In Praise of Imam Ali – From Qur'an and Hadeeth(6)

(Collected from a number of books and websites, presented by Syed-Mohsin Naquvi)

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَشْرِي نَفْسَهُ ابْتِغَاءَ مَرْضَاتِ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ رَءُوفٌ بِالْعِبَادِ

(Q.2:207)

And among men, there is one who would sell his self (his soul) seeking pleasure of Allah; and Allah is kind(affectionate) towards his (faithful)servants.

The Glorious Quran Chapter 2 Verse 207

It is held unanimously by the Scholars of the two Islamic schools, that this verse was revealed for Imam Ali ( as ), when he readily slept in the bed of the Prophet (pbuh) , when the Prophet, to the Will of God, had to migrate from Mecca to Medina. The one who would agree to offer himself instead of the Holy Prophet ( pbuh) while the enemy had surrounded his house ready to pounce with swords in hands.

THE STORY OF HIJRAA

(1) The following brief version is taken from:
Ibn Kathir (2001). Stories of the Prophet: From Adam to Muhammad. Mansoura: Dar Al-Manarah. p. 389.ISBN 977-6005-17-9

Upon receiving divine direction to depart from Mecca, Muhammad began taking preparation and informed Abu Bakr of his plan. On the night of his departure, Muhammad's house was besieged by the appointed men of Quraysh in order to do away with him next morning. Muhammad had certain deposits of Quraysh who used to do so because of Muhammad's honesty. Muhammad handed them over in the charge of Ali and directed him to return the deposits to their owners, and asked him to lie down on his bed assuring him of God's protection. It is said that when Muhammad emerged from his house, he recited the ninth verse of sura Ya-Seen of the Quran and threw a handful of dust at the direction of the besiegers, with the result that the besiegers were rendered unable to see him.

(2) A more detailed version collected from classical Islamic sources is give below with appropriate references;

(i) In Ghaayat al-Maraam, it has been recorded from Tafseer al-Tha'labi, Part I, in the exegesis of Surah al-Baqarah (2), verse 207, the saying of Allah – the High – "And among men is he who sells himself to seek the pleasure of Allah" that when the Messenger of Allah intended to migrate (to Madinah), he left behind Ali Ibn Abi Taalib in Makkah to repay his debts, return the trusts that were lying with him and ordered him in the night when he left for the cave – while his house was surrounded by the POLYTHEISTS / kuffar – that he should sleep in his bed. He said to him,

"O Ali! Cover yourself with my Hadhrami sheet and sleep in my bed. God willing, no difficulty shall reach unto you from them."

Imam Ali duly obliged. So, Allah – Mighty and Majestic be He revealed to Jibraeel and Mikaaeel,

"Verily, I made brotherhood between you two and made the age of one more than the other. Which one of you is willing to sacrifice his life for the other?" Both of them chose life. So, Allah – Mighty and Majestic be, He revealed unto both of them, "Can't you two be like Ali Ibn Abi Taalib? I created between him and Muhammad (pbh) while he (Imam Ali.) was willing to sleep in the bed of Muhammad (pbh) and sacrifice his life. Go down to the earth and protect him (Imam Ali) from his enemies." So Jibraeel descended near his head while Mikaaeel came near his feet. Jibraeel said, 'Bravo! to a person like you, O son of Abu Taalib. Allah is taking pride in you in front of the angels.' At this juncture, Allah revealed on His Messenger who was on his way to Madinah in praise of Ali Ibn Abi Taalib.

"And among men is he who sells himself to seek the pleasure of Allah…"[2]

(ii) Imam Hujjatul Islam Abu Haamid al-Ghazzaali in his book, 'Ehyaa al-Uloom al-Deen' writes, 'The night when Ali Ibn Abi Taalib slept in the bed of the Messenger of Allah, Allah revealed to Jibraeel and Mikaaeel, the great Angels in heavens,

"Verily, I made brotherhood between you two and made the age of one more than the other. Which one of you is willing to sacrifice his life for the other?" Both of them chose life and loved it. So, Allah – Mighty and Majestic be He- revealed unto both of them, "Can't you two be like Ali Ibn Abi Taalib? I created between him and Muhammad while he was willing to sleep in the bed of Muhammad, protecting him (the Prophet) with his (Imam Ali) life and preferring his (the Prophet) life to his own. Descend to the earth and protect him (Ali) from enemies." So Jibraeel descended near his head while Mikaaeel came near his feet, Jibraeel said, 'Bravo! Bravo! to a person like you, O son of Abu Taalib. Allah is taking pride in you in front of the angels.' At this juncture, Allah the Mighty and Majestic be He – revealed:. his

"And among men is he who sells himself to seek the pleasure of Allah; and Allah is Affectionate to the servants."[3]

(iii) In Majma' al-Bayaan, it is narrated from al-Suddi from Ibn Abbas that this verse was revealed concerning Ali Ibn Abi Taalib when the Holy Prophet ( took flight from the polytheists to the cave and Ali slept on his bed. As a result, this verse came down while he was between Makkah and Madinah. It is narrated that when Imam Ali slept in the Prophet's bed, Jibraeel stood near his head while Mikaaeel was near his feet. Jibraeel was calling out to him, 'Bravo! Bravo! to person like you, O son of Abu Taalib! Allah is taking pride in you in front of the angels. (Ref: www.seratonline.com)

The traditions from both the sects are numerous. And indeed, in Ghaayat al-Maraam, eleven traditions have been narrated from Sunni sources and the same number from shia sources. (Ref: www.seratonline.com)

From what al-Tha'labi and Hujjatul Islam al-Ghazzali have mentioned, it is apparent that the descent of the verse in Ima Ali's glory, the coming down of the two proximate angels for his protection, the saying of Jibraeel, 'Bravo! Bravo! to person like you, O son of Abu Taalib! Allah is taking pride in you in front of the angels' for his sleeping upon the bed of the Holy Prophet in that night, are all accepted and acknowledged facts for which there is no need to mention the chain of narrators since mentioning the tradition without the chain of narrators and both (al-Tha'labi and al-Ghazzali) have mentioned it without these chains considering it as accepted. If a person is bent upon rejecting something, he cannot see even something clearer than this.

The usage of the present tense, and not the past tense, for the word 'selling' by Allah – Mighty and Majestic be He – although according to a view it would have been appropriate to use the past tense because it is informing about an incident that transpired in the past, is to notify that the quality of selling himself to gain the satisfaction of Allah – the High – is Imam Ali's noble virtue and honourable trait, which is continuously found in him (a.s.). It was not a thing which he did occasionally. For, the present tense shows that it was a characteristic that was found in him permanently as the frequent use in the instances of usage establishes. Hence, it is brought to show a quality that belongs to his essential being. Therefore, not using the past tense here and instead using the present tense is to bring to attention that it was Imam Ali's very nature. Due to that, Allah – the High – took pride in him (a.s.) in front of the two great angels. Whoever is aware of his (a.s.) characteristics in wars and other occasions, will know for sure that this was indeed his (a.s.) characteristic.

REFERENCE NOTES:

[1] Surah Baqarah (2): Verse 207

[2] Ghaayat al-Maraam, p. 344

[3] Ghaayat al-Maraam, pp. 345-346; al-Fusool al-Muhimmah, p. 48; al-Mahajjah al-Baidhaa , vol. 6, p. 80; Tafseer al-Burhaan, vol. 1, p. 206

[4] Majma' al-Bayaan, vol. 2, p. 301

[5] Ghaayat al-Maraam, pp. 344-347

From: syed-mohsin naquvi <mnaquvi@yahoo.com>
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Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2013 4:15 PM
Subject: IN PRAISE OF IMAM ALI - FROM QUR'AN AND HADEETH (5)

In Praise of Imam Ali – From Qur'an and Hadeeth(5)

(Collected from a number of books and websites, presented by Syed-Mohsin Naquvi)

حدیثِ مواخّات

A very significant event in the early period of Islam is that of making brothers among the Muslims. This is reported to have happened twice, once in Makkah and again in Madinah.

Here are those reports with their respective references:

Mu'aakhat in Makka

(1) Qastalani writes in his Kitab Irshad as-Sari Sharhi Saheeh Bukhari(Chapter of "The Prophet Making Brothers Among the Sahaba): The Prophet chose pairs of the Muhajireen (emigrants) and made brothers of them. So, ^cUmar and Abu Bakr were made brothers of each other; so were Hamza with Zayd bin Haritha, ^cUthman with ^cAbd ar-Rahman bin ^cAwf, Zubayr bin al-^cAwwam with Ibn Mas^cood, ^cUbayda bin Harith with Bilal, Mas^cab bin ^cUmayr with S^cad bin Abi Waqas, Abu ^cUbayda with Salim slave of Huzayfa, and Sa^ceed bin Zayd with Talha bin ^cUbayd Allah, and finally he made Ali bin Abi Talib his own brother.

Ref: کتاب ارشاد الساری قسطلانی۔ آخر کتاب بدوالخلق باب کیف آخی النبی صلعم بین الصحابہ

Mu'aakhat in Madinah

(2) Abul Fida wites in his Tareekh (Vol.I p.127): The Prophet then made pairs of Ansar and Muhajiroon and made them brothers of each other (once again, in Madina). So, Ali was (once again) made his(the Prophet) own brother; Abu Bakr and Zayd bin Kharija Ansari, Abu ^cUbayda Jarrah and S^cad bin Ma^caz Ansari, ^cUmar bin Khattab and ^cUtban bin Malik Ansari, Abd ar-Rahman bin ^cAwf and S^cad bin Rab^ci Ansari, ^cUthman bin ^cAffaaan and Aws bin Thabit Ansari, Talha bin ^cUbayd Allah and K^cab bin Malik Ansari, Sa^ceed bin Zayd and Ubaiyy bin K^cab Ansari were made brothers of each other.

(3) Allama Samhudi writes in his Kitab Khulasat-al Wafa(Vol.I p.105): The Prophet created the relationship of brothers between the Ansar and the Muhajiroon, and said – "Make pairs (one form Ansar and the other from the Mujhajiroon) and become brothers (for Allah's sake) of each other." He then held Ali by the hand and said: "This is my brother."

(4) It is recorded in the Istee^cab of Ibn Abd al-Birr(Vol.II p.473): Very much like the Prophet had made brothers among the Muhajiroon in Makkah, he held another session of making brothers between Ansar and Muhajiroon in Madinah. At both occasions the Prophet had declared Ali as his brother saying: "You are my brother in this world as well as in the hereafter."

This is yet another exclusive glory for Imam Ali, he was made brother of the Prophet twice, once in Makkah and again in Madinah. Not only that, the brotherhood of Imam Ali with the Prophet extends into hereafter.

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