Hazrat `Ali - Part 1 - The Special Bond Between Prophet Muhammad and Hazrat `Ali
Part - The Special Bond Between Prophet Muhammad and Hazrat `Ali
Tags: Hazrat Fatimah, Surah-yi Bara'ah
Introduction
Hazrat `Ali was born on the 13th day of the month of Rajab, in the year (approximately) 601 C.E – about thirty years after the birth of Prophet Muhammad.
It is said that Hazrat Fatimah bint Asad (May peace be through her), Hazrat `Ali's mother, was visiting the Ka`bah. Since it was the month of Rajab, there were many pilgrims from all over the Arabian Peninsula, also visiting the Sacred House. However, there was an important difference between Hazrat Fatimah bint Asad and the other Arabs. Whereas most of the others were pagans and idol worshippers, the members of the house of the Prophet2 were believers in one God.3 Being descended from Hazrat Isma`il (May peace be through him), they were worshippers of one God, as substantiated by the following verses of the Qur'an:
"And afterward We inspired you (Muhammad, saying): Follow the religion of Abraham, as one by nature upright (hanif). He was not of the idolaters". (16:123)
"And strive for Allah with the endeavour which is His right. He has chosen you and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship; the faith of your father Abraham (is yours).
He has named you Muslims of old time and in this (Scripture) that the Messenger may be a witness against you, and that you may be witnesses against humankind. So establish worship, pay the religious due, and hold fast to Allah. He is your Protecting Friend. A blessed Advocate and a blessed Helper!" (22:78).
Hazrat Fatimah bint Asad, started her birth pains in the Ka`bah. Hazrat `Ali was, therefore, born in the holy precincts of the Sacred House. It is well-known that he alone was born in the Ka`bah and martyred in a masjid in Kufah.
His mother, in the absence of his father, Hazrat Mawlana Abu Talib (May peace be through him), named him "Asad" and "Haydar", both of which mean "Lion". Hazrat Mawlana Abu Talib, on his return to Makkah, called him "Zayd". However, when the Prophet returned to Makkah, he gave him the name "`Ali" which means 'high', 'lofty', 'sublime', etc.
Hazrat `Ali's childhood
It is recorded by several historians that in the early years of Hazrat `Ali's childhood, Makkah suffered a severe famine. Prophet Muhammad and his uncle Hazrat `Abbas were men of means. They each took a child from Hazrat Mawlana Abu Talib to ease his situation. Hazrat `Abbas took Hazrat Ja`far. Prophet Muhammad took Hazrat `Ali into his family.
Other reasons are also given for Hazrat `Ali's adoption by Prophet Muhammad. It is said that Prophet Muhammad showed his gratitude for his own adoption by Hazrat Mawlana Abu Talib, when he was orphaned as a child and his grandfather, Mawlana `Abd al-Muttalib (May peace be through him) also died. It is even suggested that the Prophet had lost both of his baby sons, Qasim and `Abdu'llah and therefore he took Hazrat `Ali in as a son.
It could be that in addition to the above reasons, Prophet Muhammad adopted Hazrat `Ali at such a tender age in order to prepare him for the great destiny which awaited him. Whatever the real reason, the upbringing of Hazrat `Ali under the constant and loving supervision of Prophet Muhammad ensured that from the very beginning of his life, Hazrat `Ali absorbed the high qualities and noble virtues of the Prophet.
In the words of one writer; 'He (Prophet Muhammad) lived in the midst of his society as an island of knowledge, wisdom and civilisation surrounded by an ocean of barbarism and ignorance'.4 Hazrat `Ali from his very childhood benefitted from this island of knowledge, wisdom and civilisation of the Prophet. In his own words in Nahju'l-Balagah, Hazrat `Ali says:
First to Accept Islam
Prophet Muhammad started to receive revelation around the age of forty. At that time, Hazrat `Ali was a boy of around ten years.
A great deal of controversy exists about who was the first to accept the Prophet's Divine mission. A compromise solution (put forward by some historians) is that Hazrat Khadijah (May peace be through her) was the first woman to accept Islam, Hazrat Abu Bakr the first man and Hazrat `Ali, the first boy to do so. However, in the light of the description of Hazrat `Ali's childhood (see section above), during which he lived and breathed Islam with the Prophet, the question of whether he accepted Islam first becomes irrelevant.
Further, as we have seen in the section above about his mother that there were in Arabia well established monotheists called 'hanifs' who were following the religion of their forefathers, Hazrat Abraham (May peace be through him) and his son Hazrat Isma`il (May peace be through him) whose line was continuing in the house of the Prophet's grandfather, Hazrat Mawlana `Abd al-Muttalib (May peace be through him). In other words, Hazrat Khadijah and Hazrat `Ali's accepting the prophethood of Hazrat Muhammad was not in the sense of converting from idolatry or any other faith, but in the sense of confirming the Prophet's exalted status and supporting his mission.5
Hazrat `Ali's declaration on the occasion of inviting the nearest kin: Da`wat-i `Ashirah
Three years after the Prophet's revelations started, he received the following command from Allah:
"And warn your nearest kin, And lower your wing (in kindness) unto those believers who follow you". (26:214-215)
In accordance with this command, the Prophet invited the descendants of Hazrat Mawlana `Abd al-Muttalib (some forty men) to a meal. After they had eaten, the Prophet addressed them, telling them of his sacred mission and inviting them to accept Islam. He ended by saying:
"O Children of `Abd al-Muttalib (Banu `Abd al-Muttalib), follow me and you will be the kings and rulers of the earth. God has surely never sent a Prophet without appointing his vicegerent (wasi), minister (wazir), heir (warith), brother (akh) and legatee (wali). Who among you then will be my vicegerent, my heir, brother and minister?"
The kinsmen present kept silent. The Prophet then asked this question to each of them individually, but there was no response. Only Hazrat `Ali, at this time, no more than about thirteen years old and the youngest among them, was left. The Prophet then asked him and he replied: 'O Messenger of God, I will be'. The Prophet said: 'Yes, O `Ali, you will be'.6
Hazrat `Ali fulfils his Promise
Hazrat `Ali's words: 'O Messenger of God, I will be' so confidently pronounced at this tender age, were shortly seen to be true. Soon after the family meal, the Prophet started to proclaim his message publicly. This aroused the anger of the powerful clans of Makkah. For the next few years, until the Hijrah, this anger was expressed in diverse ways – ranging from young Makkan boys throwing stones and spitting at the Prophet, to economic and social ostracism by the Makkan clans, finally ending in a plot to assassinate the Prophet. During all these trials and tribulations, Hazrat `Ali was at the Prophet's side. As a teenage boy, he accompanied the Prophet around the streets of Makkah. So well known was his reputation and zeal for defending the Messenger of Allah that no Makkan urchin dared to throw a stone at Prophet Muhammad when Hazrat `Ali was at his side.
The night of the Prophet's Hijrah
The years passed. In spite of persecution and opposition, Prophet Muhammad continued to preach Islam openly and fearlessly. As the number of converts to Islam increased steadily, so too did the anger and the enmity of the Quraysh, the most powerful tribe in Makkah. During these first troubled years some members of the two major tribes of Yathrib, Aws and Khazraj had accepted Islam on the Prophet's hand, and he had been assured of a cordial welcome to that city. In order to safeguard the lives of his followers, the Prophet had encouraged them to emigrate to Madinah in small groups.
This period of uncertainty and outright persecution culminated in a plot to assassinate Prophet Muhammad. One member of each clan of Makkah joined the conspiracy to kill the Prophet. It was decided to carry out this murder quite openly since every clan was involved in it. The Prophet knew of this plot against his life and he decided to leave Makkah on the very night designated for his death. However, in order to foil his enemies (who had already surrounded his house), the Prophet asked Hazrat `Ali to cover himself with his usual coverlet and to lie in his bed. Hazrat `Ali's foremost concern was the safety of the holy Prophet. Without the slightest hesitation, he took the Prophet's place in his bed. He was completely unperturbed about facing the anger and frustration of the plotters when they discovered in the morning that the Prophet had eluded them. All historians agree that the selfless service which Hazrat `Ali rendered to the Prophet and the cause of Islam on that particular night has no equal. It is said that the following verse of the holy Qur'an, refers specifically to this sacrifice of Hazrat `Ali:
"And of humankind is he who would sell himself, seeking the pleasure of Allah, and Allah has compassion on (His) bondmen". (2:207)
On this same occasion, Prophet Muhammad had charged Hazrat `Ali with another responsibility. Prophet Muhammad, known as al-Amin (the most trustworthy man) in Makkah was entrusted with the custody of the valuables of a number of Makkans. Hazrat `Ali discharged the duty of returning the possessions of the various Makkans over the next three days. When he finished this task, he escorted several women of the Prophet's household to join the Prophet in Madinah.
The First Year in Madinah
The arrival of Prophet Muhammad with the small band of Muslims in Yathrib was to be the turning point in the history of Islam. To mark this momentous occasion the city of Yathrib was re-named Madinatu'n-Nabi (the city of the Prophet).
It was here in Madinah that Prophet Muhammad was able to put into practice the tenets of Islam, unhindered by the enmity and opposition of the pagans of Makkah. One of his first public actions was to declare a bond of brotherhood between members of the muhajirun (emigrants) and the ansar (helpers i.e., Madinans). This was a revolutionary step, since it replaced the age-old ties of blood kinship and clan loyalties with the Islamic bond of spiritual brotherhood.
The muhajirun (emigrants) had left Makkah in unhappy circumstances. Leaving behind all their material possessions, they had chosen to follow the Prophet and the religion of Islam. By designating one member of the emigrants as a brother to one Madinan, the Prophet also ensured that the young Muslim community would demonstrate practically a spirit of sharing and co-operation. During the ceremony of assigning brothers between the muhajirun and the ansar, it is reported that at the end only Hazrat `Ali remained. At this time, the Prophet said to Hazrat `Ali:
"You are my brother in this world and in the Hereafter".
This famous episode is recorded by all historians of Islamic history. There are some interesting points to consider in it. Hazrat `Ali was already related by blood to Prophet Muhammad, since he was his first cousin. He was also thirty years younger than the Prophet. What did this 'brotherhood' imply? It was a re-affirmation of the Prophet's earlier statement in Makkah on the occasion of inviting the nearest kin, as well as an indication to the spiritual relationship between him and Hazrat `Ali, and an echo of another famous hadith:
"I am from `Ali and `Ali is from me".
Hazrat `Ali's marriage to Hazrat Fatimah al-Zahra' (May peace be through her)
The marriage of Hazrat `Ali to Hazrat Fatimah, the only daughter of the Prophet took place in the second year of the Hijrah. A number of the outstanding companions of the Prophet, some rich citizens of Madinah, as well as many mighty chiefs of Arab clans had tried to woo the hand of Fatimah al-Zahra'. The Prophet had refused all their offers. However, when Hazrat `Ali declared his intention, the Prophet readily agreed. Hazrat `Ali and Hazrat Fatimah were married at a simple ceremony and she moved to his house after the Battle of Badr. In the two succeeding years, she bore two sons, Hazrat Hasan (May peace be through him) and Hazrat Husayn (May peace be through him) about whom the famous hadith of the Prophet is: 'Hasan and Husayn are the leaders of the youth of Paradise'.
History books abound in the descriptions of the exemplary life that Hazrat `Ali, Hazrat Fatimah and their children led. Even though Hazrat `Ali was the 'brother' and son-in-law of the Prophet, and the outstanding hero of the battles of Badr, Uhud, Khaybar and Hunayn, their daily life consisted of hard work and spartan simplicity. In the context of the straightened circumstances of the early years in Madinah, their generosity to the poor and needy is legend. It is well-known that the following verses of the holy Qur'an are a direct reference to the incomparable self-sacrifice of Hazrat `Ali's family:
"Lo! The righteous shall drink of a cup whereof the mixture is the water of Kafur, a spring wherefrom the (honoured) servants of Allah drink, making it gush forth abundantly, (because) they perform the vow and fear a day whereof the evil is wide-spreading, and feed with food the needy wretch, the orphan and the prisoner, for love of Him, (saying): We feed you, for the sake of Allah only. We wish for no reward nor thanks from you". (76:5-9)
The Debate with the Christians of Najran
Najran was an important centre of Christianity in Yaman. In the ninth year after the Hijrah, a learned delegation from there arrived in Madinah to discuss and debate with the Prophet about Islam and the status of Jesus. The Prophet conducted a dialogue with them however the Christians were adamant about Jesus being the son of God. At this time the following verse of the Qur'an was revealed to him:
"And whoso disputes with you concerning him, after the knowledge which has come unto you, say (unto him): Come! We will summon our sons and your sons, and our women and your women, and ourselves and yourselves, then we will pray humbly (to our Lord) and (solemnly) invoke the curse of Allah upon those who lie." (3:61)
This type of invocation is called 'Mubahalah' (imprecation) in Arabic and the Prophet, in compliance with the command of Allah revealed to him, summoned Hazrat `Ali, Hazrat Fatimah, Hazrat Hasan and Hazrat Husayn and gathered them under his cloak. Hazrat Hasan and Hazrat Husayn represented 'our sons', Hazrat Fatimah, 'our women' and Hazrat `Ali and Prophet Muhammad 'ourselves'. The choice of personalities in this event is highly significant. Prophet Muhammad did not include any of his wives or other members of his family. The inclusion of Hazrat `Ali in the category of 'ourselves' shows the special place he had in the Prophet's esteem. This historical event also confirms that the holy Prophet had two households: the physical ahlu'l-bayt which comprised his wives and the spiritual ahlu'l-bayt, known as the Baytu'n-nubuwwat wa'l-wahy (the House of Prophethood and inspiration). The spiritual ahlu'l-bayt are also called the Panj tan-i pak or the five holy personalities.
When the Christians of Najran saw that the Prophet had gathered together those most near and dear to him, they lost their confidence and declined to participate in the 'Mubahalah'. They chose instead to sign a treaty and pay the jizyah (poll tax).7
The expedition to Tabuk and the appointment of Hazrat `Ali to deputise for the Prophet in Madinah
In the year 630 AD, the Prophet mounted a major military expedition to the northern areas of Arabia, to check on the expansionist moves of the Byzantine empire, which had finally routed the Persians.8 The Prophet asked Hazrat `Ali to remain behind to look after his family and Madinah. The enemies of Islam, such as the Hypocrites, some Bedouin tribes and the Makkans were still actively working against Islam. The Prophet would therefore choose only a man of Hazrat `Ali's calibre to deputise for him during his absence. However, no sooner had the expedition set out, than the Hypocrites spread a rumour that Hazrat `Ali had been left behind because he was a burden to the Prophet. Hazrat `Ali was so distressed by this, that he armed himself and overtook the Prophet at his first halt. He told the Prophet the reason why he had left Madinah to join him. The Prophet replied: "Are you not content, `Ali, that you are unto me as Aaron was unto Moses, except that there will be no Prophet after me?"9 This hadith which speaks about the resemblance of Hazrat `Ali to Hazrat Aaron (May peace be through him) is unanimously accepted by Muslims of all sects and is verified by the Qur'anic story of Hazrat Moses (May peace be through him) and Hazrat Aaron, which is not only the most detailed and longest of all the Prophets' stories, but also emphasises the blood relationship of both the Prophets and their ministers (wazirs).10 Further, it not only demonstrates, once again, the special bond between them, but it is a proclamation for the future when Prophet Muhammad would declare Hazrat `Ali as his successor.
The holy Prophet instructed Hazrat `Ali to return to Madinah, much to the consternation of the Hypocrites, who had hoped to make trouble in his absence.
Hazrat `Ali is asked to recite the Surah-yi Bara'ah in Makkah
In the ninth year of the Hijrah, a group of Muslims set out on Hajj, under the leadership of Hazrat Abu Bakr, whom the Prophet had charged with the responsibility of reciting Suratu'l-Bara'ah, also known as Suratu't-Tawbah, to the idolaters and polytheists. It is the only chapter in the holy Qur'an which does not begin with Bismi'llahi'r-Rahmani'r-Rahim, because of the harsh nature of its message, which was to abrogate the alliance of the Prophet with the pagan tribes and to forbid, henceforth, the pilgrimage of any unbeliever or non-Muslim to the Holy Sanctuary.
When the Muslims had travelled someway, the Prophet received a further revelation from Allah, the gist of which was that the Surah-yi Bara'ah (or Renunciation or Repentance) was only to be delivered by the Prophet himself or a man related to him. The Prophet, therefore, sent for Hazrat `Ali and ordered him to ride his she-camel al-Azba' and to overtake the pilgrims, to take the Surah from Hazrat Abu Bakr and to read it out to the pilgrims gathered in Makkah.11
The indications in the Prophet's action of withdrawing the recitation of Surah-yi Bara'ah from Hazrat Abu Bakr and giving it to Hazrat `Ali, according to the command of Allah, are very profound. The treaty had been signed by the Prophet with the idolaters and it could only be abrogated by himself or somebody who could replace him in nobility and high status – somebody who had already been, on many occasions, singled out as his brother, minister, wazir and vicegerent.
A Summary of Prophetic Traditions or Ahadith related to Hazrat `Ali (with reference to this section only)
1. 'Yes O `Ali, you will be' (i.e., my vicegerent, my heir, brother and minister)
The above hadith was declared by Prophet Muhammad about three years after the revelation started, when in accordance with the command of Allah, he gathered all his near kinsmen at a dinner at his home. Hazrat `Ali was only thirteen years old at the time.
2. 'You are my brother in this world and in the Hereafter'.
This statement was made in Madinah by the Prophet to Hazrat `Ali at the time when the Prophet declared a spiritual brotherhood between the Madinans (ansar) and the Emigrants (muhajirun).
3. 'God, these are the members of my House (ahlu'l-bayt)'.
Prophet Muhammad made this statement when, in response to the command of Allah, he gathered Hazrat `Ali, Hazrat Fatimah, Hazrat Hasan and Hazrat Husayn in preparation for the prayer of 'Mubahalah' with the Christians of Najran.
4. 'Are you not content, `Ali, that you should be unto me as Aaron was unto Moses, except that there will be no Prophet after me!'
This famous hadith was pronounced by the Prophet, when he left Hazrat `Ali in charge of Madinah during the expedition to Tabuk.
5. 'No one should deliver it except me or a man from me (or the members of my House). And `Ali is from me'.
This hadith was said when the Prophet asked Hazrat `Ali to deliver the Surah-yi Bara'ah to the pagans in Makkah.
The above are some of the ahadith about Hazrat `Ali (particularly relevant to this first section), which are very famous and have been recorded by writers of all Muslim schools of thought. These and other Prophetic Traditions about Hazrat `Ali were in such wide circulation that the majority of the historians and traditionists from the earliest times had to record them. They were so well-known that they have even survived the attempts of the people in power in the early centuries of Islamic history to suppress them.12
- 2Note: There were within the wider family of Prophet Muhammad some idol worshippers, e.g., Abu Lahab, hence they are not included in the description 'house of the Prophet'.
- 3F.M. Denny, An Introduction to Islam in the Unity Program, Chapter 3, An Introduction to Islam: "Forms of monotheism did exist in Arabia alongside pre-Islamic tribal polytheism. Both Jewish and Christian Arab communities had been present in Arabia before Muhammad. Jewish communities in Khaybar, Tyma, and Yathrib (later called Medina) were successful in agriculture and trade. While some Christians were settled in Mecca, most of the Christian communities were on the periphery of central Arabia (the Hijaz), along caravan routes in North and South Arabia. Particular contact with monotheism resulted from the caravan trade that brought Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Christian merchants to Mecca, a thriving commercial center, as well as from the travels of Meccan traders far and wide throughout the Middle East. Finally, in addition to biblical monotheism, native or pre-Islamic Arab monotheists, called hanifs, seem to have existed. The Quran (3:95) and Muslim tradition portray them as descendants of Abraham and his son Ismail."
- 4M.J. Chirri: 'The Brother of the Prophet Muhammad', The Imam Ali, Vol. 1.
- 5For more information on Imam `Ali's faith or iman, see "Hundred Questions" by `Allamah Nasir al-Din Nasir Hunzai (Karachi, 2010), p. 146.
- 6'Da`a'im al-Islam' of al-Qazi al-Nu`man (Arabic) pp. 15-16.
- 7See Ja`fri, p. 16 for the explanation of Surah 33, verse 33.
- 8This victory of the Byzantines over the Persians was predicted in the revelation to the Prophet – see Surah 30, verses 1-4 (30:1-4).
- 9Hazrat Musa had appointed Hazrat Harun, his brother, as a Vazier/Wazir or deputy to oversee the Israelites during his forty day absence on Mt. Sinai. See also holy Qur'an, Surah 7, verse 142 (7:142).
- 10See verses 24 to 33 of Surah Ta Ha (20:24-33), which specifically mention that H. Aaron was the brother (akh) and minister (wazir) of H. Musa who had prayed for him to share his task of facing the Pharoah.
- 11See Farman of Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah, regarding this episode. Farman made at Bombay on 12th April, 1893.
- 12For more unanimous ahadith about Hazrat `Ali, please see "The Holy Ahl al-Bayt in the Prophetic Traditions" by F. M. Hunzai & R. Noormohamed-Hunzai, Karachi, 2020.
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