‘Ali and Surah Bara’ah

The Messenger of Allah gave Abu-Bakr the mission to convey Surah Bara’ah (al-Tawbah, No. 9)) to the Meccans to the effect that the atheists are not allowed to perform Hajj rituals from now on, no one can circumambulate Ka’bah being nude and that not any non-Muslim will enter paradise. Furthermore, anyone having a time agreement of non-violation between him and the Messenger of Allah, it will be valid for that period of time, for this is a declaration of immunity by Allah and His messenger towards the atheists.

To fulfill this mission, Abu-Bakr walked three successive days to reach Mecca, but all of a sudden, Gabriel appeared to the Holy Prophet, saying: O Messenger of Allah! God Almighty is sending you greetings and state: This important mission will not be carried out by anyone but you or a man from your household! The Messenger of Allah called ‘Ali, saying: Ride on my she-camel, rush towards Mecca, meet Abu-Bakr on the way, take the Surah Bara’ah from him, convey it to the people personally, and give him option to either accompany you or to return to me. ‘Ali rode on the Holy Prophet’s Adba she-camel and headed for Mecca.

Seeing ‘Ali rushing towards him, Abu-Bakr was full of fear, asking: What is this rush for? Are you here to accompany me or you have another mission? ‘Ali said: The Holy Prophet (S) has ordered me to take the Surah Bara’ah from you, to read it for the atheists and give you the option to either accompany me or return to the Messenger of Allah. Abu-Bakr said: I will go back to the Holy Prophet.

Coming to the presence of the Holy Prophet, Abu-Bakr said: O Messenger of Allah! You chose me to convey what the others were interested in but you took back the mission from me and gave it to another person! Has any verse been revealed to you about me? The Holy Prophet (S) said: No, but Gabriel came down to me saying: This mission cannot be carried out by anyone other than you or someone who is from you! Since ‘Ali is from me and no one but he can act on my behalf, I entrusted the mission to him.[85]

طَالِبٍ، وَهُوَ أَفْضَلُهُمْ.

وَعَنِ الرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: يَا عَلِيُّ، لَيْسَ فِي القِيَامَةِ رَاكِبٌ غَيْرُنا وَنَحْنُ أرْبَعَةٌ. فَقامَ إلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الأنْصارِ فَقالَ: فِداكَ أَبِي وَأُمّي أَنْتَ وَمَنْ؟ قَالَ: أنَا عَلَى البُراقِ وَأخِي صَالِحٌ عَلَى نَاقَةِ اللهِ الَّتي عُقِرَتْ وَعَمّي حَمْزَةُ عَلَى نَاقَتِي العَضْباءِ وَأخِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طالِبٍ عَلَى نَاقَةٍ مِنْ نُوقِ الجَنَّةِ وَبِيَدِهِ لِواءُ الحَمْدِ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ العَرْشِ يَقولُ: لاَ إلَهَ إلاَّ اللهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللهِ. قَالَ: فَيَقُولُ الآدَمِيُّونَ: مَا هَذَا إلاَّ مَلَكٌ مُقَرَّبٌ أوْ نَبِيٌّ مُرْسَلٌ أوْ حَامِلُ عَرْشِ رَبِّ العَالَمِينَ. قَالَ: فَيُجِيبُهُمْ مَلَكٌ مِنْ بِطْنانِ العَرْشِ: مَعَاشِرَ الآدَمِيِّينَ، مَا هَذَا مَلَكٌ مُقَرَّبٌ وَلا نَبِيٌّ مُرْسَلٌ وَلا حَامِلُ العَرْشِ، بَلْ هَذَا الصِّدِّيقُ الأَكْبَرُ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طالِبٍ. فِي حَمْلِ بَراءَةَ إلَى مَكَّةَ:

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَعَثَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ بِبَراءَةَ إلَى مَكَّةَ ألاّ يَحُجَّ بَعْدَ العَامِ مُشْرِكٌ وَيَطُوفَ بِالبَيْتِ عُرْيانٌ وَلا يَدْخُلَ الجَنَّةَ إلاَّ نَفْسٌ مُسْلِمَةٌ، وَمَنْ كَانَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ مُدَّةٌ فَأَجَلُهُ مُدَّتُهُ، وَاللهُ بَرِيءٌ مِنَ المُشْرِكِينَ وَرَسُولُهُ. فَسَارَ بِهَا ثَلاثَةَ أيَّامٍ فَنَزَلَ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ وَقالَ: إنَّ اللهَ يُقْرِئُكَ السَّلامَ وَيَقُولُ لَكَ: لاَ يُؤَدِّي عَنْكَ إلاَّ أَنْتَ أَوْ رَجُلٌ مِنْكَ. فَاسْتَدْعَى رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ عَلِيَّاً عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ وَقالَ لَهُ: إرْكَبْ نَاقَتِيَ العَضْبَاءَ وَالْحَقْ أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَخُذْ بَرَاءَةَ مِنْ يَدِهِ وَامْضِ بِهَا إلَى مَكَّةَ فَانْبُذْ عَهْدَ المُشْرِكِينَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَخَيِّرْ أَبَا بَكْرٍ بَيْنَ أنْ يَسيرَ مَعَ رِكَابِكَ أوْ يَرْجِعَ. فَرَكِبَ أمِيرُ المُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ نَاقَةَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ العَضْباءَ وَسَارَ حَتَّى لَحِقَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ. فَلَمَّا رَآهُ جَزِعَ مِنْ لُحُوقِهِ وَاسْتَقْبَلَهُ وَقالَ: فِيمَـا جِئْتَ يَـا أَبَ

Ibn Abbas has been reported by Zubayr ibn Bakkar ibn Zubayr ibn Awwam, a supporter of Umayyad, as saying: I was passing through an alley in Medina along with Umar ibn Khattab. Umar said: O son of Abbas, I believe that your friend, that is your cousin, ‘Ali, has been treated unjustly. I said: But what will happen if you treat him justly?

Pulling back his hand from my hand immediately and walking a few steps forward speedily, Umar stopped till I caught up with him. Turning to me, Umar said: O son of Abbas, I know why he has been treated unjustly. First of all, ‘Ali was young and the old men of Arabs could not tolerate him as a commander or leader. Hence, they belittled him and denied his right. Ibn Abbas reports: I said to him: By God, God Almighty did not belittled him on his mission to convey Surah “Bara’-at.” Hearing this, Umar turned his face away from me and went his way.[86]

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[85] Sahih, Bukhari, vol. 6, pp. 81

[86] Tarikh Dimashq, vol. 2, pp. 387