Part 54

’ Ali's mother was Faatimah Bint (daughter of) Asad, Ibn Hisham, Ibn Abde Manaaf, Ibn Qusayy. It was said that she was the first child born to the Hashimite family. She embraced Islam and migrated to Madeenah.

“Ali was one of the Companions that Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, gave the glad tidings of entering Paradise, and one of the six members of the consultative committee. He was one of the people who gained the pleasure of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, during his lifetime, and was the fourth Rightly-Guided Caliph of Muslims.

On the authority of Ibn Sa*d, may Allah be pleased with him, who says: "The best name * Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, loved was Abu Turaab. He was given this name because one day his wife Faatimah made him angry, so he left her, went to the mosque and lay down near a wall. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, went to him, and found his back covered with dust. He wiped his back and said, "Sit up, father of dust." (Reported by Al-Bukhari in A/-Adab Al-Mufrad.)

*Ali's complexion was very dark, with big beautiful eyes, a big stomach, bald, above average height, had a thick beard which was to his chest. The hair on his chest, and shoulders, was very thick.

His Embracing of Islam:

~Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, was among the first people who embraced Islam. He did so at the age of seven. It is also said that he did so at the age of eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen or sixteen; Abdul Razaaq mentioned the last age sixteen, on the authority of

Mahmar, Qatadah and Al-Hasan. It was also said that * Ali was the first person to embrace Islam; but the correct view is that he was only the first boy to do so. The same applied to Khadeejah who was the first woman to embrace Islam; Zayd Ibn Al-Harith was the first slave to become a Muslim, and Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq was the first freeman to believe in the message of Islam.

“Ali embraced Islam at this tender age because he was under the guardianship of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, at a time when there was famine. The Prophet took him from his father (the Prophet's uncle), and when the Divine Message was revealed to him, his wife Khadeejah, and _ the rest of his household including his cousin, believed it.

It was narrated that ~Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "I was the first person to embrace Islam", but the chain of narrators mentioned for this Hadith was not correct.

Ibn *Asaakir also reported a lot of Hadiths which are rejected and unsound; Allah is the All-Knowing.

Imam Ahmad reports on the authority of Shaybah and *Amr [bn Murrah that Hamzah, a slave of the Ansaar, said: "I heard Zayd Ibn Araqm say, ‘the first person to embrace Islam at the hands of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was “Ali,” and in another version of the Hadith, the first person to offer Salaah was ~ Ali." ~ Amr said: "I mentioned these Hadiths to An-Nakh’ yy, who rejected them and said that the first person to embrace Islam was Abu Bakr As-Sideeq, may Allah be pleased with him.

Muhammad Ibn Ka*b Al-Qurzai says: "The first woman to embrace Islam was Khadeejah, and the first two males to do so were Abu Bakr and ~ Ali. However, Abu Bakr made his faith manifest, whereas ~Ali kept it a secret." The latter resorted to

secrecy because of fear of his father, who later ordered him to follow his cousin (the Prophet) and support him.

*Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, migrated to Madeenah after the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had left Makkah, because he had ordered * Ali to pay his debt, return the things that were left with him for safe-keeping, and join him later. ~ Ali complied, then went to Madeenah, and the Prophet established a pledge of brotherhood between him (* Ali) and Sahl. But [bn Ishaaq and other writers on the Prophet's biography states that Prophet Muhammad _ established brotherhood between him and “Ali. A lot of Hadiths were narrated in this connection, but none of them are considered authentic because of their weak chain of narrators or poorness of style e.g., "You are my brother, inheritor, viceroy and the best to give order after me." This is a fabricated Hadith which is not in line with Hadiths reported in the authentic Books of

Al-Bukhari_ and Moslem and other; thus Allah is the AllKnowing.

Hadiths on His Virtues:

Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said: "No companion of the Prophet's virtues have been mentioned more than those of * Ali, may Allah be pleased with him." This Hadith was reported by Al-Hakim.

Al-Bukhari and Moslem report on the authority of Sa*d Ibn Abi Waqqaas who narrates: "Allah's Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, asked ~ Ali to stay behind during the Battle of Tabook. He (Ali) said: "Do you make me stay behind with women and children?" The Prophet said: "Are you not content to stand to me as Aaron stood to Moosa (Moses), except that there is no Prophet after me.”

Al-Bukhari and Moslem report on the authority of Sahl Ibn Sa‘d that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said on the day of the Battle Khaybar: "/ shall give the standard fo a man tomorrow, through whose hands victory will be achieved, and Allah and His Prophet love him.” So people spent the night talking about who that person would be. In the morning all of those men went to Allah's Messenger with the hope of receiving the standard. The Prophet asked, "Where is *Ali Ibn Abi Taalib?" The Companions answered that he was suffering from a sickness in his eyes. He then said, "Send someone to call him." ~Ali was brought, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, spat in his eyes and prayed for him. He recovered, and looked as if nothing was wrong with him; the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, then gave him the standard.

Al-Tirmidhi reports on the authority of Abu Sareeha or Zayd Ibn Arqam that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "He who considers me his friend must also consider “Ali as his friend." Al-Tirmidhi and Al-Hakim report on the authority of Buraydah who narrate that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Allah has ordered me to love four people, and informed me that He loves them." "Name them, O Messenger," the Companions requested. He (the Prophet) said:

"“Ali_ is one of them (he said this three times), then Abu Dharr, Miqdaad and Salmaan."

Al-Tirmidhi reports on the authority of Ibn “Umar who says :"The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, instituted

a pact of brotherhood among his Companions, and ~ Ali went to him in tears and said: "O Allah's Messenger! You have established brotherhood among your Companions, but you have not done so for me. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, replied: "You are my brother in this world and in the Hereafter."

Al-Hakim reports on the authority of ~Aa'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that ‘Ali was mentioned to her, and she said: "He is the best living authority on the Sunnah (Prophetic Tradition)."

On the authority of Umm Salamahh, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: "When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, became angry no one had the courage to talk to him, except * Ali." (Reported by At-Tabaraani and AlHakim and the Hadith was authenticated by the latter.)

On the authority of Ibn Mas* ood, may Allah be pleased with him, who narrates that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Jo look at “Ali is an act of worship."

(Reported by At-Tabaraani and Al-Hakim, and_ the chain of narrators of this Hadith is good.)

On the authority of Sa‘d fbn Abi Waqqaas that Allah's Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "He who harms “Ali, harms me." (Reported Abu Yahla and Al-Bazzaar.)

Umm Salamahh narrates: "I heard Allah's Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, say: "“Ali does not part with Qura.sh, nor does the Quran part with him; they will be together till they meet me at the Fountain (on the Day of Judgement)." (Reported by At-Tabaraani with an authentic chain of narrators.)

On the authority of Umm Salamah who says she heard Allah's Messenger say: "He who insults “Ali, insults me.” (Reported by Ahmad and Al-Hakim, and the Hadith was authenticated by the latter.)

* Ali is reported to have said: "Allah's Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, called me one day and said: "You have some of the attributes of ~Eesa (Jesus); the Jews hated him to the extent that they accused his mother (of lewdness) falsely; and the Christians loved him to the extent that they raised him to a status (lordship) which he did not deserve. Two kinds of people will seek my destruction. He who feigns excessive love for me, and exceeds the limits in praising me, and he who standers me, and is led by such hatred to accuse me falsely." (Reported by Al-Bazzaar, Abu Ya* la.)

* Ali's Exegesis of the Quran:

There are a lot of sayings narrated by ~ Ali on the exegesis of the Glorious Quran which are mentioned in detail in the book At-Tafseer Al-Musnad Bi Asaaneedihi.

Ibn Sa'ad reports that Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "By Allah, no verse was revealed without my knowing the reason for its revelation, where it was revealed, and the person who was the caused of its revelation; indeed my Lord has granted me sound memory, mind, and honesty of speech."

On the authority of Ibn Sa*d and others who report that Abu At-Tufayl said that ~Ali stated: "Ask me anything about Allah's Book, for 1 know everything about the verses therein: that is, those were revealed during the day and night, and the verses that were sent to the Prophet while he was on mountains.

On the authority of Muhammad Ibn Sireen narrates: "After the death of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, “Ali delayed pledging his allegiance to Abu Bakr, who asked him: "Are you against my leadership?" ~ Ali answered: "No, but I promised not to wear my wraparound except to go for Salaah, till I have a written all 1 know about the Quran.” (Reported by Abu Dawood.)