Warning Against Those Challenging ‘Ali’s Authority

The Messenger of Allah has been quoted by Abi- Dharr as saying: Anyone who challenges ‘Ali’s authority in relation to caliphate after me is certainly an unbeliever who has risen to fight Allah, His messenger and has disobeyed the decree of Allah and His messenger. Also anyone who is doubtful of ‘Ali’s right to caliphate is certainly an unbeliever.¹⁰¹

The Messenger of Allah has been reported by Imam Sajjad on the authority of his father, Imam Husayn, and his grandfather, Imam ‘Ali, as saying: The wrath of Allah and me is intense on one who sheds my blood and hurts me in relation to my household.¹⁰² Anas has reported: I was in the presence of the Messenger of Allah when his look fell on ‘Ali who was coming to him. He said: I and the one who is coming are two proofs of Allah to my Ummah on the Day of Judgment.¹⁰³ The Messenger of Allah has been quoted by Mu’awiyah ibn Haydah Qushayri as having said to ‘Ali: O ‘Ali, one who dies with the rancor against you, he has died as a Jew or Christian!

نَفْسِهِ. قَالَ فَخَشِيَ الْقَوْمَ، فَرَجَعَ إلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ فَقالَ: إنَّ بَنِي وُلَيْعَةَ أَرَادُوا قَتْلِي وَمَنَعُوا الصَّدَقَةَ. فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ بَنِي وُلَيْعَةَ الَّذِي قَالَ عَنْهُمُ الْوَلِيدُ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ أَتَوْا رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ فَقَالُوا: يَا رَسولَ اللهِ، وَاللهِ لَقَدْ كَذِبَ الْوَلِيدُ وَلَكِنَّهُ قَدْ كَانَتْ بَيْنَنا وَبَيْنَهُ شَحْنَاءُ فَخَشِينَا أَنْ يُعَاقِبَنَا بِالَّذِي كَانَ بَيْنَنَا. فقَالَ رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: لَتَنْتَهُنَّ يَا بَنِي وُلَيْعَةَ أَوْ لأَبْعَثَنَّ إلَيْكُمْ رَجُلاً عِنْدِي كَنَفْسِي، يَقْتُلُ مُقَاتِلِيكُمْ وَيَسْبِي ذَرَارِيكُمْ، وَهُوَ هَذَا خَيْرُ مَنْ تَرَوْنَ. وَضَرَبَ عَلَى كَتِفِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ. وَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ فِي الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ عَقَبَةَ ?يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَأٍ…?

فِي التَّوَعُّدِ عَلَى مَنْ نَاصَبَ عَلِيَّاً عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ الْخِلاَفَةَ: مِنْ كِتابِ مِناقِبِ الخَوارِزْمِيِّ: عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ الْغِفَارِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: مَنْ نَاصَبَ عَلِيَّاً الْخِلافَةَ بَعْدِي فَهُوَ كَافِرٌ وَقَدْ حَارَبَ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ. وَمَنْ شَكَّ فِي عَلِيٍّ فَهُوَ كَافِرٌ. وَمِنْهُ: عَنْ زَيْنِ الْعَابِدِينَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: إشْتَدَّ غَضَبُ اللهِ تَعالَى وَغَضَبِي عَلَى مَنْ أَهْرَقَ دَمِي وَآذَانِي فِي عِتْرَتِي.

وَمِنْهُ: عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: كُنْتُ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ فَرَأَى عَلِيَّاً عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ مُقْبِلاً فَقالَ: أَنَا وَهَذَا حُجَّةُ اللهِ عَلَى أُمَّتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ. وَمِنْهُ: عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ حَيْدَةَ القُشَيْرِيِّ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ يَقُولُ لِعَلِيٍّ

Yazid ibn Zuray reports: I said to Bahz ibn Hakim: Have your father and your grandfather narrated this Hadith on the authority of the Messenger of Allah? In response he said: May Allah strike me deaf if I am lying.¹⁰⁴ Anas ibn Malik has reported: Being in the presence of the Holy Prophet, I and a group of people said: O Messenger of Allah, by God we love you more than ourselves and our children. At this time, ‘Ali entered. The Messenger of Allah, looking at ‘Ali, compassionately said: One who says he loves me but has your rancor in heart is lying.¹⁰⁵

The Holy Prophet (S) has been quoted by Khalid ibn Zayd known as Abu-Ayyub Ansari as saying: O ‘Ali, God Almighty has placed the love for the poor in your heart. You are pleased with their following you and they are pleased with your leadership. Happy is one who follows you and he is truthful in it. Woe to one who has your rancor in heart and tells lies about you.¹⁰⁶

Ibn Abbas has reported: I was in the presence of the Messenger of Allah when ‘Ali entered with fury. The Holy Prophet asked the reason. ‘Ali said: O Messenger of Allah! I was in the gathering of your cousins who were saying things far from your dignity. That made me furious. Being angry, the Messenger of Allah rose up and said: O people! Whoever makes ‘Ali angry has made me angry, for ‘Ali is the first one who believed in Allah and His messenger and adhered to Allah’s covenant. O people, anyone who hurts ‘Ali’s feelings, he will be raised among Jews and Christians. Jabir asked: Even if he accepts the oneness of God and your prophethood?

The Messenger of Allah said: Yes, even if you bear witness that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is Allah’s messenger, the only advantage is that your blood will not be shed, your property will not be confiscated for Muslims and poll tax will not be collected from you.¹⁰⁷

Abu-Hurayrah has reported: The Messenger of Allah looking at the faces of ‘Ali, Fatimah, Hasan, and Husayn, said: I am at war with one who is at war with you and at peace with one who is at peace with you.¹⁰⁸

عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: يَا عَلِيُّ، لاَ يُبَالِي مَنْ مَاتَ وَهُوَ يُبْغِضُكَ مَاتَ يَهُودِيَّاً أَوْ نَصْرَانِيَّاً. قَالَ يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ: قُلتُ لِبُهَزِ بْنِ حَكيمٍ: أَحَدَّثَكَ أَبُوكَ عَنْ جَدِّكَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ بِهَذَا؟ قَالَ: إنَّهُ لَحَدَّثَنِي أَبِي عَنْ جَدِّي وَإلاَّ فَصَمَّ اللهُ أُذُنَيَّ بِصَمَّامٍ مِنْ نَارٍ. وَمِنْهُ: عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ: كُنَّا عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَعِنْدَهُ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فَقَالُوا: وَاللهِ يَا رَسولَ اللهِ إنك لأَحَبُّ إلَيْنَا مِنْ أَنْفُسِنَا وَأَوْلاَدِنَا. قَالَ: فَدَخَلَ حِينَئِذٍ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ فَنَظَرَ إلَيْهِ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ فَقالَ لَهُ: كَذِبَ مَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّهُ يُبْغِضُكَ وَيُحِبُّنِي.

وَمِنْهُ: عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ الأَنْصَارِيِّ وَاسْمُهُ خَالِدُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: يَا عَلِيُّ، إنَّ اللهَ جَعَلَكَ تُحِبُّ الْمَساكِينَ وَتَرْضَى بِهِمْ أَتْبَاعاً وَيَرْضَوْنَ بِكَ إِمَاماً. فَطُوبَى لِمَنْ تَبَعَكَ وَصَدَّقَ فِيكَ، وَوَيْلٌ لِمَنْ أَبْغَضَكَ وَكَذَّبَ فِيكَ.

وَمِنْهُ: عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: كُنْتُ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ إذْ أَقْبَلَ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ غَضْبَانَ. فَقالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: مَا أَغْضَبَكَ؟ فَقالَ: آذَوْنِي فِيكَ بَنُو عَمِّكَ. فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ مُغْضِباً وَقالَ: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، مَنْ آذَى عَلِيَّاً فَقَدْ آذَانِي. إنَّ عَلِيَّاً أَوَّلُكُمْ إِيمَاناً وَأَوْفَاكُمْ بِعَهْدِ اللهِ. يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، مَنْ آذَى عَلِيَّاً بُعِثَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَهُودِيَّاً أَوْ نَصْرَانِيَّاً. فَقالَ جَابِرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ الأَنْصَارِيُّ: يَا رَسولَ اللهِ، وَإِنْ شَهِدَ أَلاَّ إلَهَ إلاَّ اللهُ وَأنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللهِ؟ فَقالَ: يَا جَابِرُ، كَلِمَةٌ يَحْتَجِزُونَ بِهَا أَلاَّ تُسْفَكَ دِمَاؤُهُمْ وَأَنْ لاَ تُسْتَبَاحَ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَأَنْ لاَ يُعْطُوا الْجِزْيَةَ عَنْ يَدٍ وَهُمْ صَاغِرُونَ.

وَمِنْهُ: عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: أَبْصَرَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ عَلِيَّاً وَحَسَناً وَحُسَيْناً وَفَاطِمَةَ فَقالَ: أنَا حَرْبٌ لِمَنْ حَارَبَكُمْ وَسِلْمٌ لِمَنْ سَالَمَكُمْ.

‘Ali Compared to Surah al-Ikhlas, the Holy Ka’bah, and the head of the Holy Prophet; and the duty towards him is like the duty towards fathers The Messenger of Allah has been quoted by Nu’man ibn Bashir as saying: The likeness of ‘Ali among this Ummah is the likeness of

“say: He, Allah, is one” (112:1).¹⁰⁹

Ibn Abbas has quoted the Messenger of Allah as having said to ‘Ali: O ‘Ali, your position among people is like the position of

“say: He, Allah, is one”

in the Qur’an. Whoever recites this Surah once, it is as if he has recited one third of the Holy Qur’an. Whoever recites it twice, it is as if he has recited two thirds of the Holy Qur’an and whoever recites it thrice, it is as if he has recited the whole Qur’an. Whoever loves you verbally, he has indeed loved one third of Islam. Whoever loves you verbally and whole-heartedly, he has loved two thirds of Islam and whoever loves you with his tongue, heart, and hands and fights the enemies of Islam on your order, his love for Islam is perfect. I swear by One who has rightfully appointed me as prophet, if those living on the earth love you like the dwellers of heaven, God will not punish them with the fire.¹¹⁰

The Messenger of Allah has said: The likeness of ‘Ali among you is the likeness of the hidden and manifest Ka’bah; looking at it is worship and circumambulating it is the greater Hajj.¹¹¹

The Holy Prophet (S) has been quoted by Ibn Abbas as saying: The relation of ‘Ali to me is like the relation of my head to my body.¹¹² The Messenger of Allah has also been reported by Ibn Abbas as saying: The position of ‘Ali to me is like the position of my head to my body.¹¹³ The Holy Prophet has been quoted by ‘Ali as saying: ‘Ali’s right to Muslims is like a father’s right to his son.¹¹⁴