Rafed English
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As I was sitting on the ground, I fell asleep and saw Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) in my dream. I asked him that I have seen so much bitterness and animosity from your followers. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) said, “Curse them.” (1)

And now Ali wants to curse; what is he going to say? How would he take revenge on these people for their bad actions toward him? He asked Allah (SWT) to give him better people than the one he ruled during the past years and to give them a bad ruler instead of him.”(2) That means: O Allah, take Ali beside Yourself.
During the holy month of Ramadan of that year, he was continuously pointing out his martyrdom. (3) His companions used to say: “He was giving us the news of his death with his words but we did not understand.”(4) In his last days, he visited each of his children for breaking the fast. However, he never ate more than three mouthfuls. One of his children asked why he ate so little. Imam Ali (A.S.) said: “The order of Allah will soon come and I want my stomach to be empty. I have less than two nights to live.”(5)

At the night of his martyrdom, he was invited at his daughter’s house, Umm al-Kulthum. He again ate three mouthfuls and started to pray. He often looked at the sky and watched the movement of stars. In that night he said: “I swear to Allah, I neither lie and nor has the person who game me the news; this is the night which I was promised my martyrdom.”(6)

This was the promise Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) had given him. Ali (A.S.) narrates that, Prophet recited a sermon about the greatness of month of Ramadan and started to cry in the end. I asked him about the reason. Prophet replied, “For the destiny that awaits you in this month; it seems that I see you praying and the worst of all people jumps up and hits you in the head with his sword and your blood covers your beard red.”(7)

That horrible night was eventually over and Ali (A.S.) moved toward the mosque before the dawn. He entered the mosque, started his prayer. As he was performing Sajdah (8), Ibn Muljam hit Ali (A.S.) in head with a poisoned sword. Ali’s (A.S.) head was split to his forehead. (9)

Indeed, Ali’s (A.S.) bloody ascent started from prostration. Amir al-Mu’minin’s (A.S.) blood covered his surrounding area and his beard was colored red. In this moment Ali (A.S.) said, “I have triumphed by the Lord of Ka’ba.” And then he recited this verse, “From it (the earth) We created you and into it We shall send you back and from it will We raise you a second time” (The Holy Quran, 20:55)

The people arrested Ibn Muljam and imprisoned him. Hassan (A.S.) and Hussain (A.S.) placed the Imam on a mat and carried him to home. The people brought some milk for the Imam as was the common drug for the sick people. He drank a little amount of milk and said, “Give your prisoner from this milk and do not bother him.”

After the incident, the doctors of Kufa came to visit Imam Ali (A.S.). The most experienced doctor said, “Ali, prepare yourself for the last will because the injury has reached your brain and we cannot heal it. Hence, Imam Ali asked for a paper and ink to write his last will to his sons Hassan (A.S.) and Hussain (A.S.).” (10)
At the end of this will, Imam Ali (A.S.) became unconscious, and once he regained his conscious, he opened his eyes he said, “O Hassan! I have a few words with you. Tonight is the last night of my life. Once I die, wash and perform my burial with your own hands. Supervise my burial ceremony, perform Salat al-Mayyit by my body, and bury me in the darkness of night secretly far from the city of Kufa, so that no one will find where I am buried.”

Two days after the strike by the sword of Ibn Muljam, Imam Ali (A.S.) bid farewell to the world at the age of 63. He was martyred on the Friday night of the twenty first of Ramadan in year 40 A.H. Mourning men and women crowded the Imam’s house, and the city of Kufa shook from this uproar, just as it had the day Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) passed away.

Imam Hassan (A.S.) washed the soulless body of Amir al-Mu’minin (A.S.), prayed the Salat al-Mayyit, and buried his father in a city called “Ghuray”, present day Najaf. His holy shrine was hidden until the era of Imam Reza (A.S.); for the fear existed that the Khawarij and the clan of the Umayyad would offend and attack it.

And this way the bright flame existence of a man, who was born in the Ka’ba and martyred in the Mosque, went out: a man whom after the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) the world did not witness an equal. (Reference: “Furooq Wilayat” by Ayatullah Ja’far Subhani)

Footnotes:

1. Although the mercy and compassion of the Great Prophet is pervasive, but when some people transgress and exceed the limits, they deprive themselves of mercy and leave no space other than chastisement. In such cases cursing is a rational act. In the history of the previous prophets, we may see instances that despite their patience and kindness, they had no choice other than cursing.

2. Nahj al-Balaghah, sermon 69

3. He once said: “The month of Ramadhan has come, and it is the master of all months. In this month a big change will occur in the government. Be aware that in this year you will perform Hajj (without a leader), and the sign is that I will not be amongst you.

4. Irshad by Sheikh Mufid, vol. 1, p. 14 - Raudah al-Wa'edhin, vol. 1, p. 135

5. Irshad by Sheikh Mufid, vol. 1, p. 14 - Raudah al-Wa'edhin, vol. 1, p. 135 - Kashf al-Ghummah, vol. 1, p. 434

6. Raudah al-Wa'edhin, vol. 1, p. 136

7. Uyun Akhbar al-Reza, vol. 1, p. 297

8. Imam Reza (A.S.) narrates from his great grand father Imam Sajjad (A.S.), “Ibn Muljam struck the sword upon Imam Ali’s (A.S.) head while he was in prostration.” (Amaali by Sheikh Toosi, p. 365)

9. Kashf al-Ghummah, vol. 1, p. 437

10. This narration although is addressing Imam Hassan and Imam Husain (PBUT), is for all human kind until the end of time.