The Unity of ‘Ali and the Holy Prophet

There is a widely transmitted Hadith in which the Messenger of Allah has said about ‘Ali: You are to me like Aaron to Moses. ‘Ali is the soul of the Holy Prophet, for his blood is from the blood and his flesh is from the flesh of the Messenger of Allah.

فِي خَبَرِ الْمَنْزِلَةِ وَالإتِّحادِ: مِنْ مَشَاهِيرِ الأَحادِيثِ وَمُتَواتِرِها قَوْلُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ لِعَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: أَنْتَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى، وَأَنَّهُ نَفْسُ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ، دَمُهُ مِنْ دَمِهِ وَلَحْمُهُ مِنْ لَحْمِهِ.

The Holy Prophet (S) has been quoted by Ibn Abbas as saying: ‘Ali’s blood and flesh is from my blood and flesh. His position to me is like that of Aaron to Moses except that there is no prophet after me! Be a witness to what I say. Listen to and remember it. ‘Ali is the commander of the believers (Amir al-Mu’minin), master of Muslims and treasure of my knowledge. His path is my path. Whoever seeks nearness to me has to walk on his path. He is my brother in this world and my companion in the hereafter. He will be with me in the zenith of dignity and the most sublime stages.⁸³

The Holy Prophet (S) has been quoted by Jabir as saying: I and ‘Ali are one and from the same tree and the other people are from different trees.⁸⁴

The Messenger of Allah has been quoted by Ibn Abbas as saying: The likeness of ‘Ali to me is the likeness of my head to my body.⁸⁵

When ‘Ali victoriously came to the Holy Prophet from Khaybar, the Messenger of Allah said: If I did not fear that a group of my Ummah would say about you what the Christians said about Jesus, I would say something about your majesty that whenever you passed by a group of them, they would take the dust of your footsteps as a source of blessing and would use the water dropping from your hands in ablution as a cure!

As for your dignity, I should say that you are from me and I am from you. You are my inheritor and I will inherit you. Your position to me is as Aaron had with Moses, except there will be no prophet after me. You will pay my dept and fight my enemies. You are the nearest to me on the Day of Judgment and the first to join me at the Pond. You are the first who will wear heavenly green garment along with me. You are also the first person of my Ummah to enter paradise and your followers will be sitting on the pulpits of light. Truth is always on your tongue, in your heart, and manifest before your eyes.⁸⁶

It has been reported in Manaqib that Mu’awiyah proposed to Sad ibn Abi-Waqqas to curse ‘Ali! Being disturbed, Sad rejected Mu’awiyah’s proposal. Mu’awiyah asked for the reason. Sad said: The Messenger of Allah stated three features about ‘Ali for which I will never curse him. If I had only one of those features it would be more valuable to me than red-haired camels.

Then, he added: One of those features is as follows: when the Messenger of Allah went on a military expedition and appointed ‘Ali as his successor in Medina and ‘Ali complained: Do you leave me in Medina with children and women? The Holy Prophet said: Are you not happy that your position to me is as Aaron had with Moses, except that there will be no prophet after me?

رَوَى ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ مِنْ كِتابِ المَناقِبِ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: هَذَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ لَحْمُهُ مِنْ لَحْمِي وَدَمُهُ مِنْ دَمِي، وَهُوَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ لاَ نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي.

وَقالَ: يَا أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ، إشْهَدِي وَاسْمَعِي، هَذَا عَلِيٌّ، هَذَا أمِيرُ المُؤْمِنِينَ وَسَيِّدُ المُسْلِمينَ وَعَيْبَةُ عِلْمِي وَبَابِيَ الَّذِي أُؤْتَى مِنْهُ، أَخِي فِي الدُّنْيَا وَخِدْنِي فِي الآخِرَةِ وَمَعِيَ فِي السَّنَامِ الأَعْلَى. وَعَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: أنَا وَعَلِيٌّ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ، وَالنَّاسُ مِنْ أَشْجَارٍ شَتَّى. وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: عَلِيٌّ مِنِّي مِثْلُ رَأْسِي مِنْ بَدَنِي.

وَلَمَّا قَدِمَ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ بِفَتْحِ خَيْبَرَ قَالَ رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: لَوْلاَ أَنْ تَقُولَ فِيكَ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي مَا قَالَتِ النَّصَارَى فِي الْمَسِيحِ لَقُلْتُ الْيَوْمَ فِيكَ مَقَالاً لاَ تَمُرُّ بِمَلأٍ إلاَّ أَخَذُوا التُّرَابَ مِنْ تَحْتِ قَدَمَيْكَ وَمِنْ فَضْلِ طَهُورِكَ يَسْتَشْفُونَ بِهِ. وَلَكِنْ حَسْبُكَ أَنْ تَكُونَ مِنِّي وِأَنَا مِنْكَ، تَرِثُنِي وَأَرِثُكَ، وَأَنَّكَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى إلاَّ أَنَّهُ لاَ نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي، وَأَنَّكَ تُبْرِئُ ذِمَّتِي وَتُقَاتِلُ عَلَى سُنَّتِي، وَأَنَّكَ غَداً فِي الآخِرَةِ أَقْرَبُ النَّاسِ مِنِّي، وَأَنَّكَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ يَرِدُ عَلَيَّ الْحَوْضَ وَأَوَّلُ مَنْ يُكْسَى مَعِي وَأَوَّلُ دَاخِلٍ فِي الْجَنَّةِ مِنْ أُمَّتِي، وَأَنَّ شِيعَتَكَ عَلَى مَنَابِرَ مِنْ نُورٍ، وَأَنَّ الْحَقَّ عَلَى لِسَانِكَ وَفِي قَلْبِكَ وَبَيْنَ عَيْنَيْكَ.

وَمِنْ مَنَاقِبِ الخَوارِزْمِيِّ قَالَ: أَمَرَ مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيانَ سَعْدَ بْنَ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ بِسَبِّ أمِيرِ المُؤْمِنِينَ فَامْتَنَعَ. فَقالَ: مَا مَنَعَكَ؟ قَالَ: ثَلاَثٌ قَالَهُنَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ فَلَنْ

‘Ali’s second feature is that on the day of Khaybar, I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: Tomorrow I will give the banner of Islam to a man who loves Allah and His messenger and Allah and His messenger too love him! On that day a group of companions including myself were waiting for such an honorable position in the hope that we would be honored with it. But the Messenger of Allah said: Call ‘Ali! Having sore eyes, ‘Ali came to the Holy Prophet who rubbed his saliva on ‘Ali’s eyes which cured them immediately. The Holy Prophet gave the banner of Islam to ‘Ali who later returned to the Messenger of Allah with full victory.

‘Ali’s third feature is that on the day of mutual cursing (Mubahalah), God Almighty introduced ‘Ali as the soul of the Holy Prophet (S):

“Come let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, and our near people and your near people” (3:61)

and the Messenger of Allah called ‘Ali, Fatimah, Hasan, and Husayn, saying: O Lord! These are my Ahl al-Bayt.⁸⁷

Jabir ibn Abdullah has been reported as saying: I and a group of the companions of the Holy Prophet (S) were lying down in the mosque. Having a leafless twig of palm in his hand, the Messenger of Allah entered the mosque, complaining of our lying down in Masjid. So we along with ‘Ali had to leave the mosque as quickly as possible. At this time, the Messenger of Allah said: O ‘Ali! Come here, for whatever is permissible for me in the mosque is permissible for you too. Are you not happy that your position to me is as Harun had with Musa except that there will be no prophet after me? By God under whose control my life is, on the Day of Judgment you will drive away a group of people from the Pond with teak rod you have in hand in the same way that a thirsty camel is driven away from water! Even now, I can see your position at the Pond.⁸⁸

‘Ali has reported: I was afflicted with a severe disease. To seek the cure, I went to the house of the Holy Prophet (S). Seeing I was sick, the Messenger of Allah made me lie down in his own place, put a covering of his garment on me and started praying. After the passage of a short time in prayer, he said: O son of Abu-Talib, God has healed you. You do not have to worry any more, for whatever I asked God for myself, I asked for you. All my wishes were fulfilled except the question of prophethood, for there will be no prophet after me.⁸⁹

أَسُبَّهُ لأَِنْ يَكُونَ لِي وَاحِدَةٌ مِنْهُنَّ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ حُمْرِ النِّعَمِ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ يَقُولُ لِعَلِيٍّ وَقَدْ خَلَّفَهُ فِي بَعْضِ مَغازِيهِ، فَقالَ لَهُ عَلِيٌّ: يَا رَسولَ اللهِ، أَتُخَلِّفُنِي مَعَ النِّسَاءِ وَالصِّبْيَانِ؟ فَقالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: أَمَا تَرْضَى أَنْ تَكُونَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى إلاَّ أنَّهُ لاَ نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي؟ وَسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ يَوْمَ خَيْبَرَ: لأُعْطِيَنَّ الرَّايَةَ غَداً رَجُلاً يُحِبُّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيُحِبُّهُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ. قَالَ: فَتَطَاوَلْنَا لَهَا. فَقالَ: ادْعُوا لِي عَلِيَّاً. فَأَتَاهُ وَبِهِ رَمَدٌ فَبَصَقَ فِي عَيْنَيْهِ وَدَفَعَ الرَّايَةَ فَفَتَحَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ. وَلَمَّا أُنْزِلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ: ?نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَأَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَنِسَاءَنَا وَنِسَاءَكُمْ وَأَنْفُسَنَا وَأَنْفُسَكُمْ? دَعَا رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ عَلِيَّاً وَفَاطِمَةَ وَحَسَناً وَحُسَيْناً فَقالَ: اللَّهُمَّ هَؤُلاَءِ أَهْلِي.

وَعَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ: جَاءَنا رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَنَحْنُ مُضْطَجِعُونَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَفِي يَدِهِ عُسَيْبُ رُطَبٍ قَالَ: تَرْقُدُونَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ؟ قُلْنَا: قَدْ أَجْفَلْنَا وَأَجْفَلَ عَلِيٌّ مَعَنَا. فقَالَ رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: يَا عَلِيُّ إنَّهُ يَحِلُّ لَكَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ مَا يَحِلُّ لِي. أَلاَ تَرْضَى أَنْ تَكُونَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى إلاَّ النُّبُوَّةَ؟ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إنَّكَ لَذَائِدٌ عَنْ حَوْضِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، تَذُودُ عَنْهُ رِجَالاً كَمَا يُذَادُ الْبَعِيرُ الضَّالُّ عَنِ الْمَاءِ، بِعَصاً لَكَ مِنْ عَوْسَجٍ. كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إلَى مَقَامِكَ مِنْ حَوْضِي.

وَعَنْ عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ قَالَ: وَجعْتُ وَجَعاً فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ فَأَنَامَنِي فِي مَكَانِهِ وَقَامَ يُصَلِّي، فَأَلْقَى عَلَيَّ طَرَفَ ثَوْبِهِ فَصَلَّى مَا شَاءَ اللهُ. ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ،

The Messenger of Allah has been quoted by Muadh ibn Jabal as having said to ‘Ali: You share all the merits and virtues with me except prophethood in which I am superior to all people and no man of Quraysh has such virtues and merits; You are the first to believe in Allah; You are the most faithful to Allah’s covenant; You are the most steadfast in carrying out God’s orders. You are the fairest in division of property; You are the most just among the servants, the most knowledgeable in judgment and the most privileged with God on the Day of Judgment.⁹⁰ The Holy Prophet (S) has been reported by ibn Umar as saying: Whoever keeps his distance from ‘Ali’s manners has kept distance from my manners and whoever keeps distance from me has kept distance from God.⁹¹

The Messenger of Allah has been quoted by Abi- Dharr as saying: O ‘Ali, whoever keeps distance from me and forsakes my way, has kept distance from God. Beyond doubt, parting with you will be parting with me.⁹²