Ramadhan, the Month of God (21)

We begin the 21st episode of “Ramadhan, the Month of God” with profound grief since it is the anniversary of that tragic day in history on which departed from the mortal world, the Commander of the Faithful, the Leader of the Pious, the Epitome of Justice, the Symbol of Valour, the Gateway of Knowledge, the Paragon of Wisdom and the Master of Eloquence, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS).

For two days, he writhed in acute pain after being struck on his head while in the state of the ritual morning prayer by the poisoned sword of the renegade Ibn Muljam al-Moradi.

We offer you heartfelt condolences, and before presenting more details, recite the special supplication of the 21^st of blessed Ramadhan:

“O Allah, assign me this day a guide to Your good pleasure; do not allow Satan to impose himself upon me; and make paradise my abode and place of rest, O Fulfiller of the needs of the petitioners!”

Imam Ali (AS) has been bedridden for two days as a result of the blow that the renegade Abdur-Rahman ibn Muljam struck on his head. The Commander of the Faithful was fed-up with the people his time especially the people of Kufa to the extent that he prayed to God, saying, "O God! Bring me a people who are better than these and bring them a ruler who is worse than me."

Imam Ali's loyal companions had gathered around him. They were those who had not forgotten the call on the day of Ghadir, that is the 18^th of Zilhijja in the year 10 AH, when Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) on the express commandment of God Almighty, raised Imam Ali and said in clear words: "For whomever I am the master, this Ali is his master."

These companions were worried about the legacy of the Prophet, the society that was thriving as the role model of justice and humane values. Yet, the presence of orphans at the door of Imam Ali (AS) was indeed a very sad spectacle to behold. They had gathered with bowls of milk in their hands on hearing that milk would heal the deep sword wound inflicted on the blessed head of Imam Ali (AS). They were the very orphans who had experience the Imam's fatherly affection for years as he used to carry bags of dates and bread to their houses.

In the last hours of his fruitful life of 63 years, Imam Ali (AS) would continue to urge people around him, as he had urged them from the pulpit of the mosque of Kufa for the past several years: "Ask me before you lose me." Like a loving father and teacher, he was thoughtful of the Ummah and wanted Muslims to acquire knowledge, come out of ignorance, and become more familiar with parts of his unfathomable knowledge.

In addition to public visits, some of the special companions of the Imam would visit him in the last hours of life. Habib ibn Amr was one of them. He describes how he heard the wailing of one of the daughters of the Imam from inside the ladies section that made him and all other people outside the house cry. But Imam Ali (AS) opened his eyes and said, "If you saw what I am seeing, you would not cry." Habib asked the Imam, "What are you seeing?" The Imam answered, "I can see the divine angels, and all messengers and prophets who are standing in rows, saluting me and welcoming me. I can see the Prophet of Islam who is sitting beside me and telling me, 'Come dear Ali, come soon! The world that is waiting for you is better than the world that you are in now'."

When the physician failed to cure him, Imam Ali (AS) called his elder son and immediate successor Imam Hasan (AS) to his side and began dictating his last will, in part of which he said: “My advice to you is to be conscious of Allah and steadfast in your religion. Do not yearn for the world, and do not be seduced by it. Do not resent anything you have missed in it. Speak the truth; work for the next world. Oppose the oppressor and support the oppressed.”

Imam Ali (AS) also said: “Be Godwary in matters concerning orphans. Attend to their nutrition and do not forget their interests in the middle of yours. Be Godwary in your relations with your neighbors. Your Prophet often recommended them to you, so much so that we thought he would give them a share in inheritance. Remain attached to the Qur’an; nobody should surpass you in being intent on it, or more sincere in implementing it. Be Godwary Allah in relation to your (ritual) prayers. It is the pillar of your religion. Be Godwary concerning His House (the holy Ka’ba); do not abandon it as long as you live. If you should do that you would abandon your dignity. Persist in Jihad in the cause of Allah with your money, your souls, and your tongue. Maintain communication and exchange of opinion among yourselves. Beware of disunity and enmity. Do not desist from promoting good deeds and cautioning against bad ones. Should you do that, the worst among you would be your leaders, and you will call upon Allah without response.”

Imam Ali (AS) in his last moments quoted Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) on the necessity of strengthening family and kinship ties, saying: “Reconciliation of your differences is more worthy than all prayers and all fasting.”

At the end of his testament, Imam Ali (AS) fainted but soon regained consciousness. He instructed Imam Hasan (AS) about his funeral and told him to lay his body to eternal rest in the dead of night. Then he turned toward his children, and cautioned them about the seditions that will arise. He advised them to be patient and steadfast in the face of the plots of hypocrites of this ummah who will rekindle old disputes and seek revenge.

Then Imam Ali (AS) looked at his second Imam Husain (AS) and said: O Aba Abdillah! You are the martyr of this Ummah; hence you should be steadfast in piety and patience against disaster.

After these words, Imam Ali (AS) again went into stupor and on regaining consciousness, he said, "Now, the Prophet of God, my uncle Hamza and my brother Ja'far have come to me, to tell me, 'Come to us soon as we are eager for you'." Then the Imam looked at his Ahl al-Bayt saying, "I entrust you to God. May God keep all on the right path and preserve them from the vice of enemies." Then he said, "Greetings to you the messengers of my Lord's revelation. After that Imam Ali (AS) recited these two ayahs, "Let all the workers work for the like of this."

"Indeed Allah is with those who are Godwary and those who are good-doers."  

Then the soul of Imam Ali flew to the ethereal heavens with the shahadatayn or the two-fold testimony on the Oneness of God and the mission of the Prophet of Islam on his lips.

After the Imam’s martyrdom, Imam Hasan (AS) delivered an important sermon to the people, saying,

“There has died tonight a man who was the first among the early (Muslims) in (good) actions. Nor did any later (Muslims) attain his level in (good) actions. He used to fight alongside the Prophet of God, may Allah bless him and his family, and protect him with his own life. The Prophet of God, may God bless him and his family, used to send him forward with his standard while (the archangel) Gabriel supported him on his right and (the other prominent angel) Michael supported him on his left. He would not return until God brought victory through his hands. He, peace be on him, has died on this the night on which (Prophet) Jesus, son of Mary, was taken up (to heaven), on which Joshua, son of Noon, the testamentary legatee (wasi) of (Prophet) Moses, peace be on him, died. He has left behind him no gold and silver except seven hundred dirhams of his stipend (ata'), with which he was intending to buy a servant for his family.”

AS/ME