Ali helped by Gabriel
1 Ali received sixteen wounds, four of which were so serious that he was falling down from his horse, but on each of these occasions a beautiful youth took hold of him, lifted him up to his saddle and soothed him with these encouraging words : "Go on fighting, 0 hero! God and His Prophet appreciate thy services." This was none other than Gabriel the Evangel, who praised Ali to the Prophet for his zeal and ardent devotion to him at the time when all others had deserted him. The Prophet told Gabriel : "No wonder! Ali comes of me and I myself come of him," i.e. booth of us are part and parcel of one and the sane Celestial Light;" whereupon Gabriel remarked that he also come s of both of them, i.e. he also was created from tie same Light as Muhammad and Ali.
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1 Madarij-al-Nabowat; Ma'arij-al-Nabowat.