Love for Imam Ali in the Quran

What we have said so far has shed light on the value and influence of love, and it has incidentally become clear that love for the pure ones is a means for the reform and refinement of the soul, not that it is an end in itself. Now we must see whether Islam and the Qur'an have chosen someone we should love or not. When the Qur' an relates what the previous prophets have said, it points out that they have all said: "we do not ask a wage from people, our only reward is from God. However it addresses the Seal of the Prophets thus:

Say: "I do not ask of you a wage for this, except love

for (my) relatives. (ash-Shura, 42:23)

Here there is a need to ask why the rest of the prophets looked for no wage but the most noble Prophet asked for one for his message; why did he want friendship for his near relatives as a requital for his message?

The Qur'an itself provides an answer to this question:

say: "I have asked no wage of you; that shall be yours.

My wage falls only upon God "(Saba', 34:47)

That is to say, that which I ask for as a wage accrues to you, not to me; this friendship is a halter for your own perfection and reformation, and it is called a wage. Otherwise it is in fact another good which I recommend to you from the point of view that the Household and relatives of the Prophet are people who do not gather round defilement and whose hems are clean and pure.

Love and devotion to these people brings no other result apart from obedience to the truth and adherence to virtues, and it is friendship for them which transmutes and perfects like the elexir.

Whatever the meaning of "relatives" may be, it is certain that the most obvious person to whom it is applicable is 'Ali. Lmam Fakhru d-Din ar-Razi says:

"Zamakhshari relates in his (Qur'anic exegesis) al-Kashshaf: ' When this verse was sent down they said: "0 Messenger of Allah! Who are the relatives to whom our love is due? " He said: " 'Ali and Fatimah and their sons." '

"It is thus established from this tradition that these four persons are "relatives of the Prophet, and that they should enjoy the respect and love of the people, and this matter can be reasoned out in a number of ways:

"1 - The verse: except love for my relatives.

"2 - There is no doubt that the Prophet dearly loved Fatimah, and he said: Fatimah is a part of my body: what harms her harms me.' he also loved Ali and the Hasanayn (Hasan and Husayn), since a great number of mutawatir traditions (those which are narrated by so many as to make doubt impossible) have reached us on this subject. Thus friendship of them is obligatory on all the community, because the Qur'an commands:

2: as-Suyuti relates that the Prophet said: " Love of 'Ali is faith, and enmity towards him is sedition. "
3: Abu Na'im narrates that the Prophet addressed the Ansar and said: "Shall I guide you to something which, if you grasp it after me, you will never go astray? They said:
"Yes, 0 Messenger of Allah! He said: "It is 'Ali: love him with the love (you have) for me, and respect him with the respect (you have) for me. For God has ordered me through Gabriel to tell you this. "
The Sunnis have also narrated traditions from the Prophet in which observing 'Ali's face and talking of his virtues is counted as a form of worship.

POLARISATION AROUND THE CHARACTER OF IMAM ALl

1: Muhibb at.-Tabari narrates from A'ishah that she said: "I saw my father (AbU Bakr) gazing often at All's face. I said: 0 my father! I see you gazing often at Mi's face.' He said: "0 my daughter! I heard the Prophet say: "Looking at the face of All is worship. 

2: Ibn Hajar narrates from A'ishah that the Prophet said: "The best of my brothers is Au, the best of my paternal uncles is Hamzah, and remembrance of Mi and speaking about him is worship. 

Mi was the most loved person before God and the Prophet, and thus naturally the best of those who are loved. Anas ibn M?lik says: "Every day, one of the children of the An~?r would do some task for the Prophet. One day my turn came. Umm Ayman brought a chicken dish before the Prophet and said: Messenger of Mlah! I have caught this chicken myself and cooked it for you.' He said: 0 God! Send the best of (Thy) slaves that he may share with me in eating this chicken.' At that very moment someone knocked on the door and the Prophet said to me: Anas! Open the door.' I said: May God make it a man of the Ans?r!' But I found Mi in front of the door, and I said: The Prophet is busy.' Then I returned to stand in my place. Again there was a knock at the door, and the Prophet said: Open the door.' Again I prayed that it would be someone from the An~ar. I opened the door and again it was All. I said: The Prophet is busy.' Then I returned to stand in my place. Yet again there was a knock at the door, and the Prophet said:

Anas, go and open the door, and bring him in. You are not the first person to love your own people; that is not one of the Ans?r.' I went and brought All in, and he ate the chicken dish with the Prophet.