‘Ali’s Valor

All the people unanimously believe that during the battle of Uhud, Gabriel came down, saying: There is no man more valorous than ‘Ali and there is no sword sharper than that of ‘Ali. Khawarizmi has quoted Muhammad ibn ‘Ubaydullah ibn Abi-Rafi’ as saying: On the day of Uhud, Gabriel with a loud voice declared: There is no man more valorous than ‘Ali and there is no sword sharper than that of ‘Ali. This narration has been frequently related.¹⁸⁵

Abu-Umar Zahid has reported on the authority of Ibn Abbas as saying: One day, the Messenger of Allah rejoicingly said: I am a valorous man, the son of a valorous man, and the brother of a valorous man. As for saying: I am a valorous man, he was unanimously believed to be a valorous man among Arabs. As for saying: I am the son of a valorous man, as we know he is the son of prophet Ibrahim, the friend of Allah, for God describes him so in the verse

“They said: We heard a youth called Ibrahim speak of them” (21:60).

As for calling himself the brother of a valorous man, he is ‘Ali’s brother, for Gabriel, the divine caller, on the day of Badr when he was rejoicingly going up the heaven, said: There is no man more valorous that ‘Ali and there is no sword sharper than that of ‘Ali.¹⁸⁶

أَيِّ شَيْءٍ قَاتَلْتَهُ وَهَذَا مَحَلُّهُ؟ قَالَ: عَلَى خَاتَمِي هَذَا حَتَّى يَجُوزَ بِهِ أَمْرِي. قَالَ: فَحَسْبُكَ ذَلِكَ عِوَضاً مِنْ سَخَطِ اللهِ وَأَلِيمِ عَذَابِهِ. قَالَ: لاَ يَا بْنَ مِحْقَنٍ، وَلَكِنِّي أَعْرِفُ مِنَ اللهِ مَا جَهَلْتَ حَيْثُ يَقُولُ تَعالَى: ?وَرَحْمَتِي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ? حَدَّثَ الزُّبَيْرُ بْنُ بَكَّارٍ بِإسْنَادِهِ إلَى عَمَّارِ بْنِ يَاسِرٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: أُوصِي مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللهِ وَصَدَّقَنِي بِوِلاَيَةِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ. مَنْ تَوَلاَّهُ فَقَدْ تَوَلاَّنِي وَمَنْ تَوَلاَّنِي فَقَدْ تَوَلَّى اللهَ. وَمَنْ أَحَبَّهُ فَقَدْ أَحَبَّنِي وَمَنْ أَحَبَّنِي فَقَدْ أَحَبَّ اللهَ.

فِي حَدِيثِ الفُتُوَّةِ:

أَجْمَعَ النَّاسُ كَافَّةً عَلَى أَنَّ جِبْرِيلَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ نَزَلَ فِي غَزَاةِ أُحُدٍ وَنَادَى: لاَ سَيْفَ إِلاَّ ذُو الْفِقَارِ وَلاَ فَتَى إِلاَّ عَلِيٌّ. وَقَدْ رَوَى الخَوارِزْمِيُّ وَغَيْرُهُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ بْنِ أَبِي رَافِعٍ قَالَ: نَادَى الْمُنَادِي يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ: لاَ سَيْفَ إلاَّ ذُو الفِقَارِ وَلاَ فَتَى إلاَّ عَلِيٌّ. وَقَدْ رَوَى هَذَا بِطُرُقٍ مُتَعَدِّدَةٍ.

وَرَوَى أَبُو عُمَرَ الزَّاهِدِ بِإسْنَادِهِ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: إِنَّ الْمُصْطَفَى صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ قَالَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ وَهُوَ نَشِيطٌ: أنَا الْفَتَى ابْنُ الْفَتَى أَخُو الْفَتَى. فَقَوْلُهُ ”أنَا الْفَتَى“ لأَنَّهُ فَتَى الْعَرَبِ بِإِجْمَاعٍ، أَيْ سَيِّدَهَا. وَقَوْلُهُ ”ابْنُ الْفَتَى“ يَعْنِي إبْرَاهِيمَ الْخَلِيلَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ فِي قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجلَّ: ?قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا فَتًى يَذْكُرُهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُ إِبْرَاهِيم? وَقَوْلُهُ ”أَخُو الْفَتَى“ يَعْنِي عَلِيَّاً عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ. وَهُوَ مَعْنَى قَوْلِ جِبْرِيلَ فِي يَوْمِ بَـدْرٍ وَقَدْ عَـرَجَ إلَى السَّمَـاءِ بِالْفَتْحِ

Ibn Abbas has been quoted as saying: I saw Abu-Dharr Ghifari while he was clutching Ka’bah’s curtain, saying: Those who know and do not know me! I am Abu-Dharr. If you people keep on fasting in a way your statures become as thin as a thread and keep on praying so much that your backs become crooked, it will not benefit you unless you have the love for ‘Ali.¹⁸⁷

The author of the book says: If a man like Abu-Umar Zahid, a Sunni Muslim considers ‘Ali as the most pious and relates such a narration, is it fair to ignore it? Verily, it is love for the world and mammonism which keep the truths in the veil of ignorance.

وَهُوَ فَرِحٌ يَقُولُ: لاَ سَيْفَ إلاَّ ذُو الْفِقَارِ وَلاَ فَتَى إلاَّ عَلِيٌّ. وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: رَأَيْتُ أَبَا ذَرٍّ وَهُوَ مُتَعَلِّقٌ بِأَسْتَارِ الْكَعْبَةِ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: مَنْ عَرَفَنِي فَقَدْ عَرَفَنِي، وَمَنْ لَمْ يَعْرِفْنِي فَأَنَا أَبُو ذَرٍّ. لَوْ صُمْتُمْ حَتَّى تَكُونُوا كَالأَوْتَارِ وَصَلَّيْتُمْ حَتَّى تَكُونُوا كَالْحَنَايَا مَا يَنْفَعُكُمْ ذَلِكَ حَتَّى تُحِبُّوا عَلِيَّاً عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ.

فَإِذَا كَانَ مِثْلُ هَذَا يَرْوِيهِ أَزْهَدُ النَّاسِ عِنْدَ السُّنَّةِ وَهُوَ أَبُو عُمَرَ الزَّاهِدُ كَيَفْ يَجُوزُ التَّغَابِي عَنْهُ لَوْلاَ مَحَبَّةُ الدُّنْيَا وَطَلَبُ الرِّئَاسَةِ؟!