‘Ali’s Ablution with Heavenly Water

Anas ibn Malik has reported that the Messenger of Allah said to Abu-Bakr and Umar: Go to ‘Ali and ask him about the last night event. I will follow you too. Anas further reports: Abu-Bakr, Umar and I headed for ‘Ali’s house. Reaching there, we asked Abu-Bakr:

فِي تَشْبِيهِهِ بِسُورَةِ الإِخْلاَصِ وَالْكَعْبَةِ وَرَأْسِ النَّبِيِّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ وَتَشْبِيهِ حَقِّهِ بِحَقِّ الْوَالِدِ: مِنْ كِتابِ المَناقِبِ لِلْخَوَارِزْمِيِّ: عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشيرٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ عَلِيٍّ فِي هَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ مَثَلُ ?قُلْ هُوَ اللهُ أَحَدٌ? فِي الْقُرْآنِ.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ لِعَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: يَا عَلِيُّ، مَا مَثَلُكَ فِي النَّاسِ إلاَّ كَمَثَلِ ?قُلْ هُوَ اللهُ أَحَدٌ? فِي الْقُرْآنِ. مَنْ قَرَأَهَا مَرَّةً فَكَأَنَّمَا قَرَأَ ثُلُثَ الْقُرْآنِ. وَمَنْ قَرَأَهَا مَرَّتَيْنِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَرَأَ ثُلُثَيِ الْقُرْآنِ. وَمَنْ قَرَأَهَا ثَلاَثاً فَكَأَنَّمَا قَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّهُ. كَذَا أَنْتَ يَا عَلِيُّ، مَنْ أَحَبَّكَ بِلِسَانِهِ فَقَدْ أَحَبَّ ثُلُثَ الإسْلاَمِ. وَمَنْ أَحَبَّكَ بِلِسَانِهِ وَقَلْبِهِ فَقَدْ أَحَبَّ ثُلُثَيِ الإسْلاَمِ. وَمَنْ أَحَبَّكَ بِلِسَانِهِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَيَدَيْهِ فَقَدْ أَحَبَّ الإسْلاَمَ كُلَّهُ. وَالَّذِي بَعَثَنِي بِالْحَقِّ نَبِيَّاً، لَوْ أَحَبَّكَ أَهْلُ الأَرْضِ كَحُبِّ أَهْلِ السَّمَاءِ لَمَا عُذِّبَ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ بِالنَّارِ.

وَعَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: مَثَلُ عَلِيٍّ فِيكُمْ (أَوْ قَالَ: فِي هَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ) كَمَثَلِ الْكَعْبَةِ الْمَسْتُورَةِ (أَو الْمَشْهُورَةِ)؛ النَّظَرُ إِلَيْها عِبَادَةٌ وَالْحَجُّ إلَيْها فَرِيضَةٌ. وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: عَلِيٌّ مِنِّي مِثْلُ رَأْسِي مِنْ بَدَنِي. وَعَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: عَلِيٌّ مِنِّي كَرَأْسِي مِنْ بَدَنِي. وَعَنْ عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: حَقُّ عَلِيٍّ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمينَ كَحَقِّ الْوَالِدِ عَلَى وِلْدِهِ.

فِي السَّطْلِ:

رَوَى الخَوارِزْمِيُّ بِإسْنادِهِ إلَى أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ: إمْضِيَا إلَى عَلِيٍّ حَتَّى يُحَدِّثَكُمَا بِمَا كَانَ مِنْهُ فِي لَيْلَتِهِ وَأَنَا عَلَى أَثَرِكُمَا. قَالَ أَنَسُ: فَمَضَيَا وَمَضَيْتُ مَعَهُمَا فَاسْتَأْذَنَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ عَلَى عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ، فَخَرَجَ إلَيْهِمَا. فَقالَ: يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ، حَدَثَ شَيْءٌ؟ قَالَ: لاَ، وَمَا حَدَثَ إلاَّ خَيْرٌ. قَالَ:

Has anything happened? Abu-Bakr said: If anything has happened, it is fair. Then, he said: The Messenger of Allah said to Umar and me: Go to ‘Ali to inform you of the event which happened to you last night. At this time, the Messenger of Allah arrived and asked ‘Ali to tell us about the event of the last night. ‘Ali said: O Messenger of Allah! I am ashamed of telling the story.

The Holy Prophet (S) said: Tell us the event, for God is not ashamed of telling the truth. ‘Ali said: O Messenger of Allah! Last night I was in need of water for purification but I could not find any. I was afraid my morning prayer be defaulted. Hence, I hastily sent Hasan and Husayn to two different directions to search for water but they were late and there was no sign of water. A kind of sorrow overwhelmed me for not having access to water. All of a sudden, I realized that the ceiling of the room cleft and a pail covered with a piece of cloth came down. When I uncovered the pail, I saw that it was full of water. Having purified myself with that water and having performed my prayer, I saw the pail of water going up to heaven and the cleft ceiling turned back to its former position! The Holy Prophet rejoicingly said: The pail was from heaven, the water was from Kawthar, and the cover was heavenly silk. Then, the Holy Prophet added: O ‘Ali, who could be like you last night when Gabriel was serving you?¹¹⁵