Ja'far ibn Sulayman al-Dubu'i related from al-Mu'alla ibn Ziyad, who said: 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam, may God curse him, came to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) asking him for a mount. He said: O Commander of the Faithful, give me a mount. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) looked at him and then said to him: You are 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam al-Muradi? He said: Yes. Then he said again: You are 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam al-Muradi? He said: Yes. He said: O Ghazwan, mount him on the sorrel horse. So he brought a sorrel horse, and Ibn Muljam al-Muradi mounted it and took its reins. When he turned away, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: "I desire to bestow gifts on him while he desires to kill me. Present your excuse for your friend from Murad." He said: When what happened of his affair came to pass and he struck the Commander of the Faithful (AS), he was seized after he had left the mosque and was brought before the Commander of the Faithful. He (AS) said: By God, I used to treat you as I treated you while knowing that you are my killer; but I did that to you so that I might seek God's support against you. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 12)
The narrator says: Ibn Muljam came into the presence of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and asked for a mount in order to fight at his side. The Imam looked at him and said: Are you 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam al-Muradi? He said: Yes. He asked the same question again and heard the same answer. Then he told Ghazwan to place a sorrel horse at his disposal. When Ibn Muljam had mounted, taken its reins, and departed, the Imam recited this verse: "I wish to give him gifts and favor, while he is set on killing me; with such a difference in creed and way, no one will count him excused or innocent." The narrator says: When that dreadful event occurred and the blow fell upon the head of the Commander of the Faithful (AS), Ibn Muljam was seized and brought before the Imam. The Imam turned to him and said: I swear by God, all those kindnesses I showed you were done in the knowledge that you would in the end be my killer! I treated you thus so that the proof against you would be complete.
'Ali ibn al-Hazawwar related from al-Asbagh ibn Nubata, who said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) delivered a sermon to us in the month in which he was killed, saying: The month of Ramadan has come to you, and it is the master of the months and the beginning of the year; in it the millstone of dominion turns. Behold, you will make the pilgrimage this year in a single row, and the sign of that is that I am not among you. He said: He was announcing his own death (AS), and we did not realize it. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 14)
The narrator says: At the beginning of that very month of Ramadan in which 'Ali (AS) was martyred, he delivered a sermon to us and said: The month of Ramadan has arrived! Ramadan is the master of the months and the beginning of the year, and the millstone of dominion is set turning in this month! This year your pilgrims will go on hajj without having a leader, and I will no longer be among you. The narrator says: At the time we did not understand what he meant, until he was martyred.
(We say: there are two remarkable expressions in this hadith. One is that he called the month of Ramadan the beginning of the year. Ramadan, because of its Laylat al-Qadr, is the beginning of a new spiritual year for every person. The second expression is "the millstone of dominion turns." Some have said it means: with my being killed in this Ramadan, the caliphate turns into kingship. But in our view this expression too is a spiritual description of Ramadan, applying to all months of Ramadan, not only the Ramadan of the year 40 AH. According to this reading, each person's destiny is set in motion in Ramadan, especially on its Night of Qadr, leaving its former state and entering a new one. Thus Ramadan is a matchless opportunity for the believers.)
Yahya ibn 'Afif related from his father, who said: I was sitting with al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, may God be pleased with him, in Mecca before the affair of the Prophet (PBUH) became public. A young man came, looked up at the sky when the sun had climbed, then faced the Ka'ba and stood in prayer. Then a boy came and stood at his right, and then a woman came and stood behind the two of them. The young man bowed, and the boy and the woman bowed; the young man rose, and they rose; then the young man prostrated, and they prostrated. So I said: O 'Abbas, a momentous matter! Al-'Abbas said: A momentous matter indeed. Do you know who this young man is? This is Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah, my nephew. Do you know who this boy is? This is 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, my nephew. Do you know who this woman is? This is Khadija bint Khuwaylid. This nephew of mine has told me that his Lord, the Lord of the heavens and the earth, has commanded him with this religion which he follows; and no, by God, there is no one on the face of the earth following this religion other than these three. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 29)
The narrator says: Before the Noble Prophet (PBUH) proclaimed his prophethood, I was sitting with al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib. At the beginning of noon a young man came, stood facing the Ka'ba, and busied himself with prayer. A little later a youth came and stood at his right side, and a woman also came and stood in prayer behind them. The young man bowed, and they followed him and bowed with him. When they raised their heads from bowing, he went into prostration, and they too laid their heads in prostration. I said to 'Abbas: I am witnessing a momentous matter! He said: Yes, it is as you say. Do you know who this young man is? This young man is my brother's son, and his name is Muhammad; and that youth also is my brother's son, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib; and this woman is Khadija, daughter of Khuwaylid. My nephew says that his Lord, who is the God of the heavens and the earth, has charged him with this religion you see; and I swear by God, apart from these three, no one else on the face of the earth professes this religion.
'Uthman ibn al-Mughira related from Zayd ibn Wahb, who said: We have it from 'Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud: Hind bint 'Utba had set a reward for Wahshi on condition that he kill the Messenger of God (PBUH), or the Commander of the Faithful 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, or Hamza ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib (AS). He said to her: As for Muhammad, I have no means against him, for his companions surround him. As for 'Ali, when he fights he is more wary than a wolf. As for Hamza, I have hopes of him, for when he becomes angry he does not see what is before him. On that day Hamza had marked himself with an ostrich feather on his chest. Wahshi lay in ambush for him at the base of a tree. Hamza saw him and rushed at him with his sword, striking a blow that missed his head. Wahshi said: I balanced my spear, and when I had him in range I hurled it and struck him in the groin, piercing him through. I left him until he grew cold, then went to him and retrieved my spear, while the Muslims were distracted from me and from him by their rout. Then Hind came and ordered that Hamza's belly be split open, his liver cut out, and his body mutilated; so they cut off his nose and his ears and mutilated him. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 80)
The narrator says: Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan, had said to her slave Wahshi: If you kill one of these three men, I will give you a good reward: the Messenger of God, or 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, or Hamza. Wahshi had answered her: Muhammad cannot be reached; in battle Muhammad is like a gemstone set among his companions. As for 'Ali, forget him! 'Ali too cannot be killed on the battlefield, for 'Ali, like a wolf, is always watchful of his surroundings. But Hamza — perhaps I can kill him! For when Hamza becomes angry, he pays no attention to what is around him. On the day of the battle of Uhud, Hamza had fixed an ostrich feather on his chest and was therefore easily recognized. So Wahshi lay in ambush behind a tree and watched him, and with a spear he hurled at him he brought him down. After the battle, Hind came to the sacred body of Hamza and bit into his liver, and from that time she became known as Hind the liver-eater.
Al-Hakam ibn Zuhayr related from al-Suddi, from Abu Malik, from Ibn 'Abbas, God's mercy be upon him: Talha ibn Abi Talha came out on that day, stood between the two lines, and called out: O companions of Muhammad! You claim that God the Exalted hastens us to the Fire by your swords and hastens you to Paradise by our swords. So which of you will come out to me? The Commander of the Faithful (AS) went out to him and said: By God, I will not part from you today until I hasten you with my sword to the Fire. They exchanged two blows, and 'Ali ibn Abi Talib struck him on his legs and cut them off, and he fell and was exposed. He said: I adjure you by God, O cousin, and by kinship! So he turned away from him and returned to his position. The Muslims said to him: Why did you not finish him off? He said: He adjured me by God and by kinship; and, by God, he will never live after that. So Talha died where he lay, and the Prophet (PBUH) was given the good news of it and rejoiced at it and said: This was the ram of the battalion. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 85)
The narrator says: On the day of the battle of Uhud, Talha ibn Abi Talha, the standard-bearer of the polytheists, galloped out from the midst of the army and shouted: O companions of Muhammad! You suppose that God will send us to Hell by your swords and you to Paradise by ours! So which of you will come to fight me!? The Commander of the Faithful (AS) went out against him and said to him: By God, today I will not let you go until I send you to Hell with my sword. Two blows were exchanged between them, and 'Ali (AS) struck his two legs with the sword so that both were cut off and he fell, and his nakedness was exposed. In that state he said to 'Ali: O cousin! I adjure you by God and by kinship! So 'Ali (AS) turned his face from him and returned to his place. The Muslims said: Why did you not finish him? He said: He adjured me by God and by kinship, and by God he will not remain alive. So Talha died in the very place where he had fallen, and the good news of his death was brought to the Messenger of God (PBUH), and the Prophet was gladdened and said: He was the chief of the troops.
'Ali ibn al-Hakim al-Awdi said: I heard Abu Bakr ibn 'Ayyash say: 'Ali (AS) struck a blow than which there was none more glorious in Islam — meaning the blow against 'Amr ibn 'Abd Wudd — and 'Ali was struck a blow than which there was none more ill-omened in Islam — meaning the blow of Ibn Muljam, may God curse him. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 105)
Shaykh al-Mufid relates from the biographers that in Islam there has never been, nor will there ever be, a sword-blow more glorious than the blow of 'Ali (AS) by which he brought 'Amr ibn 'Abd Wudd to the ground in the Battle of the Confederates; and there has never been, nor will there ever be, a blow more ill-omened for Islam than the blow of Ibn Muljam upon the head of 'Ali (AS).
The biographers have mentioned: 'Ali (AS) had a turban that he would not wind on except when the Prophet (PBUH) sent him on a hard mission. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 114)
Shaykh al-Mufid relates from the biographers that 'Ali (AS) had a turban which he would bind on his head only when the Messenger of God (PBUH) sent him on some hard task.
Muhammad ibn Ishaq and others among the transmitters of reports said: When the Messenger of God (PBUH) drew near to Khaybar, he said: This banner is not for the one who has carried it. Bring me 'Ali ibn Abi Talib. It was said to him: He has inflamed eyes. He said: Show him to me; you will be shown a man who loves God and His Messenger and whom God and His Messenger love, who takes the banner with its due right and is no runaway. So they brought 'Ali (AS), leading him to him. The Prophet (PBUH) said to him: What ails you, O 'Ali? He said: An eye-inflammation with which I cannot see, and a headache in my head. He said to him: Sit and place your head on my thigh. 'Ali (AS) did so, and the Prophet (PBUH) prayed for him and spat into his hand and wiped it over his eyes and his head; his eyes opened and the headache he had felt subsided. In his prayer for him he said: O God, protect him from heat and cold. He gave him the banner — a white banner — and said to him: Take the banner and go forth with it, for Gabriel is with you, victory is before you, and terror has been cast into the hearts of the people. And know, O 'Ali, that they find in their book that the one who will destroy them is named Iliya (Elias); so when you meet them, say: "I am 'Ali" — for then they will be forsaken, God willing. 'Ali (AS) said: So I went forth with it until I came to the fortresses, and Marhab came out wearing a helmet, chanting battle-verses. When the Commander of the Faithful (AS) killed Marhab, those who were with him retreated and locked the gate of the fortress against him. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) went to it and worked at it until he opened it, while most of the people were on the other side of the ditch, not having crossed with him. So the Commander of the Faithful (AS) took the gate of the fortress and laid it over the ditch as a bridge for them until they crossed, and they won the fortress and obtained the spoils. When they turned back from the fortresses, the Commander of the Faithful took it in his right hand and flung it some cubits across the ground — a gate which twenty men of them were needed to close. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 124)
Shaykh al-Mufid relates from the biographers that in the affair of the battle of Khaybar, the Messenger of God (PBUH) gave the banner to one man after another without success, until he said: It seems none of you is worthy of this banner! Bring 'Ali! They said: 'Ali's eye is infected. He said: Bring him. They sought 'Ali, found him, and brought him to the Prophet. The Prophet (PBUH) said: What is wrong with you? He said: My eye is infected and my head aches severely. The Messenger of God (PBUH) said: Lay your head on my knee! And he passed his hand over his eye and prayed for him: O God, heal 'Ali and protect him from cold and heat. 'Ali (AS) recovered, took the banner — a white banner — from the Messenger of God (PBUH), and set out for the field. The Messenger of God (PBUH) said: Go, for Gabriel is with you, victory lies on your path, and terror is in the hearts of your enemies. He said: They have it in their books that a man named Iliya will triumph over them; when you go, introduce yourself and say: I am 'Ali, that very Iliya. When 'Ali (AS) went out to the field with a few men, the great champion of the Jews, named Marhab, came out of the fortress with a handful of men and began chanting battle-verses. 'Ali (AS) and Marhab grappled hand to hand, and at last 'Ali (AS) killed Marhab. When Marhab was killed, his companions fled into the fortress and shut its gate. 'Ali (AS) pursued them, crossed the ditch, and single-handedly tore from its place the gate of the fortress — which twenty men used to open and close — and threw it over the ditch. The Muslims crossed over the ditch, entered the fortress, conquered it, and obtained abundant spoils.
From Abu al-Zubayr, from Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah al-Ansari: When the Messenger of God (PBUH) was alone with 'Ali (AS) on the day of Ta'if, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab came to him and said: Do you speak secretly with him apart from us and seclude yourself with him apart from us? He said: O 'Umar, it was not I who spoke secretly with him; rather it was God who confided in him. He said: So 'Umar turned away. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 153)
Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah al-Ansari relates that the Messenger of God (PBUH) was engaged in the siege of Ta'if when 'Ali (AS) returned victorious from the campaign against the tribe of Khath'am. The Messenger of God (PBUH) was greatly pleased, took 'Ali's hand, and for an hour walked alone with him in the open country, conversing with him in confidence. Some could not bear this privacy and seclusion of the Messenger of God (PBUH) with 'Ali (AS); among them 'Umar said in protest: Why do you whisper and share secrets with 'Ali in private?! The Messenger of God (PBUH) replied: It was not I who was sharing secrets with 'Ali in private; rather it was God who was confiding in him!
(We say: this episode, known as the confiding or secret conversation of the Messenger of God (PBUH) with 'Ali (AS) on the day of Ta'if, is related in many sources, and the phrase "rather it was God who confided in him" has been counted among the exclusive virtues of the Commander of the Faithful (AS). It seems that in that private meeting the Messenger of God (PBUH), by God's leave, told him of hidden matters and opened to him doors of knowledge.)
The Messenger of God (PBUH) had dispatched him (AS) to Yemen to collect the fifth of its zakat and to receive the garments that the people of Najran had agreed upon... The Commander of the Faithful (AS) bade him farewell and returned shortly to his army. He met them and found that they had put on the garments that were in their charge. He rebuked them for that and said to the man he had left in command over them: Woe to you! What led you to give them the garments before we deliver them to the Prophet (PBUH)? I had not given you permission for that. He said: They asked me to let them adorn themselves with them and enter ihram in them, and then return them to me. So the Commander of the Faithful (AS) took them back from the men and bound them up in the bales, and they harbored resentment against him for it. When they entered Mecca, their complaints against the Commander of the Faithful (AS) multiplied. So the Messenger of God (PBUH) ordered his herald, who proclaimed among the people: Lift your tongues from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, for he is stern in what concerns God, Mighty and Exalted, no compromiser in his religion. So the people ceased speaking of him, and they knew his standing with the Prophet (PBUH) and his anger toward anyone who sought to disparage him. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 153)
Shaykh al-Mufid relates from the biographers that in the affair in which the Messenger of God (PBUH) sent 'Ali (AS) to Yemen to collect the khums and zakat of Yemen and the cloths of the people of Najran, after 'Ali's departure from Medina the Prophet proclaimed the hajj and set out with a great multitude for the Farewell Pilgrimage. For his part, 'Ali (AS) collected the goods from the people of Yemen and came with an army from Yemen toward Mecca to perform the hajj together with the Prophet (PBUH). Near Mecca, 'Ali (AS) separated from his army and went himself to meet the Prophet, and after conferring with the Prophet (PBUH) he returned to the army to bring it on slowly toward Mecca. But he found that in his absence the soldiers had taken the cloths and put them on as ihram garments. He was displeased with them and ordered that the cloths be returned. They in turn were aggrieved at 'Ali's order. This resentment remained with them until they reached Mecca, and in Mecca they kept speaking ill of 'Ali (AS) and his strictness. When the Messenger of God (PBUH) saw this, he ordered a herald to proclaim: Do not speak ill of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, for 'Ali is stern in what concerns God and does not compromise in God's religion.
So the people ceased talking about 'Ali, and this affair came to an end.
(We say: the phrase "stern in what concerns God, Mighty and Exalted, no compromiser in his religion" is one of the famous expressions concerning the Commander of the Faithful (AS), which, as we noted under the hadith of Kitab al-Ikhtisas, vol. 1, p. 121, has also been transmitted in other forms such as "worn out in what concerns God," "touched in what concerns God," or "most stern in what concerns God." There we gave an extensive explanation.)
Abu Bakr al-Hudhali said: I heard men among our scholars say: The non-Arabs of Hamadan, Rayy, Isfahan, Qumis, and Nahavand wrote to one another, sending word among themselves: The king of the Arabs, who brought them their religion and produced their book, has perished — meaning the Prophet (PBUH) — and after him a man ruled over them for a short reign and then perished — meaning Abu Bakr — and after him another arose whose life has lasted long, so that he has reached out to you in your own lands and sent his armies against you — meaning 'Umar ibn al-Khattab — and he will not desist from you until you expel his armies that are in your lands and go out against him and attack him in his own land. So they made a pact and covenant upon this. When the news reached the Muslims in Kufa, they conveyed it to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab. When the news reached him, 'Umar was seized by intense alarm. He came to the mosque of the Messenger of God (PBUH), mounted the pulpit, praised God and extolled Him, and then said: O companies of the Muhajirun and the Ansar! Satan has gathered hosts against you and advanced with them to extinguish the light of God. Behold, the people of Hamadan, Isfahan, Rayy, Qumis, and Nahavand — differing in their tongues, their colors, and their religions — have covenanted and pledged to drive your Muslim brothers out of their lands and to march out against you and attack you in your own lands. So counsel me, and be brief and do not draw out your speech, for this is a day upon which the days after it depend. Speak! Talha ibn 'Ubayd Allah, who was one of the orators of Quraysh, rose, praised God and extolled Him, and said: O Commander of the Faithful, affairs have seasoned you, the ages have tried you, trials have tested you, and experiences have made you firm. You are blessed in your affair, fortunate in your judgment. Take charge of this matter with your own view and do not be absent from it. Then he sat down. 'Umar said: Speak! 'Uthman ibn 'Affan rose, praised God and extolled Him, and said: As for what follows, O Commander of the Faithful, my view is that you should summon the people of Syria from their Syria and the people of Yemen from their Yemen, and that you yourself march with the people of these two Sanctuaries and the people of the two garrison cities, Kufa and Basra, so that you meet the host of the polytheists with the host of the believers. For, O Commander of the Faithful, you will leave yourself no remnant after the Arabs, no precious thing of this world to enjoy, no refuge to shelter in. Take charge of this matter with your own view and do not be absent from it. Then he sat down. 'Umar said: Speak! The Commander of the Faithful 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) said: Praise belongs to God — until he completed the praise and laudation of God and the blessing upon the Messenger of God (PBUH) — then said: As for what follows: if you summon the people of Syria from their Syria, the Byzantines will descend upon their children; and if you summon the people of Yemen from their Yemen, the Abyssinians will descend upon their children; and if you march out from these two Sanctuaries, the Arabs will rise against you from every side and quarter, until what you leave behind you of the Arabs' dependents becomes of more concern to you than what lies before you. As for your mention of the multitude of the non-Arabs and your dread of their hosts: in the time of the Messenger of God (PBUH) we did not fight by numbers; we fought only by God's help. And as for what has reached you of their gathering to march against the Muslims: God detests their marching more than you do, and He is worthier to change what He detests. And the non-Arabs, when they look at you, will say: This is the man of the Arabs; if you cut him down, you have cut down the Arabs — and that will make their frenzy the fiercer, and you will have incited them against yourself, and those who would not otherwise have aided them will aid them. Rather, my view is that you keep these men in their garrison towns and write to the people of Basra to divide into three groups: let one group stand guard over their families, let one group remain among the people of their treaty so that they do not break it, and let one group march to their brothers as reinforcement. 'Umar said: Indeed, this is the right view, and I would love to follow it. And he kept repeating the words of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and rehearsing them in admiration of them and in preference for them. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 207)
The narrator says: In the time of 'Umar, news arrived that the non-Arabs of the central regions of Iran, including Isfahan, Rayy, Damghan, and Nahavand, were corresponding with one another and forming a pact to drive the Arabs out of their regions and then to march with a mighty army toward the Hijaz and uproot Islam. 'Umar became alarmed, gathered the people in the mosque, and asked them for a remedy. Talha's view was that 'Umar himself should set out at the head of an army for the lands of the non-Arabs. 'Uthman said: Let us write to Syria and Yemen and request troops from there, and send a great army to the lands of the non-Arabs. Apart from these two, no one spoke, and no plan occurred to anyone. 'Umar said: Is there no other opinion? At this point 'Ali (AS) rose and said: The non-Arabs consider you the king of the Arabs; therefore your going to their land will rouse them, they will see themselves close to victory, and they will say: This time the king of the Arabs has himself come to war. Then they will fight us with all their strength to dry up the very root of the Arabs. So your going to the war is not advisable. But writing to Yemen and Syria and asking help from them is not advisable either; for when the Byzantines see that the lands of Syria are emptied of fighters, they will covet that land, and when the Abyssinians see that the lands of Yemen are emptied of fighters, they will think of attacking that land. And if you empty Medina of fighters, the surrounding tribes will covet it. 'Umar said: Then what shall we do, O Abu al-Hasan? 'Ali (AS) said: Write to the people of Basra to divide into three groups: one group to guard the city, one group to watch over the people of the dhimma, and the third group to set out for the lands of the non-Arabs and aid their brothers in that land. Then he addressed 'Umar and said: Why has fear of the non-Arabs fallen into your heart? Have you forgotten that in the time of the Messenger of God (PBUH) we did not fight relying on the army and its numbers; rather we went to battle with trust in God and in hope of His help and support. Know that God detests the enemies of His religion more than you do, and is more able than we are to destroy them, and He will not permit the young sapling of Islam to be destroyed. 'Umar said: What an excellent opinion! We shall act upon this very plan. And all those present in the assembly likewise approved this opinion.
The scholars of biography have related: Four men drank intoxicants in the time of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and became drunk, and they stabbed one another with knives, so that each of them was wounded. Their case was raised to the Commander of the Faithful (AS), and he ordered them imprisoned until they sobered. Two of them died in prison and two remained. The kinsfolk of the two dead men came to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and said: Grant us retaliation against these two men, for they killed our two companions. He said to them: How do you know that? Perhaps each of the two dead killed his fellow. They said: We do not know; so judge in the matter as God has taught you. He (AS) said: The blood-money of the two slain is upon the tribes of all four, after deducting for the two living men the compensation for their wounds. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 219)
The biographers have written: In the time of the Commander of the Faithful (AS), four men drank wine and became drunk, and wounded one another with knives, each receiving a grievous wound. The affair reached the ears of 'Ali (AS). He ordered that they be cast into prison until they came to their senses. Two of them died in prison and two remained alive. The relatives of the two who had died came to 'Ali (AS) and said: Take our retaliation from these two men who killed our men. The Imam said: How do you know that these two killed your men? Perhaps each of those two killed the other! They said: We do not know; so judge among them however God has made you knowing. He said: The blood-money of the slain falls upon all four clans, and this is after the two who were wounded first receive from them the compensation for their own wounds.
They have related: Six men went down into the Euphrates and ducked one another in play, and one of them drowned. Two of them testified against three that they had drowned him, and the three testified against the two that they had drowned him. He (AS) judged that the blood-money be divided into fifths among the five men: three fifths upon the two, in accordance with the testimony against them, and two fifths upon the three, likewise in accordance with the testimony. In that case there was no ruling closer to what is right than the one he (AS) gave. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 220)
It is related that six men went to swim in the river Euphrates and in jest were pushing one another under the water. One of them drowned. Two testified that the other three had drowned him, and the three said: those two drowned him. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) judged that the blood-money of the drowned man be divided into five parts: three parts to be paid by the two men, in accordance with the testimony given against them, and the other two parts to be paid by the three men in accordance with the testimony against them.
And they have related: A man on the point of death made a bequest of a "portion" (juz') of his property without specifying it. After him, the heirs disagreed about it and brought the dispute before the Commander of the Faithful (AS). He ruled that a seventh of his property be set aside, and he (AS) recited the words of Him whose name is Mighty: "It has seven gates, and to each gate a portion of them is assigned." (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 221)
And it is related that a man at the time of his death made a bequest of a "portion" of his property and did not specify what he meant by a portion. So the heirs disagreed about its amount and brought the case for judgment before the Commander of the Faithful (AS). The Imam ruled that one-seventh of his property be taken and spent according to the bequest, and as witness to his judgment he recited this verse: "Hell has seven gates, and to each gate a portion is assigned" [Qur'an 15:44].
The scholars of reports have related it in a sermon whose opening we omit, up to his words: No scholar dies but that part of his knowledge perishes with him. The scholars among the people are like the full moon in the sky, whose light shines over all the other stars. Take of knowledge what presents itself to you, and beware of seeking it for four traits: to boast, or to dispute, or to show off, or for the sake of leadership. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 229)
Shaykh al-Mufid, citing the scholars of the past, records a sermon of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and reaches this point: Every scholar who dies takes part of his knowledge with him to the grave. The scholars among the people are like the full moon among the stars. Learn of knowledge that which comes to you, and beware lest your aim in acquiring knowledge be boasting, or wrangling and disputation, or showing yourself off, or leadership!
(We say: the phrase "Take of knowledge what presents itself to you" is a precise expression and shows that each person has a particular provision in knowledge; that is, a particular knowledge is made accessible and intelligible to him. In other words, each person has the aptitude for a particular knowledge and should pursue that very one.)
Al-Harith al-A'war said: I heard the Commander of the Faithful (AS) say: Among the rights of the scholar are that he not be questioned excessively, that he not be pressed hard in answering, that he not be importuned when he is weary, that no secret of his be divulged, that no one be backbitten in his presence, and that he be honored in the measure that he has kept the command of God. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 230)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The right of the scholar is that you not ask him too many questions, not put him to hardship in answering, and not insist when he is tired; that you keep his secret; that you not speak about anyone in his presence; and that you revere and honor him just as you revere the command of God.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Act both in eagerness and in dread. If eagerness comes upon you, thank God and join dread to it; and if dread comes upon you, remember God and join eagerness to it. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 235)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Keep occupied with righteous deeds, both when you feel eagerness and when you feel listless! In times of eagerness, give thanks and take care not to become tainted with idle things. In times of listlessness, engage much in remembrance of God and strive to kindle eagerness in yourself.
And among that is his (AS) saying: O people! We and you have been created for permanence, not for annihilation; you are only transferred from one abode to another. So take provision for the place to which you are going and in which you will abide forever. And peace. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 238)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: O people! We have been created for eternity, not to die and pass away. Through death we are only transferred from one world to another. So take provision for the place to which you are bound and in which you will remain forever.
Both the Shi'a and the Sunnis have related from him that the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said in the first sermon he delivered after the people's pledge of allegiance to him for the rule: God the Exalted has treated this community with two remedies: the whip and the sword. Upon the Imam is steadfastness, and upon the subjects is submission. This is a general allegiance: whoever turns away from it turns away from the religion of Islam. My case and yours are not the same: I want you for God, while you want me for yourselves. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 239)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said in his first sermon after assuming the caliphate: God has placed the remedy of this community in two things: in the sword and in the whip! Then he said: It is upon the Imam to be steadfast, and upon the subjects to submit. This is a general allegiance, and whoever turns away from it has turned away from Islam. Then he said: Of course, my condition and yours are not one: I want you for God, and you want me for yourselves.
When the Commander of the Faithful (AS) set out toward Basra, he halted at al-Rabadha, where the last of the pilgrims met him, and they gathered to hear his words while he was in his tent. Ibn 'Abbas, God's mercy upon him, said: I came to him and found him patching a sandal. I said to him: We have more need that you set our affairs in order than of what you are doing. He did not speak to me until he had finished with his sandal; then he set it beside its mate and said to me: Appraise them. I said: They have no value. He said: Even so. I said: A fraction of a dirham. He said: By God, the two of them are dearer to me than this affair of yours, unless I should establish a right or repel a wrong. I said: The pilgrims have gathered to hear your words; will you permit me to speak? If it be good, it will be from you, and if otherwise, it will be from me. He said: No, I will speak. Then he placed his hand on my chest — and his palm was rough — and it hurt me. Then he rose, and I took hold of his garment and said: I adjure you by God and by kinship! He said: Do not adjure me. Then he went out, saying: "By God, I will split the falsehood open until the truth comes out of its flank." Then he went out and they gathered. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 247)
Ibn 'Abbas says: When the Commander of the Faithful (AS) set out toward Basra, he first halted at al-Rabadha (three stages west of Medina on the road to Yanbu'). The tail end of the pilgrims returning from Mecca came upon his caravan and gathered around the Imam to hear a word from him, while he was in his tent. Ibn 'Abbas says: I went in to him and found him patching his sandals. I said to him: O Commander of the Faithful! Putting our affairs in order matters more than this work you are doing and busying yourself with! The Imam did not speak to me until he had finished his task and patched his sandal. Then he set it beside its mate, turned to me, and said: Appraise this pair of sandals of mine! I said: They are worth nothing! He said: Even though they are worth nothing, appraise them! I said: Less than a dirham! He said: By God, these sandals are dearer to me than ruling over you, unless by ruling I can uphold a right or prevent a wrong! I said: The pilgrims have gathered to hear your words; will you permit me to speak to them in your place? If it turns out well, let it be from you, and if not, from me. He said: No; I will speak to them myself. Then he laid his hand on my chest — and he had a rough hand — and my chest ached. Then he rose. I clutched at his garment and said: I adjure you by God, show regard for our kinship and grant my request. He said: Do not adjure me! He said this and came out of the tent, saying: By God, I will so split falsehood open that truth will come out of its midst. At this, the people gathered around him.
Al-'Abbas ibn 'Ubayd Allah al-'Abdi related from 'Amr ibn Shimr, from his authorities, who said: We heard the Commander of the Faithful 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) say: Since God sent Muhammad (PBUH), I have not seen ease — and praise be to God. By God, I feared as a child and strove as a grown man, fighting the polytheists and opposing the hypocrites, until God took His Prophet (PBUH) — and that was the greatest calamity. I remained ever wary and apprehensive, fearing that something might come to pass with which remaining would not be possible for me; but, praise God, I have seen nothing but good. By God, I have never ceased striking with my sword, from boyhood until I became an old man. What gives me patience in my present state is that all of this has been for God and His Messenger. And I hope that relief will come soon and near, for I have seen its signs. They said: After these words only a little time remained before he (AS) was struck down. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 284)
The narrator says: I heard the Commander of the Faithful (AS) say: From the time the Messenger of God (PBUH) was sent forth until this very moment, I have not known ease, and I thank God that I have labored continually in the way of establishing God's religion. In childhood I was full of care, and in adulthood I fought constantly against the polytheists and contended with the hypocrites. After the passing of the Messenger of God (PBUH) it was as if the resurrection had come; I was ever on guard and watchful lest something occur that could not be endured — and, praise be to God, everything passed. All my life I have wielded the sword, and what gave me strength and endurance in this state was that whatever I did, I did for God and His Messenger. For some time now I have felt that the end of my life is near and that I shall soon be at rest! I have also seen signs indicating this. They say: Not long after these words, the blow was struck upon the Imam (AS) and he was relieved of the sorrows of this world.
'Amr ibn Sa'id related from Hanash al-Kinani, who said: When 'Abd al-Rahman clasped 'Uthman's hand in allegiance on the Day of the House, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to him: It was the tie of marriage that moved you and drove you to what you have done. By God, you hoped from him only what your companion hoped from his companion. May God scatter between you two the perfume of Manshim. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 286)
The narrator says: When 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf pledged allegiance to 'Uthman in the House of the Council, 'Ali (AS) said to him: So in the end kinship-by-marriage did its work and drove you to pledge allegiance to 'Uthman. I swear by God, you pledged allegiance to 'Uthman with the same hope that your friend 'Umar had of his pledge to his friend Abu Bakr — and he attained it. But you will not attain it, and may God cast division and separation between you.
(We say: 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf was among the first Muslims and the emigrants to Abyssinia. But before the Prophet's hijra to Medina he returned to Mecca and emigrated to Medina along with the Prophet; hence he is called "the man of two hijras." 'Abd al-Rahman was present in all the Prophet's battles. At Uhud he was among those who did not flee but stood in defense of the Prophet. 'Abd al-Rahman was wealthy and generous. The Sunnis count him among the "ten given glad tidings" — that is, the ten men to whom, as they claim, the Messenger of God (PBUH) promised Paradise. It has already been mentioned that the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to Talha on the day of the Jamal that this hadith is one of the fabrications and was circulated in the time of 'Uthman. 'Abd al-Rahman was the husband of 'Uthman's sister, and there was a bond of brotherhood between him and 'Uthman.
After 'Umar was stabbed and lay on his deathbed, he formed a six-man council to determine the caliph, consisting of: 'Ali (AS), 'Uthman, 'Abd al-Rahman, Talha, al-Zubayr, and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas; and he decreed that if the members of this council split into two groups of three, the caliph would be the one for whom 'Abd al-Rahman had voted. According to the history of al-Ya'qubi, 'Umar appointed Abu Talha al-Ansari over this affair and said: If four give an opinion and two oppose, strike off the heads of those two; and if three agree and three oppose, strike off the heads of the three among whom 'Abd al-Rahman is not; and if three days pass and they have not agreed on anyone, strike off the heads of them all. Al-Ya'qubi goes on to add that in these three days many negotiations took place and the outcome wavered between 'Ali and 'Uthman — as follows: Sa'd from the outset ceded his vote to 'Abd al-Rahman. Al-Zubayr, in support of 'Ali (AS), withdrew his candidacy for the caliphate. 'Abd al-Rahman announced that he himself did not seek the caliphate. Talha, who was Abu Bakr's cousin and an opponent of 'Ali (AS), stepped aside in favor of 'Uthman. Thus only 'Ali (AS) and 'Uthman remained candidates for the caliphate, and 'Abd al-Rahman's vote and opinion became of great importance. 'Abd al-Rahman asked 'Ali (AS): If we pledge allegiance to you, are you prepared to act according to the Book of God, the Sunna of the Messenger of God, and the practice of the two previous caliphs? 'Ali's (AS) reply to 'Abd al-Rahman was this sentence: I will act only according to the Book of God and the Sunna of the Messenger of God. 'Abd al-Rahman put the same question to 'Uthman, and 'Uthman answered affirmatively and accepted all the conditions, and thus he attained the caliphate. Afterwards all the members of the council pledged allegiance to 'Uthman. According to one report, after the council concluded the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to Ibn 'Abbas: 'Abd al-Rahman is the son of Sa'd's paternal aunt and a son-in-law of 'Uthman's family; 'Umar knew that these three would support one another, and he did not care if Talha and al-Zubayr were killed so long as I too would be killed along with those two (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 285). Some sources record that 'Ali (AS) regarded 'Abd al-Rahman's condition as a kind of deception and said to him: You have chosen 'Uthman so that he may return the caliphate to you. This is not the first time you have banded together against us and kept us from our right. "So patience is beautiful, and God is the One whose help is sought against what you describe" [Qur'an 12:18].
After 'Uthman came to power, and especially after the banishment of Abu Dharr to al-Rabadha, the prediction of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) in this hadith was fulfilled, and discord and enmity arose between him and 'Abd al-Rahman, to the point that 'Abd al-Rahman proposed to 'Ali (AS) that they kill 'Uthman and choose another caliph! To the end of his life 'Abd al-Rahman remained estranged from 'Uthman and left instructions that 'Uthman should not even pray over him! 'Ali (AS) prayed over 'Abd al-Rahman and buried him in al-Baqi'.
The expression "May God scatter between you two the perfume of Manshim" is a proverb. Manshim was the name of a woman perfume-seller: whenever people used her perfume in war, the war flared up all the more fiercely. Hence this perfume became proverbial for inauspiciousness and ill omen, and the Imam's meaning is: I hope God brings about your death and that you never attain this wish — and so it came to pass!)
His (AS) saying: Good manners take the place of noble lineage. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 298)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Good manners fill the place left empty by lineage.
And his (AS) saying: The one who truly renounces this world — the more it adorns itself for him, the more he turns away from it. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 298)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: One who has truly tasted the flavor of renunciation — the more the world flaunts its charms, the more he is repelled by it.
And his (AS) saying: Pardon corrupts the ignoble man to the same degree that it reforms the noble one. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 298)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Pardon, in the same measure that it is fitting for a good person and sets him right, is misplaced with a wicked-natured person and ruins him.
And his (AS) saying: Whoever's intellect is not the greater part of what is in him will be destroyed by the greater part of what is in him. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 299)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: One in whom intellect is not the most prominent trait will one day be destroyed by the very thing he boasts of and considers his strength.
And his (AS) saying: Bear with your friend's slip, against the time of your enemy's assault. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 299)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Forgive your friend's errors so that you keep him for yourself, for you will need him on the day the enemy assaults you.
And his (AS) saying: A good confession demolishes the offense. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 299)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: A fitting and measured confession washes away the sin.
And his (AS) saying: Whoever is content with little has no need of much; and whoever is not made free of need by much becomes needy of what is paltry. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 301)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: One who is satisfied with the little that is at hand becomes free of need of many things; and one who, though he possesses many things, is still not satisfied, becomes needy of some small and base thing.
And his (AS) saying: Whoever places his hopes in a person stands in awe of him. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 301)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: One who hopes for something from someone is perpetually in fear of that person.
And among his (AS) sayings: Whoever holds a certainty and is then beset by doubt, let him proceed upon his certainty, for certainty is not repelled by doubt. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 302)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: One who was certain of something and is suddenly beset by doubt should abandon the doubt and proceed according to that same certainty.
And he (AS) said: Four are those whose supplication is not turned back: the just Imam for his subjects; the kind father for his child; the dutiful child for his parent; and the wronged one — God, whose name is Mighty, says: By My might and My majesty, I shall surely take vengeance for you, even if after a time. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 304)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Four supplications are not turned back and are answered: the supplication of the just Imam for his subjects; the supplication of a righteous father for his child; the supplication of a righteous child for his parent; and the supplication of the wronged against the wrongdoer. God says: By My might and My majesty, I will answer your supplication, though it be after a while!
He (AS) said at Dhu Qar, while he was seated to receive the pledge of allegiance: "There shall come to you from the direction of Kufa one thousand men, not one man more and not one man less, who will pledge allegiance to me unto death." Ibn Abbas said: I was distressed at this and feared that the people might fall short of that number or exceed it, and that the matter would thereby be spoiled for us. I remained anxious, my constant occupation being to count the people, until their vanguard arrived. I began counting them, and I reached the full tally of nine hundred and ninety-nine men; then the arrival of the people ceased. I said: "Surely we belong to God and to Him we return — what led him to say what he said?" While I was pondering this, I saw a figure approaching until he drew near: a man on foot wearing a woolen cloak, carrying his sword, his shield, and his water-skin. He came up to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and said to him: "Stretch out your hand that I may pledge allegiance to you." The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to him: "And upon what will you pledge allegiance to me?" He said: "Upon hearing and obeying, and fighting before you until I die or God grants you victory." He said to him: "What is your name?" He said: "Uways." He said: "You are Uways al-Qarani?" He said: "Yes." He said: "God is greatest! My beloved, the Messenger of God (PBUH), informed me that I would meet a man of his community called Uways al-Qarani, who would be of the party of God and His Messenger, would die a martyr, and into whose intercession would enter the like of [the tribes of] Rabi'a and Mudar." Ibn Abbas said: Then my distress was lifted from me. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 315)
When he was seated at Dhu Qar to receive the pledge of allegiance, he said: "Soon there will come to you from Kufa a thousand men, neither more nor fewer, who will pledge allegiance to me and make themselves ready for death." Ibn Abbas says: On hearing these words I became apprehensive and said to myself, they may turn out to be fewer or more than a thousand, and in the end we shall be left in disgrace. This thought kept troubling me until the men of Kufa arrived. Because of what I had heard, I counted the Kufans until nine hundred and ninety-nine were complete, and not seeing the thousandth of them I said, "Surely we belong to God and to Him we return" — why did Ali (AS) give such information, and what compelled him to utter so ill-placed a statement and humiliate us before our enemies? I remained deep in this thought when my eye fell upon a man coming toward us from afar. When he drew near, I saw a man on foot clad in wool, a sword slung over his shoulder, carrying a shield and the equipment of war. He came into the presence of Ali (AS) and said: "Stretch out your hand that I may pledge allegiance to you." Ali (AS) asked: "On what terms do you wish to pledge allegiance to me?" He answered: "That I hear whatever you say and obey, and fight before you until I am killed or God grants you victory." Ali (AS) asked: "What is your name?" He said: "My name is Uways." He said: "Are you Uways al-Qarani?" He said: "Yes." He said: "God is greatest! My friend, the Messenger of God (PBUH), informed me that I would meet one of his community named Uways al-Qarani, who is of the party of God and His Messenger; he will be martyred at my side, and sinners as numerous as the peoples of Rabi'a and Mudar will benefit from his intercession." Ibn Abbas says: When I learned the truth of Ali's (AS) words I was overjoyed — may God forgive my mistaken thoughts.
Jarir related from al-Mughira: When al-Hajjaj came to power he sought Kumayl ibn Ziyad, who fled from him; so he deprived his people of their stipends. When Kumayl saw this he said: "I am an aged man whose life is spent; it is not fitting that I should be the cause of my people being deprived of their stipends." So he came out and gave himself up to al-Hajjaj. When al-Hajjaj saw him he said to him: "I had longed to find a way to get at you." Kumayl said to him: "Do not gnash your teeth at me nor loom over me in menace; for by God, nothing remains of my life but the like of the last trailing wisps of dust. Decree, then, whatever you will decree, for the appointed meeting is with God, and after the killing comes the reckoning. The Commander of the Faithful, Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), informed me that you would be my killer." Al-Hajjaj said to him: "Then the proof stands against you." Kumayl said: "That is so only if the decree belongs to you." He said: "Indeed it does — you were among those who killed Uthman ibn Affan. Strike off his head!" And his head was struck off. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 327)
The narrator says: When al-Hajjaj attained the governorship, he resolved to kill Kumayl ibn Ziyad. Kumayl fled, so al-Hajjaj ordered that the stipend of the tribe of Nakha' be cut off from the public treasury. When Kumayl learned of this, he said to himself: I am old and advanced in years, and my life has reached its end; it is not fitting that my kinsmen's stipend be cut off merely because they cannot lay hands on me. For this reason he gave himself up. When al-Hajjaj saw him he said: "I was about to dispatch an officer to arrest you, but you have come to the slaughter-place yourself!" Kumayl said: "O Hajjaj, you sharpen your teeth to shed my blood — do not demolish the house you build on such a foundation! I swear by God, little of my life remains; do whatever your heart desires, for God's appointed meeting is near, and after my killing comes the reckoning. My master Ali (AS) informed me that you are my killer." Al-Hajjaj said: "Then the proof against you is now complete, for you marched with those who killed Uthman." So al-Hajjaj gave the order, and they severed Kumayl's head from his body.
(We say: Kumayl ibn Ziyad al-Nakha'i was one of the confidants of the secrets of Ali (AS) and of Hasan ibn Ali (AS), one of the great figures among the Successors (Tabi'un), and one of the eight famous devout ascetics of Kufa in his time. In merit and learning, worship and gnosis, courage and wisdom, he was among the eminent men of his age. He was among the first to propose the deposition of Uthman and the caliphate of Ali (AS). Kumayl took part in the wars of Ali (AS) and for a time was, on behalf of Ali (AS), governor of Hit, in the region of Baghdad. When the army of Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan seized Hit, Imam Ali (AS) reproached him for his shortcoming in defending the town. Kumayl transmitted narrations from Ali (AS), Umar, Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Abu Hurayra, Abdullah ibn Umar, and Uthman. In Shia sources many narrations are transmitted from him, the most famous of which is the Supplication of Kumayl (Du'a Kumayl); in Sunni sources, however, he is counted as one who transmitted few hadiths, and he is at times spoken of disparagingly. Kumayl was arrested and killed at the age of ninety by al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi, and his body was buried in the land of Thuwayya, an area in the environs of Kufa.)
The biographers have related through various chains: One day al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi said: "I would love to lay hands on a man from among the companions of Abu Turab, so that I might draw near to God through his blood." It was said to him: "We know of no one who kept longer companionship with Abu Turab than his servant Qanbar." So he sent in search of him, and he was brought before him. He said to him: "Are you Qanbar?" He said: "Yes." He said: "Abu Hamdan?" He said: "Yes." He said: "The client (mawla) of Ali ibn Abi Talib?" He said: "God is my Master, and the Commander of the Faithful, Ali, is my benefactor." He said: "Renounce his religion!" He said: "If I renounce his religion, will you guide me to a religion better than it?" He said: "I am going to kill you, so choose whatever manner of death you prefer." He said: "I have left that to you." He said: "And why?" He said: "Because in whatever manner you kill me, I shall kill you in the same manner [in requital]. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) informed me that my death would be by slaughter, wrongfully and without right." So he gave the order concerning him, and he was slaughtered. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 328)
They relate that one day al-Hajjaj said: "I have a craving to seize one of the companions of Ali and shed his blood, and thereby seek nearness to God." They said: "Among the companions of Ali, none was honored with his companionship so much as Qanbar!" Al-Hajjaj ordered him brought. When he appeared, he asked: "Are you Qanbar?" He said: "Yes." He asked: "Of Hamdan?" He said: "Yes." He asked: "The client and servant of Ali ibn Abi Talib?" He said: "God is my Master, and Ali (AS) was my benefactor." He said: "Renounce the religion of Ali!" He said: "If I renounce his religion, will you guide me to a religion better than it?!" Al-Hajjaj said: "I am now resolved to kill you; name whatever manner of death you prefer, and I shall kill you in that very way!" Qanbar said: "I leave that choice to you." He asked: "Why?!" He said: "Because in whatever manner you kill me, in that same manner I shall exact retribution from you on the Day of Resurrection; and the Commander of the Faithful (AS) informed me that you would kill me wrongfully and unjustly!" Al-Hajjaj gave the order, and they severed his head from his body.
(We say: Qanbar, the servant of Ali (AS) — whose name was originally Persian, Gham-bar — was Iranian, probably born in Bayhaq of Sabzevar. Qanbar was one of the special companions, the servant and doorkeeper (hajib) of Ali (AS). The first place in history where Qanbar's name appears is in the revolt against Uthman. According to Ibn Qutayba and al-Dhahabi, in the revolt against Uthman he was wounded alongside Imam Hasan (AS) while defending the caliph. It is also said that in the Battle of Siffin he killed Harb, the servant of Mu'awiya. Qanbar's name occurs in many accounts and narrations, which shows that he was constantly with the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and close at his hand. After the martyrdom of Ali (AS), Qanbar attended Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (AS) and was among those present at the moment of Imam al-Mujtaba's (AS) martyrdom. In the end Qanbar was killed at the hands of al-Hajjaj, and the location of his grave is unknown; graves in Kufa, Homs, Baghdad, and even Nishapur are attributed to him.)
From Abu al-Hakam, who said: I heard our elders and scholars say: The Commander of the Faithful, Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), delivered a sermon and said in it: "Ask me before you lose me." A man stood up before him and said: "Tell me how many strands of hair there are on my head and in my beard." The Commander of the Faithful (AS) rose and said: "By God, my intimate friend the Messenger of God (PBUH) told me of what you have asked: upon every strand of hair on your head there is an angel cursing you, and upon every strand of hair in your beard there is a devil inciting you; and in your house there is a young whelp who will kill the son of the Messenger of God." At that time his son was a small child, crawling. And when the affair of Husayn (AS) came to pass, he undertook his killing, and the matter was exactly as the Commander of the Faithful (AS) had said. (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 330)
The narrator says: I heard from the elders and scholars that Ali (AS) said: "While your hands can still reach my skirt, ask me whatever you wish!" A man rose at once and asked: "How many strands of hair have grown upon my head and face?" Ali (AS) said: "By God, my intimate friend the Messenger of God (PBUH) informed me of your question, and he added: upon every strand of hair of the one who stands up and asks such a thing there is an angel appointed who curses him, and a devil appointed who is the cause of his misguidance." Then the Commander of the Faithful (AS) added: "And in your house there is a small child who will one day kill the son of the Messenger of God (PBUH)." They say his son was in those days a little child who could only just sit up. At the time of the event of Karbala, this same son, by then grown, became the killer of Husayn (AS), and the prediction of Ali (AS) was fulfilled.
This is what the community has related: When the Commander of the Faithful, Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), set out for Siffin, a severe thirst overtook his companions, and the water they had with them was exhausted. They went right and left in search of water but found no trace of it. The Commander of the Faithful turned them off the main road and traveled a short distance, and a monastery appeared to them in the midst of the wilderness. He led them toward it, and when he came to its courtyard he ordered someone to call its occupant to look out at them. They called him and he looked out, and the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to him: "Is there any water near your abode with which these people might relieve themselves?" He said: "Far from it! Between me and water are more than two farsakhs, and there is no water at all near me; were it not that I am brought water sufficient for a month, used sparingly, I would perish of thirst." The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: "Did you hear what the monk said?" They said: "Yes — will you order us to travel to where he pointed, that we may perhaps reach water while we still have strength?" The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: "You have no need of that." He turned the neck of his mule toward the qibla and pointed them to a spot near the monastery and said: "Uncover the ground in this place." A group of them went over to the spot and dug it up with mattocks, and a great gleaming rock appeared to them. They said: "O Commander of the Faithful, here is a rock on which mattocks have no effect." He said to them: "This rock lies over water; if it is removed from its place you will find water. So strive to overturn it." The people gathered and attempted to move it but found no way to do so; it proved too difficult for them. When he (AS) saw that they had gathered and exerted every effort to uproot the rock and it had defeated them, he (AS) swung his leg from his saddle until he stood on the ground, then bared his forearms, placed his fingers beneath the edge of the rock, moved it, then wrenched it up with his hand and hurled it many cubits away. When it was removed from its place, the whiteness of water appeared to them. They rushed to it and drank from it, and it was the sweetest, coldest, and clearest water they had drunk on their journey. He said to them: "Take your provision and drink your fill," and they did so. Then he came to the rock, took it in his hand, and set it back where it had been, and ordered that its trace be effaced with earth. The monk was watching from atop his monastery, and when he had fully grasped what had happened, he called out: "O people! Bring me down, bring me down!" So they contrived to bring him down, and he stood before the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and said to him: "O man, are you a prophet sent [by God]?" He said: "No." He said: "Then an angel brought near?" He said: "No." He said: "Then who are you?" He said: "I am the legatee (wasi) of the Messenger of God, Muhammad ibn Abdullah, the Seal of the Prophets." He said: "Stretch out your hand, that I may submit to God, the Blessed and Exalted, at your hand." The Commander of the Faithful (AS) stretched out his hand and said to him: "Bear the two testimonies." He said: "I bear witness that there is no god but God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, and I bear witness that you are the legatee of the Messenger of God and the person most entitled to authority after him." The Commander of the Faithful (AS) took from him the covenants of Islam, then said to him: "What has called you to Islam now, after your long dwelling in this monastery in opposition?" He said: "I will tell you, O Commander of the Faithful. This monastery was built in quest of the one who would uproot this rock and bring forth the water beneath it. A generation of learned men before me passed away without attaining it, but God, the Mighty and Majestic, has granted it to me. We find in one of our books, and we transmit from our scholars, that in this region there is a spring covered by a rock whose place none knows but a prophet or the legatee of a prophet, and that there must come a friend (wali) of God who calls to the truth, whose sign is knowledge of the place of this rock and his power to uproot it. When I saw that you had done this, I realized what we had been awaiting and attained my heart's desire. So today I am a Muslim at your hand and a believer in your right, and your servant (mawla)." When the Commander of the Faithful (AS) heard this, he wept until his beard was drenched with tears, then said: "Praise be to God, with whom I was not forgotten; praise be to God, in whose books I was mentioned." Then he called the people and said to them: "Hear what your Muslim brother says." They heard his words, and their praise of God abounded, and their thanks for the blessing God had bestowed upon them in their knowledge of the right of the Commander of the Faithful (AS). Then he (AS) marched on, the monk before him among the whole of his companions, until he met the people of Syria; and the monk was among those martyred with him. He (AS) undertook the prayer over him, buried him, and sought forgiveness for him abundantly; and whenever he mentioned him he would say: "That one was my mawla (my dear friend)." (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 334)
A number have related: When Ali (AS) was bound for Siffin, on the way his companions became intensely thirsty and no water was at hand. They turned right and left in search of water but found no trace of it. Ali (AS) led them off the road, and a monk's monastery appeared in the midst of the desert. When they drew near the monastery, he ordered them to call out to the monk. The monk put his head out of the monastery. Ali (AS) asked him: "Do you know of any water nearby?" He answered: "The distance between you and water is more than two farsakhs, and no water is to be found in these parts." Ali (AS) said: "Did you hear what the monk said?" They said: "Yes! Will you now permit us to go in the direction the monk indicated, fetch water, and quench our thirst?" Ali (AS) said: "There is no need." Then he turned his mount toward the qibla, led the army to a spot near the monastery, pointed out a place, and ordered them to dig there. A group busied themselves digging, and a great hard rock appeared. They said: "O Ali, a hard rock has appeared on which the pickaxe has no effect." He said: "This rock rests upon water! If you can remove it, you will reach the water. So strive to dig it out!" The soldiers pressed in, hoping to succeed in uprooting it, but by no means could they move that rock from its place. Ali (AS) himself came, rolled up his blessed sleeves, slipped his fingers beneath the rock, gave it a heave, tore it from its place with his own hand, and flung it aside. Sweet, clear water appeared from beneath it. The army drank of that water, the like of whose purity and sweetness they had never seen. Ali (AS) said to the soldiers: "Now that you are delivered from thirst, pack up for the journey and prepare for battle." Then the Imam himself came to the rock, set it back in its original place with his own hand, and ordered its trace effaced with earth. The monk had been watching all of Ali's (AS) doings and his soldiers' throughout, and when the episode of the quenching and the effacing of the spring's trace was complete, he came before Ali (AS) and said: "Are you a prophet sent by God?" He said: "No, I am the legatee of the Messenger of God, Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets." The monk said: "Give me your hand, that I may embrace Islam and pledge allegiance to you." Ali (AS) opened his hand and said: "Bear witness to the oneness of God and the prophethood of His Messenger." He said: "I bear witness that there is no god but the One, peerless God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, and I bear witness that you are the legatee of the Messenger of God and the worthiest of mankind for his affair." Ali (AS) told him the requirements of Islam and asked him: "Why did you become a Muslim?" He said: "The reason for my Islam is that this monastery was built so that its dwellers might attain the meeting with the one who would tear this rock from its place and reveal the spring beneath it. Devout men before me dwelt here in this same hope, yet none of them attained such felicity; and I, coming after them, have reached this happiness and good fortune, and God has bestowed this blessing on me. We have heard from our scholars that in this region there is a spring, over it a heavy rock, and that none knows its place except a prophet or his legatee." Ali (AS) said to his companions: "Come and hear the words of this new Muslim." Then the army and the monk departed from there and confronted the Syrians, and at Siffin the monk was martyred. Ali (AS) prayed over him, buried him, and sought forgiveness for him abundantly; and whenever mention of him arose, he would speak of him as his mawla (beloved friend).
(We say: I have cited this narration precisely for this final clause — that is, a human being can become such that Ali (AS) addresses him as his "mawla," meaning his good friend and tender companion.)
Muhammad ibn Abi al-Bilad, from Ali ibn Muhammad al-Awdi, from his father, from his grandfather, who said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: "Before the Qa'im there shall be a red death and a white death, and locusts in their season and locusts out of their season, the color of blood. As for the red death, it is the sword; and as for the white death, it is the plague." (al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 372)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Before the rising of the Qa'im (AS) several events will occur: a red death; a white death; a severe blight at the time it is expected; and a blight at a time it is not expected. The red death is death by the sword, and the white death is death by pandemic disease.