Imam Ali-asws’ Ibn Abi Talib-asws’s ‘Nazool’ (coming to this world) was 30 years after the year of the elephant, in the Kabah on Friday on the night of 13th Rajab. His mother was, Syeda Fatimah-asws, daughter of Asad.
Imam Jafar e Sadiq-asws said that Amir ul-Momineen-asws Ali-asws was sent thirty years after the holy Prophet-saww.[1]
The Zahoor of Amir ul-Momineen Ali-asws Ibn Abi Talib-asws:
The narrator of the Hadith says I heard it from Imam Ali bin Al Hussain-asws that Bibi Fatima Binte Asad-asws was performing circumambulation (moving around, also known as tawaf) of the Kabah when its wall (suddenly) opened (with noise) and the Bibi-asws entered into the Kabah and there came (to this world) Amir ul-Momaneen-asws.[2]
Imam Ali-asws left this world on the twenty-first of the month of Ramadan on Sunday night aged 63 years old. Amir ul-Momineen-asws lived for thirty years after the death of the Holy Prophet-saww.
Abd Al-Muttalib-asws Grand Father of Ali-asws Ibn Abi Talib-asws
Imam Jafar e Sadiq-asws said: On the Day of ‘Qiyamat’ (Judgement) ‘Hazrat Abd Al-Muttalib-asws (the grandfather of the Holy Prophet Mohammed-saww), who is the first who believed in ‘Bada’ (Allah-azwj’s Divine Plan for people), will be brought as a whole nation and he-asws will have a complexion like those of the Prophets-asws and a majestic presence like those of the kings.[3]
The narrator of the Hadith says: ‘I heard Amir ul-Momineen-asws saying: ‘By Allah-azwj! Neither my-asws father-as, nor my-asws grandfather-as Abdul Muttalib-as, nor Hashim-as, nor Abd Manaf-as worshipped idols at all’. It was said to him-asws, ‘So what were they-as worshipping?’ He-asws said: ‘They were Praying to the House (Kabah), upon the Religion of Ibrahim-as, being attached to it’.[4]
Declaration of Al-Wilayah of Ali-asws Ibn Abi Talib-asws at Ghadeer e Khum
He-asws (Amir-Al-Momineen-asws) said: ‘I-asws adjure you to Allah-azwj regarding the Words of Allah-azwj: O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Rasool and those with (Divine) Authority from you [4:59], and His-azwj Words: But rather, Allah is your Guardian, and His Rasool and those who are believing, those who are establishing the Salat and are giving the Zakat while they are performing Ruku [5:55]; then Said: And neither take from besides Allah, nor His Rasool, nor the Momineen, a confidant [9:16].
So, the people said, ‘O Rasool Allah-saww! Is it in particular for some of the Momineen or generally for all of them?’ So Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic Commanded His-azwj Rasool-saww that he-saww teaches them regarding the ones for whom the Verses were Revealed, and that he-saww should interpret about the ‘Wilayah’ just as he-saww had interpreted to them of their Salats, and their Soams, and their Zakat, and their Hajj.
So he-saww nominated me-asws at Ghadeer e Khum and said: ‘Allah-azwj Sent me-saww with a Message which constricted my-saww chest and I-saww thought that the people would belie me-saww. So He-azwj Promised me-saww that I-saww should preach it or else He-azwj would Punish me-saww. Arise! O Ali-asws!’.
Then he-saww called for the congregational Salat, so we all Prayed with him-asws Al-Zohar Salat, then he-saww said: ‘O you people! Surely Allah-azwj is my-saww Master, and I-saww am the Master of the believers and foremost to them than their own selves. Indeed! The one whose Master I-saww was, so Ali-asws is his Master. O Allah-azwj! Befriend the one who befriends him-asws, and be Inimical to the one who is inimical to him-asws, and Help the one who helps him-asws and Abandon the one who abandons him-asws’.
So Salman Al-Farsi-ra stood up in front of him-saww and said, ‘O Rasool Allah-saww, befriend him-asws like what?’ He-saww said: ‘Befriend him-asws like you-as are befriending me-saww. The one to whom I-saww am foremost than his own self, so Ali-asws is foremost to him than his own self’, and Allah-azwj Blessed and Exalted Revealed: Today I Perfected your Religion for you and Completed My Favour upon you, and am Pleased with Al Islam as a Religion for you [5:3]’.
So, Salman Al-Farsi-ra said, ‘O Rasool Allah-saww! This Verse is Revealed regarding Ali-asws in particular?’ Rasool Allah-saww said: ‘Indeed, it is regarding him-asws, and regarding my-saww successors-asws up to the Day of Judgement’.
Then Rasool Allah-saww said: ‘O Salman-ra, you and those who are present are witnesses of that, and those present should make it reach to the ones who are absent’. Salman Al-Farsi-ra said, ‘O Rasool Allah-saww, explain clarify them-asws for us’.
So he-saww said: ‘Ali-asws, who is my-saww brother, and my-saww Vizier, and my-saww successor, and my-saww inheritor, and my-saww Caliph in my-saww community, and the Guardian of every believer after me-saww, and eleven Imams-asws from his sons-asws. The first of them-asws is my-saww son Al-Hassan-asws, then Al-Husayn-asws, then nine from the sons-asws of Al-Husayn-asws, one after the other. The Quran is with them-asws and they-asws are with the Quran. Neither will it separate from them-asws nor will they separate from it until they-asws return to the Fountain’.
Twelve men from the people of Badr stood up and said, ‘We testify that we heard that from the Rasool Allah-saww as you-asws have said it exactly, neither have you-asws added nor you-asws have been deficient by a single letter, and Rasool Allah-saww made us witnesses on that’. And the remaining seventy said, ‘We have heard that but did not memorise all of it, and these twelve are our good ones, and the best ones of us’. So he-asws said: ‘You spoke the truth. It is not for all the people to be memorisers, some of them are better at memorising than others’.
Four from the twelve stood up – Abu Al-Haysam Bin Al-Tayham, and Abu Ayyub Al-Ansary, and Amaar Bin Yaaser, and Khuzayma Bin Sabit, the one with the two testimonies, may Allah-azwj have Mercy on them – so they said, ‘We testify that we have heard the words of Rasool Allah-saww and we have preserved it that he-saww did say one day, and he-saww was standing, and Ali-asws was standing beside him-saww.
Then Rasool Allah-saww said: ‘O you people! Allah-azwj has Commanded me-saww that I-saww should nominate for you an Imam-asws and a successor-asws who will be the successor-asws of your Prophet-saww among you, and my-saww Caliph in my-saww community, and among the People-asws of my-saww Household after me-saww, and the one-asws for whom Allah-azwj has Obligated upon the believers, in His-azwj book, obedience to him-asws, and has Commanded to you all in it for his-asws ‘Wilayah’. So I-saww referred it back to my-saww Lord out of fear of the hypocrites and their belying it, so He-azwj Promised me-saww that (He-azwj will Protect me-saww) but if I-saww do not preach it, He-azwj would Punish me-saww’.
Then Rasool-Allah-saww said: ‘O you people! Surely Allah-azwj – Majestic is His-azwj Name – has Commanded you all in His-azwj Book for the Salat and I-saww have explained it for you and its mannerism, and the Zakat, and the Soam, and the Hajj. So I-saww explained these to you and interpreted them for you all, and He-azwj Commanded you all in His-azwj Book for the ‘Wilayah’, and I-saww adjure you, O you people, that it is in particular for Ali-asws Bin Abu Talib-asws and the successors-asws from my-saww sons-asws and the sons-asws of my-saww brother and my-saww successor-asws. Ali-asws is the first of them-asws, then Al-Hassan-asws, then Al-Husayn-asws, then nine from the sons-asws of Al-Husayn-asws – my-saww son-asws. Neither will the Book be separated from them-asws nor will they-asws separate from it until they-asws return to the Fountain.
O you people! I-saww have made known to you your ‘Guide’ and your Imam-asws after me-saww, and your indicator and your guide, and he-asws is Ali-asws Bin Abu Talib-asws, and he-asws is among you at the status that I-saww have among you.
So emulate him-asws (do his-asws Taqleed), and obey him-asws in all of your affairs, for in his-asws possession is what Allah-azwj has Taught me-saww, and Commanded me-saww for, and I-saww have made it known to him-asws, and I-saww am letting you know that it is with him-asws. So ask him-asws and learn from him-asws and from the successors-asws after him-asws, and do not try to teach them-asws nor precede them-asws not be left behind them-asws, for they-asws are with the truth and the truth is with them-asws, neither will they-asws leave it nor will it leave them-asws’.[5]
Martyrdom of Ali-asws Ibn Abi Talib-asws:
A companion of the Rasool Allah-saww narrates: On the day that Amir ul-Momineen-asws Ali-asws was martyred, the place shook as people wept and cried, and they were frightened as they were on the day of the Holy Prophet-saww’s Shahadat (passing away).
In another hadith:
Once, ‘Amir, ‘Abd Allah ibn Jiza’a, Al-’Azdi and the narrator were in the presence of Abu Abd Allah-asws (our 6th Imam). The narrator has said that Amir said to the Imam-asws the following:
‘May Allah-azwj Keep my soul in service for your-asws cause, people think Amir ul-Momineen-asws Ali-asws was buried in al-Rahba (an open space near the mosque of Kufa).’ The Imam-asws said, ‘No, he-asws was not buried there.’
He then asked, ‘Where is he-asws buried?’ The Imam-asws said, ‘After his-asws death, Imam al-Hassan-asws carried him to a place, behind Kufa which is near Al-Najaf, toward the right of al-Ghari and the left of al-Hira. He-asws buried him-asws among the small dunes of white sands.’
Later on, I went to the place and I thought of one area as being his-asws gravesite. I then returned and informed the Imam-asws about it. The Imam-asws said, ‘You, may Allah-azwj grant you blessings, you found it (the gravesite) three times.[6]
Imam Al-Hassan-asws said:
Imam Ali-asws was the standard bearer of the Rasool Allah-saww, with angel Jibra’il-as on his right and angel Micha’il-as on his-asws left. He-asws would not turn back until Allah-azwj Granted him-asws victory. By Allah-azwj, he-asws died during a night in which the executor of the will of Musa (Moses) Yusha’ ibn Nun had passed away, the night in which Jesus-as, son of Mary-as, was taken to heaven and the night in which the Holy Quran was revealed.[7]
Imam Abu Abd Allah (Imam Jafar e Sadiq-asws) said: ‘When Amir ul-Momineen-asws was washed for burial, (A Divine Caller) Called from the side of the house, ‘If you lift up the front of the coffin then you do not need to lift up the back of the coffin and if you lift up the back then you do not need to lift up the front side (as Jibrail-as and Mikhail-as will lift from the other side,).[8]
Bequest (Will) of Ali Amir ul-Momineen-asws:
‘When Amir Al-Momineen-asws was struck, the visitors encircled him-asws and it was said to him-asws, ‘O Amir Al-Momineen-asws! Bequeath!’ He-asws said: ‘Double the pillow for me-asws’. Then he-asws said: ‘The Praise is for Allah-azwj as He-azwj is rightful of. I-asws was obedient to His-azwj Commands, and I-asws Praise Him-azwj just as He-azwj Loves, and there is no god except for Allah-azwj, the One, the First, the Samad, just as He-azwj has Attributed Himself-azwj.
O you people! Every person would meet during his fleeing, what he is fleeing from (i.e., death). The death is an usher of the soul towards it, and the escaping from it is to (actually) find it. How many days have come and gone in researching about the hidden of this matter, but Allah-azwj, Mighty is His-azwj Mention, Refused, except to Keep it hidden. Far be it, for the hidden to be known!
As for my-asws bequest, so it is that you shall not associate anything with Allah-azwj, Majestic is His-azwj Laudation. And Muhammad-saww, so you must not waste his-saww Sunnah. Establish these two pillars and inflame these two lanterns, and you will be free of blame for as long as you are not displaced. Every person would bear his effort, and it is lightened from the ignorant ones. The Lord-azwj is Merciful, and the Imam-asws is the most knowledgeable, and the Religion is straight.
Yesterday I-asws was your companion, and today I-asws am a lesson for you all, and tomorrow I-asws shall part from you. If the treading is steadfast during these stumbles, so that is the objective, and if the feet waver, so we are living in the shade of the branches and shelter of the winds, and beneath the shade of the clouds dissipating in the atmosphere and the disappearing resources in the central ground.
And rather, I-asws was a neighbour. My-asws body was your neighbour for (some) days, and as a consequence from me-asws it would be an empty body, motionless after its movement, and silent after speaking. Let it be an admonishment, my-asws silence, and the dimming of my-asws eyes, and the stillness of my-asws limbs. So it is more of a preacher for you all than the eloquent speaker. And my-asws bidding farewell to you all is a farewell of one expecting the reunion.
Tomorrow you shall be seeing (the reality of) my-asws days, and Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic will Uncover my-asws secrets from me-asws, and you will be recognising me-asws after the emptiness of my-asws place, and the standing of someone else in my-asws place.
If I-asws were to remain (alive), I-asws would be the Guardian of my-asws own blood, and if I-asws perish, so the perishing is my-asws destiny, and if I-asws were to forgive, so the forgiving, for me-asws it is a nearness (to Allah-azwj, and for you it is a good deed, therefore be forgiving and overlooking. Would you not like it Allah-azwj should be Forgiving you all? What a regret it would be upon every neglectful one! His own life-time would become an argument against him, or his days would lead him to misery.
May Allah-azwj Make us-asws and you all from the ones who are not deficient with it from obeying Allah-azwj out of desire or being terrified of the Punishment after the death. So rather, we are for Him-azwj and with Him-azwj’.
Then he-asws turned towards Al-Hassan-asws, and he-asws said: ‘O my-asws son-asws! A strike in place of a strike, and you-asws will not be overdoing it’’.[9]
[1] Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, Chapters on History, Amir-ul-Momineenasws, h 1.
[2]Rawzatul Waizeen Vol-1.Page-82 and also in Bihar Vol-35.Page-23
[3] Ibid, h 22
[4] كمال الدين و تمام النعمة: 174/ 32.
[5] Kitab Suleym Bin Qays Al Hilali – H 25 (Extract)
[6] Ibid, h 5
[7] Ibid, h 8.
[8] Ibid, h 9.
[9] Bihar Al-Anwaar – V 42, The book of History – Amir Al-Momineen-asws, Ch 127 H 11