‘Ali during the Night Journey

The Messenger of Allah has been quoted by Abu-Umar Zahid as saying: During the Night Journey, I passed by a crowd in whose mouths fire was blazing. Asked Gabriel who they were, Gabriel said: They are the backbiters who eat the flesh of the dead! I passed by another group who were crying out. I said: Who are they? Gabriel said: These are unbelievers! Then we continued our way till we reached the fourth heaven where I saw ‘Ali who was praying!

I asked Gabriel: Is it ‘Ali who has overtaken us and reached here before us? Gabriel said: This is not ‘Ali. I said: Who is he then? Gabriel said: Since archangels and cherubim heard ‘Ali’s merits especially when you said about him: ‘Ali’s position to me is as Harun to Moses except that there will be no prophet after me, they longed for meeting ‘Ali. Hence, God Almighty created an angel like ‘Ali so that when the angels long to see ‘Ali, to come and see him.¹⁶⁷

The Holy Prophet (S) has been quoted by Ibn Abbas as saying: During the night I was taken to heavens (Night Journey), I saw an inscription on the gate of paradise which read: There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, ‘Ali is beloved of Allah, Hasan and Husayn are the chosen of Allah, Fatimah is a heavenly lady. May curse of Allah be upon their enemies and those who have rancor against them.¹⁶⁸

The Holy Prophet’s Sacrificing his father for ‘Ali and promising him with Paradisiacal gardens The Holy Prophet (S) said to ‘Ali: May my father be ransom for you. He then gave him good tidings about gardens in paradise. A’ishah has reported: I saw the Messenger of Allah hugging ‘Ali and kissing him while saying: May my father be ransom for the martyr who is lonely and has no helper.¹⁶⁹

Imam ‘Ali (a.s) has been reported as saying: I was accompanying the Messenger of Allah in Medina. We passed by an orchard with fruitful trees. I said: O Messenger of Allah! How beautiful this orchard is! The Holy Prophet said: Your garden in paradise is more beautiful than it! We passed by another orchard. I said: O Messenger of Allah, this orchard is beautiful too! The Holy Prophet (S) said: It is not more beautiful than your garden in paradise. We passed by the third, fourth, and seventh orchard and I repeated what I had said. The Holy Prophet too repeated the same answer.

فِي حَالِ عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ لَيْلَةَ الْمِعْرَاجِ:

رَوَى أَبُو عُمَرَ الزَّاهِدُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ قَالَ: مَرِرْتُ لَيْلَةَ الْمِعْرَاجِ بِقَوْمٍ تُشَرْشَرُ أَشْدَاقُهُمْ، فَقُلْتُ: يَا جِبْرِيلُ مَنْ هَؤُلاَءِ؟ فَقالَ: هَؤُلاَءِ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْغِيبَةِ. قَالَ: وَمَرَرْتُ بِقَوْمٍ وَقَدْ ضُوضِؤُوا فَقُلْتُ: يَا جِبْرِيلُ مَنْ هَؤُلاَءِ؟ فَقالَ: هَؤُلاَءِ الْكُفَّارُ. قَالَ: ثُمَّ عَدَلْنَا عَنْ ذَلِكَ الطَّرِيقِ. فَلَمَّا انْتَهَيْنَا إلَى السَّمَاءِ الرَّابِعَةِ رَأَيْتُ عَلِيَّاً عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ يُصَلِّي فَقُلْتُ لِجِبْرِيلَ: يَا جِبْرِيلُ، أَهَذَا عَلِيٌّ وَقَدْ سَبَقَنَا؟ قَالَ: لاَ، لَيْسَ هَذَا عَلِيَّاً. قُلتُ: فَمَنْ هُوَ؟ قَالَ: إِنَّ الْمَلاَئِكَةَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ وَالْمَلاَئِكَةَ الْكَرُوبِيِّينَ سَمِعُوا فَضَائِلَ عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ وَخَاصَّتَهُ وَسَمِعَتْ قَوْلَكَ فِيهِ: أَنْتَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ لاَ نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي، إشْتَاقَتْ إلَى عَلِيٍّ فَخَلَقَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجلَّ لَهَا مَلَكاً عَلَى صُورَةِ عَلِيٍّ. فَإِذَا اشْتَاقَتْ إلَى عَلِيٍّ جَاءَتْ إلَى ذَلِكَ الْمَلَكِ فَكَأَنَّهَا قَدْ رَأَتْ عَلِيَّاً عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ.

وَرَوَى ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: رَأَيْتُ لَيْلَةَ عُرِجَ بِي إلَى السَّمَاءِ عَلَى بَابِ الْجَنَّةِ مَكْتُوباً: لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ، مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللهِ، عَلِيٌّ وَلِيُّ اللهِ، الْحَسَنُ وَالْحُسَيْنُ صَفْوَةُ اللهِ، فَاطِمَةُ أَمَةُ اللهِ، عَلَى بَاغِضِيهِمْ لَعْنَةُ اللهِ. فِي تَفْدِيَةِ النَّبِيِّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ لَهُ بِالأَبِ وَوَعْدِهِ بِحَدَائِقَ فِي الْجَنَّةِ: مِنْ كِتَابِ الْمَنَاقِبِ: عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ: رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ إلْتَزَمَ عَلِيَّاً وَقَبَّلَهُ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: بِأَبِي الْوَحِيدُ الشَّهِيدُ.

وَمِنْهُ: عَنْ عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ قَالَ: كُنْتُ أَمْشِي مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ فِي بَعْضِ طُرُقِ الْمَدِينَةِ فَأَتَيْنَا عَلَى حَدِيقَةٍ وَهِيَ الرَّوْضَةُ ذَاتُ الشَّجَرِ فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسولَ اللهِ، مَا أَحْسَنَ هَذِهِ الْحَدِيقَةَ! فَقالَ: مَا أَحْسَنَهَا! وَلَكَ فِي الْجَنَّةِ أَحْسَنُ مِنْهَا. ثُمَّ أَتَيْنَا عَلَى حَدِيقَةٍ أُخْرَى فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسولَ اللهِ، مَا أَحْسَنَ هَـذِهِ الْحَدِيقَةَ! قَـالَ: لَكَ فِي الْجَنَّةِ أَحْسَـنُ مِنْهَـا.

When we passed by all gardens, he put his arms round me and started weeping! I said: O Messenger of Allah! Why are you weeping? The Holy Prophet said: A group of these people have your rancor in their hearts but do not disclose it till I pass away. I said: Will it harm my religion. The Holy Prophet said: No.¹⁷⁰