The Place of Imam Ali (A.S.)

He said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad b. Ali b. Al-Husain b. Babawayh, may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from his father who reported from Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Saffar, from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa, from Ali b. al-No'man, from Amir b. Ma'qal, from Abu Hamza al-Thumali, that Abu Ja'far Muhammad b. Ali al-Baqir (peace be upon him) said:
"O Abu Hamza, do not place Ali (A.S.) below the level to which Allah has raised him, and do not elevate him above the level where Allah has kept him. It is enough (excellence) for Ali that he is the one who fought the apostates and he is the one who will pair off the inmates of Paradise."

Dying with the love of Ali (AS)
He said: Abul Hasan Ali b. Muhammad b. Khalid al-Maythami reported to me from Abu Bakr Muhammad b. al-Husain b. al-Mustanir, who reported from al-Husain b. Muhammad b. al-Husain b. Masa'b, who reported from Abbad b. Yaqoob, who reported from Abu Abdil Rahman al-Mas'oodi, from Katheer al-Nawa', from Abu Maryam al-Khawlani, from Malik b. Dhamrah, that Amirul Mo'mineen Ali b. Abi Talib (A.S.) said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, held my hand and said: "Whoever dutifully performed the five (daily) prayers, and then died with your love in his heart, he will have redeemed his pledge. And whoever died with hatred for you, died a death of ignorance (i.e. the era before Islam), though he will account for his deeds as ordained by Islam. And he who lives after you, with your love in his heart, Allah will end his life with security and faith, till he arrives near me at the Pool."

Adam, Noah, Ibrahim & Ali (AS)
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad b. Umar b. Salim has reported to me from Abu Ja'far Muhammad b. Isa al-Ajaly, who reported from Masood b. Yahya al-Nahdi, who reported from Sharik, from Abu Ishaq, from his father that:
Once when the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, was sitting with a group of his companions, Ali b. Abi Talib approached near him. Then the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Whoever wishes to look at Adam in his image and nobility, at Noah in his wisdom, at Ibrahim in his forbearance, he should look at Ali b. Abi Talib."

Nine Testify to the Wilayah of Ali (AS)
He said: Abul Hasan Muhammad b. Muzaffar al-Warraq has reported to me from Abu Bakr Muhammad b. Abu al-Thalj who said al-Husain b. Ayyub had informed from his book, reporting from Muhammad b. Ghalib, from Ali b. al-Hasan, from Abdullah b. Jablah, from Zurayh al-Maharibi, from Abu Hamza al-Thumali who reported from Abu Ja'far Muhammad b. Ali, peace upon him, who reported from his father, who reported from his grandfather that:
Allah sent Jibraeel to Muhammad, peace be upon him and his progeny, exhorting him to testify the wilayah of Ali b. Abi Talib (A.S.) in his lifetime, and to name him Amirul Mo'mineen before his death. Then the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, invited nine leaders (of the groups) and said: "I have invited you so that you may bear witness upon the earth in the name of Allah, whether you stand by it or hide it."
Then he said: "O Abu Bakr, Rise and greet Ali as Amirul Mo'mineen (the Commander of the faithfuls)." He said: "Is this by the order of Allah and His Prophet?" He said: "Yes". So he stood and greeted him as such (i.e. Amirul Mo'mineen).
Then he said: "O Umar, Rise and greet Ali as Amirul Mo'mineen." He said: "Should we name him as Amirul Mo'mineen by the order of Allah and His Prophet?" He said: "Yes". So he rose and greeted him.
Then he turned to Miqdad b. al-Aswad al-Kindi: "Rise and greet Ali as Amirul Mo'mineen." He stood up and greeted him, without repeating what the earlier two had said.
Then he said to Abu Dharr al-Ghifari: "Rise and greet Ali as Amirul Mo'mineen." He stood up and greeted. Then he asked Hudhaifa al-Yamani: "Rise and greet Amirul Mo'mineen." He stood up and greeted. The he asked Ammar b. Yasir: "Rise and greet Amirul Mo'mineen." He stoop up and greeted. Then he asked Buraidah: "Rise and greet Amirul Mo'mineen." Buraidah was the youngest among them, he stood up and greeted.
Then the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "I have invited you for this matter, so that you are Allah's witnesses, whether you uphold it or abandon it."

Master herein - Master hereafter
He said: Abul Hasan Muhammad b. al-Muzaffar reported to me from Muhammad b. Jurair, who reported from Ahmad b. Ismail who reported from Abdul al-Razzaq b. Hammam, who reported from Mu'mar, from al-Zuhari, from Ubaidullah b. Abdullah b. Utbah, from Abdullah b. Abbas, may Allah bless him with mercy, who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, looked at Ali b. Abi Talib and said: "(Here is) the master herein, and the master hereinafter."

When the Angel came to greet Ali (AS)
He said: Abu Hafs Umar b. Muhammad al-Sayrafi reported to me from Muhammad b. ldress who reported from al-Hasan b. Atiyyah who reported from a man called Israeel, from Maysarah b. Habib, from al-Minhal , from Dharr b. Jaysh, from Huzaifah who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, (once) said to me: "Did you see the person who presented himself to me?" I said: "Yes, O messenger of Allah." He said: "He was an angel who had never descended before this. He sought permission from Allah, Most High, to greet Ali; he was granted permission and then greeted him. And he gave me glad news that al-Hasan and al-Husain are the masters of the youths of Paradise, and Fatimah is the leading lady of all the women in Paradise."

The Prophet (SAW) on his successor
He said: Abu Hafs Umar b. Muhammad b. Ali al-Sayrafi reported to me from Abul Husain al-Abbas b. al-Mughairah al-Jawhari, who reported from Abu Bakr Ahmad b. Mansoor al-Ramadi, who reported from Abdul Razzaq, who reported from his father, who reported from Mayna, the client of Abdul Rahman b. Auf, who reported from Abdullah b. Mas'ood who said:
On the night of the delegation of Jinn (i.e. during the battle of Tabuk), we were with the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, when he made a station at Ula. Then he went away, and when he returned, he heaved a sigh. Then he said: "O Ibn Mas'ood, I have been warned of my impending death." So I said: "O messenger of Allah, appoint a successor." He asked: "Who?" "I said: "Abu Bakr." He said: (The Prophet) walked for sometime, and heaved a sigh and then said: "My death has been announced to me O Ibn Mas'ood." Then I said: "Appoint a successor, O messenger of Allah." He asked: "Who?" I said: "Umar." He remained silent, and then walked for sometime, heaved a sigh, and said: "I have been given news of my death, O Ibn Mas'ood!" So, I said: "Appoint a successor!" He asked: "Who?" I said: "Uthman." He kept silent, walked for sometime, heaved a sigh and said: "O Ibn Mas'ood, my death has been announced to me!" I said: "Appoint a successor, O Prophet of Allah" He asked: "Who?" I said: "Ali b. Abi Talib." He heaved a sigh and said: "By He Who controls my soul, if they obey him (i.e. Ali), they will definitely enter Paradise, everyone of them."

The master of Arabs
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad b. Umar b. Salim reported to me from Ali b. Ismail Abul Hasan al-Atrush, who reported from Muhammad b. Khalaf al-Muqri, who reported from Husain al-Ashqar, who reported from Qais b. al-Rabi', who reported from his father, from Abdul Rehman b. Abi Layla, from al-Husain b. Ali b. Abi Talib (AS), that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, (once) said: "O Anas! Send for the master of Arabs to come to me." He said: "O messenger of Allah, are you not the master of Arabs?" He said: "I am the master of all children of Adam, and Ali is the master of Arabs." So, he sent for Ali (AS) and when he arrived, the Prophet said: "Ask the Ansar (the helpers) to assemble." When they arrived, the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "O people of Ansar, this is Ali, the master of Arabs, love him for the sake of my love, and honour him for the sake of my honour. Surely, what I tell you is exactly what Jibraeel has revealed to me from Allah, Most High."