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Imam Ali (A.S.) alongside the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.)

By: Rasul Ja'fariyan
In the first version of the book, we proportionately and briefly discussed about Imam 'Ali (a)'s role in the changes of Prophet's significant time. Imam's position and his reliability to the Messenger (S) is briefly discussed. Imam 'Ali (a) had the honor to be brought up in the house of Messenger (S).[1][874]
In this regard, a great deal of attractive narrations collected by Ibn Abi l-Hadid exist. Among them, in a narration by Zayd Ibn 'Ali Ibn Husayn, he said that in that time the Messenger made meat and date soft by putting it in his mouth for being easily eaten and then it was put in Imam 'Ali's mouth.[2][875] Imam 'Ali (a) was the first one who believed in the Messenger (S) due to this kinship.
He said, “No one but the Messenger took me the lead in prayer.”[3][876]
Since, in this regard, a great deal of witnesses and evidence exists; therefore, there is no room for doubts of equitable people. Concerning Imam's embrace Islam, it is reportedly said that he was invited by the Messenger (S) to embrace Islam and this indicates Imam's mental maturity.[4][877]
Mas'udi says, “Some said that Imam in the time of his embrace Islam was not old enough so he was only an infant in that time.”[5][878]
The prophet truly knew the value of devoted companions, while Imam's self-sacrifice in all the fields was observed, hoe the prophet can consider him like the others. This triggered that in every right time, Imam's reliability and value was expresses to people through the prophet's remarks about Imam's features and characteristics.
These are the issues available to us in reliable sources of history and hadith under the title of Imam's virtues. Later on when in second century, the books of hadith were compiled, their compilers and narrators were to the most part influenced by tendencies of 'Uthman's followers who couldn't tolerate any virtue for Imam.
Additionally what the Umayyads and 'Uthman supporters in the Umayya time made about caliphs and companion defenders was narrated. Some of these fakes ascribed to caliphs were, in essence, Imam's virtues. These distortions came to a deadlock for Imam's narrated virtues and their narrators were respectively serious and reliable to be remained in books. Narrators of Kufa, in this regard, played a significant role in keeping these virtues.
Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said, ”'Ali is the one for whom a great deal of true virtues is said.”[6][879]
He said, Åä ÇÈä ÃÈí ØÇáÈ áÇ íÞÇÓ Èå ÃÍÏ[7][880] “No noe deserves being compared to 'Ali.”
Among these virtues, some narrations for whose correctness there is no doubt can be mentioned. Significance of some is to the extent that through them Imam's personality in the Messenger's eyes can be imagined.
Abu Sa'id Khudri said,

ßÇä áÚáí ãä ÇáäÈí () ÏÎáÉ áíÓÊ áÃÍÏ æßÇä ááäÈí () ãä Úáí ÏÎáÉ áíÓÊ áÃÍÏ ÛíÑå ÝßÇäÊ ÏÎáÉ ÇáäÈí () ãä Úáí Çä ÇáäÈí () ßÇä íÏÎá Úáíåã ßá íæã

“No one met the prophet more than 'Ali, so did the Prophet. The Prophet's meeting was to come up to them every day.” [8][881]
Also Zayd Ibn Thabit said to Imam, ÃäÊ ãä ÑÓæá Çááå () ÈÇáãßÇä ÇáÐí áÇ íÚÏáå ÃÍÏ[9][882] “No one owns thy dignity in front of the Messenger (S).”
These words were said by Zayd when he used to tenaciously support 'Uthman. This caused Imam to know the Prophet (S) as long as none of the other companions did so.[10][883] One evidence indicating the Prophet's heed to Imam was that he married Fatima (S), world selected women, to him. Abu Bakr and 'Umar had popped the question to Fatima before but they were rejected by the Prophet.
But Imam (a) proposing marriage to Fatima was accepted and said, áÓÊ ÈÏÌÇá[11][884] “I'm not deceiver.” “Fatima is yours.”
Having married Fatima, Imam (a) was asked to find a house but it was far from the Prophet's. And this was done through Harith Ibn Nu'man's devotion and leaving his house for 'Ali.[12][885]
Perhaps due to such a reason, 'Abd Allah Ibn 'Umar said, “For knowing 'Ali's status to the prophet, you'd better see location of his house to that of the prophet.”[13][886]
In the course of the brotherhood, the Messenger selected 'Ali (a) as his “brother”.[14][887] When the Messenger made sermon, Imam 'Ali (a) used to repeat his remarks in a farther distance.[15][888] And in the time of the Prophet's anger, no one but 'Ali (a) dared to talk to him.[16][889] People made 'Ali (a) as their mediator in solving their problems.[17][890]
Quoting 'Ayisha, the Sunnites said, “Fatima among the women and 'Ali among the men were the most beloved to the Messenger.” [18][891]
In Manzalat tradition which is one of the most definite merits of Imam, the Messenger regarded his relationship with 'Ali (a) as that of Moses with Aaron.[19][892] In case of any problem, when someone was to be sent for settling things, The Messenger sent 'Ali (a).[20][893]
Once Imam was asked, why is it that you quote traditions more than the other companions? He answered, áÃäí ßäÊ ÅÐÇ ÓÃáÊå ÃäÈÃäí æÅÐÇ ÓßÊø ÇÈÊÏÃäí “Because When I asked the Messenger a question, He taught me the knowledge and when I kept silent, he started to speak himself.”[21][894]
Imam used to say, I faced nothing unknown unless I asked of the Messenger about it and committed the answer to my memory[22][895]. I memorized everything he said and never forgot anything.[23][896]
In a letter he wrote, æÃäÇ ãä ÑÓæá Çááå ßÇáäæ ãä Çáäæ æÇáÐÑÇÚ ãä ÇáÚÖÏ “My relation with the Messenger is that of one branch with another or of the wrist with the arm.”[24][897]
He said, “I followed the Messenger just as a baby camel follows its mother.”[25][898]
Åäí áã ÃÑÏø Úáì Çááå æáÇ Úáì ÑÓæáå ÓÇÚÉ ÞØø

“I never disobeyed God or his Messenger at all.”[26][899]
Concerning the declaration of aquittance, God told His Messenger, This message must be delivered either by you or someone on behalf of you. That is why he made Abu Bakr return midway and handed the message to Imam 'Ali so that it might be read on “Greater Pilgrimage”.[27][900] There are beautiful sentences, in Qasi'a sermon, about Imam's intimacy with the Messenger. Here are some of his remarks, “You know my position of close kinship and special relationship with the Prophet. From the very beginning of my life he took me in his lap and kept me embraced to his chest. He used to lay me beside him in his bed, bring his body close to mine and make me smell his fragrance. He used to feed me with his hands often chewing something for me. He never heard me lying nor did he see me doing something wrong. When he was weaned, God appointed his greatest angel to be with him day and night so that he might cover the paths of greatness and avail himself of the worldly virtues.
And I used to follow him like a young camel following in the footprints of its mother. Every day he showed me in the form of a banner some of his high traits and commanded me to follow them. Every year he used to go in seclusion in Hara'.I saw him and no one did so but me. In those days, Islam was the religion of Holy Prophet and his wife, Khadija exclusively. I was the third of the trio. I beheld the divine light of revelation and prophethood and smelled the heavenly fragrance of messengership.”[28][901]
Being on such intimate terms with the Messenger, Imam said, “By God, there is no verse revealed unless I know about what and where in it was sent.[29][902] According to Ibn 'Abbas, no verse was sent by God unless 'Ali (a) was Amir and noble. God reproved Muhammad's companions but always spoke highly of 'Ali (a).[30][903]
Regarding those who wondered at 'Ali (a) being the divider of Heaven and Hell, Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said, “Hasn't this been narrated that the Messenger told 'Ali (a), áÇ íÍÈß ÅáÇ ãÄãä æáÇ íÈÛÖß ÅáÇ ãäÇÝÞ “Only the believer loes thee and only the hypocrite loathes thee.” “Yes”, they said. Continued he, “As the believer abides in the heaven and the hypocrite abides in the Hell, 'Ali (a) is the divider of the Heaven and the Hell.”[31][904]
'Umar Ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz used to say, “If this ignorant people were informed of what we knew about 'Ali (a), not two of them would obey us.”[32][905]
As Salman states, “Should 'Ali (a) leave you, there would remain nobody to inform you of the prophet's secrets.”[33][906] How right Ibn Abi l-Hadid is to say, “No one helped the Prophet as much as Abu Talib and his sons,'Ali (a) and Ja’far did.”[34][907]Once somebody complained to the Prophet about 'Ali (a) and he stated three times, Leave 'Ali (a) alone.[35][908]
ÝÅä ÚáíÇð ãäí æÃäÇ ãäå æåæ æáí ßá ãæãä

”'Ali is from me and I am from him; he is guardian of every faithful.”
At the night of immigration, 'Ali (a) saved prophet's life [36][909]. In the battle of Badr 30 polytheists were put to death by him. In the battle of Uhud, where many escaped the battle, he remained with prophet and saved his life. One stroke of 'Ali's sword inflicted on 'Amr Ibn 'Abdiwad in Khandaq was considered by the Prophet to be worth more than the worship of Jinn and mankind. This blow put the enemy to rout.[37][910] In most battles, Imam was the flag bearer of Muslim's army.[38][911]
Undoubtedly, Imam's knowledge had no parallel in Prophet's companions. This is an issue cited by the prophet and his companions, and testified by history.
This word of the Messenger, ÇäÇ ãÏíäå ÇáÚáã æÚáí ÈÇÈåÇ “I am the city of knowledge and 'Ali (a) is its door,” bears abundant evidence of this. Uttered on the pulpit, Imam 's remark, Óáæäí ÞÈá Çä ÊÝÞÏæäí “Ask me before you miss me,”[39][912] was also indicative of the superiority of his knowledge. This claim, according to Sa'id Ibn Musayyib, was laid by no one but Imam.[40][913]
The Prophet (S) charged him with the duty of teaching ablution and tradition to people.[41][914] 'Ayisha, whose animosity toward Fatima and 'Ali (a) dated back to prophet's time, said,Úáí ÃÚáã ÇáäÇÓ ÈÇáÓäÉ [42][915] ”'Ali is most conscious of Sunna.”
According to one of the well-known successors called 'Ata', 'Ali is the most impoverished one among the Prophet's companions.[43][916])
'Umar Ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz also called him the most devout of the companions.[44][917] Hundreds of pages can be written about Imam's virtues but this amount will suffice our book which is a short review of Islam's history.
Notes:
[45][874] Ansab al-Ashraf, vol. II, p. 90
[46][875] Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. XII, pp 198-201
[47][876] Nahj al-Balaghah, sermon 131
[48][877] al-Mi‘yar wa l-muwazina, pp 68-69; Ansab al-Ashraf, vol. I, p. 112
[49][878] al-Tanbih wa l-ishraf, p. 198
[50][879] Ibn Juzi, Manaqib Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, p. 160; Tabaqat al-hanabila, vol. I, p. 319
[51][880] Manaqib Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, pp 163
[52][881] ‘Abd al-Razzaq, al-Musannaf, vol. X, p. 140; Ansab al-Ashraf, vol. II, p. 98 and in the footnote of Tarikh Dimashq, vol. XXXVIII, p. 33; Amali Ibn Ash-Shiykh, p. 33; Hadith III, section 27
[53][882] al-Futuh, vol. II, p. 165
[54][883] See Subul al-huda wa l-Rishad, vol. VI, p. 642
[55][884] Tabaqat al-Kubra, vol. VIII, p. 22 this can be read in two ways “ áÓÊ’ lastu” and “ ´áÓÊ lasta” Ibn Sa‘d considered the first one and interpreted as I am not deceiver It means that the prophet had pledged ‘Ali of his marriage to Fatimah A research in the narration of proposal, show there existed no promise So what does the Prophet’s remark mean? Hence the reading lasta seems to be more probable, implying a reference to the previous suitors
[56][885] Tabaqat al-Kubra, vol. VIII, p. 22
[57][886] Ansab al-Ashraf, vol. II, pp 180-181
[58][887] Sahih Tirmidhi, vol. XIII, p. 170; Ibn Abi Shayba, al-Musannaf, vol. XII, pp 62 – 82; al-Mustadrak, vol. III, p. 14; Rabi‘ al-Abrar, vol. I, p. 807; Ansab al-Ashraf, vol. I, p. 270, vol. II, p. 145
[59][888] Rabi‘ al-Abrar, vol. III, p. 732
[60][889] Ansab al-Ashraf, vol. II, p. 107; al-Mustadrak, vol. III, p. 130
[61][890] al-Taratib al-idariyya, vol. I, pp 56-58
[62][891] al-Isti‘ab, vol. I, p. 378; Tarikh Jurjan, p. 218
[63][892] As mentioned in the text, no one doubts this tradition
[64][893] Tabaqat al-Kubra, vol. VII, p. 435; al-Taratib al-Idariyya, vol. I, p. p. 443,444;3
[65][894] Ansab al-Ashraf, vol. II, p. 98
[66][895] Nahj al-Balaghah, Sermon 208
[67][896] Ansab al-Ashraf, vol. II, p. 121
[68][897] Nahj al-Balaghah, Letter 45
[69][898] Tasnif Nahj al-Balaghah, p. 355
[70][899] Nahj al-Balaghah, Sermon 195
[71][900] Ansab al-Ashraf, vol. I, p. 382; vol. II, p. p. 123,155
[72][901] Nahj al-Balaghah, Sermon192
[73][902] Ansab al-Ashraf, vol. II, p. 99
[74][903] Ma‘rifat As-Sahaba, vol. I, p. 298; al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir, vol. XI, p. 264; Hilyat al-awliya’, vol. I, p. 64
[75][904] Tabaqat al-hanabila, vol. I, p. 320
[76][905] Rabi‘ al-Abrar, vol. I, p. 499
[77][906] Ansab al-Ashraf, vol. II, p. 183
[78][907] Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. VII, p. 174
[79][908] al-Amali fi Athar As-Sahaba, p. 80, footnote of Musnad Ahmad, vol. IV, p. 437, Sahih Tirmidhi, no 3796; Musnad Tayalisi No 829; Traits of ‘Ali (a), Nasa’i, p. 65; al-Hilyat al-’awliya’, vol. VI, p. 294; al-Mustadrak, vol. III, p. 110; al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir, vol. XVIII, p. 128; and see→, vol. IV, p. 322
[80][909] Ansab al-Ashraf, vol. I, p. 260
[81][910] Tarikh Mukhtasar al-duwal, p. 95; Ibn Abi l-Hadid, Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah vol. V, p. 7
[82][911] Ansab al-Ashraf, vol. II, p. 91,94; Hayat sahaba, vol. II, p. p. 514-515
[83][912] Nahj al-Balaghah, Sermon 189
[84][913] Tarikh Yahya Ibn Mu‘ayn,vol. III,p. 143
[85][914] Tabaqat al-Kubra, vol. IV, p. 52
[86][915] Tarikh al-Kabir, Bukhari,vol. II, p. 255
[87][916] Maqtal al-imam al-Amir al-Mu‘minin (a
[88][917] Ibid, p. 107
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