Imam Ali’s (AS) description of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA)

We renew our heartfelt condolences to you all on these tragic days of the blessed month of Ramadhan, in which the One and Only Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), was martyred.

In the Islamic Republic of Iran, yesterday Friday was the 21^st of Ramadhan, the anniversary of that tragic day, and we commemorated the martyrdom of the First Infallible Successor of Prophet Mohammad (Blessings of God upon him and his progeny). But in several countries, because of the sighting of the crescent of Ramadhan a day later, today Saturday happens to be the 21^st of the blessed month of fasting, we present a special feature on Imam Ali (AS), whose multisided genius included flawless eloquence and timeless wisdom, the finest proof of which are his sermons, letters, and aphorisms, as contained in the famous book Nahj al-Balagha that was compiled over a millennium ago. This book is unanimously regarded by all scholars of Arabic as superior to the discourses of all mankind, and surpassed by God’s Revealed Word, the holy Qur’an.

The Prophet is the Guide and Leader of mankind. He has been likened to a lighthouse in the darkness of the night by Imam Ali (AS). As the best of God’s creation, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) was born in the “most honorable family.” In the words of Imam Ali (AS):

“He grew up in the source of kindness, nobility and piety. Pious hearts are enamored to him and eyes are staring at him. By dint of his presence Allah has removed hatred and enmity.”

The Imam then adds:

“Since Allah with His kindness and generosity did us a favor and planted the seeds of love of His Prophet in our hearts; thereby He has counted us from among the good and pious people and granted this bounty upon us to revive our dead hearts through His love and enlightened our eyes with His presence.”

While, explaining divine care in bringing up the Prophet who was not schooled, taught or trained by any human being, Imam Ali (AS) says:

“Allah made his greatest Angel Gabriel care for His Prophet day and night through the paths of generosity and the best behaviours in the world.”

Imam Ali (AS), like his cousin the Prophet, was born in the monotheistic Hashemite clan that traced descent from Prophet Abraham’s firstborn son, Ishmael. Like the Prophet of Islam, he never bowed before any idol, nor did he make any mistake during childhood or in teen years, since Divine Provident had made him Infallible. In those days Mecca had become the centre of pagan Arabs, who had polluted the holy Ka’ba with the filth of idols. The city was also the centre of trade and commerce, and as a result all the vices were widespread, such as drinking wine, eating carrion, fratricide and promiscuity, among both men and women. The Hashemite clan, and especially the future Prophet and his future vicegerent were far removed from such a sinful and frivolous ways of life. When the Prophet publicly proclaimed his universal mission of Islam to the people of Mecca, Imam Ali (AS) was around twelve years old, and yet he volunteered to defend his elder cousin whose announcement met with threats, persecution, boycott and plots against his life by the pagan Arabs. During those 12 years of preaching God’s message in Mecca, the Imam was always beside the Prophet, and on the Night of migration, he volunteered to sleep on the Prophet’s bed so that the latter could leave for Medina, undetected the murderous assassins hovering around the abode of divine revelation. God Almighty rewarded the self-sacrifice of Imam Ali (AS) with revelation of ayah 207 of Surah Baqara to the Prophet. The migration meant the start of a new phase for Islam. Here the Prophet was subjected to armed encounters imposed upon him by the Meccan infidels. Here in Medina, Imam Ali (AS) displayed his brilliant swordsmanship to defeat the Arab warlords, thereby saving the Prophet and Islam.

Imam Ali (AS), who was unrivalled for his valour, says in one of the sermons of the Nahj-al Balagha:

“When the fighting became fierce and people began to lose ground they took refuge to the Prophet of Islam while he was in the frontline near the enemies.”

In sermon 194 Imam Ali (AS) says about the Prophet:

“He faced every hardship in search of Allah’s pleasure, and endured for its sake every grief; the Arabs let loose of the reins (of enmity) against him and struck the bellies of their carriers to rouse them in fighting him.”

In the sermon 72 the Imam says:

“O Allah send Your choicest blessings and favors on Mohammad Your servant and Your Prophet who is the last of those who preceded him and an opener for what is closed, proclaimer of truth with truth, repulser of the forces of wrong and crusher of the onslaughts of misguidance.”

The Prophet not only put his own life in danger but also sent his closest family members to the front before others. It shows his honesty and sincerity. In Letter number 9 of Nahj al-Balagha, Imam Ali (AS) writing to the rebel Mu’awiya ibn Abu Sufyan, who was one of the avowed enemies of Islam, reminded:

“When fighting became fierce and people began to loose ground he would send forward members of his family and through them protected his companions from the attacks of swords and spears. In this way his cousin Obayda ibn Haareth was martyred on the day of Badr, Hamza his uncle on the day of Ohod, and Ja’far ibn Abi Taleb his other cousin on the day of Mota.

The Prophet of Islam is thus the perfect model for humanity. Imam Ali (AS) calls him the best model in every aspect of life. He says:

“Truly the Prophet of Islam is the best perfect model for you from whom you can learn the way and manner of life. He is the best guideline for you to know the shortcomings and bad points of this world….”

The Prophet in turn hailed his cousin and divinely-designated heir, with the words: “Indeed, Ali is with the Qur'an and the Qur'an is with Ali; the two will never separate even when they return to me at the pool [of Kowthar in paradise] – recorded by all prominent narrators, including Sunni and Shi’a.

In other words, Imam Ali (AS) was “Qur’an an-Nateq” or the Qur’an in speech and action. Thus in view of these facts, the martyrdom of Imam Ali (AS) could be called the martyrdom of the spirit of the holy Qur’an, in view of the famous statement of the Prophet – who decades earlier had foretold his dear cousin, son-in-law, and divinely-designated heir of the tragedy he would suffer in Ramadhan:

“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 (the tribe of) Thamoud (which was proof of Prophet Saleh's  mission) will strike you on your head and your beard will be dyed in blood.”

AS/ME