1- 1. Sheikh Mufid, Ershad, p. 88; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 21, p. 66

1- Qeys Helali, Salim Ibn-e, hadith book (mysteries of Mohammad's Progeny ('a), p. 592); Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 137

1- 1. Nasser Ibn-e Abi Al-Makarem Al-Khwarazmi quotes Ibn-e 'Abbas quoting from the Messenger (s): «لو أن الغياض أقلام و البحر مداد و الجنّ حساب و الإنس كتاب، ما أحصوا فضائل عليّ بن أبي طالب» If all trees turn into pens, seas become ink, jinns become auditors and men turn into authors, they can never collect virtues of Ali Ibn-e Abi Taleb. (Zahabi, Mizan Al-E'tedal, vol. 3, p. 466;, Khwarazmi, Manaqeb, p. 32)

1- When Hazrat Maryam (a) was in Baitul Moqaddas, Jerusalem and she was due to deliver her child, she heard a call tell her: «أُخرجى عن البيت فإنّ هذه، بيت العبادة لا بيت الولادة » (Riyadh Al-Abrar, vol. 2, p. 136)

2- (فَحَمَلَتْهُ فَانتَبَذَتْ بِهِ مَكَانًا قَصِيًّا * فَأَجَاءهَا الْمَخَاضُ إِلَى جِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ قَالَتْ يَا لَيْتَنِي مِتُّ قَبْلَ هَذَا وَكُنتُ نَسْيًا مَّنسِيًّا * نَادَاهَا مِن تَحْتِهَا أَلَا تَحْزَنِي قَدْ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ تَحْتَكِ سَرِيًّا * وَهُزِّى إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ تُسَاقِطْ عَلَيْكِ رُطَبًا جَنِيًّا فَكُلِي وَاشْرَبِي وَقَرَى عَيْنًا فَإِمَّا تَرَينَّ مِنَ الْبَشَرِ أَحَدًا فَقُولِى إِنِّى نَذَرْتُ لِلرَّحْمَنِ صَوْمًا فَلَنْ أُكَلَّمَ الْيَوْمَ إِنسِيًّا ) So she [by Allah's Command] became pregnant and with him in her womb withdrew to a far and remote place [to escape the accusations of the people]; and the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree [in order to lean against it] while saying: "If only I

1- The late Sheikh 'Abbas Qomi, in "Montahi Al-Amal, vol. 1, p. 171", quotes Sheikh Sadduq who himself quotes Yazid Ibn-e Q'anab and 'Abbas, the Messenger's uncle. Fatima Bint Assad said: (رَبِّ إِنِّي مؤمنة بك وبما جاء من عندك من رُسُلِ وكتب وإنّي مُصَدّقة بكلام جدّي إبراهيم الخليل وانه بنى البيت العتيق فبحق الذي بنى هذا البيت وبحق المولود الذي في بطني لما يَسَّرتَ عَلَيَّ ولادتي. ) (Elal Al-Sharaya, vol. 1, pp. 135-136, chapter 116, hadith 3; M'ali Al-Akhbar, p. 62; chapter 28, hadith 10; Sadduq, Amali, session 27, hadith 7; Rawdat Al-Wa'ezayn, vol. 1, p. 76; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 35, p. 8, chapter on birthday of Amir Al-Mu'amenin (a), hadith 11.) Birth of Amir Mu'amenan Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb (‘a) is included among the issues on which both Sunnis and Shiites agree. The issue is being narrated in plenty of hadiths by the great Sunni scientists, some of which are cited here: Hafiz Abu 'Abdullah Mohammad Ibn-e 'Abdullah known after Hakem Neisabouri (dead in 405 A.H) writes in his well-known book titled "Mustadrak Sahihin": there are successive narrations that Fatima, daughter of Assad gave birth to Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb (may Allah honor his status) in Ka'aba. Hafiz Abu Abdullah Mohammad Ibn-e Yusuf Qurashi known after Ganji Shafeie (dead in 658 A.H) writes in "Kefayat Al-Taleb": Amir Mu'amenan Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb was born inside Baitulharam in Mecca in 13th of Rajab A.H thirty years passed from Amul-Fil (year of the elephant) and hardly ever has anybody been born before or after him in Ka'aba. This auspicious birth holds an honor and excellence for him and excellence and magnificence for House of God. Hafiz Shamsuddin, Abu 'Abdullah Mohammad Ibn-e Ahmad Zahabi (dead in 848 A.H) says in "Talkhis Mustadrak" which is spoken script of Hakem Neisabouri: There are successive reports that Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb was born inside Ka'aba.

1- فَالِقُ الإِصْبَاحِ وَجَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ سَكَنَا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ حُسْبَانًا ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ Allah is the Cleaver of the Dawn and He has assigned the night for man's rest and the sun and the moon for reckoning time; and all these represent the Ordaining Power of the Omnipotent-Omniscient (Ana'am: 96). (الر تِلْكَ آيَاتُ الْكِتَابِ وَقُرْآنٍ مُّبِينٍ) Alif, Lam, Ra. These are the Words of Revelation of the Holy Book and the Expositoring Divine Reading Text (Hijr: 1). (وَالضُّحَى) By the brightness of the full morning light (Zoha: 1) (وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَها) By the sun and its spreading light (Shams: 1) ( وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّى ) By the day when it manifests in complete light (Lail: 2) (إِذَا السَّمَاء انفَطَرَتْ * وَإِذَا الْكَوَاكِبُ انتَثَرَتْ * وَإِذَا الْبِحَارُ فُجِّرَتْ * وَإِذَا الْقُبُورُ بُعْثِرَتْ ) When the sky is cleft asunder, and when the stars are scattered, and when the seas remove their barriers and run on the land disorderly, and when the graves are turned upside down [and the dead are raised up] (Infitar: 1-4). (إِذَا السَّمَاءِ انشَقَّتْ * وَأَذِنَتْ لِرَبِّهَا وَحُقَّتْ * وَإِذَا الْأَرْضُ مُدَّتْ * وَأَلْقَتْ مَا فِيهَا وَتَخَلَّتْ * وَأَذِنَتْ لِرَبِّهَا وَحُقَّتْ * يَا أَيُّهَا الأعِنسَانُ إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌ إِلَى رَبِّكَ كَدْحًا فَمُلَاقِيهِ ) When the sky is cleft asunder, and it gives ear to the Command of its Creator; and truly it must do so; and when the Earth shall be stretched out, [quite flattened; no mountains, no hills], and shall throw out whatever is in it and becomes empty, and it gives ear to the Command of its Creator and truly it must do so; O' man! Verily, you who toil and strive in the Path of your Creator and Nurturer, surely you are going to meet Him (Insheqaaq: 1-6).

2- ( إِنَّ اللَّهَ فَالِقُ الْحَبِّ وَالنَّوَى يُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَمُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتِ مِنَ الْحَيِّ ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ فَأَنَّى تُؤْفَكُونَ ) Allah is the One Who causes the grain and the fruit-stone to split and sprout; He brings forth the living from the dead and brings forth the dead from the living; such is Allah [your Powerful Creator and Nurturer] then, how are you turned away from the Truth? (An'am: 95)

1- نَحْمَدُه عَلَى ما أخَذَ وَأعْطَى وَعَلَى ما أبْلَى وَابْتَلَى الْباطِنُ لِكُلٍّ خَفِيَّةٍ، وَالْحاضِرُ لِكُلِّ سَرِيرَةِ الْعالِمُ بِما تُكِنُ الصُّدُورُ، وَما تَخُونُ الْعُيُونُ، وَنَشْهَدُ أنْ لا إِلَهَ غَيْرُه وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا نَجِيبُهُ وَبَعِيتُهُ، شَهادَةً يُوافِقُ فِيهَا السِّرُّ الأَعْلانَ، وَالْقَلْبُ اللَّسانَ. ذكر الموت و مِنها فَ إِنَّهُ وَاللَّهِ ! الْجِدُّ لا اللَّعِبُ، وَالْحَقُّ لا الْكَذِبُ، وَمَا هُوَ إِلا الْمَوْتُ، أَسْمَعَ دَاعِيهِ، وَأَعْجَلَ حَادِيهِ، فَلا يَغُرَّنَّكَ سَوادُ النَّاسِ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ، وَقَدْ رَأَيْتَ مَنْ كانَ قَبْلَكَ مِمَّنْ جَمَعَ الْمَالَ وَحَذِرَ الأءِ قلالَ، وَأمِنَ الْعَواقِبَ - طُولَ أَمَلِ وَاسْتِبْعادَ أَجَلٍ - كَيْفَ نَزَلَ بِهِ الْمَوْتُ ، فَأَزْعَجَهُ عَنْ وَطَنِهِ، وَأَخَذَهُ مِنْ مَأْمَنِهِ، مَحْمُولاً عَلَى أعْوَادِ الْمَنايا، و مِنها فَإِنَّهُ وَاللَّهِ ! الْجِدُّ لا اللَّعِبُ، وَالْحَقُّ لا الْكَذِبُ، وَما هُوَ إِلا الْمَوْتُ، أَسْمَعَ دَاعِيهِ، وَأعْجَلَ حَادِيهِ، فَلا يَغُرَّنَّكَ سَوادُ النّاسِ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ، وَقَدْ رَأَيْتَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكَ مِمَّنْ جَمَعَ الْمَالَ وَحَذِرَ الأعِقْلالَ، وَأمِنَ الْعَواقِبَ - طُولَ أمَلٍ وَاسْتِبْعادَ أَجَلٍ - كَيْفَ نَزَلَ بِهِ الْمَوْتُ، فَأَزْعَجَهُ عَنْ وَطَنِهِ، وَأَخَذَهُ مِنْ مَأْمَنِهِ، مَحْمُولاً عَلَى أعْوَادِ الْمَنايا، يَتَعاطى بِهِ الرّجالُ الرَّجا حَمْلاً عَلَى الْمَناكِبِ وَإِمْسَاكا بِالْأَنامِلِ. أما رَأَيْتُمُ الَّذِينَ يَأْمُلُونَ بَعِيدا، وَيَبْتُونَ مَشِيدا، وَيَجْمَعُونَ كَثِيرًا، كَيْفَ أصْبَحَتْ بُيُوتُهُمْ قُبُورًا، وَمَا جَمَعُوا بُورا، وَصارَتْ أمْوالُهُمْ لِلْوارِثِينَ، وَأَزْواجُهُمْ لِقَوْمٍ آخَرِينَ، لا فِي حَسَنَةٍ يَزِيدُونَ وَلَا مِنْ سَيِّئَةٍ يَسْتَعْتِبُونَ . الأسلوب الأمثل في مواجهة الدنيا: فَمَنْ أشْعَرَ التَّقْوى قَلْبَهُ بَرَّزَ مَهَلُهُ، وَفازَ عَمَلُهُ فاهْتَبِلُوا هَبَلَهَا، وَاعْمَلُوا لِلْجَنَّةِ عَمَلَهَا، فَإِنَّ الدُّنْيا لَمْ تُخْلَقْ لَكُمْ دارَ مُقامٍ، بَلْ خُلِقَتْ لَكُمْ مَجازا لِتَزَوَّدُوا مِنْهَا الْأَعْمَالَ إِلَى دَارِ الْقَرارِ، فَكُونُوا مِنْهَا عَلَى أَوْفَازِ، وَقَرَّبُوا الظُّهُورَ لِلزِّيَالِ. ( للزوال ) . Praise belongs to God: We praise God for what He has taken and bestowed with the gifts and trials He encumbered upon us. We praise God Who is Omniscient of any hidden things and Omnipresent within anything; He is Aware of what exists in hearts and is Cognizant of what eyes peek and I testify that there is only one God and there is no God except Him; I also testify that Hazrat Mohammad is His Messenger, testimony which inside and outside, heart and tongue remains in harmony. Necessity of Death: I swear to God that what I say is not a game, it is serious and a fact; it is not a lie and that is nothing but death whose inviting call is loudly uttered and quickly kills everybody; therefore, avoid being betrayed by massive living beings and followers. Verily, did you not see the past generations who accumulated wealth and feared poverty and misery and thought that they remain safe with long dreams with no consideration to death at hand? Did you see how death fell upon them and drove them out of their homeland?! And relocated them from their safe haven? Did you see that they sat on coffin and people moved them in hands; carried them on their shoulders and finger-tipped them? Did you see not that how houses of those who had long dreams, built strong palaces and accumulated abundant assets turned into graveyard? And their accumulated properties were ruined and seized by their inheritors? And their wives married others? They can neither add something to their wells nor repent because of their sins! Piety and the Way to Approach the World:

1- This refers to idolater tribe of Saleh (s), the great divine Prophet; he was ignored by his people despite his frequent call to worshipping God. They asked him to reveal a miracle, saying: If you are honest in your claim and have a mission on behalf of God, ask God to let a female camel come out of deep mountain! Salih prayed and the mountain cleaved asunder with a she-camel coming out. Salih told them: This camel is now a Sign of God, so stop intending to abuse the camel. But the polytheist clan of Salih failed to believe in this great miracle of God and they killed the camel. God sent them a disaster and let them face perdition. God says in His Words: «وَإِلَى ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَالِحًا قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرُه قَدْ جَاءتُكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ هَذِهِ نَاقَةُ اللَّهِ لَكُمْ آيَةً فَذَرُوهَا تَأْكُلْ فِي أَرْضِ اللَّهِ وَلَا تَمَسُّوهَا بِسُوءٍ فَيَأْخُذَكُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ * وَاذْكُرُوا إِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَاء مِن بَعْدِ عَادٍ وَبَوَّأَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِن سُهُولِهَا قُصُورًا وَتَنْحِتُونَ الْجِبَالَ بُيُوتًا فَاذْكُرُوا آلاء اللَّهِ وَلاَ تَعْثَوْا فِى الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ * قَالَ الْمَلأُ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ مِن قَوْمِهِ لِلَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا لِمَنْ آمَنَ مِنْهُمْ أَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ صَالِحًا مُرْسَلٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ قَالُواْ إِنَّا بِمَا أُرْسِلَ بِهِ مُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ قَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا إِنَّا بِالَّذِيَ آمَنتُمْ بِهِ كَافِرُونَ * فَعَقَرُواْ النَّاقَةَ وَعَتَوْا عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِمْ وَقَالُوا يَا صَالِحُ ائْتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَا إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ * فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ » And to the Thamud's people, We sent their brother Salih; he said: “O' my people! Worship Allah only, you have no God other than Allah; indeed, came to you a Clear Sign from your Creator and Nurturer: This is the she-camel of Allah as a Miracle for testing you, so let it graze in Allah's Earth and do not harm her; otherwise you shall be seized with a Painful Chastisement; [and Salih added:] "O' my people! Remember when Allah made you successor after Ad's tribe and settled you on the earth; now you build palaces on its plains and cave dwellings out of the mountains, so remember the Bounties of Allah and do not make mischief on the earth"; the chiefs of those who were arrogant among his people said to those who were believers yet considered powerless among them: "Do you really believe that Salih is sent by his Creator?" They replied: "Verily, we believe in the Divine Message that has been sent with him." The arrogant chieftains said: "We disbelieve in the thing in which you believe in!" So they ham-strung the she-camel and rebelled against the Commandment of their Creator and they said: "O' Salih! Bring upon us what you threatened us with, [regarding Allah's Torment], if you are a Messenger of Allah." So the earthquake seized them [by Allah's Command] and they became motionless corpses stuck to the earth of their homes (A'raaf: 73-78). «إِنَّا مُرْسِلُو النَّاقَةِ فِتْنَةٌ لَّهُمْ فَارْتَقِبْهُمْ وَاصْطَبِرْ فَنَادَوْا صَاحِبَهُمْ فَتَعَاطَى فَعَقَرَ * فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرٍ * إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ صَيْحَةً وَاحِدَةً فَكَانُوا كَهَشِيمِ الْمُحْتَظِرِ » For We will send a she-camel by way of trial to them so you wait and watch their situation and be patient, "And tell them that the water of the town should be divided between them and the she-camel; they should keep their turn; one day for the camel and one day for

1- The Messenger of God said: « ذكرُ عليّ عبادةٌ » Remembering Ali is act of worshipping. Sheikh Suleyman Hanafi Qundouzi-a Sunni scholar-quotes this holy hadith from a number of Sunni books and scientists in his valuable book titled "Yanabi'a Al- Mawaddah".

2- «ذكرُ عليّ عبادةٌ »

1- 1. "Tassnim" is named of a river in Paradise which has very good flavor and scent and the God's Saints and those nearest to Him drink from it and other people of Paradise drink a wine mixed with flavor of Tassnim. God says in His Words: «عَلَى الْأَرَائِكِ يَنظُرُونَ * تَعْرِفُ فِي وُجُوهِهِمْ نَضْرَةَ النَّعِيمِ * يُسْقَوْنَ مِن رَّحِيقٍ مَّخْتُومٍ * خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ وَفِي ذَلِكَ فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ الْمُتَنَافِسُونَ * وَمِزَاجُهُ مِن تَسْنِيمٍ * عَيْنًا يَشْرَبُ بِهَا الْمُقَرَّبُونَ » Leaning against the raised sofas, they watch and appreciate the beauty of the bounties of Allah; you will recognize in their faces the brightness and the beam of happiness; they will be given the pure drink from a jar which is sealed, the seal of the drink is pure musk so they inhale the scent of it eagerly, and it is mixed with the water of Tassnim Fountain, a Fountain in the lofty part of the Paradise whereof drink those nearest to Allah (Mutaffifin: 23-28).

2- Supporting the Truth is followed by consequences like martyrdom, but no happiness is higher than martyrdom for those who support the Truth because their love for divinely permanent and sublimated values have freed them from belongings of the world; they are easily ready to sacrifice their whole soul in the battlefields of self-devotion and campaign in the way of their Creator to achieve perennial prosperity and join Him in the everlasting Paradise. Here, pay attention to fate of several lovers of Amir Mu'amenan (‘a) who sacrificed their life on defending the Truth and values: Maytham Tammar He was one of the devotees of religion and devoted himself in the way of leadership. He was respected in Kufa. Back to Kufa from the hajj, Ibn-e Ziyad ordered him to be arrested

1- «وَ ما أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ » And O' Messenger! We did send you as a grace to the human society [for their guidance] (Anbiyaa: 107).

2- 2. One day, one man having been amazed at unique virtues and manifestations of Amir Mu'amenan (‘a) asked Ali (‘a): Is your status higher or that of the Prophet's?! Ali (‘a) told him: Keep silent; "I am humble disciple of Mohammad." (Kafi, vol.1, p.90)

1- 1. Various histories read that: When the Prophet (s) departed to Medina, he concluded a promise of brotherhood between the Helpers and the Emigrants two by two; finally, when Ali (‘a) remained alone, he told him: You deserve being my brother, telling people that: Ali remains my brother in this world and the other world. (Tarikh-e Dameshq, vol.1, p. 105 and vol.1, p. 108; Yanabi'a al-Mawadda, vol.1, p.226; Sira-e Ibn-e Hosham, vol. 2, p. 123 and...)

2- 2. The honorable Prophet of Islam (s) says about Ali (‘a): «أنا و على من شجرة واحدة و الناس من أشجار شتّى» I and Ali are from the same tree and others are from different trees. (Yanabi'a Al-Mawadda, p. 235; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.3, p. 309) The Messenger of God (s) told Ali (‘a): «ياعلي ! خلق الله الناس من أشجار شتّى و خلقنى و أنت من شجرة واحدة أنا أصلها و أنت فرعها فطوبى لمن تمسك بأصلها و أكل من فرعها» O' Ali! God created people from different trees, but you and I are created from one tree; I am main part and root of the tree and you are branch and its fruits; therefore, good for those who resort to its root and are fed by its fruits. (Amali, Sheikh Tusi, p. 324) The late Majlisi quotes "Ayun Akhbar Al-Reza" that the Messenger (s) told Ali (‘a): «النَّاسُ مِنْ أَشجارِ شتّى وأنا وأنتَ مِنْ شجرةٍ واحدةٍ » (Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.35, p.35)

1- « إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِي بِبَكَّةَ مُبَارَكًا وَهُدًى لِّلْعَالَمِينَ» Verily, the first House for worship established for men, was that Bakkah, full of blessing and guidance for mankind (Al-e Imran: 96). (جَعَلَ اللهُ الْكَعْبَةَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرَامَ قِيَامًا لِّلنَّاسِ وَالشَّهْرَ الْحَرَامَ وَالْهَدْيَ وَالْقَلَائِدَ ذَلِكَ لِتَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ ) God established Ka'aba, Baitulharam as a medium for strength and re-organization of public affairs; and also He set illegal month, untagged sacrifices and tagged sacrifices; such rulings stand for you to know that God is omniscient of whatever on earth and in the heavens. (( وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ )) And when Ibrahim and Ismail raised the foundations of the House [they beseeched:] "O' our Creator and Nurturer! Accept this service from us; verily, Thou are the Knowing Hearer (Baqarah: 127).

2- «وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنا وَاتَّخِذُواْ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلَّى وَعَهِدْنَا إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْعَاكِفِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ » And when We made the House a place of assembly for mankind and a place of safety, We stated: "Take you [people] the Station of Ibrahim as a place for prayer." And We Commanded Ibrahim and Ismail: "You should sanctify My House for those who compass it around, or use it as a place for Divine retreat, or bow or prostrate [in prayer]."(Baqarah: 125)

3- ((قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لَّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَى قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَى لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ )) Say [O' Messenger!]: "Whoever is the enemy of Jibrail is Allah's enemy for he brings down the Revelations to your heart by Allah's Leave, confirming what was sent before

1- The holy hadiths read that God says: «كلمة لا إله إلا الله حِصنى فَمن دخل حصنى أمن من عذابي » The word "y" is My Castle and whoever enters My Castle, he shall be secured from agony of the Day. (Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.49, p.123; Ma'ani Al-Akhbar, p.371, vol.3, p.144; Ayun Akhbar Al- Reza, vol. 2, p.135)

2- Sheikh Sadduq quoted Ali Ibn-e Belal and he quoted Imam Reza (‘a) and Hazrat quoted, with his documents, his ancestors and they quoted the Messenger (s) and Hazrat quoted Gabriel (a) and Gabriel quoted plaque and pen that God says: «ولاية عليّ بن أبي طالب حصنى فمَن دخل حصنى أمن من عذابي » (Ayun Akhbar Al-Reza, vol.2, p. 136; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.39, chapter 87, p. 246)

3- The Messenger (s) said: «على عمود الدين » Ali is pillar of religion. (Ghayat Al-Maram, vol.4, p.269; Usul-e Kafi, vol. 1, p.294)

4- 4. The Messenger (s) said:

1- Imam Ali (‘a) says: «أنا الذكر الذي عنه ضَلّ و السبيل الذى عنه مال و الايمان الذي به کفر و القرآن الذي اياه هجر والدين الذي به كذب والصراط الذي عنه نكب » I am the memory that has been forgotten; the very way being deviated from; the very faith being regarded as false; the very Quran being left forlorn; the very religion being denied and the very path being turned back. (Tafsir-e Nur Al-Thaqalayn, vol.4, p.12)

2- «سَيَقُولُ السُّفَهَاء مِنَ النَّاسِ مَا وَلَاهُمْ عَن قِبْلَتِهِمُ الَّتِي كَانُوا عَلَيْهَا قُل لَّلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ» The fools among the people will say; "what has turned them from their Qiblah towards which they performed prayers before? Say [O' Messenger!]: "To Allah belongs the East and the West and Allah guides whomsoever He Wills to the Straight Path."(Baqarah: 142) «لَيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَاءُ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلَأَنفُسِكُمْ وَمَا تُنفِقُونَ إِلَّا ابْتِغَاء وَجْهِ اللَّهِ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تُظْلَمُونَ» O' Messenger! You are not responsible for their guidance; but Allah guides aright whomsoever He Wills. And whatever good things you spend in charity, it shall be for your own souls; but do not spend in charity except for seeking the Pleasure of Allah. And whatever good you spend shall be repaid to you in full here and in the other world; and you shall not be treated unjustly and shall suffer no loss; (Baqarah: 272) «يَهْدِي بِهِ اللَّهُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَهُ سُبُلَ السَّلاَمِ وَيُخْرِجُهُم مِّنِ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ» Allah through the Holy Quran guides whoever that seeks Allah's Pleasure, to the peace- giving ways; and He takes them out of the darkness towards the Light by His Will and

1- 1 كَيْفَ يَهْدِي اللَّهُ قَوْمًا كَفَرُواْ بَعْدَ إِيمَانِهِمْ وَشَهِدُواْ أَنَّ الرَّسُولَ حَقٌّ وَجَاءَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ » . How shall Allah guide those who disbelieved after they believed and after they bore witness that the Messenger of Islam was true; and after they received Clear Signs which had come to them? And Allah does not guide the self-oppressing people; (Al-e Imran: 86) «يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى أَوْلِيَاء بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاء بَعْضٍ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ » O' you who believe! Do not take the Jews and the Christians as friends; they are friends only to one another; and if any among you takes them as friends, then surely, he is regarded as one of them. Verily, Allah does not guide the wrongdoers. (Ma'idah: 51) «ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَن يَأْتُوا بِالشَّهَادَةِ عَلَى وَجْهِهَا أَوْ يَخَافُوا أَن تُرَدَّ أَيْمَانٌ بَعْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاسْمَعُواْ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ» That is more appropriate and closer to the fact that their testimony would be in its true shape, and for them to fear that you may check back by means of other oaths following their oaths. And fear from the disobedience of Allah and listen to Allah's Commands and know that Allah does not guide the people who are rebellious and disobedient. (Ma'idah: 108) «وَمِنَ الإِبْلِ اثْنَيْنِ وَمِنَ الْبَقَرِ اثْنَيْنِ قُلْ الذَّكَرَيْنِ حَرَّمَ أَمِ الأُنثَيَيْنِ أَمَّا اشْتَمَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ أَرْحَامُ الأُنثَيَيْنِ أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَاء إِذْ وَصَّاكُمُ اللهُ بِهَذَا فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللهِ كَذِبًا لِيُضِلَّ النَّاسَ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ » And Allah created of the camels two [male and female] and of the oxen two [male and female]. Ask them [O' Messenger!]: "Has Allah forbidden the two males or the two females or what the wombs of the two females contain? Or were you witnesses when Allah passed such a Decree? Who then is more unjust than the one who forges a lie against Allah to lead men astray without knowledge? Certainly, Allah does not guide the disbelievers." (An'am: 144) «أَجَعَلْتُمْ سِقَايَةَ الْحَاجِّ وَعِمَارَةَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ كَمَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَجَاهَدَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لاَ يَسْتَوُونَ عِندَ اللهِ وَاللَّهُ لاَ يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ » Do you consider providing drinking water for the pilgrims and the maintenance of the Sacred Mosque as equal to the efforts of those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and strive hard and fight in the Path of Allah? They are not equal in the Sight of Allah and

1- «وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُوَ يُدْعَى إِلَى الأَسْلَامِ وَاللَّهُ لَأَيَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ » Who is more unjust than the one who forges lie against Allah by calling His Words magic[and His Messenger a magician] when he is being invited to the Religion of Islam? And Allah does not guide those who are self-oppressors, [those who by rejecting Allah's Command do wrong to themselves]; (Saff: 7)

2- «مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ حُمِّلُوا التَّوْرَاةَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْمِلُوهَا كَمَثَلِ الْحِمَارِ يَحْمِلُ أَسْفَارًا بِئْسَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ» The similitude of those on whom learning the Taurat was an incumbent and they learned it without practicing the Commandments, is as the likeness of a donkey which is under the burden of books to carry without understanding one single word of them. How bad is the similitude of people who denied the Signs and Revelations of Allah; and Allah deprives the wrongdoers of His Guidance. (Jumu'ah: 5)

3- 3. The Messenger (s) said: « إن تولّوا عليا تجدوه هاديا مهديا ، يسلك بكم الطريق المستقيم » If you take Ali as your legatee, you will see that he is a leader and leads you to straight path. (Ali Ibn-e Hesamuddin known after Mottaqi Hendi who is a Sunni scholar quotes the above hadith from Sunni sources in "Kanz Al-Amal”, hadith No. 32966).

1- 1. The Messenger says: «ألا أدلكم على ما إن تسالمتم عليه لم تَهلكوا ؟ ! إن وليكم الله و إن إمامكم عليّ بن أبي طالب فناصحوه وصدقوه فإنّ جبرئيل أخبرني بذلك » Do I lead you to something if over which you agree you do not face perdition?! Verily, Your Guardian is God and your Imam is Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb; therefore, try to seek his benevolence and be his cordial and approve him.....verily, I am informed about this by Gabriel. (Ibn-e Abi Al-Hadid Mu'atazili, Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, vol.3, p. 98)

2- 2. In "Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah", vol.2, p. 290, Sheikh Sulayman Hanafi Qundouzi quotes the Messenger (s) saying: «لو اجتمع الناسُ على حبّ عليّ بن أبي طالب، لما خلق الله النار» If people had assembled to raise love and friendship towards Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb, God would have never created Hellfire. Movaffaq Ibn-e Ahmad Khwarazmi who is one of the other Sunverilyni ulema quoted the above hadith from Ibn-e 'Abbas in "Maqtal Al-Husayn" that the Messenger (s) said: Also, the above hadith has been quoted by Mohammad Saleh Hanafi in "Al-Kawkab Al- Dori", p. 132 from Omar Ibn-e Khattab.

3- 3. The Prophet (s) says about his honorable daughter, Hazrat Zahra (a): «إنّ فاطمة بضعة منّي و هي نور عيني و ثمرة فؤادي يسوؤني ما ساءها ويسرنى ما سرّها وإنّها أول من يلحقنى من أهل بيتي» Verily, Fatima is part of my body. She is my dear daughter and fruit of my heart. What makes her unhappy makes me sad and what makes her happy makes me happy. She is the first one in my Progeny who joins me. (Sheikh Saduq, Amali, p.487)

1- 1. Imam Ali (‘a) said: «أنا و أهل بيتي أمان لأهل الأرض، كما أنّ النجوم أمان لأهل السماء » I and my family provide security for people on the earth just as stars do for safety of whatever in the sky. (Kanz Al-Ummal, vol. 12, p.96; Ghurar Al-Hukam, p. 262) In lots of hadiths said by the Sunnis and Shiites, the Messenger (s) and the Saint Imams (a) have been quoted as saying: He provides security for the earth and the earth protects its residents because of his blessing. This will be discussed by referring to such hadiths later.

2- «وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَى آمَنُواْ وَاتَّقُواْ لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَاتٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَكِن كَذَّبُواْ فَأَخَذْنَاهُم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكْسِبُونَ » And if the people of the towns had believed and tried to be pious, We would have opened upon them [gates of] blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they belied our Signs and Miracles and We seized them for what they used to do. (A'raf: 96)

3- «يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولى الأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلاً» O' you who believe [in Allah's Oneness]! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those governors among you who have received Divine Authorities. If you differ in anything

1- Imam Baqir (‘a) says: «بني الإسلام على خمس على الصلاة والزكاة والصوم والحج و الولاية و لم ينادِ بشيء كما نودى بالولاية» Islam rests on five bases: Prayers, zakat, fasting, the hajj and guardianship (Velayat), for the latter of which much emphasis is being put compared to others. (Usul-e Kafi, vol.2, p.18)

2- 2 .«وَسَارِعُوا إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ » And hasten yourselves for obtaining Forgiveness from your Creator and Nurturer and for the Paradise which is as vast as the heavens and the earth altogether, prepared for the pious; (Al-e Imran: 133) «سابِقُوا إِلى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا كَعَرْضِ السَّماءِ وَ الْأَرْضِ أُعِدَّتْ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللهِ وَرُسُلِهِ ذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشاءُ وَاللهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ) O' men! Compete with one another in attaining Forgiveness from your Creator and Nurturer and the Garden of Paradise whose width is equal to the vastness of the heavens and the earth altogether, and is prepared for those who believe in Allah and His Messengers. That is the Grace of Allah which He bestows on whom He Wills; and Allah is the Owner of the Great Grace. (Hadid: 21)

3- 3. The Messenger (s) said: «حبُّ عليّ يَأكل الذنوب كما يأكل النار الحطب» Friendship of Ali gulps sins just as the fire does of wood. (Ali Ibn-e Hessamuddin Mottaqi Hendi quotes the above hadith from early Sunni sources in "Kanz Al-Ummal", hadith No. 33021)

1- 1. The Prophet (s) said in part of Ghadir-e Khum Oratory Speech: «من بايع فإنّما يبايع الله عزّ و جلّ يد الله فوق أيديهم... معاشر الناس ! السابقون إلى مبايعته و موالاته والتسليم عليه بأمرة المؤمنين اولئك هم الفائزون فى جنات النعيم» Whoever pledges allegiance to Ali, he shall make allegiance to God and God's hand transcends other hands. O' people! Those who take over others to make allegiance to Ali; love him and call him Amir Al-Mu'amenin shall reach divine rewards in the Paradise. Tabarsi, Ihtijaj, vol.1, p.66 Al-Yaqin, p. 343, chapter 127 Al-Tahasin, p.578, chapter 29 Al-Iqbal, p.456 Rawdat Al-Wa'ezin, vol.1, p.89 Nozhat Al-Keram, vol.1, p.186 and ... Complementary to Philosophy Account 1. Status of Ali's mother Fatima, daughter of Assad, mother of Ali (‘a) had been among the most pious women of her time. Before emergence of Islam, She believed in pure creed of Abraham and was never tainted with idolatry and polytheism. After demise of 'Abdulmotalib, honorable father of the Prophet of Islam (s), Abutaleb took charge of the Prophet (s) and took him to his home; Fatima, daughter of Assad loved him like her child and brought her up. The Messenger (s) too paid special respect to this honorable lady and loved her like her mother. Here, in order to learn about status of mother of Imam Ali (‘a), there is one narration quoted from some Sunni sources: عن الزبير بن سعيد القرشى قال كنا جلوسا عند سعيد بن المسيب فمر بنا على بن الحسين ( عليهما السلام | ولم أر هاشميا قط كان أعبد لله منه فقام إليه سعيد بن المسيب وقمنا معه فسلمنا عليه فرد علينا فقال له سعيد يا أبا محمد أخبرنا عن فاطمة بنت أسد بن هاشم أم علي بن أبى طالب (عليهم السلام قال نعم حدثني أبي قال سمعت أمير المؤمنين على بن أبي طالب [ عليهما السلام ) يقول لما ماتت فاطمة بنت أسد بن هاشم [ عليها السلام ) كفنها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله في قميصه وصلى عليها وكبر عليها سبعين تكبيرة ونزل فى قبرها فجعل يؤمى في نواحى القبر كأنه يوسعه ويسوى عليها وخرج من قبرها وعيناه تذرفان وحنّا في قبرها فلما ذهب قال له عمر بن الخطاب يا رسول الله رأيتك فعلت على هذه المرأة شيئا لم تفعله على أحد. فقال: يا عمر ! إنّ هذه المرأة كانت أمي التي ولدتني إنّ أبا طالب كان يصنع الصنيع وتكون له المأدبة وكان يجمعنا على طعامه فكانت هذه المرأة تفضل منه كله نصيبنا فأعود فيه وإنّ جبريل عليه السلام أخبرني عن ربي عز وجل أنّها من أهل الجنة وأخبرنى جبريل عليه السلام أنّ الله تعالى أمر سبعين ألفا من الملائكة يصلون عليها.

1- 1. There are various hadiths in Shiite and Sunni sources citing that the Prophet (s) has introduced the best and most beloved creature of God; for example: Sheikh Suleyman Qundouzi-a Sunni scholar- quotes these three hadiths from the Messenger (s) in "Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah": يا عليّ ! أنت خير البشر، ما شك فيه إلا كافر Hazifah quotes: على خير البشر و من أبي فقد كفر From Jaber Ibn-e 'Abdullah: علي خير البشر من شك فيه فقد كفر. عليّ بن أبي طالب خير هذه الأمة بعدي. هو خير أمتى (Sharh-e Ihqaq Al-Haqq, vol.4, p.251; Ghayat Al-Maram, vol.5, p.10) أنت خير أمتى في الدنيا و الآخرة (Manaqib Mohammad Ibn-e Suleyman Kufi, vol. 1, p.387)

1- «يُرِيدُونَ لِيُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللَّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِ وَلَوْ كَرِمِ الْكَافِرُونَ» They intend to extinguish Allah's Light by blowing with their mouths (by talking falsehood against the Truth), but Allah will complete His Light openly, though the disbelievers detest it (Saaf: 8).

2- «أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلاً كَلِمَةٌ طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرَةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَ فَرْعُهَا فِي السَّمَاءِ تُؤْتِى أُكُلَهَا كُلَّ حِينٍ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهَا وَيَضْرِبُ اللههُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ» Have you not noticed how Allah has set forth a parable? A good word is as a good tree whose root is fixed and firmed [in the earth] and its branches reach towards the heaven; it yields its fruit at all seasons by the Command of its Creator; Allah strikes similitudes for mankind so that they may be reminded (Ibrahim: 24-25).

3- «وَ مَثَلُ كَلِمَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ كَشَجَرَةٍ خَبِيثَةِ اجْتَثَتْ مِنْ فَوْقِ الْأَرْضِ مَا لَهَا مِنْ قَرَارٍ » And the parable of an evil word is that of a bad tree, uprooted from the earth, it has no

1- 1. Innovative curse and vilification of Amir Mu'amenan (‘a) became ominous legacy of Mu'awiyya (may God curse him). Mu'awiyya who had completely dominated the situation after martyrdom of Ali (‘a) in 40 A.H decided to introduce Ali ('a) as the most hated man of the universe by spurring propaganda and opposition slogans! For so doing, he put pressure, on one hand, over enthusiasts and followers of Ali ('a); stopped talking about his virtues by force of sword and spear and ceased to allow anybody to quote even one hadith, one story or one line of poetry on praising him. On the other hand, in order to reverse brilliant image of Ali ('a), he compelled hadith writers and vassalages of the Umayyad system to forge anti-Ali ('a), hadiths; for this reason, countless hadiths had been commonly spoken among people. He went so beyond such things and ordered spread of vilification of Ali ('a) to be incorporated into address of Friday prayers on pulpits on Fridays across the whole Islamic territory! This ominous innovation became prevalent and practicable and affected public minds; it took roots in such a way that children were brought up with vengeance of Ali ('a) and the adults died with anti-Ali ('a) sentiments! After Mu'awiyya, other Umayyad caliphs kept such innovation going on as long as Omar Ibn-e 'Abdulaziz assumed throne of caliphate in the late 1st century A.H. (Mu'atazili, Ibn-e Abi Al-Hadid, Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, vol.3, p.57)

2- 2. Imam Sadiq (‘a) said: أوّلنا محمد، أوسطنا محمد، آخرنا محمد (Ghaybat Nu'amani, p.86; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 26, p.3)

3-

4-

1- « وَ قُلْ جاءَ الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ إِنَّ الْبَاطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقا» And say [proclaiming:] "Truth succeeded and falsehood perished, surely falsehood is ever bound to vanish (Israa: 81).

2- Historians wrote: There occurred a great famine in Mecca. At that time, Abutaleb, uncle of the Prophet (s) had a big family and heavy costs. Hazrat Mohammad (s) suggested his other uncle named 'Abbas who was the richest of the Hashimites that each of us takes one of the children of Abutaleb to decrease financial burden of Abutaleb; 'Abbas agreed to do so; both went to see Abutaleb and talked to him about the case. Abutaleb agreed to the suggestion; as a result, ‘Abbas took Ja'afar and Mohammad (‘a) took Ali (‘a) to his home. Ali (‘a) stayed in Hazrat's home until he was granted Prophetic mission and Ali ('a) approved and followed him. (Al-Kamel fi Al-Tarikh, vol.2, p.58; Tarikh-e Tabari, vol.2, p.212; Sharh-e Nahj Al- Balagha, Ibn-e Abi Al-Hadid Mu'atazili, vol. 13, p.119; Al-Sira Al-Nabovayya, Ibn-e Hosham, vol.1,p.262) The Prophet (s), after taking Ali (‘a), said: I selected the same man whom God selected for me. (Abulfaraj Isfahani, Maqatil Al-Talebiin, p.51)

1- 1 . Part of sermon 192 of Nahj Al-Balagha which is known after sermon of Qase'ah.

2- Part of sermon of Qase'ah.

3- 3 « وَ السّابِقُونَ السَّابِقُونَ * أُولئِكَ الْمُقَرَّبُون » And those who are foremost in Faith will be foremost and ahead of others; this group will be nearest to Allah (Waqi'ah: 10-11)

1- 1. This is one of the certainties of history that the first one who became believer of the Prophet (s) was Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb ('a). Many great Sunni historians and hadith writers have clarified this historical event, whose some exemplary sources are cited herein: • Ibn-e Athir writes: علي بن أبي طالب [ عليهما السلام ] أوّل من أسلم (Assad Al-Ghaya, vol.3, p.259) • Ibn-e Kathir writes: معه و صدقه عليّ بن أبي طالب [ عليهما السلام ] أوّل ذكر آمن برسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلّم وصلى (Al-Badaya va Al-Nahaya, vol.3, p.26) • Ya'qubi writes: كان أوّل من أسلم خديجة بنت خويلد من النساء و عليّ بن أبي طالب [ عليهما السلام ] من الرجال (Tarikh-e Ya'qubi, vol.2, p.23) • Mas'udi writes: Many people believe that Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb (‘a) never raised polytheism against God; rather, he followed the Prophet (s) in all his affairs and he is the first Muslim. (Muravvij Al-Zahab, vol.2, p.283) • Zayd Ibn-e Arqam has been quoted as saying that: أوّل من أسلم وصلى مع رسول الله (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلّم) عليّ بن أبيطالب [ عليه السلام ] (Sebl Al-Hoda, vol.2, p.302) • Izuddin Ibn-e Athir writes in Kamel: • قال ابن عباس أوّل من صلّى علي عليه السلام ] • و قال جابر بن عبدالله: • بعث النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم الإثنين وصلّى علي [ عليهما السلام | يوم الثلاثا. • و قال زيد بن أرقم: • أوّل من أسلم مع النبي علي [عليهما السلام ..

1- 1. Tabari says in his history book that Abubakr embraced Islam after fifty people did so: «لقد أسلم قبله أكثر من خمسين رجلاً» (Al-Badaya va Al-Nahaya, Ibn-e-e Kathir, vol.3, p.39; Tarikh-e Tabari, vol.2, p.60) Ibn-e-e Sa'ad says in Tabaqat Al-Kobra that Omar embraced Islam after forty and more people. (Al-Tabaqat Al-Kobra, vol.3, chapter on Islam of Omar, p.203)

1- The Prophet (s) said: على مع الحق والقرآن والحق والقرآن مع على ولن يفترقا حتى يردا عليَّ الحوض. (Minhaj Al-Bara'aht fi Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, vol.4, p.151) The above hadith is cited in Sunni sources.

2- «فَخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضاعُوا الصَّلاةَ وَ اتَّبَعُوا الشَّهَوَاتِ فَسَوْفَ يَلْقَوْنَ غَيَّا » (Maryam: 59)

3- «وَ اتَّخَذَ قَوْمُ مُوسَى مِنْ بَعْدِهِ مِنْ حُلِيَّهِمْ عِجْلاً جَسَدا لَهُ خُوَارٌ أَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّهُ لا يُكَلِّمُهُمْ وَ لا يَهْدِيهِمْ سَبِيلاً إِتَّخَذُوهِ وَكَانُوا ظَالِمِينَ» (A'raaf: 148)

1- وَ وَاعَدْنا مُوسى ثَلَاثِينَ لَيْلَةً وَأَتْمَمْنَاهَا بِعَشْرِ فَتَمَّ مِيقَاتُ رَبِّهِ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةٌ وَقَالَ مُوسَى لِأَخِيهِ هَارُونَ اخْلُفْنِى فِي قَوْمى وَأَصْلِحْ وَ لا تَتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ الْمُفْسِدِينَ (A'raaf: 142)

2- (وَ لَمّا رَجَعَ مُوسى إِلَى قَوْمِهِ غَضْبَانَ أَسِفا قالَ بِئْسَمَا خَلَقْتُمُونِى مِنْ بَعْدِى أَعَجِلْتُمْ أَمْرَ رَبِّكُمْ وَأَلْقَى الْأَلْواحَ وَأَخَذَ بِرَأْسِ أَخِيهِ يَجُرُّه إِلَيْهِ قَالَ ابْنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ الْقَوْمَ اسْتَضْعَفُونِى وَكَادُوا يَقْتُلُونَنى فَلَا تُشْمِتْ بِيَ الْأَعْداءَ وَلَا تَجْعَلْنِي مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ ) (A'raaf: 150)

3- The Prophet (s) told Amir Mu'amenan (a): أما ترضى أن تكون منّي بمنزلة هارون من موسى إلا أنه لا نبي بعدي. The above hadith is among consecutive hadiths cited by the Sunni scientists, a number of which are mentioned hereunder: • Sahih-e Bukhari, vol.4, chapter on the Virtues of the Immigrants, p.208 and vol.5, chapter on Tabuk Battle, p. 129 • Sunan, Ibn-e-e Majah, vol. 1, chapter on the Virtue of Ali ('a), p.43 •Sunan, Termezi, vol.5, chapter on the Virtues of Ali (‘a), p.302 •Mustadrak, Haskim Neishabouri, vol.2, p.337 •Musnad, Ahmad Ibn-e-e Hanbal, vol. 1, p.170 •Majma' Al-Zawa'id, Haythami, vol.9, chapter on the dignity of Ali ('a), p.109 •Tarikh-e Tabari, vol.2, p.368 •Al-Tanbih va Al-Ishraf, Mas'udi •Al-Badaya va Al-Nahaya, vol.5, p.11

1- "The Nakethin are those who give the bey 'ah (allegiance) to Imam Ali (as) in Medina, but break it in Basra; the Qasetin are Mu'awiyyah and his companions in Sham (Damascus). As for the Mareqin, they are the people of Nahrawan.

1- 1. The above hadith has been cited in these sources: Hadith book, Salim Ibn-e-e Qeys Helali, hadith 2 Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.28, p.54 Kamaluddin Sheikh Saduq, vol. 1, p.262 Manaqib, Ibn-e-e Shahrashub, vol. 1, p.185 Ihqaq Al-Haqq, Qadi Nurullah Testari, vol.6, p.180 Sharh-e Al-Nahj Al-Balagha, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol. 1, p.323

2- (Ma'idah: 5) وَ مَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالأيمَانِ فَقَدْ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

3- «وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنا صُمٌّ وَبُكْمٌ فِى الظُّلُماتِ مَنْ يَشَلَّ اللهُ يُضْلِلْهُ وَ مَنْ يَشَأْ يَجْعَلْهُ عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ» (An'am: 39) Tafsir-e Al-Askari says under this verse: الدالات على صدق محمد صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم على ما جاء به من اخبار القرون السالفه ما اداه إلى عباد الله من ذكر تفضيله لعلي سلام الله عليه و آله الطيبين عليهم السلام. Ibn-e-e Maghazili wrtites: يعنى بالولاية بحق على [ عليه السلام ] و حق علی [ علیه السلام ] واجب على العالمين. (Al-Manaqib, Ibn-e-e Maghazili Shafe'ie, Nuskhat Maktabat San'a', p.117)

1- قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: إنّ الله جعل عليا و زوجته و ابناءه حجج الله على خلقه و هم أبواب العلم في أمتى؛ من اهتدى بهم، هُدى إلى صراط مستقيم. (Shawahid Al-Tanzil, Hakim Haskani Neishabouri, vol.1, p.76)

2- « قُلْ هَذِهِ سَبِيلِي أَدْعُو إِلَى اللهِ عَلى بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا وَ مَنِ اتَّبَعَنِي وَ سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَ مَا أَنَا مِنْ الْمُشْرِكِينَ» (Yusuf: 108) Hakim Haskani Neishabouri says under this verse: ( أَنَا وَ مَنِ اتَّبَعَنِي ) هو علي [ عليه السلام]. (Shawahid Al-Tanzil, vol.1, hadith 393 and hadith 392, p.373) Ibn-e-e Marduyyah quotes Imam Sadiq (a') as saying: ( أَنَا وَ مَنِ اتَّبَعَنِي ) عليّ بن أبيطالب و آل محمد. (Kashf Al-Ghumma, Irbali, vol.1, p.317)

1- «مَنْ كانَ فِي هَذِهِ أَعْمَى فَهُوَ فِى الأَخِرَةِ أَعْمَى وَأَضَلُّ سَبِيلاً » (Israa': 72) Imam Baqir (‘a) is narrated to have told Jabir Ibn-e-e ‘Abdullah: يا جابر ! وما من أحد خالف وصيّ نبي إلا حشره الله أعمى يتكبب في عرصات القيامة. (Tafsir-e Al-Burhan, vol.2, p.412; Madinat Al-Ma'ajiz, Seyyed Hashim Bahrani, vol.2, p .98; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.27, p.307)

2- وَ خَلَّفَ فِيكُمْ ما خَلَّفَتِ الأَنْبِياءُ فِي أُمَمِها إِذْ لَمْ يَتْرُكُوهُمْ هَمَّلاً ، بِغَيْرِ طَرِيق واضِحِ ، وَ لا عَلَمٍ قائِم. (Nahj Al-Balagha, sermon 1)

3- هُمْ مَوْضِعُ سِرِّه وَ لَجَأَ أَمْرِهِ وَ عَيْبَهِ عِلْمِهِ وَ مَوثِلُ حُكْمِهِ وَ كُهُوفُ كُتُبِهِ ، وَجِبالُ دِينِهِ ، بِهِمْ أَقامَ انْحِناءَ ظَهْرِهِ وَ أَذْهَبَ إِرْتِعادَ فَرَائِصِهِ. (Nahj Al-Balagha, sermon 2)

4- Part of sermon 16, Nahj Al-Balagha

1- 1. Sheikh Suleyman Hanafi Kunduzi, a Sunni ulema, quotes the Messenger of God (s) in Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, saying: «إذا كان يوم القيامة يؤتى بك يا علي ! بسرير من نور و على رأسك تاج قد أضاء نوره و كاد يخطف أبصار أهل الموقف، فيأتى النداء من عند الله جل جلاله أين وصى محمّد رسول الله ؟ فتقول: ها أنا ذا فينادى المنادى ادخل من أحبّك الجنّة و أدخل من عادك في النار، فأنت قسيم الجنّة و النار.» (Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol.1, p.249)

2- Sheikh Suleyman Hanafi Kunduzi quotes some Sunni sources that the Messenger of God (s) told Ali (‘a): يا علي ! أنت وصيّ، حربك حربي و سلمك سلمي و أنت الإمام و أبو الأئمة الإحدى عشر الذين هم المطهرون المعصومون و منهم المهدى الذي يملأ الأرض قسطا وعدلا؛ فويل لمبغضيهم. يا علي ! لو أنّ رجلاً أحبّك و أولادك في الله لحشر الله معك و مع أولادك وأنتم معى في الدرجات العلى و أنت قسيم الجنّة و النار، دخل محبّيك الجنّة ومبغضيك النار. (Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol. 1, p.253)

1- Abundant Sunni and Shiite hadiths say that Paradise and Hell are distributed by Ali ('a) on the Resurrection Day. This will be dealt with later. Theosophy Account Three Documents of the event (announcing succession of Ali (‘a) at the beginning of Prophetic Mission) available in Sunni sources and other various issues

1- «أَفَمَن كَانَ عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِ وَيَتْلُوهِ شَاهِدٌ مِّنْهُ وَمِن قَبْلِهِ كِتَابُ مُوسَى إِمَامًا وَرَحْمَةٌ أُوْلَئِكَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ مِنَ الْأَحْزَابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهِ فَلَا تَكُ فِي مِرْيَةٍ مِّنْهُ إِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ » There are various narrations in Shiite and Sunni sources quoted from the Messenger (s), Imam Ali ('a), the Saint Imams (a) and the Companions of the Prophet (s) that by witness, it is meant Hazrat Ali (‘a). Narrations read that the Messenger (s) said: The above narration is being cited in the following Sunni sources: • Qertabi, Al-Jame'a Le'ahkam Al-Quran, vol.9, p.16 • Tabarsi, Majma' Al-Bayan, vol. 2, p.14 • Andolesi, Abu Hayyan, Al-Bahr Al-Mohit, vol. 5, p.211 • Siyuti, Jalaluddin, Al-Durr Al-Manthur, interpretation of Hud: 17 • Termezi Hanafi, Mohammad Saleh, Al-Manaqib Al-Mortazawiyya, p.123 • Kunduzi, Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol.2, p.308 Siyuti in his interpretation and Ibn-e Abi Al-Hadid in Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha quote Amir Mu'amenan (‘a): ما من رجل من قريش إلا نزل فيه طائفة من القرآن فقال له رجل ما نزل فيك؟ قال [ عليه السلام ]: أما تقرأ سورة هود: أَفَمَن كَانَ عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِ وَيَتْلُوهِ شَاهِدٌ مِّنْهُ»؛ رسول الله عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِ» و أنا « شَاهِدٌ مِّنْهُ » (Ibn-e Abi Al-Hadid, Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, vol. 7, p.220) Hakem Haskani Neisabouri in his book, "Shawahed Al-Tanzil”, quotes hadiths in this regard-that by witness, it is meant Ali (‘a). (Shawahed Al-Tanzil, vol. 1, p.307) There are lots of hadiths in Shiite sources.

1- «وَ أَنْذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الْأَقْرَبِينَ »

1- 1إن الرّائد لا يكذب أهله و الله الذي لا إله إلا هو إنّى رسول الله إليكم خاصة و إلى الناس عامة و الله لتموتن كما تنامون و لتبعثن كما تستيقظون ولتحاسبن بما تعلمون و الجنّة ابدا و النار ابدا. (Halabi, Sira, vol. 1, p.321)

2- فأيكم يوازرني على هذا الأمر على أن يكون أخي و وصيتي و خليفتي فيكم؟!

3- إنّ هذا أخي و وصيتي وخليفتي عليكم فاسمعوا له وأطيعوه

1- 1. The above narrations reveal that the Messenger (s) has introduced Ali (a) as his successor from his early Prophetic Mission and this is plentifully cited in Sunni sources. Here, some of them are included with the hope that our Sunni brothers give it a consideration and find the true path: Tabari, Ibn-e Athir, Ibn-e Abi Al-Hadid, Ahmad Ibn-e Hanbal, Ya'qubi and.....quote from the Messenger (s): ... يا بني عبد المطلب، إنّى و الله ما أعلم شابا في العرب جاء قومه بأفضل مما جئتكم به، قد جئتكم بخير الدنيا و الآخرة، و قد أمرنى الله تعالى أن أدعوكم إليه، فأيكم يوازرني على هذا الأمر على أن يكون أخي و وصيي و خليفتي من بعدي؟ و قال علي علیه السلام: أنا يا نبي الله أكون وزيرك. فأخذ برقبتي، ثم قال صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم إنّ هذا أخي و وصبي وخليفتي فيكم فاسمعوا له وأطيعوا. Documents: Tafsir-e Tabari, vol.19, pp.74-75 • Tafsir-e Ibn-e Kathir, vol.3, p.561 • Ibn-e Abi Al-Hadid, Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, vol. 13, pp.210-212 • Al-Sirat Al-Halabiyya, vol.1, p.461 • Ibn-e Athir, Al-Kamel fi Al-Tarikh, vol.2, p.63 • Tarikh-e Ya'qubi, vol.2, p.27 But in some sources, supporters of the Umayyad rule have reversed the truth. Ibn-e Kathir writes: قال النبي: أيكم يوازرني علي هذا الأمر على أن يكون أخي و كذا و كذا (Al-Badaya va Al-Nahaya, vol.3, p.38) Also, Hakem Haskani Neisabouri in Shawahed Al-Tanzil, vol. 1, p.542; Tha'albi in Al- Kashf va Al-Bayan, vol.7, p.182; Qushchi in Sharh-e Tajrid, p.327 and Sheikh Al-Islam Hamuwayni in Fara'id Al-Mustayn, vol.1 say in this way: لما نزلت الآية ( و أنذر عشيرتك الأقربين » و جمع النبي صلى الله عليه [ و آله وسلّم عشيرته، قال النبي صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم لهم أسلموا وأطيعوني تهتدوا و من يؤاخيني منكم و يوازرنى و يكون ولتي و وصيّي بعدي و خليفتي ويقضى ديني ؛ فسكت القوم و أعاد ذلك ثلاثا كلّ ذلك يسكت القوم و يقول علي : أنا، فقال النبي صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم: أنت. To add more, Ibn-e 'Abd Al-Berr in Isti'ab; Siyuti in Al-Durr Al-Manthur, vol.3, pp. 105- 106 and Tabari in Tarikh-e Tabari, vol.9, p.312 say in this way: ... و قال لهم فأيكم يوازرني على هذا الأمر على أن يكون أخي و وصيّي وخليفتي فيكم ؟ فقال لهم النبي لما رأى منهم الخذلان و منه النصر، و شاهد منهم المعصية ومنه الطاعة و عاين منهم الاباء و منه الإجابة: هذا أخي و وصيّي و خليفتي من بعدي؛ فقاموا يسخرون ويضحكون ويقولون لأبي طالب: أطع ابنك فقد امره عليك. True! Guardianship and Imamate of Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb (a) are as crystal as the day in Sunni sources!

1- « أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ بَدَّلُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّه كُفْرًا وَأَحَلُّوا قَوْمَهُمْ دَارَ الْبَوَارِ * جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَوْنَهَا وَبِئْسَ الْقَرَارُ » . . O' Messenger! Have you not observed those who exchanged Allah's Blessing [i.e., monotheism] with their disbelief and caused their family to enter the House of Perdition? [The House of Perdition which they enter is] Hell and it is the worst place as an abode (Ibrahim: 28-29)

2- Amir Al-Mu'amenin (‘a) said: ما بال أقوام غيّروا سنّة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم و عدلوا عن وصيه لا يتخوفون أن ينزل بهم العذاب ثم تلا هذه الآية ... ثمّ قال: نحن النعمة التي أنعم الله بها على عباده (Usul-e Kafi, vol. 1, p.217; Tafsir-e Nur Al-Thaqalayn, vol.2, p.542)

1- Usul-e Kafi, vol. 1, p.193

2- The Messenger (s) said: أنا و علي من شجرة واحدة و الناس من أشجار شتّى (Ibn-e Asaker, Tarikh-e Madinat Dameshq, vol.42, p.65; Mottaqi Hendi, Kanz Al-Ummal, Hadith 32936)

3- Hadith book of Salim Ibn-e Qeys Helali, hadith 92; Al-Anwar Al-Nu'amaniyya, vol.1, p.24 quoted from Sheikh Saduq.

4- Ibid.

1- In Sunni sources, Ibn-e Mas'ud has been quoted that the Messenger (s) said: النظر إلى عليّ عبادة (Ganji Shafe'ie, Kefayat Al-Taleb, p.123; Manaqib-e Khwarazmi, p.32; Mottaqi Hendi, Kanz Al-Ummal, vol.11, p.601; Ibn-e Asaker, Tarikh-e Dameshq, vol.2, p.224; Mustadrak-e Hakem, vol.3, p.141; Manaqib-e Ibn-e Maghazili Shafe'ie, p.211; Khatib Baghdadi, Tarikh-e Baghdad, vol.5, p.91; Hamuwayni, Fara'id Al-Mustatayn, vol.1, p.19; Zahabi, Mizan Al-I'tedal, vol.3, p.467 and...)

2- The Prophet (s) said: ذکر علی عباده (Ibn-e Manzur, Mokhtasar-e Tarikh-e Dameshq, vol.18, p.8; Hanafi Kunduzi, Sheikh Suleyman, Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah)

3- مالك بن انس عن محبوب بن أبي الزناد، قال: قالت الأنصار: إن كنا لنعرف الرجل إلى غير أبيه ببغضه علي بن أبيطالب [ عليه ال سلام ). و رواه ابن عساكر باسناد آخر في الحديث (Ibn-e Asaker, Tarikh-e Dameshq, vol.2, p.234, hadith 738; Al-Ghadir, vol.4, p.322)

1- Hadith book of Salim Ibn-e Qeys Helali, hadith 40; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.39, p.352; Amali, Saduq, p.68; Amali, Sheikh Tusi, p.85

1- Hadith book of Salim Ibn-e Qeys Helali, hadith 46; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 40, p.95

2- يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ما لَكُمْ إِذا قيلَ لَكُمُ انْفِرُوا فِي سَبيلِ اللهِ انَّا قَلْتُمْ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ أَرَضِيتُمْ بِالْحَياةِ الدُّنْيا مِنَ الْآخِرَةِ فَمَا مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيا فِي الآخِرَةِ إِلا قَلِيلٌ * إِلا تَنْفِرُوا يُعَذِّبْكُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا وَيَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْما غَيْرَكُمْ وَلَا تَضُرُّوهِ شَيْئًا وَاللَّهُ عَلى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ O' you who believe! What is wrong with you that when you are asked to march forth for fighting in Allah's Way, you cling heavily to the earth? Have you chosen the life of this world rather than the Hereafter? Whereas the enjoyment of the life of this world is little as compared with the Hereafter; if you do not march forth, Allah will punish you with a painful Torment and will replace you with another people and you cannot harm Allah at all and Allah has Power over all things (Taubah: 38-39).

1- « إِنَّما يَسْتَأْذِنُكَ الَّذِينَ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالله وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَ ارْتابَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ فَهُمْ فِي رَيْبِهِمْ يَتَرَدَّدُونَ».. It is only those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day and whose hearts are in doubts that ask your leave [to be exempted from fighting], so in their doubts they waver (Taubah: 45).

2- «يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تَرْفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَكُمْ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ النَّبِيِّ وَ لا تَجْهَرُوا لَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ كَجَهْرِ بَعْضِكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ أَنْ تَحْبَطَ أَعْمَالُكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لا تَشْعُرُونَ * إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَغُضُّونَ أَصْوَاتَهُمْ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللهِ أُولئِكَ الَّذِينَ امْتَحَنَ اللهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ لِلتَّقْوى لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ * إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُنادُونَكَ مِنْ وَراءِ الْحُجُرَاتِ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لا يَعْقِلُونَ » O' you who believe! Do not raise your voice above the voice of the Messenger when you are in his presence; and do not speak loudly to him as you ordinarily speak to one another; by being inconsiderate you may unknowingly ruin your good deeds; those who speak with a low voice and humbly to Allah's Messenger, it shows that they are under the trial of Allah for becoming pious; for such will be forgiveness and a great reward; verily, those men who call out to you [O' Messenger!] from behind your house, most of them are foolish and impolite (Hujurat: 2-4).

3- وَ مِنْهُمُ الَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ النَّبِيَّ وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ أُذُنٌ قُلْ أُذُنُ خَيْرٍ لَكُمْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللهِ وَيُؤْمِنُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ رَسُولَ اللهِ لَهُمْ عَذابٌ أَلِيمٌ And some of them annoy the Messenger, saying: "He is only an ear." Say [O' Messenger!] “An ear which is good for you; he [listens to Allah's Revelations] and believes in Allah and trusts what the believers [tell him]; and he is a grace for those of you who believe in Allah. Those who annoy Allah's Messenger, for them there will be a painful Torment. "(Taubah: 61)

1- « قُلْ أَنْفِقُوا طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًا لَنْ يُتَقَبَّلَ مِنْكُمْ إِنَّكُمْ كُنْتُمْ قَوْما فَاسِقِينَ * وَ ما مَنَعَهُمْ أَنْ تُقْبَلَ مِنْهُمْنَفَقَاتُهُمْ إِلَّا أَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا بِاللهِ وَ بِرَسُولِهِ وَ لا يَأْتُونَ الصَّلاةَ إِلَّا وَ هُمْ كُسَالَى وَ لَا يُنْفِقُونَ إِلا وَ هُمْ كَارِهُونَ » Say [O' Messenger!]; "Whatever you spend willingly and unwillingly, it will not be accepted from you, since you are indeed corrupt and disobedient people." The very reason that their offerings were not accepted, was that they denied Allah and His Messenger; and they do not come to prayers but with lousiness; and they do not offer contributions but unwillingly (Taubah: 53-54).

2- و مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَلْمِزُكَ فِي الصَّدَقَاتِ فَإِنْ أَعْطُوا مِنْهَا رَضُوا وَ إِنْ لَمْ يُعْطَوْا مِنْهَا إِذا هُمْ يَسْخَطُونَ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ رَضُوا مَا آتَاهُمُ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ قالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللهُ يُؤْتِينَا اللهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَرَسُولُهُ إِنَّا إِلَى اللهِ رَاغِبُونَ ) And of them are some who accuse you [O' Messenger] in the matter of [distributing] the alms; if they are given some part, they are pleased, but if they are not given thereof, they become furious; and if they were pleased with what Allah and His Messenger had granted them, saying: "Sufficient for us is Allah's Favor; soon Allah will give us of bounty and also His Messenger; and to Allah we are all hopeful for our needs, "[that would have indeed been better for them] (Taubah: 58-59)

1- «إِذْ تُصْعِدُونَ وَ لَا تَلْوُونَ عَلَى أَحَدٍ وَالرَّسُولُ يَدْعُوكُمْ فِي أُخْرَاكُمْ فَأَتَابَكُمْ غَمَا بِغَمَّ لِكَيْلا تَحْزَنُوا عَلَى مَا فَاتَكُمْ وَ لَا مَا أَصَابَكُمْ وَاللهُ خَبِيرٌ بِما تَعْمَلُونَ» [And remember] When you ran away, [leaving the battlefield] climbing up the hillside without even casting a glance at anyone; and the Messenger was calling you from your rear. There did Allah give you distress one after another to teach you not to grieve for [the booty] that had escaped you, nor for that which had befallen you. And Allah is the Well-aware of all that you [men] do (Al-e Imran: 153).

2- Ihtijaj, Tabarsi, vol. 1, p.150

3- Salman Farsi is one of the Companions of the Messenger (s) and a loyal companion of Imam Ali (*a). After demise of the Prophet (s), he is a man who stood up to his allegiance to Imamate and guardianship of Ali ('a) up to his death. He owned a very high personality. There are plenty of hadiths being quoted from the Messenger (s) and the Immaculate Imams (‘a) about faith, knowledge and greatness of this man in Shiite and Sunni sources; for example, a number of them are cited herein: The Messenger of God (s) has said: Salman is a sea of knowledge, depth of which no one can reach. (Ikhtesas, Sheikh Mufid, p.222) Jaber Ibn-e Ansari quotes the Messenger (s) as saying: Verily, Paradise is more interested in Salman than Salman in Paradise and Paradise longs more for meeting Salman than Salman for Paradise. (Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.22, p.341) When Amir Mu'amenan (a) talks about personal status of some of the Messenger's Companions, he comes to name of Salman and says: Well-done! Salman comes from our family; where do you find his like?! He looks like Logman, the hakim and he knows the first and the foremost of science; he is an endless sea. (Ibn-e Abi Al-Hadid, Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, vol. 18, p.36) Imam Sadiq (a) says: Faith has ten ranks; Meqdad is ranked eighth; Abuzar stands at ninth rank and Salman is ranked tenth. (Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.22, p.341) Imam Sadiq (‘a) says: One day, the Messenger (s) said to his Companions: Which one of you keeps the whole fasting? Salman said: O' Messenger(s)! Me. The Prophet (s) said: Which one of you keeps praying all nights? Salman Said: O' Messenger (s)! Me. The Prophet (s) asked: Is there anyone among you who can complete recitation of the whole Quran? Salman said: O' Messenger(s)! Me. One person who was present there and had become vexed because of responses of Salman. and found it as his self-centeredness and self-pride, he said on rejecting his words: I saw him eating for days, sleeping many times of the night and keeping silent many times of the day; how does he keep fasting, stay awake for supplication and complete recitation of the whole Quran in a day?! The Messenger (s) harshly told him: Keep quiet! What do you have to do with people like Loqman (that is Salman who is Loqman of the time)?! If you like, you can ask him how he does it! Explaining about his claim, Salman stated: I keep three days of fasting in a month and God has said whoever does good deed, he shall be rewarded ten times; therefore, it looks as if I have kept thirty days of fasting. On the other hand, I keep fasting on the last day of Sha'ban month of Ramadan and link it to Ramadan fasting month; whoever does as such, he shall be rewarded permanent fasting. I heard the Messenger (s) say: Whoever sleeps in ablution, he shall be rewarded such that he has done prays. As for completing recitation of the whole Quran, I heard the Messenger (s) say to Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb (a) about him: You are exemplary of «قل هوالله احد», which if recited by someone once, he shall be rewarded one third of recitation of the whole Quran; if recited by someone twice, he looks as though he has recited two thirds of the whole Quran and if recited by someone thrice, he looks as if he has recited the whole Quran. O' Ali! Whoever says he loves you, he shall have one third of his faith completed; whoever loves you in heart and in words, he shall have two thirds of his faith completed and whoever loves you in heart and in words as well as giving you a helping hand, he shall have his faith very completed. (Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.22, p.317) Someone comes to pay a visit to Salman, Salman weeps and the person asks him why he weeps: Why do you weep whereas the Messenger (s) was pleased with in time of his death?! Salman replies: I swear to God I cry not because of my fear of death or caprice of this world; rather, I cry because the Messenger said: Each of one of you shall take a source from this world as much as a traveler does; I am now dying while I have all such things around me (there were only a few things like bowls, pots and rugs); the man asks Salman to give him some advice and Salman says: Remember God whenever you release an order, make a decision and stretch your hands for any distribution of things. (Tabaqat, Ibn-e Sa'ad, vol.4, p.91) It is said that Ibn-e 'Abbas dreamed Salman in his sleep, asking him: What is higher in Paradise after faith in God and in his Messenger (s)? Salman replied: Nothing remains higher and more valuable than friendship, guardianship and following of Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb (a) after faith in God and His Messenger. (Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.22, p.341) 28. Abuzar Ghaffari was one of the sincere and knowledge-prone Companions of the Messenger (s). He was a man who stood up to allegiance and Imamate of Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb (‘a) and his staunch defender in the field of guardianship and caliphate after demise of the Prophet (s). Wherever Abuzar went, he loudly talked of truthfulness of Ali (a) and this caused the caliphate system not to tolerate him. The illegitimate rule finally banished Abuzar to Rebzah where he passed away. The Shiite and Sunni sources quote various narrations from the honorable Prophet (s) about dignity and rank of Abuzar. He has been exemplified as Jesus of the time in purity and decency in these valuable narrations of the Messenger (s) and he has been introduced as the most honest man in truth and honesty. For example, the Messenger (s) has said: ما اظلّت الخضراء و لا أقلت الغبراء على ذى لهجة أصدق من أبي ذر يعيش وحده ويموت وحده و يبعث وحده و يدخل الجنة وحده و هو الهاتف بفضايل وصي رسول الله، علي. The heavens and the earth have never seen anyone more honest than Abuzar; he lives in loneliness, dies in loneliness, is appointed in loneliness and enters Paradise in loneliness. This is Abuzar who speaks out virtues of legatee of the Prophet (s) meaning Ali (‘a). (Musnad, Ahmad, vol.2, p. 163; Sirey-e Halabi, vol.3, p.108)

1- «وَ الْبَلَدُ الطَّيِّبُ يَخْرُجُ نَبَاتُهُ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِ وَالَّذى خَبُثَ لا يَخْرُجُ إِلا نَكِدا كَذالِكَ نُصَرِّفُ الآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَشْكُرُونَ » . And the good land yields the vegetation abundantly by the Will of its Creator and Nurturer, but from the bad land does not come forth save bad and scanty. Thus We explain Our Words of Revelation to the people who are grateful for the blessings (A'raaf: 58).

1- Hafiz poetic collection, ghazal no. 449

2- Ibid. ghazal no. 224

3- «وَ إِذْ يَعِدُكُمُ اللهُ إِحْدَى الطَّائِفَتَيْنِ أَنَّهَا لَكُمْ وَ تَوَدُّونَ أَنَّ غَيْرَ ذَاتِ الشَّوْكَةِ تَكُونُ لَكُمْ وَيُرِيدُ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُحِقَّ الْحَقَّ بِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَيَقْطَعَ دابِرَ الْكَافِرِينَ * لِيُحِقَّ الْحَقَّ وَيُبْطِلَ الْباطِلَ وَ لَوْ كَرِهِ الْمُجْرِمُونَ» And remember when Allah promised you, Muslims one of the two caravans of the enemy, it should be yours; you desired that the unnamed and richly laden one without any trouble should be yours, but Allah Willed to justify the Truth by His Word of Command and to cut off the roots of the disbelievers, that He might prove the Truth by what was true and show Falsehood by what was false, though it be disliked by the guilty ones (Anfal: 7-8). Various narrations from Sunni sources read that the Messenger(s) was asked: What are those words God instilled into Adam, through which He accepted repentance of Adam? The Messenger said: Adam received sacred names of Mohammad, Ali, Fatima, Hassan and Husayn from God and swore to them; God accepted his repentance. A number of Sunni sources that have quoted the above narration from the Messenger (s) are: • Manaqib-e Ibn-e Moghazeli, p.63 • Kunduzi, Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, p. 239 and 97 • Siyuti, Al-Durr Al-Manthur, vol. 1, p.60 • Deylami, Ferdows Al-Akhbar, vol.3, hadith no. 4401, p.151 • Beyhaqi, Dala'il Al-Nabovvah, vol.5, p.481 • Sirat Al-Halabiyya, vol. 1, p.219 • Tafsir Al-Lavame', vol. 1, p.219

1- «... إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا » ... ... ......Verily, Allah's Will is to remove away impunity from you, the people of the Messenger's Household and to purify you thoroughly (Ahzab: 33) The above verse came down on the occasion of revelations for Ahl-e Bayt (‘a) that represents purity and infallibility of them. According to Sunni and Shiite hadiths of a many, the verse of purity has come down about the Prophet, Ali, Zahra, Hassan, Husayn and nine children of Husayn (‘a). There are plenty of hadiths quoted from the Prophet (s) in authentic Sunni books including Sahih-e Moslem, Musnad-e Ahmad, Al-Durr Al- Manthur, Mustadrak, Jame'a Al-Usul, Sunan-e Termezi, Nur Al-Absar, Manaqib-e Khwarazmi and ..... Negating any evil and absolute purity God has said about Ahl-e Bayt (a) in this holy verse is the very infallibility. Shi'a by citing verses and narrations believes that Imam from birth to death like the Prophet must be immune from all inward and outward, deliberate and inadvertent malice and sins because Imams like the Messenger (s) preserve and revive Shari'a and Imam has the same ranks as the Prophet (s) has except for consideration of revelation that is exclusive to the Messenger; therefore, he must be immaculate as with immaculacy, he cannot succeed the Prophet and perform his duties, duties like guidance of people towards real interests, their purification and educating them for perfection that they deserve and keeping Shari'a from increased and decreased distortion and... Sunnis find problems with such verse: Some have said that verse of purity has been sent for wives of the Prophet because the verses before and after this revelation are about his wives or at least to say that wives of the Prophet are included in the verse. Providing response to this problem: • It will be independent reasoning, ijtihad, against the verse text if we say that the verse is not revealed for infallibility of Ahl-e Bayt because there are many hadiths on this verse in Shiite and Sunni sources; all narrations reveal that the verse has been sent down for immaculacy of the Messenger (s), Fatima (‘a), Ali (a) and their descendants from the Saint Imams ('a). In some narrations quoted from wives of the Prophet, they themselves confessed that the above verse has occasion of revelation for them rather than for themselves. • If the verse were revealed about wives of the Prophet (s), it must be addressed in femininity just as the previous verses have been as such; but the pronoun » is a clear » يطهركم » and « عنكم » indicating plural masculinity in the words » reason that the verse has no connection with wives of the Prophet since if it had been so, God must have said as: إنّما يريد الله ليذهب عنكنّ الرجس أهل البيت ويطهركن تطهيرا To continue, some Sunni narrations are cited here as examples: •At tar Ibn-e Sayyar quotes Umme Salama that the verse has been revealed in her house. She says: At that time, the Prophet (s) asked Ali, Fatima, Hassan and Husayn ('a) to show up and said: These people are my Posterity. (Al-Mustadrak Alalsahihin, vol.3, hadith no. 470, p.158) •Safiyya, daughter of Shuyba, quotes Ayesha saying that: The Prophet (s) went out at dawn while he was wearing a calico wooly cloak made of black hair; Hassan Ibn-e Ali came around and the Prophet let him under the cloak; after him, Husayn came under it; after him, Fatima came inside the cloak and finally Ali (‘a) came and the Prophet (s) let him inside his cloak too and said (Sahih-e Moslem, vol.4, hadith no. 2424, p.1883) •Abu Sa'id Khedri quoting Umme Salama says: This verse«إِنَّما يُرِيدُ اللّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ ...» has been revealed in her house. She says: I was in the house and I asked: O' Messenger (s)! Am I included in Ahl-e Bayt? The Prophet (s) said: You are moving towards goodness! You are wife of the Messenger (s). (it means that wives of the Prophet are excluded from the verse). Umme Salama says: This was while the Messenger (s), Ali ('a), Fatima ('a), Hassan and Husayn (a) were in the house. (Tafsir-e Tabari, vol. 12, part no. 22) •Shahr Ibn-e Hushab quotes Umme Salama: The Prophet (s) put Ali ('a), Hassan ('a), Husayn ('a) and Fatima (a) on with a cloak and said: O' God! These are my Posterity and my special relatives; Keep them away from any evils and fully purify them. Umme Salama said: Am I among them? The Prophet (s) said: (No but) you step towards goodness and well. (Musnad, Ahmad Ibn-e Hanbal, vol. 10, p.228) The above hadiths-narrating that the verse of purification has been revealed on the occasion of Mohammad (s), Ali ('a), Fatima (a), Hassan and Husayn (a) and the Infallible Imams (a), rather than wives of the Messenger (s)-are included in the following Sunni sources: ----Hakem Kaskani, Shawahed Al-Tanzil, vol. 2, p. 124 ----Khasa'is Ibn-e Betriq, hadith no. 36, p.71 ----Sahih-e Moslem, vol.5, p.37 ----Al-Sirat Al-Halabiyya, vol.3, p.212 ----Tafsir-e Zhomakhshari on interpretation of the verse related to mutual cursing ----Beihaqi, Sunan Al-Kobra, vol. 2, p. 149 ----Sunan-e Termezi, vol.2, p.319 ----Ossad Al-Ghaya, vol.4, p.110 ----Mottaqi Hendi, Kanz Al-Ummal, vol. 7, p.103 ----Abu Na'im Isfahani, Ma Nozl men Al-Quran fi Ali ('a), under the holy verse ----Tahawi, Moshkel Al-'Athar, chapter 106, hadith no. 774 ----Tabrani, Mu'ajam Al-Kabir, vol.9, p.11 ----Ibn-e 'Abdou Rabba, Al-Uqd Al-Farid, vol. 4, p.311 ----Siyuti, Al-Durr Al-Manthur, vol.5, p. 198 ----Khasa'is Nesa'ie, p.249 ----And tens of other sources Qertebi, one of the Sunni scholars, says: و كان ( صلى الله عليه ( و آله)و سلّم ) بعد نزول هذه الآية «و أمر أهلك بالصلاة» يذهب كلّ صباح إلى بيت فاطمة و على - رضوان الله عليهما - فيقول: الصلاة. (Tafsir Al-Jame'a Le'akam Al-Quran, vol.11, p.263) Fakhr-e Razi-one of the greatest Sunni interpreters-says: إنّ الآية تدلّ أنّ هؤلاء الخمسة محمد ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ) و علی [ عليه السلام ) و فاطمة [ سلام الله عليها ] و الحسن [ عليه السلام ] و الحسين ( عليه السلام ] مطهّرون من الذنوب الصغيرة والكبيرة. (Fakhr-e Razi, Tafsir-e Kabir, vol. 2, p. 700) Regarding these successive reasons, one must certainly say that the verse of purification has nothing to do with wives of the Prophet (s) and it has been revealed on the occasion of the pure and infallible posterity of Mohammad (s), Ali (‘a) and Fatima (‘a) and their descendants from the Saint Imams (‘a). Interestingly, Moslem-one of the greatest Sunni hadith writers- quotes the same thing in his Sahih book: فقلنا من أهل بيته، نساؤه؟ قال: لا وأيم الله تعالى إنّ المرأة تكون مع الرجل العصر من الدهر، ثمّ يطلقها فترجع إلى أبيها و قومها، أهل بيته أصله و عصبته الذين حرموا الصدقة بعده. (Sahih-e Moslem, researched by Mohamad Fo'ad Abulbaqi, vol. 5, p.181)

1- Amir Al-Mu'amenin Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb (a) said: «إن الله تبارك و تعالى طهرنا و عصمنا و جعلنا شهداء على خلقه و حجّته في أرضه و جعلنا مع القرآن و جعل القرآن معنا لا نفارقه و لا يفارقنا ». (Usul-e Kafi, Ketab Al-Hojjat, vol.1, p.191)

2- Mohaddeth Bahrani, Ghayat Al-Maram, p.293

3- Anas Ibn-e Malek says: I found that the Messenger (s) stopped by the house of Zahra (a) for six months during praying time and said: O' Ahl-e Bayt! Rise up for holding prayer service; انما یرید الله....» (Jame'a Al-Usul, vol. 1, p. 110)

1- Regretfully, despite having various quotations from the Messenger (s) that the above verse has been revealed on the occasion of Ahl-e Bayt (a), many Sunnis say: The verse is about wives of the Messenger!

2- «قُلْ لا أَسْتَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِى الْقُرْبِي وَ مَنْ يَقْتَرِفْ حَسَنَةٌ نَزِدْ لَهُ فِيهَا حُسْنَا إِنَّ اللهَ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ » ... ......Say O' Messenger! "No wage I ask you for my Mission, [Messenger's reward is with Allah] but all I expect is the affection to my near kin." And if anyone does any good We shall give him an increase of good instead. Verily, Allah is the Appreciative Forgiving (Shura: 23) In various Sunni sources, the Prophet (s) is being quoted that close relatives are Ali (‘a) and Fatima (‘a) and their descendants ('a); for example: قال الرازي و العسقلاني و الواحدى قالوا يا رسول الله ! من قرابتك الذين افترض الله تعالى علينا مودتهم؟ قال رسول الله (صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم : علي ( عليه السلام ] و فاطمة [سلام الله عليها ) و ولدهم ؛ يقولها ثلاث مرّات. The above hadith has been included in the following Sunni books: -----Hakem Neisabouri, Mustadrak Alal-Sahihin, vol.3, hadith no. 4802, p.188 -----Ibn-e Hajar Asqalani, Al-Sawa'iq, p. 102 -----Shawahed Al-Tanzil, vol.2, p.196 -----Wahedi, Al-Tafsir Al-Wasit, vol. 2, p.196 -----Fakhr-e Razi, Tafsir-e Kabir, vol. 10, p.3276 -----Ibn-e Asaker, Tarikh-e Dameshq, vol.3, p.87 -----Tabrani, Al-Mu'ajam Al-'Awsat, vol.3, p.87 -----Ibn-e Sabbaq Maleki, Al-Fusul Al-Mohemma, p. 158 -----Mottaqi Hendi, Kanz Al-Ummal, vol. 1, p.251 -----Mohebuddin Tabari, Al-Zakha'er, p.25 -----Siyuti in his Tafsir under the holy verse; Tha'albi in his Tafsir under the holy verse and Zomakhshari in his Tafsir under the holy verse And tens of other Sunni sources Ibn-e 'Abbas says: فلما نزل ذلك اجتمع الناس إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم، فقالوا: يا رسول الله من قرابتك الذين فرض الله عزّ و جلّ علينا مودتهم ؟ فقال صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: على وفاطمة و ولدهما. (Najjah Ta'ie, Velayat-e Ali ('a) fi Al-Quran men kotab Al-Sunnat, vol. 7, p.75) Sheikh Suleyman Hanafi Kunduzi says: The Companions of Prophet (s) said: Who are close relatives? من هؤلاء الذين وجبت علينا مودّتهم؟ قال (صلى الله عليه و آله و سلّم) علي عليه السلام] و فاطمة [سلام الله عليها] و ولدهما. (Kunduzi, Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, p.368) Abulfaraj Isfahani says that Hassan Ibn-e Ali (‘a) delivered a sermon for people, saying: أنا من أهل البيت الذين أذهب الله عنهم الرجس وطهرهم تطهيرا، و الذين افترض الله مودتهم في كتابه إذ يقول: « وَ مَنْ يَقْتَرِف حَسَنَةٌ نَزِدْ لَهُ فيها حُسْنَا » فاقتراف الحسنة مودتنا أهل البيت. (Maqatil Al-Talebiin, p. 52) Imam Shafe'ie, one of the four Sunni Imams, says in his poetry: یا آل بیت رسول الله حبّكم *** فرض من الله في القرآن أنزله يكفيكم من عظيم الفخر إنكم *** من لم يصلّ عليكم لا صلاة له (Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol.2, p.434)

1- The Messenger (s) said: la ! taill The above hadith is discovered in various Sunni sources; for example: ------Ganji Shafe 'ie, Kefayat Al-Taleb, p.123 ------Khwarazmi, Al-Manaqib, p.32 ----Ibn-e Shazan, Ma'eta Manqabah ----Mottaqi Hendi, Kanz Al-Ummal, vol. 11, hadith no. 328, p.610 ----Ibn-e 'Asaker, Tarikh-e Dameshq, vol.2, hadith no. 729, p.244 ----Hakem Neisabouri, Al-Mustadrak, vol.3, p.141 ----Siyuti, Al-Jame'a Al-Saghir, vol. 1, hadith no.433, p.665 ----Khatib Baghdadi, Tarikh-e Baghdad, vol.2, p.51 ----Ibn-e Moghazeli, Manaqib, hadith no. 254, p.211 ----Zahabi, Mizan Al-I'tedal, vol.3, p.467; and......

2- In his valuable book, “Al-Ghadir”, vol. 7, pp.10-13, the late Allameh Amini mentions various Sunni sources about the following event: When Mecca was conquered by the Prophet (s) and Companions; he broke idols in Ka'aba; parts of idols installed inside or outside Ka'aba were collapsed by Ali (‘a). The Prophet (s) told Ali (‘a): O' Ali! Sit until I climb your shoulders and collapse upper idols of Ka'aba. Ali ('a) leaned across wall of Ka'aba and carried the Prophet (s) on his shoulders but he felt a heavy burden. The Prophet (s) knowing the condition of Ali ('a) ordered him to climb his shoulders; Ali ('a) went up on the Prophet's shoulders and dropped down the big copper idol of Quraysh; afterwards, he dropped other idols down.

1- Hakem Neisabouri, well-known Sunni scientist, quotes the Prophet (s): لمبارزة عليّ بن أبي طالب لعمرو بن عبدود يوم الخندق أفضل من أعمال أمتى إلى يوم القيامة. (Mustadrak-e Hakem, vol.3, p.32) Khatib Baghdadi, one of the other Sunni scientists, quotes in his book, "Tarikh-e Baghdad", vol.13, p.19 that the Prophet (s) said: لمبارزة عليّ بن أبي طالب لعمرو بن عبدود يوم الخندق أفضل من عمل أمتى إلى يوم القيامة. Fakhr-e Razi in his Tafsir-e Kabir, vol.32, p.31 under the verse: «انا انزلناه فی لیلة القدر» says: ولم يبين قدر الخيرية و هذا كقوله (صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم): لمبارزة على مع عمرو بن عبدود أفضل من عمل أمتى إلى يوم القيامة. فلم يقل مثل عمله بل قال أفضل Ali Ibn-e Borhanuddin Halabi, in his Sira-e Halabiyya, vol.2, p.340 narrates that the Prophet (s) said: قتل على لعمرو بن عبدود أفضل من عبادة الثقلين.

2- Amir Mu'amenan (a) performed funeral ablution for the Prophet's pure body and shrouded him because the Prophet (s) had said he would be given funeral ablution by his nearest kin. (Tabaqat-e Kobra, vol.2, p.57; Tabaqat-e Ibn-e Sa'ad, vol.2, p.247) Salim Ibn-e Qeys Helali says: When the Prophet (s) died, he made a will to Ali (‘a) that nobody should take charge of his ablution but him......Ali said: O' Messenger! Who helps me for your ablution? Hazrat replied: Gabriel or a group of Angels. It happened as such; Ali performed ablutions on Hazrat and Fadl Ibn-e 'Abbas poured water and Angels turned his body as Ali wanted. (Salim Ibn-e Qeys Helali, hadith book, hadith no.3) Imam Ali (*a) addressed a group of Migrants and Helpers in parts of his argumentations: Do you confess that the Messenger (s) ordered me to perform his ablutions and also told me that Gabriel helps me on that? They said: Yes, we swear to God. (Salim Ibn-e Qeys Helali, hadith book, hadith no. 11; Gheybat-e Nu'amani, p.52; Fara'id Al-Samtin, vol. 1, p.392; Tabarsi, Ihtijaj, vol. 1, p.210)

1- In philosophy seven, the story of attacking House of Revelation, forced allegiance of Ali ('a) and martyrdom of Sediqah Kobra (a) has been detailed with Sunni citations.

2- The Messenger (s) said about his honorable daughter (‘a): فاطمة بضعة منّي من سرّها فقد سرّني ومن سائها فقد سائني فاطمة اعزّ الناس عليَّ. (Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.43, p.23) إنّ فاطمة بضعة منّي و هي نور عيني و ثمرة فؤادي يسوؤني ما ساءها ويسرني ما سرّها و إنّها أوّل من يلحقني من أهل بيتي. (Sheikh Saduq, Amali, p.487) إنّ الله ليغضب لغضب فاطمة ويرضى ليرضاها. (Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.43, p.54) Subject-matters of the above hadiths are found in abundance in Sunni sources.

3- Ibid.

4- The Messenger (s) said: حسين منّي و أنا منه أحبّ الله من أحبّ حسينا. Narrations read that a group of people joined the Messenger (s) for a celebration and Hazrat was walking ahead of them; on their way, he saw Husayn and wanted to hug him but Husayn was moving here and there. The Prophet (s) observing such scene smiled; he finally hugged him while touching his back head with one hand and placing his another hand under Husayn's chin; he touched his lips with kisses, saying: Husayn is from me and I am from Husayn; God loves someone who loves him. (Tabaqat-e Ibn-e Sa'ad, biography of Imam Husayn ('a), p.27) Mottaqi Hendi, one of the Sunni scholars, quotes one of the Companions of the Prophet (s): I met the Prophet (s) at his place and I saw Hassan and Husayn ('a) on his shoulders; I asked: O' Messenger (s)! Do you love them? Hazrat replied: Why shouldn't I do so when they are flowers of garden of the universe. (Kanz Al-Ummal, vol.13, hadith no. 37711, p.671)

1- «وَ لا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّما نُمْلِي لَهُمْ خَيْرٌ لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ إِنَّمَا نُمْلِى لَهُمْ لِيَزْدادُوا إِثْمَا وَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ » . And do not let the disbelievers think that Our Respite, [the postponement of their punishment] is good for them [and they will enjoy life through it]; We postpone the punishment only for that they may increase their sinfulness and for them there is a disgraceful torment [because of their sins] (Al-e Imran: 178).

2- «... وَ سَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَيَّ مُنقَلَبٍ يَنقَلِبُونَ » ... .....and the oppressors, shall surely know to what returning place they will return (Shu'araa: 227).

1- Before arriving in Karbala, Iraq, Imam Husayn (‘a) reciting praise of God and greeting the Messenger (s) said: إنّه قد نزل من الأمر ما قد ترون و أنّ الدنيا قد تغيّرت و تنكرت و أدبر معروفها و استمرت جدا فلم يبق منها الأصبابة كصبابة الإناء و خسيس عيش كالمرى الوبيل ألا ترون أنّ الحق لا يعمل به و أنّ الباطل لا يتناهى عنه. ليرغب المؤمن في محقا فإنّي لا أرى الموت الا الشهادة. في بعض النسخ: إلا السعادة و لا الحياة مع الظالمين الأبرما. You see what happened and the world changed; what was good is being ignored and nothing left of it; it looks as though some water left in a bowl bottom which is thrown away; life is inferior and trivial like unpleasant pasture; don't you see that the right is undone; under such circumstances, do the faithful deserve joining God? I find death only in martyrdom [happiness] and living with the tyrants is known to me as disgrace and humiliation. (Tarikh-e Tabari, vol.5, p.403)

2- More than five hundred documented hadiths have been cited in the Shiite and Sunni books from the Prophet (s) about emergence of the Upholder (may Allah hasten his emergence); a number of Sunni sources are given as examples here: The Messenger of God (s): أبشرى يا فاطمة فإنّ المهدي منك أبشروا بالمهدى رجل من قريش من عترتى يخرج في اختلاف من الناس و زلزال فيملأ الأرض قسطا وعدلاً كما ملئت ظلما وجورا. لا تقوم الساعة حتى تمتلىء الأرض ظلما وعدوانا ثم يخرج رجل من عترتي فيملؤها قسطا وعدلاً كما ملئت ظلما وعدوانا. لا تقوم الساعة حتّى يلي رجل من أهل بيتي يواطىء اسمه اسمي. يخرج في آخر أمتي المهدي يسقيه الله الغيث و تخرج الأرض نباتها و يعطى المال صحاحا وتكثر الماشية وتعظم الامة.

3- (الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَ لَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ أُولئِكَ لَهُمُ الْأَمْنُ وَهُمْ مُهْتَدُونَ ) ...

1- من مات على حبّ آل محمّد مات شهيدا. ألا و من مات على حبّ آل محمد، مغفورا له. ألا و من مات على حبّ آل محمّد مات تائبا. ألا و من مات على حبّ آل محمّد مات مؤمنا مستكمل الايمان. ألا و من مات على حبّ آل محمد بشره ملك الموت بالجنّة ثمّ منكر ونكير. ألا و من مات على حبّ آل محمد، تزف إلى الجنّة كما تزف العروس إلى بيت زوجها. ألا و من مات على حبّ آل محمد، فتح له في قبره بابان إلى الجنّة. ألا و من مات على حبّ آل محمد، جعل الله قبره مزار ملائكة الرحمة. ألا و من مات على حبّ آل محمّد مات على السنّة و الجماعة. ألا و من مات على بغض آل محمد، جاء يوم القيامة مكتوب بين عينه آيس من رحمه الله. ألا و من مات على بغض آل محمد، مات كافرا. ألا و من مات على بغض آل محمد، لم يشم رائحة الجنة. (Zomakhshari, Tafsir-e Kashshaf, vol.4, p.220; Tafsir-e Fakhr-e Razi, vol.27, p.167; Tafsir-e Qertebi, vol.8, p.5843)

1- Various narrations from Shiite and Sunni books read that: Hassan and Husayn (‘a) became sick; the Prophet (s) and a group of his Companions paid them a visit and told Ali (‘a): O' Abalhassan! You can take vows for healing of your children, mind you. Ali ('a) and Fatima (a) and Feddah-who was their maid-took vows to keep three days of fasting if they are cured. (According to some narrations, Hassan and Husayn took vows too) They very soon were cured while they were empty-handed in food. Ali supplied three kilos of wheat and Fatima changed one third of it into flour and baked bread. During breakfasting, a beggar stopped by their door and said: Peace be upon you, O' Posterity of Mohammad (s)! I am a needy among the Muslim needy; give me something to eat until God you the Paradise food. They all gave priority to beggar, gave him their share of food and had nothing but water. On the second day, they continued to keep fasting;; during breakfasting, when the food was ready (the same wheat-baked bread), an orphan knocked their door asking for food, they again dedicated their food to the orphan and broke their fasting with water. On the next day, they kept fasting again; there stopped by their door a troubled person at sunset, they gave their share of food to him. At Dawn, Ali ('a) with Hassan and Husayn ('a) went to see the Messenger (s); when the Prophet (s) saw them, they were trembling because of hunger. Hazrat said: It is very hard for me to see you with such condition. He joined them to depart to Fatima's house; when he entered into their house, he saw her standing in front of the altar while she suffered from hunger pangs and dimpled eyes. The Prophet (s) became annoyed when Gabriel came down, saying: O' Mohammad! Take this surah; God congratulates you on having such Progeny! Later, Gabriel recited «J» for him. What is said is text of hadith quoted in brevity in this respect in Al-Gadir commonly cited among lots of narrations. The late Allameh Amini names thirty four people of Sunni scholars in the same book, mentioning title of the book and page where the hadith is being cited. (Al-Ghadir, vol.3, pp.107-111) The late Qazi Nurullah Shushtari, in his book "Ehqaq Al-Haqq", vol.3, pp. 157-171 quotes the above hadith from thirty six Sunni scientists by citing the sources, all of which representing that these verses of Dahr surah have been sent down on the occasion of Ahl- e Bayt (a).

1- «يُوفُونَ بِالنَّذْرِ وَ يَخافُونَ يَوْمَا كَانَ شَرُّهِ مُسْتَطِيرًا * وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعامَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينَا وَيَتِيما وَ أَسِيرا * إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ اللهِ لا نُرِيدُ مِنْكُمْ جَزاءً وَ لا شُكُورًا * إِنَّا نَخافُ مِنْ رَبِّنا يَوْمًا عَبُوسا قَمْطَرِيرا» The devoted believers of Allah fulfil their vows and fear the Day that its evil touches all and everything; and for Allah's Pleasure they feed the needy, the orphans and the captives though themselves go hungry. And they say: "We only feed you to obey Allah's Command and for His Sake; therefore, we expect neither your reward nor thanks;" "Verily, we fear from the punishment of our Creator and Nurturer when comes the Frowned Day of Punishment" (Insan: 7-10).

1- اثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا النُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْمُضْغَةَ عِظَامًا فَكَسَوْنَا الْعِظَامَ لَحْمًا ثُمَّ أَنْشَأْنَاءِ خَلْقًا آخَرَ فَتَبَارَكَ اللهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخالِقِينَ ) Then We made the sperm into a clot, then We made the clot into a lump of flesh, then We turned the lump into bones, then We dressed the bones into flesh, then by enjoying soul into the body [We made a complete creation: The Source of Blessings is Allah, the Only Creator! (Mu'minun: 14)

2- «وَ إِذْ قالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيها مَنْ يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَ نَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَ نُقَدِّسُ لَكَ قَالَ إِنِّى أَعْلَمُ ما لا تَعْلَمُونَ » O' Messenger! And when your Creator and Nurturer stated to the Angels: "I will appoint a Divine Governor on the earth;" they said: O' Creator and Nurturer! Do You appoint the kind of creature who will make mischief therein and will shed blood? While We repeat the remembrance of thanksgiving due to your Absolute Purity and we Celebrate Your Holiness." Allah stated: "Indeed I know what you do not know." (Baqarah: 30)

3- Ubaydullah Ibn-e Ziyad (may God curse him) wrote a letter to Imam Husayn (a) before he arrives in Karbala: You have only two ways; you must either swear allegiance or be killed! Imam addressing the wicked told his companions: ألا إنّ الدّعي ابن الدّعي قد ركزني بين اثنتين بين السلّة والذلّة؛ وهيهات منا الذلة. This ignobly born man, son of the ignobly born man has put on the horns of a dilemma, between death and disgrace and we are kept away from humiliation. (Seyyed Ibn-e Tavous, Lahuf, p.59)

1- «فَمَنْ حَاجَّكَ فِيهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَأَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَنِسَاءَنَا وَنِسَاءَكُمْ وَأَنْفُسَنَا وَأَنْفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَلْ لَعْنَتَ اللهِ عَلَى الْكَاذِبِينَ» O' Messenger! And whoso disputes with you, [regarding the state of Issa as God or Allah's son] after the knowledge that has come to you, say: "Come now, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, our relatives and your relatives [Mubahalah] and let us invoke and lay the curse of Allah on those who lie"(Al-e Imran: 61) The story of mutual cursing (Mubahalah) of the Prophet (s) with Najran Christians is as follows: Islam had conquered Mecca and had domesticated all across Arabian Peninsula; Roman emperor and Khosrow Parviz, king of Iran heard call of it that they must yield to God's Will. Najran bishops thought of finding a way to face it and how to decisively prove that Jesus is God-incarnated rather than an emissary from Him; the Messenger (s) preempted to declare to them in a letter that: بسم الله إله إبراهيم و إسحاق ويعقوب. من محمّد رسول الله إلى أسقف نجران وأهل نجران؛ إن أسلمتم فإنّي أحمد إليكم، الله إله إبراهيم وإسحاق ويعقوب. أما بعد؛ فانّي أدعوكم إلى عبادة الله من عباده العباد و أدعوكم إلى ولاية الله من ولاية العباد، فإن أبيتم فالجزية و إن أبيتم فقد أذنتكم بالحرب. والسلام. In the name of Allah, Deity of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; from Mohammad, the Messenger of God to outstanding priest of Najran and group of Najran people If you embrace Islam, I announce you Gratefulness of God, Deity of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But the main point to say, I call you on worshipping of God rather than His worshippers; obey Him rather than His servants. If you refuse to do so, you declare tribute and if you refuse to do that, you have declared war. Wassalam. (Tafsir-e Al-Durr Al-Manthur, vol. 2, p.38, story of Mubahalah) When bishop read the letter, he was harshly frightened and decided to dispatch a body to Medina to meet the Messenger (s). When Najran Christians began to move towards Medina to meet the Prophet (s), three of their doyen named "Ahtam", "Aqib" and “Seyyed" joined them. They arrived in Medina and they stood for prayers when bell gonged. The Companions of the Messenger (s) said: O' Messenger (s)! This is your mosque; it is mosque of Islam; why should they gong bell?! The Messenger (s) said: Leave them by themselves. After they were finished with their prayers, they neared the Prophet (s) and asked: What religion do you call people on? Hazrat said: I asked them to testify that there is no God but deity and that I am His Messenger (s) and that Jesus is a creature who ate, drank and spoke. They asked: Who was his father if he was creature? Here, the Prophet (s) was given revelation that tell them: What do you say about Adam? Was he a creature who ate, drank and spoke and had sexual intercourse or not? The Messenger asked them the same questions. They replied: Yes he was a creature who did what you said. Hazrat said: If he was a servant and creature, then who was his father? Christians felt mystified and conquered. (Because Christians believe that Jesus is son of God as he is born fatherless and by confessing to such point they brought their belief under question). God the Almighty sent down this revelation: إِنَّ مَثَلَ عيسى عِنْدَ اللهِ كَمَثَلِ آدَمَ خَلَقَهُ مِنْ تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ Verily, the likeness of the creation of Issa with Allah is as that of Adam. Allah created him from dust, He stated to him: "Be! And he came into existence (Al-e Imran: 59). Therefore, birth of Jesus without father never proves to be divinity or to be son of God. Those Christians failed to accept the truth despite the Quranic reasons made to them and still insisted on their belief. The Prophet (s) said to them: So, come and begin Mubahalah with me; if I was honest, God may curse you and I am dishonest, He may curse me. The Christians said: You treated us quite fairly. They decided to do the same. When they went back to their residence, they consulted with each other, saying that if Mohammad comes with his ummah, we start Mubalalah with him because we learn that he is Messenger; if he comes with his Progeny, we do not render Mubahalah as nobody takes action against his family unless he is certain that he stands by the truth. Tomorrow morning, they began to move towards him and saw that he had come for Mubahalah with Ali (‘a), Fatima (‘a), Hassan and Husayn ('a). The Christians asked people who they were. They replied: This man is Ali ('a), his cousin, legatee and son-in-law; this is his daughter, Fatima (a) and these two are his children, Hassan and Husayn (a). They became so much horrified and told the Prophet (s): We are ready to satisfy you; keep us away from Mubahalah! The Messenger (s) made a compromise through tribute and they returned their home. (Ibrahim Qomi, Ali Ibn-e, Tafsir-e Qomi, vol.1, p.104) It is narrated that when Ahl-e Bayt (a) appeared at the meeting place for Mubahalah, the white hair of the Christians told them: God would root off mountains if these faces I see ask Him to do so; stop launching Mubahalah with them because you will face perdition and there remains no Christian on earth until the Last Day. (Tafsir-e Nemuneh, vol.2, p.550 quoted from Tafsir-e Majma' Al-Bayan) Qazi Nurullah Shushtari-a Shiite scholar-says in the third edition of his invaluable book, "Ihqaq Al-Haqq❞ that: Interpreters generally agree on such matter in that in the above verse (Al-e Imran: 61), « ابذاننا » refers to Hassan and Husayn (‘a) and « نساءنا» refers to Fatima (‘a) and «انفسنا » points to Ali ('a); about sixty Sunni great men are footnoted making it clear that the revelation of Mubahalah has been sent down about Five Members of Mohammad's Progeny (Al-e 'Aba). Among the well-known Sunni personalities who have been quoted in this regard, the following people can be named: Hajjaj Neisabouri, Moslem Ibn-e, Sahih-e Moslem, vol. 7, p.120 Ibn-e Hanbal, Ahmad, Musnad, vol. 1, p. 185 Tabari in his famous Tafsir under the same verse Hakem Neisabouri, Mustadrak, vol.3, p. 150 Isfahani, Abu Na'im, Dala'il Al-Nabovvah, p.379 Wahed Neisabouri, Asbab Al-Nuzul, p.74 Fakhr-e Razi, Tafsir-e Kabir, vol.8, p.85 Ibn-e Athir, Jame'a Al-Usul, vol.9, p.470 Ibn-e Jawziyya, Tazkerat Al-Khawas, p.17 Zomakhshari, Kashshaf, vol. 1, p.193 Beihaqi, Sunan, vol.7, p.63 Termezi, Sunan, vol. 4, p.293 And tens of other sources.

1- قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: علي منّي و أنا من علي. 1. (Fada'il Al-Khamsa (a) fi Al-Sehah Al-Setta, vol.1, p.337; Sahih-e Bukhari and Sunan- e Termezi fi Fada'il Ali ('a)) قال النبي صلى الله علیه و آله وسلم لعلی علیه السلام: أنت منّي و أنا منك. (Sahih-e Bukhari, Al-Solh, vol.3, p.168; Hakem Neisabouri, Mustadrak, vol.3, p.120; Beihaqi, Sunan Al-Kobra, vol.8, p. 50 and....)

2- أنا و على من شجرة واحدة و الناس من أشجار شتّى 2. (Mottaqi Hendi, Kanz Al-Ummal, hadith no. 32936)

1- فقال أسقف نجران يا معشر النصارى إنّى لأرى وجوها لو دعت الله أن يزيل جبلاً من مكانه لأزاله بها فلا تباهلوا فتهلكوا و لا يبقى على وجه الأرض نصراني إلي يوم القيامة. (Bahamash Tafsir-e Tabari, Tafsir-e Ghara'ib va Ragha'ib Al-Forqan, vol.3, p.213)

2- « يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ » O' you who believe! Fear from the disobedience of Allah's Commands and be with the truthful (Taubah: 119). The truthful whose obedience the Quran has ordered for entering circuit of piety are Ahl- e Bayt (a); to prove the claim, two reasons are cited to say that the truthful only apply to the pure and infallible Progeny (a) in the above verse: God in this holy revelation absolutely and unequivocally commanded obedience from the truthful; when God deems obedience from the truthful necessary, they must be Infallible because if they are not immaculate of sins and commit mistakes and since God has ordered their obedience even though they are wrong; in this case, Divine Rule emerges in conflict. This is why performing the act is forbidden, on one hand; on the other hand, God has said it is necessary to obey the truthful, which results in mixing of enjoining the act and forbidding the act. Therefore, such decree is not true if the truthful are not infallible whereas their obedience is ordered necessary by God. As a result, the truthful must be Infallible because the revelation has ordered their obedience and this is the best analogy because its application belongs to Ahl-e Bayt (a) only. The Sunni well-known interpreter, Fakhr-e Razi has approved such fact and says: God has ordered accompaniment of the truthful; therefore, the revelation denotes the point that those who are fallible must resort to one who is Infallible so that they might remain immune from faults; this is always applicable and there is no reason to only limit it to the age the Prophet (s). He further says: We accept that the revelation means the same thing and there must be one Infallible but we say that this infallible person must be the whole ummah rather than one person; in other words, the revelation proves consensus of the faithful and immunity of all ummah from faults. (Tafsir-e Fakhr-e Razi, vol.16, p.220) Fakhr-e Razi covered half of the way but he has been in trouble with religious prejudices in the second half of the way. If he had paid attention to one point that the revelation covers, he would have passed through the second half of the way properly; that is: If the truthful meant the whole ummah, the follower himself is being included within the whole; in fact, the follower becomes part of the leader and the subordinate and the subordinated will be unified while the verse appears to convey the point that the followers are separated from the leaders and the subordinates are independent of the subordinated. The Shiite and Sunni hadiths narrate that by the truthful, it is meant Ahl-e Bayt (a)-the Immaculate Imams (a). Salim Ibn-e Qeys Helali says that one day Amir Mu'amenan (a) meeting with a group of Muslims said: I swear you to God you know that when God revealed « یا ایها الذین امنوا اتقو الله و کونوا مع الصادقین »Salman said: Does this mean general or particular? The Messenger said: All faithful people are missioned on this decree but the title of the truthful is exclusive to my brother, Ali ('a) and legatees after him until the Day. When Ali (‘a) asked this question, the audience said: Yes we have heard this from the Prophet (s). (Tafsir-e Borhan, vol.2, p.170) On interpreting the verse, Nafe'a quotes 'Abdullah Ibn-e Omar saying that God first ordered Muslims to fear Him, saying: « کونوا مع الصادقین» meaning with Mohammad (s) and Progeny (‘a). (Tafsir-e Borhan, vol.2, p.170) The author of Tafsir-e Borhan has quoted the subect-matter of the like through Sunnis: هو عليّ بن أبي طالب عليه السلام He then says: 'Abdulrazzaq (one of the Sunni scientists) cited the same things in the book, "Romuz Al-Kanuz”. We can conclude from the reasons made the above revelation denotes that the Infallible exists at all times.

1- The above hadith-successively cited in Shiite and Sunni sources-is known after hadith of "Thaqalayn". In this invaluable, important and guiding hadith, the Prophet (s) introduces the holy Quran and Ahl-e Bayt (a) as the perennially memorable values among his ummah. This luminous hadith is firstly quoted from Sunni sources and it is secondly analyzed. The Prophet (s) said: إني تارك فيكم الثقلين خليفتين، كتاب الله و عترتي أهل بيتي، ما إن تمسكتم بها لن تضلوا بعدى، و أحدهما أكبر من الآخر، و إنّ اللطيف الخبير أنبأنى أنّهما لن يفترقا حتى يردا على الحوض. فلا تقدّموا فتهلكوا، و لا تعلموهم فإنّهم أعلم منكم. Hundreds of Sunni books have cited this holy hadith; for example: Sahih-e Moslem, vol. 7, hadith no. 2408, p.122 Sunan-e Termezi, vol.50, hadith no. 3876, p.329 Sunan-e Nesa'ie, vol.5, hadith no. 3876, p.130 Hakem Neisabouri, Al-Mustadrak, vol.3, p.148 Nesa'ie, Al-Sunan Al-Kobra, vol.5, hadith no. 8175, p.51 Tafsir-e Tha'albi, vol.9, p. 186 'Abi, Ya'li, Musnad, vol.2, p.297 Ibn-e Hanbal, Ahmad, Musnad, vol.3, p. 17 and vol.3, p.59 Ibn-e Khuzaymah, Sahih, vol.4, p.63 Ibn-e Sa'ad, Al-Tabaqat Al-Kobra, vol.2, p.194 Fakhr-e Razi, Tafsir-e Kabir, vol. 8, p.172 Beihaqi, Al-Sunan Al-Kobra, vol.7, p.30 Haythami, Majma' Al-Zawa'id, vol.9, p.163 Zahabi, Seyr A'lam Al-Nubla', vol.9, p.365 Mas'udi, Al-Tanbih va Al-Ashraf, p.221, Siyuti, Tafsir Al-Durr Al-Manthur, vol. 7, p.349 Tahawi, Moshkel Al-Athar Siyuti, Tarikh Al-Khulafa', p.114 Tarikh-e Baghdad, vol.7, p.377 'Asqalani, Ibn-e Hajar, Al-Sawa'iq Al-Moharraqah, pp. 89 and 26 Mottaqi Hendi, Kanz Al-Ummal, vol.9, p. 167 Zahabi, Seyr A'lam Al-Nubla', vol.1, p.142 Sireye Ibn-e Hosham, vol.4, p.163 Al-Kamel fi Al-Tarikh, vol.2, p.278 Tarikh-e Tabari, vol.2, p.368 And..... The great Shiite scientist, Mir Hamed Husayn, the late cites five hundred Sunni books with authors in his valuable book," "Abaqat Al-'Anwar", which quote the above hadith from the Messenger (s). As for contents of this holy hadith: a. Progeny of the Prophet (s) is Infallible because firstly those who are constantly affiliated with the Quran are Infallible; secondly, people, according to the holy hadith, must follow Ahl-e Bayt (a) and those whom people are ordered to unconditionally and absolutely follow must be Infallible as intellect rules. b. As to inclusions of this hadith that Ahl-e Bayt (a) is inseparable from the Quran, one must say that: Those who leave Ahl-e Bayt (‘a) and claim teachings of the Quran are false people though being memorizers of the Quran. c. People are required to be subordinate to Ahl-e Bayt (a) whether in religious matters, political issues, social matters or educational matters; therefore, Ahl-e Bayt (a) of the Messenger (s) deserves succeeding him because the Prophet (s) in this holy hadith has assigned them as his successor in all affairs including the caliphate. d.Those who regard others as caliphs after the Prophet (s) have in fact abandoned Ahl-e Bayt (a); therefore, they have left the Quran too because these two are inseparable as the holy Prophet of Islam (s) said. e.From the contents of the hadith-that the Prophet (s) has joined Ahl-e Bayt (a) with the Quran-one can find out that they are the real interpreters of the Quran and others must refer to them on interpretation and the Quranic disciplines. f. Considering the important point that Ahl-e Bayt (a) and the Quran are inseparable for keeps, what the second caliph who said: «

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What a great and precious the words of the Prophet (s) is! He introduced you as brother of the Quran and said guidance of ummah is possible by turning to both.

That wrongdoer who said: The Quran is enough for us; it is a big lie because the Prophet (s) had said in his good words: The Quran and Ahl-e Bayt are never separable! They left you alone by

Following the wrongdoer, saying loudly again: The Quran is enough for us; they tell a lie because they take no advantage of the Quran although they recite it by heart and by nice voice!

You and your family are the actual interpreters of the Quran;(1) you and your

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1- As said, since Ahl-e Bayt (a) is associated with the Quran, they are real interpreters of the Quran.

pure family are the same remembrances God has ordered to be asked, if you fail to know;1 you and your infallible family (‘a) are the same firmly

1

( وَ ما أَرْسَلْنا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ إِلا رِجَالاً نُوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ فَسْتَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لا تَعْلَمُونَ )

And before you [O' Messenger] We sent men to whom We revealed [Our Messages], so ask the learned of the people of the Book if you people do not know about it (Nahl: 43).

There are various narrations in Shiite and Sunni sources citing that People of Remembrance God said to be referred to are Ahl-e Bayt (‘a); here, a number of hadiths from Sunni sources are given as examples:

Hakem Neisabouri, Tabari, Qertebi, Alussi and Ibn-e Kathir say:

أنّها نزلت في أهل بيت محمد ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلم ) و علي ( عليه السلام ] وفاطمه [ سلام الله عليها ] و الحسن و الحسين ( عليهما السلام ).

(Tabari, in his Tafsir,vol.14, p.19 under the above verse; Hakem, Shawahed Al-Tanzil, vol.1, p.334; Qertebi, in his Tafsir, vol.11, p.272; Ibn-e Kathir, in his Tafsir, vol.2, p.57 under the above verse; Alussi, in his Tafsir, vol.14, p.134 under the above verse and....)

قال الإمام على عليه السلام:

والله إنا لنحن أهل الذكر و نحن أهل العلم و نحن معدن التأويل والتنزيل و لقد سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم يقول: أنا مدينة العلم و عليّ بابها فمن أراد العلم فليأته من بابه.

( Tafsir-e Tha'albi, vol.6, p.270; Shawahed Al-Tanzil, vol.1, p.436; Hakem Neisabouri, Mustadrak Al-Sahihin, vol.3, p.126; Ibn-e 'Abdulberr, Al-Isti'ab, vol.3, p.1102; Siyuti, Jame'a Al-Saghir, vol.1, p.415; Kanz Al-Ummal, vol.13, p.148 and.....)

Usul-e Kafi quotes the Prophet (s):

الذكر أنا و الائمة أهل الذكر.

(Usul-e Kafi, vol.1, p.121)

Hafiz Mohammad Ibn-e Musa Al-Shirazi quotes Ibn-e 'Abbas under the above verse:

هم محمد صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم وعلي عليه السلام و فاطمة عليها السلام و الحسن و الحسين عليهما السلام، هم أهل الذكر والعلم و العقل و البيان و هم أهل بيت النبوة ومعدن الرسالة و المختلف الملائكة والله ما سمّى المؤمن مؤمنا إلا كرامة لأمير المؤمنين عليه السلام.

(Najjah Ta'ie, Velayat-e Ali (‘a) fi Al-Quran men Kotob Al-Sunna)

Imam Reza ('a) says:

نحن أهل الذكر و نحن المسؤولون.

(Tafsir-e Nur Al-Thaqalayn, vol.3, p.55)

Imam Baqir (‘a) says:

« الذِّكْرِ » القرآن، و آل الرسول « أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ» و هم المسؤولون.

(Tafsir-e Nur Al-Thaqalayn, vol.3, p.88)

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indomitable in knowledge and God has said in this regard:

No people know interpretation of the Quran except God and those who are firmly indomitable in knowledge.

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1- «هُوَ الَّذى أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتابِ وَ أُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ فَأَمَّا الَّذينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَ ابْتِغاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ وَ ما يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللهُ وَ الرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَا بِهِ كُلٌّ مِنْ عِنْدِ رَبَّنَا وَ مَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلا أُولُوا الْأَلْبابِ Allah is the One Who has sent down to you [O' Messenger] the [Holy] Book; some of its Words of Revelation are Decisive and Explicit and these are the basics of the Book and others are ambiguous; then those in whose hearts there is the disease of perversity, they are after that which is not entirely clear, seeking to mislead and seeking to interpret [to suit their selfish motives], but none knows its hidden meaning save Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in the whole of it since it is from our Creator and Nurturer." And none can grasp the truth of this save men of wisdom (Al-e Imran: 7) It has been said in the sense of interpretation: ارجاع الكلام و صرفه عن معناه الظاهرى إلى معنى أخفى عنه. (Majma' Al-Bahrain, vol.1, p.132) According to narrations available, interpretation of the Quran (clarification of connotative or inward sense of revelations) is only known to God and those who are firmly knowledgeable; that is, the Pure and Infallible Progeny (a). Imam Sadiq (‘a) says: نحن الراسخون في العلم ونحن نعلم تأويله. (Usul-e Kafi, Ketab Al-Hojjata, vol. 1, p.213) Therefore, whosoever comes and claims clarification of inward aspect of the Quran, he shall be unreal such as many of mystic clans saying that they keep the inward sense and brain of the Quran!! They release senses and interpretations as real interpretation that is completely at odds with appearance or outward of the Quran, intellect and narration; great exemplification of such unfounded interpretations can be accessed in "Fusus Al-Hakam of Ibn-e Arabi”. True! The Quran possesses inward and outward aspects; but the question is that who must clarify the inward of the Quran! Based on the Shiite teachings, the Quran must be clarified by those who are permanently interrelated with it and they are only the Pure and Infallible Progeny (‘a) because the Messenger (s) has joined them with the Quran until the Day in Thaqalayn hadith. But as earlier said, Mystics-who aimed to keep people away from the Progeny (a) and they have introduced themselves the real interpreters of the Quran through trickery and have commented on the revelations of the Quran; for example, Mawlavi says in his Mathnavi: Taken from Quran by Us brain inward Placed unto for unwise drain outward In prelude of Mathnavi, he claims that his Mathnavi book is principle of principle of principles of religion; this is while there are plenty of mistakes and distractions in this book although it contains abundantly useful statements. For example, Mawlavi, in introduction of part five of Mathnavi, claims that when the wayfarer joins the truth, Shari'ah is no longer with him while this stands against consensus of Muslims; in addition, in part two of Mathnavi, he exonerates Ibn-e Moljam Moradi from his crime by making untrue interpretation of Unity of Divine Acts and regards him as a tool doer of which is God; later, he finds him qualified for intercession of Amir Mu'amenan (a), telling Ibn-e Moljam, eternally cursed man, on the part of Ali ('a): God's Tool you are, you did in favor of Him I render on God's Tool no sarcasm and whim But forget sorrow, to you I intercede due right not male slave of body, eunuch of spirit bright more dreadful than what Mawlavi said is that of Ibn-e 'Arabi who presents interpretation and meaning at the pretext of expressing interpretation and the inward of the Quran, that clashes with spirit of all divine religions; for example: In the book "Fusus Al-Hakam Fass Haruniyya", he accuses the Prophet Harun (s) of having mal-knowledge and says in complete flagrancy: The reason behind treatment of Musa (s) towards his brother, Harun (s)-when he was back from his trip, seeing that his clan had turned to worshipping calf was that Harun (s) was against calf-worshipping and had stopped a number of people worshipping calf; he then adds: Gnostic finds truth in everything; rather, he sees God as everything. He, in the book "Fusus Al-Hakam Fass Musawiyya", claims that Pharaoh passed away when he was purified and monotheist and this is while God calls him atheist and rebellious because he remained in blasphemy until death. In the same book in Fass-e Noahiyya, he exonerates the idolater clan of Noah and says: By being drowned in the sea, it is meant drowning in the sea of knowledge. Interestingly, Ibn-e 'Arabi in introduction to his Fusus claims that he has received the book from the Messenger (s) in the world of intuition!! He also claims that the Prophet (s) died and he could not assign any successor for himself and that father of Imam Ali (‘a) has been atheist! True! It is self-evident to every insight-prone person that Ibn-e 'Arabi's claim is falsely made as to the fact that he has received the book from the Messenger (s) in the world of intuition; but unfortunately, some who claim to follow Shiism have turned out to be his disciple and justify his totally mistaken teachings. (Author of this book has discussed in detail Ibn-e 'Arabi and his deviations in the book "Ibn-e 'Arabi from a different perspective".)

For what reason the wrongdoer said: Book of God is enough for us? Had he not heard the Prophet (s) say that the Quran and the pure and infallible family are never separated from each other?

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true!

He had heard but the Satan manifested love of chairmanship to them so much that they became prepared to trample all facts.

Elsewhere, in another statement, the Prophet (s) resembled you, the pure and infallible family to Ark of Noah, saying that:

O' ummah! Know that Ahl-e Bayt is being exemplified as Noah's Ark; whoever embarks on it, he shall be saved and whoever disobeys it, he shall be drowned.(1)

Salim Ibn Qeys Helali-one of your loyal and Shiite companions-says:

I was in Mecca during hajj pilgrimage when Abuzar Ghaffari circled

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1- ألا إنّ مثل أهل بيتي فيكم مثل سفينة نوح من ركبها نجا و من تخلف عنها غرق .. The above hadith known after hadith of Safinah is among successive hadiths quoted by the Shiites and Sunnis from the Messenger (s). After hadiths of Ghadir and Thaqalayn, hadith of Safinah has been greatly known among hadith writers. The great and late Shiite scientist, Mir Hamed Husayn author of "Abaqat Al-Anwar" has quoted it from ninety Islamic scientists all of whom are Sunni famous people. What is included in Hadith of Safinah: From this hadith which talks about the status of Progeny of the Prophet (s) through allegorical portrait of Noah's Ark, it is understood that following Ahl-e Bayt brings about salvation and disapproving them gives rise to destruction; in addition, infallibility of Ahl- e Bayt (‘a) can be proven by using this hadith because when a wrongdoer or sinner himself is at the abyss of destruction and collapse, how can he save and guide others who are astray? Another point in the hadith shows that authority lies within Ahl-e Bayt (a) in all political, social and religious ranks; also, these great people shall be followed and pursued unconditionally because preferring others in such affairs means that we are not aboard Noah's Ark, which leads to destruction. As said, roughly a hundred of important Sunni reference books have quoted hadith of Safinah, a few of which are cited here: Haythami, Majma' Al-Zawa'id, vol.9, chapter: Virtue of Ahl-e Bayt (a), p.168 Tabrani, Al-Mu'ajam Al-‘Awsat, vol.4, p.10 and vol.6, p.85 Zarandi Hanafi, Nazm Durr Al-Samtayn Siyuti, Jalaluddin, Al-Jame'a Al-Saghir, vol.2, p.177 Mottaqi Hendi, Kanz Al-Ummal, vol. 11, chapter: Virtue of Ali (*a), p.693 Manawi, Feyd Al-Ghadir, edited by Ahmad 'Abdulsalam, vol.4, p.469, Harf Al-Ayn Tabrani, Al-Mu'ajam Al-Saghir, vol. 1, p.140 Hanafi Kunduzi, Sheikh Suleyman, Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah Hakam Neisabouri, Mustadrak, vol.3, p.151 And tens of other sources.

around a group of people, yelling: O' people! O' people! Whoever knows me, he knows me and whoever not, I introduce myself to him; I am Jondab Ibn Jonadah Abuzar and I heard the Messenger (s) say:

O' people! Be aware that my progeny among you looks like Noah's Ark; whoever embarked on it, he shall be saved and whoever refused to do so, he shall be perished.(1)

What a good and clear example the Prophet (s) has made to introduce you and your family! You are ark of salvation; you decompose waves of sedition and skepticism; you sail your strong and priceless ark safely through crushing whirlpools of the world to safe shore of Paradise while all travelers of the world are aboard. What a magnificently nice ark! What a capacious and fully-equipped ark!

Nothing is the cost of boarding this great ark but pure faith that is intermingled with trustworthiness and knowledge.

I have questions to ask the worldly wise people:

Is it better to drink blood-tainted and morass-laden water or fresh cold water?! Is it pleasant to smell stinky and nausea-induced worm-eaten animal's dead corpse with unlawful meat or take the

fragrant odor of red rose, tuberose and narcissus?! Is it better to live in a dungeon with no way out where the inmate is being plunged into his defecations and stinks or to reside in an elevated ever-green place with fountain and varieties of plants and flowers?! Is it better to choose to marry a fully-burned-body wife with leprous face and blind eyes or an unparalleled kind and beautiful wife who has uniquely existential perfections?! Is it better to possess a paralyzed body, blind eyes and unhealthy mind that has no relief and sleep or to have a fully healthy body away from any diseases with happy mind that has no woeful grievances?!

I am certain that every wise person of the world would say: It is quite obvious that he chooses the second ones; but many do not know that they are troubled with the first choices and they are negligent people.

You and your honorable family pull out human beings of stinks, diseases

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1- Tabarsi, Ihtijaj, p.228 quotes from the book of Salim Ibn-e Qeys Helali.

and darkness with your ark of salvation and bring them into fragrances, lights, accuracies and beauties.

The straight path is made possible through your help and those who choose path of others are out of Knowledge of God and the Straight Path; you said:

If God wished, He would introduce Himself unmediated to His worshippers but He did not wish so; but He assigned us as mediators in His Path of Knowledge. Those who turn away from our guardianship and prefer others, they are not on the Straight Path. (1)

Your brother, the Messenger (s) said among companions:

O' people! Know that there is a Door of God through which whoever enters, he shall be secure from the Hellfire and great horror.

Abu Sa'id Khedri stood and asked: O' the Messenger of God (s)! Usher us to that Door until we know it.

The Messenger (s) said:

He is Ali Ibn Abitaleb, Seyyed Al-Usiya', Amir Mu'amenan, brother of the Messenger (s) and caliph of God for all people; O' people! Whoever is pleased with my leadership, he shall follow guardianship of Ali Ibn Abitaleb and Imams who come from my descendants because they are treasuries of my knowledge.(2)

The Messenger (s) says in other words that you, Ahl-e Bayt (‘a) are the

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1- قال اميرالمؤمنين على عليه السلام: إنّ الله تبارك وتعالى لو شاء لعرّف العباد نفسه، ولكن جعلنا أبوابه و صراطه و سبيله و الوجه الذي يؤتى منه، فمن عدل عن ولايتنا، أو فضّل علينا غيرنا فإنّهم عن الصراط لناكبون. (Usul-e Kafi, vol. 1, p.184) The Messenger of God (s): معاشر الناس ! إعلموا أنّ لله تعالى بابا، من دخله أمن من النار و من الفزع الأكبر. فقام إليه أبوسعيد الخدري، فقال: يا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم ! إهدنا إلى هذا الباب حتى نعرفه قال صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: هو علي بن أبي طالب سيد الوصيين و أميرالمؤمنين و أخو رسول الله ربّ العالمين و خليفة الله على الناس أجمعين. معاشر الناس! من أحب أن يتمسك بالعروة الوثقى التى لا انفصام لها فليتمسّك بولاية عليّ بن أبي طالب، فإنّ ولايته ولايتى و طاعته طاعتى. معاشر الناس! من أحبّ أن يعرف الحجّة بعدى، فليعرف عليّ بن أبي طالب. (Mohaddeth Bahrani, Ghayat Al-Maram, chapter one, hadith no.2, p.244)

2-

very door of repentance of the Israelites from which whoever enters, he shall be endowed with Divine Mercy and Blessing.(1)

You and your pure family cause the earth and the people of the earth to be secure and the Messenger (s) said in this regard:

Stars make residents of the heavens secure; therefore, when the stars fade away, so do people of the heavens; my Progeny brings security for residents of the earth and if my Progeny fails to exist, all residents of the earth perish away.(2)

True!

You are blessings of the earth, you are security of the earth and you are ever-standing mountains of certainty because nobody can be compared to you, the pure Progeny; you yourself said:

Nobody can be compared to Progeny of the Messenger (s) because they

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1- The story of Al-Bab Hettah of Israelites goes as: After the Israelites went out of Egypt once Pharaoh was destroyed, God ordered them to arrive in the holy land of the Levant and when they pass through its gates, they should go on prostration and say: "Hetta" meaning that O' God! Forgive our sins. They say this to ask God to bless them but some ridiculed what God said and said something else; God sent them down heavenly disaster because of their disobedience. God says in the Quran: (وَ إِذْ قُلْنَا ادْخُلُوا هذِهِ الْقَرْيَةَ فَكُلُوا مِنْها حَيْثُ شِتْتُمْ رَغَدا وَ ادْخُلُوا الْبابَ سُجَّدا وَ قُولُوا حِطَّةٌ نَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطَايَاكُمْ وَسَنَزِيدُ الْمُحْسِنِينَ * فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا قَوْلاً غَيْرَ الَّذى قيلَ لَهُمْ فَأَنْزَلْنَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا رِجْرًا مِنَ السَّماءِ بِما كانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ ) And in narrations, the Messenger (s) has been quoted as saying that his Progeny is the very Al-Bab Hettah related to Israelites; whoever enters it, he shall be given blessing and whosoever disobeys it, he shall experience divine punishment. For example, Sunni sources quote the Messenger (s) as saying that: مثل أهل بيتي فيكم مثل باب حطة في بنى إسرائيل (Majma' Al-Zawa'id, vol.9, p.168; Siyuti, Jame'a Al-Saghir, vol.2, p.177; Kanz Al- Ummal, vol. 11, p.603 and.....)

2- Messenger (s): النجوم أمان لأهل السماء فإذا ذهبت النجوم ذهب أهل السماء و أهل بيتي أمان لأهل الأرض فإذا ذهب أهل بيتي ذهب أهل الأرض. (Kunduzi Hanafi, Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol. 1, p.71; Ibn-e Hanbal, Ahmad, Chapter of Virtues of Ahl-e Bayt (a) and...) The Above hadith is abundantly found in various Sunni sources.

are cherished by guidance of the Prophet's Ahl-e Bayt; they are unique. Progeny of Mohammad (s) bases religion and standing pillars of certainty; the rushers shall return to them and stragglers have to join them because features of right of guardianship are devoted to them and the Prophet's testament of caliphate of Muslims and heritage of the Prophetic Mission belong to them.(1)

You also said:

Progeny of Mohammad stands as the best progenies, his Ahl-e Bayt is the best of all and his lineage is the best of all lineages who are grown in shrine and are brought up in garden of honor; the lineage tree has long branches with fruits inaccessible to anyone.(2)

You compassionately cried for guidance of people:

O' people! Turn a careful eye to Ahl-e Bayt of your Prophet; go the way they go. Step into their footprints; they never astray you from guidance and never take back you to perdition and ignobility. If they kept silent, you keep quiet too; if they rose up, you do too. Stop outpacing them because you are gone astray; avoid being left behind because you are destroyed.(3)

O' lord!

The pure and trustworthy people follow you rather than wrongdoers and evildoers.

I am amazed how some people who said they were followers of the Messenger (s) resorted to others despite all recommendations of the

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1- لا يُقاسُ بِآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم مِنْ هذه الامة أحَدٌ وَ لا يُسوَّى بِهِمْ مَنْ جَرَتْ نِعْمَتُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَبَدًا، هُمْ أَسَاسُ الدِّينِ، وَ عِمَادُ الْيَقينِ إِلَيْهِمْ يَفِي الْغالِي، وَ بِهِمْ يَلْحَقُ التَّالِى وَ لَهُمْ خَصَائِصُ حَقِّ الْوِلايَةِ، وَفِيهِمْ الْوَصِيَّةِ وَ الْوِراثَةُ. (Nahj Al-Balaghah, sermon 2)

2- عِتْرَتُهُ خَيْرُ الْعِتَرِ، وَ أَسْرَتُهُ خَيْرُ الأَسَرِ، وَ شَجَرَتُهُ خَيْرُ الشَّجَرِ، نَبَتَتْ فِي حَرَمٍ، وَ بَسَقَتْ فِي كَرَمٍ، لَهَا فُرُوعٌ طِوالٌ، وَ ثَمَرٌ لاينالُ .. (Nahj Al-Balaghah, sermon 94)

3- انْظُرُوا اهْلَ بَيْتِ نَبِيِّكُمْ فَالْزَمُوا سَمْتَهُمْ، وَاتَّبِعُوا أَثَرَهُمْ، فَلَنْ يُخرِجُوكُمْ مِنْ هُدًى ، وَ لَنْ يُعِيدُوكُمْ فِي رَديَّ، فَإِنْ لَبَدُوا فَالْبُدُوا، وَإِنْ نهَضُوا فَانْهَضُوا وَ لا تَسْبِقُوهُمْ فَتَضِلُّوا، وَ لَا تَتَأخَّرُوا عَنْهُمْ فَتَهْلِكُوا. (Nahj Al-Balaghah, sermon 97)

Messenger (s) about you, your status and your family?!

And I am more amazed of what a man says or better to say, a man-like wicked person of the wicked family who says: Verily, the idea of prioritizing Ahl-e Bayt of the Messenger of God is among signs of ignorance because relatives of the heads were given priority.(1)

O' Amir Mu'amenan! By your permission, I give response to this wicked talker:

O' the wicked! What were your masters doing when our lord expressed his faith in childhood?! Did they worship God or idols?

O' the wicked! Did the Prophet (s) say about our lord, Ali (‘a) that he is gate of my knowledge and philosophy or about your masters?

O' the wicked! To whom did the Messenger say that he is the most learned man after him?! Did he say it to our lord or to your masters?

O' the wicked! Whom did the Prophet (s) call his soul? Our lord, Ali (‘a) or your masters?

O' the wicked! Whom did the Prophet (s) introduce as father of this ummah beside himself? Our lord or your masters?

O' the wicked! Whom did the Prophet (s) introduce as his successor at Ghadir-e-Khum as ordered by God? Our lord or your masters?

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1- Ibn-e Taymiyya, chief of Wahhabism says: «إنّ فكرة تقديم آل الرسول هي من أثر الجاهلية في تقديم أهل بيت الرؤساء». (Ibn-e Taymiyya, Menhaj Al-Sunna, vol.3, p.269) Ahmad Ibn-e Taymiyya Harrani Dameshqi, one of the Sunni-attributed personalities, was born in a region called Harran in 662 A.H and died in 726 A.H when he was in Damascus jail. From 698 A.H onwards, he began to release his anti-Muslim consensual ideas. Some of his ideas are as follows: Banning pilgrimage to people of the graves, banning supplication to the Saint Imams, disrespecting construction over the graves of the Saint Imams, banning blessing of signs of the Saint Imams and... He raised his ideas and was severely criticized by Sunni scientists and scientists of his time went as far as excommunicating him. Debates of scholars with him triggered isolation of his thoughts and he failed to create remarkable movements; his thoughts were found only in his books and writings of his disciple, Ibn-e Qayyim Jawziyya. Finally, as a matter of disagreement made by a group of Sunni scholars, Ottoman government seized and detained him in Damascus jail where he died.

O' the wicked! In his last sermon he delivered, whom did he put beside the Quran? Our lord and his family or your masters?

O' the wicked! Whom did the Prophet (s) introduce as ark of salvation? Our lord and his family or your masters?

O' the wicked! Whom did he introduce as stars of guidance and cause of security of the globe? Our lord and his family or your masters?

Of course, you having been overfilled with hypocrisy are not expected otherwise!

But let me talk a bit about your followers who are more wicked than the one who said that:

It suffices for you to know that the Islamic nations have been set ablaze; they with their null ideas that have been inherited from you, the wicked and added up to them accuse all Muslims particularly followers of Ahl-e Bayt (a) of blasphemy and say blood, property and honor of them are permissible! They have killed thousands of your followers of Muslims and Shiites of Iraq, Pakistan, Syria and elsewhere in series of bomb attacks; these evildoers by perpetrating suicide attacks at mosques of the Shiites kill tens of innocent children, women, men, young and old to approach God!!

I apologize Amir Al-Mu'amenan (‘a) that I made a lengthened talk about the wicked men.

O' Amir Al-Mu'amenan!

Ending this chapter, for more blessing and in spite of our enemies and those who envy your esteemed status and truthfulness, I cite some part of your nice speech in Nahj Al-Balagha:

About the status of yourself and your family, you said:

Where are those who pondered that they are the learned of knowledge of the Quran and not us?! They made such allegation against us based on falsehood and cruelty. God upgraded us, the Progeny of the Prophet and downgraded them; He bestowed us blessings and deprived them of them; we were included in His gifts and excluded them of them; path of guidance is sought by means of us and aberration is replaced with enlightenment by

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virtue of us. Verily, the twelfth Imams all come from the Quraysh whose tree has been planted in the household of the Hashimites; others deserve not having status of leadership and guardianship and other claimants of caliphate are not qualified for this. (1)

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1- أَيْنَ الَّذِينَ زَعَمُوا أَنَّهُمُ الرّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ دُونَنَا ؟ كَذِبًا وَ بَغْيًا عَلَيْنَا، أَنْ رَفَعَنَا اللَّهُ وَ وَضَعَهُمْ، وَ أَعْطَانَا وَ حَرَمَهُمْ، وَ أَدْخَلَنا وَأَخْرَجَهُمْ بِنا يُسْتَعْطَى الْهُدَى، وَيُسْتَجْلَى الْعَمَى إِنَّ الْأَئِمَّةَ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ غُرِسُوا فِى هَذَا الْبَطْنِ مِنْ هَاشِمٍ، لَا تَصْلُحُ عَلَى سِواهُمْ، وَ لا تَصْلُحُ الْوُلاةُ مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ. (Nahj Al-Balaghah, sermon 144) Theosophy Account Five Virtues of Amir Mu'amenin (a), his Shiites in Sunni sources and other various issues

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Theosophy Five

I certify that your true followers are those who are guided and prosperous.

Pure, fragrant and green plants grow on pure land with moderate climate and fully succulent but on a dry salty and desert land, no plants grow but thorns and prickles. Beautiful and fragrant flowers grow on moderate weather and rainy land, hosted by beautiful butterflies. A marsh land whose stinky odor keeps away insects of a many hosts microbes and parasites.

Trees having sturdy roots on fertile and rainy land produce succulent, fragrant and healthy fruits but those trees lacking water and fertile soil produce bitter, dry and not a lot of fruits.

This is a principle that the good things always join the good ones and bad things join the bad ones. The loyal Companions of the Messengers were from the pure and sincere ones but their disloyal and hostile Companions were from the impure and polytheist ones.

O' Ali!

You are the one to whom the Messenger (s) said:

You are Commander of the Faithful, Sultan of religion, Imam of the pious people and leader of the marked people of the world.(1)

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1- قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم لعلى عليه السلام: أنت أمير المؤمنين و يعسوب الدین و امام المتقين و قائد الغر المحجلين. The Messenger (s) told Amir Mu'amenan (a): You are the Commander of the Faithful, Sultan of religion, Imam of the pious people and leader of the marked people. The subject-matter of above hadith that conveys status, magnitude, truthfulness and Imamate of Amir Mu'amenan (‘a) can be successively found in Sunni sources including: Sahih-e Bukhari, vol.4, chapter of virtues of migrants, p. 208 and vol.5, p. 129 Sunan-e Ibn-e Majah, vol. 1, chapter of virtues of Ali ('a), p.43 Sunan-e Termezi, vol.5, chapter of virtues of Ali ('a), p.302 Mustadrak-e Hakam, vol. 2, p.337 Musnad-e Ahmad Hanbal, vol. 1, p. 170 Beihaqi, Al-Sunan Al-Kobra, vol.9, chapter: Ma Ali Al-Wali men Amr Al-Jaysh, p.40 Heythami, Majma' Al-Zawa'id, vol.9, chapter of rank of Ali ('a), p. 109 Fath Al-Bari, virtues of Ali ('a), vol. 7, p.60 Zarandi Hanafi, Nazm Durr Al-Samtin, virtues of Amir Al-Mu'amenin ('a), p.59 Zahabi, Seyr 'A'lam Al-Nubla', Vol.1, p.143 Sireye Ibn-e Hosham, vol.4, p.163 Mottaqi Hendi, Kanz Al-Ummal, vol.9, Ketab Al-Sahba, p.167 ►Tarikh-e Tabari, vol.2, p.368 ►Mas'udi, Al-Tanbih va Al-Ashraf, p.236 And other sources.

And you are the leader, Imam and lord that the Messenger (s) prayed for you and your followers and said:

For whomever I am lord, so is Ali. O' God! Bestow love on whoever accepts Ali as leader, and whoever not, find him as enemy; whoever helps him, stand by him and humiliate whoever looked down on him.

The Messenger (s) further said about you to his ummah:

O' ummah! Do know that you do not go astray if you resort to Ali.(1)

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1- The honorable Prophet of Islam (s) introduced Ali ('a) as his successor among tens of thousands of people at Ghadir-e-Khum: «من كنت مولاه فهذا على مولاه ؛ اللهم وال من والاه و عاد من عاداه و انصر من نصره و اخذل من خذله ؛ إن تمسكتم به لن تضلوا بعده ابدا». The above hadith has been successively (plentifully and substantially) cited in Sunni sources including: Sunan-e Termezi, vol.2, virtues of Ali ('a), hadith no. 3797, p. 297 Sunan-e Ibn-e Majah, research of Faw'ad 'Abdulbaqi, vol. 1, p.430 Hakem Neisabouri, Mustadrak-e Hakem, vol.9, chapter of Wasiyat Al-Nabi (s), p. 103 Sunan-e Nesa'ie, vol.5, p.130 Tabrani, Al-Mu'ajam Al-Kabir, vol. 5, hadith no. 4969, p.166 ►Majma' Al-Zawa'id, vol.9, p.103 Tarikh-e Ya'qubi, vol.2, p.112 Manaqib-e Khwarazmi, p.16 Tafsir-e Fakhr-e Razi, vol. 12, p.49 Musnad-e Abi Yali Museli, vol. 1, hadith no.567, p.429 And other sources.

He frequently told people about your status and that of your family:

God created the Messengers from different trees; but He created me and Ali from a single tree. I am the origin; Ali is the branch; Fatima fertilizes it and Hassan and Husayn stand as its fruits and our Shiites are its leaves.

He then added:

If someone worships God a thousand years, a thousand years again and a thousand years between Safa and Marwah in order to become as old as water-skin but lacking kindness towards us, God shall throw him unto fire by face.(1)

And he said about your knowledge and science:

I am city of knowledge and Ali stands as its gate; therefore, whoever seeks knowledge, he shall pass through that gate.(2)

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1- پیامبر صلی الله عليه وآله وسلم: إنّ الله خلق الأنبياء من أشجار شتّى و خلفت أنا و على من شجرة واحدة؛ فأنا أصلها وعلى فرعها وفاطمة لقاحها والحسن والحسين ثمارها وأشياعنا أوراقها. لو أنّ عبدا عبد الله بين الصفاء و المروة ألف عام، ثمّ ألف عام ، ثم ألف عام حتى يصير كالشن البالى، ثمّ لم يدرك محبّتنا كبه الله على منخريه في النار. (Majma' Al-Bayan, vol. 9, p.29; Tarikh-e Madinat Dameshq, vol. 41, p.335) The late Tabarsi, the well-known Shiite commentator quotes the above hadith from Shawahed Al-Tanzil, Hakem Haskani, one of the known Sunni hadith-writer and commentators.

2- أنا مدينة العلم و على بابها، فمن أراد العلم فليأت بالباب. The above hadith is one of the very famous hadiths which is cited by a large number of Sunni hadith writers in their books in addition to the Shiite hadith writers, including: ► Ibn-e Mohammad Alawi, Seyyed Ali, Daf'a Al-Irtiyab an hadith Al-Bab (this book, a Sunni hadith source, is written to prove accuracy of hadith of Madinat Al-Elm). Hakem Neisabouri, Mustadrak Al-Sahihin, vol.2, p.126 Ibn-e 'Abd Al-Berr, vol.3, p.1102 Siyuti, Al-Jame'a Al-Saghir, vol. 1, paced A, p. 481 Mottaqi Hendi, Kanz Al-Ummal, vol. 13, chapter of virtues of Ali ('a), p.148 Al-Manawi, Feyd Al-Ghadir, research of Ahmad 'Abdulsalam, vol.3, p.60 Ibn-e Athir, Ossad Al-Ghaba, vol.4, p.22 Ibn-e Hajar, Al-Sawa'iq Al-Moharraqah, p.76 Khatib Baghdadi, Tarikh-e Baghdad, vol.3, p. 181 ► Ibn-e Asaker, Tarikh-e Dameshq, vol.9, p.20 ► Ibn-e Hajar Asqalani, Tahzib Al-Tahzib, vol. 7, p.296 And tens of other sources. Contents of Hadith: Make it clear that achieving pure disciplines of the Prophet (s) is only possible through Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb (a) and regard those who chose other than his way unbeneficial of divine teachings. This holy hadith demonstrates truthfulness and caliphate of Imam Ali (‘a) because the one who opens science of religion deserves being successor of the Prophet (s) rather than others.

He explained more:

Ali is the Straight Path and in fact people are questioned about his leadership on the Day. 1

1.

عن ابن عباس: قلت للنبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: يا رسول الله ! أ للجنة جواز ؟ قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: نعم. قلت: و ما هو ؟ قال صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: حبّ عليّ بن أبي طالب. قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم لعلی علیه السلام: أنت النبأ العظيم و الصراط المستقيم و أنت المثل الأعلى.

(Tarikh-e Baghdad, vol.3, p.161; Tarikh-e Dameshq, vol.42, p.244)

قال النبی صلی الله علیه و اله و سلم لعلی علیه السلام : انت النبا العظیم و الصراط المستقیم و انت المثل الاعلی.

(Tafsir-e Borhan, vol.5, p.565; Saduq, Ayun-e Akhbar Al-Reza (‘a), vol.2, p.6)

قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: لا يجوز أحد الصراط إلا من كتب له على جواز.

(Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol.3, p.230; Heythami, Al-Sawa'iq Al-Muharraqah, p.192)

ذكر البيهقي عن الحاكم النيشابوري، بأسناده عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم إذا جمع الله الأولين و الآخرين يوم القيامة و نصب الصراط على جسر جهنّم ، لم يجزها أحد إلا من كانت معه براءة بولاية علي بن أبي طالب

(Tabari fi Al-Riyadh, Moheboddin, Al-Beihaqi, vol.2, p.172)

قال ابن عباس: دخل الإمام على عليه السلام على النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم و عنده عائشة، فجلس بين النبي صلی الله عليه وآله وسلم وعائشة ؛ فقالت ما كان لك مجلس غير فخذى؟ فضرب النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم على ظهرها و قال: مه لا تؤذيني في أخي فأنّه أمير المؤمنين و سید المسلمين و قائد الغر المحجلين يوم القيامة، يقعد على الصراط المستقيم فيدخل أولياءه الجنّة و يدخل أعداءه النار.

(Kanz Al-Ummal, vol.11, 619; Ibn-e Dameshqi, Jawaher Al-Mataleb, vol.1, chapter 49, p.349; Kunduzi Hanafi, Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol.1, chapter 14, p.221; Taftazani, Sharh Al-Maqased, vol.2, p.291; Ibn-e Abi Al-Hadid, Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, vol.9, p.169; 'Asqalani, Ibn-e Hajar, Al-Esabah, vol.4, p.170; Manaqib-e Ibn-e Mardawiya, p.62 and...)

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He said again:

O' Ali! Your rank and status in relation to me is the same as rank and status of Harun in relation to Musa unless no Prophet comes after me.(1)

And he said about your honor, magnitude and status once more:

I and Ali were light before God and we praised and sanctified Him a thousand times before God created Adam; When He created Adam, He incorporated the light into his loin; I and Ali were the same light until we were separated from each other on 'Abdulmotalleb's loin and God made Prophethood exclusive to me and caliphate to Ali.(2)

He then said about you:

Eh, O' ummah! Shall I guide you on something that you fail to be ruined when you agree to it?! Verily, your Imam is Ali Ibn Abitaleb; therefore, you should wish well for him, be his cordial and approve of him. Verily,

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1- The Prophet (s) told Ali ('a): أنت منّي بمنزلة هارون من موسى إلا أنه لا نبي بعدي. The above hadith is successively cited in the known Sunni sources including: Sahih-e Bokhari, vol.4, chapter of virtues of migrants, p. 208 Sahih-e Moslem, vol. 7, chapter of virtues of Ali ('a), p.120 Sunan-e Ibn-e Majah, vol.1, chapter of virtue of Ali (‘a), p.430 Musnad-e Ahmad Hanbal, vol. 1, p.170 Heythami, Majm'a Al-Zawa'id, vol. 9, chapter of rank of Ali ('a), p.109 and........

2- كنت أنا و على نورا بين يدى الله عزّ و جلّ يسبح الله ذلك النور و يقدّسه قبل أن قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: كنت أنا و على نورا بين يدى الله عزّ و جلّ، يسبح يخلق الله آدم بألف عام، فلما خلق الله آدم ركب ذلك النور في صلبه، فلم يزل في شيء واحد حتى افترقنا في صلب عبد المطلب، ففي النبوّة وفي علي الخلافة. Subject-matter of the above hadith is cited in Sunni sources including: Manaqib-e Ibn-e Moghazeli, p.88 Ibn-e Asaker, Tarikh-e Dameshq, vol. 1, p.351 Kunduzi Hanafi, Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, chapter one, overtaking light of the Prophet (s), p.47 Ibn-e Abi Al-Hadid, Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, vol. 2, p.45 Al-Husayni Al-Hamdani Al-Shafe 'ie, Ali Ibn-e Shahabuddin, p.82 Daylami, Al-Ferdows, vol.2, p.5 and.....

this is something Gabriel told me. (1)

He chanted a call and said about you:

Eh, O' ummah! If you take Ali as your leader, you shall see that he is a guide and leads you towards the Straight Path.(2)

He added:

For me, Ali looks like my head for my body.(3)

Among Companions, he addressed you many times:

O' Ali! You are liked only by the faithful and disliked by enemy. (4)

Here, there were a number of sincere and knowledge-prone companions of the Messenger (s) who discovered your unparalleled dignity, circling around sun of your existence like loving butterflies and became known after the Shiites of Ali as the Prophet (s) put it.

True!

Your followers were like the very insight-prone Companions of the Messenger (s) like Salman, Abuzar, Meqdad and Ammar who approved of you and paid a homage to your status.

Those sincerely knowledge-prone people were those who never tainted their faith with cruelty and were never needless in their being of your shining sun of leadership.

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1- Ibn-e Abi Al-Hadid Mu'atazili quotes the Messenger (s) in Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, vol.3, p.98 as saying: ألا أدلكم على ما إن تسالمتم عليه لم تهلكوا؟! إنّ وليّكم الله و إنّ إمامكم عليّ بن أبي طالب [ عليه السلام ] فناصحوه و صدقوه فإنّ جبرئيل أخبرني بذلك.

2- Mottaqi Hendi quotes the Messenger in Kanz Al-Ummal as regards to Sunni sources as saying: إن تولّوا عليّا تجدوه هاديا مهديًا، يسلك بكم الطريق المستقيم. (Kanz Al-Ummal, hadith no. 32966)

3- قال الرسول صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: عليّ منّي بمنزلة رأسي من بدني. (Ibn-e Mardawyeh, Manaqib, p. 107; Kanz Al-Ummal, vol.4, p. 32914)

4- قال الرسول صلى الله عليه و آله و سلّم لعلى [ عليه السلام : لا يحبّك إلا مؤمن و لا يبغضك إلا منافق. .4 (Sunan-e Nesa'ie, vol.8, p.16; Kanz Al-Ummal, hadith no. 32878)

O' lord!

Whom did the Messenger (s) call as someone of his Progeny(1) and said: His science is like a sea depth of which cannot be tapped? (2)

O' lord!

About which one of the Companions did the Messenger (s) say that Paradise longs for him? (3)

O' lord!

Which one of his Companions did the Messenger describe that the heavens and the earth had not yet seen someone more honest than him?(4)

True! Salman

True! Abuzar

The very pure people, the very campaigners, the very knowledgeable people!

Your true followers who embraced hardships in preserving religion of the truth at the cost of their life have always been as pioneers of faith and knowledge in the course of long history. There were many of your true followers who sacrificed their life for God in the way of reviving the truth to preserve high values of religion of Mohammad (s). Your true followers who were satiated with pure essence of Mohammad's leadership and grew

P: 127

1- The Prophet (s) knew Salman Farsi as one of his Progenies and said: Salman is a sea of knowledge depth of which cannot be tapped. (Ikhtesas, Sheikh Mufid, p.322)

2- Ibid.

3- Jaber Ibn-e 'Abdullah quotes the Messenger (s) as saying that: Verily, Paradise longs for Salman more than Salman does for Paradise. (Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.22, p.341)

4- The Messenger (s) told about Abuzar: ما أظلّت الخضراء و لا أقلّت الغبراء من ذى لهجة أصدق و لا أوفى من أبي ذر شبه عيسى بن مريم. (Sunan-e Termezi, hadith no. 3802, on Virtue of Abizar) Termezi says in another hadith: ابوذر يمشى في الأرض بزهد عيسى بن مريم. (Sunan-e Termezi, chapter of Virtues of Abuzar)

on the land of the Alawites had always been the freemen of the world. You stood and pioneered firmly in faith and so did your followers; you were chivalrous and lion-like fighter in front of your enemies and so were your followers; you showed reluctance for the world and longed for joining God and so did your followers.

That is why the Messenger (s) told you about you and your Shiites:

O' Ali! You and your Shiites are those who achieve salvation on the Day.(1)

Your supporters are not only those who are people of salvation in the Hereafter but also they are faced with salvation in this world because they have you.

O' Ali! What does Ali mean?! It means all purities of God in the universe; it means all beauties of God in the universe; it means all Graces of God in the universe; it means all joys and pleasures of God in the universe; it means all treasures of God in the universe; it means all secrecies of God in the universe; it means all blessings and gifts of God in the universe!

O' Ali! What does Ali mean?! It means wrath, revenge and agonies of God in the universe!!

Has God not determined Paradise as place of His endless purities, joys,

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1- قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم لعلى عليه السلام يا علي ! أنت و شيعتك الفائزون يوم القيامة. The above hadith which represents truthfulness of Ali ('a) and his Shiites has been broadly cited in Sunni sources including: Siyuti, Al-Durr Al-Manthur, vol. 6, p.379 Showkani, Fath Al-Qadir, vol. 5, p.477 Hakem Neisabouri, Shawahed Al-Tanzil, research of Mohammad Al-Mahmoudi, vol. 1, p.500 Tafsir-e Allusi, vol.30, p.207, under interpretation of verse of Kheyr Al-Beriyya Tarikh-e Dameshq, research of Ali Shiri, vol.42, p.332 Ibn-e Kathir, Al-Kamel, vol. 7, p.312 Tabrani, Al-Mu'ajam Al-Awsat, research of Dar Al-Haramayn, vol.6, p.354 Ibn-e Hajar Heythami, Majma' Al-Zawa'id, vol.9, chapter of "Fi men Yuhebba va fi men Yubghedha, p.131 ► Zarandi Hanafi, Nazm Durr Al-Samtin, chapter of virtues of Ali ('a) and various other sources.

blessings for the true faithful?!

Has God not ordained His Hell as place of His wrath, revenge and agony for atheists and dissidents?!

And has the Messenger (s) not told you: O' Ali! You divide Paradise and Hell among people on the Day? (1)

True!

All these rest within you and you are not these things and you are superior; only God who created you knows you.

Before your birth, you had a rank and dignity in the world light before God and because of that Abraham (s) asked God to make him your Shiite and God accepted his request, saying in His Words:

Verily, Abraham is among his Shiites. (2)

And your brother, the Messenger (s) told you about your Shiites that:

O' Ali!...this friend of mine, Gabriel told me on behalf of God that He has granted seven features to your followers: Easy death, companionship in loneliness, light in darkness, safety in fear, equal scale of acts, passing

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1- قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم لعلى بن أبى طالب علیه السلام يا علي ! إنّك قسيم الجنّة و النار و أنت تقرع باب الجنّة و تدخلها أحبائك بغير حساب. (Hanafi Kunduzi, Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol.1, p.249) The above hadith is found in many in Sunni sources, which is detailed in a separate chapter.

2- « وَ إِنَّ مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ لاَءِ بْراهِيمَ » .. He was one of the followers of Ibrahim (Safat: 83). قال الرجل لعلى بن الحسين عليهما السلام أنا من شيعتكم المخلص. فقال الإمام له فإذن أنت كإبراهيم الخليل الذي قال الله تعالى: «وَ إِنَّ مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ لاَءِ بْراهِيمَ * إِذْ جَاءَ رَبَّهُ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ » فإن كان قلبك كقلبه فأنت من شيعتنا و إن لم يكن قلبك كقلبه و هو طاهر من الغش و الغلّ فأنت من محبّينا و إلا فإنّك إن عرفت أنك بقولك كاذب فيه أنّك لمبتلى بفالج لايفارقك إلى الموت، أو جذام ليكون كفارة لكذبك هذا. (Tafsir-e Al-'Askari, p.309, hadith 155; Tafsir-e Borhan, vol.4, p.603) و قال الصادق عليه السلام قوله عزوجل: وإنّ من شيعة لإبراهيم، أي إنّ ابراهيم عليه السلام من شيعة النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم فهو من شيعة علي عليه السلام وكلّ من كان من شيعة علي فهو من شيعة النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم. (Tafsir-e Borhan, vol.4, p.600)

through the Path into Paradise eighty years before entry of other people.(1)

Ibn 'Abbas asked the Messenger (s) about this Word of Revelation: and those precursors are the nearest to God; Hazrat quoted Gabriel as saying to him: They are Ali and his Shiites; they proceed towards Paradise and they are the nearest to him because of God's Grace and Favor. (2)

The Messenger (s) heralded you about your true followers:

On the Day, your Shiites enter Paradise while they are fully satiated with water and your foes enter while they are fully thirsty and nobody gives them water. (3)

And God says in His Word of Revelation about you and

your followers:

Those who were believers and benevolent are in fact the best people of the universe.(4)

P: 130

1- قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم لعلى عليه السلام يا علي ! هذا حبيبي جبرئيل يخبرني عن الله جل جلاله أنه قد أعطى محبّك و شيعتك سبع خصال: الرفق عند الموت و الأنس عند الوحشة و النور عند الظلمة و الأمن عند الفزع و القسط عند الميزان و الجواز على الصراط و دخول الجنّة قبل سائر الناس من الأمم بثمانين عاما. (Saduq, Amali, p.336; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.65, p.9)

2- رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم وقد سأله ابن عباس عن قول الله جل جلاله: « و السابقون السابقون اولئك المقربون ». قال صلى الله علیه و آله وسلم قال لي جبرئيل ، ذاك على وشيعته هم السابقون إلى الجنّة المقربون من الله بكرامته لهم. (Arbali, Kashf Al-Ghammah, vol. 1, p.306; Sheikh Saduq, p.77)

3- رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم لعلي عليه السلام ترد شيعتك يوم القيامة رواءً غير عطاش و يرد عدوّك عطاشا يستسقون فلا يسقون (Ayun Akhbar Reza (a), vol.2, p.60; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.8, p.20)

4- « إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحاتِ أُولئِكَ هُمْ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ » . Verily, those who sincerely believe in Allah and do righteous deeds, they are the best of the creatures (Bayyenah: 7). Under the above revelation, there are various narrations quoted from the Messenger (s) in Sunni sources, saying: the best creatures are to be Ali ('a) and his Shiites; for example, Ali ('a) told the Messenger (s): أنت يا علي و شيعتك خير البرية. Zarandi Hanafi, Durr Al-Samtin, p.99 Tabarsi, Jame'a Al-Bayan, vol.30, under the above verse, p.335 Shawahed Al-Tanzil, vol.2, p.45 Manaqib-e Khwarazmi, chapter 17, p.266 Tafsir-e Alusi, vol.30, p.207 Ibn-e Kathir, Al-Kamel, vol. 7, p.213 Tarikh-e Baghdad, vol.12, p.284

Jaber, a Companion of the Prophet (s) says about you and your Shiites: I was with the Messenger (s) when Ali (‘a) came close from far and the Messenger (s) said:

I swear to the One who owns my soul that this man and his Shiites will be endowed with salvation on the Day.(1)

You and your true followers are the case of God's Holy Word of Revelation:

Good for them and their benevolence, those who became believers of God and are benevolent! (2)

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1- عن جابر بن عبد الله: كنا عند النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم فأقبل على بن أبى طالبعلیه السلام فقال النبیصلى الله عليه وآله وسلم قد أتاكم أخي، ثم التفت إلى الكعبة فضربها بيده، ثم قال: والذي نفسي بيده ! إن هذا و شيعته هم الفائزون يوم القيامة. (Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol.2, chapter 58, p.357; Najjah Ta'ie, Velayate Ali (‘a) fi Al- Quran men Kotob Al-Sunna, vol.9, p.190; Shawahed Al-Tanzil, vol.2, p.459; Manaqib-e Khwarazmi, p.111)

2- «ألَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ طُوبَى لَهُمْ وَحُسْنُ مَآبٍ » ... Those who believe and do good deeds, theirs will be a blissful life and an excellent home for Return (Ra'ad: 29). Hakem Haskani Neisabouri quotes from Abi Ja'afar, Imam Baqir (‘a) saying that: سئل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم عن قوله تعالى: « طُوبَى لَهُمْ وَ حُسْنُ مَآبٍ .. قال صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: هي شجرة في الجنّة أصلها في دار علي و فرعها على أهل الجنّة. فقيل له صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: سألناك عنها يا رسول الله، فقلت: أصلها في دارى، ثمّ سألناك مرّة أخرى فقلت: شجرة في الجنّة أصلها في دار علي و فرعها على أهل الجنة! فقال صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: إنّ داري و دار علي واحدة. (Shawahed Al-Tanzil, vol.1, p.305) Similarly, some Sunni books read: Ibn-e Mohgazeli, p.268 Siyuti, Al-Durr Al-Manthur, vol.4, p.59 Tafsir-e Qertebi, vol.9, p.317

True! Those whose hearts God brightened by light of faith and certainty never turn to anyone but you.

O' Ali!

Enemies of your Shiites are the very unknowledgeable people whose pride hampered their souls from the Straight Path. Your brother, the Messenger

قال ابن عباس: لما نزلت هذه الآية، قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم لعلى عليه السلام: تأتى أنت و شيعتك يوم القيامة راضيين مرضتين و يأتى أعداؤك غضابا مقمحين.

Ibn-e Mardouyeh, Manaqib, p.346

Siyuti, Al-Durr Al-Manthur, vol. 6, p.376

Mottaqi Hendi, Kanz Al-Ummal, vol.11, p.323

Ibn-e Hajar Heythami, Majma' Al-Zawa'id, vol.9, p.131

Tabrani, Al-Mu'ajam Al-Kabir, vol. 1, p.319

Tafsir-e Alusi, vol.30, p.207

Khatib Baghdadi, Tarikh-e Baghdad, vol.12, p.284 and.....

عن على عليه السلام قال لى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: ألم تسمع قول الله تعالى: « إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ »، هم أنت وشيعتك و موعدي و موعدكم الحوض إذا جاءت الأمم للحساب يدعون غزا محجلين.

Shaw'id Al-Tanzil, vol.2, p.459

Kunduzi Hanafi, Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol.2, chapter 58, p.357

Shawkani, Fath Al-Qadir, vol.5, p.477

Al-Tabari, Mohammad Ibn-e Ali, Besharat Al-Mustafa, p.296 and......

قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم لعلى علیه السلام يا أبا الحسن! أما إنّك وشيعتك في الجنّة.

Heythami, Majma' Al-Zawa'id, vol.9, chapter: Virtue of Ahl-e Bayt (a), p.173

Al-Mu'ajam Al-Awsat, vol.6, p.355 and vol.7, p.343

Kanz Al-Ummal, vol.1, p.223

Tafsir-e Tha'albi, research of Mohammad Ashur, vol.9, p.67

قال ابن سيرين عن الآية: «طُوبَى لَهُمْ وَ حُسْنُ مَآبٍ : هي شجرة في الجنّة، أصلها في حجرة علي و ليس في الجنّة حجرة إلاّ و فيها غصن من أغصانها.

Abubakr Ibn-e Mardawyeh, Al-Manaqib, p.268

Kunduzi Hanafi, Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol.1, chapter 24, p.287

Al-Jame'a Le'ahkam Al-Qur'an, vol.9, p.317

Tarikh-e Baghdad, vol.9, p.317

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: أما علمت أنّ منزلي و منزل علي في الجنّة واحد و قصري و قصر علي في الجنّة واحد و سريري و سرير علي في الجنّة واحد.

(Hakem Neisabouri, Shawahed Al-Tanzil, vol.1, p.306)

P: 132

(s) introduced the Straight Path as your path and said: Your Shiites are on the Straight Path. (1) Besides, the Messenger (s) talked about various emerging sects among Muslims and their differences and introduced path of salvation only your path, saying:

Soon, my ummah will be divided into seventy three sects; all of them are ordained to Hell but followers of Ali. (2)

God assigned you to be Imam for guiding people and commanded His Messenger (s) to tell all people to follow you; (3) your Shiites are those who accepted Call of God and God promised them the eternal Paradise; those who denied you shall expect a deplorable finality; God says in this regard:

Those who accepted Call of God and became His believers shall have best reward and happiest life and those who rejected His Call, they shall expect a hard account and Hell which is a bad resting place even though they possess twice of what is on the earth and give it for compensation [it is not accepted]. (4)

The one who is claimant of knowledge and cognition and has appealed

P: 133

1- قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم لعلى عليه السلام: أنت النبأ العظيم و الصراط المستقيم و أنت المثل الأعلى .. (Sheikh Saduq, Ayun Akhbar Al-Reza ('a), vol. 1, p.9)

2- The Messenger (s) has been quoted in Shiite and Sunni sources: تنقسم أُمتي إلى ثلاث و سبعين فرقة كلّهم في جهنم إلا علي و شيعته. (Hanafi, Manaqib-e Khwarazmi, p.331; Siyuti, Tafsir-e Durr Al-Manthur, vol.3, p.149; Shawahid Al-Tanzil, vol.1, p.204; Manaqib-e Ibn-e Mardawyeh, p.244; Ibn-e Khazzaz Qomi, Kifayat Al-Athar, p.155 and......)

3- The Messenger (s) said in Ghadir-e-Khumm: من كنت مولاه فهذا على مولاه The sources of above hadith-successively cited-will be dealt with in the exclusive chapter.

4- «لِلَّذِينَ اسْتَجَابُوا لِرَبِّهِمُ الْحُسْنَى وَ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا لَهُ لَوْ أَنَّ لَهُمْ مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا وَ مِثْلَهُ مَعَهُ لَاَفْتَدَوْا بِهِ أُوْلَئِكَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ الْحِسَابِ وَ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ» For those who obeyed their Creator's Call [to Monotheism] there will be an excellent reward. But those who do not obey Allah's Call, even if they had all the wealth on the earth and the like thereof with it, and offer it as a ransom to save their lives [it does not profit them] and for them shall be a Severe Reckoning; and their abode will be the Hell, the worst resting place indeed! (Ra'ad: 18)

perfection, intuition and a group of people on an improper direction but insults the Shiites is in reality devoid of knowledge and he is ruled by self- pride and self-centeredness. (1)

Your true followers are actually people of piety and purification; your true followers are people who render worship and invocation in cordiality far from hypocrisy. Shi'a is not only by name; rather, it is performed through faith and practice and your true followers are prone to be people of faith and practice; your Shiites say their prayer rightly on time and prefer it over other things; your Shiites are constantly reciting and mindful of Words of God; your true Shiites are the very people who campaign in the Path of God and they never reconcile with enemies of God and enemies of religion of God; your true Shiites are the very those who expect emergence of the Upholder, your descendant, Mahdi (may Allah hasten his emergence) in order to sacrifice their lives beside him for resuscitation of religion of God.

P: 134

1- Ibn-e-e Arabi, one of the Sunni mystic who is known by his supporters as the father the Islamic gnosis, raises severe enmity against the followers of Ali (‘a); in his writings, he tries to express his vengeance by slandering, defaming and abusing them. In one of his well-noted works titled “Al-Futuhat Makiyya”, Conquests of Mecca, he picked the word Swine, Arabically termed as "Khanrir" that contains inward and outward wickedness with an aim of influencing the people; he thought of trickery to pose it as a discovery from Authorities of God, saying: و منهم [ رجال الله ] الرجبيون و هم أربعون نفسا في كلّ زمان لا يزيدون ولا ينقصون و هم رجال حالهم القيام بعظمة الله و هم ركن الأفراد و هم أرباب القول الثقيل من قوله تعالى: « إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلاً ثَقِيلاً » [ سوره مزمل آیه 5 ] لقيت واحدا منهم... و كان هذا الذي رأيته... كشف الروافض من أهل الشيعة فكان يراهم خنازير... فإذا مر عليه يراه في صورة خنزير فيستدعيه و يقول له تب إلى الله فإنّك شيعي رافضي... » . Rajabites are a group of Authorities of God out of whom there are forty people each time; they never become less or more in number. They stand by Divine Greatness; thet are pillars of people; in holy revelation of Muzzammil: 5, they hold Words of weighty value sent down to them. I met one of them; the one I saw had discovered the inward of the extremist Shiites; he saw them like swines; whenever he passed by one of them, he saw him as a swine saying that, "you are an extremist Shiite, try to seek repentance! (Al-Futuhat Al-Makiyya, vol.2, Chapter of Al-Thalith va Al-Seb'un, p.8)

Theosophy Six

I certify that you welcomed death with open arms to please God and to protect life of your brother, the Messenger (s).

You were always pioneer, proud and victor on divine trials; you not only stood in highest ranks in faith, but also you pioneered in sacrifice and self- devotion. The other sincere faithful people stood far behind you.

In your younghood, you were ready to sacrifice the whole existence of yours-your precious life-to maintain the freshly planted tree of Islam and fearlessly embraced death in the path of God; you sacrificed your life not for gaining Paradise or salvation from the Hell but for gaining satisfaction of God.

Historians have put down the story of your great valor and self-sacrifice in 13th of Hegira:

In 12th and 13th A.H, the Qurayshite atheists found that they are faced with great threat in their whole system because a large number of Muslims in Mecca secretly migrated to Medina in order to be secured from persecutions made by the Quraysh. The Qurayshite atheists were informed that Muslim migrants in Medina had succeeded to draw the attention of a good number of Medina residents to Islam and to pledge allegiance to Prophet of Islam (s). They learned that if Mohammad (s) departs to Medina, Medina will turn out as an important base for him; as a result, they will have to endure a threatening situation.

The doyen of the Quraysh came to meet each other in a place called "Dar Al-Nodwah to find a solution by exchanging their thoughts. People in the meeting rejected the suggestion of jailing the Prophet (s) or letting him, with his hands and feet tied, go by himself on a mean camel in the desert. At last, they came to this conclusion that murdering him is the only way to stop influence of Islam.

The holy Quran explains the meeting as:

When they showed atheism, worked to deceive you, jail you, murder you

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or let you out, they spur trickery and God, in response to them, renders deceit on them and He is the Best to bring trickery.(1)

Therefore, they assigned a warring man of each tribe to nightly assail house of the Prophet (s) and kill him; in this way, all tribes become responsible for his blood and the Hashimites cannot fight with all tribes and only suffice to receive ransom. Forty people were selected and they were supposed to fulfil their mission when night breaks. The Prophet (s) was informed about the perilous plot of Quraysh atheists and made his decision to depart to Medina nightly and to find somebody to sleep on his bed for blinding chase line of the enemy. He did so to make polytheists imagine that he had stayed in the house. This came to be useful in that they would never find his bed empty and would open the routes so that he could move out and take a safe haven.

Now one should see who is willing to sleep on the Prophet's bed to be stricken with forty cutting swords and sacrifices his life for him?!

True O' Amir Al-Mu'amenan!

You were that sacrificial man; you were the first one who kept faith in the Messenger (s) and you were like a butterfly circling around the existential sun of his. When he posed the case to you, you accepted it with little doubt, telling him: O' Messenger of God! Will you be safe if I sleep in place of you? The Prophet (s) said: Yes! I will remain safe.

You fell yourself onto the ground while you had tearful eyes and nice smile on your face and kneeled down to thank God. You stood and said: I do whatever I am missioned to do as the whole soul of mine, my eyes, ears and black spot of my heart, will be sacrificed to you! Command me to what you wish as I am your aide; I do just as you wish me to do and my success

--------------------------

Theosophy Account Six

Ali (a) sleeps on the Prophet's bed and this is compared to Abubakr's company

with the Prophet (s) in Thur cave

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1- « وإِذْ يَمْكُرُ بِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِيُثْبِتُوكَ أَوْ يَقْتُلُوكَ أَوْ يُخْرِجُوكَ وَ يَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ اللهُ وَ اللهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ » . [O' Messenger] And [remember] when the disbelievers plotted against you, they decided to confine you or to kill you, or to expel you from the land; they were plotting and Allah also was planning [against their plot]; and verily, Allah is the Supreme Planner. (Enfal: 30)

comes from God only.(1)

How nice! How nice!

In that very younghood where every young man longs for life, you never asked of life and health but life and health of your brother, the Messenger (s); when he gave you good news of his health, you fell yourself onto the ground and thanked God.

True!

It was because of this you became beloved of and dearest to the Messenger (s); he said about you:

Verily, flesh of Ali comes from mine and so does his blood.(2)

he also said about you:

For me, Ali is similar to my head as it is to my body.(3)

He frequently recommended us about you and said:

Ali comes from me and I come from him; whoever bothers him, he has bothered me.

With such great self-sacrifice, you became more endeared before God and Angels. Since night broke, you laid on the Prophet's bed until he left his house at a suitable time. The very time of that dangerous night you slept on his bed God told His dear Angels of Michael and Gabriel: Which one of you is ready to sacrifice life to the other?! None was ready to do so. God

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1- امض لما أمرت ؛ فداك سمعی و بصری و سویداء قلبی و مرنی بما شئت أكن فيه كمسرتك وأقع منه بحيث مرادك و إن توفيقى إلا بالله. (Amali, Sheikh Tusi, p.465)

2- قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: إنّ عليا لحمه من لحمى و دمه من دمى. (Tarikh-e Madinat-e Damashq, vol.42, p.42; Mottaqi Hendi, Kanz Al-Ummal, hadith 32936)

3- ل الرسول صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: عليّ منّي بمنزلة رأسي من بدني. (Kanz Al-Ummal, hadith 32914) أنّ عليّا منّي و أنا منه و هو ولي كل مؤمن :And said (Sunan-e Ibn-e Majah, vol. 1, p.44; Kanz Al-Ummal, hadith 32938)

said: Now see how Ali Ibn Abitaleb is ready to sacrifice his life for him! (1)

True O' Amir Al-Mu'amenan!

It lasted no long at night when forty people began to besiege Muhammad's house; they peepholed the house and noticed the situation normal. At dawn, the invaders broke into house of revelation and surrounded the bed where Ali (‘a) had slept; You, O' Amir Al-Mu'amenan! Got up and told the invaders: What do you want?! They angrily cried: Where is your cousin, Muhammad?!

You bravely replied: Had you put me to guard him?! Those vicious people became infuriated because of your words and persecuted you a lot.

You, O' Amir Al-Mu'amenan!

You became willing to expose your holy body to cutting swords out of love to protect the Prophet's life; you did as such to beat all lovers of the universe and join the eternity by sacrificing your life for your beloved, the Messenger (s)! Although you survived the assassination, your sacrifice is worthy because you failed to fear danger and embraced death to defend the truth eagerly and with open arms. Such self-devotion of yours was so valuable that God Almighty lauded it in His Book and said it was done for pleasure of God: And some people sell their lives to please God and He is the most Merciful to His worshippers.(2)

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1- Ossad Al-Ghaya, vol.2, p.25; Shawahed Al-Tanzil, vol.1, p.98; Hakem Neisabouri, Mustadrak, vol.3, p. 132; Fakhr-e Razi, Tafsir-e Kabir, vol.5, p.204

2- « وَ مِنَ النّاسِ مَنْ يَشْرى نَفْسَهُ ابْتِغاءَ مَرْضاتِ اللهِ وَ اللهُ رَءُوفٌ بِالْعِبادِ » And from among men, there is one who sells his life, seeking the Pleasure of Allah; and verily, Allah is Kind and Compassionate to His obedient and worshippers. (Baqara: 207) Various Sunni sources read that the above revelation has been sent down on the occasion of Imam Ali (*a) in Leylat Al-Mabit, who slept on the Prophet's bed so that he can leave his house and depart to Medina; these sources include: Ahmad Hanbal in his Musnad, vol. 1, p.221 Th'albi in his Tafsir, vol.2, p.276 Ossad Al-Ghaya, vol.4, p.25 Tafsir-e Tabari, vol.9, p. 140 Tafsir-e Qertebi, vol.3, p.74 Shafe'ie Ganji, Kefayat Al-Taleb, p.114

O' Amir Al-Mu'amenan!

The night when the Prophet (s) was missioned to leave Mecca and you slept on his place, the very man who, according to some histories, later claimed caliphate after him accompanied him on his way. (1)

One, in a comparison, can discover brilliance of your unparalleled faith and magnitude of your spirit. Bed of the Prophet (s) means a place waiting for swords and you are not battling sword only because if you battle sword in a war, you can defend with defensive devices and repel sword and enemy, but you, O' Amir Al-Mu'amenan! Must sleep on bed and pull cloak of the Prophet (s) over your head and show yourself with his garment to let swords land onto you so that your brother, the Messenger (s) can survive.

But the man who accompanied the Messenger (s) hid himself in the cave; despite spider webs woven on the cave door, the enemy was unlikely to see anybody in the cave. Yet, he tried to make noise to attract attention of the polytheists out of fear. For this reason, the Prophet (s) told him: Stop fearing anything!(2)

Moheboddin Tabari, Zakha'er Al-Uqba, p.88

Wahedi, Asbab Al-Nozul, vol. 1, p.42 and various other sources

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1- According to some narrations, when the Messenger (s) moved towards Thur cave to go on hiding, he saw Abubakr on his way there and asked him to join him, but as Tabari says in his history, vol.2, p.374, Abubakr asked Ali (a) of the Prophet's place; he guided him towards Thur cave. The Messenger (s) stayed at Thur cave three nights and was informed about what Quraysh did by Ali (‘a); according to Ibn-e Asaker, Tarikh-e Dameshq, vol.42, p.68, Ali (‘a) took food to the cave and it was him who prepared means of his trip. On the 4th night of Rabi'a Al-Avval, 14th year of Be'athat, Prophethood, he moved towards Medina while he was joined by Abubkar, Amer Ibn-e Fahira, and ‘Abdullah Ibn-e-e Ariqt.

2- إِلا تَنْصُرُوهِ فَقَدْ نَصَرَه اللهُ إِذْ أَخْرَجَهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ثَانِيَ اثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُما فِي الْغارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصاحِبِهِ لا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللهَ مَعَنا فَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ أَيَّدَه بِجُنُودٍ لَمْ تَرَوْهَا وَ جَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا السُّفْلِى وَ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ هِيَ الْعُلْيَا وَ اللهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ » If you do not help the Messenger [it does not matter], for Allah did indeed help him when the disbelievers expelled him; and he was one of the two when they were in the cave, and he said to his companion: "Do not be afraid; surely, Allah is with us." Then Allah sent down His Divine Tranquility upon him and strengthened him with forces which you could not see and made the word of the disbelievers the lowermost, while Allah's Word became the uppermost, and Allah is the Source Wisdom Supreme Power. (Taubah: 40) Sunni scholars see the above revelation that refers to the story of cave as the good reasons behind virtues of Abubakr and called him as cave company; this is emphasized to approve his caliphate and the poets praise him by recalling such idea; for example, Sa'adi says in his Bustan: O' Seyyed, trustworthy and leader, fellow of the cave Collection of virtues and treasury of companionship Men tried to speak of the companions, though a lot But not like you who embarked on dragon's wave (Bustan-e-Sa'adi, beginning of Persian odes) In response, we say: Abubakr's company with the Prophet (s) cannot only leads to his excellence. Abubakr beside the Prophet (s) feared death in the cave and this was while the cave mouth had been obstructed with spider web miracled by God to stop the atheists thinking of the Prophet's probable entry into the cave; he was terrified again as though he raised doubt about Divine Promises for rescuing life of the Prophet (s) as well as victory of Islam over the atheists!! Yet, Amir Mu'amenan, Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb (a) opened arms to welcome the sharp swords without even a little fright and suspicion. Therefore, self-sacrifice of Imam Ali ('a) at Laylat Al-Mabit cannot be compared with company of Abubakr with the Prophet (s) in the cave; there is an earth-to-heaven difference between the two.

True!

At that age, you stopped being frightened by those cutting swords that wanted to tear your body apart, but the man, though being with the Prophet (s) and spider webs being woven on the cave door, failed to keep faith and continued to go on hypocrisy.

Followers of that man argue about his excellence over others when being accompanied by the Prophet (s)!! This is while you showed such self- devotion that night that God, the Praiseworthy, remains proud of it.

True!

That night when you had slept on Muhammad's bed, God revealed to Gabriel and Michael that He ordained death for one of them, saying which one of you shows sympathy and outpaces the other for death?

Both chose to live. They were revealed why they did not look like Ali Ibn Abitaleb who was put Mohammad's brother and We ordained long life for one over the other. But Ali chose death and gave priority to Muhammad's survival; he slept on his bed until he could survive?! Go protect him from

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his enemies! Both landed down, one over his head and the other down his legs, to save him from his enemies; they kept stones away from him; Gbriel told him: Bravo! You, son of Abutaleb! God remains proud of you to the Angels of Seven Heavens.(1)

Not only did you fear anything that night, but also you have always stood brilliant in self-devotedness and jihad in the course of twenty three years of Muhammad's Prophethood; you always embraced dangers and never trembled and showed weakness out of dismay.

Since your endless virtues always remained a thorn in the impure eyes of the hypocrite dissidents, they tried ever to disguise them but they ceased to do so; you kept a name and they left behind nothing but ill-fame and miserability.

One of the hypocrite dissidents and wrongdoers of the history who is one of the great men from the cursed lineage granted four thousand dinars to his sycophant and vassalageous mercenary to tell the above verse (Baqara: 207)-that is revealed by God for your self-devotion and bravery-has been sent down for the most vicious man, the first and the foremost, named Ibn Muljam Moradi-may God curse him.(2)

The wrongdoing man is the very man who with his father fought at their utmost for the atheists to destroy Islam; when they were pulled sword of Islam, they outwardly expressed to be Islamic and inwardly stayed as atheist and held vengeances through martyrdom of descendants of the Messenger (s).

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1- Tarikh-e Ya'qubi and a few other Sunni sources say: إنّ الله عزّ و جلّ أوحى في تلك الليلة إلى جبرائيل وميكائيل أنّى قضيت على أحدكما بالموت فأيكما يواسى صاحبه ؟! فاختار الحياة كلاهما ؛ فأوحى الله إليهما هلا كنتما كعلي بن أبي طالب آخيت بينه و بين محمد و جعلت عمر أحدهما أكثر من الآخر فاختار علي الموت و آثر محمّد بالبقاء و نام في مضجعه اهبطا فاحفظاه من عدوّه فهبط جبرائیل و میکائیل فقعد أحدهما عند رأسه والآخر عند رجليه يحرسانه من عدوّه و يصرفان عنه الحجارة و جبرائيل يقول: بخ بخ لك يا ابن أبي طالب مثلك يباهي الله بك ملائكة سبع سموات ! (Tarikh-e-Ya'qubi, vol.2, p.23)

2- Ibn-e Abi Al-Hadid Mu'atazili in Sharh-e Najul Balagha, vol.4, p.73 says that Mu'awiyya (may God curse him) spent four thousand dinars to spread the word that the holy word of revelation of Baqarah of Quran has been sent down on the occasion of Ibn- e Muljam Moradi (may God curse him).

He is the one who monopolized the government and converted it into kingdom and kingcraft whimsically intended to let azan sayers think off but he himself and his malicious family faded away while ;" اشهد أن محمد رسول الله"

your brother, the Messenger (s) and his pure progeny increasingly gained honor(1)

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1- During his governance period, Mu'awiyyat Ibn-e Abu Sufiyan (may God curse him) had a night meeting with Mughirat Ibn-e Shu'aba (one of his governors and relatives) and talked about his desire of destroying Islam. Motarraf, son of Mughira disclosed the story. He says: I and my father were hosted by Mu'awiyya in Damascus. My father frequented palace of Mu'awiyya a lot and talked to him; on our way back home, he talked about his wisdom and lauded him. One night when he returned from his palace, he was very worried and sad. I found that something had happened and had made him unhappy. I asked him of the reason; he replied: My son! I am coming from the most vicious man of the day! I asked what had happened. He said: I had a private meeting with Mu'aviyya and I told him now that he had captured the throne of governance at the end of his life, he could treat people and the Hashimites in justice and not in misbehavior; I also told him they were his close relatives and no threat on their part was exposed to him while now that Imam Ali (‘a) and Imam Hassan (‘a) had been martyred. Mu'awiyya said: Alas! Alas! Abubakr ruled and rendered justice and after he died, nothing remained of him but his name. Omar ruled as a caliph for ten years and worked a lot, he had only his name remain of himself. Later, our brother, Uthman whose honor lineage was unparalleled assumed caliphate but as he died, he was buried with his name. This man of the Hashimites (s) is called by people in Muslim world five times every day saying: JJ. Now, what way remains there if his name is buried with himself? When Ma'amun, the Abbasid caliph, heard of what Mu'awiyya had said, something that shows his blasphemy, through hadith narrators, he released a circular all around the Islamic lands and ordered Mu'awiyya to be cursed by people. (Mas'udi, Muravvij Al-Zahab, vol.3, p.454, biography of Ma'amun) The Bottomline of theosophy Account As said, Sunnis enumerate Taubah: 40-referring to story of Thur-as noted reasons behind excellences of Abubakr; now pay attention to this debate: Allameh Tabarsi in Ihtijaj and Kerajki in Kanz Al-Fawa'id quote Sheikh Abu Ali Husayn Ibn-e Reqqi that Sheikh Mufid said: I dreamed one night that I am going on a way and I saw a crowd who had gathered around a man telling them a story. I asked who the man was. They said he was Omar Ibn-e Khattab. I went up to see Omar to whom a man was talking. I could not figure out what they were saying. I interrupted them and told Omar: Tell me what excels Abubakr in the verse related to the cave? He said: There are six points in the verse that represent excellence of Abubakr. He then enumerated the six points as follows: a.In Taubah: 40, God makes a mention of the Messenger (s) and ranks Abubakr as the (ثانی اثنین) .second b. In Taubah: 40, God makes a mention both of them together in one place, meaning that Abubakr is highly ranked. This shows their unity. (اذهمان الغار) C. In above verse, God recalls Abubakr as companion of the Prophet (s), which ( إذ يقول لصاحبه) shows high rank of Abubakr d. God tells Abubakr of Muhammad's kindness where, as the verse says, the Prophet (s) says to Abubakr: Be happy!(ولاتحزن) e. The Prophet (s) has told Abubakr that God assists us both equally and defends (إن الله معنا ) .us f. In this verse, God told Abubakr of his revealed tranquility because the Prophet (s) has always had calmness and there is no need of such calmness to be sent ( فأنزل الله سكينته عليه ) .down to him These six points taken from the above verse express supremacy of Abubakr that you and others cannot reject. Sheikh Mufid says: I told him: verily, you fulfilled right of friendship to Abubakr well, but I respond to the six points, if God helps just as a fast wind that scatters ashes on a stormy day and that is: A. Ranking Abubakr as the second is not the reason of his excellence because the faithful and the unfaithful, the faithful and atheist are placed together; when one wants to name one of them, he has to say "the second one". (ثانی اثنین) B. Making a mention of the Prophet (s) and Abubakr fails to denote Abubakr's excellence because the reason of being good is not to be in one place with others; many faithful and unfaithful people are assembled in one place as the faithful and hypocrite dissidents had come in the mosque of Mohammad (s) whose honor outpaces Thur cave. Hence, the holy Quran (Ma'arej: 36-37) says: «فما للّذين كفروا قبلك مهطعين * عن اليمين و عن الشمال عزين» Also, in Noah's Ark where the Prophet Noah (a), the Satan and animals were assembled together, one cannot say assembly in one place can be the reason for excellence. C. As for company, it cannot be reason for excellence because company means being joined with others and the faithful might be joined with the unfaithful as the holy Quran says: «قال له صاحبه و هو يحاوره أكفرت بالّذي خلقك من تراب ... » And his companion after listening to Him said: "Do you disbelieve in the One Who created you out of dust....(Kahf: 37) D. But when the Prophet (s) told Abubakr: Be happy, this can be wrong done by Abubakr rather than his excellence because his sadness was either obedience or sin; if it were obedience, the Prophet (s) would never inhibit it, so it was sin which was inhibited by the Prophet (s). E. But when the Prophet (s) said: "God is with us", it fails to reason that this means both of them, rather it means the Prophet (s) alone and the Prophet (s) mentions himself in plurality just as God says of Himself in the holy Quran in plurality: «إنا نحن نزلنا الذكر وإنا له لحافظون» Verily, We have sent down the Reminder, the Holy Quran, and We will assuredly be the Protector of it. (Hujr: 9) f.But when you said Abubakr had been sent down tranquility, it clashes with the exterior and register of the verse because calmness came down for the one who was helped by Divine Invisible Division according to last part of the verse and he is the Prophet (s). if you want to say both (calmness and help of Invisible Division) came for Abubakr, you should take Prophethood away from the Messenger (s); therefore, tranquility came down for Mohammad (s) because he was the only one in the cave who deserved tranquility. But the holy Quran says that the faithful shared tranquility with the Prophet (s) and it mentions both names: «فأنزل الله سكينته على رسوله و على المؤمنين........» Then, Allah sent down Hid Divine Tranquility on the Messenger and the believers....(Taubah: 26) Therefore, it will be much better if you do not make reasons with this statement (verse of the cave) for your friend. Sheikh Mufid says: Omar could hardly respond to my points, people left him and I was awake.

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Theosophy Seven

I certify that Pride of the Universe People (s) introduced you as his brother in this world and in the world after.

Self-devotion and self-sacrifice in the exalted path is a way chosen by the great men of history. In that young age, you having been dispossessed of the world and its belongings showed to the world people that one must sacrifice his most valuable asset that is sweet life to defend the sublimated values and assist religion of God. With two tearful eyes, you dedicated your precious life to the Messenger of God (s).

You were the most beloved of the Messenger (s) and became more endeared in his eyes! The Messenger (s) was frequently heard saying that, "call my brother, Ali!"

You were so beloved in the heart of the Messenger (s) that he introduced you as the most beloved creature of God among the Companions; when the Messenger (s) was gifted a grilled chicken, he lifted his hands up in the sky praying: O' God! Bring here the most beloved being of Thee to share this food with me! At the moment, door of his house was knocked and he said: Open the door for the most beloved of God. The door was opened to your heart-catching posture that illuminated eyes of the Messenger (s) and gladdened his pure heart. He called you on his food ceremony, saying: You are the most beloved creature of God.(1)

Theosophy Account Seven

Hadith of "Al-Tayr Al-Mashwi"; hadith of "Maw'akha" and hadith of "Sadd Al- Abwāb" in Sunni sources and other various issues

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1- عن انس بن مالك قال: كان عند النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم طير فقال: اللهم ائتنى بأحبّ خلقك إليك يأكل معى هذا الطير فجاء علي، فأكل معه. (Sunan-e Termezi, hadith 3721, chapter of virtues of Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb (‘a)) Nesa'ie, in his Sunan, quotes Anas Ibn-e Malek about traits of Amir Mu'amenan Ali Ibn- e Abitaleb ('a): إنّ النبي صلى الله عليه [ و آله ] و سلّم كان عنده طائر، فقال: اللهم إنتنى بأحبّ خلقك إليك يأكل معى من هذا الطير فجاء أبوبكر فردّه فثم جاء عمر فردّه ثمّ جاء على فأذن له. The late Allameh Amini, in Al-Ghadir, vol.4, p.219, quotes the above hadith from Sunni sources, saying that the hadith has been successively cited among Sunnis. The late Allameh Mir Hamed Husayn Lakanhuie Neisabouri (dead in 1306 A.H) who is one the Shiite ulemas has devoted volume 4 of the valuable book of 'Abaqat Al-Anwar to this hadith and has proven the accuracy of hadith and its successive citation from Sunnis.

When departing from Yathreb to Mecca, the Messenger (s) had stated a will to you to give back deposits of people and depart to Medina along with relatives and the Hashimite women. After the Messenger (s) departed, you stood up a high spot of Mecca and said: Whoever has put deposit something to Mohammad, he shall come and take it. (1) Those having deposited something to Mohammad appreared to take it back. Afterwards, as the Prophet (s) put it a will, accompanied by the honorable daughter of the Messenger (s), Fatima (‘a), Fatima, daughter of Zubayr, your honorable mother, Fatima, daughter of Assad as well as Muslims who had not succeeded to migrate, you headed for Medina.(2)

But spies of Quraysh were informed of your travel, they chased you and blocked your way at Dhajnan and threatened you. Women and children began to moan and you showing bravery defended haram of Islam and Muslims shouting: Whoever wants to have his body mutilated and his blood shed, he can approach us. (3) signs of anger on your holy face horrified the Quraysh agents so strongly that they had no way but surrendering and returning.(4)

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1- من كان له قبل محمّد أمانة أو وديعة فليأت فلنؤد إليه أمانته .. (Ibn-e Sabbagh, Al-Fusul Al-Mohemma, vol. 1, p.303; Subhani, Ja'afar, excerpts from history of Prophet of Islam, p.204) Tabari writes in Tarikh-e Tabari: Ali ('a) stayed in Mecca three days after departure of the Prophet (s) and gave back deposits of people as the Prophet (s) had willed. (Tarikh-e Tabari, vol. 1, p.106)

2- Subhani, Ja'afar, excerpts from history of Prophet of Islam, p. 204; Mir Sharifi, Seyyed Ali, lesson plan for knowing the history of Islam, vol. 1, p.151

3- فمن سره ان أفرى لحمه و أهريق دمه فليدن منّي. (Al-Borhan, vol. 2, p.677)

4- Sheikh Tusi writes in Amali, p.470: The spies of Quraysh were informed about travel of Ali ('a) with a group of people. They intended to chase them and came across him in the region of "Dhajnan". They traded lots of words. Women began to cry moaningly. He observed that he had no way but defending haram of Islam and Muslims and turned to them, saying: Whoever wants to have his body mutilated and his blood shed, he can come close to us. Signs of anger and fury could be seen on his face; agents of Quraysh found that he was serious in what he says, so they tried to treat peacefully and kept moving backward. Being a twenty-year- old young man, Ali (‘a) had women ride on horses and he himself went on foot; since he walked a long way, his feet became injured and grew bleeding. Along with his small caravan, he walked at nights and hid on days until he finally reached village of Qoba on 15th of Rabi'a Al-Avval.

Your brother, the Messenger (s) reached Qoba village 10 km from Medina after several days of walking, where he sojourned in a house until you join him and he arrived in the city of Yathreb.(1)

True!

In those days when the Messenger (s) expected you and your co-travellers in Qoba village, citizens of Yathreb were eager for the Messenger (s) to arrive, but he stayed there in respecting you to join him.

When you arrived in the village, your feet were bleedingly wounded. The Messenger (s) was told that you had come but you had no strength to

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1- The Prophet (s) arrived in Qoba on 12th of Rabi'a Al-Avval and Ali ('a) joined him in the middle of the same month. As narrated by Tabarsi in A'lam Al-Wari, p.66: At night, Abubakr separated his way from the Prophet (s) and arrived in Medina and stopped by the house of one of the Helpers. After a while, Abubakr went back to Qoba and told the Prophet (s): Do you not step in Medina? People are waiting for you. The Prophet (s) said: لا أريم من هذا المكان حتى يوافى أخي علي I do not leave this place until my brother, Ali comes. Abubakr said: I don't think Ali comes soon! The Prophet (s) said: «بلى ما أسرعه إن شاء الله » If God willing, he will come soon. As Kulayni narrated in Kafi, vol.8, p.340, the Prophet (s) said: «كلا! ما أسرعه و لست اريم حتى يقدم ابن عمّى و أخي في الله عزّ و جلّ و أحبّ أهل بيتي إليّ، فقد وقاني بنفسه من المشركين» Never! He will come soon. I don't leave this place until my cousin, my brother in the way and the most beloved man of my Progeny comes to me. He dedicated his life to save me from the atheists.

appear to him. The Messenger (s) immediately reached the place where you were and eagerly hugged you. When he saw your wounded feet, he began to cry much.(1)

After you had your feet healed, you joined the Messenger (s) to move towards Yathreb and you entered into the city while people enthusiastically welcomed you there.

When the Messenger (s) settled in Yathreb-which is now fortunately named Madinat Al-Nabi by virtue of his arrival ordered his Companions to erect a mosque; you too along with him and other companions accomplished construction of a small and simple mosque.

Once the simple building of mosque was completed, a number of migrants built their houses around the mosque and opened a door of their houses overseeing the mosque so that they can enter it directly from there. Several days passed in this way, sudden command reached from God that all private doors to the mosque except that of yours and the Prophet's must be closed! (2)

P: 148

1- Ibn-e Athir says in Kamel, vol.2, p.75 and Ibn-e Shaker says in Ayun Al-Tawarikh, vol.1, p.102: When Ali ('a) stepped in Qoba with his wounded feet, the Prophet (s) said: Call Ali to come to me. They said: He cannot walk. Hazrat himself went to see Ali ('a) and hugged him; when he saw his wounded feet, he began to cry. He rubbed Ali's feet with his saliva and from then on, Amir Mu'amenan never complained of his feet pain until he was martyred. As long as the Prophet (s) stayed in Qoba, he erected a mosque; it is said that this was the first mosque built in Islam.

2- This is known as "Sadd Al-'Abwab" in the history of Islam. This is quoted by many Shiite and Sunni scholars; for example: عن ابن عباس قال: إنّ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم أمر بسد الأبواب إلا باب علي [ عليه السلام ] (Sunan-e Termezi, vol. 5, p.305; Hanafi Kunduzi, Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol. 1, p.257) في مسند أحمد بن حنبل عن زيد بن أرقم قال: كان لنفر من الصحابه أبواب شارعة في المسجد، فقال رسول الله صلی الله عليه وآله وسلم: سدّوا هذه الأبواب إلا باب علي ، فقال بعضهم فيه، فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم ما سددت شيئا ولا فتحته ؛ ولكنّى أمرت بشيء فاتبعته (Musnad Ahmad Ibn-e Hanbal, Chapter of Vitrues of Ali ('a) ابن مغازلى... عن ابن عباس و عن ابن عمر قال: فخرج رسول صلی الله عليه وآله وسلم إلى المسجد فقال: إن الله أوحى إلى نبيه موسى أن ابن لي مسجدا طاهرا لايسكنه إلا موسى وهارون، و إنّ الله أوحى إلي أن أبني مسجدا طاهرا لا يسكنه إلا أنا و علي و ابنا علي. (Manaqib-e Ibn-e Moghazeli Shafe'ie, p.205) Termezi, one of the Sunni great hadith writers, says: عن ابن عباس: أنّ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم أمر بسد الأبواب إلا باب علي. (Sunan-e Termezi, chapter of virtues of Ali ('a), hadith 3733) According to narrations, when Uthman was caliph, two hundred Migrants and the Helpers had assembled in the Prophet's mosque and each described his own virtues; at the same time, Hazrat Amir Mu'amenan (a) had kept silent until some people told him why he did not speak! Then, Amir Mu'amenan (‘a) enumerated his virtues one by one and all those present there gave testimony to accuracy and truth of his virtues; one of the virtues he raised was this: Do you confess that the Messenger purchased land of his mosque and built it; he then built ten houses around it out of which nine was his and the tenth was made for me; except door of my house, he closed all doors to the mosque? A number of people said something and the Prophet (s) said: I didn't close doors of your house and I didn't open Ali's; rather, God ordered me to do as such. Also, the Prophet (s) prohibited everybody but me to sleep in the mosque; I defiled the mosque and my house and his house was the same in the mosque. They said: We swear to God it is true! [it should be noted that the matter of being defiled in the mosque is devoted to both Ali (a) and the Prophet (s) because their infallibility and purity which is dispossessed of the non-infallibles; this is cited in Sunni sources; such as Termezi quoting Abu Sa'id who quotes the Messenger (s): قال رسول الله (صلى الله عليه و آله و سلّم) لعلي عليه السلام يا علي ! لا يحلّ لأحد يجنب في هذا المسجد غيرى و غيرك (Sunan-e Termezi, virtues of Ali ('a), hadith 3727) Imam Ali (‘a) continued to say: Do you confess that Omar insisted that he open a gap as large as eye to the mosque; but Hazrat did not permit him to do so, saying: God commanded the Moses (a) to build a clean mosque to accommodate him, Harun and his two sons and nobody else; He also ordered me to erect a pure mosque to accommodate me, my brother and his two sons. They said: We swear to God that it is true! (Ibn-e Qeys Helali, Salim, hadith book, hadith 10)

This closure of doors made a fuss among a few people assuming that this is an exception familially and emotionally; in order to clarify the case, the Messenger (s) said: I swear to God! I neither closed nor opened anything, I just obeyed order of God.(1)

P: 149

1- «و إنّى و الله ! ما سددت شيئا و لا فتحته ولكنّى أمرت بشيء فاتبعه » (Musnad-e Ahmad Ibn-e Hanbal, vol.4, p.369; Sira-e Halabi, vol.3, p.346; Jawziyya, Sebt Ibn-e, p.46 et.al.) Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.39, p.23 says that when the Prophet (s) ordered closure of doors facing the mosque, Omar Ibn-e Khattab appeared and said: O' the Messenger (s)! I like to watch you saying prayer in the mosque; let me have a window open through which I can see you. Hazrat said: God has not allowed this to happen. He said: Let me have it as wide as my face? Hazrat said: God has not allowed this to occur. He said: Let me have it as large as my eyes? Hazrat said: God rejects it and if you say you can have as big as tip of a needle, you are not permitted to have it. I swear to the One who keeps my life! I have neither let you out nor let him in; rather, God has let him in and let you out.

True!

You were so high in rank before God that He only permitted you and the Messenger (s) to open door of your house towards the mosque, but the other doors must be kept closed.

Conclusion of pledge of brotherhood with his Companions was one of the important measures the Messenger (s) took when arriving in Medina. He was given a mandate from God to make the Helpers and Migrants set a brotherhood treaty in order to keep hearts of Muslims closer to one another; hence, one day, he told his Companions in a general gathering: Make brotherhood promise two by two religiously. (1) He then turned to Muslims and said: You become brother of the so-and-so and in this way, he announced three hundred of them to become religious brothers of each other.

When business of brotherhood came to an end, you weepingly told the Messenger (s): O' Messenger (s)! You settled promise of brotherhood among your Companions but you did not do so between me and the other one?

While smiling, he turned to you and said:

P: 150

1- تأخوا في الله أخوين أخوين (Sira-e Halabi, vol.2, p.91) Ibn-e Asaker quotes Imam Ali ('a) in his Tarikh-e Damashq, vol. 1, p.108: الإمام على عليه السلام للنبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم لما آخي بين أصحابه - لقد ذهب روحي و انقطع ظهري حين رأيتك فعلت بأصحابك ما فعلت غيري فإن كان هذا من سخط عليّ العتبي والكرامة ! فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: و الذي بعثني بالحق ما أخّرتك إلا لنفسي و أنت منّي بمنزلة هارون من موسى، غير أنه لا نبي بعدي و أنت أخي و وارثي.

O' Ali! I never delayed pledge of brotherhood with you unless I called you my brother; you only deserve being my brother in this world and the other world.(1)

He then opened his fragrant arms and embraced you as wide as Paradise, saying:

Two thousand years before creation of the Heavens and the earth, it was inscribed on the transom of Paradise that Mohammad is the Messenger of God and Ali is his brother.(2)

God knows when the Messenger (s) eagerly and enthusiastically hugged you, one of the most beautiful scenes of world of creation manifested itself. At that time, hearts of cordial Companions of the Messenger (s) were overfilled with joy and Angels in the Heavens flowered your name and name of the Messenger (s)-registered on the Heavens-with light and chanted Salawat (Peace may befall upon the Messenger (s) and his Progeny).

When the Messenger (s) hugged you, you smelled fragrance of his body that was more fragrant than the fountain drink of the Paradise (3) and he too

P: 151

1- Termezi, one of the well-known Sunni scholars, quotes Ibn-e Omar in his Sahih: آخی رسول الله صلى الله علیه و آله وسلم بين أصحابه، فجاء علي [ سلام الله عليه ] تدمع عيناه فقال: یا رسول الله! آخیت بین أصحابك و لم تؤاخ بيني و بين أحد، فقال له رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلّم: أنت أخي في الدنيا و الآخرة. (Sunan-e Termezi, hadith 3720, chapter of virtues of Ali (‘a)) The story of brotherhood of the Messenger (s) with Amir Mu'amenan Ali (‘a) has been cited in various Sunni sources: Hakem Neisabouri, Al-Mustadrak Alalsahihin, vol.3, p.14 Ibn-e Athir, Ossad Al-Ghaya, vol.5, p.300 Heythami, Majma' Al-Zawa'id, vol.9, p.112 Fath Al-Bari, vol.7, p.211 Tarikh-e Baghdad, vol. 12, p.263 Mottaqi Hendi, Kanz Al-Ummal, vol. 13, p.140 Hanafi Kunduzi, Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, pp. 94-95 Ansab-o-Al-Ashraf, p.145; and tens of other sources

2- Ibn-e Moghazeli, in his Manaqib, p.91, quotes the Prophet (s) as saying: مكتوب على باب الجنّة قبل أن يخلق الله السماوات والأرض بألفي عام محمد رسول الله و عليّ أخو رسول الله.

3- Tasnim is named as an effervescent fountain in Pradise from which those closest to God drink and other Paradise-prone people drink an intermixture of Tasnim: «إِنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ لَفِي نَعِيمِ * عَلَى الْأَرَائِكِ يَنْظُرُونَ * تَعْرِفُ فِي وُجُوهِهِمْ نَضْرَةَ النَّعِيمِ * يُسْقَوْنَ مِنْ رَحِيقٍ مَخْتُومٍ * خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ وَ فِي ذلِكَ فَلْيَتَنافَسِ الْمُتَنافِسُونَ * وَ مِزاجُهُ مِنْ تَسْنِيمِ * عَيْنا يَشْرَبُ بِهَا الْمُقَرَّبُونَ» Verily, the righteous will be in the blissful Paradise; leaning against the raised sofas, they watch and appreciate the beauty of the bounties of Allah; you will recognize in their face the brightness and the beam of happiness; they will be given the pure drink from a jar which is sealed, the seal of the drink is pure musk so they inhale the scent of it eagerly, and it is mixed with the water of Tassnim Fountain, a Fountain [in the lofty part of the Paradise] whereof drink those nearest to Allah. (Mutaffifin: 22-28)

smelled your perfumed body that was more fragrant than the nectar creek of the Paradise (1) ; this good fragrance of brotherhood between you and the Messenger (s) perfumed scent to bereaved mystics of your Pure and Infallible Progeny for ever in the world, hell, the other world and Paradise.

True!

With this brotherhood promise, the Messenger (s) wanted to make everybody realize that you are not only the most endeared of his loved ones, but also you are his partner in all ranks except Prophethood as he uttered other words about you:

O' Ali! Are you not pleased if I say your position and rank in relation to me is the same as that of Harun's in relation to Moses; the only difference is that you are not Prophet.(2)

P: 152

1- Salsabil is named as a flagrant and flavorous stream in Paradise from which the Paradise-prone people drink: وَ جَزاهُمْ بِما صَبَرُوا جَنَّةً وَ حَرِيرًا * مُتَّكِثِينَ فِيها عَلَى الْأَرَائِكِ لا يَرَوْنَ فِيهَا شَمْسًا وَ لا زَمْهَرِيرا " وَ دَانِيَةً عَلَيْهِمْ ظِلالُها وَ ذُلَّلَتْ قُطُوفُها تَذْلِيلاً * وَ يُطافُ عَلَيْهِمْ بِآنِيَةٍ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ وَ أَكواب كانَتْ قَوارِيرًا * قَوارِيرًا مِنْ فِضَّةٍ قَدَّرُوها تَقْدِيرًا * وَ يُسْقَوْنَ فيها كأسا كانَ مِزَاجُها زَنْجَبِيلاً * عَيْنا فِيهَا تُسَمّى سَلْسَبِيلاً And because they were patient and steadfast in Allah's Way, He will reward them with Gardens of Paradise and garments of pure silk; they will lean against the raised sofas and they shall not suffer there from the intensive heat and cold, the weather is quite pleasant, trees of the Garden shall spread their shadow on them; and fruits are available to them, and they can pluck fruits from the low and near branches, the waiters serve drinks, out of silver cups and crystal jars, the silver cups are of various sizes and they are given a drink which tastes of ginger [it gives warmth to the body, and zest to the taste]; this drink is from a fountain which is named Salsabil. (Insaan: 12-18)

2- قال النبي صلى الله علیه وآله وسلم لعلی علیه السلام: أنت منى بمنزلة هارون من موسى إلا أنه لا نبي بعدي. This hadith by which the Prophet of Islam (s) proves all of his ranks except his Prophethood for Ali (‘a) is one of the most important evidence of proven direct caliphate and Imamate of our lord, Imam Ali (‘a). The above hadith can be successively discovered in Sunni sources; they are: Sahih-e Bukhari, vol.4, p.208 Sahih-e Moslem, vol. 7, p.120 Sunan-e Ibn-e Majah, vol.1, chapter of virtue of Ali ('a) Sunan-e Termezi, vol.5, chapter of virtues of Ali (‘a) Hakem Neisabouri, Mustadrak, vol. 2, p.337 ► Ibn-e Hanbal, Ahmad, Musnad, vol. 1, p. 170 Heythami, Majma' Al-Zawa'id, vol.9, chapter of rank of Ali ('a) Beyhaqi, Al-Sunan Al-Kobra, vol.9, chapter on ma Alalwali men 'Amr Al-Jaysh, p.40; and tens of other sources

Theosophy Seven

He also said about you:

You are from me and I am from you. (1)

And he said:

Whoever bothers Ali, he has bothered me. (2)

And he said:

Looking at your face is worship. (3)

P: 153

1- قال النبي صلى الله علیه و آله وسلم لعلی علیه السلام: أنت منى و أنا منك .. The above hadith can by itself prove direct leadership and caliphate of Imam Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb (a) because in this hadith Ali ('a) has been shown in existence the same as the Prophet (s); therefore, the one who is like the Prophet (s) deserves caliphate and succession of the Messenger (s) after his demise is Ali ('a) just as the Messenger (s) repetitively spoke of Ali's succession particularly in Hojjat Al-Weda' at Ghadir-e-Khum and made ultimatum for people by announcing leadership and caliphate of Ali (‘a). The above hadith (انت منی و انا منک) is abundantly existent in various Sunni sources including: Hakem, Al-Mustadrak, vol.3, p. 120 Beyhaqi, Al-Sunan Al-Kobra, vol.8, chapter on virtues of Ali ('a), p.57 Nesa’ie, Al-Sunan Al-Kobra, vol.5, p.127; قول النبی صلی الله علیه و اله وسلم علی کنفسی and other various sources

2- قال الرسول صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: من آذى عليا فقد آذاني (Hashiya Shawahed Al-Tanzil, vol. 1, p.96; Ibn-e Hanbal, Ahmad, Musnad, vol.3, p.483; Majma' Al-Zawa'id, vol.9, p.129)

3- قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: النظر إلى على عبادة. (Ganji Shafe 'ie, Kefayat Al-Taleb, p.123; Manaqib-e Khwarazmi, p.32; Kanz Al-Ummal, vol. 11, p.601 and.....)

He cautioned your opponents and enemies that whoever passes away under enmity and racour of Ali, he has died under Jewish or Christian religion rather than Islam.(1)

And the Messenger (s) called you the great trustworthy.(2)

He further said about you:

Ali is Imam of virtuous people; he is killer of enemies of God; whoever helps him, he shall be triumphant and his ill-wishers and adversaries are downgraded.(3)

He told you:

You are my legatee in my Progeny and my caliph among my ummah. (4)

P: 154

1- قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم لعلى عليه السلام يا علي ! لا يبالى من مات و هو يبغضك مات يهوديا أو نصرانيا. (Manaqib-e Al-e Abitaleb, vol. 3, p.10; Daylami, Al-Ferdows, vol.2, hadith 315, p.244; Al-Serat Al-Mostaqim, vol. 1, p. 153; Ibn-e Moghazeli, Manaqib, p.63)

2- أخذ النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم العهد عن الأمة بحفظ علي عليه السلام و قوله أنه الصديق الأكبر .. Sunan-e Ibn-e Majah, researched by Faw'ad, Mohammad Javad, vol.1, p.44 Hakem Neisabouri, Al-Mustadrak, vol.3, p.111 Heythami, Majma' Al-Zawa'id, chapter on Nicknames, p.120 Al-Riyadh Al-Nadarat, vol.2, p.155 Ibn-e Moghazeli, Manaqib, p.269 Siyuti, Al-Durr Al-Manthur, vol.5, p.328 Shawahed Al-Tanzil, vol. 1, pp. 154-155 and other various sources

3- قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم على إمام البررة و قاتل الفجرة ؛ منصور من نصره و مخذول من خذله. Hakem Neisabouri, Al-Mustadrak Alalsahihin, vol. 3, p.126 Tarikh-e Baghdad, vol.4, p.441 Ibn-e Asaker, Tarikh-e Damashq, vol.42, 226 Ibn-e Adi, Al-Kamel, vol. 1, p.192 Al-Heythami, Al-Sawa'iq Al-Moharreqah, p.193 and other various sources

4- قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم في على عليه السلام أنت وصيّى في أهلي وخليفتي في أمتى . The theme of the above hadith is found many in various Sunni sources, saying that the Prophet (s) explicitly clarifies succession of Ali (‘a); including: Ibn-e Asaker, Tarikh-e Dameshq, researched by Ali Shiri, vol.42, p.42 Ibn-e Hajar, Lesan Al-Mizan, vol.3, p.283 Zahabi, Mizan Al-E'tedal, vol. 2, p.3 ▸ Ibn-e Mardawyah, virtues of Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb ('a), researched by 'Abdulrazzaq Mohammad, p.26 Nesa'ie, Al-Sunan Al-Kobra, vol.5, p. 112 ذكر قول النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم في على [ عليه السلام ] Ibn-e 'Adi, 'Abdullah, Al-Kamel, vol.4, p.229

About your endless God-given virtues, he said:

If trees turn out to be pens, seas become their ink and jinns and people take account of it, virtues of Ali Ibn Abitaleb cannot be collected.(1)

Also, he has made a pledge to your sworn enemies and deniers of your virtues and God-given position that they will be mustered on the Resurrection while they carry a ring of fire flames on their necks as God Dooms it! (2)

P: 155

1- Majma' Al-Zawa'id, vol.8, p.205 and other various sources قال الرسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: لو أنّ الرياض أقلام و البحر مداد و الجنّ حساب و الإنس كتاب ما أحصوا فضائل عليّ بن أبي طالب. Hakem, Al-Mustadrak, vol.3, p.107 ► Khwarazmi Hanafi, Manaqib, p.32 Kunduzi Hanafi, Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol.1, hadith 713, p.364 Ibn-e Hajar, Lesan Al-Mizan, vol.5, p.62 ► Daylami, Al-Ferdows, p.241 Zahabi, Mizan Al-E 'tedal, vol. 3, p.466 and other sources

2- ابن مردويه عن ابن عباس عن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم أنه قال: يحشر الشّاك في على من قبره و في عنقه طوق من نار فيه ثلاث مأة شعلة، على كلّ شعلة شيطان يلطخ وجهه حتّى يوقف موقف الحساب. (Ibn-e Mardawyah, Abubakr Ahmad Ibn-e Musa, p. 717 مناقب على بن أبى طالب [ عليه السلام | و ما نزل من القرآن في على [عليه السلام ] Manaqib-e Khwarazmi, p.329)

P: 156

Theosophy Eight

I certify that you are constantly with the Truth and the Truth joins you.

The right always wins and the wrong fades away (1) in the Everlasting Words of God and your brother, the Messenger (s) announced you, in his precious words, accompany the truth and the truth constantly accompanies you:

Ali is with the Truth and the Truth with Ali; wherever Ali goes, He goes with Ali.(2)

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Theosophy Account Eight

Hadith of Ali Ma’a' Al-Haqq, in Sunni sources and various other issues

P: 157

1- (81 : 'Isra) ( وَقُلْ جاءَ الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْباطِلُ إِنَّ الْبَاطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقا » .. لما ألقى علي [عليه السلام ] صنم هبل من على ظهر الكعبة إلى الأرض نزل قوله تعالى: « وَقُلْ جاءَ الْحَقُّ » يعنى قول لا إله الا الله محمد رسول الله « وَ زَهَقَ الْباطِلُ » یعنى ذهاب عبادة الأصنام. « إِنَّ الْباطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقا » يعني ذاهبا. (Shawāhid Al-Tanzil, Ḥākim Ḥaskāni Neishābūri Hanafi, vol. 1, p.453)

2- The above hadith is consecutively found in Sunni sources, example of which are the Nabavi hadiths cited here: قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم على مع الحق والحق مع على يدور معه حيثما دار. Majma' Al-Zawa'id, Ibn-e-e Ḥajar Heythami, vol.7, fi Yum Al-Jur'ah, p. 235 Al-M❜ayār va Al-Muvāzinah, Al-Eskāfi, p.35 Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balaghah, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol.2, p.297 History of Baghdad, Yūsuf Ibn-e-e Ya'aqub, vol.14, p.322 Kanz Al-Ummāl, Mutaqqi Hindi, vol.5, p.30 Manaqib-e Ali (‘a), Abubakr Ibn-e-e Marduyih, chapter Thāmin, p.113 History of Damascus, vol.42, p.449 Yanābi'a Al-Mawadda, Sheikh Suleyman Hanafi Qundūzi, vol. 1, chapter 9, p.173 قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: رحم الله عليّا ! اللهم أدر الحق معه حيث دار. God may bless Ali! O' God! Keep truth with Ali where he stays. (Sunan Termezi, vol.2, chapter on virtues of Ali ('a), p.298; Ḥākim Neishābūri in Mustadrak Alal-ṣaḥihin, vol.3, p.124) Khatib Baghdadi says in history of Baghdad, vol. 14, p.321 cited himself from Abu Thabit Mawlaya Abuzar as: One day, I stopped by Umma Salama's house and saw her weeping; she remembers Ali (a) and says: I heard the Messenger (s) say: على مع الحق والحق مع على و لن يفترقا حتى يردا على الحوض يوم القيامة. ***** Abalhassan Nuruddin Al-Heythami says in Majma' Al-Zawa'id va Manba' Al-Fawa'id, vol.7, p.235 cited himself from Mohammad Ibn-e-e Ibrahim Tamimi as: When Mu'awiyya came to Medina for hajj pilgrimage, people went to greet him, Sa'ad Ibn-e-e Abi Waqqāṣ was one of them; seeing him, Mu'awiyya said: This is the man who did not help us to seize our right against wrong! (Sa'ad remained impartial in șiffin battle. Sa'ad kept silent and said nothing. Mu'awiyya said: Why don't you say anything? He said: A sedition and oppression spurred and I told my camel as ordered by God: “Ouch, Ouch" and kept it on place. A man said: I have read the Book of God from A to Z and nowhere did I see anything like "Ouch, Ouch". Sa'ad said: I said this hearing the Prophet على مع الحق والحق مع على حيث كان :(s) says The man said: Who has heard this hadith (to testify its accuracy)? Sa'ad said: The Messenger (s) said this in the house of Umma Salama. Mu'awiyya sent someone to Umma Salama's house to ask about this. Umma Salama said: In fact, this statement is made by the Messenger (s) in my house. The man told Sa'ad: You've never been revealed to be mean to me this hour! Sa'ad said: Why? The man said: If I had heard this from the Messenger (s), I would have been servant of Ali (‘a) until my death. Heythami mentions elsewhere in the book, vol.9, p.134 as narrated by Ṭabrāni quoting from Umma Salama as saying: كان علي [ عليه السلام ] على الحق ؛ من اتبعه اتبع الحق و من تركه ترك الحق. ******* Majma' Al-Zawā'id, vol.7, p.234 narrated by Abu Sa'id Khidri as well as Kanz Al- Ummal, vol. 12, p.125 quoting from Abu Sa'id read: كنا عند بيت النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم في نفر من المهاجرين والأنصار... ( إلى أن قال ) و مرّ عليّ بن أبي طالب [ عليه السلام ] فقال صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: الحق مع ذا الحق مع ذا. 'Alla'eddin Mutaqqi Hendi said in Kanz Al-Ummal, vol.12, p.1256 as narrated by Tabrāni in Al-Mu'ajam Al-Kabir that: The Messenger (s) said: تكون بين الناس فرقه و اختلاف فيكون هذا وأصحابه على الحق يعني علي. ******* In Sunni books, 'Ammar Ibn-e-e Yasir and Abu Ayyub Anṣāri have quoted a hadith in this regard from the Messenger (s) as follows: يا عمار! إن رأيت عليّا قد سلك واديا وسلك الناس واديا غيره فاسلك مع على ودع الناس، إنّه لن يدلك على ردى و لن يخرجك من الهدى. O' 'Ammar! If you saw Ali goes on a way and all people go on a different way, you choose Ali's way and leave the other people; be assured that he never directs you towards guidance. (Kanz Al-Ummal, vol. 12, p. 1212; history of Baghdad, Khatib Baghdadi, vol.2, p.88; Riyadh Al-Nadrah, Tabari, vol.2, p.193; Kanūz Al-Ḥaqāyiq, Manāvi, p.43; Tarikh Madinat Dameshq, vol. 42, p.672)

P: 158

The strongly standing way is that of yours; the strong words are those of yours; your way is the very Straight Path (1) that we, Muslims, have a duty to demand God ten times in our daily prayer service.

People are of two kinds: they either follow the right or are after the wrong; whoever chose you, he would cover the right way and whoever turned away from you, he would willy-nilly step towards the wrong that is the hell.

Those claiming that they resorted to the holy Quran and abandoned your leadership shall know that they never enjoy Words of God; your brother, the Messenger (s) said of you and your link to the holy Quran:

Ali is with the Truth and the holy Quran and the Truth and the holy Quran is with Ali and they are inseparable as long as they meet me at the Pond of Abundance.(2)

You yourself said in your bright words:

I am the speaking Quran.(3)

People of the wrong hanged the holy Qurans on spears and stood against you; a group of people were deceived by them, collapsed inside the wrong, (4) while the spirit and reality of the holy Quran remained with them.

P: 159

1- قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم لعلى عليه السلام أنت النبأ العظيم و الصراط المستقيم و أنت المثل الأعلى. . . (Uyūn Akhbār Ridā (‘a) Sheikh Saduq, vol.2, p.6; Biḥār Al-Anwār, vol.37, p.111) قال سید الرسل صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: تنقسم أمتي إلى ثلاث وسبعين فرقة كلّهم في جهنم إلا علي وشيعته. (Manaqib, Khwārazmi Hanafi, p.331; Tafsir Al-Durr Al-Manthur, Siyūți, vol. 3, p.149; Fath Al-Bāri, Ibn-e-e Hajar, vol. 13, p.46 and....)

2- على مع الحق و القرآن و الحق و القرآن مع على و لن يفترقا حتى يردا على الحوض (Al-Ghadir, vol.3, p. 178; Rabi'a Al-Abrar, Zamashkhari, vol.2, p.173)

3- قال الإمام على [ عليه السلام ]: أنا القرآن الناطق. (Manaqib Ibn-e-e Maghazili, p.50; Yanābi'a Al-Mawaddah, Qunduzi Ḥanafi, vol.1, chapter 14, p.214)

4- Battle of Imam Ali (‘a) against Mu'awiyyamay Allah curse him in siffin was mentioned, where Mu'awiyya's army was defeated and destroyed by the army of Amir Al-Mu'amenin (‘a); Amru Aş, Mu'awiyya's advisor told him that they hang the Qur'ans over spears to betray Ali's army and tell them war and bloodshed is enough; let the Qur'an arbitrate between us. They hanged the Qur'ans over spears and a group of weak-faith companions of Imam were deceived. Imam told them not to be deceived however possible and they are exposed to destruction and want to save themselves by using such a trick and that he is the speaking Qur'an. But they paid no attention to what Imam said, so arbitration between them was raised and Mu'awiyya's army won through ploys of Amru Aş in the arbitration!

And now the nice, gilded and calligraphically written Qurans are being placed on spears through new ploys staged by those opposing your leadership; a group of people blindly escort them and they are negligent that the holy Quran is with you and it lies within your heart; and call of the Messenger (s) always fills the history that: O' people! Know that Ali is with the Truth and Quran and Quran and the Truth is with Ali forever.

But Alas! Many of ears look like gates and people again pursue the gilded Qurans hanged on spears despite the unending call of the Messenger (s) made at Ghadir-e-Khumm that:

Whomever I am his lord, Ali is too.(1)

And you yourself stated:

I am the very memory forgotten and the same path from which they are deviated; I am the very faith that is blasphemized and the very Quran that is forlorn; I am the religion that is being denied and the straight path from which they have turned away. (2)

You permanently called people on the Truth and trustworthiness and you behaved people tenderly like your brother, the Messenger (s); you constantly cautioned them to fear God and remember the hard Day of Judgment.

P: 160

1- «من كنت مولاه فهذا على مولاه» Sunni sources consecutively report about what the Prophet (s) said of Imamate and caliphate of Imam Ali (‘a) in Ghadir-e-Khumm. This will be discussed in the following sections.

2- أنا الذكر الذي عنه ،ضل، و السبيل الذي عنه مال و الايمان الذي به كفر و القرآن الذي إيَّاه هجر و الدين الذي به كذب و الصراط الذي عنه نكب. (Tafsir-e Nur Al-Thaqalayn, vol.4, p.12)

O' people! I recommend you to seek piety that controls and strengthens you, so cling to threads of piety (Book of God and Ahl-e Bayt (a)) and seek shelter in their facts so that you would be led towards destined tranquility, lofty positions, sturdy sanctuaries and honorific homes on the day when your eyes become stared; everywhere becomes darkened to man and herds of camels and properties are forgotten because when the Day comes and Israfil's Trumpet is blown, hearts stop thumping, tongues fail to speak, lofty mountains and rocks fall down and their hard parts become soft like mirage; mountains are levelled with the ground as if there remains no ups and no downs; at this time, there is no intercessor to intercede, there is no friend to provide benefits and there will remain no apology beneficial. (1)

You then compassionately warn people of identity of this world and the other world:

O'people! This world is a place of departure and the other world remains your eternal home; therefore, save source from this transient home to your eternal home; keep yourself obedient and avoid committing sins because He always watches you. Before you leave your physical bodies, try to leave your hearts; you have been tested in this world and been created for the world after. Someone who passes away, people say: what has he left behind? But Angels say: What has he saved for future? (2)

You continued to say:

I frighten you from the mundane life because it is a place for dislocation rather than for unending survival. This world has decorated itself with pride and it deceives man with pride and beauty.

This world is a home trivial compared to Paradise because lawful (halal) is mixed with unlawful (harām) and its wells are intermeshed with ills; death lies within its life and it is tasteful and distasteful together. God never chose it for friends but He never hesitated to give it to foes. It has little reward and it is plentifully vice-incarnated. It has no accessible provisions and its property is plundered and it is no more prosperous and

P: 161

1- Nahj Al-Balaghah, part of Sermon 195

2- Ibid., Sermon 203

is on the verge of being destroyed. What is worth having a house whose foundations are on the verge of collapse and life of which like birth and provision comes to an end? And what pleasure is there in life that is finalized like time of journey? (1)

You are oriented to Truth and Qur'an and your words of reproaching mundane life are nothing but Words of God who deprecates mundanism in His Holy Quran:

The similitude of the life of the world is only as water which We send down from the sky, so by its mingling with the soil arises the produce of the earth of which men and cattle eat; when the earth has taken on her ornaments and is flourished and the owners of the land think that they have power over it, then Our Command suddenly by night or by day comes, and We make it [the earth] as a harvested land as though it had not been flourished the day before. Thus We expound the Words of Revelation for a people who ponder. (Yunus:24) (2)

And he has stated:

Beautiful for mankind is love of the joys [that come] from women and sons and stored up heaps of gold and silver and horses branded [with special mark] and cattle and tilth; such are the provisions of the life of this world, but with Allah is the Excellent Abode. (Al-e Imran:14) (3)

And he further stated:

[O' people] Know that the life of this world is but play and amusement, decoration and showing off among yourselves, and greed for increasing the number of children and the amount of wealth; it can be compared to

P: 162

1- Ibid., part of Sermon 113

2- « إِنَّما مَثَلُ الْحَياةِ الدُّنْيا كَمَاءٍ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ نَبَاتُ الْأَرْضِ مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ النَّاسُ وَالْأَنْعَامُ حَتَّى إِذَا أَخَذَتِ الْأَرْضُ زُخْرُفَهَا وَ ازَّيَّنَتْ وَ ظَنَّ أَهْلُها أَنَّهُمْ قادِرُونَ عَلَيْها أَتاها أَمْرُنَا لَيْلاً أَوْ نَهَارًا فَجَعَلْنَاها حصيدا كَأَنْ لَمْ تَغْنَ بِالْأَمْسِ كَذَالِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الأياتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ» ( 24 Yunus )

3- زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّهَوَاتِ مِنَ النِّساءِ وَ الْبَنِينَ وَ الْقَناطِيرِ الْمُقَنْطَرَةِ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَ الْفِضَّةِ وَالْخَيْلِ الْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ وَالْحَرْثِ ذالِكَ مَتاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيا وَ اللهُ عِنْدَه حُسْنُ الْمَآبِ » (14) Al-e Imran

vegetation after receiving the blessing of rain; it springs up and pleases the farmer, then it withers and turns into yellow; then it becomes dry; then it becomes straw. So in the Hereafter, there is a Severe Torment for the disbelievers [whose all struggles were focused on the worldly life] and there is Forgiveness from Allah and His Pleasure for those who did well and were the righteous. So the life of this world is only a deceiving perishable property. (Al-Hadid:20) (1)

And you again cautioned people in a startling and nicely eloquent expression to take a lesson from the dead and those lain in the graves; how death has captured them and you walk on their graves:

.... You walk on their skulls, farm on their dead bodies, eat whatever they have left behind, reside in their ruined homes and the days existing between you and them weep over you. Before you, they were plunged into death and surpassed you to reach destiny.

This is while they were ranked high in sustained honor and pride. They were ruling monarchs and exalted serfs who ultimately reached the Purgatory. The ground seized them, eating away their flesh and drinking their blood; they remained hidden in the split of graves motionless and lifeless; they neither are worried about changes and nor are fearful of quakes and of loud outcries.as if they existed and became dumb, they could hear and became deaf and they turned to become motionless. They rest as though they are fallen unconscious unto the soil and drowned into sleep.

There are neighbors who do not become familiar with one another and friends who fail to meet each other. They found dangers of the other world more horrifying than what they were fearful of and they observed its signs far greater than what they imagined.

People!

If you think of them or if everything is unveiled, you view the dead in the way that their ears have been eaten off by insects, their eyes have been

P: 163

1- « اعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَياةُ الدُّنْيا لَعِبٌ وَ لَهْوٌ وَ زِينَةٌ وَ تَفاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَ تَكاثُرَ فِي الْأَمْوالِ وَ الْأَوْلادِ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَراءٍ مُصْفَرًا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطاما وَ فِي الآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَ مَغْفِرَةٌ مِنَ اللهِ وَ رِضْوانٌ وَ مَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ » (Al-Hadid: 20)

filled with soil rather than with eyeliner, their once eloquent tongues have been torn off and their hearts in chests have tended towards silence after awakening in such a way that the whole body showed decay and has made them look ugly. Everybody is exposed to submissiveness and they have neither hands to defend nor hearts to moan.

Oh!

What endeared and good-looking bodies that lived with colorfully delicious foods and cherished by blessings were engulfed by the ground.. (1)

And you made your startling and admonitory statements when you returned from Siffin war with your companions and entered the graveyard behind Kufa gate and addressed the dead in loud voice:

O' residents of horrendous homes, evacuated places and dark graves! O' those who are lain underneath the soil;O' expatriates! O' the deserted people! O' frightened people! You left this world before we do and we come after you and we will reach you; as for your homes, there are the others who dwell in them; as for your wives. They married other men; as for your properties; they are distributed among people; this is our news, what news do you have?!

Then you turned to your companions and said:

Know that if the dead had been authorized to speak to you, they would have told you that the best source of life for the other world is piety. (2)

You always longed for guiding people and advised them to compassionately attain eternal salvation; you even advised your blind-

P: 164

1- Nahj Al-Balaghah, part of the startling sermon 221 Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid Mu'atazili says: Since the day I found the sermon, it has been fifty years that I have read it about a thousand times; each time I felt fear, shiver and new advice I received. (Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balaghah, vol. 11, p.153)

2- يَا أهلَ الدِّيارِ المُوحِشةِ وَ المَحال المُقفِرةِ، وَ القُبُور المُظلِمَةِ، يَا أهل التربةِ، يَا أَهلَ الغُربَةِ، يَا أهلَ الوَحدَةِ، يَا أَهْلَ الوَحشَةِ؛ أنتُم لَنَا فَرَطْ سَابِقٌ وَ نَحْنُ لَكُم تَبَعٌ لاحُقِّ؛ أمَّا الدُّور فَقَد سُكِنَت وَ أَمَّا الأَزْواجُ فَقَد نُكِحَت وَ أَمَّا الأَموالُ فَقَد قُسِمَت. هَذَا خَبَرُ مَا عِندَنَا، فَما خَبَرُ مَا عِندَكُم ؟ ثُم التفت إلى أصحابه فقال: أمَّا لَو أُذِنَ لَهُم فِي الكَلامِ لَأَحْبَرُوكُم أَنَّ « خَيْرَ الزادِ التَّقْوَى » (Nahj Al-Balaghah, theosophy 130)

hearted and sworn enemies to make ultimatum to them. You gave advice to Hend Al-Masour, the liver eater, in one of your letters written:

After remembering God and greetings, verily, God the Praiseworthy set this world for the Hereafter and tested people in this world to make it clear whoever is more benefactor. We are not created for this world and we are not ordered to make efforts for this world; we are born to be tested and verily God tested me by you and you by me and made one as a proof for the other one. You turned to the world through wrong exegesis of the Holy Quran and you ask me something that is not tainted by my hand and tongue (murder of Uthman); you and people of Sham made that falsehood and indicted me of that so that your discerning people incite the undiscerning ones against me and your resistant people provoke the grounded ones against me.

Muawiyya!

Fear God, defy the Satan that harnesses you and return to the other world that is your and my way; fear God who uproots you with crushing disaster and de-generates you. (1)

And how nicely you exhorted people with your precious words to achieve their destiny of eternal Paradise:

The Day remains ahead of you and death rests behind you, it drives you; try to be disencumbered to reach Paradise. Verily, those who reached are awaiting you to join them. (2)

God says in His Book:

P: 165

1- ., letter 55

2- وَ إِنَّ الْغَايَةَ أَمَامَكُمْ ، وَ إِنَّ وَرَاءَكُمُ السَّاعَةَ تَحْدُوكُمْ، تَخَفَّفُوا تَلْحَقُوا، فَإِنَّمَا يُنْتَظَرُ بِأَوْلِكُمْ آخِرُكُمْ .. (Nahj Al-Balaghah, Sermon 21) The late Seyyed Radi, who compiled the statements of Imam Ali (‘a), says about the magnitude of what Imam said: After what God and His Messenger (s) have said, if this statement is compared to any other speeches, it surpasses them and no sentence of "become light-hearted until you reach" is heard to be shorter and more meaningful! What a long and deep word! What a further meaningful and theosophical it is to quench thirst with water of theosophy. (Discourse of the late Seyyed Radi about exposition of sermon 21 of Nahj Al-Balaghah)

Did you think that We created you in vain and you would not be returned to Us? (1)

And He says:

We did not create the heaven and the earth and what is between them in vain; this is the thought of the disbelievers who do not see any purpose behind Allah's Creation, so woe to the disbelievers, because of the Blazing Fire of the Hell!(Saad:27) (2)

And He says:

We created Jinns and men and ordained for them to worship me [to prove the victory of the Truth over the Falsehood i.e. the victory of Allah over Satan, through the pious and the righteous worshippers] (Zariyat: 56). (3)

Oh, yes!

God the Almighty introduced goal-based system of creation and He expresses growth and perfection of men in being worshippers; you constantly pinpointed these two cases to people:

O' worshippers of God! Fear God and welcome life's final term by doing good things. God, the Praiseworthy did not create you in vain and did not leave you by yourselves, you are at close distance of reaching death between you and the heaven or the hell. (4)

Oh, yes!

Your way is the path of the Truth and straight one and your illuminating words lighten the hearts of the true faithful. You split apart darkness and remove doubts and suspicions because you always stand by the truth and truth is always yours; whoever stood with you, he was guided and gained the Eternal Paradise of God and your brother, the Messenger (s) said:

In case you find Ali as your leader and Imam, you will see he is a guide

P: 166

1- (115 :Mu'amenun) « أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّما خَلَقْناكُمْ عَبَنَا وَ أَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ » .

2- (27 :sad) «وَما خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاءَ وَالْأَرْضَ وَما بَيْنَهُما باطِلاً ذلكَ ظَنُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَوَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنَ النَّارِ» ..

3- (56 :Zariyat) « وَ ما خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَ الأعِنْسَ إِلا لِيَعْبُدُونِ »..

4- Nahj Al-Balaghah, part of sermon 64

and leads you to the Straight Path. (1)

P: 167

1- Alla'eddin Mutaqqi Hendi, a Sunni scholar, says in Kanz Al-Ummal which is previous source of Sunni ulemas quotes the Messenger of God (s) as saying: إن تولوا عليا تجدوه هاديا مهديا يسلك بكم الطريق المستقيم (Kanz Al-Ummal, hadith 32966)

P: 168

Theosophy Nine

I certify that your unparalleled valor and sword blade granted honor to Islam in Badr Battlte.

Badr war was the earliest major conflict erupted between Muslims and non-Muslims; in this conflict that occurred in the 2nd year of Hegira, thanks to your unparalleled courage, resistance of the Messengers Companions as well as the Invisible Reliefs of Angels, infidel troops suffered a hard defeat leaving behind seventy killed and seventy seized while they were fleeing although troops of Islam numbered one third of those of non-Muslims.

God endeared and exalted Muslims because of this victory and degraded the Quraysh infidels.

You always being the most courageous and devoted Companion among the Companions of the Messenger (s) and never fearing death and desiring to sacrifice your life for God created such scenes of courage in that bloody battle that one fails to write about it.

From the very onset of the battle, your marvelous audacity destroyed leaders of non-Muslims; your sword blade shattered skulls of non- Muslims-in which devils nested-so badly that they shouted and moaned out of pain and some yelled at each other saying:

This is Fatima, daughter of Assad who cut off your heads while he walks in health and safety and he is not killed.(1)

In that battle and thanks to your miraculous power, about half of those

Theosophy Account Nine

Greetings of crowds of Angels upon Amir Al-Mu'amenin (a) before Battle of Badr

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1- Sheikh Mufid says in his book of Irshad, vol. 1, p.77: "Usaid Ibn-e-e Abi Ayyās" incited disbelievers to kill Ali (‘a) by means of his poetry, one of which is herein: ذبحا ويمشى سالما لم يذبح *** هذا ابن فاطمه الذى افناكم

killed were sent to the hell by your sword.(1) At that time, the Quraysh infidels ran away in spite of those forces and means and accepted a humiliating defeat.

You were so endeared by God in that event that God sent down His Angels to relieve hearts of the faithful and you were the first one to be saluted by them as God had commanded.

You yourself said:

In Badr war, I was busy taking water out of well when a strong wind blew three times, like of which I had not seen before. The first one was Gabriel joined by one thousand Angels who came down to see the Messenger (s); the second one was Mikael along with one thousand Angels came at the right flank; the third one was Seraph along with one thousand Angels came at the left flank. You said that three-time strong blow of the wind meant salutation of the three groups of Angels extended to me.(2)

You yourself nicely articulated some part of this event; it reads herein to gladden your zealots:

The night before Badr war erupted, I dreamed Hazrat Khidr; I asked him to teach me a pray that can be a device for gaining victory over enemies and pagans. He said: یا من لا هو الا هو At dawn, I went to see the Messenger (s) and told him about my last night dream. The Messenger (s) said: Ali! He taught you the great name. I constantly uttered the pray on Badr day.(3)

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1- Sheikh Mufid has written in Irshad, p.13: The Shiites and Sunnis unanimously agree that thirty six heroes and chiefs of atheism have been killed by Ali (‘a) himself. Ibn-e-e Shahrāshub says in Manaqib, vol. 2, p. 82: It is said that forty or more people have been killed by Ali ('a); of course, this number of people stands different from those killed by Ali ('a).

2- Dala'el Al-Nubuvva, Beyhaqi, vol.3, p.55 and Biḥār Al-Anwār, vol.17, p.306 Manaqib Maghazili Shafe'ie reads that: قال [ عليه السلام :: فأنشدكم بالله ! هل فيكم أحدٌ سلّم عليه في ساعةٍ واحدةٍ ثلاثة آلافٍ من الملائكة فيهم جبرئيل وميكائيل و إسرافيل، حيث جئت بالماء إلى رسول الله ( صلى الله عليه و آله وسلّم ) من القليب، غيري؟ قال اللهم لا!

3- عن أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام قال: رأيت الخضر في المنام قبل بدر بليلة فقلت له: علمني شيئا أنصر به على الأعداء. فقال: قل يا هو يا من لا هو إلا هو، فلما أصبحت قصصتها على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم فقال لي: يا علي ! علمت الاسم

We managed Badr war while only few people of us has horses. That night, all Companions and Muslims were asleep except the Messenger (s) who had stood uprightly under a tree and said prayers until dawn.(1)

On Badr day, we fought a bit with the enemy; later, I came up to the Messenger (s) to see what he is up to. I saw him on prostration, saying O' God! Thou art Guardian of all beings. (2)

In Badr war, I was amazed at fearlessness and daring of the Quraysh and this was while I had killed Walid Ibn Utbah; my uncle, Hamzah had murdered Utbah and I took part in killing Shaybah (another son of Utbah). When Hanzalat Ibn Abi Sufiyan attacked me, I abruptly struck him on his head; his eyes had come out of socket; he fell down and instantly died.(3)

On Badr day when it was daylight, we and enemy troops began to step up battling and we were in close confrontation; I left the battlefield to chase and seize a man of enemy troops; at this time, I saw Sad Ibn Kheythama who was fighting with a group of polytheists. They were fighting with each other while they had been on top of a hill of sands and pebbles; Sad fell down soon as he was hit by sword of enemy and became martyred.

When the polytheist conqueror having been armed up to his ears with all kinds of armor and iron and while being on horse saw me, he knew me,

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1- الأعظم وكان على لسان يوم بدر. (Biḥār Al-Anwar, vol.3, p.222) لقد حضرنا بدرا و ما فينا فارس غير المقداد بن أسود و لقد رأيتنا ليلة بدر و ما فينا إلا من نام غير رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم فأنّه كان منتصبا في أصل شجرة يصلّي فيها و يدعو حتّى صباح. (Irshad, Sheikh Mufid, vol. 1, p.73)

2- لما كان يوم بدر قاتلت شيئا من قتال ثم جئت إلى رسول صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم انظر ما صنع ؟ فإذا هو ساجد يقول: يا حي يا قيوم .... (Al-Umdat, Ibn-e-e Bitrīq, p.300; Irshad, Sheikh Mufid, vol.1, p.73)

3- لقد تعجبت يوم بدر من جراه القوم و قد قتلت « الوليد بن عتبة » و قتل عمّي حمزة « عتبة » و شركته في قتل « شيبة » إذ اقبل إلى « حنظلة بن أبيسفيان » فلما دنا منّي ضربته ضربة بالسيف فسالت عيناه و لزم الأرض قتيلاً (Irshad, Sheikh Mufid, vol.1, p.75; Biḥār Al-Anwār, vol.19, p.280)

rode off his horse and called me by my name, saying O' Son of Abutalib! Come ahead to raise a battle together. I neared him and so did he. Because I was shorter than him and he was standing on top of hill, I dragged backward to make a relative equality; the wretched man found this act of mine as a way of fearing and runaway and said: O' son of Abutalib! Are you running away? I said I go back and I come back soon. When I could solidify my footsteps and make myself poised for battle, he tried to strike me, but I repelled it; his sword came in touch with my shield and while he was trying to make it free, I hit him on his shoulder and this made him heavily shiver and his armor broke apart. I guessed he is killed as a result of being wounded by that strike; I suddenly noticed shining light of sword from my behind. I quickly dodged my head down and the sword landed onto head of the infidel whose skull and his helmet jumped into the air; somebody said: Take it from me, son of Abdulmutallib! I found him my uncle, Hamzah and the murdered man is Tuaymat Ibn ‘Adi.(1)

O' yes, Amir Muamenan!

You created marvels in that battle and the Messenger (s) and Heavenly Angels stood proud of you. You hoisted banner of honor and monotheism over the dead bodies of atheists. By murdering Muawiyya's kin as earlier said, you broke backbones of the vicious family leaders.

Later, you wrote a letter to Muawiyya by referring to the incidence. O' Muawiyya! The sword that landed onto your forefather (Utbah), your uncle (Walid) and your brother (Hanzalah) in Badr war is kept by me now! (2)

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1- إنِّي يومئذ بعد ما متع النهار و نحن والمشركون قد اختلطت صفوفنا و صفوفهم، خرجت في أثر رجل منهم فإذا رجل من المشركين على كثيب رمل و سعد بن خيثمه و هما يقتتلان حتى قتل المشرك سعدا والمشرك في الحديد و كان فارسا فاقتحم عن فرسه فعرفنى و هو معلّم فناداني هلم يابن أبي طالب إلى البراز ! فعطفت عليه فانحط إلى مقبلاً و كنت رجلاً قصيرا فانحططت راجعا لكي ينزل إلى كرهت أن يعلونى ؛ فقال: يا بن أبي طالب ! فررت ؟ فقلت: « قريب مفر ابن الشترا » ؛ فلما استقرت قدمای و ثبت أقبل فلما دنا منّي ضربني فاتقيت بالدرقة، فوقع سيفه فلحج فضربته على عاتقه و هو دارع فارتعش و لقد قط سيفي درعه فظننت أن سيفي سيقتله، فإذا بريق السيف من ورائى فطاطات رأسي و وقع السيف فاطن قحف رأسه بالبيضه و هو يقول: خذها و أنا ابن عبد المطلب. فلتفت فإذا هو « حمزة » عمّى والمقتول « طعيمة بن عدى ». (Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.19, p.338)

2- (64 Nahj Al-Balaghah, letter) وَ عِنْدِي السَّيْفُ الَّذِي أغْضَضْتُهُ بِجَدِّكَ وَخَالِكَ وَ أخِيكَ فِي مَقَامِ وَاحِد .

The Prophet (s), in that battle, had handed the banner to you and this was while banner of atheist troops was held by the same father and son. (1)

You raised jihad with enemies and killed them on the Path of God. When the hypocrite dissidents ruled by ignorant thoughts found that their relatives had been killed by you, they spurred grudge against you; after demise of the Messenger (s), when they learned that there are favorable circumstances for revenge, they stopped you from going on your inalienable right and martyred your children in return for revenge of those who had been killed in Badr.

But the Prophet (s) earlier had stated about you: Ali remains as Imam of the good people and killer of enemies of God; those who give him help are triumphant and those ill-wishers are degraded. (2)

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1- Imam Ali (‘a) was standard-bearer of the army of Islam in three battles of Badr, Ohud and Aḥzāb. Mu'awiyya and his father, Abu Sufiyan were standard-bearers of the army of disbelievers. (Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balaghah, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid Mu'atazili, vol.6, p.285 and after)

2- قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم على إمام البررة وقاتل الفجرة منصور من نصره و مخذول من خذله. ... Al-Kāmil, Ibn-e-e 'Adi, vol. 1, p.192 Al-ṣawā'iq Al-Muḥriqah, Heythami, p.193 History of Damascus, Ibn-e-e 'Asākir, vol.42, p.226 Al-Mustadrak Alal-ṣaḥihin, vol.3, p.126 And.................

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Theosophy Ten

I certify that the most auspicious and blessed bond in the universe was your marriage concluded between you and the honorable daughter of the Messenger (s).

In the eyes of the Messenger of God (s), the dearest people were two ones. One is his dear and respectful daughter, Fatima Zahra (a) about whom he said:

Fatima is an integral part of my body; whoever gladdens her, he shall gladden me and whoever saddens her, he shall sadden me; Fatima is the dearest of all to me (1)

And he also said:

Verily, Fatima is an indispensable part of my existence; she is apple of my eye and fruit of my heart; what saddens her saddens me too; what gladdens her gladdens me too. (2)

And O' Ali! He frequently said about you:

Ali is from me and I am from Ali. (3)

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Theosophy Account Ten

Hadiths about the dignity and rank of Amir Al-Mu'amenin (‘a), Fatima (‘a) and Mahdi (a) cited from the Sunni sources

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1- قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: فاطمة بضعة منّي من سرّها فقد سرني ومن سائها فقد سائني، فاطمة أعزّ الناس عليّ ! (Biḥār Al-Anwar, vol. 43, p.22)

2- إنّ فاطمة بضعة منّي و هي نور عيني و ثمرة فؤادي يسوؤني ما ساءها و يسرنى ما سرها و إنّها أوّل ما يلحقني من أهل بيتي (Amāli, Sheikh Saduq, p.487) The above two hadiths are available in Sunni sources.

3- قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: « علي منّي و أنا منه » و « أنت منّي و أنا منك » The above two hadiths are abundantly accessible in well-known Sunni sources; for example: sahth Bukhari, chapter on the virtues of Ali(‘a) Musnad, Ahmad Ibn-e-e Ḥanbal, chapter on the virtues of Ali (‘a) Manāqib Al-Muhājirin, vo.5, p.85 Mustadrak, Ḥākim Neishābūri, vol.3, p.120 Fath Al-Bāri, vol.7, p.57 Al-Sunan Al-Kubra, Nisa'ie, vol.5, p.127 Sunan Al-Termezi, chapter on the virtues of Ali ('a)

And he furthered:

Whoever bothers Ali, he shall bothers me.(1)

There appeared various men to propose marriage to sweetheart daughter of the Messenger (s), but all of them were rejected because none of them was qualified and in the same rank with her-who was Infallible and Divine Gift to the Messenger (s).

On behalf of God, the Prophet (s) was given a mission to tell the suitors that marriage of Fatima (a) must be concluded by the order of God; the Companions of God also realized that marriage of Fatima (a) is not an easy case and anyone even having a good material and spiritual situation cannot marry her unless one man who is beloved before the Messenger (s).

And you, O' lord!

You took a chance to grant an audience to the Messenger (s); you were filled with bashfulness, you held your head down as though you wish to say something but you were ashamed of putting it forth!

The honorable Prophet (s) made you talk and you conveyed your intent in brief sentences. He deeply stared at you and agreed to your request with a smile, saying: You keep waiting until I raise the issue to my daughter. When the Messenger (s) told his daughter about your proposal for marriage, Zahra (a) kept silent. The Prophet (s) stood up and said:

God is great! Silence of my daughter means her pleasure. (2)

O' yes!

Seddiqa Kobra (a) agreed to marry you because nobody but you deserved marrying the Lady of the Two Worlds. Zahra (a) deserved you and so did

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1- قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: من آذى عليا فقد آذاني (Musnad-e Ahmad, vol.3, p.483; Mustadrak, Ḥākim Neishābūri, vol.3, p.122; Majma' Al- Zawa'id, Heythami, vol.9, p.129 and.....)

2- (93.Bihar Al-Anwār, vol.43, p) الله اكبر ! سكوتها ! إقرارها 2.

you. This was something the Heavenly Angels knew well too as your name and hers had been engraved with light on the Divine Throne as two Immaculate Couples.

O' yes!

The Prophet (s) married his part of existence to you as God had ordered him to do so:

Marry the light to light.(1)

And you and Fatima (a) concluded your marriage at the presence of the Heavenly Angels.

At that time, you had not much of the worldly things except sword and armor; you were missioned from God to sell your armor and procure wedding things and costs. With full sincerity, you sold your armor and brought the money for the Prophet (s); the Prophet (s) gave some of the money to Bilal and Ammar without counting it so that they could supply his daughter with some amounts of perfume and life necessaries. They began to buy small amounts of things which were in fact dowry of his daughter and brought them to the Messenger (s). (2)

You and Fatima (a) started your joint life with those small things. In the night of your marriage, the Prophet (s) escorted his daughter up to your house and when he wanted to leave and leave you alone, he put his daughters hand in yours and prayed:

O' God! This is my daughter and the most beloved of all people to me; O’ God!Ali too is the most respectful Muslim to me; O' God! Keep their bonds strong and firm! (3)

When the Messenger(s) left your house and you both were together, you found your dear and honorable wife anxious and worried, telling her,O'

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1- According to Biḥār Al-Anwār, vol.36, p.361, God told the Prophet (s): زوّج النور من النور.

2- Biḥār Al-Anwar, vol.43, p.94; Kashf Al-Ghumma, vol.1, p.359

3- اللهم ! هذه ابنتي وأحبّ الخلق إلي اللهم! وهذا أخي وأحبّ الخلق إليّ اللهم اجعله لك وليا ... . (Biḥār Al-Anwar, vol.43, p.96)

daughter of the Prophet (s)! "What is your anxiety for?!”

Zahra (a), the Light of God and Intercessor of the Day, said to you that:

O' Ali!

I thought of my mood and condition and I remembered end of my life and my burial place; I recalled entry into grave when I moved from my father's house to mine!

O' Ali!

For God's sake, to begin our joint life, come join me to stand up for prayer and worship God from dusk to dawn.(1)

And you with your honorable wife began to pray until dawn and your house became the descent place of groups of Angels and blessing of light of you and Fatima (a).

O' yes!

Your house was overfilled with illumination until dawn and Angels sprayed scent of God in the sky with their wings by coming down to your house.

The universe had never seen and will never see such a blessed marriage. You and Zahra (a) were two vast divine seas which were linked by God through the Messenger (s).(2) The marriage generated an endeared and

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1- When Ḥadrat Ali (‘a) found his wife worried on marriage night, he asked her about the reason; Hadrat Zahra (a) answered: تفكرت في حالي و أمري عند ذهاب عمري و نزولي في قبري، فشبهت دخولي في فراشي بمنزلي كدخولي إلى لحدي و قبري فأنشدك الله أن قمت إلى الصلاة فنعبد الله تعالى هذه الليلة. I thought about my mood and condition and I remembered the end of life and my house of grave; coming from my father's house to my own house reminded me of entering into the grave! (O' Ali) For God's sake! Let us stand up for prayers at the onset of our married life and pray God from night until dawn. (Sharh-e Iḥqaq Al-Haqq, vol.6, p.481)

2- عن أنس بن مالك في قوله تعالى: « مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ » قال: على وفاطمة ( عليهما السلام | « يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُمَا اللُّؤْلُؤً [ وَالْمَرْجَانُ ( قال : الحسن و الحسين [ عليهما السلام ]. (Al-Fuṣūṣ Al-Muhemma, Ibn-e-e ṣabbāq Māliki, vol.1, p.150; Tafsir Al-Durr Al- Manthur, vol.6, p.142) و قال الثعلبي في قول الله عزّ و جلّ:«مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لا يَبْغِيَانِ» قال: فاطمة وعلي [ عليهما السلام ]«يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُمَا اللُّؤْلُؤُ وَالْمَرْجَانُ » قال: الحسن و الحسين ( عليهما السلام )و روى هذا القول أيضا عن سعيد بن جبير و قال « بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ محمّد »(صلى الله عليه وآله و سلّم) (296.Al-Kashf va Al-Tebyan, p) الحسكانى الحنفى نزلت الآية في النبي ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ]) وعليّ [عليه السلام]زوّج ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله] وسلّم ) فاطمة عليا وهو ابن عمّه وزوج ابنته كان نسبا وكان صهرا 38.Al-Shawahid Al-Tanzil, vol.1, p) قال الجمهور: قال ابن عباس : مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ » على وفاطمة [ عليهما السلام ] « بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لا يَبْغِيَانِ » النبي صلى الله عليه [ وآله ] وسلّم، « يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُمَا اللُّؤْلُؤُ وَالْمَرْجَانُ » الحسن والحسين ( عليهما السلام ) و لم يحصل لغيره هذه الفضيلة. (Al-Durr Al-Manthur, vol.6, p.142; Rūḥ Al-Ma'āni, vol.27, p.93; Manaqib Ibn-e-e Maghāzili, p.339; Nūr Al-Abṣār, p.101; Yanābi'a Al-Mawaddah, p.118 and....)

auspicious man like Seyyed Al-Shuhada (a) whose sacred blood resuscitation of religion is indebted to.

And your dear descendant, the Promised Mahdimay Allah hasten his emergence is one of the blessings of such divine marriage; he will emerge and spread across the universe justice by call of truth and your Zulfiqar sword; he is the one whose blessed emergence had been heralded by the Messenger (s).(1)

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1- Several hadiths about Mahdavism cited from Sunni sources: رسول الله صلى الله عليه [ وآله وسلّم: أبشري يا فاطمة ؟ فإنّ المهدي منك. (Kanz Al-Ummal, vol. 14, hadith 3428) رسول الله صلى الله عليه [ وآله وسلّم: أبشروا بالمهديّ، رجل من قريش من عترتي يخرج في اختلاف من الناس و زلزال؛ فيملأ الأرض قسطا وعدلاً كما ملئت ظلما وجورا (138652 Kanz Al-Ummal, vol.14, hadith) الإمام علي [ عليه السلام : المهديّ رجل منّا من ولد فاطمة (39675 Kanz Al-Ummal, vol.14, hadith) رسول الله صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم المهديّ رجل من ولدي وجهه كالكوكب الدري. (Kanz Al-Ummal, vol. 14, hadith 38666) رسول الله صلى الله عليه [ وآله وسلّم: لو لم يبق من الدهر إلا يوم لبعث الله رجلاً من أهل بيتي يملؤها عدلاً كما ملئت (Kanz Al-Ummal, vol. 14, hadith 38675). رسول الله صلى الله عليه [ وآله ] وسلّم: لا تذهب الدنيا و لا تنقضى حتّى يملك رجل من أهل بيتي يواطىء اسمه اسمي. (Kanz Al-Ummal, vol. 14, hadith 38655) Alla'eddin Mutaqqi Hendi quotes tens of hadiths about the emergence of Imam Mahdi (a) from the Messenger (s) in Kanz Al-Ummal thanks to the previous Sunni books, particularly siha Sitta.

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Theosophy Eleven

I certify that following your self-sacrifice for protecting life of the Messenger (s) in Ohud war Gabriel heralded: There exists no chivalrous man but Ali and no sword but Zulfiqar!

In Badr war where the Quraysh infidels were faced with heavy and humiliating defeat mainly through your bravery decided to take revenge to compensate for it and to rehabilitate their lost prestige; henceforth, all atheist leaders of the Quraysh agreed to expend the merchandise Abu Sufiyan had transferred safely to Mecca in Badr war for avenging the Messenger (s) and Muslims. (1)

Army of polytheism made up of three thousand warring men with various horses and plenty of military equipment commandeered by Abu Sufiyan departed to Medina.

The Quraysh corps reached hillside of Uhud mount on 5th of Shawwal, 3rd of Hegira.

The Prophet (s) arrived in Uhud region while being accompanied by less than one thousand warriors. The Prophet (s) tied three banners; he handed banner of Muhajiran and gave banners of Aws and Khazraj tribes to two people from their own tribes. (2)

Your brother, the Messenger (s) handed Lawa, the greatest banner, to Musab Ibn Umayr and after he was martyred, he gave it to you; in that battle, both banners of Līwā' and Right were in your strong hands. (3)

Of course, in all battles, you were standard-bearer of army of Islam. (4)

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Theosophy Account Eleven

Courage of Imam Ali (‘a) in Uhud battle, runaway of Abubakr, Omar and Uthman from the battle cited from Sunni sources

P: 181

1- Al-Maghāzi, Mohammad Ibn-e-e Omar Waqidi, vol.1, p.204

2- Al-Maghāzi, vol. 1, p.215; Al-Riyadh Al-Nadrah, Muḥebuddin Țabari, vol.3, p.137

3- Irshad, Sheikh Mufid, p.43

4- Al-Riyadh Nadrah, vol.3, p.137 Also, Muḥebuddin Tabari says in Zakha'er Al-Uqbā: In Uhud battle, Ali (‘a) was injured in his hand and banner dropped off his hand. The Prophet (s) said: Let him hold the banner with his left hand because he is my standard-bearer in this world and the other world.

The polytheists deployed their forces and handed the flag to Talḥat Ibn Abi Talha and sent him to the frontline of corps. (1)

The Messenger (s) also set array to his army and stationed fifty archers led by Abdullah Ibn Jubayr atop of Uhud Mount, greatly emphasizing that: Repel back enemy horsemen by shooting arrows so that they might not attack from backside; whether we win or lose, you stand firm wherever you are stationed.(2)

But I wish that group had listened to what the Prophet (s) told them to do and would not have left their very important post on the move for booties, thus leading decisive triumph of Muslims to loss of battle.

At the outset of battle, Talhat Ibn Abi Talha-standard-bearer of the atheist army yelled: "Who intends to fight with me?"

With a lion-like roaring, you replied to him: Son of Abitalib is ready to fight with you. After that, you entered into the battle field by uttering Takbir, God is Great, and you confronted him; before he could attack you, you preempted and split in half his head up to his beard striking him strongly, so he fell on the ground. (3)

When the standard-bearer of the atheist army was killed by you, the army was filled with dismay. After Talha was killed, his brother took the flag and joined the battle and he was also sent to the hell by your uncle, Hamza.

Standard-bearers of the atheist army one after another were murdered you as you continued to chivalrously fight with them. Later on, you contentiously told the man who had claimed your right:

Is there anyone among you but me who had killed nine of Bani Abd Al-Dar in Uhud war, each one handing flag to the other until their slave man, Sawab Jawshami came to the battlefield? He used to say: I swear to God I kill no one else but Mohammad in return for my masters. He had bulged cheeks and reddened eyes; you were afraid of him and you moved away;

P: 182

1- Siray-e Ibn-e-e Hisham, vol.3, p.70

2- Ibid.

3- Al-Maghāzi, Mohammad Ibn-e-e Omar Waqidi, vol. 1, p.225

as he neared me, he looked like a steady dome. We exchanged two strikes and I chopped him in half.'

When standard-bearers of the infidel army one after another were killed by you, they found their army defeated and ran away by leaving behind a large number of arms. (1)

Muslims once found themselves victors of the battle, they began to collect booties in relief with no concern to return of the enemy; you were beside the Messenger (s) lest the enemy might dauntlessly counterattack you with a new plot and jeopardize life of the Prophet (s).

Khalid Ibn Walid, one of the enemy commanders, attempted a lot to storm Muslims from the backside, but those fifty people began to shoot arrows to stop him and his forces passing through. When archers-excluding a few of ten people- all guessing they have won the battle came down the mount to take the lead of others on collecting booties of war, Khalid Ibn Walid accompanied by a great number of troops raided Muslims and martyred those ten people and marched into heart of army of Islam in search for booties.

At this time, Muslims were attacked by the enemies from the front and back sides and army of Islam broke apart. Umrah, daughter of Alqamah took advantage of such situation and retook the fallen flag of the Quraysh, calling back fugitives of war to resist and stand. The runaway forces came back to the battlefield when seeing the hoisted flag and re-organized their troops and besieged Muslims.(2)

In the meantime, a man called Abdullah Ibn Qamiah Leythi who wanted to kill the Prophet (s) killed Musab Ibn Umayr, resembling Mohammad (s) when he wore armor and shouted: I killed Mohammad!

Rumor spread on murder of the Messenger (s) entirely disordered Muslim forces, sapped morale of them and they escaped scene of battle.(3)

A group of them fled to reach Medina and entered the town; women poured dust on them, telling them: You escaped and abandoned the Prophet (s)!

P: 183

1- Khiṣāl, Sheikh Saduq, p.560

2- Siray-e Ibn-e-e Hisham, vol.3, p.83

3- ibid. p.77

A large number of others ran off to Mount of Uhud while they had nowhere to go; some people stayed with the Messenger (s) there.(1)

The Messenger (s) called those running away but nobody even looked back; all of them were fleeing. (2)

God refers to this runaway, saying in His Book:

[And remember] When you ran away, [leaving the battlefield] climbing up the hillside without even casting a glance at anyone; and the Messenger(s) was calling you from your rear. There did Allah give you distress one after another to teach you not to grieve for [the booty] that had escaped you, nor for that which had befallen you. And Allah is the Well-aware of all that you [men] do (Al-e Imran153).(3)

In that scuffle, a number of infidels took oath together to unanimously attack the Prophet (s) and kill him. But you, O Ali!

In that conflict, you never moved even one step backward and you showed such a courage to protect life of the Prophet (s) that people of the earth and the heaven became astonished!

You in that hard-fought campaign circled around the Prophet (s) as one hundred lions and struck back blows from him, killing the raiders. When a group of Bani Kinanah tribe and another group of Bani Abd Manat among whom there were four well-known warriors attacked the Messenger (s), you began to stand against them, killed their heroes and dispersed others. At this moment, your brother, the Prophet (s) said: Ali is from me and I am from Ali; there was instantly a voice from the heavens heard as:

لا فتى إلا على و لا سيف إلا ذوالفقار !

Once more, fifty people of infidels collectively raided the Prophet (s) and you cried out and infiltrated into them, killing a number of them and the

P: 184

1- Tarikh Al-Khamis, Dīyār Bakri, vol. 1, p.430

2- Al-Maghāzi, Waqidi, vol. 1, p.237

3- إِذْ تُصْعِدُونَ وَ لَا تَلْوُونَ عَلَى أَحَدٍ وَ الرَّسُولُ يَدْعُوكُمْ فِي أُخْرَاكُمْ فَأَتَابَكُمْ غَمَا بِغَمْ لِكَيْلا تَحْزَنُوا عَلَى مَا فَاتَكُمْ وَ لَا مَا أَصابَكُمْ وَ اللهُ خَبِيرٌ بِما تَعْمَلُونَ » (153 Al-e Imran)

rest ran off; the heavenly call filled the sky again:

لا فتى إلا على و لا سيف إلا ذوالفقار !

In the meantime, Gabriel told the Messenger (s): Truly, Ali sacrifices himself and the Angels have become amazed at his self-sacrifice; the Messenger (s) said: Why should n't this be as such? Ali is from me and I am from him!

On that day, a voice was frequently heard from the sky, saying:

لا فتى إلا على و لا سيف إلا ذوالفقار !

And the speaker of voice was invisible. The Messenger was asked who the speaker was. He said: It is Gabriel.(1)

You sacrificially fought and defended the Prophet (s) while your body was plunged in blood as a result of wounds and injuries, but you only thought of saving the life of Muhammad (s). How surprising!

The very people who later claimed to be in your position were among the first ones leaving battle because they feared their life might be in danger and ran away. Although they heard call of the Messenger (s) as O' Muslims! Stop fleeing, they were heedless to the call and escaped. (2)

P: 185

1- Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balaghah, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid Mu'atazili, vol. 14, p.251; Manāqib- e Khwārazmi, p.223; Tarikh-e Kamil, Ibn-e-e Athir, vol.2, p.107; Irshad, Sheikh Mufid, p.44

2- Waqidi says in Al-Maghāzi, vol. 1, p.295: Omar always said: When the news of murder of the Prophet (s) was heard, I climbed up mountain like a mountain goat! Fakhr-e Rāzi says in Tafsir-e Kabir, vol.9, p.61: Three days after the Uhud battle while the Prophet (s) and Ali ('a) was busy cleaning their sword, Uthman's wife came up to see him. Ali (‘a) said: Know that Uthman ruined the days that day! When Omar and his two friends came up to see the Prophet (s), he told them: You distanced from the scene of war very much. Sheikh Mufid quotes from "Zayd Ibn-e-e Wahab" in Irshad, vol.1, p.83 that he asked "Abdullah Ibn-e-e Mas'ud": People in fact ran away from the Prophet (s) and nobody but Ali ('a), "Abu Dajājah" and "Sahl Ibn-e-e Ḥanif" remained there? Ibn-e-e Mas'ud said: Later, "Talḥat Ibn-e-e 'Abdullah" joined them too. I said: Where were "Abubakr" and "Omar"? He said: They were those who stepped away from war. I said: Where was Uthman? He said: He appeared after three days! The Prophet said to him: Uthman, you went far away! I asked Ibn-e-e Mas'ud where he was! He said: I was also among those who stayed away from war. I said: the steadfast stay of Ali ('a) was very marvelous. He said: If you are amazed, no doubt, the Angels are amazed too; don't you know that Gabriel (‘a) while flying up to the sky that day said: لاسيف إلا ذو الفقار لافتى إلا علي. Waqidi (a Sunni preceding historian dead in 207 A.H) writes in his well-known book, Al- Maghāzi, vol.1, p.269: One of the women who courageously defended the Messenger (s) and was praised by him was "Nusaybah", daughter of Ka'ab known after Umma Ammara. She and her husband and her two children had taken part in the battle to bring water to the wounded. When she saw that the Messenger (s) was subjected to danger of life, she tied her dress around her back, grabbed a sword and defended him. Once the Messenger (s) observed her self- sacrifice, he said: The status of Nusaybah, daughter of Ka'ab goes beyond that of such and such people. Regretfully, Waqidi did not name them for some considerations. Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid puts down: The narrator of hadith has proved treason in front of the Prophet (s) because he did not explicitly mention the names of those two people. (Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balaghah, vol.14, pp. 265-267) Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid writes: In a meeting in 608 A.H in Baghdad, I was reading the book, Al-Maghazi at the presence of the great scientist, "Mohammad Ibn-e-e Ma'ad 'Alavi"; when the point arrived at that: Mohammad Ibn-e-e Moslema who clearly says: I saw myself on the day of Uhud when Muslims climbed up the mountain (escaping) and the Prophet (s) called them by special names, saying:!nobody positively followed his call! The master told me: By such and such people, it is meant those who gained offices after the Prophet (s) and the narrator failed to mention their names because of a fear to explicate their names and the respect he paid. (Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balaghah, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol. 15, pp.23 and 24)

But you roared like a lion and defended the Messenger (s) in that totally unequal battle while you suffered over sixty wounds.(1)

Recurrent shouts of the Messenger (s), your unparalleled valor as well as resistance of several Companions of him made groups of Muslims who had run away return and pull back the infidels and move the Prophet (s) to

P: 186

1- Majma' Al-Bayān, Ṭabarsi, vol.2, p.512

a safe place.

In this battle, about seventy Muslims including Hamza, the Messengers uncle were martyred.

The Quraysh atheists finding themselves conquerors of war and on the other hand, fearing that army of Islam might be re-organized under strategies of the Prophet (s) and enter the battlefield again, went back to Mecca, claiming twenty eight people dead.

Over twelve out of twenty eight people were killed with your sword, Zulfiqar.(1)

When you and the Messenger (s) returned to Medina from Uhud battlefield, Fatima (a) rushed to welcome her father while holding a bowl of water and washed her fathers blood-filled face; when you entered with Zulfiqar in your hand and your hand up to shoulder soaked in blood, saying to her:

O' Fatima!

Take this sword that is not to blame; I am neither feared nor blamed.

I swear to my life! I hastened to help Mohammad as much as I could and acted to obey God who is All-aware of the worshippers.

Cleanse the sword off enemy's blood, the sword which forced the family of enemy standard-bearers to drink fire of hell.(2)

The Messenger (s) said at this time:

O' Fatima!

Take this sword because your husband did what it deserved and he

P: 187

1- Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balaghah, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol.15, p. 45

2- افاطمه! هاک السيف غیر ذمیم *** فلست بر عدید ولا بمليم لعمرى! لقد اعذرت في نصر احمد *** وطاعه رب بالعباد عليم امیطی دماء القوم عنه فانه *** سقى آل عبد الداركاس حميم (Irshad, Sheikh Mufid, vol.1, p.90

murdered the ruffians of Quraysh with it.(1)

Afterwards, the Prophet (s) ordered Umma Salama and Umme ‘Ațiyya to heal your wounds; they came to see the Prophet (s) and said: We heal every one of his wounds, but he has other wounds open and we are worried about his life The Messenger (s) with other Muslims paid a visit to you while you were badly injured and lain on the ground; Hazrat Mohammad touched your wounds with his hand to recover them, saying:

Verily, a man who is faced with hardship on the path of God has undoubtedly made his effort and he is excused.

You said at that time:

I praise God that I did not run away and resisted the enemy.(2)

And you added later:

But what a pity that I was deprived of grace of martyrdom!

Your brother told you:

You hopefully embrace it.(3)

O' yes!

You once more left a good name, were victorious in hard divine test and ceased to fear death; you sacrificed your life to your friend and became more beloved to the Messenger (s) and this was while a number of claimants were disgraced in divine trial.

You surprised the Heavenly Angels; they looked at you from above and praised your courage in bravo; Gabriel, the Trustee had become so overwhelmed with your self-devotion that his call was frequently heard in لا فتى إلا على و لا سيف إلا ذوالفقار ! : the heavens and earth

People turned to this and that and we are proud that our Imam is Ali (a).

P: 188

1- خذيه يا فاطمة فقد أدّى بعلك ما عليه و قد قتل الله بسيفه صنادید قریش (Irshad, Sheikh Mufid, vol. 1, p.90)

2- Majma' Al-Bayān, Ṭabarsi, vol.2, p.512

3- Sa'ad Al-Sau'd, Seyyed Ibn-e-e Ṭژāvū

Theosophy Twelve

I certify that the sun has spoken of your virtues and has been humble to your rank.

God the Almighty created man with the highest rank,(1) placed him His noblest and granted him esteem.(2)

And from among men, He chose people who are decorated with His Traits and Proof over people and creatures.

And God the Almighty conquered the earth and the heavens and made it obedient to His Proof.(3)

Proof of God interferes with existence as to His Approval; and that the universe is obedient to him.

Jesus (a) who was Proof of God inhaled into muddy bird statuette giving life to it and relived a dead buried in the grave.(4)

And you, O Amir Al-Mu'amenin (a)!

-------------------------------

Theosophy Account Twelve

Hadith of "Radd Al-Shams" in Sunni sources

P: 189

1- (4 :Tin) « لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الأَعِنْسانَ فِي أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ» ..

2- (70 : Isra) «وَ لَقَدْ كَرَمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ وَ حَمَلْنَاهُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَ الْبَحْرِ وَ رَزَقْنَاهُمْ مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَى كَثِيرٍ مِمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلاً» ..

3- (13) :Jathiyya) « وَ سَخَّرَ لَكُمْ ما فِي السَّماواتِ وَ ما فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا مِنْهُ إِنَّ فِي ذلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ » . 3 مَا وَمَا خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَ الْأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ يُكَوِّرُ الَّيْلَ عَلَى النَّهَارِ وَ يُكَوِّرُ النَّهَارَ عَلَى الَّيْلِ وَ سَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَ الْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ يَجْرِى لِأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى أَلا هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفَّارُ» (5 :Zumar) وَ سَخَّرَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ وَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَ النُّجُومُ مُسَخَّراتٌ بِأَمْرِهِ إِنَّ فِي ذلِكَ لآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ» (12 :Nahl) « أَلَمْ تَرَوْا أَنَّ اللهَ سَخَّرَ لَكُمْ مَا فِي السَّماواتِ وَ ما فِي الْأَرْضِ وَأَسْبَغَ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعَمَهُ ظَاهِرَةٌ وَ بِاطِنَةً وَ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يُجَادِلُ فِي اللهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَ لا هُدى وَ لا كِتابٍ مُنِيرٍ » (20) :Luqman)

4- وَ رَسُولاً إِلى بَنِي إِسْرائيلَ أَنَّى قَدْ جِئْتُكُمْ بِآيَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ أَنَّى أَخْلُقُ لَكُمْ مِنَ الطِّينِ كَهَيْئَةِ الطَّيْرِ فَأَنْفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًا بِإِذْنِ اللهِ وَ أُبْرِئُ الْأَكْمَهَ وَ الْأَبْرَصَ وَ أُحْيِ الْمَوْتِى بِإِذْنِ اللهِ وَ أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَ ما تَدَّخِرُونَ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَةٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ ) (49 :Al-e Imran)

After your brother, the Messenger (s), you are lord of all Proofs of God; the earth, the heavens, time and the sun are conquered by you.

How nicely the Messenger (s) said about you:

In the seventh heavens, Ali looks like the sun in the earth during the day and in the sky of universe, he resembles the moon during the night.

And he said:

God has bestowed Ali share of excellence that if divided among people of the earth, it encompasses all; He has granted share of understanding thatif distributed among people of the earth, it includes all.

And he added:

Ali possesses a name that is inscribed on each veil of Paradise; my God has given me the good news.(1)

You are superior creature of God; you are Proof of God; you are perfect man and you are manifestation of Divine Names and Attributes!

In validated books, I read a virtue of you that primarily amazed me and that is salutation of the shining sun of God extended to you; but later, I told myself that it is not surprising; our lord, Ali (a) has subjugated the universe and the sun speaking with him is merely a little portion of his magnitude and rank and the sun, humble being of God, has confessed to it.

Abuzar Ghaffari, the sincere and trustworthy Companion of the Messenger (s) says that your brother, the Messenger (s) told you one night. Tomorrow, go up to Baqi'a mounts and stand on a highland; when the sun rises, send salutation to it; God has ordered it to answer you with the traits you have.

Tomorrow, you came out while you were accompanied by a number of Migrants and the Helpers-who claimed your right after demise of the Messenger (s). Followed by companions in the way, you reached Baqi'a and stood up a high place; the very instance the sun began to rise, you saluted it, saying: Peace be upon you that are new creature of God and His obedient being! A voice heard from the heavens said: Peace be upon you who are the first, the last, the outward and the inward and the one who is

P: 190

1- Taken from the hadith book of Salim Ibn-e-e Qeys Hilali, hadith 29

all-aware of all things!

When his comrades heard what the sun had said went unconscious; after several hours, they came on while you had gone far.

All of them went to see the Messenger(s), telling him: You say Ali is a man like us; but the sun addressed him with the words by which God has addressed Himself!(1) The Messenger (s) told them: What did you hear from it? They said we heard the sun say Peace be upon you, O the first!

The Messenger (s) said: It is true; he is the first one to believe in me.

They said: We heard it saying O' the last! The Messenger (s) replied: It is true; he is the last one to renew meeting with me; he gives me burial ablution, clothes me in shroud and buries me.

They said we heard the sun saying O' the Outward! The Messenger (s) told them: all of my knowledge has appeared to him.

They said: We heard it saying O' the Inward! Your brother replied to them: It is true; all my secrets lie within his Inward.

They said: We heard it saying O the one who is all-aware of all things. The Messenger (s) said: It is true; He is aware of haram and halal, the obligatory and permissible things and the like.

As the Messenger (s) finished what he said about your virtues and ranks- to which the Sun confessed, they stood up and said:

Mohammad drew us to darkness! They later left the mosque(2)

P: 191

1- It is meant Hadid: 3 in which God describes Himself as: « هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالأخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

2- Secrets of Progeny of Muhammad (s), Salim Ibn-e-e Qeys Hilāli The above narration is also available in the following books: • Fadā'il Shāzān, p.69 • Biḥār Al-Anwar, vol.41, p.181 • Tafsir-e Burhān, vol.4, p.287 • Irshad Al-Qulub, Daylami, vol.2, p.64 •Fara'id Al-Samtayn, chapter 38 •Manaqib, Khwārazmi, p.68 •Yanābi'a Al-Mawaddah, p.140

O' yes!

Divinely shining Sun confessed to your status and truthfulness, but regret belongs to those who do not believe your greatness and resorted to those who kept far away from the Straight Path.

And the other virtue of yours-denoting humbleness of the Sun by Allah's Leave before you-lies in the story that goes below:

Both in books of your followers and those opposing your caliphate and executorship, Asma Bint Amis has said a lot:

The Messenger (s) performed noon prayer at Şahba of Kheybar territories; he sent you after something and when you came back, the Messenger (s) had said afternoon prayer.

Later on, he put his head on your lap and went to sleep as late as the sunset. For his respect, you were seated in the same way while you had not said your noon prayer; as the Messenger (s) woke up and noticed your condition, he prayed to God as such. O' God! Your worshipper, Ali restrained himself for his Prophet, Thou rise back the sun for him.

Asma Bint Amis witnessing the condition says: The Sun suddenly began to rise again and covered up the mountains. And you stood up, made ablution, and performed your noon prayer and the sun set back.(1)

P: 192

1- The above hadith that is known after hadith "Radd Al-Shams" is abundantly available in Shiite and Sunni sources; the great Sunni scholars conceded the accuracy of the above hadith by citing the above hadith in their books in detail. A number of Sunni scholars who have cited hadith of "Radd Al-Shams" in their books: Diyar Bakri quotes Asma' Bint Umays saying as: إنّ النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم كان يوحى إليه و رأسه في حجر علي عليه السلام ولم يصلّ العصر حتى غربت الشمس. فقال له رسول الله صلى الله عليه و آله ] وسلّم أصلّيت يا علي ؟! قال: لا ! فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه [ و آله ] وسلّم: اللهم إنّه كان في طاعتك و طاعة رسولك فاردد عليه الشمس. قالت أسماء فرأيتها غربت ثمّ رأيتها طلعت بعد ما غربت و وقعت (Tarikh Al-Khamis, vol.2, p.58). The other Sunni books that have narrated the subject-matter of the above hadith: •Virtues of Al-e Abiṭālib, vol.2, p.353 •Al-Shafă Bet❜arif Huquq Al-Mustafā, Qādi Ayyādh, vol. 1, p.548 • Manaqib, Ukhtib Khwārazm, hadith 301, p.306 • Al-Mu'ajam Al-Kabir, Ṭabrāni, vol.24, hadith 382, p.145 • 'Ara'es Al-Majālis, Th'albi, p.249 • A'lam Al-Nubuvva, Māverdi, p.132 • Mushkil Al-Āthār, Taḥāvi, vol.2, p.11 • Tazkirat Al-Khwās, Sebt Ibn-e-e Jawziyya, p.53 • Al-Sirat Al-Nabaviyya, Ahmad Zayni Daḥān, vol. 1, p.201 • Kifayat Al-Ṭālib, Ganji Shāfe'ie, p.381 • Fara'id Al-Samtayn, Sheikh Al-Islam Ḥumwayni, vol. 1, hadith 146, p.183 • Fath Al-Bāri, Ibn-e-e Hajar Asqalani, vol.6, p.222 • Umdat Al-Qāri, Al-Imam Al-'Ayni, vol.15, p.43 • Kanz Al-Ummāl, Mutaqqi Hendi, vol. 12, hadith 35353, p.348 And other various sources Khwārazmi narrates about Ibn-e-e ‘Abbas in his Manāqib book that Ibn-e-e ‘Abbas was told: What do you say about Ali (‘a) He replied: Ali (‘a) is a man who claimed Shahadatayn, he testified that there is no God but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God and he held prayers before two qiblahs; he swore two allegiances to the Messenger (s). He is awarded Sebṭayn, father of two descendants of the Prophet (s), Hassan and Husayn (‘a). He is the one for whom the sun returned after it had gone out of sight of jinn and Ens. Ibn-e- Rūmi, dead in 283 A.H says in one line of his poetry: ردت عليه الشمس بعد غروبها *** بيضاء تلمع وقدت وتا جحا The sun returned to Ali (a) after sunset while it was shining with heightened flames. (Manaqib, Ibn-e-e Shahrāshūb, vol. 1, p.531) And another poet says: ردت الشمس والشروق عليه *** لعلى حتى يتم الاداء ثم ولت لها صرير وهذا *** لفراق له الوصال دواء The sun shined back for Ali ('a) to uphold his prayers reciting Then it showed face with a pace deriving from dervish-union parting (Al-Ghadir, vol.3, p.137) Sebt Ibn-e-e Jawziyya, a popular ulema dead in 654 A.H further says in "Al-Tazkirat Al- Khwās" after narrating "Radd Al-Shams": And by Radd Al-Shams, it means the sun stops its usual course rather than real return and if it has returned in reality, it is not surprising because this is miracle of the Prophet (s) of God and grace of Ali (‘a) and the sun stopped for Yūsha along with Muslims. This has happened in two ways: It has been either miracle of the Moses or grace of Yūsha (a). If it has been the miracle of the Moses ('a), our Messenger (s) surpasses him and if it has been grace of Yūsha, Ali (‘a) surpasses Yūsha because Muhammad said: Ulemas of my ummah resemble Messengers of the Israelites. This is applied to each individual ulema, much less Ali ('a)! Then, Sebt Ibn-e-e Jawziyya reasonably deals with the Excellency of Ali ('a) over the Messengers of the Israelites: Here, there is a strange story that has been described to me by a group of great Iraqi men; they say: I saw Abā Manṣur Muzaffar Ibn-e-e Ardeshir Ebādi, the preacher who was present at a school in Bāb “Barz" (a place in Baghdad) after evening prayers. He was talking about the story of hadith of Radd Al-Shams in his particular phrases and nice way. Later, he mentioned virtues of Ahl-e Bayt (a); a cloud appeared in the sky and there was sunset. Abu Manṣur took a pulpit, pointing to the sun and recited these poems: O' sun! Stop setting until I finish my eulogy about the Progeny of Mustafa (a) and his descendant! O' sun! Stop returning when I want to eulogize them! Have you forgotten you have stopped shining for this purpose?! If you stopped as ordered by lord, you must stop for his troops and servants. It is said that at this time, clouds went off the face of sun and it appeared. 'Abdulrahman Ibn-e-e 'Abdulrahman 'Abbasi (a Sunni scientist, dead in 963 A.H) has made these poems in the book, Mu'a'ed Al-Tanṣiṣ, vol.2, p.190. فيا لها من ايه مبصره *** ابصرها طرف الرقيب فامتری واعتورته شبهه فضل عن *** تحقيق ما ابصره وما اهتدى وظن ان الشمس قد عادت له *** فانجاب جنح اليل عنها وانجلى والشمس ما ردت لغيريوشيع *** لما غزا واعلى اذ غفا It's surprising! Rival looks askance at the light, but he raises doubt again. He is uncertain about research of what he had seen, he went astray and unguided. He envisaged the return of sun is for him that it had unveiled dark night to daylight while the sun has not returned for someone but for Yusha, during war, and for Ali ('a) during sleep.

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O' yes!

These are ranks God has granted you because you were the purest; you were the most challenging man; you were the most self-devoted in the way of resuscitating the truth and exalting the word of monotheism; you were many other things we do not know but God and His Messenger (s) is aware of!

Salman Farsi quotes the Messenger (s) saying that:

I would have told about Ali something that people would have kneeled down on the ground to kiss his footprints,(1) if there had not been my ummah going on extremes as Christians had done about Jesus Christ.

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1- Hadith book, Salim Ibn-e-e Qeys Hilali (the secrets of Muhammad's Progeny (‘a)), hadith 58, p.592; Biḥār Al-Anwar, vol.68, p.137

Theosophy Thirteen

I certify that your braveness on Khandaq day surpassed worship of jinn and Ens as late as the Day.

Since its early times, Islam has interwoven with your support and unparalleled valor. Banner of honorific religion of God has always been hoisted in your qualified hands and enemies of religion of truth have plunged into their blood in the face of your sturdy steps, divine arms and blade of your Zulfiqar.

Among the sincere Companions of the Messenger (s), there was no one but you who constantly stood in all hard battlefields and experiments, hero, victor, proud and could gain pride of Islam, cheerful heart of the Messenger (s) and pride of the heavenly Angels.

One of the extremely important and fateful trials facing Muslims was battle of Khandaq (Ahzab).

In 5 A.H, various anti-Islam parties and groups including the Quraysh pagans and those of other clans and Jews who were endangered in their benefits by virtue of progress of Islam united to launch an all-out anti- Islam conflict; being equipped with ten thousand forces and abundant facilities, they eventually could depart to Medina to fight with Muslims and whimsically destroy Islam.

Once your brother, Mohammad (s) was informed of enemy troops moving to Medina, he sat with his Companions to consult about how to counter with the enemies; in that sitting, proposal of your sincere companion and the Messengers, that is Salman Farsi was approved. He proposed that a deep and high trench (Khandaq) be dug to stop enemy infiltrating into Medina. You and other Companions of the Prophet (s) finished digging trench. The huge army of enemy approached and stopped before the trench and a number of others beleaguered Medina.(1)

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Theosophy Account Thirteen

Courage of Ali in Khandaq Battle cited from Sunni sources

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1- Siray-e Ibn-e-e Hisham, vol.3, p.230

Here, many Muslims were frightened from excessive number of enemy forces and some stumbled in doubt in connection with divine promises that are victory of the right against wrong.

God the Almighty says in His Book in this regard:

O' believers! Remember the gift God granted to you when an army of disbelievers assembled against you; We sent a strong wind and an army (of the Angels) unseen to help you and God was aware of your deeds. Remember when the army of disbelievers attacked you from up and down and you were amazed out of fear, you choked your throat of life and made different imaginations about Promises of God.

There, believers passed a trial and (the weak-faith people) showed instability. And at that time, the hypocrite dissidents and those with doubtful hearts told each other the promise God and His Messenger kept with us was only a pride and deceit. Then, a group of them said: O'people of Yathrib! You should no longer stay in Medina; you should return. A group of them asked the Messenger to allow them to return, saying that our homes have no wall and safety whereas they told a lie and they intended to flee. And if army of Aḥzāb had arrived in the city, they would have fulfilled their demand to join atheism. This is while they had made a pledge to God to remain loyal to Promise of God and never turn back on war. (1)

O' Amir Mu'amenan (a)!

You not only stood unterrified from multiplicity of enemy troops and remained quite decisive for materializing divine promises of victory of the faithful people; but also you showed more tolerance and determination to

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1- يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ جَاءَتْكُمْ جُنُودٌ فَأَرْسَلْنا عَلَيْهِمْ رِيحا وَ جُنُودًا لَمْ تَرَوْهَا وَ كانَ اللهُ بِما تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرا * إِذْ جَاؤُكُمْ مِنْ فَوْقِكُمْ وَ مِنْ أَسْفَلَ مِنْكُمْ وَ إِذْ زاغَتِ الْأَبْصَارُ وَ بَلَغَتِ القُلُوبُ الْحَناجِرَ وَ تَظُنُّونَ بِاللهِ الظُّنُونَا * هُنالِكَ ابْتُلِيَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَ زُلْزِلُوا زِلْزَالاً شَدِيدا • وَ إِذْ يَقُولُ الْمُنافِقُونَ وَ الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ ما وَعَدَنَا اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ إِلا غُرُورا وَ إِذْ قالَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ يَا أَهْلَ يَثْرِبَ لا مُقامَ لَكُمْ فَارْجِعُوا وَيَسْتَأْذِنُ فَرِيقٌ مِنْهُمُ النَّبِيَّ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ بُيُوتَنَا عَوْرَةً وَ مَا هِيَ بِعَوْرَةٍ إِنْ يُرِيدُونَ إِلا فِرارا و لَوْ دُخِلَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ أَقْطَارِها ثُمَّ سُئِلُوا الْفِتْنَةَ لَاتَوْهَا وَ ما تَلَبَّثُوا بِها إِلا يَسِيرا * ولَقَدْ كانُوا عَاهَدُوا اللهَ مِنْ قَبْلُ لا يَوَلُّونَ الْأَدْبَارَ وَ كانَ عَهْدُ اللهِ مَسْئُولا » (15-9 :Ahzab)

defend religion of the truth; God says about you and sincere Companions of the Messenger (s) who brought a good name in that hard trial:

And when the faithful people witnessed army and forces of atheism, they said: This is the Promise God and His Messenger kept to us beforehand (that the right wins the wrong); God and His Messenger told the truth and nothing but faith and obedience was raised.(1)

God the Almighty suppressed the atheists in the battle. They failed to pass through trench and remained behind some days; in the meantime, a stormy wind as ordered by God began to blow and ruined camps of the atheists; filled their hearts with serious horror and intimidation and sent the Invisible Forces of the Angels to help Muslims. Besides, murder of their so-called champion, Amru Ibn-e Abduwad by you, O' Ali! Added to their horror and the pagans unable to do anything began to flee.

O' yes!

Your unique courage caused the enemy to lose morale and think of returning to Mecca.

Division of parties had called upon the most powerful Arab gallants to join the war, among whom Amru Ibn-e Abduwad and four others put on combat garment and jumped off the other side of trench with their horses through a small pass off trench inaccessibly far from Islamic troops; they appeared to army of Islam and Amru Ibn-e Abduwad was the most well-known among them.

Out of five people there, he came close to you in defiance; he instantaneously heightened his voice and began to roar, boasting to fight all around the battlefield. Amru's incessant roars frightened Muslims so badly that they were frozen with no reaction whatsoever.(2)

Silence of Muslims increased his venture and said: Who are claimants of

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1- «وَ لَمّا رَأَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الْأَحْزاب قالُوا هذا ما وَعَدَنَا اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَ صَدَقَ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَ ما زادَهُمْ إِلا إيمانا وَ تَسْلِيما » (Aḥzāb: 22)

2- Waqidi, great historian of Muslim World, writes in Al-Maghāzi, vol.2, p.470: When Amru was defying someone, silence overcame all Muslims: وكأنّ على رؤسهم الطير.

Paradise? Do you not say that your dead go to Paradise and ours go to Hell? Is there no one ready to send me to Hell or I send him to Paradise?!

Here, he recited his known poems:

I shouted so much to ask somebody among you to fight with me and my voice is muffled!

I am standing at a place where pseudo-heroes are afraid to stand before warring heroes!

True! It is the best instinct for chivalrous men to be honorable and courageous!(1)

Here, the Messenger (s) commanded someone rise up and get Muslims the hell rid of this man; but nobody save you was prepared to fight with him.

O' yes!

Every time Amr ventured to yell for defiance, it was only you who would rise up, asking the Prophet (s) for permitting you to fight with him; yet, he disagreed.

This continued to be repeated several times and the last time you asked for permission of fight, the Prophet (s) told you: This is Amru Ibn-e Abduwad. And you told him: I am Ali!(2)

Finally, the Messenger (s) agreed; he handed Zulfiqar to you, put you on with turban and prayed for you in this way:

O' God! Protect him on the front side, backside, from left side, from right side, from up and down.(3)

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1- Later, when you departed to battlefield, the Prophet (s) said: ولقد بححت من النداء *** بجمعكم هل من مبارز! و وقفت اذ جين الشجاع *** موقف الخصم المناجز ! ان السماحه والشجاعه *** في الفتى خير الغرائز

2- Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balaghah, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol.13, p.248; Tafsir-e Qomi, vol.2, p.183; Uyun Al-Tawarikh, Mohammad Ibn-e-e Shikar Kutobi, vol. 1, p.200

3- (182.Tafsir-e Qomi, vol.2, p) اللهم احفظه من بين يديه و من خلفه و عن يمينه و عن شماله و من فوقه و من تحته

The whole Islam has stood against the whole blasphemy.(1)

What the Messenger (s) said well showed that victory of one over another was victory of blasphemy over faith or faith over blasphemy; in other words, it was a challenge fateful enough to determine future of Islam and paganism.

You quickly rushed to the battlefield while you were reciting these poems in response to Amru's:

Stop hastening that the powerful response to your call came along!

The one who has pure intention, favorable insight and honesty that salvages every strong man.

I hope I make elegiac chanters chant beside your stiff; as a result of open strike sound of which remains even after war and echoes everywhere.(2)

You quickly footed towards Amru and when you came face to face with him, you said: You had promised yourself that you accept one of the three things a man from Quraysh asks you.

Amru replied: Yes. It's true.

You told him: My first demand is that you embrace Islam!

Amru said: Forget about this demand.

You told him: You can overlook war, go back from here and leave others to deal with Mohammad!

He replied: Quraysh women never speak of such thing (they will not be pleased); I have taken vows not to grease my head until I take revenge of

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1- برز الایمان كلّه إلى الشرك كلّه .. (Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol. 13, p.361; Iḥqaq Al-Haqq, vol.6, p.9; Biḥār Al-Anwār, vol.20, p.215; E'lām Al-Wari, Ṭabarsi, p.194)

2- لا تعجلن فقد اتاک *** مجیب صوتک غیر عاجز ذونيه و بصيره *** والصدق منجى كل فائز اني لأرجوا ان اقیم *** علیک نائجه الجنائز من ضربه نجلاء يبقى *** صوتها بعد الهزاهز (Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balaghah, vol.6, p.63)

muhammad.

You courageously told him: So ride off your horse for battle!

Amru replied: I guess no Arab demands me as such; I don't like you being killed by me because your father was a friend of mine; go back, you're quite young!(1)

You powerfully and courageously told him: I like to kill you!

Amru was infuriated about what you said, rode off his horse, cut off his horses foot and launched assail on you.

A hard fight erupted; both came in grips with each other and the air was filled with dusty particles with no good visibility. Those watching the fight had no information about you and Amr; they only heard swords striking defensive tools such as shield and the like.

Amr found a chance and hit you hard on your head but you struck back his blow with shield; the shield broke in half and your head partly split leading to blood rolling your holy beard.

This instance you took the chance to blow him hard and he was knocked down. Dust in the battlefield stopped both armies closely see the outcome of the battle; all of a sudden, there was chant of Takbir. Army of Islam cried out in joy and everybody understood that you sent the great Arab hero to the hell!(2)

While bleeding on your head, you slowly but surely went back to army camp and you were smiling for your win; headless body of Amru Ibn-e

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1- Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balaghah, vol.19, p.64 puts it down: Our master, "Abulkheyr Musaddiq Ibn-e-e Shabib Naḥvi said: By God! Suggestion was not made for return to keep Ali (‘a) alive; rather, it was out of fear because he knew how many Ali (‘a) had killed in the Battles of Badr and Uhud and that if he tried to defy Ali (a), he would be killed because he was shy of expressing his fear; he said as such and told lies every instance.

2- Al-Maghāzi, Mohammad Ibn-e-e Omar Ibn-e-e Waqidi, vol.2, p.471 Ibn-e-e Shahrāshūb writes in Manaqib, vol.2, p.115: When Ali (‘a) sat on Amru's chest to behead him, he insulted the mother of Ali (‘a) and drooled on his face. Imam became angry and fearing that he might kill him because of revenge, he stood up and left him alone. After he came down, he decapitated him to please God.

Abduwad laid on the corner of the battlefield. You murdered the well- known Arab champion and army of Ahzab and their desires endured irreparable blows; it was a blow that sapped their morale and filled them with despair of winning. For this reason, the Messenger (s) told you about unparalleled job:

If what you have done is compared with what ummah has done today, it surpasses them because no house of pagans houses remained unless it was degraded with murder of Amr and no house of Muslims houses remained unless it was honored.(1)

And he furthered:

Battle of Ali Ibn-e Abiṭālib with Amru Ibn-e Abduwad on Khandaq war excels actions of my ummah until the Day comes.(2)

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1- Biḥār Al-Anwar, vol.20, p.216; Mustadrak, Ḥākim, vol.30, p.32

2- لمبارزة عليّ بن أبي طالب لعمرو بن عبدود يوم الخندق أفضل من أعمال أمتى إلى يوم القيامة. (Al-Mustadrak Alal-ṣaḥihin, vol.3, p.32) The late Ţabarsi quotes the Messenger (s) in Majma' Al-Bayān: لضربة على يوم الخندق أفضل من عبادة الثقلين. Khatib Baghdadi in the history of Baghdad, vol. 13, p.19 says that the Messenger (s) said: لضربة على يوم الخندق أفضل من عبادة الثقلين. Ali Ibn-e-e Burhanuddin Ḥalabi in Sirey-e Halabiyya, vol.2, p. 340 says that the Fakhr-e Rāzi in Tafsir Kabir, vol.32, p.31 says under قتل على لعمرو بن عبدود أفضل من عبادة الثقلين :Messenger (s) said ولم يبين قدر الخيرية وهذا كقوله ( صلى الله عليه [ وآله وسلّم ( لمبارزه على مع عمرو بن عبدود أفضل من عمل أمتى إلى يوم القيامة، فلم يقل مثل عمله بل قال « أفضل ». God says in Aḥzāb: 25 (( وَ كَفَى اللَّهُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الْقِتَالَ )) Qomi in his Tafsir, vol.2, p.189 and Ḥākim Ḥaskāni in Shawāhid, vol.2, p.3 have said: God meant that He saved the faithful people from entering into a war through Ali (‘a). Sheikh Saduq in Khiṣāl, p.368 quotes Amir Al-Mu'amenin (a): The Arab and Quraysh hero was Amru Ibn-e-e Abduwad that day, who yelled like a drunken camel and defied someone. Nobody fought with him. God killed him with my hand. This was while Arabs believed that no hero can keep up a fight with him. God defeated Quraysh and Arabs as a result of murder I committed among them. Jābir Ibn-e-e Anṣāri who closely observed the scene said: Just as Dāvūd defeated Jālūt's army, Ali (‘a) caused the army of atheism to lose. (Lesson plan for knowing the history of Islam, Seyyed Ali Mir Sharifi, vol.2, p.34)

Philosophy of such statement is obvious because Islam and the Quran that day were apparently on the verge of abyss, spending the most critical times; someone who showed the utmost sacrifice in the battlefield, protected Islam from threat and guaranteed its perpetuity until the Day was you, O Ali!

And Islam took roots from being blessed by your sacrifice after your brother, the Messenger (s) and embellished the world people; therefore, public worship is indebted to your courage.

True! Many were shaken with fear and became enfeebled in that divine trial but you stood highest of all before God and His Messenger; the heavenly Angels gemmed you with flowers again and extended well-done to you.

The history also says that when Amrs sister reached at the body of her killed brother and saw that his expensive armor was still on with him, she saidI confess that his killer has been an honorable man.(1)

You never breached pledge with God and you constantly stood to firmly sublimate word of monotheism; you mostly aspired to sacrifice your life for religion of God.

God says in His Word of Revelation:

There are among the believers many men who have been true to the covenant they made with Allah; of them some have submitted their souls in martyrdom and there are some who are waiting to join their brothers in Paradise and they have not in the least changed their mind about their covenant; (Aḥzāb:23)(2)

And you yourself said that:

We have been sent down the above word of revelation and I swear to God I am the one who expects to be martyred. [And there are men like Hamzah who had previously been martyred] and I never change my policy and keep

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1- Mustadrak, Hakim, vol.30, p.33

2- 23 :Ahzab) «مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللهَ عَلَيْهِ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَضى نَحْبَهُ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَنْتَظِرُ وَ ما بَدَّلُوا تَبْدِيلاً » ..

my pledge with God.(1)

You annihilated Arab great men in Badr battle; in Uhud battle where many fearing their life left the Prophet (s) alone, you audaciously defended the Messenger (s). In that unequal battle where you were bodily wounded, you never hesitated to fight and this was while many claiming to be faithful and resistant climbed up the mount like a goat and ran away from battle scene.(2)

And in this battle of Aḥzab, although Amru Ibn-e Abduwad roared and insulted Muslims, you only obeyed the Messenger's command and stood up to him; those claimants either ran away home or hid themselves behind the Messenger (s)!

O' lord! Others turned to other than you and we are proud that you are our lord!

P: 203

1- Majma' Al-Bayān, Aḥzāb: 23

2- Waqidi writes in Al-Maghāzi, vol. 1, p.295: Omar always said: When we heard the news of murder of the Messenger (s), I climbed up mountain like a mountain goat. And he also says in vol.1, p.237: The Messenger of God (s) called people, but no one looked back and had been running away.

P: 204

Theosophy Fourteen

I certify that you divide Paradise and Hell on the Day.

What can I say about you and you are higher than description I give you! The Heavenly people have dazzling eyes at your unexampled status and grandeur and what can we the earthly beings, say of you?

In this world, insincerely knowledge-free people failed to recognize you; but God the Exalted reveals your grandeur on the Resurrection Day.

And there, people and deniers of you understand who Ali is!

In this world, you were denied by many people; you were tormented a lot and your pure family was martyred but on the Day, you are the only who can do everything upon Gods Leave. God grants a status exclusive to you as a reward for your purely unique faith and your unexampled and amazing valor and sacrifice to destroy atheism and sublimate word of monotheism.

O' yes!

It is only devoted to you and you are divider of Paradise and Hell for all people from the first to the last.

The Messenger (s) frequently stated Ali divides Paradise and Hell on the Day. Nobody he said can enter Paradise and Hell unless Ali divides it.

And he repeatedly told you: O' Ali! You divide Paradise and Hell among people on the Day; nobody enters Paradise but those mystics who have learned about your status and nobody enters Hell but those who have denied and defied you.

And you yourself repeatedly said: I am divider of Paradise and Hell.(1)

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Theosophy Account Fourteen

Hadith of "Ali divides Paradise and Hell" in Sunni sources, an explanation and the other various issues

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1- There are plenty of hadiths quoted from the holy Prophet (s) in Sunni and Shiite sources, meaning that Ali ('a) divides Paradise and Hell for people on the Day. These hadiths say that nobody enters into Paradise or Hell unless it is divided by Ali (‘a). Here, a few examples of hadiths from Sunni sources are mentioned: قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلّم: على يوم القيامة على الحوض لا يدخل الجنة إلا من جاء بجواز من عليّ بن أبيطالب. (Manaqib, Ibn-e-e Maghazili Shafeie, p.119; Gharib Al-Hadith, Ibn-e-e Qutaybah, vol.1, p.377; history of Damascus, vol.42, p.299 and ...) قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم لعلى عليه السلام يا علي ! إنّك قسيم الجنّة و النار و أنت تقرع باب الجنّة و تدخلها أحبائك بغیر حساب (Yanābi'a Al-Mawaddah, Qundūzi Ḥanafi, vol. 1, p.249) عن على عليه السلام: أنا قسيم النار. (Al-Fayiq fi Gharib al-Hadith, Zamashkhari, vol.3, p.97) روى أيضا عن الأعمش عن موسى بن طريف عن عباية قال: سمعت عليا و هو يقول: أنا قسيم النار. (Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balaghah, vol.2, p.26 and vol.11, p.140) عن عباية عن على عليه السلام ) قال: أنا قسيم النار ، إذا كان يوم القيامة قلت هذا لك و هذا لي. (Al-Badāya va Al-Nahāya, vol.7, p.392) (Al-Fayiq fi Gharib al-Hadith, Zamashkhari, vol.3, p.97) قال رسول الله ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ( لعلى [ عليه السلام ] : إذا كان يوم القيامة يؤتى بك يا علي بسرير من نور و على رأسك تاج قد أضاء نوره و كاد يخطف أبصار أهل الموقف، فيأتى النداء من عند الله جل جلاله: أين وصيّ محمّد رسول الله ؟ فتقولها أنا ذا، فينادى المنادى: أدخل من أحبّك الجنّة وأدخل من عاداك في النار، فأنت قسيم الجنّة و النار. (Yanābi'a Al-Mawaddah, Qunduzi Ḥanafi, vol. 1, p.249) ما تنكرون من هذا الحديث؟! أليس روينا أنّ النبي ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ) قال لعلي [ عليه السلام | لا يحبّك إلاّ مؤمن ولا يبغضك إلا المنافق؟ فقلنا بلى. قال: فأين المنافق؟ قلنا في النار. قال: فعليّ قسيم النار. (Kifayat Al-Talib, p.72; Tabaqat Al-Hanabalah, vol.1, p.330) إنّ عليّا ( عليه السلام ) قال للستة الذين جعل عمر الأمر شورى بينهم كلاما طويلا من جملته: أنشدكم بالله! هل فيكم أحدّ قال رسول الله يا علي ! أنت قسيم النار و الجنّة يوم القيامة غيرى ؟ قالوا: اللهم لا. (Al-ṣwā'iq Al-Muḥriqah, vol.2, p.361; Simţ Al-Nujūm Al-'Awāli, Āṣimi Shāfe'ie, vol.3, p.63; Yanābi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol. 1, p.250) عن أبي سعيد خدري: قال رسول الله ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ): إذا كان يوم القيامة قال الله تعالى لمحمّد و علي: أدخلا الجنّة من أحبّكما و أدخلا النار من أبغضكما، فيجلس علي على شفير جهنّم فيقول لها: هذا لي و هذا لك ! (Shawahid, Al-Tanzil, Hakim Haskani, vol.2, p.264) قال رسول الله ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ) : إذا كان يوم القيامة فأنّ الله تبارك و تعالى قال لي و لعلي: ألقيا في النار من أبغضكما و أدخلا الجنّة من أحبّكما. (Shawāhid, Al-Tanzil, vol.2, p.262) And some other Sunni books that narrated the above hadith (Ali is divider of Paradise and Hell) are as follows: •Gharib Al-Hadith, Ibn-e-e Qutaybah, vol. 1, p.377 •Al-Nahāyat fi Ghraib Al-Hadith, Ibn-e-e Athir, vol.4, p.61 •Al-Manaqib, Khwarazmi, p.41 •Kanz Al-Ummal, Mutaqqi Hendi, vol.13, p.152 •Tarikh Madinah Dameshq, vol.42, p.299 •TajAl-'Arūs, Zubaydi, vol. 17, p.569 •Lisan Al-Arab, Ibn-e-e Mandür, vol.12, p.479 •Amāli, Jurjāni, vol.1, p.177 •Asas Al-Balaghah, Zamashkhari, vol.1, p.507 •Gharib Al-Hadith, Ibn-e-e Jawziyya, vol.2, p.93 and... And some Shiite sources that have cited the above hadith: عن عبدالله بن عباس قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلّم: معاشر الناس ! إنّ عليّا قسيم النار لا يدخل النار ولى له و لا ينجو منها عدوّ له ؛ إنّه قسيم الجنّة، لا يدخلها عدوّ له و لا يزحزح عنها ولى له. (Amāli, Saduq, p.31) قال على بن موسى الرضا علیه السلام قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلّم: يا علي ! إنك قسيم الجنّة و النار. (Uyün Akhbar Al-Ridā, vol. 1, p.30) قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم لعلى عليه السلام يا علي ! أنت قسيم الجنّة و النار، لا يدخل الجنة إلا من عرفك و عرفته و لا يدخل النار إلا من أنكرك و أنكرته. (Amāli, Sheikh Mufid, p.213) And the other Shiite sources are given similar to the above narrations including: •Usul-e Kafi, vol.4, p.570 •Manaqib, Ibn-e-e Shahrashub, vol.2, p.8 •Al-Tarayif, Seyyed Ibn-e-e Tavus, p.76 AND...... The reason behind naming: عن محمد بن سنان، عن المفضل بن عمر قال: قلت لأبي عبدالله جعفر بن محمد ( سلام الله عليهما ): لم صار أمير المؤمنين عليّ بن أبي طالب عليه السلام قسيم الجنة والنار؟ قال عليه السلام لأنّ حبّه ایمان و بغضه كفر و إنّما خلقت الجنّة لأهل الايمان و خلقت النار لأهل الكفر، فهو قسيم الجنة و النار ، لهذه العلّة ؛ فالجنّة لا يدخلها إلا أهل محبّته و النار لا يدخلها إلا أهل بغضه. Mafdal Ibn-e-e Omar is quoted as saying: I told Imam Sadiq (‘a): Why has Ali ('a) been mentioned as divider of Paradise and Hell? Imam said: It is because loving him is faith and opposing him is disbelief and verily, Paradise has been created for people of Paradise and Hell for people of disbelief; that is why Ali ('a) is divider of Paradise and Hell. Therefore, nobody enters into Paradise unless he loves Ali and enters into Hell unless he opposes Ali. (Ilal Al-Sharāy'a, Sheikh Saduq, vol.1, p.162) حدثنا تميم بن عبدالله بن تميم القرشى قال: حدثني أبي عن أحمد بن علي الأنصارى عن أبي الصلت الهروى قال: قال المأمون يوما للرضا عليه السلام يا أبا الحسن ! أخبرني عن جدّك أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام بأي وجه هو قسيم الجنّة و النار و بأي معني فقد كثر فكري في ذلك ؟ فقال له الرضا عليه السلام: ألم ترو عن أبيك عن آبائه عن عبد الله بن عباس أنه قال: سمعت رسول الله يقول: حبّ عليّ ايمان و بغضه کفر؟ فقال: بلی. فقال الرضا عليه السلام فقسمة الجنّة والنار، إذا كانت على حبّه و بغضه فهو قسيم الجنّة و النار. (Uyūn Akhbar Al-Ridā (‘a), vol.2, p.86) Abāṣalt Hirawi has said that one day Ma'mun told Imam Ridā (‘a): Ya Abalhassan! Tell us about your father, Amir Al-Mu'amenan (a) that why he is called divider of Paradise and Hell and what it means. This has preoccupied my mind. Imam Ridā (‘a) told him: O' Ma'mūn! Have you not quoted from your father, your father from his fathers and have they not from Ibn-e-e 'Abbas who quoted from the Messenger (s) as saying: Love of Ali is faith and opposition to Ali is atheism? Ma'mān replied: Yes! Later, Imam said: Therefore, Ali ('a) divides Paradise and Hell when love and grudge is the basis; then he is divider of Paradise and Hell. A great number of poets have used this narration in their poems during many centuries; for example: قسیم النار ذوخير *** يخلصنا الغداه من السعير و فكان محمد في الدين شما *** على بعده كالبدر المنير (The end of Mustadrak, Mirzāy-e Nūri, vol.3, p.80) Divider of Hell is owner of well and how nice it is that we are rescued from the Hell on the Day! Therefore, Muhammad(s) is the sun in religion and after him, Ali (a) is the shining moon. Al-Bishnavi: فمدينه العلم التي هوبابها *** اضحى قسيم الناريوم مآبه فعدوه اشقى البريه في لضى *** ووليه المحبوب يوم حسابه (Manāqib, Ibn-e-e Shahrāshūb, vol.1, p.314) So the scientific city where he is, remains clear that the divider of Hell is the day of his return. His opponent is the most atrocious being on the Day and his friend remains beloved on the Day. 'Ammar Ibn-e-e Th'albah: على حبه جنته *** قسيم النار و الجنته وصى المصطفى حقا *** امام الانس و الجنته (Madinat Al-Ma'ajiz, Allameh Baḥrāni, vol. 1, p.260) Love of Ali is shield in the face of fire and he divides Paradise and Hell. He is successor and legatee of Muhammad (s) and he leads jinn and Ens. The Iranian poet, Hafiz Shirazi says in one of his quatrains: O' problem-solver, divider of Paradise and Hell Let us not be exhausted and debilitated How long remains this wolf-hunting, show well O' lion of God! Let the opponent be mutilated عن ابن عباس : قلت للنبي ( صلى الله عليه وآله وسلّم : يا رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلّم ) ! أ للجنة جواز ؟ قال: نعم ! قلت: و ما هو ؟ قال: حبّ عليّ بن أبي طالب. (History of Baghdad, vol.3, p.161; history of Damascus, vol.42, p.244) قال رسول الله ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم : لكلّ شيء جواز و جواز الصراط حبّ عليّ بن أبي طالب. (Maqtal Al-Husayn, Khwarazmi, vol.1, p.39; Fara'id Al-Samtayn, Hamwayni, vol.1, p.292; Kashf Al-Ghummah, vol.1, p.103; Manāqib, Ibn-e-e Shahrāshūb, vol.2, p.156; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.39, p.202) قال النبي ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم : لا يجوز أحد الصراط إلا من كتب له عليه السلام على الجواز. (Al-sawa'iq Al-Muhriqah, Heythami, p.193) صراط الذین انعمت عليهم ) قال النبي ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم : علي بن أبيطالب عليه السلام وشيعته. (Shawahid Al-Tanzil, Hakim Haskani, vol.1, p.66) قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: إذا كان يوم القيامة يقعد عليّ بن أبي طالب على الفردوس، و هو جبل قد علا على الجنّة، و فوقه عرش ربّ العالمين و من سفحه تتفجّر أنهار الجنّة و تتفرّق في الجنان و هو جالس على كرسي من نور يجري بين يديه التسنيم، لا يجوز أحد الصراط إلا و معه براءة بولايته و ولاية أهل بيته يُشرِفُ على الجنّة، فيدخل محبّيه الجنّة و مبغضيه النار. (Maqtal Al-Husayn, Khwārazmi, vol.1, p.39; Fara'id Al-Samṭayn, Ḥamwayni, vol.1, p.292; Kashf Al-Ghummah, vol. 1, p.103; Manāqib, Khwārazmi, p.71; Gharar Al-Akhbār, pp. 48 and 200), Kanz Al-Ummal, vol.11, p.621)

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This speech is so gravely made that human intellect cannot figure out its deep sense. This statement made by the Messenger (s) represents that the Resurrection is kept in your hands upon God's Leave. Good for those mystics of yours and your rightful followers who take benefit from divinely eternal Paradise.

Your brother, the Messenger of God (s) was told: O' Messenger of God! Do we need permission to get rid of fire of Hell?

Hadrat stated:Yes. And that is love of Ali Ibn-e Abitalib.(1)

At this time, one of the wives of the Messenger(s) who began to blame you, the Messenger (s) told: Stop bothering my brother; as he is Commander of the Faithful, lord of Muslims and master of worshippers on

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1-

the Day; he sits at the Path on the Day, letting his friends enter the Paradise and his enemies into Hell.(1)

O' yes!

God grants honor and high status to whoever He wants; He has granted you honor and high status. He is Omniscient and others not; He Wills and Does everything and hardly ever can any creature stand against His Will!

True! The Resurrection Day, arena of resurrection remains in your hands and you divide Paradise and Hell for people.

As for your enemies and those who deny you as Imam!

With this statement made, your enemies, who can hardly bear hearing your holy name, should shatter their own heads by striking them to the wall!!

And deniers of your divine caliphate and Imamate; those whose affection of others is deeply rooted in their hearts and can hardly hear such virtue of yours should die of grief! (2).

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1- قال ابن عباس: دخل الإمام علي [ عليه السلام ] على النبي صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم و عنده عائشة، فجلس بين النبي صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم وعائشة. فقالت: ما كان لك مجلس غير فخذى ؟ فضرب النبي صلى الله عليه [ و آله ] و سلّم على ظهرها و قال مه لا تؤذينى في أخي، فإنّه أمير المؤمنين و سيّد المسلمين و قائد الغر المحجلين يوم القيامة، يقعد على الصراط المستقيم فيدخل اولياءه الجنّة و يدخل أعداءه النار. (Kanz Al-Ummal, vol.11, p.619; Jawahir Al-Matalib, Ibn-e-e Dameshqi, vol.1, chapter 49, p.349; Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol.1, chapter 14, p.221; Sharh Al-Maqasid, Taftazāni, vol.2, p.291; Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balaghah, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Ḥadid, vol.9, p.169; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.37, p.297)

2- عن شريك بن عبدالله قال: كنا عند الأعمش في مرضه الذي توفّى فيه، فدخل عليه « أبو حنيفة » و « ابن أبي ليلى » و « ابن شبرمه » و كان الأمام أكبرهم فبدأ بالكلام وقال: إنّق الله فإنّك في أول يوم من الآخرة و قد كنت تحدّث عن على رضى الله عنه (( بأحاديث لو أمسكتها لكان خيرا لك ! فقال الأعمش أسندوني لمثلي يقال هذا حدّثني « أبو المتوكل الناجي » عن « أبي سعيد الخدری » قال: قال رسول الله (صلی الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ) إذا كان يوم القيامة قال الله تعالى لي ولعلي بن أبي طالب أدخلا الجنّة من أحبّكما و أدخلا النار من أبغضكما وذلك قول الله تعالى: « أَلْقِيَا فِي جَهَنَّمَ كُلَّ كَفَّارِ عَنِيدٍ ». قال الإمام [ ابوحنيفه ] قوموا حتى لا يجيء بأطم من هذا قال فو الله ماجزنا الباب حتى مات. (Al-Jawahir Al-Madiyya fi Tabaqat Al-Hanafiyya, vol.2, p.501) The last words A'mash told Abu Hanifah before his death: Sharik Ibn-e-e 'Abdullah says: I paid a visit to A'mash when he was bed-ridden. “Abu Hanifah", "Ibn-e-e Abi Layli" and "Ibn-e-e Shabermah" came in; Abu Hanifah began to talk, saying to A'mash: Fear God that you always told hadith about Ali and if you had not said it, it would have been better for you! A'mash said: Know me that I love Ali (‘a) and hear that Abu Sa'id Khedri quotes the Messenger (s): When the Day comes, God tells me and Ali says: Let your lovers enter into Paradise and your enemies enter into Hell and this is what God promises :( أَلْقِيَا فِي جَهَنَّمَ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ ) (24 :Qaf) Abu Hanifah said: Get up going and let's not listen more! By God! I was about to reach home when A'mash died.

and those wicked followers (1) who are now committing crimes in the name of Islam, saying that your followers are infidels and amputate them(2), young and old, only because of approach to God in a series of bomb attacks at the mosques should hang themselves up as the Messenger (s) stated about your Shiite followers that they win salvation on the Day.(3)

And you and your pure Ahl-e Bayt are the very Companions of the Paradise as God has said: They recognize the believers by their countenances and give them good news of Paradise; you and your family separate the truthful believers from others and let them enter Paradise upon God's Leave.(4))

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1- Ibn-e-e Taymiya, the founder of Wahhabism

2- Takfiri Salafi Wahhbis say the Shiites of Ali (a) are infidels and martyr them by planting bombs in Mosques in Iraq, Pakistan and Syria and...They say they enter into Paradise if they do as such!!

3- قال سید الرسل صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم يا علي ! أنت و شيعتك الفائزون يوم القيامة. •Al-Durr Al-Manthūr, Siyūți, vol.6, p.379 • Shawāhid Al-Tanzil, vol. 1, p.500 and vol.2, p.459 • History of Damascus, vol.42, p.332 • Al-Kamil, Ibn-e-e 'Adi, vol.7, p.213 • Al-Manaqib, Muvaffaq Khwārazmi, chapter 9, p.113 • Majma'a Al-Zawa'id, Heythami, vol.9, p.131 • Al-Mu'ajam Al-Awsat, Tabarani, vol.6, p.354 • Kanz Al-Ummāl, vol.11, p.323 And the other various sources.

4- وَ بَيْنَهُما حِجابٌ وَ عَلَى الْأَعْرَافِ رِجالٌ يَعْرِفُونَ كُلاً بِسيماهُمْ وَ نادَوْا أَصْحابَ الْجَنَّةِ أَنْ سَلامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ لَمْ يَدْخُلُوها وَ هُمْ يَطْمَعُونَ » 46 :Aaraf) روى الحافظ القندوزى الحنفى في ينابيع المودة، بأسناده المذكور عن سلمان الفارسي قال: سمعت رسول الله ( صلى الله علیه و آله و سلّم ) يقول لعلى [ عليه السلام أكثر من عشر مرّات: يا علي ! إنّك و الأوصياء من ولدك أعراف بين الجنّة و النار، لا يدخل الجنة إلا من عرفكم و عرفتموه و لا يدخل النار إلا من انکرکم و انكرتموه 452 ,Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, Qundüzi) و قال الإمام على عليه السلام لابن الكواء: نحن أصحاب الأعراف نعرف أنصارنا بسيماهم و نحن الأعراف يوم القيامة بين الجنّة و النار و لا يدخل الجنّة إلا من عرّفنا وعرفناه و لا يدخل النار إلا من انكرنا و أنكرناه و ذلك بأنّ الله عزّ و جلّ لو شاء عرّف للناس نفسه حتى يعرفوه وحده و يأتوه من بابه و لكنّه جعلنا أبوابه و صراطه و بابه الذى يؤتى منه، فقال فيمن عدل عن ولايتنا و فضّل علينا غيرنا فإنّهم « عن الصراط لناكبون » . (Ihtijaj, Tabarsi, vol.1, p.228)

And when, on the Day, letters of acts of people are opened and the truthful believers-who are your followers-open their letters of acts in this world, love and affection are the most brilliant and outstanding acts extended to you; the Messenger (s) said in this regard:

Among the most salient acts in the track record of the believers on the Day are love and kindness dedicated to Ali Ibn Abiṭālib.(1)

Your brother, the Messenger (s) is the most superior being of God's Creatures as well as a blessing for the universe and you too remain under his auspices as to divine ranks; Hadrat said to you one day:

O' Ali! People are from different trees and you and I are from one tree. (2).

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1- قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم عنوان صحيفة المؤمن حبّ عليّ بن أبي طالب... Some Sunni sources that have cited the above hadith: • Kanz Al-Ummāl, vol.11, p.601 • Fayd Al-Qadir, Manāvi, vol.4. p.481 • History of Baghdad, vol.5, p.177 • History of Damascus, vol.5, p.230 • Yanābi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol. 1, p.272 • Manaqib, Ibn-e-e Maghazili, hadith 243, p.243 • Al-sawa'iq Al-Muhriqah, Heythami, p.193 • Lisan Al-Mizan, vol.4, p.471

2- قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم يا علي ! الناس من شجر شتّى و أنا و أنت يا على من شجرة واحدة. • Mustadrak, Hakim, vol.2, hadith 2949, p.241 • Tarikh-e Madina Dameshq, vol.42, p.64 • Al-ṣawā'iq Al-Muḥriqah, Heythami, p.73 • Tarikh Al-Khulafa', p.171 • Zakhā'er Al-Uqbā, p.16 • Al-Durr Al-Manthur And......

And He also said:

Verily, God has assigned Ali, his wife and children as His Proofs for the creatures and they are opening doors of knowledge for my ummah. Whosoever is guided by them, he shall be moving along the Straight Path.(1).

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1- عن جابر بن عبدالله قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه [ و آله ] وسلّم: إنّ الله جعل عليا و زوجته و أبناءه حجج الله على خلقه و هم أبواب العلم في إمتى من اهتدى بهم هدى إلى صراط مستقيم. 1.8.Shawahid Al-Tanzil, vol) القرطبي و السيوطى و ابن حجر: قال الإمام موسى الكاظم ( عليه السلام : ولاية على مكتوبة في جميع صحف الأنبياء لم يبعث الله رسولاً إلاّ بنبوة محمّد و وصيّه علي. Sunni sources that have cited the subject-matter of the above hadith: • Al-şawa'iq Al-Muḥriqah, Ibn-e-e Hajar, p.149 • Al-Durr Al-Manthur, Siyūți, vol.3, p.290 in interpreting Ma'idah: 55 • Shawāhid Al-Tanzil, Hakim Ḥaskāni, vol.2, hadith 787, p.161 • Manaqib, Khwārazmi, hadith 256, p.275 • Tafsir-e Ţabari, vol. 10, p.96 • Fara'id Al-Samṭayn, Hamuwayni, vol. 1, p.79 • Mizan Al-I'tidāl, vol.3, p.118 • History of Baghdad, vol.8, p.95 • Fada'el Al-Khamsa, Firūzābādi, vol. 1, p.328 • Yanābi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol. 1, p.334 And....

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Theosophy Fifteen

This is to certify that you brought increased honor for Islam with the Conquest of Khaybar and filled the Messenger(s)s heart with joy!

Whoever reads the history of early Islam, he shall observe that the greatest courage and self-devotedness for sublimating the word of monotheism and religion of God has been shown by you after the Messenger (s). You have always been pride of Islam and expectation of the Messenger (s).

Your holy name always shook bodies of heroic infidels and loud outcry of Takbir, God is great, you chanted in the battlefield filled hearts of champions of infidel troops with horror.

You stood as Gods Lion and the archetypical hero across battle scenes of the right against the wrong; you stood firm on your exalted aim and ceased to turn your back on enemy as you stated in your epical words; verily, I have never run away from battlefield and jihad and I streamed blood of the one who came to fight with me. (1)

You accompanied the Messenger (s) in all battlefields and you held banner of Islam in one hand and your unsheathed Zulfiqar in another hand so that you could recklessly strike apart heads of infidel leaders; afterwards, infidels would run away out of fear with their banners and weapons left behind.

And you made illuminating statements about yourself. I am a companion and brother of Gods Messenger; I am a pioneer in Islam; I break apart idols; I fight with the atheists and subvert enemies of religion.(2)

You joined the Messenger (s) in all battles and you kept banner of the

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Theosophy Account Fifteen

Courage of Ali (‘a) in Conquest of Khaybar cited by Sunni sources

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1- إني لم أفرّ من الزحف قط و لم يبارزنى أحد إلا سقيت الأرض من دمه. (Tafsir-e Nur Al-Thaqalayn, vol.2, p.139)

2- أنا صنو رسول الله و السابق إلى الإسلام و كاسر الأصنام و مجاهد الكفار و قامع الأضداد . (Gharar Al-Hakam, p.261, hadith 2)

Messenger (s) in your hands in all wars.(1)

The Messenger (s) was asked who would hold your banner on the Day. He said: Who can be better than the one holding it in the world; that is my brother, Ali Ibn Abitaleb.(2)

Your continued courage brought great pride of Islam which remains to be recorded under your name, O Lion of God Forever!

You carry nicknames of Khaybar Conqueror, Khaybar opener and Khaybar breaker.

O yes!

You on an unspeakable battle brought the fortified fortress of enemies of Islam into control of army of Islam in Khaybar and the Messenger (s) became joyful in his heart.

Before your battle in Khaybar, the Prophet (s) dispatched a number of people along with some combatants to conquer Khaybar, but they were defeated and came back; the Prophet (s) mandated you to conquer highly accessible and fortified stronghold of Khaybar. You created an epic in that battle which will persist in the history of Islam. By killing the hero and generalissimo of Jews named Marhab Hemayri, his brother, Yasser and several other heroes of Jews and by showing divinely supernatural power of jumping across trench, pulling off the giant and heavy door of castle and immediate destroying all resistances, you overfilled hearts of Khaybar enemies with so much horror that they were withdrawn any power of defense and were forced to unequivocal surrender. With such great conquest, Islamic state gained enormous wealth, property and armament and Muslims were relieved from distress.(3)

It was after this great conquest that morale of Muslims came to become strengthened and they could conquer Mecca and dominate Islam over all across Arabian Peninsula. )

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1- Amin, Seyyed Mohsen, A'yan Al-Shi'a, vol. 1, p.377

2- Mottaqi Hendi, Kanz Al-Ummal, vol. 12, p.1301 and vol.15, p.342

3- Omar used to say: After the conquest, we could eat food in full and Ayesha said: Now we can eat dates as much as we can. (Ibn-e Hisham, Al-Sirat Al-Nabaviyya, vol.2, p.316)

What comes below is detailed account of this great conquest and your unparalleled courage, which is recorded in the most authentic books of the Islamic history:

Khaybar, a fertile land and green plateau, located about 155km northward of Medina on the way to Sham. As cited, Khaybar warriors and residents numbered 20,000 people.(1)

Khaybar Jews dwelt in seven rocky fortified fortresses erected up on the mountain.(2) There existed water well and a large amount of foodstuffs and the dwellers could stay there in trenches and could resist the enemy as long as one year.(3)

The Messenger of God (s) wrote a letter to Khaybar Jews and called them on embracing Islam but they rejected. Having been worried about conspiracy of Khaybar, (4)the Messenger (s) decided to fight with them to make them yield to the Islamic state. Hazrat departed to Khaybar along with one thousand and four hundred people and two hundred horses in 7th Hegira.(5)2

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1- In A'lam Al-Wari, p.99, Tabarsi has written Khaybar residents numbered 14,000 people; Waqedi in Al-Moghazi, vol.2, p.634 et.al have said: There were 10,000 warriors and 1000 people clad in armors in Khaybar; Ya'aqubi in his history, vol.2, p.56 has cited number of warriors of Khaybar 20,000 people.

2- Khaybar forts were named as Al-Na'im, Al-Qamus, Al-Sheqq, Al-Nata, Al-Watih, Al- Katibah and Al-Sulalim.

3- Impenetrable Fortresses, overpopulation, mass weapons and even catapult had changed Khaybar into a gigantic power in such a way that all Hejaz Jews had been under their influence and pinned hope on there and most of the wars and riots launched by Jews and the Quraysh against the Prophet (s) were somehow linked to Khaybar. Defeat or victory of Khaybar in war with Muslims was highly important and fateful for the Qurayshin so far as Quraysh leaders like Safwan, Shoheil and Abu Sufiyan betted on that. (Mirsharifi, Seyyed Ali, Knowing History of Islam, vol.2, p.95)

4- The Messenger wrote a letter to Khaybar Jews and invited them to turn to Islam but they rejected. (Siray-e Ibn-e Hisham, p.193). Waqedi in Al-Moghazi, vol.2, p.530 writes: Once Khaybar was informed of execution of Bani Qarizah (a clan of Medina Jews who had conspired against Islam), Jews came together; their leader named Sallam Ibn-e Mishkam said: Mohammad is finished with Medina Jews and he will come to deal with you now. He was asked: What should we do? He said: We must fight with him with all Khaybar Jews who are many and we must get help from Jews of Tima', Fadak and Wadi Al-Qura.

5- Siray-e Ibn-e Hisham, vol.2, p.342

After several days, army of Islam reached Khaybar region. All Jews took refuge in rocky fortified forts and took defensive position.

Jews knowing that collapse of Khaybar is end of Hejaz life defended hard their foundation and injured about fifty Muslims by massive shooting on the very beginning day of battle. It was very hard to capture the forts due to their impenetrability and fortifications. Muslims fought on days and returned to their camps nearby the forts in the nights.

Khaybar forts excluding Al-Qamus fort were captured one after another; Al-Qamus fort was regarded as the largest and strongest stronghold. (1) All fighters of Al-Qamus were united and defended the fortress hard. The more Muslims attacked, the more intense they were faced with shooting of Jews and retreated while leaving casualties behind. At this time, Hazrat had a headache and could not take part in war;(2) hence, he entrusted commandeering to Abubakr and handed him the banner. Abubakr went to war with the army but he failed and came back. The next day, Omar was assigned to commandeer troops and hold the banner. He failed to do something either because of shooting on the part of Jews; he fled and returned to the camp.

In the night, the Prophet (s) said: I will hand the banner to a man who is fond of God and His Messenger and so are they; God conquers the fortress by him; he incessantly attacks without running away.(3)

Muslims expected to see that man and each one of them wished he could the man concerned to the Prophet (s). Tomorrow morning, the Messenger (s) said: Where is Ali Ibn Abitaleb? People replied: He is suffering from !

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1- Hemayri, Al-Rrud Al-Me'atar, p.228

2- Ahmad Hanbal, Musnad, vol.5, p.333; Beyhaqi, Dala'el Al-Nabovva, vol.4, p.205; Tabarsi, A'laam Al-Wari, vol. 1, p.99

3- غير فرار لأعطينّ الرّأية غدا رجلاً يحبّ الله و رسوله و يحبّه الله و رسوله، يفتح الله على يديه ؛ كرّارا . (Sahih-e Moslem, Fada'il Al-Sahaba, hadith 3702) "Virtues of Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb ('a)" written by Moghazeli Shafe 'ie reads that: قال [ عليه السلام ) فأنشدكم بالله ! هل فيكم أحدٌ قال له رسول الله: لأعطين الراية غدا رجلاً يحبّ الله و رسوله و يحبّه الله و رسوله، لا يرجع حتى يفتح الله على يديه منهزماً ؛ غيرى ؟ قالوا: اللهم لا!

eye irritation in such a way that he cannot see ahead.

Later, O' Amir Mu'menan! The Prophet (s) sent Ammar Yasser after you and you while having irritated eyes came up to the Prophet (s). Your brother, the Messenger (s) healed your eyes with his saliva, saying: O' God! Keep Ali safe from heat and cold. Then he let you wear his iron armor, tied Zulfiqar to it and handed you the banner and said: Go ahead and stop looking your back until God makes you triumphant.

You, O' Amir Mu'menan! Moved a little forward and called without looking back: O' the Messenger of God! Over what should I fight with them?! He said: Keep fighting with them until they give testimony that there is no God but the Only God and Mohammad is His Messenger; when they did so, they have protected their life and property and told you: I swear to God! It is much better for you to guide someone by God than having red-haired camels.

At dawn when the sun was rising, you with your army while mourning with passion reached Al-Qamus fort without being noticed; Jews found themselves besieged completely when they saw you and your army.

You firstly called Jews on embracing Islam but they rejected; you asked them to pay taxes but they rejected; then you asked them for battle.

At this time, Jews sent their well-known warrior and hero, Marhab to raise an eye-to-eye confrontation with you.

Marhab came out of the fortress right away; he was physically giant and while he had two armors on, two swords and stony helmet, he began to brag: Khaybar knows I am Marhab! I am armed to my teeth and a full- fledged champion; I thrust spear at times and pull sword at other times.(1)

Once Muslims saw him, they were frightened and ran away.

But you O' Hero of the heroes of the universe! Responded to him at once:

I am the one whose called him Haydar (lion-hearted man); the very lion of the forests; my face is grimly macabre; I immediately kill you with my

(1)

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sword.(1)

After this, Marhab roared and attacked you; he pulled up his sword to strike you. You nimbly surpassed him and hit his head so hard with your Zulfiqar that all soldiers of Islam heard the sound of strike.(2) Marhab though having shield had his shield cut through his helmet and head up to his teeth and fell down.

After killing Mrhab, you wrenched large stony door of the fortress off its place by divine power and made a bridge for army to cross and enter the fort; after a short fight, all fighters of the fort surrendered to you.(3)

True! You bravely conquered the fortified stronghold of Khaybar and hoisted flag of Islam over its roof.

You were manifestation of God and you could wrench the huge door of Khaybar fort off with one hand-which could not be easily lifted by seventy people(4); you yourself said in this respect:

By God! I do not wrench Khaybar door physically but I did it with divine power.(5))

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1- قد علمت خیبرانی مرحب *** شاكي السلاح بطل مجرب إذ الليوث أقبلت تهلب *** أطعن احيانا وحينا اضرب (Ibn-e Betriq, Al-'Amdah, p. 157; Kotobi, Ibn-e Shaker, Ayun Al-Tawarikh, vol. 1, p.266)

2- Tarikh-e Tabari, vol.3, p.12

3- Tarikh-e Ya'aqubi, vol.2, p.506; Siray-e Ibn-e Hisham, vol.3, p.349 and Siray-e Halabi, vol.3, p.37 read: When battle began, Marhab hit Amir Al-Mu'amenan ('a) and Amir's shield went off his hand, he immediately moved towards door of fort, wrenched it off hinges and used it as shield.

4- Ya'aqubi says in his history, vol.2, p.56: Door of stony fortress was 416cm long, 204cm wide and 104cm thick. Abu Rafe'a, the Messenger's freed man says: There were seven people with me the eight one who tried to lift the door but we failed to do so. (Tabaqat-e Ibn-e Sa'ad, vol. 1, p.80) Qastalani says in Al-Mawaheb Al-Ladaniyya, vol.2, p.386: Seventy people could not easily lift it up. Sheikh Mufid quotes Ali ('a) in Irshad, p.68 that he said: For me, it weighed as heavy as my shield with little difference.

5- و الله ما قلعت باب خيبر بقوّة جسمانية و لكن قلعتها بقوّة ربانية. (Diyar Bakri, Tarikh Al-Khamis, vol.2, p.51; Allameh Helli, Kashf Al-Morad, p.383)

When the Prophet (s) was informed about your victory over Jews, he departed to the fortress and saw you on his way, telling you: I heard of your newsworthy and valuable job; verily, God is pleased with you and so am I! When he spoke as such, you began to weep with your tears rolling down your nice-looking beard and holy eyes.

Your brother asked you: For what do you cry? And you whose heart is wider than the seven heavens said to him: I cry of joy that God and His Messenger are pleased with me!(1).

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1- Tabarsi, in A'laam Al-Wari, p.100 quotes Imam Baqir (a) as saying: Ali ('a) 's courage in conquering Khaybar has been cited in many Sunni sources, a few of which are brought herein: Ibn-e Ishaq, biography writer and ancient historian of Islam, quotes the following hadith from Salmat Ibn-e Omar Sahabi that the Prophet (s) gave his banner to Abubakr and dispatched him to one of Khaybar forts. He went and did his best but he returned while being unsuccessful. The next day, he sent Omar; he too went but returned with no fighting and no success. The Prophet (s) said: لأعطين الرأية غدا رجلاً يحبّ الله و رسوله يفتح الله على يديه ليس بفرار (He called Ali to come but he had irritated eyes; he dripped his saliva into his eyes and خذ ! هذه الرأية فامض بها حتى يفتح الله عليك :said . Ali ('a) left the Meseenger (s) with banner and ran quickly while gasping; we followed him too; he laid his banner underneath a wall over a pile of stones; a Jew looking from the fortress and said: Who are you? He said: Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb. The Jew replied: I swear to the Book sent down to the Moses! You are conqueror. Salmat Ibn-e Omar says: Ali ('a) fought as long as God opened Khaybar by him. (Siray-e Ibn-e Hisham, vol.2, p.334; Moslem, Bokhari and Ibn-e Majah in their Sahih on virtues of migrants; Sebt Ibn- e Jawziyya in Tazkerat Al-Khawas; Hakem Neisabouri in Mustadrak, vol.3, p.37 and vol.4, p.356; Heythami in Majma' Al-Zawa'id, vol.9, p. 108; Mohebb Tabari in Al-Riyadh Al-Nadra, vol.25, p.203) Abu Leyli Ansari quotes hadith from his father and he quotes it from Amir Mu'amenan (a) as follows: My father walking with Ali ('a) told him: There is something inside you that has amazed people. You wear two breechcloths in cold winter and you put on thick clothes in hot summer! Ali ('a) said to him: Were you not with us in battle of Khaybar? He said: Yes! I was. Ali (‘a) said: The Messenger (s) gave Abubakr banner and sent him to war but he came back; later, he gave it to Omar and mandated him for war but he too returned with no success. Then he said: I'll give my banner to a man who is loved by God and His Messenger and he loves them too and he never turns his back on enemy. He sent after me; I was suffering from eye irritation, he dripped some saliva of his mouth into my eyes, saying: O' God! Keep him safe from heat and cold. اللهم احفظه من أذى الحر والبرد After that, cold and heat have never bothered me. (Ahmad Ibn-e Hanbal in Musnad, vol. 1, p.23; Mottaqi Hendi in Kanz Al-Ummal, vol. 5, p.284; Hafiz Abu Na'im in Heliyat Al- Awliya', vol. 4, p.356; Fada'il Al-Khamsa, vol.2, p.161) Qatibah Ibn-e Sa'id quotes Ya'aqub Ibn-e 'Abdulrahman Zahri and he quotes Abu Hazem who quotes Sahl Ibn-e Sa'd Saa'edi about hadith of Khaybar: On the day of Khaybar, the Prophet (s) said: I'll give this banner to a man tomorrow, with whom God opens this stronghold; he loves God and His Messenger and so do they! The next morning, people came up to the Messenger (s); everybody hoped to be receiver of banner; Hazrat said: Where is Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb? They said: O' Messenger! He suffers from eye irritation. Hazrat said: Get someone to ask him to come here; Ali ('a) was brought to him and he dripped some saliva of his mouth into his eyes and prayed for him. Ali ('a) was instantly healed as if he had never had pain! After that, he handed him the banner and Ali ('a) said: O' Messenger of God (s)! Should fight I with them as long as they become like us? He said: Move ahead to reach the fortress; ask them to turn to Islam and tell them of whatever is mandatory in favor of God because if God guides only person on the Straight Path through you, you benefit more than having red-haired camels. Ibn-e Sa'd in Tabaqat, vol. 1, p.80; Khatib Baghdadi in Tarikh-e Baghdad, vol.8, p.5; Ali Ibn-e Sultan Qari in Merqat Al-Mafatih, vol.5, p.566 and...) Ibn-e Ishaq as cited quotes Abu Rafe'a, servant and chamberlain of the Prophet (s) as: We joined Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb (a) who held banner of the Messenger (s) to move towards one of the Khaybar forts; the very moment he reached there, people came out and began to fight with him. Amid battling, one of the Jews hit Ali and he let his shield drop down. Instead, Ali ('a) grasped door of the fort and wrenched it off; he made the door his shield under support of which he fought and tried hard until God made him capture the stronghold. When battle ended, Ali ('a) put it down; I and seven others did our best to move it but we failed. (Tabaqat-e Ibn-e Sa'd, vol. 1, p.80; Zahabi, Mizan Al-E'tedal, vol.2, p.218; 'Asqalani, Ibn-e Hajar, Fath Al-Bari, vol.9, p.18; Mohebb Tabari, Al-Riyadh Al-Nadra, vol.2, p.188 and...) Imam Fakhr-e Razi says in Tafsir-e Kabir under Kahf: 9: «أَمْ حَسِبْتَ أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْكَهْفِ وَالرَّقِيمِ كَانُوا مِنْ آيَاتِنَا عَجَبًا» Whoever knows more about the Invisible, he shall have stronger heart and nerves; hence, Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb (a) says: By God! I did not take off door of Khaybar physically; rather, I did it by divine power. Hadith of banner and Khaybar has been cited in Shiite sources many times; for example, Seyyed Mohsen Amin Ameli has mentioned this hadith in A'yan Al-Shi'a, vol. 1, p.377 in many cases with little difference. Some of the Companions have cited the hadith of banner: 'Abdullah Ibn-e 'Abbas, Omar Ibn-e Khattab, Ayesha, Baridat Ibn-e Al-Hasib A'slami, Anas Ibn-e Malek, Jaber Ibn-e 'Abdullah Ansari, Sahl Ibn-e Saa'edi and ........ Subject-matter of this hadith and account of courage of Imam Ali (‘a) in Khaybar battle have been manifested since long in literature, art and mysticism of all Islamic languages in prose and poetry. In Persian language, "Conqueror of Khaybar", "Opener of Khaybar", and "breaker of Khaybar” are nicknames of Ali ('a). For example, Sa'adi Shirazi, Khwajuy-e Kermani and Hafiz Shirazi, the Persian poets have composed poems in this regard.

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You only and always had a deal with God; you never took any actions for carnal desires and you always sacrificed your life to sublimate Word of God. You became beloved of God and His Messenger because of these things and thousands of thousand uniquely good virtues!

O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin! We seek your assistance

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Theosophy Sixteen

I certify that you possess all ranks of the Messenger (s) excluding his status of Mission and Prophethood.

One can hardly speak about faith and cordiality without your name because you stand on apogee of faith and cordiality; one cannot talk about self- devotedness and daring without your name; all devotions and courage are interpreted under your name; one cannot say of the Holy Quran and its great teachings without your name; rather, you are leafs, verses and characters of the Quran. We cannot talk of the Seal of the Prophets (s), blessing of the universe and Light of God without a mention of your name because you as God testifies are soul of the Messenger (s) (1) and as Mohammad (s) testifies are part of his existence and he said: I and Ali are from the same tree and other people are from other trees(2), adding: Ali is from me and I am from Ali.

About you, I, like any other deviant people, do not exaggerate by saying that you are God but you are manifestation of names of God: Manifestation of power and grandeur of God, manifestation of delicacy and beauty of

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Theosophy Account Sixteen

Hadith of "rank" and hadith of "communication of Al-Taubah Sura” in Sunni sources, its explication and other various issues

•

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1- In accordance with the various Shiite and Sunni narrations in Mubahalah verse (Al-e Imran: 61), by "L", it is meant the holy existence of Amir Mu'menan Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb (a) which was detailed in theosophy four of the book.

2- قال الرسول صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: أنا و على من شجرة واحدة و الناس من أشجار شتّى. The above hadith is cited many times in Sunni sources including: • Hakem, Mustadrak, vol.2, hadith 2949, p.241 • Tarikh-e Madina Dameshq, vol.42, p.64 • Tarikh Al-Khulafa', p.171 • Zakha'er Al-Uqba, p.16 • Al-Durr Al-Manthur, vol.4, p.44 • Al-Jame' Al-Ahkam Al-Qur'an, vol.9, p.823 • Kanz Al-Ummal, hadith 32936 and......

he ignores son of Abitaleb (‘a) because these words are meaningless without your name!

I do not exaggerate and I say it truly that one can speak of God but not of you because God is known with your name; this is not what I say.

You are proof of God; you are brother of the Prophet (s) and successor of all his virtues and ranks but his status of Prophethood.

You are Imam of creatures; you are shining jewel of divine creation; you are caliph of God and prostrated by the Angels at all times; you are sun of the heavens and guiding star for all the earth residents; you are endless sea and you and your pure family provide safety on the earth.(1)

Christians exaggerated about Jesus Christ (‘a) saying that: Jesus is God and thus they became disbelievers!(2)

I do not say you are God; you are servant of God; you are divinely virtuous worshipper to whom He granted you the highest ranks.

True!

God gives countless ranks to whomever He Wills and He bestowed such )

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1- قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم النجوم أمان لأهل السماء فإذا ذهبت ذهبوا ، و أهل بيتي أمان للأرض فإذا ذهب أهل بيتي ذهب أهل الأرض • The above hadith is being cited in various Sunni sources including: • Hakem, Mustadrak, vol.2, p.448 and vol.3, p.149 • Zahabi, Mizan Al-E'tedal, vol.1, hadith 296, p.82 • Ibn-e Hajar, Lesan Al-Mizan, vol. 1, hadith 425, p.136 • Qadi Maghrebi, Da'a'em Al-Islam, vol. 1, p.363 • Hanafi Kunduzi, Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol. 1, p.71

2- « لَقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللهَ هُوَ الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ قُلْ فَمَنْ يَمْلِكُ مِنَ اللهِ شَيْئًا إِنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يُهْلِكَ الْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَ أُمَّهُ وَ مَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا وَ لِلَّهِ مُلْكُ السَّماواتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَ ما بَيْنَهُما يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَ اللهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ » Surely, they are disbelievers those who said: "Massih, son of Maryam is God." Say [O' Messenger!]: "Who then has the least power against Allah, if He intends to destroy Massih, son of Maryam, and his mother, and all those who are on the earth?" And to Allah belongs the Dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them; Allah creates what He Wills and He is Powerful over all things. (Ma'idah: 17)

ranks to His Beloved who is beloved of the most beloved of His.(1)

You are the endeared man for the Messenger (s) on holy shoulders of whom you stood and dropped the big idol of Quraysh down from the rooftop of Ka'aba during conquest of Mecca.(2)

Your brother, the Messenger (s) frequently talked to the Companions about your status and made a mention of your valued position before God in different ways; a few of them recognized you and constantly and like a butterfly circled around universe-shining sun of your existence; hypocrite dissidents felt envious and concealed their vengeance against you as long as the Messenger of God (s) met his maker and joined God; at this time, they showed their grudge and usurped your divinely inalienable right through falsehood and instilling doubts, preventing people from your path that is the very Straight Path of God.

And a large number of people neglected, became opportunists and abandoned you after demise of the Messenger (s). After his demise, the wicked people left you, bothered you while many of them had heard the Prophet (s) saying that:

O' people!

Whoever bothers Ali, he has bothered me; verily, Ali is the first to be one of the believers and he is the most faithful to promise of God. Know that whoever persecutes Ali, he shall be appointed as Jew or Christian on the Day.(3)

But those people disregarded what the Messenger (s) said and spurred ي

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1- "His Beloved" means Ali ('a) and His Most Beloved means the Messenger of God(s) and the beloved of the most beloved means Ali ('a) who is beloved of the Messenger (s).

2- Diyar Bakri, Tarikh Al-Khamis, vol.2, p.86; proofs for this virtue of Amir Mu'amenan (a') has been cited in Al-Ghadir of Allameh Amini, vol. 7, pp. 10-13.

3- قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم يا أيها الناس من آذى عليّا فقد آذاني، إنّ عليّا أولكم ايمانا و أوفاكم بعهد الله. يا أيها الناس! من آذى عليا، بعث يوم القيامة يهوديًا أو نصرانيا. (Annotation of Shawahed Al-Tanzil, vol. 1, p.96) Ahmad Ibn-e Hanbal in his Musnad, vol.3, p. 483 quotes the Messenger (s) as saying that: من آذى عليا، فقد آذاني

cruelty against you as well as your dear wife and children to a great extent.

Has the Messenger (s) not said to his ummah that:

O' people!

I recommend my Progeny to you that they constantly follow the Truth and the Truth is always with them; they are brave Imams after me; they are trustees of ummah and they are the Infallibles; they number as many as chieftains of the Israelites(1) and companions of Massih; nine of them are from Husayn's loin and Mahdi of ummah comes from them.(1)

All ummah witnessed this:

On 9th of Hegira when some first verses of Sura of Taubah came down to the Prophet (s), the Prophet (s) gave a mission to Abubakr to depart to Mecca to read it out loud for people of Mecca during hajj so that it could be an ultimatum for polytheists!

Deniers of Amir Mu'amenan (‘a) may not be happy because the story is not finished here, so listen to what continues!

The Prophet (s) had a purpose by doing it and he knew well what would occur!

Abubakr became happy and rode off his horse to Mecca and perhaps he imagined that he is approved by God and His Messenger! But he was negligent of the fact that the Prophet (s) wanted to re-mention to people who was qualified and who was unqualified. He wanted to say that someone who is not qualified on behalf of God to be sent down some verses, how can he succeed lord of the universe, the Seal of the Prophets (s)?!

True!

As Abubakr moved to Mecca, Gabriel came down to Mohammad (s), telling him: O' Messenger (s)! God says: nobody is authorized to convey your message on your behalf unless he comes from you.

Your brother, the Messenger (s) expecting such message from God happily

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1- God introduces the Israelites of the Moses as twelve chieftains in the Holy Quran.

called you and gave his horse (1) to you, saying that: O' Ali! Move quickly and catch verses of Sura of Taubah from Abubakr; send him back to Medina and you yourself transfer the message because this is ordered by God.

You immediately headed to reach Abubakr and told him that the Messenger (s) had said that you should transfer the message and he had to return. He was annoyed and resisted but you took the verses from him and moved towards Mecca; Abubakr uneasily returned to Medina and asked the Messenger (s) about the reason. The Prophet (s) told him: God ordered me to do so.(2))

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1- It was a camel named 'Adba'.

2- The late Majlisi quoted Imam Sadiq (a) in Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.35, p. 295 as saying that: The Prophet (s) handed Sura of Taubah to Abubakr so that he would recite it to people during hajj; Gabriel came down and told you that nobody except Ali is authorized to inform people on your behalf. Hazrat called on Ali and ordered him to mount 'Adba' camel and ride to Abubakr; he should take Sura of Taubah from Abubakr and read it out to people during hajj in Mecca. Hadith book of Salim Ibn-e Qeys Helali reads that Ali ('a) said to the Migrants and the Helpers in one of his argumentations: Do you confess that the Prophet (s) sent me to inform Sura of Taubah and asked other than me (Abubakr) to return after he had sent him; this was because of divine revelation saying: God the Most High says: Nobody has the right to convey the message unless he is of you?! They said: Yes we swear to God! (part of hadith 11, Salim Ibn-e Qeys Helali) The above hadith has been cited in Sunni sources as: روى أحمد بن حنبل بسنده عن الإمام على [ عليه السلام ) قائلاً: لما نزلت عشرآيات من سورة براءة على النبي (صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ) : دعا النبي ( صلى الله عليه و آله و سلّم ) أبابكر فبعثه بها، ثم دعانى النبي ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله ] و سلّم ) فقال لى: أدرك أبابكر، فحيثما لحقته فخذ الكتاب منه، فأذهب به إلى مكة، فاقرأه عليهم، فلحقته بالجحفة فأخذت الكتاب منه. و رجع أبوبكر إلى النبي ( صلى الله عليه و آله و سلّم ) فقال : يا رسول الله ! هل نزل في شيء؟ قال النبي (صلي الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم) لا ! و لكن جبرائيل جاءني فقال: لن يؤدى عنك إلا أنت أو رجل منك. (Musnad, Ahmad Ibn-e Hanbal, vol.1, p.3) روى الحاكم عن ابن عمر حديثا قال فيه: أنّ رسول الله ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله ] وسلّم ) بعث أبابكر و عمر ببراءة إلى أهل مكة فانطلقا، فإذاهما براكب فقال: من هذا؟ قال: أنا على يا أبا بكر هات الكتاب الذي معك، فأخذ الإمام على [ عليه السلام ] الكتاب فذهب به و رجع أبوبكر و عمر إلى المدينة فقالا: ما لنا يا رسول الله؟ قال النبي ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ): ما لكما إلا خير و لكن قيل لى لا يبلغ عنك إلا أنت أو رجل منك. (Shawahed Al-Tanzil, vol.1, p.318)

God, manifestation of kindness and mercifulness of God and manifestation of wrath of God.(1)

True! One cannot speak of goodness, purity, beauty and self-sacrifice but 2

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1- Various hadiths read that knowing God is impossible without knowing the Pure and Infallible Progeny (‘a); some of such hadiths are: ... فقام عليّ بن أبي طالب علیه السلام فقال يا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم أنسبنى من أنا لتعرف الناس قرابتي منك. فقال صلى الله علیه و آله وسلم: يا علي .... ما عرف الله إلا بى ثم بك. (147.Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.22. p) قال الصادق عليه السلام: الأوصياء هم أبواب الله عزّ و جلّ التي يؤتى منها و لولا هم ما عُرف الله عزّ و جلّ. (Kafi, vol. 1, p.193) قال الصادق علیه السلام لولا ،نحن ما عرف الله (237.Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.3, p) Ibn-e 'Abbas said: I heard the Prophet (s) say: O' people! Know that God has a door through which whoever passes, he shall be secure from hellfire. Abu Sa'id Khedri stood up and said: O' Messenger (s)! Guide us to know that door. The Messenger (s) said: He is Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb, Seyyed of inheritors, Amir Mu'amenan, brother of Messenger of God (s) and viceroy of God over all people. O' people! Whoever wants to cling to a strong rope that is not cast off, he shall hang by leadership of Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb because if you are led by him and follow him, you will be led by me and follow me. O'people! Whoever wishes to know proof after me, he shall know Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb. O' people! Whoever is pleased with my leadership, he shall abide by leadership of Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb and Imams from my descendants because they are treasuries of my knowledge. At this time, Jabir Ibn-e 'Abdullah Ansari stood up and said: O' Messenger of God (s)! How many Imams do we have? Hazrat said: God may bless you that you asked about the whole Islam! They number as many as months. Since God had created the heavens and earth, they numbered twelve before God. Their number is as many as springs boiled for the Moses when he struck the stone with his stick and twelve springs popped up; besides, Imams equaled number of the Israelites chieftains. God said in this regard: « وَلَقَدْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَبَعَثْنَا مِنهُمُ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ نَقِيبًا ....... And verily, Allah took the covenant from the children of Israil; and We Appointed twelve chieftains from among them................ (Ma'idah: 12) O' Jabir! Imams are twelve in number, the first of whom is Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb and the last one is the Upholder. (The above hadith is quoted by Allameh Mohaddeth Bahrani in "Ghayat Al-Maram", p.224 from Manaqib-e Ibn-e Shazan.) Imam Ali ('a) says: If God wanted to introduce Himself to His Worshippers, but He did not do so; He placed us as intermediary on His Knowledge; those who turn back from our leadership and prefer others, they have gone away from the Straight Path. (Kafi, vol.1, p.184) انتصر النبي في معركة خيبر في السنة السابعة، وفتح النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله و سلّم) مكة في السنة الثامنة للهجرة، ثمّ انتصر في معركة حنين ثم نزلت هذه السورة في السنة التاسعة تعلن البراءة من المشركين وتنذرهم جميعا بالحرب إن لم يسلموا، عندها دفع النبي (صلى الله عليه و آله و سلّم ( السورة إلى أبي بكر ليقرأها على الحجّاج في مكة في السنة التاسعة للهجرة؛ لكن الله تعالى بعث جبرئيل إلى النبي (صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ) طالبا منه أخذ السورة من أبي بكر و إعطائها إلى الإمام على [ عليه السلام ] فذهب الإمام على عليه السلام للحجاج وقرأ سورة التوبة على المشركين في مكة. و رجع أبوبكر إلى النبي (صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ) فقال : يا رسول الله ! هل نزل في شيء؟ قال النبي (صلى الله عليه [ و آله ] و سلّم) لا ! و لكن جبرئيل جائنى فقال: لن يؤدى عنك إلا أنت أو رجل منك ونقله في الكنز عن أبى الشيخ و ابن مردويه ونحوه في الكشاف أيضا. (Velayat Al-Ali ('a) fi Al-Quran men Kotob Ahl Al-Sunna, vol.3, p.113) و قد روى عودة أبى بكر و بكاءه و ذهاب الإمام على بن أبى طالب [ عليه السلام ] أميرا على الحج محمد بن إسحاق و أحمد بن حنبل و أبو يعلى من رواية أبي إسحاق عن يزيد بن منبع عن أبى بكر و ابن مردویه و صاحب تفسیر البرهان و ابن شهر آشوب و الطبرسى و البلاذرى و الترمذى والواقدى و الشعبى و السدّى و الثعلبى و الواحدى و القرطبي و القشيري و السمعانی و ابن بطة و الأعمش و سماك بن حرب في كتبهم عن عروة بن الزبير و أبي هريرة و أنس و أبي رافع و زید بن نفیع و ابن عمر و ابن عباس. (Al-Nejah Al-Ta'ie, Velayat Al-Imam Ali ('a) men Kotob Al-Sunna, vol.3, p.114) And a number of Sunni books that have cited the account of informing Sura of Taubah by Ali (‘a) and return of Abubakr are as follows: • Mottaqi Hendi, Kanz Al-Ummal, vol.2, p.417 • 'Abdulrahman Ibn-e Amru Al-Nasri, Tarikh Abi Zar'ah, p.298 •Tafsir-e Ibn-e Kathir, vol.2, p.347 •Zakha'er Al-Uqba, p.96 •Nsa'ie, Khasa'es, p.20 •Sunan-e Termezi, vol.2, p.46 •Al-Durr Al-Manthur, vol.10, p.46 •Mustadrak Alalsahihin, vol.3, p.51 •Sebt Ibn-e Jawziyya, Tazkerat Al-Khawas, vol.1, p.43 •Tarikh-e Ya'aqubi, vol.2, p.76 •Tarikh-e Tabari, vol.2, p.382

This event which took place roughly one year before demise of the holy Prophet of Islam(s) proved to people of knowledge and insight that who is soul of the Prophet (s) and has his dignity and is eligible to be caliph of the Prophet (s) and the superior beings of God.

In the 9th year of Hegira, your brother, the Messenger (s) equipped an army to spread Islam for waging a war with Roman Empire. God in holy Sura of Taubah explains about this battle which is the last battle of the Prophet

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(s) and which is known after "battle of Tabouk" in history of Islam.

This Sura says that how hypocrisy-developed in the late years of the Prophet's life-disrupted and stonewalled trend of his life.(1)

Trip to the Levant for battle-because of long distance-lasted several months and dissidents were worried that the Prophet (s) and his troops stay far from town, so they can capture Medina and turn the tables.

But Mohammad (s) was well informed about conspiracy of dissidents and he thought of a strategy to stop their ill-omened plot, which disappointed all of them; that strategy was that he let you stay in Medina.

True!

You joined the Prophet (s) and were his standard-bearer in all battles and you stayed in town in battle Tabouk only as the Prophet (s) had ordered to watch the situation.

When dissidents found that their plot came out in the wash with the appearance of the Impetuous Lion (as Ali ('a) was known after) began to spread rumors that you fail to accompany the Messenger (s) in the battle because of long distance and hot air!!

They intended to instigate your fervor by spreading such rumors so that you might leave Medina with the Prophet (s) and they can easily fulfil their sinister aims.

Regretfully, a number of simple-minded people began to retell each other what dissidents said. You heard them and became annoyed and met up e.

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1- Taubah Sura mainly centers on trends of Tabouk battle. This Sura says that a group of hypocrite dissidents stayed in Medina, making excuses that they have no facilities and their families are alone. They did so to conspire against the Prophet(s) but they failed to do so because of Amir Mu'amenan ('a); also, another group of dissidents joined the Prophet (s) in this war so that they might both stir up army of Islam and act as spies for dissidents of Medina. A number of the same dissidents on their way back from war and on a mountainous region where Mohammad (s) was alone with two people intended to frighten camel of the Prophet (s), push him into a valley and kill him but they were unsuccessful. Sura of Taubah represents that story of hypocrisy had been expanded and integrated in the late years of holy life of the Prophet (s); this was the very movement that brought about that great disaster for Islam after demise of the Messenger (s) and stopped Islam moving towards the straight course.

with the Prophet (s), tearfully saying: people say I have refused to take part in the battle because of long way and hot weather! And some others say you disfavor me and because of that, you let me stay in town!

Lovingly staring at your good-looking face, the Prophet (s) very kindly expressed his eternal statement about your dignity:

O' Ali!

Be happy and go back as Medina needs you!

O' Ali!

Aren't you pleased to be close to me in rank as Harun was to the Moses? Except that after me there is no Messenger.

And you said: Verily, I am pleased! And you returned to Medina.(1))

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1- The honorable Prophet of Islam (s) leaving Ali ('a) as his successor in Medina during battle of Tabouk said: أما ترضى أن تكون منّي بمنزلة هارون من موسى إلا أنه لا نبي بعدي. Aren't you pleased if I say you are likened to me as Harun was to the Moses except that there comes no Messenger after me (Just as he was successor of the Moses, so you are my successor and caliph after me)? The above hadith known after "hadith of rank" is successively cited in Sunni sources including: • Sahih-e Bokhari, vol.4, chapter of virtues of the Migrants, p.208 and vol.5, chapter of battle of Tabouk, p.129 • Ibn-e Majah, Sunan, vol.1, chapter of virtue of Ali ('a), p.43 • Sunan-e Termezi, vol.5, chapter of virtues of Ali (‘a), p.302 • Nesa'ie, Fada'il Al-Sahaba, chapter of virtues of Ali ('a), p.13 • Hakem Haskani, Al-Mustadrak, vol.2, p.337 • Musnad-e Ahmad, vol. 1, p.170 • Heythami, Majma' Al-Zawa'id, vol.9, chapter on rank of Ali(a), p.109 • Fath Al-Bari, vol.7, chapter of virtues of Ali ('a), p.60 • Kanz Al-Ummal, vol.9, Ketab Al-Sahbah, p.167 and vol. 13; chapter of virtues of Ali ('a), p.106 • Ibn-e 'Adi, Al-Kamel, vol.3, p.207 • Zahabi, Seyr A'laam Al-Nubla', vol.1, p.142 • Tarikh-e Dameshq, vol.21, p.415 • Tarikh-e Tabari, vol.2, p. 368 And.... In Sahih-e Moslem, Amer Ibn-e Sa'id Abi Waqqas quoted his father, Sa'ad as saying: Mu'awiyyat Ibn-e Abi Sufiyan [may curse of Allah, Angels, the Saint Imams befall upon him, his father and children forever] had ordered Sa'ad to insult Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb (a) but he refused to do so. One day, Mu'awiyya (may Allah damn him) asked what made him not insult Ali ('a). Sa'ad said: As long as I remember three sentences from the Prophet (s), I will never Ali (‘a); the three sentences if one of which he had told about me, I would have seen him more beloved than any precious gem: First, I heard the Prophet (s) say to Ali ('a): Aren't you pleased if you are likened to me as Harun was to the Moses with a difference that no Messenger comes after me? The Prophet said this when he was going to wars and placed Ali ('a) as his successor in Medina and Ali (‘a) told the Prophet (s): You put me your successor among children and women (for some tongue lashings from enemies). Second, during battle of Khaybar, I heard him say: I hand my banner of war to a man soon who loves God and His Messenger and so does God and His Messenger. Tomorrow, we all rebelled that one of us might be the man but he handed it to none of us and said: Fetch Ali to me! They went and brought Ali while he was suffering from eye irritation; the Prophet (s) dripped his saliva into Ali's eyes and handed him the banner of battle; God the Almighty conquered Khaybar fort with the hands of Ali. Third, when verse of Mubahalah came down: «.....besi¿ðiálé js summoned Ali, Fatima, Hassan and Husayn ('a) and said: O' God! These people are my Progeny. The Messenger (s ... فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءَنَا.... (This narration is cited in Sunan-e Termezi about virtues of Ali (‘a).) Of course, this point has to be mentioned that the hadith does not only mean succession of Ali ('a) in Medina during battle of Tabouk while Sunnis argue about this hadith, saying that hadith of rank represents succession of Ali ('a) in Medina during battle of Tabouk and fails to imply his caliphate and Imamate. Responding to this, one must say such reasoning sounds untrue because hadith apparently and meaningfully implies that all ranks devoted to Harun are proved for our lord, Ali (a), of course, other than Prophethood and the Messenger (s) was opt to introduce his successor. Furthermore, the Prophet (s) has mentioned the above hadith in various other situations that confirm what is said earlier; for example, Sunni books read that one day Abubakr, Omar and Abu Ubaydah Jarrah were with the Prophet (s) when he tapped Ali's shoulders and said: يا علي ! أنت أوّل المؤمنين ايمانا و أولهم إسلاما و أنت منّي بمنزلة هارون من موسى. (Kanz Al-Ummal, vol.6, hadith 60320, p.295) Also, in early days of Hegira when the honorable Prophet (s) called for brotherhood of the Migrants and the Helpers and a group of them became brothers of each other two by two; Ali ('a) told the Prophet (s) with tears in his eyes: I have done nothing wrong; how is it that you assigned brother for everyone but not me? The Prophet (s) said to him: والذي بعثني بالحقِّ ! ما اخّرتك إلا لنفسى و أنت منّي بمنزلة هارون من موسى غير أنّه لا نبي بعدي و أنت أخي و وارثي. (Selection from Kanz Al-Ummal, vol.5, p.31)

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True!

The Messenger saying such eternal words (s) clarified one more time that you are his true successor just as Harun was for the Moses.

Where are those who resorted to other than you going?! You are the rightful Imam, you are caliph of the Messenger of God(s), you are Proof of God and you are Divine Straight Path!

Where are you, O' deniers, going?!

O' the sagacious people of the universe! Hasten because Ali ('a) is inheritor of Mohammad (s); O' the vigilant people of the universe! Hasten because Ali (‘a) is the strengthened rope of God; O' God-seekers of the universe, O' enthusiasts of purities and O' those who ask for guidance! Hasten because Ali (‘a) is waiting in front of Doors of Paradise, waiting!....

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Theosophy Seventeen

I certify that God perfected His Religion by proclaiming caliphate and Imamate in Ghadir-e-Khumm through His Messenger (s).

Greetings befall upon you, O' brother of the Messenger of God(s), Proof of God and Imam of the universe! Greetings befall upon you, O' Amir Mu'amenan (‘a)! Who gives life to celestial resident mortals and are pride of cherubim of the heavens.

In this theosophy account, I want to talk about Ghadir; the ebullient and limpid spring of knowledge that gushes forever and satiates those thirsty of pure learnings.

Ghadir is not a pond; it is an ocean width of which is much wider than breadth of eternal Paradise of God.

In this endless ocean, constellation of thousands of thousand suns shines but their splitting lights fail to tap depth of that gigantic ocean.

Ghadir has an outward and inward: the outward is proclamation of your immediate caliphate and Imamate on behalf of God by your brother, the Messenger (s); the inward of this endless ocean is unknown to us but known to God and His Messenger (s)!

In Ghadir-e-Khumm, in ending years of blessed life of the Messenger (s), Mohammad (s) vociferously said:

O' people! Ali is my caliph; O' People! Ali is Proof of God; O' people! Follow Ali after me so that you might not go astray!

And the Messenger of Blessing (s) who is compassionate and well-wisher of the world people called on people and cried out:

Lo and behold O' People! Whoever finds me his lord, Ali shall be his lord as well.

And he repeatedly said to make that one-hundred-thousand crowd lend an ear to what he says:

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Lo and behold O' People! Ali is from me and I am from Ali(1); O' People! I and Ali come from one tree and people are from other trees;(2) O' People! If you agree on Imamate of Ali ('a), you will never face perdition;(3)O' People! Ali is always with the Truth and the Truth is always with Ali, (4)O' People! Ali Ibn Abitaleb after me is the most omniscient man of all people. O' People! Friendship with Ali engulfs sins just as fire feeds wood.(5) O' People! I am house of theosophy and Ali is its door.(6) O' People! Verily, Ali is from my flesh and his blood is from mine.(7) O' People! Ali for me is as my head is for my body.(8) O' People! Ali and his followers are the very those who are delivered on the Day.(9) O' People! Whoever bothers Ali, he

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Theosophy Account Seventeen

The great and magnificent incidence of Ghadir-e-Khum in Sunni sources, explanation and response to doubts raised by the opposition and various other issues

(1) قال النبي (صلى الله عليه و آله و سلّم : علي منّي و أنا من علي.

قال النبي (صلى الله عليه و آله و سلّم): يا علي ! أنت منّي و أنا منك.

(Sahih-e Bokhari, Ketab-e Solh, vol.3, p. 168; Hakem Neisabouri, Mustadrak Al-Sahihin, vol. 3, p.120; Beihaqi, Sunan Al-Kobra, vol. 8, p.50 and.....)

(2)قال النبي ( صلى الله عليه و آله و سلّم ) : أنا و على من شجرة واحدة و الناس من أشجار شتّى.

(Hakem Neisabouri, Mustadrak Al-Sahihin, vol.2, p.241; Tarikh-e Dameshq, vol. 42, p.64; Zakha'er Al-Uqba, p.16; Tafsir Al-Durr Al-Manthur, vol.4, p.44 and....)

(3) (......Kanz Al-Ummal, 32966 and إن تولّوا عليّا تجدوه هاديا مهديّا، يسلك بكم الطريق المستقيم.

(4)على مع الحق والحق مع على يدور معه حيثما دار.

(Kanz Al-Ummal, vol.5, p.30; Tarikh-e Baghdad, vol.14, p.322; Majma' Al-Zawa'id, vol. 7, p.235; Tarikh-e Dameshq, vol. 42, p.449; Ali Ibn-e Mardawyeh, p.113 and.....)

(5)(32997 Kanz Al-Ummal, hadith أعلم أمتى من بعدى، علي بن أبي طالب ..

(6)أنا دار الحكمة و علي بابها فمن أراد العلم فليأته بالبابه. ...

(Kanz Al-Ummal, hadith 32021 and.....), il jst s

(Siyuti, Al-Jame' Al-Saghir, vol. 1, p.451; Manavi, Fayd Al-Qadir, vol.3, p.60; Zakha'er Al-Uqba, p.83; Ossad Al-Ghaba, vol.4, p.22; Lesan Al-Mizan, vol. 1, p.432 and..)

(7)Los dos ad id tile (Kanz Al-Ummal, hadith 32936)

(8) i was owl, aljiva is te (Kanz Al-Ummal, hadith 32914)

(9)شيعة على هم الفائزون يوم القيامة. يا علي ! أنت و شيعتك الفائزون يوم القيامة .

(Siyuti, Al-Durr Al-Manthur, vol. 6, p.397; Showkani, Fath Al-Qadir, vol.5, p.477; Hakem Neisabouri, Shawahed Al-Tanzil, vol.1, p.500; Manaqib-e Khwarazmi, p.113; Kanz Al-Ummal, vol. 11, p.323; Tabrani, Al-Mu'ajam Al-Kabir, vol.6, p.354 and....)

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has bothered me.(1)And O' People! Epigraph of track record of a faithful person lies within friendship with Ali Ibn Abitaleb.(2)

Also, the Prophet (s) continued to say:

Whoever likes to live like me, dies like me and resides in Divine Paradise which is everlasting place, he shall choose Ali as his guardian and leader and pursue Imams coming after him, who are from my Progeny and from my inborn disposition because God has put my knowledge and understanding their sustenance; Woe betides those who deny their status and give up observing my right about my Progeny because they shall be deprived of my intercession on the Day: (3)

Ghadir is manifesting place of Will of God!

God willed you succeed the Messenger (s) and become Imam of people; He grants honor to whomever He wishes; He granted you endless honor because you were His Beloved and the beloved of the Messenger (s).

You were avant-garde in Islam and conqueror of all peaks of divine values; you were the greatest worshipper, after the Prophet (s) you were the most valorous and devoted man. In battlefields, many fled out of fear they had for their life, leaving alone the Messenger (s) among huge crowds of enemies. O' You, Lion of God! You never stepped backed but you roared and massacred crowds of disbelievers while being lonely in order to protect )

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1- من آذى عليا فقد آذاني .. (Ahmad Ibn-e Hanbal, Musnad, vol.3, p.483; Hakem, Mustadrak, vol.3, p. 122 and.....)

2- عنوان صحيفة المؤمن حبّ علي بن ابي طالب .. (Heythami, Al-Sawa'iq Al-Muhriqa, vol.1, p.193; Ibn-e Moghazeli, Manaqib, p.243, hadith 290; Tarikh-e Dameshq, vol.5, p.230; Manavi, Fayd Al-Qadir, vol.4, p.481 and.....)

3- من سره أن يحيا حياتي و يموت مماتي و يسكن جنّة عدن التي غرسها ربّي فليوال عليّا من بعدى، وليوال وليه و ليقتد بالائمة من بعدى فإنّهم عترتى خلقوا من طينتى رزقوا فهما و علما و ويل للمكذبين بفضلهم من أمتى القاطعين فيهم صلتى لا أنا لهم الله شفاعتي. (Kunduzi, Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol.1, chapter 43, p.380; Abu Na'im, Helyat Al- 'Awliya', vol. 1, p.86; Mu'atazeli, Ibn-e Abi Al-Hadid, Sharh-e Nahjul Balagha, vol.2, p.450 and....)

the Messenger of God (s).

I portrayed only a small part of your unparalleled courage in this book; now, before dealing with Ghadir event, I want to speak of another one of your epics-which took place one year prior to Ghadir and triggered survival of Islam and degradation of disbelievers; this courage of yours was seen in "Battle of Hunayn".

When tribes of Hawazin and Thaqif-settled around Ta'if-heard your brother, the Prophet (s) with you and his army heading from Medina for conquest of Mecca, they imagined that he intended to war with them; hence, they joined their forces and some other tribes joined Hawazin and Thaqif too.(1)

Equipped with forces, they reached valley of Hunayn atop of which they took position. The Messenger (s) sojourned there fifteen days after conquest of Mecca that happened on Friday 20th, Ramadan of 8 Hegira; afterwards, he decided to crack down pagans of Hawazin and Thaqif who abstained from embracing Islam.

Army of Islam reaching their region moved into the valley to pass through; they were faced with sudden and unexpected assault of enemy and ceased to stabilize themselves. From top of the valley, the enemy in full strength sparked Muslims with spears and stones. Horrified Muslims turned back and left the Messenger (s) alone in that kerfuffle and ran away!

Some fled as far as Mecca and told people about battle of the Messenger (s); some people of Mecca became happy and some others said: Arab returns to religion of forefathers.(2)

In that war, all of them who numbered twelve thousands and were proud of their large numbers escaped but four people!(3) And ten people! Based on some narrations.(4).

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1- Tarikh-e Tabari, vol. 3, p.70; Al-Baghawi, Ma'alim Al-Tanzil, vol.2, p.261; Al- Nuwayri, Nihayat Al-Arab, vol.17, p.324

2- Salehi Shami, Mohammad Ibn-e Yusef, Subul Al-Huda, vol.5, p.437

3- In Al-Musannaf, vol.8, p.553, Ibn-e Abi Shaybah says: in Battle of Hunayn, all Muslims fled except for four people.

4- Many historians have written that all but ten people ran away in the Battle of Hunayn.

At this time, a group of Quraysh leaders who forcibly expressed turn to Islam and remained atheist inwardly during conquest of Mecca began to blame others; having seen Muslims on the run, Abu Sufyan Ibn Harb who had newly and apparently turned to Islam happily shouted:

O' Hawazin and O' Thaqif! Muslims flee as far as seaside.

Kaldat Ibn Hanbal said:

Today sorcery is annulled!

Safwan, one of the Companions, harshly told him: God may break your mouth!

Shaybat Ibn Uthman ‘Abdari whose father had been killed in Battle of Ohud said:

I take vengeance for my father's blood today, I kill Mohammad today!(1)

When the enemy saw that Muslims left the Messenger(s) alone and ran away, they came down the valley to murder Mohammad (s).

And you, O' Lion of God! O' Assad Allah Al-Ghaleb! O' Son of Abitaleb! You were circling around existential sun of the Messenger (s) while you had banner of honor of Islam in one hand and Zulfiqar in your other hand; you roared like a lion and whoever neared the Prophet (s), you split apart his head with your Zulfiqar.

Brash standard-bearer of enemy's army named "Abu Jerul" rode a red- haired camel accompanied by a large number of men attacked the Prophet (s); he came close with his retinue and bragged so: I'm Abu Jerul! I don't leave battlefield until I kill these people or I get killed myself.(2)

You rushed to him and hit him on his back; he fell onto the ground and you cut him in half with another strike. Once Abu Jerul was killed, enemy's army faced defeat.(3)

At this time, your brother, the Messenger (s) ordered 'Abbas who had a .

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1- Sirey-e Ibn-e Hisham, vol.4, p.86

2- أنا أبوجرول لا براح *** حتى نبيح اليوم أونباح (Sheikh Mufid, Ershad, vol.1, p.143)

3- Ibid.

loud voice to call back runaway Muslims, 'Abbas shouted:

O' People who made a pledge to the lineage! O' People of Baqara! Where on earth are you running away?!(1)

Recurrent yells of the Prophet (s) made a number of elusive Muslims return and come in grips with the enemy in the valley of Hunayn; this time God the Almighty sent down waves of Angels to help His Messenger (s) and Muslims. In the end, thanks to your courage, O' Commander of the Faithful! As well as descent of Angels, polytheists left behind their women, children and properties in the battlefield, a number of whom were killed, a number of others were captivated and others had gone on the run.(2)

Seventy people from enemy's army were killed, forty warriors of whom had been killed by you, O' Amir Al-Mu'amenan!(3)

True!

Fadl Ibn 'Abbas says: When all people were running away, my father looked but he did not find Ali among the resolute people and he annoyingly said:

Should son of Abutaleb withhold his life from the Prophet (s) under such conditions? But he was always the only companion of the Prophet (s) under critical times!

I said: What do you mean by saying such things about your nephew?! Do .

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1- Sirey-e Ibn-e Hisham, vol.4, p.86

2- God says about battle of Hunayn and the Invisible Helps of Angels: « لَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللهُ في مَواطِنَ كَثِيرَةٍ وَ يَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ إِذْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ كَثْرَتُكُمْ فَلَمْ تُغْنِ عَنْكُمْ شَيْئًا وَضاقَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْأَرْضُ بِما رَحُبَتْ ثُمَّ وَلَّيْتُمْ مُدْبِرِينَ * ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَ اللهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ وَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ أَنْزَلَ جُنُودًا لَمْ تَرَوْهَا وَ عَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَ ذَالِكَ جَزاءُ الْكافِرِينَ» (Truly, Allah granted you Aid in many battlefields; and on the day of Hunain [battle] when you rejoiced your great number; but it did not avail you at all and the earth, despite its vastness, seemed straitened for you, then you turned back in flight; then Allah sent down His Divine Tranquility on the Messenger and on the believers and sent down forces [Angels] that you could not see, [being Invisible] and Allah punished the disbelievers severely and such is the recompense for the disbelievers (Taubah: 25-26)

3- Maqrizi, Imta' Al-Asma', p.408; Kafi, vol.8, p.376; Sheikh Mufid, Ershad, p.76; in Subul Al-Huda, vol.5, p.487, Mohammad Ibn-e Yusef Salehi Shami says: Ali ('a) fought with the enemy along with the Prophet (s) more heroically on Hunayn day.

you not see him in the midst of war?! 'Abbas (Mohammad (s)'s uncle replied: My son! Tell me how he looks! I said: He is such and such. He said: What is that shining? I told him: It is shining light of Zulfiqar that circles around heroes of enemy and kill them.

'Abbas said: He is chivalrous man proper and son of the chivalrous! May his uncles be his sacrificial lamb!

Fadl says: On that day, Ali Ibn Abitaleb cut in half forty warriors and his strikes were fatally lethal.(1)

True!

Umma Salim-a heroine in the arena of Hunayn-told the Prophet (s): O' Messenger of God! Did you see how they delivered you to the enemy and fled, leaving you behind! When you catch them, do not forgive them but kill them, polytheists! The Messenger (s) said: God suffices it Himself and Divine Blessing is much wider than this.(2)

What days we have! The very those who left the Messenger (s) and ran away out of fear found themselves in perfect status!!

Small wonder! That time, their courage showed face and they raided your house and Fatima's (‘a), set ablaze it and disrespected the Prophet (s)!(3)

I make a mention of your valor shown in Sariya, "Zatus Sallasil" or Battle of Chains; afterwards, I come back to story of Ghadir, the divinely endless ocean:

In the midst of Mecca conquest, the Messenger (s) was told that a number of Arabs had been unified to invade Medina in full strength and force. The Messenger (s) dispatched Abubakr with a number of people; he returned to Medina with no success; later on, Omar was sent, he came back with no results like Abubakr. Amr Ibn Al-'Ass who had newly expressed to be Muslim told the Prophet (s): O' the Messenger of God! War is deceitfulness; send me to fix everything; he went after making something .

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1- Sheikh Tusi, Amali, p.575; Emta' Al-Asma', p.408

2- Waqedi, Moghazi, vol.3, p.903

3- The story of unmanly raid of the usurper caliphs on Ali's house and its set-ablaze will be told from Sunni sources in Theosophy Account Twenty.

out but he was destined as previous commanders were.

Ultimately, the Messenger (s) appointed you, O' Amir Mu'amenan! Commander. You went back home and banded your head with a special cloth you banded when you were up to hardships of war and moved northward of Medina nearby Tabouk where the enemy was. You shocked the enemy by applying concise military tactics such as camouflage and concealment, killed seven of their valiant warriors and detained some others who were brought handcuffed to Medina. The Messenger (s) joined by the Companions welcomed you outside Medina. When you saw him, you rode off your horse to pay respect to him; he said:

Ride on your horse because God and His Messenger are verily pleased with you!

You wept out of joy because of pleasure extended to you by God and His Messenger; your brother, Mohammad (s) told you:

O' Ali!

If I had not feared that groups of my ummah would tell about you what Christians had told about Jesus Christ, I would have told something about you that all people would have taken soil under your feet as blessing.(1)

The Messenger (s) cleaned your face off dust with his cloak and kissed your forehead; while weeping, he said to the Companions:

O'Companions! Stop scolding me for my interest in Ali! Verily, my interest in Ali comes from God; God ordered me to love Ali and keep him my next of kin.(2)

Let's go back to story of Ghadir, to the endless ocean of divine grace bestowed on mankind! )

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1- Sheikh Mufid, Ershad, p.88; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.21, p.66; Sunnis have quoted Sariya "Zatus Al-Sallasil" in a different way. Tabarsi says in Majma' Al-Bayan, vol. 10, p.528: In that battle, Ali ('a) seized a number of enemy troops and brought them handcuffed to Medina. The battle is known after "Zatus Al-Sallasil" Battle of Chains because captives were stood in lines, whose hands were chained together.

2- أن أحبّ عليا و أدنيه معاشر أصحابى لا تلومونى في حبّى عليّ بن أبي طالب، فإنّما حبّي عليا من أمر الله و الله أمرني .. (Tafsir-e Forat Kufi, P.598)

O' Commander of the Faithful!

Proclaiming your leadership and Imamate at Ghadir-e-Khum was not a new issue; the Messenger (s) had recurrently talked to the Companions about your status and caliphate after himself; but Ghadir had and still has a different magnificence!

The story of Ghadir-e-Khum engraved into body of history goes as:

Your brother, Mohammad (s) departed to Mecca in 10th of Hegira-the last year of his holy life-to uphold hajj pilgrimage. Once Muslims were informed about his departure to hajj, a majority of people from different spots of Hejaz headed for hajj to join him for performance of hajj. Those who accompanied him in hajj are reported to number one hundred and twenty thousand people.(1)Al-Moghazi, vol.3, p.1111(2)

You' O' Amir Mu'amenan!

When the Messenger (s) had gone to take part in the hajj pilgrimage, you joined by troops were given a mission by him to be in Yemen; as soon as you heard about his departure to the hajj, you along with your soldiers moved towards Mecca too and reached him nearby Mecca. Meeting you there, he was gladdened and asked you: How did you make your intent?! You replied: I declared my intention on your behalf when I was wearing my pilgrim's garment, saying: O' God! I wear pilgrim's garment with the same intention as Thy Messenger has done.(3)

With your brother, Mohammad (s) and retinue, you arrived in Mecca and performed the hajj by following the Messenger (s).

The Messenger (s) delivered a sermon in 'Arafaat, "the Mount of Recognition", notifying people that his demise imminently happens; in this sermon, he spoke to people(3) about respecting Ka'aba, forbidden months, the obligatory things and divine rules and then said: this religion is powerful and revealed and twelve caliphs need be rulers who are from 1

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1- Maqrizi, Emta' Al-Asma', vol. 1, p.512; Sirey-e Zayni Dahlaan, vol.3, p.

2-

3- Sobhani, Ja'afar, excerpts from History of Prophet of Islam, p.506

Quraysh.(1)

Muslims accomplished the hajj rituals under supervision of the Messenger (s) and moved back Medina and their homes as ordered by the Messenger (s); when caravan reached "Rabigh" three miles far from "Johfa"-one of the appointed times of consecration, Trustee Gabriel landed on a spot called Ghadir-e-Khum and addressed your brother with the word of revelation below:

O' Messenger! Notice people of what is sent down by God and if not, your mission is not accomplished; God shall protect you from evils of ill-wished people.(2)a

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1- Ahmad Ibn-e Hanbal in Musnad, vol.5, p.99 quotes Jabir Ibn-e Samara that the Messenger (s) made a sermon for people in 'Arafaat and I heard him saying: This religion is powerful and apparent and twelve people who are.... need rule. At this time, people spoke and made noises in such a way that I could not hear words of Hazrat. I asked my father who was closer to the Messenger (s) than me: What did he say in his final words? My father replied that Hazrat said: All of them are from Quraysh (Hashimites). Sunni books cite reports that Imams are twelve in number and all of them are from Quraysh (Hashimites); see Sahih-e Moslem, vol.3, Al-Emara.

2- يا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَ إِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ وَ اللهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ إِنَّ اللهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ پالْكافِرِينَ » (O' Messenger! Proclaim the Message that has been sent down to you from Your Creator and Nurturer! And if you did not, then you would have not fulfilled your duty as Allah's Messenger. Know that Allah will protect you from the mischievous people. Verily, Allah does not guide the disbelievers. (Ma'idah: 67) Many of the great Sunni interpreters, historians and hadith writers have approved that the above verse is being sent down in Ghadir-e-Khum including: • Jarir Tabari, Mohammad Ibn-e, dead in 310 A.H, quotes Zayd Ibn-e Arqam in "Al-Velayat" that: لما نزل النبي ( صلى الله عليه و آله و سلّم ) بغدير خم في رجوعه من حجة الوداع ، و كان في وقت ضحى و حر شديد، أمر بالدوحات فأقيمت، و نادى الصلاة جامعة فاجتمعنا فخطب بالغة ثم قال: إنّ الله تعالى أنزل إليّ: « يا أيها الرسولُ بلّغ ما أنزل إليك... ) • Al-Mahali, Hafiz Abu Abdullah, dead in 330 A.H quotes Ibn-e 'Abbas in "Amali". • Abubakr Farsi, Hafiz, dead in 407 A.H says in "Ma Nozl Men Al-Quran" by citing Ibn- Al-Bayan. • Sajestani, Hafiz Abu Sa'id, dead in 477 A.H says in Al-Velayat. • Hafiz Haskani says in Shawahed Al-Tanzil. • Ibn-e 'Asaker Shafe 'ie, Abulqasem, dead in 571 A.H quotes Abu Sa'id Khedri. Fakhr-e Razi dead in 606 A.H says in Tafsir-e Kabir, vol.3, p.363: نزلت الآية في فضل الإمام علي ( عليه السلام ] و لما نزلت هذه الآية أخذ بيده و قال: من كنت مولاه فعلي مولاه. • Abu Ishaq Huwaini, Sheikh Al-Islam, dead in 722, says in Fara'id Al-Samtin by citing Abu Hurairah that: إنّ الآية نزلت في الإمام علي [ عليه السلام ] • Hamadani, Seyyed Ali, dead in 786 A.H quotes Bara' Ibn-e 'Azib in Mawaddah Al-Qurba that: أقبلت مع رسول الله ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ) في حجة الوداع، فلما كان بغدير خم نودى الصلاة جامعة، فجلس رسول الله ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ) تحت شجرة و أخذ بيد الإمام علي ( عليه السلام ] وقال: ألست أولى بالمؤمنين من أنفسهم ؟ قالوا: بلى يا رسول الله فقال: ألا من كنت مولاه فعلى مولاه اللهم وال من والاه و عاد من عاداه. And a large number of Sunni ulema who confessed that the above verse has been sent down in Ghadir-e-Khum before Imam Ali ('a) was introduced. e 'Abbas. • Tha'albi Neisabouri, Abu Eshaq, dead in 427 A.H says in Tafsir-e Al-Kashf va

Tone of the verse carried a heavy duty which if abandoned would make Messenger's mission unfinished and it was not definitely about monotheism, campaign, prayers, fasting and so forth because the rules of such matters had previously been expressed; therefore, O' Amir Mu'amenan! What is this heavy duty? And if it is abandoned, it means mission bears no results?!

True! Considering the fact that the verse had been sent down in the last year of holy life of the Messenger (s), it certainly relates to issue of succession and caliphate after the Messenger (s).

True!

What is more important than that the Messenger (s) introduces Imam and caliph after himself in front of over one hundred people?!

The Messenger (s) ordered everybody to stop going, saying to those ahead of caravan to stop and those behind to quickly join others.

It was noon and hot; a canopy by means of chador hanging on tree was made for the Messenger (s). The Messenger (s) upheld noon prayers in congregation; afterwards, while he was surrounded by crowds of people,

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he stood up on high spot over camel's saddleback and recited loudly a sermon:

Praise belongs to God; I seek His help; I have faith in Him and we trust in Him. Lo! O' People! I imminently follow call of God...

Then he said:

I leave two precious things for you, one is Book of God and second is my Progeny both of whom remain inseparable until the Day comes.....Lo! O' people! Stop surpassing the holy Quran and my Progeny and give up dereliction because you shall perish away.(1)

At this sensitive instance when everybody had stared at mouth of the Messenger (s), he called you and you climbed up camel's saddleback and stood beside him. All people stared at you to find out what the story is that the Messenger (s) has called you to stand beside himself?

At that juncture, the most sensitive, the highest and the most dangerous page of human history came into existence; the Messenger of God (s) raised your hands with his own and vociferously told people:

O' people! Who is the most deserving of the faithful?

Everyone said: God and His Messenger are the most deserving of all faithful people.

The Messenger(s) then said:

God is my Lord and Lord of the faithful people and I am worthier than believers than themselves. Lo! O' people! Of whomsoever I had been Master (Mawla), Ali here is to be his Master.

And he prayed for you and said: .

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1- إنِّى أوشك أن أدعى فأجيب و إنّى تارك فيكم الثقلين كتاب الله و عترتی کتاب الله حبل ممدود من السماء إلى الأرض و عترتي أهل بيتي و أنّ اللطيف الخبير أخبرني أنهما لن يفترقا حتى يردا علي الحوض، فانظروا ماذا تخلفوني فيهما. The above hadith has been cited in lots of Sunni sources such as Sahih-e Moslem, chapter on Virtues of Ahle Bayt (a); Sunan-e Termezi, chapter on Virtues of the Migrants; Musnad, Ahmad Ibn-e Hanbal, vol.3, p.14 and...

O' God! Love those who love Ali and oppose those who are against him.... (1)

And he added:

The present people here shall convey the news to the absent people.

At this time, you climbed down camel's saddleback and everybody rushed to make allegiance to you. The very two people who usurped your status after demise of the Prophet (s) swore allegiance to you and congratulated you on that.(2).

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1- من كنت مولاه فهذا علي مولاه اللهم وال من والاه و عاد من عاداه و انصر من نصره و اخذل من خذله، إن تمسكتم به لن تضلوا بعدى أبدا. The above hadith which is known after hadith of Ghadir is extensively extant in Sunni sources including: • Sunan-e Termezi, vol.2, hadith 3797, p.297 •Sunan-e Ibn-e Majah, vol.1, chapter on Virtues of Ali ('a), p.43 •Mustadrak, Hakem, vol.9, p. 103, chapter on Wasiyat Al-Nabi(s) •Sunan-e Nesa'ie, chapter on Qol Al-Nabi (s) men Konte Waliya, p.94 Ibn-e Abi Shaybah, Musannaf, vol. 7, p.503 •Tabrani, Al-Mu'ajam Al-Kabir, vol.5, hadith 4969, p.166 •Heythami, Majma' Al-Zawa'id, vol.9, p.103 •Tarikh-e Ya'aqubi, vol.2, p.112 •Ibn-e Athir, Ossad Al-Ghaba, vol.4, p.108 •Fakhr-e Razi, Tafsir-e Kabir, vol. 12, p. 190 •Musnad-e Ahmad Ibn-e Hanbal, vol.4, p.281 •Ibn-e Kathir, Al-Badaya va Al-Nahaya, vol. 5, p.231 Manaqib-e Khwarazmi, p.160 •Abi Ya'ali Museli, Musnad, vol.1, hadith 567, p.429 Sahih-e Ibn-e Haban, vol. 15, p.376 •Ibn-e 'Abd Al-Berr, Al-Isti 'ab, vol. 3, p.1069 •Manawi, Feyd Al-Qadir, vol.4, p.2 •Siyuti, Al-Durr Al-Manthur, vol.2, p.259 and.... Therefore, hadith of Ghadir in Sunni sources is of a certainty.

2- Abubakr and Omar were among the first people who pledged allegiance to Ali ('a) in Ghadir event. According to Sunni sources, they told Amir Al-Mu'amenan ('a): بخ بخ لك يا بن أبي طالب أصبحت و أمسيت مولاي و مولى كلّ مؤمن ومؤمنة. Some Sunni books that have cited the above statement made from those two people are: Tarikh Al-Bokhari, vol.3, p.96 • Sahih-e Moslem, chapter on Virtues of Ali ('a) • Musnad-e Ahmad Ibn-e Hanbal, vol. 13, p.17 and vol.4, p.366 • Mustadrak, Hakem, vol. 3, p. 109 • Beihaqi, Features of Ali ('a), p.96 • Eskafi, Al-Me'ayar va Al-Mowazena, p.212 • Tarikh-e Baghdad, vol.8, p.254 • Tarikh-e Dameshq, vol.42, p.221 • 'Asqalani, Ibn-e Hajar, Al-Sawa’iq Al-Muhriqah, p.26 • Manaqib-e Khwarazmi, p.97 • Al-Riyadh Al-Nadra, vol.2, p.224 and..... The late Allameh Amini has quoted sixty books from Sunni scholars about congratulations of Abubakr and Omar in his book titled "Al-Ghadir". No common sense accepts that congratulations and felicitations extended to Ali (‘a) in Ghadir-e-Khumm happened to be for his friendship; rather, rationally speaking, everybody congratulated him because of his divinely granted status.

People were fraught with cheers and joy and everybody told you well- done. There was celebration and festivity in Ghadir-e-Khumm for three days as ordered by the Messenger (s) and everybody pledged allegiance to you; although some were distressed and gloomy in heart but they saved face and swore allegiance to you.

At that time, Gabriel came down to Mohammad (s) and conveyed a message from God that "I complemented your religion today and I brought My Grace in full to you and I am pleased that your religion shall be Islam.(1)..

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1- ... الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلَامَ دِينًا ....today, I have perfected your religion for you and completed My Favor upon you and have chosen Islam as your religion...... (Ma'idah: 3) Many of Sunni scholars say that the above verse has been sent down upon Mohammad (s) in Ghadir-e-Khumm after Imam Ali ('a) was appointed as caliph. In this part, some Sunni sources and texts-that are clear reasons for truthfulness of caliphate and Imamate of Ali ('a)-are cited herein: قال ابو نعیم الاصفهانی و ابن عساكر عن أبي سعيد الخدري دعا النبي ( صلى الله عليه و آله ] وسلّم ) الناس في غدير خم إليه فأخذ بضبع علي ( عليه السلام) حتى ان بياض ابط رسول الله ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ) ثمّ لم يتفرقوا حتى نزلت تلك الآية. فقال الرسول ( صلى الله عليه و آله و سلّم : الله اکبر ! على إكمال الدين و إتمام النعمة و رضى الربّ برسالتي و بالولاية لعلي من بعدي فقال من كنت مولاه فعلي مولاه. (Tabrani, Al-Mu'ajam Al-Kabir, vol.5, hadith 4969, p.166; Heythami, Majma' Al- Zawa'id, vol.9, p.103; Hakem, Al-Mustadrak, vol.9, p.103; Manaqib-e Khwarazmi, p.190 and....) Mo'ffaq Ibn-e Ahmad Khwarazmi quotes Abu Sa'id Khedri: إنّ النبي ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ) دعا الناس إلى على في غدير خم أمر بما كانت تحت الشجرة من الشوك فقم وكان الخميس ثم دعا الناس إلى على فأخذ بضبعه، ثم رفعه حتى نظر الناس إلى بياض إبطيهما ؛ ثمّ لم يتفرقا حتى نزلت هذه الآية: «... الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي... » فقال رسول الله ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم الله اكبر ! على إكمال الدين و إتمام النعمة و رضا الربّ برسالتى و الولاية لعلي. ذلك يوم He continues to say: و روى هذا الحديث من الصحابة عمر و علي ( عليه السلام ] و البراء بن عازب وسعد بن أبي وقاص و طلحة بن عبيدالله و الحسين بن علي [عليهما السلام ] و ابن مسعود و عمّار بن ياسر و أبوذر و أبو أيوب و ابن عمر و عمران بن حصين و بريدة بن الخضيب و أبو هريرة و جابر بن عبدالله و أبو رافع و.. (Khwarazmi Hanafi, Maqtal Al-Husayn, vol.1, pp. 47-48) • Fakhr-e Razi says in Tafsir-e Kabir, vol.3, p.529 that the above verse is being sent down in Ghadir-e-Khumm. • Mohammad Ibn-e Jarir Tabari says in "Al-Velaya" by citing Zayd Ibn-e Erqam that the above verse has been sent down in Ghadir-e-Khumm. • Allusi quotes Abu Sa'id Khedri in Ruh Al-Ma'ani, vol. 6, p.55 that: إنّ هذه الآية نزلت بعد أن قال النبي ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ( لعلي ( كرم الله وجهه ) في غدير خم: من كنت مولاه فعلی مولاه فلما نزلت قال الله اكبر ! على إكمال الدين و إتمام النعمة و رضى الربّ برسالتي و ولاية علي بعدي. • Siyuti quotes Ibn-e Asaker and he quotes Abu Sa'id Khedri: لما نصب رسول الله ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ) عليا - يوم غدير خم فنادى له بالولاية هبط جبرئيل عليه بهذه الآية: «... الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي. (Al-Durr Al-Manthur, vol.2, p.259) • Ibn-e 'Asakir says of descent of the above verse in Ghadir-e-Khumm in Tarikh- e Dameshq, vol.2, p.86. • Shahrestani says of descent of the above verse in Ghadir-e-Khumm in Al-Milal wa Al-Nihal, p.70. • Juwayni in Fara'id Al-Simtayn, vol.1, p.158 and Khatib Baghdadi in Tarikh-e Baghdad, vol.8, p.290 talk about descent of the above verse in Ghadir-e-Khumm. And ...

Your brother, the Messenger (s) immediately said:

God is great! I praise God for completing religion and fulfilling His Grace

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and Pleasure for my Prophethood and leadership of Ali after me.(1)

"Hessan Ibn Thabit" took the chance to compose about this everlasting event with permission given by the Prophet (s):

On Day of Ghadir, in the territory of Khumm, their Prophet (s) heralded and how well he conveys a message when he heralds.

He said: Who is your governor and leader? They responded without expressing enmity: Your God is our governor and you are our leader; you will find none of us disobedient today.

He then said: O' Ali! Stand up because I am pleased you become leader and guide after me. Whomever I govern, this Ali is his leader; therefore, you become his intimate companion and friend.

Afterwards, he raised supplication: O' God! Love his friends and oppose his enemy.(2)

True! The Messenger (s) informed people about your leadership in that great arena and nobody but dissidents of religion deny it.

Event of Ghadir never ends because Quran lasts forever and two Quranic )

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1- Hafiz Abu Na'im Isfahani quoted Abu Sa'id Khedri in "Ma Nozel men Al-Quran fi Ali (a) that the Prophet (s) introduced Ali as guardian to people in Ghadir-e-Khumm and people were not dispersed until the verse below came down: ... الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي. At this time, the Prophet (s) said: الله اكبر ! على إكمال الدين و إتمام النعمة ورضى الربّ برسالتى و بالولاية لعلي من بعدى، ثمّ قال: من كنت مولاه فعلي مولاه......

2- يناديهم يوم الغدير نبيهم *** بخم وأسمع بالرسول مناديا وقال فمن مولاكم ووليكم *** فقالوا ولم يبدوا هناك التعاديا الهک مولانا وأنت ولينا *** ولن تجدن منا لك اليوم عاصبا فقال له قم ياعلى فإنني *** رضیتک من بعدى إماما وهاديا فمن كنت مولاه فهذا وليه *** فكونواله أنصار صدق مواليا هناک دعا اللهم وال وليه *** وكن للذى عادى عليا معاديا (Manaqib-e Khwarazmi, p.136; Jawziyya, Sebt Ibn-e, Tazkerat Al-Khawas, vol.1, p.33; Sheikh Mufid, Ershad, vol.1, p.177 and....)

verses of Mai'dah: 3 and 67 came down to eternalize Ghadir event; although hypocrite dissidents turned the tables after demise of Prophet (s) and prevented affairs of Muslims from being managed by your Godly hands. But you were always Imam and proof of God although many denied you.

You are shining sun of heavens of Imamate and guidance of ummah; bat- natured people cannot bear looking at your luminous countenance. All pure people expose their faces at the threshold of Ghadir to the ground so that the dust of the land, blessed with steps of you, the Prophet (s) and Angels might become eyeliner of their eyes.

Drinking sip of Ghadir syrup lets mankind fly to eternity and co-sit with the Messengers and Angels.

They denied substance of Ghadir and deprived themselves of good-life eternity. I am surprised that the group saying they are subordinate to the holy Quran and the Messenger of God, they deny your caliphate-which is recommended by the holy Quran and Messenger of God! Amazingly, they say: the Prophet (s) advised us to make friends with Ali, saying: whomever I am his friend, Ali is too and he did not say even one word about his caliphate and succession!!

For one reason or another, this statement of theirs is really nil and those who made it deceive themselves and they should know that reality never changes and fades away if it is denied by deniers.

Have two verses of the holy Quran been sent down upon the event only for your friendship, O' Amir Mu'amenin?!

Had the Messenger (s) not announced people of your friendship, his Prophethood would have been incomplete?!

Is it reasonable for a Messenger who-as said by the holy Quran-fails to speak out of passion keeps thousands of people waiting in that hot air and torrid desert only for saying that whomever I am his friend, he shall be friend of yours? Was this something new that people were unaware of and was it necessary to be expressed ceremonially?!

Was perfection of religion and despair of disbelievers-cited in Ma'idah: 3- only because the Messenger (s) introduced you as friend?!

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Was the Messenger (s) worried about announcing your friendship that God told him: God protects you from people?!(1)

Besides, they did not accept your divine caliphate and said and say: The Messenger (s) introduced no one as successor and entrusted affairs to ummah; have you realized guardianship in religion of God?!!

How can they tolerate to say as such?! Is it possible that the Messengers leave alone ummah without competent successors?

The more we look at history, the more we can see that all prophets, prior to their demise, introduced the purest and the most learned people of their times as successors among their ummah. They may envisage that Islamic ummah has become exception in this regard and succession is being entrusted to people!!!

O' Commander of the Faithful! What on earth are they saying?!!

Do they not know they insult the holy presence of the Messenger (s)?!

How is it possible that the Prophet (s) who never left Medina even for a few days unless he had appointed successor for himself, now that he has .

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1- Reason behind such worry of the Messenger (s) because of introducing Ali ('a) can be shortened in the sentences hereunder: Executorship and successorship of Ali ('a) who had only over thirty three years of age was very difficult for a group of people who were older than him; particularly among Arab people that doyen of tribes constantly occupied important posts and they never found the youth qualified under pretext that they are not experienced in life. Hence, when the Prophet (s) put " Atab Ibn-e Acid" as governor of Mecca and" Osama Ibn-e Zayd" as commander of troops, his followers objected to him. Many of them who were still faced with prejudices of ignorance times paid no attention to such thing that a young man like Ali had a different situation from others and he has achieved a status under the shadow of faith in God and divine favor, none of whom has such a status. He is immunized from such slips and wrongs because he is elected and approved by Him. During battles, blood of relatives of the same people who had circled around the Prophet (s) had been spilled by powerful hands of Imam Ali ('a); therefore, it was very hard for them, because of their ignorant bigotries and grudging morale, to witness that successor of the Messenger (s) was killer of their relatives. In addition, Imam Ali ('a) was cousin of the Messenger (s) and his groom; appointing such a person for being caliphate to myopic people led them to carry it a typically familial bias and oppose the Prophet (s). But with all such things, it was the sagacious resolve of God to perfect mission of the Messenger (s) through successorship of Imam Ali (‘a).

passed away, he leaves his ummah alone and he himself becomes cause of sedition and differences among his ummah?!

Alas, alas!

O' Amir Mu'amenan! What on earth are they saying?!!

Ironically, they never tolerate such judgment about their caliphs, saying that since Abubakr felt sorry for ummah, he did not leave them alone and posed Omar as his successor; Omar, too, having been concerned about ummah of the Messenger (s) organized a six-member council so that one person can certainly be appointed as caliph for people!! (1)

All the Abbasid and Umayyid caliphs-who say many of the Abbasid and Umayyid caliphs are truthful-thought of future of Islam and appointed caliphs before death!!

To them, from among Islamic ummah, only one person never thought of future of ummah and that was your brother, the Messenger (s)!!

I invoke by God! Because of such invectives they raise against the holy Prophet of Islam (s); of course, the pure people of the universe always cling to you and your descendants and lend a heart to you and your leadership!

After departure of the Messenger (s), you, in various instances, argued about your caliphate and stood in defense of your own right by pointing to .

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1- Omar Ibn-e Khattab, in last days of his life, ordered a six-member council to be organized so that they can choose a caliph from among themselves and he assigned Imam Ali (a) as one of the members of the council!! They mixed members of council in such a way that Imam Ali (‘a) lost vote and this was a strategy adopted by the second caliph! Finally, the council selected Uthman as caliph! Hazrat Amir Mu'amenan (‘a) says in sermon 3 of Nahj Al-Balagha about Omar's six- member council:.....then Omar chose a group for caliphate, imagining that I am at the same weight with them! I invoke by God because of such council! When did they raise doubt about me for caliphate and today I am equal to members of the council? That they now suppose I am counterpoised in front of them? And I am placed at their rank? I lowered my note again and coordinated with them; one of them, Sa'ad Ibn-e Abi Waqqas, became fretted because of his vengeance against me, the other one preferred his groom ('Abd Al-Rahman Ibn-e 'Awf, Uthman's brother-in-law who had right of veto on behalf of Omar stood in favor of Uthman) over the reality and I cannot mention ugly names of the other two (Talha and Zubar who rebelled against Imam out of their rascality and roguery) and the third one came to be caliph; he had his stomach side bulged because of overeating food and he constantly frequented between kitchen and men's room.........

Ghadir event.(1))

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1- By means of Hadith of Ghadir, Imam Ali (‘a) argued about his truthfulness and caliphate in certain instances; whenever he found it right, he cast hadith of Ghadir in opponents' teeth and defended his right. Here, a few examples of such contentions are cited: On the day of council (the six-member council ordered by Omar for appointing the next caliph) when 'Abd Al-Rahman Ibn-e 'Awf pitched caliphate to Uthman, Imam Ali ('a) began to speak to cancel votes of council, saying: I argue about something that nobody can deny it and that is "I swear you to God! Is there anyone among you about whom the Prophet (s) has said: من كنت مولاه فهذا على مولاه اللهم وال من والاه و انصر من نصره ليبلغ الشاهد الغائب؟ At this time, members of council acknowledged Imam Ali ('a) and said that nobody had such excellence but you. (Manaqib-e Khwarazmi, p.217) One day when Amir Mu'amenin ('a) was speaking to a gathering in Kufa, he turned to them and said: I swear you to Allah! Whoever was present in Ghadir and heard the Prophet (s) choosing me as his successor, he should stand up and testify it; only those who heard it themselves not from others. This instance, thirty people stood up and gave testimony that they had heard it themselves. (Allameh Amini has quoted many cases including such argument from Sunni sources in Al-Ghadir, vol. 1, pp. 153-171.) Over twenty five years then passed Ghadir event and a number of Companions of the Prophet (s) were not in Kufa or had died before; a number of others fell short of testimony for some reasons. During Uthman caliphate, two hundred of distinguished figures of the Migrants and Helpers had assembled in Mosque of the Messenger (s) to discuss various issues. This meeting that had begun since early hours of the day and lasted up to noon time was attended by personalities, each of whom spoke too; Ali ('a) listened to public speeches only and said nothing. This time, crowds turned to him, asking him to talk. With the insistence of people there, Imam (a) rose to speak about his relationship with Progeny of the Prophet (s) and his widespread background, saying: You remember that on day of Ghadir God gave a mission to the Messenger (s) to assign me as public leader just as He had clarified affairs of Prayers, Zakat and hajj for them; for so doing, the Messenger (s) recited a sermon saying: God has entrusted some affair to be done by me and I was afraid that people would deny me when I announce the divine message; but God commanded me to convey it and gave me good news that He would protect me from ills of people. O' people! You know that God is my Lord and I am lord of the believers and I stand higher than their own high status? Everybody said: Yes! At this time, the Messenger (s) said: Stand up, Ali! And I stood up and he turned to the crowd, saying: من كنت مولاه فهذا علي مولاه اللهم وال من والاه و عاد من عاداه. This time Salman asked the Messenger (s): How does Ali ('a) lead us? The Messenger (s) answered: He leads you as I did, over whosever soul I have priority, so does Ali. (Fara'id Al-Simtayn, chapter 58) In addition to these three cases, Amir Mu'amenan argued about his Imamate through hadith of Ghadir on a day named "Yum Al-Rohbah, on the day of "Jamal Battle", in the event named "Hadith Al-Rukban" and in "Siffin War". (Sobhani, Ja'afar, Leadership of Ummah, p.217)

And you are proof of God although many denied you but of course, call of the Messenger (s) survives until the Day, saying:

من كنت مولاه فهذا على مولاه

However, many clog their ears with fingers not to hear that everlasting call!!

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P: 258

Theosophy Eighteen

I certify that you, Commander of the Faithful, great truthful man and discriminator of the right versus wrong.

Title of "Commander of the Faithful (‘a)" is only exclusive to you rather than others because God the Almighty put such title only for you and He has not authorized anyone else to put it on himself.(1)

One day, the Messenger (s) told you when his Companions were present:

O' Ali! You are Commander of the Faithful, you are leader of religion and you are Imam of the pious people and leader of worshippers and well- known people.(2)

And Hazrat also said:

God revealed to me three times that "lord", "Amir", "Seyyed of Muslims", "Imam of the pious" and "leader of the worshippers and well- known people is my brother, Ali.(3)

--------------------------------

Theosophy Account Eighteen

Mention of several important events during Ghadir-e-Khumm and fake titles of caliphs through citation of Sunni sources

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1- Various hadiths have quoted the Infallible Imams (a) that the title is only given to Hazrat Imam Ali ('a) and no one has the right to put it on himself, for example: Someone granted an audience to Imam Sadiq (a) and said: Greetings to you O' Amir Al- Mu'amenin! Imam Sadiq ('a) stood and said: Verily this name is only exclusive to our lord Ali Ibn-e Abitaleb and nobody is qualified to have that name..... (Mustadrak Al-Wasa'el, vol. 1, p.400; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.37, p.231)

2- قال النبي ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله ] و سلّم ( لعلي ( عليه السلام ]: أنت أمير المؤمنين و يعسوب الدین و امام المتقين و قائد الغر المحجلين. (Fath Al- Bari, vol.7, p.60; Beihaqi, Sunan-e Kobra, vol.9, p.40; Heythami, Majma' Al- Zawa'id, vol.9, p.109; Zahabi, Seyr A'laam Al-Nubla', vol. 1, p.10; Kanz Al-Ummal, vol.9, p.167; Tarikh-e Dameshq, vol.21, p.51 and....)

3- اوحى الي في علي ثلاث: إنّه سيّد المسلمين و امام المتقين و قائد الغر المحجلين. (Hakem, Mustadrak, vol.3, p.138; Ijji 'Aduddin, vol.3, p.603; Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol.2, p.162; Ibn-e Dameshqi, Jawaher Al-Mataleb, vol.1, p.105 and.....)

And the Messenger (s) called you "the great truthful man" (1)and you yourself said in your luminous words:

I am worshipper of God, brother of the Messenger of God and the great truthful man.(2)

And you also added that:

Whoever attributes such titles to himself, he shall be liar.(3)

And the Messenger (s) mentioning to his ummah said:

In near future after me, a sedition erupts; so if that time came, you should follow Ali Ibn Abitaleb. Verily, he is the first one who believed in me and the first one to ........on the Day; Ali is the great truthful man and the great discriminator between the right and wrong of this ummah.(4)

And O' lord!

One of the signs of you being oppressed is that titles exclusive to you have 6

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1- قوله ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ) : إنّه الصديق الأكبر. و أخذ النبي ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله ] وسلّم ) العهد عن بحفظ علي [ عليه السلام ] الأمة (Sunan-e Ibn-e Majah, vol.1, p.44; Majma' Al-Zawa'id, vol.9, p.102; Shawahed Al- Tanzil, vol. 1, p.152; Al-Durr Al-Manthur, vol.5, p.328; Manaqib-e Khwarazmi, vol.7 and.....)

2- قال امیرالمؤمنين الإمام علي عليه السلام: أنا عبد الله و أخو رسول الله و أنا الصديق الأكبر . (Sunan-e Ibn-e Majah, vol.1, p.44; Eskafi, Al-Me'ayar wa Al-Movazenah, p.185; Ibn-e Abi Shaybah, Al-Musannaf, vol.7, p.498; Majma' Al-Zawa'id, vol.9, p.102; Hakem, Mustadrak, vol.3, p.111; Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol. 1, p.189 and....)

3- لا يقولها بعدى إلا كاذب، آمنت قبل الناس بسبع سنين. (Sunan-e Ibn-e Majah, vol.1, p.44; Eskafi, Al-Me'ayar wa Al-Movazenah, p. 185; Ibn-e Abi Shaybah, Al-Musannaf, vol.7, p.498; Majma' Al-Zawa'id, vol.9, p.102; Hakem, Mustadrak, vol.3, p.111; Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol. 1, p. 189 and....)

4- The other Sunni sources that have quoted the above hadith: • Ibn-e 'Abd Al-Berr, Al-Isti 'ab, vol.4, p.169 • Ibn-e Athir, Ossad Al-Ghaabah, vol.5, p.287 • Asqalani, Ibn-e Hajar, Al-Esabah, vol. 7, p.293 • Heythami, Majma' Al-Zawa'id, vol.9, p.101 • Ibn-e Mokarram, Mohammad, Mokhtasar Tarikh-e Dameshq, vol. 7, p.306 and vol.8, p.46

been usurped by the wrong crowd! They had no right to call themselves "Amir Mu'amenan"; they had no right to introduce themselves as "truthful" and "discriminator of the right and wrong" and no one of ummah was allowed to call anyone else Amir Mu'amenan, truthful and discriminator of the right and wrong.

But the wrong crowds and their supporters raised cruelty against you and called others Amir Mu'amenan, truthful and discriminator of the right and wrong!!

Your brother, the Messenger (s) said:

O' Ummah! Know that the truthful men are three in number: "Habib Najjar" believer of Al-e Yasin; "Hizqil" believer of Al-e Fer'un and "Ali Ibn Abitaleb" who is the third and most superior of all.(1)

And he also said:

In the night of Ascension to Heaven when I looked at every door of doors of Paradise, they read: Ali Ibn Abitaleb had been Commander of the Faithful seventy thousand years before Adam was created.

When the wrong crowds usurped your position and the first one called himself Amir Mu'anenan, you said:

By God! Very soon it is not forgotten that the title is only qualified to be given to me and those two people heard from the Messenger of God (s) that the title is only exclusive to me.(2))

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1- الصديقون ثلاثة: «حبيب النجار» مؤمن آل یاسین، و «حزقیل» مؤمن آل فرعون و عليّ بن أبي طالب ثالث و هو أفضلهم. (Manaqib-e Ibn-e Marduyeh, p.331; Tafsir-e Bahr Al-Mohit, vol. 7, p.16; Siyuti, Al-Jame' Al-Saghir, vol.2, p.115; Manawi, Feyd Al-Qadir, vol.4, p.313; Manaqib-e Ibn-e Moghazi, p.200 and.....)

2- In his hadith book, in hadith 4, Salim Ibn-e Qeys Helali quotes Salman Farsi that Omar told Abubakr after the Messenger's demise and usury of caliphate by Abubakr: Tell Ali to swear allegiance to us and we do not possess the position so long as he fails to do so; if he does so, we are relieved of him. Abhbakr said: Go tell him to respond to Abubakr, Amir Al-Mu'amenin! He came and told Hazrat what he had told. Ali ('a) said: Praise Belongs to Him! I swear to Him that you will soon remember that I am only qualified to bear that title. The Messenger (s) ordered him who was the seventh of them to greet me as Commander of the Faithful; he, and his companion, Omar asked the seven people and said: Is there any right from God and His Messenger? The Messenger told them: Yes! There is a right, a right from God and His Messenger that Ali is known as Commander of the Faithful, lord of Muslims and owner of banner of the well-known people. God, the Exalted seats him beside a Path on the Day, where he lets his friends into Paradise and his enemies into Hell..... (Mysteries of Al-e Mohammad, p.224)

Most important of all, you yourself told 'Abbas-your uncle and Messenger's one day that:

In the event of Ghadir-e-Khumm, the Messenger (s) selected eighty people, forty of whom were Arabs and forty others were non-Arabs and among whom were these two people; all of them ordered by the Messenger greeted me as Commander of the Faithful.(1)

On the day of Ghadir-e-Khumm, a divinely eternal and magnificent day, crowned you with his lordship, grandeur and dignity besides introducing you as Imam and leader of ummah on behalf of God, telling people to greet you; on that day and in that grand assembly, the Messenger (s) put his turban named "Sahab" on your head with his holy hands to make the universe know that you are his rightful successor and repeated for several times:

Whomever I am his lord, so is Ali; O' God! Love his friends and oppose his enemies.(2) .

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1- In hadith book of Salim Ibn-e Qeys, parts of hadith 14 read that Imam Ali ('a) arguably addressed a group of Companions like 'Abbas, uncle of the Messenger (s): Most importantly, the Messenger (s) brought together eighty people who were forty Arabs and forty non-Arabs [in Ghadir-e-Khumm], among whom were these two people (Omar and Abubakr) and they all greeted me as Commander of the Faithful; after that, the Prophet (s) said: I take you as witnesses that Ali is my brother, my vizier, my inheritor, my caliph, my legatee in my Progeny and authority of every believer after me, listen to him and obey him. Among them, there were Abubakr, Omar, Uthman, Talha, Zubayr, Sa'ad Ibn-e Abi Waqqas, 'Abd Al-Rahman Ibn-e 'Awf, Abu Ubaydah, Salem, Ma'az Ibn-e Jebel and a number of the Helpers; he then said: I take God as witness over you....

2- As earlier said, on the day of Ghadir-e-Khumm, Imam Ali ('a) was introduced by the Messenger (s) on behalf of God as holder of high office of caliphate and became prophetic heir apparent. Now as it is the case for manner of kings, he deserved being crowned in a ceremony; Arabs celebrated this crowning by means of turban wearing; hence, this tradition has come from the Messenger (s) that turbans act as crown of Arab. Mortaza Hanafi Zubaydi says in vol.8, p.410 of "Taj Al-Arous: as it is commonly said, "ac" which means he was turbaned, which means lordship because Arab crowns are turbans and it was customary among Arabs that when a man was appointed as lord and master, he was worn a red turban on his head. Several hadiths from Sunni sources about crowning of Imam Ali ('a) in Ghadir-e-Khumm: • Shablanji has mentioned in Nur Al-'Absar, p.25 "Saheb Al-Taj" Owner of Crown as title of the Messenger (s) and said: This means turban that is holder of turban because turbans are crowns of Arabs; therefore, on that day, the Messenger (s) put turban on Ali's head in a specific way that showed grandeur and crowned Ali ('a) with his holy hands in that grand assembly. By so doing, he advised that the man who is crowned has been appointed as emirate like his with a difference that Ali ('a) is given notice by the Messenger (s) and he is acting emir after Hazrat. • Ibn-e Shazan has narrated that: Verily the Messenger (s) himself put turban on Ali's head, with a part hanging on his head back and front while continuing it down on back and front; the Prophet (s) said to him: Let me see your face! He obeyed. At this time, he turned to the Companions and said: Crowns of Angels are like this. • Sheikh Al-Islam Juwayni, in chapter 12 of "Fara'id Al-Simtayn quoted Imam Ali (a) as saying that the Messenger (s) said: Verily, God the Exalted helped me In Badr and Hunayn through Angels who had such turbans on; such turban stands as a buffer between Muslims and polytheists. This statement made to Ali (‘a) when on the day of Ghadir, he put turban on Ali's head with some part hanging from his shoulders. • Jamaluddin Zarandi Hanafi in Nazm of Al-Simtayn and Jamaluddin Shirazi in Arba'in have narrated that: The Messenger (s) put his turban (called Sahab) on Ali's head with its two sides hanging from back and front; he then said: Face me! Hazrat did so, he said: Turn back! Hazrat did so; he said: The Angels came to me likewise. He added: من كنت مولاه فعلى مولاه اللهم وال من والاه و عاد من عاداه و انصر من نصرو اخذل من خذله. For more information, see the invaluable book of Al-Ghadir, vol.1, pp. 290-293. Therefore, the day of Ghadir, day of Imam Ali's crowning, is the most auspicious day in Islam and the greatest day of celebration for enthusiasts of Amir Al-Mu'amenin ('a) just as it is the day of grief and grudge for enemies and ill-thinkers.

On that day, the real believers became happy, hypocrite dissenter group concealed grudge against you in their hearts and a group of others having shaky faith felt jealous of your status and dignity.

One of the dissidents could hardly keep his hypocrisy in his heart and objected to the Messenger (s), saying: You commanded us on behalf of

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God to worship Him, say prayers, keep fasting and perform hajj; we accepted all of them but you didn't suffice and went far beyond this; you held up your cousin's arm and made him lord of us!!

Tell me to know if this is from God or from you yourself?

The Messenger (s) told him: I swear to God, the Only God! This is from God and not from me.

The wicked man having heard what Mohammad (s) said rushed to his camel, saying: O' God! If what Mohammad says is true, then fall onto us stone from sky! The man was about to reach his camel when a stone came down from sky on his head and killed him.(1).

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1- The above story has been cited plentifully in Sunni sources; hereunder, a number of these sources are mentioned: •Hafiz Abu Ubayd Heravi died in Mecca in 223 A.H says in his interpretation titled "Gharib Al-Quran": After the Messenger (s) publicized in Ghadir-e- Khumm what he was missioned to say to people, the story spread across cities. Jabir Ibn-e Nadr Ibn-e Hareth came up and addressed the Messenger (s) that: You ordered us on behalf of God that we certify Unity of God and your Prophethood; perform prayers, fasting, hajj and zakat; we accepted all of them but you went far beyond that and raised up arm of your cousin and kept him superior to us, saying: « من کنت مولاه فعلی مولاه» Is this from God of from you?! The Messenger (s) said: I swear to God, the Only God that this came down from Him. The man having heard this moved towards his camel while murmuring: O' God! If what Mohammad says is right, drop us a stone from sky or send down painful agony! Hardly had he reached his camel, a stone came down on him and slit through his back; he was killed and God revealed these words: « سَأَلَ سائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعِ • لِّلْكَافِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ مِّنَ اللهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ » A demander demanded Allah to send a chastisement on him. For the believers, there is no repeller against the Divine Chastisement in this world and in the Hereafter, since it is from Allah the Owner of the Ways of Ascent to His Presence (Ma'arij: 1-3). Abu Eshaq Th'albi Neisabouri dead in 427 A.H says in his Tafsir called "Al- Kashf va Al-Bayan" as regards to Ma'arij Word of Revelation: When the Messenger of God (s) reached Ghadir-e-Khumm and after people gathered there, he held up Ali's hand and told people:; afterwards, this story spread across cities and towns and Hareth Ibn-e Nu'aman Fahri. He rode his camel to reach Abtah. After coming down his camel, he let his camel down on the ground. He met with the Messenger (s) addressing him: O' Mohammad! You ordered us on behalf of God to testify Oneness of God and your Prophethood and we accepted it; you ordered us to say prayers five times a day; we obeyed. You commanded us to pay zakat and we obeyed; you ordered us to keep one-month fasting and we obeyed. You ordered us to perform hajj; we accepted but now you went far beyond these things and you raised up your cousin's arm and excelled him over us, sayingمن کنت مولاه فعلی مولاه: des des odes cis ; Is this ordered from God or you?! The Messenger (s) said: I swear to God, the Only God! This has been said from Him. After hearing what the Prophet (s) said, Hareth Ibn-e Nu'aman moved towards his horse, saying: O' God! If what Mohammad says is true, send down on us stone or chastisement from sky! He was about to reach his horse when God landed stone onto his head that went out of his back. God sent down these verses: «سَأَلَ سائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعِ * لِّلْكَافِرِينَ لَيْس لَهُ دَافِعٌ * مِّنَ اللهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ » •Hakem Abulqasem Haskani in his book دعاة الهداة إلى أداء حق الموالاة quoted Hazifat Ibn-e Yamani, saying: The Prophet (s) said about Ali at Ghadir-e-Khumm: Hareth Ibn-e Nu'aman Qahri said: Is this something you say yourself or God ordered you to say it? The Messenger (s) said: I do not say it from myself but God ordered me to say it. He said: O' God! Send on us stone from sky; he was near his horse when stone came down on him, filled him with blood and he was killed. Later, God sent down the above verses. Shamsuddin Abulmozaffar Sebt Ibn-e Jawziyya Hanafi dead in 654 A.H citing this narration in the book, "Tazkerat Al-Khwas, p.19 writes: This hadith has been narrated from Abu Eshaq Th'albi in his interpretation cited from the Prophet (s) as saying when the Prophet (s) announced leadership (Velayat) of Ali ('a), it was spread out and reached "Hareth Ibn-e Nu'aman Fahri". He mounted a camel and reached the mosque to see the Messenger (s). he kneeled down and told Hazrat after calling his name: Verily, you ordered us to give testimony to Oneness of God and your Prophethood, we accepted it; you ordered us to say prayers five times a day, to keep fasting during Ramadan, to pay pilgrimage to House of God and clean our property by paying zakat; we accepted all these from you. But you never sufficed and raised arms of your cousin and excelled him over others, saying: من کنت مولاه فعلی مولاه; has this been said by you or come from God?! The Prophet (s) became angry with red eyes and said: I swear to God who is the Only One being Worshipped! This has come from God and I myself ordered nothing and repeated this three times. At this time, Hareth rose up, saying: O' God! If what Mohammad says is true, send on us from sky a stone and give us a painful chastisement! It is said: He was about to reach his camel when God landed a stone onto his head that came out of his back; in this way, he died and God sent down the above verses. The late Allameh Amini, the author of valuable book of Al-Ghadir, vol. 1, pp. 239-246; this story and account of descended verses are being quoted from thirty books and Sunni scientist.

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• front; he then said: Face me! Hazrat did so, he said: Turn back! Hazrat did so; he said: The Angels came to me likewise. He added:

من كنت مولاه فعلى مولاه اللهم وال من والاه و عاد من عاداه و انصر من نصرو اخذل من خذله .

For more information, see the invaluable book of Al-Ghadir, vol. I pp. , 290-293. Therefore, the day of Ghadir, day of Imam Ali's crowning, is the most auspicious day in Islam and the greatest day of celebration for enthusiasts of Amir Al-Mu'amenin ('a) just as it is the day of grief and grudge for enemies and ill-thinkers.

The above story has been cited plentifully in Sunni sources; hereunder, a number of these sources are mentioned:

•Hafez Abu Ubayd Heravi died in Mecca in 223 A.H says in his interpretation titled "Gharib Al-Quran": After the Messenger (s) publicized in Ghadir-e-Khumm what he was missioned to say to people, the story spread across cities. Jabir Ibn Nadr Ibn Hareth came up and addressed the Messenger (s) that: You ordered us on behalf of God that we certify Unity of God and your Prophethood; perform prayers, fasting, hajj and zakat; we accepted all of them but you went far beyond that and raised up arm of your cousin and Is this from من كنت مولاه فعلی مولاه :kept him superior to us, saying God of from you?!

The Messenger (s) said: I swear to God, the Only God that this came down from Him. The man having heard this moved towards his camel while murmuring: O' God! If what Mohammad says is right, drop us a stone from sky or send down painful agony! Hardly had he reached his camel, a stone came down on him and slit through his back; he was killed and God revealed these words:

(سَأَلَ سائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعِ * لِّلْكَافِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ مِّنَ اللهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ )

A demander demanded Allah to send a chastisement on him. For the believers, there is no repeller against the Divine Chastisement

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in this world and in the Hereafter, since it is from Allah the Owner of the Ways of Ascent to His Presence (Ma'arij: 1-3).

Abu Eshaq Th'albi Neisabouri dead in 427 A.H says in his Tafsir called "Al-Kashf va Al-Bayan" as regards to Ma'arij Word of Revelation:

When the Messenger of God (s) reached Ghadir-e-Khumm and after people gathered there, he held up Ali's hand and told people:

afterwards, this story spread across cities و من كنت مولاه فعلی مولاه and towns and Hareth Ibn Nu'aman Fahri. He rode his camel to reach Abtah. After coming down his camel, he let his camel down on the ground. He met with the Messenger (s) addressing him: O' Mohammad! You ordered us on behalf of God to testify Oneness of God and your Prophethood and we accepted it; you ordered us to say prayers five times a day; we obeyed. You commanded us to pay zakat and we obeyed; you ordered us to keep one-month fasting and we obeyed. You ordered us to perform hajj; we accepted but now you went far beyond these things and you raised up your cousin's arm and excelled him over us, saying: YoYo Cijo; Is this ordered from God or you?!

The Messenger (s) said: I swear to God, the Only God! This has been said from Him.

After hearing what the Prophet (s) said, Hareth Ibn Nu'aman moved towards his horse, saying: O' God! If what Mohammad says is true, send down on us stone or chastisement from sky! He was about to reach his horse when God landed stone onto his head that went out of his back. God sent down these verses:

سَأَلَ سائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعِ " لِّلْكَافِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ مِّنَ اللهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ ،

•Hakem Abulqasem Haskani in his book دعاة الهداة إلى أداء حق الموالاة

quoted Hazifat Ibn Yamani, saying:

The Prophet (s) said about Ali at Ghadir-e-Khumm:

من كنت مولاه فعلى مولاه

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Hareth Ibn Nu'aman Qahri said: Is this something you say yourself or God ordered you to say it?

The Messenger (s) said: I do not say it from myself but God ordered me to say it.

He said: O' God! Send on us stone from sky; he was near his horse when stone came down on him, filled him with blood and he was killed. Later, God sent down the above verses.

•Shamsuddin Abulmozaffar Sebt Ibn Jawziyya Hanafi dead in 654 A.H citing this narration in the book, "Tazkerat Al-Khwas, p.19 writes: This hadith has been narrated from Abu Eshaq Th'albi in his interpretation cited from the Prophet (s) as saying when the Prophet (s) announced leadership (Velayat) of Ali ('a), it was spread out and reached "Hareth Ibn Nu'aman Fahri". He mounted a camel and reached the mosque to see the Messenger (s). he kneeled down and told Hazrat after calling his name: Verily, you ordered us to give testimony to Oneness of God and your Prophethood, we accepted it; you ordered us to say prayers five times a day, to keep fasting during Ramadan, to pay pilgrimage to House of God and clean our property by paying zakat; we accepted all these from you. But you never sufficed and raised arms of your cousin and excelled him over others, saying:من کنت مولاه فعلی مولا has this been said by you or come from God?!

The Prophet (s) became angry with red eyes and said: I swear to God who is the Only One being Worshipped! This has come from God and I myself ordered nothing and repeated this three times. At this time, Hareth rose up, saying: O' God! If what Mohammad says is true, send on us from sky a stone and give us a painful chastisement! It is said: He was about to reach his camel when God landed a stone onto his head that came out of his back; in this way, he died and God sent down the above verses.

The late Allameh Amini, the author of valuable book of Al-Ghadir, vol.1, pp. 239-246; this story and account of descended verses are being quoted from thirty books and Sunni scientist.

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This is quoted from hadith book of Salim Ibn Qeys Helali, hadith 50; this hadith is cited in Sunni sources such as Manaqib-e Khwarazmi, p.60; Hakem, Mustadrak, vol.3, p.138.

The remaining parts of Theosophy Account

1. In some Sunni books, some narrations have been ascribed to the Messenger (s) where he has introduced Abubakr as trustworthy and Omar as discriminator; all are fake narrations made by the Umayyad and enemies of the Infallibles (a). Many of Sunni scholars also confessed that these two nicknames are nicknames of Abubakr and Omar and the related hadiths are considered fake.

“Ibn Habban” as one of the great men of knowledge of dignitaries of Sunnis says in Al-Mojremin, vol.2, p.116: There is no doubt that these hadiths are fake and many hadiths as such are abundant in Sunni books. Some other Sunni scholars who unanimously agree on fake hadiths naming Abubakr as trustworthy and Omar as discriminator are as follows:

•Sebt Ibn Jawziyya, Al-Mozu'at, vol. 1, pp.323 and 336

•Zahabi, Mizan Al-E'tedal, vol. 1, p.540

•Ibn Kathir, Al-Badaya va Al-Nahaya, vol. 7, p.230

2. Rejal-Barqi (One of the old and authentic Shiite books on dignitaries) reads that: twelve people of great men of the Companions stood up one after another to address Abubakr on the first Friday after day of Saqifa Bani Sa'edah in the mosque of the Prophet (s) and explicitly recounted brilliant record of Imam Amir Mu'menan (a) and his competence for the Islamic caliphate. These twelve people were six Muhajirin (Immigrants) and six Ansar (the Helpers); Immigrants were: Abuzar Ghaffari, Salman Farsi, Khaled Ibn Sa'id Ibn As, Meqdad Ibn Aswad, Buraidah Aslami, Ammar Yasir and the Helpers were: Khuzaima Ibn Thabet, Sahl Ibn Hanif, Abu Al-Haytham Ibn Al-Tayhan, Qeys Ibn Ebadah Khazraji, Ubay Ibn Ka'ab and Abu Ayyub Ansari.

They criticized Abubakr and stood in defense of Amir Mu'amenan (a), making it clear that Ali ('a) is entitled to be caliph rather than

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others. Salman, among them, said: O' Abubakr! Do you want to be leader of someone who is more omniscient than you!? O' Abubakr! Give priority to someone who was given priority by God and His Prophet (s) in his lifetime. Buraidah Aslami also said: O' Abubakr! Don't you remember or do you have a bad memory that when the Messenger (s) was alive, he commanded us to salute to Ali ('a) and tell him: Greetings to you O' Amir Mu'amenin?

(Rejal-e Barqi, beginning of Rejal Ibn Davoud quoted from Ali Dawani, Ghadir-e-Khumm, Hadith of Velayat, p.41)

3. Salim Ibn Qeys says: I was with Salman, Abuzar and Meqdad during reign of Omar. A man from Kufa came and joined them, asking for guidance. They said to him: You have a duty to accompany Book of God as well as joining Ali Ibn Abitaleb who is with Book of God; we testify that we heard the Messenger (s) say: Ali is with the Quran and Truth; he turns whichever direction He Turns; he is the first one who believed in the Messenger (s) and he is the first to shake hands with me on the Day; he is major trustworthy (discriminator of the right and wrong). He is my heir, my vizier and my caliph of my ummah and he fights according to my Sunna.

The man told them: Then, why do people call Abubakr trustworthy and Omar discriminator?! Salman, Abuzar and Meqdad said to him: People call them in names not belonging to them just as they give them titles of caliph of the Messenger (s) and Amir Mu'amenin while these names do not belong to them.

Ali ('a) is caliph of the Messenger (s). The Messenger (s) ordered us and them to greet Ali (‘a) as the Commander of the Faithful (‘a).

(Hadith book of Salim Ibn Qeys Helali (Secrets of Mohammad and his posterity), hadith 52, Ihtejaj-e Tabarsi, vol.1, p.230; Ibn Shazan, Fada'il, p.145, Manaqib-e Ibn Shahrashub, vol. 3, p.62)

4.و من طريق المخالفين ما رواه عبد الله بن أحمد بن حنبل في مسند أبيه أحمد بن حنبل، عن الهيثم بن خلف، قال : حدثنا محمد بن أبي عمر الدورى قال : حدثنا شاذان ، قال : حدثنا جعفر بن زياد عن مطر، عن أنس

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يعني ابن مالك، قال : قلنا لسلمان : سل النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم من وصيّه ؟ فقال له سلمان : يا رسول الله من وصيك ؟ فقال صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم : يا سلمان من كان وصيّ موسى ؟ فقال يوشع بن نون، قال : قال صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم : وصيّي و وارثي من يقضي ديني و ينجز موعدي، عليّ بن أبي طالب عليه السلام

('Asqalani, Ibn Hajar, Fath Al-Bari, vol.8, p.114; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Fada'il Al-Sahabah, vol.2, p.615, hadith 1052; Ibn Jabr, Nahj Al-Iman, p.197; Al-Kunduzi, Yanabi` al-Mawaddah la Dhi al-Qurba, vol.1, p.234, hadith 4; Shawahed Al-Tanzil Leqawahed Al-Tafdil, vol.1, p.99; Muhibbuddin Al-Tabari, Al-Riyadh Al-Nodrate Fi Manaqib Al-Ishrah, vol.3, p.138; Ghayat Al-Maram Hojjat Al-Khisam fi Taiin Al-Imam men Tariq Al-Khass va Al-Aam, vol.2,p. 144; Taher Qomi, Mulla Mohammad, Al-Arba'iin, p.36; Kufi, Mohammad Ibn Soleyman, Manaqib Al-Imam Amir Al-Mu'amenin (a), p.341, hadith 267; Helyat Al-Abrar fi Ahwal Mohammad va Aleh Al-Athar ('a), vol.2, p.442, hadith 2; Naqd Al- Maqalah Al-Fatimiyya fi Naqd Al-Resalat Al-Uthmaniyya, p.427; Bahjat Al-Nazar fi Ithbat Al-Wasayah va Al-Imamat Le A'emmate Al-Athna 'Ashar, p.50; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.38, p.19, hadith 35)

Omar Ibn Khattab offending the Prophet (s) when he was deceased with citations of Sunnis and other various issues

Waqedi, Al-Moghazi, vol.3, p.1117; Sireye Halabi, vol.3, p.207; Ibn Yusef, Mohammad, Sebl Al-Hoda, p.3786

Tarikh-e Ya'aqubi, vol.2, p.113; Irshad-e Sheikh Mufid, p.98; Sireye Halabi, vol.3, p.207; Tabaqat-e Ibn Sa'ad, vol.2, p.120

Tabaqat Ibn Sa'ad, vol.2, p. 190

فأنفذوا جيش أسامة؛

It means: Move army of Osama!

(Tarikh-e Ya'aqubi, vol.2, p.113)

Quoted from Shahrestani in Al-Melal va Al-Nahl, vol.1, p.23 and Ibn Abi Al-Hadid in Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, vol.6, p.52, he said:

لَعَنَ الله مَنْ تَخَلَّفَ عَنْهُ !

In Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, vol.1, p.261, Ibn Abi Al-Hadid Mu'atazili

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and in Irshad, p.196, Shaeikh Mufid say: The Messenger (s) by emphasizing a lot meant that Medina could be evacuated from those who coveted caliphate and Imamate could be transferred to them with no problems. Imam Ali (s) also made this clear as quoted from Sheikh Saduq in Khisal, p.371.

Sheikh Mufid, Irshad, p.97; Tabarsi, A'laam Al-Wari, p.134. This was what the Shiite ulema believed about the last prayers the Messenger (s) upheld; a group of Sunni historians included among them was Ibn Hosham in his Sira, vol.4, p.301 and Meqrizi in Emta' Al-Asma', vol. 1, p.548 said that Abubakr held prayers for people as the Messenger (s) had ordered. A large number of them including Malik Ibn Anas in Muwatta, vol. 1, p.136; Bokhari in Sahih, vol. 1, p.162; Termezi, vol.2, p.197 have narrated that the Messenger (s) performed prayers while seated. Abubakr stood behind him; this means that Abubakr acted as communication medium of the Messenger (s) and people!!

There is great disagreement among Sunnis whether the Messenger (s) himself performed the last congregation prayers or Abubakr by order of the Messenger (s) or he did it as Ayesha made it possible. But Ibn Abi Al- Hadid in Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, vol.9, p.198 quotes his tutor, Sheikh Abu Ya'aqub Yusef Ibn Esma'il Lema'ni Mu'atazili as saying that Ali (‘a) has said: Appointing Abubakr for leadership of prayers was made through what Ayesha did and provided, but the Messenger (s) realized it and left the house; he stopped Abubakr doing it by pulling him aside the pulpit.

Ibn Sa'ad in Tabaqat, vol. 2, p.191 says: Osama came up to Jorf where commandeering troops was situated and he intended to move when Umme Imen's messenger arrived and informed that the Messenger (s) was feeling very bad and he was about to meet the maker; hence, Osama and his army stopped moving and those seeking excuses for this mission (the Messenger (s) emphasizing that the army must move ahead under any conditions); in this way, the Messenger (s)'s desire failed to come true.

يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَلا تُبْطِلُوا أَعْمَالَكُمْ.

O'you who believe! Obey Allah and Allah's Messenger and do not cause your deeds to become fruitless (Muhammad: 33)

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يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلا تَوَلَّوْا عَنْهُ وَ أَنْتُمْ تَسْمَعُونَ ،

O' you who believe! Obey Allah and Allah's Messenger and do not turn away from the Messenger while you hear his call to guidance (Anfal: 20)

وَ أَطِيعُوا اللهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَى رَسُولِنَا الْبَلَاغُ الْمُبِينُ

Obey Allah and obey His Messenger and if you people turn away from the Truth know that Our Messenger is only in charge of conveying the Divine Message publicly (Taghabun: 12)

فَلا وَ رَبِّكَ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فيما شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لا يَجِدُوا فِى أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تسليما

No, by your Creator and Nurturer! They will not be considered believers unless they accept you as their judge in all that they dispute among themselves: and [also] if they do not find in their souls any resistance against what you decide and submit themselves [with total submission [to your judgment] (Nessa': 65)

This hadith known after hadith of Thaqalayn was reiterated by the Messenger (s) and it was one of the things he articulated when he was at the point of demise. About the authenticity of this hadith in Sunni sources, we can only say that it is being cited in their Sihah Sitta except Sahih-e Bokhari.

(Sheikh Mufid, Irshad, p.96; Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol.1, p.40)

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Theosophy Nineteen

I certify that your brother, the Messenger (s) thought of you, his Ummah and was concerned about you until his blessed life; he met the maker on your bosom.

One must talk about your oppressedness from this part on; one must talk about insincerity of people towards your right! When the Messenger was alive, nobody dared disrespect you because of him and his blessed presence stopped hypocrite dissidents holding their envy and grudge against you and your status.

From the very beginning, you strongly supported him and so did he.

At great event of Ghadir-e-Khumm, the Messenger (s) declared his imminent demise to people and he accomplished the hardest mission there, which was notifying people about your Imamate and caliphate.

Almost two months after his return from Ghadir-e-Khumm, he was bedridden and told you that his ascending departure is imminently happening. In those times of his sickness, you like a butterfly circled around his existential sun and you never left him there unless you had to take care of necessary things. You yourself witnessed that he was grieved on his face and constantly stared at your face with all his gloomy heart.

True! Your brother, the Messenger (s) well knew that what conspiracies are imminently taking place; he knew that, after his demise, how he is rewarded for his mission; what kinds of cruelties will be imposed on you and his Progeny!!

True! The Messenger (s), in his last days of his life, was heavy-hearted and he left the world for eternal life with his heavy heart while his holy head rested on your chest.

O' Amir Mu'amenan! Retelling those unpleasant days and events excruciates hearts of lovers, but it has to be said to unfold to the world oppressedness of the Messenger (s)-who spent all his life for guidance of Ummah, but they mistreated him and his Posterity.

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During his illness times, the Messenger (s) commanded an army to be organized and leave Medina for battling Roman Empire.(1) He appointed Osama Ibn Zeyd commander of the army and ordered all Companions but you to leave Medina for the Levant.

A well-populated army was organized, but the Messenger (s) was informed that several people stopped the army moving through and they made excuse that Osama deserved not being commander because he is only nineteen years old.(2)

The Prophet (s) became very annoyed and went to mosque while having towel on his shoulder and a kerchief on his head to talk to Muslims there and let them fear from danger of such wrongdoing.

Though suffering from a severe fever, he took a pulpit and began to talk after praising God: Lo O' people! I am very much worried about delayed movement of army! It looks as though you hardly bear Osama and you have tried to lash out at him. Your objection and disobedience is not something new; you used to criticize his father's commandeering before (during battle of Muttah). I swear to God that his father also deserved such appointment and so did his son. People should treat him well and recommend others to do so.(3)

The Messenger (s) finished his words here and climbed down the pulpit. He became bedridden because of having severe fever. He incessantly told those of the Companions who paid a visit to him this: Let Osama's army move forward.(4)

But again, the Messenger (s) was told that several people had the army stop

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Theosophy Account Nineteen

Omar Ibn-e-e Khaṭṭāb insults the Prophet(s) when he was about to depart to the other world cited from Sunni sources and the other various issues )

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1- Al-Maghāzi, Waqidi, vol.3, p.1117; Sirey-e Halabi, vol.3, P.207; Subul Al-Hudā, Mohammad Ibn-e-e Yusuf, p.3786

2- Tarikh-e Ya'aqubi, vol.2, p.113; Irshad, Sheikh Mufid, p.98; Sirey-e Ḥalabi, vol.3, p.207; Tabaqat Ibn-e-e Sa'ad, vol.2, p.120

3- Tabaqāt Ibn-e-e Sa'ad, vol.2, p.190

4- فأنفذوا جيش أسامة؛ Meaning that move the army of Osama! (Tarikh-e Ya'aqubi, vol.2, p.113)

at the camp. The Prophet (s) who was deeply vexed said: May God curse those who disobey Osama's army. (1)

The army stopped moving at last and Mohammad's emphatic and serious order remained undone!

Why did he insist that all Companions except you leave the city with Osama?!

True! He well knew that some people co-voiced to conspire to usurp caliphate after his demise; hence, he insistently asked them to move and leave Medina!

The conspirers knew that the Messenger (s) was on the verge of death, so they failed to give an ear to what Mohammad (s) said at the pretext of his illness and commandership of Osama and did not leave the city.(2)

During his illness times, you helped him by his arms to take him to the mosque for congregational prayers. But when his illness grew worse, he could hardly do the prayers and asked you to take his part for congregational prayers.

In one of these days, Bilal said azan, calling people to say prayers; the Messenger (s) said: Today, I am sick and somebody else shall say prayers with people. Ayesha said: Tell Abubakr to do so; Hafsah said: Tell Omar to do so. When he heard as such, he got up; you and Fadl Ibn 'Abbas held his hands and he departed to the mosque while resting on you both and his feet dragged. He drove away Abubakr from the altar by pointing to him and began to say prayers from the first part. As he finished prayers, he went back home.

Later on, he summoned Abubakr and Omar and told them: Didn't I tell you to leave Medina with the army of Osama?! They replied: Yes! Hadrat said: .

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1- Shahrestani in Al-Milal va Al-Niḥal, vol.1, p.23 and Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid in Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balaghah, vol.6, p.52 said: 6 Coll

2- Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid Mu'atazili in Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balaghah, vol. 1, p.261 and Sheikh Mufid in Irshad, p.196 say: The Messenger (s) meant to underscore that Medina should be evacuated from those who covet to grab caliphate and chairmanship and the Imamate shall be shifted to Ali ('a) with no problems. Imam Ali (‘a) has clarified this as narrated by Sheikh Saduq in Khīṣāl, p.371.

Then why didn't you leave? Abubakr said: I went but I came back to meet you again! Omar said: O' Messenger of God! I didn't go at all as I didn't like asking others about your state of health!(1)

Two of them fell behind with what the Messenger (s) said, making excuse that they were worried about health of the Messenger (s); others too followed them not to leave Medina. Therefore, the army stopped moving forward while they had known what God said: Whoever obeys the Messenger (s), he has obeyed God.(2) Also, they had heard God that:

They never reach true faith unless they are submissive to you in all affairs and disputes.(3)

They failed to surrender to God and His Messenger (s)! Because if they had done so, they would have heard what the Prophet (s) said. )

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1- Irshad, Sheikh Mufid, p.97; E'lām Al-Wari, Tabarsi, p.134 This was the idea of the Shiite ulemas about the last prayers of the Messenger (s); but a group of Sunni historians including Ibn-e-e Hishām in his Sira, vol.4, p.301 and Miqrizi in Imtā' Al-Ismā', vol.1, p.548 s ay that Abubakr held payers for people as ordered by the Messenger (s). a large number of them such as Mālik Ibn-e-e Anas in Mūṭa', vol.1, p.136; Bukhāri in ṣaḥīḥ, vol. 1, p.162 and Termezi have said that the Messenger (s) held prayers while he was sitting and Abubakr stood behind him; it means that Abubakr was in between the Messenger (s) and people!! There is a big disagreement among Sunnis that the Messenger (s) said the last congregation prayers or Abubakr did it by order of the Messenger or Abubakr said prayers through measures of Ayesha; however, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid in Sharh-e Nahj Al- Balaghah, vol.9, p.198 quotes his tutor, Sheikh Abu Ya'aqub Esma'il Lam'āni Mu'atazili saying that Ali (‘a) said: Abubakr was assigned on being Imam of prayers through the measures and grounds of Ayesha, but the Messenger (s) understood and left his house and stopped it by letting Abubakr aside the altar. Ibn-e-e Sa'ad in Țabaqāt, vol.2, p.191 says: Usama came to Jurf (commandeering site) of army of Islam and intended to move ahead when Peykam Ayman came and said that the Prophet (s) was not feeling well, about to meet his Maker; hence, Usama and his army stopped and those making excuses for such mission (that the Messenger (s) emphasized the army must move forward under any circumstances) refused to do so; in this way, desire of the Messenger ceased to come true.

2- « يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَلا تُبْطِلُوا أَعْمَالَكُمْ » .. (Muhammad) «يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَ لا تَوَلَّوْا عَنْهُ وَأَنتُمْ تَسْمَعُونَ» (20 :Enfal) «وَ أَطِيعُوا اللهَ وَ أَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ فَإِنَّما عَلَى رَسُولِنَا الْبَلاغُ الْمُبِينُ » (12) Taghabun

3- «فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فيما شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيما » (65 : 'Nisa)

But you fully obeyed God and His Messenger (s) with no doubt raised and you always sacrificed your dear life for God and His Messenger. That was why you were endeared by God, Angels and His Messenger.

When the Messenger (s) was sick, Companions rushed to pay him a visit and he recommended much that: O' People! Know that I left two invaluable things among you: Book of God, my Progeny. Stop surpassing them because you are dispersed and observe their rights otherwise you are faced with perdition.(1)

Now I want to tell you something that people of insight find very painful and deplorable:

On last Thursday of blessed life of the Messenger (s) whose illness worsened and a group of Companions came to pay him a visit, he said:

Fetch me ink and a piece of paper to write something for you because I want none of you go astray after me.

But all of a sudden, Omar began to utter: Don't fetch him ink and pen because this man has become delirious for his severe illness and suffices Book of God among us!! At this time, a number of people accepted to bring ink and pen, saying: Listen to the Messenger (s) and a number of others agreed to what Omar had said: Book of God is enough for us.(2).

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1- This hadith is known after hadith of Thaqalayn, that is expressed by the Prophet (s) in various cases and he was on the verge of death when he said this hadith. (Irshad, Sheikh Mufid, p.96; Yanabi'a Al-Mawaddah, vol. 1, p.40) As for the authenticity of this hadith in Sunni sources, it suffices to say that the above hadith is being cited in their şiḥāḥ Sitta, except for ṣaḥiḥ-e Bukhāri.

2- Ibn-e-e Sa'ad in his Tabaqāt, vol.2, p.242; Moslem in his ṣaḥiḥ, vol.3, p.1259; Tabarsi in E'lām Al-Wari and others have narrated that when illness of the Messenger (s) turned ونتونى بدواة وصحيفة أكتب لكم كتابا لا تضلوا بعده أبدا : :worse, he said Fetch me ink and a piece of paper to write something for you so that you might not go astray after it. Omar prevented from it, saying: إنّ رسول الله قد غلب عليه الوجع وعندكم القرآن، حسبنا کتاب الله: Verily, pain overcame the Messenger (s); you have the Qur'an and the Book of God is enough for us. Khaffāji and many others say in Nasim Al-Riyadh fi Sharh-e Lelqādi Ayyad that Omar :said at that time إنّ النبي يهجر Verily, the Messenger (s) talks deliriously. A number of Sunni sources that have cited the invective speech of Caliph II raised about the Messenger (s) are as follows: ṣaḥiḥ-e Bukhari, Kitab Al-Marad, vol.2, chapter 17, p.7 and kitab Jihad, vol.2, chapter 172, p.178 and kitab Jaziyyah, vol.2, chapter 6, p.202 Al-Maghāzi, Ibn-e-e Waqidi, vol.3, chapter 78, p.91 ṣaḥiḥ Moslem, vol.5, chapter Al-'Amr Biqadā' Al-Nazr, p.76 Fatḥ Al-Bāri, vol.8, chapter Marad Al-Nabi (s), p.101 Al-Mu'ajam Al-Kabir, Tabarani, vol. 11, p.352 Al-Musannif, Ibn-e-e Abi Shaybah, chapter Al-Maghāzi [all اب الخبر عن مراسلة الكوفيين الحسين اسلام Tarikh-e Tabari, vol.2, p. 436 and vol. 4, [ ] jähys , p.271 Al-Kamil, Ibn-e-e Athir, vol.2, chapter Marad of the Messenger (s), p.320 Al-Shafa' Bet'arif Huquq Al-Mustafa, Qādi Ayyād, vol.2, p.192 Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balaghah, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid Mu'atazili, vol.3, p.114 Tarikh-e Ibn-e-e Athir, vol.2, p.320 Tazkirat Al-Khwaş, Sebt Ibn-e-e Al-Jawziyya, p. 26 Sirey-e Ibn-e-e Hisham, vol.4, p.301 Musnad-e Ahmad Hanbal, vol. 1, p.325 And.....

As dispute erupted, the Messenger (s) became annoyed and said:

Get up and leave me alone because it is not well-deserved to keep arguing in front of the Messenger (s).(1)

After this, some people in the house expressed remorse and said: If you like, we can fetch you ink and pen?

The Messenger (s) replied: Now that you have said such things?! No! But )

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1- Ibn-e-e Sa'ad in Tabaqāt, vol.2, p.242; Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid in Sharh-e Nahj Al- Balaghah, vol.6, p.51 and others say: People who were with the Messenger (s) disagreed: group of people said: Fetch ink and paper for him to write and what he says is true and some others said that what Omar said is true. As there was lots of disagreement and the Messenger (s) became sad, he said: قوموا عنّى، أنّه لا ينبغى لنبي أن يختلف عنده هكذا: Stand up and leave me because you do not deserve talking this way at the presence of the Messenger (s)

I recommend you to treat my Progeny well.(1)

He then turned his face from them; people left him; only you and some others remained there.

Son of 'Abbas, Mohammad's uncle, constantly recalled the event and said while weeping: What a Thursday it was! All disaster came from that day when uproar prevented the Messenger (s) from writing something and they disrespected him badly.(2) .

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1- Ibn-e-e Sa'ad in Tabaqāt, vol.2, p.242; Sheikh Mufid in Irshad, p.98; Ṭabarsi in E'lām Al-Wari, p.135 and others have put down: The Prophet (s) said after some Companions expressed remorse: أبعد الذي قلتم ! لا و لكنّى اوصيكم بأهل بيتي خيراً.

2- şahiḥ Moslem, vol.3, p.1259 A'bān Ibn-e-e Abi Ayyash quotes Salim Ibn-e-e Qeys as saying: I appeared to be with Ibn-e-e 'Abbas at his home, with a group of Shiites present there; they recalled the Prophet (s) and his demise; Ibn-e-e 'Abbas cried, saying: The Prophet (s) on Monday and how Monday happened to be!! That died? While his Progeny and thirty of his Companions were with him, said: Fetch shoulder [meaning shoulder of camel or other beasts that was used because of being flat] for me to write something that keeps you not going astray and disagreeing with each other. Pharaoh of these people stopped them bringing "shoulder" and said: The Messenger of God (s) is delirious!! The Prophet (s) became angry and said: I see you oppose me while I am alive, then what would you do after my demise?! And he refused to have the shoulder. Salim says: Ibn-e-e 'Abbas turned to me and said: O' Salim! The Prophet (s) would write something for us if the man had not said that, so nobody would be misled and oppose. A man from the crowds said: Who was that man? Ibn-e-e 'Abbas said: There is no way to this! Salim says: After people stood up, I privately asked 'Abbas who he was, he replied: He was Omar. I said: Is that true?! I heard from Ali (‘a), Salman, Abuzar and Miqdad that he was Omar. Ibn-e-e 'Abbas said: O' Salim! Keep this secret unless you tell those of your religious brothers whom you trust because the hearts of this ummah are filled with love of them..... (Hadith book of Salim Ibn-e-e Qeys Hilali, hadith 27; Biḥār Al-Anwar, vol.22, hadith 44, p.497) Salim Ibn-e-e Qeys Hilali says in his hadith book: I heard Salman say that: After that man said that and the Messenger became angry and refused to get the shoulder, I heard Ali (‘a) say: Shouldn't I ask the Messenger (s) what he wanted to write on the shoulder and that if he had written it, nobody would have gone astray; those two people would not disagree with each other? I kept quiet until those at home got up and Ali (‘a), Fatima (‘a), Hassan (‘a) and Husayn (‘a) stayed there; I and my two friends, Abuzar and Miqdad wanted to leave, but Ali (‘a) asked us to stay. Hadrat wanted to ask the Messenger (s) and we heard too, but the Prophet primarily said: My brother! Didn't you hear what the enemy of God say?! A short while before, Gabriel came to me and told me that he was Samiri of this ummah and his friend is its calf and God has written disunity and opposition for my ummah after me; hence, Gabriel ordered me to write that something I wanted to put on the shoulder and keep those three people as witnesses; fetch me a piece of paper. They brought him a piece of paper. The Messenger (s) wrote the names of the leading Imams after himself by means of Ali (‘a). He also said: I take you as my witness that my brother, my vizier, my legatee and my viceroy for my ummah is Ali ('a); later, Hassan and after him, Husayn and after him, nine of them are descendants of Husayn. He said: I wanted to write this; then I wanted to take it to mosque and call on all people to hear it, take them as witnesses, but God rejected and he ordained what He had willed. Salim says: I met Abuzar and Miqdad during reign of Uthman and they said the same thing. Later, I met Ali ('a), Imam Hassan (‘a) and Imam Husayn (‘a) in Kufa; they also said it privately, no more and no less as though they speak the same language. (Hadith book of Salim Ibn-e-e Qeys Hilali (Secrets of Muhammad's Progeny (a)), hadith 49, pp. 575-577).

True! The greatest disrespect was paid to the Messenger (s) and accused him of uttering delirious words!! The very Messenger about whom God says:

He never speaks out of passion and whatever he says is nothing but divine revelation.(1)

They insulted the affectionate Messenger and great father of mankind (s)! The same endeared man who cast chains of immersive polytheism, superstition and humiliation off ummah and honored them. True! They appreciated his efforts and tenderness in this way!!

This was the time when the Messenger (s) found that a number of his wives who were daughters of those two people opted to raise sedition and unfolded reports of his house to their fathers.

Burned with severe fever on his face, Hadrat helped by you entered into the mosque and turned to people, saying: 4)

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1- «وَ ما يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوى * إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَى»( Najm:3 and 4)

O' People! There have been flames of fire and sedition like breaks of dark night; you have no cat's paw against me; I illegalized what the Qur'an did and banned whatever the Qur'an did.(1)

The Messenger (s) was really concerned about the future of Islam, though suffering from his bad illness and knew that some people outside his house had conspired to capture caliphate. When he decided to inscribe the necessary obedience to his legatee and rightful caliph-you, O' Amir Mu'amenan-they stopped him leaving a document about the condition of caliphate(2)

In one or two days of his worldly life when he was failing his health and nobody could meet him, you constantly stayed beside him and never left him alone unless you had to take care of necessary things. Once you were out for a business, he felt seriously bad and went unconscious. When he came on, he did not see you. He asked: Call my brother and my friend!(3) All people knew he meant you. You came and sat beside his bed; he wanted to get up and you helped him to do so and let him lean back to your chest.(4)

The Messenger (s) said:

O' Ali! Let my head rest on your lap because God's order came. When I was emptied of my soul, you take care of me and perform prayers over my 9

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1- The Messenger (s) was informed about the repugnant actions and confidential activity of Ayesha and Ḥafṣah and entered into mosque while having a serious fever; he stood close to the pulpit and turned to people while speaking loudly in such a way that people heard him outside the mosque: أيها الناس! سعرت النار، و اقبلت الفتن كقطع الليل المظلم و إنّى و الله ! ما تمسكون عليّ بشيء إني لم أحل إلا ما أحلّ القرآن و لم أحرم إلا ما حرم القرآن. O' people! Fire of sedition is fueled and turned like dark night parts and you have no space vital against me. I rendered halal what the Qur'an made halal and banned nothing unless what the Qur'an kept it banned. (Sirey-e Ibn-e-e Hisham, vol.2, p.654; Tabaqāt, Ibn-e-e Sa'ad, vol.2, p.216)

2- As it was raised, evidence shows well that the Messenger (s) wanted to leave an established document in relation to leadership of Amir Al-Mu'amenan (a), the following Imams (a), but Omar stopped it.

3- Irshad, Sheikh Mufid, p.99; Tabaqāt, Ibn-e-e Sa'ad, vol.2, p.247; Kamil, Ibn-e-e Athir, vol.2, p.219

4- Ṭabaqāt, Ibn-e-e Sa'ad, vol.2, p.247; Kāmil, Ibn-e-e Athir, vol.2, p.219

dead body before everyone else does and stay with me until I am buried; ask for help of God.(1)

You let Mohammad's holy head rest on your lap and led your ears towards his lips when he spoke to you for a long time. When you were asked what Hazrat said. You replied: He taught me thousand aspects of knowledge where each aspect contained thousand other aspects; he made his will that, God Willing, shall be executed by me.(2)

It was not long since signs of imminent death emerged on his noble being. You had his head lean back your chest and the Messenger (s) muttered remembering God. Silence filled with grief and worry spread across everywhere; the Migrants and the Helpers had gathered outside the house deeply worried about his health; all of a sudden, his lips stopped muttering and you detached your face from his while your eyes were filled with tears and you had a lump throat; you said:

May Allah augment your reward because of your Prophet's tragic demise!

This was how the Messenger(s) of compassion, mercifulness and the most superior creature of God ascended to his eternal place from this earthly world and his heart-rending departure blocked the aspect of Prophethood for good.

The Messenger (s) had put his will to you that you do his ablution, you shroud him and say prayers by yourself over him. You did all this and after that, you permitted the Companions to say prayers over him in groups.(3)r

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1- ضع رأسي يا علي ! في حجرك، فقد جاء أمر الله عزّ و جلّ ؛ فإذا فاضت نفسي فتولّ أمري وصلّ عليَّ أوّل الناس و لا تفارقني حتى تواريني في رمسي و استعن بالله تعالى. O' Ali (‘a)! Embrace my head because order of God emerged; when I died, you yourself take charge of my body; you hold prayers over my body before all people and stay beside me until you buried me and ask God's assistance! (Irshad, Sheikh Mufid, vol. 1, p.186)

2- علمنى ألف باب فتح لي كلّ باب ألف باب و وصانى بما أنا قائم به إن شاء الله . (History of Damascus, Ibn-e-e ‘Asākir, vol.42, p.385; Al-Badāya va Al-Nahāya, Ibn-e-e Kathir, vol.7, p.359; Irshad, Sheikh Mufid, p.99)

3- Amir Mu'amenan (‘a) made Islamic ablution and funeral, covered him with shrouds and held prayers over his body; after him, his Companions in groups held prayers over

Your noble words in Nahj Al-Balaghah read:

The Messenger(s) became numbed. while his head was on my chest and he lost his soul; his soul I quite felt and I got it into my face.

I took care of his ablution with the help of the Angels as though door and wall of house were shouting. A group of Angels came down and a group of others flew to the sky. My ears were filled with their quiet praying over him; afterwards, we buried him into his cenobite. Who is more deserving than me with his life and moments of his death?......(1)

While having weeping eyes, you mourned on the pure body of the Messenger (s) when rendering ablution on his body, saying:

O' Messenger of God, may my parents be sacrificed to you! Upon your demise, connections stopped while others did not after death; with your death, prophethood, descent of heavenly revelations were disconnected!

Tragedy of yours kept those grieved by tragedy in patience and led them to equal mourning. If you had not ordered me to be patient and tolerant, I would have wept so stormily that I had no tears to roll; and this heart- rending suffering would always remain in me. My grief would persist, all of which mean nothing on your tragedy.

What must be done because we cannot return life and stop death? Keep us .

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1- وَ لَقَد قُبِضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَ أَنَّ رَأْسَهُ لَعَلى صَدرِي وَ لَقَد سَالَتْ نَفْسُهُ فِي كَفَّى، فَأَمَرَرتُها عَلَى وَجْهِي. وَ لَقَد وُلّيتُ غُسلَه وَالمَلائِكَةُ أَعوَانى، فَضَجَّتِ الدّارُ وَالأَفْنِيةُ: مَلَأُ يَهبِطُ وَ مَلَأُ يَعْرُجُ ، وَمَا فَارَقَت سَمعى هَيْئَمَةٌ مِنهُم يُصَلُّونَ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى وَارَينَاهِ فِي ضَرِيحِهِ. (Nahj Al-Balaghah, sermon 197) Ṭabaqāt, Ibn-e-e Sa'ad, vol.2, p.263 reads that: A man asked Ibn-e-e 'Abbas: Whose arms did the Prophet (s) die in? Ibn-e-e ‘Abbas said: the holy Prophet (s) died while he was in Ali's hug. The same man added: Ayesha claimed that Muhammad's head rested on her chest when he died! Ibn-e-e 'Abbas denied what she said, saying: The Prophet (s) died while he was hugged by Ali ('a); Ali ('a) and my brother, "Fadl" rendered his Islamic funeral.

remembered to God and to yourself!(1)

With your own hands, you buried the holy and pure body of your brother,(2)Prophet Mohammad (s) and placed gravestone on him and you cast the last look at his face.

May peace betide upon him who was the most unparalleled and highest man!

May peace be upon him who was Seal of the Prophets (s), essence of existence and the best and noblest being of God!

May peace be upon you, O' Abalhassan! You were the most superior and dearest creature of God! .

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1- بِأَبِي أَنتَ وَ أُمّى يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ ! لَقَدْ اِنقَطَعَ بِمَوتِكَ مَا لَم يَنقَطِع بِمَوتِ غَيرِكَ مِنَ النُّبُوَّة وَ الإِنبَاءِ وأَخبارِ السَّمَاءِ. خَصَّصَتَ حَتَّى صِرتَ مُسَلِّيا عَمَّن سِواكَ وَعَمَّمتَ حَتَّى صَارَ الناسُ فِيكَ سَواءٌ وَلَو لَا أَنَّكَ أَمَرتَ بِالصَّبرِ وَ نَهَيتَ عَنِ الجَزَعِ، لَأَنفَدْنَا عَلَيْكَ ماءَ الشُّؤُون، وَ لَكَانَ الدَّاءُ مُماطِلاً، وَالكَمَدُ مُحالِفًا وَ فَلا لَكَ! وَ لَكِنَّهُ مَا لا يُملَكُ رَدُّهِ، وَ لَا يُسْتَطَاعُ دَفَعُهُ ! بِأَبِي أَنتَ و أُمّى! أذكرنَا عِندَ رَبِّكَ وَ اجْعَلْنَا مِن بَالِكَ 235 Nahj Al-Balaghah sermon)

2- Tarikh-e Ya'aqubi, vol.2, p.114; A'lam Al-Wari, Tabarsi, p.138; Irshad, Sheikh Mufid, p.100 and.......

Theosophy Twenty

I certify that disqualified people usurped your right after demise of the Prophet (s) and exercised cruelty against you and your family, but you sought patience for pleasure of God.

Greetings be upon you, O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin O' Aba Al-Hassan! You are the most oppressed man among people!

How soon commands of the Prophet (s) have been forgotten and what cruelty has been exerted against you despite all advice given by the Prophet (s) about you and your family! You who were always endeared and honored by the Prophet (s), but woe! Ah! Once the Prophet (s) was deceased, they dishonored and disrespected you! They usurped your inalienable right for worldly inferior life of two days; they raided your house and set it on fire! Woe betides upon days of life! They failed to feel mercy on your honorable wife, woman of the two worlds and apple of the eye of the Prophet (s) and martyred her after wounding her.

By God! It is extremely hard to utter such words! It is such a heavy disaster that it fills hearts of your lovers with blood when it is talked about, but it must be said to make your oppressedness known and let the world people know what those malicious people did to you, the speaking Qur'an, centerline of the truth and brother of the Prophet (s)!

It must be said to let the universe people know that what those wicked men did to you, the first Muslim, standard-bearer of army of Islam, door of knowledge of the Prophet (s) and legatee of him!

Having a heart laden with grief and tearful eyes, I put down such events by citing historically validated sources and recount your oppressedness although biased people find it regrettable to reveal these facts!

All the world people observed that the Prophet of Islam (s) introduced you as his successor at Ghadir-e-Khumme, but as the Prophet (s) met the maker and you with a number of his Companions were engaged in preparing him for burial ablution and shroud, a group of people secretly came together and willfully appointed caliph for the Islamic community and ignored

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advice of the Prophet (s) and laid the first deviating foundations of Divine Religion.(1)

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Theosophy Account Twenty

Attack of caliphate system on the house of the Commander of the Faithful (‘a), setting it on fire and martyrdom of Hazrat Zahra (a) through citations of a lot from Sunni sources, other various issues 7

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1- When the Prophet departed to the other World, a group of the Helpers and several people of the Migrants secretly met each other in a place called "Saqifah Bani Saidah' and selected caliph and successor of the Prophet (s). This happened when Imam Ali (‘a) was busy with his ablution and shrouding as he had willed. Sunnis say this appointment and allegiance is legitimate claiming that the Messenger of God (s) has said nothing about his successor after he had departed! They say the Islamic ummah consensually agreed on caliphate of Abubakr after demise of the Prophet (s). Our response: Firstly, the Messenger of God (s), like all other antecedent Messengers introduced successor for his ummah, details of which were explained in previous discussions. Secondly, there was no consensus about appointment of Abubakr; but the appointment was made hastily and secretly; a number of the Helpers and the Migrants assembled in a place named Saqifah Bani Saidah and appointed Abubakr. Later on, they introduced him to people; some people swore allegiance to him and some others like the Hashimites led by Ali ('a) ceased to swear allegiance to him; a group of people were forced to make allegiance to him and some people like "Sa'ad Ibn-e Ebadah" and "Malek Ibn-e Nuwayra" who disavowed swearing allegiance to him were murdered under the alibi of corruption or apostasy! Omar Ibn-e Khattab says about appointment of Abubakr as caliph: كانت بيعة الناس لأبي بكر فلتة من فلتات الجاهلية، وقى الله المسلمين شرّها ؛ فمن عاد إليها، فاقتلوه Public allegiance to Abubakr was an unfounded and baseless problem and happened out of ignorance; it is hoped that God saves Muslims from such evil and whoever treats this way, he shall certainly be killed from this time on. References to Sunni sources are: • Ibn-e Abi Shaybah, Muşannaf, vol.5, p.442 • Ahmad Ibn-e Hanbal, Musnad, vol.1, p.55 and vol.6, p.55 • sahih Bukhāri, Ketab Al-Hudūd, chapter of Rajm Al-Ḥabli men Al-Zena, vol.8, p.208 • Tarikh-e Tabari, vol.2, pp.210, 205 and 200 • Ibn-e Hisham, Sirat Al-Nabaviyya, vol.4, p.226 • Baladhuri, Ansab Al-Ashraf, vol.5, p.15 • Ibn-e Athīr, Kāmel, vol.2, p.327 • Ibn-e Abi Al-Hadid, Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, vol.2, pp. 34, 29, 27, 26 and 23 and vol.20, p.21 • Tarikh-e Ibn-e Kathir, vol.5, p.246 • Ibn-e Hajar, ṣawa'eq Al-Moḥraqa, vol.5 • Zubaydi, Taj Al-'Arūs, vol. 1, p.568 • Ibn-e Manzūr, Lesan Al-'Arab, vol.2, p.371 • Shahrestani, Al-Melal va Al-Nahal, vol. 1, p.24 • Motaqi Hendi, Kanz Al-Ammāl, vol.3, p.139 and vol.5, p.651 Borhanuddin Shāfe'ie, Sirat Al-Ḥalabiyya, vol.3, p.360 • Siyūti, Tarikh Al-Khulafa', p.67

True!

The Prophet (s) had willed to you to do his burial ablution and shroud and say prayers over him; he had told you not to do anything else until this is done. You were engaged in putting his will into effect when conspirers found a chance to come together in your absence and willfully chose caliph and forcibly made people swear allegiance to the caliph they appointed!(1)t

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1- Here, story of Saqifah Bani Saidah is cited from Sunni sources to let truth-seekers know that how some people clandestinely assembled and chose caliph in the absence of our lord, Ali (*a), the legatee of the Prophet (s)! Follow the story, please. On the day when the Prophet of Islam (s) met the maker, Ali ('a) was busy with burial ablution and shrouding of the Messenger of Allah (s), Abubakr is in the house too and a number of Muslims also assembled in the house; Omar calls Abubakr, in a way nobody can see, to leave the house with him for Saqifah. Ibn-e Athir, well-known Sunni historian writes: وأتى عمر الخبر فأقبل إلى منزل النبي ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ) فأرسل إلى أبي بكر، وأبوبكر في الدار و علي بن أبي طالب [ عليه السلام ] دائب في جهاز رسول الله ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ) فأرسل إلى أبي بكر أن أخرج إليّ. فأرسل إليه إنّي مشتغل ، فأرسل اليه أنه قد حدث أمر لا بد لك من حضوره، فخرج إليه فقال: أما علمت أنّ الأنصار قد اجتمعت في (Al-Kamel fi Al-Tarikh, vol.2, p.13; Tarikh-e Al-Tabari, vol.2, p.456) As Omar heard about assembly of the Helpers at Saqifah, he stopped by the house of the Prophet (s). Abubakr was in the house and Ali ('a) was very busy with readying the Messenger of God (s) for burial. Omar sent someone to ask him to go out. Abubakr said: "Go tell him that I'm busy doing something and I cannot come out." Omar sent a message saying that there was something important he must see him. Abubakr came out of the house and Omar told him: “Don't you know the Helpers have gathered at Saqifah?” Abubakr and Omar along with Abu Ubaydah Jarraḥ quickly moved to Saqifah. They saw that the Helpers intend to choose caliph for themselves. When Omar with several Migrants entered there, claiming that the Migrants are entitled to achieve caliphate not the Helpers, "Hobab Ibn-e Mondhar", one of the Helpers, said to Omar and his companions: فإنّه بأسيافكم و ان لهذا الدين من دان ممن لم يكن بدين (Ibn-e Athir, Al-Kamel fi Al-Tarikh, vol.2, p.3; Tarikh-e Tabari, vol.2, p.443) These people are those who were not willing to deliver to this religion and surrendered because of fearing your swords (the Helpers). Here, dispute erupted between Omar and Mondhar. Omar cried: "May God kill you!" Mondhar said: "May you be killed by God!" Omar came in grips with him, kicked him and filled his mouth with mud. (64.Abubakr Jawhari, Al-Saqifah, p) فأخذ و وطىء في بطنه و دسوا في فيه [ أي فمه ] التراب Tabari writes: فحامله عمر فضرب يده فندر السيف فأخذه ثمّ وثب على سعد وثبوا على سعد و تتابع القوم على البيعة. Omar attacked Hobab Ibn-e Mondhar, striking his hand with sword he dropped down; Omar grabbed his sword and jumped over Sa'ad Ibn-e Ebadah and stretched hand of allegiance to Abubakr. Others did so. (Tarikh-e Al-Tabari, vol.2, p.459) Tabari continues to say: فبايعه عمر و بايعه الناس ؛ فقالت الأنصار: لا نبايع إلا عليا ! Omar and his followers made allegiance to Abubakr; but the Helpers said: "We swear allegiance to nobody save Ali (‘a). (Tarikh-e Al-Tabari, vol. 2, p.443) He further writes the story as: فلمّا ذهبا ،ليبايعاه، سبقهما إليه ( بشير بن سعد) فبايعه Bashir Ibn-e Sa'ad from Khazraj suddenly stood up for allegiance to Abubakr in objection to and competition with his cousin (Sa'ad Ibn-e Ebadah). After this, Mondhar yelled: O' Bashir Ibn-e Sa'ad! Why did you do as such? Didn't you want to become emir of your cousin? فناداه الحباب بن المنذر يا بشير بن سعد عققت عقاق، ما احوجك إلى ما صنعت، انفست على ابن عمك الأماره؟ Tabari keeps on saying: ولما رأت الأوس ما صنع بشير بن سعد، قال بعضهم لبعض: والله لأنّ وليتها الخزرج عليكم مرة لا زالت لهم عليكم بذلك الفضيلة و لا جعلوا لكم معهم فيها نصيبا أبدا، فقوموا فبايعوا أبابكر. When Aws tribe people witnessed allegiance of Bashir Ibn-e Sa'ad, they told one another: If Khazraj tribe surpasses you by virtue of this allegiance, they never let you benefit from government; henceforth, they rose and swore allegiance to Abubakr. (Tarikh-e Al-Tabari, vol.2, p.458) فقال ناس من أصحاب سعد: اتقوا سعدا لا تطؤه. فقال عمر اقتلوه قتله الله ! ثمّ قام على رأسه، فقال: لقد هممت أن أطاك حتى تندر عضوك. A group of people who surrounded Sa'ad Ibn-e Ebadah, shouted: Take care of Sa'ad lest you might tread him over! Omar cried: Kill Sa'ad! May God kill him! Then he stood at

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his side, saying: I want to tread you in such a way that your limbs might be broken! (Tarikh-e Tabari, vol.2, p.459)

Ultimately, Sa'ad Ibn-e Ebadah Ansari having been accused of not swearing allegiance to Abubakr was assassinated.

(Ibn-e 'Abd Rabba, Al-'Aqd Al-Farid, vol.5, p.14; Baladhuri, Ansab Al-Ashraf, vol. 1, p.558)

As for murder of Sa'ad Ibn-e Ebadah, history reads:

Sa'ad Ibn-e Ebadah, following the story of Saqifah Bani Sa'idah, departed to Damascus to express his objection. Omar sent someone to Damascus and ordered him saying: Ask Sa'ad to swear allegiance in any way possible; if he failed to do so, ask for God's help (to kill Sa'ad)!

The agent moved up to Sham and found Sa'ad in a garden; he asked for his allegiance. Sa'ad said: I never swear allegiance to anyone from Quraysh. The envoy said: I'll kill you if you don't do so! Sa'ad said: Even if you kill me. The agent said: Are you outside of what people have agreed on? Sa'ad replied: If you mean allegiance to Abubakr, Yes! After this, the agent shot him and killed him.

Some of the Migrants sharing hands with a number of the Helpers took allegiance for Abubakr in whatever way they could while the holy body of the Prophet (s) had not yet been buried.

Ibn-e Abi Al-Hadid Muʼatazili writes:

(فلما بويع أبوبكر اقبلت الجماعة التي بايعته تزفه زقا إلى مسجد رسول الله ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله ] وسلّم .....

As allegiance to Abubakr was made, Abubakr was joyfully carried on their shoulders to the mosque of the Messenger of God (s).......

(Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, vol.6, p.19)

Dear readers overviewing issues of Saqifah history knew that appointment of Abubakr for caliphate was made as a result of wilfully hasty action of a number of the Migrants and the Helpers rather than consensus of Islamic ummah. Also, the following books cite Saqifah event:

• Sahih-e Bukhari, vol.4, p.119

• Siray-e Ibn-e Hisham, vol.4, p.225

• Kanz Al-Ammal, vol.3, p.139

• Tarikh-e Ya'aqubi, vol.2, p.103

In the history of Islam, two major events have occurred to put a major effect on internal grouping of the Islamic system and both have taken place in the two ending months of the Prophet's life; these two major events are as follows:

A. Ghadir-e Khumm in the 18th Dhulḥajjah, 10 A.H.

B. Bani Saedeh Saqifah; less than three months after Ghadir event

These two events have similarities and differences which are referred to hereunder:

Similarities:

• Both events have occurred in the late years of the Prophet (s)'s life.

• Both events are about the issue of succession and leadership of the Islamic ummah after the Prophet(s).

• Both events were in contact with people and they pronounced their appearance through approval and allegiance.

• The Companions of the Prophet (s) were present in both events.

• Both events focused on one one of the Prophet's Companions for his succession and both had been from the Quraysh.

• Both events originated in emergence of subsequent religious factioning in Islam and appearance of two systems of Imamate and caliphate in confrontation in the history of Islam.

Differences:

• Ghadir assembly was held in public and expanded from all Islamic cities and tribes which were present in Hajj journey (Hojjat Al-Weda) of Prophet Mohammad (s) and which were on their way back; while Saqifah assembly was organized by Ansār, the Helpers immediately after demise of the Messenger of God (s) and later several people of the Mohajerin, the Migrants appeared at the assembly; therefore, it had a tribal color and it was never a general assembly.

• Ghadir event and notice of Imamate happened in one of the religiously glorious ceremonies that is Ḥajj pilgrimage while Saqifah assembly took place in the most sorrowful conditions that is when the Prophet (s) was on the verge of demise where people particularly the Hashemites grieved beside him.

• Ghadir assembly was held in Juḥfah on an open and wide space, which belonged to no certain group, but Saqifah assembly was dependent on a certain group; that means Bani Saeda from the Ansar; therefore, it had a tribal color.

• The Prophet (s) himself organized Ghadir with divine mission and motives, but Saqifah came to be hjeld by a number of the great men of tribes with a motivation of seizing the caliphate based on tribal competition.

• At Ghadir, leadership and succession of the Prophet (s) was given to all people on a notice with religious criteria and through pronouncement of God to the Messenger (s), causing perfection of religion, completion of grace and despair of atheists, but at Saqifah, the caliphate was raised with tribal criteria and showing off self-pride motivated by inter-competition and was followed by conflict of the Islamic system internal forces.

• Ghadir issue was based on the Qur'anic text, but Saqifah issue was entrusted to council and consultation of participants.

• Ghadir event happened very transparently by speech of the Prophet (s) and introduction of Hadrat Ali (‘a) to those who were there and pronouncement of his imamate and caliphate; people there publically heard it, congratulated it and they were supposed to let those absent there know about it, but Saqifah assembly was run hastily and clandestinely with preemptive measures of the Ansar for designating ruler from among themselves, while the subject candidate was not clearly known. Upon arrival of three people of the Mohājerān (Abūbakr, Omar, Abū Ubaydah Jarrah), there appeared severe disputes and subsequent arguments and opposition among Ansar triggered election of Abubakr. The next day, caliph was brought to the mosque and people were asked to swear allegiance to what was done while a large group of Moslems of Medina had not attended Saqifah assembly.

•The person introduced to people at Ghadir was young, dynamically spirited and energetic in terms of age, but the man elected in Saqifah was affected by tribal Sheikdom regime, was old and lasted only two years after being elected.

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Some Companions of Messenger of God (s) who stopped joining them immediately told you that O' Ali! Why are you silent because a group of people at Saqifah of Bani Saedah have tried to greatly conspire by robbing you of your virtues on their behalf; you told them that you cannot ignore testament of the Messenger of God (s) and leave alone his holy body and leave house, saying: The Messenger of God (s) had told me that his ummah would adopt retrograde after his demise.

But you never kept silent and you nightly had your honorable wife ride a horse, took hands of your two sons and stopped by houses of every one of Mohajerān and Ansar and reminded them of your own right, asking them to help you to take your right back.

From among ummah, only forty five people declared their readiness to help you and made an appointment with you to come to your house in the morning while having their head shaved and their weapons to defend your right to death. In the morning, except for four people with shaved heads and weapons in their hands, nobody came up there!(1) You went to see them two more nights and asked for their help; they said they would come to help you in the morning, yet nobody came up there again but those four people!

When you noticed their disloyalty and breach of promise, you stayed at home, turned to the Holy Qur'an and were engaged in formulating and rounding it up. It was in shape of sheets of paper, pieces of wood and skin before and you stayed home until you recovered them all. When you were busy writing it with your holy hands by keeping its interpretation, revelation, its abrogation and its abrogated, the caliphate apparatus sent after you to come out and pledge allegiance to usurpers of your caliphate! You answered: I am busy and I swore not to wear cloak unless I say prayers .

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1- They were four people called Salman, Abuzar, Meqdad and Zubayr.

and until I collect and draw up the Holy Qur'an.

After several days of finishing inscription of Words of Revelation, you took the Holy Qur'an and went up to mosque of the Messenger of God (s) and vociferously said:

O' people! From the day the Prophet (s) died, I had been busy making his preparation of body ablution and formulating the Holy Qur'an. God sent down revelation and I recovered it; I recited all revelations for the Prophet (s) and he taught me its interpretation.

You then said:

Because you would not say later: We were uninformed of such things and you would not say on the Day: I did not call you to help me and did not remind you of my right.

Omar Said: We are needless of your Qur'an!

You went back home after that.

**********

Omar told Abubakr: Send someone after Ali to tell him that he must swear allegiance and we are not in power until he swear allegiance. If he swears allegiance, we are relieved because of him.

Abubakr sent someone to you to say: Respond to caliph of the Messenger of Allah!

And you said:

Praise belongs to Allah! How soon they raised falsehood!

Omar said to his comrade: You must send someone after him to swear allegiance because nobody but him, his family and these four people remained unless they have done so!

Abubakr said: whom shall we send to him?

Omar said: We send Qonfoz after him because he's an ill-tempered, violent and one of the freed men.

Abubakr dispatched Qonfoz with a number of people to you. He came and you did not let him in; he went back.

P: 294

They returned to Abubakr and Omar while they were seated at mosque and people sat around them. They said: We weren't allowed to enter in the house.

Omar said: Go there; if you were allowed to get into house; otherwise, you could go in the house with no permission!

They came up there and asked for a permission to enter; your honorable wife, lady of the two worlds said: I won't let you enter into my house!

His cortege went back but Qonfoz remained there.

They told Abubakr and Omar: Fatima said such things and we refused to enter her house without permission.

Omar angrily said: We have nothing to do with women!!

After all, he ordered people around himself to fetch firewood; they carried firewood and Omar himself joined them to do so and set them around your house, your wife and your children!

Then Omar yelled in such a way that you heard him from inside the house: O' Ali! I swear to God! You must come out and swear allegiance to caliph of the Messenger (s); otherwise, I'll set ablaze the house with the people inside!

Days must weep because of such words until the Day! What on earth did he say?! Whose house does he want to set on fire?!! Your, your wife's and your children's house?!!!! The very house Trustworthy Gabriel recalled its residents and has congratulated the Prophet (s) for having a family?!(1)

The house that the Messenger of God (s) greeted its residents nine months in every morning prayers after the Revelation came down?! The house where hope of the Messenger of God (s) lived and Revelation came down?! Does he want to set it to fire?!!!!(2))

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1- On the occasion of Dahr Surah which came down for the status of Ahl-e Bayt (‘a), Trustworthy Gabriel, in the wake of sacrifice rendered by his holy and pure progeny, told the Messenger of God (s) that God stands proud of your Ahl-e Bayt (a) in front of Angels; the story was discussed in theosophy four.

2- After descent of the holy verse 33:13 (( إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا )) In order to make people understand application of Ahl-e Bayt (a), the Prophet (s) stopped by the house of Ali (‘a) and Fatima (a), greeted them and recited the said Revelation nine months in every morning after saying prayers as various narrations say. (Tafsir-e Durr Al-Manthur, Siyūti, vol.6, p.606)

The same house where brother of the Messenger of God (s) lives! The house where piece of being of the Messenger (s) lives? The very house in which two endeared people of the Messenger lives?!!!

The Almighty God says in His Holy Qur'an: O' Messenger! Tell your ummah that you do not want any reward for your mission unless they show goodness and brotherhood to your Progeny.(1)

But they want to pay for countless troubles your brother, the Messenger of God (s) had?! The very endeared who let them out of atheism, polytheism and superstition and honored them; now they want to give reward for his troubles this way?!

(2)(أُيّ لكُمْ وَلِمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللّهِ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ )

After that threat, your honorable wife said: O' Omar! Do we have anything to do with you?

He replied: Open the door, if you don't, I set fire on your house!

Lady of the two Worlds said: O' Omar! Do you not fear God when you enter my house?!

But he was heedless and ask for fire on her house's door; after that, he opened half-burned door with a strike while Fatima (‘a) was behind the door.

He entered into the house with his men and your wife (‘a) who had sacrificed her for your life came near and shouted: O' father, O' Messenger ?

P: 296

1- 42:23 .... قُلْ لَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَى according to various narrations that have been cited in Sunni and Shiite sources, Dhul Qurba (close relatives) of the Messenger (s) are Fatima (‘a), Ali (‘a), Hassan and Husayn (‘a); they were those people whose house was raided by caliphate system and was set on fire; they treated mission of the Prophet (s) in this way. (Sunni sources will be given later). 2.

2- 21:67 Fie on you and on what you worship! Do you not use your reason and think?

of God (s)!

The God-ignorant man strongly hit her body side with sword sheath in front of you and your children; she moaned, saying: O' father! Omar whipped her arm and she cried: O' Messenger of God! Do you see how Abubakr and Omar misbehaved your survivors!

You whose wife not letting you come behind the door immediately rose up and caught Omar, dragged him, grounded him and hit him on his neck and nose and you wanted to kill him, but you remembered testament and words of the Messenger of God (s) who had told you to keep patience in the face of such disaster and calamity!

You told him: O' son of Khattab! I swear to Him who appointed Muhammad as the Messenger, You knew you could hardly come into my house if God had not ordained this and because of the promise I had kept with the Prophet (s).

He whipped the endeared daughter of the Messenger of God (s) while he had heard him say that: Whoever bothers Fatima, he has bothered me! And he had heard that your brother, Mohammad (s) had said about his honorable daughter:

Verily, God becomes angry if Fatima does too.(1) By so doing, they caused Wrath of God and were permanently cursed.

Omar asked for help; people also rushed into your house. You tried to snatch your sword but they did sooner than you and some raided you. Some agents attacked you with sword and caught you to rope you in neck; those agents dragged you along to the mosque to force you to swear allegiance to Abubakr.

The wicked people threw rope around brother of the Prophet (s), he who .

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1- قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم على منّي و أنا منه . Another hadith reads that he told Amir Mu'amenan (‘a): أنت منى و أنا منك. (See Virtues of Ali (‘a) in Ṣaḥiḥ-e Bukhāri and Sunan Termezi; Musnad-e Aḥmad Ibn-e Hanbal; KhaṢa'eṢ-e Nesa'ie; Tarikh-e Ţabari; Kanz Al-Ummal; Kanuz Al-Haqayeq; Fadā'el Al-Khamsa fi Al-Ṣeḥāḥ Al-Setta and tens of other Sunni sources some of which were mentioned in the previous sections.

was the speaking Qur'an and a door to knowledge of the Messenger (s) among ummah!

This was while they had heard Mohammad (s) say: Ali is from me and I am from Ali.

In fact, those people threw rope around neck of the Messenger of God (s)!(1)

Who could believe that the standard-bearer of army of monotheism would be some day treated this way?! Who could believe that God's Lion would be lashed and dragged along to the mosque some day?!

But you, for God's Pleasure, kept patient and never showed your anger because men of God behave as such.

O' days! O' times! And O' history! How did you stand to narrate such a painful and bitter event?!

How did your moans not go up to the heavens and how did rain of blood not roll down your eyes?!

If days, times and the earth might speak, they would say:

We moaned much and strongly ate our hearts out; but as people then could hardly hear and see, they failed to perceive things!

If the heavenly angels showered flowers enthusiastically over your name and that of the Messenger of God (s) written with light up in the heavens when the Messenger (s), in his early days of Hegira, brought people together to become brothers two by two and in the end, he hugged you, telling people: Ha O' people! Know that Ali is my brother in this world and the other world, the same angels now began to moan and wail in the heavens once they noticed such heart-rending scene!

Who could imagine that one of the heads of the vicious family-who was standard-bearer of army of infidels- takes office in the name caliph of Moslems and speaks about you sarcastically citing that event!

Thirty years after that event, Mu'awiyyat Ibn-e Abi Sufyan, may God damn him, his father and his children, wrote a letter to you, saying: .

P: 298

1- The context of Muawiyya's letter (may God curse him) has been cited by Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid in Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, vol. 15, p.186.

......as far as the caliphate regime harnessed you and led you, like a refractory camel, towards allegiance.(1)

And you, in response to letter of that eternally cursed man, said:

You had written in your letter that "I was led like a refractory camel for allegiance"; I swear to God that you wanted to vilify me, but you, in fact, praised me! And you wanted to scandalize me, but you were done so and no Moslem has a problem if he is made oppressed.(2)

They took you by harshly dragging you to reach Abubakr and this was while Omar stood with his sword above Abubakr and there were "Khaled Ibn-e Walid", "Abu Ubayydah Ibn-e Jarraḥ", Salem Mawli Abi Huzayfa”, Mu'az Ibn-e Jebel", Moghirat Ibn-e Sho'abah", Asīd Ibn-e Ḥadir", "Bashir Ibn-e Sa'id and all other people having their swords had been seated around Abubakr.

They brought you into the mosque and you shouted at them, saying: I swear to God! If I had a sword in my hand, you could hardly do such a thing to me.

I swear to God I would not blame myself for jihading with you and if I could have forty people, I would disperse your people, but may God damn tribes that swore allegiance to me and later, they looked down on me.

Staring at you, Abubakr cried: Let him go!

You said: O'Abubakr! How soon you usurped status of the Prophet (s) oppressively! On what right and with what status do you invite people to pledge an allegiance to you? Did you not swear allegiance to me as ordered by God and the Prophet (s) yesterday?

This time Omar harshly said: Swear allegiance and leave these wrong crowds! ً

P: 299

1- The context of Muawiyya's letter (may God curse him) has been cited by Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid in Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, vol.15, p. 186.

2- Nahj Al-Balagha, letter 28 وَ قُلْتَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ أَقَادُ كَمَا يُقَادُ الْجَمَلُ الْمَخْشُوشُ حَتَّى أَبَابِعَ ، وَ لَعَمْرُ اللَّهِ لَقَدْ أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تَذُمَّ فَمَدَحْتَ وَ أَنْ تَفْضَحَ فَاقْتَضَحْتَ، وَ مَا عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِ مِنْ غَضَاضَةٍ فِي أَنْ يَكُونَ مَظْلُوماً

You said: If I don't do it, what will you do?!

They said: We kill you in humiliation!

You said: Then, you've killed a God worshipper and brother of His Messenger!

Abūbakr said: It's true you're worshipper of God, but we don't confess you're brother of the Messenger!

You told him: Do you deny that the Messenger set a brotherhood between me and himself?

He said: True!

You then turned to the crowd and said: O' Muslims, Muhajerin and O' Ansar! I swear to God that did you hear not that the Messenger, at Ghadir- e-khumm, say: Whomever I am his leader, Ali shall be his leader too?!

You talked about all of what the Messenger had said about your status, reminding them as such and people approved of your words.

Abubakr fearing you might be helped by people told you: What you said is true and we heard it ourselves and kept it in our hearts, but after that, we also heard the Messenger say: we're Ahl-e Bayt selected by God, honored us and preferred the World Hereafter to this World for us and He shall not keep prophethood and caliphate in one place for Ahl-e Bayt.

It is amazing! How did he attribute falsehood to the Messenger (s) while he well knew that whoever, knowingly, attributes lie to Mohammad (s), he shall reside in the hell!

God says in His everlasting Words:(1);

P: 300

1- 57:20 «اِعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَياةُ الدُّنْيا لَعِبٌ وَ لَهْوٌ وَ زِينَةٌ وَ تَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَ تَكاثُرُ فِي الْأَمْوالِ وَ الْأَوْلادِ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَراهِ مُصْفَرًا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطاما وَ فِي الآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَ مَغْفِرَةٌ مِنَ اللهِ وَرِضْوانٌ وَ مَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيا إِلا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ » [O' People] Know that the life of this world is but play and amusement, decoration and showing off among yourselves and greed for increasing the number of children and the amount of wealth; it can be compared to vegetation after receiving the blessing of rain; it springs up and pleases the farmer, then it withers and turns into yellow; then it becomes dry; then it becomes straw. So in the Hereafter, there is a Severe Torment for the disbelievers {whose all struggles were focused on the worldly life] and there is Forgiveness from Allah and His Pleasure for those who did good and were righteous. So the life of this world is only a deceiving perishable property;

And the worldly life is nothing but play and amusement, frivolity and pleasure and the other world is much superior and more stable.(1)

How valuable this short mean world is to make man revoke any right and restore any wrong?!

When he said this, you told him: Is there anyone of the Messenger's Companions who shares what you say and confirms it?

Omar said: Caliph of the Messenger tells the truth; I also heard the Messenger say what Abubakr said! Abū Ubaydah Jarrah and Salem Mawli Abi Ḥuzayfa and Ma'az Ibn-e Jebel said: He is right. We've heard the Messenger say such a thing.

When several people falsely confirmed the first falsehood, you told them:

You made a pledge to the cursed scripture in Ka'aba that: If God takes the life of the Messenger, you seize caliphate from us.(2).

P: 301

1- 87:16-17 (بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَياةَ الدُّنْيا * وَالأخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَ أَبْقى ) But the truth is that you mankind prefer the temporal life to the Hereafter, though the Hereafter is finer and enduring;

2- Detailed story of "the cursed scripture" has been quoted from Ḥuzayfa in Biḥār Al- Anwār, vol.28, pp.96-111, summary of which is as follows: The first people who made a pledge to usurp the caliphate were Abubakr and Omar and the basis of this pledge and other pledges they had made was that in case Mohammad(s) dies or is killed, we seize the caliphate from his Progeny (a) so that no single of them can reach it as long as we survive. After that, "Abū Ubaydah Jarrāḥ" and "Ma'az Ibn-e-e Jebel" and in the end, "Salem Mawli Abi Ḥuzayfa" joined them and they were five people; they went into Ka'aba and wrote together that if Mohammad dies or is killed...... After Ghadir-e-Khumm where Amir Mu'amenan (‘a) was appointed by God to assume caliphate and Imamate; when those people arrived in Medina, they joined some others who opposed leadership of Imam Ali (*a) (including Muawiyya, Amru ĀȘ, Moghirat Ibn- e-e Sho'aba, Sa'id Ibn-e-e Abi Waqqas, 'Abdulrahman Ibn-e-e Awf) gathered in Abubakr's house and wrote a scripture among each other and they broke promise of what they had undertaken about the caliphate of Amir Mu'amenan (a); they all shared votes not to let Ali Ibn-e-e Abitaleb (a) take office of caliphate after demise of the Messenger of God (s); they also wrote they choose one of themselves to become caliph. This second scripture was signed by thirty four people who were accompanied by groups of obedient people. (The late Allameh Majlesi has collected names of all of them in Biḥār Anwar, vol.28, from page 96 on and he also added some other points documented which are not cited here for some interests.) This scripture had been written by "Sa'id Ibn-e-e AȘ Umavi" in Muharram, 11 A.H; later, it was given to Abu Ubaydah Jarrah (broker of Saqifah Bani Sa'edah) and he sent it to Mecca. The scripture had been buried in Ka'aba until it was dug out by Omar.

The Messenger said this to me and I told him: O' Messenger of God (s)! What should I do then?

He said to me:

If you found people at odds with them, do jihad with them and declare war; otherwise, swear allegiance to them and save your life.

And you then said:

I take the oath of God! If those forty people who swore allegiance to me would have kept their promise; I would have raised jihad with you in the Path of God, but by God! Hardly ever will single one of you take the caliphate until the Day.

You proved the reason for their false words by citing Words of God, saying:

The mere reason behind what you attributed to the Messenger is Word of God who says:(1)

The Book means Prophethood and wisdom means Sunna and government means caliphate and we are family of Abraham.

At this time, Abūzar, Meqdād and Salman-the three cordial Companions of the Messenger of God (s)-stood up, saying:

O' Ali! If you order us, we'll strike them with sword and defend you to the last drop of our blood!

You told the three life-sacrificing Companions: Refuse to do so and remember the testament the Messenger (s) made to you.

Omar told Abubakr having been seated up on the pulpit: ;

P: 302

1- 4:54 « أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ عَلَى مَا آتَاهُمُ اللهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ فَقَدْ آتَيْنَا آلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْكِتابَ وَ الْحِكْمَةَ وَآتَيْنَاهُمْ مُلْكًا عَظيما » Or are they jealous of the honored people [such as the Messenger of Islam and his family] for the Grace God has bestowed upon them? We [also] bestowed upon the people of Ibrāhīm the Book and the Wisdom and We gave them a mighty kingdom [as well];

How is it that you are up on the pulpit while this man is at war and he is not to pledge allegiance to you; order us to decapitate him!

He spoke while your two endeared sons (a) had stood there; when they heard him say as such, they began to weep. You hugged them, saying:

Stop crying! By God! They have no power to kill your father!

Umme Imen, nurse of the Messenger, appeared and said:(1)

O' Abubakr! How soon you showed your envy and discord! Omar ordered to have her out of the mosque, saying: We've nothing to do with women!

Buraydah Aslami-one of the Companions of the Messenger (s)-rose and said: O' Omar! Do you attack brother of the Prophet (s)? We know you well among the Quraysh men! Aren't you, both, the same people who were told by the Prophet(s): Go up to Ali and greet him as Amir Al-Mu'amenin? You replied: Is this Command of God? He said: Yes!

Abubakr said:

It was so; but the Messenger (s) said: Prophethood and caliphate do not end up my Progeny!

Buraydah said: I swear to God! He hasn't said such a thing. By God! I give up living in the city whose emir is you.

Omar ordered to have him thrashed and expelled.

After that, Omar told you:

O' son of Abitāleb! Stand up and swear allegiance to us!

You said:

If I refuse to do it, what will you do?

He said:

By God! I behead you!

You repeated your statement three times and you were given the same reply; you then stretched your hand without opening your hand; Abubakr .

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1- Umme Imen was in charge of looking after him after his mother's death, who was known after "Hadenah".

touched your hand and he was contented with same thing.

While having rope on your holy neck, you saw tombstone, saying:

O' my cousin! These people looked down on me and they were about to kill me. You said what Hadrat Harun told his brother, the Moses: O'son of my mother! (When you had left for Mount Sinai and they had become idolaters) they humiliated me and (when I advised them to stop worshipping calves), they were about to kill me!(1)

They told "Zubayr" to swear allegiance to them; he did not do so. Omar, Khaled Ibn-e Walid and Moghirat Ibn-e Sho'aba with some others attacked him, snatched his sword, dropped it down, broke it and they dragged him along.

Omar sat on his chest, telling him: Swear allegiance to us; otherwise, you'll be murdered!

Zubayr told him: By God! If I had my sword at hand, you would stay away from me! He then swore allegiance to them.

They turned to Salman; strongly hit him on his neck; knocked him down, twisted his hand and he then was forced to take allegiance.

After him, Abūzar and Meqdād were threatened to death and they too were compelled to take allegiance.

Salman turned to them, saying: You'll face perdition with what you've done; do you know what you've done?!

Omar said:

O' Salman! Now that your friend and you, too, swore allegiance to us, you can say whatever you wish and so can your friend!

Salman replied him: You and your friend are to blame for sins of all people until the Day!

Omar said:

Say whatever you want to! Is it not right that you swore allegiance to us »

P: 304

1- hadrat said something Ḥadrat Ḥharun (‘a) said to the Moses (a):? ....:7:150 «يا ابْنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ الْقَوْمَ اسْتَضْعَفُونِي وَكَادُوا يَقْتُلُونَنِي »

and you aren't enlightened that your friend will be caliph?!

Salman replied him again by reciting the Holy Qur'anic Revelations and you told the loyal Companion: O' Salman! I swear you to God to keep quiet.

abuzar said:

O' Omar! You scold us because of love and respect of Mohammad's Progeny?! May God damn whoever raises enmity against them!

Omar said:

Amen; may God curse whoever raises cruelty against their right! But by God! They own no right of caliphate and they are equal with others!

You told Omar: O' Omar! We've have no right of caliphate, but you and your friend have? Woe onto you! I wonder if you know what crime you committed to yourself!

Omar told you: O' Abalhassan! Stop saying more now that you've sworn allegiance because all people voted for me and not you; therefore, am I to blame?

Abubakr said:

O' Omar! Now that he has sworn allegiance to us and we've become safe from his evils and sudden attack, let him say whatever he likes to.

You continued to say all of what your brother, the Messenger of God (s) had said about them and their place during Resurrection Chastisement; after that, you took off the rope, threw it apart, moved out of the mosque to go home.(1).

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1- The above narration is subject-matter of hadiths which are cited in the sources of Shi'ites including: • Hadith book of Salim Ibn-e-e Qeys Helāli, hadith 4 • Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.28, pp. 261, 54 and 23 and vol.43, hadith 29, p.197 and vol.81, hadith 18, p. 256 and vol.92, p.40 • 'Awalem Al-Ulūm, Ḥadrat Zahra (‘a) volume, hadith 2, p.220 • Al-Yaqin, Seyyed Ibn-e Tavous, chapter 115 • Rowdey-e Kafi, hadith 541, p.343 • Iḥtijaj-e Tabarsi, vol. 1, p. 105 • E'thbat Al-WaŞiyya, Allameh Ḥelli, p.7 and........ But this sad story has been more briefly quoted in Sunni sources; some quotations are cited hereunder: • Ibn-e-e Qutaybah Dinwari writes in his book of Al-Imama va Al-Siyāsah, vol.1, p.13: Omar and his supporters gathered behind Fatima's house door and threatened her; people began to cry once they heard Fatima (‘a) talk and they were dispersed; but Omar and a few people stayed there, they forced Ali ('a) to come out of his house and dragged him along towards Abubakr, telling him: Swear allegiance to us! Ali ('a) said: What will you do if I don't do it? They said: We swear to God who is the Only One, we will behead you! •Belazeri writes in Ansab Al-Ashraf, vol. 1, p.587: Abubakr sent Omar after Ali (‘a) and ordered him: Bring Ali (‘a) to me in the worst way! •Mas'oudi cites in Ethbat Al-WaṢiyya, p.142: They wanted to ask Ali ('a) to swear allegiance, but he stopped doing so; they told him: We kill you. Ali (‘a) said: If you kill me, you verily have killed a worshipper of God and brother of the Messenger (s). At this time, Ali's fisted hand, which was difficult to open, was stretched towards Abubakr and finally Abubakr's hand was stretched to Ali's and this was while Ali's hand was closed and fisted. •Ibn-e-e Kathir writes in Sirat Al-Nabovayya, vol.4, p.495: Abubakr went up the pulpit at the mosque of the Messenger (s), looking at faces of people but he did not see Ali ('a), then he asked: Where is Ali? This time, a number of the AnŞar stood up and brought him there. •Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid Mu'atazili quotes in Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, vol.2, p.121 onwards and vol.6, p.68: Omar with his men broke into Ali's house and said to Ali: Stand up and swear allegiance! Ali ('a) refused to do so; they forced him to leave out of his house; they dragged along him and those who had refused to swear allegiance in the worst way to swear allegiance to Abubakr; this was while Medina alleys were crowded with people. That's true! This is the bitter event that worries lovers of Ali and let eyes roll down tears! •Ali ('a), the brother of the Messenger (s), who was borne with perfume of him; he who was always standard-bearer of army of Islam and promising hope of the Messenger (s); he who was always the most endeared to the Messenger (s); but all his excellences and services had been ignored after departure of the Messenger (s) and the caliphate regime armed to their teeth broke into his house and threw a rope around his neck. •'Abdulfattāḥ 'AbdulmaqṢud-one of Sunni scholars- writes in Al-Saqifah va Al- Khalafah: Credited and important historians have said that Ali (‘a) refused to pledge allegiance to Abubakr, so they threw a rope around his neck and dragged him along for allegiance. In the next notes, the story of flaming Ali's house, cited in Sunni sources, will be more detailed.

When you entered your half-burned house, you saw your dear and

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honorable wife bedded as a result of strikes of those vicious men. With tearful eyes and sorrowful heart, you appeared beside her and she condoled you while she herself suffered from critically physical pain.

They battered the dearest daughter of the Messenger (s) and hit her on the body side with half-burned door and disrespected the lady of the two worlds. What sin did she commit to deserve being behaved that way?!

She committed sin of defending the right; her sin was to scandalize the oppressors and her guilt was to guide people on the Straight Path of God!

The honorable lady took the place of her honorable father at the mosque of the Prophet (s) after his demise to prevent ummah from deviation and vociferously said:

O' People!

Be aware and know that fathers of this ummah are Ali ('a) and Mohammad (s); if you obey them, they will improve your dishonesty, help you out of painful chastisement of hell and grant you gift of Paradise if you join them.(1)

And she told ummah:

I swear to God! If they entrusted the right to people of the right and followed Progeny of the Prophet (s), even two people would hardly raise differences about religion of God.(2)

True!

Her sin was that she told the truth and defended your inalienable right as seen by the usurpers of the caliphate!

The honorable woman had become so annoyed in heart, as wide as kingdom of God, about what they did that she made a testament to you to render her nightly ablution, shroud and burial(3) because she did not want to )

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1- أبوا هذه الأمة محمد و عليّ يقيمان أودهم و ينقذانهم من العذاب الدائم إن أطاعوهما ، ويبيحانهم النعيم الدائم إن وافقوهما. (Tafsir ascribed to Imam Hassan ‘Askari (‘a), p.330; Tafsir Al-Borhan, vol.4, p.307)

2- أما والله لو تركوا الحق على أهله و اتبعوا عترة نبيّه لما اختلف في الله اثنان . (Kefayat Al-A'thar, p.199; Tafsir Al-Borhan, vol.4, p.855)

3- The lady of both Worlds, Sediqqah Kobrā (‘a) made a will to her honorable husband, Imam Ali (‘a) as follows: حنطنی و غسلنی و کفنی باللیل وصلّ عليّ و ادفني بالليل و لا تعلم أحدا و استودعك الله و اقرء على ولدى السلام إلى يوم القيامة. O' Ali! Embalm me at night, do my ablution, dress me in shroud, bury me at night and say burial prayers for me; tell nobody about this, I say goodbye to you and say greetings to my children until the Day. A glance over life of the fourteen Immaculate (a) (Translation of Anwar Al-Bahiyya, Moḥaddith Qomi, p.72)

have the cruel people take part in her funeral and burial ceremony.(1)

You acted as your wife had willed and after her martyrdom, you rendered her ablution and shroud in camera and buried her at night; when you placed her pure body in the grave, with tearful eyes and painful heart, you noticed the grave of the Messenger of God (s) and confabulated with him, saying:

"Greetings betide you, O' the Messenger of God! Greetings from me and your daughter who has now been buried beside you and hastened to reach you!

"O' the Messenger of God! I've reduced my patience and tolerance by losing Fatima and I've no self-restraint. It was me who buried you with my hands and your honorable soul flew between my chest and neck.

Therefore, what you deposited to me returns to you, the owner. From this time on, my grief endures and my nights are vigil. You'll soon know how your ummah united to raise cruelty to her; ask her about our sorrowful mood because it's not been long since you've been lost in mind and heart."(2)

Ever since the honorable wife's pure grave has been unknown and this was 2

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1- Moḥaddith Qomi says as follows: Once news of martyrdom of Hadrat Zahra (‘a) was publicized, people came from all around, sat together and waited to see the pure body of Zahra (‘a) come out of house; they wanted to say prayers over her dead body. Abūzar came out of Ali's house, telling people: Move away because her body will be carried at night. People stood up and were dispersed....when late night broke and people were asleep, Imam Ali ('a), Hassan and Husayn (a') with Ammar, Meqdad, Aqil, Zubayr, Salman, Buraydah and some people of special classes from the Hashemites carried out her body, said burial prayers for her and buried her nightly. Hadrat Ali ('a) made seven other graves like hers around her grave (and as said, he made forty graves in the Baqi'a cemetery). When he buried her body, he levelled grave ground to adjacent ground. (A glance over life of the fourteen Immaculate, Sheikh 'Abbas Qomi, pp.73-75)

2- Nahj Al-Balagha, sermon 202

because of the testament she made to you.

Her grave is unknown so that all the world people might ask themselves:

Why must grave of his endeared daughter and his apple of the eye be hidden?!

So that all the universe people would ask themselves:

Why must daughter of the Messenger of God (s) make a testament to you to bury her in the dark night?

And it is not a lie to express about such oppressedness of you and your wife, but it is right and those who have denied your Imamate and caliphate have cited this point in their books.(1)t

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1- Many Sunnis deny the raid of the caliphate regime on house of Fatima (a) and her martyrdom, but in fact, this story is true because many of the outstanding Sunni historians and hadith writers have quoted it. Here, we quote some of their citations to let anti-Shi'a people know that the attack of the caliphate regime on her house and her martyrdom is true. Translation of the writings about the heart-rending event is totally given: •Ibn-e-e Hishām, dead in 218 A.H. refers to gathering of Ali ('a), Zubayr and Talha in the house of Fatima (a) in his book titled "Al-Sirat Al-Nabaviyya", vol.2, p.306 as "Amr Al-Saqifat Bani Sa'edah" (what happened at Saqifah Bani Saedah), saying: When the Messenger died, a number of the Anṣar came together at Saqifah Bani Sa'edah around Sa'ad Ibn-e-e Ebadah, but Ali (‘a), Zubayr Ibn-e-e 'Awam and Talḥa Ibn-e-e Ubaydullah stayed away from the gathering in the house. •Abū Mohammad 'Abdullah Ibn-e-e Moslem Ibn-e-e Qutabah Dinwari (known after Ibn-e-e Qutaybah), dead in 276 A.H. quoted in his book titled "Al-Imamah va Al-Siyasah", vol. 1, p.12 as "kayfe kanat bay'at Ali ('a)" with citation from 'Abdullah Ibn-e-e 'Abdulrahman Anṣāri as saying that: Verily, someday, Abūbakr asked some people who had disobeyed to swear allegiance to him and had gone to Ali (‘a). He sent Omar after those who had gathered in the house of Ali (‘a). They refused to leave the house; at this time, Omar ordered to fetch firewood, addressing the people in the house: I swear to He who keeps Omar's life! You must get out of the house; otherwise, I'll set ablaze the house with its dwellers. Somebody told him: Do you know that Fatima ('a) lives in this house?! Omar said: Even if She is in the house. •Also, Ibn-e-e Qutaybah writes on page 13 of the same book by citing the source:....until (Omar and his men) gathered behind Fatima's house and knocked at the door. As people heard cry of Fatima (‘a), they dispersed while weeping. • Ibn-e-e Qutaybah says in vol. 1, and p.18 of the same book:.....Abubakr ruled for two years and a few months when he became sick and died; he said:....I swear to God I regret over nothing of the world but three things I did and I wish I hadn't done them....I wish I had left Ali's house alone although he declared war with me. • Ya'aqubi, the famous Sunni historian, dead in 284 A.H.says in his history book, vol.2, p.123 titled "a report of Saqifah Bani Saeedah and allegiance to Abubakr": ..........a few people came up to Ali ('a) to swear allegiance to him. He replied to them: Tomorrow, be prepared for allegiance while you've clean shaved your head; when tomorrow morning broke, nobody was there but three [four] people. When Omar and Abubakr heard from gathering of a number of Mohajerin and AnȘar in support of Ali ('a) in the Fatima's house, they depated to Fatima's house and broke into it......... He also says in vol.2, p.137 of his history book: When Abubakr became ill and he died in sickness, 'Abdulrḥman Ibn-e-e Awf paid a visit to him, asking him: O' Caliph of the Messenger (s)! How are you feeling? Abūbakr said: Verily, I regret over nothing but three things I've done and I wish I hadn't done them....I wish I hadn't taken the leash of caliphate....... I wish I hadn't inspected Fatima's house and not had some attack it although they declared war with me. •Aḥmad Ibn-e-e Yaḥya known after Belāzeri, dead in 721 A.H. says in "Ansab Al-Ashraf'"', vol. 1, p.586 under the report of Saqifah in hadith 1184: Abubakr sent someone after Ali (‘a) to swear allegiance to him. Ali (‘a) failed to swear allegiance to him. At this time, Omar went to Ali's house with flames of fire. Fatima ('a) faced him behind house's door, telling him: O' Son of Khattab! Do I see you setting fire on my house?! Omar said: Yes! And I'm set and firm as much as your father was when he had brought religion. •Mohammad Ibn-e-e Jarir Ţabari, dead in 310 A.H. says in his history book, vol.2, p.443, explaining the events of 11th, hegira: When Ţalḥā and Zubayr and a few people of Mohajerīn had gathered in the Ali's house, Omar Ibn-e-e Khattab came there, saying: I swear to God! Come out for allegiance; otherwise, I'll burn your house. says in Abalhassan Ali Ibn-e-e Hossein Ibn-e-e Ali Mas'oudi, dead in 346 A.H., his book titled Moravvej Al-zahab, vol.2, p.194 published in Egypt: Abubakr became sick fifteen days before he dies. As he reached the point of death, he said: ........I wish I hadn't inspected house of Fatima (a)!...... Also, he says in another book named "Ethbat Al-WaŞiyya, p. 142: ..... it has been narrated that when the Prophet (s) met the maker, 'Abbas (may God be pleased with him) went up to Ali (a) and said: Give me your hand for allegiance.......therefore, Ali ('a) with his followers began to defy them because the Messenger (s) had commanded him to do as such; at this time, a few people broke into his house and set ablaze door of his house and compelled him to leave his house. They put pressure on Seyyedess of women (Fatima (a)) who was behind the door so hard that

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The words of a wanton man who claim to be Moslem have shocked me! How he claims to be Moslem while he sees his wild attack on your house- where Angels descend-as one of proud and courageous acts of the caliphate regime and shamefully reads it in his malodorously poetic lines towards your brother, the Messenger of God (s):

"How well Omar talked to Ali, honor the listener and glorify the speaker! That I set ablaze your house and not let you stay there if you do not make allegiance, although Mohammad's daughter might be in the house!

Who but Omar could make statements in front of the knight of Adnan Dynasty and their defenders!?"(1))

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1- وقوله اللى قالها عمر *** اکرم بسامعها اعظم بملقبها حرفت دارک لاابقی علیک بها *** ان لم تبايع وبنت المصطفى فيها ما كان غيرابي حفص يفوه بها *** امام فارس عدنان وحاميها (Poetic collection of Mohammad Hafez Ebrahim, vol.1, p.82, Omariyya ode)

O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin (a)! With your permission, I want to tell this this wanton man a few words:

However I think I do not know what to tell you and what word I should use for you, O' wanton man! To tell you something you deserve and prove the real truth about you!?

You have just heard the name of Amir Al-Mu'amenin and your smaller brain than a filbert could hardly realize a drop of endless sea of our lord, Amir Al-Mu'amenin (a)!

You are proud of the wild attack on the house of Revelation?! Attack on the same sacred house where Trustee Gabriel entered with a permission?!

You whom you know yourself a Moslem!

Have you read the Word of God that says?:

"O' Messenger! Tell your ummah that you do not want a reward but raising affection towards your Progeny.(1)

You talked about epic and valor of Omar Ibn-e Khattab!! : "Who but Omar could make a statement in front of the knight of Adnan Dynasty!?"

O' Wanton man!

Is this courage and epic that a group of armed-to-teeth people attack the house of Revelation, frighten children and women, beat them and set ablaze their house!?

Do you name such unmanly acts courage and valor in your creed?!

You brag about courage of the so-called man?!!

You really know what you say or you pretend to be ignorant?!

The very man you bombastically brag about his valor in your poems turned back on the enemy's army and escaped the Uhud battle fearing his life; this was while the Messenger (s) called and asked him and those running away »

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1- 42:23 «قُل لا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَى »

for resistance, but he and many others ran away fearing their lives!

However, our lord, Ali (‘a) sacrificially defended the Messenger (s) in that hard-fought battle and his holy body suffered tens of injuries there.

Also, he and many others fearing their lives ran away in Ḥanayn war and Ali ('a), our lord, roared like hundred lions and defended life of the Messenger (s).

And if you do not know something, I tell you to know it!

In the battle of Khandaq, the trench battle, when Amru Ibn-e 'Abdowad with several others of disbelievers passed through Khandaq, loudly making fun of beliefs of Moslems, he and his comrade, fearing their lives, hid behind the Messenger of God (s) who repeatedly told them and others: one man goes ahead and gets hell rid of him; nobody moved ahead. The very man you brag about his valor dared not even take a step forward and stood frozenly.

And it was our lord, Ali (‘a) who stepped into the battlefield by saying Allahoakbar, God is great and struck Amru Ibn-e ‘Abdowad, sending him to hell; this made the Messenger (s) happy and said about his courage:

On the day of Khandaq, Strike of Ali is higher than worshipping of jinn and people on the Day!

I have heard you have bombastically and excitedly recited these nasty poems in a meeting with great literary men and others and the audience has applauded you?!(1)

Don't be happy because I tell you a point that degrades you!!

I recount the well-known words of the Messenger (s) to Amir Mu'amenan (‘a), saying: Ali is liked by the faithful and held grudge by the hypocrite dissident.(2)h)

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1- Mohammad Hafez Ebrahim recited his ode for Sunnis at the conference of Egyptian Council in early 1918 B.C. in Egypt; everybody applauded him and the great Sunnis like Ahmad Amin, Ahmad Al-Zayn, Ebrahim Al-Abyāri, Ali Jarem, Ali Amin, Khalil Metran and others who tried to print out and annotate it, appreciating the poet very much; his poetic collection is printed for several times. (Al-Ghadir, Allameh Amini, vol.7, p.86)

2- لا يحبّك إلا مؤمن ولا يبغضك إلا منافق .. (32878 Kanz Al-Ummal, hadith)

And hear another statement the Messenger (s) made to Ali ('a), saying:

O' Ali ('a)! Whoever dies by raising enmity against you, he shall die as a Jew or Christian.(1)

Also hear this your great men have cited in your books, reading:

Some Companions of the Messenger (s) have known impurely-born people as enemies of Ali ('a)!(2) It's true, hear it again: Some Companions of the Messenger (s) have known impurely-born people as enemies of Ali ('a)!

Also listen to this being quoted from the Prophet (s) as saying:

Skeptics are mustered from their own graves in relation to Ali (‘a) while carrying of fire which has three hundred flames on each of which there is a devil that burns his face as long as he appears before God for judging.(3)!

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1- يا علي ! لا يبالى من مات و هو يبغضك مات يهوديا أو نصرانيا (Manaqeb-e Al-e Abitāleb ('a), vol.3, p.10; Al-Ferdous, Deylami, vol.2, hadith 315, p.244; Al-Şerat Al-Mostaqim, vol.1, p.153)

2- ... مالك بن انس عن محبوب بن أبي الزناد، قال: قالت الأنصار: إن كنا لنعرف الرجل إلى غير أبيه ببغضه على عليّ بن أبي طالب (Tarikh-e Dameshq, Ibn-e-e ‘Asaker, vol.2, hadith 738, p.224; Al-Ghadir, vol.4, p.322)

3- ابن مردويه عن ابن عباس، عن النبي ( صلى الله عليه و آله و سلّم ( أنّه قال: يحشر الشاك في على من قبره و في عنقه طوق من نار فيه ثلاث مأة شعلة، على كلّ شعلة شيطان يلطخ وجهه حتى يوقف موقف الحساب (Manāqeb-e Ali (‘a), Abubakr Ahmad Ibn-e-e Mūsā Ibn-e-e Mardūya, p.717) The remainder of theosophy account: 1. There are plenty of hadiths about status and rank of Fatima (a) quoted from the Messenger of Allah in Sunni sources; a number of them are cited hereunder: • Ḥadrat Fatima (a) spoke to her mother when she was in her womb. For sources of this hadith, refer to Eḥqaq Al-Haqq, Qādi Nūrullah Shushtari, vol. 10, p.12). Ḥ •adrat Eve, Āsiyya, Kolthum and Mary appeared when Fatima (‘a) was born. (For sources of this hadith, refer to Eḥqaq Al-Haqq, Qādi Nūrullah Shushtari, vol. 10, p.13). •The Messenger (s) said: Sperm of Fatima (‘a) was made up of Paradise fruits and verily Fatima (‘a) is a Ḥūri in the shape of mankind who suffers from neither menstrual blood nor delivery blood. (Eḥqaq Al-Haqq, vol. 10, p.16) • The Prophet (s) said: Verily Fatima was named Fatima because she, her lovers and her family have been kept away from fire by God. (For Sunni sources, refer to Eḥqaq Al-Ḥaqq, vol. 10, p.19). • The Prophet (s) said: Verily, Fatima is Şediqqa and she is being selected by God. (For sources of this hadith, refer to Fada'il Al-Khamsa ('a), vol.3, p.180). • The Prophet(s) said: Fatima is............of the women of the world. (Eḥquq Al-Haqq, vol.1, p.41; Fadā'il Al-Khamsa ('a), vol.3, p.169) • The Prophet (s) said: Fatima is the best of women from the first to last ones. (Eḥqaq Al-Haqq, vol. 10, p.42) • The Prophet said: Verily, God raises wrath whenever Fatima is angered and He is pleased whenever Fatima is pleased. (For more sources of this hadith in Sunni books, Eḥquq Al-Haqq, vol. 10, p.116; Fada'il Al-Khamsa (a), vol.3, p. 189) • The Prophet said: The first one to enter Paradise is the very Fatima. (Eḥqaq Al-Haqq, vol.10, p.135; Fada'il Al-Khamsa (a), vol.3, p.204) • The Prophet (s) said: Fatima's friendship is advantageous in dozens of occasions the least of which is in time of death. (for discovering citations of this hadith in Sunni sources, refer to (Eḥquq Al-Ḥaqq, vol.10, p.166) Whenever Fatima met the Prophet (s), he would stand up in front of her; he would kiss her and seated her where he himself sat. (for Sunni sources, refer to Fada'il Al-Khamsa ('a), vol.3, p.158 and Al-Ghadir, vol.3, p.18) • The Prophet (s) said: Fatima is my soul, the soul resting in my chest. (Eḥqaq Al-Haqq, vol. 10, p.184) The Prophet (s) said: Fatima is an integral part of my existence; whatever annoys her annoys me and gladdens me whatever gladdens her. (for Sunni sources, refer to Al-Ghadir, vol.3, p.21 and Eḥquq Al-Haqq, vol.10, p.200) • The Prophet (s) said: Fatima is the first one of my Progeny who joins me. ((Eḥqaq Al-Haqq, vol. 10, p.451 and 452; Fadā'il Al-Khamsa (‘a), vol.3, p.192) • The Prophet (s) said: God curses the one who spurs enmity and rancor against her. (for Sunni sources, refer to Fada'il Al-Khamsa (a), vol.3, p.180) It is true! These words and statements standing as droplet of endless sea of greatness of the woman of the two worlds (a) are uttered by the most superior of God's creatures and His creation essence meaning Mohammad Mustafa (s). But what the ummah did to Fatima (‘a)!? Ibn-e-e 'Abd Rabba Andolesi who is one of the great men of Sunnis, dead in 445 A.H. says: بعث إليهم أبوبكر ، عمر بن الخطاب ليخرجهم من بيت فاطمة [سلام الله عليها ] وقال انه ابوا فقاتلهم فأقبل بقبس من النار على أن يضرم عليهم الدار فلقيته فاطمة [سلام الله عليها ) فقالت: يابن الخطاب ! أ جئت لتحرق دارنا ؟ فقال نعم، أو تدخلوا فيما دخلت فيه الأمة. Abubakr sent Omar after those who had sought asylum in Fatima's house and to expel them from there and if they rejected to do so, he could kill them. He carried a piece of fire to her house. When Fatima (‘a) saw him, she told him: O' son of Khattab! Have you come to set ablaze our house? He said: If you fail to swear allegiance to us, I'll do it! ('Aqd Al- Farid, vol.4, p.260; Tarikh Abulfada', vol. 1, p.156). 2. Sunnis ignoring all historical documents talk about the cruelty rendered by the caliphate system towards the pure and Infallible Progeny (a): How is it possible that those Companions who obeyed the Prophet (s) and sacrificed themselves in battles of Islam disregard the caliphate of Ali ('a) and tyrannize his family?!! Answer: •Usurping the status of Ali (‘a) and raiding Fatima's house have been talked about in major Sunni sources at length; therefore, they cannot be ignored. In his lifetime, the Prophet (s) had frequently been disobeyed by his Companions; for example, running away from “Oḥud" and "Ḥanayn" battlefields where the Prophet (s) loudly called them. •When the Prophet (s) was bedridden on the last days of his holy life and asked for a piece of paper and pen, a number of Companions raised disrespect towards him and accused him of hilariousness, saying: The Book of God suffices for us. •The most authentic and important hadith book of Sunnis, namely Şahiḥ-e Bukhari and ṣaḥiḥ-e Moslem read that the Messenger of God (s) told one of his Companions: On the Resurrection Day, you are taken to the north; I say: Whereto are they taken? It is said: They are taken to God, to the Hell! Then, I say: O' God! They are my Companions; it is said: You do not know what heresies they initiated after your demise! They returned to Ignorance and apostasy from the moment you parted from them. After that, I say: May it be far from Divine Blessing! Someone who was converted and distorted things and I see them free from this but as many as a few camels kept away from the cattle. (Şahiḥ-e Bukhāri, vol.7, p.209; Şahiḥ-e Moslem, vol.7, p.66) •The story told about the people of the Moses (a) remains as a good proof: The Moses distanced from them forty days and his people turned apostate and worshipped calves; this was while the Moses had invited them for forty years to embrace monotheism and had revealed all types of great miracles to them! 3. Sunnis raise doubt coercive allegiance of the caliphate system from Amir Mu'amenōn (‘a) and say: How is it possible that they rope him on the neck of someone who displaced a heavy rocky door with one hand in the Kheybar battle and used it as his shield? How is it possible that they drag such a man in that state along to the mosque for taking forced allegiance?! Answer: It is true! Amir Mu'amenān (a) was the only hero of the battlefield in front of disbelievers; but one should note that he did not displace the rocky giant door of Kheybar with his natural power; rather, he did it through God-given power and divine miracle because he was permitted and given this duty under such circumstances. After departure of the Messenger (s), he was not missioned as such. Attachment to the Remainder of the Theosophy Account After attack of the caliphate apparatus on household of Amir Mo'amenān (‘a) and his forcible allegiance to Abubakr at the mosque of the Prophet (s), the illegitimate caliphate intended to assassinate Amir Mo'amenān (a) despite Ali's attempt to stop bloodshed and sedition, to overlook his right and coordinate with Muslims! Now pay attention to the deplorable event quoted from narrative texts: Salim Ibn-e-e Qeys Helali et.al say that the caliphate system conspired and said: As long as this man is alive, we can hardly do a right thing! Abubakr said: Who is the right man to murder him? Omar said: Khālid Ibn-e-e Walid! They sent after Khālid and said: O' Khālid! What do you think about what you will be assigned to do? Khalid said: Whatever you can assign on me to do. I swear to God I will murder Abūṭālib's son if I am asked to do so! They said: We swear to God! We decide to do nothing but this. He said: I am ready to do it. Abubakr said: When we stood up for morning prayers, you stand beside Ali while you carry your sword; when I began prayers, you behead him! He said: It's alright. They decided so and parted from one another. Abubakr deeply thought about the order he had given for murdering Ali (‘a) and found out that if this was done, there would be a fierce battle and lasting sedition, so he felt sorry for the order he had given to Khalid and he could not sleep that night. Later, he came up to the mosque while people were standing for prayers. He began to say prayers while he was in deep thought and did not know what to say. Khalid Ibn-e-e Walid approached and stood close to Ali ('a) while he was carrying his sword. Ali (a) discovered what the story was. The very moment Abubakr finished the act of testifying the Unity of God, he shouted before he ended up greeting in the end: O' Khalid! Stop doing what I had ordered you to do; if you do so, I kill you. Then, he finished his prayers! Amir Al-Mo'amenin (a) moved up, came in grip with Khalid, grabbed his sword, knocked him down, sat on his chest and wanted to kill with his sword he had taken away from him. People in the mosque came over to unleash Khalid but they failed to do so. Abbas said: Swear him to the right of Prophet's grave so that he might give up. They swore him to the Prophet's grave and Ali let him go. He rose and went to his home. At this time, Zubayr, Abbas, Abuzar, Meqdād and Bani Hashem rose up with their swords unsheathed and yelled: By God! If you do not quit your mischiefs, we fight with you! Here, people began to raise disputes and the Prophet's mosque was filled with uproar. When the Hashemite women knew about conspiracy of the caliphate system came out in outcry, saying: O' enemies of God! How soon you revealed enmity against the Prophet and his Progeny. Since long you had decided to do so, but you could not do it. You killed his daughter the day before and you want to kill his brother, his cousin, his heir and father of his children? We swear to God of Ka'aba! You will not succeed in killing him. There emerged such an uproar that people were about to clash with each other. Ali (‘a) calmed the Hashemite and his companions. (Al-mastershed fi Imamat Ali Ibn-e-e Abiṭālib (‘a), Ţabari Imami Kabir, p.452; Bihār Al- Anwar, vol. 29, p.137; Al-Uṣul Al-Setta 'Ashr-ketab-e 'Abi Saeed Ebād Al-'Aṣfari, p. 143; ketab-e Salim Ibn-e-e Qeys Al-Helāli, vol.2, p.679, H. 14 and vol. 2, p. 872, H. 48; Asrar-e Al-e Muhammad (s), p. 570; Tasir-e Qomi, vol.2, p. 159; Elal Al-Shara'a, vol.1, p.192; Al-Khara'j va Al-Jara'h, Qotb Rawandi, vol.2, p.757; Al-Borhan fi Tafsir Al- Qur'an, vol.4, p.348; Madinat Al-Ma'ajez, Seyyed Hashem Bahrani, vol.3, p.149, H. 806; Tafsir-e Nur Al-Thaqalayn, vol.4, p.189; Tafsir-e Kanz Al-Daqa'iq va Bahr Al-Ghara'eb, vol.10, p.208; Jame'a Ahadith Al-Shi'a, Ayatollah Borujerdi, vol.30, p.262; Rejal Al- Kashi, p.395; Al-Yaqin, Seyyed Ibn-e-e Ṭāvūs, chapter 115; 'Awalem Al-Ulūm va Al- Ma'āref va Al-'Aḥwal men Al-Ayat va Al-'Akhbar va Al-'Aqwal, Sheikh 'Abdullh Bahrāni, vol.11-section: Hadrat Zahra (a), p.220) And Ihtijaj written by the lare Sheikh Tabarsi, vol.1, p.690 reads that: و روى أن أبا بكر و عمر بعثا إلى خالد بن الوليد فواعداه و فارقاه على قتل علي عليه السلام و ضمن ذلك لهما فسمعت ذلك الخبر أسماء بنت عميس امرأة أبى بكر في خدرها فأرسلت خادمة لها و قالت ترددى في دار على و قولى له الملأ يأتمرون بك ليقتلوك ففعلت الجارية و سمعها علي عليه السلام فقال رحمها الله قولى لمولاتك فمن يقتل الناكثين و المارقين و القاسطين؟ و وقعت المواعدة لصلاة الفجر إذ كان أخفى و اختيرت للسدفة و الشبهة فإنهم كانوا يغلسون بالصلاة حتى لا تعرف المرأة من الرجل و لكن الله بالغ أمره و كان أبو بكر قال لخالد بن الوليد إذا انصرفت من صلاة الفجر فاضرب عنق على فصلى إلى جنبه لأجل ذلك و أبو بكر في الصلاة يفكر في العواقب فندم فجلس في صلاته حتى كادت الشمس تطلع يتعقب الآراء و يخاف الفتنة و لا يأمن على نفسه فقال قبل أن يسلم في صلاته يا خالد لا تفعل ما أمرتك به ثلاثا و في رواية أخرى لا يفعلن خالد ما أمر به فالتفت علي عليه السلام فإذا خالد مشتمل على السيف إلى جانبه فقال يا خالد ما الذي أمرك به ؟ قال بقتلك يا أمير المؤمنين قال أو كنت فاعلا ؟ فقال إي والله لو لا أنه نهانى لوضعته في أكثرك شعرا فقال له علي عليه السلام كذبت لا أم لك من يفعله أضيق حلقة است منك أما و الذي فلق الحبة وبرأ النسمة لو لا ما سبق به القضاء لعلمت أي الفريقين شر مكانا و أضعف جندا ». It is said that Abubakr and Omar talked to Khalid Ibn-e-e Walid to murder Ali (‘a) and he accepted. On the corner of the house, Asma' Bent ‘Amis, wife of Abubakr heard this and she immediately sent a messenger to Ali's house, saying: A group of people intend to kill you. Once Ali (‘a) heard it, he said: May God bless your lady, Asma'! Tell her [if they achieve this aim], then who kills deviators, apostates and violators of the treaty? Khalid Ibn-e-e Walid was supposed to take the chace to hide himself when morning prayers is set up in the dark [because it was customary that morning prayers be performed in darkness so that men cannot be distinguished from women], but God guides all things; Abubakr had told Khalid: Whenever I finished morning prayers, you can do your job. For the same reason, Khalid sat for prayers beside Ali. Although Abubakr was in prayers, he suddenly thought of consequences of the evil act and was afraid of a sedition and danger of his life. Therefore, he said three times before beginning prayers: "O' Khalid! Stop doing what you were missioned to do". And Ali (‘a) turned to Khalid and saw that he was close to him with his unsheathed sword. He said: O' Khalid! On what job were assigned? He said: Killing you. Ali ('a) said: Would you really do it? He said: By God! If he had not prevented me, I would have hit you on your head. Ali ('a) said: O' wicked man! You told a lie; the one who kills me is........! I swear to He who let seed grow and created man! If Divine Fate had been designated in a different way, you would have found that which one of these two groups is more shrewd and weaker!

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May we be mustered by the Almighty God to Amir Mu'amenan (a) and you to very those people!

Peace of God be upon you, O' Abalhassan, O' Amir Al-Mo'amenin!

O' Standard-bearer of guidance and a great man of the history of man; O' opener of Divine Blessing forever! If some people failed to realize you and exercised cruelty against you and your family, O' the beloved of God and His Messenger (s)! You have lovers whose hearts are sunk and tears roll down their cheeks when they hear your blessed name.

If they attacked your house and insulted your blessed status and your family, but many people love you and your pure descendants.

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Theosophy Twenty One

I certify that although the wrong crowd ignored your inalienable right, you always sought good patience and wished well for the ummah

O' Amir Al-Mo'amenin! Hardly ever has human history seen an oppressed man like you! Every free man who studies your lifetime confesses to this fact. You were the first to say "here am I" to call of the Prophet of Islam (s); the first to stand behind him in saying prayers and the first to accompany him in defense.

You were the only man who said "here am I" to call by your lord, the Messenger (s) in "Hadith of Warning" or Yawm al-Inzar, and publicly became a believer in front of forty relatives of the Messenger and were satirized by some people there.

You together with your honorable father were the first to circle the blessed existence of the Messenger(s) and safeguarded him; you have been a self- devotedly vigilant day and night for three years.

You were the only man who fearlessly slept on the Messenger's bed and sacrificed your life to protect the life of the Messenger (s) when he was on his migration to Medina.

You chivalrously fought in all big or small wars. You never retreated although you suffered lots of injuries in some wars. You acted as a defensive shield for the Messenger (s) against the enemies. This was while many ran away from fighting because of fear of life and left behind the Messenger (s) among enemies.

You were the only man who appeared on the battlefield. The enemies shivered and eluded when they saw you. They lost their heads in war with you.

You were the only man out of many men of the world whom the Messenger (s) deemed competent for marrying his beloved daughter and the most

superior woman of the world, Hadrat Şediqqeh Kobra (‘a). He introduced you as vizier, successor, and Imam after himself on and on.

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However, when the Messenger (s) deceased, you engaged in his ablution, shroud and burial as he had made a will. Some people, in your absence, gathered at the Saqifeh Bani Sa'ideh and willfully selected someone as caliph. They usurped your caliphate and when you did not swear allegiance to them, they invaded your house, set it ablaze, injured your wife and killed your son in your wife's embryo. They forcibly seized the land of Fadak which was a gift from Muhammad (s) to his daughter and they told a lie that the Prophet (s) has said: we, Messengers, leave no dirhams, dinars and property as inheritance!(1)

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Theosophy Account Twenty One

Usurpation of Fadak by the caliphate system, reasons for patience of Amir Al- Mo'amenin (a) in front of the usurpers of caliphate, bibulousness of Abubakr and Omar before and after their embracing Islam based on citations of Sunnis and the other issues )

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1- Caliphate system faked this statement and attributed it to the Prophet (s) in order to seize Fadak from Fatima Zahra (a): (نحن معاشر الأنبياء لا نورث درهما و دينارا) It is being narrated that Ayesha and Hafṣa were among those who testified that the Prophet (s) had said as such! (Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol.16, pp.220-221) Fadak was a fertile land in Hijaz nearby Kheybar which took two or three days to reach it. It contained boiling spring and plenty of palm trees. After the Messenger (s) returned from the conquest of Kheybar, God instilled fear and dismay into the hearts of people of Fadak who were obstinate Jews. They sent someone to the Prophet (s) and made peace with him on entrusting half of Fadak land to him. The Messenger (s) accepted it and signed the peace treaty. In this way, Fadak was owned by the Messenger of God (s) because as the holy Qur'an says something gained by Muslims with no war is exclusive belonging to the holy Prophet (s) and it is not divided as booties: وَ مَا أَفَاءِ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْهُمْ فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلَا رِكَابٍ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسَلِّط رُسُلَهُ عَلَى مَن يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ * مَّا أَفَاء اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ كَيْ لَا يَكُونَ دُولَةٌ قَدِيرٌ بَيْنَ الْأَغْنِيَاء مِنكُمْ آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ » Historians wrote that the Prophet (s) granted land of Fadak to lady of Islam, Fatima Zahra (a); for example, Jalaluddin Siyūți, a renowned Sunni interpreter, in his interpretation, Al-Durr Al-Manthūr", on Qur'an ......: 38, quoted Abu Sa'adi Khedri saying that when the Revelation came down, the Messenger (s) called on Fatima (‘a) and granted Fadak to her. Hadith says in this way: لما نزل قوله تعالى: «فَآتِ ذَا الْقُرْبَى حَقَّهُ»، أعطى رسول الله ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ) فاطمة فدكا. Under the same Revelation, another narration is being quoted from Ibn-e-e 'Abbas with the same theme. (Al-Durr Al-Manthur, vol.4, p.177) Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid Mu'atazili-the famous Sunni scientist- writes in Sharh-e Nahj Al- Balagha: I asked my tutor, Ali Ibn-e-e Fāreqi: Was Fatima (‘a) honest in her claim of Fadak ownership? He said: Yes! I said: Why did Abubakr not give Fadak to her while Fatima was trustworthy for him?! He grinned and said in a humorous and delicate tone while he was never used to saying jokes: «لو أعطاها اليوم فدكا بمجرد دعواها لجائت إليه غدا وأدعت لزوجها الخلافة و زحزحته عن مقامه و لم يمكنه الإعتذار و المدافعة بشيء لأنّه يكون قد سجّل على نفسه بأنّها صادقة فيما تدّعيه، كائنا ما كان من غير حاجة إلى بينة » If Abubakr granted Fadak to Fatima (a) once she claimed that day, she would come to him and would claim caliphate for her husband and he would have to leave office without any excuses and defense because by granting Fadak to her, he had admitted that Fatima (‘a) was honest in whatever she claimed with no need to evidence and proof. Al-Hadid adds more: This is a reality although my tutor raised it jokingly. (Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, vol.4, p.78) Our lord, Amir Al-Mo'amenin (a) says about Fadak: بَلَى كَانَتْ فِي أيْدِينَا فَدَكٌ مِنْ كُلِّ مَا أظَلَّتْهُ السَّمَاءُ، فَشَحَتْ عَلَيْهَا نُفُوسُ قَوْمٍ وَ سَخَتْ عَنْهَا نُفُوسُ قَوْمِ آخَرِينَ، وَ نِعْمَ الْحَكَمُ الله It is true! Fadak was what the heaven cast a shadow and it was in our hands, but some people felt envious of it while some others overlooked it generously; the best judge and arbitrator is God. (Nahj Al-Balagha, letter No. 45)

They left you, an effervescent and tumultuous sea of divine perfections and introducer of medina of the knowledge of the Prophet (s), and made you keep house for 25 years and stopped you giving the pure facts and divinely high cultures to people.

But you kept patient while you were a thorn in their flesh and a bone in their throat; you yourself said:

"I kept patient while I resembled someone whose flesh is filled with thorn and whose throat is clogged by bone; I myself saw that my inheritance was being plundered."(1)

In one of the days-during caliphate-when you were making speech for people, an Arab man entered into the session saying: Woe! I have been )

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1- ... فَصَبْرَتُ وَ فِي الْعَيْنِ قَدَى، وَ فِي الْحَلْقِ شَجا، أرى تُراثي نَهْبا ...... (Part of sermon 3 of Nahj Al-Balagha known after Shaqshaqiyya)

tyrannized! You told him: Come up here! When the man approached, you told him: O' Arab man! I have been tyrannized to the extent of sands, pebbles and hair of animals.(1)

You constantly joined the Messenger of God (s) and slayed the Arab great men and those with a recorded history, who blocked Islam to enhance Islam and defend religion and the Prophet (s); the hypocrite dissidents who could not revenge the Prophet (s) held all their grudges against you for impure blood of their common ancestors after departure of the Prophet (s). They took revenge of you through casting you out of society(2) and if you had not had good patience, you would have been killed. You unfolded this fact after 25 years passed from Saqifa Bani Sa'ida and said:

"I noticed that I have no companions but my family for achieving my right and if I had not taken any action, everyone would have been killed; hence, I was not pleased to find them killed. I closed my thorn-filled eyes and I sipped taste of events while bearing my throat clogged with bones. This state of mine was more distasteful than colocynth, but I tried to be tolerant. "

1- لقد ظلمت عدد المدد والوبر . (Mustadrak Al-Alṣaḥiḥin, Hakem Neishabouri, vol.3, p.142; Kanz Al-Ammāl, vol.6, p.157) Another hadith reads that: An Arab man was received by Ali ('a) at Kufa mosque and said: "O' Ali, I'm being oppressed! Ali ('a) said to him: Come closer! He kept close. Ali ('a) said: What do you say? He said: O' Amir Al-Mo'amenin! I am being oppressed. Ali said to him: Come much closer! He came closer so much that Ali (‘a) could put his hand on the man's leg and said: What cruelty did you suffer? He explained about the cruelty imposed on him and complained; Ali (‘a) replied: O' Arab man! I have been more under oppression....to the extent of dusts and hairs of animals; there is no house of Arab but you find I'm being oppressed; I have always been oppressed so long as I have been here. (Al-Jarayeḥ va Al-Kharā'ij, Rāwandi, vol.1, p.180) Ali (‘a) says more: ما زلت مظلوما منذ قبض الله تعالى نبيه إلى يوم الناس. Since the Messenger of God (s) met the Maker, I have been oppressed. (Shafi, Seyyed Mortada, vol.3, p.223; Safinat Al-Biḥār, Moḥaddeth Qomi, Vo.2, p.108)

2-

You found that reasoning and argumentation of a lot is not of a consequence and the caliphate system and its followers insist on maintaining their power. By appraising conditions of the Islamic society, you drew this conclusion that if you insist on capturing the government and administering your right, there will be a situation where efforts made by the Prophet (s) and bloods given for irrigating the sapling of Islam are wasted; hence, you gave up pursuing caliphate to maintain the main Islam(1).

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1- Amir Al-Mo'amenan ('a) whose inalienable right has been usurped after departure of the Prophet (s) never kept silent and defended himself in assemblies and recounted advice and wills of the Prophet (s) to people, but when he learned that ummah did not lend ears to him, he refused to take armed action to take his right. One may ask why Ali (a) did not take armed action to administer his right. Answer: In those circumstances, if Ali ('a) had launched armed fighting against the usurper system of caliphate, great threats would have been imposed on the principled Islam, which can be enumerated as follows: •In case Imam had seized government and power by resorting to power and armed uprising, he would have lost many of his loved ones who believed in his leadership and Imamate in their soul and flesh. Besides, a large group of Companions of the Prophet (s) who were displeased with the caliphate of Imam would have been killed. Although this group stood on opposite position to Imam about the issue leadership and they were not pleased that Ali (‘a) would hold control of affairs because of grudges they held against him, they had no differences with him and if they were killed, Muslims would have weakened power because they were considered as an authority in the face of polytheism, idolatry, Christianism and Judaism. When Imam departs to Basra for stifling those who breached their promises (Talhah and Zubar) delivered a sermon in which he stressed this sensitive issue and said: When God seized the spirit of the Prophet (s), the Quraysh took over us by self- centeredness and stopped us leading the ummah because we were the most qualified; however, I found that patience is better than creating disunity among Muslims and their bloodshed because people had recently embraced Islam and religion looked like a water skin filled with milk that has foam: the least negligence would spoil it and the smallest man could let it down. (Deep research about life of Ali ('a), Ja'afar Sobhani, p.222, quoted from Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid) Since many groups of people and tribes who had turned to Islam in the last years of the Prophet's lifetime had not covered necessary training of Islam and had not been absorbed by the light of faith in their hearts, some of them once heard of the news of demise of the Prophet (s) hoisted banner of apostasy and return to idolatry and virtually opposed the Islamic government in Medina; they were not ready to pay Islamic taxes and threatened Medina by organizing military forces. For this, the first thing the new government did was that it mobilized a group of Muslims to battle against apostates and suppress their rebellion; at last, their rebellion was defused with the efforts of Muslims. Of course, this never means that all performances of Abubakr's rule were truly confirmed, particularly when Malik Ibn-e-e Nuwayra and his companions were murdered because Malik Ibn-e-e Nuwarah and his people who paid no zakat to Abubakr not for the reason that they denied the main zakat; rather, they found Ali's right for government and said zakat payment to Abubakr was illegitimate. However, the caliphate system released the ruling of their apostasy and Khalid Ibn-e-e Walid beheaded Nuwayrah and his people after giving them clemency. He cooked a pottage with their heads in a large pot that night and committed adultery with Nuwayrah's wife in his camp tent!! Detailed account of this deplorable event is included in vol. 7 of Al-Ghadir with references to various sources of Sunnis. Where the reactionary foes of Islam upheld banner of apostasy and threatened the Islamic government, it was not outright for Imam (a) to hold another banner and rise up. Imam (a) points to this point in one of his letters written for people of Egypt: ".....I swear to God I had never thought and occurred to mind that post-Prophet (s) Arabs reversed the affair of Imamate and leadership from his progeny and keep away caliphate from me! The only thing which worried me was that people gathered with the fellow (Abubakr) for making allegiance to him. Having seen this situation, I waited and saw that a group of people quitted Islam and wanted to destroy the religion of Muhammad (s). Here, I feared that if I do not help Islam and its people, I must witness destruction and schism in it, disaster of which is much greater for me than my deprivation of ruling over you. (Nahj Al-Balagha, letter No. 62) Also, Imam (a) in his early days of his caliphate reminded this matter in a sermon. 'Abdullah Ibn-e-e Jonādeh says: I arrived in Medina from Mecca in early days of Ali's rule; I saw everybody has come together in the mosque of Prophet (s), expecting Ali (‘a) to come. Ali ('a) suddenly came out of the house while shouldering his sword. Everyone started at him and he went up pulpit to address them after praising God in this way: "Lo! People! Know that when the Prophet (s) left this world, we thought that nobody would compete with us over the rule that he founded and would never seize our right covetously because we were his heir, warden and progeny; unlike what we expected, some people of our tribe assaulted on our right and withdrew caliphate from us and others captured the rule.......by God! If I had not feared creation of schism among Muslims and re-return of atheism and idolatry to land of Islam, I would have treated them differently. أما بعد، فإنّه لما قبض الله نبيه قلنا: نحن أهله وورثته وعترته وأوليائه دون الناس لا ينازعنا سلطانه أحد، ولا يطمع في حقنا طامع ، إذا انبرى لنا قومنا فغصبونا سلطان نبينا فصارت الإمارة لغيرنا. وايم الله ! لولا مخافة الفرقة بين المسلمين و ان يعود الكفر و يبور الدين لكنا على غير ما كنالهم عليه. (Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol.1, p.307) In addition to threat of apostates, claimants of prophetic mission and falsified prophets like "Musailama", "Tulayḥa" and "Sajjah" appeared at the stage and each brought together his own followers and forces; they intended to attack Medina, but their forces were defeated with the cooperation and unity of Muslims thanks to their serious efforts.

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and you made a statement years later:

"I gave up donning roble of caliphate and abandoned it while I was deep in thought whether I could rise up alone (without followers) and (seize my right) or I keep patient in a suffocating atmosphere of oppression they created? An atmosphere where the old grow worn out, the youth grow old and the faithful are compelled to suffer until the last moments of life; finally, I saw that tolerance and patience remains closer to wisdom and intellect; therefore, I kept patient but I looked like the one who has thorn in his eyes and bone in his throat. I noticed openly that my heritage is being plundered.(1)ţ

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1- ... فَسَدَلْتُ دُونَها ثَوْبَا وَ طَوَيْتُ عَنْها كَشْحا، وَ طَفِقْتُ أرْتَنى بَيْنَ أن أصُولَ بِيدٍ جَدّاءَ ، أَوْ أصْبِرَ عَلَى طَخْيَهِ عَمْياءَ يَهْرَمُ فِيهَا الْكَبِيرُ وَ يَشِيبُ فِيهَا الصَّغِيرُ، وَ يَكْدَحُ فِيهَا مُومِنٌ حَتَّى يَلْقى رَبِّهُ، فَرَأَيْتُ أَنَّ الصَّبْرَ عَلى هاتا أحْجِي فَصَبْرَتُ وَ فِي الْعَيْنِ قَدَى، وَ (Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 3). The Prophet (s) told Amir Al-Mo'amenin (‘a) one day: يا علي اتق الضغائن التي في صدور من لا يظهرها إلا بعد موتى اولئك يلعنهم الله و يلعنهم اللاعنون. O' Ali! Fear the tricks and grudges people hold and they do not reveal them as long as I live; they unfold them after I die; God damns them and the world will damn them. Later, the Prophet (s) began to weep. Someone asked: Why are you weeping? He said: أخبرني جبرئيل إنّهم يظلمونه و يمنعونه حقه ويقاتلونه ويقتلون ولده ويظلمونهم بعده. I was informed by Gabriel that they render him cruelty and stop him having his right; they fight with him, kill his children and raise tyranny against the descendants after him. (Biḥār Al-Anwār, vol.28, p.45) Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid Mu'atazili who is a Sunni scientist also puts it: It was customary among Arabs that if any one of them was killed, his killer must be avenged. If the killer died and he could not be avenged, his close relative must be avenged; this bad and foolish custom also applied to the Prophet (s) and Ali ('a) because the Prophet (s) spilled the blood of any one of the impure people who blocked path of God by sword of Ali ('a). As they could not take revenge of the Messenger of God (s), they imposed all their complexes and vengeances on Ali (‘a) and avenged him because Ali ('a) was a closer relative of the Prophet (s). They rendered their grudges against 23-year-old Be'athat till his departure against Ali ('a). (Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol. 13, p.30) Al-Hadid says again: I asked Abi Ja'afar Yaḥya Ibn-e-e Abi Zayd: I am amazed how it happened that Ali remained alive despite all grudge-inflamed hearts of Arabs against Ali (‘a) and he could live thirty years after the Prophet (s) and they did not kill him?! He replied: Yes, Ali (‘a) changed his policy, put his sword aside, stayed at home and became engaged in prayers and invocation. He acted like roamers and monks. People followed others and they (the caliphate system) had no incentive to murder Ali ('a); hence, Ali remained safe and sound and he would have been killed, if the situation had been different. (Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, vol. 13, p.301)ţ

Although you witnessed that the ummah of the Prophet (s) turned back from you and went out of the straight path, but you gave them chance and compassionately helped and guided them, particularly when some Jews, Christians and citizens of other nations headed for Medina to inquire about Islam. They raised questions from caliphs and Companions, but they could not answer them. They had no way but referring them to you. You as the gate of knowledge of the Prophet (s) answered their questions based on the Torah, Bible and the Qur'an. This created great wonder and joy on the looks of the caliphs who had taken the seat of the Prophet (s)! (1).

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1- In Sunni and Shiite historical sources, it is said that Jews and Christians asked Caliphs. questions and they could hardly answer them. They inevitably asked Ali ('a) for help. The late Alameh Majlisi says in vol.3, p.309 of his Biḥār Al-Anwar quoting Sheikh. Mufid's Ershad and Tabarsi's Eḥtejāj that a Jewish person came to Medina and asked Abubakr: Where is your God? Is He in the sky or on the earth? Abubakr replied: He is in the heaven. Jewish man answered: So to you, Muslims, the earth is empty of God and He is somewhere and He is not anywhere! Abubakr angrily said: What he says is Manichaean heresy; keep him away from me; otherwise, I kill him! The Jewish man goes out of mosque while he pokes fun of beliefs of Muslims. On the way, he meets Amir Mo'amenan (a) and he answers his question in this way: "God has created place and He is in need of place." «إنّ الله أين الأين فلا أين له » The Jewish man is contented with such an answer and says: I testify that your answer is the naked truth and you deserve more taking the place of your Prophet than the one who dominates you! Similar examples of the above story are cited in the following sources: • Biḥār Al-Anwar, vol. 10, p.26, "Fada'el", Fadl Ibn-e-e Shāzān • Ibid, p.1, Khiṣāl, Shiekh ṣaduq • Ibid, p. 18, Tawhid, ṣaduq • Ibid, p.23, Ghaybat, Nu'amāni • Ibid, p,52, Eḥtejāj And...... Expressing that people from different religions came to Medina and asked Caliphs questions. They referred them to Ali ('a) after their inability of answering the questions. Ali (‘a) answered all of their questions scientifically and convincingly.

When the caliphate system was faced with a deadlock to deal with political matters and some problems, they had no way but referring to you for solutions. Words fail the author to describe it, but you answered their queries and led them out of their impasse.

Particularly during Omar Ibn-e Khaṭṭāb's caliphate, there happened various problems with the conquests and expansion of countries by the army of Islam and the Caliph could not handle the problems, he referred to you and you guided him, so he said: If Ali (‘a) had not helped me (in solving obstacles of governance), Omar could have perished!(1))

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1- Omar was frustrated in answering religious queries and removing the socio-political hurdles in different ways. He had to refer to Ali (‘a) for answers and he helped him out of predicaments. He said on and on: if Ali wasn't there, Omar would perish. And also said: If Ali wasn't there, Omar would be scandalized. And added: O' God! Put me on a land where Ali is not there. Now, the above statements are quoted from Sunni sources: لولا علي [ عليه السلام ] لهلك عمر. (Al-Kefaya, Ḥafez Ganji, p.96; Al-Fușul Al-Hommah, Ibn-e-e ṣabbagh Māleki, p. 18; Al- Esti'ab, Ibn-e-e 'Abdulberr, vol.3, p.1102 and...) اللهم لا تبقني لمعضلة ليس لها ابن أبي طالب [ عليه السلام ]. (Nazm Durr Al-Samțin, Zarandi Hanafi, p.132; Manāqeb Khwārazmi, p.97 and.....) عجزت النساء أن يلدن مثل عليّ بن أبي طالب [ عليه السلام ]. (Yanābi'a Al-Mawadda, vol.3, chapter 65, p.146 and......) ردوا قول عمر إلى الإمام علي ( عليه السلام ] لولا علي ( عليه السلام ] لهلك عمر. (T'awil Mokhtalef Al-Hadith, Ibn-e-e Qutayba, p.152; Al-Esti'ab, vol.3, p.1103; Zakhā'er Al-Uqbā, p.82; Tafsir-e Fakhr-e Razi, vol.28, p.15 and....) (Tamhid, Bāqelāni, p. 199 and........). لولا علی علبه السلام لضلّ عمر (Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol. 19, p.158) لولاک لافتضحنا يا أبا الحسن ! لا أبقانى الله لشدّة لست فيها و لا في بلد لست فيه. (Ketab Al-Azkiya, Sebt Ibn-e-e Jawziyya, p.18; Kanz Al-Ammal, vol.3, p.179; Zakha'er Al-Uqbā, p.80 and...) لا أبقاني الله بأرض لست فيها يا أبا الحسن. (Mustadrak Ḥākem, vol. 1, p.457; Al-Jame'a Al-Kabir, Siyūți, vol.3, p.35; Umdat Al- Qāri, 'Ayni Ḥanafi, vol.4, p.606 and........)

O' lord, you are honorable! More honorable than breadth of the Seven Heavens!

That is true! You solved problems of the very person who ordered your house to be raided, set ablaze it and stab your honorable wife!

One of the staunchest enemies of Islam was Roman Empire which incessantly threatened the central government of Islam in the north. Prophet Muhammad (s) joined by a massive army headed for Tabuk in 9th of Hijra to fight with Romans. He came back to Medina without fighting, but the threat of Roman Empire always preoccupied his mind. For the same reason, in last moments of his life when he was ill, he arranged an army of the Helpers and Migrants to be dispatched to Damascus. The army failed to leave Medina for reasons (referred to in theosophy nineteen) and the Prophet (s) died while the army of Islam had set up camp seven kilometers far from Medina; later, those painful events.......

After Abubakr seized caliphate, he was utterly doubtful about fulfilling the Prophet's commandment (battle against Romans). Therefore, he consulted with a group of Ṣaḥāba, but the consultation did not let Abubakr abandon his doubtfulness because everyone formed his own opinions. Then, he asked your idea and you told him: If you enter into combat, you will win. The Caliph became happy when he heard you saying that and said: you struck good omen and tidings.(1)

During Omar's rule in 14 A.H, army of Islam and Iranian military launched )

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1- ان فعلت ظفرت فقال بشرت بخیر.(Tarikh-e Ya'qubi, vol.3, p.39)

a hard-fought battle in Qādesiyya. Sa'ad Waqqāṣ, the commander of the army, wrote a letter to Omar and let him know about the threats of enemy and their integrated assault on the federal government. He further said that army of Islam is prepared to begin preemptive attack on the enemy.

Omar went to mosque and brought together the heads of ṣaḥāba and informed them that he wanted to leave Medina to stay at an area between Basra and Kufa and commandeer the army.

This time, Talḥah stood up and exhorted the Caliph to do that; he made statements which smelled cajolery and flattery very well.

After him, Uthman rose and not only did he encourage the Caliph to leave Medina, but also he added: Write a letter to the army of Sham and Yemen to desert their regions to join your forces to counter with the enemy.

This time, you were in the mosque; for victory of the army of Islam, you stood up and said:

"Victory or defeat of the army is not dependent on more or less population of the army, this is religion of God that made it triumphant and it is Army of God that He prepared and helped it.

The situation of ruler looks like thread of beads that brought them together; if the thread is torn apart, beads are scattered and they can never be collected and formed anew.

Today, although Arabs are a few in number, but they are powerful and endeared with the force of Islam and in the light of society, unity and harmony; therefore, you rotate the society like millstone by means of Muslims and fuel the flame of war with enemies with their aid because if you yourself leave Medina, Arabs from everywhere will not obey your orders and what you have left behind is more important than what you have ahead of you. [This means that if you leave hub of caliphate system, some people might, in your absence, spur rebellion and uprising and disrupt the system of Islamic ummah. This threat of internal turbulence is worse than that of the external enemies.]

And if non-Arabs see you tomorrow in the battlefield, they will say: this is the basis and origin of Arabs, if this basis is uprooted, you feel comfortable. This idea will make them more covetous and determined in

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destroying you and battling against you.

As for what you said, they prepare to fight with Muslims and you are upset about it. Know that God feels displeased with this more than you and He is more omnipotent over what He finds pleasant.

As for the increased number of enemy troops you referred to; know that we never relied on the number of men in the battles in the past; rather, we counted on assistance of God and we became victorious.(1)

Having heard your statements, Omar found them pleasant and made up his mind not to leave Medina(2), saying: I invoke by God that problem might come up and Ali (‘a) is here to solve it.(3)

If you were domineering and opportunist, you would tell Omar: Join the troops in the battle! So that he might be killed and you could seize the power in Medina. If he had not been killed in the war, you would have taken control of the central government in his absence and troops. In this way, he would have been removed from caliphate and you could have become the Caliph, which was your legal right rather than others.

a

But you never used weapon of deceitfulness for achieving your own right; instead, you overlooked your right honorably for the sake of the interests of Islamic community and you constantly led ummah in their problems on the days when they disavowed you from your right.

Of course, this never seemed that you conceal the facts; rather, you told people who rushed to you and swore allegiance to you right after death of the Caliph III and that those three men were not the true Caliphs of the Messenger (s), but they had usurped the divine status!

True! You made your everlasting statements and unfolded the facts as such: 9

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1- Nahj Al-Balagha, şobḥi ṣāleḥ, sermon 146

2- Al-Kāmel, Ibn-e-e Athir, vol.3, p.8; Tarikh-e Ṭabari, vol.4, p.237; Al-Badāya va Al- Nahāya, Ibn-e-e Kathir, vol.7, p.107

3- Al-Eṣābat fi Tamiiz Al-ṣaḥāba, Ibn-e-e Hajar Asqalani, vol.2, p.509; Al-Esti'ab, Ibn- e-e 'Abdulberr, vol.3, p.39

"Be aware! I swear to God!

Ababakr donned garment of caliphate while he knew that my status in relation to Islamic government looks like axis of mill in relation to mill which rotates around it. He knew that I owned enormous stock of knowledge and high-flying gulls of ideas cannot fly as high as my high value.....so that the Caliph I kept on his way and shifted caliphate to Khaṭṭāb's son.....

Amazingly! Ababakr who, in his lifetime, asked people to accept his excuses, [Abubakr repeatedly said: Leave me alone and excuse me from caliphate because I am not better than you]. How did he entrust caliphate to someone else while he was dying?

Both overused caliphate and utilized its outcomes; at last, the first one drove the government on a way and entrusted it to a man {Omar} who was a combination of violence, hard-headedness, mistake and apology.

Ruler resembles someone who rides on a rebellious camel; if he reigns hard, camel's nostrils are torn and if he leaves it free, it falls down the cliff.

I swear to God!

People had been in troubles of pain and suffering in the second Caliph's rule. They experienced hypocrisies and oppositions and I had no alternative but to remain patient during the long painful and agonizing times until my lifetime passed.

Later, Omar assigned others on the caliphate and guessed that I equal them! I take refuge in God because of this Shura!! When had I been in doubt before them and now I am equivalent to members of Shura.

inevitably fell short in struggling with them again and I came in harmony with them. One of them who held grudge with me became upset [S'ad Ibn- e Abi Waqqāṣ who was one of the six-member Shura] and the other one found his groom superior ['Abdulrahman Ibn-e Auf, Uthman's brother-in- law who had right of veto in Shura as Omar had ordered!] and those two others whose names are not good to say. [Talhah and Zubayr who rebelled against Imam because of being shrewd and rascal and created Jamal battle] until Uthman became Caliph. His stomach bulged of overeating and he frequented between kitchen and men's room. His father's relatives from

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the Umayyad rose up and overused public property as hungry as a greedy camel which eats spring-grown plants. Uthman lavished so much that he was discredited, his acts provoked people and his gorging destroyed him...."(1) 3)

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1- Nahj Al-Balagha, sermon 3, known after "Shaqshaqiyya", one of the most noted sermons of Ali ('a) in Nahj Al-Balagha. Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid who is one of the Sunni ulema of 7th A.H. quotes "Ibn-e-e Kheshāb saying: By God! I studied this sermon in books written 200 years before Seyyed Radi (ra)( author of Nahj Al-Balagha). (Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol.1, p.206) The late Allameh Amini cites proofs in his Al-Ghadir, vol.7 from Sunni sources to prove the above claim. It is worth mentioning that Seyyed Radi (ra), author of Nahj Al-Balagha, is one of the Shiite ulemas living in 4th century A.H. The Remainder of Theosophy Account As said, Imam Ali Ibn-e-e Abiṭāleb ('a) was the first to have faith in the Messenger (s) since childhood and he was never polluted even slightly during the Ignorance Age. This happened while others were tainted with idolatry, liquor drinking, gambling and other sins. Now, a few examples only from Sunni sources are given here: Ibn-e-e 'Abbas says: During Ignorance Age, people gambled on their assets and even their wives and Jaṣṣāṣ (dead in 371 A.H.) subscribes Ibn-e-e 'Abbas in this way: Abubakr was also among the gamblers of that time. (Aḥkām Al-Qur'an, Jaṣṣāṣ, vol. 1, p.388) 'Akrameh says: Abubakr gambled with Ubay Ibn-e-e Khalaf and the like of polytheists. (Kashf Al-Ghummeh, Sh'arāni, vol.2, p.154) Of course, it is to be said that such acts of ṣaḥāba, before they turn to Islam, cannot be reasons behind their scold and punishment because Islam vanishes sins and makes up for the past acts provided they honestly accept it. But some of them, after they embraced Islam, embarked on drinking liquor and carouse. For example: Sunni historians say Abubakr once drank liquor and became drunk and read this poem: تحيى بالسلام ام بكر *** وهل لک بعد قومک من سلام O' mother of Bakr! Greeting with peace be upon you, do you guess I am relaxed after murder of your relatives (those killed of polytheists in Badr battle). When the Prophet (s) heard this, he went to see Abubakr while his robe was stretching behind him. He found him with Omar. The Prophet (s), irritated and blushed, looked at Abubakr; Abubakr said: I invoke by God from anger of the Prophet (s). (Al-Eṣābat, Ibn- e-e Ḥajar, vol.4, p.23) This is narrated by some Sunni ulema. (For sources from Sunnis, refer to Al-Ghadir, vol.7); but the narration has been distorted to maintain the Caliph's reputation, saying that this story goes back to Ignorance Age, neglecting that Abubakr has addressed the Prophet (s) as "the Messenger of God". How may the event have happened during Ignorance Age and before Be'athat of the Messenger (s)? Secondly, the poem Abubakr recited was about those murdered in Badr battle. It goes without saying that the event had happened post- Badr battle. Besides, Sunnis have narrated that one day Omar drank bitter wine and became drunk. He grabbed jaw bone of a camel and hit 'Abdulrahman Ibn-e-e Auf on the head with it; he broke his head and stood down, eulogizing the killed infidels in the Badr battle..... (Rabi'a Al-A'brar, Zomokhshari, vol.4, p.51; Al-Mostaṭraf Ibshihi, vol.2, p.260; Al- Ghadir, vol.6, p.251) It is also narrated during Omar's rule, one Arab on the way to Medina imagining that there is water inside Omar's pot took it and drank water inside it not knowing that there is wine in the pot not water. The Arab man became drunk after drinking wine. Omar ordered him to be whipped 80 times!! The Arab man, after being whipped, said to Omar: O' Amir Al-Mo'amenin! I drank the wine you did! Omar poured some water in wine and said: [I didn't whip you because of drinking wine; but I whipped you for becoming drunk]. If you fear wine might intoxicate you, break its bitterness with water. (Aḥkām Al-Qur'an, vol.2, p.565; Jama' Masanid, Abi Hanifa, vol. 2, p. 192; Kanz Al- Ammal, vol.3, p.110; Al-Ghadir, vol.6, p.258) (What Omar said happened while the Almighty God absolutely banned drinking of wine in the Qur'anic 5:90). Also, Sunni historians and hadith writers say: When Mecca was conquered, 15 people joined Abu Talhah, son of Sahl in his house for liquor drinking and Anas, then an 18-year-old young man was bartender there. Omar and Abubakr were also there. (Fath Al-Bāri, vol.10, p.30; Musnad-e Ahmad, vol.3, p.227, hadith 181; Tafsir-e Țabari, vol.7, p.14; Al-Ghadir, vol.7, p.100) Considering such citations from Sunnis, people of insight draw two important conclusions: 1) They can never succeed the Messenger of God (s) because Imamate and caliphate is promised by God who says: (وَ إِذِ ابْتَلَى إِبْراهيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِماتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ قالَ إِنِّى جاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِماما قالَ وَ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتى قالَ لا يَنالُ عَهْدِى الظَّالِمِينَ ) "When the Creator and Nurturer of Ibrahim tried him with certain Words of Commands, which he fulfilled Allah stated to him: "Verily, I will appoint you a Divine Leader for mankind.” Ibrahim said: “And also from my offspring? Allah stated: "My Covenant does not reach the polytheists and the wrongdoers." And God has said in the above revelation that My Promise never goes to the oppressors; and since drinking liquor is included within cardinal sins and self-oppression, they never deserved succeeding the Messenger of God (s); rather, this succession belonged to someone who had not been tainted with even a bit of sinfulness and cruelty. That personality is Ali (a) lord of all creatures. 2) Those who committed wine drinking despite divine prohibition during Muhammad's time find no problem to change the trend of Divine Viceroy, break into the house of revelation, set fire on it and martyr Fatima (‘a). 3)

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Divine Peace betides upon you who are honorable and manliness is being interpreted with your name and high status of patience is elucidated with you!

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Theosophy Twenty Two

I certify that the Almighty God has deposited the first and the last knowledge in your constellation-like heart.

One can hardly speak about your knowledge which is an endless ocean!

After your brother, the Messenger of God (s), you are the most knowledge- based being of God. No close Angel or Messenger, no being in the heavens and earth possess knowledge like yours. God has bestowed you whatever knowledge, more than what He has granted to His Angels and Messengers.

What is said is not exaggerative! But it is a truth expressed by the Messenger (s):

"Knowledge has six parts, five sixth of it belongs to Ali and one sixth of it people have; Ali shares it with people too in such a way that he stands higher than them in one sixth of it.

The Messenger of God (s) is elixir of knowledge of creation and leader of series of world of contingency and he is closer to proximity of Allah than all creatures; God says about him:

"Statements of the Messenger are nothing but Divine teachings and Revelation and God has taught him very strongly. "(1)

The Messenger (s) has been cognizant of secrets of world of contingency and those of the universe more than anyone else even the near-stationed Angels and your knowledge is extracted from his Divine Knowledge and he said:

I am city of knowledge and Ali is its gate; so whoever wants knowledge, he

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Theosophy Account Twenty Two

Hadiths about the magnitude of Ali (‘a)'s knowledge quoted from Sunni sources and other issues

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1- «إِنْ هُوَ إِلا وَحْيٌ يُوحى " عَلَّمَهُ شَدِيدُ القُوى » .. He relates to you only what is revealed to him* by the Supreme Power he has been taught (Najm: 4 and 5)

shall enter through that gate.(1)

And said:

"I am place of theosophy and Ali is its gate (2)

It's true!

You are gate of the Messenger's knowledge and acquisition of his knowledge is not made possible unless you are referred to!

You inherit the knowledge of all Messengers of God and you yourself said:

"Ask me secrets of the Invisible World because I inherit all knowledge of )

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1- ( أنا مدينة العلم فعليّ بابها فمن أراد العلم فليأت الباب ) .. The above hadith is among the well-known hadiths which is found in abundance in Sunni sources; here, some examples are given: • ṣaḥiḥ, Hakem Neishābūri, vol.3, p.126 • Al-Esti'ab, Ibn-e-e 'abdulberr, vol.3, p.1102 • Nezhat Al-Nawazir, Halwāni, p.9 • Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol.7, p.219 •Al-Mo'ajam Al-Kabir, Tayrāni, vol. 11, p.55 •Al-Jame'a Al-ṣaghir, Siyuți, vol. 1, p.415 •Kanz Al-Ammal, Mottaqi Hendi, vol. 13, p.148 •Shawāhed Al-Tanzil, Hakem Ḥaskāni Neishabūri, vol. 1, p. 104 •Tarikh-e Khulafa', Siyūți, p.171 •Osad Al-Ghāba, Ibn-e-e Athir, vol.4, p.22 •Al-Sawa'iq Al-Muhriqa, Ibn-e-e Hajar Asqalani, p.76 •Tarikh-e Baghdad, Khatib Baghdadi, vol.3, p.181 •Tazkerat Al-Huffaz, Zahabi, vol.4, p.1231 •Feyd Al-Qadir, Manāvi, vol.3, p.60 •Al-Manaqib, Ibn-e-e Marduga, p.85 •Tahzib Al-Tahzib, Ibn-e-e Hajar Asqalani, vol.7, p.296 •Al-Badāya va Al-Nahāya, Ibn-e-e Kathir, vol.7, p.395 And tens of other sources which quoted the above hadith from the Messenger (s).

2- أنا دار الحكمة و على بابها (Sunan-e Termezi, hadith no. 3723; Kanz Al-Ammal, hadith No. 32889; Yanābi'a Al- Mawadda, vol.1, chapter 14, p.217)

the Messengers of God. (1)

God says in His everlasting Words:

“Are people who know equal to those who do not know [of course, they are not equal] and they do not say unless they are wise. "(2)

How the first one could give priority to himself while he knew that you possess tremendous knowledge of theosophy!(3)

How the second one who confessed "everyone is jurisprudent more than him even women behind curtains"(4) could give priority to himself while he 8

P: 339

1- سلونى عن أسرار الغيوب فإنّي وارث علوم الأنبياء والمرسلين (Sharh-e Iḥqaq Al-Haqq, vol.7, p.620; Yanābi'a Al-Mawadda, Hanafiya Qunduzi, chapter 16, p.69)

2- « هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَ الَّذِينَ لا يَعْلَمُونَ إِنَّما يَتَذَكَّرُ أُولُوا الْأَلْبابِ » .. ...say [O' Messenger!]: "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" Only men of reason are reminded by these Words of Revelations (Zumar: 9)

3- Imam Ali (‘a) says in his sermon 3 of Nahj Al-Balagha: "Be aware! I swear to God! Ababakr donned garment of caliphate while he knew that my status in relation to Islamic government looks like axis of mill in relation to mill which rotates around it. He knew that I owned enormous stock of knowledge and high-flying gulls of ideas cannot fly as high as my high value."

4- Sunni sources say: One day Omar delivered speech and said: Whoever overpays woman's marriage portion of 400 DHMS, he shall be whipped and whatever portion more than 400 DHMS is transferred to public treasury! An old woman stood up and said: O' Omar! Is your word is higher or that of God's? Omar said: Word of God! The woman said: God says in the Qur'an: «... وَآتَيْتُمْ إِحْدَاهُنَّ قِنْطارا فَلا تَأْخُذُوا مِنْهُ شَيْئًا ... » ..you have given the former a large amount of wealth for marriage-portion, do not take a bit of it back........(Nissa: 20) Omar said: كلكم أفقه من عمر حتى المخدرات في الحجال » All of you are more knowledgeable than Omar even those women behind curtains! Some Sunni sources which quoted the above statements: •Sira-e Omar Ibn-e-e Khaṭṭāb, Sebt Ibn-e-e Jawziyya, p.129 •Tafsir-e Ibn-e-e Kathir, vol. 1, p.467 • Tafsir-e Kashshaf, vol. 1, p.357 • Tarikh-e Baghdad, vol.3, p.257 • Majma' Al-Zawa'id, Heythami, vol.4, p.284 • Al-Durr Al-Manthur, Siyūți, vol.2, p.133 • Fath Al-Ghadir, Manāvi, vol.2, p.8

knew that the Messenger (s) told about you:

"After me, Ali Ibn-e Abiṭālib is the most knowledgeable man among my ummah. "(1)

Do people who are unable to deal with the simplest religious and scientific issues deserve being successor of the Messenger (s) or you who were, are and will be the gate of Muhammad's knowledge?!

How and on what basis did people of that time follow them while God says?

"Are people who know equal to those who do not know?!"

Is someone who himself needs guidance of others deserves taking the seat of the Messenger (s) or someone who has been favored by God and been granted knowledge by Him and not only is he on the Straight Path, but also he himself is the straight path?! (2)

God and His Messenger (s) did not let them to do so and they willfully seized the seat of the Messenger (s) and people also willfully followed them!

The insincere ummah left you aside and they deprived themselves of your unending blessings. You said repeatedly:

"O' people! Come and ask me your questions as long as I survive and )

P: 340

1- أعلم أمتى من بعدى عليّ بن أبي طالب . (Kanz Al-Ummal, Mottaq Hendi, hadith No. 32977; Yanābi'a Al-Mawadda, Sheikh Sulayman Hanafiya Qundūzi, vol. 1, p.264 and..............)

2- قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم عن علي عليه السلام: إنّه الصراط المستقيم و إنّه الذي يسأل عن ولايته يوم القيامة. (Nahj Al-Haqq va Kashf Al-şedq, Allameh Helli, p.205) و قال النبي ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ( لعلي ( عليه السلام ] أنت النبأ العظيم و الصراط المستقيم و أنت المثل الأعلى. (Shawāhed Al-Tanzil, Ḥākem Ḥaskāni, vol. 1, p.79; Manaqib-e Al-e Abiṭālib (‘a), Ibn-e- e Shahrāshūb, vol.2, p.272 and...)

Theosophy Twenty Two

know that I am aware of heavenly paths better than those of the earth. "(1)

You announced people in your luminous speech that you are omniscient and aware of secrets of creation; you know what happens in deep heavens. But alas! They could not appreciate your rank and knowledge.

You engaged in cordial worship of God in the years of pain and suffering and spent some part of your precious time to build wells and palm yards. Although you helped the miserable people and nothing you saved for yourself and your children, but is it right for someone who knows the heavenly paths better than those of the earth's and who is aware of Divine Kingdom spends his time for agriculture?!

If you were given chance, you would publish vast knowledge, reveal secrets and open doors of knowledge to people!

Although the very knowledge remained from you is an endless ocean with which only a sip would satiate those who seek divine teachings.

You always desired to find a knowledgeable person with whom you speak about sciences and secrets of creation and you frequently pointed to your chest and said:

In my chest, you find a tumultuous sea of knowledge, but alas! Nobody is in pursuit of it! (2)

One day, you had leaned back column of the Prophet's mosque, saying:

"O' the uninformed! And O' the abandoned of Divine Commands!

Know that you are inquired about all you have done! What is the matter with you that you turn back from Him and tend towards other than Him?

....I swear to God! If I want, I can let you know of all of what you've done in your life from the beginning to the end... know that I hand over these priceless mysteries to my reliable and confidant companions.

I swear to God who selected Muhammad (s); I speak nothing but truth!

The Prophet Muhammad has deposited all knowledge to me and informed )

P: 341

1- (189 Nahj Al-Balagha, sermon) أَيُّهَا الناسُ! سَلُونِي قَبْلَ أَن تَفْقِدُونِي، فَلَأَنَا بِطُرُق السَّمَاءِ أَعلَمُ مِنِّي بِطُرُق الأَرْضِ...

2- Las lalel ligo ¿! (Tafsir-e ‘Ayyāshi, vol.2, p.382; Tawḥid ṣaddūq, p.93)

me about where one dies, where one is rescued and when this government ends. He whispered happening of all events to me.

O' people! By God, I make you obey nothing but I myself obeyed before and I refrain you from no sin but I quitted it before. "(1)

True!

The Messenger (s), treasury of Divine Knowledge, taught you and you inherited his knowledge in the past and now; you yourself said:

My brother, the Messenger of God (s) confided in me thousand channels of knowledge from which thousand channels were opened.(2)

Abu Hurairah says:

I was at the presence of the Messenger (s) when Ali came in. the Messenger (s) said: Do you know who he is? I said: He is Ali Ibn-e Abiṭālib.

The Prophet (s) said:

He is an endless ocean, shining sun, more generous than the Euphrates, his heart is more widespread than the world; God may damn his foes! (3)

And Ibn-e 'Abbas also says by quoting the Prophet (s):

[On the night of ascension, mi'rāj] Gabriel brought me Dornuki, a type of kilim, and I sat on it. When I reached the presence of God, he confided in me; whatever I learned, I transferred it to Ali; therefore, Ali is channel through my knowledge. Later, he called Ali and said: O' Ali! Making peace with you is making peace with me and waging war with you is waging war )

P: 342

1- Nahj Al-Balagha, sermon 175

2- علمنى ألف باب فتح لي كلّ باب ألف باب... . (Tarikh-e Dameshq, Ibn-e-e 'Asākir, vol.42, p.385; Al-Badaya va Al-Nahaya, Ibn-e-e Kathir, vol.7, p.359; Irshad, Sheikh Mufid, p.99 and..)

3- عن ابن شاذان عن أبي هريره قال كنت عند النبي ( صلى الله عليه وآله وسلام ( إذ أقبل عليّ بن أبي طالب فقال: أتدري مَن هذا ؟ قلت: علي بن أبي طالب. فقال النبي ( صلى الله عليه وآله ] وسلّم :( هذا البحر الزاخر، هذا الشمس الطالعة، أسخى من فرات كفا و أوسع من الدنيا قلبا، فمن أبغضه فعليه لعنة الله ! (Mā’it Manqabah, Ibn-e-e Shāzān, p.32; Ghāyat Al-Marām, Baḥrāni, chapter 25, p.510; Biḥār Al-Anwār, vol.2, p.238)

with me; you are sign of guidance between me and my ummah after me.(1)

One day, your brother, the Messenger (s) told some of his Companions about your knowledge in this way:

"God has granted him so much of knowledge, science and understanding that it would encompass everyone if his knowledge is distributed among the people of the earth. "(2)

Your perception, transfer and sharp intelligence were so fast that everyone was amazed; Omar Ibn-e Khaṭṭāb told you when you answered his question honorably and saved his life:

I am not amazed that you have full command on jurisprudential, judicial and scientific matters; rather, what I am surprised is that you answer any question immediately, without hesitation and contemplation!

You told him:

O' Omar! How many fingers does my hand have?

He said: Five fingers.

You told him:

Then why didn't you think about the answer?

He said: This is clear and needs no thinking.

You replied:

All matters sound to me as five fingers sound to you.(3)

God the Almighty revealed Kingdom of the heavens and the earth to .

P: 343

1- Moḥaddith Baḥrāni quotes Ibn-e-e Moghāzeli Shāfe'ie, in his book of Manaqib by citing Ibn-e-e 'Abbas that the Prophet (s) said: أتاني جبرئيل عليه السلام بدرنوك من درانيك الجنّة فجلست عليه، فلما صرت بین یدی ربّی کلمنی و ناجانی، فما علمت شيئا إلا علّمته عليا فهو باب علم مدينتى [ في نسخة مدينة علمي ، ثم دعاه إليه. فقال صلى الله عليه وآله وسلّم: يا علي ! سلمك سلمي و حربك حربي و أنت العلم فيما بيني و بين أمتى بعدى. (Manaqib-e Ibn-e-e Moghāzeli, p.50; Ghāyat Al-Marām, chapter 25, p.510)

2- Biḥār Al-Anwar, vol.39, p.37

3- As said earlier, Omar said many times that if Ali was not there, Omar would perish.

Abraham (a) as He says in His Everlasting Word:(1)

According to reports, God revealed Kingdom of the heavens and the earth to Abraham (a) only one time, but you constantly-as God permitted- beheld it and your heart always possessed the highest ranks of certainty.

One day, you were on the pulpit of Kufa mosque and addressed people loudly: O' people! Ask me as long as I am with you and know that I know the heavenly paths better than those of the earth!

This time, a man in the mosque hearing what you said asked:

Tell me, where is Gabriel, the Trustee?

You told him: Let me see. You looked up and down, to left and right sides and you turned to him and you yourself are Gabriel, the Trustee!

The very moment you said it, Gabriel flew up in the heaven from the middle of people.

Having seen this event, people cried: "God is great" and asked you: O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin! How did you know that the man was Gabriel?!

When I looked up in the sky, I saw as high as the Throne and I saw all creatures inside the earth, but Gabriel was not there; therefore, I found out that the questioner is Gabriel himself.(2)

Just as nickname of “Amir Mu'amenin" is exclusive to you and whoever )

P: 344

1- « وَ كَذالِكَ نُرى إِبْراهِيمَ مَلَكُوتَ السَّماواتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلِيَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُوقِنِينَ » .. (And thus, We showed Ibrahim the Dominion System of the heavens and the earth so that he might attain Certitude [through gaining the knowledge of observation] (An'am: 75) 2.

2- Anwar-e N'umāniya, Seyyed N'amatullah Jazāyeri, p.11 Mohaddith Baḥrāni quotes Termezi, one Sunni ulema, saying that Ibn-e-e 'Abbas said: العلم ستّة أسداس، لعليّ منها خمسة أسداس، للناس سدس و لقد شاركنا فيه حتى هو أعلم به منا. Science has six parts. Five sixth of it belongs to Ali and one sixth is at the discretion of people; Ali shares it with people in such a way that he is higher than them even in one sixth. (Manaqib, Ibn-e-e Shahrāshūb, vol.2, p.31; Ghāyat Al-Marām, chapter 25, p.514) Another Sunni hadith reads that the Prophet (s) said: "Theosophy is divided into ten parts, nine of which is being granted to Ali and one part of which to the rest of people and Ali is higher than people in that one part." (Yanābi'a Al-Mawadda, Sheikh Sulayman Ḥanafi Qunduzi, chapter 14, p.70; Kashf Al-Ghumma, Irbelli, p.33)

but you put such nickname on himself, he shall be a liar; the statement that "ask me as long as I am with you" is also exclusive to you and whoever claims as such, he shall be scandalized by God as some claimed as such and they were discredited.(1).

P: 345

1- Sebt Ibn-e-e Jawziyya, one of the Sunni scientists of 7th A.H, made a speech on the أن تفقدوني ! قبل سلوني pulpit some day: A woman suddenly asked: Tell me is this hadith true that when a group of Muslims killed Uthman, his stiff remained unmoved three days and nobody took the corpse to bury? Sebt said: Yes, it is true! The woman continued to say: Is this hadith true when Salman [Farsi] died in Madā’en, Imam Ali (‘a) departed to Madā'en from Medina [folding up of the earth miraculously], said prayers over Salman's dead body, took part in his burial ceremony and let not his body remain on the ground; he then returned? Sebt replied: Yes, it is true! The woman said: Therefore, why didn't Ali go close to Uthman's corpse to bury him though being in Medina? In this case, either Ali is a wrongdoer because he neglected burial of Uthman's dead body or Uthman is an unfaithful man whom Ali kept himself away from burying! [Until he was secretly buried behind Baqi'a cemetery in the graveyard of Jews on the 3rd day; this is cited by Ṭabari's history book, vol.9, p.143]. Sebt was unable to answer this question because he found that if he considers each one of them wrongdoer, he has talked contrary to his own belief because he believed both were trustworthy caliphs; therefore, he said: O' woman! If you have come out of house with permission of your husband and argue with me in front of the uncongenial persons as such, then God may damn your husband; if you have come out without permission of your husband, then God may damn you! The smart woman immediately said: Had Ayesha come out in the war of Amir Mu'amenin (a) with permission of her husband, the Prophet (s) or without his permission?! Sebt was unable to answer this question! Because if he had said she had come out without permission of her husband, then he would have proscribed Ayesha; and if he had said she had come out with permission of her husband, she would have proscribed Ali (‘a). These two answers clashed with his beliefs. He inevitably provided no answer; he climbed down the pulpit and headed for his home. (ṣerāt-e Mostaqim, quoted by Biḥār Al-Anwar, old impression, vol.8, p.183) Among those who claimed this and was discredited was a man called Qatada. One day, he took a pulpit at Kufa mosque and said: Ali said at the same mosque: I say this statement too. سلوني قبل أن تفقدوني ! A man asked him: Tell us! Was the ant which talked to Solomon male or female?! Qatada was astonished and failed to answer the man's question and he was scandalized.

Your knowledge is infinite in front of human knowledge and the other creatures of God and none of God's creatures owns wisdom to imagine even part of your knowledge although your knowledge ceases to match that of God's.

You behold Kingdom and inward of the heavens and the earth and you know what are included in them; you are aware of how many stars there are in the sky and how many angels there are in the universe!

You know how much mountains weigh and how much water seas has! No leaf falls down the tree and no seed splits on the earth unless you know with the permission of God!(1)

Although secrets of the Invisible World are controlled by God,(2) He Himself said:

"To whomever of our creatures we decide, we shall grant the Invisible Knowledge. (3))

P: 346

1- Mafddal says: one day, Imam Sadeq (a) told me: O' Mafddal! Do you know the substance of knowledge of Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hassan and Husayn? I said: O' my dear lord! Let me know it! Imam said: "O' Mafddal! Know that they know that what things has been created by God. Know that they are words of piety and treasury of the heavens, earths, mountains, deserts and seas. Know that they know how many stars and angels there are in the sky and how much mountains weigh. How much water seas, streams and springs has. No leaf falls unless they know and no seed there is in the dark earth; no humidity and land cited in the Conspicuous Book unless they know all of them. (Biḥār Al-Anwar, vol.26, p.116)

2- وَ عِنْدَه مَفاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لا يَعْلَمُها إِلا هُوَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْبَرِّ وَ الْبَحْرِ وَ ما تَسْقُطُ مِنْ وَرَقَةٍ إِلا يَعْلَمُها وَ لَا حَبَّةٍ فِي ظُلُماتِ الْأَرْضِ وَ لا رَطْبٍ وَ لا يَابِسٍ إِلا في كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍ » (And with Allah are the keys of the Unseen; no one knows them but Allah; and Allah [alone] knows whatever is in the land and in the sea; and nor does a leaf fall [of a tree], but He knows it, nor a grain in the darkness of the deepest [parts] of the ground, nor anything wet or dry but [it is recorded] in the Expository Book of Truth. (An'am:59)

3- «عالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَى غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا * إِلا مَنِ ارْتَضَى مِنْ رَسُولٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَسْلُكُ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَ مِنْ خَلْفِهِ رَصَدا ». (Allah is the Knower of the Unseen, but He does not let anyone be informed of His Secrets* save a Messenger whom He has chosen and is pleased with him; and then He Commands a group of Angels as guards march before him and behind him; (Jinn: 26 and 27)

Although such words irritate your foes and deniers, they must know that honor is exclusive to God. He grants it to whomever He wishes and no one cannot object to it. He granted an honor to you and to nobody in the universe but the Messenger (s).He does whatever He finds expedient.

Of course, if anyone wants to know the reason for all honor and grandeur He has given you, we say that there are dozens of reasons and we enumerate one reason here, but the rest remains only to Him.

That one reason:

You were harbinger in faith; you were the most self-devoted man; you were the most cordial man; you were the most pious man; you were the bravest man; you were the most free man; you were the most worshipping man; you were the most defensive man; you were the most obsequious man; you were the most humble man; you were the most beneficent man; you were the most affectionate man; you were the most campaigning man; you were the most crucial man; you were the most magnanimous man; you were the most trustworthy man; you were the most patient man; you were the most God-fearing man; you were the most benevolent man; you were the most outstripping man; you were the most promise-keeping man; you were the most trustee man; you were the most fast-keeping man; you were the most diligent man and thousands of other things that totally make one reason. Apart from these thousands of reasons, we say one more time:

Grandeur and honor exclusively belongs to God and He grants it to whomever He wishes and He wanted to bestow it to Ali ('a) and He did!

You kept the whole knowledge of the Book (the Holy Qur'an) in your heart; God says:

"O' Messenger! Atheists object to you that you are not Messenger; say the only proof between you and me is God and one who holds the knowledge of the Qur'an... (meaning testimony of God and one who has knowledge of the Qur'an [meaning Ali (a)] shall suffice for proving your prophetic mission and trustworthiness). (1) )

P: 347

1- (وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَسْتَ مُرْسَلاً قُلْ كَفَى بِاللهِ شَهِيدًا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَمَنْ عِنْدَه عِلْمُ الْكِتَابِ ) "And the disbelievers say: "You are not a Messenger." Say: “Sufficient as a witness between me and you is Allah and also witnessing of those who have knowledge of the Book."(Ra'ad: 43)

It is true that you have kept the whole knowledge of the Book in your heart.(1)

Some part of reality of what is said is revealed through this Qur'anic story:

God granted a powerful and broad-based government to Solomon, the Prophet (‘a) in so far as animals, jinns and forces of nature served him as permitted by God. Hoopoe brought news for Solomon: in Yemen, a polytheist woman is a king and worships the Sun and she has forced people )

P: 348

1- Various narrations in Sunni sources say one who holds the whole knowledge of the Book is Ali (‘a): Th'albi quotes Imam Baqir (‘a) in his Tafsir book, vol.5, p.302 saying that he is Ali Ibn- e-e Abiṭālib ('a): عن المفضّل بن يسار، عن الباقر [ عليه السلام ]: هذه الآية نزلت في علي [ عليه السلام ] إنّه عالم هذه الأمة. Qirţabi and Sebt Ibn-e-e Jawziyya have cited such subject-matter. (Tafsir-e Qirțabi, vol.9, p.336; Zād Al-Masir, vol.4, p.251) Sheikh Sulayman Ḥanafi Qunduzi quotes Imam Sadiq (a) in Yanābi'a Al-Mawadda, vol. 1, p.306 saying that: علم الكتاب - كله - عندنا و ما أعطى وزير سليمان بن داوود [ عليه السلام ] إنّما عنده حرف واحد من الاسم الأعظم و علم بعض الكتاب كان عنده » . قال محمد بن الحنفيه و الباقر ( عليه السلام : المراد على ( كرم الله تعالى وجهه ). Alussi says in his Tafsir under the above Qur'anic Revelation: (Rūḥ Al-Ma'āni, Alussi, vol. 13, p.158) Ḥākem Ḥaskāni Neishabouri says the above Revelation means Ali (‘a) in his Shawāhed Al-Tanzil, vol. 1, p.400. Hadiths are abundant in the Shiite sources; for example: Ali Ibn-e-e Ibrahim Qomi quotes Imam Sadiq (a) in his Tafsir, vol.1, p.367 as saying that: الذى عنده علم الكتاب هو أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام وسئل عن الذي عنده علم من الكتاب أعلم أم الذي عنده علم الكتاب ؟ فقال عليه السلام: ما كان علم الذى عنده علم من الكتاب عند الذي عنده علم الكتاب إلا بقدر ما تأخذ البعوضة بجناحها من ماء البحر. One who holds the whole knowledge of the Book is Ali ('a). Later, Imam Sadiq (a) was asked: Is Aşif Ibn-e-e Bakhiya who holds some knowledge of the Book more learned than the one who holds the whole knowledge of the Book (Amir Al-Mu'amenin (a))? Imam Said: Knowledge of Barkhiya vis-à-vis that of Ali ('a) resembles wetness of sea that sits on wing of a fly. (meaning that Barkhiya's partial knowledge of the Book in contrast to Ali's whole knowledge is less than a drop in contrast to sea)

to worship the Sun.

Solomon wrote a letter to her and called her on embracing creed of Truth. "Belqis", queen of Sheba, after consulting with her ministers, decided to send gifts to Solomon to stop him bothering them.

When agents of Belqis brought gifts to Solomon, he angrily turned down the gifts and said: We attack your land with a large number of troops soon and let you out of there.

They returned to let her know about threat of Solomon. Solomon turned to his ministers and said: When Belqis and her companions hear this, they will rush to our country to express their faith and submission out of fear.

He then added: Who can bring her great monarchy throne here before Belqis enters my palace?(1) (Letting her find out the God-given magnificence of Solomon more.)

Here, Efrit jinn stood up and said: I can present here the great throne of Belqis before you stand up!(2) Solomon said: Is there anyone who can do it sooner?

At this time, Solomon's minister named "Aşef Ibn-e Barkhiya rose and said: I can bring the throne in a blink of eye! Solomon accepted and he brought Belqis's great throne to Solomon in a blink of eye and Solomon quickly said: This is the Grace of God to me.(3) .

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1- « قالَ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَؤُا أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ » Solomon said to his men: O' you noblemen! Which of you can bring here to the throne of the queen before they come to me submissively?"(Naml: 38)

2- « قالَ عِفْرِيتٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَقُومَ مِنْ مَقامِكَ وَ إِنِّى عَلَيْهِ لَقَوِيٌّ أَمِينٌ» A demon among the Jinns said: "I will bring it to you before you rise from your place; I am powerful enough to do it and you can trust me in this regard."(Naml: 39)

3- « قالَ الَّذِي عِنْدَه عِلْمٌ مِنَ الْكِتابِ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ فَلَمّا رَآءِ مُسْتَقِرًا عِنْدَه قَالَ هَذَا مِنْ فَضْلِ رَبِّي لِيَبْلُوَنِي أَأَشْكُرُ أَمْ أَكْفُرُ وَ مَنْ شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ وَ مَنْ كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّي غَنِيٌّ كَرِيمٌ » One of those who had knowledge of the Book said: "I will bring it to you within twinkling of an eye. So when Solomon saw the throne itself set in front of him, he said: "This is the Favor of my Creator and Nurturer in order that He may try me whether I am grateful or ungrateful. And whoever is grateful, it is for the benefit of himself and whoever is ungrateful, then he should know that my Creator and Nurturer is the Absolute independent Bounteous; [fre from the need of men's thankfulness in return of Allah's Bounties] (Naml: 40).

God delineates Barkhiya for having some part of the Book's knowledge and he could bring the great throne of Belqis to the Solomon's palace in a blink of eye from a distance of some thousand kilometers!

And you have gathered the whole Book's knowledge in your heart and God knows what you can do in the universe-as permitted by Him-if you will and what Barkhiya has done sounds nothing compared to your will and job.(1) Of course, you have always sought Divine Pleasure in your works.

All of you, pure and infallible progeny, are heirs of knowledge of the Messenger (s) and you are treasury of Divine Knowledge. Nobody surpasses you in terms of virtues and knowledge; you, the Infallible Imams, are proofs over all creatures.(2) )

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1- Because Barkhiya's knowledge compared to Ali's looks like a drop in contrast to sea; as the subject-matter of hadith of Imam Sadiq (‘a) is understood likewise.

2- Imam Sadiq (a) says: ((نحن خزان علم الله و نحن تراجمة وحى الله و نحن الحجّة البالغة على من دون السماء و من فوق الأرض )) We are guardian, treasury of Divine Revelation of whomever is in the heavens and on the earth. (Uṣül-e Kafi, vol. 1, p.192) Imam Baqir (‘a) says: «نحن خزان علم الله و نحن تراجمة وحى الله و نحن الحجّة البالغة على من دون السماء و من فوق الأرض ». We are His treasuries of knowledge, interpreters of Revelations and stark proofs for whomever is in the heavens and on the earth. (Uṣül-e Kafi, vol. 1, p.192) Imam Sadiq (a) says: «الأوصياء هم أبواب الله عزّ و جلّ التى يؤتى منها و لولا هم ما عرف الله عزّ و جلّ و بهم احتج الله تبارك و تعالى على خلقه». Heirs of the Messenger (s) stand as doors of attention towards the Almighty God; if they were not present, people would not know God and God renders argumentation through them. (Uṣül-e Kafi, vol. 1, p. 192) The remainder of theosophy account: 1. Pay attention to this very exhaustive and nice hadith about the Divine Knowledge of Amir Al-Mu'amenin ('a): Aşbagh Ibn-e-e Nabāta-one of the companions of Ali ('a)-says: When Ali ('a) became Caliph, he came to Kufa mosque and took pulpit while he had the prophet's turban and Yemeni precious garment on, saying: يا معشر الناس! سلوني قبل أن تفقدوني، سلوني فإنّ عندي علم الأولين والآخرين، أما والله لو ثنى لي الوسادة لحكمت بين أهل التّوراة بتوراتهم، و بين أهل الإنجيل بإنجيلهم، و بين أهل الزبور بزبورهم و بين أهل القرآن بقرآنهم حتى ينهى كلّ كتاب من هذه الكتب ويقول: « يا ربّ إنّ عليا قضا بقضائك و الله إنّي لأعلم بالقرآن و تأويله من كلّ مدّع علمه، و لو لا آية في كتاب الله تعالى لأخبرتكم بما يكون إلى يوم القيامة » ثمّ قال: « سلوني قبل أن تفقدوني، فو الذى فلق الحبة وبرأ النسمة، لو سألتموني عن آية آية لأخبرتكم بوقت نزولها و فيما نزلت، وأنبأتكم بناسخها من منسوخها، و خاصها من عامها، و محكمها من متشابهها، ومكيها من مدنيها ، و الله ما فئة تضلّ أو تهدى إلا و أنا أعرف قائدها و سائقها وناعقها إلى يوم القيامة. O' people! Ask me before I leave this world. Ask me because I hold the knowledge about the past and the future. When the universe came into existence until it extinguishes. I swear to God if they provide me with the knowledge arena where I can stay, I rule, every instance, to the people of the Torah about their Torah, to the people of the Bible about their Bible, to the people of the Psalms about their Psalms and to the people of the Qur'an about their Qur'an so far as each, if speaking, shall say: O' God! This Ali remembered everything of the Book truly whatever you bestowed. Then, he said: By God! I am more knowledgeable about the Qur'an and its interpretation than anyone who claims about knowledge of the Qur'an. And if one Revelation were not in the Qur'an, I would let you know about what happens from now till the extinction of the universe. « يمحو الله ما يشاء ويثبت » “Allah abrogates whatever He Wills and Keeps confirmed whatever He Wills; with Him is the Preserved Book." (Ra'ad: 39) I swear to God who split the seed underground and blew the wind for plants. If you ask me about individual revelations in the Qur'an, I tell you that when and why it has been revealed. I tell you about the abrogating from the abrogated, the particular from the general, the unambiguous from the ambiguous and the Meccan Revelations from the ones. of Medina. I swear to God I am more knowledgeable about any group or people who are guided of misguided than its and their chief until the Resurrection Day. (Al-Mostajad men ketab Al-Irshad-with the valuable collection-, Allameh Helli, p.233; Amāli, Sheikh ṣaduq, p.341, hadith 1; Tawhid, Sheikh ṣaduq,p.304, hadith 1; al-Irshad fi ma'arefat Ḥojajullah Al-Ebād, Sheikh Mufid, vol.1, p.35; Rawdat Al-Wā'izin, Ibn-e-e Fattal Neishabouri, vol. 1, p.118; Al-Iḥtijāj Ala Ahl Al-Lajāj, Sheikh Tabarsi, vol.1, p.258; Irshad Al-Qulub, Deylami, vol.2, p.374; Haylat Al-Abrar fo Aḥwal Muhammad va Ale Al-Aṭhār (‘a), Allameh Seyyed Hashem Baḥrāni, vol.4, p.38, hadith 4; Biḥār Al- Awār, vol. 10, p.118; Mehāj Al-Barā'at fi Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, Mirza Ḥabibullah Hashemi Khow'ie, vol.7, p.78) 2. Ibn-e-e 'Abbas says: Ali said to one night: When you said night prayers, come to me to give you a useful point. Ibn-e-e 'Abbas says: I went to see him at a clear full-moon night. Ali asked me Ibn-e-e 'Abbas! Do you interpretation of "Alef" in Al-Hamd? I said: O' Ali! You do know it. Ibn- e-e 'Abbas says: Ali began to interpret "Alef", which took one hour. After that, he asked me again: Do you know interpretation of "Lam" in Al-Hamd? I said the same answer. Ali interpreted the letter, "Lam" one hour. He continued to interpret "H" in Al-Hamd and “Dal” in the same way. When he finished the interpretation of letters, it was dawn and he said: لو شئت لأوقرت سبعين بعيرا من تفسير سورة الفاتحة If I wished I would burden seventy camels of interpretation of Surah “hamd”. (Manaqib Al-e Abiṭālib, Ibn-e-e Shahrāshub, vol.2, p.43; Kashf Al-Ghumma fi Ma'arefat Al-A'amma(*a), Irbeli, vol. 1, p.130; Mashariq Anwar Al-Yaqin fi Asrar Amir Mu'amenin (a), Hafez Rajab Borsi, p.348; Al-ṣerat Al-Mostaqim Ela Mostaḥaqqi Al- Taqdim, Nabāti Bayādi, vol. 1, p.219; 'Awali Al-Lethali Al-Aziziyya, Ibn-e-e Abi Jomhūr Iḥsa'ie, vol.4, p. 102, hadith 150; Al-Borhan fi Tafsir Al-Qur'an, Allameh Seyyed Hashem Baḥrāni, vol.1, p.4, hadith 5; Biḥār Al-Anwar, Allameh Majlisi, vol.40, p.157; Mehaj Al- Bara'at fi Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, Mirza Habibullah Hashemi Khow'ie, vol.2, p.222; Sa'ad Al-Saud Lelnufus Mandūd, Seyyed Ibn-e-e Ṭāvūs, p.285; Biḥār Al-Anwar, vol.89, p.104)

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Greetings of God betide upon you, O' Ya Abalhassan! O' the endeared and beloved of God and His Messenger! Greetings befall on you and your pure family and on your being oppressed! Divine Peace be upon you! You are entry to the knowledge of the Messenger and after him, you are the only Divine Straight Path.

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Theosophy Twenty Three

I certify that God has made your obedience and guardianship mandatory in the Qur'an.

The Qur'an wholly expresses your status and grandeur. The Qur'an begins with

and you are the point of "Ba"".(1)The Qur'an makes sense

with you for which you said:

I am speaking Qur'an.(2)

The Qur'an fully covers comprehensive divine teachings and law of the Almighty God for human evolution and mankind never achieves its pompous teachings unless he embraces your leadership and that of your pure descendants (a) who are all spirit of the Qur'an and guides of

------------------------------

Theosophy Account Twenty Three

in proving the Imamate of « اولى الأمر » و « إنّما وليكم الله... » Explanation of Revelation Amir Al-Mu'amenin (‘a) and its Sunni citations and other various issues

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1- قال الإمام على عليه السلام: أنا نقطة تحت باء البسملة. (Yanabi'a Al-Mawadda, Hanafi Qunduzi, vol. 1, p.213) Alussi says: هو باب مدينة العلم و النقطة تحت الباء. (Jala' Al-Uyun, p.70) Halabi Shafe'ie says: إعلم أنّ جميع أسرار الكتب السماوية في القرآن وجميع ما في القرآن في الفاتحة و جميع ما في الفاتحة في البسملة و جميع ما في البسملة في باء البسملة و جميع ما فى باء البسملة في النقطة التي هي تحت الباء. (Velayat Ali (‘a) fi Qur'an men kotob Al-Sunna, Najjāḥ Tā'ie, vol. 1, p.10) Sheikh Suleyman Hanafi Qunduzi quotes Imam Ali (‘a) saying that: أنا النقطة التيتحت الباء. (Yanābi'a Al-Mawadda, vol. 1, chapter 14, p.213)

2- (Yanābi'a Al-Mawadda, vol. 1, chapter 14, p.216) قال الإمام على عليه السلام: أنا القرآن الناطق.

mankind.

Throughout history, God appointed Messengers one after another for human guidance to regain faithfulness to treaty of primordial nature from him, remind people of the forlorn blessings, stop him worshipping idols and lead him towards God. You yourself said in your precious words:

"God took treaty of Revelation from the Messengers to let them transfer the trusted prophetic mission when most people, during the Dark Age, ignored treaty of God and failed to know the truth of God; they turned to false gods and Satan refrained people from Divine Knowledge and separated them from worshipping Him. God appointed His Messengers; however, He incessantly sent His Messengers proportionate to demands of people to regain loyalty to treaty of primordial nature from them and remind them of the forlorn graces; make ultimatum by announcing Divine Rules; reveal the hidden capabilities of intellects and introduce Signs of Divine Power in the Universe. "(1)

True! God has never left people by themselves and He dispatched Messengers for their guidance at all ages to instruct them Divine Knowledge. Centuries passed and God appointed your brother, the Messenger of God (s) to complement fulfilment of promise and granted the most comprehensive religion to people through mission of the Seal of the Prophets (s) about which you made your own invaluable statement:

"Until God the Praiseworthy appointed Muhammad as His Messenger to fulfil His Promise and Prophetic Mission completion; a Messenger whose treaty promise of prophetic mission He had taken from all Messengers, his signs were well-known and his birthday appeared to be auspicious. On the days when people on the earth had various religions, different demands and methods, some resembled Him to phenomena, others denied His precious names and attributed them to idols and some others pointed to other than Him. Therefore, God the Praiseworthy saved people from deviation by Muhammad, guided them and released them from ignorance. Later, He wanted him to meet Him; admired what He had for him; honored him by relocating him from the world; freed him from tribulations and 1

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1- Nahj Al-Balagha, sermon 1

troubles and He generously took his life.'

Just as God did not leave people in isolation throughout history and sent Messengers for their guidance, so He perfected His religion and finalized His Blessings by selecting people of perfection as Imams and successors of the Messenger (s) after your brother, Muhammad (s) met his Maker.

True!

God never left people with no leader and Imam after Muhammad (s) and introduced the purest people to people through His Messenger (s) about which you made your own statement:

"The holy Prophet of Islam selected successors among you [announced on behalf of God] and the past Messengers did so for their people because they never left people alone and never left this world without introducing a clear way and strong signs. "(1)

Those who imagine the Messenger (s) left the world while he gave no advice compared to Caliphs after himself make a big mistake!

True!

All Messengers of God have endeavored to introduce their successors after their demise and Muhammad (s) also spoke of you and your descendants who are Divinely Elected and introduced you to his ummah.(2)

How do those adversaries find it right to judge about the Messenger of God (s) in this way; saying that he said nothing about his successors while they themselves confessed that Caliph I was concerned about the Caliph after his death and appointed Omar Ibn-e Khaṭṭāb as Caliph II. Caliph II also, )

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1- وَ خَلَّفَ فِيكُمْ ما خَلَّفَتِ الأَنْبِياءُ فِي أُمَمِها إِذْ لَمْ يَتْرُكُوهُمْ هَمَلا، بِغَيْرِ طَرِيق وَاضِحٍ، وَ لَا عَلَمٍ قائِمٍ. (Nahj Al-Balagha, sermon 1)

2- Ibn-e-e 'Abbas quotes the Messenger (s) as saying that: من سره أن يحيا حياتى و يموت مماتي و يسكن جنّة عدن غرسها ربّى فليوال عليّا من بعدى و ليوال وليه و ليقتد بالأئمة من بعدى، فإنّهم عترتى خلقوا من طينتي، رزقوا فهما و علما و ويل للمكذبين بفضلهم من أمتى القاطعين فيهم صلتى لا أنالهم الله شفاعتی. (Yanābi'a Al-Mawadda, vol.1, chapter 43, p.380; Helyat Al-Awliyā', vol.1, p.86; Sharh- e Nahj Al-Balagha, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol.2, p.450)

when dying, ordered constitution of a six-member council to select Caliph III from among themselves. But the Messenger said nothing and was not worried about the future of Muslims!!! How do you judge as such?!

I swear to God who split the seed, hoisted the heavens and moved the winds that it happened differently; rather, he introduced the purest, the most campaigning and cordial man, it means you, to people and made a pledge to them to obey you. But after his demise, many of them breached the pledge!

God says:

"O' believers! Obey God, His Messenger and your Imam. (1)

True!

You and your family are the very Imams whom God said people must obey you and His Messenger (s) as they must obey Him. is not infallible from wrongs, such a command is wrong. This implication tells us that «<» as it is referred to in the above revelation must be immaculate." (Tafsir-e Fakhr-e Razi, vol. 10, p.144) He continues to say that this infallible man is either the whole ummah or some people of Islam. The latter case is unacceptable because we should know who some people are. In this case, the former case is the whole people and this is a reason that consensus and unanimity of ummah is proof and acceptable and so it is a valid reason. As seen, Fakhr-e Razi has gone half of the way well, but he has made mistake in the second half of the way meaning the case of «<». Since he has not been familiar with the school of Ahl-e Bayt (a), he has disregarded the likelihood that«<» is certain people of ummah and he inevitably regarded «<» as the whole ummah! This likelihood is not acceptable for three reasons: Unanimity in social issues occurs in few cases; therefore, there will be permanently a suspense and disorganization in the most ranks of Muslims and if they approve of opinion of the majority, the problem is that the majority will never be infallible and so it is not absolutely necessary to obey them. It is untrue to say that the whole ummah is infallible and there is no reason behind the infallibility of the whole ummah (minus the Infallible Imam). As a result, it is not true to say that if the whole ummah is unanimous about an issue, it is definitely the Rule of God. Various hadiths ṣaḥāba quoted from the Messenger of God (s) that «oji elgi » is Ali (‘a) and his descendants completely apply to certain ummah; therefore, nothing there is to talk about such an issue. In Sunni sources, the following ṣaḥāba have narrated as such: Abu Sa'id Khedri, Zayd Ibn-e-e Erqam, Jāber Ibn-e-e ‘Abdullah Anṣāri, Ibn-e-e ‘Abbas, Barā' Ibn-e-e Azib, Huzaifa, Abu Hurairah, Ibn-e-e Mas'ud, Amer Ibn-e-e Leili and some others.' class='content_notelink'>(2).

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1- ( يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَ أُولى الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللهِ وَ الرَّسُولِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ ذالِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلاً ) O' you who believe in Allah's Oneness! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those governors among you who have received Divine Authorities. If you differe in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and Messenger; if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day, this is better and more suitable for final conclusion. (Nesa':59)

2- Sunni sources say that:<« is not infallible from wrongs, such a command is wrong. This implication tells us that «<» as it is referred to in the above revelation must be immaculate." (Tafsir-e Fakhr-e Razi, vol. 10, p.144) He continues to say that this infallible man is either the whole ummah or some people of Islam. The latter case is unacceptable because we should know who some people are. In this case, the former case is the whole people and this is a reason that consensus and unanimity of ummah is proof and acceptable and so it is a valid reason. As seen, Fakhr-e Razi has gone half of the way well, but he has made mistake in the second half of the way meaning the case of «<». Since he has not been familiar with the school of Ahl-e Bayt (a), he has disregarded the likelihood that«<» is certain people of ummah and he inevitably regarded «<» as the whole ummah! This likelihood is not acceptable for three reasons: Unanimity in social issues occurs in few cases; therefore, there will be permanently a suspense and disorganization in the most ranks of Muslims and if they approve of opinion of the majority, the problem is that the majority will never be infallible and so it is not absolutely necessary to obey them. It is untrue to say that the whole ummah is infallible and there is no reason behind the infallibility of the whole ummah (minus the Infallible Imam). As a result, it is not true to say that if the whole ummah is unanimous about an issue, it is definitely the Rule of God. Various hadiths ṣaḥāba quoted from the Messenger of God (s) that «oji elgi » is Ali (‘a) and his descendants completely apply to certain ummah; therefore, nothing there is to talk about such an issue. In Sunni sources, the following ṣaḥāba have narrated as such: Abu Sa'id Khedri, Zayd Ibn-e-e Erqam, Jāber Ibn-e-e ‘Abdullah Anṣāri, Ibn-e-e ‘Abbas, Barā' Ibn-e-e Azib, Huzaifa, Abu Hurairah, Ibn-e-e Mas'ud, Amer Ibn-e-e Leili and some others.

P: 357

According to a narration, when the above revelation came down, one of the honorable Companions of the Messenger (s) named Jāber Ibn-e 'Abdullah Anṣāri asked the Messenger (s):

O' Messenger! Who are these Imams whose obedience corresponds to your obedience?

The Messenger (s) said:

O' Jāber! They are my Caliphs and Imams of Muslims after me; the first one is Ali Ibn-e Abiṭālib, the next one is Hassan and after him, Husayn and after him, Ali Ibn-e Husayn and after him, Mohammad Ibn-e Ali who is famous as Baqir in the Torah and you meet him soon. When you met him, say my greeting to him. After him, Sadiq Ja'afar Ibn-e Mohammad, after him, Musa Ibn-e Ja'afar, after him, Ali Ibn-e Musa, after him, Mohammad Ibn-e Ali, after him, Ali Ibn-e Mohammad; after him, Hassan Ibn-e Ali and the last one is Imam Mahdi (May God hasten his emergence) who is homonymous with me and he is the remained Proof of God among His creatures.(1) .

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1- Yanābi'a Al-Mawadda, p.494; Ghāyat Al-Marām, Moḥaddith Baḥrāni, vol. 10, p.267; Ethbāt Al-Huda, Shekh Hurr Ameli, vol.3, p. 123 and.... As the Messenger(s) had predicted, Jaber outlived until Imam Baqir ('a) was Imam and informed him of Muhammad's greetings. Abu Naşir has been quoted in the book, Ghāyat Al-Marām, vol.3, p.265 as saying that: I asked Imam ṣādiq (‘a) about the revelation, «<», he said: It has been revealed on the status of Ali, Hassan, Husayn and nine descendants of Husayn.

And God says in His another Revelation which introduces you to people and deems your leadership necessary for them:

"It is nothing but to know that your guardian is God and His Messenger and the believers, the very believers who hold up prayer service and pay zakat on genuflect.(1)

According to various narrations, this Revelation has come down for you )

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1- « إِنَّما وَلِيُّكُمُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ » Verily, your true supporters and well-wishers [after] Allah are His Messenger [Muhammad] and the believers. [the believers are:] Those who establish prayer and pay alms [even] while they are bowing down [in prayers]. (Mā'idah: 55)

because it was you who granted his ring to the poor on genuflect.> which is used in plural; in other words,, the Revelation says «<,» for you are those who hold up prayer service and pay zakat when they are on genuflect; how can such a statement apply to only one person?! Answer: In Arabic literature, it is frequently seen that individual is literally used as plural; for example, the Revelation of Ma'idah: 52 reads: «li» while plurality is used and it means 'Abdullah Ibn-e-e Abay; besides, in Momtahana: 1, Monafiqun: 8 and Baqara: 215 and 272, there are interpretations seen that it generally appears in plurality, but as the Revelation reads, it refers to one individual. It is said: this interpretation is not compatible with the Revelations coming before or after because Velayat means "friendship" in them. Answer: Since the Qur'anic Revelations have gradually come down for different events, they are always linked to incidents for which they have been sent down and it is not true that Revelations of one Surah have close link in terms of concept to the Revelations coming one after another; hence, it happens much that two Revelations have come down together, but they came down for two different events and so they have separate paths because of those events. In this way, one cannot much underscore links of those Revelations which have come down for the future and in the past considering the fact that the above Revelation confirmed Ali's zakat grant. In addition, the above Revelation is proportionate to the future and past Revelations because Velayat meaning assistance and victory is discussed in them and the Revelation in question speaks about Velāyat meaning leadership and domination; there is no doubt that the guardian, custodian and dominator will assist and help his followers; in other words, companionship and assistance is one of the ranks of Velāyat. It is said: Where had Ali (‘a) brought the ring of a good price, which is written in history?! Moreover, is it not an extravagance to have a ring with this extraordinary price?! Are these not reasons for inaccuracy of the subject interpretation? Answer: The exaggerations made about the price of the ring are totally unfounded and no acceptable reason for the costly price of the rind is not available and that the price is mentioned to be equaling to the tributes of Sham in a marred narration seems like more of a myth rather than reality! One can say it is being forged to show invalidity of the case. In authentic and accurate narrations cited about the occasion of the Revelation sent down, no trace of the myth is found; therefore, a historical reality cannot be veiled with such words.' class='content_notelink'>(1).

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1- There are various narrations in the Islamic books and Sunni sources that say that the above Revelation has come down for Ali (‘a) who gave his ring to a poor man when he was on genuflect. Fakr-e Razi in Tafsir-e Kabir; Zamakhshari in Tafsir-e Kashshaf; Th'albi in Al-Kashf va Al-Bayan; Beydawi, Beyhaqi, Naziri and Kalbi in their Tafsir; Tabari in Khasa'is; Khwarazmi in Manaqib; Ahmad Ibn-e-e Hanbal in Musnad and.....so far as Taftazani and Qushchi claimed unanimity of the interpreters. Now, some Sunni sources are dealt with in detail: Baghawi says under the said Revelation in his book, "Ma'alem fi Tafsir Al- Qur'an", p.272: قال السدي: قوله تعالى: « الذين آمنوا الذين يقيمون الصلاة ويؤتون الزكاة و هم راكعون (( أراد به عليّ بن أبي طالب علیه السلام مر به سائل و هو راكع في المسجد فأعطاه خاتمه Zamakhshari says in his Tafsir-e Kashshaf, vol.1, p.623: أنّها نزلت في علي عليه السلام حين سأله سائل وهو راكع، فطرح له خاتمه و هو راكع. Fakhr-e Razi says under the above Revelation in his Tafsir-e Kabir: روی عكرمة عن ابن عباس أنها في علي ( عليه السلام .. روى عن عبد الله بن سلام قال: لما نزلت هذه الآية قال: يا رسول الله ! أنا رأيت عليا تصدق بخاتمه على محتاج و هو راكع فنحن نتولاه. Khwarazmi Ḥanafi quotes Ibn-e-e 'Abbas in Manāqib, p.186: The Above Revelation came down for Ali ('a). Ibn-e-e Kathir says under the above Revelation in his Tafsir, vol.2, p.113: لما نزلت الآية، جاء النبي ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ) إلى المسجد فرأى سائلاً فسأله: هل أعطاك أحد شيئا ؟ قال: نعم ! قال النبي ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم : ماذا ؟ قال: خاتم فضة. قال النبي ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم): مَن أعطاك ؟ قال: ذلك القائم. قال النبي ( صلى الله عليه و آله و سلّم ): على أى حال أعطاك ؟ قال: و هو راكع و إذا هو بعلى بن أبي طالب [ عليه السلام] فكبّر رسول الله (صلى الله عليه [ و آله ] و سلّم ). ---- -Tafsir-e Qirtabi, vol.6. p.221 ------Al-Mu'ajam Al-Awsat, Tabrani, vol.7, hadith 6228, p.130 ------Al-Durr Al-Manthur, Siyūți, vol.3, p.105 ------Tarikh-e Madina Dameshq, Ibn-e-e Asakir, vol., p.305 ------Al-Riyadh Al-Nazara, vol.3, p.182 And the other various sources. This matter was so obvious that "Hassan Ibn-e-e Thabit", the famous poet who lived at the time of the Prophet (s) cited the subject of the above narration in his poetic lines as read herein: فانت الذي اعطیت اذكنت راكعا *** زكاتا فدتك النفس یا خیر راکع فانزل فیک الله خیر ولایه *** وبينها في محكمات الشرايع It was you who granted zakat on genuflect, may life be sacrificed to you, O' you as the best bowers! And following that, God sent down the best leadership about you and proved it in the Glorious Qur'an. Finding fault with the Revelation of Leadership and the response: A group of Sunni interpreters insist on finding faults with the Revelation which is sent for Ali ('a) as well as interpretation of "guardianship and Imamate". We try to look into a number of them hereunder: Since some Sunnis found that these hadiths are available in abundance in their own sources and they cannot be abandoned (because their sources are put under question), they say: We know that this Word of Revelation has been sent down for Ali ('a), but we do not approve of his guardianship and leadership in this Revelation because the word, “guardian” means friend rather than Imam and custodian authority of people. Answer: Firstly, ", (guardian)" lexically and customarily means leadership and custodian. In this Revelation, as no symmetry exists to express that “guardian” means friend; it must lexically and originally bear the sense of Velayat and custodianship. Secondly, in this Revelation, the word, «<» is for exclusivity and friendship and companionship is not exclusive to God, the Messenger (s) and Ali ('a); rather, all faithful people are friends with one another. God says: (و المؤمنين و المؤمنات بعضهم من بعض ) Therefore, as regards these two points, «<,» certainly means Velayat and leadership. Answer: Some found fault with the point that how could Imam hear a beggar and pay attention to him while he was in deep attention to prayers and overwhelmed with supplication of God (as it is known that arrowhead was taken out of his leg, but he paid no attention)?! Imam fully paid attention to God when he was saying prayers while being resigned from himself and material affairs which clashed with spirit of worshipping, but hearing a beggar and helping him is not self-attention, he fully attended to God; in other words, what he did was worshipping within worshipping. In addition, being plunged in attention to God is not loss of sense and authority; rather, he keeps away his attention from what is not for God at his own will. Here, prayers is worshipping, so is zakat and both are paths to God's Satisfaction; therefore, he paid attention to God and the most important reason behind this is that the above Revelation came down to introduce to people such a man as guardian and model for everyone. One of the problems found by them in relation to the above Revelation about Imam is that it cannot adjust to one man considering the word<< >> which is used in plural; in other words,, the Revelation says «<,» for you are those who hold up prayer service and pay zakat when they are on genuflect; how can such a statement apply to only one person?! Answer: In Arabic literature, it is frequently seen that individual is literally used as plural; for example, the Revelation of Ma'idah: 52 reads: «li» while plurality is used and it means 'Abdullah Ibn-e-e Abay; besides, in Momtahana: 1, Monafiqun: 8 and Baqara: 215 and 272, there are interpretations seen that it generally appears in plurality, but as the Revelation reads, it refers to one individual. It is said: this interpretation is not compatible with the Revelations coming before or after because Velayat means "friendship" in them. Answer: Since the Qur'anic Revelations have gradually come down for different events, they are always linked to incidents for which they have been sent down and it is not true that Revelations of one Surah have close link in terms of concept to the Revelations coming one after another; hence, it happens much that two Revelations have come down together, but they came down for two different events and so they have separate paths because of those events. In this way, one cannot much underscore links of those Revelations which have come down for the future and in the past considering the fact that the above Revelation confirmed Ali's zakat grant. In addition, the above Revelation is proportionate to the future and past Revelations because Velayat meaning assistance and victory is discussed in them and the Revelation in question speaks about Velāyat meaning leadership and domination; there is no doubt that the guardian, custodian and dominator will assist and help his followers; in other words, companionship and assistance is one of the ranks of Velāyat. It is said: Where had Ali (‘a) brought the ring of a good price, which is written in history?! Moreover, is it not an extravagance to have a ring with this extraordinary price?! Are these not reasons for inaccuracy of the subject interpretation? Answer: The exaggerations made about the price of the ring are totally unfounded and no acceptable reason for the costly price of the rind is not available and that the price is mentioned to be equaling to the tributes of Sham in a marred narration seems like more of a myth rather than reality! One can say it is being forged to show invalidity of the case. In authentic and accurate narrations cited about the occasion of the Revelation sent down, no trace of the myth is found; therefore, a historical reality cannot be veiled with such words.

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It is true!

God, in this holy Revelation, announced your leadership and Imamate to people and made obedience from you obligatory.

Authentic books read:

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One day, 'Abdullah Ibn-e 'Abbas, the honorable Companion of the Messenger (s), sat beside the Well ZamZam and quoted hadith for people from the Messenger (s); a man, wearing a turban and veiled face, suddenly approached. Each time, Ibn-e 'Abbas quoted hadith from the Messenger (s), he also began a sentence with «قال رسول الله صلی الله علیه و اله سلم», quoted another hadith from the Prophet (s).

Ibn-e 'Abbas swore him to introduce himself. He unveiled his face and cried:

O' People!

Whoever doesn't know me shall know that I'm Abuzar Ghaffari! I heard the Messenger (s) say and if I tell a lie, may my two ears become deaf! And I saw it with my two eyes and if I tell a lie, may my two eyes become blind! That the Prophet said:

Ali is Imam of the righteous and killer of the atheists; whoever helps him, he shall be helped by God and whoever gives up helping him, he shall not be helped by Him.

Later, Abuzar added:

O' people!

One of the days I was engaged in saying my prayers beside the Messenger (s) at the mosque. A beggar came in and asked people for help, but nobody helped him. He raised his hands up in the sky, saying: O' God! I take you as my witness that I asked for help at the mosque of Your Messenger (s), but nobody replied. At this time, Ali ('a) was on genuflect and he pointed with his finger and beggar neared him. Beggar took the ring off Ali's hand. The Messenger (s) witnessed it while being in praying. When he finished his prayers, he raised his hands up in the sky and said:

O' God! My brother, the Moses, asked Thee to broaden his spirit, make things easy for him and let him speak bluntly and clearly to make people understood. Also, the Moses asked Thee to make Harun, his brother, his vizier and companion, augment his strength by means of him and make him share his works.

O' God! I am Muhammad, the Prophet appointed by Thee! Widen my heart

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and make things easy for me. Make Ali, of my Progeny, my vizier so that I might become strong and firm because of him.

Abuzar says:

The Prophet (s) was about to finish his supplication when Gabriel (‘a) came down and said to him: Read! The Prophet said: What shall I read? Gabriel said: Read!

"Be sure that your guardian and custodian is God and His Messenger and the believers, the very believers who pay zakat while they are on genuflect. "(1)

You are the same shining sun of guidance for which God says in His Words:

"O' You, the Prophet! You are the only warner and leader for every ummah. "(2))

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1- The late Tabarsi says in Tafsir-e Majma' Al-Bayan, vol.3, p.324 through series of citations from "Ebayat Ibn-e-e Reba'ie": عبدالله بن عباس جالس علی شفیر زمزم يقول رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم إذ أقبل رجل متعمم بعمامة فجعل ابن عباس لا يقول قال رسول الله إلا قال الرجل قال رسول الله، فقال ابن عباس سألتك بالله ! مَن أنت فكشف العمامة عن وجهه و قال يا أيها الناس من عرفنى فقد عرفنى و من لم يعرفنى فأنا أعرفه بنفسي أنا جندب بن جنادة البدرى أبو ذر الغفاري سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلمبهاتين و إلا فصمتا و رأيته بهاتين و إلا فعميتا يقول صلى الله عليه وآله وسلّم: علي قائد البررة و قاتل الكفرة، منصور من نصره مخذول من خذله ؛ أما أنّى صليت مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلميوما من الأيام صلاة الظهر فسأل سائل في المسجد فلم يعطه أحد شيئا، فرفع السائل يده إلى السماء و قال: اللهم أشهد أنى سألت في مسجد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم فلم يعطنى أحد شيئا و كان عليّ راكعا فأوماً بخنصره اليمنى إليه و كان يتختم فيها، فأقبل السائل حتّى أخذ الخاتم من خنصره و ذلك بعين رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم فلما فرغ النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم صلاته رفع رأسه إلى السماء و قال اللهم إنّ أخي موسى سألك ف « قَالَ رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِى * وَيَسِّرْ لِى أَمْرِى * وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةٌ مِّن لَّسَانِى * يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِى * وَاجْعَل لَّى وَزِيرًا مِّنْ أَهْلِى * هَارُونَ أَخِي " اشْدُدْ بِهِ أَزْرِى * وَأَشْرِكْهُ فِي أَمْرِى » فأنزلت عليه قرآنا ناطقا «سنشد عضدك بأخيك ونجعل لكما سلطانا فلا يصلون إليكما » اللّهم و أنا محمد نبيك وصفيك اللهم فاشرح لي صدري و يسر لي أمري و اجعل لي وزيرا من أهلي عليّا أشدد به ظهرى قال أبوذر فوالله ! ما استتم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم الكلمة حتّى نزل جبرائيل من عند الله، فقال: يا محمد ! إقرأ و ما أقرأ، قال إقرأ: « إنّما و ليكم ورسوله و الذين آمنوا... »

2- ( وَ يَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْلا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِ إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مُنذِرٌ وَ لِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ ) (And the disbelievers say: "Why a Miracle is not sent down to him from his Creator and Nurturer?" You are only a warner and to every nation there is a guide. [They are not supposed to bring a Miracle](Ra'ad:7)

When the above Revelation came down, the Messenger (s) placed his hand on his chest and said:

I am warner! Then he put his hand on your shoulder and said: O' Ali! You are the guide and the guided people after me are guided by you.(1)

With all the emphases of the Almighty God over your Velayat, but many left you alone and made you overstay at home for twenty five years!

Some others held grudges against you and they could not remove them during life of the Messenger (s), but once the Prophet (s) departed, they held them over you and your family, particularly the malicious dynasty of the Umayyad-none embraced Islam whole-heartedly. They raised 9

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1- kem Neishabouri narrated from Abi Buraidah Aslami in his Mustadrak, vol.1, P. 381 quoted the Messenger (s) as saying that: He ordered for bringing water while Ali (‘a) was beside him. After ablution, he took Ali's hand and put it on his chest and recited: and then again put Ali's hand on his chest and recited: 9. Later, he told him: You are shining torch of creatures, the extreme guide and emir of reciters and I witness that you are as such. Fakhr-e Razi quotes from Ibn-e-e 'Abbas under the same Revelation: وضع رسول الله (صلى الله عليه و آله و سلّم ) يده على صدره فقال أنا المنذر ، ثمّ أوماً إلى منكب على و قال: أنت الهادي يا علي بك يهتدى المهتدون بعدى. (Tafsir-e Kabir, vol. 19, p.14) Mir Gheyathuddin, the author of "Habib Al-Seyr, writes in the second edition of his book: It has been narrated in different ways that when came down, the Messenger (s) told Ali (‘a): O' Ali! I am warner and you are a guide. The guided people will be guided by you. And some other Sunni sources which have cited the subject-matter of the above hadith under the Revelation: Ra'ad:7: • Fara'id Al-Samțin, Ḥamūwayni, vol.1, hadith 112, p.148 • Kanz Al-Ammāl, Muttaqi Hindi, vol.11, hadith 33012, p.620 • Yanābi'a Al-Mawadda, Sheikh Sulayman Hanafi Qunduzi, vol.2, p.246 • Al-Fuşul Al-Mohemma, Ibn-e-e ṣabbagh Māleki, p.116 • Kefayat Al-Talib, Ganji Shāfe'ie, p.232 • Fath Al-Qadir, Shawkāni, vol.3, p.70 • Nur Al-'Abur, Shabalanji, p.87 • Kanūz Al-Ḥaqāyiq, Manāvi, vol.1, hadith 21, p.171 • Lesān Al-Mizān, Ibn-e-e Ḥajar, vol.2, p.169 • Mokhtaṣar-e Tarikh-e Dammeshq, Ibn-e-Manzur, vol. 18, p.9

invective on the pulpits against you after you were martyred and murdered your Shiites wherever they saw them.(1)

One day, your brother, the Messenger of God (s) told you:

O' Ali! Whomever of this ummah dies in grudge and vengeance against you, he shall die as a Jew and Christian.(2))

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1- Mu'awiyya (May God damn him) cursed Amir Mu'amenin (a) in his address on pulpit during his governance. ('Aqd Al-Farid, Ibn-e-e 'Abda Rabbah, vol.4, p.366; Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol. 1, p.356) and wrote to his agents who resided in the Islamic lands to go on pulpit and curse Ali ('a). (Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol.4, p.56; şahih-e Moslem, vol.2, p.360; Sunan-e Termezi, vol.5, hadith 3808, p.301; Tarikh-e Madina Dameshq, Ibn-e-e Asakir, vol. 1, hadith 271, p.206 and...) Many people living under rule of Mu'awiyya embarked on such an action while the Messenger (s) had said: (من سبّ عليا فقد سبني و من سبّنى فقد سب الله و من سب الله اكبه الله على منخريه في النار ) Whoever insults Ali, he has insulted me and whoever insults me, he has insulted God and whoever insults God, God shall drive him towards the hellfire. (Nur Al-'Abṣār, Shabalanji, p.100; Manaqib-e Khwarazmi, p.81; Kefayat Al-Ṭālib, Ganji Shāfe'ie, p.83; Al-Fuṣul Al-Mohemma, Ibn-e-e ṣabbāgh Māleki, p.111 and...) Ibn-e-e Athir puts down in his history book: Ziyad Ibn-e-e Abihi ruled Kufa on behalf of Mu'awiyya. He brought people together at the mosque and asked them to slander behind Ali ('a). He amputated hands of eighty Shiites for not vilifying Ali ('a). (Al-Kamel, Ibn-e-e Athir, vol.3, p.317; Murravij Al- Zahab, Mas'oudi, vol.3, p.35; Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol.3, p.199). Ibn-e-e Athir writes: Mu'awiyya took 'Abdulrahaman Ibn-e-e Ḥesān to Ziyad Ibn-e-e Abihi and ordered him to be slain in the worst way for praising Ali (‘a). Ziyad buried him alive and killed him in this way. (Al-Kamel, Ibn-e-e Athir, vol.3, p.366) When Mu'awiyya appointed Ziyad Ibn-e-e Abihi [he was named after Ziyad Ibn-e-e Abihi (meaning son of his father) as his mother was a fallen woman and his father was unknown] as Amir of Iraq (hub of Shiites of Amir Mu'amenan (a), he presided over Kufa palace and he wrote to him: O' Ziyad! Firstly, kill those who have the same religion as Ali has and mutilate them afterwards. (Al-Moḥḥaber, Mohammad Ibn-e-e Habib Baghdadi, p.479) Agents of Mu'awiyya asked people to curse Ali ('a). Whoever refused to do so, he shall be beheaded and his house was demolished. (Muravvij Al-Zahab, Mas'oudi; Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol.3, p.199)

2- The Messenger (s) told Ali (‘a): من مات من أمتى و هو يبغضك، مات يهوديًا أو نصرانيا. (Manaqib, Ibn-e-e Mardwiya, p.717)

The enemies held such a grudge against you that even children having your name were unsafe lest they might be killed by those executioners.

One day, you and the Messenger (s) with your wife and your two honorable children were in a camp tent and people stood outside. The Messenger (s) called and said:

O' People!

Be aware that I make peace with those who make peace with the people of this tent; I challenge those who challenge them and like those who like them; I am at odds with those who are at odds with them; nobody likes these people but a gentlemanly prosperous and happy man and nobody is their adversary but an ungentlemanly atrocious man.(1)

He said about you again:

Whoever likes to pass through Ṣerat (in the Doom's Day) airily and enters into Paradise incalculably, he shall like my heir, guardian and Caliph Ali Ibn-e Abiṭālib; whoever wants to fall into the hellfire, he shall abandon his leadership (Velāyat).

And many times, the Messenger (s) swore to God and said:

O' People!

Swear to Honor and Magnificence of God! Ali is the very door which is opened towards God and he is the Straight Path.(2))

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1- Khwarizmi says by citing Abubakr: رأيت رسول الله ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ) خيم خيمة و هو متكىء على قوس عربيّة و في الخيمة علي عليه السلام و فاطمة [ سلام الله عليها ] و الحسن و الحسين [ عليهما السلام ] فقال رسول الله ( صلى الله عليه [ و آله و سلّم ): يا معشر المسلمين ! أنا سلم لمن سالم أهل هذه الخيمة و حرب لمن حاربهم و ولى لمن والاهم و عدوّ لمن عاداهم ؛ لا يحبّهم إلا سعيد الجد طيب المولد، ولا يبغضهم إلا شقي الجد رديء الولادة. (Manaqib-e Khwarizmi, p.211; Al-Arba'ün Haditha, Razi, p.19)

2- ... فوعزّة ربّى و جلاله إنّه لباب الله الذى لا يؤتى إلا منه وإنّه الصراط المستقيم. (Shawāhid Al-Tanzil, Hakem Ḥaskāni, vol. 1, p.59; Tafsir-e Qomi, vol. 1, p.199)

He added more:

This is Gabriel who has informed me from God of the two Worlds that the whole prosperity is actually exclusive to one who loves Ali in his lifetime and after his demise and the whole atrocity and wretchedness belongs to one who holds vengeance against Ali whether in his lifetime or after his death!(1)

It is true!

Those who have success of loving you and your family are prosperous people and are the real faithful people; but those whose heart never bows to your divine status and raises none of your affection are the people who are losers and wicked.(2)

(2)

(1)هذا جبرئيل يخبرني عن ربّ العالمين أنّ السعيد كل السعيد من أحبّ عليّا في حياته و بعد موته و إنّ الشقي كلّ الشقى من أبغض عليا في حياته وبعد موته.

(Manaqib-e Khwarizmi, p.37; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.32, p.276)

(2)God says in An'am: 82:

« الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَ لَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ أُولِئِكَ لَهُمُ الْأَمْنُ وَ هُمْ مُهْتَدُونَ »

An'am: 82

Imam ṣādiq (‘a) says:

بما جاء به محمد من الولاية و لم يخلطوها بولاية فلان و فلان فهو الملبس بالظلم، اولئك لهم الأمن في الدنيا و الآخرة وهم

(UşÜl-e Kafi, Kulayni, vol. 1, p.2469)

Ḥākem Ḥaskāni Neishabouri says by citing Ibn-e-e 'Abbas:

مهتدون

الذين آمنوا » یعنى: صدقوا بالتوحيد هو علي بن أبي طالب [ عليه السلام ]».

ولم يلبسوا » يعنى: لم يخلطوا ، نظيرها « لم تلبسون الحق بالباطل » يعنى لم تخلطون ؟ و لم يخلطوا « ايمانهم بظلم » یعنی الشرك»

قال ابن عباس:

و الله ! ما آمن أحد إلا بعد شرك ما خلا عليّا فإنّه آمن بالله من غير أن يشرك به طرفة عين ( اولئك لهم الأمن » من النار و العذاب » و هم مهتدون » يعنى: مرشدون إلى الجنّة يوم القيامة بغير حساب، فكان عليّ أول من آمن به.

(Shawāhid Al-Tanzil, vol. 1, p.197)

P: 368

Theosophy Twenty Four

I certify that you accepted governance for exalting the Word of Allah, defense of truth and ultimatum over people.

What can be said that patience is curved in the face of your magnificence! You were kept away from your right for 25 years, but you have always sought satisfaction of God and submissiveness to His Commands.

You yourself said it:

After demise of the Prophet (s) and disloyalty of companions, I looked around and found nobody but my own family who will be killed if they help me; therefore, I was unhappy with their death. I closed my thorn-full eyes and drank bitter goblet of events while having to suffer broken-bone clogged in my throat; I controlled my anger and I kept patience by drinking the goblet much more bitterly than colocynth plant.(1)

Although you were set aside from your inalienable right, but you kept patience for divine pleasure and gained the highest reward which God grants to the patient for which God says:(2)

And you are Imam of the patient and stand up on the pompous peak of patience and all the patient people of the universe stand at its downhill with their highest ranks.

You were brother of the Messenger (s) and his first standard-bearer in the battles, but you had been forced to seek house overstay. You were the most learned man after the Messenger (s), but you were pulled to the side. You

P: 369

1- فَنَظَرْتُ فَإِذَا لَيْسَ لِى مُعِينٌ إِلا أَهْلُ بَيْتِى فَضَنِنْتُ بِهِمْ عَنِ الْمَوْتِ وَ أَغْضَيْتُ عَلَى الْقَذَى وَ شَرِبْتُ عَلَى الشَّجَا وَ صَبَرْتُ عَلَى أخْذِ الْعَظَمِ وَ عَلَى أَمَرَّ مِنْ طَعْمِ الْعَلْقَم.

2- (Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 26) Zumar: 10) (إنّما يُوَفَّ الصّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسابٍ )

were the very man who knew paths of the heavens better than those of the earth. They left you alone and dispersed and you spent your precious time for agriculture and the other engagements!

After the Caliph III was murdered, people collectively rushed to you and beseeched you to accept the caliphate. You never showed willingness to seize caliphate and said to them: Leave me alone and they said: We admit nobody save you and come together with nobody but you.(1)

They stretched hands for allegiance and you drew back. They snatched your hand and swore allegiance to you without your satisfaction! The caliphate was your right from the very beginning; the right which God had granted you. You resisted and clearly announced that you were unwilling to accept governance because you knew that they can hardly bear your justice and they utterly changed after demise of the Messenger (s). Since you knew that divinely sublime values had been set aside in these twenty five

years and they will be unhappy if those values return to the context of society.

You knew that they would stay with you as long as you secured their interests! But they stand against you if you reject their illegitimate interests. Later, you told them: Forget it; you'd better have me as your advisor, but they insisted on swearing allegiance to you.

And when you were in charge of governance and wanted to comply with the Book of God and Sunna of the Messenger (s), they stood against you!

Now, let us hear you when you described the day of allegiance:

"People like thirsty camels which near water and unleashed by the camel rider attacked me. They pressed and pushed each other and I thought as if they wanted to kill me or some die because of others and they might be treaded over. "(2)4)

P: 370

1- ‘Aqd Al-Farid, Ibn-e-e ‘Abdeh Rabba, vol.4, p.371

2- فَتَداكُوا عَلَيَّ تَدَاكُ الإِبِل إلهِيم يَومَ وِردِهَا وَقَد أَرسَلَهَا رَاعِيهَا وَ خُلِعَت مَثَانِيهَا، حَتَّى ظَننتُ أَنَّهُم قَاتِلِى أَو بَعضُهُم قَاتِلُ بَعضٍ لَدَيَّ. (Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 54)

"On the day of allegiance, crowds of people looked like shaggy mane of hyena, surrounding me on every side. It was almost about to trample Hassan and Husayn and my mantle was torn apart from both sides. People like cattle of sheep encompassed me. When I rose up and seized power, a group of them breached promise, a number of others disobeyed me and abandoned religion and some others refused to obey God." (1)

"You opened my hand for allegiance and I closed it; you pulled it and I took it back. Then, you like thirsty camels rushing to trough raided me and I had my shoe lace gone, my cloak fell off my shoulders and disabled people were treaded over. People were so pleased to make allegiance to me that the children were happy, the old people began to come by while trembling, the ill people being carried on the shoulders of their relatives and young girls who were unveiled, appeared on the stage. (2)

And on the day of allegiance, you also said:

"After Uthman was killed, you came to me and said you wanted to make allegiance to me. I said: I don't do that and I pulled back my hand, but you stretched it ahead. I took away my hand, but you grabbed it, saying that you will accept nobody but me and will surround no one but me; you crowded around me like camels which are unleashed by camel driver on the day of water. I thought you wanted to kill me or someone among you killed someone else. Thus, you all swore allegiance to me and so did Talha and Zubayr. "(3)8

P: 371

1- When you observed rush, willingness and insistence of people, although فما راعَنِي الا وَ النَّاسُ الَيَّ كَعُرْفِ الضَّبُعِ يَنْتَالُونَ عَلَيَّ مِنْ كُلِّ جَانِبِ، حَتَّى لَقَدْ وُطِئَ ءَ الْحَسَنانِ، وَ شُقَّ عِطَافِي، مُجْتَمِعِينَ حَوْلِي كَرَبِيضَهِ الْغَنَمِ فَلَمّا نَهَضتُ بِالْأَمْرِ نَكَثَتْ طَائِفَهُ وَ مَرَقَتْ أُخْرِى وَ قَسَطَ آخَرُونَ.... (Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 3)

2- وَ بَسَطتُم يَدَى فَكَفَفْتُهَا وَ مَدَدْتُمُوهَا فَقَبَضْتُهَا ثُمَّ تَداكَكتُم عَلَيَّ تَدَاكَ الإِبِل إِلهِيمِ عَلَى حِيَاضِهَا يَوْمَ وِردِهَا، حَتَّى انْقَطَعَتِ النَّعْلُ وَ سَقَطَ الرِّدَاءُ وَ وَطِئَ الضَّعِيفُ وَ بَلَغَ مِن سُرُورِ النَّاسِ بِبَيعَتِهِم إِيَّايَ أَنِ ابْتَهَجَ بِهَا الصَّغِيرُ وَ هَدَجَ إِلَيْهَا الكَبِيرُ، وَ تَحَامَلَ نَحوَهَا العَلِيلُ، وَحَسَرَت إِلَيْهَا الكِعَابُ. (Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 229)

3- 'Aqd Al-Farid, Ibn-e-e ‘Abda Rabba, vol.4, p.318

you knew many of them could hardly bear you justice, you made an ultimatum and accepted their allegiance. You said in this regard:

"I swear to God who split the seed and created life! If many people had not been there for allegiance and the companions had not made ultimatum over me and if God had not taken promise from ulemas not to keep silent in the face of hunger of the oppressed and gluttony of the tyrants, I would have left reins of caliphate camel on its hump and let it go and would have quenched the end of caliphate with the first drink. Then you would have seen your world is worthless to me than sniveling of a goat. (1)

You told them again for making an ultimatum:

"Know that if I accept your invitation, I will behave you based on my own knowledge and I will ignore what different people say and blame; but if you leave me by myself, I will be like one of you. I may be more attentive and obedient to your Caliph-elect than you are. If I become your vizier and advisor, it will be much better than being your emir and leader. "(2)

You were Imam of the people of the universe. Although, after departure of the Messenger (s), people turned back from you and regarded someone else as the Caliph, but you were viceroy of the Messenger (s).

And if you did not accept allegiance when people rushed to you, you were Imam of the universe people and direct viceroy of the Messenger (s) again.

When people rushed to you for making allegiance to you, it was not because you are direct viceroy of the Messenger (s) and your right has gone )

P: 372

1- أما وَ الَّذِى فَلَقَ الحَبَّةَ ، وَ بَرَأ النَّسَمَة ! لَوْ لَا حُضُورُ الْحاضِرِ وَ قِيامُ الْحُجَّهِ بِوُجُودِ النَّاصِرِ ، وَ ما أَخَذَ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْعُلَماءِ أنْ لا يُقارُوا عَلَى كِفَّهَ ظَالِم وَ لَا سَغَبٍ مَظْلُومٍ لا لَقَيْتُ حَبْلَها عَلى غاربها وَ لَسَقَيْتُ آخِرَها بِكَأس اوّلِها وَ لالْفَيْتُمْ دُنْيَاكُمْ هَذِهِ أَزْهَدَ عِنْدِى مِنْ عَفْطَهِ عَنْرٍ. (Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 3)

2- ... وَاعْلَمُوا أنّى إِن أَجَبْتُكُم رَكِبتُ بِكُم مَا أَعْلَم وَ لَم أصعْ إِلَى قَولِ القَائِلِ وَ عَتبِ العَاتِبِ، وَ إِن تَرَكْتُمُونِي فَأَنَا كَأَحَدِكُم وَ لَعَلَّى أَسْمَعُكُم وَ أَطْوَعُكُم لِمَن وَلَّيْتُمُوهُ أَمَرَكُم وَ أَنَا لَكُم وَزِيرا، خَيْرٌ لَكُم مِنِّى أَميرا. (Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 92)

away during 25 years, but because they swore allegiance to you and you will be the Caliph IV! Otherwise, the real faithful knew only you as the viceroy of the Messenger of God (s) and the others as the usurpers from the demise of the Messenger (s).

After people insisted and rushed to your house in groups, you felt it an obligation and honorably accepted it although you knew what consequences are borne ahead, you told them:

"If this has to be done, it should be done at the mosque because my allegiance shall not be made secretly, but it shall be made with satisfaction of Muslims in front of the public. "(1)

Next morning, you took a pulpit at the Messenger's mosque and loudly addressed loudly the crowds of people inside and outside the mosque:

O' people!

All of you pay attention to what I say! This is an order. None of you has a right in it unless you assign him. We parted from each other by making this pledge yesterday. If you want, I am willing to seize it; otherwise, I hold no vengeance against someone who accepts it.(2)

People unanimously cried out:

It's true! We still remain on our decision made when we separated from one another.

Then, you said:

Be aware that I am reluctant to be a Caliph, but you wanted me to be your emir....are you pleased now?

The crowd shouted:

We swear allegiance to you in accordance with the Book of God.(3)

People in groups assembled at the mosque and joined their hands with 0

P: 373

1- Imam Ali Ibn-e-e Abiṭālib (a), ‘Abdulfattaḥ Maqṣūd, translated by Mohammad Mehdi Ja'afari, vol.1, p.328

2- ibid., p.239

3- ibid., 340

yours and swore allegiance to you as a Caliph of the Islamic community.

From the beginning of your caliphate, you were mostly concerned about social justice, the very justice which was set aside for years, particularly abundant properties of the public treasury which was divided among the family members of the Caliph III. Hence, you spoke to people on the second day of caliphate:

I swear to God!

Wherever I find the looted public treasury, I give it back to the owners even though it has been spent for marriage or purchase of slave maidens because justice solves public problems and the one who pays heavy price for justice, he shall find it more difficult to bear.(1)

It is true!

The most important concern you had was justice and on the second day of your governance, you made everybody understood that kinship and friendship has no effect on you to receive facilities. All are equal and some who had sworn allegiance to you for the greed of post understood that you are a man of reconciliation with those who are well-known, powerful and wealthy in the society.

On the very early days of your government, you announced that you ignore policy of expediency and what you had become in charge of and committed, you stand by it. You told people that they should be changed and return to values of early Islam.

It is true! You told them:

What I say and take charge of, I abide by them; the one to whom admonitions are revealed and takes advice from its agony, he shall be retained from abyss of skepticism through piety and self-restrained. Be aware that dark days and trials return to you once again as they were during the Be'athat. I swear to God who appointed the Prophet (s) rightfully. You will be tested like the seeds on the screening sieve or the )

P: 374

1- وَ اللَّهِ لَوْ وَجَدْتُهُ قَدْ تُزَوِّجَ بِهِ النِّسَاءُ وَ مُلِكَ بِهِ الأءِ مَاءُ لَرَدَدْتُهُ، فَإِنَّ فِى الْعَدْلِ سَعَةً، وَ مَنْ ضاقَ عَلَيْهِ الْعَدْلُ فَالْجَوْرُ عَلَيْهِ ضْيَقُ. (Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 15)

foodstuffs mixed in the pot! You will be up and down and down and up. Those who had a precedence in Islam and were in isolation come to power and those who surpassed unrightfully are drawn back.(1)

It is true!

In your caliphate where name, tradition and fame was measure of enjoying the facilities had no longer a status and for you, everyone was equal in using the public treasury. In your caliphate, kinship and social relations failed to interfere with adoption of a position; rather, divine piety, meritocracy and capability were the only measures for the posts to be entrusted. Therefore, when you placed unknown persons in some positions and refused to assign some well-known authorities because of their mamonism and transformation to some posts after departure of the Prophet (s), they breached their allegiance, stood against you and raised a rebellion.

But you were man of God!

You were never enfeebled in your aims, never adopted appeasement, stood in the field of action and stood up to aberrant mamonists.

You were never even a bit attached to the world and endowed yourself in entirety to religion. If you accepted public allegiance and caliphate, you intended to defend the oppressed, resist and counter against the oppressors and the corrupt. The government for which many were willing to die and were ready to replace the right and the wrong with each other-as they did before-seemed as worthless as goat's sniveling. You yourself said:

"I swear to God who split the seed and created life! If many people had not been there for allegiance and the companions had not made ultimatum over me and if God had not taken promise from ulemas not to keep silent in the face of hunger of the oppressed and gluttony of the tyrants, I would )

P: 375

1- ذِمَّتِي بِمَا أَقُولُ رَهِينَةٌ ، وَ دَنَا بِهِ زَعِيمٌ إِنَّ مَنْ صَرَّحَتْ لَهُ الْعِبَرُ عَمَّا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَثُلاَتِ حَجَزَتْهُ التَّقْوى عَنْ تَقَحُمِ الشُّبُهَاتِ ، أَلاَ وَ إِنَّ بَلِيَّتَكُمْ قَدْ عَادَتْ كَهَيْتَتِهَا يَوْمَ بَعَثَ اللَّهُ نَبِيَّه. وَ الَّذِي بَعَثَهُ بِالْحَقِّ لَتَبَلْبَلُنَّ بَلْبَلَةٌ ، وَ لَتُغَرْبَلُنَّ غَرْبَلَةً ، وَ لَتُسَاطُنَّ سَوْطَ الْقِدْرِ، حَتَّى يَعُودَ أَسْفَلُكُمْ أَعْلَاكُمْ وَأَعْلَاكُمْ أَسْفَلَكُمْ، وَ لَيَسْبِقَنَّ سَابِقُونَ كَانُوا قَصَّرُوا وَ لَيُقَصِّرَنَّ سَبَّاقُونَ كَانُوا سَبَقُوا. (ibid., Sermon 16)

have left reins of caliphate camel on its hump and let it go and would have quenched the end of caliphate with the first drink. Then you would have seen your world is worthless to me than sniveling of a goat. (1)

A point:

Of course, one should also note that if Imam Ali ('a) rejected allegiance and conditionally accepted after public insistence of a lot. Besides, the next day, at the mosque, he again asked for satisfaction of people about his caliphate; all said that they had the same idea in the past day and that they were contented. Because of this, majority of people wanted him to be the Caliph IV after Uthman and they never paid attention to the issue of Imamate and direct caliphate of Imam; otherwise, Ali ('a) was Imam and rightful Caliph of the Messenger (s) and public vote ceases to interfere with the issue. 3

P: 376

1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 3

Theosophy Twenty Five

I certify that you, for establishing justice, fought with the rebels who breached promise and destroyed them.

Peace of God be upon you, O' Ya Abalhassan! O' the great oppressed of human history! Peace of God be upon your endless patience and tolerance!

You were not oppressed during 25 years of house stay; rather, when people swore allegiance to you, you were also oppressed! One may say that you have been oppressed within five years of caliphate and it exceeded the time of 25 years of house stay when you were oppressed!

If they broke into your house and set fire on it after departure of the Messenger (s), but they imposed three bloody wars on you during five years of your caliphate and killed many of your companions.

If you were engaged in prays and invocations before God, though having thorn in eyes and bone in throat, during those 25 years, they made you suffer a lot in the five years of your caliphate and you confabulated with no one but the well, asking God to grant you martyrdom.

Many found it hard and heavy to bear your caliphate and reign which was full of justice and resuscitation of the genuine Islamic Sunna and thus they stood against you with their swords pulled. When you assumed power, you were faced with a community which-25 years past the demise of the Messenger (s)-had been distanced from the Islamic values. You faced an Islamic community which was overfilled with hatred, tribal and racial vendetta and discrimination resulting from a sovereignty over a vast territory including different peoples and tribes for several years.

In that community, many of the white hair residing in Mecca and Medina and having plentiful booties from expansionism and public wealth turned to an aristocratic life and completely abandoned divine values; in contrast, a huge crowd of people lived in poverty and destitution. Therefore, when you, at the onset of your rule, raised the genuinely Islamic mottos and tried hard to materialize them across the community, they stood against you.

You experienced sedition in the very first year of your caliphate and the

P: 377

sedition was erupted by breach of promise of some doyen of ṣaḥāba and rebellion of Basra citizens against you.

After murder of Uthman, people who rushed to you and made allegiance to you included Talḥa and Zubayr, the two well-known Companions of the Messenger (s). They insisted on your caliphate, swore allegiance to you and encouraged people to do so. They demanded to be rulers of Basra and Kufa, but you did not find them qualified and rejected their demand. They deserted Medina to go to Mecca secretly. There, they organized an army under the auspices of Ayesha-who was full of grudge against you by taking advantage of the public property looted by the Umayyad. They departed to Basra, captured it and mobilized many of its citizens to counter with your government after killing your agents in Basra.(1)

It is true!

Talḥa and Zubayr were once the faithful Companions of the Messenger (s). Matter of time and obsession of luxuries changed them so much that they stood against you, the speaking Qur'an.

Having had no excuse to breach promise, they charged you with murder of Uthman and brought together a group of unwise and revengeful people to counter with your newly founded government.

I try to explain more in this regard:

On the very days of your caliphate, Talha and Zubayr who found no benefit objected to you and you decisively told them:

"You became angry at the least thing and forgot the most wells! Can you tell me which right has been taken away from you? Or which shares have I taken and raised cruelty against you? And which complaint for right is

----------------------------------

Theosophy Account Twenty Five

Explanations about Jamal Battle and how Ayesha behaved Amir Mua’menan (‘a) )

P: 378

1- Historians say: The Companions of Ayesha deceitfully detained Uthman Ibn-e-e Hanif, ruler of Basra with seventy people of his men who were guards of the public property and brought them to Ayesha. Ayesha ordered them to be killed. They beheaded these devout people like sheep. It is said that these faithful people numbered 400 and this was the first time a number of Muslims were patiently decapitated. (Tarikh-e Tabari, vol.4, p.473; Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol.9, p.222)

claimed to me and I have shown weakness? And of which Divine Command have I not been ignorant and I have mistakenly covered it?

By God!

I was unwilling to be Caliph and showed no interest in being your leader. You invited me and imposed it on me. The day when I assumed caliphate, I deeply referred to the Qur'an and I followed every order accordingly. I pursued the tradition of the Messenger (s).

And when both of them found fault with you, saying: Why don't you consult with us about the affairs? You told them:

"I am needless of your vote and opinion and that of the others. Nothing has happened to me yet not to know how to rule or to need your and others' consultation. If so, I would have done it. As for your objection that I treated everybody equally, I must say I did not follow my own ways or my desires; rather, you and I learned such treatment from directives of the Messenger (s) which order to issue and how to comply with it. Therefore, I was needless of you on the division God had ordered.

By God!

Neither you nor others have a right before me to oppose me. May God guide your and our hearts towards the truth and inspire us and you of patience and tolerance. God may bless someone who cares about a right, provides help or destroys a cruelty he has seen and takes care of the right until it returns to its owner!"(1)

But they disregarded your advice and left your center of caliphate, which was then in Medina and went to Mecca. In Mecca, they brought together Ayesha-who held long-simmering enmity with you-and a group of the Umayyad residing in Mecca as well as your opponents. They headed for Iraq and Basra to hire forces against your government under the excuse of taking revenge for Uthman.

They accused you of murdering Uthman while the most suspicious people who committed his murder were themselves.(2))

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1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 205

2- Talḥa, Zubayr and Ayesha mostly had a hand behind the rebellion, leading to Uthman's murder. In this respect, Sunni sources have quoted a lot from ṣaḥāba; for example, Sa'ad Ibn-e-e Abi Waqqas wrote a letter to Ibn-e-e Al-As, saying that: I was asked about murder of Uthman. He was murdered with a sword which was unsheathed and Talha polished it. (Imam Ali Ibn-e-e Abiṭālib (a), 'Abdulfattāḥ Maqsud, translated by Mohammad Mehdi Ja'afari, vol.3, p.361)

When Talha and Zubayr and their supporters hoisted banner of opposition, you told people:

Be aware that verily the Satan has mobilized his party and men and has organized an army to restore cruelty and sustain the wrong.

By God!

Those who breached promise find no fault being committed by me and unobserved equity between me and themselves! They seek a right which they abandoned and want revenge for a blood they shed! If I partnered with them, they had a hand too. If they themselves spilled Uthman's blood, then they must be penalized. The most important reason they make is not to their advantage.

They want to be fed from a mother's breast which is dried up, to revive a heresy which has long been dead; and what inviters! And what embracers!

Verily, I am pleased with the Book of God and His Command about those who have breached promise; however, if they refused to do so, I shall respond with the sword which suffices for the treatment of the wrong and the assistance of the right.(1)

The conscienceless rebels entered Basra city and trickily held captive Uthman Ibn-e Ḥanif, your representative and Amir in Basra with seventy people of his men who were guards of the public property and brought them to Ayesha. She ordered them to be killed. They beheaded your companions like sheep. It is said that they numbered 400 and this was the first time that a group of Muslims were patiently decapitated.(2).

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1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 22

2- Concerning the behavior of Ayesha towards Amir Mu'amenin (a), researchers observe a strange matter; verily, history has recorded such an enmity and grudge of her towards Ali (‘a) that it is unique and unexemplified. She held so much grudge that she could hardly bear name of Ali ('a). (ṣaḥih-e Bukhari, vol.1, p.162). After she heard people swore allegiance to Ali (‘a) after Uthman was murdered, she said: I wish the heaven had come down and Ali would not have become the Caliph! When Ali (a) was martyred, she prostrated and thanked God. (Ask the conscious people, Mohammad Tijāni, vol. 1, p.193) God the Praiseworthy orders the wives of His Messenger (s) to stay at home» «and stop going out unveiled. He commands recitation of the Quran, saying prayers, paying zakat and obey Him and His Messenger (s) (Aḥzāb: 33). Before his demise, the Messenger (s) warned and said: which one of you rides a camel and dogs of "Haw'ab" bark at her? Anyway, all wives of the Messenger (s) obeyed the order of His Messenger (s) and were submissive except for Ayesha who ignored all these things. Historians say that Hafsah, daughter of Omar wanted to get out with Ayesha and enter a war with Ali (‘a), but her brother warned and recited the Revelation to her: «»; she made up her mind. But Ayesha rode a camel and Ḥaw'ab dogs barked at her. (Ask the conscious people, vol.1, p.197) Historians say that Ayesha was commander-in-chief in Jamal Battle and she herself hired and fired and issued orders. Talḥa and Zubayr raised dispute about the Imamate of prayers and each of them wanted to lead people for prayers. Ayesha intervened and fired both. She replaced them with her nephew, 'Abdullah Ibn-e-e Zubayr for leading the prayers. It was she who dispatched emissaries with her letters to countries, asking them to help her against Ali (‘a) and instilled the fervor of ignorance in them.

When you were then informed that the aberrant rebels committed such a crime in Basra, you addressed people, saying:

Those aberrant people designated the Satan as measure of their job; the Satan entrapped them, made their hearts grow seeds of discord and cherished them. The Satan wept with their eyes and spoke with their tongues; with their help, it drove camel of deviation and let them see ill- acts showing beautiful such as behavior of someone who showed he shares rule of Satan and talks wrongly by tongue of Satan.

You tried hard to lead the rebels back to the Straight Path; but they stood more firmly on their positions to oppose you day by day.

Therefore, when you found that the advice given to those deviant people is of no consequence, you mobilized people of Hejaz for combating them, saying:

Know that the Satan gathered his party and has called upon infirmaries and cavalries! I am necessarily aware of the affairs; I neither disguised the right, nor did the right remain in disguise to me.

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I swear to God!

I create a whirlpool for them that nobody but me can work it out; those sunken in it cannot be saved and those who run away do not imagine the return.(1)

You moved your army from Medina to Iraq to fight with the rebels. After several days of walking, you arrived in the territory and sojourned in a region nearby Basra so that the army troops might catch a breath and logistics can be readied.

They set up a tent for you and you entered into it. Ibn-e 'Abbas came in there and he was shocked when he saw you forming a callus on your shoes!

He may have told himself: How come he sat there to form a callus on his shoes at this ticklish situation!

You told him: O' Ibn-e 'Abbas! How much does the shoes worth? He sharply looked at the shoes and said: O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin! It has been patched a lot and it is worth nothing!

You told him:

I swear to God that the same worthless shoes is much more beloved than ruling over you unless I defend a right or repel a wrong when I put it on.

After that, you came out of the tent and addressed people, saying:

Verily when God appointed Muhammad as His Messenger, nobody could hardly read a book and claimed to be a Messenger. Prophet Muhammad upgraded the ignorant people to have human esteem and salvaged them to keep their spears sharpened until they were triumphant with a strengthened community.

By God!

I was a vanguard of the army of Islam so far as the arrangements of atheism and polytheism were dilapidated; I never lost strength and was never frightened. Now, I go on that way and tear apart the cover of the wrong to release the right thereof. 0

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1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 10

What on earth shall we have to do with the Quraysh! I swear to God I fought with them when they were infidels and now that they are betrayed, I battle against them. I lived with them yesterday and I am in trouble because of them today.

I take God as my witness! The Quraysh does not take revenge of us but because God selected us among them and honored us.(1)

It is true! You were never attached to the world and rule over people. You were sincere, freed and righteous worshipper of God and what you did was only for the pleasure of God.

You said that ruling over people is much worthless than your patched, torn and tattered shoes unless you administer the right and rescind the wrong!

You wanted, through what you said, make people understood that if you are engaged in war, it is not because you seek power and rule over people; but because you intend to uphold the right and de-hold the wrong.

You are shining star for guiding mankind and mankind is in need of your teachings for keeps; mankind who is plunged into the world and what crimes and injustice he commits to reach a position and office!

But you applied three divorces to the world and though you then dominated one third of the world (the entire Saudi Arabia, Ancient Iran, Iraq, some part of Africa and...), you failed to oppose Divine Command even a bit and you always remained obedient to Him.

You said that ruling over people is less worth than your fully amended shoes, but they rebelled against you. The Satan had shown the world and its jewels so attractive to them that they were ready to easily behead a large number of the innocent people to achieve government.

But you were the same great man who said: If I am given the whole world, instead I take away a tiny straw from an ant's mouth, I shall never do it!

It is true!

You were not ready to take away a tiny straw from the ant's mouth, but those ill-wishers were prepared to decapitate the innocent Muslims to grab 3

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1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 33

a two-day-long government!

As for your torn and tattered shoes, Ibn-e 'Abbas said: it is worth nothing. You said: ruling over you is much worthless for me than my shoes.

I should say:

O' my lord! I swear to God that your tattered shoes stands worthier than paradise for your lovers and mystics!

We well remember what the Messenger (s) said about one day:

O' Ali! If I had not feared that some tribes of my ummah tell what Christians said about Jesus Christ, I would have talked about you

that you do not pass by a group of people unless they take your under-feet dust as blessed.(1)

When your army reached nearby the city of Basra where rebels had gathered, you observed army of Talha, Zubayr and Ayesha with over thirty thousand people and abundantly strategic materials.

You always felt pity on ummah and you showed your kind and tender heart to them this time too, telling Ibn-e 'Abbas to go and advise them with a hope that the leaders of sedition become remorseful and stop conflict and bloodshed.

You told Ibn-e 'Abbas in this way:

Stop meeting with Talḥa! Because you find him like a wild cow which has tilted its horn and ready for battle. He rides on untamed horse and says it is tamed; instead, meet Zubayr who is more flexible. Tell him your cousin says: you knew me in Hejaz and you don't know me in Iraq?! What happened you withdrew your treaty?!

Ibn-e 'Abbas went up to rebels and advised them to give up rebellion and stop bloodshed of Muslims, but Zubayr and the other insurgents repeated their absurd words, saying: Ali murdered Uthman and he must be tried!

Ibn-e 'Abbas came back and said that they do not understand logical words and they should be treated by nothing but sword! 2

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1- Irshad, Sheikh Mufid, p.88; Ketab-e Salim Ibn-e-e Qeys Helali (secrets of Muhammad's Progeny), hadith 62

You carrying no armor and weapon, wearing the shirt of the Prophet(s) and putting his robe on your shoulders stood up between the two armies. You loudly called on Zubayr. Your compatriots told you: Zubayr has weapon of war and you have no weapon. You said: No fear, tell Zubayr to come to see me.

Zubayr moved towards you and Ayesha cried: Poor Asma' (wife of Zubayr) became a widow! She was told: Stop fearing! Ali will not kill anyone who is given clemency.

Zubayr came close to you; do you know what you are doing?! You yourselves killed Uthman and now you say I killed him?!

O' Zubayr! I swear you to God!

Did the Prophet (s) not tell you that if you love Ali and you said: Yes, I love Ali? Then the Prophet (s) told you: there comes a day when you come out and oppose him and make sure you are a tyrant. Did he not tell you as such?

Zubayr replied: What you said is true.

Do you remember when the Prophet said hello to me and I smiled, but you said: why did you not say hello to him and felt selfish? The Prophet told you: Ali is not selfish and there will come a day when you oppress him?

Zubayr said:

O' Abalhassan! It is true! I had forgotten it. I remembered it now and I know you are right. I come back now and I do nothing to make your memory vexed.

Zubayr said this and left the battlefield. Ayesha said to him: O' Zubayr! What has happened to you?! Zubayr said: I was astonished in front of him and I never enter in a fight with him.

'Abdullah, son of Zubayr who fueled to the fire scolded his father; Zubayr bravely attacked with no strike of sword and went out.

Fifty horsemen chased him, but he scattered them all around. He reached valley of "Seba' ". A man from Bani 'Aqim tribe knew him. He brought him milk and fruit. Zubayr drank milk and ate fruit. He began to say his prayers. After that, he slept; when he slept, the man from Tamim killed

P: 385

him with sword and brought you his weapon and ring.

You became sad when you heard he was killed and said: I heard the Prophet say: Give good news of hell to the killer of Zubayr! Then, you looked at his sword and said while weeping: This is the sword of someone who launched jihad of a lot in the Path of God and delighted the Prophet's heart.

Ayesha's army had poised for attack. You turned to your army and said:

O' people!

Relieve your eyes, think of war and remember the Praiseworthy God. Stop talking and yelling that is indicative of ill-heartedness.(1)

Ayesha called on her army: Prepare for war! Plenty of arrows were thrown to your army and your compatriots pulled swords to attack the rebels as you command; you stood there in patience and calm!

Your compatriots told you: O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin! Why don't you order for attack?

You said:

I wanted to see if bloodshed can be stopped. Now I see advice is of no consequence to them and our troops have been wounded. There is no more excuse. I wanted not to be initiator of war.

Then, you wore armor, carried your sword, put your turban on and readied for attacking army of insurgents, but you still kept your kind heart of peace. So you kept the Qur'an in your hand and told your compatriots:

Which one of you can take this Qur'an and go to them and remind them of its commands and prohibitions? [Keep the Qur'an rule among us]

A slave servant from Majāsha' came out and said: O' Amir Al- Mu'amenin! I can stand up to do it.

You told him: O' Young man! If you take this Qur'an to them and they kill you, don't you mind?

He replied: I am sacrificed for the sake of the Qur'an. 0

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1- Detailed History of Islam, p.170

You told him: First, they cut off your hands and kill you.

The man said: I am ready as it is Pleasure of God.

You let him go with prayer.

The man took the Qur'an and went to them for ultimatum and said: This is cousin of the Messenger of God (s) and his legatee! This is the heavenly Qur'an, see it and fear from it, stop opposing and getting yourselves killed!

One of the Ayesha's slaves came ahead, hit him with sword and cut off his two hands. He held the Qur'an onto his chest. At last, they hit him on the chest and murdered him.(1)

Your holy face showed anger once you saw such a scene; you handed banner of war to your son, Mohammad Ḥanafiyya and said:

If mounts are dug out, you keep steadfastly, press your teeth, lend your head to God, stiffen your foot on the ground, look at the ending lines of the enemy's army, ignore the abundant troops of the enemy and know that God, the Praiseworthy makes us win.(2)

You attacked the enemy's army and whoever came up to you, you bisected him with your Zulfaqar.

Your army recklessly invaded Ayesha's army on the front, right and from the left side. It was a hard-fought. Both armies stormily shouted and glow of swords that landed onto one another's bodies lightened the eyes. Hands and heads were cut off and blood immensely covered the ground.

After several hours of battle, your compatriots besieged army of rebels and spilled their blood in the wake of recurring strikes. Talha was hit with an arrow and got killed. The commanders of the enemy's army were killed with your sword one after another and Ayesha's army decamped.

A large number of them were murdered, many ran away and a group of them were captivated by your army.(3))

P: 387

1- Detailed History of Islam, p.170

2- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 11

3- Battle of Jamal erupted around Basra in 36 A.H. Ayesha's troops numbered thirty thousand and Imam's troops numbered twenty thousand. A number of nine thousand troops of Ayesha's army and less than two thousand troops were killed. (Detailed History of Islam, p.172)

Ayesha mounted a camel. You ordered camel to be chased and it was chased and Howdah fell onto the ground.(1)

You reached her, telling:

O' Ayesha! Isn't bloodshed enough?!

She replied:

O' Ali! You won. Behave me well!

You turned to Mohammad Abibakr-her brother and one of your sincere companion-and said:

Help your sister and nobody stays close to her Howdah except you. Mohammad went near her and caught her hand.

Ayesha said: Who are you?

He replied: O' sister! I am your brother. Why did you do such a thing and disrepute yourself?!(2)

Later, you commanded Ayesha to be taken to Medina by a group of women who were armed, dressed like men and their faces veiled.

You tried hard to stop bloodshed, but they did not listen to you. You called them on commands and prohibitions of the Qur'an and put the Qur'an rule among you but those wicked rebels rejected it.

It is true!

They rejected the Qur'an, turned their back on it and caused a great sedition to happen.

You arrived in the city of Basra after winning the people of Jamal and greatly blamed the people of Basra for receiving the rebels by addressing them and said:

You were army of one woman and followers of an animal [Ayesha's camel]! You fought when the camel made a sound. You escaped when its .

P: 388

1- Detailed History of Islam, p.171

2- ibid.

hands and feet were cut off. You have mean ethics and your promise is broken apart; your religion is hypocrisy and your drinking water is salty and unpleasant. Whoever lives among you, he shall be penalized by his sins and whoever keeps away from you, he shall be blessed by God. Soil of your city is the most malodourous soil.....(1)

Your intellects are weak and your thoughts are unwise, so you are a mark for shooter, morsel for the eater and a prey for the hunter.(2)

In introducing Talḥa and Zubayr and Ayesha's army, you said:

They soared like thunder and radiated like power, but they ceased to do anything and finally, they were enfeebled! We are not like that; we have no production of thunder and lightning unless we act and we do not inundate unless we shower.(3)

You then entered into great edifice of public treasury with a large number of your companions. In the public treasury, there were lots of properties accumulated. Somewhere in there, gold coins piled up like a small hill in such a way that everyone was dazzled in eyes! When you stared at the piled-up coins, you repeated several times: O' golden coins! Get away and deceive someone other than Ali!

Later, you told some of your companions: Divide these coins among the present companions and give each one of them 500 coins.

Abul'aswad Dueli, one of your companions and narrator of this hadith,

says:

I swear to God who rightfully appointed the Prophet (s)! No less no more of coins remained undivided! It looked as if Ali (‘a) knew about the number of coins and the exact number of people! There were twelve thousand people who received 500 coins, totally amounting to six million coins of the public treasury of Basra.(4)2)

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1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 13

2- ibid., Sermon 14

3- ibid., Sermon 9

4- قال ابوالأسود الدوئلى لمّا ظهر عليّ عليه السلام يوم الجمل دخل بيت المال بالبصره في ناس من المهاجرين و الأنصار و أنا معهم. فلما رأى كثرة ما فيه قال عليه السلام: غرّى غيرى .... مرارا، ثمّ نظر إلى المال وصعد فيه بصره و صوّب و قال علیه السلام اقسموا بين أصحابي خمسائة خمسائة فقسم بينهم ؛ فلا والذي بعث محمدا بالحق ! ما نقص درهما و لا زاد درهما ؛ كأنه كان يعرف مبلغه و مقداره و كان ستة آلاف ألف درهم و الناس إثنى عشر ألفا (Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol.1, p.249; A'yan Al-Shi'a, Seyyed Mohsen Amin, vol. 1, p.462)

You moved towards Kufa after suppressing the fracas of Basra rebels and in a few days, you arrived in the city of Kufa. People rushed to welcome you. You went to the mosque of Kufa and performed two rek'at of prayers. After that, you made an invaluable speech, some part of which is as follows:

O' people!

Verily, I fear two things from you: Corporeal desires and long-simmering aspirations; but man is stopped believing in truth if he is in pursuit of carnal desires and long-standing desires make him forget the World Hereafter.

Be aware!

The world quickly turns its back on you and it looks nothing but a bowl where there remains little water.

Be conscious that the Other World is coming to us. This World and the Next World each has children; try to be the children of the Other World rather than This World because every child returns to his parents on the Doom's Day. It is time of action today rather than Doom's Day and tomorrow is Doom's Day rather than action.(1)

From then on, you stayed in Kufa and shifted center of your caliphate here from Medina because Kufa was situated on a sensitive region and could better control the Islamic territories from there.

In those days, one of your companions came to you and said:

I liked my brother could have been in the battle of Jamal and could see how God helped you to defeat the enemies!

You replied: Did your brother feel in mind and heart with us? 4

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1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 44

He said: Yes!

Then you told him:

So he was with us in the battle and those who are absent share fighting beside us; they share beliefs with us though being in their father's loin and mother's embryo and are born soon. Religion and faith are solidified by them.(1)

Peace of God betides you, O' Abalhassan! We wish we could be there and would sacrifice our life for you. 4

P: 391

1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 44

P: 392

Theosophy Twenty Six

I certify that you waged a war with Mu'awiyya and his followers to please God and counter with the wrong.

In the very beginning days of your caliphate, you deposed Mu'awiyyat Ibn-e Abi Sufiyan from ruling over Sham. He was appointed emir of Sham during the Caliph II and during the Caliph III, Uthman who was from the Umayyad, Mu'awiyya's caliphate in that important land became further strengthened.

You deposed him because he was a wrongdoing and corrupt man. He and his father, Abu Sufiyan were the hypocrite dissidents of the Army of Islam. Before conquest of Mecca, they countered with Islam and waged war as much as they could, but once Mecca was conquered and when they faced sword of Islam, they outwardly embraced Islam to save their lives and inwardly opposed the religion of God.

Mu'awiyya was the same man who was standard-bearer of the army of atheists in three battles of Badr, Uhud and Khandaq and you were the standard-bearer of the army of Islam.(1)

You knew him well and you were aware that he does not believe in God and Doom's Day in heart.

Mu'awiyya, his father and his family are from the very vicious lineage whom God has said in His everlasting Words in this way:

And like word of vicious, it is like a vicious tree which has no sturdy root.(2)

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Theosophy Account Twenty Six

Issues of Siffin Battle

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1- Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid Mu'tazili, vol.6, p.287

2- «وَ مَثَلُ كَلِمَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ كَشَجَرَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ اجْتَثَتْ مِنْ فَوْقِ الْأَرْضِ مَا لَهَا مِنْ قَرَارٍ » .. (26 :Ebrahim) وَ إِذْ قُلْنا لَكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ أَحاطَ بِالنَّاسِ وَ ما جَعَلْنَا الرُّؤْيَا الَّتِي أَرَيْنَاكَ إِلَّا فِتْنَةٌ لِلنَّاسِ وَ الشَّجَرَةَ الْمَلْعُونَةَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَ نُخَوِّفُهُمْ فَمَا يَزِيدُ هُمْ إِلا طُغْيانا كَبِيرا ( 60 : Isra: ) سُئل الإمام علي عليه السلام عن الآية، فقال: هما الأفجران من قريش بنوأمية و بنوالمغيرة و دارالبواردارالهلاك و الشجرة الملعونة في القرآن بنو أمية (Majma' Al-Bayan, vol.6, p.313; Biḥār Al-Anwār, vol.31, p.508; Tafsir-e Borhan, vol.2, p.425)

When you demoted Mu'awiyya from Sham, he did not admit it and began to oppose you, but you were determined to do so and you were unwilling to have him as Amir of Sham on your behalf even one day.

You dispatched one of your companions named "Jarir Ibn-e 'Abdullah” to Sham to send your message to Mu'awiyya. Mu'awiyya told him: Write Ali to assign me on Sham and Egypt and when he died, I swear allegiance to nobody, in this case I approve of him and know him as the Caliph.

Jarir wrote Mu'awiyya's offer to you and you replied: Mughayra [one of the Umayyad and Mu'awiyya's men] offered me as such in Medina and I rejected it; I will not do it and God will not see me as keeping those deviant my arm.(1)

Once Battle of Jamal ended, Mu'awiyya began to launch negative propaganda against you among Sham people and he cried everywhere that the Caliph III was murdered while he was oppressed; Ali has murdered him! His mercenaries instigated people against you wherever they had influence and prepared them to war with you.

In those circumstances, Mu'awiyya wrote you a letter in which he threatened you to war. In reply to the cursed man, you wrote him:

After praising God!

I received your letter in which you wrote God has appointed Muhammad for His religion and confirmed him and his Companions. By the way, what amazing things days have revealed to us about you! You want to inform us of what God has granted us? And tell us about the blessing of having the Prophet? Your story looks like that of a man's who took dates to "Ḥajar', the land of plentiful dates (as it is attributed to English proverb, “export iron to New Castle")! Or invite your professor to compete with you!! And you think that the most superior men in Islam are so and so man (meaning Abubakr and Omar). You remembered something that if proven has nothing 2

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1- Siffin event, Naṣr Ibn-e-e Mazāḥem Manqari, researched by 'Abdulsalam Hārūn, p.52; Al-futūḥ, Abu Mohammad Ahmad Ibn-e-e A'tham Kufi, vol.2, p.392

to do with you and if it is a lie, it is not your business; what do you have to do with superior and inferior men, politician and non-politician?! What the liberated captives(1) and their children have to do with recognizing advantages among the early migrants, their ranks and status! Never! You are involved in something about which you are alienated; now, you set forth the business that the condemned is the ruler? O' man! Why don't you keep quiet? Why don't you remember your shortcomings? Why don't you retreat to your backward status? What business do you have with superiority of the poor people and victory of the victorious people in Islam [you are ignorant of it]? You are always wandering around the desert of aberration and turning back from the straight path!

What I am saying is not for informing you! I say to remind God's Blessings. Don't you see that a number of migrants and helpers have been martyred on the Path of God? And each one had an excellence? But when our martyr, Hamza got martyred, he was called lord of martyrs and the Prophet said seventy takbirs (meaning “Allahu Akbar, proclaiming His greatness" instead of five takbirs over his dead body? Don't you see? A group of people whose hand was cut off in jihad each had an excellence, but when one of us [Ja'afar Tayyar] who was given a strike and his hand was cut off, he was called Tayyar? Who flies with two wings in Heaven! And if God had not banned a man praises himself, I would have enumerated lots of virtues so that discerning hearts of the faithful might know them and the ears of hearers could be familiar with them.

Mu'awiyya!

Stop claiming as such because you have shot a wrong target! Verily, we are cherished by our God and people are grown and bred by us. How you are equal with us when the Prophet is from us and the scandalous liar (Abu Jahl) is from you; Hamza, God's Lion is from us and Abu Sufiyan, Assad Al-Aḥlaf is from you;(2)two lords of youth of the people of Paradise are from us and two children thrown into the fire are from you; and the best .

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1- Abu Sufiyan and his children surrendered themselves on the day of Mecca conquest and the Prophet (s) liberated them, addressing them: Lab (you are free to go).

2- Since Abu Sufiyan swore different tribes to fight with the Messenger of God (s), he was ridiculously called “lion of oaths”.

world women are from us and the firewood-carrying woman of the Hell people (wife of Abu Lahab, Mu'awiyya's aunt) is from you; all such virtues are from us and those scandals are from you.

You said [after departure of the Messenger (s)] I was unleashed like a camel and dragged towards allegiance. I swear to God! You wanted to blame, but you praised; you wanted to scandalize, but you were scandalized. A Muslim has no fear of being oppressed as long as he is certain about his religion; I made this reasoning even for someone other than you to get advice; I briefed it as much as I remembered.

Afterwards, you reminded me of my business with Uthman, [You accused me of his murder]; you must reply because you are one of his relatives! By the way, which one of us raised more enmity towards Uthman? And paved the way for his killers? The one who helped him and asked him to observe and do public affairs? [Meaning Imam Ali ('a)] or the one who asked for his help and refused to do so? And waited for his death? [Meaning Mu'awiyya....]

I do not claim that I did not find fault with Uthman's heresies; I blamed him and I do not apologize for that.

You wrote that there is no alternative but war with me and my companions! You make man laugh while he cries a lot! Where did you see the descendants of 'Abdulmoṭallib stand behind the enemy? And fear sword? So wait a little until your rival comes to the battlefield.

The one you are looking for will soon find you and what you escape from, you will find nearby yourself. And I with a large army of the migrants, helpers and followers will move towards you immediately; troops who are pressed together and when they move, they darken the sky.

People who are clad in garment of martyrdom and they eagerly meet God; accompanied by them, there are descendants of valiant people of Badr and sword of the Hashemites whose sharp edge you know well did what on bodies of your brother, uncle, forefather and family [by Imam Ali ('a) in the Battle of Badr]!"(1)8

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1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Letter 28

You gave crushing responses to babbles of Mu'awiyya although you knew that he would never accept the truth.

Mu'awiyya did not give up his viciousness and prepared a large army by spreading rumors of Uthman's murder by you. He wanted to invade Iraq under the pretext of avenging Uthman's blood.

Mu'awiyya's mercenaries spread rumors across the cities that Ali killed Uthman; you made a sermon in reply to such hearsays:

"If I had ordered Uthman to be killed, I would have been his killer and if I had stopped it, I would have been one of his companions. Nevertheless, someone who helped him cannot say he is better than those who had not helped him(1) and those who had not helped him could not say his companions are better than us. I briefly say the story of Uthman: he looked for despotism and arrogance and you had been intolerant and over- excessive; God has an achievable rule for arrogance, tyranny, intolerance and extremism.”(2)

Finally, by instigating the feelings of Sham citizens for retaliating murderer of Uthman and promising leaders of Sham tribes the emirates of different regions in the case of defeating you, Mu'awiyya could mobilize a large number of troops.

It is true!

He could mobilize one hundred and twenty thousand troops for combating your government through deceitfulness.

When you observed that Mu'awiyya with lots of troops move towards Iraq, you summoned your commanders to ask them to become quickly geared up and head for Sham frontier.

Ultimately, with your frequent addresses for the necessary jihad with the enemy and efforts of the chivalrous general of your army, Malek Ashtar, 0

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1- That man is Marwan who was banished by the Messenger (s); however, Uthman brought him to Medina and he became his bridegroom. He contributed to his deviation and murder. And when Uthman's house was besieged by rebels, he wrote a letter to Mu'awiyya, asking for his help, but Mu'awiyya delayed so much that he was killed.

2- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 30

ninety thousand troops were ready to move to Sham, most of whom were from different cities of Hejaz, Iraq and Iran.

When Mu'awiyya and his troops headed for Iraq, he wrote a poetic letter to you, saying:

"O' Ali! Guess not I'm negligent; I'm now with strong troops heading for Kufa to battle against you."(1)

In response, you wrote:

I was not stupid like you to move to Sham

You came here to spill blood of people

Now, ninety thousand combatants and shooters reply you

And this month of Muharram is the death year of many of your companions.(2)

You immediately addressed people and told your troops to move ahead sooner and stop enemy's troops coming into Iraq at the border in Siffin region.

Your troops with lots of equipment joined you and reached Siffin after several days of walking. You were informed that Mu'awiyya had reached there sooner, camped and blocked the way to water of the Euphrates which had been under his control.

Having heard this, you made a sermon, saying: )

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1- لا يحسبني يا على غافلا *** لاوردن الكوفه القنابلا والمشرفى والقنا الذوبلا *** من عامنا هذا وعاما قابلا (Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.34, p.437; Detailed History of Islam, Hossein Emadzadeh, p.179)

2- اصحبت ذاحمق تمنى الباطلا *** لاوردن الكوفه القنابلا اصحبت انت يابن هند جاهلا *** لارمین منكم الكواهلا تسعين الفا رامحا ونابلا *** يزدحمون الحزن والسواهلا بالحق والحق يزيح الباطلا *** هذا لک العام وذرنی قابلا (Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.34, p.437; Detailed History of Islam, Hossein Emadzadeh, p.171)

"People of Sham invited you to war by waterway closure.(1) You are on the horns of a dilemma: You either stand still in humiliation or satiate your swords with their blood to quench your thirst; know that death in life together with defeat and everlasting life lies in your triumphant death. Be aware! Mu'awiyya has brought together a group of deviated people and has kept truth dark for them until they blindly keep their throats target of spears and swords. "(2)

With your loud sermon, your companions unsheathed swords and moved towards the Euphrates. There erupted a battle, result of which was unblocking the waterway and retreating of Mu'awiyya's army from that region.

Once the waterway was unblocked, some of the men told you that let us mutually keep the waterway closed to Mu'awiyya and his men so that they cannot battle as a result of thirst.

O' you, Amir Al-Mu'amenin! Whose spirit is more widespread than the seven heavens told them: we do not do it as God has made this water halal

for all of His Creatures even disbelievers.

It is true!

In those circumstances, you could close the waterway to them to force them to surrender; you showed manliness and kept the water open.

Mu'awiyya and his dynasty have not realized manliness and humanity. You felt mercy of that wicked man and let waterway open to them; but the vicious descendants of Mu'awiyya blocked the waterway to the Euphrates 1

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1- Before army of Ali ('a) reaches Siffin desert, Mu'awiyya's soldiers led by Abu Al- A'war took control of the Euphrates. Imam Ali ('a) sent "ş'aş'ata Ibn-e-e şuḥān" to Mu'awiyya asking him why they blocked the way to the Euphrates. Mu'awiyya consulted with his men. WAlid Ibn-e-e Uqba and 'Abdullah Ibn-e-e Sa'id said: Close the waterway until Kufa army troops die of thirst. But Amru Aş said: Ali is not a man to remain thirsty; he is the same man who said if he had forty companions, he would take his right after Saqifah. Now, the great men of Iraq and Hejaz has joined him! Mu'awiyya ordered his men to keep waterway closed. As ordered by Imam Ali ('a), shock troopers led by Imam Hassan (a) attacked, took back waterway and moved back troops of Mu'awiyya. But Imam commanded to keep waterway open for the two armies. This manly action of Imam made some Sham troops awakened and joined the army of Imam. 2. Nahj

2- Al-Balagha, Sermon 51

for your son, Husayn (‘a) at Karbala, letting not him and his children drink even a little water.

Yes! That wicked dynasty has not realized humanity.

Upon arrival of your troops in Siffin territory, haram months began and two armies set up camps opposite one another for three months.

You tried a lot to beware Sham people of war and bloodshed in this time, but they insisted on launching battle and bloodshed.

In these three months, you wrote various letters to Mu'awiyya to give him the ultimatum, preventing him from a bloody war, but he failed to accept even a bit of your advice and recurrently charged you with murder of Uthman. He declared the only way of cessation of hostilities is that you shift him the caliphate.

Currently, some of the letters you wrote him are brought here:

"O' Mu'awiyya!

What will you do when your colorful garments are set aside?! The garments that are ornamented with beauties of the world? The world betrayed you with its pleasures and called on you and you accepted the call; it ordered you and you obeyed. Verily, it takes you to a perilous field where no protective shield saves you.

O' Mu'awiyya!

Stop this (war) and be prepared for judgment and the incidents coming to you. Don't give lending ears to the ignoble astray (Amru Aş)! If you don't do so, I'll tell you that you have been neglected. Verily, you are a spoiled man whom Satan governs and he will achieve his dreams with you and he flows all around you like spirit and blood.

O' Mu'awiyya!

You called me on a war? If you are right, leave people alone and come to fight with me alone (eye-to-eye confrontation) and stop the two armies killing each other so that you might know which one of us has darkened heart and whose face is disguised?

O' Mu'awiyya! How long have you (the Umayyad) been rulers of ummah

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and commanders of people?! You have neither brilliant precedence in religion nor high honor in family!

I invoke by God not to be in trouble with rooted enmities! I frighten you to attempt to pursue your dreams and you are not the same overtly and covertly.

I am Abulhassan! Killer of your ancestor, uncle and brother in the Battle of Badr(1) who split apart their heads; today, I carry the same sword and I meet my enemies with the same heart; I established neither heresy in religion nor a new Messenger I selected. I go the same divine straight path which you abandoned willfully and you had embraced reluctantly. You fancy you've come to take revenge of Uthman's blood?! While you know who has spilled his blood!

If you are right, ask them for it! [not asking from me, I'm innocent] verily, I see you in war, who are carrying heavy burden like camels and moaning and I see your troops calling me on the Book of God because of being impatient of incessant strikes of swords, of hard disasters and fall of bodies on the ground. This is while your troops are disbelievers and allegiant promise breakers.(2)

You wrote him another letter, saying:

"O' Mu'awiyya!

You killed a large number of people, betrayed them through your aberrance and sank them in turbulent surge of your sea of ignorance where darkness covered them and they were plunged into waves of skepticism, being driven from the way of truth to byway. They turned to the Dark Age of the past generation and remained proud of features of their family's ignorance, save a few of the discerning people who changed their way and separated from you when they knew you. They rushed to God not wanting to help you because you asked them to do hard job and deviated them. 0

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1- Mu'awiyya's ancestor, Utabat Ibn-e-e Rabi'ah and his uncle, Walid Ibn-e-e Utbah and his brother, Ḥanzalat Ibn-e-e Abi Sufiyan came into the battlefield when the battle began. Ali (‘a) stood in front of Mu'awiyya's uncle and killed him. He then helped Ubaydah who was at hard fight with Utabah and killed him. After that, he killed brother of Mu'awiyya.

2- Nahj Al-Balagha, letter 10

O' Mu'awiyya!

Fear God when you do things and release yourself from control of devil because the world has abandoned you and the Other World has approached you. (1)

You wrote another letter to the wicked man again, saying:

"After remembering God!

Verily, God set this world for the Next World and put people on trial to verify whoever is more benevolent. We are not created for this world and not ordered only to make attempts for this world; we were born to undergo trials and verily God tested you with me and tested me with you, giving one of us proof for the other.

You turned to the world by falsely interpreting the Qur'an and attributed something to me (Uthman's murder) with which my hand and tongue were never tainted. You and people of Sham concocted that falsehood and charged me so that the informed people among you would stimulate the uninformed people against me and the standing people from you would incite those crippled people against me.

O' Mu'awiyya!

Fear God and battle the devil that harnesses you and return to the Hereafter that is my way and yours. Fear God who uproots you through a crushing disaster soon and overwhelms your generation.

Verily, I take an oath of God for you, an oath by which I stand! If the days brought you and me in one place, I would stand on your way until God arbitrates between you and me because He is the best arbitrator. "(2)

But your advice failed to affect him on his dark heart and he constantly repeated his rubbish words in writing back to you.

This went on to pass by months of haram, reaching the lunar month of Şafar 1st (37 A.H.). You then turned to your army troops and said: 5

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1- Nahj Al-Balagha, letter 32

2- Ibid. letter 55

"We stopped the conflict for two reasons: Firstly, it was month of haram; secondly, we attempted to have them stop war and follow us; now that they still persist on their aberration and the month of haram has passed by, we are set to bring the conflict to an end with your chivalrous attacks and finish them up. We are confident we are right and we fight them with firm faith."(1)

Then, you assigned the commanders of your army in different wings and your troops were poised for attack. Mu'awiyya was also informed and marshalled his troops. You turned to your army, saying:

"Each of you felt valorous and daring against the enemy in the battlefield and found his brother timid and weak, he must defend him thanks to his superiority just as he defends himself because if God wills, He will make him as brave as you are.

Verily, death is quickly in search of you; those who resist and those who run away, none cannot get released from grip of death and verily, the most honorable death is to die on the Path of God.

I swear to the One who holds life of son of Abuțṭālib in His hand!

Thousands of sword strikes on me are easier than dying in bed in opposition to God! I behold as if you are escaping from some attacks while moaning like herds of salamander where neither a right is regained by you nor a cruelty is stopped by you! Now, this is you and this opened way; rescue belongs to someone who has gone into the battlefield for combat and death goes to someone who feels enfeebled. "(2)

After that, you raised your hands up in the sky and whispered with your God, saying: ht

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1- The detailed History of Islam, Hossein Emadzadeh, p.185

2- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 123; Imam Ali (‘a) told his compatriots during siffin: I don't like you insult people; but if you had defined their deed and recounted their moods, you would have been close to true and excusable words; it would be right to tell them instead of insulting them: O' God! Save our and their blood, make peace between us and lead them towards the Straight Path from deviation so that those who are ignorant know the truth and those who fight

"O' God of the hoisted heaven and retained space where night and day, circulation of sun and moon and frequenting route of moving stars take place and Thou set it a place for Thy Angels who are never tired of worshipping Thee! O' Lord of the earth! Where Thou let people reside, beasts and insects move back and forth and Thou placed the uncountable visible and invisible things! O' God of high and strong mounts which Thou established for the earth like sturdy nails and a backbone for the creatures!

If Thou helped us to win the enemy, keep us away from invasion and fix us on the path of truth; if we lost to them, grant us martyrdom and let us stay far from seditions."

Then, you turned to your army and said:

"Where are those free men who rise up to support their leader?! Where are those men of fervor who fight when disasters and obstacles come down?!

O' people beware! Disgrace and laid-back is behind you and Paradise stands ahead of you."(1)

Firstly, eye-to-eye confrontation started and you unsheathed your Zulfiqar; you moved towards those so-called heroes of the enemy's army. You crushed skull of every one who came to fight with you.

Malek Ashtar, Abu Ayyub Ansari and Hossein Ibn-e Monzar killed their rivals one after another.

Drum of group attack were played and the two armies attacked each other. A horrible carnage erupted. Hands and heads were gone off bodies;

streams of blood ran across Şiffin territory Malek Ashtar, Abu Ayyub Ansari and Hossein Ibn-e Monzar killed their rivals one after another.

Drum of group attack were played and the two armies attacked each other. A horrible carnage erupted. Hands and heads were gone off bodies;

streams of blood ran across Șiffin territory. You fearlessly hit the heart of enemy's troops and cut anybody's body in halves when he came to fight with you; this was while Mu'awiyya did not come out of his 1

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1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 171

commandeering tent even a step further out of fear.

The battle of day one lasted late at night and thousands of both sides were killed and wounded.

This fully bloody carnage continued several days and your compatriots attacked the enemy's troops with full capacity, killing some of them so far as Mu'awiyya's army revealed signs of defeat.

Inter alia, Mu'awiyya tried a lot to absorb the commanders of your army with money and promise of governance of the captured lands, but he failed to do so by writing those letters whatsoever.(1)

The battle intensified every day and more of Sham citizens were killed. During the heavy carnage, Mu'awiyya wrote a letter to you:

"But later; because the battle lingered a long time and a number of people are killed every day; hostility and campaign has worsened, I had begged you to let me have leadership of Sham and not asking me to make allegiance to you and to follow your caliphate and obedience. I still remain persistent on my aim and I want you to leave me free in Sham so that such belligerence might be removed and war might come to an end."(2)

It is true!

When the deceitful man who had mobilized people of Sham against you under the pretext of taking revenge of murderer of Uthman saw signs of defeat, he forgot blood of Uthman and beseeched you for reconciliation! In replying him, you wrote:

"But later, O' Mu'awiyya!

I received your letter and read its contents; you wrote that war lasted long and many good people were killed and bad people remained alive. If this is so, know that it will last longer until those in conflict are killed. What 1

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1- Days passed from şiffin battle; Mu'awiyya was concerned about incessant carnages. He asked Amru As to write letters to the great companions of Ali ('a) and betray them through negative propaganda. Correspondence began; Amru As wrote letters to a number of companions of Ali ('a); but they gave him a crushing response (Detailed History of Islam, p.193)

2- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 171

you saw was a droplet of sea and a flame of the Hell.

You begged me to assign you governorship of Sham; this is impossible to be done by the son of Abiṭālib who is leader of a tribe and entrust people and their affairs to a tyrant like you. But you wrote that we are descendants of 'Abd Manaf; know that "Umayyad" was never like "Hashem" and "Harb" was not equal to "Abdulmoṭallib". There is a big difference between Abusufyan and Abuṭālib! There is a big difference between the freed, migrant and devotee?! Hardly ever will the right stand by the wrong, that's all and nothing else. "(1)

Fierce fighting still continued; so many people from the two sides had been killed and a large number of mutilated heads, legs and hands in piles could be seen all over the vast upland.

Having noticed that a good many of his troops had been killed through your thunder-like attacks and that of Malek Ashtar, Mu'awiyya ordered his mercenaries to shout, "We are Muslims and brothers, stop fratricide! Let's make peace to become strong in the face of non-Muslims".

People of Sham stormily cried for their lost ones and continuously demanded cessation of hostilities.

But you told your troops not to be deceived by Mu'awiyya's tricks because victory is forthcoming:

“O' My companions! Fate and destiny has brought us here; everything we do, every breath we make and every word we utter, more or less, overtly and covertly are seen by God and His Knowledge encompasses us.

O' My companions! We must fight tomorrow. Stay awake and ask for His Assistance tonight. Recite the Qur'an, say prayers and ask God to make you win. Know that your enemy's health and strength has failed and it seeks after improvement and imploration of peace through ploy and trick. At first, they showed seriousness, attempt and valor; now that finality is there, you must be strong in body and in heart. We turn to war tomorrow morning until God rules between us "(2)6

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1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 171

2- ibid., p. 196

It is true!

As you knew that peace is deceit of Mu'awiyya, you turned it down to dry out origin of the "vicious family".

Your sermon strongly and heartily influenced your companions. That night they tended to invoke by God, say prayers and recite the Qur'an and they became prepared for jihad early morning.

The sun rose and you wore corselet armor of the Prophet (s) and took his sword, saying: I swear to God if it had not been for guidance of the aberrant people, I would have not stepped into the battlefield! But what I can do save choice of war because no reforms are made; after that, you ordered your troops to attack.(1)

That day witnessed the toughest and the most slaughtering scenes of war; tens of thousands launched invasions on Mu'awiyya's camp from three sides and lots of amputated heads, hands and legs covered the ground. The bloody war lasted till night. You, from one side, Malek Ashtar, from another side and the other commanders from a different side invaded. That

night which is one of the well-known nights of history is famous after “Lalat Al-Harir” has been regarded as the hardest and bloodiest hours of

battle in şiffin, where thousands of both sides of the battle had been killed.

Infantries disembarked that night, swords were fallen apart and banners fell down, arrows were overshot and prayers were unsaid! Both armies came into grips with one another in the dark in such a way that their spears and swords were broken and they had to devour each other tooth and nail. At that night, as people of Sham left lots of lost lives and wept like "cat", that night was called "Laylat Al-Harir".

You roared like a lion in that dark night and cut in halves bodies of enemies. You recited fifty hundred and twenty three Takbir, “Allahoakbar” in the night of that hard and bloody battle and in every Takbir you said, you killed one of Sham's men.(2)

That night, şiffin desert was overfilled with stiffs of those killed in the .

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1- Nahj Al-Balagha, p.197

2- Loc. cit.

battle and Sham's army turned out to decamp and took its last breaths.

Night was about to close and Malek Ashtar kept a-few-step distance to Mu'awiyya. Mu'awiyya was scared and summoned Amru Aş, telling him: Make a trick because Ali has destroyed our troops and nobody survives until morning.

Amru Aş said: put the Qur'an on spear top and say we are Muslim and you are Muslim; stop fighting with one another and let's accept the Qur'an to arbitrate between us.

Mu'awiyya accepted the trick of Amru Aș and ordered all Qur'ans to be foliated and soldiers to put them on spear tops, crying: stop slaughtering; let's keep the Qur'an as our arbitrator.

When "Ash'ath Ibn-e Qeys" saw the Qur'an on spear top, he returned from the battlefield and told you: You said every day to practice the Book and Sunna; they are saying the same thing today! You told Ash'ath and others: this is a trick; now that they have lost war and are decamped, they have turned to the Qur'an.

His trick worked and a group of your troops quit the war in that fateful situation.

They turned to you and said: We fought with the people of Sham because they deviated from the Qur'an. Now they are reliant upon the Qur'an, why should we fight with them?!

There, a group of your companions holding their swords in hand said: O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin! We fight until we finally win if you command us. In contrast, those betrayed by Amru Aş pulled swords, telling you: We killed Uthman who did not practice the Qur'an and now that these people have become ready to obey the Qur'an, why should we fight with them. If you, too, do not follow it, we catch you and hand you over to Mu'awiyya!

These people who were called the Kharijites later insisted that you bring back Malek from the battlefield; you told them: O' people! You know I was the first person who gave in to the Qur'an and I have spoken to them over the Qur'an from the very beginning. They want to get rid of us with this trick and I never assign you to do what you are reluctant to do; but

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know that your prosperity lies within your obedience and you will know the truth after this.(1)

These people numbered twenty thousand and insisted on their demand and you had to stop the war. You asked one man to go tell Malek to give up fighting and come back.

He reached your army's valiant general and told him: Ali (‘a) says you give up

the war and come back. Malek said: This is not the time to give up the war; don't you see how Mu'awiyya's army is defeated and in distress and we are only a few steps to reach his camp!

The man who was himself a Kharijite, Rebel, told your general: O' Malek! If you don't quit, you won't find Ali alive. Malek said: God damn it! If Ali is not alive, we don't want the world alive! Malek became angry, dropped the sword and went back.

Malek, your loyal companion, came to you and observed that your army has been divided into two groups: A group is for war and another group is against war. He told them: O' people of disunity and humiliation! Is this the time to give up the war? They said: We fought for God yesterday and we stop fighting for God today.

You told Malek in grief and sigh: O' Malek! No sooner is advice beneficial to these people.

Finally, those people who had no insight and knowledge were deceived by Mu'awiyya and prevented Malek from uprooting "the vicious family”.

O' lord! God knows what blustery heart you had and how you suffered in grief!

You were Imam whose obedience was obligatory, but the group of people who turned as your enemies later paid no attention to what you said and accepted what enemies of God said!

You were grieved a lot because you saw that how Mu'awiyya's men were united in their wrong and those men in your army are scattered in their way of right! 9

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1- Nahj Al-Balagha, p.199

You sighed highly and wrote Mu'awiyya:

O' Mu'awiyya! This you and the Qur'an, what do you want to do?

In reply, he wrote you: I am pleased with the arbitration of the Qur'an between you and us.

You and Mu'awiyya exchanged various letters and the reciters of the Qur'an were supposed to come together to contemplate over rule of God and decide about it. After two months, they agreed to have two arbitrators selected and accept whatever they found expedient and give them one-year chance.

Mu'awiyya intended to spend a long time to secure money and troops for his control.

People of Sham said that they would choose Amru Aş. Ash'ath Ibn-e Qeys and Kharijites said: We vote for Abu Mūsā Ash'ari.

You told them: I am not pleased with Abu Mūsā Ash'ari because he cannot compete with Amru Aş; besides, he slandered behind me and stopped people obeying me.

Mu'awiyya infiltrated into the army of Ali (‘a) and betrayed people with money, post and promise to have them insist on the selection of Abu Mūsā Ash'ari.

You told your troops: if there is no way but choosing an arbitrator, I choose “Abdullah Ibn-e 'Abbas". They said: you are both one. You told them: If you are not satisfied with 'Abdullah Ibn-e 'Abbas, I choose Malek Ashtar; they opposed him too.

You insisted more, but they rejected! You inevitably said to them: I find it not right and say there is a bad consequence of it, but you must shoulder the responsibility. Afterwards, you whispered with God: O' God! Know that I resent these people. Among them, an old man named "Abdullah Ibn- e Ḥurayth Ta'ie" came forward and told you: O' Ali! It's end of my life; I want to say something and that is, is there a rule after the Qur'an? You told him: By God, No! He said: Why did you make peace with these people?! Fight with them until you finish it up. You told him: They don't listen to what I told them.

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The Kharijites, there, sprayed dust into the old man's mouth and he died three days later.(1)

Everyone put the arms down and Mu'awiyya along with some of his men were supposed to come and write a peace contract.

"Abdullah Ibn-e Abi Arfa"", one of your companions, was assigned as a clerk. After name of God, you told him to write: This is a contract between Ali Ibn-e Abiṭālib, Amir Al-Mu'amenin and Mu'awiyyat Ibn-e Abi Sufyan.

That vicious man told you: O' Ali! If I found you Amir of the faithful, I would not fight with you!

In reply, you told that cursed man:

God is great and the Messenger of Allah said truly!

O' Mu'awiyya! On that day when the Messenger said to me to write Hudaibiyya Treaty, he said: Write in the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful, this is a treaty that Muhammad, Messenger of God signs with people of Mecca. Then, your father, Abu Sufyan said: if I had confessed to your prophethood, I would have not fought with you. Tell him to write your name, your father's name, my name and my father's name; the Messenger of God said: O' Ali! Write as he says! After that, the Messenger told me: O' Ali! There will come a day when you write a treaty with his son just as I wrote a treaty with his father.

Later, you told your clerk: Write as Mu'awiyya wants.

Amru Aş told you: O' Ali! Do you compare us with disbelievers?!

You told him: Keep quiet! You were friend of polytheists and enemy of the faithful. That father was (Abu Sufyan) who fought with the Seal of the Prophets and spurred sedition and rebellion for twenty three years; this is son (Mu'awiyya) who raised tumult and spilled bloods with your aid.

At this time, a group of your cordial companions like "Abdullah Ibn-e Ḥanāb" and "ş'aṣat Ibn-e ṣuḥān" and others stood up and said: O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin! We still remain faithful and believer as we were; our 0

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1- Nahj Al-Balagha, p. 200

hearts obey you and do what you command us to do; you invited them to keep calm and patient.

At last, peace treaty was put down such as:

This is a contract between Ali Ibn-e Abiṭālib and Mu'awiyyat Ibn-e Abi Sufyan, people of Hejaz and people of Sham who became pleased with the rule of God from the very beginning till doing whatever the Qur'an vitalizes, they vitalize; and whatever the Qur'an renders dead, they render dead. And these people, Abu Mūsā Ash'ari and Amru Aş have become arbitrators so that they would rule in whatever way [considering the Qur'an], they accept and if the rule is not included in the Qur'an, they act according to tradition of the Messenger (s). Abu Mūsā and Amru Àṣ remain secure from troops and the two armies have no objection.

Treaty was written in this way. You and Mu'awiyya signed it. People of Iraq and people of Sham were supposed to return to their homelands until the two arbitrators declare the result before end of the year.

You told your army to be ready to move towards Kufa. Among the other things, a man from Rabi'ah, one of your companions, appeared with his sword unsheathed and attacked the army of Mu'awiyya, injuring a few of them; later on, he attacked your army and wounded some people. He said: I hate Ali, Mu'awiyya and their arbitration and there is no rule save rule of God!

The man was killed by your companions and he was the first of the Kharijites to be killed.(1)

Abu Mūsā Ash'ari and Amru Aş headed for "Dumat Al-Jandal" that had been specified for arbitration and you with a grieved heart departed to Kufa while being joined by your army.

It is true!

The same people who forced you to keep house stay for twenty five years and ignored your inalienable right annoyed you worse and deeper after they made allegiance to you. )

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1- Nahj Al-Balagha, p. 201 (The above book quotes from the first-hand sources of History of Islam)

After several months, şiffin Battle came to an end and a number of your endeared companions like "Ammar Yaser" and "Uwais Al-Qarani" became martyred. You suffered with tragedy and sadness of separation from your loyal companions. (1)

You really showed tenderness towards the Islamic ummah and you used every chance to give people advice; therefore, you stopped by Kufa cemetery, "Wadi Al-Salam" with your companions before arriving in the city of Kufa that was your place of governorship.

You stared at the graves and said loudly:

"O' residents of horrifying houses, vacant places and dark graves; O' those slept into the soil; O' strangers; O' those who are left alone; O' those who are horrified! You left this world before us and we follow you and join you later.

I, Ali Ibn-e Abiṭālib, want to report to you about your world; as for your houses! Know that others reside in them; as for your wives! They married others; as for your properties! They are divided among the heirs. Yes! This is a news about your world [to which you were bound and attached]

O' those who are dead! Now you tell what the news is! [Did you find the divine promises right?]".

No voice came from the graves and you turned to your companions and said:

"Know that they heard too; but they are not allowed to speak. If God had given them permission to speak, they would have reported you: Truly, the best source of yours for journey to the Otherworld is piety".(2)ه

P: 413

1- One day, the Messenger (s) told Ammar Yaser: You will be killed by an aggressive sect. (Ansab Al-Ashraf, Bilāzeri, vol.3, p.312) This hadith was released among army of Imam (‘a) and that of Mu'awiyya with martyrdom of Ammar Yaser in șiffin; as the companions of Imam Ali (‘a) found that they are right, they became happy and many of Mu'awiyya's men became weakened.

2- و قال عليه السلام: وَ قَد رَجَعَ مِن صِفِين ، فَأشْرَفَ عَليَ القُبُور بِظَاهِرِ الكُوفَة يَا أهلَ الدِّيارِ المُوحِشَةِ وَالمَحال المُقفِرةِ، وَ القُبُور المُظْلِمَةِ، يَا أهلَ التربةِ، يَا َأهلَ الغُربَةِ، يَا أهلَ الوَحدَةِ، يَا أهلَ الوَحشَةِ ؛ أنتُم لَنا فَرَطٌ سابِقٌ وَ نَحنُ لَكُم تَبَعٌ لاحُقِّ ؛ أمَّا الدُّور فَقَد سُكِنَت وَ أَمَّا الأَزْواجُ فَقَد نُكِحَت وَ أمَّا الأَموالُ فَقَد قُسِمَت هَذَا خَبَرُ مَا عِندَنا ، فَما خَبَرُ مَا عِندَكُم ؟ ثُمَّ التفت إلى أصحابه

O' Abalhassan! Peace of God befalls onto you who have been oppressed!

-------------------------------------

فقال: أمَّا لَوأُذِنَ لَهُم فِي الكَلامِ لَأَحْبَرُوكُم أَنَّ ؟ خَيْرَ الزادِ التَّقْوَى ؟

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Theosophy Twenty Seven

I certify that Ḥadrat Moses (‘a) and Ḥadrat Jesus (‘a) have given the good tidings of your caliphate and Imamate.

During Şiffin Battle, there occurred different events, some of which represented your grandeur and truthfulness. In this chapter, two instances are mentioned so that your enthusiasts and zealots become happy when reading them.

These two events included: One during departing to șiffin and two when returning from there.

When you and your troops moved towards șiffin territory, after several days, you reached a place where there was no water while troops and horses were very thirsty. The companions looked for water, but they found no water around. They came to you and said:

O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin!

There is no water around here and we are all thirsty. What is your strategy?

You rode your horse and told your troops: Come along!

You went by a detour and after an hour or so, a monastery appeared far in the desert; you and your companions reached there. You ordered your companions to call the monk of the monastery. They called him and he came out of the monastery.

You told him: O' monk! Is there any water nearby for these people and horses to drink?

The monk told you: From here to reach water, it is more than two miles and there is no water except that. If I am not brought water by my friends, I will die in this desert.

Companions told you: O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin!

If you find it right, we go there for water because we are failing in health.

You told them: You don't need to go there; later, you pointed your hands

P: 415

to Qiblah, saying: Dig out there, you reach water!

People rushed to take shovel and pickaxe and dug the ground on the same place you had referred to. A white stone under pebbles came out. They dug around the large white stone to move it aside, but they failed to do so.

You told them: There is water under this white stone!

A large number of your companions tried a lot to remove the stone, but they couldn't. They said:

O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin! The stone ceases to move with our strength.

You rode off your horse; rolled up your sleeves and moved it a bit around and pulled it away.

Your companions recited "takbir". Water popped up, colder than snow and very clean!!

Everybody drank water, filled their water skins and let their horses drink too.

The monk looked at what happened there.

You put the stone on its place and said to them to pour soil on it to disappear its trace.

When you were about to move towards șiffin, the monk yelled: Stop; stop!

Troops stopped and he rushed to you and said: You are the sent messenger?

You said: No!

He said: You are the Archangel?

You said: No! But I am the inheritor of the Seal of the Prophets.

The monk said: Stretch your hand to swear allegiance to you.

You stretched your hand; he shook it and said:

اشهد أن لا اله الا الله و أنّ محمد رسول الله وانك وصى رسول الله و أحق الناس بالأمر من بعده .

You explained to him rules and conditions of Islam, saying:

What caused you to embrace Islam after so many years of being on the religion of the Moses?

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He said:

O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin!

This monastery is built on your hope and demand; many ulema of this monastery have died and had no luck to meet you. God gave me sustenance and it is written in our Book: there is a spring around here on which a large white stone rests and it is not found unless a prophet or inheritor of a prophet finds it. It is also written that it will be found by a Saint Imam of God. For this, I thought you are either a prophet or an inheritor of prophet and because of this I embraced Islam through you and confessed to your leadership.

Then you wept so much that your beard was wetted with your tears. You said:

I thank God who remembered me and reminded my supplication in the previous Books.1

You tṣurned to your companions and said: Did you hear what this brother of yours said:

They said: Yes we heard it and we thank God for this gift of God.

The turned-Muslim monk no longer stayed there and joined you in the

Battle of Șiffin. He was martyred in the Battle and you yourself said prayers over his body and buried him.2

You took off the rocky door of a castle in Kheybar conquest by loud call of takbir as God permitted; now after thirty years of that event, your powerfully divine arms repeated the same thing by taking a heavy stone aside!

What you did in Kheybar was a miracle and this one you did around the monastery was also a miraculous act.

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Theosophy Account Twenty Seven

Citations, naming Imam Hassan and Imam Husayn (‘a) by the Almighty God 9

P: 417

As for the second event that happened on your way back from Şiffin:

You reached a monastery. An aged man, smart and nice-looking, came out of the monastery while carrying a book in his hand.

That old man came close to you and said:

Greetings be upon you, O' caliph of the Messenger of God(s)!

You replied:

Bravo! O' brother, Simoen, son of Jonah! How are you? May God bless you!

He replied: I'm feeling good, O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin and lord of Muslims and O' inheritor of the Messenger of God of both Worlds!

I'm from generation of the Apostles of your brother, Jesus, son of Mary (a). I'm from Simeon, son of Jonah, inheritor of Jesus Christ (a). He was the best of the twelve Apostles of Jesus, his beloved man and the first before Jesus. Jesus made a testament to him and gave his books and theosophy to him. His family still remained adamant to his religion and avoided disbelief.

I keep those books written by Jesus and his scripture; these books read everything people have done after him by mentioning the individual monarchs, their term of monarchy and what has happened in their times. This has gone so far that God has appointed an Arab man from the descendants of Esmail Ibn-e Abraham Khalil Al-Rahman from a territory called "Tahama" (Hejaz), in a place named "Mecca". He is called Ahmad, cheerful, nice eyes and joined eyesbrow, who has twelve names.

The book cites appointment, birth and migration of that Messenger and those who fight with him, those who help him, those who show enmity to him, his duration of lifetime, and what disunity his ummah raises after him; it also mentions name of every Imam of guidance and Imam of misguidance until God sends down Jesus, son of Maryam (‘a).

Names of thirteen descendants of Hadrat Esmail Ibn-e Abraham Khalil Al- Rahman are mentioned in the book. They are the best people whom God created and they are the most beloved to Him.

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God loves those who love these people and He is at odds with those who defy them; whoever obeys them, he shall be guided and whoever disobeys them, he shall be misguided. Obeying them is obeying God and commiting sin against them is raising sin against God. It is also cited in this book names of these Imams, their lineage, their ethos; how each of them lives one after another; how many of them conceal their religion and how many of them reveal it; which one of them becomes governor and people are submissive to them until God sends down Jesus, son of Maryam (a) to last of them. Jesus says prayers behind him and says:

You are the Imams whom nobody deserves proceeding you.

Imam of the Agemay Allah hasten his emergence performs prayers for people while Jesus stands first behind him. The first superior one of them is Hadrat Muhammad (s) and the last one of them owns reward of all of them and of those who have obeyed him and guided by him.

The monk opened the book that he had in his hand and read:

In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Ahmad is the Messenger of God and his names are Muhammad (s), Yāsin, Tāha, Nūn, Fāteḥ, Khatam, Aqib and Māḥay. God has seen his transfer in prostrators [meaning in the loin of messengers] and has talked to him with His Blessing. Whenever God is remembered, he is also remembered; he is the most honorable creature of God and the most beloved to Him. God has not created whether the Archangel, or the Messenger sent to people from Adam to others who are higher and more beloved tnan to God. In the Doom's Day, God lets him sit on His Throne and accepts whomever he intercedes.

In his name and in his remembrance, the Pen has run in the Protected Tablet in Mother of the Book. He is Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (s).

After him, his brother who is his standard-bearer in the Resurrection; he is brother of the Prophet (s), his inheritor, vizier and his caliph for his ummah.

The most beloved creature of God, after the Prophet (s), is Ali Ibn-e Abiṭālib (a) as the authority of every faithful man.

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Later, the eleven Imams from descendants of Ali ('a) [achieve Imamate]

The first Imam of the twelve Imams meaning Ali ('a), two of whom [that is two children of Ali ('a)] are homonymous with two sons of Ḥārūn, Shabar and Shubayr. (1)

And nine more from smaller descendants of these two brothers, Husayn (a), come one after another. The last one of them is one by whom Jesus Ibn-e Maryam (‘a) stand for prayers.

In the book, names of each of these Imams who become governor and those who reveal or hide their religions are mentioned; the first one who reveals his religion is someone who filles all cities of God with justice and rules over the east and west so far as God keeps him dominant over all religions.

Later, the monk closed the book and told you:

When the Prophet (s) was appointed, my father was alive, acknowledged him and believed in him, testifying that he is the Messenger of Allah. My father was a very old man who could not move at all. When he died, he told me: Muhammad's inheritor, his successor and his feature are in this book and he passes by you [monastery] soon when three Imams of misguidance and invitors to fire are mentioned in this book; their names, tribes and traits are cited and how long each governs, meaning such and )

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1- Sheikh şaduq quotes from Imam Sajjad (a'): When Fatima (a) gave birth to Hassan ('a), she told Ali: Choose a name for him. Ali (‘a) said: I never put a name on him before the Messenger of God (s). The Messenger came. Then he told Ali (‘a): Have you chosen a name for him? Ali (‘a) said: I never choose a name before you. The Messenger (s) said: I never take a lead before God. God revealed to Gabriel that a baby has been born for Muhammad; go and say hello to him and congratulate him, saying: Ali for you is like Ḥārūn for the Moses; therefore, choose name of his son for the baby! Gabriel came down and extended congratulations to the Prophet (s) on behalf of God and said: The Almighty God commands you to put the name of Ḥārūn's son on the baby. The Messenger asked: What was the name of Ḥārūn's son? Gabriel said: Shabar. The Messenger said: My language is Arabic. Gabriel said: Name him Hassan. Then the Messenger put the name of Hassan on the baby. When Husayn (‘a) was born, Gabriel came down and congratulated new arrival on behalf of God and said: Ali for you is like Harun for the Moses; therefore, name the baby like Ḥārūn's son! The Messenger said: What is his name? Gabriel replied: Shubayr. The Messenger said: My language is Arabic. Gabriel said: Name him Husayn. The Messenger named him Husayn (a). (Amali, Sheikh ṣaduq, vol.3, p.116)

such and such in the past; whenever he passed you by, you go to him, swear allegiance to him and fight with his enemy because jihad beside him looks like jihad beside Muhammad (s); his enthusiast resembles that of Muhammad (s) and his enemy is like that of Muhammad (s).

O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin!

The book reads that twelve Imams from the Quraysh, Muhammad's tribe with his progeny are rendered enmity, prevented from their right, killed, abandoned, deprived, resented and terrified. Their individual names with their ethos are included in the book and how long and how broadly each governs, what your descendants, your companions and your Shiites receive from murder and horror; and how God appoints you as their succesors, helpers and Imams and what of humiliation, war, disaster, murder and terror they will face.

He then said to you:

O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin!

Stretch your hand to swear allegiance to you. I testify that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad (s) is His Messenger and worshipper. You are His Viceroy, inheritor, witness for people and His Proof in the earth. Islam is religion of God and I hate any religion that is at odds with Islam because Islam is a religion God has chosen for Himself and He is pleased with it for His Imams. This is the religion of Jesus, Prophets and Messengers before Muhammad and my forefathers believed in it.

I love you, him and your friends and resent your foes; I love eleven Imams from your children and I hate their enemies, opponents, and those who hate them, claim their rights and spur oppression against them-from the very first to the very last.

He then shook hands and made allegiance to you.

You told the monk: give me your book. He gave it; you told one of your companions:

Get going with this man, find an interpreter who can understand his words and write the contents of the book in Arabic language clearly. He brought the book written in Arabic.

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When it was brought to you, you told your son, Imam Hassan (‘a):

My son! Bring me the book I gave you!

It was brought to him.

You said:

My Son! Read the book and you, O' Fellow who show ignorance look at the book and see that it is my handwriting and scripture of the Prophet.

Your dear son read the book; even one letter was not the opposite with no delay and priority in words as if it looked one man had written it for two people.

You praised God and said:

I gratify God if He willed people would not raise differences and not disperse; I thank God who remembered me and retained my affairs. He and His Friends remembered me!

Your Shiites who were present there were happy to hear the story and thanked God; on the other hand, it annoyed many of those who were around you in such a way that they showed signs of annoyance on their faces.(1)2

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1- It is taken from the hadith book of Salim Ibn-e-e Qeys Helali; (secrets of Muhammad's Progeny), hadith 16, the above hadith is cited in the following sources: Biḥār Al-Anwār, vol.15, p.236; Ethbāt Al-Hoda, Sheikh Hurr Àmeli, vol.1, p.204; Occultation, Nu'amāni, p.48; Ershād Al-Qulūb, vol.2, p.298; Fadā'il, Ibn-e-e Shāzan, p.142

Theosophy Twenty Eight

I certify that you killed the Kharijites after making an ultimatum for countering with deviations and dogmatism.

You and your army returned from the Battle of Ṣiffin to Kufa with no results. At this time, people spoke of arbitrators (Amru Aṣ and Abu Mūsā Ash'ari) across all circles and people of Hejaz, Iraq and Sham had been waiting for the result. A number of advocates surrounded the two arbitrators and tried to persuade them on their behalf. Days and months passed and they exchanged views at "Dumat Al-Jandal" and plotted to deceive each other. Indoctrination of the Kharijites deeply affected the solidification of one another's morale, but one principle was certain and that was your nobility and honor and mamonism and deceitfulness of Mu'awiyya!

Nobody was worried like you because you knew how such an arbitration would come out and what conspiracies were behind it. You were very annoyed and patient, a patience harder than when you suffered a thorn in eyes and bone in your throat!

But what could you do?! People did not follow you, yet you showed to them benevolence and pity.

After the event of Șiffin, you made one of your sermons:

I praise God! For complementing His gifts, submitting to His greatness and remaining secure from His disobedience and I ask His help in removing needs because whoever is guided by God, he shall never be misguided and whoever is known an enemy by God, he shall never be rescued; whoever is made needless by God, he shall never be needful.....

And I testify that Muhammad is His worshipper and Messenger. God sent him with a clear religion, a sustainable sign, a sturdily written Qur'an, a brilliant and shining light and revealing command so that skepticism would be eliminated, and clear reasons would be made, divine signs would abstain people and frighten them from divine panalties. God sent the Prophet of Islam when people were entangled with seditions, religion was

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torn apart in threads and pillars of faith and certainty were unstable; they raised differences in fundamentals of religion and their affairs remained dispersed. There was no easy way and no shelter; there was dimmed light of guidance and everyone was blind-hearted; sins were committed against the Compassionate God and Satan was assisted; faith was not helped and its pillars were collapsed and its signs were denied and its routes were ruined and its roads had become old and forlorn. The ignorant people obeyed Satan, followed him and were fully fed by him....

You spoke of the status of the Pure and Infallible Progeny for public vigilance and recognition of the path of truth:

The Messenger's Progeny keeps in place the Divine Secrets, shelter of Divine Commands, Treasury of Divine Knowledge, the authority of Islamic ordinances, guard of the heavenly books and ever-standing mounts of Religion of God. God erected the curved backbone of religion through Ahl- e Bayt and eliminated its value and anxiety in the face of the corrupt people who planted seed of sin [meaning the Umayyads] and irrigated pride and deceit and harvested nothing but agony and miserability! Nobody can be compared with the Prophetic family and those who are bred by the guidance gift of the Prophet's Progeny are unparalleled. The Prophet's Progeny bases religion and sturdy pillars of certainty. Those who haste must go back to them and those left behind must join them because characteristics of right of leadership are exclusive to them. The Prophet's will of the caliphate of Muslims and legacy of prophetic mission belongs to them. Now that I am entrusted caliphate, the right returned to man of right.(1)

After Şiffin, you warned people once more:

Verily, seditions, sensualism and heresy begin in the heavenly rules. Innovations that the Qur'an opposes; therefore, if the wrong did not mix with the right, those who sought the right would discover it and if the right separated from the wrong, the enemy would lose tongue. But they take

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Theosophy Account Twenty Eight

Citations, Letter of Mohammad Ibn-e-e Abi Bakr to Mu'awiyya and his reply 2

P: 424

1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 2

some part of the right and some of the wrong to be mixed with each other, there the Satan would overcome his friends and only those whom God favors and blesses shall be salvated.(1)

You knew what kind of sedition is being formed at Dumat Al-Jandal and how Amru As intended to spur corruption through deceit and falsehood in the Islamic community; therefore, you made a speech in order to reproach the trick:

O' people!

Faithfulness accompanies truthfulness which I do not know a shield stronger and protector than that. The one who is aware of his return to the Resurrection shall not be deceitful; however, nowadays, we live in an environment and timing when most people find themselves clever if they show deceitfulness and they are known as people of contrivance by the ignorant.

How do they think? May God kill them!

There might be a person who is aware of upcoming events and ways of tricks, but he is prevented from inhibitions of God [who might use tricks] although he has the power to do it, he leaves it there; but the one who ignores sins and opposition to religion, he takes advantage of playing tricks.(2)

At last, Mu'awiyya's trick affected Abu Mūsā Ash'ari and was deceived by him. Amru Aş told him: Do you find it right that I depose Mu'awiyya and you depose Ali [to finish such differences?] after that, we both vote for 'Abdullah Ibn-e Omar?

Abu Mūsā Ash'ari said: What a good say!

Then they made an appointment to declare vote of arbitrators in the public on Monday. Monday came, Abu Mūsā Ash'ari appeared there with several people and so did Amru Aș. The meeting was formal.

Abu Mūsā told Amru Aş: 1

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1- ibid., Sermon 50

2- Nahj Al-Balagha Srermon 41

Stand up and depose Ali; I depose Ali too. I keep yesterday's promise with you.

Amru Aş trickily said:

I invoke by God I speak before you do; you are older and first than me in faith and migration. You take the lead and I follow you.

Abu Mūsā stood up, praised God and turned to the audience, saying: O' people! The best creature of God is one who fails to try to be careful of his self and think of people. I witnessed that many had been killed. I and Amru Aş found it right to depose Ali and Mu'awiyya to subside the sedition and assign shura for caliphate; you know now that I deposed Ali swearing that I took this ring off my finger.

After him, Amru As stood up and said: O' people! Abu Mūsā Ash'ari is a man who had gone to Yemen on behalf of the Messenger; he owns the status Abubakr, agent of Omar Ibn-e Khaṭṭāb and arbitrator of Iraqis. Now, he demoted Ali and I appoint Mu'awiyya as Caliph as I put this finger on my left hand!

He said it and sat down. Abu Mūsā became annoyed with this unexpected thing and said to him:

I swear to God we had made another promise; may God damn you, O' deceitful man of evil-doing and evil-doing tyrant!

Amru Aş said cold-bloodedly:

You can say whatever you like!

In that meeting, followers of Mu'awiyya with Amru As went back to Sham happily and victoriously. Mu'awiyya who used to beg you for emirate of Sham announced himself the undisputable Caliph of the Islamic communities after arbitration and attacked the regions under your rule.

After this, you immediately made a sermon for the public saying:

"I gratify God!

Although there emerged great events and hard times, I testify that there is no God but the Unparalleled and Only God and I give testimony that Muhammad is His worshipper and Messenger.

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After praising God; know that disobeying an experienced, knowledgable and affectionate advisor leads to regret, wandering and remorse. I told you my view and order for arbitration in sincere words but you rejected it like oppressive opponents and disobedient promise-breakers so far as the advisor became doubtful and refused to give advice! The story of you and me looks like the one concocted our brother from Hawazin tribe: in the territory of Mun'arej, I gave necessary orders but they rejected them and tasted the bitterness of insurgence." (1)

You explicitly opposed the arbitration of arbitrators, asking people to become ready to battle against Mu'awiyya and come together at the military camp to move towards Sham. (2)

But a group of people objected to you and said: Why did you accept arbitration in Șiffin to make this happen?!

They were those who forced you to accept arbitration; but they introduced you as cause of sedition!

So-called as the Kharijites, they said: Ali accepted arbitration and became an apostate!!

When you were engaged in gathering forces and arming them for a re- battle against Mu'awiyya and people of Sham, they left your army in opposition to you and camped on a place named "Harura" in half parasang distance to Kufa.

They chanted this slogan? Rule is exclusive to God and they accused you of standing up to rule of God and had become atheist by accepting the arbitration of people in the face of the Qur'an that says rule remains exclusive to God!(3)

They said to you: We join your army to fight with Mu'awiyya if you repent and return to faith!!

You advised them, saying: For which sin shall I repent! 2

P: 427

1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 35

2- Al-Imama wa Al-Siyasa, Ibn-e-e Qutaybah, vol. 1, p.144

3- Ansab Al-Ashraf, Bilazari, Vol.2, p.362

Having been numbered over twelve thousand people, they kept on raising objections and doubtfulness about your religion; you kept patience and responded to their slogan:

Rule is merely exclusive to God and said:

"What you say is right when it becomes wrong out of will! It is true! There is no command but command of God, but these people (the Kharijites) say God is the only ruler while people need ruler, bad or good so that the faithful people might be busy in their affairs under the shadow of government and atheists are also beneficiaries. People live when there is a government; government collects public treasury by which enemies can be fought; routes remain safe and secure and the poor's rights can be taken from the powerful's; the benevolent live in welfare and remain safe and sound from the evil-doers. "(1)

They compelled you to accept the arbitration in Şiffin; when the arbitration came to be scandalized, they found you guilty for that, saying you ignored the rule of God and became satisfied with rule of people. Finally, they said that government belongs to God and man is not authorized to govern people!

It is true!

They were engaged in such dogmatic and profound deviations. The aberrated group continued to insist on their opinions and you kept patience in front of them. In replying your companions who said they must be treated militarily, you said:

If they raised propaganda and merely spoke against us, we too speak against them. But if they use sword and rebel against us, we fight with them.(2)

By citing the revelation words of the Qur'an, you argued with them; but they rejected and repeated their words.

One of the leaders of the Kharijites told you: We fight neck and neck on your behalf as long as you were confident about Battles of Camel and 3

P: 428

1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 40

2- Tarikh-e Tabari, vol.5, p.73

Şiffin, but now that you are in doubt, you must repent and testify that you have gone astray; in this case, we will stay with you.

You told them:

I never raised doubt about Islam even a bit when I embraced it. Basically, God has guided you and saved you from disbelief through us! I had said that two arbitrators must arbitrate based on the Book of God and if they did otherwise, their arbitration is of no value to me.(1)

Those wicked deviators charged you, a basis of faith and certainty, with atheism and insisted that you must repent and return to Islam!!

You were the first Muslim, brother of the Messenger of God (s), standard- bearer of Islam, centrality of truth, chapter of knowledge of the Messenger (s), distributor of Hell and Heaven, the speaking Qur'an, the Straight Path, and the inheritor and Caliph of the Messenger (s); the earth, the time and the heavens testify your truthfulness; by God! Desert sands and pebbles of deep oceans and leaves of trees all were and are proofs of your great faith.

Despite all of this, you showed pity on them and longed for their guidance. You dispatched two men of your loyal companions named 'Abdullah Ibn- e 'Abbas and S'aşa'at Ibn-e Suhan to their camp to give them advice, hoping that they might make up their mind and make you delighted, but they said:

We will join Ali until he repents!(2)

In their view, accepting the arbitration equaled atheism; henceforth, those deviators asked you to give testimony to your atheism and repent it!!

Of course, they gradually found other extremist beliefs and went far to believe that cardinal sin triggers undermining all good deeds and faith and sinner must make repentance for embracing Islam; otherwise, he is known as an infidel!

On the day when some of the Kharijites pinched you to return to Islam and 5

P: 429

1- Lesson plan of conduct and history of Imams, a group of authors, p.55

2- Ansab Al-Ashraf, Bilazari, Vol.2, p.375

repent, you said:

"God may shower stones of incedents and calamites on you so harshly that no trace of you might remain! Should I testify my atheism after my faith in God and my jihad beside the Messenger of God (s)?! If I do so, I have gone astray and will not be guided. "(1)

Some of your companions kept on telling you: these people do not understand a language save sword. You replied to them: We will not treat them militarily as long as they do not use arms.

One day, you decided to go to their camp to make ultimatum and give them advice. For so doing, you stopped by their camp outside Kufa in "Harura" region, telling them:

Have you all been engaged in şiffin Battle?

They said: Some of us were there and some not.

You said: Divide in two groups so that I can talk to you suitably.

They were in two groups; then you called:

"Keep quiet! Lend an ear to me wholeheartedly and whomever I asked to swear to testimony, he shall give testimony by knowledge.

Tell me! When Sham people deceitfully put the Qur'an on spears in the heated state of battle and in our moment of winning the battle, you did not say that:

Sham people are our brothers and we are in the same religion? They want us to disregard their wrongs and are pleased with arbitration of the Book of God, we believe that we accept what they say and give up battle?

But I told you that:

This conspiracy is outward faith and inward enmity and grudge; it begins with blessing and ends with remorse; therefore, keep battling in this situation and stop distracting from the way you are proceeding; show your anger in the battle and do not listen to call of herald [from Sham people] because if they are replied, they are the deviators and if they are released, 8

P: 430

1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 58

they are humiliated, that it happened as such.

But alas!

I saw you who yielded to demands of Sham people and accepted the arbitration.

I swear to God!

If I refused it, I would not be held accountable for its consequences and God would not include its sin in my file.

I swear to God!

If I had accepted the arbitration and I had deserved following it because the Qur'an is with me; since I joined it, I stayed with it.

Later, you added:

We stayed with the Prophet and verily our fathers, children, brothers and relatives were surrounded by war and carnage, but we only added to our faith rather than disaster and we were determined to walk along the way of truth and submit to divine command and keep patience over pains of burning ulcers.

Today, we have been involved in a bloody war with our Muslim brothers with the emergence of rusts in religion, dishonesty and influence of doubts in our thoughts, false interpretation of religion; therefore, whenever we feel something brings unity for us, and by which we keep close to each other and fill the gaps, we show inclination towards it and we seize that and abandon the other way. (1)

The group finally replied you in this way:

O' Ali!

If we asked for cessation of hostilities, it was because the Qur'an could be arbitrator rather than people and you were satisfied with the arbitration of people and disregarded the Qur'an. Therefore, you are to blame! Repent until we all join your army back to fight with Mu'awiyya. You told them: 8

P: 431

1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 58

If I accepted the arbitration of people forcibly, it was because they could act according to the Qur'an instead of their personal view; they did otherwise!

You noticed that they cannot understand logical words; you left their camp and returned to Kufa.

In the midst of such event, you found out that Mu'awiyya called himself winner of arbitration and Caliph of Muslims, taking widely invasive action.

His men keep attacking the cities under your governance, killing people and plundering their belongings.

You immediately addressed people and persuaded them to war with Mu'awiyya; after sixty days, sixty thousand people were prepared to move towards Sham.(1)

The sixty-thousand-people army was prepared to depart to Sham when you were informed that the Kharijites used arms and savagely killed some of your companions; they even murdered a pregnant woman who was one of your supporters and took out her embryo and put it on spear in order to declare war with you.(2)

You knew the ultimatum for the deviated group is finished, so you told your companions: we firstly deal with these insurgents and then we try to fight with Mu'awiyya.

The deviated group was more dangerous than Mu'awiyya and his men because Mu'awiyya embarked on a war with you over government case, but the Kharijites intended to be at odds with religion in principle! You moved your army towards Nahravan where the Kharijites stayed. When

moving there in Şafar, 38 A.H., a man, brother of Ash'ath Ibn-e Qeys, a hypocrite dissident told you by forecasting through recognition of stars:

If you go this hour, you do not win. I discovered it through astrology. You .

P: 432

1- Detailed History of Islam, p.208

2- According to Mohammad Ibn-e-e Jarir Țabari, history, vol.5, p.81, 'Abdullah Ibn-e-e Khabbab, governor of Mada'in who with his pregnant wife were going to work were savagely killed by the Kharijites.

replied him in a way that it is a lesson for those who see themselves as fortuneteller or have been influenced by fortunetellers! You said:

"You imagine you are aware of that hour if one moves, he will not suffer loss?! And you terrify one from the hour, if he moves, he will face losses?! Whoever acknowledges what you said, he shall deny the Qur'an and remain needless of being helped by God for achieving lovely aims and being protected from embitterments!

You look as if you want to be praised instead of God! Since you made people know the hour as you think, that they are beneficiaries and remain safe from loss.

Afterwards, you turned to God, saying:

O' People!

Avoid learning from astrology for falsified forecasts except some part of it you need for sea and desert navigation because astrology attracts you towards divination and to witchcraft; astrologist like diviner and diviner like sorcerer and socerer like atheist and atheist is in Hell."

Then you told your companions:

Move ahead in the name of God.(1)

You joined with your army left Kufa for rebels' stronghold alongside Nahrawan River; a man told you:

The Kharijites passed through Nahrawan Bridge.

You said:

"This side of river is where the Kharijites will be slaughtered. By God, only ten of them remains alive and ten of you will not be killed.”(2).

P: 433

1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 79

2- ibid., Sermon 59 Of curse, one should note that prophecy of the Messengers and Imams is acceptable because it is revealed to them. Nahrawan is the name of hillside river nearby Kufa in the Harura' desert between Kufa and Baghdad; for the same reason, the Kharijites is called Haruriya. They are headed by "Harquş Ibn-e-e Zahir" who was known after "Dul Thadiya.

You and your army reached the twelve-thousand-troop army of the Kharijites beside Narawan River.

At this time, you made your last words to them loudly:

"I frighten you! Lest you might get up in the morning while your dead bodies are left around Nahrawan, its uphills and downhills; you are refugees and trapped in predestination without having a clear reasoning from God as well as a decisive proof. I prohibited you from such arbitration, but you obstinately opposed me to let me come to this point as you wished.

O' you, the unwise, the vicious and the bastard! I did not cause the arbitration disaster to happen and I never wished your loss. "(1)

In reply, they said:

As you were satisfied with arbitratiin, you are apostate; we do not talk to you until you repent.(2)

You told your compatriots:

Set Nukhaila as the center of army. You assigned "Hujr Ibn-e ‘Adi Al- Kindi" on the right side of troops and "Shabath Ibn-e Rib'i" on the left side. "Abu Ayyub Anṣāri" was appointed as amir of the cavalry and "Abu Fetādeh" as amir of the infantry. (3)

You ordered to have a long banner hoisted and two thousands of your compatriots stand on one spot under the banner, saying:

Whoever comes under this banner, he shall be safe.

You made an ultimatum again; in the midst of your sermons, one of the heads of the Kharijites named "Qarqara Ibn-e Nuqel Ashjaee" was impressed by your words and said: I wonder why I fight with Ali (‘a); he is the inheritor of the Messenger (s) and viceroy of God. He said this and with 500 of the apostates separated from the Kharijites and went to Kufa. Once he left, another group departed to Kufa too. A number of them took ,

P: 434

1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 36

2- Detailed History of Islam, p.208

3- Ibid.,

refuge in the banner. Eight thousands out of twelve thousands left. Only four thousands who constantly cried: "Arbitration is exclusive to God", remained there.(1)

'Abdullah Ibn-e Wahab, one of the ringleaders of the Kharijites, pulled sword, came into the battlefield and defied you. You unsheathed your Zulfiqar and killed him with one strike. The Kharijites attacked your troops and your companions attacked them too; they killed so many of them that only 9 people left, who ran away. You ordered your men not to chase them.(2)

Turning to your companions, you said:

People leave religion just as an arrow is shot from a bow although they recite the Qur'an, the Qur'an does not pass through their larynx. I swear to God who keeps me alive! The Prophet had informed me of rebellion of the Kharijites. He added: They are identified that there is a man among them who, instead of one hand, has a piece of flesh on his arm and shoulder like women's breast with grown hair; the hair looks like mustache of a cat and the man's name is "Zul Thadiyeh"

He was found among the killed men.(3)

Sedition of the Kharijites subsided after they were killed, but the wrong belief of those who had gone away remained in the community. They began propaganda and they created big sects.

When a man asked you: O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin! The Kharijites were all killed.

You said:

"No! By God, never! They will bear sperms on back of fathers and wombs of mothers; whenever a horn pops up, it is cut off." (4)9

P: 435

1- Detailed History of Islam, p.208

2- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 61

3- Detailed History of Islam, p.209

4- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 60 The remaining part of theosophy account Mohammad Ibn-e-e Abibakr is one of the special Shiites of Amir Al-Mu'amenin (‘a). Though being son of Abubakr, he confessed to the Imamate of Ali (‘a) and said his father has usurped the status of Amir Al-Mu'amenin (‘a). He was cherished by our lord, Ali (‘a) and Ali (‘a) was very much interested in him. Ali (‘a) appointed Abibakr Amir and governor of the vast territory of Egypt. When he reaches Egypt, he writes a letter to Mu'awiyya and introduces Ali ('a) as the inheritor of the Messenger. He recounts many virtues of Ali (a) for Mu'awiyya; he also retells records of Ali ('a) in Islam and enmity of Mu'awiyya and his father against the Messenger of God (s). Finally, he bewares Mu'awiyya of beliigerence against Amir Al-Mu'amenin (a) and the Pure and Infallible Progeny (a). The letter reads in full in Sunni books: Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol.3, p.188 Muravvij Al-Zahab, Mas'udi, vol.3, p.25 But Mu'awiyya who himself is the greatest enemy of Amir Al-Mu'amenin (‘a) reveals such facts in replying to Abibakr as follows: I received your letter including praise of God, peace upon Muhammad and some words. that weaken your opinion and blame your father. In your letter, you spoke of the right of Ali ('a), his record in Islam and his kinship of the Messenger of God (s) and helping the Messenger (s) with all problems. In this letter, you proud of and argue about the virtues of others rather than yours! Grace betides on God who took this virtue from you and made it exclusive to another man. In times of the Messenger (s) when your father was alive, we found the right of Ali (a) obligatory and his virtue to be certain. When the Prophet (s) met his Maker, your father and Omar I were those who took his right and opposed him. Both of them and others joined each other to oppose Ali (‘a) and forced him to swear allegiance to themselves. Ali (a) acted in slowness and they intended to seize his right and tried to murder him. When Ali realized this, he made allegiance and followed them. They neither shared anything with him nor informed him of anything secret.....and it was your father who strengthened my rule. If what we do to Ali ('a) is reward, your father was the first and if it is cruelty, your father was its origin. We did it with his help and followed his way. So find fault with your father or stop saying such things (the same sources). Mu'awiyya atrociously martyrs Abibakr by using tricks in Egypt. After martyrdom of Abibakr, Amir Mu'amenan (‘a) appointed Malek Ashtar, his army's general and hero as emir of Egypt, but Malek on his way to Egypt was also poisoned and martyred deceitfully. Theosophy Twenty Eight I certify that you killed the Kharijites after making an ultimatum for countering with deviations and dogmatism. You and your army returned from the Battle of șiffin to Kufa with no results. At this time, people spoke of arbitrators (Amru Aṣ and Abu Mūsā Ash'ari) across all circles and people of Hejaz, Iraq and Sham had been waiting for the result. A number of advocates surrounded the two arbitrators and tried to persuade them on their behalf. Days and months passed and they exchanged views at “Dumat Al-Jandal" and plotted to deceive each other. Indoctrination of the Kharijites deeply affected the solidification of one another's morale, but one principle was certain and that was your nobility and honor and mamonism and deceitfulness of Mu'awiyya! Nobody was worried like you because you knew how such an arbitration would come out and what conspiracies were behind it. You were very annoyed and patient, a patience harder than when you suffered a thorn in eyes and bone in your throat! But what could you do?! People did not follow you, yet you showed to them benevolence and pity. After the event of şiffin, you made one of your sermons: I praise God! For complementing His gifts, submitting to His greatness and remaining secure from His disobedience and I ask His help in removing needs because whoever is guided by God, he shall never be misguided and whoever is known an enemy by God, he shall never be rescued; whoever is made needless by God, he shall never be needful........... And I testify that Muhammad is His worshipper and Messenger. God sent him with a clear religion, a sustainable sign, a sturdily written Qur'an, a brilliant and shining light and revealing command so that skepticism would be eliminated, and clear reasons would be made, divine signs would abstain people and frighten them from divine panalties. God sent the Prophet of Islam when people were entangled with seditions, religion was torn apart in threads and pillars of faith and certainty were unstable; they raised differences in fundamentals of religion and their affairs remained dispersed. There was no easy way and no shelter; there was dimmed light of guidance and everyone was blind-hearted; sins were committed against the Compassionate God and Satan was assisted; faith was not helped and its pillars were collapsed and its signs were denied and its routes were ruined and its roads had become old and forlorn. The ignorant people obeyed Satan, followed him and were fully fed by him.... You spoke of the status of the Pure and Infallible Progeny for public vigilance and recognition of the path of truth: The Messenger's Progeny keeps in place the Divine Secrets, shelter of Divine Commands, Treasury of Divine Knowledge, the authority of Islamic ordinances, guard of the heavenly books and ever-standing mounts of Religion of God. God erected the curved backbone of religion through Ahl-e Bayt and eliminated its value and anxiety in the face of the corrupt people who planted seed of sin [meaning the Umayyads] and irrigated pride and deceit and harvested nothing but agony and miserability! Nobody can be compared with the Prophetic family and those who are bred by the guidance gift of the Prophet's Progeny are unparalleled. The Prophet's Progeny bases religion and sturdy pillars of certainty. Those who haste must go back to them and those left behind must join them because characteristics of right of leadership are exclusive to them. The Prophet's will of the caliphate of Muslims and legacy of prophetic mission belongs to them. Now that I am entrusted caliphate, the right returned to man of right.4 After şiffin, you warned people once more: Verily, seditions, sensualism and heresy begin in the heavenly rules. Innovations that the Qur'an opposes; therefore, if the wrong did not mix with the right, those who sought the right would discover it and if the right separated from the wrong, the enemy would lose tongue. But they take some part of the right and some of the wrong to be mixed with each other, there the Satan would overcome his friends and only those whom God favors and blesses shall be salvated.4 You knew what kind of sedition is being formed at Dumat Al-Jandal and how Amru Aș intended to spur corruption through deceit and falsehood in the Islamic community; therefore, you made a speech in order to reproach the trick: O' people! Faithfulness accompanies truthfulness which I do not know a shield stronger and protector than that. The one who is aware of his return to the Resurrection shall not be deceitful; however, nowadays, we live in an environment and timing when most people find themselves clever if they show deceitfulness and they are known as people of contrivance by the ignorant. How do they think? May God kill them! There might be a person who is aware of upcoming events and ways of tricks, but he is prevented from inhibitions of God [who might use tricks] although he has the power to do it, he leaves it there; but the one who ignores sins and opposition to religion, he takes advantage of playing tricks.4 At last, Mu'awiyya's trick affected Abu Mūsā Ash'ari and was deceived by him. Amru Aş told him: Do you find it right that I depose Mu'awiyya and you depose Ali [to finish such differences?] after that, we both vote for 'Abdullah Ibn-e-e Omar? Abu Mūsā Ash'ari said: What a good say! Then they made an appointment to declare vote of arbitrators in the public on Monday. Monday came, Abu Mūsā Ash'ari appeared there with several people and so did Amru Aş. The meeting was formal. Abu Mūsā told Amru Aş: Stand up and depose Ali; I depose Ali too. I keep yesterday's promise with you. Amru Aş trickily said: I invoke by God I speak before you do; you are older and first than me in faith and migration. You take the lead and I follow you. Abu Mūsā stood up, praised God and turned to the audience, saying: O' people! The best creature of God is one who fails to try to be careful of his self and think of people. I witnessed that many had been killed. I and Amru As found it right to depose Ali and Mu'awiyya to subside the sedition and assign shura for caliphate; you know now that I deposed Ali swearing that I took this ring off my finger. After him, Amru Aș stood up and said: O' people! Abu Mūsā Ash'ari is a man who had gone to Yemen on behalf of the Messenger; he owns the status Abubakr, agent of Omar Ibn-e-e Khaṭṭāb and arbitrator of Iraqis. Now, he demoted Ali and I appoint Mu'awiyya as Caliph as I put this finger on my left hand! He said it and sat down. Abu Mūsā became annoyed with this unexpected thing and said to him: I swear to God we had made another promise; may God damn you, O' deceitful man of evil-doing and evil-doing tyrant! Amru Aş said cold-bloodedly: You can say whatever you like! In that meeting, followers of Mu'awiyya with Amru Aş went back to Sham happily and victoriously. Mu'awiyya who used to beg you for emirate of Sham announced himself the undisputable Caliph of the Islamic communities after arbitration and attacked the regions under your rule. After this, you immediately made a sermon for the public saying: "I gratify God! Although there emerged great events and hard times, I testify that there is no God but the Unparalleled and Only God and I give testimony that Muhammad is His worshipper and Messenger. After praising God; know that disobeying an experienced, knowledgable and affectionate advisor leads to regret, wandering and remorse. I told you my view and order for arbitration in sincere words but you rejected it like oppressive opponents and disobedient promise-breakers so far as the advisor became doubtful and refused to give advice! The story of you and me looks like the one concocted our brother from Hawazin tribe: in the territory of Mun'arej, I gave necessary orders but they rejected them and tasted the bitterness of insurgence. You explicitly opposed the arbitration of arbitrators, asking people to become ready to battle against Mu'awiyya and come together at the military camp to move towards Sham. 4 But a group of people objected to you and said: Why did you accept arbitration in şiffin to make this happen?! They were those who forced you to accept arbitration; but they introduced you as cause of sedition! So-called as the Kharijites, they said: Ali accepted arbitration and became an apostate!! When you were engaged in gathering forces and arming them for a re-battle against Mu'awiyya and people of Sham, they left your army in opposition to you and camped on a place named "Harura" in half parasang distance to Kufa. They chanted this slogan? Rule is exclusive to God and they accused you of standing up to rule of God and had become atheist by accepting the arbitration of people in the face of the Qur'an that says rule remains exclusive to God! They said to you: We join your army to fight with Mu'awiyya if you repent and return to faith!! You advised them, saying: For which sin shall I repent! Having been numbered over twelve thousand people, they kept on raising objections and doubtfulness about your religion; you kept patience and responded to their slogan: Rule is merely exclusive to God and said: "What you say is right when it becomes wrong out of will! It is true! There is no command but command of God, but these people (the Kharijites) say God is the only ruler while people need ruler, bad or good so that the faithful people might be busy in their affairs under the shadow of government and atheists are also beneficiaries. People live when there is a government; government collects public treasury by which enemies can be fought; routes remain safe and secure and the poor's rights can be taken from the powerful's; the benevolent live in welfare and remain safe and sound from the evil- doers." They compelled you to accept the arbitration in şiffin; when the arbitration came to be scandalized, they found you guilty for that, saying you ignored the rule of God and became satisfied with rule of people. Finally, they said that government belongs to God and man is not authorized to govern people! It is true! They were engaged in such dogmatic and profound deviations. The aberrated group continued to insist on their opinions and you kept patience in front of them. In replying your companions who said they must be treated militarily, you said: If they raised propaganda and merely spoke against us, we too speak against them. But if they use sword and rebel against us, we fight with them. By citing the revelation words of the Qur'an, you argued with them; but they rejected and repeated their words. One of the leaders of the Kharijites told you: We fight neck and neck on your behalf as long as you were confident about Battles of Camel and șiffin, but now that you are in doubt, you must repent and testify that you have gone astray; in this case, we will stay with you. You told them: I never raised doubt about Islam even a bit when I embraced it. Basically, God has guided you and saved you from disbelief through us! I had said that two arbitrators must arbitrate based on the Book of God and if they did otherwise, their arbitration is of no value to me. Those wicked deviators charged you, a basis of faith and certainty, with atheism and insisted that you must repent and return to Islam!! You were the first Muslim, brother of the Messenger of God (s), standard-bearer of Islam, centrality of truth, chapter of knowledge of the Messenger (s), distributor of Hell and Heaven, the speaking Qur'an, the Straight Path, and the inheritor and Caliph of the Messenger (s); the earth, the time and the heavens testify your truthfulness; by God! Desert sands and pebbles of deep oceans and leaves of trees all were and are proofs of your great faith. Despite all of this, you showed pity on them and longed for their guidance. You dispatched two men of your loyal companions named 'Abdullah Ibn-e-e 'Abbas and ş'aşa'at Ibn-e-e şuḥān to their camp to give them advice, hoping that they might make up their mind and make you delighted, but they said: We will join Ali until he repents! In their view, accepting the arbitration equaled atheism; henceforth, those deviators asked you to give testimony to your atheism and repent it!! Of course, they gradually found other extremist beliefs and went far to believe that cardinal sin triggers undermining all good deeds and faith and sinner must make repentance for embracing Islam; otherwise, he is known as an infidel! On the day when some of the Kharijites pinched you to return to Islam and repent, you said: "God may shower stones of incedents and calamites on you so harshly that no trace of you might remain! Should I testify my atheism after my faith in God and my jihad beside the Messenger of God (s)?! If I do so, I have gone astray and will not be guided." Some of your companions kept on telling you: these people do not understand a language save sword. You replied to them: We will not treat them militarily as long as they do not use arms. One day, you decided to go to their camp to make ultimatum and give them advice. For so doing, you stopped by their camp outside Kufa in "Harura"" region, telling them: Have you all been engaged in şiffin Battle? They said: Some of us were there and some not. You said: Divide in two groups so that I can talk to you suitably. They were in two groups; then you called: "Keep quiet! Lend an ear to me wholeheartedly and whomever I asked to swear to testimony, he shall give testimony by knowledge. Tell me! When Sham people deceitfully put the Qur'an on spears in the heated state of battle and in our moment of winning the battle, you did not say that: Sham people are our brothers and we are in the same religion ? They want us to disregard their wrongs and are pleased with arbitration of the Book of God, we believe that we accept what they say and give up battle? But I told you that: This conspiracy is outward faith and inward enmity and grudge; it begins with blessing and ends with remorse; therefore, keep battling in this situation and stop distracting from the way you are proceeding; show your anger in the battle and do not listen to call of herald [from Sham people] because if they are replied, they are the deviators and if they are released, they are humiliated, that it happened as such. But alas! I saw you who yielded to demands of Sham people and accepted the arbitration. I swear to God! If I refused it, I would not be held accountable for its consequences and God would not include its sin in my file. I swear to God! If I had accepted the arbitration and I had deserved following it because the Qur'an is with me; since I joined it, I stayed with it. Later, you added: We stayed with the Prophet and verily our fathers, children, brothers and relatives were surrounded by war and carnage, but we only added to our faith rather than disaster and we were determined to walk along the way of truth and submit to divine command and keep patience over pains of burning ulcers. Today, we have been involved in a bloody war with our Muslim brothers with the emergence of rusts in religion, dishonesty and influence of doubts in our thoughts, false interpretation of religion; therefore, whenever we feel something brings unity for us, and by which we keep close to each other and fill the gaps, we show inclination towards it and we seize that and abandon the other way. The group finally replied you in this way: O' Ali! If we asked for cessation of hostilities, it was because the Qur'an could be arbitrator rather than people and you were satisfied with the arbitration of people and disregarded the Qur'an. Therefore, you are to blame! Repent until we all join your army back to fight with Mu'awiyya. You told them: If I accepted the arbitration of people forcibly, it was because they could act according to the Qur'an instead of their personal view; they did otherwise! You noticed that they cannot understand logical words; you left their camp and returned to Kufa. In the midst of such event, you found out that Mu'awiyya called himself winner of arbitration and Caliph of Muslims, taking widely invasive action. His men keep attacking the cities under your governance, killing people and plundering their belongings. You immediately addressed people and persuaded them to war with Mu'awiyya; after sixty days, sixty thousand people were prepared to move towards Sham. The sixty-thousand-people army was prepared to depart to Sham when you were informed that the Kharijites used arms and savagely killed some of your companions; they even murdered a pregnant woman who was one of your supporters and took out her embryo and put it on spear in order to declare war with you. You knew the ultimatum for the deviated group is finished, so you told your companions: we firstly deal with these insurgents and then we try to fight with Mu'awiyya. The deviated group was more dangerous than Mu'awiyya and his men because Mu'awiyya embarked on a war with you over government case, but the Kharijites intended to be at odds with religion in principle! You moved your army towards Nahravan where the Kharijites stayed. When moving there in şafar, 38 A.H., a man, brother of Ash'ath Ibn-e-e Qeys, a hypocrite dissident told you by forecasting through recognition of stars: If you go this hour, you do not win. I discovered it through astrology. You replied him in a way that it is a lesson for those who see themselves as fortuneteller or have been influenced by fortunetellers! You said: "You imagine you are aware of that hour if one moves, he will not suffer loss?! And you terrify one from the hour, if he moves, he will face losses?! Whoever acknowledges what you said, he shall deny the Qur'an and remain needless of being helped by God for achieving lovely aims and being protected from embitterments! You look as if you want to be praised instead of God! Since you made people know the hour as you think, that they are beneficiaries and remain safe from loss. Afterwards, you turned to God, saying: Avoid learning from astrology for falsified forecasts except some part of it you need for sea and desert navigation because astrology attracts you towards divination and to witchcraft; astrologist like diviner and diviner like sorcerer and socerer like atheist and atheist is in Hell.” Then you told your companions: Move ahead in the name of God. You joined with your army left Kufa for rebels' stronghold alongside Nahrawan River; a man told you: The Kharijites passed through Nahrawan Bridge. You said: "This side of river is where the Kharijites will be slaughtered. By God, only ten of them remains alive and ten of you will not be killed." You and your army reached the twelve-thousand-troop army of the Kharijites beside Narawan River. At this time, you made your last words to them loudly: "I frighten you! Lest you might get up in the morning while your dead bodies are left around Nahrawan, its uphills and downhills; you are refugees and trapped in predestination without having a clear reasoning from God as well as a decisive proof. I prohibited you from such arbitration, but you obstinately opposed me to let me come to this point as you wished. O'you, the unwise, the vicious and the bastard! I did not cause the arbitration disaster to happen and I never wished your loss. In reply, they said: As you were satisfied with arbitratiin, you are apostate; we do not talk to you until you repent.4 You told your compatriots: Set Nukhaila as the center of army. You assigned "Hujr Ibn-e-e 'Adi Al-Kindi" on the right side of troops and "Shabath Ibn-e-e Rib'i" on the left side. "Abu Ayyub Anṣāri" was appointed as amir of the cavalry and “Abu Fetādeh” as amir of the infantry. 4 You ordered to have a long banner hoisted and two thousands of your compatriots stand on one spot under the banner, saying: Whoever comes under this banner, he shall be safe. You made an ultimatum again; in the midst of your sermons, one of the heads of the Kharijites named "Qarqara Ibn-e-e Nuqel Ashjaee" was impressed by your words and said: I wonder why I fight with Ali ('a); he is the inheritor of the Messenger (s) and viceroy of God. He said this and with 500 of the apostates separated from the Kharijites and went to Kufa. Once he left, another group departed to Kufa too. A number of them took refuge in the banner. Eight thousands out of twelve thousands left. Only four thousands who constantly cried: "Arbitration is exclusive to God", remained there. ‘Abdullah Ibn-e-e Wahab, one of the ringleaders of the Kharijites, pulled sword, came into the battlefield and defied you. You unsheathed your Zulfiqar and killed him with one strike. The Kharijites attacked your troops and your companions attacked them too; they O' People! killed so many of them that only 9 people left, who ran away. You ordered your men not to chase them. Turning to your companions, you said: People leave religion just as an arrow is shot from a bow although they recite the Qur'an, the Qur'an does not pass through their larynx. I swear to God who keeps me alive! The Prophet had informed me of rebellion of the Kharijites. He added: They are identified that there is a man among them who, instead of one hand, has a piece of flesh on his arm and shoulder like women's breast with grown hair; the hair looks like mustache of a cat and the man's name is "Zul Thadiyeh" He was found among the killed men. Sedition of the Kharijites subsided after they were killed, but the wrong belief of those who had gone away remained in the community. They began propaganda and they created big sects. When a man asked you: O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin! The Kharijites were all killed. You said: "No! By God, never! They will bear sperms on back of fathers and wombs of mothers; whenever a horn pops up, it is cut off." 4. Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 61 4. Detailed History of Islam, p.209 4. Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 60 The remaining part of theosophy account Mohammad Ibn-e-e Abibakr is one of the special Shiites of Amir Al-Mu'amenin (‘a). Though being son of Abubakr, he confessed to the Imamate of Ali (‘a) and said his father has usurped the status of Amir Al-Mu'amenin (‘a). He was cherished by our lord, Ali (‘a) and Ali (‘a) was very much interested in him. Ali (a) appointed Abibakr Amir and governor of the vast territory of Egypt. When he reaches Egypt, he writes a letter to Mu'awiyya and introduces Ali ('a) as the inheritor of the Messenger. He recounts many virtues of Ali (a) for Mu'awiyya; he also retells records of Ali ('a) in Islam and enmity of Mu'awiyya and his father against the Messenger of God (s). Finally, he bewares Mu'awiyya of beliigerence against Amir Al-Mu'amenin (a) and the Pure and Infallible Progeny (a). The letter reads in full in Sunni books: · Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balagha, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol.3, p.188 Waq'at Al-şiffin, Nasr Ibn-e-e Mazāḥem, p.119 Muravvij Al-Zahab, Mas'udi, vol.3, p.25 But Mu'awiyya who himself is the greatest enemy of Amir Al-Mu'amenin (a) reveals such facts in replying to Abibakr as follows: I received your letter including praise of God, peace upon Muhammad and some words that weaken your opinion and blame your father. In your letter, you spoke of the right of Ali ('a), his record in Islam and his kinship of the Messenger of God (s) and helping the Messenger (s) with all problems. In this letter, you proud of and argue about the virtues of others rather than yours! Grace betides on God who took this virtue from you and made it exclusive to another man. In times of the Messenger (s) when your father was alive, we found the right of Ali (a) obligatory and his virtue to be certain. When the Prophet (s) met his Maker, your father and Omar I were those who took his right and opposed him. Both of them and others joined each other to oppose Ali ('a) and forced him to swear allegiance to themselves. Ali ('a) acted in slowness and they intended to seize his right and tried to murder him. When Ali realized this, he made allegiance and followed them. They neither shared anything with him nor informed him of anything secret.....and it was your father who strengthened my rule. If what we do to Ali (a) is reward, your father was the first and if it is cruelty, your father was its origin. We did it with his help and followed his way. So find fault with your father or stop saying such things (the same sources). Mu'awiyya atrociously martyrs Abibakr by using tricks in Egypt. After martyrdom of Abibakr, Amir Mu'amenan (‘a) appointed Malek Ashtar, his army's general and hero as emir of Egypt, but Malek on his way to Egypt was also poisoned and martyred deceitfully. The complete letters' content is as follows: و كتب محمد بن أبي بكر إلى معاوية بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم من محمد بن أبي بكر إلى الغاوى بن صخر سلام على أهل طاعة الله ممن هو مسلم لأهل ولاية الله أما بعد فإن الله بجلاله و عظمته و سلطانه و قدرته خلق خلقا بلا عنت و لا ضعف في قوته و لا حاجة به إلى خلقهم و لكنه خلقهم عبيدا و جعل منهم . و سعيداً و غويا و رشيداً ثمّ اختارهم على علمه فاصطفى و انتخب منهم محمداً صلی الله علیه و آله وسلم فاختصه برسالته و اختاره لوحیه و ائتمنه على أمره و بعثه رسولاً مصدقا لما بين يديه من الكتب و دليلاً على الشرائع فدعا إلى سبيل ربه بالحكمة والموعظة الحسنة فكان أول من أجاب و أناب و صدق و وافق و أسلم و سلم أخوه و ابن عمه علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام فصدقه بالغيب المكتوم و آثره على كل حميم فوقاه كل هول و واساه بنفسه في كل خوف فحارب حربه و سالم سلمه فلم يبرح مبتذلا لنفسه في ساعات الأزل و مقامات الروع حتى برز سابقا لا نظير له في جهاده و لا مقارب له في فعله و قد رأيتك تساميه و أنت أنت و هو هو المبرز السابق في كل خير أول الناس إسلاما و أصدق الناس نية و أطيب الناس ذرية و أفضل الناس زوجة و خير الناس ابن عم و أنت اللعين ابن اللعين ثمّ لم تزل أنت و أبوك تبغيان الغوائل لدين الله و تجهدان على إطفاء نور الله و تجمعان على ذلك الجموع و تبذلان فيه المال و تخالفان فيه القبائل على ذلك مات أبوك و على ذلك خلفته و الشاهد عليك بذلك من يأوى و يلجأ إليك من بقية الأحزاب و رؤس النفاق و الشقاق لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم و الشاهد لعلى مع فضله المبين و سبقه القديم أنصاره الذين ذكروا بفضلهم في القرآن فأثنى الله عليهم من المهاجرين والأنصار فهم معه عصائب و كتائب حوله يجالدون بأسيافهم ويهريقون دماءهم دونه يرون الفضل في اتباعه و الشقاء في خلافه فكيف يا لك الويل تعدل نفسك بعلى و هو وارث رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم و وصيه و أبو ولده و أول الناس له اتباعا و آخرهم به عهدا يخبره بسره ويشركه في أمره و أنت عدوه و ابن عدوه فتمتع ما استطعت بباطلك و ليمدد لك ابن العاص في غوايتك فكأن أجلك قد انقضى و كيدك قد وهى وسوف يستبين لمن تكون العاقبة العليا و اعلم أنك إنما تكايد ربك الذي قد أمنت كيده و أيست من روحه و هو لك بالمرصاد و أنت منه فى غرور و بالله و أهل رسوله عنك الغناء و السلام على من اتبع الهدى فكتب إليه معاوية: الله الرحمن الرحيم من معاوية بن أبي سفيان إلى الزاري على أبيه محمد بن أبى بكر سلام على أهل طاعة الله أما بعد فقد أتاني كتابك تذكر فيه ما الله أهله في قدرته و سلطانه و ما أصفى به نبيه مع كلام ألفته و وضعته لرأيك فيه تضعيف و لأبيك فيه تعنيف ذكرت حق ابن أبي طالب و قدیم سوابقه و قرابته من نبي الله [ صلى الله عليه و آله و سلّم ] و نصرته له و مواساته إياه فى كل خوف و هول و احتجاجك على بفضل غيرك لا بفضلك فاحمد إلها صرف الفضل عنك و جعله لغيرك و قد كنا و أبوك معنا في حياة من نبينا [ صلى الله عليه و آله و سلّم ] نرى حق ابن أبي طالب لازما لنا و فضله مبرزا علينا فلما اختار الله لنبيه [ صلّى الله عليه و آله و سلّم ] ما عنده و أتم له ما وعده و أظهر دعوته و أفلج حجته قبضه الله إليه فكان أبوك و فاروقه أول من ابتزه و خالفه على ذلك اتفقا و اتسقا ثم دعواه إلى أنفسهم فأبطأ عنهما وتلكأ عليهما فهما به الهموم و أرادا به العظيم فبايع وسلم لهما لا يشركانه في أمرهما و لا يطلعانه على سرهما حتى قبضا و انقضى أمرهما ثم قام بعدهما ثالثهما عثمان بن عفان يهتدى بهداهما و یسیر بسيرتهما فعبته أنت وصاحبك حتى طمع فيه الأقاصى من أهل المعاصى و بطنتما له و أظهرتما و كشفتما عداوتكما وغلكما حتى بلغتما منه مناكما فخذ حذرك يا ابن أبى بكر فسترى وبال أمرك و قس شبرك بفترك تقصر عن أن تساوى أو توازى من يزن الجبال حلمه و لا تلين على قسر قناته و لا يدرك ذو مدى أناته أبوك مهد مهاده و بنى ملكه و شاده فإن يكن ما نحن فيه صوابا فأبوك أوله و إن يك جورا فأبوك أسسه و نحن شركاؤه و بهداه أخذنا و بفعله اقتدينا و لو لا ما سبقنا إليه أبوك ما خالفنا ابن أبي طالب وأسلمنا له ولكنا رأينا أباك فعل ذلك فاحتذينا بمثاله و اقتدينا بفعاله فعب أباك ما بدا لك أو دع و السلام على من أناب و رجع عن غوايته و تاب. These three authentic shiite books cite the content of two letters: Al-Iḥtijāj Ala Ahl Al-Lejaj, vol. 1, p.183. Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.33, p.575, hadith 723 Waq'at Al-siffin, Nasr Ibn-e-e Muzahem, p.119

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Theosophy Twenty Nine

I certify that you possess miracles and great generosity as God has permitted.

In His Everlasting Words, God, the Almighty has introduced His Messengers as possessing miracles. They do things to prove their truthfulness with the permission of God and mankind fails to do so; for example, the Moses dropped his stick which turned into a big snake(1); Jesus made a bird statue with mud and inhaled in it. The statue livened and flew away. He also enlivened a dead person out of grave(2). Your brother, the Messenger (s) had big miracles like splitting of the moon(3), ascension to

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1- و أَوْحَيْنَا إِلى مُوسى أَنْ أَلْقِ عَصَاكَ فَإِذا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ، فَوَقَعَ الْحَقُّ وَ بَطَلَ ما كانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ، فَغُلِبُوا هُنالِكَ وَ انْقَلَبُوا صاغِرِينَ، وَ أُلْقِيَ السَّحَرَةُ سَاجِدِينَ قالُوا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْعالَمينَ رَبِّ مُوسى وَهَارُونَ » And We revealed to the Moses: "Cast your stick!" Then it [by Allah's Command] became a dragon and swalloped up what they had falsely demonstrated; Thus, the Truth became victorious and what they had been doing collapsed in vain; so Firown and his chiefs were defeated and were returned disgraced; and the magicians [impressed by the Miracle] threw themselves down prostrating [to their Creator and Nurturer]; they said: "We believe in the Creator and Nurturer of the worlds, the Creator and Nurturer of the Moses and Hārün." (A'raf: 117-122)

2- و رَسُولاً إِلى بَنِي إِسْرائيلَ أَنِّى قَدْ جِئْكُمْ بِآيَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ أَنَّى أَخْلُقُ لَكُمْ مِنَ الطِّينِ كَهَيْئَةِ الطَّيْرِ فَأَنْفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًا بِإِذْنِ اللهِ وَ أُبْرِئُ الْأَكْمَهَ وَ الْأَبْرَصَ وَ أُحْيِ الْمَوْتِى بِإِذْنِ اللهِ وَ أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَاتَأْكُلُونَ وَ ما تَدَّخِرُونَ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ إِنَّ فِي ذَالِكَ لَآيَةٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ » "And [also] appoints him a Messenger to the children of Israelites [and he will declare]: "I have come to you with a Sign from your Creator and Nurturer, I will create for you out of clay, the figure of a bird, then I will breathe into it and it becomes a bird by Allah's Leave; and I will heal those born blind and the lepers by Allah's Leave; and will bring to life the dead by Allah's Leave; and I will declare to you of what you eat and what you store up in your houses. Surely, therein is a Sign for you, if you indeed are believers; (Al- e Imran: 49)

3- Included in the miracles of the Messenger (s) is splitting of the moon. One day, the disbelievers of Mecca asked him to do it. The Messenger (s) made the moon in two halves by pointing to it. After that, he pointed to it again and the halves joined together. The (اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ ) :Qur'an says about this great miracle The Ordained Hour drew near and the moon cleft asunder; (Qamar: 1)

the heavens.(1) You yourself narrated one of the big miracles he had. You said in one of your sermons:

"I was with the Messenger when the Quraysh heads came up to him, saying:

O' Muhammad! You made a big claim which is made by none of your fathers and progeny! We want you to show us a miracle; if you say yes and do it, we understand that you are Messenger of God; if you say no, we will realize that you are a liar and sorcerer. Your brother, the Messenger (s) told them: What do want? They said: Call that tree to be uprooted and stand before you. The Messenger said: God is Omnipotent; now if God does it, do you believe and testify the truth? They said: Yes! The Messenger .

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1- The honorable Prophet of Islam (s) nightly ascended from Masjid Al-Haram to Masjid Al-Aqṣā as God had permitted. (Wide ascension) and ascended from there to the heavens (long ascension) to which God points in "Isra" and "Al-Najm": ((سُبْحانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلاً مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِى بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ)) Absolute Pure is the One Who took His Dvoted worshipper [Muhammad] for a Divine Excursion from Masjid Al-Ḥarām to Masjid Al-Aqsa, the neighborhood of which We had blessed in order to show him Our Signs of Power. Indeed, Allah is the Seeing Hearer; (Isrā: 1) ) وَ النَّجْمِ إِذا هَوى، ما ضَلَّ صاحِبُكُمْ وَ ما غَوى، وَ ما يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوى، إِنْ هُوَ إِلا وَحْيٌ يُوحى، عَلَّمَهُ شَدِيدُ القُوى، ذُو مِرَّةٍ فَاسْتَوَى، وَ هُوَ بِالْأُفُقِ الْأَعْلى ، ثُمَّ دَنا فَتَدَلَّى، فَكانَ قابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنى، فَأَوْحَى إِلى عَبْدِهِ ما أَوْحَى، مَا كَذَبَ الْفُوْادُ ما رَأَى، أَ فَتَمارُونَهُ عَلى ما يَرى، وَ لَقَدْ رَآه نَزَّلَةٌ أُخْرى، عِنْدَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنْتَهى، عِنْدَها جَنَّةُ الْمَأْوى، إِذْ يَغْشَى السَّدْرَةَ ما يَغْشَى، ما زاغَ الْبَصَرُ وَ ما طَغَى لَقَدْ رَأى مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرى By the star when it disappears, your well-wishing Supervisor is neither astray nor deviated from the Straight Path, not he speaks out of his own desire, He relates to you only what is revealed to Him; by the Supreme Power he has been taught, the Supreme Powerful Who established Himself on Arsh [after the creation of the heavens and the earth], the One Who is on the Highest Horizon. Then he came closer and closer to His Presence, until the distance between Him and he was at two bow-length or even nearer, [from such close distance[Allah revealed His Message to His obedient worshipper, what He Willed to reveal, the Messenger's heart did not deny what he saw with his eyes; will you people dispute about what he saw in his Ascension? For indeed, he saw His Presence at a second descent near the Lote-tree which is near the Graden of Abode. Though the Lote-tree was covered with light, the Messenger's eyes looked straight fixedly and did not turn away from the Light and he indeed saw some of the Great Signs of his Creator and Nurturer (Najm: 1-18).

said: I'll show you soon what you asked for and verily I know better than anybody else that you will not return to goodness because someone among you is killed and will be buried in Badr well and he is the one who will wage the Battle of Ahzab (Parties).(1)

Later, the Messenger (s) pointed to the tree and said: O' tree! If you believe in God and the Resurrection Day and you know I am the Messenger of God, move up with the roots and come stand in front me as God has ordered.

I swear to the Messenger whom God appointed rightfully, the tree was taken off the ground and stood towards me as birds flapped and twigs rustled. It surrounded the Messenger with long twigs and with some on me; I was standing on the right side of the Prophet (s). When the Quraysh heads saw this scene, they proudly said: order half of the tree to come closer and the other half stands unmoving. The Messenger (s) ordered. Half of the tree approached him with a harsh sound and marvelously as though it wanted to twist around him; the heads of Quraysh said out of obstinacy and disbelief: Order this half of the tree to go back and join the remaining half as it was. The Prophet (s) ordered and it happened as such.

ولا إله الا الله :I said

O' Messenger! I am the first to believe you! And I am the first to confess that the tree did what you wanted for approval of your prophetic mission with the permission of God, but the Quraysh heads said: He is a lying sorcerer with a marvelous socercery and he is skilled. They addressed the Messenger (s), saying: Does anyone but Ali believe your prophetic mission? "(2)

And you, O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin!

You are the Caliph and true inheritor of the Seal of the Prophets (s). You stand higher than all divine prophets in status except the Messenger (s). n

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1- This future foretelling is limited to the Battle of Badr (a well between Mecca and Medina) in which stiffs of "Utbah", "Shaybah", sons of "Rabi'ah" and "Umayyad", sons of“ ‘Abd Shams" and "Abu Jahl" and some others were thrown into that well and were massively buried. This man is Abu Sufiyan who launched Battle of Parties and was defeated at last; these events took place in the years after Hegira.

2- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 192 known after Qaseh Sermon

You have great miracles like divine messengers. O' inheritor of the Messenger! O' great testifier of truth! O' great Faruq (Separator of right and wrong)! There are lots of miracles and generosities cited in the authentic historical books, some of which I quote to enlighten your enthusiasts:

You preserved reputation of a girl with your God-given knowledge and miracle and prevented a sedition from happening.

"Ammar Yaser" and Zayd Ibn-e Irqam", your loyal companions, say:

We sat with Imam Ali (‘a) at Kufa mosque and he was at his position of judgment. You told Ammar:

O' Ammar! Fetch my Zulfiqar! He brought it and you unsheathed it and put it on your legs. All of a sudden, a loud cry filled ears.

You said: O' Ammar! Today, I want to alleviate sorrow of people of Kufa.

Tell those standing outside to come in.

Ammar went out and saw a woman riding on a camel and shouts:

O' Judge of those who are at distress! I turned to you; make me be proud of yourself and solve my big problem.

Around her, there were thousands of horses with unsheathed swords; a group of them talked for her and a number of others talked against her. She got off her camel and the others got off their horses too and entered into the mosque. The woman stood in front of you, saying: O' Ali ('a)! I came up to you because you are omniscient of what has happened now and until the Resurrection!

You turned to Ammar, saying: Go tell people of Kufa to stop by the mosque and witness this judgment.

Ammar informed people and Kufa mosque was overcrowded.

Then, you said: O' those who have come from Sham, tell me your problem!

At this time, an old man stood up, saying:

Peace be upon you, O' treasure of the poor! This maid standing in front of you

is my daughter; she is unmarried, but he has become pregnant in my

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home now. Verily, she has disrepute me in my family. I am known after courage, wisdom and perfection; my courage is unparalleled among Arabs; however, I am perplexed about what has happened to me and I am grieved.

Later, you turned to the girl, saying: O' girl! What do you think about what your father says?

The girl said:

I am virgin and I tell the truth, but if I am pregnant, by God! I have never betrayed myself. You are the inheritor and successor of the Messenger of God; you know that I do not lie when I claim and nothing is hidden from you. Solve my problem!

At this time, you took a pulpit, addressing people:

God is great! Tell midwife to come here.

A woman named "Khūlā", midwife of Kufa's women, came up there.

You told her: Hang a curtain between you and people and check to see if this girl is pregnant?

Midwife obeyed the order and said: Yes, she is both pregnant and virgin!!!

You then heralded:

يا اهل الكوفه ! أين الائمه الذين ادّعوا منزلتي؟! أين من يدعى في نفسه أنه له مقام الحق فيكشفهذه الغمّه

Where are those leaders who claimed my status?! Who is the man who imagined the status of truth belongs to him so that he might remove such problem and grief?!

"Amru Ibn-e Ḥurayth" (one of the hypocrite dissidents) ridiculously said:

This problem is only solved by you; today, your Imamate is proven to us!!

You told the girl's father:

O' angry man! You are hurt in reputation! Are you from Damascus?

He said: Yes!

Aren't you from a village called "As'ār"?

He said: Yes!

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You said: Is there anyone among you to fetch a piece of ice now?

He said:

There is a lot of ice in our village, but we cannot bring it here now!

You told him:

It is two hundred and fifty parasang far from our city and yours?

He said: It's true, my lord!

Later, you turned to the people inside Kufa mosque, saying:

أيها الناس!

أنظروا إلى ما أعطى الله عليّا من العلم النبوي الذي أودعه الله و رسوله من العلم الرباني

O' People! Look what God has granted to Ali from knowledge of the Prophet.

Sitting on the pulpit, you stretched your hand and a piece of ice dropping water suddenly popped up on your hand; at this time, people in the mosque cheered loudly. You told them:

أسكتوا ! و لو شئت أتيت بجباله

Keep quiet, if I decide, I can make an iceberg known to you!

After that, you told the midwife:

Take this piece of ice and the girl out of mosque. Then, get a basin under her and place the ice near her embryo; a leech will come out and weighs 197 g plus 6.1 dirham.

Midwife did as you had said; a big leech suddenly fell into the basin. It weighed as much you had said. It was brought to the mosque; you recited words of revelation of the Qur'an, saying:

O' angry man! Your daughter has not committed adultery; when she was ten years old, she went into water somewhere and let the leech go into her embryo. Ever since it had been in her embryo, sucked blood and became enlarged!!

At this time, daughter's father stood up, saying:

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I certify that you know what is in embryos and in minds!(1)

It is true!

You with your divine knowledge, generosity and miracle solved a big problem and saved face of a chaste girl!

Peace be upon you, O' ya Abalhassan!

O' Light of God!

You have always supported the oppressed hearts and their redressers. When you brought a piece of ice on your hand from As'ar village and made the crowd happy and rejoiced in the mosque; you said: If I decide, I make an iceberg appear here!

I fully confirm truth of your words! I swear to my God I confirm it! Because your status is much higher than that of "Aşef Ibn-e Barkhiyā”, vizier of Hadrat Solomon ('a). He could bring the great throne of Belqeys from the neighboring country, Yemen in a blink of eye because he was learned about part of the Book and I testify thyat the whole knowledge of the Book is in his heart.

If Aşef Ibn-e Barkhiyā could bring Belqeys's throne to Solomon palace with his unimportant knowledge of the Book, you with your whole knowledge of the Book can easily and in no time bring the iceberg to Kufa mosque from the South Pole, thousands kilometers away from Kufa. By God! You can do it because you are viceroy of God.

God, in His Everlasting Words, has spoken of His endeared Prophet, Jesus Christ and says that he gives life to the dead with the permission of God. You are Proof of God and you stand higher than Jesus (‘a).

• One of the miracles quoted for you in several cases is enlivening the dead, two cases of which are recounted hereunder:

1. Meytham Tammar, your loyal companion says:

I was at the presence of my lord and many people were around him; a tall .

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1- Taken from the invaluable book, "Al-Qatra" compiled by Allameh Seyyed Ahmad Mustanbit; Part I, Story I, translator: Mohammad Zarif. The late Seyyed Ahmad Mustanbit quotes the above story from the various old sources.

man wearing grey robe and turban and armed with two swords entered without saying greetings; people moved their heads up to watch, but our lord, Ali (‘a) failed to look up.

The man cried out:

Which one of you has been selected because of courage and armed with contentment? Which one of has been born in the House of God? Which one of you has helped the Messenger (s) in his lifetime?!

You said:

O' Sa'ad Ibn-e Fadl Ibn-e Rabi'ah Ibn-e Mudrakat Ibn-e Tayyib Ibn-e Ash'ath Ibn-e Abi Sam'a Ibn-e Aḥbal Ibn-e Khazārat Ibn-e Da'abal Ibn-e Amru Dwayni! I am the one.

He told you: Labbayk Ya Ali!

You told him:

Ask me what you want because I am treasure of grieved men! I am described as benevolent! I am the one by whose order clouds rained! I am the one who has been delineated in every heavenly Book! I am Mount Sinai and Jabal Mousa! I am the Straight Path!

The Arab man said: we've been told that you are the one on the earth who has revitalized the dead.

You told him: Tell me your problem!

He said:

I represent sixty thousand people from 'Aqimeh. Among them, a young man has died and they have differences over cause of his death; now, they have sent with me the dead body that is now outside the mosque. If you make him alive, we will know that you are trustworthy and nobleman. We will be confident that you are Proof of God on the earth. Otherwise, he is taken back to his tribe and we understand that your claim is unfounded and you declare what you cannot do!

You turned to Meytham Tammar, saying:

O' Aba Ja'afar! Ride a horse and move around places and alleys in Kufa and cry: Whoever wants to see excellence, supremacy and knowledge

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which God has granted to Ali, brother of the Messenger (s) and husband of Fatima Zahra, he shall come to Najaf desert.

Meytham Tammar completed his mission and came back.

You told him: Host this Arab man. Meytham took him with the dead man's coffin to house and served him.

Tomorrow morning when you said your morning prayers, you moved towards Najaf; people of Kufa appeared at Najaf desert.

You told Meytham: O' Aba Ja'afar! Bring the Arab man with the dead man.

He brought both of them; turning to people of Kufa, you said:

O' people of Kufa! Tell about us of what you see and narrate what you hear of us.

Then, you said: Take the dead man out of coffin with the help of some Muslims.

The Arab man uncovered the coffin; he unwrapped a silk cloth, Dībāj where there was a young man whose curls looked beautiful like women.

You told the Arab man: how long is he dead?

He said: 41 days.

You said: Why did he die?

The Arab man said:

His family wants you to make him alive to tell who has killed him? Because he slept safe and sound at night, but in the morning he was found decapitated.

You said: Who wants revenge?

He said: Fifty of his relatives looks for his revenge.

You told him:

His uncle has killed him! Because he married his daughter to him, but he left her and married another wife. His uncle killed him out of grudge.

The Arab man said:

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We are not contented with what you said and we want to have the young man himself testify who has killed him and flames of sedition subside.

You stood up and praised God and greeted the Messenger (s), saying:

O' people of Kufa! Verily, the Israelite ox is not more valuable than Ali, brother of the Messenger (s) before God; verily, the Almighty God revitalized a dead person after seven days.

Later, you neared the dead body, saying:

Verily, a dead body was touched by the Israelite ox and he was made alive. I touch the dead with some organ of my body because my body organ stands higher than the ox before God.

Then, you shook him with your right foot, saying:

O'Mudrakat Ibn-e Hanzalat Ibn-e Ghassan Ibn-e Bahrain Ibn-e Fahm Ibn- e Salamat Ibn-e Tayyib Ibn-e Mudraka Ibn-e Ash'ath Ibn-e Akhraș Ibn-e Dāhelat Ibn-e Omar Ibn-e Fadl Ibn-e Ḥubāb! Rise up because Ali made you alive with the Permission of God!

At this time, the young man stood up from the coffin, whose countenance was nicer than sun and more brilliant than full moon; he turned to you and said:

Labbayk Labbayk! O' revitalizer of bones!

You told him: Who had killed you?

He said: My uncle, Hurayth has murdered me.

You told him: go back to your family.

I am needless of relatives, said the young man.

You told him: What for?

He said: I am afraid they kill me again and you are not among these people, then who makes me alive?!

You turned to the Arab man, saying: You go back to your family.

He said: I stay with you and the young man as long as I am alive.

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They stayed with you until they were martyred in the Battle of Șiffin.(1)

2. Your loyal companion, Salman Farsi is being quoted as saying that:

A woman from the Anṣār, the Helpers named "Umme Furwah" who was one of your lovers was killed. You were not there when she was killed. Having heard that she was killed, you stopped by her grave and looked up in the heaven, saying:

اللهم يا محيى النفوس بعد الموت و يا منشىء العظام الدارسات بعد الفوت أحى لنا « أمّ فروه » و اجعلها عبرة لمن عصاك

O' God! The One who keeps people alive after they are dead and O' Grower of the rotten bones! Give life back to "Umme Furwah" until those who have disobeyed Thee take admonitory lesson.

All of a sudden, a voice came down, saying: O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin! Go where you had prayed.

You stopped by her grave again, saying: O' worshipper of God, get up with the permission of God!

Umme Farwah came out of grave while weeping and said: O' Amir Al- Mu'amenin! They wanted to put out your light, but God decided to make it more brilliant and to sublimate your name although disbelievers had been reluctant of it.

You brought back the woman to her husband. She gave birth to two sons and she lived six months after your martryrdom.(2)

If God enlivened seventy people of the Israelites with supplication of the Moses (a)(3), you deserve more for fulfilment of your prayer because you )

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1- Ibid., the second story

2- Al-Thaqib fi Al-Manaqib, Ibn-e-e Ḥamza Mohammad Ali, p.236; Al-Kharā’ij va Al- Jarā'iḥ, Qutbuddin Rāwandi, vol.2, p.548

3- When the Moses ('a) with seventy people from chiefs of the Israelites departed to Mount Sinai, that group asked him to see God; a thunder came down and everybody died; after that, the Moses prayed and God fulfilled his prayer and brought life to those again. This story is cited in two places of the Qur'an: (وَ إِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسى لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّى نَرَى اللهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَ أَنتُمْ تَنْظُرُونَ * ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَاكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَوْتِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ) And also remember when some of you [out of ignorance] said: O' Moses! We will never believe in you until we see Allah manifestly." Then, the thunderbolt seized you [by Allah's Command] while you were beholding [and waiting for some response] (Baqara: 56). « وَ لَمّا جاءَ مُوسى لِميقاتِنا وَ كَلَّمَهُ رَبُّهُ قالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِى أَنْظُرْ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ لَنْ تَرَانِى وَ لَكِنِ انْظُرْ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ فَإِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُ فَسَوْفَ تَرانى فَلَمّا تَجَلَّى رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَل جَعَلَهُ دَكَّا وَ خَرَّ مُوسى صَعِقا فَلَمّا أَفاقَ قالَ سُبْحانَكَ تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ) And when the Moses was present at Our Appointment and His Creator and Nurturer spoke to him, he said: O' my Creator and Nurturer! Show yourself to me that I may look at you." Allah said: "You shall never see me, but look at the mountain, if it stands firm in its place, then you can see me." But when his Creator and Nurturer reflected His Glory on the mountain, He made it crashed into pieces and the Moses fainted and fell down senseless; and when he came back to his senses, he said humbly: "You are the Absolute Purity [O' my Creator and Nurturer!] I repent to Thee and I am the foremost of the believers.” (A'raf: 143) وَ اخْتارَ مُوسى قَوْمَهُ سَبْعِينَ رَجُلاً لِميقَاتِنَا فَلَمّا أَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ قَالَ رَبِّ لَوْ شِئْتَ أَهْلَكْتَهُمْ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَ إِيَّايَ أَ تُهْلِكُنا بِمَا فَعَلَ السُّفَهَاءُ مِنَّا إِنْ هِيَ إِلا فِتْنَتُكَ تُضِلُّ بِها مَنْ تَشاءُ وَ تَهْدِى مَنْ تَشَاءُ أَنْتَ وَلِتُنا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَ ارْحَمْنَا وَ أَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْغَافِرِينَ And when the Moses chose out of his people seventy men for Our Place of Meeting and when they were seized with a violent earthquake [which also crashed the mountain] he said: "O' my Creator and Nurturer! If it had been Your Will, you could have destroyed me and them before; would You destroy us for the deeds of the foolish ones among us [who asked for visiting You?] It is but Your trial by which You lead astray whom You will and You guide whom You Will; You are our Guardian, forgive us and bestow mercy upon us, for You are the Supreme-Absolver." (A'raf: 155)

stand higher in status than the Moses (a).

And if Jesus (a) incited the rotten dead from the graves with the permission of God, you deserve more receiving permission of God because Jesus (‘a) reached a status in the shadow of your leadership.

You are the viceroy of God in the universe, His most beloved creature after the Messenger of God (s) and the Great Sign of God. The one who denied you never recognized God.

• God in His Qur'an says about Solomon: We taught him to talk to birds(1); His Qur'an reads the story of hoopoe talking to him(2) and the )

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1- ( وَ وَرِثَ سُلَيْمَانُ دَاوُدَ وَ قالَ يا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ عُلِّمْنا مَنْطِقَ الطَّيْرِ وَ أُوتِينَا مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ إِنَّ هذا لَهُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْمُبِينُ ) . And Solomon was Davoud's heir and he addressed the people saying: "O' people! We [me and my father] have been taught the language of birds and have been bestowed bounties of all kinds; this surely is the Sign of Allah's Favor upon us." (Naml: 16)

2- وَ تَفَقَّدَ الطَّيْرَ فَقَالَ مَا لِيَ لَا أَرَى الْهُدْهُدَ أَمْ كَانَ مِنَ الْغَائِبِينَ لَأُعَذَّبَنَّهُ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا أَوْ لَأَذْبَحَنَّهُ أَوْ لَيَأْتِيَنِّي بِسُلْطَانٍ مُبِينٍ، فَمَكَثَ (غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ فَقالَ أَحَطتُ بِما لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ وَ جِئْتُكَ مِنْ سَبَإٍ بِنَبَإٍ يَقِينِ ) And he inspected the group of birds and said: "Why do I not see Hoopoe? Or is he among the absent ones today? "I will surely punish him with a severe Punishment or I may slaughter him unless he brings me a convincing excuse." (Naml: 20-22)

story of him talking to ant.(1)

With the permission of God, you were learned about logic of animals. This interesting story is quoted by your honorable companion, Ammar Yaser:

I was with Amir Al-Mu'amenin (a) at Kufa mosque and nobody was there but me.

He heard you say: Believe it, believe it!

Ammar looked around and saw nobody. He was surprised!

You told Ammar: O' Ammar! You look as if you tell to whom I talk?

He said: Yes, that's right.

You told him: Move your head up.

Ammar moved his head up and saw two pigeons talking together.

You told him: O' Ammar! Do you know what the pigeon says?

Ammar said: No. O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin!

You said: The female pigeon tells the male pigeon: You love other than me and left me? The male pigeon takes an oath and says: It is not true!

The female pigeon replied: I don't believe you! I swear to the One who is )

P: 459

1- حَتَّى إِذا أَتَوْا عَلَى وَادِ النَّمْلِ قَالَتْ نَمْلَةٌ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّمْلُ ادْخُلُوا مَسَاكِنَكُمْ لا يَحْطِمَنَّكُمْ سُلَيْمَانُ وَجُنُودُه وَ هُمْ لا يَشْعُرُونَ، فَتَبَسَّمَ ضاحِكًا مِنْ قَوْلِها وَ قالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِي أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ وَ عَلى وَالِدَيَّ وَ أَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا تَرْضَاءِ وَ أَدْخِلْنِي بِرَحْمَتِكَ فِي عِبادِكَ الصَّالِحِينَ » They kept going till when they reached the Land of the Ants; there, one of the ants warned the rest: "O' ants! Enter your nests lest Solomon and his hosts unknowingly may crash you under their feet." Solomon smiled out of joy and was surprised on the hearing the words of the ant and he prayed: “O' my Creator and Nurturer! Please inspire me how to express my gratitude for all the Favors You have bestowed upon me and my father; make me work for Your Pleasure and grant me to be included among Your righteous worshippers who have received Your Grace." (Naml: 18 and 19)

in this Qiblah, I love no one but you!

O' Ammar! I told the female pigeon: Believe it; believe it.

Ammar told you: O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin! I do not know someone but Solomon Ibn-e Davoud who was familiar with the language of birds!

You told him: O' Ammar! Verily Solomon asked God on our right of Ahl- e Bayt and became acquainted with the language of birds.(1)

We should not be amazed about birds' love and attachment to one another because God says: Birds are ummahs like you.(2)

It is true!

Your status is much higher than that of Solomon, the Prophet (‘a). If he could talk to birds, you can talk to all animals with the permission of God because you are omniscient of all divine creatures in the heavens and the earth!

Imam and Proof of God on the earth are proof and Imam on both men and on group of jinns. This story is being quoted in historical books:

One day, you were on pulpit of Kufa mosque, addressing people; a gigantic snake suddenly appeared from one of the doors of the mosque, which is known after Bāb Al-Fil(3)nearing your pulpit. People were all horrified and were prepared to repel it; you pointed to them that they keep not moving.

The snake approached you and climbed up the pulpit. You kept your head close to it and it came within your earshot shouting. People kept quiet and were amazed. You moved your lips and the snake listened. It then climbed .

P: 460

1- BiHAr Al-Anwar, vol.42, p.56; Mashariq Anwar Al-Yaqin, Hafiz Rajab Barsi

2- ثُمَّ إِلى رَبِّهِمْ يُحْشَرُونَ » « وَ ما مِنْ دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَ لا طَائِرٍ يَطِيرُ بِجَنَاحَيْهِ إِلا أُمَمٌ أَمْثالُكُمْ ما فَرَّطْنَا فِي الْكِتابِ مِنْ. There is no crawling on the earth, not a bird that flies with its two wings, but they are communities the like of you [mankind]; We have not neglected anything in the Book. Then to their Creator and Nurturer, all [creatures] shall be gathered. (An'am: 38)

3- It was formerly called "Bāb Thu'aban", but years after Umaayds, several elephants were brought from India and were tied to the door of the mosque so that it would be known after "Bāb Al-Fil" among people. This was done to make virtues of Ali (‘a) forgotten.

down, went back from the way it had come and it was not seen!

You returned to your address and finished it. Afterwards, you came down the pulpit and people surrounded you, asking you of the case. You said: it was a ruler of rulers of jinns disguised as a snake. He had misrepresented a proposition and did not know its rule. He came to me to ask me about that.

I told him what the rule was. He prayed and returned.

It is true!

You are Proof of God and Imam of jinn and people:

على حبه جنته *** قسيم النار و الجنته

وصى المصطفى حقا *** امام الانس و الجنته

Ali stands as shield against fire

Distributor of heaven and hellfire

Successor and inheritor of Muhammad (s)

Leader and Imam of jinns and ummah;(1).

P: 461

1- This is a poem composed by "Ammar Ibn-e-e Thu'alba", about the contents of the Prophetic Hadiths on the virtues of Imam Ali ('a). The remaining part of theosophy account 1. Various sources quote from Hadrat şediqah Kobrā (‘a): During the caliphate of Abubakr, an earthquake occurred in Medina so strongly that everybody was terrified and went up to Abubakr and Omar. People observed that the two men go up to Amir Al-Mu'amenin (a). Followed by them, people also went up to Ali (a). Amir Al-Mu'amenin (‘a) came out of his house; Abubakr, Omar and people followed him. Ali (‘a) sat on the ground. People sat around him. Whenever the quake began again, walls of Medina moved like cradle. People of Medina cried and yelled out of serious fear: O' Ali! Help us out! We have seen such an earthquake yet. Lips of Ali (‘a) moved and he struck the ground, saying: O' earth! Calm down. The earth became calm and stopped shaking with the permission of God. People were surprised that the earth obeyed Ali (‘a). He said: Did you surprise that the earth obeyed me when I told it to keep calm? They said: Yes O' Ali! He said: I am the one whom God says in the Qur'an: «JB 9 » I tell the earth: Say to me what events occurred to you and tell what people have done on you. Later, he said: If this quake were the same quake God says in Surah of earthquake, the earth would inform me of its news, but this is not the quake as cited in the Qur'an. (Elal Al-Shara'ih, Sheikh ṣaduq, vol.2, p.556, hadith 8; Dala'il Al-Imama, Tabari Kabir Imami, p.66; Ta'vil Al-Ayat Al-Zahera fi Fadā'il Al-Etrata Al-Tahera (a), Estarabadi, p. 806; Tafsir Al-ṣāfi, Mulla Mohsen Feyd Kashani, vol.5, p.357; Ethbāt Al-Hodā Belnuṣuş va Al-Mu'ajizāt, Sheikh Hurr Ameli, vol.3, p.458, hadith 80; Al-Borhan fi Tafsir Al- Qur'an, Seyyed Hashem Baḥrāni, vol.5, p.727, hadith 11828; Madinat Al-Ma'ajiz, Seyyed Hashem Baḥrāni, vol.2, p.99, hadith 423; Mir'at Al-Uqul fi Sharh Akhbar Al-e Al-Rasul (s), Allameh Majlisi, vol.26, p.239; Biḥār Al-Anwar, Allameh Majlisi, vol.41, p.254, hadith 14; Tafsir Nur Thaqalayn, Huwayzi, vol.5, p.648, hadith 7; 'Awalim Al- Ulim va Al-Ma'aref va Al-Ahwal men Al-Ayat va Al-Akhbar va Al-Aqwal, Sheikh 'Abdullah Baḥrāni, vol.11, p.872, hadith 57) 2. Hassan Ibn-e-e Zakwan Fars says: I was with Ali when some people came and complained about the high level of the Euphrates water due to its tumult. They said their farms have been damaged because of excessive amount of water. They asked Ali (a) to pray for lesser water. Ali ('a) went to his house. All people were waiting; he came out after a short while, wearing the flowing robe and turban of the Prophet (s) and carrying his stick. He rode his horse and moved. His children, people and I joined him. He stood by the Euphrates and got off his horse. Larer, he performed a brief two rek' at prayers. Then, he held a piece of wood and went on the bridge with Hassan and Husayn. Others stood there watching. He struck the water with the wood and water leveled down about one cubit. Ali (a) turned to people, saying: Is it enough? They said: No. O' Amir Al- Mu'amenin! Ali ('a) struck the water again. It went down to level of one more cubit. He did it again as people had asked and water went down in three cubits. People said: It's enough. This much is harmless. Ali ('a) rode his horse and went back to his home. (Kashf Al-Ghumme fi Ma'arefat Al-A'emma (a), Irbeli, vol. 1, p.275; Biḥār Al- Anwar, vol. 41, p.249, hadith 3; Madinat Ma'ājiz, Seyyed Hashem Baḥrāni, vol.2, p.110, hadith 434; Al-Fada'il, Ibn-e-e Shāzān Qomi, p.106; Al-Khara'ij va Al-Jarā'iḥ, vol.1, p.173; Maḥjat Al-Bayda, Mulla Mohsen Fayd Kashani, vol.4) As earlier said, hadith and historical sources quoted various miracles of Ali ('a), a small part of which was mentioned here.

Peace of God be upon you, ya Abalhassan! O' the one who is Great Proof of God over creatures and you are the Great Sign of God in the heavens and the earth.

May our faces be red carpet under your steps and may our valueless lives be sacrificed to your fully patched shoes!!

Intercede us before your brother, the Messenger of God (s).

P: 462

Theosophy Thirty

I certify that purely monotheistic sciences are discovered in effervescent springs of sciences of you and your family.

The most sublimated, invaluable and nicest monotheistic and divine sciences must be sought in the statements of you, the pure and infallible family (‘a) because you and your family are the treasuries of monotheism.

Whoever looks for the pure and undeviated sciences, he shall come and sit beside you with your sciences, a drop of which seems like an ocean because the knowledge of you, the Pure and Infallible family (‘a) fails to derive from human sciences and experiences, which are error-prone; rather, they are proxy or non-proxy divine doctrines and teachings.

How a many of thinkers who appeared to claim they own divine sciences and put down books and treatises of a lot, but they could hardly elucidate even a bit of monotheistically pure sciences!

In essence, any sciences and teachings that do not come from the effervescent springs of your sciences are astray and retrograde; you yourself told Kumayl:

O' Kumayl! Receive sciences from us to be with us.(1)

Your honorable descendant, Imam Ṣādiq (‘a) says:

Someone who says he is one of our Shiites tells a lie; at the same time, he resorts to people other than us. (2)

It is true!

Your real Shiites receive sciences only from your family's effervescent

---------------------------------

Theosophy Account Thirty

Stating some hadiths from the Immaculate Imams (a) in God's contrast with His Creatures and criticizing mystic thoughts )

P: 463

1- to the Visby! (Tohfa Al-Uqul, Ibn-e-e Shu'abah Ḥarrāni, p.119)

2- Line öga Shimais as I lintis (Wasa'il Al-Shi'a, Sheikh Hurr Ameli, vol.11, p.84)

spring and are thirsty for you; their hearts are humble for your words and problem-solving sciences and thet never follow those "bandits of beliefs".

Who are bandits of beliefs?!!

Those who appeared to present wrong and deviated sciences in front of your illuminative sciences let a large number of people abandon the Straight Path of monotheism and depart to destination of seditions; they are those who raised points in the face of the Qur'anic texts and introduced those wrong things as being included within religion. They charged the combatant and campaigning ulemas of your family-who countered with those beliefs-with stupidity and superficialism!! Does someone who claim to have the highest divine sciences and writes in his book: The reason why the Moses, when he was back from his trip and found that his people worshipped calf, treated Ḥārūn who had stopped a group of people worshipping the calf and also prevented the remaining minority from calf worshipping chastised his brother and pulled his forehead's hair!!(1) By God, O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin! Are these wrong things divinely sublimated sciences, matters that stand against the Qur'anic texts?!

Does the Qur'an say that Sameri was deviated or Ḥārūn, the prophet?!

They say Ḥārūn was knowledge-free who stopped the calf worship because the calf worshippers worshipped God too!!

O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin! You are the speaking Qur'an and you keep all the Qur'anic sciences in your heart; has Pharaoh, the evil-doer passed away as a pure and a faithful man?!

The same people who claimed to have pure sciences say: He died while he was pure!!(2)

I swear to God I do not believe what they say!

Because I certainly believe in what God says about Pharaoh:

"Pharaoh said: "I am your supreme god, so God made him suffer agony ه

P: 464

1- Ibn-e-e Arabi whose followers call him father of the Islamic gnosis claims in expressing the story of the Moses ('a), Ḥārūn ('a) and Sameri: When the Moses returned to his people 2. Ibn-e-e Arabi says in the book, Fuṣūṣ Al-Ḥakam, Fiss Musaviyya: فقبضه طاهرا مطهرا ليس فيه من الخبث لأنه قبضه عند ايمانه

in this world and the other world. "1 (1)

He says more:

"Pharaoh enters into Hell before his people." (2)

And they claim that when a man reaches certainty, Shari'ah is nullified from him.(3)

And the knowledge-free Sufi exonerates your murderer, negates the perpetration of a big crime, he is attributed to God and is praised, who is introduced by the Prophet (s) as the most atrocious man from the beginning till the end. (4)

Or another man whose followers call him mystic says about idolatry:

If Muslim knows what idol is,

He makes certain religion is in idolatry.(4)

According to their sciences, everything comes from Divine Essence; therefore, idol is not separated from the Essence of God. In this case, idolater worships God!!

One of the interpreters of such vulgarities says: i

P: 465

1- « فَحَشَرَ فَنَادِي، فَقَالَ أَنَا رَبُّكُمُ الْأَعْلى، فَأَخَذَه اللهُ نَكَالَ الْأَخِرَةِ وَ الْأُولى » .

2- فَأَوْرَدَهُمُ النَّارَ وَ بِئْسَ الْوِرْدُ الْمَوْرُودُ * وَ أُتَّبِعُوا فِي« الْقِيامَةِ بِئْسَ الرِّفْدُ الْمَرْفُودُ » يَقْدُمُ قَوْمَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيامَةِ هَذِهِ لَعْنَةً وَيَوْمَ ... Hūd: 98-99

3- Mawlavi writes in his introduction of part 5 of Mathnavi: اذا وصلت الحقایق بطلت الشرایع When man reaches facts with his conduct; rule of Shari'ah is rescinded in him!! He then gives examples to prove his claim. 4. Mawlavi says in part 2 of his Mathnavi about Ibn-e-e Muljam (may Allah damn him): You are true tool, perpetrating hand of truth Irony and grief, when I raise on tool of truth He then quotes from Amir Al-Mu'amenin (‘a): But stop being grieved, I intercede you I own spirit not slave of body Mawlavi with such words not only acquits Ibn-e-e Muljam (may God damn him) from his big crime; rather, his hand, sword and sleeves become those of God!!

4- Golshan-e Raz, Sheikh Mahmoud Shabestari

Meaning that Muslim believing in monotheism and denying idol should know that what actually idol is; whose manifestation it is and who is idol in appearance; should know that of course religion of truth lies within in idolatry because idol manifests the absolute being which is the truth. In this case, idol is actually the truth and religion and habit of Muslim is worshipping the truth and idolatry is the very truth worshipping, so religion rests in idolatry every instance.

He then says:

You find idolaters favorable

Idol stands beloved to you(1)

O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin!

These people explicitly say that idolaters worship God because idol is the same Essence of God that has appeared on the earth as such!!

Another man says in this regard:

In idol houses, you are only worshipped

The one who prostrates on stone, mud and wood

***

Of your virtue, of idols of Somnath it showed

Worshipping idolater of idols of Somnath

Lāt and Manāt prostrated he in rejoice

As the disbeliever found your virtue in Lāt and Manāt(2)

O' lord of real mystics!

They and their followers claim that such malodorous words clashing with Divine Revelation and school of Prophets are understood by anyone! They say: The most concise and delicate points of monotheism are included in these words!! 5

P: 466

1- Sharh-e Golshan-e Raz, Mohammad Lahiji, pp.538-539

2- Maghrebi Collection, p.75

O' Amir Mu'amenan!

I hereby voice my resentment of such foul and void words because if we accept such sciences, we have denied you and your family's sciences.

In the sciences you have presented, God contradicts with all His Creatures and no congruity exists between the phenomena and the Almighty God; but they say all objects appear as God Himself and this is God who has changed into different forms and the other one says: This is God who has emerged as donkey.(1)

I invoke by God from such absurd words!

Of course, the pious ulemas of your school, O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin! Have always nullified the ideas of such bandits of beliefs with their pens of writing throughout history.(2)

These cases are only a small part of dozens of void sciences they raised; they left you and your family's sciences and proceeded to achieve their own conducts and experiences and experienced big mistakes.

Now, I refer to some parts of your invaluable statements about monotheism, knowledge of God and Divine Sciences so that those lovers of you would benefit from unique treasures.

• I praise God whom speakers are frustrated to praise; whose gifts auditors are unable to audit and campaigners cannot fulfil His Right; God whose Essence deep thinkers can hardly realize and divers of sea of sciences cannot reach Him; God whose traits are .

P: 467

1- Davoud Qaisari says in explaining what Ibn-e-e Arabi says: إنّ لكلّ شيء جمادا كان أو حيوانا حياة و علما و نطقا وإرادة وغيرها ممّا يلزم الذات الإلهيّة، لأنها هي الظاهرة بصور الحمار و الحيوان. For everyting whether solid or animal, there are life, science, speech, will and features likewise which God possess in His Essence; therefore, it is God Himself who has emerged as donkey and animal. (Sharh-e Fuşuş, Qaiṣari, p.252)

2- The late Sheikh Hurr Ameli wrote the book of "Al-Ethna ‘Ashariya fi Al-Radd Ala Al- şufiyya❞ to abandon the principles of Sufism. The late Moqaddas Ardebili wrote the book of "Hadiqata Al-Shi'a" to reject their beliefs. The late Allameh Majlisi has rejected the principles of Sufism in many of his volumes of Biḥār Al-Anwar through rational and religious evidence.

unlimited and no certain time can be given for Him. He created creatures powerfully; moved winds with His Blessing and turned anxiety and tremor of the earth into tranquility through mountains.

Religion begins with theology, perfect recognition of God, belief in Him and testifying His Oneness; perfect monotheism, cordiality and perfect cordiality separate Him from features of creatures because every qualification shows that it is other than subject of qualification and each subject of qualification testifies that it is other than qualification; therefore, if God is defined with the attribute of creatures, He has been proximated to something (a counterpart is imagined for Him); in this way, two kinds of God are raised and organs are assigned on Him and He is not recognized as the Only God.

And if you do not know God, you point to Him; and whoever points to God, he has limited Him and has counted Him. Whoever says: In what does God rest? He has imagined Him in something else. Whoever asks: Where is He placed: He has considered somewhere without God whereas God has always been Ubiquitous and He has not been made of something. He stays with everything but never co-sits with everything and different from them; He is close to them.

He performs all works without movement and tools; He sees everything even when there was no phenomenon. He is Unique and Lonely because there was nobody with whom He familiarizes or horrifies without him.

He created creatures without thinking or using any experience, with no movement or any decision in distress. He set a suitable time for creating beings and harmonized different creatures; a certain instinct was put in each creature and joined them with the instincts. He was aware of details and aspects of creatures before their creation, knew their limits and ends and He was familiar with inside and outside phenomena.(1)

I praise God who is aware of the hidden secrets and blatant signs give testimony to His Existence across the universe; He never appears to be seen. Neither eyes that has not seen Him can deny Him, nor can any heart that knew Him see Him. He has surpassed everyone in terms of superiority; 1

P: 468

1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 1

He is so close to creatures that there is nothing closer than Him.

His high rank has kept Him away from His phenomena and His proximity to phenomena has not equaled Him to anything. He did not make intellects know the reality of His Essence and let people recognize Him; therefore, He is the one whom signs of existence give testimony to His Existence and has made hearts of deniers confess to His Existence; He is God higher than what incarnators say and what deniers guess.(1)

• I praise God whose attributes are the same making Him the First before one can say He is the Last; He is outward before He is inward. Every unit or lonely being is trivial without Him, every endeared being is down and mean and every powerful being is weak and enfeebled without Him; every proprietor is a worshipper without Him and every learned man is a student without Him; every powerful man is sometimes potent and impotent at other times without Him; every listener is deaf in listening to poor sounds and cannot hear far distant sounds without Him.

He has not created creatures to strengthen their governorship or to fear future, or get help to combat his counterpart or to show pride to partners or to fight with the opponents; rather, all are His creatures and they are obedient and modest worshippers in the shadow of His nurturing.

God is not placed in anything so that one can say He is there and He is not away from the phenomena, so one can say He is separated from them.[God is other than objects, but He dominates the whole creatures]

He is the One God whom we hope in times of tribulations and we fear in His Gifts.(2)

Imaginations can hardly give Him attributes and intellects are frustrated to realize His Quality; neither a part can be imagined for Him and nor can He be discriminatory; nor can eyes and hearts 5

P: 469

1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 49

2- ibid., Sermon 65

properly learn Him.(1)

God is aware of whatever fruits of trees and leaves on the ground; of where sperm is placed and blood clotting and embryo that is like a piece of flesh as well as human sperm and nurturing. He has no trouble for this much awareness; He is not concerned about protecting these colorful creatures. He takes measures to have His influence over them with His justice; His Grace and Blessings have continued despite shortcoming of His creatures to praise Him.(2)

Whoever trusts in Him, He shall keep it sufficient; whoever demands Him, He shall pay it. Whoever lends money to the needy, He shall pay his loans; whoever praises Him, he shall be rewarded well.(3)

He has shown to us plenty of examples of His Kingdom of Power and marvels of His Blessings that all give testimony in clear language to His Existence; they involuntarily call us on recognition of God.(4)

I praise God who is the First and nothing existed before Him and who is the Last and no creature could exist after Him; He is so public that nothing exists beyond Him and He is so hidden that more hidden than Him cannot be found.(5)

He created creatures with no need of thought because thinking is exclusive to those who have a heart in their chest, but He is not as such because Divine Knowledge has split deep Invisible Veils and He surrounds the concealed ideas and thoughts.(6)

God was scientist when there were no sciences; He was Nurturer when there was no phenomenon and He was Omnipotent when 8

P: 470

1- Ibid., Sermon 85

2- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 91

3- Ibid., 90

4- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 91

5- Ibid., Sermon 96

6- Ibid., Sermon 108

there was no potency. (1)

One cannot say from when He Existed. He is a blatant Existence and one cannot ask from what He is. He is a hidden fact and one cannot ask where He is. He is neither an object with a finality nor a disguised being surrounded by something; He is not so close to creatures to be attached to them and He is not so far to be separated from them.(2)

God can do all works at the same time and He is not changed as a matter of time; no place surrounds Him; He is not delineative by language; He is Omniscient of everything: drops of waters, stars of the sky, particles of dust with whirlwind in the air, movement of ants on the hard stones and tiny ant resting places under dark nights.(3)

Eyes cannot clearly see Him, but hearts realize Him with honest faith. He is speaker but not with thinking; He is determined but not out of desire and wish; He is maker but not with hands and feet but not concealed; He is great but not with tyranny; He sees but not with outward senses; He is affectionate but not with tender hreart; heads and faces fall onto the ground and hearts are relentless because of His Fear.(4)

And hundreds of unparalleled, excellent and illuminative statements have remained from you, O' Amir Al-Mu'amnenin! each of which is effervescent waterful springs to quench thirst of those who seek after pure Divine sciences. In these sciences, God is defined in such a way that there is no congruity shown between God and His beings.

True!

In your illuminative teachings, God contradicts with His phenomena and He is no similar to objects while human thoughts 9

P: 471

1- Ibid., Sermon 102

2- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 163

3- Ibid., Sermon 178

4- Ibid., Sermon 179

say there is perfect similarity between Creator and Creature and they go far beyond this, saying:

"Mystic is someone who sees God in everything and sees Him the same as everything. "(1)

In your illuminating words passed, God is the Creator of objects and He is the only eternal Essence and all other creatures are originated (they did not exist, God created them).

In your illuminating sciences, the only Eternal Being is the Almighty God and other creatures are created by God who made them with no layout and raw materials.

One can say that the most important principle of you, the pure and infallible family ('a) in elucidating the monotheistic disciplines is "essential contradiction of God with objects", meaning that God has no similarity to His creatures. He is also Unique in His Attributes quite different from the attributes of His creatures. Forv example, several valuable statements made by your descendants are herein mentioned in this case:

•Imam Baqir (‘a) says:

Essence of God is empty of essence of people and essence of people is empty of essence of God; every object is creature save God who Creator of objects.(2)

•Imam Sadiq (‘a) says:

His Creatures are not in Him (meaning that creatures do not possess His Attributes and He is not in His Creatures.

•And says:

Whoever thinks God comes from something or within something or on p)

P: 472

1- Ibn-e-e Arabi says in Fuşüş Al-Hakam, Fass Hārūniyya: فإنّ العارف من يرى الحق في كلّ شيء بل يراه عين كلّ شيء (2)إنّ الله خِلْوٌ مِن خلقه وخلقه خِلْو منه وكلّ ما وقع عليه اسم شيء فهو مخلوق ما خلا الله. . . (240.Usul-e Kafi, vol.1, p)

something, he shall be a disbeliever.(1)

And says:

God contradicts with His Creatures; meaning He is completely different from His Creatures.

And says:

His Substance is different between Him and His Creatures and He is not retributed because He is different from His Creatures; other objects are retributed.(2)

Imam Reza says:

So whatever is in His Creatures is not found in God and whatever is in Him is impossible to be in Him(3)

You yourself said:

God is different and separated from His Creatures and nothing looks like Him.(4)

And hundreds of precious words from you and your family that explicitly raised contradiction of God with the objects; this is while mankind continually thinks about complete similarity of God to objects.

One of them who is very well-known and drew a large number of people to nowhere land says:

In the universe, there is no existence but His Existence and this is Him who has emerged in different shapes that are called creatures and contingencies.(5))

P: 473

1- لا خلقه فیه و لا هو فی خلقه (Uşül-e Kafi, vol. 1, p.264)

2- و كنهه تفریق بینه و بین خلقه و غيوره تحديد لما سواه..(Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.4, p.227)

3- فكل ما في الخلق لا يوجد في خالقه و كلّ ما يمكن فيه يمتنع في صانعه. (230.Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.4, p )

4- الذي بان من الخلق فلا شيء كمثله (32.Tawhid, aduq, p)

5- Ibn-e-e Arabi says: وليس الوجود إلا وجود الحق، بصور أحوال ما هي عليه الممكنات في أنفسها وأعيانها. (Fuṣuş Al-Ḥakam, Faṣṣ-e Yaqubi, p.96)

And says:

When we see God, we in fact see ourselves because our essence looks like Essence of God and there is no difference between Him and us unless in terms of limitation and reference; when God saw us, He has seen Himself because it is His Essence that has become us through characterization and determinism.(1)

And says:

Christians did not become disbelievers because of saying "Jesus is God" and unified God with Jesus Christ; rather their disbelief was because they accepted divinity of Jesus alone and it was a mistake; because God is both Jesus and anything else which we see in this world.(2)

Many of such void beliefs are found in his works and in his followers', but your true followers are happy because they have you, originator of all divine sciences.

They hear your brother, the Messenger of God (s) say: Ali always stays with truth and truth always stays with Ali, but they turn to others save you and your family.

In the end, some extracts from divinely and nice supplications that you recited at the Kufa mosque; the same supplications that let tears roll faces and relieve hearts of your enthusiasts:

•O' my Lord, O' my Lord! Thou art Lord and I am your worshipper and who shall raise pity on worshipper except his Lord?!

•O' my Lord, O' my Lord! Thou own my existence and I am Thy )

P: 474

1- فإذا شهدناه شهدنا نفوسنا لأنّ ذواتنا عين ذاته لا مغايرة بينهما إلا بالتعيّن و الإطلاق. وإذا شهدنا أى الحق ؛ شهد نفسه، أى (Sharh-e Fuşuş-e Qaisari, p.85).

2- Fuşüş Al-Hakam, Faṣṣ-e 15 That they said God is Jesus Christ('a) is true in terms of determination of identity of truth as Jesus (‘a); besides, that Jesus is son of Mary is true but it is wrong and void to restrict God to Jesus (‘a) because all universe whether the Invisible World or visible one is as God not just Jesus! (Mommad Al-Humam in Sharh-e Fuşuş Al-Hakam, Hassan Hassanzadeh Amoli, p.521)

slave and who shall feel mercy on His slave except his Owner?!

• O' my Lord, O' my Lord! Thou art omnipotent and honored and I am Thy degraded worshipper and who shall feel pity on a downgraded worshipper except a Powerful and Honored Essence?!

• O' my Lord, O' my Lord! Thou art Creator and I am Thy creature and who shall feel mercy on a creature except his Creator?!

• O' my Lord, O' my Lord! Thou art great God and I am an unimportant humble worshipper and who shall feel pity on an unimportant worshipper except great God?!

• O' my Lord, O' my Lord! Thou art powerful and potent and I am weak and impotent and who shall feel pity on a weak and impotent except powerful and potent God?!

• O' my Lord, O' my Lord! Thou art needless and rich of pleasures and I am poor and who shall feel pity on a needy poor man except a needless rich Creator?!(1)

May Divine Peace be upon you, O' ya Abalhassan! You are scale, straight path and door of knowledge of Allah, God of both Worlds. )

P: 475

1- مولای یا مولاى ! أنت المولى و أنا العبد و هل يرحم العبد إلا المولى ! مولاى يا مولاى ! أنت المالك و أنا المملوك وهل يرحم المملوك إلا المالك ! مولای یا مولاى ! أنت العزيز و أنا الذليل و هل يرحم الذليل إلا العزيز ! مولاي يا مولاى ! أنت الخالق و أنا المخلوق و هل يرحم المخلوق إلا الخالق ! مولای یا مولاى ! أنت العظيم و أنا الحقير و هل يرحم الحقير إلا العظيم ! مولاى يا مولاى ! أنت القويّ و أنا الضعيف و هل يرحم الضعيف إلا القوي ! مولای یا مولاى ! أنت الغني و أنا الفقير و هل يرحم الفقير إلا الغني ! (Al-Mazar Al-Kabir, Ibn-e-e Mashhadi, p.174; Al-Mazar, Shahid Avval, p.249; Biḥār Al- Anwār, vol.91, p.110; Mafātiḥ Al-Jenān, Sheikh Abbas Qomi)

P: 476

Theosophy Thirty One

I certify that the world with all its gems could hardly make you slip even a bit and you kept on Straight Path of God in this mortal world.

You said many times that this world passes by and people deserve having the value of the Eternal Paradise rather than the inferior world that is mixed with pains, sufferings and deficiencies. You frequently told people, O' people! Stop selling yourself cheap to this world because you deserve having Paradise.

You have always been the most pious man and viewed the world as nothing good and pleasurable while most people found it nice and charming.

You have been the most pious man on the earth in the last years of your lifetime when you governed vast areas of the world; you never spent even a bit of the Muslim property for your welfare and livelihood; besides, you had hard-time life during your five-year-long government while neither wearing new and costly clothes, nor eating delicious food for a man who held control of almost one-third of the world.(1)

As for his house, I must say!!

True! It was a small clay-made house next to Kufa mosque! The very mosque you stopped by everyday and performed congregation prayers with people and guided them towards God. In the night, when people were asleep, you reached its altar and prostrated while you had tearful eyes and whispered with your moans, "O' my Lord, O' my Lord!”

True! Your house was a small clay-made house and had nothing inside but two or three mats, gelim, several pots, one manually operated mill, two ragged shirts, one pair of fully patched shoes and the like.

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Theosophy Account Thirty One

Citations .

P: 477

1- Except for the Levant where Mu'awiya ruled, Ali (a) controlled the remaining parts of the Islamic nations; such as the whole Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Yemen, former Iran that multiplied the present Iran, Egypt and parts of Africa, Europe and...

This was while that enemy of God and chief of the vicious family who had brought many people in opposition to you in the name of Islam and the Qur'an lived in large and splendid palaces and filled his stomach with the most delicious foods and put on silky clothes.

O' my lord! I do not want to say that your lovers exchange one tiny hair of yours with the whole world; rather, I say that they do not exchange dust of your feet and clay of your house with thousands of world either.

You granted the most delicious foods to orphans and the needy people, but you only had barely bread.

One day, a man brought you sweets named "refined cookies"; you looked at it and never ate it, saying:

By God! Your food smells good, looks colored and flavored, but I do not like keeping my soul accustomed to something I am not used to having it.1

One day you had a flowing robe on in the cold season and it failed to keep you warm. One of your companions told you, O' Ali! God has put a share for you and your family from the public treasury, but why do you treat yourself as such?

You told him:

I swear to God! I do not take anything from your property and I have brought this mantle from Medina(1)

You had advised all of your governors to live with piety and take care of the public property while using it with other people equally.

One day, you were informed that one of your agents assigned by you as governor of Basra accepted the invitation of attending party of wealthy men; you were annoyed and wrote a letter and reproached him:

After remembering God and greetings! O' son of Hanif, I have been told that a wealthy man from Basra invited you to attend his party and you rushed to the party. Colorful edibles and dishes of foods were brought to you. I could not guess you accept the party of people whose needy people .

P: 478

1- Ibid.

have been deprived in cruelty and whose wealthy people had been invited; think where you are? And which table do you eat food?

So when you do not know whether the food is halal or haram, throw it away and use whatever clean and halal you are certain about.

You then added:

Be aware! Every follower has an Imam to follow and he is lightened from him; be aware! Your Imam is pleased with two tattered garments and two loaves of bread from his world. Know that you cannot do this, but you can help me with piety, truthfulness, chastity and great endeavor.

I swear to God! I have not saved gold from your world and silver and nothing of its booties; I have not added any garment to my two old garments; I have not seized even one inch of the world's land and your world sounds to me more unimportant than bitter seed of oak tree.

I cherish my soul through piety so that I would be steadfast, safe and firm on the Resurrection Day that is the most horrible days. If I wanted, I could supply food and garment from pure honey, wheat and silk fibres; alas! I might be overcome by passion and caprice makes me to eat delicious foods while there might be someone in Hejaz or Yamama who needs bread or remains hungry.

Can I be pleased to be just called Amir Al-Mu'amenin and not share distastes of times? And I am not model for them during hard times of life?

I am not created to be amused with clean and tasteful foods like a fat animal which tries to find grass or like an unleashed animal whose job is grazing and filling its stomach with no news from its future.

Am I created in vain? Am I played with? Should I snatch rope of aberration? Or walk in deviation?

You said more:

O' world! Stay away from me; I put harness on your back and released from your claws and traps; I have avoided your slips...

Stay away from my sight; I swear to God! I am not tamed by you because you degrade me; I do not give my harness to you because you drag me wherever you want; I take oath of God, an oath which is willed by Him. I

P: 479

make my soul get used to austerity until it gets happy if it finds a loaf of bread and it is contented with salt instead of stew and bread......

O'son of Ḥanif! Fear God and be contented with your own loaves of bread so that you would be saved from hellfire.(1)

One day, your brother, Aqil was hosted by you. You told your son, Al- Hassan (a) to gift a garment to his uncle. Imam Hassan (‘a) gifted one shirt and one robe of his own to his uncle. The night came; it was hot. You and Aqil went up the roof of the emirate house and were engaged in conversation. It was time to have dinner. Aqil finding himself as guest of the caliphate court naturally expected to see a colorful dinner reception, but he was served with a very simple and poor dinner unexpectedly. He amazingly asked you: the food is the same thing?

You told him: Isn't this gift of God? I thank God very much for these gifts.

Aqil said: So, I should say my demand sooner and leave you. I am in debt; order my debt to be paid as soon as possible and help me whatever you can; I leave you for my home.

You told him: How much is your debt?

He said: One hundred thousand dirhams.

You said: One hundred thousand dhms! It is too much money! But I am sorry, my brother, I don't have this much money to pay off your debts; you can wait until I get paid my wage, I share you.

He said to you: What? I should wait until you get paid? You hold public treasury under your control and you are telling me that I should wait until shares are paid and I can take it from public treasury!

Your brother, Aqil constantly persisted that you give him some money from the public treasury.

1

You were seated where Kufa market was overseen. Money boxes of merchants and businessmen could be seen from there. You told him in response to his insistence: I suggest you something; if you follow it, you can pay your debts and extra money also remains for you. .

P: 480

1- Nahj Al-Balagha, letter 45, his letter to Uthman Ibn-e-e Hanif, ruler of Basra in 36 A.H.

Aqil said: What should I do?

You said: there are boxes downstairs here. When nobody is there, you can go and break boxes and take whatever you want!

He said: Whose boxes are they?

You said: They belong to these shopkeepers; they keep their cash money there.

Aqil amazingly looked at you and said: You suggest I break boxes of people and take their assets?

You told him: How do you suggest that I open boxes of public treasury for you? Whose property is this? This is owned by people who are asleep in their homes. I suggest you something else now, if you will.

He said: What suggestion is it?

You said: If you will, take your sword and I do too; Al-Ḥira is located nearby Kufa. There, there great merchants and wealthy men. We go there and attack them overnight and steal large amounts of riches.

He told you at great amazement: O' my brother! I have not come here to steal something as you say. Let them give me money from the public property so that I can pay off my overdues.

You stared at him, saying: As a matter of fact, it will be better, if we rob one person of his property than steal assets of hundred thousands of Muslims. How come that robbing property of one person is larceny, but stealing property of all people is not theft? You imagine that robbery is just exclusive to attacking someone and take his money by force? You are suggesting now the ugliest kinds of robbery?(1)

You were so much sensitive to public treasury and you stopped hands seizing it.

One day, one of your companions, named 'Abdullah Ibn-e Zam'ah asked you to give money from the public treasury; you told him:

Neither you nor I can have the right of taking money from this property. 3

P: 481

1- Story of Rastan, vol.1, story 38 quoted from Biḥār Al-Anwar, vol.9, p.613

This is bounty recovered from battles Muslims were engaged in. If you had joined them in their jihad, you could have shared it; otherwise, nobody can seize their shares of suffering.(1)

You wrote a letter to Ziyad Ibn-e Abihi, the acting governor of Basra warning him of treason against the public treasury and said:

Verily, I swear to God, if I am informed you committed treason against public property, more or less, I treat you hard to make you have less income and be in confusion and distress for your family's costs.(2)

You wrote a letter to one of your agents who had gifted something from the public treasury to one of his relatives, saying:

I have been reported about you that you have taken from the public treasury; if so, you have angered God and disobeyed your Imam. It is reported that you have given bounties of Muslims, who have gathered including spears, horses and gained through spilling their blood, to Arabs who are your relatives! I swear to God who split the seed and created the phenomena, if this is a true report, you have been downgraded in my eyes! Stop disvaluing the right of God and flourishing your world by ruining the religion; in this way, you lose at most. Be aware that Muslims who come to you or me have equal rights distribution of public property; they all should refer to me and receive their shares.(3)

In another letter, you wrote to one of your governors who had abused the public property:

...may your enemy be fatherless, you look as if you take home the legacy of your parents! Praise be upon God!! Don't you believe in resurrection? Aren't you afraid of exact accounting of Resurrection Day? O' you who were regarded as one of the wise men before us; how do you enjoy drinking and eating while you know that you are doing something haram! .

P: 482

1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 232

2- Nahj Al-Balagha, letter 20, letter to Ziyad Ibn-e-e Abihi, the acting governor of Basra. Ibn-e-e 'Abbas was governor on behalf of Imam and controlled government of Ahwaz, Fars, Kerman and the other parts of Iran.

3- Nahj Al-Balagha, letter 43, a letter was written to Maşlaqat Ibn-e-e Habirah Sheibani, governor of Firouzabad, one of the cities of Fars in 38 A.H.

How do you buy slaves and marry women by abusing property of infants, destitute people, devout people and those who jihad in the Path of God?

Fear God and give back their property; if you don't do so and God gives me a chance to catch you, I will punish you and I strike you with a sword with which anybody was hit, he was gone to hell.

I swear to God! If Hassan and Husayn (a) had done so as you did, they would have never be endeared to me; they would not fulfil the desire until I take away the right from them and ruin the wrong gained from exerting cruelty.

I swear to God of the worlds! If what you took away unrightly was halal for me, I would not be pleased to keep it as the legacy of my survivors; therefore, wait and think that you have come to the end of your life, buried underground and you are shown your deeds, where the tyrant cries out in envy and ruiner of life and chances desires to return, but the loop hole and choice are blocked.(1)

Justice was the most central principle of your government and policy; you never observed and respected negligence and expediency and regarded everyone equal when you distributed the public property. This was while injustice and discrimination increased day by day after demise of the Prophet of Islam (s), but during your caliphate, the same conduct of the Messenger (s) was revitalized, leading to severe grudge and enmity against you.

One of the incorrect attitudes formed after demise of the Prophet (s) was striving for supremacy and seeking privileges of the Helpers and Migrants that opened a distracting way of new aristocracy and concession demands.

You dealt with such concession demands and separated rewards of Muslims before the Helpers and Migrants from concession demands as property, telling people:

Be aware! Anyone of the Helpers and Migrants of the Companions of the .

P: 483

1- Nahj Al-Balagha, letter 41; the letter was written as quoted by Tabari in 40 A.H.; some have said the letter was written to 'Abdullah Ibn-e-e 'Abbas and some others say Ibn-e-e 'Abass stands higher in rank than such matters, adding that the letter was written to his brother, Ubaydullah Ibn-e-e 'Abbas.

Messenger (s) who considers himself superior than others because of accompanying his Prophet shall bring up such superiority before God later, God may grant him reward. Know that anyone who fulfilled call of God and His Messenger and embraced our religion and turned to our Qiblah, he should deserve having rights and limits of Islam.(1)

In managing the country, you based your policy on ethics and utterly far from deceitfulness; this was while Mu'awiyya withdrew security and stability from society through invasion and deceitfulness day by day, but you were never willing to go beyond human and moral boundaries in countering with the delinquent group. Hence, you told people who expected you to use weapons of deceit in confronting with Mu'awiyya: I swear to God! Mu'awiyya is not cleverer than me, but his strategy is breach of promise and commission of sins. If breach of promise was not unpleasant, nobody could be cleverer than me. But every breach of promise is sinful and whatever sin it commits, it darkens heart. (2)

You were pious and unparalleled worshipper of God and you fully possessed honesty, justice, cordiality, chivalry, certainty, courage and affection in front of the worshippers of God.

You were not only unwilling to grab a seed from an ant in cruelty; but also, if you were given the whole universe, you would not do as such. You said:

I swear to God! If I am given the lands of seven heavens with whatever under the sky to disobey God by grabbing barely skin from an ant's mouth, I will not do that and your world is more unvalued than the chewed leaf in a grasshopper's mouth.(3)

You demanded equality and justice for all people rather than for some )

P: 484

1- Imam Ali Ibn-e-e Abiṭālib (a), vol.2, p. 345 and 349

2- وَاللهِ مَا مُعَاوِيةُ بِأَدهَى مِنِّي ، وَ لكِنَّهُ يَعْدِرُ وَ يَفْجُرُ وَ لَولا كَرَاهِيَةُ الغَدْرِ لَكُنتُ مِن اَدهَى النَّاسِ (Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 200)

3- وَاللهِ لَو أُعطيتُ الأقاليم السَّبْعَة بِمَا تَحتَ أفلاكها عَلى أَن أَعصَى اللهَ فِي نَمَلَةٍ أَسْلُبُهَا جُلبَ شَعِيرَةٍ مَا فَعَلْتُهُ، وَ إِنَّ دُنْيَاكُم عِندِى لَأَهْوَنُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ فِي فَمِ جَرَادَةٍ. (Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 224)

people!

During your caliphate in Kufa, your armor was lost. After a while, you found it in hands of a Christian man. You took him to judge and filed a suit that the armor was yours; I have neither sold nor granted it to anyone; I found it now with this man.

The judge, who was appointed by you, saw you in respect and wanted to say that you are the commander of the faithful and the man would give it back to you. But you gave him a hint that he could treat you like a usual man and decide in accordance with due process of justice.

The judge told the Christian man: The caliphate declared his claim, what do you say?

The Christian man said: This armor belongs to me and I do not reject what the Caliph said (the Caliph might have made a mistake).

The judge turned to you, saying:

O' Ali! You claim it and this man denies it. Therefore, you should bring a witness for your claim based on process of justice principles.

You smiled and said: The judge is right; I should bring witness don't have any witnesses.

now, but I

The judge finding that the claimant has no witness decided on behalf of the Christian man. He took armor and left.

The Christian man who knew better that whose armor was that returned

after taking some steps and his conscience was awakened, saying to you: This way of government and behavior is different from the human behaviors; it is typical of government of Prophets. He then gave back the armor to you.

It was not long since he was seen turning out as a Muslim who fought faithfully in Nahravan Battle under your banner.(1)

You thought of the needy, poor and infants with your utmost capability; many nights, you took foodstuffs to them while you kept yourself unknown to people. Nobody could discover you until you were martyred by the 3

P: 485

1- Biḥār Al-Anwar, vol.9, p.598; Al-Imam Ali ('a), ṣawt Al-Edālat Al-Ensāniyya, p.63

enemy of God.

One day, you were passing through one of the alleys of Kufa city; you saw that a woman was carrying a waterskin and while panting, going to her home. You took the waterskin to her home. The door was opened and several children came out and welcomed their mother. You put the waterskin down, asking the woman it seems you don't have any man and you yourself take trouble of carrying it, how come you are alone?

The woman said: My husband was government soldier. Ali Ibn-e Abiṭālib dispatched him to one of the borders where he was killed. I am alone with my children.

You said nothing with your head down and said good bye to her and her kids.

You thought of the woman and her kids all day and could hardly sleep in the night. Early in the morning, you took a basket full of meat, flour and dates and went up to her home. You knocked the door. The woman said: Who is it?

You said: I am the same man of God who carried your waterskin yesterday. I have brought some food for your kids.

The woman opened the door, saying: May God be pleased with you and rule between us and Ali Ibn-e Abiṭālib.

You told her: I want to get a reward. If you let me, I can take charge of leavening, cooking bread or taking care of kids.

The woman said: very well, but I can leaven better and cook food. You take care of kids until I finish cooking.

The woman went after leavening bread and you immediately roasted some meat you had brought and had each kid have one morsel with dates with your hand. You said: My child! Forgive Ali Ibn-e Abiṭālib if he fell short of your affairs.

Leavening was finished. The woman called you: O' man of God! Fire the furnace.

You fired the furnace. Fire flared up, you kept your face close to fire and said to yourself: Feel the heat of fire; this is punishment of someone who

P: 486

falls short of affairs of the infants and widows.

At the same time, a neighboring woman looked in the house and recognized you. She told the owner of house: Woe betides upon you! You don't know this man who works for you?! He is Ali Ibn-e Abiṭālib.

The woman came forward, saying: A lot of shame may be upon me! I apologize you.

You told her: No. I apologize you because I fell short of works of you and your kids. (1)

May Peace of God be upon you, O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin! May Peace of God be upon your kind heart, which is wider than the heavens! 3

P: 487

1- Dastan-e Rastan quoted from Biḥār Al-Anwār, vol.7, p.593

P: 488

Theosophy Thirty Two

I certify that you remained adamant to Divine Pledge until the last moments of your lifetime and emerged what God said to the Angels: "I know something you do not know".(1)

When you were relieved of the Kharijites and finished them up, you decided to head for Sham to battle against Mu'awiyya and uproot the wicked family; a number of your troops said:

O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin!

We are incapacitated and debilitated! Our swords have grown dull. Let us reach Kufa, take a few days of rest, get armed and then depart to Sham.(2)

You confirmed and the army went back to Kufa, but they showed weakness in preparation for battle.

You constantly addressed people to render jihad, saying:

Verily, jihad in the Path of God is a door of Paradise doors which God has opened to His exclusive friends; jihad is garment of piety, strong armor and shield of God; one who finds jihad unpleasant and abandons it, God makes him wear garment of humiliation and suffer disasters. He remains astray in heart and the truth leaves him; he is deprived of justice and

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Theosophy Account Thirty Two

Citations

P: 489

1- When God said to the Angels that He wants to create mankind to succeed Him, they said: Do you want to create mankind to shed blood and raise corruption on the earth, He said to them: I know something about this creature that you do not know (Baqara: 30). The Angels saw only one side of the coin that was negative aspect of man and his atrocity; but look at the heavenly aspect of man that "man reaches where nothing is seen but God* is the extent that place of mankind" is unseen; and God knew that by creation of man, although many cover ways of sin and iniquity, among them, people are found that they conquer the highest peaks of divine values, epitome of whom is Amir Al-Mu'amenin (a). If the Angels had known that there comes a man like son of Abiṭālib (‘a) in the world among these sinful and ungrateful men, who takes no step but for the pleasure of God, they would have never told God: Why do you want to create mankind who sheds blood and raises iniquity.

2- The Detailed History of Islam, Hossein Ammarzadeh, p.211

condemned to humiliation for abandoning jihad.(1)

One day, when you were addressing people to call them on jihad, "Ash'ath

Ibn-e Qeys" objected to one of the things you said, saying:

What you say now is detrimental to you and not beneficial to you!

You painfully stared at him and told the malicious man:

Who informed you that what I lose or profit?! Curse of God and curse of cursers be upon you! O' the arrogant of the arrogant's son, O' hypocrite dissident son of disbeliever!

I swear to God!

You were captivated once you were a disbeliever and another time during the Islamic government and your property and kinship could hardly help you out. The one who put his relatives at risk of being killed deserves being angered by his close relatives and not being trusted by the strangers.(2)

Ash'ath Ibn-e Qeys was the very person, when Amru As hanged the

Qur'ans over spears, who said in Şiffin Battle: We do not fight with the Qur'an. In this way, he made many believe him and brought the matter to be solved by arbitration and subsequent scandals!

There were various similar hypocrite dissident people like him in your army, who led them to showing weakness.

At that time (the late year of 39 and early 40 A.H.), you were regularly informed that Mu'awiyya's mercenaries attacked the villages and cities under your control, killed people and plundered their properties.

With a bloodful heart and a throat filled with sob, you addressed people to call them on launching jihad against Mu'awiyya, but they shirked the responsibility of battling him under different lame excuses. .

P: 490

1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 27

2- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 19; Imam means that once "Ash'ath Ibn-e-e Qeys" was a disbeliever, he was held captive and another time when he became a Muslim, he led his people to face swords. It goes back to when he betrayed his people until Khalid Ibn-e-e Walid could shock them and kill them. After his treason, he was nicknamed Arf Al-Nar (something that covers fire) and it was a nickname given to betrayer.

One day, you told them when you took a pulpit at Kufa mosque:

Be aware! I called on you to fight with the Sham people day and night and publicly and secretly, saying that you preempt to attack them before they do.

I swear to God! Every nation invaded inside its home is downgraded, but you showed idleness and accepted humiliation in so far as the enemy attacked you incessantly and seized your land. At the moment, Mu'awiyya's commander, Sufyan Ibn-e Awf Ghamedi with troops moved into the city of Anbar and murdered my commander, "Hassan Ibn-e Hassan Bakri and expelled your soldiers from border positions.

I was told that a man from Sham army broke into house of a Muslim woman and a non-Muslim woman who were under the auspices of the Islamic government and robbed them of their necklace, bracelet, earrings and foot ornaments while they had no means but crying and imploring him.

Sham troops left with lots of booties without even one of them being injured or being spilled a blood. If a Muslim regretfully dies because of this distasteful event, he will not be blamed and I think he deserves it!

Then, you said while being grieved in heart:

It's amazing! It's amazing! I swear to God!

This reality kills human heart and makes it grieved that Sham people are unified in their wrong ways and you are divided in your right ways.

May it be ugly of your face and you will not be relieved as you have become target of disaster! When you are attacked, you do not attack? When they fight you, you do not fight them?!! This sin is committed before God and you are pleased?!

When I command you to move towards the enemy in summer, you say: it is hot; give us chance to spend burning summer; when I command you to war in winter, you say it is cold, give us chance to pass cold weather; are these excuses for escaping cold and hot weather?

When you run away from cold and hot weather, I swear that you escape more from swords!

O'umanly man-like man!

491

P: 491

O' unwise child-featured people whose intellects resemble behind-the- curtain brides! How much I liked I had not seen you and recognized you! I swear I am remorseful I know you and I am much grieved at last. May God persish you because I am annoyed because of you and I am upset in heart because of you!

You made me drink in sips cups of grief and ruined my decision through disobedience and humiliation as far as Quraysh said of me:

No doubt, son of Abiṭālib is brave enough but has no military knowledge.

May God give reward to their father; does one of them have my hard battle experiences?! Could he surpass me in battle? I was almost 20 when I appeared at the battlefield; now that I am 60 and more; but alas! Whoever is disobeyed, he shall have ineffective decision.(1)

You told them: I wish I had never seen you!

But O' my lord!

We wish we could be there to sacrifice our lives for you.

They did not deserve having you; otherwise, they would bow down to kiss your feet. If God traced us back to that time, we would pray God to give us chance and life to sacrifice for you a thousand times!

When you were told that one of Mu'awiyya's officers, named Nu'aman Ibn-e Bashir attacked territory of "Ayn Al-Tamr" (western part of the Euphrates), you said:

"I am in trouble by those who disobey me once I command them and when I call upon them, they do not listen to me.

O' unfamiliar people!

Why do you wait for helping religion of your God?! Don't you have any religion to bring you together?! Don't you have fervor to infuriate you?!

I rise up and cry among you and I beseech you, but you ignore me and disobey me as long as deplorable consequences emerged; I can neither count on you to revenge blood, nor can I achieve an aim with your help. 7

P: 492

1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 27

I call on you to help your brothers; you yell and moan like a pain-suffering camel or like an animal whose back is wounded; you don't move. Only a few people came to me and they were anxious and disabled; they looked as if they are taken to death and witness it with their eyes.(1)

In the last years of your lifetime, you were told that "Ubaydullah Ibn-e ‘Abbas” and “Sa'id Ibn-e Namran", your commanders in Yemen were defeated by the blood-letting commander of Mu'awiyya, “Yasr Ibn-e Abi Artā" and returned to Kufa. You made a sermon, saying:

"At present, I have only the city of Kufa under my control to be opened or closed. O' Kufa! If you stay with me with all these disasters and attacks, may your face be ugly!

I was told Basr Ibn-e Artā(2)held control of Yemen; I swear to God! I knew people of Sham would overcome you because they are unified in helping their wrong aim and you are divided in defending your right aim! You disobeyed your Imam in right aim and they obeyed their Imam in wrong aim! They stood faithful to their leader but you remained unfaithful to your leader.

O' God! I made these people tired of my frequent advice and they made me tired too. They have run out of patience because of me and I am frustrated from them too. I am broken in my heart; grant me people better than them instead and instead of me, let worse man than me dominate them. "(3)

You stood on a stone in one of the days of 40 A.H. of your late lifetime in Kufa while putting on a coarse shirt, carrying a sword on the neck tied to date fibres, wearing shoes made of date fibres and your callused forehead caused by much prostration, and saying:

......O' people! I told you advice remained from the Prophets among their 5

P: 493

1- Ibid. Sermon 39

2- "Basr Ibn-e-e Arta" was one of the murderous commanders of Mu'awiyya, who never felt mercy on anybody; he attacked the caravan of hajj pilgrims and murdered the Shiites of Imam Ali (‘a). He invaded the city of Yemen, beheaded the children of Ibn-e-‘Abbas and became crazy and passed away at last. (Translation of Nahj Al-Balagha, Mohammad Dashti, p.71)

3- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 25

ummah and I fulfilled duties the successors of the past Messengers accomplished among their people.

I treated you by lashing, you rejected, you did not go on the Straight Path and you did not come together by calling you on abundant warnings.

For God's sake!

Are you expecting a leader but me to accompany you and show you the path of truth?!

Be aware!

The world turned its back of what it had turned to you and what had been turned back turned and the benevolent people became ready to displace, changing the mortal world with the immortal world.

It is true!

The group of brothers whose blood was spilled in Șiffin lost nothing although they are not alive to be fed with grief and drunk with bitter tears.

I swear to God!

They met their Maker who granted them reward and resided them in His Safe Haven after times of horror.

Then you added while being much grieved:

Where are my brethren who kept on going the path of truth and died with the truth?! Where is Ammar?!(1) And where is son of Tayyahan?!(2) And where is Zul Shahadatayn?!(3)And where are, like them, of their brothers who made pledge of martyrdom and sent their heads to the tyrants.

Later on, you held your beard and wept a long time, and saying:

Alas! My brethren who recited the Qur'an and judged based on it thought .

P: 494

1- Ammar, son of Yaser was one of the Muslims who took part in all battles; the Messenger told him one day: You will be killed by the most atrocious people. Ammar joined Ali (‘a) in the Battle of şiffin and was martyred by Sham people.

2- Malek Ibn-e-e Tayyahan was one of the great men who participated in the Battle of Badr and was martyred in șiffin.

3- Khuzaymeh Ibn-e-e Thabit Anṣāri who was nicknamed as Zul Shahadatayn by the Messenger (s). His martyrdom is counted as martyrdom of two men.

about divine mandatory doctrines and upheld them, revived divine traditions and undermined heresy. They accepted call on jihad, trusted in their leader and followed him.

Afterwards, you held your head up and said loudly:

Jihad! Jihad! I prepare an army today; whoever wants to meet God, he shall depart with us.(1)

You wept so much that your beard became moistened! Your dear tears rolled down on the ground, the same tears that wetted your prayer rug during the night, the same tears in which floated their moon to rejuvenate by their plentiful fragrance, the same tears turned out as qiblah of sun on that day when you were weeping!

The same tears that sky stars were eager to meet and the earth was always intoxitated with it!

You wept tearfully to relieve your rending heart; after your sermon, many of Kufa people and the other spots were prepared to move towards Sham.

More than sixty thousand men declared their readiness to fight with Mu'awiyya. You decided to depart to Sham when the filthiest man of the world named Ibn-e Muljam Moradimay Allah damn him split your head's scalp with his noxious sword on the night of 19th of Ramadan, 40 A.H. and you were martyred two days as a result of deep gap on your heard, meeting your Maker and your brother, the Messenger of Allah (s). .

P: 495

1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 182; one of the companions of Imam (‘a) named “ Nufil Bukali" said that Imam (a) stood on a stone prepared by Ja'adeh Ibn-e-e Hubayreh Makhzumi (Imam's nephew who was provincial governor of Khorasan on his behalf in 40 A.H. his late lifetime in Kufa while putting on a coarse shirt, carrying a sword on the neck tied to date fibres, wearing shoes made of date fibres and your callused forehead caused by much prostration, and made that sermon. The late Seyyed Razi, author of Nahj Al-Balagha, writes at the end of the above sermon: Nufil said: Imam Ali (‘a) assigned ten thousand troops for Husayn (‘a), ten thousand troops for Qeys Ibn-e-e Sa'd and ten thousand troops for Abu Ayyub (Abu Ayyub Khaled Ibn-e-e Sa'd from Khazraj tribe, a brave man of Imam (‘a); he also assigned troops for the other conmmanders and was ready to return to șiffin, but he was martyred by the cursed Ibn-e-e Muljam. Troops returned home and looked like sheep whose shepherd was lost, ready to be devoured by wolves.

The story of that heart-rending and bloody martyrdom is as follows:

Three men of the Kharijites named "Ḥajjāj Ibn-e 'Abdullah", "Amru Ibn- e Bakr Tamimi" and "Ibn-e Muljam Moradi" who had survived the battle of Nahrawan came together in Mecca and cried for the killed men of Nahrawan. They told each other that all evils of the Islamic community come from three men, namely Mu'awiyya, Amru Aş and Ali.

They made a pledge that each of them kills one of the three men on the 19th of Ramadan to keep the Islamic community restored and ordered.

Ibn-e Muljam the cursed said: I kill Ali. Ḥajjāj Ibn-e 'Abdullah undertook murder of Mu'awiyya and Amru Ibn-e Bakr Tamimi became responsible to kill Amru Aş.

Later on, Ḥajjāj Ibn-e 'Abdullah headed for Sham, Amru Ibn-e Bakr Tamimi went to Egypt and Ibn-e Muljam moved towards Kufa.

All three of them carrying poisonous swords appeared at the mosque on the night of 19th of Ramadan of 40 A.H.; Ḥajjāj Ibn-e ‘Abdullah attacked Mu'awiyya during prayer service, but his hand trembled and hit Mu'awiyya's foot. He was injured. He was cured and survived. Hajjāj killed the man who had come instead of Amru As for morning prayers because Amru As was sick and he had sent someone else in his place. He was killed. But Ibn-e Muljam Moradi came to Kufa and struck Ali's scalp when he was doing his morning prayers. Ali (‘a) was martyred.

Ibn-e Muljam Moradi arrived in Kufa on 20th of Sha'aban of 40 A.H. He joined by "Shabib Ibn-e Bajrah Ashja'i" his co-thinker, both of whom were induced by "Qaṭām Bint Alqama" laid in ambush at Kufa mosque, awaiting Ali ('a) on the night of 19th of Ramadan at dawn.(1)

Also, Qaṭām sent a man named "Wardan Ibn-e Mujalid", one of her tribe people, to help them.(2)

Ash'ath Ibn-e Qeys, the hypocrite dissident was informed of the event to 6

P: 496

1- Montaha Al-Amāl, Sheikh ‘Abbas Qomi, p.204

2- Ibid., p.206

back up and psychologically strengthen them.(1)

You, O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin!

During the nights of Ramadan, your son, Hassan ('a); your son, Husayn (a); your daughter, Zeynab (a) and your another daughter, Umme Kulthum hosted you.(2)

In the night of the event, you were guest of your daughter Umme Kulthum. You were feeling so badly that your daughter was surprised.

Breakfasting contained bread, salt and milk on that night. Before you break your fasting, you performed some raka'h of prayers. You then told her:

O' my daughter! You are serving me with two courses of food?! Don't you know that I follow my brother, the Messenger (s)?!

O' my daughter! Whoever has better (less) food and clothes in this world, he shall stand easier before God on the Resurrection Day!

You told her:

By God! I don't break my fasting unless you take away one of these foods.

Your daughter took away milk and you broke your fasting with bread and salt.(3)

After you finished eating, you stood for prayers again and you constantly bowed and prostrated. After you finished your prayers, supplication and invocation, you began to recite the holy surah of Yasin, saying:

اللهم بارك لى في الموت

O' my God! May Thou make my death auspicious!

You then went out of house, looking up the sky and kept on saying:

(. إنا لله و إنا إليه راجعون . « لا حول و لا قوة إلا بالله العلى العظيم )

You stayed awake all night long and prayed God while imploring in certainty. 7

P: 497

1- Montaha, Al-Amal, Sheikh 'Abbas Qomi, p.206

2- Ibid., p.203

3- Ibid., p. 207

Umme Kulthum told you:

O' father! What is this wake and anxiety for this night?

You said:

I swear to God I am not lying and I am not told a lie! This is the night I am given the promise of martyrdom.(1)

Your daughter told you in worry:

Tell someone else to appear at the mosque and say prayers!

You told her:

Divine predestination is inevitable.

You decided to go to the mosque. You came into house yard; docks of the house came in front of you and opened their wings to block your way. Some wanted to send them away, but you said:

Leave them alone because they are delivering elegy.(2)

Imam Hassan who had reached the house said:

O' father! Why do you make bad omen?!

You said:

I don't make bad omen, but my heart testifies that I am to be killed.

When you reached at the door, cover hook got stuck with your belt and it went loose from your short loin; you made some poems with the theme below:

“O' Ali! Fasten your belt firmly and prepare for death. Verily, death will meet you and stop begging death when it comes down your house; stop being proud of the world although it agrees with you. "(3)

Your daughter hearing what you said cried out "my father and help me out! And your son, Husayn (‘a) followed you out; when he reached you, he said: I want to stay with you. You told him: I swear you to the right you 8

P: 498

1- Montaha Al-Amal, Sheikh Abbas Qomi, p.207

2- Loc.cit

3- Ibid., p. 208

owe me that you go back home! He went back home and sat with Umme Kulthum while being unhappy and sad.

You entered into Kufa mosque. Lamps of the mosque were off and you began your supplicatory prays. Then you went up the roof and said azan. You came down and voiced: <الصلاه الصلاه> and awakened those who were asleep to say their prayers; Ibn-e Muljam, the cursed was also among those asleep and had hidden his poisoned sword under his garment. When you reached him, you said: Get up for prayers and stop sleeping as such because this is devil's sleep.(1)

You entered into the altar for performing congregation prayers and the cursed man stood behind you; Wardan and Shabib crept on the corner. When you finished prostration in the first rak'ah, Shabib Ibn-e Bajra pulled his sword and attacked you while yelling: Ruling is exclusive to God and you cannot rule on His behalf and entrust the matter of religion to arbitration of arbitrators. He moved his sword up to strike your scalp, but his sword met with the arch; Ibn-e Muljam pulled his sword immediately, Ali! Ruling belongs to God not to you and ' : لله الحكم يا على، لا لك و لا لأصحابك :shouting your companions; later, he struck your head with his sword and slit your head to where you prostration.(2)

Your head began to bleed and colored your beard, shirt and altar; you fell on the altar, saying:

بسم الله و بالله و على مله رسول الله فزت و رب الكعبه

I swear to God of Ka'aba I am salvated.

And you also said:

هذا ما وعدنا الله و رسوله

This is the same promise given to us by God and His Messenger.

At that time, there happened an earthquake and seas and skies shook; doors of the mosque struck each other; the Angels shouted from the heavens and

a black wind blew in such a way that the world was darkened. Gabriel 0

P: 499

1- Montaha, Al-Amāl, Sheikh 'Abbas Qomi, p. 209

2- Ibid., p.210

called in the heavens and the earth loud enough to be heard by people, saying:

I swear to God! Pillars of leadership split asunder, signs of piety vanished and the space vital between the Creator and creature tore off; Mustafa's cousin was killed, Ali Mortada became martyred by the most wretched and atrocious man. (1)

Performers of prayers in the mosque chased Shabib and Ibn-e Muljam to find them and some others surrounded you, striking their heads and faces and crying. People shouted in moaning and wailing; your two endeared sons ran to the mosque and saw that their honorable father had been covered with blood in the altar. You wanted to stand up and say prayers, but you failed to do so. You substituted Imam Hassan (a) to perform prayers for people and you yourself finished your prayers in sitting.

When your son finished prayers, hugged your head and said while weeping: O' father! You broke my back!

You opened your eyes and said:

From now on, your father has no suffering and pain. Your grandfather, Mustafa, your grandmother, Khadijeh Kobra, your mother and Huris of Paradise are present now waiting for your father.

People covered your head's wound with your robe and carried you to the middle of the mosque from the altar. You had been looking up to the sky and constantly remembering God.

You went unconscious; your son, Hassan (a) wept and you came conscious with his tearful drops on your face. You opened your eyes and said:

O' my son!

Why are you weeping and wailing; verily, after me, you will be martyred )

P: 500

1- تهدمت و الله أركان الهدى و انطمست أعلام التقى و انفصمت العروة الوثقى قتل ابن عمّ المصطفى قتل الوصى المجتبى قتل على المرتضى قتله أشقى الأشقياء (Biḥār Al-Anwār, vol.42, p.282: Monhaha Al-Amāl, p.210)

and your brother, Husayn will be martyred with sword; you both will join your grandfather, mother and father.(1)

You told your son:

Just as I had sitten, I went asleep; I met the Messenger of God (s). I told him: O' Messenger of God (s)! What bitterness I tasted from your people and how much I suffered from their spitefulness and enmity!

The Messenger said: Damn them.

I said: May God give me people better than them and dominate them by a bad man instead of me.(2)

The cursed Ibn-e Muljam was arrested and brought to the mosque; people thrashed him and salivated on him.

He was brought to your son, Imam Hassan (‘a). When he saw the eternally cursed man, he said: O' the cursed man! You killed the Commander of the Faithful and Imam of Muslims! He was the same man who sheltered you and granted you rewards.

The damned man bowed his head and said nothing. People raided him and battered him.

You said in a slow and weak voice: Compromise with him!

You then recommended your son, Hassan (‘a) about the cursed man, saying:

O' my son!

Compromise with your captivated man and treat him with blessing and kindness; don't you see how his eyes move out of fear and he is anxious in heart!?

Your son told you:

The cursed man has slain you and we are feeling painful in heart; you are ordering us to compromise with him?! 0

P: 501

1- Montaha, Al-Amāl, Sheikh 'Abbas Qomi, p. 211

2- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 70

You said:

O' my son!

We are progeny of blessing and forgiveness; therefore, feed him like your food and beverages; if I die, you can retaliate him and kill him, but stop mutilating him. If I survive, I know more what to do to him.(1)

What I can say with this pen, with this language?!

O' chivalrous man! O' honorable man! You were beaten with sword and covered with blood in the altar, but you remembered God and you never moaned and complained; you even felt pity on the damned man and told people to compromise with him!

O' Ali!

Who are you? Who are you? You are not God, so who are you? The same God who created you and granted you honor and grandeur knows who you are!

Peace of God may betide your last takbir; peace of God may be upon your last prayers; peace of God may be upon your holy lips that constantly prayed and remembered God; peace may be upon your endeared scalp that split apart on the path of reviving the truth, justice and divine values peace may be upon blood drops of a lot that dribbled on the mosque altar and crimsoned it!

Peace of God may be upon your sacred gasps that began counting in the last instances of your life; peace of God may be on your kind eyes half- opened and full of head's blood!

Peace of God may be upon your ragged garment that was colored with the blood of your head and peace of God may be upon your patience and tolerance that had surprised the Heavenly Angels!

Peace of God may betide upon you, O' Abalhassan! O' sun of human guidance for good! 7

P: 502

1- Montaha Al-Amal, Sheikh 'Abbas Qomi, p. 27

Theosophy Thirty Three

I certify that the unending universe-shining sun of your existence permanently and on a higher horizon radiates forever for the creatures of universe thanks to your martyrdom.

O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin! All heart-burned and sad people of the universe may be sacrificed to you! You were placed into a gelim held on four sides and taken to your small clay house while you were soaked in face and garment with blood.

Woe of the world may betide upon the universe people! Who could think that one day the remover of Khaybar castle's door may be placed into a gelim and taken home!

O' the earth, O' the heavens, O' history and O' time! I am amazed how you witnessed the rending world scene, ceased to die and are still alive!!

The earth might say: I was intoxicated because of Ali's walks on my face; the heavens might say: I fell in a faint by Ali's looks in my heart; history might say: I was then astonished by what Ali ('a) said: "I swear to God of Ka'aba, I am salvated” and time might say: I was then overwhelmed by Ali's supplications!

You were unconscious and lifeless when you were taken home; when you came on, you told your dear sons, Hassan and Husayn (a) again:

Put Ibn-e Muljam in jail; give him water and food and behave him well. If I survive, I know better what to do to him; if I wanted, I would make him pay ransom to go free; if I wanted, I would forgive him. If I die, you will decide; if you decided to kill him, stop mutilating him.(1)

---------------------------------------

Theosophy Account Thirty Three

The Holy Shrine of Amir Al-Mu'amenin (a) and emergence of generosity in the Shrine, Ijtihad and justice of ṣaḥāba, Khalid Ibn-e-e Walid committing big crime of slaughtering the people of Malik Ibn-e-e Nuwayra's clan at the pretext of their apostasy and various other issues

P: 503

1- An overview of lifetime of the 14 Immaculate Imams (‘a), translation of Anwar Al- Bahiyya, Sheikh 'Abbas Qomi, translated by Mohammad Mahdi Eshtehārdi, p.100

All people lent an ear to what you said and went back home except one of your companions named "Aşbagh Ibn-e Nubata"!

Your son came out of house again; when he saw him, he said:

O' Aşbagh! Didn't you hear what my father's words I told you?

He said:

I heard but I saw his heart-rending health and I am eager to meet him and hear one hadith from him; God may bless you! Ask him to give me permission of meeting him.

Your son came home and told you about his request; you permitted him to come in the house and pay a visit to you.

He entered and sat beside you; he saw that the wound of your head is wrapped with a yellow-colored handkerchief, but your face looked more yellow than that of the kerchief.

Due to severe injury by strike and effect of wound, you exchanged your knees. Then, you stared at Aşbagh and told him in a low voice:

O' Aşbagh! Did you hear my words Hassan (‘a) transferred to you?

He said:

O' Amir Al-Mu'amenan!

I heard your words, but I saw you in a mood that I became eager to meet you again and hear a hadith from you.

With the same kind tone of your weak voice, you told him:

Sit down! I don't think you hear any other hadith from from now on.

O' Aşbagh! Know that the Messenger (s) was in bed and I paid him a visit just as you did; he told me: Get out and ask people to gather for prayers. I followed his order and people assembled at the mosque. The Messenger (s) said: Go up on pulpit and sit one step lower than my seat, telling people that:

Be aware! One who misbehaves his parents may be cursed by God!

Be aware! The slave and servant who runs away from his lord may be damned by God!

P: 504

Be aware! One who renders cruelty to his hired man about his wage may be damned by God.(1)

O'Aşbagh! I followed the order of my beloved, the Messenger (s).

A man from the end spot of the mosque stood up, saying:

O' Abalhassan! You briefed three sentences of your speech; give a full account of it!

I didn't give him any response until I met the Messenger, asking him someone wants to know full account.

Later, you reached Aşbagh's hand and told him: Open your hand!

Aşbagh opened his hand. You took one of his fingers and said:

O' Aşbagh! Just as I held your finder, so my brother, the Messenger of God took my finger and said:

O' Abalhassan!

Ignore and be aware! Verily, you and I are father of this people, God may curse someone who raises mercilessness to us.

Be aware! Verily, you and I are lord of this people, God may curse someone who runs away from us.

Be aware! Verily, both you and I are hired by this people, God may curse someone who renders cruelty in paying our wage. He said amen and so did 1.(2)

You went unconscious as a result of severe pain and after a while, you came on and found Aşbagh still sitting beside you. You told him: O' Aşbagh! You are still here? )

P: 505

1- فلعنة الله عليه ألا من عق والديه فلعنة الله عليه ؛ ألا من أبق من مواليه فلعنة الله عليه ألا من ظلم أجيرا .! (A preview over lifetime of 14 Immaculate Imams (a), Anwar Al-Bahiyya, p. 102)

2- يا أبا الحسن ! ألا وإنّى و أنت أبوا هذه الأمة، فمن عقنا فلعنة الله عليه، ألا وإنّى و أنت موليا هذه الأمة، فعلى من أبق عنّا لعنة الله عليه، ألا وإنّى و أنت أجيرا هذه الأمة، فمن ظلمنا اجرتنا فلعنة الله عليه ؛ ثمّ قال آمين، فقلت آمين (Biḥār Al-Anwār, vol. 40, p.450; Anwar Al-Bahiyya, Sheikh 'Abbas Qomi, p.102)

He said: Yes! O' my lord!

You said: Do you want me to tell you another hadith?

He said: Yes! God may increase your gifts.

You said:

O' Aşbagh! One day, the Messenger was passing through one of the alleys of Medina; he saw that I was unhappy with clear signs on my face. He said:

O' Abalhassan! I see you are sad; do you want me to tell you one hadith so that you might never be unhappy after me?!

I said:

Yes, O' the Messenger of God!

He said:

When the Resuurection Day takes place, God installs a pulpit higher than pulpits of the prophets and martyrs; He then orders me to go up that pulpit; He then orders you to go up that pulpit and sit one step lower than my seat. He then orders two Angels, each to sit on a seat lower than yours. When we are settled on our seats, all people from the antecedents to the posterity appear. After that, the Angel sitting one step lower than you shouts:

O' crowds of people! Whoever knows me, he shall not need me to introduce myself; and whoever does not know me, I shall make myself known to him: I am Ridwan, guard of Paradise. Be aware! God with His abundant gifts, Excellence, Mgnificence and Majesty has ordered me to hand over the Paradise keys to Muhammad (s) and Muhaamad (s) has ordered me to hand over those keys to Ali (‘a). Know that I have fulfilled my duty. Later, the Angel sitting on one step lower than the first step stands up and cries in such a way that all people of the Doomsday hear his voice, he says:

O' people! Whoever knows me, I shall not need to introduce myself; and whoever does not know me, I shall make myself known to him. I am Malik, guard of the Hell. Know that God with His Gifts, Excellence, Magnificence and Majesty has ordered me to give the keys of the Hell to Muhammad (s) and Muhammad (s) has ordered me to hand over those keys to Ali ('a); certify that I have fulfilled my duty; then I take keys of Paradise and Hell.

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After that, the Messenger said:

O' Ali ('a)! You resort to me by the higher part and your Progeny [the Immaculate Imams (a)] resorts to you by the higher part and your Shiites resort to them by the higher part.

You then told Aşbagh:

When the Messenger came up with what he said, I let my hands touch one another and said: O' the Messenger of God! Do we go to Paradise after this?

He said:

I swear to God of Ka'aba, yes!(1)

After you told this hadith and your health worsened, Aşbagh left your house while being unhappy.

True!

On Doomsday, you hold the keys of Paradise and Hell and the Messenger told you many times:

O' Ali! You divide Paradise and Hell on Doomsday.

And he also said:

You let your lovers enter into Paradise countlessly and your enemies fall into the Hellfire.

It is true, O' my lord!

You are so much endeared to God and His Messenger (s) that the arena of Doomsday is in your hands.

Your enemies wanted to put out your light by killing you, but those wrongdoers did not know the light that is never put out is Light of God.(2)!

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1- Translation of the book of Anwar Al-Bahiyya, p. 104

2- One hadith from the Messenger (s) reads that he told Ali (‘a): Your murderer is the most atrocious man. This hadith is being narrated by many of Sunni ulemas as a correct hadith in their books including: •kem Neishabouri in Mustadrak Alalṣaḥiḥin, vol.3, pp. 113 and 140 •Ahmad Ibn-e-e Hanbal in Musnad, vol.4, p.262 •Khatib Khwarazmi in Manaqib, chapter 26, p. 380 and.... One of the great Sunni men named “Ibn-e-e Ḥazm” has a book about jurisprudence called "Al-Muḥalla" and another book called "Al-Faşl fi Al-Melal va Al-Ahwa va Al-Naḥl". He praises the murderer of Ali ('a) in these two books and introduces him as mujtahid; he then objects to Imam Hassan (a), saying: Hassan Ibn-e-e Ali ('a) was not authorized to kill Ibn-e-e Muljam, the cursed under the title of retaliation for blood of Ali ('a) because Ibn-e-e Muljam was mujtahid and individually reasoned that Ali (‘a) must be killed and found himself rightful in doing it. Ibn-e-e Ḥazm has the opinion that: If Ibn-e-e Muljam has made a mistake in this individual reasoning or ijtihad, he has one reward from God and if he has not made a mistake, he has two rewards from Him. (Al- Muḥallā, Ibn-e-e Ḥazm, vol. 1, chapter of retaliation, pp. 482 and 484 and the book of Al- Fașl fi Al-Melal va Al-Ahwā' va Al-Naḥl, vol. 4, p.161) He says in the book of Al-Fașl fi Al-Melal va Al-Ahwa' va Al-Naḥl: Ammar Yaser is among those who had taken part in allegiance of Ridwan and God has testified his pure-hearted intent and Ammar is one of those whom God has been pleased with. He then adds: Abu Al-Ghadiya Yasar Ibn-e-e Saba' Al-Salmi has killed Ammar in şiffin and Abu Al- Ghadiya whom God may be pleased with was a mujtahid who has made a mistake in his ijtihad and he has one reward from God for killing Ammar. (Al-Faşl fi Al-Melal va Al-Ahwa' va Al-Naḥl, Ibn-e-e Ḥazm, vol.4, p.161) Many Sunnis justify all crimes and irreligious works of many of them, naming themselves as ṣaḥāba of the Messenger (s) through consideration of ijtihad of ṣaḥāba!! Consideration of ijtihad of ṣaḥāba (justifying their crimes) is the most important organ of disguising the right and solidifying the wrong. Now, Ibn-e-e Ḥazm who is defender of Ibn-e-e Muljam and wrongdoers should be asked: Does he have the right to raise ijtihad and kill the Caliph of God and the Messenger (s), but Imam Hassan (a) cannot act according to the explicit rule of the Qur'an and retaliate him?!! As a Sunni jurisprudent, how do you ignore the Revelations of Qiṣāṣ of the Qur'an and object to Imam Hassan (a) in this way?!! All Sunni sects accept Imam Amir Al-Mu'amenin Ali (‘a) as the Caliph IV; therefore, if you are a Sunni, how aren't you impressed about murdering of someone whom you accept as a Caliph IV? Rather, you say his murderer is mujtahid and rewarded before God?!! What ijtihad is this to determine the murder of an Imam as necessary, whose obdedience is mandatory?!! What ijitihad is this to permit murder of inheritor and successor of the Prophet (s) to be marriage portion of a woman called Qaṭām with whom he had fallen in love?!! If the Prophet (s) has said that killer of Ali ('a) is the first and foremost atrocious man, it is no way to raise ijtihad in the face of what the Prophet (s) said?! If it is supposed any crime being committed by any atrocious man to be called ijtihad and to say the murderer is excused and rewarded, so one must say, we seek refuge in God that all killers of the prophets, caliphs and their successors have been mujtahid and rewarded by God!! The Prophet (s) said: Tyrant people will kill Ammar (Tahzib Al-Tahzib, Ibn-e-e Ḥajar Asqalāni, vol.7, p.358 and...). Therefore, you, O' Ibn-e-e Ḥazm, the vicious man! What do you say in front of such statement of the Prophet (s)? Do you consider people as mujtahid whom the Messenger of God (s) has introduced as tyrant and say they shall be rewarded??!! (Our queries, Hossein Tehrani, pp. 994-995) Included among what is known as the oppressed Amir Al-Mu'amenan (a) is that his foes have praised Ibn-e-e Muljam, the murderer; namely "Imran Ibn-e-e Haṭṭān", the cursed who has been one of the heads of the Kharijites, one of the jurisprudents and orators. He has unfolded his grudge and enmity against the brother of the Messenger (s) and praised Ali ('a)'s murderer in his poetry: يا ضربه من تقى ما اراد بها *** الا ليبلغ من ذى العرش رضوانا اني لا ذكره حينا فاحسبه *** او في البريه عند الرحمان ميزانا I praise the strike that landed from a pious man [Ibn-e-e Muljam, the damned], the strike had no target but the pleasure of God! Whenever I remember him and his strike, I find his action so important that I think the scale of his good acts remains heavier than that of the whole people! (Sharh-e Nahj Al- Balagha, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol.5, p.93 and vol. 13, p.24; Al-Aghani, Abulfaraj Isfahani, vol.18, p.117; Al-Isti'āb, Ibn-e-e 'Abdulberr, under translation of Ali Ibn-e-e Abiṭālib (‘a) and...........) Despite all this viciousness and shrewdness of Imran Ibn-e-e Haṭṭan, one of the Sunni ulemas named "Ajalli" has said he is a trustworthy man in hadiths!! (Tarikh Al-Thaqāt, p.377, No. 1300) Above all, “Imran Ibn-e-e Haṭṭān", the damned; is among the people whom Bukhāri in his book of ṣaḥiḥ says he is a trustworthy and devout man. (ṣaḥiḥ-e Bukhāri, vol.7, Ketab Al-Libās, chapter Naqs Al-Suwar) Bukhāri is one of the salient Sunni ulemas and Sunnis say his book is the most accurate book after the Qur'an. He holds that he has talked about the trustworthy and devout people in his book and for the same reason, he has named his book "ṣaḥih"; however, he says Ḥaṭṭān is a reliable and devout person!! This is while the enemy of Ali ('a) is a hypocrite dissident as consecutively quoted from the Messenger of God (s) in the most authentic Sunni sources; no doubt, Bukhari has been aware of such hadiths, but he calls Haṭṭān, the cursed as a reliable person! (ṣaḥiḥ-e Bukhari, vol.7, Ketab Al-Libās) True! The enemies of Imam Ali ('a) has tried to extinguish his light in every possible way (Ijtihad of ṣaḥāba, praising his murderer and...), but the vicious men did not know what is not extinguishable is the Light of God!

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You never feared death because someone who is certain about God and

His Promises is never attached to the world to fear its separation. You were on the highest peak of faith and certainty and all of those who have reached certainty rest on the downhills of the peak.

You were the unparalleled hero and lion of God and you said:

I swear to God!

If I face the enemies by myself while they have occupied the whole earth, I am not frightened. I am aware of their deviation and my guidance on which I stand firmly and have reached certainty from God; and verily, I hope to eagerly meet God and His reward.(1)

Who can speak in such a way except son of Abutalib (a) that: If all people of the world gather in front of me, I am not frightened!

True!

Someone who is much eager about death can talk this way and that person was you who longed for death and said:

I swear to God!

Interest of son of Abiṭālib in death goes far beyond an infant's interest in his mother's breast.(2)

You loved being killed on the path of God, your Beloved and one day, your brother, the Messenger of God (s) gave you that good tidings; you yourself said:

When God sent down Ankabut: 1 and 2 that: "Do people imagine that they are left free with no trial because they said they were believers?" I knew that we never experience sedition and trial as long as the Prophet (s) is

among us.

I asked the Messenger of God (s):

O' the Messenger of God (s)! .

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1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Letter No. 6

2- (5 Ibid., Sermon) وَ اللَّهِ لاَبْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ آنَسُ بِالْمَوْتِ مِنَ الطِّفْلِ بِثَدْيِ أَمِّهِ ..

What is this sedition and trial that God has told you about?

He said:

O' Ali!

After me, the ummah of Islam suffers from sedition and trial.

I said:

O' the Messenger of God(s)!

Is it not that a group of Muslims are martyred on the day of Oḥud and I was deprived of martyrdom and I found it hard; you told me:

O' Ali!

Good news for you because martyrdom will follow you.

He said to me:

Verily, this good news comes true; what is your patience, then?

I said:

O' the Messenger of God!

I might not keep patience and tolerance for such thing; rather, I would need good tidings and gratitude.

And he said to me:

O' Ali!

Verily, these people with their property experience sedition and trial soon and they oblige God for their devoutness; at the same time, they expect His Blessings and think they are safe from Power and Wrath of God; they make haram of God halal through false doubts and neglective passions; they consider halal the wine under pretext of grapes fruit and bribery under the pretext of gift and usury under the pretext of some kind of deal.

I said:

O' the Messenger of God!

At that time, what basis shall give to people? On the basis of apostasy? Or sedition and trial?

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He responded: on the basis of sedition and trial.(1)

Your health grew more critical hours after hours and your face turned more illuminative!

Physicians and surgeons of Kufa were called upon for healing deep slit of your head and none of them was more dexterous and knowledgeable than "Athir Ibn-e Amru Ibn-e Hāni"; he was a skilled physician and was an expert of medicine; he cured wounds.

Athir Ibn-e Amru came beside you; he examined your head's injury. He asked for sheep's fresh and hot lung. They brought it; he took out a vessel from it; he inserted it into the wound and sucked it; he took it out and looked at it. He saw white organs of brain in it; he said:

O' Amir Al-Mu'amenan!

Make a will because the strike of the enemy infiltrated the brain.(2)

True!

Promise of God approaches in your ascension to the highest ranks of Kingdom of God; your brother, the Messenger of God expects to warmly hug you, kiss you and alleviate your pains. Your honorable wife, Şediqah Kobra (‘a), the Light of God waits for you to look at your dear eyes and heal your sorrows. All prophets and the Saint Imams, as ordered by God, eagerly stand in orderely lines to shower you with the Paradise petals by saying, "Peace of God be upon Muhammad and his progeny" when you shake hands with your brother, the Messenger of God (s). The Angels of God in Paradise take minutes of time to perfume their wings by consecrating your foot dust forever once you step into the Paradise.

The Paradise, across its territory, reveals its most beautiful ornaments to eagerly embrace you with its eyes.

More eager than all is your God! 5

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1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 156

2- An overview of lifetime of 14 Immaculate Imams (a) (Anwar Al-Bahiyya), Sheikh Abbas Qomi, p.105

When your face showed signs of departure to the highest rank of Kingdom, you made your will with the same failing health; the same will in which heightened servitude, worship, freedom and justice exist; the same will that human kind not only becomes prosperous in the world, but also he can fly to divine sustenance, spirit and eternality once he dies; this comes true if he keeps this will on top of his life!

This will remains useful for all people until Resurrection Day comes; you said:

I recommend you to fear God; avoid mamonism although it comes to you and stop being sad about whatever you lose in this world; tell the truth and act for Divine Reward; oppose the tyrant and help the oppressed. I recommend you, all of my children, my family and those who receive this will to fear God and to create discipline in affairs of life and restore peace among you because I heard from your grandfather (grandfather of Imam Hassan and Imam Husayn (a) say:

Creation of peace among people surpasses one-year-long prayers and fasting.

God! God!

Lest the orphans might be hungry at times and full at the other times and their rights might be lost.

God! God!

Observe the rights of your neighbors because the Messenger (s) has willed it; I recommend you to behave your neighbors well because we thought he would designate inheritance for them.

God! God!

Lest the others might surpass you in complying with the orders of the Qur'an.

God! God!

I recommend you to uphold prayers because it is pillar of your religion.

God! God!

Keep the House of God full because if it is kept empty, you are not given a

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chance of life.

God! God!

I advise you to jihad on the Path of God by using your properties, souls and tongues; it is up to you to join each other and pardon one another; lest you might lose friendship and keep distance from each other.

Continue to enjoin the good and forbid the bad because the bad will dominate you and if you ask God for assistance, He will not listen to you!

O' Descendants of 'Abdulmoṭallib!

Lest you might be engaged in the blood of Muslims and embark on carnage; tell that Amir Mu'amenan is killed; know that nobody else shall be killed except my killer. Look exactly! If I died from his strike, he shall be killed by one strike; stop mutilating him. I heard the Messenger say: Avoid cutting off organs of the dead although the dead is a crazy dog.(1)

When your voice became more weakened; you only recited remembrances of God just when the head of the Messenger was on death throes, when his sacred lips moved slowly and prayed God until his lips stopped moving and you took your head up while having tearful eyes and told his daughter, Fatima (a), his wives and the others beside his bed: God may reward you for the departure of the Messenger of God. Likewise, your lips stopped moving and your son, Imam Hassan (‘a) took his head up and condoled his brother and sister and a number of your companions who stood watching the moment of your demise beside you with tearful eyes.

True!

You closed your eyes to the world and departed to the good pleasure of God, but your shining countenance brightens the universe forever and illuminates the talented hearts with the Light of God.

True!

You are alive, you are eternally alive! The dead are your foes, the dead are your deniers.

Peace of God may be upon you on the same day when you were born, on 7

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1- Nahj Al-Balagha, Letter No. 47

the day when you were stricken and on the day when you are resurrected!

You told your sons (a) about the burial of your sacred body:

When I died, put my body in the coffin and nightly take it out of house when everybody is asleep. You take the rear part of coffin, the front part of coffin moves spontaneously. You then carry me to the land of Al-Ghari (Najaf); there, you see a white shining stone; dig out where the stone is and you will find a vast space; bury me in the same place.

Your sons and some special companions of you as you had advised took out your dead body out of house at night and the front part of your dead body moved by itself; they constantly heard wind blowing and birds flying on the way to reach Najaf; there, they saw a white stone shining. They dug it and reached a vast area where they saw stone writing:

This is the grave that Noah (a) has reserved for Ali Ibn-e Abiṭālib (‘a).

They buried your sacred body there and returned home and the companions were happy about honor and glory of God towards you.

Those companions who were present at the funeral procession and burial of your body met with a group of your Shiites who were absent in the ceremony and told them about the glory of God extended to you and your body and grave. They said: we would like to see what you saw!

They were told: The burial place of Ali (‘a) was concealed in accordance with his will.

They left and came back, saying: they dug the ground, but nothing they found there.(1)

You made a will to bury you at night to keep your grave in hiding because the Kharijites had said that they would disentomb your pure grave and vilify your body!

On being oppressed, it suffices to say that your grave went in hiding for one century after your demise; it was at the time of your descendant, Imam 7

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1- An overview of lifetime of 14 Immaculate Imams ('a) (Anwar Al-Bahiyya), Sheikh Abbas Qomi, p.107

ṣādeq (‘a) when your grave became known to the Shiites.(1)

Peace be upon you, O' banner of the undeniable truthfulness of the truth! O' the most integrated man of the centuries! O' hand of God, hand of the heavens, hand of the earth, peace be upon you, O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin! O' immortal man, eternal man, O' unrepeatable man of history!

In the wildest times of history, you, while holding unsheathed sword in hand and being dignified, certain and exalted, sacrificed your kind, melodic and thumping heart to the truth for the sake of unleashing man from the shackles of darkness and for the sake of releasing the unknown worshippers of God from life dungeon and held your open heart shelter of the truth.(2)

Peace of God betides you, O' Abalhassan!

O' the precious treasury of Divine Gifts, O' the unending element of excellence, O' the unparalleled and everlasting figure of the universe, O' the most brilliant manifestation of Divine Servitude, O' the world-shining light of eternality, O' the fountainhead of generosity and chivalry, O' the lion of God and hero of monotheism and knowledge field and O' the leading forerunner of forerunners of the universe in reaching the truth, Peace of God be upon you, Peace of God be upon you!

O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin! This book is finished after one hundred and ten t

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1- Najaf is one of the Shi'a-dwelt city of Iraq located on the southern part of the country, 180km south of Baghdad near the city of Kufa; its climate is hot and dry. The record of the city traces back to the night when the children of Amir Al-Mu'amenin (‘a) accompanied by some of his special companions out of fear of being vilified by the enemies carried his pure body on a funeral procession and buried him in this sacred place. During the caliphate of Saffaḥ (the Caliph of the Abbasid from 132-136 A.H.), Imam ṣādeq (‘a) paid a visitation to the tombstone of Amir Al-Mu'amenin (‘a) in Ḥayra(nearby Kufa) and made this sacred place known to some Shiites. After 170 A.H., Hārūn Al-Rashid ordered a masouleum to be erected on the tombstone when he had gone on hunting and had seen dignity of Ali's grave (Biḥār Al-Anwar, vol. 42, p.329) and people gradually showed increasing interest in this sacred place; the city of Najaf came into existence thanks to the blessed holy tombstone of Amir Al-Mu'amenin (‘a). (Hārūn Al-Rashid, when he was busy hunting, saw that gazelles take refuge in a hill and hunting dogs stop chasing them. When he asked the dwellers of the region about the hill, they said: Tombstone of Ali (‘a) lies here.)

2- Karo, the Christian Iranian poet

days of full-time work on a night, birthday annivarsary of your endeared son, Hadrat Hojjat Ibn-e Al-Hassan Al-'Askari (Imam of the spiritual time and the souls

of the world for redemption)

Of course, I am ashamed that I could hardly express my sincerity to you as much as you deserve, but I hope I could gladden the heart of your brother, the Messenger of God (s) and your endeared son, Imam of the Agemay God hasten his emergence by writing this book which is a drop of your virtues and oppressedness.

I swear to the same God who granted you honor and grandeur!

I put down the book neither for the Otherworld reward nor for gaining fame. Rather, it was only your love that motivated me to move my pen and finish it under hard circumstances.

I hope the Almighty God blesses me, a sinful worshipper thanks to your respect and your holy family (‘a) and grants me a good finality. My hope is that I can behold your sacred face when I am dying; you yourself said: Whoever dies, he shall see me.(1)And I hope we are blessed and you help us out in the Resurrection Day of God thanks to your esteem and status!

O' my lord!

In the end, I owe you one apology because I have talked beyond my status because I have written in some parts of the book as: God may get me to kneel down to you! There is a big distance between kneeling down to you and our rank to do as such!!?

I opologize you, his Eminence that I improve my statement in this way: )

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1- Imam Ali (‘a) told one of his companions named "Ḥārith Hamdāni”: أبشرك يا حارث ! لتعرفنّى عند الممات و عند الصراط و عند الحوض و عند المقاسمة Good tidings be upon you, O' Ḥārith! You shall know me when you dies at the Path, at the Kawthar Pond and when the Hell and Paradise are divided (Amali, Sheikh Mufid, p.3; Amali, Sheikh Ṭūsi, p.625) Imam Baqir (‘a) says: ليس من أحد من جميع الأديان يموت إلا رأى رسول الله و اميرالمؤمنين حقا من الأولين و الآخرين (Tafsir-e 'Ayyashi, vol. 1, p.284; Biḥār Al-Anwar, vol.6, p.189)

God may oblige me that I can reach the kneel-down of your slave, Qanbar and John, the black slave of your son, Husayn (a).(1)

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1- Abu Ali says in his book, Rijal that "Jawn Ibn-e-e Abi Malik" or "Jawn b. Huway" came from “Nubia" in Africa and Ali (‘a) had purchased him one hundred and fifty dinars and granted him to Abudhar Ghiffari. Since Abuzar was sent on exile to Al-Rabada as ordered by Uthman, he joined him to go to Al-Rabada; he returned to Medina in 32 A.H. when Abudhar died. He then served Ali (‘a), next served his son, Hassan (‘a) and later, accompanied Imam Husayn (‘a) to come to Medina from Mecca. Finally, he departed to Iraq. (Wasilat Al-Dārin, p.115) He was a dark-colored servant who served Imam Husayn (‘a) in the day Ashūrā and asked for a permission to go to the battlefield. Imam Husayn ('a) said to him: You are authorized on our behalf and joined us for happiness; don't put yourself in trouble! Jawn said: I remain comfortable and leave you alone in hardships?! By God! Although my body smells bad and I am not highly merited, but an honorable Imam like you makes me smell good and pure and whitens color of my body and gives me good news of Paradise. By God! I don not leave you to keep my black blood mixed with your noble blood of yours! He began to brag and fought with the enemy; he killed twenty five of them until he became martyred. Imam appeared at his side and said: O' God! Make him white in color, smell good and be mustered with the good people and let him be resurrected with Muhammad and his Progeny! Imam Baqir ('a) is quoted as saying: Anybody takes his killed one out of the battlefield and buries him, but Jawn had nobody to do so; for the samr reason, his torn-apart body was found after ten days while it smelled musk. (Nafs Al-Mahmum, p.290) The remaining part of theosophy account: As said, Imam Ali ('a) was buried secretly according to his his will after his heavenly ascension, but his grave became known by guidance of the Immaculate Imams (‘a). The land of Ghari (Holy Najaf) was announced to be his burial place by Imams (a). The grave of Imam Ali (*a) remained secret because of the Kharijites and the Umayyads; they were enemies of Amir Mu'amenan and intended to open his grave and vilify his body. During the Imamate of Imam ṣādeq ('a), given the change in political circumstances, it became evident for Imam that if the holy tombstone is being known, people will pay homage and glory to it, in effect. For the same reason, it was shown exactly and different people were directed towards it; besides, there was no fear of exhumation of grave on the part of the Kharijites. From the very night of Imam's burial, people began to talk about his burial place. Everyone posed views although they did not know where his burial place was. They applied jurisprudential ijtihad to make inferences and conclusions and suggested different places for his burial place while thinking their ignorance as knowledge. One must say that Ahl-e Bayt of Imam Ali (‘a) remains higher than others in finding a key to this case. They have said in explicit narrations that burial place of Ali (‘a) is located on Najaf with the exact place. Here, to prove such a claim, strong reasons are made and such reasons include testimony of the Saint Imams ('a), historians as well as emergence of various miracles and graces on the part of the burial place of Ali ('a): Abu Omar Zahid puts down in the book, "Yawaqit" quoted from Tha'alibi: Ahl-e Bayt of Ali ('a) and his Shiites unanimously say that the Holy Shrine of Ali ('a) is located on Al-Ghari, Najaf; they show signs that denote the veracity of what they say and act as proof against deniers, those who fully try to demonstrate that the shrine of Amir Mu'amenan (a) is situated somewhere other than Najaf. It is surprising that if a person stands at a grave and says this grave is my father's grave, his claim is accepted and trusted and the grave is known after it from then on; the hearer raises no doubt about it while Ahl-e Bayt of Ali ('a) whose honorability has been certain and decisive says that the shrine of our father, Ali ('a) is being located on Al-Ghari, some ignore it as if the strangers look more conscious about it. This is while Ali's family has privileges in two aspects: One is that they are Imams and infallible and another is that they are descendants of Amir Mu'amenan ('a). (Mu'ajam Rijal hadith, vol.4, pp. 81 and 82, Farhat Al-Ghari, p.79) Ibrahim Ibn-e-e Ali Dinwari, a Sunni ulema writes: People raise different views about the shrine of Amir Mu'amenan Ali ('a), but the true statement is that he has been buried in Al-Ghari and his zealots now pay pilgrimage to it. People of different colors and languages rush to pay visitation to it from far distant spots of the world. Graces and miracles observed in this sacred abode are countless in number. I myself witnessed one of them; I was in Najaf in the Holy Shrine of Ali ('a) on Wednesday night of 13th Zulhajjah, 597 A.H.; it was in the middle of the night when I saw a column of light was circulating above the shrine with a length of twenty or thirty Dhirae ((portion of the upper appendage from shoulder to wrist). This radiation of light lasted about two hours until it landed on the dome and distributed at last. I wanted to ask somone who stood by me if he had seen what I saw; I found that he had stopped talking, trembled and was stunned. After some moments when he felt better, he told me that he had seen that column of light and trembled because of seeing the light and its magnitude. (Farhat Al-Ghari, Al-Seyyed 'Abdulkarim Ibn-e-e Ṭāvūs, dead in 693 A.H., p.152) After confirming the story, Seyyed Ibn-e-e Ṭāvūs writes: In this regard, a lot can be said and there is short of time; we cannot talk about all of what has come to us. Extraordinary incidences have occurred in the course of time in this place, a small part of which we received; who deserves more than Amir Mu'amenan (a). (ibid.) Mohammad Ibn-e-e Ali Shalmaghani, a Sunni ulema says: Amir Mu'amenan has been buried nearby Kufa because he made a will to Imam Mojtaba (a) as such, saying you get the end of coffin, its front goes ahead with the help of the Angels and under Divine Guidance. Whereever the coffin stopped, dig up and bury me. (Farhat Al-Ghari, Al-Seyyed 'Abdulkarim Ibn-e-e Ṭāvūs, p.153) Yāqūt Al-Ḥamawi, a Sunni ulema, writes to introduce the city of Najaf in "Mu'ajam Al- Buldan": It is a city in which the shrine of Ali ('a) is located. (Mu'ajam Al-Buldan), vol. 1, p.16) Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Ḥadid Muʼatazili, a 7th century Sunni scientist, also says: The shrine of Ali ('a) is located on Al-Ghari, Najaf and the other references to his burial place are null and void because his family is more conscious of their father's grave than the strangers; this rule applies to any other person that children know more about their father's burial place. It is to be said that great figures like Ja'ar Ibn-e-e Mohammad Al- ṣādeq (a) has paid pilgrimage to Ali Ibn-e-e Abiṭālib (a) in this place. (Sharh-e Nahj Al- Balagha, Ibn-e-e Abi Al-Hadid, vol.3, p.199) Kamaluddin Qorashi Shafe'ie writes in "Maṭālib Al-Su'ul fi Manaqib Al-e Al-Rasul”: When Ali (‘a) died, Hassan and Husayn (‘a) joined by Mohammad Hanafiyya rendered his ablution, Ghusl, shrouded him and buried him in Al-Ghari, Najaf in the dark night. Abulfaraj Isfahani writes in "Maqātil Al-Talibin": Ibn-e-e Abi Umayr says: Imam Mojtabā (‘a) was asked where he buried Ali (‘a). Imam said: We brought him out of house at night; we reached the land of Al-Ghari and buried him there. (Maqātil Al-Talibin, p.42) Ibn-e-e ṣabbāgh Māliki writes: Hassan Ibn-e-e Ali ('a) said prayers and buried him secretly in Al-Ghari, where people pay pilgrimage to nowadays. (Al-Fușul Al-Mohemma fi Ma'refat Al-Al-A'emma, vol.1, p.264) Ibn-e-e Jawzi Ḥanafi, the great Sunni historian, quotes different views about the shrine of Amir Al-Mu'amenan (‘a) in “Tazkirat Al-Khawāṣ", but he says in the end: The accurate view is that Ali ('a) is buried in Najaf, where people visit today and no doubt is raised about its accuracy. (Tazkirat Al-Khawaş, p.163) Sheikh Ahmad Davudi, one of the well-known Sunni ulemas, also says: When Ali (‘a) died, he was buried at midnight and people raised different views about his burial place, but it is to be known that he was buried in the famous existing abode. It is an abode in which his lovers take refuge these days..............'Abdullah Ibn-e-e Ja'afar Ibn-e- e Abiṭālib was asked where Ali (‘a) had been buried. He responded: We left the city, reached Al-Ghari and he was buried there. (Umdat Al-Talib fi Ansab Al-e Abiṭālib) Mohammad Ibn-e-e Baṭūṭah, a 8th century Sunni scholar, puts down in his travel account called "Tuhfat Al-Nuzzār fi Ghara'ib Al-Amṣār" on returning from Mecca to Najaf at the shrine of Ali ('a): The shrine is opened to a large school in which religious scholars, people of knowledge and the Shiite pious people reside. Whoever enters this sacred school, he shall be guest for three days and he shall be served with bread, meat and dates two times a day. The seminary school is opened to the holy shrine, next to which are guards, shrine servants and custodian authorities of shrine. When a pilgrim enters the shrine, one of the authorities or all of them in proportion to number of pilgrims come close and stand at the gate, asking for permission of entry for pilgrim, saying: By your permission, O' Amir Mu'amenan! This pilgrim wants a permission to enter into your holy shrine; if you permit him, he will enter; otherwise, he will return. If he does not deserve entering, but you hold the privilege of generosity, pardon and secrecy. Later, the pilgrim is ordered to kiss silver-made Astāneh. Besides, he kisses two sides of the gate and enters the holy shrine next to tomb. The holy shrine is carpeted by all kinds of silk and other carpets and small and big silver and gold chandeliers hang there. In the middle of shrine dome There is a four-cornered tomb covered with wood, on top of which engraved gilded plates fastened with silver nails covering all wood in such a way that no wood is shown. The holy tomb (Dariḥ) is shorter than human height and there are three graves in the holy tomb; it is believed that one of the graves belongs to Adam ('a), the second one belongs to Noah (‘a) and the third one goes to Ali (‘a). There are silver and gold tubs in between these graves among which rose-extracted water (Golab), musk and all types of perfumes are poured; the pilgrim dips his hand into it and blessedly perfumes his face. The holy shrine dome has another door whose skeleton is made of silver with colored silk curtains hanging from it; this door is opened to a mosque which is carpeted with nice carpets and the walls and ceiling of which are covered with silky curtains. The mosque has four doors, the threshold of which are made of silver with silky curtains hanging (it is to be said that this is a report from the 8th century and the holy shrine has undergone general changes today). People of this city (Najaf) all are of Rafida (the Shiites) and since graces and miracles have emerged at this shrine for the Rafida Shiites, it is being proven to them that the grave of Ali ('s) rests there. One of the graces was this: on the night of 27th of Rajab, which is known to them as “Laylat Al-Maḥyā”” (night of life), people brought the grounded patients there from Kufa, Basra, Khorasan and cities of Fars, number of whom reached forty; they were placed beside the holy tomb in the late night. People were saying prayers and reading the Qur'an and engaged in watching the tomb; they waited to find the patients healed. When it is midnight, all those patients were healed and stood up, saying: لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله على ولى الله This dignity is well-known among the Shiites and I have heard it from the reliable people; but I was not there that night. I saw three grounded men: one from Rome, another man from Isfahan and the third one from Khorasan in the school where guests are received. I asked them how they felt. They told me that they have not realized the night of life (the night of 27th of Rajab) and they were expecting that night in the upcoming year. In this night, people assemble in the holy shrine of Ali ('a) from different cities and Najaf citizens arrange a big market for trading goods for ten days. Ibn-e-e Batūṭah further says in his travel account: On the western part of Kufa desert, I observed a black place in the white space. I was advised that this black place belongs to the grave of the wretched man of the time, Ibn-e- e Muljam may God damn him. People of Kufa pile up lots of firewood and make fire on his grave seven days. *** All ulemas of Shi'a raise consensus that the holy grave of Amir Mu'amenan (‘a) rests in the city of Najaf; this is because of plenty of hadith quoted from the Saint Imams (a), to a number of which is referred here: The great Prophet (s) told Ali ('a): O' Ali ('a)! Your grave gives honor to the land of Kufa. Ali (‘a) asked: Do you mean Kufa in Iraq? The Prophet (s) said: Yes! (Farhat Al- Ghari, Seyyed Ibn-e-e Ṭāvūs, p.569) Ali (‘a) said in a narration: Mecca is shrine of God, Medina is shrine of the Messenger of God(s) and Kufa is my shrine. (Kafi, vol.4, p.563) Dāvūd Ibn-e-e Farquaad quoted Imam ṣādiq (a) as saying that: In the Suburban area of Kufa, there is a grave that if every man in trouble says four rek'at of prayers, God fulfils his demand and removes his trouble. Dāvūd says: I said to Imam: Is this grave belongs to Husayn Ibn-e-e Ali ('a), martyr of Neynava? Imam said: No. I asked: Is it the grave of your grandfather, Amir Mu'amenan (‘a)? Imam said: It is true. (Kāmel Al-Ziyārāt, Ibn- e-e Qulviya Qomi, p.167) Imam Baqir (‘a) says: My father, Imam Zayn Al-Abedin (a) and I paid a pilgrimage to the tomb of Amir Al- Mu'amenin (a) in Kufa. When we reached there, my father wept so much that his holy beard was covered with tears. My father whispered with his forefather in this way: السلام عليك يا امين الله في ارضه و حجته على عباده، اشهد أنك يا اميرالمؤمنين جاهدت في الله حق جهاده... He continues to say: Whomever of the Shiites reads this brief pilgrimage text (Ziyarat Aminullah) next to the grave of Ali (‘a), God keeps him in a protective light and he shall find a clean and pure inward such as that of the Messenger's (s); he shall joyfully meet Imam of the Age may God hasten his emergence when he emerges. (Farhat Al-Ghari, p.73) Seyyed Ibn-e-e Ṭāvūs says: One day, Imam Sajjad (‘a) arrived at the Kufa mosque and met with Abu Hamzah Thumāli. Imam told Abu Hamzah: Do you want to join me to pay a pilgrimage to my father's tomb, Ali Ibn-e-e Abiṭālib? Abu Hamzah said: Yes. Abu Hamzah says: I joined Imam. On the way, we talked until we reached Al-Ghari. Imam rode off the horse, stepped forward and put face on the soil, saying to me: This is the tomb of my forefather, Ali Ibn- e-e Abiṭālib (a). (Farhat Al-Ghari, p.77) ṣafwan Jamal says: I accompanied Imam ṣādeq (a) en route to Iraq in a caravan. When we reached Al-Ghari, Imam said: O' ṣafwān! Move a bit farther. We moved there and Imam rode off the horse, performed ablution and said prayers. After prayers, I asked Imam: My dear! Whose tomb is this? Imam said: This is the tomb of my forefather, Ali Ibn-e-e Abiṭālib (a). He says: after that day on, I rushed to that region for paying a pilgrimage to the tomb of Ali ("a). (Kafi, vol.1, p.456) Note: The holy grave of Amir Al-Mu'amenan (a) was formally introduced to people in time of Imam ṣādiq (‘a) and before, the Immaculate Imams (a) and some special Shiites secretly paid a pilgrimage to the tomb. The holy grave did not have any sign to show that it belongs to Ali ('a) before Imam ṣādiq (‘a) unfolded it. After people knew it, a mausoleum was erected on it. Nowadays, the holy shrine of Amir Mu'amenan (a) traces back to monuements of the Buyid dynasty, its courtyard goes back to the safavid and both of them are considered as the masterpieces of the Islamic architecture in the world. During Shah 'Abbas şafavi, the shrine courtyard was renovated with the layout and engineering plan of the late Sheikh Baha'ie as it persists today. In 1156 A.H when Nader Shah Afshar paid a visitation to Najaf, he ordered to gild dome and two spires (Goldasta) instead of green-colored tiles that decorated dome and spires designed by Sheikh Baha'ie during the şafavid. He spent the heavy costs to renovate Astāneh and dedicated countless gifts to the Alavi treasury. It is said that Nāder Shah Afshār had taken vows and ordered to gild dome, spire and porch of the shrine athis own costs. He then appeared at the shrine in Najaf while being accompanied by imperial protocol and paid a pilgrimage to the shrine. When he reached the entrance gate to Najaf, some Sunnis told him: The Shiites of Ali (‘a) believe that wine and dog are not allowed to enter into the city of Najaf, around the holy shrine. He said: I have to test it. He ordered to fetch a glass of wine and tie a dog to a golden chain. When they headed for the shrine, the dog did not go to the shrine however they tried to force it. The dog broke off the chain and escaped at last. He said: Place the golden chain on my neck and I enter into the holy shrine in the name of “Dog of Ali" and composed this line of poerty: Nader Qoli is dog of Ali's holy shrine One who has hope of God's Luck in every affair It is said when Nader Shah wanted to enter into the courtyard of the shrine, he ordered to have him tied to golden chain and drag him like a dog. Nobody dared do so because they feared they might be killed by his order. All of a sudden, a man came from the desert and tied him in the neck to the golden chain, dragged him towards the holy courtyard. He entered, paid a pilgrimage and returned; later, whatever search they did to find the man, they failed to do do. Nãder Shah looked at the glass of wine and saw that the wine has turned into vinegard; the companion of shah once noticed that wine has turned into vinegard, he improvised this poetry: O' pal! Sleep in Najaf with no fray Worry not about Judgment Day Where pure wine turns vinegard No doubt sin becomes reward (Montakhab Al-Tavārikh, Mulla Hashem Khorāsāni, p.119) When Sultan Murad, an Ottoman's sultan, wanted to pay a pilgrimage to the tomb of Imam Ali (‘a) in Najaf, he saw the holy dome from 6.72 miles and rode off his horse. Rulers also rode off too. They asked him for the reason, he said: When I saw the dome of shrine of Ali ('a), I was shaken in my limbs; therefore, I decided to walk to the holy shrine. At this time, one of his viziers who was Nāsebi, anti-Shi'a told him: O' sultan! You are sultan and a living emir and Ali ('a) is dead; you do not deserve acting like that! Sultan said: We refer to the Qur'an for Istikhara and whatever it ordered, we would do it. They did so and the following Word of Revelation appeared: (Tāhā: 11 and 12) « فَلَمّا أَتَاهَا نُودِيَ يا مُوسى * إِنِّى أَنَا رَبُّكَ فَاخْلَعْ نَعْلَيْكَ إِنَّكَ بِالْوادِ الْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى » When he approached the fire, he was told: O' the Moses! I am your God. Take off your shoes because you are in the sacred land of "Tūwā”. (Ṭāhā: 11 and 12) Sultan ordered all to take their shoes off and walk to the holy shrine on foot and the anti- shi'a man was disreputed. The story of Murrat Ibn-e-e Qeys is one of the famous ones. Murrat Ibn-e-e Qeys was an Arab nobleman and owned a big tribe. He had several thousand armed troops. His most important feature was enmity against Imam Ali (‘a). One day, he was told about his family and ancestors who were murdered by Ali (‘a) in war. He said: I go and ruin his dome and shrine; I destroy his grave. He headed for Najaf with his army. After six days when he fought with citizens of Najaf outside the city. He could enter into the city when people of Najaf ran away. He immediately referred to the recital of martyrdom, saying: O' Ali ('a)! You killed my ancestors; therefore, I exhume your grave. The very moment he decided to do so, two fingers like Zulfiqar came out of the zariḥ and hit the back of the cursed man; he was cut off in half and the halves quickly turned into two pieces of black stone. The people of Najaf took away the stones from Najaf and threw them away. People insulted the black body a lot and even animals urinated on it. (Kirāmāt Al-'Alaviyya, Ali Mir Khalafzadeh) Although the story has been cited in the sources and books, it is largely well-known among the people of Najaf and the Shiites. The Shiites say the event is regarded as the miracle of Ali (‘a). Two fingers are shown in the southern part of the holy grave near the head within zariḥ in the holy shrine. In this place, there is a collection of gems and jewels gifted from monarchs and salient figures to the holy shrine. Fath: 10 of the Qur'an engraved on a frame facing where the fingers rest: «إنّ الذين يبايعونك إنّما يبايعون الله يدالله فوق ايديهم » The story of the place of two fingers has been cited in some historical sources. Moḥaddith Nūri mentions the story and says: Although the story is being cited in the authentic sources and books, it is well-known among the Shiites very much. It is known as a miracle. Ḥakim Ferdowsi who is one of the 5th century poets and Ḥakim Sanā’ie Ghaznavi who is one of the 6th century poets have included it in their books. Sanai has said the story is one of the inalienable virtues. Mawla Hassan Al-Kashi who is conetemporary of Allameh Helli has composed an ode. The salient scholar, Seyyed Nasrullah Ḥa'eri quotes from Mawla 'Abdulkarim from the book of Tabṣirat Al-Mu'amenin and Seyyed Mohammad Ṣāliḥ Al-Termezi nicknamed as "Al-Kashfi", one of the Sunni scholars in the book of Al-Manaqib about the story and Al- Kashfi says that the story can be proven according to the authentic and accurate documents. (Tarikh Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf, Mohammad Hossein Hirzuddin, pp. 445-446) Several hadiths about reward and excellence of paying pilgrimage to the holy shrine of Imam Ali (‘a): The high status of Amir Al-Mu'amenin (a) has caused pilgrimage of Imam (a) to be considered as one of the most valuable prays and his tomb as one of the most sacred abodes favored by God, Divine Angels and place of pilgrimage of the Prophets and Imams: The Prophet Muhammad (s) told Ali ('a): O' Ali! Whoever pays you pilgrimage in your lifetime and after your demise, I guarantee he shall be saved from all hardships of the Resurrection Day and keep him beside myself. (Kafi, vol.4, p.579, hadith 2) The Prophet (s): I find it necessary to pay a visit to someone who pays a pilgrimage to Ali (‘a) and save him from his sins in the Resurrection Day. (Kāmel Al-Ziyārāt, Ibn-e-e Qulwiyya Qomi, p.36, narration 3) The Prophet (s): By God, God may not let the steps that have become dusty because of paying a pilgrimage to Amir Al-Mu'amenin (a) suffer from the hellfire. (Biḥār Al-Anwar, vol. 100, p.260, narration 10) Imam ṣādiq (*a): Seventy thousand Angels circle around the House inhabited and Ka'aba. Later, they pay a pilfrimage to the holy tomb of the Messenger of Allah (s) and greet him. After that, they pay a visitation to the holy tomb of Amir Al-Mu'amenin (a) and greet him; and they pay a pilgrimage to Imam Husayn (‘a) and after greeting him, they go upward to the heaven. (Biḥār Al-Anwār, vol. 100, p.257, narration 1) Imam ṣādiq (‘a): Adjacent to people of Kufa, a grave exists and if any sad person takes refuge in it, God Almighty removes his sadness, fulfils his pray and happily returns him to his kins. (Biḥār Al-Anwar, vol. 100, p.263, narration 15) Imam şādiq (*a): Someone who remains Āref towards the Truth unselfishly pays a visitation to Amir Al- Mu'amenin (a) and is secured by God from the tribulations of the Resurrection and Judgment is made easy for him. ((Biḥār Al-Anwar, vol. 100, p.257) Imam ṣādiq (*a): Whomever walks to pay a visitation to Amir Al-Mu'amenin, he shall be ordained one hajj and minor pilgrimage to Ka'aba for his each step and if he returns on foot, he shall be written two hajjs and two minor pilgrimages to Ka'aba for his each step. (Biḥār Al-Anwar, vol. 10, p.260, narration 9) Imam ṣādiq (*a): When pilgrim of Amir Al-Mu'amenin (‘a) prays, the heavens opens doors to him. (Kamel Al-Ziyārāt, p.35, narration 2) The Holy Prophet (s): Only truthful people of my ummah pay pilgrimage to Ali (*a). ((Kāmel Al-Ziyārāt, p.68, narration 4) Imam Ridā (‘a): Excellence of pilgrimage to the tomb of Amir Al-Mu'amenin (a) in front of the pilgrimage to the tomb of Imam Husayn (a) resembles excellence of Amir Al-Mu'amenin in front of Imam Husayn. (Biḥār Al-Anwar, vol. 100, p.261, narration 14) Attachment to the Remaining Part of Theosophy Account As earlier said, Sunnis have considered the issue of “Ijtihad of ṣaḥāba" to justify the anti- religious acts of some of the Companions. They hold that since all of the Comapnions of the Prophet (s) are pious and justice-centered, their wrongdoings, particularly pulling sword to one another and killing each other, after Muhammad's demise cease to clash with their justice and piety. This is because they were mujtahid and acted in compliance with their ijtihad rather than with their sensual desire!!! For example, they say Mu'awiyya is included among the Companions of the Messenger (s) and justify his battle against our lord, Ali ('a) as such!! They claim: If Mu'awiyya battled Ali ('a), he did not do it out od sensual desire; rather, he concluded that he was mujtahid and he must fight with Ali ('a); therefore, as Mu'awiyya had acted according to his ijtihad, not only did he not do against religion, but also he remained rewarded before the Almighty God!! Of course, many of them say that Ali (‘a) was right and Mu'awiyya had made a mistake in his ijtihad, but his reward is reserved because if mujtahid fulfills his rule rightly, he is rewarded two times and if otherwise, meaning he makes mistake in his ijtihad, he is rewarded one time; however, since he made a mistake in his ijtihad, he is rewarded one time in the battle (şiffin Battle)!! Sunnis pay no attention to this important point that the Messenger of God (s) has introduced Ali (‘a) as authrority of truth in various hadiths and said that his foes are included within the hypocrite dissidents and the deviant. Therefore, Amir Mu'amenan (‘a) who is authority of truth purely nullifies whoever stands in front of him. It is known to every man of insight that the issue of ijtihad of ṣaḥāba raised by Sunnis has no rational and religious criterion and in fact it is justification of anti-religious acts of those who claim to be ṣaḥāba of the Messenger (s). Now, I ask the honorable readers to attend to this historically painful and deplorable event taken place by some of the Companions: "Khalid Ibn-e-Walid" becomes the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. As Abubakr ordered him, he attacks the people of "Malik Ibn-e-Nuwayra", a Companion of the Messenger (s) under the pretext of apostasy. After Malik Ibn-e-e Nuwayra surrenders, he beheads all of them and uses their heads as firewood to cook porridge for his troops. At the same night, he brings the wife of Malik to his tent and commits adultery with her. When the caliph hears it, he says: Leave Khalid alone because he has acted according to his own ijtihad!! We speak about the personality of Khalid Ibn-e-e Walid a little before we further detail this deplorable event from Sunni sources and histories: Beside Abu Sufiyan, Mu'awiyya and the other disbelievers, Khalid Ibn-e-e Walid used his sword against Islam and fought as much as he could. In the Battle of Ohud, he commandeered some infidel troops and when Muslims left the distance between the two mounts, Khalid ordered his troops to attack Muslims from behind and turn their victory into defeat. On the 8th of hegira when the army of Islam had become very strong, Khalid joined by Abu Sufiyan and Mu'awiyya changed his tactics to save his life and apparently embraced Islam. After demise of the Prophet (s), he played a very important role in consolidating the governance of Abubakr and weakening of the situation of Ali ('a) and spurring hard enmity against him. This was because Abubakr appoinyted him as the commander of the army. All great Sunni historians such as Țabari, Ibn-e-e Athir, Ibn-e-e Kathir, Ya'aqūbi et.al have detailed the event in their books: This event occurred in Baṭāḥ (a spot of Nuwayra's land). Khalid Ibn-e-e Walid killed not only Muslims of Nuwayra's tribe after assuring them of clemency, but also he mutilated them. He captivated the faithful woemen and made permissible all properties and honors God had banned as illegal! He dismissed rules and religious limits and committed crimes that one can claim had been unprecedented during the Dark Age. As for M alik Ibn-e-e Nuwayra's personality, the historians say: He beat the noblemen of Bani Tamim and was a genuinely influential Arab. He was exemplary in terms of personality, generosity, decency, courage and chivalry. When he embraced Islam, the whole Bani Yarbū'a tribe embraced Islam because of him; since Prophet (s) trusted him, he assigned him on the zakat affairs of his tribe people. The only wrongdoing Malik committed was to refuse to pay zakat to the government of Abubakr because he found his government illegitimate and he said the office of caliphate belonged to a qualified person whom the Prophet (s) had introduced on the Ghadir-e- Khum. The reason behind murder of Malik was the reason by means of which the House of Revelation was set ablaze and perished the trustship of the prophet (s)!!! When Abubakr was told that Malik failed to pay zakat to government, he dispatched Khalid Ibn- e-e Walid with his abundant troops to the land of Baṭaḥ, belonging to Malik Ibn-e-e Nuwayra. When men of Khalid reached there, they found nobody there because Malik had dispersed his people before and had recommended they remain on the religion of Islam, refusing to counter with Khalid until God bring them together. Khalid sent his men after Malik and his people. Soldiers brought Malik and a number of Bani Yarbū'a to hand over them to Khalid. Later, men of Malik, hands tied, while being joined with "Leili", Malik's life were brought to Khalid. “Leili, daughter of Menhal", as historians say, was the most beautiful Arab woman in terms of charm and body posture. Malik's wife stood beside him while Khalid and Malik were arguing together. At last, Khalid said: O' Malik! I will kill you. Malik said: Has Abubakr ordered you to do so? O' Khalid! Send us to Abubakr to decide about us. "Abdullah Ibn-e-e Omar" and "Abu Qatada Ansari" insisted in supporting Malik and asked Khalid to dispatch Malik and his men to the Caliph. Khalid said: I cannot help but killing him. Later, he ordered "Dhirāār Ibn-e-e Azwar Assadi" to decapitate him. At this time, he looked at his wife, saying to Khalid: This is for what I am killed! (Meaning you want to kill me because you want my wife). When Darar beheaded Malik, Khalid put Malik's head underneath an oven in the fire. After that, Khalid took Malik's wife to his tent and raped her that night!! Khalid arrested the rest of Malik's people and imprisoned them on a very cold night. Later, he decapitated them with a ploy and mutilated their bodies. After massacring them, he ordered to keep their heads under cooking pots as firewood for cooking porridge soup!! Now, I ask the respectable readers to listen to reaction of Abubakr to such crime: Abu Qatada Ansari joined Motammam Ibn-e-e Nuwayrah (brother of Malik who had escaped successfully) and departed to Medina. When they reached Medina, Abu Qatada being very angry met with Abubakr and told him the story that how Khalid killed Malik and his people after granting them clemency and slept with Malik's wife. Motammam Ibn-e-e Nuwayrah told something too and he wept so much that he fell down uncounsciously, but Abubakr who was very joyful about the role of Khalid in his victories and battles paid no attention to the complaints of Abu Qatada. In the history of Abi Al-Fida' quoting from Abubakr: I will never kill Khalid because we did wrong in his ijtihad and I never unsheathe the sword that God has sheathed on them. Wafiyat Al-A'yan and Kanz Al-Ummal and the other Sunni sources read that Abubakr responded to those who said Malik must be stoned: I do not stone him; he embarked on ijtihad and made a mistake in it. Omar told Abubakr: Remove him from the office of commandeering; Abubakr said: I do not sheathe the sword that God has unsheathed. But some important Sunni sources that have cited this deplorable event: •Al-Fa'iq fi Gharib Al-Hadith va Al-Athar, vol.3, p.157 • Lesān Al-Arab, Mādat Al-Qatl • Tāj Al-'Arūs, Mādat Al-Qatl Tahzib Al-Lughat, vol.9, p.63 •Nasab-e Quraysh, vol. 1, p.321 •Mahd Al-ṣawab, vol.3, p.1002 Al-Aṣāba, vol.2, p.218 •Fawat Al-Wafiyāt, vol.3, p.233 •Seyr A❜lām Al-Nubala', vol. 1, p.378 • Tarikh Al-Islam Zahabi, vol.2, p.24 •Tarikh-e Dameshq, vol. 16, p.274 Thaqat Ibn-e-e Ḥabbān, vol.2, p.165 Ḥayat Al-ṣaḥāba, vol.3, p.158 •Al-Badāya va Al-Nahāya, vol.9, p.462 •Tarikh-e Ibn-e-e Al-Verdi, vol. 1, p.135 •Al-Mokhtasar fi Akhbar Al-Bashar • Ketab Al-Radda, vol.1, p. 107 •Kanz Al-Ummal, vol.5, p.619 •awa'iq Al-Moḥriqa, vol. 1, p.91 For detailed story and more Sunni sources, you can access to Sharif Al-Ghadir authored by Allameh Sheikh 'Abdulhossein Amini. This was one of the crimes of usurped caliphate system that is justified as ijtihad of ṣaḥāba. That is true! Khalid Ibn-e-e Walid kills Muslims for incriminating apostasy and commits incest with Malik's wife, but Abubakr showsw no reaction; even he never deposes the man whom the Qur'an has named as evil-doer because Khalid Ibn-e-e Walid suppresses his opponents and he usurps the right of Ali ('a) and has taken the seat of caliphate under the sword of Khalid and the like! That is true! This is the fruit of the non- Immaculate governance and those who are drunken of being in the office of chairmanship. This crime of the caliphate system happened when brother of the Messenger (s), the door to Medina of his knowledge and the speaking Qur'an was forced to keep house stay. When Ali (‘a) did not recognize their usuped caliphate, they broke into his house with a fully armed army and set fire on it and martyred the endeared daughter of the Messenger, Seddiqah Kobra (‘a). Now, let us take a look at the government of Amir Al-Mu'amenin (‘a) to make it clear that what cruelty is rendered against humanity because of usurping the inalienable office of Imam Ali (‘a) and what bloods are shed unrightfully. When Ali (‘a) was told that agents of Mu'awiyyamay Allah curse him have invaded the city of Anbar and robbed a non-Muslim of her bracelet and anklet, Ali (‘a) said: I was informed that men of their army assaulted the Muslim and non-Muslim women whose welfare has been prepared by the life treaty in the Islamic commuinties and robbed them of their anklet and bracelet; necklace and earrings have been stolen; these miserable people had no choice but crying God, asking for mercy and sympathy. If Muslim man dies following such heart-rending event, he cannot be blamed; rather, to me, it is should and deserving act for a Muslim man to die because of being impressed by such disaster. (Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 27) The usurping caliphate system could commit every crime to seize a few-day power and chairmanship of the world, but our lord, Ali Ibn-e-e Abiṭālib (a) calls: By God! If I am given the government of seven-fold land with whatever beneath it, I will not commit sin in front of God by grabbing wheat skin from an ant's mouth. (Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 224) True! Imam Ali Ibn-e-e Abiṭālib (a) is the divinely eternal light that shined across the heavens and the earth, it is shining and will shine forever. *****

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الحمد لله الذي جعلنا من المتمسكين بولايه أمير المؤمنين و الأئمة المعصومين ( سلام الله عليهم أجمعين ) وصلى الله على محمد و آله الطاهرين.

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The third shrine of Ahl Al-Bayt (a) in Shiraz, Iran

23 June, 2013

Sha'aban 14th, 1434 A.H.

1:00 a.m.

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144. Rijal, Kashi (Ikhtiyar Ma'arefat Al-Rijāl), Abu Amru Mohammad Ibn-e Omar Kashi, University of Mashhad, 1409 A.H

145.Al-Radda Ma' nabzat men futūḥ Al-'Araq va zikr Al-Muthannā Ibn-e Harithat Al-Shaybāni, Mohammad Ibn-e Omar Ibn-e Waqid Al-Sahmi Al-Aslami Belvila', Al-Madani, Abu 'Abdullah, Al- Waqidi, Darulgharb Al-Islami, Beirut

146.Rūḥ Al-Ma'āni (Tafsir Alūsi, Daruliḥyā' Al-Tarāth Al-'Arabi, Beirut

147.Al-Rawd Al-Unf fi Sharh Al-Sirat Al-Nubuvva Ibn-e Hishām, 'Abdulrahman Ibn-e 'Abdullah Soheili, Daruliḥya' Al-Tarath Al- 'Arabi, 1st impression, Beirut

148.Al-Rawd Al-Miṭār, Mohammad Ibn-e 'Abdulmun'am Ḥamayri, researched by Eḥsān 'Abbas, Maktabat Lebanon, Beirut, 1975 149.Rawdat Al-Wa'ezin, Mohammad Ibn-e Ahmad Fattāl Neishaburi,

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150. Leadership of Ummah, Ja'afar Subḥāni

151. Riyadh Al-Abrar fi Manaqib Al-A'emmat Al-Aṭhār (a), Seyyed Ne'amatullah Jaza'eri, dead in 1112 A.H, Al-Tarikh Al-'Arabi, Beirut, 1427 A.H, 1st impression

152.Al-Riyadh Al-Nadrah, Muḥebuddin Ahmad Ibn-e 'Abdullah Tabari, Dar Al-Nuduwat Al-Jadid, Beirut, 1408 A.H

153.Zad Al-Masir, Abulfaraj 'Abdulrahman Ibn-e Ali Ibn-e Mohammad Jawzi Qurashi Baghdadi, Darulfikr, Beirut, 1407 A.H

154.Subul Al-Huda va Al-Rishad fi Sirat Kheyr Al-Ebād, Mohammad Ibn-e Yusuf Ṣāleḥi Shafe'ie, Al-Majlis Al-A'la Al-Sheūn Al- Islamiyya, Egypt, 1972

155. Sa'ad Al-Sa'ud, Ali Ibn-e Mūsā Ibn-e Ṭāvūs, Radi publications, Qom, 1984

156. Safinat Al-Biḥār, 'Abbas Qomi, Daruluswah, Qom

157.Al-Saqifah va Fadak, Abubakr Jawhari (Ahmad Ibn-e 'Abdulaziz Jawhari Başri), Maktabat Naynavā, Tehran

158. Semţ Al-Nujum Al-'Awāli, Āṣemi Shāfe'ie

159.Sunan Ibn-e Mājah, Mohammad Ibn-e Yazid, Darulfikr, Beirut

160. Sunan Al-Termezi, Maktabat Al-Tarbiyat Al-'Arabi, Ladūl Al- Khalīj, 1408 A.H

161.Al-Sunan Al-Kobra, Ahmad Ibn-e Al-Hossein Al-Bayhaqi, Darulfikr, Beirut

162.Al-Sunan Al-Kobra, Nisa'ie, Darulkotob Al-Ilmiyya, Beirut, 1411 A.H

163.Sunan Termezi, Mohammad Ibn-e Issa Al-Termezi, darulfikr, Beirut

164. Siyar A'lām Al-Nubulā', Shamsuddin Zahabi, Al-Risāla Institute, Beirut, 1413 A.H

165. Sira of Leaders, Mehdi Pishwa'ie

166.Sira Halabi (Ensan Al-Uyun fi Sirat Al-Amin Al-Ma'mun), Nuruddin Ali Ibn-e Ibrahim Halabi, Al-Maktabat Al-Islamiyya, Beirut

167. Sira Omar Ibn-e Khaṭṭāb, Sebt Ibn-e Jawziyya

168. Sirat Ibn-e Hishām, ‘Abdulmalek Ibn-e Hisham, Maṭba'at Ṣabiḥ,

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169. Sirat Ibn-e Hisham (Al-Sirat Al-Nubuvviya), 'Abdulmalek Ibn-e Hishām Ḥamayri, Daruliḥya' Al-Tarath Al-'Arabi, Beirut

170.Al-Sirat Al-Ḥalabiyya, Abulfaraj Nuruddin Ali Ibn-e Ibrahim Ibn- e Ahmad Ḥalabi Shafe'ie, Al-Maktabat Al-Islamiyya, Beirut 171.Sirat Al-Ḥalabiyya, Ali Ibn-e Burhanuddin Al-Halabi Al-Shafe'ie, Daruliḥya' Al-Tarath Al-'Arabi, Beirut

172.Sirat Al-Nubuvviyya, Abu Ḥātam Mohammad Ibn-e Ahmad Al- Tamimi, Darulkotob Al-Ilmiyya, Beirut

173.Sirat Zayni Daḥlān (Al-Sirat Al-Nubuvviyya va Al-Athar Al- Mohammadiyya), Seyyed Ahmad Ibn-e Zayni Daḥlan, Al-Maktabat Islamiyya, Beirut

174.Our questions, Hossein Tehrani, Nashr-e Ḥāziq, 2nd impression, 1427 A.H

175.Al-Shafi, Seyyed Murtida, Nashr-e Esma'ilian, Qom, 1410 A.H 176. Sharh Al-Maqāṣid, Taftāzāni, Darulma'aref Al-Nu'amāniyya, Pāksān, 1401 A.H

177.Sharh-e Tajrid Al-Itiqād, Qushchi

178.Sharh-e Fūṣūṣ Al-Hakam, Davūd Qaysari, corrected and introduced by Seyyed Jalaluddin Ashtiyāni, cultural and scientific publications, 1st impression, Tehran, 1996

179.Sharh-e Golshan Raz, Elahi Ardebili, Markaz Nashr-e Daneshgāhi, Tehran, 1997

180.Sharh-e Golshan Raz, Shamsuddin Mohammad Lähiji, Zawwār publications, 2nd impression, 1995

181.Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balaghah, Ibn-e Abi Al-Hadid Mu'atazili, researched by Mohammad Abulfadl Ibrahim, Egypt

182.Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balaghah, Ibn-e Abi Al-Hadid Mu'atazili, Mar'ashi Ayatullah library, Qom

183.Al-Shafă Beta'rif Huqu Al-Mustafa, Qādi Ayyād

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185. Shawähid Al-Tanzil, Ḥākem Neishābūri, researched Mohammad Al-Mahmudi, Ministry of Guidance, 1st impression, Tehran, 1990

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187.Sahiḥ, Ibn-e Khuzaymah, Al-Maktab Al-Islami, Beirut, 1412 A.H

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196. 'Abaqat Al-Anwar, Mir Ḥamed Hossein Kahnu'ie Neishābūri

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199.Al-'Aqd Al-Farid, Ibn-e 'Abd Rabbih Andulesi, Darulmaktab Al- Hilal, Beirut

200.Elal Al-Sharāyi'a, Sheikh Saduq, Dāvari bookstore, Qom, 1966

201.Umdat Al-Maṭālib fi Ansāb Al-e Abiṭālib, Sheikh Ahmad Dāvūdi

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209.Gharar Al-Hakam va Durar Al-Kalam, Amadi, Darulkotob Al- Islami, Qom, 1410 A.H

210.Gharib Al-Hadith, Ibn-e Jawziyya

211.Gharib Al-Hadith, Ibn-e Qutaybah, Darulkotob Al-Ilmiyya, Beirut, 1408 A.H

212.Al-Ghayba, Mohammad Ibn-e Ibrahim Al-Nu'amāni, researched by Ghaffari, Maktab Saduq, Tehran

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215.Fath Al-Qadir, Qādi Shawkāni, Darulma'arefa, Beirut, 1416 A.H

216.Al-Futūḥ, Ahmad Ibn-e A'tham Kufi, Darulkotob Al-Ilmiyya

217.Al-Futūḥāt Al-Makkiyya, Daruliḥya Al-Tarath Al-'Arabi, Beirut

218.Futūḥ Al-Buldan, Ahmad Ibn-e Yahya Al-Bilāziri, researched by Mohammad Ridwan Mohammad, Darulkotob Al-Ilmiyya, Beirut

219.Farā'id Al-Simțayn, Himaway Al-Juwani, Darulḥabib, Qom, 1st impression

220.Excerpts from the history of the Prophet Muhammad (s), Ja'afar Subḥāni

221. Farhat Al-Ghari, Seyyed 'Abdulkarim Ibn-e Ṭāvūs, Al-Radi publications, Qom

222.Al-Firdows, Daylami, Darulkitab Al-'Arabi, Beirut

223.Firdows Al-Akhbar, Ibn-e Shiruyah Daylami, Darulkitab Al- 'Arabi, Beirut

224.Al-Fașl fi Al-Milal va Al-Ahwa va Al-Naḥl, Abu Mohammad Ali Ibn-e Sa'id Ibn-e Ḥazm Al-Zahiri Al-Andulesi

225.Fuṣūs Al-Ḥakam, Ibn-e ‘Arabi, annotated by Abu Al-'Ala' 'Afifi, Al-Zahra publications, 2nd impression, Tehran, 1991

226.Al-Fuṣul Al-Muhimma fi Ma'arefat Al-A'emma, Ibn-e Ṣabbāgh Maliki, Darulhadith, 1st impression, Qom

227.Fadā'il Al-Khulafa', Omar Ibn-e Issā Khațibi

228.Fadā'il Al-Saḥāba, Nisā'ie, Darulkotob Al-Ilmiyya, Beirut

229.Fadā'il Al-Saḥāba, Ahmad Ibn-e Mohammad Ibn-e Ḥanbal, researched by Waṣiyullah Ibn-e Mohammad Ibn-e 'Abbas, 1st

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230. Fawāt Al-Wafiyāt, Mohammad Ibn-e Shakir Ibn-e Ahmad Ibn-e 'Abdulrahman Ibn-e Shakir Ibn-e Harun Ibn-e Shakir Al-Mulaqqab Beṣalāḥ, Dar-e Ṣādir, Beirut

231.Faydh Al-Qadir, Manāvi, Darulkotob Al-Ilmiyya, Beirut

232.Qādatinā Kayf N'arifahm? Seyyed Mohammad Hādi Hosseini, Milāni, Qom, 1428 A.H, 2nd impression

233.Al-Qatrah, Seyyed Ahmad Mustanbit, translated by Mohammad Zarif, 1st impression, Qom, 2000

234.Al-Kafi, Abu Ja'afar Mohammad Ibn-e Y'aqub Ibn-e Ishaq Kulayni, Darulkotob Ilmiyya, Tehran

235.Al-Kafi, Abu Ja'afar Mohammad Ibn-e Y'aqub Ibn-e Ishaq Kulayni, Al-A'lami institute, Beirut

236.Al-Kamil, 'Abdullah Ibn-e 'Adi, Darulfikr, Beirut, 3rd impression, 1988

237.Kamil Al-Ziyārāt, Ibn-e Qūlwiyya Qomi, Darulmurtadaviyya, Najaf, 1977

238.Al-Kamil fi Al-Tarikh, Ibn-e Athir, Daruliḥya Al-Tarath Al- 'Arabi, Beirut

239.Kitāb Al-Azkiya', Ibn-e Jawziyya

240. Kitab Al-Arbain, Mulla Mohammad Tahir Qomi Shirazi, dead in 1098 A.H, published by Seyyed Mehdi Raja'ie, 1st impression, 1418 A.H

241. Kitab Al-Yaqin, Seyyed Ibn-e Ṭāvūs, researched by Anṣāri Zanjāni, Darulkitab, Qom, 1413 A.H

242.Al-Kitāb: Tarikh Al-Islam va Wafiyāt Al-Mashāhīr va Al-A'lām, Shamsuddin Abu 'Abdullah Mohammad Ibn-e Ahmad Ibn-e Uthman Ibn-e Qāymaz Al-Zahabi, Darulgharb Al-Islami

243. Kitab-e Salim Ibn-e Qays Hilāli, researched by Esma'il Anṣāri, Nashr-e Hādi, Qom

244.Kirāmāt Al-'Alaviyya, Ali Mir Khalafzadeh

245.Kashf Al-Ghumma, Irbili, Iraq, Najaf, 2005

246.Kashf Al-Murad, Allameh Hilli, published by Qom seminary association of tutors, 1417 A.H

247.Al-Kasf Al-Bayān (Tafsir Tha'albi), Tha'albi, Daruliḥyā Al-

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248. Kifayat Al-Athar, Hafiz Ganji Shāfe'ie

249. Kifayat Al-Talib, Hafiz Abu 'Abdullah Mohmmad Ibn-e Yusuf Qurashi known as Ganji Shafe'ie

250. Kifayat Al-TṬālib, Ali Ibn-e Shahabuddin Al-Hassani Al-Hamdāni Al-Shāfe'ie, Daruliḥyā Al-Tarāth Ahl-e Bayt (‘a), Tehran 251.Kamaluddin va Tamām Al-N'amah, Abu Ja'afar Mohammad Ibn- e Ali Ibn-e Bābūyah Qomi Sheikh Saduq, Qom seminary association of tutors

252.Kamaluddin va Tamām Al-N'amah, Sheikh Saduq, Islamiyya publications, Tehran, 1395 A.H

253.Kanz Al-Ummāl, Alā'eddin Ali Mutaqqi Hindi, Al-Risāla institute, Beirut

254.Kanz Al-Fawa'id, Abulfath Mohammad Ibn-e Ali Karājki, Darulawdā', Beirut, 1405 A.H

255.Kanuz Al-Haqā'iq, Mohammad 'Abdulra'uf Ibn-e Ali Manāvi

256.Al-Kawkab Al-Dari, Mohammad Ṣāleḥ Hanafi

257.Gulshan-e Raz, Mohammad Shabestari, Aṭṭār publications, Tehran, 2002

258.Lisān Al-'Arab, Ibn-e Manzur Mohammad Ibn-e Mukarram, Matb'at A'dab Al-Hawzah, 1407 A.H

259.Lisan Al-'Arab, Ibn-e Manzūr Jamāluddin Abulfadl Mohammad Ibn-e Mukarram Ibn-e Ali Ifriqi Misri, researched by Ali Shiri, Daruliḥyā Al-Tarāth Al-'Arabi, Beirut

260.Lisan Al-Mizan, Ibn-e Ḥajar Asqalani, Al-A'lami institute, Beirut

261.Ma'at Al-Manqabat men Manaqib Amir Mu'amenin ('a), Mohammad Ibn-e Ahmad known after Ibn-e Shāzān-e Qomi

262. Mā Nazzal fi Al-Qur'an fi Ali (‘a), Ahmad Ibn-e 'Abdullah Abu Na'im Esfahani, edited by Mohammad Baqir Maḥmūdi, Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, 1st impression, 1406 A.H

263.Mathnavi M'anavi, Jalaluddin Mohammad Rūmi

264.Majma' Al-Amthal, Aḥad Ibn-e Mohammad Ibn-e Ahmad Meidāni, researched by Mohammad Abulfadl Ibrahim, Daruljibel, Beirut

265. Majma' Al-Zawa'id, Ibn-e Hajar Heythami, Darulkotob Al- Ilmiyya, Beirut

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266.Al-Muḥajjat Al-Baydā'fi Tahzib Al-Iḥyā, Mohammad Ibn-e Murtidā Mawla Moḥsen Faydh Kāshāni, researched by Akbar Ghaffari, Islamic publications, 2nd impression, Qom

267.Maḥd Al-ṣawāb fi Fadā'il Omar Ibn-e Al-Khaṭṭāb, Yusuf Ibn-e Hassan Ibn-e Ahmad Ibn-e Hassan Ibn-e 'Abdulhādi Al-Ṣāleḥi, Jamāluddin, Ibn-e Al-Hanbali (dead in 909 A.H), Emādat Al-Baḥth Al-Ilmi Biljama'at Islamiyya, the city of Medina, Saudi Arabia

268.Al-Muḥalli, Abu Mohammad Ali Ibn-e Sa'id Ibn-e Ḥazm Al-Zāhiri Al-Andulesi, Darulfikr, BeirutMukhtaṣar-e Tarikh-e Dameshq Ibn- e ‘Asākir, Mohammad Ibn-e Mukarram Ibn-e Manzūr, Darulfikr, Beirut

269.Al-Mukhtaṣar fi Akhbar Al-Bashar, Abulfidā' Emāduddin Esma'il Ibn-e Ali Ibn-e Mahmud Ibn-e Mohammad Ibn-e Omar Ibn-e Shāhanshah Ibn-e Ayyub, Al-Malek Al-Mu'ayyid, Ṣāḥib Himāt, Al-Hosseiniyya Al-Mişriyya publications

270.Madinat Al-Ma'ājiz, Seyyed Hashim Baḥrāni, Al-Ma'ārif Al- Islamiyya institute, Qom, 1413 A.H

271.Mirqat Al-Mafātiḥ, Alin Ibn-e Sultan Qāri

272.Muravvij Al-Zahab, Ali Ibn-e Darulandulus, Beirut Al-Hossein Al-Mas'udi,

273.Al-Mazār, Shahid Avval, Imam Mahdi Madressa ('a), Qom, 1410 A.H

274.Al-Mazār Al-Kabir, Mohammad Ibn-e Ja'afar Ibn-e Mashhadi, Qom seminary association of tutors, 1419 A.H

275.Al-Mustadrak ṣaḥīḥin, Hakem Mohammad Ibn-e 'Abdullah Neishābūri, Darulma'rifa, Beirut

276.Al-Mustadrak Ala-ṣaḥīḥīn, Mohammad Ibn-e ‘Abdullah Ḥākem Neishābūr, researched by Mustafa ‘Abdulqādir ‘Aṭā, 1st impression, Darulkotob Al-Ilmiyya, 1990, Beirut

277.Al-Mustaṭrif fi Kull-e Fann-e Mustazrif, Mohammad Ibn-e Ahmad Abshihi, Al-Hilal Maktabat, Beirut, 2000, 1st impression

278.Al-Musnad, Ahmad Ibn-e Hanbal, Dar-e Ṣādir, Beirut

279.Musnad Abi Y'ali Mūṣili, Ḥamzat Ibn-e 'Abdulaziz Al- Tabarestani, Al-Daylami, researched by by Hossein Salim,

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280. Mashariq Anwār Al-Yaqīn, Ḥāfiz Rajab Al-Bursi, dead in 813 A.H, A'lami publications, Beirut, 1422 A.H, 1st impression

281.Mushkil Al-Athār, Ṭaḥāvi

282.Al-Muşannaf, Ibn-e Abi Shaybah, Darulfikr, 1st impression, Beirut, 1989

283.Al-Muṣannaf, ‘Abdulrazzaq, Ibn-e Hammām Ṣan'āni, Al-Majlis Al-'Alami, Beirut

284.Al-Musannaf fi Al-Ahadith va Al-Athār (Muşannaf Ibn-e Abi Shaybah), 'Abdullah Ibn-e Mohammad Abi Shaybah, Darultāj, Beirut, 1409 A.H

285.Maṭālib Al-Se'ul, Mohammad Ibn-e Ṭalḥat Ibn-e Mohammad Ibn- e Al-Hassan Al-Qurashi Al-Shafe'ie, researched by Majid Ibn-e Ahmad 'Aṭiyya

286. Ma'āni Al-Akhbar, Abu Ja'afar Mohammad Ibn-e Ali Ibn-e Bābūyah Sheikh Saduq, Nashr-e Islami institute, Qom

287.Mu'ahid Al-Tanşiş, 'Abdulrahim Ibn-e 'Abdulrahman 'Abbasi 288.Al-Mu'ajam Al-Awsat, Tabarani, researched by Darulḥaramayn, 1415 A.H

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290.Al-Mu'ajam Al-Saghir, Tabrāni, Darulkotob Al-Ilmiyya, Beirut

291.Al-Mu'ajam Al-Kabir, Abulqassim Sulayman Ibn-e Ahmad Ṭabrāni, Daruliḥya' Al-Tarath Al-'Arabi, 2nd impression, Beirut, 1987

292.Mu'ajam Rijal Hadith, Seyyed Abulqāssim Khū'ie

293.Al-M❜ayār va Al-Muwāzina, Eskāfi

294.Al-Maghāzi, Mohammad Ibn-e Omar Wāqidi, Darulma'arifa Al- Islamiyya, 1405 A.H

295.Al-Maghāzi, Mohammad Ibn-e Omar Waqidi, researched by Marsden Jones, A'lami institute, Beirut, 1409 A.H

296.Mafātīḥ Al-Jinan, Sheikh 'Abbas Qomi

297. Maqātil Al-Ṭālibīn, Abulfaraj Esfahani, Al-Maktabat Ḥaydarra, 2nd impression, Najaf

298.Maqtal Al-Husayn (a), Khwārazmi Ḥanafi

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299.Al-Maqna'ah, Sheikh Mufid, Qom seminary association of tutors, 1410 A.H

300.Al-Milal va Al-Niḥal, Mohammad Ibn-e ‘Abdulkarim Shahrestani, attempted by Seyyed Mohammad Gilāni, Darulma'arifa, Beirut 301.Mamd Al-Humam dar Sharh-e Füşüş Al-Hikam, Hassan Hassanzadeh Āmoli, Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, 1st impression, 1999

302.Al-Manāqib, Mu'affaq Ibn-e Ahmad Khwārazmi Ḥanafi, Nashr-e Islami institute, 1st impression, Qom, 1420 A.H

303.Manaqib, Khaṭṭīb Baghdadi

304. Manaqib, Al-e Abiṭālib, Ibn-e Shahrāshūb

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306.Al-Manaqib Al-Murtidaviyya, Mohammad Ṣāleḥ Termezi 307.Manaqib-e Ali Ibn-e Abiṭālib (a), Abulhassan Ali Ibn-e Mohammad Ibn-e Mohammad Wasiți known after Ibn-e Maghāzili Shāfe'ie, Ministry of Guidance, Qom, 1415 A.H

308. Muntakhab Al-Tawarikh, Mulla Hāshim Khurāsāni

309.Muntahi Al-Āmāl, Sheikh ‘Abbas Qomi, Hosseini publications, 1993

310.Men La Yaḥdara Al-Fiqhiyya, Mohammad Ibn-e Ali Ibn-e Bābūyah Qomi Sheikh Saduq, association of tutors, Qom

311.Minhaj Al-Bira'at fi Sharh-e Nahj Al-Balaghah, Mirzā Ḥabibullah Hashimi Khu'ie, Maktabat Al-Islamiyya, Tehran, 1400 A.H

312. Minhaj Al-Sunna, Abu Al-Abbas Ahmad Ibn-e 'Abdulhalim Ibn-e Taymiyya Ḥarrāni, Darulkotob Al-Ilmiyya, Beirut

313.Al-Mawāqif, ‘Adhduddin Iji, Nashr-e Daruljalil, researched by ‘abdulrahman Umayrah, 1417 A.H

314. Al-Mawāhib Al-Laduniyya, Ahmad Ibn-e Mohammad Qasṭā'ie, Cairo

315.Mawadat Al-Qurbā, Ali Ibn-e Shahabuddin Al-Hosseini Al- Hamdani Al-Shafe'ie

316. Mūsu❜at Al-Imam Ali Ibn-e Abiṭālib (a), Seyyed Ja'afar Murtidā Ameli

317.Al-Mawdū'at, Sebt Ibn-e Jawziyya, Al-Maktabat Al-Salafiyya, Medina

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318.Al-Mawṭā', Malik Ibn-e Anas, Iḥya Al-Tarath Al-'Arabi, Beirut

319.Mizan Al-Itidal, Mohammad Ibn-e Ahmad Ibn-e Uthman Zahabi, Darulma'arifa, Beirut

320. Mizan Al-Hikmat, Darulhadith, Qom Mohammad Mohammadi Reyshahri,

321.Nuzhat Al-Kirām, Seyyed Murtidā nicknamed as Alam Al-Hudā 322.Nasab-e Quraysh, Muş'ab Ibn-e 'Abdullah Ibn-e Muş'ab Ibn-e Thabit Ibn-e 'Abdullah Ibn-e Al-Zubayr, Abu 'Abdullah Al- Zubayri, Darulma'arif, Cairo

323.Nasim Al-Riyadh fi Sharh-e Shafa Al-Qādi Ayyādh, Ahmad Ibn-e Mohammad Khaffāji Miṣri

324.Nazm Durr Al-Simtayn, Zarandi Hanafi, 1st impression, Beirut, 1988

325.Nafas Al-Mahmum, Sheikh 'Abbas Qomi, Başīrati publications, Qom

P: 548

Ali, the Light of God

book id

Point

Contents

Praise Account

introduction

sincerity account

Point

Theosophy one

Theosophy Two

Theosophy Three

Theosophy Four

Theosophy Five

Theosophy Six

Theosophy Seven

Theosophy Eight

Theosophy Nine

Theosophy Ten

Theosophy Eleven

Theosophy Twelve

Theosophy Thirteen

Theosophy Fourteen

Theosophy Fifteen

Theosophy Sixteen

Theosophy Seventeen

Theosophy Eighteen

Theosophy Nineteen

Theosophy Twenty

Theosophy Twenty One

Theosophy Twenty Two

Theosophy Twenty Three

Theosophy Twenty Four

Theosophy Twenty Five

Theosophy Twenty Six

Theosophy Twenty Seven

Theosophy Twenty Eight

Theosophy Twenty Nine

Theosophy Thirty Two

Theosophy Thirty Three

References

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