Imam Ali (AS)

Art By

Fatima Ali
 The birth in the
house of Allah

Imam Ali (AS) was born in the Kaabah. He is the only one to have
been born there. His mother went toward the kaabah and
miraculously the wall of the kaabah split open when she leaned on
it. She stepped inside and the wall closed behind her. She remained
inside for three days. On the fourth day she stepped out of the wall
holding Imam Ali (AS) in her arms.
 ‘Afif b Qays said
“I was sitting with al- Abbas b. ‘Abd al-Muttalib, may God be
pleased with him, in Mecca, before the affairs of the Prophet
(PBUH) became known to the public. A man came and looked up
toward the sky where the sun hovered above. He turned in the
direction of the Ka’bah and stood to pray. Then a youth came and
stood at his right and a woman came and stood behind them both.
The man bowed, and the youth and the woman bowed. The man
raised his hands and the youth and the woman raised their hands.
Then he prostrated and they both prostrated.
“Abbas!” I exclaimed, “it is a fantastic affair” “Indeed, it is a
fantastic affair,” replied al-Abbas. “Do you know who that man is?
He is Muhammad b. Abd’Allah, my cousin. Do you know who
that youth is? He is Ali b. Abi Talib, my cousin. Do you know who
that woman is? She is Khadija daughter of Khuwaylid _ _.”
Kitab al-Irshad p 18

The first muslims

doing jamaat prayer
Imam Ali (AS) designated as
the successor of the Holy
Prophet (PBUH)

“And admonish thy nearest kinsmen,” Quran 26:214

A banquet for 40 guests was prepared. As the Prophet
(PBUH) stood up to speak Abu Lahab called him
renegade and all the guests left.
A few days later the guests returned and after all had
eaten to their fill from a leg of lamb and a glass of milk.
“- - - By accepting it, your welfare will be assured in this
world and in the Hereafter.- - -.” said the prophet. He
renewed his invitation thrice and only Imam Ali (AS)
accepted.
“This is my wazir, my successor, my vicegerent. Listen
to him and obey his commands.”
The Prophet (PBUH) announced the successorship of
Imam Ali (AS) from Allah's behalf. Allah appointed him
a successor and a Khalifah.
Restatement of the history of Islam p 43
Resistance to the Walayah
started early in Islam

It is reported that some days after the banquet of

Dhul-’Asheera, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) climbed up
the hill of Safa near Kaaba and called out:
“Oh sons of Fehr, O sons of Loi, O sons of Adi, and all the
rest of Quraysh! come hither, and listen to me. I have
something very important to tell you.”
“Will you believe me if I were to tell you that an army was
hidden behind yonder hills, and was watching you to attack
you as soon as it found you off-guard?” THey said they
would believe him because they had never heard him tell a
lie.
“If that is so,” said Muhammad (PBUH) “then listen with
attention- - -.” As he continued Abu Lahab said “Death to
you. Did you waste our time to tell us only this? We do not
want to hear you. Do not call us again.”
Restatement of the history of Islam p 46
 764-1 Muhammad ibn Yahya,
Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn Ismail,
Mansur ibn Yunus that Zaid ibn al-
Jahm al Hilali said

“I heard Abu Abdillah (PBUH) say: “When the Mastership

(Walayah) of Ali ibn Abi Talib (PBUH) had been sent down,
the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Greet Ali with the
title of Amir al-muminin.” O Zayd, among the things which
Allah confirmed for those two (first 2 caliphs) on that day
was what the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to them
“Stand up and greet him as Amir al-muminin.”
They said: “Is it from Allah or from His Messenger, O
Messenger of Allah?”
Al Kafi Volume One Al-Usul - part Two Chapter 65 p 361
Torture of the Early
Muslims and the first
martyrs of Islam

Among the earliest converts to Islam were Yasir; his wife

Sumayya and their son Ammar. They were the first family all
members of which accepted Islam simultaneously.
In the sight of the Quran , the most exalted person is the
muttaqi - that is one who loves and obeys God. The Quraysh
were not receptive of such ideas. They considered them as rank
blasphemy.
The Quraysh opened the campaign agaisnt Islam by harrassing
and presecuting the Muslims. As time went on they started
doing violent deeds.
Yasir and his family had no tribal affiliation in Makkah. In
Makkah they were foreigners and there was none to protect
them. All three were savagely tortured by Abu Jahl and other
infedels. Sumayya died while being tortured and became the
first martyr in Islam and Yasir became the second.
Restatement of History of Islam p 50-54
Persecution of the early Muslims

Abu Talib gave him his full support by kindly telling Prophet
Mohammed (PBUH): “I’ll support and protect you, Go on what Allah
ordered you”. In the month of Muharram, the seventh year after the
Prophetic Mission, 40 Quraishi leaders signed the ban and fixed it to
the wall in the Ka'aba. Abu Talib stood up and went to Darul-Nadwa,
at the Kaaba, where the Quraishi leaders sat. Abu-Talib addressed the
sitting persons: “My nephew has informed me, and I never heard
him tell lies, that the Document (of Boycott) has been infested with
mites and except the name of Allah on the top, the entire matter
concerning tyranny and injustice has been eaten by the mites if he is
proved right, you must retract from your wrong attitude, and if he
has lied, I shall hand him over to you. It will be your choice whether
you kill him or leave him!” They opened the door of the Ka'aba. They
found that the white ant had eaten every thing but Allah's
Name. Tabaqat Ibn Sa`d, Vol 1, Page 209
Conquest of Makkah

When the Prophet (PBUH) wanted to conquer Makkah, he

asked God, may His name be exalted, to keep the reports
of it hidden from the Quraysh so that he could enter it
unexpectedly. However, Hatib b. Abi Balta’a wrote to the
Meccans to inform them of the decision of the Prophet
(PBUH). He gave the letter to a black woman and told her
to take the back road to deliver it in secrecy to Makkah.
The Prophet (PBUH) summoned the Commander of the
faithful (PBUH) and instructed him to bring the letter from
the woman. Then he summoned al-Zubayr b al-Awwam
and told him to go with Ali b. Abi Talib on this mission.
When they caught up with the woman al-Zubayr was
unable to get the letter from her.
Imam Ali (AS) drew his sword and advanced toward her
threatening to cut off her head. She gave him the letter.
Kitab al-Irshad p 36
 Taif

The Prophet (PBUH) went to Taif more than ten years after he had
first begun to preach Islam. In Ta’if he called on three chiefs of the
local tribes to abandon idolatory and accept Islam. In return Zayd and
the Prophet (PBUH) were pelted with stones. He turned around and
went back to Makkah. At this time Abu Talib was no more and Pagan
hostility was at its peak.
Mutim ibn Adiy - a pagan chief responded to the call of the Prophet. It
was the same Mutim who had torn the covenant of boycott of the
Quraysh. His tribe marched in full battle gear out of the city and
brought the Prophet (PBUH) to the precints of the Kaaba. Here he
continued his Mission. He visited the nearby hamlets and propagated
the Message of Islam. The Quraysh too shadowed him during these
trips and used to interrupt the meetings calling him a madcap. The
Prophet (a.s) however maintained his calm and composure. He never
reacted angrily and thus continued his mission.
Pilgrims from Yathrib

It was the practice of the Prophet (a.s) that during the Hajj, he used to
meet the persons coming from far away places to give them the
Message of Islam. It was the Hajj on the tenth year after the
Annunciation when a group from Yathrib visited Makkah. When the
Prophet (a.s) during a trip of propagation reached Mina, he came
across six persons near `Uqbah. He went near them and asked about
the tribe to which they belonged. They said that they were from Yathrib
and they belonged to the Tribe of Khazraj. The Prophet (a.s) sat down
with that group and recited to them some Verses from the Holy Qur’an
and invited them to embrace Islam. They were much influenced by the
Islamic Principles and they readily embraced it. Now, this was the
beginning of the spread of Islam in Yathrib. During the next Hajj,
twelve persons came from Yathrib and embraced Islam. The following
year a contingent of seventy-three persons arrived and embraced
Islam at the hands of the Prophet (a.s) these persons said that it was
their desire that the Prophet (a.s) changed his residence to Yathrib and
made it the head quarters for his Mission.
 [2:207] And of mankind is he who would sell
himself, seeking the pleasure of Allah; and Allah
hath compassion on (His) bondmen

Abu-Jahl said that strong youths should be selected from every tribe
and they should all, in unison, attack Muhammad (a.s) and kill him.
Therefore, Banu Hashim will be forced to accept the blood money
instead of demanding with retaliation! This suggestion was accepted
by everyone and the Najdi too endorsed it. In the darkness of the night,
the youths would then barge into his house and kill him.

Here the conclave against him was in progress, and on the other side,
Allah had forewarned the Prophet (a.s) of the impending danger.
“On the night of the Migration when `Ali (a.s) slept on the bed of the

The one who bought the

agreeement of Allah (SWT)

Prophet (a.s), Allah Revealed to Archangel Gabriel and Archangel

Michael, saying: I have established a relationship of brotherhood
between you two and Have made the life of one more than that of the
other. Who is the one between you who can sacrifice his life for the
other?’ They both opted for their individual life only! Then Allah
Revealed to them why they were not like `Ali (a.s)! ‘I made him
Muhammad’s brother. At the cost of his life, he is sleeping on the bed
of Muhammad (a.s). Descend both of you, to the earth and guard him
from his enemies!’ Therefore, Archangel Gabriel stood at the head and
Archangel Michael stood at the foot of the bed and started saying:
‘Felicitations! O son of Abu-Talib! Who is like you that Allah prides
on the angels because of you’ and then Allah Revealed the Verse:
‘There are also people who stake their lives in the way of Allah, and
Allah is very kind on His Creatures’”
Tarikh al-Khamis , Vol 1, Page 325
Translation of SIRAT AMIR AL-MU’MININ by MUFTI JA`FAR
HUSAYN