‘Ali Ibn Abu Talib (‘A) - A Sort Of Autobiography
As a child, ‘Ali (‘a) lived with the Prophet (S). History tells us that due to the financial strain, Abu Talib allowed his sons to be looked after by his various kinsmen, leaving Aqeel to himself. The Prophet (S) volunteered to have ‘Ali (‘a) in his custody. ‘Ali (‘a) says:
“I sprang forth from the line of Rabia and Mudhar and was placed in my childhood among the noblest of Arabs. And you may well know how close I was to the Prophet, enjoying his special attention. I was in his laps when a baby, and he kept me close to his bosom. He kept me close to himself when he slept; I felt secure in his warmth, and imbued his fragrance. He fed me with his own loving hands, and at times chewed hard bits for me to eat. He never found me lying, nor did he find me of unbecoming conduct.
I followed in his wake like a young weaned camel follows its mother. And everyday he unravelled a new code of conduct for me, bidding me to follow it in all earnest. Every year he would seek refuge in the caves of Hira., where none but I saw him. Those were the days when Islam was confined to one house, comprising of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, his wife Khadija, and myself as a third member. I saw the light of revelation and message inhaled the sweet fragrance of divine covenant.”
Clearly, ‘Ali (‘a) worshipped none but Allah, and in his lifetime, he never bowed in awe or prostrated to worship in presence of the idols. This exclusive trait has been acknowledged by all Muslim chroniclers and historians, all of whom upon the mention of ‘Ali (‘a)’s name say: “Karrama Ilahu wajhahu” - may Allah exalt his countenance. ‘Ali (‘a) refers to this, adding that his faithfulness to the Prophet (S) also had been unexampled. He says:
“And those companions of Muhammad, peace be upon him and his progeny, who acted as his aids and confidant, very well know that I have never for a second wavered or flinched upon the path of Allah or his Prophet. There had been occasions when the bravest flickered and faltered, and the marching steps withdrew - but I stood by the side of the Prophet, firm and undaunted. It was the courage given by Allah.”
The question of the first early converts to Islam has been a subject of debate among Muslims. Different names in various orders have been suggested. It is evident, however, that since the Prophet (S) was commanded to first spread the word of Allah in his own family, as testified by the Holy Qur’an, the question of anyone else from outside taking precedence over ‘Ali (‘a) does not seem tenable. Let us see what ‘Ali (‘a) has to say:
“I heard the Satan wail and lament when the first revelation came upon him, peace be upon him and his progeny; so, I said, ‘O Prophet of God, what is this lamentation?’ He said, ‘It is the Devil, despondent of his control over Men. No doubt, you hear what I hear, and witness what I see. Except that you are not a Prophet - you are my aid and Minister, and you are destined for the best’.”
Thus, ‘Ali (‘a) stayed near the Prophet (S) through all thick and thin. Returning from his last pilgrimage, the Prophet (S) stopped at Johfa, and near Khumm, he declared ‘Ali as his successor. This event has been reported by a phalanx of the Prophet’s (S) companions, the ulama of both the principal sects of Islam, and alluded to by writers and poets of all centuries.
If this consistent narration still leaves any room for doubt, then it becomes very difficult for a discreet scholar to rely upon any section of the Islamic history. Two months later, the Prophet (S), passed away. ‘Ali (‘a) says:
“The Prophet of God died with his head resting upon my breast, breathing his last over my palms, which I passed over my face in reverence. I undertook washing his body, with angels as my aid. The house and its open courtyard were filled with yell and cry of mourning; with a company of angels, ascending and descending. I never failed to hear their subdued voices, praying for the Prophet till we interred him in his grave. So, who is more entitled, than I am, in this life and hereafter, to the rights of the Prophet? Be discerning, and make a sincere resolution to combat your adversaries. By God and there is no God but He, I am indeed on the right path, while they are treading the slippery ground of Untruth. I speak quite openly, and seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and you all.”
While the Prophet (S) laid on his deathbed, Muslims in Medina convened a meeting at Saqifa of Bani Saidah to appoint a Caliph who would succeed the Prophet (S). This strange and ill-timed episode has been given an ample treatment by the historians, and it is not our present concern to go through the events here. Abu Bakr, son of Abu Qahafah, was finally elected a Caliph, among hue and cry of dissatisfaction from many quarters. ‘Ali (‘a), as we have seen earlier, was engaged in completing final rituals for the burial of the Prophet (S). The news of the meeting at Saqifa and its outcome came to him as a thunderbolt. ‘Ali (‘a) says:
“By God, the fellow squeezed himself into the array of Caliphate, very well knowing that I was as indispensable as a pivot is to a quern. The torrent of wisdom flowed from me, and the high flying could not scale my heights. So, I retired and withdrew. There were only two ways for me: either to advance with hands cut off, or to patiently endure the gross injustice. An experience that would weaken the old, turn a young man into an old man, and cause a faithful to drudge till he meets his death.”
‘Ali (‘a) married Fatimah, the only daughter of the Prophet (S). This marriage took place in the first year after the Prophet’s migration to Medina. ‘Ali (‘a) had two sons and two daughters by her: namely, Hasan, Husayn, Zaynab and Umm Kulthum. The fifth one named Muhsin, died in miscarriage caused by the impact of a door flung open upon her by the people trying to take away ‘Ali (‘a) by force before the Caliph to swear the oath of allegiance.
While traditions from the Prophet (S) about Fatimah and her excelling qualities abound, the attitude and treatment meted out to her after her father’s death makes a sad and shameful reading. Fatimah died some ninety-five days after the Prophet's death. She was 18.
As ‘Ali (‘a) buried her, he spoke the following words:
“Salaams unto you, O Prophet of God, from me and from your daughter, being buried in your proximity, and joining you so soon. O Prophet of God, her departure has left me immersed in grief, and snatched away my restraint and endurance. However, your demise being a greater misfortune, I draw solace from the first bereavement for the other. I laid you to rest in your grave, after you breathed your last over my breast. Surely, we belong to Allah, and unto Him shall we return. So here is your trust deposited, and your charge entrusted back. As for my sorrow, it is eternal, and my nights sleepless; till when Allah ordains for me to unite with you in your blissful abode.
Your daughter will inform you how your so-called followers joined hands to usurp her rights. You will ask her in detail and know the situation, which arose, not too long after your departure, while people still cherished your memory.
Salaams unto you both; salaam of farewell - farewell not born of dislike or weariness. For if I go, it is not because I am tired of your company, and if I stay on, it is not because of my distrust in what Allah has promised those who forbear.”
During the reign of the three Caliphs, which spanned over a period of twenty-five years, ‘Ali (‘a) lived a life of a private citizen. Whenever the rulers needed him for his advice or judgement, he wholeheartedly co-operated, for in so doing he believed that he performed his duty towards Islam, regardless of who sat on the seat of authority. The reign of the third Caliph was tumultuous. Uthman, the third Caliph, treated his own relatives and tribesmen condescendingly, till a faction of dissatisfied Muslim rallies against him. In a final bid to free themselves from the yoke of nepotism, they killed him. It is a known fact that ‘Ali (‘a) made several attempts to save the situation by offering advice to the Caliph, but the Caliph was more inclined towards his Umayyid counsellors.
Mua’wiya, the Umayyid prince, was then governing Damascus. He made a unilateral declaration of his autonomy soon after Uthman’s death, and came out openly against ‘Ali (‘a), accusing him of complicity in the murder of Uthman.
Here in Medina, people enjoined upon ‘Ali (‘a) to take up the reins. ‘Ali (‘a) gives a graphic description of what transpired. He says:
“Till the third one from them boastfully jumped upon the throne, to control both, the waste and the cultivated. And with him stood his cousins, plundering the wealth of God, the way a hungry camel devours harvest grass. The twine that he twisted, broke his own neck, undoing his mischief, His greed killed him.
And then the people flocked and swarmed around me from all sides, till they trampled upon my toes and tore my dress. They crowded together like cattle, and when I girded up my loins to take up the responsibilities, some of them abrogated their pledges, some became apostates, and others turned into oppressors.”
On the subject of Uthman’s murder, ‘Ali (‘a) wrote to Mua’wiya:
“By my life, O, Mua’wiya, if you made a dispassionate survey of the episode, you would find me totally innocent - unsoiled and unstained by the blood of Uthman. And you would know for certain that I remained completely detached. Unless you want to frame up an accusation - well, then do what you please.”
For the first time after the Prophet’s death, Muslims were divided into two camps, one attached to the just, stern caliphate of ‘Ali (‘a), another to the misrule of Mua’wiya. While no parallel can be drawn between the two rulers, it is interesting to note that posterity has judged Mua’wiya as a diplomat and politician of the first rank. Compared to Mua’wiya and the Caliphs preceding him, ‘Ali (‘a) has been regarded as one devoid of diplomatic skill. This is what ‘Ali (‘a) has to say about Mua’wiya and his diplomacy:
“By God, Mua’wiya is not cleverer than I am. He betrays, he is an unscrupulous schemer. Had I not hated that wicked habit, I might have been among the craftiest statesmen. But remember that such duplicity is a sin, and such sin is a violation of Islamic tenets. Such a treacherous ruler will be identified on the Day of Judgement. By God, I cannot be overtaken by the artful trickery, nor can I be subjugated by force.”
With ‘Ali (‘a) on the seat of authority, Muslims were reminded of the early days of Islam, when the Prophet, with all simplicity and humility, conducted the affairs of the state. However, there was a marked difference. Some people were now used to privileges and preference. The interval of twenty-five years between the Prophet’s death and ‘Ali (‘a)’s ascension to Caliphate had worked a great change. There arose an influential class amidst the common men, who needed to be appeased, and this gave a rise to inequity and injustice.
Without much ado, ‘Ali (‘a) set out to cancel all the privileges, and resorted to the Prophet’s way of fair and equitable distribution of public wealth. Needless to say, that the rich and influential people felt the ground slipping from under their feet, and they clustered together to form a dissention group.
But ‘Ali (‘a) had warned them in advance. Abdullah Ibn Abbas says that he once called upon ‘Ali (‘a) at a place known as Ziquar, and found him mending his shoe. Looking up, ‘Ali (‘a) asked:
“How do you price this shoe?”
Ibn Abbas said:
“The shoe seemed to be quite worn out and had been repeatedly patched. It is worthless - My lord.”
‘Ali (‘a) said:
“Well, I love it more then the office I hold; unless I use the office to uphold Truth and justice, and eradicate the last vestiges of untruth and tyranny.”
Then he came before the people and said:
“Our Lord sent Muhammad, peace be upon him and his progeny, when the Arabs knew nothing of the Book nor of the Prophethood. He led unto their rightful place; saved, steady and satisfied. And I was there as a vanguard - till society was thoroughly cleaned of all evils. My efforts never slackened, nor did cowardice get the better of me. And my mission today follows the same pattern - I shall pierce the veil of Untruth, till Truth is evident and manifest.”
They found him intolerably austere, his ways forbidding. During the tenure of his Caliphate, which lasted for four years and nine months, various factions arose to fight him. The battles of Jamal, Siffeen and Nehrawan were waged against him by leaders who enjoyed substantial following. Some of them like A’isha, the wife of the Prophet, Talha and Zubair were leading the rebels. This left the masses completely baffled and torn apart.
Dr. Taha Husein in his famous work Aliyyun wa Banoohu (‘Ali and his sons) relates an interesting incident. During the battle of Jamal, one comes to ‘Ali (‘a) and says:
“O ‘Ali, can people like Talha and Zubair, who are opposed to you, be on the wrong side?”
‘Ali (‘a) answered:
“You, my brother, are gravely mistaken. Right and Wrong, Truth and Untruth are not identified by the personalities. Know the Truth, and you shall know its people; know the Untruth, and you shall identify its followers.”
Dr. Taha Husein, despite his known agnostic tendencies, remarks:
“I have neither seen nor known a rejoinder more persuasive, except the words of revelation in the Book of God, the Holy Qur’an.”
Most of his trusted friends died in these battles. Till ‘Ali (‘a) felt alone, and at times, with an air of despondency, he remembered them from the pulpit, and said:
“Where are my friends who rode on the right Path, and died with their feet firm thereon? Where is Ammar? Where is lbn-u-Tayyihan? Where is Zu-sshahadatain? Where are their likes who faced death with valour, and whose heads were carried to the sinful rulers?
Alas! they were my friends who recited Qur’an and lent strength to it; they pondered over their obligation and fulfilled it. They kept alive the Traditions, and uprooted all innovations. When called for defense, they responded; when they trusted a leader, they followed him faithfully.”
There is no doubt that the period during which ‘Ali (‘a) ruled was turbulent - though at the same time reminiscent of the Prophet’s days and ways. There are several factors, which contributed to this unrest and turmoil, chief among them being the contrast between his, and the preceding rules. But in spite of all the opposition, people acknowledged ‘Ali (‘a)’s distinction, and in the face of efforts to suppress his qualities, they mentioned and referred to his excellence with helpless abandon.
But the most outstanding quality of ‘Ali (‘a) is that he knew his people very well. This is not to merely say that he had acquaintance with them. He knew their state of mind, their propensities, aspirations and the intensity of their Faith. In a sermon, which he delivered from the pulpit, he said:
“And God be my Witness, if I chose to inform everyone of you about his beginning, his end and his destiny, I could do that - for the fear that you might disbelieve and belie what the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, told me.
But I shall transmit this to the trusted ones. By God who sent His Messenger with Truth, and selected him of all that He created, I speak not but the Truth. He imparted unto me all the details - telling me about those damned and those saved. He had revealed to me the date of this responsibility upon my shoulders. In short, there is nothing of which he did not inform me.
O people, I do not exhort you to be obedient to Allah, unless I have preceded you in doing so - and I do not dissuade you from committing sins and vices, unless I have first refrained from them myself.”
‘Ali (‘a) knew very well what turn the events were going to take, and he seemed to be fully prepared for it. He knew that the forces acting against him were gaining strength, and what destiny held in store for him. But the prospects failed to daunt him. The Ummah was passing through a period of trials and tribulations, and the impasse had been presaged by the Prophet. Once when asked about what the Prophet (S) had foretold, ‘Ali (‘a) related the following:
“When Allah revealed unto the Prophet the Ayah: ‘Alif lam Mim’ - Do these people think that they would be left upon claiming that they believe, and that they would not be put to test? I knew that we would not be subjected to any test as long as the Prophet lived amongst us.
So I said: ‘O Prophet of God: What is this test of which Allah has informed you?’
He said: ‘O ‘Ali, my people will definitely be tested after my departure.’
So I said: ‘O Prophet of God: on the day of Uhud, when Muslims were blessed with martyrdom, and I felt deprived and hence grieved, you gave me the glad tiding of my martyrdom in later years.’
The Prophet said: ‘Yes, O ‘Ali, I told you so - and now let me know how are you going to exercise your patience in that situation?’
I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, that is not a situation for patience, it is an occasion which calls for praise and thanksgiving.’
Then the Prophet said: ‘O ‘Ali, the people will be put to test in matters of their wealth and properties. They will hold Allah under obligation for having accepted Islam, and at the same time expect His Grace. Under flimsy and feeble pretexts, they would legalize that which is forbidden; yet feel protected from His Wrath. They will partake of wine saying it is a juice, accept bribes under the guise of gifts and presents and legalize usury as a transaction of trade.’
I said: ‘O Prophet of God: how am I to treat them then? Would they be apostates - or mere tempted sinfuls?’
The Prophet said: ‘Treat them as sinners.”
If one is led to believe that ‘Ali (‘a) was a mere ascetic, oblivious of the world around him, stricken with self-pity because of the unfriendly and uncooperative surrounding, then that indeed is a grave mistake. For ‘Ali (‘a) did not live in oblivion, nor was he in the world of fancy and make-believe. He was a practical man, fully conscious and profoundly aware. In the course of his sermons, which chiefly dwelt upon the tenets of Faith and the human society, he at times digressed to enlarge upon the wonders of creation, describing the work of nature with an unsettling precision. Here is an example:
“One of the greatest wonders of creation is a peacock, well built and with a perfect blend of bright colours. It has circular patches of feathers along the shafts, and a train spread into a fan. When in presence of the peahen, it ostentatiously raises its train, to form an erect, delicately hued fan over its head, like a skipper who spreads the sail to catch the wind. Proud of its colours, it walks with a swinging gait.
It mates like any other bird, advancing towards its female with the zest of a youthful stallion.
Observe it yourself, and do not rely upon baseless stories. Like when they say that tears flow from the tear glands of a peacock, and when they reach the comers of his eyelids, the peahen stands by to drink the droplets and thus conceive. This indeed is a tall story.
Its quills look like a comb of silver with the ornate feathers having sunlike ‘eyes’, gleaming like pure gold and pieces of emerald. If you compare them with what grows from earth, you may say: It is a bouquet of flowers gathered in spring. If you look at them as an apparel, then they are a dress embroidered with gold, like the best cloth of Yemen. And if you compare them with jewellery, then they are the colourful stones studded upon silver rings.
And look at it when it walks and struts with a swinging gait, spreading its train, crackling complacently at its colourful attire and beautiful neck. And then when it looks at its long-unfeathered legs, it screams and makes a harsh crackle, for they are as ugly as the legs of a crossbred fowl - with a spur grown on it.
And it has a crest of iridescent green tuft, with a neck long and slim like a carved goblet. And its underpart is dark blue - like smooth silk or soft velvet, its gleam and gloss makes a perfect blend with the radiant green.
And near its ear holes runs a thin well-defined line, like a daisy, pure white -forming a brilliant contrast with the black background. So, there is hardly any shade of colour, which is not there, the effect of each enhanced by the lustre and embellishment, looking like spring flowers, fresh and unspoilt.
And at times the bird rustles its quills, and the feathers drop, like leaves falling from the branches, only to be replaced again with the same pattern and arrangement as before. Take a feather in your hand, and you will see it rosy pink, and then emerald green, and again golden yellow all at once.”