By: Seyyed Ali Shahbaz

 

 “Indeed the nearest of all people to Abraham are those who follow him, and this Prophet (Muhammad) and those who have faith; and Allah is the guardian of the faithful.” (Holy Qur’an 3:68)

 We are on the threshold of the anniversary of that blessed day in history when the wall of Allah’s Symbolic House, the Holy Ka’ba, miraculously parted for an Immaculate Lady of the monotheist Hashemite Clan, and then closed behind her as she entered its sacred precincts,

 The pagan Arabs who had defiled Abraham’s Edifice to the One and Only God by installing idols around it, were bewildered, and whatever force they applied, including crowbars, to break open the door, they failed.

 It was the 13th of the month of Rajab of Year 30 Aam al-Feel (around 600 AD) – thirty years after the miraculous destruction by a flock of little birds with pebbles in their beak of the elephant-led army of Abraha of Yemen who had tried to storm the Holy Ka’ba.

 The Lady was the wife of the Noblest Chieftain of Mecca, Abu Taleb. She was Fatema bint Asad, the virtual mother for the person who as the Best of creation would ten years later publicly proclaim his mission as the Last and Greatest of Prophets. For the past 22 years, she and her husband had brought up as their own son, the 8-year orphan of Abdullah and Amena bint Wahb, following the death of the boy’s grandfather, Abdul-Muttaleb, and arranged his marriage with Arabia’s Richest Lady, the monotheist Khadija bint Khuwailed. 

 Now, while praying to God at the Edifice of Abraham, Divine Providence had invited her into the sancta sanctorum for the blissful delivery of her youngest child, at the place where no one had born before and none will ever. 

 The birth of Imam Ali (AS), was indeed a miracle, and remains to this day as a beacon of guidance for the seekers of truth, in the same way that the site where he was born, serves as the focal point of worship for Muslims worldwide. 

 It would be repetitive to say that when Fatema bint Asad came out with a radiant boy in her lap three days later from the Holy Ka’ba – again to the stupefaction of the pagan Arabs – the newborn’s 30-year old first cousin was present along with Abu Taleb and stepped forward to take the baby in his arms.

 Only God knows what transpired between the two cousins when their eyes met each other with smiles on their lips.

 Much has been said and written about the virtues of the One and Only “Amir al-Momineen” (Commander of the Faithful) – a title given by Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) to Imam Ali (AS) on God’s command but criminally usurped throughout history by every imposter who styled himself as caliph. 

 During the course of history, scholars, researchers, poets and others have focused through different angles in their efforts to fathom the multisided personality of the cousin, ward, son-in-law and Vicegerent of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), but none have succeeded to do full justice to the person whose praises the celestial angels chant.

 The different aspects presented, however, by different writers speaks of the dynamic characteristics of the man who continues to shine like the resplendent sun despite the frenzied efforts made by his enemies, both in his lifetime, after his martyrdom, and till this day, to belittle his merits and even to slander him.

 Anyone who attempts to write something about Imam Ali (AS) will admit that he was a perfect man of God, obedient to the Creator in all aspects of life, to the extent that he would not even entertain the idea of committing the minutest act of disobedience. He himself says in sermon 224 (Nahj al-Balagha):

 “By Allah even if I am given all the domains of the seven (stars) with all that exists under the skies in order that I may disobey Allah to the extent of snatching one grain of barley from an ant I would not do it. For me the world is lighter than the leaf in the mouth of a locust that is chewing it.”

 He was a paradigm of piety and excelled all others in the worship of God. He lived according to Divine Commandments and in accordance with the Sunnah and Seerah of the Prophet. Because of his commitment to these factors, after due protests that went unanswered, he refused to resort to the sword to claim his usurped right of caliphate on the passing away of the Prophet. A dozen years later on the death of Omar ibn al-Khattab, he again refused to accept his denied right of political leadership when the condition spelled by the 6-man council was that the new caliph should be bound to the behaviour and patterns set by the “Shaykhayn” (first two caliphs). On the killing of Osman when the caliphate came begging at his doorstep, he reluctantly took it up on the people’s constant imploring for justice in society.

 Although justice is a much-cherished humanitarian principle there are very few who really adhere to justice and practice justice. History bears witness that persons in power show respect for justice and implement justice as long as it is in their interests. Justice in the lexicon of such persons has definite limits.

 For Imam Ali (AS), however, as the Divinely-Designated Heir of the Seal of Messengers (by virtue of the event of Ghadeer-Khom on 18th Zilhijja 10 AH), justice had a transcendental meaning where self-interests cease to exist. During his four-and-a-half year rule as Head of the Islamic Realm, he was the epitome of the just ruler and spared no effort for the implementation of justice.

For instance, when he heard that the agents of the rebel Mu’awiyah ibn Abu Sufyan had plundered Anbar city and snatched jewellery from the women including those non-Muslims living under the protection of Islam, he said:

“If any Muslim dies of grief after all this he is not to be blamed but rather there is justification for him before.”

In another place, Imam Ali (AS) says: “By Allah, I would rather like to pass the night in wakefulness on the thorns of Sa’dan or to be driven in chains as a prisoner than meet Allah and His Prophet on the Day of Judgement as an oppressor over any person or a usurper of anything out of the worldly wealth. And how can I oppress anyone for (the sake of a life) what is fast moving towards destruction and is to remain under the earth for a long time.” (Nahj al-Balagha Sermon 224)

This lofty sense of justice for restoring people their denied rights, if it endeared him to the oppressed masses it made the oppressors his open enemies. This is the reason a group of neo Muslims who had spent the greater part of their life in idolatry and sins, usurped his right of leadership of the Ummah. 

The person, who as a ten-year boy was present on Jabal an-Noor when the Archangel Gabriel descended upon his cousin with the first rays of Divine Revelation, says:

“O Allah I am the first to come towards You by hearing Your call and responding to it. No one has precedence over me in performing the prayer except the Messenger of Allah.”

So firm was the bond between the two cousins that the Prophet used to say: “Aliyun minni wa ana min Ali” (Ali is from me and I am from Ali)

The affinity between the two was a great blessing for Islam and remains to this day, as is clear to anyone that Imam Ali (AS), who continues to transcend history and historical developments, stands far above all other Muslims as the personification of Islam and its egalitarian values.

No wonder, the Prophet says: “I and Ali are the fathers of this Ummah”.

This does not mean biological fathers, but it means spiritual fathers, since without faith in these two enlightened personalities, a person is neither a Muslim nor the one who has completely submitted to God, let alone considered a Momin, or the one who has attained true and perfect belief. 

This is the reason Islamic Iran celebrates Imam Ali’s (AS) birthday as “Father’s Day”, to make its citizens better fathers for the proper grooming of children as per the guidelines of the Prophet and the Infallible Imams.