In remembrance of the “Icon of Justice”

The Islamic Republic of Iran is draped in black and people are busy since yesterday attending mourning ceremonies to commemorate the Icon of Justice, the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), who despite his departure from the world remains immortal.

Here’s a special programme on the divinely-designated vicegerent of the Almighty’s Last and Greatest Messenger to all mankind, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny).

In the year 8 AH on the 20^th of Ramadhan when Mecca surrendered without a fight to Muslims, the Prophet of peace entered his hometown along with his cousin, Imam Ali (AS). As “Mercy unto the creation” the Seal of all Divine Messengers granted amnesty to the elite of Mecca despite their record of enmity towards him and armed battles imposed upon him. He even showed mercy and spared the life of his archenemy, Abu Sufyan and the latter’s equally wicked wife, Hend bint Otbah, who had ordered the killing of the Prophet’s uncle, Hamza, and after savagely ripping out his liver had tried to chew it in bestial vengeance.

The Messenger of Mercy, however, had to carry out the divine commandments of demolishing the idols the retarded Arabs had placed in and around Prophet Abraham’s supreme symbol of monotheism, the holy Ka'ba. After all the idols were smashed and it was the turn of the chief idol atop the holy Ka’ba, the Prophet lifted Imam Ali (AS) on his shoulders to pull it down. Imam Ali (AS) accomplished the task to the chants of “Allah-o Akbar” or God’s Majesty by the Muslims. It was indeed among the greatest honours of Imam Ali (AS) in this month of Ramadhan.

Alas, 32 years after the bloodless fall of Mecca, on this very day of Ramadhan, that is, 20^th of the month of fasting, the person who was born in the holy Ka’ba and who was as firm and steadfast in his resolve as the Symbolic House of God of the Unseen but Omnipresent, was writhing in pain a day after being struck a fatal sword blow on his blessed head the day before, while engrossed in the morning prayer.

Yet, as the Icon of Justice, Imam Ali (AS) was not vengeful. He did not order the ripping apart of his assassin who was brought before him bound in ropes. On the contrary he ordered the loosening of bonds of the wretch Ibn Mujlam al-Moradi and offering him a cup of milk. He then asked: Why did you strike me? Was I not the Just Leader? What made you plunge the Prophet’s blessed household in grief?

The wretch had no answer, and in remorse replied that he could not resist the pull of the fires of hell.

Imam Ali (AS) told his sons that if he survives, he will decide the punishment for Ibn Muljam, but if he achieves martyrdom, the assassin should be dispatched to the bowels of hell with only one single blow of the sword and should on no account be lynched, because the Prophet of Islam had said that even a rabid dog should not be lynched.

What a strong sense of justice Imam Ali (AS) had, and that on fully knowing the fate that would befall him!

He remembered that decades before, once on the eve of Ramadhan, towards the end of a memorable sermon on the blessings of the month of fasting, his cousin the Prophet had burst into tears. When the Imam asked him the reason for weeping, the Prophet had replied:     

"O Ali, I weep for that which will befall you in this month. (Visualizing myself) 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 the divine proof of Prophet Saleh's mission), will strike you on your head and your beard will be dyed by it (blood)."

Yes, these were those very days of Ramadhan foretold by the Prophet, who added:

"O Ali whoever kills you has (in fact) killed me, whoever annoys you has annoyed me and whoever slanders you has slandered me, because you are to me like my soul. Your spirit is my spirit and your nature is my nature. Surely, Allah the Praised and the Glorious created me then you, chose me then you. Selected me for Prophethood and selected you for Imamate. And whoever denies your Imamate has (in fact) denied my Prophethood. O Ali, you are my legatee and father of my (grand)children, and husband of my daughter, and my Caliph (vicegerent) over my ummah both in my lifetime and after my death. Your bidding is my bidding, and your forbidding is my forbidding. I swear by the Power that granted me Prophethood and made me the most excellent of creation, you are the Hujjat-Allah (or Proof of Allah) over His creatures, and His Trustee over mysteries and His Caliph over His creatures.”

Yes, what the Prophet had predicted occurred over three decades later. And that is among the reasons, Imam Ali (AS) said on being struck the fatal sword blow: “By the Lord of the Ka’ba I have succeeded.”

And what a grand success did the Icon of Justice achieve! Till this day, Imam Ali (AS), whose ideal administration of justice has yet to be emulated, is remembered as the Martyr for the Cause of Freedom and Liberties.

As the person most nearest and dearest to the Prophet, he had stood beside his cousin through every thick and thin, frustrating the bloodcurdling plots of the hypocrites in order to free human societies from the fetters of ignorance, superstition and polytheism. Though proclaimed by the Prophet, as per the command of God Almighty, as vicegerent at the historic gathering of Ghadir-Khom, he had seen the violators of freedom gang up against him to deprive him of his political rights no sooner had the Prophet left the mortal world.

The usurpers of his right of political leadership did a great disservice to Islam and humanity, but Imam Ali (AS) for the sake of Islamic unity and freedom of the people, kept silent for 25 years, until the caliphate or political rule came begging at his door. He initially refused it, but when the leaderless masses insisted, he reluctantly took up the reins of political power, on condition that he will abide only by the Law of God as envisaged in the Holy Qur’an and by its practical demonstration that the Prophet had given during his mission, since these were the two things that guaranteed freedom in society.

For almost the next five years, he strove earnestly in building the model administration of social justice, which the world has not seen ever since, and he made it a fundamental pillar of his rule to safeguard public liberties and freedom. He stressed the people were free to lodge complaints against erring officials and criticize them for their inability to provide security and public order. The book “Nahj al-Balaghah”, which contains his sermons, letters and maxims, is an excellent testimony in this regard. For instance, the epistle of the Imam to Malek Ashtar, his governor of the then Christian majority Egypt, has been hailed as the finest charter of human rights, better than what the United Nations has been able to draft. The Imam tells the governor to observe the highest forms of impartiality, clemency, modesty of character, generosity and discipline even to those who are non-Muslims, since in the words of the Imam they are after all human beings. This is undoubtedly the highest form of respect for freedom and rights that the modern world has still not been able to match.

The Imam did not force those who had refused to pay him allegiance to submit to him nor did he harbour a grudge against them by excluding them from public amenities. However, those who tried to stir up trouble and shed Muslim blood, he took decisive action against them for the sake of protecting public freedoms. The Battles that he was forced to fight by his opponents at Basra in southern Iraq, at Siffeen in Syria and at Nahrwan in central Iraq, are proof of his lofty observance of human rights and freedoms.

For instance, during the protracted War of Siffeen that dragged on against the rebellious governor of Syria, Mua’wiyah ibn Abu Sufyan for over a year, at the onset of the hostilities, the enemy cut off access to the waters of the River Euphrates for the Imam’s forces. But when his forces retook the river bank, the Imam refused to withhold water from his enemies. Although the armed battles were still raging on, he permitted the enemies to have free access to the river, saying that water like air and sunshine is among the bounties of God Almighty, Who never deprives even disbelievers of these basic amenities of life.

Even the Khawarej or the Renegades, who spared no effort to cause civil disturbance and plotted against his life, were not deprived by him of their rights as citizens. After his victory over them at Nahrwan the Imam forbade his followers from persecuting the Khawarej after him. Such freedom is surely without precedence and even the modern concept of democracy pales into insignificance when compared to the liberties that were taught to humanity by Imam Ali (AS).

In short, Imam Ali (AS) was the supreme example of social justice the world has ever seen. Even non-Muslim scholars have praised his dynamic personality. The Christian scholar George Jordaq has written a series of excellent books titled: Imam Ali (AS) and Socrates; Imam Ali and the French Revolution; and Imam Ali the Voice of Human Justice. Jordaq has shown that Imam Ali (AS) excels all comparisons, and the freedom and liberties that he enshrined are still beyond the reach of human societies despite the bragging of democracy and human rights by western regimes, whose practice is nothing but outright hypocrisy. We thus pray our sincere tribute to this Icon of Justice, whose model government has been source of inspiration in every age and era for those striving for justice in society. We pray to God to hasten the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (AS) to cleanse the world of all vestiges of corruption and oppression by establishing the global government of peace, prosperity and justice.

In the end we present you an immortal statement on justice and fairness from Imam Ali (AS): “By Allah, even if I am given all the domains of the seven (stars) with all that exists under the skies in order that I may disobey Allah to the extent of snatching one grain of barley from an ant I would not do it. For me your world is lighter than the leaf in the mouth of a locust that is chewing it. What has Ali to do with bounties that will pass away and pleasures that will not last?”

AS/EA