‘Ali’s Courage in Battlefields

Muslims unanimously believe that ‘Ali was the most courageous man after the Holy Prophet (S) in the battlefields. ‘Ali attacked the enemy in such a way that surprised the angels in heaven!

Speaking about fighting between Amr ibn Abd-Wudd Amiri and ‘Ali who eventually killed him, the Holy Prophet (S) said: The killing of Amr by ‘Ali is better that the worship of Jinn and human beings.[83] In the battle of Badr in which many atheists of Quraysh were killed by ‘Ali, Gabriel was present. All the Muslims heard him saying with a loud voice: There is no man more valorous than ‘Ali and there is no sword sharper than Dhu’l-Fiqar.[84]

Ahmad ibn Hanbal has written: Following martyrdom of his father, Hasan ibn ‘Ali made a speech in which he said: O people, yesterday an honorable man departed from among you and rushed to the hereafter who was unrivaled among the former nations, and the future generations too will fail to comprehend him, for anytime the Holy Prophet (S) sent him to a battle, he was accompanied by Gabriel on the right side and by Michael on the left side and he would not return from battlefield until he achieved victory.[85]

Khawarizmi has reported: Abdullah ibn A’ishah quoted his father as saying: Anytime the polytheists looked at ‘Ali in the battlefield, they would make their last will and testament, for they could see death before their eyes.[86]

الزَّوْراءِ مِنْ سَطَواتِ التُّرْكِ وَما هُمُ التُّرْكُ؟ قَوْمٌ صِغارُ الحُدُقِ وُجُوهُهُمْ كَالْمِجانِّ المُطْرَقَةِ، لِباسُهُمُ الحَديدُ، جُرْدٌ مُرْدٌ، يَقْدِمُهُمْ مَلِكٌ يَأتِي مِنْ حَيْثُ بَدَأَ مُلْكُهُمْ جَهْوَرِيُّ الصَّوْتِ قَويُّ الصَّوْلَةِ عالِي الهِمَّةِ، لاَ يَمُرُّ بِمَدينَةٍ إلاَّ فَتَحَها وَلا تُرْفَعُ لَهُ رَايَةٌ إلاَّ نَكَّسَها. الوَيْلُ الوَيْلُ لِمَنْ نَاوَأَهُ. فَلا يَزالُ كَذَلِكَ حَتَّى يَظْفُرَ. فَلَمَّا وُصِفَ لَنا ذَلِكَ وَوَجَدْنا الصِّفاتِ فِيكُمْ رَجَوْناكَ فَقَصَدْناكَ. فَطَيَّبَ قُلوبَهُمْ وَكَتَبَ لَهُمْ فَرَماناً بِاسْمِ وَالِدي رَحِمَهُ اللهُ يُطَيِّبُ فِيهِ قُلُوبَ أَهْلِ الحِلَّةِ وَأعْمَالِها.

فِي الشَّجاعَةِ:

وَلا خِلافَ بَيْنَ الأُمَّةِ أنَّ عَلِيَّاً عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ كَانَ أشْجَعَ النَّاسِ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَأعْظَمَهُمْ بَلاءً فِي الحُروبِ، تَتَعَجَّبُ مِنْ حَمْلاتِهِ مَلائِكَةُ السَّماءِ. وَجَعَلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ يَقولُ: قَتْلُهُ لِعَمْرِو بْنِ عَبْدِ وُدٍّ العَامِرِيِّ أفْضَلُ مِنْ عِبادَةِ الثَّقَلَيْنِ. وَنَزَلَ جَبْرَئيلُ فِي يَوْمِ أُحُدٍ وَهُوَ يَقولُ وَيَسْمَعُهُ المُسْلِمونَ كافَّةٍ: لاَ سَيْفَ إلاَّ ذو الفِقارِ ولا فَتَى إلاَّ عَلِيٌّ.

وَنَقَلَ أحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ فِي مُسْنَدِهِ قَالَ خَطَبَ الحَسَنُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ فَقالَ: لَقَدْ فارَقَكُمْ رَجُلٌ بِالأَمْسِ لَمْ يَسْبِقْهُ الأَوَّلونَ بِعِلْمٍ وَلا يُدْرِكُهُ الآخِرونَ. كَانَ رَسُول اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ يَبْعَثُهُ بِالرَّايَةِ، جِبْريلُ عَنْ يَمينِهِ وَميكَائيلُ عَنْ شِمالِهِ، لاَ يَنْصَرِفُ حَتَّى يُفْتَحُ لَهُ. وَرَوى الخَوارِزْمِيُّ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنا عُبَيْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عائِشَةَ عَنْ أبِيهِ قَالَ: كَانَ المُشْرِكونَ إذَا أبْصَروا عَلِيَّاً فِي الحَرْبِ عَهِدَ بَعْضُهُمْ إلَى بَعْضٍ.

Imam ‘Ali’s situations in this field are too many to be counted. Only through his sword did the religion of Islam raise and achieve maintenance and the wrong diminish and fade away.

In the coming chapter about jihad, we will refer to some of his campaigns.

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[83] Shawahid al-Tanzil, vol. 2, pp. 5

[84] Tarikh Dimashq, vol. 1, pp. 158, Hadith 197

[85] Musnad, vol. 1, pp. 199

[86] Manaqib, pp. 72