Hadith No: 1
Faith
Opponent: What is the proof of the faith of Imam Ali (peace be upon him)?
Supporter: A group of scholars has mentioned several narrations regarding the faith of Imam Ali (peace be upon him), including:
- What al-Mutiqi al-Hindi narrated in the source (Munidhib Kanaz al-Ummal fi Sunan al-Aqwal wal-Af'al, Vol. 6, p. 393, Hyderabad Deccan print) from Abdullah ibn Abbas, who said: I heard Umar ibn al-Khattab say: "Desist from mentioning Ali ibn Abi Talib, for I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) say about him traits, and having one of them in the Banu al-Khattab would be dearer to me than anything upon which the sun rises." I, Abu Bakr, and Abu Ubayda were among a group of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) at the door of Umm Salama, and Ali was standing at the door. We said, "We want the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny)." He replied, "He will come out to you." So, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) came out, and we went to him, and he leaned on Ali ibn Abi Talib, then struck his hand on his shoulder and said: "You are a defender, and you will argue. You are the first of the believers in faith, the most knowledgeable of them regarding the days of Allah, the most faithful to His covenant, the most equitable among them, the most compassionate to the community, the one who has suffered the greatest loss, and you are my supporter, my washer, my buryer, and the one who will precede me in every hardship and unpleasantness. You will not return after me as a disbeliever, and you will advance before me with the Banner of Praise, defending my pond…"
- In (Yanabiu'l-Mawadda li Dhawi'l-Qurbah) by al-Qanduzhi, it is stated on page 86, Istanbul print, that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) said to Aisha, Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her): "This is Ali, the first of the people in faith and the last to have a covenant with me."
- In the book (Kitab al-Firdaws) by Abi Shu'ja, referring to al-Dilami al-Hamdani, who died in 519 AH, it is reported from Umar ibn al-Khattab, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) said: "O Ali, you are the first to submit to Islam and the first to believe, and you are to me like Harun to Musa."
- In the book (al-Manaqib) by al-Khwarizmi, p. 32, it is narrated from Abdullah ibn Abbas, who said: I heard Umar ibn al-Khattab speaking with a group, and they were recalling the earliest to embrace Islam. Umar said: "As for Ali (peace be upon him), I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) say three things about him, and I would wish to have one of them. It would be dearer to me than anything upon which the sun rises." I, Abu Ubayda, Abu Bakr, and a group of his companions were present when the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) struck his hand on Ali's (peace be upon him) shoulder and said: "O Ali, you are the first of the believers in faith, the first of the Muslims to submit, and you are to me like Harun to Musa." This hadith is also recorded in (Kitab al-Riyad al-Nadira) by Mahb al-Din al-Tabari, Vol. 2, p. 157, printed by Muhammad Amin al-Khanji in Cairo, and al-Tabari narrated it in (Dhakhair al-Uqba) in the merits of the Prophet's family, p. 58, printed by al-Qudsi Library in Cairo, and Mir Muhammad Salih in (al-Manaqib al-Ridawiyya) p. 74, printed in India, and al-Mutiqi al-Hindi in (Kunuz al-Ummal fi Sunan al-Aqwal wal-Af'al) Vol. 6, p. 395, Hyderabad Deccan print, and he added in it: (peace be upon him and his holy progeny), "and Ali is lied about by whoever claims to love me while harboring animosity towards you." In (al-Manaqib) by al-Khwarizmi, p. 66, printed in Tabriz, it is also mentioned.
- Jabir said: We were with the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) when Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) approached, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) said: "My brother has come to you." Then he turned to the Kaaba, struck it with his hand, and said: "By the One in whose hand is my soul, this one and his Shi'a are the successful ones on the Day of Resurrection." He then said: "He is the first of you in faith with me and the most trustworthy of you in the covenant of Allah…"
- In (Asd al-Ghabah) Vol. 5, p. 543, Cairo print, by ibn al-Athir, it is stated that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) said to Aisha: "This is Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first of the people in faith…" The source (Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani also narrated this in al-Isabah, Vol. 4, p. 389, Egyptian Dar al-Kutub print / and Ibn Asakir mentioned it in his book, Tariikh Dimashq, the biography of Imam Ali, Vol. 1, p. 117, Beirut print).
- Mu'adh ibn Jabal said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) said: "O Ali, I will argue with you regarding prophethood, for there is no prophethood after me, and you will argue with people regarding seven matters, and no one from Quraysh will challenge you. You are their leader, the first of them in faith in Allah, the most trustworthy of them after Allah, the most steadfast in the command of Allah, the most equitable among them, the just one in the community, the most discerning in matters, and the one with the greatest distinction in the sight of Allah." This hadith was transmitted by (al-'Allamah Tawfiq Abu 'Ilm in his book Ahl al-Bayt, p. 216, printed in 1390 AH).
- In the book (Aal Muhammad) p. 505 (copy from the library of Sayyid al-Ashkouri) by Sheikh Husam al-Din al-Mardhi al-Hanafi, it is stated: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) said: "This is Ali, the first of the people to embrace Islam, the last in covenant, and the first to rise on the Day of Resurrection."
- In the book (Mukhtasar Tarikh Dimashq) Vol. 17, p. 119, by Jamal al-Din Muhammad ibn Makram al-Ansari, it is narrated from Ibn Abbas, who said: "There will be a trial, and if any of you reaches it, hold onto two things: the Book of Allah and Ali ibn Abi Talib. For I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) say, while holding Ali's hand: 'This is the first to believe in me and the first to shake my hand on the Day of Resurrection. He is the Furqan of this nation, distinguishing between truth and falsehood. He is the leader of the believers, and المال (wealth) is the leader of the oppressors. He is the greatest truth-teller, and he, my father, has been given from it, and he is my caliph after me.'"
- Then, the Messenger (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) was not satisfied with Ali witnessing his primacy in faith, but he also gave him and entrusted him with the leadership of the believers, declaring him to be the Commander of the Faithful. Al-Nu'man al-Isfahani mentioned in (Hilyat al-Awliya' wa Tabqat al-Asfiyā) Vol. 1, p. 63, Sa'adah print in Cairo, from Anas, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) said: "O Anas, pour me ablution water." Then he stood and prayed two rak'ahs. Then he said: "O Anas, the first to enter from this door will be the Commander of the Faithful, the Lord of the Muslims, and the Leader of those with bright foreheads, the Seal of the Testators." I said, "O Allah, make him a man from the Ansar," and I concealed it. When Ali came, he said: "Who is this, O Anas?" I replied, "Ali." He stood up, beaming, embraced him, and began to wipe the sweat from his face with his own and Ali's face. Ali said: "O Messenger of Allah, I saw you do something with me that you have not done before." He replied: "What would prevent me when you are to convey my message and make them hear my voice, clarifying to them what they differ about after me?" This speech and statement (was also mentioned by al-Khwarizmi in al-Manaqib, p. 51, Tabriz print, and Kamal al-Din Muhammad ibn Talhah al-Shafi'i in his book, Maṭalib al-Sa'ul fi Manaqib Aal al-Rasul, p. 21, Tehran print, and Izz al-Din Abd al-Hamid ibn Abi al-Hadid in his commentary on Nahj al-Balagha, Vol. 1, p. 4, Cairo print, and Ibrahim al-Hamvuni in Frayd al-Samṭayn).
- It is mentioned in the book Frayd al-Samṭayn by al-Hamvuni from Ibn Abbas: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) said to Umm Salama: "This is Ali ibn Abi Talib; his flesh is my flesh, and his blood is my blood. He is to me like Harun to Musa, except that there is no prophet after me, O Umm Salama. This is Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, the Lord of the Muslims, my successor, my repository of knowledge, and my door through which I communicate. He is my brother in this world and the Hereafter, and he will be with me in the highest canopy, defeating the unjust, the transgressors, and the ones who break their oaths." The source (Khwarizmi also mentioned it in al-Manaqib, p. 85, Tabriz print).
- In the book (al-Manaqib al-Ridawiyya) p. 102, Mumbai print, by Mawla Muhammad Salih Kashfi al-Hanafi al-Tirmidhi, it is stated: The Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) said: "If the people knew when Ali was named the Commander of the Faithful, they would not deny his virtue. He was named thus while Adam was between spirit and body." Allah said, "Am I not your Lord?" They said, "Yes." Then He said, "I am your Lord, and Muhammad is your Prophet, and Ali is your Commander."
- The author of the book (Dar Bhar al-Manaqib) p. 18, Sheikh Jamal al-Din Muhammad ibn Ahmad, known as Ibn Hasanwaya, and Abu Shu'ja Shirwayh al-Dilami in his book al-Firdaws also mentioned this. The author of the book Dar Bhar al-Manaqib narrated on p. 78, Sheikh Jamal ibn Muhammad, known as Ibn Hasanwaya, that it was transmitted with a chain to Abu Dharr (peace be upon him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) commanded us to greet the Commander of the Faithful, Ali ibn Abi Talib, and said: "Greet my brother, my heir, my caliph among my people, and the guardian of every believer after me. Greet him as the Commander of the Faithful, for he is the guardian of all who dwell (or perhaps of those who inhabit) the earth until the Day of Resurrection. If you had preceded him, the earth would have revealed its blessings to you, for he is the most honored of its inhabitants." Abu Dharr said: I saw him, and his color had changed, and he said: "Is this the truth from Allah, O Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "The truth from Allah, a command I was given, and thus I commanded you." He stood and greeted him as the Commander of the Faithful, then turned to his companions and said what he said." This was mentioned and this statement (was recorded by Shams al-Din Mahmoud ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Isfahani in the book Tashid al-Qawa'id fi Sharh al-Aqa'id, known as the Old Commentary, p. 249).
- Sheikh (Sulaiman al-Qanduzhi) in his book Yanabiu'l-Mawadda li Dhawi'l-Qurbah, p. 495, Istanbul print, narrates: And from Yasar al-Khadim, from Ali al-Ridha, from his father, from his ancestors, from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny), who said: "O Ali, you are the proof of Allah, you are the gate of Allah, you are the path to Allah, you are the great news, you are the straight path, you are the highest example, you are the Imam of Muslims, the Commander of the Faithful, the best of successors, and the Leader of the Truthful. O Ali, you are the greatest distinguisher, the greatest truth-teller, and your party is my party, and my party is the party of Allah. The party of your enemies is the party of Satan."
- Al-Dhahabi mentioned in (Mizan al-I'tidal fi Naqd al-Rijal) Vol. 1, p. 30, Cairo print… from Anas: "The Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) said to me: 'The first to enter from this door will be the Commander of the Faithful, the Lord of the Muslims, the Leader of those with bright foreheads, and the Seal of the Testators.'"
- As for the title "Lord of the Faithful," we will present some of those sources, including:
- What Abu Na'im al-Isfahani narrated in his book (Tarikh Isfahan = Akhbar Isfahan) Vol. 2, p. 229, in a print by Lin: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) said: "Allah revealed to me three things about Ali on the night of my Ascension (Isra) that he is the Lord of the Faithful, the Imam of the God-fearing, and the Leader of those with bright foreheads."
- The Sheikh (Ibrahim al-Hamvuni) also mentioned this in (Frayd al-Samṭayn), and Jamal al-Din al-Zarandi in (Nazm Durar al-Samṭayn), p. 114, printed by Matba'at al-Qada', and Nur al-Din al-Haythami in (Majma' al-Zawa'id wa Manba' al-Fawa'id) Vol. 9, p. 121, printed by al-Qudsi Library in Cairo, and Ibn al-Sabbagh al-Maliki in (al-Fusul al-Muhimma fi Ma'rifat Ahwal al-A'imma) p. 105, and Mir Husayn ibn Main al-Din al-Maybudi al-Yazdi in (Sharh al-Ivan) p. 176, and Shihab al-Din Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani in (Lisan al-Mizan) Vol. 1, p. 440, Hyderabad Deccan print) from Anas (peace be upon him), raised high: "On the Day of Resurrection, a minbar will be set up for me, thirty miles high, and then Ali will be called, and he will sit beneath it on a step, showing the creation that Muhammad is the Master of the Messengers and Ali is the Master of the Faithful." If we wanted to continue discussing and narrating the accounts regarding the Islam and faith of Imam Ali (peace be upon him), we would need a volume, not just pages, because our goal is to establish the attribute of faith for the Commander of the Faithful, and it has been proven, along with his leadership over the faithful. He is the commander and master of all believers, with no distinction between a companion and others. However, time itself would only allow it to be said that so-and-so is the Commander of the Faithful. This is the betrayal and insignificance of this worldly life in general. Now, it is the turn of those who wish to establish the faith of the caliphs who preceded him. Are they among the believers? I say no, and no one can prove the faith of those who came before Ali, the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him).