Likeness of Amir al-Muminin Ali b. Abi Talib (A.S.) with Dhu al-Qarnayn

Dhu al-Qarnayn, ‘alaihi al-salam, was not a prophet – and therefore not a messenger as well(There is ijma’ in this Ummah that to become a messenger, one must first become a prophet. Whoever is not a prophet can never be a messenger. But, not all prophets are messengers. This is why the status of Muhammad as the last prophet also automatically means that he is the last messenger). Nonetheless, our Lord “sent” him to his people. Interestingly, Amir al-Muminin ‘Ali b. Abi Talib, ‘alaihi al-salam, proclaimed that he was a “likeness” of him. Imam al-Tabari (d. 310 H) records: Muhammad b. al-Muthanna – Muhammad b. Ja’far – Shu’bah – al-Qasim b. Abi Bazzah – Abu al-Tufayl: I heard ‘Ali while they asked him about Dhu al-Qarnayn: “Was he a prophet?” He replied, “He was a righteous servant. He loved Allah and Allah loved him. He sought the guidance of Allah and He guided him. Then, Allah SENT him to his people. But, they struck him twice on his head. As a result, he was named Dhu al-Qarnayn. And among you TODAY is an example of him.(Abu Ja’far Muhammad b. Jarir b. Yazid b. Kathir b. Ghalib al-Amuli al-Tabari, Jami al-Bayan fi Tawil al-Qur’an (Dar al-Fikr; 1415 H) [annotator: Sidqi Jamil al-‘Aṭṭar], vol. 16, pp. 12-13)
Concerning this athar, Prof. Ibn Yasin states: Its chain is sahih.(Prof. Dr. Hikmat b. Bashir b. Yasin, Mawsu’at al-Sahih al-Masbur min al-Tafsir bi al-Mathur (Madinah: Dar al-Mathar li al-Nashr wa al-Tawzi’ wa al-Taba’at; 1st edition, 1420 H), vol. 3, p. 322)
And Imam Ibn Salam (d. 224 H) also explains it in this manner: I have only chosen this explanation instead of the first due to a hadith from ‘Ali himself. It (the hadith), in my view, explains it to us. And that is, he (‘Ali) mentioned Dhu al-Qarnayn and said, “He called his people to the worship of Allah, and they struck him on his qarn twice. And among you is an example of him”. So, we see that he (‘Ali) was referring to himself with this statement of his – he meant: I will call to the Truth until I will be struck on my head twice. My death will be in them.”(Abu ‘Ubayd al-Qasim b. Salam al-Harwi, Gharib al-Hadith (Haydarabad: Majlis Dairah al-Ma’arif al-‘Uthmaniyyah; 1st edition, 1385 H), vol. 3, p. 80)
The status of ‘Ali as a “likeness” of Dhu al-Qarnayn creates many parallels between them both – especially in terms of al-raj’ah and da’wah. However, here, we are only concerned with the da’wah aspects of their similarities. Therefore:
i. Dhu al-Qarnayn was not a prophet. So, ‘Ali too was not a prophet.
ii. Dhu al-Qarnayn sought the guidance of Allah, and He guided him. So, ‘Ali too sought the guidance of Allah, and He guided him too.
iii. Dhu al-Qarnayn was “sent” to his people by Allah. So, ‘Ali too was “sent” to this Ummah by Allah.
Meanwhile, apart from Amir al-Muminin Ali (A.S.), several other non-prophets, after Muhammad, have been “sent” to our Ummah. Imam Abu Dawud (d. 275 H) records this clear hadith confirming that: Sulayman b. Dawud al-Mahri – Ibn Wahb – Sa’id b. Abi Ayub – Sharahil b. Yazid al-Ma’afiri – Abu ‘Alqamah – Abu Hurayrah: From what I learnt from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, he said, “Verily, Allah APPOINTS FOR this Ummah, at the head of every one hundred years, someone who renews its religion for it.”( Abu Dawud Sulayman b. al-Ash’ath al-Sijistani al-Azdi, Sunan (Dar al-Fikr) [annotator: Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani], vol. 2, p. 512, # 4291)
‘Allamah al-Albani (d. 1420 H) says: Sahih( Abu Dawud Sulayman b. al-Ash’ath al-Sijistani al-Azdi, Sunan (Dar al-Fikr) [annotator: Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani], vol. 2, p. 512, # 4291)
Imam al-Hakim (d. 403 H) also has this one, which is even clearer: Abu al-‘Abbas Muhammad b. Ya’qub – al-Rabi’ b. Sulayman b. Kamil al-Muradi – ‘Abd Allah b. Wahb – Sa’id b. Abi Ayub – Sharahil b. Yazid – Abu ‘Alqamah – Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him: I did not learn it except from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, he said, “Verily, Allah SENDS TO this Ummah, at the head of every one hundred years, someone who renews its religion for it.”(Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b. ‘Abd Allah al-Hakim al-Naysaburi, al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-’Ilmiyyah; 1st edition, 1411 H) [annotator: Mustafa ‘Abd al-Qadir ‘Aṭa], vol. 4, p. 567, # 8592)
Commenting on this hadith in his Sahihah, al-Albani states: The chain is sahih. Its narrators are thiqah (trustworthy), narrators of (Sahih) Muslim.(Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Nasir al-Din b. al-Hajj Nuh b. Tajati b. Adam al-Ashqudri al-Albani, Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Sahihah wa Shayhun min Fiqhihah wa Fawaidihah (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Ma’arif li al-Nashr wa al-Tawzi’; 1st edition, 1415 H), vol. 2, p. 148, # 599)