'Ali (AS) said: There is no disgrace upon the believer in being wronged, so long as he is not in doubt concerning his religion nor uncertain in his conviction. (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 1, p. 58)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: There is no defect or humiliation for a believer in his being wronged; but he must never doubt his religion, nor may his certainty in God be diminished.
Kahmas said: 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) said: If any lover loves me, let him love those who love me and hate those who hate me. (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 1, p. 93)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Whoever truly loves me must also love those who love me, and must disavow my enemies.
By the chain of transmission, from 'Ali (AS), who said: The Messenger of God (PBUH) said: Whoever mentions one of his virtues, acknowledging it, God forgives him his sins, both past and future. And whoever writes down one of his virtues, the angels do not cease to seek forgiveness for him so long as any trace of that writing remains. And whoever listens to one of his virtues, God forgives him the sins he has committed through hearing. And whoever looks upon a book of his virtues, God forgives him the sins he has committed through looking. Then he said: Looking at the face of the Commander of the Faithful, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), is an act of worship, and mentioning him is an act of worship. God does not accept the faith of any servant except through allegiance to him and disavowal of his enemies. (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 1, p. 112)
The Messenger of God (PBUH) said: Whoever believes in a virtue of 'Ali (AS) and relates it, God forgives his past and future sins (that is, he is one who receives forgiveness). And whoever writes down a virtue of 'Ali (AS), the angels seek forgiveness for him so long as any trace of it remains. And whoever sits to hear the virtues of 'Ali (AS) related, God forgives him the sins he has committed with his ears. And whoever looks upon a writing of the virtues of 'Ali (AS), the sins he has committed with his eyes are forgiven. Then he said: Looking at 'Ali (AS) is an act of worship; remembering 'Ali (AS) is an act of worship; uttering the name of 'Ali (AS) is an act of worship; and no one's faith is accepted except through allegiance to 'Ali (AS) and disavowal of the enemies of 'Ali (AS).
And from al-Manaqib, from 'Ali (AS), who said: I said: "O Messenger of God, give me a counsel." He said: "Say: My Lord is God, then be steadfast." So I said it, and I added: "And my success is only through God; upon Him I rely and to Him I turn" [Qur'an 11:88]. He said: "May knowledge be wholesome to you, O Abu'l-Hasan! You have drunk of knowledge deeply and quaffed it to the full." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 1, p. 114)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: I said to the Messenger of God (PBUH): "Give me a counsel!" He said: "Say, 'My Lord is God,' and stand firm upon this word." I said: "The success in this comes from God; upon Him I rely and to Him I turn." He said: "O Abu'l-Hasan! All of knowledge is the understanding of this very point. May knowledge be wholesome to you!"
From Abu'l-Bakhtari, who said: I saw 'Ali (AS) mount the pulpit in Kufa, wearing a woolen cloak that had belonged to the Messenger of God (PBUH), girded with the sword of the Messenger of God (PBUH), wearing the turban of the Messenger of God (PBUH), and on his finger the ring of the Messenger of God (PBUH). He sat upon the pulpit, uncovered his breast, and said: "Ask me before you lose me, for within my ribs there is abundant knowledge." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 1, p. 116)
The narrator says: I cannot forget the sight of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) mounting the pulpit in the mosque of Kufa, wearing the coat of mail of the Prophet (PBUH), girded with his sword, wearing his turban upon his head, and with his ring upon his finger. He sat upon the pulpit, opened his collar, and said — "Salu-ni qabla an tafqidu-ni": Ask me while you still have access to me! For in this breast many secrets lie hidden.
The supplication of the Prophet (PBUH) when he dispatched him to Yemen — mention of this has already been made: He said: "You are sending me, though I have no knowledge of judgment." He said to him: "God will surely guide your heart and make your tongue firm. So when the two disputants sit before you, do not pass judgment until you have heard from the second as you heard from the first, for that is more likely to make the judgment clear to you." He said: And I never ceased to be a judge, and I never doubted a judgment thereafter. (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 1, p. 123)
When the Messenger of God (PBUH) was sending 'Ali (AS) to Yemen to act as judge, he prayed for him and said: "God will guide you to the right verdict; but so long as you have not heard the words of both parties, do not pass judgment!" The Commander of the Faithful (AS) used to say: From that day I have never doubted any judgment.
He said: I came in to 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), and he said: "What has brought you, O one-eyed man?" I said: "Love of you, O Commander of the Faithful." He said: "By God?" I said: "By God." And he adjured me three times, then he said: "Truly, there is no servant among the servants of God whose heart God has tested with faith but that he finds our love in his heart and so loves us." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 1, p. 139)
The narrator says: One day I came into the presence of the Commander of the Faithful (AS). He said: "What business have you?" I said: "None at all; love of you has drawn me here." He said: "Truly?" I said: "Truly!" He said: "There is no tested servant — one who has passed the trial — but that he feels our love within his heart and loves us."
From 'Ali (AS), who said: The Messenger of God (PBUH) said: O 'Ali, truly the truth is with you; and the truth is upon your tongue, and in your heart, and between your eyes. (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 1, p. 146)
The Messenger of God (PBUH) said: O 'Ali! The truth is with you, and it is ever upon your tongue, and in your heart, and between your two eyes.
Mu'awiya said: "Who is this, O Sawda?" She said: "By God, he is the Commander of the Faithful, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS). By God, I came to him concerning a man whom he had appointed over our alms and who had dealt unjustly with us, and I found him standing in prayer. When he saw me, he broke off his prayer, then turned to me with mercy, gentleness, kindness, and compassion, and said: 'Have you a need?' I said: 'Yes,' and I told him the matter. He wept, then said: 'O God, You are witness over me and over them, and that I did not command them to wrong Your creatures nor to abandon Your right.' Then he brought out a piece of leather and wrote upon it: 'In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. There has come to you a clear proof from your Lord; so give full measure and weight, and do not diminish for people their goods, and do not work corruption in the land after it has been set right; that is better for you, if you are believers [Qur'an 7:85]. When you have read this letter of mine, hold fast to whatever of our office is in your hands, until one comes to you who will take it from you. And peace.' Then he handed the note to me — and by God, he neither sealed it with clay nor bound it up. So I brought the note to his agent, and he departed from us, dismissed." Mu'awiya said: "Write for her what she wishes, and send her back to her town with no complaint." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 1, p. 173)
Sawda, in answer to Mu'awiya, who had asked her what she had seen in 'Ali (AS) that she would not cease praising him, said: One day I came into his presence to complain of the man he had sent to us to collect the alms. When I arrived, 'Ali (AS) was at prayer. As soon as he understood that I had some business, he completed his prayer and showed me much gentleness, kindness, and compassion, and asked what my need was. I described the situation, that such-and-such a man had wronged us. He wept and said: "O God, You are witness that such acts of oppression under my rule are not by my command!" Then he brought out a sheet of writing material and wrote:
In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. There has come to you a clear proof from your Lord; so give full measure and weight, and do not diminish for people their goods, and do not work corruption in the land after it has been set right; that is better for you, if you are believers [Qur'an 7:85].
And thereafter: when this writing reaches you and you have read it, cease from your work at once, and keep with you the alms you have collected until the coming of one who will take it from you. And peace.
Sawda says: He handed the note to me, and he did not even seal it! I came and gave the note to his agent. He at once ceased from his work and was dismissed.
(We say: Sawda, daughter of 'Umara ibn al-Ashtar al-Hamdani, was one of the companions of Imam 'Ali (AS) and among the Shi'i women poets. At the battle of Siffin she was present in support of Imam 'Ali (AS), together with Jirwa daughter of Murra ibn Ghalib al-Tamimi, Umm Sinan daughter of Khaythama, Zarqa' daughter of 'Adi al-Hamdani, and Umm al-Khayr, and she composed verses in support of him and in encouragement of his troops. After the martyrdom of Imam 'Ali (AS), Sawda went to Syria in order to complain of Busr ibn Artat, one of the Umayyad agents, and met with Mu'awiya. As soon as Mu'awiya's eye fell upon her, he said: "Are you not the one who at Siffin used to incite 'Ali's soldiers against me with your verses?" Without fear or dread Sawda said: "Yes, I am that same woman, and I am not sorry for it either. But, Mu'awiya, that day is past and the battle of Siffin is over; overlook the past and speak of the present." Mu'awiya said: "How am I to forget the past?" Sawda replied: "I did not say forget; I said overlook! Now you have become the ruler, and your agent Busr oppresses us, and you must answer for it on the Day of Resurrection!" Mu'awiya grew angry and threatened Sawda. In the face of Mu'awiya's threat, Sawda lowered her head and in a calm voice recited a poem in praise of 'Ali (AS). Mu'awiya said: "What have you all seen in the son of Abu Talib, that you will not let go of him?" In answer to Mu'awiya, Sawda related the story above. In the end Mu'awiya said: "Write for her whatever she wants, and send her back to her own city, so that she may have no complaint!")
Skins containing honey were brought to him from Yemen. A guest came to al-Hasan (AS), so he bought bread and asked Qanbar for something to eat with it; and he opened one skin and gave him a ratl of it. When he (AS) sat down to divide it, he said: "O Qanbar, something has happened to this skin." He said: "You have spoken truly, O Commander of the Faithful," and he told him. He grew angry and said: "Bring him to me." And when he came, he was about to strike him; but he adjured him by his uncle Ja'far — and whenever he (AS) was adjured by him, he would grow calm. So he said: "What moved you to take before the division?" He said: "We have a right in it; so when you give us our share, we shall return it." He said: "It is not permissible for you to benefit from your right before the people have benefited. Were it not that I saw the Prophet (PBUH) kissing your front teeth, I would have hurt you with a beating." Then he handed Qanbar a dirham and said: "Buy with it the finest honey to be found." The narrator said: It is as though I am looking at 'Ali's hand upon the mouth of the skin, with Qanbar pouring the honey into it; then he fastened it with his own hand, weeping and saying: "O God, forgive it to al-Hasan, for he did not know." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 1, p. 176)
The narrator says: Several skins of honey had been brought from Yemen, and the Commander of the Faithful (AS) entrusted them to Qanbar. A guest arrived for al-Hasan ibn 'Ali (AS). He sent word to Qanbar that such was the situation, and took a ratl of that honey. The next day, when the Commander of the Faithful (AS) sat down to divide that honey, he saw that it had been tampered with. He said: "O Qanbar, something has been taken from this skin!" He said: "O Commander of the Faithful! This is what happened." Anger overcame him and he said: "Summon al-Hasan!" When al-Hasan (AS) came and saw that anger, he became afraid. He intended to discipline al-Hasan (AS). Al-Hasan (AS) adjured him by his uncle Ja'far. Whenever he was adjured by Ja'far, his anger would subside. So he said: "O Hasan! What led you to act thus before the division?" He said: "I have a right in this; when I receive it, I will give this back out of it." He said: "It is not permissible for you to take your right before the people have benefited from it. Were it not that I have seen the Messenger of God (PBUH) kiss your lips and mouth, I would have beaten you today!" Then he gave Qanbar a dirham and said: "Go and buy a ratl of honey better than this, and bring it." He went, bought it, and brought it. The narrator says: I was watching the hand of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) upon the mouth of the skin, while Qanbar poured the honey into it, and he was weeping. Then he fastened the mouth of the skin tightly and kept saying: "Allahumma ighfir-ha li'l-Hasan, fa-innahu lam ya'lam" — O God, forgive al-Hasan, for he acted without knowing.
And it is said: 'Uthman ibn 'Affan passed by Sa'id ibn al-'As and said: "Come with us to the Commander of the Faithful, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, that we may converse with him." So they set out, and 'Uthman went to the seat that befitted him, while I withdrew to one side of the company. 'Umar looked at me and said: "Why is it that I see you as though you hold something against me? Do you suppose that I killed your father? By God, I would have wished that I had been his killer; and had I killed him, I would not excuse myself for the killing of an unbeliever. But I passed by him on the day of Badr and saw him churning up the ground for battle as a bull churns it with his horn, the froth upon the corners of his mouth like a lizard's; so I stood in awe of him and shrank away from him. He said: 'Where to, O son of al-Khattab?' And 'Ali confronted him and set upon him, and I had not stirred from my place before he had killed him." And the Commander of the Faithful was in that gathering, and he said: "O God, pardon! Polytheism has passed away with all that was in it, and Islam has effaced what went before. What is it with you, that you stir the people up against me?" So 'Umar desisted. And Sa'id said: "Truly, it would not have pleased me that my father's killer should be anyone other than his cousin, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib." And they turned to another topic of conversation. (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 1, p. 186)
Sa'id ibn al-'As says: One day, together with 'Uthman and on some errand, we went to 'Umar. 'Uthman went over to him, while I sat farther off among the company. 'Umar looked at me with displeasure and said: "What is the matter with you? You hold something against me in your heart! Do you suppose that I killed your father? Would that I had killed him! And had I killed him, even then I would not have offered an excuse!" Then he continued: "On the day of Badr, when the dust of battle had risen to the sky, the fire of combat was blazing, and the marks of death had appeared, fear had so overcome me that I did not know where to flee. Suddenly your father, al-'As ibn Sa'id, arrived and said: 'Where are you going, 'Umar?' At that moment 'Ali arrived, made for him, and killed him!" 'Ali (AS), who was in that gathering, said: "O God, I turn to You in repentance! The age of polytheism has passed and come to an end, and Islam has effaced what went before!" Then he turned to 'Umar and said: "What do you want, that you stir the people up against me and revive a sedition that has been extinguished?" 'Umar fell silent. Sa'id says: I spoke up and said: "If my father was truly killed at the hand of 'Ali, that is a source of pride for me! Now leave this talk aside, and speak of something else."
(We say: the father of Sa'id ibn al-'As was among the enemies of Islam and was killed at the Battle of Badr. Sa'id himself, the only son of al-'As, was one of the notables of the Banu Umayya and a son-in-law of Uthman and of Marwan. In Uthman's time he was for a while governor of Kufa and of Gurgan. In the disputes between Ali (AS) and Mu'awiya he took the side of neither, but when Mu'awiya attained the caliphate he made him governor of Medina. Sa'id ibn al-'As died in Medina in the year 59. Sa'id ibn al-'As ibn Sa'id is in no way related to the well-known 'Amr al-'As, who is 'Amr ibn al-'As ibn Wa'il.)
It is related from al-Zuhri that when the Messenger of God (PBUH) learned of the presence of Nawfal ibn Khuwaylid at Badr, he said: "O God, spare me Nawfal." When Quraysh were put to flight, Ali (AS) saw him bewildered, not knowing what to do. He made straight for him and struck him with the sword, and the blade lodged in his helmet; he pulled it free, then struck him with it upon the leg — his coat of mail was tucked up — and severed it; then he finished him off and killed him. When he returned to the Prophet (PBUH), he heard him saying: "Who has news of Nawfal?" He said: "I killed him, O Messenger of God." The Prophet (PBUH) pronounced the takbir and said: "Praise be to God, who has answered my prayer concerning him." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 1, p. 187)
Al-Zuhri says: when the Messenger of God (PBUH) heard that Nawfal ibn Khuwaylid too had come with the polytheists to fight him at Badr, he raised his hands in supplication and asked God to spare him the evil of that man. In the course of the battle Ali (AS) saw him, struck him upon the head with the sword, and at last brought him down. After the battle the Prophet (PBUH) said: "What news of Nawfal?" Ali (AS) said: "I killed him!" The Messenger of God (PBUH) pronounced the takbir and gave praise that his supplication had been answered.
(We say: Nawfal ibn Khuwaylid was the brother of Khadija, the wife of the Messenger of God (PBUH), and one of the bitterest enemies of him and of the rest of the Muslims. He was killed at the Battle of Badr at the hand of the Commander of the Faithful (AS).)
Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may God have mercy on him) mentioned in his Musnad, from Abu Hazim, from Sahl, that he saw Ali's sword stained with blood, and Ali said: Indeed you would have seen me — you would have seen me that day — driving them off in one quarter, while Abu Dujana was in another quarter driving off a party of them, and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas driving off a party of them, until God brought relief from all of that. And you would have seen me when on that day a fierce band separated itself from them, among them 'Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl; so I plunged into their midst with the sword and struck with it, and they closed in about me until I reached the last of them; then I charged among them a second time until I came back from where I had come. But the appointed term was deferred, and God decrees a matter that was to be done. And 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr came out on a horse and said: "Who will meet me in single combat? I am 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Atiq." Abu Bakr rose, drew his sword, and said: "O Messenger of God, let me meet him in combat." The Messenger of God (PBUH) said: "Sheathe your sword, return to your place, and let us have the benefit of your presence." He said: and Uthman was among those who turned away on the day the two hosts met. And Ibn Abi Najih said: on that day a herald called out: "There is no sword but Dhu'l-Fiqar, and no champion but Ali." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 1, p. 189)
Ahmad ibn Hanbal has recorded in the Musnad that on the day of Uhud blood was dripping from Ali's Dhu'l-Fiqar, and he used to say: on the day of Uhud I was in one part of the field driving the polytheists back from the Prophet (PBUH), and Abu Dujana in another part, and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas on yet another side, until God brought relief. And he said: I kept charging and wheeling until I had driven the polytheists back from the Messenger of God (PBUH); and since the appointed term was deferred, God repelled their evil. And he used to say: on that day 'Abd al-Rahman, the son of Abu Bakr, came out from among the polytheists, stood in the ranks and called for a challenger, saying: "I am 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Atiq!" Abu Bakr rose, drew his sword from its scabbard and said: "O Messenger of God, let me go out to fight him." His Holiness said: "Put the sword back in its scabbard, sit down in your place, and do not deprive us of your presence." On that day it was not known where Uthman had fled to! And Ibn Abi Najih says that on that day an unseen herald called out: "There is no sword but Dhu'l-Fiqar, and no champion but Ali."
(We say: 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr, whose name in the days of polytheism was 'Abd al-'Uzza, did not come to faith in the Messenger of God (PBUH) along with his father Abu Bakr. His father and mother used to call him to Islam in Mecca, but he stood out against them. Some have said that the verse of "Fie" was revealed concerning him: "And he who says to his parents, 'Fie upon you both! Do you promise me that I shall be brought forth, when generations have passed away before me?' — while they cry to God for help: 'Woe to you! Believe! God's promise is true.' But he says: 'This is nothing but the legends of the ancients'" [Qur'an 46:17]. In any case 'Abd al-Rahman was in the army of the polytheists at Badr and at Uhud. Then, before the Battle of the Confederates, or after the Treaty of Hudaybiyya, he became a Muslim and was given the name 'Abd al-Rahman by the Prophet. 'Abd al-Rahman was among the reciters of the Qur'an. He was in the Muslim army at Tabuk, at the campaign against Banu al-Mustaliq, and in the wars of apostasy. 'Abd al-Rahman had the same mother as 'A'isha. His position at the Battle of the Camel is not clear: some Sunni sources count him among the army of Ali (AS), and some Shi'i sources among the army of 'A'isha. Since no early source concerning the Battle of the Camel mentions his name, in all likelihood he held aloof from the fighting. Towards the end of his life 'Abd al-Rahman protested at Mu'awiya's making the caliphate hereditary, refused to pledge allegiance to Yazid, and left Medina together with Imam al-Husayn (AS). 'Abd al-Rahman's daughter was a wife of Imam al-Mujtaba (AS). His death too is wrapped in obscurity: in the early part of Yazid's rule he died in his sleep in a village on the outskirts of Mecca, and was then carried to Mecca and buried in the cemetery of Abu Talib.)
That was because, when the Prophet (PBUH) besieged them, he set about their siege and pitched his tent at the far end of the territory of Banu Hatma. A man of the Banu al-Nadir shot at him by night with an arrow, and it struck the tent. So he (AS) gave the order, and his tent was moved to the foot of the hill, and the Muhajirun and the Ansar encircled him. When darkness closed in they missed Ali, and they informed him of that. He said: "I think he is about something that will set your affair right." It was not long before he came with the head of the Jew who had shot at the tent — his name was 'Azwara' — and he cast it down before the Messenger of God. He said: "How did you deal with him?" He said: "O Messenger of God, I saw that he was bold, and I said: how daring he is, to go out by night looking for an unguarded moment! So I lay in wait for him, and he came on with his sword drawn, and with him nine of the Jews. I fell upon him and killed him, but his companions escaped — though they have not gone far. So send some men with me, for I hope to overcome them." So he sent ten men with him, among them Abu Dujana and Sahl ibn Hunayf. They overtook them before they could enter the fortress, killed them, and brought their heads to the Prophet (PBUH), who ordered them to be thrown into one of the wells. That was the cause of the conquest of their fortresses. (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 1, p. 201)
At the campaign against Banu al-Nadir, the tent of the Prophet (PBUH) stood on the lands of Banu Hatma. In the middle of the night an arrow came and pierced the Prophet's tent. So the tent was struck and moved to a more distant place, and the Muhajirun and the Ansar formed a ring about it. Meanwhile they saw that Ali (AS) was not there, and they reported it to the Prophet (PBUH). He said: "He will appear presently." A little later Ali (AS) emerged out of the heart of the night with a severed head in his hand. He came and laid the head before the Messenger of God (PBUH) and said: "This is the head of that Jewish archer who lay in ambush to kill you." The Messenger of God (PBUH) said: "How did you prevail over him?" Ali (AS) answered: "I lay in ambush for him on his way back to the fortress, and when he saw me he drew his sword and charged at me. There were nine others with him. When I laid him in the dust, the rest fled and hid themselves in the blackness of the night. …"
A day at Siffin: Busr went out against Ali (AS), keeping silent so that Ali (AS) should not recognize him, because of a certain thing that had happened to him earlier. When Ali (AS) came down against him, he charged him, and Busr fell from his horse upon his back, raising his legs so that his private parts were uncovered; and Ali turned his face away from him. Busr sprang up on his feet, and the helmet fell from his head, and the companions of Ali cried out: "O Commander of the Faithful, it is Busr ibn Artat!" He (AS) said: "Let him be; God's curse is upon him." Mu'awiya laughed at Busr and said: "No blame on you; the like of it befell 'Amr." And a young man of the people of Kufa shouted: "Woe to you, O people of Syria! Have you no shame? Ibn al-'As — may God Most High curse him — has taught you to bare your backsides in war!" Busr had been in the habit of laughing at 'Amr, and now 'Amr laughed at him in his turn. And the people of Syria kept clear of Ali and feared him with a great fear. Now Uthman had a client named Ahmar, who came out seeking single combat; Kaysan, the client of Ali (AS), went out against him, but he charged him and killed him. Ali (AS) said: "May God slay me if I do not slay you!" Then he charged him, and the man met him with the sword; Ali warded off his blow with his shield, then seized his garment, tore him from his saddle and dashed him to the ground, breaking his shoulders and his upper arms. Then a horseman of Mu'awiya's men came out, and the two closed and exchanged blows; and al-'Abbas noticed a weak place in the Syrian's coat of mail, and struck him upon that weak place and cut him in two. The army of Ali (AS) cried "God is greatest", and al-'Abbas mounted his horse. Mu'awiya said: "Who will go out against this man? Whoever kills him shall have such and such." Two men of Lakhm, from Yemen, sprang up and said: "We will go out against him." He said: "Go out; whichever of you is first to kill him shall have the wealth I mentioned, and the other the like of it." So they went out to the place of single combat and called to al-'Abbas, summoning him to fight. He said: "I shall ask my master's leave and come back to you." He came to Ali (AS) to ask his leave, and Ali said to him: "Give me your clothes, your weapons and your horse." Ali (AS) put them on, mounted the horse and went out to the two as though he were al-'Abbas. They said: "Did you get your master's leave?" He shrank from lying, and so recited: "Permission is given to those who are fought against, because they have been wronged; and truly God is well able to give them victory" [Qur'an 22:39]. Then one of the two men advanced upon him, and they met with two blows; Ali struck him on the soft of his belly and cut him in two. The man supposed the blow had missed him; but when the horse moved, he fell in two pieces, and his horse went off to the army of Ali. (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 1, p. 250)
A scene from the Battle of Siffin: Busr ibn Artat, one of the commanders of the Syrian army, came out to fight, while Ali (AS) had his face covered, so that Busr did not know that he was Ali. When he recognized Ali, he fell from his horse to the ground in terror, and Ali (AS) came at him. He too, like 'Amr al-'As, uncovered his private parts, and Ali (AS) left him alone. At that moment the helmet fell from Busr's head, and Ali's companions recognized him and cried out: "O Ali! It is Busr; do not let him go!" But Ali (AS) drew back from him and said: "Let him be, for he is drowned in the curse of God!" Busr came back to the Syrian army and was mocked by Mu'awiya and by 'Amr al-'As — who only the day before had been laughed at by Busr for baring his private parts. Meanwhile Ahmar, who was the slave of Uthman, came out from the Syrian army and called for a challenger. Kaysan, the slave of Ali, went out to fight him, but was killed. When Ali (AS) saw this, he cried out: "May I die if I do not kill you!" and went out to fight him. The two grappled with each other; Ali (AS) lifted him from the saddle, whirled him in the air and dashed him to the ground so hard that his neck was broken. Again another warrior came out from Mu'awiya's army and called for a challenger. Ibn 'Abbas went out to fight him, and saw that there was an exposed spot in his coat of mail, so he drove his sword into that very place and killed him. Ali's army cried "God is greatest". Mu'awiya shouted: "Who will rid us of this man?" Two Lakhmi warriors (Lakhm being a town in Yemen) came out to fight Ibn 'Abbas. Ibn 'Abbas, seeing that he was no match for them, said: "Let me first ask leave of my master." So he came to the camp. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) put on his clothes, mounted his horse, and went out to fight the two Lakhmis. They said: "Did you get your master's leave?" Ali (AS), unwilling to tell a lie, recited this verse: "Permission is given to those who are fought against, because they have been wronged; and truly God is well able to give them victory" [Qur'an 22:39]. First one of them came forward, and blows were exchanged between him and Ali (AS). Then Ali (AS) dealt him a swift stroke upon the belly. The blow was so swift that the Lakhmi warrior remained for a moment motionless; then, as his horse moved, his body — cut in two at the waist — fell to the ground on either side of the horse, and the riderless horse fled towards the army of Ali (AS).
Whenever he killed a horseman he proclaimed the takbir aloud. I counted his takbirs on the night of al-Harir, and they were five hundred and twenty-three takbirs, for five hundred and twenty-three slain of the companions of the Blaze. And it is said that on that night he slit the waistband of his coat of mail because of the weight of the blood that streamed down his forearm. And it is said that those he had slain were recognizable in the daylight, for his strokes were all of one manner: if he struck lengthwise he clove asunder, and if crosswise he severed; and it was as though it had been a searing with fire. (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 1, p. 253)
A scene from the Night of al-Harir: every wretch whom the Commander of the Faithful (AS) laid in the dust with Dhu'l-Fiqar, he marked with a shout of takbir that reached the ears of all on the field. That night men counted, and they heard from His Holiness five hundred and twenty-three takbirs, for five hundred and twenty-three men whom he had killed with his own hand and cast to the ground. Those slain by him that night could be recognized by their marks in the daylight, for the strokes were all of one manner: if he had struck lengthwise, he had split the man in two; and if he had struck crosswise, he had cut him in half. And it is said that so much blood had settled upon His Holiness's coat of mail that night that, on account of its weight, he had to open his mail.
And of this is what I have copied from the book Lutf al-Tadbir, the composition of Abu 'Abd Allah al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah al-Khatib, who said: it is related that Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan said to those who sat with him, after the arbitration: "How are we to know what our affair will come to in the end?" Those who sat with him said: "We know no way to that." He said: "Then I shall draw out that knowledge from Ali (may God be pleased with him), for he does not speak falsehood." So he summoned three men of his trusted men and said to them: "Go until you all come to within one stage of Kufa; then agree together to announce my death in Kufa, and let your account be one and the same as to the illness, the day, the hour, the place of the grave, who led the prayer over me, and the rest, so that you differ in nothing. Then let one of you enter and report my death; then let the second enter and report the like; then let the third enter and report the like of what his fellow reported — and watch what Ali says." So they went out as Mu'awiya had commanded them. Then one of them entered, mounted, riding hard, haggard of face, and the people in Kufa said to him: "Whence have you come?" He said: "From Syria." They said: "The news!" He said: "Mu'awiya is dead." So they came to Ali (AS) and said: "A rider from Syria brings news of Mu'awiya's death." But Ali (AS) paid no heed to it. Then another came the next day, riding hard, and the people said to him: "What news?" He said: "Mu'awiya is dead" — and he reported the like of what his fellow had reported. So they came to Ali (AS) and said: "Another rider brings news of Mu'awiya's death, the same as his fellow reported, and their words did not differ." But Ali (AS) held his peace. Then the last entered on the third day, and the people said: "What is behind you?" He said: "Mu'awiya is dead." They questioned him about what he had witnessed, and he did not differ from the account of his fellows. So they came to Ali (AS) and said: "O Commander of the Faithful, the report is confirmed; here is a third rider who has reported the like of what his two fellows reported." And when they pressed him hard, Ali (God's blessings be upon him) said: "By no means! Not until this is dyed from this" — meaning his beard from the crown of his head — "and the son of the eater of livers makes sport with it." And word of this went back to Mu'awiya. (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 1, p. 284)
Shaykh Abu 'Abd Allah al-Khatib has recorded in the book Lutf al-Tadbir that one day Mu'awiya asked those present in his assembly: "How are we to find out where our affair will end, and to whom the rule will at last come?" His purpose was to learn whether his own death would come first or that of the Commander of the Faithful (AS). The people of the assembly said: "We can find out no such thing." Mu'awiya said: "I shall draw this knowledge out of Ali ibn Abi Talib himself, for he has never spoken falsehood, and no word of his has ever proved untrue." So he summoned three of his trusted men and said: "All three of you go together to Kufa, and each day let one of you in turn enter the city; and whoever goes shall say that Mu'awiya died at such an hour, on such a day, of such an illness; that he was buried in such a place; and that such a one prayed over him. And on the next day let the next man say the same, without discrepancy — so that we may see what Ali says on the matter!" They set out from Syria and came thus to the outskirts of Kufa, and one of them mounted and rode hard into the city with a grieving and stricken air. When the people saw him in that state, they said: "Whence do you come?" He said: "From Syria." They said: "What news have you?" He said: "Mu'awiya has died, in such and such a manner!" They brought this news to the Commander of the Faithful (AS): that such a rider had come from Syria with news of Mu'awiya's death, that he had died on such a day of such an illness. His Holiness paid no attention. On another day another rider came, and when the people asked him he said the very same. Again they brought word to His Holiness: "Today another rider has come from Syria and has reported Mu'awiya's death in agreement with yesterday's report." His Holiness turned away from this also. Until on yet another day they saw another rider come and say the very same, without discrepancy. This time they came to His Holiness and said: "O Commander of the Faithful! This news has now been verified and has reached the point of certainty, for today another man has come and has spoken in agreement with those two, with nothing added or taken away." His Holiness said: "It is not so!" Then he put his hand to his blessed beard and said: "These whiskers shall be reddened with the blood of this head, and Mu'awiya will hear this news." Then he said: "This is a trick that the son of Hind, the eater of livers, has devised!" They returned and carried this news back to Mu'awiya.
And from it, he said: it reached 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz that a group of people were disparaging Ali (AS). So he mounted the pulpit, praised God and extolled Him, invoked blessings upon the Prophet (PBUH), and made mention of Ali, his merit, and his precedence in Islam. Then he said: 'Irak ibn Malik al-Ghifari related to me, from Umm Salama (may God be pleased with her), who said: while the Messenger of God (PBUH) was with me, Gabriel came to him and spoke with him in confidence, and the Messenger of God (PBUH) smiled and laughed. When the state passed from him, I said: "May my father and mother be your ransom, O Messenger of God, what has made you laugh?" He said: "Gabriel has told me that he passed by Ali (may God be pleased with him) while he was pasturing some camels of his; he was asleep, and part of his body had become uncovered. He said: so I drew his garment back over him, and I found the coolness of his faith reaching my heart." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 1, p. 287)
It is recorded in al-Manaqib that word reached 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz that certain wretched persons were speaking unseemly words about Ali (AS). He mounted the pulpit, gave praise and thanks to God, and spoke at length of the merit of Ali (AS), of his precedence, and of his standing with the Prophet (PBUH). Then he said: 'Irak ibn Malik al-Ghifari has related from Umm Salama that one day the Messenger of God (PBUH) was with me when Gabriel (AS) descended and spoke with him in confidence, and His Holiness smiled. After the revelation had passed from him I asked him what the cause of his smile was. He said: Gabriel told me: "I passed by Ali at a time when he had put some camels out to graze and had fallen asleep, and his garment had slipped from part of his body. I went and covered his body with his garment, and I found that the coolness of the breeze of his faith reached my heart."
(We say: it would be a pity if in this book no mention were made of a lover of Ali (AS), 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz. 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz was the grandson of Marwan al-Hakam and the eighth Umayyad caliph. He kept so straight a course that some of the Sunnis, among them Ibn al-Athir and al-Shafi'i, have reckoned him the fifth of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. The seventh caliph, Sulayman ibn 'Abd al-Malik, died in the year 99 AH and by his testament appointed 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz as caliph. According to al-Tabari, upon coming to the caliphate he recited the verse of returning ("Truly we belong to God, and truly to Him we return"), then went to the mosque, delivered a sermon there and said: O people! I am being tested before God by means of this caliphate. Concerning my caliphate neither was my opinion sought nor were you consulted; therefore I do not compel you to pledge allegiance to me. 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz held the caliphate for two years and five months. In his time the reviling of Ali (AS) was abolished. He lifted the poll tax from those protected subjects who had become Muslims, and reduced the taxes of the Persians; and when others complained of the fall in the revenue of the public treasury, he said: God sent His Prophet for guidance, not for the collecting of the poll tax! This measure of his brought about a fresh wave of conversions to Islam on the frontiers of the Islamic empire. He placed the palm-grove of Fadak in the possession and ownership of the Banu Hashim. He lifted the ban on the writing down of hadith, and enlarged the Mosque of the Prophet. Upon the martyrdom of Malik al-Ashtar, the letter of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) to him fell into Mu'awiya's hands, and Mu'awiya hid the letter away in his treasury, until 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz made it available to all. 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz held discussions with the Kharijites and persuaded them to give up bloodshed. Al-Dhahabi in Tadhkirat al-Huffaz has related from Imam al-Baqir (AS) that 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz is the noble one of the Banu Umayya. 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz died at the age of thirty-nine and was buried at Dayr Sam'an in Homs. His tomb survives to this day. Among his addresses is this: whoever is in our company must observe five things, and otherwise let him not come near us: that he lay before us the need of one who cannot himself supply it; that he help us with his effort in a good work; that he guide us to a good work which we have not perceived; that he do injustice to no one; and that he not meddle in what does not concern him. It is related from 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz that he said: I saw my father while he was delivering a sermon, and when he wished to mention the name of Ali (AS) in an evil manner, he faltered and became confused in his speech. When I asked the reason, he said: My son, those who have gathered around us — if they knew what we know of the virtues of Ali, they would scatter from about us and attach themselves to the children of Ali. 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz wrote in a letter to the governor of Kufa: The people of Kufa have been exposed to affliction, to pressure and to the oppression of evil governors, whereas the sustenance of religion is justice and beneficence. Take from the poor only what they can bear, and take nothing from the wealthy save the land tax. Among the works of 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz was the building of caravanserais in far-off lands. He wrote to one of his officials: Give hospitality to Muslim travellers for a day and a night and take care of their beasts; and if they are sick, for two days and nights. And if they are wayfarers, convey them to their own land.)
And from the Sahih of al-Tirmidhi, from 'Imran ibn Husayn, who said: the Messenger of God (PBUH) sent out an army and set Ali ibn Abi Talib over them. He went with the detachment and took a slave-girl, and they disapproved of it; and four of the companions of the Messenger of God (PBUH) made a pact together and said: when we meet the Messenger of God (PBUH) we shall tell him what Ali has done. Now the Muslims, when they returned from a journey, would begin with the Messenger of God and greet him, and then go off to their dwellings. When the detachment arrived, they greeted the Messenger of God (PBUH), and one of the four stood up and said: "O Messenger of God, do you not see that Ali ibn Abi Talib has done such and such?" But the Messenger of God turned away from him. Then the second stood up and said the like of his words, and he turned away from him. Then the third stood up and said the like of his words, and he turned away from him. Then the fourth stood up and said the like of what they had said. Thereupon the Messenger of God (PBUH) turned to them with anger visible in his face, and said: "What do you want of Ali? Ali is from me and I am from him, and he is the guardian of every believing man and woman after me." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 1, p. 290)
Al-Tirmidhi has related that the Messenger of God (PBUH) sent out an army to battle and set Ali (AS) over them as commander. On this expedition Ali (AS) took a slave-girl in marriage. This weighed heavily on the soldiers, and four of the companions agreed together to bring the matter to the hearing of the Prophet (PBUH). When they returned to Medina they came into the presence of the Prophet (PBUH) and told the story. Each one who told it, the Messenger of God (PBUH) turned his face away from him. When the fourth repeated the same words, the Messenger of God (PBUH) turned to them, and it was plain that he was angry. He said: "What do you want of Ali? Ali is from me and I am from Ali. After me, Ali is the guardian of all the believers."
And from him, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: Fatima used to be spoken of to the Messenger of God (PBUH) as a bride, and no one spoke of her but he turned him away, until they despaired of her. Then Sa'd ibn Mu'adh met Ali and said: "By God, I do not think the Messenger of God (PBUH) is withholding her save for you." Ali said to him: "And why do you think that? By God, I am neither of the two sorts of men: I am not a man of this world who seeks what I have — and he knows that I possess neither gold nor silver — nor am I the unbeliever whom he would win over by her away from his religion" — that is, conciliate — "and indeed I was the first to accept Islam." Sa'd said: "I adjure you to relieve me of this, for in it there is relief for me." He said: "And what shall I say?" He said: "You shall say: I have come as a suitor to God and to His Messenger for Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad." He said: so Ali went and presented himself to the Prophet (PBUH), and he was weary and tongue-tied. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "O Ali, have you a need?" He said: "Yes; I have come to you as a suitor to God and to His Messenger for Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad." The Prophet (PBUH) said to him: "Welcome" — a faint word. He went back to Sa'd and told him, and Sa'd said: "He has given her to you in marriage. By Him who sent him with the truth, there is now no going back and no untruth. I adjure you before him that you go to him tomorrow and say: O Prophet of God, when will you make it clear to me?" Ali said: "This is harder for me than the first. Shall I not say: O Messenger of God, my need?" He said: "Say as I have bidden you." So Ali (AS) went and said: "O Messenger of God, when will you make it clear to me?" He said: "This very night, if God wills." Then he called for Bilal and said: "O Bilal, I have given my daughter in marriage to my cousin, and I love that it should be among the customs of my community that there be food at a marriage. So go to the flock and take a sheep from it." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 1, p. 350)
Ibn 'Abbas says: a number of men asked the Messenger of God (PBUH) for the hand of Fatima (peace be upon her); but the Messenger of God (PBUH) kept silent and gave no answer, until all of them despaired. One day Sa'd ibn Mu'adh saw Ali (AS) and said to him: "I think the Messenger of God has kept Fatima for you!" Ali said: "How so? I have nothing!" Sa'd said: "Bestir yourself, for God will help you! Go to the Messenger of God and say: I ask you and God for your daughter Fatima in marriage." Ali (AS) came into the presence of the Prophet (PBUH) while the Prophet was somewhat indisposed. He hesitated a little. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Have you a need?" Ali (AS) said: "Yes," and stated the matter. The Prophet (PBUH) said softly: "Welcome!" Ali came and told the story to Sa'd. Sa'd said: "Muhammad has never yet spoken an untruth! Fatima is yours. Go again tomorrow to the Prophet and say: appoint the time!" Ali (AS) said: "This is harder for me than the first!" Even so, Sa'd urged him on, and Ali came to the Prophet and spoke thus. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "This very night!" Then he called for Bilal and ordered that a sheep be slaughtered and food prepared. And he used to say: at a marriage, give food.
And from Aban ibn al-Tufayl, who said: I heard Ali (AS) saying to al-Hasan: "Be in this world with your body, and in the hereafter with your heart." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 1, p. 567)
The narrator says: I heard Ali (AS) saying to his son al-Hasan (AS): "Be in this world with your body, while with your heart you are in the hereafter."
And from Musa ibn Ja'far, from his forefathers (AS): al-Husayn said: a man came to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) slandering certain people. He bade me call Qanbar for him, and Ali (AS) said to him: "Go out to this slanderer and say to him: You have made us hear what God Most High detests; so depart, without the safekeeping of God Most High." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 2, p. 218)
Imam al-Husayn (AS) relates: someone came to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and slandered certain people. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) turned to me and said: "Tell Qanbar to come." I called Qanbar, and he said to him: "Put this slanderer out! And say to him: slander is hateful to God. Now go, deprived of God's protection!"
(We say: that is, slander casts a man out of God's safekeeping and lays him open to affliction.)
And from him, from Ali (AS), that he said to Qays ibn Sa'd when he had come to him from Egypt: "O Qays, trials have their limits, which they must needs reach; so it is incumbent upon the man of intellect to sleep through them until they turn away, for to contrive against them with stratagems while they are advancing only increases them." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 2, p. 346)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: the troubles of life run on until they reach a limit, and after that they vanish and pass away. He who is wise and has understood this truth must, when troubles arise, leave them be until the time of their resolution and passing comes. So long as it is the time of the troubles' dominance, contrivance and stratagem only make them greater and more tangled.
And from him, from him (AS), who said: "Whoever puts his trust in God, He shows him joy; and trust in God is a fortress in which none takes shelter save a faithful, trustworthy believer."
And from him, from him (AS), who said: "Reliance upon God is deliverance from every evil and a refuge from every enemy."
And from him, from him (AS), who said: "Silence is light."
And from him, from him (AS), who said: "By the shepherd the flock is set right." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 2, p. 346)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: trust in God falls only to the lot of the faithful, trustworthy believer, and its fruit in life is perpetual gladness.
And he said: reliance upon God is itself a refuge, and the cause of deliverance from afflictions and from enmities.
And he said: silence causes a man to become luminous.
And he said: until the ruler is set right, the people are not set right!
And he (AS) said: "God has servants whom He singles out with blessings, and He leaves those blessings with them so long as they bestow them freely; but when they withhold them, He strips them away from them and transfers them to others." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 2, p. 346)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: God gives certain special blessings only to those who bestow them freely; and so long as they keep an open hand with that blessing, the blessing remains with them; but the moment they withhold it from people, the blessing departs from them and falls to another's lot.
And he (AS) said: "Whoever is made independent by God, people become in need of him; and whoever fears God, people love him even though they be unwilling." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 2, p. 347)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: he who, through reliance upon God, has no need of people, becomes one of whom people stand in need; and he whose whole concern is to attain God's good pleasure becomes, despite the efforts of the malevolent, acceptable and beloved among people.
And he (AS) said: "Patience is the adornment of affliction, and serenity is the adornment of worship." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 2, p. 347)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: the best thing in affliction is patience, and the best state in worship is serenity and calm.
He (AS) said: "Enough of the perfection of a man's understanding is his knowledge of his own age; and of his patience, the fewness of his complaints; and of his intellect, his dealing justly out of his own self; and of his friendship, the abundance of his agreement and the fewness of his opposition; and of his soundness, how little he retains the faults of others." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 2, p. 347)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: he who does not know his own age is no man of understanding; he who does not hold his tongue from complaint is not patient; he who is not just is not wise; he who is forever in opposition is not sincere in friendship; and he who counts up the faults of others is usually not sound himself.
And he (AS) said: "The covetous man is in the bonds of abasement; and whoever loves long life, let him prepare a patient heart for affliction." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 2, p. 348)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: whoever has a craving is held in pledge to abasement; and whoever desires a long life, let him make himself ready to endure patiently the afflictions of this world.
And he (AS) said: "Three things bring the servant to God's good pleasure: much seeking of forgiveness, lowering the wing in humility, and much almsgiving. And three things — whoever has them in him will never regret: leaving off haste, taking counsel, and reliance upon God, mighty and majestic, when resolving upon a matter." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 2, p. 349)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: three things make a servant an inhabitant of Paradise: much seeking of forgiveness, humility, and much almsgiving. And three things, if they are in a man, he will never regret: patience and the leaving off of haste; taking counsel; and reliance upon God at the beginning of an undertaking.
And he (AS) said: "A man's slaying lies between his two jaws." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 2, p. 349)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: a man's tongue is always the place of his slaying.
And he (AS) said: "Whoever deems a foul deed good is a partner in it." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 2, p. 349)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: whoever reckons an evil deed to be good is a partner in its sin.
And he said: "God, mighty and majestic, has bestowed no blessing upon a servant, and the servant has known that it is from God, but that God — glorified be His name — has written down for him his thanks for it before ever he praised Him for it. And he has committed no sin, knowing that God is aware of him and that, if He wills, He punishes him, and if He wills, He forgives him, but that God has forgiven him before ever he sought forgiveness." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 2, p. 350)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: before the servant gives thanks with his tongue or asks forgiveness, the mere fact that he understands that what he has has been given by God is written down for him as thanksgiving; and the mere fact that he understands that God is aware of the sin he has committed, and that if He wills He punishes and if He wills He forgives, is counted for him as the seeking of forgiveness.
And he (AS) said: "Have mercy upon your weak ones, and seek mercy from God by showing mercy to them." (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 2, p. 350)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: have mercy upon the weak around you, and by this means await the mercy of God.
Sahl ibn Sa'd al-Sa'idi (may God be pleased with him) said concerning Ali (AS): By God, it was the Messenger of God (PBUH) who named him Abu Turab, and there was no name dearer to him than it. (Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 2, p. 442)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: it was the Messenger of God (PBUH) who named me Abu Turab, and he loved this name of mine more than my other names.
The book al-Arba'un Hadithan ("The Forty Hadiths") is the work of al-Shahid al-Awwal (the First Martyr), Shaykh Shams al-Din Muhammad ibn Makki al-Juzayni al-'Amili (d. 786 AH), one of the great Shi'i scholars of the eighth century of the Hijra. This book contains forty hadiths from the noble Prophet (PBUH) and the infallible Imams (AS). The tradition of composing an "arba'in", that is, of writing forty hadiths, rests upon a report from the noble Prophet (PBUH) that "whoever of my community memorizes and revives forty important hadiths, God will raise him up on the Day of Resurrection as a jurist and a scholar": "Whoever preserves for my community forty hadiths of what they need in the matter of their religion, God will raise him on the Day of Resurrection as a jurist and a scholar." This hadith, which is transmitted in various sources with differing wordings, became a motive for the scholars of Islam to gather collections of forty hadiths on various subjects. The book of al-Shahid al-Awwal contains forty hadiths with their chains of transmission, together with the commentary and explanation that the Martyr wrote upon them. The standing of al-Shahid al-Awwal in jurisprudence and in character adds to the importance of this book, so much so that in later centuries commentaries and glosses were repeatedly written upon it. Al-Shahid al-Awwal is one of the eminent Shi'i scholars of the eighth century, with numerous writings in the fields of jurisprudence, hadith, legal theory and theology. On account of his mastery of the Islamic sciences and his many writings, he holds a special place among Shi'i scholars. His most important book is al-Lum'a al-Dimashqiyya, which contains his own juristic conclusions drawn from Shi'i law and is in fact a book of legal rulings, written at the request of the Sarbadar rulers who at that time had gained power in Khurasan. The Martyr composed this book in prison, in the space of a single week. Al-Lum'a al-Dimashqiyya is known as a concise and much-used juristic text among students of the religious sciences of the Shi'a. This book was later commented upon by al-Shahid al-Thani (the Second Martyr), in the commentary known as Sharh al-Lum'a. Al-Shahid al-Awwal was born in the year 734 AH in the village of Juzayn in the region of Jabal 'Amil (in present-day Lebanon). Jabal 'Amil was at that time one of the important centres of Shi'i learning, and al-Shahid al-Awwal was brought up in that scholarly environment. He studied under great masters such as Fakhr al-Muhaqqiqin (the son of al-'Allama al-Hilli) and Sayyid 'Amid al-Din ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, and attained mastery in various sciences such as jurisprudence, legal theory, hadith, exegesis and theology. Al-Shahid al-Awwal was, because of his scholarly and religious activities, held in regard and honour by the Shi'a; but this fame provoked the envy and enmity of his opponents. In the year 786 AH he was arrested by order of the Mamluk rulers who at that time held sway over Lebanon, and after enduring torture he was martyred. Al-Shahid al-Awwal is known in Shi'i history not only for his learning and jurisprudence, but also for his steadfastness in the way of his beliefs and his martyrdom upon that path, as a symbol of resistance and of adherence to religious principles. It is related that throughout his life al-Shahid al-Awwal continually asked God for martyrdom. He longed to be martyred in the way of defending truth and reality. This longing was such that he even saw martyrdom in his dreams. It is related that he saw in a dream that he was martyred in the Grand Mosque of Damascus. This dream later came true, and he was martyred in that very place at the hands of his enemies.