Spiritual virtues are related to faith

`Ali’s spiritual virtues are related to faith which is above all virtues, for faith in man will lead him to the eternal blessing of paradise and divine pleasure and he will be rescued from the painful punishment of hell. On polytheism which is the opposite of faith Allah Almighty says: “Surely, Allah does not forgive that anything should be associated with Him, and He forgives what is besides this to whom He pleases.” (4:16)

Therefore, Imam `Ali (a.s) is far from associating anything with Allah and all Muslims unanimously agree that Imam `Ali (a.s) was a pioneer in faith as compared to other companions of the Holy Prophet (s.a). He was the first among men who believed in Allah and his messenger. He never associated anything with Allah even for a moment nor worshipped any idol.

He is the one who toppled all the idols from Ka`bah when he put his feet on the Holy Prophet’s shoulders and went up to the roof of Ka`bah.

Reporting ibn Maryam on the authority of Imam `Ali (a.s), Ahmad ibn Hanbal says: The Messenger of Allah and I went to the sacred Mosque. When we reached Ka`bah the Holy Prophet said: Sit down. I sat down. He put his feet on my shoulders so that I will raise him to the roof of Ka`bah. As a result of heaviness of prophethood, I was not able to rise up. Finding me in this position, the Holy Prophet (s.a) took his feet off my shoulders and sat down on the ground. This time, the Holy Prophet ordered me to mount his shoulders. I too obeyed his order. The Holy Prophet raised me in a way I could fly in sky. At that time, I set my foot on the roof of Ka`bah. I found there the statue of an idol made of copper or lead.[31] I shook it in a way it was unseated. The Holy Prophet said: Throw is down. I threw it down in a way that it shattered into pieces. Then, I came down from the roof of Ka`bah, leaving the sacred mosque hurriedly along with the Holy Prophet. When we saw the houses of Mecca, we ran more hastily lest the people of Mecca should see us.[32]

الإيمَانُ:

وَهذِهِ الفَضِيلةُ لاَ يُوازِنُها شَيءٌ مِن الفَضَائلِ إذْ بِاعتِبارِها يَحصلُ لِلمُكَلَّفِ النّعيمُ المُخلَّدُ وَالخَلاصُ مِن العَذابِ السَّرمدِ كَما قَالَ تَعالَى:

﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ.﴾

وَقدْ أجمَعَ المُسْلِمونَ كافّةً عَلَى أنَّ أميرَ المُؤمنينَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ سَبقَ إلَى الإسلامِ قَبلَ كُلِّ أحَدٍ وَلمْ يُشرِكْ باللهِ تَعالَى طَرفَةَ عَيْنٍ وَلَم يَسجُدْ لِصَنَمٍ بَلْ هُو الَّذي تَوَلَّى تَكسيرَ الأصْنامِ لَمَّا صَعدَ عَلَى كَتِفِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ.

رَوَى أحمَدُ بنُ حَنبل فِي مُسنَدِهِ عَن أَبِي مَريمَ عَن عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ قَالَ: إنطَلقْتُ أنَا والنَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ حَتَّى أتَيْنا الكَعبَةَ. فَقاَل لي رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ اجْلسْ. فَجَلسْتُ وَصعدَ عَلى مَنكِبي. فَذَهبتُ لأنْهَضَ فَلمْ أُطِقْ. فَرأى منِّي ضَعفاً فَنَزلَ. وَجَلسَ نَبِيُّ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَقالَ: إصْعَدْ علَى مَنكِبي. فَصَعدْتُ عَلَى منْكَبَيهِ. قَالَ: فَنهَضَ. قَالَ: فإنَّهُ تُخُيِّلَ إليَّ إنّي لَو شِئتُ لَنلْتُ أفُقَ السَّماءِ حتّى صَعدْتُ عَلَى البَيتِ وَعَليهِ تِمثالٌ صِفرٌ أو نُحاسٌ. فَجعلْتُ أُزاوِلُهُ عَن يَمينِهِ وَشِمالِهِ وَمنْ بَينِ يَديْهِ وَخَلفِهِ حتّى إذَا استَمْكَنْتُ مِنهُ قَالَ لي رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: إقْذِفْ بهِ. فَقَذفْتُ بِهِ فَتَكَسَّرَ كَما تَتَكَسَّرُ القَواريرُ. ثُمَّ نَزَلتُ وَانطلَقْتُ أنَا وَرسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ نَستَبِقُ حتّى تَوارَيْنا بِالبُيوتِ خَشيَةَ أنْ يَلقَانا أحَدٌ مِن النَّاسِ.

Al-Tabari, the author of Khasa’is has quoted the prophet (s.a) as saying: The angels sent greeting on me and `Ali for seven years in heaven, for during this period of time no voice except that of `Ali and me was raised to heaven by saying: There is no god but Allah.[33]

In the book, Yawaqit, Abi- `Umar Zahid has quoted Layla Ghifar on the authority of the Holy Prophet (s.a) as saying: Actually, `Ali ibn Abi-Talib is the first person among people who believed in Islam and the first person whom I will see on the Day of Judgment, the last person to whom I say farewell and trust my last will and testament at deathbed.

Ibn `Abbas has been quoted by Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his book Musnad as saying: The first person who worshipped God with the Holy Prophet after Khadijah was `Ali (a.s).[34]

Salman Farsi has been quoted by Abu’l-Mu’ayyad as saying: I heard from the Messenger of Allah saying: the first person whom I see at the pond is the first man of faith and Islam, `Ali ibn Abi-Talib (a.s).[35]

`Amr ibn Maymun has been quoted by Ahmad ibn Hanbal as saying: I was in the presence of Ibn `Abbas when nine groups joined our gathering. They said: We wish to talk to you privately. Either rise up and come along with us or make this gathering private. He said: I will come along with you. This happened when Ibn `Abbas had not lost his sight.

When Ibn `Abbas attended their gathering, they started speaking to him.

The narrator says: I and those who were in the presence of Ibn `Abbas did not hear their discussion but we saw that Ibn `Abbas who was angry while rising up and putting the dust off his clothes said: Woe to the people who speak ill of a person who has ten marks of distinction among the companions of the Holy Prophet.

Then he said: These people blame a person about whom the Messenger of Allah in Khaybar battle said: I will soon assign to fight them a person who loves God and His messenger and God and His messenger too love him. It was at this time that everyone was curious as to whom this honor would be given. But it was a wishful thinking for all, for the Holy Prophet asked: Where is `Ali?

وَرَوى الطَّبَرِيُّ صَاحِبُ (الخَصائِصِ) عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ قَالَ: صَلَّتِ المَلائكَةُ عَلَيَّ وَعلَى عَلِيٍّ سَبعَ سِنينَ. وَذلكَ لأنَّهُ لَم تَرتَفعْ شَهادَةُ أنْ لاَ إلهَ إلاَّ اللهُ إلَى السَّماءِ إلاَّ منِّي وَمنْهُ.

وَمنْ كِتابِ (اليَواقيتِ)  لأبِي عُمَرَ الزَّاهدِ: عَن لَيلى الغِفاريّةِ عَن رَسولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ أنَّ عَليَّ بنَ أَبِي طالبٍ أوَّلُ النَّاسِ إيمَاناً وَأوَّلُ النَّاسِ لِقاءً بي يَومَ القِيامَةِ وَآخِرُ النَّاسِ بي عَهداً عِندَ المَوتِ.

وَمِن كِتابِ مُسْند أحمَدَ: عَن ابنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: أوَّلُ مَنْ صَلّى معَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ بَعدَ خَدِيجَةَ عَلَيْهَا السَّلاَمُ عَلِيٌّ.

وَرَوى أَبُو الْمُؤيَّدِ عَن سَلمَانَ قَالَ: سَمعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ يَقولُ: أَوَّلُ النَّاسِ وُروداً عَلَيَّ الحَوضَ يَوْمَ القِيامَةِ أوَّلُهمْ إسْلاماً وَهوَ عَلِيُّ بنُ أَبِي طالبٍ.

وَمنْ كِتابِ مُسنَد أحمدَ بنِ حَنبَلٍ: عَن عَمْرِو بنِ مَيْمونَ قَالَ إنّي لَجالِسٌ إلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ إذْ أتَاهُ تِسعَةُ رَهطٍ. فَقالوا: يَا ابنَ عَبَّاسٍ إمَّا أنْ تَقومَ مَعَنا وإمَّا أنْ تَخلُوَ بِنا عَنْ هَؤلاءِ. قَالَ: فَقالَ ابنُ عَبَّاسٍ: بَل أقومُ مَعكُمْ. قَالَ: وَهوَ يَومَئِذٍ صَحيحُ لَم يَعْمَ. قَالَ: فَانطَلَقوا فَتَحدَّثوا فلا نَدري مَا قالوا. قَالَ: فَجاءَ يَنفِضُ ثَوبَهُ وَهُوَ يَقولُ: أُفٍّ وَتُفٍّ! وَقَعوا فِي رَجُلٍ قَالَ لهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: لأَبْعَثَنَّ رَجُلاً لاَ يُخْزيهِ اللهُ أبَداً، يُحبُّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيُحِبُّهُ اللهُ وَرسولُهُ. قَالَ فَاستَشرَفَ لَهَا مَن استَشْرفَ. قَالَ: أَيْنَ عَلِيٌّ؟

They said: He is in the place of the grinding, busy with grinding so as to prepare food for the strugglers. The Holy Prophet (s.a) said: Was there no one else to do this job? At any rate, `Ali was informed that the Holy Prophet had sent for him. `Ali came to the Holy Prophet with eyesore in a way he could not see before his feet. The Holy Prophet rubbed his saliva on `Ali’s eyes which cured him immediately. Hoisting the banner of Islam for three times, the Holy Prophet then gave it to `Ali and told him to go ahead. `Ali conquered Khaybar Fort in no time and brought Safiyyah, the daughter of Huyay as a captive to the presence of the Holy Prophet.

When the Holy Prophet (s.a) sent so-and-so (i.e. Abu-Bakr) to read Surah of Bara’ah, he sent `Ali after him to take the mission from him. The Holy Prophet (s.a) said: This mission is carried out by none except me or one who is from me.

The Holy Prophet (s.a) asked his cousins: Which one of you in this world and the hereafter will be my follower? They all answered in negative except `Ali who was present in the gathering but silent. All of a sudden, he rose up and said: I will be a follower of you in this world and the hereafter! The Messenger of Allah said: Yes, indeed you will be my friend in this world and the hereafter.