Rafed English

Recognition of Ali's superiority

Ibn-e-Hajar Makki in Sawaiq-e-Muhariqa reports that Abubakr once said : "It would be difficult indeed for any one to pass over the bridge of 'Sire, on the Day of Judgment without getting a permit from Ali, because this is what I have heard from the Holy Prophet." Omar related that once the Holy Prophet said, "If the faith of the inhabitants of the seven worlds be put on one side of the scale, and that of Ali alone on the other side, verily Ali's side will weigh heavier." Imam Shafai's famous verse : "Ali will judge mankind and allot them either paradise or hell. He was the leader of men and Jinns, the true Testator of the Holy Prophet. If the followers of Ali are 'Raffizhes' (the heterogeneous sect of Shias) verily I am one of that sect.

Ali at the time of the breaking of the symbols in the Kaaba put his feet on that shoulder where God had put His hand on the 'Night of Meraj' and verily Ali was that man into whose eyes shone the light of God." Once, Imam Ahmad asked his father, Imam Hanbal, who was superior, Moawiya or Ali, to which query Imam Hanbal replied, "Ali had numerous enemies and all of them tried to find fault with him but they searched in vain and could not find any flaw in him. At long last they joined hands with Moawiya and declared war on Ali. When they failed to defeat him by fair means they took to treacherous and deceitful courses to harm him." Ibn Athir says, "Ali was the first Caliph whose parents were pure Hashimites and who was so judicial minded that he could not put up with the dishonesty even if his friends or relatives were to indulge in it and was so much engrossed in piety that at the time of his marriage with Fatima, he did not possess anything save a camel skin, which he converted into a bed sheet at night. The Prophet in his sayings has not extolled any of his companions as much as he has Ali. Surely Ali never spoke a lie in his life-time." Some one asked the Umayyad Caliph, Omar bin Abdul Aziz (717-20 A.D.) whom he considered the most pious man in the world, to which query he replied, "Ali excelled mankind in piety. Not only this, but he tried zealously to reform his friends, associates, acquaintances and all those who came in contact with him." Ibn Masud used to say that throughout Arabia there was no more impartial judge than Ali.

Abu Saeed Khudiri held that he could easily detect a hypocrite by his enmity towards Ali.

Abdullah ibn Abbas used to say, "Should schism seep into Islam, it would be the bounden duty of the believers to attach themselves fast to Ali (i.e. his teachings) and the Quran for I have heard the Prophet say, 'Ali was the first to believe in me, he will be the first to meet me in Paradise and will be the greatest discriminator of truth from falsehood, he is the leader of all the believers, he is the 'Sadiq-i-Akbar' (the great truthful one) and is that door (of faith) the entry through which will lead to Paradise."

(Munaqib ibn Murwaiyia)

Adapted from: "Ali, the Magnificent" by: "Yousuf N. Lalljee"

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