard by Allah."
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